Hoover Dam

The drive from Bishop to Las Vegas is straightforward for most of the way, with a challenging climb at the start. Once you reach the outskirts of Nevada’s largest city, the drive becomes increasingly exciting. Suddenly you are on a four-lane motorway through a surprisingly tidy city. As I had some time before checking into my room at the Best Western Plus Henderson Hotel, I first drove to the Hoover Dam.

After the obligatory gun check at the Hoover Dam gate, I drove to the Boulder Dam Bridge parking lot, from where you can reach the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge over the Colorado River. Not only is it a short walk to Arizona, but you also get a great view of the Hoover Dam.

I parked the rental car in the car park next to the visitor centre. A flight of stairs took me down to the Visitor Centre where, on the advice of a good friend, I booked the Guided Dam Tour, which took me not only to the massive Nevada Powerhouse inside the dam, but also down one of the inspection tunnels. All in all, a visit to this concrete giant was more than worthwhile. The museum in the upper part of the visitor centre is also very informative and well worth a visit.

Back in Las Vegas, I immediately checked into the hotel where I was to spend the next two nights. The hotel was very decent and, for me as a single traveller, had a big advantage over the big resorts on the Strip, at least in terms of price. After a short drive I reached the Las Vegas Strip where I started the evening at the New York, New York Resort and Casino.