Day 10 Dam that's big!

The wi-fi is very limited here at the canyon, so I'll just post all the pictures after this narrative and you'll have to figure out what goes with which. We left Vegas after loading up with some supplies for the drive. The landscape changed dramatically as we left the city, with brown and grey the only colors in every direction. After about 45 minutes we saw parts of Lake Mead, and the Hoover Dam complex came into view. We parked and made our way to the walkway, where the huge intake cylinders that control the dam's workings are visible. The huge new suspension bridge that spans the Colorado River can be seen above the whole area. It's hard to believe that all the traffic it carries at one time had to cross the little winding 2 lane road that crosses the dam itself. The spillway where the dam disgorges its water was almost empty due to the drought and heat the area has been experiencing. You can see the high water mark (white rock that is usually covered and grey rock that is weathered) and how low the Lake level is now in the picture of the intake cylinder. The dam is a modern marvel and very inspiring. The heat was unbearable (105 degrees) so we got in the car and drove back to the Lake Mead overlook. The 100 mile lake has 13 marinas like the one in the picture. In places it's 500 feet deep! The water is a gorgeous deep blue and very clear. On the way to the Grand Canyon, we passed a few tiny Arizona towns, and saw some railroad action near Williams AZ. The drive was pleasant but uneventful, even though we were dogged by a storm off to the east all the way. We arrived at the Grand Canyon National Park and got registered for our room, with a Moose encounter (right in front of the Lodge!) as our welcome. Pretty cool! Tomorrow we'll see the Canyon by the early light of dawn, do some hiking, and drive part of the South Rim. Expect many pictures, especially if the weather's good!