Day 2: Views From The Hoover Dam - Part 1

Read Day 1

My eyes seemed to droop a little as we pulled into the outskirts of Las Vegas. Those 4 hours from LA were actually pretty hard on my current sleep cycle. Lately, the covers were firmly around my body at 10PM each night. It was almost 2AM when my companion and I made our way up to stay the night with a friend. Naturally being the gentleman I am, I sat up shop on the couch in the living room. We discussed the plan for the day then gave in to our desire for a quarter night's sleep. I plugged up my cellphone to charge and sat my glasses on the coffee table. I am prone to throwing pillows off my bed at night, so I removed all but one behind my head and closed my eyes.

Before I could even begin dreaming about the food I would eat on this lovely adventure, I felt a tug to my blanket.

Is this a situation I want to get into? I mean I am too tired to perform effectively on such short notice.

Then it happened again. However, this time it was a big surprise. Out of nowhere a black pussy lands on my face. I was shocked and excited to say the least.

This black cat proceeds to walk across my chest, down my stomach, back to my head, and finally jumps off the couch to continue with more night time mischief. I soon drifted off to the lovely sounds of meows and scratching noises in the background.

8AM rolls in and I realized we'd overslept. I am not going to say it was my fault but......

No time to gamble, proposition hookers, or dispose of any bodies. We cleaned up, said thanks to our host, and headed to the car, but not before I sang a song to commemorate my night spent under watchful eyes.

Back on the road. Traffic.

I found it amazing how many people were leaving Vegas going east at 8:45 in the morning. I opted to drive this leg of the trip until we reached the Grand Canyon. I sped up to a good 75 mph and made sure the tunes were cranked to an obnoxious volume. Try the TGIF playlist on Spotify to get you in the right mood on any day of the week.

About 30 minutes into the drive, we see signs for the Hoover Damn. The plan was to drive straight to the Grand Canyon only stopping for gas. How could we pass up the opportunity to see such a spectacular feat in human engineering?!! Also, it was on the way, so why not.

The road leading up to the bridge is something to be experienced. You turn a corner and over a hill comes one of the most beautiful views of Lake Mead and the Colorado River. Natural land formations are more magical than anything created by Hollywood CGI for the big screen.

I also enjoyed the man on the motorcycle in front of us Snapchatting and taking photos at a good 50 mph. Social Media wins again.

We went up a winding road which seemed to be on a cliff side. Who builds these roads? And why do you insist on a roller coaster style infrastructure model? Okay, where was I?

As a testament to my ability as man to always have a great sense of direction, I totally went right past the actual place to stop. So after a small detour we begin our trek up to the Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge.

There are always steps before you get to the real attraction!

After passing plenty of historical wording placed on walls, the ground and stand-alone platforms we finally arrived at the top. I am sure some of it was very valuable information, but the view tells you all you need to know.

Now let's talk about the feelings that came forth while standing on this bridge.

I felt......something. Do you mind if I'm honest right now? Of course you don't mind, when am I not honest in my writings!

I think that if I'd gone to visit this site alone it wouldn't evoke any emotions at all. However, I learned at very young age that having people to share an experience with makes it more enjoyable. I took photos with my friend and looked out into the distance.

I was so glad we stopped to see this gem. The contrast between the blue-green waters and the stark browns and deep reds of the surrounding hills is a must see.

After a not so quick bathroom break.....I do not recommend using the bathrooms by the Hoover Dam.....just don't do it. We packed ourselves back into the car and headed to our next destination.

Bye Bye Nevada, Hello Arizona!