I'll admit it, I'm Guilty! When I used to be a visitor to Las Vegas, I got off the plane at McCarran, jumped in a cab or limo and headed off to my hotel. I never imagined life beyond the Strip. Until.... the wise guy...I mean wise man sharing my office started showing me around. I was amazed, but one thing really hooked me, and that was seeing Lake Mead, from those Dam Neighbors in Boulder City. It's an amazing array of colors that changes with the angles of light as well as the seasons. The water also gets to a very comfortable temperature in summer, usually in the 80's.
So I guess you can understand why it doesn't take much to get me to sneak out for a visit. Today was no exception, and hard to pass up an invite for a cruise. This one on the biggest on the lake, the 300 passenger Desert Princess. It's one of the fleet from Lake Mead Cruises, located just inside the Lake Mead Recreation Area at Boulder Basin. They are the only National Park Service licensed water tour operator on the massive lake and have been there since 1987.
At peak levels, the lake covers over 162,000 acres of the 1.5 million acre park, and has over 550 miles of shoreline. This is all thanks to Hoover Dam, that you get to see from a lake perspective as you cruise through Black Canyon. Right now you also get to see the construction underway for the towering concrete arch of the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge just beyond the dam.
Of course there are other many other things pointed out along the way. The flat topped Fortification Hill, that is actually an extinct volcano and the northern most of the remains of the lava flows that created the Black Mountains. Then there's Devil's Paint Pots on the Arizona side with ribbons of red running through the rock formations. There is a cove inside Black Canyon where a boat or two might be found anchored, and it may look familiar. It was one of the sites used for filming Planet of the Apes. Along the southwestern rim of Boulder Basin you may notice some carved flat spots leading to tunnels. These are left over from the railroad used to build the dam, and are now a hiking trail as a spur from the River Mountains Loop Trail that will be 35 miles long.
This is what you'll find on the day sightseeing cruises, but there is more with night Dinner or Dinner Dance cruises. Besides the obvious good food and entertainment, there's the beautiful starry night sky away from the city lights, and the moon glistening on miles of water. Perfect for a romantic evening or a night out with friends. Or you could try out their award winning Sunday Champagne Brunch Breakfast Cruises. Just don't be surprised if you're along for the ride and there's a top deck wedding taking place, or see one of the ships chartered for a bride and groom.
If you're a local and would like to check out this adventure in our back yard, I have a special for you for the rest of September, subject to availability. You can get a 2 for 1 noon or 2PM sightseeing cruise by using code VW7, or 25% off a dinner cruise with code VW8 when booking online at Lake Mead Cruises. Of course if you already have the annual Park Entrance pass sticker you're good to go, if not you'll have to pick up a $5 - 5 day pass to get into the Rec Area.
So here's the photo tour to wet you appetite. Click the HD button on the bottom of the player to view full size, and when done click it again to exit full screen. You can also see this and my other Las Vegas photo slideshows, that include some of the interesting Las Vegas area communities, by CLICKING HERE.
This is just one more thing to add to the long list of things to do in and around the Las Vegas Valley. There is such a wide variety of Entertainment, Entertainers, and Events, that makes living in Las Vegas so unique. In case you missed my other blogs, Boulder City has a collection of Lake View homes ranging from condominiums to luxury estates, in addition to the ones found at The Lakes , Desert Shores and Lake Las Vegas.
If you are interested in relocating to Las Vegas or would like information on Las Vegas real estate, please email me roberta@search4lasvegashomes.com or call me at 702-354-8988. I look forward to hearing from you!
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