2006-11-26

Pre-AU 2006: The Hoover Dam

Friday morning, Mike and I left the Gateway City and flew to Las Vegas, where we met up with another AUGI Board Member, Bill Adams and his lovely wife, Karen. We rented a car and drove out to Boulder City to stay the night. We were in a cute historical B&B and we sampled some local flavors... and some foreign drinks. We had a great time, and early this morning, after our continental breakfast, we drove out to visit the Hoover Dam. It... was... awesome. The scenery is just awe-inspiring. There is a bypass and bridge(s) under construction right now that are very impressive on just a huge scale. Going inside the dam in the elevator and seeing the massive generators, being inside one of the diversion tunnels which now feed water to the generators... the floor softly vibrating under your feet while you hear the drip of water in the tunnel... It's an unbelievable experience and I'm really happy we got a chance to check it out. After we finished the tour (picture taken between two states/time zones, hehe), we drove on out here to the Grand Canyon. We were a little late for sunset, but, even in fading dusk, the canyon took my breath away. We're waking up early tomorrow to watch the sunrise over the canyon and, despite the fact that it will be FREEZING, I cannot WAIT! It is going to be awesome. My husband has seen it before and is really excited to see it again. We had dinner here in our hotel tonight. I was delighted to see... following a banjo player and singer, some Navajo performing a few dances. A basket dance, and eagle dance, and a hoop dance. There was a musician/singer and two young men who did the dances. They were really awesome. The singer explained the significance of the objects (their shapes and colors) and about some of their ceremonies and traditions. I took some pictures, as well as some video. The light wasn't that good for the video, but, I'm happy to have been here to check these guys out. It's nice to see some traditions kept alive in a place and time where so many cultures have just sort of melded together. I'm looking forward to the Grand Canyon tomorrow... BUT, I'm also pretty psyched about AU, and a writing job I've got to start on as soon as I get home. Busy time, but, really exciting. Can't wait to see everyone at Autodesk University!

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