Hoover Dam

I had the pleasure of driving across the Hoover Dam in a convertible in February. The site is amazing to behold. I found the underground electrical generators surprisingly nice settings with beautiful marble floors. However, the memorial artwork at the site seemed a little odd. The government website acknowledges the artist wanted to relate to the work of the Egyptian pyramids. Clearly the winged statues and obelisk-like flagpole directly relate back to the inspiration of the pyramids. However, the celestial map of the universe with the birth of Christ on the timeline and nearby zodiac calendar not only stand at odds with one another - the artwork creates a confusing combination of images. I spent several minutes contemplating the meaning and really could not fathom the inclusion of the zodiac, but came away without any clue why astrology featured so prominently at the monument.

I appreciated the lesson about power. Political power. Seven different states debated how to divide the water and electricity, but the fact Arizona did not approve the agreement until 1944 did not halt the allocation of natural resources from proceeding to deliver California with the water necessary to provide roughly one quarter of the national fruit supply. The tour guide claimed the dam operates primarily for water supply and electrical output occurs at near-zero profit to the dam. The massive site was built under budget, two years ahead of schedule, and operates completely self-sufficiently without any federal budget required. Amazing.