Tourists flock to Hoover Dam during holidays

By Dave Clark

Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009 | midnight

While most of the fall and winter are typically slow at Hoover Dam, the period between Thanksgiving and New Year's nearly rivals the summer peak, with roughly 3,000 visitors a day.

"Anytime it's a holiday, it's hectic for us," Bureau of Reclamation spokesman Steve Leon said.

Special events coordinator Elizabeth Young said the holidays are reminiscent of summer, when children are out of school and families take vacations. The summer season peaks with roughly 3,200 visitors a day, while 2,000 to 2,500 is typical for January and February.

December also saw the re-opening of the old exhibit building, completed in the 1940s. The building was closed for a month while wood and marble was refurbished, Young said.

"It had to be historically preserved since it was done in the 1940s," she said. "It has a giant topographical map that shows the whole Southwest."

Many of the visitors at the dam on Dec. 30 were from out-of-state. Dennis and Audree Loewen stopped in Las Vegas on their way from Armstrong, British Columbia, to Mexico. Dennis Loewen, 58, found the spectacle of the dam to be unbelievable.

"It's very impressive," he said.

Redlands, Calif., resident Frank Hsu, 42, made a point to stop at the dam with his parents, wife and three children. "This is a must-see," he said.

But not everyone was a first-time visitor. Chicago residents Ken and Nancy Karuhn estimated they had visited 10 to 15 times.

They were tempted to stop again by the construction of the Hoover Dam Bypass, a bridge across the Colorado River that, once open, will carry traffic that now travels across the top of the dam.

Ken Karuhn, who works on buildings, is fascinated by such large feats of engineering. "We had to see how it was coming," said Nancy Karuhn, 61.

While they were in town visiting their now-grown son, they reminisced about taking him to the dam as a boy. The Karuhns said one of their most memorable visits occurred when they got sidetracked on a tour near the generators about 30 years ago. They got lost and had to find a phone and call security to lead them out.

Young encouraged others to visit and tour the engineering marvel. "We're entertaining and educational," she said.

Just stay with the group.

Dave Clark can be reached at 990-2677 or [email protected].