Hey Guys!
This post continues our time in Las Vegas!
Click here for the top 51 things to see in Las Vegas
On day 2 we headed to the historic railroad trailhead in Boulder City.
As we were leaving our condo, we snapped a few pictures of the Lake Las Vegas area.
Such beautiful views!
We then stopped off at the Lake Mead recreation area. This area is really beautiful and definitely worth a few hours of your time if you are in the area.
It was weird seeing flowers blooming in late December!
After taking in the spectacular views, we continued our drive to the railroad trailhead.
Once we arrived, we were surprised by the number of people that were here to hike the trail….with it being Christmas week, we expected it to be less crowded but unfortunately that was not the case.
The Historic Railroad Trail is an easy, dog-friendly hike along a former railroad grade. It provides panoramic views of Lake Mead, overlooking the Boulder Basin area.
As you walk through five large tunnels, you will experience a portion of the railroad route that ran from Boulder City to Hoover Dam from 1931 to 1961.
As one of Southern Nevada’s most unique trail experiences, the trail was designated as a national recreation trail on June 4, 2015. It shares the rich history of the construction of the Hoover Dam and the creation of Lake Mead.
The trail can also be accessed near the Lake Mead Visitor Center or via the Hoover Dam Parking Garage.
The first tunnel is approximately 1 mile from the trailhead & the 5th is 2.2 miles from the trailhead. If you continue your hike past the 5th tunnel to the Hoover Dam parking garage, it’s another 1.5 miles.
We only walked to the 2nd tunnel….and we were glad we did because later we read that the 3rd tunnel was closed off.
All tunnels are approximately 300 feet in length, and 25 feet in diameter.
The views of Lake Meade from the trail were stunning!
The trail was very flat so most anyone can enjoy it.
There are several information plaques along the trail.
The tunnels were amazing!
After finishing our hike, we headed to Hemenway Park in Boulder City. I had read about this park during my research of things to do in/around the Vegas area.
Hemenway Park is a small park where wild Bighorn sheep hang out. They often come down from the hills to graze on the manicured lawns of this city park.
They are so common, residents refer to Hemenway as “Sheep Park.”
Even if the sheep aren’t there, you will be treated to beautiful views of Lake Mead, as well as a nice picnic area and playground to stretch your legs.
Thankfully, when we arrived, the sheep were there.
It was really cool to see so many in a public place!
After leaving the park, we headed into the small town of Boulder City to have lunch.
We settled on the Dillinger Restaurant. The restaurant was small with a western theme.
We loved the front doors!
The restaurant offered burgers, sandwiches, wraps & salads… however, they mostly focus on burgers.
We started out with the smoked gouda macaroni bits ($7.50)…they were delicious!
My hubby and I both ordered burgers. I ordered the Capone ($12.75) which was topped with cheddar & jack cheese, grilled onions, applewood smoked bacon, special sauce & a fried egg.
The hubby ordered the Dillinger ($13.75) which was topped with cheddar cheese, bacon & beef brisket.
We weren’t impressed. Both burgers were too well done for us and the service wasn’t the best.
After lunch, we walked around the cute, little town.
We then headed to our next stop, Hoover Dam.
Book tours here
This area is very busy and I recommend you arrive early. There was a long line to the parking garage. It costs approx. $10 to park in the garage.
The surrounding views are beautiful!
You will pass under the Mike O’Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge….it’s an amazing structure! The bridge crosses from NV to AZ and the time changes as you cross into AZ.
You can walk across the bridge as well and I definitely recommend you do so!
After parking, we walked down several flights of stairs to get to the dam area.
We first spotted the Winged Figures of the Republic that were made in 1935 from 4 tons of bronze.
Millions of people have rubbed the feet of the sculptures for good luck….so, of course, I had to do it too! 😉
You can see the statues for free, but to enter the Visitors Center/Museum the cost is $10, and tours of the Dam are available for an additional fee.
We then headed to see that massive dam….it’s truly amazing! It’s hard to believe that it was built in the early ’30’s and that it only took 5 yrs to build.
During construction, 96 men lost their lives.
Read more about the history of the dam here
The views around the dam were amazing!
After leaving this area, we drove up to a nearby observation area….however, about the time we arrived, a huge rain cloud came out of nowhere!
The views from here were still nice even though it was cloudy.
We then drove back to the Lake Mead Recreation area where we spotted a beach. There are 7 different swimming areas in Lake Mead.
Read about scenic drives in the area here
After leaving the beach, we drove back into Boulder City.
My hubby loves looking at the different types of architecture of homes when we travel to other places. So, we drove around for a bit looking at some houses in the area.
We found some beautiful homes ….and views!
As we were leaving Boulder City, we passed Hemenway Park again and the bighorn sheep were still there so we made another stop.
The views from this park are truly beautiful!
After leaving here, we headed back to our condo and called it a day!
Thanks for reading….stay tuned for day 3.
Read Day 1 here, Read Day 3 here & Day 4 here