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This page last updated on 04/13/2017
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03/21/2013 Trip Notes: This was the Heritage Park Senior Facilities’ first hike here for the 2013 season. As noted on the previously, there are several pull-offs along this 11-mile stretch of road, and this page chronicles several of the stops at the southern end of this scenic drive. The last time our group visited here was on 01/19/2012. This post may include pictures from both visits. Note: The slide show on the [Previous Page] includes pictures from all of my visits here.
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Boulder Beach: Our stop here this year was rather disappointing. The water level was much lower and the area and restroom facilities were unkept. Last year I was surprised at how much higher the water level appeared at this location (Fig. 01) [due to a water release from Lake Powel that raised the lake level 38 feet] compared with our previous visits. This location provides a view of the intake pipes for the Las Vegas water system (Fig. 02). Though we skipped the turnoff to the fishing pier (Fig. 05) that is just several hundred yards south of the beach area, I have added pictures from last years visit. Not only were there hundreds of sea gulls (Figs. 03 & 04), we spotted a Blue Heron, a Great Egret and some Coots (Figs. 06-08). |
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| (Fig. 05) |
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| (Fig. 06) |
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Las Vegas Boat Harbor and Lake Mead Marina: Next we made a short stop the the Las Vegas Boat Harbor (Fig. 09) where the Lake Mead Marina is home to the Desert Princess (Fig. 10), the jewel of the Lake Mead Cruises. Because we made this years’ stop so short we didn't have the time to observe the ducks (Fig. 11) or feed the fish (Fig. 12) as we have done on previous visits. |
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| (Fig. 09) |
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| (Fig. 10) |
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| (Fig. 11) |
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| (fig. 12) |
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Alan Bible Visitor Center: This visitor center has been closed due to renovations for more than two years. One of the main efforts was to bring its many systems up to code and provide it with a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) silver rating. Other changes are a refurbished exhibit area, new park film, improved bookstore and gift shop and outside cactus garden. The greatly expanded cactus garden with many new planting, improved sidewalks, and masonry walls is probably one of its nicest features. Not only does it provide nice scenic views towards the lake (Fig. 13) and the surrounding mountains (Fig. 14), you will find a variety of birds and hummingbirds (Fig. 15), along with flowering cacti, such as the Beavertail Cactus in (Fig. 16). |
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| (Fig. 13) |
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| (Fig. 14) |
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| (Fig. 15) |
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| (Fig. 16) |
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Hemmingway Park: We ended our day with a lunch stop at Hemmingway Park, just up the hill for the Lake Mead’s south entrance. Unfortunately, this year we were unable to spot any of the desert bighorn sheep that are normally roaming the park. On our visit here last year there we dozens of sheep grazing in the park; though our presence caused many to scurry into the surrounding hills (Figs. 17 thru 20). To read more about them go to my page …http://kensphotogallery.blogspot.com/2011/01/desert-bighorn-sheep.html.
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