DAY 18 - HOOVER DAM IT'S HOT

After a lengthy lie in until 11 am we had a lazy morning catching up with emails, blog etc and booked accommodation for our night between LA and San Fran.  Mid afternoon we decided to take a trip out to the Hoover Dam which is only about a 40 minute drive from Vegas.  We park up in the visitor car park and walk across the dam.  Construction of the dam began in 1930 and it was completed in under 5 years. It is named after Herbert Hoover (America's 31st President). Upon completion it was the highest concrete dam in the western hemisphere standing 725 feet above the Colorado River. The purpose of the dam is to control floods, store water for irrigation, municipal and industrial use and to provide hydroelectric power.  After leaving the Dam we take a quick look at Lake Mead. The temperature today is well over 100 degrees.

In the evening we dined at a Vietnamese restaurant in the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino. We then take to the casino floor again for some gambling.  We decide to try a new slot machine featuring Napoleon and Josephine.  It is extremely boring and we can't quite figure out what we are supposed to be doing but at 1 cent a go it is cheap and we do get free drinks again.  Just as the boredom is taking over the machine starts flashing and playing very loud music and says we have been awarded many free spins.  We are laughing hysterically as the machine has taken over and all we have to do is sit there while the free spins roll and we begin to win dollars.  Yet again we leave the casino with more money than we started with and 2 free drinks each as well.  We thought we might get the jack pot of over $1000 but alas it was not to be.  Jessica then wanted to play proper poker at one of the tables so we go up to one of the croupiers and he says he will teach us how to play.  A couple of American girls also come over to join us as they don't know how to play either.  Jess bets 5 dollars but loses this immediately on the first card draw so she decides to call it a day.