050824 - GRAND COULEE DAM
GRAND COULEE DAM
Arrived at Grand Coulee (one of the 4 cities adjacent to Grand Coulee Dam – the others being Coulee Dam, Electric City and Coulee City) and chose a park that advertised free shuttle to the night time laser light show at the dam. It was a good choice. The park was comfortable, with grass for Peter and a laundry room just 20 feet away.
The owners are a kind, friendly couple who are a joy to talk to and appear hard working.
The laser light show was a real treat. Before it starts, they open the flood gates and use the flowing water as the picture screen.
Some of the display is fascinating, but most of it is dated. It was created in 1986, but the essence, theme and narration is stirring, motivating and inspiring. Much of the background music is commercially recognizable and it finishes with Neil Diamond’s version of “Coming to America”.
The dam construction was started just after the completion of the Hover Dam, and mostly by the same men. However, this project was much larger. It still holds many titles such as the 3rd largest hydro-electric plant in the world and the largest concrete structure in the world. It took 8 years to build at a cost of about 350 million. Today it would be in the billions but would never be approved by any EPA, Conservationist groups, or government agencies.
It is the primary dam for the Columbia River and 7 other smaller dams make up the water conservation and power system.
Lake Roosevelt is the Columbia River behind the dam extending 151 miles to the Canadian Boarder.
The whole structure us about a mile long, so we opted out on the daytime tour.
All in all, a worthwhile and not to miss experience.
Till next time,
Arrived at Grand Coulee (one of the 4 cities adjacent to Grand Coulee Dam – the others being Coulee Dam, Electric City and Coulee City) and chose a park that advertised free shuttle to the night time laser light show at the dam. It was a good choice. The park was comfortable, with grass for Peter and a laundry room just 20 feet away.
The owners are a kind, friendly couple who are a joy to talk to and appear hard working.
The laser light show was a real treat. Before it starts, they open the flood gates and use the flowing water as the picture screen.
Some of the display is fascinating, but most of it is dated. It was created in 1986, but the essence, theme and narration is stirring, motivating and inspiring. Much of the background music is commercially recognizable and it finishes with Neil Diamond’s version of “Coming to America”.
The dam construction was started just after the completion of the Hover Dam, and mostly by the same men. However, this project was much larger. It still holds many titles such as the 3rd largest hydro-electric plant in the world and the largest concrete structure in the world. It took 8 years to build at a cost of about 350 million. Today it would be in the billions but would never be approved by any EPA, Conservationist groups, or government agencies.
It is the primary dam for the Columbia River and 7 other smaller dams make up the water conservation and power system.
Lake Roosevelt is the Columbia River behind the dam extending 151 miles to the Canadian Boarder.
The whole structure us about a mile long, so we opted out on the daytime tour.
All in all, a worthwhile and not to miss experience.
Till next time,
posted by The Highway Guys @ 11:05 PM
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