Las Vegas has a plethora of diversions to offer visitors, and I enjoy the sites on the strip and Fremont Street as much as any tourist. But when my husband and I want to spend our time with a more leisurely amusement, we head out to Lake Mead, approximately 30 miles Southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. When we drive over the crest and first glimpse the lake in the distance, the sapphire blue water sits like a jewel amid the distinctive desert landscape and red canyon walls. The rust colored rock walls surrounding the lake are highlighted with a white “bathtub ring” which is a clear indication of the 130 foot drop in the water level resulting from the 11 year drought.
Within the Lake Meade Recreational area, Hemenway Harbor is located off Hwy 93. It docks houseboats which are rented to families and groups to serve as their temporary living quarters while they float along the lake’s surface and fish, camp, sun, and party. A long dock made of interlocking platforms that float above the water, roll and shift as we walk these prefab planks. At the end of the dock is the harbor, where you rent the boats and a little store where you can buy supplies. My husband and I like to go there to feed the brownish-gray carp which congregate at the dock to gulp down the popcorn, bread, chips, and other treats the humans offer. These fish were introduced in the 1880’s and have become a nuisance for some, but a delight to others. They congregate in the hundreds at the edge of the docks and open their salmon colored mouths reminiscent of baby birds begging for their meals. People delight in tossing them bits of food and watching them edge out their neighbor to snap up the treats. They are so thick in some places that they look like one solid carpet of grey scales and gaping mouths. The local ducks venture as close as they dare, hoping for some scraps missed by the greedy fish. But I seek out the birds in addition to the carp to make sure they get a morsel to eat. If you have never seen this spectacle, I highly recommend it. Chuck and I usually bring our own loaf (or loaves) of bread, but if you forget, they stock popcorn at the store for the tourists who enjoy this delightful commotion.
http://www.nps.gov/lake/index.htm Map and Information http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/oct/02/carp-entertain-visitors-do-little-else-lake-mead/ photos of the carp