Hoover Dam and Willow Beach

We decided to take the longer route to Phoenix via Las Vegas and Hoover Dam. The kids were excited to see the dam because it figures prominently in the movie Transformers. (That's where the cube and Megatron are hidden. So cool!) It was incredible to see, but the highway was a huge parking lot. It took us so long to actually get across the dam that we decided we didn't want to go back that way on the way back. Seeing the dam once, was enough for a lifetime. As we left, we realized we weren't going to be in Kingman, AZ for lunch like we had planned, so we pulled off of the highway at a sign for Willow Beach that said it had picnic areas. We headed off into the sagebrush, unsure of our final destination. We were seizing the day! It turned out to be an amazing oasis in the middle of the desert. It was heavenly. We had a wonderful time with a picnic and throwing rocks in the lake. The weather was perfect!