Evening star., 1938-05-15
VACATION MECCA
/. RISES IN DESERT
Boulder Dam Area RepIete
With Facilities for
Recreation.

Out Of the Arizona Nevada desert
Uncle Sam Is fashioning one of the
most colorful, diversified all-season
recreational areas in the country.
Made possible through the con-
struction OF Boulder Dam and the
creation Of Lake Mead, worlds largest
man-made body Of water. this new
all-year playground has been brought
within IS hours of Washington by
opening Of new airport at Boulder
CITY. New, inaugurated last month as
. stop on the transcontinental route
Of Transcontinental 81 Western Air.
Wonders Of the Grand Canyon, the
= desert. the Western mountains and
the man-made miracle Of Boulder
Dam combine to make the region one
Of the most spectacular in the coun-
try. Sports possible in this area range
from aquatic sports of all kinds in
Lake Mead to hiking, mountaineering
and even all-year around winter sports
on snow-capped Mount Charleston.
Air Conditioned Hotel.
The area Is administered by the
National Park Service Of the Interior
Department, which has made all types
Of accommodations available, through
concession, at Boulder City. The
modern air-conditioned Boulder Dam
Hotel and dining room and the Desert
Lodge are available for those desiring
hotel accommodations A free public
campground on the shore Of Lake
Mead, miles from Boulder City,
also is maintained by the Park Serv-
ice.
available in both Las Vegas, New, and
Kingman, Ariz.
Air tours to the area have been in
augurated as a result Of opening of
the new Boulder City Airport and now
complete vacation trips, lasting as
long as two weeks or more may be ar
ranged, including conducted trips to
all the beauty and play spots in the
Boulder Dam recreational area.
Grand Canyon National Park, and the
Mount Charleston Mountain Game
Preserves-the Desert Alps"-are
available.
Less Than a Day Away.
Due to the speed of air travel, COM
prehensive tours of a week or even
less in duration are possible for the
Washingtonian. Flying time to Boul-
der City is approximately IS hours.
and the local vacationist, leaving here
N on the $50 am. schedule Of Pennsyl-
vania Central Airlines, connecting
with T. w. A. at Pittsburgh, can be in
the desert before sunrise the next
morning
The Boulder Dam Recreational
Area adjoins the western boundary Of
the Grand Canyon National Monu-
ment and includes little-known coun-
try of majestic beauty, accessible only
since the filling of Lake Mead.
Up to the time Lake Mead was
created fewer than 100 white men had
seen the lower end Of the Grand Can
yon. The lake now backs up into the
lower canyon about 20 miles above the
Grand Wash Cliffs, which form the
end Of the canyon proper, and boat
trips from Boulder City into the can
yon are available under Federal auspi-
ces. The boat trip up Lake Mead, a
four-hour run through alternate des-
ert shores and dizzying canyons, is
. splendid way to see this new country.
Since the lake was created there
have been discoveries of all kinds, one
Of the most sensational being the
location Of waterfall as high as Nj
agara in little canyon opening off the
Lower Grand Canyon. Entirely un-
known two years ago, this falls now
is visited regularly by boat from Boul-
der City and from the new Pierces
Ferry Desert Camp near the canyon
mouth. Water from the falls, in fact,
Is the sole source of supply of drink
ing water for the Pierces Ferry Camp.
Creates Oasis.
Plunging over a towering, many
colored rock cliff, the little stream has
created small desert oasis at its
foot Here the desert vegetation in
creases to almost tropical density and
strange. bright flowers bloom under
the mesquite trees.
Not far from the falls are ancient
Indian dwelling caves, followed out
Of the canyon walls in the remote
days before the arrival OF Coronado
and hts Spaniards. In some of these
caves scientists have discovered bones
Of the long-extinct giant ground sloth,
some of them charred in the Indian
cooking fires. Many of these caves,
hitherto inaccessible, have not yet
been explored.
Operating under Federal conces-
sion, sightseeing airplanes are ope-
rated throughout the new area for
those who want quick, thorough
view Of the area There is a mesa
landing field high above the now
tanned Colorado River near Pierces
Ferry, in addition to the older, better
known fields on the rims of the Up
per Grand Canyon.
From Pierces Ferry there is an
extremely picturesque desert road