The last time I was here, in 1996, the world was in a totally different situation. There was no arched bypass bridge, no tight security, and the only way through was by driving on the dam.
My most memorable experience was looking over the edge of the dam all the way to the bottom, giving my stomach that queezy feeling, a little bit of vertigo, and weakness in the knees. What prescription drug am I on? Oh yeah, it's vastness! A lot of questions went through my mind. How did they accomplish this massive project with primitive equipment? How did they get the concrete to seal water-tight against the rocky cliff walls? Where is that door that Clark Griswold opened and almost fell out of? I'm sure if we went on the dam tour, my dam questions would've been answered dammit, but we didn't. I prefer not to herd along with tourist cattle and research info on my own.
TIP:
The AZ & NV state line runs through the middle of the dam. Look for the markings!