Dear Reader,
A client of mine wanted to book me on a job in Boulder City and Hoover Dam, a two day job. Last June I did a job for the same client in Boulder City, Colorado about forty-five minutes north of Denver. I was very happy to learn that this was the Boulder City in Nevada, because the other Boulder City would be a twenty hour drive from Los Angeles and it would mean I would have to travel though a very snowy interstate 70, not fun a place to drive in winter. Boulder City, Nevada is about five hours from Los Angeles, the weather is nice and cool until you get into late April thru October when the weather is best described as very hot. Ironically the best rates for hotels and casinos is in the fall and spring, except for major holidays. I like cool weather over hot weather anytime.
I regress, our first day we shot in the City of Henderson, about twenty minutes from the Vegas strip, in the afternoon we shot in Boulder City on Old Hwy 95. Old Hwy 95 runs parallel to new Hwy 95 for a few miles until it becomes Hwy 95 again. The Old Hwy has less traffic or none, so it is the perfect place to do a car chase, show off a new car or have models walking down a lonely road without being harassed by speeding cars and trucks. I have been to some interesting locations, I found this place very unique, the highway is paved, surrounded by volcanic mountains to the West. The landscape is parched with little vegetation other than scrub bushes. Downtown Boulder City is to the North/East.
I stayed at Hacienda Casino (702-293-5000) just east of Boulder City, but not in Boulder City. BC is one of only several cities that forbids gambling in Nevada. Somehow some smart person figured a way to get a casino built near Hoover Dam, in BC, but it is not in BC, but everything around is Boulder City. This is way too confusing to ponder, so lets not ponder. The Hacienda is an old casino probably built in the nineteen-sixties and it looks old. The charm about this casino and “hotel” is it looks like the sixties. If your film, or your look is something retro, this is the perfect place to film. The Hacienda has slot machines, gaming tables, a small movie theatre that shows theatrical films in 35mm. The Lakeview Cinemas, it is called, reminds me of those old theaters from a by gone era, when films was the main source of entertainment. There are old posters that cover the walls, a snack bar with affordable goodies, matinee are $3.00 for adults, prime time is $6.00 for adults (prices might change). There is plenty of parking for large and small vehicles, an added plus if you have a commercial license you ten percent off on food and lodging. If you park a commercial vehicle on Saturdays lodging is free. Repeat free. (Pricing and discounts might change.) There is also a truck stop across the street for fuel and additional parking an added bonus.
The Hacienda is just minutes from Hoover Dam, is one exit from Hoover Dam. Because of 9/11 be prepared for an inspection of your vehicle and make sure you have current identification or passport. Parking for large vehicles is limited, a monitor will be assigned to your crew, I found the monitors very nice and very film friendly. The monitors allowed us to have a private parking lot to ourselves which enabled us to have a spacious base camp. Hoover Dam is an amazing one of a kind location, beyond just the dam, we were able to shoot at one of the unused power grids, on top of a hill that overlooked the dam and the road below. There were few if any limits imposed on the filming at Hoover Dam.
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| Hoover Dam |
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| Hoover Dam |
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| On set |
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| Colorado River |
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| Bridge over Colorado River |
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| Old Highway 95 |
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| Old Highway 95 |
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| Looking north on Old Highway 95 |
Regarding lodging, personally I liked the Hacienda, but some members of your crew might prefer something more upscale like the Lake Mead Resort 702 293 2074. I did not stay there, therefore I cannot make a review. There are a number of lodging options in Boulder City, restaurants grocery stores and more. Of course Las Vegas is only thirty minutes away. If you have any questions about these locations, or you need a motor come please call me Mike Green at 818 317 7099.
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