One of the oft overlooked wonder of Yosemite National Park, the Hetch Hetchy water and power system is a remarkable achievement of early 20th Century engineering. Chief engineer Michael M. O' Shaughnessy and his crew built this impressive structure back in 1923, with new generators and powerhouses to be added later in 1960 and 1988. It provides water and electricity to more than 2.4 million people in the SF Bay Area, and yet the average Bay Area resident doesn't even know it exists, much less seen it up close. To go walk across the dam and venture through the sold tunnel of granite is like being transported into another world. No wind. No sound. Nothing. Just a view of pure serenity and a feeling of utter calmness. read more

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