2013-5 Valley of Fire, Nevada
Hello All,
As we were completing the scenic drive at Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas we came across a dense area of Joshua Trees. They are such a unique tree, and being late March they were just starting to bloom. With their twisted branches no two trees are ever alike. They are native to southwestern North America, in the states of California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada. Joshua trees are confined mostly to the Mojave Desert. Mormon settlers who crossed the Mojave in the mid-19th century named the trees.
As we were completing the scenic drive at Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas we came across a dense area of Joshua Trees. They are such a unique tree, and being late March they were just starting to bloom. With their twisted branches no two trees are ever alike. They are native to southwestern North America, in the states of California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada. Joshua trees are confined mostly to the Mojave Desert. Mormon settlers who crossed the Mojave in the mid-19th century named the trees.
Back in Las Vegas we made a
lunch date with two ladies we met two years earlier on our trip to China. They
both have homes in Las Vegas. For lunch they suggested a Mexican restaurant
which was perfect--good food and quiet so that we could visit. It was great
seeing them again and catching up on the happenings in their lives. Here is a
shot of Miss Anne and Miss Peggy.
Later that afternoon we made a
quick trip to Hoover Dam located 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas. Built in the
1930s it harnessed the Colorado River and created Lake Mead. One hundred and
twelve men lost their lives building the dam. The wedge-shaped dam is 660 feet
thick at the bottom, narrowing to 45 feet thick at the top. A total of
3,250,000 cubic yards of concrete were poured in constructing it.
Years ago we took a tour down inside the dam which was quite interesting. This time we were more interested in the new by-pass bridge that was built downstream from the dam and opened in 2010. It provided a nice vantage point for snapping photos of the dam itself.
Years ago we took a tour down inside the dam which was quite interesting. This time we were more interested in the new by-pass bridge that was built downstream from the dam and opened in 2010. It provided a nice vantage point for snapping photos of the dam itself.
Early the next morning we set
out for Valley of Fire State Park, which is 6 miles from Lake Mead and about 55
miles northeast of Las Vegas via Interstate 15. Established in 1935, it is the
oldest state park in Nevada and was designated as a National Natural Landmark
in 1968.
The Valley of Fire derives its name from red sandstone formations, formed from great shifting sand dunes during the dinosaur age, 150 million years ago. Complex uplifting and faulting of the region, followed by extensive erosion, created the present landscape.
Since this was our first visit to the park we were like kids in a candy store trying to sample everything. Each road we took offered a new treat. The colors and formations were unlike any we have come across in our travels. It was awesome and a place we plan to visit again in the near future.
Of the 874 photos we snapped in the park it is hard to narrow them down to just a hand full to give you an overview of the area. When we arrived at the park it was a beautiful sunny day with a few high cirrus clouds--perfect!
The Valley of Fire derives its name from red sandstone formations, formed from great shifting sand dunes during the dinosaur age, 150 million years ago. Complex uplifting and faulting of the region, followed by extensive erosion, created the present landscape.
Since this was our first visit to the park we were like kids in a candy store trying to sample everything. Each road we took offered a new treat. The colors and formations were unlike any we have come across in our travels. It was awesome and a place we plan to visit again in the near future.
Of the 874 photos we snapped in the park it is hard to narrow them down to just a hand full to give you an overview of the area. When we arrived at the park it was a beautiful sunny day with a few high cirrus clouds--perfect!
But, as the day went on the
clouds became thicker--bummer!
Check out the striped salmon
and white color of the rock in the following photo and note the hole in the
rock.
Here is a close up of the hole
in the rock. Really different isn’t it.
The cabins in the following photo were built by
the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) soon after Valley of Fire became a park
in 1935. They were constructed of native sandstone and used by travelers
visiting the park for many years. Approximately 9000 people visited the newly
established park in 1936. Today over 200,000 visitors enjoy the park annually.
Here Miss Barb is taking a
rest while taking in the varied landscape.
This formation was known as
“Elephant Rock.” We thought it was a bit of a stretch. But, if you have a vivid
imagination and squint just a little bit you can kind of make out the head of
an elephant.
These rock formations are unusual--not
something you normally see when driving backroads. Unfortunately, the clouds in
the sky were becoming thicker as each hour passed by, dulling the colors of the
rock formations but not dampening our spirits.
Everyplace we went there were
fantasy world landscapes. Many of them had sandy bottoms where we could hike
amongst them without difficulty.
Here Dave climbed up into one
of the cavernous depressions in a huge rock.
It was awesome driving the
roads of the area as we never knew what to expect around the next turn.
In one area we came upon an
entire entourage of a wedding party taking photos in the various rock
formations. They were all in gowns and kilts. Here is a photo we took of the
bride and groom traversing the rocks.
This area is known as the
White Domes. We found it late in the day. The brilliant colors of the area were
outstanding. It is on our bucket list to visit again on a clear blue sky day.
Would love to hike in and explore the area more thoroughly.
Since the clouds were moving
in and darkness was setting in fast we forced ourselves to call it a day.
Driving out of the White Domes area we took this parting shot of a balancing
rock--doesn’t look like it would take much to dislodge it.
Within 20 minutes it was pitch
black. And does it ever get dark in the middle of the desert without street
lights or civilization. About 25 miles from Interstate 15 both headlights went
out on the car! To say that startled us would be an understatement! There were
no other cars on the road and no cell phone service. We stopped and checked
things out as best we could in the dark. We discovered we still had high beam
lights. So we continued our journey towards I-15.
We entered the Moapa Indian Reservation just prior to I-15 and stopped at a truck stop on the reservation. There we checked fuses (all good) and then tried to find replacement bulbs to no avail. We had dinner at the truck stop. They were so nice and offered to let us stay in the truckers lounge for the night if we wanted.
We chose to forge on as there was another truck stop on the interstate about six miles away. Again we could find no replacement bulbs but Dave found a roll of duct tape and bought it. He then taped over the top half of our headlights which kept our bright lights out of other drivers’ eyes. We continued our trek back to Las Vegas. The next day we bought replace bulbs, installed them and we were back in business.
Our next adventure will take us to Zion National Park. Hope you will ride along with us.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
We entered the Moapa Indian Reservation just prior to I-15 and stopped at a truck stop on the reservation. There we checked fuses (all good) and then tried to find replacement bulbs to no avail. We had dinner at the truck stop. They were so nice and offered to let us stay in the truckers lounge for the night if we wanted.
We chose to forge on as there was another truck stop on the interstate about six miles away. Again we could find no replacement bulbs but Dave found a roll of duct tape and bought it. He then taped over the top half of our headlights which kept our bright lights out of other drivers’ eyes. We continued our trek back to Las Vegas. The next day we bought replace bulbs, installed them and we were back in business.
Our next adventure will take us to Zion National Park. Hope you will ride along with us.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns