NEVADA - DAY 22 - 10.12.23

After a great night's sleep we decided to take off on a day trip, well, at least a couple of hours.  So we packed up Abby and her water bowl and took off.

We made the hour drive to our destination and passed fields and fields of thousands of solar panels.  They seemed to go on forever.  I guess with all the neon and city lights they need it.

After a pleasant hour's drive we arrived at our destination.  Valley of Fire State Park.  We stayed in this park several years ago when it was first come first serve.  As of September 1st, all of Nevada's state parks went on a reservation system.  Unfortunately, we don't think they thought this all the way through.  Talking with a park employee we learned that reservations can be made but not cancelled.  So on September 1st people made reservations thinking they could make the dates they picked only to find out that life got in the way and they couldn't make it after all.  The staff in the visitor's center doesn't know when campers arrive or leave and because so many arrive after visitor center hours they just don't have a clue as to what sites are occupied and which aren't.  After 24 hours they could re-sell the sites,,,,if they only knew.  We're betting this system gets revamped in short order.

On with the pictorial tour of The Valley of Fire.  Fair warning....beautiful sights overload ahead.

Now you know with the name Valley of Fire that there had to be RED ROCKS!

Some are redder than others.

This section is called The Beehives.

Miss Abby nevers misses a chance to "smell" her visit to these parks.

The last time we were here we climbed up these stairs but we aren't doing that this time.  Let's just leave it as,,,,been there, done that.  That rock (?) boulder (?) is balanced there.  I guess for the safety of the visitors it has been reinforced at the bottom.

This is the only arch we saw. I'm sure there are probably others but this one was on the road we were traveling.

Yeah, we climbed all over this the last time.  Another been there, done that.

 

Remember, you were warned!

,,,,and more.

We stopped to see the Seven Sisters.  These formations were once part of the surrounding red rock.  These towers are what remain after the relentless forces of erosion stripped away the sandstone deposits that held it all together.  The many "blow holes" predict the eventual destruction of the towers that will take place hundreds of years into the future.

Those of you who know us well, know that Walt & I play "What Do You See in the Clouds" whenever the opportunity arises.  Seldom does one of us not be able to "see" what the other is describing.  Well, we do the same things with rocks.  Look at the rock formation below, what do YOU see?  Both Walt & I saw it at the same time and at the same time said,"Do you see the lions head?"  I have to say, this is probably too close a shot for some of you to see it.

I guess you had to be there.

I could have loaded DOZENS more shots but even I'm getting tired of looking at them.  Did I really just type that?

We got home, had a wonderful steak dinner that Walt cooked.  The steaks came from Snowflake Butcher and oh my gosh, how good they were!

An evening of dog walking, playing a few games, talking with our neighbors and then we called it a night!  

Life is good.  Life is very good.