Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada

 10/8/21

Our last full day was unplanned but our guide Raymond suggested The Valley of Fire since we were heading back to Las Vegas. What a great suggestion. The morning started off a bit rainy but was supposed to clear by noon. That seemed to fit perfectly into our plan, so we set off for Nevada. It did rain quite a bit but when we reached the park, just a few sprinkles and dark clouds remained. We started to drive through the park as we had no idea what the Valley had to offer. The moody sky made for a beautiful backdrop to the mountains.




After about an half hour of driving and stopping for pictures, we decided on a short hike to the Red Wave and Seven Wonders Loop. Just gorgeous!



    

                            Just admiring the geology!
                           
                         An unexpected slot canyon.


    Purple and yellow rocks everywhere.


    Another wave of color.
    

    Admiring the view.         
Photo credit: Susan Lennon

It turned into more of a 4 mile hike, and while the temp never got out of the low 70's, the desert dryness was evident. We had a picnic on the rocks near the end of the hike, then headed to Vegas. 😞

Unfortunately, we hit Vegas at rush hour and with lots of construction and accidents my nerves were frazzled, Susan was starved, but Lyne kept her cool.  Lyne and Susan went for food while I stayed at the hotel and soaked in the hot tub. I figured I'd have snacks for dinner, but my dear friends brought me a huge chicken salad for dinner, AND returned the car. They are truly the best traveling companions! 😘

10/9/21

Our return trip was completely uneventful which is a big win when dealing with shuttles, airports, and layovers. It was wonderful to drive home with just reflections of a wonderful week of beauty, adventure,  and friendship!

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