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.All Trips / Nevada / North America / Southwestern USA
Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
Tired of the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas? Had enough of the concrete canyons and smoked filled casinos of Sin City? Not sure if it’s day or night (there are no clocks allowed in Vegas casinos)? Then you should do what I do as often as I can when I visit Vegas — make a trip to Valley of Fire State Park and escape into the beautiful desert world that comprises much of Nevada. No neon lights, no massive buffets, no dancing fountains (in fact, little water anywhere)! Beyond usual Mojave desert landscapes, Valley of Fire has wonderful and interesting rock formations that alone are worth the journey. The park is is located 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Las Vegas and …
Tagged bighorn sheep, Las Vegas, Nevada, petroglyphs, red rock, State Park, Valley of Fire
“Pic of the Week”. May 23, 2014. Valley of the Fire State Park, Nevada
Whenever I travel to Las Vegas, especially if I’m in town for more than a few days, I like to rent a car, leave the city and do a loop drive that includes the Hoover Dam and the shore of Lake Mead, ending in Valley of the Fire State Park (before returning to Las Vegas). Valley of Fire is about six miles (10 km) from Lake Mead and 55 miles (90 km) northeast of Las Vegas. I try to time my arrival at Valley of the Fire for late afternoon so that I can enjoy the cooler temperatures, take a short hike and watch the setting sun.
Valley of Fire is Nevada’s oldest state park, dedicated in 1935, …
May 22, 2014
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“Pic of the Week”. December 21, 2012. Holiday exhibit, Bellagio Conseratory, Las Vegas, Nevada.
One of my favorite stops in Las Vegas is the Bellagio resort. Not only is it an elegantly designed building, it features the world’s best water fountain show, a wonderful Chihuly constructed chandelier in the lobby, a great Sunday brunch, but especially a delightful Conservatory and botanical gardens. The Conservatory has exhibits that change every few months and I’m especially fond of their Fall (Halloween) and Winter (Christmas) themed displays. These exhibits are clever and beautifully executed. The hotel and it’s Conservatory was prominently featured in the popular Oceans 11 movie.
This photo shows a small part of the Christmas display. The two polar bears were both made of mostly …
“Pic of the Week”. November 23, 2012 — Thanksgiving display, Crystals Mall, Las Vegas, Nevada
I enjoy these colorful harvest displays, which are so very photogenic! No one does them better than the folks in Vegas. This was a rather small exhibit I chanced on while walking through the new Crystals Mall at the multi-billion dollar “City Center” complex. The photo is framed so that you don’t notice the upscale shops, crowds of people, etc. It seems a tranquil setting, even though it was quite busy.
To read more about Las Vegas please click here.
I want to wish all my American friends a very Happy Thanksgiving!! Canadian Thanksgiving is in early October which makes sense because harvest is much earlier in this colder …
Nov 22, 2012
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.All Trips / Nevada / North America / Southwestern USA
Travels with Elvis. (Part 1) Viva Las Vegas! Viva Elvis!!
Every year my younger brother and I go on a trip together; this time is precious as it allows us to reconnect while sharing our love of travel. This year we decided to center our travels on places that were monumental in the life of Elvis Presley. Elvis and his wonderful musical legacy are very important to us and we’ve both been fans for over 40 years. Our journey will lead us to Memphis, Nashville and Tupelo, but the first step was a visit to Las Vegas.
Las Vegas was at the center of Elvis’ entertainment life during his final years. After spending most of the 1960s making movies, it was in Las Vegas that Elvis began performing …
Tagged casinos, desert, Elvis Presley, Las Vegas, Nevada, Rock and Roll, Southwest
.All Trips / Nevada / North America / Southwestern USA
A visit to Great Basin National Park
In a country with dozens of great national parks it makes sense that there would be some “orphan” parks that are only rarely visited. Such is the case with Great Basin National Park in Nevada. It gets 90,000 visitors annually compared with 3,500,000 for Yellowstone National Park. Part of the reason for this is the park’s remoteness; you REALLY have to want to visit it as there’s nothing else around for several hundred miles.
We traveled to Baker, Nevada from Twin Falls, Idaho, the drive taking us through one of the most unpopulated portions of the lower 48 states. This region is known as the Great …
