Valley of Fire State Park

We spent a total of three nights in Las Vegas. On our second day there.. to break up the monotony of the strip we decided to do a little off strip exploring. Last time we visited Vegas, M and I visited the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation which is just 30 mins away this time we ventured a little further and drove 75 mins to the Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada's oldest and largest state park. It is 46,000 acres of red Aztec sandstone, formed by shifting sand dunes 150 million years ago. 

We had two main hikes on the agenda. The first was the Fire Wave and Seven Wonders loop (1.8 miles)  and the second was the White Domes loop (1.1 mile). 

The was a $10 entry fee. We stopped at the Visitors Center for a quick bathroom break and encountered this handsome fella. 

I would have guessed and said ram but google informs me that it is a bighorn sheep. We drove towards the hike and let me tell you.. just the drive through the park was worth it.. if you have mobility issues and don't think you can do these hikes.. don't worry about it. Just the drive.. wow. I have a reel here. 

We found the trailhead, parked and started our hike. Once you get to Fire Wave you can turn right back around and go back. It is an easy hike and really a show stopper. 

While not long the second part of this loop does require a bit more effort.

 

and some scrambling. 

I have not used photoshop. There are no filters, no color enhancements.. it really looked like this.

 

We took a little snack break.. to take a breath and say our thanks. We are beyond blessed to be able to do the things we do. Seeing God's beauty.. 

This hike is closed in the summer months due to excessive heat. We saw some people starting the loop backwards. Doing Seven Wonders first.. don't. The hike flows better if you start at Fire Wave. 

We drove towards the second trail head. White Domes 1.1 mile loop with a steep entry point. 

We did have to rush through this one a little since we had taken too long with the first hike. I think I also loved the first one more. This was a good solid hike though. Still very beautiful. In fact the White Domes have been a filming location for multiple movies. Some revenants of the set still remain. I have made another reel here. 

We had a quick lunch in the car as we bid farewell to this wonderous park and headed to another marvel, Hoover Dam. This was M and I's second visit. 

Hoover Dam is as tall as a 60-story building. It was the highest dam in the world when it was completed in 1935. Its base is as thick as two football fields are long. Each spillway, designed to let floodwaters pass without harming the dam itself, can handle the volume of water that flows over Niagara Falls. It irrigates more than 1.5 million acres of land, and provides water to more than 16 million people

The above photograph is taken from the Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge. The bridge was completed in 2010 and borders both Arizona and Nevada. It also bears the border seal. 

We got a picture with the seal when M and I visited in 2017. For some reason we both forgot it was on the bridge and were looking for it later at the dam. So no picture with four pairs of feet :(

After the bridge we went down to the dam. 

Afterwards we made our way back to Las Vegas. We had a lovely meal at El Segundo Sol.

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