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| MUSAP checking the view |
more to come...
1-23-14 - at last!
On my final day on Las Vegas I escaped the Strip by taking another Pink Jeep Tour. Going to The Valley of Fire State Park in the Mojave Desert outside of Las Vegas is like traveling through a time machine - being there is like being in the age of the dinosaurs. The sandstone and limestone rock formations are amazing to see - formed by wind and limited rain over millions of years.
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| along the entrance road |
One of my favorite stops was at the Beehives. The formations were next to the road and you could get right up to them. There were lots of people climbing up on them.
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| MEW at The Beehives |
There are petroglyphs from ancient Indian tribes at Atlatl Rock. They are scratched into the Desert Varnish on sandstone walls.
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| Atlatl Rock |
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| ancient petroglyphs |
At Rainbow Vista you look out over the landscape and almost expect to see dinosaurs walking by. There are fossilized footprints nearby, but the area isn’t accessible. There is concern about people going to the area and damaging things.
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| MEW at Rainbow Vista |
We didn’t see much wildlife, but the antelope squirrels were cute… and clearly hoping for a handout!
I really wanted to see more green. Everything seemed to be in shades of brown. I’m not sure I could live in Nevada - I like the change of seasons and I need colors (other than the neon colors on the Strip)
Our last stop on the tour was at The Cabins. These were built in the 1930’s and available for campers. They were pretty amazing, but I can’t image hiking out there to go camping.
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| the Cabins built into the sandstone wall |
The Valley of Fire is a beautiful place and I would love to go back for another visit the next time I head to Las Vegas. I am looking forward to seeing the photos that Jon & Meredith took here on their January visit.
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