Without Hesitation

When we think of a desert, our minds usually conjure visions of drifting sand as far as the eyes can see. We might envision Arabian Knights mounted on camels with attire covering them head to toe blocking the sun’s searing heat.

Carved out of the vast Sonoran Desert is The Valley of Fire located between Mesquite and Las Vegas Nevada. The landscape is nothing like what we think of a desert. Dry for sure though greenery grows everywhere. Blazing sun and cloudless skies but pleasant temps in the 70s during our visit. Towering red rock formations are everywhere!

There are a number of hiking trails available throughout the park depending on your level of skill and risk tolerance. Getting lost in this place could end very badly!

Looking at the map and our surroundings we thought it best to choose a hike that was, according to the description, easy.

Somewhere in the midst of the rocks is a trail…..I think! Thank goodness I bought the hiking stick. (And since I had it, Susan held on to me!) It really helped us to stay vertical.

We made it down without bumps of bruises! Look carefully at the pic above and you can see a plaque denoting the site of a movie set shot here in the 70s.

Continuing on, the trail goes between two massive rock formations and follows a wash. It was a little eerie as well as fascinating as we made our way through.

So the question that comes up when we mention being in the desert is “did you  see any snakes? Well despite all the warnings that rattle snakes, scorpions, and other not to friendly critters were indeed around, the only sign of life was these tracks,

and some overly aggressive desert rats trying to swipe our lunch!

We never would have guessed that being in the middle of the desert would be such an enjoyable experience. It’s beauty lures you in but if you aren’t careful, it will ruin your day!

Below, enjoy some more beautiful shots from the Valley of Fire.

 

On to Las Vegas!