Valley of Fire

When I knew last spring that I would go to North America for a longer time, I was looking forward to seeing canyons, arches, deserts and other nature miracles. Browsing the internet, I found a road trip passing through many nature parks in Utah and Arizona (Grand Circle Road). I got extremely obsessed with photos of colorful sandstone formations in very rural areas. The effect those pictures had an on me is difficult to put in words.

So I started to plan, but – as so often in life – plans change. We had nice trips with our international group, I went to Canada and had the road trip with my sister. There simply wasn’t enough time to see everything. In Las Vegas I reserved one day to take a rental car and see one of those miraculous places. But which one?

I heard from many people that Grand Canyon is something ‘you have to see’. The four-hour drive each way didn’t scare me off, but I would rather spend more time than just a few hours. Maybe it will be during the grand circle road trip with my wife someday in the future..:)

Finally I decided to visit the Valley of Fire, some ninety minutes away from Vegas. With an early start, I stayed there almost seven hours, saw more than half the park and took some 800 pictures. Only a few other tourists could witness me shaking my head in disbelieve again and again. It truly was the best day of my autumn (so far).

Let me take you through my day..

Alone in the desert

First view

A mummy on the rock

Natural arch

Petroglyphs at Atlatl rock

Atlatl rock

Beehives

View at Beehives

Curious antelope ground squirrel

View near Visitor Center

Laughing Monkey

Hike to Mouse's Tank

Two small people

Road to Rainbow Vista

Rainbow Vista

Road towards White Domes

The Fire Wave; reward after long search

Fire Wave

Fire Wave before sunset

Love those colors

Silica Dome and Fire Canyon just after sunset

Unreal reality, really..!?

It was a ninety-minute flight from San Fransisco to Las Vegas. As the plane began its descent, I saw nothing but the desert, mountains and some dusty roads. Suddenly a suburb appeared nestled by dark asphalt roads. In the backyards I recognized swimming pools and palm trees. Then I saw the strip with its casinos and hotels. The first thing inside the airport were the slot machines. Welcome to fabulous Las Vegas!

Once I got settled in the Mirage, my home for the next days, I went to explore the hotel/casino. It felt like being in another world, so many rooms, restaurants, slot machines and table games under one roof.

Seventeen of the 25 biggest hotels in the world are located on the Las Vegas Strip (by the number of rooms). During my stay I visited many just for sightseeing. It was unreal to walk in short distances to places resembling Egypt, New York, Paris, Italy and more. I felt like being in a sort of Disneyland. Well-known ‘landmarks’ outdoors were the Eiffel tower, Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, Piazza San Marco with the Campanile, Rialto bridge and the Colosseum. Exploring those resorts was not always simple. The buildings are huge and a couple of times I couldn't find the door I came in. Luckily they have maps :)

I discussed with some locals about the life and it didn’t sound all that good. It didn’t seem to be a place to live with a family. On the other hand, I can’t say much about the Vegas life between the desert and the strip.

At sunset some casinos started free outdoor attractions, like the volcano show outside the Mirage. The Fountains of Bellagio were my personal favorite; music in combination with water fountains.

During the evenings all casinos offered different shows and concerts. I went to see Love (Cirque de Soleil). This show was all about the Beatles. There were some breathtaking moments while some artists performed high above the stage.

More than a couple of days in Las Vegas without traveling to a National or State Park is a stretch. Many things start to be the same just in a different suit. But for a couple of days it’s great fun..!

View from the airplane

Fountains of Bellagio

Volcano at the Mirage

Eiffel tower

Shopping mall of Caesars Palace

New York, New York

Caesars Palace

The Venetian

Excalibur

The Mirage

Who called Spiderman?

High-five!

Almost like Venice..

Part of the strip

The lobby of Caesars Palace

Inside the Luxor

In New York (, New York)

Gondola inside (!) on the second floor!

I had to take this one