Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Valley of Fire State Park, one of the parks in the Nevada state park system, is a real treasure. You can easily spend a day -- or more -- exploring this natural wonder. We made a quick run through the park, checking all the areas, but we have certainly put it down on our "to do" list, and we hope to return for some camping one day and some intensive exploring. Be forewarned, though, that temperatures here can be formidable during warm weather months. When we return, I plan to do so sometime from November 1 to March 1.

A map and other information is provided in the park brochure.

The park is the oldest and largest in the Nevada state park system. It is full of interesting rock formations, and if you are alert, you might even catch sight of some interesting wildlife.

There are two entrances to the park, one on the east off Hwy 169 (which is the one we used), and the other from the west from Interstate 15. We entered from the east. After stopping at the self pay station and paying our $10 entrance fee, we primed the camera. We could tell there would be a lot of photo opportunities here.

The Cabins, as they are known, were built by the CCC when the park was formed. Originally, they provided housing for tourists. They really blend in to the landscape.

The main park road is the east-west road we entered on. About 4 or 5 miles inside the park, the Visitor Center is located next to a paved road that goes about 6 miles north into the park. These are the only paved roads.

Stop at the Visitor Center. In addition to numerous exhibits, it also contains the only residential style restrooms that I saw in the park. They are located inside the Visitor Center. There are additional restrooms located just behind the Center, but I do not know anything about them.

The Visitor Center is located near the center of the park, and is situated against a backdrop. There are numerous displays inside as well as flush toilets.

The road north contains probably the most dramatic scenery in the park. The terminus of this road is at the White Domes. There are numerous places to pull off and take photographs, and many of these also have pit toilets available. Some places have short hikes that take you to places of interest, such as Mouse’s Tank.

This is the road that stretches into the north section of the park.

Donna found a rock to stand on. Donna likes rocks. Notice the coloring in the large rocks behind her.

This is Silica Dome. The colors are much more striking in person.

This is Fire Canyon. Like Silica Dome, its colors are much more impressive in person. This picture and the one above look quite similar, don't they.

These are the White Domes, located at the northern terminus of the road.

Near the north end of this road, Donna and I were surprised when a pair of desert mountain sheep crossed the road directly in front of us. As I was readying the camera, Donna watched the pair and was amused when the larger ram in the back ran up to the smaller one in front and butted its rear end, as if to say, “Hurry up and cross the road before these idiots run over us.” It’s always exciting to see wildlife in places like this, especially wildlife unfamiliar to us.

Donna snapped this picture of the two mountain sheep after we had turned around at the White Domes. We had originally seen them before reaching the Domes but were fortunate to see them again.

This was the picture I snapped when we first saw the bighorn sheep. We were surprised when they wandered onto the road in front of us, and by the time I stopped the car and got the camera, the smaller of the pair had strayed out of sight.

After returning to the intersection with the main road near the Visitor Center, we turned right (west) and wound to the west end of the park to check out the two campgrounds located there. You never know when we might want to return and do some camping and hiking. We also checked out some petrified logs that are found in that area.

Atlatl Rock. Unfortunately, I did not know the significance of the rock during our trip, so we did not venture up. The rock contains Indian rock art, including a depiction of the atlatl, thus the name of the rock.

Petrified log. There were several examples at this location in the western end of the park, near Atlatl Rock. All are contained within chain link fences for their protection. Other examples lie in the eastern part of the park.

I will not attempt to describe the landscape; I do not have the words. If you’ve never been in this part of the country, you would be impressed. The park itself is well run. The roads have good surface, restrooms are plentiful throughout the park, and places of interest are well-marked. When in Las Vegas, take time from your activities and venture out to this beautiful state park.

Side note about camera. I was happily snapping photo after photo when suddenly a message popped up on the viewing screen indicating that the memory was full. I had only taken about 30 photos. We stopped the car and downloaded to the computer. I then changed the setting on the camera regarding picture resolution. I went to far to the other extreme, and several of the next pictures in the Lake Mead area were not as good as the ones taken with the higher resolution. after some trail and error, I was finally able to find a setting that allowed good resolution but also a high number of pictures. I will also need to pick up more memory cards for future trips.

On the Road: Mesquite, NV, to Las Vegas, NV

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Las Vegas is just over an hour from Mesquite via Interstate 15. But I had a different route in mind. We've been on that road before, so we wanted something different.

Our trip today is short, about 125 miles. It takes a short detour through Valley of the Fire State Park, then continues on to Vegas through a large portion of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

We started towards Las Vegas on I-15. This entire area had been blanketed by heavy rains prior to our visit. As a result, part of I-15 had suffered erosion and some pretty extensive repairs were underway. We passed that area on our way south, continuing on until the Highway 169 exit south to the communities of Logandale and Overton in the Moapa Valley.

This two-lane highway wove through the desert hills. I was surprised by the amount of greenery we saw. There are numerous trees, alfalfa fields, and other plant life, all of it appearing out of place in this arid corner of the world. The Muddy River runs through the area, and I suppose that waterway helps with irrigation.

A short distance south of Overton, we turned west for a short tour of Valley of Fire State Park; I’ll describe that trip in detail in a separate entry.

After our tour of the park, we came back to Highway 169, which immediately entered the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. For the next 40 or 50 miles, we had an excellent roadway. Although only two lanes with a sliver of a shoulder, the surface was smooth. The speed limit was set at 50 mph, but I didn’t mind at all since there was so much to see. Frequent pull outs are available so that you can stop and take in the view as well as allow faster cars to pass.

We caught several glimpses of Lake Mead along the route. There were also two springs, and we stopped at one for pictures (see below). Several turn offs to the east go to lake access points for camping and boating access, but we did not check any of them out.

Palms at Blue Point Springs. The actual spring is probably at least 100 yards upstream from these trees.

 

The actual source of the spring is somewhere in here, but I could not see it.

About 15 yards or so downstream from the spring, water is flowing rather well. We could hear it as we walked along the bed.

View of Lake Mead

The route ends in Henderson, just south of Las Vegas. We came to the Boulder Highway, turned right, then made our way to Sam’s Town, our home for the next 4 days.

Mesquite, Nevada

October 6 - 8, 2014

I like Mesquite. This small community of about 15,000 just inside the Nevada line from Arizona is pretty unique.

I-15 effectively divides Mesquite into two separate parts. On the south side is the old town, settled in 1880 by Mormons. The original business district is located here, along with older residential areas. To the north of the interstate is the new part of town, which consists of upscale housing developments such as Sun City Mesquite. There is a small but very modern hospital and a small airport also on the north side. Everything on the north side is beautifully landscaped, and it is very attractive. That isn’t to say that the south side is unattractive. The entire town is very nice. It's a very progressive community.

There are a million golf courses in Mesquite. Well, maybe not a million, but there are about 15, and most are on the north side. The lush green of the golf courses contrasts beautifully with the brown desert and hills in the area. I have to wonder about the water required to keep those courses green, though.

There are three large casinos in town: Eureka, Virgin River, and Casa Blanca. Eureka and Virgin River are just off the interstate on the extreme east side of town, while Casa Blanca is off the interstate farther west. We stayed at Virgin River simply because the rates were low. We did not play there, though. We play video poker, and the pay tables across the street at Eureka were far superior, so we did all of our playing there. We stopped at Casa Blanca while driving around town and did a walk through, but found no favorable video poker games there. However, of the three casinos, Casa Blanca is the only one with a hotel connected to the casino. With both Eureka and Virgin River, the casino and hotels are physically separated. There are also a couple of older and smaller casinos in the older section of town, but we did not visit them.

We enjoyed playing at Eureka. There is an abundance of NSUD (a version of deuces wild video poker with an expected return of 99.73%) and 9/6 Jacks or Better throughout the casino at various denominations. As always, we signed up for the players’ club upon our arrival and were given 2 travel mugs (one for each of us) to welcome us to the club. As we were leaving after 2 days of play, we stopped in at the players’ club to see if we were eligible for anything based upon the points we had accumulated. We came away with a tote bag, a blanket, a cap, a pint of Jack Daniels, and 2 more travel mugs. Not a bad haul for less than 2 days of play.

One of the things we really liked about playing at Eureka is that the customer base is largely from the retirement community that thrives in Mesquite.  It's nice to be around people our own age. And the music played in the casino the whole time we were there was music that we enjoy. The overall experience was just very pleasurable for us. I hope we can return.

On the Road: Farmington, NM, to Mesquite, NV

Monday, October 6, 2014.

It was 47 degrees when we crawled into the car this morning to start the long drive to Mesquite, Nevada. We were looking forward to the day as most of the trip would be through country new to us. But to start, we had to drive 20 miles or so from Farmington to Shiprock, a route we covered 2 years ago when we pulled our Rockwood trailer through this area. Not much has changed in that time. The place still displays a great deal of poverty. The roadway follows the San Juan River which provides a green belt through this harsh country, but little else is attractive. The hills often have the look of dirt piles that have been dumped by some giant steam shovel.

Our route today zigzags through 416 miles of magnificent scenery, much of it through Hopi and Navajo Indian reservations.

At the western edge of Shiprock, we turned west on US 64, admiring the Shiprock peak for which the town is named. It is a distinctly shaped peak visible for miles. I had, in fact, taken a picture of it 2 years ago when we were just south of Cortez, Colorado, on our way to the Four Corners Monument, much farther to the north.

Shiprock is a monadnock rising nearly 1,583 feet above the high-desert plain just southwest of Shiprock, NM. It has a peak elevation of 7,177 feet above sea level

Here is the picture of Shiprock I took 2 years ago. It is the formation just right of center. It juts abruptly from the surrounding plain. This picture was taken from near the junction of US Highway 160 and US Highway 491 in southern Colorado.

The road we are on is rough, and the speed limit is only 55 mph, making for slow progress. There’s not much out here. As we cross the Arizona line, the roadway improves immediately, and the speed limit increases to 65 within a few miles. The scenery begins to become more interesting as well. There are few towns out here, so make sure you have plenty of gas before setting out.

We passed Red Mesa and cut across a distant corner of Monument Valley, so distant that only a few formations are visible on the horizon, too far for any good pictures. One of the great surprises of this stretch is the town of Kayenta, which has numerous tourist services available, such as dining, fuel, and lodging. If you travel this way, plan to stop here. We found a nice McDonald's for a brief respite from the road.

About 30 miles west of Kayenta, we turned north on Arizona 98. The scenery along this route is impressive. Again, there isn’t much out here. 

Landscape along Arizona 98 on the way to Page

About an hour or so later, we arrive in Page and refuel. Page is an interesting town, founded in 1957 when the Glen Canyon Dam was being built across the Colorado River. The dam was and still is very controversial, and it certainly did swallow up some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. The highway bridge is just downstream from the dam, and there is a tourist center on the west side that is very popular with tourists. Lake Powell is visible. I do not know what normal lake levels are like, but the lake seemed low to me.

Glen Canyon Dam and highway bridge, from a scenic overlook in Page. The dam backs up the waters of Lake Powell.

A bit of Lake Powell from the same overlook as above.

The Colorado River just downstream from the dam.

From Page, we crossed into Utah, one of my favorite states. I love small towns in Utah. Most of them are very neat and clean, and you can tell there is still a strong work ethic in the rural communities. We followed US 89 for an hour or so to Kanab, one of those lovely little Utah towns, then turned south for 6 miles, recrossing into Arizona to turn west at Fredonia on US 389. I have to say that the difference in the physical appearance of Fredonia and Kanab is striking, though the towns are divided only by 6 miles and an invisible state line.

Soon, we were passing through the outskirts of Colorado City, home of the Morman fundamentalist sect led by Warren Jeff, who is now serving time in a Texas prison. We crossed once again into Utah at the north edge of this community. As we approached Hurricane, Utah, we began descending sharply, and the road wound down and down, finally reaching the floor of the valley. Hurricane is in the shadows of Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks, both on our future "to do" list.

Approaching Hurricane. This scenery is typical of what we saw throughout the day. Such postcard views are everywhere you look in this country.

We turned west on Highway 9 for a short stretch to link up with I-15, where we turned south. We passed through St. George, the winter home of Brigham Young in days gone by, following the same route we took 2 years ago (see "On the Road: Beaver, Utah, to Las Vegas, Nevada"). One of the most scenic stretches of the trip is through the Virgin River Gorge, which we entered just shortly after crossing into Arizona for the third time today. The interstate winds down between ever steepening hills that get closer and closer the deeper in the gorge you go. Suddenly, after 10 or more miles, the gorge gives away and the interstate breaks into an open desert landscape, and Mesquite is only a few miles away. In fact, as soon as the interstate enters Nevada, there is an exit for Mesquite, our home for the next two days. I am not posting new pictures of the Virgin River Gorge here because you can view those included in the entry from two years ago, referenced above.

It was great to be in Mesquite. Our long travel was behind us now, at least until the end of our trip and our return to Texas. Now it's time to play!

On the Road: San Angelo, TX, to Farmington, NM

Sunday, October 5, 2014.

Today is day 1 of our 2014 Nevada trip. We like to go to Laughlin and/or Las Vegas at least once a year. This is our first trip since about this time last year.

We normally like to take different routes to see new things. The trip out to Nevada normally takes 2 days, though with hard driving you can make it in a single long day if you take the most direct route. For us, that is to hit I-40 at Santa Rosa, NM, then head straight west to Kingman, AZ, then take Highway 68 the final 30 miles or so to Laughlin. We don't like to push ourselves that hard, though, so we usually take 2 days and try to see some of the beautiful country out west.

On our first day, we basically covered territory we had seen at one time or another. Here is the route we took.

San Angelo, Texas, to Farmington, New Mexico: 680 long miles

The first leg of our journey was over familiar territory: US 87 northwest through Big Spring to Lamesa, where we stopped for our first break at the local McDonald's. From Lamesa, we took Texas 137 to Brownfield through farm country very familiar to us. From 1984-87, we lived in Wellman, just 12 miles from Brownfield.

At Brownfield, we headed west on US 380 to Roswell, NM. I've lived on the South Plains of Texas, and most people agree that land is flat, but the stretch from the Texas/New Mexico line to Roswell seems even flatter. There just isn't much break in the land. Most of the land is still in native grass, just like it was before settlement occurred, and there are few towns. There is a nice little comfort station on the south side of the highway about an hour east of Roswell should you travel this road. There are no thrills, but it does have flush toilets and is well maintained. The road itself has a good surface with a good shoulder, though only 2 lanes. However, the speed limit on this stretch of highway in New Mexico is 65, though none of the drivers I encountered seemed to be aware of this. As you near Roswell, the speed drops to 55.

A few miles east of Roswell, we passed the cutoff to Bottomless Lakes State Park. I always make note of parks, highway conditions, etc., for future trips, especially should we be pulling a travel trailer. Bottomless Lakes just might be a place to spend a few days.

At Roswell we stopped for gas. We turned north on US 285 for the least exciting part of our trip. US 285 from Roswell to I-40 at Clines Corner is rather monotonous. There isn't much to see. The landscape is more or less undisturbed and is covered by good grass. There are few trees and there isn't even much cactus aside from some resembling cholla. There are even fewer towns. But the road is great. It is 4 lanes with a great surface, and there is a rest area about half an hour or so north of Roswell. Speed limit is 70.

At I-40, we turned west on the interstate towards Albuquerque. We've been on this stretch of road numerous times, but always heading east. It's interesting how things can look so different just by turning around. That's why when I hike I make it a point to stop frequently to simply turn around and see what the view is like behind me.

The Sandia Mountains lie just east of Albuquerque, and I-40 weaves through the southern part of the foothills. It's a scenic drive. Sandia Crest, the highest point in the range, is 10,678 feet.

We turned north on I-25, towards Santa Fe, but only for a short distance. At the northern edge of Albuquerque, we exited in Bernalillo on US 550. We stopped for more fuel, then headed towards the 4 Corners region on US 500. We followed this route almost exactly 2 years ago when we were pulling our Rockwood travel trailer through this part of the country (see "On the Road: Santa Fe, NM, to Cortez, CO"). The road is great, 4 lanes, with the speed limit set at 70. There is really only 1 town along the route, and that is Cuba. Trees start appearing near Cuba. After passing through this little town, you begin climbing, eventually reaching the Continental Divide at over 7,000 feet. The trees then begin to give way to more of a desert landscape.

As we approached Bloomfield and the San Juan River valley, mountains appeared in the distance to the north. We crossed the San Juan River, then turned west at Bloomfield onto US 64 for the final 20 miles or so to Farmington.

It was a long day, and really much farther than we normally like to travel. However, it set us up to jump off into new territory on the following day.

We spent the night at a reasonably priced Comfort Inn on Scott Avenue, about a block north of Business 64. We enjoyed a peaceful night there, and were surprised to find a full complimentary breakfast in the dining room the next morning: waffles, eggs, sausage, biscuits, gravy, bagels, and other assorted goodies were available. We'll make a note to stay there again should we ever pass this way in the future.

Nevada Trip, October 2014

Donna and I just returned from a two-week trip to Nevada. We try to make it to Laughlin and Las Vegas at least once a year.

I'll begin posting entries from our trip soon, along with pictures I took from our newly purchased camera.

It's been our practice the past couple of years to alter our trip in order to see new country. This year was no different. Below is a map indicating the route we took, though we did vary just a bit from this.

Our route for this trip. We traveled in a counter-clockwise direction. Altogether, we logged over 2,500 miles.

 We really enjoyed the trip this year, and we saw some truly magnificent country.