Back to nature and away from the glitz

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After our first experience of ordinary service, by American standards (normal service by Australian standard), at breakfast this morning we hopped in the car and headed to the desert. We drove out to the Valley of Fire and then on to Lake Mead. A round trip of around 160kms and more photo opportunities than poker machines in Vegas, nah that's impossible.

Once again the roads were first class, even the windy scenic drive through the desert where the roads people have very carefully laid the roads over the natural countours of the desert were smooth as silk and the interstates are just so easy to drive on.

In The Valley of Fire State Park we stopped at The Beehives, Visitors Centre, White Domes and Elephant Rock taking around 130 photos. I have been through and tried to pick a handful but the scenery is so beautiful it would be a shame not to share 35 of the best.

Vicki was operating as race cam on this drive, hence the number of photos that look like they have been taken from the middle of the road. I have had to do a bit of cropping to get rid of windscreen stickers and a few where you can see bugs clearly in the shot but otherwise pretty good photos and not too many reflections.

The Valley of Fire is well worth the $10 park entry fee. Lake Mead is visible in part from the road but you still have to pay another $10 to drive through the federal park.

We are waiting to hear from our fellow travellers as to dinner plans in our last night in Las Vegas. We fly out to San Francisco tomorrow lunch time and are catching up with one of Vicki's school friends tomorrow night for dinner.

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Photos

Landscape
Taken by race cam (Vicki) enroute between Rainbow Vista and White Domes Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada.

Rock Formation
Photo taken at the Beehive, Valley of Fire State Park

Mountain Lion
Taken at the Valley of Fire Visitors Centre