THE Trip, THE Encore' :: Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Near Las Vegas Nevada

Copyright 2013, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

We visited March 6, 2013.

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area has hiking, a nice visitors center and a 13 mile one-way scenic drive.  We had the fur kids with us, so there would be no hiking.  We managed one or two very short walks from the truck that were no more than 5 or 10 minutes.  After our stop at Bonney Springs where we shared a great burger, we continued our driving in the north(ish) direction to the conservation area.  And, there is the red rock, be still my beiged out, red deprived soul!

There are a few people that enjoyed the hiking trails. Most trails were significant in distance and looked a bit "hilly".  And, isn't this stunning, the way the "grooves" are so deep in the rock and go in different directions?  Just like an artist brush painted them there.

And, there are massive land forms, just in "white".

This one takes my breath away!

And, how bout this?  A little designer rock??  I mean, really, the forces to form these beautiful structures, mind boggling!

This area must have a few tortoises, sadly, we did not see one in the wild.

From the highest point we stopped at, it was so windy you could barely stand. But, wow, what a view.  We had a picnic lunch with us, so we sat in Jolly and ate here, listening to the howling whistling wind.

Not all land forms here are red.

Yes, that thin strip is roadway, kinda shows you how vast this area is and how tall those "hills" are.

After a delightful day we made our way back to camp at Pahrump and were treated to a sorta "reddish" sunset.  I felt someone revived, all that color from the day, feeding my color deprived soul. Yep, red is great!

This beautiful area of Nevada should not be missed if you are near Las Vegas.  Step away from the tables, get a vehicle, go for a ride.  If you do Vegas in the summer, might be wise to check the temps first!  The desert can be brutal.  So, go in the fall, winter or spring!  On the east side of Vegas you might also be interested in the Valley of Fire.  We did not visit this trip as we had been many years ago.  Maybe next time through, as that is another do not miss.



.

THE Trip, THE Encore' :: Red Rock Canyon Nevada, Just Getting There, AHHH

Copyright 2013, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

The official name of this area is Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, it is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

One day during our week at Pahrump Nevada the winds were blowing.  The slide toppers were flapping, the noise was annoying.  So, we decided to take a day trip/ride back towards Las Vegas and take in Red Rock Canyon.  It was on the "hit", err, bucket list, and we decided we would rather be IN the wind than listening to it.  Have to say, for the most part, the wind was not an issue, even tho the sign indicated it could be.

The ride over gave me the opportunity to view some of the beautiful land forms from another angle, going east, vs the westerly view I had arriving at Pahrump. The land forms did not disappoint:

This one was very high up, that "divot" was interesting.  Divot?? More like a cave, eh??

Way off in the distance, yes, that is Las Vegas.  Glimering in the sun, wonder who won that day??  Or who lost??  Or is that a figment of our imagination??  It is rather misty, isn't it??

Back to nature's wonders, I could look at this all day long!

Entering the Red Rock Canyon National Preserve area:

Before we went on the 13 mile scenic drive we stopped at Bonney Springs, another ghost town.  Ghost towns are abundant out here, and so far, we have not tired of them.  We stopped for a few minutes, decided to split a burger (nomma nomma good), have a quick walk around and stretch our legs.  And, here is how I keep track of all of you while we are out and about.  (Geesh, Man, you could have tried to get me looking just a LITTLE bit more serious, don't you think??)

OK, the photographer in me is a sap for the touristy staged western theme:

Bonney Springs is where I captured the Turtle Tripod and the interesting signage for the, mmm, rest rooms:

After our short stop in Bonney Springs, there are those gorgeous mountains again.  I lost count of how many photos of these I actually took of these beautiful striped land forms, each mile we drove gave a different vantage point, the views always changing.

Next, I'll show you some of the canyon, lots of RED, I joked later, that my lungs were probably all red from the deep breathing of awe and delight!




.