449. Red Rocks

Even though I’ve been to Red Rock National Conservation Area a number of times, I hiking there again. I’m definitely a “Red Rock girl.” 🙂

448. Awe-inspiring Valley of Fire State Park

Countless windows/arches, rainbow-colored rocks—Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada is out-of-this-world. It’s one of my favorite places on earth. I’ve been there a number of times, but it still took my breath away.

Half of the pictures here were taken from Prospect Trail, an 11-mile lightly trafficked trail through the wildness of the area. I enjoyed the spectacular scenery and the solitude.

446. Enjoy travel and nature, again—Cathedral Gorge State Park, NV

I’ve been busy promoting my book (www.irisyang-author.com) that I haven’t taken any trips to enjoy nature for a while. It’s time to hit the road again. Since I don’t like cold, Las Vegas is good place to be in the winter. No, I’m not there to gamble or to watch any shows. Nature is always on top of my list. And yes, there are plenty of natural beauty around Las Vegas.
Cathedral Gorge State Park in Nevada is my first stop. Being hours away from any big cities (2.5 hours away from Las Vegas), the area is desolate and wild. No one was there for the few hours I hiked. It was 30F when I first started hiking, although it warmed up pretty soon. It’s amazing that I had all the beauty to myself!
Was I scared to be alone? Not at all. I loved it! Surrounded by nothing but natural wonder energized me. I felt alive, again! I’ll remind myself, while pursuing my dream of being an author, to take more trips—something I love to do.

398. Desolate Coal Mine Canyon

Coal Mine Canyon is located about 15 miles east of Tuba City in northeastern Arizona. It’s remote and little-visited. One can drive to the rim of the canyon, but there is no official trail going down except an unofficial path which is very steep and crumbly. But the hike (more like slide) is well worth the trouble if you can overcome the fear. I’m glad that Libby and her husband were there; I wouldn’t go down without them. We were the only ones among the multi-colored and strangely-formed sandstones.

 

 

386. Las Vegas (7): Gold Butte NM—Little Finland

Gold Butte is a National Monument located in the northeast of Las Vegas. It protects 300,000 acres of desert landscapes. President Obama designated the area as a National Monument in December 2016.

I heard about this area years ago before it became a NM. In fact, I’ve tried to hike in the area but gave up since there was no sign, no trail, nobody around to ask information.

Even now, it is still a remote area. Libby and I drove as far as we could in her Prius and had to park by the side of the road to hike about four miles (one way) to Little Finland.

I’ve seen pictures of Little Finland online, and I was eager to see it with my own eyes. I’m glad we were so determined to explore the area. It turned out to be as fabulous as I imagined. There are petroglyphs and intriguing rock formations. We spent a long day and still didn’t want to leave.

This concludes my Las Vegas trip.  

 

 

384. Las Vegas (5): Valley of Fire State Park—Petroglyphs

 

383. Las Vegas (4): Valley of Fire State Park

Valley of Fire is my favorite state park. I’ve been there a number of times, and it never failed to take my breath away. The park has not only red rocks but also rocks of rainbow colors. And it’s less than an hour away from Las Vegas, very easy to reach.

379. Las Vegas Adventure

No, we didn’t go to Las Vegas to gamble. Las Vegas is actually a great “base camp” for exploring red rocks and petroglyphs. There are a number of parks surrounding the city that provide excellent outdoor adventures.

In a week, my friend Libby and I went to and hiked in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Valley of Fire State Park, Gold Butte National Monument, Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area, and Lake Mead National Recreation. I will post the pictures in the next few days.

377. More Fun in the Snow

376. Fun after the Rain