The third and final leg of our trip took us further west:
 |
| We went over the Glen Canyon Dam which is nearly as magnificent as the Hoover Dam, in my opinion. Obviously, this is not my photo as I don't do helicopters. |
 |
| We drove through the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument. The stripes make it a unique landscape. |
 |
| Our route took us in and out of Utah and Arizona numerous times as we continued westward. |
 |
| It was neat to see all the ranches along the drive. |
 |
| Our next stop was Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. |
 |
| It's a red rock paradise. However, it was nearly 100 degrees when we were there. The majority of hiking trails are closed from May through September due to the heat. We drove the two park roads and got out to snap a few photos at the major sights. |
 |
| The different formations all have names. This is Balancing Rock. |
 |
| Major excitement for us! Seeing Bighorn Sheep. |
 |
| Arch Rock |
 |
| The ladder to Atlatl Rock, which features petroglyphs made by Indigenous people. |
 |
| Beehive Formation |
 |
Then it was on to our final destination. More next week. Sorry to draw this trip out for a month, but I ran out of time this week for a more extensive post.Have you been anywhere that had names for its rocks? |
"Obviously, this is not my photo as I don't do helicopters."
ReplyDeleteLOL! Neither do I! And thank you for clarifying because the first thing I thought when I saw the photograph was, "WOW....how did she get that FABULOUS shot?"
You know, I've never been to Utah, but anytime I see photographs, I realize how beautiful it is. And I bet the air smells so fresh and clean!
That photo of the sunlight beaming through the red rocks is stunning.
And even though it was nearly 100 degrees, I'm sure it wasn't has humid as it gets here. That's what I enjoyed about spending a summer in Vegas - it was hot, but not humid. Which, by the way, I can't wait for your next post that highlights VEGAS!
ENJOYED this post! Happy Friday, and have a superb weekend, my friend!
X
Yes, despite it being a bit of a joke, the lack of humidity really does make all the difference. It definitely felt hot there, like when you open the oven and get the blast of heat. We got home and temps were only about 80 degrees , but with the humidity, I felt exhausted while on walks. It was crazy to me because I felt fine walking the strip in Vegas in 96 degrees. I swear I can hardly breathe when it’s so humid here! The older I get, the more I notice it. Of course now, I’m freezing my ass of in 59 degree weather 🤣
DeleteI’m looking forward to a fun Fall day tomorrow with friends at a winery that overlooks a small airport. Weather is supposed to be 73 degrees, partly sunny, so I can warm up! XO
More magnificent scenery! Balancing Rock looks a bit like a plump seated figure. I don't know of any named rocks in Northern Ireland but you might have heard of the Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains near Sydney.
ReplyDeleteI had to look up The Three Sisters as I’m not very familiar with Australia. I do enjoy the names.
DeleteWell, last week I went to Peggy's Cove (famous for the lighthouse AND the rocks) and then Medford Beach which reminds me a bit of a the Utah landscape. Both are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteThe red is really magnificent when you leave in a green and brown area like I do.
DeleteI'm loving all of your amazing photos from your trip. Southern Illinois has a number of stunning places, one being Garden of the Gods. When you see places like this it really does make you remember how small we truly are in the world. Have a wonderful weekend!!
ReplyDeleteI did not know that Illinois had a Garden of the Gods! I looked on the map to see its location. I think the furthest south I've been in Illinois is Springfield to see Lincoln's home, etc. when I was a kid. Yes, we are so small! I hope you are having nice weather like we are supposed to have tomorrow.
DeleteThat dam is much cooler than Hoover Dam. I love all of your pictures- it's so beautiful out there.
ReplyDeleteYears ago, Mike worked for a company based in Salt Lake City, so we were lucky enough to take the girls out there two different summers. One summer, we flew into Las Vegas and stayed one night, then drove to SLC through the desert. None of us had ever seen the desert before, so it was such a cool experience. And we wove though Arizona and Utah a couple of times, and the girls were so excited about that.
Thanks for sharing this- it brought back so many good memories, and that felt really nice. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. 😘💜
Whoa! LV to SLC is a significant drive! The only time I was in SLC was to fly into when we drove to Yellowstone, Grand Tetons and then Mount Rushmore. We tried so hard to find the Great Salt Lake and never found it - LOL! That was a story! Before we had GPS on our phones and I was following paper MapQuest I had printed out. Those trip memories are the best, aren't they? I'm glad you got to experience the desert. It's so beautiful!
DeleteI've been to Moror Rock. That's the only one I can think of That I've been to. You had a great trip. Loved the pictures.
ReplyDeleteI had to look up that rock, Mary. I've never been to that area of California. It looks massive!
DeleteI don't know if I've ever been anywhere named for its rocks. I drove through a red rock park (not sure which one), but it was close to Grand Junction, CO, because I was visiting Marge and Johnny, my Davenport neighbors who moved to Florida a few years ago. These photos are stunning. It must be really hot if they don't even let people walk on the trails.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it was the Garden of the Gods in Colorado? Yes, the website for Valley of Fire says something along the lines that their park employees are not EMT’s, so don’t hike during May-September. All the parking lots at trailheads were blocked off and there were signs about not parking on the side of the road to get to trails. We still saw someone do it 🙄
DeleteBijoux, I was also afraid of helicopters, because I loathe flying...but I'm here to tell you that a helicopter ride is SO much fun and so much better than an airplane ride.
ReplyDeleteThat Dam is beautiful, and such an engineering feat!
I've been to many named rocks, but can I name them? Hell no. We visited Arches National Park (via a helicopter from Colorado), and it was magnificent. The red rock formations look like they're from another planet. Oh, we've also visited Garden Of The Gods many years ago.
100* is not what I would consider a fun walk---glad you were able to drive to see so much beauty.
~Suz
Girl, you be crazy!! 🤣🤣🤣 Even my husband wouldn’t set foot on a chopper! They go down way too often. But I’m glad you got to see some cool sights that way. I enjoyed Arches on the ground!
DeleteGoodness! Neither do I do helicopters ... I haven't a head for heights!!!
ReplyDeleteI did enjoy seeing your photographs, but phew! ... the temperature was HOT!
You certainly saw some wonderful sights on your trip.
Sending good wishes from a rather wet UK ... well it is in my part.
All the best Jan
It is pouring here today. I think our run of nice weather has sadly come to an end. Enjoy the new week.
DeleteDoes Mount Rushmore count?
ReplyDeleteValley of Fire looks really cool. I love visiting places like these! Sounds like a great road trip for you all. (Assuming it was a ROAD trip since you don't do helicopters (neither do I)).
Nope, I don’t count Mount Rushmore 🤣 I guess it was a road trip, except for the four flights to get there and back.
DeleteHa! So not a road trip then. I guess that's pretty far for you guys.
DeleteI'm not much of a car rider, to be honest.
DeleteThat's good that they close the trails off during peak heat season months. I imagine they had one too many people pass out from exposure that they had to do that. I have been to a few places that have had some cool rock formations. Joshua Tree Park had some pretty ones, then again 2 years ago Garden of the Gods in Colorado we enjoyed even more.
ReplyDeleteJoshua Tree and Garden of the Gods are two places we've never been. Some of the hoodoos at Bryce Canyon have names and it's pretty cool to see.
DeleteGorgeous, Bijoux!! What fantastic photos! (hi! Just catching up on blog life!)
ReplyDeleteWelcome Home!!!!
DeleteBeautiful photos and what interesting places to go! We have a Arch Rock on Mackinac Island, It's pretty impressive and I think you can climb to the top of it for views of the island and Lake Huron.
ReplyDeleteI've never been to Mackinac Island, but it always looks like a great vacation spot.
DeleteWhat fabulous photos, Bijoux! This sounds like such a great trip. I was in Sedona, Arizona years ago for a trip to the Grand Canyon. I took a jeep tour of an area that featured red rocks, but I forget the name.
ReplyDeleteI’m so glad you were there to enjoy its beauty. I bet you were on a pink jeep tour. That’s the most popular.
DeleteOh I would love to travel here one day. I would love to go to Monument. Love your photos, what a great trip!
ReplyDeleteAllie of
www.allienyc.com
Thanks, Allie!
DeleteWhat an absolutely epic itinerary. The West truly offers some of the most stunning landscapes.
ReplyDeleteThat drive through Vermillion Cliffs with all the intense stripes must have been incredible, it looks like a painting. I'm so jealous you got to see Bighorn Sheep. They are always such a major highlight.
It was a wonderful week spent exploring the desert southwest. Bighorn sheep are not something we see in Ohio, so I was thrilled.
DeleteI've been to Valley of Fire a few times. It's only about an hour and a half from where I live. Love it there!
ReplyDeletewww.fashionradi.com
Did you get to see The Wave? That trail was closed, so sort of disappointing.
DeleteI have always wanted to Monument, you trip truly looked liked a once in a life time experience.
ReplyDeleteAllie of
www.allienyc.com
Thanks, Allie.
DeleteIt looks like the names for the rocks are very accurate!
ReplyDeleteThere's Jump Off Rock around here, but it's named for a legend about someone jumping off not because of how it looks.
The rock names were pretty cool!
Delete