Tag : usa

One of my favorite hangouts of all time, where I hike and share freeze-dried and canned goods with local and visiting friends, is the gorgeous Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, just outside Las Vegas, Nevada.

The drive takes not more than 10 – 15 minutes, and is truly a national treasure next door – and a treasure for photography aficionados from all over…

This is a great place to breathe (and bring your hiking shoes as the rocky paths can be challenging). And don’t forget your camera and a smile, as you never know what you’ll see along the way…or who you’ll meet. You’d be surprised!

There’s a big loop with various trail heads, where you can drive or bike and park…and hike around and take photos to your heart’s content. One of my favorite photographic themes is the contrast and juxtaposition of the human-made with the natural…

…as well as the many stunning rock formations and strata…

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…both in the open and in the crevasses…

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…and even some balancing rocks that looked like they could just roll right over:

Walking along, you also see that the desert lives!

Even the lizards can attest to that…

…and the plants dance in the wind, like this Apache Plume…

Yes, there is water in the desert, though you might have to work a bit to get to it…

The views in Red Rock Canyon are breathtaking, riveting and intriguing…and even a bit scary, depending upon your vantage point:

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Enjoy!

Click the caption image to the left to see the slideshow with my captions, or click the   at the top right of this page to see the naked slideshow…enjoy!

When other canyons dream, perhaps they dream they are the Grand Canyon, located in the state of Arizona in the Southwestern US. From the first peer over the South Rim from the Rim Trail, it felt like my breath left my body. The depth perspective you get from staring into this new world changes one forever.

Let me just say this: Pictures don’t do this place justice. This is one of those places on Planet Earth that you just must visit in person to experience it.

That said, do you see the (looks like it’s) tiny house in the next picture, below? This house was the size of a typical small single family home when standing next to it, so that should give at least some perspective about the vastness of this place…

Hiking here is filled with stunning vistas and crisp, fresh air – the kind that’s very rare on planet Earth these days. And yes, the brochures are correct – you’ll need to hydrate and salt often, eat healthy carbs (fruit is good for the electrolytes and sea-salty rice crackers seal the deal), and stay aware of the thin air with its decreased levels of oxygen as compared with lower elevations.

And you’ll also want to mind the edge…in some spots it’s a long way down, but if you need to look, there are safe lookout spots along the trails:

Driving to the Canyon from the south takes one over a desert area so flat that you’d never know a place like this even existed. Soon, you come into a wooded area where the entrance to Grand Canyon National Park is and pay your $25 entry fee (good for seven days as of this writing in May of 2014). Then, the Canyon and all its treasures is your oyster. There are maps…

…along with a bus that circles between various points around the Canyon…

…and cabins right near the rim to sleep in…

You’ll see some critters along the way, big and small…

…and you’ll see some beautiful things where you least expect them, like this golden-charred wood left over from a forest fire:

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There are so many spectacular vistas that I could spend days over days posting them, but in all honesty, I’d rather be there.

Enjoy!

Click the caption image to the left to see the slideshow with my captions, or click the  at the top right of this page to see what’s behind this content…can you see the tiny house in the pic? It’s about the size of an average little house, which shows you how vast this place is…