Red Rock Canyon – Nevada

While in Las Vegas, we were told about a canyon that should be visited during our stay.  Red Rock Canyon is a short drive from downtown Vegas, and it is well worth the trip.  We arrived late in the day, not realizing what was in store for us on that particular adventure.  We pulled into the visitors center, which was situated on top of a small hill.  The hill and the visitors center itself sat in such a way, you could not see the vista on the other side until you walked through the doors.  Once inside, you could see the view from the massive glass wall in the back of the main room.  It is hard to describe the vibrant colors of the red rock cliffs that spread out like a folded blanket in rising out of the desert landscape.  We arrived just 30 minutes before the visitors center was supposed to close, so if you can make it plan to spend a full day there.  The exhibits and information is presented in a very fun way, for both children and adults.  The girls wanted to stay and read all of the plaques to learn about the history and geology of the region, but we didn’t have time.  So we jumped in the car to drive the loop through the canyon, and experience what we could in our limited timeframe.

We drove around the loop, slowing down to take in the landscape.  There are many places where you can hike on trails, and walk up to the red rock itself.  We were again pressed for time, so we wanted to see everything we could before the sun began to set.  We got out of the car at the top of the loop so we could look around, where Lilah decided to pose for some candid shots (are there any other versions?).

The sun dropped lower in the sky as we made our way around to the end of the loop.  The shadows could be seen moving across the landscape as you watched, as if time were sped up by some unseen force. Although our time here was short, we can still claim this beautiful scene as something we have experienced along our adventures path.  Someday, we may be able to return and do some additional exploration, that is on our “Places to Re-visit” list for sure.