After saying goodbye to my mother in Las Vegas, I had a long haul ahead of me. I was soon in California, cruising along in one of the state's least attractive stretches, at least in my opinion. I adore the desert, but the Mojave Desert in southern California is exactly what most people who haven't seen a desert picture: dirty, trashy, flat, uninhabited, and boring. I think it may have been the setting for Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. As much as possible, I made quick work of putting it behind me.

Just before dark, I reached the adorable historic town of Sonora in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas. My Airbnb hosts, Sarah and Stan, were so sweet and enthusiastic, and a great treat after a long day. I immediately felt at home and loved the view in the waning light from my apartment atop their garage.

Looking down into Yosemite Valley. Do you see the waterfall?

The next morning, I took off into the hills to our nation's longest-protected treasure, Yosemite National Park. The Yosemite Grant was signed by President Abraham Lincoln on June 30, 1864 in the first instance of park land being set aside specifically for preservation and public use by the federal government. This action set a precedent for the 1872 creation of Yellowstone as the first national park.

I think I may have visited Yosemite as a child, but I don't precisely remember. I'm quite sure, though, that I'll never forget it again. I only got to spend one day there this time, but it has certainly landed on my list for a return visit. The park is undoubtedly beautiful any time of the year, but I was simply in awe of the number of waterfalls created by the melting snow during my time there. Most of them drop from staggering heights. In fact, the 1,430-foot plunge of Upper Yosemite Fall is among the twenty highest waterfalls in the world. Thanks to these beauties, I got wetter than on a log ride several times during my exploration of Yosemite's wonders.

I didn't enjoy the traffic at Yosemite, but it's also understandable why so many want to see this great American wonderland - and I'm glad to see them doing just that. However, even the lines for the shuttle looked like more than I cared to undertake. I finally found a place to park and hiked around the valley, gazing at the sheer granite cliffs, waterfalls, and gorgeous trees. It was nice to get away from the crowds and find some peaceful spots to take in the landscape.

My pruny waterfall-soaked feet started to blister as I made my way back to the car, an almost-welcome impediment since I really needed to stay in one place and get some work done the following day. I drove back to Sonora with bare feet and a head and heart full of beautiful scenery.

On Sunday, I packed up the bikini and beach towel and boarded a plane back to Las Vegas. With my base tan established, I was prepared for more desert sunshine!

My car had been relaxing at the airport for about six weeks, and I was starting to feel like that was my big Vegas gamble. As the parking lot shuttle rounded the corner, I saw her there smiling at me. What a relief! I assessed the exterior: no flat tires, no broken windows, and no new dings, dents, or scrapes. In the final test, I turned the ignition. Voila! I was on the road again.

Since my time in Vegas had been pretty brief (and I wasn't sure that my car would be ready to roll on down the road), I booked a few days at an Airbnb on the outskirts of town. My plan was to see some of the natural beauty surrounding this land of slot machines, roulette wheels, and poker tables.

Monday, I took a short drive west to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. The park was full of people enjoying a gorgeous, sunny, mid-70's spring day. I drove the scenic loop, stopping at most points of interest to take some short hikes, snap photos, and drink in the beautiful landscape. I was afraid I had missed spring in the desert, but there was still a pretty abundant sprinkling of flowers to be seen.

Following my tour of Red Rock, I spent some time on a more typical Vegas activity - shopping. My hiking shoes were ready for retirement, and probably had been for quite some time. After a few tries, I was happy to be able to locate the same type of shoe (Ahnu Sugarpine Air Mesh), which had worked really well for me for the better part of a year. I guess I'm not very "adventurous" in my wardrobe choices! :-)

Yesterday, my trek was a little more extensive. I drove about an hour through sparse desert terrain to the Valley of Fire, a Nevada State Park. I had seen a lot of photos of this park, especially its "Fire Wave," and it did not disappoint. It is home to some really unique formations, intensely red rocks, petroglyphs, canyons, and petrified logs. I drove most of the park roads and stopped at many of the scenic points. Hiking the Fire Wave trail, I saw more lovely desert flowers and made the acquaintance of a few chuckwalla lizards.

Leaving the park's east entrance, I wound my way through Lake Mead National Recreation Area. After about an hour of the area's varied desert vistas and distant glimpses of the lake, I caught up with the throngs of tourists who were headed with me to see Hoover Dam.

I can't say that visiting Hoover Dam was anywhere near the top of my list of places I want to see, but it was actually pretty interesting and picturesque. I am definitely a fan of Art Deco architecture, and it's a fantastic example of this style. The Lake Mead side of the dam was pretty surreal looking, with its blue water, art deco towers, and the waterline on the surrounding cliffs. I'm glad I stopped and braved the crowds!

Today, I am doing some work, catching up on things (like this blog!), and painting. I wanted to take it relatively easy since I have a long drive ahead of me tomorrow, when I head south to Phoenix, Arizona, my home for the next two weeks. Stay tuned for more reporting from the Valley of the Sun!

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