Moapa Valley Drive Part III

5/27/2010


We back track on one of the one way scenic roads back to the main road, and stop at the visitor center for the park.
A view from the visitor center.
At the visitor center Diane goes inside to buy some water, ends up buying a can of diet pop because it is cheaper than water. I go inside and find a free water tap and fill up two gallons of water in my empty water containers that I carry in the truck of the car. Diane snaps this picture of me resting at the visitor center.
Diane decides to ham it up at the visitor center.
Just hanging out at the cave talking to friends and family. ( This is Diane doing a proof read for Joe. I just wanted to say I am wearing skorts- which is shorts under a skirt- no those are not my underwear.)
Stop the car, cries Diane; I see a flower on a cactus plant.
Closeup and personal.

Wait, more flowers over there!
Up close and personal. ( Me again, I liked the contrast of the red soil and the white seeding bush)

Not quite sure what this is all about? ( This is Diane again- I always wonder who lives in these holes. Hopefully not a snake!)
Didn't we just see these back aways? ( No, this is a different bush- you know I like horticulture.)
Now this is my kind of picture. These are two of 9 sister rock formations that are lined up together along the road. ( I guess I should have written this blog- It was the 7 sisters. Can you see snoopy:)
On the move again.
Its finally time to leave the park and head home.
Its a long drive home. We continue on southwest on Hwy. 169.
But the wide open spaces make it more enjoyable.
After leaving the Valley of Fire State Park we enter Lake Mead Recreation Area.
There is a thin finger of lake Mead. We are driving the north shore of Lake Mead. It is much bigger than it looks in the picture.
After a continued beautiful drive a ways:

We get another glimpse of the lake.
We take a side road that goes down to a marina in a bay on the lake.
Lots of boats. The lake we hear is really low.
We are almost home, there is Las Vegas in the valley below. See the Stratosphere Hotel in the haze? Oh by the way, Moapa is a name of a Band of Paiutes Indians in this area. There is a town, valley, and river called Moapa. Just wanted to explain why these last 3 blogs are called the Moapa Valley Drive.