Mohave Desert....

We have been to Las Vegas recently (well, OK, like 7 years ago for my sister's wedding) and we had a great time then exploring all the hotels on the strip. This trip, we decided to spend our time with outdoor adventures and the beautiful scenery in the Las Vegas area. We did head into Bellagio for a look at the conservatory, and we were hoping to enjoy the fountains, but we were there way too early for that. We only had a quick visit to the strip - we had several errands to do and an oil change for the car. (We really aren't on vacation!)

the Conservatory in Bellagio

love these!

Chinese New Year

the year of the Monkey

its sad that there needs to be a sign like this here

year of the Monkey

the flowers were gorgeous

what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas

too early for the fountains!

As we left the Las Vegas area the next day to head to California, we decided to take the adventurous route and drove through the Mohave Desert Preserve. We were warned to have a full tank of gas, plenty of water, etc. but the ride was amazing.

mirrors collecting sunlight and turning it into energy

There were other travelers, but not too many. You sort of get a feeling of what "solitude" is.

can't get lost on this road

amazing ride

We passed through a forest of Joshua Trees, some of them blooming. There were so many Joshua trees! As far as the eye could see. I don't think I was able to capture it in the photos. (Some say there are more Joshua Trees here than in Joshua National Park....we'll see)

Joshua trees

a forest of Joshua trees...as far as the eye can see

amazing

Before long, we spotted sand dunes in the distance. We had not planned on stopping in the Visitor Center, or exploring any one area since we were in our big rig. The views out the front window were amazing though. Sort of like watching a movie. Hahah. This part of the Mohave Desert is so green. We were surprised by that.

sand dunes up ahead

the views were great

things are starting to bloom in the desert

mountains up ahead

is that snow?

Mohave desert

see the train going across the desert?

The Mohave Desert Preserve also is home to a cindercone and other evidence of volcanic activity. It was really cool to see, but again, we did not stop to explore. The views were great though, with the mountains in the backdrop, and wildflowers blooming along the roadside. Nice.

gorgeous rock art

cinder cone....this desert has everything!

more desert blooms

Some parts of the desert looked like what we imagined it would be. Sand and salt - an inhospitable environment. There was plenty of that too, I must say.

doesn't that look hot and dry?

my favorite sign when we are driving in the RV!! (which we were!)

amazing environment

more desert blooms

Heading to 29 Palms (our campground location)

After driving about 4 hours from Las Vegas, we pulled into our campsite at 29 Palms, our home for the next few days. Since it was still early enough, we decided to make the short drive to Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center to get hiking information for the weekend. Always good to plan the hikes ahead, especially when we are trying to beat the heat!

there it is now

getting hiking info

Red Rock Canyon.............

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is not too far from the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas.....maybe a half hour or so drive. For more information, click here.  There is a 13-mile scenic loop through the park, and there are many hiking trails to chose from, depending on what kind of hike you are interested in. This park is also a mecca for bike riders and rock climbers!

approaching the park

great rock formations

love the colors 

gorgeous, no matter which way you look

fyi-the bathrooms weren't working because they didn't have enough water! Yikes!

people are everywhere on the rocks...its dizzying to watch

Cool red rocks and boulders are on one side of the park loop, with intriguing hikes through that area. On the other side of the park are the "canyon" hikes....a bit of canyon hiking after about a  mile walk through the desert.

We decided to do a 3-mile canyon hike....Pine Creek Canyon....one mile across the desert, followed by about a mile in the canyon, and then a mile back across the desert. We decided to do this hike first so we I wouldn't be struggling with the heat going back across the desert.

In order to do that hike first, we had to drive the scenic loop almost to the end. So, I guess we weren't paying attention to the trail description very well. The trail goes across the desert, past an old homestead. May find seasonal waterfalls. Unimproved trails in the canyon require some tricky rock scrambling. That part of the description did not register with us for some reason, and when we got lost in the thicket scrambling over rocks and boulders....we thought we were lost. We were actually, but we Tom managed to find the way back to the original trail. Whew!

starting our hike into the canyon

there's the canyon behind me....we are headed there

pretty

going that way

really nice hike so far

views were super

this must be the old homestead

getting hot now

see the rock climbers?

see them now?

oh boy....Tom is even getting hot...taking his sweatshirt off!

watching the climbers

working our way into the canyon

ahh....there's actually water in the stream there

scrambling

heading into the canyon

are we still on the trail?

working our way through

okay....we aren't lost anymore :)

brilliant spot of green in the desert

heading back across the desert....its pretty hot now

so many different colored rocks

a spot of blue caught my eye

still crossing the desert....its beautiful 

heading up and out

We stopped at Red Rock Overlook for lunch....a spectacular view! It was actually pretty cool in the shade with the breeze! It was good we had layers.

another amazing view for lunch

ready Susie?

Ready

After lunch, we started the "scenic loop" all over again. We even got to see some wild donkeys snacking in the desert. Bonus! We stopped at some of the scenic overlooks, just for some photo ops. Originally we were going to hike on the Calico Hills trail, but after seeing it from the parking lot, well....that was not for me!

oh hello

Calico Rock area

no can do

I'm good checking out the view from here

check that out....

We stopped at a few more overlooks before heading to Lost Creek-Children's Discovery Trail. We actually saw a waterfall...remember this is the desert! Hahah. Anyway, a very cool trail...literally and figuratively. Nice way to end the afternoon.

cool

no one was climbing on these rocks

the views are pretty good here!

Starting on the Lost Creek Trail

nice boardwalk

interesting hike

look at that!

heading toward the Lost Creek?

it may be here somewhere

see the waterfall? We found the Lost Creek!

Its nice and refreshing here!

this way?

nature's art (a rock on the trail!)

Petroglyph

the petroglyph was in there....and those "caves" were used as camps back in the day

the scenery here is amazing

no we aren't lost!

heading down now

great hike!

We had a full day in the park, though we thought we would only be there a few hours since this is a smallish park. It was very enjoyable! And scenic! And, well, fun!