New Year’s Eve in the Valley of Fire

On the morning of December 31st, 2016, when I awoke it was still dark. I was in Las Vegas. I hadn’t planned on being there for New Year’s Eve, it was just the way that my trip unfolded. Though it was a holiday, it was an easy place to get a room and I ended up staying for two nights.

It felt as if I’d personally brought rain to the desert. I arrived among the shimmering signs and the bustle of Vegas in the pouring rain on New Year’s Eve-eve. By morning, there was still dampness pressing down but at least the rain had stopped.

Because of pre-celebration preparations, the strip was scheduled to close to traffic on the afternoon of the 31st. Being an early riser on east coast time worked to my advantage. I was able to head out at 0’dark-thirty, see some stuff and get back before anything shut down. My destination for the day? Valley of Fire State Park.

At first, I was a little disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to see the luminescent colors of the rocks in the sunshine. But, that disappointment faded when I saw that the fog brought its own special drama to the landscape. Nothing is perfect and plans deviate from your daydreams. You just have to learn to see beauty in new ways.

Snapshots from Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park

 

Fuzzygalore

Rachael is the whimsical writer behind the 20+ year old Girlie Motorcycle Blog. As a freelance blogger, she is on a mission to inspire laughter, self-examination, curiosity, and human connection. Girlie Motorcycle Blog can be found on several Best Motorcycle Blog lists.

You may also like...

8 Responses

  1. Bob B says:

    Stunning pictures. Thanks for sharing. Did you rent the bike? From where.

  2. Ted Kettler says:

    I love the southwest. My favorite is Moab, Utah and that whole region. If not for my wife’s need of the ocean and a beach, I would live there. Thank you, the Valley of Fire is now on the bucket list.

  3. Warren says:

    Another pin added to my across USA ride planning map. Thanks Fuzzy.

  4. Steve says:

    Beautiful contrast of the desert landscapes and mist, especially with empty roads – quite a special ride that day – thanks for sharing!

  5. curvyroads says:

    +1 for Moab, and +1 for Valley of Fire being added to bucket list. Thanks for sharing the great pics!

Leave a Reply to Fuzzygalore Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.