Forty Degrees & Four States

We are happily ensconced in our hotel room in Springdale, after a somewhat harrowing drive from Mesquite. It's a little stormy tonight! Massive lightening on all sides, and a fair amount of rain. I don't think you can really see the amount of water coming down the street, but it was pretty awesome. And as such, tomorrow doesn't seem like a good day for hiking in a river. ;) Thelma (or is it Louise?) is figuring out our grand plan for tomorrow. Kolob Canyon? Grand Canyon? Bryce Canyon? Looking like it's going to be a canyon! Ha!

We left this morning from Portland, where I don't know exactly what the weather was, but I'm guessing somewhere in the high 60s. When we left Vegas this afternoon, it was HOT!!!!

Heading north out of Vegas, with Willie Nelson blaring, we headed for Valley of the Fire State Park (NV).  I believe it is called that because of the red tones on the rocks, but it might as well have been for the heat factor. Once you get the car cooled down, it's easy to forget that the earth is basically on fire! HOT!!!  

Valley of the Fire is a nice compilation of the best that is up ahead (and two states over) in Utah. There are arches, and hoodoos, beehives and other geographical wonders I can't remember.  ;) What's amazing, as with all geo-wonders, is how they just seem to pop up out of nowhere.

The park brochure was lacking in specificity, and there was no cell service, so you can make what you'd like out of our photos.  Much of it felt like Cars, the movie, or the "Gorignak" scene from Galaxy Quest.  That makes us sound like Chevy Chase travelers or something... But one must make connections!

The colors, the red rock against the brilliant blue sky, were what made this spectacular, but the black and white photos captured the starkness of the area, and somehow captured the heat a little better. 

On the way out of the park, there are these adorable "cabins" built by the CCC in the 30s.  Not only were they fun to explore, but it was a great chance to break in my new hiking boots.  

And then it was off through Arizona to our final destination here in Utah.  After the thunderstorms, it's settled at a nice 65 degrees, making us very happy, and our temperature gauges very confused.  We lost an hour somewhere across the state line, so it is night here. Other stuff happened: the social experiment of the rental-car tram, Albus Potter, a study in polka-dots, changing clothes in a parking lot, dinner with Peggy Sue, etc....but one (or two!), must sleep.  G'Night!!!