Lake Mead National Recreation Area - Spring Break 2015

 After visiting Valley of Fire, we headed to nearby Lake Mead National Recreation Area. We just had a few hours to get a taste of it before we met friends. So we ate a picnic lunch by Rogers Spring and then went down to Echo Bay so we could see the lake.

We spotted a road runner, and even the kids were excited to see this neat bird.

Echo Bay was really interesting. It used to be extremely busy, with a restaurant, lodge, convenience store, RV park, campground, and more. Then the lake levels started dropping. And no longer could you motor in and just saunter up to the restaurant or lodge. It was a longish walk in sweltering summer temperatures. Visitation started dropping. And the lake levels kept dropping, so the restaurant (below) and lodge closed.

Before long the marina closed. New islands appeared.

Fuel was no longer offered, although people could still launch boats at the boat launch, over a mile from the developed areas.

In the photo below you can see the old boat launch in the center of the photo, far back, and the new one on the right.

So Echo Bay, although still larger than where I live, almost seemed like a ghost town. It was a little surreal. Okay, a lot surreal. I kept looking around, wondering where everyone was, imagining how it used to be. In the 1980s, this place was rocking. The reservoir was at capacity. Probably very few people imagined that the lake levels would drop a little bit, and almost none to the extent that it has.

I still can't wrap my head around it all.

We were also fascinated by the 18-inch high fences along the road. We figured out they were to keep the tortoises from getting squashed. They looked ever so funny, though.

Further down the road we turned into Callville Bay. It's faring better than Echo Bay. Boat rentals are still available--and sure would be fun! Nevertheless, the telltale lake rings and increased distance from the developed areas made it seem like a place past its prime.

Next we went to Boulder Beach, where we swam a little. We were hesitant because there was green algae in the water, but hoped that if so many other people were swimming, it would be okay. When we left, I got a photo of the Southern Nevada Water Authority straw into the lake. This is where Las Vegas' drinking water comes from, a place called Saddle Island that is now a peninsula.

Soon after we met our friends, took showers, and had a nice visit. An unfortunately I didn't take any photos! It was a very nice short trip to Lake Mead, and we'd sure like to go back and explore more.

Next up: Red Rock Canyon

Valley of Fire State Park

For spring break I had a bad travel itch, so we headed south and after dentist visits went to Valley of Fire State Park.

  Our friends had saved us a campsite that was super awesome (thank you so much!), and after visiting and catching up a bit, we decided to go tackle a hike at Mouse's Tank. 

It's a popular trail, but late in the afternoon there weren't so many people on it and it was cooler.

It didn't take long to get to Mouse's Tank, and we went and got a close look at a pool.

Then we began a really fun game of hide'n seek. We found all sorts of little alcoves.

I had to scramble into some little caves to check them out too.

We found a cool ramp that ascended between two cliffs.

We started to get hungry and headed back to the campsite in the evening glow.

The night was gorgeous, and we went for a little hike around the campground. Then we settled in for an evening under the stars, the rainfly off.

We had a leisurely morning (meaning the kids slept in until 6:30!), then got ready to go hiking. Arch Rock was backlit nicely with the morning light.

Then it was time to run up to the petroglyphs. The kids charged off.

And I got distracted by this bird.

When I turned around, they had already made it to the platform. It's a good leg burner if you run up all the steps!

Across the road we took the trail to the petrified wood.

The mineralization is so beautiful. And it's kind of neat to think about how a forest used to be in this area. Nowadays you have to look far to find a tree!

The color of the rocks was breathtaking, and I took way too many photos. (As you can tell by this rather longish post!)

Next we went to the nice visitor center and then up the road to Rainbow Point, where the scenery again was breathtaking.

I wanted to go see The Wave, which is featured on the cover of the Valley of Fire brochure and has been widely photographed. Along the way the beautiful cacti caught our attention, and the kids literally stopped to smell the flowers.

The way to the Wave was gorgeous. The rock layers undulate and the colors change.

Before long we were approaching The Wave. Or what I guessed was the Wave, since there were a lot of people taking photos.

It looks something like this. It's cool, but I saw many rocks that I thought were more beautiful! I guess it just goes to show that what one person likes isn't necessarily going to be everyone else's favorite.

The kids thought the Wave was kind of boring and they were hot, so they found a cool place to rest.

Eventually I convinced them we should return, and we found some other pretty things along the way.

When we got back to the vehicle, the kids declared they were done with hiking. So we went back to the campsite and had a picnic lunch. The pavilions over the picnic tables were wonderful for providing shade. Before long, the kids wanted to go scamper around the rocks by the campsite. We found a cool cave at the very top and took some entertainment to enjoy there.

The views were great. Then the kids spotted other kids and the next couple hours were spent playing and exploring.


After a trip to Overton to see the Lost City Museum and get some firewood and marshmallows, we returned for a spaghetti dinner. But I had to stop on the way back in the park and enjoy the golden hour. These globemallow were gorgeous.

This little rodent really wanted a handout.

A photographer pointed out a helicopter that had landed on top of the rocks. He said a bride and groom had hopped out.

The light was fading when we got back to the campsite, but it was still beautiful.

After dinner we took a walk across the road and watched the stars come out and the campfires light up the rocks.

The next morning we packed up and I took a few more photos.

Then it was time for one more hike, the White Rocks loop.


Guess what? The rocks were white. Ha, ha.

The kids were a bit grumpy, so I challenged them to not touch the ground. They liked that.

 And before long we were leaving Nevada's oldest and largest state park and heading on to our next adventure of spring break.

To be continued...

The Sandhill Cranes are Back!

 Sandhill cranes recently returned to the ranch, to my great delight. These huge birds are so fascinating, and they really leave no doubt that birds are descendants of dinosaurs. Sandhill cranes have been around for quite awhile (although not as long as dinosaurs); their fossils have been dated back as far as 2.5 million years.

The photo above shows the reddish feathers on these sandhill cranes. Those are due to foraging in iron-rich mud. Also note the curved feathers on the rump.

I got out of the van to take the photo, and that spooked the birds, so they took off.

This photo isn't quite in focus, but the shape of the bird makes it look so much like a pterodactyl that I had to include it!

The sandhill cranes made a big circle and flew in the beautiful golden hour sunlight.

As I was editing the photos I saw that the birds flew in sync.

But then they didn't. Why not? Well, probably due to a small weight difference, although both sexes are nearly the same size. Sandhill cranes mate for life, which is sometimes more than 20 years. During the summer, sometimes up to 30 sandhill cranes stay at the ranch. I haven't seen baby sandhill cranes, but my husband has. Typically they raise just one young a year.

Back in sync again, with the shadowed foothills in the distance. For more about sandhill cranes, along with a recording of their cool sound, check out this Cornell Lab of Ornithology link.