Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Endless Red Rock Canyon, Vegas



Yes, last post was more photos of Vegas.  The pink tree and Date palm were paired at an upscale mall far afield from The Strip.  I love the fact that the tree is totally artificial and so is the habitat for date palms...from what I hear. Being a midwesterner, I would never have guessed they weren't indigenous until I began to learn more about the Mojave. It is a gift to me that I connected so much to Red Rock Canyon and this mountainous desert landscape later in life. I am continually surprised, delighted and spiritually renewed every time I hike there. Views are compelling near or far.
 


Normally the sun shines relentlessly and we see everything against a bright blue sky.  The colors are so monochromatic that the harsh light doesn't really diminish the color palette, but it does flatten out the space.  Since light so much defines landscape, I was thrilled last week when we encountered different weather...ironically it was colder in Vegas than Chicago. I took these pix about 8 am as a rain storm was approaching.  The winds were ferocious and probably brought the wind chill down into the upper 30s.
 

3 comments:

Altoon Sultan said...

I visited Red Rock Canyon years ago, along with Valley of Fire state park. The landscape is very dramatic and beautiful. I love the desert, but wouldn't want to live there.

Julie Siegel said...

I agree: nice to visit, but living in that unsustainable environment is not for me. That being said, there are more progressive practices in certain quarters than you might imagine just because of the extreme conditions.

LINDA from Each Little World said...

Beautiful images. Love those blues and greys!