There was just too much to squeeze into the last post! Here are a few more spots that we visited in the Valley of Fire state park.
Rainbow Vista
Beautiful vistas.
And awkward poses.
At this point the kids were starving so we walked across the street and found a picnic table in the shade of this hill to eat our picnic lunch.
After lunch we checked out the Rainbow Vista trailhead and decided rather than taking the hike we would just wander around and explore the area. It was a good choice.
Fire Canyon
The Cabins
I was really excited to see the cabins. You see, there is a sweet 97 year old woman I've had the opportunity to visit a couple times. She told me all about growing up in Overton (which is adjacent to the park) and how she met her husband. He was part of the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) and was stationed in the area with the assignment to build these stone cabins. They were made in the 1930s as a shelter for travelers.
How cool to see this piece of history come alive.
The lighting in the doorway was perfect for portraits!
Windows are awesome too.
Elephant Rock
And as if the park saved the best for last, Elephant Rock is positioned by the east entrance/exit and we got to enjoy this one last sight before leaving for the day.
That is one impressive rock!
As you can tell we had a great time in the park. What a wonderful treasure to have just a little over an hour away from our home.
Visiting tips:
Entrance fee is $10 ($8 for Nevada residents)
We entered the park around 9:30am - we did a hike, had lunch, and saw everything that we wanted to see - and left at 1:30pm. 4 hours was perfect.
Bring lots of water. It feels a lot warmer than your thermostat would leave you to believe!
Pack a picnic lunch. There are several really nice areas with picnic tables & shade for enjoying your lunch.
Here is my first post about our visit - Valley of Fire, part 1
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After leaving the park we drove to Overton, about 10 miles away. We stopped at The Inside Scoop for some ice cream -- with a constant stream of locals coming in for burgers & ice cream it was a happening place! Overton is a small town, but rich with personal history for me. My grandfather, great-grandparents, and great-great-grandparents all lived there. We even drove up to the Pioneer Hill Cemetary and were able to find my great and great-great-grandparents' graves, along with other relatives. What a cool experience!
