GSA 2019 Grand Canyon North Rim, Snow Canyon State Park & Valley of Fire State Park

We saw a lot while we were in Hurricane. In addition to national parks, we took in a couple of state parks. While the national parks are the big draw, the state parks offer just as good views of scenery and are much less crowded.

Breathtaking!

One of our first views after we entered Grand Canyon North Rim Nat'l Park

We finally replaced our USA map and updated it. (We removed the previous one when we had the slides painted.) 

States we haven't been to (of the lower 48) are CA, NV, KT, NJ, DE, and RI.  Our criteria is that we must have stayed overnight at least once in each state for it to count. 

Back to our trips... next up was Snow Canyon State Park. Indians originally used the canyon, then Mormon pioneers discovered it in the 1850's. Originally called Dixie State Park, it was later renamed for Lorenzo & Erastus Snow, prominent UT pioneering leaders. The canyon was the site of (Hollywood films) Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, The Electric Horsemen, and Jeremiah Johnson. 

Jenny's Canyon

This is the view looking up from the floor of Jenny's Canyon

A new adventure for us was to rent an UTV (Utility Transport Vehicle) and do a tour with a guide of areas outside of Hurricane. These vehicles provide a way to see things where a normal car can not go. Here we are with our vehicle. Our guide, Kevin, led us through the trails.

These rocks are nicknamed Flintstone Rocks 

Cacti in bloom

Valley of Fire State Park is actually in Nevada. It's about a 2 hour drive from Hurricane. Valley of Fire derives its name from red sandstone formations, formed from great shifting sand dunes during the age of dinosaurs, 150 million years ago. Complex uplifting and faulting of the region, followed by extensive erosion, have created the current landscape. 

These red rocks get their color from iron oxide

We're always amazed at the rocks and the differences in them due to the elements & erosion 

On June 1 we headed to Moab, UT for a couple of weeks. We were able to finish visiting all 5 of the national parks in UT, and see more awesome scenery. Stay tuned!