Our next stop was Las Vegas, but not the Vegas you are all thinking of! We stayed in a nice campground 1 mile from the strip, but only went there one morning to have a bakery item in the Bellagio. There are 2 state parks in the LV area that have unbelievable colors and shapes, an amazing geology. I'm sorry for the many panorama photos - I couldn't help myself and I didn't want to forget the big picture. We spent 2 full days in Valley of Fire State Park exploring the rock formations and colors, and another full day in Red Rock Canyon State Park. After the first day in the Valley of Fire, we completed a long loop drive by going down the western side of Lake Mead Recreational Area on route 169 and were surprised again by the beautiful scenery that required more panorama shots.
We also visited a couple we met in Bryce NP who have a new home in St. George, UT, and the drive there through the Virgin River Gorge was spectacular. Alas, I was driving, so Sue's blog has the only pictures of the drive!