Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
(OK, I think I've hit on the system - publish the photos first via hello.com, then write the text about the photos. This way, the text will appear before the photos in the blog. Of course, I reserve the right to change this "system" five seconds from now.)

During our recent trip to Las Vegas, we spent the afternoon of December 27 at the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

---

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area...[is] probably the best kept secret in Las Vegas. We receive nearly 1.2 million visitors every year....Red Rock Canyon National Conservation area is located 17 miles West of the strip on Charleston Boulevard (also shown as Highway 159 on some maps).

The Bureau of Land Management is charged with the stewardship and protection of this national treasure. Our two non-profit partner organizations, Friends of Red Rock Canyon and Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association, assist the BLM with both substantial volunteer as well as financial contributions.

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area holds a special place in the hearts of thousands of Las Vegans. In marked contrast to a town geared to entertainment and gaming, Red Rock Canyon offers enticements of a different nature. Peace, serenity and beauty are just a few words that will barely begin to describe what you will experience here. The Mojave Desert is not barren as you might think. It is teeming with life and beauty that in my opinion is rare and unique.

Petrified sand dunes, frozen in time, offer you a unique perspective of nature as well as the effects of the passing of millions of years. The excitement of suddenly appearing waterfalls, cascading into the canyons, will make you appreciate the mysteries and the hidden dangers of the Mojave. Red tailed hawks search for their next meal while drifting on air currents high above the desert floor....

---