After picking up our rental trailer we headed for our first night of family RVing in the most picturesque Atlatl Campground at the Valley of Fire State Park.

World-renowned for its 40,000 acres of bright red Aztec sandstone outcrops nestled in gray and tan limestone, Valley of Fire State Park contains ancient, petrified trees and petroglyphs dating back more than 2,000 years. While our stay was brief, we were able experience so much. Wow.

The sandstone is from the Jurassic period and is the remnant of the sand left behind by the wind after inland seas subsided and the land rose.







After a peaceful sleep, we awoke early to explore before moving on.


By 8 AM the temperatures were heading towards 90°. We began our day early at Atlatl Rock, an easy hike with amazing examples of prehistoric petroglyphs. An atlatl is a tool used to launch a spear, and ancient Native Americans of the Pueblo culture carved symbols of the atlatl, and so much more, here in the sandstone.




This was the closest we've come to these ancient artifacts.
Our other departing explore was a stroll on the Petrified Log Loop. The petrified logs in Valley of Fire State Park are ancient pine tree fossils estimated to be approximately 150 million years old, dating back to the Age of Reptiles. These logs, which are often reddish-brown in color, were transported to their current locations by floods and later buried under mineral-rich sediment, replacing the wood material with silica, manganese, and iron oxides.





Located only an hour away from Las Vegas but truly a world apart, Valley of Fire was the perfect place in which to begin our amazing adventure.

While our daughter-in-law accompanies her mom to Italy for her very first time, we are fortunate to have as our traveling companions our younger son and his two kiddos. We are taking them on an RV trip where we will pick up a rental trailer and tow them in their own little home. How cool is that?

Interestingly, the closest rental trailer we could find is in Henderson, Nevada, a distance too far to make in one day with little ones in tow.

Night #1 was spent at Stovepipe Wells in Death Valley... a first.

Since this was only a waystation for us, we were only in the Park for a total of 17 hours. We did fit in some fun, however.
And Steve even prepared us all a delicious dinner (barbecued hot dogs).

My first desert sunrise did not disappoint!

For the next several days, we are on an adventure to see as much of America as we can. The farthest east we will travel is 750 miles, yet oh the stops along the way.

Here is a list of where we'll call home: Death Valley, Valley of Fire, Bryce National Park, Lake Powell, the Grand Canyon, Meteor Crater, Grand Canyon Caverns, and Red Rock Conservation Area. Our last night is yet to be determined. I promise to share it all when possible.

"The best things in life are the people you love, the places you’ve been and the memories you’ve made along the way."

Hundreds of us attended the Grand Opening of the City of South Lake Tahoe’s new 64,000-square-foot Recreation & Aquatics Center. I am surprised how much I love it. Wow.

Mayor Cody Bass got the festivities started. Introductions of key players, enthusiastic cheerleading youth, a marching band that had us dancing in our seats, and a 'ribbon drop' filled our time as we awaited the tours.
Oh, did I mention friends were there, too?

Jenny won a free, private preview tour of this amazing place and Bob kindly shared his photos. It is cavernous without anyone there. I love these images.






As grandparents, I picture these being our seats as we watch the grands frolic in the Lazy River.


Today's celebration included a very prideful welcoming, tours of the new facility, along with demonstrations showcasing all the amenities the center has to offer. With what seemed like the entire town being there, Cyndi and I didn't get the opportunity to fully explore the entire $54.1 million project. We will definitely be back. We all expressed true delight at the successful completion of the Recreation & Aquatics Center. What's extra special for Steve and me is the fact that we can actually walk there. I know this will be a place we'll frequent. Well done to all who worked so hard to make this a reality. I am thoroughly impressed.