Hiking and Neon Lights

Our next full day in Las Vegas started off with a big hike south of the city.  After looking at several options, we chose the Petroglyph Trail at the Sloan Canyon Conservation Area.  You can see by these photos that the desert in winter is pretty dried up and barren.  We hiked about 5 miles on trails and through sand, scrambled over some steep slopes, and braved the fairly strong winds at the high point/turning point of the trail. 

Here is the very colorful California Barrel Cactus, which was tucked into rock crevices along the way.  When it is in bloom, the flowers are yellow.

Of course, the petroglyphs are the major attraction on this trail, and there were many.  My sense was that this was a gathering place, as there is no water here for permanent habitation.  Here is a sampling of the very interesting rock art. 

If you use your imagination, the next one looks like a desert tortoise, and the one after that, a burrowing owl, both common desert inhabitants. 

At the high point of the trail there sits a very large and impressive volcanic laccolith that really stands out.  I imagined that this was an ancient sacred site for the local native people. 

A cold front was blowing through, and in this area at the high point in the trail, it got pretty windy.  On our way back to the trailhead, you could see the Las Vegas skyline in the distance.  Notice all of the haze in the air! 

Since all of the shows were cancelled this holiday season, we wanted to find something else fun to do this evening.  We chose the Neon Museum.  This is an outdoor venue that features neon signs from “old” Las Vegas.  As some of the original hotels, motels and casinos were torn down to make way for the big new facilities that now dominate the town, the signage was donated to the museum.  Some of the signs still work, and some are lit up with creative spot lighting.  After touring the displays, we went across the street to enjoy a sound and light show featuring video and music from the notable entertainers that have performed in Las Vegas throughout the years.  It was all great fun, and brought on a feeling of nostalgia for the good old days here.