Memories of Red Rock Canyon

Among my many travels in the past, my visit to Nevada was unique in that it was the first time I have travelled to an arid environment—a desert, to be specific. Living in the Philippines, I have never experienced a place that was so dry. Visiting in summer, I found Las Vegas so hot; it was like having a blow dryer in my face every time I went outdoors. I was in Nevada since my uncle and aunt lived in Las Vegas at the time. Knowing my fascination for geology, they thought of taking me to a national conservation area for Red Rock Canyon, a natural formation that is well-known for its red-hued stones.

The road to Red Rock Canyon was amusing because of the signs that I kept on seeing; we were not allowed to feed any burros (a type of wild donkey) and horses that we might see around the place. I only knew of burros because I read Cleveland Amory’s book The Cat Who Came for Christmas and his other book, Ranch of Dreams, in which he talks about how he was able to save the burros in the area by bringing them to his animal sanctuary, the Black Beauty Ranch. (Unfortunately, I did not see any burros during the trip.)

The Entrance to the Visitor Center. Note the heavy stone finishes

We reached the visitor center for the place. It was an example of desert architecture: lots of natural stone finishes and heavy thick walls to control the heat from entering the internal spaces of the center. We reached the visitor center for the place. It was an example of desert architecture: lots of natural stone finishes and heavy thick walls to control the heat from entering the internal spaces of the center.

History of the red rock canyon

The visitor center explained the geological history of Red Rock Canyon, as well as other interesting tidbits of the place. (The most interesting item I got from this trip is a free tourist magazine for the other attractions around Red Rock Canyon. I found it interesting to see the different activities used to attract tourists to the area: from nature trails in private resorts to amusement parks.)

indoor viewing area of the visitor center

In the visitor center, there was also a large, fixed window overlooking Red Rock Canyon, which allowed visitors who would not be taking the Scenic Drive (a one-way loop road) to get a cool (air-conditioned) view of Red Rock Canyon.

This is the view from the window

After admiring the view, we went outside to prepare the car for the Scenic Drive. I noticed more desert architecture elements: high ceilings and plenty of sun shading elements to cool down the space.

the size of the rocks are apparent compared to the people

As we drove around, we stopped at certain spots to hike and get a closer look, like these people did:

If you’re not the hiking type, you can just admire the view. The drive itself was breathtaking, filled with views of the other mountains and hills around the place.

Certain areas of the road would even let you get near the rock formations.

As soon as we left the Red Rock Canyon Scenic Drive and began the long trip back to Las Vegas, I had an epiphany. Nevada—and the United States in general—feels surreal and unreal to me because of all the land I can see. Anywhere I look, there is literally more land beyond the horizon. It felt immense and unnatural to me, as I live in a country in which I can count the kilometers to the nearest coastline anywhere I go.

If you like to read more of my travel musings, you can also read about my trip to the New York Public Library, the Staten Island Ferry, and Lake George in these older posts.