Cathedrals and Nevada State Parks

Pat in front of what water and wind created.

We walked into a Cathedral today; the remains of a Pliocene lake.  We camped where three million years ago we would be under water. The crows followed us on our bike and hike into the edge of caves, canyons and cliffs that a local woman named Cathedral Gorge because it reminded her of European cathedrals (can’t remember her name, but will research it later) and where two teenage boys in the 1900s built ladders and crawlways through the spires.  By 1920s families were picnicking here and they had open air Bible story pageants. It became a state park in 1935. The Civilian Conservation Core made the first structures and campground.  Today was just glorious! Temperature is in the high 70s and will cool down tonight to 40s.

But people who wanted to get to Las Vegas Nevada were not happy.  Unusual storms washed-flooded out parts I-15 and they could not get to where they wanted to get to have fun(camp in hotel parking lots with no trees to gamble-we did it 20 years ago because the camper needed repairs, but the boys enjoyed Circus Circus-not something we would go to normally)??  Last year with the Federal shutdown this campground was full according to the ranger; this year it is not half full, quiet, quiet with electricity we didn't need. Interesting interpretative walks and great visitor center with such nice people. Found out what a BuffaloBerry is...related to olives and Native Americans used it to add sour flavor to their buffalo stew-we are having grassfed beef stew tonight.

Nevada has awesomely beautiful state parks. We would not have found this out thinking it was all like Las Vegas except for the fact Yosemite was closed because of forest fires.   We traveled Lonely HWY 50, called the loneliest road in America that links across it to Hwy 93 another lonely road which was a little busier today because of the detours.

We are off to Bryce to walk among the Hoodoos and more Cathedrals then to Canyonlands, Archer all in Utah and Mesa Verde, Colorado. 

We walked above and down into this area. It was just so moving.

Up on the hill is what the CCC made in the 1937 and it still stands as the water tower and picnic cover.  I am showing the construction and how the cedar looks after 77 years.  

I took this photo and the phone made it into a post card.  I need lessons because I don't know how it happened.

See the dry river bed; it was full of water the day before we arrived. We walked down it and along it from Miller's Point.