The Beehives were our first stop. They reminded me more of the hair-do my Great Aunt Fran wore instead of an insect dwelling, but they were certainly unique. A good piece of advice is to not wear sandals or flip-flops. You do a good amount of walking in the sand and it is hot. Even though the bottoms of your feet are covered, the sand that flips up on top of your feet will hurt like crazy. I wore sneakers and was glad I did after witnessing a couple of screaming flip-flop wearers. Arch rock was a great photo sight although it was strange to take in. To think that due to the constant erosion from wind and rain the piece of artistic nature I am now witnessing will no longer exist. I somehow felt very privileged to be there at that moment to see it. We continued our tour with a hike to the petrified logs and Mouse’s tank. Mouse’s tank is a natural rain- water reservoir named after an Indian who used it as his hiding place. The hike to Mouse’s tank is especially interesting, as the trail has some great prehistoric petroglyphs. It’s so amazing to look at them wondering their age and interpreting their meanings.

It was somewhere around the White Domes where we lost our momentum. We wanted to hike the trail to the old movie set, but the heat and our bodies just wouldn’t allow it. We had long since drained our bottles of water and had now wished we had brought more than just one a piece. A la Clark Griswold, we jumped out of the security of the air-conditioned car, stood a moment, snapped a photo, and jumped back into the blizzard wonderland again. This is what we did for the rest of the scenic spots, except for the cabins. They seemed really interesting so we got out and walked around. Built in the 1930s, they were used as shelters for passing backpackers. Although they are not used any more, I could still see a die-hard backpacker choosing these rustic stone dwellings over the mega resorts of the strip.

Even if you are only in Vegas a few days, Valley of Fire is worth a stop. The formations are unique unto themselves, and may not even exist sometime in the future.

Just beware that the heat will zap your energy fast so decide which sites are really worth the hike.

This park is Nevada's oldest and largest one. It received its name from the red sandstone formations and the beauty of the Mojave Desert. According to history, the red sandstone formations were formed by the great shifting sand dunes around the time of the age of dinosaurs 150 million years ago. And it was this shifting and huge erosion that made this current landscape.

Here, you can hike/walk and see areas of ancient trees (petrified ones) and petroglyphs done by early man. In addition, you can camp and/or take pictures and maybe view the animals (coyote, kit fox, jackrabbit, etc.) and reptiles like snakes. We saw a variety of rock formations, such as the beehives. And we viewed the petroglyphs. I also got a chance to see a large lizard sunning himself on a rock formation. In addition, the park has a full-scale visitor center and offers several group areas. Last, Valley of Fire is open year-round. Because of all the aforementioned, I highly recommend this attraction for everyone, especially families.

The first thing you notice about this place is the color of the rock formations. They are, as the name implies, crimson like fire. As you enter the park, you realize that this is about as far from Las Vegas as you can get. There is no neon here, no ringing slot machines, and no pedestrian traffic. Even though the strip is only about 60 miles away, this park is centuries away from that. It is still original and undeveloped except for the roads upon which you drive. The only evidence of man (besides the roads and picnic areas) are the petroglyphs, which can be found among the rock formations. One other site that gives evidence of human habitation is the ruin of an old motel from the ‘30s when this park was originally established. Other than that, Mother Nature still holds the deed to this property. One can imagine that if you had a time machine placed among one of the many rock formations and then activated it, you would hardly notice if you were in this century or one far removed from the present day.

Hiking would be the main activity here; taking photos of all the amazing scenery would be a close second. Speaking of photography, this has been a favorite site for Hollywood over the years as several movies have been shot here. Two notable ones: Star Trek: Generations and The Professionals (of which the set can still be viewed on one of the hikes).

Do not take this park lightly during the summer. It can get very HOT here so come prepared if you plan to stray very far from your fellow humans. There is a marker near the eastern entrance of the park which tells the story of one unfortunate soul who did die here in 1915. A visitors’ center can be found here, which gives you an overall look at the park's history in particular and the region in general.