Although Eileen and I have been to Las Vegas several times, we had never had opportunity to visit the larger newer theme casinos.  So I was looking forward to our vacation in Vegas on May 29 through June 4.   As you might guess, we got a pretty good deal on our hotel room at the Gold Nugget Casino/Hotel.

However, shortly before our trip, several friends suggested we check out the Red Rock Recreation Area located very close to Vegas.   When I checked online, I discovered beautiful photos of Red Rock which is only a 15-20 minute drive west of downtown Vegas.   I also discovered incredible scenic photos of another nearby park called the Valley of Fire State Park, about a one hour drive northeast of Vegas (off of I-15).

We ended up enjoying two day trips to each of these two beautiful areas.   We both were blessed to take easy and more challenging hikes at each park.  One trail ("White Domes Trail") at the Valley of Fire, had a short slot canyon.  The most challenging hike was the "Calico Tank" trail at the Red Rock Recreation Area which pushed us to our limits, but paid off big time with an incredible view of Las Vegas and surrounding mountains.

On several of these hikes, Eileen and I reached a point where it was not clear to us where the trail was headed and if we would be able to complete the hike or not.   But in each case, God provided other hikers who just "happened" to come along just when we needed help.  And they were able to provide very helpful information that blessed our hiking experience.

We did visit the Bellagio Casino since we both liked the Oceans 11 movie.  There was impressive art and family oriented displays.  Some of the other casinos were also interesting.

But for us, the highlite was our four one day visits to these two nearby parks.  God's beautiful creation, invigorating hikes, and cooler than normal temperatures were all special blessings from God on this vacation to Las Vegas.

For more info on either the Red Rock Recreation Area or the Valley of Fire State Park, check out these weblinks -