August 15th & 16th

August 15th: 

The longest day yet - 840 miles (1,400 kilometers). 

Miles to date on this trip - 4,266 miles (7000 kilometers)

I left my sister's house in Colorado very early, so I did not see the sunrise until I got to the Utah border, and by that time I was so tired that I crawled into the back of my car and went to sleep.

Utah/Colorado border at sunrise

Though it was a very long day on the road, it was also a spectacular day, for Utah is so beautiful. It was one of the most beautiful driving days that I can remember. 

Southern Utah

cows

hay bales

August 16th: Red Rock Mountains (just west of Las Vegas)

I decided to do a little detour to the south this year and visit my family in Las Vegas. I still have a lot of family living there. Besides my parents, I have an uncle, two aunts, cousins and their kids living in Las Vegas. I woke up early and headed to Red Rock Mountains for the sunrise. 

Red Rock Mountains at sunrise

I always loved the desert, but I don't think I really appreciated how much I love the desert and how beautiful Red Rock Mountains are until I left Las Vegas and traveled the world. 

I was sitting at Red Rock, just looking out at the view, and then I realized that a calm had come over me. There is something about the desert that does this to me - it is almost genetic, it is in my blood, something whispering to me, "home."

At this time of morning it was very pleasant out. But even the heat of Las Vegas - it was 108 degrees (43 degrees c.) when I arrived yesterday in Las Vegas at 6 pm - feels like home. It is not that I would ever want to live here again, but I can not deny the comfort and beauty of the place where I was born.