Death Valley - Zabriskie Point

Death Valley National Park is just a two hour drive away from Las Vegas, but it feels a world apart. And after a day spent submerged in the thick crowds and flashing lights, I was eager to get out of town. My Aunt was flying in, so I picked her up from the airport and we drove west towards California.

We had a late start, so we got to the park around sunset. We hurried to Zabriskie Point, as the last of the day's light faded away.



Zabriskie Point is one of the park's most popular overlooks, and the view from there is spectacular. A series of eroded badlands stretch out in front of you, with salt flats and towering mountains in the distance.



The badlands are the geologic remnants of a vast lakebed that existed millions of years ago. The lake dried up, and the lands were uplifted. Erosion then created the carved and multi-colored badlands that we see today.



One of the most notable features of the view from Zabriskie Point is Manly Beacon. While it sounds like one of those all-male dance shows that was advertised along the Strip in Las Vegas, it's actually a prominent peak that stands over the badlands. It's a little shocking to see that it has an elevation of only 823 feet, which really doesn't seem like it's all that much until you remember how close we were to sea-level there. The point was named after William Manly, who rescued several pioneers who had gotten lost in Death Valley during the 1849 Gold Rush.



We ran out of light, but returned the next morning at sunrise. It was interesting to see the subtle differences in light play out across the badlands.





The view from Zabriskie Point has been used in lots of different movies and TV shows, and was the backdrop on the cover of the U2 "The Joshua Tree."



After taking a few pictures, we then headed over to a nearby trail that would provide a different perspective on the nearby mountains and badlands...

Sphere And Loathing In Las Vegas

Last weekend I woke up before dawn and drove to the airport. It was early enough that there wasn't anyone else in line at the Southwest desk when I checked-in my luggage, and only about 10 people in line at security. I was there to catch one of the first flights out, which went to St. Louis. From there I got a connecting flight that dropped me into Sin City itself, Las Vegas.

I was there for a concert, which was a gift from my kind and thoughtful brother. So after landing in Vegas, I found my luggage and got a ride to the hotel to meet up with him and my Brother-In-Law. We had a few hours to spare before the concert started, so we walked along the Strip. Which was crazy, and crowded. Las Vegas was full of people that weekend. There were several concerts going on, along with a NFL game. There was also the 2023 National Finals Rodeo, which explained why I saw lots of people in fancy cowboy boots and hats at the airport.

We walked by the Paris Las Vegas casino and hotel, which has a half-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower.



From there we walked over to the Venetian Casino, which has recreations of various landmarks from Venice (like the Rialto Bridge, Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Campanile). This was the view from one of the exterior walkways, as late afternoon sunlight streamed through the columns.





After that we walked back to our hotel for a bit, as sunset hit the city and dusk settled in. This was the view from our hotel, which included the High Roller ferris wheel.



We went back out and got dinner before the concert, and went by the Venetian Hotel again.



And now it was finally time for the concert. The show was at the Sphere, the brand-new concert venue that cost over $2 billion and contains the world's largest LED screen. The interior of the Sphere is like one giant TV screen, and it really is amazing to see in person. U2 was chosen to be the first band to play in the Sphere, and they used their residency here to commemorate the 30th anniversary of their album Achtung Baby. I've been a fan of U2 ever since I saw them in concert in 1997 in Memphis, so I was excited for the show. It definitely lived up to the hype.



The videos on the 160,000-square-foot screen were mind-blowing, yet always worked well with the songs. It wasn't overpowering or over-stimulating, so it seemed like the designers who developed all of the visuals seemed to know what they were doing.





It was one of the best concerts I've ever attended. And it made it worth waking up at 4:00 AM and flying across the country. But the concert wasn't the only purpose for the trip. The next day would be a drive over to California for a visit to a nearby National Park. More on that soon...

Capitol Fireworks

The Arkansas state government spends money on lots of things - like highway construction, the state police, lecterns. But one of the best things the state does every year is the annual fireworks show in December, when the thousands of holiday lights on the capitol building are switched on. So last weekend, Jonah and I headed to the capitol to see the show.

We parked and walked around the building just as the sky was lit up with some subtle sunset colors.



And then after it got dark, and after the customary speeches from some random state politicians, the fireworks show started. It wasn't the easiest of fireworks shows to photograph this year. There was no wind at all, so the smoke from each firework didn't blow away and just lingered. By the time the show reached its grand finale, the smoke was so thick it was like a thick fog had settled in over the city. This was taken at the beginning of the show, before the smoke had gotten too thick:

Foggy Night At The Big Dam Bridge

It was another foggy night, so after getting the kids to bed I grabbed the camera gear and headed out to the Big Dam Bridge. This is the view of the bridge, and its purple lights, reflected in a rain puddle.



From there I hurried over and started walking across the bridge, which runs for 4,226 across the Arkansas River. But with the thick fog, it was hard to see all the way across the river.





And one last shot from the bridge. After this the fog just started to fade away, almost like magic.

The Old Mill

Traffic was starting to back up on I-40 on our drive back home from Dagmar, so we detoured into North Little Rock and made a quick visit to The Old Mill. I'm a native of Dogtown and have made many trips here over the years. My grandparents actually lived in Lakewood, just a few blocks from the Mill, and we used to walk over there regularly.

But of all the times I've been there, I think this was one of the few times when there weren't any other people there. I guess it helped that it was pouring down rain while we were there.