We left Las Vegas this morning. Once out of the city, the landscape became pretty boring. Initially flat
further down I-15, small hills and changing elevations replaced the
As we approached Mesquite, NV, it appeared that the Interstate was going to dead end into the mountains.
However, if you look very closely at the above picture, you can see a seam in the rock which is really a dramatic, slot canyon.
While it was blasted out of the cliffs along the course of the Virgin River, and which it crosses many times
Its sinuous course winds some nine miles
to the extreme northwest Arizona state line.
As we exited the canyon, sandstone-created red rock
and towering mesas
became the predominant landscape features.
Cedar City was the first “real” town we passed through, notable for a striking white church which stands out against the red rock cliffs
and the second landlocked lighthouse we’ve seen on this trip.
There were also feedlots,
some real, honest-to-goodness cowboys herding cattle
and sporting golden autumn foliage.
We considered going on another 250 miles today, but with the stiff winds from the south and several climbs ahead, we decided to stay in Beaver, UT this evening.
Although it clouded up in the late afternoon, the sun found a crack in the overcast providing us with yet another beautiful sunset.