No Fixed Address: Nevada / Utah

My entry into Nevada was via the lower southwestern portion of the state. As one local put it “ I rode over the hump and into Pahrump, Nevada”. I would spent the night in this city. It was interesting to observe the sights and sounds of this community. Every public establishment – gas bar, grocery stores, coffee shops, restaurants had a designated area for slot machines. Main street was the home for a number of casino's and other establishments which I had never before seen – brothels. That evening I set out to check a couple of casinos – these establishments offer no appeal to me – I found them to be very smokey / noisy and filled with individuals who undoubtedly have more appropriate places to be dropping coins. I moved on. Although the brothels did create much curiosity for me I was not brave enough to walk into these establishments and check them out. I noted billboard advertising a Brothel Art Museum and decided I would check this place out the following morning. I did ride the 25 miles (40KM) out of my way only to find the museum closed. Unfortunately I've learned nothing about this business worthy of passing along to you.

I rode into Las Vegas on a Friday morning thinking I should spend a couple of days in this city. After riding the strip in mid morning traffic I stopped at a couple of budget hotels to find they both were booked for the weekend. That's okay with me I thought I don't really want to stay here anyway. So I rode off into the desert along I-15 until I reached Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Lake Mead is a very large reservoir in the Mohave Desert which was created when Hover Dam was built on the Colorado River. In this desert park I located a camp site and set up shop. Here I would spend the next 2 nights and 3 days exploring the Mohave Desert, Hover Dam and a number of State Parks.

Over a period of two weeks I would ride a spectacular circuit know as the “Grand Circle”. This 1,000 miles (1600 KM) loop would take me through a number of southern Utah's National Parks. A region famous for incredible scenery, red rock pinnacles, unique rock formations and deep canyons. It is a region consisting of Zion, Bryce, Capital Reef, Canyonland and Arches National Parks, Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monuments. All of these Parks are within the Colorado Plateau which make up an immense area of land bordered on the south by the Sonoran Desert and Painted Desert, on the west by the Great Basin of Nevada, on the east by the Rocky Mountains, and on the north by the Uinta Mountains of Utah.

A wordsmith I am not and I do not have the skill to describe the beauty of these National Parks and Monuments so for your viewing pleasure I posted additional photo's - I trust you'll enjoy the view.

In Nevada I stopped to check out this Brothel Art Museum but it was closed and no I did not stop at the brothel down the street.

Bryce National Park

One of the many mountain tunnels.

Bryce National Park

Zion National Park

Canyonland National Park

Arches National Park

Goblin Valley State Park, Utah.

Arches National Park

Zion National Park

Enclosed within the canyon at Bryce National Park.

Body parts are spread within Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico at Four Corners. This is the only location in the USA where four States share a common point on their border.

Nevada's Mohave Desert

The Hover Dam is a National Historic Landmark and has been rated by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of America's Seven Modern Civil Engineering Wonders.