DESERT OASIS : WEEKEND ON THE COLORADO RIVER
East of Las Vegas are some of the most beautiful horizons I have ever seen. What begins as flat interstate roads to nothing quickly turns to a windy route carved through layers and layers of ombre mountains. On a sunny day the mountains look indigo, dotted with tiny yellow flowers and green spikes, swept with orange and gray sands, shooting up towards a bright blue sky. The colors look so much like life, you almost forget that it’s really just sand and rock out there.
We followed the road until it could barely be called one. The dust filled the air as the tires on the truck stirred it. America’s head popped out the window, ears flying high, nose held higher. The water was just ahead, spanning for miles.
Teal.
When we pulled up there were a few other vehicles parked around the cove. A couple was having a picnic and some divers were prepping their gear. The sun was in full effect and the water was shimmering. How was there so much water in the middle of the desert !?
We parked and decided to hike over the cliffs of the cove, hoping to find another beach. And we did…the next one over. And it was all to ourselves! America bolted for the water and we set up a spot to relax.
After a good half hour of crashing through the water after her ball, she was shivering. So, we decided to pack up and carry on exploring a little further.
What we found was just stunning. With each hill we climbed the views only got better. It reminded us so much of our hike past Pololu Valley on the Big Island of Hawaii. We were high over the turquoise waters surrounded by pale cliffs and we couldn’t get to the bottom fast enough!
No one there but the sun, and we out-stayed her.
