I capped off my 2007 Utah trip with a stay in Las Vegas, which I used as a starting point for exploring parks in the area including Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Other than Hoover Dam, I hadn't paid much attention to Lake Mead during past visits in the area. This time I spent a couple days exploring sites and taking some short hikes. After a visit to Valley of Fire SP, I headed over to Lake Mead's Overton Beach area and then hit various sites as I traveled south along the North Shore Road.

The next day I started at ... (more)