Nevada

The pictures in these two albums were taken in October of 2018, mere days after a dispiriting diagnosis of an ankle injury. I flew to Las Vegas to meet my wife, who was there for a conference. In true fashion, I spent the flight out, and much of my time at the hotel pool, reading Hannah Arendt’s The Origins of Totalitarianism. This was an incredibly Joe thing to do. I can never seem to relax.

Also, it was 2018, so the timing was right, if not somewhat delayed.

These two parks are beautiful, and they are serve as a wonderful respite from the noisy chaos of Las Vegas. Given the status of my ankle, as well as the fact that this was a work trip for my wife, we only did a few short day hikes in each park. The mood was somewhat somber overall, particularly as the sun started setting toward the end of our time in Valley of Fire. In fact, the day trip that we took to these parks was (as of June 2023) the last amount of significant hiking that we have done as a couple. The COVID-19 pandemic and various additional cartilage problems really put a damper on this sort of thing.

If you happen to be in Las Vegas, get outside, and spend some time in the desert. I hope to be back there myself someday.