Danielle: Here's our first glimpse of Red Rocks in Vegas! We actually woke up real early in the morning (6:00am) to get a good start on the day. We stayed with Carlette, my old roomie from college, her husband Jeff, and brother Frank.

The park was about an hour drive from their house. I was blown away at how the rock formations stretched on and on in the distance. This picture doesn't do it justice. Unfortunately, when the negatives were scanned they came out terrible. I did the best I could to touch them up.

Tad: I would consider this to be the first time that I have been in an actual desert. Sure, I've been to Arizona and driven through the desert there, but had I ever set foot in it before this trip? Nope. The first thing I noticed is that the desert is far from being an empty, dead, place. It is full of life. Plants and animals abound.

This shot was taken alongside the road between Las Vegas and Red Rocks Canyon. You can see the stratified color in the rocks that the park is named for.