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Magic Mountain, Valley of Fire and Chocolate Wall


November 8-14, 2018 – After a week of the urban life while staying at two casinos in Nevada we were ready to go back to the solitude of boondocking in the desert.

The day we planned to leave Mesquite, Nevada turned out to be extremely windy and not good when traveling in a high profile vehicle like our motorhome. Luckily we were able to stay one more night at the casino to wait out the wind storm then moved onto Overton, Nevada the following day to a boondocking site known by two names – Snowbird Mesa and Poverty Flats.

After four days of exploring the Overton area we moved farther south to Government Flats BLM area in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. 

All stay were free this week with one night at a casino and the remaining six nights boondocking at two BLM sites in Nevada. 

Mile Driven – RV

Miles Driven – Car

Boondocking on BLM land near Overton, Nevada. Nice to enjoy the quiet of nature after a week of urban casino parking. 

Valley of Fire State Park near Overton, Nevada is visited by hundreds of thousands of visitors a year and it’s no wonder when you see the incredible red sandstone rock formations in the 40,000+ acre park. 

Atlatl Rock in Valley of Fire State Park. The stairs to the upper portion of the rocks allows for up close viewing of petroglyphs. 

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Petroglyphs as viewed from the top of the stairs on Atlatl Rock. 

View from between the rocks at the top of the stairs of Atlatl Rock. 

Hiking at Valley of Fire State Park looks easy as the trails are relatively flat but the loose sand makes one feel like they are wearing cement blocks for shoes. 

Valley of Fire State Park has a variety of sandstone formations including many arches like the one pictured below. 

Spotting wildlife during the middle of the day is a rarity but we lucked out on seeing two separate herds of big horn sheep while in Valley of Fire State Park. The sheep pictured below is likely a female based on the horn structure. The horns of the male sheep curve at a much sharper angle and are larger. 

The snowbird migration to the southwest is in full flight. We could see over 50 RVs out our front window while parked at Snowbird Mesa/Poverty Flats BLM near Overton, Nevada. Even with all the people present it was amazingly quiet. This is an excellent BLM site with ample areas to park any size rig. Access from the road is smooth, sites are level and cell service for both Verizon and AT&T is excellent. 

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A free dump with clean water is music to an RVers ears. Upper Bay Campground in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area offers a free dump and water fill regardless if you are camping there or are just passing through as we did. The area is easy to access and very clean. 

Impromptu stops and finding hidden gems often times are as much or even more satisfying than planned ones. We stumbled upon Redstone Picnic Area while driving on Northshore Road in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The red rocks are stunning sandstone formations created from ancient sand dunes. An easy hiking trail meanders around the rock formations allowing for up close views. 

The Redstone Picnic Area is a perfect place to enjoy a break and post hike snack. 

It’s nice to watch the sunset while grilling our but sure wished it happened later than 4:30 pm. 

Seven Magic Mountains in Clark County, Nevada, a large scale public art installation consisting of seven towers of colorful, stacked boulders standing more than thirty feet tall. The exhibit opened in May of 2016 and was scheduled to be in place for two years but due to popularity the time frame was extended and it remains on display at this time. 

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We are always on the hunt for factory tours as we travel the country. Ethel M Chocolates offers free self-guided tours of their specialty chocolate facility located in Henderson, Nevada.

The world would be a better place if all walls were made of chocolate. 

Ethel M Chocolates in Henderson, Nevada also sports the largest cactus garden in the southwest United States with over 3 acres of botanical cactus. The garden is decorated with over one million lights that are illuminated nightly for public viewing throughout the holiday season.. 

With much more to see and do in the Lake Mead and Las Vegas areas along with having a great location to boondock at we are planning to stay put for at least another week. Follow along next time to see the fun sights we discover. See you then!