Here we are, ready for takeoff. No, the trash in the wheelbarrow is not going with us.

Sometimes lunch is better eaten in the car.

At some point along the Northshore Road (Highway NV- 167) we spotted these burros high on a ridge. (Funny how the blue sky showed up for this photo. Thanks, ChatGPT!)

The Arizona Strip is a rugged region of the far northwestern corner of Arizona, actually separated from the rest of the state by the Colorado River. This breath-taking section of the state is Interstate 15 as it crosses between Nevada and Utah. This section is called the Virgin River Gorge as it parallels the Virgin River.

We checked into our Vrbo condo in Mesquite around 4, unpacked, then headed to Smith's grocery store about five minutes away. I think half the customers in the store were happy to see us leave! Nice condo! Had lasagne and a salad from Costco with garlic bread (that we picked up at Smith's) as well as a banana cream pie. After dinner, out came the cards for a game of Canasta. It was probably 11-ish when we all hit the sack.

Finally the day came when we entered the Valley of Fire State Park. We weren't in awe right away, but it didn't take long for the oooohs and aaaahhhs to start up. Our first hike was the Rainbow Vista Trail. There were two great highlights to this hike: Firstly, at the beginning of the trail was a heat warning sign that caught our attention. We ran with it. The second highlight were the bighorn sheep on the surrounding rocks. We spent several minutes watching them in awe. The only downside to this hike was that Julie wasn't with us. We wished for her, especially when we saw the rams. The next many pictures were taken on this amazingly scenic Rainbow Vista Trail.

We didn't take too lightly the warning sign. We knew and appreciated that it was for our own protection. But we did get some good giggles out of it.

It was pretty exciting when we saw the bighorns start wandering down from the top of the ridge. One by one, they scurried the rocks and met up at the bottom of the ridge near us.

After lunch, we started the Fire Wave Trail. This hike is one of the highlights of the park. It was a perfect day for it, and it was exciting seeing the rams parallel us for a while on their own trail.

After a fantastic day of hiking, there's always time for a challenging game of Canasta.

What a smart way to start the day: stretching the muscles! After coffee, of course. We took the day off from hiking and had a nice, leisurely time with a good breakfast, puzzles, games, naps, and a sweet movie "Solo Mio" with Kevin James. I think we all enjoyed the relaxation and the time together. We vowed to return to see more of the park another time.

We had decided in our planning stage that we would celebrate Connie, Julie and Karen's birthdays, since we're not together on their dates. Karen and Carol ran around to Smith's to get Fat Boy ice cream. What's a birthday celebration without some kind of dessert??!! We managed a game of Play Nine and one hand of Canasta before calling it quits for the day. Thank you, peeps, for this special day.

Ending a trip together is always bitter sweet. We made memories that will last us forever. We left Mesquite just before 10 for the drive home, stopping at Kingman's Cracker Barrel for lunch. The guys were (anxiously??) waiting for us when we arrived at Connie's.

We had a great lunch of cheese and crackers, chips, hard-boiled eggs and a few other goodies we brought along. While in the area, we took short hikes around the Silicone Dome area of stunning white sandstone rock.

As soon as we pulled in to the scenic overview, someone (I think it was Julie) noticed the outline of a horse 's head on the canyon wall.

Within the Arizona Strip is the Virgin River Canyon Recreation Area, a cozy campground with a trail down to the Virgin River. It was a bit windy when we visited, but it didn't stop us from checking everything out.

Our visit to Snow Canyon State Park in St. George was short and sweet. The wind was atrocious, and we even got a bit of rain. Jenny's Canyon trail was a very short hike into an even shorter slot canyon. We took a few pictures, then was blown back to the car. From there we drove to the north entrance of the park for a look-see, then returned the way we came in. We tried to do a little shopping in St. George, but were disappointed that the boutiques and galleries were not to be found. So, we ate instead. Had lunch at Angelica's Mexican food restaurant.

Our first get-out-of-the-car-for-pictures stop was at the Redstone Picnic area on Northshore R0ad within the Lake Mead Recreation Area. We fooled around on the sandstone rock formations and saw a really cool Desert Monitor Lizard.