We have a family tradition where each year our entire crew tries to get together for a holiday trip. Typically it’s over the Thanksgiving break. Grandma works really hard to find a destination for us to come together from all over the country. All 26 of us do our best to try to make it. One night we celebrate Thanksgiving with a big feast, and the next night we celebrate Christmas….with a big feast. We call the gathering Merry Thankmas.
This year Grandma got a VRBO in Las Vegas. The house was perfect. Six bedrooms, pool, spa, shuffle board, pool table, ping pong, video games and a playground, all in a walled-in compound. It even had a little putt-putt golf green. Perfect for all the littles. Not a family to sit still, we took advantage of seeing the sites. Our first stop was the Valley of Fire State Park.
The park’s landscape is absolutely breathtaking! Towering bright red Aztec sandstone rock formations cover 40,000 acres of land about an hour east of downtown Las Vegas. Dating back to the Jurassic period, the sandstone mountains were created by great winds as ancient seas receded and the land rose up. The elements created carved out holes and lots of nooks and crannies. Perfect hiding spaces for all the cousins to play in. 
Running through the canyons was a blast too!
After a picnic lunch on the massive slabs of rock, hours were spent exploring, climbing and discovering. Numerous arches can be found throughout the park. We all marveled at their creation.
It is believed that humans have occupied this area for over 11,000 years. One of the most memorable sights were the ancient petroglyphs carved into the rocks. We tried to imagine what life was like 2,500 years ago when they were created. They spoke of stories of shelter, food gathering and family…something we could all relate to. As much as times may change, the basics stay the same. And after a full day in God’s country we gratefully headed back home to bask in the blessings of shelter, food and family. Merry Thankmas everyone!
The Valley of Fire is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year. There are two campgrounds and RV sites are available. There are plenty of places to hike and picnic. Special programs and events happen throughout the year. The daily entrance fee is $10/vehicle. Camping is $20/night and $30/night for utility hook ups.
