#211 Apr 2019 Exploring next door

From Las Vegas we headed north and enjoyed the endlessly fascinating desert.

Joshua trees in bloom

Mountains with layers of colour

Oasis with palm trees

Tire covers that speak to our life!

Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge is an oasis for migrating birds. 

Nuwuvi or Southern Paiute people have thrived in the area for thousands of years.

Scenery on Highway I-93 in Nevada is spectacular. I felt like a bobble head looking everywhere to see the dramatic panorama of mountains and vegetation.

In Idaho the view went on forever.

With a very different dam.

Our final destination was Birch Bay, Washington. We have lived in Surrey for 20 years. When we head south we make a beeline for Oregon/California and miss points of interest in Washington. This time we wanted to explore just south of the international border.

Birch Bay is part of the city of Bellingham and is similar to White Rock.

We had a partial view of the whitecaps on the ocean.

Semiahmoo Resort is located on the tip of  Tongue Point peninsula at historic Plover Ferry.

The wharf provides a panoramic view of the White Rock beach. The white rock is the small white object on the right side of the beach in the second photo.

Peace Arch International Border Crossing is also visible.

Old buildings and boats convey some of the fishing history.

Mt. Baker is located in Washington State and dominates the eastern view from: 

Abbotsford BC

 

The ferry to Victoria BC

From the air

To sunrise in Anacortes WA

On a beautiful, blue sky day we drove to Mt. Baker Ski Area where clouds covered the top of the mountain.

Driving down we encountered skunk cabbage, a sure sign/smell of spring.

Mr. Baker also provided a backdrop for the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.

When the flowers finish blooming they are cut off in order to redirect the plant growth to the bulbs, which are the main tulip crop.

Tulip Town is a festival of the history of tulips in the Skagit Valley.

Named tulips are displayed in front of Dutch tulip farm murals.

From  Semiahmoo Resort we enjoyed a dramatic sunset looking back towards Canada.

We had a relaxing three weeks away from home and experienced new locations and views.

#210 Apr 2019 There is always more to experience!

Las Vegas is exciting, hectic and sometimes overwhelming. 

In post #168 we shared our view of Vegas from the top of the Stratosphere at dusk. This time we went much higher on a brief helicopter ride at night.

Even at that height the lights are brilliant.

The Stratosphere is still a landmark.

The Strip glows.

Our show night was “The Rat Pack is Back”. What a great trip back in time to familiar songs by great entertainers who realistically portrayed Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr.

In March 2016 we rode the High Roller at dusk (post #129). This time we checked out the daytime view.

There are always construction cranes on the horizon.

The casinos and hotels are huge from any vantage point.

The mountain backdrop changes with the weather.

Our timeshare resort was front and center from the High Roller.

We don’t gamble but we do wander through the casinos to see the sights inside. The Flamingo Hotel has a lovely garden which is an oasis in the busyness of Las Vegas.

It was a hot, very bright day so the flamingos didn’t photograph well.

The black swan was in the shade.

The ibis were busy looking for snacks.

Two rescued California brown pelicans enjoy a privileged life in the garden.

The pelican’s wings were badly damaged by fishing line.

They know when and where lunch arrives.

Then it’s time for a leisurely swim.