Friday, April 22, 2016

Vacation Photos: Hoover Dam, Zion Park and Snow Canyon Park, Utah

Lake Mead

Powerhouse Floor design

Hoover Dam

Colorado River exiting Hoover Dam

Intake Tower
On the way out of Nevada towards southern Utah



Zion National Park/Virgin River





Snow Canyon State Park-Pinyon Trail




Rich and I have been on vacation this week so there is no new artwork. However, I thought I could share some of the photos that I took instead.

We visited Hoover Dam in Nevada and then drove on to southern Utah (St. George area) to hike at Zion National Park. I had read so much about the dam, the Colorado River and all things connected that I wanted to see those things in person. 

The first couple of shots show some highlights of the dam. I am very fearful of heights and so the image of the dam is taken from a distance out on the observation deck. Hoover Dam was constructed during the thirties and opened to the public in 1936. At the time, its construction was considered to be a modern marvel. It still is a great wonder and when you see it, it's impossible to take in the enormity of what the dam really does. I am showing a picture of a portion of Lake Mead which is the reservoir created by the dam. The other picture shows a bit of the Colorado River. The Colorado River is enormous and its drainage basin covers seven US states and two Mexican states. The dam provides electrical power for a number of huge areas. The structure is also meant to provide flood control, water for drinking and irrigation and recreation. All I could think about when I saw everything was how on Earth could anyone imagine building such a structure? The goal was to harness and tame the Colorado River, providing much needed resources for a burgeoning and out of control population growth. The whole thing is very difficult to take in. I enjoyed the tour though quite a bit. During the tour you are forced through a series of points in order to get to the final destination which is the top of the dam. (You walk or drive across it, honestly.) The whole process is very ordered and it wasn't lost on me that it is similar to what happens to the water of the river. It too is forced through some well regulated points in order to arrive at its various destinations. Truly something.

After the dam we drove on to Utah, passing out of Nevada and spending a few brief minutes in Arizona before arriving in St. George, Utah. Much of Nevada is just a vast expanse of flat land surrounded by distant mesas and pointy mountains. That route we took leads through the Virgin River Gorge which is spectacular. The Virgin River flows to Lake Mead and has suffered from the drought, much like the rest of the west, and its flow is greatly diminished. 

Southern Utah is beautiful and the landscape could not have been more different than what I am used to seeing. We have red dirt here of course but not like Utah. The mountains here are completely different: mesas, craggy peaks and rounded, lave flow like forms are all very common. The formations are all different colors too due to the different strata of rocks and other materials deposited over the course of time. We went to Zion Park to go hiking. I have never been in a river canyon before quite like this one. It's long and narrow and you get a real sense of this when you are either up high or down on the canyon floor. The Virgin River flows here too and I was able to put my hand into the water to feel just how cold it really is. 

After Zion we went to Snow Canyon State Park. It's part of a larger park system. This section was very accessible and couldn't have been more different from Zion. Lots of lava flows, black and red rock formations, and huge cliffs that were creamy beige and golden yellow in color. It is Spring time now and so there was quite a bit of greenery.  Of the two parks I enjoyed this one the most I think. Very quiet and we were alone much of the time. 

Prior to the trip, a few people were nice enough to wonder aloud to me about how this trip might influence my art. Truthfully, I don't really know. You would think that the influence would come via color usage or direct imagery. Those things are possible but I won't know for awhile I guess. For now, the memories and photos are enough to enjoy.

Hope everyone has had a good week. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Libby

9 comments:

  1. I really enjoyed the photos and reading your observations. You write so well it helped me recall my own enjoyable visits to the region. I have a sketch book of Snow Canyon I have to try and fine. It has been years...
    I remember feeling I was inside a National Geographic magazine when I first hit the area. I had never seen anything like the earth formations before.
    The watermarks being so much lower on the rivers and lakes is quite sobering.
    Happy you enjoyed the trip, and yes, it may be a year before anything comes out in your art... Or maybe next week!

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    1. Julie,

      You sure described that feeling well-a National Geographic magazine really fits what I was seeing.

      Snow Canyon was such a gem of a find. I think I liked it even better than Zion. It was vast but more intimate if that makes sense. I felt a closer connection to things there. And you are right, seeing the water marks was definitely an eye opener. We in the West are all in sorry shape aren't we?

      Incidentally, New Mexico and Colorado are next on the list for traveling. As soon as I recover from this trip I will be thinking about the next trip:)

      I am glad that you enjoyed the photos. It's really nice to share what I saw.
      Thanks again,
      Libby

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  2. Amazing photos Libby. I am sure inspiration will come from some of them in some form.

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    1. Thanks Barbara. I am still kind of adjusting to being back home so as soon as I settle down a bit I am sure I will get started. Vacations are both good and bad:)
      Libby

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  3. Beautiful photos of a wonderful trip. I hope you don't feel pressure to make your visit show in your art. It will do so in its own way and time.

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    1. Shasta,

      So glad to hear from you!

      You rightly picked up on a concern that I am having-a pressure to make this trip show up in my work. I think just as you wrote that in time the images will have their influence. I also suspect that just allowing myself to not feel pressured to relate the work to the trip will help. Funny how we get ourselves into a psychological quandary.

      Hope you are doing well. Thank you for the visit.
      Libby

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  4. Dear Libby your photos are awesome. Lake Mead is just gorgeous. I did not realize how many states and even Mexico was affected by the Colorado river. Zion National Park looks magnificent. The terrain out west is so completely different than ours. So rocky and wild. So happy you shared Libby. I am sure once you have time to assimilate all you encountered you will be busy creating some art work. I will be looking forward to it. Have a great week. Hugs!

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    1. Debbie,

      So glad that you enjoyed the photos! Your own photos are always so lovely and I enjoy them a lot. It's about time that I reciprocated!

      The Western half of the US is really different I suspect from the Eastern half and even the mid section. Much of CA is so arid and is really desert even though there are houses set down right in the middle. It's really all beautiful though isn't it, no matter where you live.

      If nothing else the trip gave me some much needed vacation time. Even housewives need a break once in awhile, OK? LOL!

      Hope that you are doing well and that your week is off to a good start. Thanks for the visit.
      Libby

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  5. Dear Libby your photos are awesome. Lake Mead is just gorgeous. I did not realize how many states and even Mexico was affected by the Colorado river. Zion National Park looks magnificent. The terrain out west is so completely different than ours. So rocky and wild. So happy you shared Libby. I am sure once you have time to assimilate all you encountered you will be busy creating some art work. I will be looking forward to it. Have a great week. Hugs!

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Thank you for taking the time to comment. I appreciate it! I reply back in an email if you are signed in and I can see your address. Otherwise I will post the reply here under your comment. I tend to cut and paste my emails too so that others can experience the back and forth which I think is integral to blogging.
Libby