Lotus Moment: When The Mountains Tell You Things

Why This Is Awesome: I recently took a road trip that melded two of my favorite hobbies: learning about history and exploring new spaces. In doing so, it reminded me of another trip I took not long ago when I did the same thing, but under much less soggy and humid conditions.

About 3 years ago, I visited Las Vegas for the first time. And me being me, I ignored the fast-paced gambling life, and sought out the world of history museums and outdoor nature hikes. During a short road trip to Red Rock Canyon only 40 minutes west of the Strip, I had a chance to soak in the sun and bask in the rocky climate that is the Keystone Thrust.

For those who don't know, Nevada is mostly mountains, not desert. In between the ranges, cities spring up near water sources, but the mountains themselves are the true beauties of the landscape. In the photo above, you can see the result of the Pacific tectonic plate subducting beneath the North American plate, which pushed Paleozoic limestone up from the ground into the much younger sandstone, creating a ridge that stretches for days. The photo below shows a great contrast between the two.

Despite being a part of a tour group, I found a remarkable peace there. It was a different kind of history. And it was a different kind of new space. But the experience was just as rich, and I hope to make it back there again one day.