It's the last day of the journey. Yesterday's overcast skies have once again turned to an incredibly deep blue. I leave St George early and head south along I-15, taken by surprise as I pass a sign reading "Welcome to Arizona." I was expecting Nevada, but a quick unfolding of the map at 75 mph reveals that I do, indeed cut a 25-mile corner off the top of the Grand Canyon State this morning.

And what a corner. I plunge into a grey canyon as if it's a rolling rapids, the highway swirling around the topography like a roller coaster, and almost as exciting. After a few minutes, I cross the last time zone at the Nevada border, the "Welcome" sign obscured by a passing truck but surpassed by the true indicator that I am in the Silver State: a giant casino signboard in Mesquite boasting of their $5.95 prime rib dinner.

I'm heading toward Hoover Dam today before returning to Los Angeles. The drive along Lake Mead is quiet, and other than a motorhome I cannot seem to get past, I'm alone out here. I stop briefly in Logandale to snap a few pictures of its establishments, then continue to the red rocks of Valley of Fire State Park while ACDC's "Highway to Hell" plays prophetically on the FM radio..

Valley of Fire is someplace almost anyone who watches TV has seen before. Though a compact area of the Nevada wilderness, its winding roads, red rocks and favorable weather make it a favorite of car marketers. Today's perfect sky inspires me just to hang out and take pictures. Along the base of one of the formations, I find a row of cabins built of red rock by the Conservation Corps in the 1930s. They are a well-preserved ruin now, but fun to explore. After an enjoyable hour, I head for the Dam.