This morning at approximately 3:30am one could find 20 groggy teenagers gathering at Moorestown Friends School. Each of us piled into a school bus and set out for the Philadelphia airport. If you have ever been to the Philly airport you are aware that it is an extremely hectic place, and with 20 of us checking in it was an elaborate process. However, after checking in, it was relatively smooth sailing. After zipping through security, each of of us gathered at the gate, snacks in hand. We boarded the plane and promptly began the journey to the Las Vegas airport. I highly suggest finding a broad-shouldered friend to use as a pillow for the duration of the flight.
After deplaning, we were treated with the most Las Vegas thing one could think of : slot machines. Each of us collected our luggage and boarded our bus to meet our enthusiastic tour guide, Ryan. Ryan explained the history of the few sights we saw at Valley of Fire National Park. This time, however, we had lost the groggy feeling and pure excitement had set in. A few of us declared the huge mountains and endless desert a new alien planet. It was unlike anything we had seen. Valley of Fire boasted vast rock formations, small caves, strange desert plants, and ancient carving in the sides of large rocks. We hiked up to a large rocky hill and explored the surrounding landscape. The hill was rich within large gentle slopes and small shaded caves. After leaving this alien-like playground we were rewarded with a quiet scenic bus ride to dinner. We headed back to the bus after a laughter-filled meal at the Golden Corral. We finished our day satisfied with our feats and excited for the adventures to come.