[Image] We're back from an extended trip and I downloaded my cameras, only to notice that I still had photos from November on one of them. In mid-November I was lucky to spend a long weekend with my best friends from high school. In order to get to the Midwest, I flew out of Las Vegas and took some photos along the way. The Las Vegas Strip stands out prominently from the air, surrounded by large blocks of development.
[Image]  What surprised me were the large undeveloped blocks not too far from the city center. The golf course certainly stands out as an anomaly in one of the driest cities in the country.

[Image]  Just west of Las Vegas is some amazing geology. I'm not sure what the names of these ridges are, but they certainly look rugged.

[Image]  Part of Lake Mead National Recreational Area. This reservoir is huge! The contrast between the parched earth and aquamarine-colored water is striking.

Next came a variety of desert vistas. Soon, though, the landscape transformed from brown hues to white ones, due to a change in topography and elevation, which encouraged snowfall:
[Image]  Crossing the Rocky Mountains. Clouds hung to some of the peaks, and the mountains seemed to continue forever.

Nevertheless, the mountains did come to an end, a rather abrupt end. Then it was time for:
[Image]  Farming! The round circles indicated pivot irrigation, which means that this farming is in an area where the rainfall isn't abundant enough or predictable enough to provide sufficient amounts for crops.

[Image]  The rivers grew larger,  a marked difference from the desert environment to which I've become accustomed.

[Image] Finally it was time for more farming, but in much smaller parcels. The fields are in rectangles, so probably no additional water is needed for the crops.

It was so interesting watching the scenery out the window that I didn't need many other distractions during the nearly-four hour flight. Crossing much of the country on a clear day in a window seat is a great treat.

Do you have favorite sights that you like to see from the air?