Like a Virgin….

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The most stunning part of the drive today was through the Virgin River Canyon in Arizona, near the Nevada border. And yes, I mean driving through it, not around or over. This time of year, many of the rivers are dry. I crossed more than one bridge with a sign naming the river, only to look and see nothing but dirt. (One of them in Utah had kids riding ATVs in the riverbed as I crossed!) So, when I saw the name “Virgin River,” I thought maybe it meant there hadn’t ever been any water in that river. Actually, it was allegedly (one of many stories) named for Thomas Virgin, a man who was wounded during an expedition along the river in 1827. And, I’ve looked up photos online: it does have water in it. Obviously, to carve a canyon like that (it’s also responsible for some of the Zion National Park canyons), there has to be water. This was not the time for a lot of it, though. But back to the drive. There’s a speed zone, and you go whipping down (toward Nevada) or snaking up (toward Utah) Interstate 15 with the canyon walls on every side of you. With the twists and the turns, you think you’re going to run into one of the walls. That’s what made it such an amazing drive. Many time you have to park and hike to see something like this. Not in this case: you just drive through it. Photo is of I-15 in the gorge, taken safely from my car.