Angelika Since we have been living in the US, I have grown very fond of the so-called "State Parks." Many are as spectacular as the famous National Parks, but often not as crowded and more manageable. In the US, National Parks are managed by federal authorities, while the "State Parks" are under the supervision of the respective state. California alone has 280 State Parks and was one of the states that early on promoted nature conservation with the help of the State Park system. The California Gold Rush, during which many landscapes were ruthlessly defaced and exploited to mine gold, led to land in Yosemite Valley being placed under protection as early as 1864, with the goal of preserving the land and making it available to the public for recreational purposes.

Now there are not only "State Parks" in California, but also in Nevada. And when we were in Las Vegas again recently, we took a day trip to the "Valley of Fire," the oldest and largest state park in Nevada. We had already visited this park in 2003 and had long planned to visit it again for some hiking. Since the park is only 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas and this time we were touring in the not-so-scorching month of October, we left the Strip with its casinos behind for a day and drove into nature with our rental car. In summer, it is not advisable to hike in the park because the average temperatures are at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit, but they can also climb to a scorching 120 degrees.

Whoever hikes must be well-nourished, so we got ourselves a hearty sandwich in the little town of Overton, which is just around the corner from the "Valley of Fire." We got it from a shop with the lovely name "The Inside Scoop." The "Scoop" refers to an ice cream scoop, as the establishment offered not only savory sandwiches but also homemade ice cream. My sandwich was so thickly filled that I could barely fit it in my mouth later, an unmistakable sign that we were in the middle of nowhere, where food portions seem to grow in proportion to the non-existent population density.

In the park, we first paid the entrance fee of 10 dollars per car through a self-payment system. At the park entrance, visitors grab a small envelope provided by the park authority from a brown mailbox-like device. Then, they usually write their name, car license plate number, and the date of the visit on the front of the envelope (hoping that the provided pen works), put 10 dollars in the envelope (yes, sometimes you still need exact cash even in the US), seal the envelope, and tear off the small control slip from the envelope, which is then placed visibly on the car's dashboard after the money-filled envelope is deposited in the slot of the mailbox-like device. After this bureaucratic act, we needed to some nourishment and found a cozy spot at a picnic table under a huge rock that provided nice shade in the dry desert landscape. We ate our sandwiches, which immediately attracted dozens of small ground squirrels from their holes, hoping for crumbs and other treats.

In the park, we then took two beautiful hikes: "White Domes" and "Fire Wave," to enjoy the park's beauties. The Valley of Fire is characterized by stunning red sandstone formations. These were formed 150 million years ago through the complex movements of large sand dunes. Although there were actually quite a few visitors in the park, we again experienced that we were quickly almost alone on the hiking trails, as many of the tourists just got out of their cars, quickly took a few photos with their phones, and then drove off again. The real beauty of hiking the trails is discovering new unique sandstone formations that change color with the varying positions of the sun. What fascinates me the most is the silence in the desert, as it is neither quiet nor calm in San Francisco nor at my job in the school. The second hike led us through the desert landscape to a huge rock formation that looked like a large, rippling wave. It was as if water had turned into stone with reddish, brown, and beige color shades. Uniquely beautiful!

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• More topics you might be interested in:

  	Rent cars from private owners: Turo
  	Las Vegas for Pros
  	Video Poker
  	Las Vegas Neon Museum
  	Drinking water at SFO airport
  	Trump's re-election 2020