© 2019 Snapping the Globe, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Las Vegas is an interesting place!
I think anyone who has ever been there can agree with that statement and as many times as I have been there over the years, it always seems like there is something new (and often crazy) that astounds me!
Having had enough of the crowds on the Strip, I had decided to rent a car for a little expedition away from the city. I knew I was heading towards Rachel, Nevada to experience the E.T. Highway, but since I had a car at my disposal, I decided that I had better do a quick search on my phone to see if there was anything else going on in the area.
Spotting an article about an art installation ten miles south of Las Vegas, I, at first, thought I was a bit late. But the pictures…oh they were intriguing!
Continuing my research, I learned that The Seven Magic Mountains (as it was called) was a large-scale exhibition, created by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone, and is located near Jean Dry Lake and Interstate 15. It was installed in the desert on May 11, 2016 and was originally slated to remain for two years. Given an extension until the end of 2021, thankfully, it was still there!
Even though it was completely in the opposite direction of where I was initially headed, I decided that it would be worth the detour.
The drive was easy and as I approached from Las Vegas Boulevard South, I could see the stark contrast of the colorful, stacked boulders against the desert landscape.
If you’ve ever hiked a trail where rocks are present, you may have seen human-made, stacks of rocks called cairns. These stacks are often used as memorials or landmarks. This is immediately what I though of when I gazed upon the boulders in the desert from the parking area. In fact, as I walked along the path toward the installation, many people had made small cairns along the way.
It was the commanding presence of the art installation itself and the striking colors, however, that made me gasp, when I stood in their shadows.
Seven towers of colorful, stacked boulders stand more than thirty feet high, soaring above you in the clear, desert sky. It was unlike anything I had ever seen! Colossal stones, painted in vivid hues and stacked in the middle of the Nevada desert…but why? I had no idea but it was one of the most captivating displays I had ever lain my eyes upon.
As I walked among these massive pillars, I was amazed, not only for the amount of visitors to the site (which really is out in the middle of nowhere), but also how the Stonehenge-like monoliths were constructed.
Since I was heading to the E.T. Highway, I thought about the stories and myths that have long accompanied Area 51.
It Ugo Rondinone a cover? Could it be aliens?
In the spirit of the day’s trip, I’ll go with that!
For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.
Seven Magic Mountains
- http://sevenmagicmountains.com/
- Address: S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89054
- Hours: 24 hours, daily
- Admission: free
- Getting There: Take I-15 South from the Las Vegas Strip. Follow I-15 S to Sloan Rd in Enterprise. Take exit 25 from I-15 S . Merge onto I-15 S . Take exit 25 toward Sloan Rd. Drive to Las Vegas Blvd S in Sloan. Turn left onto Sloan Rd. Turn right onto Las Vegas Blvd S. The installation can be seen from the interstate.