The Road to Red Rock Canyon

My son's house is only 5 miles from the entrance to the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.  It is a spectacular location that is especially nice at sunrise, so it was a no-brainer for me to get up early, since I am on East Coast time anyway.  As I came over the hill, the road was clear and this is what I saw.  I pulled over immediately to capture the gorgeous color of the sky because I knew it probably wouldn't last long enough for me to get to the scenic overlook.  

As I passed the entrance to the park and visitor's center, I noticed a number of cars lined up and thought they must have been waiting for the gate to open at 7, but when I went a little further down the road to the scenic overlook, where I like to get my shots, I saw several other cars parked outside and the gates were down, and I realized we are all victims of the government shutdown.  Nobody will be visiting Red Rock Canyon today, or in the immediate future.