Where the Gale Goes: sweet tarts

Sometimes you just get a bee up your ass and you have to do something. That's what this trip was. It was an ultimately failed adventure, but oh well.

I've decided I enjoy photography a lot, and would like to get into astrophotography. After checking the dark map, I learned that Goblin Valley is the closest location to where I live and happens to be one of the darkest skies in the country. The current camera I have has the potential to take the pictures I want, but I'm not positive they will actually look any good. Since I'll be going to Iceland and Europe here soon, along with a lot of other planned overnight trips in dark places - I wanted to test my camera.
I checked the weather for Goblin Valley, and it was clear skies until 3am. It was already 2pm and it's a near 4hr drive, so I quick grabbed everything I needed and jumped in my car. Once I got there, I made it in time for sunset and found the location I wanted to shoot the sky from. Then, I waited. And by 8pm, the clouds had come in. So much for clear skies. I turned around and headed back.
I'll try to get the night photos another day. But for now - there are these: