Misty
We were in the Las Vegas area for 30 days! The longest we have stayed in one place by far! There were several different reasons for this that will become clear as you read about our experiences. Because of how much time we spent there, the blog will be provided in three parts.
You may be surprised, but there is much more to Las Vegas than gambling and partying!
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
Meandering Life Rating: [usr 5]
This is a National park just west of Las Vegas. We love national parks, not only for their beauty, but entry is free with our National Park pass. This one has a 13-mile loop with tons of hiking trails to enjoy. We took the dogs the first time we went, and the trails were a little too much for them, so we had to go back to enjoy some hiking on our own. Not complaining though, this area is gorgeous and worth two trips! Beautiful red rocks surrounding you at ever corner. The loop is a driving loop that starts right at the entrance to the park and has several areas for parking to start a hike or just sit back and enjoy the scenery. The very first stop off point was our favorite. Absolutely gorgeous rock formations and a hike down to a canyon. They also allow rock climbing there (no, we did not partake!) and we were able to watch several dare devils in action. The park is quite a bit busier on the weekend so if possible, we would suggest visiting during the week, so you can be assured a parking spot in the various lots.
It is a $15 entry fee if you do not have a National Park pass, but by now you have probably figured out that the annual National Park pass is the way to go if you are going to visit several National Parks in one year.
Valley of Fire State Park
Meandering Life Rating: [usr 5]
This is a state park just east of Las Vegas. The rock colors were like Red Rock Canyon, but the presentation was completely different! With this being a state park, there was a $10 entry fee, but it was well worth the cost. Gorgeous red sandstone nestled in with grey and tan limestone makes for some excellent scenery. We went on a few hiking trails and saw some amazing views. Most of the trails here are in very deep sand so even though some are shorter, they are not any less tiring! On the Mouse’s Tank trail, we saw amazing petroglyphs. Petrified log trail was nice and short and they have fenced off some petrified logs from ancient times? We also hiked the Mouse’s Tank Trail which is named after an outlaw who took refuge here.
Hoover Dam
Meandering Life Rating: [usr 5]
This is a big dam. We wanted to take the behind the scenes tour, but they were not running tours that day and they were a bit on the expensive side. Helpful tip if you don’t mind walking a little more, is to park on the Arizona side. Parking over there is free and it a short walk to the dam from there. Parking on the Nevada side is $10. Keep in mind it is windy as heck there! Jason lost a hat to the Dam and I just about lost my sunglasses. Thankfully they skidded across the street and landed where we could grab them. It is for sure a sight to behold and worth a stopover if you are in the area.
