2016 – Nevada and Utah: Mingling of Natural and Man-made Marvels

Amy: Jon and I often end up in places we wouldn’t have anticipated. We have found interesting new locations based on recommendations from other travelers, a positive weather outlook, or affordability. After a few days of trying to avoid the rain in Northern Arizona, we ended up heading into Laughlin, Nevada based on a chat with some fellow campers. Our $16/night lodging at the Tropicana made the trip across the state border worthwhile.

While neither Jon nor I are into gambling, we decide to check out Pints Brewery in the Colorado Belle Casino. In most places in Nevada slot machines are ubiquitous including being built into the bar tops. So we wagered a buck in the poker machine and enjoyed a free IPA while getting a windfall of ten dollars. That’s our kind of gambling and an entertaining change of pace. A splash in the pool and a few hours of exploring the area on our feet capped off our departure from the norm.

Wanting to get back into the outdoors and based on a recommendation from my travel guru friend, Stephanie, we decided canoe down the Colorado River. We headed into Boulder City, the gateway to the Hoover Dam, and stayed at the El Pueblo Boulder Motel along the historic main drag. The classic strip motel, antique shops, art deco signs, and many card games made for a lovely evening. The next morning we got our rented canoe and made our way through security checkpoints to our start on the river.

The 12-mile paddle started at the base of the Hoover Dam (thus the checkpoints) with the large concrete structure looming above us and the blue waters of the river flowing below. River adventures bring new scenes around every turn. The sights around us shifted as our canoe floated down the Black Canyon with Nevada passing by to our right and Arizona skirting to our left. Pit stops along the beaches let us explore quiet side canyons and flowing hot springs that contrast the cold waters of the Colorado River. Just don’t get the hot springs water up your nose or a deadly virus can infiltrate your brain. Yikes.

After getting a day full of sun and laughing during a lively van ride back to our car, we found some camping along Lake Mead. Starting the next day off with spectacular sunrise over the lake, we charted our course and decided we could squeeze in some visits to a couple of National Parks in Utah before meeting up with my sister in Las Vegas.

We found our way to Bryce Canyon National Park and checked out the world’s largest display of hoodoos. Hoodoos are large spires of rock that are left standing after erosion has swept the surrounding earth away. These fragile structures in orange and reddish hues are unique to the area and are distinct from the green forests that surround the area and the campground where we found ourselves for the evening. As we only had one night in park, we did some short hikes and watched the hoodoos light up during sunset.

The next morning we explored Bryce a bit more and enjoyed a secluded stop in the Red Canyon National Forest, before heading to Zion National Park. We entered from the quieter east side which was positive, as this park seemed much busier than others we’d recently visited. We stopped to check out a hike and watched a beautiful big horn sheep having a snack before heading to the Canyon Overlook Trail, a relatively short and sweet hike with a rewarding view of the canyon and winding road below.

Being mid-week, we anticipated that snagging a campsite at Zion would be fairly easy, but we found the campgrounds were full. We asked a ranger and we were able to get a spot with a view of the towering red rocks at the group campsite. As two somewhat “type-A” individuals, we’ve become more accustomed to just planning as we go and seeing how things work out. We have learned that the issues or snags that we have encountered are really just inconveniences versus true problems. Sometimes those hitches lead to the best learning and new encounters.

With a few more short hikes in Zion under our belt, we returned to Nevada. My sister, Jen, was heading to Las Vegas for an early birthday celebration to see one of her favorite musicians, Lionel Richie. Since we were in the area we decided to meet up and live it up in Sin City. We hunkered down in Mesquite for the night while anticipating a few days with family.

Most of our adventures have been in natural landscapes, but we also enjoy checking out manufactured wonders. Vegas provides an array of sights, sounds, shows, and spectacles that can be enjoyable for a few days. We tracked down my sister and brother-in-law, Justin, at Planet Hollywood and to Jon’s delight we went out for a classic Vegas buffet. The night view was sparkling during our ride on the “High Roller,” the large ferris wheel at the center of the strip.

Over the next few days we relished our time with Jen and Justin. Jon and I have enjoyed being together (most of the time) on our journey, but it was so wonderful to share some experiences with our family.

We played some slots, walked up and down the strip, listened to some music downtown, and (my favorite) watched the dancing waters at the Bellagio fountains a number of times. Sadly, as we were about to head into California we discovered our mountain bikes were stolen while staying at the Tuscany Hotel. After a trip to the police station and a long conversation with insurance, we sulked for a bit then cheered up when we remembered how privileged we are to be seeing so much of the world. Again, a small issue in a world full of wonders. We are truly fortunate.

Next off to California for some big trees, waterfalls, and granite cliff faces.

(Dates: May 1-11, 2016)