If you’re interested in hiking to the Birthing Cave in Sedona, you’re in the right spot! Getting there is not actually as straightforward as you would think. Since the trail isn't marked, we had to ask multiple people if we were going the right way throughout. Even the tips we did get along the way were vague. As someone who (usually) researches trails beforehand, I appreciate when blogs give me all the details I’ll need to know. We did this hike on a whim so I didn’t get to look ahead of time. Even if you aren’t planning to do this, you’ll have the knowledge if you ever do decide to last minute! Why not? Details
You’ll drive to the "Long Canyon Trailhead" - about 15 minutes outside of Sedona 🚘If you type that into your map (I prefer Google Maps) it’ll take you to the start of the trail. I recommend turning your map on while in Sedona and do NOT exit out. You will lose service the closer you get to the trailhead and the signs aren't very helpful. If you reach a gate entrance to a community you’ve gone too far. The guard will direct you back about 30 seconds. The trailhead is not marked so keep an eye out for an opening in the trees. You’ll see cars parked directly across the street from that on the side of the road. Hike Directions After you’ve parked you’ll see TWO openings in the trees. Take the entrance to the RIGHT. Follow the dirt path as closely as you can, it was really confusing for us at first. Don’t panic! You’ll start to see where the trail forms on your left and you’ll run into it. Here is where the trail becomes easier to follow. You will run into a big branch and you’ll see three different ways you can go. Take the option directly to the left. Do not follow the two paths that seem to be directly in front of you. Continue on the path and you’ll run into another fork later on, again stay to the left! The rest of the trail is pretty easy to follow to the bottom of the cave. You’ll need to scramble up dirt and rocks to get to the cave from there. Just watch your footing - it can get slippery. Both of our dogs made it up with us no problem. Then you’ve made it! Turn around, have a seat, and take it all in ✨ This is a very popular hike with lots of hikes nearby, go early! We went midday and there were about 15 others we shared the cave with.
I’m sharing all of this because I want others to be inspired to go out and appreciate nature. Go explore. That being said, I’m trusting that anyone reading this will take care of our planet when doing so. Bring an extra trash bag to pick up litter. Bring poop bags for your pup. Pack out your own trash. Leave it better than you found it, always remember to leave no trace so we can keep these gems pristine! If you have any questions please don’t be shy! Leave a comment or send me a message on Instagram (@alondracmo) and I’d be so happy to answer. Til the next adventure, Alondra ✌️
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Hey friends, long time no talk. This past year has been a whirlwind to say the least. In between a global pandemic, losing my job, cancelling trips, my dad passing away, and my mental health getting to one of the lowest points it's been in a long time - it was hard to find motivation to keep this blog up. But I still pushed myself to get out there when I could (even if it meant only traveling a couple hours away) and tried to make the best out of a plain shit year. Some people may crucify me for that, but honestly being outside is one of the most important things in my life. I crave it and I need it to stay balanced. That meant getting outdoors as much and as safely as I could. With that being said, here are some places near Vegas I went this past year that I think are worth checking out. Little Jamaica, AZ
Sedona, AZSedona is a little over a 4 hour road trip from Las Vegas. 3 hours if my best friend Jennica is driving (love you speed racer!) For legal reasons that's a joke - always drive the speed limit. Sedona as a whole is breathtaking but here are two main points we visited: Slide Rock State Park: This park is one of my favorites. There's plenty of space to keep your distance from people, especially if you walk all the way to the back where we did. There are places to lay out, swim, rocks to slide on, and even places to jump from. So much fun. Everywhere you look the views are to die for. The water is pretty cold so I'd save this for a summer visit. There is a $20 fee for the day but that's why we split costs between friends - or just take the L. It's pricey but worth it. The Crack at Wet Beaver Creek via Bell Trail: If you're the adrenaline junkie this place is for you. We mapped it to the Bell Trail and started from there. It's roughly 7 miles round trip - so bring food and a LOT of water. The trail takes you down to "The Crack" and there are so many spots you can jump into the water from. It may or may not have taken me 45 minutes before I actually jumped in (shoutout again to my bestie, these jumps are not for the faint of heart. Aka me.) CampingCamping is such an accessible way to get away. There's something about sleeping under the stars that feels so grounding. Maybe it's the literal sleeping on the ground? Not to mention the stars look INCREDIBLE when there's less/no light pollution. I went camping I think 3 different times over the last year. Here are the spots we stayed & the approximate drive times from Vegas: Honeycomb Rock Campground in Enterprise, UT: 3 hrs No reservation was needed when we went so I think it's first come first serve. I would double check because this was sometime last year. Also note that there was a $10 fee per car. This place was cool because of the surrounding trails for dirt bikes/ ATVS etc. It was my first time driving a razor ATV and I had so much fun! There is a reservoir nearby too, it's a GEM. There are also restrooms and picnic tables, the campsites themselves are close enough for you to see other campers, but we didn't really hear them. White Horse Campground in Williams, AZ: 4 hrs Standard campground. Other campsites were pretty close by (we could hear and see other people here) so if that's not something you're into, this probably isn't your jam. But they did have picnic tables, restrooms, and running water. There are kayak rentals and a little shop if you need to buy supplies as well. I can't leave out that the stars here are something else. Reservations are needed, you can book a campsite here. Side story: The Grand Canyon is about 1.5 hr from this campsite so we went. In my honest opinion it was probably the most overrated place I've ever been. Was it cool to see the massive canyon? Sure. Would I go back? Probably not. Sue me. Dispersed camping in Lovell Canyon Las Vegas, NV: 1 hr You can find dispersed camping areas all over BLM land. I'll make a post on that one soon, but for the sake of keeping this short I'll leave it there. Lovell Canyon is one of the closest areas near Vegas to disperse camp so we set out to find a spot and ended up finding one with an amazing mountain view! 10/10 recommend to get away from the crowds. I definitely prefer camping this way, the closest people to us were about a mountain away. How's that for social distancing? Snowboarding3 hours from Vegas you'll find Brian Head Resort. When I tell you I spent my entire first time snowboarding on the ground I'm not lying one bit. Ask my boyfriend, I cried. But my SECOND TIME AT LEE CANYON...! I must have grown wings because I was getting the hang of it. Never give up! I still got beef with the ski lift though, that thing can fight. I definitely have found a new appreciation for snowboarding and after a couple cries and some bruises, it's so fun I swear. Lee Canyon is only about 1.5 hrs outside of Vegas so if you haven't tried it yet, what's your excuse? So there you have it. That's a little bit of what I've been up to this past year. If you've been itching to get outdoors but don't want to travel too far out of Vegas I hope this has helped. Covid sucks but that doesn't mean we can't still get outdoors and do what we love.
Hey y'all. It's day who knows what of this quarantine life we're living now. I've been having the hardest time trying to sit down and write about this last trip we took before the chaos started. Motivation/ inspiration have been difficult to find amongst the anxiety I've been feeling but I owe this to myself. I'm so grateful we had the chance to get out into the forest before 💩 hit the fan.
During winter break my best friend Jennica and I set off on another adventure together, this time we hit the Caribbean and made our way to the island of Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 I can say with confidence, Puerto Rico is one of the most underrated places I have been to yet! Here's why...
Hey guys! Alondra (IG @londra__) here sharing finally sharing my post covering my trip to Banff. I originally wrote this for my friend Reagan's blog last year but I figured I should post it here too because content 😊 One of my besties Jennica (IG @jennica_lobo) had talked about going to Banff National Park for so long and honestly, seeing that place in person was also high on my own bucket list. One day when I finally saw the opportunity would be open for myself a few months back, we made it happen. Here’s how we did the damn thang:
There's been a lot of talk about self care on the web as of late and with it being National Wellness month, I thought I would touch upon this subject. For an introvert like myself, time to myself to regroup is necessary af. Practicing self-care really means doing anything that caters to you, your mind, and overall well being. For me, that includes A LOT of alone time to get my energy levels back up. There is no right or wrong way to practice self care. To some of my friends, self care means taking a bath with the candles lit and a glass of wine on the side. To someone else, it could mean going to a park and watching the sunset. It all depends on who you are and what brings YOU joy. What kinds of things make you feel content? It is important to take days to practice your self-care rituals to keep you centered. I encourage you to make a list of some of the things you do to practice self-care and share some of those ideas in the comment section below! Keep this list for yourself and make it a point to do those things at least a few times a week. Make yourself a priority. Unwind. Some of my favorite ways to practice self-care include the following: Journaling Doing my nails Traveling Hiking Turning my phone on do not disturb Facial masks Being outdoors Podcasts Lists Planning Working out Cooking Staying in Splurging on food Cleaning Listening to music Alone time I've always loved quotes, I think I just appreciate other peoples wisdom, and the ability to be able to put that into words. I figured I would combine my love of travel and quotes, and share some of my favorites. These have all inspired me at some point or another. Some days when I feel down mentally, I read some of these and remember I still have so much of the world left to discover.
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AuthorA young writer sharing adventures both in every day life and my travels. Hoping to cover the topics of wellness, lifestyle, and travel. I hope I can both inspire and help people live their best lives. Archives
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