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.
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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
February 2021
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