Nature by Day, City by Night: Nevada Part 1 - Vegas

At the end of June 2022, Hunter had the opportunity to compete in the Under 25 National Weightlifting Championships. The competition rotates between different U.S. cities each year, and this time it was held in Las Vegas. While the competition itself only lasted one day, we extended our trip there to make it a week-long adventure. We got the best of both worlds by experiencing the vibrant Vegas nightlife, and hiking in the desert and an underrated free National Park. The weather was scorching in southern Nevada, but we managed to make the most of our days.

PART 1: VEGAS

We flew on a direct, late night flight on a Monday evening and were greeted with slot machines as soon as we landed. We didn't get to do much upon arrival except check out the hotel, but were glad to get the travel part over with so we could enjoy the next full day ahead.

Tuesday:

We wanted to incorporate some lesser known activities into our Vegas itinerary. While there's plenty to see and do in the city itself, we love to spend time in nature when we can. These two unique spots I found on Pinterest sparked the desire to rent a car.

First on our list was Red Rocks Canyon Conservation Center. Red Rock Canyon was designated as Nevada's first conservation area and was only about a 15 minute drive outside Vegas. This made for a great, inexpensive half day activity. It's only $10 per car for a one-day entrance pass.

What we loved about this park was you could explore the park via car or hiking the trails - this makes it great for all physical abilities and weather conditions. The park road is a 13 mile loop with some easy stop-off points. We jumped in and out of the car to explore the rock formations and attempted one hiking trail.

While only around 4.5 miles total, Turtlehead Peak was a challenging uphill, especially for 100+ degree weather. Our lack of water and sunscreen caused us to turn around early. Even though we didn't make it to the top, it still offered sweeping 360 degree views. The rock colors reminded us of the pictures we've seen of Zion National Park - this was our first western adventure, so we were psyched to see the magnitude of the desert landscape.

After our day outside, we wanted to spend the night roaming through the Strip. We had originally planned on walking everywhere, but discovered an awesome way to get around the city. The Las Vegas Monorail was such a cheap & convenient way to enhance our sight-seeing experience. The monorail has daily pass options and stops at 7 different stations, so we were able to visit multiple casinos such MGM Grand, Paris/Bally's, Flamingo, and the Bellagio. We loved walking around to see the unique and ornate decor each one had to offer.

Wednesday:

We started the morning off in the Mojave Desert with another outdoor attraction, only about 45 minutes from Las Vegas. Valley of Fire State Park is filled with orange, tan, and red rock formations, which made for the most incredibly vibrant scenic drive. There are quite a few hiking trails, but due to the excessive heat, we didn't explore much by foot. We spent a couple hours driving down the main highway and White Domes Road, and getting out every now and then. We missed out on hiking Fire Wave, and would love to if we are ever in the area again (in cooler weather, of course). This place really stood out to us and was unlike anything we'd ever seen.

For dinner, we went outside the Strip to Capo's Italian Steakhouse & Speakeasy. Not only were the food and drinks good, the atmosphere made the price worthwhile. The restaurant was chic and extremely dim, and was truly the definition of a candlelit dinner. A 1920s-style singer took the center stage, vintage microphone and all, and sang classy covers throughout the night. During intermissions, a magician came around to each table and had some pretty astonishing tricks. The entertainment was such an added bonus and made for a fun experience.

Thursday:

On our last day in Vegas, it was time for Hunter's weightlifting competition. We celebrated his accomplishments with an afternoon at the resort pool. Since he was no longer as calorie-conscious, we got a few (incredibly expensive) pitchers of drinks at the pool-side bar. Unfortunately, you could not bring any of your own alcohol with security present. We had a great time relaxing here on a hot summer day.

Later that night, we visited the south side of the Strip to see a show at the Luxor Casino. The Blue Man Group is famous for their painted faces and silent comedy & musical performances. It was interesting entertainment and the show was nearly sold out. We didn't wander too much around the resort, but thought the Egyptian pyramid theme was pretty cool.

Back at our resort, we gambled for quite a few hours. We stuck to electronic Roulette and slot style games, and enjoyed happy hour drink specials. We didn't come home with any winnings, but what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!

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TRIP BREAKDOWN

LENGTH OF STAY: 4 NIGHTS

📍 Las Vegas, NV

🌄 $15 (Valley of Fire State Park), $10 (Red Rock Canyon)

💲 $45/person (BG Tickets, but this was paid for us by a family member), 2-Day Monorail Pass $23/person

🏨 $375 (total for 4 nights)

⛽ 🍽️ : variable