state park

Day Trips from Vegas

/ karaknick / Leave a comment

In the time I’ve spent helping my family move to Vegas, (read more about our cross country move here) I have been so fortunate to visit some beautiful places in Nevada and beyond!

Las Vegas is so much more than luxury hotels on the strip, bright lights on Fremont Street, and clubbing or gambling. It is the perfect distance for so many incredible escapes into nature with national and state parks nearby.

Check out some of my adventures below- all doable in a day trip from Sin City!

Red Rock Canyon

-one way drive, 13 miles
-reservation required through May (available online)

This is a scenic loop that is easily doable in a half day from Vegas, as it is less than 30 minutes away.

*High Point Overlook
*Petroglyph Wall
*White Rock
*Calico Hills

**The Lost Canyon- Children’s Discovery Trail was one we took the girls on, but enjoyed ourselves!

***Look out for all the white-tailed antelope ground squirrels 🙂

Valley of Fire State Park

Nevada’s first state park really lives up to its name!

About an hour drive from Las Vegas.

Mouse’s Tank Road winds through the park, and there’s a Instagram-worthy opportunity around every bend.

*Rainbow Vista
*Pastel Canyon
*The Wave (always exposed to sun here, bring lots of water!)
*White Domes (my favorite hike!)

** $10 per vehicle gets you in

***If you’re lucky, you’ll see desert bighorn sheep like we did!

Hoover Dam & Seven Magic Mountains

*The Hoover Dam is truly astounding. It is free to walk or drive across, and located just 30 minutes or so from Las Vegas.

*Seven Magic Mountains was created by Ugo Rondinone, a Swiss-born artist, and it is only open to the public until the end of this year! Also about a 30 minute drive from Vegas.

Death Valley National Park

This is about a 2 hour drive from Vegas, and I simply CANNOT recommend it enough!

*Zabriskie Point
*Artists Palette
*Natural Bridge Trail
*Devil’s Golf Course
*Mesquite Sand Dunes
*Badwater Basin

**One of the hottest places on Earth! I am so glad we went in the winter- I don’t know that I would’ve enjoyed it at 100+ degrees

***Be prepared before you come- that means fuel up (it’s like $6/gallon otherwise) and make sure you have plenty of water and snacks. The park is vast, and shops are few & far between, and can be pricey.

And there you have it– so many options for day trips! Bryce and Zion in Utah are other options, too, but we only had so many free weekends! Hope this gives you inspiration for future travels. If you have others, please drop them below in the comments!

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xoxo,

Exploring Closer to Home

/ karaknick / Leave a comment

So now that we’re all experts at navigating the path between the refrigerator and the couch, what about some outside trails?

I recently came back to be with my parents in rural Pennsylvania, and there’s not much to do here in our small town. (Not that I’m out painting the town, anyway. I’m staying home!) However, I was getting restless for new scenery, and a lot of the local parks/attractions I’d already been to. That is, except for Nelson Ledges Quarry Park in Ohio.

We opted to spend a weekend out in nature, and who knew Ohio was keeping this gem hidden? I loved climbing over these giant rocks, squeezing myself between crevices, hiking all the paths to waterfalls.

Two weekends later, we woke up on a Sunday and decided to go for a drive. My mom had heard about Freedom Falls in Pennsylvania, and we ended up there. We parked on the dirt road and walked down to the falls, where there as only one other person there. I was amazed at how clear and crystal blue the water was. The gentleman that was there told us the falls weren’t as impressive as they usually are due to the lack of rain we’ve had this year, but I was still blown away by this little teal paradise in the middle of nowhere. We hiked down the river to the furnace and the tunnel, taking some nearby trails. Honestly, it was awesome.

There were also many covered bridges along the way:

Where have you explored lately? Any secret spots that are a close drive from northeast PA? Let me know- I’d love to hear!

                                                          Until then, stay home & stay healthy,

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Weekend Warriors

/ karaknick / Leave a comment

Last weekend I took a trip to Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, with some friends for a little getaway. The weather finally broke and it was a beautiful day for hiking and being out on the water, which is just what we did.

After a couple miles of hiking in the morning, we cooled off by the lake.

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It was my first time here, and I loved every minute of it. Just a short two hours from Pittsburgh, there truly is something for everyone, whether you’re looking for adventure or just to relax in nature. We also did the Mountain Coaster, which was thrilling!

As the sun rose higher in the sky, we opted to go paddle boarding. I’d never been before and have terrible balance, so I was interested to see how I’d do. It was a blast, and honestly easier than I expected. We also jumped off the dock and went swimming.

On the way back to Pennsylvania, we stopped at Mountain State Brewery for some firewood flatbread pizzas and craft beer. With all these state parks right at our fingertips, there’s no excuse to not get out and enjoy them, especially if you don’t have the luxury of vacation days. I’ll definitely be back!

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