It's been a grayer, snowier winter than last year... So we decided to celebrate Chris' 55th birthday with a trip to the desert. Cheap flights to Vegas made the decision of where to go easy. So we booked a quick four-day vacation to do some hiking outside of Las Vegas and then drive to Joshua Tree National Park. We caught a late flight from the newly renovated Fargo airport, complete with a fake fireplace and a VR room where you can choose your own adventure... 😮
We went to the Serengeti and explored a shipwreck with the Mythbusters...
Even though we arrived rather late, our flight was early and the car rental and hotel check in process at the Excalibur (it looks more Disney than Vegas) was quick and easy. And since Las Vegas doesn't close early, we still had some time to check out the tiki bar for fun drinks before heading to bed...
I loved the retro vibe at the tiki bar!
The next day we woke up early, opened the drapes and saw mountains... 😍
Then we headed west, stopped a meatloaf hash breakfast at Hash House A Go Go and grabbed some water bottles at an Albertsons (that had a baby casino inside). Who needs to gamble while they're out grocery shopping???
We were a bit early for our Scenic Drive reservation at Red Rock Canyon. Thankfully they let us in anyway.
But before we hit the road we got some really great hiking tips from Sam, a volunteer at the Visitors' Center!
Our first hike was between the first two view points. Then we hiked/scrambled/waded to Calico Tanks. Next was the High Point Overlook, followed by Petroglyph Wall.
God is such an imaginative Creator that even the rocks are works of art!
With such warm and sunny weather, it was hard to believe there was still snow on the ground from about a week earlier...
I was so excited when we finally made it to Calico Tanks but we still had to make it to the payoff at the end...
It was a bit dicey along the tank but totally worth it!
You could see all of Las Vegas from there!
Then it was back down and on to the next hikes...
Most people we met coming back on the Lost Creek trail said they could hear the waterfall but couldn't see it. But we were determined and persevered...
Our last hike for the day was the loop trail through Pine Creek Canyon...
We did a bit of a detour along a portion of the Knoll Trail...
Then we were back to finish the rest of the Pine Creek Loop...
After 11 miles of hiking we were ready for dinner. And Jackson's did not disappoint. This little bar is highly recommended by locals for their $22 16oz ribeye steak. They weren't wrong. It was fantastic!
We're still not sure what's up with buzzing in???
The night was still young when we got back to our hotel and there were a couple of places on the strip I wanted to check out for dessert...
Dessert at the overhyped and overpriced Milk Bar proved that the best things in Vegas are not on the Strip... :/
But the water show at the Bellagio was fun to watch...
By the time we got back to the Excalibur and stopped one more time at the tiki bar, we had walked nearly 17 miles! Needless to say, we slept pretty well after hot showers and Advil... LOL
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