Las Vegas and Beyond - Day 6: Great Basin National Park

The road to Great Basin National Park

On the Road Again......

Day 6 brought yet another day trip from our starting point of St. George, UT.  This day trip was even longer than the one to Capitol Reef.  We were heading to Great Basin National Park.  

Again, we got a very early start to the day, checked out of the Hampton Inn, gassed up the car, filled up on snacks and drinks for our very long day ahead.  We had done some research on Great Basin and the theme that we were finding that it was in the "middle of no where" so we tried to plan ahead for this.  I am not sure that we were still ready for what we encountered!

The Middle of Nowhere

I would have to agree with all the reviewers and information sites that I read before heading to Great Basin.  This park truly is in the middle of nowhere!  We were on a decent roadway the entire time we driving to and from the park but there was absolutely no cell service and no amenities.  Make sure you plan accordingly for your trip here.  If your vehicle broke down it could be a long time before you got back to civilization!

As we continued on our way we drove through very windy, hills.  We would see signs on the side of the road that simply said "COW".  Sure enough, 9 times out of 10 there would be a cow or cows sitting next to the sign....oftentimes in the middle of the roadway.  This is an open range area and since there is so little around it is very easy to drive rather quickly.  Be careful on this section of roadway because cows literally sit in the road and you come up on them fast!

We then drove though a very large valley...you could see forever.  There were dust tornados in the fields around us and very large mountains looming in the distance.  It was actually quite beautiful and interesting.  (Far better than the drive after we left the park!)  About 45 minutes outside of the park, you will run across the small town of Milford which has a Chevron and a Subway.  Stop there and make sure you have enough gas and snacks to get you by for awhile.

Great Basin National Park

So after a 4.5 hour drive to the park, we finally arrived.  Once we arrived I have to say that we were rather disappointed with what we found.  Of all of the parks that we visited on this vacation, this was our least favorite.  I guess it is inevitable to run into a dud every now and then when you travel.  That being said, let me tell you what there is to do at this park.  There is a very large Visitor's Center with informative movies, displays, gift shop and dining area.  Restroom facilities are nice and the rangers are very friendly.  We joked that they must be happy just to see people!  

There are two main attractions in this park.  There is a cave that you can tour (tickets can be purchased at the Visitor's Center) and there is a mountain you can drive up to see the views.  Unfortunately we had not packed any clothes that would have worked for the cave (50 degree temps year round).  I have read mixed reviews of the cave at Great Basin.  Most people really seem to enjoy the tour while others indicate that the cave is a bit in disrepair.  You would have to weigh your options and your time to see if this tour would be something that would interest you.

The second main attraction is Wheeler's Peak.  It is a large snow covered mountain in the middle of the park.  Make sure that if you can plan the timing of your trip that you time it for after snowy season when the road is open to the top.  We were there in the middle of May and the road was only open to the lower observation level so this didn't allow us very much access.  I will say that the facilities at the observation area were very well maintained and much better than many of the national parks. 

So basically we stopped at the Visitor's Center, took a look around, went a short way up Wheeler's Peak, ate our sandwich by the Visitor's Center and that was about all there was.  There is a nighttime, star gazing program at this park but unless you are camping there, I wouldn't recommend staying and trying to find your way out of there in the dark.  With no cell service and no amenities along the way, it just doesn't seem like a great option.  

Heading Back to Las Vegas

After leaving Great Basin, we headed on our way back to Las Vegas for this evening.  We had completed the day trips that we had planned from St. George and now it was time to head back to Vegas for the next 5 nights.  After the drive to the park and the lack of excitement for us from the park, we were anxious to get back to civilization.  Well........in order to do that we had to trek back through some very remote areas of Nevada.  If I thought that the drive to Great Basin was bad, the drive to Las Vegas was 10 time worse.  There was absolutely NOTHING on this roadway.  It felt like we were never going to get back to the city.  To make matters worse it was a slightly longer trip on the way out!  We were both exhausted after a full day of travel.  This was about a 14 hour day of mostly driving.  

Hilton Grand Vacation Club at the Flamingo

Once we got into Las Vegas, our next task was to locate the Hilton Grand Vacation Club at the Flamingo.  The GPS didn't really navigate well to the hotel.  We did find that the directions on the hotel website were very accurate but still a little difficult to find the first time you pull in.  It is located directly behind the Flamingo so it is very hard to see.  It is not on Las Vegas Blvd so you have to make a turn off onto a side road and then weave your way into the hotel parking lot.  It's easy to miss but once you locate it the first time, you will be fine.

We are not Hilton Grand Vacation Club Members nor do we wish to become members but we found that rooms at this particular hotel are open to the public to book.  We booked a one bedroom suite and was it ever nice!  The price was virtually half of that of the Venetian and had so much more space.  There was a full kitchen (completely stocked), washer and dryer,  living area, dining table, bedroom and two separate areas of the bathroom.  One area had a large jacuzzi tub for two with a large granite vanity, while the other area had a toilet and walk in shower and slightly smaller granite vanity.  It truly was like having a condo for our stay.  

There is not a casino in this hotel but you are a short walk from the Flamingo and then from there to anywhere on the Strip.  It is located mid-strip so the area is awesome.  You are next to the LINQ shopping area which also houses the new High Roller Observation Wheel. You are also at a monorail stop so it's very convenient to travel to other areas on the Strip.  You are also allowed to use the beautiful Flamingo pools.

The only downsides that we found here were that the hallways were horribly hot (and it was only in the 70's the days we stayed there so I can't imagine what it would be like in full on summer heat), we were hard pressed to find a vending machine that worked on the floors, and the rooms facing the Flamingo pool area can be loud (although we really didn't have any trouble sleeping).  Other than that the size, amenities and cost of the room far outweighed any of the negatives.  We really enjoyed our stay at this hotel.

Tip:  If you do not want to be bothered about taking a tour or listening to a presentation about the Hilton Grand Vacation Club....do not stop at the welcome desk or respond to phone messages asking you to visit the welcome desk.  It is a vacation club property so one can't fault them for trying to sell their product.  We found that other than the couple phone calls and the extra cheery person at the welcome desk that tried to get you to stop for "discounts" they really didn't bother us at all.  It was not high pressure so don't let that deter you from staying. 

The End of a Long Day

After a quick walk around the property and vicinity, we headed out to the strip to check out some of the nearby Casinos.  There is something about being in Vegas that makes you not want to miss anything LOL.  We ended up at the Bellagio and had a late diner at the Buffet.   This was an amazing buffet.  Pricey (as they all are) but the options were just unbelievable.  Then we headed back to LINQ area and checked out the High Roller (opting to come back the next evening to ride) and ended up with a sundae from the Ghiradelli Store!  That made up for a lot of miles we had spent on the roadway that day!  

Coming Up Next:  Las Vegas and Beyond: Day 7:  Vegas Day and David Copperfield!

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Las Vegas and Beyond - Day 5: Capitol Reef National Park

Massive Red Rocks Rise out of Nowhere!

Back on the Road Again

After a restful evening at the Hampton Inn St. George, it was time to head out on our next adventure. Today's trip was to Capitol Reef National Park.  When we were researching our vacation itinerary, we were looking for National Parks that were within driving distance of St. George, UT and/or Las Vegas.  We had been to Zion and Bryce Canyon (both of which are fairly short drives from St. George) on prior trips so we were looking for something different this time around.  While flipping through our National Park travel guide, we fell upon Capitol Reef National Park. The pictures were amazing however,  I have to admit that this wasn't a park that I had remembered hearing about.  We had been to Arches and Canyonlands in Utah also and just didn't make it to Capitol Reef before.  After checking out the logistics we found that it was a bit of a long day trip but doable so it made the final itinerary!  

Since Capitol Reef was about a 4.5  hour drive from St. George, we again started our day bright and early.  Again, we stocked up with snacks and drinks because the drive there was pretty much nothing on the way there from what were able to tell in advance.  This was a good call because it was a pretty barren road to the park.  Although it was barren, it was an interesting drive and the time passed quickly.  

There is a town just outside of the park, we stopped here and picked up a sub at the subway shop inside so we would be able to have a picnic lunch as there didn't appear to be any food available within the park.  It's also a good place to gas up and make sure you have enough in your tank to make the trip around the park and make your way back to your evening's losing.

Capitol Reef National Park

The Views were just stunning!

 Once you get close to the park, the scenery totally changes and massive red rocks appear. The park is easy to drive through and rock formations are well labeled and pull offs are easily accessible. The Visitor's Center is in the middle of the park (a little different than most parks)  and there are no entrance gates so make sure that you stop by and pick up a map of the park. 

Petroglyphs

Petroglyphs

The petroglyphs in this park are really cool to see. I have been at other parks where you have to look through the viewfinders in order to kind of see a petroglyph. This park also has viewfinders but once you know where to look, you can actually see the petroglyphs with the naked eye. There are a lot of them in the area also. It's fun to take the short walk around and see how many you can locate.

Picnic Area in Fruita

View From Picnic Area

We made a stop in the Fruita area to eat our lunch (Subway that we had purchased just outside the park - I would highly recommend picking something up as there are not many food options once you enter the park). This was a beautiful park like setting with picnic tables. It was so awesome to sit and have a sandwich with the background of these massive red rocks in the distance. 

After our lunch break we continued onto "Scenic Drive". The views were beautiful and there are a couple of areas where you could drive right into the rocks! The first one we encountered was at Grand Wash. This is a maintained dirt road that you can take a regular vehicle onto safely. Just make sure you watch the weather because the area floods in heavy rain. I would not want to be stuck in that area in a flood! The views as you drive into and out of the Wash are amazing. The rocks loom so high over you. Each one is different. It is definitely worth the time to take the detour. At the end of the road there is a parking area (with very few parking spots) where you can park and take a hike even further into the rocks. We did not do the hike but still got to see some amazing sights from the parking area. 

The second detour is at the end of Scenic Drive and is called Capitol Gorge. This is another maintained dirt road. It is a little over 2 miles long and allows you to drive right into the gorge. It's a winding road and sometimes you will wonder if you really should keep going.......keep going! It is amazing to be that up close and personal with these wonders. There is also a trail that you can take once you get to the end of capitol gorge road. Again we didn't take the trail but were still glad that we took the driving detour!


On our way back up the scenic drive we stopped at Gifford House (in the Fruita area) and got the best mixed berry crumb pies ever! There is a cute gift shop there and pastries. It's definitely worth a stop!

Just take a look at some of the Park Scenery!

Castle Rock

Navajo Dome

Colors were Brilliant

Chimney Rock

Heading Back To St. George

After touring this amazing park, we decided to head back a slightly different way than we had come into the park.  I have to say that while there was more highway on this route, it was actually longer and much less interesting than the drive in.  All in all we spent about 4-5 hours in the park and about 9 hours of driving so this day trip is definitely an all day adventure.  

All that being said, I would highly recommend going to visit this park if you are ever in the vicinity (it actually is on a line between Arches and Bryce Canyon on the Eastern Side of the state of Utah).  We absolutely loved this park.  It is a park that you can really get up close and personal with since you can drive in so close to the rocks themselves.  It is a bit out of the way but if you like national parks and red rocks, you will be happy that you took the time to visit!

Coming up Next:  Las Vegas and Beyond - Day 6:  Great Basin National Park

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Las Vegas and Beyond - Day 4: North Rim of the Grand Canyon

North Rim Grand Canyon

The Importance of Getting an Early Start

Day 4 of our vacation, took us to an area that we were very excited to see.  We had been to the south rim of the Grand Canyon several times, but either due to time constraints or weather (this side of the park is only open from May 15 to October 15), we had just not been able to make it to the North Rim. 

This summer we decided that we needed to cross this stop off our bucket list and really worked our dates around the open dates for the North Rim.  

The North Rim is trickier to get to than the South Rim.  It is 221 miles from the South Rim to the North Rim....meaning that it is a good 4 hour trip one way and there are limited lodging options near the North Rim.  We just never felt that this would be a good option for us.  So.....with that in mind we flew into Las Vegas.....drove to St. George, UT (3 hours) and then drove the additional 156 miles from St. George to the Park (approx. 3 hours with little to no traffic).  This was a good option for us as we were planning additional day trips from St. George to other National Parks in the area.  We got up early, gassed up, picked up some drinks and snacks at the gas station and headed out to the Grand Canyon.  

The trip to the North Rim was a fairly easy one.  The most complicated thing was traveling between time zones (Utah is Mountain Time and the Grand Canyon is Pacific Time....we were still adapting from Eastern Time!).  The roadway itself is well maintained and easy to traverse.   I would suggest that you stop at the Jacob Lake Inn to stock up on drinks and snacks.  It is about an hour from the North Rim Entrance and there is nothing in between.  There is also a nice gift shop there and restrooms.  If you you walk a little further in the same area you will come to a Visitor's Center.  There are some informational displays inside as well as restrooms.  I would actually recommend a stop here in either direction since there really is little else between the North Rim and St. George.

The North Rim

There is an entrance gate at the start of the Park.  There is an entrance fee of $25.00 per vehicle to enter the park.  Your receipt is good for reentrance for up to 7 days and included both the North and South Rim.  Tip:  If you are going to be visiting several National Parks, purchasing an annual pass for $85.00 will save you money.  Passes can be purchased from the National Parks website.

Once you enter the park, there are a few things that you immediately notice.  The first is that there are not nearly so many people who visit the North Rim and the second is that the canyon isn't visible from the roadway in very many areas.  The first thing that we did was to head to the Visitor's Center where there are restroom facilities and a small gift shop.  It also allows you to orient yourself in the park and devise a plan of attack.  

In the same area as the Visitor's Center is the Grand Canyon Lodge.  This is the only lodging within the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  There is a dining room and a patio with an amazing panoramic view of the Canyon.  Definitely make this a stop even if you are not spending the night.  

Once you head back out on the road there are several spots to target to view the canyon.  The spots where you can view the canyon from your vehicle are: Point Imperial, Vista Encantada, Roosevelt Point and Walhalla Overlook.  There is a roadway that connects these spots and each offers a pull off with parking.  There are trails at each of these spots.  Some are longer than others.  Since we were here just for the day, we decided to do some of the shorter trails.  Roosevelt Point Trail is 0.2 miles (20 minutes) roundtrip.  Cape Royal Trail is 0.6 miles roundtrip (30 minutes).

View from the Patio of the Grand Canyon Lodge

Point Imperial trail is longer at 6.4 miles but you can do a portion of that and still enjoy good views.  Bright Angel Trail runs from the Visitor's Center and is 0.5 miles (30 minutes).  All of these trails are easy to walk and I would highly recommend that you plan them into your visit if at all possible.  

The North Rim is approximately 1000 feet higher in elevation than the South Rim so even in the heat of summer, temperatures are usually cooler on this side of the canyon.  Make sure that you check the weather and dress appropriately.  

North Rim vs. South Rim

The notable differences in the north and south rims is how much less crowded the North rim is, how much more remote it feels and the difference in elevation allowing for different views of the canyon.  For accessibility, the south rim is the way to go....you can visit all year long, there are shuttles to take you to many of the sights and there are more amenities.  However, given all that, I really loved the North Rim.  I wasn't sure what to expect....after all it's "just the other side of the same canyon" but quite honestly the views were nothing short of breathtaking!  I actually felt like the higher altitude gave you that slightly different vantage point and allowed you to look down into the canyon a bit more.  There were areas where you could really get a view of the Colorado River (and even some of the rapids) from this side whereas it is very difficult to actually see the river from the South Rim at times.

We loved the North Rim....because of the logistics of getting there, I am not sure that I will ever get back but I am very happy that we made the arrangements to get there at least once!  If you get a chance to get to the North Rim....do it....you won't be sorry!

Return to St. George

Once we had explored the North Rim (about 4 hours), we were ready to head back to St. George for the evening.  With travel time and time exploring, this ended up being about a 13 hour day trip.  Since we had left early, we were able to get back by early evening, have a nice dinner in St. George and rest up for our day trip the next day....Capitol Reef National Park.

Coming Next:  Las Vegas and Beyond - Day 5:  Capitol Reef National Park

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Las Vegas and Beyond - Day 3: Red Rock Canyon

A Day Trip Close to Las Vegas

When we first started planning this trip, we started looking at day trips that we could make from Las Vegas.  Ten years ago we had done a similar trip (a whole different story) so we were looking to check out things we hadn't seen.  We had gone to Hoover Dam on that previous trip but gave some thought to returning since they had added the new bridge further down the river since we had been there.  We had also given thought to checking out the new sky bridge over the Grand Canyon but after reading some reviews about the cost and set up of the sky bridge and the distance between there and St. George, UT (where we wanted to end Day 3), we decided to look a little bit more.  At the last minute, we saw a brochure for Red Rock Canyon and thought....what the heck....it was close....looked nice from the pictures and worked into our schedule.  

Sometimes the best decisions are spur of the moment.  That certainly was the case in this instance!

Red Rock Canyon

Visitor's Center - Red Rock Canyon

This is a very easy drive and is only about a 20 - 30 minute drive outside of the city.  You would never guess that this beautiful scenery was so close to the big city!  Knowing that we were going to be visiting several National Parks during our vacation, we purchased a National Park Annual Pass.  It has a cost of $85.00 and is good for one year.  This is a big money saver if you are going to be visiting several parks and it is for a great cause.  Since Red Rock Canyon is not a National Park but rather a National Conservation Area, we were unsure whether or not the pass would be accepted.  We were pleasantly surprised that it was accepted.  The cost is minimal here though at $7.00/vehicle and well worth the money to visit.

Visitor's Center

We started our visit at the Visitor's Center.  It was a beautiful, very modern building with restrooms, a gift shop and lots of educational information about the Red Rock Canyon area.  Both my husband and I noted that this facility was better than many of the National Parks themselves.  It was very well maintained.

In the back of the Visitor's Center was a window which allowed for a panoramic view of the Red Rocks....just beautiful!

Panoramic View of the Red Rocks at the Visitor's Center

From the inside of the visitor's center, exit through the back door and you will be on a very easy cement pathway that will take you to several observation decks and around by the resident tortoises.  It wasn't so hot the day we were there so we actually got to see the tortoises walking around!

Tortoise at Red Rock Canyon

View from Observation Deck - Red Rock Canyon

Red Rock Canyon Observation Deck

Red Rock Canyon Visitor Center Walkway

This was a very nice area, easy walk and things to see and do for visitor's of all ages.  The views of the rocks were stunning from here.  I would definitely recommend starting your visit at the Visitor's Center and plan on spending at least half an hour here walking around and just enjoying the views and displays.

Scenic Drive

Once you have checked out the visitor's center and gotten oriented to the area, the next thing to do is start out on the scenic drive of the park.  There is a one way 13 mile scenic drive.  You cannot get lost on this trip!  There are also several areas where there are pullouts that offer great photo opportunities.  The park was so empty the day we were there, we were even able to make our own stops in the middle of the roadway for extra photo ops! 

Red Rock Canyon was really a beautiful place with a different look around every bend.  

 This is definitely a great day trip from Las Vegas.  It's actually only about a half day trip so you can get back into town in plenty of time to catch a show or take in the night life in the city.  The beauty is astounding!  You will not be sorry that you took a few hours out to take a look around this area.

The beautiful thing about this park is that you can go around the entire drive and if you miss something you can go back around again.  Your entrance fee is also good for several days so if you are thinking that you may want to head back out and do some hiking or have a picnic you can reenter the park at no additional cost.

Next Stop St. George, UT

After spending about 3 hours at Red Rock Canyon (with travel time) we were headed on our way to our next stop....St. George, UT.  It was about a 3 hour drive with traffic.  This was where we had decided to stay for the next 3 nights so we could "hub" closer to the National Parks that we wanted to see in Arizona, Utah and Nevada.  

For our stay, we had chosen the Hampton Inn St. George.  We had stayed at this hotel when we did our trip 10 years ago and the friendly staff there had made an impression on us.  Their hospitality did not disappoint this time either!  Since we were planning full day trips from this location, amenities really didn't matter.  We knew what to expect from the Hampton Inn so found that this was a good way to save on hotel costs for the 3 days we were in this area.  Our room was clean and sufficient for the 2 of us.  Nothing over the top or really special but that wasn't really what we were looking for with our stay here.  The hotel is conveniently located near many retail shops and restaurants so there is a dining option for any budget.  

Time to rest up for our next day trip.....the North Rim of the Grand Canyon!

 Coming up Next:  Las Vegas and Beyond Day 4:  North Rim of the Grand Canyon

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