Vegas Baby, ya! Well, I am only three, so I don’t think I can properly appreciate the magnitude of the Strip. But the Strip was not the reason we were here. We were headed out for some hiking adventures. However, we did stop for some food at the Bellagio. Pa wanted to place a bet on his Red Raiders to win the NCAA championship. Ha, this guy is funny. We also went and watched the fountains. Now that was cool.

After the fountains, we headed out to our hotel on Lake Las Vegas. It was a fairly quiet place. Not like the Strip. Ma and Pa were happy for that. We had a big two days planned, so we needed some peace and quiet.

Valley of Fire

The next morning, after a good, hearty breakfast we headed out to the Valley of Fire for some hiking. Into the Valley of Fire (insert demon voice here). In the park, we made a few stops here and there. Snapped some pictures, crawled through mini caves, and just stretched our legs.

We decided to gear up and hike the rainbow vista trail. The rainbow vista trail headed to Fire Canyon….duh duh duh. The trail was very sandy. I struggled in the beginning, so I hopped on Pa’s back. Once we got going, I was ready to take charge. I took over leading Ma and Pa to the Fire Canyon. As we say in class, I was the Line Leader. We climbed down through rocks and up small cliffs. I was hustling, and Ma and Pa were slowing me down. Ma was getting bogged down in the sand. My shoes were full too, but you didn’t see me complaining.

To get Ma and Pa to speed up, I proposed a contest. Whoever had the most sand in their shoes at the end of our hike would be the Champion of Sand in Shoes! I knew I was going to win, but I was just trying to get Ma and Pa to speed up.

The end of the trail was well worth the hike. The view of Fire Canyon was spectacular. It is Mother Nature at her finest. We hung out here for a while just soaking it all in. Then I led the charge back to the car. I was eager to prove that I was the Champion of Sand in Shoes. I was moving so fast that sand was flying all over Ma and Pa. We made it to the end. Pa took off his shoes. It was clear he had no chance. So Ma and I removed our shoes. 1…2…3 pour. The sand came flowing out. I. Crushed. Ma. I am the Champion of Sand in Shoes!

We headed off to our next stop and to have a picnic. I had a lovely ham sandwich with views of mountains all around. It is hard to imagine that the craziness of the Strip (that Pa speaks of) is just a few miles away! After the picnic, we hit the trails again. This trail was a bit rockier. We had to climb up and down, but no worries. I was the Line Leader, leading Ma and Pa through this treacherous terrain. We survived to hike another day! 

Red Rock Canyon

The next day we headed off to Spring Mountain Ranch State Park. There were a few hiking trails for us to explore. We played around for an hour or so, looking for wildlife and just taking in the views. We headed to a house on the property to get a brief history of the land. But then it was off to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

Whoa, this place was busy. I think everyone had the same idea as us. Our first stop was to enjoy another picnic. We found a quiet spot and chowed down. Then it was on to the hike. We headed for the Lost Creek on the Children’s Discovery Trail. There were a ton of trails to choose, but I thought this would be the most exciting for me. And it was. It was a good combination of trails and rock climbing. I showed Ma and Pa how it was done.

Hoover Dam

No trip to Vegas can be complete without a trip to the Hoover Dam. We had to be at the airport soon, so it was only a quick trip. It was long enough for us to cross the state border though! It was a cool site. So much power is going through this dam. It was a neat way to end our trip. Vegas, Baby. Ya!