Hey friends! I’ve got a “Vegas trip: part two” kind of post coming at you! Just as a heads up, these are some of my favorite photos from this year, so this is going to be a photo heavy post. Sorry, not sorry.
When my friends and I took our trip to Las Vegas in January, we were all excited to do the usual city things. But, being the Pacific Northwest kind of people that we are, we also wanted to go experience the natural features of the surrounding area! I love exploring cities I’ve never been to, don’t get me wrong. But nothing really compares to the wonder you feel when you get to explore National Parks.
So, on our second to last day in Nevada, we set off to Death Valley National Park. It was about a two hour drive, but so so so worth it. Words can not even describe how cool this place is, you guys. The landscape is so alien (at least it was to a bunch of kids from Seattle), and has so many amazing views and places to explore.
We set off for the park at around 8:00 am, which is a feat in and of itself when you are staying in Vegas and doing the Vegas thing all day and night. We ended up pulling in to the park around 10:00 am, after enjoying a gorgeous drive in to California. Our first stop was Dante’s View, it looks out over the whole park! It definitely didn’t disappoint, it was a beautiful day and you could see for miles from the overlook. The drive up was a little precarious in a car with seven adults weighing it down, but so worth it for the end result.
The second spot we explored was Twenty Mule Canyon/Zabriskie Point. It was just a short drive from Dante’s View, but the landscape was so different! The thing that really struck me about the whole park was how different each place was. This stop was definitely worth it, it was really nice to get out of the car and have a chance to hike and explore for a while. There were plenty of things to be climbed, and lizards to be found (I love finding lizards when I go to warm climates).
The landscape in this area was really cool, the ridges and rolling hills were created when the lake dried up millions of years ago. You can still find fossilized footprints from ancient camels, mastodons, horses, and birds! If you like to geek out over this sort of thing, you can find more information right here!
Our third, and probably my favorite, destination in Death Valley was the Badwater Basin. Its named for the salt flats, which contaminate the water and make it “bad water” (we’re really creative with names in the US.). At 282 feet below sea level, Badwater Basin is the lowest point in North America! This of course, made for plenty of bad “this is the lowest I’ve ever been!”, and “I’ve really hit rock bottom” kinds of jokes between my friends and I. We can be pretty cringe-worthy sometimes.
This area had a really cool calm to it. We got there about an hour before sunset, and the way that the light reflected off the salt flats made for a really cool, eerie atmosphere. I’ve never seen salt flats in person before, so it was an especially cool experience for me, there isn’t anything else quite like them!
If you’re looking to take a trip to Las Vegas, and find yourself burning out on the hustle and bustle (emphasis on the hustle) of the city, I 100% recommend taking the trip to Death Valley National Park. As much fun as we had in Vegas, the trip to the park was by far my favorite part of our vacation! It was pretty transformative to be able to get out of the casinos and clubs, and breath in some fresh air. Plus the Death Valley is absolutely breathtaking. Its unlike anywhere I’ve every been, and I can’t wait to go back and explore it some more!
One last kind of fun personal fact about Death Valley. When I was a little kid, my sister and I DID NOT get along. One day, I was looking at maps in school (probably in second or third grade), and found a place called “Death Valley” in California, I logged the name away because I thought it was cool. Then one day I was having a big third grader style fight with my mom over something my sister did, and I told her “I hate Kiersten, I want to throw her in to Death Valley!!!”. I thought it was a sick burn, and I got spanked and sent to my room for it. For some reason that moment has stuck with me my entire life, so it was really fun to finally visit Death Valley. I think I would still throw Kiersten in to it, but only so that we could explore it together!
In this look:
Tank top: My tank top is from Free People, and sold out | Similar: one, two
Jeans: My jeans are the Mid Rise Best Girlfriend Jeans from Gap
Flannel: My flannel is from H&M, and sold out | Similar: one, two
Hat: My hat is the Wesley Fedora by Brixton
Boots: My boots are the Mountain Light Cascade Boots by Danner
Backpack: My backpack is the Renaissance Leather Backpack by Embrazio
Photo credit goes to my husband, Nick.
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Annnnd now that the blog post is over, here are some pictures that my friends and I took. I like sharing personal pictures with you guys, I think candid is often way more fun and I think it shows off the area a little more than fashion-y photos! Enjoy!
Thanks for showing us the other side of Vegas! My friends went last year and they were more amazed by all the mountains rather than the casinos lol. And as usual super fashionable Kenzy!
Aww thanks! That area has so much more to offer than just the city, its so beautiful out there!