Nevada

  • Nevada

    Valley of Fire

    October 13, 2016 - By 

    Some lesser known state parks can flaunt the grandeur of national parks, and Nevada’s first state park, Valley of Fire, defends that claim.  Originally we planned on driving straight from Great Basin National Park, Nevada to Joshua Tree National Park, California but we made the spontaneous detour to Cathedral Gorge State Park.  While searching for a free place to boondock near Las Vegas, I stumbled upon Valley of Fire–there was BLM land just outside of it.  After the brief detour to Cathedral Gorge, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to make another brief detour to Valley of Fire. However, unlike Cathedral Gorge,…

  • Nevada

    Cathedral Gorge

    October 12, 2016 - By 

    As I quickly made my way in and out of the Great Basin National Park Visitor Center to use the bathroom, curiosity drew me to the information board.  I couldn’t resist skimming over the PLACES NEARBY map, especially with its beautiful pictures.  A stunning photo captioned “Cathedral Gorge” caught my eye, as it resembled a mini Badlands National Park.  Seeing that the state park was conveniently located right off the highway on our route to Southern California, I saw that there was no reason why we couldn’t stop for a brief visit. We pulled over to scope out Miller’s Point, the park’s most spectacular…

  • Nevada

    Great Basin National Park

    October 11, 2016 - By 

    Literally lost in the middle of nowhere across the expanse of a massive desert, Nevada’s sole national park quietly lingers between a cluster of mountains.  It’s a damn easy place to pass by along the lonely highway, and I’m sure most people do just that. However, making that adjacent turn into the labyrinth of mountains takes wanderers, explorers, and the curious into landscapes that can only be imagined: cave chambers at the foot of the mountains, groves of the Earth’s oldest living trees, iconic rock formations, a rock glacier, and Nevada’s highest peak at 13,159 feet.  That’s quite a bit for a tiny…

  • Nevada

    Rhyolite

    December 17, 2015 - By 

    Hundreds if not thousands of ghost towns lay in dishevelment throughout the U.S., and Death Valley National Park is home to a number of forgotten ghost towns that were once mining towns.  Just outside this California park across the border into Nevada are the remains of Rhyolite, now a ghost town but once a prosperous mining town that housed 8,000 people at its peak.  I’ve passed by several ghost towns before, but not one of this scale.  Plenty of dilapidated buildings lined the “downtown” of Rhyolite, begging to be photographed.  I later learned that Rhyolite is one of the most photographed ghost…

  • Nevada

    Las Vegas

    December 14, 2015 - By 

    I think if you’ve lived in California your whole life, the idea of going to Las Vegas in your late 20’s or early 30’s would make you groan.  At least it does for me.  Don’t get me wrong.  Las Vegas is definitely a playground for adults, especially young adults.  Between the age of 21-23, my girl friends and I would flock to Las Vegas at least a couple times per year to get dolled up and party, which is why now the thought of Las Vegas turns me off.  And the last thing I want to do is tow a trailer through a…

  • Nevada

    From Home to Burning Man

    September 6, 2014 - By 

    The obvious reasons for our excitement upon returning home were familiarity and comfort, but the other reason was simply the sheer fact that home is San Francisco. I had looked forward to satisfying my thirst for wanderlust, but unlike many travelers, I had not planned on using travel as a means of escape from uncertainty. Preoccupied with an amazing career and countless hobbies, sports, activities, and friendships, I at times wondered myself why I was leaving behind the dream life to embrace the unfamiliar arms of culture shock and scams. But the answer was obvious–my heart yearned for new challenges that exist far beyond the pressures within the office…