Well hello hello.
We are not in Canada anymore.
We are having a wonderful sunny escape in Nevada.
We're here for 3 days so we're going to be road tripping.
Road trip and this is awesome.
I mean we're trading in what our winter jackets for shorts and t-shirts.
Yes.
Sunshine.
Always gotta love that and we're really excited to be back in Nevada.
The last time we were here was what in 2015?
Yeah.
And we mostly explored Vegas and the surrounding regions so this time it is all about the state.
So we're going to be visiting state parks and some of the lakes and doing outdoorsy
stuff.
And I hope that we can visit some quirky like roadside attractions as well too.
Oh yeah.
That is going to be a high priority.
Let's go.
Our trip began in Las Vegas, but having already been there before, we wasted no time on the
Strip.
After a short night’s rest, we grabbed a hearty breakfast, hopped in our rental car,
and hit the road for our first stop of the day: Lake Mead.
So the plan for today is to go kayaking in Black Canyon but we still have a little bit
of time this morning so we're stopping off in Lake Mead and also Hoover Dam.
Both of those are along the way and there comes Sam.
He's been taking pictures.
Taking pictures along the trail.
So did you get some good photos?
Yeah, there is some pretty good shots but I think like you have to be walking along
the path a bit further for you to get a better vantage point of the lake.
Yeah, we're going to be making a lot of photo stops on this road trip.
It is just so scenic.
Like wherever you look.
Lake Mead is the largest reservoir in the US and it’s also a popular recreation spot,
so we kicked off our morning with some light hiking and lots of photo taking, because just
look at those views!
So we just finished doing a little bit of hiking.
Now we're heading back to our car and next up is Hoover Dam.
Oh, and we also got a really fancy car.
We got an upgrade so we're driving a Camaro.
Chevy Camaro and I've got the keys in my pocket.
So we have made it to Hoover Dam.
We're going to skip the tour today but we're going to check the dam out.
Hoover Dam is one of the most visited attractions in Nevada with as many as 1 million people
taking the tour every year, and even more driving across the dam.
Fun fact: there is enough concrete in Hoover Dam to build a 4 foot wide sidewalk around
the Earth at the Equator.
That’s a whole lot of concrete!
So we've made it to Willow Beach.
It is time to go kayaking.
Sam has lathered himself up in sunscreen.
Yeah, apparently this is going to be a 3 hour kayaking tour so yeah we do need lots of sunscreen.
Especially for me.
Alright, and the kayaks are already on the water so let's go.
Let's do it.
Kayaking in Black Canyon was the highlight of the day.
We lucked out with blue skies, calm waters, and the scenery was pretty spectacular - especially
once we entered the canyon where we were surrounded by rock walls.
Halfway up stream we took a break from kayaking and went on a short hike.
Our guide told us a little bit about about the flora and fauna you can find in this region.
We also stopped at the Emerald Cave, which gets it’s name from the bright emerald green
colour reflected in the water.
It is day 2 on the road.
Where are we off to next Sam?
Day two, so we're going to the Valley of Fire.
Ooh.
We woke up relatively early.
We're leaving just after eight so all packed up, all ready to go.
Alright, let's go to the car.
Let's hit the road.
We had an hour’s journey to reach the Valley of Fire that morning, and it was a very leisurely
drive down some scenic stretches of road.
We knew we were getting closer to the park when we noticed the landscape colours started
becoming more saturated.
Alright guys so we're almost at the entrance for the Valley of Fire Park and we just keep
stopping for photos.
It is so scenic and the rocks are so red.
Like the colors are so rich and saturated.
So yeah, Sam is getting more photos and more video for us and then we're going to drive
to the entrance and pay for our permit.
Well, well.
How are you enjoying the scenery?
It is like absolutely amazing.
We've just been stopping off a lot to snap photos.
I keep saying Audrey pull over pull over we've got to get a shot of that so it has been really
cool this morning so far.
Once we entered Valley of Fire State Park, the fun began.
This park is known for its rock formations, panoramic vistas, and hiking trails, so there
was no shortage of things to see and do.
One of the most impressive stops was Seven Sisters, where you have seven massive red
sandstone boulders sitting on a relatively flat landscape, but really, you can’t go
wrong with the views here no matter what direction you look in.
Another stretch we really enjoyed was the drive towards Mouse’s Tank, where you drive
through a red canyon.
Walls of red rock rise on either side of you, and it almost like something out of Mars.
So I'm an avid collector of passport stamps and you can actually get your passport stamped
over here.
So let's go.
Let's do the honors on a brand new page.
Oh wow.
You're even using a brand new page.
Yes.
Ready.
Tada.
Valley of Fire.
Our next stop took us to Rainbow vista, where we followed a sandy trail up to a lookout
that offers 360 degree views of the surrounding valley.
And the views are absolutely insane.
They are.
360 degrees.
You cannot go wrong.
No matter where you look it is just like blows your mind.
It is incredible up here.
We basically spent the rest of the day just driving around and enjoying the scenery, before
continuing on to our lodge later that day.
Alright guys, so after a long drive we have made it to our final stop for the night.
We're in the town of Alamo, NV.
And we're staying at the Windmill Ridge where we have a log cabin.
So let's go inside and we're going to give you a tour.
It is super cozy.
Well, welcome welcome.
We have a cozy cabin for two.
Lazy boy chair, I think maybe Sam can enjoy that one later.
Haha, me being the lazy one.
We have a pretty cool bed.
Like look at this.
It is made from tree trunks.
So it looks cool.
It looks so rustic.
So my favorite part is that they have a lot of cute little details so if you look at the
lamps they've got like bears clanging to the tree trunks.
We've got moose, a welcome sign, we have tin cups that makes me think of camping.
And yeah it is just really nice.
It is small but it is just what you need for two people.
Alright Sam, time for dinner.
Are you ready?
I'm ready.
My tummy is rumbling.
And I know this because we ate at this place for lunch.
Yeah.
And they had ribs on the menu but I said no I'm going to hold off until dinner.
Dinner is now.
Haha.
Alright, lead the way.
Well well the food is here.
What are we having?
So if you take a look down here.
I don't know if you can believe this is but this is the half rack of ribs.
It is huge.
This was not even the full order.
So we're sharing this so yeah the portion is already massive and then over here we've
got mashed potato with a generous amount of gravy poured over top.
This is a vegetable of the day.
I'm making out different things.
It looks like broccoli.
Yeah, there is some broccoli I think maybe cauliflower and potato and then I think this
is extra barbecue sauce.
Woah.
That we can just douse the meat in.
So alright let's dig in.
Let's dig in.
So excited for these ribs.
Like whenever I travel in the US or even Canada for that matter if I can find like barbecue
ribs on the menu I'm like all for that.
So I'm taking this, going for a bit of a swim in the barbecue sauce.
Actually that is a pretty big swim.
Oh my gosh.
Big swim.
Mmmmm.
Those are done really well.
The meat is like crispy on the outside but then tender as you bite into it.
That is really good.
And I really like the barbecue sauce.
It has got a really like strong smokey flavor.
So that adds a really nice finish.
I don't know how but somebody has room for dessert.
What are you having?
I don't know if there is so much room as there is just a whole lot of gluttony going on but
um we're going to attempt to finish this peanut butter bar.
It just looks so good.
I was looking at the desserts.
They have a nice they had them all nicely displayed in this little window tray and I
was woah the peanut butter bars look good.
So let's try that.
Mmmmm.
That is super peanut buttery.
Haha.
As is to be expected.
As is to be expected and it is really dense.
We've got our work cut out to finish this one.
Well good morning.
It is day three of our road trip here in Nevada and today we're going looking for Aliens.
Woah.
Yeah.
This is going to be a really quirky fun day.
Um, I grew up enjoying sci-fi so this is bringing out the inner dork inside of me.
Yeah, so we're going to be driving the Extraterrestrial Highway so it is time to fuel up and hit the
road.
Let's do it.
Since we were up bright and early, we decided to make a detour before getting on the Extraterrestrial
Highway.
The previous afternoon we had driven past Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, which
looks like a little oasis in the middle of the desert, so we backtracked a few kilometres.
These wetlands are an important stop for migratory birds, and it was a fun little stop even if
we’re not the best bird spotters out there.
And here is a list of the birds people have been spotting here in the wildlife refuge.
Lots of bird watching.
Back on the road, we hit our first stop on the ET Highway: ET Fresh Jerky!
This is an alien-themed shop selling everything from martian soda to alien sunglasses, so
we used this as an opportunity to load up on snacks.
And this is the start of the Extraterrestrial Highway.
Let's see what we find along the way.
So no Aliens in sight yet but we did stop off at ET Fresh Jerky for some Alien jerky.
Yeah.
So Sam is going to be trying that.
So I was joking around with this store owner.
I said, I said only she gets to see the Aliens and she processes them so fast that no one
else sees the Aliens.
They are just inside of this package.
Alright, so we got the teriyaki flavor.
Teriyaki Alien Jerky.
I hope uh, I hope the Aliens taste good here.
Oh, that smells good.
Mmmm.
What do you think?
That is nice and sweet.
Teriyaki sauce is really good.
First time eating Aliens.
I think I prefer this even to original jerky.
Yeah, this is our first time to have Aliens so a first for everything.
And this will be a great uh snack for our road trip today.
Nice and sweet and we also picked up something called chili chilled mango.
So it looks like mango slices coated in some kind of spice.
Chili.
Yeah, and that is seriously coated.
Try a bite.
It smells spicy.
Mmmm.
Is it good?
It is really good.
It is sweet and spicy at the same time.
It kind of reminds me of tamarind a little bit.
Mmmhmmm.
You taste the spice at first and then as you bite into it more you get the sweetness of
the mango.
Mmmhmm.
This should be another good snack.
Alright, so we've got our snacks for the road.
The search for Aliens continues.
See ya later.
After stopping for photos at the ET Highway marker which is covered in stickers, we journeyed
on to the Alien Research Centre, which is pretty hard to miss considering they have
a giant metal alien standing guard on a hill.
So we just arrived at the Alien Research Center but unfortunately it is closed.
It is already eleven thirty in the morning so I don't know if they just opened late or
if it is closed on Mondays but here we are.
They do have a cool Alien out front so we're going to enjoy that instead.
From there, it was on to the Black Mailbox, a random little stop on the side of the road
where alien enthusiasts from far and wide come to leave stones, letters, and addresses
to aliens…perhaps expecting a visitation?
The original mailbox was stolen a few years back, so this is kind of a makeshift pit stop
nowadays.
We are opening the Alien mailbox to see what is in there.
Look at this.
We got a baseball from Bryan Rodriguez all the way from Puerto Rico.
Alright.
Pretty cool.
And then lots of rocks.
You saw the coin collection happening down here so let's add to that.
The lonely road then took us further into the desert where we arrived in the town of
Rachel that’s home to the Little Al’e’in.
The establishment is part motel, part bar and part restaurant.
Out front, we spotted a UFO-towing pick-up truck and a green alien welcoming earthlings,
while inside we were surrounded by Area 51 warning signs and all sorts of alien-themed
souvenirs.
And then it was time to turn around, drive back to Vegas, and fly back home, but not
before making one last detour along the way.
So time for an update.
We are visiting a place that we've already been to before.
So this is easily the coolest surprise of the day.
We are at Red Rock Canyon National Park and we didn't' think we'd have any time to visit
here.
This wasn't even on our itinerary but we kind of finished visiting the Extraterrestrial
Highway a little bit early.
Yep.
And we're thinking like I was counting down on my watch and I'm like you know what we
might have enough time to get here and look at it we are here.
So it is time to check it out.
We are just going to walk around and maybe do a little bit of hiking.
A surprise addition to our Nevada travel guide was visiting Red Rock Canyon, which is just
a 20-minute drive from the Vegas Strip.
We still had a bit of time to spare before we had to return the rental car, and this
was one of Sam’s favourite spots on our last visit, so we did the scenic drive just
before sunset.
Our final thoughts?
There are way more things to do in Nevada than just Las Vegas and we’re glad we got
to experience a mix of nature and quirky attractions on this mini USA road trip!