Traveling the world one color at a time.
Need to escape? Looking to be whisked away? Itching for travel inspiration?
Look no further than Great Basin National Park, the only national park in Nevada and the place with the darkest night sky in the lower 48 states. By day, hike into the mountains for fresh air and tranquility.
The Grand Canyon.
It is arguably Arizona’s most famous claim to fame and absolutely one of the most popular destinations in the United States. Millions of people visit the Grand Canyon every year, but most visit in the summer, when crowds are crammed at the overlooks and trails are anything but peaceful.
Visiting the Grand Canyon in the winter offers a new perspective of this famous natural wonder. There are still lots of people but far fewer than in the summer, and the pace of life is much more laid back. A few of the roads aren’t plowed, and if you venture up these hard-to-navigate trails on your own, you essentially have the entire place to yourself.
Winter at the Grand Canyon still requires advance planning: Book a room at the lodge or a cabin in advance, and be prepared for snowy conditions. Warm clothes, an ice scraper for your car and winter provisions are all necessary. But it’s so worth it. If you don’t believe me, let the pictures speak for themselves:
It’s one of the darkest places in the lower 48 states, and stars spill across the sky before the sun has fully had a chance to set.
Deserts ease into alpine forests, which top out at more than 13,000 feet in elevation.
If you think you know Nevada because you’ve been to Las Vegas, you should know that there’s so much more beyond the glitz and glam of Sin City. Head north of the city by about five hours, and you’ll hit the state’s only national park, Great Basin National Park, a diverse region that ranges from the dry desert valley to the state’s second highest peak. Located at the end of the Loneliest Road in America, Great Basin National Park is not particularly popular with visitors and quite under appreciated (in fact, there’s no entrance fee), but those who make the long drive from anywhere are generally pleasantly surprised by what they find.
If you’re willing to make the drive in from anywhere, there are a few things you should know to better enjoy your visit.
Pack warm clothes.
If you’re planning on arriving in Great Basin National Park after visiting any other scorching part of the state, you might assume that a tank top and shorts are all you really need. However, the national park is located at an exceptionally high elevation, and, especially if you camp in the northernmost campground, it may get cold in the evening. If you plan on hiking up Wheeler Peak, it can also get fairly windy and chilly on the exposed mountain face.
It seems like just yesterday when we packed away the Christmas stockings and rang in the new year, but it honestly isn’t too early to start thinking about where you’re going to travel for your summer vacation. I am, of course, a strong believer in the good ol’ fashioned cross-country American road trip. If that’s your style of travel as well, check out these five undervisited national parks that deserve your attention as you trip from East Coast to West Coast and back.
Death Valley National Park, California / Nevada
Though breath-catching hot in the summer, Death Valley is an expansive and impressive national park worth visiting. The lowest, driest and hottest place in North America is home to an amazing array of terrain, ranging from dry salt beds and sand dunes to peaks that top out at 11,049 feet. Visitors can check out many of the park’s sites within easy driving distance, but to get a feel for all the park has to offer venture off grid with a hike into some of the country’s most unusual landscapes.
I was recently tagged by Nellie Huang over at Wild Junket to share my three best travel secrets. This exercise was initiated by Katie at TripBase, and the goal is to unite travel bloggers from across the globe while creating a massive list of awesome insider tips from those who have been there and made the mistakes.
I’m breaking the rules by not just writing about destinations, but that’s the kind of traveler I can be too …
Enjoy!
