red rock canyon.

Published on by Quandie

I am not your typical Vegas tourist.  If my mom didn’t live nearby, I’m sure I would never go there.

That being said, there are things you can do in the Las Vegas area that don’t involve gambling, drinking or bright lights.

One of my favorites is hiking in Red Rock Canyon, which is only about 25 miles from the Vegas Strip.

Red Rock offers something for every fitness level.  You could do some serious rock climbing, you could bring a bike (there are mountain bike trails, or you could just ride on the road), you can hike a 14 mile trail, you can hike a 1/2 mile trail, or you could just enjoy the scenic 13 mile loop through the park from the comfort of your vehicle.

My sister and I were looking forward to doing some longer hikes, however I managed to trip over a step on my mom’s patio the day before and injure my foot.  That sort of put a damper on the hiking.  We still managed to do several short hikes though, and we still enjoyed the beautiful desert scenery.

It was interesting to see the sandstone quarry where huge chunks of sandstone were cut out of the Calico Hills from 1905 to 1912.

The cost to transport the huge blocks of sandstone ended up being too costly to make a profit so after 7 years they gave it up.

We also checked out the petroglyphs.

They estimate that these petroglyphs are around 800 years old.  I have no idea what kind of message they were trying to convey, but it is fascinating to see them.

Our final stop was the Red Spring Boardwalk.

The purpose of the boardwalk is to keep people from walking directly on the grasses that grow near the spring and damaging that delicate ecosystem.

It was easy to see how different this area looked compared to the more dry areas of Red Rock Canyon.

And sure enough, there was even some water trickling down from the spring.

And even a little bit of green!

The next time you’re in Vegas, I totally recommend getting away from the glittering lights on the strip and checking out some nature instead.

Now, if you’ve followed me for long, you know that I always like to pick up a little something on my travels to give away here on the blog.  I know, it’s been a while since I’ve been able to travel, so you’ve probably all forgotten that I like to do this!

All I managed to pick up this time around was a magazine at the airport, but I’ve added a few other things to the prize that have a sunny desert sort of feel to them.

So in addition to the magazine, I’m including some Dixie Belle paint in Putty (a good desert hue), Haint Blue (not quite the color of that desert sky, but a pretty pale blue none the less), some Mud, a jar of the new Silk paint in Sun Kissed, some Easy Peasy spray wax, some Howdy-Do hemp seed oil and finally one of the new Dixie Belle La Petite brushes.  This brush works really beautifully for getting into some tight corners.  I’m not sure I would use it to paint, but it’s fantastic for waxing.

The rules:  Simply leave a comment on today’s blog post to have your name thrown in the hat to win.

Your comment must be left on this blog post, not on Facebook or Instagram.  You are not required to follow my blog, although it would be awesome if you did!

I will randomly draw the name of a winner for today’s prize from all of the comments left on this post by Sunday, March 14, 2021 at the stroke of midnight (U.S. Central time).

The fine print: no purchase necessary, you must be 18 years of age or older to win, void where prohibited by law, the number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning, approximate retail value of prize is $150, if the prize is not claimed by Friday, March 19, 2021 another name will be drawn at random to win, blah, blah, blah.

As always, thanks to Dixie Belle for providing the items I am giving away.  Good luck!

102 thoughts on “red rock canyon.”

  2. Beautiful pictures! We went to Vegas a few years ago and visited the Grand Canyon, the Hoover Dam and Bryce Canyon. Took my breath away! We live in SC, so totally different terrain and we were awe-struck! I totally agree – get out of Vegas and see the surrounding area! So amazing! Thanks for sharing!!!
    On another note – started using Dixie Belle after reading your blog and it is amazing paint! Love, love, love Drop Cloth!

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  4. We attended a convention in Vegas and were able to get away to hike Red Rock Canyon, such a nice change of pace. Loved it! Thank you, would love to try this paint!

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  6. Just saying. Never thought about Las Vegas til now. Hike opportunities sounded really good. Ps did a fabulous job with moms patio. Betting she’ll use it more than u think. She definitely has a good reason to.

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  7. I’m with you, I would definitely stay away from the bright lights of Vegas. I’m not a big gambler or drinker, but would love hiking there, especially the greener areas. It looks gorgeous there. Thanks for sharing this post and I hope your foot is healed. 🙂

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  8. The best part is that you got to see your mom! I’m sure you were both a huge blessing to her! (And what a great prize package for my pandemic projects!!)

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  14. Beautiful shots of this area. It is quite beautiful and such a treat to see green and sunshine! Took a drive through there years ago and it is stunning.

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    1. The boardwalk is just outside of the scenic drive loop. We’d never seen it before either, but we noticed it listed on the visitor guide and decided to check it out this time. It was definitely worth it.

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  17. Those petroglyphs are amazing – I don’t think I have ever heard of those before. Lovely pictures and so glad you got to travel and visit your mom! Thank you, as well, for the giveaway!

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  24. You are right. There are great places around Las Vegas besides the casino stuff. I would like to go to Red Rock Canyon. I have not been there. I did enjoy snow skiing at Mt Rose near Reno. My niece went to Seven Magic Mountains and loved that. That is another place that I would like to see. Thanks for sharing. 😊

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  25. I was glad to see this subject. I have a cousin that lives in Henderson and I plan on visiting after this Covid-19 is over. The strip isn’t interesting to me for more than one night, so I’ve been collecting ideas on other activities.
    You’ve got some great pictures.

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    1. Jill, you might also enjoy a visit to Boulder City. There are a few cute shops (check out my post on Boulder City here). Both Bloom and the Goat Feathers Emporium were still there and worth a visit. There are a bunch of restaurants with outside seating as well. There is a nice visitors center for the Lake Mead National Recreation Area nearby. And of course the dam.

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  26. Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos of your trip! Especially since I haven’t been able to go anywhere in a year! Also nice to see some natural beauty around Las Vegas…the man-made stuff doesn’t interest me at all.

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  28. Thanks for taking us to Red Rocks! Such a beautiful place, I can’t wait to visit again. What a clever giveaway, beautiful, dry desert tones! Hope your injury is improving, and love what you did at your Mom’s place. Thanks again for sharing your getaway with us!

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  29. Thanks for the great pictures! We go to Vegas usually once a year, we always rent a car and check out the country around there. Lots of interesting landscape. what a nice give away- would love to win. Thanks for always sharing all your great ideas! ( Also my dad had a cousin who had a grand daughter whose actual name was Quandie- how neat) Thanks, Patty B.

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    1. Ohhhh, sad news on that front. The cruise we’d booked for this coming fall was just officially canceled last weekend. We’ve rebooked for 2022. But that sure seems like a long ways away at the moment 😦

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  33. When we drive to California next year for my son’s college graduation, we’ll be sure to visit Red Rock Canyon, based on your photos and recommendations. Thanks!

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  34. Like you, the bright lights and gambling of Vegas just don’t appeal so it’s never been on my list of places to go. However, the trails and hiking are most definitely something I’d be interested in and your blog has certainly made me sit up and take note. Vegas May just find itself added to my list of places to visit. It might not be at the top of the list but I think it now deserves a place somewhere on that list. Thank you for sharing your travels.
    Ps. I hope your ankle is better 😘

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  35. I’m sure you were thrilled to be able to get out and travel a bit. The desert is packed with its Own unique kind of beauty. Your Dixie Belle give away looks fantastic. I am itching for a new project and that would get me started.

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  37. Thanks for taking us away to beautiful Red Rocks. Glad you were able to visit your Mom, at last. Hope your foot is already better, and it is great that you were able to hike despite your injury. Love the desert palette of the Dixie Belles. Take care! Connie

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  38. What a generous give away. I have followed your blog for a long time and love what you do. That is a nice make over to your mom’s patio. I am sure she will enjoy it. Thanks for the tour, your pictures are beautiful!

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  40. Well Miss Quandie……is it possible that the back story on this awesome giveaway is some kind of guilt you feel for not posting a painting project? hahahahahaha! But you did give us another interesting travel post and I have to ask: do you really feel drawn to desert scenery? It always feels so stark and dead to me. I have friends who really love the desert and who point out its beauties to me, but my instincts cry out where is the water?, where is the green?, where is the shade? where is Merlin? He’s in the green moist woods! No Merlin, no magic! Then again, I may feel a little too strongly about its! Hahahahaha

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    1. I think you can relate how I feel about the desert landscape to how I feel about mid-mod furniture. I can appreciate the beauty, but it’s not something I want at my house 😉

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  41. Looks like a lovely place to hike! Sorry about your injury but glad for you that you could go see your mom. I enjoy reading your blog, I’m amazed with all the projects you get done!

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  42. I always enjoy your travel posts. Beautiful country does remind me of Bryce Canyon in Utah. I grew up in Atlanta and my mom’s family was from Georgia so most of our vacations were to Utah because my dad was from there. Shoot sorry to hear about your foot injury kinda does put a crimp in one’s hiking agenda. Loved that bistro set you picked up for your mom. You created a cozy little spot for her.

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  46. My husband and I got married in Vegas. The first evening we were there (we married the next day) we took a drive out to Red Rock Canyon. It was getting on sunset and we heard the coyotes in the distance. Loved it!

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  47. Ty for a great giveaway and your generosity. Sorry about your foot I hope it heals soon! Always love your blog posts keep up the great work

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  48. Such beautiful sites! Sorry about you foot/ankle! I’m glad you are having a visit with your Mom! Hopefully we will all be able to travel to more exotic places! I enjoy blog!
    Smiles, alice

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  50. Thank you so much for this post! I live in Los Angeles and Vegas is like our second home. My hubby & I continue to say “we need to visit Red Rock ” and each year and never seem to get there but after reading this blog post I’m definately going to make sure we go this year. Your photos are beautiful! Again, thank you so much for sharing your adventure.
    P.S. Did you know that there is a Goodwill Outlet in Las Vegas? 😃 sometimes there are really great finds there.

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    1. Living so close, you have no excuse for not having been to Red Rock! You definitely must check it out next time 🙂 And I did not know about a Goodwill Outlet, but I did visit the Goodwill in Henderson. It was pretty much just like stepping into my local Goodwill. I didn’t find a single thing that I just had to have.

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