The Valley of Fire

 

Today we really worked on our social distancing by doing some hikes in the Valley of Fire. We started the day with a stop at Starbucks and Walgreens to grab breakfast and snacks for the day. The Valley of Fire is about an hour drive from our hotel and in the middle of nowhere. We heard and read that it is more recommended then Red Rock Canyon and less crowded. We were all for that! We arrived about 10:15am and it was already very warm. Ross had found some suggested hikes, so we set out for the first one, a secret/unmarked hike, the Pink Canyon. The blog described it as being just off the road after the 5th significant dip in the road. We were not sure what that meant, but soon noticed the “Dip” signs along the way. We counted five and pulled off to the concrete spot just as described. The canyon isn’t much of a canyon, but still pretty neat. It was a short hike and a nice start to the day. We tried to utilize our bouldering skills that we have been working on, but only for a few photo ops. After a few photos we hopped back in the car to find the Fire Wave trail head. 

The Fire Wave trail was marked, but Ross thinks it hasn’t been that way for very long since what he was reading said it was another secret hike. Clearly we were not the only ones who figured this out. There were a handful of people along the trail, but definitely not crowded. The trail was about 1.5 miles total and it probably took us well over an hour to complete. It was definitely getting hotter, but we had water with us. The water tasted terrible from the camelback bladders, but at least it was water. The colors of the rock formations definitely lived up to the Fire Wave name. Of course the photos never do justice. After relaxing at the trail’s end, marveling at the colors, and taking a few photos, we headed back to the car and one more  longer hike. 

The next trail head we had planned was the White Domes trail. It was just a little shorter at 1.25 miles, but felt the most difficult for me. Not because the trail itself was difficult, but because it was hot and the rubbery, warm-ish water was not sitting well with me. I was still definitely able to enjoy the scenery though! This trail was a loop, which was nice and had a variety of rock formations and trail surfaces. I briefly thought Ross was going to have to leave me in the desert, but clearly I survived and enjoyed the hike. Ross had one more very short hike in mind, which was right next to the visitor’s center. 

We stopped in the visitor’s center first to grab a cold drink and a bathroom break. We failed to look at the map to find where the Balanced Rock trail started, which definitely meant we walked in the wrong direction. We found a path and scaled a few rocks, but did not find what we were looking for. We eventually backtracked and saw the trail marker right next to the parking lot. Whoops! A quick 10 minute walk, low and behold, the Balanced Rock was there. I stopped back in the Visitor’s Center to pick up one more cold drink and we were back on the road to Vegas. 

We made it back to our room by 3:30. Boy were we ready to relax for a minute! The morning was great, but tiring for sure. We each rinsed off the dust and dirt of the day and almost dozed off until dinner time. We stopped down to a Mexican restaurant in the Venetian and shared chips, salsa, and one burrito. We sat right by the canal and watched the gondolas glide past us. We had to get going by 6 because we were headed to the Saw themed escape room. 

I think our escape room challenge started when we hailed an Uber. It was impossible to find where they were supposed to pick you up at the Venetian. Our first driver eventually left because we got so lost. Even with directions from one of the Valets we still couldn’t figure it out. So then, we decided to get picked up from Harrah’s since that seemed to be close by. Well, the main entrance to Harrah’s does not face the strip. We were afraid a second driver would leave and we’d definitely be late for our escape room. Luckily, we found the right place and he was still waiting for us. And he drove nice and quick to get us to our destination. I was nervous that we’d miss our show time, so I called to make sure we were ok. Thankfully, we had extra time than what it said on our confirmation email. 

The outside of the escape room is a bit like a speakeasy. It says Eagan Meats on it, like in the Saw movie. We were greeted at a big wrought iron gate by an employee that let us into the waiting room. We didn’t know how many people would be in our group, but it ended up being all 10 people. This escape room is a little different than others in that we only had some much time allowed in each room. If we didn’t get it, then they just let you through to the next one. It wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be, but I did like that there was an actor along with us. She was like the hints in other escape rooms. I would do another room like that, but with less people and people we know. That’s a good piece of advice for any escape room. 10 people is way too many. It was just chaos and way too much yelling. The rooms themselves were loud, so it was hard to understand anyone. And since we didn’t know each other, even more of a challenge. In the end, we successfully completed 4 of the 7 rooms. I felt like I didn’t help much, but Ross cracked open a safe which was great. We both felt frazzled from the chaotic experience, including the Uber fiasco. Needless to say, that’s where we ended our evening. Not sure what’s on the docket for tomorrow, but I’m trying to convince Ross that we need to take a gondola ride before we check out. 

Steps: 20,258

Laps walked around the Venetian Complex: 4 or 5

Beverages purchased at the Visitor’s Center: 4 (Two ginger ales for my rumbly tummy)

Cost of a missed Uber: $5.49