Adventure-Us! Summary

I have enjoyed writing about my travel experiences for our COMP111 class.  Even though writing every week sometimes seemed daunting, I enjoyed sharing with others my love for travel.  I hope I have inspired others to take the vacation they've always wanted.  I know that sometimes people don't have $2.500 to spend on an all-inclusive vacation (neither do we, really... haha) but there is adventure awaiting all over your state and country that won't cost you an arm, leg, or your first-born child. 

Yellowstone National Park

The cheapest way to travel is to do it in the off season.  Yes, Las Vegas was so hot in June that I literally felt like every piece of my body was dried up and starving for a drop of water.  But you know what?  It was cheap.  Like, reallllly cheap.  Any now we can say we've been there.  So, do your research, make informed travel decisions, and most importantly, follow your instincts when you're away from home.

I will most likely continue to update this blog beyond what is required for this class but I will be taking a small break. 

 Comment on here with any questions you have and have a great Thanksgiving!

Antelope Island State Park

When visiting Salt Lake City, our favorite day trip is heading up to Antelope Island State Park!  My cousins took me there on my first trip out to SLC, and I fell in love.  I had never seen such a sight.  We were in the middle of the desert, but there were snow capped mountains on the other side of a beautiful reflective lake.  And not just any lake!  The Great Salt Lake isn't the type of lake that you can go catch your dinner in, but it's truly amazing.

My husband and I have made a point to go there the last two summers together (2015 & 2016) and enjoyed seeing some familiar sights but also exploring more.  This past summer we had the chance to see the Fielding Garr Ranch.  It was only open for about 20 minutes more when we arrived, so we kind of breezed through it, but plan on spending more time there next time we go.  If you're into history, you should really enjoy it there.  There's a self-guided tour and a large collection of old tools and memorabilia.  You do not have to pay a separate fee to access the ranch.

One of the best parts about Antelope Island is the Wildlife.  There are tons of bison (literally) and they roam freely.  We have also seen prong horn antelope, jack rabbits, a coyote, pheasant, various cool-looking birds and little lizards.  The best view is from the top of Buffalo Point Trail.  It's a pretty steep hike but the path is well marked and there are a few benches and places to rest on the way up.  From here you can get a great view of the lake and the Wasatch Mountains.

Antelope Island is a great place for anyone looking for a fun day.  This is a great trip for small children and people with mobility issues.  If swimming in the Great Salt Lake interests you (YUCK.... but you may like it, who knows?), Antelope Island is a good place to get in because there are showers and restrooms available.  I'm pretty confident that you're going to want to rinse yourself off.  There's a great little restaurant called The Island Buffalo Grill that serves bison burgers as well as other options.  You can see the menu here.  

Park entrance fees for 2016 are $10 per car (up to 8 people in a car).  For Utah residents over the age of 62, the entrance fee is only $5 per car.  This outstanding state park is definitely worth it!!


Words of the Wise(ish):



*There is very little shade anywhere on the island. Wear a hat and sunscreen.  

*Even though you're surrounded by water, it's SALT water.  You're in the desert.  Pack a bunch of drinkable water.
*Watch out for Bison and other wildlife.  They live there, you don't.  
*I hate that I feel like I need to say this.... but DON'T APPROACH THE BISON!  They aren't as fuzzy and sweet as you may think.

*Take a look around the information center and gift shop.  All of the employees are super nice and helpful and are more than happy to answer any questions you may have.
*Beware of the little biting gnats (some people call them No see-ums). They can get really thick and can kind of be a buzz kill. They are the worst from April-June.  A mesh hat that covers your face and neck wouldn't be a bad idea.

Life Elevated- Salt Lake City

For three years in a row (two for my husband), we've visited our home away from home in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Why Utah, you ask?  First, it's so amazingly beautiful.  Second, a bunch of my family lives there so it's a great time to catch up with everyone.

For a lot of people, mentioning Utah automatically leads them to think of the Mormon religion.  Yes, there are lots of Mormons and yes, there's a temple on every corner.  However, Utah is so much more than church.  Between the mountains, lakes, and deserts, there's something for everyone to enjoy.

My absolute favorite thing about Salt Lake City is the view.  It doesn't matter where you are in the valley.  You could be in the worst neighborhood in the city.  But you can look up and see the towering Wasatch Mountain Range to the east and the red Oquirrh Mountains to the west.  You can stand in a Wal-Mart parking lot and get a breathtaking panoramic view.  As a girl from flat central Indiana, I had a hard time taking it all in at first!

A great day trip is to go up in the mountains by way of Big Cottonwood Canyon.  If you take the road all the way to the top, you will find Silver Lake.  This loop trail is less than 1 mile around and is great for anyone, including small children and those with disabilities.  There are restrooms and picnic tables, as well as a building with information pertaining to the park.  There are no domestic pets allowed in this park due to it being park of the Salt Lake City Watershed (This means that the people living in the valley get their water from this area, so they don't want your dog to poop in it).

I can't recommend any hotels in the area because we always stay with my family.  However, I can tell you that there seems to be some really pretty places downtown.  If you are staying in SLC, I definitely recommend staying downtown or at least visiting it.  City Creek is an outdoor, two level urban mall with cool stores and some restaurants.  If you travel all the way through City Creek, it will lead you to the main event: The Salt Lake Temple.  This place is gorgeous.  We've never been inside the main temple, but just walking around outside it great.  The flowers and landscaping are immaculate and the people are so friendly.  This is a good place to park yourself on a bench and just enjoy the atmosphere.  Depending on where you stay, you may be able to easily catch the train that will drop you off right in the middle of it all.

I could go on forever, but the best part about visiting Salt Lake City is learning for yourself.  Spend the day downtown or head up into the mountains.  Either way, I don't think you'll be disappointed!

Words of the Wise(ish)

*Drink plenty of water.  I know it doesn't seem like it when you're in the city surrounded by mountains, but you're in the desert.  It's extremely dry.  Drink lots of water before you start your day, and if possible, carry some water with you.

*Take chapstick for the same reason as above.  It's dry!

*I recommend deciding whether you're a BYU or Utah fan before you go.  There's no in between. 

Viva Las Vegas

 Everyone's heard of Sin City and it seemed like everyone but me had been there.  So in June of 2015, my husband and I finally made it to Las Vegas, Nevada!  This trip was a part of a two week adventure between Vegas and Salt Lake City, UT.  I'll review Salt Lake in a separate post. 

I was pretty amped up about Vegas.  I had the fantasy of winning a million dollars and meeting up with famous celebrities who would join us for a dinner prepared by Emeril.  That's not quite how it went.  I'm not saying it was a bad experience because it wasn't.  We had a ton of fun!

Our first night in Vegas was kind of a blur.  We arrived so late and we were absolutely worn out.  Once we finally got our rental car and found the hotel (what would have been about 6:00 AM Indiana time), we literally took off our clothes and fell asleep in 5 seconds. 

We stayed at The D in the old part of Las Vegas.  When we finally woke up, we had a good breakfast at one of the restaurants in the casino.  We walked around to a couple of the nearby casinos and took in the atmosphere.  As far as I can tell, The D was really nice.  The room was suuuuper cheap.  I would recommend this hotel due to its convenient downtown location.

After our first day, we left Vegas and returned about 10 days later.  This time we stayed on the Las Vegas Strip at The Luxor.  This was whole different experience.  

The Luxor is massive, and it connects to Excalibur and Mandalay Bay without ever having to go outside.  There is an indoor mall and several dining choices.  My favorite thing about The Luxor, you ask?  THE SMELL!  It smells so good in there.  They obviously put a type of air freshener in their air purification system, and it's awesome.  People can smoke in all of the casinos, but you can't really smell it at The Luxor, which is nice.  We lost all of our allotted gambling money, but we still had a fun time.  The room prices are very inexpensive, so it didn't hurt so bad to lose a little money to Roulette. 

To summarize, we had fun.  Will we be heading back soon? Probably not.  It was a place that we were excited to discover but... well, we saw it.  It's checked off the ol' bucket list.

Words of the Wise(ish)

*Take a pre-determined amount of money for gambling and don't spend any more.  Remember, if you can't afford to lose, you can't afford to play!

*Alcohol is free if you're playing.  Don't go sit at one of the many bars and drink because you'll have to pay for your drinks.  The cocktail servers will eventually come around and bring you whatever alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks you want.  But don't forget to tip!

*Don't go in June.  Or probably in the summer in general.  It's so freaking hot.  I mean, I can't even describe the heat.  Yes it's a dry heat, but 115 degrees is still misery.  We didn't get to explore much outside of the hotel just because it was too hot to function.

*Let your hair down!  It's Vegas, baby!