Hi guys, welcome to my annual fall trip!

This time it was to Zion National Park to hike The Narrows; visit Ely, NV to take a sunset and stars train ride; visit Great Basin National Park and ending in Las Vegas, NV!

I had been to Zion National Park before on a tour bus but I never got the chance to hike The Narrows. This is probably the top hike I have always wanted to do and now I finally had the chance to do it!

I had also been to Las Vegas, NV plenty of times but I just wanted a quick overnight trip and explore some new sites.

Instagram and TikToks: Go Watch!

Many of my experiences you can also view on my Instagram and TikTok pages. I always enjoy shooting video for you guys so you can see everything in real time.

Alright…let’s fly! 🙂

Day 1 – Wednesday, September 17

My flight was out of Burbank at 8:55am. Once I got the Turo vehicle, I drove 1 hour and 30 minutes to St. George, UT!

When I got to St. George, UT, my first stop was the Red Hills Desert Garden, which is “Utah’s first interactive desert garden showcasing water-efficient landscapes, endangered species and prehistoric tracks,” according to the desert website.

Also, not too far from the desert garden was the Dixie Rock, which is a large red sandstone formation with views of St. George, UT.

BTW…it was super hot out when I visited – like 95 to 105 degrees! I couldn’t stay outside for too long without feeling like I was going to pass out, so I couldn’t complete the entire garden. It’s worth visiting though!

I then headed toward Zion Vineyards, which is also 20 minutes northeast, to film a winery for my SoCal Uncorked channel. I highly suggest following it! It is a mix of fun and education, it is going very well so far!

Follow the channel to watch the video soon!

For dinner, I went over to Silver Reef Brewing Company, where I had a Mexican Lager and a Cobb Salad. The lager was very refreshing and the salad was light!

Afterwards, I went to Snelgrove Ice Cream for Bischoff Cookie and Peanut Butter Oreo in a waffle cone. It tasted amazing and was the perfect way to cool down!

I wanted to show you guys some photos of my Airbnb because it is well-designed and gorgeous! It has mosaic tile everywhere and has a gnome theme. There are also Cockatoos in a cage!

Day 2 – Thursday, September 18

This was the day I was looking forward to the most: hiking The Narrows at Zion National Park. It’s called The Narrows because it is the narrowest section of Zion Canyon. This gorge has sandstone walls at 1,000-feet tall and the river 20-30 feet wide at times.

The reason why I wanted to hike it in September is because the water level is a bit lower. I really didn’t want to hike The Narrows with the summer crowds and higher water, so this was the perfect option for me. There was one spot where the water was up to my hips but that was about it!

I also rented canyoneering boots, neoprene socks and a hiking pole from Adventure Plus ($35). There are also rental locations in Springdale, UT closer to the park but I didn’t want to drive all the way up and back.

The main attractions along the walk are Mystery Canyon Falls, Wall Street and Floating Rock. After Floating Rock, you need a permit to hike further up the river, but I decided not to do that. The hike from the lower part to Floating Rock is 7.5 miles and takes about 4-5 hours to complete. I completed it in 3 because I decided not to go all the way to Floating Rock. My thighs were killing me and I was getting a bit tired!

I arrived to the Visitor Center’s parking lot at 6:15am because I didn’t want to take an extra shuttle to get into the park. It was still pretty open at that time! The park shuttle picked me up at 7am and it took about 45 minutes to get to The Narrows stop.

Once I was back in St. George, my last dinner was at Social District Bistro. It’s a this cute speakeasy that is hidden behind a boutique! It was very charming and I enjoyed the Assorted Devil Eggs, French Dip, a Pear and Vodka cocktail and Rose and Coconut Margarita cocktail.

The food is unique tasting and it’s an absolute must if you are visiting the area!

Day 3 – Friday, September 19

This was the day I had to drive 3 1/2 hours north to Ely, NV to take the Nevada Northern Railway to take the Sunset, Stars and Champagne ($58) train ride, so I had a long day ahead of me!

But first: I stopped in Pioche, NV, an historic silver mining town known as “Nevada’s Liveliest Ghost Town” due to its Wild West past and enduring charm.

It was founded in 1869 after silver was discovered in the area. During the early years, Pioche had a notorious reputation for violence and corruption, leading to more murders than natural deaths. It has many historic buildings, including the Million Dollar Courthouse and Boot Hill Cemetery.

There are still around 1,000 residents that live here and keep the spirit of the town alive. It was a bit eerie yet cool to drive through!

Once I arrived to Ely, I checked into my Airbnb and got dinner at Mr. Gino’s Italian Restaurant. I ordered a glass of Cabernet and Meat Ravioli. It is considered one of the best restaurants in town and it was very filling!

Later in the evening, I went on the Sunset, Stars and Champagne train ride. It started at 6:45pm and lasted 2 1/2 hours.

Northern Nevada has the darkest, quietest skies in the U.S. for stargazing, making it a very popular destination for tourists! Unfortunately, it was cloudy and rainy that day, so I couldn’t view the stars (I would make up for it the next night). I still had a great time with passengers I met on the train!

FYI: the most popular Nevada Northern Railway train ride is the Star Train, where Great Basin National Park service rangers bring special telescopes to view the night skies. It is only available in the summertime though and sells out fast!

Day 4 – Saturday, September 20

I got up early and drove an hour east to Great Basin National Park. The fall foliage was gorgeous at higher elevations. This park is underrated and I highly recommend visiting it!

Afterwards, I took the 12 mile Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive around the park. This was a shot from Mather Overlook, which is named after first director of the National Park Service, Stephen Mather.

I also took a shot from the Wheeler Peak Overlook. It has impressive views of the Wheeler and Doso Doyabi peaks. Wheeler Peak is the second tallest point in Nevada and stands at 13,063 feet tall!

I also had a ticket to view the Lehman Caves ($12) with a guide. The tour was 60 minutes and the caves were protected as a national monument in 1922 and later combined with the national park in 1986.

The caves have been around since the 1800s and are the longest cave system in the state of Nevada at 2 miles. There are unique formations including the cave turnip and unique wildlife such as the Townsend bats. It is a must see if you visit the park!

I didn’t have time to do a hike around Stella Lake due to combination of thunderstorms and a lack of time. TBH, I didn’t do much hiking since I couldn’t find too many easy hikes, plus I had hiked the day before, so I didn’t want to push myself!

Afterwards, I headed toward to Ward Charcoal Ovens State Park near Ely.

The park features “six beehive shaped charcoal ovens that were used from 1876 through 1879 to help process rich silver ore that was discovered in the area. Once mining ended, the ovens were used to shelter travelers and even had a reputation as a hideout for stagecoach bandits,” according to the state park website.

Later, I headed back to Ely to freshen up and went to dinner at Margarita’s Mexican Restaurant at the Prospect Hotel Casino. I had a Margarita, Chips and Salsa, and a Beef Taco and Chicken Enchilada. I usually get jaded with Mexican food outside of California but this was pretty good!

During the late evening, the skies were clear and I went out of town down the road to see the constellations in the night sky. As I mentioned earlier, Ely has some of the darkest skies in the U.S. – I felt like I was in a planetarium! The picture doesn’t do it justice but I tried!

Day 5 – Sunday, September 21

I had to drive almost 4 hours back down to Las Vegas for a few experiences I had booked.

Like I said, I hadn’t been to Las Vegas in 9 years, so I wanted to check out The Friends Experience at MGM Grand (where I was also staying for the night), the Wizard of Oz at the Sphere and the High Roller Observation Deck at LINQ.

Below are some of the photos I shot along Highway 93 on my way back down.

After I checked into the MGM Grand, I headed to the Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill for a Guava Mule and Mexican Street Corn. I hardly ate anything in the morning but wanted a quick bite to eat before dinner. The drink was fruity and the corn was very savory!

I then headed over to The Friends Experience ($45). I grew up watching this show and it is still my favorite sitcom to this day!

The experience included a wide array of replica props and costumes and behind-the-scenes content of the making of the show. I also had the opportunity to take photos with some of the most iconic scenes, including the fountain, the one with the cheesecake, the pivot sofa, Central Perk and Monica and Rachel’s apartment!

Afterwards, I headed over to the Sphere to watch the Wizard of Oz ($114 upper level). This was absolutely the best thing I did while I was in Las Vegas!

It was 75 minutes and was digitally enhanced as an immersive experience. I read online that it cost $80 million for the project! The arena itself costed $2.3 billion and opened in September 2023. It is 366 feet high x 516 feet wide and can host up to 20,000 people.

 

My final experience of the night was at the High Roller Observation Deck at LINQ ($34.75). It is the tallest observation deck in the U.S. at 550 feet above the Vegas Strip.

The ride lasts 30 minutes and has a 360 view of the city. It also has 2,000 LED lights and is just stunning!

It’s time for the “Last Meal” portion of the blog. So I had a reservation for the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace but get this: the check-in for the reservation line was so long that the host told me it would still take 2 hours to get seated…WHAT?!

So I canceled my reservation and went back to MGM Grand to Netflix Bites. The menu was mostly American cuisine but all I wanted at that point was a Spicy Margarita and Buffalo Chicken Wings. They were both very spicy and filling but at this point I was so hungry and tried that it’s all I wanted.

It was a fun environment and I would definitely recommend trying it!

Day 6 – Monday, September 22

I was up at 3:30am because I had a flight out of Las Vegas at 6:45am back to Burbank.

And that was it! TBH, I kind of overdid it on this trip, especially with all of the driving, LOL! It was a ton of unique experiences at once.

If you have ever been to Zion National Park, Great Basin National Park and Las Vegas, let me know you favorite spots!