South Kaibab Trail - Grand Canyon

Our final hike of the trip was the incredibly beautiful South Kaibab Trail. This trail is a bit shorter than the Bright Angel trail but definitely still a challenge. We did a total of 6 miles and had a blast! 

There are a few trail markers along the way - Ooh Aah Point, Cedar Ridge and Skeleton Point. It's something like .2 miles to Ooh Aah Point, 1.5 miles to Cedar Ridge and 3 miles down to Skeleton Point. Just remember if you go down, you have to come back up!

The path is fairly closed off in the beginning, but it really opens up at the aptly-named Ooh Aah Point. It's a great turn around spot for families with children or inexperienced hikers. 

From there, the path is fairly narrow and a little scary at times! I was constantly worrying about one of us slipping off the edge. Realistically, the trail is plenty wide enough and is rarely a straight drop. Just be careful and pay attention to where you are going and it will be fine!

We took a brief break at Cedar Ridge on the way down before making our way to Skeleton Point. We actually went up to the left at the end of the trail so we could get a better view of the river and it was so nice!

Skeleton Point

After resting and enjoying the view, we hiked back up to Cedar Ridge where we used the restrooms that were available (not very pleasant, but still nice that they are there!) and then enjoyed a nice lunch. It's kind of the ultimate picnic spot! I really enjoy taking leisurely hikes and just relaxing with my husband and taking it all in.

This trail is also known for having donkeys going up and down alongside hikers. If you encounter any, be sure to step off the trail and be respectful. The donkeys are used to humans and won't cause any trouble unless provoked. 

All in all, we had an awesome time hiking this trail! It was towards the end of our trip, so we were definitely tired. However, we left plenty of time, took tons of breaks and ate lots of snacks and were just fine. As always, hike responsibly, be mindful of your abilities and the weather conditions and you'll be just fine!

If you'd like any help planning your next adventure, email me at Malena@MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com or check out my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

Rim Trail at the Grand Canyon

After our exciting (but strenuous) hike down Bright Angel Trail, we were ready for an easy hike. We opted to check out the Rim Trail. It's a 2 or 3 mile hike along the rim (how apt). It was a lot of fun! It's paved and there are plenty of places to stop and rest along the way. We even stopped in a gift shop and picked up some postcards. However, I think my favorite part was the views!

All in all, it was a nice, easy hike with stunning views. I would highly recommend this if you are looking for an easy trail or have young (or old) members of your party. It was nice to hike with my friends and just enjoy being in nature.

If you'd like some help planning your next adventure, check out my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

Bright Angel Trail

Our first hike at the Grand Canyon was the bright angel trail! It was so fun and SO exhausting! It is inadvisable to try to hike from the trailhead all the way down to the river and back up in one day. With that in mind we decided to hike down to Indian Gardens or Plateau Point and back up. We were staying at Mather campground so we caught the free shuttle to the trailhead and started our adventure.

It's 4.5 miles from the trailhead down to Indian Gardens (which is lush and beautiful!), so it's a 9-mile round-trip hike if you choose that route. Also, side note, Indian Garden is the perfect place to relax, eat some lunch and get some water. There is also a ranger's station there, which is always good to know.

We were feeling pretty good, so we decided to go the extra mile and a half out to plateau point, adding another 3 miles onto our hike. It was so worth it! We got to see the river and really take in the views. Unfortunately, there were some people messing around on the rocks and not being very respectful. I would highly recommend being a little cautious and staying on the trail if you do decide to venture out to the point. It's really windy, and it only takes one huge gust to blow you off. Be careful! Honestly it was a really great experience.

For me, this trail was an absolute must-do. I highly recommend it! Just be safe, pack lots of water and snacks and bring a trail guide. I suggest you check out this trail guide: https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/upload/BrightAngelTrail.pdf
It was tremendously helpful!

As always, if you'd like help planning your next adventure, visit MilesintoMemoriesTravel.com.

A Pit Stop at Hoover Dam

After a brief visit to Las Vegas we embarked on our four hour drive to the Grand Canyon! Fun fact -  about a half an hour into the drive, we run right into the Hoover Dam! It was definitely worth a pit stop for some beautiful pictures. If you do this trip yourself, pro tip - drive past the first three pay-to-park lots. If you drive across the dam, there is FREE parking available there! After we parked (for free!) we hopped out of our car and made our way out on the dam. It was absolutely beautiful!

It was a bit of a trek to reach the main area, but it was definitely worth it! There are even bathrooms out on the dam. They are up in these little towers and everything! 

The views were spectacular, and I'm glad that we took the time to check out this piece of Americana. 

I will say the sun was absolutely brutal. Definitely load up on sunscreen, grab a hat and brace yourself. The desert sun is no joke! It didn't take us a long time to check it out, so we were all glad we took the time to check it out. 

If you ever want help planning your own adventure, let me know! Check out my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com, or send me an email at Malena@MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

Vegas Baby!

The time had finally arrived! We were ready for our vacation - Vegas, Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon and back to Vegas! The flight to Vegas was pretty uneventful (just how you want flights to be!) 

We landed in Vegas pretty early in the day, so we got our rental car and got on our way. We checked into the hotel and then made our way to the strip. I really wasn't too excited for this portion of our trip, but I had never been to Vegas so I was eager to explore. The hotels in Vegas are just absolutely unreal! They are whole shopping malls! I absolutely loved the different themes. Like Paris:

And New York:

And Venice!

It was a blast to just stroll down the streets and take it all in.  It was so much fun to see all the famous sites you always see in movies! It was also exciting to see the casinos. I myself am not a big gambler, but I set aside a little bit of money to play with. Sure enough, my husband and I had fun! We even tried our hand at black jack. I wanted to try it - even if it was $15 per hand! We didn't lose toooo much money but called it quits pretty quickly. I did win it "big" on the Big Bang Theory slot machine! Of course, we pretty much just won back the money we spent, but still! We walked away with a whopping big profit of $6. Boom. All in all, Vegas was fun but way over priced. I would probably go back again, but there are definitely places I would like to visit first. 

Hiking Necessities

I'm a huge fan of the outdoors, so naturally I jump at the chance to go hiking anytime I can! Besides going on plenty of local hikes, I've gone for a hike in New Mexico and an extreme hike (coasteering) in Portugal. Coming up? The Grand Canyon! We are planning to go hiking just about every day. We are quite excited! That said, it's so incredibly important that you are well prepared for your trek. Here are some items I recommend bringing with you on your day hike!

Here we are hiking La Luz Trail in New Mexico! I'm in the middle wearing orange and rocking that knee brace. Note the tall socks, long-sleeve sun-shirt and hat. #Prepared

Safety Equipment

Even if you are going on a small day hike, you should be ready for an emergency. I personally like the bring things like: waterproof matches, some rope (I have a paracord bracelet), emergency blanket, first aid kit and a whistle. That way should I fall or get hurt, I would have what I need to survive a night or two in the wilderness. Obviously, I hope to never need any of these items, but I can hike with a relaxed mind knowing I've taken the necessary precautions.

Of course, you should also carry your cell phone, but unfortunately, that's not fool proof. Phone batteries often die when you are out in the wilderness (thank you, roaming). That being said, you can opt to bring an external battery to recharge as needed. I also highly recommend bringing a paper map - don't really solely on your phone for navigation!


Protective Gear

Regardless of your skin complexion, you need to protect yourself from the sun! Skin cancer doesn't discriminate! That being said, I recommend wearing sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, a long-sleeved sun-resistant hiking shirt and tall socks. Bug spray will also make your hike a little more comfortable. And don't forget to re-apply your sun screen!

If your neck is prone to burning, I recommend flipping your collar up, tying a bandana around your neck, or investing in a buff. A buff is a stretch tube of sun-protectant fabric that can be worn in a  zillion different ways. I tend to wear mine as a headband or as a neck/ear protector. Don't forget that bandanas make great multi-purpose items! You can bandage a wound, wipe down your gear, use it as a sweat rag etc. Always a good thing to have nearby!



More Food and Water Than You Think You Need

This seems obvious, but I can't stress it enough! Bring more food and water than you think you need. Do not skimp! What if you get lost? Or the water source is dry? Don't set yourself up for a bad situation - come prepared. Regardless of the length or duration of your hike, you need to treat nature with respect.

If you'd like some help planning your next big trek, I'd love to help. Visit my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

The Best Place to Get Discount Hiking Gear

We are mere weeks away from our Grand Canyon trip so we are taking inventory of our hiking gear. Now, we will be "car camping," so we don't need to worry too much about the weight of our packs. That makes life much easier! When we go on over night hiking/backpacking trips every ounce counts, but in this case, we will be just doing day hikes with smaller packs and leave our big gear behind at our campsite.

Day hikes or not, you still need good gear. Your body will thank you for it! I have a bad knee, so I pay special attention to things like hiking shoes, knee braces and trekking poles. Fortunately, I've found great ways to avoid going broke trying to acquire the gear you need. Here's my secret: REI. And, no I am not sponsored by them, nor do I work for them. I'm just a big fan!

When I first got into hiking, I was rather broke. So naturally when I heard that REI had a "garage sale" I was all about it! This sale happens periodically and essentially they take very lightly used gear and drop the price like CRAZY. I'm talking I found a pair of hiking shoes for $10! These are high-quality shoes that ordinarily would cost at least $100, and I got it for 90% off!! I was thrilled! Now full disclosure - these are not the cutest shoes in the world. I would much prefer a more sleek version, but for $10, I was sold.

Next up, my knee brace. I originally tore my MCL in high school and then again in college. It's been a long road and unfortunately, my doctor-prescribed knee brace bit the dust after a particularly tough soccer match. Now this is no way medical advice, but if you find yourself in need of a general brace, I've found you can pick up perfectly adequate braces at your local drug store. Every situation is different, but I love drug store braces! And it's especially great if you can use a coupon and get it for a discount.

Finally, I got a screaming deal on trekking poles! My husband is an REI member (I know, I know. I'm repeating a source, but it's how I roll!), and he gets notifications of sales and at the end of the year he gets a dividend. We use that dividend check and try to combine it with other discounts and save up for when we need a big ticket item - like trekking poles. We've done it a few times for things like our tent and sleeping bags.

Quality gear can make a huge difference in your hiking experience. Before you buy a knock off version or a slightly sketchy item, try to find a creative way to buy a better product at a lower price. It's worked for me! And I can't wait to put my gear to the ultimate test next month at the Grand Canyon.

2018 Travel Plans

2018 is finally here, and I've already started making my travel plans for the year (of course). I was talking with my husband, and I realized I really haven't seen that much of the U.S., despite spending the majority of my life here. So that's our mission: see more of the U.S. Not to mention, that's a good way to save up for our big trip to Australia/ New Zealand/ Japan in 2019.

The first trip we're in the process of planning is the Grand Canyon! We will probably fly into Vegas and road trip it out. I've actually never been to Vegas either, so we will have to have some fun while we are there too. I'm hoping to see some shows and see what Vegas has to offer!

Over at the Grand Canyon, we will probably spend quite a bit of time hiking. We might hike down to a waterfall and camp there for a few days. We shall see! We are still in the very early stage of planning, but I can't wait to start nailing down details. I've heard that camp sites book up fast though so we will hopefully get everything nailed down and booked by the end of January.

During the year, we will hopefully have some time to do some smaller trips to maybe Chicago, Pittsburg, Detroit or Toronto. Who knows!

Finally, I think our last trip will be down to Texas. We haven't worked out the details just yet, but I can't wait to try me some quality barbecue! We'll see how things play out, but there is a possibility of a trip to Albuquerque for Christmas. Our itinerary is still being determined, but I can't wait to see how the year plays out.

If you need help narrowing down your travel plans, I'd love to help. MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.