Three States, Two Worlds: The Strip and the Wilderness
We spent a week in Las Vegas in late December 2022, but this wasn't your typical Vegas trip. We enjoyed the Strip, but we also used Vegas as our base to explore some incredible national parks nearby, including Death Valley, Zion, and Bryce Canyon. We covered three states in one week - Nevada, Arizona, and Utah - and it was the perfect mix of city energy and desert beauty.
Christmas Eve on the Strip
The Cosmopolitan
We flew into Las Vegas and stayed at The Cosmopolitan - great location right in the heart of the Strip and easy walking distance to everything. We arrived on Christmas Eve and spent the evening exploring the Strip. We walked through Bellagio's Conservatory & Botanical Gardens with its beautiful Christmas displays and watched the famous Bellagio fountains - the choreographed water show that goes off every 15-30 minutes. It's one of those classic Vegas experiences that never gets old, and it's free to watch from the sidewalk.
Day Trip to Death Valley
On Christmas Day, we took a small group tour to Death Valley. We hit all the major spots - Zabriskie Point with panoramic badlands views, Badwater Basin, where we walked on salt flats 282 feet below sea level, and my favorite, Artist's Palette. The vibrant colored rocks - pinks, purples, greens, and yellows all swirled together from mineral deposits - were unlike anything we'd seen. The one-way loop road winds through these colorful hills, and the colors are just stunning. At night, we stargazed - the Milky Way stretched across the sky with zero light pollution.
Exploring Lake Mead & Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
We rented a car and drove to Lake Mead and Hoover Dam. We walked across the Hoover Dam memorial bridge on the Arizona side - from there you get amazing views of the dam straddling the Nevada-Arizona border. We stopped in Boulder City for lunch, then headed to Fremont Street that evening to see the night lights and characters.
Valley of Fire State Park
We drove out to the Valley of Fire, only an hour from Vegas. The 150-million-year-old red Aztec sandstone formations look like they're on fire when the sun hits them. We hiked some of the trails and saw ancient petroglyphs and rock formations. Parking was tricky since it was the holidays - the lots were packed, so arrive early if you can.
Zion & Bryce Canyon National Park
We took a Viator tour to Zion and Bryce Canyon - a long day but worth it to see two of Utah's most spectacular national parks. The drive from Vegas takes you through the Mojave Desert and into southern Utah, where the landscape gradually shifts to red rock country.
Zion was our first stop. The park is known for its towering red and white sandstone cliffs that rise up to 2,000 feet. We drove through Zion Canyon and stopped at several viewpoints. The Virgin River carved this narrow canyon over millions of years, creating these massive vertical walls. The scale is breathtaking. It was a cloudy day and there was snow on the ground, though the park roads were clear. We even spotted mountain goats along the way. It was noticeably cooler at this elevation.
By the time we reached Bryce Canyon, it was snowing heavily. This was my first time seeing a national park covered in snow, and it was a completely different view. Bryce is famous for its hoodoos - tall, thin rock spires formed by frost weathering and erosion. They're packed together in natural amphitheaters, creating this otherworldly landscape. The main viewpoint looks down into a huge bowl filled with thousands of orange and red hoodoos standing like sentinels. With snow falling and dusting the hoodoos, the contrast between the white snow and orange-red rock was stunning. At over 8,000 feet in elevation, it was even cooler here than at Zion.
Some Places We Tried and Liked
At The Cosmopolitan, we tried several restaurants - Beauty & Essex with its fun pawn shop entrance and shareable plates, Momofuku for David Chang's creative Asian dishes, China Poblano for its unique Mexican-Chinese fusion, and Red Plate for casual Asian-inspired comfort food. On the Strip, we stopped at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. for casual seafood.
The Variety in One Week
The bright lights and energy of the Vegas Strip
Artist's Palette's vibrant colored rocks and Badwater Basin's salt flats at Death Valley
Ancient red sandstone formations and petroglyphs at Valley of Fire
Massive 2,000-foot cliffs in Zion Canyon
Snow-dusted hoodoos at Bryce Canyon - my first snow-covered national park
From 282 feet below sea level to over 8,000 feet in elevation
Three states, completely different worlds, all from one home base in Vegas
Beyond the casinos and shows, it's the gateway to some of the most beautiful desert scenery in the country. If you're planning a Vegas trip, consider adding a few day trips - the national parks are closer than you'd think.
