Off-Roading in the Nevada Desert

#eckjeeplife

In 2022, Marshall and I made an exciting leap and swapped our trusty Dodge Truck for a rugged Jeep Mojave. It may still function as a truck, but it undeniably brought out the adventurous kids in us who had always dreamed of cruising around in a Jeep. Bursting with excitement over our new toy, we couldn’t wait to hit the road. So, what did we do the very next day? You guessed it—off we went to the stunning Mojave Desert! Buckle up for a wild ride through one of America’s most iconic landscapes! 😉✨

Walker Lake

Our first official ‘off-road’ adventure in our new Jeep took a thrilling turn just before Walker Lake, leading us up to a breathtaking plateau that offered a stunning panoramic view of this natural gem.

The lake appeared as a mesmerizing blue halo amidst the surrounding brown desert—a sight to behold! However, we were taken aback by how much the water levels had receded compared to historical records. It was a little surreal to see picnic tables seemingly floating over nothing! Like many bodies of water, this precious lake has been shrinking, which has significant implications for local wildlife and tourism (check out the article).

Off-Roading

As we continued to wind our way south, we found many, MANY more pull-offs designed for folks just like us looking for off-road adventures! We were temped down virtually endless dirt roads so many times, we rolled into Vegas several hours later than anticipated. No regrets;)

Vegas Sights

Las Vegas isn’t too far away from Eugene, Oregon for it to be a semi-regular vacation destination for the Eck family . . . 2 days by car or 3 hours by plane. Sometimes we drive and sometimes we fly, but the food and views are always worth the while!

For a wider look at our #EckVegas adventures, check out this earlier photo and travel blog post.

Joshua Tree National Forest

With a kid named Joshua, we had to check these particular trees out and then fell even more in love with them when we start to explore their history and possible future!

This unique specimen ONLY grows in this part of the world and has withstood the extreme elements of the Mojave Desert for ages. As their environments change, the fight to save these trees has only begun (article).

Lake Mead

And last but not least, just below Las Vegas, we took a drive through Lake Mead National Recreation Area. This protected area was a delight to drive through full of both ancient and more recent human history . . . Even managed to capture a rainbow!🌈

Outdoor Cooking

For us, outdoor cooking and off-grid driving just seem to go hand in hand. Here we capture the chef in his natural habitat cooking for families and friends😉

Never-Ending Horizons

And who can forget the skyline in the desert . . . And the sunsets! Never-ending horizons give you the feelings you can drive forever☺️

August 21, 2024 by Tabithaeck Categories: Nevada AdventuresTags: Jeep Life Cast-Iron Cooking, Nevada, Photography Leave a comment

Las Vegas Vacations

Las Vegas isn’t too far away from Eugene, Oregon for it to be a semi-regular vacation destination for the Eck family . . . 2 days by car or 3 hours by plane. A city that inspires (and sometimes overwhelms!) all of the senses, Las Vegas vacations have proven entertaining for us whether we were traveling as a couple or with the kids for a family-friendly Vegas experience.

Family Travel

Despite its strong In 2019 (moments before the the Pandemic, coincidently!) we flew the kids out to Vegas for Christmas and New Years Eve festivities. Every evening the live entertainment as well as the breathtaking views of the various casino attractions kept us occupied and roaming for hours. Daytime jaunts included a visit to Hershey’s Store, pool time and riding the roller coaster at New York, New York, and photo ops at every turn with parrots, pretend hookers and giant rabbits in bathtubs:)

Skylines & Hotels

Inside or out, Vegas offers views in every direction. Truthfully, I found myself taking a ridiculous number of pictures trying to capture the lights or the buildings or the extravagant food from every angle. There’s an exoticness to Vegas that inspires these kind of attempts to capture every moment. For instance, why is it I can stay up until 2pm in Las Vegas, sleep for five hours and then pop wake for a snazzy breakfast under the Eiffel tower at Mon Ami Gabi, but struggle to stay awake past 8:30 pm at home?!?

And the Bellagio Fountains never get old! There’s always some new art exhibit hanging from a casino ceiling somewhere. I know many people talk about the opulence of Vegas, but the same urge to consume rich food, pay for expensive shows, and stay snazzy hotel rooms also helps us appreciate the unique experiences, drink in the sights and sounds of the city that never sleeps.

Beds, Baths and Balconies

Not only is there plenty to see wandering the Strip at ground floor level, Vegas is a city with elevated hotel room views to spare. Each hotel boasts rooms with views of this or that, but our most glamorous hotel experience was definitely at the Cosmo. For our 10th Anniversary, we chose a Suite with open-air balcony and watched the Bellagio Fountains from 19 floors up! We can’t afford that kind Vegas vacation every time, but I am grateful we got to go all out at least once:)

Eating Out

From Tomahawk steaks and Crepes to Fried Chicken and Mocktails, Las Vegas has all the flavors. We will often look for the best hotel deal, but we NEVER skimp on the food! And no matter what hotel we end up staying in, we always go out of our way to make it to Momofuku at least once a trip. It can be hard to get a reservation, but we usually can find a seat at our favorite spot . . . the kitchen bar watching the whole culinary orchestra with front row seats.

Pools & Patios

Pools in Vegas appear to be more for lounging around than for swimming. That being said, with a wide array of hot tubs, shallow pools, and manmade waterfalls as well as more exclusive adult-only pools to chose from, Vegas offers wet options for everyone. Sometimes we made hotel choices based on the kind of pool experience we wanted. In 2021, for instance, we drove down to Las Vegas with our youngest and chose to stay at New York-New York because of the kid-friendly amenities. We could watch the roller coaster from our lounge chairs at the pool!

Road-tripping to Las Vegas

Speaking of 2021, that was the year we jumped into our brand new Jeep Mojave instead of an Allegiant plane ride and ventured south for the scenic route to Las Vegas. Las Vegas is a comfortable two-day jaunt by car from Eugene, Oregon – our home base – with a one night stay in Reno. With stops for all the views and a little rock hounding, we ended up adding about 4 hours to the 2nd leg of our journey. I’d never had a vehicle truly designed to go off-road. It surprisingly fun, almost as if we were going where no man has gone before because we could literally just drive off the side of the road and take off into the desert! And with a car at our disposal, we also did day-trips past Las Vegas and into Lake Mead National Recreation Area . . . but those are stories and pictures for another day;)

In fact, we became such regulars, I created a few unique Eck Family Adventure hashtags . . .

#eckvegas: the main album
#eckvegas2019: we went to Vegas more than once this year;) try #eckvegas2019y
#eckvegas2021: our roadtrip
#teckpanoramavegas2017: our 10th Anniversary
#eckchristmas2019: flew into Vegas with the kids

Bottom line, whether by air or by road, the Vegas experience has always been worth the the miles for us:)

August 19, 2023June 22, 2024 by Tabithaeck Categories: Nevada AdventuresTags: Nevada, Vegas 1 Comment

Jeep adventures with outdoor cooking❤️

Reminiscing about 2022 and off-road Jeep adventures with outdoor cooking in the Nevada desert☺️

When we bought the Jeep Gladiator Mojave back in 2021, we took off the next day for a road trip to the wilds of Nevada. Our first jeep purchase, the truck model gave us a functional pickup truck but also allowed us to go off-road in places a Jeep can take you . . . lower center of gravity and all that jazz. Nevada desert adventures in 2022 did not disappoint!

On this adventure, not only did Marshall bring out the cast-iron skillet for some over-the-fire cooking while off-road, we brought out the Yeti water cooler as well as the Yeti steel cooler to keep us hydrated and the food cold for days! On the website, Yeti’s inventory is always changing but you can check out their current stock HERE. That being said, we’ve found some of our favorite pieces from small resellers who will often offer a slight used model that is no longer being produced;)