My 5 Favorite Things About Living in Las Vegas
1. No Fleas, Ticks, or Mosquitos
Not having fleas could be my favorite thing about living here. Sure people can bring them when traveling here with their dog, but fleas just don't survive our climate. So yay for blazing hot, dry summers!
As far as ticks and mosquitos, we do actually have some, but it's uncommon. In my 34 years here, I only recall finding ticks on my dogs on 3 occasions. Granted, I didn't do much hiking in my 20', so I can probably just count the 24 years. Two of the tick incidents were after hiking off of Lovel Canyon, so now I just avoid that area. I don't remember where I hiked before finding the first one.
Mosquitos can be found near the wetlands area during certain times of the year, but that's about ut. During the housing crash when there were tons of vacant houses with green pools, they may have been more of a problem around town, but not anymore. Since they are isolated to a small area and only a portion of the year, it's pretty easy to avoid them.
2. No State Tax
Not having to do another tax form and shell out more money on taxes is amazing! Not much more to say about that.
3. Lake Mead
Even though I moved to the north end of town, Lake Mead is still less than an hour from my house. So no matter where you live in Vegas, the lake is pretty close. During the summer, I'll usually spend a day out of every weekend paddleboarding and swimming. Sometimes, I just drive there to let my dogs swim for an hour or two and they have a blast.
4. Mount Charleston
Mt. Charleston is just 30 minutes from my house and maybe an hour if you're on the south side of town. During the summer it's about 20 degrees cooler than Vegas and it's rattlesnake-free. It's the only local place I take my dogs hiking in the summer. I just don't want to risk the rattlesnakes in the desert. During the winter there is usually some snow and even a ski area. Though I have no idea if that is still up and running. I'm not a skier, so I have no idea if the lifts are still there. I feel like 30 minutes is the perfect distance to travel for snow. Any less than that might be too close to home.
5. Hiking
We're surrounded by open desert with a variety of trails. They may not be the most scenic trails, but they exist and they go on forever.
That's my 5. I love to hear what you love about living in Vegas. Am I missing out on something?
If you love to travel, you'll want to follow the blog circle to get the inside scoop for other areas, starting with Elaine Tweedy of I Got the Shot Photography talks about how one small town grew into an artists' mecca.
What's more beautiful than a sunset? Your dog in front of a sunset!
14 Comments
Jan 23, 2022, 11:45:04 AM
Nicole Hrustyk - hahaha yes. Before I moved here, I was like - wait there are houses there? haha back then Vegas was so little and unpopulated. Boy, I miss those days.
Jan 23, 2022, 11:02:00 AM
Darlene - So jealous of no ticks and mosquitoes - horrible here in MA!!! LOVE that image of the water dog in Lake Mead - light is stunning! Las Vegas has soo much more to offer than "the strip" so I'm loving this post!
Jan 22, 2022, 10:05:38 PM
Nicole Hrustyk - Holly, Lake Mead is really clear and beautiful!
Jan 22, 2022, 10:04:53 PM
Nicole Hrustyk - Elaine, it is really nice!
Jan 22, 2022, 10:04:29 PM
Nicole Hrustyk - Thank you, Tracy!
Jan 22, 2022, 5:56:30 AM
Tracy Allard - Gah, your images are always so gorgeous, you really do a great job with exposures. Bright sun and desert surroundings tend to wash things out, but your images are always so textured, rich and dreamy. Just love your work!
Jan 21, 2022, 12:48:19 PM
Holly - Lake Mead is on my "I want to do under water photography there" list. And the desert is just on my "I want to do a photo session there" list. What an amazing place to live!
Jan 21, 2022, 11:58:11 AM
Elaine - The beauty of "no fleas, no ticks, no mosquitoes" can't be stressed enough. Beautiful options showcased by your photos!
Jan 21, 2022, 10:45:25 AM
Nicole Hrustyk - We do have some nice hikes. Definitely, not the drop-dead gorgeous hikes that you have, but special in their own ways.
Jan 21, 2022, 10:22:43 AM
Angela Schneider - No ticks? Sign me up! Would also love to try hiking around Vegas.
Jan 21, 2022, 9:04:06 AM
Nicole Hrustyk - If I move someplace nice and green, I will definitely have a lot to learn about what meds to give my dogs, how to keep mosquitos off of me, etc.
Jan 21, 2022, 9:02:37 AM
Nicole Hrustyk - This was a good topic for me because I'm usually complaining about the heat, the endless greedy construction, the overcrowding, etc. It was good for me to remember the things I like about being here.
Jan 21, 2022, 8:27:38 AM
Terri - Vegas sounds like a great place to live! I love you photos especially the one in the water
Jan 21, 2022, 6:52:02 AM
Courtney Bryson - Coming from Georgia, I can't imagine not having mosquitoes! They are a year round problem here!