![\"Wave](\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Wave-1.jpg\")
<\/a>Ilona:<\/strong> I believe that New Year\u2019s is something special, and I kind of believe that whatever you\u2019re doing on New Year’s Eve you\u2019ll do for the whole next year. This is why I like to do something special, something different and unique.<\/p>\nDarek:<\/strong> Usually around the holidays you have extra days off and you can use them however you want. Of course, we use them to discover new places.<\/p>\n Ilona:<\/strong> Going to the bar is so clich\u00e9. I prefer to open a bottle of champagne in some unique place, surrounded by nobody else\u2014except maybe some animals!<\/p>\n Darek:<\/strong> Ilona showed me a few pictures of this destination and I fell in love. Plus, the Wave is just one part of a big desert and canyon area, so there was a lot more to see. I was excited!<\/p>\n And it\u2019s not only about the Wave\u2014there are so many rock formations like the white castle, the second wave, the big hamburger, the neon, the dinosaur brains and so many others (all with equally weird names!). We even saw dinosaur tracks. All of it is in the Coyotes Buttes North which is the part of Vermillion Cliffs National Monument.<\/p>\n Ilona:<\/strong> And surprisingly (or maybe not), it’s not a national park, so it’s not as easily accessible and or as popular as other areas.<\/p>\n Darek:<\/strong> It\u2019s also a very remote destination, so getting the permit is only half the battle.<\/p>\n Ilona:<\/strong> You have to apply online four months ahead of time<\/a>, and only 10 lucky people win the lottery. Another 10 can get accepted the day before they want to hike as part of a walk-in lottery.<\/p>\n Darek:<\/strong> I remember when I called a ranger in August to ask about my chances to get a permit for December, he told me, \u201cYour chances are slim to none.\u201d So we are very lucky we got it!<\/p>\n Darek:<\/strong> Definitely, but it requires some preparation. I spent days beforehand making sure that we would be able to find our way there, explore the area, and most importantly, make it back to our car safely at the end of the hike.<\/p>\n Ilona:<\/strong> The Coyotes Buttes North is not only about the Wave. There are lots of other rock formations to see there that are really cool\u2014you\u2019ll feel like you\u2019re on Mars! The research that Darek did definitely paid off.<\/p>\n Make sure you get an SUV with four-wheel drive and a GPS navigator with up to date topographical maps. Don\u2019t just use the GPS on the drive\u2014use it while you\u2019re hiking too! When you start hiking, make sure to mark where your car is so you can easily find your way back. Bring enough water and food for a full day hike. Know your surrounding so you know where you are. Have fun, smile and take a lot of pictures (that’s required).<\/p>\n Ilona:<\/strong> Darek\u2019s advice might seem overblown, but it\u2019s really not. Since it\u2019s not a national park, trails aren\u2019t marked and there are only 18 other people in the area who may (or may not) be able to help you should you run into trouble. Bringing the GPS is a huge source of peace of mind\u2014you\u2019ll always be able to find your way back when you need to. Just be prepared, and you don\u2019t have to be afraid. We even saw families with children doing the hike!<\/p>\n Darek:<\/strong> Yes, to travel more and to not be afraid of discovering the parts of our world that are more far flung and less developed than we\u2019re used to. Walking African safari, anyone?<\/p>\n Let\u2019s all add the Wave to our bucket lists<\/a>, shall we? Are any of you traveling this New Year\u2019s Eve<\/a>? Where are you headed? Let us know in the comments!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It\u2019s almost New Year\u2019s Eve, folks, and you know what that means? Our favorite traveling couple is at it again! Darek and Ilona have a tradition of being on the road every year for New Year\u2019s. That\u2019s a pretty awesome tradition, am I right? They finish each year\u2014and welcome each new one\u2014by going on an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":97174034,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[71,69,70,66,114,96],"tags":[1320,1177,921,922,665,145,280,1321,1322,1323,804,714,1319,718,1318],"class_list":["post-97174032","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adventure-travel","category-arts-and-history","category-family","category-interests","category-travel-photography","category-wedding-travel","tag-darekandilonataketheworld","tag-arizona","tag-darek-and-ilona","tag-darek-and-ilona-take-the-world","tag-hiking","tag-holiday-travel","tag-las","tag-new-years","tag-new-years-eve","tag-nye","tag-salt-lake-city-utah","tag-slc","tag-the-wave","tag-utah","tag-wave"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97174032","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97174032"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97174032\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97207996,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97174032\/revisions\/97207996"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97174034"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97174032"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97174032"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97174032"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}2.) What made you choose the Wave for this year’s trip?<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Ilona:<\/strong> I saw a picture of the Wave in an article about unique places to visit and I started Googling it. It turned out to be on the Arizona\/Utah border\u2014which isn\u2019t too far for a quick holiday trip\u2014so I figured, why not go there?<\/p>\n3.) So what is the Wave, exactly?<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Darek:<\/strong> The Wave is a rock formation formed by wind, water, and sand, over a period of millions of years. It’s so unique that the US government needs to protect it. Our first impression when we entered the Wave was just, wow.<\/em><\/p>\n4.) What do you mean, it\u2019s not easily accessible?<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Ilona:<\/strong> The Wave is such a unique place that only 20 people a day can hike there. Maybe this is why it’s not a national park\u2014so that it stays a little bit under the radar and doesn\u2019t get destroyed by people.<\/p>\n5.) Is it worth all the trouble?<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Ilona:<\/strong> Of course! The pictures speak for themselves. It\u2019s an amazing place and I feel so special that I could be there.<\/p>\n6.) What advice would you give to others hoping to visit the Wave?<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Darek:<\/strong> Once you win a lottery, make sure you go there. You don\u2019t know when you\u2019ll get another chance! Don’t be scared off by people warning that you may get lost and end up spending the night in freezing temperatures without food or water, surrounded by wild life. That is a risk\u2014they\u2019re right\u2014but with a little bit of basic preparation, you can avoid all that and enjoy your hike.<\/p>\n7.) Do you have any New Year’s travel resolutions?<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Ilona:<\/strong> Yes! I have one, and I\u2019ll never make another one. We just want to travel as much as we can, as far as we can, and explore this wonderful world. I don\u2019t think we need any other resolution.<\/p>\n