Red Rock Canyon, Nevada

Otherworldy landscape, and a great winter climbing destination. Being close to Vegas has its pros and cons. Pros: cheap flights and hotels, cons - it's Vegas. In any case, the climbing is worth the trip.

Best months to visit are March and November. Outside of that window, it is scorching hot in summer, and there are flash floods in winter. 

All kinds of new experiences for me! I saw giagantic lizards, I learned first hand what dehydration symptoms are like, and I almost landed in a giant cactus butt first while rapelling from one of the routes (the cactus was fine). 

Books: Red Rocks, A Climber's Guide, Jerry Handren

Smith Rock State Park, Oregon

Smith Rock is a world class sport climbing destination. 

I am a weekend climber, and most of the famous routes in Smith are out of my reach. But I still really enjoy climbing there - tiny edges, sharp rock, great friction, these are all my favorite things. 

Zion National Park, Utah

https://www.nps.gov/zion/index.htm

We only had time for a short day trip to Zion, and we must go back, with a better camera. The place is unbelievable.  There are several hiking trails around the park, the most famous of them being Angels Landing.

Yes, the trail is crowded, and you would often have to wait in a line to get to the chains protecting the final approach. Suck it up, it's worth it.