I know this is out of order but bear with me. Today was the last day of our road trip around the Southwest. After a week, four states, and twelve national parks my mom and I are finally home. Reasonably, we are both very tired so todays story of how we went all the way from Death Valley’s 108 degree weather, to mountains of snow in Yosemite and finally home to our lovely little Santa Cruz. However you will have to wait one more day for the photos and the fully story. Stay tuned!!
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Utah Trip: Horseshoe Bend, Vermillion Cliffs and Everything Navajo
Sunday, June 19th, 2011Due to lack of internet I could not post this last night, but here it is now that I have internet. The story of yesterday. 🙂
Today was a day of reminiscing, we went back and visited many places that we saw last year on our road trip to Michigan and loved. The first of our most memorable revisits was Horseshoe Bend, a colossal gooseneck near Lake Powell.
This extraordinarily impressive geological monolith is one of my favorite views I have ever seen. Sadly the lightning was a far cry from last years and resulted in shadowed photos. Good photos or not, this was beyond amazing and I am really glad to go back and have another chance to see this unique structure.
One of the most memorable parts about going to Horseshoe Bend last year was the amazing lizard we found. This beautiful creature had spots and brightly orange colored stripes. He was gorgeous and today I was on a lizard hunt in hope of finding a similar lizard. In the end I did, see the next post for the full story but here is one photo for now.
Our next revisit was to the Vermillion Cliffs, which includes the Navajo Bridge and the Cliff Dweller’s Lodge. This wonderful park is surrounded by beautiful red cliffs and blue skies.
The first part of the park contains the Navajo Bridge, which bridges the beautiful Colorado River.
The Cliff Dweller’s Lodge is home to one of my favorite photos I have ever taken. The old adobe home on the side of the road with turquoise door and window frames that can be found at the Cliff Dweller’s Lodge is a truly beautiful little piece of ancient times. Before I gave the picture of only the door and window, but now here is the entire house.
Surrounding this old home are the Vermillion Cliffs and these strange boulder homes that have been built up and once upon a time, lived in. These strange homes are littered about in a hap-hazard fashion but are extremely intriguing due to their balanced and fragile looking structure.
While exploring these old places my mom and I were having fun stopping at every single Native American jewelry stand we came across. All over the side of the roads are little stands full of gorgeous hand made jewelry, dream-catchers, and pottery. We had a lot of fun shopping around and talking to the local Navajo’s about their beautiful home.
After a long day of reminiscing we took an unexpected turn and decided to go to Death Valley.
We had plans of going to Bishop and then Devil’s Postpile National Park, but found out that it is still closed due to the snow pack they still have. So yes, a strange choice for the summer where even at night it is 107 degrees outside, but we did it anyways. So tonight we find ourselves staying at the Stovepipe Wells in the heart of Death Valley after driving down an omnisouly straight and long road out into the desert.
Tomorrow we will hike out before sunrise to see the sand dunes in the early morning glow before the sun bears down on us with its unforgiving heat.
Tags: colorado river, death valley, desert, geological, horseshoe bend, jewelry, lizard, memories, Navajo, navajo bridge, Vermillion Cliffs
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Posted in Photos, Travel Updates |
Utah Trip: Capitol Reef, Canyon Lands, and Arches
Thursday, June 16th, 2011After last nights flat tire we were left behind schedule in Escalante instead of Moab for the night. As a result we had a lot of ground to make up tonight and did three national parks in one day. The first was Capitol Reef, a national park full of brightly colored cliffs, beautiful aspens, and petroglyphs.
We saw many cool things in this park. The first was a little hidden cliff dwelling. I am not sure whether this is ancient (I doubt it) or something someone just decided would be cool to make but either way it was really interesting and cool.
Also there was Chimney Rock and an old cabin out in the middle of the park.
The petroglyphs around the park were probably my favorite part in this park. You could totally walk by and not notice this beautiful remnant of the past. They have an eerie beauty about them and are so intriguing.
It was a beautiful park but I wish we had more time to explore this amazing park. The geological wonders around this park are astounding.
Next was Canyonlands National Park.
Reminiscent of the Grand Canyon, this park has an overlook over vast canyons and deep crevaces in the earth. It is amazing to see the land strecthing for miles with jutting cliffs and sheer canyon walls.
We visited the Mesa Arch which had an amazing view of the canyons through the archway.
We were chased out of the park by a lightning storm. It was pretty epic, the skys had quickly clouded over with dark angry clouds which did not hesitate in releasing bouts of rain and lightning followed by the deep boom of thunder. We headed over to Arches after that hoping to get some exploration in before the storm really hit.
It was extremely overcast and threatening so we made our trip very brief. We drove in to try and do a hike at the Windows collection of arches.
We got to see Balanced Rock and the Garden of Eden.
However we did not hike due to fear of the lightning and massive amounts of tourists. There were so many people around the arches that it just wasn’t worth it so we left. They were like ants and good photos were not even possible because the monuments were covered in people.
So instead we are going to return to Arches really early in the morning before all the other people arrive. So stay tuned for better pictures of Arches tomorrow.
Utah Trip: Grand Staircase Escalante Part 2
Wednesday, June 15th, 2011You thought our day was over? Nope, not even close. We then headed over to the next part of the national park to go try and see some more slot canyons called Peek-A-Boo Canyon and Spooky Canyon. From the top of the trail it was pretty unassumming.
Little did we know that we had to climb far down to reach the bottom of a canyon in one hundred degree weather only then to reach the slot canyons. It was brutal sliding down the cliff knowing that later I would have to climb back up them with the sun beating down on my back.
We then reached the first slot canyon which was Peek-A-Boo and realized we were unable to do it. With a combination of clumsiness and heat exhaustion we were unable to climb into the canyon. Obviously I was extremely upset about this when faced with the possiblity of having come all this way for nothing.
After a long deliberation we decided to push on and go see the other canyon, Spooky. It was amazing. Spooky is a true slot canyon meaning it is a claustrophobic persons worst nightmare. You have to duck, crawl, and squeeze your way to advance in these canyons but they are so worth it.
The sculpted walls of the canyon are beyond art and beyond all other natural creations. Sometimes it is hard to believe that they were sculpted not by mans hands but by something else.
Like this one for example, the kissing rocks. These two sculpted walls from the right angle look like people kissing. How could that be an accident? The answer? Mother nature is amazing beyond all words
It is quite the experience squeezing through this tiny little gaps. You can feel ever line in the stone, the coolness as you brush your fingertips along it, and you can hear the breeze passing through the canyon’s corridors.
It really was amazing and a must have life experience. They are so unique and marvelous, it is amazing to think that these formed naturally and are not actually pieces of art sculpted by who knows what.
Our day however didn’t end happily, we were stuck on the side of the road in one hundred degree weather with a flat tire. We were going to have to wait but a wonderful person came and saved us! So we are behind schedule now but not by much. We got our butts kicked by these amazing hikes but it was all worth it in the end!
Tags: canyon, color, grand staircase escalante national monument, heat, peek-a-boo, sculpt, slot canyon, spooky, squeeze
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Posted in Photos, Travel Updates |
Utah Trip: Grand Staircase Escalante Part 1
Wednesday, June 15th, 2011Today I started out my morning on the rim of Bryce Canyon watching the sun slowly surmount the hoodoos and cliffs of Bryce in an amazing sunrise.
After that we headed next door to Grand Staircase Escalante National Park for some amazing views and hikes. So we went outbacking in our lovely Outback.
Our first hike of the day was at Willis Creek Trail, this turned out to be an amazing hike along a river that cuts through a slot like canyon. It was awe inspiring and I have never seen anything quite like it.
The lines and shapes created by the wave like stone were extraordinary. The colors were so vivid and bright that you became enveloped in the canyon walls. Even the river was dyed a deep orange red color.
There were three separate slot canyons on our hike each slightly different and uniquely beautiful.
One canyon had a surprise of its own, a rattlesnake. Fortunately the people ahead of us spotted it but it was extremely agitated. Coiled against one side of the walls, hidden half in and half out of the shadows it sat rattling its tail and hissing at us. Needless to say it was scary and we worried about him alot on our way back, wondering where he might now be located.
The third and final canyon was the most spectacular and was a great finale to an amazing hike. The walls were marvelously sculpted and the color was out of this world.
Tags: color, grand staircase escalante national park, hike, rattlesnake, red, river, sculpted, slot canyon, willis creek
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Posted in Photos, Travel Updates |
Utah Trip: Bryce
Wednesday, June 15th, 2011Bryce was the next, highly anticipated stop on our trip. I have never been there before but my mom and dad rave about how beautiful and breathtakingly awesome this national park is. So naturally we went, because I am a national park spoiled brat.
We were able to experience our first real wildlife besides lizards and a few sparse chipmunks. There were pronghorn antelope all over Bryce and they were relatively close to the road as well.
Caught in the act of…. being an antelope?
Bryce is the epitome of what Utah is to me. An amazing place full to the brim with wonder and majesty. Red rocks, blue skies, amazing geological formations, and of course gorgeous hikes.
We took a quick driving tour of the entire national park and took some photos of the canyon from all sorts of angles including the famous Natural Bridge, Thors Hammer, and Agua Canyon.
We decided to take a hike deep into the heart of Bryce Canyon. To get there we had to climb down a series of steep switchbacks leading into a narrow canyon. It was an amazing descent into this beautiful landscape and I have never seen anything quite like it before now.
And of course you have to have fun along the way.
This was easily one of the best hikes I have ever been on. We were almost totally alone walking through nicely wooded areas surrounded by steep red, orange, yellow, and white walls. The hoodoos of course were amazing to look at and the views were astounding. There really are not many places quite like this. You have to go into the canyon like we did on our hike or else you miss a gigantic piece of this beautiful picture.
Utah Trip: Zion
Tuesday, June 14th, 2011Today was our first real day of adventure on our Utah road trip. Our very first destination was the upper section of Zion National Park called the Kolob Canyons.
Sadly the lighting was terrible so I couldn’t get great photos of the terrific landscapes that were all around us. There were giant canyons with walls seemingly stretching to the skies and rivers that paved roads for giants. It was quite the sight and to enhance the experience we decided to take a hike up Taylor Creek. A nice six mile hike along a river that eventually ends at a double blind arch.
We had a lot of fun crossing rivers running along the red sandy pathways, and just enjoying the magnificent scenery all around us.
The arch was enormous and had the best deep red color surrounded by bright green plants. It was quite the sight but we were chased away after a few quick pictures by bugs.
We also found some old cabins in the middle of the woods from old settlers who passed through Zion long ago. They were beautiful and haunting, nestled deep in the woody wilderness that strectched within the many canyons of Zion.
After Zion we tried to go to Cedar Breaks National Monument but it was closed due to snow. Yeah, you heard me right, closed for snow in mid June… in Utah. Weird, right?
We made due and instead stopped at Red Canyon which had some amazing spires and gorgeous red rock pillars.
While there is grandeur all around us there is still simple beauty everwhere. One of these sources are the amazing wildflowers scattered about all of Southern Utah. They simply add the final touch to all the beauty that we have experienced on this trip already.
Tags: arch, cedar breaks national monument, hike, river, taylor creek, utah, wildflowers, zion
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Posted in Photos, Stories, Travel Updates |
Utah Road Trip Day 1
Monday, June 13th, 2011Today was a driving day. With each days goal in mind we have set out again on another road trip to try to grasp just one corner of nature’s beauty and try to hold onto it. AS always, our beautiful country has so many wonders it is near impossible to see them all. But that will never deter my attempts. The following week my mother and I will be doing a road trip around all of southern Utah, seeing national parks, hiking, running, photographing, and having a generally awesome time together in the desert sun.
Utah is one of my favorite places to visit because it has such astounding beauty that is unlike any beauty i can seen near me. Red rocks, canyons, desert expanses that stretch for miles, and of course the bluest skies you will ever see. Our trip began today hours before dawn heading out to St. George, UT, right past Las Vegas. This means that our day was entirely full of about thirteen hours of driving without any planned stops along the way. However any good road tripper can find amazing little adventures and detours to occupy time and make the day seem less daunting and more fun. Our first stop was to take pictures of dilapidation.
One thing about desert is that there is no end to the amazingly broken down and graffitied houses on the side of the road. It just so happens these are some of my favorite things to photograph. So we pulled off down a tiny road and found three old homes that had long since pasted their prime days.
Shells of their former self, gutted, empty and abandoned, left only for the sun and time to slowly peel away the paint off the walls, these houses are the definition of desolation. Here they are simply forgotten remnants of a life no one seems to care to remember. They have a sadness and a mystery that hangs from the broken ceiling beams that I find extremely alluring.
Speaking of forgotten desolate places, our next stop was a tiny ghost town that could hardly be called that. Just a few miles from Mojave Desert National Park is Silver Lake, or what little is left of it. An old Talc mining town, today there are only a few scarce building foundations buried in sand and a cemetery with a few solitary head stones.
On a happier note we then made our way to the Devil’s Playground in Sin City, yes Las Vegas. We stopped to gorge ourselves on the Bellagio’s glorious buffet and do a little shopping in 100 degree weather. Look I even have proof
As usual the food was glorious and we had to sample all sorts of delectable treats that elsewhere we would never find.
We also explored the gardens in the Bellagio which were beautiful and with some sort of American patriot theme.
So here we are after the first of many days to come of adventure. Tomorrow the fun really begins with our first national parks including Zion, Cedar Breaks, and Bryce Canyon. I can’t wait but for now we can only wait for dawn to come and watch the sun slip away behind a veil of red.
Tags: cemetery, desert, desolation, dilapidation, empty, ghost town, graffiti, Las Vegas, silver lake, St. George, utah
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Posted in Photos, Stories, Travel Updates |
Spring Break: Jerome
Saturday, April 9th, 2011We spent the night in Sedona again because it was so extraordinary. My mom and I started out the day in Red Rocks State Park with a run. We explored the perimeter of the park that overlooked all these towering red rock pillars like the Catthedral, and many others.
After that we left Sedona behind and began our journey tp Phoenix. We made many stops along the way. Pur first stop was in Jerome.
Jerome is an old ghost town that used to have a billion dollar copper mining industry. It was an amazing place, a town built into a gigantic mountainside. My brother was going to try to climb the massive mountain on his bike but that idea was vetoed due to the steep treacherous climb to the top. Despite this the town was extremely quaint and different from most places I have been and was a nice little adventure plus lunch.
There were two strange notes of interest while we were in town. As we drove to the top of the mountain we were turned around to a fatal car accident. This sent us back into town were we then realized that the cop all over the town were there not due to the accident but because there had been a mental hospital patient who had escaped here and they were searching for him. A strange day but interesting nonetheless.
After our exciting time in Jerome we headed to Tuzigoot National Monument where there were some more indian ruins.
It was here again we spotted the mysterious Gabriel up to his mischievous self.
The strange specimen followed us around the park and was in no manner camera-shy.
The ruins were interesting and there was quite the storm brewing overhead. We were watching as the angry clouds were gathering and lightning was striking off in the distance.
Next n our list was the famed Montezuma’s Castle. A well-known cliff dwelling ruin national park. High in the rock walls there was a series of old adobe cliff dwelling homes nestled into the mountains face.
Another impressive set of indian ruins. Sadly we didn’t have time to go see Montezuma’s Well and instead moved on to Phoenix for our next adventure.
Tags: accident, copper, fatal, indian ruins, jerome, montezuma's castle, storm, tuzigoot national park
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Posted in Photos, Travel Updates |
Spring Break: Sedona Day 1
Wednesday, April 6th, 2011Yesterday we stayed in beautiful Sedona Arizona. It was just like Zion except covering more space. The red rocks are beautiful and tower over this quaint little town.
My mom and I started out the day with a long hike up on top of a mesa. It was difficult but entirely worth it. We had to climb up the face of the red rock mountain. It was beautiful with the red rocks contrasting against the blue sky painted with delicate clouds.
From the top of the mesa we could see the entire town and all of the monoliths surrounding us. We were standing amid the giants of Sedona and it was amazing.
Probably my favorite part of the hike was the overlook of a huge red rock monolith. There are mitten shaped rocks like those in Monument Valley, but this was not just a mitten rock but an awkward turtle rock. A double-sided mitten.
After the hike my mom and I set out on an adventure in search of indian ruins around Flagstaff. First on the list was Walnut Canyon National Park.
We had to climb down into a canyon via 285 feet of stairs. It was quite an interesting descent into this dry canyon. FRom there we had to walk around a little island of sorts to find the ruins which were imbedded in the walls of the canyon.
We got to climb into and explore inside of the ruins but still, hard to compare to Mesa Verde. Next up was Wupatki indian ruins.
The ruins were on top of an oddly balanced rock and we could climb around in them. It was nice to see this huge pueblo house in the middle of the painted desert.
Then we headed to another section of ruins in the park that were comprised of three parts.
It was a long and exciting day full of adventure. We are staying another night in Sedona before moving onto Phoenix for more adventure. We will see what the next few days hold for us as Spring Break winds down.
Tags: beauty, jordan park, mesa, red rock, walnut canyon national monument, wupatki national monument
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Posted in Photos, Travel Updates |