Zion, Bryce, Havasu and In Between

For as long as I can remember, I've had a strong desire to see every nook and cranny this world has to offer.  You could tell me it was the most miserable place on earth and I think I'd still want to go there.

I'd love to mark off lots of places in the US before expanding out, but other countries often call my name and you just have to let things flow the way they want.  Due to my love for travel, here is my first TRAVEL POST.

This past summer...late summer...I had the opportunity to visit Havasupai Indian Reservation and added Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park onto the trip.

HAVASUPAI 

To get to the falls, you hike 10 miles from Hulupai Hilltop down a dirt and gravel road (also a river bed during heavy rains) to the village of the Havasupai Indians then continue 2 more miles to the campground and Havasu Falls.

Havasu Falls is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.  The water is so blue...I thought all the photos I had seen before were photoshopped, but no.  Calcium occurs naturally in the water and the deposits cause the coloring.

Hiking through the brush to the next set of falls

PAGE, ARIZONA

  

Horseshoe Bend wasn't very adventurous as far as the hike out to it, but definitely worth feeling "touristy".  

Lake Powell

BRYCE CANYON

This is a great place to see if you just want to drive straight up to the attraction.  It takes literally, zero hiking to see the most amazing colors in stone formations.  These crazy formations are called hoodoos and the early Mormon settlers to the area would allow cattle to graze in the valleys between.  Talk about losing a cow!

The famous Thor's Hammer

ZION NATIONAL PARK

I drove into this park during the sunrise hours.  We left Bryce around 4:30 in the morning to get to Zion first thing and start our hike of the Subway.  The drive in from the East was spectacular.  You come through the famous Zion-Mount Carmel tunnel completed in 1930 and wind down a road into the valley between the mountains.  The sun was just peaking over the edges of the ridgeline and casting amazing shadows on the stone to the west.  I tried to wake Jesse from his slumber, but he was pretty exhausted.  I owe him big time for taking the first driving shift and allowing me to experience that God-proof moment.

       

  

I must admit that while hiking the Virgin Narrows was one the most different and exciting things I've done, it was also a bit unnerving.  There were flash flood warnings out for the day we hiked this and while it didn't rain on us while hiking, there were storm clouds looming the entire afternoon.  The rain hit while we were camped out up on a little dirt mound above the flash flood line.  The muddy water you see me hiking in is the day after the rains.  The day before, the river was so clear we could see the bottom.

Our last night in Zion we sat and admired the view.  A sidenote:  everything in the dessert will attack you.  Never try to wear flip-flops or walk anywhere barefoot.  Even the most inconspicuous plant has spikes and teeth.

We ended the trip with a drive up the west side of Zion to go Rock-Hounding in the backlands of Utah and then finished up with a relaxing day in Vegas.  If you can imagine Vegas being relaxing at all.

I would highly recommend seeing this part of the country whether you consider yourself an adventurous soul or not.  You can't look a single direction without seeing something that baffles your mind and causes you to wonder at the mighty creativity God encompasses.

HPW, WDW

Jesse and I have been dying to go to Harry Potter World ever since we found out about it.  We finally made that trip in early August.  I'll agree, not the best time to visit Florida.  The heat is a little over the top, but with the way the weather has been going in TN, it was no different than being at home.

It was even better than we had expected!  The craftsmanship (not sure if that's the right word for it) was unbelievable.  The buildings in Hogsmeade looked just like I had imaged they would.  And when you entered into that section of the park, you couldn't see any surrounding areas, so it was like you had just stepped into another place.

I love roller coasters.  Sometimes, they give me a headache if there is too much jerking around, but I still have the desire to ride it just to find out.  Jesse decided on this trip that he does not like roller coasters.  He's more of a water park guy.  So we spent a few hours at Blizzard Beach on our last day in FL.  And if you didn't know this....if you stay at the water park for less than 4 hours, they will give you a rain check to come back another day of your choice. 

The only picture we got of the entire weekend, since neither of us thought to take a camera.

Not really the most flattering picture of either of us, but I think the expressions on our faces tell the story of the entire weekend.

Side note:  If you are ever in Orlando and have a few minutes to drive somewhere good to eat, try out Yellow Dog Eats Cafe.  We loved it!

Fripp Island

So the family headed out to Fripp Island, SC this year for vacation.  I must say, at first, I was not excited.  The entire island itself is basically one big golf resort, and seeing as to how I don't golf anymore...well, yeah.  But it turned out to be lots of fun.  The beach there is amazing and there is so much wildlife!

A few pics, since I didn't take many...

Seattle, Snowshoes, & Spaceships

So Stinky took me to Seattle for Valentine's Day this year.   We had a blast.   Friday we did the Savor Seattle food tour in Pike Place Market.  If you ever go to Seattle, this is a fast and fun way to try a little of everything the market has to offer.   We really enjoyed it.  We even went back on our last day to buy treats from almost every place we stopped on the tour.



Daily Dozen Doughnuts = Amazing!




Chukar Cherries = Delicious!

  

We also went to the Experience Music Project by Frank Gehry, which also houses the Science Fiction Musuem.   I liked the chocolatey outside (the building) and Jesse loved the warm gooey center (the exhibit).   A hit for both!


Jesse was really excited about the Star Trek, I mean Battlestar Gallactica Exhibit.



I planned the first day and Jesse planned the second.  I must say, I think he outdid me.  We went to Olympic National Park and cross-country skied the Hurricane Ridge Trail.   After that, we did a snow-shoe guided tour.   I had never tried either and really had a blast with both.  I fell a lot on the skis.  It seemed like the people making the tracks that had gone before me had really skinny legs and the ability to keep their feet super close together.   Most of the time I felt like a flamingo standing on one leg or a polar bear rolling around in the snow.

I couldn't get the entire tree without backing off the ridgeline and causing an avalanche.

That's Jesse close to the top in the orange jacket.

Clouds literally "rolling" in.  It was insane how fast they moved

Gaudi or Gaudy?

So my mom called this morning.  She's in the middle of planning her trip to Spain and wants to visit Barcelona while there.  Apparently she was researching on the internet in an attempt to find the "architecture" worth seeing in Barcelona.   So our phone conversation went something like this:

Mom:  I typed in "architecture in Barcelona" and all that keeps coming up is this Gaudi stuff.  Do you know him?

Me:  Yes, he did a lot of the known architecture in Spain.

Mom:   Well it all looks like piles of mud.   Aren't there any historic cathedrals or anything?

Me:   I'll get online and see what I can find for you.

Turns out, mom is just as good at internet research as I am.

Gaudi's Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona

insects

Just some cool bugs I found...all on different days.  I didn't even realize I had taken so many bug photos until I went to download my pics.

Found this HUGE spider in Alabama while Dove Hunting with my cousin, Colin

Just trying to show how big he is.

This is the same spider that has been building his web in front of my apartment all summer.  As soon as someone tears it down, he starts over again.  I don't know how many times I could start over.

It was a very detailed web!

This furry creature was at my parents house, taking the sidewalk up to the porch.  :)   I loved his fuzzy feelers.