Day 174 - Moab, UT - SUNNY Low 70's:
Breakfast was delicious today!! Ben made eggs and English muffins. Sometimes it just tastes so good. We planned to head to Arches National Park today as did Billy and Sara so we figured why not go with the more the merrier idea. Our first trail was to Devils Garden. Here we passed by a number of those famous arches including, Black Arch, Landscape Arch, Tunnel Arch, Partition Arch, and ending at Double O Arch. It was a fun hike that at times found us blazing our own trail...we made it though and once we arrived at Double O we explored a bit before sitting down below the arch to have lunch. Billy and Sarah have been taking fun jumping photos at every location and so at Double O Arch we also all took part in a group jump photo. It was pretty entertaining for the crowd to watch us accomplish this feat!! I think we took like 70 pictures and came out with one or two that look good for all of us! After accomplishing our photo we made our way back out the six miles and headed out to find the famous Delicate Arch.
The Delicate Arch is without question the most photographed Arch in the park. It is the Arch on Utah's license plate and what you see in most photographs of the park. It was a one and a half mile hike up to the arch which we did pretty quickly. Once we were there we were all taken a back by the beauty and uniqueness of this magnificent piece of nature. We took plenty of photos. It was amazing to be hiking in the heat and to be able to see the Rocky Mountains in the distance. We again blazed our own trail out allowing us to see the arch from different angles. Ben and Billy had fun playing on the rocks making Sara and I relatively nervous!!
From Delicate Arch we made our way to Balanced Rock. This was just a quick half-mile walk but to see this MASSIVE rock balancing up so high was pretty incredible. Both Sara and Ben separately commented on how the hope no one is around when that thing falls because it's going to be a BIG fall.
Once we were done at Balanced Rock we separated as Ben and I needed to head into town to get some gas and water for tomorrows adventure to Canyonlands. We had learned yesterday that Moab is having a car show this weekend which is why KOA was sold out. Well we ran into the car show traffic today. It is really bizarre because they don't actually have any sort of parade but people line the streets in their camp chairs just to watch cars go by...I mean they have picnic tables and grills, it's really quite interesting.
We returned to camp and Ben headed off to join Sara and Billy in the pool. I wasn't really interested and instead decided to hang out at the site and update the BLOG!! We're getting ready for dinner and plan to play cards and enjoy our company before they head off to more adventures tomorrow!!
Day 173 - Cortez, CO to Moab, UT - Overcast and Rainy Low 60's:
We got a bit of a late start out of the hotel heading for Moab, UT home to both Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. The weather wasn't great and so spending the day in the car didn't actually bother either of us all that much. Before we left though we made a quick return to Walmart so Ben could get a MUCH NEEDED haircut. It's certainly no Laura Savage Hair Design but it did the trick!
We stopped at a scenic overlook called the Needles Overlook. It's part of Canyonlands. The park is unique as it is the most rural and undeveloped as well as least visited park in the National Park System. It has three unique zones all independent of one another meaning you can't get there from here.... There is the Needles, Maze and Islands In The Sky. We plan to spend time at Islands in the Sky and so we took the twenty-two mile drive to at least see Needles. The weather of course wasn't all that cooperative and therefore the pictures don't look great but we could see it with our eyes at least!
Other than the overlook, the drive was pretty uneventful until we reached Moab...well about 12 miles south of town but I think it's technically still in the Moab city limits. Here we discovered a place called Hole N The Rock. We had no idea what it was but decided to pull in and check it out. We learned that this location had long been a resting place for miners and travelers through Utah in the 1800's. Eventually Albert and Gladys Christensen bought the land and through blasting and carving, created a restaurant within the rock. Eventually the need for the rest area dwindled and they decided to build their dream home within the rock. The work was done through the 1940's and 1950's but unfortunately Albert passed away before the home was finished. His wife Gladys though continued the work and today it is a fourteen room house and gift shop. They offer daily ten minute tours which we decided to pass on as you can get a look in the kitchen and wander the gift shop for free. Outside they have some of the most random sculptures and items you will ever see....take a look at the photos for what I mean! It's a unique place and I must say I can't imagine the thought process that went into deciding to build a home in a rock but it makes for a great tourist stop!
Not far after the Hole N the Rock we came upon our first arch called Wilson Arch. Naturally we HAD to get out and play and as you can see in the photos it was quite fun!! From there it was straight on to Moab. We had reserved one night at a KOA figuring we would decide if we liked it and then extend after that. Bad Plan. They were booked for Saturday so we ended up leaving there and moving to the Moab RV Resort. It turned out to be a great decision as we ended up meeting Billy and Sara from New Hampshire. They are on a two month road trip and are only three weeks in!! We spent most of the evening chatting with them...it's so fun to be able to offer advice and share stories.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Cliff Dwellers
Day 172 - Cortez, CO - Partly Sunny Mid 40's:
Today we got moving after a nice breakfast and made the three two and a half hour drive to Mesa Verde National Park. On our drive from Kayenta we drove right by the Four Corners Navajo Monument but unfortunately it was closed due to constructions. So, I woke Heather up to take a couple of picture of pictures of the sign and decided that it will have to be a place we come back to.
We made it to Mesa Verde around 1:30 this afternoon and made a quick stop at the visitor center to buy tickets to tour the Cliff Palace House and the Balcony House. We didn't have much time so we quickly drove to the Cliff Palace House and got there just as the tour was starting. From the overlook we got our first look at the Ancestral Pueblo Cliff Dwellings. They are really amazing!! Our ranger gave us some quick background information on the Pueblo people and how they still don't know exactly why they constructed and moved into the cliff dwellings to just turn around and move out in less then 100 years.
The Pueblo people were mesa top farmers and primarily grew corn, beans, and squash. They began by constructing pit houses on the mesa around 600 A.D. These houses were dug into the earth a couple feet and then adobe and pole walls were constructed on top of hole. Then for the next 600 years they began to use stone slabs and adobe and then layered masonry. It was some time around 1100 AD that they Pueblo Indians began to abandon the mesa top and build their home in the many alcoves along the canyon walls. One of they theories on why the Pueblo Indians left the Mesa area was because some time around 1276 AD drought started and lasted 23 years and many of the natural springs dried up and forced the Pueblo Indians to move to new area where water was more abundant.
After our little history lesson the Ranger guided us down about fifty steps onto the level of the Cliff Palace House. We were told that this is the largest cliff dwelling in North America. We got to walk along the edge of they area and we told the stories of the ceremonial Kiva pits. The dictionary defines a Kiva Pit as "An underground or partly underground chamber in a Pueblo village, used by the men especially for ceremonies or councils." It is said that "The kivas at Mesa Verde were underground chambers that may be compared to churches of later times. Based upon modern Pueblo practice, Ancestral Puebloans may have used these rooms to conduct healing rites or to pray for rain, luck in hunting, or good crops." Every "home" in Cliff Palace had a Kiva. Each Kiva had a small round hole inside, the Ancestral Pueblos believe that this is where they came from...it is through this hole that their spirits came to life. The cliff dwellings were amazing. The stone work, all done without modern tools, has withstood time and weather. There have been a few attempts by the Park Service to fix things that were falling but each time their work (with modern tools and technology) failed to hold like that of the Pueblo people. After spending about a half hour looking around the site we made our way out via a very small path between the rocks and a fifteen foot ladder! **It is important to note that all of these structures had roofs at one point and therefore would have been interconnected.**
From Cliff Palace we made our way to Balcony House for our second tour. This is said to be the most adventurous dwelling in the park. We started with another short history lesson on top of the Mesa before heading down a long path to our first stop. Here we were able to see one of the two springs located at Balcony House. These were of course the water supply for the Ancestral Pueblo people who lived here. Just after the spring was the VERY TALL 32-foot ladder that would take us to the Lower Plaza which had three rooms. These rooms were likely used for food storage. From here we walked through a narrow passageway to the North Plaza. This area consisted of eleven rooms as well as a large open area surrounded by a retaining wall (this is original to the Balcony House). It is thought that this area may have been used as a dance floor, an area for young children, or a gathering area for ceremonies. The rooms were good size and had balconies' on them (hence the name) these balconies served many purposes including drying things, watching children from above, and viewing the magnificent canyon. From here we went through another narrow passage with neatly cut steps which led us to a large room with two Kiva Pits. The North Plaza and Kiva Plaza were originally connected by a door that was eventually covered by the Pueblo people before their departure. **It is important to note that all of these structures had roofs at one point and therefore would have been interconnected.** Once we finished examining Kiva Plaza we made our way to a VERY small tunnel. It was only eighteen inches high and therefore we had to crawl through, this led to a taller area where we could stand momentarily before having to duck-walk through another tunnel. This led us to a series of steps and two fifteen foot ladders finally bringing us back to the Mesa top. It is important to know that we took the "easy" way in and out of the dwelling. The Ancestral Pueblo people used what are called hand and toe hold trails. In other words they climbed the side of the cliffs using small holes for the hands and toes!!!
After finishing the tour we made our way back to the top and took a ride on the 6-mile Mesa Top Loop. This had a number of easily accessible exhibits and overlooks. Here we saw Pit Houses, more Cliff Dwellings, and Sun Temple which is an establishment that was never completed and never had any inhabitants. It is believed that this was being built to accommodate the increasing number of Pueblo people moving to Mesa Verde in ceremonial activities. We made a quick stop in the museum where we were able to see many of the artifacts discovered in the cliff dwellings. This includes tools, toys, sandals (if that's what you want to call them), food, and pottery. One of the most interesting artifacts was a large pottery pot that contained CORN. Yes corn from sometime around the year 1260. It was CRAZY!!
Once we had seen the museum we headed out of Mesa Verde and made our way to Walmart where we stocked up on supplies. We were headed to Moab the following morning for what potentially could be the our last camping spot and needed to get the necessities. After that it was dinner and a soak in the hot tub before heading to bed!
Today we got moving after a nice breakfast and made the three two and a half hour drive to Mesa Verde National Park. On our drive from Kayenta we drove right by the Four Corners Navajo Monument but unfortunately it was closed due to constructions. So, I woke Heather up to take a couple of picture of pictures of the sign and decided that it will have to be a place we come back to.
We made it to Mesa Verde around 1:30 this afternoon and made a quick stop at the visitor center to buy tickets to tour the Cliff Palace House and the Balcony House. We didn't have much time so we quickly drove to the Cliff Palace House and got there just as the tour was starting. From the overlook we got our first look at the Ancestral Pueblo Cliff Dwellings. They are really amazing!! Our ranger gave us some quick background information on the Pueblo people and how they still don't know exactly why they constructed and moved into the cliff dwellings to just turn around and move out in less then 100 years.
The Pueblo people were mesa top farmers and primarily grew corn, beans, and squash. They began by constructing pit houses on the mesa around 600 A.D. These houses were dug into the earth a couple feet and then adobe and pole walls were constructed on top of hole. Then for the next 600 years they began to use stone slabs and adobe and then layered masonry. It was some time around 1100 AD that they Pueblo Indians began to abandon the mesa top and build their home in the many alcoves along the canyon walls. One of they theories on why the Pueblo Indians left the Mesa area was because some time around 1276 AD drought started and lasted 23 years and many of the natural springs dried up and forced the Pueblo Indians to move to new area where water was more abundant.
After our little history lesson the Ranger guided us down about fifty steps onto the level of the Cliff Palace House. We were told that this is the largest cliff dwelling in North America. We got to walk along the edge of they area and we told the stories of the ceremonial Kiva pits. The dictionary defines a Kiva Pit as "An underground or partly underground chamber in a Pueblo village, used by the men especially for ceremonies or councils." It is said that "The kivas at Mesa Verde were underground chambers that may be compared to churches of later times. Based upon modern Pueblo practice, Ancestral Puebloans may have used these rooms to conduct healing rites or to pray for rain, luck in hunting, or good crops." Every "home" in Cliff Palace had a Kiva. Each Kiva had a small round hole inside, the Ancestral Pueblos believe that this is where they came from...it is through this hole that their spirits came to life. The cliff dwellings were amazing. The stone work, all done without modern tools, has withstood time and weather. There have been a few attempts by the Park Service to fix things that were falling but each time their work (with modern tools and technology) failed to hold like that of the Pueblo people. After spending about a half hour looking around the site we made our way out via a very small path between the rocks and a fifteen foot ladder! **It is important to note that all of these structures had roofs at one point and therefore would have been interconnected.**
From Cliff Palace we made our way to Balcony House for our second tour. This is said to be the most adventurous dwelling in the park. We started with another short history lesson on top of the Mesa before heading down a long path to our first stop. Here we were able to see one of the two springs located at Balcony House. These were of course the water supply for the Ancestral Pueblo people who lived here. Just after the spring was the VERY TALL 32-foot ladder that would take us to the Lower Plaza which had three rooms. These rooms were likely used for food storage. From here we walked through a narrow passageway to the North Plaza. This area consisted of eleven rooms as well as a large open area surrounded by a retaining wall (this is original to the Balcony House). It is thought that this area may have been used as a dance floor, an area for young children, or a gathering area for ceremonies. The rooms were good size and had balconies' on them (hence the name) these balconies served many purposes including drying things, watching children from above, and viewing the magnificent canyon. From here we went through another narrow passage with neatly cut steps which led us to a large room with two Kiva Pits. The North Plaza and Kiva Plaza were originally connected by a door that was eventually covered by the Pueblo people before their departure. **It is important to note that all of these structures had roofs at one point and therefore would have been interconnected.** Once we finished examining Kiva Plaza we made our way to a VERY small tunnel. It was only eighteen inches high and therefore we had to crawl through, this led to a taller area where we could stand momentarily before having to duck-walk through another tunnel. This led us to a series of steps and two fifteen foot ladders finally bringing us back to the Mesa top. It is important to know that we took the "easy" way in and out of the dwelling. The Ancestral Pueblo people used what are called hand and toe hold trails. In other words they climbed the side of the cliffs using small holes for the hands and toes!!!
After finishing the tour we made our way back to the top and took a ride on the 6-mile Mesa Top Loop. This had a number of easily accessible exhibits and overlooks. Here we saw Pit Houses, more Cliff Dwellings, and Sun Temple which is an establishment that was never completed and never had any inhabitants. It is believed that this was being built to accommodate the increasing number of Pueblo people moving to Mesa Verde in ceremonial activities. We made a quick stop in the museum where we were able to see many of the artifacts discovered in the cliff dwellings. This includes tools, toys, sandals (if that's what you want to call them), food, and pottery. One of the most interesting artifacts was a large pottery pot that contained CORN. Yes corn from sometime around the year 1260. It was CRAZY!!
Once we had seen the museum we headed out of Mesa Verde and made our way to Walmart where we stocked up on supplies. We were headed to Moab the following morning for what potentially could be the our last camping spot and needed to get the necessities. After that it was dinner and a soak in the hot tub before heading to bed!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Monument Valley
Day 172 - Kayenta, AZ - WINDY and Rainy Mid 60's:
We slept in for the second day in a row. We knew that the weather was not going to be too cooperative so we had planned a day of work and organization. I spent the day in the hotel working while Ben played Mr. Housewife. He did our laundry, brought me lunch, washed the car, and vacuumed and cleaned the inside of the car. Unfortunately washing the car ended up making no difference because the wind picked up like nothing I've ever seen. It was blowing so hard that you couldn't see down the street because of all the sand and dust in the air. I think the car is actually dirtier now than before he washed it :(
Once I was done with work we both hit the gym for a run. After showering we decided to have dinner in the hotel restaurant. It was quite good and nice to not have to cook!! We then worked a bit on organizing all of our stuff in the room so we can pack the car up in the morning...we were going to do it tonight but it's still raining! Tomorrow we're off to Mesa Verde. We were hoping to camp but again the weather is not going to cooperate in terms of temperature so we'll be staying in a hotel again!!
Day 171 - Kayenta, AZ - Sunny Mid 70's:
Ahhh a comfortable bed sure beats the floor of the Grand Canyon!! We slept in today and took our time getting ourselves organized before heading to Monument Valley. The hotel is about thirty miles from the park so it was a quick trip. This is said to be one of the most photographed parks in the country.
We started at the visitors center where we learned about the history of not only the park but also of the Navajo people. They are an amazing group of spiritual people who believe that if we don't take care of the land we have it will all disappear. From there we headed out on the 17 mile loop road that takes you through the beautiful formations. This park has been home to movies (Stagecoach being the most famous), advertisements, and photos all over the world. It is BEAUTIFUL. The park is full of the most amazing rock formations. They almost seem out of place as they are independent standing so far apart. Some are closer to each other than others but they still look bizarre in the scenery. The park is still home to many Navajo people who had settled here before it was deemed a public park. These men and women live here, have farm animals, and sell jewelry and art to tourists that come through. It's amazing to see how they still make their living here in the middle of the desert. It is important to note though that they live without so much and with so little. I was astonished to learn that 60% of Navajo homes still have no electricity. It is an important thing to learn about and I plan to find out more about these amazing people.
After the park drive we made our way back to the hotel. Ben decided to go for a run but my legs were still too sore. After he was done we cooked dinner and relaxed in the room. We were both enjoying the time to just lay low and hang out watching American Idol and Biggest Loser as well as GLEE!!
We slept in for the second day in a row. We knew that the weather was not going to be too cooperative so we had planned a day of work and organization. I spent the day in the hotel working while Ben played Mr. Housewife. He did our laundry, brought me lunch, washed the car, and vacuumed and cleaned the inside of the car. Unfortunately washing the car ended up making no difference because the wind picked up like nothing I've ever seen. It was blowing so hard that you couldn't see down the street because of all the sand and dust in the air. I think the car is actually dirtier now than before he washed it :(
Once I was done with work we both hit the gym for a run. After showering we decided to have dinner in the hotel restaurant. It was quite good and nice to not have to cook!! We then worked a bit on organizing all of our stuff in the room so we can pack the car up in the morning...we were going to do it tonight but it's still raining! Tomorrow we're off to Mesa Verde. We were hoping to camp but again the weather is not going to cooperate in terms of temperature so we'll be staying in a hotel again!!
Day 171 - Kayenta, AZ - Sunny Mid 70's:
Ahhh a comfortable bed sure beats the floor of the Grand Canyon!! We slept in today and took our time getting ourselves organized before heading to Monument Valley. The hotel is about thirty miles from the park so it was a quick trip. This is said to be one of the most photographed parks in the country.
We started at the visitors center where we learned about the history of not only the park but also of the Navajo people. They are an amazing group of spiritual people who believe that if we don't take care of the land we have it will all disappear. From there we headed out on the 17 mile loop road that takes you through the beautiful formations. This park has been home to movies (Stagecoach being the most famous), advertisements, and photos all over the world. It is BEAUTIFUL. The park is full of the most amazing rock formations. They almost seem out of place as they are independent standing so far apart. Some are closer to each other than others but they still look bizarre in the scenery. The park is still home to many Navajo people who had settled here before it was deemed a public park. These men and women live here, have farm animals, and sell jewelry and art to tourists that come through. It's amazing to see how they still make their living here in the middle of the desert. It is important to note though that they live without so much and with so little. I was astonished to learn that 60% of Navajo homes still have no electricity. It is an important thing to learn about and I plan to find out more about these amazing people.
After the park drive we made our way back to the hotel. Ben decided to go for a run but my legs were still too sore. After he was done we cooked dinner and relaxed in the room. We were both enjoying the time to just lay low and hang out watching American Idol and Biggest Loser as well as GLEE!!
It's a long way down....
Day 170 - Grand Canyon, AZ - SUNNY starting in the 80's ending in the 60's:
We headed out for our long trip to the top at 7am. We knew it would be warm and so we wanted to beat as much heat as we could. On the way out we took the Bright Angel Trail. This trail is longer (9.5 miles) but is a little..VERY little but little nonetheless easier than the South Kaibab Trail. We anticipated as they told us we should that it would take about double the time to get out as it did to get in...so that meant around six or so hours for us to make it to the top.
It wasn't long before we were both VERY warm and taking off as many layers as we could. We kept a good pace though and made it to the halfway point (Indian Garden Campground) in about two hours. The trail was uphill naturally but not too bad. We knew this meant that we were in for it on the second half of the trip.
I can't even describe how difficult the second half of this hike was...I don't think I've ever worked that hard in my whole life. We stopped about every half hour for a rest. Both of us were drenched in sweat and exhausted. As we were hiking though we did run into two people from Bangor. They were amazed that we had started at the bottom that morning! We trudged on and finally after FIVE LONG HOURS we made it to the top. I have never been so happy to see the car!!
Before we did any unpacking we weighed our bags to see how much we carried out. Ben weighed in at 35lbs while I weighed in at 25lbs as you can see in the picture but I had started out with an additional 4lbs of water. We were both proud of ourselves and of each other for accomplishing our goal of hiking in and hiking out. After a quick stop at the Marketplace to return the trekking pole (WHICH WE WERE VERY GLAD WE RENTED) and so Ben could get a coffee and an ice cream before hitting the road for Kayenta!
We arrived in Kayenta around 5:30pm and got cleaned up! We ordered pizza for dinner and sat on the bed replenishing our bodies. A little later we ordered a DELICIOUS lava cake from the restaurant. It was SOOO good. Unfortunately I think that I ate just as many calories as I burned!! Oh well...
Day 169 - Grand Canyon, AZ - SUNNY Upper 80's:
We got up early to have breakfast and head out on the Rainbow Falls trail. It had been made clear that this was a LONG HOT HIKE so we wanted to be sure to get out early. We were fortunate that the majority of our way to the falls we found ourselves in the shade. It was a nice hike that followed Bright Angel Creek toward the North Rim. We arrived at the falls around 11:30am and sat down to have lunch. We were both quite hungry at that point. Once we were done lunch we wandered around the falls...I could tell Ben had something on his mind and it wasn't long before he said that he wanted to in the water. I told him to HAVE AT IT!! As you can see in the pictures he went for it and his face tells you just how cold the water was! He had a good time though and smelled a bit better when he came out of the water :). Once he was done and dried off as well as he could we started our way back to the campground. They weren't lying when they said the hike was hot. Almost the entire way back was in the BLAZING sunshine. I felt like we were crossing the Sahara! Anytime we found shade we stopped for a break.
When we got back to camp we both were again exhausted and so we took much needed naps. It's amazing how much energy the sun can take from you. Once we were awake we walked over to Bright Angel Creek to stick our feet in for some relief. This water was just as cold as the Colorado but I didn't care because it felt so good to stick my feet in even if it was just for a second or two at a time!
We didn't do much for the rest of the afternoon other than read and have dinner. We waited for the canteen to open at 8pm so that we could get a lemonade and a sticker. At about 7:40pm we headed over to wait outside...I was wearing my Red Sox shirt and when we got there it sparked a conversation with two couples. Turns out they were from SOUTH PORTLAND. Yes, South Portland, Maine! We chatted with them for quite some time. They were SO KIND. When the canteen finally opened they were generous enough to buy Ben a beer and a lemonade for me. We were so grateful. We chatted for quite some time, they had made their way down today with a guide and were heading out on Wednesday eventually making their way to Scottsdale. We hope they had a GREAT time on the rest of their trip.
We finished our drinks and headed back to camp for an early night...it would certainly be an early morning!
Day 168 - Grand Canyon, AZ - SUNNY starting in the 70's ending in the 80's:
Our day started BRIGHT AND EARLY at 6am. Our goal was to make the 7am hikers express bus knowing that we would be more likely to get on the 8am bus. Well we were right and we arrived at the backcountry office at 7:45am. Before we hopped on Ben weighed his bag and it was about 45lbs. I didn't weigh mine because at the time I didn't want to know but we figured it was likely around 30lbs.
We got on the bus and headed to the South Kaibab Trailhead. This trail is 7.2miles long with an elevation change of 4800ft. In other words you go downhill the entire way. It is CRAZY steep and really takes a tole on your legs and knees. While you are going down the temperature is going up.
As we walked down there were three guys we kept going back and forth with who turned out to be from Massachusetts and one of them even went to Bowdoin...small world. As we made our way down we were amazed at how things that seemed so small from the top were ENORMOUS. Every time it seemed like we were getting closer to the bottom we would turn another corner and be SOOOO far away. While hiking we did get to see mules making their way down the canyon. It's pretty neat to see them making their way down!!
After 3.5 hours we finally made our way to the HUGE Colorado River. From the top it looks like it's only about an inch wide however by the time we were there we found that it was 330ft wide! Fortunately there are two suspension bridges that cross the river. We crossed the 440ft wide black bridge. It's pretty nuts to walk across. Once we were across we found a picnic table under a tree where we stopped for lunch. While there the mules we had seen earlier on the trip finally made their way past us!!
After lunch we headed to the Bright Angel Campground. We found a site that had some shade and set up camp. When you get there the first thing you have to do it put all your food, scented items, and plastic bags into the ammo boxes they provide. The squirrels and deer at the bottom are very aggressive and if you don't put your food in the boxes they will eat through your pack to get to it!! We did that and then quickly changed into our flip-flops so that we could explore the area. Unknown to me until we were at the park was the fact that there is a ranch at the bottom called Phantom Ranch. Here they have cottages and bunkhouses for people who get reservations and want to stay. They also have a canteen and dining room. I was shocked! After looking around we decided to head back to camp and rest a bit.
We laid down in the tent doing our best to stay cool...It was SO HOT at the bottom. By the time we reached the bottom the temperature had changed approximately 50 degrees from when we woke up!! I took a catnap but Ben needed a bit more rest and slept for quite a while. Once he was up we made our way to the river to stick our toes in and see if any rafters were at the Bright Angel Beach. There weren't any rafters but we did get up close with the river. The Colorado River is HUGE, FAST, and FREEZING. I don't know how people were rafting without wetsuits. We were lucky enough to see the river in its most natural color of reddish brown due to the runoff from the canyon. In the summer its actually a tropical green color because of the river being damned according to the rangers.
From the river we made our way back toward Phantom Ranch for the afternoon ranger talk. Today's topic was "The Colorado River". The ranger told about many of the firsts in the river including the first men to swim the Grand Canyon. Here's a bit about them from Amazon, "April 10, 1955: the water temperature was 51F, and a fierce wind buffeted two men as they entered the Colorado River at Lees Ferry. Bill Beers and John Daggett had set out to swim the river through the Grand Canyon. At a time when fewer than 200 people had run the river in boats, this was daredevil try and illegal. Their equipment was primitive: Army-surplus rubber boxes to carry gear, thin rubber shirts, woollen long johns and swim fins; they also took a movie camera to record the adventure. Twenty-six days and 280 miles later, bruised and battered, they left the river at Pierce Ferry." After the ranger finished the story she was quick to tell us the moral of the story...NEVER SWIM THE COLORADO RIVER. We also learned about Georgia White who was the first woman to raft the Grand Canyon and changed the way commercial rafting was done and is still done today. She was quite remarkable and innovative for her time!
After the ranger talk we made our way back to camp for dinner and BED. We were exhausted even though we took naps. We planned to do a twelve mile hike the next day and knew we needed to be up early in order to beat the heat!
We headed out for our long trip to the top at 7am. We knew it would be warm and so we wanted to beat as much heat as we could. On the way out we took the Bright Angel Trail. This trail is longer (9.5 miles) but is a little..VERY little but little nonetheless easier than the South Kaibab Trail. We anticipated as they told us we should that it would take about double the time to get out as it did to get in...so that meant around six or so hours for us to make it to the top.
It wasn't long before we were both VERY warm and taking off as many layers as we could. We kept a good pace though and made it to the halfway point (Indian Garden Campground) in about two hours. The trail was uphill naturally but not too bad. We knew this meant that we were in for it on the second half of the trip.
I can't even describe how difficult the second half of this hike was...I don't think I've ever worked that hard in my whole life. We stopped about every half hour for a rest. Both of us were drenched in sweat and exhausted. As we were hiking though we did run into two people from Bangor. They were amazed that we had started at the bottom that morning! We trudged on and finally after FIVE LONG HOURS we made it to the top. I have never been so happy to see the car!!
Before we did any unpacking we weighed our bags to see how much we carried out. Ben weighed in at 35lbs while I weighed in at 25lbs as you can see in the picture but I had started out with an additional 4lbs of water. We were both proud of ourselves and of each other for accomplishing our goal of hiking in and hiking out. After a quick stop at the Marketplace to return the trekking pole (WHICH WE WERE VERY GLAD WE RENTED) and so Ben could get a coffee and an ice cream before hitting the road for Kayenta!
We arrived in Kayenta around 5:30pm and got cleaned up! We ordered pizza for dinner and sat on the bed replenishing our bodies. A little later we ordered a DELICIOUS lava cake from the restaurant. It was SOOO good. Unfortunately I think that I ate just as many calories as I burned!! Oh well...
Day 169 - Grand Canyon, AZ - SUNNY Upper 80's:
We got up early to have breakfast and head out on the Rainbow Falls trail. It had been made clear that this was a LONG HOT HIKE so we wanted to be sure to get out early. We were fortunate that the majority of our way to the falls we found ourselves in the shade. It was a nice hike that followed Bright Angel Creek toward the North Rim. We arrived at the falls around 11:30am and sat down to have lunch. We were both quite hungry at that point. Once we were done lunch we wandered around the falls...I could tell Ben had something on his mind and it wasn't long before he said that he wanted to in the water. I told him to HAVE AT IT!! As you can see in the pictures he went for it and his face tells you just how cold the water was! He had a good time though and smelled a bit better when he came out of the water :). Once he was done and dried off as well as he could we started our way back to the campground. They weren't lying when they said the hike was hot. Almost the entire way back was in the BLAZING sunshine. I felt like we were crossing the Sahara! Anytime we found shade we stopped for a break.
When we got back to camp we both were again exhausted and so we took much needed naps. It's amazing how much energy the sun can take from you. Once we were awake we walked over to Bright Angel Creek to stick our feet in for some relief. This water was just as cold as the Colorado but I didn't care because it felt so good to stick my feet in even if it was just for a second or two at a time!
We didn't do much for the rest of the afternoon other than read and have dinner. We waited for the canteen to open at 8pm so that we could get a lemonade and a sticker. At about 7:40pm we headed over to wait outside...I was wearing my Red Sox shirt and when we got there it sparked a conversation with two couples. Turns out they were from SOUTH PORTLAND. Yes, South Portland, Maine! We chatted with them for quite some time. They were SO KIND. When the canteen finally opened they were generous enough to buy Ben a beer and a lemonade for me. We were so grateful. We chatted for quite some time, they had made their way down today with a guide and were heading out on Wednesday eventually making their way to Scottsdale. We hope they had a GREAT time on the rest of their trip.
We finished our drinks and headed back to camp for an early night...it would certainly be an early morning!
Day 168 - Grand Canyon, AZ - SUNNY starting in the 70's ending in the 80's:
Our day started BRIGHT AND EARLY at 6am. Our goal was to make the 7am hikers express bus knowing that we would be more likely to get on the 8am bus. Well we were right and we arrived at the backcountry office at 7:45am. Before we hopped on Ben weighed his bag and it was about 45lbs. I didn't weigh mine because at the time I didn't want to know but we figured it was likely around 30lbs.
We got on the bus and headed to the South Kaibab Trailhead. This trail is 7.2miles long with an elevation change of 4800ft. In other words you go downhill the entire way. It is CRAZY steep and really takes a tole on your legs and knees. While you are going down the temperature is going up.
As we walked down there were three guys we kept going back and forth with who turned out to be from Massachusetts and one of them even went to Bowdoin...small world. As we made our way down we were amazed at how things that seemed so small from the top were ENORMOUS. Every time it seemed like we were getting closer to the bottom we would turn another corner and be SOOOO far away. While hiking we did get to see mules making their way down the canyon. It's pretty neat to see them making their way down!!
After 3.5 hours we finally made our way to the HUGE Colorado River. From the top it looks like it's only about an inch wide however by the time we were there we found that it was 330ft wide! Fortunately there are two suspension bridges that cross the river. We crossed the 440ft wide black bridge. It's pretty nuts to walk across. Once we were across we found a picnic table under a tree where we stopped for lunch. While there the mules we had seen earlier on the trip finally made their way past us!!
After lunch we headed to the Bright Angel Campground. We found a site that had some shade and set up camp. When you get there the first thing you have to do it put all your food, scented items, and plastic bags into the ammo boxes they provide. The squirrels and deer at the bottom are very aggressive and if you don't put your food in the boxes they will eat through your pack to get to it!! We did that and then quickly changed into our flip-flops so that we could explore the area. Unknown to me until we were at the park was the fact that there is a ranch at the bottom called Phantom Ranch. Here they have cottages and bunkhouses for people who get reservations and want to stay. They also have a canteen and dining room. I was shocked! After looking around we decided to head back to camp and rest a bit.
We laid down in the tent doing our best to stay cool...It was SO HOT at the bottom. By the time we reached the bottom the temperature had changed approximately 50 degrees from when we woke up!! I took a catnap but Ben needed a bit more rest and slept for quite a while. Once he was up we made our way to the river to stick our toes in and see if any rafters were at the Bright Angel Beach. There weren't any rafters but we did get up close with the river. The Colorado River is HUGE, FAST, and FREEZING. I don't know how people were rafting without wetsuits. We were lucky enough to see the river in its most natural color of reddish brown due to the runoff from the canyon. In the summer its actually a tropical green color because of the river being damned according to the rangers.
From the river we made our way back toward Phantom Ranch for the afternoon ranger talk. Today's topic was "The Colorado River". The ranger told about many of the firsts in the river including the first men to swim the Grand Canyon. Here's a bit about them from Amazon, "April 10, 1955: the water temperature was 51F, and a fierce wind buffeted two men as they entered the Colorado River at Lees Ferry. Bill Beers and John Daggett had set out to swim the river through the Grand Canyon. At a time when fewer than 200 people had run the river in boats, this was daredevil try and illegal. Their equipment was primitive: Army-surplus rubber boxes to carry gear, thin rubber shirts, woollen long johns and swim fins; they also took a movie camera to record the adventure. Twenty-six days and 280 miles later, bruised and battered, they left the river at Pierce Ferry." After the ranger finished the story she was quick to tell us the moral of the story...NEVER SWIM THE COLORADO RIVER. We also learned about Georgia White who was the first woman to raft the Grand Canyon and changed the way commercial rafting was done and is still done today. She was quite remarkable and innovative for her time!
After the ranger talk we made our way back to camp for dinner and BED. We were exhausted even though we took naps. We planned to do a twelve mile hike the next day and knew we needed to be up early in order to beat the heat!
That's a whole lotta canyon out there....
Day 167 - Grand Canyon, AZ - Overcast Mid 60's:
Ben was up with the sun to make sure that he was at the backcountry office at 7:45am. If you're not there when they call your number you lose your spot so he wanted to be sure not to be late so we could get our pass. While he did this I continued to SLEEP! He woke me up just in time for a delicious breakfast which was so nice! We did get the pass which meant that the next morning we would be making our way to the bottom of the canyon.
After breakfast we headed out to catch one of the buses taking the green route toward the east side of the park. We stopped at Pipe Creek Vista and Yaki Point skipping the South Kaibab stop as we would be visiting it very early the next morning. We took lots of pictures and then made our way to the red route where we would eventually get to Hermits Rest. On our way there we stopped at Trail Overview, Maricopa Point, Powell Point, The Abyss and from there walked our way to Pima Point and then onto Hermits Rest. The Abyss has a neat feature where you can actually see the top six layers of the Grand Canyon. It's really neat to look at and they have it clearly noted on the signs for you to see!! The views from this side of the park are STUNNING as you can see in the photos. We were a bit bummed that it was so overcast but what can you do!!
From Hermits Rest we took the forty minute bus ride back to the campground. We made a quick stop at the Marketplace (the store/dining area/post office/bank) to get some supplies for our hike. We had been informed that there was a pipeline break at Bright Angel and so we would need to have our own form of water purification for safety. We picked that up as well as some additional supplies we needed. After this we packed up as much as we could before hitting the showers...we figured it would be a good idea because if not it would be another three days without one!! While I was finishing get ready Ben made his way back to the store to pick up a trekking stick. We have three but we figured it was best to each have two. They rent them which was nice!
We met back at the campground had some dinner enjoyed a fire and hit the hay early...we knew it was going to be a long day and so we wanted to be sure to get plenty of rest!
Day 166 - Kingman to Grand Canyon, AZ - Sunny Mid 60's:
Today we woke up had a delicious breakfast and then headed out for our final leg of the trip to the Grand Canyon. Before we got too far we had to make a quick stop at the post office so that Ben could send out his tax extension form...leave it to him to wait until the last minute :) From there we set out along the FAMOUS Route 66. We stopped for a couple of pictures to add to our collection. We made a couple more stops for lunch and firewood before arriving at Grand Canyon National Park.
Our first stop was at Mather Campground. We wanted to make sure we got everything set up and squared away before we went too far exploring. Once the tent was up we headed over to the backcountry office. We were hoping to be able to get a backcountry pass so that we could hike down into the canyon and stay at Bright Angel Campground. When we got there we were given ticket number four. This was for Ben to bring back to the office at 8am. Once all the information came into the system they would determine how many spaces they had left at the campground. There were three groups ahead of us who would be given passes but the ranger assured us that the ALMOST ALWAYS make it past ticket number four so we crossed our fingers!
After getting our ticket we headed out to find the canyon. Sounds pretty simple considering how BIG it is but...we couldn't find it. I will say right now this park has the WORST map and directions of any park so far. We ended up hopping on a bus to take us to the sights. The Grand Canyon is AMAZING. It almost looks fake. In fact when we look at the pictures even having been there we think they look fake. We tried to get some photos of the sunset but as has been the case with most of our attempts, it wasn't really that great.
We decided to forgo most of the sunset to head back to camp and start dinner and our campfire. It was a GORGEOUS evening.
Ben was up with the sun to make sure that he was at the backcountry office at 7:45am. If you're not there when they call your number you lose your spot so he wanted to be sure not to be late so we could get our pass. While he did this I continued to SLEEP! He woke me up just in time for a delicious breakfast which was so nice! We did get the pass which meant that the next morning we would be making our way to the bottom of the canyon.
After breakfast we headed out to catch one of the buses taking the green route toward the east side of the park. We stopped at Pipe Creek Vista and Yaki Point skipping the South Kaibab stop as we would be visiting it very early the next morning. We took lots of pictures and then made our way to the red route where we would eventually get to Hermits Rest. On our way there we stopped at Trail Overview, Maricopa Point, Powell Point, The Abyss and from there walked our way to Pima Point and then onto Hermits Rest. The Abyss has a neat feature where you can actually see the top six layers of the Grand Canyon. It's really neat to look at and they have it clearly noted on the signs for you to see!! The views from this side of the park are STUNNING as you can see in the photos. We were a bit bummed that it was so overcast but what can you do!!
From Hermits Rest we took the forty minute bus ride back to the campground. We made a quick stop at the Marketplace (the store/dining area/post office/bank) to get some supplies for our hike. We had been informed that there was a pipeline break at Bright Angel and so we would need to have our own form of water purification for safety. We picked that up as well as some additional supplies we needed. After this we packed up as much as we could before hitting the showers...we figured it would be a good idea because if not it would be another three days without one!! While I was finishing get ready Ben made his way back to the store to pick up a trekking stick. We have three but we figured it was best to each have two. They rent them which was nice!
We met back at the campground had some dinner enjoyed a fire and hit the hay early...we knew it was going to be a long day and so we wanted to be sure to get plenty of rest!
Day 166 - Kingman to Grand Canyon, AZ - Sunny Mid 60's:
Today we woke up had a delicious breakfast and then headed out for our final leg of the trip to the Grand Canyon. Before we got too far we had to make a quick stop at the post office so that Ben could send out his tax extension form...leave it to him to wait until the last minute :) From there we set out along the FAMOUS Route 66. We stopped for a couple of pictures to add to our collection. We made a couple more stops for lunch and firewood before arriving at Grand Canyon National Park.
Our first stop was at Mather Campground. We wanted to make sure we got everything set up and squared away before we went too far exploring. Once the tent was up we headed over to the backcountry office. We were hoping to be able to get a backcountry pass so that we could hike down into the canyon and stay at Bright Angel Campground. When we got there we were given ticket number four. This was for Ben to bring back to the office at 8am. Once all the information came into the system they would determine how many spaces they had left at the campground. There were three groups ahead of us who would be given passes but the ranger assured us that the ALMOST ALWAYS make it past ticket number four so we crossed our fingers!
After getting our ticket we headed out to find the canyon. Sounds pretty simple considering how BIG it is but...we couldn't find it. I will say right now this park has the WORST map and directions of any park so far. We ended up hopping on a bus to take us to the sights. The Grand Canyon is AMAZING. It almost looks fake. In fact when we look at the pictures even having been there we think they look fake. We tried to get some photos of the sunset but as has been the case with most of our attempts, it wasn't really that great.
We decided to forgo most of the sunset to head back to camp and start dinner and our campfire. It was a GORGEOUS evening.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Vegas Baby
Day 164 - Las Vegas, NV to Kingman, AZ - Sunny Mid 70's:
For our last day in Vegas we decided to go check out a couple more hotels/casinos before we left town. The first stop was the Rio hotel where the world series of poker is now being held. It wasn't that exciting as we had hoped so we just walked around for a bit and headed out. Nest we made our way over to the Palms Hotel because this is where all the celebrities stay when they are in Vegas. It's home to the Fantasy Tower where you can find the Kingpin Suite (it has two bowling lanes), the Hugh Hefner Suite, the Barbie Suite, and many others. Many of these suites have pools that stick out the front of the hotel as if you are going to fall of the edge of the building. We went into Palms Place and checked out where the rich stay...they even let us up to the pool. I thought this was the best part of the hotel...it had an amazing view of the strip. Heather and I decided that if we ever come back this would be the place we would stay.
Next we stopped by the Vegas sign. When we came into town we entered the strip at the opposite end of the strip and missed it so we made sure to get it on the way out! We got our pictures both coming and going. From here we decided that we had had enough of Vegas and started our trip to Kingman. Kingman was about halfway to the Grand Canyon...our next exciting destination.
Day 163 - Las Vegas, NV - Sunny Low 70's:
Since we were up late losing our money we slept in again this morning and finally made it out of the room around noon. We made our way down to the Midway in our hotel to play our free fair game. Heather picked the Horse Race game and I kicked her butt in the end. I won a small stuffed dog but we ended up giving it to a kid because we have a limited amount of space. In the end we probably should have kept it because it was the only thing that we would win while in Vegas.
At one o'clock I decided to enter a Texas Hold 'em tournament and was doing really well for the first half hour but then I got hit with a bad beat on the river and only had four hundred chips left and was out in the next couple hands. Heather thought I was going to be there longer but unfortunately I was able to meet her for lunch. After lunch we made our way back to the Bellagio to check out the flower garden, it was pretty cool (You'll have to check out the pictures because its tough to explain.) We then headed over to the MGM Grand to meet up Heather's friend Nicolle who is in the Cirque du Soleil show KA. They had been chatting back and forth for some time about seeing each other and Nicolle was going to help us get tickets at the local price to see her show. We met up a bit before Nicolle had to be at work so we were only able to catch up for a couple minutes. We decided to buy tickets for the 9:30 show because it would allow Nicolle could give us a backstage tour after the late show.
We then made our way back to the Excalibur to get cleaned up and dressed up for dinner and the show. It was then back to the MGM Grand for dinner at Diego. This was an upscale Mexican restaurant and the food was decent but the margaritas were really good. After dinner we made our way to the KA theater and were amazed by the set that was constructed around the seats. Heather got a couple texts from Nicolle letting us know which characters she was going to be because she knows five different routines and doesn't know which ones she will be until a couple hours before the show. The show was amazing and I could not even start to explain it but the general idea was a coming of age store about two children who were separated during a tribal battle. Nicolle was amazing and we couldn't believe how much acrobatics that went into show. After the show we made our way backstage. Nicolle who was still in her makeup when she met us...she showed us the stage, the practice facility, the costume room and where they hang out when they're not on stage. The stage is really amazing there are three levels under the audience where the performers get ready and can get on to the fully mechanical part of stage. There are so many technicalities that you have no idea about when you're watching. From airbags to hand-held remotes that control the amount of spring in the wiring...it's really amazing. We didn't get any pictures of the set because it's not allowed but it was a once in a lifetime. It was getting late and we had to leave so we snapped a couple of pictures with Nicolle and said our goodbyes. We are so thankful for the time she took to show us around!!
It was then over to the Tropicana to try our luck at another set of tables and slots. Unfortunately the result was the same and we went to sleep a little poorer then the night before.
Day 162 - Las Vegas - Cloudy Low 60's:
Today we decided to sleep in a bit because there really isn't much going on in Vegas during the day, so we took it easy and Heather did some hotel work while I worked on my taxes knowing that April 15th was fast approaching. We then headed down to the strip to find a hotel for our Vegas stay. We figured we stood just as good of a chance of getting a low rate in person as we did online! After some searching we decided on the Excalibur. It was cheap, nice hotel and close to all the strip happenings!
Once we were checked in and unpacked we decided to wander down the strip for a bit and see what all the Vegas hype was about. We walked through the Bellagio and Caesar's Palace and they are both amazing hotels with lots and lots of gambling going on. They also had VERY EXPENSIVE stores which Heather drooled over as we walked by. Once we were back outside I was going to try to ride the NY NY roller coaster but it was extremely windy and it was closed. We also checked out the Paris Hotel and were thinking about going up in the Eiffel Tower ride but that was also closed due to the wind. We were bummed as a few people had recommended these places but when mother nature says no...she means it!!
It was now time for dinner and we decided to check out a German place just a couple block off of the strip. We walked down past the Hard Rock Casino and found the Haufbraus House. Matt had told us that they had a mug holding contest here and we were hoping to check it out! We made our way in and found that the dining room was set up like a beer tent at Octoberfest. We got seated at a table with a couple other people and were promptly greeted by our waitress who was dressed in the old fashioned German outfit. I quickly ordered a beer and then tried to decide on dinner. We ordered our meals and then sat back and enjoyed the German band that was playing. Overall we had a great meal and it made us think of the LaCasse family that are in Germany and hopefully we'll get to go there next summer. Unfortunately the mug holding contest is only on the weekends so we didn't get to participate!
We then headed back to the strip and made our way to the Bellagio to see the famous water show. It was awesome the way they have the water guns shoot with the beat of the music. We then hopped on the bus and headed toward Freemont street. We arrived at Freemont street and made our way into the Golden Nugget casino to get a Dunkin' Donuts coffee, it had been a while since I had seen one so it was a necessary stop. We then walked down the street and waited for the show to start. We got to see the Kiss Freemont Street Experience and it was amazing. There are over 12 million LED lights that cover the five block canopy and every hour they put on a light show. It always starts by turning off the neon lights of the casinos which is pretty neat to see at night. The show was amazing...we have some videos which should be up soon!
After the show we headed back to our hotel and decided to hit the blackjack table and slots for a bit and even though no winning happened we had fun giving them our money.
For our last day in Vegas we decided to go check out a couple more hotels/casinos before we left town. The first stop was the Rio hotel where the world series of poker is now being held. It wasn't that exciting as we had hoped so we just walked around for a bit and headed out. Nest we made our way over to the Palms Hotel because this is where all the celebrities stay when they are in Vegas. It's home to the Fantasy Tower where you can find the Kingpin Suite (it has two bowling lanes), the Hugh Hefner Suite, the Barbie Suite, and many others. Many of these suites have pools that stick out the front of the hotel as if you are going to fall of the edge of the building. We went into Palms Place and checked out where the rich stay...they even let us up to the pool. I thought this was the best part of the hotel...it had an amazing view of the strip. Heather and I decided that if we ever come back this would be the place we would stay.
Next we stopped by the Vegas sign. When we came into town we entered the strip at the opposite end of the strip and missed it so we made sure to get it on the way out! We got our pictures both coming and going. From here we decided that we had had enough of Vegas and started our trip to Kingman. Kingman was about halfway to the Grand Canyon...our next exciting destination.
Day 163 - Las Vegas, NV - Sunny Low 70's:
Since we were up late losing our money we slept in again this morning and finally made it out of the room around noon. We made our way down to the Midway in our hotel to play our free fair game. Heather picked the Horse Race game and I kicked her butt in the end. I won a small stuffed dog but we ended up giving it to a kid because we have a limited amount of space. In the end we probably should have kept it because it was the only thing that we would win while in Vegas.
At one o'clock I decided to enter a Texas Hold 'em tournament and was doing really well for the first half hour but then I got hit with a bad beat on the river and only had four hundred chips left and was out in the next couple hands. Heather thought I was going to be there longer but unfortunately I was able to meet her for lunch. After lunch we made our way back to the Bellagio to check out the flower garden, it was pretty cool (You'll have to check out the pictures because its tough to explain.) We then headed over to the MGM Grand to meet up Heather's friend Nicolle who is in the Cirque du Soleil show KA. They had been chatting back and forth for some time about seeing each other and Nicolle was going to help us get tickets at the local price to see her show. We met up a bit before Nicolle had to be at work so we were only able to catch up for a couple minutes. We decided to buy tickets for the 9:30 show because it would allow Nicolle could give us a backstage tour after the late show.
We then made our way back to the Excalibur to get cleaned up and dressed up for dinner and the show. It was then back to the MGM Grand for dinner at Diego. This was an upscale Mexican restaurant and the food was decent but the margaritas were really good. After dinner we made our way to the KA theater and were amazed by the set that was constructed around the seats. Heather got a couple texts from Nicolle letting us know which characters she was going to be because she knows five different routines and doesn't know which ones she will be until a couple hours before the show. The show was amazing and I could not even start to explain it but the general idea was a coming of age store about two children who were separated during a tribal battle. Nicolle was amazing and we couldn't believe how much acrobatics that went into show. After the show we made our way backstage. Nicolle who was still in her makeup when she met us...she showed us the stage, the practice facility, the costume room and where they hang out when they're not on stage. The stage is really amazing there are three levels under the audience where the performers get ready and can get on to the fully mechanical part of stage. There are so many technicalities that you have no idea about when you're watching. From airbags to hand-held remotes that control the amount of spring in the wiring...it's really amazing. We didn't get any pictures of the set because it's not allowed but it was a once in a lifetime. It was getting late and we had to leave so we snapped a couple of pictures with Nicolle and said our goodbyes. We are so thankful for the time she took to show us around!!
It was then over to the Tropicana to try our luck at another set of tables and slots. Unfortunately the result was the same and we went to sleep a little poorer then the night before.
Day 162 - Las Vegas - Cloudy Low 60's:
Today we decided to sleep in a bit because there really isn't much going on in Vegas during the day, so we took it easy and Heather did some hotel work while I worked on my taxes knowing that April 15th was fast approaching. We then headed down to the strip to find a hotel for our Vegas stay. We figured we stood just as good of a chance of getting a low rate in person as we did online! After some searching we decided on the Excalibur. It was cheap, nice hotel and close to all the strip happenings!
Once we were checked in and unpacked we decided to wander down the strip for a bit and see what all the Vegas hype was about. We walked through the Bellagio and Caesar's Palace and they are both amazing hotels with lots and lots of gambling going on. They also had VERY EXPENSIVE stores which Heather drooled over as we walked by. Once we were back outside I was going to try to ride the NY NY roller coaster but it was extremely windy and it was closed. We also checked out the Paris Hotel and were thinking about going up in the Eiffel Tower ride but that was also closed due to the wind. We were bummed as a few people had recommended these places but when mother nature says no...she means it!!
It was now time for dinner and we decided to check out a German place just a couple block off of the strip. We walked down past the Hard Rock Casino and found the Haufbraus House. Matt had told us that they had a mug holding contest here and we were hoping to check it out! We made our way in and found that the dining room was set up like a beer tent at Octoberfest. We got seated at a table with a couple other people and were promptly greeted by our waitress who was dressed in the old fashioned German outfit. I quickly ordered a beer and then tried to decide on dinner. We ordered our meals and then sat back and enjoyed the German band that was playing. Overall we had a great meal and it made us think of the LaCasse family that are in Germany and hopefully we'll get to go there next summer. Unfortunately the mug holding contest is only on the weekends so we didn't get to participate!
We then headed back to the strip and made our way to the Bellagio to see the famous water show. It was awesome the way they have the water guns shoot with the beat of the music. We then hopped on the bus and headed toward Freemont street. We arrived at Freemont street and made our way into the Golden Nugget casino to get a Dunkin' Donuts coffee, it had been a while since I had seen one so it was a necessary stop. We then walked down the street and waited for the show to start. We got to see the Kiss Freemont Street Experience and it was amazing. There are over 12 million LED lights that cover the five block canopy and every hour they put on a light show. It always starts by turning off the neon lights of the casinos which is pretty neat to see at night. The show was amazing...we have some videos which should be up soon!
After the show we headed back to our hotel and decided to hit the blackjack table and slots for a bit and even though no winning happened we had fun giving them our money.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
The Beauty of Bryce and Zion
Day 161 - Zion National Park, UT to Las Vegas, NV - Sunny Low 80's:
Day 160 - Zion National Park, UT - Sunny Low 80's:
Day 159 - Zion National Park, UT - Sunny Low 80's:
Day 158 - Salt Lake City to Bryce Canyon, UT - Sunny Low 50's:
We actually managed to get up fairly early today and were packed up and in the car by 9:30am. We drove over the visitors center to fill up our water and head out on a short hike before making our way to Vegas. Watchmen’s Trail starts at the visitors center and goes up to a lookout which allows you to see Springdale, the visitors center, and the campgrounds. It wasn’t the longest hike but it was a great way to start our day!
We got back to the car and headed out of Zion. It was about a three hour drive to Las Vegas and instead of heading to the hotel we made our way directly to the Hoover Dam. We figured that with the gorgeous weather (80 degrees and sunny) we shouldn’t waste our day at the hotel! The dam was rather busy but we arrived around 3:15pm. Things sure have changed since the last time I was here. At that time there was just a little visitors building. Now there is a center, tours, and a parking garage. We skipped all of them opting for the FREE parking and FREE self guided walk. The dam is an amazing engineering structure. It is so big!! The dam actually spans two states, Arizona and Nevada. At this time of the year the time is the same in both states but when daylight savings is in effect you can actually stand in one spot with half of your body at one time and the other half at another time. We couldn’t do that but we were able to stand in two states and we even managed to get the car in two different states at the same time. I didn’t realize how much power the Hoover Dam actually creates. It supplies power to ALL of Arizona, Nevada, Pasadena, Glendale, Los Angeles and a few others that I can’t remember at the moment but either way that is SO much power from one place. The dam is holding back water from Lake Mead which is the largest man-made reservoir in the United States. It was fun to explore and made me miss the Setta clan as the last time I was here I was with them!!
After the Hoover Dam we made our way to the hotel. We are spending one night at a Residence Inn so that we could cook dinner, do laundry, and get caught up on life. We will venture into the strip area tomorrow to try and find a hotel. We are excited to be here and here’s to hoping Ben wins LOTS of money without putting much money into the game!!
Day 160 - Zion National Park, UT - Sunny Low 80's:
Today we attempted to get up earlier than yesterday but didn’t do so well with that…I LOVE TO SLEEP. We hopped on the bus at 11am and got off at Weeping rock heading for Observation Point. This trail was an eight-mile round trip hike. The first four miles were SO TOUGH…uphill for probably three and a half of the four. Ben has decided it’s time to start getting in shape for his Mt. Washington race and so he carried rocks in his bag…I don’t know how he did it…everyone was giving him crap for being a show off…it was pretty funny. It took us about an hour and forty-five minutes to reach the top, which was well worth the work. The view was amazing and we could actually look down on the people who were climbing Angels Landing. We stayed at the top for lunch and then headed back down. On the way down we took a detour to Hidden Canyon. This was about a mile and took us to a small freestanding arch, which made Ben very happy. From Hidden Canyon we made our way back to the base of Weeping Rock and turned to head up the Weeping Rock trail. Here is a beautiful sign of life within the desert. The porous rock holds water that comes from rain and snow and as it finds it’s way out plant life grows seemingly out of the rock. It was beautiful and WET as there is a waterfall at the top of the trail as well.
After finishing our nine or so miles at Weeping Rock we made our way back to the bus and took it up to the Temple of Sinawava stop where we picked up the River Walk. On the way there we saw a few different groups of rock climbers. They were scaling the side of a cliff and I was nervous for them. They were SO HIGH and they still had so far to go!! The River Walk is a two-mile handicapped accessible trail that leads you to the mouth of the Narrows trail. Ben REALLY wanted to do this trail but we learned that it is actually a water trail. You go to the end of the River Walk and then get in the water and start walking. There were a few problems with this from my perspective. We didn’t have waterproof attire, we didn’t have waterproof bags for our stuff, and the water was only forty-nine degrees. Fortunately for me the Narrows trail was closed due to the high water level. We still wandered on the rocks so we could get a few pictures though!!
Once we finished the River Walk e returned to the bus station and made our way back to the campground. We had been informed that in Springdale there were a couple of places that offered pay showers. Considering we had done eight miles on Friday and close to twelve miles on Saturday we decided to suck it up and pay for a shower. I am so glad we did because we both felt much better once we were clean. We headed back to camp and Ben cooked up a GREAT chicken dinner while I organized the car in preparation for our departure the next morning. Once dinner was done and the sun had set we hopped back on the bus to do some star gazing at Big Bend. It was so beautiful. Without the glow of city life, the stars are almost alive. We tried to take some photos but apparently we need a different lens or something because we couldn’t get any!! While we were there I saw a light on the face of the cliff. Turns out it was the climbers we had seen earlier in the day. We ended up seeing three different lights in two different groups (see video). I was in complete an utter shock at the idea of people sleeping on the side of a mountain!
We hopped the last bus back to the campground after our star looking adventure. Once back Ben started a campfire and we sat enjoying our last evening in Zion. It was a spectacular day and the fire was a wonderful end to our hard work!!
Day 159 - Zion National Park, UT - Sunny Low 80's:
Ben woke up bright and early to find us a new campsite. I thought I woke up just a few minutes after him but it turns out I slept for almost two hours longer…OOPS! Once I was awake Ben cooked up a delicious breakfast and we got ready for the day. Due to Ben’s early call time we were able to get a campsite two spaces down from ours so we didn’t have to move very far!!
After packing up and making lunch we headed over to the visitors center to pick up a shuttle ride. The park offers shuttle services starting at 7:30am until 9:30pm. One shuttle goes into the park (they only allow guests at the lodge up the main road to the trails) and the other goes into the town of Springdale. It is a wonderful system and it makes it so easy for campers. We can get to all the trails and to all the services we might need without ever having to move the car. Our first stop was at the Zion Lodge where we took the trail toward the Emerald Pools. There are three, the upper, middle, and lower. We hiked to all of them!! There are beautiful waterfalls that you can see and even stand close to being under…you do get wet but you don’t get drenched. From there we took the Kayenta Trail down to the Grotto. Here there are picnic tables and a restroom. We took advantage of both enjoying lunch and freeing our bladders!
DID I MENTION THAT IT WAS ALMOST 80 DEGREES WHILE WE WERE HIKING? IT WAS SO NICE TO BE WARM AGAIN!!
Once we were refueled, we headed up Angel’s Landing. It was described as a strenuous…normally we find that these are moderately hard but nothing that is too terrible. This without question lived up to STRENUOUS. It is almost a 1500ft elevation change over two and a half miles. To say we were working hard and sweating would be an understatement. We arrived at Scout’s Lookout where there were LOTS of people. To my dismay the Angel’s Landing trail continued on… The next portion required us to hold onto chains as we scaled some rocks being careful not to fall off the side of the cliff. We reached another landing area that I assumed was the top…WRONG. The trail continued literally up the side of a cliff. This is where I stopped my journey. I was not all that comfortable and decided that it would be better if I stayed put. Ben continued on and I watched with binoculars as he climbed with MANY others to the top. He took lots of pictures so that as he said, “I could feel like I was there.” Once he returned we made our way back down to the Grotto to catch the bus back to the campground.
We got back to the campground and hopped in the car to head into town. We needed so ice and wanted some firewood as well. We made a pit stop at the library to use the Internet. We wanted to book our camp sight for the Grand Canyon so we don’t run into the same problem we did when arriving here! After getting all our supplies we came back to camp and enjoyed a GREAT dinner. We are now sitting by the fire thinking about how much we need to catch up on the blog! SORRY.
Day 158 - Salt Lake City to Bryce Canyon, UT - Sunny Low 50's:
Today we woke up bright and early to head out of Salt Lake City. Our first stop was at Dee’s Diner where we met Roy for breakfast. Unfortunately Jen had class so she wasn’t able to join us. It was so wonderful to see both of them…I had no idea they were even in Salt Lake so it was a big surprise for me!!
The trip to Bryce Canyon was about four hours. We made one stop at Cabella’s to pick up a few supplies but other than that it was non-stop until we arrived. To our delight before we arrived at Bryce we drove through Red Canyon. It is spectacular. The rocks are so vibrant and beautiful. We stopped at a couple of turnouts and made a quick hike on the picture trail to snap some photos before moving on. As we drove we came upon a tunnel in the side of the canyon…we took our time driving through so we could be sure to get pictures.
Bryce Canyon National Park sits at about 8,000 feet so we knew that most of it would not be accessible to us but we wanted to make the trip anyway. I am SO GLAD we did. It is the most amazingly beautiful place I think I have ever seen. Sarah, a friend from high school told us that we have to visit here because it is so breathtaking and I’m glad she did. The pictures cannot possibly do justice to the beauty that this park has to offer. Fortunately one three-mile trail was available for hiking. We traveled along Sunset Point down to Queens Garden and then up to Sunrise Point. We were warned that at times it might be slippery and muddy. Well, as you can see in the pictures (once we get them loaded), muddy is an understatement. At times it felt as though the mud was going to take our shoes off. It was worth every bit of mess though as the rock formations and colors are like nothing I’ve ever seen. As soon as we finished our messy hike we hopped back in the car and made our way to Inspiration Point. Our initial thinking was that it would look just like Sunrise and Sunset but boy were we wrong. As Sarah said, “I don’t believe in God but if he exists, he’s at Inspiration Point.” It is magical to look out and see Mother Nature’s work at it’s best. The geologic changes that have created these sights are varied, many, and complex. I could spend hours explaining the descriptions in our brochures but after you see the pictures, I’m sure you’ll want to learn for yourself.
Had the weather been even ten to fifteen degrees warmer we would have stayed but with the forecast calling for lows near twenty degrees we knew we weren’t prepared. We were both sad to leave as we could have spent days here exploring and viewing this amazing park. Without question this is a park that we will return to…hopefully in the not too far off future.
We made our way out of Bryce with the intention of staying in Cedar City at a hotel before making our way to Zion National Park in the morning. At the last minute we decided to push on and go straight through. It actually meant less time and miles for us!! We entered Zion at around 7:00pm and again were taken aback by the sheer beauty of our surroundings. We entered through the east gate and had to make our way about twelve miles to the south gate where the campgrounds were located. As we drove we came upon a tunnel like I have never seen before. It was pitch black for the large portion with only a few windows that the passenger could look out!! Every time we would drive by a window I would hear Ben say HOLY CRAP! I took a peak once and saw the most magnificent canyon. We were literally in the side of a mountain. The tunnel is about three and a half miles long so we were in it for a while!
We arrived at the campground and were not pleased to see that both were FULL. We took a drive through anyway and found a handicapped site unoccupied. We went and spoke with the campground host who was SO NICE!! He allowed us to stay at the sight under the conditions that if a handicapped person arrived we would leave and that in the morning we would find a new sight. Turns out the campgrounds had been full since noon! We agreed and unpacked. We had a quick dinner of soup and salad before turning in for the night.
Park City
Day 157 - Salt Lake City and Park City, UT - SUNNY and Low 50's:
We started our day a little later than we had planned…it was so nice to sleep in a bit though so we weren’t too sad about it!! We woke up and had a quick breakfast before making our way to Walmart! It wasn’t the most exciting thing we’ve done but we wanted to stock up before heading out to the national parks. We got back to the Swain’s and unpacked before hopping in the car and heading to Park City. As we got on the highway we realized that we had forgotten the camera so we turned around and headed back to the apartment. We finally got on the road about an hour behind our planned time so it wasn’t TOO bad.
Our first stop was at Utah’s Olympic Park. Here they have the Ski Museum, the Salt Lake City Olympics Museum, and the sight of the bobsled, luge, skeleton, and Nordic ski jumping events from the 2002 Olympics. We knew that they offered tours and so we wanted to get one…well we were informed that the bus driver didn’t show and that they only had enough room for nine people per tour instead of the normal twenty-four. This meant that we wouldn’t be able to get a tour until 4:00pm. We signed up and headed into Park City to see what it’s all about. We made our way to Main Street and parked the car. It is CRAZY to me because there is a chair lift that literally takes off one block from the street. It was nuts to see people skiing everywhere we looked.
We wandered up and down Main Street stopping to grab some lunch and poke in the stores. Ben had never heard of the Canadian clothing company Roots so we made a stop in there. During the Olympics Roots outfitted the US team and getting a piece of their apparel was quite challenging. According to the information on Main Street people waited three to four hours just to get into the store. Park City is a bit more geared toward the wealthy but it has some neat shops and restaurants. As we walked Ben had a moment of remembering a scene in Entourage of the guys at Sundance. Yes, this is where they were!! It is a neat town and I would really like to come back and stay here if we visit again!
After looking around we made our way back to Olympic Park and got on our tour. We started at the base of the Nordic Ski Jump sight. To say it’s high is an understatement. There are two jumps, one at 90 meters and one at 120 meters. We were standing where the crowd was during the Olympics. The only thing missing were the GIANT bleachers that they had to build to hold the fans. Olympic Park is not that big and so to accommodate the fans they built bleachers TEN STORIES HIGH! The bleachers reached as high as the top of the jump so when people were at the top they were at eye level of the Olympians. We learned a lot about the training for this event. To our SURPRISE we learned that athletes start on this event at the age of five years old. They start on the 10 meter jump, progress to the 20 meter, move to the 40 meter and then to the 90 and 120. I figured that they must make it to the 90 around fifteen or so…NOPE the AVERAGE age of a jumper on the 120-meter is NINE!! The course record is held by and ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD! There are two reasons they start so early. First they are fearless and second they are light. We were told that if you aren’t on the 120 by age 10 you aren’t going to the Olympics.
From here we headed up to the bobsled, luge, and skeleton track. This is the second fastest track in the world only behind the new Vancouver track. We learned that it is hard to compare because no two tracks are alike. To be an international track all it has to have are fourteen corner, a labyrinth (tight switchbacks), and ends going up (so they slow down). Other than that it’s up to the designer. This track has seventeen turns but is not as long as Vancouver’s. The length gives them the advantage! We did learn that in all the events at Olympic Park there is no such thing as a world record only course records. Due to the fact that there are no real course similarities it is impossible to compare times. Unfortunately because of all the recent snow (85 inches in six days) the top of the course was buried in snow. The athletes stop training here around March 20th because they shut off the refrigeration system that keeps the tracks iced. They return once the track is free of ice for training. Standing at the top of these events gave me a whole new respect for these athletes. It is scary just looking at the track let alone actually going down. These athletes travel at speeds of over ninety miles per hour and with the skeleton and luge have nothing but a helmet for protection. It’s NUTS.
After viewing the luge/bobsled/skeleton track we made our way to the top of the Nordic Ski Jump. Even Ben was taken aback at this sight. You can’t even see where you are going to land it’s so steep. I still can’t even imagine the thought of skiing down one of these….let alone letting my little kid try it out! We got to see and hold a Nordic Ski…they’re much lighter and longer than I anticipated. The length should be one and a half times your height. We learned that for some of the men who are over six feet tall, their skis don’t even fit underneath the building standing straight up! We also got to see the “meany.” This is the surface that the athletes train on in the summer. It’s kind of like a grass skirt but harder and weaved. They call it meany because it hurts so much to fall on when you miss your landing.
Interesting Facts:
- The refrigeration cost on a COLD day is $5,000 - $7,000. Yes that’s PER DAY. It costs even more on warmer days.
- There is over 60 miles of piping underneath the luge/bobsled/skeleton track.
- Athletes train here in both winter and summer. In the summer they just use different equipment and surfaces.
- The cost of a new Olympic quality bobsled is over $100,000. A used sled can cost anywhere between $20,000 and $30,000.
We made our way back to the lobby and as we did we got a funny story. About four months before the Olympics they had an “athlete” attempt to qualify. As employees looked on via a security camera a DEER got a little to close to the top of the bobsled track and slipped. The deer traveled the length of the course coming to rest just before crossing the finish line. The workers and EMT’s made their way as quickly as possible to help the deer. He couldn’t get his footing on the ice so he was stuck. They laid a piece of carpet in the track and he made his way out unharmed. Well, apparently he like the trip because when workers got to work the next morning they found the deer at the bottom of the track AGAIN! This time they got a picture. They laid the carpet again and he made his way out never to be seen again! The picture is pretty funny…he’s just lying on the ice calmly waiting for help!
We made our way through the Ski Museum playing with some of the interactive features and learning about Utah’s unique snow. Due to the location of Salt Lake and way the storms come through the desert, the mountains in this area get POWDER and lots of it! There was a neat exhibit, which showed that in Lake Tahoe, and inch of rain equals ten to twelve inches of snow whereas in Alta (where Ben skied on Monday) an inch of snow equals twenty-five to thirty inches of powder. We played some games before making our way upstairs to the Olympic Museum. Here they have costumes and props from the opening ceremonies, uniforms worn by the Olympians, a REAL curling stone (it’s HEAVY), and samples of the medals handed out to the athletes. Each medal was hand made and so it slightly unique. They had twelve or so on display. They are beautiful. They also had the Para-Olympic medals and the volunteer medals as well.
The attire was neat to look at as the Olympians signed most of it. They had a jersey from both the men's and women's hockey teams, the costume worn by figure skater Timothy Goeble, Bode Miller’s racing outfit and many more. They also had a neat sample of the Olympic trading pins. We learned when on Main Street in Park City that people waited in lines for hours to trade pins. There were over 6,000 pins made just for the Salt Lake City Games.
Once we made our way out of the museum we took a few more photos before heading back to Jon and Larissa’s. Once there I got working on dinner while Ben made a trip to the Laundromat and to do some returns. I made two lasagnas, one for us and one for the Swains. We put in it in the freezer with some dessert for when they get home to help Jon’s healing! We had planned to head over to Roy and Jen’s to hang out but Roy got out of work later than anticipated so we decided to meet in the morning. Instead we cleaned up the apartment and got ourselves organized so that we could make a quick departure in the morning!
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