The first day my parents were visiting we had a solid plan: take Burr Trail all the way to Burr Trail Grill in Boulder then go to Capitol Reef to see the Pioneer Register again (they hadn’t seen it yet) and pick apples in the orchard at Capitol Reef, finally! I wanted to pick fruit last year, but we didn’t know how it worked, couldn’t figure it out, and didn’t have any money so we didn’t do it, but now I knew and I was EXCITED!
This June we decided to go to Nevada. But, where in Nevada? Not Vegas, we knew that. Maybe Great Basin National Park. How far is that? It’s only six hours? And we have three days off this week? Ok, Great Basin it is. A few pictures of alpine lakes and word of some of the oldest living life forms on Earth had me convinced. Didn’t take much.
Continue reading “Bristlecones And Alpine Lakes In The Nevada Desert”
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I finally did it! I finally hiked The Narrows! See, this is a big deal for me because as most of you know (or are about to learn) I do not like water activities. I like being on water, but not in water.
Continue reading “Wet ‘N Wild In The Zion Narrows”
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On our way back from Great Basin we ended up passing through Capitol Reef, which we do a lot, but we decided to stop and make the drive into Capitol Gorge.
Last year we made a quick stop there, but we didn’t go to the end of the road, this time we did. I don’t think we had the intentions to do much hiking, or any, really, but we set off to see the Pioneer Register anyways.
Continue reading “A Pit Stop In Capitol Reef: Hiking The Capitol Gorge Trail To The Pioneer Register And The Tanks”
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After first hearing about the Sulphur Creek hike on a podcast, I knew I had to do it. I started thinking of it as the desert narrows. Yes, the narrows in Zion technically are the desert, but this actually felt like desert.
I finally hiked part of the narrows in Zion the week before, still out of order, I know, and now I got to do Sulphur Creek to compare them. This is the perfect hot weather day hike in Capitol Reef.
Continue reading “The Desert Narrows: Sulphur Creek In Capitol Reef”
This was my third visit to Arches National Park and probably won’t be my last. It was the first National Park I ever visited, and now I’m hooked, not just to Arches, but visiting all the parks. We visited back in April, late, I know, and I wasn’t expecting it to be as busy as it was, which was very busy. We ended up only doing a short hike to Sand dune arch before deciding to head out.
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No, no, no. I’m not saying you can see the whole of Canyonlands National Park in an afternoon. But you can do some hiking in at least one district and maybe start off in the other in the morning. I’ll just assume you’re staying in Moab and I would recommend a visit to Island in the Sky first, then head over to the needles for a little break from the crowds of Moab.
Continue reading “Canyonlands National Park In An Afternoon”
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Last year I went to Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Colorado for the first time. I hadn’t even heard of it until last year and now I’ve made two trips to see the canyon. Last time it was cold and windy and we just drove on the South Rim Road. This year it was cold rainy, and foggy and we drove down to the river, which I would highly recommend.
Continue reading “Bottom Of The River At Black Canyon Of The Gunnison”
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Bryce Canyon National Park is one of my favorites, at least after my latest visit. If you’ve been here for a while you probably know I’ve been twice before, once a year the last three years now. (In 2021 we stopped by again just to get a park mug!)
Continue reading “Third Time’s The Charm: Hiking Navajo Loop (Finally)”
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That title is just the start of a glowing review, right? Ehh, not really. But, I keep things real here and that means I’m here to tell you I didn’t love Mesa Verde. That’s not to say it’s not cool at all, I just enjoyed it less than other places. I will say though, there’s quite a bit to do here. Long House, Balcony House, and Cliff Palace all require tours, but there are some dwellings you can see on your own, like Spruce Tree House (if it’s open, check at the visitors center) or Step House.
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In 2016 I got into working seasonally around the US in, or near, national parks. I didn’t even know it was a thing until someone I used to work with went to Yellowstone for a summer.
Continue reading “How To Find A Seasonal National Park Job”
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After my first summer working in Utah I decided working seasonally is something everyone should do at least once. It’s not for everyone, but there’s only one way to find out. Plus, you’re not limited to national parks. There are ranches all over out west. Ski resorts are all over as well. In the summer head up to the midwest for a some summer work in little tourist towns. The possibilities are endless and this is why I think you should try it at least once.
Continue reading “Why You Should Work Seasonally At Least Once”
I don’t know how I missed it last year since I stayed 20 minutes away, but I did. I missed Wind Cave National Park, a short drive from Hot Springs, South Dakota and a couple hours from the Badlands. It’s neighboring Custer State Parkand close to Mount Rushmore. I mean really, how did I miss this? I would also say it’s an underrated national park, and much less visited than nearby Badlands.
Continue reading “An Afternoon With Bison In Wind Cave National Park”
Last year you may recall a post called Back To The Badlands when, in fact, it was my first time there. Well, buckle up or get ready or something because I actually went back to the Badlands. Twice. I bet you’re already impressed and you haven’t even read about it yet.
Continue reading “Back To The Badlands (For Real This Time)”
