Puppygrumpycat

July 25th: Sequoia National Park Exhausted from the hike to Observation Point and the long late night drive, we had a late start to our day. We stopped at a fruit farm called the Fruit Depot and got fresh nectarines and raspberry honey covered almonds. The almonds were so good, crunchy, sweet but not overpowering. When we arrived at Three Rivers, the town to the south of Sequoia, we were on our way to South Fork campground. What I didn't know was that it's a primitive campground and in order to get there, you have to drive 4 miles on a dirt road where there are giant sharp rocks sticking out of the road. It obviously hasn't been maintained in years. The campsite was barren, not a single soul was there, only giant black and orange hornets the size of my palm. Yeah. Nope. We left quickly, thanks to my fervent urgings to get the eff out of there. With no other options but to enter the National Park in search of a campground, we were welcomed by granite domes. Having given up on finding a campground we decided to make the best of it and saw General Sherman and marveled at the giant red trees of the Sequoia forest. On our way past the last campground in the park, we discovered empty spots at Dorst Creek! The campground has 227 spots and is closely packed, with neighboring campsites within feet of each other, but we managed to make pasta and sleep in perfect temperature conditions. It was a rather perfect night.

July 24th: Observation Point, Zion National Park Prepared for the long hike to Observation point with a hearty breakfast heavy with salt. The trail starts at the Weeping Rock stop, and thankfully the sun had yet to pass over the top of the cliffs. It starts off with long switchbacks, that seem to go on forever, then winds around the cliff to the slot canyon behind it. Then you reach the next set of switchbacks, which was right around the time we reached the sunlight. We climbed 4 miles up 2120 ft, but it was all worth the view. From Observation Point, you can see the winding canyon fading into the distance, with red rocks on every side you turn. From the top, the trails look like crayon marks scratched into the sides of the mountains. The way back down was tougher due to the steep steps, and by the end my knees felt like the cartilage had been mashed away. We made sure to stop and cool down at the river and headed west. We ended up driving past Las Vegas and straight into California because it was too hot for us to sleep outside. Thankfully we found a motel and slept in the air conditioned room for the night. Turns out the campgrounds are actually closed during the summer because it gets too hot.

July 23rd: Zion National Park As someone named Zion, it's mandatory to visit the national park of the same name. Today was the day I was able to cross it off. Driving into the canyon was an otherworldly experience as we went from the red stone we were seeing through a long tunnel. In the darkness you dont know what to expect, especially if you haven't even seen pictures of the park. Then the light brings the glorious cliff walls of the canyon, epic in proportion. There are few things in this world that could compare in wonder as you come out of the tunnel. Then you're there, in the valley, between behemoth feet, where the water bubbling sounds like music. The Virgin River passes through, clear like quartz with milky sand rushing through. We had the chance to hike through the Narrows. We were not prepared for the trail to lead straight upstream through the water with smooth rocks underfoot. It was a bizarre experience. Seeing the hanging gardens of green flora on the sides of the canyon was a magical touch to the experience. Watching the Weeping Rock and seeing the water drip from the cliffside was strange and unreal. We hiked the Kayenta Trail and the Emerald Falls, to the pools of green. Zion is a beautiful place beacuse it makes you wonder as you gasp at the sheer magnitude of the giants around you. Glory in physical form.

July 22nd: Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon We stayed in Capitol Reef National Park, at their Fruita Campgrounds and were surprised by the cool temperature and the apricot orchard 3 yards away from out tent. It was by far one of the best stays we've had despite the lack of showers. We drove part of the Scenic Drive but were more concerned with the freshly made apple pie and cinnamon roll that we got from the Historic Gifford House. It was the perfect amount of sweet and slightly crunchy apple slices. Then we drove along Route 12, a beautiful route past canyons and plateaus till we arrived in Bryce Canyon. We drove into Bryce Canyon, along the scenic route to the edge where Rainbow Point is. We walked along the Bristlecone Trail and saw the beginnings of the canyon formations. We saw a Natural Bridge, the Columns at Inspiration Point, and the mini columns at Fairyland. An amazing and iconic place, amongst the trees and green brambles. A well traveled day.

July 19th, 20th, 21st: River Trip down the San Juan River We embarked on a three day river trip from Bluff to Mexican Hat, which is about 30 miles apart. The river was flowing at 500 cubic feet per minute, 2 weeks ago it was 4000 cubic feet per minute. A huge difference in speed and volume, which resulted in clear waters, minimal silt. We packed lightly, considering we had to pack everything into dry bags and load them onto an inflated oarboat. We didn't have showers and had to be introduced to the concept of Groovers. Look it up if you care. It was my first time on a boating trip so the San Juan was a very calm introduction. It didn't have many rapids, just a 4 foot and 8 foot, which was in the second day of the trip. We stayed in Sand Island before we left, which was a mosquito infested hellhole as soon as dusk hit. The other campsites, Big Stick, and Ledge was much better, very few bugs. We ate heartily, and had beers as we drifted down the river. Got lots of sun, but the water was cool enough for a nice swim. We played Farkle, a dice game, Tellustrations, and made a lizard friend. All in all, a good time rolling down the river.

July 18th: Canyonlands The Canyonlands are right next door to the Arches National Park, but 2000 feet higher in elevation. We drove to Grand View Point to see the White Rims, which are salt deposits from the time when this area was submerged in the ocean. Mesa Arch is one of the five arches in Canyonlands, because their Entrada Sandstone was worn away earlier than the deposits in Arches National Park. Upheaval Dome was by far the most interesting hike, due to the rocks that were carved to make the path as well as the variety of boulders that overlook the crater. Upheaval Dome is a strange crater-like area with blue and gray rocks making a small peak within the middle. It's still a mystery as to how it happened. We also stopped along the road to enjoy the view since it wasn't blistering hot outside. Drew one of the structures, but didn't know what it was.

July 17th: Arches National Park There was definitely a change in scenery as we hit Utah. We found ourselves in the dry arid climate of the Arches, with the sun baking everything in its path. We were warned to drink lots of water, but it was the altitude that got to my head. We hiked up to Delicate Arch, an Entrada Sandstone arch that was carved out of a bowl like rock. It was a windy area and I made the mistake of getting watercolors out. They were all blown away, but thankfully I found them all. The hike is difficult due to the upward hike over slickstone, you really do need good treads on your shoes for the walk. We also stopped to see Landscape Arch, but unfortunately I forgot my phone. Sadface. We camped at a spot called Goose Island and managed to snag the last spot. Ate dinner at Peace Tree.

July 16th: Driving from Boulder to Grand Junction It was a long day in the car. Went through the Rocky Mountains to the town of Aspen. It's a beautiful town nestled in the mountains with groves of aspen growing everywhere. The Eyes of the Aspens were watching us that day. We drove till 11 pm, our longest drive so far to James M. Robb State Park where we camped for the night. Glad we are finished with that leg of the trip.

July 15th: Rocky Mountain National Park Had the chance to go on a horseback riding tour through the Rocky Mountain National Park. It started out at the edge of Estes Park and goes to Endo Valley area. It was a 4 hour tour, so by the time we were on the return trip we had bruised butts. It was still a sweet ride. I was riding a horse named Zach and Justin was on Levi. Afterwards, rode up to the top of the mountain along Old Falls River Trail, a gravel one-way road up the mountainside. We got to see Chasm Falls on the way up. We arrived at Alpine Ridge Visitor Center, and enjoyed hot drinks as we watched the clouds roll in around us. On our way down we even got to see elk and bighorns. When we arrived back in Boulder we walked around Pearle St and had dinner at West Flanders. Their Mac & Cheese is glorious.

July 14th: Flagstaff Mountain, Colorado We drove up to Realization Point and hiked the Ute Trail to Artist Point, a view point that looks towards the Rocky Mountains. The environment is drastically different than Santa Fe where the ground was red and the trees were short. We rounded Artist Point via the Boy Scout Trail and found a spot called May's Point, a boulder mound that we could see from Artist Point. Hiked around back to our car and stopped by Chautauqua Park, a meadow area with historic buildings. We ate at Aguua, a Mexican restaurant in Niwot, which was delicious. Got a Blue Agave Margarita. Super sweet.

Left the beautiful woods of the Black Canyon Campgrounds, headed to Boulder, Colorado. Passed by the Caldera Valle Grande, the remnants of the volcano. It's now a lush field of green, a spot where wildlife can roam free. Further down the road, we stopped at Soda Dam in Jemez Springs, and dunked into the cool waters of the stream. It had a sulphur smell to it, but it kept the bugs off. A good trade. We crossed into Colorado, stopped in Colorado Springs to have icecream at Josh and John's. Justin got Oatmeal Cookie, and I got the Switchback Coffee in a waffle cone. Good stuff. Made a friend who decided to come along in the car on our roadtrip. (We helped him out of the car and into the grass.) Arrived in Boulder late at night and were welcomed to a soft bed.

Started off strong in one of my favorite places, Santa Fe, New Mexico, with honey covered sopapillas. Walked around the town center, and found a cool store that creates natural themed furniture called Sequioa. We then wandered over to Canyon Road, which is a long road of art galleries. Got obsessed with Vladimir Kush’s work, and found some cool faces and origami crane sculptures. Also visited the Museum of International Folk Art, which had an exhibit on a miniature circus set. They also had this cool llama figurine. Spent the night in Black Canyon which was probably the best night of sleep we’ve had in the tent. It was a very cool 60 degrees at night, perfect for smores, camp fires, and tea!

July 11th: Carlsbad Caverns One of the most awe-inspiring places I have ever witnessed. We did not go see the bats fly in at dawn, but there were hundreds of cave swallows diving and flitting by the natural entrance. Once inside the cave, it's cool and consistent, with a thousand things to take pictures of awkwardly with your phone. Or at least that's what I was doing. We did a self-guided tour and saw the entirety of the Big Room. When they say Big Room, they really weren't kidding. You could fit a cathedral in there and use the stalagmites as organ pipes. Most impressive was the lighting of structures. If you ever get the chance, you need to see this cave. Alas, we had to move on, but it was by far my favorite place thus far.

Departed from Austin after an awesome night of barbecued ribs, blueberry greek yogurt cake, and snickerdoodle blondies made by the one and only Uncle David. Driving across Texas was unusual, considering I had never done that particular trip. It went from hilly, to flat to suddenly mountains by the time we reached the Guadalupe Mountains. We camped at Pine Springs Campgrounds, just south of the New Mexico Border. We were greeted by three deer that were grazing not even a 100 ft from our tent site. It’s a beautiful spot at the base of the Guadalupe Mountains, with a variety of flora. Unfortunately that also meant a ton of mosquitoes, so it was another round of painfully itchy bug bites for us. The night cooled off, but it was highly windy. Got a cool picture of the water jug though!

July 8th: Lockhart, Texas A completely different change of pace from camping out, hiking, and eating campfire food. Woke up to a familiar light source, the Mario Question Mark Block. For breakfast/lunch we headed to Lockhart, Texas to eat brisket at Smitty's Market. Their brisket is so good, and their jalapeño sausages are amazing. 10/10 would recommend. We grabbed some snow cones from Casey's New Orleans Snow cones. We got Dreamsicle, Tiger Blood, and Chai flavors. For those who like Strawberry, Coconut and a hint of Cinnamon, Tiger Blood is amazing. We also experienced the Alamo Drafthouse and watch Finding Dory. Super cute. Ended up eating dinner at Mi Madre's. Their Carne Guisado is so good.

July 7th: Lake Ouachita So if you're ever in Arkansas, make sure to visit Lake Ouachita ( wa-she-ta ) because it's a beautiful place. We stayed in Crystal Springs Use Area, but drove over to Joplin Use Area, both of which were established by the Army Corp of Engineers. Joplin is a peninsula with quartz rock beaches wrapping around it. The water is crystal clear and comfortably warm. We also hiked to a small segment of the Lake Ouachita Vista Trail, and found a little bridge which was a hot spot for dragonflies the size of my hand. By noon in the afternoon we were back on the road and driving to Austin, Texas. We arrived 8 hours later and took a swim in the Barton Springs Pool, a natural spring that had a pool built around it. It's a cool 68 degrees and has a natural rock bottom. Perfect nighttime swim in Austin.

July 6th: Kentucky to Arkansas Long drive. Didn't do much, though we did stop in Nashville to eat breakfast at Fido. We arrived at Hot Springs, AR, a small town with bathhouses. Didn't stay too long because it was eerie how little people there were. We got to our campsite at Gulpha Gorge but ultimately decided to leave and go to Lake Ouachita. Good decision on our part because we ended up with a free campsite that also provided hot showers. Bingo!