Pretty as a Postcard - Stop 2: Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon. Some people absolutely love it; others, eh, not so much. Me, personally? It was breathtaking in ways so different from Zion or any other park/red rock I had ever seen...

When we got there, it was mid-morning, so we claimed our campsite (which we later figured out was supposed to be the RV-only/no tents loop - oops...) and set out to see what we could see. In Bryce you start out above the rock formations (so in that sense, it's more similar to the Grand Canyon than to Zion, where you start off in the valley and have to climb up) as you walk the rim. It's known locally as the amphitheater, and the rock formations are called Hoodoos. These are unique to Bryce due to the high elevation (7,000+ feet), which leads to 200+ days of freezing & thawing temps, which leads to water getting down within the rock crevices, which leads to...well, you get the picture. (If you're interested in how they form, you can read about them on the National Park website HERE.)

As it was nearing mid-day, we decided to get our hike on, and we did the Navajo Loop Trail, which led us down "Wall Street" and into the hoodoos.

Magical.

Thor's Hammer

Me back on the rim looking down on the "amphitheater"

As is one of our favorite NP pastimes, we headed to the park's Lodge, where we found air conditioning, outlets, and a gift shop. (Could you ask for anything more when it's hot enough to make you melt outside?) There was a ranger talk at 2pm on the rim about the geology of rocks, which we ended up going to - that's where we learned about the hoodoo formations. Sweaty and somewhat tired, our next move was a strategic one - off to the 22 minute video in the visitor center. (I told you they had those at every park...)

By this time, it was getting on to 4pm. Time for our "senior citizen dinner." (Quite frankly, we were starving, as we had only had snacks since breakfast.) We asked for some recs at the visitor center, and one woman pointed us to Bryce Canyon Pines, where we had both a good meal and an incredibly delicious brambleberry pie a la mode. (I am baffled that they lack pictures of their pies on their website...but don't worry, I took one - see below.)

Confession: We ended up going back the next night for dinner, but we skipped the pie.


Rain was imminent by the time we finished dinner and headed back into the park, so we waited it out in our car by our campsite. There was a ranger talk at the lodge at 8pm, so when the time came we headed there. This one was about the life, death, and rebirth of stars...so, yes, a lot went over my head, but I still found it fascinating. The ranger did bring it down to a more basic level, and the pictures were incredibly stunning. Plus, to think about the galaxies beyond us made me realize what a small place we occupy in this universe. It really puts things in perspective.

As the ranger was wrapping up his presentation, I noticed the sky turning a beautiful pink hue, so we headed outside to catch sunset. There was even a rainbow! (You have to look really closely at the picture.) Does it get any better than that?

The next day we were up before the sun, and we were rewarded with some additional spectacular views:

It was just about 7am, so we headed out at that point for the Fairyland Loop Trail. Looking back, it probably wasn't the smartest decision (as with the rim part of the trail added in it made for an 8 mile trek), but I thoroughly enjoyed it, as we hiked down into the hoodoos once again. Most of the people we came across were coming the other way, so we thought we maybe did it backwards...but I still don't know...

At one point I had to rush ahead from my friend because (surprise, surprise) I had to find a bathroom, so by the time we finished she wasn't the happiest with me, but luckily she is a readily forgiving person, so the rest of our trip was still pleasant...

First stop after the hike, though, was lunch at the lodge. And we followed that up with the Rainbow Point bus tour (another recommendation by a friend) - good old George was informative and corny, the perfect combination for a hot summer day. Plus, the bus had air conditioning. Winning!

George and fellow bus tour goers

at one of our bus stops

Through the tour we got to see and hear about some of the park we hadn't yet traveled to...and it was over the course of 3.5 hours! I'll admit, I wasn't expecting it to be that long, but it was fun nonetheless. When we were done, we drove over to the General Store, where they sold showers ($3.50 for 8 minutes - what a deal!). Clean again! (Heads up: Bryce leaves you covered in red rock soil.)

As I mentioned above, we ate dinner at Bryce Canyon Pines, and then instead of the pie we got ice cream - huckleberry! For a kiddie size, it was almost more than I could handle...but don't worry; I finished it.

never come between this girl and her ice cream ;)

And that was that - we were off the next morning for the Grand Canyon. (I'm sure our RV friends were glad to see us go - we're pretty sure we got some glares. Good times.) We did stop in Kanab (at least, I think that was the name of the town) for coffee and breakfast, and that turned out to be a solid decision because we had a 5 hour drive ahead of us...

Time to turn up that road trip playlist!



Missed Stop 1: Zion? Check out my post HERE.

Be Still My Heart (Stop 1: Zion)

I think I found my new favorite National Park.

Be still my heart.

While there were more people visiting than would normally be to my liking, we found many ways to strategically avoid the crowds (and heat). Go us! When we got to Zion, we checked in at our campsite, set up the tent & sleeping bags, had dinner in town at Amigos Mexican restaurant, and then watched sunset at Watchman/the bridge.

As you may or may not know, I am a sunrise, sunset, and star-chaser. But Zion isn't really known for its sunrises or sunsets, and I think that's mainly because it's situated within a valley of sorts - in fact, one of the rangers at the visitor center suggested going outside of the park to view both. Still, we actually had some really good sunsets right at/near our campsite:

South Campground

The Watchman

And the hiking did not disappoint. On our first full day, we did the Narrows. (We opted for this because there can be chances for flash floods, which prevents visitors from hiking the Virgin River, and on our first day we were in the clear.) I had read in the guidebook that you can beat the crowds at the Narrows by going early, as many people opt for the afternoon. (It turns out that the river is a great place to cool down and combat the heat!) So we got on one of the first tour buses of the day. (Many on our bus got off at Stop 6 (Angels Landing), which is another one to do early - we did this our last full day there.) All the way to the final stop (#9) we went. There were several other folks and groups around us, but we got to experience some wonderful serenity while being relatively people-free...until our way back near the very beginning. We got back around 1pm - it's a long hike, and can be even longer depending on how far you choose to go; we made it nearly to the Hanging Gardens.

It was definitely on the cooler side, but hiking against the current was hard work! At some points, the water was up to our waist and mid-chest. And, believe it or not, I found that going with the current on the way back was even harder in terms of keeping my balance because the rocks on the bottom are super slippery (and some are bigger than others, which you can't tell!). I definitely fell in 2-3 times (only up to my shoulders - I managed to keep my head dry!) and got a few bruises/scrapes. I consider them my battle scars. ;) It was such a unique and wonderful experience - the Narrows was my favorite hike of the trip! After that, no other hike really had a chance...

As you can imagine, the Narrows left us quite worn out, so we went back for lunch in the park at the "fast food" joint at the Lodge and then relaxed/napped at the campsite. It was still hot when we wanted to get moving again, so we went to the visitor's center for a quick stop (and so my friend could stamp her NP passport) before taking the shuttle (God bless the shuttle system in Zion! It's actually required in the summer/busy months when they restrict private car access past shuttle stop 5) into Spring Lake, the neighboring town, for dinner at a cute place called Bit & Spur. It was definitely a full day, but we had a little bit of daylight left, so we headed back to our campsite for wine and some card games. I learned how to play Mille Bornes!

The next morning, my friends slept in (and by sleeping in I mean like 7am) while I walked the perimeter of the campsite. We took the shuttle into town again for breakfast and coffee(!) at Meme's Cafe and then planned out our morning. We ended up doing a series of shorter hikes: Weeping Rock, Grotto Trail (linking Angels Landing trailhead with Zion Lodge), and the Lower Emerald Pools Trail. (Sadly, the Middle & Upper Emerald Pools Trails were closed due to recent rockfall.) While at the Lodge we had ice cream and checked out the gift shop.

It was time to beat the heat yet again, so we got in our rental car and headed up the Zion-Mt Carmel scenic drive. We ended up doing the Canyon Overlook hike, which turned out to be pretty neat. We really weren't expecting to enjoy it so much!

Checkerboard Mesa

After the hike we were back in the car and driving the scenic path back to our campsite.

Shower-less for over 2 days, it was time to pay up ($4 for 4 minutes) and get clean - the showers were right outside the park. YES!!!!! It felt so good. One friend needed to charge her phone with the outlet in the shower area, so my other friend and I headed to the brewery, which was right outside the park too. Our friend soon joined us, and we ended up just doing dinner at the brewery, as we were running tight on time to make the ranger talk at 8pm: "Canine and Feeling Fine." (It was about coyotes, and it was quite entertaining - Ranger Kyle was great and full of humor.)

And, we saw stars! Absolutely breathtaking and incredible. So, so wonderful.

(full) Day 3: Angels Landing. This was it. This is considered THE HIKE at Zion, especially if you make it all the way to the top. We got up super early this day to make the first shuttle bus. Success! The hike starts off with some steep switchbacks (so I'm glad we decided to bring the hiking poles)...

view looking back at how we came up

We hiked our way to the spot where we were .5 miles from the very top. This is where there was a bathroom and where I stowed my hiking poles (which I had read about doing on a blog). Onward!

Now, .5 miles may not seem like a lot, but that half mile turned out to be pretty long and strenuous. My two friends started with me but ended up turning back and waiting till I came back down due to some moderate fear of heights and the fact that you needed to use chains to pull yourself up at some points. So, I was on my own. I scrambled up pretty fast, surprising even myself. (Though, admittedly, I felt sore in my legs and arms for the following 2 days.) And I made it to the top! It was so invigorating, and I felt truly alive. Highly recommend that one, even with the steep drop-offs. (Just be smart!)

Yes, it was worth it - I soaked it in for a little bit before turning around. But going down was actually harder, as there were other hikers coming up the narrow path with the chains, so it was a game of stop and go (and, when possible, moving to the side) to allow for passing both ways. Amazing! Heading down the switchbacks with my friends was much easier than going up, and we soon found ourselves at the bottom and on the bus back to the Lodge, which was just one stop up. We ate there - it turned out to be the tail end of the breakfast buffet - and then headed to the museum to watch the 22 minute orientation video (which all of the parks have).

We then decided to make the drive to Kolob Canyons, which is the northwest-most part of the park. In fact, we had to exit the park and re-enter to get there. There was some construction on the driving path up, so we had to wait for a vehicle to lead us, but we made it, did a short hike (Timber Trail Overlook), took in some more scenery, and then headed back for showers and dinner (at the Brew pub again). More wine and games happened before we turned in - we needed to get up early (yet again) to drop our friend off at the shuttle back to Las Vegas, for this was where her time with us ended. (She needed to fly out to a Baptism, where she was the godmother.) So, the next morning, once we dropped her off, my other friend and I hit the road for Bryce, aiming to get there early so we could get a campsite (which was first come, first served).

But this is quite enough for one post...so Bryce will just have to wait for another entry...

It Happened in Vegas

I'm 33 years old...and the truth is, I had never been to Vegas until this road trip, when we actually bookended our trip with stays on the Strip. (Not really my scene - now having been there, I stand by that comment.)

For the start of the trip, we stayed at the Venetian. Our room was more like a suite, so we had plenty of room for the three of us to spread out. And, holy cow, was it confusing to find our room! We had to switch elevators two or three times to get to the right tower.

As it was getting on towards nighttime (after an afternoon flight (where I ran into a fellow ACE alum in the airport - crazy!) and time spent securing the rental car), it was time to go exploring...I'll admit, Vegas is pretty magical all lit up at night. My personal favorite that evening was seeing the Bellagio fountains.

I even hit the Casino for the first time (a must, according to my friends). I think we walked away with $9 in winnings total. Yay us.

Needless to say, it was a late Saturday night. In order to make the most of the pool at our hotel and to check out on time and get on the way to Zion, we were going to need an early alarm, especially since we were planning to go to Mass. Luckily, Guardian Angel Cathedral is right on the Strip, and they have Sunday Mass at 8am. (I had taken a picture of a card one of my friends had taken from the church, so that was very helpful!) We made it just in time for the "Glory to God," and I was grateful to my friend for making the trek with me to church.

When we made our way back to the hotel, we found our other friend, changed into our swimsuits, slathered up on sunscreen, and headed to the pool. We could only enjoy it for about an hour before it was time to head up to clean up, pack up, check out, and head out.

Zion, here we come! (But that's another post for another day...)

As nothing of note really happened in Vegas on the flipside, I'll just include a couple of pictures from our stay at The Paris Hotel:

P.S. If you missed the first post of this 2019 summer road trip series, you can find it HERE.

Road Trip 2019 - Part 1: The Plan and the Gear

What would summer vacation be without a road trip?

Lucky for me, I didn't have to find out. This year, I packed my bags and headed to three National Parks: Zion, Bryce, and the Grand Canyon with two very dear friends. Spoiler alert: We had a blast. We cheated just a tad, as we decided to fly in and out of Las Vegas instead of driving out there. This was a good call, as it gave us more time in the parks, and it allowed me to get another state checked off my ever-shortening list of states to visit. (I think I'm down to 10!)

We did a lot of hikes and camping...and I took a LOT of photos. So...Disclaimer: This road trip recap is going to be in installments...

Ok, now that we're clear about that, it seems logical to start with the plan and the gear.

A plan - ah yes, it is usually good to have one of those...yet, at the same time, it's important to be flexible and go with the flow should the situation require. So, for what it's worth, here are my notes & proposed itinerary (which we stuck pretty close to) for our Utah/Grand Canyon road trip. I also now have a manila file folder with park brochures, newspapers, and other random trip-related stuff should anyone ever need to borrow it. (Seriously.) I also have the Lonely Planet "Zion & Bryce Canyon National Parks" guide book, and this came in handy as well, especially for tips about what to do and eat, when to beat the crowds, etc.

And the gear - well, that all depends on what you are planning to do, but I'll give you a run-down of what was good for me/us to have based on our activities -->

1. A good tent...with a rain flap...and a footprint

Confession - I don't actually own a tent. But my friend does. And it's a good one - Marmot brand, two-person I believe. (You might be saying, I thought you had three people on your trip, and you would be absolutely right...we did fit three people in the tent - it was a little rough and required some adjusting and flexibility, but we managed for 4 nights. And we lived to tell (and laugh) about it.) The rain flap (goes over the tent netting) and footprint are important to protect against the elements so that you and your gear stay dry. While we were in the desert, we did get some rain in the Grand Canyon and Bryce, so we were thankful for those tent accessories!

2. The sleep essentials

Obviously a sleeping bag is necessary when camping. That pretty much goes without saying. But a couple of clutch additions for me this year were an inflatable sleeping pad and an inflatable pillow. Coming off last year when I did not have either of those things, I was MUCH more comfortable this time around...and my body thanked me for it. And they were extremely easy to pack, as each folded up into its own small bag. I don't know the exact brand for either of these items that I have, as I just stored all of my gear, but if you look on Amazon, they have a bunch of mats and pillows from which to choose. Trust me, if you are camping, these are worth considering.

3. A compass

We actually didn't use one this year. I would truly benefit from the development of a compass-like device that directs me to the nearest bathroom on a trail, but I don't see that happening in the near future.

4. Hiking poles & boots

Yes, you can do the hikes without them, but do not underestimate the benefits of hiking poles. With the steep hikes in all three parks, the poles were beneficial going up as well as going down, where they help take some of the pressure off your knees. The poles were also extremely helpful when hiking the Narrows at Zion - the current was strong, so the poles helped with balance and power. My poles worked great overall - they are of the Black Diamond brand - but I do wish they collapsed just a tad more, as they almost didn't fit in my largest suitcase. Hiking boots are worth having too, as they give extra support to your ankles and have good soles.

5. Waterproof stuff

Speaking of the Narrows, I made a couple of last minute purchases that made me a happy camper that day:

• wetsuit socks - I got this idea from a blog I stumbled across about a month or so ago. The socks weren't necessary, but I think they helped me avoid blisters better than regular socks, especially since we didn't rent the water shoes at the park; we just wore our hiking boots. My friends did just fine with regular socks, so it's your call.
• waterproof dry bag - My roommate recommended this one, and it turned out to be very helpful, especially since I ended up being submerged up to my shoulders two or three times...not on purpose...and yes, I still have some "battle scars" to prove it. The bag would have been great on its own, but there was a bonus! It came with a waterproof phone case that hung around my neck. Guess who became the official group photographer for that hike... :)

6. Water storage/use

There were lots of places to fill up on drinking water in all three parks, but we needed things to hold the water... Last year I invested in a Camelbak (the 1.5 L size), and it was definitely necessary for this trip. If you are hiking (no matter what temperature/climate), you should have one. Seriously, don't leave home without it!

Another way to store water of which I was recently made aware of (and loaned one) by a friend is a Platypus. These fit in our Camelbaks (or, when we didn't need them, in the car), so we always had plenty to drink. There was only one time when I really ended up needing it (as I am not prone to drinking much on the trails, as that leads to needing the bathroom, which you never know if you might find), but overall it brought a lot of comfort in knowing water was there.

7. Sunscreen & some good hats

By the time our trip was done, I felt like I was caked in sunscreen and was quite certain it would never come off. I took every opportunity to reapply, especially during some of our longer hikes that went into mid-morning. In terms of hats, I brought 4...maybe that was a bit excessive. Two were regular baseball caps, one was a lightweight hat that I typically use for running in the summer, and one was a new purchase from REI with a big brim (the one pictured under "waterproof stuff"). As much as I love the sun, the sun is less than forgiving towards me, so I'm hoping that between the hats and sunscreen I'll pass at my next dermatology appointment.
7.5* I ended up purchasing Kool Ties for myself and my friends. I found it to be an added way to stay cool during some of our hotter hikes. And even back at my apartment, mine has retained some of its moisture...

8. Snacks

We're usually exclusively Trader Joe's (minus the Twizzlers) on this front, but I am sure most grocery stores will do just fine. Some of our go-to's are cheddar rockets, peanut butter pretzels, nut mixes, PBJ bars, and wine. (It was really important on this trip that we didn't get anything with chocolate or other ingredients that would melt, as most days got near 90-100 degrees!) One of the signs we passed on a hike told us that we needed to eat double the carbs that we are used to when hiking...so we took that pretty seriously. :)

I'm sure I missed a few things, but you get the idea. I think the main take-away here is you definitely need some stuff...but don't go overboard or think you need everything. Once you're in the parks, some companies will try to convince you that you need certain things (e.g. the water shoes at Zion), but you may not. You know you best, so plan and act accordingly.

That's all for now...but don't worry; there is plenty more to come! I'm actually quite surprised I'm still awake at this hour; though, I think my body is still on Pacific Time, so that means it's more like 8:30pm for me. ;)

A Saint Like Me?

During the summer, life tends to slow down a little bit. (Though, admittedly, the to-do list for preparing for next school year keeps growing at the admin level.) Still, without the hustle and bustle of the students, parents, and teachers throughout our building, the pace is slower, the mornings are less rushed, and the work hours are, for the most part, shorter.

At least for me, with slowing down comes more time for quiet and reflection. Quiet time is usually a welcome thing, but sometimes it can bring a lot of thoughts, emotions, etc. to the surface, causing normal thoughts for the tasks at hand to be interrupted. In the words of a friend I recently spoke to about having silent time in the car, he said, "Ain't nobody wanna be in there. There's too much going on!" Um...same.

My thoughts have recently been vocational in nature - as in, I have no clue what I'm supposed to do with my life. (Well, that's a little dramatic - I guess I have some clue, as I definitely feel called to this whole Catholic education thing.) But even within Catholic education, what mark am I supposed to make? Am I doing everything I can with what I have to advance the Kingdom of God in the here and now? Am I meant for the single life, or is the good Catholic man I've been praying for going to enter my life at some point in the near future? (I could keep on listing the questions swirling around in my head, but I think this glimpse gives you the idea.)

In life, God tells us to be patient. And that's hard to do, as it's more about trust than patience, IMHO. What's also difficult (yet, I guess you could say freeing at the same time) is there are so many examples and models of how to live the faith. And, as any teacher can tell you, choice is good...until you are overwhelmed by too many of them. Such is how I feel with the Saints. But I was reading an article in the Salesian magazine a few days ago, and one of the things the sister writing the article said stuck out to me: "God knows the world needs a Saint like you, too."

And it's true. God doesn't need another Mother Teresa or Thomas Aquinas, a Therese of Lisieux or an Ignatius of Loyola. He needs us - in all of our brokenness, with all of our gifts. And that is a beautiful thought! So as the pace stays slower (at least for the immediate future), I'm going to take comfort in that. I may not know the road ahead, but I need to trust that God will guide my footsteps.

I hope you take some time to relax and reflect this summer too. And keep fighting the good fight because the world needs a Saint like you, too.

Be Prepared...Or Be Early Enough to Fix It...

Prepared.

That's definitely a word to describe me. Yep. Ask any of my friends of coworkers. While I tend to also be on the impulsive side, I'm still prepared for whatever that impulsive event or whatever is. I'm a list-maker, a check-your-bags-three-times-er, a how-many-times-can-I-check-this-email-before-sending-it-er.

Rewind to this past Thursday night. Two of my friends and I were going to see "Six" at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. I got to Navy Pier around 4pm (which was about 3 hours before I needed to be there), having gone there straight from work. (Let's face it, Lakeshore Drive is always backed up no matter what time of day, so it's nice to sometimes have an excuse to avoid it.) It was a gorgeous day, though a little on the cool side... I definitely took advantage of walking around outside for a bit:

I had to wait until 7pm for the Box Office to open; that's where I was supposed to pick up our tickets. When they finally opened the doors, they couldn't find tickets under my name...or my email address...or my physical address...

Hmm...

I swore I had purchased them...but it turns out I wasn't as prepared for the show as I thought. I must not have actually clicked through to my cart when I was trying to buy them back in April.

Considering the website had indicated the show was sold out for that night, I thought I was done for. I texted my friends that I had made a mistake and not actually purchased the tickets.

But then the woman told me she could get two seats together and a third one up a bit further - and all of the seats would be on the first level.

(YES!)

Lesson learned: Be prepared...or be early so you can fix anything you weren't prepared for.

What a great night - the show was phenomenal; I highly recommend it. (In fact, I talked my sister into going at the end of the month...and each of my friends is going again at another time too.)

There's nothing like summer in the city.

P.S. Made it out to Millennium Park last night for their summer movie series...another gorgeous night, another beautiful skyline...