Contients – Page 5 – A World Explored

Five Of The Most Beautiful Places in Utah and Arizona

If you’re thinking of taking a road-trip, maybe traveling through Utah and Arizona, many beautiful vistas await. Driving through those two states, and the Indiana Reservation lands amongst them was one of my favorite trips, because it is simply so scenic, with so many long drives in-between places.

If you rent a car and travel to Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon is only an hour and a half drive away, and it is easy to stay in one place and explore the different regions nearby, or go on the Grand Circle, where many National Parks can be visited in one week or two, if you want more time to explore, although that is up to you. No matter what you do, wherever you go, there exist so many vast and sweeping scenic landscapes full of natural beauty, everywhere.

Traveling through the Canyon Lands of the Southwest is one of the most beautiful drives you will ever do, because of the long distances and vast landscapes of plateaus.

Below, there are Five of the Most Beautiful Places in Utah and Arizona to explore:

Bryce Canyon National Park

The colorful plateau of orange and white sparkling hoodoos, mixed with some pine trees, makes Bryce Canyon number one on my list. Since I’ve been to all these places I’m recommending, I can tell you Bryce Canyon is by far my favorite, simply for the sheer stunning beauty and the joy of seeing so many different colors in the light during sunrise, sunset, and throughout the day, when the light hitting the rocks makes them sparkle.

For a good hike, the Navajo and Queen’s Garden trail leads you around the canyon and the pine forests, and takes about an hour to two hours to complete (2.75 miles).

The scenic drive is worth it, with multiple different stopping points along the way. The Bristlecone Pine Trail loop (1.0 mile) at the end leads to multiple scenic views, and is not very strenuous.

2. Zion National Park

The land of the giants. Zion has a quietness to it, which one still can experience despite when it is full of tourists, aged as it is by time,
eroded by the Virgin River. In snow, the cliffs look even more majestic.

Good hikes: I recommend the Upper, Lower, and Middle Emerald Pools trails, as they are easy (the Lower Emerald Pool Trail is paved), and very beautiful, leading through a grove of trees on a mostly level path, with views of the tall monolithic cliffs all around. For a longer hike, loop around on the Middle Emerald Pool trail to the Grotto, starting and ending at the Lodge in a circle (roughly 3.5 miles hike in total).

3. Buckskin Gultch, Starting from the Wirepass Hiking Trail, in Paria Canyon

StephieStewartPariaCanyon2020 A slot canyon in Paria Canyon that leads 13 miles in length all the way to the Colorado River, you can stop wherever you want and double back, following a 1 mile river wash to the slot canyon itself. I highly recommend starting this hike in the early day time, as the light shining through the slot canyon gets stronger, waning in the evening, and you can go a longer distance by starting earlier, or simply seeing the sunlight rays hitting the canyon when the sun is out.

The views are breathtaking with some of the prettiest coral colors I have seen, and is truly a magical place, one of the most beautiful that I’ve seen.

4. Kodachrome Basin State Park

I loved hiking the Angel’s Palace Trail in Kodachrome State Park. A 1.6 mile loop winding through rock formations and hoodoos, it looks you have landed in a different country. The varied geological features is one of the most amazing things about Utah, and one not to be missed! Besides, Bryce Canyon is only a 15 – 20 minute drive away on the Scenic Highway 12.

5. Horseshoe Bend

A little ways away from Utah, where I stayed in Kanab, lies Page, where the slot canyons are famous world round. The Horseshoe Bend of the Colorado River is also a high-class attraction, with plenty of sights, depth, and tourists. Be careful, there is a 1,000 drop off the cliffs to the water below, and don’t be afraid to linger.

The sunset here was one of the most lovely experiences I’ve seen, making my trip to Utah and Arizona of my most favorite travel experiences ever.

Photo by: Kumar Nishant

The sheer beauty and varied colors in the rocks, as well as the surprisingly beautiful pine forests in the Kaibab National Forest, make driving through the Indian reservation lands a sacred, spiritual, and beautiful experience. These five must-sees are a worthwhile part of your trip to Utah and Arizon, America’s southwest. It is a place that can only be explored by driving long distances, but that’s part of the experience, and some of the drives are so scenic.

Happy traveling!

The Southwest — Red Rocks

Climbing in the Red Rocks? Here are two of the best places to go for classic trad climbs with spectacular views from the top.

Olive Oil, a multi-pitch classic (easy 5.7, trad), travels up and around the side of the mountain, is a classic. The view is stunning on the way up, and the descent is easy down the side with a little light scrambling over rocks.

Great Red Book is a two pitch route (easy 5.8, trad) with a hard ascent, due to the having to haul your gear over a lot of rocks for a mile or so up the slope in Calico Basin, but the view is worth it at the top, and the descent around the cliff is easy.

Paris, France

It’s a brand.

Paris is a really cool city, oui, however, what a lot of travel blogs and videos do not tell you is that Paris, the Paris I have seen the past three or so weeks, is a city of people living in Paris. The touristy parts, like the Sacre-Ceour, Notre Dame, and many of it’s muséums, and there are many muséums! are typically what you will find in the list of Top Places of Paris to see. However, the Paris city as a whole is much more interesting than that.

Here is what you will actually find in Paris, when you visit –

The trains are currently on strike, so occasionally, they will run less frequently.

Croissants at the airport are overpriced, like airport foods in the United States. Buy them from grocery stores! They cost about 1.60 Euros at the airport or at a food stand. In the grocery store, or supermarket, they cost about 70 Euro cents each. Not that you might really care, however, this was for me a crucial realization at the time, and also one of the reasons I stopped eating croissants after a few days. They taste great, however, once I started exercising again I found other foods gave a better long lasting energy feeling.

Rain is not unusual in Paris, and it is cold in the winter months. Overall, Paris is a gray city in the winter, and can feel a bit drab as it lacks the wit and magic of England, which I had the chance to visit for a few days as a brief respite to the gloomy weather.

There are vestiges of Paris’ royal past which are absolutely stunning, like the Sacre Ceour and Notre Dame, and other magnificent buildings. However, do not except them to be represented like in photographs. Tourists are everywhere and so are phone photos, selfie sticks, and people trying to sell you something.

The Paris Metro is a place where beggars will ask for money each train ride you take. The poor in Paris can be seen sleeping on the streets, as well. It is not a fairyland for all, by any long shot.

The keyboards in the Library will be European!

Given that, Paris has still been very fun to experience. The Louvre really is one of the most interesting places to find an art piece. There are muséums in Munich, Germany, however, that rival its painting collections in beauty, talent, and style, though the Louvre is a place of unquestionable grandeur.

I love Paris. The idea, however, is different for me than the place itself.

All in all, I look forward to going back to forests of Indiana after this trip. That is where the most beauty for me lies. It is a place I am at home – it is home.

____________________________________________________________________________________

After the plane flight …

I am now back in Indiana, in the forests of the small town near where I spend a lot of my time. Given that, here are two more things I have about Paris:

It will make you famous. There is an undercurrent of sexiness, of energy, in Paris, that is undeniable, and being in Paris and being around the energy of Paris, will attract you to the chic and magnificence of your own designs. It is really true – there is something very special about Paris.

That is one.

This is two. After being trapped on a moving walkway (the Metro) for hours a day during commutes, I began to hate the gray city with a strong fierce passion. The tininess of the concrete mountains looming above me, the magnificence of a city where hundreds of people gather on a train and live for a while underground like gutter-rats. Yes. I hated Paris.

It is chic.

If you want ideas of things to do in Paris, here’s what I looked at before I went:

https://www.fodors.com/world/europe/france/paris/experiences/news/photos/20-ultimate-things-to-do-in-paris

Because, honestly, anywhere you go in Paris is going to be incredible. Yes, I saw the Sacre-Coeur, Louvre, Versailles, Musee Rodin, Bois du Bologne, and many other sights. The greatest thing, however, of traveling, is the discovery of yourself somewhere new.

As usual, all opinions are my own. Now, time for the photos.

First, two resources for ideas I looked at before I went to Paris:

Language:

Now, a few photographs of Paris before I have to go eat some good dinner.

EiffelTowerTrocadero — A view of the Eiffel Tower from the Trocadero Plaza

A view of the River Seine, some distance nearby the Trocadero and several art museums, on the Pont d’Alma bridge.

EiffelTowerTrocaderoCarosel — The carousel and the Eiffel Tower from the Trocadero.

ChanelStorefrontParis — In front of the Chanel Store, the original one on Rue Cambon, Paris.

The Southwest (7 day trip)

Hi all.

I recently took a six day trip out to the southwest. Here’s how I did it: Frontier had a Round Trip $55 dollar flight, and I did not bring luggage. Just a carry on bag. Frontier has cheap flights, we all know that. Are they comfortable? That’s debatable. They do not recline, so you have been warned if you book Frontier flights for low prices!
I flew to McCarran Airport and rented a car from Budget. Buy the Loss Damage Waiver. Travel insurance on a rental car is a non-negotiable, for me. Too many things can go wrong, and you don’t want to be paying for it at the end of your vacation.
Itinerary:

It was only really important to me to visit Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park, and drive the Scenic Byway 12 linking Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Park. I planned this trip because I needed to redo some photos for the “Grand Circle” series I was working on from last time. See the Grand Circle post.

Day 1: Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon. They are very close together, only a two hour drive on a very scenic highway, so if you want to see Zion in the morning and Bryce Canyon in the evening, it is extremely doable. I stayed in La Verkin in an Airbnb for less than $20 per night. You can too! It might take a bit of searching on their site, but it is worth it to find a quality Airbnb you like. Or, rent a hotel. In the off season (October to March roughly), there is still snow on the ground, so be aware that trails might be icy or muddy, and in the higher elevations, you will see snow, so travel prepared.

Day 2: Dixie National Forest

There really were no good hiking trails near Panguitch that were accessible from my sedan (if you have a Jeep or something similar, you could probably access the snowy/icy roads to the much better sunny trailheads in Red Canyon), so I went for a seven mile hike down to Navajo Lake on a snowed out road. It was secluded, pretty, and the views were nice, so while I would not recommend it if you want a better “hike,” it was worth it, as it was extremely snow-covered nearly everywhere.

I stayed at Bryce Canyon Motel, in Panguitch, as it has easy road access to Dixie National Forest, Bryce Canyon, and is a short drive to Brian Head Ski Resort in the summer (the roads might not be plowed in the winter), which was clean, low-cost, and very comfortable for what it is, a one-bedroom place to yourself, which you can find on Airbnb. In the off-season, there’s very few people around, so you don’t have to book well in advance to get a room in Panguitch.

Day 3: Bryce Canyon, and Mossy Creek.

Mossy Creek is a trailhead area a short ten minute drive down the Scenic Byway 12 from Bryce Canyon. It has a beautiful hiking trail to a cave or a waterfall, your choice, depending on the path, and runs through orange hoodoos and scrubby pines. Well worth it, no matter what season. An easy hiking trail with plenty of natural southwest rock and nature to view as you wind through the canyon by a riverbed.

Escalante’s Petrified Forest is along the way, and I hiked a very muddy 1 mile loop up the side of the mountain, and saw a couple petrified trees. Not really worth it in the muddy conditions, if you care about mud, but I enjoyed the views and the hike wound up the side, so it was a little bit of a challenge and the views were spectacular in some places. Better in spring, summer, or fall. Winter is a challenge with the ice and snow.

I drove the Scenic Byway 12 in the afternoon, to see the views in daylight, and saw Bryce Canyon again by sunset.

Try to see Bryce Canyon at both sunrise and sunset. It is well worth it. You can still hike the trails down into the canyon, in winter, but they are somewhat steep and icy in some parts. I did not do this. I stayed on the edge, where the trail is between lookout points.

Day 4: Skiing at Brian Head Resort

On the way from Panguitch to Brian Head Resort, which offers mountain biking in the summer and skiing in the winter, I stopped in Dixie National Forest to hike at Red Hollow. There is a trail called Red Hollow that runs up the valley into a mountainous overlook, Thors’s Lookout, that is in total 1.7 miles. Red Hollow is .7 out, and is an out and back trail through red rock.

Skiing at Brian Head Resort is an extremely good experience, especially if you’re getting back into it. Skis cost $32 for a half day rental, and a half day pass for an adult is about $50. The trails are easy to moderate on one side, and harder on the other side of the mountain. Plenty to choose from and a long ride down no matter which one you decide to ski down.

I drove back to Las Vegas in the evening, which was about a three hour drive, and arrived by nightfall, to see the strip lit up with lights, which was a nice sight. However, if you settle into the peace of a small town like I did, coming from the seclusion of small mountain towns into the rush of a big city with a lot of fast traffic was jarring, in the mildest sense.

Day 4: Red Rocks Canyon and Death Valley National Park

Since this was a hiking trip, I did not spend much time at all in Las Vegas.

Red Rocks Canyon has some nice sport climbs that are multi-pitch, in case you want to climb out there, and some classic hiking trails. I did the Calico Tank trail which was about 2 miles out and back, with some moderate trails that scrambled up the cliffs above a wash at the final section, leading up to a nice view of the mountain range around in the distance. Well worth it if you’re only there to hike one or two trails. Pine Box Canyon is also a classic, though I did not do it.

Death Valley National Park: It is as huge as you might imagine, and there is too much to do than can be captured in a drive through one day. However, I went to Dante’s Inferno to see the view, and hiked a mile around the top of the mountain on a trail leading over the top of the mountain. I also went to see the view at Zabriskie Point, where you can look out at the badlands for miles and miles.

Death Valley is beautiful, but really requires a separate trip alone to see it well.

Day 5: Valley of Fire State Park, Red Rocks, and Lake Mead

I did not feel like paying the entrance fee ($10) to Valley of Fire, since I’d already spent a lot of time in red rock canyons this trip, so I stayed in the outskirts and found my way up the cliffs to the side of the mountain on my own. I also went back to Red Rocks and did part of the Calico Tanks trail, but this time I mostly went to take in the view and spend time there.

It was a little bit of a drive, about 30 minutes, to Lake Mead from central Las Vegas, but when I arrived, it was nearly 5pm, so the sun was setting when I was down by the lake. This made for some spectacular views, and since photography was what I was doing, I got the photos I wanted.

On the last night, I spent some time walking along the strip, to see the hotels for the Chinese New Year celebrations. Admission’s free.

Day 6: Frontier flight back to wherever

There really was not much time to do anything, so this concludes the trip. A good six day trip (seven, if you make it longer), in the southwest, that tours the last leg of the Grand Circle and goes through several national parks.

As always, all opinions are my own.

Photos will come later, in a photography book! Thanks for your support. Happy, safe travels.

Cataract Falls, Indiana – October 11, 2019

Few things are probably more beautiful in the world than roads that bend through yellow and red-leafed trees, the subtle hint that autumn is in the air, rain that lashes on the windowpane and casts a sheen across the roads, and mists rising over the forests that steam up and make the minutes seem to last forever.

At least, when one travels in rain, throughout the countryside of Indiana.

Indiana is a truly magical place. There’s a lot of history here — often while driving through the forests that still stand alongside the roads, I could envision what it must have been like when the Native Americans were living here with their canoes and their own lifestyle.

Now, I drive along the road, and it’s carpeted with Shells and Mobils and other stores of the modern-day era, but the beauty of the natural world still shines through.

I went to Cataract Falls, in Cloverdale, Indiana, to say goodbye to the past. There’s a future ahead of every day, and who knows where it is going. I’ve been traveling for a while, going here and there, but for a while, I’d like to enjoy being where I am. That kind of past, a light, gentle, goodbye.

I’m sure I’ll be back here, and thanks to everyone who has stopped by and read my posts. The waterfall, and the river, in Cataract, will always be there for those who search it out!

As always, all opinions are my own. Now, time for the photos.

A Cross-country Roadtrip Through America “On The Road”

This is an addition to my Norcal post.

What can I say? There is nothing like the drive across America from the Midwest to edge of the water, which, as Jack Kerouac wrote, was “we had reached the end of the land, there was no where else to go, in San Francisco.” From the long hours of the fields of Illinois, the forests of Missouri, the endless plains of Kansas, and then the wondrous mountains of the Southwest and California, where one could drive for hours and still seem to have gone nowhere, for hours, I was in rapture of the natural beauty that surrounded me.

I recommend to anyone who has not done a cross-country trip across America to do so once in their lives, if possible. It truly is a life-changing experience.

As always, all opinions are my own. Time for the photos. (More to be added later). ColoradoNearSandDunes Landscape

NorCal – Stinson Beach, Bodega Bay, and Marin Headlands

Hi all.

Pictures do a better job of describing the otherworldly beauty of the Pacific Coast than words. The black-washed mist on the haystacks of Bodega Bay. Colors dotting the rugged coastlines, stepping closer, one sees they are wildflowers. Elk, ravens, and wild dogs that have survived in this harsh landscape. The sweeping fog rolling in over the orange Golden Gate bridge, a strange sight against the Marin Headlands, yet a spectacular sight against the glittering bay of white-sailed boats and the futurist city of San Francisco behind the bridge’s net. The white lace in the ocean tides at Stinson Beach, and the black flower heads that grow beside Highway 1. Even the peaceful trees that loom in the remains of their forest in Samuel P. Taylor State Park are remnants of beauty from an era before modern ways.

It is cliche to call it beautiful, but didn’t someone say that in a famous poem, once?

As usual, all opinions are my own. Time for the photos.

7 Fun Things To Do In Indiana

Hi all.

Another list post. That’s good, because I’ve been a little short on time the past month for writing, and yet, here we go! I’ll make it sweet:

Skydiving in Franklin, Indiana

If you love heights, like me, and like safety, with some old-fashioned kindness, try Jerry’s Flying Circus in Franklin, Indiana. You can skydive alone, tandem, or static line. I did the tandem skydive with some very, very, nice people who made sure I had an amazing experience. Link to their website: http://www.explorefreefall.com/

2. Spring Mill Inn in Mitchell, Indiana

Besides being a village-walking-tour of the way farmers and homesteaders lived in the early 1900s in Indiana, Spring Mill Inn is a very beautiful forested state park with a nice inn and gardens. It is like walking around on the western equivalent of a Jane Austen estate. Bring a camera.

3. Indiana Dunes State Park – Porter, Indiana

It is like being in Florida. Except for the water is colder, there is less salt, and more sand dunes.

4. Yellowwood State Park – Nashville, Indiana

There is a lot to do and see in Indiana, but if you visit, make one stop at Yellowwood State Park. There is something special about the forests, especially in the morning, in evening, in spring, and in fall. Even in winter, Yellowwood has an aura and appeal that is difficult to place a single word or encapsulate it with a few sharp edges in an attempt to define it. It has magic in it, like Tolkein’s.

5. Exotic Feline Rescue Center – Ashboro, Indiana

You can walk around and see the tigers, lions, and smaller cats that have been rescued. While it is certainly sad to see what humans have done to these majestic, wild, beautiful creatures that do not belong in cages, it is also a wonderful experience to see them being cared for by people who have rescued them.

6. Bluesprings Cavern – Bedford, Indiana

Go underwater on a boat and see stalactites, stalagmites, and a 5/8s of a mile-long cave that has existed for millions of years, according to the boat tour guide. What a special sight. The only thing needed is a light jacket while you are touring on the boat, as the temperature inside is 53 degrees F all year.

7. Lake Monroe – Bloomington, Indiana

Paddling on this paradise takes one back to the early 1800s when people didn’t exist around it in such obvious sights. There are few words that can describe this kind of beauty, and beauty, not one of them.

As always, all opinions are my own. Time for the photos!

“Free-soloing” in the Flatirons – in Boulder, Colorado

From a trip on May 24, 2019

If you’ve never climbed without a rope up above a pine forest, overlooking some of the most beautiful scenery a rock could have next to a city, Boulder, Colorado, has some great views. In 2018, one of my life goals was “freesoloing” at least one of the Flatirons, and I was so happy to have accomplished it in the summer of 2019, when the weather was warm and the sun shone so beautifully over the alpine meadows nearby along the mountain range.

To be honest, this post isn’t even really about climbing. It’s mostly about realizing a dream. If I learned one thing while I was up there, it is that the most wonderful emotion in life, for me at least, is realizing a goal and enjoying every single moment. As this feeling sinks in and slowly evaporates into the distant reaches of memory, I won’t ever forget how beautiful it was, how peaceful, to be up there, on that rock, overlooking the horizon and overlooking the ground down below.

As always, all opinions are my own, and now, time for a few photos. Happy journeying!

Red River Gorge: Rock Climbing in Slade, Kentucky

Hi.

For those of you who know, Red River Gorge hosts some of the best rock climbing sites in the United States. There are many different crags to choose from within Muir Valley and the North, and over the past week, I managed to access several of these on an eight-day long climbing trip.

It is hard to describe the feeling of rock-climbing to those who haven’t ever climbed, and even more difficult to describe the elation when surmounting a route. If you climb, you’ll know what it’s like to overcome fear, head up into the treetops, and look out at the anchors to the valley below and the pitch that you just went up. Who does these kind of things?!

Climbers, and let me tell you, climbing can be enjoyed by all levels, not only the most skilled and experienced. *At the very start of this journey, I could only do a 5.8, being without training for five months, but after eight days, I quickly sent a 10.b.

In the spring, the valley is blooming with wildflowers and the trees turning over new leaves. It is a time to go on nature hikes and experience the changing of the seasons in a land which in many places, looks as it did in the 1800s. Try hiking to Gray’s Arch, or going around the circle to see Whistling Arch, Skybridge, Chimney Rock, and the Angel Windows. You will see how beautiful it is to be in the middle of a national forest (Daniel Boone). Surprisingly, there are many arches in the sandstone of the Red River Gorge, some as magnificent as in Arches National Park.

On this trip, I went to the North and also Muir Valley, and though listing the pitches isn’t really necessary, here’s a quick run-down to let you know it is possible to crag-hop quite easily.

Muir Valley – Bruise Brothers Wall, Johnny Wall, Tectonic Wall, Land Before Time Wall, The Hideout Wall, The Great Wall, Animal Crackers Wall, and on the way back, Roadside Crag.

In the South, at PMRP – Velo Wall.

The North – Tower Rock (Caver’s Route surprisingly a fun multi-pitch climb with an astounding view at the top!), The Left Flank Wall, Long Wall, Phantasia, and Military Wall.

As usual, all opinions are my own. Time for the photos!

Golden Fields