Tag Archives: Utah

Going It Alone

Posted on by
Reply

IMG_7784I spend a lot of time by myself -partly by choice and partly by necessity. Sometimes it’s just to prove that I can. I’m happy to have company but am also happy to hike five miles alone, to eat alone in a restaurant or even go to a concert by myself. Solo road trips are actually a lot of fun because you don’t have to take into account someone else’s feelings and can just go where the wind blows you.

However, the one thing I had never done alone is fly.

I’m not really a seasoned air traveler and had never needed to go by myself. For some reason, this really had me psyched out when it came to planning my Utah trip. The thought of getting myself to the airport, through security and to the right place on time was intimidating. I’m not afraid to fly. I was just afraid of the rest!

Turns out, it was fine.  I flew out of Cincinnati rather than Columbus because airfare was significantly less and I was able to choose from several direct flights at different times of the day both coming and going. Think half the price for a direct flight that took a third the time as the ones offered from Columbus. 

I drove myself to the airport, found my way through the whole process and actually enjoyed my flight. Easy peasy.

Coming home wasn’t quite as easy. My flight was delayed and my bags heavier because I evidently am a champion packer who managed to fit a ton of stuff into a carry-on and personal item, making it tough to navigate the narrow aisles of an airplane and to drag through the airports.

Nonetheless, there was nothing to fear. In fact, I would be game to do it again soon if the opportunity arises.

What are you afraid to do alone? I can promise you, it won’t be nearly as scary as hiding from life and staying home all the time! Tell me all about it in the comments.

Mom and Dad. I’m Fine

Posted on by
Reply

I am a grown adult but that doesn’t prevent my parents from worrying and stewing over their only child’s adventuring. In fact, they felt a lot of anxiety over my summer vacation.

My traveling companion found a fun video about a man who sent his mom pictures while he was out globetrotting. I liked the idea and ran with it, printing and laminating a sign that I dragged all over the country.

Here are a few of my favorites:

My folks loved receiving the pictures and thought it was a fun, reassuring way to keep track of my activities and whereabouts.

The Darkest Skies You’ll Ever See

Posted on by
Reply

Arches and Canyonlands (1).JPG

On our first night in Moab we made the journey down to the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. This is a sparsely populated area of the park and considered back country. There are no towns nearby, few houses and consequently, no light pollution.

These are some of the darkest skies in the country. It just so happens that our visit coincided with the Perseid Meteor Shower.

We found a place to park, spread our blankets on the ground and feasted on peanut butter sandwiches and cherries  while enjoying the show in the sky.

We had some really good meals but this was the finest one of the trip. 

We rested for a few restless hours in the car (ahem, next to a sign that said “No camping”) and were up at daybreak in time to see the sun rise.

I took no pictures of the night sky, choosing to just enjoy the experience rather than feel frustrated because my pictures were no good.  But I did take a lot of the sun coming up.

Isn’t it spectacular?

IMG_1202_edited

A Big Adventure

Posted on by
Reply

I’m home now after a whirlwind adventure out west with a friend. There is so much to say about this trip that I don’t even know where to start.

The trip was to Utah. I flew into Salt Lake City where my friend Johnna picked me up at the airport and we were off and running for the next week. We spent a couple of days in Salt Lake and the rest of the week in Moab where we stayed in a tiny house (that’s what they called it on Airbnb – it was really a very nice house trailer) that was home base for shopping, sightseeing and hiking in the famed Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park.

I’ve flown over this part of the country before but this was my first time visiting. Let me tell you, friends – coming from the lush, green, overgrown southern part of Ohio, landing in Utah was about like landing on the moon. There’s little vegetation and instead lots of rock. Salt Lake City seems like a never ending sprawl of houses and development rimmed by mountains. To put things into perspective, the county where I live has about 13,000 people and literally more trees than people.

Rather than detail the entire journey in one post, I’ll tell you about a few things over time. Today, we’ll talk about hiking because that was my favorite part.

I went to see the sunrise over the desert and I was not disappointed. There is something magical about the desert around Moab and the way it changes with the light. I loved watching the way the landscaped changed as we stomped around on boulders, through sand and along rocky rim trails.

Starting early accomplished a few goals. Not only did we get to see the gorgeous morning sky, being out early kept us safe. Temperatures can easily rise over 100 degrees by lunchtime and our goal typically was to be back in the car and doing something else by then. I’m a fair complected person but with an early start, a lot of sunscreen and a lot of water, I managed to come home with no burns and no heat stroke!

My pictures don’t do justice to the beauty of this place but I hope you enjoy them anyway.

An aside – I love to hike but abandoned traditional hiking boots years ago. They feel too heavy and bulky for me. Instead, I opt for New Balance trail runners. They feel like a tennis shoe but have great treads that took me everywhere I wanted to go (and a few places I didn’t want to go) out there. I also carried a small day pack with supplies including a couple of extra insulated water bottles. Don’t bother with plain plastic. Your water will be boiling in no time.