Park 3: Canyonlands May 2009

The early morning sun casting shadows.

On the same trip to visit Arches National Park, we headed south of Moab to Canyonlands National Park. Named as such because the Colorado and Green Rivers have carved actual canyons into the landscape, Canyonlands covers about 525 square miles and is divided into 3 different districts. The area we chose to hike in is called the Needles district which is named after the red and white banded rock pinnacles which dominate it. Unlike Arches National Park, where many of the sites are accessible by short hikes or even your car, most of the good stuff in Canyonlands requires some long-distance hiking.

Starting at the "Elephant Hill" trailhead, we spent the majority of the day doing the Chesler Park Loop, which provided great views of the Needles formations. In the southern portion, the trail sent us through deep, narrow fractures in the rock called "fins". These were amazingly fun, a little bit scary, and wonderfully chilly. In the hot desert heat, these fins acted as an air-conditioned hallway to hike through.

Inside the fins.

On full day hikes like these, we usually start out as early as possible to beat the heat. That being said, by the end of the hike,  in the late afternoon sun, I was ready for some shade. (I'm sure it didn't help that Dad and I "raced" the last couple of miles... I like to hike in front, but so does he.)

The one thing I really enjoyed about Canyonlands is that the trails aren't full of hikers. Because the park requires so much back-country hiking, many of what I call "just tourists" stay away. There's nothing more annoying than sharing the trail with folks that just got off the tour bus wearing flip-flops and carrying nothing but their purses and cameras!

The Needles

Park 2: Arches (Part 3) May 2009

Here's my last little bit on Moab.

I mentioned before that Moab and the surrounding area is home to some of the greatest mountain biking on the planet. It is well known for the world famous, highly technical Slickrock Bike Trail. (Which basically means don't get on it unless you know what you're doing.) We didn't. Mom, Dad and I are road bikers, but mountain bikes are a whole different animal! Seeing that we had no desire to break or necks, we hired a guide from a local company called Rim Tours.

Rim Tours offers a variety of different guided trips to trails in and around Moab. You choose how many hours you want to bike, what level of trail you want to do, etc. We chose to ride the Klondike Bluffs trail, which takes you up a climb near Arches NP. Along the way our guide taught us how to navigate the slick rock on our full suspension bikes. (If you've never ridden a full suspension, try it! It feels like you're riding on a trampoline.) We learned how to do small jumps, climb up and over boulders and we even saw some dinosaur tracks embedded in the rocks near the trail. I wish I could say that the ride down was easier than the ride up, but it was so steep that I rode the brakes the entire way, and my knuckles were white by the end.

Mountain biking! 

Another fun thing to do is to head up to Fisher Towers just north of Moab. The hike isn't very difficult, but the rock formations you see there are crazy! The rock fins shoot up towards the sky creating sheer rock walls. But what you really want to look for while you're there are the rock climbers. Dotted all along the walls you'll see tiny people hanging by ropes, traversing the 90 degree angles. We stood there for quite a while, with our mouths open, and just watched as they slowly made there way up the side.

Yeah, they climb THOSE! (Pic courtesy of Climb-Utah.)

Our other activity outside of the park was to go horseback riding. I don't know, I guess it's a girl-thing, but I love going riding. Plus, it just seemed so country-western to go riding in Utah next to the Colorado River. About a 20 minute drive from Moab, Red Cliffs Lodge is a classic western lodge that was the site of numerous John Wayne films (had my dad right there). In fact, the lodge has a Western Movie Museum in the basement that features memorabilia from all the movies filmed in the area. We checked it out while we were waiting for the tour to start. 

The riding was nice, but, honestly, it wasn't "wow". The horses were bored out of their minds and mine kept getting sassy with me. The scenery definitely made up for the horses' bad attitudes, and it was cool to think that John Wayne probably rode the same trails. I don't know if I would recommend the riding, but the lodge itself was worth the trip out there.

Park 2: Arches (Part 2) May 2009

So, back to the actual park.

Arches NP is home to over 2,000 natural sandstone arches. In order to be considered an arch, an opening must measure at least three feet (in any direction). Many of the more famous arches have names like Delicate Arch, Landscape Arch, Double Arch, Broken Arch... you get the idea. Every year, new ones are discovered and old ones fall due to mother nature's constant wind and erosion. The last major arch to fall was in August of 2008, when, during the middle of the night, the 71-ft wide Wall Arch came tumbling down, and no one was there to witness it.

Upon entering the park, a steep, winding road leads you up past some great places to take short hikes and see the views.

Park Avenue is a long row of fins on 2 sides that resemble the skyscrapers of a big city. The Three Gossips, at the end of Park Avenue, is a sandstone tower that looks like 3 women leaning in and talking to one another. Down the road a ways is Balanced Rock, which is exactly what it sounds like; an oversized boulder balanced at the top of a tower. 

All of these are easy, short hikes, and can even be seen from your car (but why would you do that?).

Park Avenue

Defnitely, a hike worth taking is the 1.5 mile trail to Delicate Arch. Even if you've never been to Arches, you've no doubt seen the iconic landmark on Utah's license plates and postage stamps. The hike isn't easy, and takes you up a steep incline, but the view at the end is worth the sweat. Of course, when a bus load of french tourists shows up 20 minutes after you get there, the scene is a little ruined. I mean, who smokes in a national park?! Oh, right. French tourists.

Me sketching at Delicate Arch.

Another great hike is the Fiery Furnace, a labyrinth of narrow canyons and fins that requires you to do some scrambling and squeezing through tight spaces. It's called the Fiery Furnace because when the afternoon sun hits the rocks, the area almost glows red and orange. And, if you were to get lost, I'm sure the heat would feel about the same. Because there are no marked trails in this area, you have to sign up for a ranger-led hike. The good thing about this is that you get a lot of great information and history of the area from the ranger. The bad part is, you have to hike with a bunch of idiots you don't know, that try to carry a 3-month-old baby with them.

On the guided hike of Fiery Furnace.

My last suggestion is to go see Double Arch, if only for the fact that it is a great photo spot, is easy to access from the road, and, if you're like my dad, you get really excited about seeing a location from the movie "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade". 

All in all, this is still one of my favorite National Parks so far. The scenery is iconic, the crowds aren't too bad, and you're sure to come away with some fantastic photos and memories. In 2 or 3 days, you can see all that the park has to offer, but still get a slice of pizza and a beer each night in Moab.

Park 2: Arches (Part 1) May 2009

I've got to backtrack a little to keep my park visits in order...

In 2009, my parents and I headed to Southern Utah to visit Arches and Canyonlands. Utah, is by far, one of the most beautiful states I have ever visited. Seriously, if it weren't for all the crazy polygamists, I could definitely live there. (However, 'Big Love' on HBO was an awesome show.) Salt Lake City is a little blah, but just south is Provo and Sundance, which are absolutely stunning and is where we stayed the first 2 days. It was so wonderful to breathe the crisp air- something you just can't find in Tennessee- and to see a valley covered in green aspen, but the mountains behind still covered in snow.

Sundance is the famed ski resort owned by Robert Redford and home to a "little-known" film festival. Want to know what it looks like? Check out the film 'Jerimiah Johnson', add in some Uggs and Hollywood celebs riding the ski lift and and an over-priced mail-order catalog, and you've got Sundance. But seriously, it was a fantastic place to stay for the night. We slept in a little hillside "cabin", ate some amazing food and took a couple of art classes at the on-site art studios. If you ever have the chance, check out the resort, especially in the off-season when prices are right.

Sundance's ski-worthy mountains.

Once leaving Sundance, we headed south for the tiny town of Moab. It's about a 4-hour car ride, but the scenery is absolutely beautiful (if you can stay awake... I'm like a baby in the car and fall asleep pretty quickly). The temperature rises as you drop lower and lower, out of the snow-capped mountains and onto the desert floor. In the course of one day, I went from wearing jeans and a fleece to shorts and a tank top.

On the way into Moab, you actually drive by the entrance to Arches National Park. It has a lovely Visitor's Center that I recommend stopping at before entering, mainly because the park rangers are happy to point out places of interest and help you decide on the best hikes. This is where we stopped and picked up our park pass (required for all visitors) before heading in to town to the house we rented for the week.

The main road inside Arches National Park.

This is where I have to give my mom credit for always planning and organizing some wonderful trips for our family. Wherever we travel, she puts together the itinerary, the accommodations, the hikes... it's always fantastic. One of her main sources of info is VRBO (Vacation Rentals by Owner). With a little bit of research, rental houses can be just as affordable as a hotel, especially when you consider that a rental home gives you the opportunity to cook some meals instead of eating out all the time. Plus, rentals usually include washers/dryers, which means you can travel with less clothing.


Moab is paradise for any active person, but especially mountain bikers, jeep off-roaders, and hikers. There are only about 4,500 permanent residents that live there, the majority of which work in the tourism industry. The locals are either bad ass mountain bikers or batty old hippies. (Seriously, there a no overweight people in that town.) Moab is also home to some great breweries, restaurants and art galleries, one of which I purchased some fantastic art by Jonathan Frank.

Moab Recommendations:

Restaurants:
Jail House Cafe (the original town jail that now serves amazing breakfast)
La Hacienda
Moab Brewery

Bike Shop: 
Chili Pepper Bike Shop

Art Galleries:
Framed Image Art Gallery

Favorite Gear: The Sun Shirt (aka Clothing for Really White Girls)

Red hair and pale skin means I don't usually rock an awesome tan. I do, however have some freckles that have started to merge together....  Anyways, growing up I was always pretty good about wearing sunscreen at the pool and whatnot, but it wasn't until about 5 years ago that I really had to start taking it seriously. Through some skin checks with the dermatologist, and a visit with a specialist, I found out that I have Dysplastic Nevi, which means my moles are more likely to turn into melanoma (skin cancer). I've had to have about 7 moles removed from my arms, legs and stomach because they were headed in the "wrong direction."

Now, I have to get my skin checked twice a year and pretty much wear sunscreen all the time. Usually at least 30 SPF on a cloudy day in the office, and 100 SPF (Neutrogena is my brand of choice) anytime I do an outdoor activity. It's a pain in the ass, but I'm not willing to take any chances. And I'm certainly not willing to give up my love of the outdoors.

Along with slathering myself in sunscreen, I've become a big fan of "sun clothing". Different companies call it different things, but basically it's clothing made to block out the sun (and make you look like a dork). Of course, any clothing is going to block out some sun, but fabrics made with a tighter weave and certain dyes carry an Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) value. These ratings range from 15 (good) to 50+ (excellent).

Most of the UPF clothing I use are actually long sleeve shirts and jackets, that I can wear as layers over my other clothes. The good ones have ventilation in the sleeves and back so that you can wear them even in the hot desert. My favorite brands are Columbia and ExOfficio, but almost all hiking brands have products that are UPF rated. Stores like REI make it really easy by tagging the clothing with stickers that let you know the UPF value.

As I post more trip photos, you'll probably notice I'm usually wearing one of my sun shirts. I try to only take it off if we are in the shade or it is very late in the afternoon. Oh, and I wear a lot of hats. Again, just trying to keep the sun off my face and scalp as much as possible. Yes, my clothing tends to look a little goofy out on the trails, but, this ain't no runway, k? And until Calvin Klein and Marc Jacobs start designing specifically for the melanin-challenged, I'm going to keep wearing my trusty sun shirts.

Mom and I ready to take on the sun.

Preservation Nation

What exactly IS a National Park, you might ask?

Hold on! Let's stop right there. Let me say, before we go any further, that I am not a good writer. Want to know which AP exam I didn't pass in high school? Yep. English. I LOVE to read, but I suck at writing. Do I put a comma here, use a semi colon there, capitalize this??? I don't know! And honestly, I'm too lazy to look it up. Yes, I realize I work at a PR firm where writing is the shit, but I'm an artist. So screw it. I don't know if "National Parks" needs to be capitalized, but it's MY BLOG, so I make the decisions.

Here's what Wikipedia says (If it's on Wiki, you KNOW it must be true): The United States has 58 protected areas known as national parks, which are operated by the National Park Service, an agency of the Department of the Interior. National parks must be established by an act of the United States Congress. The first national park, Yellowstone, was signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant in 1872, followed by Sequoia and Yosemite in 1890.

Congress is continually adding and removing parks from this list (which is a growing controversy). The most recent park was added in 2004, so most likely my list will grow and change in the years to come.

Unfortunately, there are very few National Parks in the southeast.  The most famous, of course, is the Smoky Mountains National Park. There are a handful of smaller parks east of the Mississippi, but, for the most part, they are all out west. Which makes this little project of mine tough. There are eight in Alaska alone. Eight!! And there's one in the American Samoas. (I'll probably have to leave that one until I find me a sugar daddy.)

Want to learn more about the National Parks? The easiest way is to go the the National Park Service website. For a government website, it's actually pretty informative.

For an in-depth history of the parks (and a generally amazing documentary), check out Ken Burns' film "The National Parks: America's Best Idea".

And if you're like me, and all you want to do is look at pictures, head on over to Amazon. I hear they have some books there.

Wherever they are located, the National Parks are this country's last bit of wilderness. So yippee ki-yay mother-earth lover!

Park 1: The Big Hole

My first memorable experience with a National Park was in 1993. I was in 6th grade, skinny, moody, and not too jazzed about riding in a car for 4 hours to see, as my sister and I put it, "a big hole in the ground." Driving through the northern deserts of Arizona from Las Vegas, I was pretty taken aback with the starkness of my surroundings. It was the desert, yes, but not how I'd pictured it in my mind. I imagined "Lawrence of Arabia",  riding camels, searching for an oasis in the distance. The desert to a girl from Alabama looked like the Sahara. Not this shitload of rock and scrub. Oh, yeah, and a really big dam.

But once we reached the "hole in the ground" I was thrilled. It was so much bigger than I could have imagined. And there were donkeys! Giving rides! (Yes, this grabbed my attention pretty quickly.) Our family did the typical touristy things. We took pictures at specified lookouts, we used those ridiculous quarter-operated binoculars and we hit up all the gift shops. Finally, in keds and probably carrying no water, we ventured down into the "giant hole". Behind the donkeys no less. 

I'd say we hiked about 2 miles before my sister and I started complaining about how hot it was, how much donkey shit smelled and my parents realized that what you hike down, you have to hike back up. We turned around and that was that.

Jump ahead to 2006. I had not been on a hiking vacation since the Grand Canyon. I guess I really hadn't had much of an interest in anything that involved too much exertion or effort. My parents, however, had started hiking with a travel group called The World Outdoors. They had done some pretty amazing hikes out west and in Alaska and Canada. And they were hooked. And after taking me to Sedona, AZ that summer to do some hiking, I was hooked too.

So begins this little "project" of mine. I've had the opportunity in the last few years to go on some AMAZING hikes in some pretty spectacular places across the country. For a long time, I used to think that the only vacations worth taking were in Europe or Asia... definitely oversees. But, I've come to realize there is so much of this country I want to see. The U.S. is BIG and full of breathtaking landscapes. One thing our forefathers did right was to put aside these places and designate them as National Parks; for everyone to visit and enjoy.

I plan to see them all. All 58.

I have a handful under my belt, but many more to go....

So enjoy this little blog of mine! And go hiking!