Wednesday, April 30, 2008
UTAH Rocks: From Zion to Bryce
After another wonderful breakfast at the Harvest House B&B, we bade farewell to Springdale. We were not happy to leave, as we really fell for Springdale, the B&B, Zion... but - Bryce was awaiting.
I have to confess here: when we planned this vacation, Zion was more of a must-do for me. I didn't expect it to be special. Nor beautiful. Nor impressive. Just a park that needs to be visited coz it was on the way. I basically wanted to be done with it and get going to the real attractions. And so, when I saw Zion with all its glory, I was utterly stunned, to say the least.
What I really yearned to see was Bryce Canyon and Antelope Slot Canyon. And now we were heading there.
But, just before leaving Zion, we went through the little ghost town of Grafton, of which we heard from a guest at the B&B, who told us about the town and the graveyard. My imagination went flying into full-gear, wallowing in images of ruined buildings against the dramatic mountains, with tumbleweeds rolling in the gloomy wind and the spirits of the deceased still haunting the graveyard.
Nope.
A bunch of few well-preserved buildings, and a graveyard that was well kept. No ghosts. No mystery.
It was interesting, though, to see the plate that listed down the causes of deaths in the particularly unlucky year of 1866, from "Killed by Indians" to "swing broke". 
Another interesting thing was to see the graves of the Mormon settlers, all with proper gravestones, full names, dates and inscriptions, side by side with three graves of Indians who were probably converted to be Mormons, but were - apparently - not worthy of a gravestone nor a full name. And so, their graves are marked with little wooden signs saying "Ind. Wiley", "Ind. Puss" and "Cedar Pete". Y'see, they were not even worthy of fully spelling the word Indian. Makes you think, eh?
Interesting place.
And we proceeded to Bryce, driving through the scenic Utah byway 89 - which suddenly started to be spotted with white!
WHITE???
Yup!
Patches of snow that became frequent and bigger.
Lunchtime was getting close, and we were getting hungry - but all the little towns we drove through seemed utterly deserted. 
I mean, Grafton suddenly looked like it had a lively rich community life in comparison...
Hmm - not a fun feeling, and it was a bit surreal, verging on unnerving - until we reached the town of Hatch, and a sign that pointed at a restaurant that claimed to be open! With tears of gratitude, we sat at a table, and enjoyed a buffalo hamburger (never had it - very tasty) and the view from the window.
With renewed energy, we hit the road again.
The scenery changed, with a lot of pine forests dipping their feet in white patches of snow, and a lot of rock formations that got me very excited, as they started to look like the photos of hoodoos I saw online.
We were - apparently - in Dixie National Forest, and came to the Red Canyon. Gorgeous place that made me wonder how come it was not mentioned as a highlight, as it had such cool rocks! The JohnnyB said that a lot of people who arrive at the Red Canyon think it doesn't get better than this, so they don't bother to continue to Bryce.
We bothered.
I was so anxious to see this legendary canyon - just couldn't wait to get there. Finally arriving at the entrance, we went to the visitor center, where we read the somber warnings about hiking in Bryce. The keyword was hiking boots. We didn't have any. We had good sturdy hiking shoes, but the ranger we spoke to was very strict on that, giving us apocalyptic prophecies of how crucial it is to have good grip for the ankles. We started to contemplate getting hiking boots at the general store of the little town(?) of Ruby's Inn, but as we asked him about the trails that really captured our attention, we learned that some of them were closed because of snow. As in 5-6 feet of snow!
OK then - we decided that our hiking shoes are enough, and we'll stick with the non-snowy parts.
We left the visitor center, checked in to our accommodations in the nearby small town of Tropic - and The JohnnyB got a lot of points by offering to give up on his nap and go see Bryce.
We went back to Bryce and headed towards to the first overlook, Sunset Point, to get a first glimpse of Bryce Canyon
- - -
- - - and to have words fail us.
Labels: Nature, Photohgraphy, Time Out, Vacation
Saturday, April 26, 2008
UTAH Rocks: Zion
5 days since we got back - and I'm starting to get used to having no desert around me. No cliffs, no majestic views other than traffic lights and Safeway signs. No living out of a suitcase, no more hiking shoes or Teva sandals composing my footwear wardrobe. It's good to be home, but - I am missing the views, the fresh air, the stars, the silence, that sense of awe that I felt wherever I looked.
Time to reminisce, then.
We flew to Las Vegas on Saturday, 2 weeks ago - one day later than planned, but let's forget this part.
Having never been to that city, I pressed my nose in anticipation against the window of the airplane, and was very surprised to see how small it actually is. I imagined it so much bigger, and very different. It was almost surreal to see a group of tall buildings bunched up, surrounded by a vast area of, well, nothing. I was very curious to see it up close, so we drove through The Strip.Hmm... I was actually amused to see the the mighty sphinx of Luxor ogling the Statue of Liberty, the juxtaposition of Eiffel Tower with Rio, and the cocktail of Tropicana with a sprits of Mandalay Bay, all garnished with the Bellagio. OK then... got the idea after a couple of minutes, but we were yet to make our way out of the busy traffic. I'm sure it's much more impressive at night with the lights and all. Plus - I wanted to see nature!
And so, after a few left turns and a quick lunch (In-n-Out seemed like the best choice under the circumstances), we started to head towards the little town of Springdale, UT, that resides on the edge of Zion National Park.
It didn't us take long to start enjoying the feel of the desert - weird cacti on the roadside grabbed our attention, and the winding road among cliffs had a great positive impact on our stressed-out mood.
Arriving at Springdale, we checked into the Harvest House B&B, overlooking The Watchman cliff. We had high expectations. Very high, in fact, as it was rated #1 on Trip Advisor. Got a very warm welcome from Tom, the owner, and followed him to our room on the second floor. WOW! Great room, meticulously clean to the extent that you are almost afraid to step in it - and the whole house had this wonderful fresh smell that is still a riddle to us. And - as I stepped out of the room to the private porch, The Watchman was, like, right there! As if it's the most natural thing in the world to have this majestic cliff peeking at the window. The room - and the breakfast - exceeded our expectations - this place gracefully made its way to the top 3 B&B we've ever stayed in (and we have a lot of B&Bs in our histories), in all aspects.Since we arrived in the evening, we took a couple of hours to fall in love with the very cute town of Springdale, its many little shops and the friendly people strolling around, before having a wonderful birthday dinner at The Spotted Dog café. Two friendly guys were sitting at the table next to us, looking like the ultra-hikers type, so I asked them what they recommend for newcomers who have one day only in the park. They diagnosed us as out-of-shape rookies (well, sadly, we were!) and told us about the easier ways to enjoy Zion.
The morning after, we had a wonderful breakfast prepared by Tom, the B&B owner. The star was a divine stuffed French toast - a dish I have never had before and I would give a lot to have again! That was accompanied by an interesting conversation with the two other couples who stayed at the B&B: one Mormon couple, and one very yuppie couple from Los Angeles. Quite a contrast, eh?
And - we headed to the park. We started off by a drive through the tunnel (very cool!!) and a hike to the Zion Overlook, where The JohnnyB has discovered - much to his dismay - that he has joined the rest of us mortals by developing a fear of heights. (Ah, I still recall when I first found out I adopted this fear - four years ago, on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, as we were climbing it! Not a good place to discover such a thing, so I just kept going, trying to look good in pale...). Anyway, looking down the overlook became a bit of an unexpected challenge, but the views were remarkable nonetheless.
See the tiny white spot sorrounded by a red circle in the photo below? (this red circle is my ArtPact for the day...). That's a white tour bus that had the courtesy to climb up the road and serve as a nice perspective reference so y'all can appreciate the size we're talkin' about.
From there, we drove back, parked the car next to the visitor center, and took the shuttle all the way to the Temple of Sinawava, taking the time to get off at some stops in order to overuse the "Wow!" word and take photos galore.
We took the shuttle back, and went for the Riverside Walk - a nice stroll (can't really call it a hike, as it's on a paved trail) that takes you down the Virgin River. A very popular route, so it seems, as it attracted quite a few fellow visitors.
We heard a lot about The Narrows and the fun walk in the water that takes you to the cliff called Wall Street - TexieD told me that was one of the best parts of Zion - but that trail was closed for the day. Too much water flowing too fast in too low a temperature. Bummer.
Still - The JohnnyB would never give up the opportunity to dip his feet in water. A true Minnesotan is not afraid of the cold. So, as we arrived at the river, he took his dusty hiking shoes off, and dipped - - -
- - - And, 10 minutes later, his feet got back to their natural color. A shame, really, as he was quite cute in his transformation into a smurf.We went back to Springdale for dinner. this time, went for the Switchback Grill. Another nice, friendly restaurant with decent food, that made me very happy because their presentation of the food resembles the scenery of Zion, with mashed potatoes and other sides arranged like the rock formations in the park. Now, that's creative!
And, after an obligatory orange sunset (oh yes, that's what it looks like. Really. Flaming rocks against the cobalt blue skies, and so much silence!), we hit the sack. A long day - and Bryce Canyon - were awaiting us.
More to come.
Labels: Holidays, Nature, Time Out, Vacation
Thursday, April 24, 2008
UTAH Rocks!
And so does Arizona!
Came back on Monday afternoon, after 10 days in the deserts of Utah and Arizona. Although I never got to see that specific location that I was dreaming about, our eyelids now carry dozens of stunning views engraved inside them, along with Lots of new places, lots of different weather (from the hot Zion to the snowy slopes of Bryce), lots of people and lots of stories.
And - LOTS of rocks and red dirt. So many textures and lines and shapes and colors - and so, so many photos... The above is a tiny sample of the hundreds (yup) that I took.
Oh, and one shirt that has the brilliant title of this post.
Now it's time to get back to the suburban life, and try to digest all that we've seen. More details to come, I think.
Labels: Creativity of Others, Nature, Photohgraphy, Vacation
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Taking Off!!!
It's past 1am, and we are flying in the morning to our long anticipated vacation in some of the national parks. Zion, Bryce, Antelope and the Grand Canyon are awaiting us, and I am beyond excited to see all that glory.
The photo on the left, of Bryce Canyon (courtesy of the beautiful Landscape Wallpapers Blog) has been my laptop wallpaper for several weeks. Now it's finally time to go and see the magic in person.
I am finally packed (packing is one of my most hateful activities, even more so when needing to pack shorts with gloves, sandals with a warm scarf, as the weather website tells us it's gonna be hot during the day - up to 31 Celsius (as in 87 Fahrenheit) and damn cold at night, all the way down to minus one Celsius (30 F).
This vacation was very close to getting canceled due to work pressure, but The JohnnyB made some truly heroic efforts over the past two weeks, worked his butt off day and night (weekends included, needless to say) and managed to enable this vacation and have it cut by only one day. A major achievement on his account, and I am insanely grateful! Both The JohnnyB and I are in desperate need for some time off, and the desert seems to be the ultimate place to wind down. A birthday at Zion National Park - now, that's a cool way to celebrate!
Photos, stories and adventures to follow - when we get back. Until then, please blog safely.
Labels: Birthday, Creativity of Others, Damn Technology, It's All About Me, Ode to other blogs, Vacation
Thursday, April 10, 2008
ArtPact #52
Went to a demo on Sunday - by a serious watercolor master: Cheng Khee Chee. A real sweet, fun and funny guy, with a lot of wisdom to share and a masterful hand with the brush. He is giving a workshop here this week - which I am not taking, and I quite envy those who do, as the short lecture he gave before his demo was very inspiring. It was wonderful to listen to someone who spoke of his philosophy of painting rather than showing his technique. he spoke of the Tao of paint, of Yin and Yang - but did it in a way that was not pretentious or annoyingly vague.
Oh yes, some of the attendees gave him this "shut up and paint already!" look, but I was fascinated as I have not been in a long time. I loved his emphasis on the emotional contact with the subject and painting what your heart desires, and thoroughly enjoyed his message that although we do need our right brain to create, the left brain also plays a very important part. After meeting so many artists who seem to have given up on their left brain, well... 'nough said. You can read more about his ideas here.
Anyway - while Cheng Khee Chee was talking, I kept snapping photos of him, as he has a great expressive face. Once I was done capturing him in every possible pose, I let go of the camera in favor of a quick skecth of the master (top left), then chose my next victim: this guy in the audience who was kept falling asleep... I guess Sunday afternoon is not exactly the time when artists are at the peak of their wakefulness. It was fun sketching him, even if I had to change the position of his eyelids once or twice...
Oh yes, I do have some paintings to show, but I've been way too preoccupied and stressed about with our upcoming vacation (that got very close to being cancelled), so more on those when I get back.
previous ArtPact ... ...next ArtPact
Friday, April 04, 2008
He's Done It Again!
My birthday is coming up.
Next Sunday.
The dreaded 45.
Two days ago, a big package arrived at our house, and The JohnnyB hid it in the den, saying it's for my birthday. Despite my inquisitiveness, I got over my tendency to try and peek, until yesterday he mentioned that since we'll be going on a trip on Friday, and it's too big to take it with us, it might make sense that I open it now.
Long debate - and I decided to give in to my curiosity.
And that's what was inside:
The box said "Picture Frame", which made me pause with a questioning look (like, why would a frame come in such a huge box, and what kind of gift is it anyway!?).
But then I saw the word digital - and gave a huge cry of delight. For a long time, I've been saying how wonderful it would be to have a computer in my studio, so when I need to look close at a reference photo when I paint, I won't have to rely on just a print or run to the den to look at it. Of course, I can bring the laptop in while I paint, but, well, it's likely to get splashed by paint and stuff. Not a good idea.
This little wonder (made by Smart Parts Products) can display photos and is the perfect solution. It's not as precious as a laptop, so I don't need to be afraid of ruining it, plus has exactly the functionality I need. (It actually has more than that, as it can also play music and videos). I wonder if they ever thought of its value and use to painters.
This is so very cool!!!
The JohnnyB:
thank you,
Thank You,
THANK YOU!!!
Labels: Art, Birthday, Damn Technology, It's All About Me, Wonders of The JohnnyB, Wow
Thursday, April 03, 2008
A Comic Relief - or Two
Two collections of end jokes from one of my favorite series on TV, the BBC's "The Vicar of Dibley".
Labels: Creativity of Others, Joke, Meta Bloggin'
