Arrival

So here I am, in Northampton, MA. Home of Smith College. It is exactly how you would picture a small New England town home to a small, elite liberal arts women's college: quaint shops and restaurants along the main street, a barn in the adjacent property to Wanda's house. We are soaking in the hospitality of the Deitners.

Tomorrow, Sunday, Paul and I head down to New Haven, about an 1 1/2 hour drive. We have 6 appointments set up. Also, continuing the theme of near strangers helping us in any way they can, Wanda's friend's friend's mother works in real estate in New Haven (what are the odds?) and she has her feelers out to get us a hot deal! Thank you, universe!

This trip had two main reasons for happening. To allow Constantly Burning Fire to tour and so that Paul could move to New Haven with me for my last year of nursing school. People have told me that a trip like this can test a relationship. We had fun. We are still very much in love, still talking to each other. We've been together almost five years now, two breakups, one year of long distance, lost jobs, tough jobs, great jobs, great trips, great shows, Thanksgiving with the family, Christmas with the family. Ready for what's next.

Just before leaving Seattle, Constantly Burning Fire were starting to gain a following, booking shows every week. Seemed an unfortunate time to leave, but sometimes life happens that way. Although, perhaps that is not the unfortunate coincidence. Perhaps the significance here is that I got into Yale, Paul decided to move to New Haven for me, and Tommy decided to move back to Northampton. The two cities aren't far apart. Constantly Burning Fire will burn on. Perhaps even the change in location, lifestyle, culture, will spur creativity and productivity, two ingredients for successful musicians. Two ingredients of many, with those others being good promotion, fans, good management, but hopefully these latter ingredients will be brought in by the former.

This next year has a lot of change for us, but we have arrived at the now.

To quote CBF, from "Star Child", let's take on the world and put on a show.

In Studio at WIDR and the drive to Northampton

At this point in the trip, the road was starting to feel more and more like the East Coast. That morning in Chicago, we had gotten coffee at Dunkin' Donuts. We saw a Checkers and even a Ground Round. Gone was the vast openness of the West and the dry heat of the desert. We no longer were able to stare out the window at beautiful and unfamiliar landscapes. Even our mindset had changed. One more stop and then it was straight through to Northampton.

Constantly Burning Fire had an in studio performance scheduled at a WIDR, the radio station of Western Michigan University. It was part #10 of their Dead @ WIDR series. Once there the we were told the performance would be part of a podcast and not actually live. This meant FCC rules did not apply so Romanc3 was in the set! To listen to the podcast and learn more about WIDR visit http://www.widr.org/.

WIDR were great hosts: they gave us t-shirts and stickers and even took care of the parking ticket we got thanks to the oh so confusing and ridiculously stict parking rules of a college campus during summer session. In return, CBF left the studio smelling better than they found it by dumping over an energy drink during the performance.

The dancing that the boys have incorporated into their live performances couldn't be stopped despite no audience. They danced and kept most of the choreography that has become so integral to the songs. They did, however, leave behind the costumes and props.

Here is a video of Big Bird Ride.



In, out, and back on the road. Quick stop at an auto parts store, for yet another head light replacement and we were headed to Northampton. The trip was winding down, we were almost there. On the drive through Michigan, Paul and I talked about looking for apartments, how we were going to move my stuff out of my old apartment, what kind of jobs he wanted to look for, school starting up soon. We had enjoyed our past two weeks of wanderlust. The next step of the journey included looking for our first apartment together and setting up our life in New Haven. It would also be the first time Paul lived outside of Washington state in about 16 years. I would be starting my last year of nursing school. Big steps for each of us individually and as a couple.

After several debates, Mapquest searches and consultations with an actual map, we decided to head through Ontario, to I-90 in New York, rather than loop around through Ohio and Pennsylvania. One concern about the Canadian route was that we would be questioned and searched at the border, possibly adding up to two hours to the trip. Due to the condition of the car: broken window, broken head light, beat up paint job, as well as the contents: four people surrounded by bags and stuff, as well as Paul's and my history of questioning at the border, we were prepared for a full on search. Didn't happen, they just waved us through. Easy driving. We adjusted to driving in kilometers per hour and calculating distances in kilometers. When we stopped at a road stop, we bought a Bounty bar, just make the trip special, since you can't get them in the US.

Just before midnight we hit Niagara Falls, at the eastern border. The city of Niagara Falls at midnight is an interesting place. A mix between Vegas and Disney World, maybe a cleaned up version of Seaside Heights, NJ, for those who know that seashore delight. The streets lie beneath a ferris wheel and a casino atop a tower. There are ice cream stands, fried food stands, a Ripley's Believe It or Not museum, as well as a smattering of bars and restaurants, all bathed in neon, leading you to one of the wonders of the world, Niagara Falls.

The falls are lit up at night. Sara had never seen them, it had been years for Tommy, but Paul and I had just seen them in June. This would be the third time we'd seen them together. As we drove past, they were lit up in yellow and purple, interesting, but by the time we parked the color had changed back to white. The mist from the falls rose above. Quite the pretty sight.

Just at midnight, they turn off the lights on the falls. We piled back in the car, went through the American customs and drove down to Rt 90. Paul and I had been in the front seats until now. Tommy and Sara had agreed to take the overnight shift to get us to Massachusetts and avoid another hotel charge. Paul and I squeezed in the back and were able to sleep the entire way across New York State into Massachusetts. Fueled by coffee, cigarettes, and "loud and fast" music, Tommy was got us there.

I woke up around dawn to see Tommy's red dreadlocks bopping back and forth to Shake, Senora by Harry Belafonte of Beetlejuice fame. We were luckily almost there because it seemed he had crossed some kind of stress point. The landscape had changed to the rolling hills of New England and Upstate New York, the occaisional barn.

We were headed to the house Tommy grew up in Northampton with his mom, Wanda, and his two sisters. We arrived early Friday morning. Wanda greeted us with coffee, eggs, beer and pizza. New England greeted us with humidity, heat, and thunderstorms.

States visited: 14
Provinces visited: 1
Dogs met: 12
Cats met: 10
Birds met: 4

The Drive to Chicago

After a some repacking we made the back seat somewhat more comfortable and we were off to Chicago. Tommy could read a book and Sara could relax a bit. Here we are heading through Wisconsin.

The roads through Minnesota and Wisconsin, into Chicago, are much like the highways I've driven for years. There were not any sprawling deserts, mountains, windmills, miles of open landscape. There were trees, traffic, exits and the like. Despite the familiar surroundings, the weather can become somewhat extreme.

We had gotten to Illinois. I was driving. The total trip was expected to take around 6 hours, not to extreme. We all had a good night's sleep, it was about four in the afternoon. Despite the ideal driving conditions, the rain became too intense, so I pulled off to wait it out. As we were sitting at the light just off the exit, we heard a loud shrieking noise. At first we feared it might be the steering, but it didn't seem to be related to driving. Maybe the speakers? No. What was it? It was getting louder and softer in regular waves.

We parked at the gas station, when I had a thought. Maybe it was a tornado warning. Maybe.

Not really all that worried, calmed by ignorance, we sat in the car. Tommy decided to stretch his legs in the store. A few minutes later we got a call from him. The store had been closed. A tornado had been identified. We should come in since the store had a basement.

There were about 12 other travelers there. Bewildered, sharing random pieces of information. The tornado had touched down just a few miles from where we were and was headed to Chicago. We waited a little longer, even after the all clear. A driver came into the store and said he had seen the funnel cloud just off the highway. He couldn't believe what it actually was then heard the siren.

By the time we were back on the road, the rain had relaxed to a drizzle. We continued onto Chicago.

We made it to Annie's and Seth's apartment. They had dinner waiting for us. Thanks so much. Since her band practice had been canceled at the last minute, she invited her band mates over for some beers. We just chilled in their apartment for the evening.

And with this post, I am now up to date. At this time, I am sitting in Annie's and Seth's apartment in Chicago. Paul, Tommy, Sara, Annie, and Seth are sleeping. We take off for Kalamazoo in the morning, then head straight for Massachusetts. The tone has shifted a bit for the trip. We are now focusing on our destination. After enjoying the journey, we are now anticipating its end. But one more show. One more drive.

States visited: 11
Dogs met: 12
Cats met: 9
Birds met: 4

Minneapolis

Early Sunday morning, the caravan of the two cars headed north to Minnesota, for a show in Minneapolis at the Red Sea bar. About 7 hours of driving, through Iowa, straight into Minnesota.

Paul and I found the bar about 4PM. It was in an area often referred to as little Somalia, due to the high number of Somalians that had settled there. The area of town seemed somewhat hip, off the beaten path, what could be described as up and coming. A couple of nice coffee shops, an East African grocery, a theatre, some friendly looking bars. Paul had a friend, Chris, that he had lived with in Seattle, but had relocated to Minneapolis a few years back. He met up with us for dinner before the show.

Russ's girlfriend, Tiffany, was from a suburb of Minneapolis. She had been visiting her parents, so the minivan crew had headed there for a barbeque before the show. They met up with us later.

The bar had a good divey feel to it: Two pool tables, $2.50 for beers during happy hour. The stage was in a separate room, but it was the same size as the bar that could easily fit a hundred people. So the 20 or so patrons that cycled in and out during the show fit comfortably. This show had a sound guy, so the music sounded great throughout. The boys described it as the best sound they had ever had. We could even hear Tamara this time on Star Child!

Paul had put together the line up, three other bands from Minneapolis. The first band, Forest of Men, made up of the lead singer on his 6-string base, a drummer with a full kit, and then a second drummer with a smaller kit. They made it work. They added their own twist to covers such as TLC's Scrubs, White Stripe's Seven Nation Army, and the Pixies. They threw in a few of their own songs. They won us over with their witty sense of humor. The Fundament went second; good solid rock melodies. Constantly Burning Fire played after them and an untitled duo, known as Brent and Mitch, ended the night. Brent created his music through his mixer while Mitch played his six string base. They created unique melodies and sounds that pleased the ears and intrigued the spirit. They served as a great complement to CBF's electronic experimentations.

The show was great, the sound was great, CBF met up with the appreciative and surprised new fans. Despite the great stage and sound guys, the bar had a definite divide. The local bartender didn't charge everyone a cover. Despite the almost full bar, the bands were told they didn't bring in enough people to receive their split of the cover, which is standard practice, however there were more than t13 people there, as the bar claimed. Even with the three people allowed on each band's guest list. There were also no drink tickets. Other than the girls that were there to see the bands, there were not many other females at the establishment. This meant we were subjected to some unwelcome attention from the Somalian men that were there. Next time CBF plays Minneapolis, they will look for another venue.

Not ready to call it a night, but ready for a change of scenery, we head down the street to the Nomad, a comfy bar, completely empty inside, but their patio was full. There were a few hippies in the corner playing guitar and djembe drum while a girl sung. A couple more drinks with Tiffany's friends as well as Brent, then we all head back to Tiffany's parents' house, out in Victoria. They so generously allowed all seven of us to stay with them. We took over the basement. Tommy and Sara in the spare room on the air mattress, Paul and I on the air mattress in the main room of the basement, JR on the couch, Tamara on the loveseat.

So tired from the past few days: Friday, our feet in the Great Salt Lake, Saturday, partying in Nebraska, Sunday, partying in Minnesota. We could finally relax for a few days in Minneapolis.
The next day, Tiffany's mom made pancakes, cooked sausage and bacon and cut up melon for breakfast. Awesome, Angie! Thanks so much. Tiffany's family also offered up about as much Midwestern as anyone could ask for. They let us use their washer and dryer, their detergent. We just chilled at their house, played with their dog. They opened up their home to us.

Later that day, we said good bye to Russ, JR, and Tamara since they were driving back to Seattle. That also meant Tommy and Sara were once again without a ride. They bantered about the idea of a rental car, shipping all their stuff and taking Greyhound and Amtrak the rest of the way. Tommy was ready to just get to Massachusetts. He even contemplated skipping the in studio performance scheduled in Kalamazoo, MI for Thursday. Paul talked him out of it.

The final decision: we would all ship a bunch of stuff to Tommy's place in Massachusetts and Paul and I would take Tommy and Sara the rest of the way. We didn't need the camping equipment anymore. The radio show didn't need the costumes and props so those could go. We had about a week left on the road so we didn't need that much clothing. Mike, Tiffany's dad, had offered to ship the boxes from where he worked. Once again, we are so thankful for the ridiculous amount of help near strangers have been offering us.

We managed to make it work. That's Tommy and Sara in the back.

We piled in and headed to Chris's apartment in Minneapolis, where we were staying that night. The four of us took over Chris's living room. Once again, thank you so much. With still no plans for Tuesday, Tommy and Paul practiced for the in studio performance, I hung out in a cafe in downtown Minneapolis. Later that evening, Sara made a delicious supper of chicken and veggie alfredo. After dinner, we head down to the Mall of America to see the movie District 9. The largest mall in america, the Mall of America is as much fun as they all say! We had time to kill before the movie started, so we rode the roller coaster. Somewhat tame for a roller coaster, but impressive none the less. And indeed, it was inside of a mall. How much more American can you get? The movie was entertaining and worth seeing if it interests you at all. A fun relaxing evening with the group.

The next stop was Kalamazoo, MI. Janice, Tommy's sister, had spoken with a friend of hers in Chicago, who had offered us her apartment when we came through. Chicago was just a few hours from Kalamazoo, which would work out well, however we hadn't heard anything in a few weeks so we were still in limbo come Wednesday morning. We might be heading to Kalamazoo and getting a hotel, or Chicago. Just as we were packing up our stuff and loading it into the car, we got a car from Annie in Chicago. We were welcome in her home. She even wanted to make us dinner.

States visited: 9
Dogs met: 9
Cats met: 9

Nebraska

Constantly Burning Fire had a show scheduled for Saturday, August 15 in Lincoln, Nebraska. The crew that had rescued Tommy and Sara, which included Russ, JR, and Tamara, were already in Nebraska, chilling with Russ's family.

The plan was to just drive until we got exhausted and stop, either in Lincoln or before. Route 80 took us through the last bit of Utah, across Southern Wyoming and then across Nebraska to Lincoln. We were moving from the West to the Midwest, the mountains to the plains. Windmills featured prominently across the Wyoming countryside. We probably saw about 4 farms of windmills, just along route 80, and they were huge! They seemed to stretch along for miles, with a least a hundred of the giant, white machines, blades rotating. We stopped for gas in Wamsutter, WY, population 68. I bought the paper and there were three stories about windpower. Wyoming had just had a conference on to discuss it. As a state, they saw wind energy as a promising new industry for its economy. They had the land and the wind. The problem, of course, was inconsistent and frustrating government bureocracy. There was still debate as to just how lucrative the investment would be for the state and how the government should be involved. Revenue came from property tax on the wind farms, but cities would have to invest money into increasing infrastructure so that they could be built. Once built, they would only create a few jobs. The other issue for Wyoming, which is unique to the least populated state, was that the connecting lines to other states had not been built. One way Wyoming could make money off of the wind power, was to sell it to surrounding, more populated states, but not without carrier lines. Though the clouds seemed menacing, they only let down a few drops of rain. More severe weather would come later.

Past Wyoming, into Nebraska, as night falls. From what we've been told, the best time to drive through Nebraska is at night, since it isn't so interesting. I can't offer any opinion since we did drive through Nebraska through the night. It would seem that no cross country drive would be ocmplete without a drive through night. Glad we started that tradition Kelly! Around 11PM, we debated getting a hotel or continuing. I was wide awake, so we switched, so I could drive a few hours, while Paul slept. I made it two hours, Paul woke up, he took is place back at the wheel. I fell asleep. Maybe an hour and a half later, I was ripped out of my slumber by a loud dull shrieking sound. Damn, happened? It had started raining. But in Nebraska, it doesn't just rain. Thunderstorms drop inches of sleeting rain. The noise had been Paul driving through the streams of water that had formed. We had to pull over to wait it out. Paul got a little more sleep while we waited out the storm. Back on the road.

About an hour after that, with 75 miles to go, Paul was determined to get there. With 70 miles left, he thought it best to pull over. If we got into Lincoln too early, no one would be awake to greet us. After a few hours nap, we eventually found Russ's sister's house around 9:30AM. I was still so groggy from sleepy, I barely met everyone in the room before crashing out for another nap.

The show was booked at the Ghost House. We got there around 7PM for load in, but were told they weren't ready, by the four guys watching TV in the living room. Why we couldn't bring the gear into the basement, we couldn't figure out. We definately weren't getting the warm and fuzzy feeling that a touring band hopes to receive. They didn't seem to be expecting us. Constantly Burning Fire wasn't even on the flyer or the dry erase board in the kitchen that listed that evenings lineup.

We hung out in the grassy lot down the street. Russ played guitar, Tommy and Paul just played.



About an hour later, we head back to the house. Still not entirely sure we are playing here, Paul tried to win over the guys outside with his air keyboard skills.


We were finally allowed to load in. The Ghost House was just a house. The guys that lived there, in their early twenties, allowed bands to put on shows in their basement. BYOB. Maybe a cover. There was a card table in the kitchen to sell CDs, t-shirts, whaterver the bands wanted. The rest of the house was sparse with furniture. The downstairs bathroom lacked toilet paper, though it was rumored to exist in the upstairs rest room, though this was off limits to guests. Perhaps this was one reason there were so few girls. In fact, the only females there came with CBF.

The shows were in the basement, down the tricky, curvy stairs. Though sturdy, they tested a person's balance. Glad I didn't wear my heels.

The show was great, as usual. Russ added his guitar skills to several songs. Tamara got to sing her part on Star Child. The audience, about 15, was intrigued, danced, enjoyed.

Here is a clip of their opener, Doorway. That is Paul dressed in lights.




The minivan crew stayed with Russ's sister, while Paul and I stayed with Russ's aunt. Thank you so much to Russ's family for all their hospitality. Just about everyone met; Russ's friends, people in the coffee shops and stores, were so friendly. We really got to experience that solid Nebraska, midwest charm. It was awesome.

Off to Minneapolis tomorrow, for another show.

States visited: 7
Dogs met: 8
Cats met: 9
Necessary urinations in unauthorized locations: 8

Salt Lake City

Utah so far had impressed us so we decided to spend an extra night in Salt Lake City, this time at that comfy, posh downtown hotel we had planned on the first night in Utah.

The Peery Hotel is a historic boutique hotel so it had character compared to the large national chains. A great little find! I went to their gym, Paul used their wireless internet, we showered and then head off to check out the city.

Salt Lake City is home to the headquarters, known as Temple Square, of the Church of Latter Day Saints, or as they are more commonly known by their nickname, the Mormons. We took a tour of Temple Square lead by two sisters of the church. They pointed out the great temple, which is the largest LDS temple in the world and explained that it was built over 40 years completed in 1893 by the pioneers. Since it is considered such a sacred place, public tours are not offered, but we were able to see the tabernacle, which was completed in 1867. The tabernacle has such great acoustics, you don't need microphones to be heard.

Then it was onto the visitor center, with an 11 foot marble statue of Jesus. There the sisters gave us cards we could fill out with suggestions for the tour as well as space to put our information so we could be contacted by LDS missionaries.

I wanted to take pictures before the sun went down, so I left Paul to wander in the visitor center. When I returned, he had engaged in conversation with two Mormons, a middle aged married couple. Paul, who loves small talk and conversations with strangers, was interested in their religion as well. Not much information had been provided on the tour about the history or doctrine of the Church of Ladder Day Saints. I was raised as a Protestant and went through all the sacraments, though I don't practice any more. Paul wasn't raised in any faith, though his parents' families are Christian. The couple explained how Joseph Smith was looking for a religion and was dissatisfied with the Protestant and Catholic interpretations of the Bible. In 1827, he knelt down in prayer and asked for guidance. He believed that Jesus Christ spoke to him and told him start the Church of Latter Day Saints. The movement started on the East Coast, but later, the pioneers moved out West and eventually settled in Salt Lake City. The followers believe they are the true religion of Jesus Christ and they follow their modern day prophets, whom they believe have been spoken to by Jesus Christ. They also use the Book of Mormons as their teachings, in addition to the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. They, like the other Christian traditions, are still waiting for the return of Jesus. There are some differences. For example, the don't believe in the Trinity; they believe the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are three distinct beings. They also believe that our souls exist for eternity, both before and after our death. When we are born, our soul has been chosen by God to have a human form for this time and after death our souls return to heaven and are reunited with our families.

The couple wanted to sit down with us, to discuss more, since they could tell we were searching and had such beautiful hearts. We really were starving and had to get to dinner. They understood and asked us twice for our address, but since we honestly don't have one at the time, we couldn't give them one. They gave us two postcards with the Mormon website though, convinced we would return one day to the Church of Latter Day Saints. They also couldn't let Paul leave without his own copy of the Book of Mormon. Thank you.

We dropped the book off in the car and went to dinner. Salt Lake City had a very walkable downtown, a slathering of interesting restaurants, and nearby great skiing from what we were told, though since it was August, it was hot, near 100º, though cooled down in the evening to a comfortable temperature. Though I'm sure we have all heard the rumors about Salt Lake being a dry city, all the restaurants we saw had bars. An interesting city, all in all.

The last thing we wanted to see was the Great Salt Lake. A remnant of the ancient Bonneville Sea, it was huge and salty. The salt content varied from 4% to 25%, compared to the ocean at 3%. We thought the city bordered it so, the next morning we wanted to drive by, take a look and hit the road.

Two hours later, we still hadn't seen the lake. If we had a map, we may have been able to plan better, since the lake, unlike say Chicago, does not actually border the city. The lake was west, so at one point, after driving north for about 45 minutes on 15 north, Paul decided to get off the highway, and head west, hoping to run into the lake, since it was so huge. Thirty minutes later, no lake. We finally gave in and asked for directions at a 7-11. Three exits north, take a left. We also bought an atlas.

The directions took us to Antelope Island State Park, the largest island in the lake. Tired of driving, hot, hungry, annoyed at the $9 entrance fee, we struggled with just taking off or at least sticking our feet in. We choose the latter. The visitor center assured us it was not dead, but alive with brine shrimp and brine flies. Indeed it was. We found lots of shrimp and flies.




Below is a picture of the beach from the parking lot. There are no tides, but the level changes with the seasons and we thought that the water must come up higher in the winter.


The high salt content makes it incredible easy to float, however, since we didn't have on our bathing suits, and they were buried somewhere in our bag below a bunch of other stuff, we could only observe other people floating. The salt water did also make it easy to skip rocks. Here you can see how far the rock skips after the first bounce.



Okay, now after 1PM, and still quite a ways from route 80, we split the park. Paul had been proud of us for avoiding fast food so far on the trip, but figured now would be a good time to break the seal and hit the drive thru. Burger King, a shake, 2PM finally on the road to Nebraska, 14 hours of driving.

States visited: 5
Dogs met: 3
Cats met: 7
Necessary urinations in unauthorized locations: 7

Arches National Park

Though it was not really on the way, Arches National Park was the one place I definately wanted to visit. While Gerty had held up well on the trip, we wanted to give her a break for the four hour drive to Arches from Salt Lake City through the desert and mountains, so we rented a car.

None of the car rental locations in the phone book had cars available, except one. Thrifty rental had a Chevy Cobalt available. Yes, it was a good car, the guarallous man with a heavy Middle Eastern accent assured me, there was just one problem with the car; the driver's side windshield wiper did not work. But, ma'am, we are the only rental agency with a car. That was true.

"Okay, we'll be there in an hour."

If this were a work of fiction, I suppose that would be foreshadowing, but I'll just tell you right now...it didn't rain. Just a few drops in the park, so the windshield wiper wasn't actually a problem.

Patty, the hostel host, assured us our car would be fine if we left it parked on the street in the neighborhood around the hostel for a few days. And it was.

We picked up the rental, where the agent gave us directions three times, telling us his "short cut" using Route 6 (which, even from the map seemed the most obvious way), about the great fishing in Price, UT, and how he loved Washington state. The computer froze twice, but we eventually had the car.

Wanting eggs at 1PM, we came across the Coachman, a steak and pancake house. Perfect! The food was homemade, the decor didn't match and the waitresses were honest to good happy to see us, as she told us. After a huge lunch, Denver omelet for me, hot turkey sandwich for Paul, we were on the road by 2PM.

On the drive down to Moab, we took our usual roles, Paul at the wheel lost in his thoughts or composing music, me in the passenger seat, knitting or writing my blogs. With the rental, we had the luxury of air conditioning and radio! Gerty's radio had been stolen a while back in Seattle, so thus far in the trip, we had been entertained by conversation and our thoughts. It was NPR for most of the way through desert, a few of pop's greatest hit, the occasional accidental Christian rock, and the classics.

We got a call from Tommy with an update on the car situation. It was dead, waiting to be taken away by River Auto Dismantlers. Fortunately, there was another contingent traveling from Seattle that were planning on meeting us in Nebraska. They would make a detour to Reno and pick up Tommy and Sara. We would see them all in Lincoln.

Arches National Park is in Southeastern Utah near a town called Moab. I didn't realize it before we went, but there is much to do in Moab. We could have easily spent three more days there. Moab itself is a cute little town nestled in the mountains. It has a small main street with restaurants, some shops, cafes. It certainly caters to tourists though has its own slew of locals. It reminded me of a mountain/desert version of Lavallette, the beach resort town I grew up in.

We got to Arches around 8:30AM and started hiking around 9:30AM. If you go, go early. Sunrise would not be too early. It was actually cool in the morning, but got hot, as in around 98º around 10:30. We managed it reasonably well with lots of water and the spray bottle.

We hiked the long trail, the Primitive Trail in Devil's Garden. When you sit all day in the car and eat and snack, you need to get as much exercise as possible when you can. The round trip hike was 7.2 miles. I had been apprehensive about hiking in the desert. I couldn't see the appeal compared to the panoramic views offered by hiking in the mountains, as well as the shade of the trees. Deserts were just hot with sand, a few cactus, right? No, it turned out to be a fun, interesting hike.

The trail starts off in the sand, but then takes you into the rocks of the park, up over rock fins, along cliffs. There was no elevation to deal with, which can make hiking in the mountains tiring. It was a lot of fun.

The trail gave shade occasionally, from bushes or rocks. There was one trying part. It was a switchback over the top of a sandstone rock fin. There were slight ledges and maybe a 20 foot drop. I needed some encouragement, but we made it. We realized that we had to just trust our bodies, turn off our heads, and just move all four limbs to get over the top.

We stopped for lunch here, near Intimate Arch, though the arch itself can't be seen in the picture. The silence was also a difference from hiking in the forests. No wind in the trees, stepping on leaves and sticks. Just silence, the occasional lizard call. The rocks themselves gave off an impressive silent, peaceful power. Though we struggled in the heat and sun, they soaked it up. Thousands of years rain and wind to carve them into their shapes. We just stood in their solid elegance.

There were more sights to see along the road out of the park, including smaller hikes which we wanted to do, but were totally worn out. It would have been nice to have another morning at the park. Your ten dollar entrance fee allows you 7 days access so it would have been totally doable, but were running out of time.


Back to the hostel, shower, nap, we made dinner there, then out to the Moab Brewery for some drinks. We head back to salt lake City the next day.

I would definately recommend a trip to Arches and Moab, if you ever have the opportunity. There were a lot of Europeans, particularly French speaking, for some reason. If I lived in Europe I think it would be worth the flight. In addition to Arches National Park, Moab also has Canyonlands National Park, which would have been fun to explore. Fours hours to the southwest is Zion National Park, which was also recommended to us by the locals. Aside from the national parks, the town has adventure companies that offer rafting trips, 4x4 jeep tours as well as tamer dinner cruises down the river. And for the biggest adventurers, there is skydiving from the Moab Airport. As their brochures suggest, it would be the country's most beautiful drop zone. If you are going to jump, wouldn't it be great to see the canyons and rivers, mountains, and parks? Just something to keep in mind!


States visited: 5
Dogs met: 3
Cats met: 7
Necessary urinations in unauthorized locations: 7