Zion National Park

Zion National Park

On December 6, 2024

In 2024, Angels Landing, Hiking, Utah, Zion National Park

Well, our week of good fortune continued. Dave and I entered the daily lottery to obtain a hiking permit for Angels Landing. And we BOTH won!! Woot woot! off to Zion we go!!

Our drive took about an hour and 10 minutes. The views of course were spectacular. Part of the drive includes driving through a 1.1 mile tunnel. The tunnel has several windows from which you can catch glimpses of the park. Stopping is not allowed in the tunnel… however, being the off season, no one was behind us and so Dave stopped so I could snap pictures out our windows.

After coming out of the tunnel, you descend down to the canyon floor using 6 switch backs. The views are incredible especially as the sun was coming up on the mountains.

At the bottom of the canyon were several mule deer doing their thing.

We parked and got set for the hike. It was 32 degrees and windy as we set out to hike. Angels Landing is a strenuous 5.4 mile (almost 6 for us). It took us approximately 4 hours to climb making us average hikers according to the warning signs. Ha!

The first 2ish miles of the hike are mostly paved with a series of 21 switchbacks known as the wiggles. Anyone can hike this portion of the trail which brings you to Scouts landing.

We reached Scouts Lookout in about an hour. Our quads were feeling the burn! There are signs posted frequently to remind you permits are required to hike the Angels Landing portion. To reach Angels Landing requires climbing a trail cut into stone. It is not a trail for the faint of heart. The total elevation change is 5790ft. This section is only about a mile round trip. It was the most challenging mile I have ever hiked.

The temperatures warmed up now that we were in the sun, but it was still windy. Along the trail are sections with chains to help you climb. There are also sections without chains. Both were super scary.

There were times when the space between steps were too far for my legs. I not only used all fours to climb but sometimes my knees and butt. The trail wasn’t crowded on our way out and the weather was perfect. The wind seemed to die down as well. Whenever we had to wait for someone to pass, I would take a break, sit and enjoy the view.

At the Saddle portion of the hike we saw a condor perched on top of one rock.

It took us about an hour to climb the to Angels Landing. Slow and steady. I’ll admit, I had moments where I was completely freaked out by the height. I did a lot of deep breaths and reminded myself to take it one step at a time. Dave was an amazing hiking partner, of course. He was patient and so supportive. We developed a system where we would only have one of us on a section of chain at a time because the chain would wiggle and freak me out!

We packed sandwiches and stopped for lunch on top. Talk about a view!

While we tried to relax, we had annoying chipmunks begging for snacks.

After about 30 minutes we were ready to hike back down. Just a few more pictures to truly take it in.

We also joked about the trees along the trail. Tree friends were a favorite of mine to hang onto and in some cases hug! I also loved when there was a crevice I could wedge myself in as I climbed up.

It took us about an hour to climb back down to Scouts Lookout. It was easier in some ways to descend because the physical demand was less. However, perspective wise, it was more challenging because now my back was to the mountain and I saw more of the open space all around me. It gave me that vertigo feeling. Also, we had to wait more frequently because the trail was getting more crowded. When we made it back to Scouts Lookout we took a picture of where we just were. If you look closely, you can see people on Angels Landing on the left side of the red rock.

It took us another hour to hike down and back to the car. We took our time down the switchbacks reflecting on the hike we just conquered!

After our hike we drove through the rest of the park. Soaking in the majestic view of the huge mountains. Most of these pictures were out of the car window. Beautiful regardless.

This week has been truly epic! Beyond my expectations. Thank you for following our adventures.

Bryce Canyon National Park

By wabisabisole

On December 5, 2024

In 2024, Bryce Canyon National Park, Hiking

We started out early for our adventures in Bryce Canyon NP. Not because we needed to avoid the heat or crowds, but because we wanted to catch sunrise. Fortunately it’s winter and sunrise is at 7:26 here. We are about 1.5 hours from the park and left our Airbnb at 5:20. We arrived in plenty of time and had the Sunrise Point pretty much to ourselves. Mainly because it was 15 degrees and windy. Not too many fools chase a winter sunrise! It was incredible and completely worth it.

The amphitheater looking like it was on fire!

After sunrise, we returned to the car to warm up for a minute or 10. We decided to adjust our plan for the day. Instead of starting with a hike and ending with the drive through the park, we started with a drive to let the temperature warm up. At the beginning of our day we had the park to ourselves. There were no cars in any of the park spaces and we saw so several deer running.

For our drive, we downloaded the guided tour for Bryce Canyon and Zion from the GuideAlong app. I highly recommend the app. It uses your location to tell you all about the points of interest. We learned so much about the park! We drove to the end of the road and started at Rainbow Point. Rainbow point has the highest elevation at 9115 feet. There was a little bit of snow cover making the Bristlecone Loop trail inaccessible to us.

We continued our drive down to Black Birch Canyon (8750 ft). We named the narrator of our GuideAlong tour, Alfred. He is kindof funny. He shares facts and also points out when things are miss named. Like Black Birch Canyon because there are no birch trees in the park! It’s was beautiful regardless it’s name.

Our next stop was Ponderosa Point (8904 ft). Here we learned all about Ponderosa Pines. It is often used as building material because it doesn’t swell or shrink after processing. Also, it has a delightful odor.

Agua Canyon was our next stop. The sunlight on the hoodoos really created dramatic photos.

As we continued down, we learned about prairie dogs. Unfortunately, even though they are all over the park, they are hibernating because of the cold temperatures. We took a stop at Natural Bridge (8627ft). Here again, Alfred told us of the miss naming. It’s actually not a bridge but an arch. Bridges form from flowing water. Arches form from wind and rain erosion. Whatever you call it, it was beautiful.

After Natural Bridge was Farview Point (8815ft). Alfred did mentioned this name was appropriate. We took a short little hike here to drop slightly below the rim. The change in viewpoint was stunning.

Finally, we made it to Bryce Point and Inspiration Point (8300 ft). And oh, man! I was in complete awww. I have never seen anything like Bryce Canyon. The beauty was so incredible I had tears. I have seen a lot of things in my life and I’ve seen pictures of Bryce Canyon, seeing it in person is surreal. I know my pictures don’t capture the beauty, I hope you enjoy them regardless.

We loaded up in the car and made it to Sunset Point. Again, wrongly named because it faces east not west. The Ranger told us the Wall Street section was open! Yay! Off we went! We hike the Queen Garden Trail to the Navajo Loop Trail. It was so fun to get up close to the hoodoos. They are such a marvel.

The total hike was almost 3.5 miles. It was lovely. The temperature was perfect. We commented several times how fortunate we have been with the weather this week. Not to mention missing the crowds. It would be a completely different experience to do these hikes in the heat and crowds.

A special thanks to Dave. He was such a good sport, as always, to chase a sunrise with me. And to you- thanks for reading.

Grand Staircase Escalante

By wabisabisole

On December 4, 2024

In 2024, Grand staircase, Hiking, Utah

Tuesday we booked a tour of The Grand Staircase Escalante. The Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument is a 1.7 million acre (slightly larger than the state of Delaware) remote area requiring a four wheel drive vehicle to travel the dirt roads. It is one of the most remote areas in the country and the last to mapped in the lower 48. We were at the top “stairs” with the bottom of the staircase being the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

During wet weather, the roads can be completely impassable. The road was a bumpy washboard with deep ruts and crossed several streams. However, it was totally worth it, the area offers some of the most breathtaking views of the state’s colorful sandstone cliffs and narrow slot canyons.

We started our tour at 8am and our first stop was a breathtaking vista overlooking the cliffs.

Our second stop was at Bull Valley Gorge. Here we could view a slot canyon from above. Stuck in the canyon was a 1950s ford pickup truck. The legend goes, high school kids were in the canyon when a flash flood came through. Their truck was unable to travel up the muddy sides of the canyon and became caught in the flood. The kids survived. No doubt they got a good whooping!

We continued to drive down the mountain and arrived at Willis Creek. We walked down the icy creek to view the slot canyon. It was incredible.

We booked our tour through Dreamland. (Same organization as our Wave Hike) Our tour guide was Jaron. He was fantastic. Not only an excellent driver, also a superb photographer and very knowledgeable about the area.

We continued our journey and arrived at Kodachrome Basin State Park. Here we enjoyed a picnic lunch before hiking up to Angels Palace. It was a short hike to the top of the rock formation to view the sand spires and get a panoramic view of the basin. The park has 67 sand spires ranging in a variety of sizes. Big and small. So many jokes about all of these phallic features. The views of the different staircase steps was truly breathtaking.

Our next stop was at the sandstone rock formation, Grosvenor Arch. It is located is in the western corner of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The arch is named after Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor, president of the National Geographic Society, the publisher of the National Geographic magazine. The arches were a mix of Henrieville Sandstone (165 million years old) and Dakota Sandstone (95 million years old). Weathering created a stunning natural marvel.

We continued on to the Cottonwood Narrows and took a short hike down into the slot canyon. It was unreal to see the size of boulders that are moved by flash flood waters.

I couldn’t get over the different rock colors. They seem so random.

As our tour came to a close, we made a couple more stops. One of them to see the mushroom hoodoos. It was another short hike to observe them from above. Can rocks be cute? These sure were!

Our final stop was close to Kanab. This vista was absolutely stunning.

Throughout the day, we encountered only one other group of explorers and passed maybe 5 cars. The area was gorgeous, quiet and completely mesmerizing. We obviously didn’t see the entire 1.7 million acres, but what we saw was captivating and made my nerdy science heart so happy. As always, thanks for reading!

The Wave

By wabisabisole

On December 3, 2024

In Hiking, Lucky, The Wave, Travel, Utah

The Wave, properly know as Coyotes Butte North is a geological phenomenon. It is located in an area of Utah/ Arizona as the Vermillion Cliffs. The area is protected by the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM). In order to hike The Wave you must obtain a permit from the BLM.

You can enter the lottery three months in advance or one day in advance. Only 64 people per day are allowed in the area and as a result, demand far exceeds supply. Obviously, December isn’t a high demand time for hiking and so obtaining a permit is a little bit easier. Nonetheless, it requires a little bit of luck. And as the saying goes, sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good!

Dave, as always, was the lucky one. He won the lottery for the four of us. We found out in early September he won and have been planning this adventure since then. There is no true trail to hike to The Wave. It is about a three mile hike to it through a desert landscape. We decided to hire a guide for peace of mind and safety. We were beyond happy with the decision. Our guide, Andrea, was very knowledgeable about geology and photography. Besides The Wave, she showed us dinosaur tracks and artifacts. Without further ado, here are our amazing pictures.

The formation of the Wave began 190 million years ago during the Jurassic Period. The desert dunes compacted and solidified into striped sandstone. The peculiar and unique fluctuating layers were created by slow wind and rain erosion.

Not to be ignored was the beautiful desert landscape as we hiked.

The dinosaur tracks were definitely a highlight along the way. because science is cool and real.

The hike to and from was beautiful. Although not as challenging as some hikes we have completed, it was the first we have ever witnessed an emergency situation. We stopped for a drink of water right before the last climb to the wave. While we were resting a group of four passed us. Not even 10 minutes later, as we were packing up to continue, we heard a scream. Turns out one lady in their party slipped and broke her ankle. We provided assistance and so did a BLM volunteer who was nearby. In the end, she had to be medically evacuated.

Andrea showed us evidence of ancient civilizations. What looks like just a rock is actually a mealing stone.

I would highly recommend adding The Wave to your bucket list. It truly was a once in a lifetime experience. Unless you’re a guide like ours, Andrea has hiked it over 100 times!

As always, thanks for reading.

Vegas to Kanab

By wabisabisole

On December 2, 2024

In 2024, Arizona, Hiking, Las Vegas, Utah, Valley of Fire State Park

Sunday morning Dave and I enjoyed a quieter morning and enjoyed visiting the atrium of the Bellagio without the crowds. The Christmas display is completely over the top. Like everything else in Vegas!

After breakfast, we packed up and returned to the airport to pick up our rental and our friends! And so our road trip began!

First stop Valley of Fire State Park. Nevada’s first state park.

Valley of Fire State park is about an hour away from Vegas. Within minutes of entering the park we had our first spotting of wildlife. Big Horn Sheep!!

The red rocks are caused by the oxidation of the iron in the rock. So, basically they are rusty rocks. The black is caused by the oxidation of manganese in the rock. Our first stop in the park was to see the beehives. The holes and ridges in the rocks are caused by erosion.

We continued driving through the park. We entered through the west entrance and exited through the east entrance. It would be easy to spend an entire day in the park. We only took a couple short walks to see specific sights. Mainly because we still had a three hour drive ahead to Kanab.

We stopped to see a petrified log…

We stopped to see elephant rock.

We loaded up in the car and continued our drive to Kanab. The drive was beautiful. We crossed back and forth from AZ to UT.

The sunset as we crossed through the Kaibab Indian Reservation in AZ. It was stunning.

We were glad we hit the road when we did from Valley of Fire State Park. We didn’t realize we went to mountain time in Utah. Our three hour drive was actually four. We were hungry and still needed to gather provisions for Monday’s Wave hike. Our hike begins at 8am. We are all beyond excited!

Kura Conveyor Sushi

By wabisabisole

On December 1, 2024

In Japan, Sake, Sapporo, Sushi, Sushiro, Travel, Vegas

Dave was in charge of selecting where we ate on our “one night in Vegas.” He selected Kura Conveyor Sushi restaurant. It’s not located on the strip and so we had to catch a cab. We were thankful not to have to drive because the traffic was terrible. But to sum up the dinner and his selection, it was delicious! He knocked it out of the park!

We left Japan almost exactly 6 years ago to the day! Our final meal in Japan was at the sushi-go-round. I know you’ve heard me tell the story about our first time eating at a Sushiro. How we kept stealing other people’s food because we didn’t know how to change the kiosk to English and order properly. We were professionals after almost 3 years! Anyways, it was super easy to order here and food was delivered right to your table or you could take from the conveyor.

We ate all the tuna, eel, salmon, edamame and karaage. Plus, enjoy a delicious draft Sapporo and house sake.

Another fun and so “kawaii” part of the experience was the cartoon that played after you loaded your plates into the rubbish slot. The cartoon played after every 5 plates.

Also, there was a robot that would bring waters to the tables. Again, kawaii!!

This may not have been the most “upscale” dining experience most people would want in Vegas. But for us, who miss all the goodness about Japan and sushi, it was perfect.

Thanks, my love, for finding the absolute perfect spot for dinner. And taking a trip down memory lane as we talked about our favorite experiences in Japan.

Vegas, Baby!

By wabisabisole

On December 1, 2024

In Las Vegas, Nobu Hotel, Vegas

Let’s Go!!! Here we are in Las Vegas. Definitely not a typical Dwyer destination. We are only spending one night before picking up friends (Jenn and Danny) in the morning and heading to Utah. That is where the adventure begins. Dave “won the lottery” for The Wave hike. Properly known as “Coyote Buttes North” – there is a daily limit of 64 people. Our group is 4 of those. We hike Monday. (Super excited!!!😆)

We decided to fly out early and spend a night in Vegas because Dave has never been and well, why not? Most of you know, Vegas is A LOT. And for this little country mouse who has lived in rural Florida for the past two years, it’s Extra A LOT. Crowds, noise and smoking!?!

Still fun. We’ve walked around and ate lunch. Played the slots and got “free” wine. Not really because we paid to gamble away our $20. We are staying at the Nobu Hotel. It is part of the Caesar Resort. It is a Japanese owned hotel and it’s Ah-mazing. Huge room, bathrobes, and Japanese slippers. ❤️ oh! And they have a yoga mat!! I highly recommend it. It so quiet and comfy.

There will be several more blogs this week as we hike not only the wave, but also Zion and Bryce NP. Meanwhile, please enjoy the Bellagio Fountains.

Catamaran Cruising

By wabisabisole

On June 5, 2024

In 2024, Greece, Santorini

We start our last day off by walking through town center of Fira without all of the crowds. The sun was rising as we walked. it was a beautiful morning and nice to enjoy without so many people.

My favorite doors from Fira and one neco.

After our walk, we returned to the hotel for breakfast and to pack for our catamaran tour. Our driver picked us up at our hotel and drove us and the other 12 passengers to Ammoudi Bay (north end of the island) where we boarded our catamaran. Our boat was named Summer.

The first stop on our tour was at the “warm” springs of the caldera. The water was a little cloudy because of the Sulfur being emitted from the springs. Where the water touched the rocks, it caused them to turn orange. The water was a little warmer than the other parts of the Aegean Sea we have swam through. Also, there were catamarans everywhere. Mom said she counted 14 at one point.

Us swimming in the warm springs.

We continued our journey out of the warm springs and headed toward the southern end of the island. As we rounded the tip, we had great views of the lighthouse and Indian rock. These caves were thoroughly explored by Jacques Cousteau. There are 14 different entrances all to be explored scuba diving.

Our second swimming spot and lunch spot was Black Beach. It was beautiful. We could not have had a more perfect weather day for the trip. black beach accessible by vehicle, although it is challenging to get to. There are little shanty’s – caves- that were used by fisherman to store their equipment.

After swimming and lunch at black beach, we continued our sail to White Beach. White Beach is only accessible by boat. During the summer months, it becomes a very popular hangout with boats parked everywhere. We didn’t swim here. Just sailed past. Please notice the sea caves under the rock at the edge. The caves connect back to Black beach.

Our final swim spot was at Red Beach. In case it wasn’t obvious, all the beaches are named by their sand color. Red Beach was also extraordinary. The rock formations are from numerous eruptions and erosion from the wind and waves.

After our swim, we boarded and headed back to Vlyhada Marina. Again, the marina was clear and beautiful. It was tough to leave the boat. It truly was an incredible experience to be able to see all of the beaches on the southern side of the island.

The amazing guide for the day and all the wonderful people we met on the cruise.

We returned to the hotel and cleaned up for dinner. One final Greek feast and Santorini sunset. Neither disappointed.

We have truly enjoyed every minute of this vacation. If Greece isn’t on your list of places to visit, please add it. It is completely beautiful and the people are so kind and friendly. Thank you for reading and following along. Until the next adventure…

Be well!

Good Night from Santorini

By wabisabisole

On June 4, 2024

In 2024, Greece

We had an incredible day on the catamaran. We packed our last day as full as our suitcases. We have an early flight out in the morning to Athens. And then Athens to Atlanta. And then Atlanta to Destin. Too much to fun to share tonight in tonight’s blog because it’s time to sleep. Here’s a sneak peek at our last sunset in Santorini. The sunset is brought to you by the colors Blue & Gold. Go Navy!

Hiking Oia to Fira

By wabisabisole

On June 3, 2024

In 2024, Greece, Hiking, Macs Adventures, Maneki Neko

Today was our third official hike day. We had a transfer scheduled to pick us up at 9am at our hotel. Before we left, we enjoyed the breakfast at the hotel. It was delicious and had a little bit of everything. Including normal scrambled eggs, stuffed grape leaves, mushrooms and of course feta.

Our driver picked us up in his fancy Tesla. We chatted during the drive to Oia. Turns out, he is a former Greek Navy Seal (retired). He trained several times in San Diego. He was very nice and encouraged us on our hike. Oia was chaos. It was incredibly crowded with everyone wanting to get the perfect picture. Plus, there were multiple women doing photo shoots and clogging the paths. We honestly just wanted to snap our pictures and get on with our hike. Here are a few from Oia. It is beautiful and stunning. I just could do with out the crowds.

Here are my favorite doors from Oia.

Here was the crowd, waiting to get “the” shot of the three domes. Also, I took a picture of the lady who was causing the line. And then I photoshopped her out. It was a quick edit. I’m sure I can do better.

I would also like to share my pictures of the cats of Oia. So cute.

Most of the hike was along the top of the ridge. However, there were a lot of ups and downs. And lots of stepping on igneous rocks. They are so sharp and pointy. They really started to bother my feet towards the end. Here are a couple up pictures of the trail.

I’m not sure I’ve mentioned, we booked our trip through Macs Adventure. They have truly been amazing. All hotels, transfers and ferries have been prearranged. Also, they put everything on an app that is easy to access. The app includes maps of all your hikes. Here was our map for today.

Once you start hiking, it will track your journey and give you alerts for upcoming points of interest and way points. If you’re looking for a guided trip, we highly recommend. We would both consider booking another adventure. Ok, let’s continue. The east side of Santorini is so different from the west. Here are a few pictures looking down at the farm land on the east side.

I would also like to share my favorite bougainvillea pictures from the day. I’m so inspired, I want to plant one when I get home!

There were so many churches along the route. They are striking with the blue domes.

The buildings and flowers were beautiful. It was also incredibly peaceful walking above the caldera. We were so high up!!

Humor me with a couple more doors.

The middle section of the hike was through a bunch of fancy hotels. Most said no pictures and do not enter. The view remained incredible.

The highlight of any hike is the cold beer at the finish line. The finish line for this hike was conveniently our hotel. We came back and showered before our well earned beer. Cheers!