Movie Monday and Final Trip log - Summer Road Trip

This summer we drove over 2,000 miles (when you count all of the back tracks and side trips) beginning in Reno, Nevada and ending up in Baker City, Oregon.  We saw five national parks (even if we only went into three of them (Great Basin, Zion, the Grand Canyon, Canyon lands, and Arches) and drove through sunshine and storm.  For 'Movie Monday'  I present a short movie to sum up the trip.  Enjoy.

Friday Photo (on Movie Monday)...apologies and Arches National Park

First let me apologize for missing Friday photo.  I don't have any excuse except that I was having such a great time hanging out at Gma's place that I simply forgot.

Now that the apology is out of the way, please allow me to apologize for neglecting today's "Movie Monday" in order to make up for last week's Friday Photo.  I really have no excuse at all for this dreadful neglect of my blog.  Then again, seeing as this is my blog...I hereby retract all apologies and print this notice:

READ AT YOUR OWN RISK! 

(and don't get on my case for posting a Friday Photo or two on a Movie Monday)!

...and now for the main attraction (fanfare George [imagine your own fanfare here]...thank you)

FRIDAY PHOTO - Arches

Last Monday we began our drive from Durango, CO to Twin Falls, ID.  Our first day of travel ended with a short drive into Arches national park where I took the following pictures.

The really creepy (or really lazy) blackbird that wouldn't fly away until we were almost close enough to reach out and grab it.  Poe never seemed closer.

Oh and if you harbor any ill will because I am doing Friday Photo instead of movie monday, you can go shove your head in a

 (Just kidding - happy Monday everyone).

Trip Log: The Grand Canyon

We arrived at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon late on Thursday afternoon.   We spent the evening exploring the trails around the North Rim Lodge.  Friday morning we drove out to Cape Royal and Angel's Window.  Mom found the best vista to paint and I played my trombone a bit...you can picture the family: dad reading a book in the back of the car, mom painting, all to a soundtrack provided by George and I.  I am sure the other guests found us an intriguing (to put it politely) bunch.  Jessie, her husband Andrew, and his father Gary joined us Friday afternoon.  My favorite spot was the little stone room under the lodge.  Here are some pics.

The view from the lodge

 The view from Cape Royal.  All of the points had epic names like "Wotan's Throne"(shown above), "Freya's Castle", and "Vishnu's Temple".  Dad and I decided that the wall of rock at the bottom of the picture was rather nautical in shape and should be called "Barbosa's wall" in keeping with and updating the epic tradition.

 Angel's Window (above)

In front of our cabin from left to right: Andrew, Mom, Gary (Andrew's Father), and Jessie

The little stone room under the lodge

Trip Log: Zion National Park

I don't have long as I am writing from the General Store at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  Here are some pictures from our journey through Zion National Park in Utah.  The park is absolutely exquisite and is worth seeing if you ever get the chance.

 We began our morning with  Kolob Canyon

 More from Kolob Canyon

 View of the Canyon from the short hiking trail at the top

The "Grand Arch" from the highway through the south side of the park. 

Textured rock from the other side of the tunnel

Soundtrack to our day provided by Johnny Cash, John Denver, Simon & Garfunkle, Conor Oberst, and Benny Goodman.

Next post:  Grand Canyon - Stay tuned...

Trip Log: Across Nevada

Today we drove across Nevada.  Literally.  We began this morning in Carson City and arrived this evening in Cedar City Utah.  Check out the map.










My flight into Reno yesterday was greeted (as many flights into the state of Nevada are) by a row of slot machines (pictured left).  I confess that I found the experience slightly surreal.

We crossed Nevada on route 50.  The stretch of road between Fallon and Ely is called "The loneliest highway."



We had lunch at a small cafe in Eureka where apparently they have an opera house (below).  Go figure.

While that stretch of road might be called "the loneliest highway"  the stretch of route 487 that goes around the back side of the Great Basin national park is a lot lonelier.


Perhaps they should call it "the highway that is lonelier than the loneliest highway."

Valleys followed passes in an endless succession.  With long stretches of straight highway followed by steep climbs over the next set of mountains.

On the agenda for tomorrow... Zion, followed by our trip to the grand Canyon.  Stay posted.