Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

September 24th, 2016 -- Capitol Reef, Utah  Escaped for a much needed weekend in the outdoors with my best friend to enjoy one of the "Mighty Five" National Parks in my backyard.

"Orientation/observation" was our first car break and we were reward with panoramic views.

 After a quick photo op we were off to the super short hike to the Goosenecks where you can see the bend in the river.  You realize you are maybe 1/5 of the depth of the Grand Canyon which is incredible.

The visitor center was packed as it was a free day in the National Park.  The visitor center itself has an awesome topographical display of the NP and film of the area.

Driving into the park we had a short picnic after purchasing a personal peach pie and just took in the sites before our ambitious hike to Cassidy Arch.

The trailheads for both Cassidy Arch (1.5 miles each direction) and the Narrows.  After a couple of wild days of rain the road to the trailhead was washed out so we had to hike to the trailhead (1.3 miles).

On the way to the trailhead the scenary is amazing and if you look carefully you can see the barred uranium mines that are now just a ghost of forgotten central Utah enterprise.

Cassidy Arch is named after the infamous Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid as the canyon itself was said to be a frequent hideout for the outlaws.

 The trail begins with a strenuous hike that climbs nearly 1500 feet and gives sweeping views of the canyon, the cliffs and Capitol Dome in the distance.

 Of course just being in Capitol Reef you are reminded that time spans far beyond the native americans, outlaws and miners - here centuries have left their mark and we were just fortunate to enjoy the present with very few on this trail.

 At the end of an arduous hike we were rewarded with a massive arch that seemed like our own personal reward.  The drops were intense and my 'fear' of heights had me just a bit breathless.

 The hike back was just as beautiful as the original destination.

 Soon we were back in the U-Pick 'Em orchards gorging ourselves with apples and pears.

 On the way to Hickman Bridge we stopped at a small one-room school house.

 Hickman Bridge starts below 500 feet of shear cliff where you asked to keep moving while hugging the small river below.

 Unlike the red views of Cassidy Arch, Hickman is surrounded by white sandstone which is a different beauty of it's own.

 The bridge itself has an incredible expanse and is fantastic.

 The trail to the bridge loops past sweeping vistas and that make for an incredible panorama.

Exploring the history, the views and the wildlife make Capitol Reef and awesome twisted travel, the park is simply breathtaking and I can't wait to go back!

California Zephry: Planes, Trains and Baseball

August 27, 2016 Denver, Colorado -- I have wanted to ride the California Zephyr for years.  They say the actual leg from Denver to Salt Lake City is one of the most beautiful stretches of train travel in the United States and its been on my list for some time. 

So my travel buddy, my brother and my dad planned a guys weekend of travel aboard a plane, the train and automobile (ride from the train station).

To add to our adventure the idea to catch the Rockies vs. the Cubs added one more reason to make this trip happen.  We planned for a couple of months so we weren't going to be denied when weather started to be a factor.  A freak August storm blew in and temperatures dropped to mid-50's and rain which we were not prepared.  Of course we actually only thought about the weather for the first time as we circled Denver International Airport waiting for a break in the storm.

But not to be denied we managed shorts and all to get on the commuter train and made it to Union Station in downtown Denver just in time to find a TJ Maxx before game time and we bought some warm clothes.

Thanks in part to a rain delay we were able to eat at one of my favorite diners in Denver. Sam's No. 3. The portions are massive and for four hungry guys it was a perfect meal before the ballgame.

There is just something about generations watching America's past-time together at the ballpark.

After a rain delay the game started with the Cubs jumping to an early lead.

It wouldn't be until extra innings that the Rockies would rally and come from behind to beat the division leading Cubs...

Denver is an awesome city and we woke up early to get back to Union Station (riding the free 16th Street Mall buses) to make our 8:00 am Amtrak train departure.

Soon we had Denver in the background as we headed west to climb the Rocky Mountains.

As the train snaked over the prairie and gradually climbed hills that turned into the mountain you could feel civilization starting to lose grasp on our thoughts.

It was almost as if every turn, or coming through every tunnel another impulse to take a picture inspired us.

I literally lost track of all the tunnels we passed through as we snaked our way deeper into the mountains.

First stop was Winter Park.  Nothing more than a train platform high in the mountains we were able to stretch our legs and breathe the crisp mountain air.

Back on the train my travel buddy kept himself entertained with games and a trip to the refreshment car.

But soon the scenery itself would draw attention away from technology and food and as we meandered high about the water we couldn't keep from visiting every side canyon in our minds.

The observation car is a great place to let experience a 180 degree view of the surroundings and we loved listening to the conversations and people watch while we let the world pass by.

As we pulled into Glenwood Springs it was time for our diner reservation. There is something unique about eating in a dining car on a moving train.

Our next stop was Grand Junction, Colorado.

Here we had time to get some treats at a small store and explore a small terminal connected to a couple of older buildings that had echoes of a time gone by when train travel wasn't just a novelty but the preferred way to travel the country.  Next stop... Green River, Utah.

I've always been partial to the unique beauty of the desolate landscapes of the west.  Each vista is a new and different.  We say coyotes, antelope, prairie dogs and deer on this quite stretch.

We hit sunset just outside of Spanish Fork, Utah and the lights of the Wasatch front brought us back to Salt Lake just before 11:00 pm.

Minus Denver being freezing in a freak August weather pattern it was an awesome weekend.  The train was an adventure that will surely be remembered for a long time.