'I am furiously happy. It’s not a cure for mental illness … it’s a weapon, designed to counter it. It’s a way to take back some of the joy that’s robbed from you when you’re crazy.'-Jenny Lawson As I mentioned at the start of my Adventures in Utah series, I was in desperate need to … Continue reading Adventures in Utah: Salt Lake City
'Land really is the best art.' —Andy Warhol After an evening in Moab, I hit my last 'Mighty Five,' Arches National Park early in the morning! Arches is considered the gateway to the Mighty Five and it was supposed to be mine but it was my final stop (due to Covid restrictions at Zion). It … Continue reading Adventures in Utah: Arches National Park
'Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.' —Rachel Carson Of the all the 'Mighty Five,' Canyonlands was my favorite. Located outside of Moab, it is usually paired with Arches National Park. I went in the afternoon and it was quite crowded! You … Continue reading Adventures in Utah: Canyonlands National Park
'Capitol Reed is filled with geology that takes shape, color, and dimension to a level beyond comprehension.'-Stefanie Payne My third 'Mighty Five' is the hidden gem of the lot, Capital Reef National Park. It is the least visited, mostly because it is out of the way. As I mentioned in my previous post, SR-12 connects … Continue reading Adventures in Utah: Capital Reef National Park
'The gladdest moment in human life, me thinks, is a departure into unknown lands.'-Sir Richard Burton When I was talking to my brother about my trip, he said that I had to take this road he had heard about that was supposedly the most beautiful road in the United States. A quick google search led … Continue reading Adventures in Utah: Scenic Route 12
'Nature is the art of God.' – Dante Alighieri After my morning at Cedar Breaks National Monument, I headed to Bryce Canyon National Park, my second 'Mighty Five.' Actually, I picked up SR-12 which starts just before Bryce but all of that will be in my next post (and trust me when I say there is … Continue reading Adventures in Utah: Bryce Canyon National Park
'The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man.'-Unknown Much like my decision to visit Great Basin National Park, I stumbled upon Cedar Breaks National Monument by looking at a map and seeing what was cool! Cedar Breaks is about 40 minutes from Zion and just a slight … Continue reading Adventures in Utah: Cedar Breaks National Monument
'No matter the risks we take, we always consider the end to be too soon, even though in life, more than anything else, quality should be more important than quantity.'–Alex Honnold Zion National Park was the first stop of my quest to visit the Mighty 5 and, boy, did it not disappoint! A few things … Continue reading Adventures in Utah: Zion National Park
“There’s a whole world out there, right outside your window. You’d be a fool to miss it.” ― Charlotte Eriksson As I've written about, this year has been hard. I knew for my mental health, I needed to get out of town and hit the road. I'm incredibly fortunate that Bend has nearly no cases of COVID, … Continue reading Dispatches from the Road: Southern Utah