Highway 12

There is an amazing highway here in Utah that is one of the most stunning roads that I have ever been on (not just my opinion, it is ranked as one of the top 10 drives in the country) and I just got back from a little trip that had me traversing it's entire length of 122.9 miles.   I had traveled a small section before, multiple times, but had never continued on. What a mistake!

I started on the south end, so I met Hwy12 from Hwy89 and a short time later was near Bryce Canyon National Park, one of my favorite parks!!!!.

It almost doesn't look real, does it?

Even the trees are calm, due to their yoga.  :)  It looks like warrior pose to me...

It almost looks like another world...

After leaving Bryce Canyon NP behind, it was time to continue on Hwy12 thru the little towns of Tropic, Cannonville, and the like til we reached our first day destination of Esclante, which is a gateway to the Grand Staircase National Monument.

The next day we drove the heart of the highway, which is an amazing feat of engineering and sheer determination in the last area mapped in the continental United States.

The road was carved into the rock

The rock almost looks like snow, doesn't it?

The thing that impressed me the most was the diversity of the scenery in such a small geological area: red rock, white rock, smooth, textured, it was all on display during this 60 mile section and when you looked for the river another aspect came into view...

Follow the river....the trees know where it is...

Even away from the river, life happens...

I love this desert wildflower.

So glad I'm able to visit places like this...

At every turnout, you just had to look and be in awe of this amazing planet and the slice I live near....

The road runs through Boulder, Utah and we stopped for a break and got an AMAZING tip to drive the Burr Trail.  So GLAD we did...

The beginning of a little slot canyon off the Trail

The echoes you could produce were insane

It always surprises me where trees can grow.

One of my favorite things about being out in nature is the silence and when I got out of the car and explored, it was there, and in that silence you start noticing the little things, like patterns in the red rock or a little nook tucked away...

Love this...

A porthole in the rock

We ended up not driving the whole trail, but if you did you would end up at Bullfrog on Lake Powell.  I think the next time I go down, I will.....

With scenery like this, I could drive forever

I love the diversity so close together...

It was time to leave the Burr Trail and Boulder behind and continue on to Torrey, home of Capitol Reef National Park.  I know that this has been a photo bonanza of a post, but I don't want to leave a section out....

First up, the animals of Capitol Reef...  A deer who posed for me

A very shy Marmot that was sooooo cute as he ran...

A bird that didn't want his face to be shown...

Capitol Reef NP is the smallest, youngest, and least visited National Park in Utah.  (How lucky am I to live in a state that has 5!!!!)  I even have a habit of skipping it, not being to it since I was a little kid.  I won't be neglecting it in the future!  It is beautiful and has a mixture of drives and hikes so I think it is easily accessed by anyone.

Ancient cliff drawings by the Fremont Indians

Twin Rocks

Amazing scenery as a storm rolled in...

A slot canyon for cars....

Overlooking the mesas of Capitol Reef

I was lucky enough to have perfect weather, low 70's and even the clouds worked for me for the photographs, and since I went before Memorial Day, the crowds weren't even out!  I will definitely be doing this adventure again, hiking trails I missed and roads not traveled....

And just another reminder, visit your National Parks!!!  But while you are there, respect them....

and just a little blog reading tip, if you want to see the photos larger, just click on them.

Melissa

Hello, Colorado!

Colorado is right next door...
not that far away,
but for some reason, I really have not spent a ton of time there.

Thanks to my BucketList, which has visiting all of the National Parks on it, a trip was planned....

to visit 3 out of the 4 in Colorado, and a few other places.

The plan:
    one week with the following places to visit:
                             Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
                             Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
                             Durango and Silverton
                             Mesa Verde National Park
                             4 Corners Monument
                             Hovenweep National Monument

The week before we left, I checked the weather in all of the locations and got very happy temperatures, mid 70's, but by the time I pulled out of SLC (it was another driving trip), the temperatures had risen dramatically.

Record or near record highs were reached at all of the locations we visited.
grrrrr...It was a little warm, ok HOT, but we still had fun.

This is just the introduction,
I will be doing a post for each one of the parks and the other adventures, due to all of the pictures I took on the trip.

However, to start it off, I would like to introduce you to our constant companion in Colorado.

Rabbitbush or Goldenrod, we are still confused....

Hi Colorado...
It was nice getting to know you better.

Melissa

   

The Itinerary

Ok, so I haven't written in a while....
sorry about that.  Life has been a little crazy with work, training, and a very scary incident with Humphrey.  I'll write about that later, but first, a post that has been requested by a couple of people.

Yes, I have people who read this blog!!!  You make my day!!!!!!!!!

The 101 Roadtrip Guide

So here it is....
the itinerary of what I did on my Road trip in August.  What I loved and what I would do differently.....

Day 1
Drive to Seattle.  Yes, it is a long drive, but completely doable.  If you want to break it up, stop in Yakima, WA.   If you left early in the am, you would still be able to explore and shop at all of the fruit stands I saw advertised.  The next day, get up early and go into Seattle.

Before you get to Seattle, stop at Snoquamish Fall.  Beautiful and a nice break before you hit Seattle traffic.

Day 2
We drove up to Bellingham, about an hour north, and went on a Whale Watching tour.  LOVED, LOVED this adventure.  We went thru Island Mariner Cruises and had even gotten a groupon to make it an amazing deal.  If I had the opportunity, I would spend a week exploring the San Juan Islands!!!  They are so beautiful.  I would hike, camp, and even splurge at one of the spas on one of the islands.

Day 3
Exploring Seattle.  We did it thru a Segway tour.  A fun way to cover a lot of ground.  Here's my one Seattle tip, don't go up the Space Needle.  It is expensive and not the best view in Seattle--instead go up the Columbia Building.  Cheaper and a better view.  We did not go in the Chulily museum and regretted it.  Other than that, just explore....

Day 4
Left Seattle behind...took my car on its first ferry ride!!!  Hooked up with the 101 Highway and got to Olympic National Park.  If you can, allow more time for this area.  The Sol Duc campground is AMAZING!!!  My only complaint, you can not make reservations, it's first come first serve, but worth it!!!  Soak in the Hot Springs; take the hike to the waterfall; and just enjoy the scenery.

Day 5
Went to Kalaloch Beach and campground.
Had my first experience with the Pacific waters....they are cold.  Do not expect to spend time in the water, unless you have a wetsuit.  It is still fun to explore the beach and the surrounding areas.  One of the cool things near by is the Quinault Rain Forest.  Yes, rain forest.

Day 6
Continued down the 101 Highway and got to Oceanside, OR.  The adventure along the way is part of fun.  We ate at Clark's Restaurant in Arctic, WA (it's listed in every guide I found about the 101).  Old time diner with amazing food.  We also found out that the 101 coincides with the Lewis and Clark trail and stopped at a National Historic site, Fort Clatsop.  It is very interesting and they have historic re-enactors as well.  We did not spend any time in Astoria, OR and wished we could of.

We got to Oceanside early enough to explore the Prom and the shops.  That was enough for me..  I did not really enjoy the vibe of the town, but did find an amazing photography studio.  It's a very touristy town.

Day 7
A short drive to Newport, but first a stop at Cannon Beach.  If you can, spend an entire day at Haystack Rocks and Cannon Beach.  It is beautiful, clean and perfect.  I saw a horseback tour going on the beach and thought, I wish I had signed up for that.  The town of Cannon Beach does not allow any chain stores in its limits.  Accommodations are expensive--I could not find anything under $200!!!  Oceanside does have very good deals (our hotel was $59) a night and I could have chosen at least 3 others in that price range.  Stay in Oceanside, but play in Cannon Beach.....

One of the fun things on the drive from Oceanside to Newport is that you go thru Tillamook!!  With the cows and the factory.  Yes, it is busy and touristy, but stop anyway.  You get to sample cheese and then there is the ice cream.....Yum.....  I got a map and found the actual cows.  I did not know that the Tillamook Creamery is actually a co-op of small family famers!!  I like them even more for this.

Take the time for all of the scenic side trips that you can.  The views are amazing.

We camped at Beverly Beach State Park.  Loved it!!!!  We even had our own beach access!!!

Day 8
Explored Beverly Beach, Newport and the surrounding areas.  Whatever your interests, you can find something to do.  A tip, pick up the locally produced guidebooks when you are in the area.  They have split up the coast into 3 regions and give a TON of ideas.  At the Yaquina Head lighthouse, go to the tide pools, but beware, the beach is made up of River Rocks!!!  It is very hard to walk on.

Day 9
It is time to leave Oregon behind and head to California.  But before we did, we spend the morning at the Newport Aquarium.  It is ranked in the top 5 Aquariums in the country.  It's fun and as a special treat, we got a behind the scenes tour and kissed by a Sea Lion named Leah.

Leaving Newport around 3, we headed off to Crescent City, CA.  It was a little long, but stunning in its views.

It was another camping adventure, as we had made reservations at the KOA.  DO NOT BOOK THERE!!!!  It was awful, between the shower hogs, the drunk couple fighting until 4 am, and just general bad attitudes all around, I wanted to leave in the middle of the night.   There are many campgrounds in the National and State parks of Redwoods.  Go there...  there are hot showers at most of them and they are cheaper than the KOA.

Day 10
Explore Redwood State and National Parks...  It's weird--California has Redwood parks and the then there is the National Park.  As far as I could tell, they overlapped a lot.....

On the road into the park, we saw a herd of elk on the side of the road that must of had 30 in it..

Now onto the trees,  AMAZING.  I am 5'9" and felt like an ant.  Take some time to do some hikes and become immersed in them.  Lose yourself in their beauty.

We stopped at the Trees of Mystery in Klamath, which is soooo worth it.  We took a tram ride thru the trees, had nice paved trails-with a self audio tour with information about what we were seeing, and the largest privately owned Native American museum.  It was well worth the money and time.

Another fun fact, all of the drive thru trees that you hear about are on privately owned land.  We paid $5 to drive thru one.

Day 11
It's time to head to San Francisco.  The 101 Highway was still our guide.  We took a little time off of it to drive the Avenue of the Giants, but still got to the Golden Gate Bridge by 2 pm.  If you can, park on the north side of the bridge.  I missed the turnoff and drove the bridge and then got in a mess of traffic before I found the parking lot.  I was surprised how busy the walkway was and how many groups will walk 4 across.  It made for a frustrating walk on the bridge, but still do it.  GO THE WHOLE WAY and back.

Here is my one and only hotel tip of the whole trip.  The Wharf Inn.  When I was planning the trip, I went into sticker shock for the price of hotels in San Francisco. WOW....  The Wharf Inn's rooms are very basic, do not expect a fridge or microwave in your room, and yes the walls are a bit thin.  Request a room on the 3rd floor and in the back and the noise is not too bad.  I did not find it too bad, and the free parking (even for 6 hours after checkout), the price and the location made it all worth while, plus the front desk clerk was very friendly and informative about the area and gave a great dinner recommendation (Alioto's).

Day 12
San Francisco....Ride the cable cars, explore China Town, and whatever else catches your eye....
We left around 5 in the afternoon and drove to Sacramento.

Day 13
Drive home....

In summary, to make this trip affordable, we camped about half of the time.  I love to camp and all of the campsites we stayed at had warm showers......

The purpose of the trip was to get a feel for the area.  I had never stepped foot in either Washington or Oregon.  I would go back in a heartbeat.  A week in the San Juan Islands....  More time in Olympic National Park...... Time in Cannon Beach.....  Hike more in Redwood....  See more in San Francisco....

Did I have fun....
ABSOLUTELY!!!!
So get out there...

Your Tour Guide,
Melissa

Drip, Drip, Drip.....

I recently went on a bit of a road trip.

Ok, it was an epic 3000 mile adventure.

Since creating my Bucket List a while back, I look for ways to complete items.  I checked off quite a few on this trip.

#1.  Visiting all 50 states.  I got Oregon and Washington on the list.  For as close as they are, I had never visited either one.

The beauty of Snoquamish Falls, Washington

Haystack Rocks, Cannon Beach, Oregon

#2.  Go on a Whale Watching Tour...
        Ironically, a groupon helped me out with this one.  I went on the Seattle page of Groupon and found a 6 hour Whale Watching tour out of Bellingham for $49.  It ended up being closer to 7 hours since we were in fog for a majority of the trip, so it was a very good deal.  We saw Orcas and a Minky whale.  This only increased my desire to see Grey whales.  So don't be surprised if I do this one again.

A pod K male Orca in the San Juan Islands

#3.  Help someone achieve their goal.
       My mom, for reasons I never understood, has always wanted to take a Segway tour.  I have not, but since I was the main organizer of the trip, I took the lead and once again used Groupon for a Segway Tour in Seattle.  Mom was very scared and nervous when we got there, but between our guide/instructor, Aaron, and me--we got her on and within minutes, she was having a ball.

Learning the ropes and crossing off a Bucket List item off for Mom

Guess what, I had a ball too!

The main lesson of this one is this--I was not that excited about doing this.  In fact, I thought I would be embarrassed the whole time while doing this with her, but I had fun too!!!  In helping her achieve a goal, I encountered something I would have NEVER EVER done and enjoyed it.

#4  Visit all of the National Parks

       This is a goal that will probably take me a long time to achieve and that's ok....  I love spending time outdoors and our National Parks are exceptional places to do that.  On this trip, Olympic National Park and Redwood National Parks were visited.

The Beauty of Olympic National Park

The massive trees of Redwood National Park

#5 Walk the Gold Gate Bridge
  There was not a great start to this adventure, when after a 5 hour drive to get to San Francisco, I missed the turnoff for the parking area and my GPS decided to have a hissy fit.  I was a little frustrated when we finally got there and started the walk.  The crowds, sometimes walking 4 across, the wind, and being right next to 6 lanes of traffic didn't help once we started either.  As a result by the time we had crossed the length and started back, it was not fun.  We found a a quiet, non windy, spot and took a break and to realize what we were doing.  On the parts of the bridge that were not crowded, we would stop and enjoy the views.  By the time we completed the back and forth, we were actually having an ok time.  We were a little taken back with the wind and noise of the this adventure, but still glad it was done.

#6.  oh wait, I missed the opportunity to pay a toll for someone else.
  When I was getting in line for the ferry in Edmunds, Washington, I was all set to pay for the car behind me til I saw how much it was, and then I backed out.  It would of been $20 something bucks and I wimped out.  I thought I had a cheaper toll still ahead and would do that one.  There wasn't.  The Golden Gate Toll is all automated now, so you can't pay for the car behind you.  The toll that I thought I would pay later was included in my ferry fee.  Lesson of the day, don't wimp out.  Don't think, oh, I'll do it next time.  Do it......

One of the reasons I wanted to do this post was to reiterate that Bucket List items do not have to be expensive.  The Whale Watching and Segway tours were done thru Groupon.  Visiting a National Park is not that expensive and when you camp in them, your costs get even cheaper.  It was free to walk across the Bridge.  Life is all about experiences and Bucket Lists can be about making sure you accomplish the experiences that matter to you.

And now that I am home, I am working on more drips in my Bucket.
Melissa

The Stairs of Haramara...

During my stay at Haramara, documented here, I mentioned the natural state of the retreat.  One of the quirks that I encountered everyday and multiple times a day were the stairs on the trail from my casita to just about everywhere (both yoga pavilions and the dining room).  The stairs were made to fit into the hillside and meant not to disturb nature as much as possible.  Beautiful, yes....  Equal and level, not so much.

The first couple of days, the stairs drove me nuts.  They bugged my ankle.  I could not find a rhythm on them--1 wide step, 2 short ones, then a half..and on and on...  With the humidity, I would be glowing (haha) by the time I got to the top.  My complaints were endless, and yet the stairs remained.

I started to realize something....
Life, like these stairs, is not meant to be perfect and even.
You need to focus on what you are doing in the moment, i.e. be present, to successfully navigate it.

When I let the stairs be as they were, not as I wanted them to be, I was able to make it up and down without incident.

Life lesson in a flight of stairs.....

Melissa

Running away to find Home...

Beware, I'm in a bit of a writing mood.

The end of year always brings out my inner writer, so be prepared for a lot of posts this week.  After the silence of the past month or so,  I did not want to overwhelm you or have you go into shock, so there's my public service announcement.  POSTS ARE COMING... Lots of them..

Like the this one...
Running away to find home.

I got an invitation about a year ago to join Ann, my Bonus (a nicer term than stepmom),  at a week long yoga retreat in Mexico.   She had attended in 2011 and the day she got home, she called and said they were doing it again in 2012 and she thought I would love it.  I looked at the website; I looked at my finances; I looked and the calendar; and then I decided yes!!!

I made the decision to go in February and paid my first deposit.
Life went crazy.

I made my second deposit in June..
Life went beserk.

I made my final payments in August and October...
Heaven help me....

I booked my airfare....
I lost all confidence about going.

I started to prepare for the trip...
I trip and end up leaving for the retreat with a swollen wounded ankle and a skinned up knee.

Why do I bring all of this up?  You need a clear understanding of my mental, physical and emotional state when I boarded my flight that left at 5:55 am on December 8th to understand the transformation that occurred.   I've come to the realization that I needed to be at a low point to be open to what happened.

What did happen, you ask?
I found home.

I'll explain that in detail later, but first some details about the trip....

December 8th, I flew from SLC to LA to Puerta Vallerta, Mexico.  I made all of my connections and my luggage made my flights.  Off to a good start.  :)  I left Salt Lake in below freezing temps, landed in LA in fog (could not see more than 50 feet out the plane's window), and at my final destination....
85 degrees...  my idea of perfection.

Haramara Retreat the resort where I was heading, is about 30 miles north of Puerta Vallerta, so I waited for a few of my fellow yogis, including Ann to fly in.  We loaded up our shuttle and headed out.  A little information about the retreat.  It was planned and organized by a yoga studio, Flow Yoga, in Hood River Oregon and attended by yogis from all over the country.   On my shuttle, Utah, Georgia, Minnesota and Wisconsin were represented with Oregon, Washington, California, Ohio and Alaska joining in later.

Just a glimpse of the resort...

a walkway thru the resort

Haramara was built without any heavy machinery and is designed to get you back to nature.  There are no phones in your casitas.  No power either... you use candles and kerosene lamps.  Cell phones don't really work there.  The quiet is stunning and powerful.  By the end of the week, you are waking with the sun and going to bed following the rhythm of light and dark.

my room, notice the mosquito netting you would pull around your bed at night

The schedule for the week went like this...
7am wakeup...
throw on yoga clothes and head to breakfast
8:30  Chanting and meditation
9-10:30  morning yoga
break time (for non yoga teachers like me)
12-1 AMAZING LUNCH (3 courses)
break time (for non yoga teachers like me)
4:45-6 afternoon yoga
6-7 Oh, my heavens yummy dinner (I could write a whole post about the food)
7-9 Satsang..... Eastern Philosphy, Meditation and discussion
9 bedtime...

As you can tell, yoga would be one of the major focuses of my week.  Were you paying attention at the beginning when I told you that my ankle was wounded?  Well, it was.. a nice shade of technicolor with some swelling to boot.  No strength for balancing poses at all... Great!...my strength, pun intended, in yoga has always been my strength....flexibility is an ongoing challenge and goal.  For two times a day, I was going to have to accept my limitation and let my yoga practice be exactly as it was for the day.  AAAAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!  Not my greatest strength, I'll tell you.  If I've done a pose before, I will do it again.  My competitive nature just doesn't let me back up in progress without some grief.  Learning and acceptance would have to occur for my sanity to remain intact.

During my freetime, I would read (The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle), hang out on the the beach and dip my toes in the warm waters of the ocean, or go into the town of Sayulita, a 2 mile walk from the resort.  On one of my adventures into town, I did an item off my bucket list..I attempted to learn to surf.  :)

Haramara's beach

Surfing lesson, pre water...tip of the day..if you learn to surf, try and do it when you don't have a hurt right ankle and a skinned left knee.. (it really gets in the way)

Evening Satsang proved to be exclamation mark on the day.  It would reinforce all of the things that had happened during the day.  The main focus of the talks would was the idea of 'being in the moment'.  Sometimes, Adi, our discussion leader, would say something that was almost a direct quote from the book was I reading.  It was like the universe making sure I got it.

Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, I turned inward.  I spent a lot of time alone during freetime reading, journaling and thinking about the patterns and behaviors of my life.  It wasn't anti social, it was just a quiet space I desperately needed.  I worked thru some things, I had not dared to do before and some other stuff that I thought I had....  I'm not sure that I would of done the work without the peace and quiet of Haramara.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, I found my bliss.  I started to spend my free time with the other retreaters.  Conversations varied; some deep, some light...  My yoga practice started to turn around, not physically, my ankle was still giving me grief, but the true reason of yoga..the mental side.  My mind began to quite down.

Friday night at Satsang, we started talking about going to home and the hustle and noise of life, when Adi simply stated, 'You are home'.

Alarm bells ringing, fireworks going off, and the deep realization that he was right.

I was home.

I was no where near anything familiar, but I was home.

Not a physical address...
but that place deep inside of you that knows without question that you are all that you need.

I was home....

Saturday afternoon, I left Haramara and returned to Salt Lake.  My ankle was still a little swollen and my knee still a little banged up, but my mind and soul were in such a better place.

I was home.

Melissa