Utah Vacation

We spent a lovely weekend in Moab, Utah.  On our way out of Colorado we made a brief but entertaining stop at the border.  With the legalization of marijuana there were obvious signs such as this banker bag with over a gram or two of weed inclosed.  I guess as people near the border they are just ditching their supply.

We rolled into Moab with just enough time to grab a bite of lunch and head to Arches National Park.  It was just as stunning as I imagined it to be.  Plus, the light was perfect on the sandstone.  

This park surely knows how to deliver with beauty right off the bat.  We went to the very first Windows section of the park and hiked until dark.  I couldn't wait until morning so we could go back and do some further exploration.

As Edward Abbey says "the sky and the desert dissolve slowly into mystery under the chemistry of twilight." It's certainly a wonderful thing to observe.

Summer Road-trip: South Dakota

With a long weekend ahead we packed up the car and hit to the road north to South Dakota. We traveled the winding hills of green prairie for 5 hours and then we were at camp.  At first light we drove the 5 minutes up to Mount Rushmore.  Surprisingly, we enjoyed the Presidents and the sculptor did a wonderful job of using the natural rock design in creating this one of a kind memorial.

After that we hit the road to explore the Black Hills.  Our only life bird of the trip came next after breakfast where we were given 2 beautiful Red Crossbills.  Then we kept on driving the scenic highways that flow in and out of Custer State Park.

Little Baba Ghanoush had her first experience swimming - the water was frightfully cold but she did well.

The Needles Highways proved to be everything it was hyped up to be.  We went through single lane tunnels, switchbacked by beautiful pinnacles, and enjoyed the scenery.

Some of the tunnels were exceptionally tight but that just added to the mystery.  After a fun day of hiking, driving, and sightseeing we went back to camp and enjoyed a relaxing evening by Grizzly Creek.

Notable birds of Grizzly Creek Campground: Black-headed Grosbeak, Pine Siskins, Violet-green Swallows, Western Tanager, Common Nighthawk, and an Empid flycatcher that gave me quite a show.  I believe it's a Western Wood-Pewee after inspection, please let me know in the comments if you think my little one may be of another variety. 

California Day 5: Moro Rock and General Sherman Tree

After the Grove of the Giants we headed to Moro Rock. We took our time climbing up and up and up the many stone steps until we finally reached the peak. Moro Rock is a large granite dome located in the center of Sequoia National Park. It sits at a elevation of 6,725 feet and has a 400-step stairway cut into the rock. It's a steep climb but managable for anyone that is willing to tackle the heights. The guardrails are ample and there are plenty of spots to stop and rest if needed.

From the top you have an amazing aerial view of the park. Looking towards the east you can see the peaks that make out the Great Western Divide (seen above) and looking to the west you can see the Middle Fork Canyon (seen below) which is almost as deep as the Grand Canyon.

After leaving Moro Rock we stopped at the Parker Group, a beautiful stand of sequoias named for the Parker family. These were some of the prettiest trees in the park and Geraldine and took our time weaving in and out of the stand.

Next we took a drive through the Tunnel Log. The 275 ft. tree fell from natural causes in 1937 and the following year a crew cut an 8 by 17 ft. tunnel through the center, making the road passable again.

Next we only had one more important stop before heading back to our campsite and that was to pay a visit to the largest tree on Earth, the General Sherman Tree. This giant sequoia has a height of 275 ft. and a volume of 52,513 cu. ft which makes it the largest known non-colonial tree by volume. The tree is believed to be between 2,300 and 2,700 years old.

When you're walking around all these groves and stands it's hard to pinpoint which tree is bigger than the rest. I loved seeing the General Sherman Tree but I must admit that I didn't find it was any bigger than some of the others we had seen. Regardless it was nice to see and I even digibinned a view of the top of the tree. You will notice that it's been struck by lightning and no longer growing taller, only wider.

After hiking and looking upwards all day at large trees we decided to end the day with a dip in Hume Lake. This a small little lake found in the eastern part of Kings Canyon/Sequoia National Park. It was busy with children laughing and swimming. We retreated to the quiet areas of the waterfall and managed to keep busy with our wading.

It was the end to a perfect day and exactly the kind of adventure I wanted from my vacation. Nothing could be better than checking out the largest organisms on Earth and then retreating to the cool waters of a lake.

California Day 2 (cont.): Point Pinos

Heerman's Gulls are common but to an East Coast gal they are really fun to look at. This one was found north of Monterey near Point Pinos.


The rocky shoreline was perfect habitat for some target birds. I kept hoping to pick up a Black Oystercatcher but instead I found a weird Western Flycatcher on the rock above. I digibinned a photo. I have never seen a flycatcher on the beach before. It was unusally approachable and I thought at first maybe it was injured but eventually it took flight and went across the road.

At the point I hopped over rocks and scrambled around looking for new birds on the trip. I was very happy to finally see my lifer Whimbrel at Point Pinos. It gave me some great looks before flying behind some large boulders.

In the area below was a large flock of gulls. Mostly they were Western but I did manage to find a lifer Sabine's Gull. I had excellent looks but the gulls were far away and I withdrew back down the beach.

Geraldine and I were starving so we left the coast near dusk and went in search of food. We found an excellent resturant on Yelp! and called it a night. The following day we continued south to Big Sur. Check back tomorrow to continue the journey!

Two Arizona State Parks

The purpose of this Southwestern adventure was to spend some time with Geraldine, see some new parks, and have fun along the way. So when our last full day came I was excited to drive down into Red Rock Country and figure out why everyone loves Sedona. I must say, that I was pleasantly surprised at how much I loved the landscape, the energy, and the little town. We decided to spend our day between two of Arizona's State Parks, one on each side of Sedona.


It's no secret that a perfect day in my world involves seeing a new bird or two or at least an interesting bird. So when we parked at Red Rock State Park I already knew this was going to be one birdy little piece of land. White-throated Swifts soared all around near the nature center. When the Ranger pointed us in the direction of the Javelina Trail I was quick to ask about the hummingbirds. He said I was in luck and that a few had already arrived back and could be seen at the feeders. It took me no time to find the feeders and settle in for some hummer watching. Geraldine and I both saw Anna's and Black-chinned Hummingbirds. Both of them were lifers and a perfect way to start out our day.

With my belly full of hummingbird gazing (not eating!) we took to the Javelina Trail. It was a nice up and down trail through cactuses. The red rock views were plentiful and we were even able to pick up a few new birds for my list including Lucy's Warbler, Bridled Titmouse, and Abert's Towhee.

The signs warned of rattlesnakes but we weren't fortunate enough to see any so I would have to settle my herp dreams on these little lizards. We saw quite a few of them on and off the trail. Anyone know the ID??

The day was filled with blue skies, interesting wildlife, and perfect company. The only thing that could make it better was to take a swim so we left the park and drove back towards Slide Rock State Park.

Slide Rock State Park is a popular natural water slide in the Oak Creek River. Geraldine and I decided to skip the sliding part and just try our hand at dipping into the 44 degree waters. We both surrendered to the cold river and enjoyed a refreshing swim.

While leaving the park we saw two large hawks dive over our heads and perch across the street. Back in Red Rock State Park there was a large section of the park that was closed because it was a critical Black Hawk nesting area. So it came as no surprise when these two hawks were none other than Black Hawks. We watched them interact and mate. They were the great to see and we even pointed them out to a few other visitors. It was just one more piece in the puzzle that made this day so amazing. We ended the night in Flagstaff at a delicious Thai Restuarant and even though we found the city itself a little dead, it was fun walking around and discussing life. I will always have fond thoughts of Sedona and I look forward to one day returning. There are more trails to hike, more rivers to swim, more birds to bird, and if I'm lucky, I will have Geraldine there to join me.

Grand Canyon National Park

We stopped at some roadside stands on the way to the Grand Canyon and were able to catch the first few glimpses of the gorge.

Seeing the Grand Canyon in person should be required for everyone that lives or visits this country. It's breathtaking, overwhelming, and perfect. At times you can't really even wrap your mind around the grand scale.

Once the sun came out we could really see some of the colors in the layers of rock. But even in the shadows, the canyon was beautiful. It was also much colder here than on the previous days but we lucked out with the rain staying away. We took so many pictures at the overlooks but once I was home I only wish I had taken more.

We found a nice place for a late lunch at one of the hotel lodges. Our view out the window was much like the one below. We were even fortunate enough to see ANOTHER California Condor. This one did a fly-by of the window while we were dining. I couldn't believe our luck!

After lunch we strolled down a path that hugged the Southern Rim of the canyon. It was crowded but there were plenty of outcroppings where we had our own view.

Our original plan was to spend another full day at the Canyon before heading back to Vegas but instead I told Geraldine I had my fix and that we should head to Flagstaff/Sedona for our last day of vacation.

On the way out of the park we spotted some Elk grazing on the side of the road. It was the perfect conclusion to a very busy day of driving, walking through a slot canyon, and then gazing at the Grand Canyon. I didn't know it then but the next day would be my favorite of the trip!

Antelope Canyon

After taking Zion for all it was worth we hit the road to Page, Arizona. This time we had a different kind of canyon to explore, the famous Antelope Canyon. Antelope Canyon is found on Navajo land and you can either explore the upper or lower sections. If you've never been to a slot canyon or you happen to be in Arizona you should definitely check this place out. It's otherwordly down in the canyon.


We entered the "trail" from this small opening. There was a series of ladders that we climbed from one section to the next.

The rock formations were so beautiful and perfect. It was like walking through a magical, sometimes small, hallway. And it was completely natural and formed by water, not some man-made amusement park. I couldn't get enough of the way the light made the walls seem different colors. It's hard to really capture the beauty of this place with a camera but that didn't stop Geraldine and I from trying.

We wandered down the canyon taking photos of every curve and color. Below was a Ravens nest set high on a ledge of the canyon.

Sometimes I found that since this place is so surreal the only way to make any sense of it is by having some perspective. When a person is in the photo, you really get an idea of how big and grand this place really was.

It was a really fun stroll through a unique place. Sometimes the trail became very narrow like the little place in the photo below that literally only fit one person at a time.

Due to some safety concerns (and rightly so, since some people have died in the canyon during flash floods) metal ladders were installed to navigate around. In the past people relied on hand holds like the ones seen below. These proved to be too cumbersome and also not safe when people really needed to evacuate.

I could've spent all day down in Antelope Canyon but we decided that after one section we would make our way down the road to the Grand Canyon. One of the last sections of the trail before we left offered us this "lion" in the rocks.

Once back on top of the land we were surrounded by scenery such as this. It's very flat out there but also deceiving since these slot canyons weave through the landscape.

I had never heard of Antelope Canyon before this trip. I am indebted to my travel partner for introducing me to such a remarkable natural landmark.