I was dragged to Utah a few summers ago. Not quite kicking and screaming, but definitely taken against my will to hike in Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks, which, from all pre-trip appearances, were a collection of arid, rust-colored landscapes that made me thirsty just looking at them. The two parks and Utah in general, however, had long been at the top of my husband’s wish list for a hiking trip, and since all of our travels for years and years had been my choices, I gave in. (Nice of me, I know.)
I’m always looking to escape from the U.S. at least a few times a year, often, admittedly, to see things that are quite similar to the places I eschew here at home. (I was desperate to see dusty red Jordan, for example, but snorted at the idea of dusty red Utah.) But I knew I needed an attitude adjustment because my own country contains a vast assortment of destinations, and I finally succumbed to my husband’s pleas to see more of our homegrown scenery, particularly the national parks.
I am a big fan of state and national parks. My parents stuffed our family of six in the car for innumerable trips to these treasures in the eastern and southeastern U.S., and I’d adored them. I loved road trips, first of all, and even as a child, I relished being in the untrammeled outdoors, sinking my boots into pine needles in the Appalachians and breathing in the earthy smell of the dark, loamy soil in the Great Smoky Mountains. We clambered over rocky balds in the Shenandoah Valley, swished through dune grasses from Cape Cod to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and explored spooky Mammoth Cave and other caverns and hollows in Kentucky and Tennessee.
But what all those parks had in common was greenery and/or moisture. I loved the mossy clumps along woodsy paths, the smell of mildew in an old cabin, the dripping of leaves on my rain jacket in a forest, even the clamminess of a bathing suit at the shore. The desert had none of that; it was dry and dusty, odorless and often colorless. It made my eyes and nostrils itch, and I hated the grit it deposited on my skin. In short, it left me cold.
But I went. Our first stop, Zion National Park, had more varied terrain than I’d expected, and I started the trip on a surprising high note. We had an invigorating wade through the Narrows (water!),
numerous hikes through treed paths and ravines (green!), and some good steep climbs to various outlooks, including Angel’s Landing.
The scenery was truly majestic, and I ate my negative words about Utah many times in those first few days of hiking.
I adored the little town of Springdale where we based ourselves, and I looked forward to walking into Zion every day for a new and different adventure, even gaining an affection for the (dry, dusty, red) slot canyons.
Bryce Canyon was our next stop. For years, I’d heard people rave about Bryce Canyon and, really, how could I not find the surreal assemblage of hoodoos fascinating? I’m glad I saw them. They made for some great photos.
But we trudged for hours and hours through this baking forest of pale, parched towers and, dare I say, it was pretty boring and exhausting after the first oohs and aahs.
It did redeem itself at sunset, when the shadows and cooler air sharpened my sense of the place, replacing the desiccated blandness at high noon with a pleasing line-up of variegated figures in the evening.
In the end, Zion and Bryce and the land in between were a nice sampler in our quest to see more of our national wonders. I left impressed and grudgingly appreciative of both parks, although Zion was the hands-down winner in my book. The trip served a second purpose – getting us on a mission to see more of the national parks – and we followed it up with a trip the next summer to Glacier National Park, much more my kind of place!
This year is the U.S. National Park Service’s 100th birthday – get out and see one of these national gems soon!
Bama said:
One thing I learned from my past travels is that it’s always good to embark on a trip with low expectations. Most of the times I ended up pleasantly surprised by the places I went to. Otherwise I wasn’t too disappointed either since I was kind of ‘expecting’ it. Anyway, I really love your shots, Lex, especially the first and last ones.
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lexklein said:
I do agree! In this case, I had very low expectations, almost to the point that if someone had not made me go, I wouldn’t have. Against my own philosophy, I often do go into things with too-lofty expectations; luckily I always seem to find something to love everywhere I go!
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awtytravels said:
It’s funny how we snub things next home, only to find them as actually cool! I have had this sort of feeling some time ago for the mountains around my hometown, but then I found out they’re actually cool.
I hear what you’re saying about rock formations at noon. I saw the mountains around Muscat, Oman, at 6AM and they were brilliant; at twelve they looked really bland.
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lexklein said:
Funny, I just read a big article about Muscat yesterday and now want to go! Did you enjoy Oman? (And there I go again, looking for a trip to the farthest place I can find … maybe I should track down a nice Virginia farm to visit instead?!)
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awtytravels said:
Honest answer? No. I must’ve chosen the wrong day, a Friday, and I was heavily jet-lagged, but I didn’t enjoy it at all.. But maybe it was only me.
As for Virginia farms, why don’t you choose a place next to your home where you’ve never been, and pay it a visit? It might be a surprise!
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Jeff Bell said:
I was kind of the opposite of you – I saw photos of Bryce and Zion as a kid and always wanted to go. We made a road trip hitting 2 parks in Colorado, then Arches-Canyonlands-Capital Reef and then Bryce and Zion before hitting the Grand Canyon. I think I was burned out by the time we got to Zion! But yes, that area is really stunning, with a surprising variety of things to see and do. I think I prefered the eastern Utah parks mainly because there were no tourists there.
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lexklein said:
Wow – that’s a lot of red rock and canyons! I DO think it’s very cool geologically, and we actually never had big crowds; I guess for me it’s that a little bit of that landscape goes a long way. Did you grow up out west?
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Jeff Bell said:
I almost grew up out west. I am from Western Oklahoma and we took many trips to Colorado and New Mexico as a kid. I love those landscapes out there, even the high desolate plains before the rockies.
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lexklein said:
You know, I love the high plains! People find them boring, but I love the wide-openness of them. In true Lexklein fashion, I will travel to Mongolia this summer to find what I could see in our own north and mid-section here!
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Jeff Bell said:
I look forward to seeing those photos. Mongolia is a place that is on the list of places I want to see.
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thirdeyemom said:
I love Utah and have been to both these parks and loved them. It is interesting how somethings we perceive things to be a certain way and then are so happily surprised when it is different. Another area I love is Sedona.
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lexklein said:
I was indeed surprised to like it at all! Those landscapes in UT, NM, and AZ are interesting for a brief visit, but they just don’t really appeal to me long-term! I know people love the southwest, but I need deciduous forests and woodsy mountains and streams!
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thirdeyemom said:
I’m the same way. My parents live in Arizona year round but I need water and green.
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daveply said:
Sounds like you have a smart husband. I’ve only been to the southwest once back in 77 and caught Bryce and Zion then, along with Arches and Capital Reef, and actually enjoyed them more than the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is so big it’s hard to see any detail, as you can in the Utah canyons.
For what it’s worth, I was more partial to Bryce, but didn’t explore Zion as intimately as you did.
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lexklein said:
I’m assuming you think he is smart because he has let me have my way 99% of the time, right?! You are right about the smaller canyons versus the Grand Canyon, although that one was a had-to-do with the kids at one point. The Utah parks were much better for multi-day hiking, too.
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Hoarder Comes Clean said:
I’m with you on going to the far-away places first — there are so many places near where I live in Georgia and the Southeastern US that I’ve never seen, and aren’t even on my list yet. My theory is: go to the farther places while I’m “able”, and save close-by for when I don’t have the energy. (hmm, guess I could remember there ARE weekends for the shorter trips)
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lexklein said:
That is exactly my philosophy! My friends can’t believe I’ve never been to Hawaii, for example, with all my travels, but I always say I can do that when I’m old! I want to climb mountains and go to uncomfortable places while I still can. There IS a method behind my madness.
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LaVagabonde said:
Magnificent photos. I love the desert, so I regret not having visited these parks when I lived relatively close by in Arizona. I also have had the tendency to ignore my backyard in favor of faraway lands. But in recent years, I’ve learned to seek out treasures closer to home base. When I lived in Slovakia, especially, it was easy to be awestruck after just a short train ride. America has so many natural treasures.
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lexklein said:
I think the difference in my eagerness for places close and far has more to do with culture than natural beauty. The U.S. is naturally stunning and I want to see lots of it, but the allure of travel for me often has more to do with being somewhere outside my zones of comfort and familiarity.
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Alison and Don said:
I would love to explore both these places, not being at all averse to hot and dry. Bryce reminds me of Cappadocia, and I love that last photo – beautiful light. And Zion is very much like hiking in some areas Australia’s of western desert, and Katajtuta and Uluru. Some of the pictures of Zion remind me of when I used to live in western Australia in iron ore mining towns and we’d go to Whittnoom Gorge and hike there. Sparse and hot but with water at the bottom of the canyons.
Alison
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lexklein said:
Yes, I could see that the hoodoos are like the fairy chimneys, except they’re more crowded together at Bryce Canyon. And that’s interesting that some of the geography reminds you of Australia … of course, I’d want to fly over the ocean to see the same formations in Australia, just because they’re in Australia! Silly but true.
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Alison and Don said:
Silly I guess, but I know exactly what you mean!
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AndysWorldJourneys said:
wow. simply breathtaking. the States sure does have its fill of canyons!
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lexklein said:
It really is surprising, isn’t it, how varied the U.S. landscape is? Towering mountains, deep canyons, open grasslands, multiple coastal regions, vast deserts, etc. We are lucky to have it all within our own borders; I for one need to take more advantage of the diverse offerings!
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badfish said:
Lex, man, this brings back memories of the ’70’s when I traveled through these parks. I think I did pretty much the same trip Jeff did…all though rocks! I loved it. Loved all those places. And just so you know…Oman has some pretty cool places, especially if you get up into the mountains. I camped up there, and have great photos, but they are all still in 35mm slide format. If you stay at sea level, it’s pretty much….well, desolate desert. Lovely shots…again!
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lexklein said:
Thanks, Badfish! And good to know about Oman – I’ve seen some great photos from there and also just read a nice article about Muscat. I’m sure you’ve seen a lot of the Persian Gulf nations living nearby, but photos in slide format mean you must have been there before this job, right? I guess I remember your Jordan post took place long ago, too – you’ve done some impressive world wandering for a long time, my friend!
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lisadorenfest said:
I am glad you went, allowing an opportunity for me to share your ooohs and ahhs virtually. I have never been to either which is amazing because I have seen a lot of the states, just not enough of the parks. ‘On My Bucket List’ as I keep on saying. One of the things that has become really clear to me while sailing the world is how much GORGEOUS I left behind in my own back yard (the good old US of A). But the good news is that I know it is there waiting for me.
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lexklein said:
Ah, but I am far luckier, for I am circumnavigating the oceans virtually with you, and that is not something that is likely to be waiting for me due to a distinct lack of sailing skill! The great thing about your sailing around the globe and my trekking to far-flung locales at our “young” age is that we can save the good old US of A for our dotage!
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lisadorenfest said:
Totally 😄
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darwinontherocks said:
We really enjoyed ourselves when we visited these national parks but we were not as brave as you and we didn’t do Angel’s landing. The weather was really bad and the day ended up with a thunderstorm anyway (good call I suppose). Zion is very diverse and I was surprised about that as well !
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lexklein said:
Zion really was attractive and fun. Angel’s Landing was scary enough without worrying about a thunderstorm up there – yikes! – I would not have climbed up there in bad weather either. I remember all your posts about Utah; you went so many places and took great pictures!
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darwinontherocks said:
I still have some regrets about Zion. I would have loved to do longer hikes but at that time, I don’t think my fitness level would have allowed me to do it
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lexklein said:
I remember you did so much in that area, though! Your photos were great. You’ll just have to come back, I guess!
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CompassAndCamera said:
I can totally relate to your initial feelings about the dry, hot, dusty desert southwest. I lived in Phoenix for about two years and rarely enjoyed it. But somehow, during that time, I found the beauty in those same qualities and I appreciate them much more than I used to. But I still prefer lush, green, mountainous surroundings just like you! Of course. 🙂
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lexklein said:
Like you, I have grown to appreciate the beauty in places like Phoenix, Tucson, and even Utah, but I don’t think I could live in those surroundings full-time! I actually like the drier air more than I used to, but the dust still makes me nuts!
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Sue Slaght said:
These are beautiful images but what I love most about the post is your description of how you really felt about it all. Being convinced to go by Hubby, the boring part of Bryce after the initial grandeur. Love that honesty in travel writing.
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lexklein said:
Well, thank you! I do feel compelled to stay pretty positive in my travel posts (and it’s my natural tendency anyway), but sometimes it’s just right to talk about the not-so-perfect destinations or aspects of travel. (It’s funny but most readers did not seem to catch my ambivalence here!)
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Sue Slaght said:
It is hard to know if people choose to hear only the good, skim as they read, look at the photos only? I know in my posts definitely not everyone who comes by reads every line. 🙂
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restlessjo said:
I do have a fascination with the red rocks but I can understand your initial reluctance. 🙂
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lexklein said:
They are pretty fascinating and photogenic – I think it’s mostly the dryness that tamps down my desire to see more of them sometimes. I’m definitely glad I went, but my husband is already making noise about going back and I’m not sure I’m ready yet!
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restlessjo said:
Procrastinate! (or book something else 🙂 )
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akansha1991 said:
All images are wonderful. I really love horse ride
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lexklein said:
Thank you for visiting and for your nice comment! It was a strange and different landscape that made for some interesting photos!
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mneset said:
What a brilliant reminder not to forget the natural beauty of this country. Time to tune out the loud voices and appreciate our geography too!. Like you I’m always focused out there…but you have sights here as magnificent as Petra… Thanks.
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lexklein said:
So true, and I am guilty of it many times. just spent some time in Aspen, Colorado, and was reminded that even though they are not the Himalayas, the Rockies are pretty darn impressive!
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