Arches National Park

Posted on December 4th, 2011 webmaster No comments          Print

I actually wasn’ t planning on visiting this park originally because I didn’t know it existed.  I was just pretty much going to head to Salt Lake City, then Reno, then San Francisco.  But someone recommended it to me while I was in Colorado and I’m really glad she did!

The park is near Moab, UT.  I stayed at a hostel called Lazy Lizard which is about 5 miles away from the park.  Not the nicest nor the cleanest hostel I’ve stayed in, but for $9 a night ($9.80 with tax) for a dorm bed I couldn’t really complain.

Woke up around 5:30AM (well, it was kind of hard to sleep because someone in my room was a pretty hard snorer and the earplugs I bought at Walmart weren’t good enough), had breakfast at McDonald’s and waited for the sun to rise, then headed off to the park just before 8AM.  The visitor’s center opens at 8AM.  Entrance fee is $10 per vehicle and good for 7 days.

It was a little chilly that early in the morning but not too bad.  I just put a rain jacket on.  By around 10AM you can pretty much just wear a T-shirt.  This park must be really hot in the summer as there aren’t a lot of shaded areas.  There are plenty of warning about carrying enough water before going on a hike.

I spent an entire day here and you can actually see a lot just in one day.  Lots of different rock formations, sandstone arches, and just really amazing views.  Make sure to take your time and enjoy the scenery.  It’s hard not to take a lot of pictures.

One trail that I strongly recommend to check out is the Delicate Arch trail.  It’s about a 3-mile round trip hike with plenty of uphills, but it’s so worth it! I had no idea what to expect at the end of the trail because I wasn’t able to see it until I reached it.  I had that spot all to myself for about 10 minutes before people started coming.  It’s funny seeing their reactions once they got there.  Everyone’s like “Wow!”, which was exactly my reaction as well.  I could spend an entire day just hanging out at that one spot.

More pics here: http://www.calazan.com/gallery/?album=8&gallery=34

Colorado

Posted on December 3rd, 2011 webmaster No comments          Print

Colorado was one of the states I was really looking forward to visiting when I started my road trip.  I was a little worried about the weather before coming here.  I was expecting snow but it was sunny the entire week I was there with highs in the 50s to 70s.

Denver

My first stop in Colorado is its capital, Denver.  Denver is also known as the Mile High City because it has an elevation that is roughly one mile above sea level.  I stayed in a cheap hotel right by the Belleview light rail station so I won’t have to drive to downtown and pay for parking.  The fare to lower downtown (or LoDo) is $4 each way from that station.  You can view the routes and schedule from http://www.rtd-denver.com.

Plenty of shops and restaurants to choose from in lower downtown.  The busiest area appears to be the 16th Street Mall.  Bus rides up and down this street is also free.

There are also plenty of outdoor Meetup groups in the Denver area and I attended one the day before Thanksgiving at Alderfer/Three Sisters Park.  Really good hiking spot, the weather that day was perfect, and met some really nice people who gave me recommendations on what to visit both in Colorado and in other states!

Colorado Springs

I spent my Thanksgiving in Colorado Springs.  I spent a good amount of my day at Garden of the Gods park, which someone recommended to me.  Beautiful park and free admission!  Hiked some of the trails here and then drove around the area enjoying the scenery.  Weather that day again was perfect!

The following day I decided to check out Pike’s Peak by riding the Cog Railway.  The Cog Railway ticket costs $34 per person for adults and $18.50 for children.  The ride is only about 9 miles but it takes an hour to an hour and a half each way because the Cog Railway only goes about 5-10mph.  It’s definitely good to experience once.  It’s very cold at the top, I think it was around 12 °F when I was there (and some people were wearing shorts!).  You can also drive or hike up there if you like.

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Hacklebarney State Park

Posted on October 17th, 2010 webmaster No comments          Print

Did a quick hike this afternoon at Hacklebarney State Park.  Found this park on Yelp.  This is actually a nice park, the trail is pretty easy and short (I think about 3 miles long), mostly paved with some rocky sections and beautiful scenery!

There’s plenty of parking and also a lot of people seem to come here.  You’ll see people walking their dogs, fishing by the river, taking pictures, and eating.  There are benches and picnic tables (some with charcoal grills near them) throughout the park.  I also saw two bathrooms with a drinking fountain, one by the parking lot and the other halfway through the red trail.

I’ll probably come back here again and will bring food and a book with me and sit down on one of the benches along the river.  The sound of the water flowing in the river is so relaxing!

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