A Wandering Sole

Evening Entertainment at Bryce Canyon

// March 28th, 2012 // 4 Comments » // America

After a beautiful day of hiking and admiring the amazing landscapes found in Bryce Canyon, Stella treated us to a little evening entertainment: a modern-day hoedown of sorts. If you’re staying at the Best Western, you pay full price to go to Ebenezer’s Barn and Grill. But if you camp, they give you discount coupons.  Growing up I’ve attended several types of dinner shows, including Medieval Times and a country western dinner show near Jackson Hole. But Stella had not yet relished in these cheesy American past times and was understandably intrigued. She bought our tickets and we got ready after thawing out in the hot tub.  (more…)

Below Freezing in Bryce Canyon

// March 27th, 2012 // 6 Comments » // America

When we arrived in Bryce Canyon, we noticed a few things.

1.) It was about a million degrees colder than Moab.
2.) Everything said “Ruby’s” on it. The whole town is basically owned by one person.
3.) Camping at Ruby’s means you get access to the amenities at neighboring Ruby’s Best Western. Score! That means a pool and a hot tub.

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Montage Monday: Bryce Canyon Panorama (Utah)

// March 26th, 2012 // 6 Comments » // America

The landscape in Utah is varied to say the least! The National Parks website describes Bryce Canyon.. “What is Bryce Canyon? Attempts at description lead to paradoxes. Cave without a ceiling? Forest of stone? Even canyon is misleading since Bryce is carved by freeze-thaw cycles, not a river. Yet, “world’s largest pothole” is neither adequate nor flattering.”

The structures you see in Bryce Canyon are called hoodoos.The red, orange, and white rock is even more stunning in person. See more pictures tomorrow from our beautiful hike and hear about the characters (*cough* nudists) we met along the way!

Goodbye Arches, Hello… Snow?

// March 23rd, 2012 // 3 Comments » // America

Driving through Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

Camping in Moab, and visiting the beautiful Arches National Park, we had gorgeous weather. We slept well, and it got really hot during the day. We welcomed this beautiful weather, since it had rained and hailed on us in Grand Canyon and rained on us in Mesa Verde as well. We left Moab and looked forward to driving through small towns and isolated areas to get to Bryce Canyon. I was in shorts and a tank top as we hit the road that afternoon.  (more…)

Utah’s Arches National Park aka A Climber’s Paradise

// March 21st, 2012 // 1 Comment » // America

Stella and I after climbing up into the Double Arch

I lived in Utah for four years and never went to the parks in Southern Utah. Heck, we even took a vacation to the parks in South Dakota and multiple trips to Yellowstone, but never ventured south. My parents went after I left for college, but 10 years later, I still had yet to go. When Stella and I planned our cross-country road trip we each picked our absolutely-must-not-miss destination. Hers was Miami and mine was the parks in southern Utah. After talking to my parents, doing a little research, and taking into account our limited time, we decided to visit Arches, Zion, and Bryce Canyon.  (more…)

On Technology, Communication, and Changing the World

// March 14th, 2012 // 9 Comments » // Kenya, Travel Reflection

Google Connects People & YouTube Spreads News
In my personal life over the past week, I have had the Internet gods shake me from my ‘taking technology things for granted’ bubble. Because of things like internet, email, and Google search, I have come into contact and communicated with game changers- people that will influence my path and ultimately, change the world. And it’s complicated. It is people that are also aware of the abuses at Watoto Wa Baraka, it is people who will influence my personal career… it is finding out that a friend of a friend I met in Botswana is also a friend of a friend I met in South Africa (Facebook shows you how small the world really is). I know that 20 years ago, I never would have connected with these people because I would have never used Google search. And now that Kony 2012 is at the very least making people aware of Joseph Kony and the horrible LRA, it shows how powerful YouTube videos and Facebook sharing are as a catalyst to change the world and spread news.  (more…)