ICELAND #1: SWIMMING IN ICELAND’S COMMUNITY POOLS

Posted on August 7, 2023 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

During the last half of July, Bruce and I traveled to Iceland on a small group tour with Overseas Adventure Travel. To begin my blog series on this wonderful country, I am copying in an article I wrote for the upcoming Georgia Masters Swimming Newsletter, as part of my “Elaine’s Tip of the Month” series:

ELAINE’S TIP OF THE MONTH: SWIMMING IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES

Is foreign travel in your plans? If so, don’t forget to pack your swim gear and caps! “Caps?” you ask? Wouldn’t I only need to bring one? Well, yes, but I’m not referring to the cap you will be wearing. I’m talking about all those swim caps you have accumulated from swim meets, fitness events, and charity swims. How many of those caps will you actually use?

I had tried to give mine away to coaches to give their age group swimmers, but nobody wanted them. They had plenty of their own to give away. Pleas on the USMS Community (Discussion Forums) and on the Georgia Masters Facebook page were dead-ends. This time, I had 21caps, so I took them with me to Iceland.

Iceland? There are public swimming pools in Iceland? Yes! There are 121(!) public swimming pools in a country roughly the size of Kentucky with less than 10% of Kentucky’s population. Even the smallest towns have a public pool with spas, which serves as the daily meeting place for the community—especially in the geothermal-heated spas where spirited conversations take place. Pools are a vital part of the typical Icelandic small-town community, and children are required to learn how to swim in early childhood.

That brings me to my first tip about swimming in foreign countries. (We’ll get back to those caps later.) First, check out http://swimmersguide.com to locate pools anywhere in the world.

Next (and this is an important one), research the swimming culture in your designated country, so as not to offend the locals. In Iceland, shoes are not permitted to be worn in the locker rooms for sanitary reasons. There are shoe racks located in the lobby outside of the locker rooms where you leave your shoes before entering. (Two of the pools I swam at had shoe trays, so you could place your shoes in your locker.) Secure lockers were also provided for free, so there was no need to bring a lock with me.

The shoe rack at the pool in Selfoss, Iceland.

They even supplied long shoe horns (on the chain) to make putting your shoes back on a little easier!

The children’s pool and spas had water temperatures posted. The pool in Selfoss had several spas, each kept at a different temperature. They even had a cold-water dunk tank. I passed on that one! After taking this photo, I learned that cameras and cell phones are strictly prohibited in the locker rooms and pool area.

Most importantly, it is required to shower WITHOUT your suit before you swim in Iceland, and the showers are not private. Naked women and children showered in the shower room without a care, donned their suits, and off they went, leaving their towels behind in the designated towel cubes rather than taking them out to the pool.

I was able to get in four late-afternoon swim workouts in three Icelandic towns during our two-week small group tour, in July. Although I left my towel in the locker room each time, I did bring my caps out with me to give away. It was a great conversation starter and a fun way to meet the locals—one of the most enjoyable aspects of international travel for me. I approached every swimmer I saw wearing a cap and asked if they would like to have a free cap from the U.S.A. A few were skeptical, but once they understood there wasn’t a catch, they were excited. Many of the swimmers took their own caps off and put on their new one.

As it turned out, one of the swimmers I met in Akureyri, Gudrun, was elected to the board of the Icelandic Swimming Association—the very organization I contacted about Masters Swimming in Iceland! We exchanged e-mails and are keeping in touch. (By the way, they are looking for coaches, so if you would like to coach in Iceland, let me know!)

Since cameras and cell phones are prohibited inside the pool area, I shot this photo in Akureyri from behind the glass at the street. And, yes, I tried out both water slides. Terrifying!

The pool in Stykkisholmur, photographed from outside the fence after the pool had closed. This slide wasn’t quite as terrifying.

Swimming in Iceland—and giving away my 21 caps—made my trip to Iceland so much more enjoyable than if I had left my swim gear at home. Give it a try next time you travel internationally and create some memories of your own!

Next up: I finally made it to Iceland!

Note: If small group travel is of interest to you, I highly recommend Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT). Although Bruce and I travel together, they do not charge a single supplement for those who travel on their own. Singles also get their own room at hotels. If you book, you can get $100 off your trip by providing my name and customer number (Elaine Krugman, #3018126) as the person who referred you. I will also get $100 off future travel– a win-win!

CHOCOLATE: AN UPDATED LABEL (OR WRAPPER) TALLY

Posted on June 22, 2023 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

In the “About” section of this blog, I mentioned that I enjoy adding to my chocolate label (or wrapper) collection when I travel. (Of course, I enjoy eating all those chocolates, too!). Well, I wrote that post when I first started this blog, in 2011.

Twelve years have passed, and I have amassed a collection from 41 of the 68 countries I have traveled to, so far. (The other 27 countries didn’t produce their own chocolate.) There are also other countries I haven’t traveled to, but my mom and sister did; so, they brought me home chocolate bars for my collection.

Here is an updated tally:

CHOCOLATE LABELS

TOTAL COUNTRIES: 59 TOTAL BRANDS: 326

*Counted duplicates if brand was from different countries

(Cadbury: Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, England, Egypt

France, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, Singapore,

South Africa, U.S.A.)

ALL CAPS: Countries I have visited (41)

Argentina– Cadbury, Cofler, Bonafide

AUSTRALIA– Cadbury, M&M, Darrell Lea, Margaret River Chocolate Company, Paton’s, Federation Chocolate, Cocoa Farm, Coles, Blue Day Chocolate

AUSTRIA– Delikatessa, Suchard Velma (milk- excellent), Zotter, Rosenhauer’s Weiner, Anzinger’s Wiener, Choceur (Aldi)

BELGIUM– Leonidas, Godiva, Cote d’Or, Callebaut, Wittamier, Neuhaus, Swartenbroeckx, Pierre Marcolini, Chocolat Café-Tasse, Corne, Starbrook Airlines, Galler, Dolfin, The Old Chocolate House, Roose’s Chocolate City, Chocolatier Mondose, Bouchard L’escaut, Hamlet, Chocolatier Sukerbuyc, Isis, Daskalide’s, Davinia, Delhaize (Store brand; Inspirations Lait Praline is excellent), New Tree, Cachet, KC Chocolatier, Lucrotsaert, Union Edel Chocolade, The Chocolate Line, Jacques, Chocoholic Chocolatier, Stefs Chocolatier, Kathy Belgian Chocolates, Noble Chocolatier, Chocolates Keerman, Chocolate Happiness, Chocolaterie De Burg, Baru
Choc-O-Lait

BOSNIA-Takovo

BRAZIL– Arcor, Garoto, Milka

BULGARIA– Cboie (milk-good), Miemeh

CANADA– Cadbury, Roger’s, Terranostra, Purdy’s, House of Brussels, Neilson (very good-creamy), Chocolate Arts, Canada True, Laura Secord, Metro Irresistibles, Chocolate FX

CHILE– Ambrosoli, Costa (Costamilk- excellent), Privilegio, Cofler

China-Cadbury, Giant Panda

COLOMBIA– Chocolatina, Colombina, Santander (70%- excellent)

COSTA RICA– Gallito

CROATIA– Kras (milk- excellent), Rial, Zvecevo, Fantasy, Kandii (milk- ok), NTL-Smijesak

CZECH REPUBLIC– Clever (milk- store brand- good), Nestle, Figaro (milk-excellent)

DENMARK– Toms, Eilles

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC– Chocal, Del Oro

Egypt– Cadbury, Mandolin

ENGLAND– Cadbury, Thorntons, Nestle Aero, Green & Black’s, Magnum (38% milk-excellent)

ESTONIA– Kalev (milk- excellent)

FINLAND– Frazer, Royal, Anthon Berg, Panda (milk- good- bought in Porvoo grocery store), Pirkka (milk- good, creamy, inexpensive), Brunberg

FRANCE– Cadbury/ Poulain, Bernachon (my favorite truffles- excellent), Valrhona, Yves, Thuries, Casino (milk- excellent- bought in Eze grocery store-inexpensive), Nestle, Govenor’s Table, Suchard, Varda, Cemoi, Monbana, Monopix Bio!, Grand Jury

GERMANY– Feordora, Maurinus, Mauxion (milk- good), Milka (milk- good, Noisette (hazelnut-excellent), Ritter, Heilemann, Mozartkugel, Hachez, Divine, Bellarom, Trumpe, J.D. Gross, Alpia, Bohme, Moser-Roth, Schwermer, Sarotti, Peters, Rausch, Café Hansen Confiserie Bernkastel, Fin Carre, Eszet Schnitten, Ja!, Coppeneur, Rudesheimer Confiserie Laden, Hussel, Lidl, Omira, Trumpe, Choceur, Eilles, Lindt, Schokoladenseite Bernkastels, Heidel, Gepa, Pischinger, Vivani(not good), Riquet (very creamy), Alnatura, Disney (Euro), Edel Rham

Ghana- Golden Tree Kingsbite (bad!)

GREECE– Oscar Chocolates

GRENADA- The Grenada Chocolate Company

HUNGARY– Tibi (milk & dark- good), Boci (milk- excellent), Jackpot (milk- bad), Szerecsi (milk- excellent), Stuhmer (milk- bad), Piros, Tejesokolade

India– Amul

INDONESIA– Silver Queen

IRELAND– Cadbury, The Queenstown Story, Galaxy, Butlers Irish, Guiness, Irish Beanie Bar (Shamrock Gift Company)

Israel– Elite

ITALY– Novi, Duca degli Abrazzi, Perugina, Domori, Benedictine, Larzaroni, Icam (milk- excellent), Caffarel, Sorini (dark w/ chili pepper- very good), Bacio, Venchi, Witor’s (truffle-excellent), Dolciando, Dolci Pensieri De Calabria, Loacker, Boella & Sorrisi, Solidal, Altromercato, Dulciar

JAMAICA– High Gate

Japan– Meiji

Malaysia– Cadbury, Tango

MONACO– Chocolaterie de Monaco

Mongolia- Golden Gobi

Montserrat- Montserrat

MOROCCO- Aiguebelle

NEW ZEALAND– Cadbury (milk- excellent- My favorite milk chocolate!), Death By Chocolate

NETHERLANDS– Koetjesreep, Verkade (milk-excellent 36%), Baronie, VanGaudae, Mousset, Le Marche, Zuiderzee Museum, DeHeer, Price

NORWAY– Freia, Nidar

PERU- Lacta

Poland– Cadbury, Inda, Goplana, Solidarnosc, Terravita, Pionir, Alpinella

PORTUGAL– Jubileu

ROMANIA– Heidi (milk-good), Novatini (milk- bad), Primola (milk- good), Poiana (milk- good), Milka

RUSSIA– Cadbury, 9 other brands (names unknown)

SERBIA– Simka (milk- very good), Stark

Singapore-Cadbury

SLOVAKIA– Orion (milk- good), Figaro (milk-GOOD!)

SLOVENIA- Gorenjka

South Africa– Cadbury

SPAIN– Lacasitos, Blanxart, Continente, Nestle, Chocolate Sole, Valor, Kinder, Bodega Guadalest, Zahor, La Heredad, Marcos Tonda Tonda, Elgorriaga, Trapa, A La Taza, Spar, Lindt, Antiu Xixona

SWEDEN– Sockerbageriet, Marabou, Ikea

SWITZERLAND– Nestle, Lindt, Frigor, Alprose, Goldkein, Villars, Frey (Excellent!), Equal Exchange, Swiss Delice, Munz, Trader Joe’s, Teuscher, Kraft Jacobs Suchard, Sprungli, Alter Eco, M Classic (Migros Supermarket), Denner (Supermarket), Bachman, Max Chocolatier, OK, Minor, Choco CH (bad; too sugary), Chocolates Halba, Camille Bloch, CoOp (Supermarket), Swiss Lion Takova, Le Chocolatier Suisse, Frisch Schoggi, Le Chocolatier Suisse, Compliments (Canada- IGA Supermarket- good!)

Trinidad– Charles

Turkey- Elvan

United Arab Emirites- Galaxy

U.S.A. – Richard Donnelly, Scharffen Berger, Starbucks, Twin Oaks, Revival, Endangered Species Chocolate Company, The Chocolate Gallery, Euphoria Chocolate Company, Redstone’s, Choxie, Hershey’s Cacao Reserve, Chocolove, Munson’s, Theobroma, Nestle, Alaska Wild Berry Products, Fairway, Lake Champlain Chocolates, Chuao, Carbolite, Wilbur, Wolfgang, Moonstruck, Lucky’s Market, Claude’s, Old Kentucky, Whetstone, Trader Joe’s, Colt’s, Stowe Mercantile Kitchen, Muth’s, Tom & Sally’s, Hammond’s, Dinstuhl’s,World Market, Byrne & Carlson, Laura’s, Theo, Dagoba, Rebecca Ruth, Mary Jane’s Chocolates, Patric, Life’s So Sweet, Goo Goo (Standard Candy Co.), Laughing Moon, Cacao, French Broad, Peterbrooke, Equal Exchange, Seattle Chocolates, Art of Chocolate Cacao (SantaFe), Trello Cioccolato (Pittsburgh), Enstrom (Colorado), Culinary Tours (Food City-Imported from Belgium), Art of Chocolate Cacao (Santa Fe), See’s, Sayklly’s

VIETNAM– Marou

UTAH’S NATIONAL PARKS #10: AMAZING ANTELOPE SLOT CANYON

Posted on June 21, 2023 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Contrary to how I titled this post (well, we were mostly in the Utah National Parks), we were actually still in Arizona, within the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation, at Upper Antelope Canyon. The Navajo name for it is Tse’ bighanilini, which means “the place where water runs through rocks.”

The sandstone walls are breathtakingly beautiful, rising 120 feet above the sandy trail that runs 660 feet long. It is the most photographed slot canyon in the Southwest, and I added to that statistic during our last day of the tour, along with everybody else being led through the canyon by Navajo Nation tour guides.

Tourism to this slot canyon is tightly controlled and has been run by the Pearl Begay Family since 1983. In 1997, the Navajo Tribe made it a Navajo Tribal Park, and it has been an important source of income for them.

Photography is difficult in the canyon due to the wide exposure range made by light reflecting off the canyon walls. My compact travel camera was challenged by these light rays, but I managed to get some shots that will hopefully give you an idea of the beauty of this canyon.

(For all pictures, click on the image to see full screen view.)

Our guide playing a wooden Native American flute

This is where we came out of the slot canyon.

Following our hike back out of the canyon, we returned to St. George, Utah, for our final night, which included a farewell dinner with the group. In all, we had traveled 1,272 miles during our Grand Circle trip.

Coming up later this summer: Iceland & Scotland

ITALY #23: POSTSCRIPT; A SLIDE SHOW

Posted on June 20, 2023 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

What did I get myself into? Overseas Adventure Travel solicits videos for their website, so I decided to make a slide show of this trip. It was my first attempt, and it’s just a basic show without all the fancy transitions. To watch full screen, start the video, and then expand to full screen by clicking on the symbol in the lower right corner.

I hope you enjoy!

Ciao!

UTAH’S NATIONAL PARKS #9: A COOL COLORADO RIVER RAFT FLOAT

Posted on June 16, 2023 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Thankfully, it was cool in more ways than one. I was grateful to Bruce for reminding me to add my cooling scarf to the packing list for this trip, because it saved me from what could have been a heat intolerance disaster.

Our tour leader had warned us about sitting in the front of the pontoon raft, because of the spray coming off the water and the possibility of getting wet. I gladly volunteered. I figured not only would the spray keep me cool; but, I would also have the best vantage point for photography. I had my waterproof camera, just in case, but it stayed in my pack. I used my usual Panasonic Lumix travel camera and had no problem keeping it spray-free.

While the air temperature on this hot, sunny day hovered around 90 degrees, the water temperature was refreshingly cold—perfect for dipping my scarf in to keep my neck and head cooled off. Our sunscreen did a great job, too; I didn’t get a square-inch of pink skin during our three-hour, 15-mile raft float down the Colorado River.

We were actually in Arizona; we had arrived in Page the night before. Located near our hotel, we had boarded the tour company’s bus for a ride to the boat launch through a two-mile long Glenn Canyon Dam access tunnel. We then boarded a motorized pontoon raft.

Soaring 700 feet above us was the dam and the Glenn Canyon Dam Bridge that we had just driven across. It was quite a sight being dwarfed by such gigantic structures!

(For all pictures, click on the image to see full screen view.)

We were off to explore the Horseshoe Bend portion of the river, reputed to be one of the most dramatic stretches of river found in the western United States. Our river guide told us about Major John Wesley Powell’s exploration of the river. We also learned about the sandstone cliffs, former habitation by native cultures, wildlife; and, about the Southwest’s water and power delivery system.

Halfway through our enjoyable journey, we beached the raft for a “comfort stop” and to take a short hike to see these petroglyphs:

We disembarked at Lees Ferry, returned to our hotel for a break, and then went to the Red Heritage Indigenous Entertainment Hall for an evening of Native American history, culture, music, dance, and a dinner of Navajo Tacos. The cultural history was excellently presented and very interesting; and, the entertainment was fun to watch. To see a sampling, check out this video I shot during the performance. (Yes, shooting videos was warmly welcomed!).

Red Heritage Indigenous Entertainment Hall
A family owns and runs this dinner theater.

Coming up next: Amazing Antelope Slot Canyon

UTAH’S NATIONAL PARKS # 8: A MARVELOUS MUSEUM & MONUMENT VALLEY

Posted on June 15, 2023 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Given the choice, I would rather visit a museum showcasing crafts rather than fine art, whether they be of ancient peoples or contemporary. My favorite Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C., at the time of our visit was the Renwick Gallery, which featured American crafts from the 19^th century to the present. It was fabulous!

My eyes lit up when we stepped into the Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum, in Blanding, Utah. It has the largest collection of intact Ancestral Puebloan pottery found in the Four Corners region of the U.S. as well as archaeological sites and repository.

Ancestral Puebloan is the term for an ancient American Indian people—the people who were here first in this country. The modern Pueblo Indians of New Mexico and Arizona are their descendants.

The 1906 American Antiquities Act made the unauthorized removal of artifacts from public land a felony. The 1979 Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) specifically made the removal of artifacts or damage to archaeological sites on public lands punishable by fines or imprisonment. The laws recognize the significance of our nation’s cultural heritage sites and the value in preserving and protecting them. Two great laws!

Unfortunately, these laws have not stopped people from looting priceless ancient artifacts from this area. More crimes covered under the ARPA have been prosecuted in Utah than anywhere else in the United States. Experts estimate that more than 80% of American Indian archaeological sites dating back as far as 17 centuries have been looted.

It was wonderful to be able to see these artifacts up close. The repository was behind a huge glass wall with items lined up and numbered. In front of the room, there was a computer kiosk available where each item could be looked up in the database. I wish I would have had more time to spend reading more about this gorgeous pottery.

(For all pictures, click on the image to see full screen view.)

I did learn that all Ancestral Puebloan ceramics were shaped by hand and the surfaces of serving bowls and some jars were decorated with painted designs.

The Kayenta people are best known for finely painted black-on-white or black-on-orange ceramics.

Chaco ceramics are also black-on-white. Their most distinctive style involved bounded fields filled with hachured or parallel lines. Geometric scrolls are common motifs, and curvilinear designs also occur. Cylindrical vases and cylindrical-necked pitchers are unique to the Chacoan style and may have been produced by specialists.

Mesa Verde ceramics underwent centuries of change in design style. The ceramics produced between A.D. 1200-1300 are generally considered the most stylistically distinctive. These are black on white, painted with complex geometric designs.

White ware mugs were specific to the Pueblo III period and not made after A.D. 1280

The other artifacts in the museum were also striking. This colorful macaw feather sash really caught my eye. I have never seen anything like it! The technique of using featured cords is known from only a few Basketmaker Period cave sites (A.D. 750-950). Radio-carbon dating confirmed a date of A.D. 1150 for this sash.

The feathers are from the Scarlet Macaw, a parrot native to Mexico, indicating there was trading going on between the Ancestral Puebloan and Aztecs.

The museum also featured a rare collection of baskets found at a site in Manti La Sal National Forest. It dates back to A.D. 1150, which is amazing, considering the excellent condition of these baskets.

Behind the museum is a Chacoan great House and great kiva, dating back to the 1000’s. The great house was originally a multistory building used by the Chacoan community, and the kiva was a subterranean round room used for rites and political meetings. I climbed down into the kiva to see where these meetings took place so many centuries ago.

I was curious about this:

The sculpture replicates prehistoric archaeoastronomy sites found in the Southwest and acts as a laboratory to chart the sun’s yearly migration. Archaeoastronomy is the study of prehistoric cultural connections with the sun, moon, and stars.

The people who lived at this site may have used solar markers to determine when to plant and harvest crops.

Following our museum visit, we went to Goosenecks State Park for a brief look at the view before continuing on to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.

The valley features sandstone buttes that range from 400 to 1,000 feet high. Two of the butters are shaped like mittens, so they are appropriately named Mitten Buttes.

Next up: A Cool Colorado River Raft Float

UTAH’S NATIONAL PARKS # 7: AMAZING ARCHES NATIONAL PARK

Posted on June 14, 2023 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Arches National Park is one of those places that you have to see in person to really grasp how amazing it is. There are over 2,000 natural Entrada Sandstone arches, in addition to all of the other magnificent rock formations.

This is an easy park to get to; it’s only four miles from Moab, Utah. Get there early, though, because the parking lots fill up fast. We were fortunate to be on a bus and not have to worry about that.

The explanation of how these arches were formed over 300 million years is too involved to explain in this post, but it is quite interesting. Check it out here.

For now, I will just leave you with my favorite photos from the day, beginning with a hike we did on Park Avenue. No, not that Park Avenue!

(For all pictures, click on the image to see full screen view.)

At Arches, we hiked small portions of the Delicate Arch Viewpoint Trail, Devils Garden Trail to see Landscape Arch, The Windows Trail, and Double Arch Trail.

On our way into Moab from Arches National Park, we stopped to see some petroglyphs in the next photo.

This food truck was the top-rated restaurant in Moab! The Sweet & Spicy Quesadilla was fabulous!

Coming up next: A Marvelous Museum & Magnificent Monument Valley

UTAH’S NATIONAL PARKS # 6: DELIGHTFUL DEAD HORSE POINT STATE PARK & CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK

Posted on June 13, 2023 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

This was the most unique bathroom stop ever! And, yes, it really is carved into real rock.

Continuing on our journey, we stopped to see John Wesley Powell Museum, in Green River, Utah. Powell first explored and mapped the area in the 1870’s. The museum is located on the river, and they had a lovely walking path we wandered along to take in the views of the river.

(For all pictures, click on the image to see full screen view.)

Shot from the bus window on the way to Dead Horse Point State Park

Dead Horse Point State Park was our next stop; and, yes, the “dead horse” was delightful! The park gets its name from a rock formation that looks like a horse, when viewed from up above at a distance. We took in the spectacular views from the visitor center, which had an attractive walking path with beautiful blooming cacti and trees all around.

Can you see the horse? It’s a profile, and the ear is in the upper left quadrant.

On a clear day, the visibility from the viewpoint can reach nearly 100 miles. It was hazy off in the distance, but we could see snow on the mountain tops. There were also a couple of bright blue pools that seemed completely out of place. They were solar evaporation ponds for a mine owned by Intrepid Potash, Inc. Potash is potassium chloride, a salt found in the Paradox Formation. Salt deposited from ancient seas made up this formation as it evaporated and was buried by other sediments.

Off in the distance, you can see the bright blue pools.

Water is pumped down into the formation to dissolve the salt. This salt water is then pumped into the shallow, vinyl-lined ponds. A blue dye is added to speed up evaporation.

Finally, twenty-ton scrapers, guided by lasers, harvest the dry salt. A local refinery transforms this concentrated form of potassium chloride into plant fertilizer.

I was truly baffled, seeing this in the middle of a state park. I didn’t know what to think…

Our next stop was at Grand View Point, which provided great views of Canyonlands National Park below.

Green River Overlook was our last stop in Canyonlands. At 6,000 feet elevation, it provided a great perspective of Green River down below – especially since we had walked along the riverbank earlier in the day.

We continued on to Moab, our base for the next two nights. Moab Diner had good ratings on Trip Advisor, and I enjoyed a tasty, fresh salad there; so, it deserves a shout-out and my last photo of the day.

Next up: Amazing Arches National Park

UTAH’S NATIONAL PARKS #5: COLORFUL CAPITOL REEF

Posted on June 12, 2023 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Following a morning greeting (and feeding) to my new friend in back of our hotel, we were off for an easy hike in Grand Wash at Capitol Reef National Park. The gorge cuts through Waterpocket Fold, a nearly 100-mile-long fold in the Earth’s surface. This uplift contains numerous eroded basins or pockets that hold rainwater and snowmelt.

Early pioneers provided the park’s namesake — “capitol” for the white domes of Navajo Sandstone that resemble the capitol dome in Washington, D.C., and “reef” for the rocky cliffs that are a barrier to travel, like an ocean reef.

We hiked through the Grand Wash Narrows portion, where we were surrounded by massive rock formations. The only way to grasp the size was to give it some sense of scale. Thanks, Bruce!

(For all pictures, click on the image to see full screen view.)

Since Bruce and I were the fastest walkers in the group, we were able to get far ahead, which, because of time constraints, was to our advantage. We really wanted to see the Narrows portion of the basin, and some of our group didn’t make it that far before having to turn back. Most of the time, we were by ourselves, taking in the beauty of the colors and textures all around us. It was such a peaceful and beautiful walk.

We also visited Petroglyph Panel to view ancient rock art attributed to the Fremont Culture, which existed in this area of Utah from approximately 300-1300 C.E. (Common Era).

There are petroglyphs of human figures in a diagonal, above the jagged rocks, going up towards the right corner of the photo.

We had lunch in the park near the Capitol Reef Visitors Center, and I went for a walk afterward.

Fortunately, the blue skies stayed with us until we were on the bus heading back. Our good weather luck was with us once again!

This was shot from the bus window on the way back to Torrey.

A beautiful rainbow to end a beautiful day!

Coming up next: Delightful Dead Horse Point State Park & Colorful Canyonlands National Park

UTAH’S NATIONAL PARKS #4: BEAUTIFUL BRYCE CANYON

Posted on June 11, 2023 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

We were really looking forward to seeing Bryce Canyon National Park in person after seeing so many beautiful photos of its colorful and bizarre-looking rock formations called “hoodoos.” I can’t even type that word without immediately hearing Paul Simon’s, “Love Me Like a Rock” in my head (“Who-do, who-do you think you’re fooling?”). Bruce and I spontaneously broke out with that song when we saw hoodoos during our Canadian Rockies trip, and it happened again in Bryce. We just can’t help ourselves.

You’ve got to see it to believe it! It truly is an amazing sight, standing at the top of Bryce’s Amphitheater and looking down into a bowl of hoodoos! These irregular-shaped rock spires consist of relatively soft rock topped by harder, less easily eroded stone that protects each column from the elements. These spires range in size from the height of an average human to heights exceeding a 10-story building.

Click on image to read captions full screen.

The best vantage points to see the hoodoos are Bryce Point, Inspiration Point, Sunset Point, and Sunrise Point. We covered them all, and some of us also hiked down the Queen’s Garden Trail from Sunrise Point, descending 320 feet before heading back up to an elevation of 8,300 feet.

Knowing we would be at high elevation during this trip, I came prepared, so I wouldn’t have a repeat of 2019’s huffing-and-puffing at the National Senior Games, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, elevation 5,312 feet. Competing in the 200 Yard Butterfly and 400 Yard Individual Medley, my two most difficult races, was an exercise in futility. Never had I clung to the walls in the middle of a “race” like that before; it was usually reserved for the end, after the clock had stopped. It wasn’t a pretty sight; all of us low-elevation dwellers suffered at that meet, logging in personal worst times.

After the meet concluded, we went to play tourist in Santa Fe, where I attempted a nice, relaxing, recovery workout. During my first lap, I couldn’t even make the turn. I literally clung to the wall to catch my breath—and, I was in the best condition of my life! The 7,198-foot elevation just about killed me.

Fast forward to researching and booking this trip and learning that Bryce Canyon’s elevation is at 8-9,000 feet. I knew I would be in trouble if I wasn’t prepared, so I had an idea: Train with a KN95 mask! After training hard in the pool and doing my dryland workout on deck for 2 to 2-1/2 hours each day, I would put on my mask and head up to the indoor track and hoof it at my fastest walking pace for a mile or more, if I met up with a friend for conversation. (Try walking fast while wearing a KN95 mask AND carrying on a conversation!). I have been doing that six day per week since the beginning of the year, and it made all the difference. Hiking in Bryce was a breeze, and I jogged back up the steep trail to the top with my breath intact. (I’m still walking daily with my KN95’s!)

(For all pictures, click on the image to see full screen view.)

Looking out from the other side of Sunset Point

The hoodoo on the right with the flat top is “Thor’s Hammer,” a symbol in Norse mythology.

A walkway rims the top of Bryce Amphitheater, providing spectacular views of the hoodoos.

Descending Queen’s Garden Trail provided a different viewing perspective of the hoodoos. As you can see from the photos, the weather kept changing drastically! It went from cloudy, to sunny, to cloudy, several times with some added precipitation sprinkled in! My day pack came in handy for cramming in and pulling out my vest and jacket several times.

The view from the top of the rim after hiking back up. The mountains in the background were still topped with snow.

After we left Bryce, we enjoyed the views of Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument before driving through Boulder at 9,600-feet elevation. We made a brief photo stop, and I immediately ran down to pack a snowball. Nobody wanted to play catch with me, though.

After checking in at the Red Sands Hotel, in Torrey, I gazed out the window and noticed cows and a bison off to the left, and this beautiful horse straight ahead. I went out to make a new friend.

Next Up: Colorful Capitol Reef