Playing in the Sand

Sand Dunes National Park is a surprising place. First of all, many people don't even know it exists. It's a very small park and was given national park status in the early 2000s. Most people don't think of Colorado when they think of sand dunes, but tucked just south of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains...

Empty Chains – Winter Weekend in Zion

Utah's National Parks were the first thing I experienced in this state, and they remain one of my favorite things about living here. Last weekend we made the short drive from Salt Lake City to Zion National Park to take advantage of the unusually warm winter we are having. It was so warm that we...

A Winter Day in Arches

In November of 2008 my friend Nathan and I drove across the country from New Jersey to Los Angeles. We made very few stops along the way, but one of those stops was at Arches National Park. Arches was my first introduction to what I think of as National Parks in the U.S. Sure, I had...

Exploring Home

After traveling and being away from Utah for some time it has been very nice to be back home. The idea of home for me has always been transient and hard to define, but for right now Salt Lake City is it. I have gotten to really appreciate the view of the Capitol Building and...

Success is Not Final; Failure is Not Fatal

While watching a movie tonight I heard a quote that caught my attention. That led me to another quote. Both are attributed to, but most certainly not actually said by, Winston Churchill. Regardless of who said them, the words hold meaning: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that...

Day 3: Living and Dying in the Grand Canyon

When the alarm went off at 4:45am I was somewhere between excited and dreading our rim to river to rim hike of the Grand Canyon. Before I had a chance to think twice about it I got myself out of bed and put on my hiking clothes for the day. Making sure everything was ready...

Day 1: Black Coffee, White Snow, and Red Rocks

When you wake up in a warm, comfortable bed knowing that you're leaving on a long road trip where you'll be sleeping in a tent most of the time it's pretty hard to get up. To that point, we took our time starting the morning. Eventually we got going and packed up the remainder of...

Day 0: Packing and Planning

The day before a road trip is always the day I pack, never sooner. It's part procrastination and part knowing that what I'm packing is what I use daily. Even though I pack at the last minute, I'm constantly making a list leading up to a trip. You never know when something will remind you...