South Dakota Series #2 – Spearfish Canyon

This is the continuation of the family road trip we took to South Dakota in July 2017. You can find the first installment of the trip here.

After our first stop in Wyoming, we traveled to South Dakota via Highway 585. It was a beautiful drive, and my mother-in-law had an article that detailed the sights along the way. Normally when I’m on such a drive, I don’t have any idea what I’m looking at, so it was neat to see different geographical features pointed out along the way.

We were headed to Lead, South Dakota, but traveled through Spearfish, and in particular, drove through Spearfish Canyon. This was the first chance I had to really experience the beauty of South Dakota, which is unlike my other experiences on the East Coast or in Colorado. The Canyon was gorge-ous (I couldn’t resist), and we stopped along the way to do the Roughlock Falls trail hike. It was a great chance to stretch our legs, and I enjoyed taking pictures of the flora that surrounded us.

Along the drive

Spearfish Canyon

Beefy Cow was enjoying the view from the hiking backpack!

South Dakota Trip (but first – Wyoming!)

This summer, we had a mini-family vacation road trip to South Dakota with my husband and his parents. Nothing like a trip in a PT Cruiser with broken air-conditioning in July heat to bring a family together! It really was a fantastic trip. This trip hit many parts of the country I’ve wanted to see, but have never had a chance to go before. I was pretty excited! I also started my own Passport to the National Parks earlier in the summer, and it was time to get a whole bunch of stamps! In my tradition of having really delayed blog posts, I’ll be sharing different parts of the trip during the next few weeks on the blog (with interruptions by our autumn adventuring!)

Our trip started with a stop in Wyoming to visit the Oregon Trail Ruts, Fort Laramie, and Register Cliff. As a kid, I was obsessed with the Oregon Trail game (even though I always died of dysentery), so I was pretty excited to see the trail ruts. These ruts were carved out by the hundreds of thousands of pioneers who passed through Guernsey, WY. While other parts of the Oregon Trail had many variations, almost all the travelers went through this spot, taking the wagons through soft sandstone, leaving ruts that are almost 5 feet deep in spots.

Fort Laramie was a short drive away from the Oregon Trail Ruts. Fort Laramie was originally established as a private fur trading post that later became one of the largest military outposts until it was abandoned in 1890. Work is still being done to recreate exactly what the fort would have looked like during its height.

We also stopped briefly at the Register Cliffs – a cliff side where pioneers on the Oregon Trail would often record their names as they went through. Unfortunately, all those names have been carved over by modern visitors leaving their own names.

And all that was on the first day of traveling!

There’s more to come on Devil’s Tower, Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, The Badlands, and more in future blog posts! Stay tuned!

 

 

Dinosaur National Monument: Peter’s Version

Hi, this is Peter, Katie’s other half. If you read her last post, then you know that the two of us went to Dinosaur National Monument about two weeks ago. We were both armed with cameras (Katie bought me one a few months ago), so she had the idea that we could both post an entry from our different perspectives. So here is Dinosaur National Monument looking through my eyes.

I grew up going to National Parks every summer and some of my best childhood memories are from our family trips. One park that stood out to me then, but we never got to visit was Dinosaur National Monument. Standing alone in the Colorado and Utah desert, it is far from everything. Still, dinosaurs have fascinated me from a young age and place which abounded in fossils seemed too good to be true. When I moved to the state four years ago, I knew I needed to eventually get there. Four years later, I finally got the chance when I was planning a summer of adventure for Katie and I.

As we headed over the Rockies, the first thing that stood out to us was the changing landscape. Craggy mountains gave way to red dusty stone to flat desert dotted with mesas as bristlecone and aspen became juniper shrubs and sagebrush.

When we arrived at the park, we headed to the famous quarry where the unearthing of dinosaur fossils was stopped partway ninety years go to show the fossils as they were found in the earth. Most of the small dinosaur bones had been removed to show the fossils of the sauropods, giant long-necked herbivores like the diplodocus, camarasaurus and apatosaurus (aka brontosaurus). Nearly intact skeletons of stegosauruses and allosaurus (like smaller T Rexes) were also found there. Seeing the remnants of these beautiful beasts protected throughout hundreds of thousands millennia, forced up through the uplift of the tectonic plates and now revealed to be seen and touched millions of years later, I cannot help but marvel at the God who made such a creative and awe-inspiring world and allows us to see some fraction of his work.

After we left the quarry, we drove through the Utah side of the park, walking along the beautiful Green River and seeing cave drawings that were carved a thousand years ago (in perhaps one of the only places were that is considered “recent”).

The next morning we explored the other side of the park, which displays its history not through preserved ancient creatures or artwork, but through beautiful gorges that slice though layer after layer of rock clearly revealing millions of years of the geologic record. We slowly wound our way up the Colorado side of the park, stopping frequently to marvel at the beauty around us. At Harper’s Corner, the road ended and we got out to hike. Rocking the hiking backpacks we received for our wedding we climbed out on a fin of rock between the curves of the Green River. From our perspective, we could see Steamboat Rock, where the mighty brown Yampa River descends from the Rockies to converge with the aptly named Green River flowing out of the Wind River Mountains near Jackson Hole to form the major tributary of the Colorado. Where they meet, you can see the brown and green waters flowing side-by-side in the river, very slowly mixing together.

I chose the pictures below to complement those Katie took. I also included several of Katie taking pictures, not only to give a sense of perspective and scale, but also to show the master at work in her craft.

Here is the changing landscape:

When we first arrived at the Monument:

This stegosaurus greeted us to the quarry in Utah.

The wall inside just a part of this rock face.

We are proud National Park Pass owners!

The beautiful views

Back in Colorado the next day

Then we hit the trail.

At the top:

The confluence

A final water break before heading home

Dinosaur National Monument

Throwback: Garden of the Gods!

I was really excited leading into this past weekend. Peter would finally be recovered from jet lag, I would finally be over my 2 and a half week allergy/cold battle, and we could go outside and do some fun things!

Then I saw that the forecast was going to be in the mid-90s all weekend.

Cancel those outdoor plans.

I fully recognize that I am one of those annoying hypocrites who complains all winter about being too cold, only to get to summer and complain about it being too hot. In my defense, we live in a third floor apartment with only one air conditioner that’s tucked away in a corner, far away from all centers of activity. I actually went to Panera the other day and got the bagel to go, just to sit in my car and enjoy the air conditioning for 10 minutes. (Side note: it’s my free bagel every day month from Panera, and if you haven’t had their asiago cheese bagel, you haven’t truly lived. also, if you aren’t a Panera member, you need to join ASAP so you can get your own free month of bagels!)

We decided to “beat the heat” by heading out to the movies to see “Wonder Woman” (fantastic film!), eating ice cream, grilling (since I refuse to cook), and swimming! All wonderful summer activities.

So for this week’s entry, I’m going to share pictures from back in January when we stopped by the Garden of the Gods! I went to the Colorado Music Educator Association’s conference in Colorado Springs, and the final day of the conference Peter went down with me and worked out of a coffee shop, then we met up and drove through the Garden! It was my first time ever being there, and we didn’t do too much since it was a little chilly, but I can’t wait to go back!

New Orleans : Swamp

[We really are getting closer to the end of the New Orleans series!]

Toward the end of our trip, Peter arranged for us to take a swamp tour. I figured it would b neat, but hot, sticky and full of mosquito. But if you’re in Louisiana, how could you not take the time to visit a swamp? Peter found a tour that would pick us up and drop us off at our hotel. The tour bus was super comfy – a nice change from walking everywhere!

It was about an hour until we got to the docks. There were two options of tours – one was on a speed boat, the other was a covered tour that was much slower. Peter knows me well enough to know that I would want the slower and covered one. Our guide was awesome! He’s a local, so he was able to give us stories about the different places we saw along the way (like the cemetery that got flooded three times, so his friend finally had to put holes in his grandma’s coffin to keep it from floating away!)

As promised, we got to see alligators! Apparently they’re attracted to white things that float in the water, so he kept throwing marshmallows to draw them closer. He was full of fun stories about how he taught his kids to swim and stay safe in the swamp. He gave us all the ins and outs about hunting gators, and how much they end up being worth. It turns out, the swamps may be hot, but if you go during the heat of the day, you don’t run into mosquitoes because they prefer dawn and dusk!

One super interesting anecdote he threw in at the end. When Disney was doing research for “The Princess and the Frog”, they actually went on one of his tours! And he inspired one of the characters – apparently he even gets an acknowledgement in the credits. (Confession: I haven’t seen the movie. I should get on that).

This incredible photo was taken by Peter!

New Orleans : Sealife

I thought that this entry would pair nicely with the zoo entry from earlier this week!

While in New Orleans for the honeymoon, Peter suggested that we visit the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. It features one of the largest tanks in the country (400,000 gallon “Gulf of Mexico” exhibit). When he first suggested it, I wasn’t overly excited. I mean, I love aquariums, but aren’t they all the same? Should we really spend our time in an awesome city like New Orleans visiting an aquarium?

The answer is yes, you definitely should!

The aquarium is themed to feature sea life of the Americas, and the variety is impressive! By far, the coolest part was the Gulf of Mexico exhibit. The tank is massive and filled with sharks, stingrays and sea turtles. You can’t help but be in awe of the creatures. The beauty is somewhat offset by the sign indicating that it’s sponsored by oil companies. 

I was also entirely mesmerized by the jellyfish tanks. They’re circular and have a current inside of them to help keep the jellyfish floating. You get to stand there and stare at rotating jellyfish. Other highlights include the Mississippi section which has a really creepy looking white alligator. The Amazon section was the one that made me feel the most uncomfortable. Fish shouldn’t be that big. Snakes shouldn’t be that big. I shouldn’t be that close to fish and snakes that are that big.

One of our favorite experiences was getting to feed the parakeets! We didn’t get swarmed as we had hoped. It turns out that rain was on the way, and the birds were smart enough to stay inside. Unlike the two humans who would soon be leaving the aquarium to get absolutely soaked walking back to our hotel. At least we were able to laugh the whole way back through the puddles!

New Orleans : Sights

Peter surprised me with our honeymoon. He planned the entire thing, and only gave me general packing guidelines: no passport, it would be hot and humid, and to bring a few nice outfits.

The night of the wedding, we drove three hours to our stop for the night, near the airport, and over dinner he passed me the itinerary – New Orleans! I was so excited! As a musician, I love jazz. As a clarinetist, I specifically love New Orleans jazz. And food has started to be more of a hobby of mine, and New Orleans would be the perfect place to experience a different food culture!

New Orleans is a beautiful, crazy city. We stayed in the Central Business District, just outside the French Quarter. That meant we could walk into the French Quarter each day, but leave the craziness when we wanted to!

We had a lot of awesome experiences, so I’ve decided to focus this entry on the sights of New Orleans. (Sounds and smells will be coming!)

What I loved about the city is that is really had the feel of a European city. You have modern architecture in stark contrast to older buildings that have survived human and natural disasters. It’s even more of a contrast in NO, because no buildings in the Quarter can be taller than the Cathedral, but that ends at the French Quarter.

We also took the streetcar up to Garden District, which is filled with beautiful Southern mansions. There we also went to the Lafayette Cemetery. Since no one can be buried in New Orleans, there are family tombs that have existed since the early 1800s. We had lunch on the Steamboat Natchez – the only fully steam powdered boat left on the Mississippi. There was a narrative tour for the first half, then live dixieland jazz for the second half.

There was one burning questions I was left with after our stay there – how slow are emergency response times? There’s only one way streets in the Quarter, and they always had clogged, slow moving traffic. I was glad I never needed to find out!

You can see where the French Quarter ends and the Business District begins!

Rooftop view of the French Quarter

A house in the French Quarter

Bourbon Street at night

Airports

During the course of this year, I’ve started to become an experienced traveler. Up until Peter moved to Colorado, the only times I had flown had been internationally, which meant my first solo domestic flight in 2014 was a little nerve wracking. Fast forward 2016, and I’ve been on 7 flights since moving to Denver. Considering my work doesn’t involve traveling, I’d say that I’ve logged some serious miles. And really should have gotten a mileage credit card at the start of this process.

My feelings on flying have changed greatly during the year. Going to the airport was such an emotional experience. I would be excited to see people, sad to leave other people, and generally exhausted by the whole process. I’d be worried about making my connections, finding food, and concerned about being bored during he flights. The last trip, I didn’t get excited or filled with dread. It’s almost normal to be driving to the airport every six weeks. I still get exhausted, but I’ve learned my way around airports, and I’ve only missed one connection (thanks a lot Rochester).

The airports I’ve visited include:

• Denver International
• Detroit Metropolitan
• Chicago O’Hare
• Philadelphia International
• John F. Kennedy International
• Charlotte Douglas International
• Tampa International
• Greater Rochester International Airport

So I would like to present my rankings of these airports

8. Charlotte Douglas International

I’ve only flown through there once, and it was not a good experience. My wallet disappeared, and it was impossible to find security to ask for help. While I did end up getting it back (after I had already cancelled all my credit cards), I still don’t have fond memories of this place.

7.  JFK International

Okay, I don’t really have an issue with JFK. I used it as a connection after a red eye where a mini Justn Bieber kept invading my personal space, so I couldn’t sleep. The part of the airport I was in felt small and almost claustrophobic without windows. I’d be willing to give it another chance.

6. Chicago O’Hare

Everyone has a horror story involving O’Hare. Mine was the first time I had a missed connection and had to spend the night in the airport, which caused me to use my first “sick day” from school. My principal was great – when I emailed her, she said at O’Hare causes teachers across the country to miss work. Before that, I liked Chicago.

5.  Rochester

Rochester was the reason I missed the connection at O’Hare. Nuff said.

4. Philadelphia 

Philly ends up being the first airport on this list with positive memories. I’ve had good experiences every time I’ve gone through, and gotten some really good airport food.

3. Tampa

I’ve only flown to Tampa once, but it was wonderful. Of course, there’s someone automatically positive about flying to Florida. But the airport itself is great. Super comfy chairs, plenty of outlets for charging phones, and have I mentioned it’s in Florida?

2. Detroit

This is my all-time favorite airport for connections. Lots of great food choices, lots of windows, usually plenty of places to charge your phone. And super cool light shows in the tunnels connecting the concourses. One condition on this ranking: if you switch airlines (like United to Delta), you have to switch terminals. Which means you leave security. And go back group it. Which is absolutely obnoxious.

1. Denver

I’m sure no one is surprised by this. But excluding the bias, Denver is an easy airport to navigate, food options are great and spread out through out the concourses, and I always get a sense of calm when I’m there. Pretty unusual for an airport!

 

TBT: Spring Break Part I

I swear, eventually I’ll get back into the habit of writing frequently enough I won’t have to do so many “Throwback Thursdays”! (But I’ve also grateful that TBT is an acceptable social media phenomenon!)

Way back when, I traveled back to NY for spring break! I was really excited to leave my work worries behind for a week, and focus on wedding worries instead!

The trouble started the night before my early AM flight.The original plan was for Peter to drive down to Denver, spend the night on my couch, so he could take me to the airport early the next morning. I was leaving work late due to parent-teacher conferences, and I knew it was going to be during a snow storm, but I knew I had plenty of time to drive carefully, get back to the apartment to pack and clean, and still get sleep before the flight.

Then I get a call as I’m getting ready to leave from Peter – his car stalled out not very far from Boulder. Change of plans – I’ll now be driving to Boulder to get him. Still shouldn’t be too bad – there wasn’t a ton of snow on the mountain and that’s always the hardest part.

Wrong. So very wrong.

Colorado 93 was a relative mess. Nothing an Upstate New Yorker can’t handle, but where were the plows? You couldn’t see lines on the road! Not to mention the force of the winds. Thankfully, I still had the snow tires on my car. My real concern were the drivers around me. I’ve witnessed Colorado drivers who act as if they’ve never seen snow in their life (I’m assuming they’re transplants from a warm state?)

I finally make it to where Peter is, and it only took an extra 45 minutes than a typical drive to Boulder – better than I was expecting. We then call AAA and wait. Eventually the truck comes, and he has to use his own engine to jump us, but it works! That took about an hour in total. While we waited, a police officer stopped to check on us, and gave us a handy tip on the best way to get back to Denver (not 93, and no 36, but a lesser used path). We get filled up on gas, leave his car at his apartment, grab a bite to eat, then hit the road. I offer to drive, because I’m less exhausted, and he needs to get sleep if he’s going to drive me in the morning.

We finally make it back to my apartment at 12:15. I still need to pack and clean, but we have to leave for the airport at 4AM. Cleaning isn’t going to happen, Peter goes to sleep, I get my packing done as quickly as humanly possible, and grab a couple hours of sleep.

The next morning, the storm hasn’t let up. If we had realized that, we probably would have left earlier. Peter did an awesome job driving in the morning rush hour traffic and slush to the airport. I end up in a really slow moving line for security – turns out that despite is being spring break and lots of people at the airport, the TSA thought it would be good to use this as a time to work with a trainee. Who felt the need to double scan every. single. piece. of. luggage.

I run to my gate, and make it just as they’re starting to board my group. Which means no time for coffee or breakfast. Not a big deal – I discovered a granola bar in my backpack, so I’ll be okay until we land for lunch.

We land in Charlotte, and my wallet goes missing in the first 10 minutes. At this point, I’m exhausted, starving, and have no way to get food and I’ll need to start canceling all my cards. Mercifully, someone overheard me crying on the phone, and gave me $20 to buy myself something to eat.

At this point, the larger family network has been activated – Mom is praying, Dad is helping me cancel cards, my in-laws are praying, Peter and his lab group are researching how to travel without a license, and Peter called the airport to file a report with security.

I board the plane for the last leg of my flight, and I’m in the very last seat of the plane. I’m just excited to be finally headed to see my family, and all my cards were cancelled in time. That’s when someone walks on the plane and hands me my wallet. Everything, including the cash, still inside.

Here’s what might have happened:
1) I left it on the first plane. But they would have cleaned it and found it much faster than the 2.5 hours it took. Especially considering my boarding passes were with it. It would have been waiting for me at the new gate.

2) I really had been pick pocketed – someone had bumped into me and said “Sorry” right before I noticed it was gone. But how would security have found them and gotten back intact?

3) It was an absolute miracle. (That’s the option I’m going with).

I finally get back to NY, eagerly embrace my parents, have a delicious BBQ meal, then sleep on the way home. There were more adventures those two days than I planned on having!

Tomorrow: Spring Break Part II!