Next set of pics (and I hope it's okay that I am posting these!) After leaving Grand Canyon we traveled north to Mt. Carmel and crossed Marble Canyon and the Navajo Bridge. The first pic was taken by holding my phone (very tightly I might add) over the edge. It is almost 3/4 mile down. Vertigo inducing, absolutely! As you go east to Zion Nat'l Park you travel through a mile long tunnel. Once through, the road winds down and around and you can see 2 of the 3 "windows" you pass as you go through the tunnel. These were used to rid of the rock debris as the tunnel was being made. Each one is probably 20ish ft across. The third is one we took in the northern part of Zion Nat'l Park called Kolob Canyons. To right of center you can see some snow on the slope. We were excited to see it! Little did we know that we would see more!
Last edited by frawniemae; 04-26-2015 at 03:01 PM.
Frawniemae, love the pictures! I never knew until now that I'm absolutely dying to sleep in a wigwam, lol!
I haven't been posting as much, but I'm still lurking about!
This week I had my first person tell me that I was looking really good. I don't know if it's not that noticeable, or if everyone else is trying to be respectfully quiet about my body changes, haha. But I'm nearly 30 pounds down as of this morning (official weigh in tomorrow), and I love checking out my morning belly in the mirror! It's, like, nothing! I still have quite a pooch in the front of my belly, but the sides are smooth, no overhang!
On we went heading to Bryce Canyon all the while there was a late winter storm brewing just to the north of us. Temps dropped considerably as we traveled north/northeast, as this next set of pics show. The alpine lake was beautiful. We drove through a couple small snow flurries. We were at about 8000ft above sea level.
Last edited by frawniemae; 04-26-2015 at 03:13 PM.
Beautiful pics! Congrats to staying on plan during your trip. I know those can be tough! Have a great day everyone!
Quote:
Originally Posted by frawniemae
On we went heading to Bryce Canyon all the while there was a late winter storm brewing just to the north of us. Temps dropped considerably as we traveled north/northeast, as this next set of pics show. The alpine lake was beautiful. We drove through a couple small snow flurries. We were at about 8000ft above sea level.
By the time we got to Bryce Canyon, the wind had picked up and combined with the temperatures knocked the windchill well below zero. We were not prepared for that. We did do all the major viewpoints but did not linger nor even attempt any hikes. Those that did were crazy, in our opinions, as many we saw heading down that trail did not have on hiking boots, well insulated coats, or even carrying much water that we could see. The colors were so vibrant! Every hue from creamy white to almost glow in the dark orange...beautiful. Snow clouds evident in most pics.
Last edited by frawniemae; 04-26-2015 at 03:33 PM.
One side road we took, suggested by a friend of ours who travels on motorcycle complete with a sidecar in which his pitbull, Spirit, rides was Burr Trail Road, locally known as Long Canyon. This is located in Boulder, Utah. We could have easily spent a week down this road just exploring all of the different rock formations. So pretty! The third pic really shows the desert varnish that can be seen all over southwestern Utah. It is caused by rainwater and snowmelt runoff. Gorgeous coloring!
The first is the view we had outside our motel room door in Torrey. Very nice hotel with great restaurant-Broken Spur Inn! Our server made sure that what I ordered was perfectly IP compatible! She took it upon herself to have the croutons left off my salad when I mentioned I didn't eat potatoes, bread, etc. (I hadn't even thought of that!). The next pics are another favorite of our motorcycle friend - Muley Point, from which on a clear day you can see all the way to Monument Valley (about 65 miles) and the switchback road call Mokey Dugway, which is in fact a part of the highway, albeit a gravel road as you make the descent/ascent (depending on which way you are heading)!! Glad we were ready for it! You can see a mid sized semi going down it in the last pic.
Thanks for sharing your pictures, Frawniemae, they are incredible. You are SO brave to go out on that viewing balcony - I think that's a step too far for me! LOL
The road to Monument Valley that Forrest Gump ran on is a great approach to the area. The second pic is my favorite of the whole trip. I woke up at 620am for my usual bathroom break with every intent on going back to bed but I had to peek out of the curtain to see what sunrise view I might have. I was amazed at what I saw! The clouds were creeping across the desert floor at the base of the monuments that most everyone is familiar with seeing. The sun was brightening the sky. The clouds were perfect. My only regret is that I am not a professional photographer with cameras and lenses and the know how. This, as were all of the pics posted, was taken with my Samsung Galaxy 4. The thid pic is from a locally known "secret" place near Bluff Utah. I dubbed this particular formation "Snoopy". The last is our view outside the B&B we stayed in. The storm thundered and shook just to the north of us but we barely got a sprinkle. The rainbow showed up 3 different times as the storm moved by and the sun was setting. If we go back to any one place, it will be this area.
Last edited by frawniemae; 04-26-2015 at 05:02 PM.
Heading home found us near Hovenweep and Mesa Verde. It was interesting to say the least to try imagining living in these structures. The manpower it took to move literally thousands of rocks to build them is mind boggling. The second pic is from the overlook for Sprucetree Dwelling. It is estimated to have housed between 60 and 90 people at one time and was thought to be constructed in the sometime between 1200 and 1278AD (estimations made by counting the rings in the beams used in the construction). If you look closely you can see people which gives you an idea how large it is. I wanted to go down into a kiva to see what it was like. This was an underground room where during the hottest and/or coldest days were spent. There were many kivas at Mesa Verde. This one had been restored so that tourists could experience one. I never would have attempted climbing down a ladder into a hole in the ground before IP! the last is of Cliff Palace. It is the largest cliff dwelling in N.America. They estimate up to 100 people lived in this "village". Amazing. Out in the absolute middle of nowhere. Stumbled upon in 1888 by a rancher out looking for stray cattle. Can you imagine finding this place?
From there we went by Carlsbad but none of the pics really turned out too good because of the lighting. Then home. The last day of driving saw us hit 9hours of steady "getting it". It was a great rip full of many new memories for us! Thanks for letting me share it and hope yo enjoyed the pics!
What a spectacular travelogue you gave us, frawniemae!!! I have never been to that part of the country, and your pictures and the info you have shared makes me really want to visit there!
You are a real trooper to have made that trip while staying on program! As usual, you inspire me!!
I always refer to the sheet when I have a question.
And Spaghetti Squash is not on the Select or Occasional veggie list, so know it is not OP.
A good way to make "noodles" is to use a spiralizer or a julienne peeler. Zucchini works well for this.
Thanks, Lisa32989! I investigated both and realized I have a julienne peeler in my gadget drawer. I didn't what it was until today. I expect to have a lot of zucchini "spaghetti" on IP. I start tomorrow!
Glad we were ready for it! You can see a mid sized semi going down it in the last pic.
