Ahoy,
We met my parents in Salt Lake City for an adventure. My dad wanted to go to Yellowstone, but after some research I discovered it is closed in November due to snow. So I arranged a trip to Capitol Reef and Bryce. My mom asked 'Is it famous? Because I only want to go if it's famous...' She has to impress for friends.
First thing my parents told me when we met them at the airport was that my mom had found Chinatown. And it was 18 miles away. So we went to Chinatown which was all of one little strip mall on a street of strip malls. Probably the most underwhelming of Chinatowns we've seen. We walked in and out in under 10 minutes.
Capitol Reef was about 3 hours east of Salt Lake City and we were on our way. We stayed right outside the park so we could go straight there the next morning. There were cows grazing right next to the hotel. The town right outside Capitol Reef is pretty small. The last time we were there, A and I arrived too late and everything was closed. So we went straight out to dinner upon arrival.
I managed to get my folks out on 3 hikes the next day: 3 miles, 3 miles, and 2 miles, which is more than I can say for some of my friends. We hiked through a canyon to an arch while my parents stopped to admire every tree. We saw quite a bit of the park, and a fallen long horn sheep in the middle of the trail. When we finished the hike, we saw rangers heading in - one of them with a shotgun. I suspect the sheep had some sort of spinal injury because his hind legs were not moving at all. Capitol Reef has a lot to offer, but we had just missed harvest season. Apparently, you are allowed to pick fruit from the many orchards there left over from Mormon settlers. It is also probably the least crowded park we've visited, which we really appreciate compared to Yosemite in the summer.
My mom was complaining after each hike hoping it was the last one. She only wanted to go on one hike, she kept insisting. So the next day, we went on one hike that was almost 8 miles.
It's about a 2-3 hour drive south from Capitol Reef to Bryce. We took the scenic route and made it in time to grab dinner in town. I thought it was a small town given how popular Bryce is. I had been to Bryce a while ago and was eager to show A how cool it is. I've always thought it was so unique. We took a hike that went down into the hoodoos and saw a lot of different views. That hike was so varied and really gives a satisfying taste for a first trip. It was perfect weather for Bryce - just before snow and ice, and not muddy at all. We encountered ice only once at a waterfall, just enough of the elements for some excitement.
We spent our last day back in SLC. It was a Sunday so most things were closed, which didn't occur to me would be a problem until we got there. We spent the day wandering around the city. It's somewhat sleepy and suburban, which is not a surprise for a Capital city. A and I went to a bourbon bar to end the night, which had surprisingly good food for a good price and really good cocktails. Also, it was not busy at all. LA standards really make us appreciate smaller cities. I probably wouldn't like to live there, but it's nice to visit.
best,
jt
We met my parents in Salt Lake City for an adventure. My dad wanted to go to Yellowstone, but after some research I discovered it is closed in November due to snow. So I arranged a trip to Capitol Reef and Bryce. My mom asked 'Is it famous? Because I only want to go if it's famous...' She has to impress for friends.
First thing my parents told me when we met them at the airport was that my mom had found Chinatown. And it was 18 miles away. So we went to Chinatown which was all of one little strip mall on a street of strip malls. Probably the most underwhelming of Chinatowns we've seen. We walked in and out in under 10 minutes.
Capitol Reef was about 3 hours east of Salt Lake City and we were on our way. We stayed right outside the park so we could go straight there the next morning. There were cows grazing right next to the hotel. The town right outside Capitol Reef is pretty small. The last time we were there, A and I arrived too late and everything was closed. So we went straight out to dinner upon arrival.
I managed to get my folks out on 3 hikes the next day: 3 miles, 3 miles, and 2 miles, which is more than I can say for some of my friends. We hiked through a canyon to an arch while my parents stopped to admire every tree. We saw quite a bit of the park, and a fallen long horn sheep in the middle of the trail. When we finished the hike, we saw rangers heading in - one of them with a shotgun. I suspect the sheep had some sort of spinal injury because his hind legs were not moving at all. Capitol Reef has a lot to offer, but we had just missed harvest season. Apparently, you are allowed to pick fruit from the many orchards there left over from Mormon settlers. It is also probably the least crowded park we've visited, which we really appreciate compared to Yosemite in the summer.
My mom was complaining after each hike hoping it was the last one. She only wanted to go on one hike, she kept insisting. So the next day, we went on one hike that was almost 8 miles.
It's about a 2-3 hour drive south from Capitol Reef to Bryce. We took the scenic route and made it in time to grab dinner in town. I thought it was a small town given how popular Bryce is. I had been to Bryce a while ago and was eager to show A how cool it is. I've always thought it was so unique. We took a hike that went down into the hoodoos and saw a lot of different views. That hike was so varied and really gives a satisfying taste for a first trip. It was perfect weather for Bryce - just before snow and ice, and not muddy at all. We encountered ice only once at a waterfall, just enough of the elements for some excitement.
We spent our last day back in SLC. It was a Sunday so most things were closed, which didn't occur to me would be a problem until we got there. We spent the day wandering around the city. It's somewhat sleepy and suburban, which is not a surprise for a Capital city. A and I went to a bourbon bar to end the night, which had surprisingly good food for a good price and really good cocktails. Also, it was not busy at all. LA standards really make us appreciate smaller cities. I probably wouldn't like to live there, but it's nice to visit.
best,
jt
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