It’s Saturday, and because I’m headed for Arches National Park, I get up extra early, have a quick breakfast of 3 eggs and a coffee, and down the mountain I speed to avoid the crowds. Heading towards the park I tune into Arches’ info station on AM radio and feel discouraged when a message warns […]
Tag: hiking
Canyonlands N.P – Needles Outlook
It’s a morning of errands: load the tank full of petrol; shop for groceries; sit down, check the date and create a rough plan for the week ahead; find free internet and write to mum and friends that I am still alive. Most days I don’t know what day of the week it is, […]
Canyonlands National Park (Pt 1) & Hamburger Rock
Canyonlands National Park has 4 districts, all of which are far drives from one another, and my first stop is the Needles Visitor Centre. When I arrive I wonder if I’m lost: I don’t see a line of cars at the entrance; HWY 211 that brings me here is likewise abandoned – I only pass […]
Utah and Arizona’s Valleys and Bridges
I’m up early because when on holiday I want to see every sunrise. I’m driving west to Utah. Quite suddenly, the landscape changes. Everything is drained of colour bar various hues of beige. Everything gets a little flatter. Then, red earth appears; in the distance cliffs raise; in the valleys carved out by rivers […]
Mesa Verde N.P and Comforting Mancos
The altitude, hyper-alert driving, hiking and fresh air cause such exhaustion that by the end of my second week on the road, once I’ve sat down in my camping chair with a book in one hand and a cuppa in the other, I can’t recall the morning. I know I must have risen early and […]
Where the heart is: Ouray, Colorado
It’s supposed to be monsoon season, but so far, there’s only been one rainstorm. I wake up to the wet, fresh air and pack. The tent’s fly is wet, so it sits at the back of my car, fanning, as I drive with my windows open. It’s early, so the drive is a dream, cruising […]
A long drive and Rocky Mountain National Park
There are images of Utah everywhere. National Geographic. Calendars. Instagram. Computer wallpapers and screensavers. In films. In literature. So, it’s been on my mind for a while to visit, and I’m eager to see it in real life. On the way, I have to explore Colorado, too. Because I think I can, I decide to […]
Cinque Terre
Riomaggiore It’s the middle of July, and hot. Italy is experiencing a heat wave, but when I get off at the Riomaggiore train station I don’t notice. There are other things to take note of: the village’s harbour, the sea, and the splash of colour that stands against the green of the surrounding Parco Nazionale […]