South California Trip – March 2024

Links to all the photos and videos from the trip

https://photos.app.goo.gl/AuN85QtHHX9UPe8Q6

I was excited about this trip as it's the first time in 26 yrs in the US that I was visiting California. My plan was to arrive in Las Vegas, then do a clockwise loop covering three National Parks and part of the Pacific Coast Hwy up to Monterey/ Big Sur. After arriving in LV, I had an Indian lunch buffet and then headed towards the town of Twentynine Springs where I was staying. From there the North entrance to Joshua Tree National Park is close so that became my entry point. 

Day 1 - 3/24 -  Joshua Tree National Park

Since I was a bit under the weather I slept later than usually I do on these trips and had a great breakfast at John's Place. It was almost 9 am when I entered the park. My first stop was Skull Rock on Park Boulevard as it's one of the most visited location and parking could have become a hassle later.  

SKULL Rock is an amazing natural rock formation in shape of what the name suggests. Quite something. There is a short Discovery trail near it which isn't too hard. My second stop was SPLIT Rock. As the name suggest it's a huge rock which is split in two. Not as exciting as other visiting points. Then I backed up the road and went towards Pinto Basin Rd towards HEART and ARCH Rock. This is moderate trail, part flat ground and part through rocks. The Heart shaped rock is a photo favorite. The ARCH Rock could easily be missed but the trail through the rocks is exciting.  

From there I headed on the same road to Cholla Cactus garden. In JTNP two deserts meet, the Mojave Desert and Colorado desert. As you near the Cholla Cactus garden you suddenly notice the change in topography, from mostly Joshua trees to mostly Cholla Cactus shrubs. It is quite abrupt if you are noticing. There is a short trail in the garden that winds among the cactuses. Most of them had early blooms but it was still cold for full blooms. Just a little ahead is Ocotillo Patch named after the unique thorny, spiky trees they grow here. They have red/ pinkish blooms. I saw lot more Ocotillo trees/shrubs in other parts in my trips than I saw here. 

Then I headed back up to Park Boulevard Rd which is where most attractions are. Since I had already visited Skull Rock I went past it toward CAPS Rock. As the name suggests there is a huge cap like rock sitting atop huge boulders. There is short easy trail around it. On most of these trails there are plaques with great information about the flora, fauna, geology in this area and this byte sized info is worth a read. Then I visited Keys View which is basically a drive uphill and from a parking lot a short walk atop from where there is amazing view all over. On hazy days one may not be able to see far but luckily it was quite clear when I visited.  

My next stop was Hidden Valley trail which is amazing. It’s a bowl like area sitting in midst of huge rocky hills. You can walk an easy loop trail. This is favorite of rock climbers, and I saw lot of them going up or down making your heart churn. This trail is a must do. Next stop was Barker Dam trail. The trail is easy, but dam is just a tiny dam built by ranchers in old days. There is no more ranching here thanks to shortage of rainfall. 

Lastly I visited Hall of Horrors. This one disappointed me as there are no clear signs as to what to look for. I got couple of pictures of a slot canyon like formation but if there is more to it then I surely missed it.  

Day 2 - 3/25 – Anza Borrego State Park / San Diego

I left Twentynine Springs early to drive to San Diego. On the way I had a slight diversion to visit Anza Borrego State Park which is known for its wildflower blooms, and this was the right time of the year. The route took me through JTNP way past the Cholla Cactus garden. Part of it was state or county roads while part highway. I passed through Salton Sea and a place called Mecca. I saw a lot of agricultural activity in the area. Salton Sea has an interesting history that I Googled later. 

As I entered Anza Borrego Park I stopped at couple of places where there were crowd of people looking at a great display of mostly reddish pink wildflowers. A stroll and few pictures and I was on my way. The actual destination point of the park has a garden like feature with desert flowers and wildflowers that you can stroll through. It was interesting though some of the spectacular photo displays I have seen online was nowhere to be seen. Maybe it wasn’t time yet or had already passed. Yet, the segway was worth it. 

From thereon I proceeded to drive to San Diego. The first place I went to was Mission Beach which has ample public parking space. It was good to walk around on the beach, on a rock pier and seeing lot of surfers. The water was too cold for me to enter in. Then I proceeded to Cabrillo National Monument. This is kind of on a hill with a lighthouse from where you can see the sea all around and the city of San Diego spread wide across. On the way you pass a lot of war graves which is a sobering experience. You can also drive down closer to the shoreline and explore tide pools. However, it closes quite early in the day 4.30/5 pm and I was disappointed to not have time to explore. 

Later I checked into my hotel and for dinner decided to explore the Gaslamp Quarter area. Due to weekday, it wasn’t as crowded though finding parking was still a hassle. I walked around a bit and ate at a restaurant ‘La Puerta’ trying out some tacos with a margarita. Good food but expensive (guess most of CA is expensive for a Midwesterner). Back to hotel and it was time to turn in for the night. 

Day 3 - 3/26 – San Diego

Next day I went to breakfast at CAFÉ 222 in downtown. It was a place I had read about online. In these days of social media, where anybody and everybody is a travel reviewer you can get thousands of varied recommendations on food and other places to visit. This was one such place. I ordered a Blueberry Corn Muffin with butter and Coffee for $25, once again reminding me that CA is expensive. 

I then headed to Balboa Park in the city center. It’s a large urban park which has many museums and interesting things to explore. I had no definite plans to see anything in particular but when I entered and started strolling through the park I saw a large queue near the Japanese Garden of Friendship. I bought a day pass online which offers entry to 4 museums and got in line to enter the Japanese garden. It was worth the visit with beautifully sculpted gardens, ponds with fish and other features. The cherry trees section was exceptionally beautiful with 95% bloom (as per a display board). For anyone visiting Balboa Park I would recommend visiting this garden. Next I explored San Diego Institute of Arts museum. Having visited the Detroit Institute of Arts in my hometown this one seemed comparatively smaller in scope and exhibits. Air and Space Museum is another one I would recommend. The exhibits with models of beginning of flights, displays from World War I and II, commercial flights etc.  was very interesting and informative. Finally, I visited the Mingei museum with mostly contemporary art. In between I strolled through various gardens and buildings and the whole day was fulfilling. 

In the evening I met a friend’s son who recently came here from Pune to do his Masters at USC. We met at a local pizzeria and spent couple of hours just chatting up about college, student life, careers, and stuff. 

Day 4 - 3/27 – Pacific Coast Hwy/ Los Angelos

Leaving my hotel in morning I drove towards Dana Point which is where the Pacific Coast Hwy 1 begins. I have wanted to do this for a while. You may vision this as a typical highway where you can drive at high speed but in reality this is quite a busy road with towns, homes, shops, traffic lights along the way. While you are driving parallel along the Pacific Ocean you don’t always get a glimpse of it except occasionally. 

My first destination was Huntingtin Beach. It’s a nice beach, with a pier you can walk on and lot of surfers all around. The water was cold, so I didn’t swim in the water but did wade in knee deep. I spent about 1-1.5 hrs. here then moved on to my destination which was Los Angelos. I had to leave the PCH to go to LA and I arrived in early afternoon, with my first destination being the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It’s a typical downtown walk along the sidewalk except the stars all along the walk with names of movie folks. I saw a lot of recognizable names (Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Ronald Reagan, Liz Taylor) and many we don’t know. 

From there I headed to the Griffith Park and the Observatory. In the park I ate my packed lunch in one shade tree area and then went to the Observatory. Right from outside the observatory you can see the famous Hollywood Sign. Inside the observatory there is a lot to see around and learn about astronomy with general admission, but I did not have time to catch the paid shows/ movies. You can easily spend half a day or entire day here. From there I went to my hotel and just had carryout dinner from a nearby Thai restaurant. One interesting fact I saw in the restaurant was old Thai movie posters which looked exactly like old Hindi/ Indian movie posters from the 60s/70s. 

Day 5 - 3/28 – Monterey

Though I wanted to drive via Hwy 1 all the way to Monterey it wasn’t possible to do so as there was a stretch of road in between closed for construction. Hence the next day I drove through Malibu and Santa Barbara then took a detour through Solvang, San Luis Obispu to Monterey. The drive was fine but nothing worth stopping and seeing. My first stop after reaching Monterey though unplanned, was the 17-mile drive at Pebble Beach. This is a famous drive through lot of (expensive) residential area with multiple stops along the ocean. Some of stops which I found interesting were the Restless Sea, Bird Rock, Cypress Point Overlook, and the iconic Lone Cypress. There is also the famous golf course right along the sea and it was amusing to see couple of golfers taking a swing with the waves crashing in the background. After exiting Pebble Beach, I headed to my hotel in Seaside, Monterey. 

Day 6 - 3/29 – Big Sur

I got up early morning next day to drive south on the Hwy 1 in area known as Big Sur. One of my first stops was the Bixby Bridge, a photo op place. The high bridge and ocean below with crashing waves is indeed a great site. I took a few photos from location a bit farther from the bridge, but I was able to explore more and take more photos on my way back later in the afternoon. Further along the road there is a famous restaurant named Nepenthe with beautiful ocean view. I had checked the menu prices and found them exorbitantly high. I didn’t mind stopping along on one of the numerous stunning viewpoints along the road and eat a packed lunch in solitude. 

There are multiple State Parks all next to each other as you drive through along on this road – Garrapata SP, Andrew Molera SP, Pfeiffer Big Sur SP and Julia Pfeiffer Burns SP. I drove all the way to Julia Burns SP to McWay Falls. It’s a very short hike and you can see the falls with water falling onto a beach from a distance. I think there is a way to go up to the falls on the beach, but the road was closed due to some damage. A short driving distance away I went to Partington Cove which is a hike downhill to a cove (a small inlet or bay) where you can experience the crashing ocean waves up close. From there I drove all the way back to Point Lobos Natural Preserve, stopping along many times at different viewpoints of the ocean. 

At Point Lobos I hiked through what is known as Cypress Grove which winds through a cypress trees. At one point along where you can see the drop to the ocean, the wind was so fierce that it was hard to keep my balance. This is definitely a nice place to stroll through. From there I went to Pacific Grove, driving along on my way through Carmel by Sea. It was too crowded with no parking place and either way I wasn’t much interested in shopping or eating. By the time I reached my hotel it was raining heavily, and it rained through the night. The next day I left the area but came to know couple of days later that part of the Hwy 1 on Big Sur collapsed into the ocean, so the road was closed, and many tourists were made to leave/ escorted from the area and State Parks. Guess I was lucky to have experienced the drive and the views by just a nick of a time. 

Day 7 - 3/30 – Pinnacles National Park

This park is just about 1.5 hr. drive from Monterey. I arrived here by about 9.30 am. This isn’t a very popular park compared to some other NPs in California. The unique feature of this park is the soaring, wild condors as part of the California Condors recovery program. 

I entered though the East entrance and headed towards the Bear Gulch trailhead. I had to park at a distance and walk a bit to the trailhead. This trail leads you to the Bear Gulch Talus Cave. The cave was open (it is closed certain times of year based on Bat activity). The trail is quite flat and easy. The caves require you to have a flashlight as certain parts are quite dark. I had read ahead and hence carried a flashlight. I went some distance into the cave and then turned back. There are narrow stairs, dark compact places and heavy water rushing through in an indoor waterfall as it had rained earlier. After coming back to trailhead, I started on the Condor Gulch Trail. This could be a moderate 1.5/2-mile hike, or a strenuous longer 5/6-mile hike based on how far you want to go. I did the moderate hike until the Condor Gulch. With binoculars I was able to see couple of condors soaring high above and landing on some cliffs, but they were too far to get any good pics. 

On the way out I stopped at the camp store to get a park souvenir. Then I exited the park driving towards my next destination of Death Valley but stopping for the night in the town of Bakersfield. 

Day 8 - 3/31 – Death Valley National Park

I left Bakersfield after an early breakfast driving towards my next destination of Death Valley Park. Its little over 200 miles / 4.5 hrs. of drive. I drove South for some distance then turned direction driving Northeast. Essentially we are driving around the mountain range and the effect of rain shadow is very much visible here. The drive down south on the west side of mountain range is fertile, green region while drive North on the east side you see the barren land in the rain shadow eventually resulting in the desert of Death Valley. On the way I saw large patches of yellow wildflowers, in some places stretched out over long distance with snow peaked mountains in the far distance. I stopped at couple of such places to take photos. Past lunch time I entered Death Valley taking the cursory photo at the park entrance. 

My first stop after entering the park was at the Furnace Creek Visitor center. There are excellent displays here and lot of info about the park with its history, geography, and biological features. From there I proceeded to Zabriskie point. A short hike up from the parking lot here you can see around quite afar with a colorful terrain. Next I headed to Badwater Basin which is the lowest point in US. Typically, this is a just a flat land with salt deposits. However due to lot of rains here recently, there was almost a knee-deep water forming a large temporary lake, which is quite a rarity. Some distance away I stopped at Devil’s Golf Course which again is a large flat land with sharp salt crystals spread across. My next stop was Artist Drive where you drive through a series of colorful hillocks. The colors are due to different minerals and depending on the light conditions this is quite a picturesque area. Then I went back to Zabriskie point to see the sunset, but it was cloudy so couldn’t catch any sunset.  

Then I had to drive almost couple of hours back towards Panamint Springs where I had night accommodation at a ‘resort’. It was basically sleeping in a tent but there aren’t many places to stay here. Thankfully they had a restaurant where I could get some dinner. That night it rained heavily, which considering that I was in a place in the US where rain is very scarce, was a rare event. And I could feel the pain of it the next day. 

Day 9 - 4/1 – Death Valley National Park

I got up at first light the next day and started driving back towards the park to cover the rest of the sights I wanted to see before proceeding to Las Vegas to catch my flight the next day. As I started driving I realized the havoc the rain had caused. In many places there were gravel, large rocks and mud washed over the road making the drive not just slow but also tricky. I kept driving slowly, making way through though I was skeptical and worried of having a flat tire in the middle of nowhere with no way of communication to call for any help. At a high elevation pass I saw a young lady with a stalled car. I stopped to ask for any help and learned that she had driven over a large rock causing problems. The only help I could offer was to assure that I can tell someone at the next ranger station almost 20 miles away to send for any help. Thankfully there was a ranger car which just came by (they may have anticipated such issues and were patrolling is my guess) and the ranger offered to call for help for her. I hope she got by ok, but this is the hazardous part of traveling in such remote places.

Further down I encountered a much worse road situation and stopped to think over my options. It was risky driving over not knowing what lay further, while the situation going back was no better but at least known. I asked someone who had driven from the other side, and they said it was ok. So, I decided to take the risk and drove over a mess of rocks, mud, and sand. My luck must be strong as I was able to get through without issues and soon I was at the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. I have been to sand dunes in MI and CO, so I spent just a short time here not going much farther in the dunes. From there I went over to the ruins of Harmony Borax Works which was a commercial enterprise in the days back but long abandoned. Nothing much exciting except for the history of it. My last stop was the Golden Canyon Trail. This was a great trail winding through yellow/gold canyon walls on both sides until you reach a place with red rock canyon called Red Cathedral. I went a bit farther in the Red Cathedral area then turned back. By the time I was at the parking lot it was around 2 pm and I started my drive to Las Vegas for a night halt. 

In summary, Death Valley is spread across a vast area with a few interesting sites. It isn’t as awe inspiring as say Arches or Zion or Rocky Mountains but has its unique features . And being so close to Las Vegas it is worth at least a day trip if you are in the area.

Return Back 

4/2 – This was the end of my trip as I took the flight back from Las Vegas to Detroit. All went as planned so I was glad about the trip. Now that I have covered south California, I am excited to plan another trip soon to explore North California.

Grief, Guilt and Relief – A Caregiver Dilemma

 

Hearing someone close to you being terminally ill is not an easy thing to digest. Even if it is your older parent who we know, on average, are closer to mortality than our younger selves. But especially because they are the ones who have been, in most cases, the stronger support pillars in our lives, it is harder to digest the fact that those pillars are now crumbling.

For all my life I had seen my mother (Aai) as a super energetic person. Whether it was cooking or any other work, the speed and efficiency of her work was always on high fuel. At one time she did home catering and while it was lot of demanding work she never got tired of it, doing it not because of any material need but just to keep herself engaged and busy in doing what she absolutely loved.

Since 2011 Aai had been staying with me here in US. In late 2022 she was diagnosed with CMML (Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia) which is a rare version of leukemia. The diagnosis led to series of treatment plans over 18-20 months which included medications, infusion chemo, radiation chemo, oral chemo medications but most importantly monthly blood transfusions due to significant drop in her hemoglobin levels. Each treatment caused severe weakness, fatigue,  nausea, discomfort due to increased spleen size and the transfusions required frequent ER admits which are tiresome. One of the hardest parts was blood draws, which seemed countless. As the condition progressed causing her to lose weight, loss of muscles and the skin becoming flabby, it became harder to find proper veins for blood draws, sometimes requiring multiple pokes in various places and bruising. 

Educating yourself as a patient or caregiver about the condition helps understand symptoms, treatment options with its pros and cons, progression of the disease and in general what to expect. A private FB CMML group with many patients and/or caregivers was very helpful in learning, sharing and openly talking about it all.

As a primary caregiver you live though your own version of the disease/ condition. In our case it was more so, since due to language and transportation reason, I had to be present for every Dr/hospital appt and answer any questions or provide info (Ninad, my nephew took her a few times when I was out of town). As a caregiver you don't just see what your loved one must go through all these treatments but are constantly watching them deteriorate physically and mentally while you are mostly helpless in making it all go away. There is also the juggling with other things in your own life - children, work, housework, social engagements. In fact, all aspects of your life are impacted. And while doing this you have to keep a strong demeanor and will to ensure you are doing the right things, whether it is talking with the doctors, nurses or supporting rest of your family deal with it.

While relatives and friends did offer help it was difficult to utilize it, especially for medical visits, as I knew the medical history, medications, symptoms etc. of what was going on while speaking with various medical staff. Hence it wasn't easy to substitute anyone. Thankfully I was able to take couple of vacation breaks with help from my nephew, niece & daughter who took care of Aai when I was away, but it always required careful planning. 

While all this is going on it's easy to go through a series of emotions such as frustration, anger, helplessness, burden, grief, and guilt. There were times when I got frustrated or angry with Aai due to some conflicting demands during my work meetings or something not up to her expectation only to feel guilty about it later. There's also the fact that people who are fiercely independent in life are the worst patients when it comes to sickness related dependency. 

As things got worse I also wished that things end sooner than later so that the suffering is not prolonged. I informed and advised her that the choice for continual treatment is hers to make and she can decide to opt out at any time. Neither the doctors, I nor anyone else can make the decision for her. Explained her about palliative care and hospice option. These are not easy things to discuss and while doing so there was always a feeling of guilt in my mind, thinking whether I was telling this for her own best interest (in this case less trauma and suffering) or a relief for myself from the work and stress of caregiving. This is a terrible dilemma for caregivers as it puts one in a confusing state of mind, making it harder to express your feelings to anyone. 

During the last visit with the Oncologist on Apr 15th we made decision to stop any active cancer treatment and switch for home hospice care. When the Dr said 'you did an excellent job of taking care of her. She wouldn't have come this far without your support' it was sort of a relief for me. Based on history and frequency of blood transfusions the Dr had surmised she may survive 6-8 weeks. However, she expired on Apr 24, just about a week from making the hospice choice.

While I have a very rational view on subjects of mortality, quality of life, death with dignity etc. Aai was always heavily invested in being the Matriarch of our family. I had long conversations with her about detachments, letting go of things, stop worrying about any of us, but I know it wasn't easy for her. Ultimately though, based on how quickly everything happened, I could only surmise that our decision did not matter much. The decision was already made by fate, destiny or whatever you may call it. The only solace to mind is that she got enough time to bid farewell to everyone in her birthplace in Kerala, in Pune and here in Detroit and in her last moments she was at home surrounded by her loved ones.

Finally, my only word of advice to any caregivers is that do what you can and need to do for your loved ones. Each situation may be different, you may be close or far away, alone or with lot of help. Just do your best. At the same time take time for yourself, don’t hesitate to seek out for help, share what you are going through with relatives, friends and at workplace. And understand that going through a roller coaster of emotions is perfectly normal. Just take it one day at a time. 

Suresh

5/3/2024

फुले वेचिता

माझ्या ब्लॉगचे नाव मी "सुरांगण" ठेवले यात फारशी कल्पकता होती असे नव्हे. मला 'मुक्तांगण' हा शब्द आवडतो तोच उसना घेऊन मी माझ्या नावाला जोडलं इतकेच. पण त्याखाली मी "अंगणात पारिजातकाचा सडा पडे, कधी फुले वेचायला येशील इकडे" ही ओळ टाकली. तीही उसनीच " घाल घाल पिंगा वाऱ्या" या गीतातील पण दोन तीन शब्दांची फेरफार करून ब्लॉगच्या नावाशी त्याची जुळणी केली. एकूण विचार हा की हा ब्लॉग हे संपूर्ण आंतरजालातील (internet) माझे हक्काचे असे अंगण आहे, माझे लिखाण परिजातकांच्या फुलांसारखे आहे आणि ती फुले वेचायला कुणी कधी येईल याची मी वाट पाहतोय. 

एका अर्थाने पहायला गेले तर कीव यावी असा हा भिकार विचार वाटतो. एखादी गोष्ट विकायचा बाजार मांडून विक्रेत्याने लोकांचे लक्ष वेधून घ्यावे तसे काहीसे. पण खरे सांगायचे तर प्रत्येक निर्मात्याला/ कलाकाराला आपली निर्मिती/ कला इतरांपर्यंत पोहोचावी असे वाटणे स्वाभाविक आहे. मग तो एखाद कुणी प्रतिभावंत असो की अगदी सुमार कुणीसा असो (शेवटी ते ठरवायला देखील कुणी पाहणारे/ अनुभवणारे असायला हवेतच!).

माझे जे काही थोडे थोडके लिखाण (बऱ्याचश्या कविता व गीते, काही लेख, एक दोन कथा, प्रवासवर्णन) आहे ते फार उच्च प्रतीचे आहे असा माझा अजिबात भ्रम नाही. किंबहुना बहुतांश सुमारच असावे (अर्थात 'अंधों मे काना राजा' तसे कशाशी तुलना हेही महत्वाचे). पण काही मोजक्या कविता नक्कीच अश्या आहेत ज्याला दर्जा आहे, depth आहे.

असे हे लिखाण ब्लॉगवर टाकल्यावर कुणी वाचते का, वाचले तर प्रतिक्रिया काय हे कळायला मार्ग नसतो. एखाद कुणीतरी कधी एक दोन वाक्याची कमेंट टाकून जातो. तेवढ्यात समाधान मानून घ्यायचे. अश्यावेळी अपेक्षा असते आपल्या जवळचे लोक तरी वाचक आणि समीक्षक ठरतील. पण इथेही काहीसा अपेक्षाभंगच होतो.

मी बऱ्याच वर्षांपासून माझे काही समछंदी स्नेही आहेत त्यांच्याबरोबर जुळवून आणलेल्या एका बुक - कलब चा सदस्य आहे. त्यातील सर्वांना मी कविता करतो व माझ्या ब्लॉगबद्दल ठाऊक आहे. कधी प्रसंगी मी वाचून दाखवलेली किंवा फेसबुक वर  व इतरत्र शेयर केलेली कविता वाहवा देखिल मिळवून जाते. 

बहुतेक वाचन इंग्रजी पुस्तकांचे असले तरी दरसाली दिवाळीच्या सुमारास आम्ही मराठी वाचायला निवडतो. यंदा मराठी कविता हा विषय निवडला. बहुतेकांचा शाळेनंतर कवितेशी संबंध तुटलेला. पण बरीचशी चित्रगीते, भावगीते, अभंग, गजल हे प्रकारही काव्य या सदरात मोडतात. त्यामुळे या ना त्या निमित्ताने कवितेशी आपले जुळते असतेच. मग काहींनी शाळेतल्या कविता शोधल्या, कुणी ओळखीची गाणी निवडली तर कुणी कुठल्या तरी अपरिचित कवींच्या कविता ऐकवल्या. 

मला खंत या गोष्टीची वाटली की एकाला सुद्धा माझी एखादी कविता निवडावी असे वाटले नाही. एकाने मला backup म्हणून ठेवले होते इतकेच काय ते समाधान. स्वतः मी ' वृक्षवल्ली आम्हा सोयरी ' हा अभंग आणि कोविड लॉकडाऊनच्या वेळी तो अभंग मी कसा अनुभवला हे ऐकवले. शिवाय मुद्दाम माझी एक 'नाव' ही कविता ऐकवली. त्या कवितेचा मतितार्थ हा की नावाला लोक ओळखतात, जास्त महत्त्व देतात. पण कुणाला त्याचा काही संदर्भ लागला का नाही माहित नाही.

नंतर विचार आला की उगाच नाही 'घरकी मुर्गी दाल बराबर' असे म्हणतात. मीही त्याला अपवाद नसेन. आरती प्रभू सारखा अतिशय प्रतिभावंत कवी सुद्धा "ही निकामी आढयता का, दाद द्या अन शुद्ध व्हा, सुर आम्ही चोरतो का, चोरता का वाहवा" असे लिहितो. मग यावर मी राग मानावा का? मुळीच नाही. माझ्याच एका कवितेतल्या ओळी

"आपलेच दात आपलेच ओठ

घेती आपला आपणच चावा

ओघळणारे रक्तही आपलेच

मग राग कुणावर यावा?"

(चावा, रक्त कदाचित अतिशयोक्ती वाटेल पण उपेक्षा ही प्रत्यक्ष जखमेपेक्षा जिव्हारी लागते)

मग प्रश्न येतो की आपण निर्मिती करावी कशाला? सरळ उत्तर म्हणजे त्यात स्वनिर्मितीचा स्वानंद आहे. म्हणून आपण आपलेच श्रोता व्हावे, आपलेच वाचक व्हावे, आपलेच रसिक व्हावे. जंगलात एकटा असला तरी मोर नाचतोच ना?

कधीतरी, कुणीतरी एखादा वाटसरू येऊन अंगणातील फुले वेचून जाईल. तेव्हा मी असेन, किंवा नसेनही.....

"धुंद वाटेवरी पेरीत जावे तराणे

जाता विरूनी खुणा पावलांच्या

मागे उरावे गाणे"

सुरेश नायर

१२ डिसेंबर २०२३

Routine

Can never tell what may inspire a verse

पतझड

पत्ते तो कबके झड चुके
पतझड का मौसम जो हैं

टेहनी पे लिपटी बेरीया
बस वोभी अब जाने को हैं

रंगों को समेट लो आखों मे 
जाडों का रुखापन आने को हैं

तेरा मेरा प्यार अमर

Lyrics📜 of old Hindi Lata - Shankar Jaikishen song 'Tera Mera Pyar Amar' sung 🎶 on a recent Malayalam song 'Njanum Neeyum' by Shreya Ghoshal. Somehow when I heard the new song, I automatically started humming it to the words of the old song.

चांदरात

Lyrics composed by me and sung on the melody of 'Memory' song 

चांदरात, कबसे मैं खडा हूँ 

देखते राह तेरी, इस सूनी रात में           

दूरतक भी नजर कोई आता नही                 

बस अकेला मैंही हूँ 

आजका तूने वादा किया था

इसलीये मैं यहा हूँ, एक अरमा लिये

चाहे कितनी घडी देर हो जाये ना

आ मिलेगी तू जरूर

फिर भी डर है के तू कही, आ ना पाये तो क्या हो

हूँ परेशान, हूँ मैं हैरान, बढती जाये बैचेनी

ये कैसी आहट हुई हैं

कौन आया यहा है, शायद तू तो नहीं

गर न तू हो तो आस दिलकी ढल जायेगी 

देख चांद भी ढल गया 

तेरे बिना - येगं येगं

'येगं येगं विठाबाई ' या अभंगाच्या चालीवर रचलेले गीत

तेरे बिना भी क्या जिना, 

मेरे साथ सदा तू रेहना

ये जीवन एक लंबी धारा, 

तेरे साथ ही बेहना

जनम जनम का साथ

लागी कभी छुटे ना

अनादी युगाहूनी

सर्वपरिचित येसुदास यांचा मुलगा विजय येसुदास याचे एक मल्याळम गीत . मला खूप आवडले. त्यातले बरेच शब्द (अनादी, युग, पुरातन, दूर, नितांत, एकांत, हृदय, अग्नी, दाह, कोटी, किरण, भूमी, स्नेह, अति, गूढ, विकार, अविराम, प्रणय) मराठीत परिचित वाटले म्हणून ह्या चालीवरच त्यातले काही शब्द उसने घेत हे गीत बांधले. 

अनादी युगाहूनी तुला मी पाहतो
अनंत क्षणातुनी तुला मी जाणितो
तरीही पुन्ह्याने कितीदा
तू भेटते, मजला नवी

कोणी नसतानाच भवती
भासते तू नितांत जवळी
पण सभोती सर्व असता
तुजविना मी एकांती
अति गूढता तुझ्यातील ही
दे सारुनी, ये समोरी

कोटी किरणें तुझ्या भोवती
रत्नहारासम झळकती
मी कसे पाहू तुला गे
नेत्र दिपल्यावाचूनी

पापण्या मिटुनी घेता

तुज पाहुदे हृदयातुनी

सांताची भेट

X'mas to all. Forget the gifts🎁, enjoy the spirit.🎄🔔🎊

शेकोटीच्या जागेपाशी, बांधून ठेवले मोजे
दूध ठेवले पेल्यामध्ये, कुकीज केले ताजे

रात्री कधी झोपले असता, घेऊन मोठे ओझे
हळूच येऊन गेला सांता, घेऊन गेला मोजे

ठेऊन गेला चिट्ठी एक, होते जिथे मोजे
लिहिले होते चिट्ठीमध्ये, "ऐका, अहो राजे

कुणाच्या खांद्यावर, कुणाचे ओझे
फुकट भेटी वाटत फिरणे, वय नाही माझे

कष्ट करून घाम गाळ, होईल बरे तुझे
पुढल्या वर्षी ठेवणार नाहीस, म्हणून नेतो मोजे"

सांताने काही दिले नाही, म्हणू तरी कसे?
देऊन गेला धडा खरा, आभार आहेत त्याचे

सांताविना नाताळात फार, वाटेल उदासवाणे
भेट, बक्षीस काही नको, पण भेटीस नक्की येणे

नौका

शंखमुखम येथील किनाऱ्यावर घेतलेल्या फोटोवरून सुचलेली कविता...

नववधूपरी नटूनी थटूनी, तीरावरल्या वाळूवरती

वाट पाहते मी एकांती, कधी सागरा येईल भरती

स्थिर जरी हा असे किनारा, वाळू देई ऊब निवारा

तरी न वाटे मनी दिलासा, खिळून दृष्टी असे सागरा

तीरावर जरी माहेर माझे, पाण्यावर संसार विराजे

लेणे ल्याले सौभाग्याचे, नितळ, अथांग सागराचे

वादळ, वारा, विशाल लाटा, वाहीन त्यातून काढीत वाटा

भय, काळजीस देऊन फाटा, सागर असता पाठीराखा

जन्मच सारा असाच जावा, हसत गात नित हिंदोळावा

एके दिनी मग विलीन व्हावा, सागरहृदयी खोल तळाला

Like a newlywed bride, I await on the sandshore

All alone by myself, for the high tide to return

The shore offers stability, the sand, warmth & comfort

The mind still feels restless, eyes remain focused on the ocean

The shore is my parental home, the water is my marital abode

I remain committed forever, to the clear, vast ocean

Through storms & churning waves, I will wade finding my way

Without fear or any worries, The ocean, my guarding companion

Let the life be spent this way, Smiling, Singing, Swaying

Until one day I will lay to rest, Deep under, in the heart of the ocean

Suresh Nair

Cook Food, Share Love

My Mother, Padma Nair, is acknowledged as a great cook in our family and friend circle. She is originally from Thivanandapuram but settled in Pune for 50 plus years and now in USA for past 10 years. Her style is a mix of South Indian and Maharashtrian, traditional and unorthodox and mostly instinctive. This channel is just my attempt to capture some of her cooking recipes hands on and as a video making hobby for myself. It is not a professional style cooking show with exact measurements, great decor etc. Just plain simple homestyle cooking. 

'Cook Food, Share Love' Youtube Channel

Colorado-Utah Road Trip - Spring 2022

 

Link to all photos & videos from the trip

Planning

For all the convenience, luxury and time saving of travel by air, it just doesn’t generate the same excitement as a road trip. Whether traveling with family, friends or solo, a road trip could provide you with a way to connect, destress or meditate. 

I have been wanting to take an extended road trip somewhere for a while, where you don't necessarily have a solid plan but only a loose and open one. Plan as you go, take it in your stride kind of thing. While I have had many enjoyable road trips with family and friends over the years, they have never extended beyond a week at most and had to be planned in terms of accommodation, activities etc.  

In 2021, while coming out of the worst of Covid and its losses in general and at personal level, I wanted an outlet. Which made me dare take a short 5-day trip to Virginia and West Virginia. It was an enjoyable and learning experience for me. I drove through the nights, slept in the car, camped, strolled on the beach, dipped in the ocean, hiked in national parks, thrilled in white water rafting. And without known company, it was easier to connect with strangers, however briefly.  

After a trip I took in Dec, 2021 with a friend to Grand Canyon National Park and Zion National Park, I very much wanted to visit Utah again to cover the other NPs. The hiking I did in Grand Canyon and Zion not only gave me confidence but sparked a desire in me to do more. And thus formed an epic trip in Spring of 2022. 

The duration of trip I planned for was about 10-11 days and included national parks in Colorado (3) and Utah (4) with a stopover in St. Louis for 1 more. I knew it would be hard to coordinate such a long trip with anyone due to conflicts with work and other priorities in life. The timing I picked was convenient for me but not necessarily for others. Plus, I specifically wanted it to be a road trip from MI to UT which increased the duration by almost 3-4 days. The reasons were twofold - monetary and experience. In the end it was rewarding in both aspects.

I did research and planned for the trip in terms of looking up information about each NP, the major things to see, hikes to do and tips from other travelers which was very helpful when I was there. I did distance calculations and mapped the route and sequence of where and when I will be on which days. Just a week before I booked a hotel in Durango, CO, a campsite near Arches NP and a hotel resort near Bryce Canyon. This took care of my accommodations and kind of locked in my sightseeing itinerary. Considering that gas prices were high (thanks to general inflation and the war) I even wrote down average gas prices state wise through which I was traveling. It may seem farfetched but there were instances when just crossing the state border could make quite a difference if you are fully filling the gas tank. I was relying on my 10 yr. old 2013 Ford Explorer for the trip, and it thankfully it supported me well with no issues.  

Day 1 - 3/25 – Gateway Arch NP

I started from home on the evening of Thurs Mar 24. Plan was to reach St. Louis by morning, a drive of just over 500 miles. I had booked a trolley tour at the Gateway Arch National Park that morning and riverboat tour for noon. It was a good, easy drive through the night, listening to songs and an audio novel. You can only listen to so many songs or so much news and I am not much into listening to podcasts or inspirational audios. A good fiction audio book though can keep you engaged for long time.  

After taking stop at a rest area for few hours I was in my pre-booked parking lot in downtown St Louis by 7 am. Even at home I am not a heavy 8 hr. sleeper and outside the comfort of a home bed I am an even light sleeper. In my opinion a body knows what it needs and will adjust and demand it, so I usually am not too worried. Still, I do make sure to do frequent stops for resting and short naps on long drives. From safety perspective I make sure I am in a well-lit rest area with decent traffic. You can never be too cautious when away from the comfort zone of your home base.  

Foodwise too, on such trips I am not picky about having regular meals as such. I had snacks and food items from home - parathas and other food items, energy bars, Indian snack items, nuts etc. Some croissants, a pack of Good Day biscuits and a bottle of raspberry jam served me well as breakfast and dessert few times. Searching and stopping for food takes away time plus what’s the point of eating and spending on same old McDonald’s or Subway. I rather prefer to experience any special local foods & drinks or eateries. 

Since I had couple of hours before my tour I strolled casually around the Gateway Arch, along the Mississippi riverfront, taking in the scenery as the sun was rising clicking pictures. Once the park opened, I headed straight to my trolley tour. A set of walkways and instructions and I was heading up in the trolley to the top of the arch. From outside it would be hard to imagine that you can travel all the way up through the narrow arch. The trolley itself is very constricted like sitting in an airplane bathroom and takes about 4 min to go up. Once up, there is a narrow platform with windows on either side to peek through and look at the city and river view below. It is quite something to marvel at from such a vantage point and totally worth it. You get about 10 min to stay up before heading down again for a 3 min journey.  

Now I had another couple hours before my river cruise which was well spent in the Gateway Arch Museum. There are lot of debates on whether the Gateway Arch should be a national monument instead of a national park.  Whether you agree or disagree the museum gives context and lot of great info on the significance of St Louis in the expansion of the western frontier. My time was well spent engrossed in learning a lot on the subject in the museum. The idea, conceptualization and building of the arch is also quite interesting to see and read about.  

From there I headed to onboard on my riverboat, aptly named Tom Sawyer. An hour-long cruise on the mighty Mississippi with guided audio from the boat captain/ guide was quite informative. Those who have read Mark Twain can't but remember Tom and his friend Huckleberry on this same river. It is a major industrial waterway and we saw many barges with cargo floating around or being tugged away. After disembarking from the boat, I walked around for some time in the downtown and had a quick bite for lunch. I searched online for any special eateries but didn’t find anything that was unmissable (lot of steak or barbecue places for those who like it).  

After a successful first checkmark on my itinerary (or Shri Ganesha as we call it) it was time to head to my next stop to CO, a drive of over 900 miles. It was about 3 pm in afternoon and it would be next morning to reach where I was headed next. I had to cut across from east to west through Missouri and Kansas states before entering CO. I drove through the afternoon and evening before tiredness set in. Then there were multiple rest stops through the night as I pushed through. By sunrise I was in CO driving through the San Luis valley in Alamosa County. The weather was crisp and clear with blue skies and already I could feel the vastness of the western landscape. Soon I would reach my next destination, Great Sand Dunes National Park. 

Day 2 – 3/26 – Great Sand Dunes & Black Canyon of Gunnison

Living in Michigan I am not new to sand dunes. Up near Traverse City we have Sleeping Bear sand dunes which are impressive. The sand dunes at Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado however carry the distinction of being the tallest in North America.  

I arrived there in the morning around 8.30-9 am. From the parking lot you can get right onto the flat sand and a short walk leads to the dune climb. Walking on sand is not an easy task. Every step is sinking in and pulling out, lot harder on your knees, feet and can quickly put you out of breadth. It could be even dangerous in hot weather as sand could heat up well above 100 degrees.  

As I climbed up, I could see people in the far distance all over the dunes, some at the very top. Looking around, you can see the Sangre de Cristo Mountains with trees and shrubs and wonder why the massive dunes of over 30 sq miles sit in the middle of it. Geologically it happened over long time due to sediments, lakes that receded and dried over time and the unique wind patterns of the San Luis valley. Pretty impressive indeed! 

Apart from walking on the dunes, sandboarding is another favorite activity to do here. Lot of small kids and youngsters were having fun with it. Later in spring the melting snow from the mountains fill the Medano creek at the bottom of dunes and visitors must cross the shallow waters to reach the dunes from the parking lot. It is another fun activity but there wasn’t any water when I was there. There are couple of hikes in nearby forest area but the main activity here is the sand dunes. After giving some thought I decided to visit another national park instead of spending all day on the dunes. It was on my list and at distance of 200 miles, but it was just noon, so I had lot of time on hand.  

It may seem like lot of driving from one point of interest to another, but when you are in a new place everything is a new experience. The drive wasn’t all major highway, in fact many smaller roads winding through mountains and open spaces. Taking it all in leisurely I was at the Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park in about 3 hrs. The highlight here is the steep dark gorge carved by the Gunnison River. I read somewhere that the black signifies parts of the gorge which never see sunlight. There are roads and trails around the rim and some hiking into the gorge as well. 

I was hoping to drive around the rim, pull into some lookout points, take pictures. I wasn’t keen on hiking down another canyon (after my recent Grand Canyon hike). Unfortunately, the roads were closed for some ski or other sport tryouts. So, all I could do was walk a bit around the rim near the visitor center and take a few pictures. I was somewhat disappointed but not in a major way. This Park was a 'maybe' on my list and at least I got to be there. In some ways it turned out to be a blessing based on what was in store for me next. 

I had put my next stop, which was a hotel in Durango, CO based on its proximity to my next NP on the itinerary. I put the address on the Google maps and started driving. Heading out from the town of Montrose I jumped on to US 550 and had a drive of a lifetime on the Million Dollar Hwy. Of course, I had no idea it was called that at the time. All I realized was that I was driving through the scenic San Juan mountains which were mostly snow covered then, on a narrow two-lane bidirectional road, with lots of switchbacks and turns, steep drops with no guardrails, lots of avalanche signs and sometimes ice that had slid down the road from the slopes. 

It’s my habit on these trips to take pictures and even videos as we drive by. However, for the  toughest part of the highway I was more tied up firmly gripping the steering wheel, ensuring I wasn't going down the steeps or crashing onto oncoming vehicles. However, there were moments to capture and enjoy, and even sing "Yeh parbaton ke dayre yeh sham ka dhua" as the setting sun lit up the snow-covered mountain tops in golden colors while partially hiding the slopes in the long shadows of trees. I couldn't have planned the season and drivetime better. It’s true that some of the best things in life just happen by chance.  

I reached my hotel in Durango and the first thing I did was to look up what the heck I drove through and that's when I realized the name and significance of the highway. All in all, I was in high spirits, having a great second day of my trip, going better than planned and in good luck weather-wise. After a drink (or two) of some bourbon and dinner, watching TV, making phone calls, and browsing through messages etc. it was time to turn in for the day. 

Day 3 – 3/27 – Mesa Verde NP

Durango is a small town in Colorado with access to lot of outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing etc. The next park on my itinerary was Mesa Verde National Park which is just under an hour drive from Durango. From what I had read it isn’t a highly visited park and I also wouldn’t need the whole day for me to see the park. So, I wasn’t in a hurry. 

The day earlier I asked at the hotel desk what all is there to do nearby. I was referred to a river trail just across, so I decided to go there for a morning stroll. The Animas River trial is a decent walking, mostly paved, trail alongside the Animas River. I walked leisurely for about an hour as other people walked or jogged, a father and son fished, an energetic dog having fun in and out of the water. Then I headed back for some breakfast, check out and was on my way to Mesa Verde National Park.

Located in southwest Colorado, this park is established primarily to preserve the archaeological and cultural artifacts of the ancestral Puebloan people. About 1500 years ago, long before Europeans explored North America a group of people living in the four corners region chose Mesa Verde for their home. They began building homes (cliff dwellings are highlights here) and farming. Corn played a major role in their lives not just for food but also in their cultural life. After living there for about 750 years they moved away for various reasons leaving behind their signs and heritage.

A primary stop at the visitor center, provided all this good info to me on the history of the Pueblo people. I want to mention a couple of things here about National Park visits. The 'America the Beautiful' NP annual pass is worth it if you visit even 2-3 parks a year (and even if none just as support to the amazing natural preserved treasures in our country). Also, I always visit the visitor center for a souvenir (magnets mostly for me), free maps and information on display or from rangers which is helpful when you go through the park. 

From the visitor center I started driving to the top of the mesa where there are few loop roads that take you to different sights and overlooks. Cliff palace, Spruce tree house, Chapin Mesa, Sun Temple are some of the must-see sights here. The Cliff palace is the largest cliff dwellings in North America. There are guided tours which take you in for a closer look, but they hadn’t started as I was early in the season. You can see them quite clearly though from certain overlook points and binoculars can help you view lot of details. I also did the Upper Petroglyph trail which winds through a juniper forest and has panoramic canyon views plus several rock carvings.

After spending about 5-6 hours in the park I headed out to my next destination in Utah near Moab, Arches National Park. It was about 2.5 hrs. easy drive and coming closer I could already see some of the red rock formations. I had booked a tent campsite at Sun Outdoors campground, and it was a decent site surrounded by the red mountains. It was just about 3 miles from Arches NP and around 5.30 pm when I arrived. 

I was too eager to visit Arches and the fact that one of the most famous arches, Delicate Arch, is recommended to be viewed at sunset seemed like a chance I should take. So, there I was driving into the park, taking the customary pic at the entrance, then driving up the steep hill and entering a different world. For anyone coming first time to Arches it feels outwardly. I already had my phone out, taking pictures and recording though I wanted to reach the parking lot soon. From the parking lot its about 1.5-2 miles hike to the arch itself but it is highly deceiving. The climb is steep and, in a rush, to be there before sunset it was a hefty, strenuous hike for me. 

I did make it though and it was totally worth it. There were lot of people there already and the setting was gorgeous. The evening sky was in various hues of blue, orange, red, gold, purple forming a fitting backdrop to the unique arch. Writing and describing it is one thing but I am glad I have it visually captured on camera as well. Unfortunately, I could not stay longer as the sun had already set and it was getting dark fast. The trail wasn’t very well marked, and I didn’t want to be walking alone in dark and get lost or break an ankle. Luckily, I was able to do the opening of my Christmas gift from my daughter, a great headlamp and put it to good use. Since everyone was also heading back to the parking I was in good company. 

Back to the campsite, after setting up the tent, taking a long shower, having dinner, and then sitting relaxed on my camp chair somewhat late into night I looked forward to spending the full next day exploring Arches. 

Day 4 - 3/28 -Arches NP

I woke up early that day as I did not want to take any chances of delays entering the Arches National Park or finding parking. I was at the park entrance before 7.30 am and while it wasn’t hard to get in, I could see many cars rolling in around that time.

Per their website description Arches National Park has “over 2000 natural stone arches, hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive rock fins, and giant balanced rocks. This red-rock wonderland will amaze you with its formations, refresh you with its trails, and inspire you with its sunsets”

I drove on towards the end of the park scenic drive to the Devil's Garden trailhead. From here you can hike on a trail to see multiple arches. I parked, got ready with my backpack, and started walking. Just a short distance from the trailhead there are two arches, the Tunnel arch and Pine tree arch. Less than a mile ahead you come to the Landscape arch which is the longest arches anywhere on earth. Part of it collapsed few years back so you cannot go close to or under the arch (there used to be trail from under). A viewing platform gives a great view of this wonderful arch.

From thereon forwards the trail gets harder with a steep rock scramble and then some hiking through the rocks at the top with amazing surrounding views of the red rocks formations. There are multiple short mini hikes on the side to different arches (Partition Arch, Navajo Arch, Wall arch). About a mile and half from Landscape arch you come to the Double O Arch. It is what the name suggests and worth more than a wonderful picture. Though a picture is a good keepsake for memories. In all these places someone is always willing to take your photo and the unwritten rule is that you should do the same in a pay it forward fashion.

I proceeded ahead to Dark Angel pinnacle which essentially is a tall dark rock and the name reminded me of Dexter. Coming back, somehow instead of following the regular trail that I took while coming, I went on sideways on the primitive loop trail. This trail is difficult with steep slopes, narrow drop-offs, and rock scrambling. I was thankful for wearing decent hiking shoes on these rock scrambles and having enough water with me. There are just a couple of arches on this trail such as the Private arch. The hike was strenuous and by the time I reached back to my car I had covered more than 7 miles in just over 5 hrs.

After some lunch I started driving on the scenic drive, coming backwards towards the park entrance while stopping on multiple other points of interest such as Skyline Arch, Sand Dune Arch, Fiery Furnace, Balanced Rock and Windows trail with the Parade of Elephants. Each of these are unique and worth a look. Overall, I had walked more than 13 miles so far and I was glad that I had covered the Delicate Arch the day before. After a brief stop at the visitor center for a browse and souvenir purchase, I was out of the park by about 5 pm.

Back to my campsite, after a good shower I felt refreshed and since it was too early in the evening I decided to hang out and have dinner in Moab. It’s a small travel town with a main arterial highway road, with many hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops and outdoor activity/ excursion places. It was buzzing with activity with many people strolling on the roads or shopping in the souvenir shops. I walked around a bit then had pizza and a beer at the Zax Restaurant.

Back to the campsite the weather forecast had some wind and rain at night, so I decided to just sleep in the car instead of taking my chances in the small tent. With the back seats laid flat there is enough room for a person to lay a sleeping bag and comfortably sleep in the car. Laying down I looked forward to exploring Canyonlands National Park next day.

Day 5 - 3/29 – Canyonlands NP

Arches and Canyonlands National Park are just about 25 miles from each other. Canyonlands is the largest park in Utah, and it is divided into 4 different areas by the Green and Colorado rivers - Island in the sky, The Needles, The Maze, and the rivers themselves. Needles and mainly Maze is all rough terrain and require high clearance 4-wheel drives. Also, though they all appear close on map there are no roads that directly link these areas. Traveling between them requires 2 to 6 hrs. by car as there are few places to cross the rivers.

My plan was to visit Island in the Sky area which is what most visitors visit. It had rained quite a bit at night but when I woke up it had stopped, and the sky was just a little cloudy. I got ready, made instant tea and upma (from a ready mix my mom had prepared) on a small camping stove, ate and was on my way to Canyonlands. There wasn’t much traffic on the roads. Driving through this red rock country in different weather and light conditions has its unique charm and beauty. On the way I got a view of the Monitor and Merrimac buttes which are named after two ships during the American Civil War.

After a brief stop at the visitor center in Canyonlands I headed to my first stop at Mesa Arch, which requires a very short, under a mile, hike. It’s a spectacular arch with great Canyon and the Le Sal mountains view right behind it and particularly at sunrise you can get dramatic pictures of the underside of the arch lit up in bright orange, golden color. When I went there it was still little cloudy so I could not see the glow effect fully, but still the sunrise through the clouds was worth a watch and I got one of the best personal photos of me of the trip with the arch in the background.

From there I headed to my next point, Aztec Butte. The 1.7-mile roundtrip trail to Aztec Butte, a slickrock dome is steep and includes rock scrambling. There are ancient Pueblo granaries near the rim and the 360-degree surrounding view from the top is spectacular. There was hardly anyone there when I went, and the peacefulness was almost meditative.

From thereon I headed to Whale Rock, which is a sandstone formation resembling a beached whale (to whoever must have named it first). It’s a moderate hike to the top and again providing great surrounding views. Further ahead on the drive is Upheaval dome. A short but strenuous climb brings you to the first viewpoint of Upheaval dome. It’s a bowl-shaped crater with multiple theories about its formation, such as a meteorite or salt dome. I didn’t hike to the second viewpoint.

Driving back on the scenic drive I stopped at couple of overlook points from which you can view the vast canyons below. From the Buck Canyon point the dark canyons resemble map of India seen from the southern end. Interestingly when I mentioned it to some people there, an old man mentioned Sri Lanka. We had a chat and he said that he had worked closely with Sri Lankan prime minister Premadasa in the early 80s. We chatted a bit about that and his visit to different places in India and then I headed back to the park entrance.

The Schaefer Canyon overlook is right opposite the visitor center. From here you can see serpentine dirt roads winding down the canyon and far onto the White Rim Road. The 100 miles White Rim Road loops around and below the Island in the sky mesa top. It requires permits and high clearance four-wheel vehicles to go on it and do backcountry camping (four-wheel-drive trips usually take three to four days). Peeking out and looking at those steep roads going down with sharp switchbacks can make your heart miss a few beats. Even if I had a 4-wheeler, I doubt I would have dared take the chance of driving down on those switchbacks.

I headed back to Moab to have some food at a food park and back to the campsite. Looking back, I could have done a quick stop to Dead Horse State Park which was a little off but on the way. I read that it has great views of the canyon and rivers. But I was exhausted as this 5th day into my trip with lot of driving and hiking and I had 3 more days of itinerary plus drive back home so maybe next time. 

Day 6 - 3/30 – Capital Reef NP

I left Sun Outdoors campground for good around 7.30 am to head to Capital Reef National Park. It’s just over 2 hrs. drive (appr 135 mi) mostly on UT-24. Leaving behind the red rock area I passed through some long straight drives with vast plain land on both sides. The clouds had a reddish tinge to them making the whole landscape feel ethereal. Then I passed through an area with grey, barren hills which looked like cement mounds. Whenever I pass through these varying geologically diverse topographical areas over not too long of a distance, it always makes me wonder what past geological events or weather conditions must have contributed to it.

I arrived at Capital Reef around 9.20 am and headed ahead driving into the park. It was a pleasant, clear day and I drove by with the tall sandstone cliffs and a river flowing alongside the road. My first stop was the lower Grand Wash Trailhead. The description reads "Follow a dry streambed along a rocky, sculpted heart of Capital Reef. As the canyon wall narrows, footsteps echo between the sandstone cliffs looming hundreds of feet overhead....".  I parked my car and headed onto the dry Narrows, though these are much different than the Narrows trail I did in Zion NP where we are wading through running water.

I started walking along on the streambed with the towering cliffs on either side, which had deep fissures and cave like structures all along. As I headed deeper, with hardly anyone on the trail, I was a somewhat afraid of running into a mountain lion. It seemed like a perfect terrain with lot of hideouts and very much like a recent video I had seen of a jogger's encounter with one in Utah. Just to get some sense of security I walked with a rock in hand and playing some music on my phone. Then I came across a few people and was glad that I wasn’t the only one on the trail. The trail is about 2.2 miles to the Upper Grand Wash Trailhead and a little before that is the Cassidy Arch trail.

Cassidy Arch is a natural stone arch high above the cliffs from the Grand Wash. It’s named after Butch Cassidy, who had a hideout in Grand Wash. Cassidy Arch is rated as strenuous trail of 1.7 miles one way, with an elevation change of appr. 700 ft. The first half of the trail is quite hard with rapid elevation change and not much shade on the way. Then you reach the rim above and it gets easier. The arch is huge and more like a natural bridge. You can stand on the arch bridge, and someone can take a photo, from a distance. The surrounding view is awesome with UT-24 winding down below through the park.

I headed back down and again through the Narrows to my car. Driving ahead I arrived at the visitor center and as usual made a stop for a souvenir and information displays. From there I went to the Gifford House, near Frita, which is a historical farmhouse from early Mormon settlers who lived, farmed, and grew fruit orchards. The orchards, which still grow fruits, are part of the park now. At Gifford house they sell fresh fruit pies but had run out when I went there. I was disappointed but was able to get one on my way back on another day.

From there you can jump onto a short scenic byway. There are not many stops or pull outs on the byway but towards the end I arrived at the Capital Gorge Road. This is a dirt, hard terrain road which goes through a narrow gorge. I was hesitant of driving on it but after seeing cars smaller than mine coming out from there I decided to check it out. It’s a slow, crunchy drive but an interesting experience driving on a narrow road with huge cliffs in either side. I drove about couple of miles then turned around and after stopping for some pictures thanks to some walkers, I headed back on the scenic drive to my last stop which was Hickman Bridge Trail. Hickman Bridge Trail is a moderate 0.9 mi hike to a natural bridge. After the Cassidy Arch trail this one felt less adventurous but still worth it. By the time I was back to my car it was close to 6.30 pm and I had about 2.5 hrs.(120mi) drive to my next stop at Bryce Canyon Resort.

One lesson I have learned from these trips is to avoid driving at night on unfamiliar smaller country roads. As I drove on UT-62 and UT-22 and it got darker, I was nervous because of the remoteness of the area. There were hardly any signs of habitation, I had no cell signal (luckily downloaded maps help with navigation if you have them loaded before), many signs of open ranch and if not cattle then plenty of chances of deer encounter given the forest around. I drove at barely 35-40 mi speed hoping to see some lights or signs of activity in vain for miles. Finally, after what seemed like long time I arrived at the resort. It was a nice place with a very helpful, talkative person at the reception who seemed to be the do-it-all person. After a quick shower and dinner, I settled in looking forward to another popular Utah park tomorrow.

Day 7 - 3/31 – Bryce Canyon NP

"You enter the park, drive to the Sunset point (as suggested by the Ranger), park your car, go to overlook and are just awestruck with the 'kesariya' (saffron) world stretched below you. Then you hike, winding down these amazing 'hoodoos', taking in nature's wonder through your eyes and your camera. The weather changes multiple times from cloudy to snow flurries to bright sun with clear skies, each of them casting the view in different light like some stage show. All in all, 7 miles of hiking down and up in about 5-6 hrs. as if strolling through an enchanted world. That was Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah for me today."

 This was my Facebook post the day I visited the park which sums it up well. I woke up early that day and was at the park entrance by 8 am. I stopped at the visitor center for souvenir shopping and info then went to the Sunset point parking lot. From there it’s a short walk to the overlook and as mentioned above it was just an amazing sight spread in front and below me. The tall orange hoodos stretching out in a semicircle below, with winding trails in the hazy morning light was worth a sight. 

 I started on the Navajo trail which starts right near the Sunset point. The trail winds down into and through the hoodos and other rock formations with awesome zigzag switchbacks at some points. As I was going down, the skies got darker and there were rapid snowflakes but not much. It cleared up soon, but it was one of the multiple weather conditions that I was to encounter that day. Once down I had the choice to continue onto the Queens Garden trail or the Peekaboo trail on either side. I decided to explore the Peekaboo trail for some distance then come back and complete the Queen's trail. 

 The trail takes its name from the many surprises that await around its turns and elevation changes. While rated as moderate, due to rapid elevation changes and total length it is also considered hard. After some flat walking areas on the Peekaboo trail, it started going up and becoming strenuous. I was walking at a leisurely pace stopping often to take photos or videos and taking in/ admiring the surrounding beauty. Sometimes the sun was completely out, sometimes it was covered with clouds, and the differing lighting with blue skies and white clouds in the background offered beautiful views of the vistas. There was even a passing quick, rain shower when I had to take shelter under some trees. Multiple times I had to switch between a full sleeve and light half sleeve jacket depending on temps. 

The whole trail is a 5-mile loop, but I went about halfway to the Wall of Windows and started back the way I came. Coming back on the earlier fork, I now headed onto the Queens Garden trail. This is a popular hike as it is shorter but offers amazing views of the hoodoos and rock formations. By the time I had completed the Queen's trail and was back up at the Sunset point, I had completed about 7 miles of hiking on what is termed as the Loop 8 trail (Navajo, Queens, and Peekaboo) and about 5 hrs. of hiking. It is hard to explain everything you see in words here; you really must walk and experience it. 

I had a quick lunch in the car and drove further onto the scenic drive stopping at one of the lookout points. However, once you have walked through below and seen the formations up close, the views from the lookout points don’t hold as much charm. It was late afternoon, and I was tired, so I decided to head back to the resort for a nap and then come back up later to watch the sunset. 

Back at the resort and after a nap when I looked out it was raining and very cloudy. It wasn’t an ideal condition to watch sunset, so I decided to just stay in and instead catch the sunrise in the morning. Tomorrow was my last day of the itinerary of the trip after which it was a long drive home, for whatever time it would take. 

Day 8 – 4/1 – Scenic Byway 12 + Journey Home

I got up early and was at the Bryce Canyon Sunrise point just before sunrise. There was a decent amount of people already there. The weather was chilly and bit windy. The valley below was spread out in hazy light fog in some places and clear but darker in other places. As the sun rose over the dark mountains far away the whole scenery was bathed up in golden, orange light. It was a beautiful sight. I hung there for some time taking pictures then drove up to Bryce Point lookout which I had missed the previous day. Ice crystals covered the wood railings and fallen logs which provided a great foreground to the scenery beyond.

I headed back to the resort for breakfast and checkout. My plan was to get onto to US Scenic Byway 12, a 120 plus mile paved scenic road which runs from Bryce Canyon NP Park in the west and ends up near Torrey and Capital Reef NP Park in the east.  Thereafter I would be on my way home.

The scenic byway has the designation of 'All American Road' and passes through many places worth exploring in between the national parks at its end. This includes State parks (Anasazi State Park, Escalante Petrified Forest State Park, Kodachrome Basin State Park), small towns (Tropic, Escalante, Cannonville, Boulder), off-road trails such as Burr's trail, Hell's Backbone trail with slot canyons plus waterfalls. It may take a full day or even multiple days to explore everything, however some places are not easily accessible or require 4x4 or off-road vehicles due to unpaved roads.

As for me I just took a lazy drive on the byway offering panoramic views and through Dixie National Forest. On the way I did the Mossy Cave trail up to a small waterfall, drove a few miles on the Burr's trail and stopped at a few lookout points. With lot of remoteness and things spread out it’s not an easy place to explore. Once I reached Capital Reef Park, I stopped by again at the Gifford House and was lucky enough to get a pie this time.

I wouldn’t list out too many details of my appr. 1700 mi drive back home through UT, CO, NB, IO, IL, IN back to MI. The drive through Colorado was the most exciting with mountain driving most of the way up to Denver. Most of the other drive was through the plains, tiresome and with multiple rest stops. I had left UT on Friday afternoon and by the time I reached home it was Sunday just past midnight. Even though tired and weary I was glad the whole trip happened mostly as per plan, without any mishaps or weather issues. Looking forward to many such trips in future.