El Malpais and El Morro

April 29, 2023

Based on the title, you might think that I’m back in Spain. Nope! New Mexico. I’m on my way to visit friends in Santa Fe, which allowed me to explore some of the state.

El Malpais National Park is near Grants, New Mexico, south of Interstate 40 and just over an hour west of Albuquerque. The way to visit the park is to start at the visitor center, which is literally across the freeway from Grants.
Unlike most National Parks, the visitor center is not the grand entrance. The park is split into two sections, and the visitor center is in a sort of no man’s land in between.

To reach the eastern section, drive up to exit 89. Then you can enjoy a scenic drive with a few stops along the way. There is not much hiking in this section, so I saved it for the late afternoon.

La Ventana Arch in the east side of El Malpais

Lava Falls is a hiking area on the south end of the eastern part of the park. I found the trail markers confusing and didn’t venture far.

Sandstone Bluffs in the eastern section of El Malpais

To reach the west section of the park, drive west to exit 81. Then continue to go south, where you will have a few hiking opportunities in the park.

Based on the recommendation from the visitor center, I hiked El Calderon to a volcanic crater. It was a perfect day for hiking, sunny and in the 60s. The trail was not crowded, and the trailhead had an inviting picnic area. The hike took me by some interesting lava tubes and up around the crater.

The caves on the El Calderon trail are currently closed. Sorry. No spelunking!

The hike continues along the crater rim.

Most of El Calderon Trail looks like this.

If you hike the longer loop, you will have to go through the more challenging lava field section.

After my hike, I decided to check out El Morro National Monument. So glad I did! I still had energy, so I took the two-mile Headland Trail up on the 240-foot rock bluff. Even though it was a sunny Saturday afternoon, the trail wasn’t crowded, and I ended up on top alone. If you are an avid hiker, you can appreciate the serenity and beauty that one experiences alone in nature. And after visiting busy places like the Grand Canyon and Sedona, alone time was a treasure. There was truly an otherworldly feeling up there. And there was a bonus—an ancestral Puebloan Dwelling.

The beautiful rock bluffs of El Morro National Monument

This box canyon is only visible from the top of the bluff.

Having descended, new views of the bluff appeared. The lines were created from water flow.

After descending the bluff, the trail connects to the half-mile Inscription Trail. There are hundreds of Spanish and American inscriptions on the rocks, along with some petroglyphs.

I highly recommend both El Malpais and El Morro.

The Grand Canyon: America’s Premier National Park

April 17-20, 2023
Sometimes a splurge is worth it. When it comes to the National Parks, I assess the lodging options and, at times, take the plunge and go over budget for in-park accommodations.

Last summer, I stayed in a little cabin near Yellowstone Lake Lodge. Absolutely worth it! The cabin itself was cute and clean, and I was able to maximize my time in the park.

I again splurged at the Grand Canyon. The location, Yavapai Lodge, was perfect. The room itself, though, was kind of crappy. There’s really no other way to put it. The sheets appeared clean, but I was unsure about the rest. The coffee station hadn’t been cleaned or refilled, the shower curtain had mildew, and the nonslip mat in the tub had permadirt.

I decided to remain optimistic and focus on the fabulous location. I could walk to the main grocery store and the canyon rim, and the park shuttle stops were nearby.

If you’ve never been, The Grand Canyon should be on your bucket list. One really can’t comprehend its expansiveness without seeing it in person. As Theodore Roosevelts said, it is “the one great sight…every American should see.”

Even better, a friend came up to join me for some hiking. We put in about nine miles along the Rim Trail starting from Hermit’s Rest. It was pretty much an all-day event starting with two shuttle rides. I probably wouldn’t have walked that far without company, and I’m grateful to have had the experience. We also took in Canyon Village life with dinner and live music at the Yavapai Tavern. It was one of the best days of this trip.

Enjoy the photos but know that the real thing is ten times better!

You can see the Colorado River in the center.

At some points, the Rim Trail is literally on the rim!

Female elk on the morning of my departure

Zion to Grand Canyon

April 17, 2023

I’m a National Park Nerd. I’ll admit it. I love the concept, and I love Teddy Roosevelt for making an impact on the National Parks system. They are here for us to enjoy, and I certainly do! I’ve been privileged to visit many of the parks in the western US.

I also like to find those less-famous National Monuments. A friend suggested that I stop at Pipe Spring National Monument on my way from Zion to the Grand Canyon.

Pipe Spring is worth a visit, especially if you like history. It is a Mormon pioneer site with the main building, Winsor Castle, and two cabins intact. There’s even a corral with longhorn cattle, and the spring still feeds the ponds on the site.

Interior of Winsor Castle (not really a castle)

You can also walk a half-mile trail above the buildings for spectacular views. It’s a perfect stretch-your-legs stop.

My next stop was the Glen Canyon Dam. Sorry, I didn’t take the dam tour. I had other things on my agenda. I did walk out on the bridge, though.

I wanted to tour the Lower Antelope Canyon but found the numerous ticket websites daunting. Instead of booking online, I opted to stop at the local tourist office to see if I could get in that afternoon. I was in luck, but I also had time to kill before my 2:45 tour. (I had gained an hour since Arizona does not recognize Daylight Savings Time.)

Riding the golf cart down to the marina at Antelope Point

I decided to drive to Antelope Point on Lake Powell. From the map, I could see that there was a marina and restaurant.
It was an interesting lunch stop, to say the least. We customers were shuttled down to the marina in golf carts. It wasn’t as scenic as I had anticipated, but the food was decent, and it was an experience.

I have mixed feelings about the Lower Antelope Tour. First, the rock formations are incredible. It truly is a sight to see, and if you enjoy taking photos, the results can be genuinely awesome.

What I didn’t enjoy was that it was crowded. Thirty of us left in three groups of ten to “tour” the slot canyon. It was more like a “stand and wait” than a tour. What took 75 minutes could have been a 15-minute tour. I’m not sure if there would be a better solution. They are limiting the number of people on the tours. I guess I prefer to avoid big crowds.

It was 4:15 by the time I got back to my car, and I still had an hour and a half of driving to get to the Grand Canyon. I was exhausted by the time I checked in at Yavapai Lodge. But I was at The Grand Canyon!

First shot of the Grand Canyon as I drove in from the east entrance

Two Days in Zion

April 15-16, 2023

It had been over twenty years since I had last visited Zion National Park, and I was overdue for a trip back.

Zion has beauty and wonders that you must experience firsthand.

First, I recommend arriving early, before 8:00 AM. After a long day of travel on April 14th, I happily slept in and arrived at the park just after 9:00, and the parking lot was full. I’ll admit I was a little frustrated. To see the main canyon in Zion, you must park and take the shuttle (from March-November). Private cars are not allowed in that section of the park.

I’m not opposed to the shuttle system. It makes sense. And I arrived at 7:30 the next day to find plenty of spots in the parking lot.

There is a section of the park where you can drive a private vehicle. It takes you through the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel and out of the park’s east entrance. Since I was unwilling to pay to park outside of the park, I opted to drive on the 15th.

In the end, it was a good plan. I stopped several times and got to enjoy the scenery and took several short walks. When I sat down for lunch, a herd of goats arrived to join me. No complaints.

But if you go to Zion, you must see the canyon.

I started by taking the shuttle to the final stop, the Temple of Sinawava. From this stop, take the Riverside Walk for about a mile along the Virgin River to The Narrows. People hike in the river through the Narrows when the water is low.

Since it was mid-April, there was no possibility of walking upstream. Water was rushing with great force. The abundance of water made for some outstanding waterfalls throughout the park, something you wouldn’t see at other times of the year.

The next stop was Big Bend. The main attraction was the Condors up at the top of the canyon.

On to the next stop.
Weeping Rock was gushing, not weeping. Again, due to the spring melt-off. It’s a short hike up and worth it to stand under the rock ledge and watch the water crash over.

I then disembarked at The Grotto for my main hike of the day. Across the road, I got on the Kayenta Trail, which took me to the Upper and Middle Emerald Pools. (I could see the lower pools but didn’t feel the need to hike down to them.)

Approaching the Upper and Middle Emerald Pools

From there, I hiked to Zion Lodge for a much-needed lunch. Sadly, the menu was limited and disappointing. But the scenery was the star of the day.

After briefly stopping at the Court of the Patriarchs, I visited the museum. The shuttle driver suggested walking back to the parking area from there. Since I had one day to take it all in, I took his advice. It was getting pretty warm by then, and I was happily exhausted when I got to my car.

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