Today is the last day of national park week. We celebrated the week in high spirits by remembering the good memories from every park we visited and taking you with us through our posts.
In case you missed it, here is a quick reference:-
In our list of national parks, the last two remaining parks are Joshua Tree National Park and Yosemite National Park. There was one more – Wind Cave National Park; as its name suggests, it was actually a pretty dark cave. That’s why we don’t have many pictures of it, but we will share videos in some other posts.
Joshua Tree and Yosemite national parks are in California, so we covered them recently during our trip to the state. Both are unique and popular. JT is relatively small and can be covered in a single day. Various hiking trails, amazing formations, and desert life is something to look for in the park. Yosemite is also famous for its incredible hikes like Mist trail, Mirror Lake trail, etc., and waterfalls. There is so much in Yosemite that you can’t cover it without proper planning and the icing on the cake is the crazy crowd. During our time it was overcrowded.
Sharing some pictures from the parks:-
Joshua Trees, JT, 2022Birds, JT, 2022Cholla Cactus Garden, JT, 2022View From Ryan Mountain, JT, 2022Rock Formation, JT, 2022Vernal Falls, Yosemite, 2022Mirror Lake, Yosemite, 2022Lower Yosemite Falls, Yosemite, 2022Yosemite Valley, Yosemite, 2022El Capitan, Yosemite, 2022
Have you got a chance to visit them yet? If yes, how was your experience?
In today’s post, we will be sharing the next set of national parks from our previously shared list. One of them is well known while the other is underrated. We visited Cuyahoga national park of Ohio last year during our road trip to NJ to meet our sister. It was the fall season and the park was full of beauty. Firstly it’s not big enough, so spending 2 days there was more than enough and secondly, due to its less popularity it was less crowded.
Zion national park, on the other hand, was so crowded that the scenic route in the park was closed due to parking unavailability (Lucky us, we got the chance to enter in the afternoon). We visited the park this year only. Zion is also very small but unique in every term. It’s a paradise, especially for hikers.
Below are some pictures from both the parks:-
Brandywine Falls, Cuyahoga, 2021Ledges, Cuyahoga, 2021Fall, Cuyahoga, 2021Great Falls, Cuyahoga, 2021Rooted Path, Cuyahoga, 2021Road Of Wonder, Zion, 2022Stream, Zion, 2022Still, Zion, 2022View From Watchman Point, Zion, 2022Stare, Zion, 2022
We are sure many of you must have visited Zion, but what about Cuyahoga? Have you visited this national park?
In this post, we would be sharing the memories of two of our favorite national parks, both in the vicinity of each other, both equally popular for their wildlife and beauty. We visited both the parks twice and each time it was an amazing experience.
We first visited Yellowstone national park, the first official national park in America, in 2019. That was a family trip in which we explored this tremendously big park. Next time in 2021, we visited Grand Tetons national park first in the Winter month and then again in Summer. In summer we also visited a few portions of Yellowstone primarily the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.
Below are some of the pictures from our trips:-
Jenny Lake, Grand Tetons, 2021John Moulton Barn, Grand Tetons, 2021Schwabacher Landing, Grand Tetons, 2021Mountains, Grand Tetons, 2021Inspiration Point, Grand Tetons, 2021In Quiet, Yellowstone, 2021Nature’s Wonder, Yellowstone, 2019Bison Crossing, Yellowstone, 2019Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone, 2019Elk Herd, Yellowstone, 2019
In this post, we would be sharing the pictures of two national parks we visited during our trip to Colorado in 2019. The memories of that trip are still fresh. We also visited many famous places in Colorado Springs along with these 2 national parks.
The first national park we covered on that trip was the Black Canyon Of Gunnison and the other was Great Sand Dunes national park. At that time we were in the initial phase of our photography and Canon point-and-shoot was our companion. The photos might seem a little dull to you 🙂
Below are the pictures from those 2 parks:-
Spiral Path, Black Canyon, 2019Valley, Black Canyon, 2019 Huge & Deep, Black Canyon, 2019Viewpoint, Black Canyon, 2019At The Edge, Black Canyon, 2019Layers, Sand Dunes, 2019In Action, Sand Dunes, 2019Carving Path, Sand Dunes, 2019Ascend, Sand Dunes, 2019Creek, Sand Dunes, 2019
Have you visited these national parks yet? If yes, how was the experience?
The national park week started yesterday(16th April- 24th April). Every year NPS(National Park Service) celebrate a week to spread knowledge about the parks and encourage the public to come and experience them. We being great admirers of national parks and their immense beauty also encourages everyone to visit them and help in their preservation in whatever way possible(Maintaining them clean during trips is a nice way to contribute).
Of course, we would have loved to visit a national park during this week but due to work commitments, it’s not possible. What’s better than revisiting memories to be a part of this celebration.
So far we have covered 11 national parks and during the national park week, we will be sharing some memories from our trips.
Parks Visited:-
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Badlands National Park, South Dakota
Black Canyon Of Gunnison National Park, Colorado
Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Grand Tetons National Park, Wyoming
Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio
Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota
Zion National Park, Utah
Yosemite National Park, California
Joshua Tree National Park, California
View From Top, RMNP, 2018Bear Lake, RMNP, 2018Rising Fog, RMNP, 2018Road To Heaven, RMNP, 2018Mum & Baby, RMNP, 2018Near Visitor Center, Badlands, 2019Big Horn Sheep, Badlands, 2019Patterns, Badlands, 2019Curvy, Badlands, 2019Rock Formation, Badlands, 2019
Are you planning to visit any national park? Have you visited any of the parks listed above? Let us know in the comments.
From the last two posts, it must be quite evident that we spent a long time outdoors last month. This time hikes were the highlight of our trip. I didn’t get as much chance to go through my books. I had downloaded some books on my Kindle app, so at least they were accessible to me throughout the time.
I managed to read 3 books this time, all from the different genres. The kindle books were short and quick to read, while the last book on the list took some time to finish.
Find Layla is a story about a girl named Layla who manages everything around her (including her dear brother) in the best possible way regardless of the toxic environment she lives in. Her mother is abusive, druggie, and full of neglect and her father left them a long time back. Despite this Layla keeps her head high and is unwilling to disclose this secret to society. Being a good student and having an interest in biology, she can’t resist participating in a biome competition through which her secret no longer remains secret. She becomes a sensation in this crazy social media world. How she manages this unwanted attention while protecting her family is the essence of the story. I didn’t find the story too promising and the character Layla turned out to be a confusing personality to me. Neither her motives were clear nor her desires. All author wanted was to make us feel pity for the character. It was an average read.
Quantum Physics: Introduction to Essential Theories, the Behavior of Matter, and How it’s Changing Our Lives is a wonderful gift to all science enthusiasts. The author covers everything about Quantum physics- research and discoveries made so far, contributions of scientists like Einstein, Bohr, Heisenberg, etc., application of quantum in our daily lives, and future applications which scientists are working on (quantum computers and qubits). Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, quantum duality, entanglement, and other theories and amazing facts are explained in a most engaging way to the reader. Even the theoretical possibility of time travel is explained. I just loved the book, so enlightening.
I would like to add a famous quote about Quantum physics by Murray Gell-Mann presented in the book.
If someone says that he can think or talk about quantum physics without becoming dizzy, that shows only that he has not understood anything whatever about it.
Karachi Vice: Life and Death in a Contested City is a non-fiction narrative about the violence, gangs’ tussles, and various incidents that happened in Karachi, Pakistan over the years. The author presented a very engaging and interesting story about the city through 5 characters, each helping for the welfare of society in his/her way.
Safdar is the ambulance driver of Idhi fountain- a charitable org that sends its ambulances and medical aid to those in need. With continuous violence due to operating gangs in Karachi, it needs bravado to do the work he does for the people. Siraj is a mapmaker who helps the community with home designs and various development plans for the area. Parveen is an activist who started early in on-street schools as a teacher to educate the people. She tries her best to help people by doing street theater and collecting funds for their welfare. Zille is a famous journalist who has contacts with police as well as gangsters and is mostly the first to reach any crime location. No one else can know how Karachi changes during the years other than him. And Jannat is from a small village called Lal Baksh Kachelo, a private community living there since 1800, who have their own customs and traditions. Jannat is the most educated lady in her village and wants the same for her children. Things get really bad when the construction of Baharia Town, an ambitious housing project starts to destroy their place for illegal possessions of their lands.
The author takes the reader to Karachi through this book and the reader feels pity for the clueless public being affected by the struggles of Gangs, the Government, and the Taliban. Simply a masterpiece. It would be the book of the month.
In the last post, we shared our experience with the Narrows in Zion National Park. It was really an amazing hike which we would love to do again. From our personal experience and initial extensive research, we have summarized a list of important tips and recommendations for this hike.
1) Rentals – Taking rentals or not is a point of debate. Many prefer to rely on their own gear while others like us prefer not to take any chance and totally rely on rentals. No doubt, rentals help a lot with grip, dryness, and blisters on feet due to overexposure to the water (neoprene socks), but if you are experienced, you can certainly manage without them. We would recommend them, especially in cooler months. In Summer you are actually fine without them. Just make sure to keep a nice walking stick with you for needed balance.
As described in the previous post, you can rent the gears from either Zion Outfitters or Zion Guru in Springdale, Utah.
2) Conditions – The hike conditions totally depend on the water flow of the river. The hike closes when the flow rate is over 150 cubic feet per second (CFS), or during possible snowmelt. The current conditions can be checked at the visitor center. Even rental companies like Zion Outfitters put such information on display. So make sure to check the conditions before starting the hike. Besides this, possible flood situations are also alarming, since there is no other way to escape, once you are on the hike.
3) Items To Carry – Make sure to bring snacks and water bottles with you. We kept plenty of water bottles but didn’t actually need that much. Throughout the whole hike of nearly 9 miles, we just finished 4 bottles of water, though we took 3 breaks for snacks. We kept sandwiches, protein bars, fruit-bowl, and dry fruits with us. Keeping extra pair of clothes is also wise to avoid unwanted conditions.
4) Hike Start Time – Start as early as possible. The First reason is parking itself which is hard to get and the Second is the crowd. If you want to enjoy an almost crowed-less hike, start early. The shuttle starts at 7 AM from the visitor center and the line starts as early as 5:30 AM. Refer to our experience.
5) Restrooms – The restrooms are only available at the start of the hike at the Temple of Sinawava. You won’t find anything in the hike as during most of the hike you would be in the water. Make sure to finish your business beforehand. It was really cold during our time there, we used the restrooms before the hike and never felt the need again throughout the hike.
6) Markings & Direction – There are no markings throughout the hike, so there is no way to know the landmarks of the hike other than a guess. We encourage you to take a look at the landmarks online so that it is easy to identify them on the hike. The best way is to download an offline map in the AllTrails app that will help you to navigate and track the distance. Direction wise there is nothing to worry about, the trail is straightforward with no turns.
Points to consider –
Book your stay in Springdale, Utah which will save your travel time. We stayed at Zion Canyon Lodge during our first visit, which was just 2 min. drive from the national park.
The hike is worth a whole day’s adventure, so plan accordingly. If you want to see other parts of the park as well, returning from Wall Street or a little before would be smart.
The waterproof bag rental is not necessary, it just gives you peace of mind. We rented one and kept everything there including mobile, power bank, and snacks items. Everything was safe and intact.
Zip-lock bags are advisable. Keep your belongings in zip-lock bags.
Collect the rentals one day before your hike.
The rocks are slippery and the hike is full of them. Be cautious.
The shuttle service is very nice and it runs every 15 mins. If you don’t have an early morning preference, you can start the hike a little late as well, but be ready for the crowd.
Look for the climate and conditions before your hike.
Last month, we were in Zion national park, Utah. During our time there, we hiked Riverside walk, a small paved trail of 2 miles that moves parallel to the Virgin River. The end of the riverside walk is the start of the famous Narrows hike, one of the most famous attractions in the park. We noticed a decent crowd coming from the river end wearing similar kinds of shoes and tops. Almost everyone was with a wooden stick. Those gears appeared to be from some rental company.
Gateway To The Narrows
Immediately, we decided to hike this trail which looked exciting. Once we returned home, we did some research and found everything about the hike. Basically, there are 2 famous rental shops in Springdale – Zion Guru and Zion Outfitters. We booked rentals online from Zion outfitters which included their Dry-bib package with an additional waterproof backpack.
There are two approaches to hiking Narrows – Bottom-Up and Top-Down. The Top-Down is a strenuous backpacking/hiking trip for 18 miles and it requires a wilderness permit. The popular approach is Bottom-Up which starts from the Temple of Sinawava in Zion and requires no special permit. We opted for the same.
We planned our hike for Saturday, March 19th. The idea was to go as early as possible to the Temple of Sinawava which has limited parking. Another option was the park shuttles which were closed for the season. We reached one day earlier to Hildale, UT which was like 1-hour drive away from the park. The ideal location would have been Springdale, but we couldn’t find any property for our stay there.
We reached Zion Outfitters, located near the visitor center, at 3 PM on Friday to collect the rentals. The rental pickup time was from 4 PM – 7 PM, so they asked us to wait for an hour. We requested them to provide the gears early to save our time. We tried bibs, socks, and shoes there first and then chose the appropriate sizes. We were asked to choose sticks before leaving. The waiver forms were signed already during online purchase. We went inside the shop and collected the backpack too. The shop is well equipped with hiking stuff and clothing. They informed us that Shuttles are starting from March 19th, the day of our hike, which was just mindblowing.
On the same campus, we purchased sandwiches, protein bars, fruits, and zip-lock bags from Happy Camper Market. During the shuttle season, private vehicles are not allowed on Scenic Drive, so to reach at Temple of Sinawava, either you need to use the shuttle service or you can rent bikes.
We came back to our stay and after having, dinner went to bed early. The first shuttle was at 7 AM from the visitor center, Springdale. This hike is so popular that the visitor center’s parking lot gets full even before 6 AM. So we planned to go early to avoid the crowd and to have a parking spot.
We woke up at 3 AM the next day and left for Zion at 4 AM. Since it was an hour-long drive from Hildale to Zion, we reached the visitor center at around 5 AM. Unlike the daytime, there was no traffic on the road. There were still 10-15 cars parked in the lot. It was windy cold outside, we wore 2 jackets each, collected our gear, and went to the shuttle stop.
Parking Lot
The shuttle stop is just in front of the visitor center’s gift shop. We were second in the line, before us was a group of girls going for Angel’s Landing hike (another famous hike in the park). Soon line behind us gets longer, we all were struggling with the bone-chilling wind. There was no shed or anything, so we were sitting there in open. Still, it was a nice experience, everyone looked excited.
Shuttle Service
Period: March 19 to May 21
First Shuttle from Visitor Center: 7 AM
Last Shuttle from Visitor Center: 5 PM
Last Shuttle from Temple of Sinawava: 7:15 PM
5-10 mins before 7 o’clock, a park ranger came and after greeting the crowd he removed the barrier chain to allow everyone to move forward in line. The shuttle came at sharp 7 and many of us onboarded. The masks were mandatory for the shuttle ride.
First Shuttle of the DayWe made it!Co-passengers
It was a 40 mins ride to the temple of Sinawava. The driver also showed us the famous Angel’s Landing during the trip. Most of the passengers hopped off for Angel’s Landing hike at stop 6th. Just before our stop, we put the bibs on top of our jackets and got ready for the hike.
Trail Map
We reached the temple at 7:40 AM and after dividing the snacks and other items between us, we used the restrooms and started the hike at 8:15 AM. To reach the narrows, you have to hike Riverside walk (1 mile) which we did last time too, so we finished it quickly without stopping anywhere.
Riverside Walk TrailIn A Hurry
Soon we completed the Riverside walk and came to the same point- Gateway To the Narrows which we visited last month and where we noticed those hikers. I removed my gloves and put them along with Harmit’s iPhone(safely packed in the zip-lock) in the bag. A nice fellow took our picture and we started the hike. At the beginning itself, you have to cross the stream of the river which was cold. It took some time for water to enter inside the shoes. At least we were comfortable.
Journey Begins
The only reason for removing gloves was to be able to hold my iPhone properly. I wanted to bring my Sony mirrorless, but it’s not waterproof, so we completely relied on iPhone. Hamit refused to carry her mobile during the hike, so it was my responsibility to get all shots and videos. I didn’t want to miss the opportunity, so one hand was occupied with my mobile while the other with the walking stick. I managed 🙂
Mystery Falls
In some places, the water was knee-deep but suits were good enough to block the water to enter inside. Nearly 1/2 an hour into the hike, we noticed a thin waterfall which is known as Mystery Falls. Of course, there are no markings or signboards there, you just have to guess the places.
At one place, ice was still melting, creating a small waterfall that was looking amazing. I really wanted to drench myself under it, but everything was so cold. Soon big boulders and deep canyons started to appear. Everything was far better than we expected.
Little Rest & Pose
Now the water level came up to the knees and since the water was a little muddy, we had to be extra careful. The river surface was uneven and filled with stones. We maintained our balance with the help of sticks and sidewalls. In some places, the flow of water was too fast, you really struggle to pass through it.
Against The Wall
It’s not like you have to be in the water during the whole hike. There were some dry places in-between too. Now there were even more amazing patterns on the walls. I was hoping that iPhone’s battery will last till we complete this adventure(although there was a power bank in the backpack too).
Entering To The NarrowsWall Patterns
There is no chance to get lost since the trail is pretty straight (no turns). After hiking around 3 miles, we noticed another path on the right side that goes to Veiled Falls. I just took its picture as a landmark and continued the hike. Many fellow hikers returned from this point. This is the start of Wall Street.
Wall Street Starting Point (Path To Veiled Falls In The Picture)
Even if you come this far and want to make a return, it will still be worthy. But we wanted to see more, so we continued. Beyond this point, the canyon is narrower and the water level also increases. It was risky now to keep my mobile in hand, so I kept it inside the bib near my stomach (it was tight enough to hold it). I had to take it every time from there when needed.
Amazing Patterns & CavitiesMaking her wayAlways Cheerful
The next noticeable landmark was the Floating Rock, again there was no marking or anything. But it was looking fascinating lying there in between giant walls. We took a small break there, ate veg sandwiches and drank some water, we were carrying this whole time.
As I previously said, many hikers returned from the Wall Street start point. We had the place almost to ourselves multiple times. There were like 10-12 guys like us who came this far. There was a place where the water level was waist-high.
Harmit was a little tired now, so she inquired how much further we are planning to go. I assured her that if the water level increases further then we will return. I argued, that we have a full day for this hike, so why not complete it? She simply agreed 🙂 (poor girl).
Lead MeNarrow Walls
After some time we noticed 2 large boulders (giant actually) which were blocking the path. You actually need to climb on them to continue the hike. A hiker coming from the opposite side told us that from this point the water is chest level and he decided to return from there. We also followed the same (as was the deal with Harmit). We took a final break there and ate another pair of sandwiches. Unfortunately, I forgot to take the picture of that place (full focus on eating). After coming home we realized that was the official end of this hike and that point was Big Spring. After this point, you need a permit to go further.
Convergence WetnessColorful Stones
The return was easier. We didn’t halt much, took some shots, and some selfies, and hurried to finish this adventure. Now the hike was more crowded, and we saw many hikers coming our way.
Breathing InThe Last CourseHarPiyTravel
Till the time we reached Sinawava, the atmosphere became a little hot. We were wearing jackets inside along with warm hats which were not that necessary now. At the Gateway to the Narrows, it was like Disneyworld, with everyone taking selfies and pictures. It was really a wise decision to come early.
After another 1 mile of the walk, we finally reached Sinawava, and luckily there were no lines for the shuttle. There was even a shuttle waiting. We wore the masks and boarded the shuttle.
Overall it was an out-of-the-world experience. We started the hike at 8:14 AM and returned to the Temple of Sinawava at 4:00 PM, that was a total of 8.9 miles as per the AllTrails app (GPS stopped working in-between, so it can be little more than that).
AllTrails Tracking
If you are an outdoor person, this hike MUST be on your list. We will create a separate post for Tips and Recommendations for this amazing hike. Please post your queries in the comment section.
As described in our previous post, last month was a travel-busy month. I could manage to read only 2 books this time. The first one was recommended by Musings of a Book Savant, while the second one I chose from Kindle.
The Travelling Cat Chronicles is a unique story about the journey, a cat named Nana and his owner, Satoru, take to visit three of Satoru’s friends for an urgent business concerning Nana. The story is narrated from two points of view – one from the author’s and the other from Nana’s, which is cute. This road trip proves to be a great experience for both, bond b/w them tightens and we, as readers, learn about Satoru, his past, and his friends, along with Nana.
Firstly they visit a childhood friend of Satoru who was actually responsible for Satoru’s love for cats. Next was a farmer friend who had some bittersweet memories with him and taught Satoru about farming during school days. The last one was a couple who studied with him in college.
It’s a very nice story and the cat’s perspective really raises the bar. Everyone will love this sweet story about relations and for pet lovers, it’s a real treat. This would be the bookof the month.
The Essential Collection for Young Readers is a collection of famous short stories like “The Blue Umbrella”, “The Tunnel”, “The Woman on Platform No. 8”, “A Case for Inspector Lal”, “The Thief’s Story”, and many more by celebrated Indian author Ruskin Bond. His famous short story “The Blue Umbrella” has been adapted to a movie with the same name, available on Netflix. It’s a good collection of short stories with few featuring Bond himself as the protagonist. Bond’s writing style is very simple and you feel like living the characters narrated in the stories. The author’s love for his birthland and its people is visible from these stories. Anyone who wants to take a quick detox can read this book and it won’t be disappointing.
The favorite month for lovebirds started with a bang. Our friends moved to Austin, TX, which was painful, but we spent the last few days together and helped them in their move. Coincidentally, they left for Austin on the same day, we were leaving for LA.
This one was our longest road trip so far with a duration of almost 23 hours. We just loved the trip and crossed beautiful places like Colorado, Utah, and Vegas. Even our Valentine’s day was celebrated in Zion National Park with some good hikes and wonderful coffee at Feellove cafe, Zion.
During the whole month, we visited 3 national parks each unique and equally beautiful in its own way. While Zion National Park was full of red rocks, deep canyons, and challenging hiking trails, Yosemite was bitter cold, snow-clad, beautiful, and overcrowded. The waterfalls of Yosemite were unmatchable and words fell short for the famous Firefall.
To simply put, the Joshua Tree National Park was the representation of beauty and life in the desert. The cactuses and the similar height and textured Joshua trees were the stars of this park. The San Diego Zoo, the most visited zoo in the U.S., was on our list for a long time. Especially after reading West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge, we were more inclined to visit the place and were not disappointed at all.
Overall it was a super active month. Vernal Falls and Ryan Mountain trail were two of the best trails among all, difficulty-wise. Below are some favorite pictures from all these amazing places.
We would love to know your favorites among these. Have you visited any of the places we mentioned? How was your experience?
HarPiyTravel 