The Land of the Delta Blues

Hello Memphis, Tennessee! I was so excited to finally see the Mississippi River, especially after my long harbored dreams of sailing down said river on a raft (thanks Huck!), that I kept asking where we could go swimming. However, I was quickly informed by my awesome tour guide that swimming and rafting were not an option and apparently quite dangerous..hey I don't know! I see river and I think swim! So I settled for seeing how far I could throw rocks in and dislodging timber to watch the current- satisfying indeed.

My first trip to the South was great! Staying with friends and extended family, meeting tons of great people, a side trip to the Spring River for some river relaxation and canoeing, amazing and delicious food, Elvis Elvis everywhere, lots of BBQ, finally singing terrible karaoke, shops and sights on Beale Street, like the Beale Street Flippers! And one completely new thing for me - FIREFLIES! Oh the fireflies! They are so beautiful and magical! I had the pleasure of staying with a good friend that was a great city guide - from neighborhood drives to 'ghetto-aid' to backlot bike polo - it was a grand ol time! 

For a few days during the stay there was incredible rain and thunderstorms - the first one started while we were visiting the Memphis Zoo! I was reunited with my camera battery (forgot for the first half of the trip, whoops!) just in time for the Zoo which was great but halfway through the sky began to darken and soon enough huge sheets of rain were flooding the place. Then lightning started flashing and suddenly the loudest thunderstorm clap I've ever heard in my entire life - scared me half to death - shook the ground and everything around. The nearest building that everyone had taken shelter in lost power so we opted to sit outside around the covered seal pool and watch the sky show. Eventually we made a break for it, got lost, and was saved by the tram out looking for stragglers. I was soaking wet and my straw hat got completely destroyed but there's no better way for me to have experienced a Southern summer thunderstorm, it was awesome!! Most of the animals were brought  inside but some, like the elephants, were loving it! Below are some shots of my favorite animals that we did get to see, and also of the beautiful Daisy Theatre on Beale Street. 

I crossed so much off my list of things to see and do in Memphis but there's still so many more! Next time I make it out that way I also really want to make a trip to Nashville..North Caroline..the entire East Coast - AH! There's so much yet to see!

Experience the Impact of Meteor Crater, Arizona

The colors of the Southwest are stunning, and I enjoyed driving through this part of AZ and beyond. Before leaving I totally geeked out reading up on all the inspired Cars locations so I could spot them out when driving on good ol route 66! (Singing ensued, and also through "Winslow Arizona")

But the next major destination was a big hole in the ground. And by big whole in the ground, I mean a ginormous...gargantuan...IMPACT CRATER!!

The Crater was awesome! Huge! Technically known as the Barringer Crater, it's over 4,000' across and nearly 600' deep. Sadly, they no longer allow tours down into the crater but you can tour the rim (I did not, it was SOO windy!!!) On the right side of the inner circle (down at the bottom of the crater) is a small building and a life size astronaut cut out...you can't even see them in the picture! And to think, they've only found one piece of the meteorite that made the impact, a 1,406 POUND hunk known as the Holsinger Meteorite, which is on display inside the Visitors Center, crazy!

This photo (1) is an aerial shot just to show how big the crater is - just amazing!

Although not as graceful as this head scarf tutorial it was so incredibly windy that I didn't care. A moment on the glasses - these are possibly the best 5$ purchase I have ever made ever. Sunglasses that fit over my glasses. Yes, it is a little dorky. Yes, you can still see the glasses underneath but the amount of pleasure I get from not having to squint all day far outweighs anything else. Thank you to my friend TinyMartin for discovering that WalMart sunglasses are crappy and cheap - and perfect for our purpose!

Meteor Crater is minutes from the interstate so it is a stop worth making. However, if you have a National Parks interagency pass, it's no good here because the Crater is independently owned not federally owned. Just a heads up! So, next time you're in Arizona make sure you "Experience the Impact!!"

The Kingdom of Zion

I had the most incredible experience entering Zion National Park. After leaving Bryce Canyon early in the morning (not a bad little drive!) we drove in through the Northern entrance, little did I know that this way is the most magical! As you enter the park the landscape begins to look a little Dr. Sues-ish, the road has long curves following the richly striated blobs of mountain that look like they're melting this way and that. It's beautiful. Then suddenly, in front of you, is a huge dark tunnel. Inside the tunnel there are big archways called 'galleries' cut out of the rock so as you're driving through you can catch glimpses of the canyon - at each gallery I couldn't help but gasp and the excitement grew! Finally, we come to the end of the tunnel just as Vedder's "The Wolf" starts playing and there it is - Zion. So magnificent that even at the time all I could think was, WOW. The song is so fitting for the journey into Zion that I couldn't help but keep it on repeat as we zig-zagged on down through some of the most spectacular imagery I've ever seen. The photo below (1) shows the galleries and road winding into the park.

Zion was absolutely amazing, and so much fun that we ended up staying an extra day in the park. Since we arrived so early we snagged a campsite by the river and set out to explore the park. Zion is designed to be eco and visitor friendly - the main road down through the canyon is closed in the summer to personal vehicles but the shuttle system is flawless. Shuttles arrive every few minutes and take you to all the trailheads, the lodge, visitors center, museum etc. with a narration track that explains each point of interest. One of my favorite 'little' things about the park is that at each shuttle stop are spring tapped, drinkable water stations! This seem's like a "duh" but it's surprisingly uncommon. Needless to say that it was sweet relief knowing that you could drink as much water as you needed on each hike and more cool water would be happily awaiting your return. Below is the view from my tent window, the "West Temple."

The most rewarding experience I had in Zion was hiking the infamous trail to Angel's Landing. The best parts of the hike were the most challenging - the notorious 'Walter's Wiggles,' 21 steep switchbacks up to Scout's Lookout, and the last 1/2 mile which follows a sandstone ridge out to the 'Angel's Landing.' The sandstone ridge is no joke! Chains are bolted into the ridge to guide hikers up, a steep 1,400' drop on the right and frightening 4,000' drop on the left. Yeah, I hiked that!!

The first photo looks up the ridge to the top, the second photo looks down the ridge from the landing - if you look closely you can see the path towards the top right! - and the last photo (2) is of the notorious wiggles. Being atop the Landing is empowering and life-affirming, with a spectacular 360 degree view of the canyon, the whole hike was rewarding, physically and mentally, and I'm so very grateful to have experienced it.

Hoodoo Hikin'

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon looks like an alien planet from the set of a science fiction movie. Technically it's not a canyon at all but a humungous natural amphitheater, ablaze in colors so bright and rich; oranges, reds and whites that make the eroded rock formations, 'hoodoos,' look like fire. No vista was a disappointment and from the points you can see for miles and miles across the plateaus to cliffs and canyons beyond. 

I fell in love with a new word here, vermillion, because it described the landscape so perfectly. Hiking down into the hoodoos was incredible, towers of rock, caves, natural arches, and surprises like this guy around every turn. Hello giant tree!

I'm a sucker for the National Park pamphlets and newspapers, the ones they give you when you enter the park. I devour them, and then continue to reference them at every stop. But hey what can I say? I enjoy being informed. So there I am, reading the newspaper and I read about a great Junior Ranger program involving a scavenger hunt. My heart skips a beat! I am obsessed with anything remotely resembling a treasure hunt - geocaching, letterboxing, etc. etc. All we have to do is pick 3 hikes, locate these markers and collect our victory bounty - a neat-o patch. YES! So we set out to this great task of finding and documenting 3 markers. 3 hikes and about 6 miles later I proudly submit my findings to the Rangers only to be told that, while they are impressed that we found the geological survey markers, the real scavenger hunt has yet to begin because they are going to install markers for the game that are much easier to find.  I missed it by about a week. Oh. Could I maybe have a sticker then? I ask sheepishly. Um, No. I walk away.

That's ok, I saw some great things on the hikes!





Bristlecone Pines

Thor's Hammer!

As a National Park I think Bryce is extremely accessible, it has a great range of hikes and it's small enough that a lot can be accomplished in a short time. One of my favorite hikes in Bryce was the Navajo Loop (pictured below) which leads you down deep into the formations, beginning at Sunset Point, meeting up with the Queen's Garden, and ending at Sunrise Point - doesn't that just sound exciting?! Although there are still miles of trail for me to explore the next time I go, it was an excellent first stop to kick off the NPs!
On this hike I found a plaque (finding inspirational quote plaques is very common in the NPs I learned) with a quote from LBJ, "If future generations are to remember us more with gratitude than sorrow, we must achieve more than just the miracles of technology. We must also leave them a glimpse of the world as it was created, not just as it looked when we got through with it."

Off We Go!

I quit my job, put my packed up apartment in storage and set out on my first, but certainly not last, cross country ROAD TRIP. What followed was three weeks of sunny, smiling, wandering happiness that appeased my adventuring heart. The route - CA, NV, UT, AZ, NM, TX, AR, MS, TN, KY, IL, MO, KS and NE (briefly!) IA, SD, WY, ID, NV, CA. The trip was amazing and I can't wait to share my favorite parts!

I cut Nevada in half, driving straight across on US 50 headed East. The pejorative turned positive slogan, "The Loneliest Road in America" is fitting since there were hardly ever other vehicles - just cows. SO MANY COWS. But I love emptiness, the repeating, hypnotic landscapes all covered by an endless blue sky, just inviting you to get lost in thought. And the stars, oh the stars. Anywhere that you can look up into the night sky and be swallowed up by the sheer number of stars, makes my heart happy. A majority of the road follows the historic Pony Express route, a short lived mail carrying service that, if it were still going today, would warrant its own extreme reality show. Riders galloped day and night from Missouri to California across plains, deserts, and mountains, through thunderstorms and blazing heat, risking life and limb, all in the name of mail! While driving I imagine the type of men that rode the Pony Express, like William Cody, who rode ridge over plain over ridge over plain and what it would be like riding along with them.

The desert is filled with such desolate beauty - dry plains, grassy fields, delicate wildflowers mixed with bushy sage bushes, ridges of dramatic rockscapes mixed with colorful plants and layers of sands - they are all so hardy, these plants and animals that survive out in the desert. I love that after each mountain pass is a new landscape of life, adapting to the varying terrain. A flat road that seems to go on straight forever, mountains that never seem to get closer, thunderstorms and rain off in the distance. It doesn't feel like anything special but I know theres all sorts of hidden gems in these mountains. The desert isn't necessarily breathtaking or exciting at first, but the longer I stared out the window the more the desert seemed to reveal itself. Hot and dry in the daytime, so harsh and unapologetic, until evening sets in and the animals start to come out, basking in the glow of a gorgeous sunset. Does the sun set this beautifully every night?



The mountains are waiting for you.

Welcome!
A Confession, a Declaration:

There have been a lot of changes in my life as of late, exciting and frightening. Fortunately, there has also been a lot of changing (think / act). But I know this is only the beginning, I am a Taurus after all. So far I've discovered one thing with unwavering certainty - If I'm going to make it through and be successful in this (whatever IT is), then I need a refuge of inspiration and happiness, smiles, glitter, goofiness, and love. Lots of love. 


What am I talking about?


I'm not really sure yet. I can only say that I've got some major changes to make in my life (job, place of living, etc)...fork (or many forks) in the road if you will. While trying to figure out how to even begin organizing those "forks" I've been more and more drawn to the blogosphere after discovering that in many things - I am not alone. Let's be honest, as people we have to deal with some really crappy stuff and it can be hard. Ok yeah, sometimes easy, but sometimes really, really hard. There's so many great people out there sharing those experiences, how they've dealt with something, been affected, been inspired. 


After graduating college I sort of forgot slash sort of ignored that I was supposed to be "figuring it out," whatever that means. But after spending a year thinking - "What am I doing? I have no freaking clue what I'm doing or want to do, or where or that I even want to be doing something at all. Huh?" I realized that I was trying to figure out what it was that other people wanted me to figure out. As you can imagine (or maybe know?) chaos took hold as it does for many people, if in different ways. Ignoring a whole year of true 'feeling' and 'thinking' is pretty crazy as it turns out. I finally realized I was answering "I don't know, I don't know" to ever question, not just "What are you going to do when you graduate/with your degree/with your life?" but to stupid questions like "What do you want for dinner/ to do today/ wear today?" Saying "I don't know" became the easiest lie to myself. A cheap out and an easy way to ignore myself. I was ashamed or embarrassed to admit it but I had lost "me." It was time for some tough love. My first and main goal has been to start allowing myself to think, feel, act, be, whatever I decide because to do otherwise is denying myself the basic right of self. No more of that. 


So, I came back to my sanctuary - the mountains where I was born, to seek truth, power, adventure and whatever else! Hopefully soon I can share the most inspiring blogs I've found (maybe you have some good ones?!) because they really have been just that - inspiring. 

Well there it is. My confession. Now, a declaration.

I declare that I am Natalie. I sometimes have blue eyes and right now I have blue hair. I love random things and I love to laugh at random things, sometimes sarcastic things. I collect, I read, I seek. I'm filled with wanderlust. I will learn to be honest with myself and by doing so, learn to love myself again. I will stop saying I don't know. I will surround myself with love and good things. Funny things.


This blog is my little sphere of  pure delight; a place to come to, where I can be uninhibited, that is filled with all these confessions and declarations - celebrating and embracing the weirdness that is me. Celebrating and embracing all I can while I figure out the real answer to all those questions. Today I want to smile about this outfit, tomorrow, who knows. Maybe we can share an experience or two!


TL;DR - Life is weird so I'm startin' a blog! WOOT! LETS DO THIS!