Utah: Pretty as a postcard

Fisher Towers along the Colorado River

I never really thought much about Utah. As terrible as it sounds, in my mind, it was just a big, boxy state filled with Mormons. As usual, my assumptions were dead wrong. I mean, there certainly are Mormons, but there's also a whole lot more to this state.

The husband and I drove through on a road trip from Reno, Nevada last summer. We hadn't even crossed the state line yet and we were already in awe of its beauty. From the snow-capped Rocky Mountains around Salt Lake City to the riveting red rocks of the Moab area, this state is as pretty as a postcard.

Armed with sodas and beef jerky (for the husband, of course), we set off across the Bonneville Salt Flats. You'll recognize the scene from pretty much any commercial featuring a fast car in the desert. Mountains give way to a flat expanse of blinding white sands that go on for miles and miles, giving the illusion that you are on a road surrounded by water.

Bonneville Salt Flats

Eventually the sand turns into scrub brush and the mountains return and you hit the Great Salt Lake. You'll probably smell the Great Salt Lake before you see it. The odor of sulphur lingers in the air for quite a distance. I guess there are also brine flies. I don't like the sound of brine flies so we stayed in the car and kept driving.

We stayed in Provo, just south of Salt Lake City that night. Thanks to Yelp, we filled our bellies that night at  Four Seasons Hot Pot & Dumplings - a hole-in-the-wall place that specialized in hot pot and dumplings. I love dumplings. I was really looking forward to dumplings, but seriously, the dumpling guy is never there. Everyone noted this on Yelp and we found the same. He was in China when we arrived. Boo! Hot pot it was...

Mormon temple in Provo

I normally hate having a restaurant all to myself (on the flip side, I also hate waiting for a table in a full restaurant) but this was actually good. We'd never done the hot pot thing before so the owner walked us through the process. It's similar to the Mongolian barbecue concept where you have a bunch of raw meats, vegetables and noodles that you throw together and cook, but in this case, instead of throwing them all on a hibachi, you throw them in a pot of boiling broth.

The timing is crucial on this. The meats go in first based on their density, then the veggies, then the noodles. It's a fun concept that I wouldn't mind trying again. Also, they made their own special dipping sauce there. It was a delightfully tasty combination of  soy sauce, ginger, garlic, peanut and sesame. If they sold that by the bottle, I would have loaded up. But alas...

Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway

The next morning, we headed south, detouring to Arches National Park for the day. The three-hour drive from Provo to Moab is one of the most stunning I have ever been on. The extreme green of the Provo area gives way to dry desert mountains and eventually morphs into this spectacular red rock that is nothing short of captivating. Houses are few and far between out here.

We were on the Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway. It wasn't hard to imagine dinosaur bones buried in the hills around us. For budding archaeologists, there are plenty of opportunities to see dinosaur bones along the way. We didn't stop, but perhaps on our next trip...

Arches National Park

The temperature hit 105 degrees that day. Even with low humidity, it was not the most ideal temperature for visiting Arches National Park. Also, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Shade would be hard to come by. My husband- who claims that he can't be cold enough- was determined to stay in the Jeep. I was resolute that we'd brave the heat so we could really see the park. After all, we don't live anywhere near Utah so who knows when the opportunity to visit would come by again. We bought some comically large bottles of water and entered the park.

Photos don't do Arches justice. I know, bizarre rock formations don't sound exciting on paper, but this place just has to be seen in person. And when you're gazing out at the Courthouse Towers or the Towers of Babel, don't be surprised if an image of Indiana Jones appears before your eyes. "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" was one of several movies that have taken advantage of this stunning backdrop in film.

Tourists congregate
under Turret Arch.

There are over 2,000 natural stone arches at Arches National Park. Most of them are quite large. They don't look that big from the road, so you have to get out of the car to appreciate their size.

Delicate Arch

Arches' signature sight is the famed Delicate Arch. It's so beloved in Utah that it appears on their license plates. Take that McDonald's. After taking a hotel pool break during the intense heat of the day, we returned to the park to see Delicate Arch in all its glory. It's a hike just to get to the upper viewing point for Delicate Arch. We waffled on whether or not to tackle the 1.5-mile trail to the actual arch. It was hot. It was uphill. We were already pretty wiped from the day. Maybe next time.

If you're staying in nearby Moab (really the only city nearby) you can time your Arches visit to take advantage of the best lighting for pictures. Early morning is great, sunset is even better. The reds of the rock intensify and the shadows dance on the formations. It's breathtaking.

The following day we decided to take the Upper Colorado River Scenic Byway as we left. It didn't seem like anyone else was on this road so having those sights to ourselves was awesome. The Colorado River raged on our left-hand side. Sometimes we caught a glimpse of rafters tackling the white water. On our right, was red rock as far as the eye could see.

Along the Upper Colorado River Scenic Byway

After this brief stint in Utah, I'm bound and determined to come back. For one, I'm going to hike up to Delicate Arch. But I'm also ready to hit the other parks in southern Utah. Canyonlands (which was within an easy distance of Arches), Bryce Canyon, Zion, Capitol Reef - consider yourself warned.

I'm coming for you.

Portland: A love story

I can't stop thinking about Portland. No matter what I do, this Oregon gem will not let go of my heart. I don't even know if it can be fully conveyed in words, but this city has a vibe and it's addicting.

Welcome to Portland

Last fall, the husband and I decided a West Coast road trip was in order. I longed to dip my toes in the Pacific Ocean for the first time. He wanted to go somewhere cool (we had endured a string of more than 20 humid, 90+ degree days that summer.) The Pacific Northwest seemed like the only logical conclusion so we made a plan to hit up Portland, Seattle and Vancouver (more on the latter two in another blog post).

Wanting to get the most out of our week off, we opted to fly right into Seattle to kick things off rather than drive through some of the duller states in the Midwest. (I'm looking at you Nebraska). It was his birthday wish so the husband rented a red Ford Mustang for the trip. Once those keys were in hand, you couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

We rolled into Portland late Saturday afternoon. It's a three-hour drive from Seattle, but we took a couple extra hours to detour over to the coast to be pummeled by waves and whipped with sand. Fun.

Portland's Chinatown

That night we had reservations at Andina, a great Peruvian restaurant in the Pearl District. We didn't have time to figure out the vast public transportation system (an impressive combination of buses, light rail and streetcars) so we walked. That gave us a good chance to see some of what the downtown had to offer - namely a cool little restaurant, bar or shop on every corner. And plenty of homeless people.

We were warned about the large homeless population before our trip, but nothing could have really prepared us for the sheer numbers we saw. Even New York City has nothing on Portland. You can't turn a corner in Portland without being confronted by the situation. But with such large numbers, some have found clever ways to stick out from the masses. My husband particularly enjoyed the gentleman that was "selling" his ideas for saving democracy. The price? A mere penny. I got a kick out of the man in front of Voodoo Doughnuts with a sign that said "Spaceship low on fuel."

Sunday morning we headed across the river to brunch at Screen Door. The Yelp reviews were off the charts on this place so we settled in for the 90-minute wait. I would have waited four hours for this food. It completely destroyed me for any other restaurant for months.

Fried chicken and waffle at Screen Door

The menu is decidedly Southern which may seem odd to be ordering in Portland, but trust me, it's that good. The husband ordered a decadent Bananas Foster French Toast. It was gooey and rich, but still paled in comparison to what I got.

I gave in to the chicken and waffles. I couldn't resist. I'd never had it before and- while I'm not one to eat chicken for breakfast- I'd order it again in an heartbeat. Three giant fried chicken breasts were stacked on a plate-sized sweet potato waffle with a steak knife keeping it all together. The waffle was exceptional, but the chicken, the chicken was heaven. It was juicy and flavorful with a breading that had a peppery kick to it. I couldn't get enough of it.

I powered through long after my stomach had reached its limit and still only made it through part of the waffle and one chicken breast. The woman next to me- who was clearly a regular- smartly asked the server to box two of the chicken breasts before her plate even came to the table. She had dinner all ready. It was all I could do to not add my leftovers to her pile and then invite myself over for the reheat party.

Blissfully full, we spent that afternoon wandering Old Town, taking in the waterfront, the Saturday Market (which also runs on Sundays) and circling Voodoo Doughnuts wondering if we really wanted to stand in that long line (we opted to come back later that night).

Food truck

After brunch, I could not stuff another thing in my mouth for hours, which was a shame because Portland boasts more than 500 food trucks scattered throughout the city. Next time, that dumpling truck will be mine!

Portland is a foodie paradise. I have seriously never experienced such good food one meal after another. I could move there for the food alone. Even Voodoo Doughnuts was a pleasant surprise. You expect that something with the notoriety of Voodoo can't live up to your expectations, but it does. Tasty doughnuts with clever toppings (the Rice Krispies with chocolate and peanut butter drizzle and the Fruit Loops with a sugary sweet glaze were our favorites) wrapped up lovingly in a pink box.

Voodoo Doughnuts

All of this plus a vibrant music culture. We happened to be there during a multi-day music festival in the park adjacent to our hotel. The music wafted up to our high floor room for most of the weekend, but we didn't mind. It was actually pretty charming. Sunday night, with doughnuts in hand, we opened up the window and enjoyed the sounds of Silversun Pickups playing "Lazy Eye." It was a moment that seemed to capture the mood of the whole town - irresistibly cool.


Don't miss: Take the half-hour drive east to check out Multnomah Falls. The two-tier, 620-foot waterfall looks like something right out of Lord of the Rings. It's gorgeous, as is the drive there along the Columbia River Gorge.

Multnomah Falls

Don't mess with Texas

Winters can be unbearably long in Minnesota. This particular winter was a doozy, a real hanger-on. We didn't know that when my mom, sister and I booked a long weekend trip to San Antonio for February, but it turned out to be a fortuitous decision. 

The Alamo at night

My aunt and uncle have lived in San Antonio for decades. We don't visit them often enough which is ridiculous because it's an easy weekend trip and it's almost always warmer than home. So with a snowstorm looming in the Twin Cities, we boarded our plane and happily traded in our heavy winter jackets and boots for spring coats and tennis shoes. Even though everyone in San Antonio - my aunt and uncle included - was wearing wool sweaters like it was still Christmas, Texas felt positively tropical to us. 

Located one story below the street,
boat tours run constantly
along the River Walk

We got off the plane and headed right for Schilo's Delicatessen. Schilo's is an institution in downtown San Antonio and it has some of the best German food you'll find anywhere. I could spend all day downing frosty mugs of their root beer and noshing on juicy polish sausages tucked into toasted buns.

Although we didn't plan to spend much time in our hotel room, my mom was insistent that we find something with a balcony on the city's famed River Walk. That turned out to be a tall order. While there are plenty of River Walk-adjacent hotels, few of them take full advantage of their location with balconies off the guest rooms. Thanks to the fabulous Drury Hotel staff, we managed to snag one of their rare rooms with a balcony view of the River Walk. It was just what my mom was looking for (at a reasonable rate to boot).

One of the coolest things about San Antonio is that it's oozing with history, from the Market Square (a shopping center that dates back to the 1820s) to the San Fernando Cathedral (the oldest continuously functioning religious community in Texas) to the Alamo. You can learn a lot about the area's history on one of the River Walk boat tours. We didn't hop on one this time around, but have in the past and recommend it to first-timers. It will save your poor feet a lot of walking.

It would be easy to spend all your time in downtown San Antonio and never leave - that portion of the River Walk alone could keep you more than occupied with its collection of shops and restaurants - but there are plenty of other things to be seen in the area. In the past, we've wandered through the missions or hit up the art museums. This time, my aunt and uncle introduced us to The Pearl - a defunct brewery that is being redeveloped with shops, restaurants, condos and a farmer's market. We happily ate our way through the farmer's market - sampling crepes and coffee with the masses.

Later that day, we trekked to Dough for some gourmet pizza. Despite its strip mall locale, it's a super popular place. Hustle to get there before 5 p.m. and you just might get a table with no wait. The pizza is pretty good. They also make their own mozzarella and it's delicious, so don't pass it up.

One of the stately homes
in the King William District

For me, no trip to San Antonio is complete without brunch at the Guenther House. Sure, it's swarming with tourists and the wait will be close to unbearable, but the food is very good, the service is impeccable and the atmosphere - a restored home once inhabited by the Pioneer Flour Mills family that dates back to 1860 - is positively charming. If you're dealt a long wait, take the opportunity to walk the adjacent neighborhoods in the King William District. The homes are stunning and diverse.


Don't miss: The rest of the River Walk. Most tourists get their fill of the downtown portion, but the entire River Walk goes on for miles and miles, past museums, neighborhoods and parks. It's all beautiful.

Where the buffalo roam

Buffalo

Theodore Roosevelt National Park is perhaps the most underrated park in the United States.

There, I've said it.

I get why this isn't a heavily trafficked park - it is in western North Dakota after all. But that shouldn't be cause for anyone to cross it off their list. It is worth the drive. Plus it makes a great road trip when coupled with Mount Rushmore in South Dakota or Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming or even Glacier National Park in Montana.

Hebron

My husband's father grew up on a farm in western North Dakota near Hebron. It's about as quintessential a farm town as you'll find out there (though they also make bricks). So when we recently made the seven-hour drive to the family farm, we couldn't resist going the extra hour to swing through Teddy Roosevelt.

I had been there with my sister and parents a decade before when it was the first stop on our roadtrip to Yellowstone. The memories of buffalo, prairie dogs and wild horses were still warm.

Teddy Roosevelt's main entrance is in Medora - a cute little western-themed town wedged in the Badlands of North Dakota. It had grown a bit since we had been there last - perhaps a happy byproduct of the oil boom (the park is in the heart of the Bakken formation.)

North Dakota Badlands

For a piddly $10 per vehicle you're in and 70,000 acres of gorgeous parkland await you. We spent the morning traversing the 36-mile scenic loop by car and it didn't take long before we were fully immersed in the wonders of the park.

The North Dakota Badlands are different from the ones in South Dakota. Where South Dakota's craggy formations make you feel like you were dropped on Mars, North  Dakota's hills are dotted with vegetation in a rainbow of colors.

Prairie dog

Just when you think that this would be enough to inspire awe, you come upon the first prairie dog town - a flat parcel of land speckled with hundreds of holes. Stop the car, get out and listen. The prairie dogs will disappear when you drive up initially, but after a moment they'll pop out of the holes and start running around. They make a squeaky, chirpy kind of noise and when hundreds of them are going at it at once, it can be almost deafening.

The prairie dogs are a good opening act, but the headliner of this park though is the buffalo. We must have encountered three separate herds that easily totaled more than 100. The first herd was close enough to reach out and touch (perhaps a wee bit too close for comfort). Still, it was all I could do to not jump out of the car. (Note: You should not get out of the vehicle in the presence of buffalo.)

Scratching post

Buffalo really are fascinating to watch. Hulking creatures, they lumber along like cows for the most part, but they can pick up speed quickly and are surprisingly agile considering some of them must weigh close to a ton. When they take off, you can easily understand how a dangerous situation can arise.

We were at the park in mid-July and the buffalo must have been transitioning between coats because many had random patches of fur on their otherwise smooth back ends. They rolled around taking dirt baths and several were employing wooden road markers as scratching posts.

You really can't be in a rush around the buffalo so take the time to sit back and soak up their idiosyncrasies. If they are near the road, chances are good several cars will be stopped. This may be just to take photos or, more likely, because the buffalo are blocking the way. Grab your camera and enjoy the up close and personal encounter.

Most of the buffalo we ran across were in the herds, but a few solitary guys were scattered around the park. I was convinced for a while that park staff must have airlifted them to particularly picturesque locales earlier that morning just so I could take advantage of my new camera.

I mean, seriously, look at this photo >>>
Is this a portrait of America or what?

And then there's the wild horses. The last time I visited the park, we saw a grand total of maybe three of the wild horses. I was thrilled with that back then, but this time, we saw at least two dozen.

Wild, wild horses

It's hard to fathom that wild horses even exist in this day and age, but Teddy Roosevelt has a herd of 70-110 of them. In this photo <<< they arranged themselves nicely on the hillside for me.

That's Teddy Roosevelt for you. Around every bend there is something photo-worthy. The vistas are beautiful and the wildlife viewing is really unparalleled.

If you're looking for a quiet park that packs a punch, gas up and set the GPS to Teddy Roosevelt. You won't be disappointed.

Don't miss: Painted Canyon Overlook. It's right off of Interstate 94, about seven miles east of Medora. You'll get a great view of the North Dakota Badlands without paying an entrance fee.

Road trip tips: There isn't a whole lot to entertain along Interstate 94 through North Dakota, but if you're into kitsch, make sure to stop in Jamestown to see the "World's Largest Buffalo" or New Salem to see Sue, the "World's Largest Holstein Cow.

All aboard

If you asked me what my dream job is, that one occupation that you seriously couldn't believe someone would actually pay you to do, the answer would be to go places and then write about them.

X'cacel beach on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico

I have loved to travel since I stepped foot on my first airplane in sixth grade. I still remember the awe that overtook me as the plane lifted off and the buildings and trees began to shrink before my eyes. Hours later, those same eyes were taking in the beautiful turquoise waters of the Caribbean.

I would never be the same.

Travel has opened my eyes to a much bigger world than I could have ever imagined. It has unlocked new tastes, new sights and new sounds. It has helped me appreciate the many conveniences I otherwise take for granted (like round-the-clock access to electricity) and it has helped me understand that there are better ways of doing things (like how to effectively drive fast on the Autobahn).

Every trip changes my perspective on the world.

My map so far...

Small paper triangles, cut out of Post-It notes, dot the National Geographic World Map on the wall in my office. I love to look at all the places I've been. Each triangle holds a million memories - from a fleeting glimpse of rare pink dolphins in the Amazon to the majestic splendor of Germany's Neuschwanstein Castle to the hauntingly gorgeous coastline in Nova Scotia.

But I'm not satisfied yet. There is so much left to see, so much to learn, so many places to be changed by.

Nobody's paying me to travel just yet, but I'm going to write anyway. (Email me if you want to start. I'm ready, willing and able.)


Here's the tally so far -
* Four continents down (North America, South America, Europe and Africa)
* Eleven countries, 29 U.S. states, five Canadian provinces
* Iceland marks the furthest north I have been. Namibia is the furthest south (and east). Portland is the furthest west.
* Mexico is my most-visited country outside of the U.S.

Next up: Chicago