The Burba Blog

4648 Miles, 1 month, 80 hours of driving
Las Vegas, Nevada (August 12, 2011-August 13, 2011)

Road Traveled in Red

Getting there… Zion National Park, the Narrows

So, this blog post is a bit late, but for all of you loyal readers out there, thank you for your patience. At this point, our road trip is coming to an end and our last big adventure is that of Zion National Park.

Are you ready!!!

Nate and I planned on taking a hike through The Narrows of Zion National Park. We kept postponing it during our three day stay in St. George, Utah but knew it was a Must-Do Adventure. Fellow Ithaca College ’08 Alum, Nic B., provided us with insight about Zion. He said, “If we like heights, do Angel’s Landing. If we like water do the River Walk. If we feel gutsy, do the Narrows.” Thanks for the tip, Nic—we chose the Narrows after reading up on the park.

The only comparison I have for the Narrows is that it is similar to William Goldman’s book / movie “The Princess Bride”and the ravine that leads to the Fireswamp. Essentially, the canyon walls are so high, there’s only two ways to go: back to where you started at the end of River Walk or forward, toward the unknown. We did not approach any giant rodents or quick sand, but we did see tadpoles and little fish, and sometimes found water too deep to walk through.

Can't go up... sheer cliffs

It was a blast hopping from boulder to rock, and splashing our way upstream. The hike is said to be 60% through water, and the water was a cool, refreshing 60 degrees. We chose a great day to hike in the water, the rest of the park was over 100 degrees with heat glaring off of the canyon rocks. We definitely got

Pumped for the Hike

a work out wading against the current. The muscles I used to keep balance on the rocks are those that I used in Field Hockey, a lot of leg muscles! The water wasn’t as high as we expected, due to the drought season of Northern Utah. Most of the time, we walked through calf-high water, a few times we went above our waste. Only twice did we have to swim.

The first part of the hike was crowded with people, some even carrying young infants through the water. As we kept trudging through the canyon, the crowd thinned and soon we only came upon a group of people every so often. One of the favorite hotspots was about a half mile from “Wall Street”. A giant boulder (7-8 feet high) stands in the water base. The water surrounding it was deep enough to jump into (7 feet). Like some others, I tried climbing the boulder to take a plunge, but couldn’t pull myself up. Instead, Nate and I walked full into the water and let the current take us around the boulder. We did this a few times before heading on.

It's Getting Narrow (see behind Nate)

Coming into a Crowd

The “Wall Street” of Utah is a part of the hike where the river gets very narrow and the cliffs very high. It was peaceful

here, and I wish we could have continued on. From what I understand, the Narrows get so, well, narrow, that the sky is barely a slit above. I hope to return someday to hike the entire length, perhaps I can convince my brothers and sister-in-law to come for a visit there. The entire tour takes a day and a half; some do it in eight hours.

When we finally decided to turn back, Nate and I were going with the current of the Virgin River. We decided to make a fun game of it, and where the water was deep enough, we let the current take us. I used the back-pack my brother and sister-in-law gave us as a type of life jacket. The air in the back-pack kept me slightly afloat. It was definitely more exhilarating, but similar to a “Lazy River” you’d find in waterparks. In fact, the whole Narrows is much better than a waterpark!

Watery Oasis

Bracing for a Watery Impact

Wahooo!!

Stone by Stone We Go

A Change of Plans

In The Narrows, we kept saying “after the next bend, we’ll turn around” and “well, let’s keep going until we’re out of the thick of the crowds”. So by the time we exited the Narrows and made the 40 minute trip to the car, it was already 7 pm. With some smart phones and a few phone calls, we decided it was best to drive the four or so hours to Las Vegas and stay one night. This would mean we only had a two and a half hour drive to finish off our National Road Trip.

We arrived in Las Angeles late, 10 pm…. Well, I guess for those who go to Vegas for fun, that’s early. But after spending the day using muscles we forgot we had, we went right to bed. The one thing I can say about Vegas is that if you’re driving in at night time, from a far, you’re approaching a “Sea of Lights”. At that angle, Vegas is quite pretty. A majestic land of Tinkerbelles glittering the desert earth.

The following morning, we checked out of our hotel. And by the way, don’t stay in Vegas if you’re passing through and just need a bed… the resort fee is ridiculous. I tried talking it down, but Nate had to play good cop to my bad cop.

We met my biological grandfather, Jim, for breakfast before heading to our new hometown. The abridged story is that mother was reunited with her father and aunts late fall, 2010 after last seeing Jim when she was five (ish?). I had only met him once prior to this breakfast, at Christmas-time surrounded by my family. I was a bit nervous having a one-on-one meal with him, but he’s a very nice man and seemed genuinely interested in getting to know Nate and I. Once we’re settled, Nate and I will have to visit Jim again for a weekend and get the real Vegas experience.

We left Jim and headed on to our last stop. Los Angeles! I may write another couple of blogs, to give you an idea of where we found an apartment. Essentially, I’ll keep writing if I have something of interest to write about… you should do the same!

Arriving in Los Angeles, California…

4648 Miles, 1 month, 80 hours of driving
St. George, Utah (August 9- August 12, 2011)

Road Traveled in Red

Getting There…

Not the Actual Prairie Dog We Saw

A bit sunburned and tired from our trips through Rocky Mountain National Park and Arches National Park, we packed up our overnight bags and headed out of Moab, Utah for another drive in the desert. This time, we drove to St. George, Utah in the day and were able to see much of the beautiful land. Not long into our drive, I spotted a Prairie Dog peering out of burrow. Later, Nate and I both would see a Coyote pup trotting alongside the road. I wonder how our family dogs’ Frank, Josie, and Jorgie would like all the wildlife.

After driving a few hours with not much of anything around, except the gorgeous landscape of Desert Mountains, canyons, and colorful earth, we

Home of "the World's Greatest Pie"

found a great diner in Salina, Utah at Mom’s Café. The beef dip was no substitute for an authentic Philly Cheesesteak, but it sure hit the spot. Topped off with a slice of cherry pie, we were quite satisfied. And yes, we saw billboards leading to Mom’s Café touting the “Great Pie”. Other than the diner, there seemed to be very little in this cowboy town.

Sushi!

Arriving in St. George, Utah we found a cute pedestrian mall area in Dillon to have dinner. We enjoyed sushi and Thai at Benja’s before walking around the area under the star-lit sky. It was a relaxing evening before our exuberating tour of the Grand Canyon the next day.

More Than a Big Whole…

Of its annual visitors, only 10% visit the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We were two of the lucky few who get to

*Sigh*

experience a more temperate environment. The Ponderosa and Pine forests provided a much needed reprieve from the heat. I especially liked the Smokey the Bear signs along the way, warning “Only You…. Can Prevent Forest Fires.” Apparently, his advice was not heeded; we saw forests re-growing after a 2006 wildfire. The North Rim Country

A Mom & Pop Store

Store, operated by a lovely old couple, was a great stop. We got some ice cream novelty bars and were told of some great places to visit in the Canyon. We were also made aware of a natural surprise….

Herd of Buffalo

Buffalo, as in real, not the City in NY State

As we entered the park, we greeted by more wildlife, actually a herd! Wild Buffalo were grazing in a field and enjoying a watering hole. The grazing area and the water hole were separated by the paved road, which meant we got to watch up close and personal as the large graceful animals crossed the street. It was mesmerizing seeing the herd of over a hundred meander about. The herd even had young calves running around. It wasn’t until a Park Ranger asked us to get back to our vehicles that we headed off for more glorious sites.

Yeah, it's that cool.

Why did the Buffalo Cross the Road?

Look!!

Thank you, Roosevelt!

The Grand Canyon was one of the first natural wonders that President Roosevelt preserved despite protests from mining claim holders. I can’t imagine how the park would be today if it had not been protected. The sheer size and wonderful views is very grounding, it puts your life into perspective and can make you feel like a very small piece of the universe. It’s exhilarating to be humbled by rock and nature.

At times, the views and far off horizon look fake, as if painted by Monet or Cézanne . One can see land masses for miles and miles. At one point, we even saw mountain tops of California (luckily, there wasn’t much smog that

Painted Canvas

day).

Nate, again, drove for hours, navigating the Kia through tight and windy roads. We stopped along the way to take in the views and get as close to the edge as comfortable. One stop, near Cape Royal, we were able to walk along a cliff that jutted out about fifty yards and was only

A Narrow Path... Far Out.

about five yards wide. We battled vertigo by looking across the vast Canyon instead of straight down. Below, you could barely make out the Colorado River. The only evidence of the water source was the line of trees following a squiggly pattern through the canyon.

Don't Look Down!

It was a pleasurable afternoon, gazing upon the pink sand dunes and rock formations. It’s amazing how much fun and excitement you get from looking at rocks and the absence of earth. These visits and sites make me want to paint again….

In the Sky.....	Mother Earth	Phew, it's high....
I can see Philly from Here!	nearing Sunset	Look, over there....

A Little Bit of Nothing

Our second day in St. George was nothing to report on. We slept in and worked.

Read our next blog (coming soon) for our adventures in Zion National Park: The Narrows!

To Las Vegas, Nevada…

4648 Miles, 1 month, 80 hours of driving
Denver, Colorado (August 5- August 7, 2011)

Road Traveled in Red (Note New Route)

Getting there…

Nate and I decided we’d rather see the Colorado Rockies instead of going to Yellowstone National Park so we changed our itinerary. This decision will cut off a few days of our trip and save us some mileage. I love this decision because I had wanted to see the mountains.

Country Breakfast

Murty and Susie treated us to one final meal in Kansas before we left. They took us to “Almost Home Diner”, located in a place that reminded me of the movie Field Of Dreams. This small diner is the definition of “If they build it, they will come”, because it’s essentially in the middle of a cornfield, yet filled with customers. Susie and Murty say many of the local farmers patron the diner every morning and even discuss crop pricing there. It definitely cooks up meals fit for hearty farmers; my single pancake hung over the plate and was over an inch thick. Needless to say, I do not have a country appetite.

Middle America is quite easy to drive through. With the speed limit at 80 MPH and flat straight roads, we really did

Eisenhower Home

follow my dad’s travel advice, “drive fast and stay between the ditches.” Many people think there isn’t much to see in this part of the country. However, as it’s our first time, we were intrigued by several things. First off, we made a short visit to the Eisenhower Library located on the property of his childhood. Had the archives been open, we may have enjoyed this stop much more. Back on the road again, I really loved that the Kansas state flower is my favorite- the sunflower. We saw fields of them! We were also amazed at the Windmill Farms, Oil Drills, and the low-flying biplane crop dusting.

Far, Far Away... Mountains!

After getting used to the flat land, BAM! The mountains appeared.

The City of Denver

I describe Denver, Colorado as the Ithaca on Steroids because it’s a very liberal community with independent stores and Fair Trade, surrounded by natural beauty. Nate and I spent a day walking around the pedestrian malls, meandering through shops with the Rocky Mountains peaking in and out of view.

My Serenader

The pedestrian mall has Pianos, artfully painted in different designs, every four or five yards. These pianos can be played by anyone and encourage creativity and music. We approached one and I jokingly told the young man sitting at it, “Well, play something for us.” Surprisingly, and very coincidental, he played Elton John’s Tiny Dancer. It seemed as if he knew I’d soon be an “LA Lady”.

Julie, giving it a whirl.

The city is full of eclectic people. From sports fans, to tourists, hipsters, and bikers, everyone can feel right at home in this city. Nate and I could have spent hours people watching in Denver, however, we decided to spend a good chunk of time at a large, independent bookstore, Tattered Cover Books. Although a lot smaller in size, it reminds me of Strand Bookstore in NYC. After getting our fill of books, Nate and I found a bite to eat at Illegal Pete’s Mexican. It’s not a fancy restaurant, you go through a food line to get your meal, but it’s tasty!

Denver, Colorado boasts having the most parks for a city. Nate and I took advantage of the River Walk and strolled through the watery walkway. Many people were biking and jogging, and unfortunately, we came across a few beggars that creeped us out. Thankfully, we were not bothered and were able to stay close to a couple with a dog, who we’d imagined would protect us if needed.

Colorado Convention Center

If the parks and natural geographic surroundings aren’t your thing to marvel at, Denver has a very cool looking Convention Center- the Colorado Convention Center, to be exact. Its tall glass windows and covered archways make it seem like you’re walking outside even though there’s a covering above. I wouldn’t mind going to a conference in Denver with all of the restaurants and night entertainment there!

I know most of you were expecting to read about our time in the Rocky Mountains, but since we toured them on our way to Utah, see our next blog (LA Trip Part 10: Moab, Utah) in the “Getting There” section for our adventures miles above sea level!

To Moab, Utah…

4648 Miles, 1 month, 80 hours of driving
Topeka, Kansas (August 2- August 5, 2011)

Road Traveled in Red

Getting there…


At this point, I’d like to point out that I have not yet given in to Fast Food! The cooler and grocery stores have been a great substitute. The look on fast-food cashier’s faces when I order just hot water (for free) is priceless. I use it to make hot tea or instant coffee. Nate suggested that the last blog, when all is said and done, should be on how to travel for cheap (and healthy).


The ride from Nebraska to Kansas was quick and easy, a mere three hours without any detours for floods. For those of you following along our map route, you may have noticed that we backtracked. Nate and I really wanted to see his Aunt Susie and Uncle Murty in Topeka, but the only way the schedules would work was if we added some extra mileage to the Kia.


A notable occurrence: we got the first “You’re not from around here, are you?” This question was directed at Nate from a teen Burger King employee when he asked for a Coolata. Turns out Kansas (or at least the part we were in) doesn’t have Dunkin’ Donuts or blended coffee drinks.


Did I mention the Heatwave?


Arriving in Topeka, Kansas we were greeted by Nate’s Uncle Murty, who gave us a tour of his home. He had been waiting for us in the garden and said the temperature read 110. Good thing they own a lovely in-ground pool, which we took full advantage of.


Little House on the Prairie

Long Grass of The Prairie

Murty and Susie took us to some of their most frequented restaurants. Our first evening in town, they drove us through the grasslands of the Prairie to a small “one horse” town for steak and potatoes. The flat prairie land stretches as far as the eye can see, dotted with cattle and other livestock. The sky was beautiful blue and cloudless. Discussing the geography reminded me of a childhood book series I used to read, Little House on The Prairie. The town we had dinner in could also be picked out of the book. The gravel and dirt roads led to a small general store. The clerk saw my NY license and commented on how different Kansas and NY were. I told her that I was from a very rural part of the state, however, instead of beef cows, we have dairy farms. Never had I been so proud that Cato, NY had paved roads and a single traffic light.


Doctor Susie

It's Hot in Kansas!

Nate and I went night swimming the first night in town, relaxing under the stars and cooling off from Topeka’s 112 degree high. However, the following day we were more active in the pool, splashing and playing around. It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt. Actually, no one got hurt, but I did have water in the ear that stayed with me all day. It took some medical treatment from Susie, who’s a doctor, to relieve the pain. Let’s just say I had enough wax build up in the ear to make a candle, and this had trapped the water.


Vacation from a Vacation


Aside from the pool and eating out, Susie and Murty’s home is like an oasis. They have a great Guest Apartment setup in the basement. Nate and I were able to relax and enjoy the time with his relatives, without feeling as if we were in their way.

Deer Munching on Apples

Time seems to stand still. We enjoyed watching the wildlife come into their garden, such as the two deer eating apples from the trees and the hummingbirds chasing each other. Bluebirds were also prevalent, perching on the timber posts above the garden tomatoes.
It truly was a relaxing stop, halfway through our trip to Los Angeles. But, alas, onward we journey.

To Denver, Colorado (a change in our original route)…

4648 Miles, 1 month, 80 hours of driving

Omaha, Nebraska (July 30, 2011- August 2, 2011)

Road Traveled in Red

Getting There

We left Missouri for Nebraska and had an interesting tour along the Missouri

Missouri River Flooding

River. The Heartland Flood took us by surprise. At first, I thought the river looked like the Florida Everglades with water vegetation emerging from the water. At a closer glance, we realized these were land trees and the river had flooded. A mile or so further down the road, we saw houses and barns submerged in river water up to the eaves; what should have been a road, we saw just barely the power lines above the water. It was surreal. With only a few other automobiles on the road, it seemed like we drove into a post apocalypses. Later, we found out that the Missouri River had flooded because Canada had released dam water at the same time the heartland was getting a lot of rain.

Wind in our Hair

After getting through the flooded part of the country (the water just once came close to the highway), we had to detour through Iowa; not sure if this was because of the flooding. We drove through isolated roads with Wind Mill Farms and pastures. We lost almost two hours, but we got to the Juarez Home safely.

Didn't Know the Glass Said That

I’m just grateful we stopped for lunch before we hit the detour. We happened upon a restaurant called the Mongolian Grill. The best way to describe it, is the lovechild of a buffet and hibachi. You essentially fill a bowl buffet style with veggies and raw meat, then watch the grill chefs cook it with pizazz. It was a healthy (Mongolian Grill Link) lunch alternative to fast food (still going strong!)

Following Lewis & Clark

The roads we have been taking have been following along the “Lewis and Clark” exploration trail. It’s interesting imagining the trek to the West and the awed feelings of the explorers. We followed the trail through Missouri, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska. I’m going to try and read more about Lewis & Clark and the settling of the American Mid-West.

Family Fun

We arrived at Nate’s Aunt Lynelle and Uncle Jorge’s home to a warm welcome. We had dinner and talked for hours with his cousins, Maria and Tony, and Tony’s wife Chelsea. We also played a rousing game of house tag with Tony’s four-year old daughter, Morgan. It was nice spending the weekend with the Juarez Family. We were able to spend the following day work-free. We took Morgan to the Family Fun Center, where we played old-school arcade games. Nate spent a lot of our tokens playing “Star Wars”. Sadly, he was conquered by Darth Vader. I had fun playing Skee Ball, Crane Games, and racing games. I was disappointed that the Arcade did not have “House of the Dead”.

Star Wars (cue music)	Nate Using All the Tokens	Nate and his Uncle Jorge VS Star Wars
Score!	"Riding Around in My Automobile"	So Determined to Conquer Darth Vader

Warren Buffet Eats Here!

After we got our fill of games, and embarrassed ourselves enough on Dance Dance Revolution ( we got booed off the stage), the family headed to Gorats for dinner. Gorats is a traditional steak house that Warren Buffet loves to eat at. Of course, we had a steak, a T-Bone to be exact. Nate was a little disappointed it didn’t come out like a cartoon steak you can throw to a rabid dog to get him to stop chasing you. Gorats had quality steaks, but the seasoning had a lack of flare. We attributed this to the age-group of the patrons. The best part of the meal was being with Nate and his cousins, Aunt and Uncle.

Omaha Steaks....

The family fun did not stop- we tried beating Aunt Lynelle and Uncle Jorge at a game of Cranium. We held our own, but could not beat the couple. Nate was awesome at guessing my charades- he even got “Kindergarten” by my crawling on the floor and playing with a crayon.

Beat the Heat

One thing about the Mid-West is that it gets H-O-T in the summer time. Step outside and the humidity takes your breath away. To beat the 104-heat index, Nate, Tony, Maria and I went to Maria’s boyfriend’s home for an afternoon of swimming and fishing. His property includes a small lake. I say small, because I’m used to the Finger-Lakes region of Central New York, but it was a fairly large private lake. We floated around on tubes and got out a canoe. We played water catch with the same football that floated in the Atlantic Ocean. The lake swim was so nice, the surface felt like a hot tub, but the springs underneath kept cool spots that were always a pleasant surprise.

The three nights we spent with Lynelle, Jorge, the cousins flew by. Before we knew it, Morgan was begging us to stay and play for longer. As Nate packed the car, I played “Tornado Morgan” with the lego playhouse. We’ll have to make a plan to visit the Juarez Family again.

Old School Arcade Games!

Tony & Maria-- DDR Champs!

Morgan Enjoying Gorats.

To Topeka, Kansas…