ramblings of a Seattle travel, food and photography hound
One of my biggest apprehensions as a tourist is—being viewed as a tourist. Not that there is anything I can do about it. You kind of stick out, so to speak, whether it's the backpack, camera, REI clothes, synthetic zippered-khaki pants, even shorts in certain parts of the world, anything that pegs you as being... Continue Reading →
Gallup is a city that is over 7,000 ft above sea level (like Flagstaff) and is therefore noticeably cooler than the surrounding valleys. At this elevation, there are Ponderosa pines everywhere. We stopped here for the night before moving on. For dinner, a restaurant recommended by Yelpers was closed, as were almost all restaurants in... Continue Reading →
Like its sibling to the south (the Painted Desert in Petrified Forest National Park), the Little Painted Desert showcases the same pastel-striped, eroded hillsides that characterize the eerie badlands topography, as if great, colored layers of powdered chalk had been laid on top of each other. The attraction is part of a county park in Navajo County,... Continue Reading →
Along the long I-40 stretch that cuts through the middle of the Southwest, there aren’t too many notable places to have a nice meal. Lots of little places with good, even great food, but not a sit-down dining experience, complete with ambience, good service and fresh ingredients, with a great cocktail or two thrown in... Continue Reading →
If a volcano were erupting in my backyard, spewing lava and ash, I might be tempted to move away. This is precisely what the ancient Puebloan peoples did when Sunset Volcano erupted in the 11th century. It has done so several times since then in a span of 50 years. The monument is a grim... Continue Reading →
An hour north of Flagstaff lies Wupatki National Monument. From Page, it was a leisurely hour and a half drive to the entrance. There are some 800 ruins within the monument, a staggering number even if you expected a large settlement. Only a few are open to the public. The largest and most impressive, Wupatki Pueblo,... Continue Reading →
Three years ago, we took the Antelope Canyon tour. As memorable as that tour was, hordes of tourists drawn by the fame of the canyon arrived from all over the world. To make matters worse, everyone was herded through the narrow passageways in numbers so thick that visions of being alone were delusions instead. Photographers... Continue Reading →
One of the most awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping overlooks in the entire Southwest is the one that is a thousand feet above Horseshoe Bend, a meander of the Colorado River. Though it is spectacular at any time of day, the morning and late afternoon sun shows it to best dramatic effect. The signpost to the parking lot... Continue Reading →
What more can you say when, after many hours on the Rainbow Bridge tour, you end the day with satisfying snacks and drinks? The last thing I felt like doing was cooking at the campsite. Rainbow Room, part of the Lake Powell Resort, had a nice menu, including a number of small plates, which we enjoyed, as... Continue Reading →
The last time we were in Page back in 2008, we decided against visiting Rainbow Bridge because it seemed pricey just to look at a natural bridge, even if a spectacular one. Ever since, I wondered if we'd missed an opportunity, not knowing if we'd ever return to Page. As luck would have it, we did... Continue Reading →
zoomeboshi 