I had the best Thanksgiving weekend 🦃 which included the adventure of flying with my son from Falcon Field in Phoenix, AZ to Sedona, AZ. The red rocks from the air were stunning and landing on a mesa was surreal!🧡 Breakfast at the delicious Mesa Grill 🍳, a hike on the airport vortex, and then back in the air! Sedona is one of my favorite places. I have seen Sedona from a hot air balloon and it’s such an elevated experience from a plane!
When I want to see the Northern Lights, I plan my dream Aurora Borealis vacation to Norway, Canada, Alaska, or Iceland. Of the 6 times I have seen these magnificent lights, 3 have been in Missouri above my house! The best time was November 11, 2025. The Northern Lights were seen across much of North America that evening, as far south as Florida and Texas. This was due to a powerful G4-rated geomagnetic storm that was caused by coronal mass ejections (aka CMEs) from the sun. Our gift from that storm was the Northern Lights—green, pink and red, complete with pillars and a few emotional tears.
I am going to let the pictures speak for themselves. Taken with my iPhone 17 Pro Max, night mode from my neighborhood in O’Fallon, Missouri. I went out twice that night to capture the beauty of the lights!
We flew into Denver and drove 4.5 hours to see my niece perform her summer musicals at Post Theater in Crawford, NE. We stayed in Chadron, NE—which is a short 1 hour 40 minute drive from our hotel to Keystone, South Dakota. This town lies just outside the entrance of Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
I visited Mount Rushmore as a kid in the summer of 1980–it was one of my favorite vacations. Mom, Dad, my sister and I piled into my dad’s pick up with a camper attached to the bed of the truck. We drove the 15+ hours from St. Louis, Missouri through the Badlands, stopping to see such iconic sites as Mitchell’s Corn Palace, the Flintstone’s Bedrock City in Custer, and watched a reenactment of Wild Bill Hickok’s murder in Deadwood. We camped along the way.
I remember the awe I felt as a 12 year-old seeing those gigantic president faces carved on Mount Rushmore.
That sense of wonder was experienced again today with my husband, who has never been to Mount Rushmore (he also got a new state in the process!). You enter the Memorial through The Avenue of Flags, a walk way representing the 50 U.S. States, the one district, 3 territories, and two commonwealths. It was built to commemorate our bicentennial celebration in 1976 and leads visitors to The Grand View Terrace and Presidential Trail.
Here’s a quick history lesson/timeline of the things I re-learned on this visit:
1. Mount Rushmore’s history is complex and controversial. It includes the gold rush, displacement, and broken treaties. The Black Hills, where you find Mount Rushmore, belonged to the indigenous peoples of the area, specifically the Lakota Sioux. While Mount Rushmore received its name from Charles Rushmore, a NY attorney who inspected mining claims, the original name was Six Grandfathers, a sacred site used for prayer and spiritual ceremonies. The mountain symbolizes the Lakota’s ancestral deities associated with the six cardinal directions – North, South, East, West, Above (sky), and Below (earth).
2. Early 1920s: South Dakota’s historian, Doane Robinson, suggested the idea to sculpt presidents into the side of a mountain to bring in tourists, although the original site was in another area called The Needles.
3. 1927: Sculptor, Gutzon Borglum was chosen and work began to find the right mountain. They settled on Mount Rushmore.
4. The Chosen 4: The four U.S. Presidents on Mount Rushmore were chosen for founding (Washington), growing (Jefferson), preserving (Lincoln), and developing (T. Roosevelt) the U.S.A.
5. Oct. 31, 1941: Construction completes after funding challenges, the looming WWII threat, and the death of Borglum in March. FYI—his son, Lincoln, took over for his father to finish. While it looks complete to me, I watched the film in the visitor’s center where they said it best—the the faces may be defined but it’s rough around the edges, which a metaphor for the USA—while we have accomplished and overcome so much, we are still sculpting our history. How we choose to do that is up to us.
A note on facilities—we found the parking, The Lincoln Borglum’s Visitor Center, Gift Shop, Cafe, and the grounds to be extremely convenient, clean, accessible, and the park staff friendly! For those with a gluten sensitivity, the cafe even has two options for GF bread 🤯
Bonus words—I love the details as to “why” these presidents were chosen. Here are their voices:
Fascinating (and mysterious) Fact—
Borglum’s grand plan included an 800 foot staircase ascending the Mount Rushmore to the Hall of Records, a large room within the mountain, to house important U.S. documents such as the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Also, there would be busts of famous Americans and a list of U.S. contributions to the world in science, industry and the arts.
The plan was abandoned for a variety of reasons and what remains today is the hall’s 18-foot-tall doorway that looks like the entrance to an ancient tomb of an Egyptian Pharaoh and small chamber (75 feet long with a 35-foot-tall ceiling), located behind the head of Lincoln.
If you’d like more details, including what is housed there today😊, here is the full story on the park’s website.
This is my 4th time visiting the beckoning red rocks of Sedona and if I can help it, it won’t be my last. There are few places where I could actually live vs visit…Sedona ranks right up at the top of the list.
Sedona has 4 vortexes—energy sources concentrated in specific areas that impact spiritual, emotional and physical well-being. Although not proven scientifically, there are several sites around the world that also claim vortex status— the Great Pyramid in Egypt, Machu Picchu in Peru, Stonehenge, Bali, Uluru/Ayers Rock in Australia to name some of the more popular ones. Whether you believe it or not, it’s a magical town, where buildings must blend into their background, the food is top notch, hikes are unforgettable, and the red rocks take your breath away.
This Mother’s Day, I had the opportunity to meet both of my sons in Phoenix (one already lives there) and we drove two hours to Sedona. While we didn’t have a lot of time, we got some of our favorites in. And, most importantly, we spent time together. It couldn’t have been a more perfect weekend.🧡
We stayed in a place that was new for us—The Wilde Resort & Spa. I would highly recommend it. Wonderful grounds with hammocks, cornhole, fire pits, swimming pool with bar, hot tubs, an onsite spa (Victoria got out the hiking knots!), and restaurant. I will definitely stay there again.
I really wanted to eat at Elote Cafe when we arrived but reservations book up months in advance. Luckily, they had a cancellation when I called and we kicked off the weekend at one of the best restaurants in town. Don’t forget to get the Elote Dip!
We stopped for lunch at Mesa Grill —the airport’s restaurant (make reservations!). This is one of our very favorites…the table side guacamole 🥑 is some of the best I have ever had at a restaurant
Here are a few pictures from when I have been in Sedona previously…
We spent Thanksgiving with our sons in Arizona and did some hiking at Santan Mountain Regional Park. Nothing like 75 degree Fahrenheit weather with no humidity, lots of sunshine and plenty of saguaro cactus 🌵 along the path!
Then on to our nation’s capitol where it was cold and we were lucky to be there the night of the Capitol tree lighting.
The Magna Carta was the first document to put into writing the principle that the king and his government was not above the law. This document shaped our nation by establishing that people can assert their rights against an oppressive ruler and the power of government can be limited to protect those rights. This document sits right below our constitution in the National Archive Museum.
Philanthropist David M. Rubenstein donated the Magna Carta where it’s proudly displayed in its own area. Interesting fact—it was previously owned by H. Ross Perot, who loaned it to the National Archives for decades.
We do a thing…
When I married my husband, his mom handed me a paper map of the U.S.A. It is the kind of map you use to teach a kid the 50 states, letting them color in each one once they have memorized the name and location.
I was told to color in any state I had been to and then continue doing so until I have all 50. I did exactly that, rejoicing each time the map became more and more colorful!
We have rules—you cannot fly over a state to count it. You have to touch down AND step foot on the land in that state. There is some controversy whether you have to leave the airport to qualify or if you can stay in the airport. In my case, I’ve actually left the airport each time. What remains, as of August 30th, is one—North Dakota…the last colorless state on my map!
This past Christmas, my son gave me a mother-son trip over a long weekend. We did something similar a few years back when we went to New York City. He said, “Mom, where do you want to go this time.” I knew where I wanted to go. After a little coaxing, he finally acquiesced. So here we are—Labor Day weekend, and I can soon OFFICIALLY color in North Dakota!
Let the journey begin!
We flew into Minneapolis, rented a car, and started our 4+ hour trek to Fargo, ND. And we saw some big things along the way!
1st stop…
2nd stop…
3rd stop…
4th stop…
The best for last…
While I first stepped foot in North Dakota the evening of August 30th, we went to the Fargo-Moorhead Visitor Center on Saturday morning, August 31st. Today marks the completion of my map…#50! And when North Dakota is the last, you join their “Best for Last” Club 🇺🇸 and receive a certificate and a T-Shirt!
Btw we ran into Benjamin from California again—there’s a geocache by the visitor’s center!
Note about Fargo, ND – founded in 1871, its population is over 133,000 people today. Moorhead, MN is its twin city and together there are over 250,000 residents. Fargo sits on the western bank of the Red River of the North. Today you’ll find North Dakota State University and lots of references to Fargo, an Academy award-winning 1996 movie directed by the Coen brothers. A television show followed in 2014.
It’s so strange when you take off in the dark, fly 14 hours, and land at sunset! That’s exactly what we did today (yesterday). Round of applause for Emirates – what an uneventful flight filled with lots of movies, food, and very little sleep as it was difficult to get comfy on a full flight. But even the economy seats (where we sat) were ergonomically built—reclining seats, adjustable headrest, and a great entertainment center. The entire business class had seats that allow you to lay down (sigh). The first class had private rooms (double sigh) and I didn’t get to see those. Esthetically, it was a beautiful plane with a fantastic crew—30 in all, speaking 11 different languages.
I especially loved the ability to view below and in front of the plane via cameras from my seat monitor —take a look at this landing shot!
Now it’s off to sleep for two hours at the Hotel Emirates arranged for us before we leave on the next leg of the trip—South Africa!
After landing on the only runway at the only commercial airport located within a US National Park, we were greeted by the snow capped peaks of the Teton mountain range. Exiting the airplane on an outdoor jetway and being greeted by the Grand Teton standing majestically at 13,775 feet took our breath away (and it wasn’t just because we were at 6,451’ elevation).
Jackson Hole is actually the name of the valley in Wyoming. We stayed in the town of Jackson and enjoyed 5 days in the wilderness playground of the Grand Teton National Park. Yellowstone National Park is only a two hour drive away but since we have been there before, we choose to stay around Jackson Hole.
The Jenny Lake Trail is worth the hike. If you go beyond Inspiration Point, you will be in Cascade Canyon – another really memorable hike! we had an incredible vacation. Not just because of the amazing nature, but also because my husband and I got to spend some quality time with our two sons (including trying to keep up with them during hikes!).
The most powerful geomagnetic storm in 20 years delivered the most amazing auroras across the globe last night. It was an extremely rare G-5 level event that followed a series of strong solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CME for short) from mid-week.
Experiencing the aurora was a bucket list night for me and a lot of other people. The pictures on social media from Europe, Canada, China, and the US (as far south as Florida!) are insanely breathtaking. Never did I ever imagine that I would see an aurora in my home state of Missouri. And, I will never forget it.
People go in search of auroras. The aurora hunters and enthusiasts travel thousands of miles at the perfect time of the year, to the areas of the world that are known for their gorgeous display of green, pink, purple, and blue, only to be let down because the lights fail to make their appearance on demand. I know, I spent three nights trying to track the aurora in Iceland last year. It’s disappointing.
Little did I know that I’d be able to see them right from my front and back yard before 10 pm on May 10, 2024. As you can see from the pictures, they were pink, red, and a little green. The red is a result of the intense storm (and being further south). And while our northern hemisphere gives us the aurora borealis or northern lights, the aurora australis brings about the southern lights in places like Antarctica, Tasmania,and even Australia.
I’m exceptionally lucky. Last night was my fourth viewing of the aurora. My first was in 2018 on an airplane to Alaska, somewhere over Canada. They were vivid green and I watched them move throughout the sky at 39,000 feet at the end of August. It was such a peaceful moment because most everyone on the plane was asleep. I woke my boys to take a peek, but I felt like the lights were dancing just for me.
The next time was on a plane to Iceland in April 2023. Unfortunately, I wasn’t sitting by the window so I had to awkwardly crane my neck over the gentleman who had the prime seat. The third time was two days later in Reykjavík. Even with the city lights, they were visible to the naked eye. I have posted pictures in a prior blog post if you’d like to take a look. It was a perfect day—we had just returned from an incredible excursion in the southern part of Iceland. I ran out from my hotel room, in my robe, to the rooftop to catch a glimpse. Last night I was also in my robe. Therefore, I think I either need to be on an airplane or in my robe to see the aurora!
There’s a chance the northern lights will make a return over the next couple days. Please come back to Missouri, Aurora!
How did I not know that the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, aka St. Louis Cathedral, which sits in the Central West end of the city, rivals churches I have seen to-date?
I always knew this cathedral was there; however, I’ve never taken the time to visit. What a terrible miss on my part. It took a visitor from another country, who is spending Thanksgiving with us, to request a visit for me to finally discover this gem. Let’s just say that I was BLOWN AWAY! Completed in 1914, named for Saint Louis, and designated a basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1997, it’s an astonishing collection of mosaic art work.
My head swirled as I entered and looked up and around. There was a man from North Carolina admiring the details next to me. He commented that he’s been all over the world and this is one of the best cathedrals he has visited. I told him that I’ve never seen so many mosaic tiles outside of Church of the Savior on Blood in St. Petersburg, Russia (Russian: Церковь Спаса на Крови, Tserkovʹ Spasa na Krovi). He agreed.
I had to look it up because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. According to Wikipedia, the basilica contains 41.5 million glass tesserae (tile) pieces in 7,000+ colors. The tiles cover 83,000 square feet and it is, indeed, the largest mosaic collection in the world outside Russia. Holy moly—right in my home town!
The mosaic work was done by several people/companies including a father/son team who dedicated their lives to the art.
It is #6 on TripAdvisor’s things to do in St Louis, following the Arch, the Zoo, Missouri Botanical Gardens, the City Museum, and Busch Stadium. While I don’t disagree those are must see attractions, THIS BASICILA is a treasure of epic proportions—and I, too, have seen a ton of churches around the world. I may not be Catholic, but gosh, was this a spiritual moment!
There is a crypt with the former Cardinals of the St Louis Archdiocese, an organ with a story too long to tell here, and a museum to learn more about the mosaic art work. We didn’t have time to explore these 3 in detail (as we had reservations to go up #1 on the list—the Gateway Arch), but I will take a guided tour next time.
Do I really need to add words to these pictures?
These were taken at sunset on a really cold October day aboard Chicago’s First Lady. The 90 minute tour partners with the Chicago Architecture Center (CAC). The view! The history! The buildings!
We met our good friends and stayed the remainder of our time at Lae Nani—a beautiful condo complex with the most breathtaking landscape on the east side of Kaua’i in a town called Kapa’a. This part of the island, where you can watch spectacular sunrises, is called the Royal Coconut Coast. It is considered a holy area where the Hawaiian royalty used to live. We explored waterfalls, chased rainbows, and went to a luau. Of the 5 previous luaus I have been to, this one was my favorite so I will post the details below.
Here are some of our unforgettable adventures in pictures.
The Royal Coconut Coast – East Kaua’i
Heading West – the Na Pali Coast
Back on the Royal Coconut Coast (East Kaua’i) for the Smith Family Garden Luau
Exploring the North Shore
South for some Sunshine, Sea Turtles, and Seals!
Other Notable Adventures
The others in our group did a helicopter tour of the island and one couple went to Oahu for the day. We have done these below before, so we skipped them this time.
Besides Waimea Canyon, Kauai is an island where you can explore to your heart’s content and learn about the Hawaiian culture, Whether you want to put your toes in the sand in Hanalei Bay or float in a tube down a mountain, the options are abundant.
Let’s start with the tubing adventure. This is the second time we have joined Kaua’i Backcountry Adventures on their tubing excursion where we travel via open canals and tunnels that were once used to carry water down the mountain for sugar cane irrigation. After, there’s a lunch with the chickens, roosters, and cats close to where you get out of the water.
It’s a fascinating lesson in the history and fun to travel the same path as the sugar cane, dating back to when the tunnels were hand dug around 1870. In fact, sugar cane was big business in the Hawaiian Islands, including Kauai. And it wasn’t all sweet. There are lots of articles about the history of sugar cane in the Hawaiian Islands. Here’s a link to a chronicle from the University of Hawaii’s library that provides a historical timeline and more details from Wikipedia. A couple of interesting facts—the American Civil War gave a boost to Hawaiian sugar cane production when supplies were halted from the south. C&H in C&H Sugar stands for California and Hawaii, and here’s an interesting article from NPR when the last sugar cane mill in Hawaii was closed in 2016.
We wore hard hats with head lamps for the tunnels. While most of the trip is similar to a lazy river, there are times where you pick up speed, float in the dark, and bumper car with your neighbors. It’s “butts up” or “ankles crossed” to ensure safety in the “refreshing” water—which you acclimate to quickly. It helps to wear long sleeve swim gear! At one point they encourage you to swipe some clay from the canal walls for a nutrient rich facial.
The bamboo! The ground are breathtaking and we wouldn’t have seen them if not for this tour.
Our group of 6 had a really fun and unique experience. There were kids in our broader group and you could tell they did as well. Mahalo to Kauai Background Adventures. You can tell they pride themselves on eco tourism, education, and protecting the environment. The guides were outstanding again this second time around. (FYI, tips are appreciated).
Also known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, Waimea Canyon is 14 miles long, 1 mile wide, and greater than 3,600 feet deep. The panoramic views are jaw dropping!
In addition to the scenic overlooks stops, we did a couple of hikes while in the park. The best was our 3 mile hike starting on the Canyon Trail and ending at Waipo’o Falls. FYI the Canyon Trail is a 12.9-mile out-and-back trail—we only walked a small part of it.
Kaua’i in October is as beautiful as it gets. Who needs changing leaves and pumpkin spice when you have swaying palm trees, tropical sunsets, and Lava Flows?
Hawaii is a special place for me. I grew up going to the islands from about the age of 13. My heart has been broken for the people of Maui with the Lahaina fire and I continue to pray for healing, strength, hope, and love (please join me in continuing to support the various local community organizations on the island)
To kick off our 30 year wedding anniversary vacation, my husband, Mike, and I splurged and did a bucket list item by spending 5 nights at the Grand Hyatt in Poipu, Kaua’i. Talk about a resort for memory making! We were greeted with orchid leis, informative bellmen, front desk staff with the Aloha spirit, and the most amazing lobby view of the ocean. There wasn’t one thing about this hotel I didn’t love, and I have been wanting to stay here for years so the hype kept building! In fact, we had plans to visit in September 2020 but Covid cancelled them.
Some will say it’s a ton of walking within the lush landscaped property (over 1000 steps from the pool to our room) but if you like to get in your steps, it’s the place for you. There’s the 2 mile Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail that starts right at the hotel and goes along the coast if you want more exercise. They have a phenomenal spa and fitness center (which you pay for in your resort fee) and I did some type of class each morning—HIIT, yoga, etc. I had a wonderful massage with Deanna. We drank $18 foo foo drinks at the pool (ouch! But try the lilikoi margarita—it’s worth it once). We bought a room package where the yummy breakfast buffet at Ilima Terrace was included (otherwise it’s $100 for two people without the tip), and found that would tide us over until dinner.
The room was spacious with plenty of drawers, a mini refrigerator, and their own coconut mango bath products, which smell like paradise. Hyatt is reducing plastic pollution so they give their guests an aluminum water bottle upon check in and had plenty of filtered water stations to refill on the property. One evening we ate at Tide Pools—a tropical oasis in the middle of a koi pond. Very romantic! 🥰
The pools were abundant, with an adults only pool, a lazy river, a sandy beach lagoon pool, a slide, hot tubs, and plenty of nooks and crannies to hang out in the water. We always found chairs with an umbrella, although they do have more exclusive chairs/tents to rent. We were fine in the “free seats”.
This summer my son, Logan (https://instagram.com/pilot_logan?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==), became a private pilot. I was the lucky mom that got the opportunity to fly with him on Friday evening, August 18th. I crossed my fingers and did a little bit of meditation to calm the nerves while he was doing his pre flight checklist, but then I enjoyed every minute of our one hour and 15 minute flight: 3 take offs; 3 landings; and a tour over the St. Louis, Missouri area that concluded with an amazing sunset! It was surreal to sit beside the kid that was once afraid of heights, and watch him pilot a four passenger Cessna 172s. I have taken some pretty cool trips—this was, by far, the coolest! ✈️
This was the best week with my youngest son, Logan, exploring two national parks, hiking, and spending time together before he heads off for his senior year of college in August. Today is Memorial Day and I am not only reflecting on the trip but also on the sacrifices made by our service men and women — sacrifices that allow us the privilege of spending time freely in this beautiful country.
Location: Springdale, UT is the perfect base camp. It’s right outside Zion and it has everything you could possibly want—small town feel, really yummy restaurants, convenience / grocery stores, gear stores, ice cream (who doesn’t like ice cream every night on vacation??), and even spas. I walked into one of those spas yesterday after hiking and was able to get a massage. The Spa at Cable Mountain Lodge is fantastic—jacuzzi, steam room, and a relaxing massage (thanks, Scott!). Highly recommend this place to soothe those tired hiking muscles. I feel like a new person today!
Also, fellow Birkenstock fans—Simply Birkenstocks has Birks I didn’t even know existed and they ship too (don’t ask me how I know that). Also, they carry other shoe brands (Teva, Chacos, Naot, etc) and gear/clothing that you may have forgotten to pack—like Vuori and Kuhl.
We stayed at the Desert Pearl Inn. I will write a Trip Advisor review shortly and link it here. It was everything we thought it would be and more. The pool and hot tub were nice after a long day of hiking. Our room was clean and modern. We backed to the Virgin River—the river was right out our back door. It was so darned relaxing to sit on the patio (we were ground level) and watch/listen to the water every morning/evening. That river moves fast! We had one small issue with a smell in the bathroom but they were quick to fix it for us.
The weather couldn’t have been better—sunny, 70s/80s and no humidity. In the morning it was actually chilly and when the sun sets, it’s extremely pleasant. I could get used to weather like this!
Yesterday was another full day of hiking. During this trip we did every major hike in Zion we could, other than 3 that were closed due to rock slides/high water. Unfortunately, The Narrows was the one closed due to high water. Oh well…gives us another reason to come back! We enjoyed the Riverside Walk Trail that follows the Virgin River and took us to the start of The Narrows. We also hiked the Pa’rus and Weeping Rock Trails. We walked from Canyon Junction to the Court of the Patriarchs where we took the shuttle to the Zion Lodge and ate lunch. Good lunch but not as good as the Lodge at Bryce Canyon.
Last evening I had THE BEST spaghetti squash enchiladas at Whiptale Grill. In fact, it’s the only time I have ever had spaghetti squash enchiladas but I know I will crave them from here on out. Logan and I agreed that this restaurant and Oscar’s Cafe were our favorites. Check out Oscar’s Pork Chili Verde Tamales and the Salmon Filet.
We struggled with making a decision. Do we drive two hours to go to Bryce Canyon National Park today or do we stay in Zion? We had many recommendations to go and so we thought, let’s do it! BEST DECISION!! Bryce Canyon, or BC (which I will affectionally call it), was beyond our wildest imagination. It’s something right out of fantasyland. They even have a Canyon named Fairyland! Whether you see chess pieces ♟️ or other mythical creatures, BC was like a sugar craving. You know when you open a candy bar and say, “I am just going to have 1 square and save the rest for later”? Then next thing you know, the entire bar is gone. That was how we felt about these rocks. We couldn’t just see 1 — we wanted to see them all! I have over 500 pictures and videos from today…I know, it’s over the top but so worth it.
The “rocks” are actually called Hoodoos and BC has the greatest Hoodoo collection in the world. And, the perfect climate, too, with the right balance of freezing and thawing to create them.
We started our drive through Zion National Park (Hwy 9) at 6:30 am, going through the historic 1.1 mile long Zion-Mount Carmel tunnel, which provides direct access for travel between Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, and Zion National Parks. In about 1 hour 50 minutes, we arrived at BC and started hiking at the Bryce Point trailhead (Elevation 8,300). We walked the Rim Trail, stopping at various points, including Inspiration Point, Sunset Point, and Sunrise Point. This led us to the Navajo Loop, taking us down to the Amphitheater (the floor) where we could hike amongst the Hoodoos. We joined up with the Queen’s Garden Trail, which brought us back to the top. I find it much more difficult to hike canyons—what goes down, has to come back up! I’d rather do the hardest part first.
We then ate a really delicious lunch at the rustic Bryce Canyon Lodge. It’s been in operation since 1925 and designed by the famous architect, Gilbert Stanley Underwood. I had a Reuben on a GF bun—one of the best Reubens! We shared some garlic parmesan fries, which were also yummy. Maybe I was just really hungry from the hikes?
After lunch we hiked back along the Rim Trail, saw some deer that didn’t seem fazed by us, and made a quick stop by Fairyland Canyon on our way out.
Next time I would add another day for BC. Night time star gazing is supposed to be amazing. Also, there are a couple of other hikes we didn’t have time for in one day. I would love to see the shifting colors of the Hoodoos with sunrise and sunset.
Let’s talk a little more about the Hoodoos, because they are fascinating. They don’t grow out of the ground. Rather, they are eroded out of cliffs. Rows of narrow walls form calls fins. Then cracks occur and holes appear. The fins now have windows. As the windows get bigger, the tops eventually collapse and ta da—a baby hoodoo is born. Rain/snow act like a sculptors and make the hoodoo look like you see in the pictures—a bulbous spire. They have their lifespan and eventually break down into lumps of clay while new Hoodoos are born.
Christina’s Journey Journal 