September 2017 – HilaryStyle

September 26, 2017September 26, 2017

Soaring Over Monument Valley

Monument Valley Utah Arizona #monumentvalley

If there was a main destination on our epic 2000+ mile road trip through the American Southwest it was Monument Valley, which is located on the border of Utah and Arizona. Believe it or not my inspiration for this mega adventure came while riding Soarin’ Over The World an attraction inside Disneyland’s California Adventure Park. And why not? Inspiration can come from anywhere: magazines, guide books, blogs, television shows, food, instagram feeds, and yes, even theme park rides.

Soaring over Monument Valley

Family Road Trip to Monument Valley Utah Arizona #monumentvalley — We “flew” over the West Mitten Butte at Disney’s California Adventure.

As I was saying, after “soaring” over Monument Valley on a theme park ride, I just knew I had to see this amazing natural wonder in person. Not only that, this was a part of the United States no one in my family had visited, so it would be something new for all of us.

Along the Way

Monument Valley Utah #monumentvalley #forestgump — Our first view of Monument Valley from Hwy 163.

The drive to Monument Valley from Arches takes around 2.5 hours, and other than a few photo stops along the way, we drove straight through.

Mexican Hat Utah #mexicanhat — We stopped for a quick photo of the Mexican hat rock

It was a happy accident when we decided to stop for a photo in the very place Forrest Gump stopped his cross-country run!

Monument Valley

Monument Valley is famous for it’s majestic sandstone buttes, the tallest of which rises over 1000 feet from the valley floor. It’s no wonder that this place has been repeatedly featured in film and media since the 1930s.

Visitors can choose to drive the Park’s 17 mile dirt road in their own vehicle, however the roads are more suited to off road vehicles and much of the Valley is only accessible via guided tour. Along the way you may run into local Navajo people selling handmade goods.

The View Lodge & Visitor Center

Upon entering the Park you’ll find yourself at The View lodge and Visitor Center. Inside you’ll find park information, a museum, restaurant, gift shop, and of course amazing views of the Valley in every direction! Even the elevator has a view. Really! If you plan on taking a guided tour the View Lobby is where you’ll meet your guide.

Tours of Monument Valley

Monument Valley Utah Arizona Family Travel #familyroadtrip — Monument Valley Loop Drive

Realizing that navigating a winding bumpy dirt road for 2 – 3 hours wasn’t the best way for me to see the Valley or to keep my sanity I booked our group on a guided tour. We chose the Dineh Bekeyah tour company, which was a great experience.

Our guide, Steven was kind, friendly, and informative. During our four hours together we learned about the Navajo people, their customs, and their relationship to the Valley. We drove into the backcountry, where we were able to venture onto some of the rock formations and climb mountains of sand. We saw pictographs, “dragons”, and wild horses!

Sleeping Dragon

Merrick Butte

Big Hogan

West and East Mittens

There is really no way to explain the sheer size of the monuments, and how I felt being among them. A little little like Land of the Lost, maybe?

Wild Horses

Suns Eye Pictographs

Photography

Family road trip through Monument Valley Utah Arizona #familyroadtrip — Photographers Point

If you’re a photographer than Monument Valley is the place for you, in fact there is even a place called Photographer’s Point. IF the weather is in your favor, sunrise and sunset are popular times to take photos, as well as after dark when the dark skies allow the stars to come out in full force.

Photographer’s Point

Unfortunately my plans for an astrophotography tour were foiled when an extreme storm complete with rain, wind, thunder and lightening blew through the area. That’s not to say I didn’t get a few snaps, just not night sky.

I rose before the sun to catch the sunrise. I’m pretty sure a bat flew into my face while I attempted to take some photos in the predawn light. Eeek!

Gouldings Lodge

Our accomodations during our visit to Monument Valley were at Gouldings Lodge, which is located just a few minutes drive from the Park entrance. Our little cabin of sorts, which had a great view of the Monuments and conveniently a kitchenette was perfect for our party of five.

The Gouldings story is quite fascinating. Originally sheep farmers, their farm was struggling during the depression of the 1930s. Through a series of events and luck they brought Hollywood, to the Valley (and with the filming of the famous western movie Stagecoach starring John Wayne) the Valley to the world.. The rest, as they say, is history…

Onsite at Gouldings you’ll find the Stagecoach Restaurant, a grocery store, swimming pool, museum, gift shop, and more.

Tips & Advice:

Monument Valley isn’t a state or national park, but rather a Navajo Tribal Park.
There is a fee to enter the tribal park.
Navajo people live and work within the park’s boundaries.
The backcountry is only accessible via guided tour.
Hiking opportunities wihtin Monument Valley are limited, and during extreme temperatures the trails may be closed.
The View Lodge is the only lodging inside the park and it books far in advance.
We booked our guided tour in advance, but same day tours are possible.

Inspiration is Everywhere

Disneyland inspired Monument Valley, but it’s not the only place I’ve ever visited due to a little help from an unusual source. Our visit to Northern Ireland was born out of a desire to see the Giant’s Causeway, but it was my love of Game of Thrones that led me to the Dark Hedges.

The Sweet Tooth’s Walking Tour of Downtown Los Angeles

Bottega Louie Los Angeles California #dtla

I’ve been inspired by all the mouthwatering photos of food I’ve been seeing online lately, but with literally thousands of delicious choices right here in my home town of LA, and limited time to eat out, my list of must try places was growing long. A plan was in order and I decided a food tour* was the perfect answer! Combining a visit to one of my favorite LA neighborhoods with delicious food and iconic sights sounded fun to me, but how would I keep my 9 year old son (and husband) engaged? A dessert tour of course! After all, life is short… dessert first!

There are many fabulous neighborhoods in Los Angeles, each one with it’s own charm, but it was my desire to ride the newly reopened Angels Flight Railway, that helped me choose Downtown LA for this particular adventure. A big fan of public art, I was excited to see a number of fun street art pieces along our route.

Sweet Tooth’s Walking Tour of DTLA

The Sweet Tooth’s Walking Tour is 1.7 miles, and can be enjoyed in both directions. We chose to walk back to our car after the tour, but there are plenty of public transportation options if you’re too full to walk. Public parking lots and metered parking are available. We found $5 parking just behind Birdies.

Birdies
Location: 314 West Olympic Boulevard Los Angeles (Stop A)

Our first stop, Birdies, is well known in LA for both their donuts and fried chicken, so of course we had to try both! The donuts are baked fresh every two hours.

To ensure we had room for all our delicious stops, we decided we’d share two donuts, and some Birdies Bites (fried chicken tenders) between the three of us. There are multiple dipping sauces available for the bites. We tried sweet Asian chili and house ranch, but left the ghost pepper mayo to braver souls.

Panda Donut

Gold leaf donut

Elliot chose a panda donut, because… panda! The strawberry donut was so delicious we forgot to take a proper photo. pictured above is the cream cheese champagne glazed gold leaf donut, a specialty donut, which will set you back $100! Other donuts range in price between $.50 for donut holes and $3.50 for fancier flavors.

Bottega Louie
Location: 700 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles (Stop B)

Bottega Louie, is known for it’s colorful and photogenic macarons, but it isn’t just about the sweets and treats, it’s also a full service restaurant with a full bar and a gourmet market.

We weren’t planning on a sit down meal, so we took our treats to go, however the lunch options looked and smelled wonderful, so I see a return visit in the near future!

Bottega Louie Los Angeles California #macarons

LA Weekly listed Bottega Louie as one of the 10 best macarons in LA! The flavors we enjoyed were, chocolate mint, raspberry, salted caramel, birthday cake and coconut. My favorite was the coconut! Macarons can be purchased individually, or in boxes.

Elliot chose to enjoy a chocolate eclair rather than a macaron… from the looks of it he had no regrets!

Little Damage
Location: 700 S Spring St, Los Angeles (Stop C)

Little Damage is a family owned soft serve ice cream shop in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles. With trendy black cones and unique flavor choices, Little Damage, is not your average ice cream… its ice cream with a Goth twist!

We sampled Unicorn Tears, a lovely blue color, which actually tasted like vanilla birthday cake. A scoop is $6 and comes with one free topping. The trendy black waffle cone (made from activated charcoal) is $1 extra.

Planning on sharing your food finds on social media? With it’s many fun signs, both inside and out, Little Damage provides plenty of opportunities for that perfect pic! But you better hurry, because it’s hot out there and the SoCal sun and soft serve ice cream don’t mix.

Walking Tour of Downtown Los Angeles #LittleDamage

The Bradbury Building
Location: 304 S. Broadway, Los Angeles (Stop E)

If there are any movie or architecture lovers in your group, they’ll love this next stop!

Built in 1893, the Bradbury Building is the oldest commercial building in the area. While the outside might not seem like anything particularly special, its the inside’s Victorian Era atrium with it’s grandiose iron work, 50 foot ceilings, and open cage elevators that really shine.

Fans of the movie Blade Runner, starring Harrison Ford, might recognize the atrium space as Sebastian’s home.

Bradbury Building Los Angeles California #bladrunner

Bradbury Building Los Angeles California #bladerunner

Visitors are welcome, and entrance to the Bradbury Building is free, but keep in mind the building is still in use, so access is limited. If you’re interested in exploring further there are various tours available.

Street Art Downtown Los Angeles #StreetartLA — View from the Bradbury Building lobby

Grand Central Market
Location: 317 S. Broadway, Los Angeles (Stop F)

The Grand Central Market opened in 1917 and has been operating continuously ever since. A popular destination for locals and tourists alike, you’ll find something for everyone in your group, no matter their food tastes. From Thai sticky rice to cheesecake, whisky and cheese, a Jewish deli, vegan choices, coffee, Chinese food, green grocers and so much more. There’s even a PB&J shop!

The hustle and bustle, neon and vibrant atmosphere make Grand Central Market a place worth visiting all on it’s own! My plan to finish our foodie tour with a taste of cheese at the DTLA Cheese shop was foiled when we realized we were just too full. Next time!

Grand Central Market Los Angeles California #dtla

Grand Central Market Los Angeles California #grandcentralmarket #dtla

Angels Flight Railway
Location: 351 South Hill Street, Los Angeles (Stop G)

The newly reopened Angels Flight Railway has been in operation on and off since 1901, and at 298 feet is the world’s shortest railway. When it opened, one hundred years ago, its location was the main hub of commerce and entertainment in Downtown Los Angeles. The Angels Flight Railway is a treasured piece of LA history, and it has given more than 100 million rides!

Located just across the street from the Grand Central Market, Angels Flight was the perfect way for locals to get up and down the steep hill with their groceries!

A one way ride on Angels Flight is $1 payable at the upper station. Metro pass holders may ride for $.50. If you’re only interested in riding one way there are stairs located to the side of the railway. We rode up and walked back down.

Angels Flight Railway Los Angeles California #angelsflight

Street Art Los Angeles California #dtlastreetart — Street art as seen from the Angels Flight Upper Station

The Last Bookstore
Location: 453 S. Spring St, Los Angeles ( Bonus Stop D)

If you have book lovers in your group you’ll want to make time for The Last Bookstore. Full of character and visually stunning this place is a book lovers dream!

A labyrinth of books, the comic section, the first edition vault, (literally, it was inside an actual vault), the artist studios, and a rare book room are just a few of the places you can explore during a visit to The Last Bookstore.

The artist galleries are upstairs

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Take me with you!

Would you like directions to all these fabulous places? Why not take me with you! You can download this and other fun hilarystyle articles using the GPSmyCity app!

September 12, 2017September 16, 2017

Road Trip to Arches National Park

Arches National Park Utah #windowarchhike

Arches National Park, one of many National Parks we visited in Utah, was also the furthest and most challenging drive of our two week road trip. That was partly due to our decision to take Scenic Byway 12 from Bryce Canyon to Moab, home of Arches National Park. The drive proved to be more of an adventure than I planned on, and to say that I was nervous while driving on the extremely steep and winding road would be the understatement of the century. Petrified would probably be a more accurate description.

Utah has some of the most diverse landscape I’ve ever seen, and once I was able to look up again, I was amazed at all the different types of terain we drove through.

The Road to Arches National Park

Goblin State Park Utah #goblinstatepark — Goblins standing sentry at Goblin State Park

Although the road to Arches felt long, we made stops at both Capital Reef National Park, and Goblin Valley State Park, which helped to break up the very curvy drive. Temperatures were well over 100 degrees, so our visits were on the quick side.

Capital Reef National Park

Capital Reef National Park is one of Utah’s Mighty 5, however it is the most underrated of all the parks. Many people I spoke with consider it their favorite of all the parks, they love having the place all to themselves.

The Visitor Center Capital Reef

Capital Reef National Park #capitalreefnationalpark

The Capital Reef Visitor Center is located along HWY Route 24, and after a quick look around we drove a short distance down the road to see the Freemont Indian Pictographs, which date back to between 700 AD – 1300 AD. Parking and a convient walking path make viewing the pictographs a very family friendly activity.

There are viewfinders available for a better look.

The Pictographs are high above on the cliff face.

This set of Pictographs was actually quite far away

Goblin Valley State Park

Recommended by a friend we made stopping at Goblin Valley State Park a priority, however in hindsight I realized I should have timed this visit for either sunrise or sunset. Because our visit took place mid-day, temperatures were extremely high, there was no shade and the harsh lighting meant a very abbreviated visit.

It was sot hot, my boys wouldn’t leave the car’s airconditioning, but I was here and didn’t want to pass up an oppotunity to walk among the hoodoos or “goblins”, which are the main attraction at Goblin State Park.

Walking among the goblins

Arches National Park

Arches National Park is home to the largest concentration of natural arches in the world. The most famous of which is the Delicate Arch, which also happens to be on the Utah State Liscense Plate.

Arches National Park #utahliscenseplate — This liscense plate has been retired and was for sale in a gift shop.

I admit I underestimated the time it would take to drive to Arches so our time in the park was limited. We would just be getting a taste of what this park had to offer. For example this Utah liscense plate was the only way I would be seeing the famous Delicate Arch.

Visitor Center

As always our first stop was the visitor center. We watched a movie about the Park’s unique landscape, viewed interactive exhibits, consulted with the rangers, and of course vistied the gift shop!

Knowing that our group wasn’t up for moderate or difficult hiking in the extreme heat we chose to view the park via two easier walks, and the many pull ins along the Park’s main road.

The Windows – Easy

This wasn’t our first stop within the park, but it was my favorite. A quick and relatively flat walk, and we were able to explore The Windows and see amazing views without too much effort. We all loved this walk, and sitting under the shade of the giant Window Arches helped us get a feel for just how massive these formations really are. This is perfect walk if you have limited time in the Park.

Arches National Park Utah #windowsarches — View from The Windows

Sitting under The Windows

Balanced Rock – Easy

Balanced Rock, as you can see isn’t an arch, but it certainly is impressive. It’s hard to get a sense of scale when looking at photos, but if you look closely you’ll see tiny people among the rocks. The Rock can easily be seen from the parking area or there is a short walk around as well.

The Courthouse View Point

Arches National Park Utah #courthouseview

The Gossip Ladies – View Point

Zax’s Pizza

A casual pizza restaurant with unique and delicious toppings and great service, Zax’s wasn’t the only meal we ate while in Moab, but it was our favorite! Don’t just take my word for it, Zax’s came highly recommended by just about every person I spoke to when discussing our trip to Moab, and now I’ve joined the club! I wish my photos were better, but I was too busy eating to take many pictures…

Tips & Advice:

There wasn’t much shade and it was 104 during our visit. Bring water! Yes, I know I should be wearing a hat.
Be aware and heed all signs. People do die here, often people who don’t heed signs.
Keep in mind that many of the more famous hikes are moderate to difficult for example Delicate Arch is considered difficult.
Many of the park’s sights can be seen from the car, and or convenient lookout points.
Automobile Lines to get into Arches National Park can be long, so plan to arrive early if possible. You’ll beat the lines and the heat!
Once you leave the Visitor Center there are no facilities of any kind inside the park.

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September 5, 2017September 5, 2017

Exploring Bryce Canyon National Park Day & Night

Bryce Canyon National Park with kids #BryceCanyon

Bryce Canyon National Park, was just one of many National and State parks we spent time in during our visit to Utah. In fact we visited four National Parks, one State Park, and a Tribal Park. If the number of photos I took are any indication, Bryce Canyon was a favorite!

That could be due to its higher elevations and cooler temperatures, which made Bryce Canyon a welcome respite from the extreme heat of our previous stops in Zion and Las Vegas.

We enjoyed hiking through unique and alien landscapes by day, and explored the night sky, and it’s many wonders, under it’s famously dark skies by night.

Bryce Canyon National Park #astrophotography — The Milky Way!

Getting There

At around 80 miles the scenic drive from Zion National Park to Bryce Canyon is a very manageable distance, however the road can at times be curvy, steep and narrow or all three at once, and if you’re me, that can make for slow going.

Other times, the road seems to stretch out in front of you for what feels like forever, and it was during one of those stretches that I saw something in the distance. What is that large and strange looking formation?

The Rock Stop!

Having previously read about The Rock Stop, we decided to stop and take a look around! As it turns out we were far from the only ones! People come from around the world to visit the Wonders of Utah, and it turns out The Rock Stop is one of them.

This turned out to be a perfect place to stretch our legs and grab a drink and a snack. We even picked up a souvenir or two!

People come from around the world!

The Rock Stop is a popular destination

Bryce Canyon National Park By Day

If, like us, you have limited time in the Park, consider making the visitor center your first stop. While there, you can learn about the park, pick up a park map, and speak with the Park Rangers about what might be the best experience for your group’s needs.

Mossy Cave Trail – Easy

The Mossy Cave trail includes close up views of the Park’s famous hoodoos, the mossy cave, and a waterfall. At just under one mile roundtrip Mossy Cave Trail is a perfect hike for all ages and fitness levels. This hike includes parking and services.

Walking among the hoodoos

The trail was very family friendly

There are services and parking

The Navajo Loop/Queen’s Garden Combination Trail – Moderate

Bryce Canyon National Park #thorshammer — You’ll see “Thor’s Hammer” on the Navajo Loop Trail

One of the Park’s most popular hikes, The Navajo Loop/Queen’s Garden Combination Trail, is a perfect hike if you want to get a taste of what Bryce Canyon has to offer, but don’t have a lot of time in the Park.

The hike is a loop and starts at Sunset point. For safety the NPS park service recommends walking .4 miles along the canyon’s rim to Sunrise point where you follow the Queens Garden Trail down into the canyon. Whoops we did just the opposite.

Bryce Canyon National Park Utah — Whoops, we went the hard way!

The hike took us around three hours, contains 300+ feet of elevation and includes some very steep drop offs. The views from above the canyon were stunning, but I also loved walking among the Park’s famous hoodoos. You can see more photos from this amazing hike at the end of the post!

We took our time and along the way enjoyed some light rain, the unique landscape, and the many chipmunks!

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Chipmunks were everywhere!

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Bryce Canyon National Park By Night

Dark Rangers Telescope Tour

If Bryce Canyon was one of my favorite places, then The Dark Rangers Telescope Tour was my favorite activity of the entire trip! It’s been a dream of mine to photograph the night sky, specifically the Milky Way, and Bryce Canyon’s remote location makes it the perfect place to fulfill this dream. My sons both love science making this a wonderful family activity!

I discovered Dark Rangers Telescope Tours while researching the Park’s official site, and I can’t say enough about our experience. Our evening with Kevin Poe, a local park ranger, and astronomer, was perfect from start to finish.

We met Kevin at his observatory, and spent three hours learning about and exploring the night sky. We saw Saturn and Jupiter, a swan nebula, the Andromeda Galaxy, Vega, star clusters, exploded stars and more. It was truly amazing!

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Not only that, but I got a lesson in astrophotography, and night vision! Did you know that red is the only color light that allows your vision to stay in night mode?

Tips & Advice:

Are you traveling with a Senior Citizen or a 4th Grader? That’s good news! Seniors can purchase a lifetime National Park Pass for $80 with access to over 2000 locations, and their companions will be able to enter along with them for free.
Fourth grade students and their families can enter National parks for free with the Every Kid in A Park Pass. Sign up on line, print out the temporary pass, and redeem it for your permanent card when you visit your first park!

Bryce Canyon City is located just outside the park. Food, lodging and free parking can be found here.

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Cars are allowed in Bryce Canyon National Park, but I highly recommend taking advantage of the free parking in Bryce Canyon City and using the park shuttle.

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The Visitor Center is the first stop inside the park.

Watch your step and look where you’re going. There are many drop offs and very few protective measures in place, we saw a little baby slip and he almost fell. Really! The daddy caught him at the last second when I gasped!

If you’re interested in astrophotography book your tour with the Dark Rangers in advance and you may be able to connect your camera directly to the telescopes.
There are a variety of tours available, however I wanted to include astrophotography, so chose a private tour.