Grand Circle Part I, UT/AZ/CO

Driving from Las Vegas to begin our Grand Circle road trip, I was immediately amazed by the scenery. I was really expecting flat, dry desert and I was totally wrong. This post and those following about the Colorado Plateau (The Four Corners: Southern Utah, Northern Arizona, Southwest Colorado and Northeast New Mexico) are basically just going to be me gushing over how beautiful it is there.

Kanab provided a central base for our first three days of National Parking, and Quail Park Lodge was a great place to stay. There was something about the way it was run by the young couple that was just really sweet – superb hospitality.

Zion National Park: Visiting Zion is different to the other canyons in that you tour through the floor of the canyon rather than the rim. We didn’t arrive there until about 3 pm, so we didn’t attempt any serious hiking. Instead, we rode the shuttle bus along through the canyon, listening to the information provided about the geology and history of the canyon and stopping off for short walks to check out the features along the way. My favourite was the water that has been seeping through the rock walls of the canyon for two thousand years and trickles out as spring water from the canyon walls.

As we were leaving, the late afternoon sun (the Golden Hour, we love it) lit up the canyon walls and the colours were amazing. After some dinner in nearby Springdale we drove back through the park in order to get to Kanab. This was just at sunset and the views down into the valley as we wound our way up from the canyon floor were spectacular. We then drove through the 1.7km tunnel which was blasted through the rocky canyon wall in 1930 to link Zion with Grand Canyon and other parks in the area.

Grand Canyon: Well, you all know this one and what it looks like. Just as everyone says, the Grand Canyon is unimaginably big. Without any buildings or other structures as a point of reference, it is very difficult to comprehend the size, and even harder to photograph. We visited the north rim because it is closer to the rest of our road trip, and I was glad for it. The north rim is far less touristy than the south and pleasantly cooler at a slightly higher elevation. At times, we felt like we had the place to ourselves. To be fair, advantages of visiting the south rim from Las Vegas include being able to fly there and take in the amazing scenery from above and the additional amenities and accommodation available. There is also the West Rim, where a glass Skywalk extends out over the edge of the canyon.

In the morning, we went for a walk which we had planned to be a hike, but we were distracted along the way with climbing through some scrub and out onto some large, smooth limestone boulders over the rim. Sitting out there having a snack with my feet dangling precariously over the edge (Craig was more cautious, rightly so), I experienced a strange combination of emotions: fear, tranquility, appreciation of the earth and feeling very, very small.

After lunch we took a mule ride, which went along the rim for about five heart-stopping minutes (the mules are trained to walk right over on the canyon side of the track, and there’s no directing them otherwise), but was just a ride through the forest for the rest of the time. While we were on our ride a storm came over the canyon with fantastic thunder and thankfully little rain.

We also attended a ranger talk on the geology of the canyon, which was cheesy but interesting. I knew of course that the canyon has been carved by erosion from water and what is now the Colorado River, but I had never thought about how the rock was formed there in the first place, beginning almost two billion years ago, with all those beautiful layers reaching 8,000ft above sea level.

Bryce Canyon: Bryce was my favourite of the national parks for interesting scenery and a great walk of just the right length and exertion. This canyon is full of rock pillars of odd shapes carved by erosion, which they call hoodoos.

We walked for about three hours down into the canyon, along the floor and then up through a steep, narrow section back to the rim. The hoodoos were magnificent and provided an ever changing backdrop for the walk. Along the way we saw a rattle snake chilling out next to the track, very exciting.

After our big walk we stayed and had a picnic dinner at the rim before driving back to Kanab.

Next stop: Grand Circle Part II – Monument Valley/Mesa Verde

San Antionio & Hill Country, TX

We stayed one night in New Braunfels and two in San Antonio to explore the area, including the Hill Country. The heat in the middle of a Texan summer was just debilitating at times, especially in San Antonio, so we probably didn’t see as much as the city has to offer. We knew that visiting Texas in summer was going to be difficult, but we didn't anticipate that in 2011 the state would have its hottest summer on record!

New Braunfels: The claim to fame of this town, on the highway between Austin and San Antonio, is the Schlitterbahn Water Park. Being holiday season, the park was absolutely packed, so we opted instead for a relaxing swim in the spring-fed Comal River. The cool waters are a beautiful blue and were full of locals, floating along in inner tubes with spare tubes carrying coolers of beer and stereos boasting 80’s rock and hair metal. Aussies would love this. 

Driving in the US: New Braunfels was the site of my first attempt at driving on the right hand side - poor Craig, I think I took 10 years off his life! I must say though, the right hand side of the road was not the problem, it is sitting on the left hand side of the car to drive that I struggled with. But, I've got it down pat now.

Alamo: The Alamo holds a significant place in the history of Texas and the Texas Revolution, but to be honest, I don't completely understand! If you are interested, The Alamo website has some history. The site was originally a Spanish mission before it later became the location of the legendary battle. We had a bit of a look around, but some shave ice from a street vendor was the only thing keeping me going in the heat at that point.

San Antonio River Walk: The San Antonio River, the walkways on both sides, one level below the street, and the cute arched bridges across are a main attraction for the city, along with the Alamo. In the areas where many restaurants line the river, the walkways can become very crowded and uncomfortably hot, even at night. But you don't need to walk far to find a peaceful spot to sit and appreciate the fine public space. It is certainly a nicer stroll through the city than street level.

Guadalupe River State Park: Only about an hour from San Antonio, this river made for a lovely day trip. Being the middle of summer the river was a bit low, so therefore not flowing as fast and a little grubby, but it was very relaxing none the less. I had bought a blow up plastic lilo for only $3 and was truly in my element lounging in the river, though still just achieving freckles instead of a tan. We stopped in Boerne for lunch, one of those cute little arty towns in the Hill Country to wander around.

Horse riding on a Dude Ranch: I just like the term Dude Ranch, I think it sounds humorous, but it just means a guest ranch. My ride at Silver Spur near Bandera was actually pretty disappointing. At some of the ranches, they will group you with other riders of a similar ability, however here I was with eight others who had basically never ridden before, including children. Add to this some dry, scrubby terrain and guides that just ride and don’t really talk or tell you about the ranch or Texas, and you have yourself a pretty boring ride. I am glad to have done it though, as I would have always been disappointed if I hadn't, the horses were good and we did get to trot a few times. I look forward to doing some more riding in Argentina later in my travels.

Hill Country drive: There are some really cute towns around the Hill Country area to the west of Austin and San Antonio, many with German heritage. I wanted to stop in a small town for a Texas BBQ lunch, which was difficult for vego Craig as even the peas had bacon mixed through! The countryside around the town of Medina was quite nice, and about as hilly as it got. I figure the rest of Texas must be pretty darn flat if they call this the Hill Country. Kerville had a lovely river which was nice to walk along and could have been a good swimming spot, and Fredericksburg looked like it had a very charming main street but I was so tired and unable to wake up to look around! We had originally planned to stay a night around here, but decided to continue on back to Austin in favour of more time there. Pedernales Falls is the other attraction in the area which we were interested in, but had been affected by the drought so that was off the list.

Next stop: Grand Circle road trip, UT/AZ/CO.

Austin, TX

After two weeks apart, I was excited to meet up with Craig in Austin for his two week holiday. We stayed in hotels not worth mentioning, for two nights at the start of our Texas stint and two nights at the end.

Austin was our favourite place in Texas by far. With a population of only 812,000 (1.2 million in the metro area) it is quite manageable, but with their offbeat slogan “Keep Austin Weird” it is by no means an average middle-American city. After writing that sentence, I thought 'Okay, I should describe in what way Austin is special'. But, I really can't put my finger on it. Austin is just a fucking cool city. Maybe this yelper can tell you more about it from a local's perspective.

Texas State Capitol: Visiting the inside of this building was something I should have done at the US Capitol, but this Texan version was still interesting. I liked seeing where the House of Representatives and Senate meet and the building is beautiful. Particularly interesting is the floor, which has the seals of the six nations that have governed Texas: Spain, France, Mexico, Texas (it was it's own nation for a short time!), Confederate States of America and United States of America.

Live music: With more live music venues per capita than any other US city, Austin dubs itself the “Live Music Capital of the World”. With so much on offer and not knowing the local bands, it was difficult to choose the right venue for my tastes. The first attempt landed us at Saxon Pub to see some blues. The band were from New York, and while they were undoubtedly talented and good at what they did, Saxon Pub was not really my scene. The next weekend I headed out to Mohawk, where they were holding a benefit gig for Jail Guitar Doors. Wayne Kramer of MC5 was hosting the night, and played with one of the bands, Salesmen. He then got up at the end with the last band, Lions, and played three MC5 songs including Ramblin’ Rose and Kick Out the Jams, the latter with all of the bands from the evening on stage, and some of the crowd as well. This really made my night - the energy on stage was that of pure fun and I was totally stoked to see Kramer rock out a few MC5 tunes.

Electric bicycles: We hired Stromer electric bikes to cruise around Austin for the day, and with the mercury nudging 40 degrees we were sure glad for the extra boost. These bikes are loads of fun, you can set them to Pedal Assist where the power kicks in with your pedaling, or to Power on Demand where you use the throttle on your handlebar and don’t have to pedal at all! Needless to say, you can get up a bit of speed on these bikes. They were a bit heavier than standard bikes and had a thicker crossbar where the battery goes, but other than that you couldn’t really tell they were electric, they were dead quiet. The bikes were retailing here for US$3,000, but were only $22 to hire for the whole day – bargain!

Town Lake and Barton Springs Pool: We rode the bikes on the shady tracks around Town Lake, a lovely spot in the middle of Austin. You can also paddle board, kayak, row, cruise or pedal boat on the lake. I don’t think you’re meant to swim in it, but we hopped in quickly to cool off. Barton Springs Pool is in parklands adjacent to the lake and maintains a lovely 21°C year round from the spring water of Barton Creek. There is also a bat colony of about the same population as human Austinites living under a bridge across Town Lake, and we happened to walk over it at sunset when all the bats took off for dinner. It was a good sight to see, but not uncommon in Australia either. 

Food: There’s a great variety of food in Austin, including vegetarian and, of course, Tex Mex. To me, Tex Mex was pretty much the same as Oz Mex. One food highlight was thai from a colourful roadside trailer. Austin is also the birthplace of the fantastic supermarket Wholefoods, which I just love. 

Next stop: Hill Country, TX.

New Orleans, LA

I stayed four nights at the India House Backpacker Hostel, which seemed representative of New Orleans itself: gritty, but full of charm and music. The location was good in that it was away from the really touristy areas, but right near a stop on the main tram line. The area was a bit down and dirty, but generally seemed safe enough. There were houses in the area completely run down, or buildings stripped down to their frames. At first I wondered whether it was to do with damage from Katrina, or whether it was already like this. 

The second evening of my stay I met another Aussie, Steph, at the hostel. She was great company for a couple of days. So, where I blog “we” in New Orleans, I am referring to Steph and I.

French Quarter: This is of course the tourist area of New Orleans, and so has the usual downfalls like tacky bars and crowds. That aside, it was a lovely area to walk through, browse the gallery shops and admire the charming buildings. We visited the Cabildo Louisiana State Museum, which included Rock & Roll history, and lay under a tree in a park and gazed at Saint Louis Cathedral, the oldest cathedral in the US. The history of New Orleans is quite interesting and I suppose is what makes it such a unique city today.

Swamp Tour: Have you seen the show on television Swamp People? I haven’t, but I did see people living or holidaying on the water in the swamp lands, sometimes in pretty good houses considering they had to bring all the materials across by boat and build on the unstable banks of the swamp. We saw a few alligators on the tour, some of them were only babies though and the guide was throwing in marshmallows for them, presumably because they float so the little ‘gator will come up out of the water. This was somewhat worrying; surely marshmallows from every boat that passes cannot be good for the little dudes? We saw one very large alligator who preferred hot dogs on a stick. The guide got the alligator to lift its head right up out of the water almost into the boat, so that was pretty exciting but I was too slow with the camera. As we ventured further into the swamp, it was really quite pretty.

Katrina: On the bus to the swamp tour, the bus driver showed us areas hit by Hurricane Katrina and as we drove through each area told us how high the water was (between two to nine feet where we drove). As it turned out, the area the hostel is in was not really affected, so that's just how it is I guess and an example that New Orleans is a relatively poor city. He also pointed out where there used to be hotels, shops etc and now there are only concrete slabs, it was a bit sad. The bus driver actually had a comical disposition and kept repeating "Devestatiiiiiooon. Katrinaaaaa." so that kept it light for us, though I'm sure he wasn't trying to be funny. According to my guidebook, the population of New Orleans is only two-thirds of that pre-Katrina and the bus driver confirmed that many residents have not returned. I would have liked to learn more about the disaster* however there was not a memorial or museum to visit, and Katrina was not included at the Cabildo. I wondered whether this was on purpose in order to look forward and not dwell in the past. I read that Spike Lee made a documentary When the Levees Broke which would be worth watching for more insight into the event, especially in terms of the government’s response.

*This seems to be a recurring theme for me with the WTC, Holocaust Museum and now Katrina: wanting to know more about tragic events and human atrocities and then feeling guilty and wondering if its sick to be curious?

Food: There is lots of new food to try in New Orleans, especially Cajun and creole. We liked the jambalaya, which I thought was kind of like paella, and gumbo was good too, like a seafood stew. I sometimes found the flavours a bit overpowering though. Bignettes, which are French doughnuts, are also a must in the French Quarter and I indulged a couple of times!

The people: The folks in New Orleans were great, so nice. The best example of their generosity was when I was stuck in a drenching afternoon storm, waiting for a tram. A woman and her daughter handed me an umbrella from the window of their car as they drove past. I tried to refuse, thinking I couldn’t really get much wetter anyway, but they insisted I take it and keep it. How nice! I also loved how everyone, men or women, black or white, would call women baby or sugar. If an unfamiliar male called me baby in Australia, I would be outraged, but in New Orleans it seems natural.

Live music: I was lucky enough to be able to contact a friend of a friend (thanks J!) who is a New Orleans local to suggest good live music venues. We were a bit unsure stepping out of the cab at Vaughn’s Lounge – the area was basically residential and, again, pretty run down. There were no immediate alarm bells to indicate that it was unsafe, but it was certainly far from the reassuring crowds of the French Quarter and we realised straight away that we didn’t know the phone number to call another cab. The door of the bar had a buzzer to get let in (!) and there was only one other woman there. Standing next to her at the bar, we ordered our ciders for only $3 a bottle. Soon enough, the buzzer was replaced by staff taking a cover charge, the crowd started to arrive for the gig, the gender ratio evened out and the evening took on some normalcy. We caught Vaughn’s signature gig, being Kermit Ruffins on a Thursday night, but the bar itself turned out to be the real experience of the evening - spider webs and all. On Friday night, we checked out a venue on Frenchman Street called The Spotted Cat where we enjoyed Washboard Chaz Blues Trio and discovered you can get more value for your drinking dollar by ordering doubles!

Cemeteries: New Orleans has a number of those cemeteries with above ground vaults. I wasn’t sure what the deal was with them until we happened upon one and I realised I’d seen another like this in a scene from the 1999 film Double Jeopardy, which I later found out was filmed at New Orlean’s Lafayette Cemetery #1. The cemetery was fun and interesting to look around, but I almost died myself in the heat with all that concrete! When we were in the middle of the place, staff (who we didn't realise had arrived in a car) started calling out to say they were locking the gates, and finding our way out was more challenging than you would think! It was kind of fun and scary thinking about the character in the film being locked in one of the tombs and then running to find our way out before we could be locked in the cemetery, with its high concrete walls. Unfortunately, we did not have enough time or information to see if there were any notable musicians buried at this location.

On travelling: my bags did not arrive at the airport, confirming my view that if you check your bag through connecting flights they will inevitably stuff it up. This was the first thing to go wrong on my trip so far, and wasn’t major, so I guess I’m doing well. I was on a bit of a downer the next day though when it still hadn’t arrived, especially because I didn’t have a towel or toiletries (pee-yew!), but it eventually turned up.

Next stop: Austin, TX.

Washington, DC

From New York, I took a five hour bus ride to Washington, DC, spending the next four nights at Hostelling International.

I enjoyed the time I spent in DC, but was a little underwhelmed due to a few factors I can identify: New York had really set the bar high; I was very tired from the non-stop sight seeing of the prior week and becoming disinterested; and it's not like The West Wing, at least for a tourist!

More cycling: I bought a Capital Bikeshare membership to get around the sights, which is priced and works similarly to Melbourne Bike Share. Most of the sights are actually quite close together and not far from the hostel, so walking wouldn't have been a problem, but I enjoyed cycling and the breeze it created helped in the 30-something degree heat. I took a ride along the Potomac river one evening at sunset.

The White House: To take a tour inside the White House would be amazing, but these need to be applied for months in advance through your consulate. From the outside I wasn't as impressed as I was expecting to be because, really, all of the interesting stuff happens on the inside. To be completely honest, it was the fist sight I stumbled across and I wasn't even 100 percent sure it was the White House until I looked on a map!

Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial: I was very disappointed to find the Reflecting Pool drained for maintenance. I also realised that memorials and monuments probably mean more to one in their home country.

The War Memorials: Of the three memorials, being Vietnam, Korea and WWII, I found the Korean War Veterans Memorial the most stirring. Seeing the faces of those in the conflict etched in the stone wall, and the message "... to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met" was particularly moving. At the WWII memorial, you can dip your feet into the cool waters of the fountain pool, which is incredibly relieving in the middle of a DC summer, and apparently perfectly acceptable despite it being a war memorial.

The Capitol: I saw the dome of this recognisable building, home to Congress, soon after I arrived by bus. It continued to pop into view throughout the time I was in DC, quietly reminding me that I was in the nation's capital.

Supreme Court: Again, this is a pretty special place, but going inside on a weekday would have helped me recognise its significance. If Monday hadn't been a public holiday, I may have been able to watch bench sittings. Out the front were citizens with tables of petitions and signs protesting capital punishment.

To be honest, I did myself a disfavour by not going up close to or inside of these buildings and monuments, or going on a guided tour where I could have learned more.

Holocaust Museum: Here was another sobering and thought-provoking experience. Much like the WTC, I was in tears within minutes, but I also learned a lot. There were short films on: Nazi rise to power and propaganda; liberation when the war ended; antisemitism; and Genocide Defyers, being those who risked their lives to protect others from genocide, particularly focusing on Rwanda. I also listened to a couple of the many podcasts available, including one from a recovering skinhead. I learned more about antisemitism throughout history, including pogroms and the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. The main exhibition follows a timeline of WWII and the Holocaust, and was both informative and very saddening. They had, as part of the exhibition, a big long pile of shoes. Shoes that the Nazis had removed from the bodies of Jews after gassing in order to sell along with the rest of their belongings, presumably shortly before liberation. These shoes, their condition and their strange smell were particularly disturbing. I suppose it takes something tangible, like shoes, to actually make what happened feel real. Learning more about the Rwandan genocide of the Tutsi people was scary - to know that this can happen in my lifetime, with the hindsight of the Holocaust and with prior warning that it was going to happen.

Air and Space Museum: I concentrated on the space exhibits in this fantastic museum because, unlike air travel and probably like many people, I am still absolutely fascinated by space. Along with two great shows in the planetarium, I watched a 3D film on the Hubble Space Telescope. The film was marvelous, it included footage from the last space shuttle mission to repair it as well as pictures of far off galaxies that Hubble can see. They also had on show all of the equipment from the moon landing, of course. I did feel some of the awe that people must have felt back then, watching on the news that a man had walked on the moon.

Georgetown: I would not recommend going here, or at least it was not my scene! After the lovely ride along the river, I found myself at Georgetown. The first place I found was an outside club on the riverfront, with women dolled up in strapless mini dresses and over the top heels, and Rihanna's S&M blasting out and disturbing the serenity of the river. I walked inland a bit, but the vibe didn't really change so I hot footed it out of there.

Meeting people: While there is nothing more comforting when travelling than speaking to someone from home who understands you, meeting new people is wonderfully enlightening and challenging. They teach you about places you've never been, and their points of view help you to see the world in new and different ways. At the hostel or out at night in DC, I met people from Germany, the US, Brazil and Ireland and had many surprising, meaningful or amusing conversations with all of them.

Next stop: New Orleans, LA.