Most tourists heading to southeast Utah go to Moab, as the city is well known, trendy, and close to both Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. Moab is also very expensive. We chose to stay in Monticello instead, about 50 miles south of Moab. While this means longer drives to the parks, Monticello is…
Author: Garrett and Stephanie Estep
Retired early to travel the world.
Canyonlands National Park, Utah. (October, 2022).
We met a lot of folks who were in Canyonlands National Park only because Arches National Park was closed. That’s just criminal. Canyonlands is without question one of my favorite national parks. On second thought, let’s just rejoice at the relative few visitors Canyonlands receives and keep it that way. Canyonlands is divided into three…
Arches National Park, Utah. (October, 2022).
We arrived at Arches National Park at about 10:00 AM on Monday, only to see the following sign: “Park is Full. Return in 3-5 Hours.” Rangers blocked the entrance. Everyone was turned away. There is only one road into Arches, and the park is closed when the parking lots reach capacity. Frustrating for sure, but…
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Four Corners Monument, and Mesa Verde National Park. (October, 2022).
On the way to Utah we detoured to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, a bucket list item for Stephanie. And it remains on the bucket list. The balloons were rained out on the day we were in town. Actually it was a “cloud out” as a low cloud ceiling prevented takeoffs. Festivities start at 6:00…
Galapagos Islands
Bartolome, Española, Floreana, Genovesa, Mosquera, San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz, and Sullivan Bay
Graz, Austria. (July, 2022, Part II).
The Graz skyline is, well, unremarkable. The north side of town is dominated by the Grazer Schloßberg, a park high upon a hill, formerly the site of a castle. Only the clock tower and bell tower remain. To get to the park you can walk up a few hundred stairs, ride the Schlossbergbahn (funicular), or…
Graz, Austria. (July, 2022, Part I).
There is something strangely satisfying riding a train, in relative comfort, across a foreign country. And so Stephanie and I find ourselves on a six hour train ride across Austria from Innsbruck to Graz. Traveling by train has several distinct advantages over flying: train stations are typically in the city center and very easy to…
Innsbruck, Austria. (July, 2022, Part III).
Day Two on our 48 hr Innsbruck Cards (Day One can be found here): We arrived at Hofkirche in time for its 9:00 AM opening. The claim to fame of the Court Church is the presence of Emperor Maxmilian I’s cenotaph (that’s a monument to a deceased, not a tomb). It is located smack in…