Ahh, life. Always getting in the way of blogging, am I right?

Where were we? Oh yes, in our loaner truck on our way to Zion to explore while Big Red was being fixed! Check back here if you’ve forgotten the details. And here if you have no idea what’s going on.

Our time in Zion was seriously lovely after we decided to stop talking about Big Red and just enjoy ourselves. Each morning we packed up our truck bed set up and headed into the park to hike. Each evening we camped under the stars, thankfully blessed by perfect weather.

After our allotted time in Zion we moved on to Bryce Canyon, an hour or so away, in the loaner truck. I was pretty nervous about going to Bryce because the cell service was spotty in Zion and I didn’t want to miss a phone call from the dealership. Once we arrived we settled into our camp spot that had reception. I know it sounds so millennial of me to be concerned about cell service, but it was actually important this time. Any other day I wouldn’t have cared. Bryce Canyon is quite a bit higher in elevation so we slept in the tent instead of the bed of the truck to stay warm. Just like Zion we spent the days hiking our butts off, if you’re looking for a way to decrease your stress, hiking is certainly the way to go.

After a few days we received a phone call from the dealership. ‘Your truck should be finished by tomorrow!’ At last! We packed up the truck the following morning, did a quick hike, and headed back to St. George. Brian and I decided it was best to just get a hotel for the night so we were ready when the truck was ready. We chose the cheapest hotel in town because, well, we’re in our 20’s living in a truck traveling the country.

We received a phone call after we had checked out saying, ‘Well, the good news is that your transfer case is fixed! The bad news is that the transmission is blown. It’ll be at least another week before we can fix that also. But, it’s under warranty so that’s great!’

Remember when we dropped the truck off a week ago and specifically said ‘The transmission needs looked at.’ ?! I don’t know if I’ve ever been so angry in my life. I called my mom, what you do in a time like this, and she offered to fly us home. I thought about it and as much as I wanted to come home, I still wanted to finish our trip, we had two major national parks left to see. I decided to stay and wait this one out. I wasn’t going to let the truck control our summer of a lifetime. After my tears of fire and despair dried up I found my way to the reception desk to do what I hate doing most, asking for a favor. Puffy eyed and voice quivering I asked the kind gal at reception if we could book a room for the next week. She knew right away something was up. She asked me what was wrong and I explained our horrible (now hilarious) situation. After a run around the counter to hug me she whispered, ‘We’re gonna fix you guys up, don’t you stress honey.’ I got the key card to the suite of the hotel given to us at a HUGE discount. Who wouldn’t get a little giddy about getting the SUITE?! We hurried to our new room to settle in for the week.

We opened the door to our room and were pleasantly surprised! It was pretty big compared to the other room we were in which was great since we were going to be spending a lot of time there. The bathroom was nice enough. I wish I was kidding when I say that RIGHT NEXT TO THE BED was a red heart shaped jacuzzi tub with mirrors as walls and a chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Oh. Well, um, ok then.

The dealership needed the loaner truck back so we swapped vehicles and they gave us a different car. We didn’t mind since the car got better gas mileage and we didn’t really need the truck anymore because we had no other adventures left, just playing the waiting game at this point. Across the street from our lovely hotel was a discount grocery where we loaded up on snacks and microwave food to get us through the week because eating out for every meal was the last thing I wanted to be spending my money on. I cried every evening in that hotel room. I cried during the day at random moments where I remembered why in the heck we were here and how stupid it all felt. Brian was as supportive as he could be but you can only do so much for your wife who is crying in the 50 cent book section at the library on a Friday morning.

Labor day weekend approaches and we’re bored out of our minds. Sorry St. George, there is honestly nothing to do in your town. On a whim we decided to go to Las Vegas for a night just to see it and get a change of scenery. Remember, these posts are about the truck so forgive me for glossing over everything we did in Zion, Bryce, and Las Vegas, etc. those posts will come in time!

A few days after Vegas the truck was ready to go. As much as I hate that darn truck, I was happy to have it back and get on the road. The sales manager had told us previously to save all of our receipts because there was a chance we could get reimbursed for our hotel and food costs. We handed the receipts over and headed to Grand Teton National Park.

The rest of our trip was a whirlwind. We so desperately wanted to be home because we were a little tired of being on the road and running on empty due to the ongoing stress. Every time we got in the truck our anxiety hit the roof. What will happen this time? Will we even make it home? Our eyes were constantly making note of the dealerships we passed along the way, just in case.

After Grand Teton and Yellowstone we hit the road for home. All we wanted was to get the truck home and get rid of it.

That Big Red truck had taken us on an adventure of a lifetime. It sheltered us (sort of) from torrential downpours and storms. It drove us over 8,000 miles. But it also caused us heartache and pain. We got home and immediately put the truck up for sale. After 2 months of obsessively checking craigslist for buyers, it finally sold to a super happy gentleman. Fingers crossed we dealt with all the mechanical issues so he can enjoy it for many years to come!

BYE BIG RED, SEE YOU NEVER.

Picking up right where we left off. (If you missed part one, click here!)

After getting back from Hawaii we stayed in LA for a couple days to reorganize for the second half of our road trip, and also wait out some rain that was hovering around our next destination. The list of our next stops, exclusively National Parks, were: Zion, Bryce Canyon, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Wind Cave, and the Badlands. With our camping gear and hiking boots ready for some major use, we hit the road.

The drive from LA towards Utah was pretty uneventful, until we crossed the Utah state line. I honestly don’t know what Utah has against Brian and me but it’s something seriously nasty. The truck starts making a horrible clunking noise. I kept looking in the mirror making sure something hadn’t fallen out from underneath the truck. If I had a nickel for every time Brian and I locked eyes on each other in fear on that road trip, we would be millionaires. Brian pulled the truck over on an off ramp and we both hopped out and peered under the truck. Nothing was leaking, nothing was visibly broken or hanging, so we shrugged and got back in. We don’t know anything about cars/trucks so I called my brother, he was a saving grace on this trip. He said we would be ok to keep driving until we reached our destination, Zion.

We arrived at the park in the early afternoon. I quickly looked up an auto repair shop in the area and only got one result. Brian and I decided since we were already in the park, let’s take advantage of it and explore for a while. Our afternoon was spent checking out the canyon via bus and taking a short hike to the nature center. After a few hours we drove our clunky truck to the repair shop. Upon arrival we quickly realized it’s just some old guys garage in the middle of nowhere. What the heck, we thought, let’s give him a chance to help us out. Well, he sure was a talker, but as sweet as they come. He gave us the name of a repair place about an hour away and gave them a call to let them know we were coming.

Once we arrived at the shop the guys quickly got the truck into the garage to give it a look down. After the 10 most stressful minutes of my life they came into the waiting area. ‘Your transmission is completely blown’, he says. Yes, the transmission we had replaced a mere month ago. Sorry mom, but I may have slung a few curse words out loud after hearing that. The slightly scared mechanic hurriedly told me there was a GMC dealership down the road and they could help us out since the transmission was under warranty.

I called the dealership and we drove the couple miles there. We told them exactly what had just happened and they said, ‘Well, we can’t get you in until tomorrow morning, we’re closing in 20 minutes.’ Ok then. Tomorrow morning it is. We spent our evening at the movies watching Crazy Rich Asians to pass the time until it was dark enough for bed, then driving to a nearby Walmart parking lot to sleep. The most insane thunderstorm went through St. George, Utah that evening and that’s when we found out that our fan leaks too. Lightning was so loud and so close I actually thought the truck was going to get struck. I tried to get some rest in between the bangs of lightning and thunder and the constant dripping of rain on my race, as you can guess, it didn’t work very well.

We woke the next morning exhausted and soaking wet in our broken down truck. The dealership got our truck in first thing and we had another stressful time of waiting to confirm it was the transmission. After an hour we were greeted by a grim looking man. ‘Well, the good news is that it isn’t your transmission. The bad news is that it’s the transfer case.’ Ok, the transfer case, a case.. seems simple enough, it’s got to be a quick fix, I naively think. ‘How much will it cost and how long will it take?’ Brian says. ‘Almost $2,000 and it’ll be a solid week before we get the part in and replaced. Can we arrange a rental car for you? We have a good discount.’

WHATINTHEWORLDISHAPPENINGWITHOURLIVESRIGHTNOW. *insert me sobbing into the phone to my poor mom who offers to buy us a plane ticket home*

After waiting for FOUR hours for the rental car that never materializes the manager meekly approaches a puffy eyed red faced girl napping by the crappy coffee machine and free Fritos (yes, that would be me) and says he can give us a truck for free for the week. After at least a million thank you’s we got down to business. As fast as we can, Brian and I transfer our living quarters to a brand new truck. There’s not a topper on the bed, but the weather is looking great and we also have a tent in case of rain. Next stop, Zion.. nothing is going to stop us from adventure!

If you don’t already know, we bought a big red truck before embarking on our road trip this past summer. We searched and searched for the perfect truck. Time started running out and we took the plunge on an older but very nice looking truck. The drive home from the dealership was invigorating and terrifying. ‘Did we make the right decision?’ ‘I can’t wait to hit the road!’ ‘What if something goes wrong?’ ‘Can you believe we’re going to sleep in this thing, it’s going to be awesome!’

And it was really really awesome.. until it wasn’t.

A quick summary for you all.

We spent a week straight of long days and nights building out the bed of the truck for living in. Brian has some minor building experience since he worked for Habitat for Humanity for a year after college. But I’m about as good with a hammer as I am with chopsticks.. so I wasn’t much help, I sure tried though! We looked at tons of plans online and sort of created our own using little bits and pieces of other designs. My also brother graciously helped us install a fan/light combo in the hard top, such a nice addition for those hot evenings!

The bottom right picture is the finished product. Our sleeping area is on the right with storage all the way through to the front of the truck. The far right row is split into 3 compartments with lids for access. The middle area is also split into 3 compartments, but tricker to access so we stored items we weren’t going to use as much there. And the far left row has 3 compartments with lids and also doubles as a ‘night stand’ since it’s raised from the sleeping area by a few inches. The right side and the front compartments are where we kept all the essentials like clothes, and toiletries. The ‘kitchen’ was in the back row of seats in the cab. This way we could keep food safe from bears and it was always quickly accessible, even while we were driving. You can also see the fan/light installed in the roof in the two pictures on the right. Nothing fancy but it’ll get the job done was sort of our motto throughout the whole process. Brian kept saying things like, ‘When we get home, I’m going to make this and that better or this and that different.’

Our journey began in July, the first stop was Vail, Colorado to visit with friends and climb mountains and stuff that traditional Coloradians do. As we went to pull out of the driveway, the truck wouldn’t start. My oh my if that wasn’t a sign. All the color immediately drained from my face and I looked to my mom for support. She went into ‘Supermom mode’ and quickly jumped the battery while reassuring me that it was just because the lights were left on inside the cab. Once the truck was running again, we were on our way, leaving my mom in the rearview mirror. My heart rate didn’t slow down until Illinois, I was all nerves about this dang truck.

During our drive out to Colorado the cruise control would randomly go out and the lights in the cab would magically come on and flicker before eventually going out. Every time that happened, Brian and I locked eyes and I could feel the dread radiating from both of us. My fear was that the lights would come on while we were sleeping in the woods somewhere and then the battery would be dead yet again. On our first night we slept in a Burger King parking lot somewhere in Iowa. Brian’s brother rode with us out to Colorado so he slept in the cab, and Brian and I slept in the back. This is where we learned that curtains would have probably been a nice thing to have installed, but we ran out of time. The lights from parking lot never did seem to go out but we were so tired we fell asleep anyways.

After a week in Colorado, we hit the road. This time aiming for somewhere in Utah to pull over and sleep for the night before heading to Los Angeles. As soon as we pulled onto the on ramp, the truck made a grinding noise and took a little bit of time to shift into second gear. Brian and I looked at each other with wide eyes but brushed it off saying, ‘It’s an old truck, probably wasn’t on the highway much.’ We drove for hours into Utah. When we reached the San Rafael Reef, we stopped for a bathroom break, a quick lunch, and to stretch our legs. Getting back onto the highway, the truck took its time again getting into second gear.. and this time it never made it. The truck was going about 30MPH but sounding like it was revving as much as it could. I immediately had tears welling in my eyes, this cannot be happening.

By the grace of someone really important who we pulled over on I-70 opposite of a tow truck. Brian ran across 4 lanes of traffic in over 100 degree weather to chat with the guy. He was having his lunch break.. on the side of the highway! What are the odds?! He radioed in and came onto our side of the road to see what he could do. After tinkering around under the hood, he decided that we needed towed back in the opposite direction we were headed to the nearest town, Green River. I was a puddle at this point. We were trying to get to LA in order to catch our flight to HAWAII. Hawaii, people! There was no way I was going to miss this. Brian and the guy chatted while I spent the entire drive silently crying in the back and listening to the most horrible country music on the radio.

We arrived in Green River after all the shops had closed. The kind tow truck driver dropped our truck off at an auto repair place and we set up camp there for the night. Thankfully, there was a beautiful view of the desert from our parking spot. The temperature barely dipped below 80 all night but we tried to get some rest, hoping for a better day tomorrow. We woke with the sun and had coffee in the parking lot of the repair shop, waiting impatiently for it to open. When it finally did the gentleman behind the counter asked what our issue was and then said, ‘ You need your transmission flushed. I can’t help you with that.. and I doubt anyone in this town can.’ Well, ok then? What were we supposed to do now? We drove to the next auto place down the road (Remember, the truck can drive.. just not very well) and tried our luck there. The man working at that shop took the truck for a spin and came back with the same news. GREAT. I looked up the nearest GMC dealership and found one a whopping 60 miles away. 60 miles isn’t too far for a working vehicle .. but it’s a REALLY LONG WAY for a truck that can only go 30 MPH. There was no way we could afford to get towed all the way to the dealership so we got in the truck and started the long journey north to Price.

I wish someone would have been following us with a camera. We were going so terribly slow. Brian drove on the shoulder the entire 60 miles and I think my legs went numb from the vibration of the rumble strip. There was nothing on the radio or our iTunes that would make us feel better but we stuck with The Beatles for a bit because at least we knew the words. Every once in a while Brian and I would catch each others eye and just laugh. This is really our life, it’s the worst of luck, but what else are we going to do about it? I won’t lie though, I spent my fair share of that 2 hour drive in tears while Brian just kept saying over and over that ‘It would be ok.’

Thankfully, the dealership was expecting us. We got out of the car and I immediately started to tear up. This is not how we were hoping our ‘Summer of Adventure’ would go and it had hardly started. They took the truck in right away and gave it a look over while we were waiting. The news came; we needed a new transmission.. we hadn’t even had the truck for two months! They originally said it was going to take two weeks to get the transmission shipped and installed but somehow the combination of my tears and Brian pleading with them that we had a flight to catch made them reconsider and said it would be done in a couple days. Still trying to figure out the logic on that one. They dropped us off at the cheapest motel which also offers a discount for cars that are broken down? I guess Utah is just swimming with broken down vehicles? We spent the next two days feeling a bit sorry for ourselves, walking around Price, and watching a lot of trashy T.V. Nearly $4,000 later and a few days lost, we were back on the road, fingers crossed we would make it to LA.

During this time, family member kindly started a Go Fund Me for our truck and so many people poured money and love into making our vacation just a little less stressful. We are forever grateful to all of those people! I know I’ve thanked you before.. but thank you again!

We drove the 10 hours to LA mostly through the night, only stopping for gas and to use the bathroom, and arrived at 3AM. We pulled into Brian’s brothers driveway and slept in the truck until morning, not wanting to wake everyone, including a tiny baby, up. The next week was spent not driving the truck and trying to forget about all the problems we had had with it thus far.

Look for Part II in the next week. If you can believe it, even more goes wrong with Big Red!

Our time in Grand Teton National Park was short and sweet, only spending one night there. Per usual, Brian and I went on a hike as soon as we got to the park in the late afternoon. We hiked around Jenny Lake, enjoying the views of the Tetons towering above us. By the time the hike was complete, the sun was setting and we were pushing our limit to find a camping spot that was still available. On the road to the camp area we were stopped for a good while by a herd of bison in the road. Can you believe I was annoyed at the beautiful bison because we were in a hurry and I was stressed? Well, I was. I look back now and enjoy the memory but at the time I was not impressed. We maneuvered around the herd and arrived at the camp area, it was packed to the brim. People were already double camped in the spots. It’s nearly 9pm at this time, we hadn’t eaten dinner, and we were getting desperate.

After some bickering about where we should go and what we should do and if we should even stay in the park we settled into our spot for the evening. The ‘spot’ being a muddy median of a dirt road that had about 47 signs that said NO PARKING around it. I’m a rule follower, but after realizing we would be up before the sun anyways, we took the risk. Shortly after we parked a sweet gal in her tiny pull behind camper followed our lead by parking in the forbidden median. As she leveled her camper we made a pact to not tattle on each other the next morning. She promptly hopped out of the drivers seat, said goodnight, and nestled into her home on wheels for the evening. Now, remember that detail.

Brian and I began to cook dinner on the tailgate of the truck. There’s only room for our mattress in the back so no nestling in to our truck until it’s time for bed. We opted for ramen because it was so late on top of being tired and cold. I started boiling the water and as I did the strangest melody arose from the distance.

Beneath the Tetons and a blanket of shimmering stars a herd of elk started bugling. At nearly the same moment a pack of wolves started howling a bit further away. If you have never heard an elk bugle, do a quick internet search, it’s beautiful but also a bit eerie, especially in the darkness of night. I’m certain you know what wolves sound like.. but close your eyes and take a moment to imagine it. I turned off the stove so we could listen uninterrupted, dinner would have to wait, this was too special. Brian and I clicked our headlamps off too and we sat hand in hand, soaking up the bone chilling tune. The elks high pitched call cut through the darkness while the classic wolf howl made me feel like I was on the set of some werewolf movie. We eventually laid on our backs and watched the stars twinkle above to the perfect soundtrack.

Remember that detail about the woman nestled in her warm camper? She missed the song. She was too busy with the blue glow of her computer shining through the window. I thought about knocking on her door, but by the time I headed towards her, the song had been ended, just as quickly as it began. I guess Brian and I were just in the right place at the right time.. for once, being late to our campsite served us well.

I wanted to pop in to say I haven’t forgotten about this blog. We haven’t been traveling, but we have settled down back into the Vail Valley.. a place I think will always be home. 2018 came and went in a blur of hikes, sights, and endless miles on the road. When I think about blogging about our ‘Summer of Adventure’, frankly, I get really overwhelmed. Brian and I did so much traveling in such a short amount of time. So, I’ve decided that instead of writing a tedious day by day playbook of our summer, I wanted to share with you moments that I will never ever ever forget. The stars in Utah, the wildlife in Yellowstone, one of the best meals I’ve ever had, camping in a hurricane, etc. They won’t be in any type of order, but know that they’re coming! I love to share with you.. but I will say that this is partly for me also. What is so vivid in my mind today may not be such a colorful detail filled story ten years down the road.

I hope that when you read the posts it feels like we’re sitting right across from each other sipping coffee and nibbling on sweets. Everyone has been so curious about our trip but when we meet up with friends and it comes up in conversation it goes a little something like this; ‘First we went to LA then we went to Hawaii which was AWESOME, we broke down f o r e v e r in Utah and that sucked, then we went to Yellowstone and saw wolves and then came home!’ Uhhh.. what? I feel like our friends seem a bit disappointed by the run down.. and these posts are here to fix that. I love you all but if I sat down with each of you and talked about the trip, we may still be chatting by 2020!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for checking in and I cannot wait to begin sharing these blips of paradise from my mind with you.

Before we went to Maui we were planning on snorkeling one day. The tours there were a little pricey for us so it was going to be our ‘splurge day’. Then we learned you can just rent snorkeling gear and snorkel pretty much anywhere on the island! To us, choosing when and where we wanted to snorkel sounded way more fun than being packed on a boat with tons of people.

Where to rent your gear:

Snorkel stores in Maui are as common as a Starbucks or a McDonalds in any given city in America. Everywhere you look there’s a place to rent snorkel gear. Here are a few just to get your started on your search.

Boss Frog’s (We rented from here because we could walk there from our house) : $10/day, 2 for 1 weekly rates, includes free underwater camera for one day with weekly rental.

Maui Snorkel Store: $7/day, $20/week, $35/2 weeks, Wrap around goggles (180 degree viewing)

Snorkel Bob’s: $38/week for their lowest package, $58/week for their top line gear.

Now for the fun part, Where to Snorkel:

If your goal is to swim with sea turtles (duh, always the goal), just get in the water, anywhere. We snorkeled for 7 days all over the island and every single day we swam with sea turtles.

Honolua Bay : This is a Marine Life Conservation District which means there’s no fishing allowed, meaning more wildlife! This was our favorite place to snorkel, there were so many neat kinds of fish. The water is more shallow here so the wildlife were much closer to us! There’s a short walk down a dirt path to get to the beach. When you cross over the small stream you’re nearly there! No showers or restrooms are located here.

Black Rock/Kaanapali Beach : Cliff jumping and snorkeling? Yes please! Great for families with kids because you don’t have to swim out very far to see cool stuff! You will see plenty of people climbing onto the black rock to jump off, it’s pretty fun if you’re looking for an adrenaline rush! This beach sits on the back side of a hotel but there is a small free parking lot for the public. Get there early to get a spot! Restroom is located by the hotel.

Molokini Crater : Requires a tour. We recommend this one! Book through the link (AirBnB) because they have a special boat for the AirBnB people! It’s way smaller, 20 people vs 150! The food was absolutely delicious (breakfast and lunch included + alcohol) and our guides were super fun and knowledgable! The guides are also Marine Naturalists so they have tons of great information to share with you! Our captain also looked like Ed Sheeran so that didn’t hurt either. A portion of the ticket price goes towards the Pacific Whale Foundation, so, help save the whales!

Kapalua Bay : The water here is super calm, which makes it a great place for beginners and kiddos! Try to swim near the reef and rocks, sandy bottom spots makes for cloudy water, especially when it’s windy. There are also outdoor showers and restrooms by the parking lot.

Turtle Town/ Maluaka Beach (not Makena Landing): Many snorkel tours end up in this area because the chances of seeing turtles are higher here. Like I said earlier, you can see turtles anywhere, but this is a good place to start! The water here is calm due to being blocked by winds by Haleakala. The entrance to the beach is easily missed, so keep your eyes peeled while you’re on Makena Road.

Before you snorkel:

• Use the goggle de-fogger, it really works!
• Wear a shirt/shorts or tons of sunscreen. Your back is exposed because you’re floating on the water so it’s super easy to get burnt. We got roasted our first day on the water.
• Be aware of rubbing on your feet and cover them up with tape/moleskin so it doesn’t ruin the rest of your time snorkeling.
• Get to the beach early! The waves start to kick up in the afternoon so the earlier the better! We tried to get out around 7am and were often the only people there.

While you snorkel:

• Don’t forget to look up once in a while! It’s easy to forget to look up because you’re so mesmerized but you need to keep track of where you’re at. The current can gently push you around.
• Swim near the edges of the water, that’s where the reefs usually are. Animals love to hang out there, not really in the open water.
• Dive below the surface! Diving down with the fish is super fun! Remember to equalize during your dive. And always clear out the snorkel after you come up or you’ll breath in water.
• Bring a waterproof camera. And make sure to rinse it after your done. Saltwater is pretty destructive.

* Please be aware! When you are snorkeling alone, there is no one looking out for you. Be aware of the currents. Don’t get too close to the reefs; waves and currents can push you into them and they are extremely fragile environments.

 

If you have ever thought about going to Maui you’ve probably read something like this; ‘Haleakala Sunrise, add to your bucket list NOW!’. There are countless places to read about how to watch the sunrise, and most say exactly the same thing, but I’m here to tell you something just a wee bit different that will change your experience completely. First, I’ll tell you the standard way to see the sunrise because, if you’ve got more than one day, you should try to witness it both ways.

The Standard Route 

1. Get your ticket in advance: Click here to make your reservation and be sure to do it as soon as you can (up to 60 days in advance). These reservations book up so quickly, try to book as soon as you have an idea of what your time on Maui will look like! If you happen to plan trips last-minute like we do, they release a small batch of tickets 2 days in advance at 4pm. So, if you’re trying to see the sunrise on Wednesday, go to the website on Monday at 4pm (Hawaii time). We got tickets for 2 days by using the last minute reservation system. The reservation costs a whopping $1.50 per vehicle!

2. Dress warmly and bring a light source: Like, really warmly. Winter coat, hat, gloves, pants, closed toes shoes, the works. You’re on an island in the middle of the ocean so I’m sure you brought your bikini, but don’t forget you’ll be 10,000 feet above sea level before the sun rises, where it’s 35 degrees and extremely windy. We saw countless people in shorts and flip flops wrapped in BEACH TOWELS to stay warm, please don’t be those people. A headlamp or flashlight also comes in handy since you’ll be arriving when it’s dark. I would NOT suggest using your phone as a light source, it’s so cold up there that our phones shut off from being too cold.

3. Arrive early: The gates to the park open at 3am. It takes 30 minutes from the entrance to the summit. We camped in the park and got to the summit around 4:45 and people were already filing up to the top. There are hundreds of people coming to one place at the same exact time, so get there before the masses so you don’t have to be in the 4th row of people standing on your tippy toes trying to watch the sun peak from below the clouds.

4. Grab a seat and wait: Try to get a spot on the lower level of the observation deck, on the outside, right up against the wall. Don’t be tempted to go inside and stay warm, if you watch from there you’ll be stuck watching from behind people. If you sit against the wall the wind is much less harsh!

The Weddle Way 

Follow Steps 1 & 2 and then continue below.

3. Leave 30 minutes ahead: The spot I’m going to tell you about is NEAR the summit, but not at it, still leave about 30 minutes to get to the top. We got to our location and parked then took a 20 minute snooze while everyone was bumper to bumper on the way to the summit. I suggest getting there earlier than you think just to avoid the traffic, but don’t worry, you won’t be fighting for a parking spot!

4. Drive to the LeLeiwi Overlook Parking: You heard me, stop the car before the summit. The overlook sits at 8,800 feet above sea level. Park in the small lot on the right, it holds about 10 cars, no other cars parked in the lot the entire time we were there. In order to get to the lookout you’ll need to cross the street, then walk about 5 minutes on an uneven but well worn path. There’s a sign for the lookout, you can’t miss it. This is where a light source is necessary, it’s way too rocky to try to feel your way around in the dark, as long as you can see your feet you’ll be totally fine!

5. Enjoy the beauty and stillness! Once you reach the overlook there is a small 3 walled shelter that will help block some of the wind. The views below you are of Haleakala crater, stretching 7.5 miles long, 2.5 miles wide, and 3,000 feet deep. It’s a beautiful sight to see the sun greeting the bottom of the crater.

 

 

SaveSave

Red River Gorge was a place Brian talked about often so I was naturally quite excited when we had the chance to plan a trip there with his best friend and brother for a weekend of hiking! Our initial thought was to camp, but the near 100 degree temperatures turned us to the idea of getting a cabin instead, probably the best idea we’ve ever had. After an eventful drive down to Kentucky including a car key broken in half and an amazing infomercial like story involving Gorilla Glue (that stuff doesn’t mess around), we rolled up to the Nada Tunnel. Nada Tunnel is a 900 foot tunnel is entrance to Red River Gorge. It was created by log haulers in the 1900’s, it’s only 12 feet wide and 12 feet tall.. so it’s a pretty tight squeeze no matter the size of vehicle!

We got to the cabin and quickly threw our things inside before lacing up our boots and hitting the trails. We chose Grays Arch for our first hike of the weekend. It was a quick 3.4 mile loop that took us to a huge arch in the middle of the forest. We lost and gained quite a bit of elevation on the hike, but the trail was nicely marked and the arch is a great place to sit under and admire while you take a break and have a snack. Once we reached the cabin we took showers and cooked dinner. We enjoyed playing some games before heading to bed and resting before a packed day of hiking.

Saturday morning we woke up at the crack of dawn to get ready for our long day of hiking. Rain was pattering down on the roof and the clouds looked fairly ominous. Everyone had breakfast and got dressed for the hike, trying to ignore the rain. Once we got into the car and reached the trailhead, the rain had stopped! The trail started winding up through the forest and brought us to a steep wall with tiny footholds worn into the rock face (pictured above), known as Indian Staircase. We scrambled up the side of the wall and were rewarded with views of the green valley stretching for miles and miles. The trail continued on a ridge, wrapping around a steep drop off below. At times, the path was only inches away from the cliffside, a couple of the guys weren’t super excited about that. Our final destination was an area known for cliff jumping named, Turtle Rock. Brian and his friend jumped off a few times while Brian’s brother and I watched along with kayakers and other jumpers enjoying the shoreline. The evening consisted of a hot dinner and cold showers before bed.

On Sunday we awoke early again, our day packed with more hiking. We set out to tackle Double Arch Trail and Auxier Ridge, totaling in over 9 miles of hiking. The Double Arch Trail led us down deep into the forest, dense with poison ivy and paw paw trees. We climbed up to Double Arch which is an arch within an arch. The trail continued over the arches and led to more amazing views over the gorge. We met up with the Auxier Ridge Trail which took us to Courthouse Rock (first photo of post). A long and steep staircase led us to the ridge which, again, looked over the gorge, we could even see Double Arch across the way!

On our final morning at Red River Gorge we hiked to Natural Bridge via Battleship Rock. We climbed up some slippery stone steps to reach the ridge where Battleship Rock was. The fog was thick through the forest, making the views of the gorge below even more beautiful. We followed the ridge and it took us to the top of Natural Bridge. We climbed below, squeezing through a tiny gap in a rock. The bridge looked like it was man made, perfectly arched with crisp edges. Once we reached the car we packed up and hit the road for Indiana.

The stormy weather in the forecast thankfully held off and gave us the most beautiful weekend of hiking Red River Gorge could offer!

SaveSave