Summer Break By the Numbers

Although summer still has about nine weeks left, summer, for me, is drawing to a close as I go back to work today.  In the spirit of CBS Sunday Morning's "By the Numbers" segments, allow me to present my Summer Break By the Numbers:

Mornings I Awoke With No Alarm Clock - 50

Total States Visited - 8

States I Crossed Off My "To Visit" List - 2 

National Parks Visited - 6

Flights Taken - 2

Pictures Taken During Trip Out West - 848

Movies Watched in Theaters - 1

Days Spent in West Virginia - 12

Items Sold on eBay - 0

Amount Spent on Back-to-School Items For My Room - $32.48

Number of Items Purchased Bearing Superman Logo - 2

Audiobooks Listened To - 4

Bags of "Stuff" Removed From My Stepson's Room (after he moved out) - 6

Miles Walked - 168

Hours Spent Sanding the Wainscot in the Remodeled Bedroom - 3

Number of Paint Sample Swatches Picked Up From Lowe's - 15

Pounds Lost - 2

Blog Entries Published - 20 (including this one)

Hours Spent Outside - countless

What are some of your Summer and/or Summer Break numbers?

Linking up with:

Random-osity

Bridge Walk - Take A Walk on the Wild Side

In October 1977,  in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia, a marvel of modern engineering was completed.  The completion of the New River Gorge Bridge, the 3,030' four lane bridge that spans the New River Gorge, not only solved a decades-long transportation problem by reducing the time it took to cross the gorge from 45 minutes to 45 seconds, but it also opened up the southern part of the state to the outside world.

via

With an arch 1,700' long, the NRGB was for many years the longest single-span arch bridge in the world. This was, and still is, a huge source of pride for West Virginians, a people who, unfortunately, are used to the state ranking towards the bottom of many lists (education, unemployment, obesity, etc.). The NRGB held this title for 26 years until it was eventually dethroned in 2003 by the Lupu Bridge in Shanghai, China. Since 2003, two more bridges in China have surpassed the New River Gorge Bridge, making it the fourth longest single-span bridge in the world at the time of this writing.  This is still quite impressive if you ask me. The NRGB remains the longest single-span bridge in the western hemisphere and is the third highest bridge in the United States (876 feet).  

via

Pedestrians are only allowed on the bridge one day out of the year.  On Bridge Day, the annual one-day festival held every third Saturday of October that celebrates the completion of this iconic landmark, the bridge is shut down to vehicular traffic and pedestrians can walk freely from one side of the gorge to the other.  Many spectators remain in the center of the bridge and watch BASE jumpers leap from the bridge, which is also only legal on Bridge Day.   

The northbound lane of the NRGB filled with spectators on Bridge Day back in 2016.

Unbeknownst to many, people can walk on a 2-foot wide catwalk that is 25 feet underneath the surface of the bridge.  I know what you're thinking, "Whoa, whoa, whoa...  wait a minute.  How is that possible?" Well, not only is it possible but also it's also legal when you take a Bridge Walk Tour.

Bridge Walk beckons the curious and the adventurous to explore underneath the entire length of the New River Gorge Bridge from a maintenance  catwalk located under U.S. 19.  The leisurely 2-3 hour walking tour allows visitors to see both the beauty of the New River Gorge and the bridge itself from a unique vantage point that not many people ever see.

After years of talking about it, my mom and I decided to finally take a Bridge Walk tour in order to see the incredible views for ourselves.  Trust me when I say that we were not disappointed.

After arriving at the Bridge Walk office, checking in, signing liability release forms, and getting outfitted in some lovely harnesses, our tour guide lead our group outside to a waiting bus that took us to the Canyon Rim Visitor's Center.  From there, we walked along a short path to the entry point that took us underneath the bridge.

Once underneath the bridge and properly tethered, the expansive view of seemingly endless steel beams opened up before me.

Of all the things I noticed, there were three things that stand out in my memory that had nothing to do with the view:  

First, it was substantially cooler underneath the bridge as the updraft from the gorge below provided an continuous flow of air.  The region was experiencing somewhat of a heatwave on the day of our visit, so the "breeze" was well received.  Second, the bridge continuously vibrated and the vibrations varied from barely detectable to very noticeable.  At first, I will admit, this unnerved me a little bit.  After a while, however, I got used to it and only noticed it when semis passed overhead.  And third, when the traffic was light and no big trucks were on the bridge, the only things I heard were the wind and the rapids of the New River flowing below.  I was surprised by how tranquil it was.

View of the Fayette Station Bridge

The view straight down

Behind me is the view of the New River down stream (to the northwest).  P.S. It's hard 
to take a selfie when your phone is tethered to a lanyard around your neck.

An expansion joint

The arch as viewed underneath my mom's feet.

I didn't choose the best color shoes for a picture such as this.

Looking down at the New River as it snaked its way between the steep, lush green banks of the gorge was quite a surreal experience.  As a white water rafter, I've had several up close and personal views of the New River; its rapids have smacked me across the face numerous times.  The ancient river looked so small that it resembled a painted river one might find on a topographical relief model or even that of a miniature railroad.  There were several rafting companies on the river that day.  However, if you weren't paying attention, you'd completely overlook the colorful rafts because they appeared so little.

Look closely and you might see the red raft as it entered the top of
the rapids.

Mom and I above the apex of the arch

View of the arch as we passed over the midway point

Looking back though the beams that we just walked between

When we reached the other side of the bridge, our guide untethered us and we walked up a short incline to spot where a company bus picked us up and took us back across the bridge to the Bridge Walk office. The tour, from the time we departed the office to the time we returned, was approximately 3 hours. 

The New River Gorge area has numerous outdoor activities, from white water rafting to hiking to ziplining, for visitors to choose from.  Bridge Walk is a great option to add to this list.  It's an activity that requires no skills what-so-ever and can be enjoyed by both old and young alike.  The only caveat is that it's a little bit pricey - $72.00 per person.  

BRIDGE WALK STATS

As of May 31, 2018:
6,017 Tours
40,641 Guests
1,987 Tour Days
Guests from 50 States, DC, & 64 Countries
Age Range 8-95
16 Catwalk engagements
2 Catwalk weddings
Countless honeymoon, anniversary, birthday tours
Bridge Walk has the longest continuous safety system in the world.

Have you ever completed a Bridge Walk (in WV or elsewhere)?  What did you think of it?

Linking up with:

Shooting Stars Mag and Not In Jersey

*Yes, I know that Bridge Walk is not located in the city where I currently reside, but it is located about an hour and fifteen minutes from my hometown in WV.  So, I took some liberty with this post.


The Weekly Postcard

Whims and Fancies

When 1987 and 2018 Collide

In the summer of 1987, I was 13 years old.  Dragnet, Beverly Hills Cop II, Innerspace, The Lost Boys, and Dirty Dancing were in the movie theaters.  Gas prices were under a buck, the sitcom Full House debuted on ABC, Reagan was still in office, and acid-washed jeans were all the craze.  That August, I started the eighth grade.  Around the same time, Def Leppard released their long awaited, highly anticipated, fourth studio album, Hysteria.  

For the next two years, long after I had left junior high and started high school, Def Leppard was everywhere. With seven hit singles from their multi-platinum album - "Rocket," "Women," "Hysteria," "Animal," "Armageddon It," "Love Bites," and the perennial classic, "Pour Some Sugar on Me" - the boys from Sheffield, England absolutely dominated the radio airwaves and their videos received heavy rotation on MTV (back when MTV actually played music videos).  Everywhere you turned, Def Leppard was there. Because of their omnipresence in everyday life, many of my memories of that time period have Def Leppard songs tethered to them, thus contributing songs to the soundtrack of my early teenage life. To this day, Hysteria remains one of my favorite albums of all time.

Two weeks ago, I saw Def Leppard in concert, 31 years after the release of Hysteria and 26 years after the first time I saw them in concert (in 1992). 

Much has changed over the years.  The lead singer, Joe Elliott, lost his mullet long ago and can no longer hit the high notes like he used to.  All of the guys had more lines on their faces and less hair on their heads. The audience, who once consisted of boisterous teenagers and young adults who fiercely head-banged along with the music, was predominately comprised of mainly middle-aged folks like myself who preferred to sit down and watch the show rather than stand.  

But, despite all the changes, as soon as Def Leppard took the stage and opened with "Rocket," the past three decades slowly melted away and by the second or third song I felt like I was 13 again.  For nearly two precious hours, I was transported back to a time when life was simple, a time when I had no job, no mortgage, and no adult responsibilities.  

Thank you, Def Leppard, for the great trip down memory lane and for the brief, yet wonderful respite from "adulting."

And, just for kicks, here's a little "infomercial" that you might find amusing.

Have you ever been to a concert that made you feel like you did when you were young(er)?

Linking up with:

Random-osity

Top Ten Tuesday: Books with Sensory Reading Memories

Sensory reading memories...  where I was, what time of year it was, who I was with, what I was eating, etc.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

I listened to much of this audiobook last summer while walking in the park.  There's one point in the book when Junior, the main character, says something like, "Naked woman + right hand = Happy, happy, joy, joy!" and I completely lost it!  I mean, my brisk walking pace came to a complete stop and I started howling with laughter.  I got some very strange looks from other walkers and runners that day.  

Dancing With Myself by Billy Idol

A few summers back, I was listening to this audiobook while waxing my car in my parents' garage.  My stepdad walked in right as Billy was dropping some f-bombs.  I quickly scrambled to turn it off and I looked apologetically at Si.  When I started to apologize for Billy's language, Si said to me, "Don't worry about it!  I may be a preacher, but I'm not a prude." 

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

I re-listened to this audiobook while traveling back from Quebec, Canada on a tour bus three years ago.  

Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen

I listened to this book while on a cruise which was quite fitting because part of the story takes place on a cruise ship.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
I remember lying on my mother's uber comfy sofa (that she no longer has) and reading this book on my iPad during one of my spring breaks.

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

I distinctly remember going to Barnes & Noble to buy this book.  It was right before Christmas and the store was decked out with Christmas decorations.  I also remember coming home and completely devouring that novel.

My Husband's Sweethearts by Bridget Asher

What I remember most is telling my then-officemate, Gay, about this book and describing the premise.  She laughed her signature hearty laugh and asked to borrow it once I was finished.

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
I read much of the hardback edition of this book in the summer of 2012 while sitting outside on my parents' deck in southern West Virginia.

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

What I remember most about this book is lying on our old, blue, leather love seat while reading it and laughing out loud because the book was that funny.  I sometimes laughed until tears streamed down my face.  Periodically my husband would ask, "You gonna be alright?"

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
I read this book while visiting the Outerbanks of North Carolina with my parents.  I read it in the car on the way there and while sitting on the pristine beach.  I cried and was so thankful that I had sunglasses on to mask my tears because I felt utterly stupid.

~~~

How about you?  Do you have any sensory reading memories?  Feel free to share.

Linking up with:

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

My American Southwest Roadtrip (Part 2)

For quite some time, seeing the national parks of Southern Utah has been on my travel wish list.  Last month, I was able to check them off as I explored Utah's Mighty Five and several other notable sights in the Four Corners region.  It was a road trip that was a feast for the eyes and the senses.  It was really more incredible than I ever imagined. 

Last week,  I shared days 1-4 of my road trip, which included Bryce Canyon NP, Capitol Reef NP, Arches NP, and Canyonlands NP.  If you are interested, please check Part 1.

Day 5 - Mesa Verde NP | Drive to Monument Valley via Four Corners Monument

What we did:  We woke to a chilly and drizzly morning in Mesa Verde.  Knowing that I'd be outside for several hours in the cool morning rain, I was forced to by a lovely national park sweatshirt at national park prices - cha-ching - because I stupidly talked myself out of bringing a fleece at the last minute.  Note to self - ALWAYS bring a fleece!  Undeterred by the dismal rain, which the area was in desperate need of, we donned rain ponchos and took an early tour of Balcony House.

Like Cliff Palace, getting to Balcony House requires visitors to descend down several flights of stairs and then climb several ladders to get to the dwelling.  The dwelling itself is smaller than Cliff Palace, but still quite fascinating. 

As I explored these cliff dwellings, I couldn't help but think of how life would've been like living there.  I wondered what in the world prompted the ancient Puebloans to build their dwellings where they did.  I also wondered why they abandoned them after going through all the trouble to build them on the cliffs.  The park ranger revealed that archaeologists  once interviewed present day members of the Hopi tribe, who are descendants of the ancient Puebloans of Mesa Verde.  When asked why they (the ancient Puebloans) left, an elder from the Hopi tribe explained that "it was time leave."  That's not quite the definitive answer I was hoping for, but I can understand the fact that sometimes it's just time to move on.

The most interesting part of Balcony House, in my opinion, is getting out which requires squeezing through a narrow tunnel/hole and then climbing up a ladder and steps that are carved into the side of the cliff.  

*If you ever visit Mesa Verde and want to tour Balcony House, there is a "test" tunnel in the visitor's center that I recommend you try out before booking a tour.  If you don't fit or can't get through the test tunnel, then you won't fit in the real tunnel at the ruin and you have to go through it to leave.  And, based on my experience, the test tunnel in the visitor's center is way more generous in width than the real thing.  Keep that in mind.

About 40 miles southwest of Cortez, CO, off US 160, is one of the biggest, kitschiest, piece-of-Americana tourist traps in the southwest - the Four Corners Monument.  The Four Corners is the geographical area where corners of four states - Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah - meet and this is the only location where this happens in the United States.

The Four Corners Monument is on Navajo Nation land.  After forking over $5 a person, we parked our car and set off to see this geographical oddity.  I'm not exactly sure that I was expecting, but I think I was expecting something... bigger, something truly monumental.  The Four Corners Monument isn't really a monument, but rather a concrete, plaque-like area covering the ground that you can walk and stand on.  All of us were like, "This is it?" None-the-less, we had a good time taking pictures of each other in the four states.

Later that afternoon, we arrived in Monument Valley and were met with continued chilly temps and overcast skies.  After checking into the hotel, we got back in the car and drove among the famed mesas and buttes that have been featured in numerous Hollywood films.

That evening, the weather cooperated and the clouds separated a bit which allowed the setting sun to reflect against the red formations.

Where we ate: Far View Terrace Cafe in Mesa Verde NP (breakfast) and The View Restaurant (dinner) in Monument Valley, AZ
Where we stayed:  The View Hotel in Monument Valley, AZ

Day 6 - Drive to Page, AZ | Lower Antelope Canyon Tour

What we did: We attempted to watch the 6:00 a.m. sunrise, but unfortunately the cloud cover interfered. The view was still pretty, though.

Backside view of The View Hotel.

After breakfast in the hotel's restaurant, we leisurely drove 125 miles to Page, AZ.  After a stop at the Glen Canyon Dam Visitor's Center and a fast food lunch somewhere (I can't remember what), we arrived at a dusty spot in the middle of the desert for a tour of Lower Antelope Canyon.

Lower Antelope Canyon is slot canyon.  Slot canyons are narrow and significantly deeper than they are wide.  Lower Antelope Canyon, as well as Upper Antelope Canyon which is located a few miles away, were formed by erosion of Navajo sandstone primarily due to flash flooding.  Due to the risk of flash flooding in the desert and entrapment within the canyons, the canyons are only accessible through guided tours.

When we arrived at the tour operator's office, all I could see in any direction was flat, red earth, no holes in the ground, nothing but sand that was occasionally stirred up by the hot wind.  After a short walk from the parking lot, a large crack in the earth came into view.  Within a few minutes, we descended into that crack in the earth via several sets of metal stairs.

The Navajo name for Lower Antelope Canyon is Hasdeztwazi, which means "spiral rock arches."  Many years ago, herds of antelopes roamed freely in the area, which explains the canyon's English name.

I have seen pictures of Antelope Canyon before, but in all honesty, no pictures, not mine, not those taken by professions, do it justice.  There is no way to completely capture the colors, textures, or ever-changing light that filters in from above. It was absolutely stunning.

Why am I running around with people who look like masked train robbers?
One word - dust.

Emerging from the canyon literally involved climbing out of a crack
in the Earth's surface.

That evening after dinner, my traveling companions went hiking along the shore of Lake Powell.  I, the introvert, was in desperate need of some "Ericka time," time to be quiet and recharge, so I opted to go back to the hotel and enjoyed the pool and hot tub.

Where we ate: The View Restaurant (breakfast) and Stromboli's in Page, AZ (dinner)

Where we stayed:  La Quinta Inn in Page, AZ

Day 7 - Page, AZ | Drive to Springdale, UT | Zion NP

What we did:  We took an early morning float trip down the Colorado River with Wilderness River Adventures.  The roundtrip journey consisted of a bus ride to the base of Glen Canyon Dam (after going through a 2-mile downhill tunnel through the Navajo Sandstone), a 15 mile float trip down the Colorado River to Lees Ferry, and a 45 minute bus ride back to Page.  During the trip, we stopped at a "beach" and viewed some petroglyphs, floated through the famous Horseshoe Bend, and saw an Arizona shipwreck - the Charles H. Spencer.  

Glen Canyon Dam Bridge

Upon exiting the bus, we had to wear these dam hats while walking to the boat because
people throw things off the Dam Bridge (above).

I can confirm that the water along this stretch of the Colorado River was COLD.
Our guide said it was 48 degrees.

The remains of the Charles H. Spencer

After returning to Page and grabbing a quick lunch, we drove 115 miles to Zion National Park.  Zion is an unusual place and it's hard for me to describe.  The reds and oranges that are so common in southern Utah were still present, which made Zion resemble the other national parks of The Mighty Five.  But, there was also lush green vegetation within the park.  There were trees with flat, broad leaves that we hadn't seen much of during the trip.  They reminded me so much of Yosemite NP (California) that I experienced a strange sense of deja vu.   

After checking into our room at the coveted Zion Lodge, which we lucked up and got  just a few weeks before our trip, we rode the Zion shuttle to the 8th and final stop, the Temple of Sinawava.  

From there, we walked along the Riverside Walk, a two-mile (roundtrip), mostly paved trail that meanders alongside the Virgin River to a point where the canyon is so narrow, that there are no banks of land on either side of river.  This is where I saw a lot of people stop.  Many shed the shoes and socks, played in the water a bit, and then started the walk back to the shuttle stop.  Fortunately, I had on my hiking sandals, so I was able to hike up the river into The Narrows a little further.  The water was cool and refreshing.  If I ever make it back to Zion, I will hike more of The Narrows.

We took a more leisurely pace while walking back to the shuttle stop.  We noticed how the colors of the canyon changed as the sun began to set.  We saw weeping walls and dealt with incredibly aggressive, crazy squirrels that knew absolutely no fear.  That night, after returning from dinner in town, we enjoyed our private porch and watched the stars slowly emerge.

  

Where we ate: Jack's Sports Grill in Springdale, UT (dinner)

Where we stayed: Zion Lodge in Zion NP

Day 8 - Zion NP | Drive to Las Vegas, NV

What we did:  The alarm clock woke us early, shortly after 5:00 a.m., and by 5:45 we were walking through the early dawn light from Zion Lodge to the Grotto Trailhead.  We crossed the footbridge over the Virgin River and began our trek to the top of Angel's Landing.

Long story short - we came, we conquered.  The hike and climb to Angel's Landing, the most revered hike in Zion and perhaps in all of Utah, was the most strenuous, physically demanding, and scary thing I've ever done.  For a more in-depth look my experience, please see my post An Inexperienced Hiker's Take on Angel's Landing.

We were back in our lodge room shortly before 11:00 a.m. to change clothes and checkout.  Then we drove into Springdale for a well deserved meal at Blondie's Dinner, which luckily served breakfast all day.  The drive from Zion NP to Las Vegas is about 160 miles an took us around 3 hours.  I think I slept the first hour and a half.  We had no set agenda for the rest of the day or evening.  After dinner, I treated myself to some ice cream and then took a long, relaxing soak in the ginormous bathtub in our junior suite.

Where we ate:  Blondie's Diner in Springdale, UT (lunch) and Rain Forest Cafe (dinner) in Las Vegas, NV

Where we stayed:  The Signature at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV

Day 9 - Fly home

~~~

So, there you have it - my nine day, six national park, five state, two flight, & one blister American Southwest Road Trip!

Of all the places we saw during the last half of our trip, I think seeing the amazing colors or Lower Antelope Canyon was my favorite.  

In case you missed it, here's the link to My American Southwest Roadtrip Part 1 (days 1-4).

Have you visited any of these parks/places?  If so, which one was your favorite?  

Linking up with:

The Weekly Postcard

Random-osity