Colorado - Utah Roadtrip

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

From Colorado we crossed the border into Utah and went straight to the famous Arches National Park. We spent the day exploring the park in the heat, along with families carrying fanny packs, camelbacks of water, and handfuls of whiny kids begging mom to take them back to the hotel pool to swim. We were here on a Saturday in July. 

Towards sunset we hiked up to the Delicate Arch and spent the remaining hours of daylight admiring the phenomenal view in every direction. A full moon shone so brightly, that it lit our walk back to the car and cast shadows on the ground. We thought the Delicate Arch was probably overrated and not worth the hike with all the tourists, but it was incredible... definitely one of our highlights of the day.

Today we are packing up to go on a crazy 2-week camping trip! We're going to try and share the trip here on the blog as we go along.

- Julia

P.S. Who's been to South America? Where would you go if you had a month and had never been before?


63 comments :

  1. Always in awe of your photos. I wish you guys would post more.

    The Fashann Monster

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    1. Thank you! Now that I'm (Julia) out of school for the summer, we plan to get back into it. :)

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  2. Go to PERU!!! On the coast you can see the Nazca lines, paraglide along the beautiful coast and visit the capital of Lima, then go up the Andes and visit Cuzco and Machu Picchu, maybe hike the Inca trail, visit the Sacred Valley, then go further inland to the Amazon, take a boat up the river and explore some tribes, go alligator hunting, and eat some amazing food. Peru is one of my favorite countries.

    Of course, now that I'm living in Brazil, I'd suggest you come to Rio de Janeiro. It's a pretty awesome city.

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    1. Julie - Peru is the one country we are going to for sure!! Thanks for all the recommendations. Alligator hunting?! That sounds terrifying. We would love to see Rio but are thinking maybe it's a bad time with the World Cup. What do you think?

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    2. Actually it hasn't been too bad with the World Cup. Lots more tourists than usual, but so far nothing crazy has happened. There were lots of protests and riots before the World Cup started but now that it started everything kind of calmed down. And the traffic hasn't been crazy either. When will you be traveling? The World Cup ends July 13 anyway. I can't recommend Rio enough, it is such a vibrant and beautiful city with so much to explore. I have loved living there!

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  3. Beautiful! I have some wonderful memories of being those whiny kids begging to go swimming on a hot roadtrip through the southwest. These photos are gorgeous--it looks like you had a marvelous time :) xx

    The What's In Between!

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  4. we agree on delicate arch, a must see for sure, but not the best in the park.. we love hiking out to dark angel, way less people, and amazing views, plus the double o along the way.. love these photos, wish we were going camping with you guys, where are you headed?

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    1. Tiffany - We did another hike out to the Delicate Arch, not sure what it was called, but it was too far away! I loved hiking right to it.

      We are headed to Banff, Glacier, and Yellowstone for camping!

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    2. oh so jealous! we have friends living in banff and can't wait to go and visit... looking forward to your photos! have so much fun!

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    3. My husband and I spent 2 weeks hiking in Glacier a few years back. It's my husband's favorite place so far. Utah holds a special place in my heart but the Canadian Rockies are right up there.

      Fav campground in Glacier: Two Medicine (it's right at the base of the mountains and not as busy/touristy as some of the other campgrounds) If you stay at Two Medicine then you can hike from the campground to Cobalt Lake (one of our top 5 hikes in the park). Hike from Two Medicine Lake to Rockwell Falls then Cobalt Lake. Backtrack to Twin Falls then around Two Medicine Lake and back to the campground. If you like waterfalls and swinging bridges, then this is a great hike.

      Another fav hike is to Grinnell Glacier. It's a very popular trail but if you leave first thing in the morning you will only see other people as you hike back out. Amazing wildflowers and a stunning teal lake.

      If you go up into the Canada part of the park be sure to hike up Bear's Hump. Great views of Goat Haunt and the lake below. The hike to Numa Lookout in the U.S. also has unbeatable views.


      We spent our honeymoon hiking in Banff, Yoho and Jasper. The trails that are open will be determined by snow and bear sightings. Some of our favorite hikes were actually in Yoho which is quite close to Banff. Our favorite hike was to Twin Falls in Yoho. If you do it, be sure to hike up the headwall to the top of the falls. Brutal hike up but so worth it. Also, the hike to Paget Lookout in Yoho offers awesome views. Continue up the mountain once you get to Paget Lookout.

      Really, you can't go wrong with scenery anywhere in Glacier and Banff. Now I want to go back!

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    4. Kelly - Wow, thank you so much for the tips! Definitely going to look into Two Medicine... sounds amazing. We can't wait to do some hiking. We were planning on doing Jasper as well but decided that Banff, Glacier, and Yellowstone is probably already too much for 2 weeks! Thanks again for the thoughtful comment... so nice of you.

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  5. You guys are so talented!
    Your pictures are so beautiful!

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  6. I'm thrilled you're posting again! I was admiring the Iceland calendar in my room yesterday, please consider making another later this year :)

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    1. Thanks so much for the encouraging words! Now that we've done a calendar 3 years in a row, I don't think we'll be able to stop. :)

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  7. I love seeing the Delicate Arch at sunset! These photos are beautiful! We are planning on camping down there a few times this summer. I have to remember to not take advantage of it being only 3 hours away from us!

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    1. Sarah - Yeah, 3 hours is nothing! What a cool place to have available for weekend camping trips.

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  8. i would go to bolivia! it looks incredible. salt flats. flamingos. mountains. lakes. indigenous culture. worlds most dangerous biking trail.

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    1. Sumi - Ooooo, I will definitely look into it. Yuriy really want to do some mountain biking. I don't know if world's most dangerous trail is a good idea though?! He already thinks he is invincible. ;) Thanks for the rec. I've always wanted to see salt flats!

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  9. Gorgeous photos! I'm dying to do a road trip around the southwest and visit Utah, Arizona, & New Mexico. As far as South America goes, we went to Argentina in December (honeymoon) and spent two weeks visiting Buenos Aires and a town called Bariloche in Patagonia. If we had a month to go back, I'd camp/backpack around more of Patagonia and cross the Andes into Chile to backpack around there, too. We met a couple in Bariloche who was doing just that, then heading to Peru after Chile to hike Macchu Picchu and it sounded like the perfect way to spend a month in South America.

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    1. Stephanie - We didn't want to go too far south because it will be winter when we go (July). What a great place to honeymoon, especially in December! Patagonia, Chile, and Peru all sound amazing. I need to do more reading! Thanks for your comment.

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  10. aah! you have some awesome roadtrip landscapes!
    I wish you a fun camping trip.

    Betül

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  11. Wow those shots are just incredible! I've only been in South America once, I visited Buenos Aires & Iguazú falls! so so worth it

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    1. Barbara - I haven't head of Iguazú Falls.... will Google pronto. Thanks! :)

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  12. Lovely photos! Looks like a great trip.

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  13. This pictures are slaying me as I sit in my cubicle at work staring at a computer screen. They are absolutely beautiful!

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    1. Leah - Ahh, I know that feeling. There is a season for everything! Hope you get to escape sometime this summer.

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  14. yes!!! so much fun. now seriously, lets get a trip on the calendar :)

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  15. I've been waiting for these photos! Breathtaking as always. And I've never been to South America but if this means you're going for a month then I get to vicariously live through you until I make it there myself. Have fun on your roadtrip! xo

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  16. Bolivia is absolutely incredible. There is a HUGE amount of diversity in what you can see and do and it's also very cheap! A tour of Southwest Bolivia and the Salar de Uyuni will bring you to some of the most surreal and beautiful landscapes. Peru is really great too though. I spent a few months working there and loved it. You could do both of those countries in a month!

    Nice photos - I really need to get to the SW US!

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    1. Leah - Awesome... definitely looking into Bolivia after you and someone else mentioned it! Thank you.

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  17. Gorgeous pictures! I've been dying to go to Colorado. To answer your question, I'm from Brazil, so I'd say Rio de Janeiro. Brazil is so beautiful and so different, you can go there for a month and not see everything. You could go to Rio/ Sao Paulo, Northeast (Fernando de Noronha, Recife, Bahia...), South (Santa Catarina, Foz do Iguacu, Rio Grande do Sul, Parana...). So much to see and do.

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    1. Ana - Thanks for the recs. Do you think it's a bad idea to go to Brazil during the World Cup though? We'll be there in July.

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    2. Hey! Sorry I didn't see your comment before. If you had asked me before it started, I'd say yes. But from what I hear, everything is very organized. The World Cup ends on the 13th, so if you're going after that, you should be fine :)

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  18. Awesome photos!!!
    http://johced-ourjourneytoeverywhere.blogspot.com/

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  19. Love the pictures!

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  20. Utah is incredibly beautiful... Those red rocks! Yet again, such a lovely post. I've been following your explorations for years. You guys inspired me to travel this summer across Europe and blog my adventures. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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    1. Laura - How sweet of you to say that! Your blog is amazing!! Keep traveling and blogging, girlfriend.

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  21. Absolutely love your pictures:) Thank you for sharing, you two are inspiring!! xoxo Katie

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  22. Beautiful pictures - smart move getting to the delicate arch with enough daylight to actually see it. During my trip, we got there for the very last bit of daylight, so all our pictures of it came out grainy.

    Does the Mister rock climb? Or is he just hanging off the rock for fun?

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  23. Beautiful pictures! Smart move getting to the delicate arch during daylight to enjoy all the views. On our trip, we barely made it for the last bit of daylight, and all our pictures were grainy.

    Does the Mister rock climb? Or is he just hanging off the rock for fun?

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    1. Kate - We do rock climb, but not on this trip. He was just climbing up anything and everything at Arches. :)

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  24. Omg!! This is amazing!! i just put another destination in my bucketlist!! Thanks for the inspiration!! xx
    http://debsbug.blogspot.com

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  25. Soooo nice ! I want to go there to have a new fresh air ! :)

    http://catchthewildsoul.blogspot.com/

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  26. I love to see your trips around the US just as much as those abroad. You guys make me itch for the near future when both my husband and I are done with school and can travel mrore easily.

    Being Chilean myself, I will say that Chile is an incredibly beautiful country with a wide variety of lanscapes and climates. In the north you have the Atacama desert ( the driest in the world! NASA is all about it!) and in the south you have glaciers and fjords, and the beautiful, rugged Patagonia (which is only a skip and a hop away from Antarctica!).
    Chilean winter destinations: Atacama desert, Valle del Elqui, Valparaiso, and Santiago. While I think you'd love and enjoy the south, it'd probably be wet and cold and all too similar to the Washington winter you just ended.
    I'm gonna agree with the people above and say Uyuni in Bolivia, Machu Picchu in Peru, Cataratas de Iguazu, and Rio or anywhere in Brazil (during the first and probably last world cup ever to be held in South America) are places you do not want to miss.

    Hope my recommendations help! I'll be patiently waiting to see how you two capture the raw South American beauty :)

    -Javi.

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    1. Javi, in 1978 the Soccer World cup was held in Argentina so, no, Brazil is not the first place in South America where the world cup is being held.

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    2. Thank you for taking the time to write out some suggestions for us! I'm so glad we got to see Machu Picchu and Uyuni in Bolivia. So many more places in South America we need to go see!

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  27. I just stumbled upon your blog and my husband and I love it! Your photos are amazing and you two look awesome!

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  28. Hello guys!
    Just found your blog 2 days ago and been taking a look at all your posts (since the beginning)! :)
    I love the all concept! I'm curious about two things for now. :D
    To avoid all questions about cameras used, etc, why not leave the exif on the images? I would love to know what kind of apertures you are using in some specific shots. Even on flickr, ... you don't have it.
    2nd one. Who's taking your own photos (when you both apear in the image)? Tripod with self timer or do you ask someone?
    Thanks and keep on enjoying life. Greetings from Portugal!!!
    Miguel Teotónio
    www.miguelteotonio.com

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    1. Miguel - Not sure why we haven't included exif on the images. Might have to look into that and reconsider.

      We usually ask someone to take a photo for us. Or hold it at arm's length and take a selfie. Rarely do we use a self timer... but I guess we have done that at times too.

      Thanks for reading! Happy to have a reader from Portugal.

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  29. That looks amazing. I wish I had the time and money to do that trip right now.

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  30. I was wondering what VSCO presets you use most?

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    1. Ella - Sorry I don't remember. I took one VSCO preset and tweaked it many times over the past couple years and kept saving my own variations, which I start with now. I think the secret is to keep adding your own adjustments to the presets. Good luck!

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  31. Argentina is a wonderful place to visit if you have a month to spare. The Igazu Falls are a must, Buenos Aires, the Valle de la Luna in San Juan, Argentina... Jujuy. Patagonia is simply amazing. Bariloche, during July is perfect because of the snowy scenerio but it can get a bit crowded with all the teenagers travelling there for their graduating trip from high school. Just keep in mind that it is winter but the cold here is nothing compared to the winters in the States, Patagonia gets lots and lots of snow but it´s a humid kind of cold so it can get bitter. I would recommend the mediterranean weather of San Juan, Mendoza, San Luis, Jujuy and Catamarca.

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    1. Nat - Thank you so much for taking the time to write to us about Argentina. Wish we could have made it there! The flights + visa were too expensive for the few days we had left to spend there. There will be a next time!

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  32. Beautiful photos! You both always inspire me to travel.

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  33. Very good photos

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  34. Those Photos are amazing! I've been meaning to go there, did Zion and the Grand Canyon but missed Monument Park. After looking through your photos I need to plan a trip asap! Love the Blog!

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  35. I loved the photos! Every photo had a powerful story to tell. The colors are vivid, the composition is fulfilling. Fantastic records of journey. Thanks to you, I have been bitten by the wanderlust bug again! May you have even more glorious adventures together! Greetings from Pakistan.

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    1. Mehreen - Wow, Pakistan! Thank you for reading. Happy to have you. :)

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  36. Hi Yuriy and Julia, what a great blog and wonderful pictures, you might have heard it many times before but I have to remind you again : you are really inspiring !
    My boyfriend and I are on our way to experience some backpacking trips as well.
    I absolutely love your blog !

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    1. Hi Leen. Thanks so much for your nice comment. It means so much to us! Happy to hear you are backpacking with your boyfriend.

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