<![CDATA[Rachel Van Amburgh, Oboist - Travel Blog]]>Thu, 29 Jan 2026 07:22:08 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Monumental]]>Sat, 05 Jul 2025 01:40:09 GMThttps://www.rachelvanamburgh.com/travel-blog/monumentalI've been particularly slow on this post because it's been a very challenging time for the U.S., and Los Angeles in particular...I don't have anything particularly insightful to add to the hellscape discourse, but I hope everyone is taking care (metaphorically, putting your own oxygen mask on before helping others). That being said, finally getting around to documenting the end of Leg 2 of our trip - which included Four Corners, Monument Valley, and Las Vegas. 

It was hard to say goodbye to Colorado, but my lungs were also REALLY looking forward to returning to lower altitude. After leaving Mesa Verde, our first stop was the Four Corners Monument - which you probably know is where Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona all converge. We didn't stay long, but got a photo and walked around to peruse the Navajo vendors in the area surrounding the monument. I got another Navajo taco, and Alex tried a Tiger's Blood sno-cone for the first time (for the non-Southerners - Tiger's Blood is just a combination of watermelon, strawberry, and coconut flavors). It's not an essential stop, but worth it if you're already in the area. 

​I would, however, categorize our next stop (Monument Valley) as absolutely essential! Straddling both Utah and Arizona, these majestic and sacred monuments have been memorialized in countless films and TV shows, but I had never gotten to see them up close until now. We had an epic campsite view from Goulding's Campground, and the greater Goulding's compound has a variety of other lodging options/restaurants, as well. The scenic drive to see the monuments is a notoriously rough road, and I'm glad we splurged a bit to take the guided sunset tour. I will say that this is not a tour for anyone who gets carsick easily - the tour vehicles are very similar to the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland...VERY bumpy! I was relieved to not have to worry about ruining Suzy Sube on the rough road, and would definitely recommend anyone visiting the area who wants to do the scenic drive to also take one one of the authorized tours by a Navajo guide, unless you have a Jeep. It is really difficult to describe how awe-inspiring this place is...particularly that these incredible monuments were all formed by the power of water. I'll say that going at sunrise is probably the most optimal light for photos, given where the monuments are situated - but sunset was also beautiful! If you are short on time or don't want to pay for a guided tour, you can still get some great shots from the scenic viewpoint at the Visitor's Center. Just a heads up - there is a nominal fee to enter the park, as it is Navajo tribal land. A small price to pay for this amazing must-see!!

In the morning, we had a hearty breakfast at Goulding's Lodge and briefly checked out the "John Wayne Cabin" (not his literal cabin, but a former potato pantry turned mini-museum to house memorabilia from the films that Wayne worked on in Monument Valley). Then we were off to tackle the long drive to our last stop of the trip, to Alex's favorite place - Las Vegas! I am admittedly less enthusiastic about it, especially in the summer heat...but despite being terrible gamblers, we still enjoy those neon lights, the delicious food, and the endless entertainment. 

Vegas regulars know that staying on the Strip on Fri/Sat night is way more expensive than Sun - Thur...but since this was a Sat-Tue visit, we opted to save a bit of money and spend our first night just off the Strip at the Mardi Gras Hotel, which was actually pretty freaking nice for the lower price point! After a swim and a nap at the hotel, we walked to the classic Italian joint (and Mob/Ratpack favorite), Piero's, which was probably my favorite meal of the trip! The service is incredible, and everything we ate was DIVINE (Pat's Meatballs, New York Strip, Osso buco, crispy potatoes, and creamed corn). The portions are huge (we definitely over-ordered), so come hungry! After dinner, we walked to Resorts World and spent way too much time looking for the elusive Golden Monkey Tiki Lounge, which we did eventually find. It was surprisingly slow for a Saturday night, and the bartender chatted us up about some of the other tiki places around town ("real", AKA off the Strip) that we should try. We had visited the Golden Tiki in Chinatown before (yes the names are too similar, lol), which is awesome, but were excited to add some new spots to our ever-growing list of places to try. Our walk back ended up being much further than we initially thought (word to the wise - always doublecheck the maze of walkways/paths on the map when navigating Vegas on foot)...but did stop for a breather to watch the mesmerizing screen that surrounds the Sphere. I still haven't been inside, but maybe one day will get to go!

​The next day, we had some time to kill between checking out of the Mardi Gras and checking into the Sahara, so we decided to check out one of the tiki recommendations from the night before, Red Dwarf. It was super dark in the bar, so I didn't get many good pics, but this is a great spot - decorated in top-shelf kitsch, they serve delicious Detroit-style pizza, tiki drinks (including a spiked Dole Whip), and beer, with live music, too. Alex insisted we also stop by the oldest freestanding bar in Las Vegas, Atomic Liquors. Opening in the '50's, Atomic got its name from patrons who used to watch nuclear bomb testing from the roof of the bar. They used to have an 'atomic cocktail' as well, but sadly it's no longer on the menu. The Punk Museum was the next stop, which we both loved! It's a bit pricey and more of a fantastic memorabilia collection for die-hard fans (which I am not), but it was well organized and really enjoyed expanding my (somewhat limited) punk knowledge. Our last stop before checking into the Sahara was Frankie's Tiki Room, which definitely had the best drinks of all the tiki places we tried!

We had tickets to see Rod Stewart at Caesar's Palace in the evening, but sadly he caught the flu and had to cancel some shows. Confident we could find something else to do in the Entertainment Capital of the World (one of them, anyway), we headed down the Strip to have dinner at Diner Ross. As the name suggests, it's an upscale 70's themed diner inside of the Linq, with a notable tribute to Diana Ross, of course. Our server asked if we were interested in half-price tickets to see the accompanying "Disco Show" next door, and we said yes, please! This ended up being a FANTASTIC substitute for Rod that I would highly recommend (even if you are only a casual disco fan). We were corralled into theater by a roller disco squad, and the entire show was so immersive that you really just felt like you were in a discotheque the whole time - AKA, lots of dancing! We walked around a bit more, caught a fountain show at the Bellagio, and got some AI-mixed cocktails from the Tipsy Robot (in Planet Hollywood) before calling it a night. 

Our last day was fairly low-key (I was very tired and hot!). I caught up with a college friend, Katie, who is on faculty at UNLV and I hadn't seen in quite a long time over a wonderful brunch at PublicUs. Alex and I hit the pool and napped in the afternoon, which was the perfect way to beat the unrelenting heat. Before dinner, we checked out the Observation Deck at the Strat (108 stories high) for happy hour and some killer 360 views of the Strip and greater Las Vegas - pretty stunning! Dinner was at the incredible Golden Steer Steakhouse (another favorite of the Rat Pack)! This was one of the most difficult reservations I've ever gotten...it took 2.5 months to get off the waitlist, but it was totally worth it! It was a wonderful way to commemorate the last night of another epic road trip. Our final morning, we said goodbye to the Sahara and stopped for breakfast at a place we couldn't resist trying, Mr. Mama's (which was great) before heading home to Los Angeles. 

Thank you for following along on our journey once again! 
]]><![CDATA[Rocky Mountain High (Pt. 2)]]>Tue, 17 Jun 2025 03:54:28 GMThttps://www.rachelvanamburgh.com/travel-blog/rocky-mountain-high-pt-2We packed so much into our time in Colorado that it warrants a separate post! 

Colorado stops (Pt. 2): 
  • Gunnison (briefly)
  • Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
  • Montrose (unplanned)
  • Ouray
  • Silverton
  • Durango
  • Mesa Verde National Park

While I was sad to leave Leadville (which was so lovely), I was looking forward to breathing a little easier at a slightly lower altitude (~8,000 ft). We stopped for lunch in Gunnison at the Ol' Miner Steakhouse, and had planned to spend the rest of the day and camp at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP - but the weather was already not looking good. On the drive into the park, the rain and fog got so bad that we abandoned the plan and decided to spend the night at a motel just past the park in Montrose, instead. Luckily, the weather was much more agreeable the next day, and we were able to take the scenic drive through Black Canyon, stopping at many of the scenic viewpoints along the way. The name says it all - it's a very steep, dark canyon (due to the lack of sunlight in many areas) that the Gunnison River cuts right through. This is a criminally underrated park that is sadly one of the least visited national parks in the country...but it's well worth checking out if you are in the area. 
Continuing along with unplanned stops, on my mom's recommendation (thanks, Mom!) we decided to look around Ouray ("The Switzerland of America"), and ended up finding a great deal at a lovely little mountain lodge (shout out Box Canyon Lodge & Hot Springs) situated next to natural hot springs! Ouray totally lives up to its nickname, and the scenery is absolutely stunning.  We had dinner at The Outlaw, the oldest restaurant in Ouray, and dessert (a "scrap cookie") at Mouse's Chocolates - both very yummy, then took a soak in the hot tubs at the hotel. It was a bit too 'natural' for my taste...but still relaxing, nonetheless. The next morning, we checked out some nearby waterfalls (Box Canyon Falls and Cascade Falls) and scenic viewpoints before letting Jesus take the wheel as we began our journey down the famously treacherous Million Dollar Highway...
The "Million Dollar Highway" between Ouray and Silverton is notorious for being one of the windiest and most harrowing mountain roads in America - primarily because many of the sheer drops are not protected by guardrails. We learned that this is because snowplows in the winter have to be able to push snow off the sides of the cliff...hence the lack of guardrails. It was drizzling for most of the first leg of the highway drive, which was a bit unsettling...but we took it slow and did just fine, but I was more to take a break from this stressful road as soon as we got to our next stop. 

I had visited Silverton once before as a kid when we took a family vacation to CO and rode the steam train from Durango, and Alex had ridden the winter version of the train to Cascade before, as well. While we didn't have time for the train on this trip (it basically takes all day), Silverton was well worth a return visit (although it also meant returning to pretty high altitude, too). We stopped by the train depot, and had lunch across the street at a historic bordello turned restaurant, Natalia's 1912. One of the most unexpectedly delightful stops on the whole trip was our tour of the Mayflower Gold Mill, which was a functioning mill for the nearby Old Hundred Gold Mine until the 90's. It's now open for tours, essentially exactly as it was when it closed - and you even get to demo some of the equipment! It's important to note that Alex's hat of choice for this trip was the red "God Bless Gram Parsons" hat we got in Nashville. For the uninitiated - Gram was the godfather of country-rock and what he called "Cosmic American Music," a member of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, performed as a duo with Emmylou Harris, and tragically overdosed at age 26 in Joshua Tree. We actually spent Alex's 40th at the Joshua Tree Inn, in the room where he passed...which surprisingly wasn't creepy - it's a really loving tribute to Gram now, and a very cute place to stay. Anyway, when we showed up at the mill for the self-guided tour, the clerk casually mentioned "y'know, I played with Gram back in the day." We talked to our new friend, Freddie, for close to an hour, hearing stories about his life as a session musician who played with tons of greats (John Prine, Neil Young, Muddy Waters, etc.) and as a horse stunt rider, his love of film, service in Vietnam, and finding his ultimate happiness in Silverton as a miner and rockhunter. He very kindly said we're "in the extended Silverton family now," and it was a totally delightful surprise for all parties. 

Our next stop, Durango, ended up being shorter than anticipated, due to a combination of factors...I messed up and booked a place to stay that was less than desirable (let's just say it included an outdoor port-a-potty...), and Mesa Verde (our next planned stop) ended up not having any tours available on the original day we wanted to go. So, while we only ended up being in Durango for one night, we luckily still had the opportunity to check out Honeyville market, which is absolutely incredible, and Ska Brewing, which is well-loved all over Central/Southern CO. 

Last but certainly not least for Colorado - Mesa Verde National Park! This is one of my very favorite stops, noted for its lush greenery and Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings. We had visited before, but it was well worth the return trip for both of us. The weather was a bit touch and go, but luckily we didn't get rained on too much throughout the day. Along with hitting the majority of the scenic viewpoints/exhibits of historic pit and cliff dwellings located throughout this incredible park, we had the opportunity to tour Cliff Palace (one of the largest dwellings). We stayed at the Lodge in the park for the night and had dinner at the Metate Room, which had stunning views. A major highlight of the trip, for sure!

Next up: Four Corners, Monument Valley, Las Vegas, Home!
]]><![CDATA[Rocky Mountain High (Pt. 1)]]>Fri, 06 Jun 2025 01:53:50 GMThttps://www.rachelvanamburgh.com/travel-blog/rocky-mountain-high-pt-1While I used to road trip with my family to Colorado fairly often when I was growing up, I hadn't been back in over 20 years, and was psyched to return. We decided to tackle a lot, although I was a bit nervous that the itinerary included some very high altitude spots. I've had altitude sickness before, and it was NOT fun. CW: Skip past the brackets if you don't want a gross altitude sickness story...
[One summer in Mammoth Lakes (where I used to play oboe in the summers for several years), I foolishly thought I was well-acclimated enough at 8,000 ft. to go on a hike on a concert day. A few hours before the performance, I started getting really dizzy and vomiting. It was basically impossible to find a sub who could drive all the way to Mammoth on such short notice, so by the grace of adrenaline, I made through the first half, immediately ran outside to vomit again, chugged a Perrier, and somehow made it through the second half. Adrenaline is a hell of a drug.]

All this to say, was still super excited to revisit CO, and it's delivered!

Colorado stops (Pt. 1):
  • Grand Junction (briefly)
  • Denver
  • Colorado Springs (briefly)
  • Cripple Creek
  • Leadville
    ​    ​
​The drive from Moab to our first stop in Denver was stunning, and basically followed the Colorado River the entire way. After stopping for lunch at Base Camp Beer Works in Grand Junction, the drive along I-70 became more and more stunning the closer we got to Denver. I was driving the whole way, but Alex took some great videos of the drive and has documented all of our travels exceptionally well on his Instagram, if you're curious. After arriving at our cute rental in the 'RiNo' Arts District of Denver, we were all tired from the long drive and decided to walk somewhere close by for dinner. We had cocktails at Federales Bar and dinner at Barcelona, a delicious wine & tapas restaurant, The neighborhood had a lot of cool spots, was easy to get around, and centrally located for everything we wanted to do - would definitely recommend visiting or staying there if you're coming to Denver!
Our next day was filled with many fun activities! I caught up with my longtime friend Kelcie (we go back to high school days) and her husband at Denver Biscuit Company, and had some incredible biscuits the size of a child's head. In the afternoon, we visited our fifth and final (for now) Meow Wolf location, which may have been my favorite one yet! There are three floors to explore and experience some very innovative art - I won't even pretend that I "get it," but just immersing yourself in the space is engaging enough, even if it doesn't fully make sense. I'm excited that they are building a location in LA that should open in the next year or two.

In the evening, we turned the kitsch up to 11 and visited Casa Bonita - the legendary Mexican restaurant (popularized and now owned by the creators of South Park) that is also like a mini-Disneyland? There are cliff divers (my favorite part - I added a video below), puppet shows, a mariachi band, balloon animals, an arcade, face-painting, a root beer bar...you name it. While my cheese enchiladas were pretty 'meh,' the salsa and sopapillas were surprisingly on point - but as you may have discerned, the draw is not really the food! We ended with a nightcap at the oldest bar in Denver, My Brother's Bar, which has been open since 1873, and tried to play Drop the Needle to their running soundtrack of classical deep cuts (pretty tough, even for the oboe doctor...)

​The next day was equally eventful! For Elizabeth, Alex, and myself, our main reason for taking this trip to Denver was to visit the Red Rocks Amphitheater, which has been a bucket list item for many years. A few months ago, we decided to take a gamble and get tickets to see Lord Huron and Molly Lewis at Red Rocks, just hoping that we could make the trip work...and thankfully, it did! Before the show, we fueled up with a big lunch at Sam's No. 3 Diner (est. 1927) and headed to see some very old dino tracks at Dinosaur Ridge (near Red Rocks). When we got back to the car from our hike, much to our chagrin, we realized Elizabeth's car battery had died...but fortunately, AAA was super quick with a jump, and we were back on our way within 30 minutes or so.

Not too much worse for wear, we finally made it to Red Rocks - which, if you're not familiar, is a HUGE amphitheater that also has many trails for hikers/runners/etc. For all of its coolness and awesome beauty, Red Rocks is unfortunately not designed with accessibility in mind. If you go, get there early and be ready to walk A LOT - there's a shuttle, but you still have to walk up MANY stairs...no escalators, and very few elevators. I do think that if you have serious mobility issues and advocate for yourself, there are some options, but it seemed to cater mostly to those who were wheelchair bound, and not much else. Other than the schlepping that was required to get around the venue (and some chatty Cathys in our section), we loved Red Rocks, and it was a fantastic evening and show. Molly Lewis is an incredible whistler who opened the show for Lord Huron (psychedelic country folk-rock-ish), who were also wonderful. It was so worth the trip to have this experience at such a magical venue...even if it meant walking close to 15K steps that day...which is less of a pain when you get to do it with good friends :-)
Videos:
"Lounge Lizard" - Molly Lewis
"Crushed Velvet" - Molly Lewis
"Hurricane (Johnnie's Theme)" - Lord Huron
"La Belle Fleur Savage" - Lord Huron
​"Not Dead Yet" - Lord Huron

After bidding farewell to Elizabeth (who sadly had to leave us to return to Long Beach), we stopped for lunch in downtown Denver at Ship Tavern, a splendid old pub (est. 1934) inside of the historic Brown Palace Hotel (what a name, huh?). We poked into the Brown Palace (I still can't believe that is the name) and then headed south toward Colorado Springs. We stopped at the Garden of the Gods - a fabulous park, free and open to the public. I wish we could have stayed in the area longer, but a storm was brewing and we still had to drive up the hill to our destination - Cripple Creek (another "I can't believe that is really the name"...will just call it CC from here on). 
CC is perhaps best known for its gold mining...then, in no particular order - outlaws, prostitution, and gambling. It also has an elevation around 9,500 ft, but I was feeling optimistic about it after having spent the majority of our trip at 6,000-8,000 ft. Ultimately, I was definitely affected and had some moments of really needing to catch my breath, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it would have been coming straight from sea level (do not recommend ever going above more than 6,000 ft from sea level before you've acclimated). What I wasn't as prepared for was having to drive up to CC in rain - and then - sleet. Thankfully we made it just fine, but learned quickly that the higher you go, the more volatile the weather can be in CO (and the iPhone weather app is essentially worthless in CO, too). 

We stayed at an interesting B&B on the edge of town called the CC Hospitality House - which actually used to be a hospital from 1902-1930, and a nursing home from 1933-1960, until it was finally converted into a hotel in 1963. We are partial to weird hotels that may or may not be haunted - while we didn't have any particularly harrowing encounters as far as paranormal activity is concerned...one certainly notes the vibe of a lingering spirit or two. They also kept the names of each hospital room and have a few of those old-timey wheelchairs to maintain an appropriately creepy aesthetic. The place was actually very nice, though, so it was a net win/worthwhile stay. 
We visited a number of other historic places in CC, including: 
  • Old Homestead House Museum - This was the most famous brothel in CC (est. 1896). It survived 2 fires, catered to the most wealthy, and has been a museum since 1958. The tour guide was very impressed when Alex was able to identify a portrait of Evelyn Nesbit on the tour (only the second person on a tour who's known who Evelyn was, she said).. Highly recommend paying a visit if you are ever around!
  • CC District Museum - While not quite as entertaining as the Old Homestead House, we learned a lot about CC history at the District Museum, saw some historical cabins/mining equipment, and even got to do a scavenger hunt to win a golden nugget (fingers crossed). 
  • CC & Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad - This 45-min train ride (with a real steam engine) was the highlight of the CC visit for me. As previously noted, the weather in CO can change on a dime, and we witnessed this firsthand during our ride. 
  • Maggie's Restaurant - I cannot confirm, but our guide at the Old Homestead told us this restaurant inside of the Colorado Grande Hotel used to be a morgue...luckily, it did not give that impression at all when we ate there. 
  • Golden Nugget & McGill's - We played and lost $13 on the slots...perhaps because we only picked cat-related machines....
  • Outlaws and Lawmen Jail Museum - Alex loves to visit old jails (I do not), but we sure did go to this old jail and museum. 
    ~AND~
  • Donkeys = 0. Donkeys roam free in the summers in CC, but sadly we saw NONE (except for the hundreds of plush donkey-related merch in the gift shops). Bummed. 

Our next stop was the highest city in the United States - Leadville, CO (elev. 10,154 ft). I was totally enamored by the gorgeous drive up (a running theme in CO), and surprised by how much I loved visiting this little town - practically in the sky! Alex toured the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum while I took a nap (and said I really missed out). The main attraction for us visiting Leadville was the historic Tabor Opera House (known primarily through its association with "Baby Doe" Tabor - who has a fascinating/tragic story). Our guide also had quite a colorful past, and we ended up having a private tour through all of the areas of the theater - including the dressing rooms below the stage! Built in 1879, many famous people have performed or attended performances at the opera house, including Oscar Wilde, John Philip Sousa,  Buffalo Bill, and even Harry Houdini - it is still occasionally in use, today. Apparently they even had circus elephants perform here?!

Other places we visited in Leadville included: 
  • Inn the Clouds - Our stay for the night (a hostel, but we had a private room). It was quirky and cute, but we both decided we're over communal bathrooms after this trip (except for camping, on occasion)...
  • Legendary Silver Dollar Saloon (est. 1879) - Had pre-dinner drinks at this classic saloon, and Alex got a long story from a bar fly about how he looks like John Lennon and where he was on the day he died...
  • Pastime Saloon (est. 1878) - Struck out for the second time trying to find dinner, but still loved the vibe and views here. Trying to enjoy a moderate amount of delicious CO beer whenever I'm hydrated enough!
  • The Famous - Finally found some food! This is not a historic place, but the food (upscale pizza/pasta) was very delish, and also had amazing views of the highest peaks in CO. 

That's all for now, but will catch up on the rest of Colorado as soon as I can! 

Next up: Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Ouray, Silverton, Durango, Mesa Verde
]]><![CDATA[Utah - The Mighty 5]]>Wed, 28 May 2025 19:13:33 GMThttps://www.rachelvanamburgh.com/travel-blog/utah-the-mighty-5Locking in for a long post! National/State Parks are a major theme of this extended road trip, and Utah has a ton. I had only been to Arches before briefly as a kid, so the majority of Utah's parks were new to me - and did NOT disappoint! ​Much like Arizona, the incredibly vast diversity of topography in Utah is just astounding. You can drive an hour and the landscape completely changes! Utah in particular feels like another planet in so many areas, too.

Utah stops: 
  • Zion National Park
  • Bryce Canyon National Park
  • Escalante Petrified Forest State Park
  • Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
  • Anasazi State Park Museum
  • Capitol Reef National Park
  • Goblin Valley State Park
  • Moab - Canyonlands National Park, Dead Horse Point State Park, Arches National Park

Zion was an excellent place to start - we "glamped" close to the park at the Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort, which had super nice facilities. On our way into the park itself through the Eastern entrance, we stopped at the Checkerboard Mesa before tackling the somewhat complex shuttle/parking situation on the other side of the park/Springdale. I'd recommend getting to the park pretty early to catch the shuttle from the Visitor's Center into the Valley attractions (there are no passenger vehicles allowed on the main valley road - shuttles only). Or, if you get a late start like we did, just find parking at one of the many street/lot spots in the town of Springdale, and take the shuttle to the Visitor's Center from there (where you will then have to get on another shuttle...but it's pretty easy to navigate). Once we finally got into the main valley of the park, our first stop was the Temple of Sinawava (named for the Paiute's coyote god). We took the Riverside Walk along the Virgin River, which eventually leads to the entrance of the Narrows - the famous hike through the Virgin River. However....we just said hello to the Narrows, and opted to stay dry instead. After refueling at the Red Rock Grill at the Zion Lodge, we hiked to The Grotto and tackled a decent portion of the Kayenta Trail toward the Emerald Pools. While I didn't make it all the way to the pools (Alex caught one of them), the hike offered stunning views of the valley, and was well worth the effort. We said goodbye to the park and returned to enjoy the last night of our camp "resort" amenities, which included access to a pretty fabulous pool/hot tub situation. 
Zion is absolutely amazing, but geographically speaking it's probably the most "normie" looking park in Utah in terms of feeling like you are still on Planet Earth (which is really saying something). Our next stop, on the other hand (Bryce Canyon), leaned heavily into "other planet" territory. On the way out of Zion, the sign for the Thunderbird Restaurant was too eye-catching to pass by...and the pie was definitely worth a stop. Bryce is best known for its iconic hoodoos, congregated into an 'amphitheater' in the core of the park. We learned that parking can be really challenging, and opted to hike/use the shuttle to see the majority of the park. Starting at Inspiration Point, we hiked the Rim Trail to Sunset Point, the Bryce Lodge, and Sunrise Point, then took the shuttle around to Bryce Point, as well. If you're not doing a ton of hiking, Bryce is pretty easy to tackle within a day or less, and should definitely be in your itinerary if you're in the area. 
After Bryce, we spent the night in the town of Escalante in a cabin at Escalante Outfitters, which was adorable and had pretty fabulous pizza. If you're okay with not having 5-star accommodations all the time (but still want something decent), Utah has a lot of quaint little ranch/resort/yurt/cabin rental hubs that are pretty affordable. We also hiked a bit and caught the sunset nearby in Escalante Petrified Forest State Park - which sadly has been robbed of most of its petrified wood, but still has stunning views.

One of the most unexpectedly beautiful areas we've driven through so far is Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (which is HUGE). We enjoyed making several scenic stops in the Monument on our way to Boulder, UT. A bathroom break turned into a longer stop when we spotted the Anasazi State Park Museum and decided to explore a bit. This museum houses the Coombs Site, where you can view the infrastructure of an ancient pueblo that was likely occupied between 1050-1200 CE. I also could not resist a Navajo taco from the food truck outside; it's essentially an enormous frybread tostada - delicious enough to challenge my general aversion to food photography!
Capitol Reef National Park is another surprisingly awesome destination that totally blew me away. The geography here is breathtaking and otherworldly, and the hike we took along the Grand Wash Trail (showcasing the center of the park) is maybe one of the best hikes I've ever done. Additionally, there is still a historic Mormon homestead inside of the park that sells homemade pies and pastries (the Gifford Homestead)...so continuing along our pie tour, we had to sample some peach pie (some of the best I've ever had!).  We also couldn't resist another somewhat quirky (but perfectly nice) motel in Torrey, UT called The Flute Shop. Sadly, the shop was closed on the day I wanted to acquire one of their hand-carved flutes :( but the town was a fantastic destination that I'd happily revisit (for a very reasonable price). 
On the way to Moab, we stopped briefly at Goblin Valley State Park to see some unique sandstone - and a filming location for one of my all-time favorites, The Tree of Life (Terrence Malick, 2011). Despite this, I could not stop thinking about Troll 2 (my favorite terrible 'horror' movie that's about goblins, not trolls)...and just had a generally bad vibe about the park (although Alex found the goblins to have positive energy...go figure). 

​Moab, UT was a bit hostile when we first arrived (to a light dust storm), but overnight the weather mellowed out beautifully. Our friend Elizabeth drove all the way from Long Beach, CA to meet up and spend a few days exploring Moab and Denver with us! Our cabin just outside of Moab was very cute (a reliable theme for our visit to Utah), and we especially enjoyed the relaxation time outdoors watching sunsets from the patio. On Memorial Day, we woke up at 4am to see the sunrise in Canyonlands National Park at Mesa Arch (a favorite for many visitors and photographers). It was such an exhilarating experience and totally worth the early effort! We drove through the majority of Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point State Park, as well - the latter offering spectacular views of a prominent filming location for perennial mega-favorite, Thelma and Louise, which was epic! Given our very early call time, we napped for a couple of hours in the late morning before heading out to tackle Arches National Park in the afternoon. Arches is without a doubt one of the most captivating and unique parks you'll ever see - it's a star for a reason. Be aware that timed reservations are required during the busier months between 7am - 4pm. We capped off a fantastic day with out-of-this world Italian food at Pasta Jay's (the red sauce and cannelloni was to die for).

​Utah was an utter wonderland of delights - I can't wait to return!
]]><![CDATA[On the road again...]]>Sun, 25 May 2025 05:02:57 GMThttps://www.rachelvanamburgh.com/travel-blog/on-the-road-againMay an even MORE outdoorsy leg of this road trip commence! I'm going to be a little more relaxed with blogging this go-around (oboist Type-A habits die hard, though...).

After learning many lessons the first time around, we packed smarter and lighter for the next leg of our road trip - Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and Vegas. I was so surprised to find how excited I was to get back on the road! Don't get me wrong, time off to chill in LA was greatly appreciated (and still rather eventful, all things considered). But the Suzy Squad has more to see...with fingers crossed that visiting several national parks during this 3.5 week trip will still be feasible in light of the current war on public funding. We are trying to support the parks in whatever ways we can, and leave no trace at all times. 

ARIZONA:
  • Sedona
  • Phoenix
  • Williams
  • Grand Canyon
  • Horseshoe Bend

Starting off in Sedona was a fantastic way to begin the trip - revisiting the penultimate stop from the previous leg, this time for my friend Ali's bachelorette party. It was a spectacular weekend of bonding and nature time with an immaculate crew, of course. Nature highlights were hiking around Chapel of the Holy Cross, Mystic Trail, and the confusing but stunning secret trail behind our rental...but quality chilling, cooking, and game time together was paramount. A few of us also stopped at Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix before saying goodbye, which I cannot praise highly enough - LA fam, let's go to the one downtown...
I picked up Alex from the airport, and we head out toward Williams and the Grand Canyon. Originally, we planned to just have dinner in Williams (Route 66 jumping-off town an hour away from the Grand Canyon) and head out to our campsite for the evening...but in our grand tradition of hating to set up tents in the dark while feeling tired and lazy, the gleam of a last minute HoJo bargain was too alluring to pass by. Williams also has a variety of worthy stops for Route 66 aficionados, so it all worked out for the best. 
Fueled and rested up, we headed to our campground in the Grand Canyon during daylight hours to get set up. Our camping experience was not too bad - the facilities were fine, the forested surroundings were lovely, and we were pretty centrally located to visit anywhere on the South Rim. With limited time, we explored the Rim Trail, Kolb and Lookout Studios, Hopi House, and El Tovar Hotel for dinner and lounging. On our way out of the park, we stopped at Desert View Watchtower, which I would HIGHLY recommend - the native art inside of the tower is incredible (and the architecture ain't too bad, either). It was totally worth stopping for a short hike to Horseshoe Bend ​on the drive north to Utah, as well!
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