Going to California (Monterey, 2015)

Bixby Bridge, Big Sur

When we were having trouble deciding on a California vacation spot with my wife's family, I threw out  Monterey as a possibility. I've never been to Monterey, but between the allure of seeing Big Sur and Steinbeck and Kerouac's old haunts, and the desire to balance the various family requirements (not too cold, not too hot, enough to do, not too much to do...), I thought it might be a potential. I'm not sure if they agreed, or whether it was simply the path of least resistance, but the die was cast and off we went. 

Vacationing with 6 adults and two small children was an exercise in logistics and managed expectations. It was great to see everyone, even if it sometimes felt like we were all moving in asynchronous orbits within the same space.  The demands (and naps) of our miniature overlords are as numerous as their spurned wrath is thunderous. That being said, the time we and our far-flung family had to spend together was invaluable.  

Our rental house in Pebble Beach had commanding views over coastal forests and a vast sweep of the Pacific Ocean. It would be the first of many "how the other half lives" moments in the Monterey areas.  Pebble Beach is the great granddaddy of gated communities, and surrounds several of the more prestigious golf courses in the country along the rocky coast (none of us play golf). It's also known for its 17 Mile Drive, a scenic coastal loop road that the common folk have to pay for the privilege of enjoying. The drive on the Drive was pretty enough to make it worthwhile, but less for the views of rich excess, and more for the seascapes. What struck me was the density and diversity of wildflowers throughout the region. The area was like some high-achieving offspring of  some unnatural coupling of Thomas Kincade and Winslow Homer. Vignettes of stormy (but not too depressingly dark) seas, and wildflower strewn (but not too cheesy/pastel) landscapes. 

The high points of the trip for me, other than the family time, were our too-brief jaunts out to Point Lobos and a drive through Big Sur. We were limited on time in both cases, but I enjoyed the chance to explore the rugged coastal areas without the tourist trappings/wealth pollution of Monterey/Carmel/Pebble Beach. My wife and I even got some much needed alone time on our Big Sur drive, thanks to babysitting grandparents. 

Pacific Ocean view, rental house, Pebble Beach

Western Scrub Jay, Pebble Beach

Pacific Ocean at Sunset, Pebble Beach

Spotted Towhee, Pebble Beach

Wildflowers and Cottage, 17 Mile Drive

17 Mile Drive Beach

Seaweed on Rocks, 17 Mile Drive

Golf Course Cypresses, 17 Mile Drive

Lone Cypress, 17 Mile Drive                                           Twisted Trees, 17 Mile Drive

Whimbrels, 17 Mile Drive beach

Clouded Forests, 17 Mile Drive

Beachscape (B&W), 17 Mile Drive

Wildflowers and Beach, 17 Mile Drive

Rocks and Water, 17 Mile Drive

Seascape, Point Lobos

Whaler's Cove, Point Lobos

Southern Sea Otter, Point Lobos

Western Gull, Point Lobos

Harbor Seal, Point Lobos

Seascape, Point Lobos

Sea Lions, Point Lobos

Acorn Woodpecker, Point Lobos                                           Pigeon Guillemots, Point Lobos

Whaler's Cove, Point Lobos

Paintbrush and Seascape, Point Lobos

   

Colors of the Rocks, Point Lobos

Some Geological Thing, Point Lobos

Selfie, Point Lobos

Point Lobos Landscape

Big Sur Landscape

Big Sur Bridge and Landscape

Paintbrush, Big Sur area

Bixby Bridge Landscape, Big Sur area

Seascape, Big Sur area

Ice Plant, Big Sur area

Pride of Madeira, Big Sur area

  

Rock Patterns Tryptych, Garapata State Park

    

Rock Patterns Tryptych, Garapata State Park

Ocean Wave, Carmel

Cannery Row, Monterey

The Grand (Chinese) Army of the Republic

Terracotta Army of the Katy Prairie

Forbidden Gardens
One of the places we visited in the early years as we explored our new Texas landscapes was the inestimably odd Forbidden Gardens. I got thinking about it a bit this week, after finding an old picture which brought back vivid memories of that day.

Forbidden Gardens was built in the late 90's by an enigmatic Chinese businessman named Mr. Poon, who seems to be quite literally an international man of mystery. The original stated intent was to share Chinese culture with the US, and with young Chinese living here. The 80 acre site was developed into an odd amalgamation of roadside attraction and historical museum, plopped down in the middle of a then endless expanse of prairie west of Houston.

The primary exhibits were a large scale replica of the imperial Chinese Forbidden City and a full 1/3 scale replica of the Terracotta Army of Emporer Qin. There were also a series of other statuary and exhibits housed in what were originally immaculately maintained grounds.  I won't go too far into the history of the place, but you can read more about it here , here, and here.

Seeing it in person felt like someone dropped a Chinese historical site into a cow pasture in rural Texas. The soldiers stood patiently sentinel, staring out at the cow pastures of the prairie. The whole place had a sense of abandonment, like a inexplicable relic of some past civilization. It was clear that the attraction was on its way out, with weathered paint and broken statuary. In actuality the disrepair contributed to the austere feeling of the place, oddly solemn like a temple fallen to ruin. Compared to the usual roadside attractions, the lack of many other visitors and the decrepit beauty gave a sense of discovering a forgotten place rather than just vintage kitsch. I don't know why we never went back, though I'm sure it would have not had the same impact twice.

The Gardens closed in 2011 prior to the expansion of a major highway through the prairie. It's now being developed into what I'm sure will be more McMansions crowding the landscape. The Gardens were weirdly iconic, and in their passing are an unexpected metaphor for the passing of the prairie and authentic Texas landscapes in the face of ever-advancing sprawl.

When they closed, they auctioned off most of the statues. One of my biggest regrets was not buying one when I had the chance. A local bar bought one of the 6' full sized versions, and placed it initially at a urinal in the men's rest room. I still can't decide if it was juvenile or a brilliant artistic statement about the whole affair.

Weathered soldiers, Forbidden Gardens

Dragon and red, Forbidden Gardens

Column of soldiers, Forbidden Gardens

Emporer Qin surveys his warriors, Forbidden Gardens

Dragon, Forbidden Gardens

1/3 scale soldiers, Forbidden Gardens

Terracotta warriors, Forbidden Gardens

Chariot horses, Forbidden Gardens

Remnants of Forbidden Gardens, 2014

Forbidden Gardens site in 2014, with highway to right

Visions of Utah - Capitol Reef

Goosenecks Vista, Capitol Reef National Park

Escalante and Capitol Reef

Road weariness had set in a bit after blazing through Arches, Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon, Zion, and Bryce in less than a week. By the time we pulled into Escalante, a dusty little town nestled in Escalante-Grand Staircase National Monument, all I wanted to do was pitch the tent and turn in. Then I heard about Everett Reuss.

We were camping for the night in the backyard of a tiny outfitting company/cafe/store. After we waddled back from a pizza dinner, I stopped for a minute to join the owner, some locals, and some campers around a big fire pit, while the rest of my group went to bed. The owner regaled us with stories of Everett Reuss, a  20-year old artistic contemporary of Dorthea Lange and Ansel Adams. Reuss was a prolific writer, artist and wanderer. He became the stuff local legend when he disappeared into the desert never to be found again, cutting a rising career. The town even had an annual Everett Reuss Days. When we got back from the trip, I picked up a copy of his collected works, and was impressed. Sadly, Reuss's remains were recently found in the canyon in which he'd been killed by thieves for his two mules, bringing a tragic end to his legend. 

We got a tip from the hipster outfitting guy the next morning that there were some great petroglyphs in a nearby canyon. However, after an hour of hiking through a wash, we came up empty. You had one job, outfitter guy...one job... 

Down the road, Capitol Reef National Park made up for the morning hike. The petroglyphs were amazing, and the colors and forms of the landscapes were intense even under a midday sun. We didn't have time to see a lot of the park, but the Grand Wash hike and Goosenecks vista sold me on coming back here someday.

It was bittersweet to head out at the end of the day, knowing it was the end of the trip. The sight of antelope pacing the car in a desert sunset, and a low horizon moonrise were a nice parting gift.

Escalante landscape

Capitol Reef Cliffs, Capitol Reef National Park

Fruita Orchard, Capitol Reef National Park

Rock Chicken, Grand Wash, Capitol Reef National Park

Twisted tree, Capitol Reef National Park

Origin Myth, Grand Wash, Capitol Reef National Park

Cairn and Hollow, Grand Wash, Capitol Reef National Park

Emerging Hoodoos, Capitol Reef National Park

Vortex, Grand Wash, Capitol Reef National Park

Petroglyphs, Capitol Reef National Park

Sunset, Escalante-Grand Staircase National Monument

Moonrise over Desert Plains, Escalante-Grand Staircase National Monument

Visions of Utah - Bryce Canyon

Sunset vista, Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park
Our visit to Bryce Canyon was quick, but well timed. The two-day stays at Arches, Monument Valley/Antelope Canyon-Page, and Zion felt like they were over too soon, but our 2-hour stay at Bryce made them seem like extended sojourns. Even though Bryce is often thought of as a drive-through park, I felt like we barely scratched the surface (our party had some altitude issues that cut our stay short.) I can imagine how eerie it would be to hike into the cool stillness between the hoodoos.

At 8000-9000 feet above sea level, Bryce is one of those high, quiet places of the world, wrapped in the hush of the thin wind winding through the hoodoos. Hoodoos is a funny word. It's hard to be even marginally poetic while saying Hoodoos.  Hoodoos, Hoodoos, Hoodoos.

We got there just before the sun set over the canyon wall, creating dramatic shadows. The rows of hoodoos gave the impression of being part of massive temples of some  ancient, unknowable race. No time to worship that day. Off we went through the night and Escalante/Grand Staircase National Monument along Scenic Byway 12 to Escalante. 

Spire and Sunset, Bryce Canyon National Park

Candycorn Hoodoos, Bryce Canyon National Park

Hoodoo Castles; Colors of Bryce

Hoodoos, Bryce Canyon National Park

Converging Hoodoos panoramic, Bryce Canyon National Park

Sojourners, Bryce Canyon National Park (picture by Kate Bower)

Visions of Utah - Zion

New Morning on Old Tree, Zion National Park

Zion National Park

We'd been through a whirlwind of travel already in our Utah road trip, roaming through Arches National Park, down to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, and over to Antelope Canyon and Page, Arizona. We were young and ambitious then, so we were just hitting our stride when we rolled out of Page and across the desert plains to Zion National Park. I remember the scenery on the way being simultaenously striking and monotonous as we skirted through the bottom of Grand Staircase-Escalante. Sadly, the thing that stands out most to me is making a turn at the Thunderbird Restaurant with its faux art deco Thunderbird gleaming in the sun, and it's sign proudly proclaiming it's "Ho-made pies!" (Apparently the "Ho-made" spelling is just a remnant of the 50/60's product name war on the English language (and sign space restrictions) and not an indication that a lady of ill repute runs the kitchen.)

What the drive to the Mt. Carmel entrance lacked in notoriety, entering Zion itself made up for it by orders of magnitude. I remember coming into the canyon in glowing, golden afternoon. The sandstone was suffused with light, pulsing against the deep blue desert sky. As would become a theme with my wife and I, we were arriving later than planned, racing the light. We passed through the tunnels hewn into the rock on the way down to the valley floor, with open windows every so often providing glimpses to the luminous rocks, driving us on.  When we finally exited the tunnel, we were met with the presence of the incomparably majestic East Temple across the canyon, too large to even start to comprehend. When we first crossed the Virgin River, all thoughts of making it to the campground in time flew out of our heads. The river raged through its channel, dimming even as the last rays of light lit up the canyon walls around it. We took a picture...or forty. After being dragged from that vista, we drove the rest of the way to Watchman practically with tears in our eyes at not being able to stop and photograph the landscape around us, bathed in once-in-a-lifetime golden light. We got to the campground just in time to see the moon rise in the notch in Watchman.

The rest of the two-day stay was enjoyable (despite some rude first night neighbors...hey, we didn't WANT to pitch our tents in the gravel of a handicap spot next to you...it was the only one available, and the ranger TOLD us to. We told you, but you were still needlessly grumpy with us, and apparently I'm still bitter about it. Jerks.), but didn't hold a candle to that first entrance. The Narrows were shut due to water levels, but we had a great time on Angel's Landing, Emerald Pools (so many frogs!), and meandering up and down among the sites of the Valley.

Our second night campsite in the grass on the floodplain of the Virgin River was a substantial improvement over the gravel. In the mornings, I watched the sun rise over the canyon walls, illuminating the far side first while we remained in shadow. The cottonwoods along the river were true to name while we were there, with a light snow falling in the breeze, floating down the verdant strip of river valley.   

Moonrise over Bridge Mountain, Zion National Park

Kayenta Trail vista; Sandstone and Yucca - Refrigerator Canyon

People of the Rock, Zion National Park

Opportunity, Zion National Park

Cottonwood vista, Zion National Park

Court of the Patriarchs panoramic, Zion National Park

Zion Valley vista; Moonrise over the Watchman

Last light of day, Virgin River, Zion National Park

 
Checkerboard Mesa; Emerald Pool