Category: Utah

the devils garden hike at arches

wanderessence1025 August 5, 2018

The Devils Garden Trail at the far end of Arches National Park offers routes of various difficulty and length, varying from 1.6-7.2 miles. The longest of the maintained trails in Arches National Park, Devils Garden Trail goes to seven impressive arches, with several more visible from the trail.

On our second morning, we took the hike to Landscape Arch and then climbed up further to Partition Arch and Navajo Arch. We had to hustle to keep ahead of the Chinese tourists who were disembarking from their tour bus.

The Landscape Arch Trail is easy and well-graded, providing a close look at one of the longest natural stone spans in the world.

For this hike, I used, for the first time, my new wide-angle lens (with the exception of the last two photos).

walking through a slot canyon into Devils Garden

Devils Garden Trail

Devils Garden Trail

Devils Garden Trail

Devils Garden Trail

Devils Garden Trail

Devils Garden Trail

cliffrose along Devils Garden Trail

Landscape Arch is slightly longer than a football field.

first glimpse of Landscape Arch

Around Landscape Arch

Landscape Arch

Devils Garden Trail

The path past Landscape Arch is more difficult, winding along the narrow tops of exposed sandstone fins, then up and over short, steep crevices where steps have been carved into the rock. This section is not recommended for hikers with a fear of heights.

We escaped the crowds at Landscape Arch with a plan to clamber our way up to Partition and Navajo Arch. The route looked scary — a steep climb up slickrock with slot-canyon drop-offs on either side — so I was hesitant to go up. While we stood looking at the climb, a woman from a canyon beneath us called up and asked if we’d seen her husband, and she went on to describe his T-shirt.

the slickrock way up to Partition Arch

The woman asked that, if we saw him, we inform him that she went up an alternate route, through this canyon. We stood debating for a while, and we finally decided to take the woman’s option up through the adjacent canyon. We climbed up only to realize that the path was blocked off with pieces of dead wood at the upper end – Closed. Oh well, we didn’t know, and it was easy enough to walk over the wood barriers! There was no way I was going to climb down that slickrock, so the sign wouldn’t deter us from coming back down that same route!

We continued on to Partition Arch.

Partition Arch

standing inside Partition Arch looking out over the mesa

Partition Arch

We then hiked to Navajo Arch, not quite as impressive.

inside Navajo Arch

view of Navajo Arch from outside

rock patterns near Navajo Arch

Finally, we worked out way back down and out, through our secret canyon, and past Landscape Arch once again.

Devils Garden Trail

our secret canyon

Devils Garden Trail

cow parsnip?

Adding Partition Arch and Navajo Arch to Landscape Arch made for a hike of 5.65 miles. It took us 2:52 hours at a pace of 30:32 minutes/mile. We were quite exhausted when it was said and done, but that didn’t stop us from making a few more detours before we returned to our car.

There is nothing like the dramatic landscape at Arches to make a person feel insignificant and overwhelmingly awed.

*Wednesday, May 9, 2018*

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On Sundays, I plan to post various walks that I took on our Four Corners trip as well as hikes I take locally while training for the Camino de Santiago; I may also post on other unrelated subjects. I will use these posts to participate in Jo’s Monday Walks or any other challenges that catch my fancy.

This post is in response to Jo’s Monday Walk: Sunrise on the Salt Pans.

strolling along park avenue at arches

wanderessence1025 July 29, 2018

After our hike at Delicate Arch, we drove to the far end of the park to see what else there was to see. We knew since we’d arrived at noon, we’d have to come back the next morning to do all we wanted to do. At the end, we stopped at Skyline Arch, walking about a half mile round trip.

Skyline Arch

Arches often form slowly, but quick and dramatic changes do occur. In 1940, a large boulder suddenly fell out of Skyline Arch, roughly doubling the size of the opening.

Skyline Arch

around Skyline Arch

As we had to get to the Visitor’s Center for my cancellation stamp by 5:00, we made a quick stop at Fiery Furnace Viewpoint. Mike was disappointed that I wouldn’t do the Fiery Furnace Trail with him. To enter this area, you must accompany a ranger-guided hike or obtain a day-use permit at the visitor center. The Fiery Furnace is a labyrinth of narrow sandstone canyons that requires agility to explore. You must climb through narrow passages and it is easy to get lost.

We stopped to admire the rock formations and the view of the La Sal Mountains.

Fiery Furnace Viewpoint

Named for the warm glow seen on the rocks in the late afternoon, the Fiery Furnace is actually a maze of cool, shady canyons between towering sandstone walls. The chaos of fins, spires and canyons has been called “void, silent – and almost uncanny in its solitude.”

The many vertical rock walls – or fins – you see here and in the Devils Garden are the result of movement, eons ago, far beneath the earth’s surface. Over time, erosion has been shaping the Fiery Furnace. Rain, snow and ice deepened and widened the cracks, creating these towering fins.

Fiery Furnace Viewpoint

La Sal Mountains from the Fiery Furnace Viewpoint

Fiery Furnace Viewpoint

The La Sal Mountains

At the Courthouse Towers Viewpoint, we saw Three Gossips, Sheep Rock, Tower of Babel, the Organ, and other monoliths.

Courthouse Towers Viewpoint

In another direction, we could see the Courthouse Wash Canyon, the Colorado River Canyon, La Sal Mountains and the Moab Valley.

Courthouse Towers Viewpoint

We drove hurriedly down the switchbacks into the Moab Valley to the Visitor’s Center, where I got my cancellation stamp in the nick of time. Then we drove back up the switchbacks to The Park Avenue Trail.

The Park Avenue Trail is a moderate hike along a canyon floor, offering close-up views of massive fins, balanced rocks, and lofty monoliths. We descended 320 feet down into the canyon. It’s recommended that you walk one mile to Courthouse Towers and have a driver pick you up and return you to the trailhead, but we walked 2.11 miles round trip because we had no such chauffeur available.

Park Avenue Trail

On our Park Avenue walk, we were amazed by the looming fins, the balanced rocks, the cairns, the brittlebrush, yucca, yellow monkeyflower and Prince’s Plume, as well as the swirls of color on the rocks in the wash.

Park Avenue Trail

Park Avenue Trail

Brittlebrush along Park Avenue Trail

Yucca on the Park Avenue Trail

rock art on the Park Avenue Trail

Courthouse Towers

Park Avenue Trail

Three Gossips

the wash along Park Avenue Trail

Park Avenue Trail

Park Avenue Trail

Courthouse Towers

plants eke out a living along the Park Avenue Trail

Park Avenue Trail

Park Avenue Trail

Park Avenue Trail

Yellow monkeyflower and Prince’s Plume along the Park Avenue Trail

Today, between our hikes at Balanced Rock, Delicate Arch, Park Avenue, and various viewpoints, we walked 19,498 steps, or 8.26 miles. What a good way to get me in shape for the Camino! 🙂

*Tuesday, May 8, 2018*

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This post is in response to Jo’s Monday Walk: Elvaston Castle Country Park.

the delicate arch hike at arches national park

wanderessence1025 July 22, 2018

We entered Arches National Park just before noon, after having driven from Grand Junction and the scenic route along the Colorado River. After sitting in line at the park entrance for about 15 minutes, we climbed to the top of the mesa using switchbacks along a steep road. We didn’t spend any time at the Visitor’s Center because we were anxious to begin exploring, so I told Mike we’d have to come back down by 5:00 so I could get my cancellation stamp in my Passport book for the day. He agreed, but later wasn’t too pleased about it!

First, we came upon a group of monoliths including the Courthouse Towers Viewpoint, the Tower of Babel, Sheep Rock and the Three Gossips.

Courthouse Towers, with Tower of Babel behind

Three Gossips

Tower of Babel

Arches National Park

I love what is called the Petrified Dunes Viewpoint; the landscape of what looks like sand dunes is actually stone. In the distance we can see the snow-covered La Sal Mountains.

La Sal Mountains viewed from the Petrified Dunes Viewpoint

Petrified Dunes Viewpoint

La Sal Mountains viewed from the Petrified Dunes Viewpoint

At the 128-foot high Balanced Rock, the caprock of the hard Slick Rock Member of the Entrada Sandstone is perched upon a pedestal of mudstone. This softer Dewey Bridge Member of the Carmel Foundation weathers more quickly than the resistant rock above. Eventually, the faster-eroding Dewey Bridge will cause the collapse of Balanced Rock.

Balanced Rock

Cliffrose & Balanced Rock

Balanced Rock

Cliffrose

Near Balanced Rock

Balanced Rock

John Wesley Wolfe settled at the Wolfe Ranch in the late 1800s with his oldest son Fred. A nagging leg injury from the Civil War prompted John to move west from Ohio, looking for a drier climate. He chose this tract of more than 100 acres along Salt Wash for its water and grassland, enough for a few cattle.

Corral at Wolfe Ranch

The Wolfes built a one-room cabin, a corral, and a small dam across Salt Wash. For nearly a decade, they lived alone on the remote ranch.

Wolfe Ranch

In 1906, John’s daughter Flora Stanley, her husband and their children moved to the ranch. Shocked at the primitive conditions, Flora convinced her father to build a new cabin with a wood floor – the cabin that sits here today.

The reunited family weathered a few more years in Utah and in 1910 returned to Ohio. John Wolfe died on October 22, 1913, in Etna, Ohio, at the age of 84.

Wolfe Ranch

The strenuous Delicate Arch Trail begins at Wolfe Ranch, crosses a bridge near Salt Wash, and continues up a long stretch of open slickrock to Delicate Arch. The trail also winds through an area full of chert – a hard, shiny rock used by Native Americans for tools and weapons – and around a short ledge, hugging a steep cliff.

starting up the Delicate Arch Trail

slickrock on the Delicate Arch Trail

steps carved into the slickrock

looking back down on the parking lot

Mike on the Delicate Arch Trail

the Delicate Arch Trail looking down to the parking lot

Along the Delicate Arch Trail – the La Sal Mountains

gnarled juniper along the Delicate Arch trail

more gnarled juniper

After climbing what seems like an eternity up the slickrock, we now walk along a ledge with a steep drop-off. The ledge is to the right in the photo below.

The Delicate Arch Trail – the ledge we walked shown to the right

canyon below the ledge at Delicate Arch

Delicate Arch, an isolated remnant of a bygone fin, stands on the brink of a canyon, with the dramatic La Sal Mountains as a backdrop.

Delicate Arch

the carved out stone around Delicate Arch

Delicate Arch

the canyon below the ledge

me with my gnarled juniper

walking back down

close up of rock

salt flats

textured rock

The Delicate Arch Trail is considered a difficult trail, as it has no shade and some exposure to heights. Elevation change is 480 feet (146 meters). We followed rock cairns on the steep slickrock slope and the trail leveled out toward the top of the rock face. Just before you reach Delicate Arch, the trail traverses a rock ledge for about 200 yards (183 meters).

We actually walked 3.65 miles over 2 hours and we were quite exhausted after all of it. Some parts, especially along the ledge, were quite scary.

After the hike, we drove past several more viewpoints and then, before we could do our last hike at Park Avenue, I insisted that we drive back down to the Visitor’s Center to get my cancellation stamp for today!

my stamps in the National Parks passport

*Tuesday, May 8, 2018*

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This post is in response to Jo’s Monday Walk: A Tall Ships Treat.

poetic journeys: U T A H

wanderessence1025 June 1, 2018

Unquenchable land of blushed sandstone, fragrant with cliffrose,

Tossed with tumbleweed, desert globemallow and gnarled junipers,

Awash with arches, hoodoos and bridges — remnants of ancient seas. Ages ago,

Hapless dwellers sighed farewell songs to these sacred grounds.

desert globemallow in Utah

fragrant Cliffrose and Balanced Rock

Cliffrose

Delicate Arch at Arches National Park

Skyline Arch at Arches National Park

Park Avenue at Arches National Park

Landscape Arch

Partition Arch

sunset at Arches National Park

Dead Horse Point State Park

Utah juniper

Canyonlands – Grand View Overlook

Sipapu Bridge Overlook – Natural Bridges National Monument

Owachomo Bridge at Natural Bridges National Monument

Hovenweep National Monument

Valley of the Gods, on the way to Monument Valley, which is officially in Arizona:

Valley of the Gods

Valley of the Gods

Approach to Monument Valley

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“POETRY” Invitation: I invite you to write a poem of any poetic form on your own blog about a particular travel destination. Or you can write about travel in general. Concentrate on any intention you set for your poetry. In this case, I wrote an acrostic poem about Utah.

“The basic acrostic is a poem in which the first letters of the lines, read downwards, form a word, phrase, or sentence. Some acrostics have the vertical word at the end of the line, or in the middle. The double acrostic has two such vertical arrangements (either first and middle letters or first and last letters), while a triple acrostic has all three (first letters, middle, and last)” (from The Teachers & Writers Handbook of Poetic Forms).

Some examples of acrostics can be found in Seasonal Sonnets (Acrostic) by Mark A. Doherty.

You can either set your own poetic intentions, or use one of the prompts I’ve listed on this page: writing prompts: poetry. (This page is a work in process). You can also include photos, of course.

Include the link in the comments below by Thursday, July 5 at 1:00 p.m. EST. When I write my post in response to this challenge on Friday, July 6, I’ll include your links in that post.

This will be an ongoing invitation, on the first Friday of each month. Feel free to jump in at any time. 🙂

I hope you’ll join in our community. I look forward to reading your posts!

anticipation & preparation: the four corners area

wanderessence1025 April 27, 2018

Early this year, I felt compelled to plan a road trip circling the Four Corners area of the southwest USA. The trip will ultimately encompass four states: Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. Leaving home on May 1, I’ll drive three 8-hour days across country from Virginia, arriving in Denver May 3, where I’ll begin my perimeter trip. I’ll return home by May 25.

I started by looking through guidebooks, beginning with DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Southwest USA & National Parks. I read the chapter on the Four Corners, the only place in the U.S.A. where four states meet at a single point. The actual Four Corners is least interesting to me, but all the spots around the perimeter are enticing.

Guidebooks, maps and nature guides

I also dove into reading novels set in the four states. I read The Never Open Desert Diner by James Anderson, which takes place on the desolate Utah highways. I adored Jim Harrison’s books (The English Major, which is inspiring me to write my own fictional road trip novel, and The Woman Lit by Fireflies, a book of three novellas, only one of which, “Sunset Limited,” takes place in New Mexico). I also adored books by Kent Haruf, whose tales take place in the fictional town of Holt, Colorado. Years ago, I read Plainsong (Plainsong, #1); I recently finished Eventide (Plainsong, #2) and Benediction (#3). I just finished reading The Professor’s House by Willa Cather which creates a mystique around Native American cliff dwellings in mesas. I’m also currently reading Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver. The books I don’t finish by the time I leave, like Sycamore by Bryn Chancellor, I’ll take along with me.

My reading list for the Four Corners

The next step was to get a map and circle all the places I wanted to see. There are a lot of amazing parks, canyons and charming small towns in this area! I plotted out the roads I’d drive, measured the distances between places using Google maps, listed them on an Excel spreadsheet, and determined where I’d need to spend the nights. I systematically booked all my accommodations. The numbers on the map indicate the places I’ll stop for the night, sometimes for more than one night.

My itinerary is spelled out on an Excel spreadsheet. I hope I included enough time to take hikes in each stop.

May 1-3: Virginia > Richmond, Indiana (511 mi) > Kansas City, KN (558 mi) > Lakewood, CO (near Denver) (608 mi).

Mike flies to Denver and arrives May 4.

May 4-7: Lakewood, CO > Grand Junction, CO (Visit our son & hike around Denver, Colorado National Monument and Grand Mesa)
May 8-10: Grand Junction, CO > Moab, UT (Arches National Park, Dead Horse Point State Park, Canyonlands)
May 11: Moab, UT > Bluff, UT (Natural Bridges National Monument, Hovenweep National Monument, Monument Valley)
May 12: Bluff, UT > Tuba City, AZ (Monument Valley, Navajo National Monument)
May 13: Tuba City, AZ > Flagstaff, AZ (Coal Mine Canyon, Blue Canyon)

On May 14, Mike drives from Flagstaff to Phoenix to fly home, while I continue on.

May 14: Flagstaff, AZ > Holbrook, AZ (Petrified Forest National Park & The Painted Desert)
May 15: Holbrook, AZ > Gallup, NM: (Second Mesa – Hopi Indian Reservation, Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site, Window Rock)
May 16-17: Gallup, NM > Farmington, NM (Canyon de Chelly, Chaco Culture National Historic Park, Bisti Badlands)
May 18: Farmington, NM > Durango, CO (Aztec Ruins National Monument, Baker’s Ridge)
May 19: Durango, CO > San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway, CO > Telluride, CO (Durango, Silverton, Ouray)
May 20: Telluride, CO > Mesa Verde National Park (Canyon of the Ancients National Monument, Four Corners, Mesa Verde)
May 21: Mesa Verde National Park (tour in morning) > Pagosa Springs, CO
May 22: Pagosa Springs, CO > Pueblo, CO (Crestone & Great Sand Dunes National Park)
May 23-25: Pueblo, CO > Kansas City, KN > Richmond, IN > HOME!!

Of course, I had to prepare my journal, which was a lot of work since I’m going so many places.

my travel journal

my Four Corners travel journal

Four Corners journal

I bought a wide angle lens for my Canon EOS Rebel SL-1 so I can challenge myself with a new lens. I also hope to play around with my camera, taking some black & white photos (inspired by the famous Ansel Adams), and be more aware of point of view.

Fun stuff to carry along

Here are my INTENTIONS for this trip:

FOUR CORNERS Intentions

The entire reading list for each of the four states is on my page: books | u.s.a. | I didn’t get to them all, but hopefully I will finish some of them on the journey or by the end of this year. As for the acrostic and the abstract poems, I was inspired to try these poetic forms from The Teachers and Writers Handbook of Poetic Forms.

Of course, I also made a playlist, Four Corners Road Trip, as I’ll be spending long hours in the car. Here are some of my favorites:

“The Painted Desert” by 10,000 Maniacs
“Oceans Away” by A R I Z O N A, Sam Feldt
“There is No Arizona” by Jamie O’Neal
“Never Been to Spain” by Three Dog Night
“Tune Out” by The Format
“Desperado” by The Eagles
“O, Fair New Mexico” by Rick Pickren

On Wednesday, I bought my National Parks Senior Lifetime Pass, so I’m all set for our national parks!

This coming weekend, I’ll spend packing. Luckily, I’m driving, so I can throw anything and everything into the car. All my guidebooks and maps, my journal, a coat for cold desert nights, a rain jacket and umbrella, my camera and voice recorder, and hiking boots and clothes.

My biggest challenge for warmer weather is finding pants that fit. No matter that I’ve been walking more than ever to train for the Camino: my belly and behind keep expanding! My pants seem to get bigger with each year. I hate myself in shorts but it will be hot, so I’ll wear them anyway. Someone someday needs to invent the perfect summer pants for women of a certain age! The past several weeks I’ve spent way too much time on this task, searching for the perfect pants, with purchases and returns, going to and fro. Argh!

I apologize in advance that I will miss your blog posts while I’m away, unless you link to one of my invitations, which I’ve scheduled for the appointed dates. Otherwise, I’ll have to catch up when I return! 🙂

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“ANTICIPATION & PREPARATION” INVITATION: I invite you to write a 750-word (or less) post on your own blog about anticipation & preparation for a recently visited or a future particular destination (not journeys in general). If you don’t have a blog, I invite you to write in the comments. Include the link in the comments below by Thursday, May 24 at 1:00 p.m. EST. When I write my post in response to this challenge on Friday, May 25, I’ll include your links in that post.

My next post will be about preparations I made for my month-long trip to Spain and Portugal in 2013.

This will be an ongoing invitation, on the fourth Friday of each month. Feel free to jump in at any time. 🙂 If you’d like to read more about the topic, see: journeys: anticipation & preparation.

I hope you’ll join in our community. I look forward to reading your posts!

the ~ wander.essence ~ community

I invite you all to settle in and read posts from our wandering community. I promise, you’ll be inspired!

Pit, of Pit’s Fritztown News, writes how he and his wife prepared for what he calls a #railtrailsroadtrip – to hit the road for “normal” sightseeing and to add a few more states to their list of states in which they have bicycled at least 10 miles. He and his wife get the car prepared, collect printed maps and pick the scenic routes for their travels.
- RailsTrailsRoadTrip – Day Zero
Shia, of Tales from the Romulan Neutral Zone, tells a clever tall tale about getting herself and her military brats ready for a trip to a fancy hotel with horses and a spa in the Austrian countryside.
- A Call to Suitcases – An Austrian Adventure
Meg, of Warsaw 2018, writes of preparations for her surprise visit to Warsaw to visit her family and to make sure her grandchildren keep their English-speaking ability. She is a master of interweaving lists and using mind maps and Gantt charts to plan her journey.
- Warsaw … a seventh visit

Thanks to all of you who wrote posts about anticipation and preparation. 🙂

the call to place: the four corners area

wanderessence1025 April 26, 2018

When I was 10 years old, our family loaded into a Ford Fairlane station wagon and drove across country to southern Colorado for a reunion with my mother’s family. My mom had grown up in the small town of Pagosa Springs. I remember vividly horseback rides in the shadows of the jagged Rocky Mountains with cottonwood trees rustling in the breeze, my Uncle Gibby fishing in the San Juan River and grilling fresh trout over a hot fire. During those chilly Colorado mornings, he scrambled up dozens of eggs laced with chili powder in a cast-iron skillet. I can still taste those eggs and feel that early morning chill in the forest of aspens and box elders. I can, to this day, summon up the bliss I felt in that place.

My mom and her two sisters, LaVonne and Barbie, in the southwest USA January 1953

In 1968, at ages 12-13, while the outside world was tearing itself apart over the Vietnam War, student protests and assassinations, I entertained myself by immersing myself in dreams of horses. My best friend was as crazy about horses as I was. She and I galloped, lopsided, circling her backyard, leaping over sawhorse jumps, hitting our behinds with sticks. She clucked and I clucked. Hours and hours and hours.

A classmate’s grandfather, who lived at the end of Wormley Creek Drive, had a stable, a dirt corral with jumps set up, a horse, and a scruffy pony named Maybe, who we were allowed to ride. We all joked: “Maybe he’ll buck you and maybe he won’t.” That pony and I flew over jumps like clumsy leaping grasshoppers, and sometimes, just as Maybe’s hooves hit the ground, when I was as off-balance as possible, he went into a fit of bucking. Many times I hit the ground hard. A couple of times, I hung on to his underbelly, screaming, as he bucked in circles around the yard.

When my friend wasn’t around, or when I had long hours to kill, I would read books about horses: National Velvet; Smoky: The Story of a Horse; Fury and the Mustangs; Misty of Chincoteague; Black Beauty. On gauzy afternoons, the light low in the sky through fall and winter, I stretched stomach-down out on my purple crocheted afghan, lost in writing: stories of ranches out west, palominos and appaloosas, improbable tales of girls loving horses. Pages and pages of words on lined paper.

In 1971, when I was in ninth grade, my fascination with American Indians, now properly called Native Americans, engulfed me as I hand wrote a 60-page research paper titled: “The Social Status of the American Indian Today,” using 25 sources. Here are a few glimpses of the paper, which I still have. Much of my visit out west will be exploring Native American monuments and reservations.

My 9th grade term paper

I constantly dreamed of venturing out west. I returned to the Colorado Rockies on a road trip with my first husband, but we never made it back to Pagosa Springs. After leaving Grand Junction, we headed north and drove a big circle around the rest of the country – – Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California and Arizona — omitting Utah altogether from our journey.

Colorado National Monument 10/6/79

Watching movies over the years has also planted wanderlust for the southwest in my mind; Thelma and Louise (1991), Little Miss Sunshine (2006), and 127 Hours (2010), which takes place in Canyonlands National Park.

Living in Oman for two years gave me an abiding appreciation of the desert, until then a foreign terrain to me. In Oman, I explored desert canyons, treeless rocky mountains, village ruins and a desert camp with the Bedouin at Sharqiya Sands.

Sharqiya Sands, Oman

Jebel Akhdar, Oman

Jebel Shams, Oman

Beehive tombs, Oman

Wadi Bani Awf, Oman

Sharqiya Sands, oman

Rocks of Izki, Oman

During my time in Oman, I peeled off to Jordan and walked in delight through the canyons of Petra and the desert of Wadi Rum.

Petra, Jordan

Wadi Rum, Jordan

In the years since, from red-rock pictures on Instagram to atmospheric black-and-white photographs by Ansel Adams, the national parks and monuments of Utah, Arizona and New Mexico have beckoned. The desert seems mesmerizing, with its photogenic red canyons, sandstone textures and whimsical shapes, silhouetted cacti, highways stretching toward distant horizons, and cowboys astride horses.

My oldest son moved to Denver at the first of this year. He got a job assembling products for Home Depot but didn’t much care for it, so he began to search for a butchery apprenticeship. He had mentioned this desire before leaving home in December; I found this quite surprising as he used to be vegan! It so happened, he quickly found such an apprenticeship with a small family-owned butchery in downtown Denver. Visiting him in his new home is another call to Colorado.

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“THE CALL TO PLACE” INVITATION: I invite you to write a 700-900 word (or less) post on your own blog about what enticed you to choose a recently visited or a future particular destination. If you don’t have a blog, I invite you to write in the comments. If your destination is a place you love and keep returning to, feel free to write about that. If you want to see the original post about the subject, you can check it out here: imaginings: the call to place.

Please include the link in the comments below by Wednesday, May 23 at 1:00 p.m. EST. When I write my post in response to this challenge on Thursday, May 24, I’ll include your links in that post. If you’d like, you can use the hashtag #wanderessence.

My next post will be about my call to Turkey in 2011.

This will be an ongoing invitation, monthly (on the fourth Thursday of each month). Feel free to jump in at any time. 🙂

I hope you’ll join in our community. I look forward to reading your posts!

the ~ wander.essence ~ community

I invite you all to settle in and read a few posts from our wandering community. I promise, you’ll be inspired!

Jude, of Travel Words, writes about her deep and ceaseless yearning to emigrate to the Land Down Under, and the convoluted path her life has taken in the process.
- The Call to a Place
Pit, of Pit’s Fritztown News, writes about why he and his wife were called to Greenville, South Carolina to see the solar eclipse and participate in a bike ride, but ended up diverting to Casper, Wyoming because of a cloudy forecast for Greenville.
- SolarEclipseRoadTrip – [Planning – Part I]

Thanks to all of you who wrote posts about “the call to place.” 🙂

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