Just Peachy in Utah
Summer Recap Part 3: Colorado and Utah.
Finally continuing the Summer Recap series, I present you with part 3. This immediately followed my extended birthday weekend (a.k.a. part 2).
Denver
I flew into Denver Wednesday night to see Dr. Dog play at Red Rocks. I saw at least 5 people at the airport and on my flight wearing Dr. Dog shirts who were going to the concert! It’s not like they’re a huge band or anything. But, the feeling of camaraderie was really sweet. I felt extra cool that I was wearing their Philadelphia-specific t-shirt from the Saturday before.
During lunch, Thursday, Izzy and picked up the rental car that we’d be using to drive to Red Rocks and Utah. What was supposed to be a very normal sedan was instead the largest pickup truck I had ever seen. It was the only car they had for some cursed reason. This would come back to haunt me.
That evening Izzy and I drove out to the amphitheater to see Dr. Dog (and The Fruit Bats opening!). It was a bucket list item for me to see a band play there and it was all the more special that it was my all-time favorite group! The show was spectacular of course. It was general admission amphitheater-style seating. We found pretty good spots about 1/5 of the way up!
I got to “you need to leave!” (it’s a meme if you’re not familiar) these two drunk girls towards the end of the show who strangely decided to stand in front of the women in the row before us. Each row is built for one person. Why would you stand in front of someone else like that? And towards the end of the show no less! Neither of the two large men the women were with was speaking up for them (ugh!) so eventually after a few songs, I’d had enough and said, “Excuse me, what are you doing?”
“Um, we’re just standing here?”
“Yeah well, there’s not enough space for you, you’re blocking other people.”
“Whatever.”
Then it started to get a bit more heated.
“No, no one wants you here, look around, everyone is pissed at you, you need to leave”
It’s not often I yell at anyone, let alone some idiot early 20-somethings. I’ll admit, it was a bit exciting. Eventually, there was enough of a critical mass of people scolding them that they did leave. But if only one of these big dudes around us had said something they probably would’ve been intimated and left right away! I am so over people behaving badly at concerts, especially Dr. Dog. That was simply not going to fly.
Incredible show though.
For once, I took the day off work Friday. We woke up early and got a start on the road trip through the Rockies to Utah. This was a main agenda item for me. Seeing the peaks and landscapes was exactly as I had hoped. We both selected an album to play in the car for each other. I fell asleep during my selection (I think it was Gameshow by Two Door Cinema Club- I love this album, cars just make me sleepy).
During such a repressively hot summer in Philadelphia, it was refreshing to feel the cool 40-degree air of the Rockies. Sticking my arm as far as I could out the window, I could feel my cells coming back to life.
Near the border, we stopped in Golden Colorado, known for its peaches. We collected peach-flavored accouterments such as wine, honey, actual peaches, and lunch. We made it to the hotel by 3 P.M. and had enough time in the day to drive through Arches National Park and get a first glance. Since we only had until Sunday, every moment counted!
Utah
Even the initial pass-through at Arches was spectacular. Since we were arriving after 6 P.M. Friday there was no wait to enter. Having been lucky enough that summer to visit a number of National Parks I’ve been thinking about how many of them have a similar design. One long, skinny road in. It’s quite convenient for doing a first viewing by car or bus. We drove to the end of the Arches road collecting plenty of pictures and a sunset.
We checked into our hotel and prepared to head out for dinner in Moab- the town nearest the parks. Up until this point, Izzy had done all the driving in the jumbo truck. I was happy to give her a break. Pulling onto the main road I was driving for about 5 minutes, trying to get a feel for the ship I was piloting when a police car pulled onto the road behind us with lights flashing. I started to move out of the way and it became clear they were pulling me over.
“What the hell?” I looked to Izzy.
Suppressing my hatred for law enforcement I tried to put on my sweetest smile.
“Well, I do appreciate that you pulled over as soon as you saw me.” The officer said.
“I really just started driving this car, I had no idea how fast it was going, I was trying to slow down right away,” I was begging not to get a ticket.
She made some stupid comment about my name, “That’s an interesting one!” or something like that. I thought maybe she’d let me slide.
“You know I’ve never been pulled over!” Please, I’m such a law-abiding driver, please don’t ticket me pi- officer.
She returned from her car with ticket in hand. “I lowered the speed you were going by a few miles, this could’ve been a lot worse you know.”
“Okay, thanks.”
A lot worse? It was $150! Are you fucking kidding me?! I didn’t ask for this truck! I debased myself by trying to chum it up with a cop and that’s what I get? I pulled into a parking lot and let Izzy drive us to dinner as I quietly spiraled.
Through dinner, and our peach wine back at the hotel, the vibes were slowly repaired.
Saturday morning we woke up early to get a few hikes in before the heat fully arrived. As we were leaving the hotel Izzy pulled me aside.
“Can I talk to you about something?” Izzy asked. “When we get in the car, can you ask before you put on music? It really bothers me, especially this early in the morning.”
“Oh! Of course,” I responded, “No problem. I’m sorry I upset you.”
Izzy and I have been friends for nearly 15 years and matured in ways that allow us to do awesome things together and communicate. We have grown together and always supported each other. This was a small interaction but I appreciated how she was able to bring up something that bothered her, we resolved it, and then were able to move on. It didn’t have to be a whole thing. She knew I was being oblivious and I knew that changing that action would be simple and mean a lot to her. I was happy to accommodate, even if I can’t understand why she wouldn’t want to listen to Owl City at 7 A.M.
Since it was the middle of July and we arrived at the park when it opened, there was no wait and the crowds were minimal. Drink lots of water, cover yourself in sunscreen and synthetic fibers and you can survive!
Some of the trails go through these mini crevasses. Over time, the wind running through them has broken down the walls into very fine and soft sand. We took our shoes off and walked around barefoot when we could. Everything in the crevasse was quiet and still. It was so peaceful between the walls. In a way, it reminded me of the silence and stillness of being inside an igloo, but in the desert.
We left the park for lunch and visited Canyonlands National Park about 30 minutes away. There was NO ONE there and it was one of the most spectacular places I’ve ever seen. We didn’t do any real hikes here. We followed the park road and jumped out of the car to walk around at different viewpoints. Izzy faced their fears and successfully stood near a ledge for pictures.
In the late afternoon, we secured special permits to enter the Firey Furnace area of Arches. You have to watch some videos and speak to a ranger before entering. There’s a very special ecosystem called “crust” that we were deeply concerned about disturbing. The furnace was exceedingly cool but frustratingly hard to navigate. Everything looked the same and it became impossible to retrace our steps. The “trail markers” were sparse or hidden. We needed to leave by sunset and had a hard time finding our way out. I wouldn’t return without a ranger-guided tour. The stress we felt trying to escape before it got dark definitely put a damper on the experience.
On our way back to Denver, we took a different route through the Rockies that largely followed the Colorado River. At one point we saw a bear crossing the water. Studying sustainability issues the river felt a bit like a celebrity to me. I was happy to get to see it before it was too late. Realistically, the Colorado River will probably not exist by the end of our lives.
Towards the end of the drive, we stopped at a hot spring spa for a break. They had themed hot tubs with varying levels of warmth and mineral contents. I’d been to the thermal baths in Budapest, which was fun, but a bit like a fancy public pool with great architecture. This experience was more about jumping around to different tubs with a smoothie and a good view.
Izzy and I successfully navigated a minor infraction with the music and she allowed me to have big feelings about getting a speeding ticket. Overall, this trip was a celebration of the maturity, love, and understanding of our friendship over a lifetime. I think it’s so special that I get to keep making amazing memories with her. She’s someone who allows me to not only be myself but make mistakes and learn from them (I did not make a single mistake on this trip- I mean in general). Izzy is always one of my strongest supporters and a beautiful and constant reminder of what it means to be loved.