Winter Views from the Train: Provo, Utah to the Rocky Mountains, Colorado

 Keeping with our travel theme, in this post I'll share some recent photos from a train trip we took. We departed Provo, Utah very early in the morning and arrived in Chicago, Illinois about 32 hours later. This post will cover just the first day.

The train was scheduled to arrive in Provo at 4:30 am, so we set our hotel alarm for 3:30 am. Upon waking, the first thing I did was to check Amtrak's website, which said the train was running 45 minutes late, so we went back to sleep. When we reawakened, the train was reported as on time, so we got ready and headed out on the slippery streets to the small one-room station. A number of other people were also waiting. The station had some heat lights, but as we kept waiting and waiting, we decided to take refuge in the van to stay warm. Apparently there was another delay, and eventually one of the folks waiting with us called and found out it was another 45 minute delay.

 The snow was falling heavily by the time the train arrived, and we sure were glad to get on! About 15 people boarded the train.

The conductor said the train was full, but had saved us four seats all near each other. We put our suitcases in the luggage bins, and went to our seats, where we dozed off till it got light. Then we headed to the observation car to eat the breakfast we had brought and where we could be a bit louder.

 The observation car is on top of the cafe, where you can buy a variety of drinks and food. The observation car has lots of windows, so it's a great way to see the terrain. The assistant conductor hung out there, sharing his vast knowledge of the countryside we were passing.

 And my, it sure was beautiful! The early morning sun lit up the Utah desert. At one point, far off in the distance, we could even see an arch from Arches National Park!

 The kids didn't seem particularly interested in viewing the surroundings, but they were eager to work on their activities. We had packed a number of them for the trip.

 "You are here"--I just loved it.

 The frozen Green River.

 As we entered this canyon past Green River, the conductor told us to look for the steps American Indians had carved into the sandstone cliff. The snow highlighted them nicely, and we all wondered how they had traversed such a steep place.

The Colorado River was amazing. I had done this section of train trip in June, with a swollen river roiling over its banks. I figured the river in winter would be serene. I certainly didn't expect the jumble of ice on the river, piling up in places, cracked, buckled, and floating in pieces only to jam up again. The ice was mesmerizing, and I spent hours watching it.

 When we reached Grand Junction we got off the train to stretch our legs. I think I appreciated it more than the kids! We checked out the station and the gift store and almost missed the train! Yikes, with just one California Zephyr running a day, it would have been a long wait for the next train!

 Just past Glenwood Springs we entered Glenwood Canyon, a steep section of canyon with the Interstate engineered to cross the Colorado River repeatedly, go through tunnels, and even be double decker for a short while. It's some of the most expensive Interstate Highway in the country.

 At Dotsero, the tracks left the Interstate and headed north, following the Colorado River. In places the river looked more serene, without so much ice buildup.

 Desert Girl chilling out.

 Since it was Christmas break, there were lots of kids on the train, and Desert Boy quickly made friends.

 I kept watching the ice on the river, which was forming huge blocks, breaking apart, floating downstream, and getting mixed up.

 It was a fairly cloudy day so we couldn't see any distant peaks, but just seeing the canyon made the trip amazingly beautiful. The scenery surpassed my expectations.

Later we retired to our seats for a nap. Then the kids watched a movie while my husband and I read, waiting for our dinner reservation. Finally it was time to eat, and then to sleep, dreaming while we were gently rocked to and fro, speeding along in the darkness.

...to be continued...

Views from the Air: Las Vegas to the Midwest

We're back from an extended trip and I downloaded my cameras, only to notice that I still had photos from November on one of them. In mid-November I was lucky to spend a long weekend with my best friends from high school. In order to get to the Midwest, I flew out of Las Vegas and took some photos along the way. The Las Vegas Strip stands out prominently from the air, surrounded by large blocks of development.

 What surprised me were the large undeveloped blocks not too far from the city center. The golf course certainly stands out as an anomaly in one of the driest cities in the country.

 Just west of Las Vegas is some amazing geology. I'm not sure what the names of these ridges are, but they certainly look rugged.

 Part of Lake Mead National Recreational Area. This reservoir is huge! The contrast between the parched earth and aquamarine-colored water is striking.

Next came a variety of desert vistas. Soon, though, the landscape transformed from brown hues to white ones, due to a change in topography and elevation, which encouraged snowfall:

 Crossing the Rocky Mountains. Clouds hung to some of the peaks, and the mountains seemed to continue forever.

Nevertheless, the mountains did come to an end, a rather abrupt end. Then it was time for:

 Farming! The round circles indicated pivot irrigation, which means that this farming is in an area where the rainfall isn't abundant enough or predictable enough to provide sufficient amounts for crops.

 The rivers grew larger,  a marked difference from the desert environment to which I've become accustomed.

Finally it was time for more farming, but in much smaller parcels. The fields are in rectangles, so probably no additional water is needed for the crops.

It was so interesting watching the scenery out the window that I didn't need many other distractions during the nearly-four hour flight. Crossing much of the country on a clear day in a window seat is a great treat.

Do you have favorite sights that you like to see from the air?

2014 New Year's Resolutions

2014 New Year's Resolutions

Last year I made New Year's resolutions and publicly posted them on my blog. I tried to make them reasonable resolutions, but even so, I was a bit surprised that I really was following them when I checked in on them a couple times during the year and again now.

Last year I made five big goals for the year, and I really liked how that worked. In fact, I liked that so well that I will be using that strategy again, with some minor tweaks.

Here's a brief rundown:
1. Play more music. I wanted to play an hour a week, and although I might have fallen a little short, I have improved a bit on piano. I did play a trumpet solo and also with the local orchestra, and it felt so good to play! I also started Desert Boy on piano, with five-minute lessons each day. He's progressed really well, and I hope to continue that into 2014, along with spending about 10 minutes a day on my practice.

2. Exercise regularly. Check. It's definitely harder in the winter, so I did a variety of exercise videos when I couldn't make it outside. This fall I gave P90X a try, and while I liked the workouts, I had a hard time fitting them into my day. Fortunately P90X3 has just come out, with 30 minute workouts, and I'm looking forward to them. In addition, for 2014 I'm not just exercising to feel better and be healthier, my husband and I have also set a goal: climb Mount Rainier in September. To reach the top of this 14,440 foot peak, we're going to have to do a lot of training. I'm looking forward to being in the best shape of my life come September!

3. Organize my house. We made good progress in 2013 on getting more organized. Getting more stuff out of the house made the biggest difference. We still have a ways to go to be where I'd like to be, so we'll keep working on it one corner at a time. If the house is organized, it takes less time to clean, which means we have more time for fun! It also makes me feel better and less stressed, and I'm more apt to have visitors come to the house, which also improves how I feel. (We'd love to have more visitors in 2014!)

4. Eat healthier. We've made good strides in eating healthier. I felt really good this year, and I think a large part of it was having a more natural diet. We have cut out a lot of processed food from our diet. One of our easiest changes was to freeze 100% fruit juice in special containers. When the kids want a special treat, they ask for the frozen juice instead of a popsicle or other packaged food that contains too much sugar and/or artificial flavors or colors. We're going to continue on our journey of eating healthier in 2014.

5. Give more. In 2013 we enjoyed the program We Give Books throughout the year, where we got to read books for free and the organization that sponsors the website gives books away. We also gave of our time in various ways. In 2014, we'll continue many of those efforts, but the one I particularly want to focus on is to give more time to my husband. Specifically, I want to figure out a way we can have one date night a month. That might not sound like much to some, but for us it would be huge.

Of course I still have plenty of other things I want to do: read the Bible in one year (I started last year but didn't make it through, maybe this year will be better!), write more, self-publish a children's book about the Great Basin, spend more quality time with friends,  learn a lot more about structural fire fighting and emergency medicine, improve my birding skills, find more ways to enjoy the outdoors with my kids, learn how to raise chickens, take some trips, and keep learning. To name a few. I'm sure I'll find more things to do throughout the year. As I get to know myself better, I find that I feel most alive if I'm learning something new, having an adventure, and sharing my knowledge.

I don't want to have such a long list of resolutions that it becomes burdensome, though, so I'll stick to my list of five and everything else that I get done will be a welcome bonus! I'd love to hear some of your resolutions, if you're willing to share, either in the comments or on the Desert Survivor Facebook page.

Thanks for being part of the Desert Survivor family. We wish you and yours a wonderful 2014!

Games

Desert Boy with his stick-his-tongue-out-of-his-mouth pose that he's been using for nearly every photo these holidays (sigh)

We hope you have had a good time celebrating the holidays! We've been very busy, despite the long nights and short days (which are thankfully getting longer now that we're past winter solstice).

We've been celebrating the holidays with lots of games: cards, battleship, and Scrabble. It's good to see how much these simple games make for good entertainment--and good companionship! As Desert Boy wants to play on electronic devices and computers more and more, I find that I want him to also learn to play the old-fashioned games. We're still figuring out our balance.I remember playing battleship at my grandmother's house, as we didn't have it at home so it was a special treat. Now Desert Boy has the same opportunity, and I think he enjoys it as much as I did.

What games do you like to play the best?

A Visit with Santa

 Desert Boy had a chance to visit with Santa the other night. He wasn't at all shy about visiting him.

 He whispered the one item he really wants into Santa's ear. Of course Mom heard. And it's something he's been asking to receive for awhile. (Unfortunately for him, Mom doesn't think he's quite ready for it, so she's also whispering into Santa's ear. Shh, don't tell!)

Desert Boy is definitely a Santa doubter, but he'll go along with it for fun. And there's still a glimmer of uncertainty--maybe, just maybe, Santa does exist, and in case he does, he wants to make the most of it!