2025 Nevada and Utah National Parks

For this trip, our goal was to see the remaining national parks we had not yet visited. There were four of them, all in Nevada and Utah. We planned to fly into Las Vegas, rent a car, and drive to the parks, staying in nearby hotels. The government shutdown could have had other plans for us, however. Would the parks be open? With the air traffic control problems, would we even be able to get there?

The plan

It turned out that the parks were open, although some areas and visitor centers were closed. And we did manage to arrive in Vegas as planned.

Great Basin National Park

Lady Adventurer: "How is Great Basin National Park going to be different from the rest of the Great Basin that we've been driving through for four hours?"

Dan: "It will be the same, but there will be more of it."

Such is the conversation as we travel North from Las Vegas to Great Basin National Park. The Great Basin is a large, arid region in western North America, characterized by being the continent's largest landmass with no outlet to the ocean. It spans nearly all of Nevada, much of Utah, and parts of California, Idaho, Oregon, and Wyoming. It is defined by a Basin and Range topography, with alternating mountain ranges and flat valleys. The climate is dry and desert-like. Great Basin National Park hosts a sample of the incredible diversity of the larger Great Basin region.

Great Basin, near the closed visitor center

The two visitor centers were closed; we ventured into a mostly-empty park that we had nearly all to ourselves. The famous Lehman Caves were closed. The scenic drive up to Wheeler Peak lived up to its name, but it was closed for the season near the top. At an elevation above 9,000 feet, we were able to walk among Bristlecone Pines, some of the planet's oldest living organisms. We took a short nature hike to enjoy the outstanding scenery, and called it a day. And a visit.

Next to a Bristlecone Pine

Nice mountain views

We stayed in the Gateway village of Baker, NV, which was nearly as empty as the park itself.

In the desert near Baker

Capitol Reef National Park

It was another four-hour drive to Torrey, UT, and Capitol Reef National Park. Nothing prepared us for the beauty and grandeur of the place. It's absolutely stunning. Capitol Reef's name comes from its unique geological features: the "Capitol" refers to the white sandstone domes that resemble the dome of the U.S. Capitol building. At the same time, "Reef" describes the rugged, barrier-like cliffs of the Waterpocket Fold. The "Waterpocket Fold" is a 100-mile-long warp in the Earth's crust, and the name was given by early settlers and prospectors who saw the similarities to the Capitol building and a coral reef. It didn't fool me at all. The long, skinny park runs North/South and is bisected by Utah State Route 24 near Torrey. Just that short section is fantastic. But we ventured in further at the (open!) visitor center.

Based on the Park Ranger's recommendation, we drove to the end of the 10+ mile paved portion of Scenic Drive, then continued on another 2.5 miles to the very end on the dirt portion. From there, we began our hike on the Capitol Gorge Trail. There are sheer cliffs all along the way, sometimes close-in enough to consider it a slot canyon. To say it was "gorgeous" is an understatement. This out-and-back hike ranks among our most scenic ever.

Capitol Gorge Trail Hike

We also made stops at several other points throughout the park, but we didn't get to see good portions of it. Count Capitol Reef among the parks we'd love to return to.

Great scenery throughout the park

Fruita Section

Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands National Park is big. The park preserves a colorful landscape eroded (like the Grand Canyon) into numerous canyons, mesas, and buttes by the Colorado River, the Green River, and their respective tributaries. We spent our day in the popular Island in the Sky District.

We drove the park road as far as it went, then hiked a couple of miles from there. Sound familiar? This time, it was called the Grand View Trail, and grand it was. There were incredible vistas on both sides of the ridge we went out on. Beyond all expectations, we, along with around ten other hikers, managed to get lost on the way back. The route was more difficult than expected, but we managed to get back without further incident. The views all along the way were great. We also walked around Mesa Arch, and this shorter hike was a tough one as well. Sound familiar?

Grand View Trail Hike

Grand View Trail Hike

Mesa Arch

Looking through Mesa Arch

After our adventures, we stayed in Moab, Utah, for the first of five nights.

Arches National Park

National Park number 63 of 63 was a doosie. Arches National Park has over 2,000 natural stone arches, hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive rock fins, and giant balanced rocks. It's among the most appropriately named parks from the Institute of Appropriate Park Naming. Arches is one of the most congested parks, so we got an early start.

Early morning hike to one of the arches

The early morning light was perfect on the red rocks and arches. Gobs oohs and ahhs were forthcoming. We drove all the major park roads and stopped at many pull-out viewpoints. In the Windows Section, we hiked the Windows trail (where we spotted several large arches) and then over to Double Arch. Further on, we spotted the famous Delicate Arch from a distance. It is the well-known symbol of the State of Utah. In the Devil's Garden, we hiked to see Landscape Arch, the longest such span on the planet. It was quite a day.

North Window Arch

Double Arch (also appropriately named)

Delicate Arch

Landscape Arch

And, it was quite a trip. We accomplished our primary goal, and now it was time for some relaxation and fun in Moab.

Goblin Valley State Park

Grappling with Goblins? Hiking among Hoodoos? That was us. The landscape, covered with sandstone goblins and formations, is often compared to Mars. There were no marked trails. You meander around the goblins, which are all over the place. It's easy to get lost, but you're never too far away from the parking lot. It's impossible to walk in a straight line; if the goblins don't get in your way, the dry riverbeds do. Goblin Valley State Park is most like Bryce Canyon, and it's a really nifty place.

Goblins Galore

Dead Horse Point State Park

Located adjacent to Canyonlands National Park, Dead Horse Point features some fantabulous views of the Colorado River Canyon. An immense desert landscape of canyons, high desert woodland, and miles of trails, the park did not disappoint.

Dead Horse Point

We hiked some trails near the visitor center, where the views of the canyon were spectacular. Then, we drove to Dead Horse Point (as far as you can go by car), where the views were even more amazing. Here, you can see the Colorado River winding and making a big U-turn. Our hike at this location involved taking the West Rim Trail back towards the visitor center, then crossing the road at the "Neck", before heading back to Dead Horse Point on the East Rim Trail.

East Rim Trail (that's Lady A. up there)

Las Vegas

All that other stuff done, we drove back to Las Vegas for one more night before heading home. We stayed at the Fontainebleau. It's over the top in every conceivable way, as well as a few inconceivable ones. It was an experience, but neither of us feel the need to spend any more time in Vegas.

A Few More Thoughts

Moab is a cool place. It's both artsy and outdoorsy. And there are so many parks and activities. I would come back, but not in the high season, when it becomes bustling and crowded.

We had perfect weather, with cool nights and daytime highs in the 60s. Some places were hazy, especially Dead Horse Point. We learned that, sadly, industrial air pollution was to blame. Dead Horse Point had another problem as well: the landscape is scarred by an industrial potash operation smack-dab in the middle of the canyon below.

Our biggest surprise was Capitol Reef National Park. In a (very) good way.

Our biggest letdown was... None of the above. We thoroughly enjoyed all of the parks and areas in between. We did have a problem with the car rental - they forced us to accept and pay for insurance that we didn't need or want. Oh, and as I write this, we are very concerned about getting home, considering the government shutdown.

It would have been nice to visit Bears Ears National Monument and Monument Valley. Maybe next time.

Best of all, we made it to all of our national parks! You will hear more from me about this. I promise!

2025 Armenia and Georgia

It'll be a fun adventure, we thought. We will explore some new places, we thought. Of course, the caveats are that it's a long way and hard to get to, and it's hot. Very hot.

Here's the plan

Yerevan, Armenia

Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia, as well as one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities in this landlocked country. As we flew in, I mentioned to the Lady Adventurer, "We'll always have Yerevan." "I left my heart in Yerevan." Not to mention, "My kind of town, Yerevan is," and other favs. Our Gate One tour called for us to spend four days in Yerevan, and that was just enough. It's quite walkable and scenic. The people are friendly, and the food and wine are excellent. We met Anna, our tour director, and our twenty fellow travelers. 

Republic Square, Yerevan

Close to town, we visited the Matenadaran Museum, featuring ancient manuscripts, the Cascade —a series of limestone steps up a long hillside, the iconic Mother Armenia statue in Victory Park, and the Obelisk of Yerevan. All pretty cool in hot (96F) Armenia.

Cascade Staircase, Yerevan

Mother of Armenia, Yerevan

One solemn occasion was our visit to the Armenian Genocide Museum. Armenians were nearly wiped out by the Turks in the early 20th Century. This led to the formation of the great Armenian Diaspora. Now, many more ethnic Armenians live in other countries, including the U.S. and Russia, than in Armenia itself. Some of Armenia’s problems persist into the present day, as simmering border conflicts continue with Azerbaijan. 

Also in and around Yerevan, we visited a carpet factory, indulged in some brandy tasting, and viewed the ruins of the ancient Zvartnots Cathedral.

A little farther afield from Yerevan, we visited the Geghard Monastery, which is cut out of a mountain and is in a stunning location (where we listened to beautiful choir singing), and the serene First Century Garni Temple, where we listened to a dudec flutist.

Geghard Monastery

Geghard Monastery Choir

 

Geghard Monastery

Garni Temple

Lunch in Garno

Yerevan Dinner and show

Tour Guide Anna at Yerevan Market

Art at Yerevan Restaurant

Art at Yerevan Restaurant

Zvartnots Cathedral Ruins

Goris, Armenia

Goris is in the Southern part of Armenia, and we spent one night there. On the way, we stopped at Khor Virap Monastery, situated in the stunning shadow of Mount Ararat, which lies across the border in Turkey. I thought I spotted Noah's Ark up there, but I wasn't sure. We also visited Noravank Monastery, a masterpiece for both its architecture and picturesque setting. One other enjoyable break was a visit to a cheese factory.

Mount Ararat and Khor Virap Monastery

Mount Ararat from Khor Virap Monastery

Noravank Monastery

Noravank Monastery

Lunch after Noravank Monastery

Goris lies at a higher elevation, so I am happy to report that it was a little cooler for us. Nearby was the 9th-century Tatev Monastery, where Sunday services were in progress. The Orthodox Priests sure make it fun! To get there, we rode the 'Wings of Tatev', a cable car over a river gorge. It was an amazing 7-mile round trip.

Wings of Tatev

Tatev Monastery

Tatev Monastery

Dilijan, Armenia

On the way from Goris, we saw some sights. First, we savored a home-hosted lunch featuring regional dishes with a family that owns a ceramics atelier. We watched a demonstration about how they create handcrafted pottery using traditional techniques passed down through generations. Afterward, we traveled along the Selim Pass to visit Caravanserai, a station on the Silk Road, and medieval Noratus cemetery. There was a long drive along surprisingly vast Lake Sevan.

Noratus cemetery

Dilijan Sunset

Dilijan is a quaint mountain resort village in the Northern part of Armenia. We visited local artisans and saw wood carving and ceramic pottery.

Dilijan

As we motored our way further North toward Georgia, we traveled through a beautiful national park. The scenery had been outstanding throughout Armenia, but this part of the Little Caucasus Mountains was the best of all.

Our final sightseeing in Armenia was the medieval Haghpat Monastery complex, a major center of learning in the Middle Ages. As expected, it was up in the mountains and incredibly scenic.

Haghpat Monastery

Sadly, it was time to say goodbye to Anna and to this appealing little country.

Tbilisi, Georgia (First Time)

The lights went out, it was a rainy night, and Georgia was on my mind, when the Devil went down there. Like Armenia, the Republic of Georgia is a small country and a former Soviet Republic. And like Armenia, Georgia is at peace, but it is also concerned about some of its neighbors, including Russia, which controls some of its territory. Armenia had been more concerned with Azerbaijan than with Russia. Armenia and Georgia have entirely different languages, alphabets, currencies, and governments, yet they have friendly relations with each other. They share strong Eastern Orthodox religious beliefs and tradition. And they both have their share of monasteries. The border crossing from Asia to Europe was okay, although Lady A. thought the line cutters and mean, sneezing border agents were a poor first impression. We met David, our Republic of Georgia tour director. 

Tbilisi

Bustling Tbilisi is Georgia's capital and largest city. We're staying in the heart of Old Town. The city tour was fine. We were accompanied by some of the city's thousands of loose dogs. It was so hot that we returned to the hotel and took a siesta in the middle of it. 

Tbilisi

We also visited the National Museum. It was a good taste of Georgia's history and culture. Like the Armenian Genocide Museum, our visit to the Soviet Occupation exhibit at the Georgia National Museum was a somber occasion. Whereas our impression was that Armenia's version of Russian Occupation was somewhat ambivalent, the Georgian experience seems to have been more traumatic. Uprisings and resistance were met with brutal force from Russia. The museum featured a carriage with hundreds of bullet holes. Georgians had been forced into the carriage before they were shot to death. The rest of the museum was fine, with plenty of gold, silver, and stuff like that.

Further afield, we visited Uplistsikhe, a now-abandoned ancient city of caves carved out of a sandstone mountain. It was first inhabited over 3,000 years ago, and as many as 5,000 people are believed to have lived there. Then it was on to a winery that I don't remember the name of (but it was beautiful and the food was great), and finally, the Joseph Stalin Museum. Betcha didn't know that Uncle Joe was from Gori, Georgia. There, we got an even further perspective of Georgian life in the Soviet Union.

Uplistsikhe

Uplistsikhe

Winery for lunch

Uncle Joe (move'n kinda slow these days)

By the way, the food in both Armenia and Georgia has been outstanding. Breakfast buffets have been fine, mainly with a good selection of different kinds of stuff. Lunch and dinner with our group have been family-style. There are usually several kinds of salads and truly sumptuous vegetables. Some of the bowls contain unidentifiable foods, but of course, we try them anyway. They're nearly all consistently good. Meats are brought out later, and we're invariably full by that time. They are usually simply grilled chicken or pork, and sometimes fish, all without much of a sauce.  Desserts have often been something like baklava. Oh, and did I mention the wine? They make it here and they're pretty proud of it. Who are we to argue? The bread is good as well. They certainly have their priorities straight. 

Telavi

After our three nights in Tbilisi, we moved on to Telavi for a one-nighter, before returning to Tbilisi for our final two nights. Crazy, eh? On the way, we made some stops. In the Sighnaghi region, we visited the fortified hill town of Tsinandali and the Bodbe Monastery, which is actually a convent. Why o why are they all located in mountainous areas? To be closer to God? I wonder how that’s working out for them. 

Telavi and its environs are located in the Caucasus Mountain region, North and East of  Tbilisi. The Greater Caucasus mountain range here in the North is shared mainly by Russia and Georgia. At times, we were only about 15 miles from Russia, but we were not able to see it from our house. The Lesser Caucasus mountain range in the South is mostly located on the territory of southern Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. I feel an affinity for this area, since I identify as Caucasian myself.

Bodbe Monastery

Bodbe Monastery

Tsinandali

                                                  Tsinandali

After lunch with wine (lots of wine), we visited the House of Chavchavadze, home of Alexander C., the "Father of the Nation," who was a key leader of the Georgian national revival.

Tsinandali lunch

Ikalto Monastery was unexpectedly closed for construction, and no one on the bus was disappointed. In fact, I think I actually heard some applause. You see, we were all very much monasteried out. There had already been a whole lot of complaining about ABC (Another Bloody Church). Now, there would be more time for wine.

Gremi Citadel is in nearby Kakheti. It features the 16th-century fortress and church. It's also very vertical, especially the highest lookout point. Afterward, we had lunch at a nice winery. They had wine. Lots of wine.

Grimi Citadel

Grimi Winery

Tbilisi, Georgia (Second Time)

Somehow, we made it back to Tbilisi for our final two nights. On our last full day, we visited our final monastery, Jvari Monastery, and church, Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, in historic Mtskheta. I don't know why, but these were among the most enjoyable of the bunch. They were mercifully close to Tbilisi, and it wasn't too hot, so this was an easy day. 

Jvari Monastery

Jvari Monastery

Jvari Monastery

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (with priest throwing holy water on us). Also, I think it's a requirement that all the priests look like Dumbledore

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral

Finally, it was time to say goodbye to David and all our new Gate1 friends. We will miss them all.

Fairwell dinner