Starling Travel

When you go on a road trip, so much of the travel is… well… on the road. Our drive to San Diego from Salt Lake City last month was quite a harrowing experience. Not only did we leave in a horrible snow storm, we took a back route through the mining roads of California. Here is a glimpse of our 14 hour drive.

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When a drive to your destination is as harrowing as this one, it makes you start to wonder if leaving town is really all that worth it. It was sheer stubbornness that drove us to leave that morning with the huge flakes falling. My mom called in a panic when we were on the road, “It’s snowing like crazy here. You’re not really driving out today are you?!” I assured her that we were already on the road and well past the point of the mountain (we weren’t) and that the weather was much better in Provo than in Salt Lake (it WASN’T).

Of course, we’re fools.

If you are planning on leaving town and the snow is as bad as this video, don’t be stupid like us. Call your hotel and see if you can delay your travel for a day without a fee (fat chance, but it can’t hurt to try). A nervous and anxious drive to your vacation is the polar opposite of what a relaxing trip should be.

Jared, our friend, is only four years old, but he has been diligently practicing his writing. He sent us this postcard last month and we were delighted!

Here’s the front:

Here’s the back:

The postcard reads:

Timpanogos Cave National Monument Utah: A column guards the entrance to a lighted alove against the greenish flowstone and drapery-covered wall of the Big Room in Middle Cave. Photographer - William Hendricks

They write:

Dear Laura and Mike,

I opened the door to the cave.

Love, Jared

Please send me a postcard from your travels or your hometown. If you do and it’s interesting, I will publish your postcard on Starling Travel.

Send your postcards to:

Starling Travel
Attention: Laura Moncur
P.O. Box 522032
Salt Lake City, Utah 84152

It’s like sending a postcard to the whole world when you go on vacation. It’s like bragging about your hometown to the everyone on the planet.

Photowalking is getting a group of photographers together and walking around areas of town taking pictures. You don’t need a fancy camera or attitude. It’s open to anyone who wants to wander town and snap photos. It started in Silicon Valley, but Salt Lake City has an active photowalking group. They post their photos to the Flickr pool here:

• Flickr: Photowalking Salt Lake City: See photos of Salt Lake City, Utah

I’ve found a ton of other photography pools for cities and countries. Here are a few:

• Flickr: The SF Bay Area Shooters (sfbas) Pool: See photos of the San Francisco Bay Area in California

• Flickr: The Photowalk.at - Photowalking in Austria Pool: See photos of Austria

• Flickr: Grand Rapids, Michigan: See photos of Grand Rapids, Michigan

• Flickr: Duluth Flickr Photowalk: See photos of Duluth, Minnesota

• Flickr: Photowalk Cleveland: See photos of Cleveland, Ohio

If you would like to see if there is a photowalking group in your town, search Flickr here:

• Flickr: Search for a photowalk group

If you can’t find one for your town, it’s easy enough to create your own and start inviting people. Make sure you post the event on Upcoming.org.

Via: Photowalking SLC v2 | Thom Allen Weblog

Scott took a quick trip to Moab to attend the Desert Rocks Music Festival in Moab. You can read about his adventure here:

• the.Inevitable.Org/anism » Desert Rocks Music Festival in Moab

It’s a short trip to Moab from the Salt Lake Valley:

We all piled into their Winnebago on Sunday afternoon, and we took the 4 hour drive down to Moab. The event was out in the desert about 13 miles south of Moab at Area BFE. It was a beautiful site, and the weather was great … not too warm. We arrived as one of the concerts had just finished, so we broke out the BBQ and got dinner going. As the sun set (which was incredible) we got our act together and wandered down to watch the Fire Dancers, and then head over to the main stage to see Kan’nal. I was impressed … they rocked!

All around you are small festivals like Desert Rocks. If you have been feeling trapped by work but don’t have any vacation time available, plan a quick weekend trip to a nearby festival. The change of scenery is refreshing and the experiences will help you return on Monday with a clear head. You don’t need to take a two week vacation to an expensive destination to get a boost. You just need to keep your eyes open for opportunities.

Couldn’t finish it. Probably shouldn’t have started it. We had the Brew Cheese for an appetizer and frankly, it could have been my meal. The steak was too good to pass up, though.

Mike says their Nitro-Stout is a pretty good imitation of Guiness. Looks like a rootbeer float to me. You get a bad surprise if you taste it. That’s not a rootbeer float AT ALL.

Hopper’s Pub and Brewery: 890 East Fort Union Boulevard, Midvale, UT
Google Map
Phone: (801) 566-0424

The Smithsonian Magazine has posted the finalists for their photography contest. You can see the entries for the travel category here:

• The 4th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest - Travel

I always feel a sense of pride when something from Utah is featured. Here is “Sunrise in Canyonlands National Park” by Diane Kroupa from St. Louis, MO. Canyonlands National Park is in Southern Utah near Moab.

Yes, my state is an exotic locale on par with worshippers in Taiwan and Buddhist photographers. Head on over the the Smithsonian website and see the rest of the beautiful photography submitted.

Here is an excellent entry written by Phil Burns about his hike up to Bridal Veil Falls in Utah.

• Phil’s Personal Take » Bridal Veil Falls

He gives you a good idea of how difficult the hike might be:

It’s a very easy hike, more of a stroll, until you go up to the base of the waterfall, that was a bit rough for the twins. As usual, I brought my camera with me and got what I think are a few decent shots… The walk from the parking lot to the base of the falls is short and paved and wanders through a park. Watch out for idiots on longboards though, they think it’s a good idea to ride their boards 30 miles an hour down the hill at kids.

If you like his entry about the Bridal Veil Hike, you might also like his description of hiking Battle Creek Canyon:

• Phil’s Personal Take » Hiking Battle Creek Canyon

Utah is filled with such lovely beauty that is accessible almost all year round. From the city, there are so many awesome places to visit that I find myself surprised at how much I still haven’t see. Come enjoy the early spring hiking in Utah at Phil’s Personal Take.

Antelope Island is in the middle of the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Every spring, Mike and I go up there to see if we can see baby seagulls. We’ve never seen them once, but bison, we’ve seen many times.

This photo from Ed Karjala on Flickr is more beautiful than I’ve ever seen Antelope Island. Click on the picture to see it full-sized on Flickr.

Take a five minute vacation from work and enjoy the view at Antelope Island.

This is a different kind of travel video that is a walking tour of the Scott Matheson Wetlands Preserve Walk in Moab, Utah. It is film of a walk around a wetlands preserve. There is no narration or corny descriptions of what you can already see. All you have are the sounds of footsteps, birds singing and maybe even a little water (although the Utah desert is not really known for water).

Here is a glimpse of what the video is like:

I have released two similar DVDs to this in the past: Swami’s Beach and Sugarhouse Walk. This video was created to watch while walking on a treadmill, but it’s a great introduction to Moab, Utah.

Estimated Distance: 2.0 Miles
Estimated Speed: 2.3 mph
Time: 52:00 Minutes

I’m offering this workout DVD for $5 including shipping and handling in the continental U.S. If you live elsewhere contact me and we’ll figure out how much it will cost to ship to you.

Order Starling Fitness Walking Videos Here

You can see the route I walked here. The video goes around the loop twice. I tried to be crafty when I was filming it so you wouldn’t notice, but just now I realized that I have to tell you that I walked the circuit twice, so that you would know the accurate mileage.

Video Description:

It was a hot day and the signs all over Moab said, “Did you remember your water?” I brought a bottle of water, but I was filming, so I couldn’t just take a swig of it. Halfway through the walk I could hear every swish it made in my backpack, wishing I could take a drink. The dry heat seemed to suck all the moisture out of my body, but the Scott Matheson Wetland Preserve was shady.

The trees protected me from the blistering sun. As I walked along the trail, I filmed wildflowers and I could even hear birds. I wanted to hide in the shade of the house at the end of the trail and watch the birds from its quiet solitude, but I was intent on walking. Investigating the little-known paths was a bonus because I found my way to Kane Creek. I turned around and walked it all over again. When I was finished, I enjoyed the red rocks and watched the off-roaders drive by.

Then I turned off my camera and gulped down all my water in one fail swoop. Should have brought two bottles…

Order Starling Fitness Walking Videos Here

For More Information about the wetlands preserve:
The Nature Conservancy in Utah - Scott M. Matheson Wetlands Preserve

Since no one was sending me any postcards, I asked my friends to send me postcards. The first one to send one in was Henry J. Tillman, the joker. He sent me a postcard from Salt Lake City!

Interestingly enough, he chose a postcard that mispelled the word, “Mormon.” The text on the postcard says:

“SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH: With multiple spires soaring heavenward, the Morman Temple is truly a magnificent building. You may admire it only from the outside unless you are an LDS member, then you are permitted in.”

Photo by Blake G. Smith

The postcard is correct. Only LDS members are allowed inside the temple, but tourists are allowed on the grounds and in the auxilliary buildings on the temple grounds. The biggest question most tourists ask is, “What do they do in there?” Sadly, it’s much more boring than you would imagine:

• Pick Me! » Everything I Know About The Mormons I Learned From Wikipedia

Thanks for being the first to send me a postcard, Henry!

Please send me a postcard from your travels or your hometown. If you do and it’s interesting, I will publish your postcard on Starling Travel.

Send your postcards to:

Starling Travel
Attention: Laura Moncur
P.O. Box 522032
Salt Lake City, Utah 84152

It’s like sending a postcard to the whole world when you go on vacation. It’s like bragging about your hometown to the everyone on the planet.