By Angela Ren, NSC Member
Thirteen Nisei members headed out on Collette’s Painted Canyons of the West trip for 9 days in late April. We all had a fabulous time immersing ourselves in some of the most beautiful and iconic landscapes in our country if not the world while meeting and spending time with old and new friends.
Here are some of the highlights:
Denver, CO:
Our whole group met in Denver where we began our over 1,000-mile journey to be covered over the next 7 days.
Grand Junction, CO:
We headed out of Denver early the next morning on our way to Grand Junction, CO. We spent most of the day riding the bus as we admired the gorgeous scenery of the Rocky Mountains and the Glenwood Canyon which was carved by the Colorado River more than 3 million years ago. Our bus arrived in Grand Junction at a winery called Varaison Vineyards & Winery right in time for us to enjoy a private dinner that was specifically catered just for our group. Besides being treated to a wonderfully prepared dinner, the winemakers also gave us an incredible lesson in how to choose and drink the different varietals of wine. We all learned and experienced wine tasting in way that made us realize we have been choosing and drinking the wrong wines for decades!
Moab, UT:
Our journey continued from Grand Junction the next morning to the Colorado National Monument. We saw sheer-walled, red rock canyons along the twists and turns of Red Rock Drive. Our bus made a few stops through the park to allow us to take some selfies and ussies with breathtaking views as our backdrops. As we made our way to Utah on the Upper Colorado Byway, known by the locals as “River Road”, we rode alongside the Colorado River and marveled at the Fisher Towers which looms over spectacular mesas. We arrived in Moab around dinnertime and had another fabulous dinner at one of the most popular restaurants in town.
The next day, we set out to explore the otherworldly oases of 2 national parks – Arches and Canyonlands. At these 2 parks, we discovered a world of mesas and canyons. At the Island in the Sky in Canyonlands, we looked out over a landscape of ethereal valleys and dreamy horizons. Our last stop of the day was a pilgrimage atop the sheer sandstone cliffs of Dead Horse Point State Park.
Bryce Canyon City, UT
Traveling through the dramatic Utah desert on Scenic Highway 24, we visited the Capitol Reef National Park. This Park is named for the curved white walls that resemble the US Capitol building. As we continued on the Million Dollar Road, we took in the stunning views of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, where layers of warm reds and oranges melt into smooth sided peaks.
The next day, we spent the entire morning at Bryce Canyon National Park where we saw the famous hoodoos – vibrant rock formations likened to fairy chimneys. Some of us took advantage of our allotted time and did a short hike to get up close and personal with the graceful geology. We also took in the sprawling vistas walking along Sunset Point, leading into Sunrise Point Rim Trail.
Springdale, UT:
At Zion National Park, the first item on our agenda for the day was taking a ride on Zion’s open-air tram where we trekked along the Virgin River through the 2,400-foot deep, half-mile wide Zion Canyon. The rest of the day we were given the time to explore the Park on our own. All 13 of us had a plan to do some of the hikes that were within our limitations. Once we reached the banks of the Virgin River, 4 members of our group decided to roll up their pant legs, remove their shoes & socks, and braved the frigid waters of around 55 degrees to hike as far as they could go through The Narrows hike. The rest of us who decided to keep our feet warm and dry, continued on a few more leisurely hikes and then called it a day.
Las Vegas, NV:
The last full day of our trip ended with an overnight stay in Las Vegas. A few members of our group decided to try their luck at the casinos, while a few more attended one of the numerous live performance shows. The remaining group members decided to have dinner at a Chinese restaurant.
We all had an amazing trip and many of us want to make plans to visit these parks again in the future. Although these parks by themselves are extraordinary, this trip was more memorable because we all enjoyed this time together with fellow Nisei members who are all fun and easy to get along with which was the main reason that this trip was amazing!
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