Last spring, in a total last-minute whim with less than a 24-hour notice, we decided to join my sister and a couple of her kids on a weekend getaway to Capitol Reef National Park. Brief but beautiful could adequately sum the whole thing up… but I’ll go for completely average with my slightly lengthier account of the excursion.
The Golden Throne is over 7,000 feet high.
We arrived in Capitol Reef late in the afternoon. That gave us just enough time to complete the Golden Throne Trail, 1.8 miles each way, before the arrival of night transformed the throne into more of an obscure sofa. The Golden Throne, an imposing dome, rules 1,400 feet above Capitol Gorge. Although it is comprised of Navajo Sandstone, a Carmel Formation topping supplies its characteristic yellow stain. From the Golden Throne Trail, much better views of this geological curiosity can be observed than from Capitol Gorge below. Getting to the trailhead does require a drive through part of that gorge, a surreal experience in of itself along a gravelly water-carved slot that coils between immense sandstone cliffs.
In 1952, Capitol Reef National Monument, not yet a national park, was officially opened to uranium mining in the interest of national security. It was not conservation sensibilities that ultimately halted this scarring work but low uranium concentrations.
The next day, we strode three miles to the top of Cassidy Arch and back. Cassidy Arch hangs 400-500 feet above Grand Wash. Its trail gains 550 feet in roughly half a mile, which I suppose makes it somewhat strenuous, but it just felt like a steady climb to us.
From further back, the extreme gaps beneath Cassidy Arch are strikingly apparent.Cassidy Arch, named after outlaw Butch Cassidy, defies conventions like its namesake.
The craziest thing about this arch is that you can walk out on top of it, which isn’t usually allowed these days in national parks. Further, the terrain around the arch slopes down into a sheer alcove with pocked walls that drop hundreds of feet. The setting makes the tummy tingle and the bladder want to tinkle, but it also makes for some intriguing pictures and memorable incidences.
A decline down to certain oblivion isn’t usually something you skip to your lou over.
Aside from some excellent conversations and a few fantastic meals at Capitol Burger, Curry Pizza, and Chak Balam, that’s all we had time for. Our trip was less than 36 hours from start to finish and less than 72 hours from ideation to completion. As it was short and sweet, I’d like to imagine this post was too.
Years ago, in the B.C., I gave Jason ticket to see Harry Potter and the Cursed ChildParts One andTwo in San Francisco for Christmas. Just weeks before our scheduled trip, COVID blasted normalcy into oblivion, and there was nothing to see. After two years, and rescheduling multiple times, we were finally able to have that magical experience. Further, we were able to enjoy it with friends. Sometimes, even delays can lead to charming moments.
Because Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was “reimagined” from a two-part to a one-part production for U.S. audiences late in 2021, we found ourselves with two extra tickets to the performance. Inviting a couple friends, and fans, to join us seemed like the best use for these. They arrived later. Here’s what happened first.
Coit Tower has been a highlight of San Francisco’s skyline since 1933.
Jason and I reached San Francisco in the evening and went straight to Mensho Tokyo for some ramen. Like all authentic ramen shops, this one had a line outside winding down the sidewalk. We had to wait for about half an hour for a table, but it was worth it. We both had the tori paitan ramen, a chicken-based broth, and the spicy enoki chips. Jason said the meal was a close second to the ramen he ate in Sapporo.
The next day was uncharacteristically sunny for San Francisco. With a couple jackets, it felt pleasant. We didn’t want to waste the warmth since temperatures were in the 20s back home. So, we took a walk down the Batteries to Bluffs Trail in Presidio after grabbing pastries at the B Patisserie, a scrumptious bakery. While a portion of this path was closed in order for crews to repair some recent storm damage, we were able to reach the remains of Battery Crosby, which operated from 1900 to 1943. It was equipped with two guns that could shoot up to eight miles to protect underwater mines. Since we couldn’t go farther on this trail, we hiked down the Sand Ladder to Baker Beach. From that scenic stretch of sand and stone, the views of the Golden Gate Bridge were impressive. The naked old man bum we also viewed was less impressive.
The Batteries to Bluffs Trail twists through bright cliffs of serpentine.
Afterward, we spent a couple hours at the Legion of Honor. The Legion of Honor houses works by Monet, Rembrandt, Rubens, Goya, Cezanne, and Renoir among many others. Its collection of Rodin sculptures is one of the largest in the United States with 90 pieces, including TheThinker. Even without the masterpieces inside considered, the building, a three-quarter-scale replica of Palais de la Legion d’Honneur in Paris, is a work itself with ornate neoclassical details typical of the Beaux-Arts style. The museum was too big for us to make it through entirely in the time we had available, but it wasn’t so large as to be completely overwhelming.
That evening, our friends arrived, and we finally saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Worth the wait? It was heartwarming and exhilarating, though time travel always creates a bit of a plot mess in my opinion. The special effect “magic” was remarkable and the play’s best part. At 3.5 hours, it felt a little long. However, if you are an enthusiast, I’m sure you would enjoy it. We did.
The northern end of Baker Beach is often patronized by sunbathers sans clothing and is therefore considered a nude beach. We went for the bridge not the bum as we were unaware we would get both.
We started out early on a long walk to get breakfast at Brenda’s French Soul Food the next morning. The shrimp and grits were worth the human feces hopscotch we had to play on the way. Afterward, we headed to the San Francisco Cable Car Museum. There, we got to see the tension sheaves, gears, motors, idler sheaves, and gear reducers that power this unique antique transportation form. Consequently, we couldn’t resist grabbing a cable car back to our hotel after a stop in Chinatown to pick up some treats at the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory.
Later that afternoon, the Gregangelo Museum, said to be San Francisco’s #1 immersive art experience, captivated us for two hours as we deciphered the Riddle of the Sphinx. We went through the stages of life, seeing the world from the eyes of a child, adult, and senior in the Gardens of Youth, Sensuality, and Wisdom. Eventually, we faced our unavoidable deaths, which gave us a hankering for some kouign-amanns. Another stop at the B Patisserie laid that craving to rest.
Dozens of The Thinker were cast in various sizes by Rodin or under his supervision, but encountering one is still exciting.
Much of the Riddle of the Sphinx is based on introspection, asking yourself some of the difficult questions we rarely take time to contemplate. Amongst them was, “How do you want to be remembered?” In answering this, I was reminded of Dr. Who and how we are all just stories in the end. I hope my stories will inspire others to be bold, kind, curious, and adventurous. That they make others feel loved and confident in their ability to achieve monumental changes.
We got lucky with a hotel room elevated enough to provide abundant views of the San Francisco skyline.
Dinner was not just a meal but also entertainment that night at Birdsong. Over 3+ hours, we were served a dozen tasting courses we watched a host of chefs and porters prepare. After about nine of those, I didn’t know how I could eat any more, but I managed. My favorite courses were the root broth with braised wakame and smoked mussels, the Dungeness crab with smoked pine nuts and yogurt, the chamomile sorbet, and the Mount Tam cheesecake topped with a slice of Shinko pear and buttermilk ice cream. We were able to obtain a reservation to this highly rated establishment much easier than expected because of viral doubts. At that point, seated diners were still down 40% from normal in San Francisco due to lingering hesitations regarding COVID. We didn’t hesitate to take advantage of others’ hesitations.
The fruition of a two-year-old plan was rewarding. Harry Potter, we meet at last! Also, Thinker, we meet at last… and Sphinx… and naked old man bum. Boy, this trip entailed a lot of unusual introductions! I must lead a charmed, postponed life.
For my birthday last year, Jason gave me a weekend on the slopes via a cabin rental close to the lifts at Brighton Resort. We had to make the cabin reservation six months in advance and just hope that snow would be there. When our allotted time arrived, fresh powder there was not. With cloudless skies and temperatures in the 30s, Jason and I wasted no energy lamenting that lack of new precipitate but got right to enjoying the surplus of sunshine. The weekend did crush others’ expectations though. Below is the story about how high hopes can sometimes lead to falling on your face unexpectedly and repeatedly.
Before we get into this trip’s elations and disgruntlements though, let me quickly address the virus in the room… aah, COVID. That pointy adversary continues to heighten vacation stress, and it did so on this occasion. I felt like I was getting a sore throat just as we were traveling up the canyon. Luckily, it was only another case of CRVIP (COVID-Related Vacation-Induced Panic). It’s a bizarre world where relief follows when an issue turns out to just be mental illness.
Hopes were high after lessons and before a real run.
As I did not have COVID, and nothing else could impede our rush to the slopes, we flocked unblocked. Jason and I spent the first day boarding by ourselves. My boarding post will soon give you more than enough details on the particulars of those refreshing mountain loops.
That evening, some of my sister’s family joined us. Of the three kids, two would be attempting snowboarding for the first time the following day. They excitedly asked questions about carving that clearly denoted they had unrealistic expectations on how their riding was going to go. I tried to change those expectations to predominantly involve pain, falling, flailing, embarrassment, tipping, and crashing. Yet, they remained unswayed, continuing to envision shredding like Shaun White after a two-hour lesson.
Just a regular first day of boarding.
Not surprisingly, things did not proceed as Whitish as they anticipated the next day, and their enthusiasm waned. Out of the two new boarders, the youngest was willing to entertain the idea of boarding again after her first experience. However, the oldest was overwhelmingly frustrated by his difficulties and lack of progress. He was also cold and soggy. The gloves we loaned him became threadbare and even spawned a hole during the course of the day. How? They’d only been worn a few times. Whatever the cause, leaky gloves aren’t classically considered morale boosters. After his span on the slopes, he was noncommittal about his readiness to try boarding a second time.
There are advantages to being small; this is one of them.
That evening, everyone was fairly lethargic, and some were downright demoralized, but we managed to muster the energy to go out for pizza, get through a game of Mysterium, hold a ping pong tournament, and undertake some spontaneous storytelling. Not too shabby a turnaround for a group that had only just given up its aspirations of buttering the slopes like instant Rice.
How does this happen to gloves in one day?
Although fresh pow was absent from our slope-side weekend, Jason and I altered our hopes to meet reality without significant angst. Some of the others in our party were more reluctant to let go of their overestimations of the outing and their abilities. Still, even those who didn’t achieve powder prowess reached great heights… which they fell from of course. On a closing note, I’m happy to report that the reluctant noob didn’t give up on snowboarding after this excursion and even purchased a season pass for next season.
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