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.
Like The Lord of the Rings, Back to the Future, or the original Star Wars, there’s no denying good things come in threes. When it was my turn to plan our Valentine’s Day festivities this year, I decided to follow suit and create a three-pronged celebration over weeks. Was it as epic as taking a malevolent hunk of jewelry over and beneath mountains, through cursed marshes, and into shadowy woodlands in order to dissolve it in a fiery volcano under the lidless watch of an undying Dark Lord? I’ll let you decide.
Part I: Globes and Sprouts
First, I reserved a private alpen globe at Franck’s Restaurant. We got to enjoy Franck’s American cuisine in a slightly chilly, shimmering glass sphere. Everything was tasty but the Brussels sprouts I could eat every meal. Really.
Flowers may be cliche on Valentine’s Day, but they are still lovely.
Part II: Candlelight and Cardiovascular
The next weekend, we headed to Nordic Nights, an evening snowshoeing event at Solitude Resort. After stopping at Silver Fork Restaurant on the way to purchase a trough of nachos, we were ready to hit the trail about 7:00. However, we didn’t get going until almost half an hour later due to congestion at the ticket stations. We sure were glad we at least didn’t have to rent snowshoes as the rental line was insanely long and chaotic. Who knew people would like roaming around a snowy mountainside under the light of a full moon on trails lined by twinkling candles? Okay, yup, on second thought that sounds like it would be pretty popular.
It’s easy to see why Solitude’s Nordic Nights are so popular.
The Silver Lake Loop was the only path lit up, so, in the interest of not getting lost, we stuck to it. We completed the loop three times before the Nordic & Snowshoe Center closed at 9:00, which equaled just under 1.9 miles of snowshoeing. Our first circle was less enchanting than later ones. Between the hundreds of candles winding through the trees and the lemon-shaped moon, it would have been magical if it weren’t for the people. The crowds deprived it of its charm the first two-thirds of that loop. These weren’t your regular, considerate trail travelers; these were oblivious roamers who didn’t react appropriately when faster shoers were behind them, which made them a bit aggravating. The masses thinned drastically after that, and enchantment saturated the experience. I guess everyone else was happy to snowshoe for 15 minutes and then drink hot chocolate for an hour.
With the annoyance of the discourteous removed, we didn’t want to stop. We went around the loop a second time and then a third seeing only a scattering of others. It could have been nastily cold, as it has been on the other occasions we’ve snowshoed at night, but global warming had our backs. Temperatures had peaked down in the valleys at over 50 degrees earlier that day, and it was still 23 degrees at the resort when we finished just after 9:00. We were uncomfortable initially with angry hands, but once we warmed up, we stayed warm. I only had to wear my snowboarding coat and one under layer. I hate global warming, but occasionally I suppose it’s mildly convenient.
Don’t forget breakfast; I won’t.
Part III: Pasta and Nostalgia
For the final episode in our Valentine’s Day trilogy, I made dinner for the two of us, and we had a quiet night in. Our meal consisted of cremini carpaccio and pappardelle in saffron cream sauce. Dessert was pineapple, biscotti, and bananas dipped in amaretto chocolate fondue. Jason assisted a bit with the prep by washing a few dishes and veggies, but I made everything as he wasn’t supposed to be helping at all.
Tasty food is an essential component of any celebration.
Afterward, we put together a Sixteen Candles puzzle while watching the nostalgic 1984 classic. The behavior of high schoolers hasn’t changed much over 40 years, though some of the antics in that show would be considered much less PC now. My biggest problem with this movie has always been that Jake Ryan isn’t very likeable. He’s cheating on his girlfriend and pawning off the responsibility of driving her inebriated form home on other boys while instructing them to “have fun.” He’s got nothing on Duckie.
The best things come in trilogy form. Search no further for evidence than Look Who’s Talking, The Mighty Ducks, and Valentine’s Day 2022.
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