Road Tripping through the South West and
National Parks 2019
“People in cities don’t understand falling in love with the land” (Moon on the Meadows Camp Song). I loved the lyrics to this song/poem when I was a young girl in Girl Scouts where I first began camping and hiking. It has guided me through my adulthood back into nature again and again. Most of us are far removed from from nature. Our National Parks are a good place to reset and recharge our life energy. Getting out and exploring and experiencing these national treasures helps us survive the complexity of our everyday lives. It affects how we feel when you go back home after experiencing the wonders and seeing the landscapes of a National Park. It’s the healing power of nature. The feelings we get of keeping these memories helps keep stress at bay and knowing there will be another time to get back out again. There are vast skies, colorful rocks and ancient trees but what we really get is feelings–getting back to nature; resetting and re-grounding our sympathetic nervous system. That is a concept of Forest bathing as well. Breathing in the essential oils and microbes and getting out and reconnecting with nature. Being one with your surroundings and feeling the energy, connecting back to the earth. That’s living. That’s rejuvenation of our senses. “We do not see nature with our eyes, but with our understandings and our hearts.” William Hazlett
The Rocky Mountains
When traveling to National Parks we need to Slow down and appreciate the scenery of nature. Find a place to sit down, lay down and spread our arms out and wonder about the age of the rocks, the trees and the plants by stepping outside our human selves. We need to give ourselves that little bit of extra time to sit down and soak it in. You’ll uncover new meaning in these places that others who rush through never notice. Let your body feel it and your senses envelope the landscapes’ essence. Recharge your vitality. Revitalize your spirit. That is what I love and look forward to on a regular basis. It’s what keeps me planning, excited, hopeful and joyful. This is what helps us keep in touch and in-tune with our self, relaxing the stress of our daily lives. Just making a road trip plan and vacation actually raises dopamine and raises serotonin, the happy hormones. It’s like a dopamine hit. It’s addictive but in a good way. What better way to maintain one’s health and reduce stress than planning a road trip through our National Parks and getting out into nature under bright sunny skies.
I started this journey in the four corners of the southwest in Chinle, Az, at Canyon de Chelly hiking the White House trail and exploring and meeting some locals with art for sale and now mine to enjoy and remember. It was a cool, rainy evening and enjoyable from the quiet, Thunderbird Lodge.
MY SOUTHWEST ROAD TRIP
As I traveled north, the roads and canyons unfolded before me in Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park as I drove. I hiked and explored atop the rocky trails with the Green river bending in an inviting mystery in the distance and the sun setting before me as I watched and admired. I camped at the top of the canyon plateau at the Dead Horse Point State Park looking out from my tent to see the milky way in all its brilliance.
Arches National Park’s entrance road meanders mysteriously upward into magnificent formations of spires, fins, members and arches to walk along, touch, explore and wonder about. I couldn’t stop being amazed at the natural beauty of colossal, red rock formations and arches rising into the blue sky. I walked to the arches, touched and relaxed on and among them wondering at the amazing effects of nature to carve them in time for us to wonder at.
Rocky Mountain National Park
The Rockies had been calling to me and I finally enjoyed driving into and among them. My mom and I camped and explored and felt the ancient wisdom surrounding us. We admired the beauty from different elevations marveling at all the wildlife we spotted becoming one with others in this discovery of nature. We ate our meals outside, slept in a tent and walked under beautiful, ever changing skies. On our last day, we got up before dawn to get ahead of the paving crew and a possible road closure to get to Bear Lake–having waited days to see it. We felt lucky to have found a parking spot and went for a walk around the beautiful and serene Bear Lake. My mom was invigorated to walk the nice accessible trail. We took advantage of all the benches and meandered around the beautiful setting at 7am. The lake mirrored all the scenery and it was magical. It made us light of heart and we had a wonderful forest walk. We were happy to be there. It was nice to take this slow walk and to enjoy all the visual appeal at every bend and opening among the trees.
As I sit watching the thunderstorm at 11,769 ft at the Alpine visitor center/cafe and store in the Rocky Mountain National Park, I am thrilled with the power of nature from behind an open window. I am amazed at the storm approaching, the beauty of the clouds as they approached and continuously changed, the amazing feel of watching the elk roam, the marmots scamper and the overall happy vibe of everyone around me as we experience nature in all its glory. I feel excitement to see this and feel the negative ions in the air all around me. To hear the thunder and wonder. What a magical day to wander, to sit and relax and contemplate and let the magic of nature restore me. It’s a special moment in time I will always be able to bring back and recall, and I planned this day knowing a storm was coming in and that we could sit beside an open window in comfort and watch and listen to the rain while we ate the lunch we brought. It was a perfect afternoon. My mom and I were happy and content to just be here and feel the environment and share with others who we didn’t even know. This was Exploring the restorative wonder of nature:
“Just down the road, along the trail and around the bend I feel the pull to see and feel the wonder of nature. I travel to explore the restorative effects of nature that keeps me content and relaxed. The feel of the sun, the big expanse of sky, the healing wonder of the forest– I crave it all. I seek it always, planning yet again to seek the roads and the trails; to see the flowers, to touch the trees, to cross an intriguing bridge, to just walk a little more around the next bend so as not to miss anything, but remembering to slow down, breath and reflect with gratitude and wonder.“
The Black Canyon of the Gunnison
I definitely got lots of sunlight exploring every trail and overlook in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. What magnificent scenery and painted walls at 8,000 feet with the river meandering through it at the bottom but tantalizingly visible from every overlook. This was my last full day and I had nowhere I had to be and plenty of time to just explore. So I spent the day walking the trails in and out of sunlight. It was glorious and peaceful. I walked every overlooked without a care, took in the ranger talks and sat and relaxed at the last and longest trail in solitude with the cousins of condors (the turkey buzzards) gliding through the sky above me.
The South Rim of the Grand Canyon
The grandest canyon in North America is a special place and so vast. Plan a walk along the paths and feel the energy of the canyon; explore and hope to spy a condor; spend the night to dream and be at peace and feel joy. I drove towards the Canyon, exploring as I did, stretching an 8 hour drive into 12 hours. I would have loved to have more time to explore Mesa Verde National Park as I passed it by but alas I could not. But I enjoyed a short garden walk at their visitor center and began a new plan to return. I spent this day headed for the Grand Canyon arriving around 5 and checking into the Bright Angel Lodge–a comfortable home away from home. I felt exhausted, but nature has a way of reinvigorating one. I was here. So I walked 1-½ miles down the Bright Angel Trail and back. It left wonderful and freeing. Tomorrow I would be home.
As a traveling health coach, I am always seeking the perfect spot to video for reflective meditation or a picture for calming the mind and bringing peace to myself and others. It’s a way to find internal peace and reflective thought. I am here to show the way and encourage others to seek out their perfect moment in nature, to get out under the sun and rejuvenate their soul; therefore, to increase their health by the power of the sun that increases Vitamin D production on their skin, breathing in the natural essential oils of the forest, and the microbes in the air that improves the diversity in our own microbiome–relaxing the parasympathetic response and reducing stress and blood pressure.
The best benefit to being outside is the Sun. Studies have shown that a sensible amount of Sun reduces your risk of several cancers and other serious health conditions. It is Vitamin D which is made by our bodies through the action of the UVB rays on our skin improving our immune system, increasing bone growth and strength and making us feel good. Sunshine boosts levels of serotonin. We feel happier and more energetic when the sun shines. Regular Sun can stave off moderate depression, especially when combined with walking and exercise, which has been shown to create more endorphins in the body. Dr. Michael Holick, of Boston University School of Medicine and the author of the “Vitamin D Solution,” states, “It is essential for absorbing calcium, keeping our bones healthy and for protecting against chronic diseases later in life such as osteoporosis and common cancers.” He advises that we should go out in the sun without sunblock for between five to 15 minutes a day at least 3 times a week in spring and summer to boost our Vitamin D levels.” Food sources of Vitamin D come from oily fish such as salmon and tuna. Supplementing with Cod Liver oil is a good way to get Vitamin D daily. Walking daily for a mile a day out in nature under the sun is one of my ”Vibrant Living” tips and one I try to practice daily. Can’t get in a walk? Taking a break outside and letting the sun hit your skin and communicate with your brain through your eyes all while relaxing is another tip to incorporate into daily life.
Keep Traveling! Live Vibrant!
Lori Balue, Adapt Certified Functional Health Coach
This information is being provided to you for educational and informational purposes only. It is being provided to you to educate you about functional health and nutrition and as a self-help tool for your own use. It is not medical advice. This information is to be used at your own risk based on your own judgement. For my full Disclaimer, please go to my website loribalue.com.