Rocky Mountain National Park

I had a little time Saturday afternoon so I decided to drive up to Rocky Mountain National Park to check it out. It's only about an hour's drive and I have the National Park Pass, so I thought it would be a quick little trip. I should have known something was up as traffic was horrible getting into Estes Park, which is the town just east of RMNP. I go to show my pass at the entrance station, and she told me that today is national park day and is free to everyone. After getting my bearings, I headed to the Bear Lake trailhead, which had signs everywhere saying parking is full. I tried anyways and scored a parking spot. I decided to do a little 4 mile out and back hike to Bierstadt Lake. 

Along the drive to RMNP. 

The mountains above Estes Park, just east of RMNP. 

Bear Lake, start of trail to Bierstadt Lake, RMNP. 

The trail to Bierstadt Lake. 

Bierstadt Lake, a beautiful spot to relax. 

The trail back to Bear Lake. 

After getting back to the car and heading back home, I stopped along the side of the road to take a couple pictures of the Aspen's changing colors. 

Fall is here. 

Then I hit the worse traffic ever, barely moving for nearly two hours. The views were amazing though, and I was able to watch the sun set over the continental divide with a few elk grazing in the foreground. Couldn't really get pictures to come out though, as I was looking directly west into the sun. 

On my way out of the park I learned what the traffic hold up was; hundreds of elk grazing feet from the road, right at the entrance/exit of the park. 

Zion National Park-The Narrows

Jeff and I got up early and secured an awesome campsite in the South campground after staying in Watchmen campground last night. We hoped on the shuttle bus  to the Temple of Sinawava, the stop for The Narrows. 

Looking at the Court of the Patriarchs from the Zion shuttle. 

The start of The Narrows. 

Jeff in awe. 

You can see why it's gets it name, The Narrows. 

Wildflowers along the Virgin River in the Narrows, Zion National Park. 

Words not needed. 

Hiking the Narrows. 

We found a sunny beach, had some snacks and a beer (Ballast Point, Sculpin IPA) and went a little further then turned back. 

Log on a rock. 

And saw this guy on the trail back to the shuttle. (Sorry Jessica). 

 

Jeff watching me write this blog post. 

And here is where I right this from. 

Cheers. 

Switzerland-Day Thirteen-Basel

Our last full day in Switzerland, as tomorrow will be a travel day. 

Jovan and Tamara's daughter, Ivana Sofia, had a little cold, so they took her to the doctor for a check up. 

Ivana Sofia, preparing to go out. 

We borrowed a couple bikes from Jovan and rode around Basel. Basel was by far the biggest and most confusing city we visited in Switzerland (Geneva is bigger but we never left the airport/train station).  The roads are narrow, winding, and full of light rail street cars. We made it to the Rhine River and then rode along it for a bit. 

Jessica riding along the Rhine. 

 Me riding along the Rhine. 

Looking across the Rhine at Basler Münster, or Basel's Cathedral. 

We made it back to Jovan's just before the rain started coming down. 

Jovan then met us and we headed to Germany for lunch. Germany and France are right on the border in Basel, and Germany is much cheaper than Switzerland. We ate at an Italian restaurant in Germany (ironic but really good and much cheaper than Switzerland). 

We headed back to Jovan's and packed up our things, had an awesome home cooked meal and went to bed. 

Our last day will compose of getting up at 6am local time, taking a train to Zurich, taking a flight to Toronto, and then a flight to San Diego. We will land in San Diego approximately 24 hours after leaving Basel.

Switzerland-Day Twelve-Lucerne to Basel

We decided to check out the Museggmauer, the old city walls of Lucerne.  The oldest part of the wall dates back to 1386. 

Jessica standing in front of the wall. 

There are nine towers attached to the wall, the second one (the one in the foreground), looking back to Saint Leodegar church on the left and the first tower in the middle. 

You can actually go up in the 4th, 5th, and 6th towers, and walk along the top of the wall between them. 

Looking out from the 4th (Schirmer) to the 5th (Zyt).

The oldest city clock, dating to 1535, is in the Zyt tower.  It also has the privilege of chiming one minute early every hour before all other city clocks. 

Inside the Zyt tower looking at the actual inner workings of the clock. 

Looking up at the Zyt tower from below.

We just missed being up there at noon, which would have been very loud. However, we were nearby, and it was one minute early, and then all the other clocks started. Instead of the normal ring and then 12 dongs for noon, all the clocks in the city went off for five minutes!

Me climbing up into one of the towers. 

We then decided to try to find a castle. After a little research, we hoped on a train headed for Lenzburg.  From the train station, it was about a 1/2 hour walk to a castle. 

Schloss Lenzburg, or Lenzburg Castle, the Castle of Knights and Dragons. 

It was free to visit with our Swiss Rail Pass, and was really cool. It was originally built around 1100, but had changed hands over the years and continually fortified through the Middle Ages. 

Drinking an Avery IPA, brewed in Boulder, Colorado in the Schloss Lenzburg, Switzerland. 

Jessica in the garden at Schloss Lenzburg. 

Standing in front of one of the many buildings in the courtyard at Schloss Lenzburg.

Looking back at Schloss Lenzburg from the town. 

We then walked back to the train station and boarded a train for Basel, a city in northern Switzerland on the border with France and Germany where Jovan currently lives. 

Jessica in Basel, on the banks of the Rhine River, with the Mittlere Brücke (Middle Bridge) in the background. 

We met Jovan for dinner and headed back to his apartment for the evening. 

Switzerland-Day Eleven-Seealpsee to Lucerne

We hiked out from Seealpsee to Wasserauen this morning. 

The view back to Gasthaus Seealpsee, our mountain inn from the prior night. 

Along the hike to Wasserauen. 

In Wasserauen, we caught the train back to Appenzell. We spent a short time in Appenzell picking up some croissants and some local beer and whiskey that we  really liked and got back on the train to Herisau. We had coffee and a croissant in Herisau, before catching a train towards Lucerne. We weren't completely sure which stop we would get off at and where we would go, but decided to go all the way to Lucerne and check out the city more (we didn't really leave the train station a few days ago when we met Jovan there).

Tons of bikes at the Lucerne train station. 

Jessica standing in front of the Kapellbrücke, or Chapel Bridge, built in the 14th century.  The large tower on the left is the Wasserturm, or Water Tower, built around 1300 and part of the original city wall. It has been used as archives, a prison, and torture chamber; it now houses a cheap souvenir booth. 

A panorama from the Kapellbrücke.

We found a hotel room in the old town area and set out to explore the city.  

Our first stop was at the Löwendenkmal, or Lion Monument.  The stone sculpture dates to 1821 and depicts a dying lion, in an allegory for over eight hundred Swiss mercenaries who died defending a royal family who had already fled. 

Right next to Löwendenkmal is the Gletshergarten or Glacier Garden, a museum that dates back to the 19th century.  One of the cool things with the Swiss Rail Pass is that you can go to museums for free.  The Gletshergarten was one of the most unique museums I've ever been to, as it has a geological component and then a hodgepodge museum connected full of military battles, climate research and models of Swiss Houses. 

Jessica looking down into a glacial pothole (approx 20,000 years old). 

All kinds of rocks and minerals from the Alps (this ones for you Tom). 

And this amazing large-scale mountain relief created between 1749 and 1786 of Central Switzerland. 

After that, we checked out the Saint Leodegar church, built between 1633 and 1639. 

Inside. 

After dinner we went for a stroll around town.

Looking at the Jesuitenkirche, or Jesuit Church from the Speuerbrüke (Spreuer Bridge, built in 1408) over the Reuss River. 

We will explore Lucerne more tomorrow and then head to Basel to meet back up with Jovan.