Goodbye 2013 and Hello to 2014; Wonder What's in Store for the New Year?

Wish List for the 2014 New Year

Every New Year, it's a tradition to make a list of "resolutions" that most people end up not keeping. It's a good concept, but unfortunately we tend to make goals for ourselves that are more wishful thinking than practical. Then there is the "wish list"; concepts or ideals that we hope will get resolved for the New Year, but is dependent on others, not just ourselves; for instance, "World Peace". Back to being practical, this will more than likely not happen in our current lifetime, perhaps not at all in the lifetime of mankind itself. War is profitable, oh not to those fighting, losing their lives and leaving loved ones without them; but for those who are either greedy or need to prove that they are right. Politics and Religion do not go hand in hand, they are Siamese Twins joined in such a manner that any type of "surgery" guarantees death. The leaders of these groups have been raised up to the status of "omnipotent gods" instead of being recognized as simple human beings with flaws and capable of being wrong. Until the populace develops "common sense" and refuses to hold these humans in higher regard than their own lives, the business of war will always be more profitable than life itself. The popular quote from Rodney King is, "Why can't we all just get along?", but we cannot so long as the majority of human beings meekly follow along as "sheeple" those that they consider "right". If each political and/or religious leader is right, than how can anyone be wrong, and what is all the fighting truly about?

So for the New Year of 2014, I'm not going to waste my time making resolutions that I probably will not keep, perhaps not even begin. I am going to make a wish list that is dependent on others. Why? I want to see if anyone is listening, not just hearing; I want to see if anyone cares about a stranger and wants to help her obtain her "wish list" for a very simple reason...just because.

Wish #1: All loans and credit card debts are paid off in full. Start the New Year off free of all old debts; begin at zero and build upwards instead of being held down.














An old fashioned "comfort food" diner; yeah, that's my dream.

Wish #2: My food blog, Food Adventures of a Comfort Cook, becomes so popular that an entrepreneur actually wants to invest money into the restaurant idea I dream about.



Wish #3: My travel blog, The Southwest Through Wide Brown Eyes becomes so popular that a company actually gives me a brand new Jeep or SUV (with their advertising printed on the vehicle) for my use in furthering my excursions.








 



Wish #4: For my husband, Roy, that his Artwork becomes so high in demand, he can finally afford to build his own art studio and do what he went to school to study for, and loves. Or he gets that high paying job with a studio, either way he would be doing what he loves. The picture I've posted is one he did by taking one of my photos of Agathla Peak and doing "photo manipulation" to it; Roy's passion is graphic arts and digital artwork.

"El Diablo Towers" - a photo manipulation of Agathla Peak

Wish #5: This wish is for the town I live in, Monticello, Utah and has several parts.

A: That common sense finally prevails, more businesses are allowed into the town limits, allowed to flourish and, thereby, providing more funds for the town itself.






B: That the housing market has an upsurge; all properties are finally purchased, homeowners have, or receive, the finances to upgrade their homes; that Monticello, Utah makes it into the "Top 100 Places to Live in the USA" list.














C: That the town becomes a tourist mecca; employment will be non-existent due to the need; businesses of all types will, again, flourish.




Wish #6: That the medical professions and pharmaceutical companies stop jerking everyone around and finally release the cures for cancer, diabetes, AIDS and other diseases/illnesses that are so very profitable for them. I have Type 2 Diabetes and am so sick and tired of pills and insulin shots; I'm sick of pharmaceutical companies putting out commercials saying that as soon as you're diagnosed, you must use their products or suffer the consequences, including death. I'm sick of organizations asking for research donations, and they're the same organizations I've been seeing begging for money for over 50 years. What are they doing with all that money, over all those years, that they haven't developed a cure yet!!??!!

Six wishes, I'm not going to be greedy; then again, I'm not a politician or religious leader. Not all the wishes are about me either, they're about my husband, the town I live in, and for those suffering medically. I have lots of wishes inside my head, but I'm sticking to these six, since they're the most important of all to me.

Have fun at your end of the old year parties; don't drink till you end the year looking like a total ass; the next day is a whole new year and people will be remembering. Most especially do not drink and drive; don't end the year by ending your own life and/or the lives of others.

A Happy and Healthy New Year to everyone, everywhere; and for my wish list...bring it on!!!

Mary Cokenour

Only Thing Flat in Sand Flats is the Road.

Sand Flats Recreation Area, located in Moab, is a world upon itself filled with domes, fins, bowls, formations, trails and nature. Sand Flats Road is indeed flat for the most part, but becomes a bit roughed once you reach the Porcupine Rim area.  Those with two wheel drive vehicles (cars) should not be discouraged, as it evens out quickly and you can continue the trek towards the La Sal Loop Road.  ATVs, Jeeps, SUVs and even Mountain Bikes have more trails to choose from, some exclusive to whichever mode of transportation chosen.  There are many camping areas, or you can do what Roy and I did; simply get yourself a picnic meal, find some nice slickrock to sit on and enjoy the scenery.

Lion's Back
 

If you read my food blog, Food Adventures of a Comfort Cook, back in May 2011 I wrote about Milt's which has the best burgers and fries. See, if you're not reading my food blog, then you are missing out on hints I give about places to have an adventure in.  Anyway, after we picked up our order, we headed out to Sand Flats to enjoy the meal, do some exploring and just have a grand day out.  It was still pretty empty in the area as tourist season had only just begun in April, so finding a place to sit, eat and have to ourselves was very easy.  Even Lion's Back wasn't too busy that day; it is usually full of Jeeps or SUVs traveling up and down.  Roy wanted to know if we should try it out and I told him only if he wanted me screaming in his ear the whole way.  He decided not.







Driving along Sand Flats Road, it was very difficult not to keep stopping and go hiking over the slickrock and sandstone.  I tell you, it is absolutely gorgeous out there and each turn brings you scenery that is just as awesome as what you just passed by.  I kept seeing so many areas I wanted to climb up and around in.

Traveling through a narrow section of the road, the walls climbing up high around you and suddenly you'll see a formation to your left.  It simply looks like a jagged piece of rock sticking out and you may just bypass it if you don't look for it; this is Diving Board Rock.  Actually we did miss it the first time we went through; Roy was driving, so couldn't be looking around for interesting sites, being on the passenger side, I didn't see it till we came back through and it was now on my right side.

Diving Board Rock

Our journey ended at the Porcupine Rim Trail parking lot, and you're going to have a good laugh when you find out why. Looking out into the distance and you'll be able to take in the beauty of Negro Bill Canyon; notice the play of light and shadow on the ground and formations due to the clouds.  That trail running down and through the canyon floor is the mountain biking trail; motorized vehicles are not allowed on it.

So now is the time for the funny part of this story; Sand Flats Road doesn't stop at the Porcupine Rim parking lot, it continues on as a shelf (this is where the rough part of the road begins too).  As I stood there taking photos, I noticed a SUV and a Jeep continue on through, so knew we could keep on going.  What do I find as I turn around though?  Roy had pulled the SUV onto the road and was pointing back in the direction we had come.  He said that he'd only had the SUV for a month now and wasn't sure about its handling on such a road going around the hill, or what was beyond.  Now I don't know if this was spite about Lion's Back, or what, but....  Anyway, I just gave him details about how the road does even out again, how it comes out onto La Sal Loop Road and then you're choice is to either go to Castle Valley or Spanish Valley. His reaction was "Great! We need to go back and do the whole road this time".

Oh, the funny part, I wouldn't go four wheeling up the Lion's Back, but yet didn't think twice about going on a cliff shelf around a hill.  Yeah, I'm funny like that.

All in all, this was a great day; great food, great ride and we're both looking forward to going back and doing it all again....this time to the very end of Sand Flats Road.  Oh, will Roy get me up on Lion's Back....hell no!

Mary Cokenour

Castle Valley and its Towers.

In this post I'm going to come forward in time, but travel backwards down Route 128; or forwards depending on whether you came from Interstate 70 or not.  Confused?  Depending on which internet mapping system you use, or paper maps, getting to Moab from Interstate 70 can be done in two ways.  First there is the all highway quick way: Interstate 70 to the Crescent Junction (Route 191) exit straight down into Moab; the closer you get to Moab, the more scenic the landscape.  The second way is to take Interstate 70 to the Cisco (Route 128) exit which will weave you along the Colorado River, through Castle Valley, past La Sal Loop Road and eventually to Route 191 and Moab itself.  Roy and I have done both, and the second way is the one we tell new visitors to the area; it is not only more scenic, it will totally blow your mind!

When we first traveled the route from the Cisco exit, we came upon the sign that lead to Fisher Towers (about 25 miles from Route 191 and Moab).  Unfortunately our car could not traverse the ungraded rock and dirt road, so while we saw the Towers from a distance, we could not see The Corkscrew formation.  However that has changed; Grand County has been working on the roads to make them more accessible to all types of vehicles, not just 4 wheel drive.  The landscape is not being ruined with concrete and paved roads, but with highly graded dirt roads that, while bumpy if in a car, still give more visitors access to sites. 



Ok, here comes the plug; this poor travel blogger only has a car, so cannot go gallivanting to sites until hubby has days off from work; he has the one SUV we own.  So, if any outfitters or travel businesses would love to provide me with an SUV or Jeep; put all the logos you want on it for advertising, and I can go practically anywhere to keep this travel blog full of photos and information.  Consider it a very, very Win-Win partnership.  Now back to our featured presentation...

As I mentioned, Fisher Towers is about 25 miles from Route 191 in Moab; Cutler and Moenkopi sandstone, caked in our ever present red mud.  It almost feels as if you are looking at the landscape of Mars.  Climbers love these towers, and they've been featured in films (Austin Powers in Goldmember) and commercials.  Coming in from the Cisco exit, the valley opens up to reveal the Towers, and your imagination immediately thinks "castle".  Remember, we are in Castle Valley, and the formations are magical.




Fisher Towers
 

From the Fisher Towers area, Castleton Tower and The Rectory can be seen six miles in the distance.





After having a full day out along Route 128, traveling back towards Moab for a highly deserved good meal was number one on the mind.  Getting home and sleeping as soundly as the stone formations we had experienced...priceless.

Mary Cokenour