The valley-dwelling goblins of Utah

Itching to explore the great west, but wary of overcrowded national parks and tourist traps? Goblin Valley, Utah may be the perfect antidote. The unusual park is situated near Utah's more popular national parks, like the crowded Arches Park and is in close proximity to the Little Wild Horse slot canyon, which offers fun and adventure for young and old alike. Goblin Valley contains thousands of mushroom-shaped pinnacles-- nicknamed goblins for their appearence-- which are sand and rock formations created by millions of years of the combined effects of wind and rain. In a new article for GoNomad.com, freelance writer and photographer Emily Fagan explores the often overlooked Goblin Valley with her family, and finds it to be a true gem.
Enjoy the excerpt below:

Gothic Cathedrals and Goblin Greeters

On the approach to Goblin Valley, a huge rock formation thrusts up out of the surrounding flat plains, dominating the horizon. As broad and tall as a downtown city block, it resembles the buttressed base of a massive gothic cathedral.

To one side three "goblins" stand together like greeters, welcoming visitors. Utah has created a lovely state park here, tucking the campground into the embrace of the mammoth rock formation's rust colored flanks.

We explored the steep walls and crevices of this seeming monolith, and discovered that the entire formation is like a child's sand dribble castle at the beach. The sandstone is literally dripping away as it erodes.

What seems like an impenetrable fortress from a distance is actually delicate to the touch. The sandstone sounds hollow when you tap it, and it breaks off in your hand if you are too forceful.

The campground offers spacious sites with terrific views for RVs (no hookups) as well as cozy tent sites hidden among the rocks where you can commune with the sandstone and have complete privacy. Each site has a shade ramada for the picnic table, and there are flush toilets, showers and an RV dump. Bring plenty of provisions because the nearest grocery store is 20 miles away.

Entrada Hike to the Goblins

The mile-long Entrada hiking trail goes from the campground to the heart of the Valley of the Goblins, and on the way it weaves through a maze of sandstone. The walls of this maze are just high enough to obscure the view of where you are headed, and is narrow enough to make you feel like a mouse scampering along the trail.

The route doubles back on itself many times and passes lots of domes and small hills. As we approached the valley and saw the fully formed goblins in the distance we realized that these nearby domes were actually goblins-in-the making: some domes are partially eroded, revealing the craggy, lumpy beginnings of goblins underneath.

When the path opens onto the valley you can't help but feel a childlike awe at the scene laid out before you. The basin is filled with funny shaped red rock formations, each standing about 10 to 15 feel tall. Scanning the valley floor, nature's whimsy is apparent.

There are red rock mushrooms, spaceships, birds, sea turtles, and a myriad of other shapes all strewn about. The far side of the valley is bounded by cathedral buttresses that match the imposing structure at the campground.

Two Men from Illinois

Today when Barack Obama swore in to be the 44th President of the United States, he used the very same bible that Abraham Lincoln used 148 years before him. Throughout his campaign for president Obama has drawn inspiration from Lincoln, who like Obama, was a tall thin man from humble beginnings who was a relative newcomber to Washington, and who sought to unify the nation at a time of crisis. The theme for today's inauguration was taken from a line in Lincoln's Gettysburg Address: "A New Birth of Freedom." In the excerpt below, Dominic Degrazier describes his trip to Abe's hometown and the Illinois state capital of Springfield:


We stopped at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum that was recently opened in April 2005. This museum enchants the visitor with an onslaught of history and the prevailing times of the Civil War.

To give perspective here: I do not enjoy most museums and find myself doing whatever I can after 20 minutes to entertain myself in most of them. On this particular day I spent two hours with Lincoln in his museum, which seemed like only 20 minutes! Never have I been presented with so much information in a dazzling feast of visuals, movies, hologram presentations, wax models, and my favorite display, a time-lined and evolving Union/Confederate territory map during the entire Civil War.

My museum experience began with the 20-minute movie called “Lincoln’s Eyes.” This movie not only scared me with the daunting sound system through war scenes, but also exposed me to the various angles of the slave times -- especially when listening to the sentiments of Frederick Douglass and his opinion of Lincoln. This era was not so cut and dried as I had been taught.

After the short movie, we were drawn into an odd-shaped hall with multiple angled caricature pictures framed on the walls. These showed news clips of popular sentiment at the time concerning Lincoln and his actions. Abe Lincoln clearly did not have an easy term. It was abundantly obvious he was getting heat and criticism from all sides.

Sliding through this, past some wax figures and voices of the times giving their respective takes, we returned to the common area of the museum just in time to see “Ghost of the Library.” This presentation is a baffler -- at least it was to me. An actor, or what I thought was an actor, was behind a slanted window glass on a stage reciting stories of Abe and the war. He was in a library and repeatedly opens books and narrating tales.

Holograms formed out of the books and explicitly showed what the actor was describing. Such impressive technology! Then, to top things off, something happened at the end (I don’t want to ruin the surprise!) that made me question what was real, and what was technically engineered -- an amazing showcase used to describe an amazing era of our history.

The thought put into these presentations and displays was mind boggling. I can understand why the museum took three years to be completed. If you want to learn -- or re-learn -- about Lincoln and the times surrounding his presidency should visit this museum.

The reflection of Springfield now provokes thoughts of my nation’s history. It is where I first understood how close the United States came to becoming two nations, and how the vision and guidance of a Springfield, Illinois, citizen prevented this.

Lincoln and Springfield showed me a humble America, rooted in history.

Yoga inspires adventures the World around

In a new article for GoNomad.com, three women share their experiences on Yoga-themed retreats and tours which have taken them to locations like Guatemala, Bali, and India to practice their yoga. Patricia Lee Lewis, who runs writing workshops at Patchwork Farm in western Massachusetts, shares why she decided to start leading international retreats which combine her creative writing with yoga sessions in sacred spaces around the world.
Enjoy the excerpt below!

“The best writing is rooted in the physical world, through the senses. Yoga helps us relax and go deeply into our own physical self,” explains Lewis, who... organizes several international yoga and writing retreats annually.

The first trip of the new year will be to Villa Sumaya, at Lake Atitlan, Guatemala in February, 2009, then to St. Non’s Monastic Retreat Centre in St. David’s, Wales during August. Each retreat runs for eight days, seven nights, and welcomes participants of all yoga and writing experience levels, from beginner to professional.

Lewis has been running these international retreats since 1997, including destinations in Mexico, Costa Rica, Scotland, and Ireland in addition to Guatemala and Wales, and feels that yoga benefits one’s writing immensely:

“We are enabled through the movement to bypass the thinking critic in our mind and delve into memories, images, dreams, and feelings which are often buried in the tissues of our bodies.”

When choosing a destination Lewis looks for sacred sites around the world, places where the natural world and the human spirit intertwine, which are usually on the water and are always breathtakingly beautiful.

In these spaces, says Lewis, “We are transported into a fresh world that calls us to be more than ordinarily aware of our surroundings.”

During the retreats yoga is practiced in the morning and some afternoons for two to three hours daily, with writing in structured groups for four hours a day, but all activities are optional, leaving plenty of time for independent adventure or leisure.

Though the organization and planning of an international retreat is somewhat daunting, Patricia says the fruits of her labor are well worth the effort. The change in people is palpable; participants arrive exhausted anxious, but says Lewis:

“By the end of the week, almost all are radiant -- and why not? They have given these gifts to themselves: time, beauty, strangeness, rest, movement, and the creative expression of what has often been hidden for decades. They have stretched into their own true selves, a place almost forgotten only a week before.”

Participants have ranged in age from 17 to 84, with most being in their 40’s and 50’s, and about 75% are women. Patricia finds her international students “willing to take risks in their writing and to trust the process we use,” which results in “strong, vivid writing.”

There is a great sense of support and community at the retreats, which she says often results in lasting friendships, further supporting the writing and traveling life.

As for the future, Lewis is planning a return to Ireland next year, and hopes to find an appropriate location for retreats in the Caribbean, perhaps Puerto Rico. “A big dream is to take writers to New Zealand for a kayaking & writing retreat. Yoga would be a big part of keeping us fit and grounded!”

Biking Belize's ancient temples

Though Belize is a favorite destination for vacationers wishing to relax on the country's gorgeous beaches, it also offers treats for the adventuresome: over 600 Mayan ruins and vast spaces of protected, wild jungle to explore. In an article for GoNomad.com, photographer and freelance writer Matthew Kadey relates his experiences cycling through Belize, exploring the countryside and making a side trip over the boarder to Guatemala to visit the pyramid at Tikal.
Enjoy the excerpt below:


Caracol is Belize’s most extraordinary archaeological site but to get there we must tackle the 50-mile, frequently undulating dilapidated Chiquilbul road that heads due south through some of the country’s densest forest.

The road’s mood is influenced by the harshness of the rainy season. However, watching tourists being bounced around in those trucks, I’m happy to be on two wheels instead of four.

Several rest breaks are used to gorge on tropical goodies in the way of bananas, oranges and papayas supplied by our cook, Jason. His laid-back, “no problem man” style makes him the poster boy for the Belizean chill-out lifestyle. My type-A personality is having a hard time adjusting to the casual ‘Belize-time.’

There’s a curious flora transition that occurs along this rutted dirt road. At one moment, I’m riding through a vast pine forest - that unfortunately has a long way to go in its recovery from a devastating southern pine beetle infestation - and then the next, I’m in awe of the sights and sounds of the surrounding jungle canopy within Chiquilbul National Park where Caracol is so eloquently snuggled.

There are few signs of human presence in the uninterrupted green. The rough terrain combined with the first-rate scenery leaves me oscillating between elation and exhaustion.

Thanks to the generosity of the tourism board, we are able to arrange a camping spot at Caracol, a privilege not usually bestowed upon curious tourists. This little reward meant that at ride’s end we’re off to the top of the Caana Mayan pyramid to take in the sunset and the smashing view of the surrounding verdant jungle and mountain ridges.

A Reindeer adventure in the Arctic Circle

For those wishing to experience the more traditional aspects of the holiday season, nothing could be better than a sleighride to Santa's Village. The Finnish city of Rovaniemi lies at the Arctic Circle, and provides the perfect location for activities like dog sledding, sleigh rides, and enjoying a meal inside an igloo.

Enjoy the excerpt from this GoNomad.com article below!

A Reindeer Sleigh ride

We visited a reindeer farm and rode like the jolly old man himself on a reindeer sled. Bumpy! Since the sled had space for two, I was paired with a young man from Spain. He was enthralled with all the snow. Though our communication was limited, we laughed and grinned like best buds. The sled ride did not involve flying over rooftops; unfortunately we stayed attached to terra firma. Where are Donner and Blitzen when you need them?

Santa Claus Village is a white fantasy land, constructed partially of snow buildings. Tall, narrow ice obelisks glowed blue and green, eerily illuminating the afternoon darkness.

I kept noticing a group of youngsters in the 7-to-12 age range, wearing matching outfits.

Filled with energy, they bounced around the village in an organized fashion so I assumed they were part of the staff, or perhaps staff off-spring. Their duties included throwing snowballs, giggling, sledding, and generally creating a festive feeling. Their antics had the desired effect.

Out-of-This-World Sensation

Snowmobiling is an essential part of any visit to Rovaniemi. The trails are cut through more pristine, snow-covered pine trees. Acre upon acre of perfectly sculpted snow is such a pleasure to see. The temperatures cause the snow to cling tenaciously to even the tiniest, thinnest tree branch.

I took a spill off my snowmobile into a snowbank, head first. Then I realized someone was laughing like crazy. Oh, it was me! A moment later, I reminded myself I was sitting in a snow bank in the Arctic. It gave me an out-of-this-world sensation. At one point while riding, I could see the moon sitting on the horizon to my left and the sun on the horizon to my right.