There’s a recurring theme here: I didn’t do my homework. Let me explain: It is not a put-down. I am a confident enough traveler to take some risk. I used all of my free time last month to plan for the trip. I put together a tight itinerary, I typed out the routes I would drive, in case the GPS stopped working. I pre-booked nearly all my stays.
But I did not do my homework. There was no time for that. So today, when I drove to Arches National Park, I was turned away at the gate. Like Rocky Mountain National Park, they do timed entries. I tried to get that going (the ranger implied there are passes available), but the internet there was slow. On top of that, I had to log into https://recreation.gov—are you kidding? Are you expecting me to play the password game in order to gain the favor of the computer gods in order to gain the pass?
No thank you! So I went back to my beloved Canyonlands National Park! Got sunburnt this time. I haven’t looked at myself, but I feel the tightness and warmth emanating from my skin.
I changed it up, this time taking a right turn down a long, unpaved road. Dudes, it was worth it!
I had occasion to film the elusive striped squirrel. I first noticed these little guys at Broadmoor 7 Falls. I reached for my phone then, but hit the wrong button. This individual makes 2. These guys are smaller than the squirrels I know from both the East and West coasts.
Update: A Youtube commenter tells me this is a chipmunk, which checks out!
