Havasupai- aka The Hidden Paradise in the Grand Canyon

After moving to Flagstaff, all of the "most do" activities for nearby attractions always led me to Havasu/Havasupai Falls.  Several Grand Canyon postcards and advertisements use the unique turquoise water-- however, it is almost impossible to see the naturally, breathtaking waters in the flesh.  Okay, perhaps I am being a little dramatic, but it is actually really hard to get a camping permit in the beautiful little piece of paradise.  After missing out on an opportunity via Meetup and another through the hiking group at NAU, I pretty much accepted the fact that I may not see the falls in person while living in Flagstaff.  However, while working at the City of Flagstaff, my supervisor told me that her and her friends got a last minute camping reservation for the following weekend.  She told me to try and call because cancellations are pretty frequent. After hearing that little bit of hope, I decided to give them a call.  I first called the Camping Office on a Monday at 9am.  I believe I used the 2121 number.  The lady who picked up the phone told me that they were completely booked for the season, which lasts through November.  I knew this was my fate, and decided to call them in another hour.  So after about 45 minutes had passed, I took a water break (I was collecting data at the time), and I decided to give them another call.  This time, I called the 2141 number.  The phone gave me a busy tone, so I hung up.  I remember I edited some data and decided to call once more.  So, I called the same number, and it rang for almost a minute.  I was about to hang up, but a voice was on the other line.  I asked about 2 different weekends in October, but this new lady told me the same news.  I then asked if there were any openings in September, and then she said yes!  She said that they had an opening for 2 nights for 2 people in September.  Of course, I didn't exactly know what days they were, but I accepted the opening.  I gave her my name and wrote down my confirmation number.  I was head over heels excited for this once in a lifetime opportunity.

** So this is how the reservation process goes down.  Feb 1st is when the season opens for camping.  I heard that since so many people are calling on this day, that it is nearly impossible to get someone to answer the phone.  You could be lucky and get someone to answer, but your dates might not be available.  When I called the office, it was the last week in July, and it was for a reservation in early Sept.

Anyways, fast forward to a week before the trip.  I start school for the semester and realized that I couldn't miss school that Wednesday, which happened to be the first day of our trip.  I called the camping reservation and asked if it was possible to change my trip by 1 day.  I got denied, which made me really upset.  This isn't a trip that you want to do in 2 days.  I waited a few days and called back, on a Saturday afternoon.  The phone rang for a minute, and I almost hung up.  However, a chipper lady answered the phone.  I asked her what time the tourist office closes in the village, because you have to check in there before you go into the campsite.  She told me 6pm, which would not have been enough time for me to teach lab that Wednesday morning, and drive 3 hours to the trail head.  I told her that I wouldn't be able to make it on time, and if it was possible to change my reservation by 1 day for my party of 2.  She told me to hang on, and got back with an answer.  She said that since it was just 2 people, that one extra night shouldn't be a problem in the campsite.  I thanked her so much and confirmed my reservation number.

I was very, very lucky with this whole reservation process.  I booked a 3 night stay at a kennel for Kodak.  Though, it was more than just a kennel-- they have doggie day camp and have 24 hour care!  Anyways, Brandon and I made a meal list, ran to REI for last minute supplies, and packed our bags.  We were very excited about this trip.

Day 1

We left Flagstaff at 4:30ish on Thursday morning.  Brandon slept in the car while I drove to the trailhead, which was almost 3 hours away.  We arrived at the trail head around 7am.  We tidied up our packs, got all situated, and headed down the trail at 7:20am.  The trail was all down hill, which meant it was going to be all uphill on the way back.  However, I tried to not focus on the future, but rather on the now.  We passed several groups that were hiking up, and got passed by a few pack mules.  We even saw the helicopter.  The weather was great and we were in the shaded during the majority of the hike to the village.

Havasu Falls

The hike from the trailhead to the village was 8 miles.  Yes, 8 miles.  When you get to the village, you have to check into the tourist office.  Here, you pay for your trip, get wristbands that must stay on you for the entire trip, a tag for your tent, and a few rough maps of the area.  We got to the tourist office around 11:20, which meant it took us 4 hours to hike 8 miles downhill.  We took breaks for food, water, and picture opportunities.  There were several groups checking in at the same time as us, so we didn't get out of the office until almost noon.

Once you check in, you have to pay for your reservation.  It is $35 per person to enter.  Then, $5 per person for an environment fee, and then $17 per person per night for camping. It is rather expensive for camping, but this is how the Village makes their money.  When you pay, everyone in your party gets a wristband that must stay on during the duration of your trip.  After checking in and getting your wristbands, it is another 2 miles to the campsite from the village.  The village is home to almost 300 Supai people.  There is a helicopter pad, a school, post office, trading post, lodge, and cafeteria.  We didn't spend much time at the village, since we had everything that we needed.  The 2 mile hike to the campsite was really hot-- the sun was out and if was of course the hottest part of the day.  It took us almost an hour to reach the campsite.  I was very exhausted from the heat. While going to the campsite, you pass Upper and Lower Navajo Falls and Havasu Falls.  We knew that we were going to head right to Havasu Falls once we set up camp.

We reached the campsite and saw one available spot.  Not knowing what the campsite status was, I sat with our stuff at the first site while Brandon continued down the camping area to hunt for available sites.  He said there were several nicer spots, so we walked a little further.  We found a nice spot that was off the trail with some shade and picnic table.  We set up our tent, ate a snack, and put on our bathing suits.  By this time, it was around 2pm.  We decided to head back to Havasu Fall which was just about a quarter mile from our campsite.

Havasu Falls was amazing.  We jumped in the water, which was cold, but felt really good after a 10 mile hike.  The area was a little crowded.  There were people eating on the picnic tables, some people were asleep on the beach, while others were playing the blue water.  After enjoying the nice water, the sun moved below the canyon, so it was getting cold.  We went back to the the campsite and grabbed some dinner and water.  We went back to Havasu Falls, and no one was there.  We cooked out dinner and enjoyed the lovely views.  We headed back to the campground right before dark.  I was exhausted and went right to sleep.  Brandon stayed awake for a little bit to take pictures of the stars.

Day 2

Mooney Falls

We decided to let our bodies sleep in after our long hike yesterday.  I remember waking up to hearing people people on the trail.  It was a slow moving morning since we were a little sore.  We had breakfast and decided to do Mooney Falls and Beaver Falls.  We packed our day packs and continued down the campsite and saw all of the other sites we missed.  About a half mile away is Mooney Falls.  This waterfall is taller than Havasu Falls with a very strong undertow.  We took pictures from above and looked at the climb down--- and it look terrifying.  But, I was going to do it.  Brandon hooked his GoPro to his head and he recorded the climb down.  The climb down to Mooney was a narrow hike, through these mini-like caves.  Then, you had to descend using ladders and chains.  It was definitely terrifying, and I didn't have that much fun, but the view were worth it.  At the last ladder, there was a Rez dog just chilling.  She was in my way, but after gathering up my guts, I attempted to go around her, and we were both safe.  The Falls were beautiful, but we wanted to head over to Beaver Falls since it was a 2 mile hike away.  The trails was not marked at all, and at times, it could of been difficult to lose the trail.  After a few water crossing and sketchy ladders, we made it to Beaver Falls.

Beaver Falls was not crowded at all.  Beaver Falls is a cascaded waterfall with several pools.  Before descending down to Beaver, there was a Native to checked our Wristbands.  It was crazy to see that they still had some checking wristbands all the way out at Beaver.  Anyways, we enjoyed the cold water for about an hour and had lunch.  It took us almost 2 hours to get from Mooney to Beaver.  It was around 2pm when we headed back to Mooney.  Heading back was a little tough since we lost the trail twice, but we ended up where we needed to be.  We took photos of Mooney Falls, but decided to grab our dinner back at the campsite and eat it at Havasu.  The climb back up from Mooney was just as scary.  Since the wind changed direction, the mist from the falls made the chains really slippery.  But, I made it back up in one piece. 

Near Beaver Falls

We arrived back at the campsite.  I changed out of my bathing suit and into some dry clothes. We grabbed dinner and went back to Havasu Falls.  We stayed until about dark again and went back to camp.  Since we were heading out in the morning, we packed our bags the best that we could that night, so we could head out early.

Day 3

My phone alarm went off at 5:30.  We got up, took down camp, packed our bags, and hiked on out at 6:30am.  We stopped at Havasu Falls once again to quickly eat breakfast.  We enjoyed the last views of the Falls, and hiked back to the Village.  We arrived at the village around 8am.  The helicopter doesn't run on Saturdays, but we should of used a pack mule...anyways, the hike out was a tough one.  The never ending uphill was a killer.  We took our time, had plenty of water breaks, and took rest stops in the shade.  They last hour and a half, and mile and a half, was the worst.  It was a 1,000 feet change in elevation.  With a 30 pound pack on my back and during the hottest part of the day, I seriously thought I was going to die--okay, I was being super dramatic, but it was a tough hike, and it was super hot.  Brandon does a great job putting up with me, but I was thrilled to see a small little stand at the top of the Hilltop.  Here, we bought 2 cans of Dr. Pepper, 1 cold water bottle, and 2 slices of watermelon for $10.  It was so great.  Overall- the trip was awesome, and I would do it again.  Here are some tips.

The Only Way Up and Down to Mooney Falls

Tips

• Leave early.  During the later summer/early fall hours, you can leave the Hilltop around 7am and get to the Village at 11am.  Perfect for beating the sun.
• Filter your water.  Even though it's from a spring, we still filtered our water.  We heard several people have bad times in the restrooms
• There are 3 compost restroom areas in the campground. 
• You check in at the lady at the top of the Hilltop to confirm your confirmation before heading down
• Don't stop at the first open campsite you see.  The campground goes back quite a ways with some very nice spots by the water.
• There is a Cash-Only Frybread stand between Havasu Falls and the campground.  They were open around dinner time both nights we were there. 
• Don't wear your packs when hiking back to the Hilltop.  I will definitely pay for a Pack Mule next time.  
• You can pay with Cash or Card at the tourist check in
• My hydroflask was awesome.  It kept ice cold water in it for 3 days. 
• Take all of the pictures! 
• Go down to Mooney Falls. It's super scary, but totally worth it!
• Always wear your wristband
• There is a Trading Post and Cafeteria in the Village
  
  
  

Funny story-- as we were hiking to the campground after checking into the tourist, we past these 3 southern people.  They were giggling up a hill and we said "hi."  The lady told me "We're going back to the village for a Coke."  I don't know why, but I thought that was so funny.

Also, my FitBit lasted the entire 3 days.  From Hilltop and back to Hilltop, my FitBit recorded almost 35 miles for the 3 days!  Talk about a workout.  I also lost 4 pounds when I weighed myself when I got back to the apartment. 

Pokemon Go or Pokemon No?!

If you have logged on any social media for the past month, you probably saw a post from a friend about the new smartphone app: Pokemon Go.

Pokemon Go is an augmented reality game that encourages people to go outside and play along with Pokemon.  Alright, I don't know exactly how it works, but I do know that this application is making people leave their houses in order to collect supplies, capture pokemon, battle gyms, and of course, meet new (and real-life) people!

At first, I thought this was going to be a silly game that was only going to be popular for about a week.  However, with its popularity, the servers went down often, but that didn't stop people from wanting to play the game.  The game is something special to individuals, especially to the millennials.  You see, when I was around 6 years old (year 1999-2000), I remember Pokemon being really popular.  I remember seeing the different trading cards, but I had no idea what they meant-- and to be honest, I still kind of don't know what they mean.

Nevertheless, Pokemon was a staple for the millennial generation that ignited the love for anime tv shows, trading cards, and of course, video games!  I remember my neighbor had a GameBoy that he played Pokemon on.  He was nice enough to let me play, but I honestly still had no idea what I was doing-- at this point, I was in the 3rd/4th grade.

Since I didn't have consoles to play video games on, I didn't really have the passion for pokemon like others do.  However,  I use Pokemon Go as an opportunity to re-live my video game deprived childhood.  (Okay, my childhood wasn't that bad.  I actually loved playing outside and playing computer games!).

With the help of social media, everyone can state their opinion whenever they can, and in fact, many people complain how this new Pokemon Go is silly and pointless.  Well, one can say that about anything!  Candy crush, Geocaching, Neko Atsume, Boom Beach, etc.  If there is a game that interests you, play it!  We live in a world where we have thousands of games at our fingertips, and there is actually something there for everyone!

Now, who do I see playing Pokemon Go? Answer: EVERYONE.  Yes, people of all ages, races, and religions.  Why? Because it is a game that revolves around your movement and your environment.

And-- this is why I like the game, and this is how this game relates to my blog: it uses geospatial features to determine your location, and it encourages you to travel to new places to gather supplies, battle gyms, and of course, collect new Pokemon.

So the people that created Pokemon Go are the same people that created Ingress, another smartphone game that uses your location to play  the game.  You see, these "poke-stops" are mostly unique locations that have a symbolic feature to its surrounding area.  In Flagstaff, most of these stops are plaques, statues, and artwork.  You see, this encourages geo-tourism since you can learn a lot about a city's history and culture with the help of your handheld GPS device.

But what I think I love most about this game is that it wants you to leave your house and explore hidden gems around your town.  Many people miss out on the history and culture of their city.  Even though I've only lived in Flagstaff for a year, I am already learning a lot about Flagstaff because of this game.

So, I think Pokemon Go is a great way to play a game while also moving and exploring the town/city that you're in.  Obviously, don't go to places that make you uncomfortable, and ALWAYS PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR SURROUNDINGS.  Don't walk into people, don't walk into oncoming traffic, and don't go in dark alleys by yourself!  Even if you are texting in walking, you should still do this.  I think people are getting too caught up into the game, that they forget about the real-world.  If you have good spatial skills, you can determine where upcoming pokestops are on the map, and your phone vibrates when a "wild pokemon" appears.

Use common sense, get outside, learn something new, and of course, have fun!  Brandon and I went to a meet-up two weeks ago, and there were at least 100 people there.  I've seen events for Pub Crawls and Flash Mobs.  My advice: always go with a friend-- use the buddy system.  Plus, it's more fun when you have someone with you!

Have fun!  Collect them all! :)

Denver/ Geowoodstock 14er Trip

Brandon and I took a small 3-day trip to Denver, Colorado to participate in America's largest Geocaching Event.  GeoWoodstock is a geocaching Mega Event that attracts people from all over the world.  Last year, Brandon and I had the opportunity to attend the event in Boonsboro, Maryland. We had a great time that we decided to go again this year; however, the event this year took place in Denver!

This would be my second time in Colorado.  When we took our roadtrip out West during our move, we drove straight through Colorado on I-25 South.  Yes, I thought it was beautiful, but didn't actually see its beauty until this trip.

We left Flagstaff on July 1, since I booked a three-night campsite at Cherry Creek State Park on the Southeast part of Denver. I wanted to leave around 6am, but we didn't actually hit the road until 7:30am.  Which meant, that we probably won't get to the state park until 8:30 or 9pm.  This can be a problem sometimes because parks and even other campgrounds sometimes lock the gates around 10pm or 11pm.

The Four Corners

Well, since we were making the 11 - 12 hour trek to Denver, we decided to add an extra 45 minutes to check out the ever famous Four Corners National Monument!  This has been on my bucket list ever since I learned about it in the 5th grade.  At this location, you have the opportunity to be in Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado at the same time!  I guess if you want to get technical, you are actually in the Navajo Nation the entire time...but hey, it's still pretty cool!

So, this place is your typical tourist trap.  I think we ended up paying $5 a person, which is actually pretty expensive.  The weather was very overcast, but that didn't stop us from checking out this unique location.  We parked and used the disgusting toilets.  Then, we walked up to the monument and stood in line for almost twenty minutes to get our picture taken.  Luckily, the people in line were courteous and even took pictures for each other.  Once we took our pictures, we walked around to each of the different states.  As we were walking back to the car, it began to pour!

The Road Less Traveled? 

Foggy in Pagosa Springs, CO

Instead of jumping on I-25 North, we decided to take the longer, but scenic route to Denver.  We first drove through Mancos and then Durango.  Unfortunately, it was raining during this trip, but seeing the beautiful mountains was nice.  We drove through the San Juan National Forest, and stopped in Pagosa Springs to check out the awesome fog.  We continued North and went through the Rio Grande National Forest and eventually the San Isabel National Forest.  We reached an elevation of almost 11,000 feet and experienced temperatures in the 40s! 

We ended up arriving at Cherry Creek State Park around 8:30ish.  The office was open until 9pm, but there was not locked gate, so we could of came in later that night.  The State Park was really nice and was weird because it was in the city, but not in the city.  It w was definitely cheaper than a hotel room, though. 

Pikes Peak

On Saturday, the plan was to explore America's most famous mountain-- Pikes Peak!  This would be my first 14er, which was exciting for me.  However, we received a notification saying that the road was closed at 11,000 ft because the fog was too intense to drive up.  We were in a pickle!  I had planned our whole Saturday on doing Pikes, and didn't have a back up plan.  I suggested to Brandon that we could try to do Mt. Evans, another 14er, but we had no idea what the road conditions were like.  I also suggested checking out Rocky Mountain National Park.  Brandon decided for us to just go ahead and drive to Colorado Springs.  I said that we could do the Garden of the Gods if the road was still closed when we got there.  Well, we ended up getting there around 12:30pm, and they were letting people up the mountain.  When it was our turn to pay our admission, the ranger said that they had just opened the road back up so we could get to the top!

Clouds rolling away on Pikes Peak

Yippee!  

The drive up the 16-18 miles was beautiful.  It was very similar to our drive yesterday.  It took us right around 45 minutes to get up the mountain.  When we go up there, the temperature was 34 degrees! We came prepared with our winter jackets, beanies, and gloves.  We were already wearing pants.  I was surprised of the amount of people who were in shorts with no jackets.  I remember seeing some people walking around with blankets on.  

We took our picture with the summit sign, and checked out the highest gift store in America.  We bought some cute souvenirs and then walked around to grab some of the geocaches. We probably walked around for a good hour taking some pictures.  It was really cloudy from all of the rain that was in the system.  In fact, it started to snow at one point!  

There was a brief moment when the clouds disappeared, and we were able to get some awesome pictures.  Before we went down the mountain, we went back into the store to get the world famous donuts.  Apparently, yeast cannot rise at 14,000 ft, so they have to use special ingredients to make the donuts rise.  I thought that they were good, but nothing too special. 

This was probably the highlight of my trip. Although we drove up, it was still beautiful and should be on everyone's bucket list.  Maybe one day i'll hike up it! 

The Oldest Geocache in Colorado

So as we got off the mountain, we quickly parked at the admission gate to use the restroom before heading back North to Denver.  As Brandon was getting out, a strange white vehicle parked directly behind us, and it was our friends Pat and David from Georgia!  They were trying to get up the mountain, but the had closed the gates already.  They said that that were now on their way to get the oldest geocaching in Colorado, so we decided to join them since it was only 30 miles away.  We got within 500 feet of the cache and hiked into the woods.  Apparently, the cache-owner had a birthday party at ground zero for the cache since it  was the 16 anniversary of its placement date.  The owner had cake and everything.  However, we missed the owner and the cake but still found the geocache in the woods.  This marks as the 7th state that we found the oldest cache in.  We spent the rest of our evening with Pat and David finding caches until we hit Colorado Springs.  We ate dinner at this BBQ place called Rudy's.  The BBQ sure did hit the spot! I got a baked potato with smoked turkey, since it was suggested by the police officer that was in line ahead of us. 

GeoWoodstock Mega Event

Geocache at the mega event

Brandon and I had a nice time at the event.  We spent the entire day there socializing and learning tips and tricks with our favorite hobby.  We saw some friends from Georgia, and I got a elk burger from a food truck! It was really hot and humid out, but we enjoyed ourselves. The same event will happen again next year, but this time in North Carolina, so we might have to make a trip out there! :)

Breweries Galore!

Jagged Moutain Flight

Colorado is known for craft breweries, and this year, the GeoWoodstock team did the lab caches based on a craft beer tour!  So, you go to the breweries and you get the password to claim a find for the lab cache.  On Friday, we stopped at Denver Beer Co. and enjoyed some pints.  This brewery had this "hipster" vibe, but it was still cool.  I ended up getting a raspberry wheat beer, which reminded me of a beer from Prescott Brewery in Arizona.  On Sunday, we stopped at Jagged Mountain Brew for a flight.  They had a lot of interesting beer choices.  My favorite for that brewery was the Cherry Wheat beer! Yum!  There are soooo many breweries in Denver; I would definitely like to go back someday.

After we were done at Jagged Mountain, we walked a few blocks over to the Mile High Spirits Distillery.  The bartender at Jagged said that they have the best Moscow Mules.  Well, they did!  They make their own vodka and ginger beer mix.  It was delicious!  We only had one drink there because we were getting tired.  So many good drinks in the city! 

The Trip Back Home

Colorado River at Glenwood Springs Rest Area

I looked at the map and saw that there was yet another way to get back to Flagstaff that wasn't I-25/I-40 bound.  We jumped on I-70 West and went through the Arapaho National Forest.  It was once again beautiful!  We also stopped at a rest area in Glenwood Springs, and IT WAS THE BEST REST AREA EVER!  I had to use the restroom, but this rest area gave you access to the Colorado River, and a bike trail.  It was so beautiful and just awesome.  

We ate lunch in Grand Junction at a Wendy's because the local burger joint that we wanted to try was closed on the July 4th.  We drove through Utah, and headed South to Moab.  The drive back wasn't that bad, but once we hit Moab, I was ready to be back home.

Overall, this was a great trip, and it made me fall in love with Colorado.  I have several friends that love Colorado, and now I understand why!  I wouldn't mind finding a job in that state! :) 

Open Space Aide: My Summer Internship with the City

This Summer, I had the opportunity to work with the Sustainability Department for the City of Flagstaff.  I work under the Open Space Specialist, which makes me the Open Space Aide.  I really like this part-time job since it combines my skills and knowledge on GIS, sustainability, and planning!

My Typical Work Week

So, I work 15 hours a week.  Which might not seem a lot, but when you are outside for 15 hours, you get very tired.  When I first started in June, I was going in around 8:30am and would get off around 1:30. I wanted to work three 5 hours days.  The three 5 hour days seem to work well for me.  I spend my extra two days catching up on chores and relaxing.  It is Summer, after all.
Since monsoon season has began (intense rainstorms),  I've been going in around 7:30 and finish right around noon.  The thunderstorms begin right around noon and into the afternoon.  I am not afraid of rain, but Flagstaff gets a lot of lightening activity.  If I see dark clouds form or hear thunder, I get to the vehicle as soon as possible.  I can always make up for my missed hours. 

What do I do, exactly?

Map of Observatory Mesa

Well, I walk around in the woods with an iPad! Well, it's not just anywhere in the woods, really.  I'm walking around 2,251 acres of Open Space land, which is known as the Observatory Mesa.  After a bond and a grant from the Arizona State Parks, the City of Flagstaff was able to obtain 4 sections on the Mesa as Open Space.  Since this land is considered Open Space, it will never be developed and will continue to serve as a space where people can hike, bike, horseback ride, dog walk, and even hunt on.  Since people have been using the land before the City acquired it, there are several unofficial trails and roads.  So, it it my job to walk around and record all of the trails, fences, and roads that I find.  Also, I record trash piles, points of interests (like awesome views), and illegal campsites. The City will like to eventually establish official trails, trash pick up activities, and do trail reconstruction on the data that I collect.  They want to see what is up there, so they know what they can/should do.
-Overall, I don't come across much trash.  I find some historic trash that must stay at its location.  Now and then, I find plastic wrappers and bottles that I just pick up and properly recycle when I get back in the office.  I've found more barbed wire piles at most.

What do I use?

As I stated, I use an iPad 2 that has the ESRI Collector app on it.  I use the app to record the trails, roads, and points of interest.  I have a Verizon HotSpot "JetPack" which gives me data while in the woods.  Lastly, I have a Garmin Glo, which is a GPS enhancer for the iPad.  It connects via bluetooth, and gives me an accuracy of 5 meters.  Also, I have a nice backpack to through all of my equipment in, and get to use a city vehicle on the mesa. 

Additional Tools I Use

I've been looking at Forest Service maps to see what roads are suppose to exist.  Also, I've been using OpenStreetMaps and Strava Heat Maps to see what information has been posted by the public.  

How Much Do I Walk?

On average, I hit my FitBit goal at 10,000 steps a day.  I vary from 4 miles to I think 7 miles one day.  The first section I walked was really flat, so it was easy for me to knock out several trails during one day.  The southernmost section drops significantly in elevation, which can make me extremely tired by 11am.  

Overall, it is a great summer internship for me.  I pick my own schedule.  I walk around the woods with a GPS.  And I use my spatial analysis skills to see where there may or may not be trails.  I haven't done much on the creation and designing of the maps, but that's fine with me.  I'm getting my steps while learning more about my field.

Here is more information on the City of Flagstaff's Observatory Mesa Open Space! :) 

The Three Day Roadtrip (Flagstaff, AZ to Gainesville, GA)

After making the trip twice,  I realized that I did not blog about our trip to and from Arizona and Georgia.  Here in Flagstaff, we have I-17 and I-40.  When going back home to Georgia to see family and friends, Brandon and I take I-40 East the whole way until we reach Nashville, TN.  Here are a few notable sights and stops we encountered while on the trip.

Going East

Arizona

When leaving Flagstaff, our first destination is Amarillo, Texas, which is an 8 hour drive.  Depending on the season and time zones, it can be a "9" or "10" hour drive with the time change. 

We are only in Arizona for two hours until we hit New Mexico. In Arizona, you'll pass Winslow, Holbrook, and the Petrified National Forest.  Gas stations and food stops are scarce since you are mostly driving around the Navajo Nation. 

New Mexico

Since we try our best to not stop in Arizona, the Welcome Center in New Mexico is our first pit stop.  Here, the welcome center is nice and airconditioned with clean restrooms.  There are several covered picnic tables that you can eat under.  They even have a fenced in dog park for Kodak! This is a great rest area while traveling East.  

The first town you'll go through is Gallup.  If you are hungry, this is a good place to eat.  They have your basic fast food joints.  

A little further down the road is Albuquerque, aka, the half-way point to Amarillo. Like most large cities, you might encounter traffic, and there's an Interchange there, so you need to be careful to stay in the lane that you need.  After Albuquerque, there are only like 3 or 4 towns that you'll come by.  If you stop in Santa Rosa, you should check out the Blue Hole.  You'll see billboards for it, and I recommend that you see it.  The Blue Hole is an 80-foot deep natural hole.  You can swim and scuba dive in it. While driving out East, we stopped at a few small towns to check out Historic Route 66.  And boy, Historic Route 66 is rough!    

Texas

Once you pass over the Texas state line, you have one hour until you hit Amarillo.  This part of the drive is also pretty boring.  You'll see windmills and cow farms.  However, once you're about to reach Amarillo, you should check out Cadillac Ranch. It's a nice stop to walk the dog and to stretch your legs. Amarillo is huge!  There are many places to sleep and eat.  We like to sleep at the Red Roof Inn since it is dog-friendly and in our price range.  On our first day, we stop here to take a rest.

Once you get some sleep, you have about an hour and a half until you are in Oklahoma.  Once again, you'll pass many wind turbines.  One of these times, I would like to exit off and check out some of the small towns.  Make sure you have food and gas before you leave Amarillo, because Shamrock, which is close to Oklahoma, is your best bet for food and gas.  

Oklahoma

Brandon says this is the boring part of the trip, but I don't mind it.  Actually, I would prefer driving since there aren't many people on the road.  We don't make a lot of stops since we are trying to get to Memphis as soon as possible--from Amarillo, this is an 11 hour drive.  Once you get out of Oklahoma City, you'll pass a handful of rest areas.  We like to stop an hour out of Oklahoma City to eat our lunch and to walk Kodak.  

Arkansas

The Welcome Center in Arkansas is really nice.  Last time, we ended up eating our lunch here instead of in Oklahoma.  The Welcome Center is huge, and the staff were super friendly.  After the break, Brandon took the wheel and we made our way to Tennessee.  In Arkansas, you start to see green trees and vegetation.  Once again, we don't make that many stops.  This last time, we stopped right after Little Rock to get some soda.  Little Rock is about the two hour mark from Memphis. 

Tennessee 

While on day 2, we stop in Memphis to stay with my grandmother.  Memphis has a great blues and BBQ scene if that is what you're into.  We don't really stop in Memphis since we normally meet my grandma for dinner.  We stay with her for a day or two and then make our trek to Georgia.

After we are done with Memphis, we continue East.  Unlike most of the other states, I noticed that gas stations are almost on every exit, which is nice if you're low on gas.  When approaching Nashville, we take 840 for Murfreesboro.  This is an "almost-half way" point.  840 is about an hour long, and spits you out on I-26.  Sometimes we eat lunch here, or we wait about an hour and eat at the Monteagle rest area.  Monteagle is nice and mountain-y.  Once you hit Monteagle, Chattanooga is your next destination.  For some reason, we always hit traffic here in Chattanooga.  Here, you jump on I-75 south for Georgia!  

Georgia

Once we are in Georgia, we don't want to stop.  We try our best to get home as soon as possible.  Crossing into Georgia is almost crossing the finish line while on the roadtrip.  You know that you still have about 2-2.5 hours depending on your route and traffic.  When we get to Canton, that is the final stretch!

Overall, the trip isn't that bad.  I seem to see something new each time.  We also geocache, which helps break up the long drive.  When I tell people that we drive, they give me the most surprised look!  But I mean, it ends up being cheaper for us, and we can take Kodak! :)

***This post was originally written in early June, but it was sitting in my drafts for the longest time! Whoops! 

Yes, I love my FitBit!

After being asked numerous times by family members, friends, and strangers on the bus, I've decided to blog about my experience with my FitBit fitness tracker.  This post will benefit those who are thinking about buying one as a gift or for themselves.  If you already have a FitBit, I'm sure you'll relate to many of blurbs in the next 1,000-ish words.

In the Fall of 2013, I have never heard for a FitBit or JawBone fitness bracelet.  The Garmin Vivo was not born in addition to all of the other fitness trackers that are out there.  During this time period, I was a Junior in college and also worked part-time at Publix, a grocery store.  During my first few months of working in the grocery store, I realized that I was doing a lot of walking and ended up purchasing a cheap $5 pedometer from Walmart to see how many steps I did per day.  For my birthday, my mom surprised me with the FitBit Flex, which was the newest and most high-tech fitness bracelet during that time period.  Like I said, I had no idea what the FitBit Flex was, but I quickly figured it out and got a understanding of how many steps and miles I did during my shift at the grocery store.

FitBit Flex

I wore my FitBit Flex religiously for the following month to see my progress.  However, I soon began to forget to wear it or charge it which begins my year in limbo...

I don't know why I didn't wear my FitBit Flex for almost a year.  I did a lot of walking, and every time I went hiking I thought to myself "I wish I was wearing my FitBit so I can see my progress." I eventually got better at wearing my bracelet.  While studying abroad in Berlin, Germany, I wore my FitBit for the first week and was surprised that I racked up 70 miles during that time period.  But like I said, I somehow forgot to charge and wear it, so the following 4 weeks in Berlin were not recorded.

For the next year and a half, I would wear my FitBit part time.  I kicked myself for not wearing it and tried my best to set alarms to wear it.

Fast forward to January 1, 2016.  I told myself I was going to wear my FitBit and make no excuses.  I set my charger in the bathroom and would charge it when I take a shower.  I also told myself to charge it at night when I get the low battery alert.  Believe it or not, I've been wearing my FitBit every day in the year 2016.  I only have one day where my steps did not record.  There have only been a few instances where my battery died, but I still had my bracelet, and it still recorded some steps.  I have a nice tan line, and even bought some extra bands to keep it entertaining.

So, do I love my FitBit?  If you would have asked me last year, I would say "yes, but I forget to wear it."  If you ask me today, my reply would be "YES! I wear it everyday!"


Now, FitBit has come out with many models over the past few years.  They have the Charge which records your flights in elevation, the Charge HR which also records your heartrate, the Surge that also does GPS.  They also have the Blaze which looks like a watch and the Alta, which is a slimmer bracelet.  The flex is very basic and simple and tends to be the cheapest on their market.  The flex counts your steps, calories, active minutes, and sleep.  You can also manually input your water intake, track your food, and add exercise if you participate in yoga for 30 minutes. With the Flex, you can also buy different bands since you can take out the FitBit computer from one band to another unlike the Charge.

Lastly, you can participate in FitBit challenges with your friends that also have FitBits.  There are four different challenges: Goal Day, Daily Showdown, Workweek Hustle, and Weekend Warrior.  The Goal Day is where you compete with friends to see if they can meet their daily goal.  The Daily Showdown is who has the most amount of steps in a day.  The workweek hustle and weekend warrior are challenges to see who can rack up the most steps during that time period.  It is nice to see progress of others and see how you're doing when compared to them.  It is a nice and friendly competition to get each other active.  Also, if you take steps without your fitbit on, it's like those steps don't count for anything!

In addition, FitBit gives you badges during your "FitBit Lifetime."  These badges represent how many miles you have done with your fitbit, or the most steps and/or flights you've done in a day.  It is nice to see these badges, and you can set mini-goals for yourself!


Since I did some rambling, here are some FAQs:

FAQ

Does your fitbit make you healthier?
Long story, short: yes.  When I'm wearing my fitbit, I constantly think of ways to get more steps in for that day.  Sometimes, that means parking away from a store, walking down more aisles, or taking an extended walk with the pup.  The fitbit makes me walk more.  When you're in these fitbit challenges with your friends, the app will remind you to take a walk so you can get in the lead for that challenge.

Where do you get your FitBit Flex bands?
I used the original band for over two years until it tore. You can buy official fitbit brand bands on Amazon, Best Buy, or Walmart.  I recently bought a 3-pack of off-brand bands from Amazon for $10.  These bands are a floral design, so I can mix it up when I want to wear something different.

When do you charge your FitBit?
I take my FitBit off when I shower, so that is when I charge it the most.  The FitBit is waterproof, but I'd rather not shower with it.  If I have done a lot of activity during the day and have a low battery warning, I'll charge it during the night so it is fully charged.

Which model would you recommend?
I am happy with my Flex; however, for between $15-$30, you can get the next model up that also tracks your flights.  If you don't do a lot of elevation change in your activity, you will be fine with the flex.  But if you do a lot of uphill hiking, invest in the next model (Charge or Alta).  Also, if you want to see how your progress without syncing it all day, get the Charge or Alta.  The flex only shows dots of your progress.  If I were to buy one for myself, I would pick one of those two.  The charge is wider and the Alta is skinnier, but newer.

What do you think of the challenges?
I absolutely love the FitBit Challenges. I try to be in one during the week and one during the weekend.  I like seeing how I'm doing against my friends.  I also am competitive so I try my best to do more activity so I can beat them!

Do you fully use the FitBit app?
No, I don't.  I don't track my water as much as a should, and I don't track my food at all.  If you really want to track your food, you can sync your FitBit app with the myfitnesspal app.  By syncing your steps and tracking your food, you can see how many calories your putting in and burning out. You can also track your weight.  You can even buy the FitBit scale that syncs to your app.

What's the most steps you've done in a day?
April 5th 2016.  I was in Prague.  I did 36,189 steps or 14.86 miles!

I have a fitbit, but I don't wear it.  What should I do?
Wear it!  You'll never know how much you walk unless you track your progress.  Get in a routine where you have a certain time to charge your bracelet without missing out on steps.  Make it a habit to put it on after you brush your teeth or eat breakfast.  It's easy to forget about it, but after seeing all the potential lifetime miles I could of had makes me sad :(

Data Analysis Final Project

Click here for the PDF (so you can read it better!) :)