Hiking, Biking, And Sightseeing Salt Lake City

After some unpleasant paddleboarding around the Great Salt Lake, I continued my way into the heart of Utah, and its capitol - Salt Lake City...

I think biking is the best way to learn about the place you're visiting. Cycling is a great way to view the spectacular landscapes, enjoy the crisp fresh air and visit numerous attractions.

The very first place I wanted to visit was Ensign Peak, one of Mormon historic sites around Salt Lake City, and Utah's most sacred mountain.

At an elevation of 5,414 feet, this mound-shaped peak is just minutes away from the Utah State Capitol.

I parked my car by Travel Information office ( which is right across from beautiful capitol building ), and biked to the park's trailhead ( the road to the park is strenuous uphill, so if you want , just drive your car to the park ).

The trail itself is relatively easy ( it's only about 1000 feet ) . Though it's about 1 mile round trip, it was my first time hiking in 80+ degree weather.

But it was totally worth it ! From the top, you have marvelous views out over the Salt Lake Valley and Great Salt Lake !


Biking downtown was a breeze ( literally, it was all downhill from the park ).

There are many beautiful churches in Salt Lake City, but Temple Square in Downtown Salt Lake City, is Utah's number one tourist attraction. On your visit to the 35 acres of Temple Square you will be able to see, feel, taste, touch and experience Mormon culture and its pioneer heritage.


You don't have to be a Mormon to enjoy this beautiful architecture !

Between biking and hiking to the top of Ensign Peak, biking around capitol building, and Temple Square it took me about 2 hours to get to know this great city...

SUPing The Great Salt Lake

 After biking the Bonneville Salt Flats, I was on my way to the capital of Utah - Salt Lake City. I've never been to this city before, and was fascinated to visit "Mormon Capital of the World".

Salt Lake City is an attractive, well-planned, architecturally unique town. But as you know me, doing the usual "touristy stuff" is not my way of traveling.

My first stop was the Great Salt Lake, after which the capitol was named ( the city was originally named "Great Salt Lake City"—the word "great" was dropped from the official name in 1868 ).

The lake's turquoise waters attract sailors, its white sand beaches are popular with swimmers and sunbathers, and craggy outcroppings on Antelope Island and some shoreline areas draw hikers and mountain bikers.

The Great Salt Lake is one of the most asked-about tourist destinations in Utah. A remnant of the massive ancient Lake Bonneville, the lake is now landlocked and its waters are salty. It is the largest lake between the Great Lakes and the Pacific Ocean, and is the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere.

At least, that's what I read about it when I was doing my research.

Great Salt Lake State Marina provides easy access to the lake from HWY 80, and that's where I came...Long story short, I was...disappointed...the Great Salt Lake was quite GROSS!

The whole place reeks of raw sewage. Decay of insects and other wildlife give the shore of the lake a distinctive odor. I could hardly launch my board, and thought that if I paddled further away from the shore, the water would be cleaner, but even away from the shore it was pretty disgusting.

At that point I wished I opted for visiting Antelope Island,the largest island of 10 islands located within the Great Salt Lake.

View a free-roaming herd of 500 bison, and pronghorn and bighorn sheep that share the rangelands. Hike, mountain bike or horseback ride along backcountry trails for spectacular views of Great Salt Lake and island scenery. Check in at the visitor center for maps and information on the island's unique biology, geology and history.

Sounds to me like I missed out on a whole lot of cool stuff :(

Well, may be next time ...

Biking The Bonneville Salt Flats

I love reading travel blogs, and watching my fellow travelers' videos ! They give me so much inspiration, not to mention the information about new places to visit and new things to try.

I learned about the Bonneville Salt Flats from one of the travel blogs I've been following.
"Saltboarding" video looked so much fun !

So, while in Utah, I made the Bonneville Salt Flats one of "must-see places" to visit.


The famous Bonneville Speedway is located in the western portion of the flats, near Wendover. It is perfectly flat and has a thick crust of salty soil. It looks like a frozen lake bed covered with snow. No vegetation grows in that area.

There is NOTHING to see...just miles and miles of endless salt...

The Bonneville Salt Flats is one of the most unique natural features in Utah. If you travel in this state, make sure you make the Bonneville Salt Flats your travel destination.

Go for a bike ride, or take your car for a spin ! Unbelievable feeling !

Kayaking At Kelly's Whitewater Park In Idaho

I haven't done much kayaking for the past two years, so recently, I finally decided to sell my whitewater kayaking gear.

One of the reasons was because kayaking is a very co-dependent sport. You need at least two people for the shuttle ( to shuttle gear between put in and take out spots ).

Another, and may be the most important reason, is that kayaking, unlike skiing or mountain biking, is not the most "beginner friendly" activity. Without enough practice and river time, you'll forever be paddling class II-II+ rapids ( which is fun... for a while ).

So, when I heard about Kelly's Whitewater Park in Cascade, ID, I knew a whitewater park would be a great place for people like me to improve the skills, and get more interested in the sport.

When I got there, I was very impressed !

Located on the North Fork of the Payette River, it's accessible right off HWY 55 ( no need to drive around looking for a put in spot ).

When I thought about "the park", I had an image of a "wave pool", rather than an actual river.

The stretch of the North Fork of the Payette River is quite short, but has a few nice rapids suitable for both beginner and advanced paddlers alike.

A few shallow eddies ( eddies are the parts of a river where the downstream current is interrupted, and thus, they are a safe place to be ), are warm, and a fun place for kids to play around.

A nearby shop ( right by the park's entrance ) rents all the gear you'll need.

If you an absolute beginner, my advice is to rent an inflatable kayak, or even a tube !

During my visit the park was the site for USA Nationals.
It was a lot of fun to watch professionals demonstrate their freestyle skills...

Two Ways To Experience Hell's Canyon

Hells Canyon is a 10-mile (16 km) wide canyon located along the border of eastern Oregon, eastern Washington and western Idaho. It is North America's deepest river gorge at 7,993 feet (2,436 m) and part of the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area.

The cities of Lewiston, Clarkston are referred to as the gateway to Hells Canyon, and since it was on my way I decided to "visit Hells Canyon".

Once called the “Grand Canyon of the Snake River,” the Hells Canyon corridor is known for its magnificent but extremely rugged landscape. Only unlike its "big brother Grand Canyon", you can't just pull over, snap a few pictures, and call it a day.

There are few points of entry into Hells Canyon from both sides of the border, so traveling in this corridor takes time and effort.


The first and most exciting way to experience Hells Canyon is by floating through it, either by raft or jet boat.



I figured paying $100 for a jet boat ride is too "touristy", so I opted for a cheaper but more picturesque way - driving through it !


The Hells Canyon All-American Road is a nationally designated scenic byway. Although the route can be driven in as little as 5 hours, the Byway is best enjoyed at a leisurely pace.

Though I really wish I had more time to explore it, my main goal was just to enjoy my ride...

Driving Along The Palouse Scenic Byway To Palouse Falls State Park

The Palouse Scenic Byway, located in the heart of the Palouse region in southeastern Washington, combines 208 miles of rolling hills and farmland with rich history, small town charm, spectacular scenic vistas and outstanding recreational opportunities.

My first destination was Palouse Falls State Park.

The first time I saw the picture of the Palouse Falls, I was absolutely blown away by its beauty, and I knew that the only way to really appreciate it, was to visit it and see it with my own eyes...
Now I think that some things just look better on a (professionally taken) picture...




The park itself is pretty small, with a few campsites. There are many trails that wind around the canyon, but after my sudden encounter with a rattlesnake, I decided to stay withing the park's boundaries.

One of my biggest (secret) desires was to paddle my SUP to the falls, I thought it would truly be an unforgettable experience ! Though it looked like there was a trail that lead to the falls' pool, there was no way I could bring my SUP down there.

Well, I guess not everybody can experience the falls like Tyler Bradt ( by plunging his kayak into it )

But overall, just driving along The Palouse Scenic Byway was absolutely amazing experience !

Eastern Washington is often ignored for the western side of the state. To many people Eastern Washington is a treeless desert. But, if you look closer you can see so much beauty here !

Hitting The Road

Well, here it is, Thursday 7/6/12 , time to take off !

Did the last minute shopping, geared up ( SUP, mountain bike, camping, hiking gear ), stacked up on junk food... Looks like everything is ready...except...

...not sure exactly where I'm going...

The original plan was to drive to East Coast ( New York City ), then down south to Georgia ( to dive with whale sharks at Georgia Aquarium ), then Houston to visit a friend, and to do some tanker surfing, continue southwest ( hike/camp in Grand Canyon ), then jump up on HWY 1 to drive through Big Sur, and then back home ( with short stops at Crater Lake; to try sandboarding at Sand Master Park in Florence , and may be a few ski runs at Mt Hood )...

...but now the furthest ahead I've planned is Idaho :(

Have to admit, I'm a bit scared...also excited ... but mostly scared...

HyperActive Great American Road Trip

After reading about epic adventures of other people, and writing about some of my own semi-epic ones, I've finally decided to do something unimaginable before - to go on an epic adventure around this beautiful country !

The thought that I could do it, came to me after my trip to Mexico. I did a lot of driving around the Yucatán Peninsula, and now, I realize that if I could do it in Mexico, I sure can do it in USA !

They say that travel is mostly about dreams, and I know that as long as you have a dream, you can make it happen.

As a teenage boy, growing up in Russia, I had a dream of traveling to America. I didn't know how, I didn't know when, but I knew I would make it happen. My dream, from back then—from the time, when I first heard the name Kerouac—was of driving across the United States.

13 year after my arrival in this country, the dream of driving across America... is still a dream.

I did a lot of traveling around my state ( WA ), lived in Oregon and California, visited New Orleans on Mardi Gras, and traveled to Florida several times.

But mostly, over the past couple years, I've got to know this country by reading and writing about some of the most epic and unforgettable adventures : stand up paddle surfing in Hawaii; airboarding and sandboarding in Oregon; bungee surfing in Idaho, speed flying in Colorado; cavern diving in Florida; zorbing and zip lining in Pennsylvania; dog sledding in Michigan...

And now, I think it's time to fulfill my childhood dream, and see for myself all the beauty and diversity this country has to offer.

As Robert Louis Stevenson ( Scottish novelist, poet, essayist, and travel writer ) once said : “For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.”

For my part, through this journey I want to inspire my readers to travel adventurously. There is nothing wrong with traveling for travel's sake, or any other personal reason.

But I think that adventure isn't a single event but rather a different way of thinking that becomes a different way of approaching and living life.
Adventure thrills us, enlightens us, strengthens and stretches us, inspires us and answers our curiosity. It’s the most awake and aware life that we can lead.

Delta Shelter - another reason to visit Mazama, WA

Located in the North Cascades, the Methow Valley is the four season milti sport destination for adventurers of all ages and skill levels. With warm, dry summers and snowy winters, the valley is known for its first class cross country skiing in winter and mountain biking in the summer.

Last year I enjoyed snowmobiling and cross country skiing in Winthrop.
Originally, I wanted to ski hut to hut at the Rendezvous Huts in the Methow Valley, but due to lack of time had to opt for a short trip on the Sun Mountain trail.

I'm thinking about going back to the Methow Valley this summer. The gentle 17-mile Methow Valley Community Trail between Mazama and Winthrop is open to bikes in the "off-season."

Though, I have to admit that another reason to visit the Valley wold be a stay at one of the Rolling Huts.
While they look just OK in summer time...




...in winter - they are absolutely gorgeous !

Good, ol' American cuisine

American foods have a reputation as being “junk foods " ( you may disagree ). And nothing says " junk food " like " Quadruple Bypass Burger " and "Flatliner Fries" (cooked in pure lard ! ). If this is still healthy enough for you, how about unfiltered cigarettes, beer, liquor, and soft drinks such as Jolt cola and Mexican Coke made with real sugar ?


There are several US cities and restaurants that lay claim to being the home of the hamburger. But if there is one place I could eat my " last meal ", it would be " The Heart Attack Grill " in Chandler, Arizona. After watching this video, I've decided this is the way I want to " go ".

P.S : Did I mention waitresses are dressed like " naughty nurses " ?