Off the Beaten Path in Seaside Kardamyli

How to spend an entire day in Kardamyli, Greece. 

Seaside Kardamyli is not your typical tourist town, 

it's where the locals hang out. 

And that is so refreshing. 

We spent an entire day just relaxing here, 

which being married to a very active person 

isn't common on our vacations. 

We began our day with an early walk to 

Old Town Kardamyli Museum.

The Old Town was built in the 18th Century 

on the side of a mountain. 

Old Kardamyli is one of the oldest towns in the Peloponnese Mountains.

Old enough that Homer referred to it in the Iliad.  

From the Old Town 

we continued hiking up the mountain 

to the Church of Sophia. 

And even a little higher we found a little village 

with great views and some houses in need of new owners. 

Tempting...the views are worth it. 

Hiking back down and through the town to our hotel, 

 we freshened up and readied ourselves for some beach time. 

Ahhhh.....

Ok, you need shoes on these beaches, 

even though they consist of rounded stones 

they are hard on your feet. 

You can take a seat and a waiter will present himself 

from one of the local eateries 

and take your order. 

 ✅ Bucket List - Being served beverages while relaxing on the beach.

Then back to the hotel for Happy Hour 

followed by dinner along the water's edge. 

Tikla Cuzina and Wine Bar

For me, this is a perfect vacation day, 

but there is so much more of Greece to see,

so tomorrow we are on the road again. 

My relaxing day was 

climbing 39 floors and 

walking 20,071 steps. 

He's lucky I love him

because it was a relaxing day for us. 

The house he wants to renovate for the view. 

Kardamyli is small.

A long weekend here is plenty of time to relax 

visit the shops and restaurants, 

and explore.

** You can also rent Kayaks and take a tour of the caves, 

but because of a kayaking event there were no tours while we were there. 

Bummer. 

Visiting Delphi: The Center of the Ancient Greek World

Delphi is a two-in-one town. 

The new town is a modern day village.

The ancient town 

which the ancient Greeks considered to be the center of heaven and earth,

is an archeological site. 

The residents of the ancient town 

were transplanted to the new town 

to make way for archaeological excavations. 

The new village is dissected by several one-way,

narrow, terraced streets.

In an hour or so you can walk through the whole town. 

I had no idea Greece was so mountainous. 

We certainly burned a lot of calories climbing up and down steps. 

Climbing up high anywhere in Delphi provides beautiful views. 

And with a short walk we are taken back to ancient times....

In the Delphi Archeological Museum -

note the detail remaining on this ancient bronze statue,

"The Charioteer," 5th century BC. 

This treasury along The Sacred Way was reconstructed in 1903-6.

The theater commands an impressive view. 

The people came to Delphi to consult with the oracle, the priestess of Apollo.

The pillars and some of the foundation 

from the Temple of Apollo are all that remain today. 

The Ancient Path was used by those visiting the Oracle of Delphi.

Delphi is located about a 2 hour drive from Athens 

and can easily be visited in one day

unless you want to explore the area in more depth. 

Most people come to visit the archeological site

 and museum set in a mountainous environment.  

But there are also hiking trails and ski slopes

in close proximity.

APOLLO | The ancient god of oracles. The most Greek of all gods. 

ORACLE | A person through whom a deity speaks.

THE SACRED WAY | The main path leading from the entrance 

to the temple of Apollo. 

Discovering Alleys and Passageways in Arachova, Greece

What do I love about Arachova, Greece?

So many twisty-turny passageways to explore.

This awesome little village 

is no sleepy town. 

Situated on the side of a mountain 

makes it a fine location for a ski resort 

(Yes! Skiing in Greece!)

offering a lively nightlife. 

It's close proximity for those who wish to visit Delphi 

also makes it a great place to spend the night. 

The people we met here were very friendly as well. 

One woman told us how to get inside this church. 

This little guy welcomed us too. 

Being on a mountainside 

means there were plenty of steps. 

I lost count climbing these steps 

when I stopped to catch my breath, 

but google says there are 264. 

The steps lead up to this church. 

Do you love all those arched doors?

I LOVE them!! 

There is one main street that runs through Arachova, 

the rest are the small side streets. 

The main street isn't very big either 

but it is lined with 

shops, bakeries, cafes, and restaurants. 

The First Timer's Visit to Utah's 5 National Parks, Day 1 & Planning Your Trip to Magical Southern Utah

That would be us:

first timers in Utah.

Check one-off of the bucket list. 

 I researched this trip extensively 

and here is what we did. 

The Narrows in Zion

The Full Trip Itinerary Overview

• We flew Southwest, not the cheapest airline, but we prefer them.  (I selected our dates using the low fare finder options to and from Utah.) 
• I traveled with my husband in the second half of October. 

We traveled Zion to Arches, 

but with some tweaks you can reverse the order.

Click any link to go directly to details for that day.

Day 1 Arrive Las Vegas NV drive to Springdale UT

*If you have time stop at Valley of Fire on your way to Springdale. 

None of the itineraries I read suggested this and I wish we had.

Day 2 Zion National Park

 Day 3 Zion National Park

Day 4 Bryce Canyon National Park

Willis Creek Slot Canyon and Kodachrome Basin

Day 5 Route 100, Burr Trail Road

Day 6 Capitol Reef National Park

Day 7 Goblin Valley State Park & Little Wild Horse 

Day 8 Arches National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park

Day 9 Canyonlands National Park

Day 10 Travel Home via Salt Lake City 

Mesa Arch, Canyonlands NP

Zion Planning for Day 1-3

The best planning aide to Zion has already been written and you will find it here.  I am not going to replicate all that info, rather share what we thought would be the best fit for us as first timers.

Some Additional Planning Aids:

Zion Information Guide has up to date info on everything from hours, trails, map, and fees.

Zion Introduction Video

Zion Area Map

Map of Shuttle and Parking in Springdale. Parking is not well labeled, take this map.  There is a Springdale Shuttle that delivers you to the busy section where the Zion Shuttle is located.  Use the shuttle.  It is easy. From May to November this section of the park is accessed only by a shuttle from the Visitor Center.  (You can rent a bike if waiting for a shuttle isn't your thing.) You park once and get shuttled throughout the park.  Park in town, the lot by the park fills quickly and is expensive. The first park shuttle is either 6am or 7am depending on the season but every.single.guidebook tells you to get there early so that is what everyone does.  HOWEVER...If you want to avoid the crowds arrive after the rush...between 10-12 or so.  If you get a shuttle from a point further from the park you less chance of having a full shuttle drive past you. 

Pack lunch or snacks so you don't have to leave and return to the park. That would be crazy!

An alternative to any of the activities in this busy part of Zion is to visit Kolob Canyons, 40 miles north of the center of tourist activity.  This is a wilderness area off the beaten path and does not require the shuttle for access. But as a first timer I wanted to see the top picks, although I kept this info in my back pocket just in case it was needed. 

In hindsight I would have spent time exploring Upper East Canyon, that is where the magic is. 

Day 1 Travel

• Your first day is a travel day and to settle into your hotel in Springdale. I recommend without reservation the Red Rock Inn.  Super cute, updated cottages and breakfasts at Oscar's are included.  The property also features a hot tub, fire pits, grills, and a great view.  The host, Sharon, is top notch!  Listen to any advice she gives you. She is a treasure! 
• Pick up your rental car, preferably 4WD SUV 
• It takes about 2 1/2  hours to drive to Springdale from Las Vegas.
• If you need bottled water and groceries, there is a Walmart on the route to Zion, 625 W Telegraph St, Washington, UT 84780 and a nearby Costco with gas station 835 N 3050 E, St. George, UT 84790.  Groceries in Springdale are rather expensive.
• Check the Zion park website for any last minute Alerts in Effect that may affect your plans. If there is chance of flash floods you will not be able to hike The Narrows.
• Rent water gear if needed to hike The Narrows tomorrow. You can rent river boots, hiking poles, neoprene socks and wet suits. Protect your electronics with waterproof coverings. 

If you arrived with time to spare you can hike the Watchman Trail, if you time it right you can finish at sunset and enjoy the view.  We enjoyed the sunset from our B&B, Red Rock Inn. Click here for other Optional Sunset locations. 

Dinner: 

King's Landing Bistro TA #3 5p-9p

*Oscar's Cafe TA #2 7a-9p (Awesome breakfasts)

Deep Creek Coffee TA #4 Br&Lu

Spotted Dog TA #5 5a-9p

MeMe's Cafe TA #7 8a-10p (It was OK. Slow service.)

*Bit and Spur (Very good dinners, excellent and prompt service.)

Most of the locations on this trip are also International Dark Sky Parks: Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, Capitol Reef NP, Dead Horse Point State Park, Goblin Valley State Park, Kodachrome Basin State Park, and Zion NP.  My trip also coincided with a full moon so I had to time photography before the moon came up. 

Go To Day 2 Zion National Park

MAPS

Trip overview.  We ended in Salt Lake City to fly home.

Zion

*I packed light.  My Canon 24-105L lens stopped communicating with my Canon 5D Mark IV so most of 

my photos were taken with a Sony Point and Shoot.  I was soooo disappointed. 

But lesson learned. 

Never pack light! 

First Timer's Impression of Smokey Mountain National Park

A common scene through the park

We love our national parks. 

So when an opportunity presented itself 

to visit The Smokies, 

we took it.  

Little River Gorge Rd.

Wow, it was not like the other National Parks 

we have visited. 

It was soooooo crowded.  

And everyone was in their cars! 

?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Another common scene through the park. 

We approached from the east 

via a small section of the 

The Foothills Parkway 

and arrived into honky-tonk Gatlinburg, TN  

which was very crowded also. 

View from the Foothills Parkway

Our 4 night stay was in the 

Holiday Inn Express 

which was free if we sat through 

a 1 hour time-share sales pitch. 

My husband almost took the bait but   

I kicked him back to reality. 

Can you find the bear?
Cades Cove Loop Road

We started out with the go-to attractions:

1. Roaring Fork Motor Trail 

(We did this early to avoid traffic.

We hiked along one of the trails.)

View From Roaring Fork Motor Trail

2. Cades Cove Loop 

(My advice, drive there early or later, 

and instead of doing the whole loop, 

take one of the two other roads off the loop. 

Rich Mt. Rd. or Parson Branch Rd 

to the Foothills Parkway 

and explore.  

We did not do this 

but I wish we had. 

I am sure there would have been a lot less people 

and a lot of beauty.  

View from Cades Cove Loop

After spending a lot time stuck in traffic - 

and god forbid someone sees a bear...

because then the traffic is standstill for miles - 

we found an off the beaten path section of the park

 that WAS off the beaten path. 

But yikes...the potholes! 

It was good we had our Pilot 

and not the Accord. 

Ramsey Prong Road

Our off the beaten spot took us down 

*Ramsey Prong Road*, 

across a couple bridges to a parking location. 

From there we decided to explore...

we heard there was a waterfall. 

The early trail was easy going 

and that was all we planned to do.

But the call of the falls beckoned us on 

and we went despite having no water with us. 

After hiking up an very steep and rooty trail 

and over lots of boulders 

we arrived at 

Ramsey Cascade Falls.

Ramsey Cascade Falls

  

What a beautiful and refreshing sight. 

Photos do not do this 100 foot cascade justice! 

In person, it was beautiful. 

Hike to Ramsey Cascade

The trail is 16 miles round trip and 2,000 feet uphill from the parking location. 

It took us over 3 hours up and 2 hours down. 

When we got back to the car, 

I was exhausted. 

We guzzled our water, 

showered the dirt off our tired bodies, 

and went to Bennet's BBQ for dinner. 

I ordered a blackberry sparkler 

after which my husband said I 

was basically sliding off the chair 

into a puddle on the floor. 

Smaller cascades along the trail.

My recommendation is to spend a day in this section of the park. 

It is located in the Greenbriar area, 

6 miles east of Gatlinburg.

 The 4.5 miles drive to the parking area is scenic 

but also on unmaintained roads 

so it is slow going. 

You will find others there 

but nothing like the main section of the park. 

There is a picnic area with restrooms. 

(If this hike sounds too strenuous for you, 

check out the 4 mile round trip hike to 

the 50 ft. Fern Branch Falls.)

 

Cades Cove View

A one time visit to Gatlinburg 

was enough for both of us 

so we probably won't be going back, 

but at least now it is off the bucket list. 

More photos are stored here. 

Have you been to the Smokies?

Tell me what I SHOULD have done.