It's Wednesday June 4th and we have been in St. George waiting for parts to come in to fix our refrigerator. Camping World screwed up the parts order twice so we just hung out here and waited. St George is basically a hugh Snowbird place. Basically most of the Snowbirds are gone, they leave here in March and April because the temperatures start going into the high nineties and above. The day we got here it was 99 degrees. But it's a dry heat.
They installed our refrigerator fans today so we are off to Vegas in the morning. In addition to the two days I cut out of our Bryce Canyon visit we lost another day so we cut one out of Death Valley NP. The temperatures there are in the 115 degree range so cutting a day is probably not a bad idea.
Mark and Kathie have gone on to Las Vegas and we will join them tomorrow.
Life is Good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Bryce Canyon June 1st
On Sunday June 1st we moved to Bryce Canyon. We had originally planned to be here for three nights but we have been having Refrigerator issues and I have scheduled a repair job at St George, Utah for Monday 6/2. It didn't happen, Today is June 3rd and we have been here in St George for two days waiting for the parts that were supposed to be here on Monday. Hopefully we will get our repairs tomorrow and move on to Las Vegas on Thursday. Mark and Kathie stayed in Bryce Canyon for the three days and hopefully had a great visit. We will meet them in Las Vegas.
Our ride from Torrey to Bryce was beautiful but unbelievably wild. Highway 12 is a Scenic Byway that goes through what is called the Grand Staircase-Escalante. This is a series of canyons that step down giant valley to giant valley. It is magnificent. The road is very windy and narrow and at one point we were driving on a ridge that was slightly wider than a two lane road, with no guardrails and drops of 600 to 1000 feet on each side. Needless to say I saw very little of the beautiful scenery due to the fact that
my eyes were glued to the road. Eileen who has a fear of heights was taking pictures at the same time that she was helping me drive. We stopped shortly after crossing this ridge to take a deep breath and stop the shaking of our hands.
Although Eileen did take many pictures you can't get the depth perception from the top of the ridge. Just another gorgeous part of this beautiful state.
I came to Bryce this one day to walk in the Hoodoos. These are formations of tall spires of red sandstone that have been eroded over millions of years. These are the formations that make Bryce Canyon what it is. Eileen stayed in the Bus due to her altitude sickness, but Kathie, Mark, and I did a 2.9 mile hike down about 400 feet into the canyon on a portion of the Navajo Loop trail returning to the top on the Queens Garden Trail. We were all sucking for air when we got back to the top but the experience was everything that I had hoped it would be. I had been thinking about doing this hike ever since 2008 when I passed it up. I sure hope my pictures will give you some idea of the beauty.
No pictures of the ridge ride on the Grand Staircase because our eyes were closed!
Kathie and Mark!
Pine nuts!
This is incredible!!
Our ride from Torrey to Bryce was beautiful but unbelievably wild. Highway 12 is a Scenic Byway that goes through what is called the Grand Staircase-Escalante. This is a series of canyons that step down giant valley to giant valley. It is magnificent. The road is very windy and narrow and at one point we were driving on a ridge that was slightly wider than a two lane road, with no guardrails and drops of 600 to 1000 feet on each side. Needless to say I saw very little of the beautiful scenery due to the fact that
my eyes were glued to the road. Eileen who has a fear of heights was taking pictures at the same time that she was helping me drive. We stopped shortly after crossing this ridge to take a deep breath and stop the shaking of our hands.
Although Eileen did take many pictures you can't get the depth perception from the top of the ridge. Just another gorgeous part of this beautiful state.
I came to Bryce this one day to walk in the Hoodoos. These are formations of tall spires of red sandstone that have been eroded over millions of years. These are the formations that make Bryce Canyon what it is. Eileen stayed in the Bus due to her altitude sickness, but Kathie, Mark, and I did a 2.9 mile hike down about 400 feet into the canyon on a portion of the Navajo Loop trail returning to the top on the Queens Garden Trail. We were all sucking for air when we got back to the top but the experience was everything that I had hoped it would be. I had been thinking about doing this hike ever since 2008 when I passed it up. I sure hope my pictures will give you some idea of the beauty.
The Ride to Bryce!
Bryce Canyon NP!!
The beauty speaks for itself.Kathie and Mark!
This is Queens Garden!
The trail looped to Queens Garden we had to go another way!
Pine nuts!
This is where we started. About a half a mile away on the rim!
The HOODOO's from Bryce Point!!
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Capital Reef NP (5/30 - 5/31)
On Friday 5/30 we left Moab and moved on to Capital Reef NP for two nights. This park is less visited because it sits more in the middle of the Southern part of the state and the road is narrower and less friendly than the main roads into Moab, Bryce, and Zion. We confirmed the narrow road part and had to stop a couple of time to let the blood back into our knuckles. Highway 24 goes right through the park so we got a preview of the uniqueness and beauty even before we got to Wonderland RV in Torrey Utah.
Wonderland is a small but very well cared for park that has a horse farm kind of feel. I would highly recommend it if your heading that way. We visited a county information center that evening and the volunteer suggested we visit Sunset Point which wasn't far from the campground. We drove up there just as a thunderstorm rolled through. It wasn't that bad until the big bolt of lightening hit the mesa right behind us and sent us all scrambling for the car. We decided that a revisit the next day was in order. It was worth it. The small hike up to the top led us to a view down into a narrow canyon below. A very beautiful place.
This area was settled by Mormon's in the early 1900's and the Town of Fruita still has active orchards and farming where the original settlers lived. We visited the Indian Petroglyphs that have been discovered along the cliffs and had a fine lunch of Cinnamon Rolls and Root Beer for lunch. We then went on a scenic drive that took us into a narrow canyon with gorgeous formations and colors and more wildflowers.
Capital Reef NP is yet another display of geologic wonders. The erosion and chemistry must be different than the other parks because their are a number of different formations and colors. This park is 100 miles long and we only viewed a small cross section. The ride down Utah 24 is well worth it. I would highly recommend
a visit.
Saturday night we went to mass at Saint Anthony's Catholic Church in Torrey, along with 16 other people. The service was performed by a Deacon who travels to a number of the rural churches in this part of Utah. This was a very nice experience, the people were very nice and the homily was inspiring.
That night we followed the recommendations for dinner that we got in the local general store manager and went for great food at Red Cliffs Restaurant. Good food with a great view. Great night.
Wonderland is a small but very well cared for park that has a horse farm kind of feel. I would highly recommend it if your heading that way. We visited a county information center that evening and the volunteer suggested we visit Sunset Point which wasn't far from the campground. We drove up there just as a thunderstorm rolled through. It wasn't that bad until the big bolt of lightening hit the mesa right behind us and sent us all scrambling for the car. We decided that a revisit the next day was in order. It was worth it. The small hike up to the top led us to a view down into a narrow canyon below. A very beautiful place.
This area was settled by Mormon's in the early 1900's and the Town of Fruita still has active orchards and farming where the original settlers lived. We visited the Indian Petroglyphs that have been discovered along the cliffs and had a fine lunch of Cinnamon Rolls and Root Beer for lunch. We then went on a scenic drive that took us into a narrow canyon with gorgeous formations and colors and more wildflowers.
Capital Reef NP is yet another display of geologic wonders. The erosion and chemistry must be different than the other parks because their are a number of different formations and colors. This park is 100 miles long and we only viewed a small cross section. The ride down Utah 24 is well worth it. I would highly recommend
a visit.
Saturday night we went to mass at Saint Anthony's Catholic Church in Torrey, along with 16 other people. The service was performed by a Deacon who travels to a number of the rural churches in this part of Utah. This was a very nice experience, the people were very nice and the homily was inspiring.
That night we followed the recommendations for dinner that we got in the local general store manager and went for great food at Red Cliffs Restaurant. Good food with a great view. Great night.
Capital Reef NP!!
Friday Night Thunderstorm!!
Diverse colors and layers of strata!!
This is the Viewpoint we didn't make Friday night due to the storm!
It's about 400 feet straight down from here!!
Blooming cactus near the Visitors Center!!
The Visitors Center!!
Nice looking people here!!
Petroglyphs in the town of Fruita!
Looks like a Indian necklace!
More blooming cactus!
Navajo Dome!
A young local resident. Had no fear of me!
Nice ears huh?
Merlin Smiths Shed!!
Couldn't explain it better!
One farmer, two wives, thirteen children,
one house, two bedrooms. Wonder how all the kids got here with so little privacy!
Cactus blooming in the canyon!
Canyon Walls!
Picture can't capture the beauty!
Interesting!
Does it look like a Temple?
Before the service on Saturday Night!
View from the Pew!!
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