ARCHES NATIONAL PARK - Utah Rocks !!!

MAY 2013

Arches National Park is open year round, as well as the Devil's Garden Campground there. Unfortunately, at 40' plus toad, McTraveler is too large for their sites.  Even though we're at the Moab KOA (see our RV Park Review), there are plenty of other area campgrounds to choose from.  So we take the toad (our Jeep Liberty) to spend the day at Arches which is located on US 191 just 5 miles north of Moab.

Arches is another star in Utah's lineup in the NPS system. Throughout the 73,000+ acre park you'll find close to 2,000 geological formations of windowed arches, towering spires that dwarfed us, comical hoodoos, impressive colossal sandstone fins, canyon slots that were sometimes a tight squeeze to hike through, and massive balancing rocks that blow your mind.  Some of the rock star attractions include Balanced Rock, the Delicate, Landscape and Skyline Arches, Devil's Garden, and the Park Avenue Trail. Arches National Park is known as having the world's largest concentration of natural sandstone arches.

To learn more about the history, landscape, flora and fauna, and climate of Arches National Park, please click here.

After checking out the displays and watching the film, we picked up the road guide and hiking brochure at the Visitor Center; then took the scenic driving tour that lead us though stunning landscape.  The road had numerous turn outs for scenic overlook photo ops; plus we found parking at the best hiking trails where we found ourselves up close and personal to amazing rock formations.

To get a closer look at the Landscape Arch; take the Primitive Loop which is the longest maintained trail in the park.  The trail head is located in the Devil's Garden section.

    Location: Northern area in Arches National Park
    Difficulty: Easy to Landscape Arch; moderate to complete the primitive loop
    Length: 7.2 miles (round trip) to complete the primitive loop
    Elevation gain: About 400 feet

A sampling of photos from our video

So now it's time to put your hiking boots on and hit the virtual trails with us.

We'd love to hear if you enjoyed our hike together, plus your actual experiences if you have been here, or if our journey has inspired you to add Arches National Park to your personal travel bucket list.  Thanks for joining us and hope to see you back soon for the next McTraveler's RV Adventure.

Until then, wishing you safe travels,
Pam, Jim, Maxx and Mollie

BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK - Hoodoo you think you are?

I loved this park ... so intrigued by the colorful hoodoos.

The canyon area was settled by the
Mormons in the 1850s; and named
after Ebenezer Bryce who built his
homestead in 1874.

 Bryce Canyon National Park isn't actually a canyon but the eastern slope of the Paunsaguant Plateau, where thousands of spires (hoodoos) reach to the sky in a fabulous display of color ... pinks and corals of every hue.  

The 19 mile scenic drive took us up 3,000 feet through meadows, forests, and spectacular amphitheaters of spires. Along the drive there are many pull offs for all your Kodak moments ... one of mine was catching pronghorn antelope grazing in a meadow.   We also took advantage of hitting several of the hiking trails.

Late afternoon, we finally take a break and had lunch at the warm and cozy Bryce Canyon Lodge Restaurant.  Loved the decor and huge stone fireplaces.  I had a yummy big  bowl of elk chili ... Delicious!   During lunch we heard the storm approaching, huge thunderclaps and winds whipping the trees around, the forest was bending low.  We scarfed down lunch to hurry back to the Jeep.  Too late ... we were stung and pelted with large hail.  The drive back down the steep grades of the winding mountain roads was a white knuckle event for Jim ... the weather changed to snow, then rain, and at the base the sun was coming out again. What a wonderfully diverse day of landscape and climate through the elevation changes.

Hope you enjoy the photos and video of our day.  We thank you for tagging along and we'll see you back soon.

Wishing you safe travels!  Pam, Jim, Maxx and Mollie

This hike started at 8,100 feet, boy did
we huff and puff and felt weak at altitude, 
but was worth the effort ... outstanding
canyons and monolith cliffs

A park ranger advised,  when at high elevations,
you must drink four times the normal amount of water
to avoid dehydration.  Carry plenty with you.

I froze at this point of the hike, the wind was howling, and I
feared being blown off the side of the cliff.  It didn't help
 not knowing what was around the narrow bend.
But I did it one step at a time hugged up next to the wall.

Excellent example of the thousands
 of hoodoos in this park.

At the bottom of the canyon, Bryce established his homestead.

A taste of what we'll see when we go to
Arches National Park in a few days.

Lunch at the Lodge Restaurant

Made it to the highest point in Bryce Canyon at 9,115 feet.

Be sure to dress in layers, we started out with sun and
shirt sleeves and ended up freezing during a sudden
snow and hail storm with high winds.

A RIDE ALONG: McTraveler takes you from St George, Utah to Cannonville, Utah

Leaving the St George, Utah area

Maxx and Mollie are NOT spoiled sitting in mamma's lap!
By the way, thepups are always tethered when
traveling.  We attach their leashes to the seat belt
so they can roam at will; but NOT run out of
the coach should there be an accident.  More pets
are injured or killed when first responders open
the door and they run out into traffic, than the
actual accident itself.  Keep your pets safe.

Another beautiful drive through southern Utah's canyon lands, national forests and parks, red rocks, mountains, and deserts ... all in one day! What a diverse ride.  Be sure to watch out for the tunnels too.

We're headed to Bryce/Cannonville KOA which is conveniently located between Bryce Canyon National Park and Kodachrome Basin State Park. Both are a must do if you're in southern Utah.

Entering Dixie National Forest

Sit back and enjoy the video. And thanks for riding along and hope to see you back soon!
Wishing you safe travels,
Pam, Jim, Maxx and Mollie

Love the red rocks ... heading into hoodoo country

Don't think you'd have a problem with TSA at this airport

Near the exit to Bryce National Park

   

Cannonville is just around the corner

Bryce/Cannonville KOA, a family owned and run park

Zion National Park - a favorite!

Early Mormon settler's called this area Zion,
a biblical reference to the "promised land" or "place of refuge"

From St George, we entered Zion through the south entrance at Springdale, Utah; which is in itself a beautiful drive.  The journey was worth getting to the destination.

Of the National Parks we have visited across the nation, Zion has proved to be one of our favorites for it's shear beauty and spectacular grandeur.  Zion was Utah's first National Park and is now 101 years old.  In 2010 approximately 2.6 million visited the park making it Utah's favorite park too.  So, we're not alone in our sentiments.

As soon as we hit 62 years old, we went to the closest Ranger Station
 and purchased a lifetime Senior Pass for only $10.00.
With this pass, admission is always free and camping is 50% off site rates.
 Huge savings have racked up over the years.

We were pleased to take the park shuttle tour through the main canyon (available during peak season). There are plenty of stops to explore, take photos or self guided walks/hikes; simply catch the next shuttle when you're ready to move on to the next stop.

I believe in the saying 'a picture is worth a thousand words' so sit back, grab a drink, and enjoy the video as you ride along with us.

Wishing you safe travels!

Pam, Jim, Maxx and Molllie                                                            

WE BELONG . . . RV Affiliations and Discount Memberships

A sampling of our memberships

Early on we learned to take advantage of discount clubs. During our multiple cross country travels, we found that one particular organization may have a stronger regional presence than others. For example, as members we stay for free at Thousand Trails campgrounds which are found throughout the US; except they are totally absent in the north central states. So that's one reason we chose to join multiple clubs to ensure we can get discount site rates at every stop.  Just in our  2013 Spring Trip (8 weeks May-June), we saved $714.21 off campsite rates. The savings on a one to two night stay typically covers the minimal cost of the annual membership fees. Who doesn't like to save money?

Speaking of saving money, we also do occasional overnight boon docking or dry camping (depending on whom you're speaking with) ... and BLM land or Walmart's are wonderful for that.

As a courtesy, we introduce ourselves to the Walmart store manager with a smile and a basket of provisions, then ask permission to park overnight.  We've never been turned down; but there are some towns with municipal codes that prohibit overnight parking. It's best to ask in lieu of taking the risk of being fined or towed.  The manager always thanks us for being a loyal customer and says "I'll let security know so they will patrol your motor home during their rounds".  We appreciate that and we try to park under a security camera.  Also, we don't put our jacks down or set up an outside camp site; but slides out are okay.

Besides the discounts on campsites, most of these organizations offer product and services discounts.  Many also offer educational seminars, rallies, mail forward service, and regional chapters for traveling with groups.


PROUD MEMBERS OF ...
FMCA - Family Motor Coach Association
Escapees RV Club
Good Sam Club
KOA - Kampgrounds of America
National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Series (Senior Pass)
Passport America
Thousand Trails / Encore
RPI Plus - Resort Parks International
RVGC - RV Golf Club 


Thanks again for riding along with us on our journey.
Hope to see you back soon!

Pam, Jim, Maxx and Mollie