To Yuma-through snow, Zion & Valley of Fire

What a journey we had to YUMA this week. We awoke to snow in Bryce Canyon. ..SNOW???  We couldn’t get our RV travel-ready fast enough, when we pulled out it was 22 degrees…just the day before we had admired the beautiful snow capped hoodoo photographs  we viewed in the Visitors Center…and my request that it would really be terrific to see the snow covered canyon would be “awesome” was really said in jest!

Red Canyon arch as we depart for Zion. Pretty isn't it...the last days of October and we were expecting an Indian summer. However, I am thrilled we got to see the scenery decked out in snow!

Next stop - Zion National Park and some hiking. Soon discovered Angels Landing is (not for the faint of heart) considered 'strenous' we got to Scouts Landing, had lunch and decided to fore go the last .05 miles pulling ourselves up by cables along the narrow ledge.  Walter’s Wiggles (23 switchbacks) was challenging enough and the view was spectacular!

This trail leads you to Scout & Angel
Landings....3.1mi to the top of Angel's Landing. At 2.6 mi you reach Scout's Landing where lunch and a respite. We did not use the cables to pull ourselves up the last .05 miles, along the very narrow, and in some places missing trail to the top. The view from our vantage point was just fine...

Angel's Landing is on the other side of that tree sticking up on the right side (middle portion of photo).....the 3-sectioned pipe fence is the only barrier between you and a 1200' drop straight down.

Chipmunks are friendly and not afraid....they check out everything, including your physical space.

We arrived with no reservations in the full-service campground, however we did have a spot each of the 4 nights we were in Zion...even the hassle of moving every day could not spoil the beauty and splendor that is Zion.

We did take the Emerald Pools hike although the pools were more mud-like this late in the season. I have included a short video of the waterfall that feeds the pools. Enjoy....

Valley of Fire State Park located (approx) between Bryce and Las Vegas afforded us the opportunity to see different formations of red rock up close and have lunch in the shade of a gigantic rock.

Lone Rock picnic area

Indian lore, interpretive programs and self-guided tours provide for activities young and old alike.

BYWAY NOT TO BE MISSED & POINTS to SEE...

This post will be two days scrunched into a single entry. Even after 3 days of touring Bryce Canyon National Park and the surrounding area I still can not find adequate adjectives to describe all the beauty we have seen….majestic …says it all and says little.  (NOTE: Viewing through Mozilla Firefox is less than perfect. If you can't see the current slideshows try another browser.)

 Monday, 23 Oct 2011

Monday morning found us pulling into Fairyland Point to view Fairyland Canyon.  Surprised to discover that at 10:30am we had the viewpoint entirely to ourselves, bonus!   I'm posting a short video that I took there and have, as usual, other photos streaming via the slideshow  next to the post. (I'll upload the photos from each day into separate shows.)

Off to Tropic and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument we go.

There is one just like this going WEST

After leaving the park we headed east to explore our intended goal of seeing what Kodachrome Basin State Park (and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in which it resides) has to offer in the way of camping facilities, only to discover that there was so much more to this part of UTAH. Finding a visitor center in the town of Cannonville, we were given a "Route Guide to Scenic Byway 12" booklet which outlined what we could see going East, once we saw the park we headed back to Byway 12.

Byway 12 covers 124 miles and we were starting at milepost 25 and would end at milepost 85, and saw 80% of the 'Points of Interest' that the booklet described, not bad for a long day of driving. That booklet includes the mileposts and what can be found at each one - it was extremely interesting and helpful to have handy...put us on alert for the next attraction.   (Additional photos are in the slideshow on my blog.)

Tuesday, 24 Oct 2011

Our last day in the park and we found ourselves scrambling to get the balance of the viewpoints, all 11 of them,  checked off before the forecasted weather change occurred.  The park has only one entrance and the 'end of the road/last viewpoint' is 18 miles south.  The last viewing points are Rainbow & Yovimpa - this shows the easy Bristlecone Loop (1mi) from Rainbow Point.

 Again we found ourselves in virtually empty parking lots, which for us is always a cause for joy, therefore, able to enjoy the vistas in relative  quiet. They do not encourage lingering  - few of the view points have "facilities" or picnic tables.

approaching Rainbow Point

Not to worry, there are places along the road to enjoy the scenery and eat a lunch. However, there are a handful of view points that have little if any railing along the rim... (nice!) and very large signs telling parents to watch their children.

Not to worry, it's more for the park lawyers than for the tourists. I saw several parents with children in tow march right pass this without batting an eye. They must have seen the sign another time.

Bryce - I am in awe of your beauty, clean trails and facilities and the ease with which you made this visit one we will remember for a very long time. Thank you.

Now onto Zion tomorrow and maybe some warmer weather, after all it is at a lower elevation. The air has been thin these last few days.

~Ciao

Bryce Canyon - Magnificent!

23 October 2011

Another 'bucket list' park checked off...and we just started this trip 7 days and several hundred miles ago.

Entrance to Red Canyon

Yesterday we drove to Bryce Canyon from Ely, NV - down US 89 and US 63, through Red Canyon (gorgeous drive) and into the park. We were able to secure a campsite in the North Campground -on a first -come, first -serve basis and then off to the Visitor Center

Bryce Canyon Visitor Center & Museum

…where we learned about the evening Ranger Program about the "Unseen Universe" - Night Sky. After the presentation we got to trek out to the dark, very dark parking lot where 3 telescopes were set up for viewing. We were able to see Jupiter and it's 3 moons (tres cool), Milky Way, a Star Custer that is suppose to merge with the MW, and Andromeda…. This all before 9:30pm. A long and exhausting day.

We hiked, what the NPS refers to as, "World's Best 3-mile hike"  today  - starting at Sunset Point...which loops through Bryce Amphitheater.

I am not even sure I can accurately describe the beauty of this park. It is, without a doubt, breathtakingly beautiful!  There are several 'moderate' hikes  to choose from….we combined Queens Garden and Navajo Loop which also has a 580' elevation change. But @8000' does that really make a difference?... especially since we had to climb back out…gorgeous, simply gorgeous.

Enjoy the photos of our day... and the short video of Bryce Amphitheater...bet it makes you want to visit.

~Peace 

A ME-OWwwww Point of View (or if my cats could talk)

Friday 21 Oct 2011....

Lola - considering her options

All Points Bulletin:

My sister Lucy and I are trapped inside a noisy rolling house. If you stumble upon us along the way, we have locator chips - please, please -  send us home.

*********************************************************************************

Frankly, we thought by fighting over food or water (me first Lola!), lap preference and just plain crabbiness would certainly entail a quick return to our much larger home where we have squatters rights on rooms and specific pieces of furniture.  We may have miscalculated…we are 6 days out and just the warmer temperatures indicates we are even further away from home.  {sigh}
Our humans are joyful and giddy as they race around getting this tin can road ready...what is up with that?????

`

Lola rides behind the pillows

Our owners are really serious about this tin can on wheels! I am not sure  where they go but very soon after closing the door most mornings we start to roll and weave from side to side. They obviously are punishing us - it is Noisy in here people.

And even after finally stopping, we are forced to sit on furniture to see outside.If caught on the table (purely for viewing) we are reprimaned and removed. After Lucy's near escape in the Canadian Rockies (something about bears) and the panic which ensued, we now must endure the door barrier below.

Cat barrier to the outside world

Hey, Lucy - do you have anything to add?

We promise to be extra good should you happen to discover our whereabouts and take us back to civilization. On behalf of Lucy and myself - thank you.

~Purr

Alllll aboard...Ghost train anyone?

20 October 2011

We are traveling the "less traveled" routes on our trek to visit Bryce and Zion Canyons in Utah. Thus we found ourselves driving from Twin Falls, ID down Hwy 93 heading towards Ely, NV on a clear, cold, and sunny day. Between Wells, NV and Ely you will encounter what once was small towns that  boasted copper mines and were bursting with people and industry. Near Cherry Creek & Hwy 93 is a "Pony Express Station site" that you can stop and have a picnic should you wish.

open highway for miles

 Ruby Mountains





According to the billboard below, Ely (e-lee) boasts the only live

gaming in town. We ventured into downtown on our search for lunch and found the real McCoy...smoking is permitted so we just took our photo and motored on.

Billboard outside McGill

Front

Back

This art statue is standing outside the White Pine County Library....it is stunningly beautiful.

Though Ely has casinos, motels and is a winter destination for hunters there are also the trains.   There are plain ol' train rides or if you want adventure, education or reality  - those are available too!

Want to Operate a Locomotive? Do Railroad Reality for a week? Sleep overnight in a Caboose? It's all available @ Train Programs & Opportunities for Adventure

October is Halloween Train on Saturday nights... and Chocolate Train one Saturday night each month during the summer.

schedule for October

Ghost train engine

Halloween train car

We are headed East to Utah tomorrow but have enjoyed our brief stay here. There are several NWR areas along Hwy 93 that beckons to us - which may mean a slower transit next year as we meander down the highway in search of adventure and a decent cup of coffee.

~Ciao

Happy trails....

Happy trails to you until we meet again....(Lyrics to Dale Evans song)

We are on our way south for the Winter...taking it slow and enjoying the beautiful Fall of eastern Oregon. I have driven I-84 in every season and there isn't a prettier drive over the Blue Mountains than during the Fall...it was sunny but at 3800' elevation it was a brisk 41 degrees!



Hermiston farm country



Nearing Pendleton



Near Perry, OR



Fall colors along the river



Welcome to Idaho!

We'll be moving through Idaho fast...heading to Wells, NV, as we target Bryce Canyon, UT by Friday or Saturday this week. Join us as I post our progress along the trail.

Small Postscript: Should you find yourself in Hermiston OR craving Mexican food - we ate at Macarios - 315 SW 11th St # B, Hermiston, OR. Surprising very good.

Ciao~