Vegas was, let me just say, interesting. 3 things to say about Vegas - hot, dirty, and at 1am this morning reeked of desperation - everything else can stay here as the saying goes;)
Woke to clouds, rain and 88 degrees. Gonna do a little shopping and then hit the road for sunny So Cal.
Looking forward to seeing, smelling, feeling, tasting the ocean...it's been a while.
This is our last day of any major driving as a group. I can't believe we are almost "there"
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Day 12 - 7am just outside grand canyon np
Long day driving yesterday but we beat feet and made it here! We took off from Moab UT yesterday morning driving south on
191 crossing into AZ on 163. We made a few stops: gas, a few groceries, ice and one longer stop at the world famous Hole In The Rock. It's a little touristy trap just south of Moab. It's centered around a 5000 sq ft house built into one of the huge red sandstone rocks which cover this area. A couple "built" the house back in the 50s, with dynamite, drills and chisels and lived there and ran a cafe out of it until they died. It is actually pretty darn cool. He was a self taught barber, painter, sculptor and taxidermist and she a lapidarist and jewelry maker. I bet they were interesting people. It also had a nice gift shop and even a little zoo.
We made it to Grand Canyon NP around 6:30 mountain standard time last night ( gained one hour)
Just in time for sunset. We came in on the south rim east entrance and stopped at the first viewing area. The clouds over shadowed our sunset but was beautiful and special nonetheless. My first view of the Canyon took my breath away, the same with the boys. It's one of those things that is so magnificent, so big, so awe inspiring, you look at it and instantly feel small and quiet, and inside - instant butterflies. It was an amazing thing to see in the boys faces. We stood there, in some sort of contemplation, some sort of realization of what I'm not sure...but what a moment...we go back today to see more...
191 crossing into AZ on 163. We made a few stops: gas, a few groceries, ice and one longer stop at the world famous Hole In The Rock. It's a little touristy trap just south of Moab. It's centered around a 5000 sq ft house built into one of the huge red sandstone rocks which cover this area. A couple "built" the house back in the 50s, with dynamite, drills and chisels and lived there and ran a cafe out of it until they died. It is actually pretty darn cool. He was a self taught barber, painter, sculptor and taxidermist and she a lapidarist and jewelry maker. I bet they were interesting people. It also had a nice gift shop and even a little zoo.
We made it to Grand Canyon NP around 6:30 mountain standard time last night ( gained one hour)
Just in time for sunset. We came in on the south rim east entrance and stopped at the first viewing area. The clouds over shadowed our sunset but was beautiful and special nonetheless. My first view of the Canyon took my breath away, the same with the boys. It's one of those things that is so magnificent, so big, so awe inspiring, you look at it and instantly feel small and quiet, and inside - instant butterflies. It was an amazing thing to see in the boys faces. We stood there, in some sort of contemplation, some sort of realization of what I'm not sure...but what a moment...we go back today to see more...
Friday, July 29, 2011
Day 11 - 7am Moab, UT
We arrived at Arches NP yesterday around 3pm. We toured the visitors center and then headed on down the park road. The park road is essentially one deadend, 20 miles long?, with a couple deadend turnoffs, each a couple miles to the end.
The land is desert, brown and red sandstone, scrub brush, cacti (funny word), sand, there are lizards if you look close and not much else wildlife - that we saw any way. It was 100 degrees so I'm sure most animals had found a nice hole or piece of shade and hunkered down to wait out the heat. But not us...we were hiking! Just a couple short hikes (1/2mi) which the heat made challenging nonetheless. We hiked around Balanced Rock, to Delicate Arch and our favorite and definitely most awesome to Double Arches at the end of the day. Dad came with on a couple hikes (at least part way) and Mom came out to enjoy the scenery (and get out of the boiling RV:) as well! Our day was completed with a beautiful sunset as we slowly made our way out of the park around 8:30. Oh, and then the bats came out...from everywhere...the boys loved that!!
It was a great day!! I took a ton of pics, I will try to be selective with how many I post here.
Today we will be off, headed towards the Grand Canyon area. Not sure of any forecasts but am sure that this blue sky is still following us this morning.
The land is desert, brown and red sandstone, scrub brush, cacti (funny word), sand, there are lizards if you look close and not much else wildlife - that we saw any way. It was 100 degrees so I'm sure most animals had found a nice hole or piece of shade and hunkered down to wait out the heat. But not us...we were hiking! Just a couple short hikes (1/2mi) which the heat made challenging nonetheless. We hiked around Balanced Rock, to Delicate Arch and our favorite and definitely most awesome to Double Arches at the end of the day. Dad came with on a couple hikes (at least part way) and Mom came out to enjoy the scenery (and get out of the boiling RV:) as well! Our day was completed with a beautiful sunset as we slowly made our way out of the park around 8:30. Oh, and then the bats came out...from everywhere...the boys loved that!!
It was a great day!! I took a ton of pics, I will try to be selective with how many I post here.
Today we will be off, headed towards the Grand Canyon area. Not sure of any forecasts but am sure that this blue sky is still following us this morning.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Day 10 - 1:27pm. Driving south on 191
Still driving south on 191. Almost to Arches, then on to Moab and south around Canyonland NP. $5 to the first one to spot Aron Ralston's arm!
Day 10 - 7:30am Vernal, Utah
We had a long day driving yesterday. Down through Wyoming on 191 and on into Utah where we are stopped now. It was pretty country, miles and miles with no sign of people including highway traffic. No trees and lots of sagebrush, purple sagebrush, and tan, sandy hillsides. The Rockies were our backdrop to the East. We saw deer and pronghorn and lots of cattle and horses.
We crossed into Utah late afternoon and drove through Dinosaur National Monument. Not much to see as far as dinosaurs or fossils, the big fossil wall has been closed down since 2006 and is scheduled to reopen this fall along with the visitors center. The rock formations were beautiful though, we drove as far as we could in (about 8 miles) and then the road turned to narrow dirt so we turned around (barely) and got outta there! Someday I'm gonna come back when the wall is open and drive down that dirt road and see what's at the end:)
We pulled into the campground around 8 last night and were greeted with a thunderstorm. It rained for a while, the first real rain of the trip. This morning, we awoke to blue skies and 60 degrees...pretty perfect weather again. We are doing laundry and regrouping for another day on the road.
Next stop, 228 miles...Arches National Park, Utah! Yay!!
We crossed into Utah late afternoon and drove through Dinosaur National Monument. Not much to see as far as dinosaurs or fossils, the big fossil wall has been closed down since 2006 and is scheduled to reopen this fall along with the visitors center. The rock formations were beautiful though, we drove as far as we could in (about 8 miles) and then the road turned to narrow dirt so we turned around (barely) and got outta there! Someday I'm gonna come back when the wall is open and drive down that dirt road and see what's at the end:)
We pulled into the campground around 8 last night and were greeted with a thunderstorm. It rained for a while, the first real rain of the trip. This morning, we awoke to blue skies and 60 degrees...pretty perfect weather again. We are doing laundry and regrouping for another day on the road.
Next stop, 228 miles...Arches National Park, Utah! Yay!!
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