Friday, October
4, 2019
The day brought cool and
clouds, not a deterrent to our plans to cruise US 191 on down to Vernal, Utah. South
of Rock Springs, US 191 opened up to an amazing vista of painted rocks, buttes,
and canyons. The Green River is the soul of Flaming Gorge, cutting through the
rugged, red, rock to craft deep canyons. Constrained by Flaming Gorge Dam, the
river becomes Flaming Gorge reservoir, spreading out and painting over the
reds, yellows, and greens of the land, with blue. At an overlook, we stopped,
and the ground melted away into a vast remote colorful landscape. Over the miles,
we followed the road as it descended into the surrounding canyons and valleys,
only to discover more canyons and valleys below. Driving down these red rock
“stairs” of southern Wyoming, we entered Daggett County, Utah.
Crossing the Uinta Mountains, we
admired vast groves of golden Aspen above 8500 feet. The mountain air was cold
and windy but very refreshing. Out next thrill was the switchbacks leading down
to Vernal. Just north of Vernal, there's some serious switchbacks. For nine
miles, there's five to eight percent grades through ten switchbacks. I had the
dog-in and jake-on but still did some brake-burning! The lower switchbacks wind
through the Simplot phosphate mines, an amazing example of mountain-eating
mining operations.
At Vernal, we did lunch, shopped
Walmart and fueled-up. Finally, we drove 13-miles east to Outlaw Trails
Campground, at Jensen, Utah, the gateway to Dinosaur National Monument. In late
afternoon, the predicted weather front moved in and we had wind with 40mph
gusts. Fortunately, by 9pm, it was calm and clear, making for a quiet night’s
rest.
Saturday, October 5, 2019
This morning was cool and
crystal-clear, with cobalt-blue skies. Outside, we immediately noticed
migrating Sand Hill Cranes, passing high in the sky, heading north toward the Dinosaur
National Monument. We naturally wondered what was attracting the Cranes.
After breakfast, we trekked
out on a day-trip of the Dinosaur National Monument. Along the route, beside
the Green River, we discovered the Cranes feeding on those round,
pivot-irrigated corn fields, just south of the Park. Now, we had our answer!
At the Park, we checked-out
the comprehensive Visitor Center, a very attractive building, perfectly set in
the natural surroundings. We drove the Tilted Rock Tour, our first visit since
we lived in Colorado, 31-years ago. This stunning Park is a spectacular display
of geologic faults, folds, uplifts and colors in 32 rock layers, exposing 4.6
billion years of earth history. We saw petroglyphs, old homesteads, Bighorn Sheep,
and the layers where the largest known Jurassic Dinosaur fossil beds are
located. We have noticed that places we revisit after 30 years, are more
impressive and comprehensive. It was a great-day-in-the-park!
Sunday, October 6, 2019
Terry’s notes this cool, clear
morning:
In 1993 my mom and dad drove a
small car filled with camping gear to Alaska. My dad was in his 70’s and my mom
was in her 60’s. Tent camping. Mom kept a journal of her trip which I just read
in its entirety. I don’t know why I
didn’t read it while she was still living.
We could have discussed it. I really regret that.
In her journal she wrote about
going to Dinosaur National Monument in Utah.
While there they visited Josie Morris’ Ranch (look this up because she
was a very interesting woman) which is in the monument. We were not far from there so we made a trip
to Dinosaur to drive to the ranch where Mom and Dad camped, had their picture
taken next to a dinosaur femur, took a long walk at Josie’s ranch and found
some petroglyphs. I took these photos to
share with my siblings.
I enjoyed watching the
migrating Sand Hill Cranes this morning! Yesterday, we discovered that they are
feeding on cornfields just north of us. Flying over in the morning air, they
sound just overhead but they can be quite a distance away. The sound carries
well, especially in the cool, morning air.
On a walk this morning, I saw
this White Oak in a landscaped atrium. A rare sight in the west, and a real
treat to see it with great Fall colors!
Monday, October 7, 2019
US 191 in Utah is an eastern
Utah route, which is composed of several Scenic Byways. Driving south on US
191, a Utah Scenic Byway, we traversed the Uinta Mountains, with spectacular
Fall colors, on the Uinta Scenic Byway. Crossing the Ute Reservation, we
followed the Indian Canyon Scenic Byway, a narrow canyon with steep sides and
multi-colored layers of rock. The route also passes through the Ashley National
Forest, a land occupied and hunted for centuries by Native Americans, before
the arrival of Europeans.
At Roosevelt, initially part
of the Ute Indian Reservation, opened up to homesteading in 1905, later became
a vast oil reserve, so now the settlers have nice oil revenues to support their
ranching habit. Pumping oil wells dot the area, amid the canyons and ranch
lands.
In September 1776 The
Dominguez–Escalante Expedition came from the east where they crossed Blue Bench
and descended into the valley north of the present-day town of Duchesne. I read
the Expedition Diary of Escalante this summer and the attractive valley,
rivers, and geography are much as he described it. Ironically, Escalante’s
notes were what later brought the hunters, trappers, and settlers to the area. Loved
seeing it all in the Uintah Basin!
Around Wellington, we passed
along the Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway, and the Cleveland-Lloyd
Dinosaur Quarry. Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry at Jurassic National Monument
contains the densest concentration of Jurassic-aged dinosaur bones ever found.
Their unanswered question; How did the carcasses of so many animals end up in
one place, and why are most of them carnivores? Who knows what dinosaurs were
thinking?
We stopped for a break at
Helper, Utah, named for a train engine. This is the heart of the coal-mining
area and railroad DRGRW history. A dusty little historic town in the Price
River canyon, trying to reinvent itself.
We crossed the Price River
several times as we followed it on down toward its confluence with the Green
River. From Vernal, south to Green River, Utah, we parallel the Green River but
little access exists as it flows through Desolation and Gray Canyons. Desolation
Canyon is a remote canyon on the Green River in eastern Utah, that is listed on the National Register of
Historic Places. It is said to be one of the remotest areas in the contiguous
United States. Having read the 1869 Powell Expedition journals this summer,
these canyons remain unchanged by manmade structures.
In late afternoon, we arrived
at Green River, Utah, closing the loop that we began here, late last April. Fortunately,
the summer fruit stands still had those famous “Green River” melons and we made
a few variety selections. So sweet and juicy!
The beaten path, it gets you
there, but for those to whom the reward is in the journey, there are paths less
trodden. A great route!
10-8-19 Tuesday
We decided to continue south
on US 191 and make a two-day camp at Blanding, Utah. From Green River to
Blanding, the highlights were the Colorado River crossing, Moab, Hole in the rock,
Wilson Arch, and Church Rock. The route continued very scenic and we had lunch
at Moab. Moab, lingering very busy with tourists, motivated us to continue
south, following a picnic lunch from City Market.
This area of Utah is the Trail
of the Ancients, set amid the canyonlands and dramatic desert landscape carved
by the Colorado River. We admired the huge, flat-topped mesas, arches, towering
rock pinnacles, remote canyon mazes, Native American ruins, pictographs, and
petroglyphs, and stunning Fall colors. Blue Mountain RV Park in Blanding, Utah
is a great base-camp for exploring SE Utah and the four-corners area.
10-9-19 Wednesday
We made a day-trip to Natural
Bridges National Monument. At the Visitor Center, we enjoyed the audiovisual
program about the geology, history, and wildlife of the Park. We drove the
nine-mile Bridge View Drive, for a great overview of the canyons. Descending into the canyon, we hiked the
canyon trail and admired the natural bridges created by water erosion. We took
a picture at the same arch where our Swedish friends posed with us 28 years
ago. The term “dugway” is found on maps of the area and it provoked my curiosity
to research it; The name "Dugway" comes from a technique to dig a
trench along a hillside to keep a wagon from tipping. With the terrain of the
area, now I understand!
From Bridges, UT 276 journeys
to the Glen Canyon Recreational Area and northern Lake Powell. A ferry-crossing
takes you across the Colorado River to Bullfrog, Utah on Bullfrog Bay. We have
visited on the Capitol Reef side and elected to return to Blanding on UT 95.
We loved the adventure and the
route!
Thursday, October 10, 2019
With a cold-front moving in,
we did maintenance, laundry, and planning research all day. The day was sunny
and clear but brisk, cold wind kept outside activities to a minimum. Snow is
forecast for the north of us but we will just have cold weather. Good reason to
stay put!
Thursday night was really
cold, we drained our plumbing to winterize, so we were safe from freezing, but
our heaters ran all night. Daisy resisted going out but we bundled-up and put
her winter coat on. We were glad to see the sun on Friday! Saturday is much
warmer and the forecast is predicting warmer temperatures for the week. With
the scenic area and cold weather, we decided to extend our Blanding camp to six
days.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
College football is the major
attraction today! Just hanging-out, watching college football and enjoying
snacks.
10-13-2019 Sunday
Stayed at the camp and did
chores, research, relaxed, watched TV.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Travel plans today take us
from Blanding, Utah to Tuba City, Arizona. This entire route is very scenic,
with a wide variety of sights. We crossed mesas, canyons, desert plateaus, and
followed rivers, along red rock canyons.
At Bluff, Utah, we explored
around and were stunned by the cliffs and the river valley. Bluff is situated
in the San Juan River canyon, surrounded by towering sandstone cliffs, rising
directly over the buildings and homes. Large, house-size boulders are laying
around the canyon floor, posing the question of how many have fallen on people.
The area was occupied by Native Americans until the Mormons came and took over
the land and water. Brigham Young directed the pioneers to construct Bluff Fort
(1879) and build their cabins inside the walls to protect against Indians. Next,
they built San Juan Mission to teach the Indians how to behave and grow wool
and make items to supply a lucrative market.
Mexican Hat has a “Mexican Hat
rock” and beautiful scenery along the San Juan River canyon. There’s no
mistaking hat rock as it is visible many miles from the little town. It’s looks
just like a sombrero on a head.
Monument Valley had perfect
lighting and clear air for viewing some of the most stunning works of nature.
Just couldn’t take a picture that conveyed the vast display of monoliths
sculptured by nature!
Kayenta, on the Navajo
Reservation, was our lunch stop. Great views of the distant sandstone
formations! We grocery shopped at Bashas' for supplies and headed on to Tuba
City. This whole area is Navajo Reservation, the largest land area retained by
a Native American tribe in the United States. At almost 17-million acres, 27-thousand
square miles, covering part of three states, it’s larger than 10 of the smaller
US states. To maintain consistent time throughout its territory, the Navajo
Nation observes daylight saving time (DST) on its Arizona land as well as on
its Utah and New Mexico land, even though the rest of Arizona, including the
Hopi Reservation, an enclave within the Arizona portion of the Nation, have
opted out of DST. Lots of confusion!
Tuba City, on Navajo lands,
was our campsite. A great, shady campsite near the original trading post. The
name of the town honors Tuuvi, a Hopi man from Oraibi who converted to
Mormonism. The Hopi village of Moenkopi lies directly to its southeast. We had
a nice visit with a Hopi lady who has lived here all her life. She grew up in a
Hogan, with no plumbing, electric, or gas. Amazing stories of the Navajo and
Hopi life in the area! What a great day!
Wed. 10-16-2019
This morning found us at the
Grand Canyon Camper Village, on the south rim, just south of the Visitor
Center. Yesterday, we traveled from Tuba City and Cameron to the Grand Canyon via
the east entrance. This route traverses part of the Navajo Reservation and the
route has frequent shanties and sheds where the Navajo are selling jewelry and
other Indian Art items, especially along the Little Colorado River canyon. The
Little Colorado River carves a deep, narrow canyon just above its confluence
with the Colorado River. The Little Colorado River gorge, part of Grand Canyon
National Park is a unique canyon, frequently missed by Grand Canyon visitors. From
Cameron, just east of the Park, the Little Colorado River carves an extremely
steep and narrow gorge into the Colorado Plateau, eventually achieving a
maximum depth of about 3,200 feet, with a spectacular, breathtaking viewpoint on
the sheer south wall. This would have been a perfect location for a Navajo
Skywalk!
At the park, our first
activity was to experience the Grand Canyon IMAX show. We almost got air-sick
on some of the segments but it was an exhilarating, informative, and historical
presentation. It covered the people-history of the Grand Canyon, from the
Anastasi to current times. We cannot imagine how it was filmed in those extreme
conditions and locations. The IMAX was a perfect get-started activity for
visiting the Grand Canyon!
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
WOW! We spent the day at Grand
Canyon National Park and it was perfect. The weather was calm, cool, and clear,
making for great visibility. Our plan took us to the Visitor Center and a
parking spot. With a picnic lunch, we hiked the rim trail from Mather Point to
Bright Angel Lodge. The rim trail was fantastic and our picnic lunch at Yavapai
Point, with spectacular views, was scrumptious. A new discovery for us was the
two-billion-year-walk, on the south rim trail. There are descriptions of the
layers, samples of the rock found in each layer, and one side is cut and
polished to reveal its composition. Some look like "gem stones" and
they are all unique! The park is celebrating one-hundred years and the canyon
is cerebrating 6-billion years. Better hurry, another 5 billion years and it
will all be gone!
We took the very convenient
bus system back to our beginning point, at the Visitor Center. Today we saw
Pinion Jays, Nuthatch, Titmouse, Junco, Hawk, Elk, Ground Squirrels, and the
ubiquitous Raven. At the Village, we toured the El Tovar Hotel, and the Train
Depot. We are exhausted but our day was picture-perfect!
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Our second day at the Grand
Canyon focused on the east side in the morning, and the west, in the afternoon.
The morning adventure took us out to Yaki Point. Next, we hiked the Rim Trail from
South Kaibab trailhead to Mather Point, at the Visitor Center, where we had our
picnic lunch.
In the afternoon, we bused
from the Visitor Center to Bright Angel Trailhead, then adventured out to Hermit
Rest. Mid-afternoon, got really cloudy and windy but the air was clear, with
great visibility. The cloud shadows painted interesting and captivating
patterns on the rock walls. The gusting wind, at 7-thousand feet, made us
nervous on the high overlooks. At Hermit Rest gift shop, they had a thick book
on the people who have died in the park. Probably not a good read but a good
reminder that your safety is your business.
Friday, October 18, 2019
After three strenuous days at
Grand Canyon, we turned-in early last night and consequently awoke at 5:30AM this
morning. We had some Elk and wild horses in the campground early this morning.
It made me recall, that we have seen lots of urban wildlife on this trip. In some
small, mountain towns we have seen bear, deer, mountain lion, Pronghorn, elk,
burro, wild horses, fox, coyote, just hanging-out in the neighborhood.
Being a traveling day, we
walked over for a McDonalds breakfast and then were hooked-up by 9m. We headed
south to Williams for Starbucks and Safeway shopping. We fueled-up and took
Daisy for a walk in the old town and took pictures of the Old Bill Williams
memorial.
Hitting I-40 west was a picturesque
drive, (regardless of the traffic) while listening to country music followed by
60’s music, on Sirius radio. At Kingman, we had Friday-Fish lunch at the
Cracker Barrel and then pulled in to our campsite at the Zuni Village RV Park.
With a sunny, warm afternoon, I switched to shorts and tee-shirt and did laundry.
The well-managed campground is in town, with shady trees, cable TV, and nice,
clean sites. Looking forward to a quiet, restful night for traveling to Las
Vegas tomorrow.
Las Vegas RV Resorts:
Clark County Shooting Complex
11357 North Decatur Boulevard
Las Vegas, Nevada 89131
(702) 455-2000
shootingcomplexinfo@ClarkCountyNV.gov
Arizona Charlies 4575 BOULDER
HWY , LAS VEGAS, NEVADA 89121 855-258-3639
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Our Kingman morning was a disappointment
because we missed the Starbucks. Declining to backtrack, we drove through the
old town on Route 66 and then took US 93 north.
Driving to Vegas was desert
but lots of Cholla, Yucca, Creosote, and rocks. We also played a
research-the-mines on the Internet game, to determine the object of each mine
we passed. At Hoover Dam, we elected to stop for lunch and get in a good hike.
It was a “Dam” good hike, with lots of high overlooks and long walks in the
facility. We were surprised to see the water level so low, because the Colorado
River had some good runoff from the past extraordinary winter snows and spring
rains. I was thinking that President Trump should push for more development at
Hoover Dam. The dam and facilities are already developed, so it would be easy
to incorporate an amusement park. I could easily envision terrifying zip-lines,
heart-stopping bungee jumps, roaring skate-board courses, and all sorts of thrilling
and lucrative amusement for parents and kids with credit cards and a death-wish!
After a few hours at Hoover Dam, we headed north to Las Vegas.
We arrived at Arizona Charlies
RV Resort, on the Boulder Highway, just west of the “strip”. We have a great
site and close to all the Vegas attractions. We plan to visit friends and kin
for a week, or two before we decide on an arrival date for southern California.
Getting set-up on our site, we
settled in for college football and a comfortable evening. Our neighbors are friendly
and we shared some travel stories, local info, and personal backgrounds. Later,
we walked over to the Sportsbook and watched a bunch of college football games,
simultaneously on the big screens.
Sunday, October 20, 2019
We started our morning with
breakfast at Arizona Charlie’s, then made some contacts to set dates for our
visits with Terry’s kin and some friends. Next, we drove down to the Sunset
Station and Galleria Mall to walk, shop, and do lunch.
Many Las Vegas visitors
frequent the “strip” and “downtown” and never recognize that Vegas has thriving
communities and ethnic neighborhoods, all around the valley. As an example of
measure or comparison, there are 16 Walmart stores, splendid shopping malls,
and scrumptious ethnic restaurants, public parks and facilities, in the valley.
Several websites list the current attractions, so we’ll make a list of our
likes. After spending a winter and working in Las Vegas, we now, seldom go to
any casino or hospitality industry attractions. Enjoying the sunny, warm days
and visiting friends.
