SOUTHERN UTAH #2

Route through Utah…

Map of our Utah journey

Utah continues to put on a show for us. My take away is southern Utah is a must see and highly recommend it. This blog covers our time in Natural Bridges National Monument and the National Parks of Capitol Reef, Bryce and Zion. The duration is nine days covering just over 400 miles from Canyonlands to Zion. You may have heard about the heavy unprecedented rains in Utah. It was during our time here that the heavy rains hit with considerable property damage and loss of life.

NATURAL BRIDGES NATIONAL MONUMENT

Natural Bridges National Monument between Canyonlands and Bryce

Natural Bridges – Arch number one – Fun view

Natural Bridges – Arch is down under – Arch Number two

Natural Bridges – Arch number three – View from up above

Natural Bridges National Monument was on our way to Capitol Reef. We spent less than a half day and saw the three bridges: Sipapu, Kachina and Owachomo. The ranger at the visitor center referred to them as bridge one, two and three knowing I would soon forget the names. You can view them from a lookout or there are hiking trails down to each one. Our time was limited and so was the hiking so we took the easy way out most of the time. It was a nice lunch stop for us with a chance to learn more about natural bridges and arches.

Natural Bridges drive

Natural Bridges drive

There is a nice nine mile drive through the park with impressive views.

CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK

Capital Reef National Park

Capitol Reef – Hickman Bridge Trail – Note all the rocks from the Boulder Volcano

Hickman Bridge

Next stop was Capitol Reef National Park. It was very wet when we arrived and many of the trails were closed. The first hike was the Hickman Bridge trail. It was a fun hike with lots of people as most everyone was looking to keep their feet dry too. The bridge was fun. By the way the main difference between a bridge and an arch is a bridge is created by running water and an Arch is created from erosion. A bridge tends to look man-made. But an arch can be a bridge if it looks man made so I was always confused. The area has many old orchards now run by the park service and there were lots of signs with U-Pick with plenty of action from the visitors.

Capitol Reef drive view – Note the black rocks from the volcano

Capitol Reef drive

Great view along the Capitol Reef drive

Arch along the Capitol Reef drive

More Capitol Reef National Park

Capitol Reef drive – note the haze from the California fires

Red rock and cloudy skies makes for a nice photograph

There was also a scenic drive and of course there are pictures. The drive was enjoyable, a bit on the rough side at the end. There is also a historic farm but it looked more like a tourist trap…as the clerk told us she had sold all 16 dozen of her fruit pies that day.

UTAH HIGHWAY 12

Utah Highway 12…the rain kept coming and going along the way

Highway 12 has switch backs too!

Highway 12…the rain clears by the end of the journey…

An unexpected adventure was the trip to Bryce on Highway 12. Highly recommend this drive as the views along with long-range vistas are downright impressive. As you would expect there are lots of twists, turns and switchbacks to keep the driving interesting.

BRYCE NATIONAL PARK

Bryce Canyon National Park – A personal favorite

We spent three days at Bryce, again just the right amount of time for us. Our park routine continues with a big hike, some shorter ones and taking in the scenic drive. Many of the trails were closed due to the rain and rock slides. They all opened up the day we left. At the end of the day I think Bryce may be our favorite park.

Fairyland Canyon hike – best hike to date…the breathtaking views never stop

Our main hike was the Fairyland Canyon Trail an eight mile loop.

Fairyland hike – the Bryce Canyon Hoodoos…

Hoodoos were center stage all through this hike

Hoodoos are everywhere

They come in all colors

The trees line up nicely…

The trail went up and down…this is a nice view from below

The sun made these Hoodoos pop

Stand alone Hoodoo

I liked the orange in the foreground on this one

This one was taken as I knelt on the ground shooting up

Not sure if this is a bridge or and arch, yes there is a difference

Interesting formations…the Native Americans thought the Hoodoos were bad people cast in stone…

Yes, the colors kept changing as we make our way around the Fairyland Trail

This one was out there all by itself

Hope you like red rock…if you do you will like Utah!

Last shot on the trail before lunch…

If you want to see Hoodoos up close and personal then this is the hike for you. The extraordinary formations would blow you away. The long views left you breathless and wondering what comes next… This is a hike I would do again.

Bryce Park drive

Bryce Canyon drive…many trails closed due to rock slides the day we were there

The park drive took us a half day…we had to stop at all the lookouts

Bryce Canyon drive

Bridge along the canyon drive

This was an awesome view which loses a lot in a photo

More Bryce Canyon drive…still lots of color

Looking down on the Hoodoos from the overlook

Lots going on in this shot…

Over 500 shots at Bryce, it was hard to pick the best without going into overload…

Ok, I give the last shot at Bryce…

What can I say…the drive is just as impressive as the hiking experience?

ZION NATIONAL PARK

This park is amazing. Even though there were lots of people and you had to use a shuttle to get around, it was a great experience. We allocated four days for this park and it was the perfect amount of time. Our RV camp site was at the park’s Watchman’s campground. Great place to hang our hat with nice views plus it was close to everything. You could walk to downtown Springdale where there was plenty to do…they even had a micro-brewery…

Zion tunnel over a mile long…rock slide closed it for three days the day we left

Zion tunnel

The tunnel coming in from the East is over a mile long. Our rig was oversized so we had to go through single file of course we were not the only ones. There was a rock slide the day left and we heard the tunnel was closed for three days. Luckily we headed out west when we left.

Narrows Trail on/in the Virgin River – trail was up the middle…yes you get wet feet without the proper shoes

Narrows River Trail – hanging gardens

Narrows trail

Narrows is a popular trail…lots of rock to dodge!

Our first hike was the Narrows. There is a pave one mile trail that connects with an in the river seven mile trail. We only did the first part as the “in the river” part looked too aggressive for us after all the rain.

River canyon is awesome and gets much narrower upstream

Emerald pools trail….above the river

Emerald Pools trail – Many water falls to cool you down…yes it was very hot there!

Zion Three Patriarchs peaks

Hike along the river near the museum…you can bike on this one too!

He did other trails along the river and some up on the side of canyon. We chose not to do the very famous Angel Landing trail due to my fear of heights.

Shuttle view…no cars allowed on the scenic drive

The shuttle was the only way to get around. For the most part if was a good experience and we soon learned how to use it to our advantage.

Observation Point Hike…we hike up another 2,100 ft…did good for Seventy Somethings…

Observation Point HIke – Part of the trail was through a wash

Love hiking through the splits…

Very friendly Long Horn Sheep…there was a herd of twenty or so…

Observation Point Trail went up for over six miles

Jan made it to the top still smiling…

The sky help make this shot interesting

Nice group at the top…lots of nice conversations plus there is always a willing hiker ready to take over your camera…

Cooled down and ready to make the desent…

Observation Point Trail on the way down

Observation Point Trail – always changing

We started early…more sun on the way back down

Another wash picture

Observation Point Trail…looking down at the trail switchbacks heading back to the shuttle

Observation Point Trail – Overlooking the Virgin River

Our big hike at Zion was to Observation Point. We got an early start to beat the heat. It was a 2,100 ft climb and eight miles long. The trail was fairly smooth which make it easier. At the end of the day we were impressed by how well we did. I think all the previous hikes prepped us for this one.

Of course there are lots of pictures. We will talk about this hike for a long time…it may even become a favorite as time marches on…

Weeping Rock Trail…lots of hanging gardens here

We did a hike up to Weeping Rock to see the hanging gardens. The gardens along the Narrows River trail were better in my opinion. The water flowing through the slits in the rocks was the most interesting part.

Watchman Trail – at the top looking down on Springdale and the Visitor Center

Watchman Mountain Hike

Watchman Mountain Trail – Interesting landscape

Watchman Mountain Trail

Watchman trail start and ends at the river…took off my shoes and soaked my feet in the cold water at the end…

Our final hike was the Watchman Mountain Trail.

This is a very nice hike with lots of climbing and plenty of switchbacks. The views were worth the climb. Overall Zion was a nice capstone adventure for Utah adventure. We are now heading to the Gulf Coast. It will take us a couple of weeks to get there. My plan is to do a final recap once we get back to the winter home base.

God Bless,

Larry and Jan

It is hard to believe that we have been on the road for three weeks. This adventure only gets better with time. This blog post covers our time at Arches and Canyonlands National Park. The next post will be on Capitol Reef, Bryce, Natural Bridges and Zion. On the drive from Provo to Arches the landscape gave way to more and more red rock. Our reserved RV site was right in Moab. I must say it looked a lot better online than in person. The park was tight with small spaces and very crowded. Moab is a fun and a very bustling place. There are lots of off road trails for the ATV and four wheel drive enthusiast. Our RV park was filled with big rigs and awesome backcountry machines. There were also lots of bicyclist and hikers in tents.

Arches National Park Moab, Utah

ARCHES NATIONAL PARK AT MOAB

We both loved the Arches National Park Experience. If you like red rock, interesting formations and natural arches, this is the place. The weather was excellent and we soon learned the drill. It is HOT during the day and cool at night. So the objective is to get up and get going very early. The thread of our experience was around every turn there is something new to look at. There were several great hikes and the drive through the park is phenomenal. Our time there was just right for us a day and a half.

First Hike at Arches – Park Avenue Trail

Park Avenue Trail – Early Afternoon

The Park Avenue Trail was the first hike. It was fairly easy with lots of ups and downs with great views. A very nice initiation to the park and what it has to offer.

Devils Garden Trail – First of many Arches

Devils Garden – Interesting arch…

Devils Garden Trail – Navajo Arch

Devils Garden Trail – Fun view through the arch

Devil Garden Trail – – Long view looking north…

Devils Garden Trail – Love the red rock!

Devils Garden Trail – Arches everywhere

Devils Garden Trail – The views never quit…

Devils Garden Trail – Dark Angel

The main hike was the Devils Garden Trail. It is seven miles long with lots of scrambling over rocks. We got a work out that day along with introduction to life on the trail in red rock territory. The hike was a bit more technical than anticipated for us flatlanders Midwesterners. There are nine arches on the route plus significant elevation changes. The trail was busy. Please do not ask me to remember the names of all the arches.

Lots of photo opts at Arches National Park

Lots of Arches throughout the park…all with their own personality

Great views from the car…

Love the colors in this shot…

I liked this view…shot near the end of the day

Had to hike to catch this arch…

Double Arch in Garden of the Windows section of the park

Photo taken as a storm was passing in the background

After the hike we drove almost all of the park roads. There are lots of short hikes available along the way. We did as many as time would allow. As you can see lots more arches and many outstanding views. By the end of the day we were ready for a shower and to put our feet up.

DEAD HORSE POINT STATE PARK

Dead Horse Point – Utah State Park

The Dead Horse Point State Park was our next stop after Moab. This was to be our base camp for our first Canyonlands adventure. Our reserved site was for four nights. The park is outstanding. Check it out if you ever get the chance. It is called the Grand Canyon of Utah. Legend has it the locals would round up wild horses and use the natural points to corral them. Will spare you the details on how the park got its name.

Dead Horse Point State Park – Grand Canyon of Utah

Dead Horse Point – Phosphate mining in the valley

Dead Horse Point – Colorado River

Dead Horse Point – Long view

Dead Horse Point

Dead Horse Point at Sunrise

Dead Horse Point at Sunrise take two

Dead Horse Point at Sunset

Would you believe this tree is over 100 years old – Utah Junipter

The Colorado River is at the base of the canyon. It is 2,000 feet down to the river instead of 5,000 like the Grand Canyon. The sunrise and sunset views are breathtaking. There are great mountain bike trails. I did a couple which were way beyond my comfort zone for risk taking and skill set but I did them anyway. This park calls us back.

CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK – ISLAND IN THE SKY DISTRICT

Canyonlands National Park – Island in the Sky

Canyonlands National Park – Island in the Sky district was next on the list. Canyonlands is large with three districts: Island in the Sky, Needles and The Maze. The Maze section was not on our list as it is not as developed and much more rugged plus it is hard to get to without lots of driving. Island in the Sky is only 30 miles from Arches but entirely different. It has its own look and feel. It is more rugged and less developed and not as busy. It has great hiking trails along with excellent scenic drives. Again we had a day and a half which was just the right amount of time for us.

Canyonlands – Neck Spring Hiking Trail

Neck Spring Hiking Trail View

Neck Spring Trail

Neck Spring Trail

Neck Spring Trail

Neck Spring Trail – Long view

Neck Spring Trail – Shafer Canyon

Neck Spring Trail looking east

The Neck Spring Trail was our one big hike. It was an eight mile loop again with lots of elevation change but little rock scrambling… It gets its name from being at the neck of the canyon and there is a spring or two along the way. As you will see the photos display a different image than Arches.

Neck Spring Trail – Desert shot

Shafer Canyon view

Shafer Canyon – Fun perspective

Canyonlands Scenic Drive

Relaxing at the top – Canyonlands

Canyonlands – West view

Canyonlands – One more shot of red rock…

Canyonlands has arches too!

More scenic drive photo opts…

We took a day to drive the scenic drives. As you can see from the photos…there is lots to see and do here.

COLORADO RIVER DRIVE

Drive along the Colorado River from Moab

Colorado River Drive Arch

Colorado River Drive

Colorado River Drive Cave

Colorado River Valley

Colorado River

Colorado River Drive – Scenic turnout

Colorado River Drive View to the East

The last day we were at Dead Horse we headed out for a drive along the Colorado River on Utah Highway 128 out of Moab. The drive was recommended and was a nice change from our aggressive hiking experiences. We spent most of the day sight-seeing along the river with a nice picnic stop on river bank at a BLM site.

CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK – NEEDLES DISTRICT

The South Utah experience just gets better and better. Our RV site reservation was at a private campground in Monticello for two nights. There were no national or state Parks close by. Again same Utah experience, the park looked much better online than in person. The Needles district was a surprise as it was so much different than Island in the Sky. It was less developed hence less traffic and there was a surprise around every turn.

Canyonlands – Needles District

Canyonlands – Needles District

More Canyonlands Needles District

Canyonlands Needles – Chesler Park Trail

View from Chesler Park Trail

Chesler Park – Canyonlands Needles District

Hike Chesler Park Trail – Over 300 photo – Hard to choose the best

More Chesler Park Hike

Chesler Park – Interesting rock formations

Chesler Park Trail – Fun view around every turn

Chesler Park Trail

Chesler Park – More red rock

Chesler Park Trail – Mile 8

Chesler Park Trail – Photographers Candy Store

More fun rock formations

Red rock, white rock and blue sky…

What do you think about this view…

Chesler Park Trail – Mile 10

Red rock – slots…

Never lost interest in this trail – always something new around the next turn

Jan in the slot canyon – it went on for almost a mile…

Jan climbing through the slot…of course we did the trail backwards which made it harder

Jan doing the rocks thing near the end of the hike…

Hiking out…the views are still outstanding

Here we took on our ultimate hike to date an eleven miler. The hike was the Chesler Park Loop which connected with the Joint Trail. Not only was it longer than we would normally do but it also was much more challenging. The trail was rocky with some drastic elevation changes. That being said it was one of the better trail experiences. We both came away with the same evaluation, glad that we had done it. The highlight of the hike was working our way through a slotted canyon where most of the time you could touch each side of the canyon. As you can see from all the photos the trail scenery changed a lot along the way.

The red rock formations are capativating…

Guess what…this is the last Canyonlands red rock photo…

Next we move on to the Capitol Reef National Park. The next Blog Post will be the final phase of our south Utah adventure.

Life on the road is good…

God bless…

Larry and Jan

Travels in Utah North – Dinosaur, Salt Lake City, Brigham and Provo

It is great to be back on the road. We crossed the Utah state line on day 12 as planned. To date the trip was gone well and the adventure that we expected. The RV park reservations and the weather all seem to be on our side. This post will be on the north Utah experience. Look for the post of Utah south to follow once we hit Nevada in late September. The first Utah stop was the Dinosaur National Monument in Jensen, then Salt Lake City, followed by Brigham City and finally Provo.

Here is the last shot of Colorado as seen in our rear view mirror…

Leaving the Colorado grazing lands from the West

As we left Colorado again we lamented that there was more that we could do if time allowed…

Greeted in Utah with a weather worn sign…

Here we are the Utah desert

Utah port of entry was the northeast corner of the state a high desert area. The landscape definitely changed as we cross the border between the two states.

DINOSAUR NATIONAL MONUMENT

Green River Campground at Jensen, Utah is outstanding – Good location with great views

Green River Valley creates its own personality in the Utah high desert

Our National Park RV site was the Green River campground in the Dinosaur National Monument. We were right on the river with a great view. The Green River Valley setting of desert, water and mountains set the stage for great visuals. Adding to our quality of life on the road, the Utah sun along with the new Solar panels did their job to keep the batteries charged and our quality of life on track.

Green in the desert…this has been a one family working farm for more than 100 years

See what a little water can bring forth…

Being from the mid-west, seeing farming operations in the desert along the river was fascinating. The Chew family farm has been in operations here for over 100 years.

In the past there were herds of cattle roaming here

Fact or legend Josie Morris was an outlaw and rancher along with Butch Cassidy and others who held up in the region

The area still has limited cattle grazing but is mostly a thing of the past. The park showcased an old ranch owned by Josie Morris. Legend has it she had several encounters with the law over cattle rustling (never convicted), was married five times, furnished horses to Butch Cassidy plus other outlaws and ran the ranch to age 89. She died at 90 in 1963. The old ranch house built in the 30s still stands with most of the other out building long gone. She was creative on how she managed water rights and used the land. Evidently she made impression on many people as there is plenty of information documenting her life.

Great drive along the park road along the river

Park landscape is diverse

More color in the desert

The park road climbs to the top in some spots

Fun drive through the lower valley

View near the campground – red rock and granite mountains

Fremont Indian Pictographs from the past

There were hundreds of these on the mountain…you had to work a bit to find them

The area was a nice introduction to Utah. We knew we were in the west with lots of mountain and great scenery. Yes, even some red rock. The area has many Pictographs done by the Fremont Indians…some say could date back to 200 to 1,300 AD.

The reason we are here…Dinosaurs

A building has been constructed over the Quarry

Inside view of the Quarry wall

Close up…there were over 350 tons of bones recovered and send to museums all over the world

The reason we were drawn to the area were the dinosaurs. The museum and quarry we found very educational. There is plenty of good information on the how and why the concentration of Dinosaurs in the area. The excavation was over several decades and truly a passion for those who did it. It took us about three hours to tour the facilities and grounds.

SALT LAKE CITY AND THE GREAT SALT LAKE

Salt Lake City Capital of Utah

Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City

Downtown Salt Lake

The Mormon Campus is impressive

Stately architecture for sure

Mormon Convention Center – Capacity 21,000

Convention Center Building roof

Roof area is 7.5 acres, it even has a grass field with native trees and plants

The Mormon message is everywhere, even on the roof…

Love organs…this is a small one in the Convention Center

Fantastic organ…we experienced it in person

Next stop was Salt Lake City the capital of Utah. We stayed about 10 miles out at North Salt Lake at a very crowded private RV park. We spent one day in the City. The Mormon influence is overwhelming. The city is laid out on a grid so very easy to navigate. The downtown area is clean and very nicely landscaped. There is a three story shopping complex which is well done. It covers more than one block and is both inside and outside with walkways over the streets. Has all the major stores plus places to eat.

Access to Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake

Lots to see and do on the island – there arealso buffalo, antelope and other wild life

Both high and low terrain

Yes, I got in the Great Salt Lake – It is salty and not very nice

I have always had a fascination with the Great Salt Lake. I remember a picture of my Grandmother Woodard wading in the lake from the 40s. She had great memories of a trip west with my Aunt and I remember listening to stories of her trip. We found a good way to experience the lake was by traveling to Antelope Island. It is connected by a causeway from the main land. It has lots of wildlife like Buffalo, Antelope and Deer. It is developed mostly for recreational use now. We had less than a half day so had to leave a lot of the island unexplored. After being in the lake, yes you need a shower soon! Not sure I can share my Grandmother’s memory as a neat experience.

WILLARD BAY, BRIGHAM CITY

Willard Bay a fresh water diked reservoir on the Great Salt Lake

Willard Bay campground view

Our next move was to Willard Bay State Park. The bay is actually a fresh water reservoir used by farmers for irrigation. There is a dike built around it as a barrier to the Great Salt Lake. The lake is also used for boating and fishing…very interesting concept. They are in the process of raising the dikes to hold more water. The RV Park was good although very close to I15.

Could resist the National Historic Site where the Union and Pacific Railroads met

Jupiter a Passenger trail from the West

Union 119 freight train from the East

119 in motion

While we were at Willard Bay we traveled north to Brigham City. The city had a very nice look and feel. The main street is lined with Sycamore trees…which are impressive. Close by is the Golden Spike Historical site. This is where the Pacific Railroad tracks from the West met the Union Railroad from the East. We had to check it out. There were two reproduction steam locomotives built in 1979 in action and on display. The stop was educational and the trip there was through ATK land (Rocket manufacturing and testing facility). There was a rocket museum which looked intriguing but passed due to time limitations.

Logan Canyon drive – Very Scenic

Bear Lake in Utah and Idaho at the end of the Logan Canyon Highway – Very large and beautiful

From there we headed north to Logan to pick up the Logan Canyon Highway to Idaho. This is a very challenging winding and curving road through the mountains. The main objective was to spend some time in Idaho as that is one of the states still on our bucket list. Idaho looked good; we will be going back on our next trip west.

PROVO AND UTAH LAKE

RV park on Utah Lake at Provo – Action in the air…

Utah Lake State Park – Nice RV accomodations – Very large harbor

When in Provo…follow the Mormon trail

Note the BYU Y on the side of mountain

Beautiful landscaped campus…we did the tour

Campus is only 50 years old…modern buildings

Walkable campus

Lots of bronze statues – Many supporting family values

Our last stop in our North Utah segment was Provo, staying at the Utah Lake State Park. The objective was to catch up on the laundry and do some shopping before hitting the National Parks in the South. On the list was to check out Brigham Young University. The campus was much newer than I expected. We learned a little more about the Mormons and their way of life.

We are now more than ready to see some red rock. Our first stop will be Arches where the next blog will pick up. The trip is still on schedule, the equipment is holding together, the weather is outstanding and most importantly enjoying being on the road again. Loving the warm days and cool nights although as I write this it is 95 out…

God bless,

Larry and Jan

The plan for the first 12 days

It is great to be back on the road again. A trip to Utah has been on the bucket list for several years. Finally things fell into place for us to take on the adventure. The trip planning started in January. This trip required reservation so the first part of the trip is pretty much set in stone. It is broken down into four sections: Getting to Utah, North Utah, South Utah and ending with Utah back to Gulf Shores. The trip plan is 62 days with some flexibility at the end to add more days.

This first section covers seven states in 12 days.

Here we are packed and ready to go…looking more relaxed already

The trip started on Monday, August 17th. We got up that morning with no electric. This forced us to come up quickly with a “Plan B”. It was great that Marty was there to pick up the pieces that we had to leave behind. We were only an hour behind the planned departure time as we drove down the hill heading to Utah. The trip will end in Gulf Shores mid-October…

First Stop is Lunch in Petoskey, yes we are on the road again!

The first part of the trip is one that we have made hundreds of time over the years. We stopped in Petoskey for lunch and to relax a bit.

A stop to view the Mackinac Bridge is a must

The old light house at the Mackinac Straits is cool plus it is very photogenic

Of course a stop at the Mackinac Bridge is a must. I must have at least a hundred pictures of the bridge archived.

First night Lake Michigan Campground – Hiawatha National Forest

The first night we spent at the Lake Michigan Campground which is part of the Hiawatha National Forest. This is a great campground. It only has room for tents and small rigs. The new downsized RV fit nicely. Lake Michigan is up three feet over the last year. With the higher water level the beach has disappeared.

Great fun viewing the Lego displays…

Mall of America Amusement Center

Great Fun for the Kid and Adults Too!

The next night we spent in Wisconsin. The next day was a conference call for The Ridge board of director’s quarterly meeting so we had to get up and get going early. The stop was near Minneapolis, Minnesota to catch the Mall of America. The Mall was impressive. We spent most of the day just wandering and taking in the sights. It was a nice onetime event, not sure we would need to go back. Our campsite was in the Lebanon Campground run by the city of Apple Valley. Highly recommend this as a RV stop.

John is a Master at the Grill…great meal!

You can always find lots of greenery at John and Gingers…

Then we made our way to Missouri to the Thousand Hills Campground in Kirksville. This is a State park. There we visited Jan’s Brother, John and his wife Ginger. It had been awhile since we had seen them and was pleased at the opportunity.

Golden Spike Tower in North Platte Nebraska

Union Pacific Bailey Rail Yard North Platte – 2,850 acres

Rail museum in North Platte Nebraska

Old 3944 is big and impressive

One of our objectives is to take in all 50 states. One that was still missing was Nebraska so we headed back North a bit. The first night was Lincoln and then a night at North Platte. There we took in the Golden Spike Tower which overlooks the impressive Union Pacific Rail Yard. This stop was recommended by Larry Shimer our resident train enthusiast. The city also has a nice train museum. The stop plan was a half a day which was more than enough.

Coming into the Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain view from the Moraine Campground

We scheduled three nights at the Rocky Mountain National Park at Estes Park, Colorado. My son Mark and I were there many years ago but Jan had not. My brother Duane lives near Denver so this was a great opportunity to catch up with him and his family.

The Deer Mountain trail is listed as moderate? The climb is over 1,200 feet

Deer Mountain Trial looking better

More trees at the lower elevation

Estes Park from top of Deer Mountain

Valley view – note the smoke from Calfornia

Looking west over the park

Enjoy the view to the East

Looking North…Rain shower brewing which is an every day occurance

Northwest coming down

At the top…time for lunch

There is always a willing fellow hiker to take the photo at the top

The park is outstanding. We had time for one hike. We had planned a nice hike but after a bit of consideration went from a 3,000 foot climb to 1,200. The trail up Deer Mountain was a nice challenge for us and if we had another day would have taken on the bigger challenge. The weather was perfect, the views great from 10,000 feet although a lot of haze from the California forest fires. We found it interesting that the recommendation was to be off the mountain by noon as there are thunder and lighting storms most afternoons. As predicted a storm moved through just as we were coming off.

Duane and Bobbi took us to the top of Mount Evans

Larry and Duane still smiling

Here we are at 14,000 Feet – However we drove this time

Bobbi, Mary Lynn, Duane, Steve and Toby

The last day we caught up with Duane and Bobbi. They treated us to a road trip up Evan’s Mountain, a climb to 14,000 feet. There was a picnic at the top and at the end of the day caught up with Mary Lynn, Steve over Pizza. Then there was Toby who kept stealing my napkin and would return it for a hand out. The trip into Denver was impressive as we climbed up and down the different grades. It seemed like I was always the slow one…takes some self assurance to drive in the mountains.

Very early morning on the Ridge Road

Early Morning View Ridge Road at 12,000 Feet Rockies

The day we left Estes Park there were two choices out, down and around or over the top. The road over the top is called the Ridge Road which tops at 12,000. Large RVs are not encouraged. After a little soul searching we selected The Ridge road. The old truck did complain a bit and got hot under the collars once or twice which slowed the climb out for us. There were gorgeous views but worth the white knuckle experience.

Next we take on North Utah with the first stop at Dinosaur National Monument. Stay tuned as there is more to come as we take on the next 10 days.

God Bless,

Larry and Jan