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2018-09-15 – WBCCI 2018 Southwest Adventure Caravan – Day 28 – Bryce Canyon National Park

Today we enjoyed the famous Mule-Horse Trail Ride down into the amphitheater of Bryce Canyon National Park…

I had heard from previous caravaners that this ride was terrifying – that the mules walk along the outer edge of the trail above vertical cliffs, that the mules make turns at the last minute, when their heads are cantilevered over the vast emptiness below.  Frankly, I found that the ride was more like the kiddie pony rides offered at Griffith Park…

We began our adventure at the corral, where, after an excruciatingly long wait, we were shown to our trusty steeds…

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Finally we set out down the trail… at a plodding pace…

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The first thing we enjoyed along the trail was to be up close with the hoodoos and pinnacles and other rock formations here…

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All along the trails, up, and down, these mules and horses walked at their plodding pace.  They walk these trails twice a day, and they have been doing it for years.  They are sure footed and very responsive, plodding along, following the animal in front of them.  Very little drama…

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After an hour and a half we returned to the corral…

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Upon dismounting, we learned that our limbs had been stretched into an unusual position for the last two hours.  Getting them back to their normal positions took a little time… We were not alone – everyone was walking funny…

All in all, it was interesting.  I wouldn’t exactly call it fun.  Interesting to see these animals do there jobs, interesting to see how other people react to the animals… It was great to see the rocks up close… And it was not terrifying or dangerous…

We returned to the RV park, stopping along the way for fuel and groceries.  We relaxed in The Villa, watching football… After all, it is Saturday…!  Too bad, Auburn, UCLA, Florida State, USC…

We walked about a bit. We found a lake nearby, and we found teepees that you can rent if you want to camp this way…

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We shared happy hours from 5:00 to 9:30 with several other caravaners…

And an enjoyable time was had by all…

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2018-09-14 – WBCCI 2018 Southwest Adventure Caravan – Day 27 – Bryce Canyon National Park

We slept in a bit today, then caught the shuttle into Bryce Canyon National Park…

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Bryce Canyon National Park  is an national park located in southwestern Utah. The major feature of the park is Bryce Canyon, which despite its name, is not a canyon, but a collection of giant natural amphitheaters along the eastern side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. Bryce is distinctive due to geological structures called hoodoos, formed by frost weathering and stream erosion of the river and lake bed sedimentary rocks. The red, orange, and white colors of the rocks provide spectacular views for park visitors.  The rim at Bryce varies from 8,000 to 9,000 feet.

The Bryce Canyon area was settled by Mormon pioneers in the 1850s and was named after Ebenezer Bryce, who homesteaded in the area in 1874.  The area around Bryce Canyon was originally designated as a national monument by President Warren G. Harding in 1923 and was redesignated as a national park by Congress in 1928. The park covers 35,835 acres…

We took the shuttle around the main amphitheater to Bryce Point, elev. 8,300′.  We walked the Rim Trail, overlooking the amphitheater.  Along the way we passed Inspiration Point, Sunset Point, and Sunrise Point, elev. 8,000′.  Along the way were several ups and downs, so we had our fair share of elevation change.

Needless to say, the views were spectacular.  All along the way we saw, well, rocks…

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We found a spot to rest from time to time…

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And, in the event we need a picture of me for my funeral, we have this…

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We kept walking and saw amazing things…

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See the hands…

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See the cathedral with flying buttresses…

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This was the viewpoint at Bryce Point, where we started…

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Single photos don’t do it justice, so I was forced to use the panorama mode…

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This is where the path is on the ridge, with the amphitheater on one side and forest on the other…

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We arrived at the end of today’s trail…

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We found our way to the Lodge – typical National Park Lodge, only smaller.

The Bryce Canyon Lodge was built by the Utah Parks Company, a subsidiary of the Union Pacific Railroad, as part of the railroad’s project to develop tourist traffic to Bryce, Zion and the Grand Canyon by providing noteworthy destination hotels at each park.  The Union Pacific was following in the footsteps of other railroads’ efforts to promote the western parks of the United States and Canada.  Architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood was in charge of the design work for the Union Pacific hotels.  Construction at the Bryce Lodge started in 1924 and was completed in the early summer of 1925. The guest wings were added in 1926 and the auditorium in 1927.  Tourists were brought by train to Cedar City, Utah, where they were taken by custom 11 passenger bus-limousines to the various national park lodges.

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We had a nice lunch to refresh ourselves after the ordeal of our “hike”…

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After lunch we peaked around the lodge to see what we could see…

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We returned to the RV Park, via the shuttle, and rested up for our evening out.

Tonight we go to Ebeneezers Cowboy Barn and Grill, for dinner and a show.  This has been a tradition of the Southwest Caravan for many years.  Remember that Ebeneezer Bryce settled this land, so the name is an homage to him… It is a very large dining room (approximately 300-400 people), not exactly a barn, but certainly as ugly as one…

Even though it is less than a mile from the RV park, everyone has to drive their truck… Because, Utah…

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We waited outside until they opened the doors…

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We did get a table up front.  I wasn’t sure if this was a good idea, or not…

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We shared the table with three other Airstream couples…

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The food was quite good for a mass buffet, and the “band” (three guitar players/singers) was very talented.  They made the show seem very casual and improvised and addressed directly to us, the audience.  However, I would hazard a guess that if we returned tomorrow night we would see the EXACT same casual and improvised show…

We returned to The Villa and turned in…

And an enjoyable time was had by all…

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2018-09-13 – WBCCI 2018 Southwest Adventure Caravan – Day 26 – Traveling to Bryce Canyon National Park

Today we travel to Bryce Canyon National Park.  But first, we had duties as assigned… We were “Deparkers”.  This meant that we, along with another couple, were to stand at the exit to the RV park, and, as each Airstream rig pulled out, we were to check to see that their mirrors, hitch, lights, vents, etc. were in proper order for safe travels… It took about one hour for 25 Airstreams to depart.  We then finished hitching up and headed on our way…

We drove along the “Highway Through Time”, so named for its geologic formations… We stopped along the way, at about elevation 9,300 ft., and viewed the scenery…

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The Aspens are starting to turn into fall colors…

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After about two hours we were at Bryce Canyon City.  The town seems to consist of two motels, several restaurants, a “Barn and Grill” dinner show place (more on this tomorrow…), a state-run liquor store, a post office, a giant gift shop, and a gas station, all apparently owned by the same family…

We were shown to our campsite by the “Parkers”, who had arrived early…

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We walked to the bus/shuttle stop and signed up for a bus tour on Sunday and learned about the shuttle service offered through the park…

We enjoyed happy hours with other caravaners from New Jersey…

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Tomorrow we begin to explore Bryce…

And an enjoyable time was had by all…

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2018-09-12 – WBCCI 2018 Southwest Adventure Caravan – Day 25 – Lazing around all day, near Capitol Reef National Park

Today we went nowhere and did nothing…

Well, not quite…

We started out by doing laundry… And by “we”, I mean Lynda…

We did some looking around in the Gift Shop, and Lynda bought a shirt…

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We walked around the RV park…

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And we read, napped, and generally relaxed…

At 3:00 we drove down the street to Slackers, for home-made real ice cream…

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We had dinner at the on-site BBQ joint.  Lynda said her chicken was good.  I had the ribs.  They were terrible…

At 7:00 we had a drivers meeting to learn about our travels to Bryce National Park tomorrow…

And, as is our tradition, we now present pictures of our great grandchildren… They are great, aren’t they?

Evelyn enjoys playing with big sister Roisin…

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George and Ian seem to being enjoying their lunch…

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Great Grandma fiddles with something for the boys…

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Ian masters the climbing wall…

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And George explores the climbing structure…

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And an enjoyable Time was had by all…

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2018-09-11 – WBCCI 2018 Southwest Adventure Caravan – Day 24 – Capitol Reef National Park

The morning dawned beautifully in Torrey…

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We had breakfast at the Capitol Reef Cafe, as part of the caravan fees that we had paid… We enjoy patronizing local businesses…

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Our touring today takes us through Capitol Reef National Park.  The caravan provided a CD to play as we drove through the park, explaining what we were seeing (rocks) and allowing us to stop from time to time to walk/hike to see things not visible from the road…

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Capitol Reef National Park is approximately 60 miles long on its north–south axis but an average of just 6 miles wide.  It was initially designated a national monument on August 2, 1937, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in order to protect the area’s colorful canyons, ridges, buttes, and monoliths; however, it was not until 1950 that the area officially opened to the public.  Road access was improved in 1962, and in 1971 it was named a National Park.  It is one of the least visited and uncrowded National Parks, although it was relatively busy today.

One major feature of the park is the nearly 100 mi long up-thrust formation called the Waterpocket Fold, a huge ridge of up-lifted rock.  The park was named for whitish Navajo Sandstone cliffs with dome formations—similar to the white domes often placed on capitol buildings…

We followed the road, seeing the sights, and finally proceeded down a two mile long gravel road called the Grand Wash to see the rocks up close and personal…

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We parked and walked about a mile into the canyon.  There are signs everywhere to stay out of the canyon if rain is expected, since flash floods are common.  Fortunately for us, the sky was clear and blue…

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We returned to the truck and continued along, following the CD, until we arrived at the Capitol Gorge trail, another walk/hike into the canyon…

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We found this “window” in the rocks – this will eventually expand into an arch…

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We saw several goats along the way…

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The canyon gets very narrow and is quite intimidating…

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As we returned back through the canyon we found some petroglyphs…

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We returned to another leg of the CD tour.  This one led to marvelous views, both up and down…

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This is another “meander”, similar to what we saw in Goosenecks State Park…

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Back at the RV park we had the last of the Fandangos, so, technically, we have met everyone n the caravan… We still have a ways to go to really remember everyone’s name…

And then we were treated to a lovely twighlight…

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And an enjoyable time was had by all…

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2018-09-10 – WBCCI 2018 Southwest Adventure Caravan – Day 23 – Travel Day to Torrey, Utah and Capitol Reef National Park

Another travel day… We took our time packing up and hitching up, and left the RV park about 10:00 am.  We drove past Arches and Canyonlands National Parks and soon we were heading west on Interstate 70.   We were quickly reminded that we are not in California anymore…

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As we drove we were accompanied by several other caravaners…

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We pulled off into the little town of Green River.  Not surprisingly, the Green River passes through here…

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The Green River originates in the high plains of Wyoming, and feeds into the Colorado River in Canyonlands National Park, near Moab, Utah…  We stopped here to see the Powell Museum…

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The museum commemorates the journey and explorations of John Wesley Powell, who, in 1869, took several men and boats down the Green River and into the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon… We watched a video of the journey and saw many exhibits of the trip.  Very interesting!

We continued our journey west, then south.  This part of Utah is not covered in rocks…

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But, course, soon we did find more rocks…

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The road south went straight south… For miles and miles and miles…

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We soon came to Capitol Reef National Park, one of the country’s newest National Parks… We saw many of the same type of rock formations that we had seen before…

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One difference is that we were much closer to them…

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We did not stop – there will be time for that tomorrow.  Soon we arrived at the RV park in Torrey, Utah…

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We enjoyed dinner at the Cafe Diablo, dining outside amongst the trees, with another caravan couple from New Jersey…

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We were soon treated to a brilliant sunset…

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And an enjoyable Time was had by all…

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Special Post 9/10/19 – We are heading into the wilderness again…

I got all caught up through 9/9/18… I have no idea when we will have good fast internet access again… Stay tuned…

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2018-09-09 – WBCCI 2018 Southwest Adventure Caravan – Day 22 – Relaxing and driving the La Sal Loop…

We had a leisurely morning , then we drove out along the Colorado River again.  We turned off the highway about 20 miles from here, and followed the La Sal Loop Road into a beautiful Valley…

img_5115img_5117img_5121 About 4 miles in we turned off into Castle Valley, a semi-residential area.  This valley is unlike anything we have seen in Utah.  All green – even the rock-faced mountains…

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We found what appears to be “ancient” construction and some well-built old houses…

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We returned to the main loop road and continued on…

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As we ascended higher into the hills we were surrounded with views of the “pygmy” forest… None of these trees are much higher than 20 feet, but it is beautiful!

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We came upon what looked to be alpine meadows…

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And fall colors!

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After we crested the summit we could see the Moab valley far below…

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We returned to the highway which leads back into Moab.  We stopped at the Moab Brewery and Distillery for a little lunch and a sample of their spirits…

We returned to The Villa and it was hot!  We cranked up the AC and I took a nap…

Tonight we had a short music presentation by the family that owns the RV Park.  It was,  surprisingly, a lot of fun…!

After the music we had a drivers meeting – tomorrow we head to Torrey and Capitol Reef National Park…

And an enjoyable time was had by all…

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2018-09-08 – WBCCI 2018 Southwest Adventure Caravan – Day 21 – Dead Horse Point State Park and Canyonlands National Park

Another long day enjoying the beauty that is Utah…

We started with Dead Horse Point State Park.  This park in on one of the many mesas or plateaus, with steep cliffs all around dropping precipitously into the canyon below.  At the bottom of the canyons is a river.  In the case of today’s parks, it is either the Green River or the Colorado River…

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One of the fingers of the mesa sticks our as a point or peninsula, connected to the main mesa by a narrow neck, about 90 feet wide.  Legend tells the story of cowboys who rounded up a herd of wild Mustang horses.  They herded them onto the point and blocked the neck with rocks and branches.  It made for a natural corral.  But these cowboys took the horses they wanted, and left the others penned up on the point to die… Thus the name.  I don’t know if the legend is true, but it just may be apocryphal…

We do know that in the late 19th and early 20th centuries the various points were used as natural corrals for herds of sheep from time to time…

Anyhow, we drove out to the park.  Along the way we stopped off to see the Monitor and Merrimac…

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I don’t always get the images some people see in the rocks, but I’ll take their word for it…

We stopped at the Visitors Center… Quite a nice building, by the way…

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We hiked from the Visitors Center to the viewpoint of the point.  It is hot this time of the year in Moab – about 100 degrees…

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This is the point, with the narrow neck…

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And so we pressed on – lots of territory to get through today…

Canyonlands National Park has three sections, each separated by steep canyons.  Island in the Sky, Needles, and The Maze.  You cannot get from one to the other unless you hike, or have a 4WD vehicle and you drive the steep gravel roads cut into the sides of the canyons.  While we do have 4WD in the big red truck, we chose to confine our visit to Island in the Sky…

Our first stop was the Mesa Arch.  It was a short walk off the road.  What is so special is not only the view through the arch, but the fact that the arch is literally on the edge of the mesa.  Walk through it and you will drop over 1,000 feet to the canyon below…

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The drop is precipitous…

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The view through the arch is fascinating…

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The views all around show the rugged canyons below…

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Walking back to the big red truck we found it interesting that the park service builds cairns or Ebeneezers to mark the trails…

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We stopped at several overlooks and viewed the canyons below…

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We found these posters interesting in that they explained why the canyons and mountains look like they do…

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But it was time to go.  We headed back to The Villa and relaxed.  It was close to 100 degrees, so we huddled inside with the AC on.  We had a little Happy Hours and light supper.

This evening we had another Fandango, meeting new friends.  We had met all the folks already, but we still enjoyed learning a bit more about their lives.

After the Fandango, when we returned to The Villa, we found that college football was in full force.  Great games were aplenty…

Florida was beaten by Kentucky for the first time in, like, a millennium.  Big Bad (over-rated) Clemson barely survived Texas A&M, LSU and Alabama both beat up poor Jr. College gimmie games that are so much a part of their soft schedules.  Stanfurd played U$C, which is always difficult for us, because we want them both to lose… U$C scored the fewest point against Stanfurd in 86 years, and didn’t even score a touchdown.  UCLA got walloped by another mediocre school for the second time this season, and Colorado beat Big Red Nebraska.

And, 190 miles north of here, in Provo, Utah, Cal beat BYU !  Go Bears!

And an enjoyable time was had by all…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And an enjoyable time was had by all…

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