Month: September 2022

Day 1 – Las Vagas

Flew into Harry Reid Airport on 10/6/22

Stopped off at the Hoover Dam. Took a tour of the power plant.

Visited N cousin’s home.

Went to the place we rented via VRBO, just off the “strip”.

Day 2 – Death Valley

Drove two hours to visit Death Valley. A large part of the park was closed due to the recent rain. I thought that might ruin the trip, but it really wasn’t a problem. There was more than enough to see.

We visited three spots:

• Zabriskie Point
• Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
• Dante’s View

At night we walked along the Vegas “strip” (Vegas Boulevard). Went inside the Bellagio to see their inside garden.

Day 3 – Zion National Park

We drove from Vegas to Zion National Park, which took about three hours. Zion has some magnificent cliffs. But it’s also very crowded, which is a bit ironic, since it was my least favorite, IMO least impressive, of all the parks we visited. It was so crowded that you have to take a shuttle bus to each destination, which wasn’t great. Still, some magnificent views.

We took two hikes. the first, the Riverside Walk Trail, which was extremely crowded. It ends at the Narrows, the famous walk between two canyon walls. Due to time limitations, and lack of water shoes, we did not take it. We also walked the Emerald Ponds Trail, which was much less crowded, and thus, more enjoyable.

In the evening, we drove to our VRBO which was located about 40 minutes from our next destination, Bryce Canyon. The road was very windy, very isolated, and by the mid-point, very dark. Not fun.

The house itself was really, really nicely appointed. Not much to look at on the outside, but inside every detail was thought out and tastefully done. Best VRBO ever.

Day 4 – Bryce Canyon

We drove to Bryce in the morning, about 40 minutes. We did the Rim Trail and Queen’s Garden.

Bryce might have been my favorite of all. The views were just spectacular.

After our hikes, we went back to the house for a bit, and then return to view the night sky. We couldn’t find the viewpoint the ranger suggested, but whatever. We just stopped at one of the others. It was cold. But the sky was spectacular. Complete silence except for the wind.

Day 5 – Capitol Reef

Next, we drove to Capitol Reef, about three hours from the place we stayed in Bryce. It was a dreary day, with showers. When we arrived, the weather wasn’t too promising for hiking. The area surrounding the long entrance road to the park was covered in reddish mud. A road crew was doing repairs, apparently from recent flooding.

We went to the Visitor’s Center. The ranger suggested Cohab Canyon. The first part of the hike was steep, but after a 1/4 mile or so it leveled out. The trail took us through a canyon with so much to see. It was really something to behold. We also took the Hickman Bridge Trail.

One of the most distinct aspects of this park is the Fruita District, which is a lush green area at the bottom of the canyon. The early settlers noticed the high quality of the soil in that area. They planted orchards that are still bearing fruit to this day.

Day 6 – Arches

Next, we drove to Arches National Park, around 2 1/2 hours from Capitol Reef. The first half of the drive was thru a very picturesque but desolate area. Again, the weather was rainy and cloudy. A large section of the road when through an area that was flooded out. In one section what looked like a good-size creek was running right next to the road. Then we hit another section of very dense fog. Finally, the water crossed the road. Luckily, a crew with a tractor arrived just ahead of us, which made it appear safe to cross.

The weather finally cleared up and the rest of the drive was uneventful.

Arches is also a very popular park, known for its more than 2,000 arches. We took the scenic drive, taking the many short hikes out to see the major sites: Windows, Balanced Rock, Double Arches, Landspace Arch.

Day 7 – Canyonland

Canyonland is a less popular park not far from Arches. Again the weather did not cooperate, but again it was not a real problem for there was a lot to see.

There are two main sections of the park: Island in the Sky and Needles. Due to flooding, the road to Needles was closed. The detour would have taken three hours (!). So we only saw Island in the Sky.

We walked the Grand View Point Trail. The entire trail has spectacular views of the canyon below. Every few feet the perspective change, which provide a stunning new view of the canyon. Great walk.

Day 8 Salt Lake City

Drove the roughly four hours to Salt Lake City. Visited the Temple Square. Went on a tour given by a couple of young Mormon missionaries. It was a little weird; definitely were pushing the old-time religion a bit. But they were very nice and not pushy. I very much enjoyed learning the history of the Mormons.

Went to Weems-Botts and the Workhouse with Y and C. Fun day. Y’s friend added a live soundtrack of drums to Modern Times and Sherlock Jr. Good.