Journey Continues in SW National Parks

9-27-2014

I admit to being way behind on posting our travels but it is due to lack of internet and lack of time. We have now ended our trip through the southwest National parks and Monuments. We are resting at an OK RV park in Holbrook Arizona. To catch up here are the places we have been.

9-7-2014
We explored Bryce Canyon and Kodachrome Basin. The scenery was breath taking. Judy rode a mule down into the canyon on a narrow trail. There is a lot of Hoodoos in the canyon which our guide pointed out. A hoodoo is a rock formation that appears to be something such as an animal.

Bryce

9-8-2014
We traveled from Bryce Canyon Utah to Torrey Utah. The area we are in is considered high dessert. We are typically at elevations between 6000 and 8000 feet. Most of our driving involves 6% grades and many curves. It is rare that Judy can use the cruse control, the engine break gets a lot of use.



9-9-2014
We visited Capital Reef State Park. We went off roading on the day we got there. Judy did her first stream crossing and had her first experience with mud. It rained the night of the 8th so many of the roads in the park were closed. We decided not not attempt dirt roads outside the park due to the rain.

Torrey

9-10-2014
We traveled from Torrey to Moab Utah. Enroute we visited Goblin State Park. the rock formations all look like goblins. We also visited the John Wesley Powell Museum. He was the first person to travel the Colorado River by boat.

Torrey to Moab

9-11-2014
We toured Arches National Park. There are many arches in the park. The scenery was amazing. That night we took a boat ride 3 miles down the Colorado river. It was dark when the boat turned around to go back. They had a truck with huge lights  on top driving along the road lighting the canyon walls while they played music on the boat. The effect of the lights on the canyon walls was unbelievable.



9-12-2014
We toured Canyon Lands National Park. The canyons were beautiful. It is amazing how the rivers have carved the canyons over millions of years. The were created by the Green River and the Colorado River.

9-13-2014
I (Judy) went on a zip-line adventure without Dick.  (He would not have survived it)  We (there was a group of us from the tour that did it together) went to the shop where we were introduced to the most uncomfortable restraining equipment I had ever seen.  The "tour" guys showed us how to put the harness on correctly so that it would not hurt when zipping across the top of the mountain.  Fortunately for us, it was one that had a breaking system that they operated.  The jeep ride up to the top was unreal.  It was a road that my jeep would not have been able to traverse.  Tilting, rocking and rolling and climbing over rocks was great.  Then we walked along the top edge of the mountain to the zip lines.  One of them was a suspension bridge.  I am still waiting for the pix from that trip.  I didn't want to take the camera and get it damaged.  It was exhilarating.  And then we had the jeep ride back down the mountain.  I would definitely do it again. The total zip line was about 3000 feet long.

Moab

I will continue to catch up tomorrow.

Dick and Judy