Day 35 Kingman back to Las Vegas - Completing the "circle"
Earlier in the tour we had explored the possibility of taking a helicopter over/into the Grand Canyon.  In fact we had made enquiries before we even set off... and this was the day!  We left Kingman and headed for a junction where we could leave three of the vans and continue on the diversion up to the airfield at West rim in the Indian territory.  John had offered to drive the last bit and we had Mary and I, Justin and Anne, Dave and Sue aboard.  A "small" navigation problem extended the journey but we arrived at the airfield ahead of our scheduled time slot.  At the Reception we were offered two helicopters - one for four of us and one for three for take-off in just fifteen minutes!

Worth it?  Oh yes!  We skimmed the plateau and then the pilot plunged over the rim and we swooped down into the canyon.  We flew above the River Colorado and then landed close by to disembark and take a stroll around on the Canyon floor.  Some amazing scenery and it was hot!  Very hot!  Mary wandered off to look at the unusual plants growing here and then it was time to be picked up for the return flight.  We continued upstream over the Colorado and then soared up a side canyon back to plateau level.

We finally continued back to Las Vegas and the Vegas KOA.  That evening we all had a meal at Billy Bob's in Sam's Town.  Although we felt a little sorry to be leaving friends behind as we all headed for our different destinations it was also good to be heading home.

Day 34 Sedona to Kingman along Route 66
What happens to a town when it gets a new bypass?  Especially when the old road takes a greater distance and takes longer in time to travel between the two points it connects?  And the new road is a fast dual carriageway Interstate?  And the purpose of the old town, now bypassed, was primarily to service the needs of travellers?  That's Seligman!  We actually did see tumbleweed blowing down the street!

But what it does have is a name - Route 66!  And it does have a few points of interest in it's favour, especially old vehicles parked up (never to move again) at various locations along the street. This one inspired a "movie" character by Disney/Pixar.

This place had several of interest including this pick-up and the old town police cruiser.  It also had great coffee and hundreds of Route 66 T shirts and caps (the principle industry of the town).

The nearby "Roadkill Cafe" - "You kill it, we'll grill it" provided us with lunch; though Justin and Mary's burger may well have been roadkill and had to be sent back before it was replaced with something edible - a buffalo burger!

Then it was on to Kingman along Route 66 and an evening BBQ at the campsite.  We had to reduce both food and booze stocks ahead of arrival in Vegas and the return of the vans, so a good night was had by all!

Day 32 and 33 The Grand Canyon to Sedona
This has been a very special place but today we move on to Sedona.  We call in at Flagstaff on the way and visit the very interesting Museum of North Arizona, where a visit to the museum shop (art and jewellery of the Native Americans) leads to the purchase of some earrings.  Then via Sliderock State Park - where the river has carved a smooth gully in the rock which is used by visitors to enjoy a series of free water slides down the valley.  Tempted but resisted - really don't want any personal damage at this stage of the trip!

At Sedona we meet up with friends and decide to head out for a meal at a local craft brew pub and grill for supper which is just a short walk away.  We have a lovely evening and Justin and I enjoy every single one of the brewhouse's "seven dwarves" of ale - a taster board of their seven brews.  On the way back to the RV we spot a skunk rooting around near the rubbish bins!  Decide not to get too close!

The second day at Sedona and we wander up to the town for a late brunch American style and to have a stroll down the high street.  This is Uptown Sedona (supposedly the older part) and is mostly comprised of eating places, drinking places and shops!  The shops range from tourist tat through to some classy art and native crafts shops.  Another "accident" with the credit card and Mary has a beautiful silver and opal bangle to her collection of native american jewellery.

Later we have a tour of the red rocks and desert which abut Sedona.  Which is through more stunning scenery (if this had been earlier in the trip it would have seemed even more spectacular - but we have experienced so many amazing places that this didn't quite get the recognition it might have had the start of the trip).  The climax of the ride in a pink jeep is a cookout in the middle of nowhere and it turns out to be a great meal.

Day 30 and 31 Page, Lake Powell to the Grand Canyon
For many this would be the climax of our holiday, but we have seen so many amazing things and beautiful places that it is hard to imagine that anything can better what we have experienced so far.  And so it proves.  Words fail us, no superlatives are sufficient and we are totally in awe of this amazing place.

It's the scale of the place that is hard to appreciate and it is almost impossible to capture with a single photo.  We drive in from the East entrance and stop several times along the ridge before arriving at the visitor centre, getting the essential information, watching the introductory video then heading for the trailer park.  We meet up with some of the others and then head back for sunset over the Canyon.

Early supper and early to bed as we have been advised on where we should go to watch the sunrise and will need to be up for the 5.30 am bus, where we are joined by Rick and Bev, who had expected to find us there!

We see the sun creep over the horizon, it's cold but we have brought warm clothes.  And it is so worth it!  

Then we turn to watch the colours emerge from the greyness of the Canyon as a the light catches the ridges and rocks of the sides of the walls.

We walk back along the ridge to get changed and have breakfast back at the van before we set out once again to walk more of the ridge.  We take advantage of the hop on/hop off shuttle bus but still manage 8 miles of walking with a view of the most stunning scenery imaginable.  Having left the van before dawn we arrive back after the sun has set!  What a day!

Day 28 and 29 Monument Valley to Page, Lake Powell
We are kept awake late into the night by heavy rain, thunder and lightening overhead, which continues most of the night!  It is still raining as we wake and so take our time to depart.  Before leaving the area we pop into the little museum onsite which tells the story of the valley and the role played in the early 1900s by the family who brought Hollywood to the desert for the making of westerns which employed local Navajo Indians and provided an essential income during the years of the great depression.  It has stopped raining as we leave, but the sky is mean and moody!

We have almost continuous showery rain until the last few miles before Page and then thunder and lightening and torrential downpour!  Then just as suddenly as it came it passes and we are able to get out and view the lake from the bridge over the Colorado and the dam/lake exhibition.

View of the bridge from the Dam Visitor Centre viewpoint.

This dam and water control point is crucial to all the states in the Colorado river basin - and even over the border into Mexico.  Although we are sorry not to be able to visit the slot canyons (closed because of the flood risk) everybody living across SW USA will be very happy to see this heavy continuous rain!

On to the campsite situated close to the lake and inside the Recreational Park Area.  We catch up with washing, sort out our plans for Grand Canyon flights and book a helicopter to fly over and into the canyon on Sunday.  We are going to do it with Justin and Anne, Dave and Sue so it will be great fun!

Evening drinks with Justin and Anne are extended as, after a sunny end to the day, it starts to rain very heavily once again!

Day 27 Cortez to Monument Valley
This part of the trip was always something I was looking forward to especially.  Perhaps cowboy films had left some indelible memory, or maybe it was from a geography lesson in the dim and distant past.

The journey from Cortez is through the beginnings of canyon country and the red rocks, deep canyons and rugged mesa are dominant landscape features.  We stop at Bluff to visit the Bluff Fort Museum, an excellent museum telling the story of early mormon pioneers who followed their calling and headed into Indian country in family groups to show they meant no harm.  A journey they thought would take six weeks took six months and they had to face the freezing conditions of winter with snow and extreme temperatures.  There was no road so they made one as they went which included descending the plateau to cross the Colorado River.

The museum is very well put together and the story of each family recorded and narrated by a descendant is told in reconstructed huts on the site of the original settlement.  Each hut also has artefacts and information about their contribution to the group and the establishment of Bluff.

The blacksmith's home.

General view of the Bluff Fort Museum with reconstructed wagon.

From Bluff we headed to the amazing feature of deeply incised meanders made as the River San Juan cut deeply into the plateau surface close to Mexican Hat.  This is now the Goosenecks State Park and well worth the short detour off the main route.

You see Monument Valley in the distance long before you arrive.  It is the size and scale of the area these features cover which impresses so much.  We check-in and meet up at the Reception where Henry loads us into the back of his 4 wheeled drive truck and off we go!  The ride is not smooth as we are taken off road and onto the dusty tracks which lead us into and past the main sites of the Navajo Indian State Park.  Lots of photographs later we return for a much needed cold beer and shower!

Day 26 Durango to Cortez via Mesa Verde National Park
A short drive but a spectacular visit to Mesa Verde NP on the way.  We arrive in good time at the Visitor Centre and sign up for a guided visit to the Balcony house, even though this is deemed "not for the faint hearted" as it involves some walking, some climbing up ladders and some crawling through tunnels.  The scale of this park is much greater than expected and we start with a long drive to the main features.  This is the ancestral home of pueblo American Indians and due to lack of records, early looting of the main sites and rather hazy oral histories much is open to conjecture.  The main sites are the cliff dwellings and these are situated in the most amazing and almost inaccessible places.

Our visit to Balcony House is a challenge... wooden ladders, crawl through tunnels and some pretty steep drops!  However we love it and just don't want to leave this amazing place... we are, once again, the last to arrive at the RV site that evening! 

Day 24-25 Alamosa to Durango
This part of the trip takes us through even more spectacular scenery - I know I've said this already but it really is!  Another view of the Rocky Mountains today as we first cross the San Luis plain, surrounded by mountain ranges.  This area is vast with long straight highways continuing as far as the eye can see.  At Del Norte we stop to visit a small museum.   It is fascinating, telling the story of the people of the area from the first settlers through displays of their artefacts.  The section on health care is especially interesting and includes the story of the doctor captured by the Japanese and of how on his return he was a pioneer of the use of helicopters to get a doctor to remote mountain communities and provide an emergency service to the region.

From there we headed up Wold Creek Pass, steadily climbing through the San Juan Mountains to its summit on the Great Divide at 10,850 feet.  A scenic lookout just on the other side was a great place for a lunch stop, with magnificent views to the West down to Paragosa Springs some twenty miles away.  Then on towards Durango itself.

Durango is an interesting place.  We have seen some quite poor communities on the journey today but this is clearly an affluent place; and so it should be, for its wealth is built upon discoveries of silver north of here and this is the home of the Durango-Silverton Railway.

It is good to have a chill out evening and after the periodic briefing meeting we have a most enjoyable BBQ with friends we have made on the tour.

It is up and away the following day as we are off by coach to Silverton - a very interesting old silver mining town and now the terminus of the Durango-Silverton steam railway.  Lunch at Grumpy's to the accompaniment of honk tonk piano thane aboard to return to Durango... a catalogue of disasters follows; we set off, we stop due to brake problems, a diesel is called up but they fix the problem and we continue under steam.  We stop again and uncouple the steam loco and add the diesel; a sudden braking and we stop again while a fallen tree is removed from the line... however the trip is through spectacular, even if it does take almost five hours and we don't arrive until the sun is setting!

Day 23 Colorado Springs to Alamosa
Today we took the scenic route from Colorado Springs across/through the Rocky Mountains to Alamosa.  We didn't really know what to expect but the whole journey was, once again, stunning.  We decide not to stop on the way as we were keen to have a good long time at The Great Sand Dunes National Park, but we did stop for coffee at an amazing village store and cafe at Cotopaxi.  It was like stepping back into the past - three owners in just about 100 years!  And again at Salida an interesting arty town (think Glastonbury surrounded by mountains).  It is actually the only small town we have wanted to stop in on our journey to date!

We then crossed the Great Divide (again!) and descended to a gigantic plain surrounded by mountains.  At one edge of this, hard against the Sangre de Cristos Mountains, lies the Great Sand Dunes National Park.  This is truly an amazing place, created when sandstone eroded from the San Juan Mountains 64 miles away was blown by prevailing westerly winds to pile against the Sangre de Cristos.  But these are huge!

We have driven through heavy rain and the skies threaten again as we leave.  But the sunset as we approach Alamosa and our next overnight stop is amazing with the mountain backdrop.  Tomorrow we'll take a pass through these as we head for our next stop, Durango.

Days 21 & 22 Colorado Springs
We have been based in Colorado Springs for the last two nights.  This is a super area to explore right on the edge of the Rockies.  Close at hand "The Garden of the Gods" - a complex of rock formations in a lovely setting on the edge of the city.  We call in the the visitor centre and amaze the lady at the information desk that we are going to be walking the long trail right around the site (just 4.5 miles).  Everybody else drives the "Scenic Roadway" and perhaps walks the 0.8 mile inner loop paved walkway!  It's worth it - you see so much more from the different angles and of course you only have each other for company and not a hoard of other visitors.

While at Colorado Springs we also took the ride up Pike's Peak on the cog railway.  We went with a group of friends we have made on this trip.  The scenery as you climb out of the valley, through the various eco-zones to eventually reach the tundra at 14,000 feet are all viewed from the diesel powered, swiss designed train.

We even spotted some yellow bellied marmots.

Ended the day with a visit to Seven Falls in Cheyenne Canyon.  Big combination of waterfalls (guess how many?)!  Stairways and walkways take visitor up alongside the falls - quite spectacular!

Finished the day with BBQ and drinks with Justin and Anne (invited to visit in Spain where they move on return from this trip) and John and Jan.

Day 20 Douglas Wyoming to Golden Colorado via Rocky Mountain NP
What a day.  We belted down the Interstate and by-passed Cheyenne so that we could visit Rocky Mountain National Park.  And aren't we glad we did. The climb up to Estes Park and the edge of the NP is though dramatic scenery, a narrow gorge with steep sides towering above the narrow road.  Then the scenery opens out as you arrive at Estes Park.  There was a family festival on today "Beer, Brats and Music"!  It was pretty clear who this was aimed at.  But the town was crowded and we made the mistake of not taking the by-pass, which would have reached our destination, the NP entrance, a lot earlier.

Once inside the Park we stopped at the Visitor Centre as there were two options available to us depending on time and the advice given by the rangers.  Go for it was what we were told, it's a beautiful drive and there are no problems with weather!

We drove a grand loop taking in the main areas of the Park.  We heard elk before we saw them through binoculars at our lunch stop and later had a very close encounter with a whole group by the roadside.

We took the high road, and I mean really high, so that we were up in the tundra zone at 11,000 feet and the scenery was fabulous.  What goes up must come down and the long, log descent took us through mixed woodland with lots of golden aspen trees in full fall colour.

Leaving the park we continued the descent towards Denver but looking ahead realised that the route would take us through Winter Park, a former ski trip having taken us here many moons ago! Mary impressed that I remembered where the hotel was.

Talking of moons, tonight is a total eclipse here near Denver, and as we arrive in the dark it has already started.  We eat supper by it's fluctuating light and plan for tomorrow before a relatively early night.  Just pleased that it is a much shorter drive!

Day 19 Hill City (South Dakota) to Douglas Wyoming
On my birthday we make an early start and head for Wind Cave NP where we are able to book places on a guided tour of just a tiny part of the cave system, which is really good.  We grab a very quick first breakfast.

We descend a large number of steps and then follow a long connected series caves and tunnels with interesting geology and formations.  The Ranger guide is excellent and she explains what we see, the history of its exploration and facts about its geology and formation.

We then have second breakfast before departing for Hot Springs and the Mammoth Dig Museum.  This is another brilliant visit and Charlie would have loved it!

Tonight after the evening briefing we had drinks for all who wanted to attend at our van... very late supper!

Day 18 Hill City (South Dakota)
Hill City is in the Black Hills of South Dakota and rises above the plains which seem to go on endlessly in all directions.  We decide to take a leisurely morning and relax, read and catch up with the washing (Mary).  I do some van related tasks - cleaning the caked-on dead flies from the windshield (windscreen).

As lunchtime approaches we drive the short distance into town and explore options for lunch before settling on the Swiss Hotel where we enjoy a salads followed by rather nice ice creams (single scoops this time after Cody comments on FB).

We then drive out to Mount Rushmore to visit the giant sculptures of four significant presidents of the US carved into the mountain.  This is an immense work and its execution is spectacular. 

We meet up with some of the others from our trip and decide to stay on for the lighting ceremony. I'm sorry to say this lived up to expectations and was over the top jingoistic american nonsense.  The visit to see the sculpture is worth it... but the rest a distortion of reality!

We return to camp and head for bed.

Day 17 Buffalo to Hill City (South Dakota)
Quite a long drive today with a detour to visit the Devil's Tower which proves well worth it and another amazing experience.

But first breakfast of pancakes (Mary) and cinnamon roll (Ian) at the Occidental Hotel, a wonderful experience in a restored old west Hotel - haunt of celebrities and bandits in equal proportion!  So it was a late departure, though not quite the last, unusual for us as we are often amongst the early risers - hoping to pack as much as possible into the day!

The drive, on an Interstate, is easy and relaxed, though it does take sometime to reach the Devil's Tower which is a spectacular piece of geology.  There is some disagreement over the origins of this butte but it is undoubtedly linked with some kind of volcanic action and may be a gigantic volcanic plug like many Mary and I have seen in the Auvergne in France in and around Le Puy.  It is held as a place of great spirituality by several American Indians and we saw prayer cloths tied to trees as we walked around it today.

Soaring above the butte were turkey vultures and we also saw prairie dogs and squirrels as we walked around it.

Beware prairie dogs - apparently they can give you a very nasty nip!

Day 16 Cody to Buffalo
We are finally heading away from the mountains and travelling through the foothills, though at times they seem rather big foothills!  The scenery continues to amaze and our route today has some flexibility.  Sadly one of our group ha become unwell and has had to have treatment in Cody before he is well enough to travel again - we hope that he catches us up once we get to Hill City.  He had been keen to go to Thermopilis and we had thought that would be fun.  It is a swimming pool fed by natural heated water from deep underground to the the (Caroline) temperature of our hot tub!  Only twenty minutes permitted and of course our skin smelled of sulphur when we got out!

From here we continued to a smashing little site at Buffalo.  Due to our late arrival we couldn't fit in aperitifs at The Occidental Hotel, but had a great BBQ with our fellow travellers and a long apres BBQ of red wine as darkness descended!

Day 14 & 15 Cody
We remain at Cody for two nights.  This is an opportunity to catch up on washing and relaxing after the hectic activity of the first two weeks.  There is however a lot to see and do here and many in the group take the opportunity to visit the Centre of the West Museum complex as do we. This is a complex of five exhibition spaces with museums of Natural History, Firearms, Buffalo Bill Cody, Plains Indians and an Art Gallery.  The grounds also have several sculptures and outdoor presentation spaces.

We spend most of the morning in the Natural History area and it is excellent with dioramas, nature video clips, reconstructions and lots of information about the greater Yellowstone region.  Charlie would have loved the section on palaeontology which included reconstructions of digs including one of a bison cliff.

In the evening we watch a local admiral group perform a shootout with authentic costume and poor acting, as they do this every night through the season I think they were ready for a break!  Then we had a meal at Irma's Hotel with sour waitress and "pile it high food" - not recommended! And then on to a show at the local theatre with Dan Miller and a small band performing great western and cowboy music - highly recommended!

Oh yes and the ice creams (see Facebook for this).

Day 13 Madison to Cody
It is as though all the scenic drives so far have been building to this day.  We leave early and head back part of the route we had taken yesterday.  This time we are going to stop at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone; which, on arrival, we view from both rims and even descend Tom's Trail on metal steps down three quarters of the canyon sides.  The views of both waterfalls are fantastic and, being early, there are very few others sharing the experience.  That all changes at the final site/sight - Artist' Point - where once again we are joined by hundreds for the short walk from the car park to the viewpoint (overlook).

The drive continues through magnificent scenery, past more geothermal action and the stunningly beautiful Hayden Valley.  We stop near Jackson Lake to have a late lunch and walk along a creek to the lakeside.  It is so peaceful and we love it.

The mountain pass down to the East Entrance is dramatic but bleak and we also pass through a large area where the great fire of 1988 has left huge devastation, then on to Cody where we are once again the last to arrive!

Day 12 Around Madison
We start the day with Ranger Miriam who gives us a potted history of the discovery of Yellowstone and is rightly proud of the fact that it was the first National Park anywhere in the US and a model for National Parks throughout the World.  We also get the lowdown on the peculiar geothermal features, including the fact that her the Earth’s crust is just 3 miles thick.  Hence all the geysers, fumaroles, mud pots and hot water springs.  We also have the wild animal safety briefing!

We have been invited to join Justin and Anne, John and Jan for a tour of the area.  Justin volunteers to drive and Mary is nominated as the navigator.  The van is very luxurious compared with our smaller vehicle and we are all strapped in and ready to go on a 100 mile circuit of some of the sights of the park.

Lots of laughs and some very interesting places - geysers, mud pots, scenery and of course yet more bison on a great day, though at the end of it we are all pretty exhausted!  An early night ensues.

Day 11 - Jackson into Grand Teton and Yellowstone N Parks

We had always known that today would be an amazing day full of highlights and so it proved to be.  We awake to low mist over Jackson.  As we can see from the map the first hour of the journey will be through fabulous scenery so we delay departure, and fill up with propane and petrol before heading towards the Grand Teton NP entrance.  Shortly after we enter the park the mist clears and we have fabulous views of the snow-dusted Teton range away to our left against a brilliant blue sky!

Our first stop will be Jenny Lake and we have been warned that “you must arrive before 10.00 or won’t be able to park.”  We arrive around 10.30 and have a choice of parking slots!  We pop into the visitor centre and Mary buys a short guide to the park which shows walks and specially notable locations for best views, wildlife sighting locations etc.  It proves very useful throughout the day!

We take the boat across Jenny Lake and decide on two walks on the other side.  Normally these are linked into a single loop but the connecting section is closed for maintenance (it looked like a bridge had been washed away and was being rebuilt).  We climb through the trees, with snatched vies of the lake below and the mountains beyond until we reach a small series of waterfalls, however the hidden waterfall lies just a little higher and suddenly appears around a corner, though you do hear it before it is seen.

Next we head back to the landing stage and head up the trail to “Inspiration Point”.  This is quite a climb and in the high altitude for those used to living at 300 feet above sea level at times you need to pause for long deep breaths.  But the reward is worth it!  After a series of zig-zags on the trail you reach an open area with stunning views back across the lake to the mountain ranges that surround the open bowl before us.  It is so beautiful we can hardly drag ourselves away!

But as we are only a short distance into our journey and we have Yellowstone ahead of us today we must.  Back down the track, spot mule deer in the undergrowth, onto the boat and back across the lake.

We have spent such a long time here that we must press on for the scale of distances is greater than expected inside the parks.  We make a small detour to Horseshoe Bend and enjoy the view of he mountains, winding river and changing colour of the trees.  It is beautiful.

Then back on the road and before long we leave Grand Teton and arrive at Yellowstone.  Although devastated by fires many times over the forest recovers and the road is through young pine trees grown since the great fire of 1988.

We call at a visitor centre and collect information, intending to watch a film of the regeneration of Yellowstone, but realise that we need to hurry on to see Old Faithful do its thing!  And this we do and it really is spectacular.  Arriving in time to get a good viewpoint with the setting sun behind us.

From here we press on to the Madison Campground but our route is further delayed by bison on the road, lots of them, including one mother feeding a calf in the middle of the carriageway.  We are the last to arrive!

Day 11 - Bear Lake to Jackson

The driving is easy with empty roads - except for our group of vans all heading out along the shore of Bear Lake and heading for Montpelier.

Here is the National Trail Centre with a great exhibition of the Oregon Trail which was great fun and included a simulation of being bounced around while travelling in a wagon!

Then we headed North crossing passes in the increasingly high mountains until we reach the valley of the Snake River.  The first section is a stunning gorge, where we stop for lunch; then it broadens out into a wide bowl with Jackson and the ski area of Teton Village (Jackson Hole) ascending into the mountains above the plain.  The view from the Gondola and at the top of the mountain are fabulous!

Tomorrow we head into Grand Teton National Park and from there into Yellowstone.  We won't have Internet between now and arriving at Cody in three days time!

We are having the most amazing time with lots of great experiences on the way!  Today we met a cowboy herding sheep... he had no English and when he asked if I spoke Spanish was amused that all I could manage was to ask him for "Two beers please."

From this chance meeting we continued to Jackson and went to the Gondola at Teton Village to ascend to the top of Grand Teton before setting up at the RV site.

So this evening went to seek out the Silver Dollar Bar and remember Brian's story of his visit here.  It was heaving and loud live band playing, so great atmosphere.  Went with another two couples and had a great evening... waitress, one of the most miserable yet met in US so either the rest were better at acting or last night's had had a really bad day!  We managed to win her round!

Day 10 - Salt Lake City to Bear Lake

Today we head further North with higher mountains and higher latitude we'll be glad of the warm clothes we brought.  The last few days there has been rain for at least part of the day - usually the evening like last night which drove the sundowner group inside for the first time.  We could see fresh snow on the mountains as we left SLC and it was certainly cold enough for heating last night.  There is a definite feeling of Autumn now and there might even be snow at our next couple of destinations.

We decide to do some shopping as the weather is expected to improve, which it does and then we head for Antelope Island State Park in the Great Salt Lake.  The scenery is a delight and the bison something we had hoped for but not expected to be so close!

We are able to see these magnificent beasts at very close quarters living in their natural habitat and grazing on the grasslands of the island.

The Great Salt Lake is quite an impressive sight and we are able to get a feel for it's almost unique qualities as, in spite of recent rain, the edge of the island has deposits of salt and other chemicals.

From here we headed North and passed up the Logan Canyon before arriving at our overnight RV site close to the lake itself.  Briefing was followed by drinks with friends in one of the larger vans as it is especially cold tonight.  Up early tomorrow as we head for Jackson, the Tetons National Park and then Yellowstone.  May have WiFi tomorrow but after that don't expect to be able to post until we reach Cody.

Day 9 - Salt Lake City

An interesting place!  But not one I'd want to hurry back to.  We sheltered from the rain in the morning, caught up with family via FaceTime, though Ettie is more interested in turning the light on and off and Charlie more interested in pulling faces!

In the afternoon we visit Temple Square and are accosted by lots of young ladies in pairs working the area as missionaries.  We visited the main sights, but I just don't get it!  The centre of SLC is immaculate, modern and affluent; however you don't have to wander far to find begging and very run down areas.

We did enjoy a great meal at an Italian restaurant to compensate.  Happy to be on the move again tomorrow!  The mormon temple is an interesting piece of architecture but non members can't go inside.  The whole complex has a high wall around it and you get the feeling that they'd love to just close all the gates to the rest of us!

The Trax tramway system is excellent!

Day 8 - Bryce Canyon to Salt Lake City

This is the longest drive to date and we decide to get on with it!  There are several possible routes but it has rained heavily overnight and it is still raining as we leave.  We have heard flash flood warnings and that Zion NP has been closed due to flash flood risk!  Really glad we got up early yesterday to see sunrise.  Mary drives the RV today and we choose a route which keeps us off the Interstate as long as possible following the 89 for most of the journey.

This route takes us through some attractive scenery but depressingly impoverished towns with small timber framed building with sagging porches and roofs.  US clearly has a sizeable population living on or below the poverty line.

As we descend from the mountains the rain lessens and part of the journey is in pleasant sunshine.  However after a late stop for lunch we join the Interstate 15 and the skies open!  Torrential rain on a six lane highway with heavy lorries all around us is not a pleasant experience.  While I am now driving Mary nods off!  We find the RV site (thanks to Mary and TomTom, our trusty navigators) and as others arrive we discover some of the group still shaking from the experience!

A few beers/wine/G&Ts later we all seem to have got over the experience and are non the worse for it.

At the evening briefing the skies open once more but this time we are more able to enjoy the sight of a beautiful rainbow over the city which we shall explore tomorrow.

Day 7 - Bryce Canyon

An amazing day!  We wake early and the overnight rain has cleared and we can see stars; so its disconnect, pull in the slide out and off to the entrance to the park some ten minutes drive away.  The gates are open and we drive straight to Bryce point the best location to view sunrise as the promontory gives a view East to the rising sun and West to the amphitheatre of hoodoos.  It is everything that has been promised!

Looking down...

After that we visit a number of other overlooks (viewpoints) all of which have fabulous views of the rock formations.  And then we set off on the Queen's Garden/Navajo loop trail.  One of life's rich experiences and to honour the event I wear my "crossing the southern alps" hat which Caroline bought for our trip to NZ.

Looking up...

At the end of the walk the skies open and we make our way back to the rim in heavy rain... at least we were well prepared unlike those in T shirts and crocs!

This evening we go with the group for a meal and western show.  The music was great!  Food OK... and the little train ride back to the RV site highly entertaining! 

Day 6 - Zion National Park to Bryce Canyon

We leave Zion with an amazing journey ahead of us.  One of the shortest of the trip but also one of, if not, the most spectacular to date.  At least that is what the guides all say... and so it proves.  It is a beautiful day and we head off into the park and continue via many hairpin bends to the Zion tunnel.  The road has amazing views in all directions and we see the Zion valley from altitude which is fantastic.  The rock formations are fascinating with erosion by rain, snow and frost producing incredible shapes and patters.  We take over two hours to exit the park, some 20 odd miles!

Admiring the view before we head off on our journey to Bryce Canyon. 

We also take some time to reach our final RV site for the night by taking two stops in Red Canyon for walks.  The second was a quick stroll around the hoodoos.  Then on to Ruby's where we pick up info on visiting Bryce Canyon.  We find that as we have "a small RV", under 25 feet that is, we can drive into the park so we have an early night and decide to get up for a dawn visit!

Day 5 - Zion National Park

We have booked a guided tour with a park ranger so are up and out in good time to arrive at the park entrance for 8.30.  Browse in the shop and then meet with Chelsey the ranger and set off up the canyon.  There is a lot about geology and erosion and the wildlife of the canyon floor and it's all good stuff and well presented.

We arrive at the top end of the valley, where the canyon narrows and eventually the trail ends and walkers take to the river bed to continue upstream.  We decide that it's a bit early in the trip to risk injury so we head back and meet up with some of our fellow travellers to explore some of the other sights along the canyon.  It is, once again, very hot and we drink copious water and try to stay under the trees, avoiding the glare of the sun.

Back at the RV park we need the refreshing dip in the pool to cool off ahead of a barbecue with others on the trip.

Day 4 - Las Vegas to Zion National Park

We leave Las Vegas and head north following Interstate 15, a fast four lane highway heading away from Las Vegas towards Salt Lake City.  It is another hot day with blue skies and views of the approaching mountains through the heat haze.  The scenery becomes increasingly attractive as we get further and further from Las Vegas along the busy highway.

We have decided to leave the Interstate for a scenic diversion near St George and visit the State Park of Snow Canyon.  Never has a location been so inappropriately named as the day is once again baking at around 40 degrees in the shade and no shade to be seen.  But it is magnificent and a great introduction to the Canyon Country of Utah.

This image shows the petrified sand dunes and we walk over them, admiring the scenery in all directions.

Back at the van we have lunch and a drink before heading on to our next destination Zion National Park.  The drive to it is beautiful and we find the RV site and check in, head for the park entrance and get ourselves sorted with our NP pass and the special pass which we shall need to access the Mt Carmel tunnel when the time comes for us to leave.  Having purchased the pass we catch the free shuttle up the valley and marvel at the scenic wonder that is Zion National Park.  Popping up to the park visitor centre to get our pass has taken us three hours and the sun is setting by the time we return!!!  But we have managed to get ourselves onto a ranger guided tour in the morning, so well worth it.