Getting ready to head home

It's been a great couple of months, but now it's time to fly home for the holidays.

Sponge washed our motorhome at Snow Canyon (used little precious water), and now we parked at the KOA at Circus Circus in Las Vegas.  Rented our storage spot this morning, and we're now cleaning and winterizing.  We want everything to be in top condition when we return in a few months to continue our journey.
We depart Las Vegas on Tuesday.

 

 

We say goodby to Blowin-in-the-Wind until late January.  It's been a great two months!

I'll take a rootbeer float and a foot long.....

Pulled into Snow Canyon State Park.  We were warned that the sites are so close together that you may not be able to extend the slideouts.  True statement.  The RV full hookup area was built in the 50s by some thoughtful architect -- Inspired by the A&W rootbeer drive-ins.  Keep it tight, so as not to detract from the incredible scenery of this park.  And keep it inexpensive by not having to run utility hookups great distances.  So, yes, it was tight (but we did get the slideouts extended).  But, NO, tried to order a meal, but no car hop showed up.

Other than this interesting camping setup, this park is another incredible place to bike and hike.
From Lava tubes formed 27,000 years ago, to petrified sand dunes; what a great place!  We biked both the paved 6 mile Whiptale trail, and the unpaved but very bikeable West Canyon trail behind rock formations and through canyons.  And then we hiked many of the trails being careful not to trip or get cut on the volcanic rock strewn over the paths. 

Snow Canyon is another keeper and a go-back destination!

6 Awesome days at Zion National Park

How do you write about this awesome place?! 

Pulled into Watchman campground with views of the surrounding canyon walls, the sound of the Virgin River, and clear blue skies.  We got out our bikes and started biking up the canyon on the Pa'rus bike trail; totally paved for 3 miles and then hooking up to the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive.  We marveled at the rock formations including the Court of the Patriarchs, and scoped out all of the hikes we planned to do, during our time here.

On the weekend, we took the park shuttle, with our bikes loaded up front.  What a great bike ride down canyon after one of our many hikes.  And no traffic except the shuttle buses.

During our visit we hiked back to Narrows, but too cold to repeat our walk up the Virgin River.  We hiked to the Emerald pools, Weeping Rock, Hidden Canyon, and for our grand finale, Angel's Landing.  Although, we didn't quite get to the end of the Angel's Landing trail -- a promise to Becky.

All of the hikes were awesome....



Ruthie holding on while hiking Hidden Canyon

Climbing to Angel's Landing

Morey on a "level" trail

Angel's Landing Trail

Angel's Landing hike, hold that chain!
 

 

Taking a break at Scouts Landing

 



The sun sets on another hiking day at Zion

What a discovery...

 

Have you ever hiked to an incredible destination, without knowing what was at the end of the trail?  Our day hike at Red Cliffs Recreation Area was just that.








 



First stop on the Red Reef Trail
 

We started a fairly short Red Reef trail through the red rocked canyon.  Almost ready to stop, take the views all in, and then turn back --- we thought....if we scramble over the small rock pile and continue deeper into the canyon, what would be ahead.   As we followed deeper, around a bend, we came upon a peaceful, and beautiful waterfall emptying into a slick rock pool.

Second stop on the Red Reef Trail

Yesterday's goat head experience didn't stop us from this discovery! And we're glad it didn't.



The attack of the Goat Heads....

You're probably wondering, what is a Goat Head.  Read on.....

After leaving St. George, a nice 2 day stop (excluding the horrible Temple View RV resort where we parked in their out-lot with no security and temporary hookups), we headed back to nature.
Camped 3 days at Quail Creek State Park on a beautiful site overlooking the very blue reservoir.

Now for the Goat Head attack...  Biked the short 3 miles to Red Cliffs Recreation Area, noted for some great trails through the red cliffs and even some dinosaur tracks!  Biked under the I-15 overpass, too low for our RV, and checked out some of the old Mormon settlers sites and even a 50 year old movie set that included Gary Cooper & Rita Hayworth (remember them?!).

 

We did some off roading on our hybrid bikes on some fairly packed dirt paths.  Jumped back on the pavement and then the "fun" began.  Ruthie announced, "I've got a flat", then, "I've got another flat", then, Morey noted a flat tire, then another flat tire!!!  No worries, Morey got out the two replacement tubes plus lots of patch
kits.  After changing all 4 tires, using the new tubes and patches; we were set to continue our biking.  OOPS...another flat, and another, and another. 

Resigned to walking back the 3 miles to the RV, but Tom a local hiker offered us a ride..THANKS!
What caused all of these flat tires....GOAT HEADS.  Watch out if you're in this area.  They are insidious, growing off road and on the edges.

The end of the story.  Put the bikes back on the RV bike rack and drove into St. George where we added tire liners and all new tubes.  This was after we removed at least 30 goat head spikes from our tires.

Glutton for punishment?  We're headed back to Red Cliffs today so we can enjoy the area.

Kodachrome Basin State Park

This park is so classic Utah with all of the colors and rock formations, Kodak actually felt honored and allowed the use of their camera film name. {Just you older guys even know what "film" is!}.  We spent  3 days camped surrounded by rock cliffs and formations.  Biked over to Shakespeare Arch; a short but very rocky trip; and then hiked to the Arch. The next day we hiked over 8 miles through a varied landscape on the Panorama trail.....The Hat Shop, The Ballerina Shoe, Cool Cave, and Secret Passage.  A great park to visit...........oh, almost forgot to mention the incredible views of Bryce Canyon off to the west, snow capped and wonderful.


 

Cool Cave


 

Bryce Canyon