Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

We decided to leave Capitol Reef NP a day early on Wed 5/21 because of the up-coming Memorial Day weekend. We were told that this is the biggest holiday weekend for SW Utah and all of the campgrounds would be full. (It’s supposed to be the nicest weather of the year. Joke on us.)

Anyway, we drove SW for 2 ½ hrs to Bruce Canyon NP. Our destination was Sunset CG in the park for one of the first come first served sites. We were lead to believe that North CG was all on reservations, but when we got there we found that only some of the sites were reserved. We had our pick of sites since we were in the CG before noon. We do enjoy being in park CGs because the sites are spread out, in the trees, and close to hiking trails and sites. True, no hookups; but tables, fire pits, showers, and heated bathrooms (important at 8,000 ft).

That brings up the weather. It snowed everyday, and the temperatures ranged from the 20’s to the 40’s. We loved the snow but after about 3 days we were ready for a little warmer weather.

Yes, John has figured out how to survive in the cold weather and not burst our water pipes. The snow also created a problem for the solar panels, as you can see in photo 2.

Bryce Canyon has rocks much different from the other parks that we visited. Water has eroded colorful rocks (red, yellow, brown, white, and lavender) into pillars called “hoodoos”. We thought we had seen enough rocks before we arrived here, but we were surprised to see such unusual rock formation.

It made for interesting hiking into the canyon and along the rim of the canyon.

The crowds did not materialize in the CG (presumably because of the weather) but the lodge was full. We’ve seen more than the usual number of European (mainly German and some French and English) tour groups. We have also observed that half the RVs in the parks are rentals and mainly Europeans.

There is an 18 mi drive along the rim of the canyon, so all the overlooks are easily accessible from the road. There is also a free shuttle that runs through the park and to some of the overlook sites.

We ran into some Gators in the CG and enjoyed sharing meals and conversations with Jim and Pat V of Palatka, Florida. They even knew John’s nephew Claude who lives in Palatka (small world).

We were happy to hear about the successful landing of the Phoenix on Mars. Congrats to JPL.

Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

Sunday, May 18, we left Moab, Utah and headed north to I 70. We drove west 25 miles and stopped in Green River to check out Green River State Park. It was a nice grassy camping area located under large trees. The only problem was that it was located on the edge of town and surrounded by a golf course. Not exactly getting away from it all. So we headed south on Hwy 24 to Capitol Reef NP.

The CG at Capitol Reef NP is very nice. The sites are on grass, spaced fairly far apart, and in a grove of trees for shade. The only problem was that the temperature was suppose to be in the 90”s, so we opted for a private park (Thousand Lakes RV Park) with electricity, in case we needed to run our AC. It’s a very nice park with grass and trees for shade. John picked a spot at the back of the CG with a beautiful view of the red sandstone cliffs (see photo #2).

The people at the CG are friendly and we even participated in a cookout dinner of ribs, beans, Dutch oven potatoes and Indian fry bread (which they called scones). John had three helpings of the bread.

We took the scenic drive through part of the park. We saw majestic red sandstone cliffs, towers, and petroglyphs( see photo #1). This area was settled by Mormons and they irrigated and plants lots of fruit trees. Hence, the area is called Fruita. Many of the trees still exist (see photo #3).

We particularly enjoyed a walk along a trail called the Grand Wash. The path took us through steep canyon walls that had been cut by water. (see photo # 4) There are lots of warnings to stay out of the canyons when rain threatens because this area is prone to flash floods.

This NP is not as busy and crowded as Arches NP. We figure it is more off the beaten path. The CG here is first come first served and doesn’t fill up until much later in the day.

Arches is busier however, and very difficult to get into the CG without reservations. If you want to wing it and not make reservations, the CG with first come first served is a better bet.

Arches National Park, Moab, Utah

Thurs, May 15 we left Durango, Colorado and drove NW across the Utah border to Moab, Utah. Our destination was Arches NP.

We arrived around noon expecting to get a campsite in the park. Little did we know that this is the height of the season here, and not only was the park campground full, but also many of the private RV parks in Moab. This is a very popular place for off-roaders and bicyclists. Plus, this is a good season for weather; it’s not supposed to be hot yet. Well, guess again, a heat wave has struck and it’s getting very warm here. (But so is L.A.)

We drove out to the CG and it was beautiful. The campsites were tucked in among the rocks and we were disappointed as to not to be able to get in. Half of the campsites can be reserved and the others are first come first serve. We could have stood in line at 5:00 AM in hopes of getting one of the sites but decided that was too much.

We stayed just 2 miles from the entrance to the park at Riverside Oasis RV Park that was located in the trees right on the Colorado River. It’s full and we got one of the last sites. (Lucky).

We spent our three days exploring Arches NP. Wow! It is spectacular. We think it’s much more impressive than Monument Valley and a park not to be missed. The red sandstone cliffs and arches are easily accessible from the road. We took several hikes along the trails to the different arches.

There is a scenic drive (Hwy 128) out of Moab that follows the Colorado River up the canyon. It reminded us of the Grand Canyon with its cliffs that are hundreds of feet above the river. There were many groups rafting down the river. We were surprised to see people camping along the river in BLM campsites. Most of those campsites were also full. This is a very popular place.

Durango, Colorado

Monday, May 12, we left Heron Lake SP in northern NM and drove north on Hwy 84 to Pagosa Springs, Colorado and then on to Durango on Hwy 160. We enjoyed our stay in New Mexico with its beautiful buttes, mesas, colorful rocks, adobe ruins, and SW food. However, as soon as we crossed over the Colorado state line, we were in completely different terrain (green fields, forests, snowy mountain peaks, fast moving mountain streams). It was good to be out of the dust and high winds that we experienced for many days in NM.

We were happy to be back in Durango. I think it’s one of our favorite cities. It’s located at an elevation of 6,500 ft and has a population of 13,900. The whole downtown area is designated an historical site. The many Victorian buildings hold quaint shops and period restaurants, hotels, and bars. It’s a mixture of ski bums, cowboys and tourists.

Our first day in town, we drove west out of Durango about 36 miles to visit Mesa Verde National Park. The drive to the top of the mesa was a gain of 2,000 ft.

We were surprised by the size and variety of the cliff dwellings. The park consists of 5,000 archeological sites, which include 600 cliff dwellings. Photo 1 is one of the larger ones.

There are ranger guided tours but we opted to do the self-guided tour in our own car. You can see lots of dwellings from your car, but to be able to go into the dwellings you need to take a ranger tour. We had already done many of these so we did our own thing.

(Besides, one of us had seen enough cliff dwellings.)

The highest point on the mesa was 8,572 ft. and as we descended down the mountain it started to snow. The road down to the valley floor was curvy and right on the edge of the mesa, so we were happy to get out of the snow and head back to Durango.

The next day we took the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad from Durango to Silverton, an old mining town up in the mountains. The train is a coal-fired steam locomotive and has been in continuous use since 1881. The ride followed the Animas River through a 2,000 ft gain in elevation and passed through beautiful forests and mountains. Photo 2 is taken in Silverton, where it was still cold.

We decided to take the 3 ½ hour ride up on the train but take the motor coach bus back that took only 1 ½ hours. The ride up on the train was gorgeous and very comfortable but slow. We were glad that we had taken the bus back, because it was faster and it took the “Million Dollar Highway” with its majestic mountain scenery. We enjoyed the bus ride as much as the train ride.

Heron Lake State Park, New Mexico

Friday, May 9, we drove 90 miles NW on Highway 64 to Heron Lake State Park. We used “New Mexico Campgrounds the Statewide Guide’ by Christina Frain that we bought in one of the museum stores in Santa Fe. In fact, we have bought quite a few books about the local history of the SW and have enjoyed reading them on our lay days. One exception was the Kit Carson book that Lou F. gave to John before we left. He thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Our ride from Taos to Heron Lake SP took us from 7,000 feet to 10,500 feet. The AAA maps did not indicate that we would have this high a climb. We took it slow and easy and had some beautiful scenery. We were very surprised to see so much snow (4-5 ft) at the highest point. When we reached the CG, we were told that the road had only been cleared a week ago. We lucked out this time.

Heron Lake SP has 250 + sites and we were one of only a half a dozen campers in the park. The campgrounds and sites are arranged around the lake, and there are many large and secluded sites with a view of the lake. The lake, however, is extremely low from the 8 years of drought.

We had a beautiful campsite overlooking the lake with the snow covered mountains to our east. We also have our own private nature reserve with deer, turkeys, water birds, osprey, and tiny “peep” birds around our campsite.

There is a program here where they build platforms for the osprey to nest on so they won’t nest on the power poles. We watched them drive for fish in the lake when they weren’t sitting on their eggs.

We have had calm, warm, sunny days and some days with very high winds and cool temperatures. Several mornings have been in the 30’s. We understand from the ranger that it is unusual to be this cold at this time of the year.

Most of our time has been spent reading about the local history and taking hikes, but we did participate in an evening star watch program. A local astronomer came to the CG and set up his telescope and we viewed Saturn, the moon, several stars and galaxies. It made for an interesting evening.

Taos, New Mexico

After spending a week in Santa Fe, we left on May 6 and drove north 75 miles to Taos. Taos is located at 6,900 feet on a plateau at the base of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains (the southern portion of the Rockies) to the east and the Rio Grande River to the west.

Taos is known for its artists, galleries, shops, fine restaurants, and as a skiing area.

Santa Fe had a population of 62,000, whereas Taos has a population of only 4,700. We found that we preferred the smaller town atmosphere here, and that there was a greater variety of affordable shopping as compared to Santa Fe.

We stayed at the Taos Valley RV Park just a short distance from the downtown plaza. It was a nice quiet RV park.

The highlight of our visit was the tour of the Taos Pueblo, which was located only a few miles from town. 100 Indians still live in the pueblo much as their ancestors did 1,000 years ago. They live without electricity and running water. They get their water from the stream that passes through the pueblo. The three story pueblo buildings are composed of straw and mud bricks. Many residents still use the outdoor ovens (shown in the middle photo) to bake bread.

The plaza in Taos (in the third photo) is surrounded by shops and restaurants and is the heart of the city. It has been a central meeting place for all the different groups (Spanish, Mexicans, American) who have controlled Taos. It has a rich history of conflict and many famous people have lived here. (Kit Carson, D. H. Lawrence, Georgia O’Keefe)

We have been gone for close to four weeks and still no mail. We decided to try the mail forwarding system from the post office and it certainly isn’t working for us. It’s a long story but our mail is somewhere between California and Florida.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

April 29, we left Bluewater S P and decided to bypass Albuquerque and head straight for Santa Fe. It was an easy 3 hour drive on interstate highways.

We decided to stay out of town and away from the city noise, so we picked a private RV park-Rancho de Santa Fe about 10 miles south of town. The facilities are nice and it’s quiet, but it is a bit dusty when the winds blow. The rabbits and birds keep us company when we aren’t out touring.

Santa Fe is certainly very upscale. We spent a lot of time in the downtown area. Everything is within walking distance. We took a self guided walking tour and visited some of the museums. We particularly enjoyed the Palace of the Governors (built in 1610) which is located on the central Plaza. Most of the activities occur here it’s where everyone gathers. Native Americans sit in front of the museum and sell their pottery, jewelry, and weavings.

John even took the tour of the Georgia O’Keefe Museum with Pris. O’Keefe lived in New Mexico for part of her life and the museum has the largest collection of her paintings.

We were amazed at the large number of upscale restaurants in Santa Fe. Of course we had to try as many as possible. We have particularly enjoyed the Southwestern cuisine. The chilies and sauces are milder and more to our liking than our Southern California Mexican food. In the south they ask you sweet or unsweet tea, but here it’s red or green sauce.

We took a break from eating and shopping and drove north about an hour to Los Alamos and visited the Bradbury Science Museum. They had interesting displays about the history of the Manhattan project and the development of the atom bomb. During the brief course of the Manhattan project (two years), all people who lived in Los Alamos could not refer to the name of the town. Everything was labeled Box 1663, Santa Fe NM. Even birth certificates carried this address!

We drove 15 miles south of Los Alamos and visited Bandelier National Monument. It contains preserved ruins of ancient Anasazi people who lived here between 1100 and 1550. The people built adobes houses on the canyon floor and in the cliffs above the canyon. At one point over 700 people lived in this area.

It is the beginning of May and we have probably jump started the touring season a little early. We are at 7,000 feet and it’s quite cool at night ( around 20 degrees). It’s sunny and in the 60’s during the day and pleasant for walking and touring.

Bluewater Lake State Park, NM

We had a beautiful campsite up on a bluff overlooking the lake, and we were joined by two other Lazy Dazers, also with silver/grey rigs. We had some good conversations and enjoyed campfires at night since the outside temperature was in the 30’s and 40’s in the evening. Thanks to Linda and John from Prescott, AZ and Vicki and Mike from San Clemente, CA.

It was warm and sunny during the day, making it quite pleasant to kick back and read about the history of the area and what to see and do in New Mexico. John had the bird feeder out and we were entertained by the birds, squirrels and chipmonks. This is our kind of camping.

On Monday we drove to the very ancient Acoma village called “Sky City” that is located on a high mesa. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the country. Evidence dates it from 1150 A.D. The village is located on top of a 357 foot high mesa.. Most of the buildings are original and families still live in them. The buildings are made of adobe (sand, mud and straw mixed together) and the roads are unpaved.. The original buildings were reached by climbing ladders and then descending into the interior through a hole in the roof. Most of the homes have added windows and doors but they have no running water or electricity. There was a community cistern to capture rain water and community domed ovens for baking. The village consists of a few hundred buildings, most of them connected.