Dan and Rebecca Early are on the road! After 36 years in Central Oregon we've sold our home and started a great adventure.
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We leave Utah today. We traveled many road miles by car and trail miles by foot. What a magnificent state. We know there is a lot more to see and hope to be back again in the future.
Blue highlight show our RV route. Northwest green highlights show the dinosaur tour route we took with Bill & Jeannie. Southwest green highlight shows trip we took with Matt & Jenn Johnson in 2009.
Our final day of the trip, Bill found yet another dinosaur museum in Ogden. The weather was cool and drizzly. Its mother's day, I get in for free! Again, not too many people. I was really impressed with the gems and the full Allosaurus dinosaur skeleton pulled from the Cleveland Lloyd Quarry!
The museum had a wonderful gem and mineral collection.
And, a great dinosaur skeleton collection.
And a really fun outdoor exhibit.
We think they took some artistic liberties!
More back roads, dirt roads and even a hail storm....we find the Cleveland-Lloyd Quarry! The Quarry is significant because 75% of the dinosaurs found here were carnivores. Theories are still tossed around but all agree "some significant event happened here!"
In the Quarry. Dinosaur bones shown as found in "3D"
Hiked and explored the area "is it a rock or a bone?"
The weather was ominous!
An old movie theater building in Price.
Drive two or so hours southwest of Vernal and you arrive in Price. Price is the closest town to the Cleveland Lloyd Quarry. Price also has a dinosaur-themed museum which we arrived in time to take in.
Utahraptor
Lots of good information
And, the photo ops were fun!
We covered a lot of ground yesterday! So much so, we turn on road warrior hyper-drive and head East to Colorado. Dinosaur National Monument Headquarters in Colorado is closed until Memorial Day but we encounter a couple of helpful park rangers letting us know we are on the radar. They encourage us to take the hike at the far north end of the park. "National Park quality scenery" one says! He's right. The view is spectacular and we encounter just a couple of other hikers. We are so jazzed from the beauty, we decide to find "Fantasy Canyon", an area of strange rock formations found south of Vernal. Half the trip was on dirt roads. We finally found the canyon.....worth the drive.
Colorado ---Dinosaur National Park
The view from the point was spectacular
From both sides
Fantasy Canyon---are we on the moon?
Yes, very different
Drove to the Dinosaur National Monument Quarry. The season doesn't kick in until Memorial Day, no crowds, no traffic...lucky us! We start out at the museum, drive up to the quarry, then hike a 1.5 mile trail around the quarry. The quarry blew us away!!! The hike was wonderfully tranquil and offered splendid views!
In front of the Quarry
Inside the Quarry
Outside the Quarry
Bill and Jeannie pick us up at our RV storage spot located in an Industrial area north of Salt Lake City. We have a three hour drive to Vernal. We arrive in time to take in the Vernal Dinosaur Museum. Certainly a good way to start out a Dinosaur Country Tour!
At the museum
We skirt many storm systems from Moab to Midway. The Homestead Resort is in a bucolic setting of rolling hills and snow covered mountain peaks. We're here to snorkel in the Homestead Crater. The water is heated naturally by a geothermal hot springs. We can now check it off our bucket list!
Midway, Utah
Snorkeling in a cave
Nice grounds!
Rented a car and took the road through Arches National Park. It rained all night and the weather report wasn't terribly encouraging for today either. We lucked out with a couple of brief hikes. Then a major hail storm blew in.
Pine Tree Arch.
The Devils' Furnace (or something like that)
Storm's a comin'
Storm's a here!
Twas a good storm!
After-the-storm Water Falls......
The weather is with us today. Took a Hummer Tour to Slick Rock. Seemingly impossible steep climbs kept us hanging on for dear life. Beautiful view from the top. Overall, a pretty fun morning. After a short break we picked up a River trip down the Colorado.
Yes, he drove up that rock!
View from the top!
On the Colorado!
A lunch stop on the river. So quaint!
Traveled from Bryce Canyon to Moab via Highway 70. 85 mile per hour speed limit!
view from Highway 70 travelling towards Moab
Window shopping in Moab
Windy and cool this morning. Heard it even tried to snow earlier. Today we did laundry and worked on our itinerary for the next couple of weeks. We took the shuttle to the Bryce Canyon Lodge for a nice lunch. We leave tomorrow, early, for Moab.
Photo displayed at Bryce Lodge.
Another old photo displayed at Bryce Lodge
Room set up at Bryce Lodge
We hopped on the 9:00 am park tour bus this morning. This turned out to be a great idea. The tour took us all the way out to Yovimpa Point, the furthest lookout point in the park. Then, the it backtracks and stops at several other points we would not have been able to see otherwise (unless we had a car). Our guide was very knowledgeable and gave us great information about the formations, history and flora & fauna.
Yovimpa Point Elevation 9100 feet
Poodle Rock
Ponderosa Point, Elevation 8900 feet
Aqua Canyon, Elevation 8800 feet
Natural Bridge: Elevation 8627 feet
Fairview Point: Elevation 8819
Panorama of Fairlyland trail
The park shuttle stops right outside of the campground. Dan picked our hike for the day. Sunset Point to Sunrise Point trail is 2.5 miles. It starts on the Navajo/Queens Garden trails, dips steep into the canyon for about a half mile then saunters around pillars and arches before heading back up. The hike was an adventure and strenuous at times, but so amazing! When we returned to camp we got on our bikes and rode to the hot tub (at Ruby's hotel, a half mile away). Too many kids to make it enjoyable but our bodies needed it. This area lacks a good grocery store and restaurant.
View from Sunset point. Navajo Trail-head.
The decent of the Navajo Trial.
Trail takes you through cool rock formations
I mean, really cool rock formations!
Up close and personal with the red rocks!
On the way up....
Almost there! Nice spot for a rest!
View from Sunrise Point! Made it!
We were on the road by 11:00 am. Stopped at the Virgin bookstore in Virgin before heading out. We went through the "Tunnel" which takes you to the "other" side of Zion, still quite beautiful but different. Saw the Long Horned Sheep. Red Canyons flanked the highway about 15 miles prior to arriving in Bryce Canyon. They were a sign of things to come. Ruby's RV Park is pretty basic. The high altitude setting reminds us of Oregon. Ponderosa pine trees, Manzanita bushes, Oregon Grape...they are all here.
Dan discovers yet another cool used book store!
Through the Zion Tunnel!
Two hours later we encounter new tunnels entering Red Rock and Bryce Canyons.
Today we focused on short and somewhat easier hikes. First we stopped at Weeping Rock, the trail is less than 1/2 mile, mostly uphill. Our next stop was a short hike that offered a nice view of the Patriarchs. Lastly we walked from the "Grotto" to the Welcome Center. It's about 1.5 miles and meanders along the river. A pair of Turkey Vultures entertained us with a sky dance. We went back to Springdale for lunch. This time, we ate at Oscars.
View from Weeping Rock Trail
Weeping Rock
View of the Patriarchs
Pi'us Trial along the Virgin river
Tree of locks located at the Springdale shuttle stop.
We hiked the Emerald Pools trail today. A 3.5 mile hike ranging from moderate to more than moderate. It was beautiful and well worth the effort to get to the third pool. We picked up the shuttle to the Visitors Center and took the Town shuttle into Springdale for lunch. We ate at a place called the Whiptail. Afterwards we walked to a nearby Native American Art Gallery, browsed around there and the gift shops at the shuttle pick up. Napping, Hot Tub, dinner and bed seems to be the afternoon routine on hiking days!
Lower Emerald Pool
Dan from afar. On trail to Upper Emerald Pools.
Upper Emerald Pool
Upper Emerald Pool
Hung out at the resort today. Checked out the river and scenery around the campground. Later we watched the movie "Specter" at the clubhouse.
The Virgin River.
View from the RV Park - not bad!
Yesterday was cold and windy with off and on sprinkles. We did laundry and binge watched "House of Cards". Today we ventured to the park via the RV Park's Shuttle. We visited the Visitors Center and took the Park Shuttle to the furthest stop in the park. We walked the 2.4 mile Riverwalk trail which follows the river between a narrow slot in the canyon. Afterwards, we took the shuttle back to the lodge for lunch, had lunch then stopped at the Museum. The RV Park Shuttle picked us up at 3:00 pm, we napped, jumped in the hot tub, ate dinner and crashed. It was a great day!
Rest stop on the Riverwalk Trial
Riverwalk Trial - so beautiful and dramatic
Patio at The Zion Lodge Restaurant
View from behind the Zion Museum
Dan on the shuttle.
After a full day reading, relaxing, hitting the pool and spa (Rebecca even got a massage) at the Palms, we picked up the Solera and drove to Virgin Utah. The Zion River RV Resort was certainly up there with the best resorts we've stayed in so far. We're here for six nights.
On the road to Zion.
Friendly Pidgeon Dove at the pool - Zion River RV Resort