This was to be the first long-ish drive of the trip with the kids. The trek from Bryce National Park to Moab took us through very rugged and beautiful terrain, with lots of wind and dust devils to contend with along the way. It’s a good thing we were pulling a bathroom behind us because civilization was sparse on the drive!
It ended up being a very pretty drive through southeast Utah, with lots of narrow, quiet roads that meandered and snaked and climbed and descended through the hills and valleys on the way to our destination.
We attempted to stop and do a hike at Capitol Reef National Park, but there was unfortunately nowhere for us to park either RV other than on the side of the road where there were lots of “No Parking” signs. So we parked long enough for everyone to go potty and then took the scenic drive through the park instead and counted it as at least touched for now. Perhaps on the next journey through the area, we will drop the trailer somewhere else so we can park and explore this unique place.
The over-population of the USA can certainly be felt here lol
On the advice of our cousins John and Nancy Webster, we stopped in to visit the Goblin Valley State Park!
There are so many cool state parks that most folks just drive right by…
To be fair, we mostly drove by as well, BUT we did drive ALL the way in to the visitor center to use their bathrooms and buy some memorabilia, including a Maya favorite, a pressed penny!
Hannah and Maya rate the stop with a thumbs up.
With all the stops and the sights to see, we made it to Moab just in time for a pretty sunset and a clear night of star gazing from the campground. Hannah also snuck in some yoga in the starlight too.
We woke up at the crack of 9 and after a morning coffee, we set off to explore Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park. Admittedly, we only explored one small section of Canyonlands as it is a pretty darn big national park.
We mostly did the driving tour of Canyonlands, stopping at pullouts and scenic viewpoints for mini-hikes to check out the amazing views and vistas.
The heights, alone, make Ann’s bowels squinchy! (That’s no lie! Not only do my bowels turn squinchy, but my legs instantly turn to rubber the second I get within 3 ft from the edge of a cliff. It’s not a pretty look with shaky legs and both hands covering my bottom). 😩
I can fake looking relaxed with Hannah. Just don’t tell me how far I could fall. 🙈
Luckily, Ben was taking the pics and I was oblivious to what was going on above me with Chris and Maya. They had a MUCH greater fall to the canyon below.
Chris and Maya were the only two of our little troupe that had the guts to get close to the edge of anything that was up high.
The rest of us hung back and whispered, getbackgetbackgetbackgetback under our breaths because we knew telling Chris NOT to do something was the exact same as telling him to do that very thing. Granted, he has mellowed significantly since his more difficult years, but we finally have our youngest paid in full and off the payroll, so we were taking no chances!
Guess who found the bathrooms! It was Hannah who really had to number two this time. I was trying to make her feel better about it. 😉
We were able to get to Mesa Arch before the sun was too high overhead and before dehydration kicked in.
Our fearless couple!
Ugh! Again, Chris is fearless.
🫣
Round 2… yeah. This time it was me.
We got about halfway into a hike up to the observation point and someone’s tummy felt a little grumbly. The path looked like it went on forever and also went up forever, so we left the kids to finish the hike and we turned around to the trailhead to take care of business. Then we set up temporary camp and waited for the kids. We had our picnic lunch in our little impromptu campground and we played the alphabet game with the license plates of circling cars looking for parking spots. Just so everyone knows, Ben was a big cheater when Kansas and Kentucky license plates didn’t come magically rolling by in the next few seconds. Therefore, he decided North Dakota could count for a “k,” but wherever. 🙄 I explained the rules again to him and he decided my rules were way too strict, so he is no longer playing. But a great time was had by all!
Hannah was the first back from the hike and she joined us! I’ll just comment that SHE was willing to wait for a Kentucky or Kansas license plate. A true rule follower, like me. Ben had already moved through the alphabet five times by now, using any and all visible letters to complete the alphabet.
No fear at all. Barf. My feet hurt looking at this photo!
A quick side quest to Dead Horse Point State Park. According to legend, this area was used as a natural corral in the 1800’s for ranchers rounding up wild mustangs. Apparently, one time, the unselected horses were “accidentally” left to die of thirst, trapped in their corral with the Colorado River visible but unaccessible far below. So, not a good story, but the state park name sort of alludes to a terrible ending, which it was.
The great news is that the visitor center had a real deal pressed penny machine! Maya was happy!
That’s a wrap on Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park, off to Arches tomorrow!
TaterTotTales 