Valley of Fire

March 13   Las Vegas - Valley of Fire   56 miles     1hr 30min

The winds have died down so we drove out to Valley of Fire State Park. It's about 50 miles north of Las Vegas. There's a $10 entry fee, $30 for full hook up camping but they give you a $10 coupon for camping. Surprisingly, the campground was very busy. We got lucky, only had 1 site left when we got there. We did some hikes today. First was a short hike to Elephant Rock.

Elephant Rock

Then we did Mouse's Tank, about 1 mile. Named for an outlaw who used the area as a hideout in the 1890's. Mouse's Tank is a natural basin in the rock where water collects after rainfalls, sometimes remaining for months. While hiking through the canyon we pass numerous prehistoric petroglyphs. Little challenging, lot's of soft sand.

Petroglyphs along the way

Mouse's Tank

Last hike of the day was Fire Wave. This one was kind of hard, we might have been a little tired from the other hikes. Over 1.5 miles but lots of soft sand and climbing. Took us about an hour, absolutely worth it,,,,,,really, really nice.

After the hike we had a nice dinner with amazing views.

March 14   Got up early and did 2 hikes this morning. First was White Domes, around 1.5 miles. Sandstone formations with brilliant contrasting colors, a scenic trail with a slot canyon. This hike was pretty strenuous but worth it. Took us a little under an hour.

Slot canyons are always spectacular

Colors are amazing

We did a second hike at Rainbow Vista. Over a mile and lots of soft sand.

Then took a drive to the Cabins. These historic stone cabins were built with native sandstone by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930's as shelter for travelers of the Arrowhead Trail.

On the way back from the Cabins we passed a herd of sheep right along the side of the road. That was a nice surprise.

Arch Rock

After our hikes, we cleaned up and had some lunch before driving back to Las Vegas. We checked in for 1 night at Main Street RV Park. We like it here because of the location, but it's pretty noisy, right next to the freeway. Rate is $19. Caught up with some laundry then met our friends Winky and Leslie for dinner. We went to Vito's at The Cannery on Craig road. Really good food, we're definitely coming back.

March 15   We moved to Sam's Town RV Park today. Pull in site for $28. Only 1 night, picking up Miki and Randy tomorrow and driving to Brian Head to go skiing. I wanted to do some gambling and sit in the hot tub here but had to work.

The Start of Another Journey......

 Las Vegas

Mar 07  We flew into Las Vegas, stayed at Sam's Town for 4 nights. 2 nights comp so can't beat that deal. We have some maintenance to do on the RV and plan to just chill for the next few days.

Mar 09  Took the RV to Ted Wiens today to install tires. We planned to install tires on the last trip but Camping World messed up so we cancelled. Good thing, this place is a few hundred cheaper.

Mar 10  Went to dinner with Kawika tonight. All you can eat sushi at Blue Fin Sushi & Roll in Henderson. Excellent!!! $24.99 per person but so worth it.

Mar 11  Planned to drive and camp at Valley of Fire today but the forecast is heavy winds for the next few days so we had to change plans. We booked 2 nights at Arizona Charlie's RV Park on Boulder. We've never been here so just giving it a try. $32.26 per night, Good Sam rate. Pretty nice here. We went to the pool and hot tub but not to enticing. Pool was a little green. Hot tub was a little better but loads of chlorine.

Mar 12  Took a drive to Lake Mead National Recreation Area. About 30 minutes from the RV park we're staying at. We always pass Hoover Dam but have never explored this area. It's nice here and a lot to do. We drove out to Government Wash, this is a boondocking area. The road gets kind of bumpy but the views are worth it. Wouldn't mind boondocking here. We drove through Lake Mead RV Village. Pretty nice, got lake view sites for $45.

Our first hike for this trip was the Historic Railroad Trail Hike. The hike is the only remaining section of the Hoover Dam Railroad system that is not highly disturbed or under water. The 3.7 mile trail, constructed on an old railroad grade that goes through 5 tunnels used during dam construction, offers panoramic views of Lake Mead, Boulder Basin, massive crystalline rock formations and the rugged Mojave Desert.

A field of spring flowers

Cactus in bloom

Awesome views

Back to Las Vegas, wrapping it up

Forgot to post this at the end of the last trip in Oct 2015

Oct 05   Bryce - Las Vegas, NV    257 miles   4 1/2 hours

Last night was thunder, lightning, and rain. Very cold too. We got an early start for our drive back to Las Vegas. When we left, it was still raining and it was chilly, 43 degrees! Keahi has an afternoon flight back to Colorado so because of the weather, we got an early start.

Made it back to Vegas in good time. Checked in at Main Street Station RV Park where we'll spend the next couple of days. We had lunch at Island Style, went to Burlington to get Keahi a winter coat, then to the airport to send Keahi off.

Miki & I had fun gambling till real late. Joe was tired so he didn't go.

Oct 07  Miki Leaves

We got up at 4am because Miki had a flight at 6am back to Honolulu. We had fun with her the last few days. We're glad she was able to join us. Joe and I went to Sam's Town to enter the Blackjack tournament they have every Wednesday. It's a $25 entry fee and you play 2 rounds. We both didn't place but it was a lot of fun. Kept us busy for 2 hours, great way to spend $25.

We did a lot of errands today. Went to Camping World and ended up buying tires for the RV. We have an appointment to get it installed next week. Then we went to Costco and ended up buying new tires for the Kia. Also, bought me a new camera...this time waterproof!

Oct 08  Main Street Station - Oasis RV Resort

We're staying at Oasis RV Resort on Blue Diamond Road. It's very nice. Expensive but we really like it here. I spend a lot of time at the pool. They have a pool for adults and a pool for families. After all the hikes with the girls and the running around we've been doing, we just wanted a few days to relax and do nothing.

Oct 09  Lunch at Kauai Cafe

We had lunch with Winkie & Leslie. Everytime we're in Vegas, they like to take us to a new place that serves local food. Kauai Cafe is located in Summerlin. The food was very good. I wouldn't mind going back there to eat.

We went swimming again this evening. So nice, hardly anyone there. The hot tub was so relaxing.

Bryce Canyon

Oct 3    Zion National Park - Bryce Canyon National Park   84 miles   2 hrs 15 min

After lunch, we drove to Bryce Canyon. We drove the Mt. Carmel highway. This 12-mile scenic highway connects the South and East entrances of Zion. From Zion Canyon, the road travels up steep switchbacks, through the historc Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel, and emerges on the east side of the park. There are restrictions for large vehicles, we had to pay $15 for traffic control. Because of the tunnel's size, for large vehicles, traffic is stopped so we can enter by ourselves and drive in the middle of the road.

Traffic backed up when we came out of the tunnel

We found a campsite at Bryce Canyon. Dry camping for $30 a night. Had dinner at Ruby's Inn. Very good country buffet. Saw the sunset at Inspiration point and made a campfire. It was really cold, about 45 degrees.

Sunset at Inspiration Point

Nothing like a campfire when its 45 degrees outside

Oct 4  Ruby's RV Park, Bryce City         2 miles

We moved outside of the park to Ruby's RV Park. Kind of expensive here.

Keahi & Miki on their way down

After setting up at our new campsite, we went back to Bryce to do a hike. We did the Navajo Loop/Queens Garden hike. It was about 4 miles and took us about 1 hour 45 minutes. We all got a good workout. Was kind of chilly today, about 65 degrees. Good, we would've been sweating on that hike with all the switchbacks going up and down. This hike was awesome...so scenic.  We really enjoyed it.

Awesome!!!

The girls trying to hug a tree

Which way now??

Amazing views

They thought they were almost done

Still going

After that workout, we went back to the campsite to have lunch and jumped in the hot tub.....so relaxing!

Zion National Park

Oct 2   Hurricane - Zion National Park     30 miles     1 hr

Today we drove to Zion National Park. We have reservations at the Watchman Campground for only 1 night. Hard to get reservations here, need to book months in advance. We have an electric site, paid $18. Next January, the rates will go up to $30 per night.



Miki's been wanting to do the Narrows hike, so that's what we did. It starts off with the Riverside Walk which is an easy 1 mile hike. A paved trail follows the Virgin River along the bottom of the canyon. Then the Narrows start. The Virgin River has carved a spectacular gorge in the upper reaches of Zion Canyon. The Narrows, with its soaring walls, sandstone grottos, natural springs, and hanging gardens can be an unforgettable experience. It is not, however, a trip to be underestimated. Hiking the Narrows means hiking in the Virgin River. At least 60 percent of the hike is spent wading, walking, and sometimes swimming in the river. The current is swift, the water may be cold and deep, and the rocks underfoot are slippery.

After our hike today, we had an awesome dinner. Joe grilled some rib eye steaks, zucchini, eggplant, and onions....so ono! Oh and for dessert, cheesecake!!!!

An unexpected guest at dinner

Oct 3   Last Hike at Zion




We're leaving for Bryce Canyon today, but before leaving Zion, we did one more hike. We started on the Kayenta Trail that has moderate drop-offs. An unpaved climb connects to the Emerald Pools. We went to the upper, middle, and lower Emerald Pools. We hiked over 4 miles, and it was hot! At the end of the trail, we stopped to cool off in the river....so refreshing! When I got up from sitting on the rocks in the river I dropped my camera....right into the river. After a couple of days of drying it off in a bag of rice, I recovered the pictures but the camera is shot.

Utah

Sep 27   Rock Springs, WY - Jordanelle State Park, UT      161 miles     3 hrs 20 mins

We crossed the stateline and entered Utah today. Staying at Jordanelle State Park. They have electric and water hook ups for $25 a night. Very nice here.

Cooking our dinner

Our site with a nice view

Jordanelle is located in a scenic mountain setting near Heber City and Park City. Jordanelle Reservoir was created when Jordanelle Dam was built on the Provo River as a water storage for the Central Utah Project. There's a lot of water activities here, especially in the summer. They have a lot of day use picnicking areas along with the two different camping areas. We're staying at the Hailstone Campground. The views are amazing.

Sep 28     Jordanelle State Park - Fillmore, UT     136 miles     3 hours

We drove for 3 hours today to Fillmore, Utah. When we left Jordanelle State Park and got on highway 189, the scenery was awesome. We're spending the night at Wagon West RV Park. Pretty decent campground just to overnight. They offer a Passport America rate so we get 50% off. Full hook-ups for $22, can't beat that.

Very nice scenery on Hwy 189

It's a waterfall

Sep 29     Fillmore - Hurricane, UT   148 miles  2 hrs 45 mins

Drove to Hurricane, Utah today. The campground is called WillowWind RV Park. Very nice here, with lots of shade. They gave a Good Sam rate of $35 per night. They also have a weekly rate starting at $210 and a monthly rate starting at $395 plus electric.





The location is very good. About 25 minutes from Zion National Park and about 2 hours from Las Vegas. We paid for three nights. Will stay tonight, tomorrow we leave the RV and drive the car to Vegas to pick up our daughter Miki and niece Keahi who will be joining us for the next few days. Will drive back to WillowWind on Thursday then head to Zion. We're very anxious to see the girls, we miss family.



Sep 30  Las Vegas

We left the RV at WillowWind and drove the Kia to Vegas today. Checked in at Sam's Town for our 1 night complimentary room and drove downtown to meet Papa Rudy and Uncle Mike. They've been in Vegas for about a week and fly home tomorrow morning. We found them in Golden Nugget on the blackjack table. We ended up playing for a while, made some  money, then went to dinner at Claim Jumper in the Golden Nugget. Was really nice hanging out with them, they are a blast!

We met Keahi back at Sam's Town. She flew in from Colorado, where she's a student at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction. So happy Keahi's able to join us.

Oct 01  Back to WillowWind

Miki flew into Las Vegas early this morning, so happy to see her! We went back to Sam's to have her rest a bit, went to In-N-Out to get some burgers for lunch, then on our way back to WillowWind to start our adventure with Miki and Keahi.

Keahi, Joe, and Miki ready to start our adventure