The plan was to meet my friend Monika from Indy in Vegas for a few days and then when she went home to head out to Southern Utah and the triple Parks of Zion, Bryce and Grand Staircase. It was a blast including a variety of unplanned adventures.
Arriving in LV from Atlanta is always easy. The rental place, as usual, had limited SUV's (my usual for camping and off-roading) so offered an upgrade. First time around was luxe heaven but just too big. I took the Dodge behemoth around the block and promptly decided it might be great for cruising the strip but worthless in the backwoods where I planned to spend most of my time. I had ordered a jeep liberty, mostly because they all come with Low Range 4x4. Ended up with a Grand Cherokee, figuring sleeping in it would be more comfortable for my 6'4" and that I wouldn't take it anywhere I needed low range anyway. Met up with Monika without problem and then spent the rest of the day checking in, meeting up with her friends and playing some casino blackjack.
The next couple of days in Vegas are a bit of a blur, mostly because there was no photographic evidence to remind me and because it's always so busy. I enjoy it in small doses but admit I prefer the quiet and solitude of the woods better. Monika's blog has the details of that part of the trip.
After dropping Monika at the airport, I headed straight for Zion National Park. It was all I expected and more. Turning a corner you're entranced by the most amazing canyons. It's like driving into the Grand Canyon and touring the inside. Keeping in mind this was just a scouting tour for my longer trip in my own vehicle, I only had a day in each locale. I think Bryce had the most impact on me but they're all breathtaking. I'll be back in the fall or before !
Waking up just outside Zion meant I was in before the crowds. All these places seem to have a great movie that gives you an overview and an idea of the best things to see with limited time.
These days, the busier National Parks don't allow driving inside (I wish they'd all do that). They have great bus systems that are free and drop you to all the cool places. Taking the whole bus route plus some hiking meant a very full day but well worth it. I enjoyed the climbs and met up with a variety of interesting people. By about 6pm I was tired but still wanted to head toward Bryce Canyon, across what I discovered was a very long and winding road. Not the wisest thing to do at dusk but what the hell !! By 9.30pm and 2 wrong turns I was not exactly where I planned to be but still in Utah so probably not too far from Bryce. It was just a case of finding somewhere to park the car so I could sleep. After spotting a sign for an Off-road park I turned off the highway and followed a dirt road for a couple of miles. In the pitch black all I could see were the signs saying "no overnight camping". I figured the chances of running into a ranger were pretty slim on a Monday morning so I stayed anyway, concluding that I could always argue I was parking, not camping.
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