North Rim Grand Canyon, AZ - Bryce Canyon, UT - Capital Reef National Park, UT - Arches National Park, UT

September 2 - 12, 2024

It was not my intention to let the blog get this far behind, but I've been a little under the weather and haven't had access to a doctor or medications until the 10th.  I started getting a sore throat and runny nose the day we went to Zion.  I got worse and then a little better and then I was just hanging on until we got to Moab and I could see a doctor.  They say I have bronchitis and gave me some cough medicine, an inhaler, and some antibiotics which I'm not supposed to take unless I don't start feeling better by tomorrow.  I am feeling better, am not coughing so much, and finally got a good night's sleep last night.  But enough of that.

Tuesday, September 3 was day 5 of our caravan.  We went from St. George to Jacob Lake, AZ.  On the way was Pipe Spring National Monument. We stopped but didn't go in as I wasn't feeling very well and didn't want to spread my germs.  However, a little history of Pipe Springs.  Since there was a spring there the area had been home to Native Americans for many centuries.  Then the age old troubles over land and water came when the missionaries, explorers, and pioneers came to the area.  The museum tells the story.  We'll just have to return someday.

We stayed at the Kaibab Camper Village near Jacobs Lake, about 45 minutes from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  It was a nice campground in the pines with full hookups.

On Wednesday John went with another couple to the North Rim.  Here are a few of the pictures he took.

I was looking forward to going to the North Rim as I haven't been there since I was about 5 years old.  We'll just have to come back someday.

On Thursday, September 5 we drove to Bryce, UT to Ruby's Inn Campground.  It was full hookups and a very nice campground with lots of space between sites.

On Friday and Saturday we went to Bryce Canyon.  If I'd been feeling better we could have done it in one day or done some hikes.  God's creation is so beautiful!  So far on this caravan I think Bryce is at the top of my list.  Here are probably too many pictures, but it was so beautiful!

On Saturday evening we went to Ebenezer's Cowboy Dinner Show.  I was determined I wasn't going to miss this!  We had a very nice dinner and country music show.  The musicians were very good!

Sunday, September 8 we drove to Torrey, UT to the Thousand Lakes RV Park near Capital Reef National Park.  Neither one of us got pictures of the campground, but the sites were pretty close.  The drive to Torrey was beautiful, up and down 6-8-10% grades.

Monday we went to Capital Reef National Park.  We've been using the Guide Along tours in the national parks.  It's a GPS based guide that gives information as we move through the park.  He tells the must-see stops and the ones you can skip if you're short on time, as well as history and geology.  John bought the whole package and we feel like we get more out of a park when using it.  You can purchase everything they have or just a park or two you want.  It's at https://guidealong.com/ .  

Here are some pictures from Capital Reef.

A family of 13 lived in this cabin for a year until they decided they couldn't make a living in the area.  They said the older children slept outside.  I'm not sure which would be worse:  sleeping in the cabin stacked like cord wood, or sleeping outside with the packrats.

Monday night we had a staff prepared BBQ dinner.  I made it to the dinner.  At this point I didn't think I was going to make anyone else sick so started going to more things again.

Tuesday we pulled into Moab, UT to the Sun Outdoors Arches Gateway.  They have odd double sites, where one rig pulls in one way and another rig pulls in right next to it the other way.

Nice on the door side.

A little close - ya think?

When we pulled in John said that he would get everything all set up inside and out and I should go to the urgent care.  I took him up on that offer and was happy to be able to get some medication to help.  

On Wednesday we went into Arches National Park.  The caravan company got us our timed entries so we didn't have to do that.  So at 8am in the morning we were in line to get in.  It only took about 5 minutes.  We stopped at the visitor center to get my passport stamp as we always do when we go to parks and monuments.  Adventure Caravans also gave us a Token Album to put little coin tokens in.  I'd never really paid any attention to them and didn't realize they had them.  So now I get a token for 99 cents to add to the album.  I still try and get a can coozie.  The one for Arches is reversible and has Canyonlands on the other side.  I've never seen one like that and thought it was cool.  But I digress.  We were in the park for about 4-1/2 hours, again using the Guide Along.  At Double Arch and the Windows John did the short hike while I stayed in the truck.  Again, it was all so beautiful.  It amazes me that a park can look one way as you enter and change so much on the other side.

The Windows and Double Arch.

Delicate Arch.

Last night we went to the Canyonlands dutch oven dinner and boat ride. We had a nice dinner of salad, several meat choices, cowboy potatoes, and dessert.  Afterwards we got on a boat on went up the Colorado River.

We got up the river a little bit and then the light show started.  It wasn't high tech, just a truck shining lights on the canyon walls, but the captain turned off the boat motor and we drifted back down the river.  All you could hear were the crickets.  The moon and stars were beautiful, and it was so peaceful.  

Today is catch-up day.  Got the cleaning done (thanks John for your help!), got the bedsheets washed and put back on the bed, made a loaf of breakfast bread, working on the blog and the laundry is still going.  We have one more day here which we will use to go to Canyonlands National Park.  I will do better about the blog because it's a lot to catch up.  Saturday we'll be...

Roving on...

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth".

Genesis 1:1