California

A Rough Start

9/1/25 This has started out as the trip from Hell. Day 1 was not too bad with the exception of losing our fuel card (which we discovered on Day 2). The first stop was at Emerald Valley RV Park. The park was ok, but we were glad it was only one night.

Photos HERE

Day 2, 9/2: Today the A/C quit in the truck. We sopped at a Love’s and I charged the A/C, which added an hour to our drive. We stayed at Jubilee Railroad RV Park the second night, Photos HERE. The park was nice and quiet. The train car rentals were interesting. We thought it might be fu to eat at the dining car restaurant but it was closed Monday & Tuesday. The capsite wqas heavily treed which was really nice, however the Starlink would not find the satelites. The WiFi was adequate for browsing and texting, but we did not try streaming.

Days 3&4 ~  Sacramento

Days 5-7  ~ Napa Valley

Days 8-12 ~ Monterey

Days 13-15 ~ Morro Bay

Days 16-20 ~ San Diego

Days 21&22 ~ Mojave Desert

Utah

Zion National Park

Day 23 ~ Travel Day 12/23: We drove from the Harvest Host near Needles, CA to the Zion River RV Park which is about 20 minutes from Zion National Park. The drive was pretty easy with the only real traffic was skirting Las Vegas. We were amazed at how big the desert is. We drove past some really big solar farms and saw some pretty cool mountains surrounding the desert area.

We got checked in and set up with no issues. Verizon has 3 bars here and we had wide open sky where the Starlink needed to be pointed, THis is a nice park and our site was very convenient to the laundry and he store while not having a neighbor on our patio side, All is well kept, Park Photos HERE

Day 24 ~ Hiking We got up early this morning to beat the crowds and the heat. we arrived at the Zion Visitor Center a little before 7:00 and took the shuttle to The Grotto where we hiked the Scout Lookout Trail. This was an amazing hike with incredible views, although there was a bit of vertical to get to those views. The lookout is right at Angel’s Landing but you need a permit to do that. Angel’s Landing did not look as intimidating as we were expecting ater all the reiews we have seen on it. THe trail is hard surface all the way to the final ascent to the lookout. It is considered strenuous by park standards, but we felt it was moderate/hard. We did not feel it was too bad at all.

After hiking we stopped in Springdale for some lunch.We started to investigate the town but the sun was so intense we abandoned that plan and headed back to the truck. We stopped in at the general store where we found Zion cycling jerseys and purchased z couple of them.

We headed back to the trailer for the afternoon and hid from the heat. Today’s Photos HERE

Day 25 ~ Biking we took the e-bikes to the Visitor Center this morning and rode the Pa’rus Trail and Scenic Drive. The trail is 3.5 miles long and joins Scenic Drive at Canyon Junction  (map HERE). Scenic Road is closed to most vehicle traffid from the junction all the way to the end at the Temple of Sinwava, where the Narrows Trail begins. Only Zion Lodge guests and the Shuttle System, and park workers can drive on the road, Bicycles have to stop when the shuttles come up from behind, the shuttles will not pass if you do not stop. The shuttles are electric which makes it really nice to not have exhaust fumes to deal with. More info on the shuttles and getting around HERE.

The ride was amazing with all the stunning views along the route. It was actually a bit chilly at the upper sectin of Scenic Drive and we were chilled by the time we got back to the truck. I would recommend riding the route to anyone visiting Zion. There are plenty of bike rental available in Springdale and inside the park.

We stopped in Springdale for some groceries and a coffee shop before heading back to the trailer. It was a quiet afternoon with a thunder storm coming in around 3:30. Another great day. Today’s Photos HERE

Day 26 ~ Hiking Today we hiked the Watchman Trail. We left early again despite the cooler temps after the storm last night. We have found that getting to the park early is the best way to experience Zion. Not only do you beat the heat, but there is no wait to get into the park, parking spots are readily available, and the trails are not crowded. This all changes by 9 AM.

Watchman Trail is a great hike. This hike had a lot of vegetation in comparison to the Scout Lookout. The views are really great, especially with the early morning sun hitting the peaks. The loop addition at the top was really nice. It was completely silent put there with some gret views.

After our morning hike we returned to the trailer to have some quiet time before preparing for another travel day.

We were really glad we decided to visit Zion this trip. We had originally planned to see the Grand Canyon during this time, but rerouted through here due to the Grand Canyon North Rim being closed due to fire. We had been to Zion years ago on a canyoneering trip and thought we had seen it. That trip was on the east side of the park and we never evven saw the valley that Scenic Drive goes through which includes all the great hikes and scenery. We had not experienced Zion at all on that trip. Today’s Photos HERE

Day 27 ~ Travel Day We moved on to Escalante today. The drive was beautiful. We drove through Red Canyon and skirted Bryce Canyon. We have visitited these places before and were just as awed by it this time.

Escalante is a very small little town that is surprising comfortable. We stayed at Canyons of Escalante RV Park. This little park is actually quite nice. While it is all gravel and the spaces are tight, they way they are angled does allow the trailers to be staggered so you are not just lokking into the neighbors windows. The facilities are well kept, it has a lage laundry romm that is clean. It is a small family operation. Verizon has 2 bars but is not really functional as an internet source. There are some trees, but finding an open view for Starlink is not a problem.

Photos HERE

After setting up we walked to town and went to an art festival they were having. It was about a half mile walk each way. The town is very small and for whatever reason most of the businesses were closed which seemed odd for a Saturday. We did find a couple of gear shops tht were right across the street from each other. First impression was well, we might as well check them out. They were great gear shops, on of them was outstanding and I walked out with a couple of items.

The art show was fun and we met one of the artists while we were considering purchasing one of hie pieces. He started up a conversation and offered us a better price.We purchased a couple of his pieces. He showed us on a map where he was when he painted them. He was an interesting individual, a doctor from Colorado. While we were there, a thunderstorm blew in. This was much like the thunderstorms we experienced in Zion. These storms are quite intense and include extreme wind gusts.

We had to return at 5:00 to pick up the artwork, so we headed back to the trailer for a bit and then took the truck back, picked up the art, and then went to get some pizza. The pizza place is also one of the gear shops, Escalante Outfitters, that we visited earlier. The second gear shop, Utah Canyon Outdoors, has a coffee shop which we will visit tomorrow.

Day 28 ~ Escalante and Highway 12 It was a rainy night and morning. Our plan to drive out Hwy 12 fit right in with the weather today. Hwy 12 is an amazingly scenic drive through this area of the Grand Staircase. So many great views and the road cuts through the canyons to give an up close look. As we were driving along we would be in an area that apperared to be flat scablands, then the road would descend into a canyon with expansive and awesome views. We cannot remember ever being on such a scenic drive anywhere.

A fun surprise wis the Kiva Koffeehouse that is built into the side of a canyon. They also have rooms available in Kiva Kottage. The views from here were incredible.

We drove to the Boulder lookout, only 27 miles one way before turning around. With all the stops and lookouts we didn’t get back to the trailer until 1:30. It was really nice to not have a destination and be able to stop and take as much time as we wanted.

Today’s Photos HERE

Day 29 ~ Travel Day We drove to Brigham City, UT today to a KOA we had reserved. This is a one night stop on our way to Boise. The KOA was a little run down in comparison to other KPAs we have stayed at, but everything worked and the staff was great. They had al ice cream All You Can Eat and we tried some different flavors out.  Starlink access was good and Verizon was adequate. Photos HERE

Day 30 ~ Travel Day Today we drove on to Boise where we stayed at Boise Riverside RV Park. We have stayed here many times and it is an easy stop with easy access to the Greenbelt Trail, which was closed off Fortunately we did not plan to use tthe trail his trip. We Our stay here is two nights.

Day 31 ~ Family Visit  As we normally do when in Boise,  we visited with Liz’s son and family. We took Elliot for the day and stayed for pizza in the evening. After pizza we headed back to the trailer to prepare for the trip home.

Day 32 ~ Homeward Bound  10/2: Another long drive today…