Heading north from central Arizona to the National Parks in Utah

LEAVING ARIZONA...BUT FIRST A FEW LAST SITES TO SEE........

God's Little Houses In the Desert

St. Anthony Greek Orthodox Monastery in Florence,  AZ is a beautiful place to spend an afternoon.  Visitors who arrive are offered clothing to make sure one's limbs are covered up, including a woman's head.  All 55 monks, who help with visiting retreat pilgrims, are responsible for learning Greek even though they are from Russia, Rumania, Greece and the US.  The monks also raise their own food on the property, never eat meat and worship in the several chapels on the property.

One of several large and petite chapels devoted to a number of Saints.

The smallest chapel on the property.

View from a chapel on a hill near the monastery

All of the churches are ornate with gorgeous icons hanging on the walls.

A picture tells a thousand words...because I love maps, (and I'm the chief navigator) this is our itinerary for the next part of our trip which includes the Big 5 National Parks in Utah.

Map of our tour of the 4 corners

Leaving our summer camp rv resort in Casa Grande the 3rd week of March, our first stop was Camp Verde, AZ (#1).  We took the opportunity to revisit the red rock and hiking capital, Sedona.  This was a destination for us two years ago and returning was always anticipated. The eclectic hill top town of Jerome, organic restaurants of Sedona, and vortex mountain tops are big draws.  From this point until mid April, there are spring break vacationers everywhere which was something we should have considered.

MONTEZUMA CASTLE IN CAMP VERDE, AZ  (#1 on the map)

Wherever there are cliffs, ancient people built into them in the southwest.  However, the scenario is the same..800 years ago, the dwellings were abandoned in the southwest for undefined reasons. Some theories are climate and or social upheaval, but to happen at the same time in many different locations is really interesting.

Montezuma Castle could be improved with a park interpreter.  It was interesting to see but not up to the National Park standards we are accustomed to.

Just a side note, there is a difference between a National Monument and a Park.  A Monument tends to be small, with a emphasis on history or culture and is declared by the President and a Park is established by Congress.

SEDONA, AZ  (20 miles from #1)

The small resort town is full of art, red rocks, quaint restaurants, hiking trail heads everywhere, and busy roads with spring breakers.  We were here for a week 2 years ago in November.  That was definitely a better time to visit the area.

Our camera will never convey the scenery in Sedona or any place in the southwest, because it  surrounds you.  That is the astonishing part.

After a warm day of hiking, we will need an electric blanket at night.

PAGE, AZ and LAKE POWELL (#2 on the map)

We thought we would check out Lake Powell because I heard of the endless house boat trips people take.  What was found was a huge canyon which starts the Grand Canyon.  Bus loads of people take the short hike to the edge of this cliff called Horseshoe Bend.  It is a very scary experience especially on a windy day, but yet adults and children hop around so close to the edge for a look.

A part of Horseshoe Bend leading to the Grand Canyon.

 The rim of Horseshoe Bend, one of the most photographed views is Arizona, however you can see the potential risk at the edge.

Lake Powell is very large with many bends in the various tributaries which feed into it, however the Lake is 108 feet down because Las Vegas is a growing area.

That isn't snow, but canyon walls along Lake Powell.   We did however, experience snow showers the next day.

The stuff in the Lake is a marina full of house boats as large as cottages waiting for their owners.  But what a view.

Page, AZ, for a small town, is full of hotels catering to visitors looking for water sports and rural back country tours.  Without an ATV or boat, fun is elusive for land lubbers who did not bring their toys.  At the time we visited, boat tours were limited. We stayed right on the Lake in the National Park.


ZION NATIONAL PARK not necessarily a family friendly park experience (#3 on the map)

Zion is the park with massive elevated rock formations and deep canyons.  The sites are beautiful, the hiking is famous and an immense draw for families and thrill seekers.  We visited for many days, we were glad we saw it, but a return trip is unlikely.  The reasons are many.
 Denny is perched on a ledge and see how this designated hike shows a deadly drop off!  Nearly all the hikes have areas like this and several are full of these dangerous  areas.  Reports of people falling and rarely surviving  are all over the internet.  Toddlers are carried and young children bounce along these precarious paths.

ZION is ruled by the Virgin River.  When it floods, change happens and you better not be in the path,

The hikes are rated and even the easy category can have dangerous areas especially when crowded with people.  This picture shows a major drop-off and we turned around.

Canyon floors are beautiful and dramatic as long as rain is not forecasted for any area which feed the Virgin River in  Zion.

The canyons are very deep carved out by water power.

Checkerboard Mountain is east of the more popular areas of the park. It is influenced more by wind.  The hiking is more at the ground level and perhaps a little safer.  Denny could only safely climb a short distance up but does give the mountain's  height some perspective.

The canyon of the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was named by Mormon settlers.

My advice is to stay well outside of the very pricey Zion entrance, and drive to the park.  We settled on Hurricane (25 min. drive); it offered nice restaurants, grocery stores and reasonably priced, very nice RV parks and hotels.


BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK (#4 on the map)

As you can see from the map, Utah's Big 5 are all in southern Utah but each offers a different landscape.  A large area of Utah and Colorado were lifted up millions of year ago only to be carved and shaped differently because of the rocks and minerals in each locale.

Bryce is fairly small and the popular areas for viewing and hiking are situated around the rim of the Amphitheater.  You can see people hiking to the canyon floor.

You can hike the rim of the canyon or decent into the base for more spectacular beauty.

These structures are hoodoos made of relatively softer rock carved by rain.

The hoodoo sides appear crumbly, but are strong enough to tolerate weather conditions.

The protective cap of the hoodoo insures the structure.  When it gives way, the stone underneath disintegrates. 

In the late 1800's, Mr. Bryce started his homestead farm just outside the canyon.  When asked what he thought about the fascinating rock formations near him, he said "It's a heck of a place to lose a cow."

Bryce is an easy park to visit with a camper or hotel reservation.  It is also accessible on a bike path (5 miles in length) which leads to every viewing area and trail head around the Amphitheater without the hassle of finding a parking place.  A shuttle service runs in the summer.
The Bryce Lodge looks very attractive with small cabins adjacent to it.  I inquired about the prices and at this time of the year,  $190 to $250 per night.  It did appear that major renovations were made to the park and the upgrades are beautiful.

Lounging at the Lodge

 The hiking is much safer here and is generally less crowded than Zion.  The altitudes and hiking grades are still challenging, but not dangerous.  You can always just take a horse to give your feet a rest.

HEADING TO THE NEXT PARK..

The trip to Capitol Reef along Scenic Highway 12 was remote, stunning and a white knuckle adventure for the driver.  Only about 2 or 3 hours separate each of the Big 5 National Parks in Utah, but such diverse landscape and temperature changes were unexpected.


CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK, TORREY, UT (#5 ON THE MAP)

One road traverses the Park.

This is a beautiful road now, but has only been this way since 1964.  Until then, the main road actually ran through a canyon used by wagon trains and Model Ts alike connecting the world with the little, 10 family town of Fruita, AZ.

This was the old road, but now it is a trail.  We noticed metal rods protruding out of the rock walls.  Thinking that they measured any rock movement was incorrect.  The town of Fruita, attempting to establish stable communications with the outside world, inserted rods into the rock and attached telephone lines. Unfortunately they never worked well. Watch out for rainstorms however.

Metal rods have no use now

The beautiful floor, outside logs and foundation are original, but the heating system was in a corner.

Park volunteers give lectures inside about life in Fruita, Utah.

The small gathering of Mormons in 1880 settled in a valley, started orchards and eventually called the town Fruita.  The one room school house is one of the few remaining original structures and was used until 1941.

The orchards are now tended by the Park Service and the entire community turns out for picking time.  

I told Denny the cinnamon roll did not come from these trees, but he ordered it anyway.  

The Park Service does a wonderful business selling small pies and jams from a local bakery who uses the fruit from Fruita, in the only home still standing.  The Park has an orchardist who is caring for and expanding the tree farms.

The views never end and each hike is so different.

The canyon sides are stunning.

This Park does not offer shuttle transportation, (like the previous Parks) so driving is the only way to visit the various trail heads for hiking.  You can bike but at 6900 foot elevation, that would have been a challenge for us.

We cut this challenge hike short because those clouds turned into circling rain clouds and the hike seemed to be a never ending ascension.

Capitol Reef, where there is a picture around every bend in the road

On to #6 and #7...Canyonlands and Arches!

SWEET ARIZONA (I bet you thought we fell off the face of the earth)

SWEET ARIZONA  

BENSON, AZ





We first landed in the small town of Benson, about 30 miles east of Tucson, where every few miles you can find an RV parking lot.  Not to be unkind, but many do not look very inviting.  As in the past, we research a place before we decide to land.  The practice has worked out for us.  We found the beautiful San Pedro RV Resort.

Just a side note...we use www.rvparkreviews.com and sometimes we revert to just a google search to see how different parks are rated.  For value, we search www.passportamerica.com.  For a cost of $45 a year, the membership provides 50% discount for a variety of days and places.  It has saved us so much but we always check the ratings.

These caverns were wonderful and came highly recommended from many travelers in the southwest.  The caves are considered living because the cave structures are still developing. There is limited access when the bats return for 6 months.  I wish we could have taken pictures, but no cameras, purses, food, drinks, backpacks, lint or touching of anything.  We actually went through a misting process to keep lint in its place.  Since there are tour groups going all day, trained cleaners come through nightly and in the dark clean the caves.  Hence not one picture for the blog.   You will just have to come and see it for yourself or check it out on the internet.

TUMACAORI MISSION

 South of the artist colony of Tubac, AZ is another typical mission erected for many of the same reasons the Texas missions came into being.  This area is handled by the National Park system and it is well cared for.  Volunteers have planted authentic fruit trees in the orchard that might have fed the population hundreds of years ago.

This building was abandoned when the enemy raids became too dangerous  and the people moved north to the  Mission San Xavier de Boc.

San Xavier Del Bacc is still an active church and school just south of Tucson but started as a mission.

This church is very important to the people in the area who worship here.  The interior was meticulously restored by many artists, some traveling from Europe to work here.

In this enlarged picture of the interior of Mission San Xavier Del Bac, you can see what the restoration project entailed at the main alter.

Other highlight os Tucson....

The drive up Mt. Lemmon, at an elevation of 9,100 feet, was beautiful and a little tense for the driver as Denny had to watch out for the groups of cyclists pounding their way up on a windy day! The views from there were spectacular with a surprise at the top.

 There was even snow and a ski run which just recently closed due to lack of snow in the unusually warm weather.  Cabins dot the top but are surrounded by ugly bare trees.  We later were informed about the fire which engulfed parts of the mountain last year leaving it somewhat scared.

Biking around Colossal Cave Mountain, we found a coyote crossing in front of us. This area is somewhat wild, but mixed with housing areas and rural hiking.  The constant wind and elevation posed some challenges for our biking, but it was enjoyable just to get out.

Coyote crossing our path.

The ARIZONA TRAIL starts in Mexico and ends in Utah and can be accessed at Colossal Cave Park.

Wineries in Arizona

Looking at the above pictures, it is difficult to imagine anything of use growing in this soil.  But south of Tucson, close to the Mexican boarder and at 4500 foot elevation, you find an area so different  from the typical landscape.

A guide ( with a six shooter in a holster)  from a riding stable led people for 3 hours trip to Sonoita Vineyard.  A beautiful place to be on Saturday afternoon sipping a glass of wine.

I joined them on the balcony, but  minus the horse ride.

This was a prettier part of Arizona for us in contrast to the rocks and cacti.

Tombstone, a must see for at least for 20 minutes..

Can you see The Old Prospector behind the gun slingers?

Our last night in Benson, AZ was spent at my cousin's home who winter in Tucson.  It was so gracious of them to invite us for a visit and dinner.

Thanks so much for your hospitality.

On the road again to Casa Grande, AZ (half way between Tucson and Phoenix)

Sundance RV Resort

We have decided to stay in the area for about 3 weeks since the weather is warm and the snow melts in Utah at the National Parks we want to visit.  Everyone warned us about going north too soon, but it really has been exceptionally warm this year.  We landed in a "55 and older" park, a very typical extended snowbird stay in Arizona.  In case some of you have not been exposed to the kind of  snowbird living, I inserted a few pictures of the park and the houses.

You buy a park model but you rent the land on a yearly basis.  

The park models are 399sq. feet, but an Arizona room can be added.  Prices are about $50,000 new and about $3600/year for the land.  You can park an RV on the land if you don't want to invest in a home.  The park offers people like ourselves opportunities to stay for days or weeks at a time taking advantage of all the amenities.  

The pool and hot tub are wonderful and people float and talk all afternoon.

Residents can sew, polish rocks and make jewelry, play cards, dances, potlucks, and play Pickle Ball which we got hooked on.  We are not ready to settle into this life style, but it is easy to see the attraction.

Palm Creek RV Resort

We moved on, but not very far.  Our reservation started at Palm Creek, about 4 miles to the east.  This is known as one of the best parks in the United States.  It is huge and rather expensive for a season especially for the 35% of the visitors from Canada.  Since our scheduled time here it is close to the end of the season, our place was a bargin.  It is as beautiful as a Mexican resort, but  with so much to do!!  It is not possible to take up any new hobbies with only a 2 week stay, but we did embrace a new sport, PICKLEBALL with a passion.  Instructors will mentor you and many residents are highly ranked.  The national tournament is held here because of the facilities.  

This shot of the 24 courts was taken late in the afternoon when most players have retired.
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One of three pools with a hot tub.

One of 9 dog parks.  This one has an agility course.

This is the main club house.  Additional buildings house the various club rooms and a bistro.

We got invited to the Airstream club in the park composed of people who stay in silver bullets where everyone talks about the care of the trailers and where they have been.  So much information from these travelers.  So far, we have not taken opportunities to see many sites since we have been too busy just having fun everyday.  I didn't mention the par 3 golf course in the middle of the park because we don't play.  But I have not seen so much green grass in Arizona!

Heading to Utah on March 24 when it starts to get too warm here.

THE FINAL LEG OF OUR JOUNEY TAKES US TO UTAH AND SOUTHERN COLORADO.

WEST TEXAS AND NEW MEXICO... A WHOLE OTHER WORLD FOR US

WEST TEXAS

West Texas along I-10 is nothing but desert doted with a few mountains.  We were really questioning our decision going to Big Bend National Park with every hour we drove along  flat I-10, but as soon as we got off the interstate, our interest perked up.  What beautiful landscape with only cattle and soaring mountains and real Texas ranches and it only became richer with every mile closer to our destination.

Our morning view from our campsite.  We would have stayed longer, but there was a large gathering of mountain bikers for a race and every space was taken.  At least we had 4 days here.

This area of west Texas is considered a dark zone.  Outdoor lights are off early so everyone can enjoy the stars.  The few towns in the entire area have populations in the hundreds. The town of Terlingua, just outside the park, is a place where most people live off the grid with only their art, music and each other for company.  I embrace minimalism, but I draw the line when people use discarded cars as fencing.

Terlingua does have a wonderful restaurant with 2 for 1 burger dinners on Mondays and a local singer to entertain.  Many people from the RV park were there as a night out.  

This is all our camera could take in, but in reality, you are surrounded in this splendor.

Closed Canyon hike with no rain forecasted, otherwise search for a different hike.

I am climbing into the hot springs in the park with the Rio Grande and Mexico in the background.  The springs were wonderfully warm but the river was very cold.  Five miles from the springs is a boarder crossing where someone will row you across the river to Mexico...Wednesday thru Saturday only!

About the size of a pig, this javelina is actually a rodent that smells like a skunk.

The twisting road winds through the park for miles.

Notice the truck and car in the foreground.

Small dust storms are a common site.

Big Bend was one of the few places I would like to return to next year only because there was so much more to see.  It is rugged and beautiful with only the sounds of the wild animals at night.  There are many flat roads that offer great biking for those who want to avoid strenuous climbs.

ON OUR WAY TO NEW MEXICO

On our way out of Big Bend and into New Mexico, we traveled through the little towns of Marfa and Fort Davis.  Supreme Justice Scalia passed away at a ranch in the area of Marfa, otherwise no one would know of this place.  It is famous for a beautiful hotel where the cast of GIANTS resided while filming that old movie.  (Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and James Dean)  I hope it was as beautiful then as it is now.  The last word on Marfa is the existence of unexplained lights that people see against the mountains.  It is popular enough to stage a viewing area.

Fort Davis protected transportation routes to El Paso from marauder attacks from the 1850s for nearly 50 years.

 A few of the buildings are maintained by the National Park Service with a small staff.  That assignment must be as remote as it was 150 years ago.  Not much happening at this location, but it was a pleasant way to spend a beautiful Texas winter day, especially when it is free with a Senior Pass.

A man and his RV...inseparable

DEMING, NEW MEXICO

Not wanting to travel more than a few hours a day, our next stop was the desert town of Deming with its strong Mexican influence 30 mile north of the boarder.  It is dry and flat until the mountains rise out of nowhere.  Crossing into Mexico at Palomas  and visiting  The Pink Store is a frequent  experience for people in the area.  We were lucky enough to enjoy Valentine celebrations with free food, drinks and dancing.

The Pink Store is a restaurant, bar and store for people to gather at.  There is a dental office,  eye glass store and pharmacy where retired Americans can get their needs met.  Need your teeth cleaned? ....$35.

Retires know where to find a good party.

Silver City,  NM

Almost to the boarder of Arizona is the Gila
National Forest and Cliff Dwelling.  Close to the year 1300 AD, a group of people came and occupied this area for about 50 years.  In that time they built shelters in the caves and grew crops on top of the masa and along the river.  Why they came and what drove them out is a mystery, but the park service took over the site to protect it.  It was discovered in 1878, but vandals came and not knowing its history, took what they needed through out the years.

It was a vigorous hike to reach this point from where the car was parked.

The wooden poles are original part of the structure.

 These poles were part of the roof structure or second floor in some areas.  Smaller rooms were used as bedrooms.  If that is true, that says something to me about the sophistication of these people.  Various family members wanted privacy.

The Park Service offers tour through the dwelling, but you really have to watch your step.

 

What a view they had sitting in their caves, but at this elevation, they did receive snow in the winter.  The cave itself provided cool temperatures in the summer.

It is thought that this room served as a main gathering place.

The road to this place through the National Forest is up and down mountains which still harbor snow even on a warm day and around tight curves.  The one way 40 mile trip took 2 hours and you dare not bring anything larger than a 20 foot RV and a good truck to pull it.

ANOTHER STATE AND ANOTHER ADVENTURE...ARIZONA.