Southwest Part 2: 55 Days in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah (page 2 of 4)

Hi Sylvain,

Thanks for continuing to delight us!

Moonscape Overlook—I had planned to camp there in July 2023 to enjoy the sunset and sunrise, but after our first night in a tent at Cathedral Gorge at the start of the trip, Yannick (my husband) put a definitive end to camping! 😄 The plans changed, so we ended up there at noon, the worst possible time, and yet... we were still blown away that day! Even with the sun at its peak, it’s truly magnificent!

Capitol Reef—we stopped there kind of by chance in 2014 because it was on the way during our trip to Yellowstone. We weren’t sure what to expect, and it wasn’t talked about much in travel journals back then... But it’s become one of our favorite parks in the Southwest! Everything is beautiful—the hikes, the scenic drive, Cathedral Valley is a gem, and there are fewer crowds than in other parks... long may it last!

It’s funny about your son driving... it brought back memories! It was around Factory Butte that our kids tried driving the Grand Cherokee at 9 and 12 years old. 😉

Hi there, In early May 2024, we camped at Moonscape, but what a surprise when we arrived at the end of the day—there were already a good ten cars there to camp!!! It was our third visit to this site, and the first two times in 2019 and 2022, we hadn’t run into anyone!!! We were pretty disappointed when we got there, but actually, there was no problem sharing this magical place. People were respectful, and there’s plenty of space, so we didn’t get in each other’s way. On the contrary, we shared an apéritif with our “neighbors,” some amateur American photographers. 😛

Hi there, Yeah, that must’ve been quite a surprise! You don’t expect that many people! I’d have been surprised too 😉

Hi Peggy and hi Fabienne,

It’s true that camping at Moonscape must be really nice for enjoying the golden hour and sunrise... A must-do!!!

Sylvain

Monday, August 15: The day of the Rim Overlook and another letdown...

After a good night’s sleep like Charles Ingalls, a nice little breakfast at the hotel restaurant, then back to Capitol Reef for another hike: Rim Overlook (4.3 miles with a good elevation gain, allow 3 hours round trip).





This hike takes you to a pretty spectacular viewpoint over Fruita and the surrounding area.





The climb or descent offers some beautiful views.







We get back in the car and head to Gifford, where this time we finally get the holy grail: some delicious pies!



We have another picnic in this peaceful haven that is Fruita, surrounded by deer... and we notice that the barriers blocking access to Valley Drive are gone, so off we go!!! ;)



A few miles of pure wonder...



We turn back, stop at the visitor center to validate our Junior Ranger booklets, and boom—another badge! We ask the ranger about the possibility of going to "Cathedral Valley" with a planned bivouac... He looks shocked and strongly advises against it. First, storms are forecast for tonight and tomorrow afternoon; second, some sections of the road are barely passable, and the loop is impossible because there’s too much water in the Dry Fork wash...

...And sure enough, stopping there a few moments later...



It doesn’t look like the clear water and much lower level seen in photos... Anyway, storms tonight and tomorrow, the decision was made after a family meeting at the Visitor Center—no way this time!!!!!!!!! (But we’ll be back!!!! 😛)

No Cathedral Valley this time. You’ve got to keep things in perspective—we’re thrilled to be here. It’ll have to wait for another trip; we don’t control everything!

We decide to move forward with our route, which will take us to Moab in the coming days, stopping in Green River at a no-frills Motel 6 with an "out of order" pool and a slightly sketchy vibe... It’ll do for the night... (even if I’d imagined being somewhere else at this point, with a sunset and sunrise over Cathedral Valley.... 🏴‍☠️) Grab a few groceries, dinner at the motel, and then... bedtime!

Good night and see you tomorrow!!!

Tuesday, August 16: The day we arrived in ... Moab .....

Early wake-up, a quick breakfast with muffins and fruit juice, then hit the road to Moab. When we got there, we stopped at City Market to grab stuff for sandwiches for our picnic, and parked at the trailhead for today’s hike: Grandstaff Canyon (we did 8 km round trip instead of 10 km to the bridge).



A super fun hike for everyone since you have to pick your route along the stream, crossing it multiple times to keep moving...



Recent storms had made the stream swell, and the water wasn’t exactly crystal clear!!! Several people turned back at different points, but not us 😏 We pushed on cheerfully, ending up with pretty damp and muddy feet!!! 🤪 Looking around, we saw the high-water mark from the flattened grass—it was scary because we would’ve been *underwater* several times!!!! 🏴‍☠️ A massive storm had hit here just three days earlier... No fear, though...



We kept going, following the tracks...😛



We stopped for a picnic...



The scenery was pretty nice, and we had about 800 meters left to reach the "bridge" when suddenly we looked up—what’s coming in the sky? Well, clouds, obviously!!!! Big, dark, stormy ones, and we could even hear thunder... So, we didn’t finish the hike, okay? Turn back? Everyone agreed? Yep. Too risky with the kids... The landscapes were still amazing on the way back...



And we ended up not getting a single drop of rain—it missed us... The sun even came back out...



Back to the car after 4 hours of scrambling and splashing, and we all had to change shoes because our socks and shoes had taken on the same color as the water—weird 🙁 Then we headed to "Castle Valley," where we’d be staying for... 6 nights 😏 It’s Marta and Arpad’s place—thanks again, HomeExchange, because what you’re about to see cost us the grand total of... $0 or, if you prefer, 0 €!!!!! Long live house swapping!!!! Castle Valley is just a half-hour from Moab, and the access road is a beauty in itself, with road signs that look like they’ve been used for target practice!



But what we discovered was MAGICAL!!!!

Ready?????........

...and here we go for a little week in this setting...



back side...



TADA!!!! The decor is straight out of a Western, the house is beautifully decorated, and the view from it some evenings...



This isn't a painting—it's the view from our bedroom window!!!



hummingbirds every morning on the terrace...



on the garage door...





views from the balcony and the property one evening..............

We're going to have a really, really great week, that's for sure!!!! We settle in, then head back to Moab to grab some groceries for the week. Tonight, it's burgers on the barbecue and bedtime!

Good night and see you tomorrow!!!

Tuesday, August 17: The first day at Arches National Park... A little sleep-in this morning with a wake-up around 9 AM. We soak in the morning light in our red rock haven, enjoying breakfast on the terrace with hummingbirds—it’s just... beautiful, plain and simple. 😇 We savor the moment and get ready to arrive at Arches NP around noon, the time slot we reserved online to enter the park (a new entry procedure this year to streamline access and avoid endless waits at the entrance). The day pass per car is $2, but you have to choose a time slot 3 months in advance, and it’s first come, first served... To maximize our chances of visiting under clear skies, we’d reserved several slots that we later canceled depending on the weather...

Today, the weather’s perfect, and the wait at the entrance is short—about a quarter of an hour. A quick stop at the Visitor Center to grab the Junior Ranger booklets, and we’re off into the magic... driving along this ribbon of asphalt that winds past pure wonders shaped by wind, rain, and frost over millions of years... The camera’s SD card is filling up at lightning speed!!!!! 🤪 No real hikes yet, just different stops.

Park Avenue



Balanced Rock, where we decide to have a chill picnic in the shade





Then a short walk to discover the "Windows"





With some gorgeous views from these arches...









A little figure...



...........

........................................... and now, it's Double Arch





We climb into one of the arches and see the gang and Caro as silhouettes in the distance...



Tom soaks in the view from up there...



It's breathtakingly beautiful...





Okay, that’s enough sightseeing—we haven’t hiked yet today! It’s 5:30 PM, and we’re heading toward the symbol of Utah, the one you see on the state’s license plates: the stunning, sublime Delicate Arch. It’s worth the effort because the approach is a pretty steep climb that takes about an hour. Make sure to bring water since the ascent is in full sun... We saw people climbing in flip-flops, with just a small water bottle in one hand and their phone in the other, no bags!!!! 🙁 Before reaching the arch, you can catch a glimpse of Delicate through a small opening up high...





then the final stretch...



and finally, around the last bend, it appears, majestic...



We arrive at the site around 6:30 PM, and it’s a place where you’ll struggle to be alone!!!!! Everyone takes a little stroll under the arch for the traditional photo. We stay just long enough for a quick picture—about a minute. Others linger much longer, especially an Asian couple where the young woman gets photographed from every angle, striking all sorts of poses, for a good 15 minutes. That earns them some whistles from the crowd!!! 😉

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We stayed in this amphitheater for over an hour to watch the site's lighting change by the minute... Wow, the view is stunning...





And in the final moments, the magic was such that the crowd fell silent...



One last one for the road!



And it's time to head back down...🙁



The colors at dusk are insane.





We passed a few people heading up , a bit late for sunset! Probably to stargaze! I hope they have a headlamp for the way down... One of the best afternoons of the trip—we got back to the house after dark, showers, dinner, and bedtime!

Good night and see you tomorrow!!!

Hey Sylvain, thanks for sharing your link on FB—I would’ve totally missed this amazing travel journal! I had no idea VF had reopened!! Your story is awesome, and I can’t wait to read the rest! Big props to Oscar for keeping up on your hikes—it couldn’t have been easy all the time!! That’s a ton of parks, so many hikes, and not the easiest ones either, so I don’t think it’s really our thing—but it’s seriously cool. The weather didn’t seem ideal—did you guys suffer from the heat much, or was it not too bad? Love that photo of your sons in front of Monument Valley and the one of all four of you.

I never even thought about buying camping gear to be more flexible... You didn’t seem to have made all the reservations in advance—with the context, I guess attendance wasn’t the same as pre-COVID?

Hi Aurélie, It's true we made our two little ones hike quite a bit, but they're used to it! As for the heat, we love it—just make sure to cover your head and bring plenty of water. It's a "dry" heat, so it's more bearable. We had everything booked before leaving to avoid wasting time searching for a hotel in the evening after hiking, for example... but the weather forced us to adapt to avoid too many restless nights camping!!!! Afterward, it was mostly late-afternoon storms.

Great preparation!

Sylvain

Thursday, August 18: The day of the Fisher Towers...

A relaxed wake-up for a leisurely morning wandering around Moab... You get it, it’s not exactly action-packed this morning 😏, but it’s nice to take it easy, do some shopping in Moab, pick up a few souvenirs for the family and for ourselves—we even find a gorgeous Kokopelli here!

After our little shopping spree, we grab lunch at the open-air food court right in the city center, with several food trucks offering something for every taste. It’s pretty cool...

Back home, we tackle some daily chores: laundry, backing up photos, games, and then by mid-afternoon, we grab our backpacks and water bottles and head out for the Fisher Towers hike. Tom is tired and asks to stay home—he’s not slacking, so we’re okay with giving him an extra break 😉

So the three of us set off. We check out the Onion Creek trail, which had me drooling with its multiple wash crossings, but as we suspected, after the recent storms, the trail is completely wrecked by the second wash with huge potholes. No way we’re risking getting Buddy stuck!!! 🏴‍☠️

Off to the queens of the late afternoon



the Fisher Towers! On our way for this beautiful hike (7 km round trip), best enjoyed in the late afternoon for those gorgeous colors...



It’s pretty, with ups and downs





but it’s hot, and after an hour, Oscar starts complaining about sore legs... Well, we’re on day 44 of the trip, we’ve been traveling a lot and hiking plenty, so it’s no surprise our little 7-and-a-half-year-old is starting to feel it 🤪. I decide to leave them to their sad fate at the bottom of a massive cliff 😄, and in the next photo, you can spot them way down in the bottom left—it gives you an idea of the scale of the place!



and I continue alone to the end of the trail—it’s totally worth it!!!!!! A few sketchy bits with a ladder and some chains, but the view at the end is stunning!!!







I turn back and find my little crew an hour after leaving—they’re alive and in one piece 😛—and we finish the hike in beautiful light...





To be continued......

..... the views on the way back show different shapes with another color—it's a great spot!







Back home, showers, beer while prepping some grilled food on the barbecue, and taking in our amazing surroundings. A quiet evening, just like the day started... 😎 and bedtime!

Have a good night and see you tomorrow!!!

Friday, August 19: The day of Bow Tie & Corona Arches...

Well! We weren’t woken up by the sun’s rays this morning!!! Nope, it’s raining!!!! And not a stormy rain, no no no, a nice fine drizzle like back home in Normandy!!! 🏴‍☠️..... 10 AM, it’s still raining.... The advantage of having a big house as accommodation is that we can find things to do without being on top of each other like in a hotel room—so the guys are watching a movie on TV, while we sort photos, messages, and read 😉

It stops raining around noon, we eat quietly, and review the plan: we were supposed to do the Delta Pool hike and then go swimming at Mill Creek, but given the conditions, we decide to explore two beautiful arches that are easy to reach (we hiked 5 km round trip): Bow Tie and Corona Arches.

We reach the parking lot, and the guys are goofing around with Buddy’s backup camera!





Well, since they’re not behaving, we decide to tie them to the rails at the start of the trail...



After they promise to do the dishes for the next two years, we finally decide to keep them with us 😉

The approach hike is easy—just follow the marks on the ground. A ladder and chains help with the climb at one point, and then the arches appear, stunning and majestic!



We get closer to Bow Tie Arch



then head toward Corona Arch



We settle near it to savor the moment and the view...





A few acrobatic moves from Tom...



.........

.....Then we turn back, one last look behind...



and it's back to the car...





crossing the railroad tracks again...



We get home and it suddenly darkens, then the storm breaks!!! And in Castle Valley, it's loud!!! It's pouring! No barbecue tonight 🙁 A quiet evening then and ... bedtime!

Have a good evening and see you tomorrow!!!

Thanks Sylvain for this amazing travel journal (or should I say, these two journals!). During a stop in the Arches area, we fell behind schedule because of a... flat tire. So we had to resign ourselves to not seeing the Delicate Arch. A question: when sunset rolls around, is it possible to take photos without tourists under or near the arch? (Because I notice your photos all seem cropped on the left?) Thanks.

Love the Corona Arch shot! When we went there in scorching heat (you couldn’t kneel down without risking a burn after 2-3 seconds), we heard a slow, *very* slow train way ahead of time. We expected a train with dozens of cars—imagine our surprise when it turned out to be just one engine and two cars... Still a beautiful spot though! !

Hi there Do these photos answer your question? This is the line to get your photo taken under the arch. 🙁 And these are the people waiting for the sunset. 😮 But hey, you can still take some great photos anyway... 😏 Have a good evening

When’s the next installment of your adventures? 😮