USA 2018 - Las Vegas, St George, Bryce, Kanab, Yellowstone, Moab: SUV + RV trip – mosquitoes in the North, storms in the South (page 2 of 7)

From the West Coast to the Wild West... Did you bring the Gwenn ha Du???

Welcome Jean-Luc! And that’s exactly it!! But without our *gwenn ha du*…

Hello

At 8:20 AM, we start the 7 Wonders Loop. But the heat gets the better of us! Fire Wave and Pink Canyon wear us out, and after just 2 wonders, we head back by road—it’s way too hot.

Gorgeous bighorn! And same for us with the 7 Wonders Loop—we still haven’t managed to do the whole thing because the heat’s just too intense. I think we’ll have to try another time of year.

We continue our drive toward St. George via I-15; along the way, we enjoy the Virgin River Gorge. It’s pretty and really long (35 km), but there’s not much water.

That stretch of I-15 is stunning. And your Snow Canyon photos bring back some great memories. See you soon.

Yes Françoise, Snow Canyon is a very small park with few hikes but it’s incredibly colorful: there aren’t many places that blend white, yellow, red, ochre, orange, and jet black with such intensity and contrast...😎

Very close to St. George, it’s also easy to access and surprisingly uncrowded... And a week later, we slept in our two RVs at the park’s small campground. Without spoiling what’s coming in this travel journal, waking up in that spot in the middle of the silence was an amazing memory!!!

I’ll post the next day’s entry tonight! JF

Day 4: Thursday, June 28: St. George -> Zion -> Red Canyon -> Bryce Canyon: 219 km

We got up at 5:30 AM this morning and finally enjoyed a hotel breakfast, much to Annwen’s delight—she’d been struggling with just a muffin and orange juice on the go the past few mornings, sometimes even in the car. There was a great selection of bread, cereals, and fruit. JF tried the sausage with spiced potatoes—it went down well 😛! And we tested out the waffle maker.😎 At 7 AM, we hit the road for Zion National Park, where we bought the annual Pass. With gorgeous lighting and wispy clouds in the sky, the Zion - Mount Carmel Scenic Drive was stunning. The GoPro, suction-cupped to the car roof, captured some amazing footage! We only passed through the park but still stopped for the short Canyon Overlook Trail hike, which took us about 1.5 hours at a leisurely pace. It was a fun, lively little walk (chipmunks and a desert bighorn sheep striking a pose on the rocks) ending with a beautiful viewpoint! By 10:30 AM, we changed plans: we skipped the long hike we’d planned in the higher elevations of Zion (Observation Point via Ponderosa Ranch) to make a stop at Red Canyon (near Bryce Canyon), which we’d only glimpsed in 2014. On the way out of Zion, we spotted the first bison herd of the trip.

The entrance to Red Canyon is still just as red!! We started with a quick stop at the visitor center, then had a picnic in the shade (sandwiches) before starting the very pleasant Pink Ledges Trail. The kids loved the explanatory brochure on geology and flora. We learned to identify different conifers, especially the Ponderosa pine, whose bark smells like either vanilla or butterscotch. Plus, the wind cooled things down a bit. Great choice!

Next, we headed to Bryce, first stopping at the visitor center, where Louenn bought a chipmunk puppet, then checking into our hotel around 4:30 PM (Bryce View Lodge). When we arrived at Sunset Point on the rim, the kids went "Waaaooooo," and we made a second stop at Bryce Point. Seen in 2014 and again this year, Bryce Point is definitely the most spectacular viewpoint—the entire amphitheater spreads out at our feet. The chipmunks were still super curious (one even tried to nibble the GoPro filming its antics), and we also spotted a squirrel and a mule deer. We had dinner in the room (shredded carrots/salad/cheddar/yogurt) and discovered the fridge hidden in a closet! Like the previous evenings, before bed, JF downloaded his photos and videos from the day onto the small laptop. Everything seemed fine 😕

Then disaster struck: while trying to review some photos from the previous days, he realized they were all unreadable. Shot in RAW format and transferred to an external SSD, each photo would appear for a second (Image 1) before turning into a mess of colors (Image 2). In the end, all the photos taken so far (no Valley of Fire, no Zion, no Red Canyon) from just one of his cameras (Canon EOS 5D3) were lost. No issues with the JPEG photos from Christelle’s (Sony) and Annwen’s (Canon) cameras, no issues with the GoPro videos (H6 Black), and no issues with the RAW files from his other camera, the Canon EOS 7D!!!! Totally incomprehensible since all the transfers were done the same way!😠😠😠 After some troubleshooting, a USB port was blamed, and none of the subsequent transfers were affected. If any forum member has an idea or a workaround—since each RAW photo initially appears fine for a second before corrupting—help!!🏴‍☠️ Image 1: Image 2 less than a second later:

Lesson of the day: We *have* to come back to VoyageForum (and Zion)!

See you tomorrow for the next part! (Hikes and activities in Bryce Canyon) Christelle and JF

Bryce View Lodge, at the entrance of Bryce, 173 € for two nights. Small room, decent cleanliness, fridge, no breakfast, quiet, and sufficient for sleeping. Much cheaper than other hotels near the park. Everything’s expensive at Bryce Canyon…

Day 5: Friday, June 29: Bryce (76 km)

We woke up around 6 a.m., quickly devoured our usual muffins and orange juice, and arrived at Sunset Point by 7:20. It was 12°C, so we put on light fleece jackets and rolled up our pant legs—not for long. We headed down into the amphitheater for the Queen’s Garden/Navajo Loop, finishing at Wall Street around 9:30. We’d visited this site back in 2014 (we’d done all three loops—Queen’s, Navajo, and Peekaboo—back then), and without the kids, it still holds a special place in our hearts as a stunning spot with incredible geology, vibrant colors, and tranquility—*if* you venture deep into the amphitheater among the hoodoos, far from the noisy crowds of tourists who rush to the viewpoints just to take selfies.😎 At sunrise, the hoodoos sometimes look almost translucent. After a quick stop at Fairyland Point—a peaceful, secluded spot and the starting point for a famously challenging hike—we headed back to picnic (shredded carrots/salad/cheddar/fruit😛) at the tables in front of the hotel. The afternoon was split into two activities: the guys went on a guided ATV tour at noon, while the girls went horseback riding. Both activities, booked from France through Ruby’s Inn’s website (the Ruby family descendants own nearly everything around the park), were highly anticipated by the kids. The ATV tour lasted an hour and was a blast: after signing a liability waiver in case of accidents, grabbing helmets and goggles, and getting a few instructions (no wheeling!!!), we set off toward the edge of the amphitheater and into the surrounding forests. Dust, bumps, potholes, stream crossings, speeding—by the end, the guys were covered in dust but thrilled. They even had red dust in their teeth!! The horseback ride, at least according to the girls (who are used to riding), was pretty tame: the whole route was at a walking pace with just a simple loop toward the rim. The only novelty? Long reins, long stirrups, and stiff cowboy saddles. A bit of a letdown for this horse tour, but it was definitely a beginner-friendly level!

Next, we drove the scenic road all the way to the end (Rainbow Point), stopping several times for photos. The views were expansive. We also spotted a pronghorn and a mule deer wandering near the road. The kids felt lucky to have already seen so many animals—they can’t wait for Yellowstone!😇 The afternoon wrapped up with a bit of window-shopping at Ruby’s Inn General Store and a surprising sight: an American hospital!😮 Back in our room, we worked on our travel journals, watched cartoons on the tablet, and had dinner (shredded carrots/salad/cheddar/yogurt). Around 9:30 p.m., we hoped to see the full moon at Fairyland and take some night photos—but no luck! No moon, no decent shots. The sky was overcast, and Annwen was already asleep in the car. We went to bed pretty disappointed (turns out the moon didn’t rise until 10:30 p.m.!).

Lesson of the day: Always check the moonrise time! And Bryce Canyon is a must—even if the wow factor wasn’t quite the same as in 2014, it’s still a breathtaking park!

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s update! (Bryce → Willis Creek Trail → Cottonwood Road → Kanab) Christelle and JF

Hi there, I'm joining in too!

The Red Reef Trail walk is peaceful and really pretty, but already too shady for photos, and there’s just one water hole to climb through.

Wow, really! In July 2016, there wasn’t a waterfall either, but there was still water in the hole. For comparison, here’s how it looked: Well... the water wasn’t exactly inviting on our end either! ;)

For Yant Flat, I was surprised. You said:

Once we arrived, we enjoyed the calm and the beauty of the landscape for 45 minutes.

But you didn’t explore the site? You just stayed at the viewpoint? That’s what we did in 2014 because we were there at the wrong time and it was too hot, but we went back in 2016 and spent over two hours there—we could’ve stayed even longer.

I really like Snow Canyon too, and it must be amazing to sleep there!

And I love the photo of the bighorn sheep on top of the rock! See you!

Hi Peggy! Yeah, we would’ve loved more water at Red Cliffs! For Yan Flat, we actually just enjoyed the view from above. It was our very first "off-the-beaten-path" spot, and we didn’t venture any further. We were also so worried about the heat like the day before that we didn’t hang around too long! A good excuse to come back someday... Christelle

A good excuse to come back someday...

Definitely, we’ll have to! :)

Day 6.1: Saturday, June 30: Bryce -> Willis Creek Trail -> Cottonwood Road -> Kanab (197 km)

We got up at 6 AM, the moon taunting us! 😛 We left an hour later and had to turn on the heat in the car—it was only 8°C outside, brrr! A breakfast stop was a must at the Mossy Cave parking lot (we’d do this hike the following week with family), and then we headed down to Tropic. At the entrance of this town (or rather, village, really) in the middle of nowhere, we were stunned to find a brand-new agility training field. Since we’ve been dog agility enthusiasts for over a decade, we had to stop for a photo. 🙂 It’s unbelievable—people must fly in by helicopter! A closer look showed the field was on a property with a recent house and a hangar used every morning for “Church lessons.” 😇 Back in France, we saw that this agility field is even visible on Google Maps satellite photos. A little further on, an emergency brake to let a mule deer pass proved just how good the GMC’s brakes are. A few minutes later, we hit Stukumpah Road! Not too rocky, with a washboard surface, it was easy to drive—only one sandy section required 4WD. 🙂 After roughly an hour on the trail, we stopped at the Willis Creek Trailhead at 8:30 AM—just one other car in the parking lot. We spent 2.5 hours in the creek’s canyon, including a long water-play break for the kids. This hike was a highlight of the trip: stunning narrow canyons alternating between white and yellow, refreshing with the little creek we followed, easy with minimal elevation, and isolated—over two hours from civilization. In short, an unforgettable moment shared by all four of us! These are the experiences that make life truly meaningful (to borrow a phrase from Rabelais). 😎 At the parking lot, a ranger, not very talkative, was quietly having lunch under a bush that gave him a bit of shade. 20-photo limit reached—more from the day on Cottonwood Road and then Kanab Christelle and JF

Day 6.2 continued: Saturday, June 30: Willis Creek Trail -> Cottonwood Road -> Kanab (197 km)

We continue our journey on the long Cottonwood Road and have a picnic (shredded carrots/salad/cheddar/fruit) around 1 p.m. at Grosvenor Arch. We burn our butts on the benches (half-bench on one side of the table to leave room for a wheelchair), it's 32°C. We reach 100°F near Candyland, where we stop for the usual photo showing a multitude of colorful rocks. Further on, we pass the Hackberry Trail parking lot, the starting point, among others, for the hike leading to Yellow Rock. This hike (climbing a large yellow dome) tempts us, but it's too hot to start it!! We then decide to come back in two days early in the morning. The end of this road is also very beautiful: we feel like we're facing lunar landscapes! Although it's long and the stifling heat between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. makes any hike difficult, we're happy we took this road. In our opinion, if you have the opportunity to take it, it's worth doing: lots of different landscapes, different colors, and always this feeling of being far from everything. Moreover, no need for a 4WD, and only the section near Candyland requires a car with decent ground clearance. On our way back to Kanab, we don't have the energy to stop at Toadstool Hoodoos and quickly head to do some shopping (Glazier’s Market). We treat ourselves to a little ice cream and then enjoy the hotel's cool pool. The most observant among you will have noticed that we're living on shredded carrots/salad/cheddar for every meal… Since we're not keen on wasting time going to restaurants, we'll stick to this diet for the whole vacation!! Once we have the RVs, we'll still take the time, only in the evening, to cook (a little) or have BBQs. After three weeks of this diet, we were happy to get back to French gastronomy! JF doesn’t want to hear about cheddar anymore, and Annwen about shredded carrots!! As a result, JF lost 4 kg of extra weight… which he could afford to lose!! So, that evening, we had promised ourselves some fats and sugar: Wendy’s was on the menu… We waited in line for a long time, the kids' menu is tiny (practically, before age 12, Americans don’t eat anything, but after that, they go straight for XXL as the basic menu), and our orders arrived completely wrong. Even though Christelle’s salad is original (with strawberries), 2 ice creams were missing (but 2 for 4 was enough), and Christelle got an indescribable overly sweet non-carbonated red drink… In short, a gastronomic disappointment that will serve the parents to justify continuing the shredded carrots/salad/cheddar diet… At 9:30 p.m., everyone falls asleep! Lesson of the day: Cottonwood Road is checked off (beautiful but maybe not worth a detour to do it again), the highlight was Willis Creek.

See you tomorrow for the next part! Kanab -> Wire Pass Trail -> Toadstool Hoodoos -> Kanab (160 km) Christelle and JF

Aiken’s Lodge Hotel, on the main street, 245 € for two nights, spacious room, comfortable bedding, fridge, laundry, pool, chairs in front of the room, simple breakfast but with good homemade cakes.

I can confirm the disappointment with Wendy's. And the drinks... 🤪 but from what I remember, there was sparkling water in the soda fountain. 😇

Hi Jean-François and Christelle,

Willis Creek is absolutely gorgeous! We haven’t done that one yet. Definitely worth remembering if we ever go back there.

The most observant among you will have noticed that we’re eating grated carrots/salad/cheddar at every meal…

Yeah… I was actually going to mention that today! !😉 I wanted to ask if you weren’t getting tired of it (I think after three meals like that, I’d be ready to puke carrots!! Lol) and if you’re vegetarian? We also eat on the go, but only one picnic a day. The second meal is fast food or a restaurant now and then. But we don’t feel like we’re wasting time—we really enjoy eating!!😛 Despite this diet, Yannick still comes back 2 or 3 kilos lighter, too. 😉

Yes Arnaud!! Definitely avoid the Wendy's in Kanab. We’ll eat at a Fat Burger in Las Vegas: really good, made to order, and the name says it all!!!

Willis Creek is a real highlight: the trail isn’t too long and is easy to access (apart from the initial sandy climb), it’s an easy walk in the cool air, and the vibrant yellow colors in places are stunning! Only tip: go even earlier than we did to make photography easier (big contrast between the slot canyon’s light and the sky😕)

Plus, the kids loved it, and you can go even lower than we did!! It’s a favorite hike (along with Yellow Rock and, to a lesser extent, Wire Pass).

And NO, we’re definitely not vegetarians!!🤪 And it’s clear we’ll take more time to eat dinner on our next trip (because there’ll definitely be another one...😊)

Have a good evening, JF

Day 7.1: Sunday, July 1st: Kanab -> Wire Pass Trail

After waking up at 7 AM, we enjoy the hotel’s breakfast. Since the lobby is tiny, we set up outside in front of our room. The breakfast isn’t anything fancy, but it has two great things going for it: the pastries are homemade and they’re delicious! Today’s goal is to win The Wave lottery for the next day (just so you know, we’d already tried our luck twice online). Except for Christelle, who’s way too pragmatic to believe in it, everyone’s convinced we’ll win😇!!! So, we head to the BLM office, where about thirty groups are already waiting. Even though we had number 13, we didn’t win. 😠😠😕 Disappointed, we settle for the Wire Pass Trail, which—just to rub salt in the wound—is only 1 km as the crow flies from The Wave… No problem, we’ll just have to come back… Besides, in the wash, we pass right by the start of The Wave…. A nice sign explains it well... The road to get there is smooth, but a car with decent ground clearance is reassuring: we saw a Canadian in a PT Cruiser looking really worried about his front bumper… Obviously, we didn’t get there early, and it was already 30°C (86°F). The descent into the wash is a bit long and hot, but after that, it’s beautiful, cooler, and very narrow. The red canyons are sometimes even tighter than Willis Creek Trail, and there’s a tricky spot with a big drop of about 2 meters to climb. But it’s not impossible—there’s a pile of logs and rocks to help. We turn back at the big alcove. The climb back up the wash is just as long and even hotter! We run into people wearing flip-flops and no hats, with just a small water bottle in hand…





Photo limit of 20 reached... More to come! Christelle & JF

J7.2: Sunday, July 1st: Wire Pass Trail -> Toadstool Hoodoos -> Kanab (160 km) To be continued!

Around 1 p.m., we're back at the car and hit the road again to Toadstool Hoodoos. It's over 35°C (95°F) there, so we eat in the car with the AC running. The parking lot empties out, and eventually, we're the only ones at the site. It's way too hot. The kids play in the "sandbox" in the shade of the cliff while we explore the area without lingering, going farther than we did in 2014. We discover a spot with black/brown/white colors, a change from the usual red/white/orange. This site, easy to access, is perfect if you have an hour and a half to spare.😎 We head back to the hotel: unpacking and laundry, then the pool where a persistent kid tries to claim Annwen’s super donut float.🙁 We eat in front of the room again. Then, for the first time since arriving in the U.S., we turn on the TV—baseball tonight. We look for some info on the World Cup… Nothing!🤪 Soccer doesn’t exist in this part of the planet!🤪

Lesson of the day: We’ll come back to conquer The Wave; Toadstool is a great quality/effort ratio. See you tomorrow for the next part! Kanab -> Yellow Rock Trail -> Las Vegas (536 km) Christelle and JF

Hello, good evening

Lovely travelogue, beautiful photos even though the light is very harsh.

For the World Cup, you needed Fox Sports 2—they broadcast all the World Cup matches live (and replayed them), which was great because with the time difference, the live matches were on here in the morning and even in the afternoon. Meanwhile, I was working😛

Hello Jean-François,

Thanks for this travel journal. It’s always a pleasure to revisit beautiful photos of the West. Even though all the sites are "classic" for VF, I’m happy to follow along.

For the Wire Pass hike, the entry section with the 2-meter climb can be tricky depending on recent floods, but you can bypass it a few meters before by going right and climbing the small hill (there are a few cairns). This lets you access Buckskin Gulch, Edmaier, and others without difficulty. The climb on the way back is usually easier (as long as there are at least two of you).

In the Willis Creek area, Bull Valley Gorge canyon is also fantastic. A bit more "challenging," so it’s less crowded and fun.

Looking forward to the rest!

Julien

P.S.: I came across your Aragon travel journal—I loved it!

True, we might’ve had that channel in the hotels! But honestly, we didn’t miss the World Cup at all… 😇

See you soon, JF