Southwest Part 2: 55 Days in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah

This travel journal is the second part of the trip whose first part you can find here: 1st part...

Sunday, August 7: the day we discover a magical place... Edmaier's Secret...

We got up at 8:00 AM, had breakfast on the terrace of our tiny house, and then set off again toward yesterday’s trail. This time, we stopped after 4.5 miles on House Rock Valley Road at the Buckskin Gulch Trail parking lot. We weren’t interested in that trail today—the slot canyon is muddy anyway after the recent storms...

Instead, we explored a lesser-known area that became our playground. And what a playground it was, folks—an out-of-this-world spot, THE highlight of our trip!!! 😏

Just imagine being in the middle of these landscapes, and the cherry on top... no one else around!!!!! Well, we did meet a couple who were coming back—it was 9:30 AM 😮. Did they camp there? Did they turn back? 🙁

After paying the entry permit online, we set off with plenty of water (6L for the four of us) plus a gallon we hid along the way for the return trip. 😉 After a one-hour approach hike along a wash, we reached the sea of sand.



We had to cross it to reach our goal: a strip about 2 km long and 1 km wide that you can explore freely since there’s no marked trail... We entered a few GPS points into our Garmin Etrex, and off we went!!! 😎 It was... magical, enchanting, a true love-at-first-sight moment!



Brain Rock, waves, fine and brittle rock, colors—it goes up, it goes down.







Just thinking about it gives me chills... I remember sitting still for two minutes, taking in these wonders with such emotion that I teared up...

... We spent 3 hours there, picnic included—time flew by!!!! Alright, here’s another batch of photos!













Then we had to make up our minds to leave the place and retrace our steps...



We head back down the brain rock



Then the dry wash bed that "crunches" under our feet



Oscar even said: "It looks like Chocapic!" 😏

... Goodbye Edmaier's Secret... 🙁



An hour’s hike to meet up with Buddy again—the GPS says a 10 km trek for 5 hours of wandering!

Back to the car, back home, stopping to grab burgers at "Big Al’s" 😛, so good for the evening. We settle in under the awning, enjoying a nice beer before eating... when suddenly, looking at our trusty steed Buddy, what do I see? The front right tire is almost flat 😠 It’s about 6 PM, and we finally manage to change the tire after... 1 hour!!!! 🤪 Taking it off was super easy and quick, putting it back on was super easy and quick... so what happened in between???? 😏 It took us a while—let’s just say a *certain* amount of time—to figure out how to LOWER the spare tire from under the car... 🏴‍☠️ No matter how many times we read and reread the manual!!! Well, we did it in the end, thanks to a hand from the B&B owner 😉 who tells us where to go the next morning to get the tire repaired or replaced...

End of the day: another shower, amazing burgers, and board games... Then SLEEP!

Good night and see you tomorrow!!!

Monday, August 8: The day Cottonwood Road didn’t open up for us...

8:00 on the dot, I’m in front of the garage 100 meters from our BnB for a quick meet-up about the flat tire and an oil change because the warning light’s been on for a few days...

"Hi! It’s for a flat tire and an oil change—would you have a small slot?" The mechanic’s answer: "OK, come pick it up around 9:30!"!!!!!!!!!!!! Back home in France, if I just showed up like that, I’d never get the car back in an hour and a half! 😉 I take the chance to grab a coffee at the nearby gas station. Everyone’s still asleep at the house, so I wander around Kanab a bit. When I walk past the garage again, they call me over to show me the other front tire, which is pretty worn on the inside... Well, we need to change two tires!!!! 🏴‍☠️ At this point, I’m really hoping Hertz will reimburse me... I call them to let them know, and they say everything’s fine... 9:30, the car’s ready with two new tires, the oil change, and a bill for... $600! Let’s really hope Hertz comes through! The contract says: "contribution to tire expenses..."

We leave the great BnB at 11:30, heading for Cottonwood Road and a string of dirt roads and slot canyons in the coming days—YAY!!!!!!!

But NO!!!! 🙁 There were big storms around here too, and the result: Cottonwood’s closed because a flash flood damaged the road... So we have to go around and take the route through Glendale to reach our goal for the day: Kodachrome State Park and its campground. We stop again in Kanab for a picnic, then hit the road for a long drive—and that little (big) regret about not taking Cottonwood Road, which was so tempting!!!!

We arrive at our campground in the super cute Kodachrome Park in the late afternoon! We pick a nice spot with this rock in the background that had the guys cracking up!🤪



Of course, everyone sees... a throne!!! 😛 After setting up the tent, we take a little one-hour walk around the park...





This park’s a little gem, especially at the end of the day!





A nice shower. The restrooms are amazing!!!! And the end of the day is way better than the start with a good meal, a campfire, and marshmallows! It’s so quiet and... no storms in sight!😄



And off to bed!

Good night and see you tomorrow!!!

PS: Hertz reimbursed us for the full amount of the bills when we got back, no problem—and a month after our return...

Tuesday, August 9th: The day of the very classic Queen's Garden + Navajo Loop and another event that's become a classic...

After a really good, very quiet night—no noise, no storm, and not too hot —we wake up gently, have a peaceful breakfast, pack up the tent, and still enjoy the amazing restrooms at the campground... Wait, we're marveling at restrooms!!!!

Off to Bryce Canyon!!!! 🙂 for the traditional Queen's Garden + Navajo Loop hike, and maybe add Peekaboo Loop if we still have energy... We stop by the Visitor Center to pick up the Junior Ranger booklets, find parking (a bit tough, but we manage), and then we're off!!!

It's magical—this park is a gem, we don’t know where to look first...











Well, we're not alone, that's for sure!!!! It’s quite a change from Edmaier's Secret, but this hike is super popular—we knew that...











We’d thought about extending the hike to include Peekaboo Loop, but the kids are starting to struggle a bit, so we call it a day for the hike (5 km, but lots of ups and downs...). Back to the car...

...we hit all the different viewpoints along the scenic route, and I’m bombarding you with photos—maybe too many? Nah, you can never have too much Bryce Canyon!!!!



















...

... Still (always) a little energy left for some acrobatics...









We stop by the Visitor Center again, validate the booklets, and—boom—another badge for the kids! 😇 Then we splurge in the gift shop for quite a few souvenirs...

We have a chill picnic at 2:30 PM! We hang around Bryce Village a bit and head toward our campground for the night: KOA in Cannonville. We stop at the BLM office to check the road conditions for the next day: the Hole in the Rock... BLM closed... We get back in the car when Oscar says: "We hear pssshhhhhhhh on the rear wheel...." Okay, Oscar, good joke (our kids are real jokers...), we just changed the two front tires no later than... yesterday morning!!! I walk around the car and—darn it 😠😠😠—a big nail!!!!!!!! The tire’s deflating slowly, but it’s still inflated enough to drive and find a garage... We get back in the car, ask at a shop where to find a garage... There’s nothing like that in Cannonville; it’ll be in... Bryce Village!!!!!!! 🏴‍☠️, but we just came from there!!!!!!! And we were there an hour ago!!!!!! 😕 Well, it’s a 15-minute drive, so it should be fine since the tire’s deflating slowly—the nail’s still stuck in, we can only see the head... Nope!!!!! 🤪 The pressure drops suddenly after 10 minutes of driving. We pull over with the hazard lights on—the nail head broke off, so now there’s a hole, and of course, the tire’s deflating way faster!! 🙁 Okay, well, we take out the suitcases, lower the spare tire in 3 minutes (we know how to do it now!!), then the jack, and—big moment of silence—we’re 2 cm short with the jack fully extended, the ground being soft and the car slightly tilted on the shoulder.... We’re looking for a big flat rock... Tom finds our lucky break, and we finally change the tire... We arrive at the garage at 4:45 PM... closed!!!!! Huge moment of silence... 🙁 Well, I think our second plan with the next day’s bivouac is compromised... Between the tire to change in the morning (or whenever, since the place is packed!!!) and the storms forecast for mid-afternoon and evening the next day.....

Family meeting—we decide to make a call tomorrow morning. We grab a few groceries and head to the KOA and its cool pool... The sky looks threatening tonight too... We decide to grab a really good pizza in Cannonville and hit the hay! A few raindrops tonight, some distant thunder, but nothing too serious...

Good night, and see you tomorrow!!!

You don’t take a repair kit with bits on your trip? It’s worth about fifteen euros and often lets you get by until you find a garage, or even make a more permanent repair for a simple nail in the tread!

Wednesday, August 10: The second day at Bryce... pure bliss!!! It rained last night—pretty hard, actually—but no wind or storm, just right above us. The kids still slept well and woke up asking, "Is the tent wet???" Breakfast, we pack up, and head to the garage, hoping it won’t take 3 hours and that we won’t have to change another tire!!!!! 🤪

We run into an older gentleman—let’s just say he’s *well* past 65! Long live retirement at 64! 🏴‍☠️

He tells us he’ll fix it in 10 minutes by just patching the hole, and sure enough, 10 minutes later, the tire’s good as new—all for $30. Hertz is gonna be thrilled! 😄 Thanks, sir!

While he was working, we checked the weather forecast for the area, and... it’s not looking good. So we decided to skip the Hole in the Rock trail with tonight’s bivouac. 🏴‍☠️ Anyway, the slot canyons must be flooded, the road’s probably rough, and we’re not taking unnecessary risks with the kids. We’ll be back!!! 😛

Let’s be real—the consolation prize for today is... Bryce Canyon and the Peekaboo hike!!! Could be worse!!!



Great choice—a hike that’s quieter than Queen’s Garden and maybe even more stunning!!! The camera’s overheating!







Our legs too 🙁 It goes up, it goes down, but it’s amazing!













...

Hi Guillaume, we had a kit with wicks but we were saving it for the trails... which we couldn’t do on those dates because of daily thunderstorms that made the trails impassable, some even completely closed!

Sylvain

...we were being watched in the aisles of Bryce that day...



An amazing hike—we covered 7.5 km and still managed to pull off some acrobatics...🤪

Goodbye, Bryce Canyon... A highlight of our trip!!!





Back to Bryce Village around 2 PM, we treat ourselves to a burger (meh) at a diner. To wrap up the day, we take the kids to a little rodeo—they’ve never seen one before—by grabbing tickets for the late afternoon show (Wednesday to Saturday around 6 PM). We also look for a place to sleep since we’d planned to camp that night, but the updated forecast and just looking up at the sky show huge clouds rolling in... so no camping. With our Hotels loyalty program, we’ve got a free night to use, so we decide on Bryce Canyon Resort in a cabin... Thank goodness the night was free!!! 😄 The cabin is super run-down, barely clean (the sheets were okay...), the pool is murky and cold 🏴‍☠️, and the included breakfast the next morning was super basic! You get the idea—avoid this place! Sure, it’s 1 km from the rim of Bryce Canyon... but it really needs a major renovation... We’ll make do...

Off to the rodeo to wrap up the afternoon!





We decide to eat quietly in the cabin since there’s a little kitchenette... Prep for the next day, sort through photos, and a big storm rages outside!!! Still, we’re happy to have our shelter for the night! Time for bed!

Good night and see you tomorrow!!!

Thursday, August 11: The day we swam at the foot of Calf Creek Falls... Woke up at 8 AM—decent night’s sleep, and most importantly, dry. There was another big storm last night... The Hole in the Rock road with camping and its slot canyons will have to wait for another time... 🏴‍☠️ Breakfast included in the night’s stay: what a joke 🤪 Really, really mediocre, if not outright bad!!! One or two cereals, a couple of pieces of bread, flavored water instead of fruit juice 😠 No milk, no yogurt, no hot chocolate—just hot water, freeze-dried coffee, or cheap tea... Oh, and some sautéed potatoes... inedible 🙁 Avoid this hotel at all costs!!!!!

Headed to Mossy Cave, just a short drive from Bryce and inside the park. A 1-mile round-trip hike with a gorgeous waterfall at the end. Really peaceful and enjoyable.





We spent a good hour there, letting the kids play in the water...





A bit of scrambling to get to the other side... and take some great photos...







Back to the car with some beautiful views from the trail...



Headed to Escalante, and before settling in for the night, we did the "Calf Creek Falls" hike (6.2 miles round-trip). We loved it!!! 😉

But first, we had to eat—our stomachs were growling! We stopped at Kiva Coffee, which had amazing food, great coffee, and was just a fantastic spot!!!

...Off we go for the day's hike. An approach walk of about 1.5 hours with some beautiful scenery and a well-marked trail...





But the highlight is at the end—a stunning waterfall... with a swim at the base of the cascade in somewhat chilly water!!! Oh well, we're Normans!!!😄





We soak it in, stay for a good hour, then hear some thunder (again and again), so we decide to head back since there’s still a 1.5-hour walk to the car... Plus, the path follows the riverbed—we don’t want to get stuck!!🙁



The return trip ends up completely dry, the storm having decided to break on the other side 😄

We head back to Escalante, pick up a few things at the local supermarket, and arrive at tonight’s hotel (Escalante Cabins)—cabins again, but a whole different level of quality, it’s awesome!!! A little beer on the terrace and a storm rolls in 😕 We eat in the cabin, then have to go get the laundry we started before the storm—the parking lot is a real swimming pool... The night is calm and peaceful in our cozy cabin... SLEEP!

Good night and see you tomorrow!!!

Friday, August 12: the day we took the Burr Trail even though storms were lurking...

Super quick breakfast this morning with a basket left by our host: muffins from the local bakery, creamy yogurts, fruit, coffee, tea, fruit juices—total bliss!!!

We head across from the hotel to the BLM office to check if we can take the "Burr Trail" and then the Notom Road to Bullfrog Marina. The ranger pulls a face 🙁, makes a call, asks about our vehicle model, "GMC Yukon? Ok, you can go!" 😎 She tells us there are 2-3 washes that could fill with water if there are big storms... storms are forecast but later in the day, so she says we should leave before 10 AM... We’re so bummed we didn’t do Cottonwood and the HITR, so we say, "Alright, let’s go!!!" 😏 Especially since the Burr Trail is paved for quite a few miles...

It’s stunning! Long Canyon in particular...





And the "Switchbacks," which are a bit dizzying but not as bad as I’d read...😉



We continue with the Notom Road, with lots of washes that are easily passable today, but you can tell the road isn’t in great shape after all the summer storms...

The kids are wiped out, falling asleep in the car, and big clouds are forming nearby... Unfortunately, we won’t be doing the hike to Strike Valley Overlook—oh well, gotta take care of the little ones and adapt. We’re on day 38 of the trip... and the light isn’t great with the clouds... but we’ll be back!!! We enjoy the scenery from the car...







We arrive at Bullfrog Marina around 12:30 PM. First, we check out the campground—which won’t be the one for us (no restrooms). We stop by the Visitor Center to grab the Junior Ranger booklets and ask where to check in for camping. They tell us it’s at the lodge... OK, off to the lodge... We check in, and they say we’ve booked the campground with showers, which is a bit farther away... OK, fine, the campground it is—and there are *only* RVs, not a single tent, and not a shred of shade!!!! 😠... Meanwhile, the other campground without showers was nicely wooded with several tents!!! What’s the logic? Why showers in an RV campground but none for tents?????? 😕

We set up the tent quickly, but our feet get pricked by... some kind of thorns covering the ground that go right through our flip-flops!!!! 🤪 We open the tent, step inside, and can’t take a single step without getting the soles of our feet pierced 🏴‍☠️. No way this is happening!!! Our air mattresses won’t last long. We move the tent, sweep the spot, and put it back...

Break time! We go for a picnic near the station—there are tables on the grass in the shade under the trees... We see huge 4x4s towing massive boats filling up at $5 a gallon—ouch!!!

We decide to find a spot for a dip since it’s hot, and we loved our swim in Lake Powell on the other side in Page. But here, the so-called beach on the map is only accessible via a very sandy road... the GMC handles it no problem, but there’s no beach!!! 😮 The lake level is so low that the water’s edge is mud, not sand! I try a quick dip, but it’s not great—super muddy and full of algae... So we head to the Visitor Center for info, but it’s closed! We go back to the lodge to ask where to swim. The girl at the front desk points us to a spot near the boat ramp. We say it’s not great near the boats... She says no problem, boats aren’t launched there... Yeah, right 😏. When we get there, we see the ramp—100 meters long and 20 meters wide—ends in *dirt*!!!! There’s a good 20 meters missing before reaching the water!!!! The lake level is alarming! We look for a spot to take a dip, but no—just mud, unappealing shores with trash, and even an engine sitting in 30 cm of water... Despite the heat, swimming’s a no-go. 😠

We go back to the lodge to ask if we can hang out in the lobby—there are tables and AC!—to finish the Junior Ranger booklets... OK. I doze off in a chair—oops! We buy the kids an ice cream and head back to the campground... The wind picks up, and despite sweeping, we find more thorns in the tent. We wonder if we’d be better off down at the other campground... We head back to the lodge 🙁. The girl must be sick of seeing us!!!! 🤪 We ask if we can switch campgrounds with the same reservation—nope, not possible. She refunds us anyway and tells us to use the self-service kiosk to book the other campground...

We take down the tent as the wind gets stronger. We look up at the end of the day and—what do we see? A UFO? A shooting star? Nope, just the usual for the past week: massive black clouds!!!!!! 🏴‍☠️

Family meeting: We had a beautiful morning but a *terrible* afternoon at this marina, which really isn’t for us—big RVs, big boats, nothing for nature lovers or swimmers like us... (This’ll be one of the few letdowns of the trip.) What if we just moved on??? DEAL! Unanimous and super quick vote—we pack up and hit the road. It’s 6 PM, and we’re over an hour and a half from any civilization... But when we look in the rearview mirror, no regrets!



Bullfrog Marina is pretty isolated, and you have to drive nearly an hour to get signal. It starts raining, so we’re on the hunt for a hotel... We end up at the "Whispering Sands," which turns out to be a great choice!!!

We really had an afternoon where, in the end, we... did *nothing*!!!! 🤪 (Except the Junior Ranger booklets...) A nice hot shower, a quick meal in the room while watching an American football game, and bedtime!

Good night, and see you tomorrow!!!

I love this photo. Do you remember which area you took it in? Just to know if it's a long way straight from the Marina... before turning back.

Bullfrog Marina was always catching my eye, given its location so far from everything and right on Lake Powell!! Thanks to you, not anymore...🤪😏 Thanks for testing it out for us 😛!!

Hey Guillaume,

and yes, I tested it for you... No interest unless you love big motorboats, jet skis, etc. For photos, it's really closer to the Marina and after the Switchbacks...

Happy New Year everyone!

Saturday, August 13: The day of the goblins...

So, we treated ourselves to a nice, long sleep-in!!!! 😄 Well deserved!!! Though we still got up at 9 a.m. 🤪 We stopped by the local grocery store for a quick breakfast on the go and picked up some amazing takeout burgers from Stan 😛 before heading to Wild Horse Window to enjoy our meal...

We parked (38°38'51.6"N 110°39'45.9"W) and hiked following the cairns for a good half-hour.



And we reached a stunning site! An alcove with a hole in its ceiling!





We enjoyed our burgers here, alone, peaceful, and cool!





We stayed for a good hour admiring this alcove and the landscape...



We decided to head back to the car and came across a big, fresh footprint!



I don’t think it’d be wise to meet the creature that made it!!!

We took the reins of Buddy to reach our campsite for the evening in Goblin Valley. We claimed our spot and set up the tent. Not too shabby, right?



Once settled, we headed out to explore Little Wild Horse Canyon, a slot canyon about 3 km round trip.





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A great play area for the kids!





Swiss cheese-like walls...



The light is fading because clouds are blocking the sun from illuminating the walls... Clouds??? Oh right, and they’re really dark, actually... We’re in a slot canyon, by the way... Alright, kids, let’s turn back and hurry to see the goblins... I’ve got images in my head of tourists running out of this slot canyon because of a flash flood... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wj7WnkgjhM0

Back at our campsite under the clouds but no raindrops in the end. We head to the Goblin Valley amphitheater.



We take advantage of a small break in the clouds to spend a good hour there...







A few raindrops, one last shot... we won’t get to enjoy the Golden Hour...



And we head back to our tent. In the end, the rain stops—it wasn’t too bad. The storm is crackling in the distance... Showers, cooking, baked beans, pasta, fruit—perfect! The moment could’ve been magical in this majestic place and in this quiet... which doesn’t last!!! The huge RV across from our spot decided to grill their sausages and burgers on their electric barbecue 🤪—so, with a generator!!!!! 😠 Even though every spot has its own little wood or charcoal barbecue!!!! 🏴‍☠️ So much noise... but when they’re done with the barbecue, the generator keeps running. Caro runs into the guy and asks about the noise... He tells her he’s leaving the generator on for... the AC in his RV 😮. We say it’s a bit loud and disturbing for the rest of the campground, but the woman replies that the rules allow it until 10 PM 🙁

Most of the Americans we’ve met have been lovely, but this time, we ran into some real *characters*—huge pickups, quads, Trump stickers everywhere—seems like a conversation with them is impossible!!!

Anyway, the generator finally gets turned off around 9 PM after running for an hour and a half... We went for a digestive walk to escape those guys... Back to peace and quiet, and off to bed!

Good night, and see you tomorrow!!!

Sunday, August 14: The day we enjoy peaceful Capitol Reef NP....

Woke up pretty early around 8 a.m., had a quiet breakfast—people were still sleeping next to us, and I was *this close* to dropping pots and pans to wake them up, but we’re civilized, folks! 😉 Anyway, we enjoyed the morning, though the sky stayed overcast, so we decided not to go back to Goblin Valley. We packed up and headed toward Capitol Reef...

On the way, we stopped to see Factory Butte...





Then we took the trail to Moonscape Overlook... WHAT A STUNNER!!!! 😮 WE LOVE IT!!!!











It’s a magical place... and there’s no one around! We took advantage of being on a remote trail to let Tom drive for about 300 meters—he was over the moon behind the wheel of Buddy 😎





Then Oscar took the wheel 😏



Wait, is he closing his eyes?! 🤪

Alright, enough goofing around—we got back on the pavement and, before reaching the park, stopped by Mesa Farm to buy some *amazing* locally made goat cheese 😛 and fresh bread, also made on-site—yum! 😛

We arrived at the Capitol Reef Visitor Center to pick up the Junior Ranger booklets, then headed to Fruita for a picnic. We tried to get pies at Gifford’s, but they were sold out by 1:30 p.m.... oh well! 🏴‍☠️ We feasted on our fresh bread and cheese instead—so good, and it hit the spot! We picnicked surrounded by deer and turkeys... It was basically a "deer party" 🙁, there were *so* many...

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Full from our meal, we head out for today’s hike: "Hickman Bridge," a nice round trip of about an hour.













We were supposed to do the Valley Drive, but it’s closed because of yesterday’s storms and the washes are full. We tell the ranger we have a GMC Yukon, and he shows us a photo of a Jeep Wrangler completely destroyed after being swept away by a flash flood two weeks ago... Okay, fair enough, point taken...

Off to tonight’s hotel—a night in a covered wagon at the Broken Spur. The kids are thrilled!



We end the day with a swim, laundry, and the hotel restaurant... and then it’s bedtime!



Good night, and see you tomorrow!!!

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!!! 😉

........

.............................



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? 😮

Definitely, these photos speak for themselves!!!

When’s the next chapter of your adventures 😮 ?

Yeah, when is it???!!!!!! 😏

Oh wow, yeah, you're right—I totally dropped the ball on the end of our trip! But I’ll fix that! I’m in the middle of planning another 2-month trip to the Yucatan....

Saturday, August 20: The day of the Shafer Trail + Potash Road....

7:30 AM... Rise and shine, a beautiful day awaits us!!! We leave at 8 AM for Canyonlands in the Island in the Sky district—it's sunny! 😎 We arrive at the Visitor Center around 9 AM, pick up the Junior Ranger booklets, and head to the far end of the park for a hike along the left rim for 1 hour... then the right rim for another hour... 6.5 km of hiking in total with breathtaking landscapes!



Fantastic...



The dinosaur that made those tracks must've been huge!!! 😏

A little break in the shade of a mushroom...



Then it's the right bank...





We find a promontory to have a picnic with an insane view!







Alright, one last photo for the road—we absolutely fell in love with these panoramas!!!



...........

........................ Back at the visitor center to validate the booklets, we ask if we can take the Shafer Trail and then Potash Road to head straight to Moab... The verdict is yes, on the condition that we have a 4x4 with high ground clearance due to the recent storms... Deal, I’m starting to get the hang of our GMC Yukon, aka Buddy, so we go for it!!!



Okay, not too fast because the descent is dizzying—sensitive souls should abstain, it’s way scarier than the Switchbacks on the Burr Trail, especially when you cross paths with other cars coming up!

It’s stunning—we must’ve passed only 3 cars, a few tricky spots, but the landscapes are still breathtaking along the Colorado River’s meanders or the cliffs of Canyonlands...









Potash Road is demanding with lots of rocks, so we don’t go faster than 15 mph... Stop at Thelma & Louise Point...



Then we continue on Potash Road, dusty—Buddy’s still clean!



The end of the trail is pretty long, with not much to see except the potash ponds, which are a beautiful blue but fenced off, so no decent photos... We finally reach the ROAD near Moab, then head into town to fill up on gas, but the main road is... muddy!!! And there, everyone’s got shovels and brooms near the motel—piles of branches, dried mud here and there... what happened????? We remember yesterday’s storm that really echoed through Castle Valley, and it must’ve caused damage here too... When we get home, we check the news, and sure enough, there was a major flash flood last night in Moab’s streets, with people wading through knee-deep water!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbiaYy4zSVU

Well, we made the right call staying home quietly.

We end this beautiful day with a little barbecue and bedtime, because tomorrow holds another amazing hike for us...

Good night and see you tomorrow!!!

Finally 🙂! And what a beautiful suite! It would’ve been a real shame not to take advantage—Yucatán can wait a bit 😉

Sunday, August 21: The second day at Arches NP:

Last day in Moab and the best saved for last, in my opinion... Early start because we need to enter the park between 7 and 8 AM... It's gorgeous, like a dream because this morning's plan is the full Devil's Garden hike with a return via the Primitive Trail—12 km of pure bliss. Amazing!!!!



We start at 8 AM in the cool air, not many people around, and plenty of parking space... Get ready for lots of photos—this hike was a favorite for everyone! The park's name isn’t exaggerated; the number of arches along the trail is impressive...

It starts off easy with soft morning light...



and pretty quickly, we come across this stunning arch that should be called Delicate Arch instead of Landscape Arch...





A lot of people stop here and turn back🤪

We keep going, of course...



and it starts to get pretty steep on the slickrock—calves are burning...



but the view from the top is pretty nice





Then up there, it’s a succession of stunning arches and breathtaking landscapes...



..........

.............







We run into some regulars from the area...







Navajo Arch



A little exercise—they never get tired!





Then we reach Double O Arch, where we settle in for a snack, and surprisingly, there aren’t many people around!!!



....................

................ The view isn’t bad for this good half-hour break...



And we’re off again!







Not many people on the full loop, so we often run into the same folks. We hit it off with a German family we keep seeing at different arches.





The return via Primitive Trail is pretty tough, with some steep descents and a few detours around nice-sized water pools, but we’re making good progress!





After 4 hours of hiking, including breaks, we get near Delicate Arch, take a little detour to see Pine Tree Arch,



and then head back up the human tide from the start of the trail, the one leading to Landscape Arch... It’s like a highway—most people are in flip-flops with a tiny water bottle in hand, looking fresh and perky, while we’re lugging our backpacks and, after 4 hours of hiking, we’re not exactly fresh anymore!!!! 😎 But what a shame to stop at that first arch and miss EVERYTHING else!!!!

Anyway, back to the car in the shade—it’s starting to get hot. We take one last look at the wonders of this park from our Buddy and stop by the visitor center to validate the booklets... The ranger warmly congratulates the boys on today’s hike and gives them their Junior Ranger badges 😏

We leave to have a picnic by the Colorado River around 1:30 PM, stop in Moab to wash Buddy, then head home to unpack, do the laundry, and clean the house at the end of the day. We grill one last barbecue at our dream house, enjoy a cold beer on the terrace, and even witness a lizard vs. scorpion battle!!!! 😮 Didn’t have the sense to take a photo 🤪 Maybe it was the exhaustion.

Last meal and last night here!

Good night and see you tomorrow!!!

Monday, August 22: the day we discover Colorado NM in a flash...

Up early enough to finish packing and cleaning the floors of the house, and we take off around 10 a.m. to head back toward Colorado and Fruita. But first, we check the weather and—darn it...🏴‍☠️ Storms and rain forecasted with an 80% chance 🤪 We were supposed to camp in Fruita tonight 😠 and do a super nice hike on paper: Rattlesnake Canyon... Well, what do we do????? Family meeting... The decision is made: no hike and no camping. We look at motels and figure we could make some progress on the route in this weather, so Montrose it is!

We pass through Fruita in the late morning, the sky is overcast but it’s not raining yet, so we take the scenic route through Colorado NM, stopping at the different overlooks...









In the photos, the sky looks clear in that direction, but I remember those big dark clouds rolling in from the other side... Sure enough, we got hit with a huge downpour on the way until we arrived in Montrose. Too bad—when we got to the hotel, there was a little pool, but it was pouring buckets!!! We take a shower and go grab a good pizza at a brewery, complete with a nice beer to end the day. Back at the hotel, the parking lot is a total swimming pool! And off to bed.

Have a great evening, and see you tomorrow!!!