Stunning Sensational Southern Utah

We have spent the last week visiting Zion and Bryce National Parks and what show stoppers they are. We had perfect weather and did a lot of walking and riding in both parks.  Zion NP has several different aspects to it and we started by walking up to the Narrows, the start of the famous walk up the Virgin River that flows through the canyon. You have to wade, swim and clamber for miles until the canyon is so narrow you can touch both sides with your hands. Unfortunately it is a two day hike so we just walked the mile to its start. The walls of Zion NP are reputed to be highest sandstone structures in the world.

Another part of the park is by the Eastern Entrance high up on the plateau above the canyon. The rock formations are fantastic.

Some 30 miles away by car is the Kolob Canyon area of the park with views for 100 miles in every direction. It was a lovely walk up to the lookout point where we could see the North Rim of the Grand Canyon over 100 miles away.

Then it was off to Bryce Canyon where we arrived in the middle of Memorial Weekend, the start of the school holidays and the start of summer. What a sight greeted us. The eroded rocks have been formed into columns of rock called Hoodoos. In an amphitheatre below they stood in the finery appearing as all sort of shapes.

There was a trail down into the canyon but a difficult one and not for people with dodgy knees. We had a better plan....

We saddled up Keystone and Red, two mules and let their legs take the strain  and headed down to the bottom of the canyon. On the way we heard a rattling noise and our guide shouted out 'Rattlesnake, kick your mules'. So we gunned the mules up and dashed past before the mules could spot them and get spooked with us on top. We passed Bristlecone pines as well, the oldest living things on the planet that can live for over 5000 years.

This week we are in Moab after a fantastic drive through the middle of Utah. Moab is the base to visit the Arches NP and Canyonlands NP which we will be doing this week before driving to Salt Lake City.

Blue Skies and Bright Lights

This week we started in Yosemite Valley and finished in Las Vegas. What a contrast! We enjoyed a busy day hiking in Yosemite Valley. The famous Yosemite Waterfall, the highest in North America was at its best. It falls over the top of a high mountain and through a series of cascades to the valley floor. The snow had  just disappeared except from the highest mountains  and it was warm and green.

We hiked up to Mirror Lake in the shadow of Half Dome. There were a few school parties but not many other people. They all seemed to stay around the visitor centre and the Yosemite Falls.

Then it was a long drive to Las Vegas where we are staying at Arizona Charlie's Casino and RV Park. It is reasonably quiet but still looks like a bit of parking lot. It does have a security guy on a bike that is comforting to know.  In three days we have done Las Vegas starting with the Strip. We saw the fabulous Bellagio Fountains and had lunch in St Marks Square in Venice listening to the gondoliers singing to their puntees (or is it punters?) We took in many of the free performances with opera singers, jugglers and masked jesters whilst we dined on great Italian food.

Next day we visited Hoover Dam and took the Power House tour to visit the turbine room and to find out all about its construction almost 80 years ago. All traffic used to cross the dam as the main road but recently a modern new bridge has been built linking Nevada to Arizona.

That evening we went into the strip at night and admired the lights and the heaving crowds and brilliant buffet meals before heading into a theatre for the highlight.

Tickets at the Cirque du Soleil 'Beatles Love' at the Mirage Hotel. It was a fantastic show with all the  great Beatles's music, great costumes, acrobatics and sound and light. We were going to get so called half priced tickets from a discount ticket place but I noticed on the hotel web site that they had specials and we ended up getting tickets at half the so called 'discount' prices.  Otherwise they are expensive with the best seats costing over $200 each. We paid $60. A great night out.

On the way back Wendy captured this terrible picture. Three steaks for $9.99 is terrible.

It has been fine warm weather but not too hot. Clear Blue Skies and low humidity. The forecast is for lots more of the same.

Today Wendy visited a dentist to have a chipped tooth fixed and we took the pickup in for a full service and filter changes. Then we are off to Utah to hit Canyon Country.

Here today gone to Morro

We arrived in California to a big heatwave. Too hot to go walking in the Anza Borrego Desert Park but as we had a great spot we just relaxed, swam and went for walks around the surrounding golf course in the cool of the evening. Then we headed West for Santa Barbara and stayed just across from the beach at El Capitan State Park. To see around Santa Barbara we decided to join a Segway Tour, and it was a very very enjoyable way of seeing historic Santa Barbara.

There were just the two of us (and the guide) on the tour so we zoomed around SB viewing the original El Presidio Spanish Fort, all of the mediterranean charm of Santa Barbara and the beautiful courthouse with lovely views from the bell tower.

It was easier than we thought segwaying and our guide was very good warning us of tricky situations well in  advance. We covered a lot of distance and saw SB in a way I doubt we could have done in any other way. Highly Recommended!

We continued along US 101 the main North South Freeway on the Pacific West Coast and arrived at a charming seaside port of Morro Bay. Named for the large rock at the entrance to the harbour it was a sleepy picturesque stop at the Morro Bay State Park for three days. 

We wanted to visit Hearst Castle which is an hour North of Morro Bay and this was the perfect placxe to visit it from. Hearst Castle built by the newspaper mogul William Randolf Hearst is an amazing place. Built in an Italian Castle style on the top of a high hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean and housing many of his collection of antiquities collected over the years. A stunning place and very popular so we were glad we had booked well in advance.

On the way back to Morro Bay we visited the beach near San Simeon and admired the Elephant Seals who were moulting on  the beach.

Sam was due to meet us soon so we continued up the 101 to Gilroy, Garlic capital of the US in a lovely campground there handy to many places such as San Juan Bautista, where an old Spanish Mission lies and still used as a church. It is right on the San Andreas Fault.

It was built by the Spanish 350 years or more ago and is one of the older buildings in the United States. The town is a lovely original place, with few tourists and a sense of history.

We drove in to Carmel and then drove around the famous 17 mile drive that follows the coast of the ocean around a lovely peninsular filled with gorgeous homes and lots of wildlife just over the road in the sea. There was a lot of sea fog around in big contrast to 30 miles inland where it was warm and sunny.

After Sam returned to San Francisco we headed for Yosemite National Park. We visited the Mariposa Grove of giant Sequoia trees today.  Below is the famous tunnel tree that had a tunnel hacked through it. The largest living things on Earth. The biggest one in the grove is 29ft in diameter and around 45 people standing hands outstretched would be needed to create a ring around the tree.

We are spending a few more days here before heading later in the week to the bright lights of Las Vegas.