Since the focus of our trip has been to visit our National Parks, by the time we got into Utah these parks had been closed due to the government shutdown. After speaking with some people at our campground, we were told to take the Alpine Scenic Loop. This particular drive is considered to be one of Utah's most scenic drives, especially during the fall. Needless to say, it was absolutely magnificent. Unfortunately, these pictures cannot capture the intensity of the colors, the smell of the trees and the gentle breezes we experienced. We'll let the pictures tell the story.
Stop # 15 (10/1- 10/5) Moab, UT - Portal RV Resort
Arches and Canyonlands National Parks are popular destinations for the folks who stay in Moab. Since they were closed, we were not able to visit them but we were able to take drives and hikes that overlooked some of the these parks. We also visited Utah State parks like Dead Horse Point. Moab was one of our favorite destinations. It was filled with outdoor activities galore! Skydiving, hot air ballooning, mountain and road biking, off road driving, river rafting, mountain climbing, repelling and hiking. We noticed that the crowds here were in their 30's and very active. Because of the emphasis on outdoor activities, there were many walking and biking paths all over the town. We took advantage of those bike paths and did a lot of bike riding. Also, the beautiful red canyon cliffs surrounded us at our campground. The downtown is filled with coffee bars, breweries and many places to eat along with shops to rent outdoor equipment and sign up for various tours.
Our campsite in Moab
Biking along the Colorado river near Moab
Due to the closures, we were not able to visit several National Parks. We didn't let that discourage us though, we found lots of other things to do.
Since Canyonlands National Park was closed, we decided to switch into four-wheel drive and follow a road for about a mile. We then followed a trail on foot for about 1 1/2 miles and found ourselves overlooking spectacular canyons. As we stood out there, it was so quiet, only the sound of the wind. It was pretty special!
Some of the locals told us about a popular hiking place called Negro Bill Canyon. Apparently "Negro" Bill was an early settler in the late 1880's. Yes, the name is controversial and there is local talk of renaming the name of the canyon. This was a great hike and many people were there just like us. The hike was five miles round-trip, primarily flat most of the way. There were several times we had to cross the creek by stepping on small and large rocks. This hike took us three hours to complete. It was beautiful and we were exhausted when we were finished!
We chose to stop in Durango because we had heard about the Durango to Silverton Narrow Gage Railroad and thought it would be a fun adventure. Once we started investigating the train ride, it became less appealing to us. The seats were narrow and the ride is several hours long in both directions. We decided to forgo the train ride and drive up to Silverton and Ouray in our truck. We also wanted to visit Mesa Verde National Park but since that park was closed, we have another reason to return to this area.
Downtown Silverton - Blair Street
This tourist destination has a very short season (June-Oct) depending on the snow. This town reminded us of small towns in Alaska that primarily survive on cruise ship passengers.
This tourist destination has a very short season (June-Oct) depending on the snow. This town reminded us of small towns in Alaska that primarily survive on cruise ship passengers.
We then drove another 25 miles up to Ouray, Colorado ( known as Little Switzerland). Again we saw beautiful fall colors, especially the Aspen trees turning to bright yellow.
Heading down into Ouray, CO
A little humor from an Ouray motel.
One of the nicer parts of RV travel is meeting nice people along the way. We made friends with fellow travelers David and Carol from Knoxville, Tennessee. What a charming couple!! Mark and David struck up a conversation having to do with different issues with RVs. They had been on the road since June and like us, were slowly making their way home. That evening they brought their chairs over to our camp and we spent time visiting with them. They share our love of travel and as long as they are able, they have many places they wish to visit, including Yosemite. We hope they will look us up if they find themselves in the Fresno area.
Next stop...Monument Valley, Utah
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