Zion, Bryce, Arches, Canyonlands, Grand Canyon, Sedona

Day 1, July 2

We left home early to take the 8:30 am flight from IAD to Las Vegas. The flight went smooth and the girls behaved, like most of the time. When we walked in Las Vegas airport from the luggage claim towards the taxis the girls were amazed from all the big billboards, "I can see her butt mommy!", Liron said many times. Well welcome to Las Vegas girls! We took a taxi to the RV rental. The girls were very excited finally seeing the RV in real. After we checked and made sure everything works we started unpacking. Unbelievable how much storage you have in a RV, this is a 25 footer. Our first trip was to Walmart to do groceries. After cleaning all the shelves at Walmart, it is so cheap here compared to MD, we started driving towards our first campground destination; Circus Circus on the famous Strip. It is great to finally see Las Vegas from close after all the stories we have always heard. After we checked in we put away all the groceries, Nir started cooking a yummy ratatouille pasta and I organized the beds. It was a very tiring and hot day, 112 F. The girls fell a sleep after dinner, they were finished and we are very proud how patient they both were today. Now everything is done and ready for the trip and we are ready too.

Day 2, July 3

Today we drove from Las Vegas to Zion National Park. We took highway 15 north and made a stop at Snow Canyon State Park which is located west of
St. George. This is a beautiful park and hardly known by tourists. It was again a hot day so we decided to take a small hike, it ended in the end after 2 hours walking and mainly rock climbing. The girls had the best time climbing the red sand rocks.

The park has red, white and black lava stones and mountains; it is amazing to see the mixture of colors. After visiting Snow Canyon we drove to our campground in Springdale. This is a picturesque little place just next to the south entrance of Zion National Park. Our campground is Zion Canyon Campground. It is located on the Virgin River. We arrived late afternoon and decided instead of taking the shuttle bus in to Zion to cool down in the river with a nice beer and a snack.

For dinner we had chicken breast on the grill a good glass white wine and the most amazing view you can ever imagine.

Day 3, July 4

This morning we woke up, had a nice breakfast and took the Springdale free shuttle bus to Zion National Park. In side the park we took the shuttle bus all the way till the end station where we started our first hike. We did the Riverside walk mainly over the path and sometimes we stopped for a dip in the cold water of the Virgin River. At the end of the path we continued doing the Narrows which is a hike through the water. It is breathtaking and we had a great time walking and wadding in the River.

Than we took the shuttle bus again and stopped at Weeping Rock which is a short but steep hike that will take you to a mountain that constantly drips water. It is like taking a shower.

After those hikes we went to the Lodge where we had ice cream. It was already 6 pm when we decided to do the lower Emerald Pools. It is another short hike. The beauty of the park is overwhelming and hard to describe in words. After this long and fulfilling day we went back to our RV where we took a shower had quick dinner and went of to see the 4th of July fireworks at 10 pm. After 5 min. of beautiful fireworks a fire broke out in the mountains. The flames of the fireworks hit a bush and in a short time there was this enormous mountain fire. Some panic around the people made them pack up and leave the campground, we decided to wait and see what will happen. Shortly after they had the fire under control and we went to sleep.

Day 4, July 5

Today we woke up pretty late, 9:30 am. We left Zion Canyon Campground in Springdale around 11:00am and took the RV into Zion Canyon on our way to Bryce Canyon and had to go through Zion tunnel. We had to get an escort to drive through the tunnel since the RV was too wide by 2 inches.

Straight after we passed the tunnel we took the Zion Overlook trail. It is a beautiful one-hour hike with a great view over the Canyon. Along scenic route 89 we passed some Buffalo's and decided to take a break at the Buffalo grill to eat lunch. We arrived at Ruby’s Inn Campground located near the entrance of Bryce at 5:00 pm. It is a very nice campground and the temperature outside is wonderful so that is a nice change after spending the first days in 115 F. It is the first night that we are not using the AC. It was a relaxed day with just one short hike and the rest a beautiful drive on a scenic route. 

Day 5, July 6

Last night was a very cold night. The girls woke us up because they were freezing. During the day it can get 90 F. and than at night it drops to around 40 F. here in Bryce.

It was refreshing to wake up and we had a nice breakfast outside. I made croissants, one of the girls’ favorites. Around 10 am we drove in to Bryce Canyon national park, Ruby’s Inn campground is just outside the entrance of the park. We walked a beautiful and not easy hike. We did the Navajo and Queens Garden trails, it is a 3 mile loop hike (4.8 km.) and climbs 521 feet (160 m.). This has been the most beautiful and breathtaking hike that we have done till today.We are very proud of the girls that they walked this all by their selves. Bryce is unbelievably stunning and a place that everybody should see once in their life, if you get the chance. We started the hike at Sunrise Point where we parked our RV and we ended the trail at Sunset Point. Just when we reached the rim big dark clouds covered the sky, it started to thunder and after 5 min. rain started coming down hard on us. It is well known that the weather can change very rapidly here in Bryce. We were lucky that we had nice weather during the hike. It was nice to cool down in the rain when we had to walk back to our RV. When we got to the RV the girls took a quick shower, changed their cloth and we had lunch, that is one of the big advantages to travel with a RV. When the rain stopped we started the scenic 14 point Tour.We didn’t do all of them but we did 11 points. We drove all the way till the end of the park to Rainbow Point. This part of the park is less visited by tourists and closed in the winter. It was another successful and tiring day but well worth it. 

Day 6, July 7

Today we left Ruby's Inn campground and went to Bryce visitors center to watch the award winning movie about Bryce Canyon. It was indeed a beautiful movie. Before leaving Bryce towards Arches we stopped one more time at Fairyland view point because we just couldn't get enough off the beauty of this park. One day we will come back in winter to see it covered in snow. We drove from Bryce towards Arches NP via route 12 that takes you through the Grand Staircase along the Escalanta river and into Dixie National Forest. From there the 24 East that takes you through Capitol Reef NP. Almost no one knows this NP and hardly anyway stops there but if you are ever in the area take the time to stop there, it's gorgeous. After the little town Hanksville route 24 changes into a straight road into what looks like "no man's land." When you drive here you think you are the only one on this planet, and make sure you have enough gas ;-) From Bryce to Arches is a 270 mile long drive. After a long day of driving and sightseeing we arrived at Moab Valley RV Resort.

Day 7, July 8

Today I woke up a little bit earlier than the rest of the gang because mom had some laundry to do. The rest started waking up shortly after. While waiting for the laundry we had breakfast outside. After I finished folding the laundry we could finally head out to Arches national Park.

We drove all the way till the end of the park road which is 20 miles long, and started our first hike of the day at Devil’s Garden trail head point. We did the Landscape Arch hike which is 1.6 mile long. After that we did the Skyline Arch which is 0.4 mile long. It is a moderate walk over rocks to closer view of arch. We drove then to the parking of Sand Dune Arch where we had lunch in the RV. That trail is 0.3 mile long and great for kids because they walk in sand and a narrow passage in the rocks, then we drove to the Lower Delicate Arch viewpoint. The Delicate Arch is the famous Arch that you can see on Utah’s license plate. We didn’t do the hike all the way up to the arch because that is a 3 mile walk and that would be too hard for the girls, especially since it is very hot here as well. After we saw the famous Delicate Arch we drove to the Windows section. The windows is a 1 mile loop walk. You can see the North, South and Turret Arch. This is a fun hike it has a beautiful view over a big part of the park. We had a great time at Arches, besides the fact that this is an amazing park it is a great family park with foot trails to many features. We left the park around 7 pm and drove to Moab to eat at a restaurant. We asked the locals and they recommended La Hacienda a Mexican/American restaurant. It’s a nice place to sit and good food. After dinner we drove a little bit further into Moab and went to the Citymarket for groceries.  When we came back to Moab Valley RV resort we took a quick shower and the girls watched a movie on the laptop. It is unbelievable how much energy they have but we all know who their daddy isJ. 

Day 8, July 9

This morning we left Moab Valley RV resort and drove to Dead Horse Point State Park which is 6 miles north of Moab plus 22 miles on Route 313. After visiting the Visitor Center we drove to Dead horse point overlook. It has a nice view over the Colorado River but it is not worth the long trip. We wouldn’t recommend going here. Leaving this park we drove south on route 191 and took route 211 to Canyonlands National Park to the Needles section which is on the south side of the park. Canyonlands is the biggest national park in the State of Utah but less visited. We would definitely recommend this place. The drive on route 211 is very scenic and 35 miles long from the 191. We had lunch at a picnic area and than drove to Cave Spring. This is a fun 0.6 mile loop hike. This hike leads you to a historic cowboy camp and prehistoric pictographs.  The cowboys lived in outdoor camps such as this one near Cave Spring, which was used from the late 1800’s through 1975. Numerous original items left by the cowboys remain. The camp was established at Cave Spring because of the reliable water source. Hand prints and painted figures on boulders indicate that earlier people were also attracted to this precious resource. Ancestral Puebloan Indians occupied these canyons six centuries before the cattlemen arrived. This is a great and interesting hike for the kids. They get to see the cowboy camp, the pictographs on the walls, climb on two ladders to continue the hike, and they can play endlessly on the rocks. We didn’t have time to stay longer in this beautiful park but one day hope to go back. We are on the way to Wahweap campground at Lake Powell which is a 300 mile drive from Moab. After we left Canyonlands we continued driving south on the 191 and decided to sleep in Monticello for the night because it is getting late. We are now at Mountain View RV Park. It is very nice here with very friendly owners. They have horses and dogs here. If you are ever on this road and you need a place to stay this is a good site.  

Day 9, July 10

This morning we changed our habit from the last 9 days and we woke up early (at 7:30) the plan was to hit the road as early as possible. The girls found out that the RV campground owners (Casey and Jo Harris) are even friendlier than expected, they took the girls to pet and feed the pony and the girls had lots of fun…

We finally left the campground in Monticello at 10 am on our way to Page which is a very small town on Lake Powell, as one Indian told me, “it is so small that you sneeze and it’s over…”

We took the 191 South, at Bluff we took the 163 S., after Kayenta we took the 160 S and than route 98 west to Page. 22 miles north of Kayenta which is a big Indian village, is Monument Valley where many Hollywood movies and commercials are made.

We arrived at Page around 1.30 pm and we headed straight to our campground, Wahweap Campground and Marina. This campground is insight Glen Canyon. To get from Page to Wahweap you have to go over the Glen Canyon Dam Bridge. This is an unbelievable impressive peace of work that we will visit tomorrow. After checking in to our campground we had some lunch and went for a swim at one of the beaches at Lake Powell. Our side is beautiful with a great view over the lake.  

Day 10, July 11

Today we had a great and relaxing day. We went to some interesting places but didn’t do any hiking today. We started with a jeep tour into the upper Antelope Slot Canyon. This peace of land is owned buy the Navajo Indians. Chief Tsosie was our guide. He drove us to the Canyon and we walked through it. This is just an awesome place to be. Exceptional beautiful place, especially when you go at the right time of the day when the sunlight shines into the Slot Canyon. There are not enough words to describe about this Slot Canyon, you can try to get an idea from the pictures but if you get the change to travel to this area it is a must to go there. After the jeep tour we went to take a tour at Glen Canyon Dam.

Because of this Dam today Lake Powell exists, it is a man made lake. It took 17 years to fill up Lake Powell after they finished building the dam. Today this big reservoir is mainly used for irrigation water for many states. We went all the way down in the dam to the energy power plant. It is unbelievable how they build this dam; the movie is very interesting to see as well. After the dam tour we went back to Wahweap marina and campground. At the resort we went for a dip in the pool to cool down. Nir put some yummy chicken on the grill for dinner and after that the girls and Nir went for a Junior Ranger night sky program. It was a real fun day and the girls were especially happy that they didn’t have to hike for one day. 

Day 11, July 12

Today we left early in the morning Wahweap campground near Page on Lake Powell. We drove to Grand Canyon South rim. The plan was to go to the North rim since that is less crowded than the South rim but we are continuing tomorrow to Sedona so it makes more sense to go to the South rim. We first had to find a RV campground since the one in the park was already fully booked. We found a place 3 miles from the south entrance, Camper Village in Tusayan. We had some lunch at the campground and than drove the RV into Grand Canyon Park. We parked at Grand Canyon Village and took the red shuttle bus. There are 3 different colored shuttle buses in the park. We got out at different overlooks and walked half a mile on the Rim Trail. After that we went to Kolb studio. This was once the home and business of the Kolb brothers; pioneering photographers at Grand Canyon. Kolb studio is located in the Village Historic District, at the Bright Angel trail head. We ate ice-cream and watch California Condors; one of the largest and rarest birds in North America. At 7.15 pm we took again the red shuttle bus to Hopi Point. This is the point that they recommend to watch the sunset from. It was beautiful! Like the sky was on fire so orange and bright. After we watched the sunset we went fast back to our RV, drove to the campground, had dinner, took a shower and the girls fell immediately asleep. The Grand Canyon is a place that you need to see once in your life but it is definitely not our favorite National Park. One day we might come back to do a rafting/camping trip on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon.

Day 12, July 13

Today we left the Grand Canyon. We drove to Sedona. It took us about two and a half hour to get there. We drove through the “city” Flagstaff and it was nice to see some civilization after driving for days in the dry dessert. It was the first time since we left home that I saw a TargetJ . Anyway, the drive down here was spectacular. We took from Tusayan route 180 to Flagstaff and then we took the scenic road 89A. You start on 7000 ft elevation, you drive into Oak Creek Canyon and by the time you are in Sedona you are on 4000 ft. When we got to Sedona we first started to look for a RV side to stay the night. It wasn’t easy to find one, there is only one here in town but it is the most beautiful campground we have been till now; Rancho Sedona RV Park. It is located next to a creek, Oak Creek and the girls love to play in the water. After we registered we had lunch and since there is a great wireless connection here the girls started to play on the computer, Webkinz of course. After lunch the girls went off to explore the campground. Around 3pm we drove to Slide Rock State Park. This park is well known for the natural slides that are made from slippery rocks. You just slide on the rocks in the river and the stream will take you for a few feet. It was awesome! For dinner we ate in town and the girls at the RV Park recommended the Cowboy Club for a good steak. It was indeed very very yummy for the tummy and good and friendly service. It was another fun day and since we love it here in Sedona we decided to stay here for 2 nights so we will skip Lake Mead and Hoover Dam. I decided to move here, for any of you who know the place Rosh Pina in Israel; it has the same kind of feeling to it. There are many artists, galleries, nice shops and a relaxed atmosphere. Loving it!!!

Day 13, July 14

We woke up, had breakfast outside, and booked a jeep tour for later in the day. Around 10:30 am we arrived at Red Rock State Park, Cresent Moon recreation area. This part of the park was discovered by Hollywood in the 1940's and many John Wane movies were made here. Oak Creek is going through the park and that was for us the main reason to go there this morning so that we could swim in the creek. It's a beautiful park with a view on Cathedral Rock, one of the most well known scenery's here in Sedona. The water was wonderful; there are many little pools inside the creek. At 1:30pm we drove back to our RV campground where we had lunch. At 3 pm Cowboy Jimbo from the Red Rock Western Jeep tours came to pick us up. We drove up in the mountain and saw some amazing views from up there and many other famous Hollywood sites. Cowboy Jimbo had a lot of knowledge about plants, trees and the Indian culture. It was an interesting jeep tour. We came back around 4:30pm and drove into Sedona to go do some shopping. Back at the RV park the girls started playing with the kids from the neighbors while we made dinner.

Day 14, July 15

Today we started driving back towards Las Vegas. We left Sedona around 9:20am. Rancho Sedona RV Park in Sedona was definitely the best campground that we have seen so far. We didn’t really want to leave but unfortunately we have a plane to catch on Monday and it is still a long drive from Sedona to Las Vegas. We took again the scenic route 89A to Flagstaff. At Flagstaff we had a great moment because we had to stop at Target, how pathetic! We bought some stuff at the beginning of the trip, like new pillows and cooking stuff, we do not want to leave them behind so we decided we need to buy a bag, and that is the reason why we had to go to Target. Of course we had to treat ourselves with Starbucks as well. We took the I-40 and than we changed to the famous route 66. This road was the first road built in the time of depression from Chicago to LA in 1928 allowing the people to travel to the west to look for gold. Before route 66 there was only a dirt path to travel to the west. Later in the 50’s it became popular with famous people like Elvis Presley and Marlin Monroe. After route 66 we took route 93 towards Las Vegas. We had to go over Hoover Dam which created Lake Mead; the biggest water reservoir in the west. The dam was made in the Colorado River in 1931. We stopped at a RV Park on Lake Mead. It was a long and tiring drive. We arrived at Lake Mead in the afternoon when it was about 115F so we couldn’t do anything but stay in the RV with the AC full on. Nir took a short nap; the girls and I did some arts and crafts and games. It was actually really fun to stay in the RV. Later Nir dared him self to go outside and put some hot dogs on the grill. After dinner the girls went to sleep and we started packing since we have to bring the RV back to Las Vegas before 11:00am tomorrow.