Utah, Colorado 2014 Summary

In the spring of 2014 we explored all the national parks of southern Utah and then in early summer when it got too hot we moved on to exploring some of the cooler mountain regions of Colorado.

I think this was our best trip so far.

Click here for the first post of the trip

The map below marks the major places we visited. If you click on a red marker you will get a link to the first post for that area. If you zoom out you can see our other trips as well.

View Our Travel Map in a larger map

Or you can click on a link below to be taken to the first post for each destination

1. Albuquerque
2. Zion National Park
3. Arches and Canyonlands National Parks
4. Capital Reef National Park
5. Bryce Canyon National Park
6. The Wave and Grand Canyon
7. Page Arizona
8. Bluff Utah
9. Mesa Verde National Park
10. Ouray, Colorado
11. Colorado National Monument
12. Gunnison, Colorado
13. Buena Vista, Colorado
14. Colorado Springs, Colorado
15. Rocky Mountain National Park

Favourite Days

While almost everyday of the trip was great and I encourage you to look at them all, these are the ones I consider the most memorable.

If you click on the picture you will be taken the post for the day

The Wave	Antelope Canyon	The Zion Narrows
Peekaboo Trail at Bryce Canyon NP	Chimney Canyon at Capital Reef NP	Hot Air Balloons in Gunnison
Mesa Verde NP	Devil's Garden in Arches NP	Monument Valley
Jeeping near Ouray	Lost Canyon Road	Maroon Bells
Gem lake in RMNP	Pikes Peak	Emerald Lake in RMNP

Statistics

5 months or 151 days since we left home (Mar 21 – Aug 18).

Together with other years that makes 691 days we have stayed in the RV.

27000 pictures saved (who know how many taken, at least double). It seems I posted over 6000 to the blog.

My DSLR camera is actually worn out. The shutter release button no longer works reliably. I figure it has taken somewhere in the neighbourhood of 300,000 pictures.

Distances

1. 360 km hiking
2. 9000 km on the RV
3. 14000 km on the CRV just in day trips.

Money

I didn’t keep track of the money. We stayed in full hookup campgrounds the entire time which are more expensive. I always wanted to be able to run the air conditioners. We usually paid in the range of $30-$40 a night. The only expensive extras we paid for were the Jeep rental, the Antelope Canyon tour and the Lake Powell Boat cruise.

Aug 9-10 - At the Cottage

On Saturday we decided to take about trip across to the village of Meldrum Bay on the western end of Manitoulin Island. Almost everyone here at our families cottages decided to go. There were 11 of us. Our boat has a capacity of 12 people but it would be tight so we took two boats. My uncle just bought this years model of our boat so we are almost twins.

The lake was calm in the morning but has a tendency to get rough in the afternoon so we left at about 9:30 am. It is about 37 km to go from our cottage across the North Channel of Lake Huron to Meldrum Bay. We cruise at about 50 kph so it took less than an hour.

We both took the opportunity to fill up with gas at $1.50 something a litre. Then we parked our boats and headed up into the village.

First posing for a group shot in front of the marina office.

When we landed the border patrol came down to check us out as they get a lot of boaters from the States here.

The main reason we came here, aside from just getting out in the boats, was to have lunch at the Inn.

We knew we would get there too soon but we thought we might just have an early lunch. Then we discovered that the restaurant doesn't open until noon.

There not being much else to do, we wandered next door to the store.

The upstairs was filled with crafts.

More waiting.

Some of us checked out the garden at the Inn.

Others wandered out onto the new breakwater.

When noon finally arrived we sat down for lunch. We took up three tables and there was another couple and a family of 4.

I guess the cook had trouble with large orders. Even though it was a very small menu he/she would only cook for one table at a time. The couple and the family got theirs first and then over the course of about 1/2 hour each of our tables got their meal. The first table was just about finished when the last got theirs.

The only pictures I took were not very flattering as people always seemed to have food in their mouths so I won't post them.

Most of of us had the fish and chips. Everything was very good. Even though they had some great sounding deserts everyone was too full.

The local fishing boat had come in with its retinue of seagulls and unloaded while we had lunch.

We wandered back to the boats and headed home. 

Sunday was a mostly lazy day doing a few chores. Then about 4 o'clock we decided it was just too calm on the lake to pass up so we headed out for some blueberry picking across the bay.

The North Channel is a world famous boating and sailing destination.

We anchored the boat and headed up in the rocks.

The picking was not that great and after around an hour I had about a cup and a half. Again the picking was just an excuse to get out in the boat so we didn't mind.

On the way in we had seen a bunch of boats in a sheltered bay so we went in to explore on the way home.

Just a few bucks in that convoy.

Another sailboat was working its way in.

There is a narrow split in the rocks that in previous years has been too shallow to go through but with the high water this year we could slowly exit the bay by the back way.

And home we go.

The forecast for the next few days gets progressively worse. I hope we can still get out on the lake.

Aug 7 – To Cottage

Four days, 2300 km, 3 Walmart nights and we are at the cottage.

The only interesting part of the trip was the first 20 miles after we left Estes Park. We drove up a very twisty road through the Big Thompson River Canyon.

It looked like this road had been recently washed out as well.

Then the scenery opened up.

Once we were on Interstate 76 and then 80 the interesting sights were over. Endless miles of cattle range or corn. So much corn.

The night we stayed at the noisiest Walmart yet. It was right next to the highway and a very busy interchange. There was also something about the pavement that made each car's and truck's tires whine as they went by.

We had lots of company though.

The next day there was really nothing to take a picture of except the Great Platte River Road Archway in Kearney, Nebraska.

I guess it is an attempt to get people to stop in town. From its website, It just has a bunch of historical dioramas inside the arch.

The only time we saw any kind of traffic was going through Omaha and Des Moines. The rest of the time it was a boring but easy drive.

Our next night was at a Walmart near Grinnell Iowa. It was about a mile from the highway and much quieter. We were parked right next to a corn field. I forgot to get a picture.

Unfortunately for Jennie sometime during the night it started to rain. The noise on the fibreglass roof  keeps her awake but it doesn't bother me that much. The rain didn't let up until about noon the next day.

So much traffic.

Someone had had a bad day.

Crossing the Mississippi River at Dubuque into Wisconsin.

More sun in the afternoon.

We actually stopped at a Walmart just south of Green Bay. We had dinner and then decided to move on a bit farther, first to not have to drive through Green Bay in morning traffic and second to find a quieter location.

The lot in Marinette Wisconsin fit the bill. No other RVs and there was not sound all night.

From the map it looked like the road in the morning went right along the edge of Lake Michigan however we only got to see it a few times.

Most of the time we were separated from the lake by rows of homes and cottages on heavily treed lots.

We stopped in Sault Ste Marie Michigan for our last fill up of cheaper than Canadian gas.

We had another very easy border crossing.

Where are you from? Toronto

How long have you been away? 4 1/2 months

Did you buy or receive anything? We spent about 1800 dollars, mostly on repairs.

Have a nice day. Thank you.

After another 2 hours we were at the cottage ready to relax.

We did this long drive much faster time wise than we normally would have and drove between 300 and 450 miles each day. We figured that rather than having shorter driving days and sitting in a parking lot we would rather spend the extra time at the cottage.

And we are done!