The Grand Canyon and the Valley of the Gods

Mar 1st

The Canadian family is headed to Flagstaff today, and we will meet them again in a few days. We drove into Williams, AZ, to do laundry and resupply. The town is really cool. It’s located on historic Route 66, and has an Old West feel to it. Williams is also the train depot for the Grand Canyon Train, and all of the old decommissioned trains and cars are on display. We found a place to camp out on USFS land about 5 miles from Grand Canyon NP. Last night we were camped in the desert, and tonight we are in tall pines and it is so quiet.

Mar 2nd

Margie, Shannon and Seqouia showed up at our campsite this morning. We packed lunches, and all drove to Grand Canyon NP together. Mia’s parks pass saved a lot of money again. The two girls had no idea what they were about to see. We blindfolded them and led them to the overlook. When they opened their eyes, they both gasped out loud. It is awe inspiring. Both girls got their junior ranger packets form the visitor’s center, and we walked the Rim trail. Around each corner, the view changes and seems to be more beautiful than the last. We walked for a couple of hours and the girls finished their packets and received their badges. There were a lot of people, but I can only imagine how crowded it is during peak season. On our drive back to camp, we came across a herd of wapiti (elk). I pulled over, and we watched them for a while. The males noticed us, and stood guard between the rest of the herd. We had a campfire this evening, and made plans for our visits to the Utah parks.

Mar 3rd

We split with the Canadians again today, and will meet up again tomorrow. The three of us drove Northeast toward Utah. The landscape changed back to desert, and most of the day was spent driving through the Navajo Nation. The Navajos were hit hard by Covid, and masks are required everywhere. Unlike the rest of the US, everyone here is complying without issue. Our route took us through the iconic Monument Valley. We have seen it hundreds of times in pictures and movies, but it doesn’t compare to seeing it in person. Tonight, we are camped in the Valley of the Gods, in Utah. It is stunning. Valley of the Gods Road, is a dirt road that stretches for 17 miles through red rock canyons and monoliths. There are spots to camp along the entire 17 miles. It is absolutely one of the coolest places we have stayed.

Mar 4th

We went for a hike on Valley of the Gods Rd., and found a better campsite. Mia and Oreo waited at the spot while Kathy and I went to get the trailer. As I was packing up our site, a fierce wind started. I looked out over the valley, and I could see a dust storm bearing down on us. Just as we finished hooking up the trailer, we were hit with the sand. Kathy and I had it in our nose, ears and mouth. We rushed back down to where we had left Mia. She was fine. She had put here hood up, and cuddled up with Oreo until the sand storm passed. The Canadians joined us again this afternoon. We had pizza in our trailer, and all watched a movie together.

Mar 5th

Kathy and I heard something walking around on our trailer in the middle of the night. It went away when we got up to check. After lunch, all of us piled into our truck, to explore more of the Valley of the Gods. It is incredibly beautiful. I cannot believe this is not a national park or state park. We pulled over to check out another camp spot, and discovered a trail that wound back into one of the canyons. We hiked back into the canyon, and saw some amazing rock formations. Later in the afternoon, Kathy and I did a second hike through the canyon next to our campsite. The wind picked up this evening, and the temperature plummeted.

Mar 6th

I woke up early this morning and looked out the window. It had snowed in the night and everything was covered by about an inch of white fluff. The two girls were ecstatic. Even Oreo loved playing in it. By the time we left at 11am, most of it had melted. We headed up to a new site near Moab, so we can visit Canyonland NP and Arches NP. We drove through Blanding and Monticello UT, and both towns had received about three inches of snow overnight. We met the Canadian family just north of Moab at another BLM site. The site is on a hill overlooking the plains, with really cool red cliffs and rock formations in the background.