Moab
We crossed the Utah State Line again and travelled to Moab.
Moab is an ideally situated town to visit Canyonlands and Arches NP's.
This was our overnight stop. Unfortunately the truckers also used it.
An overnight stop at Hole in the Rock
As we drove toward Moab we were confronted with this huge painted sign. The other side of the rock was our overnight stop.
Just like Coober Pedy the early pioneers chiseled a house into the rock. Originally it was a stop for overland wagons now it is a quirky roadside stop.
A cool jeep.
A golfer made of iron clubs.
Artistic long horn bull created from spanners and old bits of machinery. The scrotum is made of welded nuts.
A giant lizard wall hanging.
The day arrived when I got to tick one more off my "Bucket List". The surreal vistas of Arches National Park
The Three Gossips.
Park Avenue
The windy gap in the rocks which leads to Landscape Arch.
Landscape Arch.
Salt Lake City
There's plenty of fascinating drives around Moab. This one follows the Colorado River.
Along the river are many interesting camping sites.
The road forked off into the hills and we ended up driving through the Manti-La Sal Forest
The Moab Rodeo. This little cowboy caught Chris's eye.
There is a popular pastime in the USA of four wheel driving through the NP's and forests. The participants use "Toy Haulers" trailers and RV's to tow a huge variety of Off-Road vehicles. Liam was camping near us in his motorhome. He towed behind his beloved Jeep and he invited us on a drive through the Sand Flats Recreation Area. A couple of deers crossed the road as we drove out of town.
You can see the well worn track across the seemingly impassible rocks. Although it is named Sand Flats it is mainly rocky hills and not flat.
Liam and Chris.
Negotiating a steep crevasse. (Steeper than it looks)
These Jeeps are at home in this terrain.
Liam at the wheel.
All kinds of interesting vehicles negotiate the track.
The local Jeep club marks and grades the tracks. They paint arrows on the ground which direct the drivers out on a large loop.
The curse of the Jeep driver - a bunch of four wheelers.
Canyonlands NP
This is the road into Canyonlands NP.
Another tick on my Bucket List.
A viewing point near the Visitors Centre.
Mesa Arch
Chris defying gravity to peak over the edge.
A colourful lizard.
The canyons are two, three and four levels deep.
Panorama of one of the many vistas.
We thought it was about time we put the Chevy into 4WD. We took what we thought was the shortest route back down to Moab. The Shafer Trail.
Basically it was a track used in the past to take cattle down to the valleys below. Now it is a very steep, narrow and rough 4WD track with a frightening drop on one side.
We did the "white knuckle drive" and it took us several hours inching over rocks and dry creek beds.
This is the steep track down. The road deteriorated after this.
Well what can I say. The drive was well worth it. We went through stunning valleys and rock formations that the normal tourist just wouldnt see. We only saw one other vehicle on the drive.
Shafer Canyon
The prize was Goose Neck overlook, a point on the Colorado River that doubles back.
The track finally came down to the river then back into Moab just as the sun was going down.
Arches NP
Chris taking in the massive wall of Park Avenue.
As the sun lowers on the horizon the rock starts to glow a fiery red.
Delicate Arch
This arch has been adopted as a Utah landmark and is used on licence plates and other items which promote Utah.
A panorama from the road.
Courthouse Towers
Salt Lake City
Not much to say about Salt Lake City. It is clean and spacious with a new vibrancy about it. We ended up staying for quite a while. Visited the nearby ski town Park City where the 2002 Winter Olympics were held.
This colourful amusement park was up the road from us.
Chris snapped me drooling over this outstanding hot rod.
We stayed in an RV park next to a RV dealership. As you do, we went for a look to see what was on offer. We had some issues with the Coachman caravan and to cut a long story short they made us an offer we couldn't refuse. We ended up driving away with a 35' Montana fifth wheel. This is like an apartment on wheels. It has 3 slides, king bed, dining area, auto levelling, 2 TVs (one is a big screen), leather lounge, 4 door fridge and much more. Even though this weighs 5130 Kg it is better to tow and I am getting 19.4 L/100Kms.
We had to put the canopy on to the roof. This is a constant source of amusement to the locals. Comments like "Sir,they fitted your truck top in the wrong place!" are frequent.
A big rear picture window. Perfect when we back up against a river.
Chris enjoying her new and spacious abode.
