Restless : First Few Days Out

Day 1 - I headed out about 9:00 a.m. and a few hours later, was hit by a wave of HOT air when I stopped for a break in Las Vegas. The plan was to dry camp at Valley of Fire State Park but it looked like it was definitely living up to its name so I kept driving to St. George, Utah. It wasn't much cooler but I found a nice Elks Lodge overlooking the city with RV parking and, $20 later, I was enjoying air conditioning full blast. Met some other travelers and we visited in the evening and next morning over a full Elks Lodge Father's Day breakfast.

Day 2 involved a short drive from St. George up to Zion National Park where I had a spot reserved at Watchman Campground. The Scenic Drive is currently very restricted so Hannah and I enjoyed the Pa'rus Trail and, of course, swam in the Virgin River. We got up early that next morning for the Zion Mt Carmel Highway and Canyon Overlook Trail.

Bryce Canyon National Park was the next destination where I spent two days exploring the spectacular red canyons, "windows", and hoodoos of stone. The elevation is starting to increase so nights are cooler and the van is so comfortable. It's great to be able to get up to make my own coffee in the morning, read, and play the guitar in my own space. Other campers are always friendly and we compare notes about traveling. Like I sensed at Niagara Falls a few years ago, the overwhelming beauty of the outdoors is a strong common bond, plus it helps that Hannah seems to break the ice with everyone.