2016 Epic Road Trip - Day 99

Day 99

August 20, 2016

Las Vegas, NV to Zion National Park (UT), Bryce Canyon National Park (UT) and Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument, UT

East of Las Vegas, a sombrero sitting out in the midst of nothingness.

 The scenery changes as I travel east from Las Vegas into Utah.  Zion (meaning the promised Land) is a mountainous area constantly changing.  The cliffs are colorful and present a glowing calm - until the lightening flashes.  Waterfalls erupt from the dry cliffs, floods flash down the usually-waterless canyons exploding log jams and hurling boulders.

Note the rock chip in the windshield - Alaska casualty

The scenery changes again as I left Zion National Park.  Bryce Canyon National Park is reknown for its "hoodoos" - bulbous columns created by erosion of the adjacent cliffs, leaving a jagged column sticking up.  The colors were more varied in Bryce Canyon - pink, grey, white, vermilion, and chocolate.

The third stop for the day was Grand Staircase (the shape of the mountains/buttes) - Escalante National Monument.  There is no actual monument - the whole area is considered to be one.  The mountains  and cliffs were much smoother than at Bryce and Zion parks.

Called it a day in Utah, and everything here will be closed tomorrow (Sunday).

2016 Epic Road Trip - Days 97 and 98

Days 97 and 98

Aug 18 and 19, 2016

Las Vegas-bound!

Left the 119 degree weather behind in the morning and drove east toward Las Vegas, NV

Just outside of Las Vegas is the Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument.  Took a picture of the signage, but there wasn't a whole lot more, although I suppose there are fossils in the rocks.

As I approached Las Vegas, I knew I was getting close!

Caught a show - the Australian Bee Gees tribute group.  Didn't remind me of the Bee Gees at all, but for an hour and a half it was nice to just listen to some good tunes.

2016 Epic Road Trip - Day 96

Day 96

 August 17, 2016

Lone Pine, CA to Death Valley, CA

As I have crossed the USA and Canada, I always wonder how the pioneers and settlers handled the area I'm seeing.  Death Valley is a many-miles-wide Valley - up to 280 feet below sea level, captured by mountains on both the east and west sides.  It is miles and miles of desolation, unbearably hot, still, and empty.  Just vast nothingness.

Camped at the RV park in Furnace Creek in 119 degree heat.  No breeze, too hot for the puppy to walk on the ground.  So glad when dawn came and I headed out of the area.  Death Valley in the middle of August is an experience to which I'll say "Been there, done that, no need to go back..."

2016 Epic Road Trip - Day 95

Day 95 

Aug 16, 2016

Yosemite, CA to middle of nowhere, CA

Began the day with a drive through Yosemite National Park where the Giant Sequoia trees grow.  I guess due to the mountainous terrain, there are very few turnouts and parking spots to view the vistas in the park.  

Funny sign again:

Once out of the park, I drove south through the Sierra Nevada valley with mountains on both sides.

Final stop of the day was at Manzanar National Monument.  This was one of ten internment camps  for Japanese citizens or residents of the US during WWII.  About 2/3 were US citizens and over 100,000 were held for the duration of the war.

Guard shack at the internment camp.

RV against the Sierra Nevada.