Like everyone, all major trips have been put on hold due to Covid. But we decided to take a car camping/road trip to explore some of the areas nearby. And we confirmed what we had heard. Campgrounds were crowded! On one hand, it was great to see so many families enjoying the parks, but it did make just showing up at a campground fairly difficult, even in the 1st week of Oct! Most everyone were wearing masks on the trails and the outhouses almost all had hand sanitizer dispensers inside. They were also incredibly clean and well stocked! I am not sure how they were able to manage this, especially in the day use and porta potties.
Our first stop was City of Rocks about 4 hours SE of Boise, known for its rock formations, rock climbing and the fact it was a stop on the California trail. We enjoyed some short hikes. The camp sites were large and we had a beautiful one that looked out into the valley. Great weather and a beautiful full moon! The next stop was Arches, about a 6 hr drive. In hindsight, it was probably not the best to be arriving
Friday afternoon. The park was crowded and would close every day by 10am and then reopen @ 3pm. They determined full by the # of parking spaces available in the Park. But once in the Park, there was plenty of room to roam and enjoy the amazing arches and rock formations. Talking to the Ranger at the visitor center, he told us in May they had predicted about 40% of the usual # of visitors. They are currently 20% over the busiest year they have ever had. Yes, everyone is visiting!
The Ranger was also very helpful to most of the rest of our Utah drive. He suggested Needles which is the Southern part of Canyonlands and a stunning vista. Then on to Natural Bridges where there are 3 stone bridges that have been sculpted out by the water. Camping outside the park with an amazing night sky, it was so peaceful! We had fun trying to get some night shots.
Then it was on to Valley of the Gods, an area similar to Monument Valley. It was aittle haze from the smoke, but still gorgeous. I thought this was even more spectacular
than Monument Valley. Although in fairness, the main area of MV is on Navajo tribal land and so was closed to the public. Just an excuse to return.
Then it was on to Mesa Verde in CO. All tours were cancelled due to Covid, but the auto tour allowed you to see the housing. Again, another reason to return. Then on to Durango. By now the aspens were in all their golden glory. We took the shortened version of the steam train ride, but as we were told, it was thru the prettiest part. We would not argue. Then a very enjoyable evening with Steve and Lynn, friends now living in Durango in their beautiful home with a great view!
We spent a quick night in black Canyon of the Gunnison with the 3000 deep canyons and another gorgeous starry night. The weather was beginning to change so it was a quick detour to Dinosaur National Monument with an impressive display of dinosaur bones in their original placement. We then headed back to Boise, where we were greeted with our first rain of the trip.
