Traveling towards Daughter Cindy's in California

April 27, 28, & 29, 2011

                              

Leaving Page, AZ  we headed for our daughter's in Vacaville, CA.   We stopped by the roadside where a dirt road wound out into the desert in a Critical Environment area.   I was hoping  to spot a tortoise but saw only lizards and grasshoppers.  The blooms were nice though.  I spent a half hour walking on the road.

                                

              It was rough walking but a lovely day.                   There were many thumb size grasshoppers.

                              

                               There were many colors of flowers and they came in  many sizes.

                               

                              

                              

                                                 There were several kinds of cactus.

                              

                                                                And some delicate flowers.

                                        

                                                                           Joshua Trees

                                         It was a nice place for a walk.  We continued on into Utah.

                                   

                                     

                                          We walked through the Fashion Outlet  Mall and got something to eat.

                                    

 

                                 

                                     

                                 

            The parking lot had cute ways to find your vehicle.  Did you park by the heels or the men's shirts or ???

We moved over to spend the night in a parking lot where other RV's and trucks were parked near  Buffalo Bill's Casino which had a Roller Coaster that went completely around the Casino and Hotel.

                                  

In the morning I walked around the Casino and Hotel which took close to 30 minutes.  It looked like a fun ride.

                                  

                                 

                                 

                                   There were numerous train tunnels through the mountains.

                                 

                               O course we had to make fuel stops and Flying J and Pilot are are usual ones.

                                  

                                  

                             Turn off to Cindy's.                                                       Ranch driveway.

                                   

                                                                        We have arrived!

RAINBOW BRIDGE NATIONAL MONUMENT - LAKE POWELL

April 25, 2011

The information in the Glen Canyon Guide said....Take a 5 1/2 hour boat ride up to Rainbow Bridge national Monument.  Travel through superb views of Lake Powell to Bridge Canyon where you will disembark and walk approximately 1 1/4 mile on a maintained, dirt trail up to this magnificent natural bridge. 

We had to be at the lobby of the Lake Powell Resort at 7am in the morning.  At 7:30 we headed down hill to  the boat dock.

                          

                                              It was a long steep walk down to the dock.

                           

                          

          After everyone was aboard the boat headed down river towards Glen Canyon Dam before heading

          up river towards Rainbow Bridge.

                         

                                         We passed Wahweap Marina  as we left the Resort Dock.

                         

                        

We sat on the top deck.  It got chilly when the boat speeded up but we stayed up top more than half the way to the  Bridge.  After we went down to sit inside, I would go out again when I wanted to take pictures.

The color change marks the high water line.  It is called the bathtub ring.  The Lake was 90 ft low when we were there.   Besides water coming into the Lake the water level depends on how much is backed up or allowed through so the level varies.

                         

                          

                           

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                                                     As stated the views were SUPERB!

                 Although Glen Canyon Dam is in Arizona, the largest portion of Lake Powell is in Utah.

                                     

                The boat wound through Bridge Canyon to reach the dock and trail to Rainbow Bridge.

                            

                            

                                                      The trail was in both shade and sun.

                             

                                                              It was a very pleasant walk.

                                

                                                                         Rainbow Bridge

                                               

                                

                                

                                                                         Along the trail.

                                

              There was a creek running down the canyon.                There were small clam shells on the trail.

                                 

                                            Back at the dock....a houseboat had joined our boat.

                                

                                                  We wound our way back out of Bridge Canyon.

                                

On the way up lake we passed a heart shaped cave  with instructions to hug... and on the way down lake we passed the heart on the right....Our second chance the Captain  told us.

                                 

                                                    We rode inside most of the way back to the dock,

           

                                 

                     As we passed one of the canyon with a dock, a boat came to exchange mail bags with us.

                                                           

                             Our pilot and tour guide......                                  A  new crew member.

                                   

                            A 12 year crew member.                                         The  Captain stayed close.

                                          

                    We saw many houseboats...some private like the one with slides on 2 decks....others rentals.

                                    

                                           We went up top  to watch the boat return to the dock.                               

                                   

                               We walked back up the steep trail to get back to the car.   It was a great day !