The Adventures Continue

We decided to head somewhere warm, you know, Utah is cold and Arizona is warm. Well we found more snow in Arizona than in Utah, though it wasn't terribly cold so that was something. We drove south to Orderville (by Zions National Park) and happily being in a motorhome were able to just stop there and stay in a parking lot. We'd wanted to get a few hours away and on our way down the road which led us to the very small town. It was dark and we didn't really want to look hard for a place to stay so we pulled into a parking lot behind a bank and relished the fact that we had everything we needed at our disposal. We were able to sleep well and get up early the next morning to continue the adventure!

We ended up in the Grand Canyon. Chris, Dallas and Alex had never been there and it has been decades since I've been there. It is such an amazing, beautiful place, like no other in the world! It was fabulous. Still cold and some snow on the ground but mostly muddy. We stayed in the RV park which had more people than we thought there would be. Being plugged in was very nice but the RV park was difficult with Jack. He woke me up a few times in the night to go outside and the last time while it was still dark he disappeared. Freaked me out! I walked all over the park trying to call him very quietly and couldn't find him. I was so cold and couldn't really call out for him because it was dark and I'd let my dog outside without a leash which is against the rules. I looked for him about an hour as the sun rose. That would have been beautiful I'm sure if I wasn't so worried that my dog was gone or getting attacked. At one point it sounded like I could hear a bunch of coyotes attacking something. It was very stressful!

That day we finished seeing all the viewpoints of the Grand Canyon and then headed up to Lake Powell. We found a fabulous spot at Wahweap Marina campground close to the beach. It was beautiful! I'd never stopped at Lake Powell before and have never really closely seen any of that lake so I was very happy to spend a couple hours there. It also was quite a bit warmer that evening. There was a couple from Germany camped in a spot next to us that had rented an RV for 3 weeks and were touring America. They were very interesting for the few minutes that we visited but then we separated to eat our respective dinners.
And then we drove on home the next morning after watching the sun come up over Lake Powell. What a sight. What an adventure! We had such a great time.

This is our new beauty! We had a great trip last weekend. We drove to Mesquite and I actually drove the last way into town and after getting used to driving a motorhome vs my little car, it was a piece of cake. The boys loved being able to kick back on the couches (wearing seat belts much to their chagrin) and read or play their games or whatever they wanted. They each had their own couch so we didn't have any problems with travelling for hours and trying to share a seat. Wonderful peace!

We arrived at Mesquite and had planned to just stay the night in the Casablanca parking lot so we didn't have to worry about where we were going to stay or getting the perfect camp spot. We didn't need to plug in anywhere so there was no stress. That was a completely new experience for us!

The next morning we woke up and leisurely got ready for the day, pushed the button to bring in the slide, ate breakfast and hit the road. Off to the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. This is a new place to us and came highly recommended. We stopped at the Visitors Center and learned where the campsites are located but were warned that they may be full. We checked it out and they were full but no worry. We drove down the road a ways and found a great place to hike. Alex decided that he wanted to climb the highest rock with the steepest climb. He has no fear. We all joined him and that was quite an adventure - going up was fine, coming down had its very sketchy moments! But we survived with some fast heart rates and no injuries.

After hiking for awhile and getting a little sun in the beautifully warm weather, we went back to the Visitors Center and got some information on local camping. We were off to Lake Mead! Water, my favorite. We had been told of a place - Spencers Point - where they have free dry camping. We found the most perfect spot, not far from the beach, which the kids loved. It was the perfect location. Quiet, water, mountains, and we had everything we needed. No stress travelling. We played in the water (cold) and hiked through all sorts of terrain - bushwhacked a little - found hundred of thousands of sea shells. It was so relaxing and the motorhome was perfect, no trouble on the first trip. Phew!

Wonder where we'll head next?

Motorhome Adventures

We just bought a Class C Motorhome. It is a Fleetwood Quest on a Dodge Sprinter Van Carriage. with a Mercedes Benz motor. Sweet! It is the perfect size for me to feel comfortable driving so Chris won't have to always drive. The boys are thrilled and love it! We have been attempting to figure out how things work, very different than the tent trailer we are used to, but ultimately will be better.