Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands

We have completed our tour of the 5 Utah National parks. How amazing they are, and all different. I highly recommend a trip to Utah Parks to anyone. Even if you are not a hiker, the scenery is beautiful and each park is different in scenery, and general atmosphere. Some parks are very crowded, some are very sparsely visited. But all are truly worshipful experiences seeing all that our Mighty God has created.  One of the highlights for me was a Canyonland cruise by night. A simple light show, no fancy laser  or colors, but just a light reflecting off the canyon walls, while the telling of the amazing story of creation, and telling of the area history and beauty, the stars shining, a beautiful moon. A truly remarkable evening.  Pictures can not begin to show the beauty, but a few to give you and idea.

Capitol Reef hiking

We made it to the top!

Canyonland National Park

MA and Terri at Arches National Park

Sometimes it is just cold!

When we drive with Terri, her dogs think it is awesome to sit on my lap. There are two of them even though this picture just shows one.

Sondra picking apples at Capitol Reef with the deer.

Snow on the mountains, time to head south!

Still having cows cross is front of us. Thank God we have not hit one.

Almost see us at a beautiful arch we hiked to.

Bryce Canyon National Park

On the drive to Capitol Reef, we were herding cows.

At Queens Garden in Bryce Canyon

Freezing on hike to Mossy Cave, Bryce Canyon

Beautiful Bryce Canyon

We made it!

The fall colors are amazing. Don't see this in Florida

We have been to Beautiful Bryce Canyon. As you can see our friend, Terri, is with us.  We also drove the scenic Highway 12, which Fox said was the second most beautiful highway in the world. It is gorgeous.  We have done a lot of hiking, and a lot of eating!  It has been very rainy, and quite cool. Sondra and I are getting tired of being cold and will head south after we have seen the last two Utah National Parks, Arches and Canyonland.  We are now at Capitol Reef National Park which most of you probably have not heard of.  It is beautiful as well. We are feeling very blessed to be able to see such beautiful country that we have only been able to see in pictures before. Pictures can not do the countryside justice. We definitely see God's creative hand in all that we are seeing.

Great Basin National Park and Zion National Park

Lehman Cave at Great Basin

Lehman Cave at Great Basin

Lehman Cave at Great Basin

Big Horn Sheep Zion

Zion

Sondra enjoying Zion

Sondra at Weeping Rock in Zion

MA hiking "The Narrows" at Zion

Zion
Well, we certainly have been able to see two very different National Parks in the last few days. First we were at Great Basin, camping at a little town "Baker", maybe 50 people. No grocery store, no restaurants open, but a nice campground. A remarkable cave there, and some nice hiking at 10,000 feet. Poor Sondra could hardly breathe, but she didn't let that stop her, she kept at it and made it all the way on the three mile hike.
Then to Zion, a little different story. A resort type town, Springdale. Lots of people. lots of restaurants. Personally, I enjoy the less resort-like places, although Zion is unbelievably gorgeous. Somewhere everyone ought to see. We just happened to get here when the Utah schools were on fall break so there are people everywhere.  Terri, our friend from the Alaska caravan, met us here and MA and Terri were able to hike the Narrows. In case you have not heard about it, it is a hike through a stream between a more narrow part of the canyon, although, you can see from the picture it wasn't terribly narrow where we were.  Yes, my two sons, this is where the people were killed several weeks ago. However, there has not been any rain, and the water did not get higher than knee high.  Today and tomorrow, the area is having flash flood warnings, but not yesterday when we went. I never felt unsafe.  I am so glad that we were able to take the hike.  Today we hiked as well, but on dry ground, and I believe both Sondra and Terri are thrilled to have a day or two off from hiking, although there is a pretty good chance of rain the next few days.
Our goal is to see all five parks in Utah, and then Mesa Verde in Colorado. What we are finding, is that the cold weather is going to be very quickly upon us, and places are starting to close. We are not used to that being from Florida.  So after Mesa Verde, we will begin to head south to try to stay in warmer weather, We both think it would be disastrous to end up in snow and have to try to drive the motorhome in that.  

Lake Tahoe

Hike at Lake Tahoe

Too beautiful

Cave Rock 

We have seen many beautiful places, but you would be hard pressed to find somewhere more amazing than Lake Tahoe.  Second deepest lake in USA, clear, clear water, and mountains surrounding the Lake. You can probably tell it is one of my favorite places.

Hawaii

Luau on Oahu

Beautiful Hawaii

Hawaiian Beach

Some of the coastline

Rainbow Falls Hawaii

Double Rainbow at Waikiki

We were blessed to be able to go to Hawaii. We stayed at Waikiki for three days and then went on a cruise around 4 of the islands.  We had good weather and enjoyed the stay. You don't really go to Hawaii for the beaches. I think the beaches are just as pretty in Florida.  May get some arguments there.  We are back in California. Thrilled to spend a few days with Terri, one of the people we met on the Alaska caravan.  We are enjoying California now and then will move onto Utah.

Sondra at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco

Don't think I need a caption

Handsome groom

Sondra's family in Oklahoma City

Some of my family in Albuquerque for wedding

A few of the pictures I was not able to load before.