The RV show has tents filled with vendors of every
description.
Quartzsite, Arizona
November 27-December 8, 2007 and January 10-24,
2008 - We took our time traveling from Death Valley
through Pahrump, Nevada and Lake Havasu, Arizona
and finally settled down for a while in Quartzsite,
Arizona. This is a small dusty desert town of 2,000
year-round residents that swells to 1,000,000 people in
January during the annual RV show and RV snowbird
migration from the northern states and Canada.
We arrived before the madness really took hold, but we still
found the desert boondocking areas surrounding the town
absolutely teeming with RV's. The Escapees Boondockers had a
rendez-vous a few miles outside of town and we parked near
them.
The Escapees are folks that like to have fun, and everyday there was a
schedule posted on the communal white board. Many of these folks have
been full-time RVing for ten years or more, and for the first time we found
ourselves surrounded by people who had a lot of experience with this
crazy lifestyle.
We had felt pretty smug about our 130 watt solar panel, because it
had given us all the power we needed over the summer. But as we
sat through a week of overcast, cold days with nights that started
around 5:00 pm, we realized we needed to know more about our
electrical system.
We were using oil lamps to supplement our power needs
while our neighbors watched their 32" TVs in comfort.
There were Escapees who traveled with wind generators
-- when the sun doesn't shine in the desert you can count
on howling winds -- and one fellow had 1,000 watts of
solar power. We quizzed everyone around us about their
setup and we learned more in those few weeks than we had since we had started in May.
One morning we woke up to find a 27' sailboat parked in the desert near us.
The couple onboard was traveling from Flathead Lake in Montana to San
Carlos, Mexico to launch their boat in the Sea of Cortez for the winter. They
were living in the boat on its trailer. Now that was an interesting camping setup!
One of the great joys in
Arizona is the
spectacular sunsets.
As our quiet desert days
passed, we were treated to
one amazing evening
display after another.
A popular activity for
these wintertime
desert dwellers is
flying ultralights. We
were parked next to a group
that took off in their flying
machines every morning. It
was a colorful sight, and we
enjoyed sipping our morning
coffee watching these guys
take off into the sky.
There are many places to
boondock both north and
south of town. It is very
congested along the major
roads and there are little
handmade signs everywhere
pointing to gatherings of like-
minded people. The Solos were clever
and parked their rigs next to the Loners on
Wheels. We saw signs for the "Roamin'
Rods" (fisherman), Mineral Lovers and
Elks. Many brands of RVs had rallies.
Monaco, Nuwa, Alfa, Allegro and others
clustered together.
If you take your time, you can find a
quiet spot away from the crowds. You
set yourself up to get the best view and
the best sun angle for your solar
panels.
We found a nice spot that even had a fire ring from some earlier visitor.
After we got settled
we discovered we
had parked right
behind the Alpine
Coach rally. As
the days passed
their numbers
grew to over 100
coaches, many
worth $400,000+.
We hadn't
realized we'd settled into the high rent district!!
Their rally was lots of fun and included
several catered meals and a double-
feature drive-in movie one night -- all in
the open desert.
Alpine sent some salespeople into the desert with demo coaches for sale, so we had an
impromptu RV dealership set up right next to us. We had a blast touring these amazing rolling
homes.
The fun thing about boondocking in the
desert in the winter is that you never know
who your neighbors will be. People living on
a microscopic budget out of the back of their
pickup truck end up next to multi-
millionaires. Social barriers and manned
gates that alienate these people in other
communities disappear out here. The guy in the 1970's van and the
guy in the brand new gazillion dollar mobile mansion can be good
buddies for a few days while they are camped side by side in the
desert.
Quartzite is a classic funky Arizona desert town. Ages
ago an arab came to the area with camels, thinking these
hearty desert beasts of burden would thrive in Arizona.
He was wrong about the camels, but his legend outlived
him.
Quartzsite keeps up its tradition of quirkiness with its
modern-day characters. Paul, the bookseller at the far
east end of town, is a staple in the community,
responsible for a lot of community spirit, including hand-
drawing the town map that is sold to visitors. He finds the
climate in Quartzsite to be just right for minimal attire, and he prefers to dress as lightly as possible.
All through our January stay in Quartzsite we had been watching the weather map on the back page of USA Today. Everyday it
seemed that the people in Florida were without doubt warmer than the people in Arizona. Mark's son was stationed in Jacksonville,
Florida, and we had lots of northern relatives who would be heading that way to thaw out during the winter. It only made sense for
us to scamper over to the east coast too. So we packed everything up, laid out our shorts in hopes of warmer weather, and drove
across country to northern Florida.
Other blog posts from our RV travels to Quartzsite:
- Quartzsite Lite (2022) 03/26/22
- What’s It Like to RV in Quartzsite AZ? Anything Goes! 02/02/16
- Quartzsite RV Show – RV Stuff and So Much More! 01/30/16
- Quartzsite, Arizona – The RV Gathering Place 01/26/16
- The RV Show in Quartzsite AZ – More Than Just RVs! 02/07/15
- Sunset over RVs in Quartzsite AZ 01/24/15
- Quartzsite Arizona – RV Madness in the Desert! 01/21/15
- Fiery Sunsets and Interesting Folks in the Arizona Desert 01/15/09
- Quartzsite, AZ – Snowbird Roost 12/05/07
Our most recent posts:
- Buckskin Mountain State Park – Fun on the Colorado River! 01/31/26
- How to Install Starlink Gen 3 in an RV? Use the Speedmount! 08/07/25
- Escape to Paradise – Rocky Mountain Magic! 08/01/25
- Is Forest River a Good RV? Well Built? Here’s Our Experience 06/20/25
- Sunset Crater Nat’l Monument – Lava & Camels at Bonito CG! 06/06/25
More of our Latest Posts are in the MENU.
New to this site? Visit RVers Start Here to find where we keep all the good stuff!!
Death Valley, CA – An Exotic Landscape
Death Valley, California
November 7-19, 2007 - After leaving Valley of Fire, we spent some time near Las Vegas visiting friends, staying at Boulder Beach
on Lake Mead. The lake was 85 feet low when we visited in 2004, and now, three years later, was 105 feet low. A campground
and boat launch had closed a few months earlier because they were now nowhere near the lake anymore, and we heard that the
turbines in the dam would soon be above the water level. Scary stuff. At least Lake Mead still had her pretty colors in the
sunshine.
We hiked along the rails-to-trails path that
goes from Boulder Beach on Lake Mead to
Hoover Dam. It passes through some old
train tunnels and comes right out at the
visitors center for the Dam. There is a
wonderful statue commemorating the
daring and hard physical labor it took to
blast the rock and pour the concrete to
build the dam.
From Las Vegas we made our way to
Death Valley. We arrived on Veterans Day
and found the road through the park
lined with flag waving veterens
celebrating the days of the 49ers, the
intrepid souls who traversed Death
Valley in pursuit of gold in 1849. The
campground was full, so we were
guided back up the mountain to an
open boondocking area by the side
of the road.
This was our first introduction to true boondocking -- where you set up camp
on public land and stay a while. There were many other rigs in the area, and
as we got to know our neighbors we discovered they were part of the
Escapees Boondockers club and were gathered there for a few days.
Eventually most of the Escapees left, but we stayed with another rig
and enjoyed long lazy days and silent nights.
It felt so good to relax after our whirlwind tour of the northwest. We
stayed almost two weeks, making music with our neighbors and
exploring the area.
Death Valley is the hottest place in the country on many summer
days, but in November the weather was perfect.
We learned that the 49ers took two routes to the gold mines in
northern California. One group went around Death Valley, but the
other group trudged through the middle of it. They barely survived.
Borax is mined in Death Valley and has been since the late
1800's. It was hauled out by mule team, and to this day Borax
has an image of the mule team on the container.
We took the Artist's Drive which is
a thin ribbon of road that winds
among brightly colored hills. The
light danced on across the cliffs.
Back at the visitors center we
found the perfect gift for a young
child. If only we could all be
children for a little while once
again.
From Death Valley we wandered east and
south through Laughlin, Nevada and then
down along the Colorado River to Lake Havasu,
Arizona and finally settled in Quartzsite, Arizona.
Zion NP, Kodachrome Basin & Snow Canyon, UT – Great Red Rocks!
Ballerina Leg
Snow Canyon
Snow Canyon
Zion NP, Kodachrome, & Snow Canyon, UT
October 7-19, 2007 - From Goblin Valley we took the gorgeous scenic
byway along Route 12 through Torrey, Capitol Reef National Park, and
Escalante to Kodachrome Basin State Park. Like all the Utah state park
campgrounds, this one was lovely. There was a flock of chukars (birds
closely related to the quail) that
wandered about the grounds happily
taking food from my hand.
We hiked the Panorama Point View trail,
soaking in the immense redrock
formations. Several had cute names,
including Ballerina Leg, which truly
looked like a ballerina's leg.
Sandstone is very soft, and we found
a huge sandstone rock that other visitors had
rubbed. It was fun to put your hand in the handprint
in the rock and rub. The rock would granulate into
sand beneath your fingertips.
From Kodachrome Basin we headed over
to Zion National Park. Because we were
towing the trailer and we were 52 feet from
end to end, we opted to approach the park
from the west side rather than taking the
really cool twisting road in from the east. So we didn't see the
amazing rock formations that flank the roads on the eastern side.
However, once we arrived at Zion we took an exquisite bike ride along
the bike path that leads into the park. The road into the main canyon
is closed to motorized vehicles, and we thrilled to the mammoth cliffs
on either side of us as we rode deep into the canyon.
There was an organized bike
ride going through Zion a few
days after we did our bike
ride. It would be fun to be
part of a large crowd of
cyclists taking over this pretty
road through the park, but we
enjoyed the solitude of riding
by ourselves beneath the
towering spires. We had a
perfect day with warm
temperatures, clear blue
skies and lots of flowers in
bloom.
We were continuing to press on
southwards, barely staying ahead
of the winter weather behind us. At
Snow Canyon State Park we found
another delightful campground
where we tucked ourselves right up
against the redrocks. We rode our
bikes on the beautiful park road
and looped through some pretty
new masterplanned neighborhoods
on the outskirts of St. George.
At last it was time to leave
Utah. We decided we would
return in the Spring of 2008,
as we had barely touched
upon the areas we wanted to
see. In the meantime,
however, the cold was
forcing us out, and we drove
south to the outskirts of Las
Vegas, Nevada, where we
found the spectacular Valley
Blog posts from our RV trips to Zion National Park:
- Zion National Park’s Hidden Jewels – Off the Beaten Path in an RV! 12/06/17
- Zion National Park “West” RV Trip – Gorgeous Kolob Canyons! 12/22/16
- Zion National Park RV Trip – One AWESOME Canyon! 12/15/16
- Zion NP, Kodachrome Basin & Snow Canyon, UT – Great Red Rocks! 10/31/07
Blog posts from the area near Zion National Park:
- Best Friends Animal Sanctuary & Southwest Wildlife Foundation in Utah 09/15/08
- Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park – Shape Shifting in the Sand! 11/08/17
- Johnson Canyon Movie Set – A Spooky Ghost Town – Happy Halloween! 10/27/17
- Kanab – Hub for the National Parks + Gorgeous Canyons Nearby! 11/12/17
- Kanab & Alton, UT – Whoa!!! 09/29/08
- Sand Hollow State Park, Utah – An Oasis in the Desert! 11/21/17
- Zion National Park “West” RV Trip – Gorgeous Kolob Canyons! 12/22/16
Blog posts from all our travels to National Parks and UNESCO World Heritage Sites in North America
More great RV camping destinations:
- Lost Dutchman State Park: GORGEOUS scenery & RV campground!
- Windy Hill Campground + Tonto National Monument
- Lynx Lake, Arizona – Great RV Camping Near Prescott!
- Dead Horse Ranch State Park + Tuzigoot and Clarkdale
- Catalina State Park & Roosevelt Lake: RV Camping in AZ
- Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, New Mexico – A Dog’s Eye View!
- Lost Dutchman State Park Campground – Arizona Gold in the Superstitions
- Lake Pleasant & Canyon Lake – Waterfront Camping in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert
- Sand Hollow State Park, Utah – An Oasis in the Desert!
- RV Camping with the Rock Art Petroglyphs in Gila Bend, AZ
- City of Rocks State Park, NM – RV Camping in the Hoodoos!
- Boondocking at Big Bend National Park – Cheap & Scenic RV Camping
- Roosevelt Lake – Lakeside Camping in AZ
- Wupatki Nat’l Monument – Ancient Indian Ruins & Great Camping in AZ!
- Valley of Fire, NV – A Cauldron Cooled
- Zion NP, Kodachrome Basin & Snow Canyon, UT – Great Red Rocks!
- Goblin Valley, UT – Where the Ghosts Are
Our most recent posts:
- Buckskin Mountain State Park – Fun on the Colorado River! 01/31/26
- How to Install Starlink Gen 3 in an RV? Use the Speedmount! 08/07/25
- Escape to Paradise – Rocky Mountain Magic! 08/01/25
- Is Forest River a Good RV? Well Built? Here’s Our Experience 06/20/25
- Sunset Crater Nat’l Monument – Lava & Camels at Bonito CG! 06/06/25
More of our Latest Posts are in the MENU. New to this site? Visit RVers Start Here to find where we keep all the good stuff!!
Valley of Fire, NV – Sweeping Vistas
Fire Canyon Overlook
Valley of Fire, Nevada
October 20-27, 2007 - Leaving southern Utah, we dropped into Nevada
and spent a week in Valley of Fire State Park. This park is truly on fire.
We first saw the redrocks as we crested a hill, and looking down at the
valley before us we saw all shades of red and orange. The road through
the park is ideal for cycling, and we rode to the end and back several
times. As you climb through craggy redrocks and fly through twisting
descents it is hard to keep your eyes on the road as there are new
spectacular sights at every turn.
The park features a wall filled with petroglyphs.
They are high up on a cliff, and tourists can
climb the long staircase to get a close look. I
couldn't decipher anything in the tale that is told
on that wall, however a scientist has uncovered
the full coming-of-age hunting story that is
depicted there. Looking out over the valley from the viewing platform it is hard to
imagine how the ancients managed to get their artwork onto that rock face. There is a
slippery and narrow rock shelf they might have stood on, but most of the images are still
far out of human reach.
We found a cozy spot to park up against the redrock cliffs. In the
evenings we watched the bats chase the bugs around the restrooms.
After many attempts, Mark caught one mid-flight.
One morning we peeked out the trailer to see a stunning sunrise in
action. We leapt out of bed and grabbed the cameras, clicking
away as the sky flamed from deep orange to soft peach hues.
A raptor enjoyed the same
sunrise, studying the
surroundings as he
searched for breakfast.
We enjoyed two hikes in
the park. The White Dome
hike took us past the old
1966 movie set from "The
Professionals." Not much
remains from the set, but
we scratched our heads for
a long time trying to
imagine how all the movie-
related paraphernalis was
hauled down into that
canyon.
What remains now is
lots of tall rock
formations and soft
sand. Small scrub
plants grow out of the
sand, a seemingly
impossible feat.
Little creatures leave
their tracks all through
the sand. Some tracks
are clearly bird prints, hopping with paired feet
across the sand. Others are less easy to identify
-- until you find the creature responsible and see that drags his
tail as he moves.
On our way out of the park we saw a redrock snowman... Leaving Valley of Fire State Park we continued south and
a little west, dropping into Death Valley National Park in California.
Goblin Valley, UT – Where the Ghosts Are
Sea turtle
Mushroom
Gorilla head
Space ship taking off
Ducks
Goblin Valley & Little Wild Horse Canyon, Utah
October 1-6, 2007 - Continuing south from the San Rafael Swell, we
stopped in at Goblin Valley, Utah. This state park is a gem. As you
arrive you are welcomed by a trio of goblins who stand apart from the
valley, greeting visitors with otherworldly expressions. Beyond them an
enormous formation dominates the flat horizon, looking like a bright red
gothic cathedral.
The campground is nestled into the buttresses of the redrock
cathedral, with shade ramadas at each site.
The rock formations are very tall and imposing, but when you walk up
close to them you discover that much of their structure is like a sand
dribble castle kids make at the beach. The sandstone is literally
dripping down the sides of the formation and it is very delicate to the
touch. Tap it lightly and it sounds hollow. Touch it any more forcefully
and it breaks off.
We wandered
down into the
actual Valley of
the Goblins, a
fantastic open area of redrock formations that look like creatures. We
learned that these formations evolve in the same way as the arches do
at Arches National Park, but in this neck of the woods the result is
goblins instead of arches.
You are allowed to climb on the goblins, and they stand two to three
times human height, making a great climbing playground. As we
walked down into the valley a little kid rocketed past us yelling, "This is
heaven!"
Many of the formations are recognizable shapes....
One day we hiked
the Little Wild Horse Slot Canyon. This is
an 8 mile hike but only about an hour of it is
spent in the slot canyon. The slot canyon
was very narrow. At times the gravel path
was wide enough for just one foot at a time.
But it wasn't scary at all.
The canyon is wide open to the sky
above, and the narrow portions last
only a few feet. Don't hike these
things when rain threatens, because
the water gushes through. After a
rain it takes a few days for the water
in the slot canyon to subside.
Feeling a chill in the air in Goblin Valley, we made our way towards southern
Utah along the incomparable Scenic Route 12, stopping first at Kodachrome
Basin and then riding our bikes through Zion National Park.
More great RV camping destinations:
- Lost Dutchman State Park: GORGEOUS scenery & RV campground!
- Windy Hill Campground + Tonto National Monument
- Lynx Lake, Arizona – Great RV Camping Near Prescott!
- Dead Horse Ranch State Park + Tuzigoot and Clarkdale
- Catalina State Park & Roosevelt Lake: RV Camping in AZ
- Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, New Mexico – A Dog’s Eye View!
- Lost Dutchman State Park Campground – Arizona Gold in the Superstitions
- Lake Pleasant & Canyon Lake – Waterfront Camping in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert
- Sand Hollow State Park, Utah – An Oasis in the Desert!
- RV Camping with the Rock Art Petroglyphs in Gila Bend, AZ
- City of Rocks State Park, NM – RV Camping in the Hoodoos!
- Boondocking at Big Bend National Park – Cheap & Scenic RV Camping
- Roosevelt Lake – Lakeside Camping in AZ
- Wupatki Nat’l Monument – Ancient Indian Ruins & Great Camping in AZ!
- Valley of Fire, NV – A Cauldron Cooled
- Zion NP, Kodachrome Basin & Snow Canyon, UT – Great Red Rocks!
- Goblin Valley, UT – Where the Ghosts Are
Our most recent posts:
- Buckskin Mountain State Park – Fun on the Colorado River! 01/31/26
- How to Install Starlink Gen 3 in an RV? Use the Speedmount! 08/07/25
- Escape to Paradise – Rocky Mountain Magic! 08/01/25
- Is Forest River a Good RV? Well Built? Here’s Our Experience 06/20/25
- Sunset Crater Nat’l Monument – Lava & Camels at Bonito CG! 06/06/25
More of our Latest Posts are in the MENU.
New to this site? Visit RVers Start Here to find where we keep all the good stuff!!
San Rafael Swell, UT – Pictographs & Dinosaur Prints
San Rafael Swell, Utah
September 25-30, 2007 - We rushed south to get away from the snow
and cold in Park City and found the perfect temperatures in the Green
River area. The San Rafael Swell is a vast area of redrocks and desert
brush that we explored for several days. The rock cliffs are enormous.
We found rock faces that sported pictographs painted by ancient
peoples 2000 years ago. Pictographs are made using some kind of
paint on the rock, but it impregnates the rock face enough to last over
thousands of years. It may have been made using saliva or blood.
The images were mystical. The people were tall and thin with
garments that reached to the ground. It was hard to tell what they
were doing, but in one image all the people had holes pecked in their
chests. Apparently the holes were pecked deliberately, though
researchers don't know what they represented.
We also found petroglyphs chiseled in the rocks by ancient peoples
1000 years ago. The images were a little more real-life. Elk and big
horn sheep were easy to distinguish.
One image was a little mystifying,
however: the figure had four
fingers, three toes, antennae and
either a tail or a shield in the other
hand. There is graffiti around
many of these rock images, and
the poor quality of the modern rock
doodles makes it clear that the
rock artists spent some time and
had some skill in making these
images last.
Further on we found a dinosaur
track (the guidebook helped us
find it!). Whatever type of
dinosaur it belonged to was very good sized. Mark's hand
disappeared into the footprint.
We drove through an area called "Jackass Flats" and, sure
enough, we saw three burros nibbling the grass. They came right
over to us to check us out. Eventually they decided we weren't all
that interesting, and they wandered off.
Back out on I-70 we stopped at the north end of Spotted Wolf
Pass. It took 13 years to build this portion of I-70 through the
rock cliffs. It takes five minutes to drive through it.
From there we dropped down to Goblin Valley, Utah.
Devil’s Tower, WY – Remember “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” ??
The Lakota called it "Bear's
Lodge"
Rock climbers scale the facets of Devils Tower.
Devils Tower, Wyoming
September 13, 2007 - Every since I saw the movie "Close Encounters
of the Third Kind" I was intrigued by Devils Tower, so when I saw it on
the map in Wyoming as we left the Tetons behind, I told Mark we had
to make the turn. It is a beautiful drive to get there. When the rock
showed up in the distance it was quite dramatic.
We learned that the Lakota Indians had a legend about the rock
involving a bear climbing the sides of the rock and Indians defending
the rock from its flat summit. The bear's claws scraped the rock as he
climbed, making the striped indentations that are there today. They
called it "Bear's Lodge."
An early American fellow named
Dodge had visited the area and seen
the rock from 20 miles off. He
apparently mistranslated the Lakota
name for the rock and thought it was
called "Bad Spirit," which is how it
came to be named "Devils Tower."
I was intrigued that Devils Tower in Wyoming looks a lot like Devils
Postpile in California. But I learned that Devils Postpile heaved
upwards, while Devils Tower got its shape from erosion, and
Devils Postpile consists of basalt while Devils Tower is granite.
One of the greatest charms of this national
monument is the community of prairie dogs
that lives in the fields at the base of the rock.
They bark and play and scamper around to
the total enjoyment of all the tourists. There
are little entrance holes to their lairs
everywhere. They were constantly popping
up out of their holes to look around and then
diving back down again.
We had a glorious day
visiting Devils Tower.
We didn't see any
extra-terrestrials but
were enchanted by
the adorable prairie
dogs and the unique
and real stories behind Devils Tower. Leaving this unique
granite formation behind, we wandered east and south into the
Black Hills of South Dakota.
Flaming Gorge Utah – Vibrant Hues
Flaming Gorge - Green River
Flaming Gorge National Park
Flaming Gorge
Back side of Park City in Fall.
Sunrise over the snowy ski runs -- in September!!
Leaving northern Utah for warmer places south.
Flaming Gorge National Park & Park City, Utah
September 18-24, 2007 - We left South Dakota's Black Hills and
headed west through Wyoming and south to Utah. We stopped at
Flaming Gorge National Park, a stunning area of red rock cliffs
overlooking the Green River. The colors of the rocks and water were
vibrant.
We made our way to Park City, home of the Winter Olympics. For
the first time we felt the weather pushing us. When we arrived in
Park City we discovered Fall was in full swing. The trees were
turning all kinds of gorgeous colors.
We took a drive over the mountain along the back side of Park City
and saw autumn in all her colorful glory.
The weather began to take on the chill of winter, with nights getting
into the 20's. One morning we watched in amazement as a light rain
became a blizzard in a matter of minutes. Suddenly the surrounding
mountains were virgin white. The snow disappeared a few days later,
but we took the hint. It was time to head south towards central Utah.
Here we discovered the San Rafael Swell, an area just north of
Green River on I-70.
Black Hills, SD – Mt. Rushmore and More
"Wild" Burros roamed around.
Wild turkeys trotted along.
Traffic Jam in Custer State Park
Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln
George Washington.
Approaching Mt. Rushmore
Crazy Horse
Skinny tunnel at The Needles.
The Needles
September 14-17, 2007 - After watching Devil's Tower retreat in the
distance, we made a brief stop in the Black Hills, visiting Custer State
Park and Mt. Rushmore. There was lots of wildlife in Custer State
Park. A group of buffalo took their time crossing the road and caused
quite a traffic tie-up. The burros were wandering across the road and
lazing in the shade of a tree near the road as well. Some wild turkeys
caught our eye as they pecked along at the roadside, and a deer
stopped to look at us.
We enjoyed the three dimensional nature of Mt. Rushmore's
famous sculptures of the four presidents as we caught them first
from one side and then from the other. Another famous sculpture
in the area is of the Indian Crazy Horse. It was begun shortly after
Mt. Rushmore was completed in the 1940's, but has been funded
solely by private donation, making progress very slow. The
organization leading its creation has turned down federal funding
several times.
We drove through The Needles. These granite formations are very
thin and tall, and the road is extremely narrow and twisty. After we
barely squeaked through a tunnel carved in the rock, we watched
in awe as an experienced tour bus driver expertly took his bus
through the same opening. His passengers reached out their
windows to touch the rock wall on either side of the bus.
Custer State Park was a real
jewel, and we would have
happily stayed several weeks.
However, the cold weather
was starting to penetrate our
sweaters and jackets and we
had a long way to go to get
back to the warmer climate in
Arizona. So we headed west
through Wyoming, making
our way to northern Utah, stopping first at Flaming Gorge
National Recreation Area.
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming – Stunning!
Grand Tetons
Grand Tetons
The Tetons stand watch over Lake Jackson
The mountains seem to rise up out of the lake.
Pronghorn antelope.
Lake Jackson.
Jenny Lake reflects the mountains in her depths.
Grand Teton National Park, WY
September 10-12, 2007 - We drove from Yellowstone south to
Grand Teton National Park. We were there on magically beautiful
days. The sky was bright and clear and everywhere we turned
was like a picture postcard. Apparently the mountains are often
obscured by clouds, so we felt fortunate to see them on days that
were crystal clear.
We drove the Scenic Loop
through the park, and on
our way back we saw a
pronghorn antelope peering
at us through the grass.
Just after we got his picture
he bounded away.
We were starting to feel the press of the coming cold weather, and
we still had a lot we wanted to see before we headed south, so we
made our way eastwards in Wyoming to Devils Tower National
Our most recent posts:
- Buckskin Mountain State Park – Fun on the Colorado River! 01/31/26
- How to Install Starlink Gen 3 in an RV? Use the Speedmount! 08/07/25
- Escape to Paradise – Rocky Mountain Magic! 08/01/25
- Is Forest River a Good RV? Well Built? Here’s Our Experience 06/20/25
- Sunset Crater Nat’l Monument – Lava & Camels at Bonito CG! 06/06/25
Other blog posts from our RV travels to Grand Teton National park:
- Grand Teton National Park – An American Treasure! 08/25/22
- Grand Teton National Park Wyoming – Rare Sightings! 09/29/14
- Grand Teton National Park – 101 Ways to Enjoy The Tetons! 09/20/14
- Grand Teton National Park WY – Mirrored Waters 09/17/14
- Grand Teton National Park WY – Wild Skies 09/10/14
- Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming – Stunning! 09/28/07