Our journey game plan at this point is “where next?” Starting out with our escape from Bakersfield where we were sidelined for 5+ weeks with technical and repair issues (mostly waiting for appointments and delivery of parts), then out to Vegas, just because we could, and it was finally out of California. Not a disparagement of CA, but if we were off to see the Country, staying in California was counter-program. We have family and friends in CA so we’ll be coming back repeatedly.
From Vegas the next likely target was/were the National Parks, canyons and other piles of rock in Utah. We had hit Hurricane to see Zion National Park, then on to Big Rock Candy Mountain--an interesting view but not an overnight destination. Then it was on to Moab and Arches National Park.
The drive from Big Rock Candy Mountain up UT state road 89 to I-70 East across Utah and down US 191 to Moab is, to my mind one long Undocumented National Park...the UNP! It is a continuous and ever-changing spectacular landscape with infinite variation on the theme of multicolored strata of rugged eroded rock in displays of cliff, mountain, and canyon with multitudes of unexpected erosion created formations. It is all free and constantly spectacular. I wished again for a magic hi-rez 360° video camera on the roof to capture the endless scenery. The only difference between the UNP and the Named National and State parks are even more specific and unique features. On I-70 there are several roadside pull off view points which in any other state would be international destinations.
Moab is a neat little town that is wholly focused on outdoor athletic activity, and visiting the national parks around i ncluding Arches, Canyonlands, and Dead Horse Canyon. Summer is actually slump season because of the heat flirting around the 100s most days. Occupancy increases in the spring and fall.
We checked into the Portals RV Park, just north of town. The Portals is a neat place but pricy. A local recommended the OK RV park on the south of town but we did not have a chance to check it out.