Day 21 A calm day with arches, horseshoes and rocks

Today we're having a calmer day, less miles to cover but still a lot to see.

While leaving Page we went through the beautiful arches of Red Canyon again, after that we stopped at a couple of places. A few Post Offices, to take pics of the signs with town and zip code, that's something Serge started years ago. We also passed Joe's Rock Shop in Orderville ... well ... passed ... of course I had to take a look. I was pleasantly surprised by the prices and quality they sold and had to get me a Septarian slab that let's the sun come through so beautifully. After that there were 2 more rock shops but I refrained myself in those shops. ;-)

The next stop was the Glenn Canyon dam. Another great example of man made miracles. Very interesting. Outside there was a volunteer ranger talking about the sun and you could watch it with a telescope.

Can you guess what was next on the list??? YES! Horseshoe Bend! Oh my gosh!!! How does something so beautiful come to exist! Places like that really make me quiet. Not just the bend, the surroundings too, the large mountains/rock flats surrounding it. We hiked a bit across the rock fields, telling each other how rich we are and looked around open-mouthed.

So grateful we get to see all of this!

Day 20 Bryce!

After Zion next on the list is of course Bryce Canyon NP! Can't believe it was 28F (-2C) when we got in the car but being the tough Dutchies we are, we were still wearing shorts. Before we got there we stopped at Red Canyon, a great warm up for Bryce with the beautiful arches you get to drive through.

Soon we arrived at Bryce, we decided to first drive all the way up and stop at the view points on the way back. So our first stop was at Rainbow Point, we didn't see a rainbow but that doesn't mean the view wasn't beautiful. Looking down on the red mountain tops covered with deep green trees under a bright blue sky ... What's not to love? We walked the Bristlecone loop which treated us on some amazing overlooks and a sign on top spoke to us:"Silence alone is worthy to be heard."Henry David Thoreau.
One thing I love to see in the mountains are arches or cave like structures. The next (short) stop was Ponderosa Point, the mountains together looked like a huge castle with nothing but towers. From Agua Canyon and Natural Bridge (OMG talking about an arch!!!) and Farview Point we ended up at Sunset Point and thought the Navajo Loop looked interesting so we went for it. It started and ended with a steep zigzagging trail. Half way the trail down we were asked to wait on a corner because a rescue team had to carry a stretcher up with someone that fell and hurt her leg. When we got down we were stunned by two huge trees that rise up from the bottom of the canyon all the way to the top. Perseverance at it's best!!! The trail was so gorgeous, rocky but also green and water, full sun and shade. Even though the trail up was steep and hard, it had been so worth it and we would do it again!

Via Bryce Point we went to Inspiration Point and highly inspired we went to Sunrise Point and after a short visit to the visitor's centre we left the park again. But only to return a couple of hours later to watch the Sunset at Sunset point ...

B E A U T I F U L ! ! ! ! !

Can't wait to see what else this gorgeous country has in store for us!!!

Day 19 Wild life, cold water and OMG

Leaving St. George early in the morning, those of you that've been to Zion know the parking space is limited and you have to be early to get a good parking space. When we arrived the parking lot was already full, we drove around a second time and couldn't believe our luck that someone was already leaving and we had a spot. We took the shuttle bus to the farthest point 'Temple of Sinawava' and headed for the Narrows. On the way we spotted our first dear, a sweet one but sooo skinny!
We considered ourselves brave and took of our shoes to walk across the water to the Narrows ... uhm ... nope ... can't do, the water was FREEZING!!! I was afraid the cold would travel straight to my tummy. Serge was a bit braver and took a couple of steps but of course he didn't want to leave me behind. It gave me the opportunity to get some nice pics though of him on a rock in the water. Our next stop was Grotto, another nice hike through amazing nature, I know me stating to go OOOH and AAAH is probably getting boring but it is true. I just can't get over the beauty, the nature, the mountains, the water. It is so amazingly beautiful. Breathtaking!!! And if I am not OOOHing or AAAHing I am just quiet, taking it all in, letting nature in my soul.

Our tummy's were telling us it was time for lunch so of course we got out again at the Zion lodge, had lunch, bought our fridge magnet (that's 'our thing', we buy a fridge magnet from the big cities and for this USA trip the national parks) and headed for our third hike ... the Emerald pools. Unfortunately we could only get to the lower pools since the path was closed due to rock fall. But that already was way worth it! Seeing those pools and the waterfalls come down from the mountains. The path was a bit slippery here and there due to water running across but it was wide enough to not fall and so so so rewarding!

The last stop we got out was the Court of the Partriarchs, three high peaks named after three towering figures of the Old Testament: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

We got back to our car and drove back into town where my wonderful man put up with my rock craziness and we visited 2 rock shops! From there we went up to the Canyon Overlook and from there to Checkerboard Mesa. On the road in between we were rewarded yet again when suddenly on the side of the road there were 3 Desert Bighorns, standing there, posing for us ... my eyes all teared up, touched by the beauty. Soon also one showed up with the big horns standing on the mountain majestic and proud.

The perfect ending to an already perfect day!

Day 18 about a dam, more scenery and a bear

Before leaving Vegas behind us we did a bit of shopping at the Outlet Stores. We scored some nice Tommy Hilfiger shirts for a crazy low price. SCORE!

From Vegas we headed for the Hoover dam. I mean ... you HAVE to see that right? Once again a very impressive man made building. I don't know what I expected to see but it was WAY bigger than I thought. We walked across, took the lift up to the top and admired the construction and history.

On our way to our motel for that night in St. George, we suddenly, on the side of the road, saw a group of big horn sheep and of course we stopped the car and took some pics. Magnificent creatures!

There was a pool (freezing cold) and a hot tub (nice and warm) so we relaxed a bit again, good times!

For dinner we went to Black Bear Diner, Serge always wanted to go there and we were looking forward to a nice meal. Well, that was once and never again. Serge had a steak with fries and the steak was OK, not great but OK, but the fries ... all limp and the steak sauce wasn't too thrilling either. I had salmon which was kinda blend but edible however the 'bed of spinach and veggies' tasted like ... well ... nothing. Lesson learned! :-)

Good night!

Day 17 more Vegas baby YEAH!

Part of the beauty of Las Vegas is the contrast, the loud colorful city and right outside the city border you'll find Red Rock Canyon. It's amazing how fast you get to complete quietness again. To be honest, when we left for the sightseeing, we were kinda expecting a quick drive through and a couple of nice photos. Boy were we wrong! We climbed rocks, admired wide views and hiked through my favorite part 'Lost Creek Canyon'. The dried up creek/river makes it easy to imagine what it's like when water is running through. But the way it looked right now, all the pretty rocks, big and small, the assortment of plants and the mountains surrounding it. Most definitely worth a visit if you're in the neighborhood.
When driving back to the hotel we stopped at In 'n Out, when we're on the road we have food with us, including gluten free crackers for me and goat cheese, but when in a city and wanting to have a quick lunch, choices are limited when you eat glutenfree. Someone suggested that I'd order a hamburger 'protein style', never heard of it but I gave it a go and it was OK, no hassle with a bun and stuff. Good experience!

Back to the hotel we went, after all these busy funfilled days, we deserved some relaxation so to the pool we went! It was SO good to have a little dive, hang in the jacuzzi and lay by the side of the pool.

When it was time for dinner my very dear friend Lynn who lives in Vegas was willing to meet us at a restaurant in the hotel right across from ours. Meeting up with people while doing a road trip is a lot more difficult than it seems. We have a schedule of things we want to see and in the end only limited time to see it all. So I hope no one is mad at us if we couldn't make it work with them. Anyway ... meeting Lynn ... a friend that has become so dear to me over the past few years, I went through some really hard times but she was one of the people that was ALWAYS there for me. Together with our friend Angel we are kinda like the three musketeers, 'one for all, all for one'!!! Distance doesn't matter and we can talke about everything! So you can probably imagine how I felt when we finally met!
After dinner we head to the strip again and who showed up there?! Right, our other Vegas friend Connie and she hang with us until it was time to go back to the hotel and SLEEP!!!

Day 16 about hot places and more

From Ridgecrest our next destination was Death Valley!!! We went from 63F to 98F that day! So many wonderful stops there. Zabriskie Point was the first, Artist's Palette, we had some fun at Devils Golf Course, walked around at Badwater Pool and saw the Ashford Mill Ruins trying to imagine what it must've been like to be working there in the pre-airco era ...
It's hard to describe the Death Valley experience, most places you just have to see to understand them and their beauty and rough inhospitality, the wide openness that isn't truly inviting but yet draws you out of your car. Would I say it's beautiful? Well, some parts yes, but the word that comes to mind more is fascinating or quieting.

Through Shosone we went back to ... LAS VEGAS! What? AGAIN? YES! 2 days Vegas isn't enough!

We checked in at the Rio, 13th floor, thank goodness we're not supersticious! That night we went downtown for the Freemont experience ... a whole different world. The lights, the crowds ... a visit to Vegas is not complete without seeing Zowie Bowie and so we did! We sang along, danced with the locals and did some serious people watching.

After a long exciting day we crawled to our bed and fell asleep.

Day 15 Leaving the coast

Hard day today ... leaving Morro Bay ... but more adventures ahead of us!

We headed for the big rock, hoping we could walk around it, but that didn't work out, so we walked about half way around and went back to the car. Since we didn't want to say goodbye to the beach too soon, we went to ... Pismo Beach ... driving your car on the beach! NEVER ever had I done that but always wanted to. We spent some quality time there, picked up some shells and left our footprints in the sand. After that Serge showed me another place that means a lot to us ... the place where the guitars of Steve Lukather are made. Not that interesting for others but to us it is sacred ground.

By now it was time for lunch, and my amazing tourguide (who also happens to be my amazing boyfriend) knew 'a place' where we could eat ... OMG ... did he deliver!!! The Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo ... you all know I love pink and this place is PINK! And everything is over the top! When we entered there was a lady going in together with us and she looked down at my shoes ..."You have Madonna shoes!" she said ... yupz ... my shoes were pink. We were seated at the fire place, very romantic, the food was great, both of us had a really nice salad and yes ... the napkins were pink too. After we ate we went to the toilet and Serge had me join him to the men's room ... believe it or not ... the men get to pee in a waterfall there! As soon as someone gets in front, it starts running. The ladies room was ... PINK! Surprise! Pink walls, pink ceiling, reddish pink studded doors ... happy peeing! LOL

Further on the way of our travels we passed the California Valley Solar Farm, impressive and of course a perfect location right there in the open desert. We drove through McKittrik, Buttonwillow, Onyx, Inyokern and ended up in Ridgecrest to spend the night.

Day 14 more coastal adventures

Leaving Monterey and looking forward to the rest of our coastal trip.

First we stopped at Lover's Bay, so cute how all the squirrals are running around and sitting on the rocks and make the place feel alive. We looked around, climbed some rocks (no worries, we always make sure it is safe!) and enjoyed the early morning at the sea.
We continued our way with a few stops to enjoy the scenery and soon arrived at the 17 mile drive ... ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? I just can't get over all the gorgeous views, there are no words to describe all the beauty out there. I honestly kept going OOOHHH and AAAHHH ... I kept clicking with my camera and phone and honestly didn't know which direction to point. The perfectly blue skies over the blue sea with huge rocks in it, the trees everywhere, lizzards running around, birds singing ... Oh my gosh, I want to live there!!!

Cruising down the coastline we continued our trip, honestly didn't see much of Serge since I was constantly looking outside the window. To be honest I'm more a mountain girl than a water girl but maybe it's the combination of both that makes my heart happy. The mountains paddling their feet in the rolling blue waves while birds are using them to rest and where sea lions find peace and quiet places to rest in the small bays. What's not to love about that?!

And yes, every now and then you need to cross a space between two mountains and some genius people build beautiful bridges that compliment the landscape, to name one ... Big Sur ... we crossed it but before we could we had the privilege to end up in a traffic jam and we could get out and take pics and look around. Never thought I'd be grateful for a traffic jam LOL. Of course we also stopped at the assigned look out point and shoot a lot of pics.

For the night we booked a hotel in Morro Bay, found a good deal in a nice place ... the moment of awe was when we entered our room ... FULL VIEW of the Big Rock and not only from the room but also from the shower ... can you imagine how I felt when I was taking a shower while looking out of the window and see that gorgeous view? I really lost my heart there while walking around town, through the harbor and hearing our sea lion friends again. Only downside ... some kind of horn blowing every few minutes all night long.

But Morrow Bay really won my heart ... don't think any town can beat that! However ... we're not at the end of our trip yet! ;-)