After leaving the Balloon Fiesta behind, we traded balloons floating above the landscape for evidence of something that came crashing into it. Next up: the land of meteors and flatbed Fords, followed by a very famous bend in the Colorado River and Utah’s spectacular red-rock country.
There were scenic views, a few campground head-scratchers, some rainy-day improvising, and one canine contribution that absolutely did not belong in anyone’s vacation photos. In other words, another chapter of life on the road with Mark, Timber, and me!
Meteor Crater: A Big Hole and a Few Bigger Questions
We spent two nights at Meteor Crater RV Park near Winslow, Arizona. It was a convenient stop in what felt like the middle of nowhere, although some of the rules left us scratching our heads.
The dog instructions, as we understood them, restricted walks to the dog park, with dogs leashed for the trip between the campsite and the designated area. That area was a barren, fenced patch of red gravel. Timber was probably wondering what had happened to the grass—and why a perfectly good walk had so many terms and conditions.
Then there was the security setup. We entered through a coded gate with high walls on either side, but the exit led onto a dirt side road through an unlocked, unmonitored gate with decidedly less impressive fencing.
Apparently, security was very serious about arrivals and considerably more relaxed about departures. Figure that one out!
Fortunately, Meteor Crater itself was well worth the stop. The museum, interactive exhibits, short film, and outdoor tour made for an interesting visit. There was even a 4D animated ride featuring Jackie Lopez, the resident jackalope. All the staff we encountered seemed happy to help, and we thought the privately owned attraction was very well done.
Our admission was good for seven days. A nice perk, although I’m not sure I could find seven consecutive days’ worth of things to do while looking at the same hole. Mark might disagree.
He seemed to enjoy examining the handiwork of an outer-space rock more than I did, but even I came away with a few facts worth sharing.
About 50,000 years ago, an iron-nickel space rock roughly 150 feet across struck this part of Arizona. The crater it left behind is about three-quarters of a mile wide and approximately 550 feet deep today. It was originally around 700 feet deep, with erosion gradually adding material to the crater floor.
That is a very impressive amount of rearranging for one rock.
The crater also has a connection to space exploration beyond the obvious. NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey used it to train Apollo astronauts in geology and fieldwork during the 1960s and early 1970s. Looking at a hole in Arizona suddenly seems a little more significant when you realize it helped prepare people to explore the Moon.
Winslow: Taking It Easy on a Very Famous Corner
Of course, we couldn’t stay near Winslow without making the obligatory stop at the corner made famous by the Eagles’ “Take It Easy.”
There I was, standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona. And yes, there was a red flatbed Ford ready for its photo opportunity. Some tourist stops require hiking boots and careful planning. This one mostly required a camera and a willingness to have the song stuck in your head for the rest of the day.
We took our pictures, admired the Route 66 touches, and then moved on to another important sightseeing category: lunch.
Relic Road Brewing Co. was easy to find and made a welcome stop. A famous corner, a flatbed Ford, and lunch—Winslow had delivered exactly what we came for.
Horseshoe Bend: Spectacular Scenery, Questionable Canine Etiquette
Leaving Winslow, we headed to Page, Arizona, for a short stop at Horseshoe Bend. Timber had enjoyed his Grand Canyon outing, so we thought another impressive canyon view might be a hit.
Timber did not share our enthusiasm.
The walk to the overlook is about 1.5 miles round trip, and the view reveals the Colorado River curving around a massive sandstone formation roughly 1,000 feet below. It’s the sort of scenery that makes you stop and stare.
Unless you’re Timber. Then, apparently, it makes you hot, unimpressed, and ready to conduct personal business in front of an audience.
He chose a most uncultured canine position and proceeded to poop right in front of a group of tourists. So much for representing the family with dignity.
Naturally, I cleaned up after him. Unfortunately, the only trash cans we found were back at the trailhead, which meant I carried his fragrant little souvenir all the way back.
Mark and I got the canyon views. Timber got relief. I got the bag.
We also wanted to explore the area’s sand caves and Antelope Canyon, but there simply wasn’t enough time. Antelope Canyon is on Navajo Nation land and requires a guided tour, so that will deserve a properly planned visit next time.
Once again, we left with that familiar travel conclusion: we have to come back!
Glendale, Utah: A Basecamp for Bryce and Zion
From Page, we continued to Bauers Canyon Ranch RV Park in Glendale, Utah, a charming, small, family-owned campground that served as our basecamp for exploring Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks.
With Bryce and Zion on the agenda, we had plenty to keep us busy. As it turned out, the scenery would cooperate beautifully. The weather? That was another story.
Bryce Canyon: Hoodoos, Thor’s Hammer, and a Busy Trail
At Bryce Canyon National Park, Mark and I hiked the Navajo Loop, taking in Thor’s Hammer and the formation called Two Bridges. We also walked the Rim Trail between Sunrise and Sunset Points.
Bryce’s famous hoodoos are irregular rock spires shaped by weathering and erosion. Water seeps into cracks, freezes, expands, and gradually breaks the rock apart. Over time, that process, together with runoff, creates the extraordinary formations that fill the amphitheater.
Apparently, water and freezing temperatures have considerably more artistic talent than I do.
Bryce has the largest concentration of hoodoos on Earth, and walking among them gives you a different perspective from viewing them along the rim. From above, you see the vast collection of formations; down on the trail, you appreciate the individual shapes—including Thor’s Hammer, which looks remarkably like its name suggests.
No superhero appearance during our visit, though. Just us and a lot of other people with cameras.
I was surprised by how busy the park was. We certainly weren’t the only travelers who had decided this was a good time to visit! With so many visitors sharing the trails and overlooks, there were plenty of moments to pause, let people pass, and take another look around.
Between the Navajo Loop and our walk along the rim, we had a chance to appreciate Bryce from more than one angle. We still left with more we wanted to see, but that seems to be the theme of this stretch of the trip.
Zion: Rain Checks, Red Rocks & Bighorn Sheep
Our day in Zion National Park was stormy and rainy—so much so that the adventure we were most looking forward to, hiking The Narrows, was closed because of flash flooding.
We had hoped to spend part of the day walking in the Virgin River between towering canyon walls. Apparently, the river had other plans. The Narrows went straight onto our “next time” list.
Fortunately, a rainy day in Zion still leaves plenty to admire. We entered through the East Entrance, stopping to see Checkerboard Mesa before continuing along the Zion–Mount Carmel Highway. Between the tunnel, the switchbacks, and the scenic pull-offs, the drive itself was part of the experience.
The Zion–Mount Carmel Tunnel stretches about 1.1 miles through the sandstone cliffs. Emerging from it into that enormous landscape is quite a reveal, even when the weather hasn’t read your itinerary.
Between breaks in the rain, we managed several short hikes and sightseeing stops. We took in the Court of the Patriarchs, walked the Grotto Trail and a short section of the Sand Bench Trail, and hiked the Canyon Overlook Trail.
The Court of the Patriarchs features three peaks named Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Methodist minister Frederick Vining Fischer and two local boys named them in 1916. These towering Old Testament namesakes seem to “hold court” over their stretch of the Virgin River, and they make quite an imposing trio.
During one particularly persistent bout of rain, we decided the sensible next stop was lunch at the Red Rock Grill inside Zion Lodge. A lovely meal, a dry seat, and time to enjoy being in the park without being rained on? That plan had my full support.
One of our rainy-day highlights was spotting bighorn sheep on the hillside. They seemed considerably less concerned about the weather than we were and much more comfortable navigating the terrain. No hiking boots, no rain jackets, and no apparent need for a lunch reservation.
Despite the change in plans, we were glad we had made the visit. Zion’s scenery and sheer scale deserve more time than we could give them, especially with the weather taking such an active role in our schedule.
We’ll be back for The Narrows and more time in both Zion and Bryce. And next time, we want to work Capitol Reef National Park into the trip, too. Our return-trip list is growing faster than we can drive through it!
Thirty-Four Parks Down—and Plenty of Road Ahead
By the way, did you know the United States has 63 designated national parks? The broader National Park System includes 433 sites, encompassing national monuments, historic sites, seashores, battlefields, and more.
Over the years, we’ve visited 34 of the 63 national parks, and we have two more to check off before returning home from this trip. That still leaves plenty of reasons to keep traveling.
And that’s before counting all the places we’ve already visited and decided we need to revisit: Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce, Zion, and now a future stop at Capitol Reef.
At this rate, finishing the list may require us to stop adding to it. I don’t see that happening anytime soon!
Next Stop: Time with the Greats
Next, we’re heading toward Phoenix to see the Greats! We’ll be staying at Buckeye Ranch RV Resort in Tonopah, Arizona, conveniently close to where they live.
After meteors, famous corners, canyon views, hoodoos, and a few rain showers, we’re looking forward to some time with them. We’ll pick the story back up after our stay!
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