Trips – Page 3 – Small Wanders

26 Sep – 09 Oct 2022: Zion/Bryce/Kanab

In September 2021, we took our first RV trip out of California to St. George Utah & Zion National Park. It was such a great trip, we decided to visit southern Utah again in 2022 to explore the many places we missed. Utah is a RV and hiker’s paradise with so many diverse and amazing national & state parks. It’ll take years to see all that Utah offers.

26 Sept 2022 – Thousand Trails, Las Vegas
We bought a Thousand Trails Camping Pass during our Yosemite Trip in July 2022. So we stopped for a one-night layover at their location in Las Vegas. The annual membership allows us to stay at any Thousand Trails campground in the southwest region at no additional cost.
Driving 6 hours from Oceanside to Las Vegas is the longest single-day trek we’ve done so far. After a food & fuel break in Barstow, driving a few more hours to Vegas was no problem. We would not hesitate driving this distance again, although heavy traffic in Riverside between the 215 to 15 & in Vegas can be challenging.
Thousand Trails Las Vegas is east of the Strip in central Vegas (see map below). It was busy for a Monday & looks like a popular campground. Sites are pretty close together with relatively narrow roads & turns. Site 112 was a level, loose gravel site with full hookups & only one neighbor. This location is the only Thousand Trails RV park between SoCal and Utah and we were glad to find a vacancy on our route.

27 Sep – Oct 1 2022: Springdale, Utah – Zion National Park
After one-night in Vegas, we drove to Springdale, the gateway into Zion National Park south. We booked a full-hookup, riverside site for 4 nights at Zion Canyon Campground & RV Resort where we stayed last year. A fantastic location that’s 1/2mi from the entrance to Zion National Park.

Last year we hiked Angel’s Landing & the Narrows so we opted to explore other trails this visit –

Emerald Pools Trail – popular trail near Zion Lodge that treks up to three pools – Lower, Middle, Upper – fed by one waterfall. Pools were small due to the low water level this late in the season.
Zion Canyon Overlook Trail – short popular hike just east of the Zion Tunnel. Great short hike along a mid-canyon trail that ends is a panoramic view of Zion Canyon. Bring plenty of water since none is available anywhere close.
Shelf Canyon Trail – slot canyon trail near Zion Canyon Overlook Trail – looked blocked by recent rockfall(s) so we didn’t make it very far.
Lower Pine Creek Waterfall Trail – lesser known trail that end at a waterfall, a short hike that requires scrambling along the creek bed.

The Narrows Trail is still our favorite hike but it was great to explore other parts of Zion NP. Each of these trails have unique aspects, different terrain & scenery. There are plenty of Zion trails to still to explore, especially the eastern trails.

Driving from Zion to Bryce Canyon
The second leg of our trip was to Bryce Canyon and there are a couple routes from Springdale. The shortest route (~1.5hr 75mi) takes you on the winding scenic road through Zion National Park. This route has the historic 1.1mi Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel with a maximum height clearance of 13ft. Taller RVs have to take the longer route around the west side of Zion NP through Hurricane than north on the 15.
Towing Howie (~10ft tall, ~3400lbs) with our Tacoma to 8000ft is always a concern since it struggles on long inclines. But since Springdale/Zion is already at 4000ft, the additional 4000ft climb to Bryce was doable. So we took this winding eastbound route on UT-9E through Zion National Park & its mile-long tunnel. For a $15 ‘toll’, they stop oncoming traffic between 8am-7pm – these hours vary seasonally. Towing Howie was a piece-of-cake without any high transmission temperatures issues. It’s a beautiful scenic drive & we were tempted to pull over many times.

Leg 2 Bryce Canyon: 01 – 05 Oct 2022
We booked 4 nights at Ruby’s Inn, an RV resort a few miles outside the park entrance. It’s a huge, full-amenities RV and hotel resort that’s a town in itself – Bryce Canyon City. We reserved a full-hookup, pull-through site that was rustic, in a grove of trees, beautiful but extremely uneven. We repositioned a few time to find the flattest section and it still required 4.5″ to level Howie. The new section of RV sites numbered in the 200s are more spacious, flatter, with fewer trees. If you want more room with more open-sky (for Starlink), definitely consider booking one of theses unshaded sites.

Bryce Canyon National Park has uniquely spectacular vistas. Photos cannot do it justice & capture the wonder of this place.
Hikes into Bryce Canyon:

Queen’s Garden to Navajo Loop trail.
From Bryce Point, we hiked the Peekaboo Trail to Navajo Trail.
Near Tropic, a nearby town, we hiked the Mossy Cave Trail. After the hike and lunch, we took the scenic drive through Bryce Canyon.

Bryce Canyon is an amazing place with some great hikes. Most take you down into the canyon, which can be vertically challenging. If you are visiting Zion National Park, adding Bryce Canyon to your itinerary is a must. Bryce Canyon was the high point for me this trip.

Leg 3 Kanab: 05-08 Oct 2022
To be honest, after all the hikes and driving, by the time we arrived at Kanab, we were tired. Although retired a few years now, I find it hard to sit & relax by the RV when there are so many unexplored places to see & photograph. But we shortened our 4 night stay to 3 at Kanab RV Corral.
Since we shortened our visit by a day and arrived fairly early Wednesday. We spent the afternoon hiking to the Sand Caves just north of town.
We also entered the lottery for a Friday permit to hike the Wave. We didn’t get selected so we drove to the north rim of the Grand Canyon. It’s about 75mi south of Kanab but a great drive for fall colors. We had a great day exploring the north rim & enjoyed the panoramic canyon view at the lodge restaurant. We wanted to continue exploring so we drove Cape Royal Road to all the viewpoints. Another high-point was photographing sunset at Cape Royal/Angels Window, although the drive back to Kanab in the dark was challenging.

8 Oct 2022: Heading Home

We wanted to make Day 2 of our drive home shorter so that meant driving further from Kanab Day 1. Stopping at Thousand Trails Las Vegas again would make the Day 2 drive home 6hrs or more. So we opted to stop in Las Vegas to fuel and take a break then continue to Barstow. We stayed at the Barstow/Yermo KOA in 2021 and found it to be an acceptable stopping point from Zion-Utah to Oceanside. So we reserved a pull-thru spot this trip. The site assigned to us this trip was a lot nicer than last year’s. We had trees shading our site and the restrooms were much closer & cleaner.

14-16 Aug 2022: Portland Oregon

by JamesAugust 14, 2022April 16, 2024Day Trips / Hikes / Oregon / Sightseeing / Travel / Trips

My brother typically visits SoCal in August and we celebrate his birthday. Since he and his wife just bought a home, we thought we’d make the trip north to checkout their new place. It’s a 1000+mi road trip north so we opted for a ~2hr plane ride versus a 2-3 day road trip (each way) towing Howie. Gas is getting cheaper but still over $5/gal and the San Joaquin Valley is over 100°F this August. Plus we enjoy Portland so we planned to spend a few days there after visiting family. We’d need to take two weeks to make it worth the drive. So this tripped, we scouted places in the Bend-La Pine area for our next visit in Howie.
I was hoping to do some street photography while in Portland but didn’t find much time or desire to wander. Downtown is really different and we missed the weekend farmer’s market. We did visit a few landmarks like the International Rose Test Garden, Hoyt Arboretum, and Voodoo Donuts. But our best day in Portland was exploring the coast at Cannon Beach, Haystack Rock and Tillamook Creamery.

Oregon Coast Day-Trip: Haystack Rock, Tillamook Creamery

13 Aug 2022: Smith Rock/Trillian Lake

by JamesAugust 13, 2022April 16, 2024Day Trips / Hikes / Oregon / Sightseeing / State Parks / Travel / Trips

For our drive back to Portland, we took the south Mt Hood route – highways 97 & 26, stopping at Smith Rock and Trillian Lake along the way.
Smith Rock has been a place I’ve wanted to visit for quite awhile. I didn’t realize it was so close to Bend so it was an easy detour as we drove that direction towards Portland.

The Crooked River Trail is an easy hike especially when compared to Misery Ridge & River Trail which takes you to the top of Misery Ridge. Although it was getting hot by noon, there were trees offering shade along the trail. The Smith Rock valley and cliffs reminded us of Utah, specifically Zion. Like Zion, it is very popular with rock climbers and we spotted several as we made our way down the trail. It’s a great, easy hike once you get down into the valley. The start and end incline is pretty steep but short, only 321ft.

Trillian Lake

Trillian Lake is only ~2mi off Highway 26 so a short and easy detour. It is an extremely busy lake especially on Sunday with a lot of swimmers, kayakers, and paddle boarders (kayaks & paddle-boards are available for rent btw). But we found parking since it was late in the day (~6 pm) and wanted to use our $5 day pass (bought online). There is a campground here and it would be a wonderful place to stay with a RV. The weather was clear so Mt Hood was reflected in the lake. I’m sure with a morning calm the reflection would be even better. But late in the day was okay since I found a calm section near the dam. We did not hike the lake loop, just to the southern trail to the ‘dam’. We wanted to arrive in Portland before dark (>9pm) and it was a few hours away.

10-13 Aug 2022: Bend/La Pine Oregon

by JamesAugust 11, 2022April 16, 2024Day Trips / Hikes / Oregon / Sightseeing / State Parks / Travel / Trips

We always enjoy visiting Oregon particularly Central Oregon where my brother moved 30+yrs ago.
There is so much to see and do outdoors around Bend. Now that we are retired, enjoying a RV lifestyle. We can really appreciate places like La Pine, away from the urban sprawl of southern California.

There are an amazing amount of places to see and trails to hike under a hour’s drive from Bend-La Pine. Just 15mins from La Pine is Newberry National Volcanic Monument with Paulina Lake and Big Obsidian Flow. We did the short hike to Obsidian Flow before having lunch at East Lake. The photos will never do this place justice. Very short hike with steep metal stairs at the beginning then an easy trail with benches and lookouts along the way.

10 Aug 2022: Multnomah Falls

by JamesAugust 10, 2022April 16, 2024Day Trips / Hikes / Oregon / Sightseeing / Travel / Trips

Since we flew into Portland, we had a 3 hour drive to Bend. We chose the 84 eastbound along the Columbia River since we enjoy this beautiful scenic drive. We spent a few hours hiking to the top of Multnomah Falls before continuing eastward. Like Vernal Falls in Yosemite, the hike to the top of the falls is a continuous climb upward. The trail leads away from the falls but has beautiful views of the Columbia River. The trail is partially paved then compacted dirt and wide enough for two-way traffic in most sections. Reaching the summit, you drop down into the river bed and can enjoy soaking your feet in the cold water before it falls 542ft.

From May 24 through Sept 5 of this year, Multnomah Falls requires a timed permit that limits the amount of people here. We were fortunate to use our cell phone (there is reception in the parking lot) and get the last 1pm ticket. The tickets have a hourly entry window. You also need a separate permit to drive the ‘waterfall corridor’ along US 30 Historic Highway.

18-19 2022: Yosemite Valley

by JamesJuly 17, 2022April 16, 2024California / Campgrounds / Day Trips / Hikes / National Parks / RVing / Sightseeing / Travel / Travel Trailer / Trips / Wildlife / Yosemite

The iconic Yosemite Valley is always a great place to visit. With national park visitation so popular, we are glad they’ve implemented the 3-day pass ($2) requirement. Fortunately, we were able to take advantage of our July pass somewhat last-minute, booking our campsites just a month before traveling.

July can be hot in Yosemite with 95-100°F mid-day temperatures. Starting hikes early, picking shaded trails, and bringing plenty of water and sunscreen can help make the experience enjoyable. The free shuttle buses stop frequently but many riders do not comply with the mandatory mask mandate. So we chose to drive & bike to the trails and lodge for lunch. Parking becomes scarce by noon so biking around Yosemite Valley, once you find a parking spot, is an ideal way to see the place.

Because of the heat, we picked shorter hikes – Day 1: Mirror Lake, which we mostly biked to, was pretty low but Half Dome was reflecting in the pools.

and Day 2: Mist Trail to Vernal Falls, a somewhat challenging 4mi hike because of the 1279ft elevation gain and 600+ often slippery steps. Like Angel’s Landing in Zion, this is a must-do especially during summer since many waterfalls are low flowing. This was one of the few falls in late July to have a decent flow. In Spring, this waterfall is normally much fuller with mist showering the trail & hikers. Here is the website that tells you what the flow rate is: Should I Hike the Mist Trail Today? (yosemitehikes.com)
This one is worth the hard upward effort but, like Angels Landing, crowded by noon.

14-22 July 2022: Yosemite National Park

by JamesJuly 14, 2022April 16, 2024California / Campgrounds / National Parks / RVing / Travel Trailer / Trips / Yosemite

Oceanside > Bakersfield > Bass Lake > Yosemite

Our last RV trip was in February so by mid-June, after our new grandson’s Jun 2nd arrival, we were ready for a road-trip. Fortunately, Carol made a July reservation for Yosemite and accepting the $6/gal fuel costs and 90-100°F temperatures forecast. We found a campsite available for a week at Bass Lake at Yosemite RV Resort so we decided to go.
All campsites inside Yosemite National Park were booked and with hot weather expected. We wanted full hookups or at least electric so we could run the A/C. Bass Lake is ~18 miles from the south entrance, and 90mins from Yosemite Valley. A bit of a drive but doable, plus we could drive through the sequoias at Mariposa Grove.

Washburn Fire – change of plans

Unfortunately, the Washburn Fire (see map below) started the week before we were to leave. This resulted in the closure of highway 41 and the south entrance to Yosemite for civilian traffic. To avoid driving 2hrs via highway 49 & 140 from Bass Lake to the west entrance three times in three days. We found an opened campsite at Yosemite Lakes RV Resort and rescheduled only 2 nights at Bass Lake and added 4 nights at Yosemite Lakes (on the Merced River – no lake). Our 3-day pass into Yosemite National Park started Monday so we used the three days at Bass Lake to enjoy the lake & surrounding area.

Bakersfield One Night Layover

This was our first road-trip on I-5 over Tejon Pass aka the Grapevine, so I was concerned how difficult our tow was going to be. We packed lightly as usual, had empty tanks, brought our lighter Zizzo folding bikes (vs e-bikes), and the inclines turned out to be no problem. This was our 1st trip after installing Sumo Springs to the rear of our Tacoma. They helped reduce the Tacoma’s hitch sag when hooked to Howie, our 3400# travel trailer w/ 420lbs tongue weight. Plus these taller ‘springs’ improved the tow angle and ride.
We stopped midway at Bakersfield River Run RV Park. A Good Sam RV resort w/ full hookups so we could run the A/C and keep cool during our 1-night layover in 104°F heat. River Run is a convenient location close to highway 99, Starbucks, Costco (fuel), & Temblor Brewery so we stayed here on our way home too.

Bass Lake at Yosemite RV Resort

We enjoyed three days at Bass Lake RV Resort: beating the heat in the cool but boat-busy waters of the lake; renting a pontoon boat and doing a little early morning cruising & fishing; and taking the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad Moonlight Special Saturday night. Sunday we moved to Yosemite Lakes RV Resort, driving the switch-backs of highway 49 then 140 for 90mi (~2.5hrs).

Yosemite Lakes RV Resort – 1000 Trails

Yosemite Lakes RV Resort is a 1000 Trails campground with campsites available to anyone, not just members. But since a new annual membership was roughly the same price as the cost of 4 nights, we decided to join. Figuring we’d end up ‘ahead’ if we booked an additional stay at a 1000 Trails campground, like Palm Springs, within a year.
There were prime sites on the Merced River but they are closer together than other sections of the campground. There is the ‘Sun Valley’ section, which has no trees, so great for Starlink reception but unshaded & hot during the day. We opted for site 57, on the end, across from the river, partially shaded. Starlink worked okay although partially obstructed. Still we were able to watch the Home-run Derby and All-Star game after spending the earlier part of the day in Yosemite Valley. There was zero T-Mobile or Visible cell reception (July 2022) and wifi costs $6/day. We were told by the office the wifi wasn’t very good but their only option. So having Starlink was a wonderful solution and worked fine, although we did not stress the bandwidth.
This campground is only 5mi away from the west entrance and ~40mins to Yosemite Valley. Expecting long lines to get in since the south entrance was closed due to the fire. We were pleasantly surprised that at 9ish am, there wasn’t a queue to get in.

Other than fire fighters in town, fire engines on the road, aircraft in the sky. We never smelt smoke or saw any signs of the Washburn Fire. Another wildfire – the Oak Fire – broke out the day after we left Yosemite. The Yosemite area is extremely dry and with the heatwave & strong afternoon winds, it is easy for a wildfire to spread. We were fortunate to not be affected and had a great trip.

Snorkeling Hawaii Apr-May 2022

by JamesMay 1, 2022April 16, 2024Day Trips / Hawaii / Sightseeing / Travel / Trips / Wildlife

During our stay in Maui and Kauai 23 Apr – 03 May 2022, when not hiking or in the pool, we enjoyed the beach and ocean to stay cool. The ocean in Hawaii is always inviting, clearer & warmer then southern California.
Just north of our Kaanapali Hotel is a popular snorkeling & cliff-jumping spot, Black Rock Beach. Turtles are common and visibility is better in this partially protected cove. In April, the Trade Winds can blow pretty hard especially in the afternoon, stirring up the waves and water so clarity goes down.
We also took the Teralani snorkeling charter to get to some of the best snorkeling areas, the secluded Honolua and Namalu Bays. These areas are beach-accessible but snorkeling off a catamaran is way easier & it’s an awesome, scenic sail to get there. Not to mention food and open-bar.

29 Apr – 03 May 2022: Kauai

by JamesApril 29, 2022April 16, 2024Day Trips / Hawaii / Hikes / Kauai / Sightseeing / State Parks / Travel / Trips

After a week in Maui, we ‘hopped over’ to Kauai. It’s the last major Hawaiian Island we’ve wanted to visit and considered to be the least crowded of the four main islands. We stayed in Lihue so we could access both the southwest and northern parts of the island. We had a rental car and put about 288mi on it in 3 days. Unfortunately, day 4 was spent at the hotel due to food-related illness so our last day was quiet.
Kauai is beautiful and easy to drive although the Waimea Canyon drive is slow with many switchbacks. Tour buses visit the main Waimea Lookout but do not appear to head further up the canyon. The highlight of our trip was Waimea State Park and the ‘moderate’ (more like hard!) Canyon Trail hike. Like Maui, the weather continued to be windy with scattered showers but warm, not hot. Great weather to explore the island and get photos with interesting skies. Like Maui, the weather and landscape – rainforest vs dry – depends on which side of the island you are on.
Most of the beaches tended to be rough for snorkeling but many have protective coves or jetties. Many of Kauai’s waterfalls are near the road but access to the base of the waterfalls requires kayaks &/or hiking.

23-29 Apr 2022: Maui

by JamesApril 23, 2022April 16, 2024Hawaii / Maui / Sightseeing / Travel / Trips

Another trip without Howie but with good reason – Hawaii. This is our first trip by plane since returning from Italy in Jan 2020. With an invitation from family to join them for a week in Maui, postponed since 2020. We were happy to finally travel someplace without towing a travel trailer, especially with gas prices at ~$6/gal.
We spent a week in Ka’anapali Maui with family then spent 5 days on Kauai, our first trip to that island. We’ve now visited four of the main islands – Oahu, Maui, Big Hawaii (Big Island) & Kauai. We considered a day-trip to Lanai from Lahaina but the Trade Winds were pretty strong during the week we were there. Traveling back across the channel in the afternoon would have been rough. So we opted for a 5hr snorkeling day-trip on a Teralani sailboat along the Maui west coast.