This Isn't Iceland: Utah

 Just like everyone else, 2020 royally ruined loads of plans for us.  One of those was to spend our 10 year anniversary in Iceland.  We had tickets purchased, a 4x4 camper truck rented and were ready to go when the pandemic hit hardest in early May.  With everything refunded, we held out hope that maybe the world would "normalize" later in the year.  With that not happening, and in desperate need of a vacation, we opted to go camping.

We left mid-morning on a Friday to miss the weekend-escape-the-heat traffic and landed in Mexican Hat, Utah just before dinner.  We scored a sweet camp spot along the banks of the San Juan River, just behind the famous Hat.  With rafting campers flanking us, we all settled in to listen to the river and watch the bats hunt after the sun set.  

The next morning, we sipped coffee while the sun crept into the gorge.  Packed up, waved at the rafters on the opposite bank and slogged our way towards Valley of the Gods.  We do not miss an opportunity to drive through the Valley if we're up here.  It is my favorite place on the planet.  Since we purchased a DJI Mavic drone specifically for Iceland, we got it up and going to hone our piloting and post-editing skills.  

After a leisurely drive through the Valley, we hit slab and pushed north.  While the desert temperatures are icy compared to southern Arizona this time of year, we had better plans: cool fall temps of Colorado.  

Valley of the Gods

We woke before the sun crested the horizon, packed, said our farewells to Katie and sadly departed the cabin.  Our 4th of July would be celebrated on the road.

The girls nestled into the back for a morning nap on our way towards Valley of the Gods.  You cannot travel through southern Utah and avoid Valley of the Gods.  We have come here 7 out of the last 8 years.  It is my favorite place on the planet.

We made our way through with a good bit of morning light still left over and stopped to stretch our legs at our usual camp spot.  

This is the best way to spend the 4th of July.  In the place where I feel the most free, with 3 of my 4 beloveds.  

Legs stretched, everyone watered, we loaded back into the Jeep and made the sad journey south.  Back into the land of saguaros and scorching heat.  

We'll forever be grateful to Katie for her hospitality and generosity.  While we'll be skipping a year in our camping tradition, this was an amazing way to spend our summer vacation.  

Day 1: Arizona to Utah

It has been an awfully long time since the teardrop left the shop and got some use.  The other half has been busy building cars and racing the past few months, but it is that time of year again: annual vacation.  We opted for the ultimate destination of Silverton again.  But before then, we had some newbies with us and we wanted to share Valley of the Gods with them.

We left home early and powered through to Mexican Hat, Utah.  We stopped briefly for some yummy milk shakes.

See the Mexican Hat peeking from behind the driver's side of the trailer??

With full bellies we headed into Valley of the Gods.  This place is magic.  Everytime we go through it.

See that technique there?  I'm a horrible influence and have started an epidemic amongst my photog friends.  Sit on the windowsill and get the best shots without stopping.

Is that a full size truck back there?  Why yes it is. Our new camp friends travelled three states and numerous trails in a full size Silverado.  Run what you brung.

Our new camp friends left Valley of the Gods in awe.  They had no idea what they were in for.  hehe.

We left the hot red desert for the cooler temperatures of the north.  We overnighted in Monticello, Utah in the aspens.

While the others were setting up their respective camps, I took my kiddos for a walk and was amazed by the abundance of butterflies.  I couldn't figure out for a second why this guy wouldn't open his wings.

We had dinner and set up our new Revel Gear lights around the trailer.  They give just the right amount of ambiance without blinding.

The newest addition to Pete and Mandy's house made a pillow of my feet by the fire before we all turned in for the night.  Tomorrow would be another long day on the road.

Vacation Ruins You

Mike and I ran out of coffee the day before in Colorado.  We hastily packed up and bid adieu to our camp friends for a little while.  We scooted to Mexican Hat for breakfast.

Goodbye Valley of the Gods.

We hit the road and made it to southern Arizona by 4PM.  We've cleaned the trailer, have done a million loads of laundry and settled back into the house.  I've already return to work.

While I wasn't as melancholy during our return as I normally am, I still feel like vacation ruins you.  As a friend put it: "It gives you a moment of clarity where you just look out in the distance and ask "WTF am I doing here?"

And with that, I bid you adieu until the next adventure.  

The end may also be the beginning

It was a lazy morning.  Elly and I stayed in bed a few minutes longer.  After all the rain from the previous night, we needed to wait for the awning and tents to dry.

Once on the road, we pushed fast through Colorado and back into Utah.  We went from tall pines and creek water to the surface of the moon.

From the surface of the moon, to the surface of Mars. Even with the heat, we decided to pay a visit to the first camp spot on our trip in Valley of the Gods and stay the night.

Elly and Rommel were dramatic about the heat, but as soon as the sun set behind the monument the shade was nice.  We all took showers in order to drain out the water from the tanks in our respective camp rigs.  With the added benefit of washing off the sweat and dry red dirt.

We set up both my Nikon and his GoPro to take a million shots for time lapse.  It took a few days, but I managed a video of the Nikon shots.


The dogs slept outside most of the night, with the exception of a bad dream Elly suffered and a few hours napping with mama.

The moon rose late in the night, the air barely cooled and only warranted a sheet to sleep.

It was fitting to end our trip where it began.

Vacation or BUST!

It's that time of year again: mountain time.  I feel like our trip to California was eons ago.  This past year has been busy, at times stressful and without enough adventure.  Work invaded personal time, project cars ate up valuable adventure time and we were beyond ready to escape.

We opted for Colorado again.  Why? Because it always provides ample dirt roads, cool mountain air and the ever necessary flowing water.  But before lush Colorado mountains, we needed to push through hours and hours of barren desert.  So of course, we stopped in Mexican Hat for our first night of camping.

Valley of the Gods called to us.  This place is very special to Mike and I.  It was our first bit of dirt we hit on our honeymoon and we've been enamored with this place since.  We had our hearts set on a specific spot with slight elevation over the valley and most importantly afternoon shade.  While we escaped record temperatures in southern Arizona (it hit 118 at home), it was still in the high 90's in Valley of the Gods.  Shade was crucial. We lucked out!

Mike and I set up camp pretty quickly.  We parked.  HA! We wandered around while our camping companions set up their roof top tents.

We settled in, the boys conversed over frosty beverages and Mandy and I started on dinner.  We discovered freeze dried food at the Overland Expo (West).  We ordered a bunch from Thrive Life and were thoroughly impressed with how tasty and easy it was.  I'm still not convinced its cost effective, but it saved space (both fridge and dry food), weight and mess.  Mandy made a log of which meals we ate.  If she actually blogs this year I will link to it at some point.  

The sun set.  The (almost) full moon rose.  The night remained warm and we left the doors to the teardrop open.  Elly was dramatically hot all night and kept us both unfortunately conscious.  But it was a good first day on the road and the week had just begun.