Allison Cafe

Part 5: After leaving Wyoming we headed south to Utah. We stayed at our first KOA RV Park on the trip in Brigham City, Utah. KOAs (Kampgrounds Of America) are network of campgrounds around the country that offer full services for RVs and campers alike. We needed to stay here for several reasons, the most crucial being the use of laundry room. After 1 week in the RV we needed some clean clothes that did not smell like campfires. The RV lifestyle was fully apparent at the KOA, some people appear to have been there for weeks and others just passing through like us. But there was a sense of community among some of the campers, they even had a live musical performance taking place in the center of campground. It was already after 7:30pm and we didn’t feel like being social RV people at this point, so we simply squeezed into our small slot next to our neighbors, setup shop, ate dinner and called it a night. I was working from the road too, so this was a welcome opportunity to get some work done as well, without any amazing views to distract me.

Another tidbit about Brigham City is the availability of fresh peaches, corn, and other fruits and vegetables here. We stopped at a local fruit stand, and for about $5 got our fill of peaches, sweet corn, berries, tomatoes and peppers. We noticed also here a series of drive-in eateries that looked like they hadn’t changed since the 50’s, we were sorry we couldn’t stay to check them out. Just looking at them made we want a malted shake and a greasy cheeseburger! After stopping at the local Walmart for some provisions, we hit the road a few minutes before noon for Zion National Park in southern Utah.

We arrived to the north part of the park that evening around 5pm, and were surprised to find that there isn’t any camping nearby. So we did a quick driving tour just before sunset of the northern section before heading south again on the Interstate 15. We really didn’t know where we would camp that evening, we heard from the park ranger at the northern entrance that the campgrounds at the southern entrance were already full. So we decided to try Quail Lake State Park. The air was warm, kind of like being placed under a hair dryer, it was a dry heat. But the view of the lake, with the peaks of Zion in the distance were beautiful. The campsites there were nice, and the campground was only about one quarter full. Why we wondered? Well, after the desert winds died that evening, in came the bugs. And the heat remained as well. I had no idea that there would be bugs small enough to come through the holes in the screens on the RV. It was a nightmare scene when I walked into the RV to get ready for bed. I madly started swatting the fly swatter, and spraying bug spray. Poor Hayley was terrified, she and Steve just stood outside until the carnage was over and the sounds of bug smacking subsided. But this meant we had to fall asleep with the windows all shut, which also meant we woke up in the middle of the night sweating and gave in and opened the windows. Luckily the air outside and gotten cooler, and there wasn’t any light in the RV attracting the bugs, so the RV cooled off pretty quickly. We also were then able to see the moon reflecting on the still lake, it was really quite beautiful.

The next morning we woke up early, made ourselves some cereal for breakfast and then hit the road to Zion, about 20-30 minutes down the road. We entered the park around 10am and were able to secure a site at the South Campground. We luckily found one with some shade. Shade was key since we would have to leave Hayley in the RV with the windows open and the fans on while we went hiking for the day.

Zion National Park has a wonderful, free shuttle service that takes you all throughout the park. Which meant that once we settled at our campsite, we didn’t have to move the RV again. We did a couple of hikes that day, the Riverside Walk leading to the Narrows and the Emerald Pool hikes. Even the view from the shuttle was breathtaking though, we learned something from the played recordings and we were both able to look up at the amazingly high red peaks. We even saw mountain climbers on the shear cliffs, that was impressive. I can only imagine the skill it must take to do that. While in Zion we saw a wild turkey and some frogs as well. We didn’t have to fear the threat of bears here, but we did watch for snakes and mountain lions as well.

Zion was a peaceful park and truly breathtaking. It was so different than the previous parks we had just been too. First of all it is a desert and everywhere you look you see various hues of red rock. It also is 100 years old, it became a National Park in 1909. I can see why there are so many spiritual influences on the naming of the peaks and areas within the park, it was a very peaceful and reflective place. I want to go back again and do more hiking in the back country and in the water in the Narrows, we didn’t have the right equipment or more importantly the time this trip, but since we bought an annual National Park pass for $80, we can go back to any National Park for the next year.

Part 6: The journey home begins after our stay in Zion. We drove about 3 hours to Las Vegas, and checked ourselves into the Monte Carlo. Took real showers, relaxed by the pool and treated ourselves to an amazing dinner at Emeril Lagasse’s New Orleans Fish House at the MGM Hotel and Casino. It would have been nice to continue our Vegas time, but it wasn’t a place for puppies and we were eager to make it home. After one night in Vegas, we then began the final leg home of our trip with a 5 hour drive to North County San Diego.

It was sad to part ways with the GuyLin, it became our little, portable home for the week. And together we saw so many amazing and different things. But it felt very good to get home to our own space. And Hayley was so excited to see grass again after several days in the desert. Now we can enjoy the memories and the many amazing photos of our first RV road trip. We just can’t wait to get on the road again!

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