BJ and Tony's Travels: January 2024

Travelers:

Birmingham - Jan, Kelly, Kristin, Suzan
Fernandina Beach - Rebecca, Eva Marie, BJ, Nancy
Colorado - Maria will join us in Moab

Preparation:

Eva Marie advises to create an account at https://www.recreation.gov and also download the app. It is as yet unclear what we will do on this site.

Make a reservation for entry to Arches National Park. Ticketed entry runs from 7AM-4PM daily from April-October. If you do not have a timed entry ticket, you cannot enter the park during the day.

Everyone should also get the America The Beautiful Pass which gets us entry into National Parks.

To Bring:

Water Bottles - there are filling stations in the parks.
Cell phone mount for GPS & Charging Equipment
Hiking Shoes
Walking Stick
Daypack
Bug Spray
Suntan Spray
Sunglasses
Binoculars
Zip Lock Bags (a few)
Softside Cooler
America the Beautiful Pass

To Pack:

Long Sleeve Shirts/T-Shirts
Short Sleeve Shirts/T-Shirts
Sweatpants/Warm Athletic Pants
Shorts
Layers - Puffer Jacket/Lightweight Coat/Rain Jacket
Waterproof Hiking Shoes/Water Shoes
Moisture-Wicking Socks
Beanie
Baseball Cap/Visor
Gloves
Pajamas
Yoga Clothes (if want to do yoga)
Underwear
Swimsuit
Flip-Flops (shower shoes)
Liquid Toiletries
Cards/Games

Schedule:

4/13/2024 - Eva Marie & Rebecca fly Breeze Airways direct flight from Jacksonville to Las Vegas. Jan, Kelly, Kristin and Suzan fly Southwest direct flight from Birmingham to Las Vegas.

4/14/2024 - BJ & Nancy fly Delta from Jacksonville to Las Vegas via Atlanta

Everyone makes their way to their respective hotels, Aria (Jan, Kelly, Kristin & Suzan) Paris (Eva Marie & Rebecca) & MGM Grand (BJ & Nancy)

BJ picks up Midsize SUV (Jeep Compass or Similar) at Thrifty Rent A Car

Find a grocery/liquor store & stock up on supplies. *Important since liquor laws are "unusual" in Utah.

Monday 4/15/2024 - Las Vegas to Springdale, Utah

9:00AM (ish) - Drive from Las Vegas to River Rock Roasting Company, 394 S State St, La Verkin, UT 84745

Possible detour to admire the Joshua trees in the Mojave Desert on Joshua Tree Road
Admire Virgin River Gorge, Littlefield, AZ 86432

12:30PM (ish) (Local Time) Lunch at River Rock Roasting Company
***2:00PM (ish) - Drive to Peekaboo Slot Canyon at 681 Chinle Drive, Kanab, Utah 84741
3:30PM-6:00PM Peek-a-Boo Canyon Value Tour ~$100/person 1.5 hours*** We would probably move this tour to Wednesday since this had us go thru Zion National Park twice ***
5:30PM (ish) - Drive to The Lodge by Marriott, 792 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale, UT 84767
7:00PM (ish) - Dinner at Spotted Dog 450 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale, UT 84767
9:00PM (ish) - Back to The Lodge by Marriott, 792 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale, UT 84767

Tuesday 4/16/2024 - Zion National Park

Breakfast at The Lodge
8:00AM - Walk to Zion Shuttle Springdale Line Stop 4, take shuttle to entrance to Zion National Park, show America the Beautiful Pass to get in.
Board the Zion Shuttle & ride to the last stop #9
Take the Riverside Walk - 2.2 mi, 57 ft, 1.5 hours
Board the Zion Shuttle & ride to stop #6
Hikes - Complete descriptions Here

Nancy, Eva Marie & Suzan took the Emerald Pool Trail - 3 mi, 200 ft, 2 hours - sandy & rocky
Kelly, Jan, Rebecca, BJ & Kristen took the Scout Lookout via West Rim Trail - 4.2 mi, 1000 ft, 3 hours - fear of heights

Lodging - Under the Canvas - Did we get our AARP 10% discount? 3955 Kolob Terrace Road, Virgin, Utah 84779 Arrival Information Welcome Book

Our location can be a little difficult to find. The following are step-by-step directions from La Verkin, UT. If you use Google Maps, the directions may instruct you to turn left into a housing area; please don’t turn there.
From La Verkin turn right onto UT-9 E/W 500 N for 7.1 miles. Continue until you pass the Zion River Resort. Turn left onto Kolob Terrace Rd. and continue for 5.6 miles. Then turn left at our entrance.
*There is very limited cell service along the route to the camp after you leave La Verkin, so we recommend loading the map prior to leaving town. Also note that the road leading to Under Canvas Zion is surrounded by free-range cattle land and there is a chance for cattle to be on the road.

Dining

Dine at Under the Canvas - limited menu selection. S'mores served around the campfire after dinner.

Wednesday, 4/17/2024 - Cedar Breaks National Monument & Brice Canyon National Park

Dinosaur Footprints - Under Canvas gave us directions to find them.

Turn left out of the resort on Kalob Terrace Road
At the Y, take Smith Mesa Road for about 10 minutes until you see a U shaped driveway on the left (it is difficult to spot).
Park in the U shaped driveway and walk across the street in the wash.
Once you see the silver water trough, the dinosaur footprints will be about 1 minute past the trough.

Cedar Breaks National Monument - Rich colorful rock amphitheater *** We skipped this since we had a long day of driving ***
Bryce Canyon National Park

Sights

Hoodoos
Scenic Drive through Park

Hikes - Details can be found Here

Rim Trail - 1-7 hours - 5.5 miles to Fairyland Point - popular viewpoints

Lodging - Bryce Canyon Log Cabins - 1 N 100 E Tropic When you get to the location, you will see ten (10) cabins in a row with Red Roofs facing a fence and an open field. There are numbers on the fence that match your cabin. Please park in a spot that matches your cabin. Kindly note that our cabins have red roofs - NOT green-roof cabins.

Thursday, 4/18/2024 - Capital Reef National Park, Goblin Valley State Park

Mossy Cave - 30-60 mins - Mossy Cave Sheltered Overhang or Water Canyon access
***Capital Reef National Park*** We decided to skip Capital Reef & Goblin Valley since it was such a long drive to Moab
Moab -VRBO - 3 nights Bella Casa Retreat -550 North Main Street - Located in a business district and directly behind a small strip mall. It is a two story grey cinder block building.

Friday, 4/19/2024 - Arches National Park