We took the drive from Rifle, Colorado to Bryce Canyon City, Utah in two days. Easy days. It gets a little difficult in places to get a full long day of driving (for us that means seven hours or so, or 350 miles) when there is nowhere to stop for the day. So we made it in two shorter days. We stayed a night in Green River, Utah; the definition of being in the middle of nowhere Utah starts here. We stayed at a KOA that pretty much exists because Arches NP and Canyonlands NP are less than an hour away. That is the funny thing about Utah- pretty dang ugly on the flats but such amazing, red/pink/white/orange mountains just thrust up out of the flats! Or actually, worn down to make the flats! We did get stuck in a cattle drive however; cowboys and all, for about 10 minutes. It was entertaining!
We love this National Park! No other way to say it. It is the youngest of the rock parks that stretch down to the Grand Canyon, so has the most brilliant colors. And the hoodoos! The rocks around Bryce are mostly the pinks and a little of the white sand stone. Around Bryce NP there are many areas with the bright pink rocks and small hoodoos like Red Canyon. It sits around 8000’ (plus or minus depending on where you are) so is nice and cool, and has vast coniferous forests. As you move down towards the Grand Canyon more and more of the top rocks layers wear off until you get the deep rocks of the Grand Canyon.
Because the park just opened to camping and we couldn’t get a reservation, we stayed in Ruby’s RV Resort and Campground just outside of the park. Quite a story there based on the life of a man named Rueben. Most of Bryce Canyon City is around the Ruby’s franchise. Nice park with a pool, grocery store, general store and beautiful showers! There is an inn, nice restaurant, grill and even a riding service with either horses or ATVs.
We hiked down into Bryce along the Sunrise area- Queen’s Garden Trail to the Navajo Loop. We couldn’t come back up through Wall Street because it was still closed for the winter. These trails are rocky and steep and a bit too narrow for my taste in spots. I made it two years ago and am in much better shape now, so we did it. Did I mention it is all over 8500’ elevation? Gaa! Going down is tough on the knees and coming up there simply is NO oxygen !! We made friends coming up because I had to stop at each switchback! Along with the other couples doing the same! It is over 700 feet elevation change.
Then we decided to go to the Thunderbird, a restaurant we really enjoyed that is outside the east entrance to Zion. We found out, when we got there, they are closed on Thursdays – after driving over an hour to get there. Ugh. But we continued on to Zion to look for Bighorn Sheep in the hills there. No luck but we enjoyed the differences in the hills of Zion vs. Bryce. And the sunset reflecting off the rocks. With no cell service except in small stretches of the Highway 89, we could not find another dinner spot. Most closed far too early. So we headed back to Ruby’s and ate snacks for dinner. I have a well stocked snack bag we always carry. You know, for when you fall off the cliff and have to survive for days….
We decided to try again the following day – drive back to the restaurant and go look for the Bighorn Sheep. We were traveling down highway 89 again, almost there, when suddenly the tire pressure gauge goes off. There is no shoulder on this 2 lane road, no cell service. Dave finds a small driveway exit just as the pressure goes to zero. We are blocking a part of the driveway but figure they can get out. As we try to figure out how to work the car jack (me reading the very unhelpful manual), we get the car up and find the tire has lost a whole strip of its inside tread. Down to the steel. I have not changed a tire in at least 35 years but at least Dave and Matt had rotated the Tesla tires recently. Dave gets the little spare on and sees that the driver side tire has also lost most of its inside tread. Now what? We are at least 35 miles from Bryce Canyon City and the rig, on a windy 2 lane road with few shoulders!! It is Friday night and nothing is open in the few tiny towns we pass through. We decide to try to get back to the rig at no more than 45 mph. With the flashers going. Most of the road is 65 mph but hey, sorry. I was so happy to get maps and see when we were within 5 miles. We can walk that! It was a very long, stressful hour of driving, waiting to lose the second tire. We get to Ruby’s and call AAA to try and arrange a tow to Les Schwab in Cedar City- 90 miles away. Thank God for AAA premium! The driver gets to us about an hour later- we have never packed Tut so fast since we are going to figure out staying in Cedar City to get the car in first thing Saturday morning! Luckily, it was our last night at Bryce anyway. So sandwiches for dinner as we hurtled after the tow truck going soooo fast on this mountain road,in the dark, with so many sharp curves. Ugh! In the meantime, Cherie found us a tiny RV park near Les Schwab where for $40 cash and no paperwork (?) we can stay the night.
The tires were replaced and it was just way out of alignment. Might have something to do with the large number of large potholes everywhere we go! And being towed into those holes is probably not the best. But now Li’l Tailgater has beautiful new feet and we can head off to Snow Canyon, Utah for our next stop. Yay!
