Utah - Zion National Park
We departed Tucson on May 6, 2020. Even though we did very little while we were there other than eat, sleep, and watch the news, while sequestered to our motorhome we were tired. We honestly were tired of doing nothing. It’s incredible how being inactive can wear on you.
We woke up early and got things ready to continue with our adventure north, our destination was Utah. The motorhome had a new set of tires, we had gotten rid of a lot of things, and we felt a little more organized. Mark and I and the two dogs were loaded and ready for the road.
As we were driving through Phoenix, the temperatures rose to well above one hundred. We were sitting in stop-and-go traffic, and it felt to me that the motorhome was getting hot. Having a big windshield doesn’t stop the heat from penetrating the front passenger area, but it just felt like things were warmer than usual. I did say something to Mark about feeling very warm, that's when he tells me he's had his eye on the gauges and they were indicating that we were overheating. “SAY WHAT!!” That, of course, put me in a panic mode! (My trusty driver was as cool as a cucumber.) At one point, I turned around, and the dogs were panting, staring at me like, “it’s just too hot back here.” We finally pulled over and started the generator and got both air-conditioners going, and cooled things off in the back. We knew we had a problem. I wanted to find a mechanic and fix our issue, Mark told me that was not necessary, he’d just adjust his speed and we would make it to our campsite for the evening. He was confident that all we needed was our radiator to be flushed.
We arrived safely at our campsite at Zion River Resort and Campground in Virgin, Utah, and I was just in awe! Southern Utah was just spectacular. The sun was shining; the red rock lined the hillsides and stood out against the blue sky. Our campsite butted up against the Virgin River, and you could sit outside and hear the roaring current as it rushed by.
The atmosphere had changed after leaving Arizona and arriving in Utah. We were still overly cautious and continued to social distance, wear our masks, and keep to ourselves. However, things did seem to be a bit more relaxed. There was a swimming pool at this campground, and it was open. There was a limit on how many could be in it at one time, but just the fact that it was open made things seem more “normal.” I have not sat by a swimming pool since my kids were little, but darn it, I sat by it a few times so that I could feel less restricted and more like a “normal” person.
We spent a lot of our time outside; it was much more relaxed than in Arizona. The temperatures were cooler, and more things were open. We pulled out our lights for outdoors and put those up; it was just fun to enjoy the life we were living and not feel so restricted. We got in the car one day and just took a drive. The National Park was closed, but we could drive on the outskirts and snap some pictures from the car.
Also, while we were there, I ventured out and got my hair done. We took a drive to St. George, one of the larger cities near where we stayed; it was a lovely town. I was leery about going into a salon and having someone stand within 1-2 feet of me and do my hair. But once I got inside, I felt more comfortable; everyone was wearing their masks at that time; Covid was not as prevalent in Southern Utah as it was in Tucson. However, as time went on, this scenario changed.
Zion National Park finally opened, not the entire park; however, parts of the park were open to foot traffic. We took one day to walk around and explore the fantastic scenery. The pictures that I took did not do the park justice. Every day I kept telling Mark how beautiful it was and how I could live there. Zion is one park that is on our list to return. I want to spend more time exploring, hiking, and taking more pictures of the wildlife and all the fantastic hillsides with a Redrock and southwestern ambiance.
But all beautiful things sometimes do end, and we knew it was time to get this show on the road. It was time to pack up and head north. But before leaving we drove down to St George one more time, took the motorhome in to get the radiator flushed/cleaned and ready to go so we didn’t have any issues with overheating. May 21, 2020, we departed for Montana.
We woke up early and got things ready to continue with our adventure north, our destination was Utah. The motorhome had a new set of tires, we had gotten rid of a lot of things, and we felt a little more organized. Mark and I and the two dogs were loaded and ready for the road.
As we were driving through Phoenix, the temperatures rose to well above one hundred. We were sitting in stop-and-go traffic, and it felt to me that the motorhome was getting hot. Having a big windshield doesn’t stop the heat from penetrating the front passenger area, but it just felt like things were warmer than usual. I did say something to Mark about feeling very warm, that's when he tells me he's had his eye on the gauges and they were indicating that we were overheating. “SAY WHAT!!” That, of course, put me in a panic mode! (My trusty driver was as cool as a cucumber.) At one point, I turned around, and the dogs were panting, staring at me like, “it’s just too hot back here.” We finally pulled over and started the generator and got both air-conditioners going, and cooled things off in the back. We knew we had a problem. I wanted to find a mechanic and fix our issue, Mark told me that was not necessary, he’d just adjust his speed and we would make it to our campsite for the evening. He was confident that all we needed was our radiator to be flushed.
We arrived safely at our campsite at Zion River Resort and Campground in Virgin, Utah, and I was just in awe! Southern Utah was just spectacular. The sun was shining; the red rock lined the hillsides and stood out against the blue sky. Our campsite butted up against the Virgin River, and you could sit outside and hear the roaring current as it rushed by.
The atmosphere had changed after leaving Arizona and arriving in Utah. We were still overly cautious and continued to social distance, wear our masks, and keep to ourselves. However, things did seem to be a bit more relaxed. There was a swimming pool at this campground, and it was open. There was a limit on how many could be in it at one time, but just the fact that it was open made things seem more “normal.” I have not sat by a swimming pool since my kids were little, but darn it, I sat by it a few times so that I could feel less restricted and more like a “normal” person.
We spent a lot of our time outside; it was much more relaxed than in Arizona. The temperatures were cooler, and more things were open. We pulled out our lights for outdoors and put those up; it was just fun to enjoy the life we were living and not feel so restricted. We got in the car one day and just took a drive. The National Park was closed, but we could drive on the outskirts and snap some pictures from the car.
Also, while we were there, I ventured out and got my hair done. We took a drive to St. George, one of the larger cities near where we stayed; it was a lovely town. I was leery about going into a salon and having someone stand within 1-2 feet of me and do my hair. But once I got inside, I felt more comfortable; everyone was wearing their masks at that time; Covid was not as prevalent in Southern Utah as it was in Tucson. However, as time went on, this scenario changed.
Zion National Park finally opened, not the entire park; however, parts of the park were open to foot traffic. We took one day to walk around and explore the fantastic scenery. The pictures that I took did not do the park justice. Every day I kept telling Mark how beautiful it was and how I could live there. Zion is one park that is on our list to return. I want to spend more time exploring, hiking, and taking more pictures of the wildlife and all the fantastic hillsides with a Redrock and southwestern ambiance.
But all beautiful things sometimes do end, and we knew it was time to get this show on the road. It was time to pack up and head north. But before leaving we drove down to St George one more time, took the motorhome in to get the radiator flushed/cleaned and ready to go so we didn’t have any issues with overheating. May 21, 2020, we departed for Montana.
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