Wahweap Az to Grand Junction, Colorado

Since our last post we've moved a bit down the road.

Leaving Wahweap on Lake Powell, we headed to Red Canyon, Ut.

Our route on US 89 takes us thru the southern end of the Grand Staircase National Monument. 

Thru Kanab, Utah and North on 89 we finally arrive at Red Canyon

Red Canyon Campground Utah

While there, we checked out some future boondocking opportunities.

Tom Best Spring Rd - just off Utah 12 west of Bryce Canyon is loaded with places to camp.

Boondocking on Toms Best Spring Rd Ut

Campground view at Red Canyon

Red Canyon Campground is only about 8 miles west of Bryce Canyon, so we took advantage of the proximity to pay another visit.

What can I say - this place rocks!

Being Thursday of Labor Day weekend - some of the overlooks were starting to get crowded.

At one place a family had school age children who were sneezing and coughing and we decided to mask up and keep our distance.

Later we found a secluded place for lunch in the woods.

After 5 days boondocking at Red Canyon - we headed east along Ut 12.

The highway is a designated Scenic By-way and is really one of the great US drives.

In Utah - it seems that the scenery changes about every 20 minutes.

Slick Rock Country

down into the Escalante River Canyon

And then along the "hogback"

At points no shoulder and a several hundred foot drop on either side.

Along the way we stopped and took a spin thru the Singletree National Forest Campground.

Located at 8,200' above Capital Reef National Park - its a cool alternative for the warm temps in the valley.     We stayed here in 2012 - that is our 5th wheel on the left.

Dropping down several thousand feet, we enter Capital Reef National Park.

Finally we arrive at our next spot for 3 nights:   J Robb State Park in Fruita, Colorado.

While there - we met up with these 2 fun Irish Lassies who we met last year in Alaska.

They were slowly working their way back to Boston and it was fun to catch up with them

in a Socially Distant Happy Hour.

Carolyn and Jackie 

We picked up some curbside groceries at City Market in Grand Junction and then after 2 nights we headed to the Island Acres Section of J Robb State Park.

The park is broken up into 2 separate sections - Island Acres being further east and along the Colorado River.

Site 33 Island Acres

Colorado River at the campground

Amtrak - The California Zephyr heading west

Our original plan after Fruita was to head up onto Grand Mesa.

The Mesa is the largest flat-topped mountain in the world and the campgrounds up there are all at or above 10,000'.     The problem was that a strong cold front with snow and rain came thru and between the cold and the snow up on the mesa - we decided to stay down lower at 5,000'

August Snow on Grand Mesa

August Snow on Grand Mesa

August Snow on Grand Mesa

Today we drove back up onto the mesa to check things out now that a few days have passed and the temperatures have moderated.

Now out of the clouds - the views were amazing!

Below - looking west you can see Grand Junction about 40 miles west and 5,000' below

Lands End View - Grand Mesa

Up at 10,000' the Aspen are starting to change into their fall colors.

We took a few forest roads up on the mesa to check out the back country.

This is just a taste of the colors to come.

I lived in Colorado in the 70's-80's and Grand Mesa was one place that I had never visited,

so this was a good chance to scope it out.    We found some excellent boondocking sites in the

National Forest so perhaps next time...

Tomorrow we head east and deeper into the Rockies 

to the Redstone Campground south of Carbondale.

From there Aspen and Kebler Pass are day trips.

We hope to start getting a bit more of the fall colors.

We'll be hanging around Colorado for several more weeks so more color to come.