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Tour the Southwest

May - June 2016
A 9-day adventure by Chumbley Family Adventure Read more
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  • Chumbley Family AdventureTour the Southwest
    Day 1

    Hoover Dam

    May 28, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    We started our day with a tour of Hoover Dam. They don't pre-sell tickets on line so you must get there and get in line early. We stayed the night at Boulder City to make getting there easier on us. The fact that we were in Nevada and on Pacific Time made getting up even easier (2 hour time difference). So, we were parking at the dam around 8:15 and walked straight to the visitors center to get our tickets. They don't open their doors until 9am with the first tour at 9:30. There were already people lined up when we got there; 32, Scott counted. At least we were standing in the shade since it was already 85F. When the doors opened at 9am the line was twice as long as when we arrived. We quickly went in and through security (like at the airport) and got in line. We got the first available tickets for 4 for the dam tour - 11am. Wow! I am glad we got there as early as we did.

    We spent the time watching the movie and wandering around the visitor's center. We even went back outside to walk across the dam and take pictures outside before meeting up for our tour. The first part of the tour is the power plant. We rode a large elevator with 40 people down to the intake pipes within the sides of the Dam. Our tour guide did a good job of giving information and impressing on us how amazing this structure is. We then continued on to the turbine room on the Nevada side. The place is so clean and neat looking and hums continuously. After some information about the power plant, we split from the power plant tour and joined our guide for the dam tour.

    We walked through some tunnels and talked about the first tours of the dam back in the 40s. In order to make the tour spectacular, they dressed the parts open to the public in Art Deco splendor. The floors are terrazo marble with inlaid native american motifs. The lights and doors were aluminum which was very fashionable at the time. The first tunnel was lined in subway tiles (light colors to make it feel more open). It was definitely beautiful and I can imagine all of the fancy tourists being amazed at the richness of the interior of the dam.

    Our tour continued into some not-so-pretty tunnels where we got to look out from a ventilation shaft in the side of the dam. We also looked up and down the stairs that lead from the very bottom to the very top of the dam. Looking at the stairs made me appreciate the cramped elevator even more. The tour ended by coming back out the original entrance elevators. Again, this area was very richly designed in Art Deco motifs with marble tiles and solid brass doors. Gorgeous!

    The tour itself really made me appreciate the engineering marvel that they accomplished. The dam was completely early by nearly 2 years and under budget. It was a joint effort by six major companies working together and it brought six states together in agreement over the water rights to the Colorado River. It would never be done if it were proposed today. It makes me proud of our history and our country.

    After lunch in the Dam Cafe where we all had Dam Burgers, and a stop at the Dam Shop for a dam t-shirt for Jeff, we started on our way to Zion National Park. It was a three hour road trip through ever changing rock. It is so desolate and arid and inhospitable and yet so wonderful. The stretch through Arizona called the Virgin River Canyon was especially spectacular. You can see the power that water has had on the land.    Read more

  • Chumbley Family AdventureTour the Southwest
    Day 1

    Springdale, UT

    May 28, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    We arrived at our lodging for the night, Cliffrose Lodge & Gardens, around 5:30. Springdale (the town outside of Zion National Park) is lovely. It is a series of restaurant, stores, and lodgings along the one road to the park but yet it is charming and picturesque. We found Mexican food for dinner after settling into our room.

    Over the next week we will be visiting national parks, national monuments, and natural wonders without such grand titles. Altogether, we will see with Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Natural Bridges National Monument, Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park. We will hike in all of the parks (as much as we are capable of) and raft the Colorado River for a day. We were limited to just over a week for the trip and we packed in as much as we could fit.    Read more

  • Chumbley Family AdventureTour the Southwest
    Day 2

    The Narrows and Virgin River Canyon

    May 29, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    We awoke to a beautiful blue sky and the sun lighting the rocks outside our window. We have a spectacular view. The lawn slopes down from our room to the little private beach along the Virgin River. Along the sidewalks around the grounds are flower beds and little chairs set up for relaxing. It is a quiet and sweet little place. We ate our breakfast outside on a picnic table (included with the room) and packed our bags for a day in the park.

    We walked the short distance from the Cliffrose Lodge to the park entrance and met with a line a people at the entry booth. They weren't in line to buy their passes but in line for the shuttle bus into the park. Since we had walked around the visitor's center last night and saw where the shuttles stopped, we knew how long the line was - very, very, very long. We got in line around 9:15 and arrived at the trailhead at 10:40. The bus ride is said to take about 40 min which means we spent 45 minutes in line before we even got on the bus. Luckily everyone was very patient (even Scott). You could see the number of people who were serious hikers by their gear.

    We took the bus to the far end and walked the Riverside Walk first. We weren't the only ones. It was a constant stream of people. About half of them had rental gear and walking sticks for hiking The Narrows and the rest were just doing the Riverside Walk. The walk was easy; paved and fairly level along the Virgin River. At the end, Jeff and Ed put on their water shoes and went a short way in the river. It was knee high at the start but at the next crossing it was nearly waist high. They prudently decided to turn back. We all were curious about the hike and wished that we could do it but knew that it wasn't for us. Even if we had rented the shoes, dry pants, and hiking sticks, walking through knee high (and deeper) water over rounded river rocks would be too tough for us.

    We did stop a couple places during our return walk to play in the water, skip rocks, and eat our lunch. Tiger Swallowtail butterflies that flew around us on the river bank. They liked the wet sand and weren't too bothered by people. Jeff and Ed coerced Amy into wading in the river. Even though we didn't go in over our knees, it cooled us down very well. Getting back on shore and drying off in the sun was a treat after the cold water.

    We, wisely, chose Smuckers Uncrustables from the grocery store to pack. Easy lunch, no refrigeration necessary. It was nice getting off the trail for those few stops and away from the constant flow of people. It was quite peaceful. The air was cool but the sun warm; perfect weather.

    Once we got back to the shuttle we took it only one stop and got off for a quick photo stop at Big Bend. We then rode it to the Weeping Wall and took the short walk to the wall itself. It was a steep and short walk to a beautiful undercut cave and water plants. Back on the bus we rode to the Zion Lodge where we found ice cream and a seat on the lawn under a large cottonwood tree.    Read more

  • Chumbley Family AdventureTour the Southwest
    Day 2

    Emerald Pools

    May 29, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Then it was on to the Emerald Pools. The first part of the walk is rated 'easy' to the lower pool so we knew that there would be lots of people. I think we were all disappointed with the overwhelming crowds of people on the trail. The first pool was under a very large undercut arch in the wall (another weeping wall). The trail went against the wall and through some of the water drips and then up and around to the middle and upper pools. We continued on and found that the crowds did, too. It was a long, hot upward slog to the upper pool. We were looking forward to a peaceful rest in the cool shade. We realized that wasn't going to happen as we arrived. People crowded around everywhere and, despite the 'no swimming' signs, kids were running around the bank of the pool and wading into the water. A few would actually paddle for a few moments before jumping back out. We watched one guy on a rock act like he was going to jump in, sure enough he did, like a belly-flop style cannonball. He later got a snorkel mask and went back in! Agh! We sat and tried to relax but it was impossible with all of the people misbehaving.

    On our way back down we saw a side trail and the people coming toward us. They told us that it was a trail to the middle pool and that it was peaceful, no one was there. We thanked them and joked that they should tell no one else. It was only a minute's walk and yet we found a quiet little pool and no one around. Wow, it was wonderful. We sat in the shade and talked to a quartet of young people who also stopped to enjoy the quiet. It was probably our most favorite part of the hike, maybe even the day.

    After hiking back to the lodge we took the shuttle to the entrance and walked to our room. We only stayed for a short time to cool down and then took the shuttle through Springdale to the rock shop. Ed wandered for at least 30 minutes before settling on two specimens. Dinner was pizza, and then back to the room to rest. They are playing all of the Harry Potter movies on one channel so we just watch whatever one happens to be playing. We happily sat and watched and rested. I think we were all worn out. My watch logged 6 miles of active walking exercise and 9 miles in total today. Time for bed.    Read more

  • Chumbley Family AdventureTour the Southwest
    Day 3

    Zion Valley Walks

    May 30, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Today was our second day in Zion National Park. We slept in an extra half hour but I think we all could have used more. As we got to the entrance we found no line. The line for the shuttle was so short is was almost contained in the shaded pergola. Wow what a difference a day makes! We walked to the human history museum - a level one mile walk. We enjoyed the short film and exhibits before walking on to the next stop on the journey; Zion Junction. We hopped on the shuttle and rode it to Zion Lodge.

    It was nearly noon so we had burgers for lunch and walked through the gift shop. The clouds moved in as we got to the lodge and looked like rain. It never rained outright but we decided not to do any long walk in case it did rain. We walked the trail to The Grotto and then got back on the bus. We started back towards the visitor center with a quick stop at The Patriarchs. Our last short walk was the Archeology Trail next to the visitor's center. Then is was back to the hotel and our car.    Read more

  • Chumbley Family AdventureTour the Southwest
    Day 3

    East Zion

    May 30, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We drove out through the east tunnel and side of the park. The tunnel was a wonderful feat of engineering. We had been told to look for Big Horn Sheep as you exit the tunnel and, sure enough, on an outcrop of rock just outside of the tunnel were three sheep. They were posed for tourists - if only we had a place to stop and take a picture. The terrain on the east side was completely different than in the canyon. It was curved and swirled sandstone with layers and waves. It was a fairly tale landscape. We stopped at a few overlooks and took pictures but it was cloudy and they won't look nearly as impressive as reality. At one stop we got out and walked into a canyon a little way. It was open but changed and became narrow winding path. We walked above it because it was full of water and quite deep. It made us want to keep exploring.Read more

  • Chumbley Family AdventureTour the Southwest
    Day 3

    Road to Bryce Canyon

    May 30, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    The drive to Bryce Canyon was a changing landscape. We saw great eroded cliffs and drove across the top of the mesa. We made a quick stop going into Red Canyon at the entrance of the road going toward Bryce. A short little section of deep red hoodoos and canyon walls.

    We found our motel, the Bryce Canyon Pines, and checked in before driving to the park for a little sightseeing. We drove to Inspiration Point and took lots of pictures of the main amphitheater. We waited around long enough that the clouds broke and we got sunshine on the hoodoos. We also stopped at Sunset Point for more pictures and saw the trail going down into the canyon. Seeing it brought out the desire to explore again.

    We ended the day at the Bryce Canyon Pines restaurant for dinner. It was ok. The homemade pie was a nice way to end the day as we sat around our motel room relaxing. We tried to made it an easier day but we still put in at least 4 miles of true hiking.    Read more

  • Chumbley Family AdventureTour the Southwest
    Day 4

    Hiking the Hoodoos

    May 31, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    We had the morning to spend as we liked in Bryce Canyon. Our first stop was a little grocery store for breakfast and lunch provisions. They had a bakery with actually had good pastries and bread. We got some chocolate croissants and milk for breakfast and they custom made sandwiches on their mini baguettes. Add Pringles and Oreos and we had lunch.

    We got to Sunrise Point for morning shots of the amphitheater and considered the trail down into the hoodoos. We all wanted to go but Scott was leery of the hike because of his recent heart attack (just six weeks ago). We decided to give it a go knowing that we would have to take it very slow on the way back out. We drove to Sunset Point where the steep Wall Street section of switchbacks leads into the hoodoos. It beckons people to delve into the dark shadows.

    The hike down was tremendous! We all enjoyed the switchbacks; which weren't tough at all to negotiate. It felt like real exploring as we plunged into the shadows between the tall hoodoos. After the most narrow section of hoodoos you suddenly arrive in the sunshine on the other side. What a wonderful contrast. We couldn't stop taking pictures. I'm sure that by the end of the walk we had dozens of pictures of hoodoos and other red and white rock formations. Once we got to the intersection of the trails at the bottom we decided to go on the longer walk to Sunrise Point instead of taking the quicker round trip back up to Sunset Point. It was level walking at the bottom and not a problem for any of us. It took us through pines at the far edge of the amphitheater.

    We followed the trail past "Queen Victoria" and then around and through the hoodoos and up to Sunrise Point. Yes, it was a slog but we took lots of stops and finally made it to the top. What I noticed was that other people were taking as many stops as we were and we finished with the same few people with whom we started the incline. I guess our extra slow is most people's regular speed.    Read more

  • Chumbley Family AdventureTour the Southwest
    Day 4

    Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive

    May 31, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    At the top we found a picnic table and brought out our custom sandwiches and Pringles. We relaxed in the shade, ate our lunch, and recuperated from our hike. The rest of the time in the park was spent driving to the end of the road and stopping at all of the lookouts. It is neat to see how far the hoodoos extend down the edge of the mesa. We took even more hoodoo photos, most of which will never be printed because we have so many to choose from. Oh well...I guess that it a nice problem to have.

    We left Bryce Canyon proper and started towards Capitol Reef. There was one last little hike to do; Mossy Cave. It was a cave with a weeping wall and lots of moss. There was a side trail to a waterfall which was nice and cool. The interpretive panel said that the water flowed from a canal that was made in the 1800s by local pioneers who diverted water from a river through an intermittent waterway (where we were) and to the town on Tropic. Very smart.    Read more

  • Chumbley Family AdventureTour the Southwest
    Day 4

    Grand Staircase-Escalante to Torrey

    May 31, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    The drive to Torrey, the town near Capitol Reef, was just over 2 hours by Google maps. It took us around 4 hours. The road went through Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and was windy, twisty, and beautiful. We took even more pictures of red, white, and yellow rocks. It really is amazing how many different shapes and textures of rock there are out here. We saw the curved sand dune shapes, flat walls of rock, rounded mud shapes, and porous lava rocks. At one point we were driving along a spine between two regions of rock - a red rock canyon and white slickrock hills. Then we were climbing up over a more fertile mountain of aspen at 9600 feet. So much diversity in one 100 mile drive!

    The pictures are highlights of the sights along Scenic Byway 12; The Blues Overlook (Utah's badlands - where dinosaur fossils are found), Upper Valley Granaries (cliff dweller's grain storage), following Calf Creek which makes an impressive canyon, the Hogback (driving the spine between two valleys), roadside flowers in the gravel, and the Dixie National Forest.

    Torrey is back in the red Navajo Sandstone with dark red cliffs. We found our room and then found some supper; nothing special but at least we got full. Back to the hotel for swimming (the boys) and laundry (mom). Time for another good night's sleep to get ready for more rocks and hikes tomorrow.    Read more

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