Trip Report | Day 5: Monument Valley, Utah
Some national parks are dog-friendly; Arches is not one of them. Dogs are allowed in the parking lots only. So our plan to hike there and appreciate some arches devolved into Dave and Nola waiting in the parking lot while I went and looked at an arch, then came back to wait with Nola while Dave went to look at an arch. Except then he got a nosebleed so we just left.
My first national park-ing lot.
The rest of yesterday’s plan fell apart when we got to Moab and weren’t hungry. I was cross until we stopped for gas in Blanding, Utah, and I met a woman with a small Collie mix. While Dave pumped gas, we trespassed on someone’s lawn with our dogs and she told me she was on her way back from Monument Valley, where she’d gone to buy “a very special cake.” She highly recommended the bakery but couldn’t think of the name.
Monumental campsite.
Arrived at an RV park before sunset for the very first time. Before Dave leveled the rig we walked Nola around and gawked at the monuments, stones, formations all around us. Met a guy and his dog in the tiny fenced dog area. He has friends in Grand Rapids. We didn’t know them.
“It looks like a Star Wars scene,” said Dave.
We almost missed our first chance to grill, but luckily the camp store sold lighters. The coals didn’t get hot enough to cook the veggie burgers before they thawed and fell apart. We also had leftover pizza in foil which got mildly warm and was edible. We lay on the picnic table and looked at stars. We ate ice cream sandwiches.
Newbie tip: Heat up your coals. High-altitude cooking is real.
The next morning, I slept in and Dave made me coffee. I drank it outside, watching the sun on the rocks. The man next door with a German Shepherd told me they’re here from Nova Scotia on a five-week trip. He recommended Cracker Barrels to boondock. “Eat there first and ask,” he advised. “Most say no officially because of liability, but they’ll let you.”
Newbie tip: You have to guide the sewer hose when dumping. Have someone or a rock to weight the hose at the opening, or things will get ugly.
Gas: 24.93 gallons, 211.5 miles, 8.48 MPG. Next stop: The Grand Canyon.