October 1, 2010

Friday Friday 1~~~~Today we drove about 300 miles from Selina, Utah to Grand Junction, Colorado stopping at two National parks on the way. We stopped at the "Arches National park" where we ate lunch before driving around the park. We always start our visit to the park by getting the park stamp in our pass port park book we have on all the National Parks in the USA. Then we go watch the movie of the park and we talk to the Rangers about the park and what we should be seeing. Next off we go in the truck with both cameras ready to take pictures. They told us it was best to unhitch the trailer and tour the park with just the truck as the roads are narrow and curvy. That was a good plan as there were a lot of people driving the narrow roads and stopping to take pictures . We took a lot of beautiful pictures and we really enjoyed the park and all its beauty. "Arches National Park" in Utah where we viewed many of the natural arches that the state of Utah is so famous for and is their states symbol. The "DELICATE ARCH" even appears on their license plates. Arches National Park is a great park with foot trails to many of the arches. You can see a lot from a car, which is what we did. The arches were formed millions of years ago. Water and ice, extreme temperatures, and underground salt movement and erosion over millions of years are responsible for the sculptured rock scenery and arches of the park. Over 2,000 cataloged arches range in size from a three foot opening, the minimum considered an arch, to the longest, Landscape Arch, measuring 306 feet base to base Today new arches are being formed and old ones destroyed by weather and erosion slowly creating landforms that gradually change through time. Change sometimes occurs more dramatic that other times. In 1991 a rock slab over 60 feet long, 11 feet wide and 4 feet thick fell from the underside of the "Landscape Arch". There were tourist a few feet from where it fell and no one was hurt. These arches have names, (Park Avenue, Broken Arch, Balanced Rock,windows, Sand Dune Arch, Devils Garden Arch) to name a few. From here we went to Canyon Lands National Park that is about 45 minutes away from the Arches National Park. We drove into Moab for diesel for the truck while we had the 5Th wheel disconnected before heading to Canyon land National Park. Canyonlands a wilderness of rock at the heart of the Colorado Plateau. Surrounding the rivers are vast, very different regions: Island in the Sky (the one we visited) on the north, the Maze on the west, and the Needles on the east. Few people knew these remote lands and rivers well when the park was established in 1964. Only cowboys, Indians, river explorers and prospectors had dared enter this rugged corner of southeastern Utah. Canyonlands remains largely untamed, most of its roads unpaved, trails primitive and rivers free flowing. Bighorn sheep, coyotes, and other native animals roam its 527 square miles. It is amazing to see some of the most beautiful wild flowers growing out of the rocks and the flowering cactus's. We took more pictures of this National park before calling it a day. and heading for Grand Junction Elks Club for the night. We were both tired when we pulled in for the day, we went into the Club and had a cold beer while we paid for our site. I fixed us chicken burritos for dinner while Kent hooked up the Dish network and electricity. We watched television for awhile and then we went to bed while our Soap (Young and Restless) recorded for us to watch tomorrow. I think we are working harder now than when we had jobs. LOL