Great Basin National Park Road Trip

We used Las Vegas as a base of operations to visit Cathedral Gorge State Park, Great Basin National Park, and Valley of Fire State Park on a short 4 day trip. The first day drive to Caliente, NV was beautiful. I had hoped to stay at the Hot Springs Motel where they piped in water from the hot springs directly to the tub in your room. Unfortunately, the motel was closed for renovations. Patty's Motel was more than adequate and close to the Side Track diner where we ate all our meals. The Cathedral Gorge Park was just 15 miles past Caliente so it was an easy detour. The park was magnificent with about a dozen small slot canyons that were amazing to walk through. Unlike most other parks, we were able to climb around on all of the sandstone sculptures that make this a special place.

Day 2 took us on the "loneliest road in America" to the very remote Great Basin National Park. The highlight was supposed to be the Lehman caves, similar to Carlsbad Caverns, until we discovered that only16 people are allowed on each of four tours per day that require advance online reservations. OMG, reservations that we didn't have. Oh well, the 16 mile scenic drive to the Mather lookout and the view of Wheeler Peak was the only other thing to do at the park. The drive to Las Vegas from outside the park to I15 was much easier than backtracking our way through Caliente again.

The Valley of Fire park and the Elephant Rock was only 45 minutes north of Vegas. What a fascinating place of amazing red rock formations. Would've been a great day except for the wife of a Notre Dame fan who thought SC was South Carolina. We were sand blasted on the Fire Canyon trail and got a little spooked hearing about a storm coming in and flooding the only road out of the park so we headed home a little early.

We planned to visit Red Rock Canyon Recreation area the next day but decided to go back to Valley of Fire and see what we missed. Good choice. The White Domes trail weaved through a slot canyon and provided many Kodak moments. The Atlatl Rock, Arch Rock and Seven Sisters were other beautiful stops. Also got a glimpse of some bighorn sheep as we were exiting the park. So beautiful, I would return some day.....and look for the pair of Oakleys that I lost.

Yes, the Elara 2 bedroom penthouse suite
was a pretty nice place to relax at.

Sept Glacier National Park

 The Going to the Sun Road was closed when we visited Glacier NP in 2018 so we were anxious to drive the famous road this trip. It's a 50 mile road with spectacular vistas. The first 12 miles from West Glacier runs along Lake McDonald. The next 10 miles follows Avalanche Creek and a series of small waterfalls until you reach the West Side Tunnel. It's from this point where the drive becomes spectacular. Many places to stop along the loop switchback section as you pass Haystack Falls and the Weeping Wall until you reach our main destination of Big Bend Lookout. 

                                                                    Big Bend Lookout

The Logan Pass Visitor Center is a couple miles further but almost impossible to find parking during the main hours of the day. It is on the continental divide and the highest point on the Going to the Sun road. We were disappointed in not being able to view it's 360 degree vistas. The East Side Tunnel, Siyeh Bend, Sun Point, and Wild Goose Island lookouts are places we stopped on the way to St Mary's Visitor Center at the end of the road. After 2 days of driving the road we headed back to Kalispell by taking the longer route outside the park through East Glacier. From East Glacier we entered the park again on a short 4 mile drive to Two Medicine Lake.

McDonald Falls                                            Sun Point Lookout

                        Wild Goose Island Lookout                                      Two Medicine Lake

April Bass Lake

 Another leisure camping activity at Wishon campground at Bass Lake just south of Yosemite National Park. Had a spacious campsite with lake view and got to use our new hammock chairs and shade canopy. It's easy to do this kind of camping when Allyse and Steven do all the cooking chores. 

Feb Red Rock Canyon

 After a year of pandemic quarantine, we ventured out to Red Rock Canyon State Park for some leisure camping. We outfitted the Lexus RX into a camper and joined Allyse and Steven in their new teardrop camper trailer. We've driven past Red Rock Canyon many times but this was the first visiting the Ricardo campgrounds among the beautiful hoodoo like rock formations. Allyse glamp'd us with gourmet meals while celebrating Byron's birthday.