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Angels Landing is one of the most popular trails in the national park system and rated “strenuous” due to the 1500 ft climb, narrow path with dizzying drop-offs on both sides, and the need to hold onto a chain to not fall to your death.  Danielle decided to sit this one out and let me venture on.  This was the most outrageous hike and view of my amateur adventuring career. After the Angels Landing hike, I rejoined my clan, celebrated my survival, and headed out on the Watchman’s trail which also had stunning views.   This great day finished up with a dip in the pool with Bryce at the camp ground… the water was so clod that I consider it an ice bath.

We got to the park early to make sure we got into the RV lot.  Day 7 started with with a short run along the Parus Trail and a leisurely breakfast.   Then it was time for the main event… the Narrows, a hike up the Virgin River with sheer walls on each side.

Flashback to 6pm on Day 6: After my slight over estimation in the Petrified Forest, Danielle recommended we ask the Park Ranger Desk if it was safe to bring the little man in a carrier into the Narrow.  Without hesitation, the Ranger said, “That’s definitely not a good idea… its like walking on bowling balls for miles.”  Deflated, I brought this new information to Danielle, who reluctantly agreed to seek the opinions people coming off the trail that day.  Universally, the hikers said it shouldn’t be a problem, just dress him warm and bring cloths incase he gets wet.  The final push was the guy working at the Zion Outdoor Adventure shop.  With Tantoos all over, he dispensed convincing advice that led to us renting all kinds of waterproof safety gear…

Back to day 7:  The Narrows was absolutely amazing.  It was completely safe and a lot of fun.  There was so much to look at that Bryce was in the carrier for close to 5 hours (with a 30 min beach break) and didn’t get upset.  In some spots you were wading up to your waist in water.  A must do in Zion.

The landscape of Zion Nation Park is breathtaking.  The towering sheer red and white cliffs running down both sides of the valley is something I’ve never experienced before.  We arrived around noon so time (and parking) was limited.  We hiked the lower emerald pools and then the Upper emerald pools.  Bryce got a chance to get out of the pack and run around at the upper emerald pools, enjoy the sand, and point at the wildlife.  There are some super fat squirrels in Zion.  I am used to those paranoid New York Squirrels that wont let you get within 15 feet, these arrogant Zion squirrels will make you step over them to continue on a trail.

Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon are amazing natural wonders that make you say “wow” under your breath the size and color are amazing.  The other awe inspiring trait of these locations was the overwhelming number of tourists that traveled to this remote area of Arizona to photograph these sites.  The highlight for me was watching Bryce play in the red sand with mountains in the back ground… for me, that was the site worth photographing.

The boondocking paid off and we were at the park well before the hoards of tourists (see how I pretend we aren’t tourists also). The true scale of the Grand Canyon doesn’t hit you until you see it live.  The canyon walls stretch on as far as you can see.  We took a great run along the rim trail when it was empty then rented bikes in the late morning.

After seeing the South Rim, we drove all the way around the east. This drive is spectacular with red mountain ranges and smaller canyons littering the landscape. If it wasn’t for the 40mph crosswinds causing white knuckled driving, this would have been enjoyable.

About halfway between Petrified Forest National Park and the Grand Canyon is the not at all touristy town of Sedona.  We thought it would be a great visit to break up the trip and give Bryce some time to run around outside and maybe sitdown at a restaurant… that was not meant to be.  There was major construction on mountainous route 89A…  This cost us about an hour and we needed to sprint through Red Rock State Park to see some pretty cool views as sunset approaches.

For those of you that aren’t fluent in RV’er speak like us Davis’s, bookdocking is camping without any hookups. Since there were no campsites anywhere near the Grand Canyon, I found a state land road that allowed overnight camping. Despite Danielle’s fear that a crazy person would be waiting in the middle of a state forest, in 35 degree weather, and break into our rented RV to murder us… we survived.

Side note… if the road looks like this on google maps, it might not be a good road for RVs.

Petrified forest has 2 main attractions. As you might guess, petrified wood… and a lot of it.  Second is the Painted Desert.   After some scenic lookouts near the visitor center, I took Danielle on a “non-sanctioned” hike that the Internet told me about.  Mistake!!! It resulted in some of the best pictures of the painted desert and an very angry wife claiming she might need profession help getting down from the mountain. Some might say she was petrified!

The Davis’s arrived in Phoenix on October 1st. I have never driven or slept in an RV, but here we are, with a 56 day rental, 3 bags of luggage, a hiking back pack, a running stroller, and an 18 month old. After getting acquainted with our new Thor Majestic 30×8 ft mobile home and spending 2+ hours in a Walmart stocking up, we were ready for our first adventure… finding a place to sleep.

Day 2 is where the real fun begins. We started at Saguaro (pronounced suh·waa·row) national park, just outside of Tucson. This is an amazing piece of desert with spectacular views and lots of cacti. We hiked to the Valley View Overlook, drove the Bajada Loop Drive (accidently took the RV off road) and did a 3 mile hike along an old gold mining route. The cacti are aggressive in these parts of Arizona. We had multiple first aid incidents requiring us to pull cactus spines from our legs like an old Readrunner/Wile E Coyote cartoon. Next stop, Petrified Forest National Park.

Flight MVP… Bryce.  2 hours of sleep, smiling and at everyone that walks by and not having a meltdown while flying at 500 mph in a metal tube for 5 hours. The upgrade didn’t hurt. (Bryce did not get his own seat… but did take mine.)

When packing for a long period of time there are 2 schools of thought… start early and live in a state of chaotic transition for days or weeks… or pack in a short period of time and live with the time pressure and acceptance that you will forget something. Danielle and I had differing approaches. The last 2 days in the apartment were chaos.

The domestic leg of the journey: 24-26 national parks, 10 states, several friend visits, ~5000 miles, and 1 30ft RV. We will post the east coast of Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii once we figure it out.

Labor day weekend 2019! With the RV Road trip in the planning process, the Davis’s booked a trip to Acadia. Acadia National Park, in Northern Maine, is an amazing coastal refuge next to the quaint town of Bar Harbor. Great hiking, running trails and biking paths. There was plenty of beaches, mountains, and forest for us to explore.

We started in and around Bar Harbor. During low tide, a gravel sand bar emerges that connects bar island to the town of Bar Harbor. Each day there is a 4 hour window to explore the sand bar and visit Bar Island. Bryce joined the many birds looking for shells and snails in the sand bar. On Day 2, we discovered that the beach water in Maine is freezing and tested out the hiking backpack for a climb of Gorham Mountain. On Day 3 and 4 we explored Jordan Pond and biked the Carriage Trails.

I think we are ready for next 25 parks…

• Sandy Beach and Bar Harbor Sand Bar

Gorham Mountain Trail (3.6 rugged technical miles) and the Carriage Trails

Hanging in Bar Harbor