Day 15 (Tue May 24, 2011): Arches National Park

Showing the accommodations. The pizza place was essentially attached to the rooms after walking through a hallway and a breezeway.

Another view of the motel from the outside. The main check-in location was on the other side of the pizza place and post office, and the pizza place was basically at the end of the hall and you turned right, I believe.

In between the check-in location (and cabins) for Bryce Canyon Inn and the room that I stayed in & pizza place. Cabins at around 0:05 or so, pizza place/room buildings at 0:15 or so. Very convenient if you want pizza. It was good, too.

From Tropic, I'm headed briefly to Capitol Reef National Park and then towards Arches National Park. Destination at the end of the day is Moab, UT.

This video starts as I'm leaving the outskirts of Cannonville, UT. At 0:36, I'm passed by a RAV4 that is pretty much the same vehicle that I'm driving! I enter Henrieville around 1:11 or so.

I discuss speed traps relating to these small towns along state routes. The speed is 60 or so and then suddenly it drops when you're going through a town. Then, you're caught by a local cop.

National park worthy? It's the biggest of all national monuments.

The monument contains three parts: the Grand Staircase (top [young rock] to bottom [old rock]: Pink Cliffs, Grey Cliffs, White Cliffs, Vermilion Cliffs, and Chocolate Cliffs), Kaiparowits Plateau, and the Canyons of Escalante.

Beautiful 8 seconds. I think the batteries ran out.

Initially I zoom in on the Pink Cliffs of the Grand Staircase. This area was apparently the "last blank spot" on the United States map, explored by the one-armed John Wesley Powell in 1871. I believe the rest of the video shows part of the Kaiparowits Plateau.

The last three videos including this one were taken at the same pulloff. I give a little perspective on the pulloff as I walk back to the RAV4.

East of Escalante, UT, headed towards Boulder and Capitol Reef National Park.

More video east of Escalante, headed towards Boulder and Capitol Reef National Park.

On the way to Torrey and Capitol Reef National Park.

Approximate location: 38.109722, -111.334444

The obligatory sign shot! That proves I was there!

Panorama Point in Capitol Reef National Park. Very windy. Sign at 1:14 claims the "Clearest Air in America." 145 miles. Interesting.

Similar in content to the next two videos, I give a layout near the Capitol Gorge area. Ephraim Tower is in view.

Near Pleasant Creek Road and Capitol Gorge. Clearest air in America? I wouldn't be surprised if it were true.

As far as my trip into Capitol Reef, this is as far south as I went. Further would have taken me along the dirt road into Capitol Gorge, and with a rental vehicle I wasn't about to risk it. In this video, I give a "lay of the land" and use the monopod for some fun self-filming. I feel like a movie star!

Lots of sagebrush.

Eight minutes worth of the Capitol Reef Scenic Drive. Construction caused the speed limit to be lowered to 15 miles per hour.

Notable times:
Campground from 1:45 to 2:30.
Gifford Farmhouse at 2:50.
Fremont River at 3:15.
Johnson Orchard/Ripple Rock Nature Center at 4:00.
Park Ranger vehicle at 5:00.
Mott Orchard at 6:30.
Visitor's Center at 7:40.

Straight shot, flat road. 36 miles to I-70 on Utah State Route 24. Near mile marker 126. Approaching Moab from the north.

I comment on Grand Staircase-Escalante and how scenic it was, as well as the accommodations in Milford, UT and the road (Utah SR-21)to Baker, NV.

Cozy accommodations in Moab right by the Colorado River.

The sign at about 0:28 says "Danger | No vehicles on berm" Darn straight. I don't want to drive my rental vehicle into the Colorado River.

This place was a bit expensive, but fantastic setting and accommodations. On road trips involving national parks, it's usually the location that matters most to me.