Joshua Tree National Park, California

We left the red rock of Arizona’s Vermillion Cliffs behind us and set our sights on Sedona. We followed the scenic byways instead of the interstate which led us through twisting canyon roads and Slide Rock State Park. Coming out of the lush canyons, we arrived in the hip tourist town of Sedona. Many affluent retirees have come to call this funky artists’ enclave home and their beautiful adobe houses are scattered throughout the surrounding hillsides. The main streets of Sedona were bustling on a Monday afternoon when we arrived in our big rig. Although we had hoped to settle there for a few nights, a lack of camping options meant that we were forced to keep on driving to Dead Horse State Park in Cottonwood, Arizona.

We met lovely folks in the campground and followed their advice to head to Joshua Tree National Park. Once again following the scenic byways, we climbed thousands of feet past the old mining town of Jerome. Now it is a community of artists supported by tourism in a town which literally clings to the cliffs. It would give any mountain town in Europe a run for its money with its hairpin corners and steep grades. Mark handled them like a professional and could take up trucking as an alternate career. After a few hours of hauling our rig up mountains and then riding the engine break down the other side of the summit, we realized that “scenic byways” are perhaps not meant for camper/trailer combos. We hit the interstate as we crossed into California and joined all the transport trucks en route to Los Angeles.

We stopped for a few nights in Joshua Tree National Park to see the sights and run errands in the nearby towns of Indio and Palm Desert. The girls have spotted lizards, kangaroo rats, owls, hawks, bats and we even spied a huge snake last night. Luckily, we have not run into the variety of rattlesnakes, scorpions or three different types of tarantulas that call this place home. The stars are incredible, until a full moon rises over the nearby hills and turns on its floodlight in the desert. We have had the park mostly to ourselves and enjoyed the long silent nights.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

We bid a fond farewell to Sand Hollow State Park and set our sights on Jacob Lake, Arizona. The cooler weather at this higher elevation and the beautiful Ponderosa pine forest made a great playground for the girls. We lounged around in the afternoon sunshine and lingered over nightly campfires to keep the evening chill at bay. It was a world apart from our days in the desert.

We ventured to the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park for a peak at this iconic landmark. It’s amazing to think that the land was once level and the Colorado River eroded the landscape to this extent. The girls have been getting some great geology lessons during our travels and they have witnessed the erosive power of water first hand.

Sand Hollows State Park, Utah

From Zion National Park, we headed to Sand Hollow State Park outside the town of St. George. Red sand dunes make this park a gathering spot for OHV enthusiasts and a shallow lake of blue draws fishermen and water skiers a plenty. The searing heat and noise of the park were less than ideal and the parasites that were active in the lake meant that swimming was not really an appealing option. I wouldn’t recommend this park unless you were into the ATV/ motorbike scene, but the nearby town of St George had some great Mexican food to fill our bellies.

Zion National Park, Utah

From Bryce Canyon National Park, it was just a short drive to Zion National Park in south western Utah. We had visited Zion two years before and were awed by the spectacular scenery, so we decided to make a return trip. The park never disappoints. Soaring striated red rock and massive natural amphitheatres cannot be captured in photos. The twisting roadways, rugged pines and water carved basins are breath-taking. We required a ranger escort to make it through the 2km long tunnel, as our rig was too tall and too wide to travel with regular traffic. If you are ever in the neighbourhood, we would highly recommend a visit to this little jewel in the national park network.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

After hauling our rig up every mountain in sight, through snowy summits and golden aspen forests, we cruised into Ruby Inn Campground in the dark. With frost on the ground the next morning, we headed out to the visitor’s centre and hiked down into the red rock canyons of Bryce Canyon National Park.

The towering hoodoos and signature red rock formations make this landscape other worldly. We hiked along the Queen’s Garden Trail and joined up with the Navajo Loop to access some stunning scenery. Wide open vistas along the Sunset Rim Trail stood in marked contrast to the narrow canyons we climbed up as we made the return trip. We picnicked in the valley and the girls had great fun hiking through the rock arches along the trail. At the end of a great day of hiking, we brought them to swim in the hotel pool which was probably the highlight of their day!