From SLC to the ends of Utah

After getting rather lost and taking a major detour, Katy and I found our campervan place (no thanks to our taxi driver) and headed off.

From Salt Lake City, we headed south east to see two of Utah's most spectacular sights - Canyonlands and Arches national parks. I would like to say we got there without mishap, but ... We (and by we, I mean Katy as I am too chicken to drive the RV) took out a wing mirror and had to visit the county sheriff's office in Moab... Now I am not sure if this is a typical sheriff's office, but I thought it worth showing these photos. Please note the stag's head on the wall... (These next two photos are iPhone ones and not compressed - sorry!)

and the rocking horse. There is also a small toy dog stapled to the Jail Coordinator's door. We would have posed Jack and Deirdre, but we were feeling somewhat abashed and didn't want to push our luck, particularly as the sheriff had every type of weapon and restraint known to man attached to his belt.

We were relieved when we got to Canyonlands National Park...

Canyonlands National Park

That should have been a glass of wine in Katy's hand, but she's the driver, and we are good girls. <cough>
One of my aims for this trip was to learn to use my DSLR camera. We started a little but there is a lot to learn. Hopefully you'll see an improvement in my photos as time goes on. But, I HAVE successfully compressed all these photos with Photoshop. First steps!

Me at Canyonlands

Our first stop was Canyonlands National Park. Canyonlands was described as 'looking down' as opposed to Arches, which is 'looking up' at things. You'll see what I mean.

Me with Jack (he has his own blog)

 I can see I'm going to have to watch the diet. It's hard when there's ice-cream travelling with us...

Canyonlands

Incidentally, I was confronted with this hair-tshirt combination at early hours of the morning after a night on the hard camper mattress. It was too much to deal with pre-caffeine. I had to put my sunglasses on.

Colour contrasts at Canyonlands 

Katy at a Canyonlands Arch

After Canyonlands, we went to Arches National Park (the next day). Arches loom above you with massive rocks to climb and secret passages to explore.

 We did make it to the top of the highest park. We were intending to be doing a 2km hike but it turned into an 8km one, thanks to me being distracted by squirrels (think of the dog in Disney's Up - SQUIRREL!) and very poor signage. Cairns (small piles of rocks) are used as markers and the thing about rock parks is there are a LOT of rocks. But we made it and it was worth the climb.

 I like how this window looks like an eye from this angle with the shadow behind it!

Deirdre the donkey and Jack, Katy's bear, have been accompanying us. They've started a few conversations and, I'm sure, have raised a few eyebrows.

At Arches National Park

Mishap with a cactus 

Smooching

That's all for today. Colorado next!!!