White Rim Road Trip - On the White Rim, Day 1

Tuesday, May 15, our first day on the White Rim Road. We were up early as we were all excited and anxious to get going. By 8:00 AM our ice chests were full of ice, our gas tanks were full of gas and we were on the road. It would be three days until we saw any services again including water, but we had plenty of food, many gallons of water and enough ice to keep things cool for all three days.

Before I go on, I want to share something I thought was interesting. While searching the web for information on the White Rim Road I found a page called the "10 Craziest Roads on Earth"
( http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/cities/news-wacky-roads-around-world ).  The White Rim Road was one of the roads listed and here's what they had to say:

"So, you liked the adrenaline from the Col de Turini, but you are looking for something a bit more rugged? Well have we got the road for you! Nestled in the Canyonlands National Park in Utah, White Rim Road is 103 miles of rugged twists and turns that wind down into the very bottom of the canyon its self. Not only is this a beautiful ride it is down right dangerous. So bring your 4X4, plenty of water and make sure you have on your head screwed on straight - this is one heck of a challenge, but we promise you won't regret it!"

As planned, we were taking Potash Road from Moab instead of the Shafer Trail from the Island in the Sky in the National Park to meet the White Rim Road.  Val and I were in our Toyota 4-Runner and Michael and Mikie were in their Toyota Tundra.

Our two Toyotas on Potash Road.

Potash Road starts just North of Moab after you cross the Colorado River Bridge.  It is paved for a few miles and then turns to dirt past the Potash Plant.  The first part of the road is very rocky and rough, it is not difficult to drive, but things get shaken up quite a bit, and it forces you to go slow.  You pass by the bright blue potash evaporation ponds as you make your way into the canyon.  They are blue because a dye is added to enhance the evaporation process.  Here is a picture of the ponds taken from above by Mikie when we were at Dead Horse Point State Park the day before.

Potash evaporation ponds from Dead Horse Point.

After passing by the ponds and going over some rocky ridges, the road smoothed a bit (smooth is a relative term here) as we once again followed the Colorado River.  We stopped at Thelma and Louise Point (where during the famous ending of the movie the car drives off the edge and into the Colorado) to take some pictures and stretch our legs.

Michael and Mikie at Thelma and Louise Point.

Mikie and Val.

We soon were on our way again and after several stops for photos, we reached the intersection of Potash Road, the Shafer Trail (which goes up to the Island in the Sky) and the White Rim Road (where we want to go).

We were finally on the White Rim Road, which at this point was mildly rough, but not too bad.  Our first stop was to take a short hike to the Colorado River Gooseneck overlook.  If you look near the top along the river you can see Potash Road as it heads to the right back to Moab.

Colorado River Gooseneck.

Dave and Michael on the rim.

Val

Michael, Mikie and Val on the rim.

Back to the car.

 We hit the road again for a short drive to our next stop, Musselman Arch.

Musselman Arch

Of course, we all had to get our pictures taken standing on the arch, and here I am.

Mikie and Michael

And the whole group.  Mikie, Michael, Dave and Val.

Back on the road, but soon it was past noon so we stopped for some lunch.  There are no tables or picnic areas so you just have to stop by the road and make do.  The humidity was so low that while we were eating our sandwiches the bread would dry out, and by the time you were down to your last few bites it was like cardboard.

Lunch time.

The Monster Tower (left) and the Washer Woman (right) looked down on us as we ate.

After lunch we were back on the road heading for our campsite at Gooseberry.

 We made a few more photo stops, but we were anxious to get to Gooseberry so we pushed on.

Approaching Gooseberry Canyon, our campsite is on the other side.

We made it to Gooseberry before 3:00 and we soon had our campsite set up and were relaxing after our day of driving.  

Our campsite at Gooseberry site B

There are only 20 campsites on the whole White Rim Road so usually there are only one or two at each spot.  The campsites are quite large and are spaced enough distance apart so you really can't even see the other site(s).  Each site is allowed a maximum of 3 vehicles and up to 15 people.  There are quite a few mountain bikers on the trail and they usually travel in groups and have a support vehicle so the large campsite works well for them.  We had a group camped at the other Gooseberry site while we were there.

It was quite warm in the afternoon and fortunately Michael and Mikie had the forethought to bring a free standing awning which worked really well for shade.

Val relaxing in the shade after our first day.

Val and Mikie.

For dinner Mikie made some delicious chicken burgers which really hit the spot.  There are no open fires allowed in the canyon (although charcoal grills are OK) so everything was cooked on our trusty Coleman stove.  There are very strict environmental rules in the canyon and even dumping wash water was not allowed except on the road or into the pit toilets.  We spent the evening chatting and discussing our first days drive until we all decided it was time for some sleep.  Michael and Mikie were sleeping in the back of their truck and Val and I were using our tent.  There is a problem with mice at the campsites so we had to make sure all the food was safely put away in the vehicles before we went to bed.  It is incredibly quiet as there are no sounds except for the occasional jet flying overhead and the view of the stars was truly amazing.

Sunset at Gooseberry Camp.

We only traveled about 35 miles on the White Rim Road today, but it is so rough you have to go pretty slow and the constant jostling and bouncing really tires you. The average speed the bumpy road allowed us to go was probably between 10 and 15 mph, with a high of about 20 mph.  Val and I shared the driving as she enjoys driving in the back country just as much as I do.  The road today was not too bad and could probably be done with a high clearance 2-wheel drive vehicle if you were adventurous, but tomorrow will be another story as we have the Murphy Hogback to look forward to.  There are very few people on the road so it is rare to meet another car or group of bicyclists, which is good because the road is very narrow most of the way and you may have to back up quite a ways to find a wide spot to allow others to pass.  The worst spots are when you are on a narrow ledge with the canyon on one side and a cliff above you on the other.  Another thing to deal with is the constant dust, it is everywhere particularly for Michael and Mikie who are following us.  The cars are covered and we are covered and not a shower in sight.

One last word here from our first day; Michael and Mikie are great traveling companions. They're flexible, easy to get along with and a lot of fun to be with.  We've had a great time with them ever since our first day in Mesquite, and I am sure that will continue.  That's it until tomorrow.

Note: All the photos were taken by either Val, Mikie (thanks to Mikie for letting me use hers here) or me.

White Rim Road Trip - The White Rim Road

We're out... we've completed the White Rim Road today!  It was a great three day trip with unbelievable scenery, but a very challenging drive.  Much of the road was a fairly easy 4-wheel drive road, very rough, but not too difficult to drive. However, the rest of the road was another story.  There were very steep climbs with equally steep descents, narrow shelf roads with deep canyons on one side and cliffs on another, deep sandy washes, and many other obstacles.  Most of the White Rim Road is only wide enough for one vehicle so meeting another vehicle on the more difficult sections can cause serious problems.  In the worst sections, we were both scared and exhilarated at the same time, but in the end, it was a lot of fun.

There are so many pictures and stories to tell about our adventure that I'm going to wait until I have more time. We'll be home in a couple of days, so tune in then.  I will say one thing more - after three days without running water in a very dusty and dirty environment we were all very dirty and very much looking forward to a shower. Saying that the shower back at the hotel felt really, really good would be a great understatement.  ;-)

White Rim Road Trip - Moab

We've made it to Moab, Utah and tomorrow morning we leave civilization and hit the White Rim Road for 3 days. Here's a summary of what went on during our trip to get to Moab... After an uneventful drive to Tehachapi and then on to Mesquite, NV, we met Michael and Mikie at the Eureka Hotel on Saturday night as planned.  After cleaning up, we all went over to the casino to do a little pre-dinner gambling.  Mikie wasn't having much luck as you can see from the big win she cashed out.

Mikie cashes out with a big $.20 and Michael, in the background, is using hand language to show his non-win of $.00

 Surprisingly, my good luck continued as you can see below.

Dave gets a $1000 on a spin of the Wheel of Fortune.

We had a surprisingly good steak dinner at Gregory's Steakhouse at the Eureka Casino, spent a little more time in the casino and then called it a night.

The next day, Mother's Day, was spent on the road to Moab from Mesquite.  The drive on I-70 is very scenic, for an interstate, so it made for a pleasant second half of our drive. We got into Moab around 5:00 and after cleaning up, we went into town and did a little shopping and then had an excellent Mexican dinner at Miguel's Baja Grill.  This morning (Monday) we headed out to Canyonlands National Park to pick up our wilderness permits and to show Michael and Mikie around the Park at bit. We had lunch at a little sandwich "cart" in Dead Horse State Park at the visitor's center.  It was very good and we had a pleasant lunch on the deck overlooking the canyon below.

Michael and Mikie

Michael, Mikie, Dave and Val at Dead Horse State Park.  Looking down into the canyon we will be traveling through for the next three days.

Michael and Mikie taking in the view.

After Canyonlands, it was back to Moab for some grocery shopping for our trip and final preparations.  We are all looking forward to the start of our big 4-wheel drive adventure tomorrow on the White Rim Road.  Hopefully I will have many pictures and stories to share when we get back on Thursday evening.  See you then.



 Update: In fairness to Mikie, she actually went back to the casino early the next morning and won $175 on the same WOF machine that I won my $1000 on, so she did do better than the 20 cents shown in the picture.

Update #2: Tonight we had a great dinner at the Sunset Grill which is situated on a hill above Moab with a great view of the valley below.  The restaurant is housed in the former home of Charlie Steen, the uranium king of Moab.  Here is a picture of all of us on the patio after dinner.

 

White Rim Road Trip - Prelude

Back in 2004, Val and I made our first visit to the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park.  The Island in the Sky is just what it sounds like; a peninsula of land jutting out, overlooking the canyons 1000 feet below and the Colorado and Green River canyons below that.  What caught our eye as we looked down at the spectacular scenery from the various viewpoints was a small dirt road far below that wound its way along the rivers and over the ridges all the way around the Island.  After checking at the visitor center, we found that this was called the White Rim Road, a 100 mile long, moderate 4-wheel drive road that goes down one side of the Island, circles it, and comes up the other side.  We decided we had to drive this road, but we didn't want to do it alone (we're a bit more wary after our ill fated adventure in the Nevada Desert in 1996).  We made several more trips to the area over the years, but no one we knew was interested in taking the White Rim Road trip; that is until this year.  

We were talking to our friends Michael and Mikie about our October visit to Canyonlands and told them about the White Rim Road and they said, "Let's do it" and the trip was on.  You have to get a back-country permit as there are limited camping sites and they limit the number of vehicles in the canyon.  These permits go fast, so we applied in February for our May trip and we were in.  You can do the trip in one day, but that's a long day so most people do it in two.  We decided to take three days so we could take it easy and do some hiking and exploring.  There are only 20 campsites spread out along the road and we were able to reserve ours for our two nights spaced just right to divide the day's drives pretty evenly.  100 miles may not seem like much, but on a rough 4-wheel drive road, it is difficult to make good time.  The campsites are primitive, they do have pit toilets, but there is no water in the canyon.  You carry in all your own water and carry out all of your trash.


Below is a map of the Island in the Sky and the White Rim Road (click on map to enlarge).

 The darker roads in the center are the paved roads on the "Island" which is about 1000 feet above the canyons.  The yellow highlighted road is the White Rim Road with our campsites circled in red.  On the top right of the map you can see a road highlighted in green, this is Potash Road.  Potash Road is an easier road and can be driven in a 2-wheel drive vehicle if you're adventurous, but it's pretty rough in places and I would take a 4-wheel drive.  Instead of driving into the park to get to the White Rim Road, we will be taking Potash Road, which starts just north of Moab just past the Colorado River Bridge.  We have done this drive several times and the scenery is spectacular.  If you've seen the movie "Thelma and Louise" you have seen this road.  They filmed many of the final chase scenes on Potash Road including their final "drive" over the edge and into the Colorado River.  You can go to that spot which is now called Thelma and Louise Point.

As you can tell by how much I've written, we really love this area and are really excited about doing this drive.  Friday we are doing our usual thing when we head to the Southwest, getting a jump on the trip by leaving in the afternoon for Tehachapi where we'll spend our first night.  Saturday night we'll meet Michael and Mikie in Mesquite, Nevada.  Sunday we'll drive on to Moab, Utah where we'll spend two nights before hitting the White Rim Road.

I am planning on updating this from Moab before and after our White Rim Road drive, but there is obviously no Internet in the canyon so posting will be sparse until we get back.  I can guarantee there will be plenty of pictures to see.  :-)



A picture taken last October from an overlook on the Island in the Sky.  If you look at the lower left side you can see the White Rim Road.  Deeper into the canyon is the Green River (click to enlarge).

Las Vegas / Palm Desert: Monday, May 7 - The Drive Home

We were awakened early as painters arrived at 7:00 AM to paint the outside of the house.  It was good to get up early anyway as both Val and I and Doug and Ev had a long drive back to Atascadero ahead.  The drive turned out to be pretty easy as we had very little traffic.  We made one stop at the Hadley Fruit Ranch in Cabazon to pick up some dried fruits and trail mix for our next trip.  I first started going to Hadley's in the 70's and I know they have been there a lot longer than that.  They used to be out in the middle of nowhere, but it's built up quite a bit around them now with a hotel, casino, gas stations and a factory outlet.  After getting our supplies, we were back on the road with one more stop at Los Arroyos Restaurant in Camarillo for lunch.  Los Arroyos is our favorite Mexican restaurant and when we are traveling on US 101 we always try to time our trip so we can stop at either the Los Arroyos in Santa Barbara or Camarillo for lunch or dinner.  From there it was a quick drive home and by 5:00 we were unpacked and ready for our next trip.

It was another great trip.  As always Las Vegas was fun and our stay with Doug and Ev in Palm Desert was even better, thanks again Doug and Ev.  Now we have a few days home and then we leave again Friday for our 4-wheel drive adventure on the White Rim Road in Canyonlands National Park near Moab, Utah.  Stay tuned!

Las Vegas / Palm Desert: Sunday, May 6 - Palm Desert

Today our plan was to visit the Living Desert Zoo and Botanical Garden in Palm Desert.  Ev is feeling better, but still not well enough for an outing so Doug, Val and I left her to rest.  Doug has visited The Living Desert many times so he was our guide.  I didn't know what to expect, but it turned out to be really interesting.  Rather than try to explain all that is there, here is a link to a description: http://www.desertusa.com/magdec97/psmuseums/dec_livedesert.html .  

Besides the animals and gardens there were several informative shows involving the animals including one at their very modern, well equipped animal hospital.  The talk in the hospital was about the kookaburra bird and its very unique and familiar (from the movies) call. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0ZbykXlg6Q&feature=endscreen
The weather was hotter than yesterday and after a while, Val and I started to wear down from the heat and we decided to leave.  We didn't see everything, but we will definitely be back.  Well worth a visit, but get there early or in cooler weather.

Val and Doug

After The Living Desert, we stopped for an excellent lunch at a Mexican restaurant and then it was back to Doug and Ev's for an afternoon of relaxation and more pool time.  Ev was feeling much better so she was finally able to join in the fun.  We had another delicious barbeque dinner and then spent the evening talking before calling it a night.  This was our last day, we'll be headed home tomorrow.  Staying at Doug and Ev's condo was great, they were great hosts and we really enjoyed our stay.  Thanks to both of them for everything and particularly Ev for putting up with us while she was feeling so sick.

Doug and Ev

Las Vegas / Palm Desert: Saturday, May 5 - Palm Desert

Today was a welcome leisurely day after all the driving and frantic pace of Las Vegas.  Ev woke up feeling worse, so first thing in the morning, Doug took her to a Med Stop.  Val and I relaxed, read and had a pleasant morning doing nothing.  When Doug and Ev returned it was confirmed that Ev was pretty sick.  She was given a dose of antibiotics which will hopefully get her feeling better in a day or two.

Ev needed to get some rest so Doug took Val and I to a nice shopping area in downtown Palm Desert where we walked around and looked at some of the shops and galleries there.  Val found a Coldwater Creek which is her favorite store so she spent some time shopping.  After that it was back home for lunch and then more relaxing and later a swim and lounging around the pool.

The activity for the night was to attend the Follies in downtown Palm Springs so after swimming we had to get ready for that.  The show started at seven which meant an early dinner for us.  We found a great Italian place called Bella Vita nearby and had an excellent dinner there and then off to the Follies.

The Follies is an old style musical review with singing, dancing and comedy.  The unique thing about the Follies is that all the performers are older.  The youngest was 58 and the oldest was 82 and they were all very good.  Most had extensive performing experience in Broadway plays, TV, Movies and many had performed in Las Vegas.  In between the music an MC entertained with commentary and comedy (a warning, if you don't want to be picked on, don't sit in the first row).  There was also a ventriloquist who was very funny and the fifties do-wop group the Diamonds performed and were great.  It was a great show and I highly recommend it.


Downtown Palm Springs was really hopping when we left the theater.  I had never been there before and was really surprised, it was like being in Las Vegas minus the casinos.  There was music, restaurants and shops all full and active with mostly young people.  Doug and Val spotted a Coldstone Creamery and decided it was time for dessert.  After that it was back home after a great evening.  A very fun day in Palm Desert.

Las Vegas / Palm Desert: Friday, May 4 - Palm Desert

Despite our best efforts and plans, we did not get the early start from Las Vegas we had planned for, but oh well, we tried.  Our first stop after leaving Las Vegas were the factory outlets in Primm, Nevada which is right on California / Nevada border.  Val likes to stop there because there is a William-Sonoma Outlet store.  There are only seven of them in the US and the next closest one is in Texas.  After shopping and lunch, we were finally off to Doug and Ev's in Palm Desert.

There is no direct route from Las Vegas to Palm Desert so we decided to take a route through the Mojave National Preserve.  It was a lonely drive through that area, but quite interesting and if you like desert scenery, very beautiful.  We passed through the small (barely) towns of Cima, Kelso and Amboy before ending up in the larger town of Twenty-Nine Palms, which is the gateway to Joshua Tree National Park.  From there it was less than an hour's drive to Doug and Ev's condo in Palm Desert.

Doug and Ev are our good friends from Atascadero and they usually rent out their condo here in Palm Desert, but this weekend they were gracious enough to invite us.  We arrived around 4:00 and were welcomed by Doug and Ev with cold drinks and a beautiful balmy evening.  There condo is in a gated community and is a very beautiful spot.  The grounds are all kept up immaculately and there is a nice green belt that runs behind all of the houses.  There are also enough pools so that everyone has one very close by.  We sat out on the patio and talked for a while and then Doug barbecued some excellent porterhouse steaks for dinner which really hit the spot (much better than the steaks at the El Cortez).  After dinner we all went for walk and then more conversation.  It really feels like we are guests at a resort here. Thanks Doug and Ev!  The only downside is that Ev is getting over a bad cold and not feeling up to par, but she is being a real trooper and toughing it out.

Las Vegas / Palm Desert: Thursday, May 3 - Las Vegas

Our last day in Las Vegas and as usual, our stay has passed quickly.  We usually like to spend our last day mostly gambling and that was our plan for today.  After nearly breaking even the first two days, I had a disastrous day yesterday so I hoped to make up for that today.  Val on the other hand, had a very bad first two days and did very well yesterday.  After our usually late start we headed down to the Flamingo as we wanted to pass by O’Sheas and see what kind of construction was going on.  They were doing quite a bit of work near the Imperial Palace and were doing something around the front of O’sheas.  Really too early to see exactly what is planned.

The Flaming turned out to be just what I needed.  Val and I found our favorite Lord of the Rings slots and we both cashed out a couple of hundred ahead and then after losing on several other slots we tried a penny Wheel of Fortune machine with progressive spots on the wheel.  I managed to hit both a $500 and $35 progressive on a couple of spins and cashed out over $500 ahead, quite a turn-around for me.   

My big win

I was happier than I looked

We had lunch at a new Mexican restaurant at the Flamingo called Carlos and Charlies.  The food was pretty good and our waitress wasn’t, but is was a nice lunch.  The weather was beautiful and we sat at an outside table adjoining the gardens and koi ponds.

We had enough of the Flamingo and headed back to Harrah’s where we once again settled in at the Lord of the Rings slots.  Those slots are fun with lots of bonuses and a group of people that tend to play there often and you get to know them.  It’s very interactive so there’s a lot of cheering and high-fiving when things are going well.  We sat there for over two hours and by the time we quit, Val and I both cashed out over $300 ahead.  With all of our winnings, it sounds like we should be way ahead, but unfortunately between the wins there was also losing, but we did minimize our losing.  After a little rest we headed back down for our final evening and back to our Lord of the Rings machines where we found some of our new friends back playing again.  We played there for several hours again, not doing nearly so well, but winning enough to be able to keep playing.  Val actually did quite well, but I did poorly enough that I had to quit at times to preserve my money.  We ended the evening early as we wanted to get up early and get a good start to Palm Desert. 

As always, we had a great time in Las Vegas.  We didn't get to some of the restaurants we intended, but there's always next time.  While we didn't come out ahead in our gambling, we did bring money home with us which is pretty much all I ever hope for.  We consider gambling entertainment and allocate only enough money that we can afford to lose.  We expect to lose it all so any other result is like a win.  They don't build all those fancy hotels and casinos by giving away a lot of money to people gambling.

Las Vegas / Palm Desert: Wednesday, May 2 - Las Vegas

Once again we slept in and didn’t get out and going until after ten.  We spent a little time gambling at Harrah’s and then we decided to take the monorail to the Paris and have lunch at the café there.  After lunch we gambled a little at the Paris and then we took the monorail back and spent some time in the Imperial Palace.  The Imperial Palace is kind of dumpy, but fun sometimes.  After that it was back to Harrah’s for a little R&R and then we took a taxi to downtown Las Vegas. 

Downtown Las Vegas is the original hotel / casino area and most of the hotels and casinos are old.  We hadn’t been downtown at night since they built the Fremont Street Experience so we wanted to go see it when it was all lit up.  The Fremont Street Experience is a large dome that is several blocks long covering Fremont Street which is closed off to traffic.  The dome consists of many small lights which make it like an enormous screen where they can do different types of displays and shows, very neat looking.  Fremont Street was packed with people and very noisy.  There was all kinds of music, vendors, street entertainers, people dressed in various costumes and many other diversions.  Fremont Street is lined with bars, casinos and all sorts of tourist traps; a lot of action to take in, but a lot of fun, especially if you are young.  One thing they have added recently is a zip line that runs most of the length of the street which seems to be very popular.  Every time you looked up it seemed there were three or four people zipping by above you.

Fremont Street Zipliners going by overhead

The beginning of the Fremont Street Experience

We started to get hungry so I convinced Val to try the Flame Steakhouse at the El Cortez Hotel and Casino which is down in the East Fremont Street area.  She was a little leery as it wasn’t in the best area, but I had read about it and convinced her it would be all right.  The restaurant was redone several years ago in the style of old time Vegas and that was the feeling we got there.  The staff was very friendly, there was a piano player playing and overall our experience was great.  The only weak spot were the steaks themselves, Val had prime rib and I had a filet mignon, and they were both pretty mediocre.  The sides were very good though and considering the cost, it was a pretty decent meal, but when you call yourself a steakhouse, you should have good steaks.  Maybe we were just there on an off night.

After dinner it was back to Fremont Street to try a little gambling there.  I had a terrible night, not winning a thing and soon tired of the noise and crowds and was ready to go back to the Strip.  Val however, was winning quite a bit and not surprisingly, having a great time.  Finally though, it was getting late and we caught a cab back to Harrah’s and called it a night.  Downtown Las Vegas was fun and filled with energy, but I’m not sure I would stay down there.  There isn’t much to do outside of gambling and drinking and while I like to gamble, I don’t want to do it all the time and I also rarely drink.  It is a fun place though and we will certainly pay it another visit.  Another fun day, but only one day left, and as usual in Las Vegas time just seems to be flying by.