Munchen on the Move……

From Ouray we drove a beautiful route to Carbondale. This drive went up some of the steepest roads we have taken the motorhome on and at certain points our speed dropped under 30 mph.  Our campsite was right on the Roaring Fork river and only 30 miles to Aspen.  This is a great little town of under 10,000 people and they have great food and a wonderful dog park.  One of Rhonda’s friends from West Chicago, Collin, lives in the area and showed us around the area.  We went fishing up the Frying Pan river and also got a chance to spend some time driving around in the mountains.

We took a day trip up to Marble and Crystal, which require a 4X4 to access them.  While in Marble we went to Smooth Groovin BBQ and had one of the most amazing sandwiches, the Megatron.  If you are ever in Marble or Aspen you need to go here and get this sandwich.  We took another day and rented downhill mountain bikes and went on multiple runs at Snowmass in Aspen.  This was one of the most fun things we have done this summer, and it is very similar to skiing.   If you are somewhere that offers this activity you must do it. After riding we took a drive up to Independence pass, 12,095 feet, and enjoyed the mountains and forests.

After two weeks here we still feel like there is a lot more to do and we are going to have to come back.  The people and scenery are outstanding.

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Munchen made some friends in Aspen

Frying Pan River

Asher loved to throw rocks…..

Trying to catch some brook trout. They were very elusive.

View of our campsite, with Mt. Sopris is seen in the background.

On our way to Collin’s we came across a mama bear and her cub.

Collin, Jolene and a not so happy Asher.

Beautiful drive on our way to Crystal. Only way to reach this area is with a 4X4.

On the gondola getting ready to go downhill mountain biking.

All suited up with our 5K bikes……..luckily we didn’t fall and break them.

This was one of the most fun things we have done on the trip. We can’t wait to do it again.

Nice view along the drive to Independence Pass.

12,095 feet up on the continental divide. Independence pass is a must do if you are in the area.

Still snow at 12,000 feet

View of the road heading down to Leadville

After a short 3 hour ride we made it to Ouray.  It is always amazing how quickly you can go from upper 90’s to mid 70’s.  While we had an amazing time in Arizona and Utah it is really nice to get into Colorado which has lower temperatures.  There is still snow on the mountain tops and the views are just spectacular.  Our campsite in Ouray is nestled in a valley with a stream right in back of our spot.  We went on hikes and enjoyed this beautiful mountain town.

We took a couple of day trips to Telluride where we met up with our friend Collin.  While in Telluride we went to the Ride Music Festival, which we would recommend to everyone.  This is the first time we have been to a music festival and not had sweat running down our backs.  Telluride is right at the base of snow-capped mountains and you can see huge waterfalls from town.    Stache went on his first gondola ride and loved the fresh mountain air up here.  Telluride is not near any major city so you will have to drive a while, but you should definitely check it out.

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Drive on the way to Ouray

Ahh we finally made it to Colorado. What a beautiful spot we had. Right on a little stream.

On the drive to Telluride. Great shot of Stache enjoying the fresh mountain air.

While in Telluride we came across these amazing bathrooms. The hydrant has to be high so it is visible with all the snow that is usually here.

Stache’s first gondola ride

Ahh time for me to enjoy this fresh mountain air

View of Mom and Collin in downtown Telluride. What a beautiful downtown. In the background you can see a huge waterfall

At the “Ride” festival in Telluride. Got to see some great bands with great friends.

Theres a view of the waterfall in the background again.

We left Provo and drove 4 hours to Moab.  This is a great town right next to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.  The highs were between 94 and 102 while we were here but luckily our campsite had shade which kept the motorhome cool.  There are tons of things to do here and we highly suggest making this a stop on your next vacation.

The first stop was in Arches National Park.  This is a great park with gorgeous views.  We hiked to Delicate Arch, which is a 3 mile round trip hike.  We started the hike two hours prior to sunset to avoid the heat.  This is a must do hike if you come here.  Afterwards stop at Moab brewery for a much needed beer.  Their amber and brown are worth having.   Another great thing to do is go on a UTV ride through Devil’s Revenge.  This is where you drive a 4 wheel drive vehicle up and down petrified sand dunes.  If you want to watch some real nail-biters click on the videos below to see the drive we took.  We saw lots of modified Jeeps and Hummers on the trails with us, but I would recommend a UTV because they are smaller and easier to manage.

We escaped the heat one day by driving into Canyonlands and went to the Island in the Sky section.  This area of Canyonlands is closest to Moab and takes you up on top of the canyons where the temperature is much cooler.

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Right before reaching delicate arch. This is a great 1.5 mile hike.

On our way back from Delicate Arch we saw some other amazing formations in Arches National Park

Beautiful sunsets

View of the Colorado River on our UTV tour.

Do you see the humans??

On our way back. This was a fun thing to do and these UTV’s can get over anything.

View from Canyonlands Island in the Sky

Back in Arches National Park. This is in the Devil’s Garden area.

After Zion we drove 4 hours to Provo Utah.  This was a central area where we could reach Park City and Salt Lake City.  My sister Michele came to visit…Yay!  We drove around the area and saw Bridal Veil Falls and also checked out Sundance Ski Resort.  While at Sundance we took a chair lift up to the top and got caught in a hail storm on the way down.  They had to shut down the lift and they drove us down in trucks.  This was really a beautiful mountain and we had a great time exploring it.

We took a day trip to Park City and enjoyed the summer activities in a ski resort.  Michele went on her first alpine sled and she had to be warned to slow down.  Grab a bowl of popcorn and watch the video below to see the action.  We also stopped by the Great Salt Lake.  The lake is huge but its maximum depth is only 35 feet!  We had a lot of fun hanging out with Michele!!!!

Bridal Veil Falls, just outside of Provo

Our sister Michele!!!! The humans left us in Doggy Daycare and went for a gondola ride in Sundance.

Top of the mountain at Sundance. This is just before a thunderstorm with hail and strong winds hit us.

The Great Salt Lake!! They should call it the huge shallow stinky brine pool. The entire salt lake is huge but its maximum depth is only 35 feet.

In Park City getting ready to go alpine sledding!!!

From Williams it took 5 hours to get to Springdale.  During the drive we noticed more mountains and red rock formations.  Our friends Carl and Mayan gave us some wonderful recommendations of things to do.  We took bike rides daily through Zion.  You can take the shuttle to the last stop and ride back down.  Most of the ride is downhill and this is a great way to see the park.  We would come across deer and turkey nearly every day.  One day we went canyoneering for the first time and learned how to navigate canyons including repelling.  Watch the thrilling video below to see Rhonda dropping down a 40 foot wall.

Zion is an amazing place to go hiking.  We went on numerous hikes including the Narrows, which is mostly through 1 – 4 foot water.  This was definitely a must do (thanks Carl).  Make sure you rent the proper gear, such as neoprene socks, hiking shoes and walking sticks.  There is another riveting video showing the Narrow’s hike below.  Another great hike was the Canyon Overlook Trail.  Mayan showed us this route and it really gives a great view of the park.

We spent a week here and still needed more time.  This is a great national park, and if you haven’t been here you need to do so.  The only thing to be cognizant of is it can be extremely packed during peak times, so plan accordingly.

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Riding around Zion. Was great taking the shuttle to the last stop and riding back to the RV. Mostly downhill and beautiful scenery.

Inside Zion

The humans had us wear these paw pads to protect us from the hot pavement. It also keeps the thorns from getting in our paws.

Rhonda taking her first repel!!!! This was going down a 40 foot drop.

view of our hike down a slot canyon

Tony way in the back ground!!!! This was a 60 foot repel.

Sometimes you had to squeeze through tight spaces. Easier for Rhonda obviously.

Our guide Ben. In the back ground was the rock formation that we were repelling down.

Mayan getting a thank you for watching us while the humans went hiking in Zion National Park.

Start of the Narrows Hike.

Hiking sticks help with balance and also to gauge the depth of the water.

Sometimes the canyon ridge was 2000 feet above the river.

View of Wall Street portion of the Narrows.

Hiking along the Canyon Overlook Trail in Zion

Mom and Mayan at the Canyon Overlook Summit

From Williams it took 3 hours to get to Lake Powell.  On the way from Williams to Lake Powell we had to drive through Flagstaff  where we encountered some huge wind gusts that ended up breaking one of our slide awnings.  Luckily we have tons of bungee cords which fixed the problem.  We had a great spot in Lake Powell but our internet service was pretty poor which made working during the week hard.  We were in a beautiful area and had plenty of time to get out and do things.  We rented a boat and cruised about one fourth of Lake Powell.  The area was just gorgeous and the dogs had a blast, except for the portion of the ride that was on the Colorado which was pretty choppy.

We also took day trips to Horseshoe Bend, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and to Marble Canyon.  It is amazing how in 2 hours you can go from desert to alpine forests.  We can’t wait to come back here someday and rent a house boat with friends.  Anyone interested?

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Taking a nap while boating on Lake Powell

We had a a great time boating around

We took a day trip from Lake Powell to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. It is over 1,000 feet higher on this side and you can see the snow capped mountains in Flagstaff in the background.

On the way back we stopped by Marble Canyon

Some huge balancing rocks

It was really beautiful out here.

Along the Colorado River just downstream from Glen Dam.

Horseshoe Bend

Enjoying the beach at Lake Powell

Stache is yelling in my ear.

From Sedona it took 1.5 hours to get to Williams.  Williams is a small town that has a railroad which takes you to the south rim of the Grand Canyon.  It was a so nice to go from the heat of Sedona to the pleasant temperatures of the mountains.  The highs were in the upper 70’s and low 80’s.  While in Williams we took the ride to the south rim and found a nice park to go throw frisbee.

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I know everyone loves when the humans take photos of us in these ridiculous cutouts. We couldn’t go on the real train so this was what we had to settle for.

I got stuck in this kennel with my annoying brother. Not fair!!!!

Grand Canyon as seen from the south rim

You can see the Colorado River above Rhonda’s head.

Time for some Frisbee!!!! This is my favorite way to carry it.

We left Albuquerque and drove 5 hours to Camp Verde, which is 25 minutes south of Sedona.  Our campsite was very nice, but the daily highs were between 97 and 104.  The air conditioner in the motorhome was struggling to keep up.  To escape the heat we drove up to Flagstaff a couple of times where the highs were in the 70’s.  The first hike we went on was to Cathedral Rock.  We didn’t hike up to the top because the trail was too steep for us but we did go around the base.  By the end of the hike the temperatures were reaching the high 80’s and we were ready for a break. Our great friends Tommy and Sherry drove up from Tucson and joined us on some hikes and golfing.  One thing to watch out for in the desert is sand spurs, we are constantly removing them from our paws.

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We got to Sedona and had a wonderful campsite. We actually setup and made ourselves comfortable.

During the heat of the day Stache and Mom taking a siesta.

To escape the heat we took a quick 45 minute drive north to Flagstaff. It was beautiful and in the 70’s.

Look at these huge trees that grow in the desert…..who would have though it

Beautiful views of Sedona

Stache and Dad couldn’t keep up

We hiked up to Cathedral Rock. We couldn’t go all the way to the top but we walked around the base. It was HOTTTTTTT………..

On the way down we stopped at Slide Rock state park.

Our friends Tommy and Sherry

Overlooking Slide Rock

Great pano showing the Slide Rock park.

Great golf course right outside of Sedona

Fore……

From Asheville we drove 4 hours to Nashville and spent the night in a Wal-Mart parking lot.  Then the next day we drove for over 12 hours to Amarillo Texas where we stayed in a rest area.  When we got to Albuquerque we got a chance to visit with Eric and Victoria and go to a local brewery.  The next day we met up with long time friends Wanda, Jim and Roman.  We drove an hour outside of town to Jemez Falls and did some hiking to waterfalls.  Who knew there would be waterfalls in the desert!  We were only in town for two days but we will be back in September and meet up again.

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We got in to Albuquerque and visited with our friends Eric and Victoria. Super nice people and we can’t wait to hang out again when we come back through in September.

We got to visit with our friends Wanda, Jim and Roman. We went hiking around Jemez Falls

These damn humans love their photos. We just want to go run around

From Sapphire we drove about two hours to Asheville.  While in Asheville the humans did some maintenance on the house and we had friends Alfio, Stephanie, Brian and Tatiana come visit.  The humans went to 14 breweries and ate way too much food.  We also went tubing and did some hiking.

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We got to Asheville and it was the humans anniversary. We celebrated by going back to Highland Brewery and having a beer. Our friends Alfio, Stephanie, Tatiana and Brian joined us.

We went on hone of our favorite hikes, the Pinnacle at Craggy Gardens. Stache had fun pulling Dad up the hill.

Great views up at the top of the Blue Ridge. Stache even stole a smooch while we were up there.

Soo happy

We were very tired after the hike……time for a nap

The humans once again left us behind and had fun. This time they floated down the French Broad River

Tatiana and Brian had some ducks that stopped by to visit

Next we hiked up to the top of Black Balsom, which is south of Asheville on the Blue Ridge Parkway

This is our favorite way to travel…..So lucky to have our human seat belts

The humans went out for Ethiopian food.

Before heading out west Dad got new tires for the RV.