Leaving Las Vegas

Las Vegas Nevada  to  Richfield Utah  293 miles

Day 36

Ready to hit the road

I almost hated to leave the Oasis RV Park this morning, it was going to be a nice, sunny day.  Also the fact that I knew we were headed to higher elevations meant that we'd be going back to winter, so to speak.  Psssst...I hate cold. 

A different view of Caesars, from the back side

From the interstate, Trump , Encore, Wynn, and Venice  (I think)

It was a crystal clear morning, and we were on the road by 9:00.  We picked up I15 north and stayed on it most of the day.  Plenty of climbing and descending on the leg of the trip.  We've been on certain sections of this highway before, in fact just last year, but in the opposite direction.  Sounds nutty, but you see different things facing the othery way! 

One part of the highway I always enjoy between  state border of Arizona and Utah.  The highway travels for miles at the base of the mountains on  a flat terrain.  Suddenly it becomes apparent that you are facing a wall of enormous mountains and somehow the highway will find a way through.   This cut is through the Virgin River Gorge and it is breathtaking.  Not too far on the other side of the mountains is St. George, Utah.

Entering the Twilight Zone....er, I mean Virgin River Gorge on I15

And more....

Before long it's back to rugged country, the mountains grow taller and population dwindles.  Actually, this area is on the other side of Zion National Park.  No entry from this side.  We passed the tiny town of Leeds, Utah, where we stayed last year when we visited Zion.  We remembered a little diner (the ONLY restaurant in town) Wagon Wheel Diner, that we enjoyed and looked forward to lunch there.  It has been in the same spot for many years...the cook had catered the cast and crews of westerns and was a huge fan of John Wayne the restaurant was filled with the 'Duke's' memorabilia.  But as we neared the usual string of cars was not parked across the street and as we passed we saw that it was closed and a 'For Rent' sign in the window.  Apparently, it had been there for years....oh well.  Plan B - stop at a rest area and make lunch in the RV.  Bummer.

Not easy to see, but the white in the background is snow on the mountain

As we traveled, we kept gaining altitude and the snow that was on the very tops of the mountains kept getting closer.  Eventually, by the time we made the turn onto I70 to face EAST it was right there, under the trees.  

We ended up in a tiny town, Richfield Utah, in  a valley between the mountains.  Actually it isn't THAT tiny...it has a super Walmart!  The KOA here is very, very nice.  There are only a handful of campers here, could be because most people stay in warmer areas until a later in the season...ya think? It is cold here tonight, they said it snowed a couple of days ago.   Thank heavens for cable TV and good WIFI or I'd be nuts tonight. 

Now, they're happy to go for a walk!  Well...two out of three are!

We will shop tomorrow at the Walmart before heading further into the netherworld, on our way to Moab.  I just read that on the way there is a 105 mile range between services.  In other words, make sure your tank is full and  make sure you pee.  That's when an RV comes in handy, heh, heh!

If we all don't perish from hypothermia tonight, and if the roads are passable, we will head east toward Moab tomorrow...