Monday, February 10, 2014

Dreaming of Utah



It was a great moment this morning when I realized that it is less than two months until we leave for our Utah adventure.   Time to get down to business and Get Planning!!

Dreams

 I spent the morning looking at pictures of Utah while snow continues to fall.  Certainly a good choice on a snowy winter day!  I saw perfect photos of peoples perfect moments in time.  What never shows in the pictures, is what it takes in planning and preparation to get to that point.  How much planning did it take to find that perfect spot?  Or did they just happen upon it during their travels?  Were their days blissful or filled with anxiety and stress about where they would be camping next ?  Did they save for an entire year for those brief moments in time, forgoing living each individual day? 
Was it worth the time, energy and planning?

For me, I know that I feel totally alive when exploring, and learning all that a new area has to offer.  Sometimes it is the discovery of something I didn't even know existed the day before.  Sometimes just the quiet moments breathing in the still air and atmosphere of a new place.  Something that is never experienced when cruising down the interstate at 6o plus miles per hour.


In general, I have difficulty with the planning stage.  I am a pretty spontaneous person and detailed plans make me feel boxed in. Reservations cause me to constantly be looking to the next destination, watching the clock and missing the present moment.   I like general plans with destinations in mind with the freedom to adjust as I go.  Since many park systems rely completely on reservations it is  difficult for me to adjust to this type of travel.  I prefer the idea of boondocking but lack some of the confidence in finding boondocking spots.  Utah however has a whole landscape of boondocking possibilities (according to my scources and blogging buddies) .

Now to find those great boondocking spots!!
 
Benchmark Utah Road & Recreation Atlas, 4th editionI have a general travel US Atlas but I am ordering a Utah Benchmark Atlas this week to look at Utah in greater detail. 

Some key spots I am looking into are:

         Antelope Island near Salt Lake
         Cathedral Valley
         Capitol Reef National Park
         Arches National Park'
         Canyonlands National Park
         Goblin Valley

I intend to spend the majority of my time near Moab as there is so much to see and do in the area.  I prefer to set up a base camp and then venturing out without the trailer for drives and hikes.  No telling how far out  from these ideas I will roam.  I wish that I had time to go on to Zion and Bryce but those will probably wait for another trip..... I would rather see less and see it well than feel rushed.  I keep hearing that I could spend years in Utah alone and not see it all.  I have so much to see and experience.

I also have been doing some thinking about what I will be taking in the trailer.   When I set my wheels in motion last spring, I packed everything I might need for my future travel.  As most RVers have discovered.... there is great deal of STUFF that I never or rarely used(but I just might need it someday!)

So the bigger question is, do I want to haul it ALL around for this adventure?  
    
It is not the stuff that is so neatly packed away that is the issue, but rather the items that have to be moved to get to the stuff behind them each and every time something is needed.  As soon as this round of snow is gone I look forward to spending some time in the trailer doing some reorganizing.  It will be a good time to check over supplies and equipment to ensure everything will be ready to good to go.   I will look at everything with fresh eyes and evaluate if it is truly needed.  It might be kind of fun to travel light.  I'll give it some more thought.

I never in my life thought I would be shoveling snow.... but it has continued to fall in spite of my disdain.... I am so over the beauty of the snow.

This is just the beginning..... The pile is now to the top of the short fence (3 ft) near the street.  We got close to 4 inches today so we did the whole drive way. More is due tonight and then again tomorrow.  Woe is me!! 


I think I shall just go lie down and think of Spring and Utah.....

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9 comments:

  1. Linda GoudelockFebruary 11, 2014 at 8:49 AM

    we've been full timing for almost ten years and I'm still getting rid of 'stuff' I thought I needed. for day to day life you tend to use the same things. concentrate on that

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    1. klbexploresFebruary 11, 2014 at 5:13 PM

      I suspect it will be neverending..... While I don't often add to the stash, I do seem to find things I can't live without (or so it would seem!)

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  2. Sue MaloneFebruary 11, 2014 at 4:00 PM

    Cathedral Valley is magnificent, but not a place to take any kind of rig. I camped there in a tent, driving my pickup with a camper shell only. I also have driven the Tracker back to Cathedral Valley from an inexpensive RV park in Torrey. Boondocking in that country isn't really possible unless you have a 4 wheel drive rig. Just sayin....don't miss it. One of my favorite spots on the planet. There is excellent boondocking on the Burr Trail east of Boulder City on Highway 12. Look for the Studhorse Peaks area off the Burr where it is still paved. Before the NP boundary. The entire area is BLM. You can drive into Capitol Reef from that location and explore many canyons along the Waterpocket Fold. Have fun planning. and of course, doing.

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    1. klbexploresFebruary 11, 2014 at 5:17 PM

      Thanks for the great suggestions....Just hearing your suggestions makes me excited all over again. Sometimes it feels overwhelming when I am going into a new area....Where to stay.... finding all the not-to-miss spots. My naive thoughts about full-timing was I would just stay until I had seen it all before moseying on down the road. But I always seem to find more to see and do.

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  3. SherryFebruary 11, 2014 at 4:16 PM

    I love the planning part but like you hate the reservations. I love researching all I will see and do. I just would rather do it when and for as long as I want and not have to leave because the reservation says I have to. But the more people pick up the RV lifestyle the more reservations will be necessary.

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  4. klbexploresFebruary 11, 2014 at 5:20 PM

    It is also hard to know what areas where reservations are your only option as I am starting out on this adventure. Many of the areas you have been this past year have few boondocking options so reservations are more necessary. I wish I knew what areas they were.

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  5. Box Canyon Blog.comFebruary 11, 2014 at 5:41 PM

    Moab is our backyard…let me know when you get there, or close…are your set up for solar and boon docking or do you need to plug in?
    Box Canyon Mark

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  6. JOFebruary 11, 2014 at 7:18 PM

    I was going through all the PassPort America stuff I received last week. I only for some reason have an AZ Atlas will have to get a all States one. We half timers all seem to have hitch itch going on. I would love to do Utah also. Try this web site Freecampsite.net. With my camper I will need showers and laundry sometimes. I can't carry to much stuff so there isn't much I can carry unless it is really important. I may have to buy a pop up but we shall see.
    Have fun planning.

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  7. Dawn from Camano IslandFebruary 14, 2014 at 5:25 AM

    Utah is so amazingly gorgeous! I think someone could spend years visiting all the cool stuff there! Happy Trails!

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