Grand Plateau RV Resort (17-26 May 23)
Utah “Grand Design Owners’ Rally” was the impetus behind coming to Kanab. The added draw to Kanab is its proximity to many more natural wonders in southern Utah and northern Arizona. We tried to take advantage of our location and to see some of the sights in the ‘local’ area.
Our first trip was to “Zion National Park” which was a ‘two-fer’ in that we were able to see and explore Zion while volunteering with the National Park Service as part of an event coordinated and sponsored by the Rally. In short, Grand Design supports several “ambassadors” to include the “Impact Team” which coordinates community service events like trash collection, waterway cleanup, etc. Keith and Raini did an excellent job coordinating with Brenna Mcbride of Zion’s National Park Service to make these events happen. So, Tina and I volunteered to go clean up litter in Zion National Park. Volunteers are a great component to National Parks across the nation and are a force multiplier for the Rangers. Our group had a great time and still enjoyed the beauty of Zion! Thanks to Grand Design for lunch!
We also took a trip to Page, AZ to see several points of interest near / between there and Kanab. We started with an early morning drive to “Horseshoe Bend” which is a horseshoe shaped meander of the Colorado River and part of the “Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.” It is a beautiful sight and an easy hike from the parking lot to the canyon edge. Not the Grand Canyon, but just as beautiful!
Our next stop was the “Glen Canyon Dam” just upriver from Horseshoe Bend and a few miles outside of Page. Not as famous as the Hoover Dam perhaps, but just as impressive looming 720 feet above the river below. Another modern structural marvel, the dam location also houses a visitor center and museum that has more information on the dam and history of the local area. Another spectacular spot and several more ‘Kodak moments.’
After running a couple of shopping errands, it was time for lunch. Fortunately, we discovered yet another “Grand Canyon Brewing Company” location in Page. Their pizza and pilsners never disappoint, and we walked away happy campers! 😉 After lunch we meandered our way back toward Kanab with several stops for photos and one more relatively short hike to see the “Toadstools” Hoodoo formation. Located about halfway between Kanab and Page, the Toadstools are in the “Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument’s” Red Canyon.’ Again, an easy hike and worth the view once you get there!
As I mentioned in the beginning, our primary goal for Kanab was the owner’s rally. The Wagon Masters (event coordinators), Scott and Denise, did a FANTASTIC job pulling off one of the more fun rallies we have attended. A cowboy themed event, it was filled with great social events, entertainment, vendor lectures, food and meeting folks who share a passion for the RV lifestyle. The highlight of the entertainment was the “W Duo.” The multi-talented couple, Russell and Lyndsey Wulfenstein, played guitar, banjo and fiddle while singing and performing much of their original music. Russell’s mastery of the fiddle are remarkable, and Lyndsey’s vocals (along with her own instrument playing) were awesome! We also enjoyed the ‘Cowboy Poet’ Carl Anderson who entertained us with original poetry and song derived from the old cowboy days spent on the range and ranch. It was both funny and educational! We were also happy to see Dave and Stephanie from our Tucson stop and make new friends with Mike and Andi!
The rally was held at the “Grand Plateau RV Resort” in Kanab and is a spectacular location if you are ever this way. It is light on shade (trees are growing) but is very clean and well-kept. All the sites are level gravel with concrete patios. There is an upper and lower area with the upper sites providing a slightly better view of the surrounding countryside. The spacing is not huge but is adequate and comfortable. There is a small store at the office, a pool, a hot tub and pickle ball courts. The laundromat is top notch and we used it a couple of times during our stay. The only negative for us was connectivity. Not sure about others, but the T-mobile tower is behind one of the buttes and the signal was not always good. And not that we spent much time in the trailer, but the park does not offer cable and local over-the-air channels do not exist. Despite this small inconvenience, we loved the park and its surrounding beauty. It is privately owned and operated, and the staff were great from check-in to departure. Great place to call home for a few days while you explore!
Camping up with the Joneses 