May 12 - leaving Moab

Well, the inevitable came today. Now matter how much you ignore the facts, at some point the dirty clothes consume your space and a trip to the laundry is a necessity! Today was moving day, and we had decided to wait until today to wash (2 weeks worth of dirty clothes, ugh). Our campground didn't have a laundry so we hitched up the motorhome and jeep and headed to town to wash and then move on. We gassed up the jeep (plus an extra can) for our trip deep into the bowels of the canyons, and then stopped at a laundromat. Another couple came in (obviously travelers also) shortly after us and the man started commenting how much he hated the laundry runs. I thought he expressed it ratherly nicely: “I would rather be pushing my bike through sand.” Now, we have been watching these extreme bikers since we have been in Moab. It seems that all the skinny, spandex-clad population in the U.S. come to Moab to bicycle the slickrock. We have seen them going places that a bicycle just shouldn't be able to go. We have met them as we were flying (5 mph) along the deep sand beds, pushing their bicycles in the bottomless sand. And believe me, it didn't make us wish that we had brought our bikes. So we fully understood what he was talking about.

But a quick hour later we were all finished with 5 loads and had also bought a few groceries—piece of cake. We drove 35 miles north of Moab to Dead Horse Point State Park. We had been fortunate enough to get reservations for three nights at this great park. It is on the Islands in the Sky road in the Canyonlands NP. Every once in a while you hit a home run on vacation planning, and this is it. Great park (21 site campground) on a penisula into the canyon over the Colorado river (2000 feet below). For only $20 a day says Gary. Our back window looks out over the desert to a canyon rim! There is no water here, but it does have electricity so we sitting pretty. Gary set up the satellite dish, and then we started hiking one of the 10 miles of trails along the rim in the park. Magnificent!