June 29 – July 26, 2019
Concluding our visit to Monument Valley, it was time to return to green hills and snow capped mountains. Our route took us through Moab, by the entrance to Arches National Park, and on to Crescent Junction where we “hopped” (strange word when towing an RV) onto I-70 west. We exited I-70 just beyond Green River and followed US 6 and I-15 into Provo where we turned onto Provo Canyon Road. The drive through Provo Canyon past Bridal Veil Falls and beside Deer Creek Reservoir was stunning. Shortly after leaving the canyon, we arrived at our destination for the month – Heber City.
Heber City lies in a valley along the Wasatch (Ute for “mountain pass”) Back – the eastern side of the Wasatch Range of the Rocky Mountains. At an elevation of 5595 feet and with three nearby large reservoirs – Jordanelle, Deer Creek, and Strawberry – tourism is a year-round industry in the valley. The winter season features cross-country and downhill skiing, as well as snowboarding and snowmobiling on several trails and the nearby ski resorts of Park City. In the summer and fall, golfing, off-roading, hunting, fishing, and other outdoor recreational activities are abundant.
Mountain Valley RV Resort
One of our favorite RV resorts is here in Heber City – Mountain Valley RV Resort. They have a newer section with adult-only amenities that we really enjoy. The sites in this section are concrete, level and spacious with nice landscaping. Additionally, the sites are oriented so that the afternoon shade is on the door side. Temperatures during the day are warm, sometimes hot, but the air is dry and it cools off nicely at night. Here’s a view of our campsite. We were hoping to find a pot of gold in the bedroom but no such luck.
And They Have Pickle Ball
Two years ago we first stepped onto a pickle ball court at this resort and that started our addiction. At that time we knew very little about the sport and didn’t encounter any other players. Our fears that we might not encounter other players this time were totally unfounded. We never lacked for opponents – a few newbies but many that consistently kicked our butts. They even have clinics on Friday morning. We played so much pickle ball that we were often too tired to go anywhere else. Ultimately we had to schedule some non-pickle ball days for errands and sightseeing. We really enjoyed playing with these wonderful folks!!
Park City
We didn’t make it to Park City when we were here before due to an art festival. We were determined to rectify that oversight on this trip. As we were driving into town, we were a bit concerned about finding a parking space on Main Street. Bill managed to locate an upper level parking lot with adequate space for our truck. Unfortunately upper level meant going down several flights of stairs to reach Main Street. This wasn’t a problem going down, but what goes down must come up, and, at an elevation of 7000 feet, that “up” could be interesting. Once we reached Main Street, we began our exploration of the various shops and galleries. After being tempted by lots of beautiful photographs, we ended up ordering a couple of night sky photos for the walls of our RV.
While in one gallery, I glanced at my Facebook feed and saw a recent post from Linda and Tom Frey, friends from Ft. Myers, indicating that they were in Salt Lake City. I immediately sent a text stating that we were not far away in downtown Park City. It turned out that they were actually staying in Park City so we arranged to meet for an early dinner. Toast!!
Alpine Loop Scenic Byway and Sundance
For one of our other sightseeing days we decided to drive the Alpine Loop Scenic Byway in American Fork Canyon. The loop is accessible from Provo Canyon Road and travels past Sundance. Naturally, we stopped at the lodge just in case Robert Redford was around. Failing a celebrity encounter, we continued on, navigating hair-pin turns and enjoying the breathtaking scenery.
Timpanogos Cave National Monument is along the scenic loop so we stopped at the visitor center. We would have liked to tour the caves but, although the trail to the caves is paved, it is a strenuous mile and a half hike with a 1000 foot elevation gain. Maybe some other day….
We eventually exited the scenic byway near Lehi where we paused for lunch before returning to Heber City.
Friends join us
For the last few days of our stay, we were joined by Jim and Claudia Horak, friends from Ft. Myers, who work with Adventure Caravans. They were in the area prior to the start of their Salt Lake City RV tour. Both are avid pickle ball players and they joined us on the courts for some friendly competition. We also explored some of the local restaurants, challenged each other with board games, and enjoyed a Thursday night Concert in the Park in downtown Heber City. What a blast!!
The Time is Gone
Is our month up already? We’ve met some fantastic folks and had a great time here – so much so that we’re already planning to come back next year. But, for now, we have to move on. Colorado here we come!!
