Part 2 of Western USA

In the first part of our Western USA trip, we had already visited some beautiful parks like Yosemite, Bryce, or Zion National Park. But the parks we visited in the second part were definitely not lacking in beauty.

For example, even the lesser-known Capitol Reef National Park had a breathtaking landscape to offer. The silver-red rock walls, deep canyons, and Hickman Bridge were very impressive.

But what the Arches National Park had to offer in terms of arches was even better. Various rock arches were formed in this park due to wind and erosion. The most famous one, the "Double Arch," even created a double arch. Despite temperatures near 40 degrees, we couldn't resist going on a hike in this park. The effort in the heat was always rewarded, and the "Delicate Arch" in front of the magnificent landscape was another highlight of our trip. In addition to the arches, the park also had other beautiful sandstone formations.

In the region of Arches National Park, we also encountered the famous Colorado River for the first time. Although we hadn't reached the Grand Canyon yet, the river had already created an impressively deep canyon landscape here. We could admire the beautiful landscapes from Dead Horse Point State Park and Canyonlands National Park.

We left the Colorado River behind and continued on to Monument Valley. The red glowing rock monoliths looked beautiful even without the Marlboro Cowboy.

After this detour, we returned to the Colorado River, more specifically to Page and Lake Powell, a huge reservoir of the river. In the hot, dry, and dusty landscape, the lake seemed completely unreal to us. Despite temperatures of 40 degrees, it was worth taking a dip. However, the lake was definitely not the highlight of this region. Instead, the "Horseshoe Bend" was impressive. In a deep gorge, the Colorado River formed a beautiful bend. Another absolute highlight was just a few minutes away. We hiked through a narrow canyon in Antelope Canyon, where wind and water sculpted incredibly beautiful shapes out of the sandstone. Together with the changing sunlight, it was a fascinating sight.

We also saw the power of water at the Grand Canyon. As the name suggests, this canyon was huge. From the edge of the canyon, we admired the dimensions of this canyon from various viewpoints.

At the Grand Canyon, we finally said goodbye to the Colorado River and headed south to Flagstaff, which is over 2,000 meters above sea level. At this altitude, the temperatures at night were finally cool enough for us to use the sleeping bags we brought along.

In nearby Sedona, the pleasant temperatures were already a thing of the past. Since we were already accustomed to the heat, the temperatures of 40 degrees didn't stop us from hiking to the beautiful Devil's Bridge. The five liters of water in our backpacks were almost used up on the return trip. This number proves that compared to Americans, we are probably real "Söffle" - or maybe just a bit more sensible. Because several American companions made the same hike with a 0.5-liter bottle per person. The appropriate saying for that: "The Americans are crazy!"

The next major destination on our route would have been Joshua Tree National Park. But well, if the "would have" hadn't happened. Unfortunately, due to worn-out tires and a complicated camper rental, we lost a total of over a day until we had two new tires. So we had to drive directly to Los Angeles without a stop because we had already bought tickets in advance for the Universal Studios.

However, the Universal Studios Park with its various shows and attractions quickly made us forget the tire frustration of the last few days. The typically American show "Waterworld" with loud jet skis, fireworks, and shootouts fulfilled the cliché 100%. The Studio Tour was also very interesting. We visited various artificially built cities or villages that were used as sets for countless Hollywood movies. For example, the neighborhood street from Desperate Housewives or a set with a crashed plane.

After this short detour to the 39-million city of Los Angeles and the 7-lane highways, we headed to San Francisco, where we returned our camper. Unfortunately, we couldn't drive on Highway No. 1 as it was closed due to landslides. Well, for once we didn't have luck with Mother Nature.

Here in San Francisco, we are enjoying the last few days before heading home via Dublin. You will, of course, find out what we will see and experience in these two cities in this travel blog, as always.