The Beauty of a Basecamp

Just the thought of writing this post brings a smile to my face.

This past weekend, Gail and I rented an Airstream Basecamp travel trailer (yup, an RV!) in Salt Lake and drove south to Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks. We had never towed a trailer before, but Todd, co-owner (with his wife, Amber) of the rental company, Utah Caravans, spent as much time as we needed to get us comfortable driving with the trailer attached.

So I guess this is part 2 of what will be our 3-part RV series. You might remember our earlier guest post, Living the RV Dream, by our friends, Rick and Shellie Unger.

I have been bugging Gail about trying (and perhaps buying) an RV for years. It has just about driven her crazy, but she finally relented and agreed to a test weekend. It was a tremendous success! Just look at the smile on her face!

There was a lot of trepidation in anticipation of towing the trailer, but after a two-hour (yes, 2 full hours!) orientation on the ins and outs of the features and systems, Todd patiently talked me through the fundamentals of towing, taking corners, and last of all (and most scary of all), backing up! My biggest take-away was that there is very little I could do to get into a situation that I couldn’t get out of, so my anxiety level had dropped by the time we left the parking lot and headed south to the National Parks.

Driving really was a breeze. You have to be conscious of the added length when changing lanes, and taking corners, but after just a few minutes, it was pretty much second nature. Gas stations presented another challenge, but Todd’s advice to always plot an escape path before pulling in was sage, and we had no issues. Towing the trailer did, however, cause our MPG to dip substantially, but one of the advantages of a trailer, as opposed to a driveable RV, is that once you set up at a campsite, you detach and are free to roam around in your vehicle, without the drag of the trailer.

Living in the RV was surprisingly comfortable. A queen size bed, a full kitchen and bathroom, heat and air conditioning when needed. All the comforts of home! And while Gail enjoyed her coffee each morning in the warmth of the Basecamp, as the designated coffee maker, I appreciated being able to stay inside in the 30 degree weather for the task!

But let’s cut to the quick. The real joy of RV’ing is not towing or living in one; it is having access to the endless variety of incredible places within a 4 or 5 hour drive from Park City.

I had never visited Bryce or Zion before last weekend, and they did not disappoint. On Saturday, we left the Basecamp and drove to the eastern entrance to Zion. It was Free Entry day to all of the National Parks that day (which may have caused more crowds than usual), but the parks are vast. After a traffic jam caused by mountain goats crossing the road…

we found a parking spot near the Canyon Overlook trail, a short but stunning hike offering unparalleled views.

After the hike, we drove to the western edge of the park, exited the park and found a parking spot in Springdale, around 3 miles west of the park entrance. From there, we biked into the park and climbed the Zion Scenic Drive which, due to Covid, is closed to passenger vehicles, and open only to shuttle busses, bicycles, hikers and those lucky few who are staying at the Zion National Park Lodge, the only accommodations (other than camping) located within the park. Built in the 1920’s, the main building was destroyed by fire in 1966, and rebuilt in only 100 days, and then remodeled to restore its original look in 1990.

Once in the park, the ride to the end of the Scenic Drive is approximately 5 miles, gradually uphill. The road was full of e-bikes, the riders of which effortlessly zoomed past us as we made the effort up the climbs! We were rewarded with view after view around every corner, culminating with this rock face.

Somewhere in that picture is a crew of rock climbers comprised of some of the photographers and videographers involved in the making of Free Solo, the Oscar winning documentary about Alex Honnold’s insane climb without ropes up the face of El Capitan in Yosemite (for those of you who have seen it, among the climbers was the videographer who, at one point during Honnold’s climb, couldn’t watch and had to turn his back to the scene!). If you look closely in the picture below, I have circled the climbers on the wall.

Sunday, it was north to Bryce Canyon National Park. We found a parking spot at the Red Canyon Visitor Center, about 10 miles west of the park entrance, and rode our bikes again, this time on a dedicated bike path, into the park and out to Inspiration Point. An apt name for a jaw-dropping spot.

Then back to the truck and a little hike among hoodoos in the red rocks.

We’re hooked. We can’t wait until our next adventure. Oh, wait! Come to think of it, that starts next Thursday when we head to Moab for a long weekend. Yeehah!

If you’re tempted, and wish to explore the endless options in and around Utah, we highly recommend giving Todd and Amber a call at Utah Caravans. They are the best!

Travel Ho!