Travelogue

We left Whistler in mid-afternoon, tired yet exhilarated from our mountain biking. We headed northeast on the winding and scenic Sea to Sky Highway (Highway 99) on our way to Banff, over 500 miles away.

Andrew flexing biceps on Sea to Sky HighwayWhen we hit the town of Kamloops, we stopped to stock up on groceries, as we must do every 4 or 5 days. One thing I've learned while traveling is how much groceries stores vary from region to region. You can really learn a lot about an area from the type of service given in the local supermarket. Where we're from, you usually have to bag and carry your own groceries and the cashiers act like they're doing you a favor by ringing up your order. Most other places in the country bag your order, carry it to the car, and even smile at you while doing it. What a great concept--customer service! Food shopping while traveling is often stressful because you don't know where anything is and you don't know the local shopping etiquette. This is what happened to me in Kamloops. I was tired and cranky and just wanted to get this over with. The first obstacle I encountered was trying to obtain a shopping cart. There were lots of them, but for some reason they were all locked up. As I was staring at them with a confused look on my face, a fellow shopper informed me that I just had to insert a quarter to get a cart out and that a quarter would be returned to me when I put it back. "Don't you lock up your buggies in the States?" she then asked pleasantly. "Buggies?" I thought to myself. I made a mental note of that so I would handle by next Canadian food shopping experience more smoothly. After trying to jam a U.S. quarter into the slot and failing, I sent the kids in to get some Canadian money. This wasn't going well. Twenty minutes had passed and I hadn't even managed to get my "buggy" into the store yet. Things moved along a bit smoother after that. Cashiers smiled, employees offered assistance, and all in all it was a good food shopping experience. We returned our "buggy" to the rack, received our Canadian quarter, and continued on our journey.

Description

This was just a stopover for us on our drive from Whistler to Banff. The campground we stayed out was right on Route 1 in the town of Kamloops.

Travelogue

A large part of our trips involve National and State Parks, and they are truly some of the most beautiful places on earth. But they are places to visit, not places that people, except for park rangers, call home. That's what made Whistler so incredible to us. People actually lived and worked and went about their daily lives in this outdoor paradise. We've felt that way a few times before and since, in such cities as Moab, Utah; Breckenridge, Colorado; and Jasper, Alberta. What was it about these places that had such a draw for us? It was more than just their natural beauty--it was attitude. There was such a sense of vitality and enthusiasm in them. They seemed to function with a whole different set of priorities and criteria for success than you'd find in a metropolitan area. Completing a difficult rock climb or mastering a new mountain biking skill were more important than how much money you made or the kind of car you drove. As a result, these places attracted young (and young at heart) outdoor enthusiasts in great shape that loved nature and all the recreational opportunities it had to offer. I'm sure we, as well as our kids when they are out of college, will wind up living in a place such as this someday.

Mountain Bikers at WhistlerEnough with the philosophizing. We arrived at Whistler late morning after driving the very scenic Sea to Sky Highway (Highway 99) from Vancouver. The kids were quite excited about this stop as they had heard that there was snowboarding on a small section of the mountain as well as mountain biking down the ski trails. It was Tommy's 10th birthday, so we wanted to make it good. Not sure where to start, or where to stay, we stopped at the Visitor Center to get some information about camping and recreational activities. Lucky we did. Based on our campground guides, we thought there were no campgrounds in the Whistler area. At the Visitor Center we learned about a new campground, the Riverside RV Resort and Campground just a few miles north of Whistler Village. It was probably one of the nicest commercial campgrounds we've even been to. Our site was right on the beautiful glacier-fed Fitzsimmons Creek with spectacular views of Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. The Whistler Valley Mountain Bike Trail passed right by our site and provided us with a great way to get into the Village. This campground even had winterized sites so that RVs could camp here in the winter and ski at what is one of the premier ski resorts in all of the North America.

This was great. After the rough couple of days we'd been through, things were finally picking up. Since it was Tommy's birthday, we hopped on our mountain bikes and rode the Whistler Valley Trail into the Village. Tommy already had his destination in mind--the Adventure Zone, a kind of extreme outdoor amusement park. Although not cheap, it certainly was fun. The kids both tried the rock climbing wall and then had a great time bungee jumping on a trampoline, where they went about 25 feet in the air and did some midair flips. Very fun.

The next morning we decided to do the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, which had more than 100 miles of trails down the mountain, theoretically for all levels of rider. From the lift ticket line, we had a great view of the mountain, which might not have been a good thing. We watched in awe as bikers, many of them clad in full-body armor, came barreling down the trails, leaping off rock edges, hopping over rocks and logs, catching air, and numerous other unthinkable things. What were we getting ourselves into? All four of us were pretty experienced mountain bikers and had even done some quite technical stuff in the past, but this was definitely something new.

We glanced over at Tommy, who had just turned 10 yesterday, leaning confidently against his Toys R Us bike. Knowing that bike would never survive the jarring of these trails, we went to the rental shop and asked for the smallest bike they had. Now we were ready to hit the trails, hopefully, not literally. We brought our bikes onto a gondola which whisked us up the mountain to the start of the trails. As we were deciding on our best route down, we overheard some people talking about black bear sightings. Oh great, like I really needed something to add to my anxiety level.

There were trails for all levels of rider and they were marked just like on the ski slopes--green circle for beginner, blue square for intermediate, and black diamond for expert. We wisely chose a beginner trail. Good thing, because the expert ones included riding off of steep rock faces and flying through the air for about 20 feet. Even the beginner ones were pretty tough--very steep and twisty with rocks and logs to get over. I never thought going downhill could be so tiring, but my arms were exhausted by the end of the day from gripping the brakes so hard and making the tight turns.

After a few successful descents and a little more confidence, we decided to try one of the skill centers to practice some technical stuff. Like the trails themselves, the skill centers were also designed for each different ability level. Once again, we wisely chose beginner. I don't even want to know what the expert one looked like. The skill center gave us the opportunity to ride our bikes along narrow planks, including 90 degree turns, across see-saw ramps, over obstacles, etc. A lot of it is up in your head. If you're not willing to commit, you're not going to do it. Amazingly enough, Tommy on his rental bike was doing it, and quite well at that. Andrew, always the humble one, referred to this experience as demonstrating his "non skills." I didn't do too good either.

It really was a great day and lots of fun! Whistler is definitely a place to come back to.

Description

Whistler, the premier ski resort of North America, is located about 2 hours east of Vancouver. Getting to Whistler is part of the fun. The spectacular Sea to Ski Highway (officially Highway 99), which is considered to be Canada's most scenic road, begins at sea level in Vancouver, hugs the coastal mountains along the shores of Howe Sound, and then ascends into the spectacular lake and mountain country of Whistler.

Although Whistler is mainly known for its winter activities, it is also becoming a popular summer resort for outdoor enthusiasts with such activities as canoeing, kayaking, and rafting the glacier-fed rivers and lakes in the valley, fishing, golfing in one of its 4 designer golf courses, hiking, and mountain biking.

Whistler Village, which lies in a beautiful valley at the base of the mountain, is very compact and best explored on foot or bike. Miles of paved bike trails connect everything in the village and the surrounding area. The Adventure Zone, located in the heart of the Village, has lots of activities for kids of all ages, such as mini golf, a rock climbing wall, bungee jumping on trampolines, a trapeze, and much more.

Whistler is also a mountain biker's heaven. Besides the miles and miles of trails along the rivers and lakes of the valley, there is the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, where there are over 100 miles of trails down the mountain. Lift tickets for the gondola are about $39 for an adult and $35 for a youth over 12 (Canadian dollars). There are trails for every level of rider, from gentle cruises through a forest for the beginner to steep rock faces and twisty turns for the expert. Besides the trails, there are 3 skill centers with obstacles and ramps, each designed for a different ability level.

A few miles north of Whistler Village is the Riverside RV Resort and Campground, located in a beautiful setting on the glacier-fed Fitzsimmons Creek with spectacular view of Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. The Whistler Valley Trail runs through forests and along the river right through the campground and then on to the Village. There is also a complimentary shuttle service to Whistler Village. The campground is open all year round and has log cabins and winterized RV sites.

Travelogue

Our drive from the Olympic Peninsula to British Columbia took us to the seaport town of Port Townsend, from which we took the ferry to Whidbey Island. Having some time to kill before our ferry left, we walked through the streets of this quaint historic seaport browsing through the shops and watching the boats out in the harbor.

Our 30 minute ferry ride took us across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the town of Keystone on the southern end of Whidbey Island. From there we drove to the northern end of the island to Deception Pass State Park, one of the state parks highlighted in our reliable National Geographic Guide to State Parks.

The first thing we did was to park the RV and walk out onto the suspension bridge that connects Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands. This bridge is definitely not for anyone with acrophobia. From the middle of the 1,000-foot long bridge, we looked down at the swirling waters rushing through the narrow channel 186 feet below. The view was frightening, yet breathtaking. Even large boats were having a tough time navigating through the swirling whirlpools and rapids beneath the bridge. We were fortunate to experience this when the tide was running, forcing tremendous volumes of water through the narrow pass.

Herb wasn't feeling well, so I volunteered to take over the driving. Driving the RV is a challenge for me even under the best of circumstances, so doing it the day after my head injury was probably not a good idea. I headed out looking for the road that would bring us to West Beach, a long sandy shore along the Rosario Strait, which I wanted to stop at. Almost missing the road, I turned quickly, sending the coffee maker flying off the counter and onto the floor. Screams rose from the back of the RV. "Don't worry about it," I said. "I just took that turn a little too sharply." As I proceeded down the narrow road to the beach, our right rear tire blew out. Once again, screams rose from the back of the RV. I didn't know what happened. Herb thought that I went too close to the edge of the road and hit a rock, but I didn't think so. In either case, things weren't looking good. Changing the tire on an RV is not for the feint of heart and to make matters worse the lug nuts were on so tight that it took much sweat and muscle before Herb could even remove the tire. We were not having a streak of good luck--trip fatigue, emergency room visits, root canal, and now this. And we were at our furthest point from home for the entire trip. Things just had to get better. Fortunately, we had gotten our flat about 50 yards from the entrance to an extremely nice state park campground overlooking the beautiful waters and islands of Rosario Strait. While Herb worked on the tire, I found the ranger and was able to get us a site for the night. Herb finished changing the tire and we drove the short distance to our site.

Herb, who still was not feeling well, laid down while I took the kids on an exploratory bike ride over to West Beach. The steep rocky trails were really not conducive to biking, so we brought the bikes back to the RV and took a hike on the Rosario Head Vista Point Trail to Rosario Beach. As we came to the end of the trail, we were surprised to see a large wooden totem pole in the middle of an open grassy area. Upon closer examination, we learned that this was the Maiden of Deception Pass and the totem pole told her sad story. According to the tale, a sea spirit fell in love with a young Samish Indian maiden. When she refused to marry him, he brought drought and famine to her people. To save them, she agreed to marry the sea spirit. When she entered the sea, she became immortal. Local people say that the seaweed in the water is actually her long hair floating in the current.

Intrigued by the Maiden, I just had to take Herb back to see her. Feeling a bit better, he hiked back with me to meet the Maiden. He was glad he did. The park really was beautiful and we were starting to feel a lot better about our journey.

It would have been a great place to launch the raft. Unfortunately, when we awoke the next morning, the fog had rolled in making boating impossible. So, we left Deception Pass and headed to our next stop--a tire center to buy a new spare.

Description

Deception Pass State Park, located on the north end of Whidby Island and the south end of Fidalgo Island in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, is Washington's most popular state park because of its miles of beaches, rugged rocky cliffs, quiet coves, thick Douglas-fir and red cedar forests, freshwater lakes, and spectacular views of Deception Pass. Recreational activities in the park include fishing, kayaking, beachcombing, scuba diving, hiking, mountain biking, bird watching, and swimming.

One of the highlights of the park is the view from the bridge down into the swirling waters of Deception Pass, the narrow channel connecting Rosario Strait and Skagit Bay between Whidby and Fidalgo islands. Four times a day, the tides send tremendous volumes of water funneling through the pass creating swirling whirlpools and rapids beneath the bridge. For the best effect, hike out to the center of the 186-foot-high, 1,000-foot-long bridge when the tides are running and look down. The view is both breathtaking and frightening. This channel was named Deception Pass by Captain George Vancouver in 1792 because he felt that he was deceived into thinking that this passage was an inlet, rather than just a channel between the two islands.

There are 30 miles of hiking trails within the park, most of them on forested trails along the shoreline. An interesting destination on the Rosario Head Vista Point Trail by Rosario Beach is the Maiden of Deception Pass, a Samish Indian totem pole, which tells the myth of the Samish maiden, Ko-Kwal-Alwoot. According to the tale, a sea spirit fell in love with the maiden. When she refused to marry him, he brought drought and famine to the Samish people. To save her people, Ko-Kwal-Alwoot agreed to marry the sea spirit. When she entered the sea, she became immortal. Her long hair floating in the current can still be seen today, although the less imaginative think that it is just seaweed.

The main campground, which is located at the northwest tip of Whidby Island, has 246 sites and great views of the Rosario Strait.

Travelogue

After we completed our hospital and dental visits, we decided to stop for the night at a KOA right outside of Port Angeles. We were all pretty shaken from our ordeal.

We took the opportunity to regroup and do some laundry. Knowing that I had used Tommy's black t-shirt to stop the bleeding on my forehead, Herb decided to wash it out in the sink in the laundry room before throwing it in the washing machine. He couldn't believe how much blood came out of it and was pretty sure, based on the look he got, that the woman that entered the laundry room thought he was a murderer. What a day! First a wife abuser and now a murderer.

Things could only go up from here.

Description

73-site KOA campground with laundry, spa, and heated pool on the eastern edge of the city of Port Angeles

Travelogue

After crossing into Washington State, we found a small campground along the Columbia River. We love being around water of any sort, so it was nice to just sit by the river while the kids fished. Although we could see fish, they just weren't interested in anything the kids were using.

We called it an early night so we could get an early start for Mount Rainier in the morning.

Description

32-site COE (Core of Engineers) campground on the Columbia River near the border between Oregon and Washington.

Travelogue

While driving on Route I84 across the northeast corner of Oregon on our way to Mount Rainier, I was poring through my looking for some entertainment to break up the drive. This book is a great resource for finding points of interest along all of the major interstates in the U.S. Lo and behold I found that we would be passing right by the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Baker City, Oregon. Great! I love history and have tried over the years to instill the same in the kids. We've taken them to Plymouth, Williamsburg, Jamestown, Boston Freedom Trail, etc., etc., and I think, or at least I hope, that it's given them a sense of how our country came to be what it is today. Also, since we were making a journey west, I thought it would be interesting to contrast our experiences with those of the pioneers who made the same journey some 140 years ago. So we pulled them away from their Nintendo Mario Cart game and out of the air conditioned comfort of their motor home to check it out.

While the exhibits were quite good, it was the living history presentation in the theater that really gave us an understanding of what life was like for a pioneer on the Oregon Trail. This particular presentation was given by a single actor, who portrayed a slave making the journey with his master. He wore period clothing and in every way assumed the role he was portraying. It was really quite entertaining, as well as informative, and I think the kids got a lot out of it as well.

After the presentation, we hung around to speak to the actor and find out more about his background and the type of work he did. When we mentioned that we were from New Jersey, we were floored when he said, "Oh, I'm familiar with Upper Saddle River in northern New Jersey." How could he possibly have pulled out the name of our tiny little town? We check to see if we were wearing anything on our clothing to give it away, but we weren't. It turns out that he grew up with the N.Y. Giants football player, Lawrence Taylor, who lived in our town because of its close proximity to Giants Stadium, and had spent some time visiting him at his home. What a small world.

Once outside the museum, we checked out the Conestoga wagons on display before heading on. I wish we had had more time because I would have liked to have taken the hike to the section of the original Oregon Trail where the ruts from the wagons are still visible. To think they were lucky to travel 15 miles a day. I think we all left with a sense of awe and admiration for the tremendous struggles faced by the early settlers in their attempts to accomplish what we just take for granted today.

Description

The National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, which is run by the Bureau of Land Management, is located in Baker City, Oregon, right off I84. The museum uses exhibits, sound effects, video presentations, and live reenactments to tell the story of pioneer life on the Oregon Trail.

Especially entertaining and informative are the living history presentations in the 150-seat Leo Adler theater. Presenters use historically accurate costumes, language, and props to give you a perspective of what life was like on the Oregon Trail.

Outside, you can take one of the hiking trails down to a well-preserved portion of the Oregon Trail and walk in the actual ruts made by the pioneer wagons.

Travelogue

After Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake, our next destination was Mt. Rainier, which is over a 13 hour drive away. 13 hours is too much to drive without something fun in between, so I started looking for something interesting to do along the way that wouldn't take us too far away from I-84.

Steep Bruneau Dune AscentIn one of the reference books I've come to rely on, , I found Bruneau Dunes State Park in the southwestern corner of Idaho. It was perfect. We've come to love what state parks have to offer and the National Geographic book has never steered us wrong. Since the Park was only 17 miles off of I84, it didn't even bring us out of our way at all. Also, we feel less guilty adding a new state to our map if we truly experience something in that state. We were hopeful that this stop would help us truly earn Idaho.

We knew that with the long driving time between destinations, we all needed to get out and get some physical activity, especially the boys. Hiking up and then rolling down a dune sounded like the perfect way to burn off some pent up energy. We weren't let down.

We arrived at the Park in late afternoon and found a campsite with great views of the dune. The campground was spacious enough to allow room for the boys to throw a baseball around while we relaxed and made dinner. We watched the sun go down over the dune and made it an early night, anxious to rise early and hike the dune while the morning lighting was good.

Boy's climbing the dune ridgeThe next morning we parked at the picnic area at the eastern end of the dune and began our hike. Hiking a dune is always deceptive and turns out to feel much further than it originally appears. However, the effort was well worth it. The top of the dune came to a knife edge where we stood with our legs straddled over each side. The dune was so steep that we stood that way for fear of tumbling down the sides. We took advantage of the good morning light to take some pictures.

Then came the fun part--running and tumbling down the steep sandy slope. What seemed like a long trek up went like a flash on the way down. We shook the sand out of our hair and clothing and proceeded on our drive to Mt. Rainier, much refreshed and ready for a day of driving.

A quick stop at the Visitor Center on the way out gave our sons the opportunity to add a Bruneau Dune State Park pin to their ever growing pin collections. This pin is still our son Tommy's favorite--it's an Idaho potato with Bruneau Dunes written on it.

Description

Lolo and boys at Bruneau Dune SummitBruneau Dunes is largest single-structured sand dune in North America, with a peak 470 feet. The two most prominent dunes cover an area of about 600 acres. Lots of sand, constant wind, and the basin serving as a natural trap for blowing sand set the perfect conditions for the formation of dunes over 15,000 years ago. These dunes have remained relatively stationary because the countervailing winds blow about equally from the southeast and northwest. Lakes began appearing around the base of the dunes in the 1950s as a result of flood irrigation in the nearby Snake River Plain. As the water table rose, the lakes appeared among the dunes.

Activities in the park include hiking the dunes and fishing for bass and bluegill in the lake. Only non-motorized boats are allowed. Swimming is discouraged because of the possibility of swimmer's itch. A 98-site campground with shade trees and shelters has a lovely view of the dunes

Bruneau Dunes State Park is located in the southwest corner of Idaho about 20 minutes off of Route 84 near the town of Mountain Home. It is about 1 hour from Boise and 1 ½ hours from Twin Falls.

Travelogue

Antelope Island has got to be one of the strangest places I've ever been to. We arrived late in the afternoon, hot and tired from a long day of driving. The campground, at which I had made reservations months earlier, was treeless, barren and totally deserted, once again making my paranoia about making reservations seem foolish. The views from our campsite were wonderful. We were perched on a beach less than 50 yards from the deceptively inviting aquamarine waters of the Great Salt Lake.

Lolo and boys at Great Salt LakeAnxious to touch the lake, we ran down to the beach. As we approached, the black sand at the water's edge, it began to move, giving us quite a start. It wasn't sand at all, but a giant mass of black brine flies. Yuch! We soon found that we could herd them into black clouds with the mere wave of our arms, which entertained us for quite some time. This was great! I love the unique experiences that travel provides us--we would never be doing this back in New Jersey.

The flies and the strong, unpleasant smell of the lake made us decide to save our obligatory swim in the lake for the next day. Instead we took a bike ride over to the Buffalo Corral to see some buffalo. There is actually an entire herd of bison and a lot more wildlife, such as bighorn sheep and bobcats, that live on the remote southern end of the island.

The next morning while the kids lounged around the RV, Herb and I took a very interesting bike ride on the Lakeside Trail, which is a pretty rough and rocky mountain bike trail along the shores of the lake. There were several places where there were so many boulders that we had to get off and walk the bikes. The views were spectacular and there wasn't another soul in sight--just the way we like it.

Before it got too hot, we got the kids out on their bikes and rode the 3 miles from the campground to the Visitor Center, which had a very nice natural history museum. Besides the usual souvenir hat pin purchase, the kids convinced us to buy some brine shrimp so that we could bring a little bit of the Salt Lake back home with us. I wasn't so sure I really wanted to bring a little bit back with us.

Well, we had put it off long enough, but now it was time to take the plunge. We found a very nice swimming beach along Bridger Bay, fully equipped with numerous freshwater showers. We walked out into the lake for what seemed like ½ a mile, but still the water was only up to our knees. It just wasn't getting any deeper. Finally, we did it. We just laid back and floated, and yes it was more buoyant than anything I had ever experienced. Having done what we had to do, we sat on the beach and let the hot sun dry us off--it took only about 5 minutes--leaving our bodies completely covered with a white film of salt. A quick rinse in the freshwater showers restored our normal color.

Although we had another night reserved on Antelope Island, we decided to move on. It was just too beastly hot and the lake, although it looked very tempting and refreshing, just wasn't very pleasant. We definitely don't regret coming here, however--it was very unique and actually quite beautiful. Antelope Island and the Great Salt Lake is something that everyone should do once.

Description

Antelope Island, Utah's largest state park, is the biggest of the 10 islands in the Great Salt Lake, measuring twice the size of Manhattan. It is a treeless mound, rising 2,400 feet above the aquamarine waters of the lake, covered with hilly grasslands, sagebrush prairies, and rocky ridges. A 7.2-mile causeway connects the northern part of the island to the mainland. At the end of the causeway is a Visitor Center, which has an excellent natural history museum.

Sunset over the Great Salt LakeRecreation is confined to the northern end of the island. There are 30 miles of developed dirt road and trails for mountain bikers and hikers. For those wanting to take a dip in the extremely saline waters of the lake (6 to 8 times saltier than the ocean), the most popular swimming beaches are along Bridger Bay, where there is plenty of parking and showers to wash the salt off. A mile or so inland, there is a Buffalo Corral where you can see a small buffalo herd. Other facilities include the Buffalo Point Café, which serves buffalo burgers, and a 13-site primitive campground at Bridger Bay right on the lake.

There is plenty of wildlife on the island--bighorn sheep, coyotes, bobcats, and even a bison herd--especially in the more remote and mountainous southern end of the island. In fact, the island was given its name in 1845 by the explorers John C. Fremont and Kit Carson because of the abundant antelope they found there. The antelopes did disappear from the island in the 1930s, but were reintroduced in 1993 and are thriving today.

Travelogue

A little more than an hour away from Dinosaur National Monument, we came across Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, another beauty that I had known nothing about. That was two in a row--first Dinosaur N.M. and now this. I was getting a little down about my trip planning skills. I think the problem was that I was relying too much on just National Parks, not realizing that there was so much more within the National Park System, like National Monuments, National Recreation Areas, National Forests, Bureau of Land Management lands, etc. I would have to buy more books.

Flaming Gorge view at Visitor CenterWe arrived at the Visitor Center near the dam and got our first glimpse of the stunningly beautiful Flaming Gorge Reservoir. West of the dam was the lake, surrounded by fiery red canyons and mountain ranges. East of the dam were rafts happily floating down a portion of the Green River, which we later found out was one of the best trout fishing areas in the country. Herb looked at me with that "Why didn't you know about this?" look. We toyed with the idea of putting the raft in, but we still had 5 hours of driving to get to our reserved campsite on Antelope Island and we didn't know enough about the logistics of put in and take out points on the river. Instead, we picked up some information at the visitor center and vowed to come back here some day to raft the river.

We continued on and stopped at the Red Canyon Overlook, where we walked out onto a rock overlooking the Reservoir. The view was breathtaking and we recognized it as the classic picture you see of Flaming Gorge--sheer red cliffs dropping 1,300 feet down to the lake below. Being boaters ourselves, we gazed in envy at the powerboats skimming across the waters in the canyons below. We'd be back.

Description

Red Canyon OverlookFlaming Gorge Reservoir is a 91-mile long lake that was created by damming the Green River. It is surrounded by spectacular scenery--fiery red canyons and mountain ranges. Although the majority of the lake is in Wyoming, most of the campgrounds and facilities are in the Utah section of the lake.

The reservoir is popular for boating, swimming, and fishing. Fishing is especially good on the section of the river below the dam.