Exploring America's National Parks
My friend and I drove a Cruise America motorhome through four states in September: California, Utah, Arizona and a bit of Nevada. America was always a destination we wanted to visit, but it really exceeded all our expectations!
After spending a few days in San Francisco, we went to pick up the motorhome at the depot located just outside the city. After a clear explanation, we were quickly on our way to our first destination: Yosemite National Park. Beautiful park with waterfalls, mountains and lakes where you can spend days. What we noticed right away is, that America really is the land of greatness! We had an average motorhome from Cruise America (C25), but it was the biggest motorhome we had ever driven. But because this country is built on this, we didn't experience any problems anywhere. The roads are spacious and everywhere can be parked.
After spending a few days in Yosemite, we drove to Las Vegas via Death Valley. Death Valley is really as you expect it to be: a vast desert with only some cacti here and there. But it is so fantastic to drive through! Las Vegas is like a big playground for adults. It is really true what you sometimes see on TV. Just gambling people where some are more exuberant than others and immensely large hotels but we really loved it!
After this we drove through Zion National Park to Bryce National Park. Zion is a canyon that you can walk all the way up. It is not the easiest climb because it is so steep uphill, but it is well worth it. The view on top is really beautiful! You will have a view of the entire canyon. Tip: go early because there are not many parking lots.
If you then drive to Bryce Canyon you have to go through a large tunnel. Because oncoming traffic must then be stopped, you should already indicate this when entering Zion National Park (or Bryce National Park when driving in reverse). You will then get some kind of card (costs about USD 25.00) that you have to show to someone at the tunnel. Truly an experience to drive alone in this long, dark tunnel!
Yoni: Bryce Canyon National Park was really one of our highlights!
This park is large and several hikes can be done. Upon entering, you will be given a map showing this. We thought this was one of the most beautiful parks because each part looks different. Some parts are very green and others are desert-like.
After this we drove via Horseshoe Bend (near Page) towards the Grand Canyon. On the way we did a tour to Antelope Canyon (must be booked months in advance because it is very popular). Tip for when staying overnight in Page: visit Big John's Texas BBQ restaurant. You sit here at long tables, there is a Texas band performing. Truly the ultimate America experience and the food is fantastic!
Next, we drove to Joshua Tree National Park. A lesser known park among tourists, but really popular among Americans. Beautiful park full of Joshua Trees, cacti, rocks and you name it! Then we drove with the motorhome towards Los Angeles. Los Angeles itself we did not find very special, but the coastal road between Los Angeles and San Francisco is really breathtakingly beautiful. It would be strange if you don't encounter otters, sea lions or other animals along this route!
My tips for visiting the various national parks
Purchase an America the Beautiful Pass. The cost of this is USD 80.00, and it allows you to visit all the parks. Very economical if you are going to visit a number of national parks!
Another tip is that you should really book campgrounds in national parks (and other popular places) a few months in advance. These campsites are also very popular with Americans. We were in peak season and we were glad that we reserved some parks in advance.