Kate Mullen, Author at Go RVing

RVING THROUGH THE GRAND CIRCLE

by Kate Mullen

19 Oct 2017

The Grand Circle has to be one of the most epic road trips in America, and it’s even more enjoyable when done in an RV! Located in the Southwestern United States and encompassing portions of five states, The Grand Circle road trip features diverse scenery across five states and America’s largest concentration of national parks. One of my personal favorite portions of the drive is along Highway 12, the All-American Road. The views of the orange hoodoos (tall thin spires of rock protruding from the bottom of the basin), red canyons, green forests, mountains and many of the state and national parks within Utah – but that’s just a small part of the adventure!

I was in my Thor Vegas motorhome, towing my Mini Cooper Countryman when I took this trip, so it is suitable for most RV sizes. I had not seen landscapes like this growing up on the east coast, so I was blown away by this trip. I hope you enjoy it as well.

Trip Summary

942 Miles; 20 Stops
- 3-4 states depending on where you start (NV, AZ, UT, CO)
- 9-10 National Park areas
- 5 State Parks

Sites in Arizona

Grand Canyon National Park – North Rim
Glen Canyon National Recreational Area – Lake Powell (AZ/UT border)
Monument Valley (AZ/UT border)

Sites in Utah

Zion National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Arches National Park
Canyonlands National Park
Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument
Cedar Breaks National Monument

Sites in Colorado

Mesa Verde National Park

Camping Hubs

If you want to leave the RV and explore with your toad vehicle, you can see many places within a radius of these two cities.

Moab, UT
Kanab, UT

Sample Two-Week Itinerary

If flying in and renting an RV consider these airports to start your trip

Las Vegas
Phoenix/Flagstaff
Salt Lake City

The following itinerary assumes a start from Las Vegas

Day 1

Drive to Grand Canyon North Rim (only open from May 15th to October 15th) View some of my recommended camping options

Day 2 & 3

Drive to Page, AZ Glen Canyon Dam, then to Lake Powell’s camp at Wawheap Marina & RV
Walk or drive down to the Rainbow Room and sit by the pool with cocktails for sunset views of Lake Powell, also nice for dinner!
Keep cool with a boat tourof Lake Powell and Glen Canyon (optional, add additional time) or an Antelope Canyons slot tour (optional, add additional time)
I highly recommend the hike down to Horseshoe Bend!

Day 4

Drive to Monument Valley – can camp right there or drive on to Goosenecks State Parkand stay the night right on the rim!

Day 5

Mesa Verde National Park, CO (some Grand Circle itineraries add Mesa Verde – some omit this stop, your preference) camping options

Day 6 – 8

Drive to Moab – Below are a few of my recommended stops and things to do
Dead Horse Point State Park
Canyonlands National Park
Arches National Park
Delicate Arch Hike
La Sal Mountain Loop Drive
Hot Air Balloon ride with views of Arches and Canyonlands. This is a great way to see a different perspective of these parks and one of my favorites!

Day 9

Drive to and camp at Goblin Valley State Park

Day 10

Drive to Capitol Reef National Park visitor center then do the scenic loop
On the drive, make sure you stop at Kiva Coffee House off Highway 12. This place is super cute and offers great views of Grand Staircase Escalante while you sip on an espresso. They also have food, a little jewelry counter perfect for picking out souvenirs, and they allow overnight stops.
If you prefer to drive straight through – I recommended setting up camp at Kodachrome State Park

Day 11 & 12

Drive to and camp at Bryce Canyon https://www.nps.gov/brca/index.htm

Ruby’s Inn Campground or in the park

Scenic Loop Drive with 9 points of interest

Day 13 & 14

Drive to Zion National Park,optional stop at Cedar Breaks National Monument, camp at Zion River Resort
Ride the shuttle to see areas of the park that are inaccessible by automobiles
If you’re feeling adventurous, check out the Angels Landing Hike
If you make it into St George, River Rock Roasters is a great place for coffee/lunch and with an amazing view of the Virgin River!
Optional – add in a stop and stay at Sand Hollow State Park

Day 15

Return to Vegas and remember all the fun you had!

Extra Stops If You Have The Time

The national parks you’ll see in my trip itinerary below are stunners, but these state parks are also worth checking out if you have extra time. This entire area is just so rich in beauty!

Horseshoe Bend, Page, AZ
Antelope Canyon, Page, AZ
Goosenecks State Park after Monument Valley
Dead Horse Point State Park on the way to Canyonlands, Moab, UT
La Sal Mountain Loop drive in Moab
Goblin Valley State Park after Moab
Kodachrome State Park before Bryce
Sand Hollow State Park, Hurricane, UT

Make today “someday” and take this trip of a lifetime!

Let me know in the comments if any of you have taken this trip or have additional itinerary suggestions.

See more great Destination Inspiration from my fellow Go RVing bloggers here.

in RV Trip Ideas 21 comments

12 TIPS & TOOLS TO RV SAFELY

by Kate Mullen

17 Aug 2017

As a solo female full time RVer, safety is the topic I am most often asked about. People are curious – do you feel safe, do you pack or carry a firearm, what have you run into?

I’ve only had one incident where my gut told me something was off. I was in Canada in a Walmart parking lot. It was mainly empty, just one other RV and a group of cars in the far corner with young kids hanging out. I started to hear yelling followed by honking as the people in the cars wanted to make the RVers unwelcome. I followed the example of the other RV and left. I continued on until I reached a truck stop that had an area for RV overnighting. I checked inside just to be sure and then settled in safely for the night.

While startling and inconvenient this was a minor incident because I made the decision to relocate and not to stay. Beyond that, my experience with traveling in the RV for the past two and half years has been overwhelmingly positive. I don’t take that for granted though, I take precautions and have put in place a few “just in case” measures.

Safety Tips & Tools

Trust Your Gut – The most important safety tools are ones you have with you at all times – your eyes, ears and common sense! Be aware of your surroundings, trust your instincts, and your gut/intuition. I remember on the Oprah Show years ago when she had the author of “The Gift of Fear” on and spoke about how important it is to listen to that inner voice. I believe most people are good, but that does not preclude taking precautions.

MEAL TIMESAVERS

by Kate Mullen

07 Jul 2017

For me, meal time can be a little stressful. I enjoy cooking when I’m plugged into power in a campground, but on the go I can slip into the habit of eating out if I don’t do a little planning and incorporate a few meal timesavers.

You’re on the road, there’s lots to see and do, you get hungry, it’s easy to pull into a restaurant or gas station for something quick to eat. Or, you’ve been exploring, hiking and biking all day and you get back to camp and don’t feel like cooking a big meal.

By taking a little time to plan and organize your meals, you actually come out ahead with less stress during the week and more money in your bank account. It’s one less thing to think about.

Make Ahead Meals are popular and doable even in a small space like my Winnebago Travato kitchen. Set aside an afternoon to do meal planning and prep for the week. Ingredients can often be shared across multiple meals with different flavor profiles.

MY RV STORY

by Kate Mullen

19 Jun 2017

I’m 46, and a few years ago I had a midlife crisis; not the stereotypical buy a sports car, have an affair, get some plastic surgery to hold on to my youth kind. But a sense of restlessness, a deep gnawing at you – there has to be more to life, how do I really want to spend the time I have left kind. I was taught to succeed, go to college, get a good job, save for retirement only to climb the corporate ladder to find what at the top? I found I was disillusioned with the system. We are so filled with future worry, putting our adventures and dreams on hold; waiting for retirement or the next ‘thing’ to set us free.

I have wonderful family & friends, the Chiweenies (my dogs), a beautiful home, the opportunity to travel a few weeks a year, and am fortunate to have a well paying job. But I felt like something was missing. I was so tired of feeling stressed and burnt out and my health reflected it . As a business consultant, I felt I was always on alert, waiting for an emergency call or email to triage the next crisis. I wanted to trade the lifestyle of “more” for a lifestyle of freedom, creativity and adventure. What would I do if I wasn’t afraid, or worried about all the what ifs, especially money…?