October was an absolutely amazing month for us! We spent the first half of the month playing in Las Vegas and the second half of the month exploring the regions around Zion and Capitol Reef National Parks. We successfully made it through our longest stretch of time dry camping yet....23 days! And we are ecstatic at how well our solar power and lithium batteries performed during that stretch. We got creative with finding ways to add to our drinking water supply and spent a total of $25 dumping our tanks at travel centers during that stretch. We feel like $25 dollars for a 22 night stretch is a pretty good deal!
Read on for our thoughts about our second October living the full time Airstream life.
Our initial plan was to spend two full weeks at Red Rock Canyon campground, however with the potential of a government shutdown looking likely and not knowing what that would mean for camping on federal land, we decided to pivot and book a stay at a Las Vegas RV park. This ended up being the best decision we could have made, as the temperatures stayed in the high 80s and low 90s during much of that stretch and we were much happier running the AC and enjoying the pool at the park. While we don't love the parking lot feel of most RV parks, we felt like this was a good value for the amenities and proximity to all our adventures on the strip. The only major bummer was someone tried, but failed to steal our bikes, which were locked to the trailer. Glad we had heavy duty u-bolts and not just the chain lock that they successfully cut off. In spite of this issue, we would absolutely return to this park for our next visit to Las Vegas.
Our campsite at Red Rock Canyon and gorgeous sunset views from the scenic drive.
We loved our time at Red Rock Canyon Recreation Area. We were very grateful that the temperatures finally cooled down enough that we were able to stay cool without running our AC. Our solar production in this location was amazing and we kept the battery near 100% for our whole visit. This park is right at the western edge of the Summerlin region of Las Vegas so it was only 15 minutes to any store you could want to shop at, but it felt like another world entirely. The scenic drive now requires that visitors purchase a timed entry from 8:00-5:00 every day, so we did the drive at sunset rather than pay for an extra entry. This is an important fact to keep in mind if you camp here. It is an affordable and scenic way to camp near to all Las Vegas has to offer!
Generating great solar energy and enjoying stunning sunset views at Hurricane Cliffs Recreation Area.
Our next stay was fully dispersed camping in the Hurricane Cliffs Recreation Area; some BLM land outside of Zion National Park. We figured this late in the season it would be basically deserted, but boy we were wrong about that! We are glad we arrived fairly early on a Tuesday afternoon and had our choice of sites, because it was filled up almost every single day we were here. Again our solar production was fantastic, and as you can see the sunsets were outstanding. The roads in to the area were pretty rough and we had to drive at 2 MPH in order to feel safe, but it was worth the extra effort. We would absolutely return here, but probably not during the high season, lol! This is a good choice to attempt if you are unable to book camping inside Zion and don't want to pay the exorbitant price of an RV Park in the area.
Gorgeous views of the Utah desert at Beas Lewis Flats, even though we froze our butts off!
From 90 degree days to 20 degree nights in just over two weeks!!!! Our stay at Beas Lewis Flat Dispersed Camping outside of Capitol Reef National Park was definitely a challenging one! We experienced winds so strong they knocked over our solar panels and temperatures so low we actually now have a cracked pipe we need to repair. Thank goodness for propane heat and blankets! This is probably the nicest dispersed camping location we have stayed at so far. The road was easy and the sites well marked and spaced out from each other. When we arrived, the area was full with only a few empty sites. After the cold snap, we were one of only two remaining brave RVs left. In spite of the challenges, we would recommend this camping in a heartbeat and will almost certainly, return as we as so in love with the beauty of this region.
BONUS TIP: CURRY PIZZA in Bicknell, UT
Featured on an episode of Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives, we had the Bhinda Special and the Butter Chicken Pizzas...Chef's Kiss!
Okay, we have never added a food recommendation in with our camping reviews, but finding some of the most delicious food we've ever eaten just 15 minutes from free dispersed camping merits a mention. This delicious fusion Indian Pizza is truly one of the best meals we've had since we've hit the road. If you are in the area, run, don't walk to Curry Pizza and try one of their fusion pizzas. We promise you won't be disappointed!
Parking at Steve's Steakhouse plus our delicious dinners (Steak and Shrimp and Chicken Fried Steak) and yummy morning coffee!
When we were researching potential Harvest Host stops between Capitol Reef and Salt Lake City and we found Steve's Steakhouse and Katie's Coffee, we knew we had to stop here. The parking lot was easy to navigate and safe, though it's super convenient proximity to I70 meant it wasn't the quietest night of sleep. Our dinner was delicious and getting to wake up the next morning to indulge in their seasonal lattes felt like the biggest splurge after our two weeks camping in remote locations. We really do love our Harvest Host stays because they are places we would likely not discover otherwise.
October was a fabulous month and we met our goal of keeping our monthly average cost below last year's average cost. Go us!! We can't wait for the adventures we will have in November!
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