6/16/21 Moab, Utah: Arches/Canyonland

RV ADVENTURES: 6/16/21. UTAH

THE COST:

When we first decided to get an RV, I thought that it would cost more than we ever expected, so I wanted to keep a clear record of how much we actually spend and what we spend it on. We are now six weeks in, and here is what we did. There are a few things that did not make it to the list - laundry (about $12 per week -quarters), maybe a little ice. I don’t know. This is close.

GAS: $1,046.90
EATING OUT: $763.34
GROCERIES: $598.12
SOUVENIERS: $482.61
PARTS: $877.89
CAMPGROUNDS: $986.88
ENTERTAINMENT: $827.26
PARK PASS: $80.00

TOTAL EXPENSES FOR 6 WEEKS: $5,663.00
MILEAGE (Pickup) 2,563 at about 10.5 miles per gallon - Average price of diesel ($3.65)
MILEAGE (Motorcycle) 2,191

Some of these expenses are a one-time expense: We forgot to get our booster cables (parts), trailer break control (parts), Makita fan and batteries (parts), water jugs, lumber to build a shelf with hooks. Inflatable kayak $560 (entertainment). We may or may not use this, but after turning over in our canoe, we got one. America the Beautiful park pass. One time. Forever!!!!

The Campground expense may be a little off for someone else. We boondocked at least two weeks, and we stayed eight days at Lee’s Ferry at $10 per night. Campground expenses are from $45 - $85 per night. Canyonland was $65. We are about to stay a few nights in Estes Park @ $85 per night. It is hard to find campgrounds for more than a few days. Most weekends are already booked. It is a good thing that we are able to boondock, and we love that the most.

THE HEAT:

While we were in the Zion/Escalante/Boulder area, the temperatures got down into the 40s at night. We had to turn on the heater in the morning before I would get out of bed. When the sun came up, it was beautiful 70s—80s, Then we landed at Moab. The first day we were there, it was 106 - then 109 - then 108. We did just fine. We were in a park with trees and A/C. There have only been a couple of days - back at Lee’s Ferry - that I thought it was too hot. As long as there is a breeze, we are good. We just ordered a Makita fan and the 18V batteries. We think that will do the trick, even when we are boondocking. I will let you know,.

UTAH:

Oh my goodness! Beautiful. Vast!!! Panoramic views. Breathtaking. Uninhabited. Untouched. Ever-changing rock formations. Majestic. Larger than life. Colorful. Textures. Lots of textures and colors. Not much vegetation. Stunted shrubs. Dry. Drought. Right now - HOT! We just entered Colorado. At the border, the landscape changes. It is green, and it has water.

ARCHES NATIONAL PARK: Oh my goodness! I want to go again. Beautiful. Unexpected. We did not get to explore this enough. I want to go back.

CANYONLAND NATIONAL PARK: Same, but different. Beautiful. Wow. I got really hot here and could not cool down. 25-30 years ago, I had a heat stroke. It took me years to fully recover. I don’t want to do that again, so I didn’t get to do near what I wanted to. Next time.

WITNESS HIM NOW:

It is funny. Zion NP ministered to me so much. The names of all of the hikes and routes and mountains spoke to me, and I listened. Then a friend asked me to pray for her brother. I did, and when we started traveling again, we went through a town that had the same name as my friend’s brother. We stopped, and I took off my shoes, anointed the land, and I prayed. Then we went to Arches, and Lyndyl said, “There is the Garden of Eden, do you want to stop?” OH MY GOODNESS! The Garden of Eden. The beginning. Everything was stolen and lost in the Garden of Eden. I took off my shoes, anointed the land with oil - five drops - grace! And I prayed, and I worshiped. LORD, I thank you that You had.a plan from the beginning, a good plan, a plan to prosper and not to harm, a plan to give us hope and a future. You knew we would not get it right. You knew we would lose it all. JESUS! You bought it back. You took back what the enemy stole. Thank you! Now, I am asking in the Mighty Name of Jesus that You would redeem the land. Heal it. Set it free. Two thousand years ago, You paid the price. Now all of creation is groaning, crying out - COME! HEAL! SET FREE! RESTORE! Rend the heavens and pour out righteousness. Send Your rain. Water the land. Let the land open up and receive. PLANT! WATER! GROW! RIGHTEOUSNESS! JUSTICE! SALVATION! FREEDOM! Come, LORD Jesus! COME! Redeem the land. In Jesus’ name! AMEN

Then I looked at the map. The Devil’s Garden. Not any more. In Jesus’ name. It was 105 degrees. I went to the trailhead, and I cried, “Holy! Redeemed! Set free! Bought back!” At the end of the trail was the Dark Angel. I didn’t go there, but I know God did. The enemy’s time is short. We know it, and he knows it.
On the way back, we saw The Fiery Furnace - a hike that you have to get a permit to do. I know that we will all go there. The fiery furnace. But just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, there will be a fourth man in the fire with us, and we will not get burned. It will purify. As we passed this trailhead, I could see the hills on fire. Has it begun?

Then on the way out, we stopped at Courthouse Wash. Local governments. Holy. Just. Righteous. Fair. Living and moving in light and truth. In Jesus’ name.
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So the land is speaking to me, and I am speaking to the land. Who would have ever thought?