RV Lifestyle Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah At an elevation of more than 16,000 kilometres, Cedar Breaks National Monument looks down into a majestic geologic amphitheatre, a fivekilometre-long cirque of eroding limestone, shale and sandstone. Like a naturally formed coliseum, the amphitheatre plunges more than 3,000 kilometres, taking your eyes for a colourful ride through arches, towers, hoodoos and canyons. The colourful wildflower bloom is generally at its peak during the first two weeks of July, which coincides with the annual Cedar Breaks Wildflower Festival, a wonderful reason to visit the park. Canadian Rockies, Alberta The Canadian Rockies stretch for 1,500 kilometres northwest from the Montana border. The lakes and peaks combine to create gob-smacking scenery at any time of the year. But, since an RV/car is indispensable for visiting the Rockies, accessing their beauty is easiest in the warmer months, when the highways are clear of ice and snow. Banff and Jasper are the two most popular destinations for visitors to the Rockies. They are connected by a 225-kilometre highway that offers unobstructedmountain views. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico Go underground at Carlsbad Caverns, a magical world of mysterious passageways, colossal rock formations, crystal-clear pools of water and giant subterranean chambers. Explore a whole new worldmore than 1,100 kilometres below the ground made up of 117 known caves. Most of the formations − or speleothems − found inside Carlsbad Cavern today were active and growing during the last ice age. Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona and Utah Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is a sprawling, remote gorge in northern Arizona and southern Utah. Dozens of side canyons spill into it, sloping creeks and red-walled slots flanked by high cliffs, hoodoos and arches. The National Recreation Area encompass Lake Powell, Glen Canyon Dam and Lees Ferry (known for its trout fishing and as the put-in spot for Colorado River raft trips). Lake Powell Resort and Wahweap Marina offer RV camping on the lake, boat tours and houseboat rentals. Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado Mesa Verde, Spanish for “green table,” offers a spectacular look into the lives of the ancestral Pueblo people. More than 4,000 archaeological sites have been preserved, including hundreds of homes and villages that date back to the 12th century. These master builders constructed elaborate complexes tucked into sandstone cliffs. Some held just a few people while others, such as the Cliff Palace and Long House, have 150 rooms and could have housed up to 100 people. Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, Alberta A sightseeing and historic destination, Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park is located on the banks of the Milk River in south-central Alberta. The incredible landscape of hoodoos, coulees and native rock paintings is a photographer’s paradise. The Blackfoot First Nation people used sharp rocks, horns of animals and wood from trees to carve their drawings into the sandstone cliffs. For colour − such as red, orange and yellow − they would use a mixture of crushed iron ore and animal fat. CSANews | SUMMER 2019 | 25
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