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Topic: closest,best parking for Mont.Bay Aq. (Read 8 times) previous topic - next topic
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closest,best parking for Mont.Bay Aq.
Yahoo Message Number: 149359
I'd like to go to the Aquarium, and have been checking out the various places to park. Concerns are size of my rig, height, and proximity to the Aquarium as I have no toad.

Any suggestions?
Gini Free and Junah, canine xtrodinaire "CHERRYOTTE" our litte red home on wheels "Growing old is mandatory. Growing wise is optional."

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Gini Free and Junah, canine xtrodinaire
"CHERRYOTTE" our little red home on wheels
"Growing old is mandatory. Growing wise is optional."
Re: closest,best parking for Mont.Bay Aq.
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 149360
I would give them a call.  They have limited, hourly motorcoach parking available at the Georgia World Conference Center.  The number at the Aquarium is (404) 581-4000.

Dick

From: lifewithalazydazerv@yahoogroups.com [mailto:lifewithalazydazerv@yahoogroups.com] Sent: Friday, November 07, 2014 2:42 PM To: lifewithalazydazerv-yahoogroups.com Subject: [LD] closest, best parking for Mont. Bay Aq.

I'd like to go to the Aquarium, and have been checking out the various places to park. Concerns are size of my rig, height, and proximity to the Aquarium as I have no toad.

Any suggestions?
Re: closest,best parking for Mont.Bay Aq.
Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 149361
Gini, try this link:

http://www.monterey.org/en-us/departments/parking/publicparkinggarageslots.aspx

Street parking anywhere in Monterey, particularly around any and all of the attractions, is extremely tight for cars, let alone RVs. Plan to walk!

Also, I suggest getting your ticket in advance and calling the Aquarium to find out how many school "field trips" are on the docket for the day you want to visit! At best, if you can't find a day to avoid the bulk of the squealing hordes - the Aquarium is a *very* popular school outing! - you can be prepared! ;-)

It's an interesting place and well worth a visit, but advance planning is necessary; have fun!

Joan
2003 TK has a new home
Re: closest,best parking for Mont.Bay Aq.
Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 149362
Well, I sure blew that one.  When someone says Aquarium I just think of the one in Atlanta Georgia which is the largest in the world.

Dick
Vermilion Cliffs National Monument --info
Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 149364
Hi

Have  any of you reading this visited this area? What is the best source of  information for RV travel there? What are your experiences? Can you reach any of  the trailheads in your LD? Have you been to the Wave? Where can I find Lat/Long  coordinates for the various sites?

Tom
Re: Vermilion Cliffs National Monument --info
Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 149367
Tom, I haven't been to Vermilion Cliffs for quite a few years, so I'm not up on current conditions.  These sites may help:

http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/blm_special_areas/natmon/vermilion.html

http://www.desertusa.com/Vermillion-Cliffs-MN/Vermillion-Cliffs-NM.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/25/the-wave-lottery-vermilion-cliffs_n_3498370.html

You might also do a search for blog posts on the area.

Joan
2003 TK has a new home
Re: Vermilion Cliffs National Monument --info
Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 149368
Thanks  Joan

I'll  check these out. I have been reading stuff on the web and making good use of  Google. But there is nothing I can relate to more than the actual experiences of  LazyDaze travellers  ;^))

Tom

Tom,  I haven't been to Vermilion Cliffs for quite a few years, so I'm not up on  current conditions.  These sites may help:

http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/blm_special_areas/natmon/vermilion.html
 http://www.desertusa.com/Vermillion-Cliffs-MN/Vermillion-Cliffs-NM.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/25/the-wave-lottery-vermilion-cliffs_n_3498370.html

You might also do a search for blog posts on the area.

Joan
Re: closest,best parking for Mont.Bay Aq.
Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 149370
It's been 4 years since I was there, but we visited in a Mid-Bath without a toad and found parking details here:
 http://www.monterey.org/en-us/departments/parking/publicparkinggarageslots.aspx

Download the Cannery Row Area pdf map.

We  parked in Lot #21 which had a walk up kiosk type meter for payment.   From the lot, it was a 5-10 min walk along the Monteray Bay Coastal  Trail to the aquarium.  The trail was a paved greenway type bike /  walking trail through tourist areas.
 We "camped" (in a parking lot with hookups) at the County Fairgrounds ( http://www.montereycountyfair.com/  ) which was a short drive from Lot 21.  Alternatively, you could bike  from the fairgrounds to the aquarium largely along the MB coastal trail.  (Google maps shows around 3.5 miles each way).

Hope that helps- Rich '03 MB in NC
2003 MB
Re: Vermilion Cliffs National Monument --info
Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 149371
In September I did some research on the Wave, thinking of including it in my trip south.  Here is what I found out.

1) Access to the trail to the Wave is by lottery, 20 permits per day.  There is no assurance that if you are in the area, you will be able to get there.

2) The trail is about 3 miles one way, over a mix of sand and rock.  They note that good trail finding skills are recommended.

3) The trailhead is at the end of a dirt road.  I got the sense that it would not be a good route for my RV.

Sorry, I have no info about camping areas.

Ken F in NM
'08 MB
Re: Vermilion Cliffs National Monument --info
Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 149375
It is a total of 20 people per day and 10 of those are assigned in advance over the internet.

You drive about 8 miles down a dirt road and I wouldn't want to drive an RV but we did see one class c driving it.

They give you several pages of directions which includes photos of landmarks. This is for the trip out and we found it a bit confusing coming back.

The remaining 10 slots are picked two days before. When we went it was the day before. We showed up at 9am at the BLM office along with 74 other people for those 10 slots. We had 3 people in our group and registered and to our amazement we were the first picked.

Here is the info on our trip there.

Life's Little Adventures: The Wave/Coyote Buttes, Utah

Jim C
Re: Vermilion Cliffs National Monument --info
Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 149376
Tom,
 What time of year are you thinking of visiting?  It can get very hot in summer and very cold in winter.  As already noted, the Wave is very popular with photographers and hikers with strictly controlled access.   Not quite as overwhelmed, is South Coyote Buttes (still need an access permit).  They did have an elderly couple die this summer after trying to hike to The Wave.  After driving many backroads in southern Utah, I'd recommend renting a high clearance vehicle and not taking your LD to the trailheads.
 For more info try: The Wave - Coyote Buttes North & South (Arizona & Utah) Hikes, Maps, Images, Photography Tips, and Permit Information .

Art
Art and Barbara
Settled in Atterdag Village of Solvang
2015-2022 fulltime in a 2016 Tiffin Allegro Bus 37AP
2002-2015 2002 LD MB
Art's blog
Re: Vermilion Cliffs National Monument --info
Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 149377
Thanks  Art for your recommendation. We were thinking of going there sometimes between  April and June. We are in the "looking  into it" stage presently. We generally (almost never) tow, but do have a Geo Tracker  4wd if needs be. Also a rental Jeep is worth considering.
Tom

Tom,
 What  time of year are you thinking of visiting?  It can get very hot in summer  and very cold in winter.  As already noted, the Wave is very popular with  photographers and hikers with strictly controlled access.   Not quite  as overwhelmed, is South Coyote Buttes (still need an access permit).  They  did have an elderly couple die this summer after trying to hike to The  Wave.  After driving many backroads in southern Utah, I'd recommend renting  a high clearance vehicle and not taking your LD to the trailheads.
 For  more info try: The  Wave - Coyote Buttes North & South (Arizona & Utah) Hikes, Maps, Images,  Photography Tips, and Permit Information .

image

The        Wave - Coyote Buttes North & South (Arizona & ... Maps,        permit information, and images of The Wave, Coyote Buttes North &        South, The White Pocket, The Nautilus and other locations in Arizona, Utah        and the Sou...

View        on www.thewave.info

Preview        by Yahoo

Art
Re: Vermilion Cliffs National Monument --info
Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 149378
If you want to boondock there is a great  place south of Kanab on Hiway 89A and only a few (10?) miles west of the Vermillion Cliffs.  If interested I will post details.  (I need to get out my maps/notes from previous trips to make sure that I get things correct.) Also there is a BLM or NFS campground near there.

Doug Baker
Re: Vermilion Cliffs National Monument --info
Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 149379
For much of southern Utah, I'd recommend the earlier part of your time window.  If you are comfortable driving dirt roads and/or 4WD trails, I'd strongly recommend towing or renting an appropriate vehicle.  There is so much wonderful country down there to see from the back roads.

Art
Art and Barbara
Settled in Atterdag Village of Solvang
2015-2022 fulltime in a 2016 Tiffin Allegro Bus 37AP
2002-2015 2002 LD MB
Art's blog
Re: Vermilion Cliffs National Monument --info
Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 149380
Tom,
 We were in the Vermilion Cliffs area last month.  We camped at the NPS campground at Lee's Ferry.  It is a nice campground with access from a paved road.  There is water and a dump station.  You can hike up the Paria River from Lee's  Ferry.  We backpacked the Paria River a few years ago and enjoyed the hike very much.  The upper end of the Paria River can be accessed from the White House Trailhead which is near the BLM ranger station on Highway 89.  I would think you could access that trailhead easily since Hwy 89 is a good road.  You can call the BLM office in St. George, UT at 435-688-3200 for more information.  We have also hiked in Buckskin Gulch and I would highly recommend it.

Steve Jackson
Re: Vermilion Cliffs National Monument --info
Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 149381
Two BLM campgrounds in the Vermilion Cliffs- Paria area:

http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/arolrsmain/paria/campgrounds.html#stateline

http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/arolrsmain/paria/campgrounds.html#whitehouse

Jacob Lake campground (Kaibab NF) south of Kanab on 89A is a nice spot. DeMotte cg is down 67 toward the North Rim; the sites are smaller (as I recall), but there are also several gravel roads off 67 leading to boondocking spots between DeMotte and the North Rim.

Hope Doug has more suggestions; I'm always looking for good boondocking spots! ;-)

Joan
2003 TK has a new home
Re: Vermilion Cliffs National Monument --info
Reply #16 –
Yahoo Message Number: 149382
Thanks Joan, Steve, Art, Doug, Ken and Jim.
Yes Doug, more in depth information and recommendations are greatly  appreciated.
A plan is forming. We have friends in St. George, so maybe HQ there, rent a  jeep and drive both LD and Jeep to VCNM and boondock on BLM land. That's a  possibility. Perhaps rangers can give us coordinates to Wave and other hiking  destination so we can use GPS to avoid getting lost.

Tom

Two  BLM campgrounds in the Vermilion Cliffs- Paria area:

http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/arolrsmain/paria/campgrounds.html#stateline
 http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/arolrsmain/paria/campgrounds.html#whitehouse

Jacob Lake campground (Kaibab NF) south of Kanab on 89A is a nice spot.  DeMotte cg is down 67 toward the North Rim; the sites are smaller (as I recall),  but there are also several gravel roads off 67 leading to boondocking spots  between DeMotte and the North Rim.
 Hope Doug has more suggestions; I'm always looking for good boondocking  spots! ;-)

Joan
 
Re: Vermilion Cliffs National Monument --info
Reply #17 –
Yahoo Message Number: 149430
Sorry that I did not reply sooner. It took me a while to find my notebook that contained my info. This will be a long post. I probably should make a separate document & upload same to "files."
 To be sure that we are all on the same page, we are talking about the "Vermillion Cliffs National Monument" that lies astride the UT-AZ border, between Hiway 89 and Hiiway 89A; which both lead from Kanab, UT to Page, AZ. This place contains three major areas: ØVermillion Cliffs which are on the south end and visible from Hiway 89A.
ØParia Plateau which is the mesa above the Vermillion Cliffs.
ØParia Wilderness Area which primarily lies around the border of the Paria Plateuu.
The area is all BLM land and subject to the BLM rules, etc. The Wilderness Area requires permits for most places. It is beautiful country.
 The western edge of this area is House Rock Road (BLM 1065), which extends from Hiway 89A north to Hiway 89. After you cross the state line into UT the road is called Wired Pass Road. (You may find it called either name on maps.) The distance between Hiway 89A and Hiway 89 is about 30 miles. BLM recommends approaching the trail head (Wire Pass Trail) from Kanab via Hiway 89. They also warn you about road conditions.
 In April 2012 I planned and led a 4WD trip across the Paria Plateau; west to east and return. A round trip of about 60 miles. A great, but difficult, trip. The trails are unmarked and all sand. The sand is relatively deep and is the consistency of powdered sugar. The trails are near the south edge of the plateau. The plateau is an area where you need a good GPS that can be coordinated with topo maps.  Our trip was the result of a "Back Roads" article that appeared in the February 2008 issue of AZ Highways.  I will be glad to share more details with anyone that is interested.
 Our group spent time in Kanab. We intended to approach our trail head via Hiway 89A and House Rock Road.  The trail head was on House Rock Road about 12 miles north of Hiway 89A and is about  50 miles from Kanab. This would make our round trip be about 160 miles. None of us felt comfortable with having enough gasoline to make this loop (You burn a lot more gas while off-roading.) and there were no service stations along the route. (At least when we were going.) We needed a place closer to the trail head to dry camp.
 We scouted out House Rock Road from Hiway 89A and went about about 17 miles north. It is a dirt "plowed out" road. The edges of the road are dirt berms of varying heights and there were no flat spots where 4 rigs could dry camp. At that time, an LD could navigate this road, if driven with care. There were lots of rocks, but few ruts. However, the road condition is heavily dependent on the winter weather.
 We did locate a great place to camp that is on Hiway 89A about 11 miles west of House Rock Road. It is just a little west (?) of Mile Post 576 and is where NFS 225 and NFS 257 connect to Hiway 89A. These two NFS trails are part of the Great Western Trail system that runs from Canada to Mexico. The place is about 3 or 4 miles east of Jacob Lake, AZ. From here it is about 10 or 11 miles to Rock House Road. You can also take the NFS trails north and get to Rock House Road much closer to the UT border. (This is strictly 4WD travel.) The area is very large and you might find big trucks parked there too.
 There are also two campgrounds located in the northern part of the Paria Plateau; State Line CG and White House CG; both being, at best, "primitive." Access to State Line is from Wire Pass (Rock House) Road and is right near the UT-AZ border; a little south of the trail head to The Wave. Access to White House may not be too good, but they claim that it is open "all year". (Maybe via snowmobile.)
 The community of Jacob Lake, AZ is about 14 miles west of the Hiway 89A-Rock House Road junction. Just south of Jacob Lake is the junction with Hiway 67 which leads to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Located near this junction is an NFS CG. Hiway 67 and all of these facilities are closed during the winter. The campground and lodge open when NPS & NFS open Hiway 67 (it is chained closed at both ends and there are not bypass routes, except cross country by 4WD.) We were in this area about April 20 and everything was still closed. The target opening date was May 1. However, a few years earlier we went to the North Rim and the opening date for Hiway 67 was June 1. The hiway status is (or was) posted on the Grand Canyon web site. I am sure that the BLM CG's on the Paria Plateau are closed in the winter. The Paria Plateau gets a lot of snow.
 Before going into this area it is a good idea to talk with the BLM that is in St George, UT. In the spring of 2012 the office was at: 345 East Riverside Drive St George, UT (435) 688-3200 Ask to speak with the area manager for the Paria Plateau or Vermillion Cliffs National Monument. In the spring of 2012 his name was Kevin Wright.  Be sure to stop by the BLM office as they can provide current information and they have a few maps, but there is no way to order them. Take you own maps with you and they will mark them up with areas of interest, problem areas, etc.
 Actually you can dry camp anywhere in the BLM land providing you follow a few simple rules that the BLM will give you. You can also dry camp on NFS lands. The NFS rules are not identical to the BLM rules, but are equally reasonable. When we visited the BLM office they mentioned that people dry camped on BLM right next to Hiway 89A. When we left the Paria Plateu we headed east on Hiway 89A, going to Page, and near Marble Canyon were a number of coaches that had pulled off the road and set up camp. You need to be a bit careful doing this as in the summer you may end up stuck in the sand and during the spring you can end up in the mud. These "flat roadside camping" areas were only near Marble Canyon. In most places getting off Hiway 89A into the dirt might be challenging.
 The main question about going to this area is at what time of year do you want to go? I talked with the BLM manager late in March 2012 and he felt that the snow would be off the Paria Plateau by the middle of April. However, the possibility of a "late snow storm" always existed. The manager was making a trip to the Paria Plateau the following week and we talked after the trip. He thought that things would be fine. The snow was gone and the mud should be dry by the time we arrived.
 I promised that this would be long. You will note, however, that it is devoid of information on The Wave and the north part of the plateau. We didn't get there, but it is on our list of places to go. There are several places that will give you the lat-lon of The Wave. In my notes I have the following:

ØWire Pass Trail Head:   North 37 deg, 1 min, 17 sec West 112 deg, 1 min, 29 sec

ØThe Wave:         North 36 deg, 59 min, 46 sec West 112 deg, 0 min, 23 sec
 These probably aren't exact, but will get you close. Note that The Wave is southeast of the trail head.
 If you have questions, contact me via private email (2dbaker at att dot net).

Doug Baker