April began with us leaving Arizona and heading to Utah, bound for Moab. We stopped for a night at a small campground in a quiet little town along the way, enjoying the quiet and taking the dogs for a nice hike. When we reached Moab, we set up camp for two weeks at Utahraptor State Park. We found a great spot for dispersed camping with fine views of the La Sal Mountain Range. It was a great spot to spend two weeks.

Moab lived up to our expectations, especially with the annual TW200 owners gathering. This motorcycle meetup was something I had wanted to attend for years, and it was worth the wait. The riding was excellent, with trails cutting through varied landscapes. Our new friend Randall, one of the event organizers, was a great tour guide for two Moab newbies. About halfway through our stay, Jenn and I hosted a big campfire dinner for the TW group. Sharing stories, a home-cooked meal, and good company under the stars was one of the best parts of the trip.

We also took time to visit Canyonlands and Arches National Parks, both just a short drive from our campsite. The highlight for me was riding the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands. Jenn sat this one out, so I teamed up with John, a fellow TW200 forum member, for the 110-mile off-road journey. It was a tough ride, demanding both skill and stamina, with diverse terrain and striking views. It’s easily the most epic thing I’ve ever done on a motorcycle, and I can’t wait to do it again.

Staying put for two weeks was a good test for our RV setup, particularly our fresh water and waste bladders. These let us manage the RV without moving from our spot. We tried to conserve water, but after a week, we needed to empty the grey tank and refill the fresh water. Using the bladders, I took care of it all in one trip, dumping the grey water and filling the fresh tank without moving the RV. It makes boondocking a lot easier, especially for a rig as large as ours.

We had to leave the TW gathering a couple of days early to head to Colorado. Our first stop was a KOA about four hours from Moab for a quick overnight. We took the chance to do laundry at a local laundromat since we were low on clean clothes, and we enjoyed dinner out. After that, we drove down I70 toward the Denver area. The drive was scenic, with skiers coming down the slopes near Vail and Breckenridge right beside the freeway and some breathtaking views of the Rockies. The Eisenhower Tunnel was an experience too; the climb up and descent down really tested our truck, and it performed well.

We settled into another KOA just outside Central City, where our friend Dave joined us for the week. Central City and Black Hawk surprised us with their small-scale Vegas feel, full of casinos. We spent an evening at one, playing games and enjoying a good buffet dinner. We also had to check out the Sasquatch casino just because of the theme. Who would have thought we’d find that in the Colorado mountains?

We planned to stay just a week, but a big snowstorm dropped over a foot of snow the night before we were set to leave. We decided to stay another week, which turned out to be a good choice. The extra time let us visit Rocky Mountain National Park, which we hadn’t planned to see. The park wasn’t fully open, but what we saw was impressive, and we want to return for more. I also met up with my old coworker Maurice, whom I hadn’t seen in person since before COVID. It was great to catch up, and I’m so glad to see him thriving and living his dream as a university professor. He put in so much work getting his master’s and then doctorate while also working full-time at a very high level. It’s an impressive accomplishment to say the least. What is even more impressive than his accomplishments is Maurice the person. He is one of the finest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. At my office, we really miss his influence and mentorship.

At the end of April, we left Colorado and headed to South Dakota to spend time in Badlands National Park. More on that to come!