We came to Grand Junction, Colorado for our first RV rally ever, the Junction Rally with Open Roading and Untethered. Our first tip for anyone going to a rally: come early. It started on a Thursday and we rolled in on Sunday, and it turns out a lot of people had the same idea, so we got a few days of pre-rally hanging out.
Getting there early also meant we had a few evenings free. About ten minutes from the campground is Colorado National Monument, so after work one day we went to see it.
Devils Kitchen, a short hike that got bigger
Fabiola found the hike online. Devils Kitchen is about 0.8 miles, and the photos she showed Nathan were all rocks. He had no sense of scale from them. In person, those rocks are huge boulders stacked over your head, leaning in a way you try not to think about too hard. They have probably been sitting there for millions of years, so they are probably not going to fall today. Probably.
It was also really windy. Dust was kicking up and hats were at risk the whole time.
Fabiola's first rock climb
Nathan thought we should climb the rocks. Fabiola had never climbed a rock in her life, and said so, several times, on the way up. "That's not what I signed up for" is a direct quote.
Nathan talked her through it: test each hold by putting your weight on it before you trust it, and always keep three points attached to the rock. One move at a time, she made it to the top-ish of Devils Kitchen. Not the real top, but the top for us. "I climbed my first rock!"
Honestly, it was way better than either of us expected. On the way back we also spotted a bunny who watched us very carefully and then ran.
Rim Rock Drive
Devils Kitchen done, we drove Rim Rock Drive. It runs 23 miles along the edge of the canyons and climbs almost 2,000 feet from the valley to the top of the mesa, through three tunnels. Most of it was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s and 40s.
Fabiola could not believe we were driving this big truck up there. At one point she could see a road on the far side of the canyon and could not work out how anyone had built it, and then realized we had just driven on it.
Ute Canyon
We parked at the Ute Canyon overlook (we think that is how you say Ute) and walked out to the edge. It is very, very deep. All of it was carved by water, and when it rains the water still runs through and keeps digging. Fabiola had goosebumps.
One of us asked if it keeps changing like the Badlands did. Yes, but not as fast, because this stone is harder. If we had more time we would hike down into it. Fabiola's only note: everything you go down, you have to come back up.
The cliff-edge drive
Some of Rim Rock Drive is a two-lane road with a cliff right beside it. Fabiola's strategy was to look only at the yellow line. Yellow line, yellow line, yellow line. Her mom in Brazil has no idea what she gets up to.
Coke Ovens Trail, and a snake
At the Coke Ovens trailhead we found out the Monument Trail is 3.5 miles, and we were not doing 3.5 miles. We went a little way down anyway. Nathan suddenly had a boost of energy. He likes the West.
Then there was a snake behind a rock. A tiny one, and one of us was pretty sure it was a rattlesnake. Our final count for the evening: two bunnies, two lizards, ants, a few humans, and one possible baby rattlesnake.
Later, on the drive, a goat stood in the road and was in no hurry to let us past. We waited. Eventually it climbed off up the rocks and we said thank you.
Where is Independence Monument?
Here is the funny part. We drove the whole thing looking for the monument and could not tell which rock it was. Every overlook had some giant rock formation, and we kept saying "that one looks like a monument." At Artists Point we were sure. We were wrong.
It turns out Independence Monument is the tall freestanding tower in the middle, and we had already seen it from a different side without knowing. The sign at the overlook finally settled it.
If you only want to see the monument, start the scenic drive from the other end and you will be there in about 15 minutes. But then you would miss all the other good stuff. We came down off the mesa at sunset and picked up Chinese food on the way back. Our take: this place is a lot cooler than the St. Louis Arch, and that one is the national park.
The Junction Rally begins
Our main reason for being in Grand Junction was the rally, and the people. There were part-timers, full-timers and vacation-timers from all over the country, and we got to hear about everyone's jobs and how they make it work. A lot of people plan their whole year around this rally. We kind of did too: we picked it, and then backfilled the whole trip you have been watching on the channel, from the Badlands to Grand Teton.
Name badges on, dressed up, and off we went to mingle.
Our first cornhole tournament
We had never played cornhole before. Not once. We made it to the third round anyway. There is a whole technique to the throw, which we figured out partway through.
There was a food truck too. It was delicious, and we forgot to film it, because we were too busy talking to everyone. That happened a lot.
Steak on the Blackstone and a bourbon tasting
Before the boondocking and solar seminar, Fabiola cooked steak on the Blackstone with Montreal steak seasoning. It was meat meant for the Instant Pot, so she kept it low and let it take its time. She also warmed up leftover rice on the griddle, because it tastes better than the microwave. We got everything inside just before the rain started.
The bourbon tasting was a first for Fabiola. The verdict on the first sip was "strong." The tip we learned: add a little water and wait for the "Kentucky hug."
We also toured a Class A at the rally, and Fabiola got behind the wheel. All those windows. (No, we are not trading in the fifth wheel.)
Potluck, Q&A and a black tank story
Saturday was the big day. There was a group photo, an early walk at 7:30 for anyone who wanted it, and a show and tell where people opened up their RVs to show off their mods. We did not show anything, but we visited a lot of rigs and came away with ideas. There is a drill and a lot of bits in our future, so expect some projects.
That night was the potluck, where everyone brings a dish, and a Q&A where we finally got to ask questions. It also produced a black tank story from Joe of Open Roading that we will let you hear for yourself in the video.
Would we go to another RV rally?
Yes. The hiking and the drive were great, but the best part was the people, all a little crazy like us for living in an RV. If you are thinking about your first rally, go early, bring a dish, and say yes to the cornhole tournament even if you have never played.
Have you ever been to an RV rally? Tell us in the comments on the video.