After a late start and exit from the Watchman Campground, we stopped by the Zion entrance booth to have our RV measured for passage through the East Tunnel out of the park.  After some hand wringing by the ranger, they gave us the “go ahead” pass for the tunnel at the Eastern entrance.  When we got to the tunnel, the ranger at the guard booth shook her head and moved the cone to let us in.  The tunnel is a little over a mile long, and the clearance at the curb is 11’ 4”.  We’re at about 10’ 4”, I think, so I stayed very close to the center line as we rolled through.  We reached the other end without a scratch!

Having spent many a season in Zion, Mike recommended another petroglyph site on our way out of Zion.  We pulled over at the appropriate spot and hiked off to investigate.  Before long we found the site:

The second location had still more petroglyphs:

More rock texture:

We walked back to the road from the petroglyphs and under the tunnel supporting the road:

The formations on the East side of Zion are a bit different from the West side:

Continuing East towards Kanab, we decided to head South to visit Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park.  The sand here is ground up Navajo Sandstone and is more of a deep orange than pink.  The sand is very fine, like sugar, and is quite firm to walk on:

The kids beat us to the top:

There were many beautiful patterns in the sand at the dune’s crest:

M pulled B down the hill, and went so fast she had to turn her head aside to avoid the flying sand:

Leaving the state park, we continued East and stopped for the night on BLM land about 15 miles from Kanab.  With the cellular antenna, we have a decent connection.  It’s nice to be dispersed camping again, and with trees instead of cactus for the first time in several months:

Tomorrow we have to get up early to be at the visitor center in Kanab by 8:30am for the lottery for permits to enter The Wave.  There are 10 permit spots given away per day, and this time of year about 35 people show up to fill those slots, so it may be a few days before we get the permits.  See the trip map for details.