Heart Bar Campground

Emrys Roberts July 30, 2020

We recently had the opportunity to take a weekend trip up to a relatively local campground called Heart Bar Campground. This campground is located inside the San Bernardino National Forest just outside Big Bear Lake. The main reasons we chose this campground was the availability to reserve a spot, one of the few in the state during this pandemic; as well as my Cousin-in-law had recently stayed near here and wanted to try it out.

This spot turned out to be really nice. We were honestly worried about the mosquito situation after an encounter a few years ago at Wishon Campground that left us all rather scared LOL. Luckily however, we loaded up on the Deet spray and the area seemed to be relatively mosquito free.

The site had little to no cell service which was technically a good thing, but to be honest I would have rather had no cell service at all. Nothing worse then really REALLY slow internet speeds. The temptation is then always there to check your phone and it can drive you insane.

The campground itself lays just below some nice mild Jeep and hiking trails that are just outside of the campground. We made it to a good stopping point on one summit just before the the road got a little more challenging for my 2-wheel drive truck. Offered some great views.

One thing I really love about camping is getting the opportunity to shoot some astrophotography and long exposure shots. The low level of light pollution compared to being in town in Los Angeles makes such a huge difference.

I had hoped to get some images of the Neowise Comet since the night sky was so perfect, but unfortunately I missed it due to it being under the tree line out of my view. Guess I’ll catch it again in 6,800 years when it comes back around 🤦🏻‍♂️

On our way back home the next day, we decided to make a stop over at Jenks Lake. A really nice higher elevation lake that was great for day fishing.

Rating: 7/10

Fairly clean campsite, but no real amenities. Lots to explore in the immediate area though. Definitely look forward to coming back again sometime soon.

RV Road Trip - Stop #2 - Zion National Park

Emrys Roberts November 6, 2019

Our second stop of the trip brought us to Zion National Park. I hadn’t honestly read too much about this one, so I was excited to see what we would find. We stayed in the local KOA in Ceder City, just a short highway drive up north from the Park. As our fist experience at a KOA, it was a fairly nice experience. They have some small amenities like hot showers and hookups for the RV.

The trip into the park was really beautiful. Utah offers some amazing sights as that whole part of the state is geologically fantastic. I was able to fit in a quick drone flight before we entered the park area. It’s illegal to fly drones in any National Park, so had to find a spot that would give me a good vantage point for the landscape. I was not disappointed.

Mavic 2 Pro, Stitched Panoramic, Click for higher-res preview

Driving in we past the town of Springdale. Nice little town that was mostly shops and a few vacation homes it seemed like.

Once we entered the park entrance, you were already introduced to why this park is so world renown. It was literally like the sky opened up once we reached the parking lot.

Travel Type: If you’re coming to Zion National Park with an RV, be prepared to have to park and take the shuttle in. They don’t allow RV’s inside the park, so you’ll have to leave everything behind and wait for the shuttle. It wasn’t too long of a wait however so it’s actually the best way to get around.

The shuttle itself was fairly aired out, but it was very hard to see anything from the windows. One thing to note about this park is it’s very much a hiking park. The main road just gets you to the trail heads which vary in length to each destination. Our first stop, which we randomly picked, was Weeping Rock.

Sony A7iii, Zeiss Batis 40mm, Vertical Stitched Panoramic

We chose this one in particular so that Naeiri wouldn’t have to hike so far. Being 8 months pregnant isn’t the best time to go on a major hike 😉

The hike up was relatively easy. Wouldn’t even need hiking shoes as the path is very well maintained. It had a few small vista points as well that would open up to the sky as you walked up. Once you reach the edge of the cliff, it’s very obvious how the trail got its name. Water and mineral deposits stream down the side of the cliff. There is actually a spot to walk up to the man view point, but be prepared with a raincoat, it’s dripping water over you the whole time. But the view is worth it.

The main viewing area was worth the trek up. It had a nearly 180 degree panoramic view of the valley. The clouds were coming in and out of the area the whole day too, so it helped to cast some great shadows over the cliffs on the surrounding valley.

Sony A7iii, Canon 20mm f2.8, Stitched Panoramic

Once we started making our way back to the shuttle landing, the rain clouds started making their way in. Realizing that most of the other trails were much more difficult than this last one, plus the added pressure of needing to press on to the next stop in our trip helped us decide that it was time to head back to the RV.

The was a little bit more it see from the shuttle in this area, but still fairly dense.

Our last stop to change shuttles to go back in the other direction was at the foot of The Narrows. Nice view but was getting rained on trying to take the shot.

Had to get some last shots of the most majestic parking lot I’ve ever been to I’m my life. 😱

As we were leaving town and heading back to the highway, we decided to stop and grab something to eat. Springdale didn’t have the best options for parking a massive RV, so we continued on and found this awesome spot just before entering the park called Virgin Trading Post. It had this amazing ghost town setup in the front. It was a fee to get into the ghost town, so we passed that but found an interesting burger joint inside.

Parking was a little bit better here, plus it gave me an opportunity to the fly the drone before we got back on the highway.

The burger joint here was great! The had all kinds of meat to choose from. I went with the Bison meat this time, but maybe next time I’ll try one of the more exotic ones 😳

All in all this was a great first stop, and definitely need the chance to come back when I’m prepared to take some long hikes. But the road called us and we had a long drive ahead of us to get to Bear Lake KOA before it was too late.

RV Road Trip - Stop #1 - Valley of Fire

Emrys Roberts October 1, 2019

This was a very quick stop on our way to Utah for the first campground stay, but still one I have been hoping to get to see for quite sometime.

Valley of Fire is fairly iconic State Park. It’s been in a lot of movies and commercials. It’s an amazing place with its famous multi colored rock formations, especially the red rocks. Here’s a little history on the park itself:

Valley of Fire State Park is a public recreation and nature preservation area covering nearly 46,000 acres (19,000 ha) located 16 miles (26 km) south of Overton, Nevada.[3] The state park derives its name from red sandstone formations, the Aztec Sandstone, which formed from shifting sand dunes 150 million years ago.[4] These features, which are the centerpiece of the park's attractions, often appear to be on fire when reflecting the sun's rays.[5] It is Nevada's oldest state park, as commemorated with Nevada Historical Marker #150.[6] It was designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1968.[7]
Valley of Fire is located 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Las Vegas, at an elevation between 1,320–3,009 feet (402–917 m).[4] It abuts the Lake Mead National Recreation Area on the east at the Virgin Riverconfluence. It lies in a 4 by 6 mi (6.4 by 9.7 km) basin.
-Wikipedia

We only had a brief moment to explore the park as we were still on our way to our first KOA campsite in Utah. Specifically I wanted to find this one view point I had seen taken by many other photographers that looks like right down the line of the Valley with the road running straight down the center. We found it, but I’m not sure I totally succeeded in getting the composition I was ultimately looking for. That being said, I was still able to grab some great shots.

The Red Rocks are really quite striking when you enter the Park. The main path we decided to go down leads to the Rainbow Vista. There was a small parking lot that we decided to stop at to let every stretch their feet, and also give the dogs a well needed walk.

The thing I really like about photographing these types of landscapes is the level of detail that ends up popping off the textures.

So many trails to hike and explore, I was really disappointed we couldn’t spend more time going back a few miles to check it out. But something to save for next time. I did however walk back just a few minutes to get to some of the areas away from the street.

This is the main composition I was really interesting in getting while we were here. The layering is just so fascinating. Not only do you get the Red Rocks in the foreground, but then you have the contrast of the mountain range just beyond that. My one big regret of this shot is the time of day. Unfortunately its a bit hard to control that when you're in an RV with the whole family trying to make it to another state before it gets too dark. Again, another reason to visit the park again.

The main Vista looking the opposite way was amazing as well. Definitely would love be able to shoot in this valley when a large Monsoon is making its way across the horizon.

Sony A7iii, Zeiss Batis 40mm F4, Panoramic

The ground consisted of a very dark and rich red color as well. Was beautiful, but also seemed to bounce the heat right back at you. 😥🔥🔥🔥

Had some time to get in some puppy portraits, and a quick shot of my wife and mother in law while we stretched our legs.

Shooting in desert conditions are something I would like to have time to explore as well. Mainly trying to compete with the contrast that tends to find its way into my photos.

This was the composition looking back once we back tracked through the valley to head back to the highway. This is when you can see a lower sun can really make a huge difference.

Family RV Road Trip - The Grand Plan

Emrys Roberts May 29, 2019

Late last year, right around the time my wife and I learned we were going to be having a baby join the family, we all had the idea of taking a new family vacation to somewhere unique.

The first post on my Instagram when we let family and friends know we were expecting.

The rest of the family getting in on the baby announcement fun.

My brother-in-law and I are particular fans of camping trips, but my wife and her mother, not so much. So we had the thought of maybe taking a camper on an RV Road Trip to Mount Rushmore, which has been on everyone's bucket list for a while. Taking a camper would allow for a little more comfort, and also eliminate the need for staying in hotels and having to find transportation constantly. I was all for this because I love Road Trips. Being able to see the country in a much more purposeful way as opposed to just flying has always been so much more of genuinely moving experience for me. I’m a firm believer in the notion that “Travel Broadens the Mind”. Also, it would give me a chance to get in some photos of some of the best countryside this country has to offer.

Map of the route to Mount Rushmore and back down through Four Corners and Monument Valley.

The trip was amazing. I would highly recommend it. And if you do here are a couple pointers:

Don’t try to do the whole route. Do a couple days in each spot, one trip at a time. The worst thing about the trip was getting back on the road for an average of 6-8 hours each day just to sleep in the campsite and start all over again the next day. Very exhausting.
Maybe make sure if your second-trimester wife REALLY actually wants to go. My poor wife stuck it out like a trooper, but the camper isn’t as comfortable of a ride as one would think. In fact, its probably the bounciest ride you’ll ever take.
Stay at KOA camper campgrounds! These were by far the best places to stay with hot clean showers, and full hookups for the RV’s. Plus most of them offer some kind of breakfast thats usually very affordable.
Look at all the camper rentals, not just Cruise America. It was a good camper for sure 👍, but it felt a little like we were driving in the cheapest one money could buy. I get it, companies need to be able to make a profit while still offering as many services as they can. Just wish it had a few more features for the price 🤷🏻‍♂️.

The next series of posts will be the images I captured along that trip, and the places we were able to see. Definitely a family vacation I won’t soon forget! :)

Heart Bar Campground

RV Road Trip - Stop #2 - Zion National Park

RV Road Trip - Stop #1 - Valley of Fire

Family RV Road Trip - The Grand Plan

Search Posts

Featured Posts