June 14, 2010
I woke and took my powerwalk. It is definitely going to be warmer today. We sure did time this event perfectly!
We readied Hannah for the ride home and were on the road before 8:30am. We made a stop to …. (shhhhh), buy some powerful fireworks, then we stopped in Las Vegas to visit my stepmom. It was good to see her. She has lost about 50 pounds and she looked great. My Big Daddy died 4 years ago this week, so it was good to visit so close to that anniversary. Then we headed for the long… boring ride home.
Overall, I think I enjoyed Hannah. For 2 people, I don’t think she saves any money. But I like being able to have home cooked meals. I like not having to pack and unpack. She needs another outlet in the galley area. It would make things easier. And we definitely have to get better with the satellite setup.
Poor old Bart does not like going up the stairs. Depending on how we level Hannah, the steps can get quite steep. He fell a few times so he is leery of them. He is old, and beginning to have health problems. We are dreading the inevitable but hope it is still a wee ways off.
Sooo…. My blogging will go dormant until our next adventure. But wait… we have been home for one whole day and Spouse has not asked me for nailpolish remover… what could this mean?
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Falcon Ridge - June 13, 2010
June 13, 2010
Maaaaaaaa… Baaaaaaa…. Does a mountain goat go Maaaaa? Or does it go Baaaaaa? I think sheep baaaa and goat maaaaaa…. So let me warm up for my day… Maaaaaaaa!
We had a beautiful, cool evening with nice breezes making it heavenly for sleeping. Got up, did a quick powerwalk, then off we went to the Falcon Ridge Golf Club. It took us a little time to find it but we finally did. As I walked to our cart (pull carts were not allowed) I was immediately overwhelmed by the views and the amount of moguls on the course. And the hills… definitely, maaaaaa maaaaallll we were in mountain goat territory.
Today’s round was to be a scramble. We have an ‘A’ player (the best), a ‘B’ player (almost the best) a ‘C’ player (an advanced hacker – which was me in this case) and a ‘D’ player (someone that knows how to spell golf – which was Spouse). We ended up with the same guys we played with yesterday, the Ott brothers. We had to take 5 drives from player A, 4 from B, 3 from C and 2 from D. Fortunately, the Ott brothers (who I will refer to as the Otters from this point on) could drive 300 yards. Better yet, they had a 250 yard second shot in their bag!
For me, each hole was a dramatic adventure. There were extreme ups and downs (think – roller coaster!). There were lakes. There were streams. There were arroyos. I walked the holes, sometimes taking the cart in between the holes because of the distance and the fact that I had no idea where I was going! I kind of needed rappelling gear! Afterward, someone came up to me and shook my hand in amazement in my walking the course! When I did ride in the cart, it was scary because I don’t think all 4 wheels stay on the ground at any one time!
The Otters had played the course before so they had a little bit of course knowledge. But, the Browns are the ones that made the putts. I putted in a 30 footer for a birdie, Spouse putted an equal shot from right off the green for an eagle! (An eagle is 2 UNDER par, a birdie 1 under). And when they needed my drive, I shined! Wooohoooo! Spouse came through when he needed to also! Our team came in 3rd with us being -7! Yeah! Our team won $100!
The weather was probably in the low 80’s, with a bright blue sky and puffy white clouds and no winds of which to speak. We could not have asked for a better day. Afterwards, a bit of a rest and out to dinner with friends. We gamed a little afterwards, then started readying Hannah for her ride home.
Casablanca - June 12, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
I have a hate/love relationship with air conditioning. I hate being hot, but I hate being in air conditioning all the time. If I can have fresh air and be comfortable, I will go that way. Last night, it actually cooled off enough where I could open my window by my bed and enjoy the outside air. You need to understand that the window near my bed is only about a foot from my face, and the breeze outside was now blowing in my face. I slept pretty gosh darned good too!
Got up, went for a short power walk, then we headed to the Casablanca Golf Course. I had a very precarious start… I hit from the wrong tees. It was a great shot, but when I saw there was another set of tees, I had to drive again. This time, it was a good drive but right in the sand trap. Crap. Oh well… It is a beautiful golf course with its own little ecosystem. There are ponds and waterways with all sorts of wildlife. There are geese, duck and quail. You can hear bullfrogs cheering you on. There are bunnies and hawks. We saw a beautiful king snake.
But when you have this little ecosystem entertaining you through the course, that means you need to really avoid hitting into it. As a golfer, intellectually I understand that these hazards SHOULD NOT enter into your field of play. The idea is to stay in the middle of the fairway, then you never have to deal with things like water and arroyos. I managed to stay out of the hazards, but sometimes I paid for it by getting into trouble by staying out of trouble! Stroke-wise, it sometimes cost me the same. After I got over the first hole snafu, it took me a while but I got my golf act together. I shot 100, of which I was quite proud. I won low net (67) and with this crowd of good golfers, I was stunned! Spouse lost a few balls, and shot 121. Good thing the other twosome we were with had the official scorecard, because Spouse really messed up who got which score on our back up scorecard! He has a terrible time keeping score, but unfortunately, it is part of the game!
The weather today was exceptional. It was on the cooler side, maybe high 70’s or lower 80’s. Clouds were all around, and we could see it raining in spots. It rained on us for one hole, then a few drops hit us here and there, but it was very pleasant. On the horizon, we did see a couple of lightning strikes and it looked quite threatening. Given that golf clubs double as lightning rods, we kept our eyes wide open, but it never became an issue.
When we got back, I found myself drifting into another nap. I so rarely nap, that to do this two days in a row is phenomenal! Spouse napped also, but this time, I left his feet alone! He took off his shoes to show off his nail polish to a few of our friends, so I know my prank didn’t upset him too much! However, he just walked outside muttering ‘damn nailpolish’. Tee Hee!
I have a hate/love relationship with air conditioning. I hate being hot, but I hate being in air conditioning all the time. If I can have fresh air and be comfortable, I will go that way. Last night, it actually cooled off enough where I could open my window by my bed and enjoy the outside air. You need to understand that the window near my bed is only about a foot from my face, and the breeze outside was now blowing in my face. I slept pretty gosh darned good too!
Got up, went for a short power walk, then we headed to the Casablanca Golf Course. I had a very precarious start… I hit from the wrong tees. It was a great shot, but when I saw there was another set of tees, I had to drive again. This time, it was a good drive but right in the sand trap. Crap. Oh well… It is a beautiful golf course with its own little ecosystem. There are ponds and waterways with all sorts of wildlife. There are geese, duck and quail. You can hear bullfrogs cheering you on. There are bunnies and hawks. We saw a beautiful king snake.
But when you have this little ecosystem entertaining you through the course, that means you need to really avoid hitting into it. As a golfer, intellectually I understand that these hazards SHOULD NOT enter into your field of play. The idea is to stay in the middle of the fairway, then you never have to deal with things like water and arroyos. I managed to stay out of the hazards, but sometimes I paid for it by getting into trouble by staying out of trouble! Stroke-wise, it sometimes cost me the same. After I got over the first hole snafu, it took me a while but I got my golf act together. I shot 100, of which I was quite proud. I won low net (67) and with this crowd of good golfers, I was stunned! Spouse lost a few balls, and shot 121. Good thing the other twosome we were with had the official scorecard, because Spouse really messed up who got which score on our back up scorecard! He has a terrible time keeping score, but unfortunately, it is part of the game!
The weather today was exceptional. It was on the cooler side, maybe high 70’s or lower 80’s. Clouds were all around, and we could see it raining in spots. It rained on us for one hole, then a few drops hit us here and there, but it was very pleasant. On the horizon, we did see a couple of lightning strikes and it looked quite threatening. Given that golf clubs double as lightning rods, we kept our eyes wide open, but it never became an issue.
When we got back, I found myself drifting into another nap. I so rarely nap, that to do this two days in a row is phenomenal! Spouse napped also, but this time, I left his feet alone! He took off his shoes to show off his nail polish to a few of our friends, so I know my prank didn’t upset him too much! However, he just walked outside muttering ‘damn nailpolish’. Tee Hee!
Mesquite Mojo - or not
Friday, June 11, 2010
Wow, the wind is KICKING ass right now! A little bit of rain too.
Since our tee time was or 7:30am, I only got a short powerwalk around the premises. Some baby ducks have arrived since we were here last. We loaded our clubs and headed for the Palms golf course. Oh but wait! Mr. Forget something forgot our snacks, so back we go…
We could not believe the beautiful weather here in Mesquite. While normally it is triple digit, it was only in the mid 80’s with a slight cloud cover. It was almost balmy. Tomorrow is supposed to be a little cooler! WOW! I shot 102, which I was pretty happy with. I got a par on the hole that ate me up the last time. Hah! Of course, other holes… Oh well… Spouse shot 128. Our joint net was 66, not bad for a couple of hackers, but not good enough to win anything.
Got back to Bart and Hannah and had lunch. Spouse took a shower, then came out in his undies to read. I had the TV on, watching Ellen DeGeneres and I dozed off. I think they call this a ‘nap’. I must have been out for 15 minutes and I could not believe that Spouse did not wake me up. So, I look over and he is out too, and if I had the camera handy, I would have had the picture of the trip! Let me describe it to you…
Spouse was sitting in one of the reclining chairs. He was holding a book open, as if he was reading it (but he wasn’t as he was sleeping). His perky man boobs were resting comfortably on his rounded six pack abs. He was wearing underwear, but his arms and hands were strategically placed so that you could not tell he was wearing underwear. His legs were comfortably open in a vee at the top, bending at the knees like frogs legs. This burning hunk of love is all mine!
But since I didn’t have the camera at hand, I decided to do something else. I polished the toenails on his left foot this bright coral color. I was laughing and crying at the same time. He kept on sleeping. Oh, I do not have any nail polish remover here… Anyway, he woke and didn’t notice it. As I was getting ready for my shower, I heard him exclaim a big Dammit! I started laughing and crying some more.
Off to our hors d’oerves and social hour. Did a little gambling, but the mojo is gone. When we got back to Hannah, BIG WINDS! Kind of fun as long as we are not moving on a highway…
Wow, the wind is KICKING ass right now! A little bit of rain too.
Since our tee time was or 7:30am, I only got a short powerwalk around the premises. Some baby ducks have arrived since we were here last. We loaded our clubs and headed for the Palms golf course. Oh but wait! Mr. Forget something forgot our snacks, so back we go…
We could not believe the beautiful weather here in Mesquite. While normally it is triple digit, it was only in the mid 80’s with a slight cloud cover. It was almost balmy. Tomorrow is supposed to be a little cooler! WOW! I shot 102, which I was pretty happy with. I got a par on the hole that ate me up the last time. Hah! Of course, other holes… Oh well… Spouse shot 128. Our joint net was 66, not bad for a couple of hackers, but not good enough to win anything.
Got back to Bart and Hannah and had lunch. Spouse took a shower, then came out in his undies to read. I had the TV on, watching Ellen DeGeneres and I dozed off. I think they call this a ‘nap’. I must have been out for 15 minutes and I could not believe that Spouse did not wake me up. So, I look over and he is out too, and if I had the camera handy, I would have had the picture of the trip! Let me describe it to you…
Spouse was sitting in one of the reclining chairs. He was holding a book open, as if he was reading it (but he wasn’t as he was sleeping). His perky man boobs were resting comfortably on his rounded six pack abs. He was wearing underwear, but his arms and hands were strategically placed so that you could not tell he was wearing underwear. His legs were comfortably open in a vee at the top, bending at the knees like frogs legs. This burning hunk of love is all mine!
But since I didn’t have the camera at hand, I decided to do something else. I polished the toenails on his left foot this bright coral color. I was laughing and crying at the same time. He kept on sleeping. Oh, I do not have any nail polish remover here… Anyway, he woke and didn’t notice it. As I was getting ready for my shower, I heard him exclaim a big Dammit! I started laughing and crying some more.
Off to our hors d’oerves and social hour. Did a little gambling, but the mojo is gone. When we got back to Hannah, BIG WINDS! Kind of fun as long as we are not moving on a highway…
June 10, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Sunrise at Lake Powell is a spiritual occurrence. I got up and did my powerwalk on the same path as yesterday. When I got to the lodge, dozens of cameras and tripods were set up. The paparazzi was chasing the sunrise too. The lake was calm as far as no boats, but there was a bit of a wind ripple, so it was less than perfect for skiing.
As a waterskiier, I love having the lake to myself. Boat wakes really take the sass out of me. Then I love glass. In glassy water, it is like skiing on a mirror. It is effortless, the ski actually whistles as I cut and turn. The shore and the clouds reflect onto the water and I cannot wipe the smile off my face. I can last forever in glass. I also like when there is an itty bitty wind ripple. It takes the reflection out of the water, but a tiny – and I stress TINY – ripple really hugs the ski. Whereas in glass, it can get a little squirrely when you get aggressive, with the little ripple, you can really go to town. Here in Wahweap, it is wide open to the winds. Up the canyons, there is always sheltered areas where you can get a good ski. But for now… back to Hannah.
We never unhooked Hannah from the truck, so it didn’t take us long to get her ready to go. I blew a kiss to the lake as we left it behind. On to Hwy 89 to Kanab, with the green desert scrub and the red mesas along the way. We didn’t want to go through Zion as with Hannah, we would have to pay a fee and schedule an appointment to get through the tunnel, so we took the alternate route through Fredonia. The red mesas guided us all the way into Hurricane. We did have to stop for a Hannah repair. Her propane door is missing a tab, so it kept coming open. Spouse had to use the reliable duct tape as an interim fix.
We got our spot in Mesquite and tried fiddling with the satellite dish. Screw it, we have cable here. It will have to be enough. The Laker game is on, which is good for me!
Oh… I almost forgot my spouse’s latest trash find… Yesterday, in the 90+ degree temperatures, he found a Hersheys bar in the parking lot – melting no doubt. He brought it home and put it in Hannah’s freezer and was proud to eat it! HE IS SUCH A TRASH MONKEY!
Sunrise at Lake Powell is a spiritual occurrence. I got up and did my powerwalk on the same path as yesterday. When I got to the lodge, dozens of cameras and tripods were set up. The paparazzi was chasing the sunrise too. The lake was calm as far as no boats, but there was a bit of a wind ripple, so it was less than perfect for skiing.
As a waterskiier, I love having the lake to myself. Boat wakes really take the sass out of me. Then I love glass. In glassy water, it is like skiing on a mirror. It is effortless, the ski actually whistles as I cut and turn. The shore and the clouds reflect onto the water and I cannot wipe the smile off my face. I can last forever in glass. I also like when there is an itty bitty wind ripple. It takes the reflection out of the water, but a tiny – and I stress TINY – ripple really hugs the ski. Whereas in glass, it can get a little squirrely when you get aggressive, with the little ripple, you can really go to town. Here in Wahweap, it is wide open to the winds. Up the canyons, there is always sheltered areas where you can get a good ski. But for now… back to Hannah.
We never unhooked Hannah from the truck, so it didn’t take us long to get her ready to go. I blew a kiss to the lake as we left it behind. On to Hwy 89 to Kanab, with the green desert scrub and the red mesas along the way. We didn’t want to go through Zion as with Hannah, we would have to pay a fee and schedule an appointment to get through the tunnel, so we took the alternate route through Fredonia. The red mesas guided us all the way into Hurricane. We did have to stop for a Hannah repair. Her propane door is missing a tab, so it kept coming open. Spouse had to use the reliable duct tape as an interim fix.
We got our spot in Mesquite and tried fiddling with the satellite dish. Screw it, we have cable here. It will have to be enough. The Laker game is on, which is good for me!
Oh… I almost forgot my spouse’s latest trash find… Yesterday, in the 90+ degree temperatures, he found a Hersheys bar in the parking lot – melting no doubt. He brought it home and put it in Hannah’s freezer and was proud to eat it! HE IS SUCH A TRASH MONKEY!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Going up a narrow channel
Going up a narrow channel... the pictures make it look wider than it was. It was maybe 15 feet wide in spots. The thing is, you never know when a cove is going to continue. It is always fun to explore.
I Stand Corrected
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Craig: (krag) – verb: to snore extremely loud like Spouse’s brother Craig.
Craig: (krag) – verb: to snore extremely loud like Spouse’s brother Craig.
Spouse was really Craiging it last night. I lasted two minutes in bed, then I opened the bathroom door as a barrier, then closed the sliding door between the bedroom and the rest of the coach, then stuffed a big pillow at the bottom of the slider to block the rest of the opening. I could still hear him. Oh how I wished I had ear plugs! The air conditioning kicked on and muffled the sounds so I could get to sleep.
Woke at 6am, and decided to do my powerwalk before it got hot. I took the walking trails parallel to the lake. They weave through ‘gardens’ with local fauna, with name tags. For those of you that have gone to Lake Mohave with us, did you know that Tamarisk is the bush that we put the port-a-potty behind? The trail leads to the Wahweap Lodge, about a mile or so away. When I got back, Spouse and I decided to rent a Sea-doo and explore the lake. We called and got the prices. We then packed a lunch and the few things that you can take on a Sea-doo and headed to the boat rental. When we got there, they told us they were out of Sea-doos. Huh? We just talked to you! The lady that talked to us came over and apologized profusely. She did not realize there were none available. How about renting a boat for the day?
I think this was a test. When we sold Playcation, Spouse said that if we wanted to go boating, we would rent one. I responded that it would never happen because he is too cheap. I STAND CORRECTED! Spouse forked out big bucks for a boat for a day! But now, we really needed towels. So, up the hill I headed, then down the street, then up the hill to Hannah. Whew! I got 2 towels, and some more bottled water, because now we will be out all day. I let Bart outside to do his business, then headed back down the hill, down the street, down the hill again. I find Spouse and he takes me to the boat. Wait, that isn’t it. It must be over here. No, that isn’t it… We finally found it. But wait, Spouse decides to get some ice…. We only have the boat for 6 hours, but hey… he gets the ice and we set sail. I asked for the camera to take some pictures… oops! Spouse left it up in Hannah. After a few choice potty mouth words, I had Spouse drop me off at the launch ramp, which is closer to the RV park, and I walked up the lonnnng steeeeep launch ramp, up and across that big blacktop parking lot, up to the RV park and Hannah. I picked up the camera, and Spouse’s 2 cokes and potato chips, gave Bart a biscuit, then headed down the RV park, across the big hot blacktop parking lot, then down the steep loooonnng launch ramp. I needed to get wet as I was overheated, so once out of the no-wake zone, I dunked myself. Brrrrr…. It was cold!
We headed up to Dangling Rope Marina, where we had so many good times. The lake is about 50 feet lower than when we were here last. What used to be vast expanses of water were now canyons snaking around. There are markers in front of some of the larger coves, now. The cove we stayed in frequently is Dungeon Cove. Things looked so different though with the water level being what it is. We explored the cove next to ours – something like Weatherhill Cove. It looks like it ends, but it just gets real narrow and curves around and around for a couple of miles. A couple of Sea-doos past us, and when it get even more narrow, we were worried about a collision possibility so we turned around and headed out. We swam some more – it was at least 5 degrees warmer here, if not more. We ate some lunch and cruised around.
Lake Powell is roughly 200 miles long, and who knows how wide. For it to be down 50 feet… wow, that is a whole lot of water. It may be down in water level, but it certainly is still one of the most striking places on the planet. It seems to have magical properties. I am glad we stayed here another day, and so proud of my Spouse for renting the boat.
After we fueled the boat (UGH), and dropped it off, we caught the shuttle (sorry, didn’t feel like walking in the hot hot hot afternoon!) to the RV park. A shower, a quick bite to eat, and now it is Vodka Tonic time… I never drank when I was here before as dehydration is such an issue, but now that I am in air conditioning… mmmmmm!
Pix for June 8
In the Pix, you see Lake Powell, approaching Page, Spouse fueling, and the best for last...
The navigator hard at work somewhere on the boring Hwy 160 (have I no shame?).
Tuesday June 8, 2010
We slept in our own mobile home park last night. Woke early, and decided as a threesome, we would go for a powerwalk. Safer that way. We walked over to the park next door, then realized that the riverwalk has been extended. The riverwalk runs along the San Juan River, which runs behind our property. We have signed a release allowing the city to continue the riverwalk behind our property, which they will do when they have the funds. It still needs some clean up, as there is a lot of trash in the river, but there are also lots of ducks, including a mama and her 11 babies! Spouse's trash find... ahem... roadside find - Riley the Rooster rug up top.
We slept in our own mobile home park last night. Woke early, and decided as a threesome, we would go for a powerwalk. Safer that way. We walked over to the park next door, then realized that the riverwalk has been extended. The riverwalk runs along the San Juan River, which runs behind our property. We have signed a release allowing the city to continue the riverwalk behind our property, which they will do when they have the funds. It still needs some clean up, as there is a lot of trash in the river, but there are also lots of ducks, including a mama and her 11 babies! Spouse's trash find... ahem... roadside find - Riley the Rooster rug up top.
Came back, did some work around the mobile home park, then concluded our business there. Ate a quick lunch and readied Hannah for her next ride. We left Farmington on HWY 64. This is one of the most boring highways on the planet. It goes through industrial sections then desert sections, then more desert sections then… heck, I am falling asleep just writing about it. Once in Arizona, it turns to Hwy 160, and continues to be boring. The only excitement we saw was a dog herding sheep, and some cattle with baby future steaks.
Once you get to Kayenta, desert pines start popping up and the red rock canyons start appearing again. The road goes up and it goes down, just to maximize your gas mileage! But at least it is scenic from this point on. We turn up Hwy 98 towards Page, another 65 miles. We pass stunning buttes, and out yonder on the horizon is Lake Powell, one of the most beautiful places on earth. As we near Page, Spouse is worried about running out of gas, so he actually stopped IN ADVANCE to put some fuel from our gas can into the truck. It turns out that was a wonderful thing to do…
As we approached Page, there is a detour due to road construction, then more detours and then we had to go up this hill and… we saw a Sinclair gas station with diesel pumps perfectly located but Spouse didn’t want to do Sinclair since our experience in Blanding. The next gas station had construction going on so pulling a rig into it was not an option. The next station had the best price, and the most people. Spouse pulled in and, much to my amazement, headed to the far pumps with about 2 inches in which to maneuver. Needless to say, he realized he couldn’t make the turn, and darned if the pump was out of service anyway! So now he is in a pickle. We got the walkie talkies out, and I had to guide him out as he backed out. This was no easy feat, but he did it. Once out of the gas station, he realized he had to go back to the Sinclair, so he turned up one street and darned if we didn’t get stuck again. More backing up, but there was a little more room to maneuver. We finally made it to the Sinclair for fueling.
After that ordeal, we headed to the RV park at Lake Powell. It is new since the last time we were here (about 19 years ago!), and it is quite a nice RV park. We used to load our ski boat with all our worldly possessions (bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, living room, etc.) then head up about 35 miles around the Dangling Rope marina area. We would find a somewhat level spot to make a camp and hang for a week or two. The skiing was fabulous, the scenery stupendous and the comraderie unforgettable. We would wake at dawn to ski on the glassy water with the buttes reflecting down. We would eat, we would fish, we would go to the marina for an ice cream. At the end of the day as the sun went low, we would ‘shower’, then put on dry clothes. It was important not to do this too early, otherwise you would get hot. We would lay our cots out on tarps and watch the stars pop out by the gazillions. I would love waking in the middle of the night and watching the stars, including the milky way. They were mesmerizing and hypnotic. I would try to stay awake to enjoy them, but they would put me right back to sleep.
We used to own this lake. Now, I feel like a visitor. It was hot (what a surprise) when we got here. Around 8 pm, we took a walk. It was warm and windy. There are walking trails now, and I walked down to the water and dipped my feet. A little chilly, but I bet during the day it feels great. We may rent sea-dos tomorrow if the wind dies down. After we walked, we sat outside. Hannah shields us from the winds. I would so love to sleep outside tonite, but that isn’t going to happen as I have nothing to sleep on! I have to get a cheap banana chair to throw in the back of the truck for nights and places like this. We sat in our upright chairs watching the stars pop out. It made us sleepy… then we came inside to our air conditioning and soft bed. I would much rather be outside in the balmy winds…
As we approached Page, there is a detour due to road construction, then more detours and then we had to go up this hill and… we saw a Sinclair gas station with diesel pumps perfectly located but Spouse didn’t want to do Sinclair since our experience in Blanding. The next gas station had construction going on so pulling a rig into it was not an option. The next station had the best price, and the most people. Spouse pulled in and, much to my amazement, headed to the far pumps with about 2 inches in which to maneuver. Needless to say, he realized he couldn’t make the turn, and darned if the pump was out of service anyway! So now he is in a pickle. We got the walkie talkies out, and I had to guide him out as he backed out. This was no easy feat, but he did it. Once out of the gas station, he realized he had to go back to the Sinclair, so he turned up one street and darned if we didn’t get stuck again. More backing up, but there was a little more room to maneuver. We finally made it to the Sinclair for fueling.
After that ordeal, we headed to the RV park at Lake Powell. It is new since the last time we were here (about 19 years ago!), and it is quite a nice RV park. We used to load our ski boat with all our worldly possessions (bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, living room, etc.) then head up about 35 miles around the Dangling Rope marina area. We would find a somewhat level spot to make a camp and hang for a week or two. The skiing was fabulous, the scenery stupendous and the comraderie unforgettable. We would wake at dawn to ski on the glassy water with the buttes reflecting down. We would eat, we would fish, we would go to the marina for an ice cream. At the end of the day as the sun went low, we would ‘shower’, then put on dry clothes. It was important not to do this too early, otherwise you would get hot. We would lay our cots out on tarps and watch the stars pop out by the gazillions. I would love waking in the middle of the night and watching the stars, including the milky way. They were mesmerizing and hypnotic. I would try to stay awake to enjoy them, but they would put me right back to sleep.
We used to own this lake. Now, I feel like a visitor. It was hot (what a surprise) when we got here. Around 8 pm, we took a walk. It was warm and windy. There are walking trails now, and I walked down to the water and dipped my feet. A little chilly, but I bet during the day it feels great. We may rent sea-dos tomorrow if the wind dies down. After we walked, we sat outside. Hannah shields us from the winds. I would so love to sleep outside tonite, but that isn’t going to happen as I have nothing to sleep on! I have to get a cheap banana chair to throw in the back of the truck for nights and places like this. We sat in our upright chairs watching the stars pop out. It made us sleepy… then we came inside to our air conditioning and soft bed. I would much rather be outside in the balmy winds…
The Brinks Job
Monday, June 07, 2010
Woke up early again today, around 5:30. The night had been cool, didn’t need air conditioning. We started our powerwalk together, then I left Spouse and Bart. I walked around the parks looking at the itty bitty ducklings. There were some goslings, not tiny; probably juveniles. There is an island in the middle of the pond, and the ducks looked like boats anchored around it. Got back and readied Hannah for her trip to Farmington.
We left Cortez and the Montezuma Valley, passing into the Mancas Valley then started climbing the hills. Hwy 160 passed by tree studded mountains and lush valleys. When we got to Hesperus, we turned south onto Hwy 140 to cross the Red Mesa. We were surrounded by beautiful pastureland and the La Plata river. As we continued south, desert scrub crept in. By the time we crossed the New Mexico border, the street got a little rough, and the desert scrub was a little more plentiful. Nearing the outskirts of Farmington, the scattered maverick homes appeared. Some of the people of New Mexico like to collect things, like old cars, junk toys, ok, let’s be honest… they collect a lot of trash and that becomes their landscaping. Different strokes for different folks I guess.
We pulled into our park, and set Hannah up on one of the empty sites. As I was guiding Spouse in, I stepped right next to an ant hole with ants that looked like they could take off with small children! I immediately went into the ‘flail and fling’ dance where every part of my body was jumping and flinging and flailing like I was on fire! From that point on, I watched where I stepped! Some of you may have done a half flail and fling when you walked through a spider web. I am sure you know what I mean! Anyway, the story continues… Spouse went to disconnect Hannah and he had trouble with the Brinks combination lock. He wanted all combination locks instead of locks with keys as he didn’t want to risk losing the keys. What he hadn’t counted on was accidentally changing the combination on the lock. Now the code was so secret, even he did not know it! He tried, then I tried. We only had 9,999 possibilities. Finally, we unset Hannah up, and went to a locksmith, who had to cut the lock off. Back to locks with keys… So much for Brinks locks! The picture is of the locksmith.
Sooo, we reset Hannah up, watching the ants veeeery closely, and went for lunch. Thai food…mmmmmm! While at the park, we realized we needed a camera to conduct the business that brought us here so we went here and there and finally settled on one at Wal-Mart. So now I can show you Riley the Rooster rug Spouse found. He prefers not to think of it as a trash find, but as a roadside find. He is still my trash monkey!
When we got back to Hannah, it was blazing hot. We asked our neighbor if we could use their electricity, and they said ok. The only service they have is 20 amps. We normally need 30 so we had to turn off the hot water heater (we will use propane for that) and WE TURNED ON THE AIR CONDITIONING! Poor Bart was panting. I was suffocating. Spouse had to use different cords as it kept cutting off, but we finally got it right. To use the microwave, we have to turn off the air, but I will get over that. To think I used to camp without ANY electricity… I would do it again in a heartbeat, in the right setting of course.
The rest of the day was dedicated to our business. We both got grumpy about that. I am sure you all sympathize!
Tomorrow, more work. Ugh!
Woke up early again today, around 5:30. The night had been cool, didn’t need air conditioning. We started our powerwalk together, then I left Spouse and Bart. I walked around the parks looking at the itty bitty ducklings. There were some goslings, not tiny; probably juveniles. There is an island in the middle of the pond, and the ducks looked like boats anchored around it. Got back and readied Hannah for her trip to Farmington.
We left Cortez and the Montezuma Valley, passing into the Mancas Valley then started climbing the hills. Hwy 160 passed by tree studded mountains and lush valleys. When we got to Hesperus, we turned south onto Hwy 140 to cross the Red Mesa. We were surrounded by beautiful pastureland and the La Plata river. As we continued south, desert scrub crept in. By the time we crossed the New Mexico border, the street got a little rough, and the desert scrub was a little more plentiful. Nearing the outskirts of Farmington, the scattered maverick homes appeared. Some of the people of New Mexico like to collect things, like old cars, junk toys, ok, let’s be honest… they collect a lot of trash and that becomes their landscaping. Different strokes for different folks I guess.
We pulled into our park, and set Hannah up on one of the empty sites. As I was guiding Spouse in, I stepped right next to an ant hole with ants that looked like they could take off with small children! I immediately went into the ‘flail and fling’ dance where every part of my body was jumping and flinging and flailing like I was on fire! From that point on, I watched where I stepped! Some of you may have done a half flail and fling when you walked through a spider web. I am sure you know what I mean! Anyway, the story continues… Spouse went to disconnect Hannah and he had trouble with the Brinks combination lock. He wanted all combination locks instead of locks with keys as he didn’t want to risk losing the keys. What he hadn’t counted on was accidentally changing the combination on the lock. Now the code was so secret, even he did not know it! He tried, then I tried. We only had 9,999 possibilities. Finally, we unset Hannah up, and went to a locksmith, who had to cut the lock off. Back to locks with keys… So much for Brinks locks! The picture is of the locksmith.
Sooo, we reset Hannah up, watching the ants veeeery closely, and went for lunch. Thai food…mmmmmm! While at the park, we realized we needed a camera to conduct the business that brought us here so we went here and there and finally settled on one at Wal-Mart. So now I can show you Riley the Rooster rug Spouse found. He prefers not to think of it as a trash find, but as a roadside find. He is still my trash monkey!
When we got back to Hannah, it was blazing hot. We asked our neighbor if we could use their electricity, and they said ok. The only service they have is 20 amps. We normally need 30 so we had to turn off the hot water heater (we will use propane for that) and WE TURNED ON THE AIR CONDITIONING! Poor Bart was panting. I was suffocating. Spouse had to use different cords as it kept cutting off, but we finally got it right. To use the microwave, we have to turn off the air, but I will get over that. To think I used to camp without ANY electricity… I would do it again in a heartbeat, in the right setting of course.
The rest of the day was dedicated to our business. We both got grumpy about that. I am sure you all sympathize!
Tomorrow, more work. Ugh!
Some cliff dwelling pix
These are from our phone. Need to work on this some more, but I think you get the gist.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Doug and Leslie do Clan of the Cave Bear
Sunday, June 6, 2010
I had a restless night’s sleep. Although it was cool outside and we had all the windows open, I was warm and restless. Add that to spouse’s ‘gentle breathing’, and I ended up on the sofa for a few hours. About 2:30, went back to bed and was able to quiet Spouse long enough to fall asleep. Woke about 5:30 am, which was ok because we wanted an early start today to go to Mesa Verde and the Indian ruins. So with sleepy eyes, I decided to take Bart on my powerwalk. You need to understand something… walking Bart normally takes the ‘power’ out of the powerwalk. When he is on a leash, he drags. But with the open parks across the street, once I got him there I would be able to take him off the leash, and he would keep up with me, which he did.
When I got back, Spouse was making sandwiches for us. After a quick bite to eat, off we went to Mesa Verde national park, leaving Bart to guard Hannah. We were a little worried that it would be crowded as they were letting people in for free this weekend. But apparently, the big crowds came on Saturday, which was good for us. As we turned into the park, 2 deer trotted across our path. We climbed up the pine studded mountain 15 miles to the visitor center where we would buy tickets to the ranger led tours.
The first place was the Cliff Palace. The ancient pueblan Indians were very clever. They didn’t build on top of the cliffs. They didn’t build at the bottom of the cliffs. They build right smack dab in the middle of the cliffs. To get to these dwellings, the Indians carved toe holds and hand holds. Fortunately for us, the park service built easier access… kind of. We had steep stairs for people with little feet (not me), we had narrow trails, and then we had ladders. The ruins are absolutely intriguing. They used the natural topography to build their villages. Although it was hot in the sun, under the cliffs, it was quite cool.
At the Balcony House, it was another version of the cliff dwellings. But here, we also got to crawl on our hands and knees through narrow tunnels. With my large derriere, I was a little worried there, but I fit. Here we got taller ladders and steeper ladders. We also got stunning views.
We travelled around this first mesa looking at the various sights. There are hundreds of these cliff dwellings. We did take pictures with our cell phones, but we don’t have the means here to download them from our phones. Maybe tomorrow in Farmington we can get help.
The last dwelling we wanted to look at was the Long House. It was on another mesa altogether. It took about an hour to navigate the winding road and it had extensive views of the Montezuma Valley from the Rocky Mountains to Ship Rock in New Mexico and beyond. We ate our sandwiches and relaxed until the tour began. It was about a ¾ mile hike to the ruins but they were tucked in a corner and had another view that was awe inspiring. By the end of this tour, it was already almost 4pm so we figured we better head out so that Bart could get some relief! After all, we left around 7am! I sure hope Spouse’s foot doesn’t start bothering him.
Bart was glad to see us. After a shower, I tried to see if I could get my pix from the phone, but no luck for now. I will get them though, at some point in time. Vodka Tonic time. Right in the middle of VT, we heard some musicians across the street in the park, so we went and listened for a while. In the shade, it was so nice. In the sun, it was still 93 at 7pm.
Tonite, we might sleep with the air conditioner on! Tomorrow, it is off to Farmington to do business. Yech… who says we are retired…
I had a restless night’s sleep. Although it was cool outside and we had all the windows open, I was warm and restless. Add that to spouse’s ‘gentle breathing’, and I ended up on the sofa for a few hours. About 2:30, went back to bed and was able to quiet Spouse long enough to fall asleep. Woke about 5:30 am, which was ok because we wanted an early start today to go to Mesa Verde and the Indian ruins. So with sleepy eyes, I decided to take Bart on my powerwalk. You need to understand something… walking Bart normally takes the ‘power’ out of the powerwalk. When he is on a leash, he drags. But with the open parks across the street, once I got him there I would be able to take him off the leash, and he would keep up with me, which he did.
When I got back, Spouse was making sandwiches for us. After a quick bite to eat, off we went to Mesa Verde national park, leaving Bart to guard Hannah. We were a little worried that it would be crowded as they were letting people in for free this weekend. But apparently, the big crowds came on Saturday, which was good for us. As we turned into the park, 2 deer trotted across our path. We climbed up the pine studded mountain 15 miles to the visitor center where we would buy tickets to the ranger led tours.
The first place was the Cliff Palace. The ancient pueblan Indians were very clever. They didn’t build on top of the cliffs. They didn’t build at the bottom of the cliffs. They build right smack dab in the middle of the cliffs. To get to these dwellings, the Indians carved toe holds and hand holds. Fortunately for us, the park service built easier access… kind of. We had steep stairs for people with little feet (not me), we had narrow trails, and then we had ladders. The ruins are absolutely intriguing. They used the natural topography to build their villages. Although it was hot in the sun, under the cliffs, it was quite cool.
At the Balcony House, it was another version of the cliff dwellings. But here, we also got to crawl on our hands and knees through narrow tunnels. With my large derriere, I was a little worried there, but I fit. Here we got taller ladders and steeper ladders. We also got stunning views.
We travelled around this first mesa looking at the various sights. There are hundreds of these cliff dwellings. We did take pictures with our cell phones, but we don’t have the means here to download them from our phones. Maybe tomorrow in Farmington we can get help.
The last dwelling we wanted to look at was the Long House. It was on another mesa altogether. It took about an hour to navigate the winding road and it had extensive views of the Montezuma Valley from the Rocky Mountains to Ship Rock in New Mexico and beyond. We ate our sandwiches and relaxed until the tour began. It was about a ¾ mile hike to the ruins but they were tucked in a corner and had another view that was awe inspiring. By the end of this tour, it was already almost 4pm so we figured we better head out so that Bart could get some relief! After all, we left around 7am! I sure hope Spouse’s foot doesn’t start bothering him.
Bart was glad to see us. After a shower, I tried to see if I could get my pix from the phone, but no luck for now. I will get them though, at some point in time. Vodka Tonic time. Right in the middle of VT, we heard some musicians across the street in the park, so we went and listened for a while. In the shade, it was so nice. In the sun, it was still 93 at 7pm.
Tonite, we might sleep with the air conditioner on! Tomorrow, it is off to Farmington to do business. Yech… who says we are retired…
Saturday, June 5, 2010
June 5, 2010 On the road again...
Saturday June 5, 2010
The fan Spouse put in our bedroom was working for us last night. It felt kind of warm to me but the fan was moving cool air around, helping me sleep big time. This morning’s powerwalk took me on a back road past farms and pastures. Wildflowers dotted the landscape along the road. A gray mare hung her head out for me to pet, so of course, I obliged her. The air is so clean here. I walked to the end of the road, then turned around and headed back, petting the mare once again.
We readied Hannah for departure, then turned toward the town of Blanding. Spouse stopped to fuel up, and while he was pumping, I notice bird activity about 10 feet up on the gasoline station’s sign post. Apparently the papa sparrow would bring food and the mama would poke her head out of this little hole. They would exchange the food, then off he would go to get more. This happened several times while I waited for Spouse. What a good papa, working hard so his woman could be a stay at home mom! The reason Spouse was taking so long is that the gas pump didn’t turn off. So while he is washing windshields, gas is being pumped onto the ground at our expense. He went inside and complained, and it was evident that this happens all the time as the girl told him he should watch it more closely. So he called 911 and complained. They didn’t like the part of the fuel on the ground and said they would go and check it out.
Oh well, let’s get out of there! On to Hwy 191 heading north towards Monticello. We leave the buttes behind, far on the horizon. Farms and pastures and gentle rolling hills guide us along. At Monticello, we turn east on 491 to Cortez, Colorado. After about 50 miles, the snow capped Rocky Mountains start coming into view. We get to Cortez, find an RV park and settle Hannah.
We decided to see if we could find a camera in town. We went to the Wal-Mart and to Radio Shack. Spouse was unimpressed so we went to lunch – Chinese food. Not my favorite but it was ok. A quick stop at the grocery store then back to Hannah.
Spouse wanted to come to Cortez as there were some Indian ruins he wanted to see. He proceeds to tell me that the RV office girl told him the ruins are about 25 miles away and there are RV parks closer, and that I, as the navigator need to research these things. Oh yeah? I am supposed take the words ‘some ruins in Cortez’, and somehow figure out which ruins he is thinking of and find the closest RV park? I showed him the computer and got him online, then took a book onto our patio with a bowl of cherries, put my feet up and read in the balmy breeze. Navigate this… He found all the info so we can plan our assault tomorrow. Since he was online, he started researching our next camera. I came in and decided to take a nap – a rare thing for me. It was 4:17. At 4:22, Spouse started telling me that he figured out which camera he wants. What is it about closing my eyes that inspires a conversation in him? So much for a nap. Might as well start dinner.
I planned the meal for tonite to give Spouse a break. As it was cooking, I was talking to our neighbor, and she gave us all sorts of brochures on the ruins that we are going to see. We invited her over for dinner and shared an enlightening conversation. She said she comes here often and prefers this RV park over the one near the Indian ruins. She said it is quieter.
After dinner, we got on the bikes and pedaled around the neighborhood. There is a beautiful green belt across the street with parks and views of the plains. The homes are old and quaint with lots of big shade trees. Around here, it is a cute little town.
If you are wondering why this entry might sound a little different… since Spouse was using the laptop during my cocktail hour, I am doing this without the companionship of my Vodka Tonic.
Did I mention that this park is supposed to be quiet? One person across the aisle has been vacuuming her car for over an hour. She stopped, we clapped, but she said she would be back. Another hour of vacuuming - I don’t know what the heck happened in that car! Finally the park manager told her to turn it off. I never experienced something like this as a mariner…
As for the camera, there isn’t one within a 500 mile radius so I guess we will be pictureless… No pix, no vodka tonic… sheesh!
The fan Spouse put in our bedroom was working for us last night. It felt kind of warm to me but the fan was moving cool air around, helping me sleep big time. This morning’s powerwalk took me on a back road past farms and pastures. Wildflowers dotted the landscape along the road. A gray mare hung her head out for me to pet, so of course, I obliged her. The air is so clean here. I walked to the end of the road, then turned around and headed back, petting the mare once again.
We readied Hannah for departure, then turned toward the town of Blanding. Spouse stopped to fuel up, and while he was pumping, I notice bird activity about 10 feet up on the gasoline station’s sign post. Apparently the papa sparrow would bring food and the mama would poke her head out of this little hole. They would exchange the food, then off he would go to get more. This happened several times while I waited for Spouse. What a good papa, working hard so his woman could be a stay at home mom! The reason Spouse was taking so long is that the gas pump didn’t turn off. So while he is washing windshields, gas is being pumped onto the ground at our expense. He went inside and complained, and it was evident that this happens all the time as the girl told him he should watch it more closely. So he called 911 and complained. They didn’t like the part of the fuel on the ground and said they would go and check it out.
Oh well, let’s get out of there! On to Hwy 191 heading north towards Monticello. We leave the buttes behind, far on the horizon. Farms and pastures and gentle rolling hills guide us along. At Monticello, we turn east on 491 to Cortez, Colorado. After about 50 miles, the snow capped Rocky Mountains start coming into view. We get to Cortez, find an RV park and settle Hannah.
We decided to see if we could find a camera in town. We went to the Wal-Mart and to Radio Shack. Spouse was unimpressed so we went to lunch – Chinese food. Not my favorite but it was ok. A quick stop at the grocery store then back to Hannah.
Spouse wanted to come to Cortez as there were some Indian ruins he wanted to see. He proceeds to tell me that the RV office girl told him the ruins are about 25 miles away and there are RV parks closer, and that I, as the navigator need to research these things. Oh yeah? I am supposed take the words ‘some ruins in Cortez’, and somehow figure out which ruins he is thinking of and find the closest RV park? I showed him the computer and got him online, then took a book onto our patio with a bowl of cherries, put my feet up and read in the balmy breeze. Navigate this… He found all the info so we can plan our assault tomorrow. Since he was online, he started researching our next camera. I came in and decided to take a nap – a rare thing for me. It was 4:17. At 4:22, Spouse started telling me that he figured out which camera he wants. What is it about closing my eyes that inspires a conversation in him? So much for a nap. Might as well start dinner.
I planned the meal for tonite to give Spouse a break. As it was cooking, I was talking to our neighbor, and she gave us all sorts of brochures on the ruins that we are going to see. We invited her over for dinner and shared an enlightening conversation. She said she comes here often and prefers this RV park over the one near the Indian ruins. She said it is quieter.
After dinner, we got on the bikes and pedaled around the neighborhood. There is a beautiful green belt across the street with parks and views of the plains. The homes are old and quaint with lots of big shade trees. Around here, it is a cute little town.
If you are wondering why this entry might sound a little different… since Spouse was using the laptop during my cocktail hour, I am doing this without the companionship of my Vodka Tonic.
Did I mention that this park is supposed to be quiet? One person across the aisle has been vacuuming her car for over an hour. She stopped, we clapped, but she said she would be back. Another hour of vacuuming - I don’t know what the heck happened in that car! Finally the park manager told her to turn it off. I never experienced something like this as a mariner…
As for the camera, there isn’t one within a 500 mile radius so I guess we will be pictureless… No pix, no vodka tonic… sheesh!
Friday, June 4, 2010
June 4, 2010
Friday, June 04, 2010
I love the smell of campfire in my hair! Last night, we sat around the campfire till quite late. I was wearing this wool tweed-like shirt that is supposed be mosquito proof. I bought it at least 25 years ago, if not more. It doesn’t quite fit like it used to… Funny, Spouse said the same thing about his! I guess I might get his as a hand-me-down!
When Spouse walks in Hannah, I am sure he is an elephant. We have to figure out how to stabilize her a little better so I don’t think there is an earthquake all the time.
Even though we were up past midnight, we woke around 6am. Spouse got up and made enough commotion so that I would not be able to go back to sleep, no matter how much I tried. He turned lights on, took a shower, complained that his shampoo had fallen over and spilled all over the place. Then he took Bart for a walk. I then got up, cleaned up his shampoo mess so I didn’t have to hear about it, got my act together just as he was returning from his walk. He told me he walked in the pasture behind the RV park and that Bart fell through a cattle crossing grate. He ultimately had to carry him across, but fortunately, he wasn’t injured. He can’t see like he used to. Oh, I can so relate… Spouse said it was pretty so off I headed.
My IPOD working like a champ, I walked passed deer and antelope on a trail that meandered through the pines and meadows. It is a cross country ski course in the winter, but a nice walking trail for me. When I got back, we readied Hannah for the next adventure.
By the way, some things I have learned about Hannah: make sure the caps are on your bottles (Spouse’s shampoo). Do NOT open a new tonic water right after traveling. When you gain elevation, things puff, like yogurt. They may not explode, but something to be careful about. After traveling, be careful opening cabinets and the refrigerator. And don’t turn into some place if you don’t know that you can get out without backing up!
Ok, that aside. We left the beauty of Bryce Canyon, turning north on Hwy 12. It is a two lane highway passing through meadows, riparian corridors, horse country, agriculture, and always having pine studded buttes and mountains hovering in the background. We gained quite a bit of elevation, one summit was 7600 feet. We came to the town of Escalante, where we fueled up. Spouse thought about getting Red Diesel since it was $.55 cheaper, but didn’t and was glad he didn’t. It is for commercial use only, and there are all sorts of ways to get caught.
We left Escalante marveling at the scenery. The buttes towered above us in glorious reds and ochers. The Escalante River, with its willows and cottonwood trees carved a path below the buttes. As we climbed, then started our descent, we were in a world of rock. Not ‘rocks’, but ROCK, as far as the eye could see. Rock hills windswept through time, with pines and desert scrub clinging for dear life guided our path. The hills rose to plateaus then to cliffs. At one point for about a mile, the small road was on top of the world as the canyons formed sheer drops on both sides. We stopped at a turnout and I made lunch and cleaned up, giving Spouse a much needed break. We watched the turkey vultures soaring below.
Continuing on, more climbing on mountains covered in pines and newly blooming aspens. Spouse was stopping at every turnout, and we didn’t have a working camera. After summiting at 9500 feet, we got to hwy 24 and headed east. Although our ultimate goal was Cortez, Colorado, we figured we would not make it, so we were thinking we would stay at Hite at Lake Powell. At least, that was the plan…
Hwy 24 takes you through Capitol Reef national park and its stunning red cliffs. We stopped to look at petroglyphs. Many years ago when we came this way, we went into one of the many orchards and picked cherries. The orchards are still there, but there was no fruit. The campground was full so we didn’t stay long and continued through the stunning scenery and beyond. It eventually turned into what looked like sand dunes, but it was a hard surface, gray in color with yellow wildflowers scattered about. At Hanksville, we turned onto Hwy 95 towards Hite. At this point, it is high desert with low growing scrub, but all along the way have been beautiful wildflowers. Lots of oranges, reds, yellows, whites, reds, pinks and purples popped up all over. After about 20 miles, the desert started turning red, then the next thing you knew, the stunning red cliffs were escorting us. We stopped and I picked some of the wildflowers then we pulled into a turnout to view Lake Powell.
The water level is terribly low, with lots of plant life popping up through the water. We could see over to Hite, didn’t look like much. There used to be a marina there… we didn’t see it. We headed over there anyway. Not much there. We may have been able to park near the water and hang for the night, but we didn’t like the looks of the clouds and the temperature was in the 90’s, so we just didn’t think we would be comfortable. It was about 5pm by now – my cocktail hour – and the next town is about 80 miles away. And who knows if there is an RV park.
I know the scenery continued to be breathtaking, but I was hungry and no longer felt like enjoying magnificent scenery! My senses had all that they could take. We finally got to the town of Blanding around 6:30 and there was a beautiful RV spot waiting for us. Spouse prepared another stunning meal and I had my vodka tonic. I rarely drink at home but there is something about being on the road…
We were amazed at how little traffic there was today, and how few towns there were. I guess that is all part of Utah’s charm. And lucky for me, no new trash finds for Spouse!
I love the smell of campfire in my hair! Last night, we sat around the campfire till quite late. I was wearing this wool tweed-like shirt that is supposed be mosquito proof. I bought it at least 25 years ago, if not more. It doesn’t quite fit like it used to… Funny, Spouse said the same thing about his! I guess I might get his as a hand-me-down!
When Spouse walks in Hannah, I am sure he is an elephant. We have to figure out how to stabilize her a little better so I don’t think there is an earthquake all the time.
Even though we were up past midnight, we woke around 6am. Spouse got up and made enough commotion so that I would not be able to go back to sleep, no matter how much I tried. He turned lights on, took a shower, complained that his shampoo had fallen over and spilled all over the place. Then he took Bart for a walk. I then got up, cleaned up his shampoo mess so I didn’t have to hear about it, got my act together just as he was returning from his walk. He told me he walked in the pasture behind the RV park and that Bart fell through a cattle crossing grate. He ultimately had to carry him across, but fortunately, he wasn’t injured. He can’t see like he used to. Oh, I can so relate… Spouse said it was pretty so off I headed.
My IPOD working like a champ, I walked passed deer and antelope on a trail that meandered through the pines and meadows. It is a cross country ski course in the winter, but a nice walking trail for me. When I got back, we readied Hannah for the next adventure.
By the way, some things I have learned about Hannah: make sure the caps are on your bottles (Spouse’s shampoo). Do NOT open a new tonic water right after traveling. When you gain elevation, things puff, like yogurt. They may not explode, but something to be careful about. After traveling, be careful opening cabinets and the refrigerator. And don’t turn into some place if you don’t know that you can get out without backing up!
Ok, that aside. We left the beauty of Bryce Canyon, turning north on Hwy 12. It is a two lane highway passing through meadows, riparian corridors, horse country, agriculture, and always having pine studded buttes and mountains hovering in the background. We gained quite a bit of elevation, one summit was 7600 feet. We came to the town of Escalante, where we fueled up. Spouse thought about getting Red Diesel since it was $.55 cheaper, but didn’t and was glad he didn’t. It is for commercial use only, and there are all sorts of ways to get caught.
We left Escalante marveling at the scenery. The buttes towered above us in glorious reds and ochers. The Escalante River, with its willows and cottonwood trees carved a path below the buttes. As we climbed, then started our descent, we were in a world of rock. Not ‘rocks’, but ROCK, as far as the eye could see. Rock hills windswept through time, with pines and desert scrub clinging for dear life guided our path. The hills rose to plateaus then to cliffs. At one point for about a mile, the small road was on top of the world as the canyons formed sheer drops on both sides. We stopped at a turnout and I made lunch and cleaned up, giving Spouse a much needed break. We watched the turkey vultures soaring below.
Continuing on, more climbing on mountains covered in pines and newly blooming aspens. Spouse was stopping at every turnout, and we didn’t have a working camera. After summiting at 9500 feet, we got to hwy 24 and headed east. Although our ultimate goal was Cortez, Colorado, we figured we would not make it, so we were thinking we would stay at Hite at Lake Powell. At least, that was the plan…
Hwy 24 takes you through Capitol Reef national park and its stunning red cliffs. We stopped to look at petroglyphs. Many years ago when we came this way, we went into one of the many orchards and picked cherries. The orchards are still there, but there was no fruit. The campground was full so we didn’t stay long and continued through the stunning scenery and beyond. It eventually turned into what looked like sand dunes, but it was a hard surface, gray in color with yellow wildflowers scattered about. At Hanksville, we turned onto Hwy 95 towards Hite. At this point, it is high desert with low growing scrub, but all along the way have been beautiful wildflowers. Lots of oranges, reds, yellows, whites, reds, pinks and purples popped up all over. After about 20 miles, the desert started turning red, then the next thing you knew, the stunning red cliffs were escorting us. We stopped and I picked some of the wildflowers then we pulled into a turnout to view Lake Powell.
The water level is terribly low, with lots of plant life popping up through the water. We could see over to Hite, didn’t look like much. There used to be a marina there… we didn’t see it. We headed over there anyway. Not much there. We may have been able to park near the water and hang for the night, but we didn’t like the looks of the clouds and the temperature was in the 90’s, so we just didn’t think we would be comfortable. It was about 5pm by now – my cocktail hour – and the next town is about 80 miles away. And who knows if there is an RV park.
I know the scenery continued to be breathtaking, but I was hungry and no longer felt like enjoying magnificent scenery! My senses had all that they could take. We finally got to the town of Blanding around 6:30 and there was a beautiful RV spot waiting for us. Spouse prepared another stunning meal and I had my vodka tonic. I rarely drink at home but there is something about being on the road…
We were amazed at how little traffic there was today, and how few towns there were. I guess that is all part of Utah’s charm. And lucky for me, no new trash finds for Spouse!
June 3, 2010 - More Bryce
June 3, 2010
I love the smell of campfire in my hair! The nights have been quite cool, which makes it nice for sleeping. And the winds brush through the trees creating a lullaby rocking us to sleep. We woke refreshed. I decided to forgo my normal powerwalk since I planned on hiking today, in favor of going with Spouse and Bart for a stroll. Then, came back and began preparing for my hike.
With Spouse unable to walk, I would be on my own. I made myself a sandwich, then started taking this from here, that from there… but what is this? EUREKA! In my waistpack… it’s my… SWISS army knife that has been missing for almost 2 years! How can that be? This waistpack goes with me to the gym, on powerwalks. I have been searching for it for so long! Spouse even bought me a new one for Christmas! I had purchased my original in Oberammergau, Germany on 2/14/82 as a Valentines gift for myself. Now it is back, and I have 2 of them! I finished packing my backpack. Wearing short sleeves for heat, long sleeves for cold, and zip off pant leg cargo pants, I was ready.
Spouse took me to Sunrise Point and my day began. The weather is a little warm so off with sleeves, and pant legs. I started on the Queens Garden trail. With a 320 foot descent, which felt like it was in the first hundred feet, I started passing the pinnacles up close and personal. Some people think going downhill is easy. It isn’t! It is hard on the knees and the toes (good thing I cut my toenails this morning!). Going uphill taxes the heart, lungs, quads and gluts, but both take their toll.
Queens Garden is probably the most popular trail in Bryce, and there were lots of people, but it still wasn’t crowded. With each turn, another photo op presented itself. The red spires and hoodoos guide hikers along the trail. Every time I put my camera away, I thought why? I just need it in a few more seconds! Unfortunately, my camera died. I was having trouble getting it to turn on (I guess I have lost my touch!), then I dropped it. It worked after that, but then stopped working, so now I will have to try and paint the picture of the rest of the hike with my words.
The trail twisted and turned and eventually landed on the valley floor, where the pine trees and scrub meet the rocks. When I got to the Navajo trail, I stopped on a log and ate half my sandwich, while trying to kick start the camera, which essentially told me to drop dead! I started up the Navajo trail. I need to convey that when I say ‘up’, I mean UP! The beauty of the Navajo Trail is that it takes you into a narrow canyon. Picture this… the entrance is about 15 feet wide or so. The red rock stretches up a couple of hundred feet on both sides, with hoodoos and spires watching from above. The trail is serpentine, passing a pine tree that has virtually no horizontal limbs for about 70 feet. The canyon opens up to about 30 or 40 feet, and I pass another couple of unique pine trees. Then the switchback trail begins. The canyon walls open up to about 70 or 80 feet wide, and because it is so narrow, the switchback trail looks like an ampitheatre. Up I climb, cursing my dead camera. After clearing the canyon, the climb continued past countless breathtaking vistas. I couldn’t believe the number of people hiking in thongs, or flip-flops.
When I got to the top, I didn’t want to be done, so I continued up the rim trail for another couple of miles to Inspiration Point, then on to Bryce Point. Notice I said ‘UP’ again! The Rim Trail follows along the rim with stunning views on the one side. On the other side, the terrain varies. For the most part, it consists of ponderosa pines, Douglas firs, spruce, and the occasional gnarly bristlecone pine. The floor is lined with Manzanita and other scrub. There was one spot where the trail was about 8 feet wide, with sheer drops on both sides. That was a little dizzying!
When I got to Bryce Point, I went to the park’s vista point which jutted out quite a bit. Not only were their views in front, but to the left, right and behind, where a row of interesting grottos lined the upper edge of the red rock walls. I finished my sandwich under this sensory overload, then hopped on the shuttle back home.
Spouse tried to get the camera to work, but alas, it is done. Maybe when we get to Farmington, we will get another. Until then… no pix! While I was busy hiking, Spouse went bike riding. His trash find du jour is a door mat with a calico rooster on it for the outside. He is such a trash monkey! We will be the envy of everybody at all the RV parks!
Spouse cooked another tasty dinner. He has done virtually all of the cooking. I think he likes the ease at which he can cook in Hannah. I like that he likes that! My style of cooking normally requires lengthy simmering, which is not conducive to Hannah. I better think of some new recipes.
Have had trouble getting online, but at least I can watch the Laker game. Can’t seem to get the Dodgers though. But hey, I am camping… Off to the campfire…
June 2, 2010 Bryce
June 2, 2010
Bryce is beautiful. I had forgotten how nice it is to walk among the pine trees. They smell so sweet. Behind the campground, there is a lake. There is one tent campsite right on the lake. I am not sure if we could fish the lake. I love to fish… kind of. I like catching them, I don’t like killing them. I always throw mine back unless Spouse gets involved. He can do the killing if he wants!
It was cool overnight, into the 40s. I must admit, Hannah is getting smaller by the minute! We set up the satellite dish just to see if we could do it. Neither of us wanted to watch TV… that is until we got a good connection. Let the wars begin! I noticed Spouse is infringing on my half of the dresser top. And his hat was on MY side of our cabinet. Because of the temperatures, he closed all the windows. As soon as I heard him start to snore, I opened one of them so I could breathe. Severe discipline must be administered… Darn… he is such a good cook!
Cleared up the territory issues and got ready to go on a free tour of the canyon. I am not really too much of a fan of tours, but it was free, and it goes to a part of the canyon that the shuttle doesn’t go to (but you can drive to them, and maybe find a parking spot). I felt like Elroy and Doris and that we needed buck teeth and Hawaiian shirts! For many on the bus, they were exhausted just getting off the bus! But the driver told good stories that made it fun. His stories about Butch Cassidy were especially entertaining. And, the canyon itself is a magnificent treasure.
Bryce was formed by the extreme temperature changes it experiences most of its days. Over 200 days of year, below freezing temperatures occur, then it heats and the rock formations are formed. Many of the spires are called ‘hoodoos’. The Indians felt they had evil spirits in them. It is fun to find the faces in them… the lion, the horse, Marge Simpson, etc.
The last stop on the tour took us to Fairyland Point. I saw a sign for the Rim Trail 2.7 miles, and told Spouse that I would take his backpack with the few snacks we had, and take the hike. With his plantar fasciitis, he couldn’t do it, so I left him behind and took to the trail alone… all by myself… prey to the local wildlife… I saw evidence of the wildlife… deer scat; or was it antelope scat… I wasn’t going to taste it to find out!
The trail was somewhat even, and had some decent ups and downs, but the vistas were breathtaking. But that also could be the 8000+ foot altitude! I figured it would take about 2 hours to do the 2.7 miles of this part of the trail. About 40 minutes into the hike, Spouse called to tell me he had lunch ready for me. What a guy! But, I may be a while… I passed a few people here and there and ultimately got to Sunrise Point in just over an hour. I so love the smell of pine trees! Hopped on the shuttle and rode home to my lunch.
After the quick lunch, we hopped on our bikes and pedaled the 3 or 4 miles to the Bryce visitor center. We hung, watched a film and pedaled back. You never realize a road is uphill until you get on a bicycle! Spouse put these Harpo Marx horns on our bikes so we can honk to each other and keep tabs. I lost him once and realized when we got back, he had stopped to pick up these overgrown sandals that we saw on the side of the road. He just couldn’t pass them up! HE IS SUCH A TRASH MONKEY!
RV’ing is like boating in one respect. Everybody likes to see what the other person has. They like to compare improvements they made. It is quite amazing the budget on which some people do this. We are on a budget too, but food and entertainment is part of that budget.
And of course, Spouse has met all sorts of people in our campground. We will be sharing a campfire with our neighbors tonite.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
June 1, 2010 - On to Bryce
6/1/2010
I figured out why I am sleeping so late. There is a time change of 1 hour. It is lighter later here, but it is also darker later. Ergo, the light trigger that wakes me up is later here. Now that that problem has been solved… Getaway day today. I got up and hit the road for my powerwalk. Walking by all these houses, it amazed me that not one of them had a picture window focused on the magnificent buttes, mountains and meadows. I guess it must get old for some people.
I figured out why I am sleeping so late. There is a time change of 1 hour. It is lighter later here, but it is also darker later. Ergo, the light trigger that wakes me up is later here. Now that that problem has been solved… Getaway day today. I got up and hit the road for my powerwalk. Walking by all these houses, it amazed me that not one of them had a picture window focused on the magnificent buttes, mountains and meadows. I guess it must get old for some people.
We readied Hannah for her trip to Bryce Canyon. Up I15 to Cedar City, then go east on 14. The climb up I15 was quite substantial. Mountains tower over both sides. At around 5000 feet, the desert scrub turned more to meadows. We passed through Cedar City and turned on to 14, which is a narrow 2 lane road, so narrow in spots that it felt like the rock faces kissed us as we passed. We kept climbing and winding. We started to see patches of snow. We stopped at the Zion Overlook which is about 7000 feet. Sweeping views of the valleys and mountains made a nice backdrop for our lunch. I notice a lot of dead pines. Here it is June 1, and the aspens are just now starting to bud! I think someone forgot to tell them that it was spring! Since it was quite cool, I tried to get some sleeves out, but with Hannah’s sliders in, I couldn’t get to anything. Oh well.
After lunch, we continued our climb. At the point where the turnoff for Brian’s Head ski area is, the road starts to get less windy and we start to descend. The last elevation sign we saw said 7777. The meadows are totally covered in snow, but we can at least get some speed. A few dead deer later, we got to route 89 and turned north. We enjoyed the view of the Asay creek snaking through the meadows.
When we got to Bryce, we thought we would try one of the campgrounds inside the park. Based on the size of our rig, they recommended the north campground. We headed over, and after nearly taking out a tree trying to get into a spot, that turned out to be reserved anyway, we figured Hannah was not meant for this, and headed to an RV park right outside the park. We were able to get a space, but it was a challenge. We learned a couple of things though… We could have reserved a spot in Bryce, but we couldn’t fit in it – sooooo, be careful about reserving! Also, areas around the national parks are busy, end of story! Be prepared with back up plans! I guess the tree part in one of Hannah’s creases is a badge of honor! Good thing Spouse clipped the tree instead of me… I would have never heard the end of it!
We got Hannah set up, (we even set up the satellite dish so we can fight over what we want to watch!) and decided to cruise the canyon. It is quite magnificent. We went to the end and took a short hike at Bristlepoint loop. We picked up a little firewood so maybe we will have a campfire one day. I gotta watch the spouse though… he got a really long piece of wood that he thinks he will feed into the fire inch by inch… You can already tell that a major fire took out many of the trees, but having spouse here… watch out! On the ride back, we saw the deer and the antelope roaming… oh give me a home…
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