When we wrote the last blog on our trip, we were in Rapid City, S.D. and were getting ready to breakup our group and depart on our varied trips home so each route is different.
We went to Wisconsin one night, to Indiana for a week, to Huntington, W.V., one night, Staunton, V. one night, and then to Williamsburg for a week.We visited
family and caught up with grandsons, nieces and nephews, our siblings.
Then we went to Lexington NC for the final week and started talking ourselves into coming home, but we didn't want to.Even after 102 days, we were not ready to return to the daily routine of our lives.
We feel we have taken a three month college course on the West this summer and we are missing the every day classes on our subject. We haven't seen a mountain
or a wild animal in weeks and we are missing the adventure.
The whole experience has taken on the feeling of a surreal dream. When we look at the photos
it feels as though it happened to some one else. Were we really in the Tetons? Did we really ride on the Durango Train?
Now in late August, we are already mentally planning how and when we can go back out to the West. It was an experience that ended much too soon and needs top be repeated.
I have put together some facts to sum up the trip, because it seemed we needed to see what we had accomplished to give it a finish. So here it is ......
Traveled-102 days, Went- 7289 miles, used 986 gallons of regular gas, cost-$3715.00, stayed at 30 campgrounds, cost-$2500, visited- 25 states, 15 national monuments and parks, rode- two trains and a river boat, and two horseback trips.
Highlights; Andy Williams show in Branson, Cirque du Soliel "O" in Vegas, a Cody rodeo and gunfight, chuck wagon dinner and fabulous Western show, a Civil War battlefield in Vicksburg,
many casinos everywhere, the National Cowboy Museum in Oklahoma City, Mesa Verde cliff dwellings, Sky City, the ancestral home of the Acoma tribe, Grand Canyon, Sedona, Hoover Dam, three Utah national parks...Zion, Bryce,and Arches, Canyon by Night float trip down the Colorado River, white water rafting, pylpgraphs in Moab, Jackson Lake boat trip in the Tetons,
Yellowstone geyser tour and Old Faithful, Buffalo Bill museum of the West and Dam, Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse, Custer State Park buffalo herd in S.D., Deadwood and Wall Drugs, and finally the Corn Palace in Mitchell, S.D. These are just some of the highlights.
So I have unpacked, caught up on the laundry, paid the bills, greeted the neighbors, and settled back rather reluctantly in to our life, but the memories of the West will always be there and we can't wait to experience it again.....soon. This is our final blog.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
South Dakota...live FREE
That is their motto and they do. The number of motor cycles is amazing and the air of freedom rides with them. The rolling hills and quiet beauty of the land is peaceful and invites you to drive and enjoy your day in the sun and cool breeze.
Many young men have long black braids down their backs, because the Indian heritage here is alive and well and it is refreshing to see young people so proud of who they are. The Indian culture is very evident and visible here.
The spirit of the West is here also, but in a more laid back way than in Wyoming.
It is more about the beauty of the land and not the mystique of the rodeo and the cowboy. It is more a reflection of the reverance the first Americans have for the Black Hills and for the suffering their ancestors indured to survive here.
The buffalo roam in large numbers in Custer State Park and the deer are everywhere. The towns are small but reflect the history of the area and have many historic buildings which are preserved and still used.
Rapid City is a bustling growing area and is much changed from our visit in 1999. There is so much more tourism and it shows in the new motels and campgrounds which abound.
We are thrilled with our unique campgound, which has a covered pavillon for each two sites. The roof over each concrete pad gives us an area to eat together and spend time outside even in the rain. There is a road between each two sites and it is an easy in and out and all are pull throughs. What a great concept.
We have enjoyed Mount Rushmore , Crazy Horse, Deadwood and of course, Wall Drugs. It has been a great place to end our adventure with a very relaxed last few days and we have had the opportunity to rest up, clean out the R V's and get restocked for the long drive home.
It will be an adjustment traveling on alone, but we are all anxious to see loved ones and get to our family connections, which are scattered in the mid west and east .
Tonight we will have our last dinner together and say our goodbyes. The adventure has been awesome and some day we will relax, drag out the box of photos and brochures and relive it, then we will realize just what an amazing journey it has been.
When you are living it you don't have time to absorb the reality of it all. We lived together and traveled together for 80 plus days and we are all so blessed to have done it without major illness or an accident. We have learned alot about
each other and ourselves. We have experienced the most thrilling sights and most harrowing drives and have bonded with the adventures.
I am ready to go again....anytime...anywhere...it was fantastic and I am sorry to see it end......maybe next year?
Many young men have long black braids down their backs, because the Indian heritage here is alive and well and it is refreshing to see young people so proud of who they are. The Indian culture is very evident and visible here.
The spirit of the West is here also, but in a more laid back way than in Wyoming.
It is more about the beauty of the land and not the mystique of the rodeo and the cowboy. It is more a reflection of the reverance the first Americans have for the Black Hills and for the suffering their ancestors indured to survive here.
The buffalo roam in large numbers in Custer State Park and the deer are everywhere. The towns are small but reflect the history of the area and have many historic buildings which are preserved and still used.
Rapid City is a bustling growing area and is much changed from our visit in 1999. There is so much more tourism and it shows in the new motels and campgrounds which abound.
We are thrilled with our unique campgound, which has a covered pavillon for each two sites. The roof over each concrete pad gives us an area to eat together and spend time outside even in the rain. There is a road between each two sites and it is an easy in and out and all are pull throughs. What a great concept.
We have enjoyed Mount Rushmore , Crazy Horse, Deadwood and of course, Wall Drugs. It has been a great place to end our adventure with a very relaxed last few days and we have had the opportunity to rest up, clean out the R V's and get restocked for the long drive home.
It will be an adjustment traveling on alone, but we are all anxious to see loved ones and get to our family connections, which are scattered in the mid west and east .
Tonight we will have our last dinner together and say our goodbyes. The adventure has been awesome and some day we will relax, drag out the box of photos and brochures and relive it, then we will realize just what an amazing journey it has been.
When you are living it you don't have time to absorb the reality of it all. We lived together and traveled together for 80 plus days and we are all so blessed to have done it without major illness or an accident. We have learned alot about
each other and ourselves. We have experienced the most thrilling sights and most harrowing drives and have bonded with the adventures.
I am ready to go again....anytime...anywhere...it was fantastic and I am sorry to see it end......maybe next year?
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Cody the real WEST
We all loved Cody and this area of Wyoming. It is beautiful and wild and wonderful. We have seen wild mustangs, been white water rafting, seen a gunfight in front of the Irma Hotel, which was built by Buffalo Bill, and gone horse back riding up Cedar Mountain.
The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is a world class museum of Smithsonian quality. We loved the Indian relics housed there and the hundreds of Wild West Show artifacts from Buffalo Bill's estate.
He was a remarkable man and entrepreneur of incomparable achievements.
He not only settled the town, but brought water to the valley and was instrumental in the building of the first dam in the area. It was to become the highest arch dam in the nation and a fore runner to Hoover. Built in the early 1900's in the winter months in daily temperatures below zero, it was a massive achievement.
The streets of the town are four lanes because he wanted to be able to turn his show wagons around. The auditions for the show were held in a lot next to the hotel and cowboys and Indians came from all over the West for a chance to travel the world with Cody.
He performed before the crowned heads of Europe and Queen Victoria sent him a cherry bar for his hotel as a thank you for his show for her. We were thrilled to have dinner in that room right in front of that bar. The hotel is a must for any
visit here.
The group enjoyed horse rides, water rafting, a very entertaining cowboy musical show, and a wild mustang tour. We also visited a local thrift shop and purchased many pieces of Western clothing.
We are leaving this morning for Buffalo and will cross over our last mountain range. The Big Horn Mountains are in the 8,9, and 10,000 ft range, so we will have a great day of adventure.
Wyoming was a huge surprise. It is gorgeous, it is friendly, it is an adventure,
and we love it and I would like to see more of the state. Maybe next year.
Tonight, we just had the best meal of the whole trip in Buffalo, the Winchester.It was a great day of driving through some awesome mountains. Highway 16 was wonderful and we had a short day and very scenic.
The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is a world class museum of Smithsonian quality. We loved the Indian relics housed there and the hundreds of Wild West Show artifacts from Buffalo Bill's estate.
He was a remarkable man and entrepreneur of incomparable achievements.
He not only settled the town, but brought water to the valley and was instrumental in the building of the first dam in the area. It was to become the highest arch dam in the nation and a fore runner to Hoover. Built in the early 1900's in the winter months in daily temperatures below zero, it was a massive achievement.
The streets of the town are four lanes because he wanted to be able to turn his show wagons around. The auditions for the show were held in a lot next to the hotel and cowboys and Indians came from all over the West for a chance to travel the world with Cody.
He performed before the crowned heads of Europe and Queen Victoria sent him a cherry bar for his hotel as a thank you for his show for her. We were thrilled to have dinner in that room right in front of that bar. The hotel is a must for any
visit here.
The group enjoyed horse rides, water rafting, a very entertaining cowboy musical show, and a wild mustang tour. We also visited a local thrift shop and purchased many pieces of Western clothing.
We are leaving this morning for Buffalo and will cross over our last mountain range. The Big Horn Mountains are in the 8,9, and 10,000 ft range, so we will have a great day of adventure.
Wyoming was a huge surprise. It is gorgeous, it is friendly, it is an adventure,
and we love it and I would like to see more of the state. Maybe next year.
Tonight, we just had the best meal of the whole trip in Buffalo, the Winchester.It was a great day of driving through some awesome mountains. Highway 16 was wonderful and we had a short day and very scenic.
Tomorrow we leave for Rapid City and the Rushmore leg of our trek. It is almost impossible to believe our adventure is almost over and all the planning and dreaming has come and almost gone. How sad we will be to say goodbye to each other and to the day to day family we have forged in this two and half months.
We have already started thinking about next year and if we will be able to do this again. It would be wonderful but there are so many factors we have no control over and at our age one never knows about health problems. To want to replicate something so perfect is only human.
We were lucky to have had this great adventure and can only pray that we someday can repeat it ,but you never know. Something to think about in the those mundane days at home when we are reliving our adventures with the pictures we have taken. Scrapbooks are coming........and I will love doing them.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Yellowstone National Park
It is the oldest national park and is the icon for the American park service. Over two million acres of rugged mountains, waterfalls, trees, and many animals. The last of the true natural wonders of our great land.
The bison roam free and the antelope and elk are ever present in large numbers.
Wolves have been reintroduced to the park ten year ago and now roam in packs bringing a needed wheel spoke back to the circle of life of the forest.
The fires of 1988 are still visible with over 700 acres of damaged large pole pines and hundreds of dead trees lying on the forest floor. It is a sad and depressing sight to see our majestic forest destroyed. The tour guides all say that it was a natural thing and a must to keep the area healthy, but to me it was very upsetting.
The surprise to all of our little gypsy band was upon check in to find there was no TV, no wifi, and no cell phone reception. I felt as though I was in an alien land of stick trees. The only civilization we could enjoy was at the hotel and store, which were close by, because the towns at the edge of the park took hours to reach because of the terrain, roads, and dangers of driving after dark and the animals on the roads.
It was a first for me to feel as the old pioneers must have felt in the dark of the night ......alone,cutoff,and vulnerable. It was a helpless feeling of not being in control should one need medical attention or want to contact a loved one. A feeling we never experience now in the age of instant communication.
I enjoyed seeing the geysers and Old Faithful did not disappoint. The Old Faithful Inn was a highlight for me. A historic and magnificent log structure and the massive stone fireplace which is at the center of a four story lobby is intriguing. I had wanted to see it, as it is the inspiration for Disney's Wilderness Lodge, one of our favorite places in the world, and I was excited to have the opportunity.
I saw the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the upper and lower falls. I saw Tower Falls and the Mammoth Hot Springs. I saw the animals and we drove in a bison herd.
So why did I feel that of all the parks which we have visited on this adventure, Yellowstone is my least favorite. I can't explain it. It did not ring my chimes.
I know it is unpatriotic to even think this, but that is my feeling.
So when we talked it over with the group, we all felt we wanted to leave early. We wanted to get back to civilization. I did not want to see another tree, unless it was a Dollar Tree. So we packed up our little rigs and headed for Cody Wy. and hopefully a Wal Mart.
In our 63 days on the road we have seen so many of the most famous national parks. Each has been so spectacular in it's own way, we might be jaded. Or it might be that, we can't give up our familiar comforts and want to get back to an every day routine of EASY.
I am glad we saw it and I am glad we left early and I am happy to be in Cody and I am thrilled to have had an opportunity to have some fast food for lunch and to go to a Wal Mart for a few things I have needed for a week.
We have plans to enjoy all that Buffalo Bill's town in the West can offer. The mosquito bites which cover us will soon fade and stop itching. The grocery shopping will be done and the TV news shows will bring us back to the reality
we have missed over the passed two weeks.
But the memories we have of the Tetons, Arches, Bryce Canyon, the Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, Zion, and Yellowstone will always be with us. Some of the mental images will be stronger in the impact which they have made on our souls,
and it will be up to all of us to assimilate these memories into our psyche.
I know that for me the Tetons will always be the memory I will recall first and will always be my favorite. What I have learned on this trip is a simple definite, you must see it for yourself to know what truly moves you and you must follow your own instincts and trust your feelings. Uniqueness is our gift to ourselves.
The bison roam free and the antelope and elk are ever present in large numbers.
Wolves have been reintroduced to the park ten year ago and now roam in packs bringing a needed wheel spoke back to the circle of life of the forest.
The fires of 1988 are still visible with over 700 acres of damaged large pole pines and hundreds of dead trees lying on the forest floor. It is a sad and depressing sight to see our majestic forest destroyed. The tour guides all say that it was a natural thing and a must to keep the area healthy, but to me it was very upsetting.
The surprise to all of our little gypsy band was upon check in to find there was no TV, no wifi, and no cell phone reception. I felt as though I was in an alien land of stick trees. The only civilization we could enjoy was at the hotel and store, which were close by, because the towns at the edge of the park took hours to reach because of the terrain, roads, and dangers of driving after dark and the animals on the roads.
It was a first for me to feel as the old pioneers must have felt in the dark of the night ......alone,cutoff,and vulnerable. It was a helpless feeling of not being in control should one need medical attention or want to contact a loved one. A feeling we never experience now in the age of instant communication.
I enjoyed seeing the geysers and Old Faithful did not disappoint. The Old Faithful Inn was a highlight for me. A historic and magnificent log structure and the massive stone fireplace which is at the center of a four story lobby is intriguing. I had wanted to see it, as it is the inspiration for Disney's Wilderness Lodge, one of our favorite places in the world, and I was excited to have the opportunity.
I saw the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the upper and lower falls. I saw Tower Falls and the Mammoth Hot Springs. I saw the animals and we drove in a bison herd.
So why did I feel that of all the parks which we have visited on this adventure, Yellowstone is my least favorite. I can't explain it. It did not ring my chimes.
I know it is unpatriotic to even think this, but that is my feeling.
So when we talked it over with the group, we all felt we wanted to leave early. We wanted to get back to civilization. I did not want to see another tree, unless it was a Dollar Tree. So we packed up our little rigs and headed for Cody Wy. and hopefully a Wal Mart.
In our 63 days on the road we have seen so many of the most famous national parks. Each has been so spectacular in it's own way, we might be jaded. Or it might be that, we can't give up our familiar comforts and want to get back to an every day routine of EASY.
I am glad we saw it and I am glad we left early and I am happy to be in Cody and I am thrilled to have had an opportunity to have some fast food for lunch and to go to a Wal Mart for a few things I have needed for a week.
We have plans to enjoy all that Buffalo Bill's town in the West can offer. The mosquito bites which cover us will soon fade and stop itching. The grocery shopping will be done and the TV news shows will bring us back to the reality
we have missed over the passed two weeks.
But the memories we have of the Tetons, Arches, Bryce Canyon, the Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, Zion, and Yellowstone will always be with us. Some of the mental images will be stronger in the impact which they have made on our souls,
and it will be up to all of us to assimilate these memories into our psyche.
I know that for me the Tetons will always be the memory I will recall first and will always be my favorite. What I have learned on this trip is a simple definite, you must see it for yourself to know what truly moves you and you must follow your own instincts and trust your feelings. Uniqueness is our gift to ourselves.
Tetons are fabulous
Here we go again...it's awesome, beautiful, majestic, unbelievable, wonderful, and fantastic. I have used up all my words and I can't even come close but just let me say., if this was the only place we had visited it would have been worth the trip to me.
Our travel day out of Salt Lake City was the longest, most frustrating, and tiring of all the days so far and one of the most beautiful. We drove mountains on a two lane road up to 7000 feet...construction delays...off road R Ving ( no pavement at all), the rushing Snake River on one side and stone walls on the other...trucks and tour buses coming at us and no shoulders...it was a long, long day.
It wasn't until we arrived at the park at 6 p.m. and all of us took a deep breath, we realized how stressed we were and yelled at each other.."let's eat out" and we unhooked and headed for the park restaurant without even setting up. There we all let out a collective sigh of relief and started reliving our nail biting adventure.
We didn't realize Colter Bay was the farthest northern area of the Tetons and we would only be 23 miles from the Yellowstone entrance when we booked, but we love the park and it's facilities, right on the water with the mountains rising up on the other shore, we have a gorgeous view.
The Tetons, unlike most ranges, have no foothills, so you see Jackson Lake and then there they are rising straight up out of the water to 13,000 feet. The lake is manmade and holds the run off of over 600 inches of annual snowfall and is a source of water for Idaho. They paid for the construction of the dam and lake and receive 39 feet of water per year.
The lake is over 500 feet deep in the middle. It freezes over each year with a 6 foot ice cap and affords the animals an opportunity to migrate to the other side of the park.
We took a lake cruise yesterday and got right up to the mountains for some wonderful photo ops. Then last night after dinner, we loaded into cars and we went in search of wild life ,the four legged kind, and we were not disappointed. We saw three herds of elk in great numbers, bison, antelope,and the sunset over the Tetons.
Early in the morning, Norm and I went moose hunting and we actually found one. A female eating her breakfast in a river in the moose habitat and we took lots of pictures. Our first moose. Then on the way back to camp, two wolves ran right in front of the car and I was thrilled. My first wolf. So seeing animals is easy.
The group plans to go horseback riding and then to Jackson shopping. The town is alive with many summer tourists and shops and a town square which has an elk antler arch on each corner. The perfect photo op.
We also plan to enjoy an evening chuckwagon dinner and performance of a western band,which has been highly recommended as a must while in the area.
A trip to the National Elk Refuge is also on tap. We love this area and our time will go much too fast.
We feel we have probably saved the best for last on this adventure. The Tetons, Yellowstone,and Rushmore. It is going to be a great JULY.
Our travel day out of Salt Lake City was the longest, most frustrating, and tiring of all the days so far and one of the most beautiful. We drove mountains on a two lane road up to 7000 feet...construction delays...off road R Ving ( no pavement at all), the rushing Snake River on one side and stone walls on the other...trucks and tour buses coming at us and no shoulders...it was a long, long day.
It wasn't until we arrived at the park at 6 p.m. and all of us took a deep breath, we realized how stressed we were and yelled at each other.."let's eat out" and we unhooked and headed for the park restaurant without even setting up. There we all let out a collective sigh of relief and started reliving our nail biting adventure.
We didn't realize Colter Bay was the farthest northern area of the Tetons and we would only be 23 miles from the Yellowstone entrance when we booked, but we love the park and it's facilities, right on the water with the mountains rising up on the other shore, we have a gorgeous view.
The Tetons, unlike most ranges, have no foothills, so you see Jackson Lake and then there they are rising straight up out of the water to 13,000 feet. The lake is manmade and holds the run off of over 600 inches of annual snowfall and is a source of water for Idaho. They paid for the construction of the dam and lake and receive 39 feet of water per year.
The lake is over 500 feet deep in the middle. It freezes over each year with a 6 foot ice cap and affords the animals an opportunity to migrate to the other side of the park.
We took a lake cruise yesterday and got right up to the mountains for some wonderful photo ops. Then last night after dinner, we loaded into cars and we went in search of wild life ,the four legged kind, and we were not disappointed. We saw three herds of elk in great numbers, bison, antelope,and the sunset over the Tetons.
Early in the morning, Norm and I went moose hunting and we actually found one. A female eating her breakfast in a river in the moose habitat and we took lots of pictures. Our first moose. Then on the way back to camp, two wolves ran right in front of the car and I was thrilled. My first wolf. So seeing animals is easy.
The group plans to go horseback riding and then to Jackson shopping. The town is alive with many summer tourists and shops and a town square which has an elk antler arch on each corner. The perfect photo op.
We also plan to enjoy an evening chuckwagon dinner and performance of a western band,which has been highly recommended as a must while in the area.
A trip to the National Elk Refuge is also on tap. We love this area and our time will go much too fast.
We feel we have probably saved the best for last on this adventure. The Tetons, Yellowstone,and Rushmore. It is going to be a great JULY.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Arches and the Colorado River.....what a pair
We traveled I 70 from Richfield to the Moab turnoff. One hundred miles of no services, not a house, not a building, nothing, but there were unbelievable canyons and huge walls of stone, desert, and heat. Over 100 degrees all day.
After a very long day of heat and sand, we turned off onto 191 and headed south to Moab. It is the gateway to both Arches and Canyonlands and an oasis after
what seemed an eternity of oppressive heat.
Moab was made famous by the discovery of Uranium in the 1950's and by the movies as early as the thirties, which came to this region because of the awesome scenery.
Many of the most beloved Hollywood westerns were made here and John Wayne is a local hero, for bringing so many films to this area and expanding their economic base from ranching to the lucrative motion picture industry.
There is a museum at the Red Cliffs Lodge, which used to be the ranch of George White, the founder of the Moab to Monument Valley Film Commission, the longest on going film commission in the world. His ranch was the key location for nine of the biggest Westerns ever made and many of them starred John Wayne and were directed by John Ford.
We enjoyed a wonderful day at the lodge looking through the hundreds of pieces of memorabilia and posters of the golden age of Western movies. We are both such fans of "the Duke" and really enjoyed seeing some of his personal belongings.
In Moab,there is a motel, the Apache, where he always stayed and that is now on the National Historic Register and I, of course, had to have a photo of it for the scrapbook.
DOWN THE COLORADO
The group enjoyed a dinner and evening ride down the Colorado to see a very unusual sound and light show on the walls of the red rock canyons . It was relaxing and beautiful and will be a high light of this segment of my trek.
The walls take on an ethereal look when spotlighted and each crag and crevice looks mystical when viewed from the river. The night was balmy and
the river placid. I loved hearing the history that was covered by the voice in the night and inspired by the beautiful music which accompanied it.
This morning because of the narrative on the river ride, we went looking for the petroglphs, which we were told could be seen on Potash road along the river. So off we went in search of these historic pictures from the earliest residents of this wonderful region of Utah.
And there they were...a hand print. a bear... many human figures, large and small..it was so incredible to see these messages from humans who passed this way thousands of years ago. How wonderful it would be to be able to leave such a mark on our world when we pass on to the next life.
ARCHES NATIONAL PARK
Arches was a day like all the others in Utah National Parks. It was inspiring. It was incredible. It was beautiful. Every one of the parks so far as been different in ambiance and vistas.
But this park is bounded on the south by the La Sal mountains, snow capped and majestic, so the look is different than the others and the red rock formations inspire your imagination to run wild.
We enjoyed searching for the icons of the park. The Three Gossips, Balanced Rock, the Elephant Parade, and Windows. We found them and much more. There are 2000 arches in the park and you see everywhere and from the comfort of your car. I like that.
We did not see Delicate Arch, the symbol of Utah, however, because it was a mile trek into the canyon and I was not able to do that. So I bought a postcard.
I love Moab and it's massive red walls and winding river. I would love to return next year. There is so much more here to explore.
On to Salt Lake City tomorrow and our last three days in Utah.
After a very long day of heat and sand, we turned off onto 191 and headed south to Moab. It is the gateway to both Arches and Canyonlands and an oasis after
what seemed an eternity of oppressive heat.
Moab was made famous by the discovery of Uranium in the 1950's and by the movies as early as the thirties, which came to this region because of the awesome scenery.
Many of the most beloved Hollywood westerns were made here and John Wayne is a local hero, for bringing so many films to this area and expanding their economic base from ranching to the lucrative motion picture industry.
There is a museum at the Red Cliffs Lodge, which used to be the ranch of George White, the founder of the Moab to Monument Valley Film Commission, the longest on going film commission in the world. His ranch was the key location for nine of the biggest Westerns ever made and many of them starred John Wayne and were directed by John Ford.
We enjoyed a wonderful day at the lodge looking through the hundreds of pieces of memorabilia and posters of the golden age of Western movies. We are both such fans of "the Duke" and really enjoyed seeing some of his personal belongings.
In Moab,there is a motel, the Apache, where he always stayed and that is now on the National Historic Register and I, of course, had to have a photo of it for the scrapbook.
DOWN THE COLORADO
The group enjoyed a dinner and evening ride down the Colorado to see a very unusual sound and light show on the walls of the red rock canyons . It was relaxing and beautiful and will be a high light of this segment of my trek.
The walls take on an ethereal look when spotlighted and each crag and crevice looks mystical when viewed from the river. The night was balmy and
the river placid. I loved hearing the history that was covered by the voice in the night and inspired by the beautiful music which accompanied it.
This morning because of the narrative on the river ride, we went looking for the petroglphs, which we were told could be seen on Potash road along the river. So off we went in search of these historic pictures from the earliest residents of this wonderful region of Utah.
And there they were...a hand print. a bear... many human figures, large and small..it was so incredible to see these messages from humans who passed this way thousands of years ago. How wonderful it would be to be able to leave such a mark on our world when we pass on to the next life.
ARCHES NATIONAL PARK
Arches was a day like all the others in Utah National Parks. It was inspiring. It was incredible. It was beautiful. Every one of the parks so far as been different in ambiance and vistas.
But this park is bounded on the south by the La Sal mountains, snow capped and majestic, so the look is different than the others and the red rock formations inspire your imagination to run wild.
We enjoyed searching for the icons of the park. The Three Gossips, Balanced Rock, the Elephant Parade, and Windows. We found them and much more. There are 2000 arches in the park and you see everywhere and from the comfort of your car. I like that.
We did not see Delicate Arch, the symbol of Utah, however, because it was a mile trek into the canyon and I was not able to do that. So I bought a postcard.
I love Moab and it's massive red walls and winding river. I would love to return next year. There is so much more here to explore.
On to Salt Lake City tomorrow and our last three days in Utah.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Utah National Parks Rock
We have really been impressed with Utah and their wonderful national parks. Our visit to Zion was enhanced by actually staying in the park for two nights.
The canyon and its magnificent colored walls was so serene and beautiful, with a wonderful view in every direction.
I loved the ability to ride the shuttle bus and see everything from the comfort of your seat. We did not have to get off and on and climb and walk long distances to see the canyon and it's wonders. The bus actually had ceiling windows and when opened they gave you of a view of the canyon walls which towered above you.
The weather was warm during the day, but the nights we were able to turnoff the air conditioning and enjoy the cool clear evenings. Deer and elk grazed in the meadows seemingly unaware of our presence in their world.
The little town of Springdale was charming and offered many unique shops, hotels, and restaurants to enjoy. We loved seeing the buffalo and elk in a fenced enclosure on main street. They seem to welcome us to the West.
The photos of Zion are so gorgeous and we feel some of the best we have taken all trip. I have fallen for this park and want to visit again ....soon.
On to Bryce Canyon and another of Utah's natural wonders. A short two hour drive and we are up higher than in Zion, 7700 feet, and much cooler. The canyon is a surprise.
The drive into the park is through the Dixie National Forest ,which is a vision of deep, deep green rolling hills covered with Ponderosa pine. Suddenly you see a sign pointing to a viewing area and you wonder is that the canyon, because you can see nothing but trees.
So we parked and walked up the gravel path and there in front of us was one of the most gorgeous sites imaginable. Orange, pink, grey plateaus, hoodoos, buttes, mesas below us as far as you can see.....200 miles or more.
It is breathtaking and quite unexpected and immense. I can't tell you what it looks like. It takes your words away. I can tell you that I was standing now at 8100 feet and it is difficult to breathe, for lack of oxygen and the wonder of it all.
We took dozens of photos and we look down on a scene so surreal it is hard to believe what our eyes are seeing.Then we decide to go to the last stop on the
road, Rainbow Point. Up to 9000 feet and there at the end of the plateau, you can see south to the north rim of the Grand Canyon.
This is the Grand Staircase Escalante,beginning here and running hundreds of miles south to the Grand Canyon and as you look at the topography is actually does look like a giant stair case.
We spent the day looking at the view from every vantage point. It was beautiful in full sunlight but awesome as the sun started setting and only the top of the hoodoos were in brilliant sun. The shadows gave the canyon a whole new wonder.
Hoodoos are mystical . How do they stand with rocks balanced on their tops?
How do they continue to change their shapes with the erosion of the rain and the snow? How do they form bridges and windows and arches? They seem to be living things. Each is different and yet the same.
We enjoyed the educational movies at each of the park's visitor centers. They always explain what we will see and how it all came to be and give us an overall understanding of the topography which is so very foreign to Floridians. We know flat, we don't know elevation and especially of this magnitude.
We are leaving in the morning to go to the eastern portion of Utah and we are staying at Moab and will enjoy both Arches and Canyonlands national parks.
We are expecting to be awed and thrilled, because that is what Utah parks do to you.
What a wonderful state to be exploring. We are convinced Utah Rocks.
The canyon and its magnificent colored walls was so serene and beautiful, with a wonderful view in every direction.
I loved the ability to ride the shuttle bus and see everything from the comfort of your seat. We did not have to get off and on and climb and walk long distances to see the canyon and it's wonders. The bus actually had ceiling windows and when opened they gave you of a view of the canyon walls which towered above you.
The weather was warm during the day, but the nights we were able to turnoff the air conditioning and enjoy the cool clear evenings. Deer and elk grazed in the meadows seemingly unaware of our presence in their world.
The little town of Springdale was charming and offered many unique shops, hotels, and restaurants to enjoy. We loved seeing the buffalo and elk in a fenced enclosure on main street. They seem to welcome us to the West.
The photos of Zion are so gorgeous and we feel some of the best we have taken all trip. I have fallen for this park and want to visit again ....soon.
On to Bryce Canyon and another of Utah's natural wonders. A short two hour drive and we are up higher than in Zion, 7700 feet, and much cooler. The canyon is a surprise.
The drive into the park is through the Dixie National Forest ,which is a vision of deep, deep green rolling hills covered with Ponderosa pine. Suddenly you see a sign pointing to a viewing area and you wonder is that the canyon, because you can see nothing but trees.
So we parked and walked up the gravel path and there in front of us was one of the most gorgeous sites imaginable. Orange, pink, grey plateaus, hoodoos, buttes, mesas below us as far as you can see.....200 miles or more.
It is breathtaking and quite unexpected and immense. I can't tell you what it looks like. It takes your words away. I can tell you that I was standing now at 8100 feet and it is difficult to breathe, for lack of oxygen and the wonder of it all.
We took dozens of photos and we look down on a scene so surreal it is hard to believe what our eyes are seeing.Then we decide to go to the last stop on the
road, Rainbow Point. Up to 9000 feet and there at the end of the plateau, you can see south to the north rim of the Grand Canyon.
This is the Grand Staircase Escalante,beginning here and running hundreds of miles south to the Grand Canyon and as you look at the topography is actually does look like a giant stair case.
We spent the day looking at the view from every vantage point. It was beautiful in full sunlight but awesome as the sun started setting and only the top of the hoodoos were in brilliant sun. The shadows gave the canyon a whole new wonder.
Hoodoos are mystical . How do they stand with rocks balanced on their tops?
How do they continue to change their shapes with the erosion of the rain and the snow? How do they form bridges and windows and arches? They seem to be living things. Each is different and yet the same.
We enjoyed the educational movies at each of the park's visitor centers. They always explain what we will see and how it all came to be and give us an overall understanding of the topography which is so very foreign to Floridians. We know flat, we don't know elevation and especially of this magnitude.
We are leaving in the morning to go to the eastern portion of Utah and we are staying at Moab and will enjoy both Arches and Canyonlands national parks.
We are expecting to be awed and thrilled, because that is what Utah parks do to you.
What a wonderful state to be exploring. We are convinced Utah Rocks.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Our Week in Las Vegas
It is hot,hotter, hottest..certainly not the time of the year to be in Las Vegas,the temperature in triple digits ,very dry and very uncomfortable.....but that said,
there is still no place on the planet like it.
It is so cosmopolitan. Many languages heard all around you. Sit in any lobby of the strip hotels and witness literally the world passing by. The enormity of the city is obvious. Dozens of hotels, hundreds of rooms to fill, thousands of gaming machines to man....so much money invested in it all. Amazing.
The hotels are the stars....the decors, the themes, the shows. the lights, the spectacles each evening all vying for attention...and the creativity of it all.
Amazing.
I understand pure oxygen is pumped into the casinos for a feeling of euphoria and if true the ambiance of each also adds to the atmosphere of wonder and unreality.
We all spent time in the fabulous hotels and enjoyed the beauty of them all and we have plenty of photos to remember each by.
The girls splurged on a night out at "O", the most fabulous of the Cirque du Soleil shows I have ever seen. The technology and the creativity are unmatched and the sheer entertainment was a once in a lifetime treat. The 90 minutes go by so quickly and one is hard pressed to keep breathing with thrill after thrill coming so quickly. We felt so lucky to have had the opportunity to see it.
Hoover Dam was also a venue we all visited. Some of us took the tour and went down into the inner workings of the complex and some of us , just drove to the areas accessible by car. Either way it was awesome and quite an achievement for man. Built in the early thirties,it is an engineering miracle.
We also enjoyed the swimming pool and made daily trips to take advantage of the heat and to thaw out after a month of traveling in the high altitude of the cold mountain, but by the end of the week it had turned into a very warm spa when the temps climbed ever higher.
So we have enjoyed Las Vegas with eight days of rest,swimming, and sleeping late. We are now three hours behind our home and adjusting to that difference has been hard to get used to. My poor loved ones keep getting calls from me after they have been sleeping for awhile.
We leave for Utah and two weeks visiting the three national parks of Zion, Bryce Canyon, and the Arches. We are looking for a more moderate climate and to seeing the wonderful vistas we have heard are second to none.
The journey continues and so does the excitement.
there is still no place on the planet like it.
It is so cosmopolitan. Many languages heard all around you. Sit in any lobby of the strip hotels and witness literally the world passing by. The enormity of the city is obvious. Dozens of hotels, hundreds of rooms to fill, thousands of gaming machines to man....so much money invested in it all. Amazing.
The hotels are the stars....the decors, the themes, the shows. the lights, the spectacles each evening all vying for attention...and the creativity of it all.
Amazing.
I understand pure oxygen is pumped into the casinos for a feeling of euphoria and if true the ambiance of each also adds to the atmosphere of wonder and unreality.
We all spent time in the fabulous hotels and enjoyed the beauty of them all and we have plenty of photos to remember each by.
The girls splurged on a night out at "O", the most fabulous of the Cirque du Soleil shows I have ever seen. The technology and the creativity are unmatched and the sheer entertainment was a once in a lifetime treat. The 90 minutes go by so quickly and one is hard pressed to keep breathing with thrill after thrill coming so quickly. We felt so lucky to have had the opportunity to see it.
Hoover Dam was also a venue we all visited. Some of us took the tour and went down into the inner workings of the complex and some of us , just drove to the areas accessible by car. Either way it was awesome and quite an achievement for man. Built in the early thirties,it is an engineering miracle.
We also enjoyed the swimming pool and made daily trips to take advantage of the heat and to thaw out after a month of traveling in the high altitude of the cold mountain, but by the end of the week it had turned into a very warm spa when the temps climbed ever higher.
So we have enjoyed Las Vegas with eight days of rest,swimming, and sleeping late. We are now three hours behind our home and adjusting to that difference has been hard to get used to. My poor loved ones keep getting calls from me after they have been sleeping for awhile.
We leave for Utah and two weeks visiting the three national parks of Zion, Bryce Canyon, and the Arches. We are looking for a more moderate climate and to seeing the wonderful vistas we have heard are second to none.
The journey continues and so does the excitement.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Trying to catch up
PREFACE: I am trying to catch up after being ill for several days with a cold. We all are suffering from the effects of the altitude and add in some colds and sinus problems and you have old tired people feeling badly.
We are taking lots of "stuff" and we do keep going, because we are here, and there is much to see, and we don't want to miss a moment of our adventure, but we are all dragging and need several days of rest to recuperate. That said, let's get back to the travel tales....... we can catch up in Vegas.
COLORADO..just a memory. We left last Sunday and as the mountains faded in the rear view mirrors, I felt I had had an experience I would never forget.
One of the last days we were there, we drove the San Juan Skyway, 230 miles round trip , up on the high mountain road connecting Teluride, Ouray, Silverton,Durango and back to Cortez. We had spectacular views of snow, waterfalls, mining towns, and vistas so fantastically beautiful, it is no wonder it is called the Switzerland of America.
We left for Gallop, N.M. and an overnight stay on Route 66. The campgrounds now are all gravel, no grass, flat, no trees, easy pull throughs, but barren and the winds are so strong, we dare not put out our awnings. The winds have been, since Albuquerque, gusting from 20 up to 50 mph. The motorhome shakes from side to side and you wonder what will blow past you.
Clouds of sand can be seen on the horizon and holding the rig on the road becomes very difficult and there is alot of concentration needed to keep going in strong cross winds. But the people here all seem to take it in stride and it doesn't seem to bother them. Floridians would be headed for shelters.
Monday, we crossed the Arizona border and drove through the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest National Park. Our senior pass has come in handy and
it is the best $10.00 investment we ever made, because it is good for life and for any national park. We have already used it often and will use it many more times before this trip is over.
Now we are in Williams, the gateway to the Grand Canyon, and enjoying exploring this area of Arizona. It is an old railroad town and home to the Grand Canyon Railroad, which makes many runs daily to the eastern rim of the canyon.
The old hotel here was built by the Sante Fe Railroad and run by Fred Harvey and his famous Harvey Girls. One of my favorite Judy Garland movies was "The Harvey Girls" and told about the ladies who came from the East and brought civilization to the raucus Western railroad towns. In their starched black dresses and white aprons, they served food to the passengers at the railroad stops along the way and were paid a $17.00 monthly wage as well as room and board.
Many an uncouth cowboy or minor was tamed by these ladies and towns, churches, schools, marriages, children, and civilization followed changing the wild west forever, because of a hot meal served on linen table clothes, by ladies from the East.
Tuesday, we drove the gorgeous Oak Creek Canyon on our way to Sedona.What a spectacular drive. The chalky white canyon walls high above us suddenly became pink and then deep red and it was something to see. A magical 23 miles of trees and red rocks and blue skies.
Crossing a trestle bridge, you are suddenly in Sedona, red rocks everywhere, a bustling downtown of galleries, restaurants, and souvernir shops. The beautiful hills were ringed by high red mesas and covered in gorgeous very large homes,
with glass walls and balconies to see the fabulous views .
Thursday, we all made the long awaited trip to the Grand Canyon. It did not disappoint but no descriptive narrative, painting, or photo can capture the immense size, the scope, or the majesty of this incredible natural wonder.
We were bundled up because the evening temperatures had been in the 30's and on our early morning tour it had only warmed up to low 50's. This entire
trip in the mountains it has been very windy and cool, but we are not complaining when we know how hot it is back in Florida.
On Friday, some of us went to the Verde Valley train, some shopped in Sedona,and some of us went to historic Jerome, a ghost town come to life, in the high mountains.
Jerome, once a thriving copper mining town of 15,000 and called the Wickest Town in the West, was turned into a ghost town of 50 residents after the mine stopped operations.
Sitting on the side of a mountian at 6000 feet, it is now a thriving tourist town of hotels, B&B's, artist galleries, and restaurants. The streets are narrow and steep
and the buildings are all listed on the National Historic Register.
The views are awesome and the ambience is unique, stepping back to the time of saloons, brothels, and boarding houses. Now reborn as a tourist meca, the chamber has renamed it "the town that would not die". It was a fascinating day and made another scrapbook page for my ever growing book.
Leaving for Vegas, but what we do in Vegas won't stay there....we will pass on the details to you in our very next blog. Until then, we have to start getting ready to pull our tomorrow.
We are taking lots of "stuff" and we do keep going, because we are here, and there is much to see, and we don't want to miss a moment of our adventure, but we are all dragging and need several days of rest to recuperate. That said, let's get back to the travel tales....... we can catch up in Vegas.
COLORADO..just a memory. We left last Sunday and as the mountains faded in the rear view mirrors, I felt I had had an experience I would never forget.
One of the last days we were there, we drove the San Juan Skyway, 230 miles round trip , up on the high mountain road connecting Teluride, Ouray, Silverton,Durango and back to Cortez. We had spectacular views of snow, waterfalls, mining towns, and vistas so fantastically beautiful, it is no wonder it is called the Switzerland of America.
We left for Gallop, N.M. and an overnight stay on Route 66. The campgrounds now are all gravel, no grass, flat, no trees, easy pull throughs, but barren and the winds are so strong, we dare not put out our awnings. The winds have been, since Albuquerque, gusting from 20 up to 50 mph. The motorhome shakes from side to side and you wonder what will blow past you.
Clouds of sand can be seen on the horizon and holding the rig on the road becomes very difficult and there is alot of concentration needed to keep going in strong cross winds. But the people here all seem to take it in stride and it doesn't seem to bother them. Floridians would be headed for shelters.
Monday, we crossed the Arizona border and drove through the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest National Park. Our senior pass has come in handy and
it is the best $10.00 investment we ever made, because it is good for life and for any national park. We have already used it often and will use it many more times before this trip is over.
Now we are in Williams, the gateway to the Grand Canyon, and enjoying exploring this area of Arizona. It is an old railroad town and home to the Grand Canyon Railroad, which makes many runs daily to the eastern rim of the canyon.
The old hotel here was built by the Sante Fe Railroad and run by Fred Harvey and his famous Harvey Girls. One of my favorite Judy Garland movies was "The Harvey Girls" and told about the ladies who came from the East and brought civilization to the raucus Western railroad towns. In their starched black dresses and white aprons, they served food to the passengers at the railroad stops along the way and were paid a $17.00 monthly wage as well as room and board.
Many an uncouth cowboy or minor was tamed by these ladies and towns, churches, schools, marriages, children, and civilization followed changing the wild west forever, because of a hot meal served on linen table clothes, by ladies from the East.
Tuesday, we drove the gorgeous Oak Creek Canyon on our way to Sedona.What a spectacular drive. The chalky white canyon walls high above us suddenly became pink and then deep red and it was something to see. A magical 23 miles of trees and red rocks and blue skies.
Crossing a trestle bridge, you are suddenly in Sedona, red rocks everywhere, a bustling downtown of galleries, restaurants, and souvernir shops. The beautiful hills were ringed by high red mesas and covered in gorgeous very large homes,
with glass walls and balconies to see the fabulous views .
Thursday, we all made the long awaited trip to the Grand Canyon. It did not disappoint but no descriptive narrative, painting, or photo can capture the immense size, the scope, or the majesty of this incredible natural wonder.
We were bundled up because the evening temperatures had been in the 30's and on our early morning tour it had only warmed up to low 50's. This entire
trip in the mountains it has been very windy and cool, but we are not complaining when we know how hot it is back in Florida.
On Friday, some of us went to the Verde Valley train, some shopped in Sedona,and some of us went to historic Jerome, a ghost town come to life, in the high mountains.
Jerome, once a thriving copper mining town of 15,000 and called the Wickest Town in the West, was turned into a ghost town of 50 residents after the mine stopped operations.
Sitting on the side of a mountian at 6000 feet, it is now a thriving tourist town of hotels, B&B's, artist galleries, and restaurants. The streets are narrow and steep
and the buildings are all listed on the National Historic Register.
The views are awesome and the ambience is unique, stepping back to the time of saloons, brothels, and boarding houses. Now reborn as a tourist meca, the chamber has renamed it "the town that would not die". It was a fascinating day and made another scrapbook page for my ever growing book.
Leaving for Vegas, but what we do in Vegas won't stay there....we will pass on the details to you in our very next blog. Until then, we have to start getting ready to pull our tomorrow.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
COLORADO......beautiful
Every day, we keep saying that this is the most beautiful scene we have ever seen. We said it driving into New Mexico. We said it in the Valley of Acoma. We said it on top of Sandia Peak. We said it driving into Durango.
Then we went to Mesa Verde and when we reached the 7000 ft. Mancos overlook ,we knew we had reached as close to Heaven as we could get. It was spectacular with the snow capped mountain ranges stretching out before us on three sides across a valley of green.
The day at Mesa Verde was a revelation to me in the ancient life styles of the cliff dwellers and their creations, which have survived untold centuries. Imagine the amazement of the explorer who discovered them in the 1800's and from that day to this the volumes of legends they have been able to tell us with relics found and paintings on the walls depicting life as it was a thousand years ago.
Many of the ruins can be seen from the road and driving around and seeing them is fairly easy, but our brave quartet of Joan, Helen, Tom, and Mary were not
going to stop for "easy", they actually took a tour of Cliff Palace with a group and had to descend on stone paths to the ruins for a first hand look at life on the side of a mesa.
The ranger told them many amazing things about every day life and survival of the ancient ones. What a great experience for them and even though they have aching muscles and sore legs, they all said they would do it again.
The realization that we were standing and looking into 1200 A.D. is a mind bending thought. How fortunate that they have been discovered and preserved for future generations and are recognized all over the world for their importance to the history of mankind.
The pueblos are considered hallowed ground by most of the Southwestern Indian tribes for it is from here they believe their ancestors migrated to their present homes, hundreds of years ago.
Our time there was so meaningful and the day was a very special experience which will be with all of us for years to come.
The very next day, not fully recovered from a very strenuous climb, we were off at 7 am to Durango, 45 miles east, to board the Durango Silverton Narrow Gage railroad for our trip through some of the most gorgeous mountain scenery ever,
the San Juan National Forest and gorge.
We were climbing, climbing to over 7000 feet on an old steam engine train with wooden antique cars and black smoke pouring from the funnel. It was rolling and clicking and clacking and the whistle was blowing at every opportunity.
When we reached the top of the gorge, running so high over the river, the water rushing over rocks below and a sheer drop off straight down.....you could not help but feel you would suddenly fall off the track into the rocks and trees below.
The safety of my seat was not much of a help with the train lurching and straining to reach the top of the grade as it inched around a solid rock wall on one side and the drop off on the other. It was certainly better than any thrill ride Disney has to offer.
What a wonderful three hours to Silverton. Snow capped peaks were towering above us, bright green sunlit trees were swaying in the breeze, the tracks ran along a rushing river and patches of snow lay on the sides of high canyon walls on both sides of us. Sensory overload. Could there have been a more gorgeous day?
The little town of Silverton is much like it was a 100 years ago when GOLD was the reason for being there. It is on the National Historic Register because of the Victorian buildings and in fact is the largest historic community in the nation.
Having a two hour layover there before the trip home did not really give you an opportunity to explore all the dusty dirt streets and mines and stories which surely abound.
Looking up at the mountain peaks which ring the town, you had to think how isolated these people have been for many wintry decades. Once the snow closes in and stops the daily trains from arriving and the only road with access to the outside world, Silverton becomes a little world all it's own.
The whistle blew and we climbed aboard and started the three hour trip home.
It gave us an opportunity to come back to the real world and resurface into the present. So much for escaping into the past. It was dinner time and where is the nearest McD's?
Then we went to Mesa Verde and when we reached the 7000 ft. Mancos overlook ,we knew we had reached as close to Heaven as we could get. It was spectacular with the snow capped mountain ranges stretching out before us on three sides across a valley of green.
The day at Mesa Verde was a revelation to me in the ancient life styles of the cliff dwellers and their creations, which have survived untold centuries. Imagine the amazement of the explorer who discovered them in the 1800's and from that day to this the volumes of legends they have been able to tell us with relics found and paintings on the walls depicting life as it was a thousand years ago.
Many of the ruins can be seen from the road and driving around and seeing them is fairly easy, but our brave quartet of Joan, Helen, Tom, and Mary were not
going to stop for "easy", they actually took a tour of Cliff Palace with a group and had to descend on stone paths to the ruins for a first hand look at life on the side of a mesa.
The ranger told them many amazing things about every day life and survival of the ancient ones. What a great experience for them and even though they have aching muscles and sore legs, they all said they would do it again.
The realization that we were standing and looking into 1200 A.D. is a mind bending thought. How fortunate that they have been discovered and preserved for future generations and are recognized all over the world for their importance to the history of mankind.
The pueblos are considered hallowed ground by most of the Southwestern Indian tribes for it is from here they believe their ancestors migrated to their present homes, hundreds of years ago.
Our time there was so meaningful and the day was a very special experience which will be with all of us for years to come.
The very next day, not fully recovered from a very strenuous climb, we were off at 7 am to Durango, 45 miles east, to board the Durango Silverton Narrow Gage railroad for our trip through some of the most gorgeous mountain scenery ever,
the San Juan National Forest and gorge.
We were climbing, climbing to over 7000 feet on an old steam engine train with wooden antique cars and black smoke pouring from the funnel. It was rolling and clicking and clacking and the whistle was blowing at every opportunity.
When we reached the top of the gorge, running so high over the river, the water rushing over rocks below and a sheer drop off straight down.....you could not help but feel you would suddenly fall off the track into the rocks and trees below.
The safety of my seat was not much of a help with the train lurching and straining to reach the top of the grade as it inched around a solid rock wall on one side and the drop off on the other. It was certainly better than any thrill ride Disney has to offer.
What a wonderful three hours to Silverton. Snow capped peaks were towering above us, bright green sunlit trees were swaying in the breeze, the tracks ran along a rushing river and patches of snow lay on the sides of high canyon walls on both sides of us. Sensory overload. Could there have been a more gorgeous day?
The little town of Silverton is much like it was a 100 years ago when GOLD was the reason for being there. It is on the National Historic Register because of the Victorian buildings and in fact is the largest historic community in the nation.
Having a two hour layover there before the trip home did not really give you an opportunity to explore all the dusty dirt streets and mines and stories which surely abound.
Looking up at the mountain peaks which ring the town, you had to think how isolated these people have been for many wintry decades. Once the snow closes in and stops the daily trains from arriving and the only road with access to the outside world, Silverton becomes a little world all it's own.
The whistle blew and we climbed aboard and started the three hour trip home.
It gave us an opportunity to come back to the real world and resurface into the present. So much for escaping into the past. It was dinner time and where is the nearest McD's?
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Leaving for Durango/Cortez
After three days of terrible weather, we finally got two days of OK weather and we took advantage of it with a trip to Acoma, Sky City. It is the ancient spiritual home of the Acoma people. They have lived on the top of a 300 foot mesa for 1000 years and still live there.
It was the most unbelievable experience. The valley ringed with mesas and snow capped mountains and buttes jutting up from the floor of the valley was beyond awesome. It is a view I will remember to the day I die.
Can you imagine living in this wilderness and fighting the Spanish invaders, other tribes, and modern civilization which is now even more of a threat than they have faced before.....all this and they have survived and thrived. Quite an inspiring saga of man's believe in his God and himself.
On Saturday, we were all up early and off to the Expo flea market, a very large
gathering of vendors at the state fair gounds,to look for native bargains. We found so much of stone and turquoise and silver jewelry and all of us couldn't resist the urge to purchase.
I also found Navajo chachino dolls, each named for a hunter and signed and numbered by the native Americans who make them. Some of them had to be mine. They spoke to me.
We had planned to all come back to the R V's and have a large lunch/dinner and then leave for Old Town in the late afternoon. As the time approached we started falling out because we are all so tired.
The fatigue of going out exploring every day for three weeks had caught up with all of us, so we snuggled in and stayed put. We want to see and do and go and experience everything , but we are seniors and also need to recoup our energy from time to time.
But we know that two more months stretch out before us and we have to learn to take time to rest so we can see it all.....what a dream of a trip. It has been an education in our country, our fellow Americans,our highway system, and varied cultures. How else can you experience if you don't see it and feel it.
Off to Durango/Cortez and Mesa Verde, higher mountains,and the Silverton/Durango train. We are going to do it all.......but first to bed and some sleep and we will take an extra handful of vitamins.
It was the most unbelievable experience. The valley ringed with mesas and snow capped mountains and buttes jutting up from the floor of the valley was beyond awesome. It is a view I will remember to the day I die.
Can you imagine living in this wilderness and fighting the Spanish invaders, other tribes, and modern civilization which is now even more of a threat than they have faced before.....all this and they have survived and thrived. Quite an inspiring saga of man's believe in his God and himself.
On Saturday, we were all up early and off to the Expo flea market, a very large
gathering of vendors at the state fair gounds,to look for native bargains. We found so much of stone and turquoise and silver jewelry and all of us couldn't resist the urge to purchase.
I also found Navajo chachino dolls, each named for a hunter and signed and numbered by the native Americans who make them. Some of them had to be mine. They spoke to me.
We had planned to all come back to the R V's and have a large lunch/dinner and then leave for Old Town in the late afternoon. As the time approached we started falling out because we are all so tired.
The fatigue of going out exploring every day for three weeks had caught up with all of us, so we snuggled in and stayed put. We want to see and do and go and experience everything , but we are seniors and also need to recoup our energy from time to time.
But we know that two more months stretch out before us and we have to learn to take time to rest so we can see it all.....what a dream of a trip. It has been an education in our country, our fellow Americans,our highway system, and varied cultures. How else can you experience if you don't see it and feel it.
Off to Durango/Cortez and Mesa Verde, higher mountains,and the Silverton/Durango train. We are going to do it all.......but first to bed and some sleep and we will take an extra handful of vitamins.
Friday, May 23, 2008
The WEST...we are here
And on the 15 th day, we saw it.....the West. Leaving Amarillo and crossing the New Mexico border on Sunday morning, we were all really excited to see the first signs of the West. Coming over a hill, we were amazed to see the vistas we had been expecting suddenly appear in our large windows.
The pink and grey mesas, the snow capped mountains, the grasslands, and the open sky all there in front of us. We were here at last here. all the driving, the traffic, the hookups, the gasoline fill ups, the campgrounds, the maps and directories, the planning, the anticipation.....now a reality.
We were so excited we started calling each other on the cell phones and walkie talkies and screaming "We made it...we are here".
Now, I know how the pioneers felt when after months of hardships they finally
reached their peaceful valley. We certainly haven't suffered in our expensive motor homes with their convection ovens and flat screen T V's as those brave people did, but we were every bit as excited.
We have another two wonderful months ahead of us to experience the whole West and it's wonders and we have just begun.
Each mile, we were getting more into the scenery, in the distance the mesas and mountains were all around us and way off to the right were majestic snow capped peaks, ringed in clouds.
It was all getting closer as we approached Albuquerque, we suddenly saw stretched before us a huge city and to the right of us Sandia Peak, 10,600 feet of rocky beauty reaching for the sky.
Our campground was on the west side of the city and on a high ridge, giving us a gorgeous view of the city below as we drove out each day for our adventures
When we pulled in and realized what there was to do here, we were thrilled to know we had planned a whole week here to explore this very exciting region.
The first realization when exploring the city is that everything is BROWN, all the houses, the public buildings,the overpasses, the rocks, the grass, the ground..... Brown.
The houses are mostly square adobe and with a flat roof. There are very few trees, lots of low bushes, and no flowers to speak of. Very few pools are visible, but most back yards are fenced in. It is totally different in every way.
It is very dry and we are all drinking bottles of water every day. There seems to be a constant wind and with that, blowing sand. No humidity.
Monday, we went up to the top of Sandia peak and there was snow and the most gorgeous view ever. We were two miles high and we could see 11,000 square miles and below us the Rio Grande valley.
The world's longest tramway offers a ride to the top, but none of us felt that brave, so we drove up. The ride up on a twisting curvy road was worth the view which you could really only duplicate in the cockpit of a plane.
On the next day, some of us went to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, and then we had lunch and shopped in Old Town, a Spanish area of the city founded 300 years ago and hosting hundreds of art galleries, restaurants, and shops.
Wednesday, we all went to Santa Fe, the oldest state capitol in the nation, and a jewel of Spanish culture and Western art. A huge artist colony, it is home to some of the country's most famous painters and crafters.
We had a great day exploring the shops and watching the blossoms of the cotton wood trees gently float to the ground and cover every thing as snowflakes.
Both Santa Fe and Albuquerque have wonderful old town plazas which have preserved the Spanish architecture, historical old cathedrals, museums, and the atmosphere of the old West.
We have much to do in our last three days.....tours of museums, pueblos, and even a flea market, but the weather has turned awful and so we will find it difficult to drive in the high winds and the rain.
There was even a snow advisory west of us in Gallop. The strong winds have been up to 50 mph gusts and the RV has been rocking for three days. There is no relief in sight until Sunday when we leave, so these next three days might be spent playing cards and watching TV.
But it is a magical region of our country and one I will always remember with
awe. Durango/Cortez our next stops. The trip of a lifetime continues to be all we had hoped for.
The pink and grey mesas, the snow capped mountains, the grasslands, and the open sky all there in front of us. We were here at last here. all the driving, the traffic, the hookups, the gasoline fill ups, the campgrounds, the maps and directories, the planning, the anticipation.....now a reality.
We were so excited we started calling each other on the cell phones and walkie talkies and screaming "We made it...we are here".
Now, I know how the pioneers felt when after months of hardships they finally
reached their peaceful valley. We certainly haven't suffered in our expensive motor homes with their convection ovens and flat screen T V's as those brave people did, but we were every bit as excited.
We have another two wonderful months ahead of us to experience the whole West and it's wonders and we have just begun.
Each mile, we were getting more into the scenery, in the distance the mesas and mountains were all around us and way off to the right were majestic snow capped peaks, ringed in clouds.
It was all getting closer as we approached Albuquerque, we suddenly saw stretched before us a huge city and to the right of us Sandia Peak, 10,600 feet of rocky beauty reaching for the sky.
Our campground was on the west side of the city and on a high ridge, giving us a gorgeous view of the city below as we drove out each day for our adventures
When we pulled in and realized what there was to do here, we were thrilled to know we had planned a whole week here to explore this very exciting region.
The first realization when exploring the city is that everything is BROWN, all the houses, the public buildings,the overpasses, the rocks, the grass, the ground..... Brown.
The houses are mostly square adobe and with a flat roof. There are very few trees, lots of low bushes, and no flowers to speak of. Very few pools are visible, but most back yards are fenced in. It is totally different in every way.
It is very dry and we are all drinking bottles of water every day. There seems to be a constant wind and with that, blowing sand. No humidity.
Monday, we went up to the top of Sandia peak and there was snow and the most gorgeous view ever. We were two miles high and we could see 11,000 square miles and below us the Rio Grande valley.
The world's longest tramway offers a ride to the top, but none of us felt that brave, so we drove up. The ride up on a twisting curvy road was worth the view which you could really only duplicate in the cockpit of a plane.
On the next day, some of us went to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, and then we had lunch and shopped in Old Town, a Spanish area of the city founded 300 years ago and hosting hundreds of art galleries, restaurants, and shops.
Wednesday, we all went to Santa Fe, the oldest state capitol in the nation, and a jewel of Spanish culture and Western art. A huge artist colony, it is home to some of the country's most famous painters and crafters.
We had a great day exploring the shops and watching the blossoms of the cotton wood trees gently float to the ground and cover every thing as snowflakes.
Both Santa Fe and Albuquerque have wonderful old town plazas which have preserved the Spanish architecture, historical old cathedrals, museums, and the atmosphere of the old West.
We have much to do in our last three days.....tours of museums, pueblos, and even a flea market, but the weather has turned awful and so we will find it difficult to drive in the high winds and the rain.
There was even a snow advisory west of us in Gallop. The strong winds have been up to 50 mph gusts and the RV has been rocking for three days. There is no relief in sight until Sunday when we leave, so these next three days might be spent playing cards and watching TV.
But it is a magical region of our country and one I will always remember with
awe. Durango/Cortez our next stops. The trip of a lifetime continues to be all we had hoped for.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Route 66, The Mother Road
We left Oklahoma City for Amarillo, our next stop on the way West, but now we are actually on the fringe and we know it. It looks different.
We are driving on I 40, a major truck route East/West, and we see flat grasslands, huge cattle feeding lots, and the most interesting sight ever....acres of huge concrete poles and on top white funnel blades turning in the wind.
I have seen them on TV programs about alternative power sources but to see them in person is quite amazing. Science fiction movies of the 50's would have had used them as sentinels on the asteroid of Tron or some kind of defense system to shoot down Buck Roger's rocket ship. It was a unique sight.
Route 66, the Mother Road, connecting California to the East, the original U.S. highway system, it is the source of legend and folk lore. Pictures of motor courts, drive in theaters, hamburgers and root beer floats delivered to your car by a girl on roller skates, Indian souvenir shop shaped like Tee Pees, Corvettes and campers, and motorcycles, its all there , the American Road....Route 66.
Well even tough I 40 now has the traffic and only a small amount of the original highway has survived, it is still alive and well at the National Route 66 Museum in Elk City, Oklahoma.
So we had to stop and see for ourselves... after all that is what tourists do ..and we are tourists and we have to do what tourists do....TAKE PICTURES.
We spent a very interesting two hours there and enjoyed the museum and a film and then we had lunch in their parking lot in our wonderful motor homes and on to Amarillo.
Ft. Amarillo RV Park was unique. Each site has a wooden fence on either side, a concrete patio with new table and a little patch of grass with plants for each site in a sea of gravel .
The highlight, for me, was a deluxe 3000 square foot gift shop with a waterfall inside and a recreation building with a tornado shelter underneath...How cool.
Cadillac Ranch, post cards everywhere, it must be famous and it is only a mile away, ten cars buried upright in a field, we must see this. We go...we photograph..and we all wonder WHY? We look for a meaning, for a reason for doing something so stupid. But there is none. It's a tourist thing I guess.
Two days to relax, do laundry , dinner in our first Mexican restaurant,and we are ready to leave for Albuquerque....... and a week in the "Land Of Enchantment."
We are driving on I 40, a major truck route East/West, and we see flat grasslands, huge cattle feeding lots, and the most interesting sight ever....acres of huge concrete poles and on top white funnel blades turning in the wind.
I have seen them on TV programs about alternative power sources but to see them in person is quite amazing. Science fiction movies of the 50's would have had used them as sentinels on the asteroid of Tron or some kind of defense system to shoot down Buck Roger's rocket ship. It was a unique sight.
Route 66, the Mother Road, connecting California to the East, the original U.S. highway system, it is the source of legend and folk lore. Pictures of motor courts, drive in theaters, hamburgers and root beer floats delivered to your car by a girl on roller skates, Indian souvenir shop shaped like Tee Pees, Corvettes and campers, and motorcycles, its all there , the American Road....Route 66.
Well even tough I 40 now has the traffic and only a small amount of the original highway has survived, it is still alive and well at the National Route 66 Museum in Elk City, Oklahoma.
So we had to stop and see for ourselves... after all that is what tourists do ..and we are tourists and we have to do what tourists do....TAKE PICTURES.
We spent a very interesting two hours there and enjoyed the museum and a film and then we had lunch in their parking lot in our wonderful motor homes and on to Amarillo.
Ft. Amarillo RV Park was unique. Each site has a wooden fence on either side, a concrete patio with new table and a little patch of grass with plants for each site in a sea of gravel .
The highlight, for me, was a deluxe 3000 square foot gift shop with a waterfall inside and a recreation building with a tornado shelter underneath...How cool.
Cadillac Ranch, post cards everywhere, it must be famous and it is only a mile away, ten cars buried upright in a field, we must see this. We go...we photograph..and we all wonder WHY? We look for a meaning, for a reason for doing something so stupid. But there is none. It's a tourist thing I guess.
Two days to relax, do laundry , dinner in our first Mexican restaurant,and we are ready to leave for Albuquerque....... and a week in the "Land Of Enchantment."
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Oklahoma City.....a great surprise
What a wonderful surprise to me, Oklahoma City was not what I expected. It is sparkling, and sophisticated, and sprawling, and FUN. The museums are awesome and the reclaimed downtown area is intriguing. Travel is the great educator for all who look for the new and exciting and every day of this trip I find there are so many places I need to explore to have a true idea of our great nation.
Bricktown is a real jewel in the downtown center and has been restored for convention business with a large arena, a ballpark, and a canal which flows through it all and which features gorgeous bronze sculptures of the land rush with life size men and animals.
Boats carry you along the flowing canal and you are in the midst of restaurants and shops and history and wonderful fountains spilling over walls covered with paintings and mosaic art.
We are getting our first glimpse of Western culture and is it so exciting. The restored Stockyard area of downtown features restaurants and shops in what was once the largest cattle processing center of the West.
Oklahomans should be very proud of what their leaders have done to revitalize
their inner city. It was a treat for us as tourists and I am certain the residents love the ballpark and other venues this quarter has to offer.
But the highlight for me of our two day stay was our visit to The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, with it's fabulous collection of art, sculpture,and memorabilia of the American cowboy, pony soldier,scout, pioneer, and rancher.
Galleries of famous paintings and sculptures by Remington, Russell and many others
were expansive and beautifully presented. You expect this from a gallery of this caliber, but what amazed me were the rooms filled with samples of saddles, barbed wire, branding irons, chaps, hats, rodeo awards, and ropes. The finest collection of Western relics I could ever imagine.
There is a gallery dedicated to cowgirls and their gifts to the legend of this free spirited life style. Dating back to the early days, these were really liberated women and role models for today's young active women.
My favorite, by far, was the area dedicated to the Western stars of the movies with an exceptional collection of John Wayne props and clothes used in his many movies of this genre. The famous black hat and eye patch from "True Grit", the Union officer's uniform from "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" and so much more.
Jimmy Stewart,Randolph Scott, Walter Brennan, Tom Selleck, Gary Cooper, Roy Rogers and Gene Autry were also featured.
How many Saturday afternoons have I spent in a darken neighborhood theater watching them fight off the ravaging Indians or lead a wagon train of pioneers through perilous mountains? It was my childhood and a part of my DNA forever.
They taught me to look for humble courage and strength in kindness in the men in my life and for adventure in my world. Yep, pilgrim, I loved these men and their movies.
We left Oklahoma City with a different idea of what she is all about and what she has become. What a great city.
Tomorrow...on to Amarillo.
Bricktown is a real jewel in the downtown center and has been restored for convention business with a large arena, a ballpark, and a canal which flows through it all and which features gorgeous bronze sculptures of the land rush with life size men and animals.
Boats carry you along the flowing canal and you are in the midst of restaurants and shops and history and wonderful fountains spilling over walls covered with paintings and mosaic art.
We are getting our first glimpse of Western culture and is it so exciting. The restored Stockyard area of downtown features restaurants and shops in what was once the largest cattle processing center of the West.
Oklahomans should be very proud of what their leaders have done to revitalize
their inner city. It was a treat for us as tourists and I am certain the residents love the ballpark and other venues this quarter has to offer.
But the highlight for me of our two day stay was our visit to The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, with it's fabulous collection of art, sculpture,and memorabilia of the American cowboy, pony soldier,scout, pioneer, and rancher.
Galleries of famous paintings and sculptures by Remington, Russell and many others
were expansive and beautifully presented. You expect this from a gallery of this caliber, but what amazed me were the rooms filled with samples of saddles, barbed wire, branding irons, chaps, hats, rodeo awards, and ropes. The finest collection of Western relics I could ever imagine.
There is a gallery dedicated to cowgirls and their gifts to the legend of this free spirited life style. Dating back to the early days, these were really liberated women and role models for today's young active women.
My favorite, by far, was the area dedicated to the Western stars of the movies with an exceptional collection of John Wayne props and clothes used in his many movies of this genre. The famous black hat and eye patch from "True Grit", the Union officer's uniform from "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" and so much more.
Jimmy Stewart,Randolph Scott, Walter Brennan, Tom Selleck, Gary Cooper, Roy Rogers and Gene Autry were also featured.
How many Saturday afternoons have I spent in a darken neighborhood theater watching them fight off the ravaging Indians or lead a wagon train of pioneers through perilous mountains? It was my childhood and a part of my DNA forever.
They taught me to look for humble courage and strength in kindness in the men in my life and for adventure in my world. Yep, pilgrim, I loved these men and their movies.
We left Oklahoma City with a different idea of what she is all about and what she has become. What a great city.
Tomorrow...on to Amarillo.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Branson, my kind of town
Our first week is over and we are starting our second in the beautiful setting of the Ozarks. We are camping at Table Rock State Park and have views of a huge lake and dam and rolling hills.
There is so much to do in Branson and we jumped right in. The first night we enjoyed Andy Williams at his Moon River theater and dinner at his restuarant next door. The show was delightful and he is a charming host and wonderful entertainer and the music was all of my favorites, bringing back so many memories of my " Days of Wine and Roses".
The middle of the first night, we were awakened by terrible winds shaking the RV and they lasted for an hour. I was terrified the roof was coming off and we would be blown into Kansas. Earlier in the day, we had passed an area in Arkansas which had just been hit by a tornado, so the pictures were fresh in my mind.
The next morning, we heard that several had touched down that night and killed 20 people in that area and caused a great amount of distruction in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Our second day was cool and sunny and we went to see another show, "the Spirit of the Dance", an Irish dance troupe, and it was so terrific. We also enjoyed site seeing and exploring the area.
Our third day, we all took the Branson Scenic Railway for a two hour lunch trip through the mountains. The diesel engines were vintage 1950's and so were the dome cars.How I love train travel and what a shame we don't have it as an alternative to flying. It is such a relaxing way to go somewhere.
Then it was on to the Showboat dinner cruise on the lake and a wonderful show. The lake is huge and man made when the dam was built.A very full day.
Last day, we rested shopped,and did laundry and enjoyed happy hour and a great dinner with a campfire.
We have had a great time in Branson and could have seem much more but we hit the high points and really want to come back someday. I can imagine the Fall is beautiful here and could be a future trip.
On to Oklahoma and Texas.........still living the dream.
There is so much to do in Branson and we jumped right in. The first night we enjoyed Andy Williams at his Moon River theater and dinner at his restuarant next door. The show was delightful and he is a charming host and wonderful entertainer and the music was all of my favorites, bringing back so many memories of my " Days of Wine and Roses".
The middle of the first night, we were awakened by terrible winds shaking the RV and they lasted for an hour. I was terrified the roof was coming off and we would be blown into Kansas. Earlier in the day, we had passed an area in Arkansas which had just been hit by a tornado, so the pictures were fresh in my mind.
The next morning, we heard that several had touched down that night and killed 20 people in that area and caused a great amount of distruction in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Our second day was cool and sunny and we went to see another show, "the Spirit of the Dance", an Irish dance troupe, and it was so terrific. We also enjoyed site seeing and exploring the area.
Our third day, we all took the Branson Scenic Railway for a two hour lunch trip through the mountains. The diesel engines were vintage 1950's and so were the dome cars.How I love train travel and what a shame we don't have it as an alternative to flying. It is such a relaxing way to go somewhere.
Then it was on to the Showboat dinner cruise on the lake and a wonderful show. The lake is huge and man made when the dam was built.A very full day.
Last day, we rested shopped,and did laundry and enjoyed happy hour and a great dinner with a campfire.
We have had a great time in Branson and could have seem much more but we hit the high points and really want to come back someday. I can imagine the Fall is beautiful here and could be a future trip.
On to Oklahoma and Texas.........still living the dream.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Mobile, Vicksburg, Little Rock...seeing the USA
Mobile, Al. .....Days 2 & 3
We enjoyed fried crab claws and seafood at a favored restuarant on Dolphin Island and one and a half days of gambling and getting into the routine of traveling as a group.
It is something to adjust to following other RV's and to keep a safe distance and yet not lose sight of the other rigs. You also have to coordinate rest stops, gasoline refueling stops, and pick areas large enough to accommodate all three rigs. We are learning every day.
Vicksburg, Ms.......Days 4 & 5
A beautiful historic city on the Mississippi River, Vicksburg is a jewel of the old South, with magnolias in bloom and fragrant jasmine blossoms everywhere.
Our campground belonged to the Ameristar Casino and Hotel . It was new with concrete pads and patios, wifi( a must for me) and shuttle service to the casino across the street on the river.
We enjoyed two days of sightseeing at the Vicksburg Battleground Park and learned so much about the 47 day siege which ended on July 4th, 1863, when Gen. U.S. Grant accepted the surrender of the city on the steps of the courthouse.
We visited the old courthouse and stood where the surrender took place and all around on the slate floor is the graffiti left by the Union soldiers on that fateful day. Their initials, company, and state names are still visible and a part of history which time cannot erase.
The highlight of the Civil War tour for me as seeing the Cairo, a Union ironclad ship, which was torpedoed and sunk in the river in 1863. She was raised from her watery grave in 1962 and rests, restored and forever enshrined in a museum along with many relics from her interior and the 13 canons she carried.
Each evening gambling was on our entertainment schedule but unfortunately none of us hit the jackpot, for if we had, the winner would have paid for the gasoline for all of us for the rest of the trip.
Gas is our single biggest expense and every week it goes higher and higher, so we are all hoping for a fairy godmother to come down and give us each a gas card.
Don't think it will happen, but one can hope.
Little Rock, Ak....Day 6
We crossed the bridge over the Mississippi and we were at last in the Mid West.
Driving the 150 miles to Little Rock, we enjoyed rolling fields of corn, already knee high,and acres of soy and wheat, many pecan groves, and the sight of grain elevators and a new look to the landscape.
From the moss draped oaks and pine we had been seeing on the first days of of trip, we now had dusty farm roads and acres of flat farming land on both sides of us.
Little Rock suddenly was in front of us and we were in a big city at rush hour and the driving took on a more frantic pace. We found our campground in a city park and enjoyed an evening in the forest with towering trees and peaceful quiet. Our dinner was on a picnic table under the shade of the trees and it was good to be done for the day.
Our first week is over and now we are ready to begin our second.......it is going so very fast, but don't all good things fly by? So it seems.
We enjoyed fried crab claws and seafood at a favored restuarant on Dolphin Island and one and a half days of gambling and getting into the routine of traveling as a group.
It is something to adjust to following other RV's and to keep a safe distance and yet not lose sight of the other rigs. You also have to coordinate rest stops, gasoline refueling stops, and pick areas large enough to accommodate all three rigs. We are learning every day.
Vicksburg, Ms.......Days 4 & 5
A beautiful historic city on the Mississippi River, Vicksburg is a jewel of the old South, with magnolias in bloom and fragrant jasmine blossoms everywhere.
Our campground belonged to the Ameristar Casino and Hotel . It was new with concrete pads and patios, wifi( a must for me) and shuttle service to the casino across the street on the river.
We enjoyed two days of sightseeing at the Vicksburg Battleground Park and learned so much about the 47 day siege which ended on July 4th, 1863, when Gen. U.S. Grant accepted the surrender of the city on the steps of the courthouse.
We visited the old courthouse and stood where the surrender took place and all around on the slate floor is the graffiti left by the Union soldiers on that fateful day. Their initials, company, and state names are still visible and a part of history which time cannot erase.
The highlight of the Civil War tour for me as seeing the Cairo, a Union ironclad ship, which was torpedoed and sunk in the river in 1863. She was raised from her watery grave in 1962 and rests, restored and forever enshrined in a museum along with many relics from her interior and the 13 canons she carried.
Each evening gambling was on our entertainment schedule but unfortunately none of us hit the jackpot, for if we had, the winner would have paid for the gasoline for all of us for the rest of the trip.
Gas is our single biggest expense and every week it goes higher and higher, so we are all hoping for a fairy godmother to come down and give us each a gas card.
Don't think it will happen, but one can hope.
Little Rock, Ak....Day 6
We crossed the bridge over the Mississippi and we were at last in the Mid West.
Driving the 150 miles to Little Rock, we enjoyed rolling fields of corn, already knee high,and acres of soy and wheat, many pecan groves, and the sight of grain elevators and a new look to the landscape.
From the moss draped oaks and pine we had been seeing on the first days of of trip, we now had dusty farm roads and acres of flat farming land on both sides of us.
Little Rock suddenly was in front of us and we were in a big city at rush hour and the driving took on a more frantic pace. We found our campground in a city park and enjoyed an evening in the forest with towering trees and peaceful quiet. Our dinner was on a picnic table under the shade of the trees and it was good to be done for the day.
Our first week is over and now we are ready to begin our second.......it is going so very fast, but don't all good things fly by? So it seems.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
on the road again
We left Sunday from the parking lot of our community recreation center with lots of hugs ,smiles,and good wishes from about fifty of our friends, neighbors , and members of our Happy Camper club, who were there to wave "goodbye".
Two of our chaplains said prayers for us and we felt blessed that they would take time on a Sunday to be there with us. We certainly need divine help to tackle a trip so long and complex.
As we turned North on to I 95 someone started to sing "On The Road Again" into the walkie talkie and we knew this was it, we were on our way at last, but the roar was even louder when we turned left three hours later on to I 10 and we realized we were finally heading WEST.
A long first day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and we finally pulled off the road and circled the wagons after driving 300 plus miles. Our first night was spent in a very large open field in a very basic campground, water, sewer, electric, that was it....no trees, no pool, no amenities at all.
But what is ambience to a Happy Camper? We can make our own. So we pulled out the tablecloth and put it on a very worn picnic table and then we set the plastic forks and spoons and plates in their places and we were ready for a great dinner complete with a champagne toast.
The ladies brought out Swiss steak, mashed potatoes, and salad for us all to enjoy and a toast was given to our first tonight of togetherness and a wonderful trip to come. Each heart was filled with gratitude for the good fortune which brought us together and for the promise of a wonderful summer of adventure.
It was a lovely evening and when the bugs began to bite, as they always do, we left for the comfort of our motorhomes and for our hot showers, to play cards, to watch TV or to read our email and I couldn't help wondering, what did those poor pioneers do with their nights?
This trip has been so long in the planning and now I know it will go by so fast and on the first evening I could see the last evening and how sorry I will be to have it over.
But living in the present, as we must, I went to bed early and enjoyed knowing we are living in the dream.
Two of our chaplains said prayers for us and we felt blessed that they would take time on a Sunday to be there with us. We certainly need divine help to tackle a trip so long and complex.
As we turned North on to I 95 someone started to sing "On The Road Again" into the walkie talkie and we knew this was it, we were on our way at last, but the roar was even louder when we turned left three hours later on to I 10 and we realized we were finally heading WEST.
A long first day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and we finally pulled off the road and circled the wagons after driving 300 plus miles. Our first night was spent in a very large open field in a very basic campground, water, sewer, electric, that was it....no trees, no pool, no amenities at all.
But what is ambience to a Happy Camper? We can make our own. So we pulled out the tablecloth and put it on a very worn picnic table and then we set the plastic forks and spoons and plates in their places and we were ready for a great dinner complete with a champagne toast.
The ladies brought out Swiss steak, mashed potatoes, and salad for us all to enjoy and a toast was given to our first tonight of togetherness and a wonderful trip to come. Each heart was filled with gratitude for the good fortune which brought us together and for the promise of a wonderful summer of adventure.
It was a lovely evening and when the bugs began to bite, as they always do, we left for the comfort of our motorhomes and for our hot showers, to play cards, to watch TV or to read our email and I couldn't help wondering, what did those poor pioneers do with their nights?
This trip has been so long in the planning and now I know it will go by so fast and on the first evening I could see the last evening and how sorry I will be to have it over.
But living in the present, as we must, I went to bed early and enjoyed knowing we are living in the dream.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
It's finally here.....wagons ho
After months of planning, of waiting, of researching, of dreaming, it is here, that long awaited day of departure, May 4th.
We leave in the morning at 9 a.m. from our clubhouse and we have invited the whole park to come and see us off. A chaplain will say a prayer and we will wave and off we go on our three/four month adventure. If you think this is over the top, you are right, but this is a once in a life time trip, so extreme measures are indicated. Break out the champagne and toast us, for we are off to see the USA.
Today, the three rigs were parked in front of each home and we scurried to and fro putting the house stuff into the motorhome and turning it into RV stuff. We put in food and clothes, (so many clothes), and lap tops and shoes, (so many shoes), and maps and directories, and insurance papers, and books,and games, and medications, and so on , and so on.
Now our RV's have taken on the look and feel of our homes and we know that we are ready to leave, because so much of our life is coming with us. The beauty of a big rig is that you can take everything you want to take and it fits. Well almost.
Friends have been stopping by all day with banana bread, cakes, cookies and
good wishes for a safe and happy trip. It seems most people would like to do this too if they had an RV, so this idea must be on quite a few "bucket lists" I know it has been on ours for years and now it is almost a reality.
We three families are so fortunate to be able to go and we are so grateful to God we have the health and time and the resources. We don't take this for granted and we know how lucky we are.
I hope I have thought of everything I needed to think of, because in a few hours the engines will start, the tow cars will be hooked up, the farewells said, and as we look in the rear view mirror and see a group of smiling faces and waving hands, we will be " on the road again" and I even have the Willie Nelson cd ready to play.
Wish you could come along....but then you can. Just check our blog and we will try to give you a feel of life on the road with the Geritol campers. We have great expectations for fun and we know it will be a special memory we will have for a long, long time. Off to bed, tomorrow is just eight short hours away.
We leave in the morning at 9 a.m. from our clubhouse and we have invited the whole park to come and see us off. A chaplain will say a prayer and we will wave and off we go on our three/four month adventure. If you think this is over the top, you are right, but this is a once in a life time trip, so extreme measures are indicated. Break out the champagne and toast us, for we are off to see the USA.
Today, the three rigs were parked in front of each home and we scurried to and fro putting the house stuff into the motorhome and turning it into RV stuff. We put in food and clothes, (so many clothes), and lap tops and shoes, (so many shoes), and maps and directories, and insurance papers, and books,and games, and medications, and so on , and so on.
Now our RV's have taken on the look and feel of our homes and we know that we are ready to leave, because so much of our life is coming with us. The beauty of a big rig is that you can take everything you want to take and it fits. Well almost.
Friends have been stopping by all day with banana bread, cakes, cookies and
good wishes for a safe and happy trip. It seems most people would like to do this too if they had an RV, so this idea must be on quite a few "bucket lists" I know it has been on ours for years and now it is almost a reality.
We three families are so fortunate to be able to go and we are so grateful to God we have the health and time and the resources. We don't take this for granted and we know how lucky we are.
I hope I have thought of everything I needed to think of, because in a few hours the engines will start, the tow cars will be hooked up, the farewells said, and as we look in the rear view mirror and see a group of smiling faces and waving hands, we will be " on the road again" and I even have the Willie Nelson cd ready to play.
Wish you could come along....but then you can. Just check our blog and we will try to give you a feel of life on the road with the Geritol campers. We have great expectations for fun and we know it will be a special memory we will have for a long, long time. Off to bed, tomorrow is just eight short hours away.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Destination Adventure
I have told you why we are going and who is going and today I want to tell you where we are going.
When we started planning this trip last Fall, our goals were to see as much of the West as possible, so we started looking at destinations. Soon we realized it is a really huge area and we only have so much time and of course , so much money. So we decided to try to find hub areas and to park there for a week at a time and take the tow cars and explore.
This was great reasoning and now that the gas prices are climbing ever skyward, it makes more sense than ever to stick to it. So here is our itinerary.
Tallahassee Fl. ; Mobile, Al.; Vicksburg, Ms.; Little Rock, Ark.; Branson, Mo.; our first hub and we will be there five days to enjoy the shows and the area.
Oklahoma City, Ok.; Amarillo, Tx.; and then to Albuquerque, N.M.; our second hub and here we will stay a week and try to see Santa Fe and all the many things in this region.
Durango , Co for a week and we will do the cliff dewellings at Mesa Verde and the Silverton train ride;
Gallop, N.M.: Williams, Az. for a week and we will do Sedona and the Grand Canyon.
Las Vegas, Nv. for a week and then we will head north to Utah and the great national parks , Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Arches for another week.
Salt Lake City, Ut. and then to the Tetons for a week and on to Yellowstone for a week.
Cody, Wy. and then to Rapid City, S.D. and stay there a week to see Mt. Rushmore, Custer State Park, Deadwood,and then on to the Badlands and Mitchell, S.D.
We then start to break up as a group and some will go to Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, and
New York and begin visits with family and friends. We will all come back at various times in August and September to the Florida heat.
Ambitious, yes. I also know when we have so much to see and do, we will not want to leave an area, but to try to accomplish this schedule, we will have to make the most of each day and this great opportunity and stick to it , so that we can get it all in the 80 days we have alloted for this adventure.
Hundreds of pictures will be taken and many emails will be sent and I hope you will read my blog, for I will try to post often. If we can share this experience with you and you can see through our eyes the wonder of the West, it will be an even greater trip for us.
Only a week to go. We leave Sunday , May 4th at 9 a.m. Come on along with us. There is plenty of room around the campfire for you.
When we started planning this trip last Fall, our goals were to see as much of the West as possible, so we started looking at destinations. Soon we realized it is a really huge area and we only have so much time and of course , so much money. So we decided to try to find hub areas and to park there for a week at a time and take the tow cars and explore.
This was great reasoning and now that the gas prices are climbing ever skyward, it makes more sense than ever to stick to it. So here is our itinerary.
Tallahassee Fl. ; Mobile, Al.; Vicksburg, Ms.; Little Rock, Ark.; Branson, Mo.; our first hub and we will be there five days to enjoy the shows and the area.
Oklahoma City, Ok.; Amarillo, Tx.; and then to Albuquerque, N.M.; our second hub and here we will stay a week and try to see Santa Fe and all the many things in this region.
Durango , Co for a week and we will do the cliff dewellings at Mesa Verde and the Silverton train ride;
Gallop, N.M.: Williams, Az. for a week and we will do Sedona and the Grand Canyon.
Las Vegas, Nv. for a week and then we will head north to Utah and the great national parks , Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Arches for another week.
Salt Lake City, Ut. and then to the Tetons for a week and on to Yellowstone for a week.
Cody, Wy. and then to Rapid City, S.D. and stay there a week to see Mt. Rushmore, Custer State Park, Deadwood,and then on to the Badlands and Mitchell, S.D.
We then start to break up as a group and some will go to Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, and
New York and begin visits with family and friends. We will all come back at various times in August and September to the Florida heat.
Ambitious, yes. I also know when we have so much to see and do, we will not want to leave an area, but to try to accomplish this schedule, we will have to make the most of each day and this great opportunity and stick to it , so that we can get it all in the 80 days we have alloted for this adventure.
Hundreds of pictures will be taken and many emails will be sent and I hope you will read my blog, for I will try to post often. If we can share this experience with you and you can see through our eyes the wonder of the West, it will be an even greater trip for us.
Only a week to go. We leave Sunday , May 4th at 9 a.m. Come on along with us. There is plenty of room around the campfire for you.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Excitement is in the air.
We meet at the clubhouse for functions and we can talk of nothing else but our big trip. We get together at each other's houses and the conversation is all about gas mileage, things to see on the trek, campgrounds, etc.
Only three weeks from tomorrow and we leave. Can it be? My lists are growing longer and I have a list of my lists. The budget keeps coming up and it keeps getting larger as the gas prices continue to rise and we keep adding Must Sees to our wish lists.
We met this week to discuss menus and we plan to eat our evening meals together when in camp and that will help with our budget. Helen (Martha Stewart) and Mary have some great meals planned and all are quick and easy to prepare.
We are all on our own for breakfast and lunch each day and days we are touring we will probably eat lunch out for our main meal. We have all sorts of cooking
equipment and plenty of paper plates to keep the work load down and lots of crockpots and grills for simple preparation of tasty meals for seven people.
We have come up with a driving plan of sorts. Every day we will have a new leader and he or she will be responsible for the map, getting us their together and safely.
We will have a drivers meeting each night and go over the next days' trip.
We will have a line of sight plan in which the second RV will have the first in sight and the third RV will have the second in sight. Commuication will be with walkie talkies and cell phones and should there be any trouble we can be in contact immediately with the other rigs.
We each will have a AAA trip tik so we will all be on the same page and the driving days should be smooth and safe. We plan to leave between 9 and 9:30am each morning and stop by 3pm each afternoon. Our schedule calls for no more than 300 miles a day and we have campground reservations at most of the stops and will fill in the others as we travel, so there should be few surprises of arriving and not having a place to park.
Now, that is in a perfect world and we know we will not be living in one, but we are trying to start out with a plan and hopefully the traffic jams, detours, breakdowns , and over sleeping will be minimal.
Our lady drivers, Helen and Joan, have been practicing daily in the parking lot of an empty super market. They are also now driving their motorhome with their new tow car attached, trying to get used to the feeling of pulling something behind them.
We have had the carpets cleaned. the oil changed and the tires checked in the rigs and they are spruced up and ready to receive all the mountians of clothes and other "can't leave behind stuff" we will be taking with us.
Excitement in the air and so is panic. Anticipation, fear of the unknown, joy, giddy laughter, and apprehension are there as well. Certainly regret that we might only have this one Western adventure but total determination to enjoy each day and each moonlit campfire to the fullest and to build a memory which will take us into the uncertain "golden years" which lie ahead.
As my father always told me, "old age ain't for sissies, darling",so I am sure he is very proud looking down on me preparing for the adventure of my lifetime as we prepare to go into the West.
We meet at the clubhouse for functions and we can talk of nothing else but our big trip. We get together at each other's houses and the conversation is all about gas mileage, things to see on the trek, campgrounds, etc.
Only three weeks from tomorrow and we leave. Can it be? My lists are growing longer and I have a list of my lists. The budget keeps coming up and it keeps getting larger as the gas prices continue to rise and we keep adding Must Sees to our wish lists.
We met this week to discuss menus and we plan to eat our evening meals together when in camp and that will help with our budget. Helen (Martha Stewart) and Mary have some great meals planned and all are quick and easy to prepare.
We are all on our own for breakfast and lunch each day and days we are touring we will probably eat lunch out for our main meal. We have all sorts of cooking
equipment and plenty of paper plates to keep the work load down and lots of crockpots and grills for simple preparation of tasty meals for seven people.
We have come up with a driving plan of sorts. Every day we will have a new leader and he or she will be responsible for the map, getting us their together and safely.
We will have a drivers meeting each night and go over the next days' trip.
We will have a line of sight plan in which the second RV will have the first in sight and the third RV will have the second in sight. Commuication will be with walkie talkies and cell phones and should there be any trouble we can be in contact immediately with the other rigs.
We each will have a AAA trip tik so we will all be on the same page and the driving days should be smooth and safe. We plan to leave between 9 and 9:30am each morning and stop by 3pm each afternoon. Our schedule calls for no more than 300 miles a day and we have campground reservations at most of the stops and will fill in the others as we travel, so there should be few surprises of arriving and not having a place to park.
Now, that is in a perfect world and we know we will not be living in one, but we are trying to start out with a plan and hopefully the traffic jams, detours, breakdowns , and over sleeping will be minimal.
Our lady drivers, Helen and Joan, have been practicing daily in the parking lot of an empty super market. They are also now driving their motorhome with their new tow car attached, trying to get used to the feeling of pulling something behind them.
We have had the carpets cleaned. the oil changed and the tires checked in the rigs and they are spruced up and ready to receive all the mountians of clothes and other "can't leave behind stuff" we will be taking with us.
Excitement in the air and so is panic. Anticipation, fear of the unknown, joy, giddy laughter, and apprehension are there as well. Certainly regret that we might only have this one Western adventure but total determination to enjoy each day and each moonlit campfire to the fullest and to build a memory which will take us into the uncertain "golden years" which lie ahead.
As my father always told me, "old age ain't for sissies, darling",so I am sure he is very proud looking down on me preparing for the adventure of my lifetime as we prepare to go into the West.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Meet the Happy Campers
Only 32 days until we leave and the past month has been very busy for all of us. We went to Lazy Days Rally Park in Tampa for a wonderful weekend of camping with eighteen members of our Happy Campers Club and enjoyed a Taste of Tampa.
A tour of Ybor City and many fun days and nights with the club and many other RV'ers from all over the country was organized by Lazy Days, which is the largest RV dealer in the nation and which was held at their own campground adjacent to their huge faciity.
Seven of our lady Happy Campers took the co pilot driving course and found themselves behind the wheel of a 36 foot, $300,000 diesel pusher motor home. They took a two hour class and then had an opportunity to drive the RV around the campground with their instructor at their side.
I can't imagine what courage it took to do that. I was, as you guessed, not one of the seven but now they can take over on the road should something happen to their spouses while driving.
We also had three members of our group buy new RV's from Lazy Days and picked them up while there.
Two of the group going out West bought new motorhomes from Lazy Days and all the owners took the course, so our rigs will be new and ready for our big adventure.
Who is going?
I don't think I have said who our Westward Ho adventurers are, so here goes.
One couple, Mary and Ken, from New York are old campers from way back. They have a new 36 foot, class A and have traveled the Eastern coast many times, but have never been as far West as we are planning to explore. They have five children and many grandchildren and Mary is an excellent cook and organizer.
The second rig is driven by Helen , a widow and new RV owner, having only started camping during the last year, first with a tent, then with a new 21 ft. class C, and now with a 31 ft. class C. She decided she loved camping and moved up quickly.
She is quite a free spirit. The type of woman who never meets a problem, always an opportunity. She is brave and determined and will be the spark we all need to get over that next mountain.
We call her Martha Stewart, because she can produce a full dinner for 10 people, from
a couple of cans and a loaf of bread. She already has menus planned for us all and teams to cook them. We will eat well during the three months we are on the road with Martha, I mean Helen.
Then there are Helen's passengers, Tom and Joan, who will traveling with her and doing some of the driving for her. They are veteran campers having owned many rigs, but who have been out of it for a few years. But the call of the road is strong and they are ready to go on this new adventure.
We have a 36 ft. class A and have been RVing since 2000 and this is our third rig, a 2004 Pace Arrow and a beauty.
So those are our Happy Campers and we are getting more excited with each passing day.
A tour of Ybor City and many fun days and nights with the club and many other RV'ers from all over the country was organized by Lazy Days, which is the largest RV dealer in the nation and which was held at their own campground adjacent to their huge faciity.
Seven of our lady Happy Campers took the co pilot driving course and found themselves behind the wheel of a 36 foot, $300,000 diesel pusher motor home. They took a two hour class and then had an opportunity to drive the RV around the campground with their instructor at their side.
I can't imagine what courage it took to do that. I was, as you guessed, not one of the seven but now they can take over on the road should something happen to their spouses while driving.
We also had three members of our group buy new RV's from Lazy Days and picked them up while there.
Two of the group going out West bought new motorhomes from Lazy Days and all the owners took the course, so our rigs will be new and ready for our big adventure.
Who is going?
I don't think I have said who our Westward Ho adventurers are, so here goes.
One couple, Mary and Ken, from New York are old campers from way back. They have a new 36 foot, class A and have traveled the Eastern coast many times, but have never been as far West as we are planning to explore. They have five children and many grandchildren and Mary is an excellent cook and organizer.
The second rig is driven by Helen , a widow and new RV owner, having only started camping during the last year, first with a tent, then with a new 21 ft. class C, and now with a 31 ft. class C. She decided she loved camping and moved up quickly.
She is quite a free spirit. The type of woman who never meets a problem, always an opportunity. She is brave and determined and will be the spark we all need to get over that next mountain.
We call her Martha Stewart, because she can produce a full dinner for 10 people, from
a couple of cans and a loaf of bread. She already has menus planned for us all and teams to cook them. We will eat well during the three months we are on the road with Martha, I mean Helen.
Then there are Helen's passengers, Tom and Joan, who will traveling with her and doing some of the driving for her. They are veteran campers having owned many rigs, but who have been out of it for a few years. But the call of the road is strong and they are ready to go on this new adventure.
We have a 36 ft. class A and have been RVing since 2000 and this is our third rig, a 2004 Pace Arrow and a beauty.
So those are our Happy Campers and we are getting more excited with each passing day.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Getting organized for a trip of this length is keeping me up at night. Lists, Lists, Lists. They are everywhere. Medications, we are all on so many. Mail, how to keep it going to the right places and bills how to get them paid. Who will look out for the house, for the yard, for our life here at home, while we are exploring?
It is a puzzle, but we are all working out the pieces and hopefully in seven weeks when we form up the caravan and drive off into the sunrise, we will have a clear and definite plan to address all of the aforementioned problems.
Then there is the budget. They always say if you have to worry about gasoline prices, you shouldn't buy an RV, but when we bought ours, a gallon wasn't pushing $3.50 a gallon. Now it is a concern. Towing a car we will get only 8 miles to the gallon and I would say filling up that 75 gallon tank daily is going to cause everyone some second thoughts.
So we have decided to get to a central destination, unhook, and take our little tow cars exploring, therefore minimizing the gas we need. We have several stays of seven days and will try to see as much of the area as possible in each of these regions.
Reading and researching, we realize there is more to see and explore than any human could in one short trip. It would take a lifetime to do the West justice and absorb all the beauty and mystery of this awesome region, but we will go as much as we can go and do as much as we can do.
Seventy years of living has tought me to live in the moment and enjoy each day to the fullest and hopefully we will all stay healthy and be able to mazimize our time on this trip of a lifetime. How fortunate we all are that God has given us this wonderful opportunity.
Got to go and make more lists.
It is a puzzle, but we are all working out the pieces and hopefully in seven weeks when we form up the caravan and drive off into the sunrise, we will have a clear and definite plan to address all of the aforementioned problems.
Then there is the budget. They always say if you have to worry about gasoline prices, you shouldn't buy an RV, but when we bought ours, a gallon wasn't pushing $3.50 a gallon. Now it is a concern. Towing a car we will get only 8 miles to the gallon and I would say filling up that 75 gallon tank daily is going to cause everyone some second thoughts.
So we have decided to get to a central destination, unhook, and take our little tow cars exploring, therefore minimizing the gas we need. We have several stays of seven days and will try to see as much of the area as possible in each of these regions.
Reading and researching, we realize there is more to see and explore than any human could in one short trip. It would take a lifetime to do the West justice and absorb all the beauty and mystery of this awesome region, but we will go as much as we can go and do as much as we can do.
Seventy years of living has tought me to live in the moment and enjoy each day to the fullest and hopefully we will all stay healthy and be able to mazimize our time on this trip of a lifetime. How fortunate we all are that God has given us this wonderful opportunity.
Got to go and make more lists.
Monday, March 10, 2008
We all are retired and over 60 years young. We own motorhomes and each of us have wanted to take a trip to our nation's glorius West. We live in a 55 plus community and are active in many endeavors, but travel is something which means so much to all of us. To see the wonders of the West has always been our dream, so we decided to do it.
Why we decided to do it this year with sky rocketing gas prices and falling stock portfolios, is a mystery, but at our ages we don't have the luxury of time. so we decided to just DO IT.
We all belong to an RV club called the " Happy Campers "and we go out each month with other members and enjoy their company and good times and we are blessed to be friends, so we decided, it is OUR time. It will be more comfortable to tour with a group and there is a safety and a comfort in traveling with friends.
We started planning the trip for two months, but as we talked and found more and more places to explore, the trip got longer and longer and is now up to 80 days and over 5000 miles.
We have the challenge of living in Florida, so it will take us quite a few days to get to the West,
so on the way we decided to take in some of the things we each want to see. We all agreed on
Branson, Missouri as our first long stay, so we will head there first and take in the shows.
We are now meeting to make reservations in the more popular places and right now we have Branson, Yellowstone, some of the national parks in Utah and Las Vegas made. We have identified campgrounds we think we would enjoy from the many directories we have and each of us has a note book filled with places we want to see , campgrounds, and maps. Lots of maps.
How did our fore fathers do it without all of this preparation. They just got in the wagons , hired some one who looked like John Wayne to be the trail master and off they went.
Why we decided to do it this year with sky rocketing gas prices and falling stock portfolios, is a mystery, but at our ages we don't have the luxury of time. so we decided to just DO IT.
We all belong to an RV club called the " Happy Campers "and we go out each month with other members and enjoy their company and good times and we are blessed to be friends, so we decided, it is OUR time. It will be more comfortable to tour with a group and there is a safety and a comfort in traveling with friends.
We started planning the trip for two months, but as we talked and found more and more places to explore, the trip got longer and longer and is now up to 80 days and over 5000 miles.
We have the challenge of living in Florida, so it will take us quite a few days to get to the West,
so on the way we decided to take in some of the things we each want to see. We all agreed on
Branson, Missouri as our first long stay, so we will head there first and take in the shows.
We are now meeting to make reservations in the more popular places and right now we have Branson, Yellowstone, some of the national parks in Utah and Las Vegas made. We have identified campgrounds we think we would enjoy from the many directories we have and each of us has a note book filled with places we want to see , campgrounds, and maps. Lots of maps.
How did our fore fathers do it without all of this preparation. They just got in the wagons , hired some one who looked like John Wayne to be the trail master and off they went.
Welcome to the adventure of a life time.
This is my blog which will be coming from our Westward Ho trip. A 80 day trek into the west by three elderly couples, driving very large motorhomes, a vitual wagon train with flat screen tv's and convection ovens.
We leave on this adventure on May 4,2008, so stay in touch as we prepare and for our trip.
We leave on this adventure on May 4,2008, so stay in touch as we prepare and for our trip.
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