Vegas

     So we had a little taste of easy living with a great pool and really warm weather. We got our RV and truck washed with a service that comes to your campsite. The old rig hasn't looked so good for a long time. We found RV wash places in Alaska at the campgrounds, but had not found one this trip. It is great to see out the windows again.

     Our afternoon was spent lazing around the pool. It was so relaxing and we both have been reading some great books including the Nevada Barr about Yosemite which visits many sites that we saw. It is fun to be "in the know."

     Our evening was spent on the Vegas Strip. First having a quick supper and then going to see The Blue Man Group. I think I will be able to hear again sometime soon and have almost all of the toilet paper out of my hair. Really it was great fun. Afterwards we walked around a little and saw the gondolas at the Venetian and some of the great water show. There is much that we did not have time to see and really think that we will be returning to stay for a few days without the RV.

Hoover Dam

     It was only a short drive (175 miles) to our new home in Oasis Las Vegas - a RV Resort! It is conveniently located on the edge of town, but really just off the end of the Strip - takes about 10 minutes to get to the south edge of the strip.
     Our drive was non-eventful except for the comment that California needs to put some tax money into Rest Stops. So many of them are closed that we saw any number of cars and trucks stopped along the freeway taking a pee break. Then when we got into Nevada the "Welcome to Nevada" stop was closed as well. However there are plenty of casinos with really big parking lots at all the exits so we just pulled off for a few minutes and used our own bathroom.
     Since we got to Vegas early we went off to visit Hoover Dam. WOW! Besides being amazing the new highway bridge that is being built so that folks don't need to drive on the top of the dam is amazing too. We were told that since each car needs to be checked before crossing the dam that there is sometimes a 3 hour backup on holiday weekends to get through the security check. The security folks at the dam tour confiscated Rick's 1 1/2" pocket knife so that we wouldn't stab a guard and take over the dam - Really! Our tour took us into the tunnels beneath the dam. Very cool - literally - since the air is cooled by the Colorado river water which is about 58.
     Then out for a really nice Italian dinner - the third meal out in 3 weeks. What a luxury. Then we looked for a grocery store but gave it up. I don't think that folks here eat at home. We will try again tomorrow.

Out of the Mountains

     Our itinerary says that today we were going to go to Lake Isabella.  However, after reviewing the trucker's bible on mountain passes, we decided not to go. All roads to this area which also has some of the huge sequoias appear to be really hazardous. One said that the rocks stick out so far on the side of the road that almost all RVs and trucks end up with some damage. No thank you.

     So we headed off to Barstow, California. First we had to wriggle our way out of our tight campsite. Rick was a magician and with only a couple of adjustments to get lined up with the RV and hitched, he carefully pulled out between the rocks and trees and we were free. However, we were told that our spare tire was wiggly and so we needed to get it snugged up before taking off.
    Our drive took us across the Mojave desert and past Edwards Air Force base. We saw a mine as we drove along and I suggested that it must be Borax. Only folks of a certain age would remember 20 Mule Team Borax from the TV show Death Valley Days. Well shortly we came across the "20 Mule Team Road" and then a sign which told us that indeed the mine was Borax.
     We had two big firsts today - It hit over 100 degrees and we started driving East. We are officially on our way home! Our campground is a KOA with some shade trees and a nice pool so we had a cool swim in the early evening. Really nice. Tomorrow Las Vegas.

Kings Canyon

     Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are adjacent to each other with a mixture of National Forest areas in between. All the areas have Sequoias, but Kings Canyon also has a huge, deep canyon with high granite walls on both sides. Most of the parks, like Yosemite, are wilderness areas accessible only by backpacking.

     As we set off to Kings Canyon from Sequoia we could tell that the smoke had increased. The Sierra Mountains already are pretty full of smog from the coastal cities, but the ongoing fire in a portion of the park really added to the lack of visibility. We drove through the worst of it with our air conditioner on recycle so that most of the smoke was kept out.
     There are several smaller Sequoia Groves in Kings Canyon and we toured them and then went off to see the canyon. There were more and more winding roads, no guard rails and steep ups and downs. I am done with the thrill of wondering every minute if I am going to plunge to my death over a steep embankment. Give me some flat!
     We had another cool evening with a great campfire. It gets dark early in the mountains. We have also noticed how quiet it is. I think that the huge spaces sort of absorb any noise and all we hear is the wind in the trees. It is just beautiful.

Tight squeeze at LodgePole campground

     So we got assigned a new campsite that we could keep for two more days and had to move our RV to a spot that is shorter AND there were three big trees and a bunch of huge rocks to navigate around. The trees wanted to grab the sides of the RV and the rocks kept us from moving forward and back. However, the great Parker got it in within 20 minutes of careful juggling.

     LodgePole is in the middle of the park and it was only a short drive to the Giant Grove of sequoias including the tree named General Sherman. It is impossible to describe the size of these guys. They are built thick and tall. They start by growing quite high in the first years and then after getting to be tall they get thicker and thicker for thousands of years. One of them had a tunnel in it that we drove through. It is hard to believe until you are right up next to them that they can be that big.
    At the end of the afternoon we climbed Moro Rock. It is 313' up stairs and ramps to the top. I should say that I climbed about 2/3 of it and gave up gasping for smoky air, and Rick kept on to the top. Both of us had an amazing view of the valley.
     When we returned to our campground we found it full of weekend campers in tents. Big families enjoying the park. I was happy that the parks are so well used, but really liked it without 10 hours of music from the radio at the campsite next to ours. We have also noticed many Germans traveling. Rick talked to one lady who said they were on a six week vacation through the American West. I would like to see the websites they use to plan the RV rentals and all the campground reservations. It is fun to share this great scenery with them.

Smoky Sequoia National Park

     Many adventures today. We drove on California freeways during the week and found there to be pretty polite drivers and lots of truck traffic, but overall OK. By the time we got through Fresno and back off the freeway Rick was tired. Then the road started climbing and climbing. From under 1000’ up 7000’. Part of it was so steep and continuous we needed to pull over and let the transmission fluid cool. Many steep drop-offs and no guard rails. The last part of the drive was in Sequoia National park and I noticed that we were driving into the clouds – only the clouds were smoke! We saw a lot of forest fire trucks and such and believed that it was a fire set to manage the undergrowth. However when we got to the Visitor Center we found out that it is a fire that has been burning in the park for about 10 days and is about 90 percent contained and should be out by Tuesday.
     Fortunately after driving through very smoky conditions, it cleared up and there is very little smoke in the campground. There are huge Sequoias everywhere, which is quite cool. Even a large one in our campsite. I love big trees. The campground is almost empty, but I got the dates wrong and we have only two nights at this spot. We will work on getting a site for the third night tomorrow. I was sure THEY were wrong until I actually found the reservation. Pooh.

     There are signs about being careful about bears everywhere. The brown box in the picture is a place to store food rather than in your car. We are supposed to close all windows in the RV and pull the blinds when we leave so the bears can't see in and try to get food. We are NEVER supposed to have food in the car and folks with baby car seats need to take them out at night and store them in the bear box.

     No electricity or water, no TV and music. But we can hear the wind in the pines and the creek trickling behind our camper. It is great. Also at 6500 feet it was cooler this afternoon and very cool tonight so we won’t miss our air conditioning.

Last Day at Yosemite

     We headed up the Tioga Road to the Tuolumne Meadows. Once again there were tunnels, passes, narrow winding roads, and road work. Apparently when fall comes and there are fewer people in the parks it is time to work on the roads. Delays have not been TOO bad.
     We had lunch by Tenaya Lake accompanied by a bunch of jays who wanted us to feed them. I have a bad record of being pooped on by birds so I tried to scare them off. We saw a bunch of climbers on the rocks across from the lake - a much easier climb than El Kapitan or Half Dome - sort of a beginners hill for Yosemite climbing.
     Tonight we have done laundry, gone grocery shopping and are cleaning up in preparation for leaving our little Yosemite KOA home and moving to Sequoia National Park. Hopefully I will have cell phone access there (Yosemite has been a dead zone), but we won't have Internet as we are staying in a park campground.

Glacier Point and Mariposa Grove

      Great day of sightseeing! First we drove high in the park to Glacier Point where we could look out over Yosemite Valley. It was quite a drive including through a long tunnel and up and over a pass. It amazes me to see the large RV's that people feel comfortable driving on such narrow, winding roads.
     We had our picnic lunch sitting in the car at a turnout (place where all the really fast cars can pass you when driving on crazy mountain roads). Then went to visit the Mariposa Grove of Sequoias. This grove was the inspiration for setting aside wilderness land as protected park land. The rest of Yosemite (over 100 square miles) was added later.
     We took a tram ride through the grove and learned a lot about the big trees - which are not good for woodworking and were at one time cut down to make toothpicks and similar trivial objects. Some of Yosemite's trees are over 2000 years old. I just love big trees.

Yosemite Valley

     We thought about camping in the Park but some information about the road in made it seem difficult. Ya, no kidding. One way in has a tunnel that requires a guide through it if you are longer than 25'. We chose to camp outside the park, but even in the truck the road in was interesting. A huge rock slide covered part of the road. Two temporary bridges took the road across a river, down a temporary road clinging to the edge of a cliff and back to the regular road. Several places along the road huge rocks overhang like a roof. We would never have made it with the trailer.
     We started in the Valley part of Yosemite. Even though it is late September the roads in the valley were busy. We parked and found that a shuttle bus runs around the whole area all day, so that is what we did. We saw El Capitan, the Half Dome, many climbers on the rocks, had lunch at the Wawona Lodge (one of the great national park lodges), and took a look at the campgrounds. Too many people and too much traffic, but it is a great park and when we escaped to walk under the trees for bit it was amazing.
     We will head for the less busy parts of the park tomorrow.

22 miles from Yosemite

      We looked at the map and decided that we would take the safer route to Yosemite via the freeways rather than the back roads. Luckily it was Sunday so our trip through Sacremento and three other smaller California towns wasn't really too bad except for going from about 7000' of elevation down to 191' and then back to 3000'. It was a tiring day for Rick and hard on the gears and brakes.
     We are staying in a KOA about 22 miles from the Yosemite Park entrance. When we arrived the KOA staff told us that we had really made the right decision in avoiding the back roads. They talked about 9% down grades, narrow roads with no guard rails, and sharp curves. I am SO glad we decided to be cautious.
     Our new campsite has huge oaks and pines everywhere, a pool, and rec room. It will be a great place to stay for four days. (There are also about 2 dozen kitties running around everywhere). It will be really nice to slow down a little and sleep in. We saw lots of almond orchards and vineyards around Merced, CA. So we celebrated our arrival to Yosemite with some Merced California wine. It was pretty good - or maybe we were just so happy to be here.

Too Much Nevada

     I am not eager to return to Nevada. What a boring, dusty, smoky state. Everywhere we stop there are slot machines and smokers - in the gas station, the RV campground office, and the grocery store. Blinking lights with obsessed gamblers smoking madly away.

    So what do we do on these long boring portions of the ride? We ask questions about all sorts of weird things - what is potash? where is route 66? what is in those dozens of double tank trucks drving into Salina, Nevada? Some things we eventually get answers to later on the Internet. I now know what sorghum looks like and it IS what was growing outside Fort Kearny.

     Since we were driving the California trail for many miles we talked a lot about being in a wagon train and driving ever so slowly across such barren, waterless land. This led to talking about Rick's mom driving to California with another army wife to meet up with Henry. We saw a bunch of old cars driving through Canyonlands - 1929-1938 and it brought home what a challenge she took on in driving a little car with another woman all the way across the country to San Louis Obispo, California.

     Tonight we have stopped at a campground in Truckee, California. It has beautiful, big trees. Actually just after leaving Nevada we got to the Lake Tahoe area which is high, full of lakes and streams and trees. I feel like I can breathe again. Tomorrow - Yosemite!

Into Nevada

     Today we saw a lot of salt. Our drive started around the outside of Salk Lake City. It was really interesting to notice that each new housing area has a white steeple on a building within the 8-10 block square. I am assuming that these are the meeting houses for the Mormons. I was pretty interesting to see how much faith is part of the community here.
     After making it out of town we drove around the lower part of the Great Salt Lake which is really low so a lot of what we saw was Great Salt Lake bottom. A short way out of Salt Lake City we came to the Great Salt Lake flats for about 100 miles. Once again – No Services! It was very flat and really pretty boring after the first bit of interest in the idea of that much salt. At the far end we saw the Bonneville Speedway.
    We are now on Pacific time and closer than ever to California. But this time change has us going to bed earlier and earlier and getting up earlier – not a bad thing when we are trying to get on the road.
     Our stop tonight was in Elko, Nevada. Mostly it seems to be a town of casinos. Our niece Shelley lived here when first married. I would have cried every night. There is really nothing here to recommend it. Our RV “park” has mostly gravel everywhere with about 20 trees planted in the gravel to provide “shade.” Sometimes we are “camping” and some nights we are just “traveling in our RV and pretending that we are staying in a motel.” Actually I have stayed in lots of motels with nicer grounds. Ah well, we have cable TV and we are both tired.

Utah Desert high country

     First - I put some pictures into the previous posts now that I have better Internet access. And thanks for the comments - I miss everyone so much it seems like you are with us on the trip.

     We thought we had a shortcut today but saw a sign which warned to "expect road construction delays" so we went the longer route - I70 - which went through some really odd country. After seeing signs that said "No services for 100 miles" we headed into a high desert with huge walls of rock called "reefs" on the edges. There were only low desert bushes and a few short trees for miles and miles. The junk on the ground was light crumbly stuff that looked like ash. The road went up and up and then down and down. Too much to relax while driving, but too boring to be really interesting.
    Then the road went up through a high pass and there were trees, water and signs of fall everywhere. The bushes on the hills are now red and the Aspens are yellow. Really beautiful! We drove as far as Provo, UT - Isn't that where Donny and Marie Osmond are from? I am now humming songs from their greatest hits. Our campground tonight is why we are on the road - lovely grassy site with nice trees and a good view of the mountains. AND TV and Internet. We have not had TV or newpaper all week and missed the anxiety about the stock market completely. Sometimes ignorance IS bliss.

Some big canyons - not Grand

     Canyonlands was quite different than Arches even though they are only 30 miles apart. The views were mostly of some amazing canyons of the Colorado and the Green Rivers. The air was cooler in Canyonlands and there were even a few drops of rain.
     Moab is a good place to stay to see both of these parks. In addition, there are literally dozens of areas to do off-road biking and dune buggy riding. The town seems to be full of folks with Jeeps and souped up little 4-wheel drive vehicles. You can take a 100 mile road through the park and camp along the way - really into the wild. None of the campgrounds have water, however, so you need carry water and gas as well as all of your camping supplies and food. I could really see Kim having fun here.
     There were a few short hikes that we took to get closer to some of the views, but the alititude is still over 5000' and we both get winded pretty quickly. We had a nice picnic at Canyonlands for lunch and then headed back to look at more of the "Arches." On our drive we came across an old ranch that was there in the 1800's. Wow, it certainly would have been a hard place to live - hot, then cold, high and mostly dry. The ranch was next to the only stream we saw in the park aside from the major rivers. I am not up for moving to this sort of wilderness.
     Tomorrow we head back to the freeway system and go north. Hopefully to cooler weather.

National Park #3 - Arches

     It was only a short (150 mile) jaunt to Arches National Park today. Weather is much hotter - 92 this afternoon. We are staying in the town of Moab right outside Arches. It is really a tourist destination and full of campgrounds and motels. Lots of "No vacancy" signs and RVs everywhere. We found a campground with SHADE which is nice although the sites are pretty small and the ground is all dust. But it is home for two nights.
     Since we got in early we headed up the road two miles to Arches. What a fabulous park! The rock formations can't really be seen fully in pictures - they are too vast and amazing. We drove around a bit and got out and then hiked, but the heat and the dry air really take a toll on us quickly. Since it was late afternoon when we were there the shadows were long and really made the pictures show the dramatic difference between sunlight and shadow.
     We went grocery shopping after a dinner out and found dozens of French, German and Dutch tourists all buying water and snacks. We have run into a older couple from Wales a couple times now - very nice and so interested in the Western US.
     Off to fold my laundry now - everything on the road is harder - so I will shut down my laptop after sitting in the laundry room to make use of the very limited wireless in this campground. Tomorrow National Park #4.

Mesa Verde Challenge

     I have often looked at the pictures of the cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde Park and wanted to see them. A book by Nevada Barr about a National Park Ranger working in the park also made me really interested in seeing the ancient sites. I guess I never put the “Mesa” part into my understanding of where these villages really are. We drove up and up more until we were on top of the mountain on a large flat plateau – a mesa. The cliff houses are built under ledges which are sometimes hundreds of feet below the lip of the top of the mesa.
     We started by driving around and looking out across canyons to see some of the cliff dwellings. Then went to the Visitor Center to learn that to tour most of them we needed to get tickets for a guided tour. We were warned that the tours were “strenuous” and “challenging.” Remember – we are at 8100’ and just climbing into the RV is “strenuous” and “challenging,” However, this visit has been on my Life List of things I really want to do so we signed up for the tour which included a 100’ descent, a ½ mile walk over uneven path, and then an ascent up 5 ladders. (The other tour included a crawl through a 18” hole for 12’. I don’t think my body fits in an 18” hole).
     After a “last lunch” we headed off for our tour. We were somewhat reassured since there were plenty of other senior citizens on the tour. We started down some steps which quickly turned into stone steps about 5” wide and uneven depth. Sometimes we had to squeeze ourselves between two rock walls to get down, down, down into the area under the lip of the cliff. All of us were panting by the time we got to the bottom and the afternoon sun was quite hot so we stopped for a chat with the guide in the shade. Soon we moved into the large area which at one time had 100 people living there. It was truly amazing. I had a few minutes of absolute awe and then began to worry about the ascent of 100’ back up some very authentic wooden ladders made of tree branches stripped of bark. We were told not to look out over the canyon on part of the trip up.
     So we both made it and have pictures to prove it. One more life challenge checked off.
After two bottles of water and a quart of juice I am re-hydrated and ready for our drive to Moab tomorrow. National Park #2.

More Colorado High Passes

     We are definitely in "Rocky Mountain High" country. Rick does not want to hear me sing any more John Denver. Today we headed off to Mesa Verde on a route which promised roads that were manageable by our RV and truck. The drive began fairly flat and then the road became narrow, windy and steep. We climbed to the summit of Wolf Creek Pass at 10,800’ and drove into an area of big rocks, pine trees and running streams that looked like the Black Hills. The drive down from the pass was actually harder as it was much steeper going down than up.
     Our drive was fairly short today – under 200 miles – so we arrived at Mesa Verde National Park in early afternoon. The mesa is huge and high. We could see it from miles away. Sort of mystical and haunting.
     We checked into the park at the entrance and were told that the campground was four miles into the park. Four steep and steeper miles. Rick is a wonderful, calm driver and manages the brakes and transmission perfectly so we don’t overheat. I KNOW that he can manage it all well, but still I am just worn out from holding on to the seat and clamping my jaw shut.
     The campground is pretty empty except for the few sites that have water and electric. The hills rise up all around us even higher than our current 8100’. I am just beat both from the drive and the altitude. We relaxed all afternoon and then took a walk around the campground. Just a ½ mile which was partly uphill has worn me out.
     Once again the minute the sun drops behind the hills it is really chilly. Good sleeping weather.

Great Sand Dunes National Park

     National park number one on our grand tour of the West. We are at San Luis Lakes State Park, Colorado, in a little campground that closes tomorrow. There are only a dozen or so campers here. Our campsite is at 7500’ – high desert country. The sun is setting and reflecting off the 14,000’ Colorado peaks all around us. Across seven miles of desert we can see the Great Sand Dunes National Park. An almost full moon has risen over the mountains in the other direction. It was a sunny day at about 70. Now that the sun is setting there is a very cool breeze. It’s supposed to get down into the 30s tonight. Everywhere there is sagebrush, cactus and a bush with little yellow flowers. It smells dusty and herbal, and a little smoky from a nearby campfire. I can hear a flock of geese flying down to the reservoir. It definitely feels like fall. Are you here with me?
     It was a good day - sunny when we got up and clear. We drove to Walsenburg, CO and headed west into the mountains. (After waiting for a parade to go by – Yes, the small town parade went down the highway for about 30 minutes).  Our first challenge was to be a 9500’ pass – It was a piece of cake. We were on the way down before we realized that we had made it to the top.

The Great Sand Dunes are pretty awesome. However, since the park is at 8100’ we did NOT do a long hike into them, but managed to climb one and sit down. The sand is deep and fine which makes it hard to walk in, but feels good on the feet. In the summer they say it can get to 114 out on the sand so it was great that it was much cooler.

I am happy that I can curl up in a nice warm be tonight – it is very chilly. Tomorrow we have another pass to tackle – 1000’ higher than the last one.

Rain rain go away - 4th Day

     It rained all night and drizzled all day and was only about 57. We started the day with a list of tasks as well. Since we are going to be camping high elevations - over 7500' - it seemed best to call in a prescription for Rick's high altitude sickness prevention. That meant we had to be sure to stop at a drug store when we hit Pueblo.
     Then, as we were putting in the big slide, we noticed that some of the rubber gasket had come off and was drooping into the living room. Not a good thing when it is raining. When we closed up it seemed like the outside facing pretty much would keep the rain out, but it was a problem to be solved. I found a Camping World in Colorado Springs, but they could not work on the rig until Tuesday. They referred us to someone in Pueblo. By lunch time the rubber gasket had slid out about 2 feet. YIKES! We drove endlessly through rain and boring 2 lane highway to Pueblo and YES they were able to jam it back into the slip. They told us it could come out again, though, so we will have to keep an eye on it. Then we beat it over to the pharmacy and were able to fill the prescription.
     The campground tonight is right on the freeway and noisy, but we gave ourselves a night out at a Mexican restaurant and a little grocery shopping. Now it is raining again. Tomorrow we tackle our first mountain pass and then get to the Grand Sand Dunes National monument. I am hoping for some sun but may not see it as I squeeze my eyes shut when we climb over the pass.
     We are both beat! Traveling is hard work.

Third Day Sightseeing in Nebraska

     Well it DID rain and I did not get all the windows closed in time so I have a wet book.  It was chilly and rainy as we started out across the rest of Nebraska. Our first goal is to get to North Platte to stop at the Golden Spike Tower which is a huge Union Pacific Rail yard. It handles 15,000 railway cars every 24 hours. This was a big deal for Rick to see and I enjoyed it too. We went up in a tower and looked out over nearly 3000 acres of rails and cars getting repaired, moved around and readied for going east or west.
     After leaving North Platte we headed further west on I80 along the Pony Express Route. Much of this follows along the river valley which was fairly pretty. It is clear that fall is coming and things are dry but the hills are covered with yellow and purple flowers along with the gray green sage and gold grasses so it is really beautiful.
     I managed a couple of phone calls with my consulting job today and got some work done this afternoon so things are still moving along ok with the job while I am on the road. We will have internet access for a couple more days and then go into the dark while we are in state and national parks over the weekend.
     We stopped today in Sterling, Colorado at a dusty, deserted little campground which has some decent shade trees and is far enough away from the Interstate that we will once again have a peaceful night. Still very cool - we had to close up all windows when the sun went down.
     Life on the road is good.

Day 2 - Into Nebraska

     The KOA in Des Moines was really quiet and pretty so we both had a great night's sleep. It was windy and cool this morning as we drove through some lovely hilly areas and then into the Nebraska flats. We traveled off and on along the Platte River and saw lots of historic sites related to the Lewis and Clark Expedition as well as the beginning of the Oregon Trail. There are Black-Eyed Susan Daisies blooming everywhere - This must be the season for them.
     We have seen lots of fields of crops that I can't identify - I need the city girls guide to farm crops so that I can figure out what some of them are. Rick spent summers on his uncle's farm and said that one of the mystery ones is "sorghum." Can't prove it by me.
     There was a lot of truck traffic today and with the wind the driving was harder and longer. We stopped for the day at Fort Kearny State Park. The Fort was set up to protect settlers on the wagon trains and folks going to the California gold fields. Some of it has been restored. We stayed in the State Park campgrounds which were nearly empty and really pretty. Things are going well. Looks like rain tonight.

Off to California - First day

     We left Apple Valley by 10 am. Sunny and 60. Very little traffic on the road so it was an easy start to our long trip. Gas is under $4 so life is good. We saw lots of wind farms on the way to Des Moines as well as many pieces of them on trucks. They look much smaller standing in a field than the parts do sitting on a truck. They are HUGE.

     No problems with the trailer - we just needed to get everything re-situated after a lot of informal use over the summer. I am frustrated that I only seem to get my personal email and not my business email like I do at home.

     Our neighbor ran out to take our picture as we left so we have an official Day 1 photo. It is good to be back on the road.