2 More Days

     Just 2 days to go and we will be on the road. I have reservations for our first few nights of camping and a full itinerary. Still can't find a map of Wisconsin except in our highway atlas. It should not be a problem. This year we have a Garmin GPS navigator to help us through the cities. It was not much of a problem going West as we often had very few roads to choose from. The East is a whole different game with many more roads and lots of traffic.
     I have been watching the weather and it looks like it will be high 60's low 70's. I saw that a bunch of people got swept off into the Atlantic Ocean in Acadia National Park yesterday and had to be rescued by the Coast Guard. They were watching the waves from the off-shore hurricane while standing behind barriers set up to keep them from getting too close. Hmm. I am hoping for better weather by the time we get there. We are prepared for just about anything though. We will see! We may NOT be going on the boat trip to a lighthouse on a little island off the coast.

Getting ready for Maine

     We are getting ready for our trip to Maine and Massachusetts which starts next week. (I will have to learn to spell Massachusetts before we get too much further). While the RV was still at the cabin we washed the rubber roof, cleaned the carpets, sorted through all the storage compartments and cleaned and refilled the water tanks.
     I refilled my pantry with non-perishable foods - the refrigerated stuff will be put on just before we leave. I try to have about a week of easy to make meals with us when we leave. I also went to the used bookstore and restocked my on board library. Many campgrounds have "leave one, take one" shelves so I can trade the books in as I read them.
     Now we just have to get a worn tire replaced, find a Wisconsin map, and fill the closets with shorts, jeans, T-shirts, fleece shirts and rain gear. The weather is likely to vary from very warm to very cool with a good chance of rainy weather.

Almost home

      We have driven almost 7000 miles - I am glad that gas was not as expensive as I had estimated for my budget. Today's drive was really long and included Kansas City (Why is it ArkanSAS (SAW) and KanSAS (ZAS)? We both liked the scenery - many rivers, hills, trees and farms - but I have maxed out on all of it and was reading off and on all day. I lost the ability to read in the car for a while, but now have it back and it is a great way to make time pass. I remember my Mom reading all the way back and forth from the cabin. (or maybe she was pretending so that she didn't need to moderate our battles?)

It was hard to find open campgrounds so late in the season and tonight we are well off the beaten path in a tiny campground in northern Missouri. We share it with only a couple other RV's who are also heading back to Minnesota to enjoy the rest of the fall. No TV reception, but they have WiFi - what a blessing. I am addicted to my email, Internet surfing and blogging. Now I am also addicted to having the access on my PDA so I can look up stuff while we are driving like how the stock market is doing and what chestnuts look like ( I think I saw some on a tree).

     I am ready to be home for a bit and recharge. It is time to pack the trailer away for the winter and pull out my sewing machine. Next time I hope that you all join us on the road. It has been quite a ride. 10 National Parks, 4 National monuments, uncountable National Forests, State parks, and not the least important - Interstate Rest Stops! Iowa has the best ones. See you all in person soon. Peace.

Yellow Brick Road

     The day started with a frost advisory, a peach colored sunrise seen only in the mountains, and a full moon. Overnight the wind was blowing madly, but it was quiet and frosty by the time I got up.
The weather is warming as we head into the plains. Now we are in Kansas! It has been raining here for three days, but is beautiful today. Sunshine and TREES! Well not too many trees - just around the rivers - but real oaks and maples.
     We crossed lots of ranch and farmland. Utah is the most mountainous state, is Kansas the least hilly? It looks prosperous though, with lots of grain elevators, tidy farms and pretty little towns. So much of the southwest is dusty and ragged. After days of rain everything in Kansas sparkles.
It is time to come home. We had our last beers for supper and my jeans need washing. The trees are gold and red, we see pumpkins at the corner stores, and a little frost on the ground in the morning. Many of the campgrounds are closing. I have almost finished the slide show of the trip.
     The RV is losing screws, but otherwise is working great. The truck is dirty, but running well. We have not been sick a single day. We are anxious to see friends and family, but still talking to each other. Good trip! Two more days of driving and then home on Friday night, God willing.

Royal Gorge - Canon, Colorado

     When Rick was a kid his family came to Colorado and went to see the suspension bridge over the Royal Gorge.   So today we drove there to see if it was as cool as he remembered. The day was very cool with snow falling over most of the road we covered yesterday on the way here. I am glad that we moved on.

     The Royal Gorge bridge was built in 1929 as a tourist attraction. It is in an historic gold and silver mining area. The bridge is 1300' over the Arkansas River. It can be driven over, but mostly is just walked on now. The deck of the bridge is made of 8" wide planks of wood which are not entirely close together (you can see through them to the river 1300' below). The whole bridge bounces as you walk on it.

     Besides the bridge, the river is crossed by a 2200' wide aerial tram. There is also an incline railway which goes 1500' down to the canyon floor. The picture is the bridge from the bottom of the canyon.

     We spent the day exploring this area. We had to bundle up a lot because the wind through the canyon was bitter, but after a while the clouds lightened up a bit. There was a bungee jump that went out over the canyon but it was not in operation today - ah shucks, we could have really made you jealous!

     As we returned to Colorado Springs we sought out a train hobby store that Rick was interested in. He got some train books and a couple fun box cars. Tomorrow we head east. The weather looks like it will be clear and sunny.

Snow is coming to Taos

     Most days I get up and check the weather to decide what our attire and activities will be. Today we were supposed to head to Taos. When I checked the weather I found that a winter storm is coming to the high areas of the West including Taos. The forecast was for 4-8" at 6000', 8-12" above. Taos is at about 7000'. The road out goes over a 9500' pass. We passed on the whole deal and headed to Colorado Springs where it was supposed to be 57 and sunny.
     It was really chilly last night. We turned off the heat when we went to bed, but at 4 am I got up to find that it was only 37 in the main part of the RV. I turned the heat on so that Rick would make it to morning. The sun was out when we got up, but never really got much over 50 until late in the afternoon.
Most of the RV traffic is now heading south. They can't understand why we are heading north, but I am ready to head home. We really want to avoid driving on slippery roads - I can't imagine what it would be like to have the trailer start to slide. So we are going to see a few sites in Colorado Springs tomorrow if it stays clear, and then head straight home.
    Our stop tonight is at a huge KOA with a great view of the mountains (and some powerlines and the highway). We have come full circle and now the moon is full again. I can't believe we have been away for over a month.

Museum Hill - Santa Fe

      We woke up to sunshine and went back to the historic district. Our first stop was the miracle staircase at the Loretto Chapel. It was built sometime between 1877 and 1881. The miraculous staircase took at least six months to build, and has two 360 degree turns with no visible means of support. It was one of those tourist things we had to see, but not the highlight of the trip.
     We headed up to "Museum Hill" where Santa Fe has four major museums overlooking the city. They were clustered around a lovely desert garden, plaza, cafe and sculpture garden. We went to the International Folk Art museum and Native American Culture Museum. Both were very well done and fun to visit. The weather stayed nice long enough for us to grill some burgers, but now it is really chilly. Snow in the mountains last night!

Santa Fe Plaza

      We took Old Pecos Trail (which is partly Route 66) to the Santa Fe trail and worked our way from our campground at the edge of town to the heart of the historic district. Some of the oldest city buildings in the U.S. are right down here in this area. They all cluster around a plaza across from the old government building.
     The area is full of shops, restaurants, galleries, museums and historic buildings. We had a great time looking at wares from Native American vendors under the awning of the government building and had lunch overlooking the plaza.
     The weather turned so we went to the Georgia O'Keefe museum for the afternoon. It included many photos of her home outside Santa Fe. Great exhibit. When we got outside it was thundering, but we had only 6 blocks to go to the car. Before we got there the heavens opened up with pouring rain and then hail. We were soaked and cold, but I made a stop at a quilt store before going back to the RV to warm up. Very strong winds, more hail, lots of rain and even stronger winds went on until late evening.
There are beautiful vistas, great shopping, wonderful hotels and restaurants. You should all come here.

Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico

      Long ago when planning this trip I came across a list of places "not to miss" in the southwest. Acoma Pueblo is a village located 370 feet up on top of a mesa and is the longest continuously inhabited place in North America. Some parts of the village are dated to have been built in 1100 a.d. There is no water, no electricity, no sewers. There are "catch basins" which hold water from the 10" of rain each year. Outhouses and porta potties take care of the sewer needs.
     We were taken up on the mesa by tour bus - no private cars can go up there except for the folks that live there. It is likely that natives from the cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde also lived in this pueblo.
     The object in the picture is an outdoor adobe oven. We bought some bread and pies made fresh today and had it for dinner.
The natives also make really beautiful pottery - very thin clay pots with intricate hand painting. We are not bringing one home due to the cost, but it was great to see the artistry.
     After leaving Acoma (Ac' o ma) we drove to Santa Fe through Albuquerque and the Balloon Fiesta. It is quite windy and one balloon went down this morning after hitting a power line. The evening balloon show was cancelled. Weather is getting much cooler tonight - 25 degrees with a high of 62 tomorrow. We are still at 6500' altitude.

New Mexico desert

      If I have learned one thing on this trip it is that there are so many ways for landscapes to be beautiful. We are camped tonight outside Grants, New Mexico. The campground is surrounded by volcanic rocks and desert.
    The campground owners created a path out into the surrounding area. I took a walk just as the sun was setting. There are huge piles of black volcanic rock, red soil, and many desert plants. We have been surprised at how many places we see evidence of volcanic activity - in Sequoia, Hurricane, Flagstaff and now in New Mexico.
     In the desert evening none of the plants, sounds or smells were familiar. I wondered about rattlesnakes and other creepy crawlers. Something rustled in the sagebrush and I reconsidered the wisdom of heading off on my own. Then a great big rabbit hopped into sight. The moon is rising - I think that we will have a full moon before we return home. Beautiful evening.
     The weather continues to be great. There is a much wider range of temps during the day - high 70's during the day and then low 30's at night. But this is great for RVing. We enjoy the day and then button up for the evening.

Sedona, Arizona

      We took a winding, very steep canyon road from Flagstaff to Sedona. The great red rocks are smooth and beautiful. Along the way was Sliderock State Park. You can do just what the name says - slide over very slippery rocks in a mountain stream into deep pools. Looked like a lot of fun but it was only 57 when we left Flagstaff and swimming in a mountain stream was not what we thought we would be doing.

     Sedona was a pretty town somewhat taken over by tourist stuff. We went to one shopping area which had many high priced art stores. Really nice art and some great Navajo rugs all way out of our price range but wonderful to look at.

     We had a great lunch at the "Cowboy Cafe" and then drove out into the red rock desert and got a little lost. All in all it was a wonderful 36th anniversary day.

Standing on the Corner in Winslow, Arizona

      Rick went off to get the oil changed on the truck while I had a conference call this morning. He told me that as the oil was being changed the serviceman came back with the air filter with a bunch of junk on top of it. We were getting only about 20% of the function of the filter due to the rodent nest built on it. The nest has probably been there since we left Minnesota!

     Jerry and Maura took us to Winslow, Arizona to see the corner from the Eagles song. We followed some of old Route 66 to get there and saw some of the old bridges of the original highway. We speculate that this is the road that Eleanor took when she drove across the country to meet up with Henry during WWII.
     There is also a great hotel, La Posada, built in 1929 for the Santa Fe Railway, that has been remodeled. Thick adobe walls, fancy tile floors, lots of french doors which led out to deeply shaded patios with fountains and flowers. It was a place for passengers to stop overnight on their way to California. We toured the lodge, did some shopping in the gift shop and had a fine dinner. Great day.

Grand Canyon to Flagstaff

      I got Rick up very early to tour more of Grand Canyon park. We hit our temperature low (28) overnight so I had to warm up the camper before he could get out of bed. We have now hit over 100 and under 32!
     The park was beautiful and clear in the early morning. We toured several of the old lodges and then walked a ways down Bright Angel Trail. This is the famous trail to the bottom of the gorge. As we walked down it I wondered why we had not walked further the last time we visited the park - then I remembered that I had two little boys (5 and 8) walking with me and there was no way I was going to go very far down this dangerous trail.
     The drive to Flagstaff was short and boring until we got close to town and saw the towering pines. It is a beautiful city. During a stop on our drive I noticed several spots on the edge of the trailer roof that were torn. Danger! Danger! We once saw a trailer going down the road with the rubber roof pulled half way back and flapping in the wind. So we got to Flagstaff, went to the RV store, bought goop to fix and roof and sent Ricky up there to stick it down again - It looks fine. WE will see! We had dinner with Gerry and Maura and made plans to visit more later in the week.