Weather was beautiful in the morning. The sun was shining and it was in the low 50s. By the times we hit the road it was in the 70s. Albuquerque was only about and hour and a half away, however, we opted to take the scenic route called the Turquoise Trail. This byway added quite some time on because there are places to stop along the way.
Some history on the Turquoise Trail:
It encompasses 15000 square miles.
It links Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
The highest peak is Sandia Crest at 10600 ft.
The name comes from the blue-green turquoise first mined by the early Pueblo people.
Francisco Coronado was the first of many explorers to the area.
The trail stretches 65 miles and includes towns such as Sandia Park, Golden,Madrid and Cerrillos. Originally it consisted of two smaller towns called El Real de San Franciscoand Puerto. Along the way are homes, ranches, galleries and shops, a golf course/ ski resort, lodging and a horseback riding trail.
The trail was designated an American Scenic Byway in 2000.
A major gold rush occurred in 1825. Cerrillos was ceovetedlong before that for it's turquoise and lead ores used for glazing pottery.
Golden grew in popularity in the early-mid 1800s for it's placer gold deposits, hence its name.
Madrid was mined by squatters in the early 1800s and later became a company owned coal mining town.when the coal market collapsed, Madrid became a ghost town. In 1954, the whole town was for sale for $250,000! In the 1960s and 70s, artists, crafts people, and renegades rediscovered Madrid and helped it to become what it is today.
In the 1920s, Madrid was best known for its annual Christmas lighting display. New Mexican families came for miles and TWA diverted nighttime flights for their passengers to view the display.
The newest tidbit....it was the setting for parts of the movie Wild Hogs.
Madrid was the ticket and it boasted some neat shops. Our favorite was Chumani Gallery. The owner Todd could not do enough for us. He was definitely one of the best shopkeepers we've met along the way. Rianna was also very nice. She owns Trading Bird Gsllery.
Nick had lunch at The Hollar which was highly recommended by several locals. He said the hamburger and fries were done to perfection.
We enjoyed the rest of the ride and savored the sights of pinon, junipers, and mountain mahogany trees.
We got to American RV park early, and decided to spend the afternoon poolside. We had the pool to ourselves which was wonderful. This campground was one of the nicest we've been to.
They serve a continental breakfast daily, the sites were spacious, and the pool and hot tub were clean.
I spent the afternoon in the pool. After dinner we relaxed and looked forward to our trip into Albuquerque the next day.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Day 26 8/24/2010 do you know the way to Santa Fe?
Gorgeous morning! The girls we had spoken to yesterday mentioned a bus called the Santa Fe Trails that we could take right into the Plaza, but we opted to drive in since we were out the door so early. If we couldn't get parking, we'd go back to the campground and take the bus.
The Plaza was 4 and a half miles away. There was a lot of parking on the street and we were good to go. A Plaza is an area in the center of town where people gather to socialize. In Santa Fe, on one side of the Plaza you see the Palace of the Governors which is the oldest public building in the US and on the other three sides you see shops and restaurants. Plaza records date back to the early 1700's when Santa Fe was settled by Spanish Conquistadors. When Mexico governed the land, it was an open spot where people brought their cattle to graze. Between 1821 and 1846, the Plaza became a place filled with carts, livestock traders and people. In 1844 trees and benches were added.
The shops were lovely. On one side a group of Native Americans were selling their wares. Each store had a Spanish influence architecturally. We shopped for a while. Lunch was beef fajitas from a vendor in the plaza and we sat on a bench at the edge of the Plaza and ate. Dessert was Hagen-Daz ice cream. We walked around a little more then headed back to the RV.
It was early yet so off we went to the Tesuque Pueblo. It is one of the most traditional
pueblos. Tesuque may be translated to Cottonwood Tree Plaza. The Pueblo on the banks of the
Tesuque River may have bee inhabited since 1200 A.D.
At the entrance we were greeted by a few kids and a crazy dog who chased cars as they entered.
He had no fear! It was pretty funny, but scary because he went under the cars when they were
moving. No pictures were allowed to be taken. Here is where the RV is a
disadvantage.....the roads were narrow and difficult to travel on and without knowing exactly
where we were going, we could not go too far back. We did venture to the plaza where
traditional homes were and I got to see the school. It also felt a little disrespectful driving around without direction, so we headed out and went on to the Harley dealer.
We went back to camp to relax and it started to rain........what a great day we had.
The Plaza was 4 and a half miles away. There was a lot of parking on the street and we were good to go. A Plaza is an area in the center of town where people gather to socialize. In Santa Fe, on one side of the Plaza you see the Palace of the Governors which is the oldest public building in the US and on the other three sides you see shops and restaurants. Plaza records date back to the early 1700's when Santa Fe was settled by Spanish Conquistadors. When Mexico governed the land, it was an open spot where people brought their cattle to graze. Between 1821 and 1846, the Plaza became a place filled with carts, livestock traders and people. In 1844 trees and benches were added.
The shops were lovely. On one side a group of Native Americans were selling their wares. Each store had a Spanish influence architecturally. We shopped for a while. Lunch was beef fajitas from a vendor in the plaza and we sat on a bench at the edge of the Plaza and ate. Dessert was Hagen-Daz ice cream. We walked around a little more then headed back to the RV.
It was early yet so off we went to the Tesuque Pueblo. It is one of the most traditional
pueblos. Tesuque may be translated to Cottonwood Tree Plaza. The Pueblo on the banks of the
Tesuque River may have bee inhabited since 1200 A.D.
At the entrance we were greeted by a few kids and a crazy dog who chased cars as they entered.
He had no fear! It was pretty funny, but scary because he went under the cars when they were
moving. No pictures were allowed to be taken. Here is where the RV is a
disadvantage.....the roads were narrow and difficult to travel on and without knowing exactly
where we were going, we could not go too far back. We did venture to the plaza where
traditional homes were and I got to see the school. It also felt a little disrespectful driving around without direction, so we headed out and went on to the Harley dealer.
We went back to camp to relax and it started to rain........what a great day we had.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Day 25 8/23/10. Montezuma's revenge
We awoke to 75 degrees and sun and headed out to Las Vegas. I set the GPS to the general area of where we needed to go. Uh huh. Where is everyone? Where is everything? The center of the city was more of a ghost town than the ghost town we visited. Most buildings were deserted and even the architecture was limited. We never even got out of the car. We were parked while I was setting up the GPS for our next stop when an old man in a pick up pulled up next to us and honked. Nick looked up and rolled down his window to hear what the man was saying. He was telling us about Montezuma's Castle and the hot springs that were there.
We drove the 7 or 8 miles up there and found the castle. We took the narrow road up to it and discovered that it is now a college so we couldn't get in to tour the building. Its structure was beautiful. It was originally built in the early 20th century as a hotel. We found the hot springs, but they were not accessible, so they really didn't serve a purpose either.
We went back down the hill and headed for the highway to Santa Fe. Piñon trees lines the mountains. Instead of log cabins, there were mobile homes and bungalows spread out on the highway. What a totally different atmosphere.
We found our campground that we had reservations with and it was very remote. We wanted something closer to town so we decided to go down the mountain and did a quick search online.
We decided to check out Los Campos de Santa Fe. The office was closed. While we were waiting
we met two very nice women from New Orleans who are full time RVers. They recently retired
and were spending a month in Santa Fe. They sold us on the campground and we liked the
location, so we went for lunch to wait for the office to reopen.
We found a Mexican restaurant and they didn't serve seafood, so we decided to eat there. The
tacos were ok, but the sopaipilla was delicious. When we returned, we registered for two nights and went grocery shopping.
I had grabbed a bunch of brochures from the office and one was on Pueblos in the area. I wanted to visit one, so we went back out. As we headed in the direction, we noticed very dark skies in the area, so turned around and went to the mall instead because they had my favorite store.....Dillard's! I bought an outfit for the first day of school. We also saw a Harley store and figured we'd stop there too, but it was closed. It never rained by us, but I saw on the news that the sera near the Pueblo was hit hard. It was cloudy the rest of the night, and we had a little rain later on.
We drove the 7 or 8 miles up there and found the castle. We took the narrow road up to it and discovered that it is now a college so we couldn't get in to tour the building. Its structure was beautiful. It was originally built in the early 20th century as a hotel. We found the hot springs, but they were not accessible, so they really didn't serve a purpose either.
We went back down the hill and headed for the highway to Santa Fe. Piñon trees lines the mountains. Instead of log cabins, there were mobile homes and bungalows spread out on the highway. What a totally different atmosphere.
We found our campground that we had reservations with and it was very remote. We wanted something closer to town so we decided to go down the mountain and did a quick search online.
We decided to check out Los Campos de Santa Fe. The office was closed. While we were waiting
we met two very nice women from New Orleans who are full time RVers. They recently retired
and were spending a month in Santa Fe. They sold us on the campground and we liked the
location, so we went for lunch to wait for the office to reopen.
We found a Mexican restaurant and they didn't serve seafood, so we decided to eat there. The
tacos were ok, but the sopaipilla was delicious. When we returned, we registered for two nights and went grocery shopping.
I had grabbed a bunch of brochures from the office and one was on Pueblos in the area. I wanted to visit one, so we went back out. As we headed in the direction, we noticed very dark skies in the area, so turned around and went to the mall instead because they had my favorite store.....Dillard's! I bought an outfit for the first day of school. We also saw a Harley store and figured we'd stop there too, but it was closed. It never rained by us, but I saw on the news that the sera near the Pueblo was hit hard. It was cloudy the rest of the night, and we had a little rain later on.
Day 24, August 22, 2010 another new state
The rain stopped and we got off and running before 9 am. The skies had cleared and it was a nice day. We were headed into New Mexico. We were surrounded by the Rockies, but have decided that the Grand Tetons were more beautiful and majestic.
Sign spotted on I-25......High winds may exist. They weren't kidding.....it was just like being in Wyoming.
Today I miss the roads in Arizona and southern Utah. They weren't major highways and you were able to pull over and take pictures. There were small shacks with lack of a better word that Native Americans sold their handicrafts. You could easily stop and buy something to drink or stretch your legs.
Our favorite places to date: Monument Vslley and West Yellowstone.
We went over the Raton Pass at 7834ft. It felt like an ant hill considering what we have climbed! We went over less mountains, but we were still surrounded by them. There were also less trees. There was still a lot of open space with ranches.
Sign of the day: attention: please do not pick up hitchhikers in this area. Thank you......as if we need to be told! Farther into the state we saw the same sign only it added that this is a state penitentiary.
The only trees now were in the mountains and they were getting farther and fsrther away.
We stopped in Ocate, NM to have lunch in a rest area. Our view was open range and grazing cattle. Along the way we've seen a lot of pronghorns.
Our planned stop was in Raton, but because we weren't traveling as much in the mountains, Nick decided we'd go on. We traveled about a hundred miles down the road, and the sky started to get heavy with rain clouds, so we decided to stop. We picked Las Vegas,NM. I had taken a glimpse of the city's website when I was planning the trip and thought it had a bit of history and would make an interesting stop. Much to our chagrin, we stopped for the night at a KOA. I don't know how to describe it.....it was old and obviously had history. Sites were on different levels of ground and there was some ground cover. The oddest part of this park was the tent sites. They were at the EDGE of the road! It was a fairly busy road too! The best part was, we had a fire ring and we had fire wood from Colorado Springs. We took a walk, started to get ready to light a fire and here it comes......the rain!
Pet peeve.......why can't we find any decent radio stations! We were hoping to listen to some old country at some point. We found one station on AM and it only lasted for a little while. Missing my Sirius radio a little today.
Sign spotted on I-25......High winds may exist. They weren't kidding.....it was just like being in Wyoming.
Today I miss the roads in Arizona and southern Utah. They weren't major highways and you were able to pull over and take pictures. There were small shacks with lack of a better word that Native Americans sold their handicrafts. You could easily stop and buy something to drink or stretch your legs.
Our favorite places to date: Monument Vslley and West Yellowstone.
We went over the Raton Pass at 7834ft. It felt like an ant hill considering what we have climbed! We went over less mountains, but we were still surrounded by them. There were also less trees. There was still a lot of open space with ranches.
Sign of the day: attention: please do not pick up hitchhikers in this area. Thank you......as if we need to be told! Farther into the state we saw the same sign only it added that this is a state penitentiary.
The only trees now were in the mountains and they were getting farther and fsrther away.
We stopped in Ocate, NM to have lunch in a rest area. Our view was open range and grazing cattle. Along the way we've seen a lot of pronghorns.
Our planned stop was in Raton, but because we weren't traveling as much in the mountains, Nick decided we'd go on. We traveled about a hundred miles down the road, and the sky started to get heavy with rain clouds, so we decided to stop. We picked Las Vegas,NM. I had taken a glimpse of the city's website when I was planning the trip and thought it had a bit of history and would make an interesting stop. Much to our chagrin, we stopped for the night at a KOA. I don't know how to describe it.....it was old and obviously had history. Sites were on different levels of ground and there was some ground cover. The oddest part of this park was the tent sites. They were at the EDGE of the road! It was a fairly busy road too! The best part was, we had a fire ring and we had fire wood from Colorado Springs. We took a walk, started to get ready to light a fire and here it comes......the rain!
Pet peeve.......why can't we find any decent radio stations! We were hoping to listen to some old country at some point. We found one station on AM and it only lasted for a little while. Missing my Sirius radio a little today.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Day 23 august 21, 2010. garden of the gods
We got on the road early and were headed to Colorado Springs, Colorado as our next stop. We headed out about 9 am. We woke to blue skies and high 60s with the temperature rising to 90 according to weather.com.
Today's trip was mainly on an interstate highway which makes the trip rather boring. The mountains continue to be rather high and the winds continued. We were noticing less and less rental RVs on the road and two-thirds of the trip is over. We are on the downside heading south.
Most of the scenery on I-25 was factories and malls. Occasionally we would see a small llama farm.
We got to Co. Springs early. Originally I was hoping to get together with a Navy Mom friend. However, with all the craziness at home before we left, I didn't get a chance to reach out to her. I was hesitant because we weren't sure what was happening with our trip. Once we got on the road, I didn't always have reliable Internet service and sometimes I didn't have Internet, so sending a message was difficult. Needless to say, she made other plans.....but Connie, I'll be back!
We decided to spend some time at the Garden of the Gods. Garden of the Go was dedicated in 1909 as a free park. There is an abundance of plant and animal life. The park is most known for its redstone rock formation, some of which are over 300 million years old. These formations were formed by Erosion. We walked around for about an hour since we both were tired of sitting in the RV and enjoyed every breathtaking view possible.
Our campground was about half an hour away. It was a ways out of the city high in the mountains at about 6900 feet. There was no cell service or Internet service which fit the setting perfectly. The campground was lovely and even though there were quite a bit of people there, the sites were far enough apart that no one opposed on another's privacy. They allowed campfires, so we bought wood and anticipated sitting sound the fire. Nick improvised and made dinner over an open fire,and it was delicious.
Just as we were ready to get a campfire going, we felt one....then two....then a whole lot of raindrops. We hoped that it would end soon, but it continued steadily through the night so we hung inside and read and listened to the rain.
Today's trip was mainly on an interstate highway which makes the trip rather boring. The mountains continue to be rather high and the winds continued. We were noticing less and less rental RVs on the road and two-thirds of the trip is over. We are on the downside heading south.
Most of the scenery on I-25 was factories and malls. Occasionally we would see a small llama farm.
We got to Co. Springs early. Originally I was hoping to get together with a Navy Mom friend. However, with all the craziness at home before we left, I didn't get a chance to reach out to her. I was hesitant because we weren't sure what was happening with our trip. Once we got on the road, I didn't always have reliable Internet service and sometimes I didn't have Internet, so sending a message was difficult. Needless to say, she made other plans.....but Connie, I'll be back!
We decided to spend some time at the Garden of the Gods. Garden of the Go was dedicated in 1909 as a free park. There is an abundance of plant and animal life. The park is most known for its redstone rock formation, some of which are over 300 million years old. These formations were formed by Erosion. We walked around for about an hour since we both were tired of sitting in the RV and enjoyed every breathtaking view possible.
Our campground was about half an hour away. It was a ways out of the city high in the mountains at about 6900 feet. There was no cell service or Internet service which fit the setting perfectly. The campground was lovely and even though there were quite a bit of people there, the sites were far enough apart that no one opposed on another's privacy. They allowed campfires, so we bought wood and anticipated sitting sound the fire. Nick improvised and made dinner over an open fire,and it was delicious.
Just as we were ready to get a campfire going, we felt one....then two....then a whole lot of raindrops. We hoped that it would end soon, but it continued steadily through the night so we hung inside and read and listened to the rain.
Day 22. 8/20/2010. How the west was won
Headed out of Glendo early to go to Cheyenne, wyoming. We were really psyched about this stop because of the big part Cheyenne played in the early western days. The city had its' beginnings in 1867 and was named after a tribe of Indians that Roamed the area. The Union-Pacific Railroad came through Cheyenne at the start on its way to the west coast. We were expecting an old town much like we've seen in other areas. We were quite disappointed. There was some great architecture to look at, but that was about it. There were a couple of museums, but they were similar to ones we'd been to and we really wanted to be in the outdoors. There was an Air Force base close by and we called to see if we could go on base to their museum, but we were told they did not have anyone to escort us.
We got to the campground in the late afternoon. It was a small campground with lovely owners, but the campground appeared to be old and the sites were right on top of one another. We did not have a table, so it kept us from sitting outside on a glorious day (not to mention we were stuck in the cab of the motorhome all day). The campground had a renowned restaurant known for its barbecue. I don't care for smoked foods so I had leftovers, but Nick decided to give the brisket a try. I took a few bites though and found it to be very tender. He agreed. Two sides and a roll came with the dinner. Dessert was a selection of homemade pies. I chose apple and Nick had blueberry. They were perfect. The crust was brown and flaky, the apples weren't too sweet, and there was cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top. Nick said the same about his blueberry pie.
We got to the campground in the late afternoon. It was a small campground with lovely owners, but the campground appeared to be old and the sites were right on top of one another. We did not have a table, so it kept us from sitting outside on a glorious day (not to mention we were stuck in the cab of the motorhome all day). The campground had a renowned restaurant known for its barbecue. I don't care for smoked foods so I had leftovers, but Nick decided to give the brisket a try. I took a few bites though and found it to be very tender. He agreed. Two sides and a roll came with the dinner. Dessert was a selection of homemade pies. I chose apple and Nick had blueberry. They were perfect. The crust was brown and flaky, the apples weren't too sweet, and there was cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top. Nick said the same about his blueberry pie.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Day 21 august 19, 2010 memories
Up and out early on a beautiful day. As Nick headed around the bend down the hill, we saw a couple of tractors coming up the opposite side of the road. We hit the next bend, and there were more tractors! We went up the hill and came down the hill....and there were twenty more tractors. Some had a single person, others had whole families. There had to be at least 100. Nick's job was to find out what that was all about when he stopped for gas, but the gas station was so far away, that they didn't know. We are figuring they were headed to a county fair or a tractor pull. Oh, the fun.
As we wended our way out of Hill City, we entered the Buffalo Gap National Grassland. There were grassy plains for as far as the naked eyes could see. Rolls of straw were strategically placed in preparation for the harsh winters. Cattle and ranches were spread out. We drove 120 miles of nothingness.....we are so used to living on top of our neighbors, that I can't imagine being acres and acres away from my neighbors. It made Nick and I think about what do these people do when they need to go to the dentist, or there is an emergency? Where do they go for food? How a out gasoline? By the time you get to the gas station 120 miles away and turn around, you need gas again!
We finally got into a small town called Lusk. Lusk had a population of 774. It had a couple of bars and restaurants, a school and two gas stations. Blink....and you missed the town. There were remnants of a drive-in movie theatre.....the screen was gone, but the speakers remained. What memories that sight provoked!
We arrived to our next destination around noon. Talk about a one-horse town! We couldn't find our final destination, so we pulled over to what was supposedly and grocery store. Shelves were sparse and so was merchandise. We asked for directions to our campground. He gave us directions and gave us a Bates Motel kind of smile. We drove to the campground and we got a bit nervous. The trailers that were there looked like they'd been there for years. Windows were broken and the sites were right on top of one another. Garbage was thrown around. Nick looked at me and said, "if this is the campground, we're moving on till our next stop or the nearest Wal-Mart!". I checked our itinerary and it turns out we had reservations for Lakeside RV Park. We were at Lakeview RV Park. We drove down a deserted road toward Glendo State Park and found our stop. It was pretty obvious that this was a relatively new campground because the trees were small. The campground was pretty big, and it was also pretty empty. The owners were very nice, but it was still pretty creepy being in the middle of nowhere in an empty campground. We did some laundry, ate dinner and went to bed for a good night's rest for tomorrow.
As we wended our way out of Hill City, we entered the Buffalo Gap National Grassland. There were grassy plains for as far as the naked eyes could see. Rolls of straw were strategically placed in preparation for the harsh winters. Cattle and ranches were spread out. We drove 120 miles of nothingness.....we are so used to living on top of our neighbors, that I can't imagine being acres and acres away from my neighbors. It made Nick and I think about what do these people do when they need to go to the dentist, or there is an emergency? Where do they go for food? How a out gasoline? By the time you get to the gas station 120 miles away and turn around, you need gas again!
We finally got into a small town called Lusk. Lusk had a population of 774. It had a couple of bars and restaurants, a school and two gas stations. Blink....and you missed the town. There were remnants of a drive-in movie theatre.....the screen was gone, but the speakers remained. What memories that sight provoked!
We arrived to our next destination around noon. Talk about a one-horse town! We couldn't find our final destination, so we pulled over to what was supposedly and grocery store. Shelves were sparse and so was merchandise. We asked for directions to our campground. He gave us directions and gave us a Bates Motel kind of smile. We drove to the campground and we got a bit nervous. The trailers that were there looked like they'd been there for years. Windows were broken and the sites were right on top of one another. Garbage was thrown around. Nick looked at me and said, "if this is the campground, we're moving on till our next stop or the nearest Wal-Mart!". I checked our itinerary and it turns out we had reservations for Lakeside RV Park. We were at Lakeview RV Park. We drove down a deserted road toward Glendo State Park and found our stop. It was pretty obvious that this was a relatively new campground because the trees were small. The campground was pretty big, and it was also pretty empty. The owners were very nice, but it was still pretty creepy being in the middle of nowhere in an empty campground. We did some laundry, ate dinner and went to bed for a good night's rest for tomorrow.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Day 29. August 18, 2010. Born free
Today we woke up to blue skies and s promise of 86 degrees. We decided to take a ride through Custer State Park. Or at least the Wildlife Loop which is wide enough for an RV. The wildlife loop is known for its large herd of bison. Nick and I started our trek down the road which by the way was winding, narrow, and hilly. The loop is about 18 miles in circumference so it took close to two hours to go around. The beginning of the loop was noneventful. The scenery was pretty, but we came to e some wildlife! Just when I was ready to give up, I spotted s sign that read, "Please do not feed or disturb the prairie dogs. View from a distance." I was at the point where I thought...."ok, prairie dogs are better than nothing!". We didn't see any of those either. So, we rambled on, and turn a corner.......and I see something on four legs........what? Feral mule? Now that is a sight. But they didn't seem very feral to us. They came up to every car window. If you had your window open to take a picture, they stuck their heads in. Children were walking up to them and petting them. I swears that if I opened up the side door, one of them would have gotten in. It was pretty comical. Turns out these burros are not native to the park. They sre descendants from the herd that once hsuled visitors to the top of Harney Peak. The rides stopped years ago and the burros were released into the park.
After we got through the maze of burros, we continued our ride. A little more down the road, Nick spotted some bighorn sheep. They were sturdy and graceful. We were around mile 15 and I was getting frustrated because I did not see any of the bison that was reported to be plentiful in the park. I spotted one! And then another and I started to feel hopeful. We rounded one of the last loops and saw quite a few cars congregated on the side of the road. There they were! Hundreds of bison of all sizes lying, standing, walking,eating! What an amazing sight and definitely one of my favorite so far. These bison, or buffalo, can grow to six feet tall and weigh more than 2000 pounds. There were once millions of bison, but by 1900 estimates report that fewer than one thousand bison remained on the entire continent. In 1914, the park bought 36 bison to start a herd. The number swelled to over 2500 by the 1940s. Today the number is kept to 1500 to prevent overgrazing.
Along the way we spotted Rv parks and lodges and cabins. We would definitely consider staying in the park if we ever got to go back to the area.
We worked our way back to Hill City and decided to stop at Rico's Tacos. I scanned the menu....I couldn't believe it! There was not ONE seafood item on the menu! It was somewhere that I could eat! I took advantage of it and ordered a couple of tacos and they were delicious.
The weather was so perfect,that after our ice cream (blueberry waffle cone by Land o' Lakes), I decided to go walking in the pool again.
We ate dinner and Dallas and Kathy and their kids came down the hill to visit. We lit a campfire and we made s'mores and talked and laughed and before we knew it, it was 10 pm and both families were headed out the next morning. It was our last campground that we would be seeing them and we were sad about that. However, we talked about getting together soon and I hope that really happens.
The sky was filled with stars and we could name a few constellations. I wish I had a guide of the western skies. I think We saw the Milky Way!
After we got through the maze of burros, we continued our ride. A little more down the road, Nick spotted some bighorn sheep. They were sturdy and graceful. We were around mile 15 and I was getting frustrated because I did not see any of the bison that was reported to be plentiful in the park. I spotted one! And then another and I started to feel hopeful. We rounded one of the last loops and saw quite a few cars congregated on the side of the road. There they were! Hundreds of bison of all sizes lying, standing, walking,eating! What an amazing sight and definitely one of my favorite so far. These bison, or buffalo, can grow to six feet tall and weigh more than 2000 pounds. There were once millions of bison, but by 1900 estimates report that fewer than one thousand bison remained on the entire continent. In 1914, the park bought 36 bison to start a herd. The number swelled to over 2500 by the 1940s. Today the number is kept to 1500 to prevent overgrazing.
Along the way we spotted Rv parks and lodges and cabins. We would definitely consider staying in the park if we ever got to go back to the area.
We worked our way back to Hill City and decided to stop at Rico's Tacos. I scanned the menu....I couldn't believe it! There was not ONE seafood item on the menu! It was somewhere that I could eat! I took advantage of it and ordered a couple of tacos and they were delicious.
The weather was so perfect,that after our ice cream (blueberry waffle cone by Land o' Lakes), I decided to go walking in the pool again.
We ate dinner and Dallas and Kathy and their kids came down the hill to visit. We lit a campfire and we made s'mores and talked and laughed and before we knew it, it was 10 pm and both families were headed out the next morning. It was our last campground that we would be seeing them and we were sad about that. However, we talked about getting together soon and I hope that really happens.
The sky was filled with stars and we could name a few constellations. I wish I had a guide of the western skies. I think We saw the Milky Way!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Day 19, 8/17/2010. Hanging with some dead presidents
The morning sunshine promised to give way to warm sunshine with a high of 83 degrees. We had a busy day in front of us. Our first stop was to Mount Rushmore. We were a little taken aback that Nick could not use his Golden Pass to get in. Here's the catch......your entry of $10.00 into the monument is for parking, not for entry. Makes no sense. Parking was easy as was access to the monument. Its enormity was breathtaking. The dedication and hard work that went into creating the monument is amazing. From the moment you walk up the steps, you are awestruck. There is plenty to do while you are there. Nick and I chose to admire the monument from the viewing platform and move on to our next stop.
We went down the road to Crazy Horse Mountain. This memorial was started on June 3, 1948 in honor of the culture, tradition, and living heritage of North American Indians. There aren't any photos of Crazy Horse, so the model is a composite likeness created by Korczak from "word pictures" he was given in the 1940s by old Indians who had known Crazy Horse in the few years that he lived.
I really enjoyed this memorial. You walk into the visitor center and one room led to another into another until you reach the memorial's view. Each room had a different focus. One was about the creator's life, several were filled with artifacts. Others contained Lakota Indian vendors selling the wares. It took us several hours to walk through the different sections.
When we done done there, we were hungry so we went to Custer City for lunch.
We pulled up to a parking spot on the street and Nick went into the Sage Creek Grille. There was shellfish, so I was left to my own demise. Nick came back with his lunch and we sat in the RV to have lunch and we left the door open. The next thing we know, a very disheveled man on a very dilapidated motorcycle pulled up next to us and started yelling at us that RV parking was down the street and that "you people think the whole world owes you s parking spot" and that you don't want the police to come and give you a ticket. We pretty much ignored him because of his sttitude and finished our lunch.....which by the way, Nick had a hamburger which he said was juicy and perfectly cooked. We got out of the RV and started to walk down the street, but Nick noticed we were the slightest bit over the line. He decided to move, so we moved to a spot that was situated at the end of the block and allowed Nick to park safely within the lines. As we walked away, a police car pulls up behind our RV and looked to be calling headquarters. Ok.....this isn't good! So....we turned around and walked over to the police car. He told us that someone cslled in that we were parked in an unsafe manner and that should check it out. The officer determined that we were okay and went on his way. Phew! Thought we'd end up with a ticket.
Custer City was a charming little town with some fun shops. When we went back to the campground I took advantage of the gorgeous day and plentiful sunshine and went walking in the pool. Nick stayed behind and talked to his new friends from Illinois.
We went down the road to Crazy Horse Mountain. This memorial was started on June 3, 1948 in honor of the culture, tradition, and living heritage of North American Indians. There aren't any photos of Crazy Horse, so the model is a composite likeness created by Korczak from "word pictures" he was given in the 1940s by old Indians who had known Crazy Horse in the few years that he lived.
I really enjoyed this memorial. You walk into the visitor center and one room led to another into another until you reach the memorial's view. Each room had a different focus. One was about the creator's life, several were filled with artifacts. Others contained Lakota Indian vendors selling the wares. It took us several hours to walk through the different sections.
When we done done there, we were hungry so we went to Custer City for lunch.
We pulled up to a parking spot on the street and Nick went into the Sage Creek Grille. There was shellfish, so I was left to my own demise. Nick came back with his lunch and we sat in the RV to have lunch and we left the door open. The next thing we know, a very disheveled man on a very dilapidated motorcycle pulled up next to us and started yelling at us that RV parking was down the street and that "you people think the whole world owes you s parking spot" and that you don't want the police to come and give you a ticket. We pretty much ignored him because of his sttitude and finished our lunch.....which by the way, Nick had a hamburger which he said was juicy and perfectly cooked. We got out of the RV and started to walk down the street, but Nick noticed we were the slightest bit over the line. He decided to move, so we moved to a spot that was situated at the end of the block and allowed Nick to park safely within the lines. As we walked away, a police car pulls up behind our RV and looked to be calling headquarters. Ok.....this isn't good! So....we turned around and walked over to the police car. He told us that someone cslled in that we were parked in an unsafe manner and that should check it out. The officer determined that we were okay and went on his way. Phew! Thought we'd end up with a ticket.
Custer City was a charming little town with some fun shops. When we went back to the campground I took advantage of the gorgeous day and plentiful sunshine and went walking in the pool. Nick stayed behind and talked to his new friends from Illinois.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Day 18 8/16/10 the hills are alive!
50 degrees and cloudy...again. It warmed up to the mid 70's which was quite an accomplishment. We drove to Hill City, South Dakota which wasn't too far away....it was just deeper into the Black Hills. We were staying at Rafter J Bar Ranch. Its origins began as a stop for the stage coach in the 1800's during the gold rush. It was known as the Mile 12 stop. We knew our new friends from Pennsylvania would be st this campground and we were hoping to see them, but when we pulled in, we were overwhelmed by the size of the campground. To our surprise, hey left a note for us to come to their site. We headed up there, but they were not sound,so we left them a note. We had linch and headed down to check out Hill City. It was a nice little town. The population at the last census was 700. We walked sound for a couple of hours. Some stores had your usual junky souvenirs but some shops had jewelry made from Black Hills gold. After spending some time there, we headed back to csmp and hung out.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Day 17, 8/15/2010. Cha-ching!!!!!
Arose to 48 degrees and cloudy! We're almost missing the heat at home in NJ! We actually got out the door before 8 am and were headed into South Dakota.
As we headed east, the landscape became grass and small green shrubs. We entered the Black Hills around 11 am and to Deadwood around 12. We headed out to the campground for lunch and to plan our afternoon. After lunch we decided to head back to Deadwood's Main Street.
The streets were narrow and were not fit for RV parking but since it was Sunday, we found an empty office parking lot and parked there. We went to the Adams Museum first and got to read about Deadwood's early days. Deadwood was named for the dead trees outside the city. It also had the first phone exchange in the state which made it easier and cheaper to contact others outside of Deadwood. We learned about the ethnic backgrounds that helped to develop the town. We also saw the fateful hand that Wild Bill had in his last poker game (2 aces, 2 eights, and a 9). There was also information about Calamity Jane. Jane went to Deadwood during the gold rush and stories say that she and Wild Bill had a relationship. After he died, she married another man and performed in Western shows including Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show. She was fired because of her drunkenness. Upon her death she was buried alongside Wild Bill.
It turned out to be a lovely day, so we headed for the streets. We walked in and out of the stores....and in and out of the casinos. These are not your Atlantic City casinos. These are casinos in saloons. Casinos in restaurants and casinos in hotels. They were small with maybe fifty slot machines. Some were smaller with up to 10 machines. There were no other tables. The person at the payout counter did everything....serve drinks, make change, clean up. We played a little. And mom, Priscila and Thump....we could even take pictures inside and not get yelled at! We watched a silly reenactment of the fateful card game and saw Saloon #10 where Wild Bill was shot. We also saw where they caught the assassin, Jack McCall.
I want to apologize for any typos.....I take the Internet when I can. Most places I have such a weak signal and I'm afraid if I review what I wrote, that I'll lose it all (that did happen one day). I hope you are enjoying it even with the errors!
As we headed east, the landscape became grass and small green shrubs. We entered the Black Hills around 11 am and to Deadwood around 12. We headed out to the campground for lunch and to plan our afternoon. After lunch we decided to head back to Deadwood's Main Street.
The streets were narrow and were not fit for RV parking but since it was Sunday, we found an empty office parking lot and parked there. We went to the Adams Museum first and got to read about Deadwood's early days. Deadwood was named for the dead trees outside the city. It also had the first phone exchange in the state which made it easier and cheaper to contact others outside of Deadwood. We learned about the ethnic backgrounds that helped to develop the town. We also saw the fateful hand that Wild Bill had in his last poker game (2 aces, 2 eights, and a 9). There was also information about Calamity Jane. Jane went to Deadwood during the gold rush and stories say that she and Wild Bill had a relationship. After he died, she married another man and performed in Western shows including Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show. She was fired because of her drunkenness. Upon her death she was buried alongside Wild Bill.
It turned out to be a lovely day, so we headed for the streets. We walked in and out of the stores....and in and out of the casinos. These are not your Atlantic City casinos. These are casinos in saloons. Casinos in restaurants and casinos in hotels. They were small with maybe fifty slot machines. Some were smaller with up to 10 machines. There were no other tables. The person at the payout counter did everything....serve drinks, make change, clean up. We played a little. And mom, Priscila and Thump....we could even take pictures inside and not get yelled at! We watched a silly reenactment of the fateful card game and saw Saloon #10 where Wild Bill was shot. We also saw where they caught the assassin, Jack McCall.
I want to apologize for any typos.....I take the Internet when I can. Most places I have such a weak signal and I'm afraid if I review what I wrote, that I'll lose it all (that did happen one day). I hope you are enjoying it even with the errors!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Day 16-8/14/10. Get along little doggy!
We had a lot of rain overnight but we woke up to fifty degrees and sunshine. We headed out on the road around 9:15 am. We rode along on the Greybull Highway which is a two lane highway surrounded by completely open range. Greybull (wy.) had small windswept hills that brownish green and some were red swirled. For a while our altitude was 4359 ft which was pretty low.
We went through a town called Shell that had a population of 50.
It started raining again. The road turned into a scenic byway and then went into the Bighorn Nationsl Forest. So far, we think this has been the most beautiful of the forests we've ridden through. It had huge boulders sculpted by the wind and water, canyons, pine trees, and falls that topped the ones we saw in Yelowstone. We also saw quite a few hummingbirds which made us think of Wading Pines.
The oddest thing was seeing cows walking along the side of the highway in the forest at 8000 feet.
Then we thought we were in the clouds at 8760 feet and before we knew it, we were going over granite pass at 9033 feet. I'm pretty sure that's the highest we've gone so far! On our way down, a herd of elk ran past was on a hill. Our altitude dropped to 3926 feet.
Twenty miles outside of Buffalo,Wyoming, and the terrain changed again to green, grassy mountains.
We got to Buffalo around 1:30 so we stopped for lunch in town and walked around through the shops. Trust me.....there weren't many! On the side of a building, someone painted a mural of horses and wrote: buffalo, it's more than a one horse town! What were they thinking? It was exactly that! We had ice cream at the local sweet shop. Nick had huckleberry and I had vanilla. This olace served Blue Bunny and it was actually good. The best part were the homemade waffle cones that were made when we ordered. The best part of town was The Occidental Hotel which was founded in 1880. It lies on the former Bozeman Trail and was visited by many famous people as they traveled west along the trail. The list includes Teddy Roosevelt, Tom Horn, Buffalo Bill Cody, and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. In 1880 the hotel was located in a log cabin, But as time past it was rebuilt and made into am grand hotel which stands today. The Occidental still operates as a hotel today. I got a peek into two rooms. They were stunning!
When we were done, we went back to the RV to relax. Dinner was late and we had our first campfire. We roasted a few marshmallows, enjoyed the night sky and fire and hit the hay early. Tomorrow is another long ride.
We went through a town called Shell that had a population of 50.
It started raining again. The road turned into a scenic byway and then went into the Bighorn Nationsl Forest. So far, we think this has been the most beautiful of the forests we've ridden through. It had huge boulders sculpted by the wind and water, canyons, pine trees, and falls that topped the ones we saw in Yelowstone. We also saw quite a few hummingbirds which made us think of Wading Pines.
The oddest thing was seeing cows walking along the side of the highway in the forest at 8000 feet.
Then we thought we were in the clouds at 8760 feet and before we knew it, we were going over granite pass at 9033 feet. I'm pretty sure that's the highest we've gone so far! On our way down, a herd of elk ran past was on a hill. Our altitude dropped to 3926 feet.
Twenty miles outside of Buffalo,Wyoming, and the terrain changed again to green, grassy mountains.
We got to Buffalo around 1:30 so we stopped for lunch in town and walked around through the shops. Trust me.....there weren't many! On the side of a building, someone painted a mural of horses and wrote: buffalo, it's more than a one horse town! What were they thinking? It was exactly that! We had ice cream at the local sweet shop. Nick had huckleberry and I had vanilla. This olace served Blue Bunny and it was actually good. The best part were the homemade waffle cones that were made when we ordered. The best part of town was The Occidental Hotel which was founded in 1880. It lies on the former Bozeman Trail and was visited by many famous people as they traveled west along the trail. The list includes Teddy Roosevelt, Tom Horn, Buffalo Bill Cody, and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. In 1880 the hotel was located in a log cabin, But as time past it was rebuilt and made into am grand hotel which stands today. The Occidental still operates as a hotel today. I got a peek into two rooms. They were stunning!
When we were done, we went back to the RV to relax. Dinner was late and we had our first campfire. We roasted a few marshmallows, enjoyed the night sky and fire and hit the hay early. Tomorrow is another long ride.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Day 15, 8/13/2010. ride 'em cowboy!
We woke up to 50 degrees and clouds. The high for the day is supposed to be 62 and windy. We started the day with a provision run, went back to the campsite for lunch, and then on to Old Trail Town. It never made it to 62. Old Trail Town is outdoors.....I wore three layers of cold to stay warm! And the wind? There is nothing like Wyoming winds. Ask Nick.....he'll tell you what it is like driving in these winds.
Anyway, we spent close to two hours there. Old Trail Town is a collection of cabins, 26 in all, that date from 1879-1901. One hundred horse drawn vehicles are also there. It contains an extensive collection of Native American artifacts and Wyoming frontier memorabilia. old Trail Town is a reflection on the lives of some of Wyoming's most colorful historical figures such as Jeremiah johnstone, Jim White (the buffalo hunter), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, W.A. Gallagher, and Blind Bill. There was also a lot about Curley, General Custer's Indian scout. One of the cabins was Butch and Sundance's Hole in the Wall cabin. Another was a schoolhouse and another was the first store in Shell, Wyoming. There was so much to take in!
After going through the museum, we went back to csmp, fixed dinner, and headed out for date night! The RODEO!
It was so cold at the rodeo! I had four layers on. We took our seats, and waited for it to bgin. It started with a ballad by Johnny Cash with two cowgirls riding around the ring carrying flags. The national anthem played next and then a short prayer.
I'm nit sure how I felt about the first event, but I was happy when their rope missed the calf. The bronco riding part was exciting and scary. Throughout the rodeo there was a clown with some really corny jokes but they were pretty funny at times. We left a few minutes early because it was so cold. It's the middle of August and I'm wearing gloves!!!!!
When we got to the RV there was a truck with New Jersey plates on it. Up walks a couple, and we start to talk to them. They were from Williamstown which is where we bought our trailer! It was the second time that day someone we met either had kin there or lived there. It truly is a small world!
We went back to camp, turned up the heat, and went to bed.
Anyway, we spent close to two hours there. Old Trail Town is a collection of cabins, 26 in all, that date from 1879-1901. One hundred horse drawn vehicles are also there. It contains an extensive collection of Native American artifacts and Wyoming frontier memorabilia. old Trail Town is a reflection on the lives of some of Wyoming's most colorful historical figures such as Jeremiah johnstone, Jim White (the buffalo hunter), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, W.A. Gallagher, and Blind Bill. There was also a lot about Curley, General Custer's Indian scout. One of the cabins was Butch and Sundance's Hole in the Wall cabin. Another was a schoolhouse and another was the first store in Shell, Wyoming. There was so much to take in!
After going through the museum, we went back to csmp, fixed dinner, and headed out for date night! The RODEO!
It was so cold at the rodeo! I had four layers on. We took our seats, and waited for it to bgin. It started with a ballad by Johnny Cash with two cowgirls riding around the ring carrying flags. The national anthem played next and then a short prayer.
I'm nit sure how I felt about the first event, but I was happy when their rope missed the calf. The bronco riding part was exciting and scary. Throughout the rodeo there was a clown with some really corny jokes but they were pretty funny at times. We left a few minutes early because it was so cold. It's the middle of August and I'm wearing gloves!!!!!
When we got to the RV there was a truck with New Jersey plates on it. Up walks a couple, and we start to talk to them. They were from Williamstown which is where we bought our trailer! It was the second time that day someone we met either had kin there or lived there. It truly is a small world!
We went back to camp, turned up the heat, and went to bed.
Day 14, 8/12/2010 back to yellowstone
The weather was still cool......45 and overcast. We are headed to Cody, Wyoming. We left around 10 am. Little did we know we had to go through Yellowstone again! During our ride we saw a lone bison,2 moose cows and a baby moose (word has it that the wolves and coyote are killing off the moose and elk and that's why our sightings have been limited). We also came upon one bull elk with a huge rack that was so majestic!
We entered Yellowstone from the west entrance this time, so we were able to see different sights. Hot springs popped out of nowhere. It's amazing how people just pull over when they see wildlife. Its also amazing how these people are stupid enough to get out of their cars to take pictures! It's not enough for them that the animals are nearly close enough to touch, they've got to get out of their cars! They also cause stopped traffic.
We hit another high peak at 8257.
Eventually we got to what is called the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is the primary geologic feature in the canyon district in the park. It is roughly 20 miles long, the depth is 800-1200 feet and the width is 1500-4000 feet. Its formation is pretty recent-no more than 10000-14000 years ago. The canyon was formed by erosion.
We also sawtheupper falls. They were formed by erosion by the Yellowstone River as it flows over progressively softer, less resistant rock.
We hit another high.....Sylvan Pass, which was 8660 feet above sea level! I didn't like that one!
We stopped to take some pictures at the Sulphur Cauldron. Shortly up the road, traffic stopped short. About five bison were crossing the road two cars in front of us.
At 7794 feet, we found a little spot for lunch alongside the Yellowstone River. It was cold, cloudy, and very windy at that altitude! We ate inside and pulled up the blind to watch for wildlife!
On our way down, Nick showed me some trees that had bark rubbed from them. He said that they were called elk rubs and that it was from the elk rubbing the felt from their antlers.
Further down the road, we saw a lot of damage from the 1988 forest fire. It was devasating and widespread . 40% of the forest was damaged.
I loved this sign....Grizzly Bear Area: Special Rules Apply
And that means?
From Yellowstone we entered the Shoshone National Forest. It rained the last thirty miles of the ride. The terrain changed again to beautiful brown, almost monumental shaped mountains. There was an occasional stream.
We got to the Ponderosa RV Park at 4 pm. We only had a 130 mile ride! Between the high peaked passes, the winding roads, rods construction and traffic it took way too long to get there. This was definitely our most stressful ride yet.
It was supposed to be 75 degrees in Cody, but we got there and it was 59 degrees.
Dinner was hamburgers from the ground beef we bought......they were the yummiest burgers we have ever eaten!
We entered Yellowstone from the west entrance this time, so we were able to see different sights. Hot springs popped out of nowhere. It's amazing how people just pull over when they see wildlife. Its also amazing how these people are stupid enough to get out of their cars to take pictures! It's not enough for them that the animals are nearly close enough to touch, they've got to get out of their cars! They also cause stopped traffic.
We hit another high peak at 8257.
Eventually we got to what is called the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is the primary geologic feature in the canyon district in the park. It is roughly 20 miles long, the depth is 800-1200 feet and the width is 1500-4000 feet. Its formation is pretty recent-no more than 10000-14000 years ago. The canyon was formed by erosion.
We also sawtheupper falls. They were formed by erosion by the Yellowstone River as it flows over progressively softer, less resistant rock.
We hit another high.....Sylvan Pass, which was 8660 feet above sea level! I didn't like that one!
We stopped to take some pictures at the Sulphur Cauldron. Shortly up the road, traffic stopped short. About five bison were crossing the road two cars in front of us.
At 7794 feet, we found a little spot for lunch alongside the Yellowstone River. It was cold, cloudy, and very windy at that altitude! We ate inside and pulled up the blind to watch for wildlife!
On our way down, Nick showed me some trees that had bark rubbed from them. He said that they were called elk rubs and that it was from the elk rubbing the felt from their antlers.
Further down the road, we saw a lot of damage from the 1988 forest fire. It was devasating and widespread . 40% of the forest was damaged.
I loved this sign....Grizzly Bear Area: Special Rules Apply
And that means?
From Yellowstone we entered the Shoshone National Forest. It rained the last thirty miles of the ride. The terrain changed again to beautiful brown, almost monumental shaped mountains. There was an occasional stream.
We got to the Ponderosa RV Park at 4 pm. We only had a 130 mile ride! Between the high peaked passes, the winding roads, rods construction and traffic it took way too long to get there. This was definitely our most stressful ride yet.
It was supposed to be 75 degrees in Cody, but we got there and it was 59 degrees.
Dinner was hamburgers from the ground beef we bought......they were the yummiest burgers we have ever eaten!
Day 13, 8/11/2010, BOO!
We woke up to 46 degrees and sunshine. We headed out to Virginia City, Montana around 8:15 am. On the way, we passes Hebgen Lake, which is the area that was affected the most by the 1959 earthquake. It was 7.5 on the Richter Scale and is the third largest earthquake to have hit the lower 48 states. Many summer homes slid into the lake off their foundations. At least 28 people died and many were injured. The lake is big and beautiful. Nick couldn't get over how calm the lake was and how it looked like a piece of glass. The water had a bluish tint to it. This area led to the Gallatin National Forest.
From the forest we went into the Montana plains. We were at the lowest altitude we had seen in at least a week. We were surrounded by green and brown swirled mountains. Cattle and horses were spread out through the area. Log cabins and ranches were too. There were also quite a few fishing lodges. The ground was mainly grass and the tres were no longer pine trees.
We got to Virginia City about an hour and a half later. Virginia City is a ghost town that has been preserved.
Fun facts about Virginia City:
In 1864 the population was over 10000. At the last population survey it was under 200.
$120 million in placer gold was mined and another $30 million in Hard gold was mined between the years of 1863 and 1866.
Camels arrived in 1865 for freighting.
Electricity arrived in 1892.
The first public school in Montana opened in Virginia City in 1866.
Merchants first set up shop in tents, wickiups and wagons with gold dust being the preferred payment.
Virginia City was the first administrative point for Yellowstone when it became the first national park.
Virginia City became the first capitol of the Montana Territory in 1865.
In the 1860's and 1870's, Virginia City was known as the social city because balls and dances were held for every occasion.
Telephones came to Virginia City in 1902. Cellular service didn't arrive until June 2010!
And we thought our trip to get there was long.....James P. Miller walked there from Salt Lake City for a total of 450 miles and it took him 16 days. A quote from his journal.....September 9,1865.....Up half past six. Snow three feet deep and still snowing.
Snow...in September? No thanks, I'll keep my jersey septembers.
We stopped in a little town called Ennis on the way back for lunch. Nick got a Reuben sandwich from a local bar called the Reel Decoy BBQ and Grill. He said it was delicious. Right across the street was a butcher. We bought some ground beef and pork chops. They made fresh jerky which the boys wanted me to bring back but it wouldn't stay for that long. Nick tasted some, and his not being a fan of it, thought that it was delicious.
After lunch we went back to the campground to hang out. Dinner was pork chops with apple sauce, twice baked potatoes, and a vegetable. Wow! Those pork chops were the most tasty, juiciest chops we've ever eaten.
We decided to go over to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center after dinner. What a great place. There was so much information about the two animals that we wish we had gone there the night before because your admission ticket is good for two days. We also got to view several wolves and bears that were residents because they could no longer survive in the wild. They were beautiful. My favorite bit of useless information that I retained was the fact that they use the bears to test bear proof garbage cans. If they cannot get into the cans within 90 minutes, then those garbage cans are approved for use. I guess that explains the metal tilted garbage cans with latches all over the place!
Our last atop before turning in was for dessert........which was none other than Wilcoxson's Ice Cream!
From the forest we went into the Montana plains. We were at the lowest altitude we had seen in at least a week. We were surrounded by green and brown swirled mountains. Cattle and horses were spread out through the area. Log cabins and ranches were too. There were also quite a few fishing lodges. The ground was mainly grass and the tres were no longer pine trees.
We got to Virginia City about an hour and a half later. Virginia City is a ghost town that has been preserved.
Fun facts about Virginia City:
In 1864 the population was over 10000. At the last population survey it was under 200.
$120 million in placer gold was mined and another $30 million in Hard gold was mined between the years of 1863 and 1866.
Camels arrived in 1865 for freighting.
Electricity arrived in 1892.
The first public school in Montana opened in Virginia City in 1866.
Merchants first set up shop in tents, wickiups and wagons with gold dust being the preferred payment.
Virginia City was the first administrative point for Yellowstone when it became the first national park.
Virginia City became the first capitol of the Montana Territory in 1865.
In the 1860's and 1870's, Virginia City was known as the social city because balls and dances were held for every occasion.
Telephones came to Virginia City in 1902. Cellular service didn't arrive until June 2010!
And we thought our trip to get there was long.....James P. Miller walked there from Salt Lake City for a total of 450 miles and it took him 16 days. A quote from his journal.....September 9,1865.....Up half past six. Snow three feet deep and still snowing.
Snow...in September? No thanks, I'll keep my jersey septembers.
We stopped in a little town called Ennis on the way back for lunch. Nick got a Reuben sandwich from a local bar called the Reel Decoy BBQ and Grill. He said it was delicious. Right across the street was a butcher. We bought some ground beef and pork chops. They made fresh jerky which the boys wanted me to bring back but it wouldn't stay for that long. Nick tasted some, and his not being a fan of it, thought that it was delicious.
After lunch we went back to the campground to hang out. Dinner was pork chops with apple sauce, twice baked potatoes, and a vegetable. Wow! Those pork chops were the most tasty, juiciest chops we've ever eaten.
We decided to go over to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center after dinner. What a great place. There was so much information about the two animals that we wish we had gone there the night before because your admission ticket is good for two days. We also got to view several wolves and bears that were residents because they could no longer survive in the wild. They were beautiful. My favorite bit of useless information that I retained was the fact that they use the bears to test bear proof garbage cans. If they cannot get into the cans within 90 minutes, then those garbage cans are approved for use. I guess that explains the metal tilted garbage cans with latches all over the place!
Our last atop before turning in was for dessert........which was none other than Wilcoxson's Ice Cream!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Day 12 8/10/10. I can see clearly now!
We woke up to 41 degrees and dense fog. We had planned on going up to mammoth hot springs in yellowstone but we were concerned about the fog and the high altitude. We couldn't even see the surrounding mountains because the fog was so thick.
We decided to go to town....West Yellowstone, Montana. We started out at the Historical Museum. Outside the museum was an old Tour Car used for taking visitors up to Yellowstone and several old carriages used for traveling. Inside, the displays were well planned and sucked you in to travel in Yellowstone Country years ago. The first displays discussed travel by rail. We got to go into the dining lodge that served the railway, we read about the beanery queens that worked in the dining hall and how they made about 7 and a half cents an hour. We saw the menu that showed dinner of prime rib that cost $2.25 cents. We read about the route, the cost of travel, what kind of trains were used, and what the folk did once they got to Yellowstone. The next room exhibited early air travel to Yellowstone. We read about the cost of round trip travel, how the skis on the earliest mail planes were handmade, what the early commercial planes were like and looked at the flight logs written by the early pilots.
The museum also showed movies on the 1988 fire that destroyed 40% of the forest and the 1959 earthquake. Earthquake?
Other facts: the temperature goes down to 50 below zero during the winter. Students have outdoor recess until it is 30 below!
2009-2010 school year saw its first winter closing of schools for blizzard like conditions.
West Yellowstone averages 140 inches of snow a year.
Town had the usual tourist shops with some eateries. We ended up at Buckaroo Bill's. Nick's first choice was a Mexican restaurant that was housed in a school bus, but it was packed. Nick had an elk burger and fries. I opted for fries to go with my turkey burger. I know the fries were excellent and Nick enjoyed his elk burger but isn't sure he'd have another one.
After lunch we worked our way down the main street and worked our way back to a small stand that sold ice cream and espresso. It was ice cream perfect weather, so we decided to get some. A single was three scoops! I chose buffalo chip (chocolate ice cream with almonds and caramel) and Nick had huckleberry. It was the best ice cream we've had in ages. The brand was Wilcoxson's and it's one thing I'll certainly miss.
After dinner we went to the IMAX theater to view a movie on Yellowstone Nationsl Park. What a rip off! It cost $17.00 for the two of us and lasted a half hour. It gave a brief history of those who have explored the area.
What I came away with....a quote: "it's a valley so big you can holler at night before you go to sleep and your echo will wake you up in the morning."
We decided to go to town....West Yellowstone, Montana. We started out at the Historical Museum. Outside the museum was an old Tour Car used for taking visitors up to Yellowstone and several old carriages used for traveling. Inside, the displays were well planned and sucked you in to travel in Yellowstone Country years ago. The first displays discussed travel by rail. We got to go into the dining lodge that served the railway, we read about the beanery queens that worked in the dining hall and how they made about 7 and a half cents an hour. We saw the menu that showed dinner of prime rib that cost $2.25 cents. We read about the route, the cost of travel, what kind of trains were used, and what the folk did once they got to Yellowstone. The next room exhibited early air travel to Yellowstone. We read about the cost of round trip travel, how the skis on the earliest mail planes were handmade, what the early commercial planes were like and looked at the flight logs written by the early pilots.
The museum also showed movies on the 1988 fire that destroyed 40% of the forest and the 1959 earthquake. Earthquake?
Other facts: the temperature goes down to 50 below zero during the winter. Students have outdoor recess until it is 30 below!
2009-2010 school year saw its first winter closing of schools for blizzard like conditions.
West Yellowstone averages 140 inches of snow a year.
Town had the usual tourist shops with some eateries. We ended up at Buckaroo Bill's. Nick's first choice was a Mexican restaurant that was housed in a school bus, but it was packed. Nick had an elk burger and fries. I opted for fries to go with my turkey burger. I know the fries were excellent and Nick enjoyed his elk burger but isn't sure he'd have another one.
After lunch we worked our way down the main street and worked our way back to a small stand that sold ice cream and espresso. It was ice cream perfect weather, so we decided to get some. A single was three scoops! I chose buffalo chip (chocolate ice cream with almonds and caramel) and Nick had huckleberry. It was the best ice cream we've had in ages. The brand was Wilcoxson's and it's one thing I'll certainly miss.
After dinner we went to the IMAX theater to view a movie on Yellowstone Nationsl Park. What a rip off! It cost $17.00 for the two of us and lasted a half hour. It gave a brief history of those who have explored the area.
What I came away with....a quote: "it's a valley so big you can holler at night before you go to sleep and your echo will wake you up in the morning."
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Day 11 8/9/10. Right on time
Woke up to 48 degree weather. It had rained again overnight. We left around 9:30 and were headed to West yellowstone, montanta. I knew we were going through the Tetons to get up there, ut was quite surprised that we had to go through Yellowstone National Park.
So we're going through the Tetons, and what do we see? A street cleaner! Then we get caught in a traffic jam! In the Grand Tetons! It turns out that they were repaving the road. The Tetons were beautiful enough for me to say that of all the mountains we have seen so far, they have been the grandest. The tallest were snow capped which ran a chill through my body.
Yellowstone was having a free day, which they apparently do often. Yellowstone was mainly forest with streams, hot springs, high passes with breath taking views, and wildlife.
We passed the Continental Divide twice, once at 8081 feet and once at 8300 feet. We worked our way through traffic (due to construction and to folk stopping to look at wildlife). We got to Old Faithful around 12:30. We started to walk towards the geyser, and a huge black cloud hovered over us. Nick decided we should wait it out, so we went back to the RV and made lunch. Have I mentioned yet how wonderful it is to have your house with you at all times? The clouds passed, and we walked out to the geyser at 1:20 to find out he would be going off at 1:41. How in the world can they predict activity to the minute? Lo and behold.....it went off at 1:41! He gushed to about 150 feet. What an amazing sight!
We continued our drive and pulled over to look at the hot springs called Biscuit Basin. We thought the torment had passed. We got out of the car, started walking up the ramp, and got caught in hail and rain. It was cold, but the heat from the springs felt so good. It was very foggy so we went back to the car. It's probably at this point that I should point put the wisdom bestowed upon me by my daughter-in-law, Priscila. She knew I was quite nervous before we left for our journey. She wrote the most beautiful note to me telling me to enjoy the unexpected rainstorms...and I did!
During our journey, we saw bison, elk and moose cows.
We got the West Yellowstone around 4:30. The campground, Yellowstone Grizzly RV Park, is the nicest we've seen so far. It had manicured lawns, pine and birch trees, and concrete patios.
We met a family from pennsylvania and it turns out they will be at two other spots along our trip.
It started raining again and continued to rain throughout the night.
So we're going through the Tetons, and what do we see? A street cleaner! Then we get caught in a traffic jam! In the Grand Tetons! It turns out that they were repaving the road. The Tetons were beautiful enough for me to say that of all the mountains we have seen so far, they have been the grandest. The tallest were snow capped which ran a chill through my body.
Yellowstone was having a free day, which they apparently do often. Yellowstone was mainly forest with streams, hot springs, high passes with breath taking views, and wildlife.
We passed the Continental Divide twice, once at 8081 feet and once at 8300 feet. We worked our way through traffic (due to construction and to folk stopping to look at wildlife). We got to Old Faithful around 12:30. We started to walk towards the geyser, and a huge black cloud hovered over us. Nick decided we should wait it out, so we went back to the RV and made lunch. Have I mentioned yet how wonderful it is to have your house with you at all times? The clouds passed, and we walked out to the geyser at 1:20 to find out he would be going off at 1:41. How in the world can they predict activity to the minute? Lo and behold.....it went off at 1:41! He gushed to about 150 feet. What an amazing sight!
We continued our drive and pulled over to look at the hot springs called Biscuit Basin. We thought the torment had passed. We got out of the car, started walking up the ramp, and got caught in hail and rain. It was cold, but the heat from the springs felt so good. It was very foggy so we went back to the car. It's probably at this point that I should point put the wisdom bestowed upon me by my daughter-in-law, Priscila. She knew I was quite nervous before we left for our journey. She wrote the most beautiful note to me telling me to enjoy the unexpected rainstorms...and I did!
During our journey, we saw bison, elk and moose cows.
We got the West Yellowstone around 4:30. The campground, Yellowstone Grizzly RV Park, is the nicest we've seen so far. It had manicured lawns, pine and birch trees, and concrete patios.
We met a family from pennsylvania and it turns out they will be at two other spots along our trip.
It started raining again and continued to rain throughout the night.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Day 10 8/8/10 come back Shane! Mommy loves you! Shane?
We woke up early anticipating the worst. We ate breakfast and Nick asked if I was ready for a test drive......we both gulped, quietly got in the motorhome, and rambled down the road slowly and carefully. Nick applied the brakes......everything was ok. He went a little faster, still ok. He tried a small mountain......perfect! It was just what he first suspected....the brakes had gotten too hot. We were on the road again!
We didn't realize how close we were to the Idaho border and actually found a campground we wish we had stayed at....oh well, next time! We rode through Idaho for about an hour-an hour and a half. Idaho is beautiful country. Montpelier is amazing and would be a great place for a motorcycle ride. I loved the welcome sign: welcome to Montpelier. Beware of the bears! Hey, no problem!
We're thinking they observe blue laws because everything was closed.
We rode for s while on the Oregon trail and then entered the caribou national forest. The mountains became grassy and moss covered with pine trees. Their shape took on a rounded form and they appeared smooth.
We crossed into Wyoming at 10:45 am. The first sign we saw read: open range, loose stock. No problem there either!
One forest goes into another and we entered the Bridger National Forest. RV parks and farms Were sprinkled along the way. Houses (mainly log cabins)were tucked into mountainsides. Wyoming appears to be much flatter. Towns have populations of 100, 200,550. The next forest was the Targhee which had tall, thin evergreens. The steel blue water of Snake river slithered its way through the forest. The nest forest was the Bridger-Teton. It was there that we saw snow capped mountains!
Our next stop was in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Nick stopped for lunch at El Gordito's Mexican Restaurant. He had soft tacos with rice and beans. The food was so good that he contemplated running away with the waitress!
From there we went to town and spent the afternoon shopping. The town of Jackson Hole is quaint,nicely decorated and had plenty of friendly shop keepers.
We left there around 3 and drove up to the Grand Teton Mountains. Coming out of Jackson we went through the National Elk Refuge which serves as an annual winter range for 5000-10000 elk. In the spring local boy scout troops gather and auction off the antlers that are naturally shed and donate 80% of the proceeds to buy winter feed for the elk.the top buyers usually come from Asia, where antlers are considered to have medicinal purposes.
Signs along the way:
Go slow-that bull moose is some cow's Beau
Elk, moose, buffalo crossing
Buffalo- danger! Do not approach wildlife!
Be bear aware-food storage required
We pulled up to the Jackson lake lodge in the Grand Tetons and about 20 cars were pulled over to the side. Everyone was out of their cars, so Nick pulled over too so we can see what everyone was looking at. It was a young bull moose eating lily pads along the creek. We drove up a few miles to Colter Bay campground, registered and pulled into our site for the night. The campground was sparse, but had full hook ups. There were no outdoor lights, and it was very quiet. We met s couple from Palm Springs California and talked with them a while.
So.....we planned on seeing the Tetons because Nick was in search of the cabin from the Western movie, "Shane". We couldn't find it and no one, even the several rangers we encountered had never heard of it! That was pretty disappointing!
Oh well.off to bed to prepare for our next adventure!
We didn't realize how close we were to the Idaho border and actually found a campground we wish we had stayed at....oh well, next time! We rode through Idaho for about an hour-an hour and a half. Idaho is beautiful country. Montpelier is amazing and would be a great place for a motorcycle ride. I loved the welcome sign: welcome to Montpelier. Beware of the bears! Hey, no problem!
We're thinking they observe blue laws because everything was closed.
We rode for s while on the Oregon trail and then entered the caribou national forest. The mountains became grassy and moss covered with pine trees. Their shape took on a rounded form and they appeared smooth.
We crossed into Wyoming at 10:45 am. The first sign we saw read: open range, loose stock. No problem there either!
One forest goes into another and we entered the Bridger National Forest. RV parks and farms Were sprinkled along the way. Houses (mainly log cabins)were tucked into mountainsides. Wyoming appears to be much flatter. Towns have populations of 100, 200,550. The next forest was the Targhee which had tall, thin evergreens. The steel blue water of Snake river slithered its way through the forest. The nest forest was the Bridger-Teton. It was there that we saw snow capped mountains!
Our next stop was in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Nick stopped for lunch at El Gordito's Mexican Restaurant. He had soft tacos with rice and beans. The food was so good that he contemplated running away with the waitress!
From there we went to town and spent the afternoon shopping. The town of Jackson Hole is quaint,nicely decorated and had plenty of friendly shop keepers.
We left there around 3 and drove up to the Grand Teton Mountains. Coming out of Jackson we went through the National Elk Refuge which serves as an annual winter range for 5000-10000 elk. In the spring local boy scout troops gather and auction off the antlers that are naturally shed and donate 80% of the proceeds to buy winter feed for the elk.the top buyers usually come from Asia, where antlers are considered to have medicinal purposes.
Signs along the way:
Go slow-that bull moose is some cow's Beau
Elk, moose, buffalo crossing
Buffalo- danger! Do not approach wildlife!
Be bear aware-food storage required
We pulled up to the Jackson lake lodge in the Grand Tetons and about 20 cars were pulled over to the side. Everyone was out of their cars, so Nick pulled over too so we can see what everyone was looking at. It was a young bull moose eating lily pads along the creek. We drove up a few miles to Colter Bay campground, registered and pulled into our site for the night. The campground was sparse, but had full hook ups. There were no outdoor lights, and it was very quiet. We met s couple from Palm Springs California and talked with them a while.
So.....we planned on seeing the Tetons because Nick was in search of the cabin from the Western movie, "Shane". We couldn't find it and no one, even the several rangers we encountered had never heard of it! That was pretty disappointing!
Oh well.off to bed to prepare for our next adventure!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Day 9-August 7, 2010 "can you hear me now?"
We pulled out of Provo around 10 am. It was 55 degrees and mostly sunny. We were still surrounded by mountains, but they were farther in the distance. It was the first time we went through some big towns. It was beginning to feel like we'd never get out of Utah! We had to take a major highway (15) that reminded us of the Garden State Parkway on a summer weekend but only it had stores along the way. It was also very bumpy. It was stressful because we hadn't seen traffic in over a week. Most of our miles so far there were roads we didn't see other people for miles. We stopped in Brigham City to get some kind of chair to sit in since the picnic tables were getting to my back. It was 91 degrees.
Shortly thereafter we turned on to Route 89. It was a whole new world. We went through the Wasatch-Cache National Forest. Throughout northern Utah the foliage continued to change......there were more pine trees and grass, the mountains were brown with ledges covered with pines, and there were Brooks running throughout. The roads were winding, and we had some steep mountains to climb....and then go down!
About 10 miles from Garden City (our destination) we came down a mountain, and the truck shimmied and clunked. I said to Nick, "Please don't tell me that was us!" and he said, "I think that was us.". He pulled over, couldn't assess any damage, and we very, very slowly wended our way to the campground. He had two assumptions: one, the brakes were hot from the heat and coming down the mountains, or two, we had warped rotors. We register, pull in to our spot, and Nick goes to call the RV rental company. Lo and behold...no cell service!!!!!!!! Verizon works everywhere! We had to go into the office and use the campground's phone. The customer service rep that answered was no help and said he'd call us back. When we didn't hear from him in four hours I knew we had a problem. Nick called back, spoke to a woman who knew what she was talking about, and from Nick's description surmised that the brakes were overheated and not to try them till the next day.
Of course it was the weekend, so needless to say it was a rough night for us anticipating the worst. We have a tight schedule for one.....and two, this was the worst campground we'd been to so far. It was LOUD! It was OVERCROWDED! It was not very clean.
The only highlight was a fireworks display at 10 pm that night.
It was a restless night.......
Shortly thereafter we turned on to Route 89. It was a whole new world. We went through the Wasatch-Cache National Forest. Throughout northern Utah the foliage continued to change......there were more pine trees and grass, the mountains were brown with ledges covered with pines, and there were Brooks running throughout. The roads were winding, and we had some steep mountains to climb....and then go down!
About 10 miles from Garden City (our destination) we came down a mountain, and the truck shimmied and clunked. I said to Nick, "Please don't tell me that was us!" and he said, "I think that was us.". He pulled over, couldn't assess any damage, and we very, very slowly wended our way to the campground. He had two assumptions: one, the brakes were hot from the heat and coming down the mountains, or two, we had warped rotors. We register, pull in to our spot, and Nick goes to call the RV rental company. Lo and behold...no cell service!!!!!!!! Verizon works everywhere! We had to go into the office and use the campground's phone. The customer service rep that answered was no help and said he'd call us back. When we didn't hear from him in four hours I knew we had a problem. Nick called back, spoke to a woman who knew what she was talking about, and from Nick's description surmised that the brakes were overheated and not to try them till the next day.
Of course it was the weekend, so needless to say it was a rough night for us anticipating the worst. We have a tight schedule for one.....and two, this was the worst campground we'd been to so far. It was LOUD! It was OVERCROWDED! It was not very clean.
The only highlight was a fireworks display at 10 pm that night.
It was a restless night.......
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Day 8 August 6, 2010. wading in the water
Ate breakfast overlooking the mountains and the Colorado River. Ah, there goes the Colorado River again. So, it is here that I will mention a bit of trivia. The colorado is the primary river of the Southwest. It drains somewhere in the vicinity of 242,000 square miles of land from the states of Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California. Nick has his own bit of trivia on the Colorado that involved a stand in actress and a famous actor. They had been riding over the desert and they were parched. The camera was still rolling and he handed her a drink of water from the river. Instead of them stopping the film, she drank it. She said it was the worst water she ever drank.
Anyway, we're on our way to Provo. The highways are amazing....no traffic and no stop lights. All you see are mountains. The terrain changed again in Thompson, Utah. The ground is now brush covered and the mountains are gray and beige. Farms are sporadic.
We stayed at the Lakeside RV Campground which was very lovely. We ate dinner outside under the shade trees. It was warm enough for me to get in the pool and do my walking. The pool was heated and it overlooked the Wasatch Mountains. What a backdrop!
To bed early.....we've got a long ride ahead of us tomorrow!
Anyway, we're on our way to Provo. The highways are amazing....no traffic and no stop lights. All you see are mountains. The terrain changed again in Thompson, Utah. The ground is now brush covered and the mountains are gray and beige. Farms are sporadic.
We stayed at the Lakeside RV Campground which was very lovely. We ate dinner outside under the shade trees. It was warm enough for me to get in the pool and do my walking. The pool was heated and it overlooked the Wasatch Mountains. What a backdrop!
To bed early.....we've got a long ride ahead of us tomorrow!
Monday, August 9, 2010
8/5/10 continued
We got to Moab, Utah late in the afternoon. It was hot! And the SUN was shining! We registered at the Riverside RV Park, parked the motorhome and decided to take a walk. Next door there was a place called Canyonlands by Day and Night. They gave boat tours of the Canyonlands on the Colorado River. We decided to take the jet boat ride.
Our tour guide, Andrew, took us up the river about 25 miles. We kept getting stuck in the mud and rocks because they had had such a torrential rain the night before that churned up the bottom of the river. I have to admit, I was a little scared when the engine started smoking and we were in the middle of nowhere. We got going again shortly but not for long. Nick thinks that he was probably running on one engine. Even Andrew was a little nervous.
Andrew had a great sense of humor and reminded me of Adam Sandler. At one point he reminded everyone about staying hydrated. He mentioned that the alcohol in Utah had no more than 3% which means you have to drink twice as much to stay hydrated.
Riding through the Canyonlands was pretty cool and gave a different perspective to all the mountains. During the ride, I learned that Moab is the jeepinf and mountain biking capital of the world. I also learned that most movies that depict the Grand Canyon are actually filmed in Moab because the Grand Canyon charges too much.
Points of interest: petrogyphs, Jug Handle Arch, and Poison Spider Arch.
Moab is also a large supplier of potash for water softeners.
The evening ended with ice cream and sweet dreams.
Our tour guide, Andrew, took us up the river about 25 miles. We kept getting stuck in the mud and rocks because they had had such a torrential rain the night before that churned up the bottom of the river. I have to admit, I was a little scared when the engine started smoking and we were in the middle of nowhere. We got going again shortly but not for long. Nick thinks that he was probably running on one engine. Even Andrew was a little nervous.
Andrew had a great sense of humor and reminded me of Adam Sandler. At one point he reminded everyone about staying hydrated. He mentioned that the alcohol in Utah had no more than 3% which means you have to drink twice as much to stay hydrated.
Riding through the Canyonlands was pretty cool and gave a different perspective to all the mountains. During the ride, I learned that Moab is the jeepinf and mountain biking capital of the world. I also learned that most movies that depict the Grand Canyon are actually filmed in Moab because the Grand Canyon charges too much.
Points of interest: petrogyphs, Jug Handle Arch, and Poison Spider Arch.
Moab is also a large supplier of potash for water softeners.
The evening ended with ice cream and sweet dreams.
Day 7, August 5, 2010 pioneers in modern day covered wagon
Awoke to 64 degrees and what else, but rain. We have 142 miles to go today. We ate breakfast, took a few pictures with our new friends, and hit the road.
lesson learned: never wear flip flops and white shorts when it's rained in red clay.
Interesting sights along the way: Mexican Hat, Utah. Couldn't quite grasp the significance even with all my college degrees........but then Nick explained it and I had a major aha moment! It was a huge rock with a smaller round rock sitting beneath it. If you turned it upside down in your mind, it looks like s sombrero!
San Juan Inn- a small hotel built into the mountain with a river flowing through it.
Lunch was at the Twin Rocks cafe in Bluff Utah. It was named after a pair of identical rocks that are sitting in the mountain. Nick ate stew and Navajo fry bread. He said it was delicious and would recommend the cafe.
Most interesting combination seen today: Indian Arts and Crafts and Espresso
Highest peak of the day....7200 feet. We can almost reach the clouds.
As we continued our drive, the terrain began to take on a different look. We were in Monticello, Utah and the red clay disappeared and there was grass and lots of trees. The mountains looked like waves had lapped at them for centuries and there were variations in the colors. They also took on a rounded form.
lesson learned: never wear flip flops and white shorts when it's rained in red clay.
Interesting sights along the way: Mexican Hat, Utah. Couldn't quite grasp the significance even with all my college degrees........but then Nick explained it and I had a major aha moment! It was a huge rock with a smaller round rock sitting beneath it. If you turned it upside down in your mind, it looks like s sombrero!
San Juan Inn- a small hotel built into the mountain with a river flowing through it.
Lunch was at the Twin Rocks cafe in Bluff Utah. It was named after a pair of identical rocks that are sitting in the mountain. Nick ate stew and Navajo fry bread. He said it was delicious and would recommend the cafe.
Most interesting combination seen today: Indian Arts and Crafts and Espresso
Highest peak of the day....7200 feet. We can almost reach the clouds.
As we continued our drive, the terrain began to take on a different look. We were in Monticello, Utah and the red clay disappeared and there was grass and lots of trees. The mountains looked like waves had lapped at them for centuries and there were variations in the colors. They also took on a rounded form.
Day 6 August 4, 2010. John Wayne lives!
Rode out to Monument Valley after breakfast. There is nothing like getting up close and personal with rocks that you have admired in every John Wayne movie. Every step you take presents a different view. We walked around for about an hour talking to people from France and Germany and Missouri. We decided not to take a tour because the views were so much prettier from above than at the base of the valley.
On our way back we spotted a group of wild horses drinking from a puddle on the side of the road. We also stopped at a roadside stand where navajo were selling jewelry and other trinkets. I broke the ice and bought a cuff bracelet made of turquoise and silver.
We got back to Goulding's and went into John wayne's cabin (it was Mrs. Goulding's potato cellar that was used in movies). We also visited the museum where there were artifacts from movies that were shot in Monument Valley. We couldn't believe how many movies were filmed there. Recent movies include Thelma and Louise and Back to the Future III. The museum was showing one of John Wayne's movies and I almost lost Nick there. I couldn't get him away. Hey, he hasn't watched any TV in days! We also read about the Gouldings and their amazing story. They arrived in Monument Valley in the 1920's looking for a new business opportunity. The Palute Indian Reservation had relocated and areas of land were for sale. They bought a substantial plot of land and opened up a trading post. The Gouldings conducted business with the local Navajo who traded rugs and jewelry for food and other goods. In the 1930's, the Navajo reservation suffered greatly because of the Depression. Mr. Goulding heard of scouts looking for new movie locations in the southwest so the Gouldings used their last $60 to travel to Hollywood. Harry met director John Ford. Ford saw pictures of Monument Valley, paid the Gouldings an advance, and in a few days, began filming the movie Stagecoach.
Today there is a lodge, RV park, grocery store, trading post, museum, gas station, and gift shop on the property.
Lunch was in the motorhome and we sat in a spot with an amazing view of the valley.
When we returned to RV park we relaxed and hung out. Dinner was a barbecued London broil with ice cream for dessert. We met folk from Hawaii. They had a beautiful motor coach that he picked up on Craig's list for $20,000! These things go for a lot more!
We also had our first encounter with the Utah fly......they're just as ruthless as the NJ fly but not as big.
Sign of the day: caution: Desert wildlife inhabit this area!
On our way back we spotted a group of wild horses drinking from a puddle on the side of the road. We also stopped at a roadside stand where navajo were selling jewelry and other trinkets. I broke the ice and bought a cuff bracelet made of turquoise and silver.
We got back to Goulding's and went into John wayne's cabin (it was Mrs. Goulding's potato cellar that was used in movies). We also visited the museum where there were artifacts from movies that were shot in Monument Valley. We couldn't believe how many movies were filmed there. Recent movies include Thelma and Louise and Back to the Future III. The museum was showing one of John Wayne's movies and I almost lost Nick there. I couldn't get him away. Hey, he hasn't watched any TV in days! We also read about the Gouldings and their amazing story. They arrived in Monument Valley in the 1920's looking for a new business opportunity. The Palute Indian Reservation had relocated and areas of land were for sale. They bought a substantial plot of land and opened up a trading post. The Gouldings conducted business with the local Navajo who traded rugs and jewelry for food and other goods. In the 1930's, the Navajo reservation suffered greatly because of the Depression. Mr. Goulding heard of scouts looking for new movie locations in the southwest so the Gouldings used their last $60 to travel to Hollywood. Harry met director John Ford. Ford saw pictures of Monument Valley, paid the Gouldings an advance, and in a few days, began filming the movie Stagecoach.
Today there is a lodge, RV park, grocery store, trading post, museum, gas station, and gift shop on the property.
Lunch was in the motorhome and we sat in a spot with an amazing view of the valley.
When we returned to RV park we relaxed and hung out. Dinner was a barbecued London broil with ice cream for dessert. We met folk from Hawaii. They had a beautiful motor coach that he picked up on Craig's list for $20,000! These things go for a lot more!
We also had our first encounter with the Utah fly......they're just as ruthless as the NJ fly but not as big.
Sign of the day: caution: Desert wildlife inhabit this area!
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Day 5, 8/3/10 Is that the sun?
Woke up to 50 degrees and sunshine! Today is the longest drive we'll have for the remainder of the trip.....206 miles. I designated today as chore day and did a load of laundry, swept and washed the floor and wiped down the sinks. It took all of five minutes!
We are surrounded by mountains.
The drive was uneventful. The sights were spectacular and the roads were pretty much one lane throughout. It amazes me how you can ride for a hundred miles and not see a stop sign or a light. We stopped for lunch in some little town at none other than Sonic.....it was our first experience there. Very interesting with the whole phone ordering thing.
The latter part of the ride was sprinkled with roadside stands with Native Americans selling jewelry.
We arrived in the late afternoon into Monument Valley Utah. We pulled up to Goulding's Lodge (which was built into the side of the mountain), registered and pulled into our site. How can I explain the view? Watch any John Wayne movie and add the color of the reddest clay you've ever seen and you'll understand what I'm talking about. I still haven't fully grasped the magnitude of this road trip, but it was my first glance at the valley where I first felt like crying.
Shortly after we pulled in a family of 4 pulled in two spots away. They were new to camping and Nick gave them a hand. We started chatting and learned that they are from England but have been living in Chatham NJ for the past three years! They have two young children who are smart and adorable and actually liked talking to us old folk! We hung out at their site for a
while before going to bed. No sunset over the valley cause of course it was cloudy.
Sign of the day: Chief Yellow Horse Jewelry and Arts and Crafts
friendly Indians
We are surrounded by mountains.
The drive was uneventful. The sights were spectacular and the roads were pretty much one lane throughout. It amazes me how you can ride for a hundred miles and not see a stop sign or a light. We stopped for lunch in some little town at none other than Sonic.....it was our first experience there. Very interesting with the whole phone ordering thing.
The latter part of the ride was sprinkled with roadside stands with Native Americans selling jewelry.
We arrived in the late afternoon into Monument Valley Utah. We pulled up to Goulding's Lodge (which was built into the side of the mountain), registered and pulled into our site. How can I explain the view? Watch any John Wayne movie and add the color of the reddest clay you've ever seen and you'll understand what I'm talking about. I still haven't fully grasped the magnitude of this road trip, but it was my first glance at the valley where I first felt like crying.
Shortly after we pulled in a family of 4 pulled in two spots away. They were new to camping and Nick gave them a hand. We started chatting and learned that they are from England but have been living in Chatham NJ for the past three years! They have two young children who are smart and adorable and actually liked talking to us old folk! We hung out at their site for a
while before going to bed. No sunset over the valley cause of course it was cloudy.
Sign of the day: Chief Yellow Horse Jewelry and Arts and Crafts
friendly Indians
Friday, August 6, 2010
Day 4 August 2, 2010 we've been robbed!
Well, maybe not, but that part will come later. We woke to a cool 58 degrees and rain. Today we are headed to the Grand Canyon. We booked a tour through the RV park because we had heard that there was a lot of traffic going into the park this time of year. Taking a tour also took the guesswork out of what to do and it allowed Nick to sit back and relax instead of driving. The day started with a Wild West shoot out by the Cataract Creek Gang. The show lasted about 20 minutes and it really was pretty funny. After the show, we boarded an old train and sat in the Parlor Car. Refreshments were served (yogurt, fresh fruit, pastries, beverages) and there was a cash bar. Being at the end of the train allowed you to go out on the platform which was pretty neat. While out there we met a young couple who were married on Saturday.
We arrived at the south rim of the canyon 2 and a half hours later. We were directed to a bus and took our seats. The bus tour started with lunch at the Maswick Lodge. Again, Nick was satisfied with lunch. They served a buffet and he ate beef tips with mashed red potatoes and rolls. Cake was served for dessert. On to the canyon!
Our first stop at the canyon was at Mojave Point. The vision was amazing. Your breath is just taken away and it's not because of the altitude (well, maybe for some people at 7000 feet). The vastness and the colors in all its splendor cannot be described. From there we rode on to Hopi Point where you get another perspective of the canyon. Down below the Colorado River flows through the canyon. Its width is about the length of a football field but it looks like a speck.
On the way back we met a couple from California in first class seating which Nick and I both felt were more comfortable accommodations. Refreshments were served on the return trip too. This time they consisted of cheese and crackers and veggies and dip and soft drinks. Entertainment was provided. Going to the canyon we listened to a cowboy playing a guitar and a harmonica who sang old western ballads. On the way back to Williams we listened to a cowgirl playing an accordion. Accordions aren't my cup of tea, but it was fun listening for a short period. And this is when it happened.......the train was robbed by none other than the Cataract Creek Gang! They got a dollar off of me alone. Hmmm....times that by 300 people on the train...
Not a bad day's work for train robbers.
It was pretty late when we got back so we went into town for dinner. Nick ate at Poncho McGillicuddy's. He had a burrito which he said was very good. We bought two slices of apple pie from the Pine Country Restaurant for a whopping $10! We're thinking this pie must be pretty special for that kind of money.....yep, real special! They both ended up in the trash can. They were awful!
Wildlife spotted on the train: antelope, wild horses, and plenty of cows.
Wildlife spotted in the canyon: mule deer and a condor.
We arrived at the south rim of the canyon 2 and a half hours later. We were directed to a bus and took our seats. The bus tour started with lunch at the Maswick Lodge. Again, Nick was satisfied with lunch. They served a buffet and he ate beef tips with mashed red potatoes and rolls. Cake was served for dessert. On to the canyon!
Our first stop at the canyon was at Mojave Point. The vision was amazing. Your breath is just taken away and it's not because of the altitude (well, maybe for some people at 7000 feet). The vastness and the colors in all its splendor cannot be described. From there we rode on to Hopi Point where you get another perspective of the canyon. Down below the Colorado River flows through the canyon. Its width is about the length of a football field but it looks like a speck.
On the way back we met a couple from California in first class seating which Nick and I both felt were more comfortable accommodations. Refreshments were served on the return trip too. This time they consisted of cheese and crackers and veggies and dip and soft drinks. Entertainment was provided. Going to the canyon we listened to a cowboy playing a guitar and a harmonica who sang old western ballads. On the way back to Williams we listened to a cowgirl playing an accordion. Accordions aren't my cup of tea, but it was fun listening for a short period. And this is when it happened.......the train was robbed by none other than the Cataract Creek Gang! They got a dollar off of me alone. Hmmm....times that by 300 people on the train...
Not a bad day's work for train robbers.
It was pretty late when we got back so we went into town for dinner. Nick ate at Poncho McGillicuddy's. He had a burrito which he said was very good. We bought two slices of apple pie from the Pine Country Restaurant for a whopping $10! We're thinking this pie must be pretty special for that kind of money.....yep, real special! They both ended up in the trash can. They were awful!
Wildlife spotted on the train: antelope, wild horses, and plenty of cows.
Wildlife spotted in the canyon: mule deer and a condor.
Some more of day 3
Pulled up to a town called Williams, Arizona. Wow! Talk about poverty stricken. We could not imagine what the campground would look like. But plop, right at the edge of town sat a very new hotel and RV Park sitting right on the railroad tracks. The weather was cool and cloudy.....mid 70's tops so we slept with the windows open. There's nothing like being awakened by a freight train at 4 am.
Nick met a family from North Carolina. They had 7 people in a pop up! They must really love one another!
Facts about Williams:
Scenes from the movie Midnight Run were filmed there.
Historic Route 66 runs through it.
Downtown Williams is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Most buildings were constructed before 1900.
The elevation is 6770 feet.
Nick met a family from North Carolina. They had 7 people in a pop up! They must really love one another!
Facts about Williams:
Scenes from the movie Midnight Run were filmed there.
Historic Route 66 runs through it.
Downtown Williams is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Most buildings were constructed before 1900.
The elevation is 6770 feet.
Day 3-August 1, 2010 red rocks
Woke up to cloudy skies and cool temps. It was rather refreshing considering what Jersey's weather has been. We got our first real look at the campground and fell in love. Unfortunately, because we left a day late, we lost a day in Sedona.
We decided before we pulled out that we would go into town for a while.
Found out today that parking an RV in town is not the easiest task, but that's why I keep Nick around!
Those of you who are from NJ can relate to my next sentence. Sedona reminds me of New Hope with one major difference. You are surrounded by RED rocks. Enormous red rocks that are spectacular. The stores are your typical higher end boutiques.
Nick had lunch at the Cowboy Club. This place had a cozy atmosphere and is rated as an historic building. He ordered the pot roast sliders with horseradish sauce and fries. Everyone who knows Nick knows he has a picky palate. He loved the meal! He said the pot roast was tender and the fries were excellent. If you are ever in Sedona, eat there.
Our next stop was 60 miles north and so we headed out because it looked like rain.
What a ride! It was one of those rides that you didn't want to look to your right because you'd actually be terrified.......of the cliff alongside of you! I hope we don't have many of those rides!
Quote of the day: "this is, of course, monsoon season, bit it's NEVER rained like this before!"
We decided before we pulled out that we would go into town for a while.
Found out today that parking an RV in town is not the easiest task, but that's why I keep Nick around!
Those of you who are from NJ can relate to my next sentence. Sedona reminds me of New Hope with one major difference. You are surrounded by RED rocks. Enormous red rocks that are spectacular. The stores are your typical higher end boutiques.
Nick had lunch at the Cowboy Club. This place had a cozy atmosphere and is rated as an historic building. He ordered the pot roast sliders with horseradish sauce and fries. Everyone who knows Nick knows he has a picky palate. He loved the meal! He said the pot roast was tender and the fries were excellent. If you are ever in Sedona, eat there.
Our next stop was 60 miles north and so we headed out because it looked like rain.
What a ride! It was one of those rides that you didn't want to look to your right because you'd actually be terrified.......of the cliff alongside of you! I hope we don't have many of those rides!
Quote of the day: "this is, of course, monsoon season, bit it's NEVER rained like this before!"
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Day 2.......and the rain came
Airport..take 2. Poor Landa.......we got her up again to take us to the airport, and this time she made Matt get up too. Our flight was at 7 am this time and we were flying with continental instead of USAirways. What a treat......DirectV at every seat, breakfast, and leg room! Thank God for the DirectV because it kept Nick busy. The flight was uneventful and we arrived in Phoenix around 9 am. To no luggage.....of course!
Panic time!!!
Relax.....obviously the woman who sent us on a wild goose chase had no idea what she was talking about and after going on this wild goose chase and then finding someone else to help us we found all three of our bags. We grabbed a cab, headed to El Monte RV Rentals, loaded up the vehicle and headed down the highway......to Walmart. Camping, you think eh, they don't need much......we filled two carts with provisions.
Next stop Sedona. It was dark when we got there, but we met our neighbors who were from California. She was a retired educator so it was awesome to talk to her. We were exhausted and we headed to bed in our new home...
And then the rain came.....and it rained and poured all night long. So much for Southern Arizona and it's dry weather.
Panic time!!!
Relax.....obviously the woman who sent us on a wild goose chase had no idea what she was talking about and after going on this wild goose chase and then finding someone else to help us we found all three of our bags. We grabbed a cab, headed to El Monte RV Rentals, loaded up the vehicle and headed down the highway......to Walmart. Camping, you think eh, they don't need much......we filled two carts with provisions.
Next stop Sedona. It was dark when we got there, but we met our neighbors who were from California. She was a retired educator so it was awesome to talk to her. We were exhausted and we headed to bed in our new home...
And then the rain came.....and it rained and poured all night long. So much for Southern Arizona and it's dry weather.
Day 1 otherwise known as doomsday or close to it
Our flight was scheduled to leave July 30th at 6:45 a.m. Landa was good enough to volunteer to be our taxi to the airport. Our bags and ourselves were checked in, security was a breeze (except for the part when Nick's knee sounded the metal detector. Oops!) the flight was delayed but we boarded by 6:45. We sat in the plane for a short period until the pilot came on and said that there were mechanical problems with the plane and the mechanics were adding something and were going to wave their magic wands and off we would go. NOT! We debarked shortly after and waited for half an hour to find out the flight was canceled. From there we had to go to a ticket agent, wait in line for an hour, and find out we had to wait till Saturday to fly out. The agent calls down to luggage claim,tells them to take our luggage aside and tells us to go down to carousel 11. Another wait.......and NO luggage! It went to Phoenix on another plane that was boarding while we were standing in line waiting for the next available flight. Will the Daniel family luck continue?
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