Heading east - kind of a sad day!

Captains Log September 30 – Another month is ending, but it's been a great one – well until

Not sure what was going on in this field

today!

Our day started well and we managed to get on the road about 9:20. Bill had a rough night so once I got on I-10 he laid down. Traffic was a bit busy but that was no big deal. I'm cruising along the straight flat road and I had 2 “messages” pop up on the console. CRAP! One said water in the fuel and one said 0 days to oil change. I called for Bill to come and told him what I was seeing. Luckily we were 3 miles to the exit where there was a TA truck stop in Wilcox. We pulled in to the truck service area and Bill went in.

They don't work on RV's but sent us over the intersection to a place that does. We were shocked that we didn't have to wait. We unhooked the truck and I backed in to the edge of the door as they had vehicles in each stall. He said it was the fuel filters that are a pain to replace and they had NOT been replaced when they should have. Once he had the new one installed the engine would not turn over as he said there were air bubbles. So he ended up tweaking it 3 times and it started. He said it might do it again but just keep letting it run.

BIG Copper and Turquoise Mine

We drove back to the TA place and filled the tank then pulled around back and finally had some lunch. Today we lost an hour once we got into NM. The RV started right up and drove fine the rest of the day.

The GPS told us to turn left on the truck by-pass at Silver City and I was almost right on it and there was no signage warning me and I had to brake kinda hard going down hill and I heard everything falling into the sink or on the floor. CRAP! Bill went back as I drove and put everything back and the handle of my favorite coffee cup, my Hedgie cup, was broken in 3 places. I don't think it can be glued but Bill wants me to try.

We had leftovers, which is the normal travel day meal, but we had Huckleberry ice cream sandwiches for dessert!

PS: We did not expect to have WIFI at this tiny campground but we thought we'd have cell service – not!! 

Out and About!

Captains Log September 29 – Nothing on the agenda today until afternoon/evening, so we decided to go take a look at the RV's at La Mesa. We had 2 really nice, low key sales guys take us out on golf carts. Most of the units were as long or longer than what we currently have and we wanted to look at something a little shorter. There was a Tiffin that was a 33' so we checked it out. It could be a possibility if we could change out the bench dinette and get a few other things a little differently done. The downfall is just having one bathroom sink, and a tiny one at that. At least it could be a possibility. We're going to start looking when we get home and of course at the annual show in January in Tampa.

By the time we wrapped that up and got over to where the Wal-mart was, it was time for lunch so we stopped at Brush Fire, where we both got brisket. It was tender and moist but I wish I had told them to put my sauce on the side as it was too much sauce in my opinion.

We got our grocery shopping done and Bill picked up one of his prescriptions but they didn't have the med for the other so that will be when we get to Albuquerque.

Once we put the groceries away we headed to Carole's. The 4 of us visited and then the conversation turned to “who's getting what of Carole's stuff when her time comes”. The one thing Bill wanted, she showed him that she had already put his name on it. She said her daughter in law asked for one piece of furniture and she has her name on that. I don't remember what else has been ”assigned”, but we don't need another thing in our house!!

The plan for the evening was to order carryout to pick up and take to Doug's for dinner. Doug and Shannon had to make a quick trip to Idaho the day before we arrived and were flying back tonight at 7:30. So we ordered the food and picked it up and the 4 of us ate at their house then at 7:00 Nansi left to pick them up at the airport. So Bill, Carole and I just sat at the table and chatted until they got back.

They were sorry that they didn't get to spend more time with us but it is what it is. We visited while they ate and then for another hour. It was great to see them, such good people. They are planning to visit Jeff and Kim in Georgia in the spring so we would plan to drive up in the RV and get a campground near by. Looking forward to it! 

More Family Time

Captains Log September 28 – Not a very exciting day! Bill took the truck to the car wash and then went to Camping World and La Mesa to get a new water regulator . He said La Mesa had a lot of Class A Rvs if we wanted to go and take a look.

I caught up on my blog and posting it and made some cookies for us and some to take over to Carole's later.

When Bill got back he washed the RV windshield since we leave on the 30^th. I did some laundry so we're caught up as we won't have full hook ups when we get to Albuquerque.

We went over to Carole's in the afternoon. I took a seasoned pork tenderloin and a bag of kale salad to make for dinner. Nansi, Carole, Bill and I sat outside on the screen patio and enjoyed the nice weather out and just chatted. It is amazing the subjects we can get started on. Still, it was a lovely afternoon and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the pork loin and kale. We cut the Orange Jello Pie that I brought over and they had not cut it yet. I wasn't too sure about doing the orange but everyone liked it so now I can add another flavor to my jello pies.

It was dark when we left for home and Molly was glad to see up.

Shopping and a bit of sightseeing

Captains Log September 27 - Jeff and Kim left early this morning for Georgia. Safe travels to

The second tower is getting it's
facelift!

them!

Nansi was taking Carole to the DMV for her vehicles' annual check up, and this afternoon Nansi has plans with a couple of her friends here so we pretty much went off on our own for the day.

Kam asked me to find some Talavera pottery planters that you hang on the wall. I had looked up several places that carry Talavera (which I love) and we tried to see them in location order. No luck at the first place. They had tons of beautiful pieces but not wall hanging. The 3^rd place had not opened timely according to their website and we waited til 11:10 and no answer on the phone so we headed across town to San Xavier del Bac Mission. We love the mission and often they have Native Americans whose land it is on that have stalls there and sell jewelry and food. Sadly for us, today there was no one making Indian Fry Bread – bummer! After visiting the Mission we stopped at another pottery place, like the other they had lots of Talavera but not what I was looking for.

So we headed back to the closed one. She had 10-12 of the pots I was looking for and after 30 minutes of measuring and sending photos to Kam so she could pick what she wanted, we added her 2 pots to the items we chose to leave with and Mission Accomplished!

Once we got home we had a late, late lunch! Too tired from driving around to venture over to Carole's house. So we turned on some TV and as always, we spent some time reading.

Time with Bill's family

Captains Log September 26 –  Today was  pretty  much  a “family  day”.    We  headed  over to Carole's at 10 and then Kim and Jeff arrived with apple pie that Kim made. I took Carole some Cranberry Orange muffins I made this morning and an Orange Jello Pie. We pretty much just sat and visited and talked on the screened porch. It was nice out and we watched some of Carole's outside kitties that she feeds.

I thought we were having dinner out with everyone but found out it was lunch. So at 1:00 we

Our server sits in while Bill takes the photo

loaded up 2 cars and drove to downtown Tucson to the El Charro. Bill discovered that this specific restaurant was the oldest continuing Mexican restaurant under the family in the country. It opened in 1922. The building was an old home and the food was great as was the service. Everyone enjoyed their meal and we all had a dessert as well. We met the husband of the owner and he explained about how they make the Machaca that is cured outside. It's native to Northern Mexican dried beef. Jeff kept insisting at the table that the flies get to it but it is in mesh container and hangs up high. We could see one of the containers above the back of the building

as we left. It was very interesting.

After a delicious lunch, we took a long way back that and drove thru some of the downtown since it was Sunday and there was no traffic. We regrouped back at Carole's until Kim and Jeff had to head back to their Casita. She wanted to do their laundry and pack as they leave in the morning driving back to Georgia. So we stayed a while longer with Carole and Nansi.

Once we got home we were still full from the big lunch we had so no need for dinner. I got the satellite dish up and running and we watched a movie. I posted a few blogs but haven't taken many photos in the last few days.

Long tiring day!

Captains Log September 25 – Not a fun day! Time to head south to Tucson and we were up and ready earlier than normal. As we were ready to leave Bill couldn't find his RV key ring. Crap! We looked all over inside and outside and he checked in his truck – no keys! I even checked inside each compartment in case he set them down. So as we left he he stopped at the office to let them know that we lost a set of keys in case they were turned in.

We had arranged to stop at the storage facility also owned by the RV park to use their compressor to air up our tires. I pulled in and Bill was no where to be seen! He left in front of me. So I waited on the driveway and he finally drove up and checked in with the office and they let us through the gate.

The good news was he drove back to the round about and found his keys. Apparently he left them on the back of his truck and they had been run over! So we put that issue aside and he started on the first tire and the pin in the valve got stuck and the air was pouring out. So we put the cap back on and he called his brother Bryan who was in Cottonwood at a car show. He said he'd stop and get a part to repair it and so it was at least 45 minutes before he arrived. The part worked and they finally got that tire done and checked all the others. By then it was starting to rain, crap!

We thanked Bryan profusely for leaving the show and coming to our rescue and he said the show would close down anyway due to the rain. So we got on I-17 and headed south.

It was a slow drive between the curvy mountainous road in the rain to boot! Then it takes forever to drive thru Phoenix. We had a choice of 2 directions to take and as luck would have it we took the wrong one and it had closed lanes and a detour. Geez! I thought we would never get to Tucson! The rain cleared and at least we didn't have to get unhooked and parked in the rain.

Once we settled in we drove over to Bill's sister Carole's and had a nice visit with her and her daughter Nanci. The storm hit and we sat out on the porch in the cool breeze with the tapping on the roof of the rain. We've been to Tucson many, many times in 33 years and this is the first time it has ever rained. They get bad flash floods here but this was a new thing for us. Luckily when we drove back to the RV park it was down to a drizzle and no deep water to pass through!

Family Birthday Lunch

Captains Log September 24 – I was up at 6:30 so I was definitely ready to leave by 9:20 for the

BIG Kokopelli

“meet point” in Phoenix. Not sure why we needed to follow Bryan as we do have GPS on our phones. Then he said were we OK to drive 75MPH and I said emphatically , NO. I asked what restaurant and said we can find our way so don't wait on us. He said we should have started earlier. Well, he ended up slowing down and we could see him a few cars ahead and we arrived at 10:40! So we sat in the lot until they opened the restaurant. There were 2 cars coming from Tucson and they pulled in just after us and so at 11 we went in and got seated. The last 2 arrived just as we were getting settled in. Guess we did fine on the speed limit!

Carole was very happy to have us all together to celebrate. She's so thin but she ate pretty good. She loved her cupcake with ice cream. She asked about some of my friends that she had met and/or traveled with. We're looking forward to spending more time with her down in Tucson, which is where we are headed tomorrow.

Lunch out and visiting

Captains Log September 23 – Bill left out at 8:30 with Bryan to get some lumber to make pads for under the tires of the RV. Ours were splitting badly and we still have about a month to go!

Later they picked us up to go into Cottonwood for lunch. They took us to the place they last took us where they go often and request a specific table and have the same server all the time. The food was good, as was the service but it was a bit chilly in their for me.

On the way back we stopped at a place we thought did RV repairs to see if they could air up our tires. They can but not on Saturday morning, we'd have to pack up and go today or tomorrow. We saw another place more convenient that I called but they don't do tires and recommended a tire place. I called but got voice mail so Bill went by and said it's closed due to blacktopping their lot. Then we asked one of the staff here at the campground and they said they own a storage facility just up the road and they have a compressor there. He spoke to the lady in charge there and she said any time after 8AM and there's no charge since we're staying in their campground. Yea!

I made meatloaf for dinner which always makes Bill happy. We are meeting Bryan and Janet at 9:30 in the morning to leave for Phoenix to meet up with the rest of the family for Carole's 89^th birthday luncheon. Not sure why we have to be there at 11?

Bye Melissa! We will miss you!

Captains Log September 22 – It was a sad day, especially for me! Once we had our breakfast and packed up, it was time to leave the Grand Canyon and head south. Sadly, our first stop was the Flagstaff Airport to drop Melissa off for her journey back to Florida. We had such a good time together and she's a joy to travel with. Bill was even sorry to see her go. We miss you Melissa but have enjoyed the Ghirardelli chocolates and Jameson you left behind!

The drive to the airport was about 1 1/2 hours and we got her there plenty early. I was concerned about driving thru the airport so Melissa called ahead and asked about driving thru in a big motorhome. The lady said it was fine but stay in the outer lane as to not hit the overhang. It was no problem and we were early enough that there was no one in the lanes but us.

From there it was down the road to Camp Verde where Bill's brother Bryan and his wife Janet live. We booked a different campground this year to change things up. This one is brand new and very large but they kinda don't tell you things up front. We used a discount with Passport America for half price and those sights are short and on a hill side and not graded to be level. I called in to the office and asked about a leveler space and she said that would not come under Passport America but I could use Good Sam for 10%. So the price when up and we move to a much level space. You'd think they would provide a picnic table at the price they charge! So, I doubt we will come back to this one!

Once we moved to a better spot and had some lunch Bill went to visit his brother and wife while I did 3 loads of laundry and got busy trying to catch up on all the photos we took so I could post my blogs. I was way behind! There was no WIFI in the park and no where to really get it so I was pretty much at a stand still.

Last day !

Captains Log September 21 – Our last day at the canyon so we actually adventured outside of the park. We headed south to Tusayan. It's a really short drive from the area of the park where we were staying at the park.

I had reserved tickets yesterday online for the IMAX theatre movie of the Grand Canyon. So that was our first stop. The movie was great on such a big screen. Flying over the canyon and seeing it from the bottom. The movie covers the trek of John Wesley Powell and how dangerous the currents are.

We checked out several gift shops then decided to head south to Williams. We had lunch and then walked the main street. There are a lot of shops there and we enjoyed buying a few things here and there. We were parked across from the train station and runs to and from the Grand Canyon. It was a nice and relaxing afternoon. We were on the famous Route 66 which the town exploits all over. There were quite a lot of people roaming the shops like we were.

We got home in plenty of time for dinner and to get ready for our exit tomorrow.

Back to the East side

Captains Log September 20 – Today's adventure in the park was to drive the 24 miles to the

My best buddy with the Watchtower

East Entrance and work our way back. We had 6 designated stops to make and a couple that have pull offs but are not noted on the map.

We started at Desert View Watchtower which was rather crowded. There is quite a bit to see there and they have a Market and Deli store there, a trading post and nice restroom facilities. Of course Melissa and I continued to take a lot of photos at each stop. We went to Navajo Point, Lipan Point,

Looks sculpted

Moran Point and Buggein, where we attempted to find a picnic table but nothing was available. We then hit Grandview Point where there were no tables available, so we parked along the wall and sat on the wall and enjoyed our lunch.

Another awesome day at the South Rim!

Exploring the South Rim

Captains Log September 19 – Time to get out and see the Grand Canyon! This was Melissa's

first time and if she was wowed at the North Rim, she was was astonished at every turn and and overlook at the South Rim. For me, that was the highlight! I've been there a few times and to see it thru someone's eyes for the first time can't be beat. Between the 2 of us I'm sure we took well over 200 photos of the various stops and rocks and points of interest.

We agreed that photos will never do justice to what the eye sees. The brilliance can't be reproduced in a photo or a painting. To do our sightseeing today we decided to go on the free

shuttle system provided by the park. Did every stop along the route and no 2 places looked the same for sure. The depth of the canyon is awe inspiring in itself. We were blessed that we came after Labor Day when the crowds were much smaller and not a lot of children running wild.

Wildlife spotting for the day included a ground squirrel, 2 elk, a wolf and male mountain goat. Unfortunately I only managed to get the squirrel and the elks! Bummer! We were on the shuttle when I spotted the wolf and the lady seated behind me looked and saw it as well. The goat I
heard along one of the view points and moved  and I saw his horns but he started moving downward and across the front of the viewpoint and disappeared. Another guy heard me saying it was there and he got a shot of its butt on the way down the mountain.

We had lunch reservations at El Tovar which is the area where the train from Williams, AZ arrives and departs. We sat at the train station and took some photos of the tracks and building and as they say, “timing is everything”, and here came the train!
We got some pictures but headed up the walk to the rim where El Tovar and the other buildings were so we could avoid getting caught up in the crowd departing the train.

Train station

We visited the shops and historic buildings and walked along the rim until it was time for our lunch reservation. We were seated on time but the service getting started was a little slow. We all had a Navajo Taco and we all ate every bite and thoroughly enjoyed it. Our server was an older gentleman and he had been working there

for many, many years. He was a very good server with an awesome personality. 

Made it to the South Rim

Captains Log September 18 – The drive to Trailer Village at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon was  140 miles.   We stopped  on the  way and  filled up  the RV  with fuel  at Cameron  and  we stopped along the road before the park  at a Native shop.   I bought  a gift  and Melissa  found a bracelet she liked.

The road wasn't so bad until we actually got into the park. The road was curvy and 25MPH so it took a bit to get to the other side to the village where the campgrounds are. We had no problems checking in but our site was a bit less than flat and level. Bill had to put boards under the tires and then we were not comfortable putting the legs down on the gravel.

We got settled in and it was pretty brisk out, not what we've been used to for the last couple of weeks.

Melissa and I went for a walk about the campground and the other side from us was nicer and had a lot of big rigs. Our side has 3 rows in the back with identical Coleman RV's that appear to be winterized and all have big propane tanks. Not sure if they are rentals for guests or housing for staff. We did see an apartment housing area behind the campground and there is a bus stop at the edge of our campgrounds so there must be children living there.

The sightseeing begins tomorrow!

Lazy day!

Captains Log September 17 – Our last day in Page! Such a nice small city with everything you

I've turned Melissa into a rock 
climber!

need and fantastic sights to see!

There was nothing specific on our agenda today so we headed out to check out the Glen Canyon Dam.  Behind some buildings in Page is a huge overlook with lots of rocks to climb on so we started there.  Then we crossed the bridge over the Colorado River and parked in the parking area of the dam.  We got our and walked about the dam and , boy, is it a long way down!  We could see the higher water on one side and it was really low on the other .  Surprisingly there were quite a few cars stopped there was well.

We drove on to the entrance of Glen Canyon National Park. On this side of the park it's mostly water sports you see. There were huge parking lots for everything from a jet ski to huge houseboats. We stopped at some landings and could

Love those rocks!

see the variety of boats here and there on the river. There were also several campgrounds as well. Once you leave that area, it's quite a ways to “see” more sites so we ended up turning back and heading back into Page  lunch at a BBQ place. The brisket was awesome. Bill and I ordered a pound to share and didn't begin to finish it and then ordered another pound to go. We are good for a couple of meals for sure!

We checked out a couple of shops carrying mostly native American made products. Melissa found a bracelet and Bill just got some post cards. We stopped at the trading post near our campground but they didn't have anything interesting to us.

Heading west tomorrow to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon! 

Fabulous day in the Antelope Canyons

Captains Log September 16 - Such an awesome day and words cannot describe it. We went

Stairs into the canyon

to Lower Antelope Canyon on a tour this morning and the photos I'm posting in the blog are only a few of what I took. No photo is the same as another as the slot canyon continually changes with the winds and the water. I posted a lot of photos on you can link to, hope you enjoy them.

Looking up

With Covid still being tightly monitored on the reservations, we had to mask the whole time as it's tight in the slots and they only allow 6 in a group. There are a lot of stairs to go down but they are very safe ones!

 The guide was very good and did a good job of explaining what we saw and  how they develop. Unfortunately you can't take your time as there are so many people scheduled for the tours.

Between tours we went out for lunch and had some free time before the afternoon tour of the Upper Canyon Slots. We saw a sign for an overlook at the back of Page so we drove up and they have a nice semi-circle view of the water and mountains on the other side. We took a few photos and sat for a bit, communing with nature!

The afternoon tour was run a little different. We went thru a different agency and you met there in town and were bussed to the Upper Antelope Canyon a bit out of town. There were probably 20 other tour vehicles there. We had about 10 on this group and again had to mask the whole time. We walked a little bit into the canyon and had just as good of a tour as the first one. He explained about a recent flash flood that had come through and told us all about how the tour workers have to come out and shovel out inches of sand that get washed in to the slots. He pointed out several logs that got lodged in over our heads that they just leave if they are securely in place.

Both canyons have had top photographers come in and take photos that made them very rich. Most of the guides know some “tricks” to get very unusual  photos. I hope there are some on Bill's phone as he 

   kept giving the guy his phone and he took several shots of the 3 of us.

It was a full day for sure and gorgeous as well. 

On to Page Arizona

Captains Log September 15 – Today we drove to Page, AZ which was about an hour by the time

we checked in and set up the RV. On the drive we drove thru Marble Canyon which was very colorful. We didn't leave early so we could check in when we got there and not have to park and wait for our spot.

Once we got settled in Bill, Melissa and I went to Horseshoe Bend. Once you park it's 1.5 miles to walked the trail to the overlook. There were quite a lot of people coming and going. It's downhill to the overlook and they built 2 “rest areas” along the way. You need to carry your own water as there is none available along the trail.

The view is awesome. The river is about 1,000 feet below the rim. We could see the waves made by the boats but could barely see a boat. The center is an island and you can raft, canoe or boat to it and relax or picnic. Along the view area are huge rocks you can climb on and get other angles of the bend. Great place to visit!

We took a drive around Page and it borders

Bill on the rocks along the view
point

Glen Canyon National Park. We parked and took pictures of the new bridge from Page and you can see the Dam behind it. We will plan to drive over into Glen Canyon on another day! 

Rim trip and Mule Trip

Captains Log September 14 – We left earlier than normal as it's about an hour to the North Rim

and we had several places we wanted to stop on the way. I packed a picnic lunch so we could eat before Melissa and I had to be at the stop for the mule ride down into the canyon.

Along the road to the rim we stopped at Point Imperial, Cape Royal and Bright Angel Point. Fabulous views at each location. There was no crowd so it was really nice to take your time and not work around a lot of people to get your

photos. Melissa and I ate our lunch on the way

View at Inspiration Pt.

to the rim so we wouldn't be late for the mule ride.

We checked in at the lodge and were told all the rules and where to wait for the bus to the mule corral. The group was divided into 2 with a wrangler leading each one. Our group was first and the other was about 20 minutes behind. I will say my mule Joe was great. Melissa was on Homer who was kinda big bellied. She was

right in front of me. The going down was rather brutal. A lot of the trail is deep steps and you landed hard each step down. Going back up was much more comfortable!

You go down to Supai Tunnel where there is a water fountain and they “park” the mules while you get  water and bathroom break. The second group arrived while we rested and there

Melissa on Homer

were quite a few hikers there as well.

The ride back up was much easier on the body than the one down. It was beautiful in the canyon and we had some laughs and education also. The guide would take breaks so we could all catch back up and he told us about the mules, the trees and plants, and other things on our
stops.

My mule Joe and I made it back alive!

It was a fun and informative trip but it felt great to get off the mule.  

We hunted around for Bill at the lodge and couldn't find him and he was at the truck. So after 3 hours on a mule it was good to sit in a truck even and head back to the RV.

Kaibab National Forest

Captains Log September 13 – Today we packed up and headed to the Kaibab Camper RV

Greeter at our campground

Village about an hour from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Bill and I went years ago before Rving became our mode of travel. I wasn't thrilled with our spot as it was a bit short and uneven but they were full and we had to go with what they gave us.

On the drive there we passed acres and acres of burnt pine trees. It was not the sight you expect to see at that elevation and all around the national park. When we arrived at the campground we saw some burn there as well. There is a small lake, Jacob's Lake, that is currently dry as 2 summers ago they took all the water from it to save the campground and then there wasn't enough snow fall or rain to refill it.

Once we settled in Bill took a nap while Melissa and I went on a bit of a walk along the gravel road that accesses the campground and on around the back side. Nothing exciting on the way but we did end up back at Jacob's Lake which was dry as a bone. Across from it is the the original ranger house from 1910 and we could look in the windows and see the period or original furnishings. It looked like it was set up for 2 rangers. The have a barn in back as they only had horses to get to and from the park and it was a day long ride to another ranger cabin. They were spaced a day's ride apart by the park service.

We stopped to chat with the hosts and a couple from Alaska that flew down and rented a Cruise America with a Florida plate.

Tomorrow is The Mule Ride! 

Zion National Park

Captains Log September 12 – Today's adventure was a trip to Zion National Park. Kanab is on

On our way to Zion

the east side so that was our entry point. We drove along the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway following a bus. Due to the size of one of the tunnels they have to stop traffic from the other side to let the bus go through so we got to follow it. Traffic was a bit on the heavy side and it takes a while to make the trip to the bottom of the  switchback road weaving it's way down. We did get to pull off a few times for photos.

The formations were awesome and again there were different colors to experience. There is only one road you can drive unless you go on unpaved roads or take the shuttle. We stopped

at the visitor center but that is also where people park to take the shuttle and the parking was full. They have rangers on duty keeping people from parking along a road or in the areas for employees and large vehicles. Bill stayed in the truck and kept circling while Melissa and I went to the VC and restroom, then we traded.

We drove thru the south park entrance to the town of

Springdale as it is surrounded by the park. We found a bar restaurant and luckily got a table right away. The food and service was very good and we all enjoyed our lunch.

We went back thru the south entrance and stopped a few times for photos as we headed back to the east entrance. One place we stopped was a great spot to get out and climb some formations and have Bill take Melissa's and my pictures. Never pass up a boulder you can climb!

We had dinner in Kanab at the Mexican place just down the road from our RV park. They were slammed so there was a short wait but the food was worth it. Very good spot!

Super fun day!!!

Captains Log September 11 – A day we will never forget!

Since we didn’t have to leave the RV site until 12 or so and it was only about a 90 minute

drive to Kanab, UT, we started our day by the 3 of us going to the Discovery Dinosaur Museum in St. George/Washington.    It was land owned by a Dr. who discovered dinosaur tracks on it and turned it into a tourist site.  Now they have a big building over the site with lots of information and manmade skeletons of some of the prehistoric animals that  were there, in addition to the tracks.  It was very interesting and well laid out. 

One of many prints

 

Back at the RV we put everything away and closed her up and headed on down the road to Kanab.  It’s not a very big town but very well known for its history as a filming location for Western movies.  We were there years ago and stayed in the little motel that names each room after a movie star.  When we stayed there we were in the John Wayne room at Bill’s request!

We had a GREAT afternoon there!  We visited the Moqui Cave which is

prehistoric.  There are petroglyphs on the ceiling and they have dinosaur tracks along with a huge collection of rocks from states all over that when under black light produce a wide variety of colors in the rocks.

Bill at the bar

The man who bought it turned this 3 room cave into local bar!  The one room is still set up exactly like it was 3 generations ago.  The middle cave holds the rock collection and the smallest is currently the gift shop. 

It took him some time back in the day to clean out the caves and

Rocks under black light

paint the opening inside and then block in the cave opening so it had door closing. 

Next we looked for and found the Belly of the Dragon Cave. It's not a big cave and we could see it down on a ledge but were not sure about getting down to it. There were a few “steps” going down the side but Bill didn't think we could get in and went back to the truck. Well, Melissa and I are persistent as well as “risk” takers. She went down first and had no problem. I was more concerned about getting back up! A group of Asians came in so we let them venture on further back as we did not bring headlamps or flash lights. Nice little side stop!

Melissa waiting on me 

Melissa from the
inside Belly

On the main road on the way to Moqui, we saw several cave openings up along a ridge and there were people in the caves, so I knew there was a way up. I told Bill I wanted to go there! So on the way back Melissa said she'd go with me. That's the great thing about her, she would probably not do these things normally but she was more than willing to give it a try. We watched other people and saw the “trail” they took up and over so we had an idea of where to go. The distance across was over 200 yards. The going was the slow half as we had to get a feel
for the rocks and angles of the rock sides. Bill waited patiently in the truck and got out and took a few pictures of

The caves we climbed to

us scaling the rocks. I have to say, that was one of the more invigorating things I've done. The caves were awesome and for a while we were the only ones in there. There are multiple openings facing the road that open off of a more central room and there was one tunnel back into the mountain that we walked in bit but again, with no flashlights or head lamps we didn't venture too far. Here we were, 2 women in our late 60's, doing what much younger people were doing. I can't tell you how it felt, just awesome!

The trip back across was pretty easy til the going down and we had to be more careful as there

View out one entrance

were not really any footholds. I'd do it again in a heartbeat! That is something I know Kam would have enjoyed as well.

I forgot to mention that the campground is a bit “ghetto”. When Bill checked in we had reserved 2 nights in a full hook up pull thru. They asked him if we would take a back in with full hook up paying for only 1 night. Bill asked me and I said sure, half price is a great deal. The first 2 sites I was not comfortable trying to get into so we “gently” backed into the 3^rd one and we felt like we were the ham between the bread! We didn't do much but sleep and eat some there as we were gone more than we were there so, it was a good deal! 

Rough start but great finish!

Captains Log September 10 – The plan this morning was to drive up Black Mountain and then hike ½ to some spectacular petroglyphs.  I was very excited as I love petroglyphs and pictographs.  Last night we went over to visit with Mike and Darlene after dinner and he printed a map for Bill of the route there.

There are not a lot of landmarks that show the way and we missed a turn here or there but figured it out and managed to get to the entrance to the ranch where you make an angled turn towards the mountain.  There was a deep washout ditch where we needed to cross and we were concerned the truck might bottom out.  Bill called Mike to ask if there was another road up and he said just a little further down the road.  I walked further down the little dirt lane to see if there was a cut off and the ravine got deeper.  There was 12 inch corrugated pipe down the road so it looked like the road had been started to lay the drainage pipe so there was no way across.  Poop!  We decided next time we come to St. George to give it another try!

I got all of my laundry done and cleaned the rest of the RV as my friend, Melissa was due in at the St. George Airport this afternoon at 2:50.  Luckily we are less than 10 minutes away.  Her plane ended up being a little late and I had told her to text me once she had a better landing time.  It’s a small airport and she was on a smaller than normal plane.  I was very excited to see her and I know we are going to have a great time with lots of laughs!  She doesn’t leave until the 22^nd and we are taking her to lots of super places.

The evening plans were to meet our friends Mike and Darlene at Ribs & Chops, which is a very nice restaurant.  We had a reservation so there was no real wait to be seated.  The service and food was excellent.  Mike and Darlene had eaten there before and vouched for it before I made the reservation.  We had a really nice evening and was sad to say  good-bye to my friend of 42 years! 

Climbing the local rocks!

Captains Log September 9 – A little more adventure today! We drove to the Red Cliffs Desert

Bill in a rock formation

and Pioneer Park area. It's a mesa above the city of St. George with and awesome view down over the city. Of course you can see the Temple for sure.

We did a walk in, over and around the red rocks and found the way to climb to the top of the huge rock. I went up but Bill stayed down and took photos of me up there. Then we checked a map at the next parking area of the park and found the tiny slot canyon and tried our best to get at least partway in. We got about half way but later a younger, thinner couple came and we watched them go all the way though the tiny slot. Pretty impressive.

We also met a group of teenage boys with 4 dads who were taking them on a weekend gathering sort of like Boy Scouts. They were a nice group and the boys were all anxious to get a shot at getting thought the slot. We didn't wait to see how many made it.

I attempted to climb up to the double arches on one of the rock formations but I couldn't figure how to get the rest of the way so I climbed down. Then we watched a couple try my way and they came down and went another way and got up there. I was too pooped to do back up again but at least I got a photo of it!

On the way back to the RV we made a couple of

The arch I didn't get up to

shopping stops as always and then headed back to the park. Nothing else going on but more laundry, it's never ending!

Not much to report

Captains Log September 8 - Today was kind of an errand day. Bill took his truck in for an opinion on dash message he continues to get and picked up my laptop from the shop. Then he came home for lunch and in the afternoon he had a Dermatologist appointment. He had a lady today and she said it was really looking good.

I did my normal chores of laundry and cleaning and then got going on my laptop trying to get photos loaded and get back to catching up on my blog. I've gotten way behind.

That pretty much wrapped up my day! 

Long To-Do list

Captains Log September 7 – We left at 8:45 this morning.  We stopped at Glitch Busters and I

Side of Brigham Young House

left my laptop and should get it back tomorrow.  Bill dropped me at the Dentist office while he went to the vet to pick up Molly’s prescription food.

The dentist went well.  He thinks it’s an infection and gave me a prescription for an antibiotic to take for 7 days.  So hope that cures the problem!

We visited Brigham Young’s winter home in St. George.  We had a tour with a very informative guide.  There were 5 of us on the tour and Bill and I were the none- LDS people.  The guide didn’t mention but Brigham Young’s first wife.  There were a few things not discussed that we already knew about.  Still he did a great job and provided a lot of info and kind tried recruiting as well.

We drove by the temple, and we were on the back side.  It’s under a lot of renovating so we drove around the front where I took photos from the front that makes it look a lot

Front with Bill's truck

better.

Time for lunch!  We went to One Hot Grill and had a nice lunch then we went to Camping World to ask about a WIFI dish and we looked a couple of RV’s, but nothing that we were interested in.   No luck!

Out last stop of the day was Wal-mart.  I dropped my prescription off and then did my shopping.  I timed it out well and didn’t have to wait around for it.

Not much else, just dinner and some TV.

Made it to St. George and dinner with friends

Captains Log September 6 – Happy Labor Day!  Hope everyone was off work and grilling out wherever you are!

Since our drive to St. George is really short, I called the RV park to ask if we could get in early and also if we could leave late or park somewhere on the property.  Luckily no one was on our site and no one is due in the day we leave.

The panel above the dash, below the cabinets was falling again.  We had to repair it about 3-4 years ago.  So, I got the towels and decided I needed some thicker screws if I wanted to use the same holes.  Bill went to the Lowes just up the road and I went to work taking the old screws out that were no attached and I got out my drill and drilled 2 extra holes to alleviate the weight on the screws.  It’s a metal so it took some stamina for me to drill up through the metal but I got it by the time Bill got back.  He helped hold the panel up and I put the new screws in and once we cleaned up we were ready to close up the RV and get on the road.

The new park was new!  It is out in the desert and laid out very nicely with all pull thru's plenty long.  As it turned out there was someone in our spot so they put us in the spot next to it while he finished packing up.  Once we got settled we had lunch and just did house chores!

We arrived at Mike and Darlene’s about 4.  It’s just a couple of miles on the main road to a turnoff in to a sub-division on the same side of the road as the RV park.  It’s great to see them as it’s been 2 years.  The guys sat on the couch talking about who knows what and Darlene and I mostly hung in the kitchen and she gave me the grand tour or their new place.  It’s a pretty large house and very well laid out.  She and I caught up a lot of things and Mike put the burgers on at 6.  Dinner was great and Darlene made an excellent potato salad.

After dinner we all visited and talked about their sub-division and a multitude of things.  I’m not even sure what time we finally left but we certainly had a great visit.