October 31 Arches National Park

The Three Gossips

Happy Halloween! We both wore our Halloween shirts today. I added my socks and earrings and several children along our travels pointed them all out to their mothers. We didn’t leave until mid-morning for Arches National Park. Since we were full of breakfast, we failed to think about lunch. That is, that there is no food concession in the park. At least I filled our water bottles. We managed 4 hours on some dried fruit and nuts we carry in the truck and a tiny bag of Doritos that we shared. Anyway, we stopped at the visitor center which was new since we visited quite a few years ago. The movie was excellent and the exhibit was so different than any other with fake rock formations that looked like those in the park. Great explanation of how it all happened over millions of years.

Bill at Balanced Rock

Tiny little Bill at the North Arch

We headed out for our auto tour and several trail walks to get up close and personal with the arches. This is the most different national park in the country. The stately red rocks and the pinnacles and the arches. You could easily spend a couple of days there. In addition to seeing the Turret Arch, North and South Arches, Cove Arch, Double Arch and Delicate Arch, we viewed a number of rock formations. Balanced Rock is amazing, as are the Fiery Furnace formations and all the fins. The fins look like fish fins in shape and are the style of rocks that over time the centers erode and become arches. Arches National Park just has so many different aspects. There are animals too and we watched for the bighorn sheep, but although I’m an excellent wildlife spotter, I didn’t manage to spot one of them today. We agreed that we should have driven to the end of the park road and started our tour with Devils Garden so we could see the Landscape Arch, because by the time we got that far, it had been almost 4 hours and that hike was 1.6 miles round trip and would have taken over and hour and we were both tired from our previous 2 trails. I’m sure there will be a next time as we both like Moab and would like to go on a rafting trip next time too.

Fins

The first place we stopped in Moab was Wendy’s for a tiny meal to tide us over till dinner. That was a good little hamburger with mustard and pickle, washed down with a small Frosty! My favorite Wendy’s meal! Since Bill remembered his book list we stopped at the used book store and he was lucky to find 3 books on his list. I hope they last him til Kam mails some of the ones I ordered a couple of weeks ago that the dummies mailed home instead of the address I gave them. We had to stop at the grocery because we ran out of dish soap, so we picked up a few other things to tide us over til we reach Flagstaff. Not that we would go hungry, but better to have a variety.

Xena was ready and waiting when we got home. After we put things away and I put a load of wash in we took her on a long walk around the park. Bill spent some time visiting with our neighbor who told him they’d been to Alaska twice, both times on caravans for free as the tail gunner and wagon master. I still don’t want to go a formal caravan but would love to get 3-4 couples together to go. That to me would be the ultimate RV trip!

I fixed fish tonight and Bill didn’t say a negative thing about it. I also used some of my white pumpkin. I cut it in large chunks and sprayed it with olive oil and sprinkled with a mixture of baking spices and splenda. It was pretty good. We had our steamed broccoli and half of the little loaf of bread Bill picked from the marked down cart. Just as I was putting dinner on the table, Bill got the bad news that his close friend Jim McKenzie died today. He’s really sad that he could not be there to see him during his hospital stay and won’t be there to convey his condolences to the family. They were roommates in the early Florida days and ended up teaching together at West Orange for many years. That’s 2 of his West Orange friends to die while we’ve been gone.

I just made Bill a hot chocolate and a cappuccino for me and once I post this it will be reading time for the night.

October 30 Pumpkin Chuckin Time

Pumpkin Catapult

What a good day! It was in the high 60’s and sunny all day. We left just after 10 to go to the Pumpkin Chuckin Festival just a couple of miles down the road from us at the old airport. It was really something to see. They have 3 kinds of pumpkin chuckers: catapults, cannons and slingshots. They had a cannon that shoots a pumpkin over a mile. Of course we couldn’t see it land but they did have to move some cattle out of range of them before they could start. Then one of the catapults could shoot it so high and over 1000 feet. You watch them load and set the machines up to launch. It was hard to actually get a photo of the pumpkin but I managed to get 2, one from a catapult and one from a cannon. There were craft booths, food booths, petting zoo, and contests. We watched the pumpkin seed spitting. There was a trio singing. For lunch we both had Navajo Tacos and for dessert we had apple oatmeal chocolate chip bars. Not only were there tons of kids in costumes, but all of the volunteers working the festival were in costume and so many adults attending. Moab really gets into the spirit of Halloween.

Slingshot

Miniature horses at festival

From there we went to the Spanish Valley Vineyards and Winery. It’s very small and I was the only one there tasting. Left with 2 bottles of Riesling. Then we drove out the scenic route 128 that runs along the Colorado River. The high cliffs of red rock were beautiful. There are numerous campsites along the river, but only 2 places that can accommodate RV’s and only a few of those spaces for rigs the size of ours. 14 miles into the canyon is the Red Cliffs Lodge and Castle Creek Winery. After my tasting there and 2 bottles more of wine, we went to the lodge. In addition to being a hotel, it houses the Movie Museum. Starting in 1939 numerous movies were filmed in the valley and surrounding areas of Moab. There were photos collages of all of them and other memorabilia. Bill really enjoyed seeing all of his favorite western stars and things from their movies.

Along the Colorado River

On the way home we stopped in town to browse some the shops. We both got Dirt Shirts. They are dyed in the red clay so have a perpetual mud color. Once again Bill didn’t have his book list so he couldn’t buy any books.

Xena was glad to see us and ready to go out. While the laundry was washing we did some post cards and I checked on places to go for dinner. We ended up going to Buck’s Grill House. We timed it perfectly and didn’t have any wait. Bill had buffalo meatloaf and I had the elk stew. The yeast bread was delicious and so heavy and moist. I had a coupon for a free dessert so we shared a Hazelnut flourless chocolate cake that was drowning in whipped cream. Neither of us finished our meal and brought some home but we didn’t leave a crumb of dessert. We didn’t make it to the movie tonight so will try again tomorrow.

October 29 Moving on to Moab

View of Moab Rim from our RV

We didn’t really get up too early today. Xena needed to go out a couple of times to the bathroom from eating all the beef sticks and then drinking so much water. Then some time during the night the heat stopped as the propane tank went dry. It was 33 outside when we got up. Brrr! Before we left Bill took the tank up to the office and got it filled. We didn’t rush to leave since we only had about 85 miles to drive to Moab, Utah today.

La Sal Mountains from our RV

We left at 10:15 for the boring drive to the Utah border and a bit beyond to US 191 where we turned south to Moab. Those roads are pretty much nothing but high desert until you get closer to Moab and there are some nice mesas/cliffs along the west of the side. They have a couple of pull outs with scenic overlook spots.

Our campground for the next 4 nights is OK RV Park and we’re 4 miles south of Moab on the main drag and then 1 mile in. It’s a pretty nice park. There are lots of Class A’s and about as many 5th Wheels. We’ve seen one Cedar Creek like ours here and several RV’s from Florida. We have a nice tree here and small plot of grass and a picnic table if it’s nice enough to be out. Bill said the bath house is nice and we’re just across from it so that’s nice. It’s a small family owned park. The view is great. On one side we can see the cliffs of Canyonlands National Park and in another direction we can see the snowy peaks of the La Sal Mountains. I guess they cross country ski there in winter and then come down to Moab and do the Arches and Canyonland National Parks. The best thing about this campground is it’s a Passport America so we got it for half price.

After lunch of leftover chili, cheese, crackers and fruit we watched a movie while a load of wash was in. Then we went into Moab to the visitor center where we picked up several maps and brochures of interest and watched a 12 minute video about the area. Next to the visitor center is a strip plaza with a used book store. Too bad Bill forgot his list, but he wants to go back with it and see what he can find. We both remember going to the bookstore years ago when we were here and to the visitor center and the Eddie McStiff restaurant in the plaza. We stopped at the hardware store for another bolt he forgot to get at the Ace in Kremmling and checked out the small movie theatre for a possible Date Night tomorrow. They have 3 movies, one we’ve seen, one we don’t want to see and one that I want to see, “Secretariat”. We stopped at City Market to fill our water bottles that we forgot to take yesterday. They had some good looking bread in the marked down basket, a 3 cheese mini loaf that I thought would be good with dinner. Bill picked a loaf rye that he likes.

For dinner I cooked the rest of the Italian sausage and simmered it with spaghetti sauce and made whole wheat pasta, salad and sliced the cheese bread. It was nice and hardy, reminded me of the crusty bread you get in Europe. Later we had hot chocolate and a couple of cookies while we watched TV and I posted yesterday’s blog.

Time to post this one and read a while before shut eye!

October 28 On the road again ...finally

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life it’s that every day contains a challenge of some kind. Some days they are small challenges and others are more difficult challenges. The challenge for us today was getting our truck out of Mike and Darlene’s driveway! Although the snow wasn’t so deep, it was a bit icy. Mike backed the truck up to the garage so we could get it loaded. Then the fun started! It was across the driveway and stuck. It would only move inches forward or backwards. This is all because it is only rear wheel drive. Well, Bill and Mike chipped and shoveled away the ice in the back and tried again, to no avail. Then they put gravel down, but again, that did not prove successful. It was time to bring out the big gun! Mike got his Bobcat started up and used a tow rope to pull the rear of the truck around while Bill was inside steering. It took 2 tries but FINALLY the truck was at least facing down the driveway.

Now, I was not interested in driving it out, so Mike drove me in the truck out their driveway and up their road that had not been plowed. It’s only a couple of miles to the county road that was totally cleared. Dar drove Bill out in their 4 wheel drive jeep. Relief! Whew! Bill says we will never go anywhere again that has snow! I took over the driving once we said our quick good byes and thank yous. We really had a good visit and look forward to having them visit us in SUNNY Florida!

Glenwood Canyon

We managed to get on the road at after 11:30. The rest of the drive was totally uneventful, but that’s a good thing. We stopped in Glenwood Springs for a quick lunch at Subway, then arrived back at our RV in Grand Junction at 3:30. It was a beautiful drive through Glenwood Canyon, where the cliffs rise straight up in places and the interstate is almost a double decker. You can’t see the eastbound lanes from the westbound lanes because the east are almost under the west. At one point I spotted 4 deer on the cliff. Bill insists they were sheep but they were too dark to be sheep.

The view from our campground

Once we got unpacked and settled back in Bill dropped me off at Pet Smart while he took the truck through a car wash. Then we both went to Wal-Mart. We discovered that in Colorado they only sell 3.2 beer in grocery stores and no wine. I was going to pick up a couple of bottles of Colorado wines but didn’t want to find an actual liquor store. When we got back Bill realized that Xena got into a bag of beef sticks and ate them all. Neither of us was a happy camper. I cheated and bought a rotisserie chicken at the grocery and cleaned out all the little bits of “stuff” in the fridge and finished the meal off with raw veggies. After dinner I made a batch of Fiber One cookies. Yum! This batch was a little gooier the last ones I made, but very good. We chilled and watched TV.

October 27 Our Last Day in Kremmling

We woke up to more snow today. It’s supposed to stop and begin to clear and be clear tomorrow so we can drive out, but we will see. Everyone sorta did their own thing for breakfast. Mike had a doctor’s appointment so he left just as we were getting up.

No plans to venture out the day unless it really clears up. Bill spotted some deer again and as we continued to watch we think there were 14 all together. I went out to take some photos on the deck and that prompted the birds to swoop down and think I was there to put seed or peanuts out for them. I started taking photos of the little chickadees. I got a couple of them in flight and a couple landed on the snow on the deck rail.

We left at 4 to go into Kremmling. The guys dropped us off at the Junk Trunk while they went to the post office and Ace. Junk Trunk is an antique store with everything from dishware to furniture to saddles. Saw some things I liked but not the prices. She wanted $6 for 2 cookie cutters like ones I have. The guys came back and looked a bit too, then we headed to Las Amigos for dinner. I had tamales, which not many Mexican restaurants sell. They were pretty yummy.

Our after dinner deer

There was no snow on the ground down in Kremmling and it was sunny and pretty nice when we arrived. By the time we left, the sun was going down and the winds picked up some and it was cold out. Mike said it’s always colder down there in the winter that up here in the mountains. On the way home we saw 10 deer crossing the road and in the field. I never get tired of seeing them.

When we got back, Xena had been a very naughty dog. She tore open 2 bags of trash and who knows what all she ate in there, but it was stinky in the laundry room. Time to read for a while and maybe watch some TV. Will also need to pack for leaving tomorrow.

October 26 Still Snowing but Trip to Steamboat Springs

Life in Kremmling

Bill and his new pet

Mike left first this morning for his lab appointment and Darlene, Bill and I followed shortly to meet Mike at The Moose Café for breakfast. Mike was little late so we ordered without him and then we sat and visited while he ate. Darlene had to go open the thrift store where she volunteers one day a week. Mike dropped me off there to look around while he took Bill to the Ace Hardware for a bolt he needed for the RV. I got a good deal on a bag of icing tips and Bill got some note cards with buffalos on them. We stopped in the dollar store in Kremmling and bought some frozen buffalo burgers and brats. We’ll take them back to the RV with us.

Bill loaned Abe his hat

Jump slopes in Steamboat

There was quite a bit of snow up at the house but not so bad down in Kremmling. We had discussed going to Steamboat Springs but it was definite that we were not comfortable doing the driving and might have some trouble getting down from the house in the truck with just 2 wheel drive. Mike said it should be an OK drive and he’d take us over. The way we went was over Rabbit Ears Pass and there was some snow on the road but the plows had been out and it wasn’t bad. There are places along the roads for the trucks to stop and put their chains on and off. The weather was such that it was required for commercial vehicles. We enjoyed seeing Steamboat Springs and some of the ski and jump slopes right from the main street. Bill and I went to the Pioneer Museum while Mike went to the Mac computer store. We all went to a bookstore/coffee shop where Bill found numerous books of the authors he’s been looking for, but only bought one at cover price. We’ll still try to find them at used book stores or on line. We also went to the FM Light store which is a western wear store that has been around for over 100 years. I’ve never seen so many cowboy boots. Fancy designs and colors. The clothes were really nice and I saw several things I would like but can’t really justify too many winter items in Florida. On the way out of town we stopped for gas and at Wendy’s for lunch.

We took a different way home and it was all lowlands with no snow on the roads until we approached Gore Pass. It wasn’t bad but when we got to the road that leads to the house, when Mike went to stop to make the turn and he slid for a bit but since we were in the new Jeep he was impressed at how it handled in the situation. Their road was not plowed but was OK. There was even more snow on things. It really is pretty out but kinda scary for us to think of driving.

I put an apple cake in the oven and planned to cook dinner since Darlene was working until 5. After the cake baked I made chorizo quesadillas and chicken enchiladas for supper. While I was cooking Bill did email and while at the table he spotted 2 deer crossing the yard. It’s a hunter’s paradise around here, that is for sure.

Mike had a fireman class in town so had to leave at 6:30. The three of us sat at the table and visited and eventually had our dessert and watched TV. Mike got home after 10 but the rest of us had retired to our rooms. Bill and I were reading and heard him come in. I’m almost done with my 3rd book, so have been reading more than posting blogs!

October 25 Still Snowing in Kremmling

Today's Big Blue

Xena loves the snow

It was a wild morning! Bill’s cell phone started at 6 AM, the animals woke up and they were trying to get out of the bedroom. I looked out the window and saw several inches of snow and it was still coming down. Tried to go back to bed and the cell phone rang again, so I gave up!

Mike made oatmeal for us this morning. Well, Bill had cereal, not being an oatmeal kind of guy. We sat and chatted and due to the weather determined it was not a travel day for sure. Bill and I did see 7 deer out our bedroom window. They were making their way up the hill behind the house. The chipmunks and birds were not getting fed today.

Who is that masked man?

Bill and I took turns taking Xena out. She really doesn’t mind the snow but has to get in a spot without any snow to do her business so she can squat. There were light flurries most of the day. We all ate the leftover Chinese for lunch which was yummy once again.

Darlene made chicken, broccoli and leftover mashed potatoes. I baked a blackberry crisp for dessert and we had ice cream to go with it. Then everyone settled in to watch TV for the evening.