We take a bath, while our Avalon home gets a dunking

Can't say that we stopped at the Buckstaff Spa in Hot Springs, Arkansas to celebrate Hurricane Sandy's landfall at our Jersey Shore home.  First time ever for Morey...a hot bath, sauna, and full body massage; same for Ruthie (but not her first).  Good tension relaxation as we think about our shore home in the midst of Hurricane Sandy.

Then back to the National Park campsite where we hooked up to power and tuned in a Little Rock television station to watch the events back home.  We're in beautiful weather here, wish for a good outcome at our home.

Back to Ruthie's mom's first home in the U.S.

Ruthie's mom came to this country in 1928.  Passed Ellis Island, and immediately boarded a train to Okeene, Oklahoma.  We took a detour off of I40 to check out Okeene.  (A much easier trip for us.)   Ruthie's mom worked for the local town banker....and State Guarantee Bank still exists on Main Street.  Then off to check out the town and the cemetery where some relatives are interned, along with friends of the family. 

Following our driving and sojourn to Okeene, found a Army Corp of Engineers campsite right on the Arkansas River.  We love the Army!

Enjoying Georgia O'keeffe country

We have found that only Georgia O'keeffe can capture the Southwestern USA.  Photographs just don't do it. 

We spent a few days in New Mexico traveling across the Rio Grande canyon and then camping by the river.  Stopped in Taos to visit the oldest Pueblo in the US, and then continued onto Santa Fe where we visited the O'Keeffe museum and shopped many of the great galleries.  Santa Fe is the place to walk art galleries.  We will need to come back.

Following, we said goodby to our friends, Ray & Ann, at the Lamy Amtrak train station.  We had a terrific time together while in the Southwest.

10-23-2012 A Momentous Day

We did it!!  We last visited 4-Corners in 1985 -- Can't believe it took us 27 years to get back.  Can you tell who was in what state in 1987?  There's Ruthie (mom), Becky, and Michael.  Where's Danny? -- maybe taking the photo?

We're back in 2012, can you guess who was in what state??  (Answer:  Morey-Colorado, Ruthie-Utah, Ray-New Mexico, Ann-Arizona).  Must comment that the Navaho's have done a nice job of fixing the place up.  Lot's more space to purchase Navaho chatzkas.

Hovenweep National Monument

 
Near the 4-corners area, is this rocky, rugged, open country that was home to a large civilization of Anasazi who built two and three story structures throughout the canyon.  We walked the 2 mile loop trail and viewed the structures that were amazingly intact for being over 800 years old. 

Camped here for the night.  Another small, but really nice national monument campground.

Living on the Edge.............

Our itinerary called for a night at Goosenecks State Park, Utah -- truly out in the middle of nowhere.  We made our turn and noted the sign that said, "Danger, no RVs."  Fortunately we persevered and discovered that our route turned off the road that had the serious hair pin curves.

As described, when we pulled into Goosenecks, the pavement ended at mile marker 0; and before us was a 1,000 foot deep canyon with the San Juan River far below.  We pulled off the pavement along side the canyon and there we dry camped for the night.  Just us, a couple from Germany, and a couple of motocycle guys from California.  Quiet.

LIFE ON THE EDGE
 

 

When the moon set around 2am, the stars came to life....never before have we seen such a display of the heavens!

And at this magical place, Ann slowly paced to the inside of the "circle" and began meditating.....

It's Larry's Birthday !!

OK....here's the story. 

We took the 3.5 hour tour of Monument Valley.  Drove the very off road loop trail, stopping at all of the famous formations that John Wayne & Company rode through on their Westerns.  Of course, also stopped to check out the Navaho trinkets and taste the Navaho Fry Bread (which unfortunately was closed).

Larry, our driver, did a great job of narrating and keeping his vehicle on the road.  When it came time to end the tour, he announced that today is a very special day...It's Larry's birthday.  So, do we believe him, or is everyday, his birthday.  Gratuities not included.

By the way, the tour was well worth the time.  Some pretty incredible landscapes!

Hike to view Betatakin

We spent a couple of days at Navaho National Monument.  Squeezed our 30 ft RV into their campground which states maximum length of 28 feet.  Actually no problem....camped up on top of the hill and watched the sunset to a starry starry night.

The next morning, we hiked the 3 miles into the gorge where Betatakin, a 1200 AD cliff dwelling with 125 rooms sits under the "eyebrow" of the canyon.  Unlike the dwellings at Mesa Verde, these are open to Ranger led tours only.  All of the original ladders and wood ceiling supports are still intact after 800 years!  Absolutely incredible.  We were so glad that this is archeology week, so the tour was on for this Saturday.

Boating Lake Powell

Following an electrical experience in Page (camped at the KOA), and being fully charged; we headed over to Antelope Marina where we rented a power boat to survey Lake Powell.  Ray and Ann took over the controls and steered us through the canyons.  It was another beautiful day with a cloudless sky and temps in the low 70s.

Morey trying to figure out where the heck we are!  All the buoys are #9!

Lake Powell brings back our memories when we rented a houseboat and almost got stuck in a small canyon with no way to turn around.  This time no issues.

This place is REAL !

Yes, we were actually here at Lower Antelope Canyon.  We've all seen this incredible slot canyon on numerous calendars, photo art books, and more --- but to actually climb into this canyon and be surrounded by sandstone formations.......WOW !

The Grand Canyon: Totally AWESOME...Just can't get enough

Every day here at the Grand Canyon is an incredible experience.  We keep taking photos, but just can’t capture this place in pictures.  Weather continues to be perfect with highs of 65-70 and clear blue skies.  Mather campground is only 10% occupied, so we are enjoying the space and the resident deer and elk -- you should see their massive racks.

We went back and hiked the first couple of miles of the South Kaibab trail, bringing back memories of when we were 25 and hiked the same trail down to the Colorado River.  It’s true that we weren’t carrying 40 lb packs, but we both feel we’re in better shape now.  In fact, we’re discussing how we can come back next year and hike the canyon from the North Rim to the South.

Our good friends, Ray & Ann, have joined us; with their new really cool foldable bikes.  So our first full day together, we biked 20 miles going to and from Hermit’s Rest.  For the entire ride, the Canyon was in our view….again (I know I keep saying this) how magnificent!

How to upload the NY Times on your Kindle

Sometimes when you're in the middle of nowhere, and even Amazon can't figure out a way to sell you some text....The answer is get up higher!

The Canyon is still GRAND !

We pulled into the Desert View campground at the east entrance to Grand Canyon National Park a couple of days ago.  Although we have been here many times (the last time on a Arizona River Runners raft trip in 2001), we had never driven in from the east heading toward the South Rim.

Due to mild Fall weather, Desert View campground was still open, and we chose a great site only a few hundred yards from the canyon's edge.  Walked the half mile over to the visitor center and shops, and just kept looking at the views of the canyon.  Great memories of rafting and the long ago memory of hiking down to the Colorado River.

We're looking forward to our friends, Ray & Ann, joining us in a few days where we are now camped at the Village at the South Rim.

I think I'll take a swim, down at the end of the road....

We would like to thank all of the people who built Hoover Dam, because when it's sunny and hot, what can be better than wandering down the road to the lake.  In our case, just follow the yellow center line, grab your swim noodle (also used as packing around our bikes), and wade right in.  We continued to follow the road under the water until we were unable to touch, and the road keeps going...... HOW FAR DO YOU THINK THE ROAD GOES?? 

Lake Mead is quite an amazing sight here in the desert.  Driving on a winding road around the mountains and cliffs, all of a sudden....a blue shimmering lake is there. 

We camped at Boulder Beach campground, staying at the $5 National Park sites (what a deal).  Although we HAVE watched the RVers a quarter of a mile away at the RV Village where they're enjoying their AC and cable TV.  But that's not camping!  We are!!!

It's really HOT, here at Valley of Fire State Park, NV

Temps in the 90s, cooling off to the mid 70's at night.  Who would have thought after temperatures in Yellowstone going down to the 20s?  So we decided to splurge and pay for full hookups.....as in electricity, so we could run our air conditioner  (really roughing it).

But now the really good stuff....It's incredible here with the red rocks jutting into the blue clear skies.  And then there's all of the other rock formations and colors, like we've seen in past trips in Utah.

Ruthie and Morey took a number of hikes through the canyons and valleys, being careful not to slip, on the slip rock!  Ruthie even helped to hold back the walls from closing in on her. 

Quite a place.  Glad we decided to drive through Nevada.

How big is this bentonite clay formation?

Spent a couple of days at Cathedral Gorge SP in Nevada, on the "scenic road", US-93, heading toward Las Vegas.  A great place to camp for a few days and hike the trails through the canyon. 

 
The QUESTION......  How big is this buff-colored cliff monument?? 

Not so big!!!!!

Across Utah to the Great Basin

After driving almost 100 miles through the great basin (streams & rivers dry up in the basin, never get to the ocean), we arrived at Nevada’s only National Park. 

 

Good news, then bad?:  We camped at a beautiful campsite next to a rushing creek streaming through the aspens.  Unfortunately, even though the site had been paved, the slope was like the drive to the campground, around 8%.  With two wood blocks under each of the RV’s front tires, we still were not level.  Oh well, other than Ruthie rolling into Morey all night, it was a beautiful place!

 

In the morning, it was on to the Lehman Caves, discovered in 1885.  A quite incredible 90 minute subterranean tour with all of the stalactites and stalagmites. 

 

 

 

 

 

We also picked pinyon pine nuts, AOK with the NP service.  Ruthie says, YUM.