This morning was a time of reflection for Barbara and I. We
had a leisurely breakfast, a couple pots of coffee and thought about all we
have done on this trip. After a year of planning, 9 weeks of travel 9200 miles
driven, we are now about 400 miles and 1 week from returning to Etowah. We have
had a fantastic time and loved all that we have gotten to see and do. The trip
and the Escape trailer have exceeded our expectations. We have gone from total
novices with the trailer to pretty skilled travelers. Getting set up and torn
down is routine, towing is easy and we have gotten good at figuring out where
to go next. After breakfast, Barbara went over to talk to the campground host
to find out what there was to do in the area. It turns out that just one town
over (Ethridge) is a large Amish Community. It’s called an old order Amish
Community. We visited some shops, saw an Amish farmers market where they
auction off their produce, and had lunch in a local (non-Amish) restaurant.
When we got out of the restaurant, the skies opened up with a downpour, so we
headed back to the campground. Barbara and I put together a meal in the slow
cooker. After that, since the temperature was mild, I decided it was time to
wax the trailer. That was a good workout, but the trailer doesn’t look like it
has seen 6200 miles of road grime! After dinner, we sat out for a while (until
we felt we had fed the local insects enough) and then headed inside. We’ll
probably play some more Cribbage and then call it a night. As we are getting
closer to home, it’s nice to be able to sleep with the AC off and the windows
open.
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Mississippi Rain (6/26/2014)
This morning we woke up to a torrential rainstorm! It was
nice being “warm and dry” when it was very wet outside the camper. (And also in
the car where I had left the windows open a crack) Fortunately, I had
reconnected the towing mirrors and set the hitch up on the car before going to
bed. When we were in the various states of the desert, rain was not in our
vocabulary! After a leisurely breakfast, it was time to break camp. We dug out
our Bean boot,s which hadn’t been used since we left Washington State, took out
our rain jackets and hats and Kevin’s rain pants. You would think that we had
been doing this for a long time with our preparations! Before leaving the
campground, we drained our tanks and headed out in the rain. It was nice
driving on the Natchez Trace with hardly any traffic rather than being on an
interstate. We arrived at David Crockett State Park around noon and set up
quickly before the rain caught up to us. There is another SP called Davey
Crockett Birthplace near Johnson City, TN. We took advantage of being close to
a town (Lawrenceburg) to take care of laundry and grocery shopping for the next
few days. When you look around the campground and see the very short sights,
you will understand that this campground was set up in 1959, long before
campers were often 40+ feet long. Our 19’ camper fit very nicely into our
sight. We even took advantage of the senior discount! (We’ll take ever discount
offered!) We will spend the next couple days just chillin in place before we
head east for the final leg.
Jackson to Tupelo (6/25/2014)
Today, we got an early start as we were heading up to a
small National Forest Campground. Without rushing, we were hitched up and on
the road by 7:15. After being on the road for 41 days of camping (not counting
visits where we weren’t sleeping in the camper) we have gotten really
efficient. This morning we got to walk around a small cypress swamp, walk on
the original trace and read lots of the sign boards along the road. Still,
after taking our time, we got to the next campground by 10:30, were set up and
heading into Tupelo by 11:30. We found another neat restaurant in downtown
Tupelo. The Trip Advisor hasn’t failed me once on this trip. I seem to have the
ability to “read between the lines” to find the kind of restaurant that we both
like. I had homemade pimento grilled on sourdough bread while Barbara had
chicken salad. Some of the specials they had revolved around Elvis Pressley who
was born in Tupelo. After a delicious lunch, we took a stroll down Main Street
and into the same Hardware store where Elvis’ mother bought his first guitar.
(He wanted a rifle, his mother wanted to get him a bicycle and they compromised
on a guitar for about $7.00! And the rest is history) After that, we drove by
the home he was born in and took a picture. (We weren’t willing to pay the admission!)
Then we thought we were going to see a National Monument where the battle of
Tupelo was fought. Turns out, it was just a field with some exhibits! Then,
back to the campground for a leisurely evening. Tomorrow we’ll head to David
Crockett State Park. If we can, we’ll probably stay 3 days so we avoid having
to search out a campground over the weekend when the “working folk” take all
the available sites! It’s kind of nice not being one of them!
Natchez to Jackson (6/24/2014)
Today, we began our slow meandering drive up the Natchez
Trace. We were not covering more than 100 miles or so, and decided to take
multiple pullouts to read the signs, walk the paths, etc. The trace reminds us
of the Blue Ridge Parkway without hills and curves! I believe that the highest
point in Mississippi is only 603 feet. Although I have heard about Natchez
Trace for years, I didn’t know the history of it. Apparently, the road was
mainly developed as a way to move mail between Nashville and Natchez between
1801 and 1820. It was also heavily used by boatmen that brought their cargo
down the Mississippi River. Due to the current, they would sell their boats for
the lumber when they got to the end and walked back up stream. When the
steamboat came into existence around 1820, the need for the road diminished.
Towards the end of our days drive, we came across the Mississippi Craft Center.
Barbara was able to find a unique cream pitcher to add to her collection. We
ended up camping in a utility owned campground on the Ross R Barnett Reservoir.
This was a huge campground and almost full. Most of the campers seemed like
they were there full time as the owners would commute to work in Jackson and
either come back evenings or weekends. All we needed was a place to set up and
relax, so the campground met our needs. (Also, with the high heat and humidity,
we had electric to run the AC which made both of us happy!)
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Natchez, Mississippi (6/23/2014)
Today we drove to the start of the Natchez Trace, in Natchez
Mississippi. The drive down was uneventful as the roads were flat and straight.
It seems like such a contrast after the driving in all the states leading up to
Texas! We arrived at the campground at 12:15 and the signs directed us to the campground
office. When we got out of the car, we saw a sign stating: “be back at 1:30.”
So, we drove back to the campground, around loop B and saw 1 site with a
reserved sign on it but not a site with a camper. We decided to set up and have
lunch. (It pays to have the camper and air conditioner) We had the trailer
backed in, hooked up to electric and water in minutes and sat down to a
leisurely lunch. At 1:30 we were back at the office by 1:30 waiting in the 88
degree heat for the office to open back up. By about 1:40, the ranger came and
opened up. (The leisurely pace of the south!) We registered for the site that
we had already occupied and then headed into town. We first went to Melrose, a
National Historical Park. This is “A Cotton Kingdom Estate.” We learned this
from the ranger who took us and 2 other couples for a tour of the house. It is
called an Estate vs. a plantation since there wasn’t any crops being raised
here. It was amazing that with people this wealthy, it was all about showing
how rich they were! After that, we went to a plantation that has a restaurant
and pub in what was the stables. We had drinks and appetizers that were
delicious. Then we tried (and failed) to find the terminus of the Natchez Trace
Parkway. Well, I guess that we’ll be 9 miles shy of the southern part!
Monday, June 23, 2014
On the Road Again (5/22/2014)
Well, this morning we said our goodbyes to the Keller Family
and were back on the road by 8AM. It was about a 5 hour drive to our campsite,
but well worth it! Originally, I had considered staying at a commercial RV
site, but eventually came across this Parish (county) owned & run
campground. It was a short hop off the interstate, reasonably priced and they
took a reservation over the phone. We got there and found everything that we
needed. Most of the “lower” sites back up to where you are looking right over
the lake. The sites have water, electric and sewer which allowed us to handle
some “tank housekeeping.” When we left Kelly’s, it was raining and rained on
and off for most of the drive. So, as Barbara got the inside of the camper back
into shape, I went over the outside so that it still looks like new! We had a
late lunch and relaxed during the afternoon. Barbara cooked up salmon burgers
and risotto for dinner and of course we will have our usual dark chocolate for
desert. Since we will be having short drives for the rest of the trip, we’ll
try sleeping with the shades down to see if I can “sleep in” for a change.Plus, as you can see, they actually had Wi-Fi at the campsite!
Sunday, June 22, 2014
5 in an Escape 19? (5/18 – 5/20)
We spent the last two nights camping in Eisenhower State
Park about 1-1/2 hours north of Richardson with Kelly, Nate & Sam. We
arrived early on Wednesday morning and had our pick of campsites. Kelly had
already scoped out a really good site and we were able to secure that. It just
took a few minutes to get backed in & unhitched. (Practice over the last 35
nights of RV’ing has made us pros!) Once situated, we took a walk/bike ride to
check out the other campsites, fixed a light lunch, turned on the AC and put
Sam down for his nap. All the buyers of Escapes in NW US and Canada don’t
understand what it is like camping in Texas in June! Although it is still
“only” in the 90’s, the air conditioner is very much appreciated! During the 2
days camping, we tended to do whatever “cool” things that we could – eat ice
cream, swim, sit inside the air conditioned Escape, sit under the awning &
rain tarp! Seems like in Texas, you spend your time “dealing” with the heat
& bugs! By Friday morning, it was time to head back to Kelly’s. We got an
early start despite a leisurely breakfast of grandpa’s famous “camp eggs” and
were back by lunch time. Kelly’s greyhounds, Monte & Kit Kat were very glad
to see Kelly back home! We will spend a couple more evenings here and then hit
the road for the final leg. The plans call for driving to Lincoln Parish Park
in LA on Sunday. Then, about a week meandering up the Natchez Trace Trail and
finally, the last part of the trip will be spent close to home in the Smokey
Mountains National Park.
Time off the road (6/8 – 6/18)
For the past 9 days, we have been staying in Kelly &
Chuck’s house in Richardson, TX while the Escape Trailer & Car sit in the
street in front of their house. I am really glad that the width of the trailer
is the same as that of the car. While the trailer looks bigger due to the
height, the cars and trucks passing in front of the house have not had a
problem with where we are parked. If anything, I would say that the trailer
parked out front tends to be a “traffic calming device” like a traffic circle
or speed bumps. Since arriving, we have been spending lots of time with Kelly,
Chuck and “the boys.” (Nate & Sam) Due to the high temperatures here, we
normally have the boys at the park by 8 AM every day. After that, you tend to
really cook. We’ve gotten to go with Nate to his swimming lessons, and have made
the normal Target, Sprouts, and IKEA runs. After 35 days living in the Escape
on the move, it has been refreshing with no place that we had to be! We also
got to celebrate Father’s Day, my birthday, Sam’s birthday (with a pool party).
Also, time to catch up on events with access to Wi-Fi. One thing that has been
hanging over me is the lack of a place to park the trailer when we get back to
WNC. Well, that is now solved. We found a storage area in Mills River that has
openings and is just off of Airport Road. That will be convenient as we will
normally be passing right by going to and from the interstate. Another surprise
was that we now have license plates on the trailer. The company that financed
the trailer sent a check to North Carolina to cover the sales tax for the
trailer once they had received the papers from Homeland Security showing the
exportation of the trailer. Kind of a nice surprise that we don’t have to go to
the tag office! I feel fortunate that we were never pulled over in the 5 weeks
and 5,200 miles of towing without a plate. Between the fact that we were not
speeding and also “looked like Canadians” with a Canadian Maple Leaf on the
back of the trailer, I guess we weren’t a target.
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Heading to Texas (6/8/14)
Today, we were up and ready to start moving by 6 AM. I went
down and decided that I needed some fresh coffee and wasn’t ready to tackle
Dom’s coffee maker. I filled my water bottle with water, and then headed out to
the camper to prepare a thermos of coffee! It’s always nice to travel with an
extra kitchen! When I got back inside with my coffee, Joyce & Dom were up
so we all had a leisurely breakfast together. Some more catching up, and then
time to hit the road. This turned out to be our longest drive with the trailer
– 377 miles. We’re not anxious to see Kelly, Chuck and the boys, are we? We
decided to camp at a “city” campground that I found on one of my apps. We were
a little nervous as we didn’t hit the campground until 4 PM. We suspected we
would be alright since it was a Sunday and most “weekend” campers would be
gone. Well, we drove in and took the best site (of 25) with no other campers! Retirement
traveling definitely has its advantages! We set up quickly as the pad was
perfectly level. Then, we decided that we needed to begin emptying the fridge, so
I had a couple beers and Barbara finished a bottle of wine. We heated up
leftover chili in the microwave and then explored the campground. We did find
one other camper in a tent and also found the “bath house.” We were glad to
have our own as this one was really in poor shape! We’ll spend the evening
reading and playing cards and then be in bed early so we can be up at the crack
of dawn and driving to Kelly’s!
Rio Rancho – Day 2 (6/7/14)
This morning, we awoke with the sun at 5 AM as has happened
so often on this trip. We did manage to stay in bed until 6 and then got up and
crept around trying not to wake Joyce & Dom. Eventually, we all had a light
breakfast and then sat on their back patio enjoying the views and catching up
on old times. In fact, we spent so much energy catching up, that Joyce had to
make us a second breakfast (or brunch) of egg tortillas! After that, we headed
out for more adventures. We first went to Petroglyph National Park. We spent
some time in the visitor center checking out their exhibits, and then headed
out to walk some of the trails. The number of petroglyphs out there was
amazing. We couldn’t believe how close the housing developments come to the
rocks that they have in the park. I guess that it’s hard to keep the builders
from building where the views are spectacular! After that, we drove out to the
foot of the mountains where there was a cave that we could climb to. I couldn’t
believe that Barbara made it almost to the top. I can understand why she
wouldn’t want to climb the “circular staircase” up to the cave as it was
hanging over a sheer drop! Although the cave was interesting, it was
disappointing that there was some much “trash” in the cave from the tourists
visiting. When we got back to the house, we enjoyed some frozen Margaritas to
“rehydrate” and finished off with Chili, garlic bread and some fresh fruit.
Then it was time to share pictures. But again, this was hard work and we had to
take a break to enjoy some cobbler & ice cream! Eventually, we tore
ourselves away from the pictures to head up to bed.
Albuquerque – Day One (6/6/14)
Today, we left the reservoir and headed into Albuquerque to
visit some good friends. We’ve known Joyce and Dom since we moved to Asheville
in 1987 and they have remained good friends. Our daughters grew up together and
remain good friends to this day, despite being spread apart. (Florida,
Fletcher-NC, Houston, Dallas & Santa Fe) Joyce & Dom have been retired
and living in Rio Rancho (outside Albuquerque) since 1987. They also have
enjoyed traveling and purchased an RV when they started retirement. It was fun
discussing tanks, hookups, leveling, charge level and all the other special
terms related to RV’ing! After situating our Escape trailer in their drive way,
we moved inside where we had a light lunch and caught up on old times. After
hearing all the options for the evening, we decided to take the “Road Runner”
train up to Santa Fe to check out the town and then have dinner with their
daughter Susanne, son-in-law Hector & grand-son Santiago. The food was good
and the company even better. What an enjoyable evening. After our meal, we all
piled into their car to meet the train for the ride back to Rio Rancho. Kevin
and Dom stayed up into the wee hours of the morning catching up. Then, finally
off to bed where I crashed – my normally bed time is much earlier!
From Dam to Dam! (6/5/14)
This morning, we left Navaho Lake SP and headed down the
road to Abiquiu Lake Campground. (Army Corp of Engineers) Both of these sit on
lakes created by dams. I was glad that once we hit route 64, the road improved.
Some of the back roads make you dizzy with all the bucking! One of the amazing
things about today’s drive was the amount of oil and gas activity in New
Mexico. You are constantly being passed by white pickup trucks with a couple
flags sticking up. I believe that this is so they can more easily be seen when
they are driving the back roads. As you drive, you are constantly passing
working oil wells and what must also be gas wells. It seems like between wind,
solar, oil, gas, coal and hydro, we could tell the Saudi Countries that we
don’t need their oil. We arrived at Riana Campground on Abiquiu Lake at around
lunch time. The campground was almost empty, but as we drove around, we saw
that almost every site was reserved from tonight forward. After talking to the
park supervisor, we found out that there were several available slots without
electric. Since we have solar, we were ok with that and found a prime site
overlooking the lake. We set up the trailer and awning and then had a bite to
eat. After lunch, we were sitting outside when all of a sudden; it looked like
waves flowing across the lake. Well, the waves were caused by wind! Needless to
say, we put up the awning. We spent much of the afternoon inside the camper
reading (and enjoying the breeze from our fan) while the camper was rocking and
rolling from the gusts off the lake. Hopefully the winds will die down somewhat
tonight and the temperature will drop from the 90’s to the 60’s. Tomorrow, we
will head over to stay with some former neighbors right outside Albuquerque for
a couple days. And then, off to Texas!
DURANGO, COLORADO June 4, 2014
It was 38 degrees in the Mesa Verde NP when we got up this
morning. I turned the heat on for a little while to take the chill out of the
trailer. We had a good breakfast and headed on down the road to Durango, CO.
Neat town. We parked our car and trailer at the visitor center and walked a
beautiful pathway along the Animas River, which is running very high and fast
due to snow melt. We walked around the historic area and had lunch at The
Diamond Belle Saloon in the Strater Hotel which was built in the 1880’s. The
girls were all in dance hall girl costumes. It was a fun place with good food.
As we walked back to our car along the river we were amazed by the kayakers
playing in the waves. We are now in New
Mexico staying at a state campground on Navaho Lake.
OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE June 3, 2014
Kevin thought it would be appropriate if I did the entry
today, so here I am. Our plans were to tour some of the Cliff Dwellings in the
park. Kevin did the Balcony House because it had tall ladders to climb and a
tunnel to crawl through. Both were out of my comfort zone. He had a ball. The
ranger who led the tour made it very interesting, so when Kev got done he was
psyched to do the next tour which would be the Long House Cliff Dwelling. We
had discussed this when we purchased our tickets. It sounded pretty easy so I
said Yes, I would do it with him. We got to the meeting place early and as we
were inquiring whether we were in the right place the ranger who was about to
leave with a group told us to join them. Our tickets had a 1:00 time slot and
it was just 12:00 I didn’t have time to prepare. Off we went. There were 17 of
us in this group including a man who said he had one lung. The ranger leading
our group is young and very knowledgeable and passionate about the area and the
cultures. He explained that his mother is Pueblo and his father is Navaho. We
start down the path and as we round a bend all I see is sky and a sheer drop
into a canyon. At this point I am ready to turn around and head back, but Kev
said “you can do this” so he took my arm and as I looked at my feet he lead me
down some steep steps and a steep grade pathway, some more steep steps and another
steep grade pathway till it leveled out and we were at the “Cliff Dwelling”.
Now, all I can see is the sheer drop down into the canyon. I had to turn my
back to that and concentrate on the dwelling. And then I see a ladder. No Way…. Everyone else in the group climbed
the ladder, even the man who said he had one lung. I stayed at the bottom and
just listened to the interesting talk that the ranger was giving from there.
All together our group was there for about 40 minutes, than we all started the
ascent. Kev stayed on the sheer drop side as we made our way back up to the
top. All I know is I would not have been a very good cliff dweller. This truly
was an experience that was out of my comfort zone. We toured The Archeological
Museum which was also very interesting. On our way back to the campground we
saw a black bear which was not too far from where we were staying. I kept
looking for him but never did see him again. Later that evening we went to the
amphitheater for a star gazing talk. We actually got to see the International
Space Station as it went by overhead. Beautiful sight. The evening got chilly
so it felt good to get under the comforter. More adventures tomorrow…
Monday, June 2, 2014
San Juan Skyway (6/2/14)
Today, we drove over some of the most outrageous terrain
ever! We left the Black Canyon of the Gunnison around 7:30. Just getting down
to Montrose from there is an adventure – you keep the car in 1st
gear the whole way. After that, we started heading South on 550. We went as far
as Ouray and then had to turn west as they have been clearing up a rock slide
for the last few months. We went up, and then up some more. We eventually came
out of the highest elevation and then down into Telluride. That was kind of a
neat old town. Barbara picked up a wind chime for the trailer and a couple tee
shirts for the boys. After a light lunch in our trailer (great place to find a
bathroom and restaurant when you’re traveling!), we headed on to Mesa Verde –
Colorado NP. That part of the drive was even more exciting. We hit 10,000 feet
and saw mountains all around us that were 14,000 feet high and covered in snow.
We followed rivers that were swollen with snow melt. Eventually we got to the
park and checked in. We were amazed to find that the campground has Wi-Fi! I
believe that other than the one commercial campground that we stayed at in
California, this is the first. We signed up for a couple tours of different
cliff dwellings tomorrow. Barbara and I had to separate from each other on the
first as it includes multiple ladders and she doesn’t do ladders! Tonight, we
will head over to a ranger program and then be up early for a full day
tomorrow.
Goodbye Highway 101! (5/16/2014)
This morning we continued south on 101 and finally started
heading east. We picked up 101 when we started driving the Olympic Peninsula on
Sunday, May 4th just outside of Tacoma. We continued around the Peninsula, down
the coasts of Washington, Oregon and then through the coast of California
including the many Redwood Forests. In fact, we have towed the trailer for 1788
miles already and most of them on 101! Tonight we are camped in Clear Lake
State Park with a large lake to the north and surrounded by vineyards and
various fruit trees. I guess that it hit us today that there is an abundance of
wine produced around here. Tomorrow we will be staying at Jessie’s Grove Winery
just outside Lodi. So, if we over imbibe, we just have to make it over to our
camper which will be staged on their property. Some people talk about “camping”
in Walmart lots or Casino’s. For us, why not a vineyard? This is how we are
taking part in an organization known as Harvest Hosts. For an annual fee, you
can stay at wineries, vineyards, orchards, organic farms, etc. Barbara has been
enjoying using her ipod and Audubon app that Steve gave her. (Acorn
Woodpeckers, Cliff Swallows and we found an Osprey Nest) We are staying right
on track with about 120 miles averaged per day of driving. We expect to be in
Yosemite National Park by Sunday! And the adventure continues – stay tuned for
more. (Sorry about the lack of pictures, but Wi-Fi has been scarce and
extremely slow.
A Hike in the Yosemite Valley (5/19/2014)
This morning, we decided to make the “trek” back down into
the valley. Although the trip is only 30 miles from our Stansilaus National
Forest campsite to the valley, it is 1-1/2 hours each way due to the winding and
steep roads. In addition to this, they are very proud of the gas burned in the
park charging $5.00 per gallon! But when you are many miles from the nearest
town, you gratefully pay it to keep the tank full. We left our by 7:15 in order
to beat the crowds. What a pleasant drive it was! We were at the parking area
early, hopped the free shuttle bus and got off for the Mirror Lake hike. It
wasn’t long, but it was so pleasant to have the trail to ourselves. We did see
a crew from the CCC (California Conservation Core) performing maintenance. Kind
of ironic to see them removing rocks from the trail that have been there for
over a century! After our hike, we stopped at the visitor center, had a light lunch,
took care of some phone calls since the valley has cell coverage. We then
headed back to our campsite. We took advantage of the afternoon sun shine to
read for a while and then headed into the trailer. We decided to leave early
the next morning so that we could tow through the park without traffic. Played
some Cribbage and then hit the hay.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison (6/1/2014)
This morning, we left our last campsite in Utah and headed
over to Colorado. Barbara took the wheel as she is paying me back for towing
through the precarious mountain roads. A game we like to play when towing is to
see how high we can get the MPG! I’m amazed that on the interstates we’ll be up
over 15 towing. (We were down around 9 climbing into this park!) The other
thing that amazes us is how the topography changes as you move from one state
to another. As we entered Colorado, we started seeing snowcapped mountains –
and it’s June 1st! One of the interesting things on the drive was
how swollen the Colorado river was. It was over its banks almost up to the
interstate! I guess this is still spring snow melt. We were also amazed with
how well the cell coverage is on the interstates. We caught up on phone calls
and then stopped in the little town of Montrose. What a nice little town! We
then headed the short distance out of town and climbed into the National Park.
When you get to a campground and they ask if you need electric, it’s nice to
say no! We were able to choose one of loops where the “campers” stay as opposed
to the RV’ers. With a high temperature of 73 and a low overnight of 40, I’m
really not sure why they have to have electric. Maybe to run their tv? We had a
great site with a view over the canyon. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison was
just amazing. It drops 3000 feet from where we are looking down. Compared to
the Grand Canyon, this is a little known park. It is every bit as astounding as
the Grand Canyon without the crowds. As we walked around the campground, we
came across many mule deer that were not afraid of the campers. You still have
to keep your distance, but it is really neat seeing them!
Back to Original Purpose of Trip (5/31/14)
This morning we were able to have a leisurely breakfast and
enjoy the campground before leaving since we had reserved our Saturday
campsite. (I didn’t realize that ReserveAmerica had charged me $8 for that
privilege!) While wandering around the campground and just taking it easy, we
met a camper from Colorado. He literally talked our ears off telling us all the
places that we “had to” go. After an hour of being talked at, I was literally
reconsidering all the places that we “needed to” visit. I even got mad when I
skipped a stop that two people had said we should go to. After getting to our
campsite and setting up and looking over maps and talking to Joyce & Dom,
we made some minor adjustments to our trip. And then, we sat down and discussed
what our goal was for this cross country adventure.
1.
Use this trip as a “second honeymoon” in
repeating the cross country drive of 1975
2.
Transition from work to retirement
3.
Use the $3400 that we would have had to pay for
delivery of the trailer for our adventure
4.
Slow down, relax and chill!
So, tomorrow, we return to our original plan of driving 100
miles per day. Driving with our eyes open and the foot lightly pressed on the
accelerator. If we see something we want to see, great. If not, that’s also
great. Despite the above, the sights today were amazing. We are now camped next
to a golf course, a wide river & a railroad. We are hooked up to electric
and are enjoying the air conditioned air, I’m drinking a beer and Barbara is
microwaving some popcorn! (This morning, we ran our blender on 110 volt without
hookups!) So for now………..
The Early Bird gets the Campsite (5/30/14)
This morning we were up and out by 7:00 AM. We knew that we
had about 120 miles of driving over mountainous terrain and wanted to get to
the National Park early to get a camp site. So far, we have been on the road
for 4 weeks and the days I’ve been most concerned with are Fridays and
Saturdays as on those days we are competing with the “weekend working folks!” To
put it mildly, the trip from Kodachrome Basin to Capital Reef NP was
interesting. At one point, we were up about 9,000 feet on the ridge line of the
mountain. The width was just enough to have two lanes of traffic with a drop
off on each side. Barbara was leaning in towards my side of the car! Not only
did we have outrageous climbs and descents, but we also came across some outrageous run. We saw signs for runners in
the road for over 100 miles! Once we started seeing them, they were running up 8 to 12 degree climbs! Well, we got close to the
campground and saw a “campground full” sign but decided to keep going into the
park and campground. Luckily, when we got here, there were still openings. We
added freshwater to our tank, set up our camp site and had an early lunch.
Within 1-1/4 hours of our arrival, the campground was full! Since we were at a
national park, we went up to the visitor center, Barbara stamped her passport
and we watched the park movie. (We do that at every National Park that has one)
We wanted to walk the campground as there are bunches of historical exhibits,
but the weather was threatening. Instead, we drove into the town of Torrey
(about 11 miles away) where a restaurant had been recommended. We caught up on
Wi-Fi and phone calls and had another fabulous meal. When we got back to the
campground, we enjoyed some Jessie’s Grove Winery Wine and sat back and watched
a thunderstorm move in. We can have a leisurely morning tomorrow as we have
reservations for a State Park . So, for now, we sit back, relax and contemplate
another great day on the road. We have now been in the camper for 4 weeks and
have covered 3600 miles with it! No regrets!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)