So Far Behind

2012 June 27

In spite of intentions to keep up with the story of our travels, I am very, very far behind. 

Here goes:

When we left Grand Canyon National Park, our original plans included staying two weeks at Verde Valley Thousand Trails, where I had thought to rent a car and use VV as our base camp while seeing Sedona and other Arizona sights, including the Salt River and the wild horses there. Unfortunately, Raymond was Arizona'd out and wanted to go anywhere that wasn't AZ. I was disappointed, as I had hoped to meet up with my FB friend Mychal while we checked out Phoenix, but I understood, as I had felt the same way in Texas. So we decided to head to Hoover Dam, after a one night stay at Blake Ranch RV and Horse Resort in Kingman, AZ. We stayed there simply because it was easy access from the highway and because we liked the name!

Hoover Dam is a marvel and I love its art deco style. I had been there in 1971, but Raymond had never been there, so this was a first for him. Where I am awed by God's creation, as in the Grand Canyon, R is awed by human engineering. He took tons of pictures at Hoover Dam, although he didn't want to take the official tour, which I thought he would enjoy. I was surprised by how different everything was, compared to my first visit so many years ago; and, of course, the changes that have evolved since September 11, 2001. It was an incredibly hot and sunny day, so for much of the Hoover Dam visit, I stayed in the RV with Greyla, with the A/C running.

These pictures are Raymond's. You can tell by the date in yellow in the corner. He refuses to turn that feature off :)

From Hoover dam we traveled to Las Vegas Thousand Trails, as that was Raymond's choice. Las Vegas was another place that I had visited in 1971, but that Raymond had never been. We spent two weeks at TT Las Vegas and with the exception of four to fives days early in our stay, the weather was akin to hell. The daytime temps were often in three digits. Not much cool down at night, either. Our nighttime lows were generally around the high 80s. We spent a good bit of time in the pool, until we both began to react to the chlorine. Because we don't have a tow vehicle, we explored the public transit option for visiting the Strip, but in the end, R decided he didn't really care if he got to see it, so we didn't go. He did go to a casino within walking distance of TT to get his brief gambling fix. What to do with Greyla, also played into the decision, too. If we took public transit, we would worry about her being alone in the RV. If we drove to the Strip, I would have to stay with her in the RV anyway, to keep the A/C going. In the end, the Strip seemed unimportant. 

One really cool thing about the TT in Las Vegas, is that it is next door to a great Salvation Army Thrift Store. I spent an afternoon there perusing their huge book section and came away $6 poorer, but at least 9 books richer. 

After much discussion and research, we also tabled plans for California at this point in our travels since it would put a hit on our budget. Additionally, R seemed to want to head toward South Dakota because we planned to register our RV there and our current PA registration was valid only until July 30. I think all the heat of the places we'd been since late April, also contributed to a desire to head north :)

So, to recap, Blake Ranch in Kingman, AZ  on May 18, followed by Hoover Dam on May 19. Then two weeks at TT Las Vegas, from May 19 through June 2.

Off we went to Utah...

Still Catching Up

We spent ten days at Grand Canyon National Park, from June 8 -18. Three days we camped at Mather Campground, in an area where generator use was prohibited and we had no water or electric hook ups. We did, however, have a fire ring, countless stars, and visiting elk and mule deer. It was quiet, peaceful, restful and relaxing. We also learned that we aren't really enamored with the boon docking lifestyle. After Mather, we stayed in Grand Canyon Trailer Village for the maximum of seven days. It was expensive, since the campground is not federal, but run by Xanterra, a concession company which manages several of the larger National Parks, including Yellowstone and Bryce.

There is shuttle bus service in the park, along most of the South Rim. The service is excellent and included in the cost of park admission. There are also numerous parking lots available at the Visitor Center, with dedicated parking areas for RVs.      

One area that you can drive along the South Rim is the area along Desert View Drive, toward the east. We drove there a couple of times and stopped at each of the look out areas. The stretch that you are able to drive is approximately 25 miles.

In spite of the fact that it was early to mid May when we stayed, the afternoons were hot. The mornings and evenings were comfortably cool. 

I feared that I had given the whole Canyon experience too much of a buildup, in the time before we arrived. Having been to the Grand Canyon twice before, and knowing the effect in had on me, spiritually and emotionally, I worried that Raymond would be let down when he finally saw the canyon for the first time. He wasn't, I'm happy to report. Though he did mention that he didn't think he was quite as overwhelmed as I was. 

One surprising thing was how much Raymond wanted to hike the canyon. During my last visit, when I was in my middle 20s, my companion and I hiked Bright Angel Trail down and up, in one day. The Park service discourages that nowadays. A couple of things prohibited us from any long distance hikes on this visit. One was how much the altitude affected our breathing. This was something new for me. Another was the fact that we are traveling with our 13 year old dog and dogs are not allowed on the trails. There are kennel services available, but since Greyla has never been in a kennel in her 13 years, we didn't feel this was the time to start. In addition, neither of us had prepared for such a hike, nor did we have appropriate shoes. On our next visit to Grand Canyon National Park, we will be better prepared.

Another surprising thing (to me) was how much Raymond wanted to see the North Rim. One of my dreams has always been to hike from the North Rim, through the canyon, and out the South Rim. Raymond kept talking about how much he'd like to see the North Rim, but there were no campground availabilities at the time, as the North Rim only opened for the season on May 15. Who knows, maybe the north to south dream may yet come true! 

When the time came for us to leave, I actually cried. There have been a couple of places that have had that kind of impact on me. The area north of Santa Fe, NM, along route 82 was one. The Grand Canyon is another. I don't know if other people are as "place sensitive" as I am. Occasionally a place, town, or city will have a deep impact on me emotionally, sometimes positive, sometimes negative. I reacted deeply positively to New Mexico and to The Grand Canyon. My major negatives? New York City, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

It seems funny to me that even though I have spent the majority of my life as an urbanite, the place that disturb me most are urban areas. While the most comforting places, the places I am saddened to leave, the places where I can visualize living, are small towns and wilderness areas.

This nomadic vision and lifestyle are teaching me not only about this country we call home, but about myself.  

So Much to Catch Up

Due to some hints from a good friend via email (Thanks, Marty) I realized that I have been lax in blogging about our lifestyle and all the places we've been recently. 




The lapse began when we arrived at Grand Canyon National Park. I was arrested by the beauty and grandeur, the power and majesty, and the history and stories involving the Grand Canyon. This was my third visit. The first having taken place in 1971 and the second, a hiking trip, in 1975. I felt inadequate to explain how I feel when I am at the Grand Canyon. 




The single word that best describes my reaction, as well as the Grand Canyon's effect on me is, BREATHTAKING! But somehow, that isn't enough. Although, my breath was taken away at my first glimpse of the Canyon in late afternoon, as a storm approached, this trip. It also was my most frequent reaction each time I gazed at the Canyon, regardless of  what area of the South Rim I was viewing at any given time. Even now, as I think about it, I am moved to tears. There is a connection I cannot even begin to explain. Somehow, I thought it would sound ridiculous, so I've avoided sharing.




Words, at least my puny words cannot possibly relate the way I feel at the Grand Canyon. 

Instead, here are a few photos. Perhaps they can convey what my vocabulary cannot.

All these are photos taken at the Grand Canyon by Raymond and by me.  It is my hope that somehow something in theses images manages to convey the wonder I feel with each visit to the Grand Canyon.

Off Through Arizona

2012 May 12

I-40 Into Arizona

It seemed a bit sad, leaving New Mexico, but the lure of the Grand Canyon pulled at our nomadic spirit. Our first stops were Petrified Forest National Park and The Painted Desert. It was beautiful. It is very difficult to describe the vast expanse and variety of color present in the Painted Desert. We took many photos, but it is hard to comprehend the beauty of the land, even in photos. We met a very nice couple from Houma, Louisiana, who offered to take a picture of Raymond, Greyla, and me. That was nice, especially since we have so few pictures of our little family. The Petrified Forest was equaling amazing, but for much different reasons. The idea of trees so old that they have turned to stone is mind boggling. They, too are beautiful, though.

Painted Desert

Petrified Wood

From the national park we headed along AZ 180 toward Homolovi State Park. This state park is located on Hopi land and contains ancient ruins of the Hopi  along the Little Colorado River. Arizona State Parks are expensive when compared to Mississippi, Arkansas and New Mexico parks. The rate for water and electric hook ups is $25 per night. Still, even at that rate, they were less expensive than private campgrounds.






It was at Homolovi that we experienced our electrical glitch. We still aren't sure what exactly happened. When we plugged into the power source, we didn't have any juice. Normally, the electrical panel has an switch for each of the 20/30/50 amp outlets. These switches as we had experienced them to this point, were in the off position when pointed toward the ground. So, I thought that I had the power in the off position when I connected. Apparently, I was wrong. After trying to reestablish power to the RV, I gave up and called he office. A very nice man named, Matt, came out and checked the circuits and after some switching and plugging and unplugging, we had power. YEAH! It wasn't until much later that night that I realized there was no power to the microwave or to the hot water heater. The next day we tried turning the breaker for those two appliances off and on, but still no power. Since neither of us knows a lot about electricity, we have assumed that perhaps the breaker is in need of replacement. That will require a trip to an authorized Thor dealer, for service and the closest one is in Mesa, so we've tabled having a microwave and electrically heated hot water for awhile.

One of the other visitors at Homolovi

Homolovi did have the most spacious and user friendly showers of any place we have been so far. The floors and walls are ceramic tile. Each shower is individual  with a dressing area and shower with a locking door. They are large enough to accommodate a wheel chair. And the water pressure was superb. Who would've expected such a luxury in a state park?

The adjacent ruins were fascinating to me. The remains of a Hopi settlement alongside the Little Colorado River, where these ancient people lived, centuries ago. As we walked along the archaeological sites, we saw evidence of the visitation of today's Hopi, to a site where they pay homage to their ancestors. The evidence was small bits of stone or rock, left along a rock wall, or remainder of a house. It reminded me of the custom of leaving bits of stone upon the headstones of loved ones in Jewish cemeteries. How interesting that two civilizations separated by time and distance share this way to acknowledge their  respect for those who came before.

I missed being able to travel the "real" Route 66, like I did in 1971

Jackson Browne statue

From Homolovi, we headed to Winslow Arizona. I attempted to discover the location of the "Standing On The Corner" Park, to surprise Raymond. While reading about Winslow, I noted the location of the park and read about it. Since both Raymond and I are Jackson Browne fans, I thought R would get a kick out of seeing the park. And he did! For anyone who doesn't know, Jackson Browne wrote a song called "Take It Easy" back in the 70s. The Eagles recorded it on one of their early albums, as did Jackson. Part of the lyric in the song is, "Standin on the corner in Winslow Arizona, such a fine sight to see - It's a girl, my lord, in a flat bed Ford, slowing down to take a look at me." In the small park, is a lamppost, a statue of Jackson Browne, holding a guitar, along with a mural contained a blonde young woman driving a Ford truck. How odd is it that THIS is the highpoint of the trip, so far, for Raymond.

Raymond sitting on the corner in Winslow

This brings us up to May 6 in our travels. So much more to tell about the last six days, but that's it for now.