Last post for 2009

So hard to believe that in a few short hours 2009 will be over.  In some ways, the year was awful (economy) but as full-timers, it was a great year!  We've been to some fabulous locations and met so many wonderful people along the way.

I had hoped to be writing this journal entry in Arizona but it is not to be.  I have a medical issue that is going to require more testing in January and surgery in early February. Yikes!!! Not how I planned to spend the winter that is for sure.  I am not looking forward to any of this nor the recovery period.  The only good thing is that we are around family and friends.  I just pray that everything goes as planned and once I am recovered that we can get back out on the road as we have a summer plans! 

Happy New Year to all of you.

December 25, 2009

We wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas.  

A soggy weekend

We've been in Sacramento for two weeks now.  This weekend we've gotten 2 inches of rain.  Boy, it has really come down at times.  You know you are desperate to get out when you look forward to an outing to the grocery store. lol   As more rain is in the forecast for this week, we might have to take in a movie.

Early last week, the big news around here was snow in Sacramento and surrounding areas.  Sadly, we didn't get any here at the RV park but everywhere else got anywhere from an inch to a couple of feet.  Quite the sight  in the valley as this happens only every 20 years or so.

Not much going on here other than catching up with family and friends.

Short move to Sacramento

Saturday was extremely windy.  How windy was it, you ask?  Forty mph north winds with 50+ mph gusts.  When we went to the store and John opened the truck door, a wind gust blew the door out of his hand.  Luckily, the truck is substantial enough that it didn't break the hinge but it certainly took John by surprise.  The rig shook and rocked for hours making sleeping difficult for me (not so much for John) lol.  The wind was still blowing in Woodland Sunday morning but had lessened to only 15 mph so as planned, we headed down to Sacramento.

The drive from Woodland to Cal Expo RV Park took only 45 minutes .  We had coordinated with Tom from Weigh to Go, LLC to get our truck and trailer weighed upon our arrival at Cal Expo.  Tom was there waiting for us and got right to weighing both vehicles.  The good news is that neither the truck nor the trailer exceed any weight limits.  We've done well at keeping the weight down which for full-timers is quite an accomplishment.  We've wondered where we have stood weight wise for almost two years now.  It is a relief knowing our true weight (total, by axle, and side to side) - information all RVers need to know about their rigs.

After getting weighed and set up, we were starving and headed out for a bite to eat.  When we returned, there was a used Gel packet stuck in our door.  Now who would do that???? Oh yeah, John's cyclist friend Clyde must have stopped by and left his calling card.  We got a good laugh at that realization.  John gave Clyde a call and yep, Clyde had stopped by while we were gone.  No paper or pencil to leave a note so he did the next best thing to let us know he had been here.

Something comfortable about being back in familiar territory.

Thanksgiving - Sacramento, CA

We joined our family and friends for a wonderful Thanksgiving feast at John's sister and brother-in-law's home.  Thanks again, Bonnie and Butch, you out did yourselves again.  So very much to be thankful for and blessings to be share today and every day.

To all our friends and family, we hope your Thanksgiving was a joyous one.

Catching up with Melissa

I'm still recovering from my cold and barely drug myself out of bed at 9 a.m. which is very late for me.  After getting cleaned up, we headed to the grocery story to buy supplies to make my spaghetti meat sauce.  Melissa had made a special request, so trying to be the good mom, I decided to make it sooner than later.

By the time Melissa came by, the sauce had been simmering for a couple of hours and made the rig smell delicious which did not go unnoticed by her.  How wonderful to get to spend time with her laughing and talking.  After dinner, we played a game of Wizard.  Melissa won so she was especially happy about that.

Soon it was time for her to head home.  It is not nearly as sad to say goodbye when you know that in a few days you will be seeing her again.  Ah, the great thing about being back in the Sacramento area.

Staying in Woodland, CA

We made it to the Yolo County Fairgrounds on Wednesday.  Nothing fancy but we have 50 amps and full hook-ups for $25 a night.  The good news is that this location is only 16 miles from Melissa.  We will be here until the 29th when we can move over to Cal Expo RV Park that will have us centrally located in Sacramento. 

The drive from Lost Hills was an uneventful one other than having a head wind all the way up the valley.  The  trip was a miserable one for me as I have come down with a cold.  This cold took five days to develop and after getting only 3 hours of sleep Tuesday night, it hit me with a vengeance.  My only hope is that John doesn't catch it.

Last night, we were able to coordinate a dinner date with Melissa when my doctor's appointment finished up earlier than anticipated which put us close to her workplace.  It was so wonderful  to see her in person and be able to give her a big hug.  I just hope I won't be sharing my cold with her!

Today, a "big" storm was suppose to hit the area so John and I decided to just hunker down.  However, the "big" storm didn't ever really appear where we are but the Sierra's are certainly getting a good amount of snow. 

On the road again

It was 7:40 a.m. when we pulled out from the Avi.  The goal was to drive to Bakersfield and spend the night.  When we got to Bakersfield, it was so smokey (from the Orange Co. fire) that we decided to keep going.  We called it a day in Lost Hills, CA.  It was a long driving day for us - 340 miles.  The Lost Hills RV Park is rather expensive for what you get but there isn't much to choose from in the area.  We aren't so sure that we will stay here again.

John and I were happy to get back out on the road.  Tomorrow we will head out for the Yuba County Fairgrounds - another long day but closer to our beloved daughter.

Staying flexible

We were suppose to move today to begin our journey back to Sacramento by way of the coast near Bodega Bay.  When we discovered that Doran Beach had no sites available that would accommodate us, we tried calling some RV parks near Bodega Bay.  What we learned is that they are ridiculously priced!  A coastal fix isn't worth $41 to $60 a night to us.  So being flexible on to Plan B.  What we decided was that the weather here is lovely and we are enjoying ourselves, so why not just stay another week so that is what we are doing.

Today, we made a trip over to Laughlin, NV.  We went through the antique car collection at the Riverside (free).  Must say, there are some really nice cars on display.  While at the Riverside, we played a bit on a penny slot machine called Deal or No Deal and had a blast.  We actually got to play for almost two hours on a small stake.  Won't win big that way but we also won't lose big . . . works for us.

Came home to enjoy the afternoon and discovered that the cording on my lounge chair needs to be replaced or part of me will be sitting on the ground.  We headed off to some places in Bullhead City but weren't able to locate any shock cord in town.  I was able to locate some on the internet so I will get a roll ordered so my chair can be restrung when we are back in the Sacramento area.  Until then, John modified the chair with bungee cords.

Settled in for a little TV, internet, and computer games.

Visiting with Michelle and Steve - Bullhead City, AZ

Michelle and Steve stayed at Fort Welikit over the summer while Steve worked with the railroad out of Edgemont, SD.  When everyone was going their separate ways, Michelle and Steve told us that if we ever got to Bullhead City area to let them know.  When we knew we were heading to Laughlin/Bullhead City, I sent Michelle and Steve an email.  Michelle was very gracious with providing us a list of some possible places to stay in the Laughlin/Bullhead City area.  We decided on staying with the known factor by staying at the Avi.  Once we got settled in, Michelle and Steve extended an offer to have us come over to visit with them.  We went over to their RV park yesterday for a BBQ, great company, and a game of Mexican Train.  Michelle and Steve reside in a large gated park with a golf course, lots of park models, RV sites and very nice amenities.

We got a tour of the the park's facilities which are very nice.  You definitely can do as little or as much as you want to do right within the park's boundaries.  Michelle and Steve have a RV site and a park model that backs up to the golf course.  It was very nice sitting out on their screened patio looking out on the green golf course.  One wouldn't know from that view that you were surrounded by the desert.  Given a bit more time, I think that I could adjust to such a setting.  Steve still works for the railroad and was telling us that there still are train robberies.  Funny, we thought that was something from a past era.  Steve can work in Bullhead City for the fall, winter, and spring months and then work out of Edgemont, SD for the summer.  Actually, for having to work, they've got a sweet arrangement and a lot more flexibility than most.  Steve and Michelle hope to be full-time RVers within the next year or so.  We had a good visit and hope to meet up with them again before we head towards Sacramento. 

Beautiful sunset at the Avi

John had some work to do on the kayak rack so I went for a walk around the perimeter of the RV park.  Boy, they have a lot of sites; most of which are empty.

True to his word, Bret showed up to install the relay.  He was here maybe 10 minutes.  He checked to make sure that the relay was working correctly and then he was on his way.  I must admit it was really nice taking a shower in our rig this morning rather than in a RV park's bathroom.

Just a week ago, we were freezing our tushes off with a high of 44 degrees and today, it got into the high 80's.  We got some shopping done at Target and the grocery store.  It is always a pleasure to have access to a nice grocery store when you've gone without for a week or two.

One of the unique things about staying in Laughlin, NV but doing most of our shopping, etc. in Bullhead City, AZ is the one-hour time change every time we cross the Colorado River in either direction.  Our cell phones are going nuts keeping up with the different time zones.

Late afternoon brought in some clouds and humidity.  The clouds provided some beautiful sunset shots we hope you enjoy.

Avi Casino Resort KOA - Laughlin, NV

We left Kingman, AZ shortly before 10 a.m. for Bullhead City, AZ (just over the Colorado River from Laughlin) as we had a 1 p.m. appointment at Roadrunner RV in Bullhead City.  We arrived at Roadrunner RV around 11 a.m.  As we were early for our 1 p.m. appointment, we asked if we could just unhook the trailer, go get some lunch, and return by 1 p.m.  It wasn't long before Brett was looking at the burnt wiring of the water heater.  Bret contacted Peterson Industries for an authorization number and was on his way to fixing our water heater.  Bret was able to replace all needed parts except for a relay that had to be ordered.  We had hot water on the propane side but the electric side would have to wait for that relay.  Bret asked where we were staying and he said that he would come over to our site on Wednesday to replace the relay as it would save us a trip back into town.  Wow!  What an offer.  We jumped at his offer and we were on our way to the Avi Casino RV Park.

Getting settled in to a site is never particularly easy when you are thirsty and hungry.  So once we were level, slides were out, and windows were opened, we headed down the road for a Mexican restaurant we remembered from 2008 when we where here.  We enjoyed our meals . . . not sure if it was because the food was good or because we were starving or both.

Once back home, we settled for a nice quiet evening.

Kingman, AZ

We left Meteor Crater RV Park this morning after saying our goodbyes to Rick and Y.  They are headed south and east slowly making their way back to Bastrop, TX for Christmas.  They are good company and we have enjoyed our time with them.  Our paths will most likely cross again in Tucson early next year.

In our slow trek back to Sacramento for the holidays, we are making our way to Bullhead City, AZ and pulled into Blake Ranch RV Park and Horse Motel just east of Kingman for the night.  A very nice park with easy freeway access that is big rig friendly.  We would definitely stay here again.  Loving the temperatures - 83 degrees with a slight breeze.  First time in a long time that we will be able to sleep with the windows open.

Tomorrow a short drive to Bullhead City - roughly 63 miles.  Love those short travel days.

What's wrong with these pictures?

You are correct, SNOW!!!!  Our plan was to avoid this kind of weather but the past two days it has snowed.  When the sun comes out, everything melts pretty quickly but it is still very cold . . .  Brrrr.  We are out of here tomorrow; hopefully heading to warmer temperatures.

Monument Valley, Mexican Hat, and geocaching

After a day off to get some domestics done, today we headed off towards Monument Valley. Monument Valley is famous for being the setting for more Western films than any other site in the United States. It is also the home to the Navajo Indian Nation. Movie tidbit - we wanted to get the shot of the valley where Forrest Gump stopped his cross crountry run. There were a number of us stopping along the road taking shots. This has got to be one of the most beautiful road vistas we have ever seen. The camera just doesn't do the view justice.

The Visitor's Center was being remodeled so we went up to the Trading Post/Restaurant to browse around and were greeted with some impressive views. Here is West Mitten (left), East Mitten (background), and Merrick Butte.

Admission to Monument Valley is $5 per person and it does entitle you to take a loop drive through the base valley. Tours led by the Navajo Nation are $80 for a 4-hour tour and $115 for an 8-hour tour that supposedly taked you to areas that aren't readily seen in Monument Valley and/or Mystery Valley. Before we left home, we weren't sure we wanted to spend that kind of money before we had even seen Monument Valley to see if it would be worth a tour. We happily opted to take the drive. Should we return to this area, we would seriously consider taking a tour from what we were able to see on the short drive.

Three Sisters

Camel

Totem Poles

Happy to be in such a beautiful place.

Window

After driving the loop, we were hungry and decided to eat at their restaurant. Surprisingly, it was a good choice. The guys had the Green Chili Stew which included chips and salsa, salad, and fry bread. Rick and John both thought the Green Chili Stew was very tasty. I opted for a salad with chicken that had wonderful greens (no iceberg lettuce - yea!). A little skimpy on the chicken but it was still yummy. Y had a patty melt with fries.

Then we were off with a stop to take a shot of Mexican Hat.

There was a geocache at the base of Mexican Hat so we stopped to see if it could be located. Checking out the rocky surrounding (snakes???), Y and I decided to stay behind and let the guys go with a walking stick to poke around any possible sites. That's Y and I standing way in the back near the Jeep. Success! John and Rick located the cache - Rick with the bounty.

There was another geocache to be found back up the road, so we stopped to try our luck. Yep, another one found. Here's John holding the container.

Off to our next viewing pleasure.

Goosenecks State Park - UT

Goosenecks State Park is just north of Mexican Hat. You look 1,000 feet down to see the San Juan River flow back and forth for more than five miles as it heads to the Colorado River and Lake Powell. The picture below is just one section of how the river meanders.

Another section.
A shot of the San Juan River.
The views were fabulous - that is all there is to see at this state park.

We ended our sightseeing day by going over to Rick and Y's for an evening of cards.

Hovenweep National Monument - UT/CO Border

After Four Corners, our next stop was Hovenweep National Monument. A Morman expedition led by W.D. Huntington discovered the abandoned remains of a civilization in 1854. Hovenweep is the Ute word for deserted valley and was adopted by pioneer photographer William Henry Jackson in 1874. In 1923, President Harding declared Hovenweep a unit of the National Park System.

After watching a movie at the Visitor's Center and before taking the hike around Square Tower Group, we decided it was time for lunch. As we ate lunch outside at a picnic table, we were visited by the very assuming Scrub Jay that we would give him a handout. John put a walnut out at the end of the table and in he flew and picked up the nut and flew off. This was to be repeated numerous times. We even got to watch him bury one of the nuts near where we were sitting. That was interesting. I wonder how he will find his treasures later on.

The towers of Hovenweep were built by Ancestral Puebloans between A.D. 1200 to A.D. 1300. The buildings are of various size and shape. The masonry is skillful and beautiful. We marveled at how they rounded edges and made square cuts to the rocks. How did they do that? What is even more amazing, is that after 700 years so much of the buildings are still standing. We took the hike around Square Tower Group as it has the most structures in a defined area.

Boulder House

Backside of Hovenweep Castle - sitting on the edge

Another view of Twin Towers

Archaeologists have found most of the towers were associated with kivas (Puebloan ceremonial structures - usually circular) but their true purpose remains a mystery. Were they defensive in nature, celestrial observatories, storage facilities, or simply fancy homes? No one knows.

By the end of the 13th century, the area was vacated. Why, no one really knows but there is a lot of speculation: drought, lack of food, warfare. What they do know is that Ancestral Puebloans migrated south to the Rio Grande Valley in New Mexico and the Little Colorado Basin in Arizona. Zuni, Hopi, and Pueblo Indians are descendants of this culture.

Here we were in the middle of nowhere and yet there remains proof that at one time, this area was alive with farming, families, and social networks. Makes you wonder what this area looked like way back then - maybe it was a green oasis a stark contrast to the desert it is today.

Four Corners - UT, CO, NM, AZ

We have heard about Four Corners where the borders of Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, and Arizona meet for years. As we may never be as close to visit the area as we are now, we decided it was a must see. Rick and Y had visited the area many years ago and warned us that it was in the middle of nowhere and there wasn't much to see other than the monument. Boy, they certainly were correct about it being out in the middle of nowhere. Still, it was well worth taking the drive to see Four Corners for ourselves.

Here is a picture of the four of us - one of us each standing in a different state.
Me with four different body parts in four different states.
John enjoying himself in four states at once.

When we left the parking area, Rick couldn't stop himself from driving a complete circle around the monument to be sure that we crossed over each state line. We all got a good laugh and then we were off to our next sight to see.

Bluff Fort Historic Site - Bluff, UT

After a warm welcome at the Visitor's Center, we sat down to watch a movie about the Hole in the Rock/San Juan Mission pioneers. Mormon pioneers who received the assignment call to establish communities in southwestern Utah and the Four Corners area left Escalante, UT in 1879 and arrived in the San Juan River area in 1880. Their journey had them endure unbelievable difficulties as they blazed a trail across some of the most rugged terrain imaginable. Their path included a journey through a crevice through the Colorado River gorge now called Hole in the Rock. After crossing the Colorado River, they had to forge a path up Cottonwood Canyon and then San Juan Hill. Seven horses or oxen teams had to be hitched together with men pushing each wheel to pull each of the heavy wagons to the top. Can you imagine? It certainly left me feeling very impressed with the sacrifices, toughness and commitment to faith each pioneer showed during their journey. The average age of the pioneers was 17 and amazingly, not one life was lost during their six-month journey.

When the pioneers finally arrived and settled what is now the town of Bluff, they built one-room log cabins that were arranged to form a large square. Their assignment was to "feed the Indians; not fight them". Descendants of these pioneers have formed an organization to preserve and restore the original fort site. Volunteers were busily working putting the final touches on the premises today as they were getting ready for an unveiling of a statue and dedication on Saturday. We walked around the fort and while they still have a lot of work ahead of them, we got a good glimpse of pioneer life:

Navajo Hogan

Interior of the Hogan

Typical Ute homesite

Fort grounds

Part original/part restored home of Joseph and Harriet Barton

Chair

Now, a table. Cards anyone?

Shot of the Bluff valley taken from the Pioneer Cemetery

Distinctive canyon walls

Twin Rocks above the Trading Post and Cafe

The area around here is remote to this day. To think of it in 1880 when the Mormon pioneers arrived leaves me impressed with their dedication and conviction to establish a home in these barren lands. The quote of one the pioneers, Jens Nielsen, "If we have plenty of stick-ta-tudy, we cannot fail" and they didn't.

Bluff, Utah

We left Moab a little after 10 a.m. and pulled into Cottonwood RV Park in Bluff, Utah a little before noon (roughly 100 miles). We are going to use Bluff as a base of operations for seeing the numerous sights in the southeastern corner of the state (better known as four corners). This park is truly big rig friendly with long, wide sites and very quiet. Our two rigs' front doors face one another so we have a nice private common area.

The cottonwoods are in their fall color and add a special beauty to the surrounding red-walled canyons.

The evening sun shining on the canyon walls is beautiful. We hope to get some better shots the week we are here.

We took a drive around the town of Bluff and found three geocaches along the way. One of the geocaches was at the Bluff Fort Historic Site. It sparked our interest so we will return to visit the Fort and Visitor Center tomorrow.

After dinner, we played cards at Rick and Y's before calling it a day.

Islands in the Sky - Canyonlands National Park

After two days off to basically chill and a day of off due to rain, we decided to visit Canyonlands NP as our time here in Moab was quickly coming to a close.

Canyonlands is divided into three sections: Needles, Maze, and Islands in the Sky. The section closest to us here in Moab was Islands in the Sky. I would have to say this section was aptly named as the following pictures will show. With the valley receiving rain, the higher elevations of the LaSal Mountains received snow and provided a beautiful backdrop to Canyonlands.

John and I are sitting in front of Mesa Arch. The views from this area were spectacular and well worth the hike to the arch. The arch itself looked like it was barely attached to the canyon wall which was an illusion, I'm sure. I don't think too many people would consider walking on top of this arch as there is nothing but a free fall into the canyon should you slip.

There is so much to see and do in the Moab area. This area will definitely be put on our must visit again list as we have enjoyed our time here and would look forward to returning.