Red Rock Canyon

October 1st-Off we go on a 2-night camp-out to Hinton, Okla, and a very nice State Park. It's Red Rock Canyon, out in the Oklahoma plains, but drops over 160 feet into a lovely canyon. Lots of hiking trails, campsites and canyon walls to test your repelling skills. There are over 70 sites with hookups and many other primitive tent sites & nice restrooms & showers. The newer showers are pay but are very nice. We set up by 3:00 on Friday afternoon, and I biked a few miles & climbed out of the canyon, which was pretty steep. We had prepared chili before leaving the house, and with the Haws coming to stay the night we put it on the grill to heat up. We also took some firewood, so I got that ready for the evening. When the Haws arrived, I had Terry to get the fire going, so we could enjoy the chilly evening. The chili was great! (KK makes a FAB chili!) To bed by 11:00, as Fonda was falling asleep at the table. A good night's rest before getting up about 8:00 and putting the coffee on to perk.

Planes, Trains & Automobiles

Our last day on the road for this trip & it was a very stormy , rainy night. I went to bed about 12:30, after that great meal at The Big Texan & it had let up a little. KK came to bed at ? & it wa still raining & there were tons of trains rolling down the tracks. They were about 1/2 mile north of us & I'm sure that KOA picked this spot because of its proximity to the tracks..it helps you sleep sooo well. (It seems to be a trait of these campgrounds.) I guess you get used to them, but theh first night anywhere is usually tough. Anyway, we're up about 8:00..central time!...and man, is it wet out, but we've got blue skies & no wind! We'll be on the last leg of our journey today..east on I-40 to Harrah, but first, a nice bike ride in the flatlands, while the camper drys out a little. The roads around here are really nice & we ride north, and east, by the jack rabbits, the prison & fields of plowed furrows. we ride about 17 miles, but I flatted, so KK went on back as I fixed the flat and blasted on back. We've got to tear down & get on the road! we're out by 11:15 & headed to a DQ! It's a good thing we didn't go far at first as I had not hooked the the trailer correctly & it was bouncing around. Ok, fixed that & now we head out with our dripping medium dip-cones. Now we're on I-40 and on to the Oklahoma State Line! Some construction but not too bad & we stop in Texola at a "Home Cookin'" restaurant for a couple of good burgers & fries. No more stops until we need gas..the Flyin' J in Yukon-only 40 miles from home, but it's 5:15 and some rush hour traffic & the very bumpy crosstown. One wreck at Anderson Road, but we slip on by and make it to Harrah/Newalla Road & on north to the cul-de-sac. Unhook the trailer & unload everything, before we crank up the camper to air it out & unload it too. 4314 miles of driving & averaged 17.8 MPG..not bad for pulling the popup most of the time. Six states & five National Parks, no bears or mooses, but a lot of wildlife. There were a few issues: the broken windshield, the damaged camera lens, lost sunglasses, but al-in-all it was a good trip. Where to now? The Edgar Cruz concert in Harrah Park on sat eve...

Where's the Beef?

We slept in 'till almost 8:00, as a little rain shower made it easier to stay in bed, all covered up. It's about 65 degrees this am still a few sprinkles around, but I'm outside under the awning, and a hummingbird comes in & checks out the 'mingo & whizzes off..cute! I then dump a lot of water off of the awning & have some coffee & cookies-there's a fly in my coffee & he's crunchie. Ok, let's get going, start packing up & tearing down-it's almost 9:00! I do finish off the breakfast dish before we leave & then we finish packing & folding up the camper. Off we go down highway 285 toward Clines Corners..I should have ridden this! It's about 40 miles to I-40 & eastbound for Amarillo-we dropped from around 6900' to 5500' at I-40. Absolutely no trees, but a lot of pencil cactus & scrub bushes. We pass a lot of DQ's but we're not in the mood yet & when we get hungry, there's not one around. We do stop for lunch & have some Squawkers Chicken at a Stuckey's--it's ok -KK gets a burger. On to Amarillo and to the KOA-our Nav system works!- about 4:00 & set up pretty quick & get the a/c going. It's warm, about 91 & sunny & this time we're right by the showers & bath. I suit up & go out for a 17 mile ride, while KK heads for the pool. The ride is fun & I explore a little & up to the old airport (airbase) terminal, where WW II pilots trained on the B-24's..it was "English Field" at that time. I get back, but KK has left the pool as the skeetters are bad. I get my suit and go for a quick swim & don't even see a skitter. Now, what do we do for supper? We find out that the "Big Texan" supplies a free shuttle service to & from their restaurant to the KOA! We've see the sign for the "Free 72 oz steak" for years so let's give it a try..not the 72 ouncer, just the restaurant. A stretch caddy limo comes for us & Don takes us to the front door. Oh, and while we're waiting on the limo, a guy walk by and sees we're OSU fans & says he was with Mike Gundy last week in Steamboat..I said, WHAT?" turns out he grew up with Mike's mom & knows all of the family & of course, Blas too. What a small world we live in..his name? (.....) back to the restaurant..we wait 30 minutes for a table & we're in a huge room, like an old time saloon, with an upper deck all around, noisy, with a 3-piece band playing cowboy tunes. And more "dead" animal heads, horns, etc than you can imagine. Is it a tourist trap or real good food? Well, the food is really good & we don't buy any "stuff" so I guess it all worked out fine. KK got the 9 oz filet, cooked to perfection, with a huge salad plus macaroni with cheese. I got the ribs, with coleslaw & potato salad & a couple of drinks..the "Laughing Margarita", and Amber ale. This is the 50th anniversary for this place, so I guess it really has to be good or people would quit coming here. They're famous for their "free 72oz steak"..if you can eat it & the trimmings in 1 hour. if not, the price is now $72! The record time is 8 minutes & 52 seconds..unbelievable! Anyway, it was a good time & we had 5 people from France next to us & they were having a ball. Then the limo ride back to the KOA about 10:30 & it's starting to rain a little & a storm is brewing..must have followed us from NM. Now it's just after 11:00 & the wind is kicking up with thunder, lightning & heavy rain. Now it's 12:11 am and it's still storming, but the rain has letup a little. On my ride today, I found 40 cents, a socket & an open end wrench & saw a few jack rabbits up on Folsom Road..right by the prison. We also got a glimps of "Cadillac ranch" just west of town. tomorrow, it's pack up and head east for Harrah, America..how much mail will we have?..even better, the POKES start practice on Friday!

Chimayo Churches

I woke up to a chugging auto at 6:30..where are they going? I just lay there for a while & enjoy the peacefulness. Ok, I'm up & start the coffee & make my morning "walk." It's a little cloudy & cool this am & the coffee (my blend) tastes great! Tom had sent an e-mail with the directions to their house, but Mapquest was being very stubborn. I stayed with it & finally got the right address & directions, once I figured out what his zip code was. We'll drive over there after breakie & a bike ride. I suit up and head out for a 12 miler & meet KK out on the road..Good Girl! The road isn't too good, but she rides about 4 miles, and then we clean up & head out, about 24 miles, to the Mcneight's Mountain retreat. It's a good thing I wrote down the mapquest directions, as our Nav system took us on the wrong road, or at least the long way around thru the plan. But we persevere & get to the correct gate & Tom lets us in their gated area. We get a tour of the house & have a drink & visit for a while, as they are having a locksmith replace a lock on the front door. Ok, now we are going up to Chimayo for a side trip of the countryside. A nice drive up there and we have lunch at The Rancho De Chimayo. Very nice place & the Mexican food is great! KK & Joyce get the cheese enchiladas, Tom the chicken Enchies & I get the shrimp pesto, blue corn Enchies..Great! We all have margarets & enjoy the day. Then it's up to the famous church- Santuario de Chimayo (1813)- where the dirt is supposed to heal you of your ills. KK rubs a little on her shoulder, so we'll see. there's a few shops too, and of course, Catholic gift shops, with all kinds of religious stuff. Joyce buys a couple of things and we check out the river, which is flowing briskly. back in the car and toward Santa Fe, where Tom takes us up Canyon Drive, a famous road with 100's of art studios & shops. Santa Fe is the 3rd largest Art city in the USA! And property on this street is very pricey. We don't stop, but just cruise around & it looks like a whole different trip if you want to see this area. Back thru town & to their house, where we relax a bit & visit before heading back to the KOA. Thanks Tom & Joyce for a great tour! Come & see us sometime! We look around for other places to shop but nothing out our way but eatin' joints. Into the camper as a storm is brewing around us and we check e-mails, blog & book a KOA for tomorrow eve in Amarillo, TX...hope they have a pool! see ya there.

LaFonda Lunch

A pretty good sleep for our new surroundings..a few dogs barkin', but no trains & light traffic. Up to a clear blue sky & 55 degrees...the covers felt good! Start the coffee & when KK gets up, we cook a "Mike's Skillet" & plenty left over for tomorrow. I clean the dishes & then suit up for my first bike ride in New Mexico. It'll be short as we are awaiting a call from Safelite Autoglass & the replacement of our cracked windshield. I get in 4 quick miles & come back to see if the guy is here yet..here he comes! A good kid, who best friend played baseball for our POKES! He gets right with it & in just under one hour, he's done..total job...293..not bad..I'm sure the dealership would have been 700. So we're ready to head into Santa Fe & hit the Plaza! Into town pretty quick & park & shop! But first we stop at the St Francis Cathedral, celebrating 400 years of service-it's been completely redone & is beautiful! We're a little hungry at 2:15, so we try a few places but see the LaFonda Hotel has a 10.95 lunch buffet, in their Fiesta Lounge. A great deal & the Mexican food is good..enchiladas, soups, tacos, with all kinds of sauces..and a brew & a margret. Back out to the Plaza to shop, look around & sightsee. Lots of local artists & silversmiths pushing their wares, in addition to the shops. Then we walk to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum & get a quick 15 minute walkthru..no charge..real nice! This place is loaded with museums, so you can spend days in them if you wish. Then over to the "Five & Dime" store (an old Woolworth's store) for a sodie & cooling off, before going out onto the Plaza for the evenings festivities. It's National Night Out & the Plaza is hoppin'! All of Santa Fe's Best are out..the fire dept, the police, the EMT's, the Special Weapons unit & the El Dorado Hook & ladder with the Stars & Stripes on the top! A band is playin' and lots of activities for the kids & free stuff too! popcorn, snow cones, spin your own cotton candy & a few 1000 people enjoyin' the blocked off Plaza area. A great time had by all! (even the dogs.) So, by 7:15, we were ready to head out, looking for a local market on the way. We finally find one that the Safelite kid told us about, just about 7 miles from the KOA, but it was tough find. we get a few things, and especially ice & some "Annie's Shells"! (supper) That's about it for Tuesday..14 miles of biking for me & KK just rode in the KOA. tomorrow? a trip with Tom & Joyce.

The Santa Fe Trail

Well, what did I say about the rain? It did stop during the night and made for good sleepin', but it's still cloudy and Tut-tut, looks like rain. I'm up at 7-ish, hoping it doesn't rain until we get packed up, but nooooooo, here it comes, light at first, then torrential downpours. So we get everything ready inside that we can & wait for letups in the showers We have a little breakie while we're waiting. Then a break in the rain so we get with it-two different times-before we get the camper cranked down & ready to roll. Goodbye Durango! A right turn onto 160 headed for Pagosa Springs, then a right turn onto 64 toward Santa Fe. We stop in Chama, NM for a visitors center map & a lunch break at a local diner-Fina's Diner.."Friends Gather Here"-it's so-so, enchiladas. Back on the road and into the Santa Fe Area, and once again our Nav system fails..it "says" destination on right" but it turns out we're 6 miles from the KOA, and it's on the left! (What gives?) We call the place and get final directions and there it is, the bright yellow sign. Of course, they put us in the back, it is shaded, but no pool! Get set up so it'll dry out and even put up the awning. I attempt to call Tom & Joyce to tell them of our arrival & try to plan an evening dinner..the circuits are busy! WHAT? Finally we get connected and plan a 7:15 date at the Plaza in downtown Santa Fe. We wash a few things..the sheets mainly..and finish setting up before getting ready to go. We get together on the Plaza & park at the "LaFonda Hotel" garage. A little chat on the corner and then up to the "Pizzeria on the Roof Top" for some delicious pasta. I get the meatball linguine, with red sauce & everyone else gets the lobster linguine with garlic butter sauce..FAB! We discuss a lot of things and make a date for Wednesday to go out to their house and then go on an afternoon trip. Tom grabs the bill..he's much faster than me..and hey, THANKS TOM! It's a fun evening. Now, to find our way outa here and back to the KOA..Tom leads us to the main road and away we go..thanks again! We make it fine & man, look at the stars! The Milky Way is awesome out here! A shower, some facebookin', bloggin' and the journal. The Windshield man will come tomorrow and fix-replace-the glass & we'll just pay for it as it's cheaper than our 500 deductible..go figure. No biking today, but I'll do my first NM ride tomorrow.

Hiking, not dancing in the Rain

Well, another month shot to hell-or maybe it was Purgatory, but July was pretty good to us, so let's move on to August. A cool morning-60- & sunny. The coffee is good in my new Colorado Mug . We have a quick breakie-cereal for KK & a sausage sandwich for me. Pack up a cooler & hiking stuff for our trip to Mesa Verde National Park. It's about 40 miles back west to the park & we see lots of cyclists on the way..a benefit ride for peace. There's some of these riders who are already struggling with the climbs..that's why they have sags. At the Entrance by 9:45-senior pass!- but it's a 15 mile, twisting road drive to the visitor center at the Far View Overlook & that it is. There's a long line to purchase tickets for guided tours of the Cliff Palace & Balcony House. I'm not standing in line for this, so we opt for the self-guided tour. Off we go for the Spruce Tree House, it's a short hike, down hill & back up for these ruins. It is very neat & was built by the Anasazi Tribe (The Ancient Ones) in the 600-1200 AD time-frame. We are told that about 100 people lived & worked in this spot. By the way, the Park is packed & parking spots are primo. A few Ranger Ricks are around to answer questions & keep the idiots where they are supposed to be. Back up to the car to have a little picnic & there's a nice big rock by the auto that is perfect. Now we prepare to hike the ridge to some petroglyphs. It's a tough 3-hour hike, over rocks, around big rocks, down steps, up steps, climbing, and now it's raining too. (Where's our jackets?) Oh well, there's plenty of rock overhangs to stand under. We have a nice Park booklet to guide us & explain all of the plants on the way, and then the Glyphs! We almost miss them as some one has moved the marker, but a dear lady tells us to go back & see 'em. So, back down to #24 & the gylphs..they're amazing! We climb back up and now we're on the Mesa & a pretty level walk back to the museum & car. Head out of the park, with a couple of stops & thank goodness there's no construction today since it's Sunday, as they are re-doing the "Ruins Road". I've brought my bike and hope to ride part of the way back..if the weather co-operates. I get out at the last "hill" of the day, and face a 10 mile downhill into Durango! Now that's the "payback" I like. KK goes on & I circle around and head down..WOW!..44.5 mph & I 'm riding the brakes on this 6-7% grade. It was 61 degrees at the top-8250'-and into town at 6500' & a little more comfortable. A few bikers climbing up and the traffic is so-so. I make a left & find the bike path & head toward the camp, looking for new paths. I have to walk down to one portion but it's worth it...all the way up to Home Depot, before getting out on the main road the last 4 miles. (A few coins here and there.) I get to camp with 22 miles for the day & that 500' climb. Hit the showers & we head north looking for Sweeney's--Karen, please note!---I had seen it on our bus trip on Saturday. Their sign out front says" Fabulous" food, and it was! I had the prime rib special, grilled, with a cajun/peppercorn sauce , garlic potatoes & veggies. KK had the salmon special, with horseradish sauce & crusted almonds, their famous brown rice and the bowl of salad with house dressings! And a couple of drinks and great service. (Thanks Karen! It was worth it!) A great way to end our stay in Durango. As we head back, there is massive lightning to the south, toward our KOA & about a mile away it starts to rain, & then a torrential downpour. Into the camper without getting too wet & start blogging, e-mails & postcard writing. Looks like a good sleep with the rain still coming down at 11:00..where's my umbrella? Hope it stops by morning..we're on to Santa Fe tomorrow. A great day in and around Durango!

A Flat Tire & a High Wire

I wake up at 6:30, but back to sleep until 7:00 then up to 64 degrees and cloudy skies. Some coffee, cookies and journaling at the picnic table until KK gets up about 7:30. Have a discussion of the day's activities, & Geoff spin-trimming our lawn while Wayne mows..thanks guys! Will Egg work the OSU Football games? Only if he is NOT on a gate..good luck. Ok, let's have breakie- down at the KOA Caboose..pancakes for me, an omelet for KK. Then we load up the bikes and our clothes to change into after we ride. We have a bus to catch at 11:00 for a trip up to Silverton & a train ride back. We ride for a little while & check the paths out..pretty nice & lots of people riding, jogging, kayaking & rafting on the river. There's also a parade in town and a Fiesta all day. I ride about 8 miles & find KK with a flat as she headed back toward the car. I get her pump and air it up so she can ride on back. OK, we made it...change clothes and head to train depot parking lot--$7 for the day & lock those bikes up! On the bus and head out of town at 11:00, and our driver is a teacher & bus driver & loves it! She has a mic and tells us a few stories & some local history on the way up over 3 different mountain passes-one at 10,800' & some scary turns I might add...KK is freakin' out! It's a 1 1/2 hour trip by bus up to Silverton & she made the time pass real fast, noting her dream home on the drive. We get into Silverton at 12:30 and it's time for lunch. A short walk to Mother Clucker's where KK gets a burger, with fries & I get the broasted chicken sandwich with coleslaw...and a couple of Alaskan Ambers. Off to do some serious shoppin'. About half way thru, it comes a downpour. One local gal says it will last until 4:30, so it's on with the jackets & ducking in & out of the stores. We make a few purchases, helping the local economy as best we can, and I finally buy a T-shirt..first one of the trip. Our train departs at 3:30, but we have assigned seats so no hurry. A couple of last minute deals & on the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge RR for our return trip. It's a slow train and some high cliffs on the way back, so sit back and relax. The views are unbelievable, with mountains on both sides, the river constantly in view, but no animals to be seen. It's still raining most of the way down & pretty chilly, as I move to an open-sided car so I can see better & take a few pics. My long pants and sweatshirt feel good! You can buy hot chocolate & coffee, but we opt out..enough of the economy. And get this, the guy behind us was born in Calvin, Okla! A Mr White..what a small world! The mountains are shrouded in clouds and mist & you can't even see the ski slopes at Purgatory. There's massive drop-offs, valleys of avalanche areas & raging rapids on the Animas below. Then we're out of this mountain area and it's pretty boring the last hour, but lots of beautiful homes. Finally, into the Durango depot & head to the car. I change clothes..again..at MacD's , as I am going to ride back to camp. It's just after 7:00, but dry, so off I go about 8 miles back & a 500' climb. KK turns right and goes to a DQ..she needs it! She also goes to a market, so with all of that, I beat her back to the KOA..17 miles for the day for me. It's "spin-night" at the KOA store, so we buy a few things & get 15% off-now the economy is really boomin'!(thanks to our bank a/c.) Sandwiches for supper, then start a couple of loads of clothes, before hitting the showers. let's listen to some jazz & blog a little..to Mesa Verde tomorrow? maybe...

Nothing much happened today

I'm up just before 7:00 & the tenters who came in after dark are already gone..did they pay? And the tiny little Jayco pop up-maybe a 6 footer, are tearing down..where are they going? They just got here! The sky is very blue & the Sun is very bright. I'm at our picnic table & it needs some work..I almost fall backwards, just sitting down, as the seat tilts back. The birds are chirpin', the coffee is hot & the cookies are tasty. We'll be outa here in a couple of hours. Where are the Haws today? At the dude ranch in Gunnison? In other news, how many dogs can travel with one RV? There's two different couples that have 3 dogs on leashes, but a cat on a leash? It's a weird world out there. As we are packing, we realize that we never had one of Green River's famous melons..the Vetere melon..oh well, we didn't make it to the museum either. Off to I-70 and down to Moab for lunch. The construction isn't too bad & no more stones into the windshield. Into Moab about 11:00 & we're the first customers of the day at Jay's Pasta. A great lunch! KK had the Itialian Sandwich-almost a Danny's Hoagie!-and I had the deep dish Spaghetti with marinara sauce. Then a walk to the visitor center, before heading out of this lovely valley & on to the Southeast. It's still pretty scenic and even another arch, right by the road! Into Colorado & a stop in Cortez for gas & a DQ!(Yes, we travel the country looking for Dairy Queens.) Looks like a storm toward our destination, but we get around most of it before getting into Durango & a right turn up to the KOA. Our Nav system works perfectly this time & delivers us-"Destination Ahead"- to the driveway of the KOA. It's a nice campground, with a new pool, shade trees & a friendly folks. Dick takes us to our site..#29 , right by the showers & office. Set up by 4:30 & go down into historic Durango to see the town & get tickets for the train ride. It's an old narrow gauge railroad that goes up to Silverton & back. We get tickets for tomorrow & believe me, Mr Tightwad would not approve of the pricey tickets..194 for two..OUCH! We also look for bike paths & find a couple down by the Animas River. We'll try them out before the train ride tomorrow. Back to camp, where they serve pizzas every night, delivered to your site..home made! We order a supreme, and yep, here it comes to our camper...what a deal..for only 14 bucks. (Pretty damn' good too.) Then I remember that the bike rack is under the front of the camper & we have to dig it out & work it thru the little hatch for tomorrow's ride. Now some e-mails, blogging, reading, post cards & to the showers. A pretty mild day for us-no bikin', no hikin'-or as L&C would say.."nothing much happened today"...see ya in Silverton.

Geology Rocks

OK, up a little earlier today..7:15, put the coffee on & get ready to go to Arches National Park. A light breakie with cookies, cereal & fruit. Pack up the stuff, make sandwiches & head out for I-70 & Ut 191 to the park. Oh, and the construction, but it's not too bad. Into the park-senior pass!-by 9:45 & stop at the visitor center for some items & reading about the area. Out onto "Entrance Road" says our Nav system & on to the first stop.."Park Avenue"..massive rock formations & we decide not to hike this part. On around to "balanced rock" & we do hike this- a short, 3 tenths of a mile walk . The rock balanced 120' in the air is a 3500 ton monster..not for my yard. A right turn to the "Windows" section & a short hike, maybe 1/2 mile to this massive "pothole" arch (caving in from the upper portion of the formation.) Lots of arches here & crazy people climbing everywhere.) The next stop is the big hike to the "Delicate Arch", by Wolfe Ranch, where a family actually lived & raised cattle in the 1870's. The Park guide says this is a 3-mile hike (at least) & moderate...right..elevation gain 480 feet. We take plenty of water & snacks, but we see a lot of people with nothing..not even hats! And let me tell you, it's a tough hike! The temps have gone up & it's 95 in the parking lot when we leave. Sunscreen re-app! There are many people from foreign countries..Switzerland, Germany, France, Holland, Japan..all enjoying the USA Parks. We finally make it too the arch & KK has some moments where she is not sure she can get around the edge..it's pretty tight and a BIG drop to our left. But there it is! What a view! Well worth the 102 degree walk thru rocks, sand & cliffs. I just can't believe that there were no fatalities...people can be sooooo stupid. The trip down is much easier but takes about 55 minutes, with a couple of rest stops. I make a side trip to some petroglyphs, circa 1650-1700 by the Ute Tribe. (KK went on to the car for some cold water.) Another side trip to view the Wolfe "cabin" & meet some folks from southern Indiana..New Albany & chat about the Agan Farm. Back to the car and a sandwich, cold water & rest. That about does it for us old folks..no more hiking today. We do see the Petrified Dunes, The Courthouse Towers & the Rock Pinnacles on the way out. A great day in this FAB Park!(NOTE: there are over 2000 documented arches in the park!) Make a left on the main road down into Moab, UT., just checking out the village..lots of tours, bike shops & motels. We look for a DQ but have to settle on a Wendy's Frosty..not bad. Back on the road toward the construction zone & our cool popup at the GR KOA. We make it in about 1 hour & go thru some big downpours & arrive at the KOA with a light rain in progress. KK downloads the day's pics & I take a nap..I'm exhausted & the rain helps the snooze. I get up as the rain ends & suit up for a bike ride. I find some new roads & hook up with KK over by the state park, which is packed with campers..17 miles for me & 9 for KK. Back to the camper to start supper, and it's breakfast! Cook the sausage, potatoes & eggs...tastes pretty good despite the mosquitoes buzzing around. I wash the dishes over at the KOA facilities, go for a dip in the pool & then shower..what a day! The KOA doesn't seem to be as crowded tonight, but a lot of vehicles came in after dark. We'll pack up tomorrow and head to Durango, CO..back thru the construction again.

"Googie" Heaven

Wednesday morning & did we sleep late! We're both up at 8:10, and I thought the Sun would wake us up about 6:30, but our "lone" Cottonwood tree gave us some shade. A few trains in the night..so she says..but I only heard one. It's supposed to be another hot day-about 100-so our A/C will feel good. A light breakie today-cereal, bananas, cookies & coffee & then we're off on a short bike ride thru the town, lookin' for "Googie" (old style signage from the 50's) signs. Lots of motels, both closed & open & restaurants of the same nature. A ride over the Green River & it's more like a Hershey Milk Chocolate color..from big rains upstream. The State park by the same name is much greener & a nice looking golf course winds around it-one person playing. We both ride about 14 miles & it's already 92 at 10:30. Back to the camper, get the suits & go for a dip to cool off in the KOA pool. Get ready for some hiking at one of the parks we'll go to today, but first a sandwich & a cooler of pop & water to take. Off we go to I-70 & Up 191 toward Canyonlands National Park. A right turn off of the hiway & it's another 21 miles to the entrance & the visitor center, and once again, no charge! (for us old people) We've never been here so it's a big adventure! A lot of great views along the way & we get to the "Island in the Sky" Visitor Center & buy a few things before driving on the main road to all of the overlooks and trailheads. The canyon overlooks are unbelievable!(in all directions)...we stop at the first hike of the day: a 1/2 mile walk to the Mesa Arch...WOW! A 1000' drop just past the arch & another one in the distance. The Colorado River is down there somewhere, but you can't see it..too deep of a canyon wall. On to the Grand View Point overlook and lots of dark clouds to the south, and some sprinkles here now. What a panoramic view..our cameras won't do this justice. At least with the clouds & rain, the temp drops to 80, and we are at 6200' by now. back up the road to the "Upheaval Dome"-which nobody can really explain & it's a 1 1/2 mile RT hike to see this 2 mile wide crater. Some think it's a salt dome collaspe; others think it was a meteor strike. Whatever it is, it's a site to see. On the way back down, dumb me slips & hits the Nikon camera & looks like I damaged the BIG lens..maybe it's still under warranty. There are hundreds of miles of hiking & driving trails in this park, and it is very rugged here, but beautiful, and established in 1964- a pretty good year! Ok, back on the road, thru the construction to I-70 & west to Green River. Stop for more ice, rest a little, chat with the neighbors-who broke an axle yesterday-and got it fixed already. Great folks around here! We decide to have supper out, so we walk up to Kelly's Tamarisk Restaurant, right on the river and a great view of the impending sunset. The buffet looked good so we opt for that and a cold micro-brew: Uinta Golden Spike Hefeweizen, with a frosty glass. The salad bar , soup, (chowder) & a mixed layout of veggies, chicken, fish, BBQ pork & lemon dessert. I guess we deserved it after our tough, rugged day. A walk back to the popup & lots of kids still in the pool, and the park is packed. Now a nice shower, some bloggin' , reading & listening to the I-pod music. Looks like we're going to go to the Arches National Park tomorrow, but earlier in the day. See ya in Moab.

Come on down to Green River

A great sleep! We're both up about 7:20 as the sun rises above the mountains. No wind this am and about 55 right now...put on the coffee and listen to the local bird..a Sandhill Crane, sounding off. KK cooks the eggs we have and I make toast for a quick little breakie. Should we ride or pack up? Let's pack up and head on to Utah. I wash the car while KK packs & the Acura still has mud on it from the rainy day over the pass. Off we go by 10:00 & our Nav System apparently gives us some bum directions, as it takes forever to get to Green River. We do make a few stops..gas, Wally, and lunch in Heber City at a neat place..."Chick's Diner", where the steak sandwich special was really good. On thru Provo canyon and some beautiful lakes & recreation areas. Past BYU Stadium..Levall Edwards Stadium to be exact & south on I-15 to I-70 and thru some FAB landscapes around the Capitol Reefs National Park-some massive ups (to 7900') & downs (to 4600'), with 6 & 7 % grades-WHAT VIEWS! A rainy stop at one of the overlooks & some interesting facts about the Fremont People, from 10,000 years ago. We finally arrive at out KOA at 6:00pm and it's 94 here..ouch, even the door handle is hot! Set up and get that a/c on! It's very windy, but no rain as of now..8:18pm, and I'd like to go for a spin...and we do..a short 4-miler into town & I meet KK over at the John Wesley Powell Museum, just across the street..we'll have to go there and check it out. The restaurant down by the main street looks good to & we get a 10% discount ! Back into the camper to download pics, eat supper..KK makes some Quesadillas & then to the showers. A really nice moon this eve & the wind has finally died down. Some blogging, e-mailing & reading..goodnight gracie.

Badlands-bad luck

We're up to the sounds of the babbling stream, our warm springs "water feature" & our air conditioner-on low fan-and it was chilly. I wanted to get up and turn it off earlier, but it was too cold. I'm glad I got the sleeping bag to throw on top of us last night. I was up about 7:00 and put the coffee on & made the trek up to the facilities, after I found my sweats. Now, some hot coffee, cookie & pineapple and then some leftover Skillet & KK has toast and her Zero. KK also arranges the camper as we will be in it for over a week now, and we begin to take it down. We're headed southwest today, out of Dubois, thru Lander and to Lyman, WY. It's a round-about way, no matter which way you go, but since the construction is west toward Jackson Hole, we go east..but guess what? There's construction there too! Anyway, I suit up and head out on the bike, as KK gives me an hour's head start. It's a sunny, warm day (80), but the wind is at my back and I get 25 miles thru the Wyoming Badlands & the Wind River Indian Reservation before she catches me. She continues to drive on thru Lander and some desolate country & all of a sudden, as we approach another construction zone, a large truck throws a rock into our windshield & produces a crack, then a longer crack..damn'! We have to wait for the lead truck for a bit & then on past this to a pretty desolate intersection, but there is a gas station & store, before going on south over "open range" territory with a few cattle & pronghorn antelope-be aware (DANGER!) of antelope crossing the road at 55 mph! On to I-80, west toward our KOA. A stop at "Little America", a gas station, restaurant complex that is ok. We get a couple of burgers-NOT CHEESEBURGERS!- & some ice cream & proceed on to Lyman, while watching some pretty big thunderstorms on the horizon, with lots of rain & lightning. We make it just ahead of the storm & get set up in this nice but flat campground, with a few willow trees. The wind roars in and I have to hold the camper walls on the west side as KK e-mails. We survive & the temp has dropped from 93 to 70 pretty quick, but not much rain..yet. I drive up to the gas station/store/restaurant to get a 9-volt battery for our monoxide detector that seems to be going nuts, and some bread. They didn't have any at the store, but the lady went over to the restaurant and got some..thanks! We're finally connected & logging & e-mailing & KK gets out the comforter, as it's supposed to be 53 tonight. No railroads around here & the traffic is light, so it should be good sleepin'! And it's one of shortest walks to the showers. A few more RV's pull in about dark, so maybe a dozen or so in the camp. And..YEA!, KK cuts my hair! Man, was it long and wavy..shower & get some nachos at the KOA snack bar & complimentary popcorn for KK! Now that's a meal...Also made calls about our windshield & set up an appt to get a new one in Santa Fe...hope it all works out.... Thanks John for your help!..goodnight..oh, did I say the wind was blowing? Well, it still is.. (Only 3 pictures today, total!) By the way I found $10. Not quite enough to pay for the windshield.

Biking, Hiking and mosquitos

What a day! It's our last day at the Randolph's cabin & there's six of us to have a MXA breakfast special, before hitting the road. I'm up first-at 6:45- to start the coffee, and have a cookie before starting the "dish." Deb says to call it "Mike's Skillet"..OK! First the sausage, then dump that out and cook the hash browns..dump the sausage back in, and heat it back up. Add a few eggs, beaten, a little salsa and top with cheese..nice meal! Debbie does the toast-not Dallas- and we all feast on the skillet. Terry does the dishes, while everyone else packs & carries stuff out to their autos. We're all ready to go about 9:30 and also start a load of towels for Marsha. Now, down to the KOA & get the popups. The Haws first, as they are going down to Laramie, and then ours to set up here for the night. Hey, we're right on the Wind River, across from a warm spring flowing in to the river..NICE VIEW! A goodbye to Haws & Nances & we go down to set up. OK, now we suit up for some biking before it gets too hot (76), and we head to the Exxon for a Big Bopper-ice cream sandwich & then go our separate ways. While I'm heading east on the main hiway, I see an old guy walking, with a pretty big packpack, and suddenly remember a biker telling me about a guy walking across America,,It's him! Jim Braggs from Wisconsin, and he's doing it just because he can..he's almost 70 & is having a grand time. Three other bikers go by, headed for the coast & we all chat. Back to the KOA & have a sandwich before dressing to hike. Off we go for the Whiskey Basin Area & some serious hiking. It's a short drive but 9 miles of rough gravel road to the trailhead of the Fitzgerald Trail. Quite a few cars there & lots of horse trailers. We take off on the Whiskey Mountain trail, but follow the sound of raging water. We also encounter a few cowboys & cowgirls on horseback slowly heading down the trail. Finally , after a long climb to the ridge, we go down the glacier trail & find a massive cascade..maybe a half to 3/4's of mile long..what a site! After a few pics, it's back down to the trailhead & another trail to the river. It's also very brisk here, but the mosquitoes are really "troublesome"..as L&C would say. I mean thousands of them & they are attacking. We're outa here, but a good day..we stop at a couple of places on the way back & see the nest that Deb told us about..it's an Osprey nest & a couple is camped there , watching them. On back to the KOA, and a short , refreshing swim & some ice cream at the evening social. Up to dinner but everyone's closed except the Cowboys cafe & we're eaten there a few times already. Out to Chandler's Family diner and the food is good but once again, the service is really slow. We do get our food-chicken fried steaks, salad bar & black bean soup..I ordered the Buffalo meat loaf, but alas, they were out of it. back to the camper about 9:15, to pay bills, blog & shower. A good day! 21 miles for me & 12 for KK.