National Park Reflections

Sorry I can't post a picture of sunshine and blue skies, but I can't because it's still raining here.  Not a good way to kick off the Memorial weekend camping season!

All seven of the national parks we visited were different from each other, even though all had the common theme of rock formations.  Our favorite park of the seven was Zion.  Is that because it was the first park we visited?  Is it because we had five days there?  Is it because we went on several walks there and pretty much explored all that we were capable of exploring?  I don't know.  All of those things could have biased us.  Generally, the more time we spend in a park, the more we like it.

Because of logistics, we were only able to spend a day at Bryce, Capitol Reef, Mesa Verde, and each part of Canyonlands.  Our time at the Grand Canyon was cut short because of Dave's problem with the altitude.  We both had a hard time walking there because of the thin air. 

Mesa Verde was the highest altitude park we visited, yet we were able to climb in and out of the cliff dwellings.  We were determined to do that, but it pretty much wiped us out for the rest of the day.  We didn't go on any walks at Bryce, but we got in and out of the car many times and walked to the overlooks.  That was tiring because Bryce, also, was at a high altitude.  Zion was the smallest of the parks that we visited, which gave it a more intimate feeling and gave us a sense of "knowing" the park.  The trees at Zion were in bloom and the greenery against the rocks gave it a special look that most of the other parks didn't have.

The Grand Canyon had the worst signs, especially directing us to Trailer Village.  Mesa Verde had the best signs.  The signs at Zion were also excellent.  Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion, and Mesa Verde were the only parks where food was available in the park.  Grand Canyon was the only park where we were able to camp inside the park and have full hookups, cell service, and satellite reception. 

Zion and Grand Canyon both had excellent shuttle services which we took advantage of.   The Grand Canyon was the park that surprised me the most, because I didn't know there were so many trees there!  The trees never show up in anyone's pictures.  Also, the magnitude of the Grand Canyon just can't be experienced except in person. 

My final picture of wildflowers at Capitol Reef National Park. 

Capitol Reef had the best wildflowers, maybe because it was the last park we visited so it was later in the season.  Since we went on a long walk there it was easy to take pictures of the flowers.  Notice the dry soil in all the wildflower pictures.  I wish we could send them some of our rain!

Arizona Reflections

Arizona is a big state, and we didn't see nearly as much of it as we did Utah.  That being said, I will comment on what we saw.  We were not impressed with Arizona's roads.  The ones we were on were in pretty bad shape.  We were very unimpressed that Arizona has closed so many rest areas.  I know they have to do what they have to do because of economics, but it's too bad they couldn't work out something else.  Utah has worked out a deal with private businesses to act as rest areas and that system seems to work.  I know that on the stretch of I-40 that we were on (from Kingman to Williams) there weren't many businesses, so maybe that wouldn't work.  Idaho and Oregon had the best rest areas!

The presence of Native Americans trying to peddle goods at every corner and at every turnoff was annoying to us.  We saw this once in Utah on I-70 and the very next rest area/view point had a big sign saying "no soliciting" and we never saw it again.  I know they have to make a living and I give them credit for being enterprising, but this peddling was something we weren't familiar with or comfortable with.  In fact, it made us decide to skip stopping in Monument Valley other than what we saw from the highway and from our quick stop at Gouldings.  By the way, the road to Gouldings was the worst road we were on during our entire trip except for a couple of the gravel roads in Utah. 

It was disappointing that the Four Corners Monument was closed while we were there.  We drove in, didn't have to pay the $5, which was good since there was nothing to see except for booths selling stuff.  We won't hurry back to that area.  That part was officially in New Mexico so I won't blame Arizona for that!

In my opinion, Arizona is unfairly being boycotted by California for trying to crack down on illegals.  This boycott is ridiculous!  Maybe we should all boycott California?  Boycotts generally don't work anyway.  Arizona is doing the best it can and is trying to solve an unsolvable problem. 

Since Arizona is not on daylight-saving's time, sunrise came very early at 5:30 am and sunset came very early at 7:15 pm.  Our first night in Arizona was at the Grand Canyon and we wanted to go take our first look at the canyon, but we couldn't see much because it was already dark!  Cell phones are smart because they (eventually) automatically adjust themselves to the local time, but going from Utah to Las Vegas to Arizona and then back to Utah meant that we kept having to adjust our clocks and we never did understand when the network TV shows were on, so we finally gave up on watching network TV.  At one point we were still in Utah, but Dave's cell phone said we were on Central Time.  Huh??

The people we met in Arizona were friendly and very nice!  It seemed like another laid-back area, at least compared to here in Washington state and definitely laid-back compared to California where we lived for 17 years and where Dave lived his whole life until we moved to Washington. 

Wildflowers at Capital Reef National Park

Oddities

We see some odd things when we travel, but this was the oddest thing we came across during our recent trip.  We went to an RV supply store in St. George, Utah, to buy some light bulbs.  In a rack near the checkout counter, they had a few brochures about things to do in the area.  We were surprised when we saw the title of one of the tours:  "The Polygamy Experience".  The small print added more information: "Tour the World's Largest Polygamist Colony".  I know we were in Utah, but really, I didn't know the polygamist area was even open for tours!  What a find!

To take this tour, which left St. George at 10:30 am, you were advised to dress for light walking and to come with questions.  The tour would be of the Colorado City, AZ polygamist compound which has been in the news recently with the arrest of leader Warren Jeffs.  The tour offered a chance to "experience a day in the FLDS (Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints) life with former FLDS members who were born and raised in the Creek.  Stories of growing up in this unique religion, a picnic set in the beautiful Vermillion Cliffs of southern Utah and northern Arizona, and intimate view of markets, parks and cemeteries, frame the previously closed community with detail and respect." 

Who could pass up this opportunity?  And for ONLY $69.95 each!  What a deal!  We passed up this wonderful opportunity, but if you are interested, here's the website for the tour: The Polygamy Experience

Warren Jeffs

If this guy gets out of jail and comes asking to marry your daughter, you might want to say "NO"!

Lake Powell, Arizona to Bluff, Utah

Before I post about today's travels, Mike and Gerri asked about our bicycles.  We bought hybrid bikes with wider tires, not racing bikes, but not off-road bikes.  We mostly use them on paved roads and paths but they work on dirt paths, too.  Mine is a Maverick Ironhorse and Dave's is an Outlook Diamondback. Both are 21-speed bikes.  They were not expensive, less than $200 each if I remember correctly, but better than WalMart bikes. 

The most important thing is to get a bike that fits your height, then to make sure that the reach to the handlebars is comfortable.  We put handlebar extensions on our bikes.  We also put more comfortable seats (saddles) on our bikes.  I have a wide seat and Dave uses an easy-seat.  We bought both seats at Camping World.  We also added mirrors, drink bottle holders, bells, fenders, a carrying rack, and odometers, as well as bike bags.  We also have a 6-speed Dahon folding bicycle, but we rarely use it because it is not too comfortable to ride.  I would not recommend getting a 1-speed cruising bike because even the flattest of areas always has a few small hills where you need to use some gears.

Now, on to today's travels.  We left beautiful Lake Powell and continued our journey, arriving in Bluff, Utah, which we plan to use as a base camp for seeing some of the sights in this area.  Just as we got to Monument Valley, we entered Utah.  We parked at Goulding's to have lunch in the motorhome.

The view from Goulding's parking lot.

Goulding's Lodge is visible just below the rock.

Monument Valley.  Where's John Wayne?

The road definitely had its ups and downs today!

As we neared the town of Mexican Hat, the hills looked painted.

Mexican Hat Rock

After arriving in Bluff and checking into Cadillac Ranch RV Park (no Cadillacs in sight!), we toured Fort Bluff, an area of historic cabins which were originally built by the first settlers of Bluff, Mormon pioneers.  This view is one of the views of the bluffs from the town of Bluff.

To Utah and Back...On My Bike!

Well, it's not as impressive as it sounds.  Utah is just up the road.  In fact, our cell phones think we are in Utah right now, but we are really still in Arizona.  The Wahweap area of Lake Powell is right on the state line.  Part of the lake is in Arizona and part is in Utah. 

Actually, my bike ride was only 5.5 miles.  It's a bit hilly here and the elevation is almost 4000 feet, so the bike ride was a little harder than usual.  Dave is off playing golf at the public course in Page. 

I rode down to Lake Powell Lodge and to several of the boat dock areas.  Here is a view of some of the many houseboats that are berthed here.  Check out the one in the middle of the right hand side.  It must have at least five stories!  Still, I prefer RVs to houseboats because we aren't limited to living on the water. 

Another look at the many houseboats.  These are just the private boats, not the rentals.

And now a few more shots of the campground, including the store, the amphitheater, and one more shot of our site.

A final look at Lake Powell.  Tomorrow we leave for Utah, for real.  Time to catch up with the time on our cell phones!

Prescott Valley, AZ to Lake Powell's Wahweap Campground

View of Lake Powell from Wahweap Campground

The motorhome's front end alignment went well and we left Kirby's in Prescott Valley by 11 am.  We got to Lake Powell's Wahweap RV Park and Campground around 4:30 pm.  We have a bit of a view of Lake Powell, and a great view of the restrooms and dumpster.  But the wifi antenna is on top of the restroom, so at least we are close to that.

Today was another sunny, warm, windy day.  We took I-17 north to Flagstaff, and then went north on state highway 89, all the way to Page, Arizona.  We crossed over Glen Canyon Dam and soon reached Wahweap Campground.   

During today's journey, we saw a variety of terrain. 

On our way north to Flagstaff on I-17

Sand hills north of Flagstaff on state highway 89

The scenery changed from sand hills back into red rock hills.

We drove between the rock hills.

The bridge across Glen Canyon Dam.

Lake Powell is very low right now.

Our home for the next few days, site B18 at Lake Powell's Wahweap Campground.

Sedona, Arizona

We  left the motorhome bright and early today since we decided to have it washed and waxed by a mobile service that comes right to the RV park.  Today's destination was Sedona.  This is another place where my little camera simply could not take pictures that show the extent of the awesome scenery. 

My favorite sight today was the well-known Chapel of the Holy Cross, which was completed in 1956.  The chapel is 250 feet high and emerges from a 1,000-foot wall. It seems to be suspended into the blue sky and clouds. The red rock cross can be seen from miles around Sedona.

Chapel of the Holy Cross

The peaceful interior of the Chapel

A mansion that's being built near the Chapel of the Rocks, reportedly costing $45 million.  Who has that kind of money?

One of the first places we visited was the visitor center for the Coconino National Forest.  In order to do any hiking, everyone needs to get a Red Rock pass.  We already had the national park pass which could be used for this. 

There were scenic turnouts every mile or so just before we entered Sedona.  This was one of our first views.

One of the scenic viewpoints was from the Sedona airport.  The helpful volunteer guide at the National Forest visitor center gave us a map with a bunch of places to visit where we could get good views.  They were all spectacular and we would't have known about these places otherwise.

We didn't even have to get out of the car to see this part of the magnificent landscape.

One of the views from Red Rock State Park, where we ate our picnic lunch, visited the visitor's center, and watched a DVD about Sedona.  We wanted to take a walk around the park, but by then it was too hot for us sea level folks.  Sedona is at an elevation at 4500 feet.

A closer view of the red rocks.   Far different than anything we see in the Pacific Northwest!

Montezuma Castle National Monument, Arizona

Today's excursion was to Montezuma Castle off I-17 near Camp Verde. Just to be clear, it's not a castle and has nothing to do with Montezuma. But somehow the name has stuck. It's a fascinating place, and I'm glad we got to see it since we may or may not make it to Mesa Verde National Park, which has many more cliff dwellings and ones you can actually see up close if you are able walk up and down the ladders.

Southern Sinagua farmers began building this five-story, 20-room dwelling early in the 1100s.  It stands in a cliff recess 100 feet above the valley.  Early settlers marveled at the structure and assumed that it was Aztec in origin, hence the name Montezuma Castle.

This is part of Castle A, once an imposing six-story apartment-like building with about 45 rooms.  It is now badly deteriorated.  This dwelling was built against the base of the cliff. 

An audio diorama display told us about life in the "castle".

And a picture showed more about how the people lived in the rooms.

The community got their water from nearby Beaver Creek.  The creek was a reliable source of water, and there was fertile land on the nearby terrace.  By the 1400s, the Southern Sinagua had abandoned their cliff dwellings and we'll probably never know the reason why.

Western soapberry

The trees and vegetation at the Monument were interesting and added to the peaceful, contemplative visit.

                         The Arizona Sycamore tree.  I really liked this tree!

After touring the National Monument, we took a drive to Cottonwood and Jerome and decided to go to Prescott Valley to find the place where Dave is going to get the alignment on the motorhome done.  We took 89A south.  That was a mistake, but at least we were in the car, not the motorhome.  The route was narrow, winding, and took us to over 7000 feet.  We called it the "Road to Hana".  In fact, the real road to Hana, in Maui, Hawaii, is at sea level.  I'll admit that it has more potholes than 89A, but that's the only positive thing I can say about 89A.  We won't be driving that road again, even though it did have spectacular views of the red rock, multi-colored cliffs near Sedona.

A Change in Plans

This morning we were at the Grand Canyon, and now we are camped at Distant Drums RV Park in Camp Verde, Arizona, about three hours south of the Grand Canyon. 

Dave has not been able to sleep the last two nights.  He starts to fall asleep and then wakes up not able to breathe unless he sits up.  Because of his lung cancer surgery five years ago, he is missing one lobe of his lungs.  We reluctantly decided to leave the lovely Grand Canyon in favor of someplace lower in altitude.  This new RV park is around 4000 feet instead of around 7000 feet as it was at Trailer Village.  Dave feels better already and is taking a nap, lying down, and able to breathe. 

The other reason that we decided to leave the Grand Canyon two days early is because Dave noticed that it looks like our motorhome needs an alignment job.  We will probably have to go to Flagstaff or Phoenix for that.  In the meantime, we are going to enjoy the Verde Valley area of Arizona.  Montezuma's Castle National Monument is at the same exit as this RV park, and Sedona, Cottonwood, and Jerome are all close by. 

We were amused to see that when we left Grand Canyon Trailer Village this morning, it was snowing, just like when we arrived on Thursday.  But on Friday and Saturday we had beautiful weather.  Thank you, Lord, for that blessing!

We saw some beautiful scenery on our way to Flagstaff.  We took Highway 180 south to I-17.  It snowed on and off all the way to Flagstaff, but light, hail-type snow that didn't stick.  We had to go up to 8000 feet in the Flagstaff area before we started descending as we got closer to Camp Verde.

We had heard that many of the rest areas in Arizona are now closed.  Sure enough, so was this one on I-17, just south of Flagstaff.  Luckily we didn't need to stop!

The Verde Valley, after many steep downgrades which we welcomed because it meant that Dave could breathe easier.

    Our first view of Distant Drums RV Resort

All set up in site #105.  Now Dave can relax and get some sleep!