{"id":2789,"date":"2021-10-09T18:05:19","date_gmt":"2021-10-09T23:05:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gopherknoll.com\/?page_id=2789"},"modified":"2022-09-18T17:28:46","modified_gmt":"2022-09-18T22:28:46","slug":"walkabout","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/gopherknoll.com\/?page_id=2789","title":{"rendered":"Walkabout"},"content":{"rendered":"

Watch here for updates to our walkabout adventure – 2021\/2022
Updates posted as often as we have internet \/ cell access. In this part of the world, that is iffy. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

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2022 Walkabout<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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September 17 – ?,\u00a0 Boondocking on FSR 383 just off hwy 165 above Rye, CO.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oddly enough, campgrounds in Colorado tend to shut down by mid-September.\u00a0 Almost all of them.\u00a0 A few of the National Forest Service grounds keep a few sites open for another month with no reservations, but those are hard to find.\u00a0 \u00a0Boondocking becomes essential.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

Not to mention it is now a weekend and whatever sites were there are likely taken already.\u00a0 We researched some NFS access roads where camping would be permitted (and free) and brought up a map on our phones to show us the way.\u00a0 \u00a0Of course, when we went through the mountains with no signal, the maps were lost.<\/p>\n

Starlink to the rescue.\u00a0 \u00a0David pulled off the road and we set Dishy out of the truck right beside us – plugged in to the 110 plug in the truck and instant internet.\u00a0 \u00a0Maps recovered and we were on our way.\u00a0 Modern miracles, right?<\/p>\n

The second access road we tried had a beautiful spot – at 9450 ft elevation.\u00a0 \u00a0That’s okay.\u00a0 We can ‘almost’ breathe at that height now.\u00a0 \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

We’ll stay a few days to enjoy the last of the mountain air and then head for home – where it is once again in the mid-90’s.\u00a0 \u00a0It’s almost fall, though.\u00a0 And lots of farming to be done that I’m sure waited patiently for us.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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September 16 – Pine Cove Campground, Frisco, CO.<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the things about not planning ahead is that there is no plan… hmmm….\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

Finding an empty spot in one of the more popular areas of Colorado on a Friday night – not easy.\u00a0 We had planned to head to an area marked on one of our maps that showed lots of available dispersed camping just beyond Frisco.\u00a0 \u00a0When we got there, the access road had been permanently blocked.\u00a0 So much for outdated maps.<\/p>\n

The nearby campgrounds were completely reserved – except one with sites marked as first come-first served.\u00a0 We headed down there and found a large, paved parking lot marked off in wide spaces – just big enough for a camper with the tow vehicle parked beside it.\u00a0 \u00a0Sure enough, they had some spaces left and we said “thank you.”\u00a0 \u00a0The campground host assured us that this was NOT overflow for the campgrounds – but an actual campground with 1\/2 the spots already reserved.\u00a0 Wow.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At any rate, much preferable to the local Walmart parking lot and we’ll be on our way in the morning.<\/p>\n

September 14,15 – Vedawoo Campground, Laramie, WY<\/strong><\/p>\n

Quite a day.\u00a0 We planned to move south – back into Wyoming and then on to Colorado.\u00a0 \u00a0As we finished breaking camp, we found that we had a flat tire on the Roo.\u00a0 \u00a0So – on to changing the tire for the spare and then making an unplanned trip to Hot Springs, SD for a quick tire repair, tank dump and recharge of fresh water and a badly needed wash for the truck.\u00a0 \u00a0 Once we re-installed the repaired Roo tire and re-mounted the spare in its place, we headed for the destination between Cheyenne and Laramie, WY.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

David found this little gem while looking for some boondocking spots.\u00a0 We didn’t arrive until almost sunset, so we opted to stay in the NFS Campground here instead of looking for a free boondocking site in the hills behind it.\u00a0 \u00a0Not a loss.\u00a0 It’s a fun place and I can easily see why it ranked so highly in the online reviews.<\/p>\n

The hills here are a stack of\u00a0 huge rounded granite boulders – I’m guessing rounded off and piled up by receding glaciers several million years ago.\u00a0 Perfect for climbers and a really unique landscape for passers-by like us.\u00a0 \u00a0We stayed an extra day.<\/p>\n

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September 11-13, Lake Sheridan NFS Campground, Black Hills National Forest, SD<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Looking for a place to set up base camp so we don’t move for several days.\u00a0 This one is peaceful if not always quiet.\u00a0 The lake here is enjoyed by\u00a0<\/p>\n

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The Black Hills are beautiful mountains.\u00a0 Roads are very, very twisty.\u00a0 One area was called the Pig Tails because the road actually crossed over itself twice on very picturesque and old bridges making turns of 400+ degrees.\u00a0 \u00a0Three different narrow, one lane tunnels were fun.\u00a0 Each one was designed to frame the Mount Rushmore memorial perfectly if you entered from the south.\u00a0 \u00a0Of course, we drove from the north…<\/p>\n

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Mount Rushmore itself was extraordinary in the amount and types of planning that were done to accomplish the task.\u00a0 \u00a0A short interview with an artist who figured out how to create the shadows correctly on all the faces to give them the right character regardless of time of day or time of year.\u00a0 \u00a0Talk about talent!\u00a0 \u00a0And I don’t remember his name already.\u00a0 But I was very impressed by his passion for understanding light.<\/p>\n

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We took a drive around Custer State Park and the wildlife loop.\u00a0 Pretty, but not as impressive as I’d thought it would be.\u00a0 \u00a0We did see wild burros (although people were stopping in the middle of the road for longish periods of time – to feed them..), bison, antelope, deer.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Saw the Crazy Horse mountain carving from the road.\u00a0 They are still working on it.<\/p>\n

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September 10, 2022 – Devil’s Tower, Wyoming<\/strong><\/p>\n

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I had thought it was a volcanic core, similar to Shiprock.\u00a0 Turns out it is a magma intrusion into sandstone – sort of a volcano that never erupted.\u00a0 As the magma cooled, it formed into vertical tubes – pretty much hexagonal (like a honeycomb structure).\u00a0 Then the sandstone all eroded away and left the huge rock.\u00a0 There are few such structures known on the planet and this is the largest.\u00a0 All in all, worth the visit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1hwrRIl2Qk5CHcXCPPMbFEGmlDtfK8mwb\/view?usp=sharing<\/p>\n

We stayed in the campground there at the site.\u00a0 Pleasant enough for a one-night stop.<\/p>\n

September 9, 2022 – Shell Creek Campground, Big Horn National Forest, Wyoming<\/strong><\/p>\n

We took the East exit out of Yellowstone toward Cody, Wyoming.\u00a0 The plan is to see Devil’s Tower, Mount Rushmore, The Badlands and Wind Cave.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The road east runs through a huge and beautiful canyon for almost 30 miles during which we dropped a little over 3000 ft.\u00a0 \u00a0I will never think of Wyoming again as plains and wind..\u00a0 This has been a beautiful and eye-popping day.<\/p>\n

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This campground is way off the main road down a decent dirt road – right on the banks of Shell creek.\u00a0 Very small campground, but so pleasant!\u00a0 I’d make reservations for this one.\u00a0 And somehow, I never took a picture of it.<\/p>\n

Temps were 30 deg or so last night.\u00a0 We had ice on the picnic table and truck, and the pass about 1500 ft above us saw the first snow of the season.<\/p>\n

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September 6-8, 2022 – Headwaters campground at Flagg Ranch<\/strong><\/p>\n

Just 2 miles to the Yellowstone southern entry.<\/p>\n

We got settled in and then decided (about 4:30) to drive on up into Yellowstone to see Old Faithful.\u00a0 Thought it might be less crowded in an evening than in the morning.\u00a0 \u00a0The drive was much slower than we had anticipated because of the huge amount of road construction going on in the park – most I’m sure is in response to the severe flooding that happened here last June.<\/p>\n

That and a car in front of us that simply had no idea how to deal with mountains or road construction and drove scared the entire way.\u00a0 He wouldn’t pull over to let traffic pass him, so the entire line of traffic going in slowed to a crawl for every bump and turn in the road.\u00a0 \u00a0We finally arrived at the Old Faithful area much later than hoped and had to wait for an hour or so before time for the show.\u00a0 \u00a0Here’s the video.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1g7hXSwjTqmGn2oPIFWvDGp_4O4WS5gxW\/view?usp=sharing<\/p>\n

Then we drove home in the dark.\u00a0 Time for a good night’s rest and a good early start of seeing Yellowstone in the morning!<\/p>\n

2nd Day at Yellowstone we drove the main loop from the south side.\u00a0 This covered the geyser area comprising the mudpots and sulfur springs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1g1L0YYyywUsM94nF50sQGZpDRjFuGRpD\/view?usp=sharing<\/p>\n

Water here has dissolved sulfur and formed sulfuric acid.\u00a0 It smell just like that, too!\u00a0 \u00a0The sign tells visitors to stay ON the boardwalk because the land around it is soft and likely to contain acids that will eat through your boots.\u00a0 \u00a0So, of course, we saw someone had left a footprint in the ground near the boardwalk.\u00a0 \u00a0 Sometimes you just can’t fix stupid.\u00a0 \u00a0Boiling hot acid bubbling randomly out of the ground around you ought to make one think…<\/p>\n

We also drove up to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River.\u00a0 \u00a0Very interesting and includes some beautiful waterfalls.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lower Falls:\u00a0 https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1fyL19m_Wcl1aR_ZeE6JSyXw1xRabva4O\/view?usp=sharing<\/p>\n

Upper Falls:\u00a0 https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1fypz7b0OX0urWIy1KSGENzi799P44d_a\/view?usp=sharing<\/p>\n

\u00a0You can certainly see the lava intrusions into the sandstone\/silt\/? sedimentary stone that makes up so much of the area.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

And of course….\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Day 3 we took a drive back toward Grand Teton.\u00a0 That is actually my favorite of the places we’ve visited here.\u00a0 These mountains are simply amazing.\u00a0 I could stay an extra week just to watch them in different lights and fix the changes in my mind.\u00a0 Pictures are so limited in their capacity to capture reality.<\/p>\n

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September 4-5, 2022 – Hatchet campground near Moran, WY<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hatchet is near the north entrance to Grand Teton and only about an hour south of Yellowstone and our next camp, which will be at a full service campground right between Grand Teton and Yellowstone.\u00a0 Hopefully we’ll have a little time to explore both.\u00a0 \u00a0The trip up was right through Grand Teton and the weather was beautiful.\u00a0 Amazing, rugged mountains with visible glaciers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

We had the camper attached, since this was a travel day, so we didn’t stop at the outlooks much to take pictures.\u00a0 Figured we could come exploring the next day and take all we wanted.\u00a0 Next morning, the mountains were totally fogged in by the smoke blowing in from wildfires in Idaho.<\/p>\n

Hopefully the wind direction will change and move the smoke out again. <hope><hope><\/p>\n

In the meantime, we are parked in a very small forest service campground called Hatchet.\u00a0 There is a small resort next door with a restaurant, cabins, horseback riding and all kinds of ‘to-do’ stuff.\u00a0 We settled in to a nice, private site.\u00a0 $6\/night with senior discount.\u00a0 I’m loving the perks….\u00a0<\/p>\n

We did explore Grand Teton on Monday, smoke or no smoke.\u00a0 Didn’t take many pictures though.\u00a0 We also took a drive up the forest road beyond the campground Tuesday morning to an area called Sagebrush Flats.\u00a0 It is a very remote area at about 8,000 ft. elevation.\u00a0 Supposed to be good for wildlife viewing.\u00a0 We didn’t see anything special there.\u00a0 But we did notice a good many boondocking sites up that road.\u00a0 It would be passable for a trailer like ours if you just drive slow to limit the occasional washboard.\u00a0 \u00a0Might be fun to camp up there sometime, but we have a nice little site down below and the price is still right.<\/p>\n

August 31 – September 3, 2022 – Canyon Rim Campground (NF), Flaming Gorge National Rec Area<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was a long day on August 31.\u00a0 We had a great many chores to accomplish before leaving the area, including tank dump, refill fresh water, restock and pick up a couple of essentials at Walmart (I know – but everything will be much more expensive when we get into the smaller towns around Yellowstone…)\u00a0 And then a long-ish drive because the traffic was stopped on US191 N for a blast to take place at a mining operation.\u00a0 It was a long hold, but the blast was huge and dust hung in the air for a lonnngg time.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

We didn’t have a reservation for a camp but figured that on a Wednesday we could probably find at least a good boondocking area if not a campground.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

The wonderful helper at the Visitor Center in Vernal pointed us to some good areas to try – so of course we tried the best first.\u00a0 Every site was reserved for the coming weekend and we really wanted to stay through the weekend.\u00a0 \u00a0Canyon Rim campground is literally on the edge of the canyon (exciting!) and as expected – all the empty sites were reserved.\u00a0 Except one.<\/p>\n

It was an excellent site, which casts suspicion as to why this one isn’t reserved.\u00a0 I went to the reservation site online — and discovered this site (that we are already parked in at that moment) doesn’t exist on the map or the list.\u00a0 ????<\/p>\n

Called the Forest Service office to see if we could stay for the weekend and they had no idea…\u00a0 Is there a brown post with a number on it?\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 #12.\u00a0 Okay, I’ll go check.\u00a0 Hmm….\u00a0 Let me go ask someone else….\u00a0 Okay – it’s your lucky day!\u00a0 It isn’t listed online because it is available for a camp host.\u00a0 But the camp host is using a different site in another campground – so it’s all yours!<\/p>\n

Couldn’t be better!\u00a0 \u00a0And it’s SO nice to stay put for several days!\u00a0 We’ll sight-see this area.<\/p>\n

I took a walk around the campground that evening and a bighorn ram charged across the road about 30 ft in front of me!\u00a0 Talk exciting!\u00a0 \u00a0I finally got my phone out to take a picture and he stopped across a field from me.\u00a0 Pretty far away, but I got a little proof.\u00a0 \u00a0Maybe you can zoom in. <\/p>\n

By the way, the stars are absolutely beautiful!\u00a0 And as the night deepens, the milky way is just beautiful.\u00a0 I’ve been leaving our tent-end unzipped at the head of the bed so I can lay there and watch the stars any time I wake up.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u00a0Right now, we are going to set up to stream the new Lord of the Rings prequel on Amazon Prime.\u00a0 \u00a0 Modern camping….\u00a0<\/p>\n

The days we spent here were well-spent and restful.\u00a0 \u00a0We still did a lot of driving every day, but came back to a camp already set up and ready to rest in.\u00a0 \u00a0First day we drove to a little town called Milano.\u00a0 It’s actually the only real town in the whole county.\u00a0 \u00a0But I got no pictures.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Next day we took a scenic drive up to Spirit Lake.\u00a0 \u00a0I wish we could have camped up there.\u00a0 So quiet and peaceful.\u00a0 It is a looonnng drive up somewhat iffy roads to get to it and yet the small campground was full, as were most of the boondocking sites we passed.\u00a0 And it’s at 10,000 ft. elevation.\u00a0 Still, even a little time was a chance to relax from any of the noise and frenzy of life.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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On the way home, we saw the rest of the big horn sheep herd – the does and younger members, that is.<\/p>\n

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Last day here, we took a drive around a scenic loop called “Sheep Creek Geologic Loop” off state hwy 44.\u00a0 Oh, my.\u00a0 Pictures could not do justice.\u00a0 Absolutely beautiful and striking because the area is so unlike the rest of the geology we had seen.\u00a0 It was like moving into a completely different world.<\/p>\n

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August 29-30, 2022 – Dinosaur National Monument, Utah<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is a long ways from Black Canyon, through Grand Junction, Colo. and up to Dinosaur Natl Monument in Utah.\u00a0 We did laundry and dumped the tanks in Montrose before we left.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Then there is a great deal of not-very-much between there and here.\u00a0 We took Hwy 139 just west of Grand Junction up to Rangely, Co.\u00a0 \u00a0We prefer small roads to interstates because they are always more interesting and less traffic.\u00a0 This is no exception.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

We drove through lots of flat scrub tree\/sagebrush until the climb over Douglass Pass which was beautiful.\u00a0 Then lots more flat.\u00a0 It was a long drive.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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However, the Green River Campground at Dinosaur National Monument has been very nice.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u00a0A good breeze and shaded by large cottonwood trees made the temps in the 90’s much easier.\u00a0 And, since we are allowed to use our generators, we have been able to cool the camper during the hottest part of the day.<\/p>\n

The visitor center is very nice including a tram ride up to the fossil quarry – a very nice facility enclosing the side of a mountain where nearly 1500 dinosaur fossils have been exposed in the natural matrix of the mountain for viewing. It is an excellent exhibit because it is real – not a replica.\u00a0 \u00a0Here’s the video.<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1hCxLjYd1wlZX9URb1pdxauschMO3SyyH\/view?usp=sharing<\/p>\n

And you can actually touch the wall and bones in one area, which is super-cool for the kid in me…<\/p>\n

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Some of the exhibits were casts so you can see how the entire dinosaur (this one is allosaurus).<\/p>\n

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A young visitor asked the forest ranger guide whether they had any T-rex bones.\u00a0 She said “no, because this area was at the bottom of a sea when T-rex was living, but allosaurus here is like T-Rex’s great, great, great, great, great…. grandfather.”\u00a0 I thought it a good explanation.<\/p>\n

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We followed that with a slow drive through the geology of “Split Mountain” area – where an anti-cline has produced mountains on either side with opposite slants – and the Green River running between the two.\u00a0 The cliff sides contain very many pictographs and petroglyphs left by the Fremont peoples nearly 1000 years ago.\u00a0 The guide book says tools found here are the oldest on the continent – nearly 7000 years old.\u00a0 All in all a remarkable area and very much worth the time.<\/p>\n

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Tomorrow on through Flaming Gorge.\u00a0 Not sure what that is, but we have a week to explore before we have an actual reservation at a campground between Grand Teton and Yellowstone National parks.\u00a0 Will spend several days with that base camp exploring the area.<\/p>\n

August 27 – 28, 2022 – Black Canyon of the Gunnison<\/strong><\/p>\n

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David has started doing some videos that show the views better than a still photo.\u00a0 Here’s a link.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1h_lFnKFKTfKmiYDxDERD-Die2fkf7wd-\/view?usp=sharing<\/p>\n

One of my favorite places ever!\u00a0 I never get tired of seeing this canyon and the wildlife here.\u00a0 Stellar jays, American Yellow Warblers, Golden Eagles and a little bird that lives near camp that I haven’t identified yet.<\/p>\n

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We are tired of travel and will stay for a couple of nights.\u00a0 Sunday night is “Draft Night” for David and the boys Fantasy Football League.\u00a0 They always have such a good time with this and it gets them all together – which is rare these days.<\/p>\n

We are staying at the South Rim campground in Loop C – first come\/first served, no electric or water at the sites.\u00a0 No internet access.\u00a0 No generators allowed.\u00a0 GREAT night sky.\u00a0 \u00a0 However, the starlink wouldn’t run on the small inverter we carry in the camper.\u00a0 Since we couldn’t run a generator to provide a true sine wave current, we needed to find one at a local store.\u00a0 Done.\u00a0 But the inverter proved to have no cables for installation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Never underestimate the creativity of a man who might miss “draft night”.\u00a0 \u00a0He got it running using the jumper cables we always carry.\u00a0 \u00a0We re-charged the batteries today with solar and all set for tonight’s festivities.<\/p>\n

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Camping in a tech family is its own thing.<\/p>\n

I called Dad on Skype last night and we had a good conversation.\u00a0 \u00a0(And wished Denise a happy birthday!)<\/p>\n

Spent a quiet – not travelling – day today.\u00a0 A nap in the woods is so refreshing.\u00a0 We drove the rim trail, took lots of pictures.\u00a0 Made sandwiches for lunch.\u00a0 I’ll stir up a stir-fry for dinner.<\/p>\n

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August 26, 2022 – BLM Wilderness Conservation area, Poncha Springs<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hoped to camp at the Great Sand Dunes tonight, but – it’s Friday.\u00a0 \u00a0They were full.\u00a0 Zapata Falls showed on our Ultimate Campground app as First Come, First Served – and it was early, so we thought we had a reasonable chance to find a spot.\u00a0 Nope.\u00a0 They had changed their rules – now reservations accepted and all sites were taken.\u00a0 Seemed like the next best would be to drive on to Poncha Springs \/ Salida area for the night.\u00a0 \u00a0There is a large BLM conservation area just north of Poncha Springs.<\/p>\n

Yes, it is there.\u00a0 Yes, there are sites at the lower altitudes where folk have camped.\u00a0 We pulled into the first one.\u00a0 Just off the entrance road, but had a great view of the mountains.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u00a0We were set up and fixing dinner when a lady came through the camp with her three dogs.\u00a0 Told us it was not a good place to camp.\u00a0 “It is a sort-of trail head’.\u00a0 I’m local and I know….”\u00a0 and off she went into the brush.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Turns out – it was not a good place to camp.\u00a0 \u00a0Constant traffic came by all night long down this fairly rough dirt road that goes no-where but the hills.\u00a0 And by all night I mean ALL night.\u00a0 \u00a0About 4:00 a.m. a couple of cars stopped right near our camper and the folk got out and had some conversation.\u00a0 Lots of doors and trunks opening and closing for about 15 minutes or so before they both left.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

We suspect maybe we were glad not to meet any of the people that drove by and we packed up and left early next morning.\u00a0 Note to self:\u00a0 BLM land adjacent to a well populated area \/ crossroads is probably not being used exclusively by well-meaning campers…<\/p>\n

Moving on…..<\/p>\n

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August 25, 2022 –\u00a0 Cimarron Canyon, NM<\/strong><\/p>\n

An interesting drive getting here today.\u00a0 We drove north out of Villanueva to Eagle Nest and then back east toward the Palisades.\u00a0 I’ve always loved the amazing cliffs of this area.\u00a0 \u00a0Much of the drive was through the areas recently burned.<\/p>\n

There were many road construction areas where road was washed out from the rains that followed the burn.\u00a0 \u00a0But the meadows \/ pastures \/ valleys were absolutely covered in bright yellow wild flowers!\u00a0 Every bit as picturesque as spring in Texas.\u00a0 I have to wonder whether the ash from the burns has contributed to the beautiful wildflower bloom.\u00a0 Bet the honey bees are seeing a great fall nectar flow!<\/p>\n

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We are staying in a little roadside state park just off the Cimarron River.\u00a0 Very nice people. Nothing like the Pecos, the Cimarron is more like a happy brook, bubbling over the rocks.\u00a0 One of the campers caught some beautiful rainbow trout from the little ‘gravel pit’ lake nearby.\u00a0 The river had just been stocked a few days ago we hear.\u00a0 \u00a0We really need to get back into fishing a little bit.\u00a0 Out of state licenses can be really expensive for short stays, tho.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Hwy 64 is providing the ambient noise for the night.\u00a0 I much preferred the rush of the Pecos outside the tent bed.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, we picked up 17 channels on the TV in the camper.\u00a0 I watched a PBS concert and an old Dick Van Dyke show.\u00a0 It was that, or count the trucks going by on Hwy 64.\u00a0 \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

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August 24, 2022 – Villanueva State Park, New Mexico<\/strong><\/p>\n

We have travelled in three states today<\/p>\n

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Started out in Oklahoma, went back through the Texas panhandle and ended here just a ways SE of Santa Fe, NM near a little and very old spanish settlement called Villanueva.\u00a0 \u00a0 A good part of getting here was down I-40 from Amarillo to our back-road cutoff on NM 3.\u00a0 We much prefer the smaller backroads and small towns, but there is a LOT of nothing in that stretch, so crossing it quickly was fine with me.\u00a0 One observation of note was how green everything was.\u00a0 Not everyplace has been as dry as Henderson County, TX.\u00a0 I think my picture doesn’t do it justice – but just so we can remember that one year, it really was green.<\/p>\n

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We are spending tonight in Villanueva State Park.  What an unexpected gem!<\/p>\n

 It is about 30 miles N off of I-40 just west of Santa Rosa, NM. down a small, but paved road.  Toward the end of the road, it drops very steeply into a canyon with the Pecos River running right through it (and about 20′ from our camp site.)   The river is running very full, thanks to recent rains, but the camp host tells us it is full of ash and debris from run-off through the fire zones north of us.<\/p>\n

\"This<\/p>\n

A beautiful campsite.   <\/p>\n

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 So peaceful and cool.   And the starlink works amazingly well despite being in the bottom of a canyon and with some light trees surrounding the area.  However, the state park provides free internet.  Slow, but enough to send texts and update this little blog.<\/p>\n

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August 23, 2022 – Quartz Mountain State Park, Oklahoma<\/strong><\/p>\n

We left Tuesday morning – following some torrential rains in Athens \/ Dallas that broke 24 hr rainfall records in some places – and that also broke the heat \/ drought spell that was making things pretty miserable in Athens and Texas, in general.   We were concerned about how well the bees would survive the drought until that rain hit.  Now we can relax and enjoy the trip.<\/p>\n

Decided to approach this one by taking new roads.  Of course, you have to get past Dallas\/Ft. Worth and head ‘sort of’ NW just to reach anything higher \/ cooler than home, so we did that.   We headed for the nearest mountains – in Oklahoma. <\/p>\n

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 I don’t think I’d ever seen the Wichita Range – very, very old mountains with quite a history and just over the Red River into Oklahoma.  We drove through Elmer, OK getting there.  There was actually a ‘gold rush’ in the Wichita mountains back in the day and much mining for granite.  The rocks that make up the ‘mountains’ are very worn, rounded granite boulders that seem mashed together in almost fantasy shapes.  Easy to see ‘stone trolls’ living there. <\/p>\n

The campground was called “Mountain View” so we expected to see the mountains – such as they are – from camp. Turns out our mountain is the back side of the dam enclosing the lake. Here is our campsite from the top of our ‘mountain’. 
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2021 Walkabout<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Friday, October 29 – Balzano Family Vineyard, Carlsbad, TX<\/strong><\/p>\n

Got an early start this morning and went to Lovington (where I was born) to visit Mom’s gravesite. Easy to find and the memorial stone Denise arranged is stunning. I love the head stones that actually tell a story, and this one, along with the foot stone certainly do. There is some streaking on the back side of the stone where children’s names are listed, caused by water dripping down from the lowest points of the mountain scene at the top of the stone. It looked to me like waterfalls.<\/p>\n

My research indicated that there isn’t likely much we could do to change this as the cemetery has sprinklers set up which continually provide the ‘rain’ causing the streaks. The front of the stone has not been damaged as obviously. It is really a beautiful memorial.<\/p>\n

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Following our visit there, we headed to Carlsbad via the road to Artesia. This passes through one of the largest oil fields in the US. An amazing number of pump jacks, most running ran for 50 miles down the road and as far back as the horizon on both sides of the road. Wow.
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We are spending tonight at a winery that is a host for the Harvest Hosts RV program. Free stays at host locations. This was our most expensive “free” stay of the trip. \ud83d\ude42
Tomorrow we will visit Carlsbad Caverns and then move on to Ft. Davis for a couple of nights. Should be in Harper on Monday for a few days.<\/p>\n

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Thursday, October 28 – Red Barn RV Park, Roswell, NM<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another travel day.   I know.  4 hrs isn’t all that big a deal.  We’ve done our share of 15 hr days trying to cram as much vacation as we can into the week or two between work requirements.  Not doing that any more.  We’ve been planning our travel by 3-4 hrs driving to a destination – and all the sightseeing and exploring we care to do.  <\/p>\n

This little RV park had really excellent reviews online and was in the right place.  The RV’s are all crammed in to a small area – but the owner is so friendly (as are the neighbors in the next-door camper) that we really don’t mind.  I’d stop here again. <\/p>\n

We will go to Lovington tomorrow and then probably to Carlsbad Caverns.  Then on to Texas.<\/p>\n

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Wednesday, October 27 – Coronado Campground, Bernalillo, NM<\/strong><\/p>\n

Just a travel day.  Stopped at a city-owned campground here for a night with electric \/ water \/ dump station.  We’ve spent the last 10 days without any services, so it’s nice to run the little electric heater and get a shower (it’s always shower night before we dump grey water next morning.)<\/p>\n

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Tuesday, October 26 – Forest Service dispersed camp just east of Mancos, Co.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today was a snow day.  Pretty much all day.  So we stayed put and stayed warm.  Except for a quick run back to Cortez for laundry.  Still trying to figure out a plan for across New Mexico.  It isn’t quite as easy to find camps there as it has been in Colorado and Utah.<\/p>\n

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Monday, October 25 – Forest Service dispersed camp just east of Mancos, Co.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We loaded up camp and left Valley of the Gods early this morning.   A family was coming to our camp area to scatter their son’s ashes in a spot he loved.   They told us their story yesterday, and we moved out early to be gone so their family could have their time.<\/p>\n

Headed down the road and decided to stop here because we were tired.  The campsite is surrounded by oak trees and a few pines.  The oaks have passed their prime color and are dropping leaves, so it looks a little desolate – but the air smells so good!  And the area is good to be in.   Two weeks ago, the oaks would have been at peak color.  It’s supposed to rain tonight – and maybe tomorrow as a front comes through.  We have good cell service and even some TV here, so we may just stay tomorrow and wait out the weather.<\/p>\n

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Sunday, October 24 – Valley of the Gods, Utah<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stay in camp day.  David spent his time flying the little drone Brian gave him a while back.  Lots of fun.  We’ll figure out how to edit and post some of his aerial sightseeing..   I spent my time trying to revive some watercolor skills.  <\/p>\n

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Saturday, October 23 –  Valley of the Gods, Utah<\/strong><\/p>\n

Beautiful skys here over the bluffs and desert.  I got some nice shots of sunset and moon rise of the full moon.  We got the little drone going this morning and then took a drive through the canyons.  Another absolutely stunning drive.  David got to take us up the Moki Dugway road (State 261 section of very steep, heavy switchbacks, unpaved, washboard with cliff on one side.  Quite the road.  Not quite the match of the hogback earlier, but exciting still.<\/p>\n

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No cell service at camp, so I’ll post pictures and updates when I have a chance.<\/p>\n

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Friday, October 22 –  Valley of the Gods,  Utah.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We broke camp at Lees Ferry this morning.  Took a while to dump and refill fresh water and then to Page, AZ where we planned a stop for gas and groceries.  It took an hour to travel the 10 miles or so as the crow flies.  The road had to go around a large bluff that took as 30 miles or so south before we could turn north.  Found an excellent Walmart there and re-stocked on veggies and hot chocolate.  Then on to Valley of the Gods.  The road took us through a little neck of Monument Valley.  The valley is on the Navajo Reservation and not an open and easy place to visit.  We saw what we could from the highway and travelled on.  Valley of the Gods is all BLM land and so is open to campers at no charge.  It is also very remote and has occasionally challenging dirt roads, so not that many people go there – but the bluffs and sandstone monuments are amazing, nontheless.    We have a camp a good ways in at the bottom of a bluff, and will try some drone flying and sightseeing tomorrow.<\/p>\n

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Thursday, October 21 – Lee’s Ferry<\/strong><\/p>\n

We stayed an extra day to have time to visit the North Rim of Grand Canyon.  Where we are parked at our camp is right beside the Colorado River.  The North Rim is 6100 ft above the Colorado.  Pretty amazing scenery.  Our internet access is almost nil at present unless we stop at a little town along the way (like right now).  I’ll post pictures when I get a chance.<\/p>\n

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Wednesday, October 20 – Lee’s Ferry, Marble Canyon, Arizona<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nice drive today.  For a while it looked like we were leaving the mountains behind.  A long stretch of flat sagebrush finally climbed into a forested area.  We went through a pretty large section that had burned in a wildfire not too long ago.  Then reached fresh forest again.  The road had climbed back up to about 8,000 ft. when we pulled into a Chevron station that seemed particularly busy for a place totally out in the middle of nowhere.  There are zero towns for 50 or 60 miles.  Then I looked at the map and realized we were within about 45 minutes of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon!<\/p>\n

We had thought we would pass up the Grand this time because it seemed it would take us the wrong direction.  Not so.<\/p>\n

We knew we needed to go ahead and find our camp spot.  It was a first-come first served campground here at Lee’s Ferry.  This was one of the few ways pioneers headed west could cross the Colorado river and is located right at the beginning of the Grand Canyon.  What an amazing place!  The river is just below our camp and the Vermillion Cliffs are all around.  We will make a trip to North Rim tomorrow and stay here at least one extra night.  Maybe 2.<\/p>\n

The Vermillion Cliffs National Monument is on the road between North Rim and Lee’s Ferry.  The sign says this is the only paved road in 2.8 million acres.  Color me impressed.<\/p>\n

Great internet access here. I’ll try to get some photos added below.<\/p>\n

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Tuesday, October 19<\/strong> –  Same camp.  A water line was frozen this morning.   Temps were about 20 degrees when we woke up.  Glad I had enough extra water in the camper to make coffee!!  There were still some places close here to explore, so we will stay one more night. <\/p>\n

Mammoth Cave is an off-the-beaten-track kind of cave.  It amounts to holes in what was long ago a volcanic field.  There are 2100 ft of lava tubes to explore – but even were I to decide I wanted to go caving right now, many of the tunnels are closed to protect the habitat of seven different species of bats that hibernate there in the winter.  We’ll stay here tonight and then move on to (hopefully) Lee’s Ferry just south of Page, Arizona.   See – we’ve made a turn and are headed back toward Texas!<\/p>\n

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Monday, October 18<\/strong> – Same camp.  Visit to Zion National Park.   It snowed this afternoon!  I’ll share pictures later.  This internet connection is not quite up to that this evening.  <\/p>\n

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The big tunnel in Zion is 1.1 miles long. Built in 1930. It must have been a herculean effort at that time.<\/p>\n

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Other than the tunnel, We will remember Zion for the sheer majesty of the rock mountains and the haphazard directions of all the layers in the geology cake in each one.<\/p>\n

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Sunday, October 17 – Dixie National Forest just east of Duck Creek Village, Utah<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today we moved on toward Zion National Park – one of the areas on our bucket list.  We had scouted out a good campsite yesterday on our return from Camping World.  We spent the two previous nights at Kodachrome Basin State Park about 80 miles north of here.  No cell signal at all, so  we couldn’t post updates here – but two busy days.  I’ll try to catch up below.   Today started with replacement of the toilet and travel to this forest site.  Nice upgrade, but the timing could have been better.   It’s beautiful here.  We’ll set up camp and plan a trip to Zion early tomorrow morning.<\/p>\n

The nearest ‘town’ is a little village called Duck Creek about 5 miles away. We have a very private spot in a National Forest open camping area. Nearest neighbor is about 2 miles away.
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Saturday – October 16<\/strong>      The day started on a good note with a beautiful trip through Bryce Canyon National Park.  The tall column formations are called hoodoos. The paiute legend says that Coyote was unhappy with some of the ancient people who were doing bad things and he turned them into these stone formations. Some of the hoodoos could certainly look like people.
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I thought the overall image seemed more like ancient castle walls – one after another.
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Once through the canyon, we decided to go on to St. George, UT to find a Camping World store for a replacement toilet.  (Read yesterday’s adventure for more).  It was a quick 10 hr. jaunt and we were exhausted when we got back to the camper.<\/p>\n

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Friday – October 15 <\/strong>  A great travel day from Fruita to Kodachrome Basin State Park.  This was down State Hwy 12 – aptly enough labelled as a ‘scenic byway’.  I heartily agree and will cautiously recommend the drive to anyone in search of adventure and tolerant of heights and roller coasters.<\/p>\n

It started with a nice mountain drive through fresh snow.  Very pretty and great views.  <\/p>\n

In another section of the road, we were driving on fairly flat terrain (actually a large mesa top reminiscent of west Texas.  Sagebrush and rabbit bush and some scrub pines).  Along the way, we noticed there was a canyon a ways off to the right.  And a little later a canyon appeared to the left.  Not gently rolling hills, but actual canyons many hundreds of feet deep as we see in this area.  Nice scenery.  As we went on, the canyons gradually were closer to the road.  And closer.  Until we were driving down a narrow two lane highway on a tiny crest of mesa with virtually no shoulder to the road – only a small 3″ curb separating the lane from the drop-off.  And this went on for a good while.  <\/p>\n

I wish the pictures could capture it, but it’s so difficult to find an angle with depth perception while you are moving down the road.  I found a video online where a guy has his drone following the car.  It gives a better impression than the pictures I took, but even this, unless you look closely, cannot capture the feel of the actual drive.  As much as I’ve driven mountain roads, I’ve never been down one like this.<\/p>\n