rvtravelersblog

Saturday September 17, 2016

We finally made it home – it was nice to see our family, friends and our stuff again.  It took us a couple of hours to figure out where a lot of our stuff was.  Our granddaughter and her girlfriend lived in the house for a month or so, Dan, our son, lived here off and on while we were away and Maya had her 21^st birthday party here with about 31 other people – Dan said it took him a couple of days to get everything cleaned up.  He said it looked like the aftermath of a frat-house party.  It sounds like they had a great time and unless someone had told us we would never have known any of that had occurred.  The house was fairly neat when we walked in.

The weekend after we started our road trip it was 119⁰ here in Phoenix.  The day we arrived back home it was 103⁰ so it cooled off a little.  It is supposed to rain the next couple of days then temperatures into the comfortable 90’s.

 

We were gone for 97 days and drove 6,307 miles during our road trip.  We did some amazing things and saw some incredible country.  We were busy all of the time but we really enjoyed it.  We also met some amazing people who we plan to keep in contact with.  We have already thought about what we are going to do next year and tentatively we are considering western or eastern Canada however eastern Canada is at the top of the list but things can change.  We will keep a blog next summer also so we’ll let you know when we get started.

If any of you have comments about our blog and how we can improve or make it more interesting please don’t hesitate to let us know – we’d love to hear from you.  From both of us we’d like to thank all of you for following our blog and posting your comments.   PRC & JY

Sunday September 11, 2016

Arrived at Adrift Adventures at 7:00 am along with Jason and Temica who were the other adventurers in our all-day jeep tour.  Chip Brox was our driver and guide.  The first half a day was a jeep tour of the back country of Arches National park.  The park is geologically amazing with unique arches carved into huge blocks of sandstone.  There are tall thin columns of sandstone, huge rocks balanced on tiny columns and other much smaller rocks.  Many of the balanced rocks look unnatural – it is difficult to understand how these rocks weighing hundreds of tons could appear so off balance.  But they haven’t yet!

At noon we drove back to Moab for a great lunch and a break from being jostled back and forth by the jeep climbing up and down steep rocks.  We did a couple of short hikes to get up close and personal with some of the arches.  There are many natural arches in the park and we were not going to be able to see them all.  Some of the more well-known arches like “Delicate Arch” we were not able to see as there is a 1.5 mile hike to see it.  Another famous feature is “The Devil’s Furnace” another place we could not see.  The Devil’s Furnace requires a park guide and a permit and takes half a day.

 

 

The second half of the day was a tour of Canyonlands National Park.  Canyonlands, although only 20 miles to the west is a totally geological park than Arches.  There are arches in this park but this park is multiple times larger than Arches with the Colorado and Green Rivers dividing it into three geological different and distinct.  Our tour was of the “Island in the Sky” third of the park.  We did not do any climbing up rocks and boulders.

Features in the park are massive.  Towards the end of the day we drove up “Schafer Trail” which is a road that switchbacks up the side of the canyon.  On the way up the canyon wall we spotted some Desert Bighorn Sheep – they were just below the edge of the road and very casual on the shear angle slope down to the switchback below us.   By the end of the day we were exhausted and went to Milts for dinner.  An A&W/diner style restaurant in a residential neighborhood.   PRC

Another entertaining and exciting day – We went on an all day jeep ride, starting at 7 am in Arches National Park. Our guide, “Chip” chose to do Arches first as the light is best in the morning.  A couple from St. Louis was on the trip with us. They were a lot of fun.

With Chip as our guide, we were able to see locations that many people are not aware of. Speaking of awareness… – one of our first stops was a short walk into an area that had the beauty and serenity of a cathedral. As Chip indicated, it was an appropriate location for the anniversary of 9/11. I felt I could stay there all day but I’m glad I didn’t as there was so much more to see.

The park was stunning. We have red rock in the Sedona area, but not in such a large area. We also have rock formations in Sedona, but this is different. I’m so glad we were able to see and experience arches that many people do not get to see. The tour included lunch after our time in Arches. Then we were off to Canyonlands National Park. It was several miles to the park as we took back roads appropriate for the jeep. If we had driven our own vehicle we would have missed much scenery and of course the excitement of jeeping over the rocks. Chip spoke of the abundance of long horn sheep along this road. And Peter was able to spot them to everyone’s excitement.

At the Canyonlands Visitor Center we couldn’t resist purchasing a couple of t-shirts. No earrings though. Although we don’t have t-shirts from Flagstaff we don’t plan to buy anymore…   JY

Monday September 12, 2016

We went into town to get a souvenir.  Then we drove to the Arches visitor center to get my passport stamped and then to the dinosaur park for lunch.  We then drove to the Island in the Sky visitor center in Canyonlands for another stamp.  Back to town and spent the rest of the day pre-packing for our journey to Flagstaff.   PR

Peter has a “passport” that he gets stamped at the National Parks we visited. We didn’t get them stamped yesterday so we went back today to accomplish this. Peter wanted one more souvenir from Moab so we picked one up. He collects a small souvenir from all the places we visit.

The afternoon was spent getting ready for our drive to Flagstaff. I made chicken soup so we could eat something light for dinner.   JY

Tuesday September 13, 2016

A travel day – we left Moab at 7:00 am and headed down the road.  The drive, although long, was uneventful.  We drove through “Monument Valley” and had to stop and take pictures of the amazing rock formations.

At one stop while I was returning to the car after taking pictures I offered to take a picture of a young couple who were balancing the camera on their car.  It was a Japanese couple and they were delighted at my offer.  They wanted a picture of the two of them jumping in the air kicking their feet up behind them.  I got the picture they wanted and then they insisted they take a picture of me doing the same thing.  I was 3 times their age so it was harder for me although they did get the picture.  Throughout the whole process they incessantly bowed to me in thanks and I bowed back every time.  We arrived in Flagstaff around 4:00 pm although the time changes screwed us up for a couple of hours.   PRC

Heading back to Arizona today. We appreciated Utah as we drove to Az. It was a very peaceful, but long drive.  I had never been to Monument Valley and was stunned with its beauty. Soon we entered AZ – yeah! Then we were in the familiar town of Flagstaff, close to home. Autumn has started in northern AZ.   JY

Wednesday September 14, 2016

We decided to go to Bookman’s and have some coffee, look through the books and work on the blog.  Kind of a quiet day and then back to the RV.    PRC

As you know, the majority of RV’ers own at least one dog. Sometimes we feel a little left out but still don’t plan on becoming pet owners. We’ve seen a lot of things on this 3-month trip. Today was a surprise though – we met a neighbor’s pet, Watson. Watson is a pig. (They have a dog also.)

It has been a low key day in Flagstaff. We spent a couple of hours in my favorite bookstore, Bookman’s. Also spent some time working on the Blog. We plan to close out our blog before we leave Flagstaff.

Hopefully we will do a short hike in the morning…  JY

Thursday September 15, 2016

Today is prep day for moving.  We did get up and go for a two mile walk at Buffalo Park – this was the same park we hiked when we were training for the Camino so it brought back lots of memories.  After the hike we decided to go to Lowell Observatory as June Yvonne had never been there and I was there over 20 years ago.  The solar system hasn’t changed much but the observatory has grown in size, attractions and scientific research staff.  We had the opportunity to view protrudances on the surface of the sun and listen to two interactive lectures on the discovery of the planet Pluto by Clyde Tombough in 1930.

Tomorrow we head down the road to Phoenix, home and get to see Dan, Maya and Lilia again.  although the summer vaction was wonderful in every aspect we miss the kids very much and can’t wait to hug them and hear their voice.  PRC

Friday September 16, 2016

Homeward Bound!!

Finally heading home after over 3 months on the road. Besides seeing Dan, Lilia and Maya; I am looking forward to not doing the blog anymore. However Peter is going to close out when we reach Phoenix. There are probably photos to be added that we didn’t have a chance to include.

We learned a lot from this trip regarding how to better prepare for our next journey. But also about each other. It’s been a wonderful journey and I’m glad to head home. I hope to see you soon!!!   JY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday September 3, 2016

Pancake breakfast was great.  There were over 100 people drifting in and out through the hour and a half breakfast was served.   We took a drive to sheep lake hoping to see some Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep – no luck.  Moved on to the Falls River Visitor Center and the huge souvenir store and restaurant.  Stopped by Bob and Lorine’s cabin and visited with them for a couple hours.  Bob’s brother and his wife were visiting from Lincoln Nebraska.  Quick trip home for dinner and then off to the YMCA Camp for the Brad Fitch Concert which was a tribute to John Denver.  This is the 15^th year he has had this tribute concert and by a show of hands many of the people who attend this concert have attended for the last 10 years.  The concert started at 5:00 pm with a warm up act of 2 gals playing mandolin and guitar and singing old favorites.  PRC

The morning started out with the pancake breakfast at the RV Park. We visited with Bob and Lorene. Bob’s brother and sister-in-law were visiting for the weekend.

We went for our last ride in Rocky Mountain National Park to Sheep Lake and the Falls River Visitor Center. We are going to miss the majesty of the park.

Our day ended with a John Denver Tribute concert at Estes Park YMCA Camp/Resort. The group was Cowboy Brad and the Tropic Cowboys. Cowboy Brad looks superficially like John Denver and sounds very much like him. We learned that John Denver was born in Roswell, New Mexico and went to high school in Tucson. It was a fun concert.   JY

Sunday September 4, 2016

Scheduled our second Sunday brunch at “The Other Place” and this time we reserved a table overlooking the pond.  It was raining a little so we were glad we changed our trail ride from a breakfast ride to a dinner ride.  After breakfast we stopped in town to check out the arts and craft show.  Some very interesting stuff and some really nice photography.  Back to camp to get dressed for our dinner trail ride.

Arrived at the stables and it looked like rain but the clouds blew over and the sky was blue for the whole ride.  We wanted to take water with us so they provided us with saddle bags.  These were not your typical saddle bags as there was one hole in the middle between the two bags.  Trying to figure hers out June Yvonne asked me where does this go.  Making an assumption that she would know what I was talking about I said it goes over the horn (meaning the horn of the saddle).  She looked at me and said WOW! Am I riding a Unicorn?

It was a 2 hour trail ride with a steak dinner waiting for us at the hour and a half point.  The steaks were delicious along with baked beans, garlic toast, fried potatoes and cowboy coffee.  After the ride we drove back to camp and retires early because my partner’s legs were sore from riding Richard, a fat horse.  PRC

We treated ourselves again to Sunday Brunch. Afterwards we spent time at the Estes Park Arts and Crafts Festival. As you can imagine it was very crowded because of Labor Day weekend. We admired the wares but managed to buy nothing. We already have lots of t-shirts and I’m trying not to buy anymore earrings.

That night we did a dinner trail ride. It seemed appropriate as we are in the Rocky Mountains. My horse was “Richard.” I have very little experience with horses and I appreciated his patience with me. I had a difficult time sitting correctly in the saddle as my legs were too short to fit in the stirrups…

Oh before we started the ride we put our bottled water in packs. Peter said to put the pack on the horn. I knew he meant saddle horn but sometimes I just blurt things out. So I said are we riding unicorns? (I guess you had to be there.)  JY

Monday September 5, 2016

Up late as usual and had scrambled eggs & hash browns for breakfast.  Today was prep day for our travel day tomorrow.  Packed the back of the truck up and worked on the blog a little bit.  We had decided not to cook anything for the Monday pot luck so we went into town and got fried chicken and dinner rolls.  On the way back from the store dropped June Yvonne off at the Club House where Bob and Lorine joined her.  They did prep work for the pot luck while I took thee groceries home.

After pot luck stopped by Bob and Lorine’s cabin and chatted with them for about an hour and a half.  We had a great time and said our good bye’s and talked about possibility of see them in Nebraska if we decide to go to the Maritime Provinces in Canada next year.  We took pictures and said good bye.  We really have enjoyed their company and visiting with them.

On the way back to camp we stopped and visited with Al and Cynthia from Denver.  They are a nice retired company and we wish we could have spent more time with them.  They were funny and very personable.  We said our good bye’s to them and hope we can meet up with them sometime in the future.   PRC

Sure enough I woke up sore from the trail ride and had a hard time getting around that day.

We spent a couple of hours visiting with new friends Peter had made. As I’ve said before, he has become quite the social butterfly. As with many folks we have met on this trip, we could have spent hours talking with them. They are from Colorado Springs and retired. She was a lab tech in a hospital and he worked for the city or county. However, his side job was an organist in Las Vegas.

We didn’t want to miss the last potluck in the RV Park as we were leaving in the morning. And I didn’t want to cook as we were leaving in the morning. So we brought chicken from the grocery store.

We were going to spend time catching up with the blog but ended up spending time visiting with friends…    JY

Tuesday September 6, 2016

We did not get as much prep work done as we would have liked so we got up early to get it done.  It was a long drive to Moab (about 400 miles) so we wanted to get an early start.   I made one last check inside the RV before locking the door and there was a big puddle of water on the floor coming out of the bathroom.  On further investigation it was coming from under the shower.  Got out the tools and found that the PVC compression fitting from the pee trap had been cross threaded into the metal drain pipe from the shower and after all this time had finally forked itself loose.  Got the water mopped up and decided to fix it in Moab.  Just as we were getting ready to leave Lorine called us and said a large black bear just walked by their cabin and was headed down the road to our site.  We got in the truck and left the park but did not see thee dear.

The drive t Moab was long however the first half of the drive was through beautiful scenery around Vail and other ski resort towns.  We went through the Eisenhower Tunnel which was long.  You watch the landscape and vegetation changing as we got closer to Utah.  We will really miss just about everything about Colorado.  We arrived in Moab about 5:30 pm and set up camp.  Had dinner at a Chinese restaurant and home to bed.  Very tired from driving.    PRC

It was a sad day. I ended up loving Estes Park and the Rocky Mountains more than I expected. How could you not?  We woke up at 5 am to get ready to leave for Moab, Utah. This is the last leg of our 3 month + summer RV trip.

Before we pulled away from our site, we received a phone call from Lorene. They are located at the head of the RV Park. They informed us that they just saw a bear outside their window and it was heading in our direction. We would have liked to see her, but no such luck.

We were on the road for about 10 hours before reaching Moab. We went through Vail, CO and shortly afterwards the scenery began to change to scrub and less greenery. The morning in Estes Park started out at about 48 degrees and by the time we reached Moab it was 80 degrees.

Probably because it’s the end of the trip and I was so enamored with Colorado, I was feeling ready to come home. We spent a month in New Mexico and a month in Colorado. I feel a strong connection to NM because I know so many people there, I appreciate the culture and history, we had a lot of fun there, and it is the chili capital of the world after all. Colorado – what can I say? I hadn’t expected it to get so under my skin. It’s just so damned beautiful. Of course it’s nothing like my home state of Arizona. We experienced cool weather while we were there which is a real treat for us desert rats. Not that I don’t appreciate AZ for its diversity – there is a beauty in the starkness of the desert and we also have the cool mountains and forests of northern AZ. However, I completely understand why people fall in love with Colorado.

I’m sure I will appreciate Utah more tomorrow.   JY

Wednesday September 7, 2016

We are really getting the hang of vacationing as we did not wake up until 10:00 am.  We are turning into lazy bums.  J  I worked on the shower for a while and got the problem with the cross threaded pipe fixed.  I ran the shower for about 10 minutes and there were no leaks.  I was brushing my teeth and noticed water leaking from someplace else so I looked underneath the shower compartment again and noticed a leak in the back in a place where I could not reach.  After a lot of cleaning up and running the shower again suddenly realized that there must be a gap in thee caulking around the base of the shower and that is exactly what it was.  Took out all the old caulking as best I could and set the heater in the shower to dry everything out and will re-caulk it tomorrow with some silicone.

Met our new neighbor, Barbara, and found out she wants to do the Camino two years from now on her birthday.  Of course we were delighted to tell her all about our trip and when she came over we showed her some of our power point pictures.  It turns out Barbara knows Sherry Townsend who was the chief at the County Detention Center where June Yvonne worked.  What a small world.

BBQ’s steaks for dinner and relaxed the rest of the evening while catching up the blog.   PRC

 

We started coming our of our funk today and appreciating Utah. We included pics of the views from the Spanish Trails RV Park. It is pretty in Moab – warm during the day but lovely in the mornings and evenings.

We had planned on going into town to check out some tours. However, we didn’t leave the RV Park as our shower was leaking. This project ended up taking longer than expected’ Thank goodness the showers here are at the park our roomy and clean.

We made a new friend today. As I’ve indicated many times before, Peter has come out of “his shell.” He met our new neighbor. Barbara worked in Texas corrections for many years before retiring. Turns out that at one time she was a deputy chief in Travis County, Texas. She knew our chief in Maricopa County Juvenile Probation. Small world, but in addition, she is planning on doing the Camino soon. We loved talking to her about the Camino. This helped to raise our spirits from our mild home sick funk.    JY

 Thursday, September 8, 2016

We drove into town to the Moab Visitor Center to see what tours were available.  We got a lot of good information and watched a 15 minute video on Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.  From there we walked a couple blocks to the tour company recommended by the Visitor Center.  After talking with the owner for a half hour we booked two tours.  An all-day raft trip down the Colorado River and an all-day jeep tour of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.  We spent the rest of the afternoon shopping for souvenirs – June Yvonne got a good deal on a really nice teal colored Columbia shirt and a nice blue visor.

We had made nice friends with Barbara in the RV next door and had invited her for dinner.  We were going to have BBQ’d pork chops so we stopped in town and picked up a couple of items.  Dinner was nice and relaxed and Barbara was really interested in our Camino experience.  She read the entire Camino blog and had questions for us and took notes while we talked.  June Yvonne and Barbara had a lot in common with regards to their work history.   PRC

Our day started out with breakfast in town. Afterwards we spent time walking around the main drag. First we went to the Moab Visitor Center and booked a couple of tours including an all-day rafting trip and a guided trip to Canyonlands and Arches National Park.  We walked through the usual tourist shops and managed not to buy any earrings or t-shirts. We did buy a couple of essentials though – a Columbia hiking shirt on sale and a visor. Hopefully I will do much more hiking this year.

We stopped by a True Value store as Peter needed caulking to continue working on the shower. Then we stopped by the grocery store as we invited Barbara over for dinner. Peter grilled pork chops from the freezer and Barbara made a healthy salad. Having the 2.8 cubic foot freezer sure has come in handy for this 97 day trip.    JY

Friday September 9, 2016

An early start – our river rafting trip with Adrift Adventures started at 6:50 am.  We met our river guide and the other two passengers – a young couple from Paris, France.  We all loaded up in the van pull the trailer with raft.  After a length drive we arrived at our launch point.  There were many other rafters getting ready to launch but our guide had us in the water way ahead of anyone else and because of that we only saw one other group on the river.   The first couple hours were on a peaceful current that brought us closer and closer to the rapids.  Soon the water started churning and even though we weren’t at the rapids we were getting soaked.  Then we hit our first rapids and thought we were wet before – now we had to start bailing the water out of the raft.

Our guide assured us this was just a warm up and we pulled over to a sandy beach area in the canyon to have lunch.  Actually it was a pretty good spread with plenty to eat – no ice cream though.  Lunch was devoured, packed up and we shoved off into turbulent waters.  It wasn’t long until the next rapids – we knew it was there but couldn’t see it and then there were solid waves of water over all of us.  More bailing.  Throughout the next hour we experienced another ten rapids with some of them being very scary especially when sitting at the front of the raft.  As we entered some of the larger rapids the raft dove into a hole in the water with a three to four foot wall of water directly ahead.  The water was breathtakingly cold and we looked like drowned rats.

We developed a nice relationship with Christine & Harold, the couple from Paris and we decided to have dinner together after a showers and a change of clothes.  They had never eaten Mexican food before so that is what we had.  We had the sampler platter to see what they liked and ordered the entre based on their taste.  It was a great evening and we had lots of laughs comparing America to France.  They also told us interesting stories of their travels to Japan and Brazil.  At the end of dinner we had our picture taken while wearing huge colorful sombreros.  PRC

Our day started early to get started on the all-day rafting trip down the Colorado River. There were only four passengers on the trip including a young couple from Paris. Our boatman, Cam, was very safety conscious and a lot of fun. A young woman Brooke was also along on trip training for her license.  There was enough canyon scenery and white water to keep us interested and sopping wet.

The trip was fun and we totally enjoyed getting to know the young Parisian couple. In fact we invited them to dinner after the rafting trip.

Dinner with Christian and Harold was at a Mexican restaurant. Christian wanted to go for Mexican food as she was not familiar with it. Of course I was happy to oblige in making suggestions. (The food was mediocre for my tastes.) I really haven’t had good Mexican food since New Mexico.

The conversation with these young French adults was so interesting. It helped that there English was pretty good. When they couldn’t understand a word in English, Harold asked me to say it in Spanish. This worked out well as French and Spanish are both Romance languages and sometimes sound very similar.

Peter and I and Christian and Harold were both fascinated with each other’s cultures. We discussed the difference in vacation time between France and the U.S.A. Christian was surprised to learn that usually an employee earns a week vacation time the first year. She said it made her sad… I told her that this is probably why Americans are more stressed than Europeans.

The evening ended by exchanging photos, e-mails and addresses. We hope to see them someday again.    JY

Saturday September 10, 2016

A catch up day for chores and laundry.  Cleaned the RV from top to bottom.  June Yvonne made some great soup.  Tomorrow we are going on an all-day jeep tour of the parks.

Saturday August 27, 2016

We are not 100 percent yet. It was a rough night for both of us. We probably overdid it yesterday.

We did make it to the pancake (eggs and sausage) breakfast. Later we went to check out the Historic Stanley Hotel. We made reservations for a tour of the hotel on Monday. Did you know that the Jack Nicholson movie, the Shining was filmed at the Stanley? We noticed an open tent for the REI Base Camp.
They sponsor different kinds of activities such as hikes, fishing trips, rock climbing, etc. We decided to spend the afternoon in the tent with a drink and killer clam chowder along with killer views.
Today Peter decided to make reservations for a guided fishing trip next Tuesday to a well known place for fly fishing. I will probably go along if I’m feeling ok. It’s with a private fishing guide. Finally Peter gets to go fishing.  JY

Sunday August 28, 2016

Today we treated ourselves to Sunday brunch at “The Other Place”. This is a very affordable champagne brunch with killer views. There is a cute gift shop called the Mad Moose next to the restaurant which we had to peruse. Actually we have been in this shop many times not always resisting the appealing merchandise. Since we are in Colorado, we have to get some kind of moose for Peter. As you may know he is quite fond of moose. So far we have picked up a couple moose Christmas ornaments.

We did laundry as we wanted clean sheets and towels after being sick for so long. Actually the views are gorgeous wherever we are including the laundromat.

Peter went in person to “Kirk’s” fly fishing shop to make reservations for his guided fishing trip on Tuesday and we did a little grocery shopping. As we still have some residual symptoms and are still tired we picked up a pizza for dinner.  JY

Monday August 29, 2016

We had a tour of the Stanley Hotel and learned a lot of the history and information of some of the hauntings. We learned that Stephen King’s inspiration for the Shining took place when he and his wife stayed in the hotel. And that the setting was not actually filmed at the hotel, but at Mount Hood, Oregon and a sounds stage in London, England. Apparently this is the reason he made a mini-series of the movie that took place almost entirely at the hotel itself. I hadn’t realized that the setting for the movie “Dumb and Dumber” also took place at the hotel. (I didn’t see the movie.) Apparently Jim Carey was so “spooked” (no pun intended) after his first night he refused to stay in the hotel for the filming of the rest of the movie.

We returned home in time for me to fix Baked Beans for the potluck that night. As I’ve indicated, I appreciate the potlucks and breakfasts at this park as it provides an opportunity to meet our neighbors. Different RV parks have their advantages and disadvantages… I’d say the location of this one is that we are at the base of the Rocky Mountains. And the beautiful weather and cool, delicious breezes.   JY

The Stanley Hotel is a historical and prominent landmark here in Estes Park.  We had a 90 minutes guided tour of the hotel that focused on history and architecture.  Although Steven King sold the rights to his book he was very angry at the way his work was portrait in the movie, he did not like the actors and said the ending was more graphic than the ending as he wrote it.  Bob Dillon stayed here many times and was infamous for taking his guitar and crashing weddings – jumping on stage and playing for a meal.  The man who built the hotel bought his wife a Steinway piano which she played well until she got sick – her husband, however hired a piano player to sub for her at the season openings of the hotel – that person was John Philip Sousa who played the opener for 20 years.  A lot of very interesting stories.  PRC

Tuesday August 30, 3016

Around dusk we were treated to some wildlife excitement. A heard of about 30-40 elk and a large 6 point bull spent some time in the park. Of course lots of the human residents were out taking photos.

We met our new neighbors, a couple and their son who live in Colorado Springs. He was retired Air Force and taught at the Air Force Academy before he retired. Peter hit it off right away with them (social butterfly that he has become). We made arrangements to get together the next day after dinner. They have a propane fire pit that works out nicely as open fire pits are not allowed in this RV Park due to fire danger.   JY

This was a great day.  I booked a guided fly fishing trip through Kirk’s Fly Fishing Shop here in Estes Park.  I met my guide, Andy, at the fly shop at 7:30 am and he fitted me with some comfortable waders and water boots.  We were going to fish a place called “Waterdale”.  It is about 30 minutes east of Estes Park and down some dirt back roads.  Waterdale is just below Carson reservoir on the Big Thompson River with the first 2 miles privately owned and under exclusive fishing rights with Kirk’s Fly Shop.   My guide and I were the only people fishing the river for the day – so we had it all to ourselves.

Immediately upon arriving at the river bank Andy started picking up rocks from the river to see what was hatching which is what the fish were eating.  It started out slow as Andy changed fly’s 8 or 9 times in the first 20 minutes. There was a pretty good stone fly hatch and he was trying to figure out what size hook to use.  We had a 3 hook set-up which worked very well and soon we shifted from fishing to catching.

Our neighborsAriz are very friendly and invited us to join them at their campfire.  Tom and Karen have a propane campfire which is really nice – no fire wood and NO smoke.  PRC

Wednesday August 31, 2016

We had arranged to meet another couple we met at one of the potlucks or breakfasts – Bob and Lorine from a small town in Nebraska.  We had dinner at Smokin’ Dave’s, a very popular local barbecue place.  Previous to our stay in Estes Park, most of the people we’ve met seemed to be from New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona and Colorado.  Now that we are in such a popular park, the range of people is from all across the U.S. It is a holiday weekend and the 100th anniversary of U.S. National Parks.

Bob and Lorine  (B&L) have been coming to this RV Park for many years.  They had a house here that they sold about five years ago. This year they are staying in a duplex cabin in the RV Park.  This is a nice option as the cabin has two bedrooms, a real kitchen and regular sized bathroom.  And no necessity for hookups. The cost is about the same as you would pay for a site for an RV. Pretty good deal.

We’ve been entertained with Bob and Lorine’s stories of their time when he was stationed in the service overseas. And what a small world it is, turns out they are from a small town close to where Rita K is from in Nebraska. B&L are very involved in the Czech community in Wilbur. Turns out Rita has been to the Czech Festival many times and is familiar with many of the food and customs of the Czech community. Apparently Wilber, Nebraska is the Czech  capital of the U.S.  Perhaps they will meet up in Nebraska some day as they live so close to each other.

After dinner we returned to our trailer and met up with Tom, Karen and Johnny to sit around their propane fire pit. (We are thinking of getting one.) Tom and Karen have twelve children including 26 year old Johnny who is  a special needs person. Because of this he goes everywhere with them. Like many of the people we have met, they are the salt of the earth with big hearts. And such different backgrounds as us.  (Peter and I have pretty different backgrounds ourselves…) We spent a couple of hours around the “campfire” and could have talked even longer. However, they were returning home to Colorado Springs tomorrow morning.  JY

Thursday September 1, 2016

Another day in the park.

We took a drive up to Moraine Park, a meadow in Rocky Mountain National Park. We took a walk on one of the many trails in the area. Of course there were many mountain streams that Peter fantasized about fly fishing in. (I think there is a lot more fly fishing in Peter’s future.)

On the drive out of the park there were many wildlife sightings as you can see by our pics. The only animals we have not seen on this trip are bears and Peter’s favorite, Moose.

Before heading back home we stopped in town to pick up a moose Peter had seen earlier in the week. We also ended up booking a dinner (horse back) ride for Sunday night. And decided to have dinner in town – very good catfish at the Wild Rose.   JY

Friday September 2, 2016

Today was a quiet day at home. We woke up to rain and slept in late (what else is new?) and spent time catching up with the blog, walking around the RV Park and savoring the scenery and cool weather.

We only have a few more days to appreciate the Rocky Mountains. Unfortunately our several sick days limited some of the activities we had planned. I guess we will have to return. Tomorrow we will be attending another John Denver Tribute concert at the YMCA resort. Sunday is the trail ride and Monday will be a preparation day before taking off to Moab, Utah – the last leg of our summer adventure.   Of course Monday is potluck night.  JY

Friday August 19, 2016

Moving day went off without a hitch. Made good time getting to Estes Park and we were set up before the rain and hail storm started.  The site we are in is small but temporary – we requested a bigger site as we will be here for 18 days and they obliged us and said a larger site would be available in 3 days.

We were warned by the park host not to leave any food or garbage outside as a female bear and her cubs wonders through the park at night and have messed some things up.  The RV Park asked to not put up any hummingbird feeders as the bear would rip it off the side of the trailer.  PRC

It was an uneventful but scenic trip into the Rocky Mountains. We arrived at our site where we will be for the next three days. On Monday we will move to a larger site within the park. Upon checking into our last site in Manitou Springs we were warned of possible flash floods. Here at Manor RV Park in Estes Park we are not in a flood zone however there is a resident black bear. We were warned to be sure that all food is secured in the trailer and to lock the car doors. There is plenty of wild life in the area – we are in the Rocky Mountains after all.

We managed to set up our trailer just in the nick of time. As we finished out tasks it began hailing like crazy. As you can see it’s nice and cool here which I appreciate.

Every Saturday morning the park hosts a pancake breakfast. Mondays are potluck nights. These are good opportunities to meet people. I like the convivial atmosphere of breaking bread with others.   JY

Saturday August 20, 2016

Every Saturday morning at this RV Park they have a pancake breakfast with eggs and sausages.  We met some really nice people and found out that several of the people staying in this park work in Rocky Mountain National Park as volunteers for the summer.  One gentleman we met has been driving a shuttle bus in the park for 11 summers (May thru October).

It was a beautiful day with a perfectly blue sky and no clouds as we drove to the Beaver Meadow Visitors Center just inside the park to get a map and some suggestions about where we should start our adventure in the park.  The park Ranger strongly recommended that we take the Old Falls River Road to the Alpine Visitors Center and drive back down on the Trail Ridge Road.

We started out our drive to Old Falls River Road when we rounded a curve and five coyotes walked out in front of the truck.  They could have cared less about us or the truck.  One of them turned its butt to us and took a dump right in the center of our lane then looked at us before walking off the side of the road.  June Yvonne said that was our official welcome to the park.

 

The Old Falls River Road is a one-way dirt road that climbs from 8,000 ft. to 12,005 ft.  It is a well maintained hard packed dirt road although it is narrow.  There were falls along the way and as we broke out of the tree line the panoramic views were nothing less than spectacular.  We ate lunch at the visitor center and I climbed the trail up the side of the mountain next to the visitor center with a peak elevation of 12,005 feet.   Even before arriving at the visitor center we spotted a herd of 30 elk on the other side of the valley.  We could see them clearly with our binoculars but they were too far away for pictures.

The drive back down the mountain was no less spectacular.  A well maintained two way paved road with many pull outs and parking lots with vistas and trail heads.  The parking area at Lava Cliffs had a short trail up to some unique rock formations with an elevation of 12,304 feet.  PRC

While walking to breakfast we met a very friendly woman – Sybil.  She reminds me of Roxie, a hiking friend – very outgoing. She and her husband live all summer at the park and she volunteers at the YMCA Resort which is very close by.

She suggested we take the Old Falls River Road, a one-way narrow dirt road to the summit. Motor homes, travel trailers and fifth wheels are prohibited for good reason. We stopped several times along the trail as it was so gorgeous. Peter was in his element and was loving every minute of it.

We reached the top, took more pictures and then made our way down a paved highway. Of course we stopped many times to take walks and more photos. Here in the Rocky Mountains the sky is forever.

 

 

 

We attended a John Denver tribute at the YMCA Resort that Sybil had invited us to that night. I was never a John Denver fan growing up. However, I have come to appreciate his music especially here in the Rocky Mountains.  JY

 

 

 

Sunday August 21, 2016

The weather forecast indicated that the next five days would be overcast with high possibility of rain.  Today however was another nice cloudless day so we decided to go to Bear Lake and take in the sites before the weather moved in.  Bear Lake is the trail head for over a dozen hikes and the large parking lot was full to capacity and we were lucky to get a spot.  Half way to Bear Lake there is a huge parking lot with shuttle service to the Bear Lake trail head.  There are rangers on duty to answer questions and direct traffic.

There is a .75 mile trail around Bear Lake that is wheelchair friendly and as we walked around the lake we did see 3 or 4 wheel chairs.  PRC

We went back to the park today and walked around Bear Lake. There are lots of hikes in the area and we plan to return and hike to a lake so Peter can go fishing. As I’ve said before and probably will continue to say Peter loves it here. It reminds him of Canada.

On the way home we stopped at the grocery store to pick up supplies for the potluck tomorrow night. The pot luck has turned into a birthday party and it’s taco night. So I’m making guacamole. I’m tempering it a little as these folks don’t seem to like things too spicy.   JY

 

 

 

Monday August 22, 2016

This was moving day.  We needed to move our RV to the larger site the host set aside for us.

There is a pot luck tonight in the club house.  It is going to be a birthday party for one of the long term residents in this RV Park who also works in the park at the Bear Lake trail head.  The theme was Mexican so June Yvonne wanted to make guacamole so we headed in to Estes Park to pick up some supplies.

 

 

It was Jim’s 75^th birthday and about 50 to 60 people showed up for the event.  I think we were the youngest there or pretty close to it.  It appeared that all these people had known each other for a long time.  We were, however, quickly absorbed by the social nature of the group and made several friends.  The overwhelming majority of the RV Park people we have met are like that – friendly and eager to socialize.  The birthday boy had played bagpipes in his younger days and half way through the party another park resident came in with his bagpipes and played Amazing Grace.  He wore the full outfit from head to toe and I don’t know what he was wearing under his kilt – if anything.  PRC

I woke up with a raging sore throat and spent the morning in bed. I have been feeling a little under the weather for about a week and a cold hit me full force today.

I did manage to make the guacamole and we made it to the pot luck/birthday party. The birthday boy, James turned 75. He works in the park by driving a shuttle bus. A lot of people live here part time and have known each other for a long time.

The birthday party was very special and emotional for James. It was obvious that many of the residents were very fond of him. One of the surprises of the night was a bagpiper.

Of course we met a lot more people. We sat at a table with a lovely couple from Nebraska who live at the park part time in the summer.   JYC

Tuesday August 23, 2016

We have declared today sick day as we are both not feeling very well.

While driving into town there was a cow elf on the roadside so we turned around to have a look at it and it was about 20 yards away from us when we stopped right by it but she just looked at us and kept eating.  Later when we were back home at least a dozen people were standing behind our RV watching 4 deer and another cow elk.  The lady in the 5^th wheel across the street said she was walking her dog and noticed a large pile of bear scat about 30 feet from our RV.   PRC

Well, I was not the only one that woke up sick today. Peter caught my cold. He also had the raging sore throat along with other symptoms. Since we were both feeling so miserable we decided to get some hot soup for our sore throats. For me that means Pho, Vietnamese soup. Unfortunately we were disappointed as there was not much flavor in the soup. At least it was warm and improved somewhat with the side condiments of basil, cilantro, jalapeno and lime.

We basically stayed in bed the rest of the day as were still feeling so sick. It’s been a long time since I was so sick with severe cold symptoms. This is not the way I wanted to spend our time in the beautiful Rocky Mountains.   JY

Wednesday August 24, 2016

After another miserable night we decided to go to a walk in clinic. We took the nurse practioner’s suggestions for over the counter meds. It’s probably not a virus, but the NP decided to give us a script for z-pac in case we didn’t get better within the week.

We spent the rest of the day in bed of course. We are hoping to get well soon as this is not the way we want to spend the rest of our time in the Rocky Mountains. There is so much here that we still want to do…    JY

Thursday August 25, 2016

Another sick day…  😦    JY

Friday August 26, 2016

We woke up feeling not as sick so we decided to venture outdoors.  It was a glorious day – sunny with a cool breeze. It seemed like a good day to get out of our self-imposed sick time in the trailer. Being outdoors is like escaping from detainment. The cool breeze is just delicious. However as soon as we made it to the library it began pouring rain. I like the rain and thunder also. We don’t get much of that at home although the monsoons have begun in the valley. But with them, comes mugginess. The weather in Colorado is perfect – a little warm, cool or a little chilly. I could live here if it weren’t for shoveling snow.  We walked around Estes Park and stopped at a pub for lunch.  We decided to finish the latest installment of the blog at the library.     JY

Friday August 12, 2016

Moving day went well.  The drive to Manitou Springs was very scenic and uneventful which is a good thing.  Our neighbors here at the park drove in from Kansas and lost a bicycle off the end of their trailer and didn’t know it until they arrived here.  Hope no one ran over it causing an accident.  We are in Manitou Springs which is just west of Colorado Springs at the base of Pike’s Peak.  PRC

We arrived in the lovely town of Manitou Springs in the afternoon. It is 4 miles from downtown Colorado Springs. By the way did you know that Colorado Springs does not have springs? (Manitou Springs does.)

When we checked in to the RV Park we were given evacuation plans in case of a flash flood. This was slightly disconcerting. There is a stream surrounding the small RV Park which is on the main drag. We can take a free shuttle into town (up a long hill) and walk down hill home.

We made plans to go to Annette’s townhouse in Colorado Springs on Saturday.  JY

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday August 13, 2016

We drove into Colorado Springs to visit one of June Yvonne’s old friends.  Annette worked for her at Juvenile Detention.  It was a great visit and the two of them got reacquainted and reminisced about old times.  Drove home in the late afternoon and witnessed a thunderstorm on Pike’s Peak and with the sun shining through the openings in the almost black clouds it was a biblical looking scene.  We were driving on the freeway during rush hour and wish I could have stopped to take a picture.   PRC

We had a delicious meal at Annette’s place. (It was nice to have a meal not made on the grill or in the trailer.) It was great to see her settled and happy in her spacious condo. It was also fun for us to get caught up in each other’s lives.  JY

Sunday August 14, 2016

A dear friend of June Yvonne’s worked at the Broadmoor Hotel about 60 years ago and when she heard we were going to be in Colorado Springs she asked us to visit the hotel.  We thought sure why not – park the car – run in and take a few pics – and away we would go.  WRONG.   The Broadmoor is a 5 star hotel and we ended up spending about 3 or 4 hours strolling around the meticulously manicured grounds.

It would be a gross understatement to say it was absolutely spectacular.  We had lunch by the enormous pool which butts right up to the huge man made lake.  Just out of curiosity I inquired what it would cost for a suite for our 20^th anniversary (5 years from now) and the suites are only $1,900.00 per night.  A luxury cabin is $2,800.00 per night.  I told the concierge I would like to book the suite for 4 hours which is all I could afford.  Definitely a place where the rich and famous hangout.  If you ever visit Colorado Springs checking out the Broadmoor should be close to the top of your list.

I could see large fish swimming in the water and went back to the concierge’s desk and told them I had my fly rod in the truck and could I fish for a couple hours.  She stepped back and said, “I’m so sorry sir fishing is not permitted but leaned over and assured me the fish were very large and probably would be very easy to catch.  And by the way,” she added, “security does patrol the perimeter of the lake at night to discourage midnight fisherman.”

As our readers know,  we have a hummingbird feeder outside our dining room window.  In Manitou Springs we put it up and drove off to visit the Broadmoor.  When we got back the feeder was empty and hanging on one of our insect shape solar yard lights.  As we drove up to our RV the neighbor walked over and said he had the camp host move it as there were hundreds of bees swarming on it, so many you couldn’t see the feeder.  The camp host moved it however he did not empty it … the bees consumed a cup and a half of hummingbird food in a couple of hours.  The camp host confirmed the story.   PRC

Sunday afternoon we spent a glorious afternoon at the Broadmoor Hotel/Resort. The only reason we went in the first place was because Joan T. asked us to see it. She worked there one summer during college. We planned to go there, spend some time looking around and take some pics for her. However it was so historical and beautiful we spent the afternoon there. Too bad we hadn’t planned to have Sunday brunch there as it looked magnificent.

We spoke with friends later who were there for a business conference. They indicated that not only is the Broadmoor “pet friendly”, but aggressively so. They apparently provide dog treats, food and a bed for your pooch.   JY

Monday August 15, 2016

We drove into Denver to visit some other friends of June Yvonne’s.  Denise and Tim moved from Phoenix to Denver about 6 or 7 months ago and love the climate and the atmosphere.  After a wonderful afternoon we headed back to Manitou Springs.  After dinner we took the free shuttle up the hill to downtown Manitou Springs and checked out some of the shops and walked back down the hill.  PRC

We drove to Denver to see Denise and Tim. Denise prepared a perfect lunch of soup and salad with fruit as dessert. We spent the entire afternoon visiting with them and her brother who was visiting. They moved to an urban combo – sleek and modern with 4 stories including the roof, a great place for entertaining.

I had hoped to go the “Tattered Cover” a several story book store I had been to years ago with John Sem.  Unfortunately we didn’t have time as we wanted to miss the 5 pm traffic. There were so many other sites I wanted to see in Denver but I guess it will have to be another trip.

Same goes for Manitou Springs/Colorado Springs. We could easily spend another two weeks here. There is so much more to do including hiking and fishing.

After returning home from Denver we took the shuttle to town and spent some time browsing in the cute shops. Unfortunately I started getting dizzy so we headed back down the hill to our RV Park.  JY

Tuesday August 16, 2016

We are going to ride the cog railroad to the top of Pike’s Peak (14,115 ft) tomorrow so before heading off to Garden of the Gods we checked out the free parking and shuttle situation.  We arrived at Garden of the Gods visitor center and watched a couple of movies about the park.  This is one of the most visited city parks in the US.  We ate lunch on the second story patio of the visitor center and what a gorgeous panorama.  We took a one and half hour jeep tour of the park and Manitou Springs.  We were able to drink some of the mineral water straight from the spring.   The weather is great and we eat at the picnic table every night.

I was bummed that the RV Park did not have Wi-Fi and alarmed when we checked in that we were in a flood zone.  Apparently a large fire not far from here denuded the hillsides of vegetation and when it rains it floods.  We are backed up right next to the creek and it was raining when we registered.  On the instructions for what to do in the event of a flash flood it was clearly stated in large print that there were no refunds.  We would have approximately five minutes to pack up our things, hook up the trailer and get to the Wal-Mart 8 miles away provided there were no traffic jams.

Interestingly enough, our guide on the jeep tour drove over the creek a mile upstream where the creek runs under a row of houses.  The guide said the year after the fire there was a torrential rainstorm and the water level in town rose 8 feet in five minutes.  The people in the houses had water running out their front door.  The guide also added that ironically it barely rained in Manitou Springs.  Tomorrow we are going to Camping World to purchase pontoons for our potentially new houseboat.  Not that I am alarmed but it’s raining right now ….. but just barely.

FUNNY STORY:  After shopping at Safeway we headed to the car with a cart and our groceries.  The parking lot had a very steep slope for drainage.  I went ahead of JY to unlock the truck.  I looked up just in time to see JY sprinting full speed across the parking lot with a six pack of paper towels under her arm and her black and white purse swinging around her neck like a raccoon trying to hang on for dear life.   I was so surprised to see her running at that speed with the six pack tucked under her arm like a football.  It took me a second to figure out what was happening.  —  On the way to the car the six pack of paper towel had fallen off of the cart and she hadn’t noticed.  Someone driving by pointed to the six pack about 20 yards behind her and she realized it was ours.  She let go of the cart and ran back to get it only to have the same people yell out the window at her that her cart was picking up speed towards a parked car.  She’d already run back to get the six pack and only then became aware of the runaway cart.  The distance between her and the cart was increasing while the distance between the cart and the car was decreasing …. rapidly.  She tucked the six pack under her arm and took off at a dead run for the cart.  The people in the car and I watched in awe as she reached the cart s before it hit the car.  For a moment I thought she was going to spike the package of paper towels.

I am amazed at the subtle changes we have experienced since the beginning of our adventure.  We watched TV regularly when we were at home but in the last ten weeks we have watched less than 4 hours of TV and quite frankly don’t miss it at all.  We have been reading more, talking more and doing more things together.  We sleep better and laugh more.  We are living in a very small space and have managed to work it out so we are not in each other’s way.  We work cooperatively to get things done like cleaning and cooking.  We are living in the here and now and not in the where and when.  We miss our home and our “stuff” – we miss our family and friends but have no burning desire or need to rush home.  We appreciate all the “stuff” we have at home but realize how little of it we really need.  We are in cities and towns where there are lots of beautiful places and things to see but we are comfortable with the fact that we will not see everything and on some days choose to do nothing and go nowhere.  I believe that each of these things are important and special and that when they all happen at the same time they become the essence of happiness within a peaceful and quiet soul.  We are truly blessed.    PRC

A day in the Garden of the Gods was of course divine. We have red rock in our beautiful Sedona. However, in GOG an extensive geological history of the formations is given along with the flora and fauna and the people of the area. The serene red rock setting seemed to have a lowering blood pressure effect. And it’s one of the few free parks in the U.S. There were lots of trails that called to us but it started raining and we didn’t want to get soaked.

 

We had a fun jeep tour by a rider and guide full of personality. We got a scenic tour of the area and rock formations which also included a tour of Manitou Springs. We learned more about this lovely little town we have come to appreciate. (We are not missing big cities.)

After dinner we had a stroll through a pretty park just down the street which had a tempting fishing pond.   JY

Wednesday August 17, 2016

Caught the free shuttle up to the Pike’s Peak Cog Railroad depot.  It is a unique form of transportation that uses large interlocking gears to pull the train up very steep slopes and brake the train when using gravity to go down steep slopes.  Unlike a steam locomotive or electric or diesel train system this is direct drive with only one locomotive – unlike a funicular.

 

On the way up we passed through 4 different “life” zones.  And the narrative provided by the conductor/engineer was very informative and humorous.  He has been doing this trip 3 times a day, 5 days a week for 9 years – he’s got his facts and humor down cold.  We saw 25 sheep on the way up and down, a small herd of rams at the tree line and a dozen or more yellow bellied marmots.  The temperature, although 50 degrees cooler at the top, was not as harsh as I expected probably due to the fact there was very little wind and a beautiful sunny sky.

 

 

 

You can drive up to the top but it is 19 miles of tight hairpin turns and no guard rail.  At one point on the way down you can see the road and there was a guy riding his bicycle up to the top.  It is not a friendly road to drive and depending on the weather and other drivers can be dangerous.  One of our tour guides said they lose a couple people every year.  Every year they have an automobile race from bottom to top – of course they lose a few people there also.

There was a flat spot on the rocks stuck way out on the edge of the cliff and of course I had to go out there and take pictures.  The scenery was amazing – from the top you can see into 5 states and the city of Denver on the journey up there is a spot where you could see east and west.   PRC

We woke up early to catch the Cog railroad to the top of Pike’s Peak. We parked down the street and caught the 6:30 am free shuttle. Much to our surprise the shuttle was filled with hikers that do a very steep incline trail at the base of the mountain. This could be a heart pounding trek due to the high elevation.

Our journey to the top was the least strenuous of several options. Driving to the summit is one way to go. But keep in mind that the road has 151 hair pin turns and no guard rails. Peter met a guy at the RV Park who did it on his motorcycle today. It was bumper to bumper, very slow and he admitted it was very scary.

We enjoyed our trip to the top with a guide and the ever changing scenery. At one time long ago there was a resort half-way to the top. We spotted wild life including Bighorn sheep, deer and yellow belly marmots. We learned that Pike’s Peak is about 1,700 feet higher than Mt. Fuji. As you may know I tend to have a low tolerance for high altitude.  So as a precaution we drank lots of water and took a can of oxygen which I used. Besides being somewhat short of breath I did have some muscle cramps in my leg. It’s a good thing we brought a jackets as it was 50 degrees colder at the top.  We were rewarded with spectacular views.

We leave for Estes Park on Friday so tomorrow (Thursday) is a preparation day. Peter did the laundry today so we may have time to do a short hike in the morning. We will probably go the public library to finish the blog. (Remember we have no WIFI at this RV Park.)  JY

Thursday August 18, 2016

 We finally did a hike in Colorado! Yeah.  Every day we pass a trailhead that we’ve wanted to check out.  It seemed like a short hike that we thought we’d have time for. It turned out longer than we planned but so worth it. It took me about 10 minutes to get my “hiking legs” mostly due to the elevation. However once I did I felt like a real hiker again.

 

 

 

 

Now we are at Subway (for their WIFI) to complete the Manitou Springs portion of the blog. (Remember we have no WIFI at the RV Park.)  The next installment of the blog will be from Estes Park.  JY

Friday August 5, 2016

This was a preparation day. We got gas, had breakfast in Durango and did laundry. We also picked up burritos in town for breakfast the next day so we wouldn’t have meal preparation and clean-up to deal with on moving day.

We look forward to meeting up with the friends we met in Bayfield, Bob and Paula. They will be in Gunnison until Wednesday which will overlap our stay there for three days.  JY

Saturday August 6, 2016  

It was moving day and we were leaving Riverside RV Park and heading north and east to Gunnison.  I checked out the weather in the region and thunderstorms were predicted everywhere.  We had several options with regards to travel routes to Gunnison.  I did not want to drive over Red Mountain Pass at 11,020 feet.  Nor did we want to tackle Wolf Creek Pass or Spring Creek Pass.  I figured all the passes would be socked in so we decided to take the route through Delores and drive over Lizard Head Pass at 10,222 feet.  We drove this route on our way back from Telluride and Lizard Head is not as steep and has no hairpin turns.   PRC

Peter chose the most prudent route to Gunnison. This one avoided most of the mountain passes. It’s a pretty drive – all the scenery in Colorado is beautiful.  It’s truly “God’s country.”

View behind our trailer.

After we set up our camp we visited Bob and Paula Glass (The Glasses) and spent time catching up.  We made plans to go out for breakfast the next morning in Gunnison.

We are staying in Mesa RV Park just outside of Gunnison. The park is pleasant and the weather is perfect for me. It’s usually about 50 degrees in the morning. There is a potluck tomorrow in the rec room with an Italian theme. I signed us up to bring bruschetta. Paula and Bob are bringing dessert.    JY

Sunday August 7, 2016

We had made plans to go to breakfast so Bob and Paula stopped by to pick us up at 9:00 am.  We ended up eating at Mom’s Kitchen – very good – large portions.  June Yvonne had signed us up for the RV Park’s monthly potluck so after breakfast we stopped at Safeway to purchase supplies for making bruschetta.  Bob and Paula bought a cake and a pie.  After that we drove to Almont and then up a moderately rough road toward Taylor Park Reservoir.  The road followed Taylor Creek which was bordered by high jagged rocks, waterfalls and wide open meadows.  There were probably a couple dozen people fly fishing along the creek.  I really wanted to dip some flies into the water but we didn’t have the time.

We headed back to the park about 3:00 pm so we could fix our bruschetta however I could not get the oven to work and ended up doing it on the BBQ grill.  I didn’t think you could do that.  It was a great potluck and we met some very interesting people.  We met people from Phoenix which is something we seem to do no matter where we go and Bob and Paula met a couple from Granbury, the small town where they live in Texas.  We finished the night gabbing with Paula and Bob in their coach.  PRC

We started the day with a nice breakfast in Gunnison with Bob and Paula (P&B) at Mom’s Kitchen. Then off to get the grocery store to pick up our contributions for the pot luck. After that, Paula wanted to go for a drive. We of course agreed. P&B used to live in Colorado so are very familiar with the territory.

We went to Almont and then Taylor Park Reservoir which was a 4-5 hour drive. Paula is a horsewoman so she and Peter had lots to talk about. Paula loves Colorado and wishes she still lived here. She was like a kid in a candy store and took delight in the trees and rocks. Consequently we made many stops for a closer look and to take photos. Bob likes waterfalls so we stopped for waterfalls also. Peter was interested in all the lakes and streams to fish.  I, of course, loved it all especially the delicious cool breezes. It was a good trip with great company and gorgeous scenery.

We made it back in time for me to prepare the bruschetta on the grill as we haven’t had any experience using the oven in the trailer. The theme of the potluck was Italian so you can imagine there was lots of pasta but also salads – thank goodness.

Talked to my sister Bonnie today. John’s surgery to fuse the upper part of his neck to his skull was successful. He is up walking around and it looks very hopeful.  The diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma is very treatable. Please keep John and the Mueller family in your prayers. We love you John! (He is a very easy person to love.)

As previously indicated, Peter has become quite the social butterfly. So before starting dinner, he asked all in attendance (about 25) to say their name and where they were from. A couple were from the Phoenix area, most were from Colorado and Texas. Thanks Peter, it was a great way for people to meet and get to know each other. There was a couple from the small town where Bob and Paula live – Granbury, TX.    JYC

Monday August 8, 2016

Bob and Paula stopped by to pick us up around 9:00 am.  This morning we were going to do a loop through Almont, Crested Butte, Somerset, Hotchkiss and skirt along the mountain roads high above Blue Mesa Reservoir.  Bob was a wonderful guide and driver.  Paula loves Colorado, aspen trees, rocks and streams just name a few things.  To say the scenery here in Colorado is dazzling is a gross understatement.  It is impossible to describe and pictures do not do it justice.  If a picture is worth a thousand words it would take a thousand pictures to come close to the never ending panoramic views and scenic landscapes no matter where you look.  We stopped for lunch in Paonia at the Living Farm Café which features farm to table food.  Ninety five percent of all the ingredients used in the food are grown and processed on their farm and then cooked and served in their restaurant.

After lunch we got a little disoriented (lost) in our search for Orchard Farms Winery.  We finally got there and enjoyed some wine.  They also have a great selection of balsamic vinegar’s and olive oils.  We drove past Hotchkiss and Crawford and began to look deep into the canyon of Blue Mesa Reservoir.  There are three dams that create the reservoir and we could see the middle dam far far below us.  What was noticeable was the reservoir was full.  We live in Arizona and have traveled through California and almost all of the reservoirs there are less than half full.

We ate dinner in our trailer and decided to go for a walk.  We met Bob walking one of their dogs and talked about having a campfire the next day after touring around some more backcountry.  We unintentionally ended up in Bob and Paula’s coach and spent the rest of the evening telling Wild West stories about Colorado and Texas.  Did I mention that Paula loves Colorado.  PRC

 

Another drive with Bob and Paula! We are seeing this part of Colorado through their eyes and we are so appreciative. We took a drive to Crested Butte and Paonia. We ate lunch outside in beautiful weather. It was one of those “farm to table” type places and was scrumptious. (It was not green chili this time but a really good gyro and kale salad.) On the way back to Gunnison we ended up at a winery – Orchard Valley Farms. The reason we ended up here was that we were slightly lost.  However we did get to sample wine, fruit salsas and irresistible puffed caramel corn that we had to buy.  We tentatively planned to do a camp fire but arrived home too late.   JY

Tuesday August 9, 2016

We went for another drive with Bob and Paula Glass.  Our goal was the Alpine Tunnel which is an abandoned railroad tunnel built in the late 1800’s that goes from the west side of the continental divide to the east side.  It is the only tunnel that does this at 10,000 foot elevation.  We drove through Gunnison past Almont and headed for the village of Pitkin.  When we got to Pitkin there was a small general store. There were at least 20 or 25 4×4 ATV’s parked in front of the store.  Off road ATVing is a very popular sport.  You can tell by the onboard equipment and protective clothing the vehicle occupants wear that they take it very seriously – they travel in groups and are seeming fearless about where they travel.

 

Bob was driving and after Pitkin it was dirt roads.  We came to a fork in the road and veered to the left to the Alpine Tunnel.  We did not realize it at first but the very narrow road we were driving on was actually the railroad bed.  All the tracks and ties have been remove and now it ideal for hikers and ATVers.  In most places there was little room for more than one vehicle to pass – we were on the down hills side of the road which made pulling over for another vehicle very problematic.  Bob is a very good driver which was a life saver and Paula was ready to enforce the “drivers going up have the right of way” rule.  Paula is a kind and gentle soul but if someone pushes her button I’d bet she could whip her weight in wildcats.

About a third of the way up to the top we came to the remains of a water tower where the steam locomotives filled up – it held 47,500 gallons of water weighing 380,000 pounds.  The only part of this water tower remaining was the support structure with the tank portion completely gone.  We were taking pictures and 12 off road vehicles passed us going up to the tunnel.  Fortunately we were already pulled over and everyone could pass.  As we moved on we came to a waterfall on the uphill side where we stopped to take pictures.  The little kid inside Paula had to remove her shoes and sit on the rocks in the middle of the falls.

 

 

T

he scenery became even more spectacular as we started to break out of the tree line.  About half way up we came to another water tower that held 33,000 gallons of water weighing 264,000 pounds.  This tower was totally intact and was amazing.   Continuing on we met other ATV’s coming down and they told Bob you could only go a little further and had to walk the last 2.5 miles to the tunnel.  Bummer.

The road was getting rougher and at the abandoned town of Woodstock there was a good spot to turn around – so we did.  Interestingly enough, more ATV’s passed us going down – more than we remembered going up.  On the way down we spotted several deer.

Back at the park we changed before going to dinner at Palisades’s restaurant in Gunnison.  Dinner was great and we all enjoyed each other’s company.  After dinner we returned to the park and sat around a campfire for a couple of hours.  This was our last night together.  We agreed to meet for coffee in the morning.   PRC

 

Guess what we did today? You got it – went for a ride with Bob and Paula. We went to the Alpine Tunnel. We SO appreciate sightseeing with this couple – we enjoy their company and get to see parts of Colorado that we would not normally have seen. This drive was not only scenic, it was exciting. It seems like it is for only 4-wheel drive vehicles but Bob managed just fine in his 2-wheel drive vehicle that he has been ushering us all around Colorado in. We sometimes shared the narrow road with dirt bikes, ATV’s and other cars.  Because Bob is so patient and such a skilled driver, I wasn’t too frightened. It was a fun day! And I think I mentioned how much Paula loves nature – especially trees and rocks. We saw plenty of these along with marmots and some deer. The road we were on had been a narrow gauge railroad located near Pitkin, CO. It remains the highest railroad tunnel and the longest narrow gauge tunnel in North America. It has an interesting history. It is now used for bikers and 4-Wheeler’s. There are several trail heads off the road to the Alpine Trail also. We wouldn’t have experienced this road if it weren’t for Bob and Paula.

We headed back Gunnison after an exciting day – but the day wasn’t over yet! Since it was our last day with Paula and Bob, we went out to dinner in Gunnison at the Palisades Restaurant. It was an enjoyable evening with our continued deep conversations. Who knew we could become such good friends with southern Baptist, conservative Texans?  It just goes to show that you can have a LOT in common with someone despite their different backgrounds and beliefs. And of course both sides not judging the other.

And the night wasn’t over yet. Again as it was our last night together, we still had to be together around the campfire. So Peter built a fire in one of the park’s fire pits.  We tried to figure out a way to see each other again, hoping our paths would cross again.  I’ve always wanted to go to San Antonio, so perhaps they will meet us there. (Mary Kay you may have to join us…) Who knows when, hopefully not too long in the distant future.  We talked until 10 pm which was the beginning of “quiet time” in the RV Park. JY

Wednesday August 10, 2016

It’s Wednesday morning and we had coffee in B&P’s motor home as they were leaving today. We exchanged addresses and continued our conversation about how, when or where we could meet up again.  We said our farewells and then we were left to our own devices.

We decided to do laundry and finally catch up on our blog. We also went into town for groceries and a haircut for Peter. While he had his hair and beard trimmed, I spotted a sign advertising “chair massages” so I took advantage of the opportunity and had one. The massage therapist was excellent. It was just what my body needed that has spent so much time riding in a car for over a month.

So we have another day in Gunnison before we go to Colorado Springs on Friday. Peter had hoped to fish today but it has been raining off and on all day. Purportedly it is not supposed to rain tomorrow.  If it’s sunny skies, we will be fishing. If it does rain we will probably drive down Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.   JY

Thursday August 11, 2015

Today is preparation day.  We slept in a little bit – 9:00 am.  After breakfast I decided to go fishing in the Gunnison River so I put on some old pants and shoes just in case I got wet because I don’t have any waders.  We walked about 70 yards through thick willows to the bank of the river – the underbrush and willows were tight up against the water in most spots.  There were probably a dozen people fly fishing but they were wading the river up to their waists.  I fished along the shore and had moderate luck with my casting and only got caught up in the bushes with my back case a couple hundred times.  I met another guy who was totally decked out with gear and he said he was getting the odd strike but caught nothing.  I didn’t feel so bad.

After fishing we drove into Gunnison to fill up with gas, get a bite to eat and purchase some ice.  Back at camp I started our prep work while June Yvonne made some yummy soup and prepared the fixin’s for breakfast burritos in the morning.  She cleaned up while I worked on the blog.  She also swept the trailer and mopped the floor.  We are ready to depart tomorrow.  PRC

Peter got to fish today. I spent a couple of hours reading. I haven’t gotten so into a book for a long time. I’m reading “Orphan Train” by Christina Baker Kline. I was so enmeshed in the book that I felt like the main character “Niamh” or Dorothy as she is often called because people can’t pronounce her Irish name. There really was an orphan train that transported orphaned, abandoned or homeless children between 1854 and 1930. Read it if you haven’t already. I will probably finish reading it tonight. Thank you Joan for giving it to me.

So tomorrow we are off to Colorado Springs or more specifically Pike’s RV Park in Manitou Springs for a week. Besides doing some sightseeing we will see Annette C. and Denise B. Looking forward to it! After that we will go to Estes Park for 2 weeks. Then it’s about 10 days in Utah, and then home to Phoenix.

I continue to try to maintain the attitude of a peregrine or pilgrim as we were on the Camino. Having an attitude of expectancy makes this journey even more glorious and interesting. Next installment of the blog will be from Colorado Springs…  JY

Tuesday August 2, 2016

Got an early start – breakfast was fruit and chocolate croissants.   The plan was to drive north to Silverton, Ouray and camp overnight in Ridgeway.  The drive to Silverton left us speechless – the panoramic scenery was indescribable.  Taking pictures to show people what we were seeing would be like holding up a piece of cardboard at arm’s length with a hole in it the size of a postage stamp and trying to tell people about a football game.  All 360⁰ was breath taking – I would say wow as we rounded every hairpin turn and June Yvonne would tell me to stop looking and watch the road.

We saw several mountain lakes and I finally had to drive into one and do some fishing.  There were probably 10 to 12 people fishing with lures and bait but everyone was fishing not catching – I only came across two people who caught fish and they said they were very small.  I too was fishing and not catching but I did get the sheer enjoyment of fishing in such a pristine place.  We finally packed it in a got back on the freeway again.  Of course I wanted to stop at every lake we came across to fish but didn’t have the time.

We arrived in Silverton and the road wasn’t nearly as bad as what I had been told.  We looked around for a while and decided to have lunch at the Brown Bear but it was closed.  We walked a little further down the street and decided to eat at Thee Pitts BBQ.  Thee Pitts BBQ restaurant in Glendale had been on the Diners, Drive-ins and Dives show with Guy Fieri.  It was packed so we placed our order and waited for a table to open up.  We finally got a table for six.  While waiting for our order to arrive a family of four asked if they could use the table also – we said of course.  The parents had two kids – one was a boy about 7 or 8 and he started kicking up a fuss with his parent because he wanted to sit beside the cowboy.

Well that was me and he didn’t want just sit by me he wanted to practically sit in my lap.  The two of us had a great time during lunch and he wanted my email address so we could stay in touch.  He also wanted my email address so his mother put her address on my phone.  By the end of lunch we were taking pictures of each other and laughing.

Turns out the family is from Canada and are currently living in Toronto where the father, George, is a pediatric surgeon.  Even more interesting was that he was born in Ottawa Ontario at the Grace Hospital while I was born at the Civic Hospital just two blocks away.  The mother was born in Albuquerque New Mexico.

After lunch we headed north over Red Mountain Pass at 11,020 feet elevation.  The road from Silverton to Ouray was the road they were telling me was scary – and it was very narrow with a cliff straight up on one side and a cliff straight down on the other.  You looked out your window and saw the tops of the trees on the downhill side.  There were many tight hairpin turns.  We just drove slow and when there was a pull-out we would pull over and let all the cars behind us drive by.

We finally made it to Ridgeway and had a great pizza for dinner.  After dinner we drove to the CC Blue ranch where we had booked our overnight stay in a fully furnished Yurt.  It’s like a giant traditional Mongolian tent.  It was great but the scenery from the Yurt was spectacular as you can see in the photos.  The interior of the yurt was very nice however we had no running water and no electricity.  To do your business you had to walk about 30 yards to a composting toilet.  We both got up about 2:30 am and had to go potty so off we went with our flashlight.

When we walked outside the yurt June Yvonne could not believe how many stars you could see in the black night sky.  The light inside the outhouse was solar powered and stayed on all night long but you did need a flashlight to get there.  When we arrived back at the yurt it was not cold so we sat in the chairs on the porch and looked at the millions of stars in the dark night sky.  We could clearly see the Milky Way.  June Yvonne went back to sleep but I sat outside for about 45 minutes just watching the sky.   PRC

Today we took a day trip without our trailer. We headed up to Ridgeway with a stop in Silverton. Silverton is a touristy western town. We stopped for lunch at a bbq place. A French Canadian family sat with us as the place was crowded. The young son said he “wanted to sit by the cowboy.” I’m not sure how he decided that Peter was a cowboy, but they become fast friends. (See pic of Peter and Gabriel.) This interaction was the highlight of Silverton.

I ordered deep fried pickles.  It is something I’ve never had before and they were delicious.  There was a generous serving of them and Gabriel had a couple.

As we continued towards Ouray and Ridgeway and higher into the mountains, Peter could hardly contain himself it was so beautiful. The road was very curvy with lots of hairpin turns. (Glad we weren’t pulling the trailer.) Peter had to keep his eyes on the road constantly. However he did stop every 10 minutes or so take in the scenery and take photos. Then we started coming upon mountain rivers and lakes. He wanted to fish every body of water in the high mountains. We did stop at one lake where he did some fly fishing. Well, he did some casting anyway and I walked around the lake

We then continued to our final destination for the day – our yurt in the mountains of Ridgeway. We stopped for pizza first as dinner was not included with our accommodations.

There was no electricity or running water in the yurt. It was fully furnished with a comfy double bed – this was “glamping.”  The yurt included a large water cooler for brushing teeth, washing dishes, etc. Before we went to sleep we saw a gorgeous sunset where the mountains turned purple. Peter rigged up lighting for us with his flashlight so we could do some reading before bed.

As usual, I had to get up in the night to use the facilities.  It was pitch dark of course. I looked up and was overcome with the grandeur of the multitude of stars in the night sky. Peter had to stay up for a while and take the whole thing in as it was so magnificent. The night was cool, but not freezing.

A father and his young son were our neighbors in the teepee next door. What little boy wouldn’t want to sleep in a teepee?   JY

 

 

 

 

Wednesday August 3, 2016

We slept soundly and when I woke up June Yvonne was already dressed and sitting on the porch reading her book.

The sky was clear in the morning and the distant mountains were even more impressive.  The whole yurt experience was like medicine for my soul – I would like to have stayed another night or two.  But we had to move on to Telluride.  The drive was scenic to say the least.  Telluride is a nice typical tourist town.  We ate lunch and walked around the different tourist clothing, jewelry and art stores.  We rode the gondola up to Mountain Village which is where all the money people live.  In the grocery store in the village steak sells for $20 to $26 per pound.  Tom Cruise has a home there that he is selling for $59 million and Oprah recently purchased a piece of property – no home just the property – for $50 million.  Finally we rode the gondola down and departed.  It was a nice 2 and half hour drive back home to Bayfield.  We stopped and got groceries and went bed early.  It was nice hearing the rain on the roof.   PRC

We woke up to the sounds of birds, geese, chickens, goats. The farm where we stayed the night also had miniature donkeys and horses. I had made sandwiches to bring with us so we had a peaceful breakfast in a tranquil setting with the farm animals in the background.

Again, it was such a gorgeous setting. Our stay away from the city without all the creature comforts we are used to had a meditative quality to it. We left somewhat reluctantly and saw a deer casually jump a 6 foot fence on our way out.

We proceeded to our next destination, Telluride. If you are a skier you have probably been here. It’s a charming mountain town. We had a really good lunch in the Floradora Saloon. Peter had a hamburger of course and I had Pho-Ramen. I love Pho (Vietnamese soup).  I could eat Asian food every day and soup of every kind.

After walking around town we took the free gondola to Mountainside Village which I had never heard of before. If you think Telluride is upscale, Mountainside beats it. It’s a lovely self-contained village reeking of money. Some of the residents include Oprah and Tom Cruise. We heard Tom Cruise was selling his place for $59 million…

We walked around the village and checked out the farmer’s market that afternoon. Of course I like to admire the fresh fruit and lovely jewelry but what most caught my attention was the book sale sponsored by the local library. I purchased four books including one our Book Club is reading – Our Souls at Night which I recommend.

A friendly, young attractive woman rode the gondola with us back down to Telluride. She worked for a private airline company as a flight attendant and had flown in with her clients in a Gulfstream jet.

It turned out she lived outside of Chicago in the community of Geneva. This is where Dan (our son) was for several days. He was there to spend time with his dad’s family as his grandfather was dying. It was good that he was there with his abuelo and the family when his grandfather took his last breath. Joe was a kind, generous, adventurous and good man with a big heart. Our thoughts and prayers have been with the family during this sad and difficult time.

Speaking of family, our eldest granddaughter Maya (age 21) is on her way to the Philippines with her girlfriend and family. They are going to feed the villagers in the mother’s birthplace. However, their  flight had been delayed in Waikiki for a couple of days, all expenses paid. After some time on the beach they will continue their trip to the Philippines.  JY

Wednesday July 27, 2016

Wednesday was a day of rest and catch up.  Pam and Jim, whom we had met at Angel Fire recommended we try breakfast at Brenda’s – it was very good.  We planned to drive into downtown Bayfield and check it out however we drove right through downtown 3 times before we realized we were downtown.  Not much there.  Most of the day was sitting outside and relaxing.  Got caught up on laundry and I went fishing in the stream that runs through the RV Park.  Caught and landed my first fish in almost 30 years.  PRC

We rested up today and so did not have a set schedule. We were recovering from our very full day of zip lining.

As we didn’t feel like cooking, we went to Brenda’s for breakfast and I had Huevos Rancheros of course. I can still get pretty good green chili in Bayfield, CO!   JY

Thursday July 28, 2016

We decided to go to Mesa Verde National Park and check it out.  The visitor center opens at 8:00 and when we arrived at 9:00 most of the tour tickets were sold out.  June Yvonne did not want to go on a guided tour through the ruins that day so I managed to purchase a ticket to Cliff Palace and we also got tickets for a bus tour of the park.  We also purchased tickets for the next day – two tickets for the Balcony House tour in the morning and one ticket for the Long House tour in the afternoon.

The Ranger guided tour of Cliff Palace was amazing.  The tour went down some narrow stairs carved into the rocks and the tour group walked through the cliff dwellings.  The Ranger explained the anthropology of the ancient Pueblo Indians based on the archaeology of the ruins.

The bus tour guide described the geography and geology of southwest Colorado and the reasons the Pueblo’s chose to build and live among the cliffs.  There are over 8,000 known dwellings in this area with over 600 built into the cliffs.  It is amazing how these people survived in this region where there was next to no water.

On the way back to Bayfield we picked up firewood and the supplies for s’mores.   The neighbor kids came over along with the couple (Bob & Paula) from the coach on the corner.  The s’more’s idea didn’t pan out the way we planned and the kids ended up with sticky melted marshmallow all over the hands and face.  Once the kids were cleaned up we enjoyed the remainder of the evening with the grown-ups.  Unfortunately the kids latched on to June Yvonne for the rest of the evening and there was no sign of rescue by the parents.  PRC

We got to the park too late in the day for hiking for me. In order to manage pain and energy it’s best for me to start first thing in the morning. The ranger guided tour to the Cliff Palace did not start until late afternoon. I’m glad Peter was able to do it.

The ranger for the bus tour was extremely informative. He gave us some good information for our tours the next day. The ancestral Pueblo people who were farmers built the cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde. Seeing the remnants of ancient history was quite an experience. However it was a very warm day…

As Peter had invited a couple of families over to make s’mores, we stopped at the grocery store to get supplies. The younger kids were very excited however more about the process rather than the s’mores themselves. How can a little kid resist setting a marshmallow on fire?  When was the last time you made a s’more?  (They weren’t as good as I remember…)

It was a lot of fun sitting around the campfire though. Two kids (ages 4 and 8) sat on either side of me. They were very engaging, but I did get tired of hearing about all the games on their TV and iPads. No adults rescued me so I missed out on the adult conversation.  JY

Friday July 29, 2016

We got up early to make it to Mesa Verde for the 10:00 tour.  It was early in the morning and June Yvonne was going on the tour.  We had to decent 146 steps to a 40 foot ladder that we had to climb to get to the cliff dwellings.  The Ranger explained the development and purpose of a kiva that was an integral part of the culture and religion.  Once the tour was over everyone had to crawl on hands and knees through a small tunnel to get to the next set of ladder to climb up to the top of the mesa.  Once we were at the top of three ladders we had to walk up 80 small steps carved into the sandstone.  The park service had installed a chain handrail up the stairs.  If the handrail had not been there half the group would have fallen off the stairs.

 

After the tour we drove to the Far View cafeteria for lunch.  The afternoon was hot and at this elevation June Yvonne did not want to chance going on the two hour tour of Long House which included a 2.5 mile hike to the ruins.

 

 

 

 

The Ranger tour of Long House was the best tour of them all.  The Ranger had been working in the park since 2005 and many of his friends were Pueblo Indians and he traded strategy and theory of NFL football for secret facts about – the meaning and importance of the structures and configuration of the ruins.  Don’t know that all of that is true but the tour was very interesting.

On the way back to Bayfield we stopped and bought more firewood along with wieners and hot dog bun.  We had told the neighbors and the kids we were going to BBQ hot dogs.  When we arrived back in camp everyone noticed our arrival and before we knew it they all showed up with their own wieners and buns.  Once we finished the hot dogs we started a campfire and had a great evening.   PRC

I am so glad I went on the ranger guided tour of the Balcony House. It was fun! It included climbing a couple of ladders and crawling through a tunnel. As Peter indicated, hand holds have been supplied for tourist’s safety. However, the Ancestral Pueblo people only used foot and hand holds carved in the rock.

Peter has become quite the social butterfly. Last night he announced we would be barbecuing hot dogs so the neighbors were ready with their hot dogs when we arrived home. We pushed two picnic tables together and had a grand time. After dinner we sat around the fire pit, without the s’mores. This time I was able to partake in conversation with the adults.   JY

Saturday July 30, 2016

We are fortunate to have some new friends from Texas.  They are in the Tiffin coach on the corner and we had coffee and chocolate croissants with them for breakfast.  Like the many others we have befriended or who have befriended us Bob and Paula (B&P) are salt of the earth good people.  We look forward to maintaining a relationship with them.

Somewhere in the last couple of days I twisted my knee and it is slightly sore when I walk but I’m able to work through it without much problem.  June Yvonne has noticed it and when she ask, “what’s wrong” I give her my usual response, “nothing”.

We headed for Durango to set up a hair appointment for June Yvonne and to purchase a fishing license for myself.  I also purchase new flies and a vest.  We strolled through “old town” Durango and ended up in a bookstore and then a Chinese Restaurant as June Yvonne has been craving Chinese.  On the way back to Bayfield we stopped for gas and another bundle of firewood.

This was B&P’s last day here in Bayfield and we planned to have a campfire with just the four of us.  It rained off and on around supper time but then cleared up.  We sat around the fire drinking wine three or more hours and finally had to turn in.  B&P are leaving early in the morning however we did agree to meet for coffee in the morning.  PRC

Thank goodness we didn’t have to get up too early. When we woke up we went to Bob and Paula’s Tiffin coach bearing chocolate croissants and coffee. As Peter indicated, they are the salt of the earth with big hearts.  The night before we spent lots of time getting to know each other around the campfire.  I had never seen Peter be so open with people he hardly knew. We were pretty good friends by the end of the evening.

After a long pleasant chat with Bob and Paula we went into Durango for a few hours. I made an appointment for a desperately needed hair cut and color. Then we headed into Old Town Durango to “Duranglers” for a fishing license. Afterwards we had lunch at a Chinese restaurant. I certainly don’t make Chinese cuisine in the trailer and I’ve been craving it.   JY

Sunday July 31, 2016

We had coffee with B&P in their coach then we had to leave as June Yvonne had a hair appointment at 11:00 and B&P had to close up their coach and head for Gunnison.  They will be in Gunnison for a week which is where we will be moving to next Saturday.  Unfortunately they will be leaving the morning of the day we arrive.

Dropped June Yvonne off at the hair dressers and I parked the truck in the same parking lot, got my fishing gear out and walked down to the Animus River.  There was a combination of rocks, rapids and calm water and I knew there was a fish out there with my name on it.  About 10 or 11 rafts went by full of rafters looking for a white water experience however the water is very low.  To compensate for that they have provided the rafters with giant water guns and have water gun wars with the closest raft.

Unfortunately my fishing experience was not what I hoped.  I managed to catch four trees and two willow bushes with my back cast.  My fly also got caught on some rocks which took a little maneuvering to get loose.  I did not even see a fish.  I did get a little excited when there were repeated splashes in the water about 30 yards in front of me.  I repeatedly tried to place my fly in that general area only to eventually realize there was another guy I could not see fishing with lures in the bushes about 25 yards downstream from me.

I was moving gingerly from rock to rock trying to get a good vantage point from which to cast where my back cast would not get snagged in a tree and landing my fly in a spot where I thought the village idiot fish was patiently waiting to get caught.  Unfortunately I was jumping from one rock to another and didn’t notice the slipper moss.  Once I landed I started pirouetting in a circle to keep from taking a header into the water.  I managed to stay out of the water but in the process really twisted my knee.  At that point it was difficult to walk so I called it quits for the day.  The only consolation was that while wading through the tall grass and willow bushes I came across a young woman changing into her bathing suit – so the day was not a total loss.

I went to pick up June Yvonne and she quickly noticed my limp and is now nurse June Yvonne with a new hair-do.  I am in forced time out with restrictions on my movement.  We will see what this is like in the morning.   PRC

We had coffee with Bob and Paula before they took off for their next destination – Gunnison. It was lovely to get to know this couple and sad to say goodbye.

Peter dropped me off to get my haircut and went fishing. I was the only person in the salon at JC Penney’s so had the royal treatment.

Peter returned sooner than I thought. There was not a place to eat in this little mall, so we went to Subway for lunch.

We did laundry when we returned and had a nice conversation with the owner of the RV Park who was born and raised in the Phoenix area.   JY

Monday August 1, 2016

Another day of rest.  We had planned to go to Vallecito Lake to do some fishing or Pagosa Springs to enjoy the hot springs.  Those plan were aborted as my knee was stiffer than a rusty hinge.  My nurse can be pretty cantankerous when I don’t follow orders so I spent most of the day in rehab.

We were entertained all day by the hummingbirds at our feeder.  In the beginning, at Angel Fire, we had trouble getting a picture of one hummer – this afternoon we got a picture of three then a picture of four.  Then while eating dinner we managed to get a picture of five hummingbirds.  Around the feeder it has been like a WWI dog fight – the wee birds were actually body slamming each other to drive others away from the feeder.  These little guys are very aggressive and territorial.  Throughout the afternoon there was a wasp frequenting the feeder but he wasn’t deterred by the birds and the little guys avoided him.  PRC

We didn’t do much today as Peter is in recovery.

We were very entertained by the drama going on outside our window today. We keep having to replenish the hummingbird feeder as they spend so much time here.

Tomorrow we have another adventure. We are heading up to Ridgeway which is in the mountains north of Telluride. We are staying in a yurt and sharing a fancy outhouse with the Teepee next door. Will let you know how that goes.  JY.

Saturday July 23, 2016

On Friday we did a lot of packing and prep work for our relocation to Bayfield, Colorado.  In the morning finished wrapping up all the hoses and electrical cords, hooked up the trailer, had a continental breakfast and a shower before heading to Colorado.  We were eating breakfast and out of the blue a RC friend of June Yvonne’s from Phoenix walks up to our table and says, “I guess they’ll let anybody stay here.”  Turns out they parked right across the street from us the night before and without meeting her at breakfast we would have missed her.

The drive to Bayfield was about 4 hours including bathroom breaks and fueling up.  The scenery got better and better as we gained elevation into the San Juan National Forest.  The truck pulls the trailer without any problem at all and we are both very comfortable traveling with it in tow.  When we arrived at the Bayfield Riverside RV Park we were delighted with the condition of the park and the reception we received.  We scored a nice long pull thru site which was great.

The park entrance and the private residence of the owners are lavishly decorated with hundreds of colorful flowers and green grass.  There is a trout stream that runs through the park and several ponds along the course of the stream.  The stream and the ponds are owned by the park so no license is needed to fish.  Oddly enough they have an alpaca on a leash in the grassy area and a Yak in a corral in the large meadow used for “pot luck” park picnics.

On our first night we already met some nice people and a couple from Phoenix.  The owner of the park is from Phoenix and bought this park several years ago.  There are two young children living in the 5^th wheel parked next to us and we have already befriended them and have a date for some time in the future to have a “s’more’s” campfire night.   PRC

This was our travel day to Colorado; and it started out with a big surprise. We were in the breakfast room and who do we see but Pat O. from my Phoenix RC community. She had told me that she and her husband were looking for an RV. I didn’t realize how soon it would be though. They were only spending one night at American RV Park in Albuquerque so were leaving that morning. We didn’t realize that they had spent the night right across from our spot. It was a fluke that we didn’t miss them. Pat and her husband (they were recently married) and her 90 years + mother were traveling to a family reunion I think in Michigan. Included in the blog is a picture of Pat and I in front of their motor home.

Then we hit the road. After a couple of hours New Mexico made way for Colorado and the scenery began changing. The landscape became greener as we crossed the Animus River, then the Florida and Los Pinos Rivers. Desert scrub changed to farmlands, then cloudy skies, rain drops, cooler weather, and horses and cattle. Hello Colorado!

We finally pulled into our new home for the next two weeks – Bayfield Riverside RV Park. There are lots of flowers here. We met “Al”, the alpaca and the yak (I don’t know his name.)   JY

Sunday July 24, 2016

Slept in Sunday morning which is usually our “MO” after arriving at our new home.  We had cereal for breakfast and ate outside at our picnic table.  We were enjoying the sunshine and slight breeze when I heard a familiar honking noise coming from the other side of our RV.  We looked up and about 40 Canada geese flying in two “V” formations flew about 30 feet over the top of us on their way to the little lake at the north end of the park.

We have our hummingbird feeder up and now we have dueling hummingbirds as they chase each other off in an effort to claim the feeder as their own.  Hummingbirds are very territorial – I’m going to try and get a picture of two of them at the feeder at the same time.

After breakfast we drove into Durango – about 13 miles.  We parked in “old town Durango” and lucked out as parking is free on the weekends.  Our first stop was at a quaint but very old looking bookstore – actually an old house.  Went inside and WOW! I’ve never been in a bookstore like this.  It was wall to wall book – the owner estimated about 10,000 of them.  Every wall including the hallways had bookshelves filled with books and then books were stacked from the floor to the ceiling and in many rooms you couldn’t see the bookshelves.  I went back in on our way back to the car and the owner wasn’t there and I asked the guy working there if the owner was accepting any more books.  He said no – he just gets more from his warehouse – apparently he has an insane number of books which the worker described as “an obscene number of books.”

On the corner across the street is the train depot.  We went over there to check it out and confirm our reservations for our zip-line adventure on Monday.  We were good to go.  While we were there we went to the train museum and it was very cool.  As you walk up to the museum all the windows are open into the roundhouse where they do all the repair work and maintenance on the steam locomotives.  They have six operational steam engines.  In the museum I was fascinated by a movie that was playing about how they completely rebuild an old 1925 steam engine that had been sitting in a rail yard in Chama for 30 years exposed to the weather.  Engine 482.  They stripped it down and rebuilt/refurbished everything.  It was a very involved, complex and time consuming project that required a lot of engineering.  What impressed me the most was that they could do all of this back in 1925.

We moved on to old town and stopped for a snack at a French bakery.  June Yvonne had one of her prized delights – a chocolate croissant while I had a strawberry croissant.  While we were eating a family of three (mom, dad and a daughter (15)) walked by the window and they all had boa constrictors wrapped around their necks.  The two Japanese couples that were sitting closer to the window stood up like their chairs were on fire and pressed their faces against the glass.  They were speaking Japanese at about 100 mph.

We finished our pastries and continued to walk down the street going into the galleries and tourist traps.  Then I noticed a crowd across the street and I knew what it was – it was the snake people.   I walked across the street and I was right.  I asked if I could take a picture and they obliged.  Then I asked if I could touch them and they said, “Yes, they are very docile and gentle”.  Then I asked if I could hold one and the next thing I knew I had the medium sized one wrapped around my neck while the owner took pictures for me.  FYI – I’m terrified of snakes so that was a big stretch for me.

On our way home there was a big backup in traffic caused by a propane truck that had flipped over.  No explosion however the police managed to funnel everyone by firemen, ambulance, crane operators, EMT’s and gas people.  At home we BBQ’d chicken and packed for our zip line adventure the next day.  PRC

We woke up to a sunny day. For the first time on our trip we had breakfast outside on the picnic table.

We spent most of the day walking around Durango. It’s about 30 minutes from Bayfield. It got warmer in the afternoon. We went to a really cool bookstore, the Train Museum, galleries and French bakery where I had my favorite, a chocolate croissant; and Peter had a strawberry croissant.  A family went by the bakery, each with a boa constrictor.  We soon saw them on the street and Peter had to go see them. Next thing I know I saw him from across the street with a boa constrictor around his neck. (I guess that’s one way to confront his fear of snakes…)

This was a day that I ran out of energy in the afternoon which still happens more than I care to admit. So, we went home to rest up as we had a big day Monday.  JY

Monday July 25, 2016

WOW!  Where do I start today – at the beginning.  Woke up at 5:45 am to get ready and drive into town.  Had breakfast at McDonalds and walked to the train station for 7:30 check in.  The zip line company has three private totally restored passenger cars – two with seats and one with a glass top and open air sides.  The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.  Riding a steam locomotive through the mountain was amazing – the sound of the steam whistle, the smell of the cinders and smoke, the jostling of the cars and the breathtaking scenery.  I stood on the platform between the cars for almost the entire trip taking pictures – everything was picture worthy but knowing where and when do you stop presents a problem…

We arrived at Soaring Tree Top Adventures and were greeted by the entire uniformed staff of sky rangers, naturalist, cooks, maintenance people and the owner who all shook out hand as we got off the train.  You can look at a 9 minute video of this experience at – soaringcolorado.com

We have zip lined before but there is nothing that will ever compare to this experience.  There were 27 zip lines, 36 tree platforms, a gourmet meal served overlooking the Animas River and the top notch degree of professionalism and safety.  We frequently saw the owner on various platforms as we made our way from tree top to tree top – he spoke to all of us like we were family.

Our adventure finally came to an end and we were exhausted – all that excitement.  A two hour train ride back home and soup for dinner then to bed.  PRC

Exciting day ahead. We woke up at 5:45 am to get to the train station on time. We had reservations to do “Soaring Treetop Adventures.” This involved a 2 hour train ride on the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. (And 2 hours back.) We arrived about 10 am and started zip lining through the San Juan National Forest.  Our adventure included a gourmet lunch which we had about noon. About 45 minutes later we continued “soaring”, continuing to climb higher in the forest. There were 27 zip lines all together. After lunch many of the zip lines crisscrossed the Animus River. That was my favorite part…

This zip line adventure was nothing like previous zip lines   I have done. In particular, my first one in Alaska where you were responsible for breaking yourself. This time the staff did the breaking so I just got to enjoy the ride. It was not particularly scary, but exhilarating. Most anyone can do it and I strongly suggest you do.   In fact, check out the site on line to get a good idea of what it’s like.

We were exhausted by the time we returned home. Good thing I had made fideos (Mexican chicken noodle soup) the night before. Mary Kay called and we had a good conversation catching up. (It’s good to talk to friends and relatives.)  We went to bed early.   JY

Tuesday July 26, 2016

Today was mostly a day of rest, doing laundry and working on the blog. I made roast in the crock pot that we ate for dinner. After dinner we spent some time outside working on our blog. Although we have better WIFI it still has been a hassle posting the photos onto our blog. We had to move inside because it started raining. Peter managed to capture a photo of a double rainbow. It’s beautiful here…

I did get to talk to Kay today. Also had an email from Mindy, a hiking friend. She and Roxie (another hiking friend) are planning a trip to Iceland this summer. (This is on our bucket list.)  These two are hard core hikers and they will do some serious trekking in that icy country.

Mindy – in response your email message – Durango meets some of your criteria for the measure of a town.  There was a good French bakery and used book store. I didn’t look for a hardware store which was one of your criteria (but I’m sure there is one). Thanks for staying in touch. Forward our regards to Roxie.

Tomorrow we plan to go into the small town of Bayfield and do some antiquing.     JY