GSA 2019 - Lake Powell, Zion & Bryce Canyon National Parks

Well, it's time to officially kick off the Great Summer Adventure (GSA) of 2019. After leaving Red Bay, (there for a week-the shortest amount of time we've ever been there) we started heading west towards UT. We did the 26 hour trip in 5 days, dry camping several places along the way. On the way there, we stopped at Four Corners National Monument, the only place in the U.S. where 4 states - CO, AZ, NM, and UT - meet in one place, and took the obligatory picture of me having various body parts in 4 different states at one time. From there we headed to Page, AZ, home of Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell. Since we were only there for 2 days, several of the tours we wanted to take were booked. We decided to spurge on a helicopter tour of the dam, Lake Powell, Horseshoe Bend, and Tower Butte. The helicopter landed on top of the 1000 ft. high tower butte-the only way to get there since climbing is not allowed on Navajo Indian Reservation land. There is no substituting a helicopter ride for being up close and personal to scenery! We lucked out with being the only passengers (helicopter can hold up to 6) - being able to ride up front where we had the best views from the windows.

Great Aerial View from the helicopter of the Colorado River

Four Corners National Monument with Me in 4 states at one time!

Our pilot, Angela, and us outside the helicopter

Glen Canyon Dam 

Tower Butte (before we landed) 

On top of Tower Butte 

Horseshoe Bend from the air 

From Page it was a short trip to Hurricane, UT (pronounced hur-i-cun) to Willow Wind RV Park. We often make reservations for parks sight unseen, so it is always good to arrive at a place and find a nice, clean park that is up to date and well taken care of.  After 5 days of being on the road we were ready to set up camp and not have to move for a month. This would be our base for exploring Zion, Bryce Canyon and Grand Canyon (North Rim) National Parks. Hurricane is a short 25 minute drive from St. George, UT. 

Years ago I had been to Zion & Bryce National Parks with my friend Denise. I had remembered both as beautiful, but I liked Zion better because it had more greenery. This time I think I have reversed my opinion! (Although it is hard to compare national parks when they are all unique and stunning in their own ways.) During the summer season, you can only view Zion by going on a (free) shuttle bus through the park. There are several stops where you can get off and take hikes. One of things that I had remembered the most from my previous trip was "the Narrows", where you walk between canyon walls. This time it was closed due to spring snow melt/run off - which can lead to flash floods. I was disappointed that Andy could not see that part of the park. 

Checkerboard Mesa, Zion National Park

Zion

More Rock Formations, Zion

A beautiful clear day to view all of this! 

Zion

Lots of contrast between the trees and rocks 

We came into Zion from the east entrance (no shuttle on that road), where most of these pictures were taken. At Canyon Junction we parked and then boarded the shuttle. We did stop and take the hike at the Lower Emerald Pool Trail (one of the easier ones!). 

Bryce is stunning, to say the least. Zion & Bryce Canyon parks are only 72 miles apart, but completely different in how they look. Bryce is famous for its "hoodoos". Hoodoos come from erosion out of cliffs where rows of narrow walls form. Frost-wedging (water seeping into rocks, freezing and thawing causing cracks in the rocks) occurs, creating holes or windows. As the windows grow, the tops eventually collapse, leaving a column. Rain further dissolves these pillars into the spires we call hoodoos. Bryce Canyon National Park is constantly evolving with the forces of weathering and erosion.

Bryce also runs a shuttle, but it is optional. We were able to drive the the scenic route through the park, and didn't have any trouble finding parking at each of the stops. 

Rock Formations at Bryce

Close up of Hoodoos 

Bryce

Natural Bridge, Bryce Canyon 

There are trees at Bryce (contrary to my memory!)

Still snow in the higher elevations on May 11

Can you see the holes in the rock walls?

More hoodoos

As always, we are in awe of the beauty and diversity of our national parks. We can't say enough about how lucky we are to be able to view these parks, and have them at our disposal in our country. We are amazed that when we are at a national park, we hear a lot of foreign languages - German, French, Japanese, and others we don't recognize. 

Grand Canyon (North Rim) comes up next, so that will wait for the next installment of our GSA.

It's A Wrap! Winter 2018-19

Wow, time flies when you're having fun! Or, when your mostly just working and doing daily stuff. In November, we were in St. Augustine taking care of our yearly dental, doctor and eye appointments. In December, we moved to Wilderness RV Park (www.wildernessrvparkestates.com) near Silver Springs, FL and just north of Ocala. While we liked the park, the amenities, and the area, cellular coverage was nearly non-existent. We knew that we would need to move (we had originally planned to be there 5 months).

We had already planned to go to Red Bay in January to get items taken care of - opting for a less crowded time than if we had gone in the fall. After flying to MN for Christmas, Andy went back alone to get in line for service when they opened up after Christmas break.

A Rare Sight at the Service Center!

I stayed behind in MN to spend more time with the kids and grandkids. While there, I was able to see Kirsten's and Mira's Christmas play, meet Emily's boyfriend, take in a hockey game for Olin and a basketball game for Sophie, go visit a snow sculpture in the cities, see the Surley Brewing Co., help the girls with their crocheting, and meet up with family and girlfriends. Actually, it wasn't too bad in MN while I was there. (The weather got much worse in February, and they're now dealing with an April snowstorm!)

While in FL we did manage to take in some fun activities. Near St. Augustine is Marineland (www.marineland.net). While we didn't go swimming with the dolphins, we were up close and personal with them while kneeling next to the tanks. Kudos to Marineland for taking the pictures and allowing us to upload them (without charging extra!). 

Fun with the Dolphins

In Silver Springs, we took a glass bottom boat ride on the Silver Springs River. During that ride we were treated to not only seeing birds and alligators, but a bunch of manatees in the river. These mammals always amaze me. 

Our Glass Bottom Boat

Group of Manatees

Not sure if this was a mom and baby, but sure are cute anyway!

Since we needed to move, Andy found us a spot in Brunswick, GA for February. While on one of our trips to Jacksonville we checked out Pecan Park RV Resort in north Jacksonville and found out they had just had a cancellation for March and April. That proved to be very handy as we made a lot of trips to the doctor (2 minor surgeries for Andy) and being closer saved us time and money with less miles and wear and tear on the car.

On Andy's bucket list was to witness a rocket launch from Cape Canaveral. On March 2nd, we witnessed the launch of the Space X Demo-1, the first flight test of the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft. There is something to be said for witnessing a launch on the grounds of Kennedy Space Center-we were as close as they would allow.

Kennedy Space Center at night 

We've also taken a day trip to Savannah, done a Jekyll Island Tour, and taken a boat trip to Cumberland Island. While in Savannah, we ate at Paula Deen's restaurant, The Lady & Sons. Cumberland Island has a rich history, including being the winter home of the Carnegie (steel magnates) family. JFK, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette were married on the south end of the island in 1996. Today it is a a national seashore run by the US Park Service. Wild horses and other wildlife are protected in their natural environment. We even took in the Clay County Fair in Green Cove Springs. 

We'll soon be leaving and heading west again, this time to take in the national parks in Utah. We are excited to get going!

8 months, 10,924 miles

The great summer adventure actually spilled over into fall. Now that we are in Florida for the winter, I've had a chance to tally up some statistics for our "summer" of travel. After leaving Florida in March, we headed north to GA for a FMCA Rally, then to AL for factory repairs, onto to MO and KS to see friends and more maintenance, then to the west coast, staying a month in Oregon (saw my brother & wife), fitting in an over night trip to Victoria, Canada, and 2 weeks in WA. Then heading east experiencing our first major breakdown (had to be towed), seeing more friends and family as we headed towards the east coast. Up to VT from MD and then back, then heading south though VA, NC, SC and TN before the last leg to FL. As Norwegians would say, UFFDA!

8 months

10,924 miles driven

234 avg. # of miles driven/day

6 New States

34 States Visited

6 National Parks

0 -Total # of Bear Sightings

We enjoyed our time in Middletown visiting family and taking in Middletown football games. We were able to get some needed maintenance done on the RV-a new windshield, a new clutch fan, and some minor indoor maintenance helped by (RV tech in training) grandson Jacob. 

Grandpa supervising RV Tech Jacob 

Jacob's (#32) Middletown Knights Football team 

Fun time on the Ferris Wheel at the Frederick County Fair

On our list was a trip to Essex Junction, VT for a Tiffin Rally. These are always fun and a great chance to get together with fellow Tiffinites. Despite the rain, we had a good time. It seemed that wherever we went in the northeast, we were hitting it just before peak colors for the fall foliage.

Opening Dinner at Tiffin Rally, Salute to Veterans Night

Andy & I 

My friend Kathy had told me about some friends from Fargo that were going to be in DC visiting the sights. We were able to connect and I was able to spend a Sunday with Babs and Pat at the Washington National Cathedral. It is a beautiful place, and it was poignant for me realizing that just a couple of weeks before, presidents had been sitting not far from where I was for the funeral of Senator John McCain. It truly is the nation's church. We had a fun day with the touring and catching up on each other's lives since I had left Fargo. 

Altar at the National Cathedral

One of the most photographed stained glass windows at the National Cathedral

Space stained glass window

Each stained glass window tells a different story. The range from old to present day. This window depicts space exploration and even has an actual moon rock in it. You can see the orbit between the moon and earth depicted in the glass. 

Tres Amigas - Pat, Jean & Babs

Picture taken along the Cherohala Skyway in TN 

While it's sad to have the traveling part over with, we are also glad to be in one place for a while. Things just are much easier when we are not on the road. We'll be in St. Augustine for a month while we take care of doctor and dentist appointments. After that we head to a place near Ocala, FL for the rest of the winter. 

Great Summer Adventure 2018 - Installment Five - Heading East

Well, Labor Day has come and gone so it's time to wrap up the great summer adventure of 2018. It can be summarized by lots of miles, visiting family and friends, a couple of surprises and more fun.

From Washington we headed east through northern Idaho, then to Montana where we stopped in Bozeman to see college roommate Jan and her husband Jim. We figured out it had been 25 years since we had last been together! We had a fun time catching up. In Bozeman, we stayed at the Bozeman Hot Springs Campground. Our daily fee also gave us access to the Hot Springs next door. What a treat to be able to soak in the warm springs at the end of the day! (This gal misses a good soak in a bathtub.)

This buffalo was in TRNP, not Yellowstone!

College Roomie Jan and I 

We also took a day to visit Yellowstone National  Park. We traveled the south loop and saw Old Faithful and also the Painted Pots hot springs. We were hoping to see buffalo, and maybe bears. We did see an elk. Bear sightings remain at 0 for the entire summer. :( 

Firehole Falls, Yellowstone National Park 

One of many geysers

Beautiful View

This guide plugs into your car

It's worthwhile to mention the "Gaperguide".  For $45/day, this device plugs into your car, and uses a gps to give you a personalized guide to the park as your drive through it. This includes not only your location, but history and other fun facts about the park. We definitely thought it was worth the money. 

While in the campground, we met up with fellow Tiffin owners, Jon and Cathy K. We had fun comparing notes and getting to know each other. (We love how you have an instant community with fellow Tiffin owners.) Jon & Cathy, we look forward to seeing you on the road again!

From Montana, we headed east towards ND and the Theodore Roosevelt National Park near Medora, ND. We had originally planned on staying in Dickinson. At the last minute, we changed our campground reservation to Medora. After having dinner, we drove to downtown Medora. All of a sudden, I said, "I think I just saw one of my high school classmates!" We turned around and went back to where I thought I'd seen them. We went into a restaurant and sure enough, there was Linda J. and Joanne B. SMALL WORLD! They were staying in Dickinson because they couldn't get a room in Medora. However, they had driven over for the evening to explore Medora. After joining them in the restaurant, we drove through the park, and ended up seeing beautiful wild horses and buffalo up close and personal. This was definitely an example of  SERENDIPITY!

From Medora we traveled to Fargo, stopping to see good friend, Mary D. Then it was on to MN and WI where we stayed at Willow River State Park near Hudson. We were joined there by daughter Sara and family. 

Andy & I by Willow River Falls

Grandma & Grandpa with Hope, Chloe & Alexander

Willow River Falls

We also had a chance to connect with son Erik and family, and while in Waseca, daughter Becky and family. It was fun to get my "grandma" fix!

Also, while in MN, we had a chance to get all of the (midwest) cousins together. (Planets have to align for this to happen! ) My niece Olivia lives in London, so periodically comes back to MN for visits. This time we found an evening where all six (midwest) cousins could manage to get together. (We're missing the CA contingent, Alison and Alex, Alison's spouse and daughter.)  

Can you tell we're sisters?

Cousins all grown up with their spouses

Grandkids (of course not all looking at the camera!)

I think we're officially the old farts!

We've done the drive from MN to MD many times, so there was nothing new to report. The roads in Indiana are STILL terrible. I think they are the worst we've ever driven on. Right now we're in MD seeing the east coast contingent of grandkids, and seeing some Middletown Knights football, courtesy of grandsons Vince and Jacob. Also, while here, I get a chance to see Kathy H., former pastor from Fargo, ND, where I used to live. Since we are here for a while, we've caught up on some things, including getting our cracked windshield fixed. 

Next stop: Tiffin Rally in Vermont. We're  looking forward to gathering with other Tiffin owners and seeing fall colors!

Great Summer Adventure 2018 - Installment Four - Washington - After

After we left Seattle, we headed east on Highway 2, taking the more scenic route through the mountains. We were on our way to Wenatchee when all of a sudden we had buzzers going off and warning lights on the dash. Pulling over to the side of the road, we realized that the engine was overheating. We let it cool down and then started the engine again. It was barely 5 minutes before the same thing happened again. 😒

We were able to drive to the Stevens Pass Recreational Area - it had a big parking lot and because it was off season for them (ski area in the winter) they let us park there without any problem. This was on Monday afternoon and of course, with the time difference, the Tiffin Service Center was just closing when we called. We did call our roadside service, which assured us they would find someone to tow us. (Tiffin had suggested we be towed.) Andy spent most of Tuesday morning on the phone trying to figure out what was going on, when we would be able to get towed, what the probable problem was, etc. Finally, around 5:15 on Tuesday night, the tow truck showed up. We had originally been scheduled to go back to the Seattle area. However, after asking, they found us a dealer in the Spokane area since we were heading east. It took nearly 3 hours for the guy to hook up the motor home. It's a bit scary when you see your home being towed down the highway. (We drove in the car.)

It takes a big truck to tow a motor home!

Making sure things are attached

About ready to leave

Monday night we drove to Leavenworth, WA. This city is a replica of a Bavarian town in Switzerland with everything (even McDonald's and Wells Fargo) having Bavarian architecture and design. 

Leavenworth, WA

After a long day, both the tow truck and motor home and us made it to Spokane. We spent the night in the parking lot of the dealer. On Wednesday, our initial diagnosis was confirmed, a failed clutch fan on the engine. A part was ordered from Tiffin. We were able to keep our reservation at Alderwood Campground near Spokane. On Thursday,we took a day trip to Coeur d'Alene, ID. While there we enjoyed a boat trip on Lake Coeur d'Alene. 

Lake Coeur d'Alene 

The part arrived as promised on Friday and we were able to get installed without any problems. And, we were able to leave the area on schedule. All in all, it was not as bad as it could have been. We went from "OMG, what are we going to do now?" to "Well, that wasn't as bad as we thought". We have certainly heard of others who have had it worse than we have. It's still scary when something this big causes you to have to have your motor home towed. We survived, and that is what's key. 

Our west coast adventure done, we head on going east. As always, more adventure to come!