The Grand Canyon

Driving south from Zion, northern Arizona is mostly forested high plains. The northern part of the state is a broken piece of land known as the Grand Canyon.  From plateaus to forests, beautiful trees open to soft meadows where wolves once ran.  We drove toward the north rim to camp at the Demotte Campground, the only public campground within a few miles of the north rim.  This would be the first time dry camping for an extended time since the Denali fiasco and we were hoping that our battery issue had been fixed.

As soon as we were set up, and even though it was late afternoon, we couldn't wait to see that big hole in the ground.  We drove the 8 or so miles with anxious anticipation and pulled into the parking lot just after the sun set.  We practically ran from the Jeep to the north rim which was just on the other side of the parking lot.  Tears streamed as we got just a peek at the beauty we would be enjoying the next few days. Our breaths were taken away as we watched the sunset and the overture began to play in our heads.  (The Grand Canyon Suite by Grofe`, which we listened to on our way to the canyon.)

The next morning we were up early and eating a big breakfast to prepare for the day.  We hopped in the Jeep, put the CD into the player and hit "play."  We drove a few back roads along the north rim and fell in love with Cape Royal. 

The fall colors were already spectacular.  Instead of looking south and west, the view is east.  You can see Navajo lands as well and the beginnings of the crack that is the Grand Canyon. This area allows you to get very close to the edge and feel the vastness of the earth's fracture.  From a single river, the canyon is cut over a mile deep. 

We drove back to the RV for lunch and puppy patrol.  As we drove, we saw something in the glen near our campground.  It was a raven playing with a dog near a water hole.  No, not a dog, a coyote. We watched as we got closer as the two were having too much fun.  As we zoomed in for photos, we began to sense that the coyote was not a coyote after all.  It was a wolf!! A raven and a WOLF were playing in a small watering hole in the middle of the glen.  We watched for a few minutes and even got a short video before the two of them really noticed us. It was amazingly beautiful and unexpected. Kathy and I were lucky enough to see the first one to come back to this area after years.   A few weeks after seeing the two, we would read that a wolf had been spotted near the north rim - right where we were.  We are convinced that we watched the wolf that day and are still hoping to get a confirmation of our video and photographs.

After lunch, we headed to the park headquarters.  We inquired about donkey rides and were told there were no donkey rides but that there are mule rides.  We went into the lodge and a few other buildings and reserved our place for the mule rides the next day.  Then we walked out to Angels Point.  The wind reminded us, fall was in the air although temps were in the high seventies.  The walk down a narrow tar path is exhilarating. At some point people walking in opposite directions must pause and step aside to let others pass.  I found a little alcove in the rocks to stop and enjoy the shade.  The point is an experience where wind wraps you as you look down for the river which is just out of sight.

We decided to walk the rim trail back to the parking lot. The long winding trail ended up in the campground.  We were disappointed to find the "completely booked" campground was nearly empty as only five days remained before the park closed for winter.  We stopped at the little store and had some ice cream.  Kathy figured out how to get back to the Jeep while I used the wifi to get caught up on emails and Facebook.  We drove home and enjoyed the evening with the puppies and a satisfying dinner.

Our last day at the canyon we met the mule wranglers near the lodge.  The company which offers mule rides on the north rim has had the contact for more than ten years.  Our wrangler had only been with them for two seasons.  He was a horseman and who had learned to appreciate miles surefootedness and toughness.  He told us about how the rental mules were rescue heroes.  They were the means of rescuing hikers who were injured or gave up on the canyon floor.  We enjoyed riding the edge and seeing the canyon and forest from a different view.  Even Kathy liked the mules although she is not terribly fond of horseback riding.  

What a great time with no crowds.  We highly recommend visiting the north rim close to the end of the season.

Nevada and Utah in September

As soon as you cross into Nevada near Lake Tahoe there are several casinos. Seems like every town had some sort of gambling opportunity.  As we drove through the desert toward Las Vegas to visit family we noticed a reservoir that didn't have any water.  Lake Lohotan dam was a dry river bed. Boat ramps and lake shores in the park were dry.

Near the Walker Reservoir, we stayed in Tonopah Station casino RV park  After making ten dollars in the slot machines we took the dogs for a walk. The neighborhood now sidewalks and foundations had been military housing.  Along the highways we were reminded how many bases still exist in Nevada.  Knowing some of the history of the atomic age, it was a realty check watching on-going military training games.

We drove past acres of bunkers containing ancient military secrets and current technologies of potential destruction.  These images reminded us how far away we actually are from world peace.  In Las Vegas, we camped in Main Street Station Casino and RV Park.  Although basically a parking lot it has some trees for shade and was a mere $16.00 a night for full hook ups.  It was also perfect for ease of access to downtown and family, Kathy's sister Karen.

We were excited to see her since it had been over three years. We  headed toward the Container Park, a yuppie group of metal container buildings and adult toys such as a large slide and a fire breathing preying mantis.  It was a fun  night.The next day was a family backyard BBQ.  We did the friendly thing and brought both dogs and loads of laundry.

As we made our plans to go on to Zion National Park, we invited Karen along. She decided to join us for one nigh.  Kathy and I drove on to Zion, an easy drive from Vegas.  The view of sandstone cutout gorges are very beautiful images.  We camped at the Zion Canyon Campground just a half mile from the south entrance.  A little pricey but well maintained and easy access to Zion National Park.  In fact the free shuttle bus stops right out front.

Kathy and I took the bus into the park and then on to Emerald Pools.  Kathy was easing me into hiking with stories that her mother and sister had previously hiked the pools.  There are three paths the lower pools hike is completely paved and is an easy hike for anyone.  Getting to the middle pools you climb narrow switchbacks with one hundred foot incline.  The pools spill down a waterfall to the lower pools.  The upper pools is at the end of a narrow rough and sometimes steep trail.  The pools an inviting oasis, in which one can no longer swim, is framed by three sheer rock faces.

We enjoyed lingering by the cool waters as the day warmed and we shed layers of clothing.  On the way down we purposefully made sure we felt the spray from the falls we walked under. These cooled us.

After getting Kathy's Passport stamp and purchasing a pin at the bookstore we headed back home.  Passport stamps are dated rubber cancellation stamps each national park has to record your visit. They also sell passport books for you to keep your cancellation and notes.  Kathy also has a National Wildlife Refuge passport book for our visits there.

 That evening we biked to town.  Springdale Utah is the little town adjacent to the the southern entrance to Zion National Park.  Springdale claims to be "the gateway to scenery and adventure."   The town of 500 permanent residents welcomes a millions of Zion visitors from all over the world. This charming community was welcoming and eclectic with its artists at its roots.  Although a tourist community, along with other town like Valdez AK, this town goes on our list of communities to further explore for future longer stays.

As we bicycled back to camp the trip was mostly up hill.  Our legs tired from hiking and elevation it was somewhat challenging.  As dusk approached quickly, I wanted to get off the roads since our bikes do not have lights.  I pushed on harder and shifted down. suddenly I got a burst of energy and began humming the Bicycle Song or Miss Gulches theme from The Wizard of Oz.  There I was singing do dey doont de do duh, day do dey do de do duh, as a came up from behind and passed Kathy who had slowed down to a crawl on the final hill.  She laughed so hard she couldn't continue her ride and came to a complete stop. Kathy fondly remembers this event vividly even months later.

Karen came to join us the next day.  She hiked the infamous switchbacks of Angel Landing.

Kathy joined her in support but didn't finish the final nearly deadly ascent.  It was Karen's trek.  She succeeded.

The next morning Karen drove us to bison farm through the tunnel that we would be taking the RV through the next day.  Zion Mountain Ranch is a private park offering cabins, horseback riding and immediate trail access to Zion's southeast entrance. It is a great locale and is highly recommended for those without an RV.  On the way back to our campground in town we stopped to watch a herd of mountain goats.

It was awesome seeing these quick and nimble creatures.

Karen needed to head home to complete her packing so it was a hard goodbye knowing what else lie ahead for her.  Our departure through Zion's tunnel was an opportunity for me to watch the RV in action as I followed in the Jeep.  The Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel is 1.1 mile tunnel completed in 1930, is narrow and has several turns.  All large vehicles must be measured and obtain a $15.00 permit to access the tunnel so the Rangers will stop oncoming traffic during your passage.  It was fun taking video and trying to take pictures through the openings in the tunnel as we drove through.  Leaving Utah on highway 89 south the landscape begins to change from sandstone to forests. Although politics being tainted but religious views is off putting, Utah is a state we remember fondly.

Oregon Coastline

Oregon's rocky coastline is protected by eleven historic lighthouses.  Kathy loves lighthouses, their unique construction at visually stunning locations while helping save lives draws her attention.  I love spiral staircases: construction feats of wrought iron. Once we visited the lighthouse in Port Isabel, TX.  and took pictures and created an art piece by combining photos. With both of us liking these wonders, our guest bedroom in Austin was decorated for Kathy's mom.  We made it Evelyn's coastal oasis with lighthouse pictures, a seascape, and a lighthouse throw which is still traveling with us. Lighthouses are a way for each of us to get a fix, we looked forward to Oregon's coast.

As we cut towards the coast  we drove into Newport.   We decided to camp at South Beach State Park, the largest state park we had ever stayed in.  The first row of RVs were all camp hosts.    

Some hosts worked with RVers, some with cabin rentals and some with the Yurt rentals.  This might be a possible work camp position after our first journey is complete.


That night Frances, our little poodle, got sick. She threw up all over her bed then had diarrhea on the throw rug.  Poor Sick puppy we were terribly worried about her.  She seemed to be running a fever and definitely wasn't feeling well.  Laundry, thanks to Frances, was the priority in the morning; we headed to town.  Clothes in the washer, we drove a few blocks and found our first Oregon coast lighthouse. 

We took pictures from the beach and returned to the Laundromat.  

After laundry we visited another lighthouse and went downtown to watch the sea lions play.  

Once on the road again, we enjoyed the coast so thoroughly that at one point Kathy noticed we'd only driven 53 miles in 3 hours. As we continued our Lighthouse search, a tropical storm came in.  We made our way into Port Orford. A blinking light warned severe winds were making the road impassable for large vehicles, including us.  

We found a grocery store and Joy went in and asked the manager if we could dry camp overnight.  They said absolutely, we always say yes to anyone who asks. We were trapped at Ray’s grocery and eating ice cream as solace.  I'd bet the manager would be happy our parking along the edge of the parking lot caused a couple making out in the back seat of a car to stop and leave. 

We had a quick dinner, walked the dogs in the pouring rain and were off to bed early. We were up and on road by 7:00 am.  It was still raining but the wind had greatly diminished. This was the worse storm of the summer during our travels.

Beautiful coastal views now dark and ominous. Waves cashing on the rocks caused us to stop and sing the Hawaii Five-O theme song.   

Cape Blanco lighthouse was like a painting with sound and texture.  Our final lighthouse stop was one that had been moved inland after being destroyed by the waters it shines upon.  The coast guard who operates this lighthouse stills uses its unique red and white lens.  

As the rain lifted the road began to meander through the dunes which we just had to stop and climb.  The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area was an aerobic blast. Even Keila climbed to the top of the dune to see the Pacific Ocean on the other side.  What a great way to say goodbye to the Oregon coast.