travel blog

Up early, pack and on the road by 7:30 am (AZ time, I’ll lose an hour in Colorado).  Went north of Flagstaff then west to Tuba City on US 160 across Arizona.  This stretch was like travelling on Rt. 66 last year, not much of anything in terms of services on the road.  Just a few small oases on the way.  The landscape was high plains desert.  The territory was mostly Navaho and a little Zuni.  I passed near Monument Valley and not too far from Canyon de Chelly, which I left for another time.
I stopped at Four Corners.  This is the only place in the United States where four states meet (NE is Utah, SE is Arizona, NW is Colorado and SW is New Mexico.  You actually pass slightly into New Mexico to got to the Four Corners Monument on Navaho Land.  I had been here with Denny and Jim and Sue Rundborg in the early 70s but like everything else, much has changed.  For one thing, the area designating Four Corners has been expanded and looks more official.  The other thing is the semicircle of covered tables displaying authentic Indian wares (and some tourist-type souvenirs.  Some of the pottery and jelery was magnificent.  I bought a few things and moved on.
The landscape had been pretty uniform all day.  Mostly flat with uprising rock mesas and monuments near and far.  Not much vegetation except for a few shrubs and flowering weeds which brightened the roadside.  Shortly after entering Colorado there was a dramatic change.  More shrubs, a few trees, grass growing in open areas.  Larger areas of mixed vegetation became the norm.  The change was truly dramatic.  I needed a geologist with me to explain the differences in what I saw.  The desert was beautiful, but changes wroght by access to water makes such a difference.
Stopped by the Visitor Center and City Park in Durango.  The Animas River, one of the few wild rivers (ie, not dammed) left in the U.S, passes through Durango and the park.  Many people were rafting the river, which was flowing fast and wide because of meltoff in the mountains.
Got directions to Cottonwood RV Park just outside the city limits with a creek running alongside and settled in for the night.

We started out by going to Home Depot to by a cordless drill and bit so I can raise and lower my trailer legs without hand cranking.  Anything to save me from doing a little work.
Our first stop was Walnut Canyon National Monument east of Flag.  The area was established as a National Monument in 195 to preserve the remains of over 300 ruins, 87 of which were Sinagua tribe cliff dwellings.  Over the winter a HUGE rock fell onto the trail so we could not walk to the cliff dwellings but some were clearly visible from the visitor center.  We mainly came to see the video presentation which had been discontinued at least two years ago.  This whole area was obviously inhabited my man for thousands of years.  More wildflowers to take pictures of.
We then travelled north to Wupatki and Sunset Crater Volcano national monuments.  Several ruins were accessable in Wupatki, including a major ruin by the Visitor Center.  By walking to them you could see the box canyons below the surface that sheltered animals and provided areas for farming.  The day was really windy and my hair became quite a fright.
Sunset Crater Volcano national monument really showed the effect of the immense volcanic activity in this area.  Miles and miles of black volcanic powder covers the earth.  I walked the trail within a volcanic lava flow at the base of one of the volcanic cones.  Got scoured a little when the wind blew some of the ash and dirt my way.
Stopped at a GREAT used bookstore called Bookman’s in Flag (getting the local gargon down).  The to Northern Arizona Museum on the way home.  The museum sells authentic Indian jewelry, rugs, and other artifacts.  I looked but did not buy.  What beautiful craftsmanship!!
Home for another soak in the hot tub, conversation with Lin and friend Val and crashed early to read and sleep.

Up early, joined by Cindy (across the street neighbor) then breakfast at the Country Host, a truck stop in town.  Lin has been making sure I eat PLENTY and am drinking LOTS of water.  Started out in good fashion.  Stopped at an overlook a few miles from home to view the Oak Creek Canyon.  Native Americans had their various goods displayed so we shopped a bit.  This overlook is in the Coconino National Forest which gives permits to the Indians to display and sell their wares.  We went to take some picture from the overlook but at my camera battery had died.  So back to Flag (the abbreviation for ???).  Underway again. 
From the overlook is a series of steep switchbacks down into the canyon.  The road was lined with flowering shrubs, bushes and wildflowers to add to the scenery.  A popular place to get wet in the summer is called Slide Rock, a broad area in the river made of descending rock shelves to slide over. 
We stopped but did not shop in Sedona.  Went to the visitor center for maps and stuff.  Sedona itself is a shoppers paradise and a real tourist trap.  West of Sedona we stoppe at the Chapel of the Holy Cross built high into the red rocks.  It was a very beautiful and peaceful stop. 
Then on to Jerome high on Mingus Mountain.  Jerome was a booming copper-mining town at the term of the century and was known as Arizona’s Biooion Doollar Copper Camp.  Its population peaked in the 1920s.  After the mines closed in 1953 is became a ghost town.  Since it has become known as a artist haven and tourist destination.  A fun place to visit and have lunch.
We missed the turnoff for Tuzigoot National Monument which is the remnant of a Southern Sinagus village, one of many pueblo building societies.  But such a great day!!!  Passing by Cottonwood and the Verde (green) valley you can see the value of water to vegetation.  A nice ride home.  A soak (for me) in Cindy’s hot tub.  A book to read then lights out.

Lin had to get up a 3am to go to work. She updates financials and it was the end of the month. I did not get up with her. Can’t say I did anything significant while Lin was at work.  When she finally got home (much later than expected), the day had not gone well (printers down).  So we revised our day a bit. 
Played cribbage and a new card game with Cindy, another neighbor.  Then Lin and I planted 2 flats plus of flowers in various flower beds.  Lin actually planted most of the flowers, I watered themk.  The front yard has defined planting beds surrounded by rocks.  Some of the planting beds were almost as hard as the rocks, so some beds got more new flowers than others.  Had dinner, then went to Cindy’s to set awhile in her hot tub.  Lin really doen’t like hot tubs so she and Cindy sat and talked.  Tomorrow we’ll head to Sedona and see a couple of National Monuments.  Sounds like a plan!!!

I got up before Lin went to work for another 1/2 day.  Within minutes Marlene (the neighbor next door) brought fresh baked muffins over for me (and Lin) to share.  What a warm (literally) surprise.   Even though Lin forgot to write all of them down, I think I did pretty good remembering them all.  So I watered the the plants bought yesterday but still unplanted, cut up a pineapple, got the covers for chairs and swing in the backyard out of the storage shed, took the movie to Joanne and Kevin–who invited us to a Wool Festival this afternoon, separated the truck and trailer, and brought in the box of books I had in the truck for Lin.  Thought I did pretty good.
After Lin got home and we caught up on things we went to the Wool Festival at the Historical Museum.  Besides hand shearing a sheep by Native Americans, petting an alpaca, viewing spinning dyed wools, eating blue corn shortbread and Cowboy beans cooked over coals in pioneer dutch ovens, we also saw a demonstration of herding of geese by dogs.  Two different dogs were used in separate demonstrations: an Australian collie and a Border collie. 
We went back home and picked up used books and videos and all of us went to this really stupendous used bookstore.  One of my favorite places to be.  Then ice cream, then back home.
I was able to “entertain” some of the neighbors by showing them my trailer, inside and out.
Then dinner, some conversation and the end of a wonderful day.  Wonder what we’ll do tomorrow!!!

If I wanted to move somewhere, this would be one of my prime choices!! The morning was cool, the afternoon warm, the sky sunny, tall Ponderosa pines provide shade, we are at 8000 ft.or so, Steller jays dive from the trees around us, hummingbirds hum, etc. etc. Lin went to work (at Home Depot 1/2 day today) at 5:30 am and I got up shortly after. Caught up on email, and my blogs. Did laundry, and enjoyed the backyard.
The neighborhood is near Arizona University and is called University Heights. I suspect the neighbors nearly are so outgoing because Lin has brought a lot or organization and fun in being together. They warmly greeted my last night, coming out of their houses and yards, off porches to greet me. During dinner and after Lin and I just started up where we left off 35 years ago. Laughing at the names we couldn’t easily recall and other aging phenonmena we both share.
As flats of 6 pack flowers were on sale at Home Depot for 99 cents, we took Joanne (a neighbor who recently broke her kneecap and is in a brace and can’t drive) with up and loaded Lin’s SUV with bargains. Then we went to Joanne (and Kevin’s) house to plant her flower boxes on the porch, enjoying wine, artichokes, crackers, swiss cheese and friendship. Great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
Lin and I watched a Netflix movie “The Shipping News” in the evening and turned in early after a full and fulfilling day.

Got up early, ready for a full day at Zion. Should have kept with my plan. Went to town (Springgate) and found free WiFi (well, I did have to buy $2.99 worth of goods–coffee and bagels) and because I brought my own computer. Cool. So I posted 2 days. Then I got this hot idea to go to the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park after reading Kwis’s email (my college roommate). Not that that was a bad idea, but by the time I got the trailer travel ready and hooked up, it was past 1pm. Then I had to drive almost 4 hours.
Have I mentioned the wonderful wildflowers that are in bloom along the highway? I’m so glad I decided to travel now and not later so I can enjoy seeing so many kinds of wildflowers in bloom. Of course, I keep stopping to take a picture (or two).
I got a little bummed out after turning onto the road leading to the North Rim. After about 15 miles and for the next several miles all I could see was a totally burned forest, mainly large Ponderosa pines. I later found out that the fire started by a lightning strike and even though the National Forest Rangers were at the fire site almost immediately, they decided not to put it out but to let it burn awhile to clear underbrush. Bad decision. The fire started last July during the hottest, driest part of the summer. The fire quickly went out of control and 60,000 acres of prime timber and a beautiful landscape was destroyed. Because the fire took place in a National Forest, none of the standing timber, which could still be harvested, can be used. I wonder what it cost to finally bring the fire under control.
When I got to the Grand Canyon National Park North Rim gate I found out that the campground was closed. Iasked the park ranger where the closest RV Park was and she said 5 miles north. So I bnacktracked but either missed the RV park sign or it wasn’t posted for northbound traffic. So I kept going back to where I had turned off, Jacob Lake, about a 40 mile drive to the park gate.
The Kaibab campeRVillage is very nice. Cute name, huh? It’s about 1/4 mile from Jacob Lake and the sites are in a Ponderosa pine forest. The pines were sighing in the wind when I arrived, and so I was I. I took a little walk and decided to shower in the trailer. I tight fit but the water heater worked great. And I feel better. So I’ll quit while I’m ahead.

The temperature overnite was cool, but not uncomfortable even without heat. Got up early and walked to Zion Human History Museum (a mile or so from the campground) to catch the shuttle bus to ride Zion Canyon Scenic Drive along the North Fork of the Virgin River. Got off at Court of the Patriarchs (three giant stone formations named after disciples) for camera shots. Then went to the far end and got off at the Temple of Sinawava, a large semi-circular wall of sedimentary sandstone that is divided by a crevice formed by erosion through the rock to form the Virgin River.

From there I walked Riverside Walk (2.0 miles) to the Narrows, a crack where only river walkers can continue on. The canyon along the riverside walk narrows significantly, with the Virgin River. The water that flows through the canyon mainly filters through the sandstone walls themselves. The water has been dated to be from 1000 to 4000 years old in different places. Imagine, if you will, a garden of plants (mostly blooming this time of year) clinging to the canyon walls. I’m not a flower person, but I took lots and lots of pictures. It was so beautiful!! A mule deer with large velvet antlers was feeding on cottonwood leaves just off the Walk. (Took a picture of him too.)

After getting on the shuttle to return to camp, I stopped at the History Museum and went inside for enlightenment. Then walked back to camp. I have to admit that I am affected by the altitude and find climbing difficult. It was a GREAT day!
To my walking friends, I exceeded our goal today!!