Day Seventeen - Down The River

Page, AZ - Oct 20:  We were sold down the river by our rafting company. Actually that is not true, they were forced to cancel all their trips for today due to a forecast of very high winds. Safety first you know. And the forecast was correct. But Andra and I were left to find something to do in place of our half-day raft trip through Glen Canyon to Lee’s Ferry. We actually drove down to Lee’s Ferry, crossing the Colorado River on the Navajo Bridge at Marble Canyon. This historic  ferry site is the “jumping off” place for Grand Canyon rafting trips, so upstream is Glen Canyon and downstream is the Grand, at least as far as rafting is concerned.

Later we returned to Page and continued north to Big Water, Utah to visit the dinosaur exhibit at the Grand Staircase- Escalante National Monument visitor center. Our day was slow but enjoyable, and by nightfall we were ready to get out of the increasingly strong wind. 

Day Sixteen - Monumental

Spent most of today driving from Page, AZ over to the Navajo Tribal Park that the world knows as Monument Valley. It was made famous by Hollywood’s use as a setting for many westerns back in the day when westerns were big. Awesome area of buttes and spires which seem to soar straight up out of the surrounding desert.

It is a great place for landscape photography, and we took our share of photos. Well worth the drive over and back, we where glad we did it. 

Day Fifteen - Goodbye Sedona, Hello Page

Another travel day. We hung around Sedona as long as we could but soon it was time to hit the road for Page. Our route took us through Flagstaff again so there was nothing else to do but to eat at the place where we had stopped two days before. And yes, another Mexican food choice with green chilies, this time the dish had the name “Pablo’s Last Meal.” Don’t know the back story on that. 

Finally arrived in Page, found our lodging and called it a day. Tomorrow we will trek over to Monument Valley. It should be monumental. 

Day Fourteen - Red Rock Country, Arizona Style

So much to do in Sedona so the only recourse is to visit again. But for today we visited a few top attractions and then took a train ride on the Verde Canyon Railroad. Andra knows I am nuts about trains and it was a way see more of the country. 

It is great to have Andra along for this portion of my trip. It makes the days brighter and more meaningful. Yes, I am blessed. 

Day Thirteen - Seductive Sedona

Made the trip down from Kingman to Sedona with a stop off in Flagstaff for lunch. Had to have the Green Chili Ham & Cheese sandwich, of course. So many Green Chili dishes, so little time. 

We had a very nice cabin for the night in a very pretty setting. We toured the town on the way to the grocery store and all the while we were asking ourselves “how come we’ve never been here before?” This area is my new favorite part of Arizona.

Day Twelve - Together

Best day of the trip so far. Picked up Andra at the Las Vegas airport and together we will spend the next week at several locales in Arizona and Utah. The important word in the above sentence is “together.” Together means the enjoyment doubles while the burdens are cut in half. We experience it together instead of me telling her about it. 

Right away she treated me to great Mexican food at a restaurant she had discovered on one of her many trips to Vegas. I see now why she raves about it. Then on to Kingman, AZ to spend the night after a very long day for her (4 am wake up). 

Day Eleven - The Road

Some days are rather monotonous. Today was one of those. Activities included breaking camp in Hunter Canyon near Moab, driving to St George, Utah, and checking into a hotel for the night. But it was a set-up day. It set me up to make a short drive into Las Vegas tomorrow to pick up Andra when she flies out from Huntsville. Together we will explore several stops in Arizona and Utah during this next week.

Although the day’s activities were not the grandest, the drive along Interstates 70 and 15 was not monotonous. The scenery was interesting and varied, so if for no other reason than the fact that this was my first time to ever cover that route, today had its place in this epic trip.

Day Ten - Amazing Beautiful Country

I am incapable of capturing the beauty that surrounds Moab. From deep and steep desert canyons to high mountain meadows, it exists here. The area is known for its arches of sandstone carved by wind and water. There are thousands of them (Arches National Park boosts over 2000). This beauty attracts tourists and outdoor enthusiasts by the hundreds.

I wish I had made the effort years ago to visit here. Now it’s too little and too late for me, but even though my activities are limited I can still be awed by the spectacular scenery. 

Day Nine - Backroads and Off-roads

Moab is all about adventure, if you include all sorts of outdoor, off-the-beaten-path pursuits in your definition of said adventure. So far I have seen kayakers, rafters, mountain bikers, motocrossers, rock climbers, hikers, atvs by the score, jeepers, and of course tourists. Probably missed a few. They are here.

I got to take “little blue” (my Jeep) off road today. We picked an easy route because we are both rookies. It was different. It was exciting. It was fun. 

We will both be sore tomorrow. 

Day Eight - Moab Is Calling

“Moab is calling and I must go” 

Easy drive from Monticello into Moab, and each mile revealed more and more of the red rock that makes it a desert playground. I wanted to have ample time to find a campsite, do tent repairs, and have a leisurely setup.  Mission accomplished.

Even though I have covered lots of ground quickly I have still had occasion to step aside and enjoy the scenery and wildlife along the way. That is what makes the effort worth while. 

Day Seven - Going Up The Country

An easy day, just going up the country, taking it easy, nothing too hard. I like days like this. 

Bernalillo, NM to Monticello, Utah via Durango, Colorado. Moving westward and northward, from the Rio Grande plain into the higher country. 

Just easy and relaxing, the hard travel days are behind now.  The sun is shining, a beautiful day.

Day Six - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Socorro did not get any snow like Colorado, Utah, and Northern New Mexico did. That was the good. 

Bosque Del Apache has not been inundated with migratory birds,  . . yet. That was the bad. 

The wind, probably due to the weather system further north, blew hard. And by hard I mean HARD. That was the ugly. 

So my day six was slightly short of a disaster.  The wind did a number on my tent during the day and was so intense at sunset I made the decision that sleeping in that crumpled mess with the wind howling all night would be impossible. So Andra, by phone, came to my rescue again and booked me a hotel room. I myself was a total wreck after fighting the wind to salvage what was left of my tent, and packing it all into the jeep in the dark in one huge tangle of crap and getting on the road to somewhere. Anywhere would do at that point. Yes, yes it was ugly. 

Day Five - Best Laid Plans

Another glitch, and this is just day five.  Due to predicted snow in Colorado and northern New Mexico I decided to head south to avoid setting up, sleeping, or tearing down in a snow storm. I am a wuss when it comes to cold (ask Andra, she’ll tell you).

But silver lining; I had lamented the fact that I could not fit in a visit to Bosque del Apache into my trip but now that has changed. Plus I get to stop in Santa Fe for “our” traditional Green Chili Cheeseburger - Bobcat Bites style. 

So a loss (no Great Sand Dunes NP) and a win (Bosque del Apache). 

Day Four - Home Range

They say you can’t go home again but the area around Clayton westward to Raton has an old familiar feel to it. Did not travel today except for revisiting Capulin Volcano, Folsom, Johnson Mesa, and the Dry Cimmaron River country. Lots of varied habit,  from wide open prairie to pine covered high country.

I saw a wide variety of wildlife; mule deer, pronghorn, coyote, various birds, and even a llama. Beautiful clear skies were trying to show off for this returning former resident. 

Not exactly home, but still has a homey feel. 

Day Three - Past Revisited

Today I relived some of my past. First stop was Borger, Texas where I went to school in the sixth grade. I was able to find both houses we lived in, my old elementary school, and other vaguely familiar sites. And the smell of petroleum, it’s still there. But that’s Borger. 

Then I visited Clayton, New Mexico. Found the small house I rented and visited the Courthouse where I had an office. The inside of the Courthouse was like I remembered it from 1970. Some things never change. 

Day Two - The Stormchaser

Same song, second verse. For the second day I found myself driving toward a dark blue horizon. I felt like a "Stormchaser" tooling west across Oklahoma trying to get into the action. I arrived at my chosen campground during a torrential downpour. And to make matters worse, my obscure free campground has been discovered by the RV crowd and all sites where full with other big rigs milling around wondering where to go. 

Plan B. I departed Elk City towards Pampa, arrived in that community during a rainstorm and checked into a hotel. I know what you're thinking, and I hated to use my "hole card" on only the second day, but i did. At least it was "free" because Andra made the reservation using her points earned from all of her traveling. Saved by my sweet wife, once again.  

Day One - The Wait Is Over

After a whole year of planning, revising, and tweeking, the day has finally arrived to put up or shut up. So off I go. I think I have it mapped out to the nth degree, but it is, after all, a man-made plan.  What awaits I will not know until it is stareing me the face. That's the fun part, right?

Day One is simple. Drive west. Drive for a full day to somewhere in western Arkansas.  Somewhere like Horsehead Lake Recreation Area just shy of Fort Smith. Simple.

Rain! It's raining when I arrive at the camp site. Nothing like pitching a tent in the rain. And on your first day out. But Day One is in the books.