Jon's Journeys

2012-02-04T17:45:00.001-05:00

Zoe

Well I did do some traveling, but without the trailer. As I mentioned in an earlier post, my daughter and her family have moved to Gaborone, Botswana. Brian is managing a project there for at least the next two years. Last week he had a conference in DC, so the whole family packed up for a visit to the USA. I decided it would be a great time to drive down to Oceanside to visit with them while they were visiting Brian's parents. Everyone is doing fine, and I took lots of pictures. If you are interested, check the Oceanside link at Lakeshore Images.
Had an interesting phone call while in Oceanside - Capitol One called to ask if I was making charges in China. Since I wasn't, they suspended the card & mailed me a new one. I have no idea how they got the card number but I have been using it for most of my purchases since it has a better rewards than my HSBC cards. Oh well, I'm glad they caught it quickly.

They offered to send it to Oceanside, but since I was going home the next day, they sent it to Oswego. The new card was waiting for me when I got home; I activated it, however it was declined when I tried to use it the next day. Another phone call to Capitol One & everything is back to normal. I even had one of my own photos added to the card.

I'm still planning to "thaw" out the trailer in early April & head out for another spring & summer of travel. Everything is a bit loose right now (well, all my travels could be described as "a bit loose") since I hate to plan too far ahead. I do want to see Cedar Key in Florida, and plan a stop in The Woodlands, TX to see my sister in law, and I need to be at Bullard Beach State Park in Oregon for a fiberglass trailer rally July 11 - 14. I hope to see New Mexico, revisit some locations in Arizona & Utah, and drive the Mount Baker Scenic Highway in Washington. If I'm still out west, I would also like to hit the 2nd Annual Rocky Mountain Egg rendezvous in Leadville, CO while visiting friends there.

I feel like I could leave today. This has been one of the mildest & least snowy winters I can remember here in Oswego. The biggest storm of the season (about 1') was while I was in Oceanside, and it melted before I got back. We have had less than 2' of snow all winter - we would normally have well over 5' by now.

I have a few more projects to do on the trailer before I leave. I did add a 1000w sine wave inverter (mostly so I can make a pot of coffee in the morning!) but I still want to add some lightweight shelves to the "closet", and install a 2' square mirror somewhere.

I also need to find a practical way to store a spare tire for the RAV4. I gave up on the run flat tires. I had to replace the second set at 40K miles, and since they ride hard, are useless on snow, and cost $275.00 each, I went with real snow tires for the winter. I purchased another wheel, and will buy 5 real tires in the spring. Still deciding whether to add a rack for the tire on the roof or just stick it in back behind the seats. I'd love to find a 2010 RAV4, (preferably Barcelona Red) and an owner that wants to trade a rear door with, as my granddaughter says "a button" for my door without one, but I don't think that is all that likely.

Until Next time!

Home

2011-10-28T10:57:00.002-04:00

Home

Well, as usual, I put off my last post of the trip. I arrived in Oswego around 3:30 after a 265 mile drive from the campground. Since I was parking the trailer for the winter (boo) I spent a bit more time getting it in place. I'm going to have to add some blacktop to the left side of the parking space - right now the trailer door opens on the lawn which turned to mud as I unloaded the trailer.

All in all, a good trip. I do wish I started earlier, but I did get some good color in most places. I drove around 1800 miles, almost all towing with an average of 14.9MPG. I did discover that I can travel a little more than 57mph without a MPG drop, at least on interstates. Since I avoid them most of the time, I found 57mph was good for secondary roads. For the trip home I stuck to I 81, and 60mph without a drop in MPG.

I have to admit winter is here. I winterized the trailer yesterday since the prediction was for well below freezing temperatures overnight. Even here next to Lake Ontario it was 30°F this morning. So, travel is probably out until the spring. I'm currently planning on another trip to the West. I have already made a reservation for a fiberglass trailer gathering in Oregon in July, and I want to hit some of the areas I missed last summer as well as revisit some of the places I've been.

Until the next post!

Lickdake Campground, Jonestown, PA

2011-10-25T17:40:00.001-04:00

Site 52, Lickdale Campground, Jonestown, PA

Not much interesting today (or probably tomorrow) - it is just a travel day. 200 miles north on I 81 heading back to Oswego with about 200 miles left to home.

Stopped for the night (actually, afternoon) at site 52, Lickdale Campground. A full service site for $33.25 including tax. I even have cable TV, although I don't use it. I'll warm up the left over Chinese from last night for tonight's dinner. All I have for photos is the campground picture.

Until Tomorrow!

Luray Caverns, VA

2011-10-24T20:06:00.003-04:00

Luray Caverns, Luray, VA

I got an early start (well, early for me - out of the campground by 8:30) and headed up I81. Actually, it was an interesting drive to get to I 81. The road(s) between the Blue Ridge Parkway & I81 kept getting narrower & narrower. I was waiting for them to turn to dirt, but they didn't. Still, very narrow, lots of curves, hills, and no guard rail edges with long drops below!

It kept getting warmer & warmer as I drove north. By the time I hit Luray, it was 76F. I looked up a couple of area campgrounds and the Riverside seems to fit my style far better than Jellystone or the Luray Resort. It is right along the Shenandoah River and, as you can see from the campground photo, I'm parked on the edge. Only 20 amps, but I switched the water heater to gas & set the electric heater to low, and everything works.

After setting up the trailer I headed for Luray Caverns. Carol & I were here with the Guidos in 1996, but about all I remembered from that visit was the reflections on the underground lake, and the organ that played stalactites. So, I paid my $21.00 (a $2.00 discount for being over 62) and headed into the cavern.
The cave has many beautiful formations, but also has a "worn" look, probably because up until the 70's visitors were allowed to break off & take home stalactites & stalagmites. It doesn't have the "raw" look that Wind & Crystal caves in South Dakota, but is very much worth a visit on its own right.

By the way, if you are handicapped, it is possible to go on the cave tour in a power scooter. They have an elevator somewhere (I never saw it) to get you past the entryway stairs, and the entire tour is paved. We did have to help push the scooter up some of the steeper sections, but all in all, it worked.

I added a couple more photos of the cavern & campground on my Lakeshore Images page for today - more photos at a page I put together just for the cave: Luray Caverns, VA.

I got out of the cavern around 4:30, & decided I didn't want to cook. Since it has been awhile since I have had Chinese, I punched food/Chinese into the GPS & picked up my favorite (Orange Chicken) at the China Wok in Luray. It was excellent, better that my favorite Chinese restaurant in Oswego. I'm glad I made that decision since it started to rain just as I got back to the campground.

So, I'm putting the page together. I'm not sure it will post - the Verizon data connection is very slow here although I have a good AT&T signal.

Until tomorrow!

Mabry Mill, Meadow of Dan, VA

2011-10-24T19:55:00.001-04:00

Mabry Mill, Meadow of Dan, VA (Blue Ridge Parkway)

Since I was not able to post yesterday, you get two today!

Another sunny day! I left Babcock State Park & headed southeast, planning to stay in the Meadows of Dan Campground near the Mabry Mill. It was only a 3 hour drive & I got here by 2:00. I'm set up in Site 3, a full hookup site for $28.00 plus tax. They have a heated bathroom - I'll be able to take a shower without waiting until the warmest part of the day!

I made the short drive to the mill (about 2 miles from the campground) and it was even more crowded than the last time I was here. Of course it is a Sunday, and in the middle of the afternoon, so I guess that is to be expected. I took a couple of photographs, but plan to go back around sunset. Hopefully there will be better light and fewer people. I couldn't even get a parking spot during the afternoon visit - had to park in the bus & overfill parking.

I do wish I had a time machine to go back a week or two. The leaves at the mill are well past peak. Oh well, like Babcock State Park in WV, being late gives me an excuse to come back earlier next year.

When I took the indoor/outdoor thermometer out of the overhead storage cabinet the inside temperature looks OK, but the outdoor just showed the temperature when I left Babcock. Since I knew it was around 60°F, I went to get the outside transmitter out of the propane tanks housing to change the batteries. Only problem is the transmitter wasn't there! Somehow the drive to VA managed to bounce it off the top of one of the tanks & out the bottom. I managed to drive close to 20,000 miles without losing it but it was a bumpy ride in sections of the drive. I'll have to see if it is possible to purchase just the outside sensor since I like the model - an Acurite Model 1031.

I had a frozen pizza for dinner (well, actually it wasn't frozen when I ate it; the toaster oven took care of that. I did cook it outside the trailer - I try to avoid cooking anything that leaves a smell inside. I guess it looked a bit strange with a toaster oven going outside the trailer, but it worked.

I don't have AT&T cell coverage here at the campground or in the park, but there does seem to be a decent Verizon data connection available at 1.28Mbps. My mail downloaded and I can view my web page. Don't know about uploading today's page - I won't try that until after taking this evenings photos, and Verizon's data connections (like everyone else's) slows down in the evening.

I'll post this now and add the photos tonight (if I can).

Well, I went back & it was just as crowded and the leaves didn't jump back on the trees but I did take a few photos. There must have been a concert - I saw a number of musicians leaving with their instruments as I walked in from the overfill parking. There were also a bunck of antique cars. I got a photo of one as they were leaving, and added a photo of the campsite. To see them, check my Lakeshore Images page for today.

Not my best photos of the mill (please ignore the blurry car in the background as well as the "Your Speed is ___ MPH" sign on the side of the road) - I like last year's better, but I do have to get here a little earlier in the season.

Until tomorrow!

Babcock State Park, WV - Day 2

2011-10-22T16:49:00.000-04:00

The Glade Creek Grist Mill, Babcock State Park, West Virginia

It's a beautiful day. Although it went down to 34°F last night, a unfamiliar orange yellow glob appeared in the eastern sky. Yes, the sun and for the first day of the trip! Since it was still pretty cold I decided to put off a shower until this afternoon.

I drove out to the mill to try for some sun lit images. Since it was a Saturday, they opened the mill. They also started to run water through the mill race. The creek level is too low for actually milling cornmeal, but they let enough through to turn the wheel.

Because it was a weekend and, because the mill was open, it was difficult to get shots without the crowd, but I tried. So, if you want to see some sun lit photos of the Grist Mill, check today's Lakeshore Images page.

After spending the morning shooting the mill I drove through some of the park roads. Found a pretty lake that was still showing some fall color. After that it was back to the campground for a shave & shower. Although it had warmed up to a little over 50°F, it was still a very "brisk" exit from the hot water. Still, it is nice to be clean!

I drove to Rainelle to pick up some of the groceries I managed to forget to pack (such as mustard) and some fresh fruit, then back to the campground. I almost forgot what US 60 was like. Beautiful hills & valleys, but not the road to haul the trailer. Just the 11 miles to Rainelle included 2 miles of 8% grades.

A quick dinner of hot dogs & Grandma Browns Sauce Pan Beans (hey, it isn't always steak!) and I worked on posting today's pages.

Since I did get some nice sun lit photos of the mill, I'll probably leave tomorrow & head back to Oswego. I might try for the Mabry Mill on the way (Yes, I know it isn't really on the way!)

Until tomorrow.

Babcock State Park, WV

2011-10-21T18:33:00.001-04:00

Along US 19, West Virginia

The rain finally stopped during the night, however it started again around 9:00AM. It isn't hard enough to keep you in the trailer, but still enough to get everything wet. I continued down I79 until the GPS moved me onto US 19. Last year I hit the area 1 week after the New River Gorge Bridge base jumping weekend - this year it was 2 weeks ago. Some day I'll have to get here during the weekend.

I did stop to photograph the fall colors at a viewpoint on US 19 & made a panorama of it (the image above).

I reached the campground at Babcock around 3:00 & had my choice of sites - there was only one other camper in the park. Now (around 5:30) it is starting to fill up - We now have 6 sites filled!

After setting up (which didn't take much time - the sites are electric only, but they do have 30 amps available) I headed over to the grist mill.

For those that are not familiar with the Glade Creek Grist Mill at Babcock State Park, it is the most photographed mill in the state, maybe in the country (although the near by Mabry Mill is suppose to have that distinction). In any case, I spent about an hour taking some photographs. I'm here two days before the time I was here last year but there is even less color than then. I guess I'm going to have to start these fall trips sooner - I've been late at every stop! Still, there is some nice color in the park.

Glade Creek Grist Mill, Babcock State Park, WV

Viewpoint - Babcock State Park

I took a couple of photos on the road to the playground & picnic area, then headed back to the trailer to make dinner. Since it wasn't raining, I cooked my steak & broccoli, and thought about a shower. It is 48°F, and although there is hot water in the bathrooms, there isn't any heat. Since I'm here for at least 2 days hoping the sun will come out, I'm going to wait until tomorrow afternoon to hit the showers!

I do have a slow, but usable connection here at the campground so this should be posted on time.
Until tomorrow...

2011-10-21T11:35:00.000-04:00

Chestnut Ridge Park & Campground, Morgantown, WV

It rained off & on all night as well as the morning while I hooked up. Matilda, the maid of the GPS suggested heading down PA 487 then west on 118. For those not familiar with Ricketts Glen, they have an advisory on their web page as well as most of their camping literature suggesting that all large trailers use the north entrance (PA 487). Of course that is difficult at present since a bridge on 487 is out just a few miles north of the campground and the alternative is Dutch Mountain road described yesterday. The reason for coming in from the north? PA 487 from Red Rock goes up a 2 mile 18% grade. I drove down it in 2nd & 3rd gear riding the brakes, but made it with no problems. Was tempted to turn around & go back up just to say I did, but thought again and kept going.

Red Rock is interesting. There is a corner grocery store that has your basic needs, including the least expensive gas in the area ($3.43). I also got my morning 2nd cup cup of coffee & headed south. Other than that, that seems to be all of Red Rock. I also never saw a red rock, a popular name for southwestern towns that actually have lots of red rocks.

The drive was in & out of rain the whole way to West Virginia. It also got colder as I went south! Not suppose to happen! I left Ricketts Glen at 55°F & hit Morgantown at 42°F at 3:00. Oh well, at least the campground has water & electric. I'm in site 50 at the Chestnut Ridge Park & Campground. Another rustic public park much like Evergreen Trails (my infamous first night), just the type I like. It would be nicer if the sun was out & it was 80°F, but it is October. I checked the predictions for Morgantown, VA (the closest city) and the overnight low is 40°F. Since it is already 41 at 4:30, I don't know how accurate that is but I did hook up to water. Hope I won't have a frozen hose in the morning!

I'm sitting in the trailer with the electric heater going waiting for it to get warm enough to slow down so I can start the toaster oven to cook a pot pie. My heater is an old (1986) Pelonis Disk Furnace. The reason I like it for camping is you can adjust the wattage. Most electric heaters give you a choice of 1500 or 750 watts (or close to that). The Pelonis has two modes. The first is automatic. It starts at full 1500 watts, and as the trailer warms up drops the wattage to what ever is necessary to maintain the set temperature. Much better than a on/off thermostat since it drops your power draw to the minimum necessary to maintain temperature. The second mode is useful on low power hookups. You dial the wattage. If you are on a 15 amp service you can set it as low as 300 watts. Although they still make Pelonis disk heaters, I don't think this design is still available.

Not much in the way of photos today. The leaf color was all over the place on the drive down, but in many places wonderful. Not all that photographic since the sides of the road usually have power lines and other junk in the way and there aren't many places to pull off, but I included a couple along US 220. I also included a photo of Site 50 at the campground.

I'll have to wait for a better internet connection to post this - although the Verizon connection is listed as 469.17 Kbps, it is too slow to post with either Dreamweaver (my Lakeshore Images pages) or Blogger (Jon's Journeys). Actually, I think my router lied to me - I just reconnected to the Verizon network & the data rate is now 78.73 Kbps , which explains why I'm having problems posting. It will just have to wait until tomorrow!

It's tomorrow & I'm posting from a rest stop on I 79 in WV. So, Until Later!

Ricketts Glen, Day 2

2011-10-19T16:35:00.002-04:00

Ricketts Glen State Park, PS

I woke up to the patter of rain on the roof. Hard to describe it as rain, more like a heavy mist that turned to rain drops when it fell off the overhead trees. After breakfast I headed to a grocery store to pick up a steak for dinner. Not sure I'll cook it - if it is still raining I'll probably have soup cooked inside. I also uploaded yesterday's pages to my website & my Blogger site - Jon's Journeys.
It was still misting, but no serious rain so I decided I could shoot the other side of Ricketts Glen without worrying about shooting into the sun. I drove to the Rose Lake parking lot & started down the Ganoga Trail. I met one other photographer (he is in one of the photos below) and we did our best to keep out of each others way. Again many pretty cascades & small waterfalls. I did include one of the main waterfalls since they are what the park is known for.
On previous trips I started from the bottom by driving to the parking lot on PA 118 at the bottom of the stream. It is a much better way to do the falls trail since the return trip (when you are worn out) is all downhill. Still, I made it back to the top after hiking & shooting down to "Where Waters Meet". While there I met a mother & her daughter shooting Nikons. Talked a bit then headed back up the trail.
I was going to relax under the awning, cooling off after the hike, but the mist has turned to rain & the wind picked up enough that the rain was blowing under it. So, I'm sitting in the trailer putting together today's page. I'll probably read for awhile, hoping the rain will stop so I can cook my steak.
Here are a few photos from today, more at today's Lakeshore Images Post.

Current plans are to head south towards Babcock State Park in West Virginia. I doubt I'll get all the way there in one day, so I'll probably stop somewhere in northern WV.
Till Then!

Ricketts Glen State Park, PA

2011-10-19T10:52:00.001-04:00

Ricketts Glen State Park, PA

Well, I'm in a much better mood tonight. Maybe it is because I didn't break my trailer today! I even managed to bend the steps back in shape enough to get them out. I'll still need to replace them, but at least I don't have to hop over them to get in & out of the trailer.

Although the leaf color seems to be a bit past peak at Letchworth, the colors were beautiful along the drive to Ricketts Glen.

The last part of the drive to Ricketts Glen was interesting. A bridge on PA Rt 487 was out about 15 miles from the park,and 487 is the only reasonable way into the place from the north. I stopped in a gas station in Dushore to ask how to get there since my GPS kept telling me to get me back on 487 before the missing bridge. Found a guy talking with a park ranger who gave me directions. He gave me directions to follow Dutch Mountain Road (Ct Rt 1002), mentioned it was a rough road, about 3 miles dirt, but he looked at my trailer and said it would be OK. He was right that it was rough - much of it at 20mph, even the paved parts, and my GPS still kept trying to get me off it & back on 487 before the bridge, but it saved going 50 miles out of the way to get there.

I stopped in the office at Ricketts Glen to get a site & since there were no reservations on hold, I was told to go find one I liked & come back. They are all primitive, back in sites (no water, sewer or electric) but many are very pretty. I picked site 105 because it had some sun (to recharge the batteries through the solar panel) and lots of beach trees that were still in color.

I made a quick stir fried chicken & vegetable dinner over rice & headed out to the falls. I started around 3:30 - the light was just starting to warm up. Although the beach trees are in great yellow color, the reds & oranges of the maple trees seems to have past. Looking at the leaf drop on the ground, I'm a little late for the peak here at Ricketts Glen. Color change has been running late in the Oswego area, and I'm here a week earlier than last year, but it looks like a week earlier would have been better. Still, there is some areas of great color along the stream.

I've decided that I like taking pictures of cascades rather than the waterfalls. Not sure why, but they are more interesting. I hiked down Glen Leigh to Reynolds Falls taking photos of almost every foot of the stream. It was crowded - I often had to wait for people to get out of the way of the shot. Tomorrow I'll probably go down the other side (Ganoga Glen) around the same time. Early in the day the sun will be into the lens when aimed upstream, the direction I like to shoot.

Lots more photos at today's post to Lakeshore Images, although I probably won't be able to post either this or the Lakeshore page until tomorrow since there is no cell coverage in the park.

Till Tomorrow!

Fall Colors Trip

2011-10-17T17:20:00.001-04:00

An old house along Allegany County Road 15 (Short Tract Road)

Well, even though the fall colors don't seem to be cooperating this year, I decided to give it a try. I left Oswego this morning heading to Letchworth State Park. The color change was just starting when I was there in September, and, unfortunately, it really hasn't gotten any better.

I'm in site 11A at The Evergreen Trails Campground. Although it is a full service site, since I'm only using electricity I was given the electric only price - $24.00. Finding campgrounds that are still open is a pain, but this looks like a nice rustic place that would be great in the summer, and works fine for a cold weather visit to Letchworth (their campground has closed for the season).

It was an interesting start to the trip. I drove past site 11A to check some of the others since the owners said take anything that doesn't have a RV on it. It would have been a much better day if I didn't. I used a pull through to turn around to get back to 11A, and managed to drop the trailer passenger side wheel in a ditch. There was a good sized rock on the forward edge that both kept me from pulling the trailer out (even in 4 wheel drive) and pretty much destroyed the steps. I also managed to knock off the storage container for the drain hose.

After walking back to the office and explaining the problem, the owner got out his tractor, a bunch of boards, a jack, and a bunch of firewood to fill in under the tire as we lifted the trailer. I did get it out thanks to lots of help, and, of course, a bunch of embarrassment! The owner & his helper both tried to make me feel better by telling me that it happens all the time, and I have to admit that they were very well prepared to get me out, but still, my Escape now needs a new set of steps! When I think of some of the campsites I managed to get the trailer into without damage on the summer trip, I do feel a bit stupid! I did get the hose storage container back on.

After getting set up in Site 11A, I drove to Letchworth (about 20 miles away). It rained all day yesterday, and the Genesee River looks like it. Muddy color, and very large amounts of water going over the falls. I also got there late enough that the sun is behind the falls (into the lens) making photographs difficult. I did get a photo of the railroad trestle that I liked, but all those of the falls were not worth posting here. Some other photos on my Lakeshore Images Page.

All in all, not the best start to a trip. I hope it gets better or I'm going to cut it short and head back to Oswego!

Chittenango Falls State Park, NY

2011-10-14T22:27:00.001-04:00

Chittenango Creek, Chittenango Falls State Park, NY

It's Fall, a beautiful time to visit Chittenango Falls, one of my favorite waterfalls. It may not be he highest, or have the most volume of water passing over it, but the beauty of the falls can't be beat. A close second is McArthur-Burney Falls in California, but that is thousands of miles away, and I'll bet it doesn't match the Fall colors here at Chittenango.

On the way to the falls we stopped at Fairhaven State Park to take a couple of photos of the swans on one of the ponds in the park. My friends Dick & Anne Dougherty saw over 20 gathered together last night but today they were broken up in small groups. Still, I managed to get a photo of one posing for the picture. I hope to get out for more on another day.

After that it was off to Chittenango for the falls. Not the sunniest of days, but that usually helps for photos of waterfalls. Too much sun provides too much contrast. Soft, cloudy days work best, although they don't help with the color of the leaves. Almost Spring like conditions - lots of water going over the falls; too much for my taste - I like it with less. We have had lots of rain lately which has also held back the nornal leaf color change. Anyway, here are some images of the falls and Chittenango Creek:

A Swan at Fairhaven State Park, NY

Chittenango Falls

Chittenango Creek

More photos at Lakeshore Images.

Tomorrow I start packing up the trailer for a trip starting Monday following the Fall Colors. First stop will probably be heading west to Letchworth State Park, then down to Ricketts Glen, PA.

Not sure this is going to be the best year for it - we are having lots of rain in the east & that tends to mute the color change, but I want to make at least one last trip before putting the trailer away for the winter.

Till Monday!

Modifications

2011-10-06T14:02:00.003-04:00

One of the things all RV owners usually end up doing is making changes or modifications to their trailer/RV. Even after ordering the Escape 17B with just about every option available & adding a rear view camera & cell phone antenna & amplifier at the factory, I've added a few after living with the trailer for a couple of months.

First, I added a Progressive Industries 30 amp Hardwired Surge Protector (EMS-HW30C). I wasn't all that worried about surges (though I probably should be) but aded it to detect & shut off the power to the trailer when the supply voltage dropped to under 106V. It has a bypass remote switch, so if I'm not using the air conditioner or other device that is damaged by low voltage I can turn it off.

I didn't order a microwave with the trailer since I preferred the oversized refrigerator, and found that I didn't miss it at all. I did miss having an oven and really like the Crusinart TOB 195 Toaster Oven I have at home. Since I rarely used the convection feature, I ordered the TOB 155, the same oven without convection. This is a fairly large oven ( will toast 6 slices of bread) so I will be able to make pies, cook a chicken, and just about anything I'd make at home as long as I have AC. It draws 1450 watts, so running it off an inverter is out unless I greatly improve my batteries & solar panel.

I've added a 12V fan to the back of the refrigerator compartment - I had problems keeping it cool in desert heat and the fall helped. I've also added a piece of furnace filter to the inside of the outside lower door of the refrigerator to help prevent the flame from blowing out when driving.

My favorite addition is a section of strip LEDs I purchased from Bulb America. This is a 16.4' (15 meter) length of Cool White LEDs that have individual LEDs spaced about 2" apart. It can be cut between every 3rd LED. I ran a strip under the awning that provides an interesting night light:

LED Lighting Strip

Of course, when I was done I had a fairly long strip left over. I managed to solve another problem with the trailer - seeing inside the upper storage compartments. Since my interior lighting is under the cabinets, they don't provide any light inside the storage bays. Even during the day it is sometimes difficult to see in the backs of the cabinets; at night is it impossible. My solution during the summer was to "buy" a half dozen Harbor Freight LED flashlights (they give them away with a coupon, although now they require a purchase) & I have a bunch of them. I left one in each compartment. It worked, but sometimes I'd end up with two in one bin and none in the one I was looking in, they eventually need batteries or fail (after all they were free) so I was looking for a better solution.

I made up a bunch of cabinet length strips from the LED strip I used for the outside lighting, added a switch for each cabinet, found a power source for each and now have great lighting:

Switch

Interior Lighting

So, that is about as far as I've gone so far. I do have plans to add a permanently wired inverter. About all I currently use my portable 250W modified sine wave inverter for is to grind coffee beans for a morning & evening cup, but I'd like to add the ability to make coffee with my drip coffee maker when running on batteries. Although the coffee maker draws 550 watts, it is only for a couple of minutes - I'm fairly sure I could make up the battery draw down with the current solar panel, but I'd need to add heavier wiring to the batteries and a larger inverter since its input current would be around 50 amps @ 12V. I might even get a pure sine wave inverter so I could use my electric blanket to warm up the sheets prior to hitting the sack. The one I'm using only draws 1 amp & I usually only run it for an hour or so before I get tired of the heat.

So, that's what is happening. I'm still trying to decide if the Fall color change is going to be worth chasing when my local commitments are finished on the 15th.

Til then!

Letchworth State Park, Day 3

2011-09-20T17:15:00.001-04:00

Lower Falls, Letchworth State Park, NY

It rained of & on most of the night, but eventually cleared up around 9:00AM. I went for a walk, then made a bacon & eggs breakfast. After that the sun came out & I decided to shoot a couple of more photos of the lower falls under different lighting conditions from yesterday.

That's about it for this trip to Letchworth. I'm heading back to Oswego in the morning. As usual, more photos at the Lakeshore Images page for today.

Letchworth State Park, Day 2

2011-09-19T15:41:00.000-04:00

The Lower Falls, Letchworth State Park, NY

I woke up at 6:30AM, late, but plenty of time to get some early photos of the falls, however I had a splitting headache so I took a couple of aspirins & went back to sleep. I dragged myself out of bed at 9:00 & made a run to the Perry Market for some coffee. I'd have made it in the trailer, but I left my cup at the Escape rally in Niagara Falls, and even though it was a favorite, decided not to go back for it. I did pick up a mug for tomorrow.

After that it was back to the lower falls for some photos. It is/was a cloudy day, great for photos of the falls. Too much sun & the highlights on the water are so far beyond the surrounding rocks that without HDR techniques, which I'm not all that fond of, there is too much dynamic range for a good photo. There is a bit of the Fall colors although I'm probably about two weeks early for the full effect. Maybe I'll be able to stop back! As usual, there are more photos on my Lakeshore Images page for today.

After that it was on to the middle & upper falls. The upper falls has a railroad trestle just above it. Although very impressive (before it burned & was replaced with steel supports, it was the highest & longest wooden trestle in the US), it tends to get in the way of photos of the falls. I also took a few of the middle falls, located just behind the inn, and Wolf Creek.

After that it was back to the trailer to post these & spend some time relaxing.

Until Tomorrow! (That's a familiar ending that I hope to keep doing!)

Letchworth State Park

2011-09-18T21:27:00.001-04:00

Balloons Over Letchworth State Park, NY

I've been to Letchworth State Park a number of times - there are three major waterfalls to photograph & since waterfalls are a favorite subject of mine and my daughter Karin went to SUNY Geneseo, which is next door, they were all day trips.

Since I had some time after visiting the Niagara Wine Escape in Niagara Falls, I decided to book three days in the campground here at Letchworth. I'm in site 311, a 30 amp site without sewer or water. Although they take reservations, I generally don't make them. When I stopped at the campground office they gave a a list of 6-8 sites to check, said to pick one & come back to register. Most are quite shaded - since it is cooling off I chose the sunniest one.

Although it was too late in the afternoon to shoot good photos of the falls (the sun sets upstream of them) I did take a few.

They were setting up for a hot air balloon launch in the field next to the middle falls so I hung around long enough to shoot some images of the process. UnlikeSpeediefest, there were only two balloons, but it was fun watching them get off the ground. So, for those that have never watched a launch from start to finish (well, not finish for those in the balloon, just us on the ground) there are a bunch of photos at "A Couple of Days At Letchworth State Park."

2011 Niagara Wine Escape

2011-09-17T10:29:00.000-04:00

Riverside Park, Niagara Falls, Ontario

I'm currently at the Niagara Wine Escape rally at the Riverside Park Campground & Motel. A bit more fun this year since I'm in my Escape 17B rather than a motel room. Still a rather cold weekend, but warm people, and variety of trailers. More photos at The Niagara Wine Escape 2011.

I'll add photos to the other site as the weekend continues.

Next Trip - Nantucket, MA

2011-08-16T14:09:00.000-04:00

Nantucket Harbor

Although I did post a "Final Update", that is only for the last trip. I'm already off on another, however without the trailer. The ferry ride to the island is $435.00 (car & driver) round trip - the trailer would have added over $1000.00 to that, so it is staying home.

Nantucket is an island off the coast of Cape Cod, MA. My parents moved there when they retired in 1978, and my brother currently owns & lives in the house. He is a carpenter on the island, a job that depends on the economy. Although he still has some work, it is slow, and his company is down to one crew.

Anyhow, it is a great place to visit. You have your choice of beaches - gentle or surf filled, crowded or completely empty (although empty is getting harder to find). Good fishing from shore or boat although it is a little late in the season for Striped Bass, a favorite eating fish.

For anyone interested, I'll be posting a journal at Nantucket 2011, but since it really isn't a "Journey", I won't be adding those updates to this page.

Final Update

2011-08-12T17:04:00.005-04:00

Final Update- Oswego, NY - 0 miles, 18,721.4 for the trip

Sorry this took so long - I have been busy readjusting to living in a house, mowing lawns, weeding, etc - you know living in a trailer has its good points!

Anyway, some statistics - 111 days on the road, 102 with the Escape trailer. Mileage for the RAV4 - 24mpg on the way to Chilliwack, BC (without the trailer), 17.4mpg for the remainder of the trip. I didn't keep track of towing only mileage, but since 90% of the driving once I had the trailer was towing, I suspect 15mpg is about what I was getting while towing.

Most expensive gas - 4 gallons at Death Valley $5.75 per gallon, although the price at Lake Louise, AB was close to that. Cheapest gas - I'm not sure what it was, but I'd bet it was in Wyoming.

Highest altitude while towing - 11,158' (I 90 at the Eisenhower Tunnel), lowest 236' below sea level. On Monday, May 8th I went from 8142' to 236' below sea level driving from Conway Summit near Lee Vining, CA to Death Valley, CA.

My favorites? Well, I enjoyed the entire trip so picking out what was the best is difficult. Although Glacier is still my favorite park, I found parts of most of the National and State Parks that I loved. Some of my favorites were taken at Antelope Canyon on the Navajo Reservation outside Page, AZ:

One stop I didn't expect to find as interesting to photograph was Bodie Ghost Town:

I also loved the photo opportunities at Canyonlands National Park:


Mesa Arch at Sunrise	Mesa Arch at Sunrise

Buck Canyon Overlook	False Kiva

Here are some of my favorites from some of my other stops along the trip:


Hoh Rain Forest, Olympia NP, WA	Mono Lake, CA

Monument Valley, UT	Valley of Fire SP, NV

Delicate Arch, Arches NP, UT	Goblin Valley SP, UT

Moonrise, Zion NP, UT	Horseshoe Bend, Page, AZ

Tunnel View, Yosemite NP, CA	Bryce Canyon NP, UT

Kodachrome Basin SP, UT	Mormon Row, Tetons NP, WY

Devils Tower NM, WY	Wild Goose Island, Glacier NP, MT

Craters of the Moon NM, ID	Mustard Seed Field, Kalispell, MT

And, of course, I have to include some waterfall & cascade photos:


Tumalo Falls, OR	Burney Falls, CA

Running Eagle Falls Stream, Glacier NP, MT	Lower Copeland Falls, Rocky Mountain NP, CO

Gooseberry Falls, Ontario, CA	Aux Sables River, Ontario, CA

Tillie Creek, CA	Stream at Mirror Lake, Yosemite NP, CA

Hanging Lake, CO	Hanging Lake Trail, CO

That's about it. Again, I had a wonderful time, and am ready to do it again. Right now I'm getting ready for a 2 week vacation at my brother's in Nantucket, MA.

I can't end the post with "till next time" since I'm not sure how soon that will be, but you can be sure there will be one!

Oswego, NY

2011-08-06T18:36:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - The Escape 17, parked at Home

Well, another change of plans. I'm home in Oswego, NY. I got an early start from Barrie, and when I reached the Niagara Falls area on the QEW, the overhead signs stated there was a 1-2 hour delay in the area my GPS told me to go to get to the Riverside Campground. Rather than deal with the delay or finding another way to get there I switched to the 420 & crossed into the US on the Rainbow bridge. About a 45 minute wait at the border, but the slow crawl across the bridge provided a great view of the falls. This time I remembered to get in the outside lane! No problems at the border. I have heard many stories of RV's being pulled over & searched for hours - I guess I'm lucky or look safe!

I'll probably do a wrap up post in a day or two. As of now, getting home is a mixed blessing - the Escape 17 does fit in the extra parking space in the driveway, although it is going to take something other than the RAV4 to get it into the final storage position. My 1200 sq. ft. house seems huge after 111 days in the trailer, but there are all kinds of things that need doing after a couple of months of not being here.

Until the Next Post!

Barrie, Ontario

2011-08-05T14:16:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - One of the Waterfalls on the Aux Sables River at Chutes Provincial Park, Massey, Ontario

More driving east & south. I think I have shifted modes from "traveling to new adventures" to "going home". It was bound to happen - I didn't stop to take photographs of anything today (other than a photo of the most expensive campsite of the trip here in the Barrie KOA). It is the first site I've been in that is actually designed as long term (concrete pad, phone hookup, etc.) I don't need any of that, but it was all that was left and I was tired of driving. I have to admit the Escape 17B looks a bit undersized among all the larger motorhomes & fifth wheels in the area, but it will do for the night!

The plan for tomorrow is to stop at the Riverside Motel & Campground in Niagara Falls. I could probably make it home, and may have to it there are no sites available, or at least to a NY campground, but since I'm staying there in September for the Niagara Wine Escape Rally, I thought I'd check out the site they assigned me.

Until next time!

Massey, Ontario

2011-08-04T16:24:00.001-04:00

Today's Photo - Site 54, Chutes Provincial Park, Massey, Ontario

Another day of driving along CA 17 with no photographs to show for it. I did stop at Agawa to take a photo of the pictographs on cliffs next to Lake Superior, but they required purchasing a parking pass from a machine that, of course, didn't take US dollars. So, back in the RAV4 & continue east. Again, a pretty drive along Lake Superior, Lake Huron, and many small lakes & streams.

I stopped for the day at Massey & the Chutes Provincial Park. I'm in site 54, at the suggestion of the gate attendant. A site that is plenty large enough for the trailer, even leaving it hooked up, however the electric connection is so far from the site that I had to position the trailer against a tree to get it close enough for my 30' cord to connect. This is the first time I wish I had been carrying an extension cord! It is a nice day, around 82°F. Since I had to unhook to position the trailer within reach of the receptacle, I'm going to drive into Massey & either pick up something for dinner or eat out. There is no WiFi here in the park - I'll only be able to post this if I find a WiFi location in town. Otherwise it will have to wait until tomorrow.

Well, thanks to the Mohawk Motel, I did manage to post. Thanks again to the motel!

I know I said (well, typed) earlier that I didn't have any photos to show for the drive along CA 17, but I have to modify that - here in Chutes Provincial there are a bunch of waterfalls and cascades on the Aux Sables River that runs through the park - it pays to actually read the newspaper the park hands out as you enter! I took the Falls & Two Bridges trails to photograph a bunch of them. Photos at To day's Lakeshore Images Journal.

Until Tomorrow!

Wawa, Ontario

2011-08-03T15:00:00.001-04:00

Today's Photo - Aguasabon Falls & Gorge, Ontario, CA

I stopped at Aguasabon Falls along CA 17 to take a photo. Difficult - the closest I could get to view the falls was a platform that showed off the gorge, but little of the falls. Most of the day was spend driving along CA 17. A pretty road with views of Lake Superior as well as many smaller lakes & streams. I stopped for the day at the Wawa RV Resort & Campground. A back in with electricity & water for $33.00 Canadian - I won't know what that is in US dollars until I get my credit card bill, but I suspect it will be more. The last time I checked it cost $1.06 US dollars to buy one Canadian dollar.

I'll probably finish off the cheese brats for dinner; I don't want to keep meat too long in the fridge - the refer is still giving me problems -as soon as I start moving, the temperature starts to rise. I suspect the flame is blowing out, although the door leaks cold air all around it, so there is more than one problem...

Until the next internet connection...

Nipigon, Ontario

2011-08-02T19:06:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - They Terry Fox Memorial, Ontario, Canada

After about 32 miles on MN 61 and one stop for a photograph of lake Superior, I made a very fast and easy crossing of the border at Grand Portage, MN, switched the GPS to kilometers, and eventually reached the Stillwater Park & Gift Shop at Nipigon, Ontario. The gift shop sells many items made of Amethysts - there are Amethyst mines all along the north shore of Lake Superior. The last time we drove along 11/17 we stopped at one & dug some of our own. I still have a bucket full of them in Oswego. Pretty stones, although to bring out the beauty of the ones I dug I'd need a polishing machine - another hobby!

Along Highway 11/17 I stopped at the Terry Fox Memorial. The photograph of the text on the statue tells the story - the highway is named after him. More photos & the story at today's Lakeshore Images Journal Post.

Until the next internet connection!

Grand Marais, MN

2011-08-01T17:01:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - Gooseberry Falls, MN

I did haul the trailer to AAA rather than leave it at the campground & go back for it. I set the GPS on "no highways" which, I guess according to Garmin, excludes interstates. Not sure what else it excludes - it did route me on MN 61 which, at least in my mind is a highway. Oh well, it worked. I did still run into one detour - there is a tremendous amount of road construction in the Duluth area. Very much needed - so far Minnesota has the worst roads of the trip. They are all (well, mostly) paved, but the cracks, potholes, etc make for the worst thumping the trailer has had all trip long. Even I 35 was so bad I was glad to get off it & back on a better (MN 23) road.

Anyway, I made a couple of stops along MN 61 on the way to the Grand Marais Recreation Area campground. As usual, more photos at the Lakeshore Images Journal Page. I'm in site 111W, a water & electric site for $35.80.

One of the stops was a Gooseberry Falls State Park. I walked to the falls & the lake. Agate Beach is at the end of the Gooseberry River. There is a sign stating don't pick up the agates however it looks like it is a popular pastime. In any case I do now have one, but mine came from along side MN 23. Yesterday, as I was driving along I kept seeing people walking along side the road looking at the ground. I stopped at a rest site & a couple walked up to their car. I asked what they were doing & they said "looking for agates - it's easier than at the beach!" They gave me one - very pretty!

Tomorrow I'm heading into Canada. Since I won't be able to use my cell modem, my web site & blog updates will depend on finding WiFi connections. It worked well last time I was in the Canadian Rockies; let's hope Ontario is the same.

Indian Point Campground, Duluth, MN

2011-07-31T19:37:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - Site 20, Indian Point Campground, Duluth, MN

Another day of no photographs other than a campground picture. I'm in site 20 at the Indian Point Campground just outside of Duluth, MN. Electric only, but plenty of shade, a picnic table, and fairly level. I did unhook because I wanted to make a stop at Walmart & see how difficult the drive to AAA was. I'm glad I did - many of the entrances & exits on I 35 are closed, and my GPS wants me to take all of them! I did find both, but a 5 mile trip turned into a 15 mile one. I think I'll go to AAA in the morning without the trailer. I need a MN map (although I'll probably be leaving the US tomorrow), a Duluth map so I can find a way to get to MN 61, and both maps & campground books for Ontario Canada.

I have a new camera. I have been a bit nervous about taking my D700 or even the older D200 out in my kayak. Although I do have dry bags, trying to dig out the camera, hang on to the paddle, and put things away after a shot seemed a bit much. So, I've been looking at "Waterproof" cameras. I like the Olympus 810 which happened to be on sale at Best Buy. Kind of interesting that my highest resolution camera is now a point & shoot at 14MB, but the miniature sensor in the Olympus is not anywhere up to the ability of the full frame Nikon D700. Still, it is good for a depth of 25' which is deeper than I expect to swim, and a lot deeper than I'd ever want to see one of my Nikons!

Until Tomorrow...

St Cloud, MN

2011-07-30T15:59:00.003-04:00

Today's Photo - A Dragonfly

While sitting in the shade behind the trailer yesterday I noticed a dragonfly that really liked the tip of my cell antenna. I got a picture - not as good as some from my garden, but it is a South Dakota dragonfly! I also took a photo of a dandelion next to the trailer. By the way, the Pelican Lake Recreation Area is a nice place to stay, either overnight of for awhile. Many of the sites are on the lake, all have electricity, and a few also have water. Clean restrooms, and good hot showers.

I got a bunch of things done over the morning. First I washed the trailer, including the chains - it no longer smells like a skunk, then got an empty propane tank filled. Since they charged by the gallon and couldn't figure out how to add 1/2 a gallon, the fill only cost $9.00.

I continued east on 212, switched to MN 23 at Clara City, and stopped at the AAA office in St Cloud. Unfortunately, they are not open on Saturdays. Since it was a hot, clear weekend, I decided to call ahead to my planned stop, the Grand Casino Hinckley RV Resort & Chalets in Hinckley, MN to make sure they had space. A good idea - they are closed due to wind storm damage. So, checking the AAA book, about all that was in reasonable driving distance was the St Cloud Campground & RV Park. They were also full, but managed to find space in their overflow area. I even have electricity (20 amps) and water at a tent site price.

Until Tomorrow!

Pelican Lake Recreation Area, Watertown, SD

2011-07-29T13:38:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - A Rainbow at Bob's Restort, Gettysburg, SD

Last night it started to rain a little before sunset. Not as hard as yesterday, and just as the sun was setting it broke through under the clouds. Made a very nice rainbow. Photo doesn't do it justice - it is one of the few I've seen that is visible from end to end.

I didn't do any records for distance today, just 165 miles. Today I broke 17K miles for the trip. I stopped at Pelican Lake Recreation Area a little southwest of Watertown, SD for the night. An electric only site for $18.00 plus a $4.00 fee for entering the park. A nice, large site not too far from the bathrooms which, by the way, include showers. Last night's "Resort" didn't actually have bathrooms. The building I thought was a bathroom was just storage. The only one available was the one in the gas station at the entrance to the complex.

I "ran into" an interesting problem on US 212 - a dead skunk was in the middle of the road (one of my favorite "tune up a sound system" songs by Loudon Wainwright III) and although both the RAV4 & trailer passed over it, unfortunately, the safety chains didn't. Can you say STINK? And, did you ever try to wash chains, particularly at a site without water? I hope I can find a car wash tomorrow that is large enough for the trailer.

The rest of today will be spent doing nothing. Seems I do a lot of that lately! Sooner or later I'll be getting back to the Oswego routine. If I get back soon enough I might be able to postpone "routine" since Spiedie Fest in Binghamton starts on August 4th. It's a great place to take photographs!

Until Tomorrow!

Gettysburg, SD

2011-07-28T15:36:00.001-04:00

Today's Photo - Site 42, Bob's Resort, Gettysburg, SD

Last night it started to pour around 5:30, the time the campground restaurant opened, so I ended up eating in the trailer. I guess I'll never know how good the BLT Salad was!

I got an early start heading east on US 212. Interestingly, I drove 212.3 miles on US 212, crossing the Missouri River (which is still quite flooded) & stopping for the day at Site 42 in Bob's Resort just west of Gettysburg, SD. I'm not sure why it is a resort - the hookups are in the right place, I have a picnic table, and the price is only $21.00. A level pull through with full hookups & a bit of shade. They do have Bob's Steakhouse next door - maybe I won't be cooking for dinner. The only minor problem is I'm about as far from the bathrooms as I've been anywhere on the trip.

Until tomorrow!

Spearfish, SD

2011-07-27T15:29:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - Roughlock Falls, Savoy, SD

Not a lot of photos today. I drove to Roughlock Falls which is on SD 222, a well graded dirt road off US 14A near Spearfish. It is a pretty falls, although the time of day & the vegetation and decking around it all get in the way of a good photograph.

I looked for campgrounds a bit further east on US 212, and didn't find any, so I'm in the Spearfish KOA. By now I have paid for my card. It is a nice, open, level pull through site (#31) with a welcome shade tree over the trailer. It isn't quite as hot as it has been over the last couple of days; more like the Oswego summer temperatures I'm used to - it's 83°F by the thermometer under the propane tank cover.

Not sure what is for dinner tonight - they have a restaurant at the campground which is tempting!

Until tomorrow!

Jewel Cave, SD & More

2011-07-26T22:08:00.002-04:00

Today's Photo - Jewel Cave National Monument, SD

Today I felt more like a tourist than I have for most of the trip. I started the day with a stop at the Mammoth Site in Hot Springs. We were there during our 2000 trip to Missoula for Karin's Wedding, and it hasn't changed all that much. They built a building over the area of the dig. Some photos at today's Lakeshore Images Page.

Jewel Cave National Monument was the next stop. I enjoyed the Scenic Tour and took lots of photographs. Again, some are at the Lakeshore Images Page, and more at a page devoted to both caves.

After that I stopped at the National Museum of Woodcarving in Custer. Although there are other contributors, it seems to exist mostly to exhibit the work of Dr. Harley Niblack. Some interesting stuff, particularly the animated works.

One of Dr Harley Niblack's Carvings

I wanted to see what the finished rebuilding of the visitor center at the Mount Rushmore National Memorial looked like. The last time I was there was on a 1996 trip & they were in the middle of construction. It sure is different. I remember sitting under some trees on a hillside taking pictures as the night lighting came on - now there is a large walkway & amphitheater. I don't know if it's an improvement, but it sure moves people through faster than the old set up. Again, some photos at the Lakeshore Images Page.

I saw something I haven't seen in years on the way back to Hot Springs from Mount Rushmore - a haystack. Didn't know anyone used them anymore with all the automatic bailers, etc but there were a couple of fields with them.

I finally got back to the campground around 5:30, made spaghetti & sausage for dinner.

Until tomorrow!

Wind Cave National Park, SD

2011-07-25T21:49:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - Boxwork Formations at Wind Cave National Monument, SD

OK, first I have to apologize for not posting yesterday. There really wasn't all that much to post, although I did include a campsite photo on the Lakeshore Images page. I do have to add that B. J.'s Campground in Lusk, WY is a great one night stop with the cleanest & nicest bathrooms I've seen. Although the showers are a bit small for me, it is the first bathroom that includes paper cups! Nice level sites and the inevitable whistling train was far enough away that it didn't bother anyone.

As for today:

Well, a new state, although I did go through South Dakota on the way out to pick up the trailer. I'm at the Hot Springs KOA. A nice, quiet park a few miles northeast of Hot Springs. I dropped the trailer & headed to Wind Cave National Park. I took Fairgrounds Tour, a 1 1/2 hours that includes views of Boxwork & Popcorn as well as many of the large rooms in the cave. Some photos from the tour are below. The only accurate colors are those shot with flash since the lighting is a mixture of different colored discharge or compact fluorescent sources. The problem with the flash is it washes out the detail the indirect lighting brings out. Of course, I had to include one image of complete darkness, something that almost every cave tour I've taken does. The actual colors in the cave are quite dull compared to most of the caves I've visited, but the formations, particularly the Boxwork, are beautiful. More photos at 2011 Trip - Day 99.

After the tour I drove to Jewel Cave National Monument for a tour, but they were completely booked for the rest of the day. I am scheduled for the Scenic Tour at 12:40 tomorrow. By the way, both caves honor the Golden Age Pass making the tickets for tours 1/2 price.

Since it was raining, rather than cooking outside in the rain of making a mess in the trailer, I decided to stop at the local Hot Springs China Buffet for dinner. The Buffet was excellent, and the hot tea was free.

Until tomorrow!

Johnson's Corner RV Retreat, CO

2011-07-23T18:49:00.001-04:00

Today's Photo - Since I don't have much new, here is another one from yesterday at Hanging Lake, CO

Not too much happening today, although I did hit 16, 000 miles for the trip. I started east on I90. Not sure what is going on, but there is a huge bicycle race in the Vail area, and traffic was backed up in both directions a little west of Frisco. Not sure if that is normal for a weekend. I picked up CO 119 in Central City, a town that is interesting to drive through pulling a trailer. Glad it's small! Anyway, CO 119 twists & turns its way through canyons along side rivers full of rapids. Very pretty, although lots of 8% - 10% grades. After a short stint on I25, I got off at exit 252 & stopped for the night at Johnson's Corner RV Retreat in Johnstown, CO. I'm in site 154, 28' long, & I just fit without unhooking. A crowded campground that doesn't have a lot of shade & it's 96°F. I am running the AC!

The do have a pool just large and empty enough to attempt to do some laps. I'll give it a try after posting this. Otherwise, today is just a stop on the way north. The plan (subject to change, as usual) is to pick up US 85, and eventually US 2. I might make a stop at Crystal & Wind Caves - I haven't visited a cave yet on the trip, so that is the plan.

Until tomorrow!

Hanging Lake, CO

2011-07-22T18:11:00.002-04:00

Today's Photo - Hanging Lake, CO

I parked at the Hanging Lake parking lot around 8:30 this morning. I'm glad I got there early. Not only was the lighting better than it was on the way down the trail at 11:30, when I returned to the parking lot there was a line of cars waiting for a parking place.

After a long walk to the trailhead I started up, taking photos of the various cascades & small waterfalls along the trail. I made lots of stops to take photographs (and to catch my breath!) The trail is labeled moderate to difficult - you gain about 1000' over a distance of 1.2 miles. That said, there were people from 2 years old to 80 on the trail while I was on it, and a lot of them. If you are looking for a quiet climb without running into anyone else, this isn't the trail for you. On the other hand, the cascades & waterfalls along the trail as well as the lake itself are beautiful!

There is a new railing system at the top of the trail, as well as new decking and railings at the lake since the last time I was here (in 1996). I made a page for Hanging Lake, but here are a couple of images:

Along The Trail

Along the Trail

After looking over the cascade & waterfall photos that I took later in the morning I decided to go back after the sun went behind the mountains surrounding to trail to Hanging Lake. Not that they are terrible, but the softer light helps a lot. I didn't go all the way back to the lake - (Once a day is enough plus since I started at 6:30, I didn't really have enough time to get to the top & back down before dark - it isn't a trail you want to do in the dark!) I reshot many of the waterfalls & cascades in the first 1/2 mile of the trail (More at the Hanging Lake page).

Evening Cascade Image

Time for some big decisions. It is getting around the time I need to start heading back to Oswego. The problem is how? My original thought was to drive across the middle of the US along something like US 30 or even US 50, then up through PA to NY. The problem is the heat. It doesn't look like the current heat wave is going to let up ant time soon. Another thought is to go back to Denver on I70 (about the only way east from here) then head north & take US 2 (a favorite of mine) across the north, go into Canada either at Grand Portage, MN or Sault Ste Marie, MI, hoping it will be a little cooler. From the news I've been hearing it probably isn't all that much cooler going north, but I can pretend! I guess I can put off the decision until I get close to Denver since all routes start out heading that way.

Until tomorrow!

Glenwood Springs, CO

2011-07-21T19:45:00.001-04:00

Today's Photo - Actually, from yesterday; all I have from today is a campsite photo. Anyhow, its The Lower Copeland Falls in the Wild Basin section of Rocky Mountain National Park, CO

I'm at the Glenwood Canyon Resort, another one of the campgrounds that calls itself a resort meaning they charge more & do things like put the sewer connection so far from the trailer's outlet that you need two or even three hoses to get to it. It doesn't really matter since I generally don't hook up to the sewer connection anyway, but I have no idea why they put them where they did. At least I have a picnic table. Most "Resorts" don't supply one. It is a pretty location overlooking the Colorado River at the western end of Glenwood Canyon, although the campsite doesn't. Their new "No Name Bar & Grill" building is right next to the campsite - we'll see how that works out over a Friday night!

For those interested, they have a climbing wall, rafting, and a ride on a cable over the river.

The plan is to do little or nothing today & head for Hanging Lake, about 2 miles from the campground, tomorrow. I did go into Glenwood Springs for gas, and checked out the Hot Springs - Anne Guido thought I should do the Springs, but I guess I'm too lazy. It looked very crowded, no parking spaces, and expensive. Just excuses, but I passed it up.

Until Tomorrow!

Rocky Mountain National Park, Day 2

2011-07-21T00:18:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - A Marmot at Rocky Mountain National Park

My sister Jan & her husband Stuart live in Lyons, CO, a town about 20 miles from Estes Park. I gave then a call & they came to Estes Park for dinner. It was fun to catch up.

This morning I drove most of the Trail Ridge Road. It was just as busy as the Going to the Sun roan, in fact, maybe more, and like Glacier, had construction (well, repaving) producing one lane sections. I stopped at many of the turnouts & took some photos.

After returning from the Trail Ridge Road I tried to purchase a copy of the "Rocky Mountain Day Hikes" to decide which waterfall I'd hike to, but it is out of print & not available at any of the bookstores in the park. So, a change of plans. I headed back to the campground & had a early dinner with plans to go back up part of the highway this evening when there is more interesting light. Of course, if it was like last night, it won't work - we had heavy clouds and a bit of rain. Right now it looks good, but the weather changes very quickly here at Rocky Mountain. If it works, I'll add more images tonight.

I did go back out - First to the Wild Basin area to photograph Copeland Falls and a hen & chicks of a bird I don't recognise. On the way back along CO 7 I took a couple of photos of a building at the St Malo Center. A beautiful stone building that looks to have been a chapel; I think it is now a visitor's center, but was closed when I went by.

On the way back to Estes Park I passed the Stanley Hotel. A large hotel complex that inspired the Stephen King novel "The Shining". The story is that Stephen King spent the night in room 217 the night before the hotel closed for the season. The hotel was almost empty of guests, had a reputation of being haunted, and from that came the idea for "The Shining". Parts of the TV mini series was filmed at the hotel, although Stanley Kubrick's major motion picture with Jack Nicholson was not.

After that I went back on the Trail Ridge Road. Although the light did get better, the images didn't. I did get a rather soft photo of a Pika, some more elk, but the sky was prettier than the photos suggest.

As usual, the rest of today's photos are at the Lakeshore Images 2011 Trip Journal for today.

After that it was back to the trailer for a snack & calling it a night.

Until Tomorrow!

Rocky Mountain National Park

2011-07-19T20:13:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - Sprague lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO

I made the short drive to Estes Park and I'm now in site 51 at the Estes Park KOA. Yea, I know I said I don't usually stay at KOAs, but the park campgrounds are all full, and it is still hot enough that electricity is a bonus.

After setting up I drove into the park & up the Bear Lake road. I stopped a couple of times to shoot the stream running along side the road, then parked at the Glacier Gorge Traihead. I hiked up to the Alberta Flls, then on to Bear lake, and took the shuttle bus back to the Glacier Gorge parking lot.

On the way back down Bear Lake Road I watched a bear & two cubs cross the road in front of the car in front of me. I managed to get a picture of the bear as it disappeared behind a tree. If you look very carefully, you can see it! I think it is interesting that I've spent over 2 weeks in parks that are filled with bears & never saw one. According to a ranger I talked with, there are only 20 or so here at Rocky Mountain, & this is where I saw one.

After that it was on to US 34 & the Old Fall River Road to see the Alluvial Fan. That was about the only place in the park we stopped at during our 1996 visit to the park. Tomorrow I plan to drive the length of US 34 across the park - the Trail Ridge Road. We also drove that during the last trip & I remember it was a great drive.

I'm not sure what to have for dinner - I didn't dig anything out of the freezer. I have some squash to cook & the nearest Safeway is only 1.5 miles away, so maybe I'll go get something. On the other hand, it is starting to rain, so cooking outdoors may not be an option. Decisions, Decisions!

Until tomorrow!

Cheyenne, WY

2011-07-18T21:34:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - A Stormy Sunset at Devils Tower, WY

I didn't get any star or sunrise photos of Devils Tower - the clouds were too heavy. The sunset did some interesting lighting over the campground - a little of the effect showed around the tower.

Another long day of driving. I decided to stop at Cheyenne rather than drive all the way to Rocky Mountain National Park in one shot. I'm at the A. B. Camping RV Park, Site M2. It is only a little over an hour to the park from here so I'll have plenty of time to get there tomorrow.

I'm going to have more trouble identifying the location of my photos from now on. I have been using a GPS that attaches to the camera that records the location of each picture. It is helpful when trying to figure out where you took the photo years afterwards. I have 2 of them - the first one I purchased was an EasyTag. It started to refuse to lock on to the satellites on a trip south, so I sent it back to China to be repaired (under warrantee, although the shipping was fairly expensive). Anyway, since I wasn't sure it would be back before this trip I purchased a Solmeta GPS as a replacement. It is interesting - they both have the same instructions, are the same size & shape, but have the ports, buttons & camera mount in different locations. The Easytag came back just before I left so I brought both with me. The Easytag went back to taking 1/2 an hour to lock onto the satellites, then even after locking, would not send the information to the camera. The Solmeta locked on fast, had a few problems when connected to the camera (when connected, the camera LCD screen would not stay on) but for some reason if fixed itself and worked for most of the trip. Unfortunately, I stuffed the camera back into the camera bag too many times for the connection between it & the camera cord to survive. I pulled the case & the connector has lifted off the circuit board. The connections are far too small for me to resolder them so I'm without a GPS for the rest of the trip.

I passed what looked like a brush or forest fire along US 85 on the way. Also went through Lost Spring, WY a town of 4 that has a large sign welcoming everyone to the town.

I did manage to do some real grocery shopping at a Safeway here in Cheyenne. Had a hamburger, corn on the cob, and rice for dinner. It has cooled off quite a bit compared to Devils Tower - it is 7:15PM & it's down to 83°F with a nice breeze.

Until tomorrow!

Devils Tower National Monument, WY, Day 2

2011-07-17T19:23:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - Devils Tower at Night

Since Sundays are a day of rest, I took mine! Although I did take a couple of walks around the campground & to the store for a couple of cold drinks, I didn't go anywhere. I may drive up to the tower if the sunset looks good since it sets on the other side of the tower from the campground. Right now is doesn't look good. Heavy clouds & a prediction of thunderstorms, but you never know.

I did get a couple more moon light photos of the tower last night & got up at 5:30AM to shoot a couple of sunrise images. The strangeness of the tower makes for interesting shots under unusual lighting conditions. I wish I could also be here on a moonless night to shoot a star circle (1-2 hour exposure that shows the track of the stars due to the earth's rotation) but I'd have to wait almost a month & I don't have the time.

The results of last night & this morning are at the today's LakeshoreImages Journal Page.

It was another hot day - it hit 104°F again. I spent much of the day reading sitting in my canvas chair under a tree for the shade. I could have sat in the trailer with the AC running, but I much prefer being outdoors & watching the tower, the campers, etc. It was interesting this morning - 35 RVs, mostly Class A all arrived at once, a tour complete with a wagonmaster. The campground staff did a pretty good job of getting them to their sites.

I also met 3 people that rode bicycles from Portland Maine & are heading to Portland, Oregon. There was a time I might have tried something like that, but my longest bike ride has been less than 50 miles, and I'm going to stick with my trailer!

I'm going to finish off the cheese sausage & last hamburger patty for dinner. I sure do miss vegetables. I did find some apples at the campground store, but a normal meal is pretty hard to come by. I need to find a real grocery store!

Until tomorrow!

Devils Tower National Monument, WY

2011-07-16T21:26:00.001-04:00

Today's Photo - Devils Tower National Monument, WY

Hard to believe I've been on the road for three months & 15,000 miles. Less than a month before I have to be back in Oswego.

Lots of pictures today! I'm at Devils Tower, WY at the KOA located at the entrance to the monument. I thought about staying at the campground in the monument, but it is 104°F in the shade & I want electricity to run the AC! Although the campground has WiFi, it is overloaded & times out trying to send these images to my website. Luckily, the Verizon signal is pretty good so I'm using that.

The last time I was here was in 1996 on our 60 day trip across the US with Don & Anne Guido. We were here in July that time & I seem to remember it was just as hot & we were in tents. I love the trailer!

Anyhow, I drove into the monument & took the Tower Trail with my 17-35mm lens. I shot an image every 45° or so going around the tower & posted a few here for anyone interested in seeing the view without doing the little over a mile loop. When I got back I switched to my 300mm lens with the 2X teleconverter to take some photos of a couple groups of climbers. I'll post a couple on the Lakeshore Images 2011 Trip Page for today; more at the Devils Tower page. The trail is really a walkway. It is completely paved; there were people with strollers & although some sections are a little steep, I suspect an athletic wheelchair user could make the trip. There are a bunch of "Speed Bumps" that are there to help drain rain water off the path, but the rest is smooth asphalt.

I was hoping there would be a Deli here in one of the campground grocery stores, but the pickings are very basic. I'll probably eat the rest of the cheese sausage for dinner and look for a store to replenish supplies for tomorrow. I don't want to get too far ahead - with the 100°F temperatures, the fridge is getting above 40°F, even with the additional cooling fans, particularly when I'm driving. Not sure why - at first I thought the wind was blowing out the gas flame, but I stopped a bunch of times today & the heater section was hot. The freezer is doing OK, but the lower section (it's a one door fridge) is getting too warm. I added a block of ice & that helped for today.

It's now down to 91°F outside, 70°F in the trailer (the AC is way too big for the size of the trailer - I'm running on low & it still cools things off very fast). Time to make dinner...

Until tomorrow!

Miles City, MT

2011-07-15T19:19:00.003-04:00

Today's Photo - The Site Where My Daughter Karin & Her Husband Brian Got Married in 2000. Not A Bad Background!

Another day with a pretty boring report. I did more driving than I have in awhile, but the campgrounds in this area are few & far between. For those interested I'm at 322.1 miles, 14,821.4 for the trip.

Not as flat as yesterday; I spent the drive on US 87 & US 12 passing through farms & ranches on rolling hills. Again, the only photo I have is one of the campsite. There was one nice image of an old barn against a hillside & neat tree on US 87, but with the speed limit 70mph & no turn offs, I didn't stop. Although I generally drive 57mph (the best combination of "getting there" & fuel economy) the people behind me don't! US 12 is a very empty road. I saw another vehicle about every 20 miles or so.

I'm in site 3 at the Miles City KOA. I generally don't do KOAs because they tend to be more expensive, and I don't use most of the extras they provide, but on this trip it probably would have paid to get one of their 10% discount cards. I've ended up in 4 of them so far, and will probably be in another at Devil's Tower. Oh well, too late now! The site is OK, but the cottonwoods are dropping seeds all over the place. For those that have not dealt with cottonwood trees, they are supercharged dandelions - fluff all over everything. OK until you find your car filled with them or swallow one!

By the way, I did manage to make a Skype connection with Karin in Botswana yesterday. It was a very slow connection, but the interesting thing about it is the slowness was on my end, not theirs. Her husband Brian was connected on his laptop to his parents in Long Island & they had no problem.

Until Next Time!

Great Falls, MT

2011-07-14T21:09:00.000-04:00

No photo - For what ever reason, Neither the campground WiFi nor the Cell link will connect back to my computer to allow a photo to be posted. Downloads are reasonably fast, but uploads are not. Not that it matters - I didn't take anything but a campsite photo today...

Very little happening today. After a quick breakfast I packed up & headed for Great Falls, MT. On the way along US 89 there was a herd (well, 4, but they were all antlered males) elk running parallel to the road. It was amazing to watch. They leapt over cattle fences, and almost kept pace with the traffic for miles. No pictures since the road was busy & there were very few pull offs large enough for both the RAV4 & trailer, but they sure were impressive to watch!

The rest of the trip was mostly across flat, wide open spaces. I stopped early since I wanted to get the RAV4 serviced at the Great Falls Toyota dealer, City Motor Company. According to them the tires didn't need rotating, and the oil change was pretty quick, at least for a dealer.

I don't even have anything but a campground photo for today:

I'm in site 60 at Dick's RV Park here in Great Falls. A bit crowded, but they have hot showers (at least they promised them by this evening - they weren't working when I got here. After t days without hook ups of any kind, I'm sure anyone near by will appreciate showers! By the way, the solar did fine keeping up with the trailer's electrical demands, even with all the rain, much better than in the shade at Apgar Campground. The worst case was this morning - the batteries were down to 82% after recharging the laptop the iPod dock and running the router all night (I like to listen to Pandora), but back to 96% by the time I left. The combination of the RAV4's alternator & the trailer's solar had them back to 100% by the time I stopped for coffee at Browning.

Dinner was a quick stop at a Chinese Buffet. Kind of lazy, but I didn't feel like cooking.

Until tomorrow!

Going to the Sun Road, Glacier National Park

2011-07-13T21:45:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - Logan Pass Visitor Center, Opening Day of the Going to the Sun Road

Last night one of the clouds over the mountains south of the campground took on a wonderful glow.

Although the road was suppose to open at noon, I decided to start at 11:00 & stop at Rising Sun for coffee. I kept going after filling my cup & the road was already open. parts are redone & wider than in the past, but there is still lots of work to do. There are construction crews working on much of the road, particularly at the higher elevations. Many parts are gravel, many sections one lane. The longest wait I had was 45 minutes on the way west; coming back it was only about 10 minutes. Although busier than the past times I've been on the road, it wasn't too bad. The biggest problem was many of the pull offs (or turn outs) were filled with construction equipment. The waterfalls are running beautifully, but most of my photographs of them were shot through the windshield as I drove by. I'll stick a bunch of Glacier National Park images on it's own page, but here are a few from today:

I decided since it was late & I didn't really have anything ready to cook for dinner that this would be a night at a restaurant. The Cafe in St Mary had an hour wait so I drove 5 miles up US89 to the Two Sisters. Had a very tough Chicken Fried Steak, however excellent broccoli & french fries made up for it. A thunderstorm came & went while I was eating. It's very cloudy, and looks like more rain - I'm settling in for the night.

Tomorrow it's on the move again - I'm heading to Great Falls to try for an oil change on the RAV4. The next planned stop is Devil's Tower, WY

Until Tomorrow!

Two Medicine, Glacier National Park, MT

2011-07-12T17:34:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - The Stream Below Running Eagle Falls, Two Medicine, Glacier National Park, MT

I took a photo of the moon rising over the campground around 8:30 last night. Not quite full - according to The Photographer's Ephemeris, an App on my iPhone that gives information on the time & locations of sun & moon rises & sets, it is at 87.7% waxing gibbous!

I woke up at 6:00AM to a thunderstorm. It didn't last too long, but I'm sure glad I'm is a trailer - our old tent usually managed to get water inside when it rained, even with a rain cover & hood over the door. It all stopped by 8:00 and I headed off to Two Medicine, a part of Glacier National Park that I hadn't visited in our last few trips. One reason is you have to drive MT 49 to get there. I'm sure MT 49 is named after CA 49 since it has as many twists, switchbacks & hills as the California road. On top of the curves, much of the road has frost & slide damage - the 25mph limit is necessary in many parts of the road.

Two Medicine has a number of hikes as well as Two medicine Lake, a pretty lake surrounded by mountains. I took some photos at the lake & a couple of waterfalls on easy 1 mile or less hikes. I did a very expensive oops at Running Eagle Falls - I shot the first photo of the stream using my Variable ND filter. It is thicker than a non variable filter since it consists of two pieces of glass and, as you can see in the first stream photo, causes some vignetting (shadows in the corners). So, I replaced it with my thinner B+W 10 stop ND filter. Since I already had the camera on a tripod & the image composed, I didn't bother to screw the filter all the way on. As I picked up the camera it fell off, landing on the rocks in the streambed. Of course it shattered. Oh well, I did get the photo but I will be shopping for another 77mm ND3 filter!

As usual, the rest of the photos are at today's Lakeshore Images Journal page.

On the way back I saw a couple of horses along US 89. I do mean along - they were on the road.

After that it was back to St Mary Campground. At the gate the word is the Going to the Sun highway is scheduled to open around noon tomorrow. I'm not sure if it makes sense to line up behind the barrier waiting for it to open or to just wait a couple of hours after noon to hit the road. No matter which, I'm sure it will be busy. This is the latest opening ever, and there are a lot of people waiting for the day.

Until tomorrow!

St Mary Campground, Glacier National Park, MT

2011-07-11T17:46:00.002-04:00

Today's Photo - Site B85, St Mary Campground, Glacier National Park, MT

I'm back in the US. I crossed the border at CA 2 / US 89 with no problems, I wasn't even asked "Why did you come all the way to the west to buy your trailer" this time. The first photo on the Lakeshore Images Trip Journal page is the view of the Rockies from about a mile before the border crossing.

I decided to spend a night at St Mary Campground in East Glacier to see how well the trailer worked without hookups in the sun. St Mary Campground is very open; site 85 has brush around it, but no trees. Another advantage of a small trailer - the site puts the door & awning on the wrong side but the trailer is small enough that I could turn it around (on the one way road) and now the door faces both the view & the picnic table.

At the entrance station the ranger told me that they expected to open the Going to the Sun road on Wednesday, so rather than one night I decided to go for three so I could drive the road again. Let's hope it does open on time!

Since I drove by the Two Sisters Cafe, I stopped to get a another photo that included the entire cafe.

I had been wondering what the voice mail on my phone was - I didn't access it in Canada, and here at the campground I have a good Verizon signal, but no AT&T, which has been typical in many of the areas I've visited. If you have a choice and want coverage in the more remote areas of the US, particularly the West, I suggest using Verizon over AT&T.

Anyhow, I drove to Browning, MT to get gas, groceries, and an AT&T cell signal. The voice mail was HSBC card security telling me to call them. The interesting thing about that is that when I contacted them from Canada, the told me they contacted me by email because they didn't have a phone number for me. Very interesting!

I got back to the campground around 3:00 & plan to do nothing (other than slap mosquitos - they are just as bad here as at the Daisy May campground). Dinner will be a steak & green beans.

Until tomorrow!

Daisy May Campground, Fort Macleod, AB

2011-07-10T19:32:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - The Canadian Rockies Along CA 1

I stopped by the cafe (my internet source for the last 2 days) in Lake Louise Village for my last cup of coffee (at least at Lake Louise) and said good by to the Australian Barista on my way out of town. Lake Louise was a bit of a disappointment, not because of the location; it is beautiful, but because of the weather. I suspect visiting later in the summer would make more sense since the fog/clouds that currently hide the mountains behind the lake would probably be gone, but I tried for 2 days & it is time to head south.

I spent most of the day driving south on CA 1, a 4 lane 110kph road. At Calgary I switched to CA 2, another 4 lane road & followed it to Fort Macleod where I stopped for the night at the Daisy May Campground, Site 78. It is a back in large enough for both the trailer & RAV4, and level enough that I didn't have to unhook. A nice campground, but the mosquitos seem to be feasting! I'm typing this outside in my canvas chair & I am spending more time slapping than typing.

My complaint for the day is credit cards. Both companies I have cards with (HSBC & Capital One) asked for & were given an itinerary for my trip, including when I'd be in Canada. Both have suspended my card, sending me email asking me to contact them by phone. The problem with this is you spend between 10 - 15 minutes on hold at $.79 per minute waiting for someone to ask you if you made specific purchases for "X" amount on "X" day, something that I don't always have in my head. I did get AT&T to do a conference call to HSBC that should have ended up free; I'll find out at the next bill. At least that is better than HSBC did with my older Visa card. It expired in June, I left for my trip in April. They would/could not replace it before then even though I explained that I would be traveling & would not be able to pick it up at my house since I'd be 3000+ miles away when it arrived. I can't believe that they don't have a way to get a new card to people that travel more than a couple of months, but according to both the people in India & the supervisors in Buffalo, NY, there is no solution. Maybe it is time for a new bank!

Until next time!

Lake Louise, AB Day 2

2011-07-09T18:41:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - Lake Louise Again, No Rain, But Not Much Better...

Well, today the weather isn't much better. It isn't raining, but the sky is very cloudy. I did get a few patches of blue at Lake Louise, but that's about it. I got a photo of a very popular bird at Lake Louise - it is not afraid of people & looks well fed. Not sure what kind it is.

There is an area on the way to Moraine Lake that looks like a avalanche took out the railing. If you look closely at the large version of the photo, you can see the railing at the bottom of the hill. I wouldn't have wanted to be on the uphill (or even worse, at the spot) when this happened! As usual, the additional photos are at today's Lakeshore Images Journal Page.

After visiting both sites, I went back to the trailer to put this together & do a little reading. It will probably be inside although it did get up to 57°F...

I did find an internet capable cafe in the Lake Louise village. Free for the first 15 minutes, then $3.15 for a 30 minute addition. So both yesterday & today get posted. Not sure where I will be tomorrow, but it will probably still be in Canada.

Until the next internet capable location!

Lake Louise, AB

2011-07-08T19:28:00.001-04:00

Today's Photo - Lake Louise, AB in the Rain & Fog

For the first time in quite a while, I don't have an internet connection. I'll drive into the village later to see if I can find a WiFi connection. I'm at the campground at Lake Louise, currently in site 50. I had to move from Site J2, a tent site. Although with quite a bit of manoeuvering I did manage to get the trailer into the site, there was no room for the RAV4. On top of that, it was very shaded & no electric so my solar won't do much charging, and it is cold enough that I would be running the furnace quite a bit - a trip back to the campground office got me moved to an electric site big enough for both the trailer & the car. They have an interesting way of dealing with bears in the tenting area - the entire area is surrounded with an electric fence. They still expect you to bear proof your site, but I suspect the fence discourages the wildlife. The campground is huge with 189 RV sites & at least that many tent sites. Although it is well forested, the highway runs along side the RV sites, as well as a railroad track that supports horn blowing engines as they go by!

I came to Lake Louise to see the mountains & get a photo of the lake. I can only see the bottom of the mountains, and the lake photos are less than spectacular. It is raining, foggy, cold, etc. It was 43°F at Moraine Lake and as I type this it is down to 48°F at the campground at 4:55PM. Like I mentioned earlier, I expect to run the furnace!

Anyway, I'll post a couple of photos from the day, but I sure hope it clears up tomorrow. I have the site for two days, hoping things get better.

Till the Next Internet Connection!

Glacier National Park, BC

2011-07-07T19:20:00.001-04:00

Today's Photo - The Summit of Grants Pass, Glacier National Park, BC

I'm at the Whispering Spruce Campground & RV Park , Site F2. The campground is just off CA 1 with too much traffic noise (CA 1 goes up (or down, depending on your direction) a fairly steep hill, so you get both engine & brake noise. Still, it has full hookups, showers & WiFi so I will be able to post today's going on.

I drove from Fairmont Hot Springs to Golden, BC, and arrived a little after noon. After getting a site, dropping the trailer and setting up I headed to Glacier National Park (the "other" Glacier, although Canadians would call ours the "other". Anyway, it was a couple of hours drive each way to get to the far side of the park. It is a beautiful drive, however it is quite different than driving through most US National Parks. Rather than slow moving internal park roads, The only road through the park is CA 1, with a 90km speed limit (around 55mph). There are quite a few 2 lane passing sections, but very few pull offs to stop & see the view and at 90km on a 2 lane road you don't want to take your eyes off the road for too long. One interesting difference between this & the US Glacier - there are a bunch of avalanche "tunnels" along the road.

Since the side of the road is lined with tall pine trees, about the only place you can see a good view of the mountains is as you cross bridges, and, of course, there is no way to stop on a bridge.

So, the photos don't do the park justice - it is one you have to drive through to appreciate. I got back to Golden around 4:30, the plan for dinner is veal parmesan, broccoli & rice. The rest of the day will be kicking back, reading, and, of course, posting these pages. By the way, the rest of the day is getting longer & longer. Last night is was still daylight at 10:00PM. I think it is the combination of being on the edge of a time zone change & being further north.

I'm making an "long distance" wave goodby to Karin, Brian, Valerie & Zoe until I see them appear again on Skype. Have a good flight & enjoy Botswana!

Until the next internet capable location!

Fairmont Hot Springs, BC

2011-07-06T20:26:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - A Sunfish on Lake McDonald, Glacier National Park, MT

Last night I went back to the boat dock at Lake McDonald for one last try at capturing a photo that I liked as much as the one I use on my card. No such luck, but I did get a couple of useful images. At first, the sunfish sailboat was annoying, however as the lake calmed down the reflections of its sail got interesting. I also experimented with a ND filter to create long exposures to smooth out the ripples. You can check out some samples at today's photos at Lakeshore Images 2011 Trip Journal.

I crossed the border on US 93 at Roosville with a very short wait & without any problems. It has been interesting trying to explain to the Canadian customs agents why I would drive all the way from New York to British Columbia to buy a travel trailer - apparently they don't know that the best fiberglass trailer is made in Canada!

I switched the GPS to kilometers to make it easier to keep within the speed limits, but the odometer on the RAV4 is staying at miles so I can keep track without getting confused. I stopped for the night at Fairmont Hot Springs, the Spruce Grove Resort, Site 74, did laundry, and will take a real shower tonight. I may even wander over to the hot spring fed pool for a swim later on.

For some reason the WiFi Ranger picked up a local, open WiFi source. Not sure where it is coming from - the RV office said I would have to go to the lobby of the hotel to make a connection (hardly what I would call "internet available" in AAA's description of the campground). In any case, I'll post this while connected.

Until the next internet capable location!

Glacier National Park, Day 4

2011-07-05T21:26:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - Dead Horse Dam, Dead Horse, MT

Today was a fairly quiet one. I drove back to the mustard seed field because I wanted a better photo than the one I took last time. On the way back I stopped to see the Dead Horse Dam, a short drive off US 2 in (of course) Dead Horse, MT. I also had the thought that it would be interesting to take a helicopter ride to where they are plowing to photograph them. I stopped at one of the helicopter charters outside the park - $455.00 for a 1/2 hour, the time it would take. Nice idea, but just a little more than I'm willing to spend. A little different from Viet Nam - when I was doing operations & training for the 101st I'd just make a call & one would meet me at the landing pad. I guess I'll stick with the Glacier's flickr page.

After that it was off to Polebridge to pick up a couple of sticky buns & cinnamon rolls. Yes, it is a little crazy to drive 48 miles round trip just for a couple of rolls, but:

They are really that good!
I'm on vacation!
I'm retired - I can do what ever I want!

After that it was back to the campground and Skype my daughter Karin on her birthday. We "talked" for awhile - they are leaving for a 2 year stint to Botswana on Thursday. I'll miss them, but last time they were in Africa we managed to Skype back & forth almost weekly; I'm hoping it will be the same this time.

Tomorrow I will be heading into Canada. My Verizon data plan (through Millenicom) does not cover Canada, and the cost of connecting through my AT&T plan would cost me hundreds of dollars per week, I will have to make my updates at either campground WiFi connections, or other open connections until I get back to the US. So, if you don't hear from me it isn't because I don't care!

Till Whenever!

Glacier National Park, Day 3

2011-07-04T20:25:00.001-04:00

Today's Photo - Wild Goose Island, Lake Sherburne, Glacier National Park, MT

Sitting in the shade isn't doing my solar recharging system much good. Up till now, I've been able to do just about anything (other than run the AC) & the solar system would recharge the batteries to 100% by the end of the next day. Here at Apgar that isn't happening. After a full day, mostly away & with nothing on, I'm only back to 85%. The computer is the biggest hit - it draws 8-9 amps on the 12 volt system. So, I'm sitting in the RAV4 editing & posting today's journal.

I got up a little after 6:00AM to try for a morning photo of Lake McDonald. The lake was flat, giving a great reflection of the clouds & mountains, however the position of the sun was bad. Oh, well, I'll keep trying!

Anyway, today I drove to East Glacier. Unfortunately, it wasn't on the Going to the Sun road since it hasn't opened yet. I did drive as far as possible on both sides, but that is only about 14 miles on the East side of the park. I did take a photo of the road from US 2 (at least I'm pretty sure it is the road - all you can see is the cut in the mountainside). I also stopped at 2 Sisters near Babb, MT for lunch & a new "T" shirt. I did have lunch, but they haven't changed the shirt design since my last stop in 1998 so I didn't buy a new one. The place has a new coat of paint, but looks pretty much the same as it did the last time.

As usual, if you want more photos, check today's post at Lakeshore Images.

After lunch I drove into the Many Glacier part of the park, and after that took US 89 & US 2 back to West Glacier & the campground.

One difference I've noticed between this trip & the ones we took 10 years ago - there is much more haze in the skies. Not sure why - the forest fires have been to the east of where I've been shooting so I don't think they are to blame...

I'll probably add a day & stay here tomorrow - It's Karin's birthday & I hope to be able to connect to her on Skype. The campground has a good Verizon signal (my data connection) but a poor AT&T (my phone).

Till Tomorrow!

Glacier National Park, Day 2

2011-07-03T19:06:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - A Mustard Seed Field on Montana Route 35

Woke up to rain again this morning - my towel was out on the line "Getting Dry" (not) and my chair had a puddle of water in the seat. Since I wasn't going to be able to spend the day sitting around in the sun reading, I decided to drive as far up the "Going to the Sun" road as possible. "As possible" was to the Avalanche Creek stop. I did get some photos of McDonald Creek running faster than I've ever seen it. It rained off & on along the 16 miles of the road.

After that I drove into Kalispell to get a new 25' hose for the trailer water system. The one that came with it kinks far to easily. On the way back I drove by a beautiful mustard seed field & had to stop for a photo.

Since the rain stopped, I spent the rest of the afternoon reading or putting up this webpage. It's going to be pork chops, green beans & salt potatoes for dinner.

Till Tomorrow!

Glacier National Park, MT

2011-07-02T19:58:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - The Polebridge Mercantile, MT

I did get to Apgar by 10:00AM & drove through Loop A, the one closest to Lake McDonald & the one I wanted to stay in. It was full, but just like the first time I was at Zion National Park, someone moved to a better site (for them) and offered me their old site. I guess I'm just lucky! Anyhow, I'm in site A53 for the next 3 days. It's a pull through site that is plenty large enough for the trailer & RAV4; the only reason the last people gave it up is it isn't all that level & they had a class B van - they had to level their van every time they came back from a drive. Since the trailer only gets set up once, it is no problem for me.

After setting up camp & took a walk to Lake McDonald. I stopped at the boat dock where I took one of my favorite photos (it is the one I use for my "business card" (in quotes because I don't really have a business, but they are handy when someone asks for the website link or under rare circumstances, wants to buy a photo). It is the photo over the link to State & National Parks on my homepage. The old dock has been replaced with a larger & less attractive one, so I went looking for a good location to duplicate the image. The best I found is in back of the lake front motel.

After that I went to Polebridge. I've been told by more than one Glacier visitor that you are not "official" until you make the drive to Polebridge & buy a Cinnamon Roll at the Polebridge Mercantile. It is a 24 mile drive, a portion on good road, another portion a good gravel road, and the final section a heavily potholed "barely paved" road. Although I've seen many complaints about the road, 've driven far worse on this trip!

The Polebridge Mercantile is a busy place that sells limited groceries & camping supplies and had a very good bakery. I had a hot roast beef sandwich (pretty good) a cinnamon roll (excellent) and a sticky bun that I will try tonight. Most of the trees on the way out to Polebridge are dead. Not sure if it is fire or insect damage, but while it does let you see Lake McDonald on the first part of the drive, the dead trees don't look all that attractive in photographs. Of course, a mixed blessing - if the trees were alive you wouldn't be able to see the lake at all.

After that it is back to the campground and time to kick back for the afternoon.

Till later or tomorrow -

2011-07-01T22:18:00.000-04:00

Site 46, Flathead Lake KOA, Polson, MT

Well I got my hour back that I lost overnight. I'm in Polson, MT & back on Mountain Time. This is an unusual KOA - a large part of it is a resort of permanently owned paved, level sites. The ones for travelers like me (I'm in Site 46) are gravel & very out-of-level. Even though the site is a pull through with plenty of room, I had to unhook the trailer just to get it close to level. The view makes up for it - snow covered mountains across the valley below the campground.

By the way, I have to give up on my theory that the western states save all their good beef for themselves & send the tough meat to us in the east. My New York cut steak was just about the toughest piece of meat I've ever tried to eat. It was from a place called Pauls, & if it is a chain, I won't be stopping at any more of them!

The drive to Polson was along ID 13 & US 12 and a bit of US 93. There is a very long uphill drive coming out of White Bird which ends at White Bird Hill Summit. A great view of Hells Canyon on the way. US 12 is called the Lewis & Clark Highway since it follows the path they took along the Lochasa River. I managed to photograph some rafters on the Lochasa, but only in a fairly calm part of the river. The problem was I was going upstream, so by the time I saw them & found a place to stop, they were gone.

I'm not doing well with my choices of meat - I stopped at a local Safeway here in Polson looking for skinless chicken thighs, but had to settle for a package of marinated chicken breasts. I cooked one - it was so salty it was barely edible. So bad that I threw away the second breast in the package. Oh well, I'll just have to eat some of the stuff in the freezer. I did find my favorite packaged rice & since I just finished the last package I bought 5 to cover the rest of the trip!

The plan is to head to Apgar campground in Glacier for the holiday weekend. It is only 75 miles from here so I hope to get there in time to find a site. So far this season the campground has never filled; lets hope for the same tomorrow!

Till then -

Swiftwater RV Park, White Bird, ID

2011-06-30T19:31:00.001-04:00

Today's Photo - A Floating Generator on a River

I woke up this morning with the patter of rain on the roof. Luckily, it stopped by the time I finished breakfast. I did get my shower & laundry done, however it was at the Pizza place in Stanley yesterday afternoon. Although they did fix the water problem at Elk Mountain RV Resort, they wouldn't have hot water until morning & I wanted to get a somewhat early start.

The drive to White Bird, ID on ID 21, ID 55, and US 95 was wonderful. Almost the entire was was driving along pretty mountain streams, filled to capacity (or more) with spring runoff. The photo above shows an interesting power generator. It is a funnel on a set of pontoons that feeds the river water through a turbine & generator. An interesting idea - I have no idea how much power it generates, but it would be useful for locations on fast moving streams. If you look closely, you can see they also had a solar panel...

I'm in Swiftwater RV Park, site 13, a well kept and very pleasant campground on the shore of the Salmon River. It is nice to see the "other" Salmon River. it is bigger than ours in Oswego with about 20 times the amount of flow, and at present, is full of rafters.

I lost an hour - I'm back in the Pacific time zone I have a steak & corn on the cob to cook for dinner - I probably should think about cooking.

Till Tomorrow -

Stanley, ID

2011-06-29T17:03:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - The Stars at Craters of the Moon

I tried again for some nighttime star photos. The short exposure (well, 15 seconds) came out OK, however I also tried a star trail, leaving the shutter open for around an hour. Only problem is a few campsites over from mine they decided to use their flashlights at 12:00AM, and the image was ruined. I'll try again if I get to a dark location.

I continued west from Craters of the Moon to ID 75 & ID 21, stopping for the night just outside of Stanley at the Elk Mountain RV Resort. Not quite a resort, but the price is right - $27.00 for full hookups. There is one problem - I chose the campground because AAA listed it as having showers & a laundry. Well, they do, but they also have a water problem, and as of 3:00, there is neither and no bathrooms. Hope they get things working soon.

Other than that I'm spending the rest of the day reading & since I have a pretty good internet connection, catching up on some of the RV sites I follow.

Until Tomorrow -

Craters of the Moon 2 & The EBR-1, ID

2011-06-28T18:15:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo A Lava Field at the Craters of the Moon National Monument, ID

I set up the camera to take a series of 15 second exposures starting at midnight. I checked them out a little after 12:30 & I didn't get quite what I wanted, but here is one of them. I'll try some more tonight as well as shooting a star trail, a long exposure that makes circles out of the stars because of the earth's rotation.

Today's plan was to drive through Arco and visit the EBR-1, the world's first power plant that produced usable electricity. After that I'd return to Arco, do laundry, get a haircut, and pick up something for dinner.

I figured I should check out the EBR-1 since I live in a town (Oswego, NY) that has three nuclear power plants as well as a large (over 2 Gigawatt) formally coal, switched to oil, then switched to natural gas power plant - which, for some reason only runs a few hours per year when the temperature is under -10°F, as well as a couple of hydro plants on the Oswego section of the Erie Canal.

The EBR-1 started producing electricity in 1951, and powered the town of Arco, the first city to have "Atomic" power. I've toured one of out local "Nuke" plants (long before 911 - you can't get near them now) and it is interesting to see the similarities & differences. I added a group of photos at today's Lakeshore Images Journal Page. I love the image of the turbine & generator with the names of the persons at the plant when it was first started.

Outside the EBR-1 building are two huge nuclear aircraft engine prototypes. I never knew it, but in the mid 1950's there was a plan to build a nuclear powered bomber that was capable of staying in the air for over a week. For a number of reasons it was never built, but the prototype engines were built & tested.

Although not the most important National Historic Landmark of the trip, it is definitely worth a stop if you are heading towards Craters.

As to doing laundry, well, the only laundromat in Arco (or within miles) is closed. I had to go to Moore, about 7 miles north of Arco to find a place that takes drop in haircuts, but had a good time talking with the barber - the first time a man has cut my hair since I was in high school.

Till next time -

Craters of the Moon National Monument, ID

2011-06-27T17:22:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - The Tetons, WY

As the title says, I'm at the Craters of the Moon, Site 38. If you have never been here, as its name implies, it is a strange place. All the campsites are carved out of black pumice, with rocks the size of basketballs that you can hold in one hand. Most of the sites are fairly small, although a few are large enough for a 36' Class A or large 5th wheel. There is water available (although no hookups, and no dump station). I'm in the back section which is only for small trailers or tents. Very quiet, and I hope it will be dark enough for some star pictures tonight. The skies are clear...

On the way out of the Tetons I made one last stop at Mormon Row - better lighting, but not quite what I was looking for. Oh well, maybe next time...

I'm not sure how long I'll stay here - I do want to see some of the caves, the cinder mounds, etc here in the park so it will probably be two days unless I get tired of not having electricity (or worst, at least for others, a shower!)

Till Next Time -

The Grand Tetons & Yellowstone, WY, Day 2

2011-06-25T17:37:00.002-04:00

Today's Photo - A Mormon Barn, The Grand Tetons National Park, WY

I'm posting today's journal from the Jackson Albertsons parking lot. A good cell signal as well as a open local WiFi. An early morning - outside temperature was 37°F while it was 48 inside the trailer until I turned on the heat. A quick breakfast & it was off to see the Tetons. Although I made most of the stops along the way, my main goal for the day was to hike to Hidden Falls. It is a 3.5 mile hike mostly around Jenny Lake. A big advantage (that I took) is there is a $7.00 boat ride back that saves 3 miles of walking.

The falls is actually a cascade, and it is running very strong with the spring snow melt. Strong enough that only one of the three bridges across the stream are usable.

After the boat ride back I went to Mormon Row to photograph some of the barns that Ansel Adams made famous. I hope to get back tomorrow morning - the afternoon light was quite harsh & unforgiving, but I'm including a couple of images anyway. Check the rest of the day's photos at Today's Journal at Lakeshore Images.

After that it was off to Albertsons for dinner supplies and a few new books. I'm just about out, but my favorite authors have come through with new summer books.

Till Tomorrow!

The Grand Tetons & Yellowstone National Parks, WY

2011-06-25T11:15:00.000-04:00

Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park, WY

I'm not at all sure when the next few pages will get posted - I don't have any cell signal or WiFi here at site 63 at the Flagg RV Resort. Not sure why they call it a resort other than the prices they charge - $64.00 per night (although that is about the price for sites in the area that are not actually part of the park system). Although I have seen lots of complaints about the Flagg RV Resort on line, I suspect the high price generates most of them. I have stayed in far worse (and, of course, much better). The sites are on dirt, but nicely shaded, only 20 amps available, but clean bathrooms with large showers. In any case, I'm here for a couple of days to check out the Tetons & Yellowstone.

Last night at the KOA was interesting - we had a hailstorm that dropped 1/2"hailstones - sounded great on the trailer!

After setting up the trailer at Flaggs I headed off to Yellowstone. I got as far as Old Faithful before I decided it was time to had back to the campground for dinner. I did get a photo of Old Faithful spouting off, however it sure seems pretty lame compared to the last time I was here. In any case, I included a photo.

Till Tomorrow -

Montpelier Creek KOA

2011-06-23T16:04:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - Ricks Spring Along US 89, Idaho

Another quiet day with an early stop. By the way, although the Cherry Hill Campground in Kaysville was primarily a water park, and still a bit too refined for me, my site (21) was actually a really nice location. It was on grass, and had plenty of room on both sides. Much of the rest of the campground had sites barely wide enough for people to open their slides, while mine wasn't all that deep, there was plenty of room. I guess that is another advantage of a small trailer!

Today I headed up US 89. Although a 4 lane expressway for some of the way, once past Mantua, UT it changed to a 2 lane road, and soon started climbing through the Wasatch-Cache mountains with the usually twists & turns. The stream along the road was well over its banks in many areas. I stopped to take a photo at Ricks Spring along side US 89. One of the persons there said they have never seen it flowing that strong - it was over the walkway.

After that I continued over the pass at Bear lake Summit, then on into Idaho. I stopped for the day at the Montpelier KOA in Montpelier, ID, the first KOA of the trip. As I've mentioned in other trip journals, KOAs remind me of McDonalds - you always know what you are going to get, but there are no surprises. I didn't have a lot of choices - both the AAA guide & my GPS didn't show many other campgrounds in the area. I'm is site 28, a very nice location with shade & a stream running by.

Till Tomorrow!

Another Day In Salt Lake City

2011-06-22T22:22:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - A lilly From The past

Not much interesting going on today. I now have a clean sensor on the Nikon D700, and my RAV4 has all new fluids, including transmissions. Although it was a little early for the transmission fluid change, towing, particularly in hot weather & 8-20% grades is a lot of work for the poor thing.

Other than that, I spent the day reading, thinking about where I'm going tomorrow - the current thought is to head up US 89 until I either hit the Tetons, or stop sooner if I get tired of driving. I'd like to spend some time in the Tetons - a beautiful park.

Till Tomorrow!

Salt Lake City, UT

2011-06-21T22:10:00.002-04:00

Today's (Actually Yesterday's) Photo - Along the Panorama Trail, Kodachrome Basin State Park, UT

As you have figured by now, things change. Last night after returning & processing a group of images from an evening walk through Kodachrome Basin State Park I finally reached the point where the dust & shutter oil droplets on the sensor in the D700 wouldn't go away. Many of the parks I've been in lately are dusty, and, although I have tried to make as few lens changes as possible, even the car is filled with fine red "Moab Sand"(red dust).

I tried cleaning the sensor, but with little improvement. I'm surprised that the D700 with a full frame sensor is more difficult to clean than the smaller sensor in my D200 or D300. In any case, it was time to find a real camera store/repair location to get a good cleaning. The closest I could find was in Salt Lake City. It is in the general direction I'm heading although my plan was to cut across US 50 to US 93 & head north on that. Now I will probably take I80 to US 93 on Thursday. Since I have to stay two days to get the camera cleaned, I'll also get an oil change & transmission check at the local Toyota dealer.

So, tonight's campground photo was taken with a lowly Coolpix 995. Actually, it isn't a bad camera. Only 3.34 megapixels, but the output will cover any web page & I have managed to print a decent 16" X 20" from it (as long as you don't get too close).

Speaking if campgrounds, I an staying in the Cherry Hill Campground in Kaysville, UT, site 21. It is an interesting place. For me the only virtue is it is close to Salt Lake City - much too refined for me. It is actually a water park with a campground attached. Still, a nice place for a couple of days.

Till Tomorrow!

UT State Route 12

2011-06-20T19:41:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - Grosvenor Arch on the Cottonwood Road, GSENM.

The plan for today was to drive UT 12. The day started out cold @ 44°F this morning, but warmed quickly. I took a couple of photos along UT 12, one of the most scenic in Utah, but they don't do the road justice. With the expansive views, you have to be there, particularly along the section of road that travels a ridge. There is a 100'+ drop on either side, little or no shoulders and, of course, no guard rails. After driving some of the dirt backroads I've been on, it didn't bother me, but the people on the campsite next to me yesterday were from Québec, and they were not happy with it!

Speaking (well, typing) of dirt roads, I drove another section of Cottonwood Road, this time from the top south. I wanted to see Grosvenor Arch which is about 18 miles south of Kodachrome Park. I've only missed about a 10 mile section of the road between Kodachrome & US 89 near Page, AZ, and according to the volunteer at the GSENM Visitor's Center (the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument) the section between Kodachrome & the arch is the worst part of the road. I probably could have pulled the trailer over the length of it, however I would have to put half the stuff in the cabinets back - lots of washboard & bumps.

After returning from the arch I went back to Kodachrome (which is on Cottonwood Road) for a few more photos of sections I didn't get to when I stopped there with Don & Anne on June 10th.

I suspect today's post will be late - my connection here at Bryce Pioneer Village is Verizon only @ 24K, or half of a normal dial up connection. I may drive the 6 miles to Ruby's Inn for a connection.

Capitol Reef National Park, UT, Day 2

2011-06-19T18:32:00.001-04:00

Today's Photo - A Mormon One Room Schoolhouse, Capitol Reef National Park, UT

Well, today is different. It's 4:00, and has been the first really bad day of the trip. It rained off and on lightly last night, and was around 56°F this morning when I got up around 8:00. It has been downhill since. The wind is rocking the trailer, the temperature is down to 47° and falling, and, although it sometimes clears just enough to think it is worth heading out, it starts to rain again as you open the door!

I guess I can't complain - for most of the trip I have had pretty good weather, at least for the seasons I have been traveling in. I spent most of the day catching up on reading some of my RV web pages, and adding some of the trip photos to my screensaver.

Unless the weather changes, there won't be any new photos other than a site picture added at today's Lakeshore Images Trip Page - The one above is from yesterday.

Well, I got lucky. Around 5:45 the sun came out. I jumped in the car & drove to the Hickman Bridge parking lot. There is a great view of Pectol's Pyramid from the trail to Navajo Knobs. This is a 9 mile round trip (I didn't do the whole trail!) but along the way there is a good combination of the black andesite boulders & the view of the pyramid across the Fremont River. As I said, I was lucky. By the time I got back to my car the clouds rolled in.

Till Tomorrow!

Capitol Reef National Park, UT

2011-06-18T22:22:00.001-04:00

Today's Photo - Hickman Bridge, Capitol Reef National Park, UT

I drove up to the Goblin Valley parking lot to post the rest of yesterday's photos, and while waiting took a few morning images.

After that I headed for Torrey & Capitol Reef National Park. I dropped the trailer off at Thousand Lakes RV Park (not a lake in sight) and am in site 9. A nice place. The site is a back in, but deep enough for both the trailer & car. The bathrooms are clean, the showers big enough, and not too far from the site.

After that I headed back to the park, took the scenic drive, a couple of side roads, and some of the stops along UT 24. I'm here for two days, so I'll hit the rest tomorrow. Lots of different colored rock, the Fremont River, and some early Mormon settlements are in the park. It doesn't look like any of the fruit trees are ripe - they let you pick & eat them when they are.

I picked up a steak, broccoli & cauliflower, and used my second to last bag of Vigo Yellow Rice for dinner. Now it's time to sit back & relax! More photos at today's 2011 Trip Page at Lakeshoreimages.

Goblin Valley State Park, UT

2011-06-17T19:28:00.002-04:00

Today's Photo - Some of the Goblins at Goblin Valley State Park, UT

I've seen photographs from Goblin Valley State Park on the internet & have always wanted to see the place for myself, so here I am. Not too far from Green River, but I'm basically killing time waiting for the Narrows to open at Zion. What a way to kill time. This place if fascinating! You feel like you have been dropped onto another planet. There is an overlook at the end of the road into the park, however to get the real feel for the place you have to walk down into the valley. It is an easy walk, but I suggest taking water - you will likely wander around from place to place until you have done more miles than on a normal trail. You are free to wander anywhere on the valley floor, and the formations are different everywhere you look.

The campground is out of water, at least under pressure, however since I have my own, they gave me a site. It won't be open until 2:00, so I'm checking out the rest of the park. I suspect the formations will be even more interesting during the "magic hour" just before sunset & after sunrise so staying in the park is just what I wanted to do.

Well, the good news is the water is back on at the campground, so there will be showers tonight. The bad news is tonight's "magic hour" lighting isn't even 1 minute long - the clouds got even heavier, a bit of rain, and no sun. It's too bad - there is almost a full moon tonight which would look interesting over the valley. I'll go looking for it, but am not hopeful! As usual, more photos at Lakeshore Images Trip Page.

Some days you just get lucky. After dinner I was reading a book when a ray of sunlight poked over my shoulder. I grabbed my camera & drove back to the valley part of Goblins (it is about a mile from the campground). The light was good, I even managed to catch a rainbow. I'm going to start a page just for the park (Goblin Valley State Park) but here is one of the evening photos:

Till tomorrow -

Green River, UT

2011-06-16T17:58:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo (Actually, another one from yesterday - I didn't take any today)
Buck Canyon Overlook, Canyonlands National Park, UT

Hard to believe I've been on this trip for 2 months.

We had a wind storm last night that was the equal of the Valley of Fire storm. I can't tell you how much the first blast rocked the trailer - I was in the campground shower covered with soap when the power went out. The water in the campground is supplied by a pump - it was the fastest rinse I've ever tried, and I almost made it!

This morning I started out doing laundry in Moab. Although the campground had a laundromat, it was very small, and was always full. The one I stopped at in Moab had a commercial washer which made quick work of my pile of stuff. After that it was off to the car wash to get rid of the Moab Sand (fine enough that I'd call it dust) that covered everything, inside & out. I even managed to wash part of the trailer.

I followed I15 for about 25 miles, getting off in Green River. I'm at the Shady Acres Campground, Site 26. The campground is actually shady - I'm under a tree. The showers are not too far away, are clean & have large stalls. It was 95°F when I pulled in, however another rain & wind storm came up just after I arrived, and the temperature is down to 72°F right now. This storm actually included a fair amount of rain - there are puddles all over the campground, and the RAV4 & trailer are just as dirty as they were yesterday. Oh well...

Till Tomorrow -

Canyonlands National Park, Island in the Sky, UT

2011-06-15T11:39:00.001-04:00

Today's Photo - Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park, UT During Sunrise

I did manage to get up at 4:15AM, and managed (without coffee!) to make it to Mesa Arch in the Canyonlands by 5:30AM. Much to my surprise, there were already 5-6 photographers there when I arrived. Luckly, there was still space for me, although a bit to the left of where I wanted to shoot.

The photograph of the canyons through Mesa Arch is a famous one, at least for Canyonlands. At first, prior to the sun hitting the arch it doesn't look like much. As the sun rises it hits the underside of the arch, making it look like it is almost on fire. The "Look" only lasts for about 15 minutes, changing all the time. I included a couple of different frames shot over the sunrise at today's Lakeshore Images 2011 Trip Page.

After that I continued through the park for some morning shots, then back to the campground to relax. There are some afternoon photographs I'd like to shoot - I'll go back after lunch & add them to the page this evening.

I took a trip on a road I've wanted to drive since the last visit to Moab - the La Sal Loop. This is a narrow two lane, mostly paved road that gos through the La Sal mountains. Lots of nice views, cows on the road, in fact an actual cattle drive. I came around a corner, and rather than just one or two cows like most of the road, there was a whole herd, complete with cowboys (and cowgirls) on horses, cattle driving dogs, etc going down the road in the same diredtion as me. Ane of the cowboys waved me on, so I threaded my way through 1/4 mile of cows. An interesting experience!

I have come to the conclusion that nature photographers (at least one that I know very well) are nuts. Who else would go on a 3 mile hike on a nonexistent trail on a 95°F day to take a photograph of something that he saw in another photographer's work? I am also completely direction deficient. Ask Don or Anne - I go into a store parking lot or gas station, and the chances are 50-50 that I'll turn the wrong direction coming out. Not the skills necessary for hiking in the middle of Canyonlands. Still, I did want to shoot an image of the False Kiva, which is only well lighted in mid afternoon, so I stopped at the Visitor's Center, talked with a ranger who made a rough map, described the hike, and gave me instructions of what to do & not do at the site. I took my handheld GPS with me to leave markers as I went.

The first mistake was to take the wrong unmarked trail. After an hour hiking over slickrock, following carins I ended up overlooking the Holeman Spring Basin from the top of the cliffs that the False Kiva was under. No way down, so back to the road. I discovered the real non trail, and if I was in my right mind, I'd say "that's nice", but one 3 mile mid afternoon hike is enough. Of course, I didn't, so off I went. Everything worked fine until I reached the cliff face. Although there are plenty of carins marking most of the way, at the face I got lost. Since the part where I was confused was under the cliff ledge, the GPS was useless - no satellite reception.

I ended up doing some scrambling on rocks that should have never been scrambled upon. Finally, I decided to try one more time to find the Kiva. I ended up on the trail back to the road. As I passed a tree I remembered passing before I turned around, and after a short climb, found the Kiva. Of course by then it was far too late in the day so a shadow fell across the Kiva, but I shot it anyway. The hike back just about killed me, but I made it.

Until Later!

Arches National Park, UT

2011-06-14T18:15:00.002-04:00

Today's Photo - Skyline Arch, Arches National Park, UT

I got a fairly early start this morning & headed into Arches. Visiting Arches is probably the main reason for this trip. In 2004 my wife Carol was feeling bad & we decided after Zion to head home without stopping. I've always wanted to take more photographs of Arches, so here I am!

I used part of the morning as a scouting trip for Delicate Arch. The best time for photographs is late afternoon, so I wanted to choose which lens made the most sense & only take one during the hot afternoon. Looks like the 24-70 wins.

I also did the same for Mesa Arch in Canyonlands. A beautiful photograph is possible at sunrise at the arch. Of course since sunrise is at 5:55AM tomorrow & it takes around an hour to get there from the campground, it means an early day. I'll try! By the way, I really couldn't decide which lens, the 17-35 or the 24-70 worked best at Mesa Arch, but since it is a much shorter hike (and cooler) I'll take both.

I took a few different angles at Balanced Rock because it looks so different depending on where you are on the trail around it. Although you can see the Delicate Arch from a short walk from the road, it takes a telephoto lens (in this case a 200mm) to shoot it & it isn't all that interesting an image. To really shoot it you have to take the trail to the arch itself, a 3 mile hike with a 480' gain in height. Not as bad as Angel's Landing in Zion, but a good climb over slickrock. The heron was at a pond at the trail head for Delicate Arch.

All the other arches are fairly short hikes in from the trail heads. I'm not sure how Don managed to get into Skyline Arch for the photo I took on our 1996 trip, but he did. No one was there today!

Anyway, the rest of today's photos are on my Lakeshore Images Page for today.

Well, I did go back for the late afternoon sun & it was a definite improvement. I also decided to take a new route to the arch (alright, I admit it I somehow lost the trail). I added some photos from the usual location as well as my "new" one to the LakeshoreImages page. Here is one of them:

Till Tomorrow...

Canyonlands, The Needles, UT

2011-06-13T21:41:00.002-04:00

Today's Photo - A tree along the walk to Cave Spring, The Needles section of Canyonlands National Park, UT

Wow, I only had to make a 1/3 of a pot of coffee this morning! With Don & Anne along we go through two pots (it is a 4 cup coffee maker). I made reservations at Arch View Campground which is about 9 miles north of Moab. Beautiful views in all directions, family style bathrooms, but they put me in a fairly small space - I have to park the RAV4 behind the trailer. On top of that there is a female mulberry tree next to the site (at least it is on the left side) that drops berries all over the place - they get tracked into the trailer & are tough to clean off the floor.

When I made the reservation the woman on the phone suggested I drive out to the Needles section of Canyonlands on the way rather than make the 75 mile drive from the campground. I did, and there were many nice rock formations throughout the drive & park. They are tough to photograph because the appeal is the overall view & that just doesn't fit in the normal frame of the camera. I did take some panoramas that I'll try to stitch together after I get home. There are more images from Canyonlands on today's Lakeshore Images page, at least as soon as I get it posted.

I have to take a break from the trip report to mention a former student. Brian Ronan was one of my students at SUNY Oswego - last night he won a Tony Award for his sound design of The Book of Mormon. Having one of your students excel is one of the greatest rewards of teaching - I've had many successful students, but Brian is the first to win a Tony.

Back to today - I'm in site 42 for the next 3 days. The plan is to explore Arches, Canyonlands, and the sights of Moab.

Till Tomorrow!

Back at Monument Valley

2011-06-12T20:15:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - Agathla Peak along AZ 163.

A short drive today. I have to get use to traveling solo again - Don & Anne are heading south to the Grand Canyon while I'm on my way north to Moab & Arches National Park. Although I could do it in one day, I decided to break the drive in two, and spend a little time getting organized. I'm in Goulding's Monument Valley Campground, Site 17.

Till Tomorrow!

Antelope Canyon Revisited

2011-06-11T20:11:00.002-04:00

Today's Photo - Upper Antelope Canyon, Page, AZ

I went back to Antelope Canyon in with Don & Anne. This trip was a bit different. Although we had fewer photographers in our group, the canyon was much more crowded. We also only had one guide. On the May trip another guide was making a full day tour with two individuals. They joined our tour going through the upper canyon, and having two guides made it much easier to keep the other groups out of our photographs. We still had time to shoot the empty canyon, but it was more rushed than before.

If you are going to Page just to shoot the canyon, I suggest going early in the year. They are open year round. I put information about the tour company I went with both times on the Antelope Canyon Page.

Like the May 11th page, I also added more Antelope Canyon photos to the Antelope Canyon Webpage.

There was a little excitement on the way back from the canyon - one of another company's pick ups used to take the one hour tour groups to the canyon had a bit of a problem on the way in!

It looks like we are going to spend the rest of the afternoon goofing off & posting this page.

We did get off our butts & made a run to Walmart for another memory card for Anne's camera (she has discovered movies) dinner, (steak, corn on the cob & salt potatoes). We also stopped to see the Glen Canyon Dam Visitor's Center.

Till Tomorrow!

Page, AZ Revisited

2011-06-11T11:38:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - Anne at Horseshoe Bend, AZ

I'm a little late posting today's (well, yesterday's) update - I was tired & went to sleep instead of posting. I could blame it on the time zone change, a slow, poor cell connection, but I was just tired!

We took a short detour to Kodachrome State Park, UT, and took the Angel Trail hike, a 1.6 mile round trip that climbed over the parking area, passed a number of interesting trees & rock formations.

After the park it was South on US 89 to Page. We quickly set up at the Lake Powell-Page campground in site 15, made a quick run to Walmart for stakes strong enough to drive into the gravel, then headed to Horseshoe Bend for some photos. The skies were much more interesting than the last time I was here. A storm threatened, producing great clouds (and a bit of lightning, but in the distance). We stayed until the rain got bad enough that we headed back. Of course after going 3/4 of a mile in soft sand back to the parking lot the rain stopped & the sun turned gorgeous. Oh well, maybe next time!

As I said at the beginning, I was tired & went to sleep. As to the time, well, I WAS WRONG! There, I admitted it - it was actually an hour earlier than I insisted it was. We didn't find out for sure until this morning at Walmart.

Tomorrow (actually today) we will do the photo tour of the Upper Antelope Slot Canyon.

Till Then -

Bryce Canyon National Park, UT

2011-06-10T01:05:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - Sunset at Bryce Canyon National Park, UT

Although the original plan was to head to Page, AZ today, we changed out mind and decided to revisit Bryce Canyon. We were last there in 1996. The drive was uneventful & we pulled into Ruby's Inn RV Park & Campground around 1:00. Somehow we mixed up where we stayed on out 1996 trip. We all thought we stayed at Ruby's Inn Campground on that trip, but now figured we were in one of the campgrounds in the park. In any case, this time we are in site 83. A little tight, but the problem solved - the tent moved a little off the site into the trees!

After setting up the trailer & tent we headed into the park. Just as breath taking as last time - looking out over the formations is amazing. It is a problem for photographers. You eye constantly isolates the different structures, but the camera can't. Trying to compose an image out of the mass of formations is difficult.

We drove up the length of the park, stopping at all the viewpoints. After that we went to the "Fast Food" restaurant (Part of the Ruby's organization which runs just about everything just outside the park). Although a bit expensive for fast food, it was hot, good & plentiful. We also did a bit of grocery shopping at the general store (which is fairly limited unless you are buying tourist mementos) dropped them off at the trailer & went back to the park to shoot some sunset photos. Although there wasn't a great sunset, we did get a few that had improved color over the mid afternoon images. If you are interested in additional images of Bryce, check today's post at Lakeshore Images. I didn't label the locations, but my GPS on the camera was working, so in the EXIF data attached to the large image you can find the location. Using that & Google Maps, you can not only locate where I was standing, but which direction the camera was aimed!

The current plan is to head for Page, AZ tomorrow. Of course, you never know until I post - we often change out minds at breakfast!

Till Tomorrow -

Angel's Landing Trail, Zion National Park, UT

2011-06-08T19:53:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - Climbing the "Neck" to Angel's Landing, Zion National Park, UT

The main objective for today was to hike as far up the Angel's Landing trail as we felt comfortable with. We were going to do it yesterday, however it was late enough that we would be going up during the hottest part of the day, which we wanted to avoid.

We left the campground around 10:00 & got off the canyon shuttle at the Grotto. The first part of the hike along the river isn't too bad, but it soon starts to climb. You hit a series of switch backs that tend to tire & overheat you, but you soon reach Refrigerator Canyon, a section of the hike that is fairly flat & well shaded, at least in the morning. It actually cools you down for the next part - Walter's Wiggles. This is another series of switch backs, steeper than the first ones, and end at Scout Lookout, the part of the trail that switches over to rock scrambling holding onto chains anchored to the walls.

I was well ahead of Don & Anne, so I decided to try the first section of chains called the Neck. Actually, the climb along the neck isn't anywhere near as difficult as hauling my 66 year old body up the switch backs. You move slowly enough that you don't run out of breath, and, as long as you aren't nervous looking down hundreds of feet below your feet, it's easy. The big problem is it was so full of climbers that you had to wait 10 - 15 minutes to get a turn in the sections that required the chains. I suppose you could just bull your way up, but there were people coming down, which I found more difficult, and I just felt compelled to wait for them. There were some individuals that just couldn't wait and pushed their way up - scaring the hell out of those coming down.

In any case, I did make it up to the top of the Neck where you have a great view of Angel's Landing, but didn't climb the final .4 miles to Angel's Landing itself. I'll probably kick myself in the future for not finishing; it wasn't the difficulty, it was just too busy. After I took some photos I came back down the Neck & met Don & Anne arriving at Scout Lookout. We also took a short hike along the West Rim Trail to a section that overlooks both Angel's Landing & the Big Bend shuttle stop. That was the location from which we took photos of the Angel's landing Trail yesterday. It sure looks different from the other end!

More pictures of the climb at Today's Lakeshore Images Post.

After returning to the Grotto, we took the next stop down for a late lunch at the restaurant at the Zion Lodge. Don & I had the Taco Buffet while Anne had a Bison Burger. Although a bit more expensive than the snack bar downstairs, the food was much better!

We stopped at the Court of the Patriarchs for a couple of photos, and also caught a few of the wild turkeys that live there. After that it was back to the campground for a much needed break. So far we have done about 10 miles of the trails in the park. Since I read somewhere that there are 800 miles in the park I guess we have a few more to go. Since we are leaving tomorrow, we will have to miss most of them!

Till then -

Zion Revisited, Day 2

2011-06-07T20:44:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - The Zion Valley Viewed From the Emerald Pool Hike From the Grotto

We slept a bit late this morning - blame it on the time change. In any case, we caught the Springdale shuttle at the crack of 10:00AM, transferred to the canyon shuttle in the park & rode to the end of the line at the Sinawava stop.

The waterfall that was there a month ago is now a drizzle, but the river looks even deeper. They still have the narrows walk closed with a sign at the ranger station stating it will probably open in late June. I did get a picture of Don & Anne at the start of the Narrows Trail.

After that we made our way down the valley stopping at a couple of different trails. Don & Anne went to the Weeping Rock while I waited for them & read my book. We then stopped for lunch at the snack bar at Zion Lodge. After a dry sandwich Don & Anne headed for the Lower Emerald Pool while I decided to hike to the Grotto.

I'm not sure what I expected the Grotto to be, but all it is is a half mile trail to the Grotto bus stop. Once there I decided to take the trail from there to the Lower Emerald Pool & see if I could find Don & Anne. It was a nice walk above the Virgin River, and I met them at the pool. I just sat along the wall & let them walk up to me - they weren't expecting me so it was a bit of a surprise.

By the time we got back to the Zion Lodge stop we were tiring, so all we did was stop at the Zion Human History Museum, and back to the campground (well, of course we did have to do some food shopping - Hamburgers, Asparagus & Herb Pasta for dinner).

That's about it for the day. After posting this I'll start the hamburgers!

Till Tomorrow!

Zion National Park, Visit 2

2011-06-06T20:00:00.004-04:00

Today's Photo - Site H1 at Zion Canyon Campground, Springdale, UT

So far the only photo today is of the Zion Canyon Campground we are staying in for the next 3 days. I'm in H1, a full service RV site & Don & Anne are next door in J22, a tent site.

We had serious headwinds on UT 18 on the way here. I was doing 55 on flat ground, but the transmission was in 3rd gear. I did eat lots of gas until we reached Enterprise where UT 18 changed direction. All I had to worry about after that was getting blown off the road. Actually, the trailer handles well in high side winds as long as I stay under 60mph. For those interested, today was 150.3 miles - 9148.3 for the trip.

We arrived in Springdale, UT, a small town at the south entrance to Zion around 3:00 Mountain time, and rather than going into the park we did some food shopping for dinner, and hung out at the campground. I may go into the park for some photos if it looks like a nice sunset, otherwise, we'll head in tomorrow.

Well, it wasn't great, but here is what we looked at while we ate dinner.

A group from Trek America arrived at a couple of the sites next to us. An interesting organization. They arrange small sized tours, this one of the National Parks. About 10 people from all over the world touring in a van, trailer & a bunch of tents. Looks like a great way to see the country.

Till then -

Caliente, NV

2011-06-06T00:04:00.001-04:00

Today's Image - The Road Sign for the Extraterrestrial Highway, (NV 375)

Although it rained all night, it only went down to around 44°F & we all did quite well in the trailer. It was either rain or a heavy mist this morning. I made my usual run to the bathroom with my shower token in hand. Rather than use quarters for showers, Mono Vista provides a token for the hot water in the showers (Cold is free). Only problem - Stall 5 has a broken token machine. I'm undressed, soap & shampoo in the shower stall ready for me to drop my 5 minute hot water token, and although it goes in, no hot water comes out. Mumble & grumble, get dressed again, but office wasn't open yet, so I couldn't ask for a replacement. Went back to the trailer, got dressed in the day's clothes, ate some breakfast & we decided to take the Jane Lake drive, a 15 mile scenic loop off of 395 south of Lee Vining. The office was open by then, they apologized for the shower problem & gave me a new token. Although the RV space they gave us was a bit tight to get into, I do recommend the place.

The Jane Lake drive is a very pretty road, well worth the hour or so it takes to drive it.

After we got back & had our showers, it was off to Caliente, NV. By the time we left Lee Vining it had cleared up quite a bit so we stopped again at the South Tufa part of Mono Lake & took some photos with blue skies.

We took the Extraterrestrial Highway as part of the drive. One problem - in this area of Nevada the gas stations are far & few between. They put signs outside of town telling you how many miles to the next gas. Although I filled up in Tonopah, by the time I reached the next gas station in Caliente I only had 2 gallons left. Since towing in the hills in that area was only giving me around 8.5 miles per gallon, that was cutting it a bit close!

We are in Young's RV Park in Caliente, NV, Site 21. At $24.00 for both the tent & trailer (with full hookups) a pretty good deal! They also have the classiest bathrooms I've ever seen in a campground.

Till tomorrow -

Mono Lake & Bodie Ghost Town

2011-06-04T22:22:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - The Inside of the Methodist Church, Bodie State Historical Park, CA

As Yogi Berra would say "It's deja vu all over again". Both Don & Anne wanted to see Mono Lake & Bodie Ghost Town, and they both fit into our schedule so there we went.

We were a bit too early to register for the campsites at Mono Vista so we headed to the South Shore Tufa site with the trailer attached. They accepted both my Senior Pass & Don's Annual Pass for admission. They actually had a park ranger at the entrance. The sky was overcast, which gave everything a different look. I liked the blue sky against the formations, but you get what you get.

After that we dropped the trailer at the campground (Site 41) and all got in the RAV4 & headed for Bodie. Much nicer this time - we could drive to the normal parking lot rather than walk a mile & a half like my May 8th visit. Most of the snow has melted, and it was a lot more crowded, both with visitors, volunteers, and rangers. There were also many more open buildings, including the museum and the inside of the Methodist Church. Took a bunch of photos that will appear on both the Bodie Page & today's Lakeshore Images post.

After that it was back to the campground (in the rain) & a spaghetti & sausage dinner. Since it is raining, and likely to get pretty cold (it went down to 12°F last night at Bodie, although it is 1000' higher than we are here) we decided to try all of us in the trailer. We will start putting it together after I post this & the Lakeshore Images page.

Till tomorrow -

Lake Tahoe, NV (Barely)

2011-06-03T22:49:00.001-04:00

Today's Photo - Lake Tahoe, NV

We headed out for Lake Tahoe this morning. Although there were lots of ways to get there, we decided to take CA 70 since it was marked as a "Scenic" drive on our AAA map. It was a pretty drive, much of along rivers & valleys.

The final leg of the trip wasn't all that exciting. We stopped at a Safeway for some food for the next couple of days, and filled the fridge. When we pulled off to take a photo of Lake Tahoe & noticed the fridge was getting a bit too warm (I have a inside/outside thermometer inside it) so I jumped in the trailer to turn down the temperature and almost broke my neck sliding across the trailer.

The door for the storage cabinet over the sink popped open. I think the jar of pasta sauce we just bought knocked it open when we hit a very rough section of road. No, the glass jar of pasta sauce didn't break, but a small plastic bottle of olive oil fell out, popped the top & proceeded to drain all over the bed, floor, my laundry basket of clothes, and anything that it could find! Went through a full roll of paper towels, tried a number of things to wash the floor & found Dawn dishwashing detergent worked best. So, other than a couple of pairs of shorts (that are too big anyway) that won't clean, and the door mat that can't be rescued, everything is cleaned up.

Should be an interesting night. The Zephyr Campground office crew (we are in site 127) told us to expect it to be about 27°F in the early morning. We are at 6200' and although it warms up quickly, the nights get cold. The campground is just over the California border in Nevada. If it gets too cold, we will find a way to fit all of us in the trailer. I'm going to feel guilty turning on the furnace while they are in the tent!

Till Tomorrow -

Paradise, CA

2011-06-02T20:36:00.002-04:00

Today's Photo - An Acorn Woodpecker (I think)

When at the Yosemite Pines campground, a family of Acorn Woodpeckers lived in a tree next to our site. We saw both parents, assumed there were youngsters in the hole in the tree, but never saw them. The parents would take turns getting & delivering food, and chipping away at the insides of the hole in the tree, making more room. They do make a lot of noise, although they quieted down at night.

By the way, Yosemite Pines rates high on my campground lists. Nothing fancy, but everything you need, good WiFi, clean bathrooms & large, hot showers, stuff to do such as panning for gold, quiet, and relaxing. It was a bit cold at 38°F this morning, but I don't believe that was their fault!

We headed out to the Chico area, staying at the Quail Trails Village RV Park, Site 19. It was a fairly nice drive up CA 120, CA 49, and CA 99 although a couple of sections near the larger cities were a bit busy. I don't enjoy hauling the trailer on 6 lanes of freeway! We followed a truck pulling a Scamp for about 30 miles, and waved to each other as we parted.

Don & Anne went into Fresno to see a new family member (I don't remember if it is a nephew or niece) & I'm kicking back here at the campsite getting in a little reading.

Since we have a very slow Verizon only connection, I probably won't be able to post the Lakeshore Images pages. The only additional photos for today are more of the woodpecker.

Till Tomorrow...

Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park

2011-06-01T23:58:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - The Grizzly Giant, Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park

Another cold morning with breakfast in the trailer. Good thing there is heat in the bathrooms - a shower wasn't too bad. After breakfast it was back to Yosemite. Lots of fog - we were worried that we wouldn't be able to see the tops of the Sequoias at Mariposa Grove, but by the time we got there it wasn't foggy, just cold. We saw a sign stating that the parking lot at Mariposa Grove was full & we should park at the Wawona Information Center & take the shuttle. Only problem, no parking spaces at Wawona. So, we kept going. Carol must have been looking over us (she always found a parking place) - as we reached the south entrance a single parking space appeared so we only had a 2 mile bus ride to the trees.

As long as the sun was out it felt warm, but when it went away it felt pretty cold. On top of that it started to sleet on the hike to see the Grizzly Giant. One of the photos on the Lakeshore Images page that looks like sand is actually sleet on the ground. We did most of the trees in the lower section, but skipped the 6 mile hike to the upper section.

After that rather than driving back the way we came we drove to Mariposa (the town) so I could show Don & Anne the drive into the park on CA 140. I think this is the nicest entrance road to the park, traveling along the many cascades of the Merced River.

We arrived back at the campground around 6:30, made hamburgers, green beans & pasta for dinner & called it a night. We will figure out what we are going to do tomorrow tomorrow!

Till Tomorrow -

Yosemite National Park, Day 1

2011-05-31T23:53:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - The View Across Mirror Lake

This morning we all ate breakfast in the trailer - it was 44°F. By moving stuff around we found a way to fit all of us without having to break down my bed (the full size bed at the back of the trailer I use is made from the 4 person dinette.)

After breakfast we made our first trip to Yosemite. We stopped at most of the main high points, including my favorite, Glacier Point. More photos at 2011 Trip Day 44.

Yosemite has some of the most beautiful formations in the National Park system. Glacier National Park is still my favorite, but Yosemite is a very close second. If only it wasn't so crowded, at least at the times I've been there. I was hoping that after Memorial Day Weekend the crowds would be gone, and although not as crowded as in 2004, we still often had to wait to find a parking space at many locations.

We got back to Groveland around 6:30, decided we were all too tired to make anything for dinner, so we had Pizza at the PJ's Cafe. Expensive for a Pizza, but very good. Don & Anne are sitting around the campfire (burning his $1.00 per log firewood) and I'm putting the pages together. We will probably call it an early night tonight & hope for good weather for tomorrow. The current prediction is 40% chance of rain, and 28°F for tomorrow night. We may be trying to find a way to fit all of us in the trailer!

Till Tomorrow -

Yosemite Pines Campground, Groveland, CA

2011-05-30T18:36:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - Some Switchbacks on CA 49

It was a nice day for the drive to Yosemite, at least the RV park we will be staying at for the next 3 days. We are in site 14 at the Yosemite Pines RV Resort & Family Lodging. I guess adding "& Family Lodging" turns a resort into a place I like to stay at. Much nicer than last night with shade at the site, nearby bathrooms with nice showers, and plenty of room for both the tent & trailer. A total of $109.80 for 3 nights.

The drive was interesting. Most of the way was on CA 99, a freeway. We switched to CA 140, then to CA 49. CA 49 follows the path made by the 1849 gold miners, and has many turns & switchbacks. Carol & I drove this section on our 2004 trip, in fact I took the same photo then as I have above. Quite a road, although the section of CA 120 we took to get to Groveland (the location of out campground) also has its ups & downs. At least it was a bit wider.

We are settled into the campsite and about to get something for dinner, send some mail, and deal with paying bills.

Till Tomorrow...

Riverland RV Resort, Kingsburg, CA

2011-05-29T20:01:00.001-04:00

Today's Photo - The Stream Next To Our Site (#74) at Tillie Creek Campground.

We didn't drive all that far today - we are at the Riverland RV Resort in Kingsburg, CA in site 54. For those interested, today was 131.0 miles and, so far for the trip 7765.2,

The problem with "Resorts" are they are usually set up for permanent, or at least long time residents. No picnic table, the bathrooms are about 1/4 mile from the site, utilities on the wrong side & end of the site, etc. And, of course, they are going to be more expensive with the word "Resort" added to the name. In this case, $60.00 for the three of us on one site. I admit we have both a trailer & a tent, but the last site cost $12.00. Of course we do have electricity & water. All that said, it is a pretty site. A river on one side & a lake in front.

Site 54, Riverland RV Resort, Kingsburg, CA

Till later...

Well, it's later. We decided that since we didn't have a table to eat at unless I wanted to tear the bed apart to turn it into a dinette, we'd eat out. We went to a buffet at the China Garden, one of the 2007 "Top 100 Chinese Restaurant in the USA." It was OK, but of the thousands, or even millions of Chinese restaurants in the US, I don't think it hit the top 100.

Afte that Don & I watched the birds feed over the lake, talked & read, while Anne did a couple of loads of laundry. By the time she got back we were freezing. Can't seem to hit just the right temperature - Like Goldilocks, it is either too hot or too cold. Tonight, 60°F just seems too cold, while a couple of days ago we would have loved it! Just can't please any of us.

Till next time.

Sequoia National Park, CA

2011-05-29T00:55:00.001-04:00

Today's Photo - Don Standing in Front of a Giant Sequoia Tree

Today it was off to see Kings Canyon National Park & Sequoia National Park. The GPS routed us on CA 155, which was a bit much for both my & Don's stomach. Almost continous curves & switchbacks. Plus we quickly got into fog so thick we could barely see the road let alone the view at the sides. It cleared as we drove out of the hills, but as we drove up into Sequoia National Park, the fog came back. We stopped at some tall trees and took some foggy photos, and I suppose I could try to tell you one of them was General Sherman, the tallest tree in the world, but I'd be lying. We did stop at the General Sherman parking lot, but the fog was so thick that a ranger was there to let us know that if we did the 1/2 mile walk to the tree we would be able to see the first 15' of it. So, we continued on. Since it was getting late & we had a long drive back to the campground, we didn't do the entire drive to Kings Canyon, but left the park at the CA 180 exit & took CA 63, CA 99, and CA 178 back to the campground, reaching Lake Isabella around 7:00. The drive along the Kern River between Bakersfield & Lake Isabella was beautiful.

Rather than making a meal in the dark we decided to eat out & had Barbecue in nearby Kernville, CA.

Until Tomorrow -

Tillie Creek Campground, CA

2011-05-27T21:38:00.001-04:00

Today's Photo Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park

Well, we certainly had an interesting day today. It started ordinary enough with a drive on US 190 through Death Valley National Park. The RAV4 did OK pulling the trailer up the 9 mile 8% grade, while not overheating it did smell a bit hot near the top. After that we stopped so Don could take some photos of the sand dunes. Because there was less wind than the last time I was there I managed to get a clear photo myself.

Once outside the park I found a gas station with a good Verizon connection so I uploaded yesterday's pages.

Then it was on to Kernville. The plan was to stop at one of the campgrounds there. Minor problem - the area was on fire. We were wondering why it was so foggy until we were close enough to smell the smoke. The road was closed, but another way into Kernville was opening as we pulled up. I ended up turning the trailer around (twice) on a narrow two lane road. "K" turns with a trailer are interesting!

Although we didn't see it, we were told the KOA in the area burned down & the one we were planning to stay in was full of the people who left the KOA. We checked out a place called Camp 9 on Lake Isabella, but the wind was strong enough to knock us around & we didn't want to go through another night like the last one at Valley of Fire! We pulled into Tillie Creek Campground, and even thought the sign at the gate said no sites available, the campground host started to give us directions to another national Forest Campground that still had some open sites. As she was doing this, someone came up & said site 75 was empty. Although a bit steep, it was big enough for both the tent & trailer, so in we went. We are here for at least two nights - it is Memorial Day Weekend & most of the area campgrounds are full. We will decide Sunday if we want to move on or stay another night.

Till Tomorrow...

Death Valley Revisited

2011-05-27T15:59:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - A Roadrunner at Death Valley National Park

It was a windy night. For the first time it didn't cool off after sunset. It was still 77°F at 10:00PM. Around 11:00 the wind started to pick up. It was a bit windy earlier & the ground under Don & Anne's tent was so hard that they couldn't drive tent stakes, so they tied the tent to the stabilizing legs of the trailer. On the far side of the tent we stuck the equalizer hitch in the tent stake loop. As the wind picked up, the entire trailer was shaking & I could hear the tent flapping. I thought about asking Don & Anne into the trailer, but their weight was the only thing holding the tent down. The wind was strong enough that it moved the hitch (about 60 lbs) more than a foot. None of us got much sleep. It never let up completely, but enough that we could pack up in the morning.

Originally we planed to stop at Kernville, CA for the night, but by the time we hit Death Valley we decided to call it quits. We are in site 113 for the night. A bit of shade, which is good, because the temperature today is going to hit 107°F and only go down to the high 70's tonight! Quite a bit different from May 9th, the last time I was here.

A little before dark a Roadrunner "ran" through the campsites. It was pretty funny with about 10 people with cameras chasing it trying to get a photo. Of course, one of them was me!

This won't get posted until we have a better connection. Nothing on Verizon & only voice on AT&T.

Till Tomorrow...

Wednesday at Valley of Fire

2011-05-25T12:01:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - Elephant Rock, Valley of Fire State Park, NV

At 8:53AM I'm in the Overton laundromat doing, well, laundry! I also added a Valley of Fire Page with more photos. As soon as the laundry is done it is off to get a haircut (actually, most of them), then back to the campground to wait for Done & Anne. They are going to join me for the next couple of weeks while we tour California.

Till later -

Another Day at Valley of Fire

2011-05-24T21:58:00.001-04:00

Today's Photo - An Interesting Cloud Over the Campground at Sunset

My plan for today was to go to Overton & find a fast enough Verizon connection that would allow uploading my Lakeshore Images pages. Since they have quite a few images, the slow campground connection just won't work. That worked as long as I was parked outside the barber shop. Since I was also planning to get a haircut it was a great location. The only problem is they were booked for the day so I'm scheduled with Debbie at 10:00AM tomorrow. Should be interesting since no one has cut my hair except Peggy in Syracuse for the last 30 years!

I did take a photo of an interesting cloud that formed during the sunset last night. We even got a few drops of rain; not enough to wet the ground, but hey, we're in a desert. I also stopped at Elephant Rock and took a couple of photos from the back side that are posted at the Lakeshore Images trip page. Unfortunately, it won't be available until I get back to the barber shop to upload it!

Till then -

Las Vegas

2011-05-23T20:32:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - Sunset on the Rock Outside My Front Window, Valley of Fire State park, NV

I'm still in the Valley of Fire State Park. I went to Las Vegas today to get my RAV4 serviced. I'm switching from oil changes at 5K to 3K because of the towing. I had them check the transmission fluid, but they liked the color of it and told me to wait until the regular scheduled service. I was hoping to upload the multiple Lakeshore Images pages that are still sitting on the laptop, but although they had a WiFi internet connection that worked fine with my iPhone, the laptop wouldn't connect to the internet. I connected fine to the WiFi network, but showed no internet connection. I tried a bunch of things, but gave up. Don't know when the large group of photos here at the park are going to become available.

I added a couple of fans to move air across the back of the refer. Seems to help, although they are noisier than I had hoped. They are on a switch so I can turn them off at night.

Other than that, not much going on.

Till next time -

A Quiet Sunday

2011-05-22T13:55:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - The View From the Campground - Valley of Fire State Park, NV

Another day without much going on.

I went into Overton yesterday afternoon (the closest town to the park) to try to pick up a 12v fan to help cool the fridge, but although they did have a Radio Shack (stocked, for some reason, with more camping gear than electronics) they didn't have fans. I was going to get a haircut, but the entire town except the two hardware stores & Lin's Grocery was closed at 2:00.

Today I don't plan on going anywhere, except to drive around the park.

Till Tomorrow!

Not Much Happening

2011-05-21T23:48:00.000-04:00

I didn't take any photos today and, besides, the connection is so slow I probably couldn't upload them anyway. I'll try for more tomorrow.

I spent the day doing nothing. It was a nice change from all the traveling. Actually got to read an entire book, cooked a real meal, and relaxed. About the only thing that I need to get used to is the heat. 95°F today, but, IT'S DRY HEAT!

Till next time -

Valley of Fire State Park, NV

2011-05-20T17:53:00.001-04:00

Today's Photo - The Escape 17 at Bolder Dam.

I had to use this photo for the blog today so Don & Anne can see what they are heading for. The new bridge is far more interesting from below or the side than when you drive over it. If everything goes as planned, they will join me at the Valley of Fire State Park next week.

I do have to put in a good word for the Blake Ranch RV Park & Horse Hotel. Not only did it have the best bathroom/shower rooms of the trip (or any of my trips) but it is an all around great place to stay for a night or two. I can't say as much for the restaurant nearby. It is an Iron Skillet and makes about the worst pasta sauce I've ever had.

I got an early start, leaving the park around 7:00AM since I wasn't sure how crowded the Valley of Fire State Park campground would be & I wanted to get one of their few electric sites. I did stop long enough to see Bolder Dam. If you want to actually drive across it (or for that matter, any where near it) you have to have your trailer checked out. The inspection crew loved the trailer!

On the way out of the dam a group of runners got ahead of us. It is all uphill & driving behind a group of what looked to be inexperienced runners was pretty slow. To top it off, one of the tour busses decided to go around cars that were lined up behind the runners. Every time there was a turn lane he would move into it, pass as many cars as possible, and cut back in when the lane ended. I tried to fight him, but I suspect I cared more about my trailer than he did about his bus. Plus, he is just a little bigger! He did get his just rewards. One of the police women saw what he was doing, pulled around him, got out & stood in front of his bus until all of us went by. A great feeling!

After that it was a nice drive along Lake Mead to the park. I didn't get there until a little after 10:00AM - there was a time change or a daylight savings time change or something. There were about 3 electric sites still open. None were near a non-electric; I was hoping to be able to get a site for Don & Anne. I talked to the park rangers & they said there was no problem changing sites, so hopefully one of the ones near the tent sites will open up early next week.

It is fairly hot, at least compared to the Grand Canyon. This morning I went to the showers at Kingman it was 47°F, it is now 79°F. I didn't start the AC - I'm trying the fan to see how it works. So far the inside of the trailer is 81F so that's not too bad. I think I'm going to turn the trailer around later today or tomorrow. Right now the fridge is aimed into the setting sun, making it difficult to keep it's cool. Plus, the awning will make better afternoon shade if it is on the north side.

I'll shoot some photos of the park this evening. Lots of red rock around the campsite & throughout the park.

There won't be any Lakeshore Images postings, at least from the campground. I have a good Verizon signal, but it is 1XRTT with a transmit rate averaging 5kb.

Till tomorrow!

Kingman, AZ

2011-05-19T19:46:00.000-04:00

Today's Photo - The Grand Canyon, AZ

I just realized I've been on the road for over a month. How time flies. As to the grand Canyon, the snow cleared for a bit & I went over to the Desert View viewing area & shot a couple of late images. Very cool (not neat - cold) color. After that is was a rush back to the trailer to warm up. I'm not sure why it seems so cold - I've been camping in temperatures well below freezing & my thermometer says it's 32 °F. Maybe the altitude? What ever, I was cold taking the pictures, even with gloves & my heavy jacket. The furnace ran most of the night - sure glad I ran out of propane early enough to get more or it would have been a cold, cold night. I really feel for some of the people camping here. The worst off was a couple sleeping under a tarp stretched between two motorcycles.

Although it was still cloudy at 6:00AM and there was 3/4" of snow on the trailer & RAV4, I hooked up & headed towards the South Entrance & Kingman. I stopped along the way for a couple of shots. Much warmer color than last night!

I'm in site 2 at the Blake Ranch RV Park & Horse Motel. A great place with the best shower rooms I've seen so far. Each room has a huge shower, sink & toilet, with room to get dressed! Tomorrow I'm heading to Nevada & the Valley of Fire State park. I'll be there fairly early for meeting Anne & Don, but I can use the time to try to get an electric site, and make some runs to other locations, leaving the trailer at the campground.I got off I40 at Selgman to travel a 100 mile section of Historic Route 66. The last time I was on this section of Rt 66 I was a 5 year old on 1950 on a trip with my parents & brother & sister in a 1938 Plymouth & home built camping trailer. Actually, we slept in a tent; the trailer was there to carry everything. Some photos of the trip are at 1950 Trip.

I'm finally in a location that has fast enough internet that I can post the pages at Lakeshore Images. If you want to see more photos of the last couple of days, check the Trip Index.

Till Tomorrow...

Desert View Campground, Grand Canyon, AZ

2011-05-18T18:56:00.001-04:00

Today's Photo - Site 12, Desert View Campground, Grand Canyon, AZ Yes, that's Snow!

I'm in the Desert View Campground at the Grand Canyon. I was planning to stay 2 days, but since it was 34°F at 2:00 & there was a inch of snow on the ground as I arrived, and the prediction is for more tomorrow, I only registered for one night. It's not like there is a space problem; there are only about 5 other nuts like me that are staying overnight! If things improve, I'll add another night

Another rather exciting happening - I hopped into the trailer, turned on the furnace & started warming things up. The refrigerator wouldn't light, and the furnace wasn't putting out its usual blast of hot air. I ran out of propane! And it is 34°F outside (46°F inside and dropping). And it is expected to go down to well below freezing tonight. The indicator that tells me that the 2 tank system switched to the second tank doesn't seem to work, at least as I expected - the green stripe that was suppose to turn red just showed a tiny bit of red. Now I know that is as far as it is going to change!

No problem - there is a gas station less than a 1/4 mile from the campground - I'll refill the tanks there. Problem - they don't have propane. The closest propane is in Tusayan going west or back to Cameron going east, the way I came in. I drove to Tusayan & filled both tanks - 9.2 gallons @ $4.75 per gallon (the same price as regular unleaded gas at the station here by the campground). So, at 3:19 (I think - I'm not on a reservation, but in Arizona; no daylight savings time & I'm not sure which my watch is set for) I have heat, in fact it is up to 48°! Well, a good lesson learned. At least the snow stopped. This time I'm leaving the second tank off so I'll know when the first is empty. By the way, on the way to Tusayan it snowed hard enough to put a couple of inches on the road. Although I passes a number of overlooks, all I saw was whiteout.

No photos today other than the campground. By the way, that blue sky is now gone (6:00PM) and it is snowing like mad. I'm not going to get any pictures tonight! Hopefully, there will be more tomorrow.

Till Then -

Still in Monument Valley Sort Of

2011-05-17T19:46:00.002-04:00

Today's Photo Goosenecks State Park, UT

I'm still in Gouldings Campground at Monument Valley for tonight. I went back to the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park to shoot some photos of the moon rise but it wasn't much of a success. Very cloudy, and the darn moon didn't come up where I wanted to!

I spent the day driving up US 163 & UT 161 exploring some of the suggested sites in both the Gouldings handout & Laurent Martres' Photographing the Southwest, Volume 1 - Southern Utah.

There were many interesting rock formations along the way, including Mexican Hat, a very large balanced rock. The next stop was Gooseneck State Park. While Horseshoe Bend in Arizona is somewhat more impressive, this bend consists of 3 loops. Very interesting. I couldn't fit the entire image in one shot, even with my 17mm lens, so this is a panorama made up of 10 individual images put together in Photoshop.

After Gooseneck I continued up US 161 & drove part way through The Valley of the Gods. Not quite as impressive as Monument Valley, but much quieter, and a much better road. The reason I didn't go the full length of the valley is because there was one part of UT 161 I had to drive - the Moki Dugway. This is a 3 mile section of UT 161 that is a gravel road that gains around 1000' going north, complete with many hair pin turns. Although most of the road is wide enough for two vehicles, there are no guard rails, steep drop offs, and magnificent views! It isn't all that difficult unless you are nervous about heights. I first discovered the road in a uTube video of a semi going down the road. They aren't allowed, but it is an interesting video. After driving up the Moki Dugway, I took a dirt road to the left at the top that goes to Muley Point. This is a definite stop for anyone. If you come from the North, UT 161 is paved up to the turn off & you don't have to do any of the Moki Dugway. It is a pretty good dirt road, although badly washboarded. There are two stops, the last one very impressive. You can stand on the rocks at the end & see the valley below in almost 360°. Again, I suggest anyone going near to make a stop.

After that it was back down the Moki Dugway just to see it in the other direction and avoid a long loop to get back to the campground on paved roads.

Again, the campground data connections seem to be non existent, either via their WiFi or my cell modem. This post gets through, but my attempts at posting larger photos & my Dreamweaver based site all failed. So, for more photos you will have to wait for a better connection.

Till Then -

Monument Valley

2011-05-16T19:29:00.001-04:00

Today's Photo Artist's Point, Monument Valley, AZ

Although the view is wonderful, the weather didn't cooperate - the day is very hazy, the wind is putting lots of dust in the air, and the sky is a bit boring. In any case, this is one of the stops on the 17 mile Valley Drive. The Navajo's mean it when they label the drive as "Unimproved". Although it was not problem for the RAV4, it did rattle things up, including knocking the XM receiver off my dashboard. I did see a couple of Class C RVs on the road - they were both rentals from Monte; I'm not sure driving the Valley Drive is in their contract!

Again, because of the weather, the photos are nothing to write home about, but more are on my Lakeshore Images Page. I hope it will be clear enough to take a moonrise photo tonight. It is almost a full moon (full is tomorrow) and according to my Photographer's Ephemeris app, it should rise in a nice location when viewed from the viewing platform at the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. If it doesn't clear, I'll try again tomorrow since I'm here in site 20 at the Gouldings RV Park for two days. A bit expensive at $44.00 per night with the AAA discount, but the only thing in the neighborhood with hookups.

I stopped to pick up some supplies for dinner at the Goulding Market - it is a large supermarket with reasonable prices, far from the typical campground store.

If the wind lets me do it, it will be grilled chicken & broccoli for dinner. Speaking of wind, it is quite strong. I almost decided to leave the trailer hooked to the car just to hold it down! It's rocking a bit, but it doesn't look like it is going to get blown away.

I'll add a moon rise photo if it happens (well, the moon will rise no matter what, but there will only be a picture if I see it!) I'm using the campground's WiFi to post this. Although there is good signal strength on the Verizon Air Card, the data rate is only about 45K, too slow to post photos. The campground is a bit faster at 150K down & 110K upload, but will not support FTP, so the Lakeshore Images page will have to wait until it does. Sometimes it will allow updates late at night or early in the morning.

Till Later...