January 9 through 12, 2013- Panama Canal Cruise

Wednesday (9th) we were up early as we were scheduled for a tour at 8am.  We had docked at Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala at 7am.  The tour was a tour of Colonial Antigua- Past and Present.  From the dock we rode on a bus about 90 minutes to the city of Antiqua, 4500 feet above sea level.  We had views of volcanos and sugar cane fields along the way. We walked about the city with a guide and then had lunch, buffet-style of chicken, beans, rice, some hot green sauce and soup, in an outside courtyard of a hotel.  We returned to the ship about 8 hours later.  The night's entertainment was performers, magicians and comedian, from previous nights sharing the stage.
Thursday (10th) again we started out early getting out of bed at 6:30am.  This was another sea day.  We had another talk by "Uncle Marty" about the efforts to build the canal.  And then another talk about the upcoming ports and the activites that were offered at those ports was given.  It was an extremely windy day.  We had attempted to eat lunch on an outside deck but the wind was so strong that it blew the lettuce off our plates so we retreated to inside dining.  The night's entertainment was "Liverpool Knights" with the ship's entertaining staff.  Tom started to not feel too well  with cold symptoms.
Friday (11th) we arrived in Puntarenas, Costa Rica about 7am.  We had not scheduled any tours here so we had a leisurely breakfast and then left the ship on out own.  Tents were set up along the  beach with vendors selling their wares.  We found an internet place that for $2.00 we could have an hour of internet service (the ship charged .75 per minute and the service was bad).  So we sent out some emails to family and checked emails.  We met an American lady that is living in Costa Rica as we were walking about the area.  She said that she wanted to sell her house in Costa Rica and move to Nicarauga as it was getting to be too expensive to live in Costa Rica.  Another couple from the ship told us that 2 people had died on the ship from heart attacks- we never heard anymore about this although we had been asked to vacate an elevator for a sick person and the person was a lady that was very upset- we wondered if she could have been the spouse of a deceased.  The entertainment for the evening was a juggler.  Tom continued not to feel well.
Saturday (12th) was another sea day.  Another talk by "Uncle Marty" about going through the canal.  There would be 3 pilots on board each taking 2 hours at a time at the helm.  In the locks the ship will only have a 2 foot clearence on each side as the locks are 110 feet wide and the ship is 106 feet wide, this is the widest that any ship can be going through the canal. It will cost $320,000.00 to 350,000.00 for the ship to go through the Canal.  Sean O'Shea was the entertainer on this evening with a high energy musical performance.

January 6-8, 2013 Panama Canal Cruise

Sunday (6th) after getting up we went to the Fitness Center for our morning workout and then had breakfast.  This was our pattern for most mornings.  During the night we had another time change from Mountain to Central time.   About 1pm we arrived in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  The ship was docked at the pier.  Again we had not chosen to take any tours but just walked about the local area.  There was a nice mall close by that we walked about but our last stop was at a Wal-Mart.  We wanted to get some cokes to have in our room and knew that we could get a couple of six packs in Wal-Mart- other places sold cokes individually.  Many street vendors out trying to sell their wares.  We returned to the ship and caught the football games on the TV.  The ship left port at 8pm after our dinner and before the entertainment.
Monday (7th) was a day at sea.  We attended two seminars during the day.  "Uncle Marty" Harrington gave the first of 5 talks he would do on the cruise about Panama leading up to going through the canal.  Dr. Connie Soja gave a talk on the Reefs of the Mexican Riviera.  We particicpated in a golf tournament(?) in one of the lounges in the afternoon.   In the evening 2 people were removed from the ship as we neared Acupulca due to illness.  Word was passed about Norovirus and santization procedures were stepped up.  Purell dispensers were everywhere throughout the ship and as we entered the dining rooms a wait staff dispensed the Purell.  We now could no longer serve ourselves in the buffet lines or pour our drinks, this had to be done by ship staff. The nights entertainment was a comedy impressions act, Kimika.
Tuesday (8th) started out with some excitement as we were eating breakfast in the Spa dining room.  The ships horn sounded and then the ship listed, the plates flew off the counter, the dining room staff ran to the windows forgetting the broken dishes.  Tom also checked it out and saw a small fishing boat that was in the way of the ship.  No collisions occurred.  The second "Uncle Marty" Panama talk was given this morning.  And another golf tournament in a lounge in the afternoon.  This was another sea day.  The dining was formal on this evening.  The nights entertainment was Jack Walker, a singer from Scotland.

January 2 through January 5, 2013 -Panama Canal Cruise

Wednesday, January 2, 2013, Tom and I left Taneytown and headed off for the airport in Baltimore.  We were going to travel a little differently this winter.  We spent the night at La Quinta Inn.  We met up with friends Dave and Libby Hagan and had dinner at G & M Restaurant, a well-known crabcake restaurant.
Thursday (3rd) after a breakfast at the hotel we were off to the airport at 6:20am.  We had some gels and lotions taken out of our carry-ons.  We had been careful to keep liquids out but obviously we couldn't even have a tube of toothpaste or shaving foam.  By 8:30am we were boarded on the plane but the air traffic at the airport was so heavy that it took about 45 minutes to get off the ground.  We arrived in San Diego, Ca. at 11:30am (PT).  We were met by Celebrity Cruise personnel at the airport and transported by bus to the pier.  Herded like cattle through one line after another we finally got on board the Celebrity Century ship about 2pm.  We were able to get lunch on board after finding our state room- 4006.  Dave and Libby Hagan were in room 4000.  Bruce and Cricket McGinnis, the trip planner, were on board and we met them on a stairwell.  During the mandatory muster drill we found Jimmy and Rose MacBlane, Beth's parents, sitting in the row in front of us.  At 5pm the ship left the dock and our 15 day cruise was underway.  At 6pm we dined in the Grand Restaurant and met our waiter, Vernon, and his assistant, Ruben.  These 2 would be serving our dinners for the entire cruise as we were assigned to a specfic table for this meal.  At 9pm we were entertained in the Theater with a show performed by the ship's entertainers.
Friday (4th) we were up at 6:30am although we thought that it was 7:30.  We had a time change during the night from Pacific time to Mountain time loosing 1 hour.  This day was a sea day.  After breakfast we walked around the upper deck for about 2 miles and then we just explored where things were on the ship.  We did attend a talk about the activities/tours on the first 3 ports of call.  An Art Auction was being held on board that we attended (free Champagne!!!)  In the afternoon we watched the movie "Dark Shadows".  This evening was the first formal night.  After dinner we were welcomed on board by Captain George Iatrou, the Master of Century with a champagne toast.  The nights showtime was Dance Around the World.  The aerial/Vadagio duo were indeed the show stoppers with their aerial performance.
Saturday (5th) after breakfast we went to the Fitness Center and used the treadmills.  At 11:30am we arrived in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.  We did not go on any tours of this area.  We did get off the ship (from this port we had to be tendered from the ship) and walked about the harbor area.  Like all areas of Mexico we were approached by numerous street vendors selling "silver" very "cheep", "almost free".  At 6:30pm as we were having dinner the ship departed Cabo San Lucas.  The nights entertainment was Gossamer Magic- Peter Gossamer, a magician and comedian.  And later in one of the lounges there was a 50's party that a group of us attended.

Home- November 5, 2012

This morning we packed up and left Fort Whaley a little after 10am.  Since this was going to be our last time out with the motorhome for this year we did additional housekeeping chores prior to leaving.  The holding tanks were given a good flushing and the floors and rugs were vacuumed well.  We do not anticipating going out in the motorhome until early spring.  This year will be a little different as we will be home most of the winter.  Sure hope that the snow is little and the temperatures are mild.  At present it is below average temperatures and a possibility of snow is predicted later this week so my hopes don't look too favorable.
We stopped in Kent Island for lunch at Annie's.  Great crabcakes of lump crab meat- need I say more!!  We were home about 3pm.

Weekend at Whaleyville- Sunday, November 4, 2012

Thursday, after Hurricane Sandy, we again left home to go to Whaleyville, Maryland to Fort Whaley campground for a weekend with the Traveling Americans.  This is our last campout for the club for this year.   There were others in the group that also came in early for the weekend.  As a group we went to a local restaurant, Station 7, for the Thursday night burger specials. 
Friday Tom and I drove down to Ocean City and walked down the boardwalk.  It was evident that the beach had been hit by a hurricane.  Sand was packed up against the sea wall along the boardwalk and backhoes and bulldozers were being used to move the sand out on the beach.  We noticed that some shops had water markings on the store front about 18 inches high.  Friday evening again as a group we went to another local restaurant, Doyle's, for dinner.
Saturday started with a pancake breakfast provided by our hosts.  After breakfast, Tom and I went to Salisbury to the mall.  It was a cloudy, dreary day.  In the evening we assembled for a pot luck supper with the hosts providing fried chicken for the entree and everyone else bringing sides and desserts.
Today Sunday we had a pot luck breakfast and then our weekend activities as a club ended.  Some folks went home and others like us are staying until tomorrow and a few are staying until Thursday.
Tom and I took a ride to check out a campground in the area but were unsucessful in being able to get past the gates.  The remainder of the day has been spent watching football games.  We did go out to dinner later in the evening with 3 other couples.
Tomorrow we will pack up and go home. 

"Superstorm" Sandy

Yesterday we had rain all day.  From about noon time we saw the wind increasing and then about 8pm we had very strong gusty winds that continued as we went to bed.  Upon rising this morning the winds were much calmer and rain continues but not as heavy.  Government offices and schools are closed again today.  Fortunately, we have not had any power outage but other areas throughout the state have had problems.  The threat of trees falling continues as the ground is so saturated that a gust of wind could topple trees.  The news programs are showing destruction along the coast where the storm was the strongest.  It has become quite chilly with temperatures in the low 40's.  In the western part of Maryland and West Virginia there has been blizzard conditions with snow fall about 2 feet deep. This is a good soup day so a pot of vegetable soup is cooking on the stove.  We are still undecided if we will go to Whaleyville this weekend.  We have gotten word that the campground, Fort Whaley, is open but we are thinking that we will make that decision tomorrow.

Samboree and Sandy

This past Thursday (10/25) we went to Frederick, Md. for the Maryland Good Sam Samboree.  Sandy, a tropical storm/hurricane was moving slowly toward the east coast.  We had a nice time at the Samboree enjoying time with camping friends.  Our Traveling Americans group had 6 units represented.  Saturday evening we were hearing that Sandy was getting closer to the east coast.  Todd had called us on Friday that he was in search of a generator and we searched in the Frederick area without any luck- in fact we were told that we would need to go west of Ohio to find one.  The closing Samboree ceremony was held on Saturday night so we were able to get under way earler than usual on Sunday morning.  We had anticipated rain on Sunday morning but luckily it was only cloudy as we tore down and got home.  Tom had stopped on the way home to fill the motorhome with fuel as this would be our home if the electric in the house was disrupted since we have a generator in the motorhome.  We decided to go down to Virginia to see Todd and the grandchildren (Beth had gone to Salem, Mass. for a weekend girls outing with her mom, aunt and cousin) since this week our youngest grandchild, Gabi, would be celebrating her first birthday.  We hads a nice visit even took Parker (3) and Gabi for a walk around the neighborhood without any rain.  Just as we were leaving there it started to sprinkle rain and then just a little before Potomac Mills we were into rain showers that continued all the way home. At home it was raining lightly but there was no winds.
Today, Monday, we awoke to steady rain but as yet no winds.  Government offices and schools are closed.  The television morning news had reports of grocery stores being bare due to people stocking up on food.  In Baltimore the news showed a line at a liquor store.  The news reports along the coastal areas are showing high tides and winds but at 8am the storm was reported as being 300 miles off the coast.  Coastal areas are bein evacuated- Ocean City has a mandatory evacuation in effect.  We needed milk so we went out to our local grocery store and found it to be well stocked with food- living in a smaller community does have its benefits.  We have filled our bathtub with water to flush toilets if need be and purchased a case of 6 gallons of water for drinking.  At this point we are as prepared as we will be for when the storm actually hits late tonight or early tomorrow morning.

Back Home- October 15, 2012

Today, Monday, was a much better day of traveling than yesterday.  The winds were calmer.  It was overcast most of the way from Ohio to Western Maryland.  We traveled on I-70 to Washington, Pa., then I-79 south to Morgantown, W. V.,then I-68 to Hancock, Md where we picked up I-70 again to Hagerstown, Md. and at that point we meandered on down to Taneytown.  The mountains were in full fall colors and would have been so much prettier if the sun had been shining but we enjoyed the views nevertheless.  It was a long trip of 343 miles through mountains that slowed our speed down but we got home safely by 4pm.  And all is well in Taneytown so it seems.

Rough Traveling Day- October 14, 2012

When we left Cloverdale, Indiana we knew that weather was going to be a factor today.  A storm system was moving west to east and as we were preparing to leave the rain started.  But the rain was the least of our problems- it was the wind blowing from the south so we were driving through a crosswind with heavy gusts.  Tom was fighting the steering wheel most of the way across Indiana into Ohio.  The rain was with us for just the first leg of today's travel as we had gotten ahead of it. We got lunch on the east side of Columbus at a Mexican restaurant.  As we got within several miles of Zanesville, Ohio, tonight's destination, we were caught up in traffic due to an overturn semi on a bridge.  We finally got to the campground, Wolfies Campground, about 2:30pm in Zanesville, Ohio and it was warm and sunny- but clouds have now moved in with some rain and more is predicted for tonight.  Hopefully, the winds will die down for tomorrow's trek home.

East of The Mississippi- October 13, 2012

At 8:15am we were on the road going east on I-44 toward St. Louis, Missouri.  In the vicinity of St. Louis we took I-255 around the city and then onto I-70 east across the Mississippi River into Illinois. 

From 2012-10-13

From 2012-10-13

In Illinois we stopped at a Flying J for fuel a little after noon so we parked the motorhome and had lunch at the Denny’s restaurant on Flying J’s premises.  We had planned to stop for the night at a KOA campground in Terra Haute, Indiana which was a little more than 300 miles, which we did.  Tom registered us and came back saying we would only have water and sewer hook-up and the cost was $56.95 for the night- this was the most expensive camping fee we have paid this entire trip and in Terra Haute, Indiana.  Go figure!!  Oh, there was going to be a ham and bean dinner at no cost- big deal. The Trailer Life Campground directory for 2010 had quoted the cost of this campground as $36-45.00 and one would assume a full hook-up would be no more than $45.00.  Here 2 years later than the date of the directory we were going to have to pay almost $12.00 more for a water/electric only site than the most expensive site in 2010- talk about inflation!!   We got into our site and were beginning to hook-up.  Tom came into the motorhome saying that the water was but a trickle and at that point we decided we were not going to stay here.  Tom went to the office and got a refund and we were on our way.  Thirty miles up the road was another campground, Cloverdale RV Park, that we stopped.  For half the cost of KOA  ($28.89) we have full hook-ups (water, sewer and 30-amp electric) and the campground is neatly maintained in a quiet setting.  For the life of me I do not know what the draw to KOAs are.  These campgrounds are most always more expensive and offer nothing more than other campgrounds.  I have heard some folks say that they only stay at KOA’s and I think that these folks are missing some very nice campgrounds and are paying so much more.  Another point- is it any wonder why RVers are finding WalMart parking lots, Flying J lots and other such parking places as suitable overnight camping sites?  We went a little further(362 miles) than we had planned but we both feel better about the campground that we are staying in.

Richland,Missouri- October 12, 2012

The weather forecast for last night was that there could be storms during the night in Oklahoma.  Knowing the potential for severe weather in the area we were in Tom set up the weather radio to alert us if there was any such weather during the night.  Thankfully,  we did not get alerted to any thing.  But we awoke this morning to the sound of  thunder but it wasn’t until we were preparing to leave that it started to rain.  As we continued our travels over Route 66 through Oklahoma the rain fell  fairly steady.  We stopped to eat lunch in Wyandote, Ok. before leaving Route 66 and then getting on I-44/Route 66 in Missouri.  After lunch the rain tapered off.  We stopped at a rest area along I-44 where the picnic table shelters resembled diners, garages and other businesses along Route 66. 

From Drop Box

Even the floor of the Information Center was tiled in map showing Route 66 from Chicago, Il. to Santa Monica, California.  Finally 328 miles to the east we stopped in Richland, Missouri at the Gasconade Hills Resort-( resort ???).  This evening the clouds have cleared out and the sun was shining but it feels chillier.  

Amarillo to Chandler, Oklahoma- October 11, 2012

Continuing east on I-40 we traveled through the panhandle of Texas.  The World's Largest (supposedly) Cross is along I-40 in Groom, Texas.  We had passed this cross on previous trips through this area but had never stopped.  Today we stopped and were impressed with this area.  Around the base of the Cross are sculptures depicting the stages of the cross and the tomb that Jesus was buried.  After that stop we continued eastward into Oklahoma.  We made a stop at a rest area for lunch and parked beside another Phaeton.  There were a mother and daughter traveling together and they came over to inquire about our motorhome- how long? what year? and on and on.  They were in no hurry to move on but we had a nice visit.
We had been waiting for a call back from Tiffin today about replacing our windshield and after not getting that call we decided that we would not go toward Red Bay, Alabama but would go straight home.   We left I-40 in Oklahoma City and continued our eastward trek on the famous Route 66.   In Chandler, Oklahoma, we stopped for the night after 313 miles at Glen Oak Mobil and  RV Park, a Passport American park, a nicely maintained park.  We did get the call this evening from Tiffin saying that if we were there on Monday they could work us in Monday or Tuesday- so we made the right decision to go home as we need to be home by no later than Wednesday.  We will get the crack repaired and deal with replacing the windshield at a later date.

On to Amarillo, Texas- October 10, 2010

This was our last morning of getting up and going to the Balloon Fiesta launch field.  Today there was a mass ascension with the 19 nations outside of the U.S. being honored.  The wind did seem to be stronger today than the last 2 days but most balloons got up in the air.  There were a few of the bigger balloons that had to be packed away after trying to get them inflated was difficult with the wind.  Balloonists are assigned launch sites and then section by section of these sites the balloons are inflated and then launched.  The sky becomes filled with balloons in a  short time.  We were on the grounds a little before 7am and by 9am the balloons had been launched and we were returning back to the motorhome.

We quickly got the motorhome and Jeep ready for traveling and by 9:15am we were on the road heading east.  It is time to head toward home.  Shortly after getting on I-40 east, another motorhome came up a ramp to merge into traffic as Tom moved into the left hand lane.  We heard a sharp crack and sure enough that motorhome unknowingly had thrown a stone that hit our windshield and left a sizable star.  What a sick feeling.  We know that in time the cracks will run and the only place to get the windshield replaced according to Tiffin is at Tiffin in Red Bay, Alabama.  We are in the process of trying to find out if the windshield could be replaced on Monday.  If we can be assured of that we will go to Red Bay.  If no assurance can be given that it will be done on Monday then we will need to find another time to do it.

We have continued on I-40 through New Mexico and into Texas where we lost an hour as we changed from Mountain to Central time.  Tonight we are in Amarillo at the Amarillo Ranch RV Park- a very nice, conveniently located campground, 300 miles to the east of Albuquerque.

More Balloons, Santa Fe and Hard Rock- October 9, 2012

This morning the news on the TV was that it was a great day for flying hot air balloons so we got to the Fiesta grounds without delay.  When we arrived a lttle past 7am balloons were being inflated and starting to ascend.  It is quite a sight to see hundreds of balloons in the sky.  Another challenge was underway but all balloons in the air do not participate in these challenge races.  The challenge was to drop the marker from the balloon into a boat on the field.  I believe there were several balloons that were giving balloon rides at this time.  Balloon rides were advertised at $399.00/person which seems awfully expensive.  Tom and I have taken 2 rides (one in Pa. and another here in Albuquerque during an RV rally) that were not that much for the two of us.  It was a beautiful morning - clear skies and a little warmer than the previous mornings.

By 9am the activities for the morning were coming to an end so we hopped on the bus to return to the Fiesta campground.  Since it was warming up we shed some of our outer clothing and then took off in the Jeep for Santa Fe about 40 miles north.  In the Plaza area we visited the St. Francis Cathedral Basilica and then the Loretto Chapel.  The Loretto Chapel is known for its miraculous stairway.  This spiral stairway has two 360 degree turns with no visible means of support.  It was built in the 1800's but not known by whom.  Originally there was no railing but the railing was added later at the insistence of the nuns.  We then walked about area stopping in the shops and outside vending areas.  I found a torquoise necklace that I didn't think I could live without.  We had lunch at the Burrito Factory before returning to the Albuquerque area.

This morning at the Balloon Fiesta there was a Hard Rock Cafe and Casino booth that we stopped by.  A coupon for commemorative pins was given to us.  So before returning to the motorhome we went to the Hard Rock Casino to get these pins in honor of the Balloon Fiesta.  We also were given $25.00 promotional dollars for signing up for a Player's Card.  Tom and I sought out the cheap slots and played on our promotional dollars for a couple hours and then we started cashing out our winnings.  We ended up with $17.00 plus in winnings which we spent before getting back to the motorhome when we stopped at Fuddrucker's for supper.  What a busy but fun day!

Balloon Fiesta, Monday, October 8, 2012

Today, started out being another “iffy'’ day of balloon flying with the wind being the problem.  Before we committed to going into the Fiesta we waited to hear through TV reports that the balloons were preparing for flying.  A little past 7am we did make our way to the field.  There were some balloons in the air and more on the ground getting ready to go up.  A flying competition was happening.  There is a so-called Albuquerque box that the balloons can fly that takes them one direction at one altitude and the opposite direction at another altitude.  It was interesting to see balloons flying in opposing directions.  Then at some point the balloons cross the take-off field flying as close to the ground as possible without touching the ground and try to toss out a marker to hit the center of  an “x” that is laid out on the field in a given time period.  The mornings have been cold here with temperatures in the low 40’s but it does warm up to the upper 60’s/ lower 70’s by late afternoon.

By 11am we were back to the motorhome and the Balloon Fiesta activities were over for today as nothing is scheduled for this evening.  Tom then made arrangements to have our waste tanks pumped out. 

Balloon Fiesta- October 7, 2012

This morning we were hesitant in getting to the Fiesta launch sites.  The weathermen last night were thinking the wind could again be a factor.  We listened to the TV this morning and when we heard that there was movement on the launch sites we made our way over there.  A little past 6am we were on the grounds and the Dawn Patrol show was just beginning with about 10 balloons inflated.   When these balloons took off for the skies more balloons were inflated and this continued until after 9am.  The skies were filled with balloons.  Those balloons of unusual shapes were the longest balloons inflating.  It was just a wonderful morning.

And this evening was something, also.  We went to the Fiesta about 6pm and saw 5 gas balloons inflated.  Gas balloons were suppose to have been launched yesterday for a race but the wind prevented that from occurring at that time so they were going tonight.  Gas balloons are filled with hydrogen and sand is used as a ballast.  Three of the balloons were flown by USA pilots, one by Russian and one by Great Britain.  Two of the USA balloons had female co-pilots.  The race is to which balloon travels the furthest not the fastest.  They will be flying for hours, possibly days.  As these balloons were leaving the hot air balloons were getting prepared for Balloon Glow- inflating the balloons but not flying and then lighting with the burners the balloons that they seem to be glowing.  Balloons were everywhere.  Tom read that there are 584 total balloons.   Never have we seen so many balloons at one time and most were one of a kind.   We returned to the motorhome to watch fireworks from there.

Balloon Fiesta Disappointment- October 6, 2012

Today, Saturday, was the opening of the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta.  We were up at 4:45am and shortly after 5am we were on a bus to the Fiesta.  Ballooning activities were to begin at 5:45am.  We got onto the grounds and made our way into the souvenir tent to buy a few things and then were in line for about 30 minutes waiting to purchase breakfast burritos.  The line really wasn’t terribly long but the service was extremely slow.  There was a gentle wind and about the time for the activities were to begin it was announced that the wind was more than 10mph so the activities were cancelled for this morning.  So we paid admission into this fiesta in order to spend money and nothing else- bummer!   When we left the motorhome it was 61 degrees but the temperature dropped several degrees and felt much colder.  We caught a bus back to the Fiesta campgrounds and snuggled down for a nap.  Before noon we got into the Jeep and went down to “Old Town Albuquerque” where we had lunch at “Little Anita’s” and then walked about the shops and by the street vendors.  The stores were ready for the Balloon Fiesta crowd and the crowd was there.  The Fiesta has sessions in the morning and then on certain days in the evening with each session requiring a new admission of $8.00.  We did learn that packets of 5 tickets could be purchased for $35.00 but were unable until this morning to find where to purchase these tickets- the ticket booths did not sell them and said they didn’t know where they were being sold.  We did stop to purchase these tickets before going for lunch.

This evening the wind was blowing stronger than this morning.  We listened to the local television station to hear about this evenings activities and according to the wind strength we didn’t think it was worth going over to the Fiesta grounds.  One activity had been cancelled this morning.  At 7:30pm fireworks were set off and we were able to sit outside the motorhome and watch without the loud banging.  The wind is to continue through the night and then taper off so it is up in the air what will take place in the morning.

Yesterday when we got into this campground area we noticed a strong aroma of caramel popcorn.  We just knew that someone somewhere was making batches of caramel corn.  Today we learned that there is a Cocoa Puffs cereal factory nearby that is responsible for that aroma in the air and not caramel corn being made.

Albuquerque, New Mexico- October 5, 2012

This morning Tom  filled the water tank and then had the propane and fuel tanks filled in preparation for today’s move to Albuquerque for the Balloon Fiesta.  Tom had made a reservation to stay on the Balloon Fiesta grounds but we would be dry camping.  We left Gallup a little after 9am and after 155 miles a little past 12 noon we arrived at the Fiesta grounds in Albuquerque and were soon parked with hundreds other RV’s.  The Fiesta officially starts tomorrow, Saturday.  The pads on the nose rests on my sunglasses had come off so we needed to go to a Sam’s Club to get a repair done.  But before going to Sam’s we stopped for lunch at brew pub.   We then returned to the motorhome.  And then Tom remembered that he had forgotten to empty the black tank this morning.  We are only 1/3 full and maybe we will be okay-if not, there is a service on the grounds for emptying tanks that we might need to use.

A little about the weather – today it is warm in the mid 80’s with a breeze.  The wind is expected to increase tonight and tomorrow and temperatures are to drop into the 60’s by Sunday.  The wind could be a negative factor with the balloons tomorrow.

Canyon de Chelly- October 4, 2012

This morning we drove northwest back to Arizona with the Jeep to Canyon de Chelly National Monument.  We had been to this National Monument several years ago but it was wintertime and there was not much activity.  We drove around the rim at that time but we wanted to take a tour into the Canyon.  To enter the Canyon you must have an Indian guide except in one small area, the white house, where you can hike from the rim.  Today we hoped to be able to take that tour into the Canyon.  Stopping at the Visitor’s Center we inquired about Canyon tours and were given a list of tour operators but no recommendations and we would need to call the phone numbers provided and arrange the tour.    The Thunderbird Lodge Tour, we were told, was a group tour on their vehicles at the cost of $57.22 per person for half day and we would need to go to the Lodge and purchase tickets.  So we opted to do the tour through the Lodge.  We got our tickets about 11:30am for the tour at 1pm.  We did drive up along the rim and ate our lunch we had brought along.  Then at 1pm we were back to the Lodge to board the the truck with an extended bed equipped with seats.  There were 13 people on the tour.   Our tour guide, Dave, drove us through the Canyon on very challenging terrain that consisted of 8-10 inches of sand, 4 wheel drive was needed and used most of the way.  We were so glad that we didn’t arrange a tour taking our Jeep with a guide.  Petroglyphs and pictographs and cliff ruins   were pointed out along the way and an explanation of what the origins and meaning  may have been- different Indian tribes living in this area left their markings.  This area remains in the Navajo Nation Territory and is still inhabited by these people.  In the summertime, people move down into the Canyon from up along the rim and farm the land raising vegetables.  At several stops there were vendors selling  jewelry, pottery and other Indian wares.  After 4 hours and a rather exciting ride (Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride??) we returned back to the Lodge and our personal vehicles.

Gallup, New Mexico- October 3, 2012

This morning we traveled a short distance- 88miles- to Gallup, New Mexico.  We will stay here at the USA RV Park for 2 nights before going to Albuquerque for the Balloon Festival.  After getting into our assigned campsite it was lunchtime and we were in New Mexico.  We just love the food in this state with the red, green or Christmas (mixture of red and green) chili.  El Sombrero restaurant was the restaurant that we had our lunch.  In the afternoon we visited at a local museum, Gallup Cultural Center,  which had some nice native American displays but the audio speakers were not working.  We then stopped in the downtown going into Zimmerman's, a Western wear store, and Richardson's, a store that sells expensive native American goods and also serves as a pawn shop.  We did alot of looking, not buying.   Parker, our 3 year old grandson, just loves trains so we made a stop to take pictures of the trains traveling through this area.  Parker would be in his glory in this town as there are 100 long trains with 4-6 engines that go through here everyday.

Holbrook, Arizona- October 2, 2012

This morning we awoke to a cool motorhome but with sweatshirts on and the bright sunshine we soon warmed up.  We packed up and left Jacob Lake continuing south on US-89A  south passing the Vermilion Cliffs and then onto US-89 and finally onto I-40 east.

Our Brake Buddy alarm sounded during our travels.  Tom stopped and checked the problem and found the 12-volt accessory outlet to be the problem.  The braking system was disengaged until Tom could research the problem.  Nearing Winslow at noontime we stopped at the La Posada Hotel for lunch in the Turquoise Room.  We have had lunch here previously and enjoy this old Santa Fe  train hotel.  It has a feel of stepping back in time.  We were unsure as to how far we would travel today as we plan to be in Gallup, New Mexico on October 3rd.  We  did stop for the night in Holbrook, Arizona – 249 miles today.  Tom was able to fix the problem with the braking system after getting a new accessory outlet from a parts store in Holbrook.

Grand Canyon, North Rim- October 1, 2012

On this day we left Glendale, Utah and drove the motorhome a short distance of 64 miles to Jacob Lake, Arizona.  We had a private campground in mind but when we arrived in the area the first campground we came to was Kaibab National Forest Jacob Lake campground which was right along highway US 89A.   So we decided to stay here for the night.  There was no hook-ups but for $8.50(actually the rate was $17.00/night but our Senior Park pass gave us 1/2 rate) we weren’t complaining.
So after getting set up and eating an early lunch we were off to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon which was about 45 miles away.  Arriving at the Visitor’s Center/Lodge area we got our first views of the Canyon on this north side.  We have been to the south rim twice before.  This north rim is a higher altitude than the south rim and has harsher winters necessitating the closing of this section of the Grand Canyon about the middle of October.  We took the trail out to the Bright Angel Point.  Unfortunately, the smog was fairly heavy hanging in the Canyon.  We, then, drove a road eastward that had several areas for viewing the canyon.  Much of the drive was through pine and aspen forested regions.  The aspen trees are just beautiful at this time of the year with the leaves turning a bright shade of yellow that the sun seems to reflect off.  We saw several deer in the meadows along the way.
Returning to Jacob Lake later in the evening we stopped at the only restaurant in the vicinity at the Jacob Lake Lodge.  We were pleasantly surprised with our meals.  Tom had a breaded pork chop topped with crisp fried onions with baked potato, salad and zucchini.  I had a chicken breast topped with a portabella mushroom, walnuts and dried cranberries in a very tasty sauce along with the salad, baked potato and zucchini.  Tom and I shared a dessert of a slice of coconut custard pie in which the custard was a homemade cornstarch custard.  A really memorable meal in a very positive way.

Bryce Canyon- September 30, 2012

Today, Sunday, we went about 40 miles northeast from the campground to Bryce Canyon National Park.  Just prior to Bryce we came to Red Canyon in Dixie National Forest.  As the name implies it was the cliffs and formations are red.  We stopped at the Visitor’s Center and then continued on to Bryce Canyon.  Bryce Canyon with spires, grottos and hoodoos is quite an impressive area.  We drove to the farthest viewing area and then from that point drove toward the entry point stopping at the viewing areas.  We had been told that yesterday this park was so crowded that it was impossible to find parking spaces but today we did not have that problem.  Apparently, there were lots of folks that were there yesterday for the free entry day.  We did leave the park for lunch at Bryce Canyon City, just outside the park.  We ate at Ruby’s, an establishment that has been around for many years even before Bryce Canyon was made a National Park.  The food was pretty good – we had the lunch buffet- and the prices average.  We then returned to finish our touring of the Park.  Tomorrow we leave this beautiful state, Utah, as we again will going into Arizona.

Zion National Park- September 29, 2012

Today, Saturday, we spent in Zion National Park.  This was a National Park free day and there were many people taking advantage of the free entrance fee.  Shuttle buses are used for transporting people through the park.  Luckily, we got to the park early enough to get a parking place at the Visitor's Center huge parking lot.  We took the shuttle from this Center through the canyon to the last stop(#9), Temple of Sinawava.  A nice fairly level 1 mile trail follows the Virgin River to the area that between the canyon walls becomes narrow.  We chose not to continue on across the river on a more strenuous trail.
We returned to the shuttle getting off and on the shuttle back toward the Visitor's Center.  Prior to the Visitor's Center is a musuem of natural history and a 22 minute movie about Zion is shown that we watched before returning to our car at the Visitor's Center.  On the east side of the park there is a long tunnel, a mile plus, that has several turns.  Cars going in opposite directions are able to pass without problems but larger vehicles as RVs can only go through without passing opposing traffic.
Returning to the campground, we saw a restaurant a short distance from the campground, Buffalo Bistro, and thought we'd give it a try.  We stopped and saw signs stating closed so we returned to the campground and while talking to the campground owner mentioned the restaurant being closed.  She said that they should be open and then called to find out that indeed it was opened.  So we returned for dinner at this unique restaurant.  We were seated on the porch and the cooking was done in a corner of the porch.  Tom had a ribeye steak and I had wild boar ribs- they were served with a salad, grilled potatoes and zucchini squash.  The food was very good.  We brought a dessert of apple cobbler back to the motorhome to eat later.

Back to Utah- September 28, 2012

This morning we packed up the motorhome and set out on US 89 north. But first we had to make a stop at WalMart in Page and then we got underway. After crossing the Colorado River at the Glen Canyon dam we were just a few miles until we were back in the state of Utah. We made a stop at the Escalante-Grand Staircase National Monument Visitor's Center. We traveled through this National Monument until we were in Kanab, Utah. Vermilion cliffs were much of the scenery along this route. When we got to Glendale (104 miles later and about halfway between Zion and Bryce National Parks) we saw Bauer's Canyon Ranch Campground and got a campsite for 3 nights. The camp hosts pointed out a route a little farther north that went to Cedar Breaks National Monument. We were unfamiliar with Cedar Breaks so after lunch we struck out on the suggested route. After miles of pine treed and aspen covered mountains as well as areas of lava rocks we finally came to the Cedar Breaks National Monument. Wow! What beauty! It was breathtaking the view of colorful rock formations shaped like a huge coliseum 2,000 feet deep and over 3 miles in diameter. It was chilly(52 degrees) there as we were over 10,000 feet so we didn't linger very long. We continued on the mountainous road until we connected with US89 and returned to the campground. It was much warmer with temperatures in the upper 70's at 5pm. 

Horseshoe Bend, Antelope Canyon- September 27,2012

What a busy and fun day we had today.  We started by going to Horseshoe Bend- as the name implies a bend of the Colorado River.  This was a mile and a half hike that climbed up and down a sandy hill.  That sand walking is a real drag but the view was worth the effort to get there.  We then drove toward Lee's Ferry stopping at the Navaho Bridge Interpretive Center.  The Navaho Bridge, a crossing of the Colorado River, opened in the 1920's and is, now, closed  except for foot traffic.  A newer bridge was built in the 1990's to handle the heavier traffic. Two California condors were perched on the trestles of the new bridge- wow, we were excited to see these big birds.
  We continued to Lee's Ferry, an area that was used by the Mormons when they moved into this territory.  Today, rafts floating down the Colorado land here and other rafts going on more adventuresome raft trips take off from here.  Fishermen also use this area to put their boats in the River.  We were surrounded by beautiful Vermilion Cliffs.
Returning to Page, we grabbed a lunch at a barbeque restaurant before going on the Upper Antelope Canyon tour.  Antelope Canyon is on Navaho Reservation and in order to see the canyon an Indian guide must be along.  We were scheduled to go on the 1:30pm tour.  There was a large group assembled to go on this tour but we were divided into groups of 14 or 15 and then we loaded into seats in the backs of pick-up trucks and took off on a 20 minute ride to the canyon (the last 10 minutes we were on a sandy road and felt like traveling through 8-10 inches of snow).  Our tour guide, Rosie, was a real gem as she assisted all of us in taking pictures of this beautiful canyon.    The canyon is a quarter  of  a mile in length.
After that tour we drove out to Antelope Point, the marina of Glen Canyon.  There is a long paved downhill walkway to the marina.  Golf carts also use the walkway and rides are available to the marina.  We chose to walk down but we did ride up - an easier way to get to the top .  The private marina had mostly huge houseboats and a few other power boats.  There were no sailboats.  As we drove from this area we saw another marina that had houseboats for rent.
Returning to Page, again, we stopped for dinner at a Mexican restaurant  before calling it a day and getting back to the motorhome for the night. 

Page, Arizona- September 26, 2012

This morning we packed up, hooked up the car and by 9am were pulling out of the campground.  Unfortunately, as Tom tried to turn around a corner in the campground he was unable to make the turn without backing up and backing up with a tow vehicle is not possible.  So we had to unhook the car.  Then Tom could back up and renegotiate the turn and get out of the campground where we rehooked-up the car.  Oh, you'll have days like this!  Once on the road and 123 scenic miles we were in Page, Arizona 2 hours later.  We checked into Page-Lake Powell Campground and then went out for lunch at the Ranch House Grille.  The food was good - Tom had chicken fajitas that had more chicken than peppers and onions.  From lunch we drove to the Glen Canyon Dam and Visitor's Center.  We arranged to go on a tour of the dam that took us down inside the dam where the turbines are located.  After the tour we rode to the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, an area around Lake Powell that includes campgrounds and marinas.  A ranger advised us that the best place to watch the sunset was at the Wahweap overlook so we made a point of going to that overlook in the evening and were not disappointed.  

Monument Valley Navaho Tribal Park- September 25, 2012

Last night we had some storms to move through the area and then again this morning we had more rain.  The temperature had dropped to the 50's and did not get above the mid 70's all day.  Clouds remained in the skies until afternoon when it cleared.  We set out today to visit the Monument Valley Navaho Tribal Park about 4 miles from the campground and in the state of Arizona.  As the name implies this is a tribal park of the Navaho nation.  After passing through the pay stations the first stop is the Visitor's Center.  An outside viewing area allows for a panaramic view of the park.  The dirt road through the park appears to be in good shape but we soon found out that was not the case. Tours through the park could be taken on trucks with school bus seats but we opted to do the self-guided tour. The road is poorly maintained.  The views are beautiful.  This area has been used in Western films, most notably several starring John Wayne.

Leaving the park we returned to the Goulding Lodge for lunch.  The Goulding property consists of a lodge, hotel, restaurant, gift shops, a museum and the campground we are in.  In the 1930's the Gouldings- Harry and wife, "Mike"- were responsible for getting John Ford to film westerns in this valley.  A building depicted as John Wayne's house in "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" is also on the property.  After lunch we stopped at the Navaho market.  Little kids belonging to the merchants were playing outside the shops.  Returning to the campground a herd of free-ranging horses were along side the road and a herd of goats being herded by dogs crossed over the road after we passed through. 

Monument Valley- September 24, 2012

Five thirty or six this morning we were awakened by the rumblings of thunder and then pouring rain. We didn't roll out of bed until an hour or more later and then the stormy weather had passed.  We packed up to move on but first we stopped to refuel at a service station across the street.  When the pumps clicked off at $99.00, Tom didn't bother to resubmit his credit card knowing we had enough fuel to get us to Monument Valley, our destination.  (Cost per gallon for diesal fuel was $4.499).  By 9am we were on our way  down US191 to Us 163.  Driving along through the little town of White Mesa, Ut. we caught a sign at a Mobil service station stating diesal for $4.169- a price we had not seen for sometime. Fuel prices are so unpredictable, within a town we have seen prices vary 30 or 40 cents between service stations.  Tom quickly got turned around and filled up the tank.  Boy, were we glad we did not fill all the up in Moab at $4.499!!  We arrived at Goulding's Monument Valley Camp Park at noon- 146 miles and will be here for 2 nights.  After setting up and eating lunch our first order of business was to go to Kayenta, Az.- 20 miles south.  But first we found that we had some problems with the electric so a maintenance man was called and while we were gone to Kayenta a new breaker was installed.  Kayenta is a small town that I had had prescription medicines (meds that I would run out of before getting home but was unable to order until after we left on the trip) sent to me at General Delivery and we were holding our breaths that the meds would be there and not delay our next move.  Sure enough the delivery was there so a sigh of relief.  Returning to the motorhome we spent the afternoon resting up. 

The Needles, Canyonland- September 23, 2012

Canyonlands is a large National Park composed of 3 areas that are separated by the Green and Colorado Rivers- Island in the Sky, The Needles and The Maze.  The Maze area is visited only with 4-wheel drive vehicles so is not accessible to most people.  Today we visited The Needles area which is about 90 to 100 miles via the roadways from the Island in the Sky area- Moab is about halfway between the 2 areas.  Island in the Sky had overlooks that looked down into the canyons.  The Needles was like being in the canyon looking up at the rock structures-  two very different areas. Enroute to the Park we passed Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument that has one of the largest displays of petroglyphs of any place.  In the Park at the Roadside Ruin we hiked a short distance to a  granary of stone built by very early inhabitants of this area under the overhang of a large boulder.  A stone structure resembling a wooden shoe was seen on a rocky cliff.  A second short hike to pothole point necessitated a climb onto rocks that had  dried potholes.  Big Spring Canyon was just a quick walk to an overlook of the area. There were flowering desert plants throughout the area.  We took a gravel road with blind curves to Elephant Hill where we ate our picnic lunch.  Cave Spring trail was around a huge boulder that had been used by early inhabitants and later as a cowboy camp.  The trail circles the boulder and then climbing up ladders we got on the top of the boulder.  The weather today was in the mid 80's but cloudy.  On our return to Moab we had a shower of rain which was different as we have seen little rain this trip.  The smoke from the northern fires has lessened but a good rain would really be beneficial in cleaning up the air.

After returning to the motorhome, we drove into Moab for dinner at the Blue Pig- a barbeque restaurant.  The food was good especially since I didn't have to cook! 
;

Dead Horse Point State Park- September 22, 2012

This morning we went into Moab for breakfast at the Jailhouse Cafe, good food but a little pricey.  After all our activities yesterday we were in no hurry to get moving today.  We had read about a farmer's market in Moab that is held on Saturday mornings so we made a stop there.  There were a few stands selling produce but most were selling jewelry, baskets and handcraft items.  Talking with one vendor he asked if we had gone to the Dead Horse Point Park and suggested that we should go as it was his favorite park in the area.
After returning to the campground and doing a few things around the motorhome we set off for Dead Horse Point State Park north of Moab and near the Island in the Sky part of Canyonlands.  Like most Park visits our first stop was at the Visitor's Center but before going inside we walked around the outside taking in the views along a pathway.  And the views were spectacular looking into a red stoned canyon that is half as deep and half as wide as the Grand Canyon and also like the "Grand" has the Colorado River flowing through it.  Island in the Sky also has views into this canyon but none with the Colorado River and, I do not believe, are as breathtaking as the views here.  We drove to the Dead Horse Point- this according to legend was where abandon mustangs had died after being corraled on this point- and admired the views.  We were pleased that this park was highly suggested to us for it would have a mistake to have not visited it. 
We had seen large evaporation ponds from the viewing areas in the state park that were part of a potash processing plant.  The ponds were evaporation pools.  We had seen signs just prior to Moab to a road that stated "Potash".  So as we took the road on our return.  The road traveled along sheer rock wall on one side and the Colorado River on the other for 16 miles.  Petroglyphs were on the rocks 12-15 feet high making us ponder how this was accomplished.  The maintained road ended at the potash plant where we u-turned and returned to the campground.

Arches National Park- September 21, 2012

Today, Friday, we had decided to get out to Arches National Park before it became too hot.  Yesterday we had hiked a couple of short trails in the afternoon and really felt the drag of that afternoon heat, about 90 degrees.  So we traveled to Devil’s Garden Trailhead, the farthest point, to hike to Landscape Arch and were there before 9am.  Landscape Arch, along with Delicate Arch, are 2 arches highlighted in park brochures.  Landscape Arch had a big slab of stone to fall from the arch several years ago.  We then decided to continue on to the Navaho and Partition Arches.  The hike was quite strenuous as we had to climb up large boulders at one point- actually going up was not as bad as the coming back down over those huge somewhat smooth rocks.  It was probably about 5 miles.  Starting out the temperature was in the 60’s but ended in the 80’s.
  Our next stop was at the Windows area  where there are 3 arches- North Window and South Window and Turret Arch but again there was a hike about a mile round trip.  At this point we were feeling done in.  We returned to the motorhome for lunch and a much needed rest.
Early evening we took off for Canyonlands National Park- Island in the Sky- which is north of Moab.  Stopping at the Visitor’s Center we were given some pointers about stops in the Park.  We did drive through the park making the Green River Overlook our last stop to view the sunset.  The sunset views are to be spectacular at this overlook but the northern fires smoke interfered once again.

Moab, Utah- September 20, 2012

Before 9am we were on the road leaving the Capitol Reef area and headed to Moab, Utah- 163 miles.  By noon we were in a campsite at Spanish Trails RV Park.  After eating lunch we took the Jeep and went to Arches National Park.  Our first stop was at the Visitor’s Center to get oriented to the park and to buy a new patch. (I have been collecting patches from places that we have been to and on a quilt throw that I made I sew the patches.)  We then traveled through the park. 

Capitol Reef National Park- September 19, 2012

Today is, grandson, Anthony’s birthday and he is now a teenager at 13.  Happy birthday Anthony!
This morning we started out thinking that we were going to drive through a section of the Capitol Reef Park but plans sometimes change.  We came to a pull-off that was for a natural bridge so we parked and found it was a mile hike to the bridge.  A mile was not that far, so we thought, and so we started walking.  The trail was well marked but there were hills to climb and it became warmer as the morning progressed.  But we made it – a total of 2 miles in 2 hours.  The natural bridge was worth seeing at 128 feet high and 130 feet wide, I believe I have those  numbers right.
After the hike we were ready for lunch and it was after 12 noon.  I had prepared a picnic lunch so we went to the area where we had seen the deer yesterday.  The deer were not there but there were other folks picnicking in the area.  There were 2 huge trees in this area with very knotty trunks that seemed unusual to us.
When lunch was finished we took a drive on Scenic Route 12 south to Boulder.  This drive is through green mountains that had patches of bright yellow Aspen trees.  There were overlooks in which the red cliffs of Capitol Reef National Park was visible.  A very pretty drive.  Free range cattle were the only “wild” life that we saw and they, like the buffalos in previous parks, didn’t hesitate to walk across the roads in front of cars.  In Boulder there is the Anasazi State Park that we stopped at the Visitor’s Center.  A good day but tonight we are feeling that bedtime may come a little earlier.

Torrey, Utah- September 18, 2012

We left Salt Lake City this morning and traveled 216 miles to Torrey, Utah.  Capitol Reef National Park is located in Torrey.  After getting into Thousand Lakes campground (we had called yesterday to reserve a site) and eating dinner we took off for the Park.  Both of us did not know what to expect in this park and we were awe struck.  The beautiful colorful rock formations are just amazing.  We stopped at the Visitor’s Center and watched a movie about the Park.  Then we started on the Scenic Drive stopping in Fruita at the Gifford homestead.  Fruita is a desert oasis among the cliffs that fruit trees produce well.  The Mormons developed this farming area.  The Gifford home was built in 1908 by polygamist Calvin Pendleton and the Giffords were the last family to live in the house.  In 1969 the house was sold to the National Park Service and the last family to live in Fruita moved.  Fruit trees remain in the area and fruit pies and other desserts can be purchased at the Visitor’s Center and at the Gifford homestead.  We did continue the 10 mile Scenic Drive taking pictures along the way.

Great Salt Lake- September 17, 2012

This morning we went about 20 miles north of the campground to Antelope Island state park on the Great Salt Lake.  A causeway connects the island to the mainland.  Antelope Island is the largest island in the Lake of 28,000 acres.  Our first stop was at the visitor’s center, a rather rustic structure.  The Lake is so briny that only brine shrimp and brine flies can survive in it.  The shrimp and flies are a source of food for the birds that migrate through the area.  The saltiness is due to there not being an outlet from the Lake- in the spring water from several river sources flood into the lake causing the Lake to rise and then as summer continues on the water level drops due to evaporation.  As evaporation occurs mineral deposits which include salt is left and the salinity of the Lake rises.
Leaving the Visitor’s Center we rode up to an area called Buffalo Point that had a trail to climb higher up.  We walked up a short distance but there was thick smoke from forest fires in Idaho that impaired viewing.   We then drove down to the Fielding Garr Ranch.  The ranch house is the oldest standing Anglo building in Utah.  In 1848  Fielding Garr, a Mormon, had been assigned to establish a ranch on the island for managing the church tithing herds.  The ranch was operated by the Mormon until the mid-1870’s.  A businessman, John Dooly, Sr. bought the island and brought 12 bison on the land.  Sheep ranching was also set up and became one of the largest in the western states with more than 10,000 sheep.  A failing wool market in the 1950s caused a change to cattle ranching was continued until 1981 when the island became a state park.
The ranch is now a museum for the public to wander through.  The bison herd has grown to over 600 and are rounded up yearly with some being sold off in order to control the size of the herd.
This evening we went into Salt Lake City.  We could see the capitol from quite a distance and after driving up some steep hills we were able to park and take some pictures.  From there we went to Temple Square where the Mormon Temple, Tabernacle and Assembly are located.  The monument dedicated to the seagulls that saved the crops from the locust or grasshoppers is also located in this Square.  Quite an impressive group of buildings with beautiful flower beds everywhere.

North Salt Lake City- September 16, 2012

Well, we finally have landed somewhere that had internet connection that was of a quality to allow Tom to get pictures posted to the blog posts from the past week.
We left Jackson, Wyoming a little after 8am this morning after saying good-bye to Larry and Joanne. We would be going separate ways and do not expect to meet up again until we get home. Shortly after pulling out of the campground we were in Idaho. The hillsides were really pretty as there were lots of red trees among the green pine trees. I thought the only color out here was the yellow of the Aspens at this time of the year. We later came into some farming areas that had acres of newly harvested fields of grain. As we came to the town of Soda Springs we passed a large phosphate mining operation of Monsanto. Eventually, we got on I-15 that took us into Utah and south to North Salt Lake City, 279 miles. The campground, Pony Express Resort, is a extremely nice campground and compared to The Virginian in Jackson, Wy. a real bargain. Jackson was $63.00 a night, Pony Express is $40.00- same hook-ups only Pony Express has much better internet accesss.
Today, being Sunday, football games were on the television and after the continuous going for sometime we just kicked back and laid low. Tomorrow we plan to get out and explore this area.

Grand Teton National Park- September 15, 2012

This morning we started the day by going out for breakfast at Bubba’s in Jackson, Wy. along with Larry and Joanne.  After breakfast we took off separately to travel about the Grand Teton National Park.  Tom and I traveled the Moose/Wilson road into the park and saw 2 moose cows.  We stopped at the visitor center in Moose and then continued on a northerly route in the Park.  The smoke in the area seemed heavier this morning.  We have heard about 2 more fires in the area called the Buffalo fires in the Teton National Forest in addition to the Horse Thief fire in the Gros Ventre mountain range.   After a stop at Jenny Lake we continued on to Jackson Lake and Dam where we ate a picnic lunch.  In the afternoon we took a jaunt off the main road where we saw a herd of buffalo and an area with pronghorns.  On the Gros Ventre road we rode up to the Lower Slide Lake, another beautiful blue lake.  Returning to  Jackson, we stopped in the downtown square and walked about the shops.  Then we went back to the campground and picked up Larry and Joanne before going out to dinner at a Mexican restaurant.  This would be our last time together before returning home as we plan to go different directions tomorrow when we leave Jackson.

Raft Trip- September 14, 2012

Today, Friday, we, along with Larry and Joanne, went on a Snake River Float trip.  At 9:30am we loaded into a bus along with other folks which took us to an area along the Snake River.  We had to don float vests and then we loaded into the raft.  There were 10 on our raft along with a guide, Danny.  The 13 mile float took about 2 1/2 hours.  It was a very relaxing, interesting float.  After the float we were given a bag lunch and transported back to our vehicles.  We returned to the campground to eat our lunches.
Tom and I decided to cancel a day of our time here as the smokiness of the area affects the beauty of this environment.  The campground refunded our money without any problem.
Later in the afternoon Tom and I drove over to Teton Village to take a gondola ride up the mountain to find that was not running anymore today.  We then drove up through the National Park.  In the Moose area we saw a black bear and then a moose.  We saw a dirt road and decided to take that road.  What a mistake!  The road was very primitive with rocks, ruts, and extremely rough road.  There were some pretty views of the Snake River.  When we finally got on the main road through the park it was late evening.  We drove up Signal Mountain, saw deer and the saw beautiful sunset views on the Tetons from the summit.  Returning to Jackson we stopped at a Wendy’s for a late supper before returning to the motorhome.

Yellowstone to Jackson, Wyoming- September 13, 2012

This day was our moving day.  We had spent a week in Yellowstone so it was time to move on to the Grand Teton National Park.  We left Fishing Bridge at 8:15am and headed south through the Yellowstone and directly into Grand Teton National Park.  We stopped at Flagg Ranch Information Area and at that point Tom noticed the motorhome was dripping coolant fluid.  After checking out the problem Tom tightened a clamp which seem to take care of the problem.  The farther into the Grand Teton Park the smokier it became as a fire was burning in Horse Thief Canyon in the Gros Ventre mountain range near Jackson, Wy.  We arrived in Jackson (104 miles of travel) and checked in at The Virginian Campground at 11:45am for 4 nights.  Larry and Joanne arrived later in the afternoon and we were together once again.  We all went out for lunch at the Snake River Brew Pub-  good food and local beers.  After lunch we went to a Snake River Float Trip Company and made arrangements to take a float trip in the morning.  A ride to the center of Jackson and some time walking about the stores ended the day.

Yellowstone- Day 7- September 12, 2012

Wednesday, our last day in Yellowstone, we drove to the Lamar Valley Area.  A sunny day with some wind and chilly temperatures made eating our picnic lunch a little uncomfortable.  After Lamar Valley we continued through the Mammoth Hot Springs Area and back to Fishing Bridge.

Yellowstone- Day 6- September 11, 2012

Tom continues to feel better each day so we are keeping our fingers crossed that this little scare is behind us.  We again today travelled about the Park and went out the west gate to West Yellowstone for lunch.  We believe we have been over much of the Park.  Today was the first time this week that we had problems finding parking places when we went to The Artists Paintpots and Norris Geyser Basin.  Both of these areas were so full in the morning that we left there and returned after lunch.  We were then able to find parking spots but the lots were all but full.   The wind has continued today and it is not as sunny and bright as the past few days so it is cooler (high 50’s).  There are managed fires that are causing smoke in the Hayden Valley area.  A managed fire is one that is being carefully monitored not fought at this time.  The Park is preparing for winter installing poles along roadways to mark the roads for snow plows and closing some campgrounds.

Yellowstone- Day 5- September 10, 2012

Tom is feeling somewhat better today.  We both question the diagnosis of kidney stones but nevertheless the pain medication has helped considerably.  Again we struck out with me doing the driving for the Geyser Basin Area.  We did stop at the Old Faithful Area to get gas and shop at the gift shop prior to getting to the Geyser Area.  Again today the weather was really nice although breezy.  The pictures tell the tale.

Yellowstone- Day 4-September 9, 2012

Today, Sunday, Tom thought he could get out, still was not feeling great.  So with me driving we struck out for the West Thumb Area and eventually to Old Faithful before returning to the campground.  The weather was sunny and warm(70’s) during  the day and chilly at night (32).  Pictures again tell the story.

Yellowstone- Day 3- September 8, 2012

Well, what a bummer of a day.  Last night Tom started complaining of back pain and had a real uncomfortable night trying to sleep.  Advil was barely touching his pain.  So this morning after eating breakfast we decided we should see someone about the pain.  There are several clinics in the park with the closest one being in the Lake area which is a short distance from Fishing Bridge.  The clinic was not busy and Tom was seen after filling out the paperwork.  After an exam by a physician’s assistant it was determined that Tom probably had a kidney stone.  Pain medication was given and directions to drink lots of liquids.  So we spent the remainder of the day in the motorhome with Tom drinking (water, mostly) and me cooking and reading.  We did take a walk about the campground this evening.  The pain medication seems to be reducing the discomfort.  No pictures today to tell the story.

Yellowstone National Park-Day 2- September 7, 2012

Today was a gorgeous day with bright sunny skies and temperatures reaching into the 70’s.  The night time temperatures drop down to about 32 degrees.  Another day of being out into the park.  Enjoy the pictures!

Yellowstone–September 6, 2012

Today, Thursday, we parted ways with Larry and Joanne.  We left the campground at 9am and headed for Fishing Bridge Campground in Yellowstone National Park.  Larry and Joanne were also planning to spend the week visiting Yellowstone but they were staying at a private campground in West Yellowstone so we are about 70 miles apart.
We traveled the 79 miles and got into our campsite.  After a little rest we got in the Jeep and started exploring this unique park.  The pictures tell much of the story.

A Day with Buffalo Bill- September 5, 2012

Today, Wednesday, Larry, Joanne, Tom and I spent the day in the Buffalo Bill Historical Center here in Cody, Wyoming.  What a museum!  Of course, there is a hall of exhibits about Buffalo Bill but also halls of exhibits on the Plains Indian People, Yellowstone Natural History, Firearms and Western Art as well as a Sculpture Garden.  The firearm hall had guns of most every description.  The Yellowstone Natural History had displays of animals as they are in their natural habitate.  And the Plains Indian people had displays depicting their life and exhibits of their tools, arms and clothing.

We did take a break for lunch going to the downtown area of Cody to The Irma, a restaurant in a old hotel.  We all had the buffet lunch which we found to be quite tasty, including the buffalo sloppy joe's and spinach lasgne.  A bread pudding with whiskey sauce was the dessert and there sure was whiskey in that sauce.

Before returning back to the campground we drove to the Buffalo Bill Dam and visitor center.  We watched a film about the construction of the dam in the early 1900's.  The dam was constructed during the winter months often with temperatures below freezing since the flow of water was so heavy due to the melting snow in the mountains.

A beautiful day with the temperatures in the low 80's but this morning it was 49 degrees when we got out of bed.  Tomorrow we are going into Fishing Bridge in Yellowstone park.