We did make it into Kansas yesterday ... and into the Central Time Zone ... all the way to beautiful Oakley, KS. Today we awoke to heavy fog. Yep - whoda thunk it could get foggy in western Kansas? Well it can. We got on the road around 9:00 AM in spite of the fog and it started lifting within a half hour or so as we drove east.
Our drive across Kansas has been uneventful - just the way I like it. A slight breeze from the southwest, a few rolling hills with a general decrease in elevation from around 5,000 feet at the western boundary to more like 1,300 feet in the eastern part of the state. Winne is liking this traveling much better than those mountains in Colorado and is rewarding me with better fuel mileage.
We have driven to just south of Topeka and plan to take a day off from serious travel tomorrow to visit a bit with our RV friends Terry and Randy Guiler who happen to be staying nearby at Hillsdale State Park. Our plan is to drive over to Hillsdale tomorrow late morning (about 60 miles) and find us a spot at the State Park Campground before meeting up with Terry and Randy. We're looking forward to a semi-non travel day and to the visit with good friends.
Now for a few observations from our last week of travel:
While driving through northern Arizona and southern Colorado you can't help but notice the high population of folks of native american ethnicity. This only makes sense since this area has been Navajo and Ute tribal lands for centuries. What I found interesting was the names of the high school mascots in the small towns we traveled through. How can it be that these folks are not upset by their children being associated with mascots like the "Warriors" or the "Redskins" ... yet those same names will raise great ire from the good citizens of Maine (and many other eastern states)?
You sure can tell it's almost election time in Nevada and Colorado. The Anti-Romney and Anti-Obama ads are all over the local TV stations. Yet I didn't notice that many in California or here in Kansas. When it comes to presidential elections it's a shame ... but it's true ... if you live in a solid red state and you vote blue - your vote means very little. The same hold true for voting red in a solid blue state. I encourage all you folks in those "swing" states to pay attention and make sure you vote (especially if you vote for my guy). For the rest of ya'll ... get informed and get out and vote anyway! Your vote counts a lot for everything else (House of Reps, Senate, State and local races, etc.).
In my humble opinion - assuming we keep the whole Electoral College thing in the first place - every state should award Electoral Votes like Maine (and Nebraska) ... by majority vote in each Congressional District. At least that would more accurately reflect the "will of the people."
[Actually ... Maine has 4 Electoral Votes - 2 are awarded by statewide popular vote and the other two are awarded by Congressional District Popular Vote (Maine has 2 Congressional Districts) ... but I like my idea better!]
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Over the Mountains
Good morning from Pueblo, Colorado! We all survived the trip over Wolf Creek Pass yesterday. Winne, Peggy, and I. We started off our travels yesterday heading East on Highway 160 through Mancos, CO where we were treated to a balloon fest as several hot air balloons were lifting off near the highway. It looked like a fun thing to do on a beautiful fall Colorado day.
We drove through Durango and then on to Pagosa Springs through some very pretty country and stayed right around 7,000 feet in elevation for that 100 miles or so. In Pagosa Springs we found a convenient spot to pull over and disconnect the Vue for the trip over Wolf Creek Pass. I figured Winne would appreciate the lightened load for the 40 miles ahead. It didn't take too long after leaving Pagosa Springs to start our climb. Fortunately, the road heading up the mountain is in very good condition and has two lanes going up (in most places). Winne made most of the trip up in 2nd gear at around 35-40 MPH - right around the speed limit - while the engine hummed along at about 3700 RPM and the water temperature stayed at the normal spot all the way. I suppose it helped that the outside air temperature was in the mid 50s. Although I spent most of my time concentrating on driving - the views coming up to the summit were fantastic. Beautiful canyons with tall evergreens and steaks of yellow from all the aspens that are turning color this time of year. Since Peggy was driving the Vue we didn't get many pictures during this 40 miles - but here a couple from other spots during the trip.
Once we topped the 10,800 foot summit and started down it was time for Winne's engine to take a break and time for the transmission to do its work. I immediately geared down to 2nd gear for the initial descent and hit the brakes only enough to keep the speed between 35 and 40 MPH. After a few miles the slope lessened and I was able to make most of the rest of the trip down in 3rd gear and finally 4th as we entered the town of South Fork on the Eastern side of the mountains. We pulled over in South Fork, reattached the Vue, and continued our trip along Highway 160 through the high prairie. We stayed pretty near 7,500 feet for the next 100 miles or so until we ran into one last mountain range that needed crossing. This time we left the Vue attached and up we went. La Veta Pass tops out at about 9,400 feet and was another stretch of hard work for Winne - but once again she made it over and back down with no issues.
We finished up our trip stopping near Pueblo, Colorado for the evening. Whew - I'm glad the serious mountains are behind us as we head further east today. We are still near 5,000 feet here in Pueblo but we will be gradually dropping as we head East to Kansas today.
Central Time here we come!
We drove through Durango and then on to Pagosa Springs through some very pretty country and stayed right around 7,000 feet in elevation for that 100 miles or so. In Pagosa Springs we found a convenient spot to pull over and disconnect the Vue for the trip over Wolf Creek Pass. I figured Winne would appreciate the lightened load for the 40 miles ahead. It didn't take too long after leaving Pagosa Springs to start our climb. Fortunately, the road heading up the mountain is in very good condition and has two lanes going up (in most places). Winne made most of the trip up in 2nd gear at around 35-40 MPH - right around the speed limit - while the engine hummed along at about 3700 RPM and the water temperature stayed at the normal spot all the way. I suppose it helped that the outside air temperature was in the mid 50s. Although I spent most of my time concentrating on driving - the views coming up to the summit were fantastic. Beautiful canyons with tall evergreens and steaks of yellow from all the aspens that are turning color this time of year. Since Peggy was driving the Vue we didn't get many pictures during this 40 miles - but here a couple from other spots during the trip.
Once we topped the 10,800 foot summit and started down it was time for Winne's engine to take a break and time for the transmission to do its work. I immediately geared down to 2nd gear for the initial descent and hit the brakes only enough to keep the speed between 35 and 40 MPH. After a few miles the slope lessened and I was able to make most of the rest of the trip down in 3rd gear and finally 4th as we entered the town of South Fork on the Eastern side of the mountains. We pulled over in South Fork, reattached the Vue, and continued our trip along Highway 160 through the high prairie. We stayed pretty near 7,500 feet for the next 100 miles or so until we ran into one last mountain range that needed crossing. This time we left the Vue attached and up we went. La Veta Pass tops out at about 9,400 feet and was another stretch of hard work for Winne - but once again she made it over and back down with no issues.
We finished up our trip stopping near Pueblo, Colorado for the evening. Whew - I'm glad the serious mountains are behind us as we head further east today. We are still near 5,000 feet here in Pueblo but we will be gradually dropping as we head East to Kansas today.
Central Time here we come!
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Mesa Verde - Back into History
Another Day ... Another National Treasure.
After our late start this morning we made our way over to the Mesa Verde National Park and began our day of exploration. We started with a 15 mile trip into the park to the Visitors Center at "Far View." Those 15 miles are mostly up at about a 7% grade through some really beautiful canyons.
Once at the Visitors Center we wasted no time buying our tickets for the 12:30 PM ranger led tour of the crown jewel of Mesa Verde ... the Cliff Palace cliff dwelling. After taking a few pictures from the awesome vantage point at the Visitors Center we continued another 15 miles to the Cliff Palace overlook. Wow - what a fantastic view! It's hard to believe these structures were built about 800 years ago. It was also hard to believe that we were shortly going to walk down some 130 feet of very steep steps and ladders to the alcove floor ... but we did!
We then listened to Ranger Paul explain what was known about the ancestral puebloans - the makers of these structures. Although a lot is known about these people who inhabited this area back in the 13th century - a lot is still conjecture. Like ... why did they start living in these alcoves? ... and why did they all of a sudden abandon their homes after "only" living here for about 100 years? Regardless of the real answers - the dwellings are a truly amazing artifact of their lives and a real privilege to be able to visit - up close and personal!
After completing our hour long tour it was time to leave. Now comes the really fun part. We needed to climb that same 130 feet - pretty much straight up using steps carved between the sandstone rocks and a series of wooden ladders -- much like the ancient puebloans!
By now you probably figured out that we survived to tell all about it. But let me assure you it was a workout! Climbing 130 feet is tough enough - doing it at 7,000 feet elevation in an out of shape body is much harder.
After huffing and puffing our way back to the Vue we drove a bit on the loop road to view some of the other dwellings in the area including Square Tower House ...
and then we got to view Cliff Palace from the opposite canyon. Our trip down into the Cliff Palace and our climb out was even more impressive once viewed from this vantage point.
We continued our drive to Chapin Mesa Museum where we had some lunch in the cafe, toured the Museum, and viewed Spruce Tree House from afar. I really wasn't excited about another 1/2 mile walk downhill and then back uphill. Our view from the Museum area was plenty good for me!
Although there was plenty more to see and do in Mesa Verde - we decided to save that for another day on another trip. Our initial trip to Mesa Verde was a great day and we'll have the memories for a lifetime ... and a few sore muscles for a few days I'm sure.
Tomorrow we plan on hitting the road once more. Our planned route is through Durango to Pagosa Springs and then northeast on Highway 160 over Wolf Creek Pass. I understand this pass is famous or infamous depending on your experience. With 40 miles or so of steep (8%) ups and then downs, a few tight switchbacks, and a 10,800 foot summit it ought to be an interesting drive to say the least!
Come on Winne ... you can do it!
After our late start this morning we made our way over to the Mesa Verde National Park and began our day of exploration. We started with a 15 mile trip into the park to the Visitors Center at "Far View." Those 15 miles are mostly up at about a 7% grade through some really beautiful canyons.
Once at the Visitors Center we wasted no time buying our tickets for the 12:30 PM ranger led tour of the crown jewel of Mesa Verde ... the Cliff Palace cliff dwelling. After taking a few pictures from the awesome vantage point at the Visitors Center we continued another 15 miles to the Cliff Palace overlook. Wow - what a fantastic view! It's hard to believe these structures were built about 800 years ago. It was also hard to believe that we were shortly going to walk down some 130 feet of very steep steps and ladders to the alcove floor ... but we did!
We then listened to Ranger Paul explain what was known about the ancestral puebloans - the makers of these structures. Although a lot is known about these people who inhabited this area back in the 13th century - a lot is still conjecture. Like ... why did they start living in these alcoves? ... and why did they all of a sudden abandon their homes after "only" living here for about 100 years? Regardless of the real answers - the dwellings are a truly amazing artifact of their lives and a real privilege to be able to visit - up close and personal!
After completing our hour long tour it was time to leave. Now comes the really fun part. We needed to climb that same 130 feet - pretty much straight up using steps carved between the sandstone rocks and a series of wooden ladders -- much like the ancient puebloans!
By now you probably figured out that we survived to tell all about it. But let me assure you it was a workout! Climbing 130 feet is tough enough - doing it at 7,000 feet elevation in an out of shape body is much harder.
After huffing and puffing our way back to the Vue we drove a bit on the loop road to view some of the other dwellings in the area including Square Tower House ...
We continued our drive to Chapin Mesa Museum where we had some lunch in the cafe, toured the Museum, and viewed Spruce Tree House from afar. I really wasn't excited about another 1/2 mile walk downhill and then back uphill. Our view from the Museum area was plenty good for me!
Although there was plenty more to see and do in Mesa Verde - we decided to save that for another day on another trip. Our initial trip to Mesa Verde was a great day and we'll have the memories for a lifetime ... and a few sore muscles for a few days I'm sure.
Tomorrow we plan on hitting the road once more. Our planned route is through Durango to Pagosa Springs and then northeast on Highway 160 over Wolf Creek Pass. I understand this pass is famous or infamous depending on your experience. With 40 miles or so of steep (8%) ups and then downs, a few tight switchbacks, and a 10,800 foot summit it ought to be an interesting drive to say the least!
Come on Winne ... you can do it!
Monument Valley and The Four Corners
Yesterday's drive was long, diverse, beautiful, and long (oh -- did I already say that?).
We left Williams around 8:30 AM and drove along I-40 to Flagstaff where we filled up with fuel and then headed north on Highway 89 and then northeast on Highway 160. We started in Flagstaff at around 7,000 feet, dropped to about 5,000 feet and stayed near that elevation for most of the drive through northeast Arizona.
Somewhere along that route we took a good look at the map and found that the famous Monument Valley was near our intended travel path and then decided that we couldn't miss that opportunity - afterall - who knows when we might venture this way again?
And I'm really glad we did! Monument Valley is certainly a unique and absolutely gorgeous place to see. This area is not only beautiful - it is sacred ground for the Navajo Tribe and a large part of the Valley is tribal lands. We drove to the Monument Valley Tribal Visitors Center and paid our $5.00 each to visit the Visitor Center. Let me warn you RVers out there that there isn't much room for large RVs in the parking lot. What large spaces that do exist are taken up by the many tour buses that visit daily. We didn't stay long at the Visitor Center since we had many more miles still to travel - but Peggy did get some nice pictures. Someday we'll have to return and take the 17 mile drive among all the "monuments."
After leaving the Monument Valley Visitors Center we pulled over for a quick lunch and then retraced our path back to Highway 160 and moved along to our next stop - at yet another Navajo tribal lands monument at "The Four Corners." This spot was surveyed some number of years ago and determined to be the "spot" where Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona meet. I understand that modern technology has determined that the "spot" is actually some number of yards away ... but who cares! We paid out $3.00 per person to the Navajos for the privilege of viewing the spot where they installed the bronze plaque - so I say this is "Spot."
After obtaining the required photograph of the "spot" ... we continued on to our final destination just east of Cortez, Co at A&A Mesa Verde RV Park - right at the entrance to Mesa Verde National Park.
Yes indeed ... a long travel day. But one of the prettiest drives we have ever taken.
So here it is Thursday morning and after a poor night's sleep for both of us we are getting around to starting our day. It looks like a great day for sightseeing so we plan on visiting Mesa Verde National Park and seeing what there is to see. At least some of it!
We left Williams around 8:30 AM and drove along I-40 to Flagstaff where we filled up with fuel and then headed north on Highway 89 and then northeast on Highway 160. We started in Flagstaff at around 7,000 feet, dropped to about 5,000 feet and stayed near that elevation for most of the drive through northeast Arizona.
Somewhere along that route we took a good look at the map and found that the famous Monument Valley was near our intended travel path and then decided that we couldn't miss that opportunity - afterall - who knows when we might venture this way again?
And I'm really glad we did! Monument Valley is certainly a unique and absolutely gorgeous place to see. This area is not only beautiful - it is sacred ground for the Navajo Tribe and a large part of the Valley is tribal lands. We drove to the Monument Valley Tribal Visitors Center and paid our $5.00 each to visit the Visitor Center. Let me warn you RVers out there that there isn't much room for large RVs in the parking lot. What large spaces that do exist are taken up by the many tour buses that visit daily. We didn't stay long at the Visitor Center since we had many more miles still to travel - but Peggy did get some nice pictures. Someday we'll have to return and take the 17 mile drive among all the "monuments."
After leaving the Monument Valley Visitors Center we pulled over for a quick lunch and then retraced our path back to Highway 160 and moved along to our next stop - at yet another Navajo tribal lands monument at "The Four Corners." This spot was surveyed some number of years ago and determined to be the "spot" where Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona meet. I understand that modern technology has determined that the "spot" is actually some number of yards away ... but who cares! We paid out $3.00 per person to the Navajos for the privilege of viewing the spot where they installed the bronze plaque - so I say this is "Spot."
After obtaining the required photograph of the "spot" ... we continued on to our final destination just east of Cortez, Co at A&A Mesa Verde RV Park - right at the entrance to Mesa Verde National Park.
Yes indeed ... a long travel day. But one of the prettiest drives we have ever taken.
So here it is Thursday morning and after a poor night's sleep for both of us we are getting around to starting our day. It looks like a great day for sightseeing so we plan on visiting Mesa Verde National Park and seeing what there is to see. At least some of it!
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Grand Once More
As advertised - we started our morning with a trip to the Grand Canyon National Park Visitors Center here in Williams to claim my National Park Geezers Pass. In just a few short minutes and after payment of my $10 fee I am now able to enter National Parks and a bunch of State Parks for free - yippee! I mentioned to Peggy that she was also eligible for a Geezer Pass - but she insisted that she was not a "Geezer" and instead announced that she would simply hang around with me and get in for free anyway. Actually I like that plan - makes me feel wanted and needed!
After taking care of that business we crossed the street and ordered up a yummy breakfast at the Pine Country Cafe. I highly recommend their southwestern omelet ... and the pies looked pretty yummy too!
With all that taken of we visited the local Safeway and bought all the stuff we needed to fill all the empty spaces in our cupboards. There - that ought to get us a few more hundred miles down the road.
Now it was time to take advantage of that new Geezer card so off we went to the south rim. After a leisurely 50 mile ride we arrived at the Mather Point Visitors Center. I'm pretty sure this facility was not in operation on our last two visits so we took a brief walkthrough and watched the 15 minute film on the Canyon and a bit of its history. Then we decided to walk the south rim trail from Mather Point to Bright Angel Lodge - a little over 2.5 miles.
That little walk took us about an hour as walked a little, gawked a little, and I watched Peggy take a bunch of pictures. As I've stated before, the Grand Canyon is an awesome sight - especially when you see it for the first time. But its pretty awesome even on the fourth trip! I'm going to post a few pictures here - but they really didn't turn out very good as the sun was all wrong.
These from sunset back in 2005 are much better.
So ... after walking more than my daily limit we called it quits, rode the shuttle bus back to where we left the car, and then drove back to Williams. A full day for sure.
Tomorrow we plan on continuing our eastward trip ... but not necessarily by the most direct route. Tomorrow's destination - Mesa Verde National Park. We haven't visited this park before so I'm really looking forward to it.
We might as well get our money's worth out of that new Geezer Card!
After taking care of that business we crossed the street and ordered up a yummy breakfast at the Pine Country Cafe. I highly recommend their southwestern omelet ... and the pies looked pretty yummy too!
With all that taken of we visited the local Safeway and bought all the stuff we needed to fill all the empty spaces in our cupboards. There - that ought to get us a few more hundred miles down the road.
Now it was time to take advantage of that new Geezer card so off we went to the south rim. After a leisurely 50 mile ride we arrived at the Mather Point Visitors Center. I'm pretty sure this facility was not in operation on our last two visits so we took a brief walkthrough and watched the 15 minute film on the Canyon and a bit of its history. Then we decided to walk the south rim trail from Mather Point to Bright Angel Lodge - a little over 2.5 miles.
That little walk took us about an hour as walked a little, gawked a little, and I watched Peggy take a bunch of pictures. As I've stated before, the Grand Canyon is an awesome sight - especially when you see it for the first time. But its pretty awesome even on the fourth trip! I'm going to post a few pictures here - but they really didn't turn out very good as the sun was all wrong.
These from sunset back in 2005 are much better.
So ... after walking more than my daily limit we called it quits, rode the shuttle bus back to where we left the car, and then drove back to Williams. A full day for sure.
Tomorrow we plan on continuing our eastward trip ... but not necessarily by the most direct route. Tomorrow's destination - Mesa Verde National Park. We haven't visited this park before so I'm really looking forward to it.
We might as well get our money's worth out of that new Geezer Card!
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