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Thursday, June 30, 2011
Fritz Hurst sent you a Photogram: Walking the Golden Gate.
Fishing at dawn
Sent from my iPhoneSurf was crazy and tide was not right, so no bites. But, a nice quiet morning on the beach.
San Francisco – Day 11 – Wednesday – June 29
We were able to get up and get going, but still taking us longer than normal. Two hours to get this crew up, fed, showered and dressed and out the door. In the car and off to San Francisco for a day of sightseeing by 9:00 and we made it by 10:00. Still need to work on the logistics on this part of the trip.
We headed into town, found parking and headed to the double-decker buses. Although Wendy and I have been to San Francisco many times, we would like to take a tour that will not only teach us more about the town, but also give the kids an education about the history and sights that they would not listen to if we were telling them.
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| Tony Bennett's Heart that he left here |
We meet our driver who says that our tour guide is the best they have. Chris the tour guide keeps reminding us that he is a starving actor, but loves performing for an audience – even if it on wheels. He has a lot of great information and we learn a lot about the city’s history and culture. We are on top and it is a chilly 56 degrees, but a great way to see the city and get our bearings.When we finish the tour, we walk up and take Chris’s advice about hopping the cable cars. The wait at the end of the line is about an hour long, so we walk up 2 blocks and hop on when the first car passes about 15 minutes later. I hand the conductor a twenty and he asks if we want one-way, round-trip or all day. I ask how much is all day and he replies $65, so I figure one way will work for us to which he says “then you owe another 5 bucks”. We are planning on hopping off at Chinatown, so we enjoy the quick ride and tell the kids “take it in and get your quick $5 worth”.
As the cable car glides downhill, we take in the smell of burning wood from the breaks as it rubs on the tracks. When we get to the cable car museum just above Chinatown, we hop off, snap a quick picture and start working out way to R&G Lounge on Kearny Street. Chris our tour guide recommended it. He said all his recommendations came from someone working on an actor’s salary – but would be some of the best spots in town.
As we get closer, Georgia says that she will not be able to find anything to eat there, so Wendy takes her to Subway next door for a sandwich. Charlotte, Jackson and I check the wait at the door to find out they can seat us right away. I notice the Michelin Rating on the wall and let Jack know that although it doesn’t guarantee a great meal, bit at least gives me some comfort that it is run well and the food is OK. Jackson says “What do they know about food, they sell tires!”. I then check Yelp to find 4 stars and a lot of great reviews.
They seat us at a table downstairs. A lot of local Chinese businessmen and locals among tourists. A pot of hot tea is set at the table and I pour a cup for each of us and we dig into the vast menu. Pictures for many of the dishes are shown as well as explanations. Many of the more unusual items are listed at market price and I tell the kids to avoid those for lunch. One that catches Jackson’s eye is a bowl of Shark Fin Soup for $75. “Can I have that Dad?”. He is just kidding, though I’m sure he would love to give it a try. I order the R&G Special Beef and Seafood and Bean Curd Soup. Jackson and Charlotte both order Chow Mein. Wendy and Georgia show up right as the food is being served. My beef is delicious and the soup is very tasty. Both of the other kids love their chow mein. We have Georgia try each, and she shrugs and say, “OK, maybe I could have found something”.
We finish our lunch and head out to do some shopping in Chinatown. The gift shops all look the same to me. I poke into some food stores as they look at the gifts and see if they can find something they really don’t need. As we finish up our shopping, Wendy notices she does not have our camera that she was carrying. A mad dash back to the first store as I tell Charlotte and Jackson to watch the door for someone leaving with it. Turns out she left it at the counter while paying and it is still there.We continue our walk toward Lombard Street to walk up the crooked street. It is farther than we thought, and although we get to take in a couple other neighborhoods, the trek is called off when I make a wrong turn and we walk a block and a half the wrong way up a big hill. They all decide it will be better to hit Pier 39 while we still have some energy and do the drive down when we get the car instead. No issues with me, so we walk the 4 blocks downhill to the Pier to take in the seals and do some more shopping. Turns out most of the seals have migrated for the season and are off breeding further south. There are four or five on the docks, but not what we expected.
We sit for a while and take in the bay. The sun is finally out and although it is not really warm yet, at least it is bearable. We hit some shops. Take in a lady who does some magic/circus routine and pick up $50 worth of chocolate in a shop. Then on down the wharf to take in some of the street performers.
We drop a couple dollars and get pictures with a “silver man” and stop at a guy who is doing spray can art to the beats of Eminem. This guy is really talented. He creates night scenes of SF with planets in a couple minutes and sells them for 5 to 10 dollars. Jackson decides he would like one as a memory of San Francisco. We walk down a bit more to find another guy doing the same thing. Here another artist has some oil paintings he is selling for $15 and Charlotte sees one she would like in her room. Off we go with bags and paintings in hand.We are all getting a little worn out, but Georgia reminds us that we told her she could do the Ripley’s Museum. At first none of the other kids is game, so I say I will do it with her. I’m always up for some odd facts and something strange. Wendy decides to rest while we all go in. We end up spending and hour and a half taking it all in.
Once done, we talk about dinner, but everyone is tired. We pick up the car and drive up to Lombard Street for the obligatory drive down. Georgia lets us know that these switchbacks are better than the ones we did in the Jeep! Charlotte snaps some shots as we drive down and then we head to the Golden Gate Bridge to see if we can get there before sunset.
As we make our way over the bridge, we notice that the sun is setting over the hills. We decide we have come this far, so hightail it up the back side of the Marin Headlands. As we start winding around the backside, we find out that the road to our favorite vantage point for pictures is closed. We have to opt for a spot further up the mountain and much further away. By the time we get there, the best light is gone, but we are still able to get in a couple shots.
Back in the car and we decide to call it a day and head back to the RV. Jackson and Charlotte decide they would like McDonald’s for dinner, so a quick pull through the drive thru and then back home.
Wendy and I have the leftovers from the kids Chow Mein with a nice glass of wine. I pull out the poles to get them set up for some early morning surf fishing, then off to bed for all. We have another big San Francisco day on Thursday.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
A Rainy Day on Vacation is Better Then a Sunny Day at Work – Day 10 – Tuesday – June 28
Woke up to cold and rain. It was 53 and the rain was pounding on the roof of the RV as I awoke. Georgia had asked to sleep with Mom and I wanted to catch up on my blog, so I slept in the overhead in the front. Got up at 6 and the kids and Wendy did not wake until MUCH later.
I had 5 days to catch up on, and with picture uploads it took the better part of the day. Everyone just kind of lazed around. I organized the RV some more, set up directories and sorted through pictures.
Wendy decided to catch up on some laundry. That took hours. Pretty much a down day, but after all the hustle and bustle, it was nice to not be on the go.
Mid afternoon, we decided to watch Escape from Alcatraz. The kids then decided they wanted to go to Rain Forest Café for dinner. We had thought about someplace closer as the weather was still a mess and I did not know how long it would take. When we gave the “go” we were out in 15 minutes. Amazing how much quicker the kids move when it is their agenda they are working off of.
As we hit the highway, the fog was so dense we could barely see the car in front of us. I comforted Wendy and the kids that I could see the tail lights and the marks on the road. It took us about 20 minutes to get to the Wharf. We found parking and walked the couple blocks to the restaurant, stopping at a couple shops along the way.
Rain Forest Café was fine. Same as all the others I have been in, but they did have Fat Tire Ale, so that made it all bearable.
We were out around 10 and headed home. Everyone in bed as we have an early rise and a lot of catching up to do over the next two days here in San Francisco.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
5 Days of Updates
Got a couple notes from people that the auto notice is not working. No, I was just 5 days behind. Will try to keep up, but the days are so packed with fun it has been tough to keep up!
Fritz Hurst sent you a Photogram: Ok. The kids got to pick tonight. Hundreds of great...
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Hippies and a Full House – Day 9 – Monday – June 27
Wake up to a lot of fog and clouds out the back window, but you can see the waves breaking on the rocks below. We slept the night to the sounds of the waves crashing just feet below us. It is very cold and I get up to check the temp. It is 53 degrees outside, and since the windows are all open it is probably just as cold inside. I close some windows and fire up the heat. It only takes a few minutes to get it warm in here.
Wendy is not feeling well. Not sure what it is, but she does not think she can make a day of it today. I head out to check in and pick up the car. The rental spot is just a couple blocks away, so I pull on a sweatshirt and walk up to the office. They are very nice, but ask about my hookup. Seems California State Law requires a special adapter for the sewer. I purchase one for $10 and ask them to hold it for me to pick up on my way back into the park.
As I walk north up the hill, I make a turn up a street to see if I can find a way down to the beach. We are on a bluff that is about 20 – 30 foot tall, but they said in the office that there is a path at the end of the RV Park. It must be on the other end as the path here is closed and says danger – do not enter. I pass a car that is covered with squirrels and nuts. Yes – we are in California.
A block up is a bakery and I stop for a cup of coffee, then head across the street to Enterprise to pick up the car. I get a 2010 Chevy Impala (what FUN) and decide to drive down a couple blocks to the beach access. It is cold, windy and foggy and there aren’t any people walking the beach. There are a few guys surf fishing, and I walk over to check it out. Seems striped bass are hitting well, but the guy I talk to doesn’t speak very good English. I decide to find a bait shop to learn more.
On the 3 block drive back, I pass a bait shop. I stop in to find a few old men playing cards. The lady behind the counter asks if she can help and I tell her I would love to give some surf fishing a try. She tells me the best spot in the area is at the south end of the RV Park up the road. Hey, that will work well. She tells me that live bait is not doable here, but they hit well on some artificial lures. That’s when all the other guys chime in on which lures I should buy. For 5 minutes they go back and forth, until they all decide on the one that will guarantee me a hit. I pick up some line for leader and drive back to the RV Park.
Wendy is still in bed, the kids are up and we decide to hit Haight – Ashbury for the afternoon. Wendy agrees that we need to get out, and she doesn’t want to miss any of the other excursions. We grab the guide book and take off for the city. It is about a 15 minute drive to Haight. The kids are gawking at the sights as we drive through. I want to hit Cha Cha Cha for lunch. This is a spot I have eaten a few times and love. We park the car, pump $2 worth of quarters in the meter and only get 45 minutes instead of an hour. We will just have to eat fast.
We have a blast at the restaurant. It is a Cuban/Latin cuisine with a quirky décor. World music and Santeria alters make for some interesting sightseeing while waiting. Oh yeah, and people watching too! I wanted the daily special snow crab crab cakes but they were sold out. I opted for the jerk chicken and Jackson had a Cuban sandwich. His came with wonderful slices of pork roast, ham, Swiss cheese and pickles. Delicious. A side of spicy black beans and Sangria (their specialty) and I was happy. The girls found plain cheese quesadillas so we were set. Wendy and I found this spot back in 1993 when we stayed at the Red Vic in Haight during my first sabbatical. She was sick that evening also, so headed back to the room. I stayed at the bar and polished off a couple pitchers of Sangria while the bartender brought me samples of everything on the menu. I have been back a couple times since with friends while in town on business.We pay the bill, and I get another couple dollars in quarters for the meter. Then off to explore Haight. We stop at the Red Victorian, a B&B with rooms that are each themed by the owner Sami Sunchild. Wendy and I stayed in the Sunshine room, and I took the kids upstairs. We were able to check out any of the rooms that were unoccupied. Fun. We also checked out the Aquarium bathroom (many rooms share baths).
It has an aquarium with live fish in place of the tank and when you flush the water drops out of the aquarium. It is actually an inner tank – but neat effect. We look for the guest book from 1993 (they have them going back to ’67 the Summer of Love). No luck – Sami has them stashed away somewhere.
On up Ashbury and we stop at the house that the Grateful Dead lived in from ’66 to ’68. Then back to Haight for some shopping.
We stick out like sore thumbs. Jackson and I both wearing Chicago Bears sweatshirts. He finds a recycled electronics shop and picks up a game for his Xbox.
The girls look for shirts or earrings. We burn about an hour stopping in and out of shops then back to the car. Jackson realizes that he does not have his “picture of the day” for his Facebook status and notices a “smoke shop” across the street. He thinks this will be just the picture to show what Haight is about. I agree, and although inappropriate – I guess anything goes here.
We then make the trip to Alamo Square to take in the Painted Ladies or Postcard Row.
These homes are a very nice example of the Victorian style homes in the area, but the kids want to see the “real” Full House house. They don’t quite understand when I am telling them that this is a famous scene from the opening credits. “We don’t care Dad – we just want to see the real house”. A bit of cajoling and then I open the Fodors to show them the picture on the inside. They also see all the other people taking pictures. I don’t think they understood why Full House featured the Tanners having a picnic from this spot.
On to the real Full House house at 1709 Broderick Street. OK, now our Full House/Tanner journey is complete. No Georgia, you don’t tour the inside and the show was NOT shot here. This was on Georgia’s must do list for sabbatical.
We head back to the RV Park, but a quick stop at the video store to see if they have Escape From Alcatraz. Wendy is bent on seeing it before we visit, but we can’t find it streaming online and the Best Buy we stopped at on Sunday was out. Of couse the video store here has it. This is an old video store – one of few left in Pacifica since Blockbuster pulled out. On the way back, I take a detour south to the beach. The people at the desk told me that we could find surfers in the afternoon at the beach in Pacifica. I missed the parking and we end up heading a mile or so too far south. A couple surfers pulling their boards headed across the street and down some cliffs, but this is not the spot we were looking for. Backtrack a couple miles, and I find the parking lot and we sit for a bit and watch them catch the waves.
Finally back home and we have some dinner, a glass of wine and an early bed…
Mountains and Golden Gates – Day 8 – Sunday – June 26
I awake just before dawn and climb back into the driver’s seat.
It is a couple miles to Exit 4 for Bonneville Salt Flats State Park. I pull off the exit, and up the road to a spot where I can see the sun starting to rise over the horizon. I have always been interested in cars and speed. Watched many a documentary about the people who have come here to try to set records. Seeing it now, I can see why this is the place to come test for speed. Flat – I mean REALLY flat and the surface is hard and smooth.
I step out on a spot that still is a bit wet. It gets soggy here when it rains, then dries flat and smooth. I walk out a ways and shoot some shots of the sunrise. Not the best, but I am not about to wake Charlotte at 6 AM for a shot.
I do a 3 point turn on the 2 lane road and head back to the highway. On to California. We cross the Nevada line – lots of casinos and I think about the daredevils who have stayed here – so close to the salt flats. This part of the trip is just open road. A lot of slow rolling hills (OK, they are small mountains) and I can make pretty good time. 4 hours in and I stop for gas. Very desolate spot where they are not sure how I can get my credit card to work to fill up. Each place we have stopped has had different rules for filling. Some just hold the card and driver’s license, some pre-auth for $250 then charge what you actually use and some need to charge an exact amount. For those, I charge $150 and then pay again at the pump to fill up. The girl at this spot doesn’t have a clue at how to do any of these, so I decide to just pay multiple times at the pump. But when I try to pay at the pump it won’t approve. It says to see the cashier. I go back in, and she calls a couple guys who are playing cards and drinking coffee over to help out. They finally figure out how to charge $150 through, and I go out to pump. I decide to just stop a couple hours later to fill again rather than go through this hassle again.
We hit western Nevada around noon, and I ask Jackson to find a roadside attraction for us to visit. The closest that would be fun is in Virginia City, NV where they have some stuff related to Bonanza. Problem is that it is 60 miles out of the way. We opt for a visit to Sheels Sporting Goods in Sparks, NV. The list says they have a Ferris wheel and some other things to see. It is like a cross between Dicks and Cabelas. Georgia and Jackson get tokens (wooden nickels) for the Ferris wheel and Wendy goes off to do a little shopping. When they are done, Jackson and I head up to the fly fishing department and look at some guns while Wendy and Georgia do some more shopping. Jackson buys some fudge, Georgia gets a yogurt and then we head back to the RV to get back on the road.
As we enter California, I have forgotten that they have an agricultural inspection stop as you enter the state. I yell back to Wendy to hide the bananas and pull up to the official to answer some questions. His first comment is to thank me for killing all the insects that are glued to the front of the RV (remember the drive off Antelope Island). We chit chat a bit and then he asks me if I am bringing any fruits into the state. I say none that I know of. The next question is do we have a pet aboard or have we visited a farm or ranch in the past couple days? Nope. Finally, any firewood that has bark on it? I think a bit – the wood from the Ash tree in the backyard doesn’t count does it? Actually, it is oak and does not have bark – so I’m sure we are OK. No SIR – and we are on our way. Enjoy California!
Up the mountainside past Lake Tahoe and through Truckee. This is where we come to a halt. It’s around 3:00 and it seems we have hit the weekend traffic heading back out of the mountains. The next 3 hours is stop and go all the way to Sacramento. By the time we get to a spot to gas up, I am sore and spent. I get out, fuel up, grab something to drink and climb back in the seat. If this traffic keeps up this way, I’m not sure I will make it tonight. I talk with Wendy and the kids about keeping it quiet in the back so I can concentrate on the road. The stop and go – 70 mph to dead stop then back to 70 – with cars pulling in/out in front of me is really tough.
Just as we pull back on the highway, the traffic seems to ease up. I turn up some music and get into a groove. We are now cruising 65 to 70 and moving well. An hour or so later and we are in the north eastern suburbs and the end is near. Across the Bay Bridge (can you say TIGHT through the toll booth with just an inch or so on each side) and through the south part of the city. We can see Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge through the fog.
As we head south on CA-1, and we curve around a bend at the coast, we can see our campsite on the water. We pull in, grab our packet (the office is closed) and check the map for our spot. It is right on the bluff, so we back in and set up. No putting out the awning here, we are less than 5 feet on each side from the units next door. There will not be any privacy, but the neighbors are both nice and the view out the back is incredible.
I set up electric, water, sewer and cable, close up and spend a little time organizing some things inside. Most everything now has a place and we are starting to get in the swing of things. I start the TV’s on a search for stations, grab a beer and sit down. BOY does this feel good. Family Guy on Fox is the first station that is found. We grab some dinner and all watch. Some good quality family bonding….
We turn on some TV as we hit the bed. I don’t think I made it to the first commercial.
On to Salt Lake – Day 7 – Saturday – June 25
Early rise. We had set the alarm, but it had not even gone off. I was up and we head into town to drop off the Jeep. We fill up the Jeep and RV, do a quick wash and head to the rental spot. The guy looks around, sees the scratches on plastic side from the brush we drove past and comments that it looks like we had fun. I needed to make sure I got a credit for our last day. They rent by the day, meaning it has to be returned before 7 in the evening, but when I had booked this months ago, they said they would cut me a break. All is good, and we head north out of town. The kids are still sleeping and the drive is pretty easy right now.
A little later, and I have Georgia sit up front and figure out some logistics for me. My plan is to head up to Park City for some fun, then head to Great Salt Lake for a quick dip before heading to Bonneville Salt Flats for some pictures. All items I have wanted to do, but have never been in the Salt Lake City area.
About an hour later, I have a pickup pull up next to me and point to the back of the RV. He is waving his hands and seems to be indicating that there is something wrong in back. I find a spot to pull over and look to see our drain hose is trailed out behind the RV for about 50 feet. The hose is only 25 feet – but it is torn and stretched. When we picked up the RV, the agent told me to keep the port on the bottom open to help air and dry out the dump storage. This seems to have been really bad advice. Somehow, the hose got twisted around inside the bin and the end made it to the hole in the bottom. Once it got pulled out, it just tailed out the back. I pull out my knife and cut off our “tail” and shove it all back into the bin. We will need to pick one up soon, as we have not yet done our dump and fill after being in the remote campsite for 4 days.
We pull into Provo around noon, and need to do a stop at Walmart. Wendy will do the shopping while I take a shower (first for 5 days). She gets back and makes some lunch for us all. I hook up the new hose to the connection, but the fitting is cracked from when the hose was out the back. I try to use some bungee cords to hold it on, but I’m not sure it will hold. Looks like I will need to pick up a new fitting too. I then head to the next exit to do a dump and fill so the others can shower. The Flying-J has closed their RV dump, but they tell me the campground across the street can accommodate me, so I head over there, pick up a new fitting for $10 and head to the dump. Once dumped and filled, it is back on the road and off to Park City. Our 30 minute stop has turned into 2 hours, so the plan for the day is shot.
Up the mountain to Park City. We drive past the ski jumps that were used for the 2002 Olympics and head into the Park City Resort. They have an Alpine Slide, Alpine Coaster and a Zipline. I tell the kids it is their choice – but they can only pick 2. Charlotte decides to stay back and get some rest, so the rest of us head over to the village for some fun on the mountain. We find out that Georgia is too light for the Zipline, so Jackson says he is fine with the Slide and Coaster. We pick up tickets and head to the ski lift for a slide down the mountain. 
I assure everyone that I will NOT go all out like last time. They had told me that you could go full out –no brakes – you just need to lead into the turn. That left me with a broken rib, sprained ankle and a few scars that still show.
Over to the track, and I ask the girl “How fast can I go?”. We all chuckle and she tells me that you can lose it and shows me her scar. I show her mine in the same spot on my arm. I WILL use the brakes on the way down. Jackson and I race, and I am able to barely stay in front of him while still feeling in control. Fun fast 3000 foot ride down the mountain.
On to the coaster. Here they say there is no speed limit as you can’t fly off the track. Speed is good on this one. The guy loading tells Jackson and me that he is not pleased to see Bears fans (I have a hat on, Jackson a shirt) and he lets me know that I should NOT turn the hat around as he would LOVE to see me lose it. I give it a quick turn to the back and a thumbs up as he lets me go right behind Wendy. Again, a nice slow ride to the top clamped to a cable, and then we scream down the side of the mountain. The coaster has individual cars that you can break – or push full forward to go full out. I think that as fast as I am going I should catch Wendy – but no way. She is running full out in front of me.
The guy working the load had given us a free pass for a second ride, but it looks like it will take a long time to get through the line again and we have a lake to float in!
Back to the RV, a stop for gas and then we coast back down the mountain and into Salt Lake City. We can see the Mormon Temple from the road, and I keep heading west toward Antelope Island State Park where they have a public beach with showers at Great Salt Lake. We pull into the day use area, don our suits and head to the lake. It smells NASTY here. Not sure if it is the buffalos, or the stale lake or a mix of both.
We (Jackson, Georgia and I are determined to float in the lake! Wendy takes some pictures from the beach. Charlotte wants nothing to do with this stop. A walk down to water’s edge, past MANY dead seagulls, and buffalo droppings. We can see others in the lake. They are out about 500 yards and still only waist deep. We start the slow walk in amidst swarms of flies. There is nothing other than some brine shrimp (too small to see) that can survive in this environment.
The bottom is squishy between our toes with lots of sharp rocks. We slowly walk out to where we can see others floating. Once there, we lift our feet to see if we float. We all bob like corks. This is freaky. Now I can float pretty well, but here, I couldn’t get my head much under if I wanted to. Fun for a couple minutes, but now back to the showers to wash off. Turns out they are pay showers, and we don’t have quarters! The sun is beginning to set, and the bugs are coming out. We run back to the RV, we track a bunch of sand in and take turns standing just inside the door waiting. They DO have mosquitoes here, and they are swarming. I have NEVER seen this many. When I go back outside to put some stuff away, I immediately have them COVERING my legs and arms. This is crazy! We all get a good shower and clean clothes on. I climb back to the driver’s seat and we head out of here. It is now just past dusk, and the bugs are hitting the windshield as we drive out the causeway. It sounds like I am driving through a hail storm.
Off the island, and I head back to I-80 to continue our trek west to California. Bonneville Salt Flats is 100 miles west, so it will be midnight by the time we get there. I have Jackson navigate and find a Walmart or rest stops to spend the night. I stop once more for a dump and fill and to top off the gas in the RV. Although I am feeling fine, I don’t want to drive too late tonight. The next Walmart is hours away, so I opt for a rest stop. It turns out there is one just before Bonneville, so I pull in, shut down the generator and lights and close up the drapes. The sound of the trucks running in the background is soothing and I doze off for some sleep before finishing off the 630 miles to San Francisco on Sunday.
Off to The Canyonlands – Day 6 – Friday – June 24
I wake at 6:00AM – yes it is still VERY hot – and decide to go out for a walk to see if anyone has a gas can. I take some pictures of the sunrise, and talk to some people who are up and around. No one has extra gas. There is a group a couple sites down that looks promising. He has an excavation business, and has a large tank in the back of his pickup. 100 gallons of diesel. Drats. He said his crew took out his 5 cans of gas just before he left. I run into the campground host, and his advice is to call AAA, but it will probably be hours before they can make the trip up here. I decide to try plan B, and cut our fresh water hose as a siphon. It’s been a LONG time since I siphoned gas and all I remember is getting a mouthful. I rig up a couple of water bottles in between so I can see the gas as it comes down the hose. Works like a charm and I fill the two empty gallon water jugs and then empty the hose back into the tank. I put the 2 gallons in the Jeep and check. The low fuel light is off, and I have 65 miles to empty. Looks like I could have made the trip back to town after all, but better safe than sorry.
We discuss moving to an RV site in Moab that has electric and showers, but decide we can all hack it one more night. Not sure what to do today, as it is going to be very hot again. I decide a ride in the Jeep (not off road) to the Needles district of Canyonlands will give us time in the A/C. I remembered seeing a sign in Moab that it is 35 miles to Canyonlands. I plot out some very short hikes and check out some sights to see. We pack up the Jeep and reluctantly (for some) head out for the day. A stop in Moab for gas and then we head south out of town. 35 miles later, and we make the turn. A sign right at the turn says 33 miles to Canyonlands. We are at the edge of the park, but 33 miles to the visitor center and hikes.
Much further than I had planned. We take in the breathtaking sights around us.
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| Mammary Mountains |
Some pictures of the formations in the distance and then a short stop at some petroglyphs left by the Native Americans of this area. They left drawings and hand prints in the rocks – kind of an ancient form of graffiti. Some are thousands of years old, some just a few hundred years.On to the visitor center where the ranger says my decision to do the short hikes (especially the ones in shade) is well advised. It is over 100 again today. We head to the end of the road to take some pictures of the needles formations.
Then back to a short hike around Cave Spring Trail. This is a hike .6 mile loop that is covered in overhangs much of the way. It takes you past an old cowboy camp and some caves that the Native Americans lived in years ago. More petroglyphs and a study of the ceiling showed the stains from the smoke of fires. We continue on around the circle, climb a couple ladders and then trek back to the car.
Charlotte opted out of this hike, still worn out of the lack of sleep and long days before.
We are not looking forward to long the drive back. In hind sight, we should have opted for the north portion of Canyonlands Park.
Another stop in Moab for some groceries and then rush to beat the clock to get time with the generator. We pull into the overlook for Delicate Arch as this is something we don’t want to miss on this trip. We talk about doing the short hike later after dinner, and then head down a 4-wheel drive trail to see if we can get a good photo vantage point on this road. The arch is way off in the distance, and the viewpoint from the parking lot was probably better, so we head back.
After taking some pictures, we continue back to the campsite to pull a “buzzer beater” as Jackson calls it getting dinner down before 8:00.
We pull in around 7:00 and try to get the RV cooled down. The kids want to do a short hike to Skyline Arch before dinner which is in our campground. There is a half mile trail to the arch from the main road, but we have a very short walk (about 100 yards) to get there from our RV as we are parked right on the back side. This hike requires a little climbing, though I think much of it is just the kids trying to show us a FUN way to get there. We take some pictures, take in the sunset in the distance and then head back to the RV.
Wendy has to do some cooking on the stove, so it will be a losing battle getting the RV cooled down. After shutting down the A/C, we open the windows and hope for a breeze. Jackson starts a fire and we have a couple glasses of wine by the fire. There are no mosquitoes here, but there are gnats that are very annoying. The smoke from the fire makes it bearable, but we are again very tired and opt to head in to get some rest. We take off very early in the morning to return the Jeep by 7:30AM. It needs to be washed and fueled, so we target 6:00AM to head to town. I pack everything up and shut down so we can just pull out and go, then off to bed.
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