Southern Utah--Moab and Capitol Reef

Today was first rain during the day so we slept till 10 am and I washed my hair--curling iron etc.  I must have really been looking "not my best" because Pete commented on how nice I looked!  We are eating well.  Had eggs, bacon, biscuits, tomatoes for breakfast and homemade spaghetti tonight (frozen ahead at home).  Everything is very simple in 100 square feet and everything needs to go back in its designated area.  Not hard to keep it clean and everything is very handy.

The Moab Visitors bureau is very helpful guiding all the disappointed tourists to alternate areas since the National parks are still closed--not just the campgrounds but even the roads.  Today we went to Corona Arch and the area was spectacular.  We hiked up 1.5 miles to the arch and most of it was not just a rocky trail but pure rock and people had piled rocks (called cairns) to show you where to go.  This one had an area where they put a thick cable for you to hang onto as you sidestepped along the rock edge, another cable to help you pull yourself up a 15 ft. cliff with footholds carved into the rock.  There was also a short ladder to get up one smaller cliff.  See picture with Pete carrying Bailey.  Bailey was the only dog up there and she did great.  There were lots of Germans and others whose language we didn't recognize.  They were disappointed but impressed with the beautiful sites on STATE land and we feel the same.  I can't imagine areas being much better than what we are seeing.

There are no bugs at this altitude.  Sometimes we are hiking up at 2 miles above sea level.  Pete's pictures look like they were taken very close to the edge of trails that drop down 600 feet--and they were!  He is such a guy!  I am usually no where near the edge!

We left Moab via a scenic byway--route 128.  It was along the Colorado River with a beautiful bike trail and on the way to Bryce Canyon.  We  stopped at Visitor Center (all so helpful) and learned 5 National parks in Utah were open thanks to funding by Utah so we stopped in Capitol Reef National Park.  It is wonderful.  Campsite was $5 and gorgeous--see picture.  We drove scenic road, hiked Grand Wash trail for three miles--see Pete and Bailey after the hike!  We then hiked up to Gooseneck area where there were 10 artists from all over painting.  They were enrolled in a class--instructor from Sedona--see picture.

Don't forget to click on the pictures to enlarge and see
all at once!

 Thank you Utah for opening the National parks--we are off to Bryce tomorrow morning.



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View Corona Arch Trail 20131010 in a larger map

Telluride, Colorado--Wow!

On a side note from our stay in Ouray---Carrie and Nate report that the "420 Burger" was not for us since it was probably laced with legal marijuana in Colorado!

Telluride was not on original route but people told us it was lovely so being the wild things that we are, we turned our Bailey Buggy north.  Such great advice.   On the way to Telluride we stopped in Ridgeway at the "True Grit Saloon" where the John Wayne movie "True Grit" was made.  The hanging scene was in park right in front of the saloon.

Ouray to Telluride from RV

Telluride is a beautiful, pricey ski area with mountains all around.  The town has a campground which is terrific.  Isolated sites for $10 a night (for seniors) right next to a river.  It closes down in 8 days for the year and hardly anyone here.  There is a 5 mile river trail right next to us--bike or hike.  We did that today and came back through town.  Everywhere you look is a postcard view.  There are dogs everywhere and several people stopped to admire Miss Bailey.  One couple had a 13# labradoodle in their car and stopped us to talk--yes Carrie and Nate--13# and it had big feet!  There are no bugs--no fleas for Bailey!  The air is very dry here at 7700 feet and we do notice that we get more short of breath hiking with less oxygen.  My contacts were sticking to my eyeballs so gave up wearing them for awhile!

Telluride Campground

Telluride Campground

Telluride Campground

River Trail Telluride

Today we rode up the  Green Gondola (ski lift) to Telluride Village.  It is the really ritzy part of this huge ski area.  The gondola ride is FREE---the idea is to keep cars out of the area and decrease pollution.  It was really magnificent!  Up the mountain over the tops of the golden aspen and blue spruce.  The gondola is in three different sections and stopped in Mountain Village which looked like a Swiss village.  The pictures just can't do it justice.    Ate at La Cucina mexican in Telluride which was a treat.  Met a couple in van like ours--130,000 miles all over USA.  Gave us lots of advice about Utah STATE parks since our government can't get it together and the national parks will still be closed.

Mountain Village from Gondola

Weather getting colder (high of 46 today) and rain coming so we left for Moab, Utah.  Within 2 hours of driving. there was tumble weed going across the road and by 4 hours out of Telluride we were in Grand Canyon like area.  The State park was Dead Horse Point--campgrounds all full since no National parks or areas open.  It was beautiful--like miniature Grand Canyon.  Took lots of pictures from the van while driving.  The ground is all red!  We are camped out in the desert wilderness in a BLM (Bureau of Land Management) camp area... called dispersed camping ... hundreds of acres of BLM land and you pick your spot.   No fees, no water or electricity but gorgeous.  Pete made a campfire and it was 40 degrees warmer here than Telluride.  I removed my long johns today!

BLM Camping Moab, UT

Dead Horse Point near Moab, UT

Dead Horse Point near Moab, UT

BLM Camping Moab, UT

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Beautiful Ouray, Colorado

Drive from Durango to Silverton--beautiful.  Quick look around town and onto to Ouray which has to be one of the most beautiful little towns ever.  It is snuggled down in valley with towering mountains and cliffs on all sides with yellow aspen and red oak and tall Ponderosa pines covered in snow.  Getting there was a thrill with a good road but hairpin turns (see pciture)---felt very safe but wouldn't do this in bad weather.  Our campsite (Four J RV Park) was 6 feet from river and like the town surrounded on all sides with gorgeous mountains.  It even has it's own bear that comes down at night looking for food so glad the RV has a toilet---I am not getting out of this RV alone at night!

Durango to Silverton Color

Watched the OSU-Northwestern game in TV room and made popcorn.   Suddenly heard this horrendous thundering sounds--like the place was being bombed.  It was was so scary  that if I hadn't been sitting on the toilet, I would have peed my pants!  We went outside and it was Ouray fireworks for Octoberfest and the echos off the mountains were like nothing you've never heard before...the booms were in 3D.  More spectacular than Red, White and Boom.  It was truly awesome!

All along the trip we meet wonderful people who give us great advice on what to see, hikes to do and where to eat.  Ouray was no exception.  It has this neat boxed canyon that we visited.  $4 to go on spectacular iron walkway back into mountain where this 200 foot waterfall and hot springs starts---not for those with fear of heights!  Then we hiked up 1/2 mile on another rocky trail to the top of the waterfall.  We had to try out our new hiking shoes!  See Pete on trail below.  Then onto the Ouray Mineral Hot Springs which is supposed to cure all ills.  $10 to use three large pools from 75 to 97 to 106 degrees.  The idea is to boil old frogs slowly.  After an hour, we were dead meat,  all shriveled up but very relaxed!  Dinner at Maggie's touted as best hamburgers in Colorado.  We couldn't decide between the 420 burger or the chile pepper and cheese burger.  No one would tell us what was in the 420 burger so we went with the mild chiles and it was the best hamburger we've ever had!

To box Canyon Falls

Box Canyon above falls

Trail to top of falls

What a joy this trip has been.  We look at each other and can't believe we are actually doing this.  What a blessing!  On to Telluride tomorrow.  Weather warmer so out with the antifreeze and back to good water.

Durango day 3 & 4

You can click on the pictures and maps and they will enlarge---all the better to see us!  :)    So.......
Durango weather report says 25 degrees for the next two nights--that's a problem with RV because water pipes can freeze--so instead of going to lower altitude to warm up, Pete decided to add a little antifreeze so we should be good to stay up in the mountains.  We are loving this town!  So off to Walmart for antifreeze.  We also picked up a metal crate  to confine the wild and crazy Bailey!  Now we are off to the Colorado trail--10 min from town.  So beautiful!  We followed a creek up the trail that some younger people were riding up on dirt bikes!  It is hard enough walking up there with less oxygen at this altitude!  We were lying down to rest and thought we saw some buzzards flying around us overhead.  They must have thought we looked close to turning belly up!  We pulled ourselves together and continued on this gorgeous trail.




Loved the bike trail in town and along the Animas so much that we rode it again in late afternoon.



Today we did Animas mountain trail--listed as "easy" in guide book.  It was NOT easy.  It was a rocky 8 % grade up the mountain with switchbacks.  We know this because son Steve told Pete about the app My Trails that calculates all this and maps your trail so you don't get lost.  It is great help!  Young people coming down told us "it was SO worth the view"----NOT!

 We are walking so much that Pete's 30 year old hiking boots are falling apart so he decided to spring for new ones.  I was grateful for this because he was about to duct tape the old ones together!  So now he has even more of an advantage when hiking with me in tennis shoes so I had to even up the odds a bit and go for some hiking shoes also!  Hope they last another 30 years!

Pete went on tour of Durango railroad yard that was wonderful. It has quite a history.

 Durango historic downtown reminds us of old Westerville but it is about 12 blocks long with neat stores--not the typical tourist stuff.  We went to two art galleries tonight with artists there along with snacks, wine and live music.  Very nice.  Wish we had another day here.  Tomorrow we go up the mountain to Ouray.  Goodbye to the hotel and hot tub on the roof!

View 20131004 Animas Mtn Trail Durango in a larger map

Durango Installment One

Loving Durango!   Our grocery bags of stuff  from the RV frig, laundry and clothes were casually brought into the Wyndham resort lobby.  We walked straight ahead and didn't look anyone in the eye!  The room has a small kitchen so we can cook and small living room.  We stashed Bailey in her new canvas crate in the bedroom and took a walk around this great rustic town.  When we came back Bailey met us at the door looking very guilty.  She chewed her way our of her new canvas crate!  Pete and I couldn't believe it.  So we disciplined her and fixed up the crate so that she couldn't get out.  We came back again later and she had escaped again!  She chewed out the other side!  Bailey will be getting a new metal crate soon!

We are right next to the railroad station that takes tourists up the mountain to the historic mining town of Silverton--it is so neat.  There is a beautiful bike and walking trail right next to the river in town.  We walked partway last night and biked about 8 miles today.  It is my all time favorite bike trail.  It goes right along the river and a lot of the time the narrow gauge railroad track is right there also.  Pete was able to get pictures of the train coming back to Durango as we were riding along.  The pictures can't even show how beautiful it is! Perfect temp of 75 degrees and sunny.

This morning we left on a jeep tour up in the mountains from Durango to Silverton and the driver was quite a character--Wild Bill--(a retired drug enforcement officer from Texas)--he took us back into silver and gold mines and explained the whole process.  It was definitely "off road"--snow in parts and lots of rocks and so beautiful.  We even picked up silver rocks in an abandoned mine!  Five hour trip and well worth the money. Tonight out to dinner and then to the hot tub on roof of the hotel overlooking the mountains.  What a way to end a great day!

Although we are loving our Roadtrek RV, we think we need to upgrade to something a bit more sporty!  The picture show what we are planning for our next trip.  This elderly couple has put 110 thousand miles on this.  They even have heated seats and cups holders on it.  How do you think we'd look on this?

View 20131003 Colorado Trail Durango in a larger map

Route 66 to Santa Fe

Sunday morning left the gambling bunch behind (we didn't bet one penny) and headed out Route 40 and old Route 66 with old gas stations and boarded up restaurants of another era.  Camped at a high desert campground with big lake that was brown with all the flooding from Colorado and local rain.  We hiked on rocky trail and saw beautiful desert flowers that bloomed with the rain.  We also saw a jack rabbit and it was huge!  We completed Bailey's flea treatment with a bath in Dawn soap--see the picture and no more critters!  Can you even believe she got fleas!  On to Santa Fe and spent the afternoon in old part of city and in several beautiful churches.  Lots of local artists in the plaza.  Tomorrow we leave for Durango, Colorado and switch from camping to luxury Wyndham resort.  I'm trying to figure out how to carry the laundry and food in surreptitiously so we don't look like country bumpkins!

The weather has been beautiful around 70 to 80 degrees most days and cool at night.  My hair is not frizzy in the low humidity!  We are taking showers, using deodorant and looking presentable in our classy jeans.  You would all be proud.  Gas prices are low--today $3.09 so we're keeping the Bailey Buggy up and running.  Froze about 10 dinners and they taste great warmed in our microwave.  We've only eaten out three times but we are not wasting away---plenty of snacks and that $29 worth of candy we bought the first day!  We are having a blast--this is so much fun and we wish you could all do this some day!

From Branson to Shawnee, OK

Our first day in Branson (Wed) was spent orienting and relaxing. Second day we hiked, biked, ate at Mel's Diner where the waiters and waitresses provided the entertainment. They are aspiring performers at the local theaters and have great voices. They intersperse waiting on tables with grabbing a mic and entertaining the guests. One of their previous waiters went a long way on American Idol. Went to a show after dinner. Last day in Branson went to Dogwood Canyon, started by the owner of Bass Pro Shops. took a tram tour and was great ... beautiful scenery, great trout stream and fishing, and wild animal park where the elk and bison came up to within a foot of the tram.  Friday night we saw the show "Six"--6 brothers who had only their voices and it sounded like a band back-up.  It was amazing and fantastic show.

Left Branson for a long day drive to Oklahoma.  We decided to stay at a casino in Shawnee, OK. Watched the OSU vs. Wisconsin game in the sports bar and stayed the night in their parking lot with lots of other RV's.  We have had some slight misadventures--some how Bailey picked up fleas--now that was a joy!  Got that taken care of and discovered Pete's email was hacked. While trying to straighten that out,  realized the turn signal on RV was out so trip slightly delayed getting new circuit board for that!  That was all in the last 24 hours but we are all fixed up and happily pressing onward to Santa Fe!