Yosemite National Park

Today we drove over the Tioga Pass, through Tuolumne Meadows and into the Yosemite Valley.  The Tioga Pass and Tioga Road still have snow piles along the road on on the peaks of the mountains.  We entered the Park toll booth that was 9,925 feet above sea level.  It was cold this morning in them there hills.  We got to remember our adventures of the High Sierra Camps from 10 years ago.  The camps and High Sierra Lodges are not open yet.  Down in the valley it was hot and crowded.  We have a thing about having lunch at a National Park Lodge, so ate at the Awhanee Lodge.  It is only $400 per night for a room.  The Lodge itself was just stuning.  The scenery is just breathtaking and you just cannot explain it in words.  The mountains are very rocky and granite colored, not like our luscious green mountains.  I am going to try to post a picture of El Capitain (a rock climbers dream), and Yosemite Falls (2,442 feet high).  I can just up load one picture-- frustrated with the computer!!  Tomorrow we leave Lee Vining for Reno, Nevada for a few days.  Have a great weekend ya'll.  Love ya'

Lee Vining, California

It has been about 10 years since we were in Lee Vining and believe it or not this sleepy town has not changed.  Nicely's restaurant is still in operation.  We are at the foothills of Yosemite National Park and tomorrow we will travel Tioga Pass into Toualomane Meadows and Yosemite Valley.  We are staying at the Mono Vista RV Park and will stay until Saturday morning.  We traveled today some very interesting landscape from Barstow to Lee Vining.  We started out in the Mojave Desert where everything was beige sand.  Then we moved into an area of springs where there could be desert and the other side of the road as green as a desert oasis.  Then we started up the Sierra Nevada Mountain range --  how majestic.  I was going to include pictures, but my mini computer was having problems downloading them.  Hopefully tomorrow I can download them.  Have a great evening and happy Friday.  The weekend is almost here.

Love ya'll

Barstow, California

We left Williams, Arizona very early this morning to beat the heat and the wind.  We traveled through the Mojave Dessert where the wind really began to blow around noon.  We are staying in Barstow, California at the KOA and we are still in the dessert and it is hot and very windy.  One thing saving grace is that the humidity is only 25%.   Tomorrow we hope to head north and leave the wind as we head to Bishop, California and Mammoth Lakes. 

For all you photo enthusiats --- I am posting two pictures that were taken in the Grand Canyon.  Picture 1  was taken from an observation  point above the Colorado River.  Can you find the raft on the Colorado River 7 miles awa?.  Picture 2 was 10 miles North rim to South rim - can you see the North Rim Grand Canyon Lodge?

Grand Canyon -- Day Two

We were up early again this morning to beat the crowd.  By noon there are quite a lot of people riding the suttles - the only way around the Canyon.  We traveled to the East side of the South Rim.  How awesome.  A different look to the canyon.  There are not that many people who visit this side.  One of the major hiking trail starts from here and you are able to look into the canyon and see parts of this trail.  We then went to the Geological Museum and what views we had.  We could see the Bright Angel Trail, Phantom Ranch, and the North Rim Grand Canyon Lodge.  Believe it or not we got a picture of the lodge and it was almost ten miles away.  What a zoom on that Nikon.  We then left the Canyon and went to the National Geographic IMax theater.  Tomorrow we will do wash and leave on Wednesday for Needles California.  The weather here is crazy--- 78 during the day and 33 during the night.  We are now three hours behind ya'll and in a few days we will be 4 hours.  The Canyon was amazing to see what water and errosion can do to a landscape.  Here is one of my favorite pictures.

Miss ya'll

Grand Canyon - Day One

We were up early to head into the Grand Canyon and were able to get a great parking place. You are not able to travel the rim road by car so bus shuttle is the way to go.  We did the west side of the south rim. 

Tomorrow we will do the east side of the south rim.  By afternoon the shuttle buses go very crowded.  All you photo buffs from Sunday School with the Nikon,  we were able to capture a raft on the Colorado from the rim of the canyon (about 3 miles away)----Amazing!!!!  Hope you enjoy the pictures from Hermits Rest and the canyon.  Tomorrow we do it all over again.  I thought the quote from Psalms was a blessing to see in a public venue--Amen and Praise the Lord!!!!

Williams, Arizona and the Grand Canyon

We were up very early this morning and drove to Williams, Arizona.  We battled gusty winds and gained altitude to 7400 feet.  We are staying at the KOA in Williams.  We got to drive some of the original Route 66 as I-40 has replaced  Route 66.  Tomorrow we will travel into the Grand Canyon to spend the day.  We will stay in Williams until Wednesday morning when we will travel to Needles, California. Have a great Memorial Day weekend and keep it safe.  Love ya,ll 

Albuqurque, New Mexico

We were luckly in the fact that we did not have any rain or large golf ball hail that the weather men were calling for.  The wind finally subsided around midnight so the coach stopped swaying.  Sunrise this morning in Amarillo was beautiful. 

We made our way to Albuqurque, New Mexico and summer sure is here.  The locals say this is still winter, but for us it is summer.  the one good thing is the humidity is almost nill and the breeze is cool.  The landscape has really changed from flat, flat, flat to  very hilly into Albuqurque.  Not sure I could enjoy seing a beige landscape all day long.

We will be off to Williams, Arizona tomorrow morning to spend three days in the Grand Canyon and then off to another adventure.  Hope all have a great Memorial Day weekend.  I shall miss our tubing adventure, but there is next year for that. 

Love ya'll....... until tomorrow

Amarillo, Texas

We crashed into Texas and we start to see flatter land scape with sage bushes becoming more and more prevelant.  We are slaso starting to see wind powered generators.  On our way to Amarillo our tow car picked up a flat head screw and our tire monitors went off every 50 miles. .  Thank goodness there was a great tire shop (Patricks Tires) in Amarillo.  We parked the RV at the local KOA were the local band members serenaded us.  Then went directly to the tire shop.  They got us in as soon as we arrived and was able to fix the tire.  Then we went adventuring.  We drove to Palo Duro Canyon south of Amarillo.  It was a mini grand canyon.  While we were there we were informed we were under a tornado watch.  Well, this girl said "We gotta leave."  On our way back to the north side of Amarillo the wind picked up and the clouds rolled in.  We saw the three storm chaser vehicles as we were driving north.  Got to the coach and the wind really kicked up.  BUT the bad storm cell went south and west of where we are.  The sad thing about this is it was moving towards Oklahoma City. 

 

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

We got up this morning and the sun was shining and it was 64 degrees.  Decided to move on to the east side of Oklahoma City.  After programing our GPS we were going to reach Oklahoma City by noon, so we decided to drive to the West side of the city.  We are at a KOA in El Reno, Oklahoma.  We saw some damage and debris from the tornado that went through Moore, Oklahoma.  The landscape is beginning to get flatter as we travel west.  Tomorrow we will get to Amarillo, Texas and try to down one of those 72 ounce steaks we keep seeing advertised on the billboards.  Ha! Ha! Ha!  So far the traffic has been light, but expect that to change when schools are out.   Don't know what to expect Memorial Day as we should be somewhere around Flagstaff, Arizona and the Grand Canyon.  There is always the Wal mart parking lot.  The pictures are of the Oklahoma City skyline and us crashing into Oklahoma.

Missed all you ladies in Sweater Club today.  I know the master knitter there at the shop was able to help each and everyone of ya'll.  See you soon!

Staying put

Got up this morning and looked at the radar of the coming storms and we decided to stay put in Little Rock for the day.  We felt that we did not need to drive in high wind and rain.  We will leave tomorrow for Fort Smith to tour forts of those who moved to the west.  Then we will be off to Oklahoma City and points west.
Love ya'll

Monroe, Louisiana to Little Rock, Arkansas

Yesterday we had technical difficulties with our satalite system so we decided to go north to Little Rock to Camkping World to have our problems fixed.  So we began the day in the parking lot of the Duck Dynasty Duck Commander warehouse and store.  I will say that the parking lot filled up quickly and there were some who just had to be first in line.  The store was small and filled with duck dynastry stuff.  So here are the pictures I promised.

We are watching the severe storms that hit Oklahoma and trying to decide  if we stay put for a day or move on toward Oklahoma City where they have had tornados and severe storms.  Morning will tell after we listen to the weather channel. 

Hope everyone is well back in North Carolina and Alabama.  I will post again tomorrow evening.

Love ya'll

Monroe, Louisiana

It was good to see our middle daughter and all the family in Pelham, Alabama. It was warm there , but not what we had today while traveling. I will say that summer is here in Monroe, Louisiana.  It was 92 degrees this afternoon.  Our air conditioner is really having trouble trying to keep the coach cool.  Hopefully we will be able to sleep.  We are not used to this kind of heat yet.
Went to the Vicksburg National Battlefield site.  It was amazing to see how many different states had sent service men to this one Civil War battle.   The terrain was hilly.  The Union soldiers were on one ridge with their cannons pointing at the opposite ridge where the Rebel soldiers were.    What a site.  We then crossed the mighty Mississippi and the terrain was as flat as a board.
We are staying in West Monroe, Louisiana.  All you Duck Dynasty followers, watch for pictures tomorrow from the Duck Command.  Maybe Paw Paw can get his picture taken with Uncle Si.

Signing off for now

Two days to go

The coach is clean and being loaded down with items and food that we think we need to survive our adventure.  The washing machine is working overtime to keep up with the wash, sheets, towels, clothes, etc, etc, etc.  Saturday is the day!!!  Our first stop will be Pelham, Alabama to visit our middle daughter before we take off for all parts of the west, Canada and Alaska.  Now all I have to do is figure out how to post pictures?!?