Flagstaff, Arizona

Well, what a day we had.  We spent the day at Camping World getting the coach repaired.  We think the air conditioner is repaired, but we will find out next week when we travel back to the heat!  While they were repairing the air, they found a problem with the generator.  This generator is so new that there are no parts available in the Fairbanks or even Phoenix area.  They also do not have any troubleshooting info to follow.  Sooooo, we will go to Zion, Bryce, and Antelope Canyons next week then back to Camping World Monday for another round of repairs.  Tomorrow morning we will be on the road again traveling towards Zion National Park.  Love to ya'll............

Antelope Canyon

What a day we had!  Our tour began at 1:30 pm.  We climbed aboard the large open air truck and buckled in.  Thank goodness we were all buckled in because our Navajo guide drove like a maniac.  Well, we found out why he drove so fast---there was a storm in the air and the canyon is evacuated if there is a  flash flood watch.  About 10 years ago a storm 20 miles away flash flooded the canyon and killed 11 people. 

We were in the canyon for about 20 minutes when we were evacuated because of a flash flood watch. It has not rained here for 3 weeks.  Bummer!!!!!  The canyon was amazing.  Squirrel would have had her camera clicking 90 miles a minute.  Paw Paw took over 89 pictures and I took over 75 and we were just in only three areas.   We are debating whether we drive back 137 miles from Flagstaff after the air conditioning is fixed to have a full 2 hours in the canyons and if we do then we will drive to Zion and Bryce Canyons.  Decisions! Decisions! Decisions!  The canyons were amazing enough that it would be worth coming back just to go through the canyon again.

Our love goes to GJ925 while he visits his Tia for the week.  Give him a hug for us.  Love to all............

Monument Valley

Traveled through Monument Valley yesterday.  Quite interesting.  You know every western movie was filmed here.  YOu can just imagine John Wayne and Glenn Ford galloping on their horse through the valley.  Along the road were make shift huts where the Navajo Indians sold their wares.  The sad part about traveling through the Navajo reservation is the litter (beer and liquor bottles) strewn all over the side of the road. 

We are staying at Page Lake Powell Campground in Page, Arizona.  It was 114 in the sun yesterday.  Today we will travel to Antelope Canyon with our Navajo guides (the only way we can see the slots) into the slot canyons.  Paw Paw has been waiting for this since we left.  It is a 2 1/2 hour tour for photographers so we should not have too much trouble getting pictures without people.  Will post pictures tonight.  Drove over the Glenn Canyon Dam yesterday.  Impressive!!!  Lake Powell is really down,  there must not have been much snow melt this Spring.

Little Red---- pictures of the apartment really look great!!!! Wish we were there to help move you in.

Tomorrow we leave for Flagstaff tomorrow morning.    Love to all.............

Arches National Park

We left early this morning to beat the heat.  We entered the the National Park on the valley floor and traveled up to the plateau of red sandstone formations.  We were overwhelmed with the formations of the sandstone, the vastness of the area and also the emptiness. There was a farmstead near the trailhead of the Delicate Arche.  It was amazing to think that there was a family living in this desolate landscape.  The homesteads of this Wolfe Ranch is still standing.  We did not do too much hiking to the furthest arches due to the heat.  We have drank over one gallon of water since we started the morning.  What an interesting National Park.

It reached over 100 degrees and guess what?  Our air conditioner kept the coach at 100 degrees.  Finally got ahold of Camping World in Flagstaff, Arizona and made an appointment for Monday morning. 

Tomorrow morning we leave for Monument Valley where I think every western movie was made.  Then we will travel to Page, Arizona.  We want to tour the Slot Canyons at the Antelope Canyon. 

Love to ya'll.......

Moab, Utah

It is HOT and DRY here in Moab, Utah.  The landscape is , well, dirt , dirt and more dirt with sage and a few trees.  The buttes are rocky and interestingly formed.  The air conditioner in the coach is having troubles keeping up with the heat.  It won't start cooling down the coach until the sun goes down.  Tomorrow we drive into Arches National Park.  Paw Paw has been waiting to get there so he can take some good pictures of the delicate arch.  It is supposed to rain tomorrow, but if it does it surely won't be in the 100's like today and hopefully it will be cooler in the morning.  We will not leave here until Friday when we drive to Monument Valley.  Maybe we might see John Wayne wandering around. 

Little Red...  the apartment really looks good...glad you were able to find it. 

Hope it is not as hot where ya'll are .......... 

going to Vernal, Utah

Yesterday we went into Jackson to do some shopping.  There has been some  interesting changes---Cold Water Creek is no longer in Jackson, but Knit on Purl (the yarn store) moved into a larger facility which gave them more room---Yea!  I was hoping that the Pendleton store had the new cargo tote, but I sure was able to save $$$$ since they did not have any!.  The temps in Jackson were high 80's, but the night time temps went down to the low 40's.  Finally have gotten a strong enough internet signal to download this picture of the Tetons and the Moutrie barn.  Hope you enjoy!

Today we traveled from Jackson, Wyoming to Vernal, Utah.  The ride was very interesting.  We are back in desert country.  There was sage brush, scrub brush, and cedar bushes.  We then traveled over the Flaming Gorge dam which restrains the Green River creating a 91 mile long lake.  The dam was very impressive and the lake was the first water we had seen in miles.  To the right is a picture of the landscape we drove through today.  We were on top of a 6500' high mesa.  The temps were very hot, 106 in the sun.  Hope it cools off this evening.  We are at the Vernal, Utah KOA for the night.  Paw Paw has a very dry throat and we hope that he is better in the morning or we will stay here another night.  This is supposed to be where the dinosaurs roamed.  Our next stop will be Arches National Park ---- we know it is going to be HOT and DRY there!  Hope it is cooler for ya'll......

Love and miss ya'll.........

Yellowstone NP, Grand Teton NP, Jackson Wyoming

We were off the grid with no Internet or cell phones since last Wednesday.  We read, I knitted, defrosted the freezer, and just relaxed.  Oh by the way we also fished the Snake River.  We were really surprised that the head waters of the Snake was so warm.  Our streams in North Carolina are fairly cold in the month of July.  The head waters of the Snake flow into the mighty Columbia River and eventually into the Pacific Ocean.   We toured the Tetons and got some great pictures of Mormon Row cabins and the Moutrie barn which turned  100 on Saturday.  While we were taking pictures three buffaloes and two buffalo calves crossed the road.
We are in Jackson tonight and tomorrow and will leave to head South to Zion, Bryce, and Arches National Parks.  Tomorrow we will go into town to shop.  My favorite store, Coldwater Creek, has closed, so I will have to find another one.
Meg,  I have another quest for you!  Where did the Oregon Trail begin, what states did it travel through, and where did it end?  Also, why did the pilgrims travel this important trail?  Good luck!

Love ya'll ..............