Wednesday, November 11, 2015

OUR USA ADVENTURES FINALE

Our last journey with the rig was from Pagosa Springs to South Fork over Wolfe Pass, sunshine and clear blue skies with the snow made it a stunning 42 miles. At the end of these 3 months travels we have done 7285 miles.

All packing, cleaning and sorting done within 3 days, J the RV dealer came to see trailer and deal agreed, we took the trailer to Jays and said goodbye to it!. J also agreed to buy the Dodge, he is going to use it in his business. We are so very lucky to have met this great guy, who unlike many businessmen does not rip you off, he has been more like a friend.

 We moved the 4 cases and rucksacks into the Lodge room where we spent the night, J drove us to Pueblo on Wednesday, there was very little signs of snow, he is an exceptional man, we talked about everything on the way, enjoyed a great American breakfast  and he generously paid for our hire car for the day. 
We are now in the Days Inn for the night, ready to fly in the morning. Should anything untoward happen between now and then I will edit this blog. All flights on time and into Manchester early, just a slow train to York but we are now safely home, unpacked and very happy and blessed.


























WOLFE CREEK SKI AREA - THIS IS THE FIRST SNOW OF THE SEASON THAT FELL THE OTHER DAY AND ALREADY THEY ARE LOVING IT!

ELEVATION 8010 FEET, QUITE HIGH FOR CAMPING IN NOVEMBER!


This is the last blog, endings are always sad but we cannot be sad having experienced all the wonders of the USA and Canada for the last 8 years. Other adventures await!




This blog has always been for myself, I have loved doing it so I wanted to put some figures here:

U.S.A. STATES VISITED IN 8 YEARS                                  50

CANADIAN PROVINCES VISITED IN 8 YEARS                   5

TOTAL MILEAGE IN 8 YEARS                                              110,000 miles approx.

TOTAL NO. OF CAMPSITES STAYED IN                             671

NATIONAL PARKS VISITED                                                  51 OUT OF THE 59
NATIONAL PARKS VISITED ##


  1. ACADIA ##
  2. AMERICAN SAMOA
  3. ARCHES##
  4. BADLANDS##
  5. BIG BEND##
  6. BISCAYNE##
  7. BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON##
  8. BRYCE CANYON##
  9. CANYONLANDS##
  10. CAPITOL REEF ##
  11. CARLSBAD CAVERNS##
  12. CHANNEL ISLANDS##
  13. CONGAREE##
  14. CRATER LAKE##
  15. CUYAHOGA VALLEY
  16. DEATH VALLEY##
  17. DENALI##
  18. DRY TORTUGAS
  19. EVERGLADES##
  20. GATES OF THE ARCTIC
  21. GLACIER##
  22. GLACIER BAY##
  23. GRAND CANYON##
  24. GRAND TETON##
  25. GREAT BASIN##
  26. GREAT SAND DUNES##
  27. GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS##
  28. GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS##
  29. HALEAKALA##
  30. HAWAII VOLCANOES##
  31. HOT SPRINGS##
  32. ISLE ROYALE##
  33. JOSHUA TREE##
  34. KATMAI
  35. KENAI FJORDS##
  36. KINGS CANYON##
  37. KOBUK VALLEY
  38. LAKE CLARK
  39. LASSEN VOLCANIC##
  40. MAMMOTH CAVE##
  41. MESA VERDE##
  42. MOUNT RAINIER##
  43. NORTH CASCADES##
  44. OLYMPIC##
  45. PETRIFIED FOREST##
  46. PINNACLES NATIONAL PARK ##
  47. REDWOOD##
  48. ROCKY MOUNTAIN##
  49. SAGUARO##
  50. SEQUOIA##
  51. SHENANDOAH##
  52. THEODORE ROOSEVELT##
  53. VIRGIN ISLANDS
  54. VOYAGEURS##
  55. WIND CAVE##
  56. WRANGELL - ST. ELIAS##
  57. YELLOWSTONE##
  58. YOSEMITE##
  59. ZION##
    ## WE HAVE VISITED 51
    ____ NOT VISITED 8

NATIONAL MONUMENTS/AREAS ETC VISITED                      107

VISITED THESE 11 STATES IN LAST THREE MONTHS:
NEVADA
CALIFORNIA
OREGON
IDAHO
MONTANA
WYOMING
UTAH
COLORADO
ARIZONA
NEW MEXICO

COLORADO 

OOPS NEARLY FORGOT - 10 MICE VISITED!


Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read my blog! My final words have to go to the people who made it possible for us to spend the last 8 years travelling over here - John and Angie for so generously letting us stay with them when we came home, Amanda for taking special care of our rental home and finally my wonderful, caring, thoughtful, patient, special husband Roy, who without his dreams none of this would have been possible. Thank you from the bottom of my heart guys!



JOHN


ANGIE, SEAN AND ASH



AMANDA, RICHARD AND TAYLOR


ROY - SIMPLY THE BEST!


ROY HAVING A QUIET MOMENT WITH HIS DODGE JUST BEFORE WE PICK UP J




 AT THE CAR HIRE - SOME OF THE BAGGAGE



ROY AND J, SHORT FOR JEREMIAH



ROY JUST CAN'T SAY GOODBYE!



GOODBYE DODGE AND J!




AT PHANTOM RANCH -  MY MOST FAVOURITE EXPERIENCE THIS TIME







Friday, November 6, 2015

GOLD CANYON, ARIZONA TO GALLUP, NEW MEXICO TO PAGOSA SPRINGS, COLORADO

Roy spent a day back in Phoenix getting the Dodge part sorted.

Left early but had to sit an hour at Superior as they were blasting, spent a fun half hour looking for the last Saguaro cactus and trying to snap it as we drove along! Thanks TelSal!

THE LAST SAGUARO TERRY.......JUST ABOVE THE TUNNEL AFTER SUPERIOR

OH NO TERRY....THIS IS DEFINITELY THE LAST SAGUARO! 

SALT RIVER CANYON

SALT RIVER CANYON

SALT RIVER AND ROY STILL IN SHORTS!



MEMORIES OF MEETING TERRY AND SALLY HERE!

NEAR GALLUP NEW MEXICO



RED ROCK PARK SUNSET



We made our way north along the 60/77 through Salt River Canyon, very pretty, the Mogollon Rim and from Snowflake with the high desert, flat lands and then to the I-40 east to Gallup. Patches of snow and when we arrived at Red Rock Park in Gallup we heard on the news that they had 4 inches of snow last night – we timed that right!

CHURCH ROCK AT RED ROCK PARK GALLUP

RED ROCK PARK CAMPGROUND REMNANTS OF YESTERDAY'S SNOW

SHIP ROCK
 So cold last night it was minus 8oC outside and 0oC inside! We soon warmed up with heater.
We left Gallup and drove to Farmington, the plan was to camp there but we were really early so after a quick Walmart shop for jeans, we drove over pretty roads into Colorado and camped at Pagosa Springs, 5-20pm just before it got dark! Heater on, not allowed water as it will freeze tonight but we have our own, but we are cosy and warm with TV and internet!
Getting close to South Fork now!


COLORADO MOUNTAINS IN THE DISTANCE













A SPECIAL PHOTO - OUR LAST STATE WITH OUR RIG

SUNSET MOUNTAINS - ALL THESE PHOTOS ARE TAKEN FROM THE WINDOW AT 55 MPH




ANOTHER SUPER SUNSET





Tuesday, November 3, 2015

PHOENIX FIASCO!

the beautiful cradleboard - a gift from Bobby - I am so excited and now I am looking forward to going home to give it a new home.


Our last day in Flagstaff was spent having a lovely lunch with Bobby and Peter and then a drive to Cosnino area where we gathered pinyon pine nuts and hunted again for the elusive arrowhead. Sadly we said farewell to our friends but we will see them again as Peter's parents live near York.



We drove straight to Phoenix on the I – 17 in 3 hours and headed for the place Roy had spoken to, about fixing the truck “park” as it was difficult to shift. We have camped in some rare places and this one was a one off. 
Parked outside the works with our slide-out out, generator on, for the night. Job took until 3pm the next day, so spent a morning cleaning and reading.

Finally we left and drove 35 miles to Gold Canyon to camp for the night..... and then Roy says – it's not working properly – its not going into park every time!!!! Rang up Aamco and spoke with the man who will ring us in the morning at 8am when he has spoken to the man who fixed it. So watch this space!

On the plus side the sun has shone and its been 26oC.

Arizonian RV park at Gold Canyon - lots of cacti!



campsite at Gold Canyon

Black clouds gathering and lightning in the distance

Saturday, October 31, 2015

FLAGSTAFF FRIENDS

Drove to Flagstaff and stayed for a few days having a great time catching up with great friends. Talking, good food, hiking, shopping, seeing places we would not have seen without knowing them. Thank you so much Bobby and Peter for a special time.
Roy got the side window on the Dodge replaced which got broken in the Baja.

While spending four days here we have been taken to special hidden gems around Flagstaff – Shultz tank - a water hole, The Museum of Northern Arizona - Features the anthropology, biology, geology, and Fine Arts of the Colorado Plateau region - fantastic, Picture Canyon, Babbett Ranch, Red Mountain where we hunted for arrowheads and pottery shards with a little success and cut short as we heard a pack of coyotes that were heading our way – so lucky to have super friends.



Chapel of the Holy Dove - we last visited here for friends wedding in 2011, sadly one friend died but I still felt her spirit.




PICTURE CANYON

PETROGLYPHS AT PICTURE CANYON

BLANKET FLOWERS STILL IN BLOOM AT PICTURE CANYON

ON BABBETT RANCH

CRATERS EVERYWHERE

BABBETT RANCH AND PICNIC PLACE

THIS IS WHAT PETER WROTE ABOUT THIS HIKE WE ENJOYED AT RED MOUNTAIN  "A perfect Halloween hike to the mysterious Red Mountain, hoodoos all around, tarantulas at our feet, bats flitting overhead, a raven watching, coyotes howling and Indiana Jones as my shadow."  HE IS SO ELOQUENT!

HERE'S THE TARANTULA

ROY DOING WHAT HE DOES BEST!

RED MOUNTAIN

THREE WISE MONKEYS! 

RED MOUNTAIN

MORE RED MOUNTAIN

RED MOUNTAIN TRAIL END