Melissa, TX to Marion, Arkansas

We headed south toward Dallas, TX, to meet up with Joe's cousin, Carmen, and her husband Jimmy. Since the last time we visited them, 7 years ago, they had moved north of Dallas to the small community of Aubrey. We didn't have to drive to Dallas, after all, just to the area of McKinney. There was lots of road construction in McKinney, which meant that our poor GPS didn't have a clue how we should actually move around. :o(

We (Joe) found a RV Resort in Melissa, with a nice pool, nice showers (very efficient air conditioning!) and shade. Of course, there was also an abundance of locust noise, but it was a nice place. It also had the advantage of easy access to McKinney.

We got in at about 1:00, give or take a few minutes, and once we got the trailer set up, Joe, Kira and Koen all got into the pool. I took a shower, since there hadn't been one at the Best Western for our use. (Still a bit peeved about that- for crying out loud- you couldn't even let us use a room for the bathroom? We would have brought all of our own supplies, just used the water!) ANYWAY, it was awesome to hop into a tepid shower at the Lighthouse RV Resort.

After everyone felt better, we headed to McKinney for an oil change. When that was done, Joe asked if I wanted to wander around down town, which is supposed to be filled with shops and fun. I said that if it was okay with him, I would rather get supplies to create an outdoor shower stall (for times like the Childress incident). Plus, how cool would it be to shower outside in 90 degree weather?! So, that is how we spent a good portion of the afternoon. We still need shower curtains and rings, plus a mat to stand on so the water drains under our feet, but we have the supplies for the enclosure itself. So, I am happy!

We had time to go back to the RV resort, for Kira, Joe and Koen to swim for a bit longer, and then cleaned up to go to dinner. According to the GPS, it was supposed to take about 20 minutes. 40 minutes, we still weren't there. The construction was to create surface roads that parallel the highways, but with stop signs to connect to the other surface roads. So, while they are doing that, they also rearranged the exits. Some of the ones we were supposed to take were completely blocked. It was a pain.

We finally made it to Babe's Chicken and met up with Carmen and Jimmy. Dinner was great, conversation and company were even better. Both the kids think that their cousin Carmen is great. We laughed, shared, ate, and had a most enjoyable visit. We stood outside the restaurant for a couple of hours after dinner- just talking. It was a terrific evening.

Getting going in the morning was a bit of a challenge. It was so hot and humid. But, we were on the road by 9:00, with directions to Paris, TX. I had it on good authority that we would find a smaller version of the Eiffel Tower there. They also have a Super Walmart, so we did some grocery shopping (forgot the shower curtains and mat, though). Then we found the Eifell Tower. It was COOL!

We headed toward Memphis, TN. Found a KOA here that is in the trees, with a decent pool. Sadly, our air conditioner seems to have quit. Will HAVE to do something about that, because everywhere is hot!

Into Texas

The stay at the Rancheros de Santa Fe was pleasant. We didn’t unhook the truck, so departure was easy. We were given directions to the Santa Fe Plaza area- there is a parking lot that is set up for RV parking – and we got there early enough to get a place- yay! We took advice from the parking attendant for breakfast and ate at Tia Sophia’s. Everyone enjoyed their meal. Then we wandered a bit- looking at shops and not spending any money. There were some amazing boots for a mere $650! They didn’t come along on the trip with us. ;o)

We stopped at a French bakery with crepes, paid way too much for fancy “dessert” crepes-that, if they were on Chopped, would have been criticized for being too savory. They made crepes that were pretty flavorless, added in fresh berries with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, squirted some whipped cream on the sides and called it done. I enjoyed mine, you understand, but the kids were pretty disappointed by the whole thing. By the time we were rolling out of Santa Fe, after stopping for gas, it was after 11:00. So, pnce again, we were on the road late.

We were headed to Childress, TX, which was 6 some hours away, through temps in the upper 90s into 100. We drove pretty much straight through, with one stop for more gas and a restroom break.

There is a pool, since we are camping behind a Best Western. They don't allow any of their campers to use the restroom or shower facilities, though, since RVs are supposed to be self contained. sigh. Tried to negotiate a reduced rate to use just the shower and bathroom, but the most they will come down is 35%, which is pretty excessive. We may end up using the outside faucet tomorrow morning!

Tomorrow, we are supposed to meet one of Joe's cousins near Dallas. Hopefully, we won't head out too late!

Family shot at Mesa Verde

Here we are, in front of the Cliff Palace dwellings. They think this was a ceremonial center, with around 100 inhabitants on a regular basis, but with kivas for visitors, as well. (By the way, I am loving the tripod that I bought at Saturday Market before we left- we sometimes ask strangers to take our photo, but when possible, we use the tripod for shots like this one and the next one- that we actually took on Saturday at Four Corners.

Made it to Santa Fe

Last night it was 48 degrees!!! I was freezing- good thing there were pristine showers with nice hot water this morning- I needed to warm up. Joe gives me a hard time, because I only brought one blanket. We have several sheets, and for the past two weeks, all I have used is two sheets; I have been plenty warm. When we were in Walmart, though, I picked up another cotton blanket. It wasn't enough last night. I needed the sleeping bag that we have, too. I didn't want to climb over Joe to get it, though. Tonight, I wil have it ready, just in case!

We got out of bed and showered before 7:00- hoping to hop in the truck and do one more loop out in Mesa Verde before packing up and heading back into New Mexico. We were on the road by 7:23- grabbing yogurt and boxes of cereal to eat in the truck as we drove. The visitors center opens at 8:00, and of course, the kids wanted momentos. ;o)

Even though they told us that the trip in took 45 minutes, we made it to the center at 8:03! After a bit of browsing, we headed across the street to the Far View Terrace, which serves Starbucks!!! YAY! Joe and I each got an iced coffee (Butterfinger- caramel, hazelnut and chocolate) a special flavor of Mesa Verde.
Joe also called the RV resort and asked about a late departure- which they granted us for the mere price of $10. So, we didn't have to rush around.

Both of the kids picked out coins, Junior Mesa Verde Ranger water bottles and pins. I also picked out a pin- bronze reproduction of the Cliff Palace dwellings.

We did the Mesa Top loop- it was SO worth the drive back in there. There is one viewpoint with 5 different dwellings visible- it was totally cool! I took way too many photos- as did Joe. We were just awestruck by the whole experience- looking at the actual remains of civilizations from over 800 years ago- just incredible. So glad we made it.

We ended heading for Santa Fe at around 12:46. According to the GPS, it would take us until 5:45 to get there, but of course that didn't include stopping for gas or waiting for EONS to get food at the Aztec, NM A & W. It was hot again- in the high 90s- and lots of hills to get here, but we made it- rolling into Rancheros de Santa Fe at around 6:40. The kids were a bit upset, because they closed the pool, with thunder in the air. Luckily, they opened it again, so all three of them went to the pool while I figured out dinner. We had frozen ravioli- pretty easy, even with no sauce pan! So, dinner is done, there is the possibility of watching "The Green Hornet", and our gracious hostess told Joe all about where to park the truck and trailer in the morning, so we can visit the Chapel and Santa Fe Plaza before heading toward Texas in the morning.

I am looking forward to sleeping a bit better- cool enough to be comfortable, but not frozen!

Puebloan Cliff Dwellings

Wow! These were awesome! It is so cool to imagine that before the Romans were even a civilization, before there were gladiators and Julius Caesar, the Ancestral Puebloans were farming and creating these cliff dwellings in the Mesa Verde area of Colorado. They are simply phenomenal!

We took the tour of the Cliff Palace to start our experience. It is the largest of the dwellings- 160 rooms in total- that they think was a ceremonial place, in addition to living quarters. The most obvious residences were called kivas- circular with a fire pit in the center. The Puebloans created the circular room with shelves that were mid-way up the wall, which had columns above them, that were used to support a roof structure. These were very clever builders- they did  a transition of wood from column to column, structuring them over each other, until the height was at the top of the circular structure- then they layered logs and branches, covered them with clay and had a plaza on top for community use. From the top, you only see a hole with a ladder sticking out of it. The entry hole was also the smoke hole- some people believe that each time people entered or left the kiva, the smoke would cleanse their spirit. There was also a chimney for fresh air intake. It entered the kiva behind a piece of rock, causing it to flow around the inside of the kiva. In the winter, they would light a small fire in the center fire pit. It would smoke for 2 days, and then the smoke would clear, the fresh air would flow in, and with a very small fire, the kiva would be warm.

One of the really cool things is that they didn't dig or modify the original cliff structure- they built around it. When there was a huge boulder where they wanted to build, they would create a supporting wall, so the boulder wouldn't come down, and then build around it. The bricks were cut or broken pieces of the cliff that had fallen, and the mortar was sand, mud and water or sometimes urine (for the acid that added structure) with small pieces of rock stuck into the mortar to hold it into place. They would layer colored plaster over the walls, creating colorful buildings. The inside of the rooms was also decorated with colored plaster and paintings.

We wandered around some areas on our own. One of the self guided areas was the Spruce Tree House, so named because the roofing structure was created from Douglas Spruce- before scientists realized it was actually a fir tree. The climb down to the Spruce Tree House was pretty easy- the climb up not so much. (We were only moderately effected by the high elevation- all of Mesa Verde is above 6500 feet! I remember visiting Jennifer in Colorado Springs and feeling like I was suffocating from the lack of oxygen- or completely out of condition. We have acclimated during our trip, so we did pretty well with the waking and climbing.) We got to go into a kiva at the Spruce Tree House site that was reconstructed from the original , including the roof. It was cool!

Scientists have been able to carbon date the structures by taking core samples of the wood used for the roofing. Most of these dwellings date from 1100 A.D. to 1250 A.D. There are also pit houses that date from the 500s A.D.  There is evidence that the Puebloans had lived in the area for 700 years- first as hunters and gatherers and then as farmers- before they abandoned the structures  in the late 1260s and moved on. The Hopi people say that they were told they would migrate until they found a place where their blue corn would grow. Archaeologists suspect that one of the reasons they moved from Mesa Verde was the climate changes that caused their crops not to grow for several seasons.

I hope I didn't get too "teacher" on you with this post. I just found it all fascinating.

We are hoping to go back and do a loop of one of the mesas that has views of more dwellings before we head out tomorrow.

On the Grapevine

One of the sites as we traveled up the Grapevine to get into LA. (The forest there is scrub brush!) This is Pyramid Lake.

Flooded trail at Yosemite

The frigid flood water at Yosemite.

The road to Mesa Verde

We planned to get up and get going this morning- not too early, because we were up late last night- but early enough to maybe hit the National Park today. Sadly, yet again, it didn't happen. Last night, Joe said, "We should take the plug in cooler out of the truck so it doesn't kill the battery." But, we didn't. So guess what, it killed the truck battery- and we had to address that before we could leave. Luckily, Joe brought along a trickle charger, but to fully charge it would take 4 hours!!! It would have worked, because we had only about 160 miles to get to Mesa Verde, so we had the time, but good grief! Again, we were saved by a good Samaritan! She came along and asked if we needed a jump start. We had jumper cables, so WHOO HOOO- the truck started. We left it running while we took the trailer down to leave, and by the time we headed out, it had enough of a charge to start on its own.

 After a Walmart stop, to pick up (among other things, an extention cord and a longer water hose), we made an iced coffee attempt, which turned into a 20 minute delay, because they had to clean the machine before we could get any coffee- and of course they told us that after paying for the drinks. sigh. We stopped to get gas on the way out of Gallup, for the low price of 3.69 for premium. Score!

It was nearly 11:30 by the time we were ready to head out. Again, not an early start- Joe said, only semi- kidding, maybe he should say we would leave late, and we would be able to get out earlier! :o) We did decide to stop at Four Corners, to stand in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico all at once.  The wind- oh, my, goodness- the wind! It comes whipping across the hills of New Mexico at amazing speeds. We were being blown all over- luckily, Joe had figured out that by using only the trailer brakes, not the truck breaks, he could stop the trailer from wagging. Between the wind and the construction- our trip was longer than it should have been. On the way, we stopped in some little town to use the facilities and make sandwiches for lunch. They had a self-service ice machine that sold 16 pounds of ice for $2! Totally cool, since the plug in cooler that killed the truck blew the fuse in the car adapter, so all of our cool water wasn't. We filled containers with ice for water, put some in the freezer, and some in the no-longer-plugged-in cooler. (If we had needed it, we could have had 20 pounds for a cooler!)  Again, SCORE!

We made it to Four Corners at around 4:00.  It has become quite the money earner for the local Navajos- which I didn't mind too much! All of us picked up momentos- ended up spending about an hour there, between the wait in line and the shopping. We had Navajo Fry Bread, too. The temp was in the 90s, it is sooo dry! The truck threw another code- Joe thinks the header is lose again, dog-gone it. It was pretty cool, even all commercialized.

Even though going through Four Corners added 50 miles to the trip, it was on the way to Mesa Verde- where we are staying for the next two (maybe three) nights. Joe found an RV resort (less than 1 mile from the entrance to Mesa Verde NP) that has a 10 rating for their bathrooms (they are gorgeous!) and super friendly owners. It has been a relaxing afternoon/evening. Our neighbors are from Santa Barbara, CA. He teaches wood shop to high schoolers in that area. They are friendly, too. The scenery is beautiful and it feels like it might cool off tonight. The pool was pristine and brought body temps down. Dinner was grilled chicken thighs and salad. yum. We are settling in to get ready for an early start tomorrow (should be interesting to see if it happens! :o)

We made it to Mesa Verde! I am so looking forward to seeing the ruins here.

Gallup NM KOA

Nothing to add, really. Sitting in a gravel parking area, wind whipping through, access to the La Quinta pool. Showers in the morning (and maybe a bit of shopping for Navajo jewelry??! ;o)

Arizona

Driving across the Mojave Desert was wretched!

We loaded up and got on the road for Arizona by 10:30.  Getting out of LA/Orange County was  okay- traffic wasn’t too bad. The sky was so  polluted it was difficult to see the landscape in the distance. The truck did great climbing the hills to get out of the city- and then we hit the desert.

my goodness- I can’t believe how HOT it was! We watched the temperatures climb and climb and climb. We didn’t run the air conditioning, because the truck was already working. When we hit 110, which was the high when we did our last road trip, I was hopeful that it would be the high- no such luck. We watched it get to 117 degrees. Good GRAVY! I think I may have had minor heat exhaustion, because when we stopped on the east side of California for gas, I had to wait for dizziness to pass before I could get out of the truck. I asked if the truck could handle having the air on if we were traveling on flat road- because we had finally gotten into Arizona and it wasn’t as hilly. We tried it- and the truck did great. I was worried that  we would have overheating problems- so I didn’t want to ask- but it made such a difference! Kira, Joe and I all wore the neck coolers- Joe used his as a head band- which helped a bit, but not enough. I ended up with a migraine, and felt kind of sick, but sleeping helped and a shower made a new person out of me! The Flagstaff KOA didn't have a pool, but it was a good stopping place on the way to Mesa Verde. (Even though they never answered their phone, they did let us stay on Friday, until the truck was fixed up and didn't charge us. Nice. )

On Friday morning, we got out by 8:00 to head for Sedona and the Sinaguan Ruins. They were COOL! Pics to follow, of course. The road on the way in, 525, was washboarded and rocky, so we bounced around like we were in a buckboard. On the way back out, the truck died. Yup- died in the middle of a hill, in the middle of the road. Joe could get it to start, so we hoped that we weren't out of gas (and according to the gauge, we weren't ) but it wouldn't run. A local good Samaritan offered to pull us to the mail boxes near the main road. I got on the phone with our insurance co, looking for roadside assistance. When we were dropped off near the mail boxes, Joe popped the hood (in the safety of a parking area, not in the middle of the road!) and found that the air filter had popped off- so the engine was being flooded with air and couldn't run.  Once he had fixed that, the engine ran again. Whew! (especially since the insurance girl couldn't even figure out where we were to send a tow truck!) On the positive side, there were Pink Jeep tour guides going in and out of that area, so even if we hadn't had the good luck to have our friend in the F150, we had hope of help.

That was a bit of a fright, but we did hold our calm together and dealt. Of course, once we were back on the road, we realized that the header issue needed to be addressed again. We were hoping to get it spot welded, but apparently there is a separation so the guy said he couldn't do it. (He did put on special bolts that are supposed to resist backing out- so we will see.)  We didn't get on the road out of Flagstaff until nearly 3:30. The truck pulled with gusto through winds and up hills into Gallup, NM. With the time change, we arrived at close to 8:00, but with promises of a pool, the kids did well. We are a mere 150 some miles out of Mesa Verde, so will aim to get there by early afternoon. (We are going to go to 4 Corners first) and maybe start exploring. I can't wait!

Gallup, NM

Wow- has it been a week since I last posted??? Good grief- I will have to do better than that. I have to say, though, in my defense, that the Web connection was hit or miss at the Anaheim RV park- and by the time we got done with our fun at Disney, I was too tired to fight with it!

So, to recap- we left Yosemite, with a slide that was wonky, having fixed (we hope) the header issue.

On the way out of Yosemite, the road was nuts! Ben Hur Rd. all rough road (you know the kind- they patch it, but don't every repave the whole thing, and then when the cold weather hits and creates more issues, they patch again!) sharp curves, narrow pavement and hills! We saw a coyote running across the hills, panting, but that was it for wildlife. I have to admit, I closed my eyes and braced myself, because the road was so freaky. If we had not fixed the pantry issue, all the contents in it would have flown all over! It was interesting to note that there are loads of almond orchards on the way into Yosemite, and almond and pistachio orchards on the way out. That was cool. I took photos, will upload when possible.

Disney was fun- if hot- for all of us. Joe and I enjoyed watching Kira and Koen get such a kick out of things like driving themselves in the Autopia attraction. That was Kira’s favorite. I rode on some rides that made me have to close my eyes- because the heights got to me- but I chose not to go on ones that would make me motion sick! Kira and I did some rides that they guys would have thought were too tame- but we liked them. The Little Mermaid attraction was really cute. We all got to do Pirates of the Caribbean- it was pretty entertaining and a bit wet! One of my personal favorites was the movie in A Bug’s Land. They really appealed to adults as well as kids in that one. I truly enjoyed it!

On a side note- when they designed California Adventure, they used a different color of paving stones and it was cooler than the actual Disney park. It wasn’t as crowded, either- though the Soaring over California attraction had a 50 minute wait time, and the Grrrr- Rafting attraction also had quite a wait- but nothing like Splash Mountain. The time we checked it in the afternoon, it had a 120 minute wait time. (I think someone hopes that people will wait if it doesn't say 2 HOURS wait time! It worked, too; there was always a line!) Joe and Kira did Splash Mountain first thing in the morning on Tuesday, so they had a 10 minute wait. Koen decided it was too cold, so he missed out, because by the time he was warm enough, the line was crazy long.

We got into Disney at around 9:45 on Monday- and the crowds were in force. We had to wait in line for every attraction. The lines for the Nemo attraction, the Autopia, Space Mountain, and the Dumbo attractions were all long. It took all day for us to do just those 4 rides. We had the ability to get in an hour early on Tuesday, and we made every effort to do it. We didn't make it by 7:00- but we were in by 7:20 or so. (One of the images that I will keep is the crowds SURGING toward the attractions. It was NUTS! I did take a photo of it, but don't know that it will show how truly strange that was. )

On Tuesday, we were able to do 5 rides by 9:00! The lines that early were short- in fact, nearly non-existant. We did the Pirates of the Caribbean after 9:00 , because it didn't open before that, but the others we went on were such short lines. It was HOT, even though the temp was not that high- 87- but all that black asphalt was holding heat. Tueday afternoon, Joe had to go meet the guy about the slide, so the kids and I took the "raft" over to the pirate island. It was still hot, but cooler, because there was not nearly as much blackness.

The California Adventure was pretty cool, as I stated already, and Koen said that he would miss Disney as we walked back to the trailer at the end of the day on Wednesday. We had dinner at Shakey's (not even a driveway away from the end of our driveway- and good food!) and then breakfast at Carrow's, before heading for Arizona.

Disneyland

We made it to Disney! YAY! Actually, the kids have been having a blast- and I have gone on a couple of rides that were against my better judgement. :o) Kira and I did the Dumbo flight, while Koen and Joe did Space Mountain. It took all day the first day to do 4 rides- on a Monday- in weather that topped out at over 85. That sounds pleasant, until you add all the bodies, the asphalt, and metal everywhere- and then it is just HOT! We did learn a couple of things though- like Fast Pass is your friend, if you plan ahead. We also learned that the food is great, the prices exhorbitant. Every momento is probably twice what it would cost elsewhere, and not everyone in Disney is happy! (As Joe said, "Disney- where families go to argue!")
Joe contacted a repair service about the slider. The guy said that the company that manufactured this particular trailer sold out, and no one makes the parts any more. sigh. lovely. He said he would look around his shop and see what he could do to make a modified system.Will wait until tomorrow to find out more.

On Tuesday,  we took advantage of the early entry that came with our tickets and got to Disney at 7:15 or so. There were still lots of people, but not huge numbers. We did 4 rides in the first 1 1/2 hours! Kira went on Splash Mountain, but Koen didn't because he was afraid of being cold and wet at 8:30 in the morning. Joe rode his bike, so his ankle would do better. (He said it helped a lot. He also wrapped it- which gave it support, so it wasn't nearly as achy as on Monday.) He also rode back to talk to the repair man about the slide, and K & K stayed at Disney. From a rather chilly start, the day heated up to mid 80s again. We were able to experience 6 rides by 9:00- which was amazing! We did some mellow ones and some a bit more adventurous ones. It was good. We also got autographs from Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Pluto, with pics, of course. (The repair guy said that there are no retro-fit kits for the slide. He could manufacture one, but it would be $400! Or, we could manually do the slide, until Joe can figure out a different solution. So, we will "manhandle" it!

On Wednesday, we hit the California Adventure. Soaring over California was cool, the movie in A Bug's Land was great, the Little Mermaid ride was fun, but I think Koen enjoyed interacting with Chip and Dale the most. They were pretty funny- very much in character- goofing with each other. None of the Disney characters talk, for obvious reasons, but they are still very much in character- some more than others.  Wednesday was a good day.

Trip to Disneyland

Well, we started off the day trying to decide if we wanted to head to Yosemite for a couple of hours or not. As I mentioned, there were a couple of places that I wouldn't have minded seeing. However, factoring in travel time- we would have been focused on getting back in order to pack up the trailer, not on enjoying the excursion- so we opted not to go.

Instead, we figured we would hit the road a bit early, giving us time to do some grocery shopping before we settled in for the night at the Anaheim Harbor RV park. Then, during our preparations, we discovered that the motor on the slide was spinning with no effect. Great. So, it was a good thing we didn't go to Yosemite- because we would have had to deal with the slide when we got back. As it was, we got out of the KOA around 10:30, once we finally manhandled the slide back in. So, we will be working on researching repairs to the slide- but probably not until we are done at Disney.

We made it through the traffic of LA area, in spite of the massive herd of people traveling along with us. SO glad we were traveling on a Sunday, not a week day. At least the masses of traffic were moving!

We are currently sitting in a paved parking lot, but it is level and we have power and water. We won't use the slide, obviously, until we can figure out how to fix it. I did notice that there are a bunch of RV repair places within walking distance of our current location- but Joe is a great problem solver- and he charges a great price! So, he will most likely collect parts and then work with his dad to get it fixed. Might mean a few modifications to our original trip plan- but we can handle it.

The truck pulled like a trooper up the hills to get into LA area- over a 5000 foot climb- with only minor heat issues. The repair on the header held- yay! So, tomorrow will be our first experience with the Disney thing. Should be a fun day! The kids are excited to go. Temps are supposed to be in the mid 70s, which should be perfect. Next stop- Mickey Mouse! ;o)

Day 2 at Yosemite

First, follow- up from yesterday. I forgot to mention that we got the car repaired, by a completely nice guy in Bootjack, CA, for a mere $20. Nice, huh?

Also, the water around here is really high for this time of year. The mechanic said that we were visiting on a good year- normally everything is very brown and dry. Due to the late and long winter, the snow melt is giving the valley loads of greenery. It is also making the river high and causing flooding that very slowly is easing off. One of the trails that we were walking, across the Swinging Bridge (which is on rails that are attached to concrete blocks set into the river, and sways back and forth- not enough to really feel, though) had a flood area- not very deep- maybe 5 or 6 inches at the deepest, so we took off our shoes to walk across, just to see what was on the other side. (We didn't realize that we were in the back of Yosemite Lodge- which would have saved us at least an hour later- sigh.) But anyway, back to the water- it was very refreshing... at first... and then SOOOO cold! Koen was about to cry- and I wasn't much better, I have to say. That water was ICE melting- my ankles ached so badly that they were on the verge of collapsing. I ended up running back across, hoping that it would make the ache better. It DID cool off my body temp, but holy moly, it was COLD!

Okay- so on to today. I read in one of the pamphlets that if you only had one day, you should drive to Glacier Point and to Mariposa Grove. So, we did. Glacier Point- phenomenal! The drive was long- about an hour each way at 35 mph or less. I drove, so I could concentrate on the road, not on the cliff that was just inches from the side of the road. Plus I didn't get car sick from the curves. But the views were amazing. Half Dome, plus Yosemite Falls from the top, Nevada Falls into Vernal Falls, and mountains 180 degrees around. One of things we really appreciate about Yosemite is that they didn't charge for every service. In fact, they have many amenities, all for free: shuttles to everything, no fees into anything, free telescopes- which we used to see climbers on top of Half Dome. Of course, if you want food or momentos- that is another situation. :o)

We planned ahead and ate lunch out of our cooler. Then we headed out for Mariposa Grove. Another long drive, 35 mph, and then a shuttle to see what was advertised as an amazing grove of HUGE Sequoia trees. Well, there were a few- scattered all over the area- but nothing like the Avenue of the Giants. We took a couple of shots of us hugging Redwoods, to go with the ones from last trip, but not nearly as impressive. (The Grizzly Giant- which had been burned in a forest fire, had one branch that was 7 feet in diameter- that was pretty amazing.) They have fenced all of the trees to protect them, so we couldn't get up close to any, either. Just a bit of a disappointment, for all that driving.

Trying to decide if we should hit Yosemite one more time, before heading for Anaheim Harbor tomorrow. If we get going early enough, traffic should be lighter, which would mean easier access to everything. We were pretty tired by the time we left the valley floor yesterday, so didn't go to the base of the falls at all. I would kind of like to see that before we head out- plus there is an Ansel Adams gallery that we thought about getting some cards/prints for displaying. Don't know what time things open up on Sunday, which could change all of our ideas.

Will let you know what we decide to do!

Yosemite- COMPLETELY AMAZING

First a follow up on the whole truck situation- apparently, the header that we had installed doesn't use gaskets, but the bolts that hold the header in place had loosened, just causing issues. Luckily, there was a mechanic in Mariposa that had the time and inclination to trouble shoot. Thank goodness for small town sentiments!

The kids and I walked the loops of the KOA to get some exercise while we waited for Joe to come back. They weren't pleased, but after doing dishes, were willing to walk with me. We got a bit of exercise- and they put in time waiting for the pool to open. Joe got back just before 10:00- and we headed out for the park.

I have so many pics- and of course, with the lack of connectivity, am not going to upload any for a while. I promise to add photos when we are in a situation that will support it.

Meanwhile- some information about the park. The Merced River runs through the park, mostly rough white water that would be killer in a kayak, if one were into that. Crazy rapids and huge granite rocks created some amazing images. Then there was the rock slide on the way to the park- closed a large stretch of the road- they figured out to do a single lane around it, with stop lights to work the transition between directions. We all decided that we hoped no one was there when the rocks slid!

The entrance to Yosemite is through overhanging rocks- too cool. The ride takes us into the hills, following the Merced River with lots of places to pull off and view- which we did. The rocks everywhere, falls in several directions- one enormous rock called El Capitan- just amazing. We only saw squirrels, nothing like buffalo (though there are lots of black bear warnings- including a sign that reads "Speeding Kills Bears"- and apparently there are lots of cougers there, as well, but they are reclusive.

(We parked to see Bridalveil Falls and look more closely at the fall and El Capitan, and then decided to unload our bicycles. Kira and I were riding together- we passed the sign, on our bikes, and thought that probably, if we were to hit a bear while on a bike, he would shake it off and WE would end up in serious trouble. "Man, the mosquitos are getting big this year!" Kira said," Mama!" in that you-are-such-a-nut voice. :o))

Aside from the driver idiocy- really, do you HAVE to speed up when you see a turn signal??? REALLY?!? It was much more pleasant than the drive Jennifer and I took through Yellowstone so many years ago- with people using the pullouts to view. It was crazy crowded, but most of the people were courteous.

After we drove up to see the Tunnel View- goregous! (pics to follow)- we were heading out and I noticed groups of people staring up at El Capitan with binoculars. I told Joe that there must be climbers, so he pulled over to look- and sure enough, there were two groups of 3 climbers. He took pics- while being eaten alive by mosquitos- so will add one or two of those, as well.

We will head back tomorrow- with lunch this time because we all got a bit cranky, even with snacks- and having "linner" at 3:20 or so just didn't cut it. We will also get back in time for the kids to hit the pool- which they mentioned all day, but we just didn't make it back in time. They were pretty good about it- and had a good time today.

Getting ready to look at pics and turn in. More tomorrow!

Day 2- trip to Yosemite

Planned on getting going early today, so we could get to Yosemite early enough to do some wandering around. Heard from DJ about the Sundial Bridge in Redding, though, so thought we would visit that first- totally worth the detour! Will sent pics when the connection is better. Awesome, though, and gorgeous day to visit it. Then we needed to get some caffeine- so we didn't head out of Redding until nearly 11:00- just like yesterday.

We looked at lots and lots of flat, windy country as we drove south on I-5. Not terribly thrilled with the whole California mindset- that a turn signal means hurry up and cut off that driver!!! :'( The speed limit for vehicles pulling a trailer is 55- but if we actually went 55, the rest of the drivers would have a hissy fit. Luckily, the police didn't seem intent on enforcing that limit, so we flowed with traffic. :o)

The truck started making a bunch of noise- Joe is pretty sure it blew one of the new gaskets on the header that he had put in- which is a bit disheartening. He spoke with a local guy about a repair shop, so will be taking it in tomorrow to see about that. It was willing to pull us up a pretty major hill, Bear Valley Road (which should have been called Bear Mountain Road!)- gorgeous scenery- again, will post pics when I get a better connection. We managed to get into the KOA in Mariposa around 6:30- but set up took a while (crooked spaces and messed up breakers) so dinner wasn't until 8:oo. (We had chicken and mozz. ravioli in a marinara sauce. Yum- and quick!) I was pretty cranky by dinner- low blood sugar messes with my frame of mind. :o(

We did have an issue with the cool pantry that Joe built- but have figured out how not to repeat it- so all is good.

(Rox- gave the kids the Big Books to read while we are traveling- they are REALLY enjoying them! Thanks, from them and from Joe and me! Peace and quiet reign. aahhhh!)

We are hoping that the truck repair will be quickly accomplished- but the kids and I will probably ride bicycles around the KOA tomorrow- then get into the pool for a bit- at least they will. I got too cold yesterday, in temps of upper 80s- and it won't be that warm at 10:00 in the morning!

So, as we avoid mosquitos and figure out which pics we already have so we can empty the card for tomorrow, we will call it a night!

Snow covered peak

Mt. McLoughlin- So gorgeous
Off to bed- so tired- hopefully the matress combination will be comfy!

First day out...

Lupine fields on I-5- gorgeous!

On the road!

We left the house at 11:06, after lots of last minute “Where is THAT?” “Where is THE OTHER THING?”

Whew! Weather is nice for traveling- overcast and around 60 degrees. Kids are doing activity books, on the same page at the same time, so there is no competition and mutual enjoyment. Pulled grapes out of the plug-in cooler for a snack- settling in for the 382 mile drive! Have the camera handy for pictures of the road- brought two projects to knit- should be interesting to see how ambitious I actually am! ;o)

On the road! We left the house at 11:06, after lots of last minute “Where is THAT?” “Where is THIS?”
Whew! Weather nice for traveling- overcast and around 60 degrees. Kids are doing activity books, on the same page at the same time, so there is no competition and mutual enjoyment. Pulled grapes out of the plug in cooler for a snack- settling in for the 382 mile drive! Have the camera handy for pictures of the road- brought two projects to knit- should be interesting to see how ambitious I actually am! ;o)

The Burb did well on the first day out. There was a major climb- 7 or 8 miles of 7% upgrade. Made it to the top- 4310 elevation! The sign saying this was the highest elevation on I-5 was reassuring- go truck!

We watched the temperature climbing as we headed south- felt good for a bit- then just plain hot. We cooked skirt steak and had ranchero grillin' beans for dinner- then hit the pool. It was not skimmed, but definitely cooled us off. I got cold, but the kids and Joe played in the pool until the management gave us a 15 minute warning. Aside from the grass bugs- just the camp site to get us rested and on our way to Yosemite tomorrow- crack of dawnish!

Off we go!

About to head out- next post will be from the road! Eeek- stomach is freaking out- with anticipation of our trip. I continue to pack things, Joe continues to point out that there are stores ALL ALONG THE TRIP! ;o)
Later....

24 hour count down....

... until departure. Well, maybe. :o) We will probably be eating breakfast about now, thinking about hitting the road. I just spent the last hour adding food to the pantry and freezer. Still need to finish organizing my clothes, getting shower stuff together and cleaning the house a bit. Trying not to think about missing the little dog- SO glad that my bro is going to watch her and take care of the house. He is a good guy!

We have been looking at temps in California- Redding is supposed to be 94 today. We will be hitting the pool when we get in. (Oh, yeah!)

Since we have to be on-line to add to the blog- I have been trying to figure out how to actually keep up to speed while we are in places without connectivity. May have to resort to Word.

The butterflies are going nuts- hopefully mostly anticipation, not just what-in-heavens-name-are-we-thinking! ;o)  (Maybe I just need to eat breakfast! lol)

One day until departure!

Spent today doing lots of running around- took back a game because it was already coming apart; looked for a hat (there are crushable ones that are SPF 50) but didn't get one; picked up shorts for Joe (on sale!); looked for shelving to organize the cabinet over the sink. Felt like I spent all day in the car- we will be doing that a lot in the next weeks!

The kids cleaned out the front of the van- they were so efficient with all the stuff I have collected all year. Feeling so glad that they are old enough to do stuff like that now- and they didn't do anything dire to each other, either!! Maybe we WILL all survive hours in the truck. :o)

Photo

Yay- I figured out how to upload photos! This is Astoria, from our practice trip.

Count down

Oh, the things I need to get done before we head out! I am a bit stressed, I must admit. I kind of freak when I have to get us ready for a short trip- and this is for weeks!!!! I have to try to remember that we will be passing stores and such, so if we don't have it, we can get it. I need to make that my mantra, so I don't give myself an ulcer trying to prep.
Today:
        I am going to start putting groceries into the pantry that Joe made, so I can get whatever we still need over the weekend. We plan on attempting to cook most of the time- but need to do quick eats, too, for breakfast and lunch. Maybe I should boil some eggs for munching and egg salad? Will be on the road for 5 hours (give or take) to Redding (temps in the upper 90s) our first stop before Yosemite. Maybe we forget about actual food and just take ice cream! :o)

School's out!

Okay- here we go. I am attempting to get this thing up and running- we haven't even gotten things loaded up yet- but if I am going to do this, it better be set up BEFORE we hit the road. :o) Still working on making our home on wheels user friendly as we travel.