tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65508184741902053302024-03-05T12:28:04.828-08:00Rolling Along Country RoadsLife on the road after retirementAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953971639700395597noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6550818474190205330.post-46958896280529450572017-12-14T09:19:00.002-08:002017-12-14T09:25:38.232-08:00<h2>
Catching up?</h2>
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We are settled for a month in Vidalia, LA. We're taking a little time to see whether we want to maintain the blog since we haven't for 6 months!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It SNOWED! One of us might have been excited.</td></tr>
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We continue to use Instagram daily and have been testing using You Tube. So hopefully we'll decide in the next week or so. Or not!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953971639700395597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6550818474190205330.post-18876773206142379782017-06-29T12:52:00.000-07:002017-06-29T12:53:21.576-07:00Nature, friends and brews<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
5/30/2017 -
6/16/2017 </div>
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On our trek north to get ever closer to home, we first stopped at Collier State Park near Klamath, OR. It had full hookups although we couldn't reach the water spigot so we had to buy a longer hose! Basically we felt like we were back to camping again with kids, campfires, and dogs but also really nice and mostly quiet. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Collier State Park</td></tr>
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It also rained so we felt like home! </div>
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We did a lot of miscellaneous shopping since we'd been away from larger cities for awhile. Since it was rainy, we binge watched Dark Matter on Netflix and just generally relaxed. We enjoyed a side trip to Crater Lake and Klamath Falls fish hatchery (which was super fun). Crater Lake was so different with all the snow! We were glad we saw it for the first time a few years ago without the snow but it was fun to see it piled so high around the lodge and visitors center etc.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So strange to walk among the<br />
tops of trees at Crater Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love the lodge at Crater Lake.<br />
And a fire just makes it!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So odd to see it with snow all around!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We took this picture last time we were here when there was<br />
no snow. Now I just have to find it!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pat had fun testing his drone taking shots of our campsite in Bend. <br />
We were among the trees where you can't hang a hammock (not bitter)</td></tr>
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On Friday June 2nd, we moved to Bend Thousand Trails (our first time there) and found a really great spot with tall trees and limited views of other campers! But horror of horrors, they had a rule about hanging things from trees (including hammocks) so someone was really pretty put out when I informed him of this rule. He'd already had it halfway up (one of the first things he did when setting up camp!). We also had trouble getting satellite of which we only cared about 110 because it provides the locals. I didn't mind but Pat said he just doesn't feel settled unless that working properly! AND the site only had water and electric so halfway between our two week stay, we had to dump the tanks which is basically like a move day! We did see two deer in our spot when we pulled in and three squirrels jumping from tree to tree chasing each other. Oh and a bunny later on. It was time for laundry again so we did that on our travel day (and later before we left again!).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYbH_srHIKWesnFiv4FOnX_7hTr17N4wCHe6uBnM48UDdxJJwuZP-ohhD0CmL79VPJ2id8mXEMSgH6S8XkqJUxXWbYIEk1PLu5kPcFzKt8m0f5ZA-sxf4F2b7znx8k6yV-DfHJPB98T9s/s1600/20170603_130904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYbH_srHIKWesnFiv4FOnX_7hTr17N4wCHe6uBnM48UDdxJJwuZP-ohhD0CmL79VPJ2id8mXEMSgH6S8XkqJUxXWbYIEk1PLu5kPcFzKt8m0f5ZA-sxf4F2b7znx8k6yV-DfHJPB98T9s/s320/20170603_130904.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wonderful hike to the falls with friends from home. </td></tr>
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We were thrilled to see our dear friends from home on that Saturday. They had planned this trip much earlier and when we discovered that, we moved up our schedule so we could meet them. We had a full day of hiking (Bendham Falls and picnic lunch), brewpubs (Atlas Ciders and Riverbend brewery) and a home cooked meal of steaks and baked potatoes at the place they were staying. What a GREAT day!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Home" chores - reworking the tech cabinet.</td></tr>
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We used this two week period in Bend to just be "home" meaning we just did what we felt like each day. Sometimes it was to go out and ride the bikes, other times to do things around the RV and other times explore scenery and brewpubs and downtown. We made summer reservations and did calendar planning. We got a lot done around the motorhome - reorganizing the tech cabinet and "retiring" the receiver (too big and we don't use) as well as reorganizing the freezer, sorting through scrapbook stuff (mostly toss!). We moved the satellite a gazillion times and finally found the local channels so we could get the morning and evening news. We binge watched another show on Netflix (Haven) and it ended the series so we can let that one go!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5MYewBGpLh2FOAoP_AQkcEJdDLgKxS0ADMHKTnNOXhewRaRZLxl_Ov1W6QOjhyphenhyphenW9azaf1hl9cP_ApIl4K8TDYhqsaflI6edATdEZiXD0gbHi5yyWyjpBeiP88_vInwQ496Qfev3xnsc/s1600/20170605_DSC01445-2017-06_LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5MYewBGpLh2FOAoP_AQkcEJdDLgKxS0ADMHKTnNOXhewRaRZLxl_Ov1W6QOjhyphenhyphenW9azaf1hl9cP_ApIl4K8TDYhqsaflI6edATdEZiXD0gbHi5yyWyjpBeiP88_vInwQ496Qfev3xnsc/s320/20170605_DSC01445-2017-06_LR.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">T-boned by a dog (who was ok!). <br />
About $1400 damage - arghh!</td></tr>
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One of the more memorable things that happened was we were hit by a dog (as Pat says we were t-boned!). We are so happy the dog was ok but our car definitely was not! We could only get the passenger door open about 10 inches... which for us is not wide enough! Found out Bend is super busy right now after a particularly rough winter so sadly we can't get the work done here. So we hope to do it in Vancouver when we're back there for a couple of weeks.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkL20FUlbdUL57F6z-KZMKzCutXmXIvTZuLBBvQLTAWDK3TJsZRi3ODEgNPKHhniA1E5tmjlxkzLTPbEczNc-tCLE5LV5dw9lu_hsQdapup33mei2_XNO9Otlytm8pHiowwqEUw0T-sMQ/s1600/20170608_073901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkL20FUlbdUL57F6z-KZMKzCutXmXIvTZuLBBvQLTAWDK3TJsZRi3ODEgNPKHhniA1E5tmjlxkzLTPbEczNc-tCLE5LV5dw9lu_hsQdapup33mei2_XNO9Otlytm8pHiowwqEUw0T-sMQ/s320/20170608_073901.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pat's new toy with his "mad" money (and Ellen thinks<br />
it is mad indeed (but totally cool video and photos!).</td></tr>
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Our two purchasing highlights were getting Pat's drone (Costco!) and Ellen's guitar (Bryan's guitar). Ellen had one (before downsizing!) but it was too big for travel so the new one is really small and works well! Pat is cautiously practicing with the drone and as he says he's afraid of heights - as in too low (and hitting trees etc.!). It will be fun to have more photos (and video) from the above pesrpective.<br />
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Another highlight during this stay was the drive (which wasn't the good part) to Salmon Creek Church UMC where they were holding a Legacy Sunday with 5 former pastors (most of whom Pat worked with while he was Choir director there). It was so GREAT to see dear friends and connect with family (however briefly since we drove out and back the same day!). <br />
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Pat got his VR goggles as part of picking up mail while in Vancouver and we had fun testing that out too! It works with his Samsung 7 phone and isn't the greatest but definitely novel and fun!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEDzCyxDNgOGKS6tqfqqU5cxXi8jg40ercCttqki5Wj51dplw9Auphua9_lnZqNqEb-xKFnF6xAK60SHvdCg5BNizL-E-lGygX9j2htV3ibvKYtdKAhlygLZbtGFbl4GFERi0JJeyunHw/s1600/20170609_DSC01462-2017-06_LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEDzCyxDNgOGKS6tqfqqU5cxXi8jg40ercCttqki5Wj51dplw9Auphua9_lnZqNqEb-xKFnF6xAK60SHvdCg5BNizL-E-lGygX9j2htV3ibvKYtdKAhlygLZbtGFbl4GFERi0JJeyunHw/s320/20170609_DSC01462-2017-06_LR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lava caves where we tried out our new Costco headlamps!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRHsqCDpABCMtlEtSRVrdFB0vQceWmMDs-4-AeNHSyOxBaKZn4qeeock1g6pSo1zJSB2Qk0RQAc8FmrY3GWf8gWUUX7M8k0KdsFT66MPhse3I4YdF1Rc1iorVlu7ez-ucdKs8faNjEVeY/s1600/20170614_DSC01506-2017-06_LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRHsqCDpABCMtlEtSRVrdFB0vQceWmMDs-4-AeNHSyOxBaKZn4qeeock1g6pSo1zJSB2Qk0RQAc8FmrY3GWf8gWUUX7M8k0KdsFT66MPhse3I4YdF1Rc1iorVlu7ez-ucdKs8faNjEVeY/s320/20170614_DSC01506-2017-06_LR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had a lot of fun on the bikes (after we finally got a map!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKkMb5Jw8Mlhh0nsV46NxcYMWxZQ-dS8XI1ZcFPm-aOh0Gz0uZwEiCzHVD68C_-Yd3LuFoE1SgA2v3iL_LJAGvhEU01GSjzMJ0rk914tBXXTdhIYIRGByDEobpTWaAEqloo3Mf2oXTYDE/s1600/20170611_DSC01463-2017-06_LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKkMb5Jw8Mlhh0nsV46NxcYMWxZQ-dS8XI1ZcFPm-aOh0Gz0uZwEiCzHVD68C_-Yd3LuFoE1SgA2v3iL_LJAGvhEU01GSjzMJ0rk914tBXXTdhIYIRGByDEobpTWaAEqloo3Mf2oXTYDE/s320/20170611_DSC01463-2017-06_LR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild Ride Brewery - always love a place by the fire!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcss1LECr7w5WZqHh9x98FiCuu5jO_JpgK84h5JZu-sFE1f4g-idPRD1oM9cJ8Nmsui5LJXHMfAAp-zrlH6IMQlr2H00Y2q_PcRLUeDHB4fzUn9NRQYWTtLV-w9ZWPVTkSB9futDhOuOg/s1600/20170616_DSC01510-2017-06_LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcss1LECr7w5WZqHh9x98FiCuu5jO_JpgK84h5JZu-sFE1f4g-idPRD1oM9cJ8Nmsui5LJXHMfAAp-zrlH6IMQlr2H00Y2q_PcRLUeDHB4fzUn9NRQYWTtLV-w9ZWPVTkSB9futDhOuOg/s320/20170616_DSC01510-2017-06_LR.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Found this at Costco!! <br />
Sadly only at the Bend location!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-EkFCO84QFJIMXZPjEOlNmXVa_KIwHNC_vzdFZNUzty0gD-1t5tnGUgh2_1sJ7I6gbN7zP0W5wYq_NPuO3xJO7rCrvdx-8NaCTqK9fqROPqyLolJIbL9p9PpJMUAmAEdTVDUnSBd1uM/s1600/20170613_132823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-EkFCO84QFJIMXZPjEOlNmXVa_KIwHNC_vzdFZNUzty0gD-1t5tnGUgh2_1sJ7I6gbN7zP0W5wYq_NPuO3xJO7rCrvdx-8NaCTqK9fqROPqyLolJIbL9p9PpJMUAmAEdTVDUnSBd1uM/s320/20170613_132823.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We didn't go far on this hike -<br />
too much snow!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42r77SPWMygrAhYCd-iZVTXPopKlN9c_4VwkfBZ7W8xMQ_6zKKl1DZnkx-MbeHXJ-gU3-n7ivXBY-p2oFSUY45OD8ugKrW8f_EMEw0waDkTQU5qQoh9U1So-xXQRW80bBk6CH1Ca2SZE/s1600/20170613_140614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42r77SPWMygrAhYCd-iZVTXPopKlN9c_4VwkfBZ7W8xMQ_6zKKl1DZnkx-MbeHXJ-gU3-n7ivXBY-p2oFSUY45OD8ugKrW8f_EMEw0waDkTQU5qQoh9U1So-xXQRW80bBk6CH1Ca2SZE/s320/20170613_140614.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful scenery all around you - especially the <br />
snow covered mountains on a sunny day!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICxTwPiG38nX8lAm7mMR6riM0JE725cizVzBnQkd9PhXkSgUabLpo9gRZ-_3CJS5tasr0VduimCR2ozZ8FuNgkDSec41tRg6VfGs29fJY0CTtm2g83yFceXk0S2GCAfqffEneJnAb3jk/s1600/20170613_DSC01491-2017-06_LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICxTwPiG38nX8lAm7mMR6riM0JE725cizVzBnQkd9PhXkSgUabLpo9gRZ-_3CJS5tasr0VduimCR2ozZ8FuNgkDSec41tRg6VfGs29fJY0CTtm2g83yFceXk0S2GCAfqffEneJnAb3jk/s320/20170613_DSC01491-2017-06_LR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Someday it would be nice if the majesty of the scenery<br />
could show up in these photos! Oh and the SMELL!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And probably the last highlight of this stay was meeting up with Instagram friends at Bend brewery. Great people and we really enjoyed seeing them again after an initial meetup outside of Bryce. So much fun to exchange stories and share what led us to this lifestyle. And share tips!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXB-VocmaLErbSdFpyCU_-Z_Jcxu82dtVWMoEDl-5bbcUrQfybIaJjhuW1DiQPWJTUYhmscgRtajg0tKDEYNjg8jxliYtMESROQ4Ne4ew9k0IWKCF6v1TThELfzTHyjhgecPhr5inUdMk/s1600/20170612_DSC01483-2017-06_LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXB-VocmaLErbSdFpyCU_-Z_Jcxu82dtVWMoEDl-5bbcUrQfybIaJjhuW1DiQPWJTUYhmscgRtajg0tKDEYNjg8jxliYtMESROQ4Ne4ew9k0IWKCF6v1TThELfzTHyjhgecPhr5inUdMk/s200/20170612_DSC01483-2017-06_LR.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many brewery stops!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Highlights</b>: Just being settled for awhile, visiting friends and family, this area and weather was beautiful! Continue to love riding our e-bikes and this area (mostly) was great for that.<br />
<br />
<b>Lowlights</b>: crowded and bike riding in Bend (at least where we went) wasn't as friendly as we'd hoped. Have to ride on the road quite a bit more than we expected (with lots of traffic) and maps and trails weren't marked as well as expected. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhouPUAtRe49dVMEbeQpGTUofK50tfee_jd0qaK2M9gTGciYqrZOOvNrYQl1aa8Rl4-DXVr7f-aRRR9rmRtrtHTtoMXJQk2GklL6Zvgmz5fcmbuclBxwGn8BFUCMyO2dxRh5YIHWEqtzps/s1600/20170605_DSC01441-2017-06_LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhouPUAtRe49dVMEbeQpGTUofK50tfee_jd0qaK2M9gTGciYqrZOOvNrYQl1aa8Rl4-DXVr7f-aRRR9rmRtrtHTtoMXJQk2GklL6Zvgmz5fcmbuclBxwGn8BFUCMyO2dxRh5YIHWEqtzps/s320/20170605_DSC01441-2017-06_LR.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another brewery!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Things we're wondering</b>: how do we handle mail now that Pat's aunt (who was doing it for us) will be moving away from the area. We have to fill out a form to allow a virtual mail place to handle our mail but the form requires you to list where you live (plus your license and one other id need to match that address). We've had at least 3 addresses within the last year PLUS we'll have the new one with the virtual address! An none of them are where we live now!<br />
<br />
<b>Things we're also wondering</b>: How to get better at putting photos on our blog so they don't look stupid!!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953971639700395597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6550818474190205330.post-51338825264665878372017-06-13T09:24:00.000-07:002017-06-13T09:24:02.392-07:006 month on the road assessment introductionSince I can't figure out how to put an introduction at the top of the nicely formatted Word document which is a table, here is the paragraph before we get to the official assessment in the next post!<br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
We've actually been
living in the RV since August 15, 2016 when we picked it up in Michigan but we
don't consider our "travelling" to have started until we retired and
left the Pacific Northwest after Thanksgiving 2016. So this assessment is based primarily on
December 2016 through May 2017. Weather
and the places we went of course would impact this assessment. So, here are some of my (Ellen's) thoughts of
our experiences so far! For most of you
this will be TLDR (too long didn't read!) but if I could tell my earlier self
some things, this is some of what I would say!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953971639700395597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6550818474190205330.post-74369923291854238352017-06-13T09:23:00.000-07:002017-06-13T09:23:11.287-07:006 months on the road assessment<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml"
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</head>
<body lang=EN-US style='tab-interval:.5in'>
<div class=WordSection1>
<table class=MsoNormalTable border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0
style='border-collapse:collapse;border:none;mso-border-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
mso-yfti-tbllook:1184;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 0in 0in'>
<tr style='mso-yfti-irow:0;mso-yfti-firstrow:yes'>
<td width=602 valign=top style='width:301.05pt;border:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>Size
matters but not as much as we thought<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width=824 valign=top style='width:412.2pt;border:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
border-left:none;mso-border-left-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>Because
we unexpectedly love <span class=SpellE>boondocking</span>, size doesn't
really matter.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Since there is so much
open space, if you can drive it there, there's lots of room.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>However, we do appreciate the shorter
length for maneuvering in most of the other places we've been and for more
choices of campsites.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>And when we're <span
class=GramE>back</span> home, it will matter again since there are fewer
accessible <span class=SpellE>boondocking</span> sites in Washington.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Also because we pull our toad, we don't
pull off to places along a route very often because we're too long to
maneuver in many roadside attractions/markets/views etc. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style='mso-yfti-irow:1'>
<td width=602 valign=top style='width:301.05pt;border:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>After
all the struggles to find the perfect RV, is this the right RV for us?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width=824 valign=top style='width:412.2pt;border-top:none;border-left:
none;border-bottom:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;border-right:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>So
far, I think yes!<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>BUT I still envy
smaller and simpler (like vans and small trailers and airstreams with lots of
windows and no slides).<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>But I love the
room the double slides provide in the living area of our RV where we spend
most of our time when we're in camp.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>But the windows are so small and have bars across them so it doesn't
feel like you're "out in nature".<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>The only window that is always wonderful (unless you're facing the
sun!) is the front window.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>I
also hesitate to remodel and make it our own wondering if we might decide we
want something else and resale value will be impacted if we aren't careful
with the changes (or even keep the original furniture).<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>I think we're ready to remodel (change the
things we don't like) but it's so much work to figure out what we want and
research how to make it happen!<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>So
until the pain of what we have outweighs the work, I think we're staying the
same for <span class=SpellE>awhile</span>!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>We
<span class=GramE>are loving</span> using the economical car to make day
trips with.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>We can't imagine doing
this in a real gas guzzler.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>We spend
enough on sightseeing gas as it is!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>I
think the biggest regret of what we ordered as options was getting the
upgraded sound system because of the following:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:27.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;vertical-align:middle'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>1.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>It's huge - between the receiver/amplifier <span
class=GramE>and<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>the</span> subwoofer
we've lost a lot of usable space for something we aren't using due to the
following...<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:27.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;vertical-align:middle'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>2.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>We don't really use it for TV and it doesn't do
what we really wanted which is to <span class=SpellE>bluetooth</span> from
our phones to the surround sound speakers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:27.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;vertical-align:middle'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>3.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>We often don't have hookups (to electricity) so
we are using a portable battery <span class=SpellE>boombox</span> anyway and
they make quite good sound.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</tr>
<tr style='mso-yfti-irow:2'>
<td width=602 valign=top style='width:301.05pt;border:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>What
are some of the issues you wish you could solve or hope to solve with this
motorhome?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width=824 valign=top style='width:412.2pt;border-top:none;border-left:
none;border-bottom:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;border-right:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
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padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>Here
are some things that I wish were different about our motorhome (not in any
particular order).<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Also, I don't think
we'll actually change (or be able to change) some of these!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:27.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;
mso-list:l4 level1 lfo2;tab-stops:list .5in;vertical-align:middle'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>1.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>Smaller TV - the current one is something like
48" and covers the whole window!<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>So it feels oppressive when it's up (it's on a <span class=SpellE>televator</span>
- which is good!) and just feels huge for the room.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:27.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;
mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3;tab-stops:list .5in;vertical-align:middle'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>2.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>Replace couch with reclining love seat for more
comfortable seating but retain ability to lay on the "couch" (our
couch space is pretty short!).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:27.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;
mso-list:l3 level1 lfo4;tab-stops:list .5in;vertical-align:middle'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>3.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>Booth dinette is uncomfortable and sticks out
pretty far.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Would prefer cupboards and
rolling table with chairs for more flexibility.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:27.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;
mso-list:l2 level1 lfo5;tab-stops:list .5in;vertical-align:middle'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>4.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>Better linen/pantry space - it works but all of
the cupboards (or restricted openings) make it a challenge to put anything
wide and/or <span class=GramE>tall<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>into</span> the cupboards.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>I
miss having one large cupboard that is flexible to make it a space that works
best for your needs.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:27.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;
mso-list:l2 level1 lfo5;tab-stops:list .5in;vertical-align:middle'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>5.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>A place to put the kitchen garbage.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Because we really need the cupboard space
under the sink, we don't want to remove the shelf in order to put the garbage
can there.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>So it sits in the middle of
our very small kitchen space!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:27.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;
mso-list:l2 level1 lfo5;tab-stops:list .5in;vertical-align:middle'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>6.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>Need some sort of shade for the front window to
keep down the heat!<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>The black shade
seems to attract the heat rather than block it!<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>We'll probably invest in an outside
windshield cover.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:27.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal'><span
style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style='mso-yfti-irow:3'>
<td width=602 valign=top style='width:301.05pt;border:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>Pace<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width=824 valign=top style='width:412.2pt;border-top:none;border-left:
none;border-bottom:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;border-right:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>We
have travelled as quickly as nightly (rare) and as much as two weeks (also
rare).<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>We seem to like 5 - 7 days as
the most relaxing but we mostly move on as we feel like it.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Sometimes we're happy to just hang around
and not worry about where and when to go next and sometimes we are itching to
move along for one reason or another.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>If we are paying for a campsite, we'll often only pay for two nights
at a time to make sure we don't commit to longer in case we want to move on
due to <span class=GramE>boredom ,</span> weather or meeting up with friends
somewhere etc.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>We try to average
around 120 miles per move but it's often shorter than that unless we're
trying to get some place faster <span class=SpellE>then</span> it will be
farther.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style='mso-yfti-irow:4'>
<td width=602 valign=top style='width:301.05pt;border:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>Lonelier
than we thought<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width=824 valign=top style='width:412.2pt;border-top:none;border-left:
none;border-bottom:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;border-right:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>Of
course we knew we'd miss our family and friends.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>And before we started this venture I
worried how we'd make friends when we're constantly traveling.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Others (on the forums) assured us we'd make
many new friends along the way.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>I
think that will be true <span class=SpellE>some day</span> but so far we've
made a lot of "could be" friends!<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>But you have to be with them in order to go beyond <span class=GramE>acquaintances<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>and</span><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>become friends!<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>When we stay
at Thousand Trails, we meet a lot of friendly folk - for minutes at a time
then they move on or we move on.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>And
we often feel out of place between the "older" retirees and the
young working couples or families.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>Within the last month or so, we've started connecting with Instagram
"friends" which has been the best because we have an instant
affinity (<span class=SpellE>boondocking</span> and living full time on the
road) and we can stay in touch as we each travel our separate ways and
reconnect when we're close again.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Even
those we haven't met in person seem like friends as you discover what you
have in common and personalities are revealed in posts.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style='mso-yfti-irow:5'>
<td width=602 valign=top style='width:301.05pt;border:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>Not
camping in State, County and National Parks like we'd hoped<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width=824 valign=top style='width:412.2pt;border-top:none;border-left:
none;border-bottom:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;border-right:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>There
are four main reasons for this 1) cost of state parks (in CA/WA at
least!)<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>2) Many were<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>full or closed due to snow or off-season or
you have to have a reservation<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>3)
Plenty of free beautiful <span class=SpellE>boondocking</span> spots (in the
SW)<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>4)<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>When Thousand Trails is nearby, it's easier and cheaper to just use
that as a home base<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>Because
of the cost in Washington State parks, we don't think we will stay extended
times there when we're back home.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>You
pay a premium for peak season (when we're home) and for "popular"
campsites (which seemed to be all the ones we want!).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style='mso-yfti-irow:6'>
<td width=602 valign=top style='width:301.05pt;border:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>Not
spending time outside in our camp as much as we thought we would<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width=824 valign=top style='width:412.2pt;border-top:none;border-left:
none;border-bottom:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;border-right:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>This
could change as we move into summer BUT I'm surprised we don't use our camp
as a living room as much.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Usually it's
because of the weather or bugs but another factor is convenience.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Everything we want is inside the motorhome
so you end up going In and out a lot and it's just easier to do everything
inside unless you're ready to settle for <span class=SpellE>awhile</span> to
read or take a nap on the hammock.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>When we're travelling more frequently, it takes more time to set up and
take down the outside area so we don't do that as much as well.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>And
this is an odd statement - the motorhome is so high off the ground, you don't
feel like outdoors is an extension of your home like walking into another
room.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>It's like going from upstairs
living area to downstairs family room.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>Hope that makes sense but it surprises me how much difference that
makes mentally about your space.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style='mso-yfti-irow:7'>
<td width=602 valign=top style='width:301.05pt;border:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>Managing
weather and routes and places to stay takes more time and energy than I
thought!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width=824 valign=top style='width:412.2pt;border-top:none;border-left:
none;border-bottom:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;border-right:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>Because
we don't like to drive in heavy winds and we prefer to not go up and down
mountains if another route is available and not too far out of the way, we do
spend a lot of time trying to find the wind and elevations on our planned and
alternate routes.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Not so easy to
do!<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Not to mention where should we go
and what camping options are available (preferably free, quiet, beautiful
easy to get in and out and has data!).<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>And all that is nearly impossible to research without data (now I
really admire our full-time RV pioneers who did it without cell phones, email
and internet!).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style='mso-yfti-irow:8'>
<td width=602 valign=top style='width:301.05pt;border:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span class=SpellE><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>Boondocking</span></span><span
style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'> is so peaceful
and RV parks are not<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width=824 valign=top style='width:412.2pt;border-top:none;border-left:
none;border-bottom:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;border-right:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>I
always knew that my "space" was important to me.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>From the office to home to the RV to
camping spots - I need light and nature and privacy.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>RV parks drive me crazy - everywhere you
look, you see white 5th wheels and trailers and motorhomes (for some reason
the darker ones are easier on the eyes in nature!).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>When
we boondock out in the middle of no and where with a few relatively distant
neighbors, the fresh air, views, birds, and quiet are so relaxing and
peaceful.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Every window produces a
stunning vista or at a minimum of rocks and bushes!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style='mso-yfti-irow:9'>
<td width=602 valign=top style='width:301.05pt;border:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>Not
as many bugs as I feared<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width=824 valign=top style='width:412.2pt;border-top:none;border-left:
none;border-bottom:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;border-right:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>At
least not in the motorhome.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Flies
every once in <span class=SpellE>awhile</span> and same with those darn
stinkbugs.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>But so far no ants, minimal
spiders, no earwigs, and no mice.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>Mosquitos outside in some places.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>And I know when we're back in the NW and other parts of the country
I'll get to deal with them again!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style='mso-yfti-irow:10'>
<td width=602 valign=top style='width:301.05pt;border:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>Colder
and hotter and windier than I thought<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width=824 valign=top style='width:412.2pt;border-top:none;border-left:
none;border-bottom:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;border-right:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>It
seems like we went from unusual (much needed) rain to much colder than normal
(so we're told) and straight to <span class=GramE>mid-80's</span> and skipped
the part about low 70's!<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>We seem to be
either too hot or too cold most of the time.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>But almost always it's windy!<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>Southwest I guess!<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>And season?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style='mso-yfti-irow:11'>
<td width=602 valign=top style='width:301.05pt;border:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>Managing
solar with a residential fridge, 48" TV and DISH with DVR recorder and
laptops and phones takes more power than we thought!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width=824 valign=top style='width:412.2pt;border-top:none;border-left:
none;border-bottom:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;border-right:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>Since
we've never measured this before I don't know how we could have a
preconceived notion but I guess based on others stating they have all this
stuff and their solar/batteries handles it great.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>The problem is there are many folks with
minimal electrical needs but we are on the mid to high end.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>While we don't plan to use microwave or
blow dryer on batteries (and we always knew A/C was not an option except on
the generator), we did hope we could last days <span class=SpellE>boondocking</span>
before we'd need to charge the batteries.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>Now we hope to recharge them daily via sun or generator.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>We don't have enough experience on the new
golf cart batteries and solar (especially in the NW with all the trees) to
know if daily solar/generator will work.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>Stay tuned!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style='mso-yfti-irow:12'>
<td width=602 valign=top style='width:301.05pt;border:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>Solar
is good!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width=824 valign=top style='width:412.2pt;border-top:none;border-left:
none;border-bottom:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;border-right:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>We
didn't even wait to research solar like we usually do.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>We just went to a place several people
recommended and said let's do this!<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>So
as we read and learn more about the different options, we wonder if we have
the right setup but we're glad we didn't wait.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>If it works, then all is good.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>If it needs tweaking, then we'll get it
done!<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Before solar, we ran the
generator 2 hours in the morning and 2-3 in the evening.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Now it is quiet unless we want to use the
microwave or it's been unusually cold and we've had to run the furnace a
lot.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Or cloudy days!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style='mso-yfti-irow:13'>
<td width=602 valign=top style='width:301.05pt;border:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>WIFI
turns out to be not as important as we thought<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width=824 valign=top style='width:412.2pt;border-top:none;border-left:
none;border-bottom:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;border-right:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>We
wish we had purchased a cell phone booster instead of a <span class=SpellE>wifi</span>
booster.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>It was great at first - we
would not have had <span class=SpellE>wifi</span> at several parks without
it.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>But over time we found many parks
claimed to have <span class=SpellE>wifi</span> but it didn't reach even our
booster or you had to pay extra for it or it limited the sites we could
choose.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>When Verizon offered unlimited
<span class=GramE>data, that</span> was it.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>We now feel so much freer and relaxed about internet.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>It's a tool to use when we need it instead
of monitoring to see if we have enough data to do the things we needed or
wanted to do.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style='mso-yfti-irow:14'>
<td width=602 valign=top style='width:301.05pt;border:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>Gas
prices are great in Arizona<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width=824 valign=top style='width:412.2pt;border-top:none;border-left:
none;border-bottom:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;border-right:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>And
bad in CA.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>And probably bad back in
the NW when we go back for the summer.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>This is still painful to pay when the prices go way up but if we
continue to budget it pessimistically then we at least won't go over
budget!<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Oh, and I never paid attention
to gas taxes in other states before.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>I
recently looked at a chart and Washington is like the second highest in the
nation!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style='mso-yfti-irow:15'>
<td width=602 valign=top style='width:301.05pt;border:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>More
crowded than we expected<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width=824 valign=top style='width:412.2pt;border-top:none;border-left:
none;border-bottom:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;border-right:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>Once
spring hit, we are continually surprised at how busy and crowded places
are.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>We're talking about the middle of
the week.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Someone said "rolling
spring breaks" and <span class=GramE>that was part of it but now we're
at the end of April and it seems everywhere we turn there are</span> so many
tour buses and visitors from other countries.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>We think it would be very quiet otherwise as we haven't run into that
many other Americans traveling mid-week.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style='mso-yfti-irow:16;mso-yfti-lastrow:yes'>
<td width=602 valign=top style='width:301.05pt;border:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>Still
trying to figure out what we want for this season of our lives<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width=824 valign=top style='width:412.2pt;border-top:none;border-left:
none;border-bottom:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;border-right:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
mso-border-top-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid #A3A3A3 1.0pt;
padding:4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal'><span style='mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri'>We
are very grateful we can have this kind of exciting and awe inspiring life to
see the wonders of this beautiful country and meet so many great people.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>But <span class=SpellE>its</span> hard not
being back home to help family as they go through moves and trials (and
joys!) of life.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>And to contribute in
some way by volunteering etc.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>I know
we've said this lifestyle allows us to go where we want when we want but in
reality, the distance makes it impractical unless we stay close (and/or in
one place long enough) in which case it would make more sense to live in a
house in a community and make shorter trips for family or adventuring.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>So, it will be interesting to see how we
reconcile these <span class=GramE>somewhat<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>conflicting</span> desires as we move through the retirement
years!<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953971639700395597noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6550818474190205330.post-83398049221050691992017-06-09T11:35:00.000-07:002017-06-09T11:35:03.753-07:00Lower Truckee, Donner Pass, Spanish Creek Campground, a wide spot in the road, and a Fairgrounds with full hookupsNorthern California<br />
May 22 - 30<br />
<br />
As we left the Reno Lake Tahoe there was a decision to make… The main highway north was 395, better road, shorter path or highway 89, the more scenic, longer and more uncertain for a motorhome path. So of course we took highway 89. <br />
<br />
As Washoe Lake State Park's dump station was closed due to high water we elected to go to a nearby campground and use their $5 dump station before venturing into the unknown looking for a suitable camping spot near Truckee, CA. The dump station was on a serious downward incline. This turned out to be a useless experience as we were only able to get rid of half a tanks worth before it stopped working. We filled our water and were on our way. Ended up stopping at an RV park along the way $10 to finish the job. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3Nf1UVoofZI3dLOlumcalWYWbLr0ZwsJM6aJgQMWUlx7p5F4IhkGEiPloaUws8NwZoCg_5jRBZEB0jtBek5m2pmsckmI3b8t5Re3iq0bhGvCe7r7J1HpYgJB3wErAfASPuIcadraJw/s1600/DSC01264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3Nf1UVoofZI3dLOlumcalWYWbLr0ZwsJM6aJgQMWUlx7p5F4IhkGEiPloaUws8NwZoCg_5jRBZEB0jtBek5m2pmsckmI3b8t5Re3iq0bhGvCe7r7J1HpYgJB3wErAfASPuIcadraJw/s320/DSC01264.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Empty Campground with reserved on all sites.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We had seen Little Lower Truckee Campground on our Allstays app. It was a reservation Forest Service campground in the Lower Truckee River. But as a reservation camp it could be full and we were only a few days from Memorial weekend. We arrived and it was empty but had reserved signs on all the sites starting in a few days. Reading the notice board it looked like we could stay one night, but if someone went online and reserved our spot for the next day we would have to move. We left the Motorhome there and went in search of a Forest Service road where we could safely camp for a few days without worries of having to move early. Low and behold we came across a Forest Service employee working in the area. He told us we could safely stay two days at Lower Truckee but most likely not have to leave until the weekend. This was a scenic byway and there would be no Forest Service road camping allowed. So we setup at Lower Little Truckee within sight and sound of the river. We never had any neighbors while we were there and the only one who stopped by was the ranger working on upgrading the potable water system. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
While there we visited Donner Memorial State Park. Learned the full story of the Donner party who <br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJUdlq-fbGESLmImPd7q2nT8QCmuafKe2OoUXpJffiqL5xKybrXgclop_N4K-u2XKtQlcU44yGobhAhgayv_2hF3i-n_lgoLpgwyxwEP764p4xQX2HBnVUWe6BP0lCr9DUqfA8lwpWw/s1600/20170523_091232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJUdlq-fbGESLmImPd7q2nT8QCmuafKe2OoUXpJffiqL5xKybrXgclop_N4K-u2XKtQlcU44yGobhAhgayv_2hF3i-n_lgoLpgwyxwEP764p4xQX2HBnVUWe6BP0lCr9DUqfA8lwpWw/s320/20170523_091232.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bike ride near the Lake in Donner Memorial NP.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPLvQSaUbyvmd4guJEP1sVZ4RR9bscQIpd7ruCfnY1mU5drqLqaY0zLyCjZFdfWGUrR3h-VLV1V_yxDOVUWQ1FatCb5TdG9udJgZF5ivphZird-2cZDn7ABw96WVYHGWxElGIP5tDfA/s1600/20170523_094152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPLvQSaUbyvmd4guJEP1sVZ4RR9bscQIpd7ruCfnY1mU5drqLqaY0zLyCjZFdfWGUrR3h-VLV1V_yxDOVUWQ1FatCb5TdG9udJgZF5ivphZird-2cZDn7ABw96WVYHGWxElGIP5tDfA/s200/20170523_094152.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Donner Statue</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
were trapped by winter crossing the mountains and lost most of their party to cold and starvation. I'll leave you to look up the story online, but let me just say the shortcuts are not always the best choices. It was a great park for biking and we rode the trails near the lake and around the park.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAQTeObLYBwJtN8RrQyAy0f8Lbm2JNffxWRdzB9d6hj05lnTjzpeZOEhaQCOBwWwGFXuGXEdXvUGbum9f7tTJdYIAdcRRhLlelK_z81YW11Vr2IpgABkeNZR9UJbcqnNWDyBx_NNcbWg/s1600/20170523_161222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAQTeObLYBwJtN8RrQyAy0f8Lbm2JNffxWRdzB9d6hj05lnTjzpeZOEhaQCOBwWwGFXuGXEdXvUGbum9f7tTJdYIAdcRRhLlelK_z81YW11Vr2IpgABkeNZR9UJbcqnNWDyBx_NNcbWg/s320/20170523_161222.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lower Little Truckee hammock resting.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1huJLqethX45TB_wloQSqqj9ACcGP8pnB0k48ky3bJqwqh0CPV8wGxbvsQ17zZT1IK2va8M5aLr6_4SSvgDsOnjJuEEeWbSf_ywXN-9sUQ2xQebrCeVZE5wZzjxVd0QoNUHKktzyfwg/s1600/20170524_200828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1huJLqethX45TB_wloQSqqj9ACcGP8pnB0k48ky3bJqwqh0CPV8wGxbvsQ17zZT1IK2va8M5aLr6_4SSvgDsOnjJuEEeWbSf_ywXN-9sUQ2xQebrCeVZE5wZzjxVd0QoNUHKktzyfwg/s320/20170524_200828.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spanish Creek Campground. Near the river. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
From Lower Little Truckee Campground we headed up highway 89 to Spanish Creek Campground near Quincy, CA. Another spot next to a river. Here we could stay until Friday of Memorial weekend. It too was all booked up for the weekend but we could stay three days. Long enough for us to enjoy the sights and look up near Lake Almanor for our Memorial weekend landing spot. There were kayakers on the river that made us miss ours. We really had no way to take them along on this RV adventure, but when you see a great place to play… We took a daytrip up to lake Almanor and found an "interesting" place to stay. From there we could easily get to Lassen Volcanic National Park. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAEE0qpHs2tINZ_m_tc9NOTsVBPWf6Aa8-Tdv_FCG2kGJOMIcfqOczcHmvgDlNSeTmCI4yf5xw9E0-w6HQgjV4-y4lfV-8c24yWxfwU5Ql5xsdbHb0NrkBzRGDAEMQh1O01MGOik8vyw/s1600/20170527_093645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAEE0qpHs2tINZ_m_tc9NOTsVBPWf6Aa8-Tdv_FCG2kGJOMIcfqOczcHmvgDlNSeTmCI4yf5xw9E0-w6HQgjV4-y4lfV-8c24yWxfwU5Ql5xsdbHb0NrkBzRGDAEMQh1O01MGOik8vyw/s320/20170527_093645.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wide spot in the road camping</td></tr>
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The place we moved to next was a Forest service road off Highway 36 near Westwood, CA. I called it "interesting" as it was really a pull off right next to the road. Most camping spots like this are more off the road with fire rings. You could tell folks had used the spot for camping in the past as there was some trash and I picked up the remnant of a broken toy around the area. We were a little concerned that this might be a local party spot and the weekend was upon us. The whole weekend we saw only one truck and a motorcycle pass our spot. Unnerving at first to leave your motorhome for a daytrip in an exposed place in the middle of nowhere, but all went well. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF_03JUZP616INcv0iR_ssnaW-q2TCFUr9QIxW5eXtvH6awZ598LWz0IPqBzpKzl4_-LSv6QSlRdigsUfp5iMlGOg-DYMwBYrYqy2DRLrl_6P76sRsBHCpo-IT8JTV71ZB-KQuVrezsg/s1600/20170526_110913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF_03JUZP616INcv0iR_ssnaW-q2TCFUr9QIxW5eXtvH6awZ598LWz0IPqBzpKzl4_-LSv6QSlRdigsUfp5iMlGOg-DYMwBYrYqy2DRLrl_6P76sRsBHCpo-IT8JTV71ZB-KQuVrezsg/s200/20170526_110913.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parking and napping space.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHIjH_eoI5lrB5nYYAZHqK1UUcnbb5HxVP2UwFDMS4-kn9uHQB0j_5AIb6wITEildzqacu3_e1pQ5LG7wkDQj1UtZlHTX0UBGv2t3Ud5rh8MjQBDwxlcFClK3GkmAQO2eZS6O98MmnTw/s1600/20170526_115212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHIjH_eoI5lrB5nYYAZHqK1UUcnbb5HxVP2UwFDMS4-kn9uHQB0j_5AIb6wITEildzqacu3_e1pQ5LG7wkDQj1UtZlHTX0UBGv2t3Ud5rh8MjQBDwxlcFClK3GkmAQO2eZS6O98MmnTw/s200/20170526_115212.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stinky bubbling mudpot.</td></tr>
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Lassen Volcanic National Park was nice but most of it was closed for snow removal. Memorial weekend and this National Park was still moving snow around. The Visitors Center had lots of information on different types of volcanos and videos the even featured Mt. Saint Helens eruption in 1980. Nice to see places from home. Despite the road being closed we could walk up to the sulphur works (stinky) and hike up the road to see the beauty of this snow covered park. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_MPlIZ30DFgyXDwNHY-w7gCc-gWV3Qza5De5zaFVjPYqBrONGZANZZiedDdy878FfXSzKQ0F-QqyyDktkCUZYRLYLoTe-grtp0Yzb6gxYJ0dEznD97OQpgPfBnGu4jnNr_Q7sTDY4-w/s1600/20170526_115923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_MPlIZ30DFgyXDwNHY-w7gCc-gWV3Qza5De5zaFVjPYqBrONGZANZZiedDdy878FfXSzKQ0F-QqyyDktkCUZYRLYLoTe-grtp0Yzb6gxYJ0dEznD97OQpgPfBnGu4jnNr_Q7sTDY4-w/s200/20170526_115923.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They're not finished open the road through the park.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52UBGzcJvdzNd2rMIO4KHFwntZtXRK-iqwZQq1QMPADgKWZ7_eNgEbrVCnlCQ5Z2YRLCManMhVKqY1sBOQwtkk0kv3ZPsOJGfY0ziIn3UyBDyaLeBtvqUaBd-7GGC6d6t6QBzgmBvkg/s1600/DSC01309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52UBGzcJvdzNd2rMIO4KHFwntZtXRK-iqwZQq1QMPADgKWZ7_eNgEbrVCnlCQ5Z2YRLCManMhVKqY1sBOQwtkk0kv3ZPsOJGfY0ziIn3UyBDyaLeBtvqUaBd-7GGC6d6t6QBzgmBvkg/s320/DSC01309.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the snow cleared ro</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtyePFhjwma6XuxHatPzIIXEQ8XD1iowFQYth03BUQfs0zSgs8KBpqMqodmSS5VT_GYxTqRRtILcmAr_uVzhNRg8hWDJWRb22m-AlUmO3CID4m8L9feZVZaTSm2qrLUflsc7GJZBQEQ/s1600/DSC01295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtyePFhjwma6XuxHatPzIIXEQ8XD1iowFQYth03BUQfs0zSgs8KBpqMqodmSS5VT_GYxTqRRtILcmAr_uVzhNRg8hWDJWRb22m-AlUmO3CID4m8L9feZVZaTSm2qrLUflsc7GJZBQEQ/s200/DSC01295.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwtE1hgcAJLVuzsCBJdGFsJUBOpSjjRU7F26lKxZxFiwbJT6tppSC-yZNkYMawuDIggHgFPdCrICAmAVGbitouOY0wS5IFPmPe2AqM6INsEVTuWf2Dllkckcbjql6aVDmHMMqGtP25bA/s1600/DSC01297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwtE1hgcAJLVuzsCBJdGFsJUBOpSjjRU7F26lKxZxFiwbJT6tppSC-yZNkYMawuDIggHgFPdCrICAmAVGbitouOY0wS5IFPmPe2AqM6INsEVTuWf2Dllkckcbjql6aVDmHMMqGtP25bA/s200/DSC01297.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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We also drove to Susanville and took a great bike<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOjJKBDYUJJ1SR7Qe9N1A4SL-ujT0sGnjrvgylde2pewXyf4oW32EBl65vGxdbaObM_dEPVIfJ3i26RI6c07fvS9wJlCuwNQ-aTS3hK1iaA8VK-OXEsaJb0ssBQR269G-52Hb6cadUg/s1600/20170527_112625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOjJKBDYUJJ1SR7Qe9N1A4SL-ujT0sGnjrvgylde2pewXyf4oW32EBl65vGxdbaObM_dEPVIfJ3i26RI6c07fvS9wJlCuwNQ-aTS3hK1iaA8VK-OXEsaJb0ssBQR269G-52Hb6cadUg/s320/20170527_112625.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Railroad tunnel.<br />Honking in tunnels is a thing. Right?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitm94RVAHhv6qc1eMScDTCN0MrE1T5I-JIs6K82J9zAad1nPj8QcpcFVH366eCQt2dCiYsl_mlrq-5fC12D1gHL3rb2T4syHBtSsHAFGrqVxd864ERyS8jMr9h727aW4UuEIBupI041Q/s1600/20170527_112506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitm94RVAHhv6qc1eMScDTCN0MrE1T5I-JIs6K82J9zAad1nPj8QcpcFVH366eCQt2dCiYsl_mlrq-5fC12D1gHL3rb2T4syHBtSsHAFGrqVxd864ERyS8jMr9h727aW4UuEIBupI041Q/s320/20170527_112506.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bike and hike trail on old Railroadbed.</td></tr>
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ride down an old railroad grade. It ran beside a river (I'm sensing a theme here) and went through two old tunnels. We rang our bike bells in the tunnel in lou of honking a horn. (Everyone honks in tunnels, right?) <br />
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To finish off our northern California meander, we headed up highway 139 to Tulelake, CA. Ok… This may seem like a Robert Frost poem as we could have gone 395 or even I-5, but it was a beautiful drive and the sights along the way were not to be missed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOt2faB2x13eQd1BGGG_R-Vr5xVNxT6Bpcorhzu05EFANoJZ58PVz0AkVJK4QiKPIbGhGJA3FRFv2-dbGoMCuC4lXDZDGhWsLH9EoZRvPKa4SU_BVoumXSPaS0qY-mpxOyHijCvgJzw/s1600/20170528_094340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOt2faB2x13eQd1BGGG_R-Vr5xVNxT6Bpcorhzu05EFANoJZ58PVz0AkVJK4QiKPIbGhGJA3FRFv2-dbGoMCuC4lXDZDGhWsLH9EoZRvPKa4SU_BVoumXSPaS0qY-mpxOyHijCvgJzw/s320/20170528_094340.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way to Tulelake we drove through clouds of insects.<br />Windshield cleaning in my future. </td></tr>
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In Tulelake we stayed at the fairgrounds. Inexpensive and it did have power, water and sewer at every site. There were half a dozen other Rvers there with us. Most seemed to have an inordinate number of dogs. We later found out there was a herding dog competition going on there. Most were border collies and it was fun to see them frolicking. The mornings also answered the eternal question: "Who let the dogs out?". From here we Visited Captain Jack's Stronghold, in Lava Beds National Monument. Oddly enough, Johnny Depp had nothing to do with this place. Captain Jack was the nickname of a Modoc Indian chief who fed up with the amazingly bad conditions on the reservation, returned to the tribal lands and was hunted by the US Army. Nice hike and I have no idea how anyone could have survived in the desolate place. There are also some nice caves in the National Monument area. We wandered through of two of the caves.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK0WI8aVbXm_TgpYnW9vzWNX946p3wxQjFvax_0uklzx2wk9Omdu9wW0DPL71gP-AN0x8lDw5pBY5FKGY2_Dl-S-k4iY1jOt_sVn2oOaI6710MBR-z1W0L96nMYSctMkCMQF1MyyAEsQ/s1600/DSC01340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK0WI8aVbXm_TgpYnW9vzWNX946p3wxQjFvax_0uklzx2wk9Omdu9wW0DPL71gP-AN0x8lDw5pBY5FKGY2_Dl-S-k4iY1jOt_sVn2oOaI6710MBR-z1W0L96nMYSctMkCMQF1MyyAEsQ/s320/DSC01340.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cave dwellers with weak flashlights.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdDaBDiAyHmcVmyUPsexx0mPa7KuAnuKhY5ajfg6hVrWYcZ-EqrhKMruEUoA-FT6601B8mWNwz_jrh1WVPH7ZgsUDG8TeW__DVgmivvNldhDlY53d1J59HNYn8h8uKdS_x9N4tfieZEQ/s1600/20170529_091039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdDaBDiAyHmcVmyUPsexx0mPa7KuAnuKhY5ajfg6hVrWYcZ-EqrhKMruEUoA-FT6601B8mWNwz_jrh1WVPH7ZgsUDG8TeW__DVgmivvNldhDlY53d1J59HNYn8h8uKdS_x9N4tfieZEQ/s320/20170529_091039.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Captain Jack's Stronghold. </td></tr>
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We also visited the Museum at the Fairgrounds that concerned the Japanese internment camp at Tulelake during WWII. The camp was closed in 1946 and most of the barracks were moved to become houses for the new town of Tulelake. One of the rangers at the museum actually lived in a former barrack. So there was nothing to see at the real site except a plaque by the road and some of the administration buildings. But the museum had lots of pictures and exhibits from that era.<br />
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An interesting observation on the area… There are no gas stations in Tulelake. We looked on Gas Buddy and found the closest gas was across the border in Oregon. Grocery stores they had, but gas, not so much. We took a trip to Oregon for gas and passed one of our Fairground neighbors by the side of the road with a blown tire. We stopped and assisted. Ellen kept watch for passing cars as the flat was on the road side of the trailer. They headed on their way and we got our gas feeling good about Rvers helping fellow Rvers. <br />
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Next stop, Thousand trails campground south of Bend, OR.<br />
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stpathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17773574659655573264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6550818474190205330.post-81586900230402241862017-06-02T08:22:00.000-07:002017-06-02T08:22:57.128-07:00Rejuvenation!<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
May 17-22, 2017</div>
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Reno/Lake Tahoe area</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3S3xDf2nU6P_jnA8NKarRVoPM1esvXfmo_ebKWFXVbJ9E3pIMqcwxOwIfYj5yXdayMQlOti4h69CkOCUC0ecOZGlf6J686i465kGtIOvhjndUyH98Sg1f60zQh_6hycDf_FQUvSFAraw/s1600/20170519_142802.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3S3xDf2nU6P_jnA8NKarRVoPM1esvXfmo_ebKWFXVbJ9E3pIMqcwxOwIfYj5yXdayMQlOti4h69CkOCUC0ecOZGlf6J686i465kGtIOvhjndUyH98Sg1f60zQh_6hycDf_FQUvSFAraw/s320/20170519_142802.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A silly selfie</td></tr>
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After the frustration of driving highway 50 (the loneliest road which was so different than I expected) and not finding a place with cell and free boondocking, we were so glad to land somewhere we could spend several days.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggZh6lwrSikYNmLk8X7swl9oAMEtiJelVto16GZILgiO77yLAbwn1m-9utcijdANyo7uw0kK66RpmH40lsPhqLnqaFmDh-f43ZtQopzSVhiqNXIytTuBqKkbpo9Xr8m5yaHChLULvPfzY/s1600/20170517_150355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggZh6lwrSikYNmLk8X7swl9oAMEtiJelVto16GZILgiO77yLAbwn1m-9utcijdANyo7uw0kK66RpmH40lsPhqLnqaFmDh-f43ZtQopzSVhiqNXIytTuBqKkbpo9Xr8m5yaHChLULvPfzY/s320/20170517_150355.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Obligatory pic of our camping spot!<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGigB2OMGxwBLonlD_zFnCfh8c_dNpsdAZF4ZLuaB8Ct4cFD8VfVUT6kqnlV4rMr9lmwu5kcMukrjBrcskH4HeC0C2Cj36fiK3MWf5eZh0NM2EvTN06w2BQpgqTcmBodJ03WVtSx6gB44/s1600/20170520_125604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGigB2OMGxwBLonlD_zFnCfh8c_dNpsdAZF4ZLuaB8Ct4cFD8VfVUT6kqnlV4rMr9lmwu5kcMukrjBrcskH4HeC0C2Cj36fiK3MWf5eZh0NM2EvTN06w2BQpgqTcmBodJ03WVtSx6gB44/s320/20170520_125604.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As I said, time for relaxing a bit!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguvYhMrcnS09iYsAKIEHFs1hPp1D3O1AntrhsNG-gpsOGcl4wdwLL9MmNXYXsdGccxC8NGE0vH8esZtPMCmtLQUiamXLXbK77ciuvI3HwerQG04haKWxoa8g3j2jJi2_33VvrHcC9Lvvk/s1600/20170521_141710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggZh6lwrSikYNmLk8X7swl9oAMEtiJelVto16GZILgiO77yLAbwn1m-9utcijdANyo7uw0kK66RpmH40lsPhqLnqaFmDh-f43ZtQopzSVhiqNXIytTuBqKkbpo9Xr8m5yaHChLULvPfzY/s1600/20170517_150355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggZh6lwrSikYNmLk8X7swl9oAMEtiJelVto16GZILgiO77yLAbwn1m-9utcijdANyo7uw0kK66RpmH40lsPhqLnqaFmDh-f43ZtQopzSVhiqNXIytTuBqKkbpo9Xr8m5yaHChLULvPfzY/s1600/20170517_150355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
Even though it's $17 a night (which seems like a lot when you've been camping free so long), Washoe Lake SP was a great resting place to regroup, catch up on 5 (count 'em 5!) blog posts (because we had great Verizon), do some trip planning and use it as a base to see Lake Tahoe and other highlights of this area.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLuKjIhEgG88u7ZjXUtgcJA1U5FnsOrQtehubQ7UW9PHlsOk9EWxpLUjdibH7aaZtzBScszPL5FNk6g9piunlI2KnLIwISh02hbaROwUSoGEJzQmez_PQqpJ1B_f3zd0FPacp3T-W7WI/s1600/DSC01224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLuKjIhEgG88u7ZjXUtgcJA1U5FnsOrQtehubQ7UW9PHlsOk9EWxpLUjdibH7aaZtzBScszPL5FNk6g9piunlI2KnLIwISh02hbaROwUSoGEJzQmez_PQqpJ1B_f3zd0FPacp3T-W7WI/s320/DSC01224.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">More bugs accompanied our walk <br />to the water near our campsite!</td></tr>
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On Friday we took a day trip to Lake Tahoe. We had been there on our honeymoon almost 38 years ago but we're actually not sure where we stayed and what we saw. Pat thinks we stayed at Harrah's because his Dad would have booked the room. I don't remember so many tall trees!<br />
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We wanted to stop in at the forest service office to pick up maps and advice on where we can boondock for free (generally what they call dispersed camping). We were told you can't do that anywhere in the Tahoe basin due to too many issues (sad). And once again, they only cover this specific area, we'd have to stop at 5 different offices as we head north to get information on those areas! And they wanted $10 per map (which I somewhat understand but I sure wish they'd just publish them in PDF format where the cost isn't as much). We had stopped at the local BLM office and pretty much got the same answer. So that wasn't as helpful as we'd hoped in planning future stops as we head north.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqHbTl5D9-POKIDLggLbHR4prYElTa_9OBxG2ZFQ3e_gx-5BC0_SjBsLzrAWUzahgg9QIm_wyt2DG5VHjwONgeaL6Ya8F7pNZ0E7K7RvM1ZPIvLvpB_-vttPXqP11CfPgP7NMmPm9v8s/s1600/IMG_20170519_182106_062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqHbTl5D9-POKIDLggLbHR4prYElTa_9OBxG2ZFQ3e_gx-5BC0_SjBsLzrAWUzahgg9QIm_wyt2DG5VHjwONgeaL6Ya8F7pNZ0E7K7RvM1ZPIvLvpB_-vttPXqP11CfPgP7NMmPm9v8s/s320/IMG_20170519_182106_062.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes a meal is just right - good food, great place, no rush!</td></tr>
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We also stopped at one of several visitor's centers on the lake and asked about where to eat. They suggested Beacon Bar & Grill which was right on the water. We had a GREAT lunch and wonderful time there. Fish & Chips were PERFECT (both crispy and the fish was moist!). I tried their specialty rum runner drink which was good but I wasn't actually in the mood for a citrus style drink. But hey, I like rum!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjesRTOWxnxwJ97SiGpn914Sqk1pOatTSo55JBCZ3Cfp9btQWVhoJjnUh81iYLxVlTETlIu809UrSNN0tLElP8N17njF7280YEnNr_-GhUdHmPwQ___D1sK_zmUgev9D3IQ8Xpmq9rQRg/s1600/DSC01233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjesRTOWxnxwJ97SiGpn914Sqk1pOatTSo55JBCZ3Cfp9btQWVhoJjnUh81iYLxVlTETlIu809UrSNN0tLElP8N17njF7280YEnNr_-GhUdHmPwQ___D1sK_zmUgev9D3IQ8Xpmq9rQRg/s320/DSC01233.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Driving around Lake Tahoe</td></tr>
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After lunch we walked the few steps to the beach and the trees and snow covered mountains and the water were so uplifting! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguvYhMrcnS09iYsAKIEHFs1hPp1D3O1AntrhsNG-gpsOGcl4wdwLL9MmNXYXsdGccxC8NGE0vH8esZtPMCmtLQUiamXLXbK77ciuvI3HwerQG04haKWxoa8g3j2jJi2_33VvrHcC9Lvvk/s1600/20170521_141710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguvYhMrcnS09iYsAKIEHFs1hPp1D3O1AntrhsNG-gpsOGcl4wdwLL9MmNXYXsdGccxC8NGE0vH8esZtPMCmtLQUiamXLXbK77ciuvI3HwerQG04haKWxoa8g3j2jJi2_33VvrHcC9Lvvk/s320/20170521_141710.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pat loved this post office converted to a cafe! We didn't eat<br />there though. It was just down the road from our campsite.</td></tr>
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We basically took our time driving around the lake and decided that if we come back, we will probably try to get reservations at one of the state parks. May seems like the perfect time (not hot, not cold!). We still can't believe it was all full when school's not even out yet!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5AqEbHx4Wf2mYvAxgEvUmCM7ITSrVaEIUtzpKa1SbnyeUMSDxK6vjMmXonI3DDpRvfNGAYS7C0zaEKGdrjiuwCzhw7TMIJ2_3u506ecNABmkHqLvS7xYA_sif7qiqDBN6YT2MIviQm3o/s1600/DSC01261.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5AqEbHx4Wf2mYvAxgEvUmCM7ITSrVaEIUtzpKa1SbnyeUMSDxK6vjMmXonI3DDpRvfNGAYS7C0zaEKGdrjiuwCzhw7TMIJ2_3u506ecNABmkHqLvS7xYA_sif7qiqDBN6YT2MIviQm3o/s320/DSC01261.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The creativity of someone selling(?) his art in the park in Reno!</td></tr>
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We're still trying to figure out what to do with our weekends (trying to avoid crowds). We did try to see Guardians of the Galaxy but apparently everyone buys their tickets online with assigned seating and all that was left was the front row. We always try to find a church nearby for Sunday and if it's laundry time, we do that. And blogging! Always behind! But we did walk the river trail in Reno. Being by water is always GOOD!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje00wKH2p4X6CcCOY4qDSCAIp3Nxd9ruXmm0xKhdULzOBPeNSWR3WF0yjJXzGpzz9pJCrnOREo0OmShJ4dB_Nq8ps8iOFUQwBFuznv6jcmRcOQTG5NgzYuIg1ZTDFBIiWqSCAUuNwxRco/s1600/DSC01256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje00wKH2p4X6CcCOY4qDSCAIp3Nxd9ruXmm0xKhdULzOBPeNSWR3WF0yjJXzGpzz9pJCrnOREo0OmShJ4dB_Nq8ps8iOFUQwBFuznv6jcmRcOQTG5NgzYuIg1ZTDFBIiWqSCAUuNwxRco/s320/DSC01256.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk along the river in downtown Reno</td></tr>
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Also, the dump station at the place we're at was closed due to high water so we went across the Lake to Davis campground to see if theirs was open to plan for dumping and water before we left the next morning. <br />
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All in all, a great spot to relax for awhile and not do a whole lot while we figure out where to go next!<br />
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<b>Highlights</b>: Figured out how to get power to the whole coach! Finally settled into a campground with 4g, Lake Tahoe (fresh cool air, trees and WATER!).<br />
<b>Lowlights</b>: Lake Tahoe is another place where you can't camp unless you make reservations 6 months or more in advance (or pay $75 a night), many areas closed because of snow<br />
<b>Things we've learned</b>: That plugging the coach into the inverter (and unplugging the converter) works to power ALL the plugs. We just have to know not to run high "cost" appliances (microwave, toaster, etc.) without running the generator.<br />
<b>Things we're wondering</b>: Can we run the generator while the coach is plugged into the inverter? <br />
How to see National Parks and other places that are only open in the summer due to snow since we want to be back in the NW for the summer (usually!) Is there anything we should plan to see in NE CA? We normally have a destination in mind that determines what route we should take!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953971639700395597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6550818474190205330.post-31603832431868709392017-06-01T10:23:00.002-07:002017-06-01T10:26:51.102-07:00Great Basin NP and the Sand PitMay 14-17<br />
Great Basin NP, NV and Sand Mountain Rec Area BLM, NV<br />
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On our way out of Spanish Fork we stopped at Costco for gas. We do this often as Costco usually has the best gas prices in any given area. What made this special was we were all alone doing it. Not a car in sight. But it was Sunday morning in Utah near Salt Lake City.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxKUv8rRKwZg-38NVbn13qEUJkM5Y7VizfpzsWnzFbrww9J5KAmr0FPGC0up4CD8-hckaIMdDyGHFlmyhAbRtSJWuR3zykqVcBvnpVTkaiJaCpYRgbCqhdhqbGtTQbaGH0xoQCqCRycg/s1600/20170514_084453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxKUv8rRKwZg-38NVbn13qEUJkM5Y7VizfpzsWnzFbrww9J5KAmr0FPGC0up4CD8-hckaIMdDyGHFlmyhAbRtSJWuR3zykqVcBvnpVTkaiJaCpYRgbCqhdhqbGtTQbaGH0xoQCqCRycg/s320/20170514_084453.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quiet Sunday morning at Costco gas. Utah</td></tr>
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With our Gas, Propane, and water tank full and our gray and black tanks empty we headed for the "Loneliest Road in America" and Great Basin National Park. Ellen had found a free boondocking spot near there called Sacramento Pass BLM Campground. The UC Public CG app is your friend. It was an actual campground with level (relatively) pads, covered picnic tables, and fire rings. We looked at the main area and saw some OK spots, but the hidden gems were up the hill off a rutted dirt road. Three back in sites with beautiful views. Two were occupied but the one on the end was open and just long enough for our 31' motorhome. The trees were a little close for our slides, but after some maneuvering we fit in nicely. There were even rail fences around the sites. Hiking trails were close at hand. The only drawback was the Verizon signal was sad. I had 1X on my phone and Ellen had nothing. This makes planning your stay and next leg impossible. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG7flyEtUpSLA4Z7Jx3r_3smxEKp7WtkM7hWCuNvDFn9X1uB1DttX3Ql45g24ntS1khd3YIDeLOskCnYR64xPvkHh2aKKKgwabBBBJ-E7bU5qD4F1ROysGVnBftQG8WutZvAxJnQZW2Q/s1600/DSC01165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG7flyEtUpSLA4Z7Jx3r_3smxEKp7WtkM7hWCuNvDFn9X1uB1DttX3Ql45g24ntS1khd3YIDeLOskCnYR64xPvkHh2aKKKgwabBBBJ-E7bU5qD4F1ROysGVnBftQG8WutZvAxJnQZW2Q/s320/DSC01165.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice site. The guardsnake lived on the other side of the car.</td></tr>
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One of our neighbors came by to tell us to be wary of the large rock at the end of our driveway. A rattlesnake had taken up residence under it and came out to sun itself regularly. They had photos and video of the snake but we never actually saw it. But we took the warning seriously. That evening we took a hike from our campsite into the countryside. The trail was not clearly marked, so it was more of a wander than a hike. Knowing our guardsnake was back at the motorhome made us extra vigilant for his possible relatives in the area. None were sighted, but we did wander a bit to find our way home.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ervVqDPVaRHgYwrOM8RJpej92LXgl7bsfxIkD4Y1q9BIrRHSMnjDeClThIMR4G2U9gvqAJyu06TQlbiO8dymkpuwegDLZGsRAFGzer28VVrT5GJ_sNhsX3HzKqLcv8cJwrbPHEwonQ/s1600/DSC01160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1070" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ervVqDPVaRHgYwrOM8RJpej92LXgl7bsfxIkD4Y1q9BIrRHSMnjDeClThIMR4G2U9gvqAJyu06TQlbiO8dymkpuwegDLZGsRAFGzer28VVrT5GJ_sNhsX3HzKqLcv8cJwrbPHEwonQ/s200/DSC01160.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trails from our campsite. <br />
The sign was better than the trail.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq1EfJitqiJi7wn2hyHajIkBD75u6P5GNPVZ1sDzNg3RNXhL1TNLyMEkGjHnhTfylMY-sQ3p-BEbLjjsii2nI4Bn3x_9eShNG2bwCopL4MKjgqV2hjX_-_upHEpj3MXiOKNgDFlEjRyQ/s1600/DSC01163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1070" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq1EfJitqiJi7wn2hyHajIkBD75u6P5GNPVZ1sDzNg3RNXhL1TNLyMEkGjHnhTfylMY-sQ3p-BEbLjjsii2nI4Bn3x_9eShNG2bwCopL4MKjgqV2hjX_-_upHEpj3MXiOKNgDFlEjRyQ/s200/DSC01163.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was a trail...<br />or was it?</td></tr>
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The next day we drove up to the Visitors Center for the park and picked up the requisite maps to see what was available at this park. Ellen had previously told me of the Lehman Caves here that sounded intriguing. You had to go to a different Visitors Center to book your tour so we started there. When we arrived there were two rangers to talk to. One was a new hire who knew only enough to point to the other who was very busy so we got in line to speak to him. All tours for the day were booked except the three o'clock and they could only sell same day tickets. He gave me a card for Recreation.gov with a phone number. I called and after waiting on hold for approximately fifteen minutes I found they didn't know the Lehman caves existed and couldn't help me. So we went back in and bought tickets for the three o'clock tour. Meanwhile the older ranger had let some late arrivals go on the eleven o'clock tour because of no shows. We could have gone if I hadn't been on the phone. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8DaTZspEmtL3m24YjCKsgO77eoDZhhTqngMJymdJz_tJVlHO2HfzAGLWpuWlKNqkX-47MkiXorlErn4vsQgOMqRKZtsu09h9UUnSe1U2FoQxx6TpMQihIlgefXYWCeoDZSPyQxkS1hg/s1600/20170515_113944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8DaTZspEmtL3m24YjCKsgO77eoDZhhTqngMJymdJz_tJVlHO2HfzAGLWpuWlKNqkX-47MkiXorlErn4vsQgOMqRKZtsu09h9UUnSe1U2FoQxx6TpMQihIlgefXYWCeoDZSPyQxkS1hg/s320/20170515_113944.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice valley view. I think it would have been spectacular<br />without the cloud cover. But then there would have been no snow.</td></tr>
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We drove up to see their full campgrounds and the last lookout point before the road was closed repair after a hard winter and spring flooding. The Visitor Center was at about 6500' and the lookout was at 9000'. So climbing we went. The campground on the way was nice and even had a few spots we might have fit in but you could tell it was made for tent campers. The sites were not even close to level and had great tent spots behind a short parking spots. But beautiful with tall trees and a stream nearby.<br />
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The viewpoint was OK. It had views of a valley and a plaque for one of the influential nation park founders. We had a nice in car lunch and it started to snow. Ellen's eyes lit up and she got out to enjoy the experience. OK, saying it snowed may give the wrong impression. There were actual flakes, but not all that many, and for only about ten minutes. But we hadn't seen snow falling this year and it was fun.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuc6K0LuUHnKepjKYXM2RuzqFpmbm-6IOKKeZGlil-dDiGubwxGLCaqmuMK9X4kITUOiMc-HlO9giz6ayrBBkGGpGL3mNpV0dRSSfhxQASWT89_59y2GXf9Fc2F1HZAnWmrJohBLEzw/s1600/20170515_114726.mp4" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="854" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuc6K0LuUHnKepjKYXM2RuzqFpmbm-6IOKKeZGlil-dDiGubwxGLCaqmuMK9X4kITUOiMc-HlO9giz6ayrBBkGGpGL3mNpV0dRSSfhxQASWT89_59y2GXf9Fc2F1HZAnWmrJohBLEzw/s320/20170515_114726.mp4" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow??</td></tr>
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The tour through the caves was fantastic. The ranger told stories of the caves, described the features, turned off the lights (yes, it was lit the entire way) and told us not to touch anything. But if we bumped into the walls or ceiling less than five times we were doing alright. I had three such experiences. One of which gave me a nice scrape on my head. That lack of hair thing coming to bite me again. The tour was about ninety minutes (the caves are extensive) and was well worth the time and cost (about $7 each). I would strongly suggest this tour. And get the same guide we did. I can't remember his name, but get him anyway. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQd3a9y6pPouauFMrWBE3nJcEON0IIwC9vCkt8La2zM9P5FFwN9gEbvJZE7_6OhDIz7zmW5YepI7302l8RW4F-hvzcFET5XAKXlEVfmIILH43cv_R3-TE6dh_3x4emHRr0jg6yApQifg/s1600/DSC01187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1600" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQd3a9y6pPouauFMrWBE3nJcEON0IIwC9vCkt8La2zM9P5FFwN9gEbvJZE7_6OhDIz7zmW5YepI7302l8RW4F-hvzcFET5XAKXlEVfmIILH43cv_R3-TE6dh_3x4emHRr0jg6yApQifg/s200/DSC01187.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tunnel leading to Lehman Caves.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcsQ9zmLpecL8b_l2onK1KHa8shya8N8MefU52Yvzo46JqRd2ZNYcRlt-NuXTWksW5y_w5_CO5fFfPlqTbL4wDkUXyTxfPfcRNNxSJh2hI7_Iw0x8B0mGlIFxKKgQuwIVmPd9ieopiaQ/s1600/DSC01201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcsQ9zmLpecL8b_l2onK1KHa8shya8N8MefU52Yvzo46JqRd2ZNYcRlt-NuXTWksW5y_w5_CO5fFfPlqTbL4wDkUXyTxfPfcRNNxSJh2hI7_Iw0x8B0mGlIFxKKgQuwIVmPd9ieopiaQ/s320/DSC01201.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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We got back to camp and ran into our neighbors out walking their dogs. These were not the ones who warned us of our snake neighbor. It turned out we had met earlier in our travels. They were the folks from Navajo Bridge who had discovered the Condor nest. They had camped about three sites up the hill from us at Lees Ferry and the other neighbors here had camped two site down the hill from us. Great folks. I hope we run into them again down the road. They were leaving that day to go back to see the Condor egg hatch. Small Rving world.<br />
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The weather reports (the ones we could get with the distinct lack of cell coverage) told us to expect rain or snow at our campground within the next day or two. After our muddy road experience at Koosharem Reservoir we decided to leave early. The idea of going down that rutted dirt road from our site in slippery mud might have been too exciting for us. And we also seen all that the area had to offer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_KCGEpuKbxHhUR3sDZVb5R9d_s6i5X-CegsjyJu7XMxQUGJDlTgGV8JnsVUGhExnm8pHQKrkhhbXUy-vvR32_wQJ2n-b7Mh_fDcvVIvpYCBbsTzwzHvtAQxZPIg212wkieY64keXAzQ/s1600/20170514_095343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_KCGEpuKbxHhUR3sDZVb5R9d_s6i5X-CegsjyJu7XMxQUGJDlTgGV8JnsVUGhExnm8pHQKrkhhbXUy-vvR32_wQJ2n-b7Mh_fDcvVIvpYCBbsTzwzHvtAQxZPIg212wkieY64keXAzQ/s320/20170514_095343.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loneliest Road in America.<br />Look it up, it's a thing...</td></tr>
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From here we continued on the Loneliest Road. We had several possible destinations, but could do no research because of the wonderful cell coverage in the area. So we open our off line apps and drove… Two hours later our first possibility… no coverage… half hour later… no coverage… next possibility, no real spot to camp. OK, there was a winter road gravel staging area with two fifth wheels parked there, but it didn't feel comfortable. Looking way ahead (about two more hours) there was a place called Sand Mountain Recreation Area BLM. Dispersed camping. $40 a week but free on Tuesday and Wednesday. We were tired and it sounded OK.<br />
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We arrived and it was exactly as named. A sand area with RVs camping on it. Most had sand buggies to run around in, but it looked OK. I drove off the road and for the first time I felt the 22,000 lb motorhome spinning it's dual back tires in the deep sand trying to push me along. WOW. A little panic set in. I could get stuck in here. And it was windy. Sand blowing everywhere. We moved closer to the entrance and found the sand less deep. We were tired and could spend the night here. No slides as we didn't want to get blowing sand in the slide mechanisms. Just settle in for the evening, make some dinner and figure out where we were going in the morning. Verizon coverage back with us.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhybCx9gJPkp0VzXJp6iYAJseSaq4JmaicMWQa-KlTVDeIVREWo-0cebsCa_5GrjLGtUtlPbmaZlmoDftuXkxwJJjozzGoVIyNhTmU61Mf3WYdfB4mi3wN2diWVdPynBzf4e5sDG8NaZg/s1600/Sand+Mountain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="276" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhybCx9gJPkp0VzXJp6iYAJseSaq4JmaicMWQa-KlTVDeIVREWo-0cebsCa_5GrjLGtUtlPbmaZlmoDftuXkxwJJjozzGoVIyNhTmU61Mf3WYdfB4mi3wN2diWVdPynBzf4e5sDG8NaZg/s320/Sand+Mountain.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Google photo. We didn't take any photos. <br />
It was not our happy place</td></tr>
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stpathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17773574659655573264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6550818474190205330.post-28316152511864530122017-05-31T08:24:00.000-07:002017-05-31T08:24:08.434-07:00Ready to leave Red Rock country!May 9th - 14th, 2017<br />
Koosharem Reservoir and Spanish Fork, UT<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgohcPkbttGoPtlAmOnGjMbyN7wbF-1IANQCd2D8bHkj_58-QJXkUg3UtpRk-KyT-NeX-Vq0PMY3d5M90Mu4w_kH9he9iaLIzNyvSZLSf6097I8xrLi6scI6g7tcEe1JPArCsHbRWrFNqI/s1600/DSC01158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgohcPkbttGoPtlAmOnGjMbyN7wbF-1IANQCd2D8bHkj_58-QJXkUg3UtpRk-KyT-NeX-Vq0PMY3d5M90Mu4w_kH9he9iaLIzNyvSZLSf6097I8xrLi6scI6g7tcEe1JPArCsHbRWrFNqI/s320/DSC01158.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We tried out our OBD II reader and smartphone app to<br />monitor real time MPG etc. (but doesn't match actual?)! <br />12.7 would be really nice!</td></tr>
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From Bryce, we knew we wanted to make our way closer to Salt Lake City mainly to visit a friend (extended family really!). We heard from Milesaway (our Instagram friends!) that cell reception was a challenge at Capitol Reef NP (which we need for trip planning!) so we decided to find a place east of Capitol Reef and make it a day trip instead of staying in the area. We also heard Hwy 12 was not to be missed but weren't sure we'd really enjoy it in a motorhome towing a car! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj610H1b8wuoiOQKX1yGUPgId70DHwpN5EanL5i0FXz17bu7OcMn5XXkWTj66i1bwzpV5B1gYAGW9TiNidth0QVxtJRZ1rn6oFkPz1CAMA8wYSkrdYmB1ouQttss9_wFQHwtF-QLE_f0Fs/s1600/PSX_20170513_184211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj610H1b8wuoiOQKX1yGUPgId70DHwpN5EanL5i0FXz17bu7OcMn5XXkWTj66i1bwzpV5B1gYAGW9TiNidth0QVxtJRZ1rn6oFkPz1CAMA8wYSkrdYmB1ouQttss9_wFQHwtF-QLE_f0Fs/s320/PSX_20170513_184211.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pat walked up the hill to get this shot for us. Isn't it peaceful<br />looking? At Koosharem Reservoir in Utah.</td></tr>
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We decided to try the boondocking next to Koosharem Reservoir. Any place near a lake would be great right? It was indeed great but had a few drawbacks. There were swarms of flying insects, no Verizon, it rained and we experienced our first concern driving in wet "clay" and now we see how ruts get formed! Luckily it mostly dried out before we left with the motorhome - yikes!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_QXIlSIXo2Q_gLPxmSUrPsQdtwy8d5a_JrMlJnidrNWwkrG0DxWIl_zlLT1tRK2OFuRqhk6hhFzE-cfXb9tnk-P7lQQM8JeZpUxmtJ6SSi51jwap_94lSaR_qwkSk4fWum_6rEw9EzJU/s1600/IMG_20170510_113246_950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_QXIlSIXo2Q_gLPxmSUrPsQdtwy8d5a_JrMlJnidrNWwkrG0DxWIl_zlLT1tRK2OFuRqhk6hhFzE-cfXb9tnk-P7lQQM8JeZpUxmtJ6SSi51jwap_94lSaR_qwkSk4fWum_6rEw9EzJU/s200/IMG_20170510_113246_950.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What kind of fly is this? They were<br />in swarms at Koosharem Reservoir!</td></tr>
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So we sat out the rainy day and just chilled (with a quick trip into Richfield for shopping). The next day we had a long day of driving to see Captol Reef NP and drove at least part of Hwy 12 (south to Boulder). We were glad we didn't do it with the motorhome! It was a pretty drive but not spectacular. Perhaps the spectacular part was between Escalante and Boulder? Regardless, Capitol Reef was another great NP and we were glad we included it in our Utah trip.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTOBecgZIhwKhuvaZtOcpa-A0uoVNsF1Ex2bcOHgbiPWDpTNQF1Eqr549PXiux66M-VRGOcCqVSj36i7jkap_qL3vftjAzY9pW64VFZVD-ScghWf0dwWxKREKkscwBAR24qPA1rJZMRgg/s1600/PSX_20170512_194047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTOBecgZIhwKhuvaZtOcpa-A0uoVNsF1Ex2bcOHgbiPWDpTNQF1Eqr549PXiux66M-VRGOcCqVSj36i7jkap_qL3vftjAzY9pW64VFZVD-ScghWf0dwWxKREKkscwBAR24qPA1rJZMRgg/s320/PSX_20170512_194047.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of our favorite hikes (ok more like a walk) <br />through Grand Wash in Capitol Reef NP</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4wcXnGJyxcBSufMY2CWD9Kro-M_7QbPsLmM0jnDivJd1W5W7YI1pAODX0_MZz5_cKYK_2Qzt8IGBSpwkXTepieoAO8dEB8WLV6O11erOljl8AF-CL61mVxNeR1_tWMlfnr6ZrnC9odU/s1600/DSC01132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4wcXnGJyxcBSufMY2CWD9Kro-M_7QbPsLmM0jnDivJd1W5W7YI1pAODX0_MZz5_cKYK_2Qzt8IGBSpwkXTepieoAO8dEB8WLV6O11erOljl8AF-CL61mVxNeR1_tWMlfnr6ZrnC9odU/s200/DSC01132.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun photo-op on the Grand Wash hike</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6UT1zK65bvDm4FWWXr5HQWeSbCOxl09q7yUpvQc9xLjh6NOjDMjQwTdJgAF-ybdefVWGtnRX4_40dKNLiY-SmCN2O0qqDiQtcZ0B3ccgH3J5igeqzr1um391hZR8xPblzSo1DtosiIc/s320/20170511_103919.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Capitol Reef National Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoPdBop8lPs2C5fopWgafYc9DB9L-chavAl1xJ5Wso1QBhd2VpqW8c6T_W4oXebcmLaNLPkFD-GRZYuCbtUGLHihjYz0njKhF_kz6AoRzO_LgnWviPFYuLkmIpbU1TRITo4Coz9ollpxg/s1600/PSX_20170513_184012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoPdBop8lPs2C5fopWgafYc9DB9L-chavAl1xJ5Wso1QBhd2VpqW8c6T_W4oXebcmLaNLPkFD-GRZYuCbtUGLHihjYz0njKhF_kz6AoRzO_LgnWviPFYuLkmIpbU1TRITo4Coz9ollpxg/s320/PSX_20170513_184012.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spanish Fork city campground (parking lot!)</td></tr>
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From there, we HAD to get cell coverage because trip planning is challenging without it! So we decided to stay more in town and ended up in a city "campground" in Spanish Fork which turned out to be a parking lot! But it had Verizon and electric/water and a separate dump so we could regroup for the next leg of our adventure. And it was close enough to drive to Salt Lake City. <br />
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We met our friend(s!) at Wasatch Brewery in Salt Lake City and had a wonderful time catching up. And wow! This area is beautiful too. I think Utah is my favorite state (outside of the PNW!) so far.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6UT1zK65bvDm4FWWXr5HQWeSbCOxl09q7yUpvQc9xLjh6NOjDMjQwTdJgAF-ybdefVWGtnRX4_40dKNLiY-SmCN2O0qqDiQtcZ0B3ccgH3J5igeqzr1um391hZR8xPblzSo1DtosiIc/s1600/20170511_103919.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><br />
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<b>Highlights</b>: Seeing our extended family in SLC, adding another NP to our list!<br />
<b>Lowlights</b>: Bugs and mud and no cell at Koosharem Reservoir<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCTeP71I3GmRNc02q4O3G_FzwcaFmpV7zkNt8oU46iC3M5cEd8AwdJH7Jh6MB-s020IpYSCtPui3cQNrun6AHY_XF-F6XwQcHHVHDuJrh0-6ppb4b33RP-RDLbfS-s9PpKvVbdxT44aY/s1600/20170513_124521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCTeP71I3GmRNc02q4O3G_FzwcaFmpV7zkNt8oU46iC3M5cEd8AwdJH7Jh6MB-s020IpYSCtPui3cQNrun6AHY_XF-F6XwQcHHVHDuJrh0-6ppb4b33RP-RDLbfS-s9PpKvVbdxT44aY/s200/20170513_124521.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great place for lunch and brews with friends!</td></tr>
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<b>Things we've learned</b>: Why people say don't drive in boondocking areas after it's rained!<br />
<b>Things we're wondering</b>: Where should we go from here? North to Idaho? Across Nevada to Lake Tahoe then north? Aren't you amazed we didn't mention batteries?<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953971639700395597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6550818474190205330.post-318336900660737322017-05-30T19:57:00.001-07:002017-05-30T19:57:29.785-07:00Bryce Canyon NP, Boondocking in the woods, and the great convergenceMay 3-9<br />
Bryce National Park, UT<br />
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So… We left Zion with no water in our tanks. Our new friends milesawayeveryday from Instagram told us they filled their water tanks at an RV Park along the way to Bryce for free. We planned to do the same and rolled up to Paradise RV park in Panguitch about 40 miles south of Bryce. The manager was very nice and allowed me to fill our water tank while he watered the landscaping. I may be overstating the desert wildlife around this RV park, but they needed water too. Ellen left in the car to find our spot and I spent the next fifteen minutes waiting with a hose. She programed my phone with our final (possible) destination and I was good to go. As I headed toward Tome's Best Spring Rd. Ellen called and confirmed it was a good location and off I went. My trusty Google Maps told me to turn on a Forest Service Rd. I looked at it with fear in my heart and did just that… After driving about half a mile on this rutted, dusty, narrow road I called Ellen for confirmation. "This is not the road you're looking for!". <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVi7EeUo9figX3M7YBN6hY6oZ0lpWGG7cxwBzq3CJw6JNdVIG72ojpSsVmrWVKRw3cZhVXH2Jo1c_SuClelLWaS4N5HHEC_jFn3y_0lO2RZvXd_eMdgE7_Jpd5kqgnpZmVNgKBuoQR_A/s1600/20170509_083211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVi7EeUo9figX3M7YBN6hY6oZ0lpWGG7cxwBzq3CJw6JNdVIG72ojpSsVmrWVKRw3cZhVXH2Jo1c_SuClelLWaS4N5HHEC_jFn3y_0lO2RZvXd_eMdgE7_Jpd5kqgnpZmVNgKBuoQR_A/s320/20170509_083211.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Tom's Best Spring Road. Ellen Leading the way.</td></tr>
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It was about a mile earlier. I don't know if I was distracted or messed with by Google Maps. No where to turn the thirty-one foot motorhome around and no foreseeable spot. Now picture me driving off said rutted road into a field and turning around. Back to the highway and back the mile to Tom's Best Spring Rd. and the waiting Ellen. It was a better gravel road and we chose our spot on a side road in the woods. Beautiful tall trees with enough of a clearing that our solar panels would be effective. I even got to set up my new hammock between said trees.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrL8JCywmjDxdG9L2mLDwTEmUjWntqt1L444z1seVIwni8kgIUxxTKUqCzXBuHQm1nU2d1bQ8elOGTpKRonj8qI-_-7vFLfFb4mgy5c74zLW7zboay1SqiWOFZCMwI8AXv59Zi9WZlkA/s1600/20170505_101435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrL8JCywmjDxdG9L2mLDwTEmUjWntqt1L444z1seVIwni8kgIUxxTKUqCzXBuHQm1nU2d1bQ8elOGTpKRonj8qI-_-7vFLfFb4mgy5c74zLW7zboay1SqiWOFZCMwI8AXv59Zi9WZlkA/s320/20170505_101435.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lost in the woods with hammock. It was a hard day. Nap was necessary</td></tr>
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Later that day I got a text from our new friends asking where we landed. I told them we were "lost in the woods off Tom's Best Spring Rd.". They were just down the road from us about a half a mile. They invited us to join them after dinner at their campfire. A good time was had by all. We exchanged stories and they told us their experience in Bryce and outside at Red Canyon. A small park just south of Bryce we had passed through on our way here. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeO6aKHNsN8kkUIRS4mjnAblG7lesHv9OgR7eHCJOfBoBVIXvEoIdVgZtPXccT2RSZVdwJcvGVSMhJ3Jb7GgRXl1rrB2pzg2lGayVLjxf04SxRi2dVTR4nnWgAUCeQ7EZ14sXoCzkvIw/s1600/20170508_090928.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeO6aKHNsN8kkUIRS4mjnAblG7lesHv9OgR7eHCJOfBoBVIXvEoIdVgZtPXccT2RSZVdwJcvGVSMhJ3Jb7GgRXl1rrB2pzg2lGayVLjxf04SxRi2dVTR4nnWgAUCeQ7EZ14sXoCzkvIw/s320/20170508_090928.jpg" width="320" /></a>The next day we entered Bryce drove up to the rim trail parking and hiked the Rim Trail as far as Sunrise lookout. Not an awfully long way but we wanted to drive the whole park and decide the best strategy for seeing it. We drove the length of the park and stopped at the high lookout points. Magnificent! One of the areas is called something like Fairyland or Castle and it all looked something crafted of spun sugar or cake frosting… But red. Hard to adequately describe. We also (on the advice of our instagram friends) drove to Red Canyon. A Little south of Bryce and hiked among the hoodoos. I certainly got my steps in that day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU59y1DATgI7fhCHITRIoOE7UTo8UmD5I-WOx6SYILqvn4Ti4VF9YTFT8cGAJOdtnj2Hr-UUG_NqZG0k5GZLzCn1NcCOc2u5_O9JySm-9L2oM9-DmEaYprxuQac5FxBK1WJAgTcDz2ng/s1600/20170505_112416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU59y1DATgI7fhCHITRIoOE7UTo8UmD5I-WOx6SYILqvn4Ti4VF9YTFT8cGAJOdtnj2Hr-UUG_NqZG0k5GZLzCn1NcCOc2u5_O9JySm-9L2oM9-DmEaYprxuQac5FxBK1WJAgTcDz2ng/s320/20170505_112416.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Canyon. Hiking among the Hoodoos</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBpzlf07ZwiWYwTaEw8iv1tDM0ZpFoqvFTU4U1CX1FJWwf70p0A80VSbG2ljx-qBU84OFOlm3KhM1D5dyMBdnir5zFMc2sPV-uWOyf_1YmpqTO_YJf8bRYsy7Z0T6tnuF1-OTkIVy4PQ/s1600/20170505_112002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBpzlf07ZwiWYwTaEw8iv1tDM0ZpFoqvFTU4U1CX1FJWwf70p0A80VSbG2ljx-qBU84OFOlm3KhM1D5dyMBdnir5zFMc2sPV-uWOyf_1YmpqTO_YJf8bRYsy7Z0T6tnuF1-OTkIVy4PQ/s320/20170505_112002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, this hike seemed to go on and on and on...</td></tr>
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That night we joined our new friends for burgers on the campfire. Great meal and then a gathering of other instagram fulltime Rvers arrived and we shared stories, laughter and like minded community around the campfire. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjGXcn9f83TQXUy0dej18r34pMiQoF9eIaRKpelYCKuDxKu9Foq6sQ0bqjdu3jNP4jThuwiasFZ_GV6gjCmFnhUPTdb9h7VnYEHmBGULYE-sfYHgkhfDSc_LiebUOrcxqy_rkguxvenA/s1600/20170504_182528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjGXcn9f83TQXUy0dej18r34pMiQoF9eIaRKpelYCKuDxKu9Foq6sQ0bqjdu3jNP4jThuwiasFZ_GV6gjCmFnhUPTdb9h7VnYEHmBGULYE-sfYHgkhfDSc_LiebUOrcxqy_rkguxvenA/s320/20170504_182528.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James cooking burgers over the campfire. Oven mitts a must.</td></tr>
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We stayed a few more days "lost in the woods" and enjoyed the hikes around Bryce and being surrounded by tall trees. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGDhru9kjGWomlLFA1MSOblmb5UheMXwUddRNCxDH21Z3ViDCqaaSaTwh6c13EIvs_K66LA7UPuPRVhy-XaZ6zpGfSt5VTq_ez7w1XgdAcZ7d9Yzue6QuIBFX6v6UmRt3c1b-41aqDQ/s1600/20170504_114121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGDhru9kjGWomlLFA1MSOblmb5UheMXwUddRNCxDH21Z3ViDCqaaSaTwh6c13EIvs_K66LA7UPuPRVhy-XaZ6zpGfSt5VTq_ez7w1XgdAcZ7d9Yzue6QuIBFX6v6UmRt3c1b-41aqDQ/s320/20170504_114121.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are actual hikers down in that canyon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAHAE0uaME0yIIBO-kM4uy1Lh4US3oqTGMRje5bhexo1HUhdxYEdOg4DiQ76sca4WRfRg5MOo3LKsKiHUA712UTQ_qDS8ewfSkFgoObfCC5n6p-QlSbW6q_x4U4XzXYShgKtXntRIDdw/s1600/20170504_135852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAHAE0uaME0yIIBO-kM4uy1Lh4US3oqTGMRje5bhexo1HUhdxYEdOg4DiQ76sca4WRfRg5MOo3LKsKiHUA712UTQ_qDS8ewfSkFgoObfCC5n6p-QlSbW6q_x4U4XzXYShgKtXntRIDdw/s320/20170504_135852.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Natural Bridge</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9UuH5n8UIlTI95UGiopaCqIHUuWqpwOXnJPpB_zLSeZEcSouIJ4LaYCubiTAwDIcSd-yyoBiLAWZ5fOWu0oNJDg4IhXrqrt1RvYvGIw2gGtT_UfYkUGGb3v_XtAoveJaz57rx0FN-jw/s1600/20170506_094152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9UuH5n8UIlTI95UGiopaCqIHUuWqpwOXnJPpB_zLSeZEcSouIJ4LaYCubiTAwDIcSd-yyoBiLAWZ5fOWu0oNJDg4IhXrqrt1RvYvGIw2gGtT_UfYkUGGb3v_XtAoveJaz57rx0FN-jw/s320/20170506_094152.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waterfall near Mossy Cave. Slightly outside Bryce</td></tr>
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stpathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17773574659655573264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6550818474190205330.post-4057859613015139312017-05-19T07:53:00.003-07:002017-05-19T07:53:51.167-07:00Happiness is...April 26-May 3<br />
Zion National Park, UT<br />
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...new batteries that work the way they're supposed to and meeting new InstaFriends! Oh and Zion was pretty amazing too! <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9DJRcl-EZ4Mgafh7EVBy9-rFWlYGDBl0coyvbCqJs6ydM4GuEJ_AgszHZLMxz8V83zHCcQ9Osf3uwYRYGD7NSaCElkC5PzXtC0bLTPfiRyZJzic93qdXXkrylkmyz4LD_zJiiIy70w/s1600/DSC00727_LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9DJRcl-EZ4Mgafh7EVBy9-rFWlYGDBl0coyvbCqJs6ydM4GuEJ_AgszHZLMxz8V83zHCcQ9Osf3uwYRYGD7NSaCElkC5PzXtC0bLTPfiRyZJzic93qdXXkrylkmyz4LD_zJiiIy70w/s320/DSC00727_LR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Where we boondocked outside Zion NP. And the views<br />
out front were spectacular as well!</td></tr>
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When we arrived to the Zion area we had difficulty findinng a good boondocking spot. As usual, I would drive the car ahead to check out the spots to make sure they were suitable and acceptable to the Ellen standards (not to mention navigable for the motorhome!). We tried several along the Virgin river but they were too narrow, rutted, sandy in places and trees/bushes were just a little too close for our liking. To top it off, cell reception wasn't great so letting Pat know back at home base was not working either. So it was a bit more challenging than usual! We finally found a wonderful spot on a bluff that had glorious views and no one around! After we settled a little Pat went out to remove the bugs from the windshield so we could take great pictures from inside as well. While he was out there, a black jeep passed behind us to the 2nd spot at this location which was on a long narrow road barely etched into the cliff. Later, we climbed a hill that was beside us and took a picture of our motorhome and car and we noticed off in the distance up another hill we had company. It was then we realized that black jeep might indeed be milesawayeveryday (the Instagram couple we stalked but never met, near Page, AZ). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZJg4IRVHHE4oADCbk22UqmdO3TKzUq16-7nHuVLcRLpnyiJcoogxNdyFZWN9PB7Q5q-J9R5oRk5jKiowiI5Pxq9g6vYInWtwH5La4PzpgJiZpb4xqI1j284i1RwZSGJ-75Jt_r4NNg/s1600/IMG_20170430_210402_600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZJg4IRVHHE4oADCbk22UqmdO3TKzUq16-7nHuVLcRLpnyiJcoogxNdyFZWN9PB7Q5q-J9R5oRk5jKiowiI5Pxq9g6vYInWtwH5La4PzpgJiZpb4xqI1j284i1RwZSGJ-75Jt_r4NNg/s320/IMG_20170430_210402_600.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Sunrise one morning lit the plateau behind us!</td></tr>
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So we took a walk up the other hill and sure enough it had Florida plates and a broken passenger mirror (they had just posted they broke their mirror coming through the tunnel in Zion!). Instead of leaving a note this time, we posted on their broken mirror Instagram feed that we found a strangely familiar motorhome just up the hill from us. About 9:00 that evening, we had a knock on our door and it was them, so excited after reading our post and realizing we were neighbors! We had a great 3 hour visit (yes for those who know us - way past pumpkin hour!). This was the start of a great friendship on the road and was the second Instafriend meeting and the first where we got to spend more time together. Great fun sharing with like minded folks!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBOx3Kf1sZHnwfgUy1ABPfeyYmURIVDAC-ek45evvcifpm6gcOl507b0L4bJXYJGMIjXilC7RuZroKLARdli_PvYWXvYw6kTv3uYLDkM2u0e-ZFUsat5dzZbCx80Fi_M4PlmrLe7WUWw/s1600/20170427_122916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBOx3Kf1sZHnwfgUy1ABPfeyYmURIVDAC-ek45evvcifpm6gcOl507b0L4bJXYJGMIjXilC7RuZroKLARdli_PvYWXvYw6kTv3uYLDkM2u0e-ZFUsat5dzZbCx80Fi_M4PlmrLe7WUWw/s320/20170427_122916.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Costco Golf Cart batteries to the rescue!</td></tr>
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Back to Zion NP! We kept going back and forth about when to go into the park. We arrived on Wednesday and logic said we should go into the park on Thursday and Friday before the weekend crowds. BUT we were just too excited to get to Costco to get the new batteries plus we knew it would be multiple trips (get the batteries, find some place to fully charge them, install them and return another day to return the old batteries to get the $15 core charge back). So we opted to do that on Thursday. We wanted to test the batteries with the hydrometer before we paid for them but they wouldn't let us but they assured us they are fully charged. They read in the middle of good on the hydrometer so they were mostly charged. So we brought them back to the motorhome and Pat installed them (they JUST fit!). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1iPavGf-BTY0vtmA2OflN3cWZ7VXlLRAPa9FtCSaqhFZX_ieMFhEaqQ7brn8oXGFPwe_yQeSWI5DSsGutABJWc17GH5meV8GyC0krTjLoq1iQvvTZ9ZDoGSPEuSCHvAbPqPmExCXsEQ/s1600/DSC00773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1iPavGf-BTY0vtmA2OflN3cWZ7VXlLRAPa9FtCSaqhFZX_ieMFhEaqQ7brn8oXGFPwe_yQeSWI5DSsGutABJWc17GH5meV8GyC0krTjLoq1iQvvTZ9ZDoGSPEuSCHvAbPqPmExCXsEQ/s320/DSC00773.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">At the top of Canyon Overlook hike</td></tr>
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We knew the wind storm would hit us here in Zion and it sure did! The dust wasn't too bad but we did have to bring the slide in for much of our stay due to the wind noise on the slide toppers. We've been in worse wind but this one must have been at the right angle to cause quite a racket that seemed like the topper would be blown off! We've since read there are ways to reduce that so perhaps we'll try that next time!<br />
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<br />On Friday we went to Zion and drove hwy 9 which was very beautiful and passed through two tunnels through the rock (one really long!). We pulled off by one of the tunnels to hike the Canyon Overlook trail. I think this was our first moderate hike (mainly due to steep). We usually do easy since we're not into that much pain but we're (I'm?) getting stronger and hikes are getting easier. It was a GREAT hike with rewarding view at the end.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2neBrxcUn1I_HIeL-hUhRpDckLj9vY-N5YgjfxLHJtuqpZWnQE_UzDcjXYOWNboLVqDZOMCNU8rMo3tP-7RPqI3Je_fFipRTbEGwi3LP_er2aTiDahCSIF3ZRBfkDKC4wzOgeF39WEg/s1600/DSC00848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2neBrxcUn1I_HIeL-hUhRpDckLj9vY-N5YgjfxLHJtuqpZWnQE_UzDcjXYOWNboLVqDZOMCNU8rMo3tP-7RPqI3Je_fFipRTbEGwi3LP_er2aTiDahCSIF3ZRBfkDKC4wzOgeF39WEg/s320/DSC00848.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Zion walls - wow!</td></tr>
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When we got back to the motorhome we were so excited to see the solar and battery had basically recovered almost all the 56 amp hours it was down from overnight. We ended the day down 3 amp hours (we had no shade and it was clear). Now we are wondering how many amps our solar will recover under ideal conditions? A story for another day I guess!<br />
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We don't often venture out after dinner (other than to see ideal sunset locations!) but we were feeling restless and decided to try a drive out on Zolob Terrace road was near where we were camped. It turned out to be another highlight of this area. We drove up to the reservoir and the changing landscape and views along the way at sunset were such a treat!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0xPJ89BwdAQBQC75PkhDx8qXTzRq6ho2yDAWj91dGwcpgUvRqxWiizrhD1tOe_SU7NNi6dG9K8kL59aesNdmT8UA4Cs-H3RgOfMOR0goZmVruU5K3fb6JDyKf1PtdzSSbuZQnQ9pxxg/s1600/20170429_185743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0xPJ89BwdAQBQC75PkhDx8qXTzRq6ho2yDAWj91dGwcpgUvRqxWiizrhD1tOe_SU7NNi6dG9K8kL59aesNdmT8UA4Cs-H3RgOfMOR0goZmVruU5K3fb6JDyKf1PtdzSSbuZQnQ9pxxg/s320/20170429_185743.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Cute little store with the BEST homemade ice cream!</td></tr>
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We made the mistake of trying to get into Zion on Saturday around 10:00 am but the line was really long to get in and we knew that meant parking would also be a challenge. So we went back to St. George to return the batteries, do some shopping, and drove out a scenic loop. After dinner we had the best homemade ice cream with milesaway at Fort Zion Trading Post.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2neBrxcUn1I_HIeL-hUhRpDckLj9vY-N5YgjfxLHJtuqpZWnQE_UzDcjXYOWNboLVqDZOMCNU8rMo3tP-7RPqI3Je_fFipRTbEGwi3LP_er2aTiDahCSIF3ZRBfkDKC4wzOgeF39WEg/s1600/DSC00848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJrdEy5xtQe3QAvrru71veT0Dq1x_3LiR1vLyVcKcKRxDbHmrDWWy12VfPFVIUGubKA7HZADdgBvhGdk-jChVvOhNrax_oXfBbL3a2NM_lXWlhVot-oIL1YWxXMUcy46TnyDh2MBftfQ/s1600/DSC00824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJrdEy5xtQe3QAvrru71veT0Dq1x_3LiR1vLyVcKcKRxDbHmrDWWy12VfPFVIUGubKA7HZADdgBvhGdk-jChVvOhNrax_oXfBbL3a2NM_lXWlhVot-oIL1YWxXMUcy46TnyDh2MBftfQ/s320/DSC00824.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">One of MANY whimsical sculptures<br />in the park at St. George<br /></td></tr>
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On Sunday, we sought out a United Methodist Church as we usually like to do and were intrigued to see St. George UMC had Praise Choir and Bells in addition to Choir. When we got there, all the regulars were gone on a mission trip so no regular pastor, choir, bells, OR praise! We cracked up when the pastor said "I'm not Pastor xxxx" and the organist said she's not the praise team! Turned out this congregation was very friendly and we would for sure return again if we're in the area. They even gave us sweet bread and a magnet for being new visitors!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Grafton Ghost Town<br /></td></tr>
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Turns out that Sunday in Utah is pretty quiet! Most everything was closed! But we did enjoy the Sculptures in the park downtown and when we returned to the Zion area we visited the ghost town of Grafton. <br />
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Monday we met trinklesontour and ppalmer21 another couple we have been following on Instagram and hadn't had a chance to meet at either Verde Valley near Cottonwood nor Grand Canyon. We texted them that we were getting on the shuttle in Zion and going to the end of the park and making our way back. There was no cell coverage so we weren't sure what their plans were. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyAEudBS0dnpqxOCqgYh8LtbRa-HCxJRDki9KdpOLESSnes66CZRkCy-_Qbjx_whoYm8p_c8kYnDSbVK3cP3Y4bwG_yD7PyGPdapB97Vr-csZ_u5q58Tfz2435Znn53SsNlUJstNLYqOg/s1600/DSC00867_LR+sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyAEudBS0dnpqxOCqgYh8LtbRa-HCxJRDki9KdpOLESSnes66CZRkCy-_Qbjx_whoYm8p_c8kYnDSbVK3cP3Y4bwG_yD7PyGPdapB97Vr-csZ_u5q58Tfz2435Znn53SsNlUJstNLYqOg/s320/DSC00867_LR+sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Wonderful easy hike along the river up to the Narrows<br />which were closed due to high water</td></tr>
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We took the hike to the Narrows (which were closed due to high water) and that was fantastic (along the river and an easy hike). On the way back on the trail we started looking for any couple that looked like them in case they had made it that far. We didn't see them so we got on the shuttle and told ourselves they are probably on that shuttle that just passed etc. When our shuttle stopped at the next stop, Pat pointed out a couple who were possibly them. They had just gotten off the shuttle going the other way so we quickly scrambled off ours and as we approached they got back on theirs so we said oh well if it isn't them, we'll catch the shuttle back at the next stop. "PPALMER21?" Pat said as we took approached them. Excitement and hugs were exchanged when we realized we actually connected. We got off the next stop and stood around chatting for a long time before we decided we should continue over dinner the next evening.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoi0FSb55apvKYCwphwm0YzVNTOP0dBuc9jXZWeypSYa9g-Ck43dbBM5c9U0YUg2cpG3_tASA73J_YPhl1cVH0zJFhRk4QCYsE5mQQWlmMT_ZknucXp8FYO-_wS98LtST6SgFYaHb1lw/s1600/20170430_173010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoi0FSb55apvKYCwphwm0YzVNTOP0dBuc9jXZWeypSYa9g-Ck43dbBM5c9U0YUg2cpG3_tASA73J_YPhl1cVH0zJFhRk4QCYsE5mQQWlmMT_ZknucXp8FYO-_wS98LtST6SgFYaHb1lw/s320/20170430_173010.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Zion Brewery outdoor patio!<br /></td></tr>
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So we stayed an extra day from our original plan to leave Tuesday so we could meet them at the Zion brewery for dinner and also go on the Pa'Rus trail on our bikes which we really wanted to do. Both were well worth the extra day but we did run out of water. We started with 2/3 tank so in the future we will make sure we are full if we even think we'll be there for close to a week.<br /><br />
Zion area is definitely one of our favorite stops so far!<br />
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<b>Highlights</b>: Meeting two couples we follow on Instagram, best hiking and bike riding so far AND batteries that work now!<br />
<b>Lowlights</b>: Wilson electronics was in St. George so we contacted them Monday (they were closed over the weekend) but they didn't sell their latest cell booster and two places in the area didn't have them in stock. Super disappointed. We know we are getting into areas where cell reception will be more challenging.<br />
<b>Things we learned</b>: How happy (and care free!) one can be with new deep cycle batteries. We still don't know if the performance issues we had on the old batteries were due to being bad batteries (not, according to Interstate but yes according to the hydrometer and multiple attempts to get them fully charged) OR due to being hybrid deep cycle and starter batteries. But the new batteries are finally performing as as we were expecting based on everything we'd read! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0inC1m_DYP8PtSfHb6Kf-Xv4pJztxp_DRVTmAoeidYKWrdl8QRlqqpOzuKVs8QcDLhFTNxPcJwefo0CUbKjwFI2WrW6Mzr20JrjfwE0IkU2B28XDB4Nq_zvsgwlFzjlKGp3j6feI8Aw/s1600/DSC00879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0inC1m_DYP8PtSfHb6Kf-Xv4pJztxp_DRVTmAoeidYKWrdl8QRlqqpOzuKVs8QcDLhFTNxPcJwefo0CUbKjwFI2WrW6Mzr20JrjfwE0IkU2B28XDB4Nq_zvsgwlFzjlKGp3j6feI8Aw/s320/DSC00879.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Bike ride along Pa'rus trail - wonderful!</td></tr>
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<b>Things we're wondering</b>: how many amps can we recover with solar on clear days? Cloudy days? Partially shaded days? How many amps will we use from sundown to sunup using maximum power (furnace, DISH, TV, charging our electronics etc.)? So much to learn. Always the question is how much battery did we really need and how much solar to replenish that!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953971639700395597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6550818474190205330.post-86545579077264188012017-05-18T11:44:00.003-07:002017-05-20T07:48:12.384-07:00Lees Ferry, Condor Egg, and The Colorado RiverApril 23 - 26<br />
Lees Ferry near Page, AZ<br />
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After leaving Desert View Watchtower at the Grand Canyon we proceeded on Hwy 64 east. We were mildly concerned that this road might not be appropriate for RVs, but it turned out well with great views and decent road conditions. We drove for about three hours, which is typical for us. We came to the crossroads of Hwy 89 and 89A and I waited with the RV while Ellen took the car and went ahead to check out our next possible camping spot. On the map, my waiting point was the town of Bitter Springs. It consisted of about a dozen houses and an LDS church. Ellen called with the campground confirmation and I started the last eighteen miles of our drive to Lee's Ferry Campground. <br />
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The reason for the long prelude is to set up the last eighteen mile drive. I entered the canyons bordering the Colorado River…<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU2doo1T_8aao8yfHTp6Mwa4ynsQwuvr7RCv9FgQLOGipZYfZ6BQI0xLnpWCx2ZGT6q4zcFGidLBc17Lpan4RIxkp87aowiHWI0J19z-MLhKYyNDCmAitYKjN1TmiUnyVHN8UJE8jtLQ/s1600/DSC00614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU2doo1T_8aao8yfHTp6Mwa4ynsQwuvr7RCv9FgQLOGipZYfZ6BQI0xLnpWCx2ZGT6q4zcFGidLBc17Lpan4RIxkp87aowiHWI0J19z-MLhKYyNDCmAitYKjN1TmiUnyVHN8UJE8jtLQ/s320/DSC00614.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lee's Ferry setup. There were neighbors, but not real close.</td></tr>
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Rising majestically on either side were red hills, you realize you are not paying proper attention to the road as you traverse this path. You come to two side by side bridges spanning the river. An old one used for pedestrians and a newer one for vehicles. There was no one following me so I stopped on the bridge to look down on the river. Then took a right and headed the last few miles to the campground. It was on a hill overlooking the river with tiered sites. Still boondocking, but it did have garbage, and restrooms. After vulch-ing a site, our term for waiting like a vulture for someone to leave a site, we set up in a great site overlooking the river. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0OOZDmNL4gtqOJ-v5bJjW9k3EfX4jaFtKyiK2hbmWyGQAi88ttW8btR0Xtzc43PAm1bjIreoBG-HZmI750eQyoIVkrHc6TuN6qgfh_YseDEcnC_wWOYocms_capJ_rn6VKmL1a3vcVQ/s1600/DSC00704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0OOZDmNL4gtqOJ-v5bJjW9k3EfX4jaFtKyiK2hbmWyGQAi88ttW8btR0Xtzc43PAm1bjIreoBG-HZmI750eQyoIVkrHc6TuN6qgfh_YseDEcnC_wWOYocms_capJ_rn6VKmL1a3vcVQ/s320/DSC00704.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our View</td></tr>
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It was a beautiful day and we decided to take a bike ride to see the extent of the campground and the beach. Ellen had seen that high winds were coming and we wanted to enjoy the ride before the wind arrived. At the end of the road we found a parking lot for rafters of the section of the Colorado set up. Sounded like great fun, but I think you bought your tickets elsewhere, and met your guides here… Oh well, another time. Rode back to the beach below the campground, but deep sand and the winds arrival kept my feet out of the water. I did help rescue a pop up canopy that was rolling down the beach. Did I say wind??? <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0LLQfVolmZkzFWTL-BmYqoei0AjkSWkYO7RYCaRM4X2rNbUELKTkSYl6f3hmSkWkVGCA5qfB_8mINNkcDgvJkVszE-KNSGfQ3371-FqBAqLAdhPDaWwTi8MCHSkE3ExHo46oCzClrw/s1600/DSC00619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0LLQfVolmZkzFWTL-BmYqoei0AjkSWkYO7RYCaRM4X2rNbUELKTkSYl6f3hmSkWkVGCA5qfB_8mINNkcDgvJkVszE-KNSGfQ3371-FqBAqLAdhPDaWwTi8MCHSkE3ExHo46oCzClrw/s200/DSC00619.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Navajo Bridge Visitor Center</td></tr>
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The next day we returned to the bridges. There was a visitor center there. The older of the two was called Navajo Bridge and was one of the first bridges spanning the Colorado river in Arizona. Before that you had to take Lee's Ferry across. A little over half way across the bridge there was a table, a spotting scope, a camera on a tripod, and two of the nicest folks you will ever meet. They volunteer with the naturalists who keep track of the wildlife in the area. They had spotted a Condor nest in the cliff above the river. They were explaining to excited children and adults alike the significance of this find. Everyone had a look through the scope and momma condor sitting on her egg. If we waited long enough papa would return too. This was a find of a lifetime as the condor usually nested in the cliffs much farther into the wilderness. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd09h0LvD-gk0-q_AwcHcYRUjUQ5fBQgecGKDxR2ujkCt-mB-UjBdWGjK77dgw_oHsdJB3zmNB5PbyqVYJePy5pEkFO9zo_g3d06ZLuNBBlAgW_DsEV3Lzi0dBnSPhatU-AY_Z71getA/s1600/DSC00624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd09h0LvD-gk0-q_AwcHcYRUjUQ5fBQgecGKDxR2ujkCt-mB-UjBdWGjK77dgw_oHsdJB3zmNB5PbyqVYJePy5pEkFO9zo_g3d06ZLuNBBlAgW_DsEV3Lzi0dBnSPhatU-AY_Z71getA/s200/DSC00624.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Volunteer Table (Insert smile here)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUJnmNnkLE16H5TSmqXvKNNAZk0nca3qP4nkhUk7VZqWH0glm2UYRVp8HgjDBR2xxHZLPmOFuIs8iaoey2oh_kwCRkHUEtmIj7gThr-3DcBii3ZnsGoZptf-MfeM7JzhY9Ki32EJDLlA/s1600/20170424_112129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUJnmNnkLE16H5TSmqXvKNNAZk0nca3qP4nkhUk7VZqWH0glm2UYRVp8HgjDBR2xxHZLPmOFuIs8iaoey2oh_kwCRkHUEtmIj7gThr-3DcBii3ZnsGoZptf-MfeM7JzhY9Ki32EJDLlA/s320/20170424_112129.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old and new bridge. Left for walking only. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Navajo Bridge</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf9CfXhIrlDhORIu4ZgHkdu2IMqa-L5gDDqUZ4YR2dWof4YIuZq1iFLuYRqd3iLG7AKb5DguyCMmnQH12Yt5Q_EFO5zWC7jiaZxq_HmlfxmWQW5NffL4ltzB1p_ueq1hbBUzPm8oRylQ/s1600/DSC00639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf9CfXhIrlDhORIu4ZgHkdu2IMqa-L5gDDqUZ4YR2dWof4YIuZq1iFLuYRqd3iLG7AKb5DguyCMmnQH12Yt5Q_EFO5zWC7jiaZxq_HmlfxmWQW5NffL4ltzB1p_ueq1hbBUzPm8oRylQ/s200/DSC00639.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the river downstream of the dam.</td></tr>
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The next day we took a drive to Page and stopped to view the dam that created Lake Powell. Spectacular view! We drove north to look at Wahweap RV Campground, where we might have stayed if they hadn't been full. It was OK, but where we landed was better. Also we wanted to drive up to Lone Rock, a place on the beach where an Instgramer we follow was staying. We considered it, but were concerned about sand and wind. Nice place! We spotted the lone dark RV (all others were white) belonging to the folks we follow. They were not home so we left a post it note on their door, smiled and left. Walmart for Grocery shopping and back home.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1gkkaM81ZjuJgA1qK_LLBMwD-bEI1B8rWlkaKo16ezHnCgENKup48EKQ055Ba54kESw6Av2ct_Dwd-w3iB8eLPPAle7gzPPCOrfFVRJCtDx-RS9n9UXfAX5ik_AOLW0sX4penLB6pg/s1600/DSC00642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1gkkaM81ZjuJgA1qK_LLBMwD-bEI1B8rWlkaKo16ezHnCgENKup48EKQ055Ba54kESw6Av2ct_Dwd-w3iB8eLPPAle7gzPPCOrfFVRJCtDx-RS9n9UXfAX5ik_AOLW0sX4penLB6pg/s320/DSC00642.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lone Rock. Lake Powell. No wind... yet.</td></tr>
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Got up early the next morning and headed to Horseshoe Bend to beat the heat and crowds. It was a wonderful hike and the view was everything we hoped for. The morning sun made it interesting to get a good picture, but the lack of afternoon heat made up for this deficit. Oh, and they were working on the trail, so we had to trek through the deep sand to reach the canyon view. People kept ignoring the workers as they were told to stay off the regular trail and walk through the sand. Like herding cats… But the regular trail was much easier to traverse. Just dodge the equipment doing the repairs. From there we took a drive to Antelope point and lunched in the car while enjoying the view.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNKHP2jvNDA2DKgxYnzNzFxXZxvBmOh6RVLT0taMpk9o-NPZRjzHQMtyaBgGAwoom0BQVV6eIeUkS9rJlHOGh9Yf8GvfDmfKCZRL5jvcYHsUd_-WmxFoWpNtvzjfvIHyVGEBWkhhMFQ/s1600/PSX_20170425_162839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNKHP2jvNDA2DKgxYnzNzFxXZxvBmOh6RVLT0taMpk9o-NPZRjzHQMtyaBgGAwoom0BQVV6eIeUkS9rJlHOGh9Yf8GvfDmfKCZRL5jvcYHsUd_-WmxFoWpNtvzjfvIHyVGEBWkhhMFQ/s320/PSX_20170425_162839.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Horseshoe Bend</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbpq9MsKN4-BJTt5ERgPqvML1C-DYhGQp-1zGYJLQ5Jhujy0DpWLnWqmOZzLu1v50xiCq4QLQiVlAqPRimDAws-HPHavN6SwZXN34XXrV3CWv3f75Hz1qxC5uklzcQK0MbA7mn23S8Q/s1600/DSC00659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbpq9MsKN4-BJTt5ERgPqvML1C-DYhGQp-1zGYJLQ5Jhujy0DpWLnWqmOZzLu1v50xiCq4QLQiVlAqPRimDAws-HPHavN6SwZXN34XXrV3CWv3f75Hz1qxC5uklzcQK0MbA7mn23S8Q/s200/DSC00659.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horseshoe Bend with us blocking the view.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj75F6_joPHkz8iHqJtzZHrOreO8Eq5bHF8tpnBE2YgHcr9VyZYG8hcNcU5tqvTlOh7zlfX2u6k36iJe1vXX5Bs26upk-7x9jV3PFmCgimNfTRcgEwbIPITQkykedqVcdYZmP2dN5eKmQ/s1600/20170425_093857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj75F6_joPHkz8iHqJtzZHrOreO8Eq5bHF8tpnBE2YgHcr9VyZYG8hcNcU5tqvTlOh7zlfX2u6k36iJe1vXX5Bs26upk-7x9jV3PFmCgimNfTRcgEwbIPITQkykedqVcdYZmP2dN5eKmQ/s320/20170425_093857.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trail repair work blocking the trail.</td></tr>
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Our last full day we did laundry, etc to get ready for our next destination/adventure. From here we move on to Zion. Marching as it were…<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ZI1Zj8XMNuBvm4TywLbJT6d7Qf6p84BH0JfeaMU9nhylc7x8V_ec4ftOl9Bz6rpLnxAtNKIBOiNBq9eerR4e40PE7BXrbU6nS1bEQ_jt5ZABeK6gzGVYtnPY0ITWfLUoCSr4n9Vszg/s1600/20170426_073154.mp4" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ZI1Zj8XMNuBvm4TywLbJT6d7Qf6p84BH0JfeaMU9nhylc7x8V_ec4ftOl9Bz6rpLnxAtNKIBOiNBq9eerR4e40PE7BXrbU6nS1bEQ_jt5ZABeK6gzGVYtnPY0ITWfLUoCSr4n9Vszg/s400/20170426_073154.mp4" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Campground panorama from the RV roof.</td></tr>
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stpathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17773574659655573264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6550818474190205330.post-70471668142208834552017-04-25T19:01:00.003-07:002017-04-25T19:01:59.175-07:00The BIG one! Grand Canyon Nat'l Park<b>April 19 - 23, 2017</b><br />
<b>Grand Canyon National Park</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVfIgHv8W6b8MVGLMGuGfbyyAUWyUylGyw9ZmrPCJo_GSKy0XH9SoWPANHPMpt62IGmlYm65BMXR5H4vFVtuALA2uvSsS0FKMAv2coJ8iYHVLRy00XDMZp70lOw_akvA7NtJ8253me3Q/s1600/20170422_121748.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVfIgHv8W6b8MVGLMGuGfbyyAUWyUylGyw9ZmrPCJo_GSKy0XH9SoWPANHPMpt62IGmlYm65BMXR5H4vFVtuALA2uvSsS0FKMAv2coJ8iYHVLRy00XDMZp70lOw_akvA7NtJ8253me3Q/s320/20170422_121748.jpg" width="320" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Obligatory park entrance pic!</b></td></tr>
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There is starting to be a pattern with how I feel as I arrive and leave the places we stay. I'm so excited to be in a new beautiful area but by the time we leave I'm often ready to move on and can't wait to leave! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDh0xAKG8Va9d3FFyUcueF9M7rGoYxH3xlRRTPxSIYteudRI-rx40Su_gyzHtKCUqUvDC1Xy9o_RjCn1tAzpbEREZH2lApfWp342XS1uLVMW3r21h_fyLELkPKs6t1lWn3lC7FkuGnGg/s1600/DSC00455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDh0xAKG8Va9d3FFyUcueF9M7rGoYxH3xlRRTPxSIYteudRI-rx40Su_gyzHtKCUqUvDC1Xy9o_RjCn1tAzpbEREZH2lApfWp342XS1uLVMW3r21h_fyLELkPKs6t1lWn3lC7FkuGnGg/s320/DSC00455.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We saw a lot of deer the first day near our <br />camping spot but none after that!</td></tr>
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When we left Cottonwood BLM, I was so excited to leave the open windy hot desert with the disappointing sunsets (I had expected at least one glorious sunset!) and head to the mountains and trees and cooler weather! And when we arrived on the National Forest land just south of Grand Canyon entrance near Tusayan, it was pretty exciting even if the trees were pretty small! We really liked the area we stayed (off National Forest road 302) BUT…<br />
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>1. We didn't realize (silly us) that when the wind blows, that dust puddle we were staying in would swirl around and blow right through us!<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>2. Turns out this was the closest place to the entrance and you wouldn't believe how many people came back at night (as in the dark!) to park and sleep for the night and our area was prime pickings!<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>3. We knew helicopter tours flew right over this area (reading reviews online) but it was much louder and more frequent than we expected!<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>4. We checked out other camping spots while we were there but most were too rough for us to take the motorhome into (deep ruts or dropoffs mainly).<br />
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When we went to visit Crater Lake in Oregon, we got up early to beat the crowds and managed to be there when very few people were there. We arrived just after sunrise so everything was lit with the warmth of the sun and it was soooo quiet. I was deeply moved by the beauty of the place.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzu75kKv6PnmVutFaEQUOrUSleOJiECPqvdBzBmzxtUGkxG40okM9V9DImJf1tNUVZgEweom5BP0clXeDSDck17-EkSUdPGhng-lcsywdib0oURH63q2TEfj0IRmdH8fKEfgqDp7Ppcg/s1600/DSC00382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzu75kKv6PnmVutFaEQUOrUSleOJiECPqvdBzBmzxtUGkxG40okM9V9DImJf1tNUVZgEweom5BP0clXeDSDck17-EkSUdPGhng-lcsywdib0oURH63q2TEfj0IRmdH8fKEfgqDp7Ppcg/s320/DSC00382.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When the sun started to peak the horizon we knew it was<br />time because of all the oohs and ahhs from the crowd!</td></tr>
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I was trying to figure out when to arrive for our first look of the Grand Canyon. Should we go when it's fully lit to get the total impact? Or see it unfold as the sun rises? Or perhaps at sunset? Where should we go for our first look? We chose to get up early before the sun rose and start at the main point near the visitors center. I have to say I would not recommend that for your first look! We didn't expect so many people to get up that early and it was pretty anti-climatic to watch it unfold so slowly as the sun rose (no dramatic clouds to add to the impact!).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3F3ph6SZw77oWbPWbO5bkCGgWMYbsqLNBKeSVxo5VXC_5bgNAfOT9f9fGRJZsV8BHlEXNkGEM16ZzE2t6BDmIxxXUpgJjqK7FQaUcX8Ju5fUVJk5OFJgiQ-P2l2lflKnPyDIN8OQkcQ/s1600/DSC00443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3F3ph6SZw77oWbPWbO5bkCGgWMYbsqLNBKeSVxo5VXC_5bgNAfOT9f9fGRJZsV8BHlEXNkGEM16ZzE2t6BDmIxxXUpgJjqK7FQaUcX8Ju5fUVJk5OFJgiQ-P2l2lflKnPyDIN8OQkcQ/s320/DSC00443.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting and waiting for the sun to show us the canyon!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiToBdD0BAqg_XVK9KG1C4wuVmPTI7x_EQLL6bavV9roPJJqMKjTd1T39Yr6BHKJWd01iHJdqnOrMtMjs0BhYbQGd_FWC0wN1FtuyvghdjBQn0lbDfdNxVLvXnmgB_82FWLNQ4MxLJ8Sg/s1600/DSC00496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiToBdD0BAqg_XVK9KG1C4wuVmPTI7x_EQLL6bavV9roPJJqMKjTd1T39Yr6BHKJWd01iHJdqnOrMtMjs0BhYbQGd_FWC0wN1FtuyvghdjBQn0lbDfdNxVLvXnmgB_82FWLNQ4MxLJ8Sg/s320/DSC00496.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still morning so plenty of shadows to show us the vista!</td></tr>
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However, the crowds cleared out after the sun passed the horizon and after about an hour or two when the whole canyon was lit, that's when we could really appreciate what we were seeing. Interestingly, we weren't as impressed as we thought we'd be. I think it's because we've seen quite a few impressive places and the lighting wasn't the greatest. During the day, it was pretty bland as there were no shadows to give you perspective on what you were seeing. However, it still was impressive especially how massive the area is both length and depth. We were also impressed with the park itself - lots of nice paths along the rim, bus system and parking. It was very well maintained.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Selfie without a viewfinder! Basically I turn the camera around <br />and look at the ring on the lens to see if I have the horizon in view!</td></tr>
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I had a lot of fun with my new camera that we purchased when we went through Flagstaff (the last trip to approach Sedona from the north). I'm pleased with the quality of the pictures and it was easy to transition from my Canon 60D to the settings on this one. I had been using my smartphone but its biggest drawback was a lack of a viewfinder for bright sun not to mention how slow my phone can get with all the apps I have. So far I'm loving the Sony A6000 for how small it is (although it's not THAT small!) as well as the viewfinder and screen info and how quickly I can adjust for different lighting and depth of field I want.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Lo7c53Y0Wc5cCQYVa1eYjENkeH-kySwKjaSYS0I1qQ-twFPYJ20DEGdlYgFnQxVf8J9NNlYQDwqOO6OkW-3cQwQrh5rh-52vaQ_9JEA6QSI89we-vvkr9im_Ubz1iAej3uOaIcuR0A/s1600/DSC00583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Lo7c53Y0Wc5cCQYVa1eYjENkeH-kySwKjaSYS0I1qQ-twFPYJ20DEGdlYgFnQxVf8J9NNlYQDwqOO6OkW-3cQwQrh5rh-52vaQ_9JEA6QSI89we-vvkr9im_Ubz1iAej3uOaIcuR0A/s320/DSC00583.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We love our e-bikes! Makes bike riding fun no matter<br />how many ups and downs but you still get a workout!</td></tr>
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We didn't do much else at the Grand Canyon other than following the rim both directions from the main visitor center either walking, driving or taking the bus. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_fGWTZDGqpf81DeaLqK2lkYee_uQ7ZdYYl1zsP6h_fh952lb1xD7UrzyYcGFvsXqev-7Q19VvvFZeEpFRr78lMH0ueHc-kYpdQcmCM5J8g3kXXkmMAz6sXMquSE7G5RAdH-TWFM2RQ/s1600/20170420_095312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_fGWTZDGqpf81DeaLqK2lkYee_uQ7ZdYYl1zsP6h_fh952lb1xD7UrzyYcGFvsXqev-7Q19VvvFZeEpFRr78lMH0ueHc-kYpdQcmCM5J8g3kXXkmMAz6sXMquSE7G5RAdH-TWFM2RQ/s320/20170420_095312.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We loved the scripture placed in various places. Amen!</td></tr>
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We did take advantage of the numerous bike paths and had a wonderful bike ride through the "forest". On the last day, we got up early and left by 6:45 am because there was going to be a major windstorm later that day and we wanted to move to a place with less sand. We stopped at Desert View on the east end of Grand Canyon because it had great RV parking (even with tow car). What a great stop! And we finally got our stamp there at the gift shop. We tried at the main visitor center but they (like many other NP's) didn't have any paper for us to stamp (so now we're starting to bring it with us!). <br />
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<b>Highlights</b>: We finally made it to the Grand Canyon!<br />
<b>Lowlights</b>: Sand storm when the wind blew (thankfully not that often!)<br />
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<b>Things we've learned/wonder:</b> Our battery continues to lose amp hours as we boondock but we are still at 12.1 or 12.2 (50%) under load in the morning. We don't know if that's because these aren't true deep cycle batteries or if the battery is bad. Would we lose amp hours daily with true deep cycle golf cart batteries that we plan to purchase when these die? Or will they do as we expect - charge back all but marginal amp hours by the end of each day. We shall find out someday!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSRU9ylGXe0SnZikfuCIGKV4WXrGUpLvYCp1bOUYh9Eh4JnDAWi9PHVVdB04KU5mxY4qcLzah2fpYejOUqSASNKuAyH3mG6Iq1Z1Rxn6Z_G_rGQAEzBwGdcHQjWx7zthkU_lOdZUlQw/s1600/DSC00603.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSRU9ylGXe0SnZikfuCIGKV4WXrGUpLvYCp1bOUYh9Eh4JnDAWi9PHVVdB04KU5mxY4qcLzah2fpYejOUqSASNKuAyH3mG6Iq1Z1Rxn6Z_G_rGQAEzBwGdcHQjWx7zthkU_lOdZUlQw/s320/DSC00603.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thought this was cool to look up into the tower at Desert View</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We walked the 85 steps to <br />the top of the tower!</td></tr>
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stpathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17773574659655573264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6550818474190205330.post-50907763174416844332017-04-24T09:15:00.000-07:002017-04-25T19:02:14.099-07:00Rejected by Thousand TrailsApril 6 - 19,<br />
Verde Valley near Cottonwood<br />
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There was some concern in our hearts as we headed north to Verde Valley Thousand Trails. We tried on Thousand Trails website to get a reservation and failed. This was nothing new so we called their reservation line and was told they had quite a few sites down with electrical problems and there was nothing available for the two weeks we wanted to stay. Next call was to the young lady who sold us our Zone Passes and has magically found space for us when all else failed. She said she would work on it and get back to us. She never did…<br />
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So we approached their gate and set about checking in. There was no reservation listed for us and we were too long for a tent site. He sent us to the manager to see what could be done. He found a place for us for three days, in three days. He told us we could stay in the office parking lot until then, but would have to move in the morning as they were fixing the parking lot. I asked about boondocking spots… The office parking lot was it. When we purchased our membership we were told if all the sites were full at any campground there would be boondocking available. I just didn't know it would be the office parking lot. We exited Thousand Trails and drove back to some BLM land Ellen had previously found. OK rant finished… or maybe I'll continue it later.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZT1kNtECxV4fVWqtDKUJ6Dmdsza1_kGhcxFzk9hY1q405Uf76f6I5Coa0dko3kAUKxW4rGr0nIdQIr9ilm_AYE-qJ4TYnZSb5Y1j5ucZocJcHJVXZ2NLe8nxqRihFFIQh9ziiK9Quzg/s1600/0414170709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZT1kNtECxV4fVWqtDKUJ6Dmdsza1_kGhcxFzk9hY1q405Uf76f6I5Coa0dko3kAUKxW4rGr0nIdQIr9ilm_AYE-qJ4TYnZSb5Y1j5ucZocJcHJVXZ2NLe8nxqRihFFIQh9ziiK9Quzg/s320/0414170709.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our morning visitor for several days on BLM land.</td></tr>
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The place Ellen found was wonderful and scenic. On a bluff overlook the valley. We set up and looked for something fun to do. "used Bookstore near me" Google sent us into oldtown Cottonwood. (5.6 miles) Charming. It had nothing we couldn't live without, but the people were very friendly. We walked the street and window shopped. Nice little town.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQticuQhGERAm_pSkoY9yddgBxkdzQPe3VKVghit52mrAAKys-Ocj3LhAvEnwzyaPs8KK1rRXA44OQUETp87cmRzHCMDC9Ji3txmVn1f7wF1A88VdJFccT44aVbHkAOLM8P3BvTLmuRg/s1600/20170411_113205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQticuQhGERAm_pSkoY9yddgBxkdzQPe3VKVghit52mrAAKys-Ocj3LhAvEnwzyaPs8KK1rRXA44OQUETp87cmRzHCMDC9Ji3txmVn1f7wF1A88VdJFccT44aVbHkAOLM8P3BvTLmuRg/s200/20170411_113205.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tuzigoot</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFcQE5oUPp5QXqNy18Jqv1Lv0hBBTBiXqyxEC23gAQXF07-yGmK9kbes7qsqxgIw_KyAfYQWQ9ccHieM34xcxQI5jJ_ykukOlb4tvpeBihrgr0kl7qSX3xDtZTBnOgCKnqz4Pud7t0Vg/s1600/20170407_110247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFcQE5oUPp5QXqNy18Jqv1Lv0hBBTBiXqyxEC23gAQXF07-yGmK9kbes7qsqxgIw_KyAfYQWQ9ccHieM34xcxQI5jJ_ykukOlb4tvpeBihrgr0kl7qSX3xDtZTBnOgCKnqz4Pud7t0Vg/s200/20170407_110247.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Montezuma's Castle</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinTYiL0KEBqqF4wELRXvaDjkhQ5fHjRXVDXks2QL2tg3R2-iqS5ITcsiaEuIG-PVtbNE7_isCn4j-rWOIf4y5ptloKQNIiEyZIcU9byg4Z9NolTCoUpM_DR_FxNjBs2U5m7mWEsOPWw/s1600/20170411_164106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinTYiL0KEBqqF4wELRXvaDjkhQ5fHjRXVDXks2QL2tg3R2-iqS5ITcsiaEuIG-PVtbNE7_isCn4j-rWOIf4y5ptloKQNIiEyZIcU9byg4Z9NolTCoUpM_DR_FxNjBs2U5m7mWEsOPWw/s200/20170411_164106.jpg" width="200" /></a>During our stay we visited several National Monuments, Montezuma's Castle and Well (along with about forty fourth graders on a field trip), and Tuzigoot. There were more as the area has a rich history. Drove to Prescott and saw the Sharlott Hall Museum. Not to be missed. There might have been a pub with libations and appetizers. Ice Cream might have been had. The usual fun. On the way back we drove through Jerome. Town on the side of a hill. Or should I say cliff? The views (and switchback down grade) were amazing. We also took the Verde Valley Train on a sight seeing trip. Well worth the high price. One delightful aspect of the trip was the background music in the railcar. Every train song imaginable. When they got to "Peace Train" folks sang along.<br />
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Next we went to Sedona which is a tourist town set in the most amazing venue ever. Surrounded with red monolithic hills on every side. I don't know how long it takes residents to become numb to the awesome surroundings and just think of it as home. We went on a few (easier) hikes in the area but we were able to take great pictures just driving around!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkL1LaMT_AYPCm9thAknPV1Mi37_jPaNNblH-tYRx1Wtw4hUxO8mVPdwOqVEJ87shv324_8tjTJTSNCnw_35r7dXSPcvb7buzvjV0Yr95GzCwRz5tRtJ1dsLpvCKEJzDzOaAjR-q3SA/s1600/20170413_091352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkL1LaMT_AYPCm9thAknPV1Mi37_jPaNNblH-tYRx1Wtw4hUxO8mVPdwOqVEJ87shv324_8tjTJTSNCnw_35r7dXSPcvb7buzvjV0Yr95GzCwRz5tRtJ1dsLpvCKEJzDzOaAjR-q3SA/s320/20170413_091352.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
A comment on the drive to Sedona… Approached from the south you venture through red cliffs and desert views, from the north you get forest, creeks, and great canyon descents. We loved both, one is majestic and awe inspiring for me, the other reminded me of home, the great Northwest. We stopped at picnic areas and I walked in the creek. "Insert smile here."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_WO6lnpOQjHfCQYM4-zqyipwLCTU1ho7wPIH1VCqbI7QYcMbfVtLwHmROAEbtyMwrYtectMwCCCysysH6H9MJIVHq25c9mYi2f4KDP0WkR4XJ5ki4AnaO7CgJEixkLTl-hHA93wRtQ/s1600/20170413_112632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_WO6lnpOQjHfCQYM4-zqyipwLCTU1ho7wPIH1VCqbI7QYcMbfVtLwHmROAEbtyMwrYtectMwCCCysysH6H9MJIVHq25c9mYi2f4KDP0WkR4XJ5ki4AnaO7CgJEixkLTl-hHA93wRtQ/s200/20170413_112632.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hike in the canyon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeVjJXsNKaENuVgwWUlPsRi-SjSHiIsmz7oL-y9UdGbA-ucumSB62-YDGw3crhxQ2Gm224y792XrKi-GU7Gx7P5KMCMoaYxjaZ0Zb9r9NofNy8JsCovtT2wn0TyuIfYUrxttUdjD9OSA/s1600/20170417_112141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeVjJXsNKaENuVgwWUlPsRi-SjSHiIsmz7oL-y9UdGbA-ucumSB62-YDGw3crhxQ2Gm224y792XrKi-GU7Gx7P5KMCMoaYxjaZ0Zb9r9NofNy8JsCovtT2wn0TyuIfYUrxttUdjD9OSA/s200/20170417_112141.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Different canyon hike</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyszCupz_r6lnZfR3f0RQUYeu_DqFyF0YC_v2oHQOyi2sPVFTjcyMgKHibeUxvfvNaM0RM5T3CWBE3E4uOx-mjek9vpZNOOscYGkOfiQ44Zy1WOlriHhyphenhyphenzTj1u13nxI1glVyYrDvPZDg/s1600/20170417_114839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyszCupz_r6lnZfR3f0RQUYeu_DqFyF0YC_v2oHQOyi2sPVFTjcyMgKHibeUxvfvNaM0RM5T3CWBE3E4uOx-mjek9vpZNOOscYGkOfiQ44Zy1WOlriHhyphenhyphenzTj1u13nxI1glVyYrDvPZDg/s320/20170417_114839.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Speaks for itself...</td></tr>
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Ellen finished and filed our taxes (life must continue), I changed the oil in the motorhome, and we did laundry. I'm going to digress into Thousand Trails again as we did spend our three days there, were ousted, and returned to our hilltop BLM spot. We go there for hookups, trash dumping, and laundry facilities. The parking is side by side and the views are of other RVs. Not our favorite. But you get the good with the bad. The good, we emptied our tanks and refilled our water, we watched some TV, we went to their karaoke night. The bad, the view, very limited Verizon coverage, and the Laundry facilities. You have to get a two dollar card from them and add money to it to use their machines. I drove into Cottonwood and used the laundromat.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzEWD4DiB8YukPDqLZBp1IJozvjxIOhmqF4zJnCQ1PmwoFkyj_UMKXiE0jkMjmSLRwcxCF-cTrcoUlXoTqkUw3BzETNTjNvsleyfiT3tzBoLrDa2SIJWJbIqu0lm6fXmkJtIu9Mghy_Q/s1600/20170414_123246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzEWD4DiB8YukPDqLZBp1IJozvjxIOhmqF4zJnCQ1PmwoFkyj_UMKXiE0jkMjmSLRwcxCF-cTrcoUlXoTqkUw3BzETNTjNvsleyfiT3tzBoLrDa2SIJWJbIqu0lm6fXmkJtIu9Mghy_Q/s320/20170414_123246.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from south bound road to Sedona. That is the road 1000 feet below!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwFSIJL4xh_tOmeMmOc7F0pvdTSG1QbcaEQgPAqgRKvQWL8nZAkuF4zN5h9qPMtL3XAl4RHDTLG-BjniQGGuvJVgveDgl6-ASKK5yBpL3BZgUoKEpyMx1tkybe1YAULwiVfUgykAeZA/s1600/20170414_140610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwFSIJL4xh_tOmeMmOc7F0pvdTSG1QbcaEQgPAqgRKvQWL8nZAkuF4zN5h9qPMtL3XAl4RHDTLG-BjniQGGuvJVgveDgl6-ASKK5yBpL3BZgUoKEpyMx1tkybe1YAULwiVfUgykAeZA/s320/20170414_140610.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one also says it all.</td></tr>
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From here we head to the Grand Canyon.<br />
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stpathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17773574659655573264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6550818474190205330.post-39205994852026677132017-04-12T11:01:00.003-07:002017-04-12T11:01:58.107-07:00Go Forth (north!)April 1 Ramsey Mine Road, BLM Brenda AZ<br />
April 2 Escapees North Ranch, Congress AZ<br />
April 3 - 6 Lake Pleasant Regional Park, AZ<br />
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Yeah! We're finally in new territory again - places we haven't seen yet! After spending a few weeks in LA and Palm Springs and Joshua Tree which we'd seen last time we were through the area, we headed for our northern loop - generally heading home and equally important we hope to get to cooler weather! So far we're not into the mid-80's weather. We prefer under 80 (at least that's up from around 70 which is still preferred!).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-U7Lg0mvwx9igQUaeS2NGqugNwjqAurb945mGw-L6q8v-Qw8ybJnrPSWeRQADbAjOPjH2ktuQPcYw8yRRMFSFH69sePwuBilbMBTb-qJFlV-PBZY8dnaLvLbEd7lh9Ac2eR7Lk2VupUo/s1600/0401171829b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-U7Lg0mvwx9igQUaeS2NGqugNwjqAurb945mGw-L6q8v-Qw8ybJnrPSWeRQADbAjOPjH2ktuQPcYw8yRRMFSFH69sePwuBilbMBTb-qJFlV-PBZY8dnaLvLbEd7lh9Ac2eR7Lk2VupUo/s320/0401171829b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pictures never seem to capture the grandeur! That teeny tiny<br />cactus and monolith way in the distance were very striking!<br />Ramsey Mine Road BLM</td></tr>
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Our first stop was more BLM land on Ramsey Mine Road which is near Brenda, AZ (you recognize that right?)! We planned to stay two nights here and it was very beautiful, peaceful and for the first time fairly isolated of other overnighters. We had a little bit of odd traffic on the road (things that make you uncomfortable but probably just in our heads). Added to that we had an overwhelming electrical burn smell that was reminiscent of our Trimetric monitor burning up so of course that raised the anxiety level a bit! We came to the conclusion that it was coming from somewhere outside but we sure couldn't pinpoint it or be sure. So we decided moving on would help us determine if it's us or the air outside (after moving on, so far so good - no smell!).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSIWrRQavZhw0FTMS-mg0C0koXkm22ma5I4GxFvb7-w-yzXeOBHTWoAWrQRdH1AMQihVq7IxBghF5SD08oNDPt-bvRLwLfrCc3-RtuR4RoRNS8LvqQZrMXWKSikCwC_itQTB7m1FnwxfQ/s1600/0403171019a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSIWrRQavZhw0FTMS-mg0C0koXkm22ma5I4GxFvb7-w-yzXeOBHTWoAWrQRdH1AMQihVq7IxBghF5SD08oNDPt-bvRLwLfrCc3-RtuR4RoRNS8LvqQZrMXWKSikCwC_itQTB7m1FnwxfQ/s320/0403171019a.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pulling onto the scales at Escapees North Ranch to get weighed!</td></tr>
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We were excited to head to our first Escapees park at North Ranch (near Congress, AZ) so we could do a 4 corner weigh on the coach (our first one!). We wanted to make sure we weren't overweight on any one corner (we knew we weren't over all) and get a benchmark for future remodels (more solar, replace booth with a buffet and table/chairs, replace couch with recliner etc.). We were pleased with the results for the most part but we were pretty much right on top of the max on the driver front side. So we moved a 40 lb footstool (that has paperwork, maps, brochure type stuff in it) to the passenger side so as we drive and that should balance us a bit more. We basically learned that our solar did not put us over the top in the front and might have helped balance our weight to the passenger side a bit more. Unfortunately propane was filled to half and it's on the driver front so we really have no room to add more weight there. Not sure what we'll do but now we know!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5NGwl9AblxdL9cQv6HCOPkAWkJU44opMVkjuGy2rkeXRUTTWjtrf9MHOO7KaHDNB-MC5T8HZ3uCWTHUjdBQ5DUokLhW0CBO803pf1_d15n8NIEYEr7nY5kLTlMxwmfaZh_Z9Wi1hlY0/s1600/20170403_185323-2-2017-04_LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5NGwl9AblxdL9cQv6HCOPkAWkJU44opMVkjuGy2rkeXRUTTWjtrf9MHOO7KaHDNB-MC5T8HZ3uCWTHUjdBQ5DUokLhW0CBO803pf1_d15n8NIEYEr7nY5kLTlMxwmfaZh_Z9Wi1hlY0/s320/20170403_185323-2-2017-04_LR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our spot at Lake Pleasant right by the water. After seeing the<br />neighbors hammock, we decided to get one too!</td></tr>
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<div>
We scouted out a place to go next and we consulted the folks on the forums about heading to Cottonwood from Congress and we were told we wouldn't like it if we went the more direct route on 89A (and after seeing parts of that route - we are in total agreement!). So we went south a little to get to I17 and saw there was a lake on the way and we really like water! So we stayed 3 nights at Lake Pleasant Regional park (no hookups $20/night). We were greeted by a rattle snake (we think that's what it was but it didn't rattle(?)). We were facing an inlet portion of the lake with lots of bushes and trees and cacti which is totally weird to us (by a lake!).</div>
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Enjoyed bike rides, hikes, and the usual side trips there at the lake. One thing we were disappointed in is we wanted to have lunch at the local BBQ and brews at the lake but it annoyed us to pay $6 to park to even check it out to see if we wanted to have lunch there. So we went to Peoria instead!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtPJ32Ec_gAIYOm13O7FT1wDsP81FmdrV9VC2K6y-_Aiy2kmJuN7oCillpY18EY2Kn4cQM0X3EvTG7AqLbi6Bu7Pjcr_NeeHAPrx3p4i9p5ThUFEOmQN8e_HBT6P_3-lhqeofAvDDTjQY/s1600/20170405_095151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtPJ32Ec_gAIYOm13O7FT1wDsP81FmdrV9VC2K6y-_Aiy2kmJuN7oCillpY18EY2Kn4cQM0X3EvTG7AqLbi6Bu7Pjcr_NeeHAPrx3p4i9p5ThUFEOmQN8e_HBT6P_3-lhqeofAvDDTjQY/s320/20170405_095151.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another selfie capturing cacti on our hike!</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4NvOFaBA0i1j1IN4GPvfjY_tqGWZ0iK1k4jpjP9q2cDRj47xjV0QS35JAeIOmImVPD6CwJPD3A6dhY1lGRxl4jKrRoZnwoHYdTX37QmVuhiGgaqV8j0bXMlzriSvyvMui4zNpoqluko/s1600/0404170628a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4NvOFaBA0i1j1IN4GPvfjY_tqGWZ0iK1k4jpjP9q2cDRj47xjV0QS35JAeIOmImVPD6CwJPD3A6dhY1lGRxl4jKrRoZnwoHYdTX37QmVuhiGgaqV8j0bXMlzriSvyvMui4zNpoqluko/s320/0404170628a.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isn't this so peaceful? Sunrise on the water at Lake Pleasant.</td></tr>
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<div>
<b>Battery update</b>: We can't believe how much power the fridge wants to use between sundown and ? (not sure when it finally calms down). We use about 10 amps per hour in the evening (most due to the fridge) and over 75 AH (amp hours) overnight! We did leave the dish on so it could record but didn't use the TV other than to verify DISH and guide set up. We think we only have around 100 AH available before it reaches 50% (the safe level) because these batteries have been ruined (don't have the capacity they are rated at). But we decided to keep using these batteries as we continue to learn how to manage them better and to continue to understand our power needs through all the seasons and places (like shady NW!). If you've been following this blog, you know we've gone back and forth on that!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_wuGgiGOwtaBS7fDy13H7C5fCzaXpkz4Wt40xyB1qFw2aExDFl7Ulcep5afDYE8JH_ZZXBG0rKTKcAYdto8Z2VAr2ulTQjQroUNk7V8L6V9gZ443FP61U24pF03Bp9Gr7UbY933aP_k/s1600/0405171503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_wuGgiGOwtaBS7fDy13H7C5fCzaXpkz4Wt40xyB1qFw2aExDFl7Ulcep5afDYE8JH_ZZXBG0rKTKcAYdto8Z2VAr2ulTQjQroUNk7V8L6V9gZ443FP61U24pF03Bp9Gr7UbY933aP_k/s320/0405171503.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally a brewery!! That's an amber and coffee stout. mmm...</td></tr>
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<b>Highlights</b>: 4 corner weigh, Lake Pleasant </div>
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<b>Lowlights</b>: Electrical burn scare</div>
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<b>Things we've learned</b>: We want an anemometer (measures wind speed). We have had so much wind and we're always curious how hard its blowing so we can get a sense of what 10 mph feels like vs. 20, 30 etc.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953971639700395597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6550818474190205330.post-36639133762624882452017-04-05T10:55:00.002-07:002017-04-05T10:55:49.346-07:00One more time around again<h4>
March 24 - April 1<br />Palm Springs Thousand Trails<br />Joshua Tree NP boondocking</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUIhKG5DFGIx37naZXGRv7dwMBbL_rekdYyrjqFRpV5o4tbIaTs7K87seM-f1tnvUyqNdopmyTUUSdn8XMOzLUTYkjQKPuwLAzbJ6Mg6a2vZG_Ouwr0isKOjbI8yGbbHC0Ugek2_y1mE/s1600/0326171844b-2-2017-03_LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUIhKG5DFGIx37naZXGRv7dwMBbL_rekdYyrjqFRpV5o4tbIaTs7K87seM-f1tnvUyqNdopmyTUUSdn8XMOzLUTYkjQKPuwLAzbJ6Mg6a2vZG_Ouwr0isKOjbI8yGbbHC0Ugek2_y1mE/s320/0326171844b-2-2017-03_LR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The usual - crowded among palm trees here</td></tr>
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It felt great to come back here - almost like coming home even though we'd not likely call this home! But we had good memories of our time here before (mostly the people) and we know our way around the area now!<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRVuoOFlBtXfB_d5cqN2hkFhP57bAvEF9uEkmjV8l6YE58PRfEin5xXvCgwJXhg9v0Lnsx5P_7sJZ7zO4LqJ3PiHGiEwHvJPC9zoplutx0SLWbMlKsZSlfqKs1K7HHsjGorQhmKPyIkvo/s1600/20170327_085229+-+Copy-2-2017-03_LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRVuoOFlBtXfB_d5cqN2hkFhP57bAvEF9uEkmjV8l6YE58PRfEin5xXvCgwJXhg9v0Lnsx5P_7sJZ7zO4LqJ3PiHGiEwHvJPC9zoplutx0SLWbMlKsZSlfqKs1K7HHsjGorQhmKPyIkvo/s320/20170327_085229+-+Copy-2-2017-03_LR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The once-in-awhile chore of cleaning solar panels!</td></tr>
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<br />
But it's getting really hot for us (mid-80's) so there's less motivation for being outside with no shade. The reason we came back this way was to see Ellen's provider for her hand (the little finger is not recovering well from being in the cast - the broken part feels fine but it's the only finger and part of the hand that is stiff and painful from being immobile in the cast!). Doc says it's normal and only be concerned in a couple more months if not better. I wish they could have told me that over the phone when I called to ask if this was normal!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88dd_h6thqU85YpeQtrtqM7YAw4hHvvqwK_3llsBQyNlTOYBScXVL7m8V42xBm8vW9DR5Po0Ho_5I9MCPQKEzEWJPDiq5wan12NoVi6inAAclul6evCO2WSDuxk4smSq3SSzhI_MMETQ/s1600/0329171817_HDR-2-2017-03_LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88dd_h6thqU85YpeQtrtqM7YAw4hHvvqwK_3llsBQyNlTOYBScXVL7m8V42xBm8vW9DR5Po0Ho_5I9MCPQKEzEWJPDiq5wan12NoVi6inAAclul6evCO2WSDuxk4smSq3SSzhI_MMETQ/s320/0329171817_HDR-2-2017-03_LR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anza-Borrego State Park wildflowers</td></tr>
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<br />
While we were in the area, we decided we'd go to Anza Boreggo Desert State Park to see the wildflowers. We were checking in with our friends from Vancouver who were near Parker AZ and discovered they had planned a couple of days in Indio to go to Anza Boreggo as well so we postponed our Sunday trip and did it Tuesday with them instead! Probably less crowded than a weekend and a bonus getting to do it with them! <br />
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The visitors center was great (and the film on the seasons especially). Very helpful person at the desk who guided us to sculptures and prime wildflower viewing. <br />
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It was so much fun to see what sculpture would be around the next corner. So cool! One of my favorites was a simple Saguaro cactus since they are all over in the SW, it made me laugh to see one in silhouette amidst the "natural" desert!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRetDj-0UsDjNvJiWOyzUYhwQZSvd6Kn7-1YLoFL61QLqZxPQHppH4_f7ZZHcxaUZbqKN0WffztYjvIHHEi2zTjKNokL7MbQSqArDchryB7jV0HuCM1C41lR0bnCR0U3gMFvWm3zGrhdk/s1600/20170328_113421-2-2017-03_LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRetDj-0UsDjNvJiWOyzUYhwQZSvd6Kn7-1YLoFL61QLqZxPQHppH4_f7ZZHcxaUZbqKN0WffztYjvIHHEi2zTjKNokL7MbQSqArDchryB7jV0HuCM1C41lR0bnCR0U3gMFvWm3zGrhdk/s320/20170328_113421-2-2017-03_LR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of many sculptures around Borrego Springs</td></tr>
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On our way back "home", we searched for a picnic area to enjoy the lunch we brought to share. Couldn't find anything so we just drove straight to the Salton Sea to park and overlook the water while we ate lunch. We then took a walk to the water and oh my what an adventure. Fish bones everywhere so it was a crunchy walk until it was not...then it was a gooey slimy walk! It felt so good to leave what would normally be a joy - walking along the water!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUiVxyRilp8bbAkHGCTUeq3Jn1dBb85AWmbljW09SATkTH9xnaxzlqWSVSd9KAhjdMVMOT2tXEeNbPeOU2n27ar9_kVqZ6WDkHOkqEGornLoihQW8Lqe3qv2kgeHvvGMArjE94EsExMxQ/s1600/0328171159-2-2017-03_LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUiVxyRilp8bbAkHGCTUeq3Jn1dBb85AWmbljW09SATkTH9xnaxzlqWSVSd9KAhjdMVMOT2tXEeNbPeOU2n27ar9_kVqZ6WDkHOkqEGornLoihQW8Lqe3qv2kgeHvvGMArjE94EsExMxQ/s320/0328171159-2-2017-03_LR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Always a pleasure to see dear friends!</td></tr>
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We said our goodbyes to our dear friends from home and decided on the spur of the moment to see Beauty and the Beast. The original animation was one of my most favorite Disney movies and I wasn't sure how I'd like this one especially starring Emma Watson. Could I watch it without seeing Hermoine?! I was amazed! It was so great! Emma did a beautiful job singing and one of the best parts was how they were able to go more deeply into the characters and add new elements to this well known story. Really a fun time. Oh, and by the end of the movie, Hermoine was (mostly!) no more!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyA9YCGFFTPX0UHRWzsuTVRSqnHGYfp3Q_keBwGCmLlkvayx9OuUsiwVjPLfq8W5BzvvmM3SVTKoHvi6CW4W6tXlW1VRZdbwIj6f0gSWuLWUgK5zHN0zl19yspI2CzNqYtQqg0i6Ds2hU/s1600/0331171330-2-2017-03_LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyA9YCGFFTPX0UHRWzsuTVRSqnHGYfp3Q_keBwGCmLlkvayx9OuUsiwVjPLfq8W5BzvvmM3SVTKoHvi6CW4W6tXlW1VRZdbwIj6f0gSWuLWUgK5zHN0zl19yspI2CzNqYtQqg0i6Ds2hU/s320/0331171330-2-2017-03_LR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Side trip from our boondocking spot - Box Canyon Rd.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_pCRlE7tA4euiF9_s_KFQUxut0HpvntBbsdHzM75TA9MKtJzXWr16u-xX4IZBaT-YK6uA2s0LCVLGGduRMcp9GOFHFcOIP5x82nR9kSF9TEnh5iiszKL11YiC2KaUZq-hALZI1t_q7o/s1600/0329171827-2-2017-03_LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_pCRlE7tA4euiF9_s_KFQUxut0HpvntBbsdHzM75TA9MKtJzXWr16u-xX4IZBaT-YK6uA2s0LCVLGGduRMcp9GOFHFcOIP5x82nR9kSF9TEnh5iiszKL11YiC2KaUZq-hALZI1t_q7o/s320/0329171827-2-2017-03_LR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our typical boondocking spot outside Joshua Tree NP</td></tr>
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We wanted to connect with the Escapee Boondockers group who were near Joshua Tree NP. We drove around and didn't recognize anyone nor was there a particularly large group gathered together nor any signs pointing the way. We tried Facebook and email but didn't get a response. Disappointed we didn't get to share a campfire with them BUT oh my a major windstorm hit and it was quite a ride (so no campfires anyway!). Winds were over 30 mph with gusts around 50. We seemed to weather it (a pun!) just fine though. We decided to wait one more day before moving on since the winds were still pretty strong. We drove back through Joshua Tree NP while we were there and hit another spot we had missed before.<br />
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Oh, and we changed out of our flannel sheets! Nights are not so cold any more!<br />
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We were ready to move on and "boldly go where no one has gone before", well us anyway!<br />
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<b>Highlights</b>: See friends and visiting Anza Borrego wildflowers and sculptures<br />
<b>Lowlights</b>: Missing the Boondockers group at Joshua Tree NP<br />
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<b>Things we learned</b>: we can survive 50 mph gusts! Don't particularly want to know if we can tolerate stronger winds!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953971639700395597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6550818474190205330.post-59911978623021156582017-04-04T12:20:00.001-07:002017-04-05T10:58:37.356-07:00Disney in the SpringMarch 17 - 24, 2017<br />
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Anaheim Harbor RV Park</div>
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So we put Soledad
Canyon in our rear view mirror and headed for Anaheim. There was an RV park to find and kids to pick
up at the airport.</div>
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This RV park seemed
strange in that they made you take two sites for each day. One for the motor home and one for the
car. Normally we parked the car in front
or beside the motor home. We arrived and
found out why. Most of it was a parking
lot striped in 13X40 spaces. Our
motorhome and car would not fit into one spot and if it did and motorhomes with
slides were on either side of us, we would have a very hard time getting into
our motor home. With the slides out it's
about twelve and a half feet wide. If
equal motor homes sit on each side very little room is left to walk between
them. Hence an extra site for your
car. This was our first of three sites
we moved into to be there for a week.
The second had a grass strip on our door side ($12 more), but the car
was in a site across the street. The
third was the RV on either side, small path to your door variety. The car was parked about six sites down the
road. Oh well.</div>
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We were told you
could see the Disneyland fireworks from the RV park. It was only 3/4 mile from Disneyland. There were signs in the park, "Disney
Fireworks 9-9:45". So at 9 we
wandered out to see them… 9:05… 9:10
still nothing. Well maybe it was
too cloudy for us to see more than a glow from the south. We went back to the motor home. About 9:30.
BOOM. The whole motor home
shook. Rushed out and there they
were. Couldn't see the castle or hear
the music, but the fireworks were very clear. </div>
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The kids flight arrived at LAX (45 Min drive)
at midnight thirty. At 11:30 pm the
traffic was light… Cam and Kaitlin
collected. Got back a little after 2 am
to get a few hours sleep before going to Disney's California Adventure Park for
the 8 am opening. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEituvcRhTZTQBSHlr82zN8YtJ1Bv7IZWpVG4rUP7VgmBSv0sBZvNr9AGNhOepn1BtIo43vnUwwp3GpNueGImpRZ0BtON1lYQ8CVHVG-wjwImHrLnvQ_5DlR8HulM4nYvJX3OlXeKN3dwg/s1600/20170318_190424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEituvcRhTZTQBSHlr82zN8YtJ1Bv7IZWpVG4rUP7VgmBSv0sBZvNr9AGNhOepn1BtIo43vnUwwp3GpNueGImpRZ0BtON1lYQ8CVHVG-wjwImHrLnvQ_5DlR8HulM4nYvJX3OlXeKN3dwg/s200/20170318_190424.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We caught Food & Wine at DCA</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3Vx3UXODAw-FjBHKSzuCQ_7yPtW5U75hT-WR-1EMHM4Qku31KmuMOYb2Z3OL5Ga9FmNFE5upDxlhVJ8AYf1mEl3IUBL4_nOnEmuKd8EqIGLeoTS7qO6kFBsdYHWsYmmQh1jG5SilCA/s1600/20170318_083634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3Vx3UXODAw-FjBHKSzuCQ_7yPtW5U75hT-WR-1EMHM4Qku31KmuMOYb2Z3OL5Ga9FmNFE5upDxlhVJ8AYf1mEl3IUBL4_nOnEmuKd8EqIGLeoTS7qO6kFBsdYHWsYmmQh1jG5SilCA/s200/20170318_083634.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luigi's Flying Tires was replaced with <br />
this dancing cars ride. No Beach Balls<br />
but a better ride</td></tr>
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Kaitlin (daughter in
law extraordinaire) did all the Disney planning for this trip for which I am
eternally grateful. We parked in the
Disney garage ($20) and caught the tram to Downtown Disney. Bought our tickets and entered DCA to head
for Toy Story Mania (back end of the
park). Came back to Radiator Springs
Racers, and out to Soarin'. I'm not
going to make this a Disney Trip Report.
I only say this to point out that our kids are young folks and will
trade walking long distances for lower wait times in line for rides. It was all good but I can't say my old feet
didn't suffer during this trip. Took a
break at mid day for naps and back we went for evening attractions and World of
Color (Disney's night time fountain show).
It was great! After the show we
headed back to the tram to the parking garage and had the longest wait of our
entire trip just for a ride to the parking garage. After this we daily took the 3/4 mile walk to
Disney property. It was not that much
longer than the trip from the parking garage, cost $0, and was definitely
faster. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeOl29KVbvK99ZFTxTW1n-FBD6bU5KivxSblPBr8KXPH08v1oTW_7Trkco2nbh-Q0BeEQwgBEOIZ5huG29FIQzVB_COuvcIgg-7DqxOtBVywns7DhnWLfYmnoakr9nCM_Z_7b4bZCA0g/s1600/20170319_080901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeOl29KVbvK99ZFTxTW1n-FBD6bU5KivxSblPBr8KXPH08v1oTW_7Trkco2nbh-Q0BeEQwgBEOIZ5huG29FIQzVB_COuvcIgg-7DqxOtBVywns7DhnWLfYmnoakr9nCM_Z_7b4bZCA0g/s320/20170319_080901.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stopped our rush to the rides for the obligatory Castle Selfie</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">In all this I have
not included Sam, one of our pseudo children, who is a new Disney cast
member.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">He ran around with us and added
an insider's narrative.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Great joy was
had by all.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZUgrkCX0I5NnrfshBVN7OBGDMqZQY_Oki2NSYnG8g3838vjcg7qi_hVz0K5pvyxABOj-b7ySheRDR-5EspojYjSXtAHfeag1WKbmTlZC_ZOOpSxEFg92Bc3KYCWZdpE3QTcGYjhSIg/s1600/20170321_093430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZUgrkCX0I5NnrfshBVN7OBGDMqZQY_Oki2NSYnG8g3838vjcg7qi_hVz0K5pvyxABOj-b7ySheRDR-5EspojYjSXtAHfeag1WKbmTlZC_ZOOpSxEFg92Bc3KYCWZdpE3QTcGYjhSIg/s320/20170321_093430.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sam didn't always get to play while we were there.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">We spent five days
in Disneyland/DCA and one day at Universal Studios for Harry Potter Land.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Universal was OK, but as always,
Disneyland/DCA was great.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Crowded, but
great.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizVgec41J0sUsWQUVKw5r0uQGY4jUSBxXgkYMIjTCdHIWFCnu_xWYYC04P8IC-Yl9svtdBVX0WAztAi1HHd4btY1Jo9E9gnGzy3B2GVzUwQrmx7_YUu4jYhho2pOTvOxQJjuAL0DTdjw/s1600/20170319_082110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizVgec41J0sUsWQUVKw5r0uQGY4jUSBxXgkYMIjTCdHIWFCnu_xWYYC04P8IC-Yl9svtdBVX0WAztAi1HHd4btY1Jo9E9gnGzy3B2GVzUwQrmx7_YUu4jYhho2pOTvOxQJjuAL0DTdjw/s200/20170319_082110.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alice in Wonderland ride.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4eX-zYMK-i7Hdg1nSe00SrsbgMQvuZ35auIb60PJJeLZcPeDgU34T4M96N3xVnXF5xT22q63EbYjqS1_Mm9Ewsy_ln192sj3jJ5pkEBFNf5NGS3iBaiPvMP88SyKjGgWRc-fKNAdNtw/s1600/20170319_081039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4eX-zYMK-i7Hdg1nSe00SrsbgMQvuZ35auIb60PJJeLZcPeDgU34T4M96N3xVnXF5xT22q63EbYjqS1_Mm9Ewsy_ln192sj3jJ5pkEBFNf5NGS3iBaiPvMP88SyKjGgWRc-fKNAdNtw/s200/20170319_081039.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With tears in our eye, we realized we would<br />
not be riding Peter Pan this day.<br />
The Park opened 20 minutes ago</td></tr>
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On the trip back to
the airport we stopped by the beach and enjoyed the California beach
experience. The afternoon traffic might
have been worse than the midnight traffic.
LA is not a great town for driving around.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoPuPCbgg6RCQNTD87MYdQ2SOIyykhrgE3EtWG9tV5qV-sdxi1cd3djg6fBe5Qfu0V9kFDSFEGgkCc_nDEfoo5pMofVHXYQioJDca_FYCN_evSAReSC3IdCfkcm6QAiMfSEWddu8xaMg/s1600/20170322_184047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoPuPCbgg6RCQNTD87MYdQ2SOIyykhrgE3EtWG9tV5qV-sdxi1cd3djg6fBe5Qfu0V9kFDSFEGgkCc_nDEfoo5pMofVHXYQioJDca_FYCN_evSAReSC3IdCfkcm6QAiMfSEWddu8xaMg/s320/20170322_184047.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kaitlin planned two dining experiences for us.<br />
Blue Bayou and Napa Rose. They were wonderful.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">We escaped LA on
Friday morning, after rush hour??, and headed east for Palm Springs…</span></div>
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stpathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17773574659655573264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6550818474190205330.post-10594290162819394222017-03-30T09:04:00.001-07:002017-03-30T09:04:41.343-07:00Ordinary life<b><br /></b>
<b>Soledad Canyon RV Resort Thousand Trails</b><br />
<b>March 3 - March 17, 2017</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJE2AktNXkSkkzWrCdVEHdwLyiAngsed362cX5XoWdfnNXGp6QLD5SoazkIsrhF_vsM6oWtO4ZCwD3wcctTwfdTBI4U1Mdgviln8pPcz90mtqtEXh1ygkyQu69nqZjkFHYKbufDu_JJDY/s1600/20170309_180202-2-2017-03_LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJE2AktNXkSkkzWrCdVEHdwLyiAngsed362cX5XoWdfnNXGp6QLD5SoazkIsrhF_vsM6oWtO4ZCwD3wcctTwfdTBI4U1Mdgviln8pPcz90mtqtEXh1ygkyQu69nqZjkFHYKbufDu_JJDY/s320/20170309_180202-2-2017-03_LR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view behind us was glorious!</td></tr>
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This park is HUGE and actually has pretty nice spots in a picturesque area. You can definitely get side by side RV park style spots but there were several to choose from where you didn't feel quite so close.<br />
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We chose a spot up on the hill overlooking the "mountains" where we got better Verizon cell service and 4G. When our new monthly data allotment started on the 8th, we switched to unlimited on our Verizon plan. It was hard to do because it was another $35-40 more a month but we're really tired of running out data at the end of the month and we really depend on it! We don't seem to have wifi as much as we thought we would (boondocking in the desert kind of does that to you!).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXOnF6Nww7aiZodOMvZPFEleoJ117Q93WyTcFlt5Z-7n9XNjK_6iNfrmUqj8umX82SYb2q0s3u_N6rr5pAWC19MKzyTqLxLt_CbIVFu_PtXpuy2apYf6hpf6NCUSGey9GWB0lwpuPPO60/s1600/0310171808b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXOnF6Nww7aiZodOMvZPFEleoJ117Q93WyTcFlt5Z-7n9XNjK_6iNfrmUqj8umX82SYb2q0s3u_N6rr5pAWC19MKzyTqLxLt_CbIVFu_PtXpuy2apYf6hpf6NCUSGey9GWB0lwpuPPO60/s320/0310171808b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Got to sit out several nights with the campfire. Note RV's in<br />the view in front of us! THAT's the more typical "RV Park"!</td></tr>
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This was a rare 2 week stay which felt like ordinary life. Laundry, TV binge watching (at times!), church, shopping, more tax research (we got 1099DIV and 1099R and 1099S for the first time - another set of learning curves!), Amazon ordering (magic creeper , OBDII reader, batteries for the TMPS tire monitors, fumoto oil valve). We'll have to tell you how we like these products after we try them out! As an aside on Amazon ordering - with one of our packages, they said it was undeliverable (we sent it General Delivery Acton with the zip code) but they handed it off to the post office who delivered it to the Acton post office that same day. With another, they said it was undeliverableand we tried to add the street address to Amazon and it said it wasn't valid. So we called UPS. They finally got it to us days later. Not sure what the lesson is here but we'll be more leery about sending things to General Delivery although from everything we've read, this should not have been a problem. We'll try to add the street and see if Amazon will take it. I've read that there is only one post office in each city that handles General Delivery and that's how it's supposed to be addressed (General Delivery, City, Zip).<br />
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We attended Valencia UMC two Sundays in a row. The first was at their 9:00 "Classic" service and the 2nd was their 10:30 Praise service. It was wonderful to feel somewhat "like home" attending a United Methodist Church. The music was wonderful with choir, handbells, and excellent praise band. The sermons and worship services were excellent and meaningful. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBNqw0gqs1jb16OJ6hjLXQaBwqvo0g724RXkTUJLi4N5h1J89kYDm89QwRpCsu5mdbO-yLoM8jqN9bmZMSVMRQysPFLyMUSiPXWyUW9iC6SO_wSJQ2f1bogud843_ilcaKSCVBHVd5OVc/s1600/20170306_135802.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBNqw0gqs1jb16OJ6hjLXQaBwqvo0g724RXkTUJLi4N5h1J89kYDm89QwRpCsu5mdbO-yLoM8jqN9bmZMSVMRQysPFLyMUSiPXWyUW9iC6SO_wSJQ2f1bogud843_ilcaKSCVBHVd5OVc/s320/20170306_135802.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming back on the trail at Vasquez Rocks</td></tr>
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We did visit a few places around the area. We especially enjoyed Vasquez Rocks - we even went twice because we went on a Monday and the interpretive center was closed so we came back later to go through that. We also "got outta town" during this hot spell (mid 80's) and headed up to the mountains at Wrightwood to get our ideal 70 degrees. It was a great drive, short hike (eventually had to stop because there was too much snow and couldn't see the trail!). Otherwise we just enjoyed reading, campfires, hikes, bike rides, and walks. Tried a few farmers markets but they were pretty small.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEzvu02RPzvI16UW7EPFV1kYJ0YfGNMgh4SCpYgB58fHk66raIr8eud6do4SPhzCcmdNnaCakqnf-NiBcnXpuuiyFRUhUe6PfKmcajvcgnrwT68QkbOmOrlvKxUxGdVFEf3jhrHXpKkc/s1600/0306171359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEzvu02RPzvI16UW7EPFV1kYJ0YfGNMgh4SCpYgB58fHk66raIr8eud6do4SPhzCcmdNnaCakqnf-NiBcnXpuuiyFRUhUe6PfKmcajvcgnrwT68QkbOmOrlvKxUxGdVFEf3jhrHXpKkc/s320/0306171359.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most of our pics of Vasquez Rocks<br />were pretty lame. It was very striking!</td></tr>
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<b>Highlights</b>: Seeing former co-workers of Ellen's, meeting new folks at the campground (something we don't do when we're boondocking since there aren't usually a lot of folks around!).<br />
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<b>Lowlights</b>: Pretty upset about the scratches all along the passenger side from the attack bush at Sawtooth Canyon as we were leaving. They are like 10 giant finger-nail scratches the whole length of the passenger side from the bottom up to about halfway. Polishing with two different products did make them less noticeable but did not remove them. We also added a new huge gnarly scratch (through the paint this time) on one of the bay doors (opened the door and it bumped into the propane tank which was set nearby). Luckily its closer to the bottom of the door on a down slope (not in the middle!) so not readily noticeable!<br />
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<b>Things we're wondering</b>: Will we stop feeling heartsick over the scratches, will we figure out how to get rid of them or will we re-paint or will we learn to accept them?!<br />
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<b>Things we've decided</b>: We think we've learned all we can at this point on these batteries and we believe that they are indeed "ruined" (lost capacity) so we've decided to purchase the Costco 6 volt batteries to continue our boondocking testing and experience before we buy more expensive batteries. We'll do this toward the end of the month when we'll be back into boondocking country.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbv-1Glbm-QhY-k_YPXc9JtU2JS8Qm7Oa5fONrV-pZRlPKSs4PSc-TL8sQHtFzca4HSWXtjCtSVZ_ONs3eoaYLv6pdddP81XOq348ON4olLK-4mXvjilOHaTGAQXQ4aeYAkrLcQqp5kPM/s1600/20170313_113036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbv-1Glbm-QhY-k_YPXc9JtU2JS8Qm7Oa5fONrV-pZRlPKSs4PSc-TL8sQHtFzca4HSWXtjCtSVZ_ONs3eoaYLv6pdddP81XOq348ON4olLK-4mXvjilOHaTGAQXQ4aeYAkrLcQqp5kPM/s320/20170313_113036.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We eventually gave up on the trail near Wrightwood. It was a <br />great temp but we couldn't find the trail with all the snow <br />still on the ground!</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953971639700395597noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6550818474190205330.post-45110471599003916232017-03-26T14:13:00.002-07:002017-03-26T14:25:35.055-07:00Shaded by a Monolith<br />
<b>February 28 - March 3, 2017</b><br />
<b>Sawtooth Campground, CA</b><br />
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We left our abandoned RV park in Death Valley and headed south through the hills tp Barstow California. Ellen had found a possible boondocking spot on Allstays just south of there, but as always, you don't drive your RV someplace you're not sure you can't escape from without checking it out first.<br />
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I stayed at a Walmart in Barstow while she drove about twenty miles to Sawtooth Canyon. She called the OK and away I went… There were no signs on the main road telling me where to turn off, but Ellen had directed me where to turn, and that I would be going about one mile down a washboard road to find the area. She had a spot picked out, but was worried a huge boulder would shade us too much to make our solar panels effective. When she said "washboard" it didn't really prepare me for the bouncy experience that followed. Dished rattled, but cupboard doors stayed closed and nothing was shaken up too badly except my nerves. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8ToCR9qQBgKMcLFvclHS93fx1A-lBZ5P58pPqnZZy03PLPeuUu3O6tXI11jd2vqh7ttC4LwEJ3SVmB5iZ8AWBhaBTbMhqFx6lneA6AG-qFgHFiHrmOmMdLgVAMfVxHWOG0W3-aQYRw/s1600/20170302_171852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8ToCR9qQBgKMcLFvclHS93fx1A-lBZ5P58pPqnZZy03PLPeuUu3O6tXI11jd2vqh7ttC4LwEJ3SVmB5iZ8AWBhaBTbMhqFx6lneA6AG-qFgHFiHrmOmMdLgVAMfVxHWOG0W3-aQYRw/s320/20170302_171852.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbed on the rock to look down on the RV</td></tr>
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I think Sawtooth Canyon may have been a regular campground at one point in it's history. The boondocking site all had shelters and site numbers. And there was a camp host site. A sign next to it proclaimed "Volunteer Camp Host Wanted". A phone number was given. While the hiking was good, it appeared to be a rock climbing campground. There were spikes in the tops of some of the monolithic rocks to attach climbing ropes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2pVtUsXnwIBvXejcFVuy6aeYzJhIMEBtISBfI8wkQ7ARgHvI8s_sHkQBpPwYKCquVrEdZXndjpZRzLe8xEiV5ZWRGPLf3XqXLS_71V20sUFhYK2ZuGAr7XaLv73tVWzRvx4QAkqZPPQ/s1600/20170301_093004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2pVtUsXnwIBvXejcFVuy6aeYzJhIMEBtISBfI8wkQ7ARgHvI8s_sHkQBpPwYKCquVrEdZXndjpZRzLe8xEiV5ZWRGPLf3XqXLS_71V20sUFhYK2ZuGAr7XaLv73tVWzRvx4QAkqZPPQ/s320/20170301_093004.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We did get good sunshine to refill our batteries, but not enough to completely fill them. The system would recover all but about ten to fifteen amp hours per day and then go into float mode, saying we were full. So after three days we ended up about thirty five amp hours down. We think it's a battery issue and not a charging issue, but we'll keep looking at this and soldier on.</span></span></div>
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Oh, and on the way out we avoided a ditch on one side of the road only to scratch the other side of our coach on a bush. We will be researching Gel Coat scratch removal soon!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk96cTXSgDUs4QYRFrh1Ihp91r_nmbPHt7NRyi0u8Bwpg_Dx6dkOtajcBjDT7iabD6wN0Ienk5bS5CtTkA_YE_7jvcJb_E5LB53UC6QeuN-mWcm3za4_4bGZ59-FZzuMIgc-nS6mD8ag/s1600/20170302_125543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk96cTXSgDUs4QYRFrh1Ihp91r_nmbPHt7NRyi0u8Bwpg_Dx6dkOtajcBjDT7iabD6wN0Ienk5bS5CtTkA_YE_7jvcJb_E5LB53UC6QeuN-mWcm3za4_4bGZ59-FZzuMIgc-nS6mD8ag/s400/20170302_125543.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Twins in our new sun hats!</td></tr>
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stpathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17773574659655573264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6550818474190205330.post-69140526102386091632017-03-01T08:22:00.000-08:002017-03-01T08:22:47.346-08:00From the highest high to the lowest low!<b>February 23-26, 2017</b><br />
<b>Lakeside RV resort (and Casino) Pahrump, NV</b><br />
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<b>February 26-28, 2017</b><br />
<b>Boondocking outside Death Valley NP</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2f9ejsOsbpPb9Aza3pKiNa4W4vcVXstWRhZrhfKZ2Ul49J19SSPk4NO7HqrQavj7JaufnrvoKDUed859hgsGcYlXRSZXDdCy3McgtqKCNcgTaID4iJ6cTeKDYg3o7ScAdnyRxKu0syP8/s1600/0224171146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2f9ejsOsbpPb9Aza3pKiNa4W4vcVXstWRhZrhfKZ2Ul49J19SSPk4NO7HqrQavj7JaufnrvoKDUed859hgsGcYlXRSZXDdCy3McgtqKCNcgTaID4iJ6cTeKDYg3o7ScAdnyRxKu0syP8/s320/0224171146.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hard to tell from this pic but that's a playground <br />right behind us! Lakeside RV Resort, Pahrump</td></tr>
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We were so happy to leave Las Vegas (the city) and had hoped we'd back to "camping" but not for our first stop at least! While Lakeside RV resort is much better than where we were in terms of space and greenery and water and paths to walk, it's still an RV Park where that's all you see from all our windows! We backed up to a playground which saw mostly teen antics and noises!! It was quite loud at times but we were there over the weekend. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4WWmd1bxpRF7yYwb_uOQLtlve5tjHEovcrWjpksqsOri59KY3U5C_-MBqH7uy879zJXJI6yTCOxwK522tl-akwdMOwM6wwdbuFc0Fohs92WfVGyZAjAApoNvHaQigcj9w9IbhUfHWXQo/s1600/0224171942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4WWmd1bxpRF7yYwb_uOQLtlve5tjHEovcrWjpksqsOri59KY3U5C_-MBqH7uy879zJXJI6yTCOxwK522tl-akwdMOwM6wwdbuFc0Fohs92WfVGyZAjAApoNvHaQigcj9w9IbhUfHWXQo/s320/0224171942.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Balloon "glow" in Pahrump</td></tr>
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We chose Pahrump and this park because they were having a hot air balloon festival over the weekend and this park was Passport America (so 50% off!) and had wifi. I think we could have found boondocking spots nearby but we wanted to try out a 10 out of 10 rated park with wifi to continue with taxes and other internet stuff.<br />
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<b>On the exploring front: </b> We froze ourselves going to the evening hot air balloon "glow" but it was GREAT! We had coffee and gyros and funnel cake and visited the vendor booths. Loved the small town feel and festivities!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOpHlKhvMThUny1EJSg-89rXiX5QggY4ddX06iEtSmsVjGwbBQrzgX-WPOcg-X-wtuhm56OYW1sfqWPYaHda0SlF_KqIJAmaJmFSnRJKluBhbta7Wy-Eg8sWPLO_XFeGZx-7x8NlaChcs/s1600/0224171456a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOpHlKhvMThUny1EJSg-89rXiX5QggY4ddX06iEtSmsVjGwbBQrzgX-WPOcg-X-wtuhm56OYW1sfqWPYaHda0SlF_KqIJAmaJmFSnRJKluBhbta7Wy-Eg8sWPLO_XFeGZx-7x8NlaChcs/s320/0224171456a.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was cold in our boondocking spot at 3000+ elevation<br />but down here in Death Valley NP - NICE!</td></tr>
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We took a day trip from Pahrump to Death Valley NP to see if we wanted to stay in the park or elsewhere. We scouted road conditions and campground cost/quality. We were disappointed that we finally were going to stay in a National Park and one campground was full, the second one was basically a parking lot (not even hookups) and the third was only slightly better than the parking lot (with fire rings) but generators aren't allowed which wouldn't be a problem with our solar but it's so cold we need to run the furnace quite a lot. Basically, we decided it wasn't worth the extra miles into the park to turn around and go back to head south later. So we tried a boondocking site near the top of the rim before descending into the park.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEichyphenhyphen2U__frI2MXnQjUn6d_3UlGo2QI6DOEE7Tqs2oXNXQ8KFPkbyZVtzeU_4oIxwPZRQZX5UIfpo_f_0o_-m4bO-ZbN4R1CEcHnCqSznDMfmFinsgN03jX4E-7f_PqmVeDAqH48-3vvHE/s1600/20170226_165436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEichyphenhyphen2U__frI2MXnQjUn6d_3UlGo2QI6DOEE7Tqs2oXNXQ8KFPkbyZVtzeU_4oIxwPZRQZX5UIfpo_f_0o_-m4bO-ZbN4R1CEcHnCqSznDMfmFinsgN03jX4E-7f_PqmVeDAqH48-3vvHE/s320/20170226_165436.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We look so tiny (and alone!) down there! <br />Boondocking outside Death Valley NP</td></tr>
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The boondocking spot was great - nice roads going in and apparently it was going to be an RV park so it had concrete pads and level places to park and really spread out. There were 3-4 others there during our stay. Very quiet and dark and great night viewing of stars since the moon wasn't out!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Cmjg7CZubCjwUFrkPRRlI5AnS5UGwGPhUaphz7E9cnmWYL6x8q5-t9X8nLwcEND1aYZtKnyvvNoPmkiWrsf9GRAfAoqw5vD51l1tUdM2N5DMnBdj-xmFgCaEWmH1xh6vFfJ5aSQxBW8/s1600/20170224_144458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Cmjg7CZubCjwUFrkPRRlI5AnS5UGwGPhUaphz7E9cnmWYL6x8q5-t9X8nLwcEND1aYZtKnyvvNoPmkiWrsf9GRAfAoqw5vD51l1tUdM2N5DMnBdj-xmFgCaEWmH1xh6vFfJ5aSQxBW8/s320/20170224_144458.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As usual these pics don't do the park justice! But try we do!<br />We took many more pictures but since we're on limited data<br />plan, we'll forgo posting them here!</td></tr>
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<b>Death Valley NP:</b> I'm not sure how these parks can be so much the same (here in the desert SW) and yet be so different but always WONDERFUL! I'm going to have to work on my words and try to come up with adjectives that can convey the feelings you have when visiting such larger-than-life places. It's the combination of fresh air, sunshine (and not hot!), exercise and such different landscape and geology. We are learning so much at the visitor centers and museums along the way - it almost feels like being back at school but on a field trip!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvYW_yuBrhErOXEc2mNKCCSqtUEnLyqWhV9jzju4Od6C7J7qmjnrBGMkKEleur_0I8huwPdXGVxywxUnmLvELk8boEqbDMAlMvYtsRGnQenU3qB6M0vfyks-vBCrb3deZMMruGa48s408/s1600/0224171628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvYW_yuBrhErOXEc2mNKCCSqtUEnLyqWhV9jzju4Od6C7J7qmjnrBGMkKEleur_0I8huwPdXGVxywxUnmLvELk8boEqbDMAlMvYtsRGnQenU3qB6M0vfyks-vBCrb3deZMMruGa48s408/s320/0224171628.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So funny because this looks like<br />a typical Oregon coast pic but that's<br />salt way down below which we later<br />walked on. View from Dante's View.</td></tr>
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<b>Highlights</b>: Night time hot air balloon "glow", Death Valley NP, Pahrump museum (Nuclear testing section especially), wine tasting and lunch! I (Ellen) bought a yoga mat and am slowly starting that up as a daily practice and it feels great!<br />
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<b>Lowlights</b>: Figuring out propane for our small BBQ. [We later determined our BBQ regulator was clogged - back in business!]<br />
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<b>Things we didn't do this time</b>: We wanted to join the star gazing Saturday night nearby but it was cloudy (and far away). It also didn't work out to see the hot air balloons early in the morning (except from a distance) but we were ok with that having seen them late in the day/evening on Friday night. So many things in Death Valley NP were closed - super disappointing. Especially wanted to see Devil's Golf Course and Salt Creek trail which had pupfish(?!). <br />
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<b>Things we've (re)learned</b>: Did I say Casino's are awful mainly because of the smoke? <br />
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<b>Things we're (still) wondering</b>: Now that we have full batteries (for real this time - we think!), how much capacity do they really have and will we be able to keep the volts above the 50% AND will the trimetric readings and the volts align?! Stay tuned - we should be able to answer this in the next blog!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953971639700395597noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6550818474190205330.post-40084351979818452822017-02-26T09:24:00.001-08:002017-02-26T09:24:48.640-08:00Las VegasThousand Trails<br />
Las Vegas Thousand Trail is actually in the city quite a ways south of the Vegas strip where you find the bulk of the large casinos. It's a very tight RV park. Gravel sites with full hookups. A storm last February dropped a tree on their clubhouse and it, the pool and free wifi have been down for the last year. A pay for internet company was supplying wifi for the park, but we were assured they were working on the free system. There is "do not cross" tape surrounding the clubhouse area and several of the restroom are also under renovation. We came there for the wifi so we could do taxes and catch up on a few things that required internet so we were disappointed. <br />
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Valley of Fire<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAycESFjymGQ8Zc2Rggo5rArbONU0G1i4aaxWGQME0_EIUdMDVPCUlcWlBhj3dfrmb3-3ZrlAM78Gy45e4j7VlouD51wmjjYkGxjp2t5aBx656kkOoGxZdN0lPNbCrGQ0iQegjvVuQkw/s1600/20170214_104904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAycESFjymGQ8Zc2Rggo5rArbONU0G1i4aaxWGQME0_EIUdMDVPCUlcWlBhj3dfrmb3-3ZrlAM78Gy45e4j7VlouD51wmjjYkGxjp2t5aBx656kkOoGxZdN0lPNbCrGQ0iQegjvVuQkw/s200/20170214_104904.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_r5cvEp2JzamZICcg-q6XbqIIbgXKhILewTOE5RPBbcqM3vcpmrrEZC4eKde52KoYzXu_3IjobaOzX3yhhxz8iRmhOeASpMv8xqVRR_o1S-U0YiihAPRwg6einTpQ5_iMHZcm3GO4Hg/s1600/20170214_104833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_r5cvEp2JzamZICcg-q6XbqIIbgXKhILewTOE5RPBbcqM3vcpmrrEZC4eKde52KoYzXu_3IjobaOzX3yhhxz8iRmhOeASpMv8xqVRR_o1S-U0YiihAPRwg6einTpQ5_iMHZcm3GO4Hg/s200/20170214_104833.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8vAfQ_tRxUr3RQ6Ko0nGfUiRhK_WcLTel0JViSnE-KBlfQ6EQRuU1VEbRHTeMJ1OOPu4FNh5_KlM-1OldQpzpdcqDMwr26HfZlBh27bGsnmE4kMvdhiUU0NnTPrhH3vJNG6nrFgUM7A/s1600/20170214_110258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8vAfQ_tRxUr3RQ6Ko0nGfUiRhK_WcLTel0JViSnE-KBlfQ6EQRuU1VEbRHTeMJ1OOPu4FNh5_KlM-1OldQpzpdcqDMwr26HfZlBh27bGsnmE4kMvdhiUU0NnTPrhH3vJNG6nrFgUM7A/s200/20170214_110258.jpg" width="200" /></a>Around the Las Vegas area are several State Parks/National Conservation Areas. Valley of Fire State Park was our first daytrip. We packed a lunch, gathered our maps, and headed out. I had seen a few pictures of this area, but I wasn't really prepared for how scenic this "scenic area" was. The hillsides and rocks were layered in reds and browns. The rock formations were weathered in such a way to make you feel you were walking on the ocean floor. We drove through a campground there and wished we had the RV with us so we could stay. Stopped at McDonalds for ice cream cones on the way back. <br />
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Red Rock Canyon<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrVX3iYDChDxOjHs12QTHwsWXxIe-Nqex-1DEz9kuoSS2_dABHmL4QuGPU-FULl3yP2tUSniT9ILKpMJbxwkbVD_6BHFFEm1-1NEPyQGe0qPNJN7Urq3BFHyiZawQlMJuFlqrXnjKsg/s1600/20170215_124650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrVX3iYDChDxOjHs12QTHwsWXxIe-Nqex-1DEz9kuoSS2_dABHmL4QuGPU-FULl3yP2tUSniT9ILKpMJbxwkbVD_6BHFFEm1-1NEPyQGe0qPNJN7Urq3BFHyiZawQlMJuFlqrXnjKsg/s200/20170215_124650.jpg" width="200" /></a>The next day we drove to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Still in the desert, but a wholly different desert feel. The rocks while red didn't have the vibrant colors of the Valley of Fire. There was also more vegetation. Cactus and some trees. The large ones reminded us of home. We hiked to a box canyon with a waterfall. Spectacular drive both in and out of the area. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEmJ6hqCZLnep9SyFe1JbyBWLssI3w3xhqXv9jDrp9c1uxA4F5JQiQkoR9wHEkzJt9E8FqEQFW2l-hd-QZvtLwrcoTKkRvSBhI7P-9rZe04_gwFK03BHXFkX5zmYtYSKOhttxPVX9GA/s1600/20170220_103523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEmJ6hqCZLnep9SyFe1JbyBWLssI3w3xhqXv9jDrp9c1uxA4F5JQiQkoR9wHEkzJt9E8FqEQFW2l-hd-QZvtLwrcoTKkRvSBhI7P-9rZe04_gwFK03BHXFkX5zmYtYSKOhttxPVX9GA/s200/20170220_103523.jpg" width="200" /></a>Hoover Dam and Lake Mead<br />
A few days later we went to see Hoover Dam. Saying it's magnificent doesn't cover it. We took the Powerhouse tour deep inside the dam. The guide was from New York City and was very colorful/entertaining in his interactions with the group and descriptions of the construction process and use of the dam. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSe0RJRtXojwnyAmd9zIdLnQKEBi4Fr8xYRoJiPg3x1DBkeQu_74Vz_Rf3KTney_eiNt_ZNGum78Wlz9OaSNJhhvOKA6LrVZ9Csx6xYQTvT7LzqIhrbC45fdhR-m2__lyYP8CmbcBRA/s1600/20170220_123744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSe0RJRtXojwnyAmd9zIdLnQKEBi4Fr8xYRoJiPg3x1DBkeQu_74Vz_Rf3KTney_eiNt_ZNGum78Wlz9OaSNJhhvOKA6LrVZ9Csx6xYQTvT7LzqIhrbC45fdhR-m2__lyYP8CmbcBRA/s200/20170220_123744.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiWfu6SlXZqlTk9yZoYGw3SY-vfL4fTfKE-obmishJ3LhJ70lp2bt_wua6qdfj_2y5rEvte99RmlP1ucjzpt15Pi0PteKHhb39WNCcgTK1zX9MvIXsxuQrN3GSKIZt6Nbm6-aR6d5mCg/s1600/20170220_115926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiWfu6SlXZqlTk9yZoYGw3SY-vfL4fTfKE-obmishJ3LhJ70lp2bt_wua6qdfj_2y5rEvte99RmlP1ucjzpt15Pi0PteKHhb39WNCcgTK1zX9MvIXsxuQrN3GSKIZt6Nbm6-aR6d5mCg/s320/20170220_115926.jpg" width="320" /></a>Next we drove to Lake Mead (the lake formed by the dam) and took a Paddle Wheel Ship cruise. They even gave us a senior discount. $3.00 off is $3.00 off. Fun times. We approached the dam from the backside and just basically enjoyed the small part of the lake we did see.<br />
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Las Vegas<br />
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We had previously visited Las Vegas on our fifteenth anniversary and had some very good memories of the casino experience. We are not gamblers and not fond of cigarette smoke so it wasn't for the gambling. At that time Vegas was becoming more "family friendly" and had added some theme park-ish things to their casinos. A gondola type ride around the Luxor, many movie displays and a theme park behind the MGM Grand, and a sailing ship the was sunk at Treasure Island. I guess these were not financially worthwhile. None of these things remain. The Casinos are hotels with gambling, expensive shows, and convention centers. The Bellagio fountain was still wonderful and Caesars Palace mall area was still a site to see. The rest "not so much" for us. <br />
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The surrounding area made this one of our very favorite stops. With still more to see.<br />
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stpathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17773574659655573264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6550818474190205330.post-40424039564368451852017-02-18T10:50:00.001-08:002017-02-18T10:50:54.467-08:00Route 66 Golden Shores and Bullhead City<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 17.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 17pt;">Feb 7 - Feb 12, 2017</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqKer2b-7wPuFi_qjNqpIAleRIKlLB1bs2zgMn9lwqOuhU4JbxCG7yubXXu7ajhXl8dsIiKH1fV1EgXCI8f0dwJObbrmNZl6lrKEXFVpq56TiMCN4zNunjR66CEs1SW22Q-4k9cxn148/s1600/20170207_100312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqKer2b-7wPuFi_qjNqpIAleRIKlLB1bs2zgMn9lwqOuhU4JbxCG7yubXXu7ajhXl8dsIiKH1fV1EgXCI8f0dwJObbrmNZl6lrKEXFVpq56TiMCN4zNunjR66CEs1SW22Q-4k9cxn148/s320/20170207_100312.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Obligatory cool Post Office pic complete with a Pat finger</td></tr>
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After leaving Lake Havasu City, we decided to stay at a Passport America RV park at 50% off for a couple of nights so we could dump our tanks and garbage, and do laundry. After boondocking at beautiful open BLM areas, it was hard to be side by side in an RV park again. But our neighbors were really friendly as usual and that always helps!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjuCSBM_eK2-bR5q_7HoIrWE490f6JB34XjYgCOI7-KP0-_dz1F0BfroEvD7OkDgRxLMXBYipyiW5LwOx9Byj8ZghA6j-ckHV1R1UE-bDAhFN__U4aCL4OxL-EWFVSAqwGf9mmzubte0/s1600/20170207_124451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjuCSBM_eK2-bR5q_7HoIrWE490f6JB34XjYgCOI7-KP0-_dz1F0BfroEvD7OkDgRxLMXBYipyiW5LwOx9Byj8ZghA6j-ckHV1R1UE-bDAhFN__U4aCL4OxL-EWFVSAqwGf9mmzubte0/s320/20170207_124451.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think this was near the museum!</td></tr>
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We spent a wonderful day driving up through Oatman and up to Kingman then across to Bullhead City to check out places to camp next. We found our next spot dry camping (no hookups) right on the river for $17 a night. It was nice to be able to scout it out ahead of time before movnig!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDwLQfBDXXKj4a6mOacCizZZxKawgq2jX7AcVsCc0Iw_8Vj9YVC1uPoJSaiGx0TLYxdqezHzcuxfw1OGsgXDwgtJ7lW9uV38qC7mtsyNnCZ4Tv9kIWYRhBtAa-Mlv8zQ5o-Fx6c1Ch2GM/s1600/20170207_103047.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><br />
The drive to Oatman and on to Kingman was beautiful (and we did see two donkey butts) but we didn't stop in town. We took a picture of the Route 66 signs and stopped to see the Route 66 museum in Kingman which was cool. Oh and we had breakfast at Cracker Barrel there which felt like"home" even though we don' have them in Washington state (at least where we've been!).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTCatAAm98LYIwcv4Nh6Xgvr60aHjx1vweUOL5xnQfFTZqSsgXV-S61_v1fGI_COgmT0alr3s14U2MKavmm_P4hrrwFFXEumejzI22ITnYba6aEKthMS5kOoec5ChhGOn7_nH6XhFsIs/s1600/20170207_100138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTCatAAm98LYIwcv4Nh6Xgvr60aHjx1vweUOL5xnQfFTZqSsgXV-S61_v1fGI_COgmT0alr3s14U2MKavmm_P4hrrwFFXEumejzI22ITnYba6aEKthMS5kOoec5ChhGOn7_nH6XhFsIs/s320/20170207_100138.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proof we saw donkey(butts)</td></tr>
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After leaving the RV "park", we pulled into our perfect spot at Davis campground with a gorgeous view out our large front windows. While there, we rode our bikes along the river path, had campfires, read books, roasted hot dogs on the campfire, had happy hour dinner at a casino (with a boat ride to get across the river) and took a few drives around the area. And of course more errands (barber, shoe shopping (not successfully) pedicure while waiting for the movie to start since we didn't know Nevada is one hour behind Arizona!).<br />
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Next door to us at Davis Campground we met another couple from Washington and discovered so many things in common around places we'd been in Washington, books and movies etc. This is always one of our favorite parts - meeting folks and sharing information and a bonus to connect with folks from "home"!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudC4l25W_BIcqlCj9ar0cPrLk3jkvKolYDpMDthNvD7sd0OPVRE697FlKXJCtpmiTjIL7Tz21zOchNNvENR1D5aMOBTP7dxBNbxl9epMdkg5wEfnJXo3kybDSb7MVGuBQJ_enxbw6doI/s1600/0208170959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudC4l25W_BIcqlCj9ar0cPrLk3jkvKolYDpMDthNvD7sd0OPVRE697FlKXJCtpmiTjIL7Tz21zOchNNvENR1D5aMOBTP7dxBNbxl9epMdkg5wEfnJXo3kybDSb7MVGuBQJ_enxbw6doI/s320/0208170959.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loved this spot right on the river. <br />Waiting for Pat to arrive in the Motorhome.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9DDPfwt4vMcgyxafdJEyFqXiQ3o6f5eTFd1oLnPn7nNnrAXHJ_mBi31QLgXb4Feq6dSp8UPuZ-IbIxq8Tnv0yMFJQhe2Yg8F4O4ZfxcovYwqE5hvlokhDhMk5vN_dDVhZjVPPUiBaS20/s1600/0209171134a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9DDPfwt4vMcgyxafdJEyFqXiQ3o6f5eTFd1oLnPn7nNnrAXHJ_mBi31QLgXb4Feq6dSp8UPuZ-IbIxq8Tnv0yMFJQhe2Yg8F4O4ZfxcovYwqE5hvlokhDhMk5vN_dDVhZjVPPUiBaS20/s320/0209171134a.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bike ride along the river to the dam.</td></tr>
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While we were here, we discovered another important clue to the battery puzzle! We were monitoring how the batteries were doing with a few cloudy days and noted we were about 35 amp hours down close to the end of the day. Not so good but we'd just run the generator later that evening. When we went to log our "end of daylight" readings, it said we were 100% full!! No way we made up 35 amp hours with practically no sun. SO that is not good because it throws into question all the monitoring we've done to date. If we're gone all day and come home and see we're 100% but we're not really, it would explain why the battery monitor thinks we're not very far down but the battery continues to go downhill. This is a really good (and bad) thing to learn. Our work-around: we turned off the Tri-metic auto reset feature (since we don't know why it jumped to 100%) and when we're plugged in at Las Vegas, we will wait to reset it to 100% until after it gains the 35 amps AND after we validate our batteries are fully charged with the hydrometer (hopefully). Basically after that, we don't plan on resetting the state of charge so we'll always know how many amps down (or up) from our new starting point. <br />
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We wondered if we should wait to leave to Las Vegas since winds were predicted at around 30 mph (with gusts higher). Motorhomes do not travel well in wind (stressful at a minimum!). But we decided to go for it since most of the drive would be a headwind. It turned out fine and not as bad as some of the drive cross country when we picked up the motorhome in Michigan last August. Not sure if additional weight (being fully loaded and with solar panels) helped with that or what!<br />
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<b>Highlights</b>: Camping right on the river at Davis camp with morning and evening campfires. Weather was perfect until the day we left. Possibly learning why the Trimetric said we'd only used 20% when the battery volts indicated we used more than 50%.<br />
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<b>Lowlights</b>: still not really into the casino scene. Too smoky, expensive (where we went). <br />
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<b>Things we learned</b>: Trimetric resets to 100% charged when it's not!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953971639700395597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6550818474190205330.post-61798642153565624962017-02-16T16:02:00.000-08:002017-02-16T16:03:52.977-08:00Lake Havasu City - Battery Woes Continued!Lake Havasu City, AZ<br />
Jan 26 - Feb 7th, 2017<br />
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First of all, I am so happy that I can type again. My cast hand really hurts - not where it was broken but where it was confined for so long. Fingers, thumb, wrist are all protesting as I try to move them! But exercising them is good right? So here I go...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the places we stayed (for free!) near Lake Havasu City</td></tr>
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We were in the Lake Havasu area from 1/26 and left on 2/7 and stayed 4 different places (not normally what'd we'd choose!)!! First we stayed at BLM land south of Lake Havasu city. Met some vloggers and folks we follow on Instagram which is super cool. Met the neighbors across the road from us and enjoyed a walk and visit. But we left there after a couple of nights to stay in town at an RV park while we had our batteries removed and tested. <br />
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We have been experiencing low voltage overnight since we started boondocking at Joshua Tree National Park but our Trimetric battery monitor indicated that we have never been close to 50% discharged. We were told by a battery guy in Quartzsite that it's either a bad battery OR it's just not getting fully charged (even though our trimetric says it is AND we had been plugged in for 3 days prior to QZ). So to make sure they were fully charged, we stayed at an RV park where we could be plugged in and paid $20 to have each battery charged. At the end of the day, they told us our batteries were bad.<br />
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So we called Newmar who put us in touch with Interstate batteries who told us we should have come to them in the first place - they would have charged and tested them for free. So before we left the RV park, we pulled the batteries again and had them look at them. They "tested" the fully charged batteries and told us they are good and they told us the hydrometer only tells you if all the cells are equal (no bad cells) but it won't tell you if they are charged. The battery guy we met in Quartzsite had convinced us to purchase a hydrometer as the only way to tell if your batteries are fully charged (as well as see if any cell is bad). Arghhh!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arrow in the "red" zone. Red means bad :(</td></tr>
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Basically, the hydrometer has never been in the "good" or very good zone even after the full charge (but according to Intersate the battery is good). At this point since we are at the mercy of Interstate (who has the power to exchange it for a good battery) we decide we will try again and see if the battery holds it voltage now that it's fully charged (again).<br />
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So we hooked up the batteries and unfortunately caught the control wires for the Trimetric on the positive cable and burned up the Trimetric (so no monitoring of the batteries!). Found a source for a new Trimetric who sent it to general delivery (arrived the next day!!). For the rest of the time at Lake Havasu (after replacing the Trimetric) - we monitored amps and state of charge and volts. It is definitely better (dropping no further than 12.0 (under load) vs. the 11.7 we had been experiencing. However, according to the Trimetric we aren't anywhere near the 50% so we are back to where we started - the Trimetric doesn't show us using near 50% (the most we show we'd been down is 70 AH and we should have 168 AH which is 4 batteries at 84 amps each at 50%). But the volts are low (although it's not an accurate indicator "under load").<br />
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So we decided that when we get to Las Vegas, we will fully charge the batteries and do a hydrometer test, then let it rest then do it again. If either reading is bad, we will try Interstate battery in Las Vegas.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQ-p8iOjVlkfch8t4ZDrPjCdJZemUyOIQBLcy1_W4lbPERpx_zTL8UdwYWZx_u0NuqwFqssTmtAkzOQnA628DLTKaGw4pmPJ6ku7O0WW3QGwv_mpGgsk1jym7eBQoxExK6Z1ZcjdK68A/s1600/20170204_085217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQ-p8iOjVlkfch8t4ZDrPjCdJZemUyOIQBLcy1_W4lbPERpx_zTL8UdwYWZx_u0NuqwFqssTmtAkzOQnA628DLTKaGw4pmPJ6ku7O0WW3QGwv_mpGgsk1jym7eBQoxExK6Z1ZcjdK68A/s320/20170204_085217.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Testing tilting our solar panels to bring in more power!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
BUT back to Lake Havasu! We stayed north of the city on BLM land until we got an appointment to have the bay door unstuck (first mentioned in our Free Camping post on 1/14/17). After getting the door open, we decided to settle south of Lake Havasu again (slightly different spot) so we would be closer to our friends from home who were in Big River. We got to go to their church with them twice and of course the obligatory meal afterwards! We would have watched the super bowl with them but it started quite late in the day and it would be a long drive in the dark. It was a sad game to watch since we were rooting for Atlanta! Oh, and we also loved joining them for Friday night karaoke!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOAGCFJZhvqIudGvYs5Ym1zcM3P_GHRxKZ922G0ADdLzvaSYBt7xVUenOtCrp4-0EcQ8yJEBjDdsund3R1uZSEGaxxwv3kNxA_gTrWFZSM_ypW4DEpGUmNwG-unnKeYFZkD0EDrFu2adM/s1600/0205171618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOAGCFJZhvqIudGvYs5Ym1zcM3P_GHRxKZ922G0ADdLzvaSYBt7xVUenOtCrp4-0EcQ8yJEBjDdsund3R1uZSEGaxxwv3kNxA_gTrWFZSM_ypW4DEpGUmNwG-unnKeYFZkD0EDrFu2adM/s320/0205171618.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of our hikes</td></tr>
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We enjoyed walking along the lake (and good eats!) near London Bridge, short hikes, sunrises and sunsets, bike rides etc. while we continued to learn and monitor the solar panels and testing tilting them. We also got mail from home which should be all the final tax stuff (oh boy!).<br />
<br />
<b>Highlights</b>: Visiting with our friends from home!<br />
<br />
<b>Lowlights</b>: Ongoing battery battle (but we don't want to replace these until we figure out what went wrong and until we know how to manage batteries (and wear these out) so we don't ruin another set!).<br />
<br />
<b>Things we learned</b>: secure wires away from the battery(!), the furnace uses a lot of battery (most boondockers use indoor propane heaters of some kind),<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd87DXLjMva6aH-Qbsifyj4151Jlq5c-hSQJMknXbdyLPyjRMTOEWtsP6kXRwuIok88HZsyxAw8oHIUpzHEmy1J7KwbMRfJoAXXtsYJHPUv0wZm-A-bPWHryABYNhOcd5UKTbRoF9b3A4/s1600/0131171522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd87DXLjMva6aH-Qbsifyj4151Jlq5c-hSQJMknXbdyLPyjRMTOEWtsP6kXRwuIok88HZsyxAw8oHIUpzHEmy1J7KwbMRfJoAXXtsYJHPUv0wZm-A-bPWHryABYNhOcd5UKTbRoF9b3A4/s320/0131171522.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We haven't been able to sample<br />
many micro brews yet - so far a<br />
serious shortage in most of the<br />
areas we've been so far!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Things we're wondering</b>: How much battery do we really need and why we can't seem to manage batteries successfully?! Will the sun be able to fully charge whatever batteries we end up with or will we need more solar panels? Will the NW sun (and trees) even work for us or does it matter if we stay primarily at Thousand Trails with hookups when in the NW?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhujyr-0xaQ5ocmLjhkzy2q4LAQjY80UmVX1aSjjZ5FnR9iuwzc4nIGJR3YiOsPFz82zbRh8AuUq0UvSpr2R2575wyF-NiIW0iEhAxHDL4upsmKfOwielSYNLRgDmjwy1ol6a954FvJylI/s1600/20170130_182046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhujyr-0xaQ5ocmLjhkzy2q4LAQjY80UmVX1aSjjZ5FnR9iuwzc4nIGJR3YiOsPFz82zbRh8AuUq0UvSpr2R2575wyF-NiIW0iEhAxHDL4upsmKfOwielSYNLRgDmjwy1ol6a954FvJylI/s320/20170130_182046.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the reasons we love wide open free BLM camping!</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953971639700395597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6550818474190205330.post-34637404346753020432017-02-15T18:02:00.000-08:002017-02-17T15:53:29.651-08:00Quartzsite AZ experienceJanuary 15 - 28<br />
<br />
BLM Land<br />
Quartzsite, AZ<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir708Bc4N7h3deiq9au8lFL5_o0vdEjul7t7zHexGc16y0yzL1PArFccvglJz2dHAfA62AlGIAHSYAdcJZk3kCXiDWvoX7F0t6vxVI4W8FVj9eZUr8io0-rKr6EJ5MTFLz7_QyQqDQGg/s1600/20170118_103118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir708Bc4N7h3deiq9au8lFL5_o0vdEjul7t7zHexGc16y0yzL1PArFccvglJz2dHAfA62AlGIAHSYAdcJZk3kCXiDWvoX7F0t6vxVI4W8FVj9eZUr8io0-rKr6EJ5MTFLz7_QyQqDQGg/s320/20170118_103118.jpg" width="320" /></a>We left Ehrenberg for our trip to Quartzsite, Ellen leading in the car to scout out our spot in the desert and I in the RV to pick up propane and follow. We were meeting a group of Escapee club members off Plomosa road north of town. They would be there for the week. This chapter was from the northwest so we could meet folks from home for campfires, fulltimer advice and food. Ellen found us a spot with a wonderful mountain view and not too many large rocks in our path.<br />
<br />
We actually connected with three other groups while in Quartzsite. Boondockers (name says it all), Boomers (folks our age), and the Newmar owners group. All fun folks. We visited the Newmar group a couple of times for fulltimer roundtable discussions. <br />
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While in Quartzsite we browsed the tents (insert flea market atmosphere here) and picked up some small Rv-ish things. The most important of which was Kettle Corn.<br />
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Around the campfire we discussed RV solar with folks. We had been running our generator morning and evening to keep our batteries charged. Solar might not be economically the best choice but we were enjoying being off grid and it would bring peace of mind. Not having to hang around to run your generator morning and night is just a byproduct we would have to live with. You still have to run it on cloudy and rainy days. <br />
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Everyone seemed to agree that if you weren't going to AM Solar in Oregon, then you should check out Discount Solar in Quartzsite. I think we might have driven them crazy with questions over the next week. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZWNUxbx3-4GDBRWw1zF0jwmlPmAVHFDyJOUxaTu2bqaaqueT0l7JEiAMfGLQSkxjTQ4p59icLd6T3fo5ZXMYMVzIQ8o9zKC0JF2LFdQbp124BbvPOdeUJWLupgKdJTgXM3MPJUi05g/s1600/20170115_091630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZWNUxbx3-4GDBRWw1zF0jwmlPmAVHFDyJOUxaTu2bqaaqueT0l7JEiAMfGLQSkxjTQ4p59icLd6T3fo5ZXMYMVzIQ8o9zKC0JF2LFdQbp124BbvPOdeUJWLupgKdJTgXM3MPJUi05g/s200/20170115_091630.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn7FM7y170dBkVXmcy_klZgsFx6TEZuM2iNJ68VlBJcpbdNNjCn5s8UAyX3jp4XSAD8YPxaZk3HqZiVWLRX5MmvJd8XqvWEzFs_80tVm7wpvgMUDfJIpuUfjyI42idrxDZ8pTeGjB68Q/s1600/20170122_115637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn7FM7y170dBkVXmcy_klZgsFx6TEZuM2iNJ68VlBJcpbdNNjCn5s8UAyX3jp4XSAD8YPxaZk3HqZiVWLRX5MmvJd8XqvWEzFs_80tVm7wpvgMUDfJIpuUfjyI42idrxDZ8pTeGjB68Q/s200/20170122_115637.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
Saturday we took the plunge and dropped off the RV at 9am. We got it back at 4:30 with four shiny new solar panels on the roof and a solar controller under our fridge. We were fully charged. The batteries too. We were still seeing lower than expected battery voltage in the morning, so we started to worry about our batteries. But that's a story for later.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEi4VfLS-og0Ol6aJ9EqioB2pBqQKrEL_Ex1pwQZnhtWG36NAVtht6xnGH2mvRW4iGGzQvE256RRS1tfPkFvNoiNvQlw9lqzVZ8Kq_HcuhbZ_f7YNabaqhdM_IMYopFp2VFb-Ee0vRIA/s1600/20170123_085919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEi4VfLS-og0Ol6aJ9EqioB2pBqQKrEL_Ex1pwQZnhtWG36NAVtht6xnGH2mvRW4iGGzQvE256RRS1tfPkFvNoiNvQlw9lqzVZ8Kq_HcuhbZ_f7YNabaqhdM_IMYopFp2VFb-Ee0vRIA/s320/20170123_085919.jpg" width="320" /></a>The BIG TENT opened. We went at opening to beat the crowds. We were unsuccessful. We once again picked up a few things to make life easier in the RV. Also visited the "Too Crazy Ladies" to have our Escapees name tags made. Mine was great, Ellen's got messed up so another visit was in order. Eventually with smiles on our faces and tags in hand we left.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJFGbWikePV8K86b2wXwZvbAi1ljjp1aghsc18xQIZzySSKkDs_7mSgJrIWnmRRucNeIoSn039nixCCSgyj6ReHG6_w_-U-J55FNpnpevK5tHSRZMmBn5aydLSTh8IPYmNQZURl8suA/s1600/20170125_194126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJFGbWikePV8K86b2wXwZvbAi1ljjp1aghsc18xQIZzySSKkDs_7mSgJrIWnmRRucNeIoSn039nixCCSgyj6ReHG6_w_-U-J55FNpnpevK5tHSRZMmBn5aydLSTh8IPYmNQZURl8suA/s200/20170125_194126.jpg" width="200" /></a>We drove back to Palm Springs one day for Ellen's cast removal day. Cast gone and a new brace in place for another three weeks. I'm still seeing dish washing in my future. It's amazing how going back to Palm Springs felt like going home. It was beautiful though. Palm trees in the foreground and snow on the mountains in the background.<br />
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We also took a trip north to Big River California to see some good friends from home. They took us on a hike on the Colorado river in the Bill Williams Wildlife Refuge and we took them to the Pirates Den. Both were great. But being with friends is the best.<br />
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Next… north to Lake Havasu City.<br />
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stpathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17773574659655573264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6550818474190205330.post-65914802996343584632017-01-22T13:54:00.002-08:002017-02-16T16:04:39.952-08:00Recharging BatteriesJanuary 12- 15<br />
<br />
Arizona Oasis RV Resort<br />
Ehrenberg, AZ<br />
<br />
We came to the Arizona Oasis RV park as we passed into Arizona. Mile one. They are a Passport America park and we paid about $22 a night for full hookups. Our power cable was able to stretch from the off side bay to the power pedestal. One day I hope to fix this. <br />
<br />
We found ourselves parked next to another Washingtonian. They were from Gig Harbor and she was a recently retired Rural Carrier. Small world! We exchanged postal horror stories and smiled. There were quite a few social things going on in this park. Our first night they had a Bon Fire on the Colorado river beach with music and pear cobbler. We happily attended. The music was like something out of "O Brother, Where Art Thou". Guitar and String Bass, husband and wife team. Another night they had Karaoke but we were busy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI13ooQmoy-EkjLZ70PcQ-zagPXRw-is_b-3JMK8lUbk0HXt9K7Ff0o5rlRFElLCTnhVeQaOiFa9TEaFpQaNrFnkKttHS4nnXBVJBRmpH3BZ9LBXLaXJoHm0W75CgkdLAbJ4MQSGqWFQ/s1600/20170113_180819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI13ooQmoy-EkjLZ70PcQ-zagPXRw-is_b-3JMK8lUbk0HXt9K7Ff0o5rlRFElLCTnhVeQaOiFa9TEaFpQaNrFnkKttHS4nnXBVJBRmpH3BZ9LBXLaXJoHm0W75CgkdLAbJ4MQSGqWFQ/s320/20170113_180819.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqkPw8mShkYKp0axnZ9NIXQws0iDvZEHs2cZyMaor49bSBLpBbdXrpjWs64tCypDC9Pr5TDtsF6owjQHasY09h1dsA3pV5vnhSSNUSyLJ1B9QUcieIH7vwq2vg2EOyZiGQzqDfcw3lYQ/s1600/20170113_180326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqkPw8mShkYKp0axnZ9NIXQws0iDvZEHs2cZyMaor49bSBLpBbdXrpjWs64tCypDC9Pr5TDtsF6owjQHasY09h1dsA3pV5vnhSSNUSyLJ1B9QUcieIH7vwq2vg2EOyZiGQzqDfcw3lYQ/s200/20170113_180326.jpg" width="112" /></a>We took a day trip for sight seeking and Came across the Pirates Den. A restaurant connected to an RV park and marina in Parker AZ. The RV park is across the river and they ferry you across to the club house and restaurant. Good grub, drinks and view on the Colorado river.<br />
<br />
From there we left for our Quartzsite experience. Even plugged in for three days we never got our batteries 100% charged. Oh well, the drive may finish them off.<br />
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stpathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17773574659655573264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6550818474190205330.post-41771191603038291652017-01-14T15:23:00.000-08:002017-01-14T15:23:05.899-08:00Free Camping<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjCDLpKUIziSbYKW0AvUorOY7x0Ix2Jg68Be1E5LqAXojq2SWnnIH4caoNErwLypunTVid-oPdXFhcQkLjqzkwbgdWCVx7UMjWFbVSonWRRGgrIu5yClYrz9WgMTENPSB20gRIa2soA/s1600/20170109_143257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjCDLpKUIziSbYKW0AvUorOY7x0Ix2Jg68Be1E5LqAXojq2SWnnIH4caoNErwLypunTVid-oPdXFhcQkLjqzkwbgdWCVx7UMjWFbVSonWRRGgrIu5yClYrz9WgMTENPSB20gRIa2soA/s320/20170109_143257.jpg" width="320" /></a>January 9-12<br />
<br />
BLM land south of Joshua Tree<br />
California<br />
<br />
We have been wondering how boondocking would work out for longer than one night. No hookups, water or power. We have a 1000 watt inverter that provides 110 volts to our fridge, but only 12 volts for everything else. So… no microwave, no blow dryer, and worst of all, no TV. We watch news in the morning and evening. We haven't figured out why. It never changes and it's never good. Oh well. I ran an extension cord in from the inverter and powered the TV and Dish Network box and now the essentials work. But will the Batteries hold out?<br />
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We spent three nights her. It was beautiful, quiet, and very private. We had three or four neighbors total. They came out and played with their kids and dogs, rode their recumbent bike, and built morning campfires. Ellen got me out of bed early one day so we could have a morning campfire and watch the sunrise over the desert.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25ax_4aG7Us2SahNH9DacuifIalXMC_5eEDOMLi8OmyLNnVjPfRHP0UobnvlwQ2NrVixBQwTKT4fNRiPD4KWsW5ZW9DGAX9Apcnqy8tUPAqhHCuWgdlZgxTyc34ap1MBR12qW2h1oPA/s1600/20170110_102118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25ax_4aG7Us2SahNH9DacuifIalXMC_5eEDOMLi8OmyLNnVjPfRHP0UobnvlwQ2NrVixBQwTKT4fNRiPD4KWsW5ZW9DGAX9Apcnqy8tUPAqhHCuWgdlZgxTyc34ap1MBR12qW2h1oPA/s200/20170110_102118.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQtAqO1F-2lYxIP-onjNYc1gCb8D_5nGGTzJEK7Vx0Nr-y-J-_MH1gyno_NNYkzIgz-_IUYF1m10T2Ujsd-xYc39JuA1IgEYgLD50LbvvRyJTVBpi4rf95o5BlhcgfiEzTdCo7dML-A/s1600/20170110_094606.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQtAqO1F-2lYxIP-onjNYc1gCb8D_5nGGTzJEK7Vx0Nr-y-J-_MH1gyno_NNYkzIgz-_IUYF1m10T2Ujsd-xYc39JuA1IgEYgLD50LbvvRyJTVBpi4rf95o5BlhcgfiEzTdCo7dML-A/s200/20170110_094606.jpg" width="200" /></a>We took a long drive through Joshua Tree and found it. Also saw the cactus garden, Barker Dam and several nice campgrounds. Not many spots for our 31' motorhome, but nice tent spots surrounded by granite boulders. The park spans the Colorado and Mojave desserts and changes drastically as you drive.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicr83EdGJfkxyqtNTT-nQAKnsVwU4KmiV_jVegEykF6UKPJFefui-J2-qU0NLS_SH0Aw8V8TSu3gL2VOgRTSNdc5uJhgS4O0HO2Bq_YQsIU6zUL2fka1eHS_Z93Mk6JdEdfFhsCWgiIQ/s1600/20170110_113957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicr83EdGJfkxyqtNTT-nQAKnsVwU4KmiV_jVegEykF6UKPJFefui-J2-qU0NLS_SH0Aw8V8TSu3gL2VOgRTSNdc5uJhgS4O0HO2Bq_YQsIU6zUL2fka1eHS_Z93Mk6JdEdfFhsCWgiIQ/s200/20170110_113957.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
It took about 10% to 15% of our batteries each day to run our necessities. We ran our generator for two hours one afternoon and twice the next day. We see solar panels in our future. We really liked the BLM free camping experience but need to solve our power issues for the future. Oh, and the latch broke on the bay door where our electrical cable sits. I had to fish the cable across the rear pass through to be able to plug in when we reached our next destination. Called Newmar and they will pay for having it fixed. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2ywurTXJ-zG_fQZ_XjzUH2WA1Jd5ecGz38QprPiR7kiHYL09EqRoEjZXM0G8I0KoMBv3wdITpTYe8Ao2JhFg_IuRRLV7hqqMzMrBPau01lNs6bjuc3HgiZNJ3qydGfha7sLEsJ9Nig/s1600/20170111_063921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2ywurTXJ-zG_fQZ_XjzUH2WA1Jd5ecGz38QprPiR7kiHYL09EqRoEjZXM0G8I0KoMBv3wdITpTYe8Ao2JhFg_IuRRLV7hqqMzMrBPau01lNs6bjuc3HgiZNJ3qydGfha7sLEsJ9Nig/s320/20170111_063921.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Highlights: Beautiful views and quiet<br />
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Lowlight: Had to run generator and broken door latch<br />
<br />stpathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17773574659655573264noreply@blogger.com0