Southwest Road Trip 2009
This trip was a spur of the moment trip, no advance planning, and very little preparation. We had a rough idea of several parks we wanted to visit. We had talked about visiting the Grand Canyon area, but we had not made any plans or set a date; that is until a week before we left when I said lets go, the kids are back in school, the weather is still pretty nice, and most of all we don’t have a reason not to go right now. Now that we’re back and had a great trip, I can credit some of the lack of preparation for making the trip a success. Preparation for me seems to go hand in hand with stress, which causes me to dread most big trips. I did a few things to get us over the road and save money; starting with pulling the rear seats from our van and making a plywood platform to sleep on. I took about seven or eight milk crates to store our stuff and laid the plywood on top; I split the plywood down the middle and hinged it with a scrap of carpet. While driving we folded the plywood in half creating a long bench with the milk crates supporting it; for sleeping we brought along some folding cushions to lay on top of the plywood. We bought a few yards of cheap cloth and used clothes pins to hang curtains and we were good to go. We brought along our propane cook stove, drip coffee maker, an empty ice chest, and a bag of misc. utensils making sure not to forget a cork screw. I figured we would buy on the road anything we really needed and pick up food at local stores as we traveled. The important thing was to hit the road asap. We left the next morning, but not too early, we waited to see our 11 year old get on the school bus telling him to call us when he got home that afternoon. And so, we headed south on I 5 with no idea where we would be spending the night or how far we would get. We decided on a destination each day, and our first goal was Lassen Peak Volcanic Park. Lassen Peak is due east of Redding California; a distance of about 450 miles from Portland. At freeway speeds we quickly left Oregon behind; stopping only for gas. As we came down off the mountains in northern California, the temperature started to climb. With the windows shut and the a/c on full time we were comfortable, but not being used to such hot weather I was just a little concerned, perhaps an omen for what was to come. The vans on board Thermometer pushed past 100 degrees, and I wondered if the engine might heat up as well. When we took the Redding/Lassen Peak exit the temperature had climbed to 113, the thermometer briefly read 115 but by the time I got a picture for proof it has settled back to 113. In Redding we spotted a Winco and stopped to buy groceries for that night. When we dashed for the air conditioned store I was stunned that so many people were standing around outside in the blazing sun, chatting as if this was normal weather; apparently locals are oblivious to the searing heat. Our shopping didn’t take very long; we picked up a frozen one pan medley of vegetables with a fancy Asian name, a bottle of wine, something for breakfast, cheese and a sack of ice. This would turn out to be our food shopping method for the entire trip, each day we would pick up something for the next meal, but not much more. Heading east from Redding the road soon became rural and we started to climb. As the engine worked harder pulling us up the mountain our engine temperature steadily increased. Within a few minutes our engine gauge was registering on the edge of the red marks at 210 degrees. I was now driving defensively, a/c off, hold it in second gear with as little throttle as possible. I had never, ever, driven this car so hot. I felt our cooling system was on the verge of coming apart at the seams. As we gained elevation the outside air temperature was slowly coming down and so was the engine temperature, we were going to make it. As it turned out this was just the beginning of our overheating problems. We arrived in the dark at the west entrance to Lassen Peak and headed for the first campground; at about 5800 feet elevation being too hot was no longer a problem. The campground was just a place to park for the night and we had our pick of many sites, the summer crowds were gone. Minutes after stopping the propane stove was heating a hot meal for two, complete with wine. Bear warning signs are posted all around the camp; not a good feeling when walking in the dark to the restroom. We unfold our plywood bed and cushions, read our books by flashlight,and in a few minutes are fast asleep.
Day 2, We wake up early and decide to move the car to a sunny spot by Manzanita Lake. While waiting for the coffee to finish dripping I notice we are parked under a pine tree that is bigger and taller than any I have ever seen. To get the tree in a picture I need to walk back about five hundred feet and I still can’t frame the tree without turning the camera sideways. After coffee we begin our drive through the park, stopping at most of the pullovers and view points. We pretty much have the place to ourselves and spend the necessary time to read all the informative signs detailing the eruption. Local people had photographed before and after the eruptions in 1915. Periodically we pass a sign announcing the elevation, 8800 feet is the highest we drove today. We stopped at a thermal area known as Bumpass Hell and walked the trail about 1 ½ miles for an up close view. It was a worthwhile hike but the thin air made it a little strenuous. We are taking lots of pictures; why not, we have rechargeable batteries, lots of memory, and a lap top to transfer the full cards . It turns out that keeping the inverter running and charging our 16 bulb led reading light, camera batteries, and lap top requires a fair amount of planning and attention. The camera batteries take about 4-6 hours and our inverter power plug kept working out of the socket. We didn’t dare leave it plugged in when we stopped the motor for fear of discharging the car battery. We still managed to take 1900 photos on this trip, using two cameras. Before leaving the park we stop and tour the Lassen Peak visitor center, buy some ice cream cones and then hit the road. Yosemite Park is our next destination, a distance of about 400 miles, but we don’t make it today. After turning onto the wrong road we also miss going by way of Lake Tahoe, but we do make it to a little county park called Topaz Lake Park on highway 395. When being questioned and searched for fruit at the border agriculture inspection we asked the agent if she knew of any nearby campgrounds and she suggested we turn around and go back about a mile into Nevada and turn right by the casino and then follow that gravel road to the park. Local knowledge is always a big help. It was after dark and without directions we never would have found it. The routine at Topaz Park was a duplicate of the night before, set up the stove in the dark, using a flashlight heat up a sauce pan of something exotic we bought frozen, and pop the wine cork. I think we discovered tonight that we could jam the big 16 led reading flashlight into the front seats armrest and it would be at the right angle to light up both our books.
Day 3, In the morning we filled our coffee cups and walked out onto a rocky point overlooking the lake. It’s peaceful and quiet; I think we are getting used to being away. Linda found some colorful rock formations and we spotted a small but quick lizard. I can see the border crossing across the lake where we will be going through for the second time. From our vantage point up on the knoll we can see another campsite, they have a cat and dog walking around but I don’t see the people. We have been calling Jaiden at home each morning about 7:30, or he calls us. He gets on the bus at 8:00 so we get to talk for awhile. We try to talk again at 3:30 when he gets home since he is by himself for about an hour. Phone service is good for most of the trip. Its only about 70 miles to the turn off into Yosemite Park, we skip Mono Lake planning a stop when we return. As I begin the drive up the steep eastern entrance road toward Tioga Pass, the view is expansive and I feel as if we are heading to something or somewhere very special indeed, and very dangerous. The road is carved out of the mountain with a drop off on one side, there are few if any guardrails to stop you from plunging to the bottom. Several roads on this trip bothered me and this was one of them. I’m not sure where the park begins but the gated entrance and ranger collecting fees is at the summit of Tioga pass at over 9900 feet.
I think this is the first place we have shown our National Parks annual pass. The ranger glances at the pass, hands us a pile of literature, and we are officially in Yosemite Park. The solid granite mountains of Yosemite are spectacular. There appears to be no dirt just rock around and above us, and then I spot a tree growing in a crack. Maybe dirt’s not needed. Some of the granite has massive parallel scratch marks and I remember my grade school science class about glaciers, and then I see smooth granite almost polished and remember once again glaciers were here long ago. We stop to walk out on some gentle slopes, it is easy to scramble up a rock the size of a small building or skyscraper. I find that I can walk onto areas that go from horizontal to vertical, but must stop before it gets dangerously steep and I risk falling. In the parking lots are special bear proof steel storage containers, it’s not smart and against the law, to leave anything in your car that will attract them. The bears will break into cars that smell tasty. We make our way toward the forests and valley floor we have a lot of miles to cover within the park. Earlier this summer the rangers performed a managed under brush burn that got away from them and many square miles of forest burned, we see several hot spots still smoking. It’s sad to see entire ridges and valleys stripped and blackened, the burn smell is everywhere. Finally we reach the visitor center, Linda wants a Yosemite patch to add to her collection. People are everywhere, it’s hard to believe this is off season, it must be a madhouse during the summer. There’s a big buck with even bigger antlers hanging out with all the people, he’s real tame. People are touching him and he doesn’t seem to care much. We get a good view of Half Dome, and we spot Yosemite Falls but there is no water, just some dark stains where the water flows over the cliff in the rainy season. It would be easy to stay until dark, there’s lots to do and see. We buy some ice cream and something for dinner and begin to retrace our path back to the higher elevations. I remember a campground up near Tioga pass where I want to camp, but at about 8,000 feet we come to Porcupine Campground, it’s not the one I was thinking of but it’s almost dark and I thought how nice it would be to set up and eat in the daylight. We drive into the campground and are surprised to find only a few vacant spaces. We grab one and try to get the car parked somewhat level on the rocky surface. Each site has its own steel storage compartment and more signs warning of bears. We empty the car of snacks and place the cooler into the steel box. I certainly don’t want to be shooing away a hungry bear. We still have time before dark to walk around a little and pay the fee at the self service pay station. More cars come through but all the sites are taken, I’m glad we didn’t push on for another campground. As the sun goes down so does the temperature, in the site next to us is a cold looking guy on a motorcycle; He has so many layers of leather and cloth I wonder how he moves.
Day 4, This was supposed to be a trip to the Grand Canyon by way of some other scenic areas. It occurs to me that we aren’t really very close to our goal as we embark on our fourth day. Today we plan to leave Yosemite make a quick stop at Mono Lake to see the Tufa formations, then go through Death Valley, Las Vegas and beyond. We don’t have a plan for tonight, but we haven’t planned any nights so far. It’s not that far back down from Tioga pass to highway 395 but the road is more intimidating going down than it was coming up. I shift into low gear and let the engine do the braking down the hill. At Mono Lake the wind is blowing hard but the heat of the day is balancing the wind chill. The city of Los Angeles has been diverting the water of Mono Lake for decades so the water level is much lower and calcium carbonate stacks (Tufa) are exposed. It’s easy to spend several hours walking the lakeside trails imagining when the Tufa was submerged and Native Americans lived along the shore. Death Valley is about 250 miles from Mono Lake and our maps shows it as a reasonable route to Hoover Dam. As we travel down hwy 395 we keep trying to spot Mount Whitney to the west of us. At 14,505 feet Mt Whitney is the highest point in California and you would think visible from all over but we don’t know if we saw Mount Whitney or not. We are traveling in high desert country most of which is over a mile high, so when the road starts heading downhill towards Death Valley it is noticeable. We wind down long canyons and come to vistas where we have a view and then plunge down another canyon. Once in awhile I get a view of what I think is the valley floor but it is always further down, maybe my first mirage. There aren’t any trees around, mostly rolling hills of cactus and dry brush broken up with impassable gulches and badlands. Some of the yellows and reds are quite vivid but there’s no green to be seen. Just when I think we must be at sea level we pass a sign reading 2,000 feet elevation, and we keep going down. There is not much traffic for a major road to Las Vegas; that should have been a clue what to expect. Finally we’re down to what would be called the bottom but it sure as heck isn’t level or smooth. We drive through Stovepipe Wells and Furnace Creek and stop at the visitor center for our park patch and take a quick look at the displays. The elevation at the visitor center is 190 feet below sea level and the temperature is hovering at 109 degrees. It’s late September on our road trip; we have gone from freezing at close to 10,000 feet to roasting below sea level, and the day is far from over. Just a short ways down the road is a very nice view point of badlands on one side and the valley on the other, we stop here but the wind chases us back to the car in short order. We now follow the signs to Las Vegas a distance of a little over one hundred miles and 2000 feet above sea level. Immediately we start gaining elevation and the car engine begins to heat up. We go by a sign warning of slow vehicles and advice to turn off our a/c. I am back to defensive driving; as the temperature gauge climbs I down shift and back off on the throttle. After about ten minutes of tense driving we are in first gear at about 20 mph. I’m trying to keep up the revs so the water pump will be most efficient, but not push the motor. We have plenty of time and no schedule to keep, so not breaking down is of paramount importance to me. The temperature gauge has now gone to 220, higher than at Lassen Peak. The outside temperature is well over a hundred degrees, or should I say inside temperature because we have the windows all open with the a/c off. With no end in sight on this grade I pull over before something blows and sit with the car on high revs waiting for the engine to cool off. After about five minutes the engine does not cool off and I’m perplexed, then it hits me, the wind is robbing us of our cooling air flow. I quickly turn the car around so it is facing down the grade and into the wind while keeping the revs up. Almost immediately the engine temp starts to come down. With the system at over 220 degrees it could flash to steam, and rupture, but antifreeze and our ten year old system stayed intact, or so I thought. We sat for another twenty minutes or so and then started up the hill some more, and wouldn’t you know it within a quarter mile we are at the top, but if I would’ve kept on that quarter mile might have spelled the end. Shortly we turned the a/c back on and started thinking about where to sleep tonight. The map shows on the outskirts of Las Vegas a place called Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and a campground so we kept an eye out for signs. We arrived after dark, of course, and the wind was blowing more than we have ever experienced camping. I parked the van sideways to shield us and for the first time set up the cook stove inside the car. That night sleeping was fitful, the car was shaking and shuddering with each gust, when we closed the windows to stop the wind we got so hot we couldn’t sleep, and with the windows open sand would blow inside. We finally were able to adjust the windows somewhat and got some needed rest.
Day 5, Morning came and the wind storm was over; several campers had their tents shredded and blown away; a trailer received some damage. The camp host came over and complained because I had parked sideways on the paved campsite and warned me not to drive onto the fragile desert. I assured her that I had not left the pavement nor would I when leaving. While having our cold cereal breakfast and coffee we watched a jack rabbit dash through camp and a minute later spotted a coyote sneaking around the fences. There was nothing to do here in the campground so we got going early. We decided that Las Vegas could wait for another trip, and so we skipped all the sights and headed through town straight for Hoover Dam. I didn’t know until this trip that the only way across the Colorado River and ultimately to the Grand Canyon was across the top of the dam. Of course the dam was a major traffic bottleneck. Under construction is a new highway and bridge which will avoid the congestion on top of the dam. When we got to Hoover Dam we declined the $7 parking lot and around the next corner was free parking. Peering over the side of the dam on the lake side was surprising, the water level was very low and has been for many years of drought conditions. Peering over on the other side is downright scary, it is over 700 feet straight down. By now you may think I’m a little bothered by high places, not so. I just don’t enjoy thinking about them or looking down from them. Heights don’t bother me at all. Hoover Dam is a good place to spend some time, but a little crowded. We read all the signs and took the time to admire the construction, even learned some history. Cell service was fine, Linda had a long talk with Jamie keeping us up with his job promotion and upcoming rhino work, it’s almost like being at home. The Grand Canyon is now within an afternoons drive, it’s about 250 miles to Grand Canyon Village at the south rim, where we hope to find a campsite. Traveling at the end of the season has worked well for us, so has our lack of schedule other than a general plan. Sleeping in the car is somewhat of a pain, but it certainly has allowed us to get over the road. From the start this was planned a high mileage trip and we are certainly knocking off the miles. We travel along some portions of the famous route 66 but except in our memory of old TV shows; it is just another road. There is a Grand Canyon view point recently opened called the “Grand Canyon Skywalk” According to the brochures it is cantilevered out over the cliff edge with a clear plastic viewing platform. I had very little interest in experiencing a clear sky walk plus it was a substantial side trip so we continued on. When we arrive at the South Rim Village it is confusing to say the least, and plenty crowded. The lot is full so we park along the road edge along with all the other late comers. It turns out we are just 50 feet from the canyon rim so we get our first view of the Grand Canyon minutes after parking. The Grand Canyon is overwhelming, you really don’t realize just how big this place is until you stand on the edge and look around.
All the pictures and videos you have seen where the artists have spent years to perfect don’t prepare you for that first view. We have no idea where to go or what to do, but only two choices, left or right, because straight ahead is nothing but air. We start hiking east up the rim trail snapping pictures almost non-stop. The afternoon is wearing on and the shadows play across the canyon ridges. We keep pointing out things for each other to look at. There is a little haziness in the air making views across the 10-15 mile expanse somewhat fuzzy. The rim trail is like one continuous view point, every 25 feet, is a reason to stop and look left, look down, look right, look across, take more pictures, and do it again. Way, way, down more than a mile below us is the Colorado river; we only get little glimpses between the ridges and cliffs. I use my telephoto lens to bring it in close and can actually see some rapids. I am surprised to see people climbing beyond the safety fences and walking out onto rocky outcrops with tremendous drop offs below them. There aren’t any signs warning people to stay back and most places along the rim are not fenced. In a little while we follow the signs to a visitor center and absorb all the history we can. We manage to decipher a park brochure explaining how the shuttle bus system works and jump on the next green line shuttle (or was it the blue line) heading west along the rim road. The shuttle driver talks non-stop; announcing stops and things to see. By now we are starting to figure out a strategy; we will ride to the end of the line, jump off to watch sunset at one of the many points; explore numerous lodges and historical buildings; but first we disembark at the campground stop and walk over to the registration building to get a campsite. There’s a pretty long line and it takes about thirty minutes but we pay the fee and get a space. Our national pass allows park entry but campgrounds are not covered. Once we have a place to camp I’m relieved, now all we need to do is ride the shuttle back to our car and camp is waiting for us. We get back on the green line and ride to the end of the line. As sunset settles upon us it becomes obvious that the hazy weather makes for a not very memorable view, plus at over 6,000 feet elevation, were getting cold as the sun drops lower. A short walk along the rim and we go inside a historical lodge complete with restaurants and tourist shops. This is quite a large village complex, it even has the Grand Canyon Train terminal for those who don’t drive. Eventually we shuttle bus back to where we left the car; it’s getting dark, once we start driving everything is turned around, but we manage just fine. Right next to the campground is a large grocery store where we stock up on one pan food and drinks. It’s been about four hours since we checked in at the campground, but we haven’t actually been there until now, it’s only fitting that we show up after dark. The picnic table is too far from the car so I set the camp stove on a large boulder. There aren’t any signs warning of bears but on the highway coming in was a Mountain Lion warning sign.
All the pictures and videos you have seen where the artists have spent years to perfect don’t prepare you for that first view. We have no idea where to go or what to do, but only two choices, left or right, because straight ahead is nothing but air. We start hiking east up the rim trail snapping pictures almost non-stop. The afternoon is wearing on and the shadows play across the canyon ridges. We keep pointing out things for each other to look at. There is a little haziness in the air making views across the 10-15 mile expanse somewhat fuzzy. The rim trail is like one continuous view point, every 25 feet, is a reason to stop and look left, look down, look right, look across, take more pictures, and do it again. Way, way, down more than a mile below us is the Colorado river; we only get little glimpses between the ridges and cliffs. I use my telephoto lens to bring it in close and can actually see some rapids. I am surprised to see people climbing beyond the safety fences and walking out onto rocky outcrops with tremendous drop offs below them. There aren’t any signs warning people to stay back and most places along the rim are not fenced. In a little while we follow the signs to a visitor center and absorb all the history we can. We manage to decipher a park brochure explaining how the shuttle bus system works and jump on the next green line shuttle (or was it the blue line) heading west along the rim road. The shuttle driver talks non-stop; announcing stops and things to see. By now we are starting to figure out a strategy; we will ride to the end of the line, jump off to watch sunset at one of the many points; explore numerous lodges and historical buildings; but first we disembark at the campground stop and walk over to the registration building to get a campsite. There’s a pretty long line and it takes about thirty minutes but we pay the fee and get a space. Our national pass allows park entry but campgrounds are not covered. Once we have a place to camp I’m relieved, now all we need to do is ride the shuttle back to our car and camp is waiting for us. We get back on the green line and ride to the end of the line. As sunset settles upon us it becomes obvious that the hazy weather makes for a not very memorable view, plus at over 6,000 feet elevation, were getting cold as the sun drops lower. A short walk along the rim and we go inside a historical lodge complete with restaurants and tourist shops. This is quite a large village complex, it even has the Grand Canyon Train terminal for those who don’t drive. Eventually we shuttle bus back to where we left the car; it’s getting dark, once we start driving everything is turned around, but we manage just fine. Right next to the campground is a large grocery store where we stock up on one pan food and drinks. It’s been about four hours since we checked in at the campground, but we haven’t actually been there until now, it’s only fitting that we show up after dark. The picnic table is too far from the car so I set the camp stove on a large boulder. There aren’t any signs warning of bears but on the highway coming in was a Mountain Lion warning sign.
Day 7, We get up early as has become our ritual, and go next door to a fine restaurant and have coffee and breakfast. We can’t remember anything about the restaurant so let’s just say it was a fine restaurant and move on. We brought with us a GPS that I had loaded with southwest United States maps but so far have not turned it on. Our guide has been a US Atlas we received for Christmas a few years back. The Atlas is always turned on and doesn’t use batteries and I can see it in the daylight. The GPS, none of the above. Soon we are turning onto the road that will take us to the Petrified Forest National Park and through the Painted Desert. The countryside is mostly arid desert like rolling hills with minor elevation changes allowing us fairly long distance views. There are quite a lot of eroded banks and small ridges showing many layers of colorful strata hence the name painted desert. We see reds, oranges, purples, blues and grays, but no green. We decide that if you were here in the spring instead of fall, green would be added to the mix. The park visitor center is not a very large building by national park standards but inside is a knowledgeable staff, lots of displays and a room to watch a short movie explaining how the forest became petrified. In prehistoric times this area was covered by a large swamp and these trees washed down in a flood and became buried in the muck to slowly turn into what we see today. Now the swamp is gone and the soil is eroding. At the back of the building is the entrance to the quarter mile long trail looping out over a nearby hill. We spend a long time walking and looking and taking photos. Signs warn not to take rocks. Some of the trees are intact with stumps, the roots are gone of course. Many are three to four feet in diameter and fifty feet long. Most are broken up and scattered. It’s hard to believe they are solid rock, you can see bark, growth rings, knots. As the surrounding soils erode and blow away more trees are becoming visible, in a sense the forest is growing.
Back in the visitor center are specimens that have been polished bringing out the deep colors and intricate designs only nature can create. We continue up the road and soon find a pull over with trails to hike. The park area is much larger than you may think; we drive many miles and pull over several times, at one stop is an intact tree spanning a small gully (all petrified) there is not a single tree or real piece of wood as far as the eye can see. At one of these stops we discover our radiator is leaking coolant, I’m pretty sure Death Valley killed the cooling system, It just took a while to die. The car is not overheating yet but it’s leaking. Eventually we find our way back to Holbrook and purchase a can of stop leak at the hardware store, stock up with extra water and soon rejoin the highway headed back towards Flagstaff, it’s been about a 24 hour side trip; until now I wasn’t sure this was a good choice but Linda insisted and I’m glad she did. It’s 90 miles back to Flagstaff plus we are going to detour off the road to see the Meteor Crater; I find myself watching the temperature gauge once again but it stays normal so we forge ahead. At meteor crater when we park the car a gush of water pours out, so I guess the stop leak didn’t work. A fellow traveler we meet gives us a gallon jug of water out of his ice chest to help us out. Meteor Crater is awesome I highly recommend to spend the money and climb up the stairs for a firsthand look. The crater hole is three quarters of a mile across and 570 feet deep and looks just like you would expect if a large rock had come hurtling from the sky 50,000 years ago. Inside is a gift shop and a very well done interpretive display. When we get to Flagstaff I make some phone calls and stop in a parts place trying to find a radiator shop to replace ours. I’ve found the leak, it’s near the top where a seam has split; with a mirror we can see the water leaking. After about an hour I realize no one is going to help us, it’s 5pm Friday. The best we can expect is sometime Monday so I decide we will risk it and forge ahead, we just drove a hundred miles with the leak and never lost enough to overheat. We consider we will be going over some very high passes but if the weather is not hot and I drive easy and the open seam doesn’t get any worse, and nothing else happens, it will be just fine. Just up the road is a gas station grocery store, so we stock up and leave Flagstaff behind, Tonight we camp at the campground we drove by yesterday at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. Our one pan dinner is cooked and eaten in daylight, what a treat to see our dinner. In the morning we will stop at the visitor center and make plans for the day.
Back in the visitor center are specimens that have been polished bringing out the deep colors and intricate designs only nature can create. We continue up the road and soon find a pull over with trails to hike. The park area is much larger than you may think; we drive many miles and pull over several times, at one stop is an intact tree spanning a small gully (all petrified) there is not a single tree or real piece of wood as far as the eye can see. At one of these stops we discover our radiator is leaking coolant, I’m pretty sure Death Valley killed the cooling system, It just took a while to die. The car is not overheating yet but it’s leaking. Eventually we find our way back to Holbrook and purchase a can of stop leak at the hardware store, stock up with extra water and soon rejoin the highway headed back towards Flagstaff, it’s been about a 24 hour side trip; until now I wasn’t sure this was a good choice but Linda insisted and I’m glad she did. It’s 90 miles back to Flagstaff plus we are going to detour off the road to see the Meteor Crater; I find myself watching the temperature gauge once again but it stays normal so we forge ahead. At meteor crater when we park the car a gush of water pours out, so I guess the stop leak didn’t work. A fellow traveler we meet gives us a gallon jug of water out of his ice chest to help us out. Meteor Crater is awesome I highly recommend to spend the money and climb up the stairs for a firsthand look. The crater hole is three quarters of a mile across and 570 feet deep and looks just like you would expect if a large rock had come hurtling from the sky 50,000 years ago. Inside is a gift shop and a very well done interpretive display. When we get to Flagstaff I make some phone calls and stop in a parts place trying to find a radiator shop to replace ours. I’ve found the leak, it’s near the top where a seam has split; with a mirror we can see the water leaking. After about an hour I realize no one is going to help us, it’s 5pm Friday. The best we can expect is sometime Monday so I decide we will risk it and forge ahead, we just drove a hundred miles with the leak and never lost enough to overheat. We consider we will be going over some very high passes but if the weather is not hot and I drive easy and the open seam doesn’t get any worse, and nothing else happens, it will be just fine. Just up the road is a gas station grocery store, so we stock up and leave Flagstaff behind, Tonight we camp at the campground we drove by yesterday at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. Our one pan dinner is cooked and eaten in daylight, what a treat to see our dinner. In the morning we will stop at the visitor center and make plans for the day.
Day 7, This is really a nice campground, but it’s not your rustic backwoods experience. The road is paved as is a short path to the picnic table; the table is on its own concrete pad complete with an industrial barbecue on a short post. The bathroom has lights, hot and cold water and I think was heated. Mature pine trees finish off the picture but not so many that we can’t see the entire campground which was mostly empty. Most of the time our breakfasts consist of a wide variety of delicious nutritious items as long as it was, coffee, bagels, cold cereal, hash browns & scrambled eggs, or fruit and nut medley from Costco. Breaking camp is a five minute operation of stuffing the sleeping bags into their sacks, folding the foam cushions and plywood sleeping platform in half, and rummaging through the milk crates trying to find something. The road atlas, cameras, chargers and miscellaneous park brochures live on the dashboard or floor between the front seats. This morning I have an extra chore of pouring another can of stop leak into the radiator; it’s not too late to go back to Flagstaff, but we’re going to chance it and head for the high country and Zion National Park in Utah. But first we check out Sunset Crater visitor center. We arrive right after a tour bus arrives and disgorges a full load of non English speaking camera toting excited local economy boosters. After negotiating our way through the throng and making our patch purchase we hastily retreat to the parking lot. We did see some of the displays but really didn’t stick around. The park consists of a circular road allowing several views of the volcano and surrounding area. We stop at several pullovers, black cinder covers the ground and surrounding hills, just like at the campground. The black cinders are small gravel like chunks the volcano spewed over the countryside. A very short distance north is Wupatki National Monument where we stop and hike the interpretive trail through the ruins of the Wupatki Pueblo. The trail has signs posted explaining what we are seeing. The ruin was used by native peoples as little as 800 years ago. Of course then it wasn’t a ruin, but was in much better shape with roofs over the crumbling brick, clay and stone walls that we see today. Zion is about three hundred miles and we would like to camp there tonight, if we had not decided to skip the North Rim of the Grand Canyon we would have been headed there now. Even though the North Rim is a relatively small side trip I think we made the right choice. The road takes us by the dam that creates the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Lake Powell, we stop at a few overlooks to view the dam and boating activity. At one high point on the edge of the gorge below the dam we spot a sink hole in the sand next to where we are standing. The hole is only big enough to lose your shoe but the proximity of a several hundred foot cliff only a short distance (fifty feet) from us gives me visions of the whole place breaking off and plunging into the canyon. This scares us (me) into leaving immediately. Zion National Park in Utah was one of my primary must see places after years of reading about it and seeing the great pictures in National Geographic. We enter the park from the east at a relatively high elevation on the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway. The highway construction engineers could not find an easy way from the high cliff tops to the valley floor below so they built a tunnel through the mountain. The tunnel is over a mile in length and has several cliff side windows. Pedestrians are not allowed and cars may not stop in the tunnel so all you get is a glimpse of light as you drive by each window. Tunnel traffic is limited to one way at a time so cars travel through in convoys. Big trucks are not allowed and some motor coaches require a person on foot preceding the vehicle.
We go straight to the park campgrounds only to find we are too late and they are full. Just outside the west park entrance is the city of Springdale where we pull into a hotel/restaurant facility that has a sign advertising camping. This is a private facility where they charge us $38 per night. The sites and cars are packed in so close that we immediately meet everyone camped around us. I am surprised all the campgrounds are full since it is almost the season end, although it is Saturday. As soon as we get the car parked we walk back out to the main road and jump on the first shuttle (about one mile) into Zion Park. We skip the visitor center and change to a park shuttle heading into Zion Canyon. Each shuttle bus is pulling a shuttle trailer, they run all day about every twenty minutes or so, making one big loop into Zion Canyon. The system is similar to the one at the Grand Canyon so we understand right away what to do. The views are absolutely breath taking, the cliffs are so high that the shuttles need skylights to see the tops. Zion is not like the Grand Canyon at all, the cliffs are straight up, and smooth as can be, water is everywhere. All the prominent points and faces have names, we see the Grotto, Weeping Rock, Temple of Sinawava, Angels Landing, Court of the Patriarchs, and more. One shuttle driver mentions his favorite place; a little waterfall hidden in some trees beside the road so on our way back we get off and walk down the road taking in the views and of course, lots of pictures. We find the spot he described as soon as we step into the woods. There is a short trail and wood stairway leading to several calm still pools and small waterfalls, we are all alone in this little jewel box of a private park. The shuttles only stop at marked stops so we continue our walk to the next one. Walking along in silence taking in the canyons beauty is almost a mystical experience, you can easily lose yourself in tranquil thoughts when suddenly a shuttle blasts around the corner forcing you to jump out of the way. We work our way back to the park entrance and switch to the City shuttle for a ride into Springdale to find a bottle of wine for dinner. Ever since being in Utah alcohol has been scarce, but we find what we want and head for camp. I heat up our pan of exotic mixed something and sip wine in the dark, while Linda reads park literature by flashlight and plans tomorrow’s schedule. We read every night by flashlight and then charge the light while driving, the system is working well.
We go straight to the park campgrounds only to find we are too late and they are full. Just outside the west park entrance is the city of Springdale where we pull into a hotel/restaurant facility that has a sign advertising camping. This is a private facility where they charge us $38 per night. The sites and cars are packed in so close that we immediately meet everyone camped around us. I am surprised all the campgrounds are full since it is almost the season end, although it is Saturday. As soon as we get the car parked we walk back out to the main road and jump on the first shuttle (about one mile) into Zion Park. We skip the visitor center and change to a park shuttle heading into Zion Canyon. Each shuttle bus is pulling a shuttle trailer, they run all day about every twenty minutes or so, making one big loop into Zion Canyon. The system is similar to the one at the Grand Canyon so we understand right away what to do. The views are absolutely breath taking, the cliffs are so high that the shuttles need skylights to see the tops. Zion is not like the Grand Canyon at all, the cliffs are straight up, and smooth as can be, water is everywhere. All the prominent points and faces have names, we see the Grotto, Weeping Rock, Temple of Sinawava, Angels Landing, Court of the Patriarchs, and more. One shuttle driver mentions his favorite place; a little waterfall hidden in some trees beside the road so on our way back we get off and walk down the road taking in the views and of course, lots of pictures. We find the spot he described as soon as we step into the woods. There is a short trail and wood stairway leading to several calm still pools and small waterfalls, we are all alone in this little jewel box of a private park. The shuttles only stop at marked stops so we continue our walk to the next one. Walking along in silence taking in the canyons beauty is almost a mystical experience, you can easily lose yourself in tranquil thoughts when suddenly a shuttle blasts around the corner forcing you to jump out of the way. We work our way back to the park entrance and switch to the City shuttle for a ride into Springdale to find a bottle of wine for dinner. Ever since being in Utah alcohol has been scarce, but we find what we want and head for camp. I heat up our pan of exotic mixed something and sip wine in the dark, while Linda reads park literature by flashlight and plans tomorrow’s schedule. We read every night by flashlight and then charge the light while driving, the system is working well.
We work our way back up the road we came in on stopping several times and taking small hikes. One of our short hikes is into a very small slot canyon. The canyon walls are about ten feet apart and go straight up about seventy five feet above us. As we walk up the dry creek bed it is easy to visualize a torrent of water trapping a person. Water marks in the sandy floor and debris piles are still visible suggesting there was a flash flood recently. The wind comes up for a few minutes accelerated by the narrow gorge, I take refuge from the blowing sand in a little overhanging nook waiting for the stinging wind to stop but after a few minutes I cover my eyes and move ahead. I’m starting to feel uncomfortable trying to remember if rain was forecasted today in the mountains above us. If a thunderstorm hit miles away this slot canyon would become a raging torrent with no warning.
We start to climb out of the canyon at a very steep spot but change our mind part way up, a simple slip and fall would ruin our trip or worse. It takes about fifteen minutes to retrace our path through the narrow slot and back to the small slide area where we climbed down the bank. It would be easy to spend several days at Zion but we are on the road again. It is still morning, and we are excited to be on our way to Bryce Canyon National Park, another National Geographic Magazine favorite. The seventy five miles to Bryce Canyon fly by; it is a real shame that we can’t stop at all the scenic places. In our effort to see certain parks we are forced to ignore many others. Red Canyon is one place we just drive by but we do drive through a much photographed arch on scenic byway 12.
Utah road #12 also known as scenic byway 12 is considered by many to be the most picturesque road in America and we wanted to drive as much of the 124 miles as we could on our trip. We arrive at the entrance to Bryce at midday and visit the visitor center first thing. Bryce Canyon has a shuttle system just like we used at Zion and South Rim Village but it is shut down for the winter. Nothing prepares you for your first views here; we have been driving across open range and through pine forest when suddenly the landscape falls away and your on the edge of a cliff. If Zion is mystical, then Bryce is primeval, certainly alien. The sandstone before you and as far as the eye can see is tortured into colorful spires and castles.
Like most of the sweeping vistas, you need to stop and look for awhile because the more time you allow the more the parks reveal. As we shift our gaze down into the canyons we begin to see trails switching back and forth. The hikers at first don’t appear but then a movement or color will grab your attention. The road stays mostly in the forest and follows the top of the canyon for many miles; we pull off at every overlook just like if we were riding a shuttle. Only we don’t get the benefit of an informative driver. We follow the shuttle route to the end and return to the first stop where we hike down one of the switchback trails. In no time at all we are swallowed by the eroded sandstone canyon and the world above ceases to exist. Other hikers coming back up the steep trail take two steps and then rest, two steps and rest. Going down hill is fast and easy, the rim above is out of sight now.
Wisely we turn around and join the two step hike. I wonder out loud if we should have started something I may not be able to finish. In thirty minutes we are back at the parking lot; in spite of my burning legs, I’m glad I stepped over the edge. Bryce, like Zion has much more to offer but we are eight days gone from home and need to keep moving.
Our next destination is Arches National Park, the late afternoon sun is warm and comforting as we continue on down scenic byway 12. We know we cannot drive all the way to Arches in the remainder of today, a distance of about 275 miles. We will enjoy the rest of the daylight, stop when something interests us and find a place to camp at dusk. On retrospect we should have stayed the night at Bryce and relaxed. Our first attempt to stop some hours later is at Calf Creek Campground. The campground is right beside the road so we pull in looking for an empty space but they are full, we consider parking in the day use area but instead drive on. I don’t mind driving in the dark and we are sure to find another along the way. The towns on hwy 12 are few and far between and just because the map lists a name does not mean they really exist. Right now to us a town is a place with a gas station. We have been in the habit of topping up the tank but we managed to get down to a quarter tank with no fuel in sight. This evening while driving the topic of discussion revolves around, where are we staying, do we have the gas to get there and thankfully the car is not overheating. We are driving at high elevations up some steep grades but the air temperature is cool so we are running the car heater all the time now. One particular stretch of scenic hwy that I later find out is called the hogsback demands my full attention. We are accustomed to a narrow twisting road that follows the terrain. I drive at 55 mph and then slow to 20. Every corner is another vista, another drop off, the fall colors are vibrant. When darkness descends our world becomes more closed in as colors turn to grays and we can’t see miles anymore. We slow for the next corner and I notice on one side just a few feet from the pavement is the abyss, I can see down at a steeper angle than the few feet of pavement will allow. I instinctively slow down which is what I always do around cliffs. On the other side is a similar abyss. This narrow road 6,000 feet up in the mountains is built on a ridge that is only wide enough for two cars to pass, no shoulder, no guard rails, just a few scattered clumps of grass for security. Thirty seconds earlier I was doing 55, if there was a warning sign I missed it. I’m white knuckles now and considering stopping, but what good will that do I don’t want to walk down this road either. As we creep down the hogsback I have no trouble visualizing where we are and what can happen should the steering wheel come off or another car should try to force me from the middle of the road. Mercifully the worst of the ridge road is over in about a quarter mile and I start breathing again. Those who proclaimed this the most scenic road in the country must not have driven this portion. Sometime later we come to a place named on the map that sells gas. There are no other signs of a town just one converted house, one gas dispenser. While paying for the gas and getting a chocolate bar I ask about nearby campgrounds to no avail. The girl that takes my money describes a camp about ten miles up a dirt road. Linda and I are good to go but we are staying on the pavement until daylight and it’s already dark by now. We have a full tank of gas and miles to cover, we race ahead into the darkness. One of our maps shows a campground in a few miles, we keep a close watch for signs or anything to suggest a park but after awhile give up. My ability to drive past my bedtime has failed me, I can hardly stay awake for each corner. If I had to drive the hogsback now I don’t know what would happen. We have been steadily climbing for a long time, in the darkness we are seeing glimmers of light from far away points. I think the view is fantastic but I can’t tell in the blackness. We go by a sign announcing 9,000 feet elevation and then come to an overlook parking lot with a rest stop. I can’t believe our luck, a place to park for the rest of the night and a bathroom bonus. We are cold, tired, and hungry and it’s much later than our usual dinner in the dark. The temperature is in the 20’s, and the wind out on this lookout point is blowing hard.
Before making up our bed we set up the camp stove inside the car, but I leave the propane tank outside on the ground. This means the door must be left open about a half inch to accommodate the hose. Outside Las Vegas we cooked in the car to avoid the wind but we stood outside and left the door open, here we must stay inside because of the biting cold. As long as we don’t move around much there is room to cook and eat, and the stove heats the car nicely. At the Grand Canyon we used a fat candle to dine with and warm the car, but on this windy point the instant I turn off the stove and slide open the door we are plunged into bone chilling cold. By the time I set the hot stove on the ground and get back inside we have lost all our heat. Our sleeping bags are supposed to be for freezing weather but they are thirty years old and may have lost some loft. We are cold tonight and hold each other for warmth.
Day 9, I wake up early just before sunup because I’m shivering. The temperature is 22 degrees and ice is forming on the inside of the cars windows. When I start the car Linda asks me what I’m doing so I tell her I’m not leaving the seat until the car warms up and I stop shivering. In a little while the sun comes up and we get our first view of where we are. We are indeed up on a point and can see for miles although it is a little hazy. The signs explain we are looking at the Grand Staircase, the Escalante Canyons, and Capitol Reef National Park. We agree to skip our morning coffee and drive to a lower elevation immediately, maybe we will find a store with coffee on the way. As soon as we pull back onto the scenic byway I pause to take some pictures of deer on the road.
Driving slowly we come to some more around the next corner. For several miles we see deer everywhere we look, Linda counted fifty and probably missed as many. None are running from us, our presence does not seem to alarm them. Interestingly a short way down the road we begin to see hunters and their atv’s parked in the woods. I think we may have slept in a war zone that was canceled for darkness. Or maybe the war was about to start. Three miles from the overlook we come to a nice cozy campground in the trees. Too late, maybe next time. We still have over a hundred miles to Arches National Park but we make time to stop at the visitor center for Capitol Reef National Park. The parks namesake is a hundred mile long rift or fold in the earths crust. Apparently the early explorers thought the sheer cliffs and drop offs blocking their way resemble a reef, I don’t see the connection. Our path leads us to the interstate and on the first rate divided highway we cruise fast the rest of the way to Arches. Once inside the park and through two 15 mph switchback corners we see or first Arch or maybe they were fingers pointing to the heavens. I’ll have to check my pictures.
The routine is pretty much the same at all the parks, and that is drive down the road trying to see everything and pull over at each pull out or parking lot, read the signs and hike the trail if you’re interested. We came to see the Arches and our brochure map shows we need to drive about ten miles to where some of the large ones are located. If the size of the parking lot tells you of the popularity of something then we’ve come to a popular spot, even so we need to hunt for a space. We head out on a circular hike that will take us to several arches. From a distance they don’t seem that tall or wide but as you get closer their size is surprising. The longest arch is over 300 feet, but we did not see it because the hike is many miles long long. Arches are formed as part of a narrow ridge line or some as a shelf of sandstone of differing hardness. Wind and water eroded the softer sandstone leaving the harder material behind. As you study the surrounding rocks and structures you can spot arches in the making. Standing under an arch you can see where car size chunks have broken loose littering the floor beneath.
Given enough time all the arches will self destruct as new ones form. We saw several balancing rocks which are simply tall spires with harder sandstone at the top and softer below. As the softer stone erodes it leaves a large rock supported by a narrow base. These too will come crashing down eventually. We climbed up an easy scramble under a triple arch to where we could see out the other side only to be shocked finding out we were about fifty feet off the ground on a knife edge, which by the way is similar to last nights hogsback still fresh in my mind.
Back at the visitor center we claim our patch and rub the shiny bronze statues of big Horn Sheep. Polishing bronze in parks seems to be a national pastime for tourists. We study the many displays and once again realize that we are only seeing a teaser of the park, just a tip of the iceberg so to speak. All the parks we have visited deserve spending much more time.
Linda and I have now completed what we set out to do. Our next destination is Portland Oregon via Salt Lake City. Salt Lake city is about 230 miles from Arches and connected with a high speed interstate most of the way. We have a sense of relief as we point the car towards home, a lot of our conversation on this road trip has been about the sights we have been seeing and places we’ve been, But our cell phone has allowed us to stay in touch with family at home and assures us that we can stay longer if we want to. We are more than a thousand miles from home, it seems such a long way. When we left Arches we didn’t know where we would stop for the night but as we approach Salt Lake City, and it is early evening I start thinking about a motel and dinner. Last night’s freezing cold experience has me thinking we deserve it. Around 7pm we are on the outskirts of Salt Lake, but I want to drive across town and be clear of incoming rush hour traffic in the morning. It doesn’t take long to get north of town and find the local motel 6, the clerk finds us the number for a nearby Pizza Hut and I call in a to go order. One Super Supreme Pan Pizza, Linda and I haven’t had one in a long time. The pizza is ready when we get there and we go next door for some wine and tomorrows groceries. Back at the motel I am in heaven, pan pizza, wine, coke, TV, hot and cold water, lights, a bed. We also call home and during the conversation ask our daughter to map quest from Salt Lake City to home, the shortest route and total miles. The pizza was fantastic, just like I expected it to be, the wine was horrible, I couldn’t drink it and left the bottle behind when we left. We both fell asleep early, it had been a very long day.
Driving slowly we come to some more around the next corner. For several miles we see deer everywhere we look, Linda counted fifty and probably missed as many. None are running from us, our presence does not seem to alarm them. Interestingly a short way down the road we begin to see hunters and their atv’s parked in the woods. I think we may have slept in a war zone that was canceled for darkness. Or maybe the war was about to start. Three miles from the overlook we come to a nice cozy campground in the trees. Too late, maybe next time. We still have over a hundred miles to Arches National Park but we make time to stop at the visitor center for Capitol Reef National Park. The parks namesake is a hundred mile long rift or fold in the earths crust. Apparently the early explorers thought the sheer cliffs and drop offs blocking their way resemble a reef, I don’t see the connection. Our path leads us to the interstate and on the first rate divided highway we cruise fast the rest of the way to Arches. Once inside the park and through two 15 mph switchback corners we see or first Arch or maybe they were fingers pointing to the heavens. I’ll have to check my pictures.
The routine is pretty much the same at all the parks, and that is drive down the road trying to see everything and pull over at each pull out or parking lot, read the signs and hike the trail if you’re interested. We came to see the Arches and our brochure map shows we need to drive about ten miles to where some of the large ones are located. If the size of the parking lot tells you of the popularity of something then we’ve come to a popular spot, even so we need to hunt for a space. We head out on a circular hike that will take us to several arches. From a distance they don’t seem that tall or wide but as you get closer their size is surprising. The longest arch is over 300 feet, but we did not see it because the hike is many miles long long. Arches are formed as part of a narrow ridge line or some as a shelf of sandstone of differing hardness. Wind and water eroded the softer sandstone leaving the harder material behind. As you study the surrounding rocks and structures you can spot arches in the making. Standing under an arch you can see where car size chunks have broken loose littering the floor beneath.
Given enough time all the arches will self destruct as new ones form. We saw several balancing rocks which are simply tall spires with harder sandstone at the top and softer below. As the softer stone erodes it leaves a large rock supported by a narrow base. These too will come crashing down eventually. We climbed up an easy scramble under a triple arch to where we could see out the other side only to be shocked finding out we were about fifty feet off the ground on a knife edge, which by the way is similar to last nights hogsback still fresh in my mind.
Back at the visitor center we claim our patch and rub the shiny bronze statues of big Horn Sheep. Polishing bronze in parks seems to be a national pastime for tourists. We study the many displays and once again realize that we are only seeing a teaser of the park, just a tip of the iceberg so to speak. All the parks we have visited deserve spending much more time.
Linda and I have now completed what we set out to do. Our next destination is Portland Oregon via Salt Lake City. Salt Lake city is about 230 miles from Arches and connected with a high speed interstate most of the way. We have a sense of relief as we point the car towards home, a lot of our conversation on this road trip has been about the sights we have been seeing and places we’ve been, But our cell phone has allowed us to stay in touch with family at home and assures us that we can stay longer if we want to. We are more than a thousand miles from home, it seems such a long way. When we left Arches we didn’t know where we would stop for the night but as we approach Salt Lake City, and it is early evening I start thinking about a motel and dinner. Last night’s freezing cold experience has me thinking we deserve it. Around 7pm we are on the outskirts of Salt Lake, but I want to drive across town and be clear of incoming rush hour traffic in the morning. It doesn’t take long to get north of town and find the local motel 6, the clerk finds us the number for a nearby Pizza Hut and I call in a to go order. One Super Supreme Pan Pizza, Linda and I haven’t had one in a long time. The pizza is ready when we get there and we go next door for some wine and tomorrows groceries. Back at the motel I am in heaven, pan pizza, wine, coke, TV, hot and cold water, lights, a bed. We also call home and during the conversation ask our daughter to map quest from Salt Lake City to home, the shortest route and total miles. The pizza was fantastic, just like I expected it to be, the wine was horrible, I couldn’t drink it and left the bottle behind when we left. We both fell asleep early, it had been a very long day.
Day 10. I awake before sunup again, that’s the problem with going to bed so early. Going in and out of different time zones may have something to do with it also. We can’t see any reason to hang around so we get a full tank of gas and coffee at the corner station and jump on the freeway north towards Idaho The traffic is light and the towns start dropping behind us, Salt Lake, Ogden, Twin Falls, Boise. Somewhere along the interstate amidst miles of crop land and massive irrigation systems we see a huge sign that says simply “EAT” or maybe it was “eat here” any way its lunch time and we skipped breakfast so eat sounds real good. The waitress that helps us answers my question about the large factory I can see in the distance. She says that’s the sugar beet refinery, most of the farmers around here grow sugar beets, and most of the people work there. This explains all the semi trailers we’ve seen filled with funny looking potatoes. Back on the road again we see in the distance in front of us a dark menacing sky on the horizon. The sky is brown and gray and were sure that we are driving right into a storm but it never happens. When the sign that says welcome to Oregon goes by outside the window I think we have already driven more than halfway home, maybe we can make it the entire distance today if we don’t dally anywhere too long. At Baker City we gas up and get ice cream cones, I think this is our last gas stop. It is mid afternoon and getting home tonight is squarely in my sights. If we drive into the night like we have already done several times it will be ok because our own beds will be waiting for us to fall into.
We have been talking to the kids at home quite a bit today, they know we are wrapping up our trip, but they don’t know we will be home tonight. Around dinner time when they asked where we were we just said we are in Oregon and have a ways to go still. Another answer could be, we are about 100 miles away and will see you in a couple hours. About 8:30 we walked in the front door, the children were not expecting us and let us know we didn’t give them time to clean up. All of us were glad to be home.
We have been talking to the kids at home quite a bit today, they know we are wrapping up our trip, but they don’t know we will be home tonight. Around dinner time when they asked where we were we just said we are in Oregon and have a ways to go still. Another answer could be, we are about 100 miles away and will see you in a couple hours. About 8:30 we walked in the front door, the children were not expecting us and let us know we didn’t give them time to clean up. All of us were glad to be home.
We spent 10 days on this road trip, traveled about 4,000 miles, and we visited at least 17 National Parks or Monuments. The highest elevation was 9,945 feet, and the lowest was 130 feet below sea level. The highest temperature we recorded was 115 degrees and the lowest was 22. The car is still running and I have not fixed the radiator. We took 1900 pictures with two cameras and have managed to trim that down to about 800.
Traveling light, and sleeping in the car was a major contributor to trips success Motels were not where we needed them. We started early every day, and stayed out of restaurants mostly. We stopped wherever we had an interest. We probably should have allowed another day at Grand Canyon, Zion, and visited Las Vegas. In retrospect we should have not gone to Death Valley, the problems and pain were not worth the memory.
John
