Hamilton Military Museum & Memorial,
Truth or Consequences, New Mexico
November 14, 2018
The memorial walk
Geronimo Museum, Truth or Consequences, New Mexico
November 14, 2018
Geronimo
Different types of hats worn by settlers and ranchers
Las Cruces Murals & the NM Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, New Mexico
November 11, 2018
Rio Grande Trail, Arrey, New Mexico
November 10, 2018
National Solar Observatory, Alamogordo, New Mexico
November 8, 2018
Three Rivers Petroglyphs New Mexico
November 7, 2018
White Sands National Monument, etc., New Mexico
November 6 - 8, 2018
November 2, 2018
Sitting Bull Falls, Carlsbad, New Mexico
November 3, 2018
Desert Museum Zoo, Carlsbad, New Mexico
November 2, 2018
Friendly little porcupine & Roadrunner
Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico
October 31, 2018
Continuing the Fall 2018 Escapades
For some reason, I still have been really bad at updating the blog. Mostly because I post on Facebook and am to lazy. I do copy my pictures from Facebook, just so I have a record of them incase I get blocked out of my page like when I first joined (thank you witch from Lockport).
Once I got to South Dakota, the dealer I was working with in the Spring, was not able to find a truck for me, so at this point, I'll start looking again once the 2019 models come out. I left South Dakota early due to cold weather coming in and experiencing 61 MPH winds one day. Such a shame, I really liked my site at the park I was at. I took pretty much a straight route south through Kansas & Nebraska on my way to Oklahoma, in the hopes I could see my friend Lynnea from high school again, but she wasn't feeling well, so that fell through.
In Nebraska, I discovered there was a Grand Design RV dealer and they had an XLS model without a slide that Dad & I did not see in Indiana. Long story short, I traded in the 25' Imagine for a 18' Imagine XLS model. I did have to do some major cleaning (giving some things to other campers and donations to Goodwill), but other than tight spaces, which Punkin doesn't seem to like, it's working out well and I'm not crossing my fingers anymore when bring a slide in or out. I did however have the dealer move my backup camera and weight distribution system to the new camper (at a charge of course), and some minor things had to be fixed (tail lights not working, etc). When I arrived at my next stop, I discovered the WDS was installed incorrectly and had to find an RV place to install a new system. I did complain to the salesman as soon as the problem was found and received a refund for my troubles as well as covering the purchase of a new system. Unfortunately, that was not the only problem discovered. I was also notified by phone when I was in New Mexico, that they sent the wrong title to me! Anyway, refund and correct title have been received and travels are continuing as planned.
I planned on spending more time in New Mexico this year, but it seems the cold weather was following me, so I'm pretty much staying south of I-40, and am only spending 1 1/2 months in New Mexico this fall.
Since I've been so bad an updating the blog, here are just some highlights of my travels from where I left off.
Sequoyah State Park, Oklahoma
Elephant Butte SP New Mexico (in Truth or Consequences, NM)
Portion of the Geronimo Trail
Valle del Sol scenic overlook
Valley of Fires scenic overlook
Leasburg Dam SP, Radium Springs, NM
Beth Burgess from the Women RV forum was also at this SP. We did the ranger geographical walk with Ranger Alex one morning. The dams have been closed, so water in the Rio Grande river is very low.
Beth and I also went to the Prehistoric Trackways National Monument one day, but there really was not anything to see. We figured out that all dinosaur tracks were moved to a museum in Santa Fe.
On the same day, we also took a ride to I-10 to see a Recycled Roadrunner sculpture at the rest stop. The road runner is New Mexico's state bird. The statue is made up of all sorts of things. Old gym shoes make up the white on his stomach, tires are the legs, etc.
Right next to Leasburg Dam SP are the ruins of Fort Seldon. General Douglas MacArthur spent time here as a small boy.
General Douglas MacArthur is the small boy on the left in the photo.
I also spent a day wandering around the historic district of Mesilla New Mexico (basically in Las Cruces)
Beth Burgess from the Women RV forum was also at this SP. We did the ranger geographical walk with Ranger Alex one morning. The dams have been closed, so water in the Rio Grande river is very low.
Right next to Leasburg Dam SP are the ruins of Fort Seldon. General Douglas MacArthur spent time here as a small boy.
Summer to Fall 2018
I've been really bad at updating the blog. I spent mid-June thru mid-August back in Illinois parked at Camp Dad's House. It was not really a cheap stay and was uncomfortable at best. I couldn't put the slide out because Dad's driveway wasn't wide enough to have the slide out and still let him have access to his garage and didn't have any water to use in the camper (i.e. no place to dump the tanks if I did). Eating out everyday (sometimes breakfast and dinner) was costly. So yes I saved on CG fees, but the expenses were actually $1000 - $2500 more for the 2 months I was there.
Maintenance on the trailer (wheel bearings and breaks) was done which was a decent chunk of change and also the bumper on the Ford was repaired from the ding that happened in a parking garage in Monterrey, CA. The ding itself was around $900, but I camped for 1 night near the dealer and did a major ding on the bumper that was an additional $1200. Why the MI SP had three 2' posts directly across from my site I'll never know, but a walk around the CG showed me those were the only 3 in the park and I hit them. At least it was only 1 trip to the body shop.
The reason for the long stay was to get Ma moved into a senior community. Her complaints when I spoke to her on the phone were always the same, that she was bored and lonely. The new crowd at the VFW didn't like here because she was old, blah, blah, blah. I really wanted to get her to move in order to get her around more people her age as well as to have some peace of mind, that should anything happen, there were people around to help as well as for someone that I could contact if I could not get ahold of her (like on Mother's Day when she went out and didn't think it was important enough for her to tell me).
After 6 weeks of fighting with her about moving, taking her to places to look at, etc., she finally agreed. I think waiting until the last minute was part of her plan, trying to get me to stay in IL. Her plan backfired. Her condo went on the market and sold in one day, I spent every day packing her things, renting a UHaul in order to get furniture to Goodwill, etc. I was able to leave on my scheduled date and hit the road for my second year of full timing.
Since I've been back to the Mississippi, up to Wisconsin and Michigan's UP, including Mackinac Island (FINALLY!), and west back to Minnesota and South Dakota (still looking for a truck), and have started heading south (currently in Nebraska), I won't bore you with tons of pics, but just show some highlights.
Eagle Point Castle in Le Claire, IA
Land O Lakes, WI with Renee Aubin (former co-worker) and her husband Mike and Eileen Weller (Women RV forum friend)
Agate Falls
Bond Falls
Black bear we spotted when 4-wheeling
Michigan's UP
Bonanza Falls
Copper Harbor Lighthouse
Marquette MI
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, MI
Sioux Falls Park, Sioux Falls, SD
Nefertiti rock formation
Petroglyphs
The Stone House which is supposed to be haunted
Four calves. The moms were about 1/2 mile away in a slot canyon.
Small herd of deer on UT-72 south. This last one stopped to pose for me.
View of the valley on UT-72 South
There are mountains in the distance, but in the photo, they are hidden by the dust and sand.
Forsythe Reservoir
Small herd of bison, I'm sure are part of a ranch somewhere since they were behind a fence line.
The Castle
No not a dinosaur skull, just sandstone that has eroded into this odd shape.
Down the unpaved rode into the gorge.
Always interesting to see how part of the rock face will fall, and leave large sections above.
These were really dark red and white. Wish the color was better.
Deer by the campground. Actually a very nice NP campground (Fruita). It's developed meaning there are paved roads and sites, but no hookups for electric or water which seems to be typical of NP CGs.
On UT-24 heading north, there is an area where you can see petroglyphs. A sign posted said more of the petroglyphs have disappeared due to rock falls.
No colors in the rocks on UT-24. I couldn't decide if it looked more like a lunar landscape or if I felt I was driving thru a rock quarry.
Hit a drizzle of cold rain, but at least it was snow that was higher in the mountains.
Arches NP, UtahApril 10, 2018
Pretty park with easy hikes if desired, and lots of turn outs to stop and take picture. First the arches:
At "The Windows" there are 2 large arches within the same sandstone wall, and a little window off to the side.
The North Window
The South Window
The North Window (left) and South Window (right)
On the same stop as the Windows is Turret Arch
Devil's Arch
Below Devil's Arch
Delicate Arch from a view area. The parking lot was full for the hike to the arch, and the rangers were making sure people didn't park on the soft shoulders on the road.
Other sites from the park drive.
Balanced Rock
The 3 Gossips
As I posted on Facebook, I doubt I would pass a Rorschach test, because I see faces and other objects in the sandstone formations.
These buttes were just outside of the park, but on the road in.
There was also a little bit of a traffic jam on the road in. Lots of babies in this bunch!
Canyons formed by the Green River. May give you a good idea of how the Grand Canyon looked billions of years ago.
Kodachrome Basin SP,
Utah
Eagle Harbor Lighthouse
Haven Park Falls & Jacobs Falls
Lake in the Clouds (Porcupine Mountains SP)
Lake Superior in Ontonagon, MI
Ontonagon Lighthouse
Big Bay, MI
Mackinac Island, MI
Sand Point Lighthouse, MI
National Eagle Center, Wabasha, MN
Logan Canyon & Bear Lake, Utah
April 28, 2018
a Brushfoot White Admiral butterfly
Bear Lake
Waterfall found in Ogden Canyon on 4/24/2018
Lower Gray Canyon, Green River, Utah
April 28, 2018
Lower Gray Canyon, Green River, Utah
April 1, 2018
Spent few hours this morning driving thru Lower Gray Canyon in Green River, Utah. 18 Mile road. Nine miles paved, nine miles rough.
The first butte mesa looks completely different from two angles.
My first wild antelope (only one)
Capital Reef NP,
Utah
April 12, 2018
I completed the big 5 national parks in Utah today with the visit to
Capital Reef. Very pretty park and only a 20-mile round trip drive thru the
park. I back tracked west on I-70 to
UT-72 south and so glad I did. It was a
very pretty ride thru pine and aspen forests with deer and even a small herd of
bison. The ride back on UT-24 was a
desolate and bland drive. Yes, there
were mesas, but just tan rock faces, none of the vivid reds that were in
Capital Reef. Wind gusts were also pushing
45 MPH on the ride back and I’m so glad I can go sight seeing in the Ford and
wasn’t pulling the trailer.
Unfortunately, the pictures do no do justice to the colors of the rocks. There was so much dust and sand in the air, it doesn't show the deep colors well.
Views from I-70 and UT-72 south towards the park.
Black Dragon Canyon view point on I-70 west
Into the park.
Hay barn next to the campground. There were 3 horses in the paddock. Another guess, but think the horses belong to owners of the store.
Arches NP, UtahApril 10, 2018
Pretty park with easy hikes if desired, and lots of turn outs to stop and take picture. First the arches:
At "The Windows" there are 2 large arches within the same sandstone wall, and a little window off to the side.
Below the North Window
As I posted on Facebook, I doubt I would pass a Rorschach test, because I see faces and other objects in the sandstone formations.
April 9, 2018
Tough switchbacks on the primitive road down into one of the canyons. And found a little lizard scurrying past me on one of the trails.
April 2, 2018
Since this state park was only 20 miles from Bryce, I decided to check it out. The campground has electric (if I remember correctly). I would stay there, but other than Bryce and the park itself, there isn't a lot to do in the area except for going into town by the hotels and the handful of tourist traps.
And of course Punkin wanted to go play with the cows.
Bryce Canyon NP,
Utah
April 2, 2018
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