Day 2 Grand Tetons

I thought my eyes could see no more beauty......but it just keeps getting better! Today, another gorgeous bluebird sky day with temps in the high 70's.....perfect! We headed out to Colter Bay for some boating on Jackson Lake. The water was a bit chilly for me (64 degrees) but Guy found it quite refreshing and jumped from the boat several times to the clean cool mountain lake.
I navigated the waters with ease in our little Jon boat.
We spotted a golden bald eagle near the bird sanctuary which according to the park ranger, is a rarity to see. We felt very fortunate to have such a sighting. After a wonderful day on the lake, we headed back to the convertible for some more wildlife sightseeing. About 50 yards away, we spotted a mama brown bear tearing up logs looking for grubs. The power in her claws made it look like child's play as she lifted these huge stumps with ease. We felt very brave watching as the car was just steps away. Driving down the road, we were abruptly stopped for the crossing of the Bison. The force and size of these animals are very intimidating. We also came across a herd
of Elk with about 100 in the group. It was an amazing sight to behold! After 3 days in the Tetons, taking in all the beautiful sights, we were ready to head an hour north to Yellowstone National Park!!

The Grand Tetons and Jackson Hole Wyoming

Our drive here was breathtaking and eventful. I spotted a little fawn lying on the side of the road that had apparently been hit but not injured...just scared. So we picked it up and placed it in the shade near a stream hoping her mama would come to her aid. A prayer to St. Francis for her protection and we were on our way to Jackson Hole, Wyoming.



Wow, wow, wow....this place is amazing! We arrived late afternoon. Just in time for a stroll around the quaint shops and a nice dinner outside on the deck overlooking the ski area. A couple games of pool after dinner and we were on our way to The Grand Tetons. Arriving after dark, we fumbled our way through the camp ground and luckily found some availability. In fact, this whole trip we have found sites without making reservations. Luck has certainly been on our side. Amazingly, we had landed on a beautiful site at a remote campground on the south end of the park. We were right next to a stream which the pups quickly adopted as their own private swimming area.
First thing in the morning, we headed to the nearby airport where we rented a convertible and quickly scouted out the area. It was nice to get out of the RV and manuever much more easily in the car. Loaded up with sunscreen, as one can easily burn in this high altitude, we were on our way for some wild life sightseeing. We were amazed at the abundance of wild life right along the road. We spotted Bison, Elk, Deer, Bear, Otter, moose and a Golden Bald Eagle. Being in the convertible made the visibility to spot things so much easier too. We then headed to the ferry which took us across Jenny Lake to a trail head for some hiking. Inspiration point, elevation 7300 feet showed us some wonderful panoramic views. Just below that was Hidden Falls which boasted a powerful waterfall with a drop of about 300 feet. We then headed to Jackson Lodge where we dined on fresh Bison and Elk....yummy! Bellies full, we headed back to the camp where it started to rain. Falling asleep with the rain hitting the RV was a very peaceful way to end this wonderful day.

Bear Lake Mountain, Idaho

Leaving the beauty of Salt Lake City we headed North West to the border of Utah and Idaho to Bear Mountain Lake. A beautiful clear clean and 64 degree mountain lake....brrrrrr. The water is aquamarine and one can see 20 feet deep easily. Our camp site was right on the water and the views were serene. We set up camp, had a lovely dinner on the grill and sat and watched the sunset over the mountains.

The next morning we played 9 holes of golf on a long and narrow mountain course. Only lost 2 balls, so all is good! After going back to the RV and check on the dogs and have a quick lunch, we were off to the lake on the Ski-doo. 60 mph on a glass lake....priceless! It was so much fun to jump and skip over the wakes of the other boaters! This was an unplanned and fun stop to break up the 5 hour drive from Salt Lake City to Jackson Hole Wyoming.

Bryce Canyon

Amazing, breathtaking and funky hoodoos are words that come to mind when describing Bryce Canyon. We arrived late afternoon and after setting up camp, we rode our bikes to the town square which consisted of some gift shops, a grocery store and a restaurant. Visitors from all over the world converged to this place and it seemed as if English was rarely heard or spoken. How fortunate we are to have this beauty in our own homeland! We rode our bikes a bit to get a feel for the area and stumbled upon a rodeo. It was a first for both of us and we enjoyed watching the cowboys lasso their calf in seconds flat. The next morning, we packed up from the RV site and headed into Bryce National Park where we were lucky enough to find a campsite. We quickly set up the RV then took the trolley to the Canyon. Our first view of the canyon left us both breathless....it was simply stunning.
The vast terrain and the many many Hoodoos with their strange appearance were mesmerising to us. We started with the "Rim Hike" which turned into the Navajo Trail which lead us to the Queens Garden and ended with Sunset Trail....total of 6.8 miles. Now, I know that doesn't sound like a whole lot, but when the temps are soaring near 100 and the terrain is steep, it takes a lot of effort to trudge ahead. Our hike took us to the canyon floor where we got an "up close and personal look" at these strange rock formations.
Exhausted and hungry after our hike, we ventured to the lodge where we dined on Bison....yummy! We quickly headed back to camp to check on the dogs and then back out to the ranger talk on Astronomy. With absolutely no light pollution, the night skies are amazing and the milky way is in full view. After the one hour talk, we were given the chance to view Saturn and its rings, Mars and an exploding star through very very expensive telescopes. It was quite the treat and gave us some insight into how vast space really is and how minute we really are.. Next stop....Salt Lake City!!

Salt Lake City Utah

We arrived in Salt Lake City Utah Friday evening, after deciding we had seen enough rocks for now and needed some city life. We stayed at a KOA campground right in town which provided a free shuttle run by the Mormons to Temple Square. We took advantage of the transportation and the free tour of the Mormon sights. Of course, at the conclusion of the tour we were asked to join their church....we politely refused. I have to say though, everyone was extremely nice! We then took the trolley through the city. The trolley is one of the benefits from hosting the 2002 Olympics. Salt Lake City is a small city and very clean and efficiently run. We spent the entire evening scoping things out.
The next morning, we drove our bikes downtown to see the big parade. July 24th is Pioneer Day, and is celebrated in remembrance of the settlers who fled religious persecution. The two hour parade was amazing with some of the most creative floats we had ever seen. We then rented a car and drove to Antelope Island to see The Great Salt Lake. I was a bit disappointed as it was not at all what I expected. The lake is basically "dead" the water extremely still and stinky. The brine shrimp were hatching so there were thousands, and I mean thousands of bugs along the shoreline. So, our desire to swim...or should I say float in the thick salt water was quickly thwarted. Since it cost $9.00 to enter the island, we decided to drive around and tour it by car. We did see some wild bison and stopped by the visitor center as well.

We then drove an hour to Park City which is where the 2002 Olympics occurred. We toured the Olympic Village, road the gondola up the mountain, hiked with the dogs on the ski slope where Picaboo Street won her gold medal and then sat on the village green to listen to an awesome Jazz band, all the festivities in honor of Pioneer day. We certainly picked the right day to visit. Two days were enough to get a feel for the city and surrounding sights and we decided to move north to Bear Lake on the border of Utah and Idaho for a day of water fun, jet skiing before heading to The Grand Tetons! We have certainly left the heat of the desert and there is a cool feel to the air....I even got out my fleece jacket :)

Zion National Park, Utah

We arrived in Zion National Park in Utah late afternoon, just in time for the wonderful sunset that illuminates these magnificent rocks. Our campsite was right along a small river where people were peacefully tubing down the small rapids. Behind the river, a string of majestic mountains bolted towards the sky. We quickly set up camp and brought our lawn chairs to the rivers edge and watched the sunset play its fading light against the rocks. Little words were spoken between us as we were speechless taking in this beautiful scenery. It was a spectacular evening. We started our first day in Zion with a shuttle ride to the Narrows Hiking Trail. Our feet were adorned with booties and neoprene shoes as this hike is 90% in the Virgin River which flows through the park. We hiked about a mile upstream in ankle to waist deep 60 degree water. It was a strenuous and intense hike. The trail split and we continued left about another mile to the Wall Street Trail which is pictured here on the left. The walls reach 1000 feet up and in some places were only 3 feet in width. The scenery was breathtaking and we never really noticed how cold the water was. The 4.5 hour hike ended back at our starting point. We were tired and our feet hurt but we were richer for the experience. The next morning we awoke at 5:00am to get an early start for our next hike. This hike named Angels Landing climbs 1500 feet and if you don't finish the hike by 11:00 am you are in direct sun....and with temps soaring near 100 degrees, heat stroke is a real threat. The hike was intense and steep and included several switch back trails. We arrived at Scouts Landing and rested for awhile and took in the scenery. The remaining 0.5 miles was the most intense as it involved chains as your only stability. As you can see pictured to the right, the steep incline and the 800 foot drop behind me. We climbed along these chains and made slow progress as my mind started playing tricks on me and the fear finally overtook. I decided to descend back to Scout's Landing while Guy continued on. I was disappointed that I couldn't muster the courage to continue. Just last month a girl fell to her death, so knowing this only confirmed it wasn't worth the risk to me. We finished the hike by 11:30, so only the last few steps were in the direct path of the sun. Our final and 3rd day in the beautiful park was spent taking our bikes on the shuttle to the top of the mountain and riding the 8 miles down. We stopped more than we rode to enjoy every nook and cranny of this park. We did a couple of short hikes along the way as well. It was a wonderful overview of the North side of the park and we saw so much more this way. We concluded the day and agreed that the only way to beat the
scorching heat of Southern Utah was to take a lazy
ride down the river. The water was cool and refreshing and our bodies were worn out and tired.
We then packed up the RV and headed through the mile long tunnel back out of the park. Because the RV is too big for two way traffic thru the tunnel, they shut it down for the bigger rigs to go through.
We sadly said good-bye to Zion as this has been one of our favorite stops. We had a wonderful lunch about an hour outside of the park where we dined on Bison and fresh organic home grown veggies and salad. yummy! Next stop....Bryce Canyon!

Colorado River/Lake Powell

They say the vortex of the red rocks of Sedona brings a magical energy. I did not "feel" it while there. However, the cool clear clean waters of the Colorado river and Lake Powell mesmerized me. I can't explain it.....it's just a feeling I got whenever I was close to the water. We arrived in Page, Arizona and were quickly exhausted by the 106 degree temperature. It was like being in a sauna....you know, when you take a deep breath in and it burns your lungs....yup, that's what it felt like. So renting a boat for the day seemed like the perfect solution to beat the heat. We toured many of the gorges, caverns, crevasses and found a secluded beach or two. The soft white sand felt warm and soft on my feet. My two golden puppies Story and Cosette were thrilled with the opportunity to learn to swim. One doesn't really "teach" a golden to swim....it's instinctive. All they needed was a little encouragement. Anytime we would swim out, they would follow and then we would just hold them in the water. They were so content.....Cosette even rolled over like an Otter and just laid in my arms in the water. I have never seen anything like this before.....so cute and trusting. We spent the entire day on the lake except for about an hour under cover when a little rain, high winds and some lightening came our way. It was a nice break to seek shelter and have a little lunch. We found a couple of secluded gorges and followed them as far as the boat would allow. The scenery was breathtaking and the warmth radiating from the rocks was intense. A quick jump in the lake and all was good. We stumbled upon a rope leading up to some cliffs which of course we climbed and jumped off of....it was a thrill for sure! We ended our day with a bike ride and watched the sunset over the mountains. We had to take one last swim and did so before darkness fell.
The next morning we were back on our bikes for a short ride, then got the pups and went swimming with them again.......nothing better in the world than to watch golden pups frolic in the water. They were absolutely enjoying themselves immensely. It was hard to say good-bye to Lake Powell, this has been my favorite ...in fact, if I could describe Heaven, it would be this place.

Antelope Canyon

I had heard so many wonderful things about Antelope Canyon that we had to make it a part of the trip. Since it was only 9 miles from our next destination, this worked out wonderfully. This canyon is located in Page, Arizona and is on Navajo Tribal land. We had to have a special permit to enter. There are two canyons, an upper and a lower which require some ladder climbing and scooting through smaller crevices. Because the temperature was 106 and our generator on the RV kept overheating, we did not feel comfortable leaving the dogs in the RV and it was too hot for them to wait for us at the entrance, even though it was shaded. So, our decision to visit the upper canyon, was based on the safety of the dogs. The upper canyon is 20 degrees cooler inside and is flat and easy to walk thru. Decision made! After a 10 minute off road bumpy, and I mean bumpy ride, we were facing the entrance. We were lucky enough to have a private tour as we were the last tour of the day. Our guide was a Navajo who took us back to the day when he used to run through the canyon as a kid. Antelope Canyon was "discovered" in the late 80's when a photograph taken there was made popular. Now hundreds of thousands of tourist flock to these canyons for some of the most intense photography. Several movies have been shot there as well.
I am certainly a novice photographer, but I was so pleased with the pictures that I took. The dogs had a blast running along the soft cool sand....such a contrast from what lies outside the cavern. It was a wonderful experience and I would recommend a visit. A bit pricey though.....$26 a ticket!

The Grand Canyon

I finally made it to "a must see" place on my bucket list. I had such high expectations of this place, being one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. I have to say, much to my amazement, I was totally unimpressed with it all....am I just spoiled from all the beauty of Sedona's Red Rocks or was my expectations so high, that I was disappointed? We hiked the North Rim and out to some of the jetty's that protruded out above the canyon. Not for the weak of heart that's for sure. It's funny, on the East Coast, all these areas would be fenced off for the visitors safety. Not so here. Anyway, we hiked a bit, but it was difficult in the thin air of 8300 feet above sea level. The air temp was quite warm as well. After stopping for a lovely lunch at the lodge, we decided to take a mule ride along the rim. The North Rim is certainly not as "touristy" as the South and the availability to do things was abundant. The mule ride was breathtaking but quite dusty. These mules insist on walking along the outside of the path, one step away from falling off. I kept saying I hope I don't have a suicidal mule......hahaha.....By day's end, I had a totally different perspective of the Grand Old Canyon as the colors on the rocks with the approaching sunset gave a whole new dimension. The Canyon became alive and and I was in awe. We sat on the edge of the rim for what seemed like an eternity as we "took it all in". I can now check one more item off of my bucket list!

Sedona

We arrived late afternoon to this magical mystical place....and amazing it is! The red rock formations are simply breathtaking and the way the sunlight dances on the rocks makes the scenery ever changing. We are staying right in town in an "exclusive" RV park. $72.00 a night, it better be something special! We abut a stream, which is pretty nice to have in the desert. Story and Cosette are making that their home. We are walking distance to downtown and the many shops. We took a trolley sightseeing tour to get a feel for the town. The next day we rode our bikes into town and had a lovely lunch. The sidewalks have misting machines to keep you cool...reminds me of Disney. We ventured out for a leisurely bike ride after lunch, which turned out to be pretty strenuous. After 45 minutes my gut told me to turn around....and a good thing we did. By the time we returned to the RV my face was 3 shades of red.....close to heat stroke. It was really not to smart of me to think I could go bike riding in the desert at noon. Had to rest in the A/C for a couple of hours to re-cooperate. Feeling better now and heading back into town. We are hoping to go horseback riding or a JEEP tour ride to the back country. Definitely want to visit the vortex which is claimed to have healing powers. More to come!

Heading to Arizona

We started the day with a wonderful hike in Mesa Verde to an trail with amazing views and overlooks. It was a wonderful way to say good-bye to this place. We took the dogs with us and they enjoyed the exercise as well. I was a little leary of bears as there had been sightings, but none were to be found...thank goodness. We packed the RV and drove an hour to Four Corners, where you can stand in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona all at the same time! Bought a few souvenirs from some local Navajo Indians. Heading Southwest, we stumbled upon Canyon de Chelly which is on an Indian Reservation maintained by the National Parks. It is an active canyon and the Navajo Indians still farm on the floor of the canyon. There were MANY peddlers trying to sell their jewelry and souvenirs. Although the canyon itself was beautiful, the area was run down and reminded me of a third world country. We also stumbled upon two stray dogs that hang out in the visitor parking lot looking for handouts. I fed them and watered them and reported them to the authorities. They said they don't do anything about it and the dogs will be fine. It broke my heart to leave them.....I also found it strange, that cows and horses wander the streets and highways too! It was a strange experience and we were ready to move on. We continued SW to the Petrified Forest National Park. It is a 28 mile drive through the remains of a once lush land 225 million years ago! It also encompasses part of the Painted Desert. We enjoyed an amazing sunset fall below the canyon which ended our day. We are spending the night in a KOA campground in Holbrook, Arizona about 100 miles SE of Flagstaff. We will head to Sedona in the morning!!

Mesa Verde National Park

Day 6 of our vacation and we spent the day exploring the cliff dwellings of the Pueblo Indians at Mesa Verde (Green Table) which compromises over 4,000 archaeological sites including 600 cliff dwellings in Southwest Colorado. These homes date back to 1240 A.D. and are situated along the top of a canyon. We visited 3 different sites, two of which were guided by a ranger.

To access these dwellings, one must be quite agile. It involves climbing, crawling, squeezing and not having a fear of heights as these dwellings are truly on the edge of the canyon. We also explored many of the trails and overlooks on our own. The sun was intense but the dry heat really doesn't make it feel like it is hot. I had always heard that, and now I "get it". So glad to be away from the humidity on the East Coast. Driving the RV up the switchback roads was quite an experience in itself. A couple of times, I had to go to the back and put my head under the pillow! We stopped at several trail heads along the way for short little hikes. We saw Elk, wild horses, deer, and lots of lizards. The mountain flowers of Colorado are abundant and the scenery was breathtaking! I could really live here! We head out tomorrow morning to Arizona and the Painted Desert.

Colorado Rocky Mountain High

We are here in Colorado at our first destination!! The drive across America was uneventful except for a few narrow roads due to construction and passing a few 18 wheelers at 70mph. But we made it in one piece! The "heartland of America" is beautiful with it's rolling hills, flat plains and corn fields as far as the eye can see. We arrived in the Mile High City (Denver) last night. The weather is considerable cooler from what we have had the past few days. As I write this I am in a fleece shirt and long pants! A nice relief from the 100 degree weather we left behind! We parked the RV in the driveway of Jon's house. (We go back to the 4th grade!) Jon, his wife Elaine and their daughter Hallie bought one of my puppy's last month, so it was extra special to re-unite with "Aurora" who is now 13 weeks old. I believe she remembered me too! They live in a beautiful house and all the neighbors were out in the street enjoying each others company for the evening. Jon, Guy and I headed out for a steak dinner which was by far the BEST steak I have ever had....yummy!! I had a couple of drinks with dinner and I am not sure if the drinks were just too strong, or because of the high altitude.....but I was in a "happy place". We all had a great time, but I have to say, I am not feeling the best this morning. sigh.....
Today we are heading out to play some golf in the mountains while we have the RV fixed. I must of brushed it against some tree limbs and damaged one of the awnings......a minor repair is needed (I hope) We are having bluebird skies and a crisp feel in the air, perfect day for golf! Then we may head over the ski resorts. Plan to hike part of the Continental Divide, and do some shopping in the town of Breckenridge. I was here 17 years ago on my honeymoon, so it will be interesting to see how the town has changed. I promise to post more pictures as today will be the perfect day for photos! Cheers!!

Camping in Pennsylvania

Well, it's day two of our trip. After spending the night in the parking lot of the casino, we got an early start, only to find that our black water tank (the poop tank) was full. I hadn't realized this, and should of emptied it before we started our trip. The extra weight limited the gas milage. plus makes the RV not smell so nice...To make a long story short, it took us 3 hours and 3 different camp sights before we were able to find a dump station. So, we really didnt get on the road until about 11:00. But hey, we are on vacation, so what's the rush: right? We traveled across the Tapazee Bridge in New York. I was driving the Rv and for those of you who know me, I am not the fondest of high bridges, so this was a bit of a challenge for me. But, I faced my fears and made it across without incident. We had lunch in the quaint little hippie town of Nyack, NY with my neice Madison. It was really nice to see her and meet some of her friends. The thermometer registered a whopping 100 degrees!! It was sweltering and the pups had a tough time with the heat. We took a short walk to the Hudson River where the pups soaked their feet. We loaded back into the RV and head south on the Jersey Turnpike to Delaware Water Gap in Pennsylvania which took us to Interstate 80 West. We will follow this road all the way to Colorado. The scenery in in PA is beautiful, lots of silos and farmland with beautiful rolling hills. We decided to set up camp in a remote campground a few miles off the interstate. We cooked our first meal on the grill and for some reason, food is always better when cooked outside. There are also a million fireflies that are illuminating the campground. Takes me back to my childhood when we would capture them in a jar and even sometimes pull their bodies off and make a "diamond ring" for our finger. Tomorrow, we head out early and hope to find some Amish villages.......time for some shopping! :)

Leaving Home

Picked up Guy from the airport around 3:30. Did last minute things around the house, said good-bye to Aaron and Jessicah and sweet little Carter and Levi. Dropped off the last dog to Chantelle who will love Logan for the next month. Thank you Chantelle I miss him already. We arrived at Mohegan Sun just in time for the Michael Buble concert. Awesome show! He is such an entertainer and a voice that is so pure. His involvement with the audience was refreshing and we all sang happy birthday to a boy named Andrew who turned 9. There was quite a variety of ages. After the concert, we went to the casino. Guy lent me $50 bucks and I went to the $5.00 slot machine. My second pull won me $1195. I cashed out and went to another and my second pull won me $200. I walked away with $1265 in my pocket! Yohooooo, great way to start the vacation. We are spending the first night in the RV in the Mohegan Sun parking lot.
Cheers!

RV waiting to go!

Here's a picture of the RV in the driveway, ready to go! I'm experimenting with uploading pics to the blog.

One more day to go!

Our countdown is almost in the form of hours instead of days! I still have so much to do in preparation for our departure. I have "farmed" out a couple of the dogs and the house is much quieter (and lonelier) this morning. We'll be taking Story and Cosette, my two 6 month old golden retrievers, with us. I've set up two crates in the "kitchen" where they will be comfortable in their travels. Last night, we hung out in the RV to help get them accustomed to their new home for the next 30 days or so. The RV sits in the driveway, half packed and semi organized. Mechanically, it is ready to go....ascetically, well.....still have some work to do. I still need to do some last minute shopping for the trip as well as fill the refrigerator. Because space is limited, I have to be wise in my choices of what is really necessary to take along with us. I need to purchase a bike rack as the one I have does not fit the RV. We plan to do some off road biking as well as play some golf in some of the most beautiful courses in America! If only I had a decent game.....nonetheless, I will appreciate the beauty of the courses.
I have downloaded a program into my laptop that will allow Internet access along my route. My camera batteries are charged and the house is taken care of. I can't believe this dream is really becoming a reality and tomorrow we begin our trip of a lifetime!