| Each comments entry box in the guest book is limited to approx. 250 characters including spaces. For longer messages please e-mail us at morton@rmortonc.com |
| Each comments entry box in the guest book is limited to approx. 250 characters including spaces. For longer messages please e-mail us at morton@rmortonc.com |
Our Motto: Home is, where our RV is.
Travel Journal May 2009
Area of operation
Travel Journal May 2009 (begins at Navajo Lake State Park northeast of Farmington, NM)
The first few days of May were spent at Navajo Lake State Park in northern New Mexico. Lobo wasn’t doing very
well and we spent the last part of our three week stay taking care of common daily chores. On May 5th we hooked
up and left for Farmington where we stocked up on provisions and filled up with diesel at $1.97 a gallon. This would
be the last time we purchased diesel for less than $ 2.00 a gallon as of this writing. We left Farmington, heading
west on US 64 with the intent of spending the night on the road and then driving on to Monument Valley, Utah the
following day. However, we could not find a suitable spot and eventually drove all the way to Goulding’s Camp Park in
Monument Valley, arriving shortly before dark. We checked in and decided to spend two nights there.
The following morning we went to the Navajo Tribal Park, where you can either take a tour via modified 4-wheel
drive vehicles or follow the unpaved dirt road through the valley in your own vehicle. Of course we drove our own
truck. The Navajos have lived in this valley for centuries in their hogans <--. The route through the valley
intentionally is laid out to allow the tourist to view the spectacular landscape but not disturb the privacy of the
inhabitants. We took along the provisions for a picnic and stopped along the way under a small shade tree with a
view of the Yei Bi Chei <--. Later, at one of the viewing points we encountered a group of Japanese tourists with
all of them wearing medical face masks. We can only assume that they all were contagious and were considerate
enough not to spread it☺!
We were quite exhausted after the trip through the valley so all three of us took a nap when we got back to the
RV. Then after supper we went to Goulding’s Lodge <-- and viewed a documentary of Monument Valley and the
history of Goulding’s Trading Post <--.
The following morning we left Monument Valley, travelling north via Mexican Hat (see photos), Blanding and
Monticello to La Sal at the foot of the La Sal mountain range. We stayed there for a week at the Mountain View RV
Park, a private park; not particularly well kept but with a beautiful view of the mountains. From there we toured
the attractions that Utah had to offer. The nearby town of Moab is a real tourist trap and after seeing how the RV
parks were packed, we were quite happy that we had chosen to camp a little further out of town.
On the first day we visited Arches National Park <-- (see photos). On the highway between our campground and
Moab was the Hole n’ the Rock <-- (see photos) which we visited the following day.
On Mother’s Day, May 10th we took a trip along the La Sal Mountain Scenic Loop Road and the National Scenic Byway
128 along the Colorado River (see photos). We stopped for a picnic in the mountains (see photos) which was
secluded and enjoyable. Later that day as we arrived at Dewey Bridge, which is on the National Register of Historic
Places, we were quite surprised to see that the bridge had burned down! (See photos) . For a history of the bridge
and what happened see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dewey_Bridge#Dewey_Bridge <--. We ended our outing
that day with dinner at an excellent oriental restaurant in Moab.
The following day we drove to the Moab airport for our scheduled flight in a small Cessna airplane to get a birdseye
view of Canyonlands National Park (see photos). The only passengers were the two of us and a couple from
Düsseldorf, Germany. Since the co-pilot seat was vacant, the pilot offered it to one of us. Renée accepted the
invitation (see photos). The other couple sat in the middle with Chuck in the rear. The lady from Düsseldorf became
airsick early in the flight and made use of the bags available for such events. About half way through the flight
Chuck developed airsickness but not to the point of losing anything. It took a few hours after the flight before he
was over it. On the way home we stopped in Moab to do some grocery shopping, dieseled up at $ 2.29 a gallon and
then went home to La Sal. Later that day, we took a trip to see something that Chuck had discovered on the web
that was located nearby. Rockland is a community carved out of a rock formation by the Polygamist Robert Dean
Foster.
See:
http://cbs5.com/national/polygamist.cave.homes.2.866760.html <--
and
http://www.keyetv.com/content/news/indepth/story/Polygamist-cave-dwellers-live-in-Utah/xNmuX-
DUFUafZaSP-_TWGQ.cspx <--
Mr. Foster passed away in 2008, leaving behind three wives, a former wife, 38 children and 85 grandchildren. The
majority, but not all inhabitants are polygamists.
We drove to Rockland and were amazed to see caves dug out of the rock formation but surrounded by modern
technology such as solar panels, antennae, etc. as well as a UPS delivery while we were there! (See photos) Renée
had the opportunity to speak with a woman who was very young and pregnant with a car full of preschool kids who all
looked alike. The woman appeared quite content with her lifestyle there.
After visiting Rockland we drove to the Needles Overlook of Canyonlands N.P. which is only a short distance away.
The spectacular view made the trip worthwhile (see photos).
On May 12th we spent the day at home and in the evening drove to Moab for a planned visit to a local brewery with a
restaurant. The establishment was relatively full and we had to wait for ½ hour to be seated. This is normally an
indicator of good beer and good food. Unfortunately, it was neither! On the way home we suddenly remembered
that the waitresses forgot to bring us some of the side dishes. If they were as bad as the rest, she might have
been ashamed to bring them.
We left La Sal on Thursday, May 14th at 12:25 and drove on US 191 to Price, Utah where we stopped at a Wal-Mart
to do some shopping and spent the night there. We had supper across the street at the Pizza Hut.
The following morning we continued our journey on US 191, through a high mountain pass (9114 ft) (see photos). We
wanted to stop for the night in Gusher but the campground was small and over crowded so we continued on. As the
road slightly widened, a semi forced his way around us, trying to pass before the road narrowed again, blowing his
horn the entire time as if we were trespassing on his highway. He actually forced us onto the side of the road.
Fortunately, Chuck was able to maintain control but we were not able to get his license number to report him.
Shortly before Vernal, Utah we stopped at a scenic view point overlooking the valley and decided to spend the night
there. Just before dark, two policemen stopped for an apparent rest break. Renée spoke with them, relating the
story of our near accident and inability to identify the offender. They were quite friendly and assured us that we
had the protection of the Utah state police for the night at the rest area.
On May 16th we awoke to beautiful sunshine and cool temperatures. We drove through Vernal and then through a
mountain range, stopping at the highest point for a picnic. Down the mountains on the other side we crept as slow as
possible along the switch back curves until we reached the town of Manila, Utah and Flaming Gorge National
Recreation Area (see photos) which lies on the state line with Wyoming. We chose a spot in the A loop, closest to
the lake with 50 Amp, but no water connection so we had to use the internal tank for the three nights we were there.
Lobo enjoyed it there since he could go in the water, once actually swimming for a short time. On one evening Renée
and Lobo were accompanied by an Antelope herd, after they realized that Lobo wasn’t going to chase them. At his
age he knows what he can do and no longer attempts what he can’t.
On the evening before our departure, Chuck noticed that he had lost his keys. We had not moved the truck since we
arrived there. He deduced that he must have lost the keys in the middle of the night when he had to take Lobo
outside, which happens a lot as he has aged. We spent a long time trying to find the keys with flashlights but finally
gave up. The following morning Chuck called the campground office to see if they had been found but nothing had
been reported or turned in. He went for a long walk to every location he could remember he had been to, but no
luck. As he was returning from the search he walked across the grassy field between our RV and the bath house.
There in the deep grass were his keys where they had fallen out of his coat pocket when he had taken Lobo out on
the first night there.
We left Flaming Gorge on May 19th at 1 PM, driving north into Wyoming along WY 530 to Green River, then on I-80
to Rock Springs, taking US 191 north to Farson, then on WY 28 to a BLM campground near Atlantic City (so called
because it is on the Atlantic side of the nearby western continental divide). We spent three nights there while we
explored the almost ghost town of Atlantic City, the heavily populated ghost town of South Pass City (Pop: 7) and
other nearby sights. The campground had not yet officially opened and the water was still turned off.
Consequently, there was no camp host and no drop box for payment. Other campers came, stayed a night and left
but for the most part we had it to ourselves, along with the bears (we could see the tracks) and other wildlife.
South Pass is a natural crossing point of the Rockies and was the route for the Oregon Trail, California Trail, and
Mormon Trail during the 19th century. It is a U.S. National Historic Landmark. Atlantic City and South Pass City
were founded as a result of the discovery of gold in the mid 1800’s. Today, South Pass City is a state historic site
and considerable effort has been exerted in maintaining the site (see photos). After visiting South Pass City we
drove to the site of tragedy of the Willie's Handcart Company. See this link http://en.wikipedia.
org/wiki/Mormon_handcart_pioneers <-- for the history of the handcart companies and the tragic story.
As we left the Handcart site, we decided to let the TomTom GPS guide us. There are only dirt roads and all of
them seemed to be displayed on the GPS. What it does not display though is the locked gates that a rancher has
placed on his property where the road passes. After driving quite a few miles, we had to turn around and re-trace
our way. Realizing that we now did not have enough diesel left to pull the RV all the way to Lander, WY when we
would be leaving, we decided to drive to the nearest fueling point in Lander and tank up. This trip took us past the
spectacular view of Red Canyon. On the return trip we stopped and managed to get a few shots of one of the most
breath-taking views. Pictures don’t do it justice, but we tried (see photos). That evening we had a campfire with
grilled steaks. The temperature that night dropped to 35°.
The following day we mostly spent at the campground. Chuck took a short trip trying to find a cell phone signal
nearby but had no success. Meanwhile, Renée and Lobo took a walk in the forest and to the top of the nearby hill,
where snow was still on the ground. We had a campfire again that evening with grilled salmon and Indian fry bread
made over the fire in our cast iron kettle. Afterwards, we took a drive on the nearby Fort Stambaugh Road. The
fort was founded in 1870 to protect the gold miners at Miner’s Delight, another ghost town, as well as the other
gold miners’ camps in the area. The Fort was closed in 1878 and nothing exists except for a roadside marker. It
was too late in the evening to visit Miner’s Delight but we did so at a later time.
On the 22nd we left the BLM (Atlantic City) campground and headed toward Lander with the intent of spending a
few days there. Shortly after passing Red Canyon and still slowly going down the mountain, a car pulled beside us
and motioned for us to stop. Looking back as we pulled over, Chuck could see smoke coming from the back wheel.
After stopping, we could see that the axle bearing had burnt up and almost disintegrated. With no cell phone
signals, we attempted to use our GMC OnStar service and immediately received an answer. We were put in contact
with the Good Sam Road Service. They contacted a towing service. Since it was Friday afternoon before the long
Memorial Day weekend, we could not expect any repair facility to even look at the damage until Tuesday. The
nearest RV dealership was in Riverton, 40 miles away. They also stated that their workshop is a secure facility and
if we were towed there, we would not be able to stay in the RV. We were offered the opportunity to be towed to
Lander, 18 miles away and remain there for the weekend at a campground, then on Tuesday, move to Riverton. We
opted for Lander with the possibility of finding a local mechanic who could do the work there. After waiting several
hours and even taking a nap in the RV, the towing service arrived. He had driven 100 miles from Rock Springs since
no other towing service was available. In the meantime we had contacted (via OnStar) a campground in Lander
where we had already planned to stay. It was in town and if we became stranded, we wouldn’t be stuck several
miles away from other facilities.
The tow truck driver offered the possibility of removing the wheel, chaining up the axle so it would not drag, and
then slowly driving (15 mph) to Lander while he followed with his warning lights on. It was either this or wait
(overnight?) for a flat bed trailer and wrecker. We arrived in Lander shortly before dark and the campground
owner was waiting to guide us to a spot. Since we were unsure how long we would be there, he told us to pay later
after we had everything sorted out. The following morning we contacted the RV dealer in Riverton as well as
Riverton hotels. None of the hotels would accept large dogs. The RV dealer also affirmed that we would not be
able to stay in the RV. We also located and called several repair shops in Lander but they all were closed so we left
messages on their answering machines explaining our situation. We saw that the one shop which mentioned RV
repairs was only a few blocks away from our campground so we drove by and saw that it appeared reputable and
was in fact still in business but closed for the weekend. So we decided to pay for a week at the campground and if
the RV had to be towed to Riverton, we would stay at the campground in our tent while repairs were being made.
Tuesday morning came and Chuck woke up early, calling the nearby shop before the owner had even a chance to
listen to his messages. A few minutes later he came by and inspected the damage, giving the good news that the
axle had not been damaged but the drum, bearings, brakes, etc. had to be replaced. We immediately opted for an
all around, complete brake and bearing job. It would take him several days to get the parts but we could sit there
until Friday when our week was up and then he would chain up the axle and move us to his workshop where we would
have a full hookup while repairs were made. We must be living right to have such good fortune under such dire
circumstances!
We had a few days to wait and plenty of spare time to tour the area so on Wednesday we went to Sinks Canyon
State Park (see photos) where the Popo Agie (pronounced Popo-sha) river disappears into the bottom of a cliff.
¼ mile away water flows out of the rocks and creates a pool where trout can be seen swimming in the clear water.
Tests performed with colored dies showed that it takes over two hours for the water to travel the ¼ mile.
Additionally, more water comes out in the pool than goes underground at the cliff. Where the rest comes from and
why it takes the water such a long time for only ¼ mile is speculation. There is no scientific explanation.
We also made a return trip to the ghost town, Miner’s Delight (see photos).
At 10:30 on Friday we moved from the campground to the repair shop after Bill (the mechanic), had chained up the
axle again. The few blocks we traveled were uneventful and Renée stayed in the RV to ensure nothing was
damaged since we did not perform a full “lock-down” for such a short distance.
After setting up and hooking up, we were once again at home. Bill had urgent work that he had to do on a Bureau of
Indian Affairs (BIA) police car so he would not be able to start on the RV until Monday. After waiting so long, but
in comfort, another wait didn’t bother us. That evening we drove to Riverton to do a little shopping, get
prescriptions filled at Wal-Mart, and then stopped at the Golden Corral for supper. Before this visit we would have
said that all Golden Corrals are alike. This place however had without a doubt the worst and skimpiest buffet we
have ever seen and for the most part, the food was terrible. However, the employees were exceptionally nice and
friendly.
On Saturday Chuck went to fill up the propane tanks and on the way home, stopped at the library where he was able
to perform the research on his father’s time in Wyoming. The genealogy databases can be accessed free at most
public libraries (this tidbit from his sister, Debi) and we had already learned that his father’s name appeared twice
in the 1930 census for Buffalo, WY. He had travelled and worked in the West for years before he returned to KY,
married and never left again. Since Buffalo would be a small detour for us, we are considering a visit if we can find
out more about where he lived.
We had also planned to visit the Fremont County Pioneer Museum, formerly called the Museum of the American
West in Lander, but discovered that it is closed on Sundays and Mondays. We’ll report on that in the June Travel
Journal.
To be continued…
 | |  | |  |
| | | | |
