April 25 to 30, 2014; Gateway and the end of another season

APR  25, Friday, Gateway
6*C in am; 12*C in pm & sunny

The day began foggy but it cleared by noon and it was sunny until late in the afternoon.  First thing was to unload and store the kayaks then removed both the bike and kayaks racks off the Jeep….it looks bare now!  We went to Sorrento to get insurance for the car and the Jeep then to the pharmacy to pick up a month’s supply of our drugs!  We had lunch next door then came home and proceeded to work in the yard.  At 4 pm, we had HH with Bob & Gail and Marcel (Donna is away).  Val made a stew in the Crockpot so that’s what we had for dinner then we watched the tube.  On that subject, I ordered a subscription with BELL and it will be hooked up on Tuesday.  We were in bed by 10 pm

 

APR  26, Saturday;
6*in am; 13*C in pm

We had rain overnight but now it is only dark clouds. I calculated some expenditure for this past season and trip, from September ’13 to April ’14:

TOTAL MILES:   7866 miles

FUEL:          $4100 (Approximate due to utilizing cash at times)
CAMPING:     $1409
GASOLINE (Jeep):    $1400
DINING OUT: $2400 (highly unusual and big surprise for us)

I took Tucker for his walk then I stopped at Marcel’s place and gave him a hand on his new shed.  He has insulated it and his putting gyproc on the walls and that is what I helped him with.  After lunch, we worked on our yard, cleaning up and de-winterizing the washing machine.  We had HH at Bob and Gail’ place with Donna & Marcel.  Dinner was left over then the tube and to bed.  The sun finally came out late in the afternoon.

 

APR  27, Sunday;
4*C in am;

Back to clouds and rain this morning but the sun did come out later in the morning!  I washed both the car and jeep then worked in the yard some more.  No HH today, we had dinner then watched a movie on the tube.  We were in bed by 10 pm

 

APR  28, Monday; to Salmon Arm
5*C in am; 15* in pm

We were up at 6 am for Tucker’s appt @ 8 am.  It is cloudy but I can see blue sky in the West.  We went into Salmon Arm and had Tucker examined.  Nothing that we didn’t know, a heart murmur, some liquid in his heart and a slight infection of the kidneys but nothing overly serious, just what to expect for a 17 year old dog (80 our age).  While in town, we stopped at the bank then at “Save-on-Foods” for groceries.  We came home, put everything away then I called my specialist to confirm my appointment for tomorrow only to find out it has been re-scheduled to May 6; so I have another week of snorting and coughing, DAMN!  In the afternoon, I went to Chase and bottled my red wine and ordered a batch of white for Val.  It is sunny but the wind is still fairly chilly.  I contacted DISH NETWORK and cancelled our contract until November.  I wanted it cancel as of end of my present subscription but in her wisdom/foolishness, the operator cancelled us as of today so now we listen to the radio until tomorrow.  To bed by 10 pm

 

APR  29, Tuesday, BELL TV
1*C in am; 22*C in pm

Well, since I didn’t have to attend to any appointment, I slept in!  Until 7 am!!!  It is sunny and hardly a cloud around, we both went for long power walk, it felt good!  I worked on maintenance around the Beaver and Jeep while Val did laundry.  Our installer showed up at 2 pm and we now have Bell TV Channels.  He showed me how to go back to Dish when we go back to USA and it is fairly simple.  After we left, we continued working around the yard and organizing the stuff form the Beaver.  We called it quit around 3:30 pm, had a quiet drink then it was stir-fry for dinner, YUM! YUM!  We watched BC news for the first time in a long time!  I called my son in law Kevin as he is leaving tomorrow for a bike trip to the Southern US States.  He’s looking at Bryce and Capitol Canyon; should be very interesting.  It’s been a very nice and warm afternoon.

 

APR  30, Wednesday, CT Scan in Salmon Arm and the end of another Winter Season.
5*C in am;

I was up at 6 am and went to town (S.A.) for 8 am for a CT scan concerning my nose and throat.  I also got a new number for Val’s phone 250 463 1816.  She has unlimited calls anywhere in Canada for $45.  I also stopped at Chrysler about the “engine light” on in the jeep and made appointment for Friday at 1 pm.  On the way home I stopped and dropped off the paperwork for reimbursement of my insurance while being in Mexico.

We went to the Prov. Park but no one was there so we came home and had lunch.  Afterwards, Val washed the car seat covers and Tucker’s bed blanket and cover while I worked on organizing the basement.  It was a warm afternoon and very pleasant.  We had a quiet drink at 4 pm then dinner; Val cooked a Pork Roast and it was delicious with potatoes, gravy and cheese covered cauliflower.  In the evening, we watched another episode of SURVIVOR!  TO bed by 10 pm

April 24, 2014; BC and Home

 APR  24, Thursday, to Lee Creek, BC
8*C in am; 15* C in pm and raining

Welcome to BC…it’s pouring rain but I guess it’s better than snow!!!  We left Oroville at 7:45 am and were across the border by 8:30 am, no problem at all, the guys were really nice, I think coming in first thing in the morning, everyone is in a better mood!?  We stopped in Oliver at TIM HORTON for breakfast and coffee.  After getting our fix, we continued north on Hwy 97 and Hwy 1 and arrived in Salmon Arm where we picked up our mail then went to the Vet and made an appointment for Tucker (Monday at 8 am, YUCK!).  We arrived HOME at 2:15 pm, set up under a light drizzle and unloaded the Jeep except for the kayaks which will be tomorrow.  Donna came over to invite us for HH at their place.  We stopped in Enderby for lunch where I text the kids to let them know we were here!  It feels good to be back

We drove 184 miles in 4 hrs 15 minutes @ 43 MPH and were stopped for 2.5 hrs.  Kelowna took us 1 hr to get through due to all the traffic lights, I really dislike the drive through there!

April 22 & 23, 2014; To Oroville, Washington

APR  22, Tuesday; On the road again
8*C @ 7 am; 17* in pm at destination

We were up at 7 am and on the road by 9 am after dumping the tanks.  I also fuelled at the local Shell with .10 cents per gallon off because we had a meal at the restaurant.  We took on 53 gallons and were on our way south on I-5 to exit 294 and headed East on Hwy 126.  It was a very scenic and peaceful drive and went we reached the Pass at 4700 feet, we had a snow shower.  It was very pretty to see the country side all white.  We went down to lower elevation and the sun finally came out.  We arrived in Redmond Oregon and had lunch in the Home Hardware parking lot.  From here, we turned North on Hwy 97 and drove on under sunny sky and a strong wind from the West.  We finally arrived in Biggs, Oregon and took on more fuel @ 3.87/gal.

Biggs is at the Columbia River so we crossed the river into Washington State and continued on 97.  We had to climb to 1800 feet from 500 but it was an easy climb and the scenery again was breath-taking!  We finally arrived at our destination for the night, Toppenish near Yakima, Wash.  We are camped at YAKAMA NATION RV RESORT and paid $36 for the night with full hook-up and free Wi-Fi.  This is a Good Sam member so we got 10% off.

Dinner then relax!

We drove 314 miles in 6 hrs and 15 minutes @ an average 50 MPH.  We stopped for 1.5 hr

N  46* 22.674’
W 120* 20.681
Alt: 751  ft

 

APR  23, Wednesday, Final day in the USA
2* @ 7am, sunny; 17* in pm

We decided to do a load of wash before leaving.  IT is only 1.25 for the washer and $1 for the dryer.  After dumping and battening down, we were on Hwy 97 North by 10:15 am.  Pretty good I think!  We merged with I-84 at Yakima and eventually merged with I-90.  This is a stretch of road that is very hilly and hard on fuel consumption. At exit 154, we got off and had a break and lunch at SUBWAY!  From here, we took Hwy 283 and headed North-East to Soap Lake where we took Hwy 17 north all the way to Hwy 97 North.   We fuelled in Omak @ $4.09 OUCH!!!  How can you tell we are getting closer to BC!?  Anyway, we stopped at Prince grocery store and bought some grocery and paid for one night at their campground across the street.  We left this morning in sunshine and arrived here in sunshine but we did get rained on in between.  It was a good day; tomorrow, we will home!

We travelled 253 miles in 4 hrs and 50 minutes @ an average 53 MPH.  We were stopped for an hour and 45 minutes.

N  48* 56.946’
W 119* 26.261’
Alt: 958 ft

April 19 to 21, 2014; last days in Coburg, Oregon

APR  19, Saturday, Coburg
8* @ 8am; 19* in pm

We woke up to a cloudy day!  Val finally got up at 9:30 am!!!  I don’t know how she does it!?  The sun came out for a few minutes then rain took over.  It was like that all day!  We first took a long walk with Tucker tagging along then we went into Eugene to the Mall and looked at what movies were on at the theatre but nothing was interesting us so we went for lunch at a local Chinese restaurant.  We stopped at Costco and bought a 10” Samsung tablet and a new 2014 Quicken program to update mine then we came home via Coburg Drive.  We got back in time for a drink before dinner and Val even had time to get some Tai-Chi in.

 

APR  20, Sunday, Coburg
8*C in am; 17*C in pm

It was sunny most of the day but it is now clouding over at 6 pm.  We had a lazy morning then we went to Best Buy to have the computer fix only to find everything close except Walmart and grocery stores.  My DVD player won’t work and I don’t know why; I hope it is only a connection and not the player itself or I might have to buy a new one (Hmmmmm!).  We went to Road House for lunch then came home.  I disconnected and drove around the corner to dump the grey tank then came back to our spot.  In the process, I fried the coffee pot when I re-connected the power so had to drive to Walmart to get another one.  Lesson learned here!  We watched the “Good Wife” then a movie.  Bedtime was early!

 

APR  21, Monday; Back in the shop
8*C in am; 18*C in pm

It was sunny most of the day but now it is raining (4 pm).  The forecast doesn’t look great for our drive home!  Anyway, we were out by 7:30 am and went for breakfast at our favorite place.  We then went to Albertson and returned a movie then went to Best Buy but it was closed until 10 am so we went to Staples next door and looked at covers for Val’s new Tablet and bought one with a built in keyboard.  When Best Buy opened, we went in and I had my laptop’s DVD player checked  and ended up buying an external DVD player for $30.  Cheaper than having mine fixed; I think it is time to buy a new laptop!!!.

We came back to Monaco and after sitting around, we finally got our rig at 3;30 pm.  Everything was done to our satisfaction and paid our bill, OUCH!!!!  We set up for the night as it is too late to leave and I need a good night undisturbed sleep!  Banger & Mash for dinner then we watched “Black List”.  Tomorrow, we head home.

April 15 to 18, 2014; Repairs in Coburg Oregon

APR  15, Tuesday, Repairs and shopping
8*C @ 6am; 19*C in pm

We were up at 6 am to be ready by 7:30 when our rig goes in.  After checking in, we went to the local restaurant that we frequented last year, for breakfast.  We found out that they have washing machine in the back so we will be back later to do ours.  We went to a Jeep dealer to have my engine light checked and made an appointment for tomorrow to have it fix.  From here, we went to “Camping World” and bought a few things then it was back to T/A Travel centre where we did our laundry.  Their system is connected to a machine and you can use your credit card to wash and dry your clothes; pretty neat!  From here, it was off to Walmart for some grocery and stock up on wine and beer.  We came back to MONACO to find our Beaver parked but the office closed.  We put our stuff and laundry away and checked out what had been done: Bedroom slide was adjusted, burner was fixed and the line underneath was secured but the main slide locking bar still need to be fixed.

We had HH then dinner and were in bed early!

 

Apr  16, Wednesday; Eugene,
8* in am; 18* in pm and cloudy most of the day

We were up by 6:30 am, had coffee and got ready to turn over the Beaver for more repair.  We went for breakfast with our neighbours then we drove to Lithia Dodge & Jeep in Eugene to have the jeep repaired.  We ended up spending from 9 am to 3 pm there, sitting around and getting bored.  We went to a pub across the street for lunch.  We had the 4 Oxygen sensors changed as per recommendation then as we left, we noticed the engine light still on so back we went and sat around for nothing because at 3 PM they still hadn’t found the problem so I said enough and we left.  We only paid for the sensors & labor which was plenty.  We came back to Monaco and soon our rig was back in its spot.  Everything is done except for the Slide lock-in which won’t be here until Friday!!! Bloody Hell!  We had a drink then dinner.  We don’t have to get up early tomorrow which is a bonus in itself. 

 

APR  17, Thursday, Oil & Lube.!
10* @ 7 am; 18*C in pm

I decided yesterday to have an oil & lube and fuel filters done here.  It is a lot cheaper than in BC!  So…. We went to Camping World and had it done ($269 VS $599 at Monaco).  While there, we bought a better antenna for the local channels.  We found out that the old antenna wasn’t hook-up which is why we couldn’t get any channels but the wiring is all mixed up so they spent over 3 hours chasing and fixing the coax cable in the back of the cabinet and only charged us for one hour.  We were back at our spot by 4:30 pm and now we are watching local TV and receiving about 8 channels including all the major Networks.  We had dinner and relaxed with a glass of wine.  It rained all day!

 

APR  18, Friday, BAD NEWS!
10* in am; 17*C in pm

We were up by 6:30 am (slept in) and out by 7:20.  We found out that the parts wouldn’t be in until 10 am so we went to the local restaurant at the Truck Stop at the corner and had lunch.  Lloyd and Teanna, from Alberta, joined us.  They are supposed to be out of here by early afternoon.  Afterwards, we went to town to Walmart to buy batteries for our alarm clock but no luck so we went to Best Buy.  Val was sweating bricks, she was so worry to I would spend a fortune there but I showed her that I can control myself, even though it was tough!  We came back to Monaco and spent the afternoon in their lounge.  I found out at 4 pm that we will be stuck here for the week-end.  The locks they sent were thicker than the old ones so they have to grind down and sides so that the slide will close properly.  Nothing we can do except accept it and make the best of it.  We parked and set up back at our spot, (at least it is not costing anything for power and water).  We had HH, dinner and enjoyed the Tube

April 12 to 14, 2014; Utah to Oregon

APR  12, Friday, Leave Bryce Canyon and head North
4*C @ 7 am; 20*C at end of day

We were on the road by 8:30 this morning under a cloudy sky and some sunny period.  We drove west on 12 to Hwy 89N.  This highway was very scenic; we went through a couple of canyons before reaching I-70.  We stopped for lunch here and fuelled in Richfield, up the road.  We took on 33 gallons @ $3.87.  Back on I-70, we soon turned off on Hwy 89 again.  There were lots of quaint little towns.  We reached Provo where we got some rain drops and turned on Hwy 189 then Hwy 40 to I-80.  This was a most unique drive in that we were surrounded by Rocky Mountains with lots of snow on them and we drove around this huge lake that I assumed was a reservoir!?  Anyway the scenery was absolutely breath-taking and it was hard to keep my eyes on the road.  From I-80, we headed North-East then soon turned North-West on I-84 where we joined with I-15 near Ogden.  We continued on, looking for a campground for the night and eventually found one in Snowville, about 6 miles from Idaho.  We paid $30 for hook-ups and a pull-through.  It is 5 pm and it is great to finally stop.  Time for dinner and relax.  It is blowing quite hard outside right now.  Hope it stops for the morning drive as it is from the West.

We drove 397 miles in 7.5 hrs @ an average 53 MPH.  We stopped for an hour.

N  41* 57.982’
W 112* 43.493’
Alt: 4512 feet.

 

APR  13, Sunday; onwards North-West on I-84
2*C @ 7am and North wind; 19* C in pm

Well, as luck would have it, we had a headwind all the way to our final destination!  We left at 8:30 am and headed north-west on I-84.  We stopped in Jerome for fuel, 40gallons @ $3.89 @ Flying J using my member’s card.  We hit some rain on the way here and my driver side wiper decided to blow apart so I bought a new one in Jerome.  We also had brunch here.  We continued on and while driving through Boise, Val gave the Holder’s a call.  It was cloudy until we arrived in Boise where it turned sunny but it was still cool.  BELIEVE IT OR NOT, Val DROVE FOR OVER AN HOUR and did REALLY WELL!!!  WOW.  La Grande by 4;15 pm, we decided to continue to Pendleton where we stopped at the Wild-Horse RV Resort & Casino.  We paid $27 for a pull-through and full hook-ups with WIFI.  Time for dinner and relax with a glass of wine!

I called Rochelle tonight and we had a nice chat.  Good to hear news from home; they were out biking for the first time this year.

We travelled 346 miles in 8 hrs @ an average 55 mph and were stopped for 2 hours.

N  45* 38.951’
W 118* 40.533’
Alt: 1398 feet

 

APR  14, Monday, To Coburg, Oregon
0*C @ 7 am; 20* by end of day in Coburg, OR

It was very cold this morning and for the first time in over 6 months, we put long pants on.  We were on the road by 9:30 am after fuelling up @ $3.81/gal and filled the propane tank (8 gallons @ 3.60).  We headed West on I-84.  The scenery was very nice and we stopped in “The Dalles” for a coffee and McDonald breakfast.  We finally reached I-5 and stopped at a Rest Stop for lunch.  70 miles later we arrived at our destination…Monaco RV Service Centre.  We found a spot to park, hooked up and then I proceeded to wash the outside as it was filthy.  I also did a quick wash on the Jeep.  We sat and relaxed with a glass of wine.  There are about 7 other rigs here including 3 from Alberta and 4 from BC.  Our appointment is for tomorrow and hopefully we will be out of here in a day or two maximum.

We had dinner and now we are relaxing watching TV.  Tucker had a bath and a treatment for fleas…Life is good!

We travelled 319 miles in 5.5 hrs at an average 58 mph.  We were stopped for an additional hour.

N  44* 08.472’
W 123* 03.440’
Alt: 403 feet

April 9 to 11. 2014; Vermillion Canyon, AZ and Bryce Canyon, Utah

APR  9, Wednesday; To Vermillion Canyon
9*C @ 7 am; 27*C in pm, cloudy most of the day

We were up early and on the road by 9:30 after doing my power walk and taking Tucker for his; he came with us.  We drove back on Hwy 20 to 89 and turned right towards 89A and drove 26 miles back towards Page.  Our first stop was the bridge crossing the Colorado River on 89A, the first to be built to connect both side of the Colorado.  We took a “few” pictures here and read the history then we drove to Lee’s Ferry, a Historic National Area.  There is a National Campground here which is very nice but no hook-up.  Unfortunately the interpretive Centre was closed so couldn’t read the history on it.  You can learn about the history of this famous landmark by visiting this link  http://www.nps.gov/glca/historyculture/leesferryhistory.htm  .  It was the only crossing for miles around and was an important service for the Mormons trying to settle Arizona.  From here, we continued on Hwy 89A and admired the Vermillion Mountains, a high wall of granite and sandstone created over million years ago.  We stopped for Lunch at a funky bar/restaurant nearby on 89A.  Needless to say, we took dozen of pictures, soon to be posted.  The drive was awesome and priceless!  It really brings you closer to nature and makes you pensive and leaves you in AWE about Mother Nature.  We also stopped at an area called “Cliff Dwellings” and again explored and took more pictures.  This area had dwellings built within the already huge boulders that were lying around.  After picking up two more geo-caches (8 in total), we decided to turn around and come home.  We put 300 KM round trip this day!  It is sunny and a balmy 27* C at 6 pm.

We had a light dinner then watched Survivor.  By the way, we do NOT have AT&T cell reception here so haven’t been able to make any calls

 

APR  10, Wednesday; To Bryce Canyon, Utah
10*C in am; 28*C in pm

We were on the road by 9:30 am on Hwy 89N.  The scenery was, once again, awesome and we reached Kabab around 11 am and went by Zion NP turn off by noon.  We stopped for lunch when we turned East on Hwy 12.  We soon reached Bryce Canyon City around 2 pm, which is actually 3 pm local time.  We are at Bryce Canyon Campground situated on Hwy 12 about 2 miles west of Canyon City on Hwy 63.  We paid $27/night X 2 with full hook-ups and Wi-Fi.  This was supposed to be a CAMP USA Member but they let it go 1 year ago so now they only honor Good Sam @ 10% discount.  After setting up, we went to Bryce National Park on Hwy 63, paid the entrance fee which is good for 7 days and went into the Visitor Centre to look around and watch the movie about the Canyon.  It is still very warm even though we are at over 7900 feet in altitude.  Canyon City, which is just before the Park entrance, is mainly a tourist town with two RV Parks, a lodge, souvenir shops and a small Western frontage village.  We took a drive to the town of “TROPIC” at 6000 feet, looked around then came back to our campground.  The Jeep is having a rough time at this altitude and it chokes at times.  The scenery around here is absolutely GORGIOUS and BREATH TAKING and totally different than what we have seen so far!!!  We are among pine and fir trees and, yes, there is even some spot of snow but not much.  It is presently 7 pm and 18*C and the sun has just gone down. 

Val cooked a great dinner of pork chops, vegetable and salad.  TV is on and we have WIFI but NO cell reception.  The forecast is for low 20’s F. overnight and sunny sky tomorrow

We travelled 148 miles in 3 hrs @ an average 47 MPH

N  37* 42.604
W 112* 12.993”
Alt: 7742 feet

 

APR  11, Thursday, Bryce Canyon
-4C @ 7am; 20* in pm

We had the furnace on overnight, good thing too.  I had also put water in our main tank and disconnected the water hose to prevent freezing.

WOW! WOW! WOW!!!  That is all I can say about BRYCE CANYON!  What an incredible and awesome place!  And we took hundreds of pictures!  We started the day by going to the Village and look around; we also found a couple caches here.  We entered the Park and explored every single stops and view point.  We went from 7500 feet to 9100 feet.  What an incredible place.  We had a slight problem with the jeep in that it overheated at the 9000 foot look-out and I had to wait for it to cool off before we headed down.  At the village, I stopped at a garage and they looked at it, added some anti-freeze but I need a part so will have to fix that in Cobourg, Oregon.  We checked a couple places to eat and decided on one so we headed home after finding two more Caches then we had HH at home.  The sky is clouding over; the forecast is for snow/rain tomorrow; time to head out!
We went out for dinner at a local restaurant and had a great steak dinner.  The waitress recommended we follow Hwy 12 back to I-15 and we may just do that!  I uploaded some pictures to our Picasa Web Link on my Blog.  They are spread between the last two folders; ENJOY!!!!

April 7 & 8, 2104; To Page, AZ and Antelope Canyon

APR  7, Monday; To Page, AZ
11* @ 7am; 22* in Page, AZ

We were up by 7 am and after saying goodbye to Terry & Glenda, we were on the road by 9 am.  We headed north on Val Vista to 202 E then 101 N & W and eventually I 17 N.  That allowed us to circumvent Phoenix and Scottsdale.  We began climbing almost right away; the scenery went from desert to low shrubs to pine and oak trees.  We stopped for fuel in Camp Verde @ $4.09/gal then we went as high as over 7000 feet and finally reached Flagstaff where we had lunch in a Shopping Centre east of Flagstaff city centre.  We continued on Hwy 89 N and climbed to almost 7500 feet before beginning going lower.  We were almost surrounded by high snowcapped mountains and lots of forest but just as quickly, the scenery changed to low shrubs and high prairie grass.  The temperature here was showing 18*C on our thermostat.  The landscape once again changed to colorful sandstone rocks.  We eventually reached the Junction called GAP where I took on more fuel @ $3.87/Gal, and here, we had to turn right on Hwy 20 as 89 collapsed further north and is still under construction and no one can get by.  That added an extra 20 miles to our route but we eventually made to Page without further incidents.  This road took us directly to our campground, PAGE-LAKE POWELL CAMPGROUND, Site # 60.  We paid $24.30/night + tax.  We have full hook-up including cable.  This is a very nice campground with lots of amenities and WIFI!  We have a fantastic view of a red sandstone rock face.  I am looking forward to tomorrow and the Antelope Canyon.  We had left over chicken for dinner then watched a couple movies in the evening.

We travelled 298 Miles in 5.5 hrs @ 53 MPH

N  36* 54.085’
W 111* 27.143’
Alt: 4231 ft

 

APR  8, Tuesday; Antelope Canyon
10*C @ 7am; 25*C in pm

After a lazy early morning and my power walk, we showered and went into town to pay for our tour at 1:30 pm.  Afterwards, we went to Walmart and bought some necessary groceries.  From here, we did a couple Geo-Caches before going home and putting the groceries away.  The town of PAGE has grown some since the last time we drove through here and it has become a very clean and neat town with lots to see.  There is even a whole street especially for churches, over 20 and all on the same street.  WOW!!!  Anyway, we drove to the tour office by 1 pm and waiting for our turn to be loaded in the back of a truck with comfortable seats and by 1:35 pm, we headed for the Canyon.  It was about 20 minutes from here on Navajo Land.  We drove on the bed of a sandy dry river bed and arrived at the entrance.  Our guide took us in and we walked the whole canyon, about a quarter mile long.  And what a FANTASTIC and SPIRITUAL place it was!  I took lots of pictures and most of them turned out.  Our guide knew which pose to take and how to take it which made for some interesting pictures.  The whole experience was worth every penny we paid and I will post the pictures soon.  Words cannot describe the beauty of that place.  It used to be wide open but due to vandalism, the Navajo Band stopped all access then eventually re-opened it but under the use of a guide.  Ours was definitely interesting and fun.  We came away in awe.  After returning to the office, we went to a pub next door and had a beer and chicken wings then we drove to the “BEND CANYON”.  This was another interesting area just outside of town.  We had to walk up to the ridge then down the “look-out” overview of the horse-shoe created by the Colorado River.  It was an interesting area and again we took lots of pictures.  It was a hell of a walk back up to the ridge.  Another very interesting and awesome area!  We came home, had a drink together then dinner.  It was to bed early after such a busy day!

April 3 to 6, 2014; Last days in Mesa

APR  3, Thursday; Mesa
8*C @ 7 am; 22*C in pm

We woke up to sunshine and NO WINDS!!!  After breakfast and walking Tucker, I went to the office to pay our dues for 5 days; this Park honors PASSPORT AMERICA so it was half price.  We went to the storage where T&G showed us their new toy hauler, 25 feet long and very nice.  They are planning on leaving their 5^th-Wheel here for the summer and pull the trailer to Vancouver Island and a few other places before returning here in September.  We came back home and I washed the Jeep then the four of us went to the courtyard for lunch and a beer.  We checked on the mail and I had a haircut here.  They have pretty well everything in this Resort which is really nice.  We had a relaxing afternoon, I went for a haircut and Val did some puzzling.  At 3:30 pm, we went to the courtyard for HH and dance the hour away, well actually I only dance twice but it was fun.  Larry, Barb, Terry and Glenda were at our table…jug of beer $5 and bourbon, $2.  WOW!  Can’t be that!  T&G went out to friends for dinner so we had dinner but ourselves which is fine.  Val made a sausage dish with green peppers…YUM! YUM!  We watched the tube for a while then to bed

 

APR  4, Friday; Mesa
9* @ 7 am; 25* in pm

After our morning routine, we went to the MESA OUTDOOR MARKET with Glenda and Terry and ended up buying a couple of items.  For lunch, we went to IN’N’OUT, a burger joint that we have heard a lot about; all they serve is burgers and fries.  Then it was to FRY’s for groceries then home to put everything away.  At 3pm, we went to the clubhouse for a Pool Party!  Everyone brought a happies and we proceeded to have fun.  Everyone that was sitting around the pool ended up getting wet; that was all part of the fun!  We came home at 6 pm and went over to Dale and Sharon whom we first met in Texas last year.  Val noticed her at the pool and went over to re-acquaint herself.  They just bought a park model here and so we were invited for a house warming party.  Of course, G&T had already met them.

It was a full and fun day!  We heard from our friends Tim and Kim in Scottsdale but unfortunately we won’t be able to get together this year.

 

APR  5, Saturday;
13*C @ 7 am; 24*C in pm

This was a quiet day and fun-filled evening!  We spent the day at home doing very little.  I went for a looooong walk then one with Tucker for his in the morning; my sugar level is quite high, I need to exercise more!  I had a snooze in the afternoon and Val went to the club house to puzzle.  We had a “left over” dinner with Glenda and Terry which was very good all the same.  At 7 pm, we went to the hall and danced the night away on “Rock & Roll” music.  It was fun and we dance to quite a few songs.  We came home at 10 pm and soon went to bed.  It was sunny and warm today.

 

APR  6, Sunday; Last day in Mesa
11* @ 7am; 24* in pm.

Another sunny and warm day!  I went for another walk around the perimeter, got a good sweat out of this one.  Val did some laundry before hitting the road tomorrow.  In the afternoon we went to a friend of G&T as he just bought a Park Model.  There were a dozen people and he cooked fajitas for snacks.  We stayed for almost two hours then we walked home, picked up more booze and proceeded to Dennis and Gloria’s place for dinner and card games after giving Tucker a short exit out.  There were 10 people which made for lively conversations.  We had chicken, salad, vegetables, potatoe skins and bread.  It was delicious.  Afterwards we played a game call “Newfie Bingo” and gambled $2.50 each at a .05 a shot.  It was a lot of fun and Val had the honor of being the BIG WINNER of the night.  The last pot must have had over $3.  and I think she won over $10!  We said goodnight and goodbye to all our new friends before they demanded their money back and were home by 9 pm and to bed by 11.

Tomorrow, we head for Page AZ and the Antelope Canyon!

April 1-2, 2014; To Phoenix, AZ

APRIL  1, 2014; Tuesday; Last day in Desert Pools
12*C @ 7am WINDY;

It blew all night and this morning, it’s cloudy and we have a few drops of rain on the windows; definitely time to leave this place!  Our day consisted mainly of doing laundry, washing last side of the rig, putting everything away and loading the bikes and kayaks.   Dave and Louise left around 11 am, headed for Indio.  We took Tucker to the Vet to have his neck checked as we suspect a tick but it turned out to be a mole so we don’t have to worry about that anymore.  We stopped at VON’s for a few items then to the storage to finalize our bill.  When we got home, we had lunch then Val went to do the laundry while I washed the last side and the rear of the Beaver.  As I was loading the bikes on the Jeep, I notice the rear tire was low in air so I drove the Jeep to town and found out I had a screw in the tire.  Bloody Hell!  Anyway, it’s fixed now!  I came home and put the carpets away and the chairs; now it’s time to relax!  Still very strong winds blowing out there at 10 pm.  Heard from Gaetan and he made it home safe and sound!

 

APR  2, Wednesday; To Mesa, AZ
10*C @ 7 am, WINDY still; 18*C, clouds/sun

Yes, the wind is still blowing as strong and there is fresh snow on top of the mountain (9000’), time to get out of here! I had to put the heat on this morning!!! 

We left by 10:30 am heading south-east on Dillon then East on I-10.  The ride was monotonous as we have been on this section many times and there ain’t much to see.  We stopped in Ehrenberg where I took on fuel @$3.71/gallon with my Flying J card and had lunch at WENDY’s then back on the road.  As we got nearer Phoenix, the sky became darker and eventually we hit rain on the East side; nothing heavy but enough to wet everything.  We finally arrived at Val Vista Resort after “Ms Daisy”(read GPS) took me on University Drive, read BIG MISTAKE!  Anyway we made it and parked right across from our friends Glenda and Terry.  After setting up, we went over and began HH then Glenda cooked us a marvelous dinner of tenderloin pork.  Two other couples were present and shared the dinner.  We had a great time as usual and finally called it quit around 9:30 pm.  We came home and soon were in bed.

We travelled 289 miles in 5.5 hrs @ an average 52mph

N  33* 25.248’
W 111* 45.127’
ALT: 1290 feet