Dusty had me up at 6:30, so I obliged. I walked her down the highway from our RV Park and even said “Hi!” to a hitchhiker and pointed him towards Moab. After breakfast, Michael began noticing that our air-conditioning didn’t seem to be cooling quite as well as it used too, so we packed up and ran into Moab to see if someone might look at it for us. We were sent on to 3 different places. Each place kept giving us the next places name, no one wanted to even look at our unit. What to do? Michael, bravely climbed on top of the coach, unscrewed the top of the AC unit and said it looked inside and said it appeared to be blocked p by a huge chunk of ice. So he backed our rig into full sun, to let it melt and see if that didn’t resolve any issues. The boys and I set off for downtown Moab on foot. They whined that it was a little hot, I was thoroughly enjoying the heat and it’s true; dry heat is different than moist heat. It was all ready in the upper 90’s and you don’t even break a sweat. We bought some trinkets and then dad called on the cell saying problem resolved and came to pick us up. On to Arches National Park! First stop, Entrance booth to check to see if we could get a site for the night. Nope. Full. Darn. Sigh. Next stop sight-seeing: Balancing Rock was first, then North and South Windows, Turret Window, and finally Double Window. The boys had a great time scrambling around on the rock. Devin was pretty sure-footed and Trenton was getting better after a few pointers from dad. We got lots of great pictures of all of these places. Lunch was along side one of these red rock views.
After we were hiked out, Michael wanted to still go check out the campsite and maybe just see if there were any empty spaces, sho’ nuff, there were 3 that had been no shows. Viola! Camping at Arches National Park.
We ate “Hamburger Helper” in the RV and it was good. Everybody ate up. After cleaning up, we took a sunset drive back through the park to see how different the dusk shadows make all the rock formations look. When we returned to camp, it was time for the Ranger encounter at the amphitheater. It was supposed to be good one about the night skies, but it turned out to be a dud. We decided not to stay for the end and head back to our site and ponder the stars on our own. We had a clear view of the Milky Way and plenty of shooting stars. We did a campfire and s’mores and then washed everyone up for bed. It was still really hot and I thought clean cool bodies would sleep better than hot, dusty ones.
*At about 2:00am that morning Michael decided he’d had enough of the “No generator” rule and we left for a spot off the mountain and out of the park. We all did sleep much better.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday July, 30, 2008
Catch up day. We need to get some things done today. As much as we would like to get the heck out of Salt Lake(not soon enough for me!) We have laundry to do, supplies to replenish, and the boys and Michael are going to get haircuts. So our morning is full and we’ll take off for southeastern Utah after lunch.
We ate dinner in Green River, UT. Which I thnk is one of the most fascinating places I ever seen. The huge red canyons that surrounded our Subway sandwich shp just don’t seem real in their colors and shapes. Our destination in Arches National PArl just outside of Moab, UT. We arrived just at sunset and got to just catch a glimpse of some of the giat red rocks perched precariously on the edges of cliffs before the sun went down.
Momma got to pick where we were staying tonight….SlickStone RV park, with full hook ups!!! The boys got scrubbed up and so did I! No worries about how much water or how full the tanks, we just let it pour!!!!
We ate dinner in Green River, UT. Which I thnk is one of the most fascinating places I ever seen. The huge red canyons that surrounded our Subway sandwich shp just don’t seem real in their colors and shapes. Our destination in Arches National PArl just outside of Moab, UT. We arrived just at sunset and got to just catch a glimpse of some of the giat red rocks perched precariously on the edges of cliffs before the sun went down.
Momma got to pick where we were staying tonight….SlickStone RV park, with full hook ups!!! The boys got scrubbed up and so did I! No worries about how much water or how full the tanks, we just let it pour!!!!
Tuesady, July 29, 2008
We started driving with the destination of Salt Lake City in mind, but Michael while perusing the map noticed we’d be going right by Park City, Utah where they held the 2002 Winter Olympics. We decided that would be a fun detour. We drove up to the Olympic Sports center which sits up on one of the highest points in Park City, with a great view all around. We were able to watch Olympic ski freestylers practice their flips and turns into a swimming pool. We took a toboggan ride down the luge course, and we all got to take a wild zip line ride down the same course Olympic ski jumpers go. It was a fun day for us.
Salt Lake City still lies ahead of us, so after a late lunch at Panda Kitchen in Park City (Trenton’s new favorite place) we’re back on the road again. We arrive down town Salt Lake at about 4:00, ok so not the best time, but we think; “How bad can it be?” Michael had read about a campground on Antelope Island just north of the city right on the Great Salt Lake, which boasted white beaches and great swimming, so we deicide to camp there for the night. Pretty soon it’s clear we’re going no where fast. It seems like the entire town is immersed in grid-lock. There is construction everywhere and cars jammed in huge lines of traffic for as far the eye can see. Michael used his GPS with real-time traffic data and we tried every available route to no avail. We literally sat in the same spot for nearly 2 hours. (Later that night on the 10:00 news we found out a huge tanker had overturned and damaged the highway we were on and that’s why the massive gridlock, but all the construction couldn’t have helped either)
We finally reached Antelope Island after 7:00pm that night, the wind was just howling all around us, sand was blowing and we were not prepared for such a desolate, uninviting campground, but we decided to make the best of it. We tried our best to ignore the smell of the stale salt lake, ignore the bugs, and make our way down to the shore of the Great Salt Lake. Well, when we got there we weren’t any more impressed. The water was soooo thick with salt, it left a crust on the boys’ skin and the stench of water and bird was just too much. We quickly washed up at the back of the RV and called it a lost cause and stayed at WalMart that night. Even 5 miles away from the lake we had to sleep with the foul smell of it all night. Win some, lose some.
Salt Lake City still lies ahead of us, so after a late lunch at Panda Kitchen in Park City (Trenton’s new favorite place) we’re back on the road again. We arrive down town Salt Lake at about 4:00, ok so not the best time, but we think; “How bad can it be?” Michael had read about a campground on Antelope Island just north of the city right on the Great Salt Lake, which boasted white beaches and great swimming, so we deicide to camp there for the night. Pretty soon it’s clear we’re going no where fast. It seems like the entire town is immersed in grid-lock. There is construction everywhere and cars jammed in huge lines of traffic for as far the eye can see. Michael used his GPS with real-time traffic data and we tried every available route to no avail. We literally sat in the same spot for nearly 2 hours. (Later that night on the 10:00 news we found out a huge tanker had overturned and damaged the highway we were on and that’s why the massive gridlock, but all the construction couldn’t have helped either)
We finally reached Antelope Island after 7:00pm that night, the wind was just howling all around us, sand was blowing and we were not prepared for such a desolate, uninviting campground, but we decided to make the best of it. We tried our best to ignore the smell of the stale salt lake, ignore the bugs, and make our way down to the shore of the Great Salt Lake. Well, when we got there we weren’t any more impressed. The water was soooo thick with salt, it left a crust on the boys’ skin and the stench of water and bird was just too much. We quickly washed up at the back of the RV and called it a lost cause and stayed at WalMart that night. Even 5 miles away from the lake we had to sleep with the foul smell of it all night. Win some, lose some.
Monday, July 28,2008
Time to move on: We’ve decided to leave the Tetons and head towards Utah. We let the boys boys sleep in and got an early start before breakfast. We have to head back through Jackson Hole again, so I think Michael was kinda hoping for a McDonald’s breakfast.
We stumbled upon the most amazing place about 2:30 that afternoon. A place called Bear Lake, Idaho. Inbetween sagebrush mountains and rocky canyons appeared this sapphire colored lake surrounded by wide beaches of white sand. A beach? In Idaho? How comw we’ve never heard of this place. Michael and I were eager to get down to it and see if it was too good to be true. We finally found a public access spot and were able to drive our RV right up on the lake bed, close to where we wanted to swim. It was every bit as good as it looked. The water was warm and the sand was soft. We sat back and enjoyed it for next hour or so.
We stayed outside of Ogeden, Utah that night at Willard Bay, with full hook-ups! WooHoo! That’s only the second time that’s happened since we’ve started this adventure.
We stumbled upon the most amazing place about 2:30 that afternoon. A place called Bear Lake, Idaho. Inbetween sagebrush mountains and rocky canyons appeared this sapphire colored lake surrounded by wide beaches of white sand. A beach? In Idaho? How comw we’ve never heard of this place. Michael and I were eager to get down to it and see if it was too good to be true. We finally found a public access spot and were able to drive our RV right up on the lake bed, close to where we wanted to swim. It was every bit as good as it looked. The water was warm and the sand was soft. We sat back and enjoyed it for next hour or so.
We stayed outside of Ogeden, Utah that night at Willard Bay, with full hook-ups! WooHoo! That’s only the second time that’s happened since we’ve started this adventure.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
This camp site and park definitely deserved a second day. It was the first place where we thought it had it all. Splendid views at every turn, fresh mountain air, and we felt relaxed.
We had a RV breakfast and then headed off for Jenny Lake. We thought we’d check out some of the shorter hikes. We settled on a hike to the Hidden Falls. They have pontoon boats that take you across the lake to about a half a mile from the falls. The boys really like the boat ride and it made a very do-able hike, since it was all uphill on very rugged terrain. The falls was great; it was so cool and inviting. We stayed and rested and watched the falls for awhile. On our way back down the trail, we spotted a deer just off the trail. I got some really good pictures of it and we’re surprised it didn’t run off; must be used to us humans by now.
The boys had peanut butter sandwiches for lunch and Michael and I tried to have a nicer lunch at Jackson Lake Lodge. The food was mediocre and we probably should’ve just had peanut butter.
The boys were clamoring for the lake by the time we got back to our site, so I obliged. They took their goggles this time and Trenton was the first one in and tried them out. He declared it “weird” to see underwater at a lake. The sun was blazing hot and there were a lot of other swimmers in. They stayed in for almost an hour, before I made them get out because of cold and sunburn! (Which I didn’t want!)
Dinner was for the boys, since Michael and I had had a late lunch. We rode our bikes up to the village for ice cream and treats, and then came back to our site for a campfire. The boys had fun playing near our site with flashlights and lanterns. They invented new games and even talked another camper into playing with them.
We had a RV breakfast and then headed off for Jenny Lake. We thought we’d check out some of the shorter hikes. We settled on a hike to the Hidden Falls. They have pontoon boats that take you across the lake to about a half a mile from the falls. The boys really like the boat ride and it made a very do-able hike, since it was all uphill on very rugged terrain. The falls was great; it was so cool and inviting. We stayed and rested and watched the falls for awhile. On our way back down the trail, we spotted a deer just off the trail. I got some really good pictures of it and we’re surprised it didn’t run off; must be used to us humans by now.
The boys had peanut butter sandwiches for lunch and Michael and I tried to have a nicer lunch at Jackson Lake Lodge. The food was mediocre and we probably should’ve just had peanut butter.
The boys were clamoring for the lake by the time we got back to our site, so I obliged. They took their goggles this time and Trenton was the first one in and tried them out. He declared it “weird” to see underwater at a lake. The sun was blazing hot and there were a lot of other swimmers in. They stayed in for almost an hour, before I made them get out because of cold and sunburn! (Which I didn’t want!)
Dinner was for the boys, since Michael and I had had a late lunch. We rode our bikes up to the village for ice cream and treats, and then came back to our site for a campfire. The boys had fun playing near our site with flashlights and lanterns. They invented new games and even talked another camper into playing with them.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
We have arrived at Grand Teton National Park. Our campground is Coulter Bay and is right on Jackson Lake. The view is amazing. Michael summed it up best by commenting: “How many times do you get it all in one view? Steel mountains, blue lake, forest, and cloudless blue sky?” After a quick RV lunch, the boys were dying to get down and go swimming in the lake. Jackson Lake, that is. I humored them and put on their suits, thinking to myself, it will be way tooooo cold to even put a foot in, but t hey proved me wrong. They both went in. Trenton absolutely loved it. They played for about an hour, before they both came out of the water shivering. The thing they loved best was all the river rock. There was no sand or mud in the lake, just smooth river rock. They collected all shapes and colors. They built walls, they skipped stones, but mostly they just plunked stones into the crystal clear water. Plunk! Plunk! Plunk!
I got to take a nap that afternoon…Thank you Michael! He took the boys on a bike ride up to Coulter Village. They went in all the shops and had a treat.
We grilled fillets for dinner and they were good! I was hungry for veggies, so I opened a can of corn and Trenton and I devoured it!
We trooped back up to the village after dinner to look at the marina and go to the amphitheater for a Ranger encounter. This ranger talk was about photography in the woods, but we just enjoyed all the photos.
I got to take a nap that afternoon…Thank you Michael! He took the boys on a bike ride up to Coulter Village. They went in all the shops and had a treat.
We grilled fillets for dinner and they were good! I was hungry for veggies, so I opened a can of corn and Trenton and I devoured it!
We trooped back up to the village after dinner to look at the marina and go to the amphitheater for a Ranger encounter. This ranger talk was about photography in the woods, but we just enjoyed all the photos.
Friday July 25, 2008
Day 2 in Jackson Hole. Breakfast at McDonald’s, laundry at a very questionable laundry mat, playtime at the local park, lunch, DVD’s in the RV (courtesy of McDonald’s). It was one of those days just to catch up on stuff and not really sight-see or be too structured. We ended up having dinner on the historic town square at a place called “Billy’s Best Burgers” and they were. I got to do a little bit of shopping while Michael and the boys hoofed it back to the RV.
When we arrived back at camp, the boys donned their swim trunks and crocs and set off for the river right behind our site. The water was cold, but not too cold to keep them out of it. There was a lot do hoping and hollering while they splashed and learned hoe negotiate the river rock in their crocs. Why shower? We’ve been playing in a mountain stream and we’re tired.
When we arrived back at camp, the boys donned their swim trunks and crocs and set off for the river right behind our site. The water was cold, but not too cold to keep them out of it. There was a lot do hoping and hollering while they splashed and learned hoe negotiate the river rock in their crocs. Why shower? We’ve been playing in a mountain stream and we’re tired.
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