7-31 Lassen Volcanic National Park

We left the Casita at camp and drove about an hour to Lassen Volcanic National Park. There are numerous volcanos of all types there, including Lassen Peak, which erupted in 1915. The park's visitor center has excellent displays explaining it all. The 1915 eruption happened to be one of the first ever to be captured on film. We drove through the park, making many stops to see views and volcanic stuff. We should be jaded by now about mountain scenery, but this was hands down the best we've ever seen. The park road rises to about 8500' from the area base elevation of around 5000' Ask us any questions you have about lava and basalt, quick before we forget.

In the afternoon we did laundry, cooked ourselves a good dinner, and watched the sunset over the mountains across the lake. Life is good.

7-30 to Lake Almanor CA

a.m. temperature 41. A record for this trip. 107 is the record high.

We stopped at the Donner Memorial State Park on the site where the 90 or so people in the  Donner Party of emigrants were unable to cross the Sierras to California's Central Valley because of snow and were stranded in the winter of 1846. Half of them starved or froze, and some of the survivors famously resorted to cannibalism. An excellent museum, film, and memorial. For learning history, there is nothing better than feet on the ground.

A short day on the road, moving north through forests and mountains. Camp is on the shore of large Lake Almanor. We're at a lower elevation here, about 5000 feet, so it is warmer this evening (60's).

7-29 at Lake Tahoe

a.m. temperature 45.

We drove about 15 miles to the Squaw Valley ski area and took a tram to the top of their mountain, enjoyed the view, walked around a bit, and had lunch up there. A lot of people enjoying the heated pool at the mountaintop, but we were content to stay amply dressed in the cool weather.

Later in the afternoon we rode on the bike path along the lake for about an hour.

7-28 Bridgeport to Lake Tahoe, CA

Just north of Bridgeport is a wide, level valley with mountains all arouond. Cattle were grazing as far as we could see on both sides. We drove north over a series of low mountain passes and smaller valleys, passing into Nevada, and finally climbing steeply to a high pass before decending to Lake Tahoe. At South Lake Tahoe, jammed with traffic, we stopped for a noon Mass at a church we'd Googled. After a late breakfast at a cafe, we drove north along the west side of the lake, the California side. The lake is a beautiful blue, and we saw later that it is also very clear. Traffic thinned out, and most of the drive along the lake was through woods and past cabins. Our campground was a state park just off the lake, in a forest of BIG trees, including a giant sequoia at our site. No water or elec at the site, but we didn't really need either. Just after we set up camp, there was a ruckus at the second site over: a big, fat, cinnamon colored bear had found some leftover dog food and was chowing down. The man at the campsite yelled at the bear, to no effect. He resorted to throwing things at it, and when one piece of camping equipment hit its mark, the bear ambled into the woods. Later in the evening when S and I took a walk to the bathroom, we went armed with a billy club and a bayonet. No bear, but we did scare other campers.

7-27 Mono Lake to Bridgeport CA

Bright and sunny and cool. We broke camp and stopped at the nearby Forest Service office to get info about Mono Lake, down the hill from where we've been the last two days. Mono is 6x6 miles, with two large islands. It has streams feeding it but no outlet but evaporation, leaving minerals in the water. It's very salty and alkaline. A beautiful lake surrounded by mountains, but the notable feature is tufa, mineral spires formed underwater and now sticking up as much as 20' above it. We drove about 1/4 of the way around the lake to a spot where we could hike down to the shore and see abundant tufa formations. We launched the canoe and explored tufa spires offshore. That was great fun.

There are numerous small volcanos in the area, forming Mono Craters, the youngest mountain range in N. America. The most recent eruption was 600 years ago.

We drove an hour north, crossing a mountain pass along the way, to the sleepy small town of Bridgeport, where the parking on main street is back-in angle parking. Never seen that before. We set up camp at a friendly little private campground on a reservoir. Dinner in town at a good burger joint. An interesting day, and no long drives for once.

7-26 Day trip to Yosemite

Rain and cloudy in the morning, but we could see the very large Mono Lake across from the campground. We'll explore its shore tomorrow, but today we left the trailer at the campground, gassed up ($4.99/gal.!) and headed up the Sierras toward Yosemite National Park. Good thing we weren't towing; first 12 miles, to a 10,000' pass marking the beginning of the Park, would have given the Suburban a good workout.  We were quickly above the level of snow remnants and were treated to one stunning view after another. And the weather cleared up for us. The road into Yosemite valley is 60 miles (24 as the crow flies). We stopped for views and pictures a few times, but it took us three hours. No complaints, it was a spectacular drive. The road was busy but not crowded. We knew the Park is super popular and expected that the small Yosemite Valley would be crowded. We did not expect almost complete gridlock. No place to park and traffic moved only occasionally. Recognizing our mistake we turned tail, but it took 20 minutes to go the first mile of our escape. We did see the iconic Half Dome, El Capitan and the waterfalls, from the car. There are actually three campgrounds in the valley, booked up within seconds of the 6-month reservation window, but I don't know why anyone would want to be there. Once clear of the crowd, it was beautiful and fun again, retracing our route back to camp. A long day on the road, but well worth it.

7-25 Death Valley

There were tracks of wild burros around our campsite this morning.

We visited a ghost town, Ryolite, which had over 10,000 people at its heyday as a mining center in 1900-1910. The hotel and casino is intact, but not much else.'

We crossed two mountain ranges divided by a valley, and then Death Valley opened up below us, with more mountains far on the other side.

It was uncharacteristically cloudy in the valley, and the temperature was 103 vs. 120 or more on a typical summer day; plenty hot enough. The bottom of the valley is a salt plain, 272' below sea level, lowest point in the Americas. Plants are scarce throughout the valley. "Desert" has a new meaning, with a high standard. It seldom rains because prevailing westerlies cross three major mountain ranges which suck off all the moisture before the air reaches Death Valley. Nevertheless, it rained today enough to need windshield wipers when we were at "Bad Water", the low point.

We climbed over two more mountain passes to reach a valley along the foot of the Sierra Nevadas, which still have snow on their peaks. As we drove north, the elevation gradually rose to 8000', getting more forested and cooler.

Along the way, we happened on Manzanar National Historical Site. Turns out, Manzanar was one of the internment camps for Japanese-Americans during WW2. A Guard tower and barbed wire and a few buildings remain at the site, and the camp's high school auditorium is now the visitor center. A film with interviews of internees was very moving. It's well understood now that it was a mistake and simply wrong to intern people for no reason but their ethnicity. What I hadn't thought about was that it was directly contrary to the Constitution.

As we neared our campground in a high forest of Ponderosa Pine, it began to rain hard. And the temperature was only 53. But the camper is cozy warm with residual heat from earlier today.

Yosemite tomorrow, though the weather forecast is for more rain.

7-24 Across Nevada

Immediately out of St. George we dipped back into Arizona and then SW into Nevada. This was our longest stretch of interstate, about 100 miles. The only alternative route would have added 150 miles. We passed through the Virgin River Gorge, with very high steep mountains on each side, and then out into open desert. We started to see cactuses for the first time. Otherwise, a lot of nothing. We stopped for gas at "Cathouse Plaza" which as the name promised did include one of Nevada's famous legal brothels.

Passing close to Las Vegas, surprisingly there was enough rain falling to wet the road. After another 100 miles of desert highway we reached our planned stop at Beatty, Nev., near Death Valley, which we plan to cross tomorrow. They get no rain at all here for years at a time, but we did get a little rain late this afternoon. The RV park has a pool, which was remarkably cool despite 100-plus air temperature.

7-23 update Four Corners area

Sunday 7-21 Killed time until 11 o'clock, the only Mass time at Bloomfield's little church. After church we hit the road without knowing where we'd stop for the day. Had aimed for Page, at the Glen Canyon Dam, but sounds like no room at the 2 RV parks and no public parks with campgrounds. S was worried we'd end up with no place to stop, but I promised if we couldn't camp we'd find a motel.

The whole day was spend travelling through Navajo land (size of W. Va.) A lot of poverty and litter. Scenic but desolate terrain.

It turned out the worry about a stopping place was for nothing: we spotted a "brown sign" (some kind of park ahead) pointing to Navajo National Monument 9 miles to the right. A second sign referred to a campground there. At the end of the road we found a National Park Visitor Center with an adjacent campground: no electric but no need for air conditioning since we were at 7000' and it wasn't very hot. And the campsite was free! And our old $10 lifetime senior pass to National Parks exempted us from the entrance fee. What a deal. After we set up camp we walked about a half mile on a trail to a view of ancient (1300's AD)pueblo dwellings built into a depression in the cliff on the opposite side of a narrow gorge. Still in very good condition since it was sheltered from rain and most sun. After dinner we enjoyed a very clear starry and moonless sky. 3 satellites, one shooting star.

Monday, 7-22 Water heater working only intermittently, and it took the morning off today. Cold showers doesn't make it. Called ahead to St. George Utah to arrange an RV space and mobile RV service. More Navajo land this morning. Hoped to buy a Navajo blanket, and after a couple of inquiries were directed to a store a few miles off our route and did buy a very nice small blanket hand woven by an elderly Navajo woman. Dresses up our little camper but no current need.

We stopped at Pipe Spring National Historical Monument, an 1870's Morman fort built to defend against U.S. Government enforcers of the bigamy laws. The attack never came, and overgrazing turned the area into a desert. Our tour guide was a Paiute indian. Their numbers in the area were about 4000 until successive slavef raids by Spanish and Navajos. The local band is now only about 400 and they have a very small reservatio with no economy.

On to St. George. A good sized city, and enough Mormon stuff to make me feel like a minority. We've actually been at this RV park before. It was the gathering spot for a bike tour of the Utah parks in 2006. That was in the fall of the year; this time It was 103 when we arrived, and 100 as late as 7 p.m. Once again, thank God for air conditioning. Oh, and for not living here.

Tues. 7-23 at St. George, UT.  The RV service people arrived at 8:30 and quickly fixed the water heater: a bad thermostat. They also replaced a leaking water drain valve. No other camper issues now; we're good to go. Spent the rest of the day shopping, doing laundry, and avoiding the 107 degree heat.  Cooled off to 95 when a rain cloud blew over, but no rain fell.

We went out to dinner at a place the RV park recommended, called Red Pony. Had one of our best dinners anywhere ever. We split phillo baked brie, a rack of lamb with mustard crust, cornbread pudding, and creme brulee, and a glass each of wine. Great leap forward for morale, which wasn't bad to start with.

7-20 Day trip to Chaco Canyon

A rarity for this area: a few drops of rain at 6 a.m.

Leaving the Casita camper at the campsite, we drove 60 mi. south to Chaco Canyon, a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a complex of pueblos built and occupied between 800 and 1200 AD. They also built roads in five directions from the canyon as much as 100 mi. long, including one  which a modern highway follows. What remains at Chaco is extensive ruins of very large stone masonry pueblos. Pueblo Bonito was the largest building in North America until the 19th century 4 stories high and over 600 rooms. Parts of the buildings survive intact, even including some wooden posts, lintels and floors. One pueblo, Una Vida, hasn't been excavated, restored or otherwise disturbed at all. We had a great time exploring all the sites, and despite her bad back, S was able to walk 2-3 miles and enjoy it.

Getting to and from Chaco Canyon involved 15 miles of bone-shaking washboarded gravel roads each way. That and the remote location keeps the crowds down: only a handful of visitors there.

7-19 to Bloomfield NM

One of the best days for scenery ever, in northern New Mexico.

We were in wide open grassy prarie (saw two buffalo and two pronghorns) and then at Cimmaron we abruptly ran into the Rocky Mountains. A winding mountain road with pine forest until Moab, then a long stretch of plateau. Then more mountains, including the Continental Divide, then high desert (except for a few places with large scale irrigated farms. 

A cultural difference between Texas and New Mexico- no more southern accent.

A long day on the road, but a good one.

I do wish I could attach pictures to Blogger posts. Theoretically possible, but every way I try it doesn't work. I think I'll find a new blog host site.

update thru 7-18

Poor internet connections, so delay in update:

7-8
At Mountain View Ark in the evening I was able to join a weekly mountain dulcimer get together. A rare chance to play music with others of a similar odd like mind. Great fun; didn't do too bad.  I do know a lot of songs.

7-9 an easy day's drive to Kansas City to visit S's nieces Carol and Susan and their families.  We all got together for a good barbecue dinner. Susan and husband Tom are about to set off for Wisc. for Tom to try racing the go kart he's been restoring for the last year.  Good luck Tom!

7-10 Carol and Brian, with their grandchildren Kayden and Mason, took us to the fascinaating National WWI Museum. C and B are both retired, and staying 110% busy. A great visit.

7-11 one long day to Ft. Sill OK to see Melissa, Greg and Jasmine. Jazz's son Karter is spending some time with his father in Ga. so we missed him. But the 5 of us had a good dinner at a steakhouse.

7-12 They went to work while we watched the Tour de France and went on a bike ride. Could have ridden 100 miles and not left Ft. Sill. The base has everything a small city has, except concern for land- they have plenty. In the evening we went out to a German restaurant and watched baseball.

7-13 Watched Tour de France and baseball. Grilled steaks for dinner and then watched baseball.

7-14 S and I went off-post to Mass, then back for a lavish Sun. breakfast Melissa had prepared. We visited the Apache graveyard incl Geronimo's grave. Then Greg took us to the Wichita Natl Wildlife Refuge to see longhorns, bison at a distance, prarie dogs at zero distance.

7-15 Goodbye to Melissa and Greg. On to Palo Duro Canyon in Texas Panhandle. Spectacular scenery and heat (107). Nights were cool, though. 2nd largest canyon in US, behind only guess which.

7-16 Into town (Canyon) for gas and shopping. In the afternoon drove a loop in the canyon.  Too hot to ride the bike. In evening caught an outdoor musical "Texas" in 54th year. Singing, dancing, shooting, horses, Indians, cowboys, fireworks and a tribute to veterans. What's no to like?

7-17 Decamped early to start of a jeep ride. Wow! Started at a ranch on the rim of the canyon with 4 other adventurers. Guide/driver was a crusty old cowboy. We signed waivers without reading them. Route was very steep, very scary, very rough, very very scenic. We did not die. Great fun. We both came back with sore muscles from death grips. Then drove NW into New Mexico to Sugarite Canyon State Park.

7-18 In mountains now. Canoed in 7000' lake. a.m. temp 53. Later was 95. Into town of Raton for laundry and shopping, then explored ruins of an early-20th-century coal mining town. Would you believe the Swastika Mine?

7-3 thru 7-7 Fla-Ark

Finally got somewhere with wifi, so update:

Wed. 7-3 at Rocky Creek State Park
Launched the canoe and paddled to the head of the little bay and found a creek the ranger told us about. Fresh water, very clear, sand bottom, quick current and overhanging foliage. Perfect canoeing. We paddled about 1 1/2 miles upstream. There is an undefined border into Eglin AFB's ordinance disposal facility, and we did hear explosions. Also saw the remains of a WWII plane which had crashed there. A quicker paddle downstream and back to camp. Later we took a very short nature trail walk, but otherwise loafed in the AC.

Thur. 7-4 Happy Independence Day. Stopped at Mobile to tour the Battleship Alabama, which we'd seen from the highway several times over the years. Very interesting and impressive. Built in 1944, served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. Teak deck. Hard to find a campsite on 4th of July but stayed at a simple RV park E of Jackson, Miss. Planned to seek out a fireworks display but none close by so we sat out in the cool of the evening under stars and a crescent moon, and listened to people's personal fireworks all around.

Fri. 7-5 still at Morton MS. Shopping and laundry. Sunny and hot.

Sat. 7-6 Happy Birthday Pete.
to Mtn. View, Ark, in the Ozarks, where we've been twice before. A mecca for people to  jam with country and folk music. I do have the dulcimer and ukulele with me. I noticed that once we crossed the Mississippi River, theew longleaf yellow pine trees were gone. They're everywhere in the SE. The fireworks here was rained out on the 4th (no rain where we were) so the Elks Lodge across the street had a good fireworks display for us this evening.

Sun. 7-7 Campground (Ozark RV Park) had gospel music and a church service. We enjoyed the singing and ducked out before the sermon to go to the small local Catholic Church. An excellent breakfast afterward at a cafe in town. We're ahead of schedule so called S's niece Carol and arranged to visit her and niece Susan on Tuesday. A group of about a dozen teenagers in the campground on a cross-country cycling tour. Hope they have as good a time as we did on our transamerica ride.

In the evening we went to the center of town and listened to some good mountain music.

7-2 to Panhandle FL

Don't know why they are considering extending the Suncoas Parkway from Brooksville to GA border. Rte. 19/98 is a beautiful road.

Drove W from Tally along FL Rte 20 through endless pine forests. Hurricane Michael damage evident: not many buildings along the rural route and what there were were almost all damaged or destroyed. Miles and miles of pine trees bent 45 degrees or snapped off. And this was 20 mi. inland and 8 months after the storm. The coast must be much worse.

Camped at Rocky Bayou State Park on Chocktawhatchee Bay near Destin. Waterfront site.

Afternoon temp near 100 inland, more like 90 here. Thunder but no rain to cool it off. Thank goodness for AC in our little home.

6-30-19 On the road again

Heading cross country with our camper trailer for maybe 3 mos. First stop Manatee Springs State Park FL.  We were here almost exactly 50 years ago on the day of the Apollo 11 moon launch. A lot of water under the bridge since then.

7-1 Bike ride to Chiefland and canoeing anoe on the spring run and the Suwanee river. A cooling swim in the crystal clear spring. Many deer wandering the campground incl. 2 fawns, all completely fearless.