Bear Lake Idaho, Visit with Mom Before we Left

 

One of our first clear views as we drove north along Bear Lake, which is in both Utah and Idaho.  The lake is about 20 miles in length, with half in Utah and half in Idaho.  North of the lake by just a hundred feet or so is Mud Lake, which is home to the Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge.  According to Wikipedia, "White-faced ibis, sandhill cranes, swans, ducks, geese, and shorebirds reside in this wildlife refuge during its summer seasons. Moose can sometimes be found on this refuge, along with wintering mule deer."  Hopefully as we travel north tomorrow we might see some wildlife...

Here is the view from under our awning...

...and a panoramic view from the rear of the Camper Van.

 

This such a pretty lake, with many views of very blue water...much bluer on the south side of the lake than the northern side.  We are just about in the middle of the lake at Mountain Fawn Campground of Bear Lake State Park.  Just here for one night, we have a lake view, electricity and water, and a dump station we can use before we exit the park tomorrow (Friday) morning.

A week before we left Sacramento Area we met my son Michael, wife Anna and nearly 3 year old Addie over at Mom's Assisted Living Home.

 

As you can see, Mom had a wonderful time...too bad the next day she could not remember it without my coaching her.

 Addie and Momma Anna had some fun on the tree swing.

 And Addie got Grandpa to wear her "Heart Hat".  How could I say no....

 

Above is our Lake View, for $44 with senior discount.  They are using a new system which still has a few glitches in it...but a nice lady here at the camp got us, and the lady behind us, checked in.  The new system is suppose to be that it is all done by computer or a phone call...but the phone call did not work, and she walked up to help just as I was getting on the smart phone that we use to operate all the electronics on the Camper Van.

 And just like that, our day has come to an end...tomorrow will bring us to a northern location from where we are at.

 

Hurricane Blew Through, Should be Home mid-Week

 

Yesterday and today things were a bit gloomy.  Last year we lost Skruffy on Christmas Eve in Sacramento area, took off for Florida two days later.  It was a very sad trip because her demise came so quick...hit us both very hard.  With Bubba we have seen his decline for the past few years.  We knew it was a matter of time...but it still is not easy.  Staying here two nights allowed for the Hurricane to clear out of our way home, and for us to gently mourn life without Bubba.  As for Indy, she does not seem to realize Bubba is gone, but her territorial nature is slowly going away.

Last night we had a nice sunset.  There is a small pond near our campsite where I took the picture at.  (If you call concrete camping a campsite...but hey, free with electricity and water is something you can't complain about).

I think we parked here last year when we stayed for a couple days in April.  Next to the grass for an easy dog walk, and these sites down near the end are flatter.

Above is our section, the back half of the park.

Below is the front part of the park.  When we arrived, only 1/3 of these RVs were in the park.  Most of those that pulled in took off this morning, and fewer have pulled in today.  However, we had two 5th wheels pull in right next to us around 4:30.  With so many empty sites, I wondered why...but then I saw that they were both from Michigan, traveling together, 

It will be interesting where Indy sets herself during our travels from this point on.  Lately she has found a spot right behind my chair next to where the slide-out is "in" for travel.  Of course, every so often she has to jump on Marcia's lap to get her "whiff" of air.

We are heading directly south to I-20, then east, then south again to I-10.  Hoping for four days of travel and three nights after Saturday night's stay here at the Casino.

And we appreciate our friends and family who reached out to us about losing Bubba.  Thank you so very much.

From Sunset to Albuquerque

After the fourth storm went through last night, that only had four of five hail stones hitting the motorhome, we ate our dinner and then there was this wonderful sunset.  We had one of our better nights sleep since leaving Florida, temps were in the low 60's, perhaps high 50's.  It was very quiet...almost too quiet.  We put one of our favorite DVD movies on (Secondhand Lions) to watch on the bedroom TV, and I was out within 10 minutes

We hit the road by 8 am, got through Amarillo without a problem, and we get back to the Texas Scenery. 

Not too long and we see a very large feedlot.  With yesterday's rain, and a good morning breeze, the fragrant odor was very tolerable.  Of course, a good rancher would say, "It is just the smell of money" ... they say the same thing about the smelly paper mills scattered around the south, including outside Pine Bluff Arkansas where I lived in the area for 22 years.

And then there is the Windmill Farm...hundreds of windmills.  I must say that I was impressed at how many of the windmills we have seen this trip actually were spinning.

In my last posting I talked about the many Picnic Areas that you find along the Texas Highways.  In other states, such as Arkansas, they just call them Truck Parking Areas.  Nothing fancy at all.

But at least most of them in Texas do have picnic tables.  No bathrooms though.

We finally hit "Mile Zero" and enter into New Mexico.  Had we stayed on I-10 and entered and exited Texas, it would have been a 880 trip. The route we took was just 600 miles.  No matter how you do it, Texas is one long trip UNLESS you enter and exit on I-40, then it is only 180 miles or so.

The scenery changes very quickly now that we are in New Mexico.  It makes the drive more enjoyable, and includes more picture taking.  Since entering Texas, we have gone up over 3,000 feet.  By the time we start heading down the hill into Albuquerque, we are at the 6,600 foot level.  We then drop to the 5,300 foot level as we come into Albuquerque.

We tried to find a park up in the higher altitude...but they were all full.  A few times we have stopped at the Enchanted Trails RV Park & Trading Post, just west of Albuquerque.  They had plenty of openings...but perhaps it looks that way because they are spacing the RVs out due to the COVID scare. I hooked up the electric, and nothing came on.  I knew I was having connection problems with the female portion that plugs into the motorhome, and thank goodness Camping World was right next door.  $65 later I have an adapter.  As I pay he asks me for my phone.  I give it to him, and then immediately said, "No, I don't want to renew."  I was really hoping to get to Arny's and order a new cord with the proper adapters, which would have only cost $45 through Amazon.  I will now convert the old cord to an RV Extension Cord, which will run another $15 or so.  Thank goodness I already had a 50' extension to go with the new overly expensive adapter that I just bought, so we were in business within 30 minutes of figuring out the problem.

NOTE: Since I have written a few posts about Enchanted Trails RV Park & Trading Post, I am not doing that today.  You can read about previous posts, and see the many vintage RVs and old cars if you wish by clicking here.

 

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A Few More Nights at Mount Magazine

At Camron Bluff Campground, Mount Magazine State Park, AR

After Saturday’s downpour, we have had three pretty good days at Mount Magazine…with Monday being one of the best weather days.  I just happened to look out my window Monday at sunset and this is what I see.  Figure by the time I gather up the camera, get my shoes and shirt on, and out the door and drive to the overlook…the sun would be gone.  Promised myself that Tuesday would not slip away like this one did …

…and it didn’t…but it also was not as good of a sunset as Monday was.

The thing about sunsets is that they are never the same.  Perhaps Wednesday’s sunset will be better than Tuesday’s…then again, they are expecting storms again for Wednesday night, and Thursday will be our last night here.

Sunday Marcia and I traveled over to Fort Smith to meet her cousin Jim and his wife Pat at Cheddar’s Restaurant.  After a 2+ hour meal and great conversation, we headed over to a grocery store and then hurried back to the motorhome so the doggies could be let out.  That was it for Sunday…on Monday I decided to groom both of the dogs (pictures will follow in another blog), then I drove around to get a few more pictures of the state park.  Above and below is the Visitor Center.

The visitor center is the first building in the park, and you have to drive by it to enter the park.  This is where you check-in if you have a camping site.  Let me tell you, the folks working here are super nice.  I had paid for our entire week online.  When I checked in, they first tried to give me the ADA rate, but when I said that Marcia was not 100% disabled, they said, “How about the senior citizen rate?”  That rate is 25% off the normal campground site price…and “I” qualified for it, so I did not have to use Marcia’s ID to get it...and they made a credit to my card which they had in the computer system.  Went back on Sunday after our trip to Fort Smith, and paid for one more night, so we will be here until Friday morning, and we have three days to get up to Blue Springs Lake Campground near Lee’s Summit Missouri where we will be for Ryan’s graduation on the 26th.  Still not sure where we will stay on our way up that way…but doing laundry will be one thing on our list.

I then headed over to the lodge, (I showed an outside picture of it a few blogs ago).  Above is the main entrance to the lodge…my back to the door.  That is a rock waterfall, three flags, and the wood canopy where you can drive your car under to drop or pick someone up.

  

I have been in a few of the state park lodges, and they are all very comfortable, with a large window and lounge area to look out the window from.

Above is the panoramic view of what you see out that window is a view of the Petit Jean Valley below.  If you get one of their cabins, each has a hot tub which also has a nice view of the valley, and the hot tub is on a back enclosed patio except for the opening to the valley below...so you truly have some privacy to go with it.

The lodge also has a nice restaurant, which also has a view of the Petit Jean Valley below.  When we were in a cabin back in February 2011, we ate at the lodge a few times.  This time, I think we will stick with our motorhome kitchen, although we found the food to be fairly good back then.

They also have a bar lounge right by the restaurant.  Due to Arkansas law, it is a “member’s only” lounge, which means you have show your ID, and then fill out a membership form…there is not cost for membership, just for your drinks.

There is no price to enter the park, there are picnic areas, a tent only area, 18 camping sites which are all full hookup, and just about everyone of them can handle a 40’ motorhome along with a tow car.  The bathrooms have showers which are not bad, but the water pressure ‘could’ be a bit better.  The lodge does have 2 washers and 2 driers, but we would rather wait for a laundry mat somewhere down the road this weekend.

Rocky Mountain National Park -- Trail Ridge Road and Old Fall River Road

At Sunset Point Campground, Lake Granby, CO

One thing we found about being up in the high Rockies…it still is not high enough to get away from the smoke from California, Oregon, Utah and Colorado fires.  Still, the views were just amazing.  (of course, the locals blame it all on Cal fires)

We saw many Elk on our drive, but these ones here were the closest…

And of course, despite signs, and even the presence of three rangers in the area, some folks just have to get out and try to get close…amazing.

This view is still of the western slope, and you can see the smoke hiding the mountain afar.  The Rockies are the Continental Divide, separating where rainfall and snow melt will flow…either to the west to the Pacific, or to the east to the Atlantic through the Gulf of Mexico.

  

These are views along the eastern slope…that smoke just won’t let up, even with the 30-40 mph wind gusts.

At the Alpine Visitor’s Center, what I call “Heart Attack Hill” was full of those sucking in the 12,000 foot air as they climbed up the Alpine Ridge Trail.  The hike is only .6 of a mile, but it is steep, does not include oxygen, and with the wind…well, it was hard enough just getting Marcia into the Visitor’s Center, let alone having me even attempt this trail.  The parking lot was pretty full, but we scored with an ADA spot right at the door…and yes, Marcia said, “I am staying in the car next time” because the wind was blowing that hard.

But the view out the back of the visitor’s center, where one is mostly protected from the winds, is fabulous.  In fact, the Old Fall River Road is down there somewhere, a bit to the left of the valley.

And in the valley, way off to the upper right of the previous picture, you can find a large herd of Elk…of which this picture above captures about half of the herd.

As the Trail Ridge Road continues east, we come to a viewpoint of Hidden Valley.  Yes, that is our road down there, and also along the ridge of the far right mountain.  So far the road we have been on from leaving our campground area has been a 2 lane, well paved road with many pullouts or viewpoints.  Well, that is going to drastically change…

…because the Old Fall River Road is a dirt road, one way (heads east to west and upwards), and wow, was that nice 9 mile stretch of nearly deserted road, compared to the Trail Ridge Road.  Also, since it is down in valley and heads up to Alpine Visitor’s Center, the winds were light.

Marcia and I take turns taking pictures along the 9 mile route.  We might be traveling west, or traveling east, because there are many hairpin turns to help you climb up the mountain side as you eventually make your way to the west.  Above is a picture Marcia took (I can tell due to the mirror of the car) and we were headed to the east (I can tell by the angle to the sun).

Here she got a picture of the rugged mountain tops as we were headed west.

We stopped at this hairpin turn, and one of the few cars we saw passed us.  Our only minor complaint about this dirt road is that on many of the hairpin turns, there was a rut or two that you had to position your vehicle over just right or you would bottom out…I only bottomed out once.  Otherwise, the dirt road was not as bumpy as many dirt roads that I have taken Marcia on…did I mention, she is not a fan of dirt roads…but I got permission for this one…sometimes I just turn onto one.    Although it looked like it was going to rain, the rain did not come until after we got back to the motorhome…seems to rain just about every afternoon…but it does not get rid of the smoke which keeps pouring in from the west.

The road has mile markers, and I am also watching our odometer…at an average speed of around 10 mph, and with numerous stops, it takes us about an hour…but it did not seem that long.

We finally see the visitor’s center above (arrow)…we still had around 2 miles to go, but the road is better at the top.

I look off into the rocks and see this Marmot moving about…unfortunately, I missed the one opportunity to get its front side…

One last look at the valley that lies below the visitor’s center, off to our left as we drive west.

And one last look at the herd of Elk in the upper far side of the valley….

We did not stop at the Visitor’s Center, just headed straight home, with a stop at a picnic area which had some vegetation that the dogs were allowed to walk on.  (Why do dogs destroy the tundra but Elk, Moose, Deer, Marmots, etc. don’t?)  Anyway, got this picture of what I think is a google maps car…had California license plate, and those are cameras and satellite equipment up on top of the car.  Will have to check back along this highway in a few months and see if we have been captured in Google Maps!

 

After posting the blog on Wednesday, I captured these sunset pictures after a thunderstorm had passed through…

As I do with all sunsets, I turn around to see how it is affecting the landscape opposite the setting sun….

With that, I will say goodbye.  Due to bandwidth, I go down to the public library to post my blogs…don’t even have to get out of the car.  Another 13 nights here in the Rockies!