The Grand Staircase into Arizona

The Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument covers 1.9 million acres and is next to the Bryce Canyon, flowing from southern Utah into Arizona. The name comes from several mountain ranges gradually descending in altitude.
I could see the mountains on the east side of the highway and flat desert on the other side as I drove south into Arizona. There was quite a bit of traffic and a long hold up due to construction.

On Nov 6, as I was driving southward, I passed by Lake Powell. The lake is a reservoir, created by the Glen Canyon dam along the Colorado River.

Shortly after crossing the bridge over the canyon, I arrived in Page, AZ where I discovered a Walmart to stay that night. To my delight, I also found out that I had arrived there on the week-end of the yearly hot air balloon festival and that they would have a display in the Walmart parking lot that night. I was able to help a bit and got a chance to sit in the basket while learning more about this unusual hobby. It is a very costly hobby, according to a woman pilot I spoke to. She and her husband own a small balloon costing them about $60,000 for the balloon (made of nylon) and equipment. She told me they had to take ground school and flyng lessons similar to that of airplane pilots. They also had a truck and trailer to carry the equipment and a crew of 3 others.
I noticed their balloon had a Walmart and Coca cola logo on it and think that they must get some money from those sponsors.
Getting a balloon ready for flying is a fair bit of work. First, the balloon is laid out on the ground, then using 2 powerful fans it is slowly filled with air while 2-3 crew hang on to it with ropes , and a couple of peolpe sit in the basket to keep it from flying away. Once it is filled enough, the pilot lights the propane fire on and off just enough to make it rise but not take off. It's a tricky balance. When all is ready, they can increase the flame, cast off the ropes and fly.
At  Walmart that night, they just stayed on the ground.
The next morning I got up early to watch dozens of balloons take off. The sponsors got to go for a ride. I longed to go too as have always wanted to have that experience. It will have to stay on my bucket list for now!

Blowing air into a balloon using 2 powerful fans

That night they had their light up event. I drove downtown early and was able to find a parking spot  at a shopping centre. The main street was closed off and lined with all sorts of booths selling food, clothing, or crafts. The atmosphere was very festive and I remembered that while I was doing so much driving in remote areas I had wished for more people. Here I was, the streets packed with people!
As soon as it got dark, the pilots and their crews laid out their balloons all along the main street. You could watch them filling the balloons with air then lighting the fires on and off to keep them from flying away .It was magical.

The next day, they were flying again, this time taking the crew for a ride.
I drove on , south to Flagstaff and found out they did not allow RV parking overnight. Evidently, some of the local campgrounds got upset that they were losing too much business from Walmart.
So, I ended up parking at a Cracker Barrel restaurant and being welcomed to stay there that night. 
I had heard of a concert in Flagstaff that night and decided to go. It was at the Coconino Arts Center with Brazilian musicians, singers and dancers. The center was small and the tickets only $10 but what a fabulous concert! As a finale, they invited the audience to dance with them and it was fun to dance to the sound of singing and drumming.
It was below freezing that night with some snow on the sides of the road. I was happy to have my furnace! The reason for such cold weather is that the area is at a high altitude. 
The next day, it felt good to be driving mostly downhill to Phoenix which is much warmer. From an elevation of  7000 ft to almost sea level meant  travelling from snow on the side of the road to T-shirt weather and palm trees!
Phoenix is a major city with a population of more than 1.5 million within the city. Driving was a huge challenge after the quiet roads I had been on. The expressways were congested, people cutting in and out and most driving faster than the speed limit. I kept reminding myself to stay calm,breathe ,and tell myself "I can do this!" Once again I parked at a Cracker B restaurant.
I spent a couple of days in Phoenix exploring some of their wonderful museums.
First, I spent the morning at the Musical Instrument Museum. 
What an amazing place, filled with all sorts of musical instruments, many I had never seen before. I heard music from countries and cultures I didn't even know existed. It's sad we don't learn more about these interesting cultures in our school system.

After that treat, I stopped to wander around the Desert Botanical Garden, a delight for the senses. An unexpected sight was a sculpture by Dale Chihuly who works with glass and is one of my favourite artists.

His glassworks fit in well with natural environments.

I've been continually surprised by how
desert there is in the US, all in the west.
The Sonoran desert is just one of four deserts there.

It's always interesting to see how so many different types of plants evolve according to the climate of an area.



After parking overnight in another Cracker Barrel restaurant , I visited one more centre and that was the Phoenix Art Museum. I decided not to see the whole display as that has been my tendency in art galleries which has resulted in not remembering much about it. I learned this valuable lesson many years ago when I had an afternoon to visit the National Art Gallery in Ottawa. I asked for a map and was going to do start at the top and work my way down when they advised me to take the tour which was about to begin. I will never forget that tour. During the tour, we focused on 5 paintings, each from a different period! We did see others nearby but the majority of time was spent discussing the specific paintings. I have never forgotten those paintings.
I remember that experience whenever I am tempted to want to see everything, rushing around.
And so, while at the Phoenix Art Museum, I focused on the display of miniature rooms by N. Thorns (1882-1966).

Everything in the rooms is made to exact scale and to the finest detail. The photos were taken through glass. What intricate artistry this is!

I did admire the glass sculpture in the lobby:

I Left Phoenix the next morning for the 2 hr drive south to Tuscon, and that is a whole other story!

"Stop trying to find a ladder that will reach the sky.

Stay still and the sky will touch you."

---from "Notes from the Song of Life" by Tolbert McCarroll

"There is no zest like that of exploration, no longing like that for desert places, no call like that of the unknown."

--- Clyde Kluckhohn "Beyond the Rainbow", 1933

whyknotrvmaria@gmail.com

Fall into magic

It was now Nov 2 and after watching the sunrise, I left Goblin Valley finding my way back to Hanksville where I decided to dump the black water tank (sewage) at a gas station that offered that service. To my shock, I discovered the lever to open the tank was missing! It must have gotten loose and fallen off while I was driving. So, I could not empty the tank, an unpleasant problem!
Luckily they had a garage with a mechanic on staff and he was able to fix it.
The $25 charge seemed like a bargain and I was able to use their dump station as well as fill up with propane. I've been using a lot of propane for my furnace on those cold nights.
I was heading over to a very nice restaurant for some soup when I ran into  Swiss couple. After a pleasant chat, they invited me to go with them for a late lunch. The restaurant as in a hotel and had a fabulous buffet which they treated me to. We spent a leisurely meal sharing stories and chatting in Swiss German which I am still fluid in having lived in that beautiful country as a child.
It was a generous  and unexpected gift from those lovely folks and after thanking them, we parted ways.
From there I continued to the scenic hway 12 south. I stopped several times to enjoy the view, always changing and often spectacular. The road twisted and turned up steep inclines then down the other side, and I sometimes had to gear down. At one point the road went along a very narrow mountain ridge with sheer drops on both sides and no guard rails. Yikes! 

The altitude reached up to 7600ft and there was some snow on the sides of the

 road. Driving so much in desert country was beginning to feel like too much solitude. Why is being alone in such a remote area so uncomfortable at at times? Yet, my nomadic experiences resulted in so many wonderful experiences that I longed to keep going.I usually drove for a max of about 4 hrs/day and have always found a place to park for the night. 

There was some snow and below freezing weather that night ( 18F) but the roads remained clear. I had finally decided to winterize my RV as much as possible.This meant pouring RV antifreeze into my drains and opening my taps until the pink colour of the anifreeze appeared. The more proper way to winterize would be to blow out the water in the pipes using a compressor and that can be quite costly at an RV service station. Since I had the furnace going, I felt my measures were enough. It meant not having any running water and I had filled several jugs of water for drinking and washing. I also hung a blanket over the back entrance door and had bought a sleeping bag to hang between my living space and the cab. Those measures seemed to work and I was able to continue.

#12 west took me to the Kodachrome Basin State Park and then the nearby Bryce Canyon National Park. 

 interesting formation at Kodachrome SP

Near Bryce Canyon

The road in this last park took me to an altitude of 8100ft and a lot of snow falling in between moments of sun. I would have liked to stay a few days but needed to get to a warmer place and continued on to Zion National Park which was a few degrees warmer. 

The magical landscape of Bryce Canyon as seen from "Inspiration Point", a short hike from the road:

By the time I got to the campground just outside of Zion, it was getting dark and there were quite a few deer by the sides of the road. Driving slowly, I reminded myself to plan my days better to avoid driving at night.

The campground was a pleasant one with full hookups, laundry and showers. They also accepted Good Sam membership. 

It was good to have electric connection and use my little portable heater overnight, saving on propane.

The next day I drove into Zion and marvelled at the mountains there. 

I had to pay for a pass for entering 2 tunnels because of the size of my motorhome. The longer tunnel was 1.1mi and traffic had to take turns going through. The only way for me was to drive down the middle of the road.

The scenery was fantastic and once I reached the visitors' centre I parked and hopped on one of their free shuttle buses to see more of the park. These buses were hop on, hop off and ran every 10 min. What a great service!!

"The weeping rock"

After doing some short hikes, I returned to the campground, having to get to the tunnel by 4:30pm. That was the deadline for oversized vehicles needing to be guided. I could easily spend a few days in that park but their campgrounds need to be reserved, sometimes several months in advance. Even at this late time of the season, there were many people in the park, including some serious photographers. It must be extremely busy during the warmer weather.

The next morning, I returned to hway 89 south towards Arizona. Shortly after leaving, I drove by a buffalo ranch.

On the way, I saw a notice for the "Toadstools trail" and wanted to check it out.

It turned out to be a hidden treasure with more delightful formations. There were several others hiking the trail, mostly tourists. It was a beautiful warm day and no signs of snow due to the lower altitude.

More magic!

My route took me along another national monument which I'll describe more in my next blog. I crossed the border into Arizona and looked forward to warmer weather. 

More of Zion:

"To fall into a habit is to cease to be."

                               ---Miguel de Unamuno, Spanish essayist

"There is no zest like that of exploration, no longing like that for desert places, no call like that of the unknown."

--- Clyde Kuckholm from " Beyond the Rainbow", 1933

Have a magical day!

Maria

whyknotrvmaria@gmail. com

Fall with the Goblins

Arriving at the "Goblin Valley State Park" was a treat.
It was perfect timing to arrive there on Oct  31 for Halloween.
The drive north from Hanksville, Utah on no. 12 took less than an hour.

Goblin Valley State Park, Utah

It was fun to see these strange formations resulting from "deposits laid 170 million years ago by a vast inland sea...and sculpted by forces of nature such as uplift and erosion from wind and water.......they are made of Entrada sandstone" ( info from brochure).
The campground was great and I could see some of the families all dressed up in Halloween costumes. Some of them played hide and seek amongst the sandstone goblins. 

campground at the base of the cliffs

I spent the afternoon looking around the area. That evening, the park showed a Halloween film at an outside screen. It was fun but also rather cold (glad I brought my blanket!) to be sitting outside under a beautiful starry sky.

The next day I did more hiking for a few hours, enjoying the unusual formations. 
I met a young man travelling in a sports car and camping for a few weeks. I have no idea how he managed to fit all his camping gear, stove, dishes, clothes, etc into that little car!
At these campgrounds can be seen all sorts of ways people get away for a short or long time.

                             

These goblins are wishing everyone a happy Halloween!

After 2 days in that delightful place, I turned back to Hanksville and no 24 west for more adventues.

Sign at a campground :  " You are now entering stress free zone".



"You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind."
                                                                  --- unknown

Always remember to take time for laughter.

Maria

whyknotrvmaria@gmail.com

Fall into Utah

The fall (autumn) colours stayed with me all the way through Utah.

The highway became busier with increasing lanes as I drove towards Salt Lake City. I stopped for a night at a Walmart in Ogden, then decided to explore Antelope Island State Park, accessible by a causeway on the Great Salt Lake. The campground was full but it was a pleasant drive and I even saw some buffalo grazing along the way. 

Great Salt Lake

The lake covers 1700 sq mi. Water flows into the lake from 4 rivers carrying minerals into the lake but Great Salt Lake has no outlet and water leaves by evaporation only, resulting in such salty water.


That night I stayed at a Cracker Barrel restaurant parking lot in Salt Lake City. On the way there I noticed some flashing lights and thought perhaps it was an accident as there were some areas cordoned off. I was on a side street and not sure which way to go. A policeman came up and directed me telling me there was a big hockey game going on at the arena near there. As one of his buddies came up, he told him  "it's OK, she just got confused. She's Canadian!"
The next day I drove to a city transit station to park then took the train to the public library downtown. I was impressed by the efficiency of their transit system and the cost ( $2.50 return for seniors!)
I had been to that library before and wanted to spend time catching up on my 
e-mails and internet. That library is fantastic with its wide open spaces and windows.                    

 On the ground level I met some women doing       

crafts and had a fun chat. There was also a small
restaurant where I had some delicious seafood
chowder.
At the lower level, they happened to have a huge book sale and I was able to stock up on books and movies at incredibly low prices.
Returning to my RV, I drove south to Provo on #15 which was the busiest stretch so far with up to 12 lanes of  heavy, fast moving traffic.
In Provo, I stayed at another Walmart then continued to Green River State Park where I stayed a couple of days.  

Camping at Green River SP

It's been an ongoing dilemma for me whether to keep driving to stay ahead of cold weather or to stop for a few days to explore a part of the country I had never been to before. The days were nice and warm but the nights getting colder and I was concerned that I may run into snow given I would rather not get winterized ( dump all tanks and pour antifreeze into the drains, meaning I can't run any water) I noticed that, except in very popular places, there were less campers now.
I then drove east towards "The Arches" national park. My pass got me in but the campground was full. I spent a few hours exploring that park with its Arches and magnificent scenery. A hike took me closer to some of the interesting formations.

Fortunately I have had very good weather so far with mostly sunny days.

After the day at The Arches, I headed to Kane Springs campground just west of Moab which was a nearby town.
I followed my GPS and it guided me to a bend in the road with a cliff on one side and the Colorado River on the other! No house or sign in sight. I kept driving this very narrow road with no place to turn around until I came to a warehouse of sorts where I phoned for info. The camp manager came to get me telling me that for some reason his campground was incorrectly listed with GPS.
Jim was very helpful and told me the campground was previously his family's ranch.He took me there and showed me around. The area for dry camping (no hook ups) was in a large field and no one was camped there. I told him I didn't feel comfortable camping there on my own and he let me stay at a site for hook ups for only $15/night. It was a small campground with only about 5 sites and he introduced me to some of the other campers. It felt like a friendly community and the scenery was wonderful. There was also a movie being made in that area and some of the area was closed off.

The next day, I hiked about 4 mi along a popular trail made for 4 wheelers but none came by me while I was on it. It's considered one of the most difficult trails for driving but fun to hike.

Trail through canyon

All the time I was on the trail, I never saw anyone until just before I got back.
I felt somewhat anxious at times being in such a remote area where there was no cell phone service. What if I run across a mountain lion or sprain my ankle? 
Doing things like this is a risk but a much smaller risk than driving on the highway and I don't usually get anxious about that!
It was a nurturing kind of experience to be in the deep silence along that trail
and I decided to call it my "Solitary unconfinement" which I have often experienced in the far north or in the desert. Although I don't enjoy being alone all the time, I do love the feeling of solitude and stillness. At times like that I am in awe of the beauty of nature and am so moved I almost stop breathing.
I was almost back to the campground but had to do a quick "pit stop". I was just getting going again when 3 joggers came running by...whew!
After I got back, the camper next to me invited me for dinner.
Floyd camped there all summer in his trailer and drove his motorcycle to work in town every day. He went all out laying quite a spread on the picnic table. Along with a good conversation and a campfire, it was quite an unexpected gift.
I so value these experiences!
The next morning I drove that narrow road back to Moab and south to " The Natural Bridges National Monument", stopping at "The Needles Overlook".
The scenery on the way was an ongoing wow at times. I didn't know Utah had so much desert and wide open spaces.

The campground at Natural Bridges   ( turned west onto hway 95 to get there) was very nice and once again I was able to use my pass to get in. The fee for camping was only $10 and I decided to stay 2 days. The campers beside me were Ellen and Klaus from Germany, moving to Seattle quite a few years ago. They recently sold their house and bought a 34 ft Motorhome, towing their car and traveling full time. They invited me to go with them next day to see some sights. Before going to bed, I walked for a while enjoying the darkness and stars. With no light pollution except from campers, the milky way was more visible than I had seen before. It was awesome.
I got up early for the next day's adventure. My friends drove their car to places I would not be able to get to with my RV. We drove south to "Muley park Overlook", a hair raising ride down a narrow very steep road with sharp switchbacks, sheer drops and no guard rails.

The road went along the side of this cliff face !

We carried on to see part of  " The Goosenecks State Park":

What amazing designs occur in nature!







That afternoon I went hiking on a trail near the campsite to check out the natural Bridges. It was only about 1 km one way but very challenging with some stairs and also ladders to get down to the valley. I met a couple from Quebec to hike with and that felt comforting since there was no one else on the trail and no phone signal. It was another beautiful sunny day.

The Sipapu bridge

Hiking back up the 500 ft incline was a good workout.Driving back, I came across some cows on the side of the road and then 2 deer being chased by some kind of animal I saw only a glimpse of. Those deer must have been relieved to have the chase interrupted by my RV!
That evening some other campers invited me to their campfire and we shared travel stories. One of the things I love about RVing is meeting so many interesting and friendly people.
It rained all that night but sunny again the next morning.
I left, this time to go north on #95 to Hanksville where I fuelled up. Gas here was the highest cost yet at $2.99/gal due to the remote area. I saw a sign for the Goblin Valley State Park , only 45 min north and since it was now Oct 31 and Halloween, it seemed like the ideal place to go. I'll tell you about those goblins in my next blog.
Boooooooo!

patches of warm fall colours along my route


"The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step".

              --- Lao Tzu, ancient Chinese philosopher

"Despair comes from trying to control matters over which you have no power.
Hope comes from taking responsibility for yourself. "
       --- from "Notes from the Song of Life" by Tolbert McCarroll

Please excuse the changing font sizes. I'm not sure why this happens.
I would enjoy any comments sent to me by my e-mail:

whyknotrvmaria@gmail. com
( note the k )

Have a wonderful day

Maria