Bryce and Zion National Parks. Mother Nature is the artist and southern Utah her canvas.

Our visit to both parks was nothing short of awe-inspiring! Both very unique and unlike the other though the miles between them is relatively few.

If they have one thing in common it’s the incredible number of people who visit them.  Not only from the US, but from all corners of the world. I’m amazed at just how many foreigners come to the US just to visit our national parks.

If we had to pick a favorite it would have to be Zion. There is something very sacred about this place. Towering cliffs looming well over a thousand feet humbled us as we made our way through the park. How minuscule we were compared to the enormity that surrounded us.

Bryce canyon is best described as leaving our planet and landing on another! The fragile sandstone that makes up the park has been carved away by centuries of wind and water leaving behind deep canyons with tall spires, some shapes defying the laws of gravity!

We enjoy hiking as long as the trails match our ability and stamina…which I might add is not much! We hiked the canyon rim of Bryce which was pretty easy but a little scary at the same time. You see, there are no barriers on this trail and the edge of the canyon is just a few feet from the trail.

The canyon edge is just behind me a few feet away

The views along the trail are well worth the risk. Bryce Canyon is said to have the cleanest air of anywhere in the US. We could see for miles!

The mountain on the horizon was over 70 miles away

So why is the rock multi shades of red you ask? Inquiring minds want to know!  The sand stone has high concentrations of iron and the red color is actually rust. It’s hard to believe we have a National Park with a rust problem!!

Here are a few more shots of the canyon.

We invite you to take a hike with us in Zion National Park!

Our hike will take us on the Watchman Trail. We will ascend some 360 ft., and travel 3 1/2 miles in length. It’s 7:30 AM and the temperature is in the mid 40s.

We begin with a flat easy stroll along the river. The trail is sandy with a few rocks and easy-going. Listen! Hear that? Just the rush of the water over the rocks. Nothing else!

As we continue along the trail we are met with a view of what’s to come! Are we going to the top? Why yes we are! The trail is still quite sandy and the increased incline makes walking a little more difficult. Look around! The landscape is so incredable!

Watchman Trail

Continuing along, the trail starts to narrow now and becomes cluttered with loose rocks that make walking more difficult. The Park Service has added makeshift steps that actually make our walk more difficult. They’re uneven and sand makes them slippery so watch your step!The trail is getting much narrower and steeper now and the going gets much harder. Each step is calculated. Careful! We don’t  want to slip or twist an ankle. It’s all up hill and our legs feel the burn.

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Time to stop and take a look at how far we’ve come! It seems one of us is lagging behind a bit!

We’re getting close. The end is in sight! Just a little further….we can do it!

More than two hours have passed. The sun is up! We made it to the top! It’s time to peel a few layers and admire the views!

At the top Watchman Trail

That was fun! The bad news is we have to go back down the same way we came up!

Zion is a hikers paradise. One of the trails takes you along and in a river about a foot deep. We weren’t prepared to do this one. Maybe next time.

We did make our way to the Emerald Pools. This hike has two parts. The lower pool which is an easy hike, and the upper pool which is more strenuous. 

Waterfall at the lower pool

We spent three days in Zion National Park and enjoyed every minute. It is truly one of the most beautiful of all we have seen.

Retire, buy a motor home and travel the country. It sounds so exciting right? And it is, most of the time. But there is a down side to a life on wheels. The things that are not in the “How To Do”books. It’s the things that are camouflaged in the aura of the adventure.

It’s been a year and a half since we sold it all and hit the road. At first we were in vacation mode, moving from place to place. It didn’t take long for the constant pace to  ware us down and leave  us exhausted and confused. Where did we see such and such? What town was that in? We had to change our thinking. This is not a vacation. It’s a lifestyle!

Constantly moving is expensive. RV parks charge more by the night than by the week, month, season or year. And with moving comes the cost of fuel, albeit for us the lessor of our expenses but expensive never the less. It gets pricey as you frequently add the miles.

Every move brings new surroundings. New places to see and do. It also means we have no idea where anything is located. We are at the mercy of good intentioned directions and GPS. So basically…..we’re lost! We stay longer and learn an area, move on and we’re lost again.  It was fun at first, now not so much. Although it’s the larger cities that present the most challenge.

Healthcare is a big one. Sure we have Medicare, supplemental insurance and drug coverage. We are miles away from the Michigan doctors who knew us so well. That means that needed care is usually an urgent care facility. We may be treated by a physician or a nurse practitioner but rarely the same one twice. Health history is a do over with each and every visit.

Simple tasks like getting hair done,  taking our cat to a vet, getting service on our coach or car, are tasks not easily done when moving from town to town. Yes, we figure it out. Now it just takes time and is no longer second nature.

We make all of our park reservations in advance so each destination is a given. Because the popularity of RV travel in recent years, the days of heading out and landing wherever are gone.  Most parks, especially the ones in popular areas, are booked weeks, months, and even a year in advance. The reality is that there are more RV’s than there are parks to accommodate them. It’s not uncommon for us to spend several days working on our travel itinerary.

Misrepresentation of RV parks on the internet is all to common. The word “Resort” is used to describe a lot of parks that in reality are far from it. We’ve had the misfortune of booking a “Resort” when in reality it was unkept and filled with permanent residents that surrounded themselves with junk.

Lastly, there’s the disconnect from family and life long friends. Those who were always close are no longer there. We are miles away from our adult children and grandchildren. But hey! There’s technology Right? It helps but it’s no substitute.

We have had the pleasure of meeting some very wonderful people. People sharing this lifestyle are generally very friendly social people. But lasting relationships are rare. More  often than not the best intentions of keeping in touch are lost in the many miles that separate them.

So does this mean that we want to quit? Not at all! We’ve visited some of the most beautiful parts of the country and have only scratched the surface. There’s so much more! As long as the pro’s out weigh the con’s, we’ll continue.

We go forward knowing this lifestyle won’t last forever. But as long as we have good health, are comfortable in this incredible machine, (thank you Newmar!), have the support of our family, and have the desire to explore, we’ll continue to call the road “Home.”

The mornings are crisp and frosty.  Snow is making its way down the mountains to the lower elevations.  The bitter sweet reality is that as much as we have enjoyed Northwest Wyoming and the National Parks, winter was closing in and it is time to move on.

Often times in our travels, the journey is as incredible as the destination. Making our way south to Utah through Wyoming was one of those drives when we would like to turn around and do it again! Vast prairie, snow caped mountains, and plenty of wild life along the way. This drive had it all!

Wind River Canyon

The Big Horn River through Wind River Canyon

The Big Horn River flows through Wind River Canyon. Click on the pic and if you look closely you’ll see the railroad tracks and tunnel that follow the river.

Susan counted 179 (give or take) antelope along the way. Here they boldly munch away on a farmers crop just a few feet from the side of the road.

On top of the Red Canyon south pass, Wind River Mtn. Range

Getting our coach up over the 7,550 ft. pass was a bit of a chore but made it ( not fast!) never the less. The view from the top……..Pretty Awesome! The road at the bottom is actually the old stagecoach route through the valley.

We’ve set our sights on the Heber Valley in northern Utah, south east of Salt Lake City.  Our coach will log 470 miles getting there and because the road is all two lane for the most part, this journey will take a day and a half.

Extending the seasons is a perk of our lifestyle. By that I mean we are literally chasing fall colors as we move south.  We’ve arrived in Heber City just in time.  The Mountains are ablaze with fall colors and snow caped peaks. What a show!

These pics were taken from one of several mountain roads that would take you deep in to the wilderness. Paved? Partially! Gravel? That too! Guard rails? Not!! We should have bought a Jeep!

Just about the time we figured it was time to make our way back to our coach we came across Cascade Springs, one of several  high volume springs in the area that flow to the valley.  So tranquil!

Water water everywhere!

On the boardwalk at Cascade Springs

Did someone say “birds?”

This fellow was in his element at the springs. There had to be a bird or rabbit somewhere!

Teton Mountain Range

As fate would have it, our Ford Focus was victim of a recall. So after a visit to the dealer in Cody Wyoming to determine that we needed the repair, we waited for parts to be shipped from Florida…..during the hurricane! This was going to take awhile! Not exactly what we had planned but if we have to be detained this is the place to be. So our one week stay has turned into a month.

We have no hesitation about jumping in the car and driving long distances to explore and see the sights. From where our coach is parked (33 miles from the East entrance of Yellowstone)  most day trips here are 200 miles plus round trip.  And since we have the time,  more trips to Yellowstone and the Teton Mts. are on the agenda. The only problem with this plan…… it’s late September and winter arrives here very early!!

This part of the country is a photographers dream and Susan was giving her shutter finger a tremendous amount of exercise!

So without further ado, enjoy the show!

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It’s hard to describe because “beautiful” just doesn’t seem to cover it. Ask any number of people who have been there and you’ll hear “Awesome!”, “Breath taking!” “Incredible!”, Unbelievable!”, “Really Really Big!” All so true!

Yellowstone is our oldest and eighth largest National Park. It encompasses over 3400 square miles and over 2 million acres. Mountain ranges, valleys, lakes, geysers, forests, water falls, wildlife, here for the wonderment of all!

I could go on and on about Yellowstone but I’ll let the pictures tell the story!

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Some of you may remember the movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” which starred Richard Dryfus. It was a fictional accounting of making contact with aliens at a place called Devil’s Tower located in Wyoming. The storyline though entertaining is of course made up but the place is not. It is however devoid of aliens!

Devil’s Tower

Devil’s Tower

Devil’s Tower sits in the Black Hills of Wyoming and S. Dakota. It was formed millions of years ago and is thought to be an underground volcanic plug formed by magma and pushed toward the earth’s surface. Erosion finished the job of exposing it.

Take a hike around the base and your in for a 1.3 mile adventure through and around the boulder field. The views are awesome offering countless opportunities for photos.

Devil’s Tower is also a rock climbers dream although I think you would have to be missing a few brain cells to want to climb it. Some 5000 climbers annually seem to think they left something at the top. Its straight up! Crazy!

Tourist love em’ Locals not so much!

Soooo Cute!

 Entering the park you are greeted by a huge colony of these guys…. Prairie Dogs…..lots of Prairie Dogs. Cute but try and feed one and you’re apt to loose a finger!

Looking north from the tower is this vast valley. This land used to be home to thousands of buffalo. Today a few Texas longhorn cattle graze on the lush green grass.

Devil’s Tower is a National Monument and is a bit touristy so we wanted to leave the crowds and travel the area. We were told of a little cafe’ in the small town of Aladdin that  had good food. When they say “small” they REALLY mean SMALL!!

This whole area is very popular with motorcyclist. There are a lot of winding roads and beautiful scenery. After all it is only 60 miles from Sturgis SD, which hosts the largest bike rally in the country.

By the way if you would like to purchase this 150 year old general store, gas station (the pumps don’t work!) and surrounding property, it’s for sale. 750K and its yours!

Devil’s Tower was a bucket list item we can check off. The pictures Susan took here  happened over a two day visit. Day one we got caught in a rain storm while hiking the base of the tower. Needless to say photography gave way to covering the camera and  being soaked to the bone. The only thing missing from that shower was the soap!

On August 21st, the total eclipse of the sun will pass just south of Devils’s Tower. Thousand of people are expected to be in the vicinity. Who knows! Maybe ET will show up!

It’s been a while since our last post for sure! After making our way through Atlanta, Tennessee, Kentucky and a service stop at the Newmar factory, we landed back in Michigan. It was time to slow down and get back to what  is truly  important, family and friends. Getting hugs from our kids, seeing the smiles of our grandchildren, and the warm greetings from good friends, reminds us of where home truly is!

The challenge of visiting our former home state is finding close accommodations large enough to accommodate our 44′ length.  As luck would have it a new RV park just opened    and even though construction was still going on we were able to secure a beautiful spot on the Grand River.

The parks name is Steamboat RV Park. Appropriately named because of the “Grand Lady”, a replica of a river sternwheeler. Most evenings she departs for a leisurely cruise down river making her way for ten miles before turning about for the return trip up stream.

…And all the while being entertained by a great blue grass band!

Capt. Bill keeping a watchful eye and he maneuvers The Grand Lady!

For two months we were able to enjoy this serene place in the midst of urban Grand Rapids. How grateful we are for the opportunity to share this part of our lives with our good friends and family. If there is a down side to our life style it would be leaving those so near and dear to our hearts. We are truly blessed!

Recharged! It’s time to get back on the road to see more of this beautiful country! For our friends we leave behind we say farewell for now. For our family,  there’s no good bye. Just know how much you are loved. We’ll be back!

Southern charm and hospitality were certainly the focus of our park hosts here in Theodore AL, a suburb of Mobile. We’ve stayed at quite a few parks in our travels, some better than others. All About Relaxing RV Park took their name seriously! It was a nice touch having the welcome sign and the escort waiting to bring us to our site. Perhaps our reputation had proceeded us? Nope! Everybody had a welcome sign!

Mobile has quite a few gems that caught our attention. One of which has quite an embattled past. That being the mighty battleship the USS Alabama. Now decommissioned, the ship is a floating museum open for exploration bilge to bridge.

Massive 16″ guns !

Guns now silent defended the ship in WWll

Maneuvering the passage ways was sometimes quite difficult. Make no mistake this is no cruise ship. The crew of 1,760 worked, ate, and slept in cramped conditions that I can only imagine. Look at the engine compartment below and you’ll see what I mean.

Standing between two of the three engines where temps averaged well over 100.

She fought to preserve our freedom. It was an honor to be on her decks.

The ship was part of a military park that displayed a variety of military aircraft. Everything from WW ll planes to current day fighter jets.

The aircraft exhibit building. The mural makes the flat wall look as if it’s a flag in the wind.

Just a short drive south is Douphin Island, the local favorite for beach goers. The stroll along the beach was a welcome change. The island is located at the entrance of Mobile Bay which is relatively shallow. The ocean that washes the shoreline unfortunately is very murky. Of course that didn’t make us any difference. We were going to walk the beach anyway!

The local wildlife didn’t seem to mind either!

On the East side of the bay and close Pensacola FL is Golf Shores. There was no doubt we found the tourist mecca of the gulf. High-rise hotels and condominiums line the beaches along with an array of restaurants and fast food places. Salt air blue water and high surf. A great combination for an afternoon at the beach!

The public pier was 300 yards long with a lot of people surf fishing. It also made for several photo opportunities that Susan wasn’t going to pass up!

There are days we dearly miss our beautiful Lake Michigan. But as I stand here looking at the vast ocean, I am humbled,… and so very thankful for the opportunity  to experience both.

After a brief stop in Houston to visit family and friends and the onset of warmer weather, its time to leave Texas and make our way east along the gulf coast.

Traveling Interstate 10 we had bumper to bumper traffic and torrential down pours most of the way. Actually the rain was welcome because the amount of splattered love bugs on the windshield made it almost impossible to see!

We’ve encountered our fair share of traffic jams especially in Texas! But in Baton Rouge we hit the grand daddy of them all. It took over one hour just to cross over the Mississippi River bridge!

This was a sure test of patience! Not one of my strong points!

Eventually we made it to Convent, LA a small community north of New Orleans. We stayed at a one time tobacco plantation which was a nice change from some of the crowded parks we’ve experienced.

The Mansion of Judge Poche’

We parked in the driveway

This  guy greets you just outside the managers office

The French Quarter with it’s history dating back to the 1700s, is like no other part of a big city I’ve experienced. The streets are narrow row houses and businesses most of which are painted brightly and adorned with flowers and ornate wrought iron railings.

Typical narrow street in the French Quarter

This house was a celebration of spring

Flowers & more flowers!

Music! Its everywhere! On Street corners, in taverns and restaurants, and from the calliope that sits on the top deck of the riverboat.

Jackson Square is a historic park in the French Quarter and has been declared a National Historic Landmark. It was the site where in 1803 Louisiana was made a US territory. The park is overlooked by the Saint Louis Cathedral founded in 1720. It is the oldest cathedral  in the US.

Inside St. Louis Cathedral

There is so much to see and do in New Orleans. Just going to the many fabulous places to eat could fill your itinerary! We decided a good way to really see the area was to take a day tour of the city.

Stops along the way included the city park with its Spanish moss……

And one of the many above ground cemeteries! New Orleans is below sea level so the deceased are six feet …UP?…And stacked on top of one another! Creepy!

Okay…this is just CREEPY!

Crypts date back several centuries

There are several old plantations in the vicinity of the one we are at. Some are just a historic sign designating what once was while others have been masterfully restored. One such place is Houmas House Plantation and Garden.

The mansion was built in 1840 and is simply magnificent! The grounds are surrounded by lush floral gardens, 400 yr old oaks with Spanish moss, and pools with fountains! Absolutely stunning! I’ll let the photos speak for themselves!

The trunk of this oak is 15 Ft. in circumference

Fountain in the back of the mansion

Louisiana lawn ornaments!

As we say good bye to Louisiana I can’t help but think of all the unfortunate people who’s lives were forever impacted by Hurricane Katrina. The 9th ward, an area we didn’t visit, has not yet completely recovered. However the rest of the city in spite of the devastation has bounced back. It truly is a come back city!

Davey Crocket / The Alamo

Remember the Alamo! Davey Crocket, Sam Houston, Santa Anna, Jim Bowie, all famous names associated with the 1836 battle of the Alamo located right in the heart of San Antonio. As a matter of fact, the city literally grew up and surrounded the Alamo to the point that it looks out of place next to the modern skyline.

The image of the Alamo that we all recognize is actually the chapel and is all that remains of the larger compound. It was actually located in the back. The walls that once existed are long gone and are now busy streets.

The chapel front which we recognize as “The Alamo” Photos are not allowed inside.

This building was built in 1936 and now houses the gift shop

Before the Alamo became a recognized and restored historic site it was host to several venues including a general store and a car dealership!

San Antonio is a beautiful city with some very interesting architecture. A fair number of buildings date back to the 1800s with many toped with the Texas State Flag.

“Flatiron” construction three sides

In the heart of the city is a place that is like no place we’ve seen in any large city. Appropriately named “The River Walk” it’s an oasis that is breath taking! The re-routed Guadalupe River flows through this area and is bordered by shops, restaurants and lush landscapes. Manicured flower gardens, Cypress trees, water falls and wild life for all who come here relax and enjoy. You can have your lunch or dinner along the water way or just stop for some Ice cream and let the day float by! It’s so easy forget you’re in the big city!

One of many picturesque bridges

stroll the sidewalks or enjoy a river boat tour

A yellow Crowned Night Heron

Generally we don’t care for the hustle bustle of the big city and their traffic . Texas has three of the nations largest. But I have to say, after visiting San Antonio’s River Walk it was well worth the effort.