Saturday, October 26, 2013

Oct. 24, 2013

Back where we started.

Started the day watching Charlie run and bounce some more and then headed west one more time.  Very light traffic all the way.  Autumn colors of sorts (we are kind of jaded by what we have seen elsewhere in the last few weeks Smile) and familiar road.   In less than two hours we were parked in front of home.  Now the work begins.  Empty and clean the carbus and toad.

Truckee RiverFall, on Hwy 80, CAFall, on Hwy 80, CA

_____

Duration of this adventure:  4 1/2 months

Miles traveled:  15400 in carbus,

                         3300 in car

Experiences and memories:  endless

______

‘till next time,  thanks for coming along with us.



Oct. 23, 2013

Lonely Road

Probably our longest driving day of the trip.  Mainly because there is pretty much nothing other than 325 miles of road between Ely and Reno.  Fallon and Fernley are medium sized farm towns about 50 and 30 miles from Reno but neither has much to see (nice city park in Fallon though) and there are better RV campgrounds in Reno/Sparks area (and for us, family).  Highway 50 is lonely (probably met fewer than 40 vehicles and were passed by 5 going our way in over 250 miles prior to Fallon outskirts) but it is beautiful.  Long stretches of road through constantly changing vistas.  Across a wide valley and over a mountain pass and down into another valley but with a different look.  Over and over.  There are six or seven passes but the valleys are so high that the climb up the passes doesn’t seem too extreme.  Nice day.  Clear, no clouds, and nice temp as we got further west (it was 24 degrees this morning in Ely Smile). 

Ely, NVHwy 50, NVP1080173P1080180Hwy 50, NVHwy 50, West of Austin, NV

 

Got to Christina and Roland’s house about 3:30 and spent the afternoon and evening visiting and watching Charlie.  When we left he was getting into the walking thing.  Pretty jerky but able to get across the room.  Now he no longer walks.  He RUNS.  Everywhere!  Even as few as three steps .  When he is not running he is climbing and/or reaching.  Things on counters have to be a foot from the edge and soon that will not help.  On couches he runs and climbs.  Back and forth, up and over.  We got a good workout just watching him.



Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Oct. 22, 2013

Western Utah

Western Utah is much like most of Nevada.  High desert.  Long straight roads through sand and sagebrush.  Not much to catch the eye but one has to cross it to get to the other side.  Going around would just be more of the same.

Hwy 50, view from Sacramento Mtn summithwy 50 into NevadaMt. Wheeler, Great Basin National ParkHwy 50 Nevada



Oct. 21, 2013

Driving Through Wow!

Today we left Colorado and drove along I 70 through eastern Utah. 

I spoke in an earlier blog from New England about wondering how a sight could be more fantastic and then going over a hill or around a corner to find out it could.  Driving eastern Utah is the same.  And, it is there all year long.  Not seasonal.  There are trees in various stages of color but here it is all about the land itself.  Constantly changing spectacular landscapes and vistas.  Enhanced by time of year in that sun is lower in sky and casts shadows even at mid day.  I enjoy driving US 50 across Nevada because it is a pretty and varied drive (even if it is ‘lonely’).  Driving west on I 70 through Utah beats it I think.  (Better experience east to west if you can choose.) 

I-70 UtahI-70 Utah, Green RiverI-70 UtahI-70 Utah,San Rafael ReefI-70 Utah,San Rafael ReefI-70 Utah, Black DragonI-70I-70, sandstoneI-70 Utah, SandstoneI-70 UtahI-70, UtahI-70 UtahI-70 Utah, Salt WashI-70 Utah, Salt WashI-70 UtahI-70 Utah



Sunday, October 20, 2013

Oct. 20, 2013

We’re not in Kansas Anymore

Over the past three weeks we have traveled over 2500 miles through what I would call hills and low mountains and across the flat plains.  Todays journey would be different.  North along the west edge of greater Denver to I70 and then west.   Denver is the ‘Mile High City’ but not much more. It gets snow but lot for an extended time.  Much like Reno.  As soon as you get west of Denver though you start going up, and up, and up.  Eventually the road goes through Eisenhower Memorial Tunnel.  A mile long tunnel over 11,000 feet above sea level.  Definitely not Kansas.  We timed weather just right.  Light overcast and dry road.  We went through several stages of autumn color.  Early change to prime in Denver.  Many bare trees over the summit.  Prime coming down the west of the Rockies.  Early to no change in western Colorado.  260 some odd miles and we are now in Grand Junction. 

Morning View, Chatfield State Park, Littleton COI-70 ColoradoI-70 ColoradoI-70 Colorado, Eisenhower Memorial TunnelI-70 ColoradoI-70 ColoradoI-70 Colorado



Oct. 19, 2013

Layover Day, House Remodel, Airport

Temperature this morning was 26 degrees.  Glad I wasn’t in a tent.

Cousin Tim’s subfloor project turned into more than he had thought it would be when he started.  There was no way he would get it done before his family returned.  We decided to stay over a day so I could help him.  Spent the morning and early afternoon puzzling together the rest of the subfloor.

R & R at Tim and Wendy's House, Highland's Park, CO

Finished and cleaned up and then off to the airport to get Tim’s family.  The Denver airport is MILES from Denver.  It was almost 45 minutes getting there.  Got there just as plane landed.  Picked up Wendy and Bohdi (wife and son) and back home.  Along the way phones were active and another dinner out was arranged.  Skipped dessert this time and were home by 8:00.

Tim and BohdiSue, Tim, Bohdi, PetePete, Sue and Suey, Littleton, COSunset, Littleton, CO



Oct. 18, 2013

Cousins

Woke to overcast skies and cold temps.  Mountains that we saw yesterday were obscured by clouds and snow showers.  Had thought to take road along base of hills to Colorado Springs and then on to Denver area.  Could not see hills through snow falling on them so opted to go east and up valley.  Had a few very light flurries as we went to Pueblo but they cleared and as we went north clouds broke to mostly sunshine. 

Castle Rock, CO

About two and a half hours north to Highland Ranch and Chatsworth State Park.  Very nice open space adjoining the southern edge of the greater Denver area.  Great facilities.  Close to 200 camp sites.  Most with full hookups and concrete level parking pads.  Walking paths, marina, picnic areas, even a model airplane flying area.  This park is full with campers and day visitors every day all summer long.  No problem getting a spot now though.  The loop we were in had several RVs AND three or four tents.  More on that later.

I have three cousins who live in Highland Park.  One is my age and has lived here for years.  The other two are younger and have young families.  They all came here by different life paths but all ended up living within a mile of each other.  We went to visit one who had recently purchased a house.  He was doing some remodeling while his wife and son were visiting relatives in California.  I helped him with some sub floor installation while Sue went to visit with my other cousins.  All cousins and available families got together for dinner at a nice Mexican restaurant and afterward walked down several stores to a neat frozen yogurt place.  We spent nearly two hours there talking about anything and everything.  Fun evening.

We got back to the carbus about 9:30 and it was already cold – near freezing.  Just driving by those tents made me shudder.



Oct. 17, 2013

Layover Day, Good Eats

The weather tonight was forecast to be possible snow showers in the Denver area – our next destination.  The campground we are in is a bit remote but has good WIFI and TV reception and is midway between Pueblo and Penrose, site of one of our goals.  So, wait a day before going north.

Morning was cold and clear.  Gave the sun a couple of hours to warm things and then into Pueblo to shop and sightsee.  Visited a quilt shop, walked historic downtown, and made the loop around Pueblo’s river walk. Plan was to be something like San Antonio River Walk but turned into more of a open park and path around a river shaped lake.  A few restaurants but mostly open space.  Nice park walk in the middle of downtown.  Lots of people out taking advantage of nice fall day.

Pueblo, CO, River Walk

Back west past our campground and on to Penrose.  Our daughter-in-law’s mother and step dad operate a small restaurant there.  Home style cooking.  No themes or ethnicities, just very good basic home cooking and baking.  Name of restaurant is Gooseberry Patch and gooseberry pie is among offerings.  If you have occasion to go through Penrose, CO go to the Gooseberry Patch for a meal.  You will not be disappointed.

P1070748

Pueblo West, CO, MOON

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Oct. 16, 2013

Flat land

Kansas is flat.  So is eastern Colorado.

Yesterday was sunny and bright all day.  Nice change from the day before.  The wind was also different.  Instead of from the southeast it was from the north.  20+mph. Gusts to 35mph.  We were going west.  That equals 200+ miles of steady crosswind.  My right arm got a cramp from holding the carbus against the wind.  Stayed in a campground in a small town on the Kansas prairie.  Winds eventually died down which allowed the temperature to drop to 35 degrees last night.

This morning was overcast but no wind.  Stayed that way through western Kansas and eastern Colorado.  Long straight road through the flat prairie but good road and no wind.  We are now on the west side of Pueblo, CO.  Still flat but can see the Rockies.  They had a dusting of snow last night (since gone) and possible inch tomorrow night.  Plan to stay in Denver area a day or two.  Will have to watch weather and road conditions a bit closer as we plan to head west.



Monday, October 14, 2013

Oct. 14, 2013

Layover in Central Kansas

Extreme southeastern Kansas has ‘hills’.  More like rolling prairie but there is visible elevation change as you look around.  Shortly though as you go west you realize that the ‘hills’ have flattened and everywhere you look is flat broken at times by rows of trees between farms. 

Highway 400, KS

One aspect of flat land is that wind has nothing to stop or alter it.  As soon as we hit flat country the wind started and did not stop or even diminish much.  Yesterday the wind was from the east so we had a tailwind and easy driving.  Today the wind is from the south, steady 20+mph with gusts to 35mph.  Driving a big box in a crosswind (with possible thunder storms) is not much fun (been there).  Tomorrow is supposed to be better so we decided to have a lazy day.  This park has good WIFI internet and TV reception so we are just sitting here watching trees move.

We did stop in Wichita yesterday to visit our first home and take a walk to Dairy Queen for a cone.  Something we did many summer evenings when we lived there.  Same little DQ is still there.  Everything around it has changed but this bit of nostalgia (for us) remains as it was 47 years ago.

Our House, Wichita, KS

We lived in the basement.  Entrance in rear.

Wichita State University

We both took some courses here when we lived in Wichita.

storm brewingA resident's ladder

This ladder is hanging on the back of a RV.  Looks like neither has moved in a while.

RV Park pond

Park we are in has several of these ponds.  Each with large toad population.