Lewis & Clark State Park, Montana

Quick overnight stop on our way through Montana found us at this lovely park. Hoping for a spot, we arrived early in the afternoon and were lucky to get a large open area all to ourselves. Camp host came around a filled us in on the caverns and tour that was available and also the talk to be given that night about SNAKES! We got all set up and decided to do a quick bike ride down to the river, real quick…we hadn’t made it ¼ when we had to turn back. The single track, uphill, lined with cactus path was not looking fun for anyone but Bob. The boys and I went back and got the jeep and drove the two miles down to the river to meet him. Our plans were for a quick swim but the 1000’s of mosquitoes that were there to greet us quickly changed our minds. The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing and we did learn a few things at the snake talk. We had decided to do the Caverns the next morning before we packed up as it would be cooler walking up the trail to get to them.

Good decision!!! The trail up to the Cavern door was LONG AND HOT. They gave us 30 minutes to get up there and I used every one of them. The boys only mildly complained, but quickly forgot all about the climb once they got inside the cool darkness of the cavern. Bats greeted us, and our tour guide was informative and fun. The caverns were much larger than the ones we had toured in Sequoia a few years ago, and we even had to sit and slide down one very narrow area. Fun day.

Lewis and Clark State Park, 20 miles south of I-90, off Hwy 2, fee was 12.00 no hookups, but very nice park. Cavern Tour was amazing.  http://stateparks.mt.gov/lewis-and-clark-caverns/

Across Nevada

June 24-25

The highway across Nevada holds little interest for the boys. They are tucked into their recliner chairs playing games and watching videos. Bob and I watch as the miles go by on a cloudless and very warm day. We had stopped in Fallon to pick up some important mail and had an all to quick visit with Steve and Raina. Over the last couple weeks while we were parked in Fallon getting ready for this big trip we had spent quite a bit of time with them and it will be hard to say goodbye. They are leasing our house for the next two years and it will be easy to leave the house and our gardens in the loving and capable hands.

We stopped outside Elko for a visit to the California Trail Interpretive Center. Great place if you are traveling with kids. They had a lot of hands on displays and the boys hopefully picked up a little understanding of the hardships that the pioneers faced as they crossed the 40 Mile Desert. The outside area was set up as a Native American settlement and the docent was informative. After the two hour stop it was back on the road to find our boondock stop for the night, a deserted gravel pit outside Carlin. Not the best, but it works for the night. 

The Road to South Dakota

We spent a few days together in Lake Tahoe, the big kids, Sara, Travis, Bob and I – and our small ones, Cash and Carson. The campground a couple miles from the lake has been a regular stop for us every summer while we have had the boys for a few weeks each summer. It filled my heart to hear the boys say “Hey, there’s our favorite ice cream place”, and “Look – there’s the bike jumps at the dirt track we rode last year”. Our hope has always been that these weeks we have with the boys each year will help to make lasting memories. I lost my grandparents as a very young child, but when I married into Bob’s family at the age of 18 I gained 2 grandmothers. One lived to be 99 and 11 months, and was a strong influence on not only myself, but on our daughter as well.

I always enjoyed the wild stories that Bob would tell me about his Pa. An early developer of Key Largo, he would take Bob along on rides through the Keys, checking on construction and generally teaching him all the useful things that every young boy needs to learn. The inappropriate lessons somehow always seemed to be taught also. Peeing outside, put pepper on your ice cream so you don’t get a brain freeze, and that ginger ale went really well with bourbon.

Fast forward fifty years or so, and it’s now Bob’s turn to teach the boys some things. How to make a super loud whistle with a blade of grass, that certain rocks skip much better than others and if you hold your arm just right you can get 10 skips in a row on a cool clear river. That ice cream doesn’t need pepper, but it does need to be the biggest scoop you can possible fit in the cone. What to carry on a 5-mile hike, and how not to get lost. He is a great teacher.

We are on the path to South Dakota this trip. This year we have the boys for 6 weeks!!!! With the new travel mode in the motorhome there is plenty of room and should make it real comfy for the miles ahead of us. We said goodbyes to their parental units and down the road we went. It’s going to be a wild ride.  

Hole in The Rock Road

We have been camped off of Hole In The Rock Road for a couple weeks now. Beautiful calm site, if you don't count the droves that venture down the road to all the slot canyons and adventures that lie along the road. This shot was taken behind the Dance Hall Historic Rock. Amazing stormy day that did not allow us to continue THE LAST 6 MILES to get to Hole in The Rock. Slippin and Slidin down the side of a cliff was not my idea of adventure, and thankfully Bob agreed, so we had to turn around SO CLOSE..... to the end of the road. We probably won't try it again this year. Still so much to see, and we are running out of time before we head back to Nevada for a month. Was a beautiful day...again.

Buckskin Gulch

Nothing can really prepare you for your first experience in a slot canyon. A few years ago, Bob and I ventured into Southern Utah on a “5 Great National Parks of Utah” tour. We only had a month at that time, but we managed to do Arches, Canyonland, Capitol Reef, Bryce and Zion. BUT…. we also made it to Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument that is positioned in between Capitol Reef and Bryce. It encompasses an enormous area of land, over 1,880,461 acres in southern Utah. Thinking we would actually see a “staircase”, was surprised to find out it is named this because of the series of plateaus that descend from Bryce canyon south toward the Grand Canyon, marked by vertical drops at the Pink Cliffs, Grey Cliffs, White Cliffs, Vermillion Cliffs and Chocolate Cliffs. 

This year we had a lot more time to spend in this beautiful area. We had planned for a month, just in Grand Staircase, and we started in the Vermillion Cliffs, west of Page, AZ, and then wandered up through Kanab to park for three weeks off of Hole in The Rock Road just east of the town of Escalante, UT. 

Our first slot canyon for this year was actually over in Lower Antelope Valley, but it was not the experience we were searching for. While absolutely beautiful in every way, Antelope is a very popular area and is only visited with a designated tour guide. Your time inside the actual canyon is extremely limited, and the cost is high. (40.00 per person –  approx. 40 minute tour). Located on Navajo land, the tours in the Lower area are run by a brother and sister team. The colors in the canyon were so amazing, but I felt like my eye never left the viewfinder trying to capture it with the camera. I didn’t get the solitude feeling that a slot canyon can bring on and nurture in your soul. 

But……the canyons of Escalante are open to all to with a simple day use permit. You can spend a day, you can spend the night. You just have to obtain a permit at one of the BLM offices in the area, or fill it out at the trailhead. We were boondocking right outside the Paria office, but we filled out our permit the day we hiked at the trailhead. 

Buckskin Gulch, known as the longest slot canyon in the west – via Wire Pass Trailhead was our destination this day. It was an incredible hike, on a beautiful – but slightly overcast day - and had everything we were looking for. Narrow slots, wide open ones also, slick rock to climb, moss draped rocks, amazing colors, 400’ soaring canyon walls, blooming cacti everywhere and a few challenging climbs. After going almost 2 miles in Wire Pass it will open up and you’ll arrive at the confluence of Wire Pass and Buckskin Gulch, but before you exit Wire Pass, look closely on the canyon wall on the right-hand side. You’ll see a panel of petroglyphs of bighorn sheep. We went about 4 miles in before we turned around, making it a nice 8+ mile day. If we had proceeded to the confluence with the river, and then on to White House Trailhead it would have been another 16, and we would have had to have a vehicle at each trailhead. 
Hints:     
Permits are needed. $6.00 per person/ You can pick it up ahead of time at Paria, or just fill one out at the trailhead. 
    
This is also where “The Wave” is located. I highly sought-after slot canyon that is only open to 20 people per day. Permits for that can be obtained online, 6 months in advance is a good try, and also through the lottery in Kanab. We tried, but didn’t get one.

The slot canyons can be VERY DANGEROUS if there is any chance of precipitation upstream. Know the weather, and heed the warnings. You will see many places in the canyon where debris has been lodged 20’ up when the water was rushing through. 

When you first enter the slot canyon there is a massive rock slide that is about 8’ tall. We didn’t feel comfortable about getting back out, gravity would have gotten us down, so Bob went up and over the slick rock and found us a “social” trail to follow. A bit more climbing, but it drops you down about ¼ mile into the canyon. Make sure and walk back up and see that part also. 

You may  need water shoes depended on what time of year you are hiking.

Small rattlesnakes are prevalent, we were told, but thankfully…we never saw any. 

 

Monument Valley

I thought I was prepared for the view out the windshield as we got closer to Monument Valley, but I wasn't. Growing up in the 60's, our house always had the TV on, and if there was a John Wayne movie playing, guareenteed the channel was turned to it. My Dad could recite every bit of dialogue as we watched, and my Mom would keep us entertained with stories of the stars and what other movies they had been in. Back then you didn't get to just "pick" what you wanted to watch. You anxiously combed the TV Guide booklet that came in the mail each week in search of a favorite movie, and then you made your weekly plans around it. 

Back to John Wayne. The campground we stayed in was the original Trading Post for The Goulding's, Harry and his wife Mike. The brick building is now a museum, with a memorial to them out front. They traded on the ground floor, and their apartment, with everything still on display, was on the second floor. The entire 2 miles all around is now filled with a Lodge, Restaurant, gas station, store, campground etc. It is a BIG production now. But back in the late 1920's there was nothing here in the way of trading. I sat and watched as "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" played on the screen inside the museum and I was transported back to those special nights as a child. Dad singing along and my Mom smiling. The history of the film side of Monument Valley evolved during the Depression Years. It was a very tough time apparently for the Navajos and the Gouldings. They got a friend to take photographs, (wish I had written the man's name down) and some are on display in the museum. He drove to Hollywood and showed them to movie director, John Ford, who fell in love with the area. Within a couple of WEEKS, they were there filming "Stagecoach". Starring a young John Wayne. Both John Ford and John Wayne returned again and again to this area for other films.

We did the 17 mile loop through the actual park that is owned and run by the Navajo Nation. It is so beautiful and the people we stopped and talked to along the way were filled with the spirit of the valley. We did a couple off the beaten path, but approved hikes, as permission must be granted by the Navajos to enter certain areas. 

A trip to last in the memory bank for years and years to come. 

Hints:  Goulding's Campground/ Full hook-ups, spendy BUT worth it. We usually always try and boondock (dry camp) so was a little hard to pay - but with the trails right out of the campground and the view, it was well worth it. 

Valley of the Gods / 40 miles north
Mexican Hat / small town 30 miles north
Monument Valley Park / Navajo Nation / 20.00 for 3 day pass
Take all your food/water/booze etc in with you to this area. The few stores there are high, understandable when you see how far things have to travel. 

 

Valley of The Gods

Day 63 ~ After arriving at Goulding's Campground about noon, we got settled in and realized we had a whole afternoon free. We decided to drive over to the Monument Valley entrance to see what the cost would be to get in, and also if we needed a tour to be able to do the photography I hoped for. At the gate, we found out that the pass was good for 3 days, so decided to go ahead and get it, check out the Information Center and then spend the entire day there the next day. That left most of the afternoon for exploring so we decided to travel up to Valley of the Gods. About 20 miles north, you travel through the town of Mexican Hat, aptly named as you can see by the first picture. Another few miles and you find the turn-off for the drive through the valley. A 17 mile loop past magnificent awe inspiring formations, we stopped and Bob got on his bike to take off on his own, while I did part of the drive slowly to take photos. Picked him up 10 miles or so later and we continued through the rest of the drive. The new bike is perfect for him. Comfortable and uphill rides seem no problem. Great day, like most all others have been this last 2 months. We are fortunate indeed. 

Hints:
Monument Valley is part of the Navajo Nation /pass is good for 3 days / 20.00 per car - up to 4 people. 
Goulding's Campground - 60.00 per night SPENDY - but very nice with all hookups and lots of trails and history of the area to explore. 
Valley of The Gods - There is PLENTY of boondocking pull-outs along the 17 mile drive. We would stay here if coming through this way again. Some at the very beginning would fit our size rig, but we wouldn't have taken it on the whole drive as it was very wash-boardy. 


 

Sunset Crater & Wupatki National Monuments

What a beautiful place to boondock. We needed to spend a couple days in Flagstaff so Bob could get his new bike, but we didn't know that we would find such a quiet peaceful place to park. If you are in the area, well worth the stop. A day for the monuments, a day relaxing overlooking the San Francisco peaks and a day in Flagstaff then it was back on the road headed for points north. 

Hints: From Flagstaff, Hwy 89 north for 12 miles
Turning into entrance for Sunset Crater, take the FIRST LEFT onto FS road. Gravel but well maintained. Go in about a mile, great spot on the right overlooking San Fransicso Peaks. There are gravel trucks that run M-F, so take care when exiting. 

The Dells

We moved from Cottonwood area over to Prescott Forest this last week. We wanted to give the boys a chance to see a different part of Arizona, and get in a few hikes in this area. With help from the US Forest Service office in Prescott a couple of weeks ago, we had already scouted out a great campground about 7 miles south of the historic area of Downtown Prescott. Far enough from town that you are in the dense forest, but close enough to be near stores, library and good eats.

We had decided to head over here on a Tuesday, ahead of the upcoming Easter weekend as all the sites are first-come, first-camp. Lucky for us, because we managed to score a beautiful pull-thru site on a hill that overlooked the forest with a creek at the bottom. We quickly set up boundaries for the boys - not past the creek, and not out of whistle range. Off they went exploring while Bob and I got the rv set up. That first day we just hung in camp and I took a little hike by myself up..up..UP towards Goldwater Lake. Never made it all the way, but found a beautiful little swimming hole to stop and take a rest before the return downhill. When I got back Bob and Carson took off into the forest in search of firewood and then a quick trip uptown to get the making for s'mores that eve. Fireside giggles, and lots of choc marsh later, everyone turned in.

Next day we got up early, had breakfast and packed our camelbacks for a hike. One of my very favorite places to hike, so far, is a place called The Dells. A few lakes in northern area of Prescott that are surrounded by what Bob and I call "Flintstone Rocks" because they remind us of cartoons from our youth. I have wanted to take the grands' here since we hiked it for the first time three years ago. This year we were able to make it happen. 

The trailhead is at the no wake- boat ramp, and leads you along the water's edge until you start to climb up the huge grippy granite boulders. About 2 miles in came the steepest part, the boys not having any trouble, jumping from one to the other. After a quick downhill we found ourselves at the bottom of the dam with a nice shady spot along the creek for a picnic. Bob and Cash climbed another mile or so up the "Over The Hill" part of the trail, while I relaxed at the creek and watched as Carson jumped from one water spot to another. 

The hike out was hot, but after a cool drink, and the accidental dunk in the water for Carson at the end, it made for a great day. I watched as the boys threw the last of their bagel snacks to the ducks and geese and reminisced about the times I taken their Mom to do just the same. Having her toes bitten by a massive goose at the age of 4, she never let me forget it and I told the memory to the boys. I can't believe in just a few days we will put them on an airplance to head home. The time has gone by too quickly, but the memories will last a lifetime. 

Notes:
White Spar Campground -  14.00 per night, no hook-ups/dump but there is drinking water to fill containers and like many Forest Service campgrounds it is 1/2 off fee with an Interagency Pass. There are tons of really nice trails that lead right out of the campground. 

The Dells - Take plenty of water! There is not much shade on the trails. 
This is a "no-wake" lake. Kayak and canoe rental available in Mid-April. Wish we had ours with us. 
 

Montezuma Castle / V Bar V Heritage Site

Spent the day with the boys visiting some historical areas in the area. We started the day at Montezuma's Castle National Monument.  There is a short paved walk up to the actual preserved dwellings built by the Southern Sinagua culture between 1100 and 1425 CE. On the way we passed by volunteers that gave the kids info on the Junior Ranger program and a booklet to fill out to get their badge upon completion. It's hard for me to imagine what life was like 800 years ago, so I am sure it was for the boys also, but they took it all in and seemed to appreciate it. 

Next stop was lunch picnic and quick dip in Beaver Creek. VERY COLD, Cash was the only one brave enough to get in the water. Beautiful spot to spend the early afternoon.

Final tour was at V Bar V Heritage Site, the largest known petroglyph site in the Verde Valley of central Arizona, and one of the best-preserved. The rock art site consists of 1,032 petroglyphs in 13 panels. We were fortunate that when we arrived up to the panels we had an informative guide pretty much to ourselves. It was fun to watch the boys try and find the different pictures that he was describing. I found it fascinating to see how the seasons were integrated into the panels. With a portfolio of pictures that the guide had taken over the course of a year, he showed us how the sun would shine on the petroglyphs at the solstices and equinoxes of the year. 

The boys favorite time of the day, and possibly the whole trip. Pa taught them how to make a whistle with a blade a grass. It was another great day.