SUNDAY,
JULY 21, 2019
(With apologies to
Snoopy…)
It was a bright and sunny morning
With the telltale hint of heat in the air
But, hey, there’s no need for despair
Tis a new adventure that won’t be boring!
Well, it’s been over a
year since my last truck camper trip – a four-week journey around southern
California in March 2018. Shortly after
returning home from that trip I began several projects around my condo that
spanned over a period of nearly ten months.
It was a busy time with decisions, appointments, and schedules, but
thoughts of my camper were never far away.
So I started planning…
Last Friday the 19th
I picked up my camper from Galaxy Campers in Ontario; Saturday the 20th
I loaded the camper with clothes, food, and other essentials; and now, around
11:15 this morning, I left home to begin another “MAP’s Camper Adventures.” If all goes well - with my truck, with my
camper, and with ME – this will be a 93-day trip, the longest I’ve ever
done. My destination is the Midwest –
Iowa and Kansas – and then a return home through the Southwest.
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| Leaving home! (Pic taken by Evelyn, my sister.) |
I took I-10E and Rt.
95N to the Cattail Cove State Park, located between Parker and Lake Havasu
City, AZ. It was blazing hot when I left
Palm Springs [CA] and it was equally hot when I arrived at my reserved site at
the state park. I had a bit more
organizing to do inside the camper but being that it was just too uncomfortably
hot to do that, and I didn’t want to turn on the camper’s air conditioning, I
decided to just postpone that chore and go take a dip in the Colorado
River. THAT was refreshing! The Colorado River runs along this stretch of
the California and Arizona state lines and Cattail Cove is the third Arizona
state park on this river that I’ve stayed at.
I give it high marks!
Back at the camper I
sat outside in the shade (a lot of good that was doing me!) and did my usual
record-keeping stats and writing in my journal.
Sitting out there on my camp chair I was delighted to observe several
family clusters of Gambel’s Quails - Mom & Dad and their young’uns. This is a species of bird quite prevalent in
the desert regions of Arizona. “Fleet of
foot but lazy of wing” this bird runs fast but prefers not to fly unless
absolutely necessary. The river beckoned
and I went back just before sunset for one more cooling swim.
Getting ready for my
first night in the camper I had my first “camper mishap” of this trip – a
battle with the plastic cap of my water bottle.
Although the water in my water tank is potable I prefer to brush and
rinse my teeth with bottled water. As I
was doing that at the bathroom sink the cap, which had been carefully placed on
the counter next to the sink, somehow fell into the drain. “Somehow” simply means it’s my fault that the
cap found its way through the mouth of the drain. I’ve had my camper for 13 years now and, as I
stared at the cap, which was stuck sideways, oh, so very close to the opening,
I discovered for the very first time how narrow that drain is. The circumference of the opening is about the
size of a quarter. And, oh, yeah, a
plastic water bottle cap.
I was tired and I was
hot (I still didn’t turn on the AC) but I knew I had to get that cap out
of there. This being a self-contained
camper with a Potable Water Tank, a Grey Water Tank, and a Black Water Tank,
each so designed for a specific purpose, nothing is supposed to go down this sink’s
narrow drain but water mixed with lathered soap, toothpaste, mouthwash, and
spit. Okay, so, the cap is in a sideways
position, I’ll use a tweezer to grab a round edge and pull it out. Just. Don’t. Let. The. Tweezer. Slip. Down.
The. Drain.
The tweezer ended up
safe but the cap had “somehow” twisted itself and I was now staring at the
inside bottom of the cap. I no longer
had an edge to take hold of and all attempts to use the tweezer to force the
cap down to the tank demonstrated even more how narrow that drain is.
Maybe I
should get a screwdriver and hammer and pound the bottom of that cap into two
pieces.
The two
pieces will then fall through the drain into the Grey Water Tank.
The two
pieces will then flow out along with all the Grey Water gunk when I later dump
the tanks.
Or, who
knows, the two pieces might actually be forever stuck in the Grey Water Tank.
Is this
something I will have to disclose when I eventually sell the camper?
Will I
even remember to make this disclosure?
These thoughts ran
through my mind as I stood there at the sink and stared at that cap and contemplated
what to do next. I did get my
screwdriver and rather than breaking the cap I somehow (that word again) managed
to flip it in the sideways position and flip it out. Then I went to bed.
MONDAY,
JULY 22
I didn’t sleep well
last night. It was a hot day yesterday,
probably close to 110 degrees and the heat did not let up during the
night. I had all my camper windows open,
including the cabover vent/exit window, and I left my sleepwear off to the
side. I waited and waited but there was
no cooling breeze coming through…at all!
Goodness, how did the people of yesteryear deal with this? Perhaps it’s worse now…climate change, ya
know. After a couple of hours trying to
sleep I gave up and turned on the camper’s AC, switching later to fan. That helped.
In no hurry to leave
this morning I completed the organizing chore I didn’t do yesterday. By 10:00 a.m. I was on my way, taking Rt. 95N
to I-40E to the Canyon Motel & RV Park, Williams, AZ. This stretch of I-40 winds through
desert, rocky and forested hills, and, in the name of progress and speed,
parallels Historic Route 66. The town of
Williams is on Rt. 66 and I remember driving through here when I did my Rt. 66
truck camper trip in spring 2007.
Thanks to the higher
elevation here it is much cooler and the cloudy sky is keeping the sun at
bay. There was a brief burst of rain a
little while ago, the windows in my camper are all open, and I expect I will
sleep much better tonight!
TUESDAY,
JULY 23
Back on I-40E shortly
after 10:00 a.m. I drove to Flagstaff where I connected to Rt. 89N…then Rt.
160E…then the scenic Rt. 163N towards Monument Valley, Utah. Getting off the interstate and leaving the congested
environs of Flagstaff, it was good to resume my travel on a “this-is-how-you-truly-see-the-USA”
two-lane highway. My route took me
directly through a section of the Navajo Nation, “a Native American territory covering about 17,544,500 acres, occupying
portions of northeastern Arizona, southeastern Utah, and northwestern New
Mexico in the United States.” (Wikipedia)
The terrain changed as
I drove, from Flagstaff’s elevation of clouds and mountains to a lower
elevation landscape of sand and rocks, rock formations, hills, and, as I
approached my destination, a splendid stretch of lush vegetation that included
green and amber grass, fields of desert shrubbery, and a generous scattering of
green-leafed short trees.
Crossing into Utah I followed
the signs to Goulding’s Lodge & RV Park, set up my camper at the campground,
and then, following a blissful shower, sat outside in the shade of my camper,
Rum & Diet Coke in hand, and called it a day.
WEDNESDAY,
JULY 24
My under-the-pillow
vibrating alarm clock went off at 4:00 a.m. (3:00 a.m. CA/AZ time), I got up
and got ready and left the camper at 5:00 a.m.
About 30 minutes later an open-window tour vehicle picked me up along
with two families – one was American (?) with four kids and the other was Japanese
with two kids. Our Navajo driver’s name
was Linda and she drove us on our Monument Valley “Sunrise Tour,” which is why
we started so early. To quote from the
pamphlet - “Monument Valley is a Navajo
Tribal Park (30,000 acres) established in 1958 and located on the border of
Arizona and Utah within the 16 million-acre Navajo Reservation.” The Tribal Park may have been established in
1958 but it took millions of years for these “monuments” of natural sandstone
and limestone rock formations, which stand between 400 and 1200 feet tall, to
form into what we see today.
Our first stop on the 17-mile
2.5-hour loop drive was in front of the world-famous “Mittens” – the “Left
Mitten” and the “Right Mitten” – where we watched the sun rise. From there, moving along on that narrow and
rough road, we viewed other famous rock formations and stopped for
picture-taking opportunities. The
morning sun’s light, as it rose, cast lovely hues of color on the surface of
these rocks. Back in John Wayne’s day,
Monument Valley was a favorite location for Hollywood’s Westerns and other
movies. The revenue generated made it
possible for the local Navajo tribe to support their economy and protect/maintain
this sacred place.
I had a brief
conversation with Linda at our first stop shortly after the sunrise. Lip reading her was a little bit “hit and
miss” but she told me – (1) She grew up right down there, near the “Mittens,”
in a traditional dome-shaped Navajo Hogan, and, (2) She has a Deaf brother who
is a teacher in Salt Lake City, UT. She
said he knows sign language but she herself never did learn it. As expected, I missed all of Linda’s
narratives along the way but, since I have long wanted to visit Monument
Valley, and I have great respect for our Native Americans, I’m glad I had this
opportunity to see this incredible and beautiful place today.
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| The Mittens: Left Mitten & Right Mitten, silhouetted at sunrise. |
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| Left Mitten, viewed from the south. |
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| Three Sisters |
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| Totem Pole |
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| Navajo Hogan |
Back at the camper by
9:00 a.m. I caught up on emails, general “camper chores,” had a PB&J
sandwich for lunch, and started to work on my blog. Will be moving on tomorrow!
THURSDAY,
JULY 25
By 9:00 a.m. I was on
my way to my next destination, getting back on the scenic Rt. 163N. I pulled over at two scenic view areas to
take pictures of my truck camper with Monument Valley rock formations in the
background (photos below). At the second
view site I noticed a Navajo woman with a young boy across the highway, selling
Navajo jewelry, etc. I went over there
to see her display. Jewelry isn’t my
thing but I often like to buy something made by our Native Americans. I have a memory of traveling around this
general area in my Honda CRV back in 1997 and I bought a Dreamcatcher from a
Navajo man. Years later, travelling in
my truck camper, I visited Wounded Knee, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
in South Dakota, and bought another Dreamcatcher, this time from a Lakota woman. So, right now, this very minute, with
Monument Valley directly behind me, I decided to buy my third Dreamcatcher.
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| Monument Valley in the background, Rt. 163N. |
This section of Navajo Nation's Rt. 163 [in Utah], heading north of Monument Valley, is a truly scenic
drive through the rock formations, mesas, and buttes that define our Southwest. At the Rt. 191 junction I turned south,
crossing back into Navajo Nation’s Arizona side, and then connected to Rt.
160E, still in Arizona. Although those
two highways are not dubbed “scenic” it was still a pretty drive through a
desert of rocks, red soil, and desert shrubbery. I could see, in the distance, mountain
ranges.
“Four Corners,” the
spot where the corner borders of Arizona-Utah-Colorado-New Mexico meet, was
directly ahead (I still have, and still wear, the T-shirt that I bought there!)
and I crossed into Colorado, driving now on the Ute Indian Reservation. After just a few miles, it was obvious, the
way the terrain gradually changed, that I was no longer in the Southwest. There were less rocks, more trees, gentler
hills, and fertile farms.
As I approached Mancos [CO]
and the Mesa Verde National Park (I visited this awesome cliff-dwelling area in
my truck camper some years back) I kept my eyes peeled for the Ancient Cedars
Mesa Verde RV Park. There! No, that’s not it…that’s the Mesa Verde RV
Park. I kept going and I kept looking, to
my right and to my left. I went through
the town of Mancos, I got stuck in a “wait your turn” road construction line,
and soon I heard myself say “Yo, MAPPY, wakey,
wakey, Mesa Verde is way back there…” Agreeing with myself, I found a private
driveway that made it possible for me to maneuver my truck around and go back,
not only to another road construction line, but to Mancos/Mesa Verde.
Maybe that Mesa Verde RV
Park that I passed is the right park after all, the one I have a site
reservation at. I said “hello” to the folks
in the registration office and they were so very nice…BUT…their park is indeed
NOT the one I picked! The look on their
faces told me that this has happened before, probably many times. The Ancient Cedars Mesa Verde RV Park is ½
mile further up and situated on a frontage road. No wonder I couldn’t see their signage from
the highway!
As I write this, I’m
sitting outside, in the shade of two cedar trees, and directly in front of me
is the famous Mesa Verde. It’s nice
here, breezy, and there are horses nearby.
I feel bad about the confusion with the two RV Parks but the view of
Mesa Verde, itself a truly ancient wonder, is very calming.
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| My view of Mesa Verde. |
FRIDAY,
JULY 26
Here’s a photo of Mesa
Verde in the morning sun, taken from my camper’s rear door…
Before I left this RV
Park this morning I walked over to see the horses that I had noticed
yesterday. There were two white beauties
in the corral. One came over to me, the
other soon followed and they both got head and cheek scratches from me. They were very interested in what I had to
say, I could tell, and they allowed me to run my hand down their oh-so-velvety-soft
noses. I took a selfie…
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| Oops, I missed their ears. That's one of the disadvantages of being 5'1"! |
Back on Rt. 160E once again
I was relieved to see that the road construction crew [from yesterday] had
apparently finished their work. It was a
clear and mostly sunny morning which made for a lovely drive towards Pagosa
Springs [CO]. The sky was blue and
everything on the ground was green – the pine trees and the open fields. There were horses…and cows…and deer and elk
(so noted on the yellow highway caution signs).
At Pagosa Springs I
stopped at a grocery store – I exhausted my case of bottled water in less than
a week! And I forgot dish soap (I’d been
using hand soap). Soon as I got through
the heavily populated (tourists!) part of town I was on my way up, up, and up
the mountain, heading for South Fork. If
I’m reading my Triple-A map correctly (Colorado’s state map would be much more
detailed), this is the San Juan Mountains, one of many mountain ranges in the Rocky Mountains.
The highway is a
typical mountain road – steep, winding, a few tight curves here and there, and
two tunnels. I soon reached my
destination, the Riverbend Resort, near South Fork. Following routine (routine is important,
especially when you’re 69) I set up the camper, did my record-keeping stats,
and then sat down outside to write in my journal and observe a couple of frisky
chipmunks. Looking ahead I could see,
just yards down the slope behind my camper and through a cluster of pine trees,
the Rio Grande. Clouds had been forming
and as soon as I got comfortable in my camp chair, it started to drizzle. I got back inside the camper just before it
rained.
I’ve been having a
quiet afternoon and evening – working on this blog and looking out the
window. The rain didn’t let up much and
it has actually become cold enough that I’m now wearing socks and a flannel
shirt and will soon have to put on my sweatpants! Only in the mountains of Colorado in July!
SATURDAY,
JULY 27
It did get cold last
night! I put on my sweatpants. Where’s my other blanket? Oh, it’s in the truck. How about I turn the heat on a little
bit? No can do, the propane tanks are
shut off. Ah, never mind, I’m
not going outside, I’ll be fine!
The camper was still a
tad chilly in the morning but it was nice and warm outside when I stepped out
to prepare for departure. My destination
today, Falcon, CO, is about 220 miles from here so I got back on Rt. 160E,
going down to the lower elevations and then connected to I-25N. This interstate pretty much divides Colorado
into two different geological environments.
At my left, looking west – mountains.
At my right, looking east – the prairie.
The drive went well...but
for one heart-pounding moment. A section
of road on I-25 was under construction but, maybe because it’s Saturday, there
were no workers to monitor anything. As
I always do when I travel, I was on the right lane, much of which had already
been paved with fresh asphalt. Then,
without warning, there were grooves on my lane which caused my truck to
sway. (Now I understand how these road
construction grooves are dangerous for motorcyclists.) I kept a tight grip on the steering wheel, took
my foot slightly off the gas pedal, activated my blinkers, and after a couple
of cars slowly and carefully passed me I moved over to the left lane. As soon as both lanes matched in road texture
I moved back to the right lane and started breathing again. I had a Guardian Angel with me…maybe more than
one…
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| Thank you, Ev! |
About
an hour after I set up my camper at the Falcon Meadow Campground, in Falcon,
dark clouds came moving in and it started to rain. But I’m dry…and more importantly, after
nearly a week on the road in my truck camper, I’m safe.
