Florida - Grand Canyon - and back

I can identify with that temptation!    He's darling and looks so pettable.  But I'll bet Mama would be right there butting you if the devil got the better of you!

ArdraF

ArdraF said:

I can identify with that temptation!    He's darling and looks so pettable.  But I'll bet Mama would be right there butting you if the devil got the better of you!

ArdraF

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I am sure she would but that is not what keeps me away. It is wrong to do anything to domesticate a wild animal, especially in a National Park.

Totally agree - but we can have fun imagining!  ;D

ArdraF

ArdraF said:

Totally agree - but we can have fun imagining!  ;D

ArdraF

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I don't have to imagine. I have three cats that think I should spend my entire day petting them. ;D

Hey, really great SellerBird!!!  Thanks for that.  Some day I would love to hike down to the bottom.  When DW and I went to the south rim about 14 or so years ago, I hiked down a fair bit past the tunnel you are mentioning on Bright Angle.  I did not notice or know to look for the petroglyphs.  I'll look for them this time if we go.  I'm a bit nervous of my youngest daughter, 6 YO.  She has no fear and as I recall there are no railings.

Anyway,
Big update, been covering a lot of ground and haven't been online much. 

I'm wiped out.  Been doing relatively easy driving days for the most part, but tying with some activity each day......  And I guess I don't rest as well boon docking in parking lots.  I'm thinking a good target for me is find a CG every 2nd or 3rd night or so...  It's a learning curve I guess.  Haven't done much of this long distance stuff

So, after Pensacola, I was planning on cutting North around Mobile to catch I-20.  Well the kids had been begging to go play on the levee letters in Baton Rouge.  Let me explain..... a few years back we did a trip out to TX, and exploring Baton Rouge, just stumbled on the levee there, right near the USS Kidd museum ship.  The kids had a blast sliding and playing on the huge letters that spell BATON ROUGE.  We decided to surprise the kids and went there without telling.  Sadly, the letters were half submerged in the flood stage waters, but the kids still had fun.  Toured the ship and then moved on, landing in Shreveport for the night.  After dinner at the newly developed boardwalk shopping area there, we asked at Bass Pro.  Turns out they don't own the parking lot, but suggested we ask the mall people.  DW asked a security guard who only asked that we park out and as close to the end near Margaritaville Casino as possible.  She said she would pass the word to night security.  Quiet night with only a bit of train noise... 

I have to back up here to say that I followed the phone GPS down I think US 190 to US 71 out of Baton Rouge.  BIG MISTAKE!  No doubt shortened the life of my new tires on that nightmare.  The LA interstate highways weren't much better!  Roads there have not changed.

The next day leaving Shreveport, we found the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas.  I called ahead for the scoop on parking.  There is a lot they use for field trip buses, but she was not able to get in touch with the folks that would unlock the chain...so she had given me alternate direction in case the chain wasn't down when we arrived.  An easy u-turn under the freeway overpass to the city pay lot, where I had to pay for two spaces.  The Perot is a really top notched museum, with lots of info on the oil industry, as well as dinosaurs and all sorts of science.    The kids' favorite stop so far.

I routed down Elm through through Dealy Plaza on the way out of town.  Didn't stop, just to see it.  Sobering.  I was surprised on how small the area really is. 

Ended up in Bowie TX, figuring to stay at the WalMart, who had given permission.  Dinner at a little Mexican food place, Dos Chills.  Pretty good food, ok priced.  Really crowded because of some sporting event in town.    Stopped on the way back to Walmart at a little county park to see the huge Bowie knife sculpture and a little walk.  Ended up just staying in the little honor system CG there.  $5 for the night.  Dump station Electric and water.  I think it was 10 spaces with two others occupied.  Nice park with muni swimming pool, jogging walking track around an open grassy field, about a mile or so around.... lots of folks out walking in the evening and the morning.  Nothing nice really but a great wayside stop and the park felt friendly if that makes sense...  I think the CG was built mainly for use when the rodeo is in action.... at the rodeo stadium in the same park.  Likely not a stadium, but you get the idea....

More later...

You are welcome Brad. You are correct there is no handrail on the trails anywhere. However I have hiked both trails dozens of times and never heard of anyone falling in. The trails are actually pretty wide. You really won't need to worry too much.

We were there in March this year and really enjoyed hiking both trails. Tom is right to suggest going early to beat the heat. Plus the trails will be less busy. You really get a different perspective and views hiking just a little bit below the rim.

40 miles west of Williams on Old Route 66 is the town of Seligman. Seligman was the model for Radiator Springs in the "Cars" movies.

We really enjoyed Meteor Crater much more than we thought we would. It was very interesting.

Safe travels.

Looks like you're having a ball. Loving the updates. ☺

One minor correction; Armarillo is home to the Palo Duro canyon (second largest in the US?) and the show "Texas". The show is well worth an evening and the dinner in the canyon was quite good. Recommended if you're here at the right time.

Ernie

Warning: There is a good road down into the canyon, but it is STEEP and WINDING.

Little time to get on, and bad data signal so I didn't see your post Ernie n Tara till way past Amarillo
This is still a few days behind

After Bowie, we headed up to Amarillo, where we visited and RV Museum there.  Turns out it?s an RV dealership but he had quite the collection of old RV?s on free display, along with a few motorcycles and other stuff. 
Then we had an early dinner, or late lunch at The Big Texan Steak House.  Saw someone there attempting to do the 72oz steak challenge, sadly they failed.  Even when ordering from the ?normal? menu, that place really makes it hard to not over eat!  It was kinda cheesy but fun.
From there, we drove down to Palo Duro Canyon SP.  Really very nice place.  Wish we?d know about it to make reservations.  Sadly no room for us but it was nice for a drive through and a short hike.  Finally landed at the WalMart in Canyon Tx where we joined a truck and couple other RV?s.

In Alburquerque, our first stop was the tram up to Sandia Crest.  Very pricey, $90 I think it was for the 5 of us, but was quite the experience for the kids.  Nice and cool at the top with a wonderful pine forest smell.  I could have stayed up there!  We headed back down, and just in time too, since a thunderstorm rolled through while we were still in the parking lot.
Diner at El Pinto, which carries a higher reputation that we felt it deserved?. Still it was good but overpriced.  Finally landed at the Cracker Barrel where we had permission.
I?ll say this, most of what we saw of ABQ was really very nice.  Including a trip to home depot to repair the closet rod that fell because the factory didn?t attach to structure well enough for the bumpy roads?.and to fix the panty slide, also failed?. I had to do a double take with the mountain view coming out of the store.  I could get used to that!
The next day, we went to the National Museum of Nuclear Science and history.  They have quite a good collection of stuff there, showing the development of nuclear weaponry and nuclear science in general
After lunch in Old Town,, I was just too pooped to drive so we found a spot at the American RV Resort just West of town.  Very nice for what it was, and I have to say that?s the first time I?ve had escort to our site.  I?ll admit to being a little uncomfortable there?.didn?t know if I should tip the guy or not.  We didn?t have the best site in the park by any measure, but it was ok for a night.  Most sites were clean, level, and nice.  The pool was a bit dirty but swimmable, and they even had a free continental breakfast.

Refreshed, we drove on Westward, where i started having overpressure alarms on a couple of my tires.  I guess I should back up and mention that due to the colder night temperatures in ABQ my tires were reading low in the morning so I swung by a discout tire to air them up.  They wouldn?t just add 2-4 psi like I asked, they tried to set them to 80 rear and 70 front, but their gauge didn?t match my TPMS, and they didn?t get them all the same.  The next morning I used my own compressor to air them to my target pressures.  As the temps rose in the desert, they went over.  Ugh!

Hope to get caught up tomorrow....

Just a quick note. Florida is sea level and you're climbing. There is no way for air to escape the tires so the differential (inflation) pressure goes up. It increases by about one PSI per thousand feet elevation.

Ernie

Yes, but the cold temps have the opposite affect.  Which is greater?  I bled out a bit when getting the alarms, but now in the 50 degree cool morning today, my lowest is about 74 psi.  Should be 80psi.  Debating about topping it up a bit, but I know in an hour or so it'll warm up and with driving it will be well above 80.  Regardless, I like to keep them all equal and on setpoint, but now they are a mess.  My little compressor is just too small and so I struggle to get it right.
Oh I need to point out that Camping World in ABQ wanted to charge me and make me wait for a tech to air them up.  DW wanted to do some shopping there so I went looking for an air hose while she shopped.

and I also need to get out today and figure out why the water heater isn't lighting on LP.  A mixture problem from the elevation perhaps?  The windy weather?  Spiders?

So...after ABQ
Petrified Forest and Painted Desert - We took a drive through, North to South.  It was a nice drive and I?m glad we did it.  I think DW was done by halfway through though.  She was expecting more from the ?forest?.  Honestly, it did look like someone littered the place with leftover firewood.  Nice desert views and I was surprised by the variation in geology across short distances.  The other surprise for me was the drive up to Crystal Forest.  Narrow windy road right on the edge of shear drop bluffs with no shoulder at all.  I managed no problem, but it was extremely windy and I wouldn?t want to repeat it if towing a long TT with marginal tow vehicle.

We skipped the Crater.  DS & I kindof wanted to see it but it wasn?t a priority and it was getting late.  The girls weren?t interested so we passed.

Stopped for the night at Twin Arrows Navajo Casino near Flagstaff.  Found it with Allstays.  Joined the already large crowd of RVs and trucks, and it was getting late so we didn?t even ask.  I?m thankful to the Navajo for allowing it!

The next morning it was too early to visit Walnut Canyon and we didn't want to wait.  It wasn't planned stop and DW & I visited there 13 years ago....  From there we pushed onto the South Rim, where we still are.  T-Mobile is non-existent here and we are roaming on USCell or some such thing.  Almost useless data signal and no voice in most of the area.

We had given up our July Trailer Village reservations when we changed our trip dates, so after a day of visiting much of the South Rim, we ended up our first night in a dispersed area I found using Allstays off Fire Road near Grandview.  Maybe the best campsite I have ever been in?.for sure the best in the RV!  I am jealous of you folks out West with such great wide open spaces and boondocking opportunities.  We went out for an evening walk in the area and stumbled across the AZ Trail, which passes very close to the site we picked.  We did a token hike towards Mexico, then an even shorter one towards Utah.  The kids were creeped out with the spot though because we had found a couple partial skeletal remains of what looked to be elk?.and with them not used to being so far removed from other people they were just a bit scared.

The next day brought us more South Rim adventure, bus ride out to Hermit Point, and a short hike down Bright Angel.  Thanks to Sellerbird I seemed like an expert pointing out the hieroglyphs!

DW wanted to try for a space in the RV park here in Tusyan, but before visiting there to check I took a drive down Long Jim Loop Road to see the area Sellerbird had suggested a long time back when I first started planning the trip.  Found one really great spot with a bull Elk lying nearby lazily grazing.  A couple tenters but nobody else around.  Anyway, Camper village didn?t look like much too me?.dusty and grown up and run down.  Maybe 10% capacity so plenty of room.  Their cheapest option was just under $40 for a 30Amp water/electric site?..and NO DISCOUNT offered for Good Sam or anything else.  Thanks but no?.back to the Bull Elk site.  It?s a bit more trafficked and ?urban? so I didn?t relax quite as much but it was great for the night.  Charging our devices can wait till an RV park in Page, or by generator on the road.  Thanks Sellerbird!

I?ll try to post some photos when we get better signal?.

Oh question to Sellerbird.... I can now see why you and so many others like it so much out here.....but why on earth then did you land in Florida?

blw2 said:

We had given up our July Trailer Village reservations when we changed our trip dates, so after a day of visiting much of the South Rim, we ended up our first night in a dispersed area I found using Allstays off Fire Road near Grandview.  Maybe the best campsite I have ever been in?.for sure the best in the RV! 

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It is a wonderful campground. The last time I camped there we were the only people in the entire campground and it snowed on us and it was June. Me and my girlfriend took a short hike down the trail singing "Walking In A Winter Wonderland".

The next day brought us more South Rim adventure, bus ride out to Hermit Point, and a short hike down Bright Angel.  Thanks to Sellerbird I seemed like an expert pointing out the hieroglyphs!

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I used to enjoy hanging out at the end of the tunnel and pointing out the hieroglyphs to hikers. Some people mentioned they had hiked the trail many times and never noticed them. There is no sign pointing them out and they are not mentioned in any literature anywhere probably to keep vandals from messing them up.

DW wanted to try for a space in the RV park here in Tusayan, but before visiting there to check I took a drive down Long Jim Loop Road to see the area Sellerbird had suggested a long time back when I first started planning the trip.    Charging our devices can wait till an RV park in Page, or by generator on the road.  Thanks Sellerbird!

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There are outlets in the restaurants at Maswik Lodge and several other places on the south rim. I have spent dozens of nights camping there and rarely do you see another camper. It is like paradise to me.

Oh question to Sellerbird.... I can now see why you and so many others like it so much out here.....but why on earth then did you land in Florida?

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I did not land in Florida on purpose, my RV died and no one could figure out how to get it running properly again so I took it as a sign from God that after ten years of full timing and driving around the country like a crazed pinball that it was time to hang up the keys and settle down. I lived on the left coast for over 40 years, the midwest for 10 years so I decided the east coast would be cool to live at since I had not spent much time there. I really love it here and I have a great location but I really do miss the canyon and all the beauty out west. I visited there last year and I will visit it again in 2019.

Brad,
) to the trip reports. We're really enjoying them.
It's been five years since I was last in ABQ and at the Canyon. They're calling to me again though.
Glad you got to the Museum of Nuclear Energy. I pleasantly surprised when I stumbled on it.

I've been wanting to post more regularly, and include pictures.... just no time when you're going-going....and besides both cell service and wifi have been nearly useless out here.

After a very windy drive to Page from the Desert View Tower, and a nice stop for gawking and rock scrambling with the crowd at Horseshoe Bend, there was no room at the RV park in Page.  Tried to call the next place we could find so we just drove out.  Got lucky with a premium spot on a 'full? Wahweap RV park.  This is a great park, part of the Glen Canyon NRA.  Day of relaxing, laundry, and biking /scootering the park looking for the Jack Rabbits that are all over the place? decided to stay another night.  Next day we did some more biking/scootering in the park, laundry, and relaxing?.
(we didn't bring kids bikes, just their little razor scooters, to make things easier..)
Then a hot afternoon hike in the Waterholes slot canyon.  Nice time but hot.  Oh interesting thing to see what I'm 98.9% sure to be Guy Fieri?s Renegade super c a few spots down from us.  Didn't get to meet him.

The next morning we drove through monument valley to do the Forrest Gump run, then the Four Corners Monument and then on to Mesa Verde.  Had an interesting chat with the nice Navajo lady selling jewelry there at teh forest gump place in monument valley, about all the folks stopping to run in the road.....
Anyway, at Mesa Verde we got a campsite in the very unimpressive dry campground.  CG is not at all big rig friendly from what I have seen.  A few spots would accommodate something larger than ours but not many.  CG is in desperate need of mowing and general TLC.  Sad really, because the CG with just a little effort to mow, spruce up, and level a few sites, could be a really great dry CG.  They do have wifi there which is great, but you have to set up on the correct side of the bathhouses to get an almost usable signal.

The following day we toured Mesa Verde Long House and Balcony house.  Really a great time and worth the effort to do in my opinion.

Went into Durango.  Opted against the train ride because it?s expensive, but we were really impressed with the town.  We found free parking in the lot at the bus terminal (free after 5) where there are not rv spaces but enough room on a weekday at 4:30PM?.  Enjoyed the train museum (free) which has an amazing collection of train stuff, but also some old cars, aircraft, and all sorts of military stuff.  Dinner and walking around the historic downtown rounded out the day?.
Counted on the Walmart there, based on reviews on allstays, but arrived to find the signs that are mentioned in the reviews.  DW asked inside and was told no parking.  City ordinance.  We called the Home Depot down the road, who told us the city asked them to sign some agreement against RV parking just last week.  I guess Durango isn?t overly RV friendly.

Getting late, but we ended up driving down to the Walmart in Farmington NM, where there were no RVs but 2 trucks parked.  We had called ahead and were told it?s ok.  Woke up this morning to half a dozen or more trucks.  Parked in the lot behind the lawn and garden and auto repair, out back.  No problems.

And that catches me up.....finally!  I think we might tour some Aztek ruins today, then see what Santa Fe has to offer

oh, one observation...
I had no idea that these rv rental fleets were so big! 
I have seen a few cruise america rigs, and el monte rigs here and there before...but never in the numbers I have seen out here.  Other rental companies too.....all class c's.
and I've seen a good number of rental  what I call "hippie camper vans" too. (the ones painted like some scooby doo van, so I don't mean that in a duragatory way)
Oh and there's even a few of these Jucy campervan rentals roaming about.
I just had no idea

Brad, keep up the trip reports, I am nothing but jealous, my old stomping grounds. Mostly those rental RVs are being rented by foreigners. And most foreigners want to visit Las Vegas.

SeilerBird said:

Brad, keep up the trip reports, I am nothing but jealous, my old stomping grounds. Mostly those rental RVs are being rented by foreigners. And most foreigners want to visit Las Vegas.

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Vegas is pretty good depending on what you are looking for.  For us it is:

Cheaper flights
Great restaurants/ cocktails
Fantastic shows
Art galleries / photo galleries / themes in casinos
Close to Hoover Dam,  Lake Meadows,  Valletta of Fire, Red Rock Canyon, Death Valley, Mount Charleston

We aren't gamblers but do enjoy a night or two there at the start and end of a trip.

I would struggle to stay for a week or  more unless it was just purely for relaxing and sunbathing.  I have gone admit we haven't done as much since we bought our trailer.

8)

well we are out of the mass of rentals now.  Haven't seen any I don't believe since Mesa Verde.....

Aztec Ruins National Monument - we woke up early and drove the short way up to the Aztec Ruins NP, where we learned it wasn?t Aztecs that lived there at all.  This was a very interesting place?.and in some ways better I think that Mesa Verde.  I especially liked the self guided tour format.

After the ruins, we made our way to Santa Fe for window shopping and dinner at the Plaza Cafe.  Nice little old diner on the square. 

Denied at the Walmart, so we called Sam?s club where we were given permission.  Quiet night except for a few trucks passing through after unloading in the wee hours.

Since high temperatures were forecaster, I got an early start and pushed on to OK City...just in time for a walk around the Bricktown Canal area and dinner.  Nice evening.

Then a late arrival at Roadrunner RV Park were DW made reservations earlier in the day so that we would have AC through the night.  Nice new park apparently a complete re-build after a storm a few years back.  Nice paved spaces with full hookup but very close to one another with little to no shade.  Park is Complete with underground storm shelters?.. but no pool

As I was driving today, we finally made our way out of the Navajo country and started seeing signs for Cherokee stuff.  I we weren't pushing now I would love to have had time to search for a museum or something to learn about Cherokees....since we have learned so much about the ancient Pueblo people the last several days.

The next day we just pushed on South East.  Up early to air up the tires?.I?ll bring that question up in another thread?? and gas up?. Then pushed on to Memphis, stopped in a riverside park in Memphis long enough for breakfast...mainly so the kids can say the trip included TN?. then trying for Destin, an after our longest on the road day at approx 525 miles?. we opted to stop in what turned out to be a nice little campground near Andalusia, AL called Cypress Landing Marina and RV Park.  http://clrvpark.com/    Level spaces, some pull through...looks like all full hookup with cable, a little store, boat rentals?. Looks like a relatively new place

I'll try to post some pictures when I get some time and signal.....