First week done as Work Camper in Utah

Volunteer Camp sites
4 of us with full hook-ups.
Pretty nice.

Saturday was nice weather and the people were heading to the river.  We had well over 300 people, with about 120 rafts today, busy, but not overwhelming.  We both were glad when 1:00 rolled around and we could get out of there.  Back home, tend to Rudy, a quick nap for Brad and more walks for Rudy.  The poor thing is having a tough time getting used to this new schedule, up at 5:00 and gone by 6:30...  About 6:00 we headed up to the Red Canyon Lodge for dinner, not bad, I had wild rice and mushroom ravioli, while Brad had a shrimp and pasta meal....they were OK, but I don't really need to go there to often, for the price, the meals should have been fantastic.  Back home for another walk with Rudy, and off to bed early, one more day before our days off.

 

Sunday morning was pretty slow at the river.  They were calling for afternoon thunder showers and we guessed it scared people away.  We had a small flurry of people about 9:30 and again about 11:00 with a couple of car loads coming in to check out the dam and get a couple of pictures in between the rafters.  It finally looks like the weather is going to hold out, so about noon things started to pick up a little, and when I closed the booth at 1:00, 2 car loads went by and there were 2-3 more at the top getting ready to head to the river....oh well, our times up.  We head home, tended to Rudy then gathered up all our uniforms and took them to the laundry area.  I'm not sure what they were washed in before, but it made me itch.  While that stuff washed, I worked on the puzzle while Brad and Rudy walked back to the moho for hangers.  Uniforms are done, a pork roast w/sauerkraut is in the crock, what more can you ask for. 

 

Overlook of the Reservior

We hope everyone had a great Memorial Day.  It was a beautiful day to be out and about so we headed out to Bear Canyon Bootleg Trail for about a 3 mile hike to an overlook of the reservoir.  There were a couple of people making the hike, dogs and kids included (oh to have their energy again).  We managed to stumble upon a snake, this one was about 4-5 feet long and we have no idea what type it was, but we just waited a few minutes for him to go on his way then we continued on ours.  The hike in was well worth it as there is a beautiful view of the reservoir with the boats looking like tiny specks in the water.  We sat there for about 10 min. taking a break and having a little snack, then headed back out, never as exciting leaving.  We were about 1/4 of the way back when we passed another family making the trip.  We get back to the car, Brad opens the door and Rudy dove in and curled up on the floor, I think the hike tired him out.  Back home a little rest, then the Memorial Day tradition of burgers on the grill.  I think we were all tired from the hike, 10:00 bed time.

 

Tuesday is the planned shopping day, we got up planning on leaving early, when I can't find my sunglasses, I had them last night when we were home, but we searched everywhere and no shades.  We finally gave up, had a quick breakfast then headed into town (Vernal, Utah) about 45 min. away, and a beautiful ride down the mountain.  We stopped at Wal-Mart then stopped for lunch, after that at least 5 more stops, purchases included a backpack for hiking, a cooler for shopping, wine and groceries, then the hour trip home.  I am hoping that we planned well enough that it only has to be an every other week trip.  They have a big freezer that we all use and full size washer and dryers and a huge clothes line, they really do treat their volunteers well.  We re-wrapped all the meat and got that in the freezer, then with a little bit of re-arraigning I got the refrigerator loaded up and the cupboards filled again, We had planned on steaks for dinner, but we ended up with grilled chicken on salad.....not a bad trade off.  We headed out for a Rudy walk about 7:30, when Jim stopped over, he is planning on having a camp fire and asked if we wanted to join him, so we did.  The only problem is we were up well past our bed time, which means a late start to the morning tomorrow.

 

Here it is Wednesday and we had planned on another hike.  Laundry was in by 8:00, breakfast cooking on the grill and after a little discussion we changed our plans and are staying home.  We have been busy every day since we got here, so it was a stay at home day and get some little things done around the moho.  We through some of the clothes in the dryer and hung out the rest, then put the sheets and stuff in the washer, so they can also be hung out to dry.  It is a beautiful day, with a bit of a breeze, so everything dried nicely and is put away.  I made a pot of iced tea, while Brad cleaned the over head fan screens.  We got the floors swept, the car swept and I even managed to work on the puzzle in the common area (it's a joint effort between, Judy, Fred and myself).  The owner of the Lodge just stopped in, he lost a horse back rider and is trying to find them....oh no, but he was nice enough and if we want to ride, we are to look him up first....I think we will.  Now I am finishing

The snake heading to
the neighbors RV



the blog and Brad is filling out a Birthday card, after this I'll probably go outside and read a little, what a great idea to stay home and relax.

 

OK, a little reading done by both Brad and I, a nice walk for Rudy, a visit with Jim and then steaks and corn on the cob.  Just before the steaks are done I look up and there is a snake just on the other side of the grill...ugh.  I fussed a little, but it is heading to the neighbors, so I go and warn Jim not to let his dog, Frieda, out without checking first, but then the snake heads away, back into the field.  By now the steaks are a little over cooked, but with the heart rush, we don't care not that bad and still very good, and the corn was wonderful.  Now I am done for the night, dishes to do, a little relaxing and off to bed, early day of work tomorrow.

 

Diane and Brad  

Volunteer Positions Begin

Well we survived our first day.  Not bad, a lot to learn, but it was a pretty slow day.  I am in a booth,

Brad in his
uniform



 like you see going into a state or national park, selling passes and counting the amount of people that go down to use the river.  Brad is down at the boat launch ramp, making sure they unload and get out of the way, and that they don't park in the middle of the road to unload their stuff.  It went off without a hitch, and were done by 12:00, just a 4 hour day.  We planned on lunch at the Flaming Gorge Lodge, but Jake and Adam stopped by to let us know they were bringing up another tank of water....so home we go.  We get a tank full, and help fill the other campers, since nobody else was  home.  We got that finished, had lunch, and struggled not to nap, but we managed to stay awake and take a little hike to/and through the campground down the road.  There is a trail at the back of the CG that we walked for a while, checking out the overlooks and keeping a tight reign on Rudy as he tried to jump up on one of the walls, Yikes!!  We met some people that were setting up camp on site #9, what a view they had, then we headed back home.  After that a quick drive up to the visitors center so I could call Dad and Brad called Shari.  We sat at one of the overlooks and you couldn't ask for a nicer view to sit and talk on the phone.  It was a nice chat for both Brad and I, then back home for a meal of salad, with left over chicken or steak on top.  It was a great day, but we are both exhausted, between getting up early and being a little anxious about the jobs....but I think we'll be OK.  An early night to bed, 7:00 am start time tomorrow, so up at 5:00 and on the road by 6:30.

 

View from my phone
call overlook...
not bad!!!

Today, Friday we were there a little before 7:00, so I can get the register open, and Brad headed down the road to the ramp.  I was only there about 5 min. when Dede the local Law Enforcement Officer stopped to introduce herself and let me know they will be checking all boats and guides going down the river today.....doesn't sound like a fun day for them.  Brad showed up while I was talking to her, his radio died and he needed new batteries, so they met and then they all left, leaving me at the booth alone.  It really doesn't take long for the line of vehicles to materialize,  when you figure there is a truck with a trailer hauling a boat, that happens pretty quick.  They warned me it would get backed up, up around the corner quick and they weren't kidding, but I survived, and actually it was a slow day, not sure about tomorrow, the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, but I'm sure we'll survive!!  We finished today about 12:30, due to thunder and lightening hitting the area and the boaters just stopped showing up.  Back home a little lunch, do some of our budget, post cards and off to find a mail box, not bad only a mile away.  Back home and we take Rudy for a walk, watching the skies get dark again and hoping we beat the rain home.  Brad was taking a quick nap, when my phone rang, it's Lynne, I have three bars, so I answer, but it goes dead.  A text or two between us, so the schedule is, when she gets home she'll text and I'll go to the visitors center to call, it's only a mile away, so it's doable.  In the mean time, the water company showed up and we finally have water, yea, no more deliveries with the tank and water pump.  Lynne texted me, so off we all go, to the visitor center, Brad and Rudy dropped me off, then headed to the mail box to send off another card, then came back to walk around until I was done.  Lynne and I and a nice chat, then as we were

Long Horn Sheep

leaving the center there was a group of long horn sheep standing in the one clearing.  Back home for a pork and sauerkraut dinner, then Brad and Rudy headed out for a walk while I did dishes, made coffee, folded laundry and swept the moho.  I met them outside only to see a couple of mule deer by the road, so we all sat out there and watched them for about 10 min., then headed inside.  Brad has now showered and is ready to take out the trash, and I am finishing the blog and getting ready for bed.  A little more rain just moved into the area, but hopefully won't last long...another early day tomorrow.

 

We hope you enjoy sharing our adventures, 

Diane and Brad

 

Touring of Flaming Gorge,Utah

Mom Moose and Baby

Well yesterday, Tuesday was interesting, since the water isn't working here at the CG they brought us water, but didn't have a pump, so 4 or 5 people are trying to run a hose in the correct position that already is.  Back out of Little Hole, then we headed to the Spillway Launch area, where we will be working.  WOW, what a ride down that road.  We passed the booth where I'll be stationed, then down another grade with a hair pin turn to where Brad will be (how they navigate boats down here, phew).  We were heading back to camp when we decided to stop at the Swett Ranch and check that out.  Now the fun thing is having a key to open all the gates and go see what ever you want :-).  We walked around the for a while, then on the ride out, Brad spied a large set of ears up the hill, it ended up being a mom and baby Moose, what a site.  After that, it was just a couple of Mule Deer and then home to walk Rudy.  A quick meal on the grill, a walk for Brad and Rudy, then all of us are off to bed by 10:00 - 10:30 gravity will fill the tanks, took for ever to get 1/3 of a tank of water.  Back down for more water, back to the CG with a pump this time, in about 5 min. we were filled and in 10 min. more so were both of the other campers.  Now that it is 12:30, we headed out, stopped at the Flaming Gorge Resort restaurant for lunch then down to the office to meet Nan, sign some paper work, get our job assignment and our uniforms, yes I said uniforms.  What a treat that was, about 45 min. for trying on pants, shorts and shirts, but we finished and back out to Nan's office, name tags and Volunteer pins, lots of pamphlets and we are finally on our way.  After that a little tour of Dutch John, UT, not much here, then down the road about 3-4 miles to the Little Hole Boat Ramp area, stopping at the overlook on our way.  It really is a beautiful area, and we are both surprised at how busy it

 

Today was a cool, nice morning, so Brad made breakfast on the grill, eating sausage and French toast at the picnic table.  A quick shower then off to the dam for the tour, which of course we missed by about 5 min. and had to wait another hour.  We walked around the picnic area and the loading docks, killing that hour in no time.  The tour was well worth the time, the guide was very informative, and the fact that the elevator takes you down to the bottom of the dam, it made our ears popped.  What a site, the difference from top to bottom and the information was definitely 'information overload'.

Looking up from the
bottom of the Dam,
WOW

  After that we had lunch, stopped to pick up Rudy then headed back out, headed to the recommended 'Sheep Creek Geological Loop', wow what a drive.  We stopped and took lots of pictures, which of course never look anywhere as nice as it is to see it in real life.  We then drove into Manila, nothing there, then headed home stopping at a couple of the pullover stops on our way, actually meeting Don and Jan, other volunteers at one of the overviews.  Almost home we pulled into the Moose Pond area, finding that it has a nice hike trail around it, saving that for another day, we head home, a few more mule deer and then as we pull into the camping area (4 sites for volunteers) the long horned sheep are napping in our drive way and Jim (volunteer) is sitting at the picnic table area taking pictures.  We drove in to the cg using the normal exit road and the sheep never moved, with Don and Jan following about 5 min. behind us, and they still didn't moved.  I guess after the 5 of us stood outside talking long enough, they finally moved on.  After about 1/2 an hour Brad and Rudy headed out for a stroll while I prepped lunch for tomorrow and got dinner ready for tonight.  They weren't gone long when they came home with a little huffing and puffing, seems they stumbled upon the sheep one more time and the sheep decided to follow after them.  YIKES.  Glad I wasn't along.  A meal of chicken corn soup, brought with us from Penn., delicious, a little walk for the 3 of us, back home, ready for bed.  Tomorrow is our first day on the job......wish us luck.

Sheep Creek Geological Loop Pics:
https://picasaweb.google.com/115574168101787483704/SheepCreekGeologicalArea?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMDW3Ierl9jPHQ&feat=directlink

Diane and Brad 

Red Canyon Recreation Area....Beautiful

Scout Clean-up Day

Saturday morning after a quick breakfast, we loaded up Rudy and headed up the mountain to the Red Canyon Recreation Area.  A climb for sure, but once again beautiful scenery and lots to see.  We saw a couple of mule deer on the ride, and after we found our camping area, there were these animals running around, kind of looked like our groundhogs, but not really.  After that we headed to the visitor center we had a quick hello with Chris a little walk then back to the cg area to sit and have our lunch.  We checked out the Red Canyon Lodge, then headed out 191 to the dam.  We walked around there for a little while, noticing the cub/boy scouts picking up the trash from the shore area, then back in the car for the ride home.  Not a bad ride and we get home about 3:30.  A quick stop at the store for salad, then back home for a steak and salad for dinner.  All in all, not a bad day, and a lot of site seeing done. 

 

Sunday we had breakfast on the grill and worked on getting some maintenance done on the car and moho.  Nothing major, just checking the oil, tire pressure, fixing the sleeve on the car hitch, laundry, plus one or two other things.  After that a trip to Wal-Mart then the grocery store....trying to plan for our trip up the mountain, making sure we have most of what we need.  Other than that we just planned on a lazy day, enjoying the grass, trees and beautiful weather.  We had grilled chicken and a veggies for dinner, and just enjoyed sitting outside, watching all the other RV's pull in. 

 

Monday morning, I slept much later than I should have, but I didn't sleep well that night....so up about 7:30, pack up the bed room stuff and keep on moving.  A cup of coffee or two while we walk Rudy around the park, then back to packing up and getting ready for the climb up the mountain.  Not bad, we were packed up and heading out of the CG about 9:45, Brad heading out to get fuel and propane, while I stopped at the drug store to pick up the last of what we needed.  I met up with him at the station where we hooked up the car, then off for the trip up the mountain.  It's only about 40 miles, but it was a little over an hour drive until we pulled in.  We got the RV parked then started getting everything hooked up, including the satellite, and the cell phone booster.  I do know we have TV, but I'll have to wait until tomorrow to see if the cell phone works.  We do have very slow internet, but from what we understand, that's better than most people usually get up here.  After that we drive over to this little lake and take a little walk around that, then head back home for dinner.  I got the burger patties just as Chris pulls in and asks that we meet him down at the visitors center to get a map of the area and a few instructions.  Ok, burgers in the refrig. and off to the center, we meet Chris, get a map of the area and are to meet at the main office tomorrow with Nan to sign some paper work and get our uniforms.  We find out where our jobs are to be, and he asked that we tour the dam and drive around to some of the sites, so when people ask us about things, we might be able to answer with some intelligence.  A quick stroll around the visitor center paths, then back home for burgers on the grill.  After that another walk, about 45 min., then back in for me to work on the blog while Brad does dishes.  Now all is done and it's about time for bed.

 

PS: No moon or stars!!

Small Lake near
Campground



Marmot, similar to our
ground hogs.



Not a bad place to
work for the summer!



 

Thanks,

Diane and Brad   

Colorado to Utah

Wednesday morning we headed out to the Mesa Verde National Park.  We stopped at the visitors center at the entrance and paid for the 2:00 tour for the Cliff Palace.  It was only about 10:30 so we should have plenty of time to go the 20 miles to the Palace, but we got there just in time.  We did a quick tour of the only CG that is inside the Park, not bad, and we actually found a mule deer having a snack.  Back on the road, some beautiful sites, scenery with lots of turns and scary drop offs, with not enough guide rails!!  Out next stop is at Park Point Overlook which is at 8572 ft., out of the car and head up the hill the last 200 feet, by this time neither of us can breathe, our hearts are racing and we need to just stop and catch our breath.  I head out to the point,  the snow covered mountains are 24 miles away, and the picture of the mountains way off in the distance are 90 miles away....wow.  We then head up the road and stop at the diner, grab a burger then out the door to check out the Spruce Tree House cliff dwelling.  We didn't get to hike down to it, we are running out of time to get to our tour.  Back in the car, up around the Mesa Top Loop, stopping at the Pithouse and the Sun Point View, then back down the road and turn onto the Cliff Palace loop.  Arrival time about 1:40 - 1:45, quick bathroom breaks, grab a water and we head down to the tour starting point.  The ranger gave a little speech about the place, then made sure every one had had lunch and are hydrated, then off we go.  Down narrow staircases, up ladders and around corners on narrow thin walk ways.  The tour was great and I am sure there are more pictures attached then you all want to see, but I have added them all.  After the tour we start back down the mountain, a few more stops and overlooks, then back home to rescue Rudy.  The poor thing, it's almost 5:00 and he has been in his kennel since 10:00am, but he survived. We realized that you need two to three days just to do the self guided tours and check out all the pull offs and overlooks.  Dirty rice for dinner, and an early night to bed. 

 

Mesa Verde, Colorado Photos:

https://picasaweb.google.com/115574168101787483704/MesaVerde?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCLy0_obUy5roPg&feat=directlink

 

 

Thursday we head out about 9:30 heading up the road about 200-250 miles.  We head out of Colorado and hit Route 191 in Utah for the long trek north.  On our way we admire the scenery, when this rest area up ahead catches our eye, so we pull in.  It is called the 'Hole in the Rock' and is a 5,000sf house blasted and carved out of solid rock.  We actually did the tour and it was a beautiful place and very impressive, done in the 1950's.  It even had a fire place in it, with a chimney that was 65 feet high, drilled through solid rock.  Great stop, easy place to spend a day and tour the grounds.  Back on the road, heading to our scheduled overnight stop in Helper, Utah called Blue Cut CG.  We pulled in one end and drove right out the other...oh my goodness, and this place had pretty decent ratings and we didn't even want to stop and get out of the moho.  Our options are 50-60 miles up the road to get to another CG or head back down the road about 10 miles to Wal-Mart in Price Utah.  We head to Wal-Mart, but, before we get there we pass the Legacy Inn and RV Park, it has a lower rating than the one we just came from, but we pulled in to check it out anyway.  Nothing fancy, it's just a gravel lot, with small trees, electric, water and sewer, so we checked in, found a place to park, pulled out the chairs and had burgers on the grill.  By night fall, 3 more RV's pulled in, so we weren't alone.  It was quiet at night, so all in all a good decision had been made.

 

 

 

Not enough guide rails

Today we didn't get on the road until about 10:00, we are headed to Vernal, Utah and it's only a little over 100 miles away.  So off we go, but unbeknownst to us, we are heading up this winding, steep mountain climb, with not near enough guard rails for me. It was 6 miles up and 6 miles down with a 8% grade and too many switch backs.    We were in third gear up and down and were grateful we got the new breaking system for the car, but the views were spectacular and breath-taking, but we were both amazed at the amount of double tanker rigs and trucks we passed, but we just chugged along and made our way over Indian Mountain, highest point as we crested the hill, 9414 feet.  We made it down the other side, when Brad spied a little pull off and parked.  We walked for about 1/2 hour, had cheese and crackers for lunch and were on our way.  The rest of the ride was pretty uneventful and we found our CG with no problems.  Not a fancy place, but there is grass and trees, something we haven't had in a long, long time.  Out for a quick, not so great meal, back home a long walk for the dog and us, blog time, another walk and I think I hear the bed calling us now. 

 

Diane and Brad 



Grass and Trees....YEA!!

We made it to Colorado

Sandy Roads

We decided to try the trek from Grants, NM to Cortez, CO on Monday, after the winds had calmed down, it was time to head towards UT.  We were on the road a little after 9:00, a cool, sunny, calm day for travel.  We drove about an hour when we stopped for fuel, then just kept on rolling.  About another hour into the trip when Rudy started fussing, time for a doggie break.  It took a while to find a place to pull over, a little road in front of a gas station, a little break for us and a walk for Rudy, then back in and off we go.  Well the wind didn't get any where near as bad as it was, but the sand was still blowing across the road in the plains.  We finally got more than 100 miles traveled in a day, actually 200 today, yea.  We find our park 'La Mesa RV Park' and it is what you would call a bare bones kind of CG, but it is quiet and close to the things we want to see.  We got a map and a quick run down of the things to do from the lady in the office, then got set up, laundry in and a review of all the information we received.  About 5:00 we headed out for dinner, and town seemed to be closed on Mondays, so we stopped at 'J. Fargo's', one of the few places open and actually had a very good meal.  Back home, 45 min. of Bones and then the TV lost reception, so early to bed for us all. 

 

4-corners USA

This morning we got up and headed out about 10:00, going to the Anasazi Heritage Center Museum, to get the history and necessary information for the Mesa Verde National Park.  We watched two short films, one about the respect to be shown for the Park and the second about the history of the people and what we might see or find in the park.  We were both surprised at some of the information, learning that people have been here for thousands of years.  We were there until a little after noon, then headed back home for left overs and a walk for Rudy  Looking for something else to do for the after noon, so we packed up Rudy, drove about 40 miles to see the Four Corners Monument.  It was pretty neat, on each side of the monument, each side being a different state, there were American Indians selling their crafts.  We walked around the different states, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah, and checked out all of the crafts, then I took some pictures of a family in the center of the monument, and then they took a picture of Brad and I standing in 4 states at one time. We walked around the monument for about and hour, then headed out to get Rudy and walk him around the outside of the monument checking out the views of the 4 states, when a group of motorcycle riders from Florida pulled in.  They were only there about 5 min. getting a quick pic of them all in the center where the 4 states meet, then they were off again, but they can say they were there. We head back home, just admiring all the different scenery around us, and are totally in awe when we round the corner and are facing a snow capped mountain in the distance.  We drop off Rudy, then off to the grocery store, back home put the groceries away, then head out to eat at the local pizza shop.  That was a good find, the owner just happens to be from PA and was very nice, coming out to talk with us and make sure that every thing was good. 


Snow Capped Mountains

More touring on Wednesday
Diane and Brad
 

 

 

West Across New Mexico

Vintage Travel Trailer

Thursday we tried it again. We left Caballo, NM, heading north to Albuquerque to pick up Route 40 to head west towards Gallup, where were are picking up 191 to head north to Colorado.  The ride was mostly uneventful, but just as we were getting in to Albuquerque the wind started to pick up.  We only have about another 15-20 miles to go to our CG, so we continue on our way. We get off Route 40 and head to the Enchanted Trails RV Park, which is on old Route 66.  The CG was the normal sand and gravel lot, which is pretty normal for this area.   It really seemed to be put together in a haphazard way, and the hooks up were set up that each RV pulled in in opposite directions of each other.  Part of the park was set up with old, vintage RV's, it was pretty cool looking at them.  That night for dinner we headed back into Albuquerque to the Monte Carlo Steak House, a restaurant that was on Dinners, Drive-ins and Dives, and we weren't disappointed, the food was fabulous.  Back home a couple of walks around the park and off to bed about 10:00. 

 

Friday was a planned short day.  We were  leaving Albuquerque and heading west about 100 miles to a place called Grants, NM, looking to do a sight seeing, and stayed parked for 2 nights.  We pulled in about 2:00,  parked then headed back to the office to get the 5 cent tour of what there is to do in the area.  We planned on heading to the 'Land of Fire and Ice' which is an Ice Cave in the Bandera Volcano, but the lady here at the CG recommended a 3.5 mile hike up to the El Calderon Area.  Back to the RV, scan the pamphlets we got, then off to the grocery store for supplies, back home to put them away, the off to the WOW Diner for dinner.  We did a little bit of a drive up and down Old Route 66, trying to imagine what it would have been like years ago.  Today there are a lot of run down buildings, hotels, bars and restaurants and signs where businesses used to be.  Back home we had pie and ice cream delivered by the camp host(oh yea), early night to bed, we decided on the 3.5 mile hike tomorrow and want to head out at a decent time.  

 

 Saturday we got up fairly early and headed out about 9:30 to the  El Calderon Area , which is a volcano area, with caves, lava tubes (caves made by the lava flow), the cinder cone and oh yea, rattlesnakes.  We are very lucky they make a very distinctive sound, or the one we saw, would have had Rudy long before we saw him.  He was crossing the trail, when Rudy stepped up the next step and he rattled.  Brad yanked him back as the snake laid coiled, but within a minute or two he slithered off.   We made it to the top of the hill, to the cinder cone, make a good check for snakes then sat down for a water and snack break.  It was a beautiful day, about 70 degrees, sunny, but cool in the shade.  After that the trek down the hill which was pretty uneventful, about .5 mile down you hit a service road for the rest of the walk, which was ok, we didn't have to be on quit the alert for snakes.   That took us about 2-3 hours and we were all a little tired after that.  We got back to the car Rudy jumped in his spot where he stayed until we arrived at the camper.   Back home, left overs for lunch and then off to do a geocache.  We got back home and decided we didn't want to cook or go out to eat, so we had a glass of wine and headed up to the office to order dinner, they have their own menu and deliver to your RV.....now that's service.  We ordered the BBQ special of ribs, brisket and sausage with potatoes and green beans and split the meal.  It was plenty for both of us and for a CG meal, it was very good.  A couple of walks around the CG and off to bed by 9:30 for all of us.

 

Pictures for our hike:

https://picasaweb.google.com/115574168101787483704/ElCalderonArea?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCPWrycK-j6_XaA&feat=directlink

 

Last night after looking at the weather we were trying to decide what to do, stay put or hit the road, winds are supposed to be about 20mph with 30-35 mph gusts.  We pick a place to hike in case we decide to stay, but figure we will check out the updated weather in the AM.  The wind was supposed to pick up about 11:00, but by 9:00 am the wind is blowing pretty good, so here we stay.  Brad took me out to breakfast for mothers day.  After that we headed to Wal-Mart, got paper products and a few other things we needed, then headed home to hide from the wind.   Brad looked up the wind speed and we

Look Close you can see the
shadow of the mountain
through the sand.

are having gusts up to 50 mph.. glad we stayed put.  It's been kind of tough just hanging out in the RV, but with this wind, it's not a good idea to hike to the top of a mesa to look at ruins and old rock etchings.  I got a phone call from Melanie this morning, and from Shane this afternoon, what a nice mothers day.  Brad even got a call from Shawna and is now attempting to call Shari.  Tomorrow, hopefully we will get to head to Cortez, Colorado as the wind is supposed to sub-side. 

 

 Diane and Brad

Finally, out of Texas and into New Mexico

Another visit with
Monique

Monday, May 5, Monique's 4:00 AM training got canceled, so she ended up working all day.  We just hung out at the CG, I did about 3 loads of laundry, then headed out to do some grocery shopping and check out town.  El Paso is huge and it is very easy to end up in Mexico with just one wrong turn, so we headed north instead of south.  We had some lunch, did some touring around, then we found an Albertson's grocery store and got ham steaks, noodles, and broccoli for dinner.  Back to the RV, groceries put away, walk the dog and a text to Monique, only to find out she is still at work.  It was probably about 7:00 when her and her room mate got there for dinner, so we talked a little ate dinner then went out side and sat, as it was cooling down and chit-chatted for about another hour until they left, what a nice visit.  Tuesday her schedule is 7:40 AM until 7:40 AM Wednesday morning, so we know we won't see her tomorrow, but hope to see her Wednesday morning before we leave.  After they left, dishes done, trash out and off to bed for Brad and I. 

 

Tuesday we were headed out about 10:00, heading into El Paso for the walking tour.....no luck.  Half of the streets are closed, you can't find the visitors info center, so off to the 2 acre Saddle Blanket shop, not knowing what to expect, but what the heck.  We pulled in, walked around for a while and actually found a new blanket for the bed.....I don't think so 'dry clean only', so off we go again.  From there we stopped for lunch, what a great place, burritos for lunch and they were fabulous.  After that we did the Border Patrol Museum, which really was a learning experience.  I think of them in the south, not realizing how much they patrol in the north and who is trying to get in through the borders up there.  We were both surprised at the information available and what we learned.  After that we headed to the archaeological museum next door.  That was interesting, but a lot of reading for the information, although I would have like to have some of the baskets they had on display.  We took the mountain pass to the other side of El Paso.  The view was nice but the wind blew so hard at times you could hardly see a half mile or so.  We headed back  home after that, tended Rudy then walked over to the Subway for a sub...we were 5 minutes to late, oh well, back home and I made tuna for dinner.  We watch NCIS and NCIS LA, then fought to stay awake until 10:00, but we managed, then off to bed with us all.

 

Sites along the way.

Wednesday May 7, we are all up by 7:00 when Monique texts, someone was taken to the emergency room and she wasn't sure she would make it before we left.  So we packed and got ready for the trip and as we were getting ready to leave I asked her if she was about done and could meet us....no luck, she is still stuck there for a while.  We head out, and I am a little disappointed, but we push on.  We are trying to get out of town early, wind this afternoon is to be about 40-50 mph gusts, but no luck.  We are only on the road about an hour when the wind kicks up again, sustained 25-35 mph gusts of 40-50, Brad finally says 'find us a CG and get us off the road'.  We traveled about 15 miles and ended up in Caballo, NM, at the Caballo Lake RV Park....what a great find.   I called to see if they had a site, and CJ stated 'if you are on the road in this wind, you just pull right in', with such sincerity we just wanted to come here.  We pull in and she actually met us in the drive, pointed out the open sites and told us to take out pick and then come on into the office.  I went into the office to check us in, no wait, pay as you leave, that way if we want to stay an extra day no problem, at $15.00 a night, checks or cash only, she must do OK.

Not fog or smog,
that is sand at 45-50 mph

She pointed us towards to a good Café for lunch, and invited us to the 4:30 Happy Hour on the porch, or inside at the rec room if the wind was too bad.  We ended up on the porch, 8 of us all total, had a great time talking and getting to know all of the others, since all of them come here on a regular basis, nice, smart and well traveled people.  The park is along a lake on the Rio Gande with mountains in the background.  What a great find for a spur of the moment search for a CG.  Back home, dinner eaten, a walk around the area looking for the dumpsters that we couldn't find (they ended up being at the road for pickup tomorrow), back inside and now we are relaxing, getting ready for the end of the day and a good nights sleep.

 

Brad and Diane

Midland and Westward

Petroleum Museum

Friday 5-2 we hung out in Midland again, breakfast in, then off to the Midland Petroleum Museum.  We walked around there for about 2 hours, then drove around the outside exhibits.  After that we headed out to lunch at McAlister's for lunch....very good, and recommended by the gentlemen that worked at the museum.  We then headed out to Odessa looking for the (Bush Presidential library) turns out it is just a Presidential Archive Library that also has one of the Bush childhood  houses out back.  But it didn't really matter, with our luck, for some reason it is closed for the afternoon and no luck getting to see anything there. We then headed out to a Ranch Museum, but when we got there it looked soooo run down and in a not so nice part of town we didn't even pull in, what a day.  After that we gave up and headed home, it is about 4:30 and Rudy probably needs a break from his cage.  Shane came over soon after we got home and we tried to come up with something to go do, but everything closes at 5:00 or 6:00, so it was hang out at the park, Brad grilled chicken and we had it on a salad, a nice visit with a lot of talking and then Shane was off to the gym.  We walked Rudy one more time and then got ready to settle in for the night.  Not a bad day all in all, a nice visit with Shane, a little touring around, and a plan to hit the road in the morning. 

 

Saturday we actually got on the road by 10:00, planning a stop in Pecos for Fuel and then had lunch

Sampling the
Texas Wine.

at the Denny's in the truck stop.  We had originally hoped to have lunch with Shane at a Mexican restaurant in town, but he couldn't make it.  After lunch we decided to head through town to look for the 'West of the Pecos Museum' and in the process found the Rodeo Arena, where the first ever Rodeo was held on July 4 1883.   The museum consisted of an old saloon that had 3 rooms upstairs and the Orient Hotel that was originally added in 1904.  It was interesting in some parts, some of the modern day Pecos stuff, not so much, but it took us about 2 hours to tour the thing, which of course, makes it a late day again.  We are heading west on I20-I10 to a KOA in Van Horn, TX, traveling about 200 miles.  Not bad, we pull in about 5:00, get checked in, find our spot and are very pleased with the view.  It has been flat and barren most of the day, but out the window of the Moho, we have a view of the mountains in the distance the sites are positioned so you have the afternoon shade to sit and relax in.  There is a little restaurant right here in the CG, so we strolled up there for dinner, nothing fancy, but ok food and we didn't have to get the grill out, an added bonus.  Back to the site, get Rudy and couple of more walks with a little rest and relaxation in between and then off to bed about 10:00. 



Sunday Brad gets up with Rudy to take  him for his normal walk, but instead, calls in the window, if I

Monique at the
'Scenic View' Stop

hurry I can see the sun come up over the mountains, so out the door I go.  Now what the heck, we only have about 120 miles to go to get to El Paso and we are both up at the crack of dawn, but what a morning.  It was 47 when I got up and until we got ready to leave about 9:00 the temp was already up in the mid 70's.  Again we head west, this time to the  Fort Bliss Campground in El Paso, TX, planning to visit with Monique.  We get to the out skirts of El Paso about noon, and do the regular, stop for fuel, and again lunch at Denny's in the truck stop.  After that the trek through town, which was not as easy as it should have been.  We were looking for Route 375, which was  under construction and had no signs as to where the entrance was, so we missed it did a U-turn and got on from the other side using a fly over ramp(very high).  Next get off at Route 54 and head south, so you get off the exit and there are 3 turns to the left and none of them are marked, took a guess on turn number 2 and just happened to be correct.  After that the CG was fairly easy to find but getting here...whew.  We get checked in, find our site, pull in and the car is so crooked we almost didn't get it disconnected, but after about 15 min. we managed.  I texted Monique to let her

The Big Red Border "X"

know we were here and she laughed, she had just left after coming over to check it out.  On to our normal routines, Brad outside and me inside getting things organized and hooked up, when here comes Monique.  What a pleasant visit, we just hung out and talked for a while, then she wanted to show us around a bit, so off to 'Scenic Drive', up a mountain to about 4200 feet above sea level.  From here you can see all of Fort Bliss, El Paso, the 'X' that marks the border, Juarez, Mexico, and in the other direction, all the way to Carlsbad, NM.  It was a beautiful view and much cooler that down at the CG or in town.  After that she took us to her favorite restaurant 'Famous Dave's', where we all had plenty to eat and she even had left overs to take back.  Back home, a short talk, then we had to say goodnight, even though the clock said 8:00 PM our bodies said 9:00 since we crossed one more time zone.  With plans made to have dinner again tomorrow she headed out (training at 4:00 AM for her) and Brad and I headed inside to getting ready for bed. 

https://picasaweb.google.com/115574168101787483704/MidlandAndWest?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKjl59WhgZfSZw&feat=directlink

Pictures of the 'Ford Home', Museum, the Scenery and Van Horn Campground and views.


Diane and Brad

 

 

 

Midland TX....Gas/Oil Country

Click to enlarge, many Wind Mills
in the back ground.

Wednesday we got up and hit the road by 10:00, taking the bypass around the 'Metroplex' of Dallas and Fort Worth.  Wow, what a trip.  The wind is howling and the road is full, 8 lane highway with 8 more lanes of local access, and it went on for about 40-50 miles.  Then when you get to the other side, the traffic just seemed to die out and the road was ours.  We did stop in the middle of that for fuel, it's nice the Pilot and/or Flying J truck stops have RV islands that away from the truck islands with the slow flow nozzle, making it much nicer for us RVer's to get fuel.  We hit the road again an about 3 hours into the ride it's time to change drivers, but I have a great idea.  How about a nice lunch in the RV and a couple of walks around the rest area, giving Brad a nice break and then he can continue to drive.  With this wind, I'm not sure we both would have survived if I were to drive.  So we only had about another 100 miles, and it was a much nicer compromise for us both.  We finished the rest of the trip with no real surprises, found the Abilene VFW that we were planning to park at and got settled in.  Instead of $20.00, it was $25.00 a night and no food, what a disappointment.  Oh well, we had a drink or two then back out to the RV to settle in for the night.  Next day off to Odessa/Midland area in hopes of seeing Shane while we are there. 

 

Shane's Control Panel

The next morning, up, moving and on the road by 9:00 about 5-6 miles down the road we stopped for gas and breakfast at Denny's and after all that we were back on the road a by 10:10.  We are only traveling about 150 miles today and it really is uneventful, although in that short of a ride, you can really see the landscape changing  We went from a Metroplex of cities around Dallas and Fort Worth, then through a few smaller towns and green grass on small mountains side, to still mostly green in Abilene and then the real changing started.  First you notice the lack of grass and just see cactus and brush trees, then the oil pumpers, and yea I forgot to mention the amount of very large wind mill farms scattered through out all of Texas.  After that the big rigs started to appear, 1 or 2 at first and then every direction you looked in there was another one.  Oops here we are at our CG, it's about 1:00, get situated, jacks down, slides out things put away, a stroll around the CG and here comes Shane.  We say our hello's, a little talking and then him and Brad head out to tour his rig (Brad is a lab tech.  for this tour, but no women allowed, so I head off to the grocery store to get burgers for dinner.  I did a detour and found a Starbucks, since I had to entertain myself, then a bank for money and the grocery store, then back home.  I was home maybe 20 min. when Brad and Shane pulled in.  We talked a little more, then burgers on the grill with a salad for dinner, after that Shane laid down on the sofa for a nap.....since he was up all night he needed a little one after a full belly and a little relaxing time.  We left took Rudy to the dog park where he met Matilda and played well, then we walked around every inch of this campground.  After about an hour, back in wake Shane up, then a little more chit chatting and off he headed.  We walked Rudy again, dishes done, blog being typed and we are just about ready for bed.  We will probably stay again tomorrow to see if we can see Shane again and then head out towards Fort Bliss, in El Paso, TX, hoping to see Monique. 

 

 

These are pictures of the Brad at the Rig where Shane works.

 

 

Enjoy,

Diane and Brad