After getting up at Bandolier Campground, we went up to the Visitor’s Center and decided to take a little bit of a hike out to the cliff dwelling and the kivas. Actually, we were getting a little tired of cliff dwellings and kivas, but this particular place was quite interesting and worth the extra effort. We climbed up ladders to see the homes and the petroglyphics and the kivas. The rock is known as swiss cheese because of the holes, and the paths and trails were very well maintained, so it wasn’t a very difficult hike. It was quite interesting [View Full Entry]

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October 17, Sunday Durango, CO We drove to Durango, stopped at the café, caught up with the Internet, and walked around Durango, Colorado’s Moab??? There were lots of outdoor shops along the San Juan River. Today was sort of a catch-up day, so we did our grocery shopping, stayed at a Mom & Pop campground and had a nice breakfast the next morning at Sonya’s. Bob got a call from a friend of his, Dan Mourer, who was out hunting in the west; but we weren’t able to connect. We just seemed to miss each other. October 18, Monday Farmington, NM [View Full Entry]

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October 15, Friday We drove from Tuba City to Canyon DeChelly. We managed to sign up for a jeep tour operated by the Navajo people. The Canyon is sandy and the jeep/truck ride was similar to driving in snow. We viewed the petroglyphics, and some ancient ruins of the Cliff- Dwellers/Anastasia. The starkness and dryness has forced many farmers/herders to go up to the rims north and south in order to survive the drought, which has been here in the west for over seven years. The Cottonwood Campground is free and quite nice. The Native Americans are selling trinkets and jewelry [View Full Entry]

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Our destination was the North Rim of the Grand Canyon , since we will have just a few days before they close for the winter. We stopped at Pipe Springs and Jacob’s Lake. We spent the night on Forestland but got the scoop about how to obtain a campsite (as they are getting ready to close the North Rim the process if different) and secure a backcountry permit and also make reservations for the campground, Cottonwood, at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. October 10, Sunday. North Rim of the Grand Canyon [View Full Entry]

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Having said “goodbye” to new friends we headed for Cedar Breaks. We spent the night in St. George at the Comfort Inn. Yes it was time to do laundry,again. We also wanted to see the presidential debate on TV. Time to reorganize the Bothan and continue on our journey. [View Full Entry]

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On our day off we decided to go horseback riding at Hell’s Backbone. The ride up and down the canyons was beautiful. Old Bob did great, this was his first time on a horse. We thoroughly enjoyed the horse ride, the scenery and the folks at the ranch. After lunch we were off to Burr Trail. We found the “Gulch” and hiked for an hour or so. The drive on Burr Trail is, at the risk of repeating myself, wonderful. We even found a slot canyon and stopped to investigate and take a few pictures. Before our day off ended, [View Full Entry]

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Boulder / Escalante Utah Today we are on our way to Boulder UT. A stop at the Anasazi Museum was very worthwhile. The video was exceptionally well done and traced the history of the Puebloan People as hunters/gathers and how they developed a sophisticated society of people farming, hunting and building. Highway 12 is beautiful, it winds up and down the mountains showing off the aspens. However, the area from Boulder to Escalante is what the locals call “hogback”. We are actually driving on the top a ridge looking down at the canyons on both sides, not good [View Full Entry]

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On the road again, we are going to Capitol Reef. At the Capitol Reef visitor’s center we listened to a ranger talk about the geology of this region and how CR was formed from a monocline in a staircase shape. We drove the scenic trail, since due to flooding some trails were closed. We continued on to Torrey and stayed at a RV campground at the intersection of routes 12/24 while catching up on laundry, we watched the presidential debates. [View Full Entry]

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September 27, Monday. Colorado/Utah We left Silt and headed to Grand Junction. It is a charming town. Browsing around we found an REI, then shopped for food and continued on to Moab/Utah. After leaving RT. 70, we took a "Bob Road", the scenic highway Rt. 128 to Moab. The Visitor's Center was helpful in locating a campground right outside Arches National Park. We enjoyed a swim while our laundry was going. We squeezed in a visit to the Moab Brewery, an interesting place. Part of the trick of travel is that in each location one needs to learn the “system”. So [View Full Entry]

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September 23, 2004. Thursday, and we are on our way to the “Wild West”. We left “the Burg” around 10 a.m. and drove for over 500 miles to Effingham IL Sept. 24, Friday. Again this is a travel day over 500 miles to a campground in Hays, Indiana Sept. 25, Saturday. Kansas We made a stop today in Kansas. The highpoint is Mt Sunflower the elevation is 4039, and it is on private property. It is cattle/farm country just outside the Colorado state line. We drove the Bothan through the slick dirt roads, slopping up mud everywhere. Our final [View Full Entry]

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