The clackety-clack-crash-boom-bang roads started just west of Oklahoma City and lasted all the way to the Arkansas line. There were a few smooth areas, just enough to think you were finally past the rough stuff, then when you got relaxed, rattle-de-clatter, there you go again. I guess Oklahoma thinks it's all just OK. It was great getting into Arkansas with its green hills and trees, gas under $2/gal and smooth roads. We've stopped for the night in North Little Rock at the KOA, a beautiful, shady park. Tomorrow home! I'm throwing in some pictures from the last few weeks. And, yes, [View Full Entry]

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We're through New Mexico, done with Texas, and almost halfway through Oklahoma, about 45 miles west of OKC. Western Oklahoma is fairly green, likely due to the rain they've had the last few days. I wish the eastern Oklahoma roads were as smooth as western OK. Mostly today we've seen prairie, flat as far as the eye can see. It's pretty in its way, but forget taking pictures, all you'd get is sky and a line of green, brown or gold. So, that said, I thought I'd just post some pictures from earlier in the trip that I like, but didn't [View Full Entry]

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Today we visited two more treasures in the national park system, both a little off the beaten path, but worth the trip. The first, El Morro National Monument, is SE of Gallup, NM. El Morro is a mountain, in the midst of very dry terrain, with a constant pool of water at its base, making it a stopping place along the ancient trade route for many different peoples. The mountain is mostly sandstone, making it a compelling canvas for people to leave their marks. There are ancient petroglyphs, signatures of early Spanish explorers and names carved by settlers, soldiers and railroad [View Full Entry]

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We left Needles heading east on I-40, horrible bumpy roads, California's way of saying, "You're leaving now, we got your money, don't let the door hit you in the rear on your way out." We were happy to cross the Colorado River into Arizona with its smoother pavement and cheaper gas. At Flagstaff we headed north a little ways on Hwy 89 to Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. At the visitor center we learned that the San Francisco volcanic field is made up of more than 600 hills and mountains created by volcanic forces. Sunset Crater Volcano is the youngest, last [View Full Entry]

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Friday morning we said goodbye to Gena and Bob before heading out ourselves. Hwy 99 is a horrible road, so we elected instead to head east to Porterville and go south on Hwy 65 through farm country. We again enjoyed the orange blossoms and stopped once at a farm store in quest of garlic-stuffed olives. Unfortunately, they were out, but recommended we try Trader Joe's in Bakersfield. We got to Bakersfield early in the afternoon and headed first to Walmart to drop off my prescriptions and do a little shopping. We then went to Trader Joe's and found our olives, then [View Full Entry]

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We headed east on 198 through Visalia, driving through groves of orange trees, smelling the most pleasing fragrance (and we knew it wasn't Moe's breath.) We realized we were smelling the orange blossoms, for though the trees still have fruit on them, they are again in bloom. The lemon trees in bloom were just as sweet smelling. We passed Kaweah Lake, very picturesque, and finally arrived at the Ash Mountain entrance to Sequoia National Park. We drove up Generals Highway, climbing and winding, watching the Kaweah River tumbling down, stopping often for pictures. We watched Moro Rock ge [View Full Entry]

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We headed south from Lone Pine on 395 then west on 178 to Lake Isabella and the Kern River Canyon/Valley. It's a beautiful drive, over the Sierras, where the Joshua Trees are replaced by pines as we climb higher, then reappear as we descend. Lake Isabella looks quite low, even lower than it was last year. The drive is mostly through fairly dry lands with pockets of lush green here and there. The Kern River carried more water than last time we saw it, albeit brown, muddy looking water from the early snow melt due to unseasonably warm temps. The huge [View Full Entry]

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Sorry I haven't posted since Saturday night. I've been down with food poisoning and have not been up to doing much. Here's what we've done since Saturday: I started feeling sick on the way back to our campground in Glendale from Bryce Canyon. I posted a blog that night and went to bed. We sent Bob and Gena on ahead Sunday morning and told them we'd meet up in Las Vegas. We didn't leave until almost noon, waiting to decide if I felt up to travelling. We finally headed out and I slept almost the whole way to Las Vegas, missing [View Full Entry]

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We enjoyed a lazy morning before heading out for Bryce Canyon. It was a beautiful sunny day, warmer than yesterday, and we were all excited about seeing Bryce. We stopped at the visitor center in Red Rock Canyon, which is really your first hint of hoodoos, but in bright red. Then through two small tunnels cut through the red rocks and on to the entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park. We had seen post cards and pictures of Bryce with snow, but to actually see it was overwhelming. The colors were so bright and the contrast of the snow, the green [View Full Entry]

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We left Page heading for Zion National Park under sunny skies and cool temps. The drive from Page to Kanab along the Vermillion Cliffs and Escalante Staircase is beautiful. Utah never fails to impress us. The colors, shapes and contours are ever-changing. You can't get bored with the variety. At Kanab we decided to keep going and camp between Zion and Bryce Canyon. We found a nice little campground, Bauer Ranch, and decided to stay for 2 nights, doing Zion today and Bryce tomorrow. After setting up camp and putting dinner in the crock pot to cook while we were gone, [View Full Entry]

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