Grand Canyon National Park - Stop 3 in our Trek North to Alaska

We arrived at Trailer Village RV Park in Grand Canyon National Park right before noon on Thursday.  And what a welcome we received!  This “greeter” was grazing right near our campsite!

 

 

 

 

This is a very nice park with full hookups and spacious sites, including some pull-thrus like ours.  But apparently it is not easy to get reservations here—many folks we spoke with said they tried to book sites but were unsuccessful.  So if you ever want to stay at Trailer Village, make your reservations at least 6 months in advance like we did.  To top it off, this is the Centennial Anniversary for the National Park Service, giving free admission to National Parks all week long.  I don’t have to tell you the entire park is packed.

 

 

Even though we visited the Grand Canyon many years ago, I have no recollection of its cool “village” complex, complete with post office, general store, bank, historical lodges, train depot, and restaurants, with a free shuttle to transport visitors between all these places.   I was relieved to learn I was not losing my mind.  Our last visit was strictly to the North Rim—we never made it to this side!

 

After setting up, we jumped right into “tourist” mode, heading to the Visitor Center to plan our activities, take in the exhibits and enjoy the introductory film.

 

 

 

 

 

We even attended a ranger program called, “This Place Matters”, which I found fascinating.  I learned at the turn of the 20^th century, the Santa Fe Railroad really developed the Canyon village place, not the U.S. Government.  And they did it with the help of Fred Harvey, a restaurateur/hotelier credited for starting the first restaurant chain in the U.S. (Harvey House), right along the railroad route.  His female workers, known as “Harvey Girls” were recruited as servers from throughout the nation.  These women, with their upstanding work ethics and moral values, brought prestige and respectability to the food service trade.

 

 

 

I admired the architecture of the village buildings, which blend in perfectly with the natural beauty of the Canyon.    Most of the interiors reflected the culture and heritage of the Native Americans and their ancestors who inhabited these lands for centuries.  My favorites were Hopi House and Desert Tower.

 

 

Hopi House

 

Desert Tower

 

Interestingly, a woman named Mary Colter designed both these buildings as well as several others.  What an accomplishment for a woman in the early 20^th century, when it was very much “a man’s world”.  You go girl!

 

 

 

There were a few entrepreneurs who remained independent of the Santa Fe Railroad, most notably Kolb Studio, which took photographs of approximately 3.5 million visitors during its years of operation from 1902-1976, and Vercamp’s Store, which celebrated 100 years of business before it was purchased by the National Park Service in 2008 to become another Visitor Center.

 

Kolb Studio

 

We awoke by 3:45 a.m. on Friday to watch the sunrise from Trailview Overlook, then spent the day hiking about half of the nearly 13-mile Rim Trail.  Words don’t adequately express the magnitude of awe-inspiring beauty and wonder.

 



Sunrise from Trailview Overlook

 

 

What a spectacular, majestic panorama, from the vibrant multi-colored rock formations to the mighty aqua marine colored Colorado River!   

 

 

 

 

On Saturday, we did the 22-mile drive to the scenic points not covered by the Shuttle system.  Did you know that the Canyon was used/inhabited by people as much as 15,000 years ago!  Truly fascinating.  Later, we had a wonderful dinner at El Tovar Restaurant, with a table that looked out over the Canyon.  Our only complaint was that they did not offer bison on Saturday night’s menu—they had it on Friday, but ran out early in the evening!

 

 

 

 

On Sunday we got out our hiking sticks and headed down the South Kaibab Trail to Ooh Aah Point, about a mile down into the Canyon.  I’m convinced its name is reflective of the comments people make when they see the breathtaking view from this point (similar to the sounds we all make when viewing fireworks!).  We then hiked the balance of the Rim Trail, giving us a total of 5.7 miles.  Whew, PoPo is pooped!

 

 

Rambling RV Rat at Ooh Aah Point

 

Ooh Aah Point

I know you won’t hear this from me often (or from anyone else for that matter), but I extend kudos to the U.S. government on tax dollars well spent maintaining Grand Canyon National Park.

 

Tomorrow we leave the grandeur of the Canyon and depart the great state of Arizona.  Our next stop will be Zion National Park in Utah, which will include a visit from my Aunt Laurie!  Talk to you soon!

 

 

     

 

Petrified Forest National Park - Stop 2 in our Trek North to Alaska

Dumped our holding tanks, filled our fresh water and were on the road by 9:15 a.m. on Tuesday heading to Petrified Forest National Park.  The mountainous, twisting roads of Arizona Route 77/60 offered gorgeous scenery, but resulted in me having heart palpitations—yes, Mom was driving the rig! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But I must say, she did a pretty darn good job with all the switchbacks and sharp curves.  Of course, by the time we reached the camping area, we had to pry her white-knuckled fingers off the steering wheel!

 

The camping area was the parking lot of the gift shop less than a mile from the Park entrance. A mere $10/night for 30 amp electric and a concrete pad with a picnic table.  A true bargain!  If you prefer to be like Fred Mertz of “I Love Lucy”, you can skip getting electric and boondock in the parking lot for free.

 

 

 

Parts of Petrified Forest remind me very much of The Badlands of South Dakota, with its “moonrocks” and grasslands.  The Painted Desert looks like sand art to me, with its layers of multicolored sedimentary rock deposits!

 

We hiked all of the developed trails in the Park to maximize our experience and see the best petrified wood specimens.   It is just amazing that trees transformed into stones with a kaleidoscope of colors!  And to think many of these trees once towered 200 feet in the air, and had up to 10 foot diameters!  What a difference 200+ million years of water, wind, and volcanic ash can make!

 

 

 

 

In addition to the petrified wood, the Park has fine examples of life among Puebloan peoples who inhabited the lands between 1250 and 1380 AD., including petroglyphs (Newspaper Rock has over 650 examples alone) and pueblo homes (Agate House was constructed from petrified wood!).

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would be remiss if I did not cite Historic Route 66.  Yes, the “mother of all roads” once cut right through the Park.

 

 

 

Petrified Forest National Park has much to offer.  So glad we had to opportunity to view this gem.

 

Tomorrow we travel to the Grand Canyon! 

Santa Catalina Mountains - Stop 1 in our Trek North to Alaska

We left Quartzsite on Friday and were surprised by how many RVs were still in LaPosa South.  We thought we’d be the ones to roll up the carpet and turn out the lights!

 

Our first stop on our trek North to Alaska is Catalina State Park, just four hours from Quartzsite.  As we leave Interstate 10, the extensive development going on in the Tucson area is surreal!  Oro Valley, an upscale suburb of Tucson, has only been incorporated since 1974.  But it is overflowing with new housing construction projects.  Nearby is every huge department, clothing, and box store imaginable.  Walgreen’s isn’t kidding when it says it's on the corner of healthy and happy--it is literally at EVERY corner.  Having all these stores nearby comes in handy for us in Catalina State Park—we rode our bicycles (yes, bicycles--the motorcycles never left the truck garage) to pick up a few groceries.  Only 3 miles round trip!  We ate dinner one night at Zona 78, a locally owned and locally sourced Italian restaurant.  They cure their own meats and make their own cheeses, too!  These facts account for their higher than usual prices (For example, $16.50 for spaghetti and meatballs.  And everything is ala carte, even bread.  Back in the Northeast, it is almost a criminal offense not to get bread with your meal at an Italian restaurant)!   But it was money well spent.  The homemade mozzarella on my panko covered eggplant was outrageously de-lish-ous!  And the San Marzano tomatoes added just the right touch.  Decent portions as well—we all took home leftovers!

Catalina State Park is a welcome change from the desert of Quartzsite--we have electric and water hookups!  We can blast the air conditioner (something we did not do in Quartzsite with our solar/wind system) and resume doing laundry in our rig—no more laundromats!  It offers terrific views of the Santa Catalina Mountains and has some great activities included with your park admission fee.  For example, we attended a classic country music concert (the Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard kind of “classic”) on Saturday night.   Then on Sunday morning, we participated in a 7-mile hike, with our guide, Gaston, leading us on portions of every trail within the park.  Between the pace, elevation changes, and different terrains, we certainly got a good workout!

 

 

We visited Mt. Lemmon within the Coronado National Forest, which is the highest point within the Santa Catalina Mountains at 9,159 feet.  And wow, was it chilly!  The temperatures dropped 25 degrees when we reached the summit!  The aroma of pine cones, the feel of cool crisp air, and the thrill of throwing a snowball sure was a treat! The Sky Island Scenic Byway offers many magnificent vistas and breathtaking panoramic views of the valley below.

We also stopped at the Mission San Xavier del Bac, a National Historic Landmark known as the White Dove of the Desert.  The original church was completed in 1797 and maintains its original function:  to minister to the needs of the Tohono O’odham people, on whose reservation this landmark resides.  Many of the statues and paintings here at Mission San Xavier are originals, giving you a historically accurate portrayal of what this church looked like over 200 years ago.

We were told repeatedly that the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum was a “must see” attraction in this area, and I concur wholeheartedly!  It’s like a zoo, aquarium, natural history museum, and botanical garden all wrapped up in one wonderful place!  The docents are very informative and engaging.   Did you know the Sonoran Desert actually has five seasons, not four?  They have Winter (Jan-Feb), Spring (Mar-Apr), Dry or ForeSummer (May-Jun), Monsoon Summer (Jul-mid Sep), and Fall (mid Sep-Dec).  We thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this place, including the picnic facilities with fantastic views.  We actually had the opportunity to see a new baby long-horn sheep!  The little lass was born in late March, and is pretty as a picture!  I was introduced to my first javalena, and really had fun watching the rock squirrels.   We even saw a momma hummingbird feeding her fledglings in the nest!  How cool is that!  I could go on and on about this place, but I won’t.  Suffice to say, it earns a 5-cheese rating from Rambling RV Rat!

 

 

Today we toured Biosphere 2.  Are you wondering (like I was) where is Biosphere 1?  Wonder no more—it’s our planet Earth!  Biosphere 2 originated as a closed environment experiment to support the possibility of sustaining human life for space colonization.  The first experiment in 1991 lasted for two years with eight participants who had to grow, harvest, and nourish themselves with foods grown right in their compound.  Nothing from outside the biosphere could be used.  (This Rambling RV Rat would never survive for two years eating mostly veggies)!   It was a privately-funded project, which, based on most accounts, did not achieve its ultimate goal.   It is now owned (gifted from a VERY wealthy Texan) and operated by the University of Arizona to serve as a research, outreach, and teaching center about Earth, its living systems, and its place in the universe.  They have several biomes, including a savannah, rain forest, and “ocean” complete with simulated waves.  The construction and layout of the complex are a marvel in and of themselves!  7.2 million feet enclosed by 6,500 windows!  A “lung” to control the amount of air pressure to ensure against implosion and explosion.  A price tag of $150 million to build!  A truly unique place conceptually, scientifically, and architecturally.



"The Ocean"



 

"The Lung"

"The Rain Forest"

 

 



Well, we hit the road early tomorrow, so I need my beauty sleep.  Talk to you soon!

The Final Countdown

I can’t believe that today is our last day in Quartzsite.  Tomorrow we leave to start our trek to Alaska, visiting several state and national parks until we hit the Canadian border in mid-May!

 

Before I forget, I have some very exciting news for you all!  My parents finally relented and I now have a Facebook Page!  It is under PoPo Young (be sure you capitalize the “Ps”) and here is my profile photo (You won’t believe how many Popo Youngs are out there in Facebook land)!  PLEASE, friend me!  I’m still going to do my blog, but during these months of extensive travel, posting on Facebook will allow us to stay in closer touch!



PoPo Young - Facebook Profile

 

These last few weeks have been a whirlwind!  We visited Los Algadones for another round of Margaritas with Claudia and Mike before they left Quartzsite for their Tiffin Motor Coach Rally.  And we couldn’t leave without purchasing a few pounds of jumbo prawn—they were so D-LISH-OUS last time!

 

 

Claudia and Mike

 

 

Unfortunately, those few hours in Mexico disqualified Mom from donating blood.  She learned as she entered the Blood Center in Phoenix last week that Mexico is on the Zika virus travel alert list, and blood donations must be postponed for 28 days upon returning from an infected area.  Oh well, she will try to find a blood center along our travel route after the 28 day period expires.

 

 

 

After temps in the 90s and massive winds, we had an unusual occurrence here in the desert:  RAIN!  On three different days!  With it came cooler temps, and unfortunately much higher humidity.  But pretty interesting to see how quickly the “washes” fill up and become flowing rivers and streams.  Can’t imagine what monsoon season is like!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I spent considerable time designing my contribution to the Watson Sign Forest in Alaska!  Can’t wait to display it.  What do you think?  Pretty good likeness, if I may say so myself.   

 

Rambling RV Rat creating a Watson Lake Sign Forest"masterpiece"

 



Pretty good likeness, if I say so myself!

 

 

 

Daddy has been particularly busy prepping the RV and truck for our upcoming Alaskan trek, which has led to some alarming discoveries.

 

By taking the RV tires off to check the brakes and lube the axles, he found the wet bolt that holds the axle/leaf spring to the RV frame had broken off!  Imagine how frightening it would have been to discover this while driving!  Daddy immediately went to RV Lifestyles to order the parts, which took over a week to receive.  But all is back in safe driving order now.

 

He then brought the truck to International in Phoenix for service.  They do not make appointments--you must go and wait your turn.  We want Big Boomer in top notch condition for this trip, so Dad got up at 4 AM to drive nearly two hours to Phoenix to arrive just as the shop was opening.  He was first in line and waited hours while they did an oil change, changed the transmission fluid, put on new brakes, and gave Big Boomer the “safe driving” seal of approval and a bill for $2,370.  He arrived back in Quartzsite at 10:30 PM.  A few days later while traveling in Blythe, the transmission indicator lights up the dashboard.  Dad checks the transmission fluid level and it is low.  WHAT!!!  Back another 2 hours to International!  At least this time they take Big Boomer in right away, and ascertain that the fluid is low by 1.5 gallons!   They inspect and assure us there is no leak.   They determine the service technician just screwed up—he drained the cooler but did not account for this when determining how much transmission fluid to add.  Another disaster averted.

 

In September, we invested in a tire pressure monitor system for the truck and RV.  We figured the $400+ price tag was money well spent with this rough roads we will encounter during this 10,000 mile Alaskan trek.  We had no issues with the system until this Tuesday when the monitor started beeping. Upon inspection, Dad finds the reason the monitor is beeping is because it can’t get a reading on the rear passenger side truck tire—the sensor broke off!  WHAT!  Whoever heard of that happening?  Thankfully, the issue gets resolved quickly by our sales rep and fellow Amazonian Don.  He will mail a new sensor to our home address.  Wish this problem happened earlier in the year, when we could get our mail forwarded to Quartzsite anytime during the last 4 months.  Now we leave tomorrow and must strategize where to have our mail forwarded.

 

As the beloved Saturday Night Live character Roseanne Roseannadanna said, “it’s always something—if it ain’t one thing, it’s another”.  That pretty much sums up the full time RVing lifestyle!  It is not for the faint-hearted!

 

As civilization here in La Posa South dwindles, the wildlife becomes bolder.  The Gambel Quail just recently wandered into our campsite, there is a lizard living in our woodpile, and a ground squirrel has decided to partake of some bird seed.

 

 

 

 

The coyotes were howling on Monday and were VERY close to camp, seemingly only 50 feet on other side of wash.  The gila woodpeckers and hummingbirds have fought over the use of the feeder.  The woodpeckers have gotten very demanding for more frequent refills, pecking at our windows and on top of our roof.  Sorry fellas, closed for the season!  The rattlesnakes remain elusive—two years in a row and no “live” sighting!  But we will continue our quest when we return next winter.

 

 

 

Just when we think Spring is over here in the desert, something else starts to bloom.  Look at these beautiful blossoms on a nearby saguaro tree!

Another great winter spent in Q! 

 

 

 



Solitude and serenity!

But time to start our next exciting adventure!  I’ll speak to you again from Catalina State Park, our first stop on our journey North to Alaska!