Day 39 Welcome to MO!

During our two day tour of Kansas from the I70 corridor, we found two nice state parks where we camped. Sadly, it was too cold and windy to do much exploring.

A stop at Camping World was disappointing. First, it appears they have no facilities to accommodate overnight guests. Years ago, Camping World stores had several camp sites to accommodate travelers who needed work performed on their rigs.

Prior to the camping world stop, we sample some good Missouri BBQ for lunch. Both the pulled pork and burnt end brisket were excellent!

We set up camp in Bennett Spring State Park. Tomorrow we intend to hike a 7+ mile trail that features a long natural tunnel. There is a 2 1/2 mile trail that has our interest too.

Here's what the park's website has to say, "The Bennett Spring area was founded by pioneers who used the cool, rushing waters of the spring-fed stream for gristmills. Now, it’s one of America’s premier trout destinations where people come to wrestle with rainbow trout and fish a stream that’s stocked every night. Bennett Spring State Park has fishing, hiking that runs from simple to strenuous, and a lodge with hearty stick-to-your ribs food. The park's proximity to Interstate 44 makes it an easy trip from all parts of Missouri."

Note: There is a hatchery on the premises.

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Day 38 Perry Lake, KS

Perry Lake, Kansas. It's about 50 degrees today. Much too cold for us; too cold to hike the trails. Instead, we repaired the city water connection. Earlier today we purchased a new check valve. After setting up camp, we removed the old internal check valve and installed the new, external one. The test showed no leaks , so we caulked the housing to complete the installation.
There are two or three other campers here. For the most part the place looks closed. Electric is available and we have the electric heater purring away. The campground water is shut off. Fortunately we have about 20 gallons of water in the tank.
Perry Lake is large. There are several campgrounds and marinas. The CG we are in is run by the Army Corps of Engineers. They have three or four other CGs. Besides the Corps, there is also a State Park that offers camping and other recreational opportunities. We are staying at a Corps facility because they accept the NPS Senior Pass. The fee for a campsite with electric is $5.00!
On another note, We made arrangements to meet friends at Payne's Prairie State Park in Florida on November 2nd & 3rd.

Day 37 Kansas!

Our last view of the Rocky Mountains came just after pulling out of the campground. Areas of freshly fallen snow were clearly visible, even from this distance.

After a couple of hours, we crossed the border into Kansas. The praise is flat with houses few and far between. Occasionally we'll pass a town just off the highway, but for the most part, we seem to be driving through cornfields. We drove through Colby, Kansas, referenced in John Denver's song"Matthew."

One of the small towns along the way advertised "Free Land" on a billboard on the highway. The sign offered that "water and electric are provided... All we need is you." Don't know how much free land they're offering. There are no trees, just lots and lots of prairie. This part of Kansas reputedly has a lot of wind. We saw warnings for high winds yesterday. Today the wind might be blowing 30+ mph, right on our beam. If we were a boat and this were water, we wouldn't be burning fuel today.

We made camp at Cedar Bluff State Park & Reservoir, about 13 miles off the interstate. The wind diminished as nighttime approached. This state park offers sites with hookups. We chose to plug in to electric but the water is turned off for the season. This site doesn't offer a sewer connection, although there are sites that have all three hook-ups. The sites are huge and there are lots of them; over 1100 according to one piece of literature we read.

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Day 36 Flat Ground!

Day 36 - Day 36 Flat Ground!

Independence Pass, Denver, Strasburg

Monday, October 17, 2011

We made it to flat ground today. It's a mile high, but it's flat! Relatively speaking, that is. It wasn't easy to get here. Here's the story:

We departed Basalt at 1000 hours, headed east on Highway 82. Shortly after passing through Aspen, we started up the Sawatch Mountain Range. (FYI, a winter storm warning is in effect for Aspen. Four to seven inches of snow is predicted by this evening.) as we gained elevation, it started to snow. The higher we climbed, the harder it snowed. We started to get concerned about going through Independence Pass ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Pass_(Colorado) ) in the snow.

We really got concerned when the two lane road narrowed to one and one-half lane. There were no shoulders; just rock to the left and a thousand foot drop-off to the right. In a few places there wasn't even room for an on-coming vehicle to pass us. Luckily, when one did appear, we were just happened to be at a turn out.

We were now over 10,000 feet in almost blinding snow. An on-coming car flagged us down to tell us his wheels started spinning at the pass. He turned around rather than take a chance on having a problem. That was all we had to hear. We were ready to turn around, but we have to find a turn out to do it. There's no way to turn our rig around on a morrow mountain road.

Eventually we found a marginal spot to try to get the rig turned around. With some jockeying around, we were able to complete the 180 degree turn and head back down the mountain. Defeated but not deterred, we made our way back through Aspen. We passed our starting point about 2 1/4 hours after our departure. That was wasted time and mileage. By the way, it was sunny in the valley!

Given that snow in the higher elevations, we decided to stay on the interstate highways. The first alternative route had us going down state road 24. It has three passes all over 10,000 feet. What was supposed to be a trip of a little over 150 miles became a trip of almost 400 miles. We decided to scratch the Great Sand Dune National Park, our original destination for today, and go through Denver on our way to Kansas and, ultimately, our nephew Jeff's home in Ozark, MO.

Even though we are on I 70, we weren't through with the mountain Passes. We ran into snow again at Vail Pass and there were Ivey road warnings around Eisenhower Tunnel. We mistakenly thought it would be easier going through a mountain tunnel. We didn't count on the ice!

Outside of Denver, things flattened out and the driving was much easier. Just when we thought we'd have smooth sailing, we began to see signs reporting high crosswinds on the way to Kansas. High profile vehicles should proceed with caution.

Fortunately, the high winds must have subsided before we arrived as the wind we did have wasn't a problem. We made it to a KOA Campground in Strasburg, CO. and settled in for the night. Freeze warnings are predicted for tonight. We fired up the electric heater and had. Pizza delivered to the trailer.

Tomorrow we'll be in Kansas!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Pass_(Colorado)

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Day 35 Windstar & John Adams Tribute to John Denver

John Denver's Windstar Foundation held its annual open house today. It was a day filled with music, speeches and food. Sadly, it seems that Windstar's glory days are in the past.

The foundation had nearly 1,000 acres in Old Snowmass. Half of that total was granted to the Windstar Land Conservancy, a spin off of the Foundation and the Aspen Institute. We walked the John Denver Meadows, where a wetlands restoration project is underway. It seems the wetlands were drained in the early part of the 20th century.

We wish the Foundation well. It has done great and interesting work in the past, perhaps it can again.

In the evening we attended another tribute concert for John Denver. John Adams and the band were very good. We thoroughly enjoyed the day.

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Day 34 John Denver Tribute

The day started out with brunch at the Eco Goddess in Carbondale, CO. We enjoyed a great meal, but Lisa, the owner, was not in this morning. We left her a note saying how much we enjoyed her establishment and wished her much success.

We then headed to Glennwood Springs. Rumor has it that there's a WalMart there. Sure enough, we found said store and made a few purchases.

We returned to the CG where I tried to fix the second breakdown we've had to date. A couple of days age, the check valve on the city water connection failed. I couldn't find a replacement part so I plugged it temporarily. It'll be fixed properly when I find the part.

Today, I went to put the driver's side power window down, and nothing happened. That's funny it worked yesterday. What could have happened overnight? Don't know! I checked all the fuses and found no problems. I don't have a volt meter on board, so I'll have to take it somewhere to find out the problem.

We arrived in Aspen a bit early, promptly found a parking spot and walked around town. At 1830 hours, we entered the Wheeler Opera House, tonight's venue for the John Denver tribute.

The Wheeler is a fine old theatre that seems well maintained. Judging from the posters of future shows, they seem to have quite a few productions. The Dave Matthews Band will be there as will Judy Collins, to name two up-coming shows.

At exactly 1930 hours, the lights dimmed and the show began. From the beginning, it blew me away. About an hour and fifteen minutes in, there was an intermission. There were numerous items in the silent auction. I bid on a Bedell BMB-24G guitar. I would have been nice to win it, but I was out bid at the wire.

The second act was equally as entertaining and moving as the first. All the musicians had some connection with John. Most were in his band at one time or another.

After an encore, the show finished with a recording, by John Denver, of "This Old Guitar." A single spot light up a guitar and floral arrangement that had been placed centervstage. The musicians, silhouetted in various poses, stood silent and still in tribute. There wasn't a dry eye in the house.

The evening highlighted what a strong body of work was left behind by JD's premature departure from Mother Earth.

It was a moving tribute and a lovely evening. It provided Anna Marie and me with memories we will cherish for the rest of our lives.

	This Old Guitar [Map]

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Day 33 A Day Off!

Wow! Our first day off!! We didn't plan any special activities today. We took a short ride to check out Snowmass. It's a big, as in huge, ski resort but everything is closed. Apparently they don't make snow. There are other ski areas that do make snow. We read of at least two that have opened for the season. One was only closed for 100 days.

Following Snowmass, we drove to Historic Basalt where we roamed the streets, did a little window shopping, and enjoyed lunch on the banks of the Roaring Forks River.

In the evening, we went to see Money Ball at the local cinema.

That's about it for today!

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Day 32 Maroon Bells

First on the agenda today was a Meet n' Greet at the John Denver Sanctuary. We arrived to find a work party already involved in trimming shrubs, scrubbing rocks and raking leaves. Volunteers apparently reported at 0900 hours to begin their seasonal clean up detail.

About 50 people participated in the Meet n' Greet. Following some announcements an distribution of the schedule of the week's tribute activities, five guitar players/singers lead the assembled crowd in a sing-a-long. The featured songs included, "Welcome to My Morning," "Back Home Again," and "Rocky Mountain High."

At the conclusion we set off for another walk around Aspen, stopping for lunch at the Bakery.

Following lunch, we continued our walk and then drove to Maroon Bells, two peaks that are over 14,000 feet. We hiked the trail leading to Crater Lake and got a great picture from high above Maroon Lake.

The following description was excerpted from beentheredonethat.com and the GORP link on the webpage:

"The Maroon Bells, at 14,156 and 14,014 feet above sea level, are two of the most spectacular of Colorado's 53 mountains above 14,000 feet. Located very near Aspen, Colorado, this view has become symbolic of the beauty of the Rocky Mountains."

"Not enough words are available to describe the beauty of this area. Panoramic high passes, beautiful alpine lakes, quaking aspen groves, meadows sprinkled with wildflowers and jagged peaks greet visitors to this area. This is not the wilderness to visit if you are seeking solitude. Large numbers of visitors are drawn to the beauty of this area. Many come to traverse some of Colorado's best-loved mountain passes, among them Avalanche Pass, Buckskin Pass, and Electric Pass. By far the most popular area in the wilderness, however, is Maroon Lake. Visitors to the Lake are treated to views of the twin peaks of the Maroon Bells reflected in the waters of Maroon Lake. Maroon Lake is set in a beautiful U-shaped alpine valley which is sprinkled with wildflowers. This is probably one of the most photographed spots in all of Colorado!"

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Day 31 The John Denver Sanctuary

Peaceful and serene, that's the Sanctuary. A quiet place to contemplate friends, nature, songs of the rainbow, one's lifetime, the love for one's children, thinking on their sweet smiles, what happens when the river meets the sea, the autograph of one's life, the seminal moments that define one's life, the meaning of love, the many ways of sunshine, being in a place that's almost heaven, and the beauty and joy of being home again. These are all themes in John Denver's music and with it, he not only entertains, but challenges us to reflect on issues that are important to the human spirit.

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Day 30 The San Juan Skyway and the Eco Goddess!

Shortly after waving good-bye to the Ancient Puebloans of Mesa Verde, the old Ford and the Sunnybrook 5er made tracks for the San Juan Skyway. Billed as an All-American Road (what does that mean?) and America's most scenic road, we knew there be jaw dropping vistas of the Colorado Rockies. I've been waiting to see them for a long time. Of concern, major concern, are the several mountain passes we'd have to negotiate. Not sure the old Ford is up to the task, We thought going back into Utah, through Moab and around the mountains. ultimately, we decided to chance the passes.

The scenery is spectacular! The Skyway did not disappoint. It lived up to all our expectations. The snow covered Rockies are impressive, the grandeur magnificent. Perhaps even more impressive than the Grand Canyon!

Here we are, riding up, down, over and around the Rockies Mountains listening to and singing along with John Denver. It is nirvana!

After almost six hours of impressive mountain scenery, the likes of which we have not experienced, we found ourselves in Carbondale, home of the Eco Goddess, an eating establishment owned and operated by Lisa Ruoff. The Ruoff family and I go back to the 60's when I was best friends with Lisa's Uncle Bob. His sister Janet married Rob Ruoff. I got to know Lisa's Mom, Dad, and siblings very well. Lisa, the baby of the clan, came along at about the time I was starting my career. That limited my time with her and her family.

Anyway, here she is, in Carbondale, CO, running her own business. We planned to arrive in Carbondale at around lunch time, find her establishment, say hello and enjoy a healthy lunch. We had a lovely visit and an outstanding lunch.

Eco Goddess is all about healthy, organic food. There are not meat dishes on the menu, but that's OK when you can do such amazing things with vegetables! if you're ever in Carbondale, do yourself a favor, skip the Fat Burger and enjoy a healthy meal (try the Veggie Lasagna) in a warm, friendly establishment run by an owner who cares about you, healthy consumption, and her business. You won't be disappointed!

When our meal was over, we drove another ten miles or so to the Aspen-Basalt Campground where we set up camp. We'll be here for the next week to check out Carbondale, Basalt, and Aspen

NOTE: There is a RR Museum on Ridgeway, CO. In it's collection is the "Galloping Goose." we took a photo, but there are better ones on the museum's web page. Click here for info and pic of the "Galloping Goose."

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Day 29 Mesa Verde

The alarm sounded at 0600. The early start is necessary to insure we get tickets for a guided Ranger Tour of the Cliff Palace.

We were successful and had the best Ranger Tour of the trip. Ranger Jeff Brown is passionate about his job, the subject matter and clearly enjoys involving people in his interactive presentation.

The history of the Ancient Puebloans is incredible and follow up reading is high on our list.

Following the tour, we took a self guided tour of the Mesa Top. It was great.

We enjoyed excellent lite fare at the Spruce Tree Cafe. Before making our way down the mountain we watched the orientation movie and walked through the museum. The collection of artifacts is most impressive. Included on the site is a research library.

Crews are currently building a new Visitor Center and Research Center.

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Day 28 Four Corners

Five days in the Grand Canyon are in the book (blog?)!

We're off to Mesa Verde NP but first, a stop at Four Corners, the only place in the USA where the boundary lines of four states meet.

The Four Corners Monument is operated by the Navajo and Ute Nations.

Surrounding the medallion marking the intersection of the borders is a viewing patio. Around the patio are booths from which Native Americans sell their wares. Some of the pottery and Arts and Crafts are very well executed.

After driving almost three hundred miles, we chose to set up camp in a private campground outside the Mesa Verde NP.. The campground offers free Internet access (it works but it's SLOW).

Tomorrow, we'll get an early start in order to score tickets for a guided Ranger tour of the Ancient Puebloan cliff dwellings.

Just to our north, we can see a mountain range. The peaks are covered in snow. The weather forecast for Aspen (we'll be there in two days) is for highs in the 60s with lows in the 40s. That's acceptable to us. Let's hope it's accurate!

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Day 27 "... every American should see the Grand Canyon." (TR)

Our day started with a special breakfast of Apple Fritters prepared by Master Chef Eddie A. He must be a Master Chef because the fritters that didn't meet his strict quality control standards were thrown into the garbage. From my count, just about one of every two fritters were tossed. That's some high standards!

After breakfast, Marje and Ed pulled up stakes and headed for Sedona. In addition to a weekend Arts Fair, they hope to find thicker air and warmer temperatures. Morning temps have been in the low 20s and the daily highs hover near 50. We have been waking up to temps in the low 40s inside the RV. It's tough to get out from under the covers when it's that cold!

After bidding goodbye to our traveling companions, we set out for a walk on the Bright Angel Trail. The trail, one of the most popular in the world, descends rapidly from the trail head near the Bright Angel Lodge. We went down far enough to feel enveloped by the walls of the Canyon on one side while on the other side, sometimes only two or three feet away, the drop off was deep and scary.

Surprisingly, the walk back to the top wasn't nearly as rigorous as the walk up the Navajo Trail in Bryce Canyon.

We had lunch in the Arizona Room at the Bright Angel Lodge before heading out on the Red Bus to Hermit's Rest. Mary Coulter was the architect for the building which blends perfectly into the surroundings. If your in the neighborhood, the views from Hermit Road shouldn't be missed.

On the way back to the campground, we bought souvenirs of our visit to the Grand Canyon for the grandkids.

There's a famous quote by President Teddy Roosevelt in which he stipulates his opinion that every American should see the Grand Canyon. Certainly this is an amazing place. The size and scope of the Canyon defies belief. Every time I get a glimpse of it from the rim, I'm awestruck by its enormity, beauty and unforgiving ruggedness. It may well be something every American should experience at least once in his/her lifetime. During our five days split between the north and south rims, we didn't get the feeling that many Americans were here. Yet there were no vacancies on the North Rim and there are crowds of people here at the South Rim. Most of the people it seems are from other countries. We have heard conversations in German, French, Spanish, Swedish (and perhaps other Scandnavian Countries), Australian, Japanese and perhaps Chinese. Indeed, foreigners seem to outnumber the Americans by a significant number.

There is a significant Native American presence although not in the tourist areas. The Park is surrounded by Indian Reservations. To the west is the Havausupai Reservation. This tribe operates the Sky Walk, a five hour ride from the South Rim (only 1 1/2 hours by car from Las Vegas). To the east is the Navajo Reservation. Six other tribes, the Havalapai, Yavapai, Southern Paiute, Zuni and Apache claim portions of the Grand Canyon area as their native lands.

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Day 26 Odiforous!

The smell of the Grand Canyon, both North and South Rims, is worthy of mention. It's like being in a Yankee Candle store with 1,000 pine candles burning at the same time.

In Mathers Campground, there are several species of pine that contribute to the Christmas Tree order. Combine that with the odor of bacon cooking over an open fire on a frosty morning, and you get the idea of what our morning walk smelled like!

After breakfast, Ed and Marje went off in search of propane. Anna Marie and I set out the walk some trails. It took almost one mile to clear the campground. Our sites are way in the back.

We made our way to the rim trail and began our walk heading east toward the Yavapai Geological Museum. The rim trail is very popular and accessible. There were quite a few people just strolling along. We, on the other hand, had a pretty good pace going. By the time we finished checking the museum, it was time to head back to the campground where we were supposed to meet Marje and Ed. We decided to board the Orange Bus which promptly too us to the visitors center where we boarded the Blue (Village) Bus to get back to the campground.

Marje and Ed weren't there, having decided to do some exploring by car (motorhome). After lunch, Anna Marie and I took the bus to the visitor center where we watched the introductory movie. It was very well done. The photography was outstanding as was the writing for the narration.

We hooked up with Marje and Ed, joined them in the motorhome and set out for the Village to see the historic district.

We went in the Hopi House, Verkamp's (now a visitors center, and El Tovar before heading back to the campground.

We grilled steaks on the wood fire along with a can of beets. In the camper, Anna Marie made Apple Crisp, a delicious treat.

Marje and Ed may be leaving for Sodona tomorrow, so this may be our last meal together for this trip.

If so, we'll miss them.

As for us, we still have a couple of trails to explore, we want to do at least a few miles on both the Bright Angel and the Kaibab Trails.

We'll leave the Grand Canyon on either Sunday or Monday, visit Mesa Verde for a couple days and then make our way to Aspen for the 14th Annual John Denver Tribute.

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Day 25 SNOW!

Yowza! The North Rim and neighboring Kaibab National Forest received six inches of wet snow over night! Before we could think about leaving, we had to clear the snow and ice from the slide. The dinette is about eight feet long by about three and one half feet wide and, at the touch of a button, it "slides" out leaving a much larger living area.

We wouldn't "slide it in" until all of the snow and ice is removed. The "Host" loaned me a ladder so I could remove the snow and ice from the roof of the dinette and Anna Marie used a trusty ice scrapper to remove the ice from the two sides that would be on the inside once the dinette slid back in place.

We accomplished the task in about 1/2 hour and, after stowing the usual gear, we were ready to leave.

The Host told us that the main roads would be in good shape but the roads in the campground would not be plowed. We'd have to get out on our own.

To get to the main road, we'd have to negotiate a steep hill and sharp curve. Nothing to it! I put the truck in low 4x4 and proceeded up the hill, through six inches of snow, dragging the trailer behind.

We made it to the main road which was cleared and proceeded to make the 200+ mile trip to the South Rim.

Along the way, we stopped at Navajo Bridge which crosses the Colorado River and the beginning of the Navajo Reservation.

We made it to our campsite in the Mather Campground, in the Grand Canyon National Park. After trying a few sites out, we selected one and set up shop. Marje and Ed were a few sites away.

We had dinner at the Marketplace Cafe and attended a Cello concert at the Shrine of the Ages. It was part of the park's "Artist in Residence" series. We all found it to be entertaining, inspirational and thought provoking.

Upon returning to the RV, we fired up the heater. It's supposed to go down to 26 degrees tonight.

Oh, and you might be wondering if it snowed on the South Rim. We were told the South Rim in 1000 feet lower in elevation than the North Rim, so there's a chance there wouldn't'd be any snow. Correct... To a point. There is no snow on the ground, but we experienced several hours of snow showers. So far... No accumulation!

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Day 24 Cold and Wet!

Well friends, cold temp (40 degrees F) and rain foiled our planned hikes. The weather did allow a motor tour of the North Rim. During breaks in the rain we were able to take short walks of 1/2 to perhaps 1 mile. At the end of each were breathtaking views of the Grand Canyon. At Cape Royal, the trail led to an overlook perched over Angels Window. The views were incredible from all directions.

Besides Cape Royal, we walked to incredible views from the Roosevelt Trail and Point Imperial, the highest point in Grand Canyon National Park.

We also saw ruins of the Ancient Puebloans who farmed the North Rim (summers) and in the canyon (winters) 900 years ago.

We broke for lunch at the Lodge before calling it a day due to the cold, rainy weather.

Back at camp, we fired up the genney, turned on the heat and read.

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Day 23 The North Rim

Anna Marie and I broke camp early so we could take care of some business in ST. George. As wexwere passing through Hurricane, we spotted a WalMart. We'll stop there to provision on the way to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, today's destination. Anna Marie placed a quick call to Marje and Ed. They are in need of provisions as well.

After taking care of business and restocking our food supply, we set off for the North Rim.

We are becoming very familiar with the landscape of southern Utah. It's mostly desert. The ground it dotted with sage brush, the roads are generally in the valleys until there are mountains to cross. Switchbacks, a steies of very tight turns connected by steep inclines are used for the higher peaks. More gentle curves and inclines can get you over the smaller mountains.

At one point, seemingly in the middle of no where, we came across a fancy sign welcoming us to the "Town of Apple Valley." there was nothing around. There were no houses, barns, or structures of any kind, as far as the eye could see.

Over the next ridge, perhaps seven to ten miles away, we saw a single house. Could it be that Apple Valley has only one family? Probable not, because there was a little village on the other side of the next mountain. It might have been fifteen or twenty miles from the sign. Perhaps the people of Apple Valley see a time when their village extends outward to the sign. It's gonna be a while. Property is for sale, but no development is taking place.

Eventually we entered Kaibab National Forest where we reconnected with Marge and Ed. They had already scored campsites for us. After setting up camp, we were off to check out the North Rim.

The forest of mixed pines and firs are punctuated with Quaking Aspen. The bright green leaves of the Aspen are changing to brilliant shades of yellow and orange. With the sun shining on them, it looks like each tree is plugged into electric and covered with lights. The actually glow! What a beautiful scene.

We pulled in to the first overlook to get our first glimpse of the Grand Canyon. It was spectacular. We stood in awe for minutes, allowing our minds to absorb the sights. Once we got the the North Rim Lodge, we learned that that first canyon wasn't actually the Grand Canyon.

As we walked the path to get our first glimpse of the real Grand Canyon, we marveled at the conglomeration of rustic log cabins that are art of the lodge. This is truly an amazing place.

Then we came to the overlook to get our first view of the GC. Wow! It is huge, immense, deep, magnificent. Most of all indescribable! Our photos can't do it justice.

We retired to camp after a quick exploration of the lodge, which is magnificent.

Tomorrow, weather permitting we hike some trails on the rim and we hope to hike down into the GC to immerse ourselves in it's vastness.

Speaking of weather, it is cold with intermittent showers. It's time for winter coats! One more thing, there's snow in the forecast for Thursday.

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Day 22 Hiking Zion' Trails

Today is trail day. After a hearty breakfast, we followed the Pa'rus trail for 3/4 mile to the Human History Museum where we caught the shuttle to the Emerald Pool trailhead, located a short distance from Zion Lodge.

The trail was steep but provided a relatively easy walk to the Emerald Pool. Water falls from the side of the mountain into the pool. Sunlight and clouds on the falling water provide ever-changing perspectives of the water as it falls into the pool.

Our return trip to the brought us to the trailhead by around 1145 hours, just in time for a quick lunch at the Lodge.

We enjoyed a relaxing lunch filled with Brother-in-law Ed's witticism.

After lunch we boarded another shuttle bound for the Weeping Rock Trail. This trail is very steep. At the top, we were treated to a view of the mountain where water appears to "weep" out of the rock. We were happy to have made the climb to see it.

Upon returning to the trailhead, we boarded yet another shuttle. This Time our destination was the Temple of Sinawava. This trail leads follows the Virgin River from the bus stop to the Narrows. Once one gets to the Narrows, the trail is no longer maintained. The rest of the trail is in the river. We didn't have appropriate footwear to walk in the river, so we reluctantly turned back.

After another shuttle ride, we disembarked at Canyon Junction. Our goal was to walk the entire length of the Pa'rus Trail. Prior to this venture, we walked a3/4 mile stretch of the trail on a couple of occasions.

We made it back to the campground having walked four of the parks numerous trails.

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Day 21 "Treasure of the Gods"

It's up early time again today. We have to arrive early at the South Campground in Zion NP. As was true with Bryce Canyon NP, we suspect that the sites at Zion will fill up quickly. Our goal is to arrive before the 1100 checkout hour.

The drive to Zion on Highways 12 and 89 was scenic, especially through the Red Canyon area. Like Wyoming, southern Utah has lots of wide open spaces.

For the third consecutive driving day, we drove through a part of Dixie National Forest. That's one huge forest!

We entered Zion from the east on the Zion-Mt. Carmel road. The ranger at the pay station told us we would need an escort through the second tunnel. The round trip fee is $15.00. After taking the obligatory photo at the Welcome to Zion sign, we drove on, amazed by Checkerboard Mountain. The first tunnel was easy as pie and we continued on to the second tunnel where we were stopped by the ranger. She informed us that an oversized vehicle was coming through and that it'd be about five minutes until it was our turn. She offered that the tunnel was built 81 years ago and that it is over a mile long. She also suggested that we ride in the center. Oncoming traffic was stopped until we and the vehicles behind exited the tunnel.

In due time we were on our way, only to find the step downgrades and sharp turns of several switchbacks that took us down the mountain from an elevation of 7900' to 3900.' the increase in pressure at the lower altitude caused the empty water bottles to crackle as the air inside expanded. It took a second for me to realize where the source of that unusual noise.

Upon our arrival at South Campground, we found a two adjacent vacant sites and set up camp.

In almost no time, we were off to the free shuttle bus for a ride into town. After some grocery shopping we returned to camp, stowed the provisions and headed out for the free park shuttle and a tour of the park.

The bus ride gave us a good glimpse of the park. We'll use the information to plan tomorrow's activities. We got off the bus to check out the lodge where we were the timing was right for us the attend a ranger presentation on nice but hallucinogenic flowers.

After the talk, we boarded a standing room only bus. We disembarked to visit the Human History Museum. The 'Welcome to Zion' movie was very educational. Among other things, we learned that the ancient Puebloans called this area the "Treasure of the Gods." they believed this was the center of the earth.

We decided to walk back to the campground after our visit to the museum. The walk was an easy 3/4 mile. Along the way, we found (and photographed) one of the flowers (Angel Trumpet) the ranger mentioned in her presentation.

Tonight's dinner is steak roasted over an open fire with salad, carrots and peas. Delicious!!

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Day 20 The World's Greatest Three Mile Hike!

Look at the title of this journal entry. We took the plunge, but that's not where today's story begins.

For the second time on this trip, the alarm clock failed to go off. Still, we were up at 0700 and shortly thereafter Anna Marie and I were on the Rim Trail headed toward Inspiration Point. We achieved our destination.

I got some nice shots as the sun rose to shine it's warming light on the Hoodoos. Following this photographic event, we hoofed back to the campground where we feasted on Eddie's culinary speciality, pancakes. By the time we were finished, it was time to go hiking.

We chose to do the Queen's Garden/Navajo Loop. A three mile combination trail with steep gradients. The walk down was easy but not without its trials. The loose rocks made for difficult footing. In fact, one of our party took a tumble. No harm was done and after getting vertical and brushing off some trail dust, we continued our hike.

Walking among the Hoodoos is a totally different experience then viewing from the rim. We were amazed to see chipmunks, birds and event ants. It was warmer at the bottom of the trail. That felt good for a short while before we shed some clothing before the hike back up to the rim.

The trip back to the top was very steep for the final 0.6 mile. There were so many switchbacks that I didn't count them all. Each seemed steeper than the previous. In just about two hours and ten minutes, we were back on the rim. We toasted our success with bottles of spring water.

Ed met us on the rim at Sunset Point and we proceeded to the lodge for a well deserved lunch.

Following lunch, Anna Marie and I walked back to the campground while Marje and Ed stayed at the Lodge to avail themselves of free Internet access.

After a short rest, we walked all three loops of the Sunset Campground, before meeting up with Marje and Ed. We off to a ranger talk on Astronomy. Lead by Ranger Don and held in the Lodge Auditorium, the talk led us through the Milky Way and the rest of our local group to the Virgo.

Following the presentation, we went outside to where there were three really nice scopes set up. We were able to see a double star, M11, the Flying Duck constellation and M13. That was great fun.

Back at the campsite, we had our evening meeting, agreeing to head for Zion NP at 0730 hours.

That's the story for today.

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