The U.S.A. - Arizona, New Mexico, Texas

October 12-17: Arizona

From Bryce it's a straight shot down to the north rim of the Grand Canyon. After crossing some really flat desert the earth rises and turns into the Kaibab National Forest. The picture at left is looking back towards Utah from the north edge of the forest. There's a scenic overlook!

view from Locust Point campsite

It's a long and pretty drive through pine forest and lush meadows - and a small herd of buffalo - just to get to the north entrance gate of the park where there is a sign saying the park campground is full.

The ranger said, "well, let's look at this as a positive" and handed me a forest service map and suggested I go exploring. The result, after about 17 miles of dirt road, was a place called Locust Point along the north rim, just outside the park boundaries. I was able to sleep within about 50' of where I took this picture, and it was free and beautiful.

along the north rim

The next day I paid my $30 to get into the park. The canyon is certainly more dramatic once inside than where I spent the night, and I loved the lodge with the large dining hall. The official campground, however, is kinda like a sprawling parking lot among pine trees and, I think, is more of a convenience than an experience. I'm glad I had to do the dispersed camping option.

the road into Lee's Ferry

ripple

My next camping spot was Lee's Ferry along the Colorado northeast of the Grand Canyon. Another official campground with no real privacy or imagination, it was still okay since it wasn't even half full. The night sky and the Milky Way were crystal, making it all worthwhile.

I hit Flagstaff to secure my Mexico car insurance from a broker there ("Flag" to the locals, I found out, or the "locs", I guess), and found some camping near Payson and then Showlow (I don't know if there was a thing going on, or what, but I've never seen so many FJ's in one place, Showlow that is. Mine was way cooler than most! IMO). The weather was not very cooperative, though, and I kept moving hoping for blue skies somewhere. 

south visitor's center

petrified stuff

I ended up taking the drive through the Petrified Forest National Park, a place that wasn't even on my radar, but turned out to be quite interesting to see.

It just so happens that that night in Gallup I watched the movie of the same name with Bogart and Bette Davis, when they were both really young. Great old b/w flick.

creased map of Utah and Arizona, route in black

a rare kse selfie, not too happy to be in Gallup

October 18-26: New Mexico

El Morro rock from campground

After my night in Gallup I drove down to El Morro National Monument, which has a free campground. El Morro has a natural watering hole that was life saving to the Zuni, the spaniards and the pioneers. 


There is also a large rock formation where you'll see pictographs, peoples' names and dates and even a poem. The first spanish name dates to some 15 years before the Pilgrims showed up. There is a hiking trail that takes you past all of these points and then to the top of the rock where there are some Zuni excavations (including a kiva!). Except for when it rained and hailed this is a great spot to hang for a couple of nights. 

some of the name carvings

on top of the big rock

I took a swing through Pie Town for a slice and a cup of joe (they raised the price since my last time through to almost $6 for a slice! it's good, but $6? dude...), and then headed up to Albuquerque to visit my old friend Scott.  
          

...where we partied like rock stars! No, not really. He worked and I watched CNN. We did meet up later with his gf Debbie and then had a feast together the next night at her amazing house/horse property. That's where we took the picture. 

In the afternoon they took me on the Sandia Tramway, a very cool ride with great views of the city and the ski area that's on the east side of the mountain.

I wanted to make one more stop in New Mexico, in Roswell to load up with my favorite beef jerky. I came across this stuff five years ago passing through Carlsbad and now I order it on-line a couple times a year. I love the smoky chipotle, the jalapeno lime and the cowboy style flavors. That very day I had heard on the news that the WHO (I think it was them) put out a report saying that processed meats definitely cause cancer. 

Fuck 'em, I bought 3 pounds!

October 27-November 4: Texas

view of the Guadalupes

I had wanted to camp in Guadalupe Nat. Park, but the main one off the highway is literally a parking lot (my taxes can't do better than that?) and the tent campground was full. So, a long day of driving down to Alpine for a room before heading into Big Bend. 

On the way to Alpine you drive through Marfa where the historic Hotel Paisano is. They were full at the late hour I passed through, but I'm definitely going to stay there some day. Several years ago there was a 60 Minutes piece done on Marfa, it's become some sort of artist hangout and one of the artworks shown was this "building" on the highway towards town (I'm not sure Morley Safer got it, either)...some 35 miles north. Actually, it's just north of the town that's north of Marfa. But the store still says Marfa. Must be bullet proof glass because it's been shot at, for sure.







The next four nights were spent camping in Big Bend National Park, two nights at the Cottonwood campground and two nights doing what they call backcountry car camping. You can see a short video of my site below.

at the entrance to Santa Elena Canyon near Cottonwood

At Cottonwood I saw some cool birds and I was able to get some so-so pics. I was getting into the birdwatching thing after awhile. A park ranger helped me - a lot - with identifying most of them.

vermillion flycatcher

red tailed hawk

great horned owl

a storm moves past my campsite

near Cottonwood, south visitor's center

near my campsite

I like Big Bend a lot and can see going back down to do the backcountry car camping for a week, or more. On the way north to Marathon I went through a customs check. The dog apparently smelled something, and one of the border guys took out half my stuff looking. Knocking on the sides of the vehicle, the floor. They half-ass put my stuff back and I told the guy they need to retrain that dog. He said maybe it's just that they hadn't found anything, yet. I told them (there were 3) that they were doing a great job. 

     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

I spent the night in the Gage Hotel in Marathon. There is really nothing else here, but the hotel is great, along with the bar/restaurant. I could live here...if I had the means. The hotel was designed by the same architect who did the Piasano, all back in the '20's. Very much Texas and the old west, lots of dark wood and brass. The food was excellent, as was the Texas martini (plural, in this case).

On the road down towards Del Rio is the Judge Roy Bean museum. If you're ever on this road, you can't miss it. Again, there's nothing else around, might as well. The picture is the inside of the actual saloon where he dispensed justice. After this, and two nights in Del Rio, it was into old Mexico.

the judges' bar

historic marker

New Mexico and Texas

The U.S.A. - Colorado and Utah

September 28, 2015

at Genesee, nice and clean, sans tent

The journey begins, only so far as to Carbondale, CO since it took about 2 hours to try to line up the 6 bolts on my rooftop tent with the 6 holes in the rooftop loading bars of my FJ. Long story, but two guys who worked at where I store the tent were helping and we were starting to cut into their lunchtime. No problem, they were actually quite helpful, and we got five of the six bolts installed. Good enough, I wanted to get rolling.

I checked into a local hotel for the night, and asked whether I could get my AARP discount (I took the plunge in July. At this point why fight it, I want my discounts!). The lady told me "I already applied it". Ouch.




9/29/15-10/11 Colorado and Utah

the drive down to Echo Park C.G.

I made it up to Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado side, to the Echo Park campground. This is a beautiful part of the state I've never seen before, and relatively uncrowded. Only $8 for a night (free when the water gets turned off). There are some nice short hikes here and the Green and Yampa Rivers come together just behind the campground where I saw a group floating down in rafts, kayaks and one paddleboard.

part of  the Echo Park C. G., I'm lower center

Gates of Lodore

I spent two nights here, followed up by two nights at the Gates of Lodore campground at the far north of the monument. Lodore is where a lot of the river floaters put in and it was anything but peaceful when I was there. The Gates are beautiful, though.

Colorado River next to campground

across from campground

I crossed Brown's Park into Utah, past Flaming Gorge and down towards Moab. There are a number of BLM campgrounds scattered down Rte. 128 along the Colorado. I parked in the Little Onion for $15 a night. Saw more stars than I've seen in quite awhile and got to use my new Powerfilm 60watt rollable solar panel for the first time. It's awesome, recharging my aux. battery in about 10  minutes under the bright desert sun.  

It started to rain steadily so I packed up and got a room in Moab to see what it was about. The town was swarming, turns out October is peak season. One night (in a Holiday Inn Express!) cost me a cool $264. "Resort town, resort prices" is what the stressed out hotel lady told me. Good to know. Personally, I don't think Moab is all that, basically one main street where you'll find about every chain hotel and fast food joint you can think of. There are some nicer restaurants and art shops, etc. in the center of it all, but otherwise kinda drab in stark contrast to the awesome nature that surrounds it, which is why everyone is here, after all. Not the resort style town I had envisioned, at any rate.

Arches was packed (the same hotel lady told me "no way" I'll get into that campground) so I didn't even try. Instead, I drove south to Natural Bridges National Monument, where they have a small campground just inside the boundary. I was lucky to score a spot for two nights as this is really the only game in town for some distance. Get there early if you want in.

Rain and wind showed up my first afternoon, but it cleared up just enough the second day to take a hike over to a couple of the bridges. Later that afternoon it got cloudy again, which was unfortunate because this area is supposed to be one of the three darkest night skies for star viewing in the country (I assume lower 48).

                                              

another bridge

at one of the bridges

road thru Capitol Reef

Then it was up to Capitol Reef N.P., I believe the least visited of the Utah parks. It's free to get in (the 2-lane highway bisects the park), and I wanted to try the Cathedral Campground in the northwest corner of the park. It's also free, maybe 8 spots total, and because you need to drive about 13 miles of forest service road to get there, it doesn't get a lot of visitors. One other group showed my first night, two groups the second, but we hardly noticed each other. I had a great night sky, and both "nights", about 4am, one of the planets would rise in the east (Mercury?), bigger and brighter than I've ever seen a planet. I think it was a planet. 

going to Cathedral

Cathedral Valley from campground

Bicknell liquor store

On the way down to Bryce I drove through Bicknell which may have one of the smallest, least likely looking state liquor stores. I was dying to go in, but it was only 11am...too soon for drinking in Utah, pard.

rte. 12 thru the windshield

Then you drive down rte. 12, one of America's designated scenic highways. They may have cornered the market down here on aspen trees but I think I missed the peak by 7-10 days. I'm sure it was spectacular.

hoodoos

hoodoos

Bryce, of course, was all about the hoodoos, very cool in person. The park campground was expensive ($30 and cold that night, a reminder to keep heading south), but it was still a nice break to sleep under the pines.