Fall Trip Vernon to. Phoenix Day 5,6,7

Day 5, 6, 7

 Sunday
We woke up to a beautiful sunny morning.  Based on the rain and storm overnight, we weren't sure that we would be almost floating upon awakening.  Leaving Mundo Hot springs behind, we know we shall return and hope for drier weather.  The pool is lovely and the surroundings create a very peaceful respite from highway driving.

It is unsettling though, to hear gun shots in the distance.  It is hunting season here in Idaho and everywhere you turn, there are hunters in camouflage gear, beer or coffee in hand, and we even saw the head of a deer in some guy's flatbed truck (yuk!).

Continuing south on 95, we are privy to more glorious fall splendour.  It continually amazes me how the farmers in Idaho farm so high up the hills and over top of the hills.  It makes for beautiful visuals (and photography) for sure.

Our spirits are brighter thanks to sunshine !  3 days of continuous beating down rain is enough for we sun seekers.

Once we passed Payette, Idaho, we jumped on to Interstate 84 East.  This will take us to Hwy 51 and the next stop.  We will spend the night at Bruneau Dunes State Park.  We stayed here last spring on the way home to Vernon.  The dunes really are quite spectacular and a 'must see' if you are ever this way.  They do have small cabins with swinging benches on the porches ... but like most state parks, you need your own bedding for these cabins.

The weather cooperated and we were able to walk over to the observatory and take Khaleesi for a much deserved play time.  The dunes are near the observatory.  Definitely an intriguing place to visit.

By evening, the rain had returned and overnight more horrendous winds !  Both have made for a cooler-than-usual trip south this year.

Departing on Monday morning, we are greeted with sunshine and more wind.  After a leisurely breakfast and RV tidy-up, it's down the highway 51 once again.  Passing mile after mile of scrub brush as far as the eye can see.  Up and down valleys and through arroyo's making it a beautiful drive (yes, I love the endless deserty scrub brush vistas).

"Speed limit enforced by Sniper !"  This is that sign we saw driving through Mountain City just south of the Iwyhee Reservation.  We were convinced that the townsfolk wanted the passers-by to abide by the speed limit!

Now that we were in Nevada, the highway number changed to 225 and the drive through parts of the reservation were stunning.  The highway winds through a river valley with the most amazing monolithic rock formations.  The beauty of this few miles is hard to describe.  Autumn colors ablaze, a windy plump creek and wind-worn rock formations.  I hope the pictures give a wee idea of how awesome this part of the drive is.  The speed limit for over 9 miles is only 25 so you can well imagine how windy it is.  But the road is in excellent condition and the driving is no problem.

In the distance, the mountain tops have a new dusting of snow.  Set against the blue sky and fluffy clouds, the scenery is stunning.

As we climb out of this beautiful valley, we pass the Wild Horse dam which then sees us driving along a lake.  It is a small damn well positioned in the gorge (not much work to construct this one!).  Also, lakeside made for a lovely lunch stop.

UIKEYINPUTDOWNA
Reaching Elko, we turn west on I80 heading towards Battle Mountain where we will stay tonight.

From Battle Mountain, we head south on 305 to Austin.  It is Tuesday morning and the sun is shining.  There is no wind.  AND the temperature is somewhat pleasant!  A nice way to start the day.

Just before we get to Austin, we passed a historical sign saying that we were crossing the "Pony Express 1860-1861 Trail".  That was kind of cool just to imagine horses carrying mail through this rugged terrain.

Turning on to hwy 50 at Austin, we climb past a beautiful cemetery, "Stokes Castle", a Serbian Christmas sign and many old historic buildings including a beautiful brick County Court house .  I think if you took some time in this small community, there would be some interesting stories to hear.

It's a long windy climb out of town and over the pass but the skies are clear, the sun is shining and we are certain the rain and wind are behind us.  The vistas are extraordinary but it is all eyes on the road for my driver!  I drove the first hour and half today then turned the wheels over to Joe in Austin.

Once we are over this pass, we turn south on hwy 376 making our way through the Big Smoky Valley to Tonopah.  For 90 miles the highway is straight and right through a huge basin (one of many that are unavoidable in Nevada).  Tonopah is one very different town.  It is like you have stepped back in time to the late 1800's when it must have been a thriving mining community.  And I swear, the inhabitants are still living in those shacks that were built way back when!   It does advertise 'the meanest bartender in Nevada" ... ??   And they do have a casino.  The neighbouring town is all but boarded up.  Sad to see such grand old buildings abandoned.

Driving out of the Tonopah pass, we saw two or three different herds of wild mules.  Castaways from old mining days.  When the mines dried up, they just let their mules go ... and those we see today are proof of how strong and adaptable these wonderful animals are.  As well, the terrain, as rugged as it is, is now spattered with Joshua Trees.  A nice break in the scrub brush/sage.

Dropping down out of Tonopah, on hwy 95, in the the Death Valley area, we are FINALLY in warm weather!  How wonderful it was to get out of the coach in Beattie to warm weather !!  It will be shorts weather now ...  We will turn off on hwy 160 and head to Pahrump which is just outside of Vegas. Tonight we will be in a lovely RV park there. And then it's home to Sun City West tomorrow!   It's been a short travelogue but as I said - a similar route I have already journaled !

This I know ...   God is great.  This land is magnificent ..  and we are blessed to travel it and see all that we see!

Fall Travels 2016 Vernon to Phoenix

It is off to south we go!  I will attempt an interesting travelogue although much of the route we are driving this fall are similar to former routes... but usually there is always something new to see and report!  The autumn colors are in full display.  Even when it is cloudy, the yellows and reds seem to be electrified!   It is a beautiful time of year to be driving in the mountains and northern states.

Our first two nights out on the road are only a short distance away at Halcyon Hot Springs (which is only about an hour south of Revelstoke).  Halcyon is one of our favourite places to spend time.  The waters are wonderful, the pools clean and in off season, they are nice and quiet with only a few people soaking.  We enjoyed the company of our fellow RV'ers and friends Marke and Sue.  It was their first time at Halcyon and after this inaugural visit, it won't be their last.  Www.halcyon-hotsprings.com

The first night we ate at the Kingfisher Restaurant in the main building.  This is a restaurant that would equal any of the finest in Vancouver or Toronto.  Incredible service, incomparable food, and presentation of their menu items is worth a photograph each time we go there.  Don't miss a visit to Kingfisher if you are at Halcyon!

Our first day of dipping was a 'Chamber of Commerce perfect' day.  Autumn colors, stunning azure lake, blue skies and snow covered mountain peaks.  All of this for us to feast our eyes on while soaking in waters high in lithium and minerals.  Thursday morning we woke to a downpour and it did not let up all day.  Of course, that does not stop anyone from spending time in the water!  And when was the last time you had a rain-infused hair treatment?


Friday morning sees us heading south and making our way to Farragut State Park which is just north of Coeur de Alene, Idaho and on Lake Pend Orielle.  Sadly, on the highway 3 between Trail and Salmo, we saw something we had never seen before ..a black bear that had obviously been hit and was dead on the edge of the highway. I've seen many deceased animals on or beside the highway but seeing that black bear was a first.

There are high winds forecast and more heavy rain (coming in from the West Coast storms).  We will sit tight here at Farragut and let the storm pass.  Joe is quite content though.  The satellite is on and the Blue Jays game is about to start!  I, on the other hand, have a great book I am reading.

I forgot to say that we are blessed with the care of our favorite little dog companion on this trip.  Khaleesi is making her way to Phoenix with us and her mom and dad will pick her up on the 4th of November after which they will drive to their home in Tucson and enjoy some holiday time.
We love this little dog and she is a good traveller.

It's Saturday and we are heading south.  The weather is cooperating but we want to get to Cambridge, Idaho before the predicted afternoon storms arrive.
Passed through Moscow, Idaho where I attended University.  Of course it conjured up a few memories.. even though I only was there for a year.  Schooling was never on my radar!

We drove along Hwy 95 all the way.  The Nez Perce Trail is along this route.  The grey, wet weather was not conducive to great photographs although the fall colors were in their glory!  The rolling hills everywhere are stunning.  They remind me of an agricultural patchwork quilt.

There were two very long hills we had to make our way down.  The first one was the Lewiston-Clarkson windy hill and the other one was further south!  It was a VERY long hill but using low gears in our big RV makes for a safe journey down.  The vistas in this area are absolutely incredible and absolutely worth the drive.

We also passed through Riggins, Idaho today.. and the area where Hell's Canyon is.  More stunning scenery!

Arrived at Mundo Hotsprings around 4:00 and will soon be soaking in the 101 degree waters.  The hosts are offering a roast beef, mashed potatoe and green been dinner for $8.50 tonight so we decided to spring for it!  After hooking up the rv, we have discovered that we have warm spring water ...even in the cold taps .. a novelty.

Signing off for this edition.   Highway 95 is so pretty!!

Fall 2013 Vernon to Phoenix

I've lost the first part of this journey - but glad I could tell you about Crane Hot Springs !

Well - the trip is coming to an end --- a bit of dialogue to finish up.  The Historical State Park was something to see and we could almost hear the ghosts of the soldiers as we walked the grounds and saw the remnants of this old army base from the 1800's.  

 

 

Couldn’t start out day four without a soak in the hot springs though.  This hot springs looks like a small pond in a large area of nowhere-land !  Except that it has steam rising off it this morning and is 99 – 104 degrees depending on how close to the outflow we are.  Check out their web page!  www.cranehotsprings.com

Endless driving across endless long highways – all in beautiful condition – finds us rewarded with a beautiful historical spot called John Churchill State Historic Park.  The campground was abound with golden autumn trees in all their splendor.  We were ‘dry camping’ but had a wonderful campfire and cooked bacon over the fire !!  Such fun !  We enjoyed our campfire for about 3 hours and decided it might be time to get some sleep.

  I found some information about this incredible historic stopover online.  It was such a treasure to arrive at after a long day of driving the barren Nevada terrain.  Have a read … we certainly enjoyed walking these historical grounds and feeling the history.  http://www.darfortchurchill.com/fortchurchill.html    This location was also a stopover for the Pony Express and at one point on the trail, we saw a picture representing many covered wagons passing through the area.  With all the sage bushes to get in the way, I don’t know how horse and man made the trek to California ! Or wherever they were headed West.

 

Day 5 and another day of long and straight highways through the never ending terrain of Nevada.  It holds a beauty of its own though.  We passed through many shabby-type towns along the way and one huge Army Supplies base which you could see for miles !  As well, we passed by a Naval Undersea Warfare Center.  Now, what I can’t figure out is why this Naval Center is in the middle of high desert in Nevada ! Navy means water and the sea to me !!  I found some pics from http://www.thelivingmoon.com/47john_lear/02files/Navy_Secrets_02.html

Yet another surprise after a long day of more Nevada highways that lead into the horizon.  As we rounded a corner on the highway at our intended stop for the night in Beattie, Nevada – we saw a sign saying “hot springs next left”.  Screech went the tires (no really – since a 30 foot RV would be in trouble if the tires were screeching!) and we made an abrupt turn into a small but nice little RV stop with some hot springs to soak in.  These hot springs are in 3 different buildings offering 3 different temperature choices.  AND nude or not-so-nude soaking!   

As we arrive, the sun is low and as I look to the left I see rust colored hills. Straight forward offers me a view of blue-toned mountains and off to the west in the distance the hues are violet.  As mundane as the hills are, they offer beautiful desert colors and prove to me once again why I love this barren-looking land.  At heart, my soul sings when I am in the desert.  

 

Day 6 has us off to the Outlet Stores in Las Vegas which are wonderful.  After our shopping stop, it is south past the Hoover Dam to our last night on the road which is a beautiful RV spot overlooking Lake Mead.  Again, we will enjoy colors of the late afternoon desert sun.  Our final camp fire of the trip and one more good nights sleep in our most comfortable bed !!  

 

As always, I love to end with “this I know’ 

This is a beautiful continent we have to enjoy and it would take a lifetime to see all of its glory and beauty How blessed we are to be able to live here …….this I know !

FALL 2014 Vernon to Phoenix - A new favourite route !

 

FALL 2014 TRAVELOGUE    VERNON TO SUN CITY WEST, ARIZONA !!

Anxious to head south, we pulled away from the house on Tuesday morning.   We decided to have a leisurely day and make our way just to Rock Creek.  Once there, we determined the campsite wasn’t up to our expectations so we drove just 30 minutes further (crossing into the USA at Midway) and pulled into one of the most delightful State Parks we have stayed in.  Curlew Lake State Park is only a 4 hour drive from Vernon but well worth it!   Every campsite is lovely and the park is immaculate.  It is so peaceful and far from the highway noises.  Situated on a peaceful little lake, we were witness to several fishermen sitting on the dock in early morning – fishing rods in hand.  A herd of deer shared the evening campfire with us.

 

Day two finds us driving south once again through beautiful fall colors along secondary highways 21 and 14 arriving at Maryvale State Park on the Washington/Oregon border.  This park was also very pretty and well treed.  Campsites were situated under large, old trees and along the Columbia River.  We enjoyed a short ferry ride on highway 21 and once we got off the ferry, it was a steep windy drive up and out of the river valley.  I, of course, kept my eyes closed most of the way up because I just don’t like being on the edge of things !!  Joe said I should go and lay down in the back.  Keeping my eyes closed worked just as well!

 

Day three and we are on our way south along more secondary routes and 97 south through Bend, Oregon.  The roads were great and the scenery all along the way stunning.  There are thousands and thousands of cattle ranches and farms all along the way.  Many people live very remote lifestyles in this area.

 

South of Bend, we pulled into an amazing scenic point.  A 300 foot deep gorge that ran for miles.  This is where the Oregon Trunk Railway Bridge was built.  I enjoyed photographing it.  Joe was challenged to stand too close to the rock wall and look down, waaaay down!   But it was beautiful to see a river winding its way through miles of this gorge 300 plus feet below.  There was a warning sign that said “hang on to your kids” and that “several dogs had fallen to their death in the area”.  Yuk !

 A short distance south of this stop we pulled into LaPine State Park.  In this high desert park we were once again delighted and surrounded by forested beauty.  

This park offers lovely campsites and lovely little log cottages.  There are miles and miles of trails for hiking and biking.  It is near old volcanic activity and Cascade mountain wilderness.  Nearby, we drove by the “Big Tree”.  This 500-year-old Oregon Heritage Tree is the largest Ponderosa pine in Oregon.  It has a circumference  of 326 inches and a height of 191 feet.  It towers above all the rest of the trees in the area.  

 

In this area, there is a lot of past volcanic activity.  There is the Newberry Crater which has a five-mile-wide caldera containing two popular fishing lakes.  There is the Lava Lands Visitor Center 15 miles north but we didn’t make it there.

 

Day four and we are taking highway 31 “Oregon Scenic Byway” or “The Oregon Outback”.  Very beautiful drive.  Good highway and no traffic whatsoever !

 

So far so good.  The weather has been warm, sunny and gorgeous.  The campgrounds we have discovered have been exceptional.  And we were likely to find another good place for our fourth night.  We are now in northern California and likely stopping for the night.  And, low and behold, we drive over a hill and there is LIKELY, California !!   We turned east for a mile and a half and arrived at Likely Place Golf and RV Resort.   We will likely have a good time here and if the winds stop blowing, we will stay an extra night and likely play a round of golf.  Likely Place RV Park, Campground, Golf Course & Driving Range

 

This is our first night to have wi-fi so I will sign off and get this emailed to you, our friends.

 

 

 

SPRING 2015 JOURNEY PHOENIX TO VERNON, BC

SPRING TRAVELOGUE 

PH0OENIX TO VERNON VIA MANY SCENIC BYWAYS

Many of you know how much I love to write – especially during our RV travels.  I have come to love this continent of ours and since there is so much to see, have lost the urge to travel by aircraft!  So, pull out a map and follow along.  It promises to be on some roads you have not driven along !

It is a quiet Sunday morning in Sun City West and we are pulling away from our house.  The plan today is to drive a short 3 ½ hours up to Parker, Arizona. We will drive northwest through Wickenburg, then onward to hwy 72 where we turn north and then turn on to 95 north which finds us in Parker.   Joe has found a lovely State Park we can stay in and I have always wanted to see the Emerald Canyon Golf Course.  I hear it is a stunning layout amongst canyons and arroyos.  

We weren’t disappointed when we arrived.  The drive through Parker was challenging in the RV because we were detoured through the narrow streets of town.  But we managed to get through the disaster zone and find our way to the most beautiful State Park.  Buckskin Mountain State Park is situated along the Colorado River ~ specifically the “Parker Strip” which is an 18 mile stretch between Parker Dam and Headgate Dam.  Mountains line the river on both the Arizona and California sides.  There are some stunning big boats that run up and down this stretch of river.  Your typical sounds of summer !! But it dies down come sunset and the area becomes so peaceful.    We weren’t able to sit out long into the evening because the wind was strong and cold.  But the park is beautiful and we have already decided to spend 3-4 days there next fall to enjoy the ambiance of the Colorado and the golf!  For my fellow RV’ers … campsite 66 is the best in the park !!  

Day 2    Monday finds us continuing north with Tecopa Hot Springs as our final destination.  We continued north on hwy 95 through Lake Havasu City then turned West on I40.   Continuing West on I40 we turned north on Hwy 78.  This is where our next adventure started.  The road is paved but challenged us with many pot holes.  But the rockery was absolutely stunning and if our RV can drive this road … any car can.  We highly recommend you make this drive “The Mohave National Preserve” is spectacular.  You can almost feel what it was like for the homesteaders in their covered wagons to cross the country as you drive along this stretch of road.  We passed through the small village of Kelso and in hindsight, were wishing we had turned into the fascinating historical building which was their museum and visitor center.  I have a feeling there was some wonderful history to be learned in that building.  We know for a fact we will take this drive again and will stop in next time.  Our guess is that it was a big stage coach station.  Or part of the Pony Express route.

Past Kelso we ran out of wonderful rock formations and started seeing huge sand dunes.  The Kelso Dunes are magnificent mountains of sand emerging out of the desert floor.  This area is also known as the Kelso Dunes Field.  It is the largest field of eolian sand deposits in the Mohave Desert.  I would have loved to driven over to one of them and run barefoot up the mounds !   Too rough for the coach to make it all the way over to where they were.  We also saw a highway sign “Turtoise Crossing”.  They have the desert tortoise in this area (and in the Buckskin Mountain area as well).

When we intersected I15, we continued north on hwy  127 towards Tecopa.  The town of Baker was at this intersection and it was time for lunch.  When we saw every trucker, everyone in town, and every tourist heading towards THE MAD GREEK RESTAURANT, we decided we just had to see what it was all about.  It was the mecca of wonderful Greek meals and desserts/pastries.  We had yummy Gyro’s and passed on the baklava !!   If you are ever driving down I15 and get to Baker, you must experience this diner!  You won’t be disappointed.

Heading north on hwy 127, we passed some more amazing dunes ~ The Dumont Dunes.  And found ourselves on the “Spanish Trail Highway”.  It reminded us of driving through the badlands as we approached the area where we turned off to Tecopa.  In fact, it felt a bit creepy it was so ‘moonscape-like’ !  But then again, we are in Death Valley !   The very edge of it … but Death Valley it is !

 

When we arrived at Tecopa, we pulled into Tecopa Hotsprings Resort.  That was our first mistake.  It was a pretty rough spot and the ‘hot springs’ were two private soak rooms/tubs with the mineral waters.  No inflow-outflow.  We passed on the swim because you had to wait your turn for the room !!   In the morning, we turned out of the resort and as we were heading through town, to our dismay, we discovered several RV / hotsprings resorts … nice ones !!!   Some with little cabins or motel rooms as well.  We were somewhat mad at ourselves for pulling into the first one – but we did think it was the only one !!   Live and learn.  Since we are going to take this route again for its beauty, we will know next time that there are some lovely mineral pools that we can soak in.

Tecopa residents are quite different .. .but it is a real artisan community and even though the place looks rough, pop into some of the offices and you will find some lovely artwork – oils, water colors, jewellery from local gemstones…  lots of great stuff !!  

Day 3   Driving north of Tecopa we are on Hwy 127 California Scenic Byway.  And it definitely was scenic.  Just north of town we spent several miles driving through Fragile Mud Hills.  They really look like huge ant hills.  Like most photos of landscapes, they are more magnificent and interesting in real life and their beauty can not be captured on film.

We enjoyed driving through the town of Shashome (north of Tecopa).  It too has a campground and warm springs pools.

30 miles North of Shashome is Amargosa at Death Valley Junction.   It was closed but they have a very historical and beautiful Amargosa Opera House.  I was very curious about it and googled it …  here is the website.  After reading it, I do wish it had been open !    http://www.amargosa-opera-house.com

From here, we continued north to the California Nevada border on hwy 127.  It turned into Nevada hwy 373.   We knew we were in Nevada when we started to see the brothel signs.  “Angels Ladies”  or  “Shady Lady”  We saw some wild burros just outside of Tonopah.  We continued north through Tonopah.  This is a very old town and was clearly a mining town hundreds of years ago.  The strange thing is that people are still living in these small wooden mining shacks from 1900!  Mine production from 1900 to 1921, the peak years, was almost $121 million.  The biggest single year was 1913, when almost $10 million in golf, silver, copper and lead was mined.  By World War 2, only four major mining companies were operating.   I’ve driven through Tonopah a few times over the years and finally learned some of its amazing history.  http://www.tonopahnevada.com/history.html

Continuing north on 395 towards Austin, our final destination for the day, we pass the huge Smokey Valley but the drive was somewhat repetitive.  We turned off on to hwy 50 and after one long journey waaaay up and waaaaay down (and windy) we found Austin.  A little town built on a mountain side.  We found a cute little campsite at a Baptist Church and had a quiet evening.

Austin was born an old silver mining town and was home to some of Nevada’s more colorful prospectors and silver miners.  Today, with the expansive Toiyabe Mountain Range as its backyard, it features some of the best mountain biking, hiking and exploring in the state.  

Day 4 and we are heading to one of our favorite hot springs spot.  We travel north of Austin on 305 along what was once the Pony Express Route until we get to I80 and the city of Battle Mountain.  All along the way, we are witness  to mountains frosted with snow.  We also were witness to some very large mines that literally take mountains apart.  The Phoenix Mine is one of them.  Another mine in the area “The Ruth Copper Pit” is one of the largest “Glory Holes” in the mining world.  It is brilliantly colored with each type of ore.  

At Battle Mountain, a sign reads “you are at Basecamp to Nevada’s Outback”.  From Battle Creek, we head west on I80 for a while until we get to Winnemucca and then turn back on to hwy 95 north making our way through some very boring driving.  Boring for scenery.  We were fighting some nasty winds so it was 100% percent attention to the road for my driver Joe.  When we got to hwy 78, we turned west and an hour later were pulling into Crystal Crane Hotsprings. www.cranehotsprings.com  The hotsprings are literally a big pond on a prairie.  But, without a doubt, were what my driver Joe needed for his back after the stressful two days of driving in high windy conditions.  But we love it here.  They have little cabins for the non-RV’ers.  And a cookhouse if you bring along some groceries and want to barbeque and cook.   We enjoyed a long soak shortly after we arrived and another long soak just before bed time.  The wind was cold so the 100 yards back to the RV became the 100 yard dash !!   The combination of the flannel sheets and goose down duvet on our bed after a mineral water soak made for an incredible sleep!  The coach was 45 degrees when we woke up in the morning.  Just the way we like it !!  The furnace goes on the minute one of us wakes up and we are soon toasty warm and brewing coffee.  

Day 5 has come and I am finally catching up on my travelogue.  We spent the day driving a little further west from Crane Hot Springs then turned north on 395.  We drove down on 395 last fall and loved this beautiful drive.  It takes us over 3 or 4 steep and windy mountain passes.  I really struggle with anxiety on these types of highways as good as they are and spend a lot of time with my eyes closed, holding my breath and wishing the phobia would just go away!!  But today I found a new friend ! The friend is called ADAVAN !!  No folks, it isn’t just for fear of flying !  My friend had given me one to stay calm when we took Ube in for dental work last month.  I was amazed at how it completely removed that anxious feeling.  So this morning, knowing the passes we were going to be driving over, I popped the second one she had given me.  I am truly amazed how the anxiety/phobia completely went away with one tiny little white pill.  As I said to Joe ~  “it’s nice to enjoy the scenery and the beauty instead of driving along with my eyes closed” …   So my quest upon arrival back to Vernon is to get a supply of Adavan for our RV trips… and I will no longer worry about high roads and windy, steep, long roads.

John Day is a lovely little town we passed through.  It is nestled between two of these mountain ranges we drove over.  Got a few groceries, gassed up (the cheapest diesel in two states) and had a coffee from McDonalds.   Continuing north to Pendleton on 395, we left the beautiful forested mountainous roads and were in high country with nothing but rolling hills as far as the eye could see.  Along the way today we passed a sign that informed us we were half way between the equator and the North Pole !   Nice little bit of trivia.

At Pendleton, we headed north through Walla Walla and on hwy 12 and up to Dayton which is a lovely little town.  I could have spent some time walking the streets there.  We turned west on hwy 261 towards Starbuck.  

Around 3:30 we arrived at our beautiful spot for the night.  We are at Tucannon River RV Park.  An absolutely delightful place with acres of lush green grass for our Ube to enjoy prancing around in.  They have cleared a long path all along the river which made for a wonderful evening walk after dinner.   For my RV friends – all sites are lovely but 1,2,3,4 would be my pick.

Joe tells me he has an interesting NEW route for our journey tomorrow.  So, it’s time to re-read this and put it away for the night.  

 

Day 5 It's a Wet and Soggy Day

We were awakened to the sound of rain on the rood which truly is a soothing lovely sound until you realize you will be driving all day in it !

Departing Zim's Hot Springs and vowing to return on another trip, we pulled back out on to Hwy 95 heading north.  It continued on and down a long mountainous pass along side the Little Salmon River.  The river wasn't so little with the spring run-off.  It was raging and quite the site to see!  It tumbled all along the side of the road for miles and miles and miles through the pass that we were driving through.

Driving into a little town of Riggins, we see many signs indicating "Hell's Canyon" Adventures, so it is obviously a big attraction in this area and as we have learned,m it is a very large National Recreation Area.  It is actually 600,000 acres of rugged, pristine wilderness. And actually home to the deepest River chasm on the continent and three of North America's Wild and Scenic rivers.  Might have to check this out for a fun 'River ride' sometime.

What an inviting little town this Riggins is.  If the weather had been nicer, we may have stopped and found a nice coffee spot or browsed into some spots.  All the business names seemed to be themed around the Salmon River, or Wild Waters.

Out of Riggins, we began a very long climb up and further up.  We, despite the low ceiling and rain, were witness once again to sweeping green valley and beauty beyond description.  You could see in different parts what may have been wagon trails that were forged long long ago.  Conjures up quite the moment of imagination for me.  I think this is one of the longest climbs/hills that we have experienced in our travels.  It's called Whiebird Hill.  It Provided us with some incredible views that's for sure.

Part way up there was a stop to become educated about the Nez Pearce War.  I read about it online this afternoon while we were camped.  Quite the story and well worth the read.

After the long climb out of the stunning green valley, we find ourselvess driving through miles and miles of grain farms as far as the eye can see on either side of the highway.  This part of Idaho and approaching Washington State is a very productive part of the USA. There are also wind turbines in the area at the crests of some of the hills.

Coming into Clarkson, we turned on to Hwy 128W for a short distance and then on to Hwy 12West .  We are now on the Lewis and Clark Trail.  Lots of history here as well. They were quite the explorers.  The farmlands disappeared for awhile and we were back to winding through yet another long ravine - a long climb up and out of Clarkson, surrounded by grassy or sage brush covered hills that loomed up on each side of us and displayed some lava outcropping a as well.

With the continuous rain, we decided to pull into Tucannon River RV. We have stayed here before and it is such a lovely, pristine and very quiet little campground.

Tomorrow night we will be at Curlew Lake State Park in northern Washington near the US and Canadian border.  It is another favourite spot of ours and usually where we stay the first night out on the road or the last night out on the road.  It is quiet and ever so peaceful.  They don't have wi-fi so this will be my last post on this Phoenix to Vernon journey.

There are only 4 pictures today.  The rain made it tough.  I did start with a photo of Ziim's though.

As my regular readers know, I like to end a journey-blog with "This I know".

And This I Know....   This great continent of North American provides us with miles and miles of visual beauty.  I also know that Joe and I want to retrace this particular route another time because it has been one of our prettiest journeys that we have taken between our winter and summer homes.  I highly recommend any one doing this drive take it too.  You won't be disappointed.  The spring provides such a carpet of spring greens while the fall journey will offer up golds and rusts.

Thanks to those who have travelled along with us.

April 28 - We Brake for Hot Springs !

Rising to a beautiful sunny Idaho morning, we anticipated a 6 hour day of driving.  But as you read further, that changed to 4 1/2 hours.

The first thing we did after pulling in the slides, was drive down to the picnic area right at the base of these huge sand dunes.  The lake in the area, with the dunes towering above it was quite a magnificent sight to see early in the morning.  The epitome of serenity for sure.  I took a few more pictures from this perspective.  Nature is quite amazing ! I took a photo of the beautiful silver-grey trees around the lake.  I don't know what they are but I loved them.

Leaving the State Park, we continued on our way north on Hwy 51, crossing over the beautiful Snake River (which we have done so many times in all of our travels between North and South !). It is a beautiful spring morning and the greens are green and the snow capped peaks in the distance are white as white!

We wind our way pass areas of massive farm production with fields full of grain growing.  Then, all of a sudden we will be surrounded by Rocky, craggy lands covered in sage brush and lava rock outcropping a.  Quite the contrast for sure.  And then, over another hill, it's green pastures full of content cattle and sleepy little farms and far a communities once again.  Such a beautiful land this Idaho is!

One of the prettier little cities we passed through was Mountain Home.  It is here where we hopped back on to an Interstate.  We head back West on I 84 until we get to Boise.  What a beautiful city this is to drive through. Especially once we turned off  of I84 and headed north on Hwy 55.  The neighbourhoods are bordered by an array of trees and manicured lawns which are so beautifu on this spring morning.  We will drive 111 miles along this highway.  North of Boise, we begin the "Payette River Scenic Byway".  Again, I am wowed by the amazing scenery all around us.

We wind our way up and up then down and down through the most munificent hills and valleys.  Some beautiful homes perch on top of the surrounding hills which are spattered with beautiful yellow flowers.  I might add that along this first 30 miles or so there are many 'runaway lane ahead' signs so you can imagine how long and steep the grade is going down out of these mountains into the valley.  (More breath holding and closed eyes !!).  But the valley below is so green and lush with a beautiful Payette River running through it.

This byway is a real outdoor enthusiasts area.  For sure, the river Rapids are a big draw to kayakers, white water raft companies, fishing, and even dirt bike riding.  I took a picture of the sign which describes al that this Scenic Byway has to offer.  We climbed out of the valley and were in the Boise National Forest.  I don't know how many times I verbalized how beautiful it was ... but it was many !

By afternoon, we are back into cloudy skies and strong winds.  This has not been the kindest road trip home to BC for us in the weather department.  In fact, we think it is the coldest return trip we have had on our way home to Predator Ridge.

Once we got to a lovely little town called New Meadows, we turned on to Hwy 95 north.  We passed a sign that said we were at the 45th parallel - half way between the equator and the North Pole.    We had about two more hours to go UNTIL .....    Joe said, "look honey - there's a hot spring.  Should we turn around and check it out!"...   and we did just that.  Pulling into Zim's Hotsprings, we weren't sure what to expect.

What a pleasant surprise to be camped in a grassy meadow, satellite hooked up, wi fi working just fine, and a wonderful natural hot springs pool to soak in.  We've had our afternoon soak and after dinner, we will have a pre-bedtime soak.  Talk about relaxing.  This is one of our favourite things to do and we, for sure, we do brake for hot springs even if it means cutting our day of driving short!

April 27 through Northern Nevada and into Idaho

Woke up this Wednesdy morning to a cool misty rain.  Pulling away from the RV Park at 8:00 a.m. we have a good start to the day.  Coffee and some ham and mushroom strata will keep us content for a good while on the road.

We head East on Interstate 80 for about 70 miles.  Drove up and down lots of big hills and through many valleys.  The surrounding hills on this part of the route are displaying more grass than the sage and creosote bush.  Despite the misty weather, the green spring palette on these hills is lovely.  And the cows look ever so happy !

At Elko, we turned north on to Highway 225 towards Boise, Idaho.  I have to say, now that we are at the end of our drive for the day, this is one of the the prettiest drives we have taken on our many trips to and from Arizona.  We climb out of the city of Elko and end up in a high plains area, once again covered with sagebrush as far as the eye can see.  There are cows on the road when we least expect it and unfortunately, we drove by two calves that had been hit and were becoming food the the Hawks and Ravens.

There is a spattering of ranches and farms along this stretch of road and they are all quite soggy from the rains and snow of the past few days.  We passed one house with two very neglected horses in a very wet corral by the house.  One of them looked so sick and starved.  These are the sights that are hard to get out of my head.  Why do people have animals if they can't feed them or care for them !!!

Heading north, we have a smaller range of mountains to the east which is the Shake Mountain  Range.  To the west, is the snow covered, and very large, Independence Mountain Range.  They are covered in so much snow.

As we start to travel along the Owyhee river, from North Fork up to Owyhee, we drive through miles and miles of the most stunning rugged valleys and river passes that we have every driven through.  The speed limit is 25 mph and with all the bends and tight curves, it truly is the maximum speed.  But the beauty of everything around us was breathtaking.  I took so many pictures along this route and even after editing, couldn't reject any more.  I would definitely like to take this highway another time.  Once we got to Owyhee, we were welcomed to the Shoshone and Paiete Reservation.  What contrast to be in this junky, beat up little town just a couple of miles from such stunning beauty.

We finally reached the Idaho border and the highway turned into Hwy 51 N.  The road sign also told us we were at the 42nd parallel at the Idaho border.  The roads have been dry all day but there is a lot of snow all around us and right down to the highway in many areas.  I think Owyhee is at 5400 feet so we are at higher altitudes in this high plain area which is why there is snow rather than rain.

A little further north, we drove through Bruneau on our way to Bruneau Dunes State Park.  It certainly is a WOW as you come around the bend and see these record big dunes in the middle of the plain.  This park boasts the tallest structured sand dune in North America.  It looms 470 feet above the desert floor and is quite magnificent !  There are other smaller dunes (but still very large) as well and a couple of small lakes.  The state park has wonderful campsites and all are good.  The pictures really don't do the dunes justice but I wanted you to see them.  Google Bruneau Dunes Idaho and Bing will provide you with some stunning photos.

We will go for a nice walk and get closer to the dunes despite the cooler weather and wind.  Then I am going to pour a glass of wine and do some reading.  The drive hasn't been as long today so we have some nice down time.

For my fellow RV'ers...   staying in State Parks is so much nicer than parks in towns and cities!  Much less expensive, much nicer and bigger campsites, and picnic tables (which we find many city parks don't provide).  This park even has really good wi-fi!   Something of a bonus for sure.

Until the next blog entry... I remain fascinated by the journey and thankful to have my own little house on wheels to keep me warm and comfy.

April 26 through Nevada. Happy Birthday Mom !

First thought of the day is to send my mother Happy 89th Birthday wishes.  I will try to reach her by phone a bit later but I know she will be busy with seniors coffee morning that she walks down the street for every Tuesday morning.  Then it will be lunch with one or some of my brothers... etc. etc.  She is a well loved (retired teacher) in the community of Airdrie, Alberta.

After a windy night in the park, we are off early this morning, with plans to jig and jag through Nevada until we get to Battle Mountain, Nevada where we will camp for the night.

Turning out of the park on to Hwy 160, we enjoy the beauty of the morning sun casting its light on the mountains we are driving towards.  We are fresh and ready for the road.  Joe turns on our favourite Sirius station and you won't believe the songs they are playing today !!   How about "the letter that Johny Walker read" !!   lol !   Then a few minutes down the road it was "Squaws on the warpath Tonight" ... and a few miles further it was "My Dark Skinned Phillipino" !!   By gosh !!  I am so glad western music has had a change of heart!  These songs would never get published in today's market!

After awhile on Hwy 160, we turn on to Hwy 95 north travelling through the beautiful Amargosa Valley.  Oh yes - we are still in Nevada so we have passed a few Brothels..  There was "Angels Ladies" and "Shady Lady B&B".  Can you imagine a senior couple in all their innocence pulling in to Shady Lady and asking for a room !!   Once again - my warped sense of humour shows itself !

As we roll down the highways of this beautiful, rugged land, I reminisce about what is important in life to me.  My top 3 'Heart Sings Values" are :

The love of, and time spent with, family and dear friends.
My intense love of the animal kingdom.  All creatures big and small - well, maybe not the roaches !
My love of desert lands on this continent.  I feel a presence of a past-life whenever I am in the Arizona and Nevada deserts.  They are still magical to me, even after visiting them for 40 years.

Last nights 3/4 moon is still a faint vision in the bluer than blue sky and up ahead, we can see some huge dines off to the left of the coach about 2 miles. The sign says "Big Dune" .

Drove through Beatty, Nevada.  Another old mining-era town that looks so run down and broken up but people still live here and businesses still do business !  The highway traffic would help for sure.

Leaving Beatty, turning on to Hwy 6 East a ways, then north on to Hwy 376 north,  and driving towards Austin, we run once again, into an area of Joshua Tree forest.  (Did you know the Joshua Tree is part of the lily family?  Neither did I !!) We have a 100 miles of driving right up the Great Basin which makes for a long, straight highway framed by the Silverpeak Range on the West and the Cactus Range of mountains on the East.  Desert beauty at its finest.  The mountain peaks are dusted with lots of fresh snow and look magnificent against the blue spring sky.

Somewhere along this route, we turn on to 50 West to get to Austin.  That is one very long mountain pass UP and one very long and windy mountain pass down.  Another few miles where my eyes were closed tight.  I don't do well on the downwards parts that's for sure!  We ran into lots of snow that must have fallen overnight or in the past day or so but luck was with us and the roads were dry.  The summit was 7500 feet in the Toiyabe National Forest.  Austin, Nevada is not Austin Texas in any way, shape or form !   I must share a couple of pictures I took of this shabby little mountain town with my dear friends in the Texas town.  They will get a kick out of it for sure.  By the way, on the edge of Austin town limits, the highway sign said "Highway 50 - The Lonliest Road in America".  And we can attest for that.  We stopped a short ways out of town to have lunch and in all the time we were pulled over, two vehicles passed us heading north.   Very quiet road and nice to drive.

This Great Basin is full of vegetation.  I see cows out on the range finding something to eat in it.  Amongst have the sage-brush dominated slopes and valleys, and the creosote bushes, they manage to get some kind of nutrition.

We then turned on to Hwy 305 ( I told you we were jigging and jagging through Nevada today !) and about an hour later, we find ourselves at Battle Mountain, Nevada.  We pulled into Clark Park which is a pristine little RV park in town and will provide us with our daily respite from the highway.  My driver will have an afternoon snooze, the red wine will be poured before dinner, and the menu calls for Fajita's in UBe's Coach this evening.

One thing I know for sure.  This is a very large State.  We have been driving for two days and are still in Nevada.  Tomorrow we will spend the night at Bruneau Dunes State Park in Idaho.  Google it... it has an amazing, very large sand dune.  We won't have is-fi so I will post tomorrow's adventure when we next have the Internet!

The photos below are all taken from inside the RV while we are driving.
Blessings to all ..

Spring Travels Phoenix to Vernon BC 2016

Heading north to Wickenburg we are excited to be heading to our B.C. home.  The winds were up and about 30 minutes out, we were experiencing the high winds that were forecast.  Tough driving for my Joe.  It was only 54 degrees passing through Boulder City.  Heading down into the Hoover Dam area we were buffeted around seriously by the high winds.  Crossing over the Hoover Bridge is always traumatic for me in high winds.  The signs actually ask high vehicles to move over to the left lane (in case a wind gust comes and blows you to the side... which would be over the edge from the right hand lane) !   My eyes were closed for miles and miles as we made our way down through the gusty passes and over the bridge.  Lots of deep breathing for sure!

Pulling away from the house was emotionally overwhelming for me.  It is the first time that my UBe is not curled up on my lap ready for her road trip.  By Vegas I had worked my way through two teary breakdowns.  Such is life when you lose a soulmate.  

North of Wickenburg we are continually amazed at the beauty of the Joshua Tree Forest that abounds on each side of the highway.   The desert terrain with all its rockery and scrub brush conjures up Zane Grey in my mind (he is one of my favourite authors and as a young girl, I read every book he wrote and have them all to this day).

West of Vegas has us heading up and out of the city on hwy 160 into some stunning and rugged mountainous terrain.  Over the Mountain Springs Pass we went - up to the summit of 5500 ft.   Warning signs for wild mules and horses had me on high alert for a sighting but no luck in that department.  On the other side of the beautiful and ever so rugged pass we travel down to the large and vast Mohave. This is one huge basin that is flat and as far as the eye can see.  The highway stretches out and over the horizon..the temperatures dropped so low overnight in this area that the mountain peaks have a dusting of snow from the light rains In the area.  We are driving along the edge of Death Valley ... but no heat in the area today.  Just cold, rainy winds !

West of Pahrump, we pulled into our RV Park for the night.  Joe was ever so glad that we had reached our destination for the day.  Driving a big RV in high winds (the highway signs warned of high winds) is very tiring.  We are in Nevada Treasure RV Resort which is absolutely lovely.  The RV sites are clean and paved and level.  It is a themed "Tiki" RV park on 19 acres of land.  To the west we have a beautiful view of the Spring Mountains.  We are literally in the shadow of the Toiyabe national Forest in the Pahrump valley.  for my RV friends...www.nvtreasure.com is the website for this park.

The weather doesn't permit a nice steak on the BBQ so it's lasagna tonight.  As RV'ers, we have learned that a backup meal on days like this is a must.  So we are comfy in our warm home on wheels for the night.  If the current storm blows over, we will venture out for a walk and check out this lovely place.