OUR HOME IS WHERE WE PARK IT

#20 THURSDAY 3-30-17

JOURNAL ENTRY:

Thursday

March 30^th, 2017

The kids are feeling almost 100% themselves. Woohoo! How do we know this? They woke up a little after 6 a.m. and began chatting away. They wake up happy and alert almost every day. We never have to go and wake them up. As Steve and I lay in bed (awakened by their talking), we laughed at the topic of conversation. Total kid topic... passing gas and what it would be like to be trapped in a room with farting people who have eaten cauliflower all day long. Yep, that is the conversation we woke up to. Welcome to our world! They were laughing together, so we figured why stop them when they were getting along plus we could lounge a little longer in bed before they asked for breakfast.

After a short bike ride on the paved trail that ran behind our campsite (which was beautiful!), Sierra and Steve played legos in the sunshine while Alex and I worked on math.

It's been a bit difficult for Alex to memorize which arms of the clock are for the hour and which are for the minutes. I told him to associate the word 'hour' with the shorter arm since the word is short, and the word 'minutes' with the longer arm on the clock since the word is longer like the minutes arm. Click! It worked! He also wrote a long letter to his class and to his Uncle Jon.

Then we hit the road... our mission, Macy's coffee house in Flagstaff! Back in the Prescott College days, I'd stop there enroute to adventures with friends or with instructors/classmates. They have the BEST coffee!

When we arrived, Macy's was pretty much exactly the same. Alex had the fakin' bacon BLT and was smitten. Sierra had the fruit cup and was happy with her choice. As I sat there with my family, memories of road trips and expeditions came rushing back.

Alex looked out the window and saw a Dodge Sprinter parallel parking & said, "That would make an awesome ski vehicle!" We told him he could buy one some day and travel and ski on the road. A few minutes later, the man driving it came in to Macy's and I shared with him how much the kids dug his van. He offered us a tour of his home on wheels. Super cool!

Tim is originally from Indiana & decided to get out of there and head West to the mountains. He ended up in Flagstaff and lives in his van. His goal is to make a full time living by converting and building the interior of vans. He is a super nice guy and we loved the tour of his home on wheels! He started with just a shell and has built and installed all those cabinets you see in the picture below. Awesome!

Laura and Peter, you both must check out his website!

http://www.bettythevan.com/

We also had promised the kids that we'd stop at a rock and crystal shop in Flagstaff on the way back in to town. I loved watching Alex and Sierra wander in amazement at all they saw. Alex is very much into rocks and gems & is a collector of treasures. We picked up some gifts for Gramma and Uncle Jon & then Sierra picked our her first official backpack with built in water storage. She was pumped!

Then we drove to our campsite for the night. We are not fans of city campgrounds, but the Flagstaff KOA backs up to National Forest land & our spot is right across from a hiking trail. Plus, we needed to dump and fill the water tanks & wanted to take long hot showers. While Steve and the kiddos visited the playground, Titus, Willow and I took a short hike on a trail. This landscape is so beautiful.

Now, Steve is cooking another pot-roast in the Instant Pot. We all know I don't like to cook, but I can reheat. On nights like tonight, when we are all toasted from exploring, we want a quick n' tasty, and healthy meal.

Thank you Mr. Adventure for being the family chef ♡

P.S. There is a lot of wind tonight...

more than the other day...

NOAA's website says we may have 55-60 mph winds

& we may see some snow!

#19 A GRAND DAY

JOURNAL ENTRY:
Wednesday
March 29th, 2017

Holy crabbiness. We were up way too late last night, trying to figure out what route to take later this week & whether or not to keep precious camping reservations for Joshua Tree. Let’s just say that I later apologized to Steve and felt much better after a cup of coffee. I think I was feeling overwhelmed with all of our options down here. Seriously, you can be at point X on the map, randomly choose a direction to head, and you will find an amazing treasure no matter which way you wander. A few weeks ago we grabbed a couple of nights that were available in J Tree and today, we let them go to some lucky folk who will undoubtedly be thrilled to see a vacancy on the Recreation.gov website. Why is letting go so hard sometimes?

Oh, and there is something I forgot to write about yesterday…

When Alex and I had finished up laundry, a Navajo man came up to us and began a conversation.

“You are very tall. Do you play basketball?” he asked me.

“No. I think I should have when I was younger though.”

“Does your son play?” he continued.

“He actually skis. We are from Washington state.”

“Have you ever wrestled?”

“No. I have a question for you. What do you think he (turning to Alex) should know about the Southwest?”

“To take care of the land, and to learn to hunt. Hunt Rabbits and deer. Learn to play the guitar! You can be like Jim Morrison (he points to Alex).”

Our conversation continued for a bit and later he asked if I had any spare money so he could get something to eat. I honestly didn’t think I had any cash, so I said no. But then I realized I had a Ziploc full of quarters in my bag’s side pocket. So, without any hesitation, I reached into my satchel and handed him a heavy plastic bag filled with quarters. At that moment, I wanted Alex to learn that we can help people in so many ways. I think oftentimes people make assumptions (we all do, it’s natural). And here, Alex and I were having a nice conversation with this man & we had the opportunity to share with someone. He was shocked at what we gave him (maybe $30?) and I told him to just ‘pay it forward’ and do something nice for someone down the road. This was a touching moment for all of us. Did I know what he was going to buy? No, and that didn’t matter. What mattered to me was helping someone when they asked for help. And you know what… the man really was hungry. A few minutes later when Steve came to pick us up, Alex and I told him the story of the man we had met & Steve pointed out that he was sitting on the sidewalk eating.

Steve and I try to set examples with giving back to our local community and the greater world. We donate to our local no-kill animal shelter, sponsor a child at Jhamtse Gatsal (amazing school we learned about from watching the film Tashi and the Monk at the Banff Mountain Film Festival a couple years back), and try to help friends/others in various ways. I think of the quote, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” There is power in leading by example for sure. And, there is always so much more we can do.

Anyways, I feel like I’m rambling tonight. Perhaps because I’m so tired from staying up late?

It was super windy last night and this morning. After packing up and reorganizing the food and our gear, we hit the road for the Grand Canyon.

Here is a picture of Miss Willow.

We all call her the "table dancing" dog! And, notice how Steve attaches wood trim boards to the table with clamps to keep all of Sierra's legos from sliding off the table as we drive. She happily listens to music and plays with her toys as we cruise! And, we put a piece of Gorilla tape onto the bottom of her tupeerware bowls, holding those tiny lego pieces. Perfection!

As we headed down Route 66 and up Highway 64, we lost yet another hubcap somewhere between Flagstaff and the Canyon. We believe hubcap #1 is somewhere between Idaho and Utah.

The San Francisco peaks were snow covered and calling us to hike in the future. We passed groves of Aspen trees and I pointed out to Alex a spot on the peaks where I picked the dried Aspen leaf I keep in a glass jar over 20 years ago. I picked up my cell phone and remembered that last week I signed up for Spotify’s free music trial. We rocked out to fun songs and then our sweet Sierra hit her version of crabbiness and we knew it was time to stop for a lunchbreak. We needed to refuel our kiddo as soon as we could pull over (I do not walk around in the rig when we drive, unless it is absolutely necessary: Example=having to move something I forgot to pack to prevent it from crashing.)

Just south of mile marker 233, we found a forest service road, headed east for a couple minutes, and then found a killer picnic spot. Willow and Titus were happy to be on their long leads while we ate outside in the Arizona sunshine.

After lunch, Sierra and I played a little hide and seek & Steve and Alex did some tree climbing, which led them to discover a large pile of bones. Large bones. Too large to be deer… perhaps elk? Further down the trail we found a large area covered in hair- so we think maybe a hunter cleaned their game there? The kids thought it was cool.

Steve and I loved the spot we’d found. Just 5 miles south of the Park’s entrance. We both pondered... hmmm...should we camp here vs at Mather Campground tonight? Well, after relaxing and exploring on foot for a bit, the kids asked if we could head to the Grand Canyon so that made our decision easy.

I think the last time I was at the Canyon was back in the Spring of 1999- when I was working for that non profit back in North Carolina. I remember backpacking to the bottom of the Canyon’s Phantom Ranch and sleeping under the stars for a night. Then, my students and I hiked all the way back out the following day. We had been advised to take it slow, but we all busted our boots and trekked all the way back up to the South Rim. I am not a fan of McDonald’s but I will say that the meal I had after hiking out was the best meal I ever had at the golden arches. How was that nearly 20 years ago?

Today, I think we arrived at the park around 3’ish… and, Mama mia… the parking lots were absolutely packed, and so were the sides of the roads in the park. I have never seen the park so crowded. After attempting several parking lots, we drove west of the Visitor’s Center and scored a sweet parking spot across from the Train Depot. It was the exact size of space Steve needed to parallel park. Awesome! Then all of us, dogs included, took a short walk up to the rim.

I swear, the dogs were people magnets. Titus presents himself as a little standoffish (really he is being the protector of his tribe). And Willow, she attracts all people and would probably go home with anyone who gives her attention. There is something about her energy that draws you in. Plus, she will literally hug your leg.

For the next ninety minutes, we wandered the view points and the kids went to the gift shop. It was really awesome for me to see the kiddos making connections between our travel spots visited. A few days ago they were standing in the freezing waters of the Colorado River, and today they were standing at the South rim of the Grand Canyon. I know they both loved it because they asked if we can come back for their birthdays!

After a quick stop for some ice-cream (we told them they could stop at the Park’s general store for a treat since the line at the rim was insanely long) we then drove a short distance to our campsite. Site 184.... And remember how we were able to miraculously find last minute camping availability? Well, our site was right next to the bike path. That means we have a safe place to ride that's away from the road and a larger privacy screen.

After adding some leveling chocks under the right tires and putting out the slides,we were done. Set up is so easy! The dogs were toast after all their walking and mental stimulation and people exposure, so I stayed behind to clean the driving area of the RV, while Steve and the kids rode bikes/scooters. Not ten minutes later, Alex came back to tell me that Sierra had bit it going down a hill. She needed some Mama love. What she was super upset about is the fact that now her favorite pants have a hole in the knee. These pants are workout-yoga style pants that have a pattern on them resembling Minecraft blocks. “My favorite Minecraft pants are ruined Mommy!” she cried to me. Steve and I assured her that a trip to Target will be later this week to replace her pants. Poor girl. She was so exhausted too. After dinner, we continued reading Ollies’ Odyssey and she was asleep almost immediately.

Right now, Steve is asleep on the top bunk. I think we all are ready for a long nights sleep. Mather Campground is really quiet If you do come here to camp, be aware that many people drive fast in the campground and folks are always coming/going. That is why I love the bike path too.

Tomorrow will bring another trip back to Flagstaff. Alex really wants to visit a rock and gem shop he spotted and wants to go out for sushi. His sushi request may end up being another amazing InstantPot meal cooked by Steve.

It was a grand day for sure ♡

#18 RESUPPLY/LAUNDRY DAY IN FLAGSTAFF

Another beautiful morning... and some snow!

Shopping list for resupply

The kids started the laundry today, then Sierra and Steve took off for Safeway while Alex and I did some reading together & dried/folded everything.

Check out the funny sign and sock line

hanging in the laundromat!

Finally made it to Camping World where we had vent covers put on the roof. Kids were troopers!

One of the best purchases for the motorhome. Installing an extending shower curtain rod. Heaven to have more space in the shower. If you don't have one, go get one!

We pulled into our campsite in Flagstaff as the sun was setting. We are all tired after a long resupply/errand day. The kids watched 'Sing' and the dogs slept!

Time for bed!

#17 Lees Ferry to Watupaki to Flagstaff 3-27-17

We are learning to pull the rig into a spot so we get an awesome view upon wake up. Today's view was again amazing. As the sun rose, the canyon walls glowed bright reds and oranges. Sierra ended up crawling into bed with me and we read for a while as Alex and Steve had breakfast.

An hour later, the sky was a magnificent purple... the clouds and rising sun made the backdrop look like a painting.

The question for us today was... stay or go? Such an incredible view. Steve really wanted to hike but the road leading to our trail was closed, plus Alex woke up with a fever and was feeling crappy. (Tonight, he is feeling better). Instead of hitting the trails, we went down to the Colorado River again and played along the sandy beach. In just over twelve hours, the river had risen. That large stick that Sierra had planted along the shoreline, was now out at least 20 feet. I rolled up my pants and waded out in the freezing water and retrieved her precious stick. Since the dogs have been on pretty short leashes since we began our travels, Steve brought each of them their 40 foot leads and they had a blast playing on the beach. At home, the dogs wander the property and can run freely and explore. Today, Titus reminded me of when he was a young dog. He came to life as we walked to the river. Titus is a water lover and was all smiles as he chased the sticks we'd toss into the river. Willow was all about staying on the sand and eating sticks and jumping around. Right when we were about to head back to our home on wheels, a group of rafters passed by. Super sweet! Reminded me of the many river trips I've taken in the Southwest. Again, so magical. Steve said to me at one point that he too can now understand why this place is so special.

Crossing the Corado River later in the day

We ended up choosing to hit the road and were going to head up to Page, to check out Lake Powell. The moment we met the sign pointing us to Page or Flagstaff, Steve and I took two seconds to reevaluate our plans and on a whim, Mr. Adventure turned south towards Flag. We had hoped to camp at the Grand Canyon this week, but all the reserved spots were taken. Again, I think the Universe wants us there because when I decided to check one last time, there was one spot that had opened up. So, on Wednesday we are going to the Canyon and will spend the night there. The kids are super excited. And, we can take the dogs along the South Rim which is a bonus.

As we continued our drive, Mr. Adventure was thrilled with the views & did an awesome job navigating the rig in the massive winds as we drove through the Navajo Reservation. There were some crazy folks passing us in their rental RVs. Seriously insane people taking huge risks. We were more than happy to get off the highway and took a side detour to see Wupatki National Monument. (Steve will be writing that part of the blog later tonight as he has all the pictures.)

Miss Willow ♡

I think the dogs will be getting a bath in Flag tomorrow while we do laundry and stock up on supplies again

After we left Wupatki, we spotted the snowy peaks in Flagstaff. It feels like just yesterday that friends and I were hiking up to the Humphreys Peak! Sometimes, I would even skip class, drive my little white truck up north, and go skiing there. And of course, I'd run into other PC folks.

Oh, the memories ♡

We passed through Sunset Crater are just before 5 o'clock and were trying to figure out where we'd spend the night. As we were about to hit the highway again, we spotted a forest service road and headed straight for it. A mile or so in, we found a nice spot for some boondocking tonight. And, as soon as we chose a spot amongst the pines, it began to snow! The snowline we'd been admiring suddenly became where we were. And it's still snowing! I can hear the wind and ice hitting the windows as I type. Tomorrow will bring another adventure for sure! For a split second we thought about the sunny canyon we'd left early in the day, and are happy we are here tonight. It's all part of the journey. Funny to think that just last night we put the kids' snow boots away. "We won't need those anymore," we said. HA!

P.S. The kids are totally loving the Book Ollie's Odyssey. They beg and beg for "just one more chapter!" Thank you Bridget ♡ for loaning it to us!

#16 THE PAST THREE DAYS

The past three days we've been out of internet/cell service. It was a nice blessing and we all needed a couple days to chill. The only bummer was that I couldn't call a dear friend on the day of her Dad's memorial service. I thought of her and her family all day Saturday 💟

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Here are my journal entries from the past few days.

Friday March 24^th, 2017

Today is a set your alarm kind of day.

6:30 a.m.

BEEP... BEEP... BEEP

Snooze button

BEEP... BEEP... BEEP

It's now 6:35 a.m.

Ok... We'd better get up because today is the day!

Tour of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary at 8:30.

Everything outside has a thin layer of frost. As I look out the window, Alex lays next to me, the moon is a thin sliver. Its backdrop- the red sandstone cliffs across from our site. The sun is about to rise... soon, freezing temps will give way to warm temps. It's predicted to be in the 60's.

We hustled our buns to drive a mile down the road to the Welcome Center, and were greeted by wild deer grazing on grass. I took the role of annoying wife as I tried to tell Steve where to park Gumby (that's what we've named the rig). I seriously need to practice the art of letting Steve do his thing. (Sorry honey. I do have good intentions.)

I thought if I blockaded the space between the driving and living areas in the RV while we took a tour, that the dogs would not bark what was around us. I was wrong. Willow ended up crawling into the front seat and then couldn't get back out. Another oops. Before our tour Steve went to grab our sunglasses and remedied the situation.

After the dogs were resettled, we all checked in for the tour and were directed to a film room where we learned more about the mission of Best Friends... to Save Them All (meaning all the pets killed in shelters). I can't remember the exact amount of animals euthanized each day in the U.S. Just know that is is beyond enormous. Within just a few seconds of watching their positive film about saving the animals I began to cry. A combination of tears of gratitude, joy, and being moved to the core. Friends, there IS good in this world and we have to keep the faith. In this crazy world, look to the sunshine! And take action. (Our family decided that within the next year, we will return to volunteer here.)

Around 9:30, thirteen of us loaded into a tour van and we headed to Upper Angel Canyon. We took two stops along the way, to meet a sweet pit-bull and to meet some cats. Cassie, our tour guide, did an amazing job of showing us the land (I think there are 3,700 acres?). Next time we return, we will bring a car so we can access the hiking trails at Best Friends. Our rig is four feet too long to drive around on their grounds.

If you are in Southern Utah/Northern Arizona, or if you are looking for a volunteer-cation, seriously... go to Best Friends in Kanab. Your heart will grow and you will be inspired and fall in love with the organization & animals. Who knows, you may even go home with a new pet!

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I guess it was around 11 o'clock that we finished at the gift shop & then hit the road for Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. Sierra thinks the sand looks 'orange'. It is incredible. A couple weeks ago, I reserved a campsite online- knowing that after driving hard down here we'd want a couple days to stay put. Tonight and tomorrow, we will plan our next steps. We were going to drive up to Goblin Valley, but instead may head south. Warmer weather calls.

Saturday March 25^th, 2017

Both kids are sick. Last night, Sierra went to bed at 6 o'clock and woke up at 9 a.m. That is a lot of sleep compared to her usual 8-6 routine. Her body was scorching hot to the touch. (I need to buy a new thermometer). Both kiddos have snotty noses which means we are going through rolls of paper towels each day. Alex had picked out Kleenex at the store but accidentally got the kind with Vick's smell in it & they refuse to use it. Their eyes look all sad and they have dark circles under their eyes... so today we took a walk to the sand dunes and now they are curled up watching 'Sing' via the inverter Steve hooked up to the batteries.

It's been a cold and off/on rainy day. Surprisingly, the campground is pretty empty. Perhaps due to the fact that the campground's water pump went out so the Ranger locked all the bathrooms after fixing the problem. The park needs to build up water pressure again. Thankfully, we have our own bathroom. What about the tent campers and day visitors? Time for them to dig a hole I guess.

When the kids started their DVD, I sat down with all the Monopoly game pieces we've accumulated over the past few months. Yes, I have time- so figured why not play. After an hour of opening and sorting the pieces, I am an official winner! A $5 gift card at Safeway. I figured that I didn't play, I would have had the winning game piece for the vacation home or million dollars.

It's almost 5 o'clock and the rest of our day will be showering, making dinner, and playing a new board game. Since Alex is so sick, we had a short day of school. I figure that when he wants to take a nap, he is really feeling crappy.

Tonight will be an early bed time and up early to head to the local BLM office in Kanab to learn about which route they recommend. Our goal is to stick to the Southwest over the next month & then to return to the road and hit Colorado in July/August.

We all have must do lists for this trip...

Kids:

Grand Canyon

Steve:

Moab

Visit his cousin Dave in California

Me:

See my friend Alison in Gilbert, AZ

Visit Prescott, AZ

See friend Katja near Sonoma, CA

There is so much to see here! As Steve was tucking Alex in last night, I had all the Road & Recreation Atlases laid out on the dinette. I think we both can agree that heading south will be a good thing this week. In the next couple of weeks we aim to hit the Grand Canyon, central & southern Arizona, & then aim to head back up to Utah, go West to Nevada, and then into California. Of course this could change in the next few hours. That is what is so fun... we have no set agenda and seem to have the best days when we are wandering and discover surprises along the way.

JOURNAL ENTRY

Sunday March 26th, 2017

AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING DAY!!!!!

Kids woke up feeling much better and we all showered which made us all feel like a million bucks. After a quick and random breakfast, we filled up our water tank (which we completely drained in just 2 days) & then dumped the black/gray water tanks, and hit the road.

Steve wanted to go back to Best Friends to get a baseball hat (the kids and I all got them on our tour day, & I guess Steve decided that he too 'needed' one.) After picking up his hat, and a gift for our dear friend Micki (she introduced us to this amazing organization), we headed down to Kanab.

The first mission was to stop at the BLM Visitor Center to get help with deciding which road to take today.. highway 89 or 89A. Both have great stopping points. After take out lunch from a Mexican restaurant (I wanted a break from cooking), we make calls to the Grand Canyon to check on lodging options and followed the signs through town that led us to Highway 89A. Soon, we found ourselves crossing into Arizona and heading up into the mountains near Jacob Lake. Steve was tickled because before we were married, he and his Dad took a motorcycle trip through this area. Steve trailered his dual-sport down to Utah and his Dad flew in from New York and rented a bike & they ended up at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. So when we pulled in to the gas station at the road leading to the North part of the park, Steve called his Dad and then went in to the little gift shop and bought each of the kids little pottery bowls (just as he had done for me when they rode here many years ago.)

Post fueling up, we descended through National Forest land, BLM land, and eventually made our way up a five mile road leading to Lees Ferry. The moment you pass the pay station for camping, the view is absolutely incredible. Actually, the entire drive from Jacob Lake to Lees Ferry was amazing. And this campground at Lees Ferry is beyond incredible. The pictures only begin to tell the story of beauty.

After staking claim to a campsite, we headed down to the Colorado River and the kids played on the beach while I literally cried tears of joy. So happy to be in the magical place. On the Colorado River, where I spent many nights with friends/family from Prescott College & others. The Canyon and River are sacred to me.

I will let the pictures do the rest of the talking tonight...