MONDAY
APRIL 13
Working
on the house
Luke
has been hit hard with some allergy issues, so today is a rest day.
He canceled his morning and evening lessons and spend most of the day
in his bedroom, other than handling some conference calls and zoom
meetings. Kady is off back to school, leaving around 7:30 and
returning at 3:45.
So...in
the meantime, Rick returns to the back of the shed to plot and plan
for a roof or a floor. I head back out front to continue weeding the
north side of the sidewalk bed, pull weeds and leaves out of the
plants and along the edge of the border next to the neighbor. I
bagged up two 50 gal bags of leaves and debris (most of the leaves
were mixed with a heavy dose of elm seeds!)
Luke
and Kady take off for Home Depot once again to order their cabinets
(40% off during April!) – and a better grade, complete with end
panels, trim, and already painted. They don’t get back until after
7, so Rick and I went ahead and cooked up the ravioli Kady had in the
fridge and ate our dinner! It was all ready for them when they
returned.
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| Rick installs a barrier at the base of the shed - beautifully cleared of the wild shrub |
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| Luke and Kady have a blooming poppy! |
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| A blooming barrel cactus we found during a walk |
TUESDAY, April 14
HAPPY
BIRTHDAY LUKE!
Luke
is feeling better this morning and takes off for the tennis club for
an 8:30 and 9:30 lesson time. Rick continues to work on the shed
storage, and after another hour of leaf raking – this time in the
backyard – I leave for the club at 10 to check it out and watch
Luke finish up his lesson (with an 80 year old gal who plays Senior
Tournaments! She had a pretty good stroke, but was starting to look
a little tired at the end of the lesson.) A number of women come up
to introduce themselves and tell me how much they LOVE Luke – ‘he’s
so kind and patient’ ‘I’m his favorite!’ ‘we think Luke is
the best!’ Luke shows me around the club – pro shop, bar, rec
room, pool – and I meet both of the gals that manage the desk and
‘second in command’. I meet Dave, one of the other pros. A fun
visit, and as we are on the tour, one of the gals brings in a
birthday cake for Luke (she had run down to the store to pick one up
when she heard today was his birthday!) We grabbed a piece just to
be grateful before leaving!
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| The swimming pool at the tennis club |
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| Birthday cake one of the tennis ladies bought for Luke |
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| A pretty flower on the club patio |
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| Sculpture on the wall in memory of a member |
Back
to the house and Luke fields some birthday calls. Around 1 we get
on the phone with a Synchrony Bank agent and Luke calls Jed on his
phone. We manage to open a Joint Synchrony account with the 4 of us
so we can now easily transfer money to the boys for
birthday/Christmas gifts or as needed for house loans! Good to visit
with Jed even for a few moments.
I
went out and bagged more leaves – ultimately finishing up with 4
garbage bags (large) and 2 compost garden bags (nearly as big). The
back yard looks pretty good now, except the south side along the high
wall. Rick finishes up his project and cleans up all the tools, etc.
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| The back yard after I got done cleaning up leaves, sticks, seed pods, etc. |
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| Rick's handiwork behind the shed. No more suckers invading the shed walls! |
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| South side also cleared out next to neighbor's wall |
Around
4:45 we all pile into Kady’s car and head downtown to Bow and Arrow
Brewery to fulfill Zach’s beer request and then out to Central
Avenue to meet up with Russ and Rachel and kids for a birthday
dinner. Our first and second choices of restaurants end up being
closed on Tuesdays! Ultimately we end up at an Italian restaurant on
Nob Hill housed in an old car dealership. Quite the place, not
cheap, but a fun time! The waiter even comped Luke with a birthday
dessert complete with a fire-sparkling candle!
Luke, Kady, and I take a walk to work off our dinner - heading up to walk along the median of Ridgecrest Drive.
Time
to pack things up and prepare to leave in the morning while enjoying
some visit time.
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| Luke's birthday gifts on the new dining table |
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| Birthday dinner: Russ & Rachel with Sean and Daphne, plus Luke and Kady |
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| And all of us, compliments of our waiter! |
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| Birthday 'candle' and treat, compliments of restaurant! |
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| Pretty flowers seen on evening walk |
WEDNESDAY,
April 15
Albuquerque
NM to Kanab, UT
467
miles
We
are up at 6:15 to pack up the car, give our goodbye hugs and thank
yous, and hit the road. I drive the first part of the day, first
stopping at the Maverik on Gibson for coffees. Then onto I25 N and
I40 west! We are surprised that traffic is not heavy in the
directions we are going! The opposite side of the road is much worse
on Gibson and on I40!
Smooth
sailing westward on I40, traffic mostly trucks it seems! Nice to be
traveling against the rising sun rather than into it! Some rock
canyon walls and cliffs, but largely sagebrush and hills. Easy
driving on my part!
We
pull over at the Flying J about 14 miles east of Gallup – the site
of our ill-fated flat tire a few years back in the Prius. (Upon
leaving, we are pleased to see the on-ramp has a new surface – no
more lethal potholes!) Gas is under $4 and we top off the tank.
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Had to add the picture of the cliffs just north of the interstate
after the on-ramp from the gas station. This was where we got stuck
for three hours several years ago with a flat tire and no spare. :( |
Rick
takes over driving so I am free to take pictures as MOST of the rest
of the day is on new highways! We go north from Gallup briefly
before turning west on US 264 toward Window Rock and Arizona. Just
past the border we enter the Navajo reservation and a National
Forest!! And we travel for 20 miles or so to Ganado with trees –
pinon and juniper – lining the road. That was a surprise!
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| Surprise! A national forest and trees! |
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| We are on some 'lonely' roads today! |
Just
north of Ganado we head NW on scenic 264 into the heart of the three
mesa country of the Hopi Indian reservation, which is in the middle
of the Navajo nation! Up and down with vistas in all directions.
For much of the drive we can see the 12,000+ snow covered peak of Mt.
Humphreys north of Flagstaff to the south of us. Humphreys is
Arizona’s tallest peak. The little towns along the way are small,
some up on top of the mesa, some in the wash below.
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| Climbing up to the top of the first mesa. |
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| Mesa views |
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| From the top of one mesa across to the next |
Once
we pass the Third Mesa we drop DOWN into a broad valley, up over
another hill, and into Tuba City. What a beautiful drive that
stretch was and not what we pictured!
We
find a gas station/market for a bathroom stop! (That was a LONG
stretch of highway with no rest stops, convenient gas stations, etc!)
Then down US160 to connect with US89 north toward Page. We have
driven this stretch a number of years ago, but forgot how beautiful
it is! So many red rock ridges and tumbled jumbled strata of many
colors. Thirty miles from Page we turn off on US 89A and cross the
Colorado River at Marble Canyon (and the river is way down there!)
The Vermillion Cliffs are radiant in the sunshine with big puffy
clouds dotting the blue skies.
We
enter the Kaibab National Forest and CLIMB back up from our low at
3500’ near the Colorado River to 7,700’ at Jacob Lake where the
road down to the North Rim originates. Not only did 140,000 acres
burn at the North Rim last summer, another fire, of which we saw MUCH
evidence, burned nearly 60,000 acres near Jacob Lake. All lightning
started.
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| Fires burned large sections up near Jacob Lake |
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| Dropping DOWN from Jacob Lake toward Fredonia |
Then
DOWN again to the town of Fredonia, just 4 miles from the Utah
border. North across the border to Kanab, where we arrive at our
retro Quail Lodge motel shortly after 3pm. A bit disappointed that
the pool isn’t open yet, but love the orange doors, bright yellow
wallpaper, and retro mini fridge in the room. There are only 14
rooms in the motel – everything is done online. We are sent a code
to our room door!
We
settled in and then embark on a 2 mile plus walk down to the other
end of Kanab and back (we are on the north end). Kanab is known as
the Hollywood of the West, and a multitude of western movies have
been filmed here. There are little signs everywhere highlighting
various actors and actresses and their movies. The town is
surrounded by beautiful red cliffs and ridges.
We
stop at a grocery store and pick up sandwich/salad for dinner and
some lemonade which we proceed to enjoy once back at the motel.
A
good day through some gorgeous country!
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| Proof we made it to Utah...and Kanab! |
THURSDAY
April 16
Kanab
UT to Eureka NV via Zion National Park!
388
miles
What
a day for some beautiful country!! And ONLY about 20 miles of
interstate freeway!!
I
didn’t sleep well last night – the air kept going on and off and
the pillow was so big and hard. But around 2:15, Rick turned the fan
on steady and after reading for abit, I FINALLY fell asleep until
6:45!
We
are packed up and ready to go by 7:15, and after gassing up in town,
we hit the road around 7:30!
The
countryside north of Kanab is more red rock and beauty, eventually
merging with juniper and pinon and sage hills. And then...we turn
west at Carmel Junction and head into Zion proper from the east.
What a glorious time of day to drive this road. Rick takes it nice
and slow, traffic isn’t too bad, and we savor the beauty of the
towering cliffs, the layers of color and strata. Spectacular and it
has been a number of years since we have driven this road. Through
the long tunnel and then down the hairpin turns to the main valley
floor. We decide not to stop at the Visitor Center (I have stamps)
and head on to Kolob Canyon. A short stretch of interstate and we
are off at Exit 40 for Kolob and the Visitor Center there. I pick up
a few postcards plus additional pages for my passbook. I have never
seen those before and they will slip right in!
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| North of Kanab |
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| Junction to turn west toward Zion - iconic tower in distance! |
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| And into the park entrance...quick show of our Senior Pass! |
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| First of two collages of our drive through Zion |
Kolob
is mostly a scenic drive unless you want to undertake some rather
long trails! The famous Kolob Arch is ONLY accessible by a 15 mile
RT hike! We just drive, and enjoy a conversation at one of the
viewpoints with a couple from Portland. It was worth the stop, but
pictures would be more vibrant in an afternoon visit as we were
viewing the cliffs and formations looking into the sun!
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| A few pictures from Kolob - you can tell we lost our blue skies! |
Rick
drives the additional miles on the freeway up to Cedar City, and we
turn off on Utah 56 toward Nevada. A quick stop at a Maverik for
drinks and some chicken strips! Rick needed protein!
I
take over the wheel for the drive west – not much traffic and
smooth sailing. The countryside is not what we expected, but more
trees and rolling hills. Up over Panaca Pass near the border and
then down into Panaca itself where we intersect with US 93 and turn
north. Typical Nevada broad valleys and mountains! I drive to a
roadside rest (potty stop!) which turns out to be a viewpoint for
Cathedral Gorge – a deep canyon of Bryce Canyon like spires, etc.
Pretty cool!
About
10 miles further north, we turn off on ‘Business Pioche’ to
explore this silver mining boom town of the late 1800’s. Now,
about 1000 people call Pioche home and it is a fascinating mix of old
buildings, boot hill etc. It once was home to over ten thousand and
considered one of the wildest, roughest towns in the west. Legend
has it that over 75 were buried before someone died a ‘natural’
death.
And
then it is north to intersect with US 50/6 and into Ely. We go over
a 7700’ pass just before Ely, having passed the 13,000’ Mt
Wheeler to the east and Great Basin National Park. Snow was on the
peaks of many of the high mountains over the 10,000’ mark. Stop at
Love’s (crazy busy) in Ely to top off the gas before heading west
on US 50, called the “Loneliest Highway”. But our route on 50
takes us through OLD Ely, a part we haven’t gone through before.
The main street is all torn up as they install new sidewalks, but we
get a glimpse of the historical part of the city.
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| Heading North on 93 - I think this is Mt Wheeler on left |
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| More mountains on either side of vast valleys! |
And
then it is climb up through juniper and pinon forests! We have 4
passes to go over between Ely and Eureka, plus crossing some wide
broad mountain valleys. And lonely? I think we see only 1 other car
heading in our direction, while a number go the other way. It is
about 70 miles from Ely to Eureka.
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| Vast expanse of land heading west on US 50 |
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| Truly...the loneliest road in America? |
We
pull into Eureka around 4 pm, and then quickly realize we are back in
Pacific Time and it is only 3pm here! Check into our Best Western
remodeled old hotel – upstairs room this time, but the ice chest is
nearly empty so we just leave it in the car!
We
are hungry! A walk up and down Main Street checking out old
buildings and restaurants – most of which don’t open until 4pm!
And the air is COLD! A chilly wind blowing outside even though the
sun is shining. We find a couple old churches off the main drag, and
a building on Main St where the roof must have collapsed. The front
wood facade is still there, with holes for the windows, and the
entire interior is filled with trees growing!
The
Tequila Trails restaurant finally opens and we head inside. I had a
hankering for Mexican food! Rick had a big burrito and I a taco
salad which was HUGE! We both have leftovers chilling in the fridge!
But it was good and filling!
Back
to room to rest up for tomorrows 474 mile day and home! I have
stayed ahead of the game on WRITING my journal/blog, but the picture
part is going to take some editing!!
FRIDAY
April 17
Eureka
NV to Baker City OR (High Country Lane & HOME!)
491
miles
Brrrr!!
I check my phone this morning and discover it is 9 degrees in
Eureka, NV!! Hope the beer in the car didn’t freeze! It got
colder than expected!! But, we went to bed early, so are up at 5:45
and shortly after 6 are downstairs to partake of the extensive
breakfast available. Wanted to see the pancake machine work, but the
batter was still defrosting!! Lots of options, however. By 6:45 we
are checked out and on the road for home!
Rick
is driving the first stretch today – up Nev 278 north to I80. Once
again, only one car actually passes us – usually our lane is very
empty. We do have a number of trucks especially heading south.
Typical Nevada mountain valley terrain – snowy mountains in the
distance, rolling sage hills, and vast ranch valleys. The cold of
last night has cast some light snow in places up on the mountains.
Smooth running road, very straight in places, and Rick is able to go
65-70 much of the way.
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| Heading north from Eureka we found open sage land |
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| ...and then the mountains came into view! |
At
Carlin we hit the freeway for about 20miles eastward (much to Rick’s
consternation that we are going east to go west!) to Elko and a stop at the Maverik for coffee and a
potty break!
On
up new highway north of Elko – NV225 – toward the Idaho border
and the Duck Valley Reservation. This route was shorter than heading
west to Winnemucca and then north. We can see frost/snow alongside
the road in the shadowy places and what appears to be fresh snow on
the high mountains. VERY FEW cars heading north once again, but
trucks going south. The road is good, the hills are green. As we
near the reservation, we pass a large reservoir and then a winding
canyon of the Owyhee River (yes the same one that eventually flows
into SE Oregon!) The cliffs and rocks are picturesque, but the river
sure winds around – Rick has to slow down considerably! A little
town of Mountain City just before the reservation, and then the town
of Owyhee 4 miles from the border. Fascinating country.
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| Reservoir near Mountain City |
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| Owyhee River canyon - part of Duck Valley Reservation |
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| Duck Valley - fresh snow on the hills! |
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| Getting into some volcanic rocks! |
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| Bruneau Dunes in distance as we near Mountain Home |
And
then….the broad open spaces of southern Idaho – cattle country
and open grazing. We do have to slow down for some cows a couple
times, we can see the snowy peaks of the Sawtooths in the far
distance. Otherwise? Green, open spaces!
I
see a voice message from Tom Hinkle at some point south of Bruneau,
and when we stop to change drivers we try to call him back, but no
reception. He sounded a bit upset. So before getting on the freeway
just after Mountain Home, we pull over and try to call again.
Problem? The pastor they were going to have perform the wedding
ceremony won’t do it now. Argh! Churches that get hung up on
dogma and rules frustrate me. A good talk and we’ll make some
calls and see how we can help.
I
drive through the traffic of Boise, telling Rick I have been amongst
more cars in a hour than he has seen in two days of driving!! But we
get through, switching drivers again in Ontario so we can call Luke
for some advice related to Tom’s issue. Home by 3:15 after a quick
stop at the post office to pick up the mail (most of which we find
stuffed in the mailbox!)
END
OF TRIP STATISTICS:
Total
Miles Driven: 2708
Freeway
Miles: Approx 1140 (Nearly half of that on Day 1!)
“Blue”
Highway Miles: 1560!
Miles
Per Gallon: 42.4 mpg
Days
Gone: 11
Full
Days in ABQ: 5
States Visited: Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and...Oregon!
