Grand Canyon

Friday April 27th:

You have all either been here or seen so many pictures of the Grand Canyon taken in perfect lighting (sunset or sunrise) that I will only include one here. One problem with the train travel was that our time was limited to about 3 1/2 hours at the canyon rim before reboarding for the trip back. We caught the shuttle bus on the rim route and stopped at each point out to "Mojave Point" then came back to the train station. All in all it was a long day as we were camped about 75 miles south of Williams and had to drive to the train and back. We slept well that night.

Grand Canyon Trip

Friday, April 27th:

We boarded the Grand Canyon Railroad at Williams, AZ for a train ride up to the Grand Canyon. The train traveled from the mountains west of Flagstaff, down through the desert and back up to the Grand Canyon rim (about 7000 ft). We booked first class tickets on the ANASAZI car for the trip, which was about 60 miles each way. Very pleasant trip and well worth booking if you are in the area.

Grand Canyon Trip

Friday, April 27th:

We boarded the Grand Canyon Railroad at Williams, AZ for a train ride up to the Grand Canyon. The train traveled from the mountains west of Flagstaff, down through the desert and back up to the Grand Canyon rim (about 7000 ft). We booked first class tickets on the ANASAZI car for the trip, which was about 60 miles each way. Very pleasant trip and well worth booking if you are in the area.

On to the Painted Desert NP

Wednesday April 25th continued:

As we drove on through the park we crossed I-40 and came into the Painted Desert NP portion. The camera does not do justice to what the eye can see. We can take in some many more shadings and shadows and depth than a mere camera, so the view is more wonderous than I can show you here.

More from the Petrified Forest NP

Wednesday April 25th.

The views along the drive up the park were absolutly breathtaking, but too many to try to post them all here. Along one old (former) river bank a clan of people had stopped and settled and began to farm the land. They may have been part of the Hopi tribe because of the farming. They built homes from adobe to house about thirteen families and stayed in the area for many years then moved on, apparently when the drought came and the river dried up. This is a picture of one of their house frames.

Holbrook Area Petrified Forest NP and Painted Desert

Wednesday April 25th:

Drove over to the Petrified Forest NP and Painted Desert NP today. Both parks are absolutely wonderful and I would love for those of you who haven't been here to come on down. All of this area was a large swampy area with forests of hugh trees and many river tributaries all connecting to a hugh river which riveled the Mississippi or Amazon rivers (according to park history). Trees would fall over into the river and be carried down and deposited in the mud. The mud would cut off oxygen allowing the trees to fossilize rather than decay. Here is a picture Carolyn took of one hugh stone tree laying on the ground.

Driving to Holbrook, Arizona

Monday April 23rd:

Today we left Albuquerque NM and drove west toward Holbrook, AZ. The scenery was dramatic and striking as we moved across a perfectly flat 6000 foot high "valley" with I-40 running to the horizon as if laid out with a straight edge.

We topped one ridge and came out into Mesa country with flat topped hills rising out of the plains. Were these pushed up by geologic uplift or were they the former level and time, wind and water eroded all of the land around them? Passed the Bandera Volcano surrounded for scores of miles by black volcanic ash and lava.

Long ridges stretch across the landscape.

We topped the Continental Divide, at about 7200 feet, in western New Mexico and started down the other side. Now all of the rivers run in a westerly direction rather than in an easterly direction, so I've been told.

The Welcome center Rest Stop coming into Arizona was set among red cliffs like the one here. Sandstone, I would guess, with areas carved out by the wind and rain. At this point we moved into Navajo Indian Reservation territory and crossed the Petrified Forest NP on our way to Holbrook. We plan to see the NP, Hopi Reservation, Meteor Crater

Albuquerque New Mexico

Friday, April 20th:
After pulling in to the RPI "Hidden Valley Resort" about 15 miles east of town, near Tijeras, on Thursday afternoon we decided to go see the Albuquerque "Old Town". This is a sight well worth your time if you are in the area. The buildings are all maintained in strict accordance with origional plans. It was laid out in the fashion of the time in a square surrounded by the church (on the right - isn't it gorgeous and still hold services), government administrative buildings, businesses, and residences. We had lunch in the "Church Street Cafe" and had a wonderful meal.



I could not do justice to the church interior with mear words, so am including a visual image for you to see. The church itself was small and narrow with wooden pews leading down a narrow isle. The whole experience was inspiring. Right after we entered the door opened again and about 30 young six and seven year old children, all dressed in Catholic school uniforms came in. They were perfectly mannered and respectful.

Saturday April 21st we drove up the "Turquoise Trail" (NM-14) about 30 miles to the towns of Madrid and Cerrillos. The road up the trail was through very stark, dramatic countryside. A new vista was unfolded over every hilltop and around each curve. Miles of ranch land, small scrub trees, and mountains rising up to touch the clouds.

Madrid was a small coal mining town that has been revived by an infusion of crafters and artisians up an down main street. We parked the truck and one end of town and walked through town. We took the dogs with us so Carolyn "had" to be the one to go into the shops while I stayed outside. We drove on to Cerrillos which was only about three miles further, but known for its Turquoise mines. The town itself was pretty empty and was almost a ghost town. At one time though it sported several hotel, many bars, and "bawdy houses". Very sad in many ways to see how far it had fallen.

Carlsbad KOA

Monday afternoon April 16th:

Arrived at the Carlsbad KOA mid afternoon, Mountain Time, on a beautiful day. Carolyn took this picture as we walked the dogs around the campground.

Carlsbad New Mexico

Tuesday April 17th.

Carolyn and I were saddened yesterday with the news of the Virginia Tech shootings on Monday. What a terrible tragedy to occur in such a peaceful setting. Tragic in any setting.

We drove to Carlsbad Caverns this morning. The drive itself was striking for its views of the rolling hills and crossing over part of the Guadalupe mountain range, although this end of it was only a few hundred feet high. The drive into the National Park was, again, very striking as we traveled through valleys and along hillsides and over ridglines on a winding road that took us through the best of the park. The Caverns were as beautiful and awe inspiring as the best that I had ever heard told of them. This is one of 57 pictures that we took in the Big Cavern.

On to New Mexico

Monday April 16th:
We left Abilene, TX heading for Carlsbad, NM this morning. Plan to drive on out I-20 to Pecos, TX then cut a sharp right and head north on US-285 from Pecos to Carlsbad. The scenery continued to change as we drove west moving from the "Big Country" region with the trees getting shorter and more scrubby and the land gradually flattening until we were in what I think of as the Plains area. We crossed over into the "Permian Basin" not far eastof Midland and Odessa and we could feel that we were driving on what was once the bottom of an inland sea. Many salt lakes and salt basins along the road as well as factories processing Gypsum left over from the drying up of the seas. Very curious about the sudden sharp ridges that rose up from the flat plains and ran for a while the abruptly stopped. Are they fault lines, ancient reefs, or sand dunes? The land was very flat and desolate until Pecos. As we turned north up US-285 we ran into rolling hills and sagebrush for mile after mile. The only houses were abandoned it seemed. Long white dirt/sand roads cut off from the highway and ran perfectly straight to the horizon or sometimes to one of the many oil rigs pumping along.
Crossing into New Mexico we began seeing signs of humans again and then just north of the border groves of Pecan trees and fields of what I guess to be rice planted in paddies. We didn't expect rice paddies in New Mexico. Stopped 13 miles north or Carlsbad at the KOA near Artesia.

News from Texas

Sunday April 15th.
We had stopped in Shreveport, LA Friday evening, April 13th, to "hunker" down for the major thunderstorm line that was forming around central Texas and heading east. The storm got to Shreveport about 1 a.m. Saturday morning, but was only wind and heavy rain. Thank God no tornados or hail. Drove across to Abilene, Texas Saturday the 14th in cool, overcast weather. We really enjoyed watching the change in scenery as we left the heavily wooded, swampy east Texas country and entered the "Hill Country" As we neared Dallas/Ft. Worth we could see the woods thin out until the countryside was mostly rolling hills with sparse wood lots. West of Ft. Worth we began seeing our first cactus along the fences. The trees began to turn from Oak and pines to short wild limbed Mesquite and patches of Texas Bluebell flowers began appearing along side the roadway.
We spent Sunday, April 15th, at a KOA by Abilene, Texas to catch up on some chores and get some down time from driving. We also decided on a change in route. Rather than go to El Paso, TX we decided to cut north to Carlsbad, NM where we will spend time site seeing Monday and Tuesday. Until then.

Finally a Beginning

Wednesday April 11th.
Well, we finally pulled out Wednesday morning, the 11 of April. It was cold when we left Pennsylvania, but the weather remained dry. Drove over to I-81 and turned south in overcast, but dry weather. Ran into drizzle about noon and stayed in it the rest of the afternoon. Temperature hovered around 38 degrees all day. In the late afternoon, as we were coming up to the Virginia/Tennessee border we must have crossed the warm front because the temperature rose to near 47. Real heat wave huh? Stayed Wednesday night at Baileyton, TN
Thursday April 12th.
Left Baileyton and drove to Knox Hill RV Resort near Knoxville, AL Eat your hearts out you Maryland and Pennsylvanians - temperature rose to 77 degrees. Balmy by any standards. Hooray, I got the WiFi to work so I can make this entry. On to Shreveport, LA on Friday. Hugs to all.

Final Preparations

April 9th: Well everyone we are down to the week of departure. Looks as if we will be able to get off on Wednesday morning as expected. I have watched the weather closely and have decided to make a plan change. Instead of going west on I-70 to St. Louis then down to Oklahoma City to catch I-40 to Phoenix we will instead take I-81 south to Knoxville, TN then slope across in I-75/I-59 and catch I-20 to Shreveport, LA and beyond. That will put us in El Passo, TX next Monday the 16th. Plan to spend a few days then at the El Passo West Campground the up to central NM for a week. Central AZ will be another week then on to Palm Springs, CA for a few day and will spend a while around San Diego. After that it is up the coast to Seattle and over to Yellowstone and Salt Lake City, UT and back home.
Busy today packing the trailer and getting the truck fueled. Last minute packing on Tuesday then off.
I hope to be able to keep this up as we go. The next entry however will probably be in New Mexico when we slow down a bit. Hugs to everyone. Clark & Carolyn