Day 163 – The wind was so loud last night that we both wore ear plugs so we could sleep. Windy all night, at times shaking the RV, but probably not as bad as yesterday. Once we got up, the wind began increasing again and the forecast is for the same sustained wind levels & gusts today until the evening. No one is leaving their RVs nor the campground, including us. It was 41 degrees around 7:30 a.m. A cold front is moving in tonight & the temperatures are supposed to drop into the 20’s. The big difference this morning is that most of the heavy clouds have blown over and the sun is shining brightly. But right now as I write this (in the morning), the RV is shaking and rocking from the wind gusts.
Monday, February 19, 2018
RIDERS ON THE STORM.
Day 162 – Beginning of Week 24. By the time we went to bed last night, we’d pretty much decided to get up early this morning and head southeast ASAP to beat the wind. We got up at 5 a.m. and Rob checked the forecast first thing. The weather had changed to a Winter Weather Watch with 4 to 8 inches of snow at 7,000 feet elevation and up to 16 inches of snow at 9,000 feet and above. (We were at 5,000 to 6,000 feet already, surrounded by mountains from 6,500 to 8,500 feet.) The storm was coming from the northwest, and wind predictions had increased to sustained wind above 30 MPH with 40-60 MPH gusts beginning around noon & lasting through the night.
63 miles
Sunday, February 18, 2018
BOSQUE DEL APACHE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE.
Day 161 – We packed a lunch and headed out for the wildlife refuge at 9:30 a.m. It was partly cloudy and 44 degrees, a little breezy. It was only 5 minutes from the RV to the beginning of Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. We really like being that close. This refuge is a major stopover for migrating geese, ducks, and cranes. If we’d come here when we’d originally planned to, we’d have seen it all. But our side trips to the Grand Canyon, Zion, and Monument Valley put us here after most of these birds had left. We knew this would probably happen, and it was fine since we’d spent all that time in the Sacramento Valley seeing these birds at that major stopover. And the time spent at the places we drove to was some of the best in the trip thus far.
Saturday, February 17, 2018
THE VERY LARGE ARRAY.
Day 160 – Rob was up at 7 a.m.; I got up at 7:30. 42 degrees; it had stopped raining. Soon after I got up, 4 Sandhill Cranes flew in & were eating breakfast in the field to the north of us. Then they flew over to the field south of our RV, ate some more, then left. During that timeframe, Rob went out and tromped around in the muddy fields to get some pictures. The campground owner came out & dropped some corn on the field right in front of the RV, then he & Rob were outside talking for quite awhile. I took a shower, and when Rob came back he did the same, after cleaning gobs of mud from his shoes. While Rob was taking his shower, the cell phone rang – someone calling from New Mexico, who can that be – and I answered. A gruff voice said, “Look outside your front window” and hung up. I turned to look outside our front window, and there were 5 Sandhill Cranes eating the corn, very soon after he’d put it out for them. Rob got out of the shower, threw on some clothes, and ran outside with the camera. They were right outside our windows! (And the Cranes had muddy feet, too.)
Friday, February 16, 2018
Day 159 – Today we travel again to the campground we’d planned to stay at weeks ago before we came across the sign that said “Grand Canyon, 60 miles”, LOL. We’re finally going to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge near San Antonio, NM. There is a campground called, Bosque Birdwatcher’s RV Park, situated right outside the entrance to the wildlife refuge. Due to its convenient location to the wildlife refuge, we’ve beeen looking forward to staying there.
213 miles
Thursday, February 15, 2018
Day 158 – We woke up at 7 a.m.; 34 degrees and mostly cloudy, a real chill in the air. We left beautiful Goosenecks State Park and drove back to Route 163 the way we came in. It was 8:55 and it was raining lightly. Utah was totally amazing and we only covered a very small section. Gotta come back, and soon!
215 miles
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY, EVERYONE!
Day 157 – Time sure flies; one year ago today, on Valentine’s Day, we left for our first post-retirement RV trip. Been having a blast ever since. Fast forward to now – this morning at 7 a.m. when Rob got up, it was 33 degrees and the sky was completely overcast. I got up a little before 8:00, still totally cloudy. Glad we got those pictures yesterday when there was sunlight! We’d originally thought about doing the 17-mile Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park drive today and then going up to the Valley of the Gods and doing that drive, but now with all these clouds, and the forecasted wind, we’ll probably sit around the campsite. It’s not like there’s nothing to see right here!
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
WHAT DO MONUMENTS & GOOSENECKS HAVE IN COMMON?
Day 156 – We got up a little after 7 a.m., still raining, 36 degrees. We checked the weather forecast for southeastern Utah & it looked okay for us to travel up there to Monument Valley. A couple of weeks ago when at the Grand Canyon, we’d heard from a Chinese woman who was taking her visiting relatives around to see the sites, that Monument Valley was incredible. We are glad we’re able to go there. It could be cloudy today & tomorrow, but at least it shouldn’t be snowing.
160 miles
Monday, February 12, 2018
Day 155 – Beginning of Week 23. We were up at 7 a.m. checking the weather forecast, hoping to get out before the weather hits. 40 degrees, dark and cloudy. Okay, so Bryce and Arches and Moab won’t be happening this trip. Snow begins this morning and goes on for a couple of days. Bryce, in particular, is higher in elevation and the roads are winding and more narrow in that area. Bummers! But we feel incredibly lucky to have had this warmer weather pattern which allowed us to get a taste of the beauty in southern Utah. WE WILL BE BACK.
155 miles
Sunday, February 11, 2018
ZION (east).
Day 154 – Beginning of the sixth month of this trip. Six months, really?! It’s hard to believe. Today we’ll explore the other road-accessible parts of Zion National Park. Colder out though, we don’t know if this is a change back to the normal winter conditions we’ve heard are lacking. 26 degrees this morning at 8:15, crisp & cold with a breeze, full sun. I’d thought that this was a holiday weekend, but that’s next weekend. The campers are heading out already this morning & the campground is about half full again.