KODACHROME: MAY 28-30

MONDAY: We leave Bryce today, so all the ATV's have decided to pull out as well. I'd like to pick em off as they motor by. Anger management, anyone? We hit the laundry and another failed attempt to get something posted. The machine is working better, but I seem to have forgotten my log-in for the blog. Augh! As the senior Costanza said: "Serenity, Serenity NOW." I think I'll quit torturing myself and leave all computer stuff until we get home. Ahhhhhh. Ommmmmm. We packed up, dumped tanks, got propane, and topped off the gas. Urk. 8 mpg? I don't believe that any more than the alleged 10.75 earlier. As we sat in the gas station lot gazing at the map, a shadow fell over my left side. I looked over and zounds! Another LazyDaze. Meet Jerry and Marian from South Carolina in their 3-week-old 26' mid-bath model, "Orion." They're slowly making their way cross country after picking up their rig. They're headed to Kodachrome, which happens to be our next stop, but they're going to do laundry and emails first. We'll meet them there. Short trip to the thriving community of Tropic, where we groceried, and on to Kodachrome. We've found that the grocery stores in these small towns are usually pretty good on the basics, as they deal a lot with transients like us. Surprisingly, we get better prices here on things like fresh blueberries, breads, and tomatoes than we do at home. Meats seem to be all frozen and all from some local packer in Moab. We traveled the short distance to Kodachrome State Park, so-named by a National Geographic team in 1948 that did an article here (they got permission from Kodak). This is pretty desolate, although beautiful, country. Our reso was waiting and we got what apparently is a primo spot (#13) at the far end of the campground. The ranger said some guy had been calling for days, pleading to get that spot. Tough! We made sure there were enough openings for Jerry & Marian, as they didn't have a reso, and drove in. This will be our first "dry-camp" experience (without any water or electric hookups), so we're looking forward to giving the solar a workout. Assembled our cheapo new Weber gas grill (insert rod A through hole D . . .), figured out the gas hookups, and we're good to go. Pork loins with sweet potatoes, sauteed onions and mixed veggies. The chef at Bryce should take lessons from us. A couple of local ales, watch the sun go down, listen to the Chukka partridges scooting about, good books until bedtime, and lights out.
TUESDAY: Kodachrome is set in a box-bowl canyon whose hills are fairly unremarkable, although steep. The interest here are the, um, phallic formations that dot the landscape, formed by lava that pushed up through surrounding rock, which surrounds then eroded away, leaving the lava column. This campground is called the jewel of the Utah park system. I have to say the facilities are excellent. Ultra-clean bathrooms and showers with plenty of hot water. We'll take advantage of those as a break from the Navy "showers" that we take in the coach. The downside is that the terrain is pure red dust. Tiny dust. Powdery dust. The kind that, when the wind blows, GETS INTO EVERYTHING. Guess what happens every afternoon? You betcha. You have to close the windows because it even comes through the screens. We find this out the hard way. I can only imagine what will happen when we start off and I apply the disc brakes for the first time. Ouch. Went out and did some hiking on the Angel's Palace Trail and the nature trail, the latter nicely laid out with numbered stops and a guide pamphlet for the trees, shrubs, rock formations, termite mounds, and all the highlights. Stopped off at Orion on the way back and agreed to have a potluck with Jerry and Marian. Popped some brews in the fridge, Loni made chicken soft tacos, and we went a-calling. Marian's multi-bean salad went perfectly with the tacos and the beers went fine with everything, especially the nonstop conversation. Ever meet folks that you instantly strike a rapport with? We had a great evening. Jerry teaches computer science at College of Charleston, and Marian just retired as a technical writer and editor. We had amazingly similar outlooks and interests ranging from wives who love to cook, husbands who do the dishes, air shows, Star Trek, children with dissimlar natures, Mac computers, and, of course, LD's. fun people to know and we hope to stay in touch and cross paths again. They have a Dustyfoot setup for internet connection since they both spend time every day online.
WEDNESDAY: the Hound of the Baskervilles barked and bayed all night at anything and nothing. We could hear the owner trying to quiet him so, short of eviction, there was not much to be done. Daylight revealed a hyper Irish Setter with a baritone voice in the next campsite over. If they're staying, we'll have a few words, and hopefully no repeat. Breakfasted and broke out the bikes, de-dusted them as well as we could, and set out for Chimney Rock, about three miles each way. It looked like paved road on the map, but turned out the last two miles were not-too-smooth gravel. We bumped along, enjoying the absolute silences and the panoramic views, including almost the entire Bryce ridge off to the West. Chimney rock turns out to be just a fatter version of the other columns, but stands out in the open with nothing else around. As we were shooting photos from a distance, three beefy guys arrived in an SUV and seemed intent on examining something around the side of the rock. We strolled over as they moved on around, to see what was so interesting. There were names and dates carved in the rock, including one that said: "Willis and Sears, Aug 4, 1918." As we were looking at it, one of the three came back around and pointed at the "Willis." "My grandfather," he said. We had a nice chat with him, his brother, and son. His grandfather had been some sort of surveyor, and his father worked for the Park Service. He and his brother grew up in Bryce, Zion, and the Grand Canyon. Wow. Better than L.A.! Back to camp and checked with Jerry and Marian, who were stowing their gear to move on. Safe trip! Our evening entertainment tonight is the wailing of not one, but two infants from the same campsite on the other side of us. No hound. This goes on for a full two hours before (a) they fell asleep, or (b) their parents killed them. My preference shall go unstated. So much for the primo camping spot!

BRYCE CANYON: MAY 24-27

THURSDAY
Breaking camp. Lower the tv antenna, unhook water & electric, close all storage bins. Good to go. Hey, what's that guy waiving about? Oops, left our portable propane tank (for the grill) on the ground behind the rig. Dumped tanks without drama and climbed East out of the canyon towards the rim and the pay-as-you-go tunnel. We ended up # 1 in line. Ranger checked our "escort fee" receipt and when the time came he just waived us on and said "steer down the middle." Hmmm. Just like ship handling class at Navy OCS. So much for our "escort." We led the way and more or less kept the rig on the center line and passed through without a hitch. Neat tunnel. Has cut-out "windows" along the canyon side so every so often you get a view. Nice work by the CCC in the 1930's. More nice scenery along the way, no-traffic roads, tiny intersection towns, and beautiful high plateau views. First stop was Red Canyon, the start of the "hoodoos" that we would see more of at Bryce. On to Bryce and check-in at Ruby's RV Park, where I had made reservations by phone from Vegas. The Bryce campground was full-up, this being Memorial Day weekend. The reso guy said we might have to move each night, as they were full as well, but that's not a big deal. We got checked in to a site between two Class A behemoths with all the bells and whistles. Open space across the gravel road supposedly for tents, but no one was there. Very peaceful. This was to change . . . .
FRIDAY (click on a photo to enlarge)
The camp office had the weather forecast posted and warned us yesterday that temperatures could go below freezing last night, so we disconnected the water supply to avoid burst hoses, etc, and kept the heat strip (the only part of our AC unit that works) on all night. That proves to be a noisy option as it cycles the fan on and off all night. We'll have to look into catalytic heaters or something in the future. Had breakfast with the peaceful view out back (da dum, da dum, dum da dum da . . ) and then hauled our sacks up to the laundry where we also found two pay-for-time internet terminals. Time to do some blogging. Not! Put in my $5 for 25 minutes and the fun(?) began. Every operation took minutes to load; every change of screen took minutes to accomplish. This appears to be a great way to make money. Gave up after reading only two emails in 18 minutes, complained, and got my money back. That's the screen of death on the left. Lady next to me had no problems with hers, so mine must have virus-mania. No blogging today (or, as it turned out, at any time during the whole trip). The park is essentially one long road that leads south from our campground. The entrance is a couple of miles down. Actually, up, as the road gently rises as it goes south. Today is opening day for the park shuttle service, so we plan on taking the bikes on the shuttle about halfway down, and riding back. That's Loni waiting at the Ruby's stop. Of course, the first shuttle had no rack; the second came early while I was back getting water, and the third took its time. Sigh. Loaded, boarded and off to Bryce Point for our first view. Wow. There's nothing like this anywhere else in the world. Rows of hoodoos. Amphitheatres of hoodoos. All colors of hoodoos. So, what's a hoodoo? Ahem: "A pillar of rock, usually of fantastic shape, left by erosion. Debris, borne by water runoff, scours softer rock and creates gullies. harder rock is left behind as vertical fins. As gullies widen into canyons, fins become exposed to more erosion at vertical cracks. Freezing water expands within the cracks in winter, peeling off layers and carving out vertical pillars --- the hoodoos."
End of today's lesson. Bryce Point is at 8,000+ feet, so we're happy to coast down to the main road and . . . urk, climb uphill to the succeeding Inspiration, Sunset, and Sunrise Points. At least we can coast down from each. All have unique views and we don't want to miss any. Unfortunately, the main road here is open to cars, so we have to pay attention and hope that they are as well. Stopped at the Park Lodge, but wasn't impressed. Although done in the 30's by the CCC, it has no grandeur of space inside, nor any scenic view, being back a ways from the rim. Since we were to meet our friend, Paul, for dinner, we made reso's at the dining room for 8:15, the earliest we could get. Huffed and coasted our way back to camp to relax for a while. Yikes! What happened to the serenity? We've been invaded by dozens of ATV's of all shapes and sizes, seemingly using us as the encircled wagon while they go round and round like mechanized Indians. We are to endure this racket for the next three days whenever we're at the rig. This area is a big off-road draw as there are trails everywhere. Why aren't they out THERE instead of HERE? Memo to selves: avoid ATV areas on national holiday weekends. Connected with Paul by cell phone (this is one of the very few areas on our whole trip where we had any coverage at all), and he had just checked into a nearby motel. No rving for him! He picked us up and we had a nice enough dinner at the lodge, at least after I sent back my nuked pork chops and asked for some underdone ones. A bottle of 3 Blind Moose Merlot at 3X retail price took the edges off, and the replacement chops were perfect. They can do it right if you make them.
SATURDAY: Hiking Day. ATV's still zipping about. I'd like to put a knife in a few tires. Met up with Paul & drove in his car to Sunset Point to start the Navajo Loop-Queen's Garden combo trail. We first stopped to listen to a ranger talk about the geology of the area. Big mistake. He wanted to aim his talk at the kids and delivered a s-l-o-w monologue, sort of a cross between Mr. Rogers and the dummy in Spielberg's "Goonies" movie. Politeness trapped us for the duration, then we were off. This is a beautiful hike, dropping rapidly into the hoodoo amphitheatre, past the standout "Thor's Hammer" hoodoo and through a slot canyon. Couldn't view all of the Wall Street Canyon as a rock slide closed it a couple of years ago. We meandered through a wonderland of hoodoo shapes, culminated by the Queen Victoria hoodoo -- and damn, it really did look like the old bat. Four hours later we were done, and back for a rest. At least I rested; Loni set about getting ready for dinner as Paul was to come over with wine as our first dinner guest in Albatross. Loni baptized the oven with chicken Dijon and side dishes. No canned stew for us! Paul, bless his soul, brought a styrofoam container with 3 very nice bottles that he had transported from his home in San Luis Obispo. He's the local oenophile, and knows all the servers at the tasting rooms personally. We LIKE to visit Paul! We killed two, one white and one red, and saved the third for another time. Good thing Paul's motel was very close by. Even better thing: we didn't have to go anywhere except to bed. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
SUNDAY Ahhh, nature. We are wakened by the bucolic sounds of . . . ATV's. Bwaaaaat. . pop pop pop bwaaaaaaat. Can't people enjoy nature on their own two legs? I suppose tent campers look at us and say, "Can't people enjoy nature without . . ." Had breakfast and joined Paul in his car for a tour of all of the overlooks along the 14 miles of the south end of the park beyond Bryce Point. We stopped at Rainbow, Yovimpa, Black birch, Ponderosa, Agua Canyon, Natural Bridge, Piracy, and Swamp Canyon overlooks. Each had a unique view of the canyon and we never got bored at any stop. We re-did our first day stops as Paul hadn't seen them yet this trip. All of these are around 8,800 feet, so moving around was a bit breathless as well as breathtaking. We have hundreds of pictures to cull. Back to our respective abodes for a little downtime and get ready for dinner out. Went off with Paul in search of Bryce Canyon Pines that appeared in his Fodor's guidebook. Found it west on the main road about four miles out. We're licking our chops at the sign that says "Famous For Our Soups and Pies." Well, folks, fame is a fleeting thing, doesn't travel far, etc. etc. Fairly decent broccoli soup, fairly hideous pies of any description. Marie Calendar isn't sweating. Not up to even Mrs. Smith's frozen standard. Heck, even I can make a better pie (and have!). Bid farewell to Paul as he is going to Colorado and Rocky Mountain National Park, while we meander more through Utah. We hope to meet up again at Canyonlands/Arches near Moab.

ZION: May 19-24

SATURDAY: Checked out of KOA and dumped tanks. No adventures with writhing pythons this time. Must be getting the hang of it. Gassed up ($102 for 33 gallons; got 9.57mpg on the drive up from LA), entered the I-15, and stopped. Traffic jam due to accident, but eventually clear sailing through bleak desert until the Virgin River Gorge, where the scenery, and our real trip, began. Hit St. George at 94 degrees, but the cab air is doing just fine, thank goodness. Got off the highway to search for a supermarket. Don't these people eat? Nearly out of town before finding an Albertsons that, fortunately, honors our Von's discount card, including (for my fellow hop-heads out there) a very fine Utah brew by Moab Brewery called Scorpion Pale Ale. Gassed again (got a slightly incredulous 10.85mpg) and on to Zion. Bought our annual all-parks pass for $80. Next year this will cost only $10 for over-62 and, I think, be lifetime. Even at $80, the pass is a bargain if you go to more than three parks, and we did. Also had to spring for the $15 extortion fee to get a tunnel pass for the east exit from the park. If you're "oversized" (read, any RV), they allegedly have to "escort" you through with only one-way traffic. (They didn't, s we found out.) Our assigned spot at Watchman campground in the Park was in the open (sun-baked RV), but the view out Albatross' rear picture windows was of a beautiful Zion cliff. We smiled. Wine was opened!
SUNDAY: Walked around the campground & noticed people leaving so decided to try to change sites to something with shade. The ranger's computer was down, and she was constantly checking in new arrivals, but she took the time anyway to find us a new spot. You can tell it's early in the season! Kudos to her, and keep up the good work. The new site is just fine, as you can see. The upper 3/4 of Zion is closed off to car traffic, and a shuttle system is used to take visitors up to the end and back, with stops along the way. They have bike racks on the front, so we loaded ours on and took the shuttle to the end -- the Temple of Sinawava -- which is all uphill. No dummies us. Offload the bikes and it is a very pleasant six mile coast back to the campground on a virtually deserted roadway. It felt like we had the park to ourselves. It was one long "ooooh" and "aaaahhh" at every turn. Nearly 50 years of repeat visits have made Yosemite my favorite park, but Zion is a very close second -- an utterly spectacular canyon. The Virgin River, which created it, runs through it, lined mostly with Cottonwoods that can each drink up to thousands of gallons in a single day. Thirsty buggers. Back to home and homemade burritos, salad, and beer for dinner. By the way, click on these pics to enlarge.
MONDAY: Strolled back through the campground and found two LazyDaze's had arrived the evening before, traveling together -- Caravan #s 2714 and 2782 -- both Utah transplant escapees from "impossible" California. Amen, brothers. Jack, Al, and we talked LD stuff, with commiseration for our AC woes and a helpful hint about the start capacitor as a possible cause. We headed for the shuttle, hip-packs stuffed with water, for some warm-up hiking to Emerald Pools and Weeping Rock. Not particularly strenuous, but enough for the first day at 4,000 feet and this heat. The lower pools were nearly dry, but the upper was very cool -- literally, as it sits in the shade under a big overhang of rock. Now, I know that these things form and change in geologic time, but it still is a little spooky to be sitting under millions of tons of overhanging rock and wondering . . "is this the day?" Weeping Rock is cool. The sandstone that forms the cliffs is minutely porous, and water seeps down from the top over hundreds of years. If it hits a harder, impermeable layer, it seeps out the side of the cliff, forming wet spots that allow vegetation to grow, seemingly out of the rock. Here it was ferns. Bizarre to be in such a hot, dry area, and have a fern grotto. Jumped off the shuttle on the way back at the Zion Lodge for some frozen yogurt. They need to employ a few more workers as it was a long line and only one person manning the fort. Back to the rig. For those of you who think I killed the cat, not so. She lives and breathes in Zion. Rented "Children of Men" at the adjacent store and tried running the tv and dvd player on the batteries and the inverter. Hey, it worked! The inverted makes an annoying noise from its fan, so surrounded it with pillows to muffle it. Worked well enough so that we forgot about it while watching the movie. Review: 2 1/2 stars out of 4.
TUESDAY Big hike day. The Zion guide has three that we are contemplating, all rated "strenuous, with long dropoffs." Hmmmm, with my acrophobia and Loni's bum knees, this should be fun! We nixed the Angel's Landing trail as it culminates on a knife-ridge that provides chains to hold onto. No thanks. We opted for either Observation Point (8 miles rt with 2148 ft elevation gain) or the Hidden Canyon (2 miles, 850 ft gain, but also with chains). They start out on a common path, so we'll decide as we go up. At the split, we chose the Hidden Canyon and continued up for a while until the GULP factor got me. this weenie couldn't handle a one foot wide ledge, chains on the wall, and nothing but 700 feet of air on the other side. Back down to the fork for the other trail, only to find that 48 (I counted them) sixth graders had just passed by on a field trip up to Observation Point. We soon found they were in worse shape than we were, despite a 50-year advantage, and were slowing us up. Plus, do you know what 48 kids SOUND like on an otherwise deserted mountain? We passed the little wheezers by, and after getting around a bend or two couldn't hear them at all. This trail is a beauty. Wonderful overlooks of the valley floor, then it turns in through a nefty slot canyon with wildly sculptured walls (wind and rain). After a while, there is a long series of switchbacks where the trail is about three feet wide with big dropoffs on one side or the other. I'm amazed that they allow schoolkids up here. One joking shove, or one misstep, and its adios. Look closely: we're in each of these pictures.We made it to the top in about 3 1/2 hours. The top is a mesa, and you walk along the rim until you get to the actual observation point, which has a superb view up the canyon. Someone there warned of a rattlesnake sighting, but we didn't see or hear the blighter. Had lunch and enjoyed the view. As we were leaving, the kids arrived, looking mighty bushed, but proud to have made it. They deserved to feel good about themselves. Trip down was uneventful, thank goodness, and Loni took very small steps all the way down to avoid having her knee pop out (see the beginning of our Australia/New Zealand trip in February of '05 for how much fun that is). No cooking tonight. We treated ourselves to an excellent pizza and local brews at a place in Springdale, the adjacent town. Very nice sitting on the porch and watching the setting sun's glow as it bounces off the cliffs. Yes, life is good.
WEDNESDAY: Had saved today to do the hike up/through the river into the slot canyon, called the "Narrows,", but it dawned overcast, breezy & cool. Didn't want to slosh through cold water without any sun, so decided to save this for another visit. Took in the museum and visitor center instead (both very nice), loafed until late afternoon, then hiked the Watchman trail for a sunset view of things from an overlook at the south end of the park. Beautiful views, but would have to wait another couple of hours for the sun to really get low for good pictures. Doesn't set here until nearly 9:00. Time to call it a night so we can get an early start tomorrow for Bryce.

Utah Trip 1: May15-19: Vegas Ain't Pretty

At last, we're launched on our maiden voyage in Albatross. Did not make our 6:00 am target for avoiding LA cross-town traffic, but we managed to traverse I-10 from the ocean to the I-15 in pretty decent time, considering it was rush-hour. Our 14-year-old, never-out-of-the-house cat, was a yowling mess until Barstow, a mewling irritant to Baker, and passed out until we got to Vegas. This wouldn't normally be high (or even on) our vacation destination list, but Loni had her CBBS (California Blood Bank Society) convention there, so we were committed for 4 nights (arrive Tues, depart Sat.). It was at the Rio, so we had to be close to the Strip/public transportation as we have no toad to get around in. The only option we found was the KOA, formerly the Caesar's RV park. Asphalt Jungle is not just the name of a movie. You know how they give air temperatures and track temps if you're watching a car race? Camping on a parking lot is much the same. Had E&W, but no sewer. Plugged in and turned on the AC. Ahhh. Headed off to the Rio for the reception wine & cheese. Took the "Trolly." Advice: don't. It stops at every casino and . . . sits. It took over an hour to cover the three miles or so and, well golly, that promo brochure for the Trolly was wrong. They don't go to the Rio after all. We hoof it the last mile (did I say it was 98 degrees?). Wine and cheese turned out to be our dinner, which is not a good thing. Trip back was 1 mile of shuttle, 2 miles of walking. Nope, it wasn't any cooler at night. Not a good start. WEDNESDAY: We ballet in & out of the rig's bathroom and off to the Rio (on the local bus this time, called "the Deuce," since they are double deckers) for a freebie breakfast. Deuce time: 50 minutes. At least it's air conditioned. B'fast not worth the trip: muffins & yoghurt. Loni to meetings, me to wander the strip back to the rig. The KOA does have a pool, but it seems you need a passport--not USA-- to partake. The entire poolside that had any shade was taken by German tourists. Our not-so-scientific survey over the course of our trip determined that at least half of the rented RV's on the road were manned by German tourists. They were everywhere! I will say they were unfailingly friendly and upbeat. The exchange rate will do that. Quick plunge, change clothes, and back to the Rio for the first serious freebie-- dinner hosted by Hemacare. Now we're talking: salmon-en-crout and, why yes, I WILL have another glass of wine thankyou. We feel no pain on the shuttle and the Deuce going home. Ah, yes, the Albatross is now "home," with resident housecat and all. THURSDAY: Again, we Nijinsky the facilities, Loni takes advantage of the shore power to dry her hair, and off to the Rio for, hopefully, a better breakfast. Ahhh, now this is freeloading: full British-style breakfast with more choices than a Turkish bazaar. I'm set until dinner. Loni to meetings, and I return to the rig and find . . . . no AC and a hair-noodle on the floor. Oh, that's the cat! Nothing but HOT coming out of the roof air. This is not good in the asphalt jungle. Tried everything I or the owner's manual could suggest (check fuses, switch to generator, etc. etc.). No joy. Dragon breath. Called Lazy Daze (sorry, but . . . they don't make the thing), Dometic (they make it but only offer recorded phone trees with lists of repair facilities) and seven of the authorized repair places. No one can take us for at least a week, and then they'd have to order parts, get warranty repair authorization, etc. We, of course, have take-it-or-forget-it reservations in Zion and elsewhere, and have to get moving on Saturday. My personal temperature now is not entirely due to the ambient temp. We're just going to have to gut it out and get it fixed AFTER our trip. Good thing I didn't reach a real person at Dometic. Revived the cat with wet washcloths (THAT went over well), turned on the ceiling exhaust fans (moving 101 degree air at least feels better than still 101 degree air) and determined that the cat most likely wouldn't die. Well, actually, I said "you're on your own, cat," and left for the Bellagio where tonight's freeloading would take place, this time hosted by the Red Cross. Very nice restaurant overlooking the big faux-lake where the water and light show goes off every hour or so. Ahhh, more salmon, cooked perfectly, and, well, sure, just keep that wine coming thanks. They even dragged out the chef so we could toast him, and deservedly. A few (or so) glasses later, backdropped by the eau et lumiere outside the window, and we floated home on the Deuce. Cat still with us. What a trooper. Sleep was nearly impossible. I haven't been that hot at night since I was in the Philippines during my Navy days. It did get down to 80 degrees just before dawn. FRIDAY: Kept the cat watered while Loni finished her half-day at the meeting. Not willing to forfeit tonight's KOA fee, we don't leave early, but spend the afternoon in a cool theatre (sorry, cat) watching SpyderMan make an ass of himself. Did you detect that we don't gamble? Back outside, it continues to bake and the weekend traffic is arriving, making an already clogged Strip virtually impossible to travel on. We check on the cat and decide to use a gift certificate we had to the Cheesecake Factory. It was located at Caesar's Forum, a high-end shopping trap. The CF was at the very end of the long shopping mall, where we had to wait a half-hour for a table. Spent it watching the talking statues (utterly incomprehensible) and cruising the adjacent gallery, devoted to the "art" of one man. Think of a cross between Thomas Kincaid and Mexican velvet paintings and you get the idea. The prices were equally incomprehensible. Do people actually buy this stuff? After narrowly avoiding a brawl at the hostess station (somebody thought somebody else was jumping the line, so he decked the other guy's girlfriend!), we got our table, ate a dinner that would feed six people, and still had the guts (literally and figuratively) for key-lime cheesecake. Urp. Last ride on the Deuce back to the rig. Good-bye Vegas, we won't be back soon. NEXT: Zion! Are we camping yet?

FIRST TRIP IN ALBATROSS

Well, we finally got this show on the road. Say hello to Albatross, which is looking strangely brown in the rear in this low sun. It's actually grey, silver & white, like it looks on the side. We attended our first "Caravan" of LazyDaze rigs this past week out at Lake Perris in the Moranga Valley (south of Riverside, north of Murietta, if that helps). 143 rigs attended, so it was quite a gathering. "First-timers" like us (there were two others) get the royal treatment and are made to feel instantly at home with the group. There are subgroups within the overall Caravan Club, and we were hosted by the "Past Tentsers," comprised of former tent campers like us. It was our below-freezing-gale-wind-sleeting-rain last tent excursion to Yosemite that convinced us it was time to go the RV route, so the Past-Tentsers was an appropriate host group. Four days later, after great potlucks, bawdy joke sessions, much-needed advice on the rig, and a variety of good-natured people, we decided that the P-Ters were for us. We hope to see them all again in future Caravans. Leveling is a challenge at Lake Perris, as the campground parking was laid out by someone not exactly conversant with a transit or level, or operating same under the influence.



That's our rig on the upper left, sporting nifty ramps provided by Larry Ward from his apparently endless selection. Others required more "creative" solutions. We settled in quite nicely as there were both electric and water hookups to make things easy. No satellite service yet, but we got one station (badly) from Palm Springs and got to watch UCLA beat Kansas to get into the Final Four. Now that Stanford is out of it (again), we can root for the Bruins. We really like those three picture windows that surround the rear couches. The coach next to us was owned by John and Ilene who are full-timers in their rig. Ilene teaches art and crafts and put on a class for painted silk scarves. Loni was in seventh heaven and turned out a very nifty piece. Here's the class hard at work. We spent some time attending various welcoming meetings and technical talks, including one by the Club's resident tech guru, Terry Tanner, delivered in what I thought was a dead-on impersonation of comedian (etc.) Ben Stein. On Saturday morning we got our Club rig number (which is 2928, if you happen to see that while on the road), and were intoduced (along with the other first-timers) to the entire group at the general meeting that afternoon. Loni and I tried a cross-country scaling of the local mountain behind the park, but what looked easy in the macro distance proved in the micro to be a mess of mesquite, steep and slippery slopes. We bailed at a relatively low altitude and walked to an adjacent campground where there was a rally for those tiny teardrop trailers that were popular in the 30's and 40's. Some were beautiful restorations, and some were pulled by equally beautiful classics like '56 Chevies, etc. We had a very fine potluck the last night and, as the wine loosened some tongues, a joke-telling session ensued. My goodness. I thought this RVing stuff was middle America. These folks belong on stage at the Comedy Club in West Hollywood. Sundaytmorning we made our goodbyes and collected contact info and pulled out for the next adventure: dumping tanks! We pulled in line and tried to observe what the experienced types did. Yikes. No gloves? Our turn arrived and I started with the hoses and valves while Loni read the instructions through the bathroom window. Of course, she was on the wrong page for a different procedure and I'm wrestling with a dumping python that wants to do its own thing as . . . stuff . . . rushes out. Fortunately, the end stayed in the hole and mission accomplished. Drove 80 miles back to home through Sunday traffic (everyone heading for the beach) and parked it at home for the night so we could unload food and clothes and I could wash it the next day. I'll never complain again about washing the minivan.

The ALBATROSS Has Landed!

Well, this has been an eventful month. On the 9th, we went out to the factory in Montclair and picked up our new LazyDaze motorhome. Spent about 4 hours getting the nuts&bolts tour, about 15% of which I retained. Now, is this the fresh water intake or the waste valve? Hmmm. Good thing Loni was taking some notes. After spending hundreds of dollars on "extras" in the LD store, we were on our way. I'm amazed that they can just hand anyone the keys to something as big as a bus and let you drive away without any training. Ours is the smallest they make, but it's still 8'3" wide (go measure a city bus) and 23.5' long. LD's other two models are 26.5' and 30'. It's not the length that is a pain, but rather the width. It takes up the ENTIRE lane, and the mirrors stick out even further, adding another foot of effective width. Yikes! We left at about 12:30, and went about 60 miles across the heart of L.A. on a Friday on the 60 and the 10 freeways. L.A. cognoscenti will appreciate the "Yikes." I pretty much picked a lane and stuck to it. Let the other drivers evade ME! Here we are picking it up. (Click on photos for larger views)

They give you about enough gas to get off the lot, so the first stop and first grimace were at the gas station just before the freeway. Don't know what gas is going for elsewhere, but California might as well be Hawaii! Gas is well over $3/gallon for regular. The Albatross holds over 50 gallons, so, well, Yikes again!

We temporarily parked it across from us on a small deadend street, but it can't stay there permanently as it would be a nuisance for our neighbors. Our driveway can't handle it either, so it'll be in storage about ten miles away (as the crow flies). Storage, even outside and without any services like we have, is not cheap in L.A., especially on the West Side. The "Albatross" name is only partially tongue-in-cheek. :)

Loni's spent the last week or so shopping for things to put in the thing, so we're now loaded up with cookware (better than we have had all these years at home), dishes, cutlery, silverware, linens, towels, containers, etc. etc. Not to be outdone, I've been out "investing" in hoses, power inverter, tools-for-the-road (love those sales at Sears), leveling blocks, etc., etc. Amazing how many things you just can't do without. Of course, since we sprang for the satellite dish on the roof, you have to get a new LCD t.v., right? That one's on hold for a while, since we want a small one (about 17" or so), and the current small ones for the most part don't have digital tuners, which will be de rigeur come January 2009 (I think that's the latest demise date for analog broadcasts). We don't yet have Direct TV anyway, so its not a priority item.

We chose the layout of this model because of the wrap-around picture windows in the rear. If we have to be inside because of weather, at least the view will be great (assuming I've parked it in the right direction). The windows are heavily tinted and from the outside it just looks black-- can't see anything inside during the daytime. There are two 6'+ couches along each side, that convert into either twin beds or pull together to make a king-size (the back-rest cushions form the balance of the bed). There's also a queen bed over the cab. The kitchen has a 3-burner stove, a microwave, and a small oven for road-cookies. The bathroom has a real porcelain toilet, and there is a nice stall shower with an integrated sink. Ahhh. No more freezing our buns off in a tent in the rain and wind and hoofing it in the dark to the public facilities! (See our post re Yosemite!)

We haven't spent a night in it yet, but will take our maiden voyage this week for five days to Lake Perris, which is out in the boonies near Murietta Hot Springs. It's a state campground adjacent to a manmade lake (which, I understand, is shrinking considerably in our current low-rain cycle, the worst in recorded history for these parts). We'll be joining a LD "caravan" of other LD owners, probably a hundred or so. I'm sure we'll be the newest of the new, and we'll take advantage of the experienced owners to figure out how to operate everything. No laptop yet (the previous one died after only two years), so we'll have to post about the trip when we get back. After that we're scheduled for a long (6 weeks or so) outing to the Utah parks, which I've never seen.

JANUARY 2007: RV and HAWAII

This is a long-overdue update to this blog. Sort of fell off the track as I was winding down my practice and getting ready for retirement. Mission accomplished, sort of. Finally moved everything out of the office and into an extra bedroom where, of course, I've been . . . . working! I'm designating any fees earned in 2007 as "gas money" for the RV. I'd better do some business at 10MPG. Ouch. Our new LazyDaze is still being built as I type this, with a projected delivery date of the first week of March. We visited the factory on January 3, and they hadn't started it yet, but promised we were the next on the line. They had the identical model in the "showroom" (garage), even down to the grey & charcoal striping, so Mom got to see what it would look like. She clamored in and immediately claimed one of the couch-beds as her own. Here she is, on the left (Loni on the right) trying it out for size. That white panel is the underside of the table that folds down between the couches. It's latched up in the "travel" position, blocking the center of the rear window. There are picture windows on all three sides in the back, so all we need to do is back into a great view and sit and enjoy it. Mom declared the rig suitable, and immediately proposed a trip to Alaska! Whoa, Nellie! Let's figure out how this thing works, first. Here's a view forward of the galley. There's a big refrigerator on my left that's out of view. Has a microwave and a small stove in addition to the cooktop. Tons of storage. In addition to the sofa -beds in the rear, there is a queen sized bed in the cabover. The bathroom with shower are behind me and on the left, behind the galley wall. We should be plenty comfortable with this setup. Has a generator, solar panel, dual "house" batteries, and even a satellite dish on the roof. We can watch "House" in the woods! Don't groan-- we'll get plenty of stargazing done as well. First big trip will be to the Utah parks in May-June, and we hope to do the Albuqurque balloon festival in October, along with Carlsbad Caverns, etc.

Might as well put in a Christmas picture to remind everyone what we all look like: Back: Me, John, sister Susy, Mike; Center: Loni, Mom, niece Rachel; Front: niece Katy. Our retirement was to start off with a trip to Honolulu, courtesy of a test-machine manufacturer who asked Loni to give two seminars to the local blood bank community. Sounded good to me! Unfortunately Loni got quite sick on the plane ride over, and spent the first night in the (ahem) porcelain room. Gave her first seminar the next afternoon sitting down as she was too weak to stand. The second night she had a relapse just as bad as the first night. About 1:00 a.m., I came down with it too. Like good spouses, we took turns in "the room" with minimal bloodshed. Trooper that she is, Loni did her second seminar the next evening, again sitting down. We both spent lousy nights and didn't start to recover until the third day. Spent most of that in the room, with a brief excursion across the street to the beach for a quick burn. Thursday we spent at the Bishop museum, very good and kept us entertained all day. Friday we went to Hanauma Bay for some snorkeling, then climbed Diamond Head for a spectacular view of Honolulu and environs. We were alive again! Home on Saturday to the PO'd cat who had survived the week better than us. Here we are atop Diamond Head, looking towards the crater that forms Hanauma Bay. UPDATE: It's now Feb 10 and we visited the factory to check on the progress of the RV. It's actually being built! The body is on the frame, the skin is on the outside (but not painted) and various wires are sprouting all over the interior and exterior. They estimate delivery, and the depletion of our bank account, on March 8. Here's Loni at the back of the coach-in-progress. Look out world (or, at least, the Western US & Canada).