Dec. 29: Random Thoughts

Dec. 29
   Today is our last day at the Zane Grey RV Park.  It has been a beautiful week here.  Sunny and warm everyday with chilly frosty nights. We  will be heading to Rancho Sedona Park in the morning.  We have been trying to buy an electric water hose to avoid the water from freezing every night.  So far, no such luck.  We’ll just keep checking out places as we travel along.
   January 1, will mark our two month travel adventure.  So far, we have not had one drop of rain, or fog.  In fact, the west is experiencing a 10 year drought which is quite noticeable in the land and the plants.  We have learned a lot on this trip.

 The RV experience:

•  Mark can hook up the RV at a campsite in about 10 minutes or less.  (This is down from the original 30 minute hookup)
• He can park the van in a regular parking space without me getting out to direct him. (Most of the time) 
• We have learned to pack things away every time we are finished using them.  Things are packed tightly in the cabinets to prevent rolling around or falling out when driving. 
• We keep the inside of the RV wiped down with disinfectant daily.  (There are three bodies living in this space, one is a dog) 
• We have chosen nice RV parks to date.  I choose them based on their ratings on their bathrooms and shower facilities.  Only one cold shower so far!  
• People in the RV parks are very nice, but not overly social.  They are a quiet group who stay to themselves.  We have always been the smallest van in the park so it is interesting to see how these big rig people live.  I am still trying to figure out why people in these huge vans stay in one place for such long periods of time.  
• Nothing major has broken yet.  A minor problem with our rear view mirror in the beginning but that is it so far.  Hopefully, nothing will happen in the next few months. 
• We cook our meals outside on a Gladiator Grill most of the time.  Mark has perfected sautéed veggies with chicken or steak and fajitas.  
• While we have been traveling through mostly desert territory with towns far apart, we keep a full tank of gas in the car. 
• We only drive about 2-3 hours at the most when we are traveling.  We learned this lesson early on- not to arrive at a park after dark.  
• We are traveling with a minimal amount of clothing.  Just enough to stay warm. 
• We need to drink a lot of water!! 

The Places: 

• Our travels through the south, south west and the west have been extraordinarily beautiful.  We are so fortunate to have been able to experience  the National Parks, Monuments, and sacred sites that are, for now, protected.  
• When we started out on this trip, we wanted to see as many of the National parks as we could.  We have seen many and have not been disappointed.  They all exhibit a strong history of our American cultures with landscapes impossible to see with one view. 
• We have learned to take our time sight seeing. We never need to be in a hurry.  We can spend the day at a site and read all about it.  We can climb steep staircases without rushing. (Thank goodness) 
• We have seen wide open spaces as far as the eye could see with nothing but sagebrush and mesquite.  Space is an interesting concept to think about.  We tend to fill up empty spaces in our lives with things. Things that are not terribly necessary. Things that will make us momentarily happy or satisfied.   I have been particularly aware of how little I need to be comfortable and happy.  I think we carry around too much in our emotional space, as well. We have been overwhelmed over the past year with a barrage of lies and news feeds that clutter our inner-mind space.  Because we have not been able to see the news everyday, the lies, controversies, the political arguments are not weighing so heavily in our daily thoughts. Our minds are filled with questions about the people we meet, the people of the past who occupied this land centuries ago  and. the geological structures that have created the most beautiful natural monuments on earth. 
• We are certainly learning about the concept of conservation.  So many times, we are reminded that water is life.  I have learned to brush my teeth in 2oz of water, wash dishes in one cup of water and rinse out a dirty rag in less than 3 oz. In New England we are used seeing water all around us in the ocean, the rain, the fog, the snow, sleet and all the other forms of water, that it is easy to not see that there is a severe drought (10 years) in the west.  California is burning and the desert is dusty and dry, with flowing rivers that we saw 20 years ago are now totally gone. We have seen Navajo communities that do not have a single blade of grass or a tree and the people need to go to town and carry all of their water home.  
• I have talked with people that have shared their ideas on religion and politics.  I have tried to be respectful and listen with an open mind but most conversations just ended cordially without either of us changing our viewpoints.  
• Simplify, conserve, and respect are perhaps the resolutions that I might focus on for the coming year. 

December 28: Verde Canyon Train Ride

Dec. 28,
   In the town of Clarksdale, there is a 4 hour train ride that takes tours through the Verde Canyon.  We decided to take the ride yesterday and it was a beautiful ride.  Personally, I love train travel.  Kate and I took a 3 day journey from Boston to Seattle when she left for college.  We then rented a car and drove to Eugene, Oregon.
   On this particular day, the weather was sunny, warm and dry. It got up to about 65 by mid-afternoon.  The train left around 1:00 and took us through the Verde Canyon.  The train was originally used to transport copper when the mines were still open in the early 1900’s.  Now, it is just a tourist excursion that took us through more of the gorgeous scenery that only deep canyons can provide.  We followed the winding Verde River shaded by Cottonwoods, Sycamores, Junipers, Mesquite, and sage brush.  The Cottonwood trees, although leafless,  had large clumps of bright green leaves high in their branches.  It turns out this is mistletoe, a parasite that appears this time of the year.  As the train continued through the valley and ascended into the narrower portion of canyon the vegetation gives way to rock formations.  The white basalt and red iron oxide form colorful layers on the sandstone.  On several occasions, we could see evidence of the sinaqua people who lived in the cave formed by the rock outcropping.  The sinaqua people lived in this area around 1100-1300AD and are thought to be ancestors of the Hopi Indians.  They were farmers who grew corn and a variety of vegetables.  It is thought they disappeared due to drought.  All through this area of Arizona, there is evidence of the sinaqua people and their petroglyphs.  What a hardy group of people who lived in these remote areas and climbed in and out of these canyons with ease!
  Rock formations through the canyon are stunning.  The afternoon light was constantly changing as the train moved through the canyon.  It was a brilliant light show of red rocks and deep shadows.
   The people on the train were tourists from all over the country, Massachusetts, Indiana, Michigan.  A woman sitting behind me was anxious to tell  me about the book she had just finished about a man who had died for 9 minutes, met Jesus who guided him through various rooms of hell.  She explained, for example, if one was an alcoholic when they died they would go to a room where alcohol was served constantly but they couln’t get any.  Whatever, your sins were on earth if you didn’t find redemption you would suffer that same way in hell.  This book describes his tour with Jesus through the various rooms of hell. She asked me what I thought of this idea.  A trick question!  I responded that I have read and listened to many Buddhist teachings and like what they have to say. That ended our conversation.
 
   We are still at the same RV park.  I take a twenty minute walk everyday down to Clear Creek.  It is a lovely spot to spend a few quiet moments.  Mark is getting much better at preparing our meals outside.  We need to cook in the middle afternoon around 2:30 when it is the warmest time of the day.  Once the sun goes behind the mountains, the temperature drops quickly.  Our water line still freezes every night which creates a minor problem for our toilet.  The electric heater we bought is working out great.  So far the nights have been toasty warm in the van.  Susan Ingalls had given me a long list of recipes for outside cooking and they have been great.  We had fajitas tonight which Mark was able to prepare perfectly.
   Jack is still on his best behavior.  He was due for some inoculations so we visited a local veterinarian who was I might add considerably cheaper than Maine.
  We have two more days at this Park then we are off to Rancho Sedona for 5 days.

Christmas Day: People of the Park

Dec. 25,
   We talked with the Gordon Family this morning and it was great fun to hear Sophie list off all of her presents.  Alexander was especially happy with his LEGO Boat that really floats.  They were having a snow storm which looked absolutely magical in the photos.  Truly a white Christmas in Maine. I loved watching Alexander ice-skate on their backyard pond that Gabe had cleared off for them
   I do miss being with them during the winter season.  It was always a special time for us to celebrate Christmas and the winter season at Sunday River.  I loved being out on the slopes early Christmas morning to ski first tracks.  There was a time when the Gordon’s, Cohens and Al and Maggie all skied together every weekend.  That was a magical time for us, watching our kids grow up skiing in a pack, shredding the Black Diamond trails.
  This year we are in Camp Verde, AZ and will be here until Dec. 30.  We will then move to an RV park a little farther north and closer to Sedona.  We have a time-share exchange that we will use in Sedona from January 6-13.  So we will be in Arizona for another couple of weeks.  Arizona is a beautiful state and we are happy to be here for awhile. Today is a warm 60 degrees and full sunshine. The dry air is pleasant but our skin is drying out.  Even Jack is itchy!
   This afternoon the RV park hosted a pot-luck and Yankee swap for the residents.  It started at 1:00 and finished around 3:00. There was an incredible variety of foods that were prepared in the very large RV’s that are here. Since I do not have an oven, we bought a cheese cake from the local grocery store as our contribution.
   Having participated in many Saturday night suppers and pot-lucks at the island, I was interested to see how this one compared.  It was well organized.  Several of the men in blue-jeans and cowboy hats set up the tables and kept the fire pit going.  The women dressed in red Christmas sweaters set up the serving table.  I could hear  several familiar voices in this crowd.  “Please put your casseroles here.”  “Desserts over there.”    “The line is formed over there. Use both sides of the table,”  We are not that far from home!
  The people in this park are long time residents.  Some have been coming here for 10 years or more.  A California woman was  asked when she got here she replied, “In May” then added “ Twelve years ago”
    Several others are from the mid-west who come for the winters and stay here until springtime.  There is a communal feeling here among the residents.  People are polite and cordial but not particularly interested in meeting new people, namely us.  We are clearly the transient ones.  We are simply passing through.  We are also younger than many of the RVer’s here..  It would not be my choice to live in one RV park for a long time. Travel is the lure for me.  It is a way to move around and see the variety in landscapes, ancient cultures, monuments, foods and not be confined to a time table. It is a way to see things we want to see in slow motion.  There  is no rush in our travel plans.  It is relaxing and purposeful.
  Christmas is a special time and I do miss our family very much.  It was a very different day having a pot-luck in an RV park in Arizona but all in all our day was pleasant.

 

Dec 22-Dec 30 Zane Grey RV Park Camp Verde, AZ

Camp Verde, Arizona

  We have found a beautiful RV Park in Camp Verde, AZ, south of Flagstaff.  It is a bit warmer here and not as high as Flagstaff.  There are wineries, small canyons, National Historic Sites and Monuments.  The area is filled with history of Native Americans and how they built their homes in the cliffs.  We visited Tuzigoot National Monument, Montezuma Castle and Jerome State Park all within a few miles of each other.  We plan to stay here until Dec. 30, then we will move north to the Sedona area.
   At the Tuzigoot National Monument we climbed into the 800 year old Pueblo that was home to the Native population about 800 years ago.  It has been restored so that we are able to see how the sinagua (without water) people used this land to their advantage. Montezuma Castle is another example of the cliff dwelling that dates back to 1150.  It is quite amazing to see how those people climbed into the sides of cliffs and built their homes within the walls of the sandstone.  Agility beyond words!
   We also visited Jerome an old copper mining town.  It is located on top of Cleopatra Hill (5,200 feet). This town was once known as the wickedest town in the west.  It was a classic western mining camp that housed miners, their families, and the red light district that serviced the miners on Husband Lane.  When the copper industry began to die out, Jerome became a ghost town and today the town is making a revival by restoring the old buildings and bringing upscale art and shops as well as good restaurants.
   We  decided to take a day to regroup and take care of needs rather than touring.  Jack was in desperate need of a bath and a haircut.  We found a great spa for him and he is now smelling and looking good again.  Happy dog! Our laundry was piling up so we took care of that as well.  We found a local food market to restock our supplies.
   We have also cleaned the camper and reorganized a few things.  The weather here is quite cold at night, in the 20’s.  Our water pipe froze so we did not have running water until the sun came up.  By 10:00 the water was running fine.
   A few days ago we were pulling into a parking spot when another car was backing out. The woman did not see us and she hit our van on the passeger side.  We have a dent but her entire rear bumper was damaged.  It could have been much worse.  All things considered, we can have the dent repaired when we return to Maine in the spring.
   We will be spending the week at this park and will use the time to celebrate Christmas with our new neighbors.  There are several parties and a pot luck with a Yankee Swap scheduled during the next few days.
     Jack and I took the loop walk this morning that winds its way through a Sycamore and Cottonwood forest to Clear Creek. The Arizon Sycamore is tall with a white bark that gives the appearance of a soft suede finish.  The smooth black river stones reminded me of Susan Ingalls and her love of sticks and stones.  I would have love to pick one up for her but was reminded: take only pictures leave only footprints.  Once the sun comes up the weather is a delightful 45 dry degrees.
   This is a relaxing place to be for the holiday, the sites are more private than others we have been in.  Each site is fenced in with a perfectly manicured river stone wall.   The owners are friendly and we are ready to relax and enjoy just being in one spot for a few days before moving on.
   It is a time for a quiet reflection of our adventures thus far and be grateful for the opportunity to experience the natural wonders of this country, the unbelievable landscapes, the Native cultures of the past and present and to meet other travelers along the way who too are enjoying their retirement as we are.

Dec. 20. South of Flagstaff

Dec. 20
   Arizona is a land of many landscapes and we have decided to see as many points of interest as possible.  The weather is warmer a little bit south of Flagstaff so we will be camping again in the RV.
We both enjoyed the city of Flagstaff.  There is a diverse population here with a comfortable friendly atmosphere.  The mountains that surround the city are beautiful and green with pine trees. Flagstaff itself is about 7000 feet above sea level which makes it high and dry.  The days were warm and sunny but the nights are very chilly.  Leaving Flagstaff, we drove south to see two particular sites, Meteor Crater and Walnut Canyon.
   I was not particularly interested in seeing the crater but Mark was and I am very glad that I went along. It was a massive hole in the earth that was caused by an object from outer space 50,000 years ago.  A meteorite hit this arid landscape and created a hole that is one mile across and 2.4 miles in circumference and 550 feet deep.  The magnitude of the meteor hitting earth at 26,000 miles per hour has left its mark.  This is the best preserved meteor hole on earth due to the dry climate here. Many scientists come here to study the impact site and examine fragments of the meteor.  It is because this site is so intact that scientists have proven that this is, in fact, a meteor crater and have used this to prove other meteor craters around the globe.  Prior to 1960, most scientists believed that all craters were volcanic.  Eugene Shoemaker confirmed that this crater was not volcanic but a meteor.  He had studied underground atomic test sites and compared his data to prove that this was an extraterrestrial impact on earth.
   Astronomy has come a long way in understanding space since 1960 with so much yet to learn.  We were privileged to visit the McDonald Observatory in Texas and now to see the evidence of objects hitting the earth with such magnitude has deepened our curiousity about what understandings lie ahead in the field of astronomical science.
 
   Our next visit was to Walnut Canyon. This was relatively close to the meteor crater so we were able to see both in one day.  The canyon was established in 1915 by President Wilson to preserve the natural ancient cliff dwellings that are clearly visible.  There is an “island loop walk” that is steep and strenuous route that decends deep into the canyon.  In the center of the canyon is an outcropping of a large land formation referred to as the “island”.  The loop trail took us around the island with clear evidence of the cliff dwellers living spaces.  The 250 steps that brought us to the island were straight down.  It is difficult to imagine how these people carved a living here in these steep cliffs. We were able to walk down steps; there were no steps for these ancient peoples.  Their’s was a culture that lived in tight family groups and farmed the land on the rim of the cliff.  I can’t imagine the fortitude of these native people who climbed up and down all the while carrying food supplies to their cave-like dwellings.  It took me a half an hour to climb back up the staircase.  I was glad to have done the trail inspite of its difficulty.
   We have spent a lot of time in the area of the southwest known as Indian territory.  The beauty of this land is in the quiet landscapes. The monochromatic colors paint a stark scene seemingly void of life. Today Native Americans live in small communities in mobile homes with no sign of greenery.  The air is dry and the land is brown and dusty.  We are reminded often that water is life; it is not a renewable resource.  It makes me appreciate how much I take water for granted.
   From viewing the meteor crater to the homes of the cliff dwellers, we have reached back in time to further understand our changing earth.  Impacts from space and ancient people have brought us closer to knowing ourselves.  How will we save our cultures and this planet?

Dec 18-19 Flagstaff AZ

Flagstaff, AZ

   We sadly left the Grand Canyon this morning.  There was a beautiful morning sunrise that ever so slowly would brighten another towering land formation within the canyon. The whispy layer of clouds lower within the canyon walls floated like a magic carpet within the canyon.  The view from the rim this morning was like looking at a delicate water-color painting coming to life before my eyes.  The soft morning blues, purples, pinks, yellows greens, and beiges all painted a three dimensional landscape.  But there is nothing delicate about this view, the rock formations are hard, solid and strong.  They seemingly hold the beginning of time here in this canyon.  Their strength has been forming for billions of years and continue to form one of natures most dramatic landscapes on earth.
   Our time at the Grand Canyon was spent hiking and admiring every view we could possibly capture.  The crowds were sparse so we could be alone many times throughout our rim hike.  Many of the tourists were Asian or Indian (India).  They all took in this incredible place in different ways.  Some would walk to the very edge and stand with their backs to the canyon and take a selfie showing their friends they were here.  One more step back and they wouldn’t be here!  Others face-timed their friends or relatives and carried on long conversation with people for all to hear.   Some carried on laughing and trying to take silly photos of themselves.  The canyon elicits different reactions from everyone.  Personally, I preferred the silence and the opportunity to listen to the landscape, the wind, the ravens, the clopping of the mules as they carried visitors down the canyon, and the echoes of sounds far away.  It took me some moments to appreciate that everyone is allowed to interpret and enjoy this canyon in their own way.  My wish for silence does not out weigh someone elses joy, laughter or silliness.
 

   We drove south  to Flagstaff by way of the Wupatki Monument.  It is a Pueblo village that has been mostly restored showing how the Native Americans lived around the 1200’s.  Their red rock homes reveled how about 1200 people could live in this desert environment.  The land here is very different from other desert areas that we had driven through.  A volcanic eruption had occurred here about 100 years ago creating black sandy soil.  We drove to the crater and could still see the black igneous rock of the lava flow.  The pine trees have grown up to be beautiful and tall over the years but the soil remains blackened ash.
   Arizona is a state of vastly diverse landscapes and we are excited to see it all.  The weather has been beautiful and now that we are a bit farther south it is even warmer.  There has not been any snow or rain since we left home.  This is pretty extraordinary for this time of year but we certainly appreciate it.  I makes living in the van much easier.

Dec. 19,

Dec. 16-17. Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon:
   It was just about 20 years ago that Mark and I went down the Grand Canyon in a raft with 14 other friends including the 2 guides, Art and Shelby.  We traveled 8 days down the river from Lake Powell to Lake Mead.  We hiked up through the narrow canyons, stood under water falls, ate fabulous meals, slept in the open air falling asleep to the brilliance of the night sky, being awaken at night by the smell of the night blooming Lilly,  and of course, experienced 240 white water rapids, ending with Lava Falls that drops 20 feet into the churning  water. That trip was an adventure both physically and spiritually.  I don’t think one can experience the grandness of the Grand Canyon without saying how it connects to one’s soul.  The power of being in this natural wonder is felt to my core.
   Twenty years later, we walk the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and see it again in all it’s majesty, this time from the top down,  The canyon brings to mind a sense of quiet peacefulness yet danger exits  with every step.  The paths down into the canyon are narrow, steep and this time of the year there can be ice.  It evokes a sense of quiet yet at any moment thunder could echo through the canyon walls creating flash floods with  extreme water falls.  The Canyon is extensive beyond words yet with a zen eye one can see into tiny crevices where small creatures live. It is a place that can only be described in extremes, peaceful and fierceful, humbling and bold, fluid yet unmoving.  It is a place of enormous contradictions.
   As we stand at the rim, an altitude of 7,000 feet, we see the mighty Colorado River winding its way through the canyon slicing and carving the bed  rock as it travels the 1450 miles to the Sea of Cortez (The Gulf of California).  It has been doing this amazing slow sliciing for over 4 1/2 billion years.  An interesting fact we learned is that when the Colorado River reaches sea level it will stop cutting through the rock.  In fact, that is true for all rivers.  This is something I never knew!
    The river is a dark green color and is miles down deep into the canyon.  We are in the home of giants and the river is like a beautiful jade necklace lying on the floor of this mansion.  Occasionally, we could see some of the white water rapids that we experienced years ago.  The rim hike is about a 10 mile hike with spectacular views from every point, purples, browns, beiges, and greens indicating the various rock formations embedded in the canyon walls.  The various land forms create a magnificent three dimensional display of color and depth.
  The mules that transport riders to the bottom take 7 hours for their trip.  It is a slow careful ride on the back of a mule over these narrow steep paths.  We are told that the mules are extremely sure footed and to date no one has fallen off or died on the mule ride.  (Another fact: a donkey and horse mate to create a mule)
  There has been a 10 year drought that has caused the water to be at a significantly low level.  This drought has caused a rippling effect in the neighboring farms as well as   implacting wildlife.  There is serious concern about the lack of water and the inability of the river to meets the demands of water usage throughout the Southern California and Nevada  areas in the near future.
   Mark and I have both noticed the effects of aging.  We are scared of heights, deep narrow rocky paths that fall off thousands of feet.  We could feel our knees shake and a sense of dizziness overwhelmed us as we approached the edge of a cliff. Twenty years ago there were moments on the hiking trails that I felt this same feeling, however, now it is much worse.  I don’t know how to deal with this fear. It is frustrating to acknowledge this and not know how to overcome it.  Stepping off the rim onto a descending  path made me quezzie and at the same time angry not to be able to calm my fears.  It truly is a humbling experience to walk the rim of this magnificent natural wonder.
 
   The weather is still very cold so we decided to spend the night at the El Tovar, the oldest hotel in the National Park.  It is a glorious hotel beautifully decorated for Christmas.  The restaurant was fabulous.  We celebrated with a Manhattan and a delicious dinner of duck and quail.  This will be our Christmas gift to each other!!!