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Old 07-16-2016, 10:11 PM   #521
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This morning we hitched up early and drove about a dozen miles north of Santa Fe to Roadrunner Cafe for great huevos rancheros.

But first, we saw the movie and it was pretty good, a bit weak on the history part at the end because it was kind of vague. But Matthew McConaghy (I may have left out a few letters) has completely rebranded himself as a strong man who fights for the downtrodden (except when he's selling cars as a spiritual experience). I don't know if he still has his Airstream, but he now seems like a serious actor though he's pretty much is the same in each movie recently. He used to be on my list of actors that completely eliminated any movie they were in.

We had a good dinner at the Pizzeria da luna. Despite its name, it is a fine dining restaurant that features pizza, but has plenty of regular Italian fare. Waiters are dressed for fine dining and the numerous rooms are quite a bit better than a pizza joint. It was good to catch up with Kristin an extra time this year.

We returned to our trailer and dreamed of huevos rancheros. It was not to be. There were no cars in front, but it was a little past the breakfast hour. It looked dark. But it is open every day for breakfast and lunch. Maybe all the signs were negative but we wanted to believe. We walked to the door looking for some light in the windows, but saw none. By the door, in a window, was a hand lettered sign: Closed Saturday for Repairs. One reason for me to go to Santa Fe is to bask in different versions of huevos rancheros and I had none while there. Fortunately we had cereal in the trailer and had a nutritious if slightly ordinary breakfast.

Our route may have not been the fastest—that seemed to be to go almost to Albuquerque and then take what was NM 44, now US 550, to Bloomfield. But we chose to cross some mountains on 50 miles or more of NM 96 (I don't know where the NM map went, so not sure of number) from Abiquiu to just north of Cuba, then on 44-550 to Bloomfield. NM is not a wealthy state unless you only count Santa Fe and Los Alamos Counties. The roads are not so good and the more obscure a state highway is, the narrower, bumpier and poorly maintained it is. Some state highways are still gravel. It was a bumpy ride on a narrow, bumpy road, but the landscape was new to us. There were mesas, hills, mountains, red and yellow rocks, tall trees at high elevation, short ones lower, or sagebrush and desert grass. Some of the land was tied up in Spanish land grants and still unsettled, some of it was pretty empty Indian reservation and some were small Hispanic towns. Run down and collapsing buildings, often of adobe, were common. There was hardly any ranching or farming visible. There were some retirement homes, but they were closer to Cuba where there was relatively quick access to Albuquerque.

As we drove across high desert, northwest to Bloomfield on 44/550, the haze on the horizon increased. Northwest NM and across to Colorado is oil and gas country. Bloomfield, Aztec and Farmington have become oil and gas towns. They supply the industry and must be hurting since the glut started several years ago. It is a one industry, boom and bust economy. It is also malpaís (badlands) or pretty dry land without much farming or ranching here either.

It is not somewhere to tour, but a sacrifice zone to move through quickly . We made our way to Aztec and looked for a minor state highway as the back way to Hesperus, a town on US 160 and on the way to Cortez. Barb spotted the smallest sign for a state highway ever seen and we made the turn just in time. We had about 20 or maybe more miles left in NM and it was bumpy, narrow and poorly maintained. As the elevation increased, the land was better watered and we saw more cottonwood and other trees. But the homes looked tired. There are dense concentrations of oil and gas wells, compressor stations, pipelines and other oil and gas facilities everywhere. The haze is worst in the center of it around Bloomfield. That town looks like nothing more than oil and gas suppliers, some gas stations and a few stores. Farmington is an older town and was established long before oil and gas, so it has an old downtown and some interesting trading posts.

We bumped into Colorado. The road got wider and smoother. The land got wetter and the houses looked better. The towns looked more like communities and not just scattered buildings. We made it to Sundance CG in Cortez after crossing some mountains and feeling closer to home. NM is an interesting place, full of history, part of Barb's heritage, but also poor and desperate in some places.

Off to Mancos tomorrow morning for breakfast and a little business. Not sure what's next since we have three nights here. Looking at restaurants here, this does not seem to be a place for much in the way of great food.

I'll see if this sends ok and then may post some photos.

Gene
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Old 07-16-2016, 10:29 PM   #522
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Photos:

1. On US 550, formerly NM 44, we cross the Continental Divide. The first time I crossed the Divide was in the mid 1950's and it was a big deal to a kid from the east. But is was just a high spot in the road, US 66, west of Albuquerque. This is further north and a bigger hill, but not the craggy crossing my young teenage mind anticipated either.

2. Many different rocks are seen along the way including these grey ones. The usual windshield reflections add interest.

3. Malpaís or bad lands.

Gene
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Old 07-17-2016, 06:01 AM   #523
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For several years I've written of our trips around the US and Canada with a specific year, but Road Trips 2012 went on and on because I got tired of starting a new thread plus we were so engaged in selling a house we took fewer and fewer trips.



We learned that selling a nice house in a rural area is very difficult—to some degree it is like owning the best house on the block. Comparables are not good and lots of people don't want to live in rural America (after trying it for a dozen years, we don't either). But we finally sold it last November and are looking forward to getting on the road again once spring are arrived—spring in Colorado can be late or later, so that probably means May or June.



Our first trip with trailer is usually to Ouray where we stay for several nights at a KOA. Thus gives us a chance to check out the trailer, relax for a little while and be only a couple of hours from home. We may do that again. The big trip for this year is probably going to be to the northwest and Vancouver Is. We went to the Island about 10 years ago, before we had the trailer. We've thought of taking the trailer for years, but the ferry is very expensive and we've gone elsewhere instead. The call of the ocean is strong and we enjoy driving along the Oregon and N. Cal. coast. And the pizza at Upper Crust in Gualala, Cal. is irresistable. When we take that trip is still unknown. Other trips are possible, but we haven't thought it out.



We bought a house near Grand Junction 1 3/4 years ago and have been remodeling it ever since. We attacked it with vigor for more than a year, but I had to have back surgery last September and less remodeling has taken place as I recovered and, then we both got bad colds in December—one month of coughing. But remodeling is picking up and how we balance road trips and remodeling will sort itself out. Our house is 1/2 miles above the city (much cooler in the summer), but only 20 minutes into town with great views and a floor plan that works for us.



We decided to take our annual winter trip to Santa Fe and arrived on Sunday. Snow started 70 miles from home and although not much snow fell, the roads were snowpacked for almost 300 miles. Worse were the samples of snow blindness (even with good sun glasses, it became hard to see), white outs, ground blizzards and lots of slush freezing to the FJ Cruiser. Driving was tiring, but we took turns and arrived in pretty good shape after a grueling drive. Two days later we are still chipping ice off it. We're taking it easy, sampling various varieties of green chili and taking it easy.



Our northwest trip will probably be driving long days to get to Washington fast. Then we'll slow down on the Olympic Penn., possibly seeing a former Airstream owner in Gig Harbor (are you watching, Dan?). We'll take the ferry to Victoria, thus avoiding the Seattle traffic. We know people there too. Then spend a week or more on the Island. Back to Washington and down the coast, coming back east somewhere north of Marin County. This is about a 3 week trip, maybe a little more. We've driven up and down this coast twice before with the trailer and at least one other time. We never tire of the roads along the coast. Some of them are a challenge with a trailer, but well worth it. I hope there will be no tsunamis or exploding volcanos.



When we get back next week, back to remodeling. A tile feature in the "great room" is next and then to finish the bedroom—80% finished, but last worked on just before I had surgery. And there's the basement hallway. Barb started painting it last week, so it needs a second coat and then I need to do baseboards, door trim and wainscotting. And it if gets warm again, some more painting of the garage exterior. Somewhere in the future is the great room paneling and new lighting and finishing the kitchen painting and maybe redoing a countertop. It seems to take us a lot of time for this even though the remodelers on HGTV do it in a matter of weeks. Our crew is us and no one else—maybe that makes a difference.



We haven't had time to wash and polish the trailer for a long time, so that will come in May. Compared to detailing a car or light truck, polishing an Airstream is like polishing a whale. I'm glad we only have a 25'—I can't imagine I'd survive a 34'.



Doing all this gets harder as we get older. But we are determined and this is our 3rd remodel together. We are doing better work than ever even as we go slower. A marriage that can survive 3 remodels and 50,000 trailer miles must be working pretty damn good and we like our lifestyle. Fairly new to the Grand Junction area, we are meeting lots of people and there's more than we can do in the city. Local musicians have a blues jam every week at a local bar and there was nothing like that where we lived before. So life is good and exhausting as we try to live like we are young, but there's no better way to do until they cart me off to hospice in about 20 years.



Snowing in Santa Fe now—drought here is really bad and I hope more snow comes. Santa Fe is really pretty in the snow. We've been coming to SF for 25 years and it doesn't snow very often, so we welcome it.



Gene

I know this is an old post, but I really enjoyed it. My wife and I are just beginning this chapter in our life's adventure together with a great deal of anticipation and excitement. We can't wait to begin.
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Old 07-17-2016, 07:07 PM   #524
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Va', seems like we're doing the same things now as then—going to Santa Fe and remodeling.

Today we went to Absolute Bakery in Mancos. Service was much better this time, we didn't have to wait forever for breakfast, and what we had tasted good, except my huevos rancheros were weird. One large tortilla that had gotten hard with beans, sauce and eggs (not cooked the way I wanted), then another hard tortilla on top and a square of American cheese on top. Hard to eat, though it tasted fine. We've been there twice and each time has been strange, but pretty good for a small town.

Then we went down the street to the gallery and the rug lady offered to buy rather than consign our rugs. We bargained, we came out whole (I bought them at a good price, she got a good price) and it was over. We visited with local friend for a while and came back to the trailer, rested (we seem to rest more than we used to), and went out hiking.

We are not far from Canyons of the Ancients NM. We've been to other parts of it in the past, but Sand Canyon Trail was new to us. There are some Anasazi ruins on this trail, except we are supposed to say Ancient Pueblans now. It was around 95˚, dry as dust, and we had a quart of water. We had some dried fruit in the truck, but of course we left it in the truck. We were smart enough to wear hiking boots and have hiking sticks. The trail was mostly slick rock, very hard slick rock on our delicate old feet, even in boots. We hiked past the first ancient settlement and missed the ruins. We kept going, a constant gain in elevation until we came to what might be Saddlehorn, another settlement. But we didn't find anything because we were at the wrong rock formation (the Saddlehorn). We had hiked up about 500' in a bit less than a mile. We used to pass everyone on the trail, no more, although we saw no one else. Most people are too smart to hike in 95˚ in high summer.

We were far above the valley floor with McElmo Creek and small ranches and some new tourist lodgings and a winery. The Indians built these settlements in the period 1150 to almost 1300. Population grew by 400-600%, a drought came, invaders showed up and sort of suddenly, everyone left. Over the years these Indians went from dispersed settlements to centralized ones, defensively placed. At the end of the trail is Sand Canyon community, three times the size of anything at Mesa Verde. Only by hiking can you get there and one mile each way was all we were prepared for. Fall or spring would be a better time to hike there.

On the way back we found the Capital Rock Pueblo. It is behind the rocks we saw when we parked at the trail head. The old photos online show several buildings in 1874, but most has collapsed or been vandalized by now, so it was hard to find anything. You can be 20' away and miss it in the piñon/juniper forest.

We came back to the truck, feet hurting, and drove back, stopping at the supermarket with ice cream high on the list.

Gene
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Old 07-17-2016, 07:19 PM   #525
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Photos:

1. Capital Rock Pueblo is on the other side of these rocks. They are quite close to the road and about 16 miles from Cortez.

2. We missed the ruins and continued up the trail.

3. This was not the saddle horn formation we were looking for. We looked carefully in places where we have seen cliff dwellings before.

4. We did find these rocks that looked like they had been mortared in place with mud, perhaps the rear wall of an ancient building? This was not the actual Saddlehorn settlement, but could have been another. Was I the only person who had noticed? Was I wrong?

Gene
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Old 07-17-2016, 07:37 PM   #526
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More photos:

1. Looking across the valley to other mountains. There are probably prehistoric pueblos there too.

2. Looking down hundreds of feet to the McElmo Creek valley. That is a dead juniper tree on the left—junipers can live many hundreds of years and who knows how old this one was?—maybe it was a contemporary of the Anasazi. However more likely they used all the trees and this one is younger—humans often remove all the trees to build and make charcoal for cooking and heat. Once the land is denuded, the rains run off on the hard soil and erode more and more while seeps and springs dry up.

3. This is the wall we found in the trees. It is about 1/3 of a circular or a D shaped building. It is the only thing left standing.

4. In the center, it looks like blocks of stone have been mortared into place in this alcove in the rock. It could have been the back of a room. An 1874 photo shows a building around this spot. On the ground are many stones that look like they were worked into shapes to build with.

Gene
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Old 07-17-2016, 07:48 PM   #527
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And more,

1. There were squared off stones everywhere. There were too many to be an accident of nature. About 800 years ago someone worked this stone and then a building was built. This pueblo only was occupied for about 35 years.

2. This may be another alcove in the rock where the back of room was finished with rock and mud mortar.

3. These scratches in the rock along the trail could not be from any animal on this planet unless it had six digits with sharp claws.

4. As we returned to Cortez, this long mesa came into view. Unlike other sandstone formations, it was neither red, brown nor yellow.

Gene
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Old 07-17-2016, 11:16 PM   #528
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Gene,
If I had not witnessed in person you eating Thai food, I'd swear you were on a 100% huevos rancheros diet. In my opinion, it takes huevos grande to eat that much huevos rancheros.

Check out what you're missing by not being up here this year.

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/ar...f-port-angeles


Ken
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Old 07-18-2016, 10:06 AM   #529
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Gene,
If I had not witnessed in person you eating Thai food, I'd swear you were on a 100% huevos rancheros diet. In my opinion, it takes huevos grande to eat that much huevos rancheros.

Check out what you're missing by not being up here this year.

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/ar...f-port-angeles


Ken

That's a whale of a story in the link.

I always look for huevos rancheros to nourish huevos grandissimos when in Santa Fe and environs. Ken, you may remember that after eating Thai food, I got some sort of food poisoning. Over and over I have learned not to order them near or over the Utah border, but I keep trying (also a good rule in or near Canada where Mexican food is at best "Mexican influenced". I do have a strict rule not to eat breakfast after lunchtime. I can get really good huevos rancheros at a restaurant in Grand Junction (Las Marias), but they are one version of something that varies considerably. Barb makes excellent huevos, but not very often. Eggs have been unfairly maligned and if you eat a healthy diet, eggs are fine and an excellent source of protein. I see more restaurants that serve breakfast through "lunch" or even all day. I am trendy.

Today we went for breakfast at one of those places where you order at the counter, not my favorite, but it had very good reviews for the food. It was Spruce Tree Espresso. The food was good, the atmosphere was not. Noisy (maybe less so in adjacent rooms), cheapest tables and chairs available at the old restaurant equipment warehouse. Seems like the only place in town with better quality food.

Not much on the agenda today. Maybe some afternoon exploring of the town briefly to look for the ice cream shoppe and take some photos of Cortez.

I will be watching the convention that starts today and am anticipating entertainment featuring twerking instead of those dry old speeches.

Gene
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Old 07-18-2016, 11:51 AM   #530
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CG's and traffic are both up a lot this year. We've seen more traffic, more RV's, more Airstreams in our travels this year. Gas prices do make a difference. And with more business, CG rates seem to be up about $5 this year from around $35 for full hookups to around $40 (+14%). Temps also have been higher.

Our deadbolt has been acting up, or more properly, out, and the door is hard to open and close sometimes. It happened years ago and all I remember is taking it apart, greasing it and positioning it as far back as possible to prevent the bolt from sticking out far enough to catch. So I did the same plus tried to file down the bolt and bolt pocket in the frame a little. Helped, not solved. I need a better file than the one I brought (or use a grinder). I know some people have gotten locked out and I suppose this is the problem. It always surrenders with enough of a pull or push.

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Old 07-18-2016, 05:56 PM   #531
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We went downtown, only blocks away, to look for some distinctive architecture. There isn't much in Cortez. There is an Airstream turned into a coffee shop and that picture has been posted on the Forum more than once. We cruised the main drag and stopped at the Notah-Dine trading post. Dine is Navajo for "the people" and their name for themselves. Notah means Ute and means "the people" in Ute.

Prices in the trading post are very high. Divide them by 2 to get the actual price and then start negotiating. Various trading posts use different "codes". Sometimes you just ask and they'll tell you whether to divide by 2 or 3 (the most common ones) and sometimes there is a code on the tag. They have a 12' x 18' Two Grey Hills rug in their basement museum", supposedly the largest of that style or all Navajo rugs. It would fit in our great room, but they won't give it to me. They said they had been offered $800,000 for it, but won't sell it either. Some trading posts have small museums attached and I suppose that attracts tourists. This is not a really old trading post, but does have a lot of stuff in a spacious building.

After cruising, we went for ice cream and ate an enormous amount.

Photos:

1. This stone block was built in 1889 and contains several stores. There are few of these old stone buildings in Cortez. Perhaps there was a big fire in the 1800's, common to many small towns. Most towns started as wood, had a big fire, and then built stone and brick buildings downtown. Not much stone nor brick here; some adobe.

2. The side of the Notah Dine Trading Post. Some old trading posts would have Navajo rug designs painted on the outside of the building. This is not quite a Yei rug style. A true representation of native dancers would be considered dangerous to display to us. These are the subjects of sand painting and not supposed to be shown without some changes made.

3. An unusual building now is a marijuana dispensary. I don't know if it is adobe, or stucco on frame. Curved roof is different.

4. Old fashioned neon sign for liquor store.

Gene
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Old 07-18-2016, 06:01 PM   #532
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And space aliens. This restaurant is right next to the Sundance CG entrance and this sign is unusual too. There are little space aliens on each side of the word "kitchen". What the white outline means I don't know. It is advertised as a family restaurant and to me that too often means heavy food with sugar and salt added, so I avoid them, but space aliens?

Gene
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Old 07-19-2016, 07:33 AM   #533
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......."I will be watching the convention that starts today and am anticipating entertainment featuring twerking instead of those dry old speeches."


Gene,

Not this 'entertaining' I'll wager.
318 million people to choose from...and we.....never mind.

Bob
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Old 07-20-2016, 08:21 AM   #534
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No twerking yet, but blue smoke. I'm waiting for the mirrors.

Back home after an easier drive through Monticello (in Utah it is not Montichello as Jefferson's home is pronounced, but Montisello) and Moab. The narrow, curvy Utah 128 seemed normal this time. We decided to stop in Moab for lunch and even found a parking spot right by the restaurant we chose. But it was closed! Thats two restaurants closed on this trip and some strange experiences in others this season. Makes eating in the trailer the best choice, except we've been traveling to hot places this year and it gets uncomfortable to sweat through lunch. More photos later.

Gene
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Old 08-02-2016, 10:27 AM   #535
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Been a crazy time lately. My father-in-law fell three times and has a hairline fracture of his pelvis. He is getting along very well, especially for a 90-year-old, but we worry. This event caused us to make a unplanned trip to Pueblo where we could help out as best we can. Not sure where all this goes. We want to have Barb's parents relocated to be closer to us, but they want to stay in their house forever and ever. I guess most people eventually go through these issues.

We aren't sure whether we can travel much anymore as we need to be ready to come to Pueblo quickly. Our latest thought for Sept. is traveling part of the river road since we can get to Pueblo in 2 or 3 days from just about any part of that road. It is really two roads, one on each side of the Mississippi, but why quibble? Since we don't know how much loner we can travel far and wide, this is problematical for us. Maybe we'll stay in Colorado and close to it, not a bad problem, but I do long for 10,000 mile trips to remote places. It sure was easier to drive 500 miles or more per day to get 'cross country five years ago.

Moving them would also be difficult and postpone any trips for a while until we established a place for them, people to back us up and all the things necessary. Our house just isn't the right one for two couples with age as an issue. And they want the temp in a house to be 80˚ and we are sweating while we sit and hide in the basement when we can. Everything about this changes daily. When my parents reached end of life time, one year I flew to Fla. seven times in 10 months—besides the expense, it was nerve wracking. I had to work too in a high intensity profession. You never can be sure of what is next and begin to feel like your life isn't your own sometimes; doing the right thing can be exhausting. Of course, we do it willingly, but have to be aware of what will come and how to protect ourselves from overdoing things.

Some more photos from our trip from Cortez to Grand Junction through Utah.

1. This giant rock sits alone in a field north of Monticello and south of Moab. Looks like a door at the base, but I think it was just a shadow. La Sal (Salt) Mountains in the background.

2. Closer to Moab, a red and yellow sandstone mesa that the area is famous for.

3. This is a tourist attraction further north. Though we have passed this many times in the last 30 years, I don't think we have ever stopped there. Someone carved out living quarters and more in the rock long ago I believe. Carving out a home in sandstone and then building on the front side was done many centuries ago by the Anasazi, so we are just continuing the tradition.

4. A canyon looking east from the road with red rocks everywhere. On the right side of the photo is the north side of Hole in the Rock. There's a place to stop along the highway there, picnic or rest. The Butch Cassidy gang hid out in another place with the same name, but it much farther west.

Gene
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Old 08-02-2016, 11:02 AM   #536
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I don't know how many "hole in the" places there are, but here is the one I believe is the Butch Cassidy one.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hole-in-the-Wall

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Old 08-02-2016, 11:49 AM   #537
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So sorry to hear about your FIL. Going through something similar here. Know it isn't easy with some hard decisions. Wishing you the best.
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Old 08-02-2016, 03:28 PM   #538
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Ken,

There are other "hole in the" hideouts. There is also Robber's Roost in SE Utah and Brown's Park in NW Colorado around where Dinosaur NM is now. Cassidy frequented all of them. I recall when we were exploring the Canyonlands area of Utah there was a 4wd road west of there that went to another Hole in the Rock, but I'm not sure exactly where it was. We never got there. There is also Hole in the Wall, 100 miles south of Escalante, Utah. That was a route Mormons took in the 1800's on their way to settle Bluff, Utah. There are lots of rocks with holes in them.

Judy, thanks for your thoughts. Eventually we are the really old people and I know I'll be stubborn too. You'll have to pry my cold, dead hands off the steering wheel. I am getting the sanitation company to give them (free!) a new rolling garbage can to replace the ancient one they got from the company years and years ago. The old one has handle only easy to use if you are 4' tall. And we encouraged them to get a toaster oven to make things a little easier in the kitchen. I'm getting information on senior services here including transportation options. They have done so well for so long they have seemed to be immortals, but their mortality is showing through now. Scary for me is they are not all that much older than me, so I know what's coming.

Gene
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Old 08-02-2016, 04:53 PM   #539
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Road Trips

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Old 08-17-2016, 03:45 PM   #540
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We finally made a decision and will stick to it. We are going to drive part of the river road. We will drive east, probably on I-80 to the Mississippi, go north on the west side, thus being on the river side. When we get to Lake Itaska in northern Minn., we drive south on the east side. Maybe we'll make it to St. Louis, take I-70 back and maybe go further south on US 50 after a while so we can stop at my in-laws and check on them.

We only have 3 weeks, so we'll drive to the river fast and then slow down. I figured it means about 150 miles per day along the Mississippi. That's really slow for us.

Road Trips USA, a book we've used before, has a section on the river road. Looking it up for a new edition, I found that and also a different river road edition with more info. Looked it up on Amazon, they would take too long, so I checked Barnes & Noble and they had it for 1/3 the price and a newer edition. We'll have it Friday.

So I'm finally excited about a trip we are actually going to take. I am working on countertops and have to get back to gluing after it sets on a piece I just did (need that to put it through the planer). Tomorrow I sand the two pieces, coat them with Danish oil, then wait 3 short days (short means it might be between 2 and 3) for it to dry, then 6 coats of polyurethane. That last part will take 2 days, maybe 2 1/2. That will get that done before we leave and since polyurethene take 30 days to cure, it will be ready when we return. Since I got one side of the kitchen countertop, backsplash and tile done, the other sides looks pretty shabby. I'll be glad to finish this project (and then start on another).

We leave in 8 or, is it 9 days? Plenty to do. After dealing with aging in-laws issues, we figured we needed a break and found a way to fit it in. Just about everything we suggest to Barb's parents, they refuse. I guess they will hang on in their house in a possibly declining neighborhood until they can't. When they have to move it will be a desperate crazy time. I guess that happens a lot. I know they could sound kind of selfish, but they are good people. Good people, when they feel vulnerable, hunker down and you can't budge them. We've been though some of the same with my parents, so we have some experience with it. The worst part of it is packing up a parent's house when one is still alive (bad either way really) in a very short time, trying to figure out what to save and what to throw out, not having much time to sell anything, moving someone somewhere, asking them what to do when they are grieving or not in such good shape themselves. I've done it, want to forget the memory, can't. If this were 70 years ago, not only would our parents have died decades ago, but we probably would be gone too. Having to deal with this when you are also seniors sure doesn't feel like "golden years".

I sure need to drive, but first I have to glue.

Gene
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