HERE WE GO AGAIN

The turnaround is really fast this time. We have only been home just over 2 months and here we are packing & planning. John has had the maps out calculating distances….a very ambitious route this time taking in Bryce Canyon, Week of Speed at Bonneville Salt Flats, Yellowstone, Yellowknife in Canada, then those Polar Bears, and ending our trip in Kansas City where GR2 will be stored in a huge limestone cavern. John packs our one case with the usual oil filters etc. No second case – instead a large box holding our new washing machine. Oh and yes we have already sent 6 new wheels as unaccompanied baggage.

It is a relief to touch down in Los Angeles early and find amazingly short queues and bags ready to be collected. We breeze through customs, despite the queries about the large box, collect our rental car and hit our first snag. Where do we collect those wheels? No answer on the phone number provided, so back to the airport. A sprint around the airport, then off to collect them. Paperwork to be taken for clearance, with the warning it usually takes a day or two. John heads off to customs while I snooze in the car. Apparently it took an hour – I have no recollection. Collect our wheels from the bond store, (apparently the first time anything has been released without a customs inspection. It must have been Johns smile! Haha. Johns comment not mine.) – The poor car is chookers. Dan Diego here we come.

GR2 is tucked into the corner at Draco Trucks (thank you so much for looking after her). John starts sorting out jobs to be done while I unpack – really I just want to crawl on the bed and sleep. Finally I can head to bed, after we collect some food & drop off the rental car.

The chores start on Thursday. First stop battery place. Time to get 4 new house batteries – very much reduced in price because of our contact with Draco Trucks. Second stop to get the new 24 volt to 12 volt convertor installed (another thing from our suitcase) Third stop a radio guy to install a radio – we have not had a radio working for a few years now. While there we get the call that our new tyres have arrived so…. Forth stop – the wheels & 6 new tyres. A huge day for GR2 and our credit card.  Just enough time to stock up on more food before heading to Emma & Drew’s for a lovely dinner. Great to see their adorable kidlets.  Finally we overnight beside the radio workshop ready for final installation of the radio.

Amazingly all chores are completed by Friday midday and we can head off before the long weekend that is looming. YAY!!! Time to hit the road. Definitely not the motorway – we will check out the back roads. We head east, skirting the border of Mexico. Lots of lovely desert scenery. Our destination Joshua Tree National Park. But first an interesting stop. Not a museum, but a massive holding yard full of old vehicles, all parked around an old feldspar mill (used to make porcelain). We can explore at will. John is a very happy boy. Finally the heat gets to him too & we head off into Arriza Borrego Desert State Park. Some magic driving until we find a great spot way down a wash at the mouth of a canyon – not a soul in sight. A great hike through the canyon ends another day.

More exploring the desert & badlands (I just love that name) before we reach the Salton Sea – It is an uninspiring, salty lake that has shrunk considerably in recent years, due to droughts. Follow the lake past date palm, orange & grape plantations. A drive through a box canyon & then in to Joshua Tree itself. Lots of great walks later we head to the campground (yes we are going to pay tonight) only to find it full. Try another one. It’s full, then another – it’s full too. Bother. We head the short drive out of the park to free camp in another wash right beside the Planetarium. We have lucked out again. There is a free show tonight. We get to see Saturn & lots of nebulae. The night sky is awesome.

Early back in to the Park to continue our exploration before the crowds get out of their tents. Sadly they do catch us up, but we still manage to wander around lots of rocks & look at quite a few trees. We enjoy the dirt track - Geology Tour Rd with very few cars. Finally we head off, deciding to detour to Pioneer Village – a must see in the Lonely Planet. Time they checked this one out! The village was an old movie set, & we even caught the very lame shootout (so bad we eventually left). The best thing was the great burgers at the local pub. Finally we head across the desert to Amboy to see the volcano we were told about. It is 5pm by now and it would make a great spot to camp, but it is still 40deg. Too hot to camp or even wander around the black, hot base. So we head off until we are at a higher altitude for a cooler sleep. Find a spot in the Mojave Desert with awesome views. Again BLM land – so free.

Now we are in flat, dry, desert country, so it’s definitely time to get a few miles under our belt. A few back roads (part of Route 66) & a few bigger roads - eventually reaching Nevada. At Boulder City stop for more groceries before heading off on our next scenic detour following Lake Mead (this way we will miss Las Vegas and our pesky cop!!) It is a gorgeous drive with some magical scenery. Not just the lake, but gorges & yes more rocks. Finally back onto the motorway, out of Nevada, in to Arizona. Yet another stunning gorge we actually passed through last time, & on to St George. Reach the Welcome Centre to check which tracks are open for our route through Escalante National Park. Route planned, we head out to find ourselves some more BLM land. This time beneath a red hill and overlooking Zion. Yes we are now back in Utah – so far one of our favorite states in the USA.

More scenic driving towards Kanab, but we see Pipe Springs National Monument and decide to pop in (after all we may as well use our America the Beautiful card as much as possible – it gives us entry in to all National Parks, Monuments etc) It wasn’t more red rock – which is what we expected – but an old Mormon Tithing Farm. The Mormon’s built a fort over the natural water spring to save it for themselves – those poor Indians.

Anyway Kanab here we come. More enquires let us know our chosen road is definitely closed, so another route is planned. We are also told about a slot canyon just up the road that we can get to with a 4x4. Slot canyons are definitely on my list this trip. So we head off. The track looks pretty sandy….maybe not. Then another 4x4 comes out and says “No you will be fine”. So in we go!!! Bad idea. We come to a very deep dip & don’t make it. Second go we get deeper in. While we are letting out more air from our tyres a group of 6 ATV’s arrive. They decide to pull us out – hitching 4 ATV’s in a row. They had way more fun than we did. Once out John did a recy – too many low overhanging branches so we turn around, negotiate the dip (no problems this time) and give this slot canyon a miss.

Back to Kanab, blow up the tyres & head to our back road through Escalante National Park. First section tarseal – so all good. Finally turn off on to dirt at Skutumpah Rd. First stop – the Lick Wash. Here there is another slot canyon. In we head as it starts to drizzle. Then lightening, followed by more rain. All the signs say “Do not enter a slot canyon in rain and thunder”. We must be stark crazy. As we race back out the rain gets harder. No slot canyon again! Rather than wait until tomorrow we decide to move on – these roads can get really bad in the wet (we have been warned that even 4x4’s can get stuck for days!) And yes the road has got bad in that short space of time – all sticky, gluggy & slippery. Time to call it quits for the day. We see another Overland vehicle and camp with them for the night. A fun evening chatting with Beat & Betti from Switzerland, who are travelling in their Landcruiser.

Coming soon – finally a Slot Canyon!

 

 

HERE WE GO AGAIN - PHOTOS

Our new wheels - should give us great grip. Now we can go anywhere - we hope.

What a find. Heaps of old vehicles stored in the desert.

Another motorhome!! It has had a long life. Hope GR2 doesn't end up all rusty like this

Camp spot in the wash... at Canyon Sin Hombre in Arriza Borrego Desert State Park

Exploring Canyon Sin Hombre

Heading back to the main road

Inside Joshua Tree National Park - the Cholla Garden - careful, these are very spicky

Me posing by some rocks - found these ones down a little dirt track

What magic weather we are having in the park. GR2 likes posing.

Driving through the Joshua Trees

The shootout at Pioneer Village

The Amboy volcano

Finally a camp spot in the Mojave Desert.

Amazing views of Lake Mead

Yay and what a drive

Back on the motorway - where does the road go to. Nearly at St George.

Our campspot with views across the valley of Zion. Had a great campfire too.

Windsor Castle - the Mormon fort at Pipe Springs National Monument

Not quite out of the hole

Help is at hand. These guys had a ball.

Entering Escalante National Park

The start of the Lick Wash walk. We only made it in 20 mins before rain set in

Running out, water is running down the canyon walls and the stream is building up

Camping overnight with Beat & Beatti

LAST LAPS

Yes this trip does feel as if we have driven in circles & we are on own last few loops before heading home. After a really hot night (did I say that last time – yes it was sooooo hot) we get up early & drive. Even driving is hot because our air conditioner has given up the ghost completely. Follow the motorways through dry, hot, barren land on to Las Vegas. We did intend to drive straight through with only a short stop for fuel, but we saw flashing lights behind us. We sure haven’t been speeding, so what can he possibly want from us. We leave an HOUR later. Very frustrating. This cop sure has a chip on his shoulder. All he could find wrong was the fact that we had 6 extra number plates on the back of the vehicle (way up the top). He spent ages typing out a warning and lecturing John. What an arrogant idiot (woops I’m supposed to be forgiving. We think maybe he had an Aussie wife who divorced him)

Meant we ended up driving through Vegas rush hour. Just keep heading on and on. Out of Arizona and into California. We are heading to an Isuzu Truck workshop in San Diego. Hopefully they will be able to order an air compressor. Traffic is crazy around San Diego so we don’t arrive until after 6pm. And YAY they are still open and very excited to see us. Quite a boost for John after that crazy cop! We spend the night in their yard and the next morning John finds a good used compressor in a wrecked truck and fits it to our truck, gets it regased and all is perfect. DOUBLE YAY!! We leave mid morning with nice cool air blowing on our faces. We will return to leave GR2 here in a few days time. They are going to look after her when we go home.

Next destination is Richard & Debbra’s house. They are our American friends who stored GR2 for us after our Mexico trip, and who came over to Queensland for a few months. But first we have time for a scenic drive through San Diego taking in Coronado & its beach front, the old city centre & the waterfront. We hug the busy coastline for ages until we get sick of the traffic & jump back onto the motorway. Arrive at the address, but eventually realize that they have moved!! Thank goodness Richard checks his emails regularly as we don’t have his phone number – finally on to see them in their new house. Lots of catching up, plus we use their washing machine for our last huge load of washing.

Now we head north – we want to catch up with Clive & Karrin – part of our Pinder family – in Paso Robles. So we head through the humungous city of Los Angeles – on the huge motorways. We have no intention of winding through back streets here! Hours later we reach the other side. Now we can hug the coast for miles & miles. Sea mist is still straggling over the hills. The roads are lined with parked cars – locals visiting the beach & the car parks are expensive. Even the State Parks require a fee for day use! We had planned to camp on Pismo Beach as recommended by Richard, but we stopped and Skype our gorgeous Grandkidlets and so are not going to make it. Instead we investigate the State Camps on the waterfront. The first 2 are closed because of an oil leak, & the next 2 want to charge us $45. Crazy! It will be dark soon so we find our own spot.

We are not far from the very Danish town of Solvang – so head there for a scrumptious brekkie of pancakes & a big explore. Continue exploring the coast stopping at Pismo Beach where there is a very chilly wind blowing before moving on to the lovely Morro Bay. Such a pretty place, but that wind is still chilly. We stop to watch the cute sea otters – bigger here than the ones in Alaska. Decide to head a bit further up the coast before turning & heading to Paso Robles. Means we get to stop & watch the seals sunbaking on the beach.

Our last weekend we spend with Clive & Karrin getting very spoiled with fabulous food & wine. I will be waddling home this time! All good things come to an end. We head back down to San Diego to leave GR2 tucked away at the Isuzu workshop. We know they will take good care of GR2 – even start her up now & then to keep her batteries going. Tomorrow morning we head up to Los Angeles for the long flight home. It will be great to see our family, hug our grand kids & catch up with friends.

We will be back to USA later this year (we are excited about seeing the Polar Bears!)

Adios Amigos.

 

 

LAST LAPS - PHOTOS

Driving back to California - hot & dry

Misty morning over the bridge at San Diego

The Rock at Morro Bay

Cleaning time for the Sea Otters

The lovely beaches

Sunbathing time

Flicking sand on my belly

Karrin, Clive & John at the Farmers Market - serious business selecting food - it all looks good to me - pity we are going home soon so no need to stock up

Visitors at the house at Paso Robles

Heading back to Los Angeles

Lovely evening for a drive

Last day in San Diego

UTAH ROCKS

This State is amazing – we love it. It is a Pinder Paradise with so much natural beauty & very few cities. Chock full of rocks in a kaleidoscope of colour. We are trying to squeeze in as many of the National Parks as we can, but there are so many. We exit Colorado, and enter Utah - routes planned. Fingers crossed for continuing sunshine.

We turn off the Highway to take the scenic route - & boy is it that. First the ghost town of Cisco, then follow the Colorado River along yet another stunning gorge, all the way to Moab. We see lots of rafts on the river & decide we will have a go.  We book our trip & try to find a camp spot in one of the numerous camping areas beside the river. But it is Saturday & they are all full. So we head along a side road & find a free spot where rock climbers head out to climb the Castle. The next morning we have time for another scenic drive through the La Sal Mountain National Forest before arriving in Moab for our raft trip.

We have a blast. The river is pretty full & brown, so not really white water rafting, but we get a few fun rapids, a fabulous lunch & John swims (as John does!) in the river. Back in town at 4pm we decide we have time to explore Dead Horse State Park – really just a series of outlooks with only a few short walks – but it does look good in the evening light (see photos), before we find a spot on some BLM land (our favorite kind of camp spot – free)

Today is huge. Not one, but two large National Parks. Exhausting!! We head in to Canyonlands National Park by 7am (we did camp just down the road) and spend the next few hours or so driving the scenic roads & doing lots of the hikes. It is as usual spectacular (see photos). After a late lunch we decide to head in to the incredibly popular Arches National Park. Even more scenic driving and lots more walks – and it is getting pretty hot. After lots of arches I am pretty pooped (John is never pooped!!) We leave by 8pm. Dinner in Moab. We can’t be bothered leaving so stay in the restaurant  carpark for the night.

Time to head off - There is still more to see & do here, but we are out of time on this trip. Moab is just that kind of place, rather like Queenstown in NZ. We head north to the motorway, west & then turn & head southwest to Hanksville. Next destination – Capitol Reef National Park. Yet another WOW! More magic driving & more walking (Phew) There is a scenic drive inside the park that deteriorates in to dirt – we had planned to go that way, but were warned at the ranger station that the road was pretty slushy & there were flash flood warnings out for tonight, so we turn around when the tarseal ends & head back out. The camp ground is full – so it is BLM land just outside the national park tonight. Quite a few tents there too!

Another day, another park. Today’s one is Escalante. But first a drive through wet misty mountains. Stop at all the lookouts and then at Boulder. The local café has their Wifi code pinned to the wall, so we make use of it to catch up. While we are there one of the many who stop to chat highly recommends the Burr Track in to Escalante – so we head in. The first part is sealed & we wind through another great red gorge. Then on past more multihued hills. When the seal ends we decide to carry on! First down a set of very tight hairpins & then on into a river valley. Here we find the mud. John checks it out – it looks OK. Into 4x4, and off we go. There are signs of flooding everywhere. Even our walk comes to an abrupt end with a river in full flow. We make it out & head down to Lake Powell – there is a ferry, but too late today, so after exploring Bullfrog (which really is a huge marina) we head to the free camping beach. Great views & a great fire. Just going to sleep when a storm rolls in - and what a beauty!! Flashes of lightening that turn night into day, wind gusts that shake us about (those poor tents get a battering) & then heavy rain.  The next morning the red dirt is extremely sticky. Just walking around I grow a few inches with layers of mud. We put GR2 into 4x4 again – it was dirt road access into the camping area – and we have a ferry to catch.

Ferry! What ferry. It has broken down – it will be the long drive for us. Fortunately we don’t have to go back through Escalante – that road would be impassable after the storm. More red rock canyons before following the White River to where it reaches Natural Bridges National Park – yes we are overlapping our route when there are so many roads to choose from!! Back down the Moki Dugway, on through Mexican Hat, pass Monument Valley & on to the other end of Lake Powell. A huge driving day – we finish right on the waterfront at Lone Rock Beach, with lots of other campers. A great spot.

Stay longer than usual – just chilling out on the beach. John goes swimming of course. Lots of ski boats are out. Anyway time to make a move. First stop the dam to go on an excellent tour. Our plan is to head back in to Escalante to explore a bit more (but all the roads are dirt). All enquiries we make are negative. The roads will be pretty wet & chewed up. We decide instead to head to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon as it is pretty close. Yes I know that is Arizona – but we will be returning to Utah. When we visited the States with the kids many years ago we did the South Rim – so this will be different. We head off! It’s a long drive so we stop for the night in the forestry area just outside the park, as recommended by the ranger (so we are legal). We are disappointed that we are not on the canyon rim until we go for a walk & discover it not very far away at all. Amazing – camping on the edge of the Grand Canyon.

The next morning we head in with lots of others. And we thought this side would be quieter! We do the usual driving & walks (but not the long 11miles into the canyon – that needs a few days!) Out again as the carpark is full! And camp back in the forest at a different spot.

On last National Park in Utah as we are nearing the end of our trip. This time Zion. We think it will be busy as it is Sunday. And it sure is!! We remember the magic drive and the tunnel (but not the streams of traffic. We can no longer drive our vehicles along the scenic road into the canyon – but there is an incredibly efficient bus system in use most of the year. In we head with lots of others. It is hot today so we settle for a few of the shorter hikes. If anything the day just gets hotter & hotter. When we get back to GR2 we decide to drive – way too hot to do much else. Our air-conditioning has been on the blink for nearly all this trip & we really could use it now! Oh well. Can’t keep driving so pull over at a Walmart in Mesquite. There are signs up forbidding camping – we move on to the Casino instead. Then head to an air conditioned restaurant for the next few hours. Followed by a hot hot night. Time to head to the coast.

 

 

UTAH ROCKS - PHOTOS

following the Colorado River to Moab

Our camp spot beneath the Castle Tower

Rafting on the Colorado River - brown water rafting

Dead Horse State Park

Looking down on the Shafer Trail - not this time!!

Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park

Upheaval Dome in Canyonlands

More great views in Canyonlands

Arches National Park - this area called Park Avenue

Yes an arch!!

More Arches

Our final arch!!! Delicate Arch...everyone wants to see it at sunset

Driving out of the park

Driving in to our next park - Capitol Reef

Capitol Reef

Yet another Arch

Driving in to Escalante

The overlook at Escalante

Shall we carry on

Hmmmmm

See the zigzags behind us - pretty hard to see - but they were pretty tight

John checks it out! Verdict - all OK

Bullfrog on Lake Powell

Camping

An overllok over the Colorado River

The Colorado River again - at Horseshoe Bend

Lake Powell Dam & Bridge

Camping at Lone Rock Beach

Lake Powell Bridge

Navajo Bridge - the old & the new!

Zion National Park

Zion National Park

The North Rim - Grand Canyon