Montana to Monument Valley (Catching you up Part I)

I know, guys, I am so behind with our blogs it’s not even funny anymore. We’re having so much fun and so much to see and do that I really rather spend my time doing these things than sitting down and writing about them. But I figured I owe you at least an attempt to catch you up on our travels. So I sat down a couple of days ago and started writing. Unfortunately we had no internet access so I could only upload this post today in a McDonalds. So here it comes:

After our ZIP-lining adventure we continued our trip to Bozeman (still Montana) from where we wanted to visit one of the greatest national parks of the United States, one we had not been to ever before: Yellow Stone which is actually located in Wyoming. And it sure was worth the trip. We saw the famous geysers, rocks covered in the sediments left behind by them, fantastic and diverse landscapes and wildlife including bears and herds of wild buffalo. The animals are so used to people that they hardly pay any attention to them. In fact we came so close to some of the buffalos that we could have reached out the car window and touched them. They walked across a parking lot between cars and people and seemed perfectly comfortable doing it. This is more than can be said for Princess. She decided that those beasts had come close enough and took it upon herself to try and protect us by starting to furiously bark at them. Good girl! We did not see “Old Faithful”. When we arrived there we found out that we had just missed it and would have to wait for over an hour for it to go off again. But we had seen many other geysers and it was getting late after we had stopped so many places to take pictures that we decided to get back to the campground.

After we had moved our rig to Tetonia, the other national park we visited in Wyoming was Grand Teton, a park we had never heard of before and don’t know how well known it is. Grand Teton is a nice high plateau with beautiful mountains in the background and a wildlife refuge and it would be very nice for hiking. Unfortunately, though understandably, one is not allowed to take a dog on hiking trails in any of the national parks in the United States. So we were limited to the views from the road and parking areas and didn’t get a chance to go out into the more remote parts. As nice as it is to have a dog and as much as we love Princess, there can be a little downside to dog ownership, too.

Then we were off to see more parks in southern Utah. You might have read about our unintentional stop in North Salt on the way there two blog posts back. We finally made it to a nice looking RV park we had found on the internet and booked for a week. But after just one night we had to leave there because of the altitude which gave André problems with breathing. So we ended up in Hatch which really is ideally located for trips to Brice, Zion, Red Rocks and Grand Canyon National Parks. With so much to see we had a busy week ahead of us. But before we even got to Hatch we came across a kind of a mountain pass and hit some snow. SNOW! In August! In southern Utah! Crazy!!! Who would have expected that? We just took it slow and easy on the road and made it safely to the other side.

The four parks we were going to visit from Hatch are among those we had visited way back during our very first trip to the United States. Like others of the kind we still didn’t want to miss them and are glad we revisited them. Memories from our first trip came alive and we compared them whit what we were seeing now and made new memories, too. Of course a lot had changed over all those years since our first time here. While the parks have always been made to attract tourists and outdoors enthusiasts alike, they are now much better accessible for vehicles which for the reasons I told you about regarding dogs, is important to us. We took it all in and after many more pictures decided that we would come back here anytime again. The one thing we did differently from last time is that this time around we went to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon as opposite to the better known and more visited South Rim. Sue and Princess had quiet the adventure there and learned a valuable lesson. You can read all about that in Hunter’s and Trapper’s blog “Blame it all on Princess?” of September 1, 2013. You won’t believe what they did!

The week was over way too soon and we hit the road again. Our destination this time was Cortez. Along the way we planned to see Monument Valley National Park, again one we had been to before, and then Mesa Verde. This park had not been on our list last time and after discussing the route and detour it would take to get there instead of bypassing Cortez and heading to Moab the quickest possible way, we decided to take the time to visit those two parks. Monument Valley has become much better accessible, too, since we’ve been there over 20 years ago. Then one could only go into the valley on guided tours. Now there is a road which people can drive themselves if they dare. It’s not really bad but comes close enough to off-roading in some parts to make many people prefer a guided tour. Of course we could not drive through the valley with our fifth wheel in tow so we came up with the idea to drop it right there in the parking lot and then drive our truck into the valley. We always find that we find a lot of nice subjects to take pictures of that we would not get to photograph out of a tour bus which stops at certain locations only. And we did find nice angles, views and details.

To be continued.

André and Sue

@ home on the road

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"One who takes a journey has stories to tell ... "

There is the saying in German: "Wenn einer eine Reise tut, dann kann er was erzählen" - or freely translated: "one who takes a journey has stories to tell". And we had quiet a few adventures worth telling a story about in the past days. After visiting Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks we started our journey further south without making a reservation first. The main season seems to be winding down and most campgrounds have good spots available.

Our goal of the day was to drive past Salt Lake City towards Cedar City or Hurrican in Utah - all more or less on Interstate 15. We made it to North Salt Lake, where all of a sudden the right back tire of our home on wheels blew out. Looking into the side mirror I first started seeing a little white smoke, then more and then the tire was gone. We were glad that we caught it right then and there. It was only a short distance to the next exit and to the back parking lot of a gas station. We never have changed a wheel on a fifth wheel before so we felt more comfortable to call road side assistance for that and within about 45 minutes they arrived, changed the wheel, gave us information on where to find a Les Schwab tire shop and left again. By then it was a quarter to 6 pm and the shop closes at 6 pm.

The guys at Les Schwab where just great. We arrived at 5 minutes to 6 pm and JP said that he would do the job anyways: changing the good tire from the freshly mounted spare wheel to the still good rim of the blown out tire, putting a new tire on one of the other rims and mounting the used but still good tire he had taken from that rim onto the spar-tire-rim. All in all 45 minutes of work but now we have two good new tires on the back wheels and a used but functional tire in spare. By now it was getting close to 7 pm and we needed Diesel and a place to stay for the night. Again - we were in the right place: gas station just down the road and a nice campground 5 minutes away.

All in all an exciting day on the road. From there we booked a spot that looked promising in Panguitch Lake. Talk about being in the middle of nowhere! The campground is located on a nice mountain lake at close to 9150 feet / 3000 m above sea level with no phone, tv or reliable internet reception, the site on a gravel surface and we had booked for one week! After the first night, André could feel the thinner air atn this altitude affect him and we decided not to push it too far. We cancelled the rest of our stay here and moved on to a new spot lower in the valley.

We arrived here after about 200 km of driving but not before driving up and down a mountain road and finding snow (yes, snow in August) on top. Cars and RV's where parked on the side waiting for a little melting but we just took our time and kept going. The new place is just beautiful with a nice panorama view of reed rock cliffs (see picture), a small creek with trout in it flowing through it, there are walking ways, a dog run and great hosts.

Now we are planning to visit a few more National Parks in the next few days, beginning with Bryce Canyon National Park, Red Canyon State Park and Zion National Park before continuing our trip. And who knows what else we're going to explore.

You can see, the days on the road can be very exciting!

André and Sue

@ home on the road

PS: Don't forget to read our other blogs (listed on the side) and to follow us on facebook and our Google Map. You can also check our web site for new pictures.

Company is here

Hi everyone

As you know from my last blog, André flew over to Switzerland to visit with our families and fetch his mom. Alice has arrived here with him 6 days ago and we have been having a blast ever since. Not that we don't have a great time without her here. As a matter of fact we are both loving retirement better and better by the day. Fact is, my mother in law is a real sweetheart. She loves traveling and does a lot of it by herself back in Europe. With her every day is an adventure whether we plan on doing something or just hanging around making it a "relaxation day". And we laugh a lot. You wouldn't believe the things she comes up with. Sometimes it's because her mother tongue is French and even after all those years in the German speaking part of Switzerland she still has her own way of expressing herself. Let's just say she thinks in French and speaks in Swiss-German - translation on the go by Alice. Sometimes it's just her quick wit that makes us laugh or leaves us speechless. Bottom line is, we are enjoying her company big time.

The whole thing of André flying over to get her was an adventure in itself. At least for him. First Hurricane Sandy caused New York to shut down so both his flights (Miami to N.Y. and N.Y. to Zurich) were cancelled. The earliest plane he could catch was 3 days later which shortened his stay in Switzerland considerably if one takes into account that he had originally planned to stay just 7 days. Then their flights back (Zurich to N.Y. and N.Y. to Miami) also got cancelled because another storm shut N.Y. down again. They found that out the morning they were supposed to leave. Luckily they got seats on a different carrier and arrived here from Zurich via London England and then directly to Miami. Let's hope that we won't have similar problems in December when Sue will bring Alice home and visits with our relatives over there. Delaying Sue's flight back could bring her into the per-Christmas travel mess.

Anyhow, since their arrival here we have visited a flamingo and wildlife park and a large shopping mall. This was kind of a day off to adjust to the climate and time difference. The next day we made a trip down to Key West and on the day after that we took Alice for an air-boat ride to see alligators. We didn't see alligators, at least not in the wild but the air boat ride itself was worth doing. Sunday we did nothing but relaxing and going to the pool and then, on Monday, Alice got her first taste of what it is like to pack up, pull our home on wheels to a new location and setting up again. This was yesterday. We also drove to the beach in Daytona, surely a must for a first-time US east coast traveler. Today the Kennedy Space Center was our destination and once again Alice was impressed with what she has seen. We have been here before but it's been a while and we, too were impressed.

Our travel plans for the next 3 weeks will bring us further north and west and include stops in Nashville, Lynchburg Tennessee, Avery Island Louisiana and of course New Orleans, among others. So please stay tuned, we would love to tell you about our travels with Alice.

André and Sue

Somewhere on the road in Canada

PS: Don't forget to read our other blogs (listed on the side) and to follow us on facebook and our Google Map. You can also check our web site for new pictures.

Newfoundland - you got to love it!

Hi everyone 

It's about time I write another blog and tell you a little of what we've been up to the last week. I really have to do some catching up.

After leaving Red Bay we got on the ferry and crossed over to The Rock - Newfoundland - where we drove up to the Northeast tip of the northern peninsula. Just outside St. Anthony we found a great campground and we spent a whole week there. The drive along the coast was breathtaking and I just fell in love with this province. Love at first sight you might say since we only just had arrived here.

During our week in St. Anthony we explored more great sights and also experiences. We found out that the local Royal Canadian Legion is holding a "traditional Newfoundland food and music" event every Wednesday and since we had arrived on Tuesday, we just had to go there. What a great evening we had. The food was very good, prepared by people like you and me and we had live entertainment. On top of that they did a screeching in for everybody from outside the province who wanted to become a honorary newfie. Of course we signed up and are now in the possession of our certificates attesting to our being accepted into the "Royal Order of Newfies". The process is simple: you have to speak like a newfie, to eat like a newfie and to drink like a newfie. Then you get to kiss the cod. Once you have done all this, a dance is in order and you are made one of their own. It's great fun. Now you might wonder about those things we had to do. The speaking like a newfie is the hardest part. They really have a language of their own and I for one didn't understand a word. All I could do, is to imitate not the words but the sound. Lots of laughter from everybody but mostly the locals who really enjoy the screeching in. Eating like a newfie means you get to eat salted, dried capeling (smelt like fish in one piece, head and tail included), newfie steak (bologna) and bread with molasses. Finally you get to drink screech which is a really good newfie rum. All this one does while wearing typical yellow fishing gear including the Southwestern. I have to admit that when I met some people on the whale-watching boat who were going to be screeches in the next day and asked, I only told them the very basics including that screech "is not straight up sea water" as they might have heard.Let them wonder a little what's coming their way :-)

As I mentioned, I also went on a whale-watching tour but other than 2 fin whales and some dolphins, we were out of luck. The very next day while visiting the lighthouse we both got to see the whales right from the shore. There were two pods further out which, based on their blowing, contained 4 res. 5 whales. One of them would show his tail every time he came up. And then all of a sudden there was a killer whale swimming along the shore only a few meters from the rocks! What an impressing view!

Just as impressing is the Parks Canada site showing where the vikings had landed on Newfoundland 1000 years ago. We visited the site of the archeological diggings as well as a replica of the village where locals dressed like vikings show how they lived. The blacksmith with the help of a visiting boy made a nail from scratch. This became the boy's pay after the blacksmith had told him about trading labour for goods and how this would also apply at home where making his bed or cleaning his room could be considered as paying for shelter and food provided by his parents.Great experience, story and lesson for life.

The history here is so rich it is hard to comprehend. And I am sure we have only seen and heard a part of it all. It was good to travel to Gros Morne National Park and "take a break"  from all the impressions. Gros Morne in itself is yet another fascinating place with a very interesting history. This history is more about geology and how the island of Newfoundland came to be. And of course it is as a protected area rich in wildlife. So did we see a moose cow with her calf only a few meters from us when returning to the car. The picture has been taken by our little camera - no telephoto lens.

André and Sue

Somewhere on the road in Canada

PS: Don't forget to read our other blogs (listed on the side) and to follow us on facebook and our Google Map. You can also check our web site for new pictures.

Along the Saint Lawrence River

Good Sunday evening everyone

After 5 very nice and relaxing days at Pia's and Alfons' we left Almonte Thursday and drove into Québec where we want to spend the next weeks while driving across towards Newfoundland and Labrador. So far our experience is fantastic. The people here are so friendly and helpful. The landscape is beautiful, too and we've seen pretty little villages, farms and settlements, neatly trimmed grass and well maintained flower beds and houses. After only three short days Sue is picking up her French again and we have been talking to locals and other campers, finding out where to go and what to do. So we visited a fromagerie, a farmers market and a wildlife park close to our first stop at "Camping au petit lac Simon". All of it was interesting and well worth while to see. The park for example stretches over a huge area where they keep all kinds of animals native to North America. Deer, elk, moose, bison, mountain goats, wild boar, coyotes, wolves and bears and of course all kinds of small animals and birds call the park home. They roam free except for the bears and wolves which, for safety reasons, have their own several acres big sections. What they do basically is introduce the animals to the park and then let them choose their own place to live within the landscape which includes everything from plains to rugged hill, fields to wooded areas.
We also visited the local historical museum which was very interesting. They display artifacts from the early settlers to the late 1900s, some of which we have actually seen used in our grandparents respective businesses. 
The next leg of our tour brought us to the Saint Lawrence River just east of Montréal where we arrived yesterday. We have already checked out some small stores and road-side vendors and will go pick up some wood-oven baked bread around noon. These small stores remind us of our native Switzerland where one can find a butchery, a bakery and a dairy and cheese store in most any village. They are often preferred over the big supermarkets by the locals because of the variety they offer and the personal service. Seems that here in Québec it is very similar.

Since we had some time before the bread could be picked up around noon, we went to see the Gilles Villeneuve Museum in  Berthierville where the legendary formula 1 driver was from. Check out the picture of André beside one of Gilles race cars

André and Sue

Somewhere on the road in Canada

PS: Don't forget to read our other blogs (listed on the side) and to follow us on facebook and our Google Map. You can also check our web site for new pictures.