2018 Fall Western Trip: On to Hot Springs, Arkansas

Monday, 10/22: 211 miles and parked at Route 66 RV Resort, just west of Albuquerque, NM

It was a short drive today and we stayed at Route 66 RV Resort, a part of the Route 66 Casino.  This is an absolutely beautiful nearly new (only 2 years old) park with large, well laid out sites.  We would definitely stay here again.  It was less than half full and there was lots of space to walk the dogs.  After a few nights of gourmet dinners we had a cheap dinner tonight of hot dogs and baked beans.

Tuesday, 10/23: 269 miles and parked at Walnut RV Park in Vega, Texas

Got on the road about 11:00 and pulled into Vega, Texas about 4:30.  We went from Mountain Time to Central Time when we crossed the New Mexico - Texas border.  Walnut RV Park is a small, family run park and it was nearly empty.  Right across the street was a small Mexican Restaurant called Roosters that got great reviews on Trip Advisor, so we went there for dinner.  The place was old and quaint with lots of local flavor, and we had a great meal.

Wednesday, 10/24: 192 miles and parked at Elk City KOA in Foss, Oklahoma

It rained all day and was 47 and raining when we pulled into campground about 1:00.  At 1:00 we were the only ones here, but by 7:00 the campground was nearly full.  It rained so much that when went out of the camper to walk the dogs I stepped in an inch of water.   GRRRR.  The rest of the afternoon I tried to get caught up on the travel blog, along with naps and some reading.  We tried making Cornell chicken for dinner in the Instant Pot, and it was a disaster.  The only flavor we could taste was vinegar.  By morning the rain had quit, and ground had dried out.

Thursday, 10/25:  204 miles and parked at Checotah KOA, Checotah, Oklahoma

Friday, 10/26:  218 miles and parked at Hot Springs KOA in Hot Springs, Arkansas

We drove I-40 for 75 miles, and then on two lane Route 71 and 270 the rest of the way.  It was only about a 3 hour drive and we checked in to the KOA about 2:00.

This is a really nice park and is built on a hillside with most of sites terraced.  For some reason we got upgraded to a deluxe patio site, which was absolutely gorgeous.  Even though it was a little chilly with the temperature in low the 60's, we sat outside for a drink on the patio.  For the rest of the day we watched some TV, read, and worked on travel blog posts.

Saturday, 10/27:

Today we visited bathhouse row in the unique Hot Springs National Park.  This is the only National Park located within a city's limits.  There are natural hot springs of 144 degree water that were first used by Native Americans.  The wooden bathhouses built in the late 1800's were replaced by ornate marble structures in the early 1900's.  Each one tried to be more lavish than the other.  As modern medicine replaced the old remedies of soaking in hot water, most of them closed.  There are only 2 still functioning.  Others have new uses, such as a National Park Visitor Center and a brewery.

We did some Walmart grocery shopping in the afternoon.  We sat outside around the fire pit for a gin and tonic, and then watched the World Series game after a simple dinner of hotdogs and baked beans.  After dinner we sat outside around the fire pit.

Tomorrow we move on to West Memphis, Arkansas.

2018 Fall Western Trip: Holbrook, Arizona

Saturday, 10/20:  211 miles and parked at Holbrook KOA, Holbrook Arizona

We didn't leave very early because of the half marathon in Page today.  The race ended at the campground, thus some roads were closed.  When we did leave, it was a nice drive south on Rt 89 and then east on I-40.  Checked in at Holbrook about 3:00.  It is an all gravel park, which is typical of the western parks.  

Sunday, 10/21:

Sunshine and 60 when we left for the driving tour of Petrified Forest National Park about 11:00.  It was a nice drive that took about 4 hours.  The petrified logs were about 217 million years old.  Amazing!!  Because of Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics, this area of Arizona was located near the equator then and was rain forest and sea swamp.  More recently, some 1500 years ago, Native Americans took up residence in the area and they left remnants of petroglyphs and villages.

On the way back to the camper, we stopped at The Empty Pockets Saloon, located on Old Route 66.  It's just a couple blocks from the campground.  What a nice time we had.  The bar is old and really interesting.  It seems to be a local hangout, and the bar tender was very friendly.

Main street Holbrook is located on the Old Route 66.  Most of the old gas stations and motels are closed as a result of the building of Interstate 40.  However, the Wigwam Motel is still functioning.

For dinner, it was left over soup.  Tomorrow we move on and continue our trek east.

2018 Fall Western Trip: Page, Arizona

Wednesday, 10/17:  178 mikes and parked at Wahweap RV Park outside Page, Arizona

Site C-5

View of Lake Powell from the campsite.

We arrived about 2:00 to pouring rain, and set up in the rain.  Just our luck, the rain stopped 15 minutes later and the sun came out.  This is an absolutely beautiful campground located in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.  It is probably one of the nicest places we have ever camped at.

There was no TV service, so we watched 2 DVD movies after dinner.

Thursday, 10/18:

Sunshine and warm today.  Judy doesn't particularly light heights, such as the Glen Canyon Bridge, so I found  the local Safeway grocery store and pick up a few necessities.  On the way back to the camper, I stopped and visited the Hayden Visitor Center at the Glen Canyon Dam.  As an AP Environmental Science teacher, I used to talk about the book Cadillac Desert and the damning of the Colorado River.  The Sierra Club always regretted not opposing the Glen Canyon project strong enough.  The Visitor Center puts a very well done, by the way much more positive spin on the advantages of the dam.  Interesting to look at the other side of the argument.  

Glen Canyon Bridge over the Colorado River

Glen Canyon Dm from the bridge

We had lunch back at the camper.  Several friends had recommended a visit to Upper Antelope Slot Canyon.  I went online and got the last available slot at 3:30.  The canyon is on Navaho land, and the only way to visit is by a reservation. I was in a group of about 12 people, so the tour was intimate and personal.  Our guide, Ricky, conducted an amazing tour.  Since we were the last tour of day, he dawdled a bit and spent a lot of time with us.  Ricky is a professional photographer on the side, and taught us a lot of tips on the iPhones and took a lot of individualized pictures of each of us.  It was an amazing afternoon.

I was back to the camper by 6:00,  had a quick dinner of hot dogs, and then we watched 2 more movies on DVD.

Friday, 10/19:

I went to see Horseshoe Bend this morning.  I actually went yesterday about noon, but the parking lot was full, so I turned around.  This morning I got there at 8:00, and there were only a few cars in the parking lot.  By 9:30 the overlook was becoming too crowded, so I left. The early morning was not the best light, which would be about noon, but there was going to be too many people by then.  Most are foreign visitors and I wonder if people realize how much our tourist industry relies on foreign visitors.

View of the Page area/

Trail down to Horseshoe Bend

Sunrise at Horseshoe Bend

On the way back, I booked a 10:30 Glen Canyon Power Dam tour.  It was really interesting.  We went down 64 floors from observation deck.  It was 11 floors to the dam top and then another 53 floors to the base of the dam.  Along the way, I learned that Lake Powell is the 2nd largest man made reservoir by volume, and the largest by shoreline.  Lake Mead at Hoover Dam is the largest by volume.

View of Glen Canyon Bridge looking up from the top of the dam.

Walking the top of the dam.

Flags along the top of the dam.

At the base of the dam looking up.

After lunch, we went to the Lake Powell Marina and did some shopping for souvenirs,

Lake Powell Marina

We had a homemade gourmet dinner of pan seared scallops over spinach and bacon to celebrate our last night at Lake Powell.  We watched 2 more DVD movies before bed.

Tomorrow, Saturday, we are off to continue our eastward trip home.  Our next stop will be Holbrook, Arizona.