SHOE TREE ????

WE HAVE A SHOE TREE TOO!

I have lurked around Ed and Carol's blogspot every now and again when I see their name posted on the Bayfield Bunch Blog's sidebar. (How do you do that sidebar thingee anyways?) This week they posted about a shoe tree they found in Oregon and wondered if theirs was the only one..... it is not!  We have one here, just outside our gate of Zion River RV Resort in Virgin Utah.  I wanted to share their shoe tree with you and then show you ours!

http://edandcarol.blogspot.com/2012/05/shoe-tree.html 

THE ZION SHOE TREE!

This has become one of the mysteries of the Universe? Who would plant a shoe tree?

Why would one plant a shoe tree? This is a tree that bears no fruit, but often we see travellers stopping to offer another shoe to the shoe tree!

 Sorry Ed and Carol, but I think this shoe tree has a better environment in which to grow! Right next to a thriving ostrich farm on one side, the Virgin River behind it and all of those layers upon layers of amazing rocks all different colors!

The red scarves were added in just the past day or so....  guess they didn't have a spare shoe!

Just wanted to show you our MotherShip docked at Zion River RV Resort! We love the lush green carpet of grass and all the shade trees!

Thank you to Ed and Carol for sharing their shoe tree! Wouldn't it be fun if you had a shoe tree in your neighborhood to share with us? Maybe the shoe tree isn't as rare as we thought!

I had asked Al about getting rid of the two word verification symbol in order to post a comment on my blog because he doesn't have that on his. Al said that it allows way too much spam to interfere with his comments! So please, I think I will keep the 2 word verification and keep out the spammers! If you don't want to respond here, in the comment section, you can always use the email listed above! Thanks for understanding!  Coming to you from The MotherShip, Geri, Chuck and the HoundHerd!

VINTAGE COMES TO ZION

A VINTAGE BUS ROLLS INTO ZION

Class of 1947 is owned by 2 nice guys, brothers from PA! I don't know much about them yet, but I asked permission to take these bus photos!

Chuck says this bus even comes with tubed tires!

TALK ABOUT VINTAGE!

These folks get together about once a month, whether it's a cruise on a boat or an RV, they have fun! They call themselves the P.O.O.F. club!

Needless to say, they have a great time wherever they go!

We meet a lot of interesting folks here at Zion River Resort RV Park!  A fun job!

Reporting from The MotherShip, Geri, Chuck and the HoundHerd Scotty, DoogieBowser and Radar!

Kolob and Zion National Park part 2!

THE ROAD THROUGH ZION TO  KOLOB PART 2

Last blog I told you how the second part of this trip to Kolob Reservoir scared me to death! It was 24 miles from Virgin, Utah to the reservoir and we went from about 3,300 feet in elevation to over 8,000 feet in elevation! But it took 24 miles to go up some 5,000 feet! Coming down is a totally different experience!  I couldn't find any information on how many miles it is from the reservoir to I-15.... but I am sure it's a whole lot less than 24 miles down! Like maybe 12 miles???? Felt like 12 miles anyways!

Here is a link with some useful information about the trip UP!

http://www.americansouthwest.net/utah/zion/kolob_canyons.html

At the reservoir, there are several really nice places, summer homes. Some are like small mansions actually! But Chuck and I really liked the small cabin that had an outstanding view of the lake!

The road continued around the lake. It was NOT well marked. We used our GPS to get us to the interstate!
If you look directly across the lake, you will see the road continue on. Just past what you can see, the road was still pretty muddy and rutted due to snow melt!

There was still quite a few pockets of snow tucked in here and there!

This road is maintained by Chuck Hajek! There was a bright blue beer can on the side of the road that just didn't help the view at all, so Chuck got out and picked up that can and another can and a plastic bottle that was carelessly tossed to the side of the road! YaY Chuck!

When you get up to the top, by the reservoir, everything flattens out to prairie grasslands.

Did I mention that it was dirt roads all the way down to the interstate???  But seeing these quirky quaky Aspen trees brought smiles....

Then we saw where an Aspen had fallen across the road, fortunately we arrived after  some nice someone had sawed through and left room to pass.  Here is where I gave up the steering wheel to Chuck, I just had one of those feelings!

Uh Huh!  Okay! This is where DOWN starts!

An interesting lava rock takes my attention from the road that is headed DOWN!

AND more down!  See that itty bitty road under the arrow?  It's DOWN! See the outer edge of the dirt road? Straight down from there! See the sharp right hand turn? Much sharper than it looks when you are headed DOWN!

 A fairly level stretch on the downhill ride! There were very few places where I actually felt secure enough to take a deep breath and take a photograph!

Like here, a nice pretty little waterfall on my side of the road. Then we turned the corner....

Oh yeah! This is what I have been talking about! A dirt road barely wide enough for one vehicle and a steep drop off at a very sharp switchback curve!

In the second turn of that switchback....

in the third sharp turn and drop off of the switchback....

Ok, so it's just another switchback!  This whole road is nothing but slippery gravel and sharp curves with steep drop-off edges!

 However, on my side of the road, I get to see some neat rocks.....

 And an old mining shaft.....

OMG! Then I look straight ahead!!!!

I take my eyes off the steep drop-off ahead and see another old mine shaft out my window! Chuck pointed both mine shafts out to me. Now keep in mind that my sweet husband was supposed to be driving with his eyes on the road! Yet he manages to see old mining equipment off to the side!

Ok, this is where I stopped taking pictures and started screaming! That bright pink arrow is pointing to the interstate.  Straight down from here! Ok.  I survived. We all survived!

 But  when Chuck got me down to the interstate and safely back home, he mixed me a very strong drink! Hurmph! He shoulda made me a drink or two before starting down this road!  Not one of my favorite roads! It's not even nearly as pretty as the road up and I must have at least 20 or more new grey hairs!

Let this be a warning to you! LOL!

Hope you enjoyed the downhill trip as much as I didn't! :-)  Reporting from The MotherShip and her crew: Chuck, Geri, Scotty, DoogieBowser and Radar!

Now I am going to do something I don't usually do...
show you another blog! From travellinglongdogs! She visited a bunch of ladies in Texas who got together with their vintage, restored, redecorated travel trailers and held an open house to raise money for the Wounded Warriors Project, a very worth cause! After taking my scary ride, you will peobably love the fun in this link!


http://travelinglongdogs.blogspot.com/2012/04/getaway-gals-trailer-tour.html?showComment=1337356480634#c7498632724427725067

Kolob and Zion National Park

THE ROAD THROUGH ZION TO KOLOB

Yesterday was a fun day!  Well, the first half was fun, the second half was terrifying for this woman from the flatlands of Florida!  We took the drive up to Kolob Reservoir.  I took so many photos, the ride up and the scary ride down! We did the full experience!  Took the road all the way from Virgin UT to the Reservoir, all paved... and then the road from the Reservoir to I-15, all dirt!  Don't even try that back half without 4X4! I even might suggest you leave your screaming. height challenged woman at home! Jeeze Louise what a ride!

This blog is about the first half....   not even ready to edit the photos from the 2nd half yet!

As Chuck and I returned from breakfast this morning,

I couldn't help but remark about the beauty of Utah! More beauty than the eyes or the heart can hold!

There is a technical name for layered color of rocks like these, but I call them Mother Nature's petticoats!

Every corner offers beauty!

Looking down into the canyon below... the rock on the left is lava rock.

The road up to Kolob Reservoir goes in and out of Zion National Park. In my opinion, this ride shows more beauty than in the actual park!

Need I say more ???

The beauty just overwhelms me! Chuck took most of the photographs up to the reservoir because I was driving.  I am so proud of him, he really takes a great portrait of the amazing landscape in front of us!

The further up you go, the landscape changes, flatter land with the rocks thrusting up out of the earth.

 Then around the next curve, the scenery changes once again!

Textures of the Earth left open bare and beautiful!

Chuck and I spot a shady pine grove and decide to walk the hound herd. Chuck offers to walk the dogs while I go explore the path below.

The path led through the brush and opened up to this amazing view!

 This was another view at the end of the path...

And then we wandered onto a field full of black-eyed susan flowers!

The next curve broght Quaking Aspen trees, just beginning their spring bloom at about 8,000 feet!

And finally the reservoir

Finally, 24 miles later we arrive at the Kolob Reservoir!

To copy some information from a brochure, "This area is the little known jewel if Zion. Located along the western edge of Zion National Park it offers spectacular views of red rock mountains, Eagle or Condor sightings, hiking trails, pictographs in Cave Valley and fishing in the reservoir. The temperature is usually 10 - 15 degrees cooler because of the higher elevation. In it's lower regions, the Kolob is a lush world of red cliffs.... "

We hope you enjoyed this 24 mile journey with us!

Happy Trails from the Crew of the MotherShip: Geri, Chuck and our hound herd Scotty, DoogieBowser and Radar!