Page/Lake Powell AZ

Waiting in Page AZ

It's so darned frustrating... just waiting on something you have no control over! Our Doctor  in NM is on vacation and apparently left nobody in charge for authorizing refills for prescriptions!  We started trying to get Chuck's prescription refilled while we were still in Hurricane Utah and nothing before we left. WalMart pharmacy told us they would forward it to Page as soon as the approval came through.  We stayed here in Page an extra day, called the clinic and made the request again, and still no prescription for Chuck!    :-(

Usually, when we come to the Page/Lake Powell area we camp at Wahweap Campground .  Their prices have gone sky high but it is a beautiful campground and worth every penny! 
http://phunnyfarm.blogspot.com/2011/07/lake-powell-at-wahweap-campground.html
So we decided to try the more affordable Page-Lake Powell Campground on 849 Coppermine Road.


It's is $23 here for water and electric and it is a very nice campground close to the WalMart Pharmacy (should we need to run over there!)

 Page is a small town created when Glen Canyon dam was built. Much like how our hometown of Truth or Consequences NM emerged from the Elephant Butte dam!  See DoogieBowser grabbing his leash? He likes to walk himself!

 This campground is huge! As you can tell from the sign on the laundry, the main campers here are Europeans! They come in the RV rentals, Cruise America's etc.  There are at least 3 huge groups of teen tenters here also from Europe. Perfect time for the Europeans to come, the dollar is so devalued that  they can travel far on their euros and our gas is about $2 cheaper per gallon than their gas is back home. 

We are very happy where they put us in the campground. Off in a corner by ourselves. We had no close neighbors here, nice!

The east side of the campground is a huge red rock, and they have created an interesting hiking trail there.  Page-Lake Powell Campground offers an indoor pool, hot tub, exercise room, laundry and is dog friendly.

Chuck and I have the best luck in finding amazing restaurants!  In Page we found "Fiesta Mexicana" and OMG!!!!  It is amazing! (Gaelyn, they have one in Kanab!) The campground folks highly recommended this restaurant to us and we were glad they did! 

 The salsa that comes with the chips is good, but you haven't tasted good guacamole until you have tried it here!  YUM!

 Our server was Fernando, funny, friendly and delightful! He gave good service and we asked for him the next 2 nights we visited! Hey, good Mexican food is hard to find in Utah... we were making up for lost time now that we were in Arizona!

 Chuck got a chimichunga and I got chicken enchiladas with verde sauce. The servings were HUGE and very moderately priced!

The patio outside is colorful and it really feels like a happy place inside and out to enjoy your meal!
I do want to put in a word here about the folks who come from other countries and rent the motorhome RV's.  I just wish you would figure out the speed limit signs and stay on the right side of the road and not drive down the middle! Yesterday we followed a Cruise America RV for 44 miles from Mexican Hat to Bluff UT. The speed limit was posted at 65... They drove most of it over the middle line at 45mph except when going downhill! And there are several long downhill 7%-9% grades where I was wondering if they had found where the brake pedal was yet! EeeeeeK! Because of their erratic driving we opted NOT to pass them with the MotherShip but to follow with flashers on. Only 2 cars attempted to pass them and one nearly got sideswiped as the rental RV drifted over in the left lane, I don't think they ever used the rear view or side mirrors to see if anyone else was sharing the road with them! Of course I agree, the scenery from Mexican Hat to Bluff is awesome and amazing, BUT !!! Please... PAY ATTENTION!
Last night we landed in one of our favorite campgrounds, Cadillac Ranch in Bluff Utah!
Bluff is a perfect place to spend a few days or weeks just exploring the Southwest! Great location! Less than an hour to Monument Valley, http://phunnyfarm.blogspot.com/2011/07/monument-valley-tour.html

or Hovenweep or Canyonlands National Parks, Moab, The Goosenecks State Park, Valley of the Gods and some of the most amazingly beautiful country America has to offer! Less than 3 hours from here is four corners and Mesa Verde National Park. Usually we just plunk ourselves down right here at the Cadillac Ranch for several days and go exploring! This part of Utah is one that will keep your jaw dragging on the ground, it is just so beautiful.... it screams "THIS is the SouthWest!" to me! It defines the American southwest better than any other place we have visited.  More later in the next blog! 
Love ya'll!
Geri, Chuck and our HoundHerd Scotty, DoogieBowser and Radar!



Grand Canyon - North Rim

DAY ONE - REACHING THE RIM

It was gloomy, hot, humid and overcast when we finally left Willowinds RV Park in Hurricane UT.

A very nice and affordable alternative to camping closer to Zion!

When we arrived on Wednesday, we just sat outside and visited with Gaelyn for awhile! What a treat just to sit outside! The weather was low 80's coooool compared with the 100+ temps of Zion and Hurricane for the past few months! What a treat to sleep with all the windows open and need a blanket!

On Thursday morning, we got up fairly early and Gaelyn took us sightseeing! Talk about a tour guide.. !!! Gaelyn has been a National Park Ranger for some 20 years, the last 5 have been as a ranger at the Grand Canyon North Rim! We met via our blogs. Gaelyn has been blogging several years and so have we, we just recently started reading each others blogs! When Gaelyn had mentioned in her blog that she was coming down to Hurricane to shop.. I invited her to come for a visit, which she did!

She invited us up to the North Rim when we finished our time in Hurricane. We agreed! Please feel free to visit Gaelyn's blog: http://geogypsytraveler.com

Gaelyn found us this beautiful camping area near the rim and under all these beautiful pine trees!

We took a traditional pose with Angel's Window behind us, Gaelyn was kind enough to take the

picture for us!

There is a short trail out over Angel's Window. But by this time the altitude had gotten to me. The North Rim is over 8,000 feet high. I felt like I had an elephant on my chest, so I handed the camera to Chuck and walked back to a bench hoping to grab some oxygen!

Oooops! I did take this photograph and the one below of Gaelyn.  Then I pooped out and found a bench! It was so cool to see rain approaching the inner canyon!

Gaelyn captures images for her blog!

It was really different seeing both sun and rain in the canyon! The colors are magnificent!

We watched as the storm approached the inner canyon.  This is a very rare sight for visitors! We were so lucky!

Then we moved to a different viewpoint. I stayed in the car, trying to breath as Chuck took these amazing photographs!

Proof that wet rocks are more colorful than dry ones!
As close as we were to the rain, we never got rained on!

WOW!

Amazing job with the camera Chuck!  You just might have a new job!

Imperial Point was our last stop for the day! Even though I wasn't able to participate as much as I wanted, I had a wonderful time! Thank you Gaelyn.

DAY TWO

Breakfast at the Lodge and

Native American Heritage Festival

 Gaelyn picked us up about 9:30am and took us to breakfast at the Grand Canyon Lodge, overlooking the beautiful canyon through huge picture windows! I had wonderful eggs benedict, Chuck had a breakfast burrito, Gaelyn and FabGrandma had 2 eggs with hashbrowns bacon and sausage.  We all waddled outta there! Here you see L to right: Chuck, Gaelyn and Karen (FabGrandma).Link to FabGrandma's blog:
http://fabgrandma.com/

FabGrandma took this candid shot of Chuck and I on the patio outside the restaurant.

 Just below where Chuck and I were standing is a shot walk to another viewpoint!  I remember walking down there with my mom soooo many years ago!

After breakfast, I was still feeling yuckkky, so we went back to The MotherShip to rest up until the festivities started at 2 pm.  One thing for sure to remember about the North Rim, it is not nearly as crowded as the South Rim and it is beautiful! It's not as accessible as the south rim, nor as big, but if I had to choose between the South Rim and the North Rim for a visit, I would choose North Rim everytime!

2 pm came and I was still feeling yuckkky  Darn, I really wanted to attend the festival!  I decided against going and handed my camera over to Chuck once again.  He did a great job!

ZUNI DANCERS

 Hopi Basket Weaving

This young lady, Ranger Susan, put this whole festival together herself!  Thank you Susan!

Hand woven, beautiful Navajo Rugs!

Hopi Dancers

Father and son Hoop Dancers

  Hopi   Singers....  young son also plays drum!

Father and son also dance The Eagle Dance

 Another day comes to an end. Saturday Chuck and I drove to Page and it is from here I am posting this blog. Down 4,000 feet lower, the elephant is off my chest and I am feeling much better! We will be here one more day as Chuck has
to pick up his meds at WalMart and then Tuesday we head up to Bluff Utah via Monument Valley and a quick visit to our friend Emanual Grey!

I must say that it feels so good to be back on the road again! Seems like we were in Hurricane for such a long time, but we made some new friends while we were there. It just feels good to have some wind in our sails again!

We love ya'll and hope you enjoyed the visit to the North Rim Grand Canyon! 
Happy Trails from the crew of the MotherShip:
Chuck, Geri, and our HoundHerd Scotty, DoogieBowser and Radar!



Chillin' in Hurricane Utah

We have been in a very nice campground in Hurricane Utah, Willowinds RV Park. Very nice with grass, trees and moderately priced. One we can recommend for RV'ers.  We came here for repairs to The MotherShip, our 5th wheel RV and Nielson RV was basically across the road.  Bryce, our mechanic did a great job!

The doggies needed a bath and a haircut!

Chuck clipped DoogieBowser...

and I clipped Radar! Both dogs are very easy

to clip, they were ready to get all that long hair off

at 110 degrees outside!

DoogieBowser guards my sandal after his haircut. We need to trim his top a bit more.

Radar looks much thinner too but mmmm, those EARS!

Grandpa Dog Scotty at 17 years old just got a good bath and brushing!

 

 After making the HoundHerd all handsome with new hairdo's, I decided it was Chuck's turn!

Just a few more inches and he will cut his hair,

donating it to wigs for cancer survivors.

One of our blogging buddies, Gaelyn from http://geogypsytraveler.com/ came for a visit.  Gaelyn works as a ranger at Grand Canyon National Park, north rim about 80 miles from here.  We will be visiting her the weekend of August 10th. Native American Heritage happening that weekend.

The day The MotherShip went in for repairs, Chuck and I headed up Kolob Reservior Road with the HoundHerd looking for a cool place to spend the day.
It is 20 degrees cooler up here than down in Hurricane!

20 degrees cooler and drop dead gorgeous! Slickrock formations on the way....

This road is the western end of Zion National Park and it is beautiful!

Nice place for a ranch huh ???

Monsoon season is here bringing the temperature down and refreshing rains!

We are going to chill here until we leave to go visit Gaelyn at the North Rim.
We are paid up until Aug. 10th, and we are in no hurry. Hurricane works for us!
After we leave Gaelyn and the Grand Canyon behind, we head for more of our favorite Utah places,
Panguitch,Torrey, Bluff and Monument Valley!  YaY!
Then Canyon de Chelly and head on home to New Mexico!  You are welcome to come aboard The MotherShip and hit the backroads with us via the blog! 
Happy Trails from Geri, Chuck and the HoundHerd!