Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Our time at Mystic Hot Springs was great. We managed to get some serious weeding done in exchange for free camping and use of the hot springs. The girls especially liked the cooler, shallower pool that was designed with kids in mind. Meanwhile, the warmer, deeper adjacent pool seemed to uncurl hidden knots in Doug and Denise. A few travelers had suggested we include Capitol Reef National Park in our southern Utah itinerary. We had initially planned to skip it in favor of more time at Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks. Our 9-month anniversary of being on the road fell on Memorial Day (May 25) so we elected to spend 1 night at Capitol Reef National Park and take it easy. To our surprise and delight, a "feature" inside the park was an historic cottage that sold homemade fruit pies - in keeping with the tradition of those hardy (and arguably quite insane) Mormon families that carved a fruit orchard and farming land out of a harsh, barren desert environment that is today's Capitol Reef. The park is beautiful because of the fruit orchards -- a soothing and mellow green in the stark redness of the hard rock canyon walls all around -- where the campgrounds are located. We splurged on 4 small pies and munched happily as we reflected on our last month since being in Grand Canyon and hiking 1.5 miles down the Bright Angel trail below the south rim. An early night to bed was matched with an early start as we headed out of Capitol Reef toward Bryce Canyon at 8am this morning. While a relatively short driving distance it took us a good 4-5 hours to reach Bryce Canyon. Our scenic journey took us over 9,600 foot mountain passes where quaking Aspen trees intersperse with pine and open meadows are carved with clear running brooks, before plummeting once again into dry desert canyons along roads that offered little shoulder and steep drop-offs on either side. Along our route we stopped in at the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and were surprised with the strong science focus of this park. In what has become an almost reflexive reaction both the girls took up the challenge of completing a Junior Ranger equivalent package and are now Junior Scientists of this great national monument. Bryce Canyon greeted us with a warm afternoon and a pleasant sprinkle provided by nearby thunderstorms. Because of high elevation we might dip down to freezing temperatures overnight. But tomorrow we plan to do a morning hike -- along the rim and into the canyon -- in hopefully 55-65F sunshine.

Monroe, Utah - Mystic Hot Springs

We had to leave Moab because the town - and all RV sites - were booked solid for the Memorial Day long weekend. (A lack of planning foresight on our part).

Opting for a reprieve from desert life - even through our Moab visit was a real treat with Arches and Canyonlands NP visits, and a family morning outing on the world famous Slickrock mountain bike trail - we found a small place called Monroe about 180 miles mostly west of Moab to escape to.

The Mystic Hot Springs in Monroe were listed in our WWOOF booklet ("Willing Workers On Organic Farms"). We called ahead and arranged 2-3 hours of work each day for free camping and unlimited access to the Hot Springs.

We took a soak after dinner this evening and loved it - especially since a cold rain storm had blown in.

We're close to a snow capped mountain - meaning cooler days and nights. This fairly basic, quiet campground has lush, green grass... and we're delighted to be living with grass again instead of grit!

More adventures and exploration to follow.

Moab, Utah

It’s been a dry, dusty and hot few days since leaving Mesa Verde. A small heat wave seems to have washed over southwest Utah and we’ve been caught in it. Amidst the beauty of canyons, arches, bridges, spires, mesas, needles and other water and wind-worn rock formations -- and a side trip to the Four Corners -- we had two unusual experiences. The first was ascending the Moki Dugway. In the 1950’s Uranium mining companies built a road down the side of a steep Mesa so their trucks could reach the valley floor below and their processing plants located there. The plant was just outside the amazing Monument Valley and Valley of the Gods. Leaving those areas to head toward Natural Bridges National Monument, the Moki Dugway is the most direct – and most exhilarating route – up onto the Mesa. Road signs warn of vehicle size, weight and towing limitations. Additional warnings tell of unmaintained roads and speed limits of 5 MPH. The approach to the Mesa is a frontal assault with the road leading directly toward the base of the Mesa. Then the road commences a steep, narrow, winding climb making the 1,200 foot ascent in just a few miles with 4 major switchbacks, two minor ones and a steep drop-off for failure to stay on the road. There is no turning around and limited options to pull-out to let traffic by. What a ride! We were buzzed to be on the road and to successfully make it to the top. In contrast to our delight were a lot of frozen faces on the people we passed who were about to drive DOWN the road. Another incident happened in the late afternoon while camping in the Needles section of Canyonlands. The temperature had soared to 96 F and the baking sun had forced us to take cover under the shade of a nearby tree. We put up the van awning to maximize our shade then set out some maps and papers on the picnic table to study Utah route options. There was a slight shift in the faint breeze that was blowing but we paid no attention. Suddenly, a dust cloud appeared behind the van traveling fast toward us. It was swirling, picking up tumble weeds and sucking fine, red dust high into the air. Before we could react the outside edge of the awning was whipped skyward – like a giant sail - rising high above the level of the van. It only stayed in place because of being attached to the van. But the extendable legs on the outer edge of the awning were now bucking and kicking wildly in mid-air. The violent dust cloud moved over our campsite. Doug quickly grabbed for the flying awning legs to anchor it down and was soon enveloped in sand blasting red dust. Denise, trying to secure the papers on the picnic table by pinning them with her hands and body, was also being sand blasted as the mini-tornado whipped through. We were forced to close our eyes and stop breathing as we could feel dust being blown in our ears and nose as we held on. It was brief but intense. Within 20-30 seconds the awning settled down. The “dust devil” had passed through. In cleaning up, Denise noticed she had as much red sand INSIDE her sunglasses as she did on the outside. It was a short but humbling beating we’d taken from mother nature demonstrating how she can carve and shape the landscape. We had lost three papers in the blast. We quickly scouted around and found one caught in scrub near the campground. But two others were missing. We looked directly skyward. Two loose leaf papers were doing a dance of sorts, flying upward gently and gracefully above our campsite – their whiteness made all the more stark against the clear blue sky. We sat for nearly five minutes watching them as they soared higher and higher – easily reaching 500 feet and probably higher. Two black crows even flew by to check them out. The strange part was their vertical ascent. It was in a somewhat fixed position. They did not drift around in the sky but continued straight upward. There was no red dust to outline the shape of the mini-tornado but it was clear the force was still at work. Eventually the papers seemed to plateau then began a slow drift downward – eventually landing just 100 yards from our campsite. Quite bizarre. To cap things off, that evening at around 2:30am another dust storm hit us. The van rocked and buffeted in the wind. We looked out to see nearby tent-campers securing their sites. As a way to manage the oppressive heat we had left the side window open on our van, next to our bed. In return we were treated to an unwelcome light dusting of fine red desert soil that covered our window ledge, sleeping bags and bed.

Journey Facts: An Overview

We have been on the road for 263 nights and have traveled 17,000 miles through 30 states (including Ontario and Quebec). Nearly 40% of our nights have been free stays -- either staying with family, friends or dry camping in national forests. We've spent $22,700 to date with 25% on food, 25% on accommodation, 12% on meals out, 10% on fuel, 8% on activities (such as park entry fees, museums, etc), 6% on vehicle servicing and maintenance and the remainder on other items (like laundry, postage, gifts, clothes, haircuts, souvenirs, etc). We've averaged just under 20 MPG. National Parks (and National Monuments) we've visited include: Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Devils Tower, Badlands, Niagara Falls, Acadia, National Mall inWashington DC, Everglades, Big Bend, Guadalupe, Carlsbad Caverns, Chiricahua, Saguaro, Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, Painted Desert, Mesa Verde. Big cities we've visited include: Chicago, Quebec City, Boston, Cape Cod, New York, Long Island, Washington DC, Key West, Orlando, New Orleans, Austin, San Antonio, Tuscon, Phoenix, Albuquerque, and Santa Fe. Ahead of us, in the next two months before we arrive home in Seattle full-time, is southern Utah, Las Vegas, California, Nevada, Oregon, and Hawaii.

Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

The high plateau of southwestern Colorado has given us a reprieve from the dry dusty conditions of Arizona and New Mexico. Blue skies have been following us for weeks now. Spring weather is warming the mountains just as it was heating the desert. From Taos, New Mexico we headed for the beautiful mountain town of Durango, Colorado with an overnight stop on Chama which really introduced us to our new terrain. We’ve finally left the dry, dusty deserts of Arizona and New Mexico and are traveling in the land of cows, horses, green pastures, babbling brooks and snow-capped distant mountains that accent the skyline. This is Colorado. Rivers and streams are gorged with snow melt. Birds and bugs are out in abundance. We are cleaning our windscreen after most driving days to clear the array of splotches and splats that collect there. Most amazing is the bright yellow splotches – usually larger than most. We’ve yet to identify what the bug might be before they enter their after-life on our windscreen. Entering Durango, we all commented that it is a lot like Washington State (but without the rain and low gray clouds). With a river running through the center of town, an historic old part of town complemented with more modern shops, a small population, access to great biking, rafting, skiing and hiking, nearby farm land, and a definite “outdoors living” feel, Durango has so much we like in a small town. It has even won Doug’s vote as the most livable small town we’ve visited so far on our journey. More amazing, our Seattle-loving Rose has commented that she "could live here" (high praise, indeed). We spent 3 nights with friends on their 10-acre farm just south of town and used the days to look around. A morning mountain bike ride to the nearby reservoir created an excellent home-school moment as we watched hundreds of Dragon Fly larvae crawling out of the lake. On this warm Spring morning they would still themselves on a rock, break out of their larvae shells, dry themselves in the sun, then fly off. It was great! On Mother’s Day we visited with new friends, Chris and Vicki, who once lived on the west coast and now called Durango home. With them we enjoyed an excellent barbecue and captivating conversation while the girls tried out badminton in the backyard. Vicki had recently returned to mountain biking as her main recreational pursuit and Chris was busy getting their 10-acre property north of town ready for organic fruit growing, having spent the last few years conditioning the soil. Both work as consultants in the energy efficiency space so there was a wide exchange of ideas. The night was capped with a visit to Chris’s “boys” room where we all tried out his collection of classic pin ball machines. Hungering for another hot springs experience, we spent a large part of Monday at “Trimble”, a hot springs and spa located just 7 miles north of town. With a heated outdoor Olympic size pool and two smaller (and hotter) pools set at the base of the hills, it was easy to spend the day paddling around and enjoying the surrounds. We imagined how much fun the place must be when it is snowing. Denise enjoyed a 1-hour massage as our Mothers Day gift to her and came back out to the pool as a smiling limp noodle to spend the rest of the afternoon with us swimming and soaking. Leaving Durango yesterday, we headed to Mesa Verde National Park (less than an hour away) and were surprised to find their campground closed. We opted to visit the park for a few hours, camp nearby and will return for a longer visit today. Last night we stayed in Cortez – about 9 miles east of Mesa Verde. We’ve been told that the very popular “Phil’s World” mountain bike trail is near Cortez so are planning to do a family ride in the next day or so. Cortez is another cute small town. There is an amazing city park just across the road that includes soccer fields, a skate park, swimming pools, courts and lots of open grassy space. We’re still discovering the town but like what we’ve seen so far. At Mesa Verde we squeezed in one guided tour and were thrilled to be climbing ladders once again to see thousand year old cliff dwellings. The real fun was crawling through a small entrance/exit tunnel created by the ancient Pueblo people as a means to protect their homes. This was followed by a steep cliff climb as we scaled our way back up to the car park. We have planned another Park Ranger guided tour today then will visit other parts of this huge park on our own using the self-guided tour books.

Taos, New Mexico

We've been doing a lot of "dry" camping lately without access to cell phone or Internet coverage. Travel updates have been sparse/non-existent as a result.

Leaving Albuquerque we visited the spectacular Bandalier National Monument and enjoyed immensely the ladder climbing and scrambling through ancient pueblo's set in canyon walls.

Unfortunately, Rose was sick for a few days so we had to skip the 2 mile hike to the natural hot springs we'd originally planned.

Three days in Santa Fe left us hungering for more with it's great art, food and architecture.

We've just left Taos after a very personal and localized visit there thanks to the warmth and openess of a fellow New Zealander, Joy, who we met at the Santa Fe Farmers Market selling her Yak meat.

We camped one night next to a rushing stream a few miles down from the Taos Ski Valley and the second night in Joy's street. We visited the Earthship Community on our way out of Taos this morning and were captivated by the amazing sustainable housing designs.

After climbing over a 10,000 foot pass we've set up in quiet Chama for our last night in New Mexico before heading to Durango, Colorado tomorrow for a few nights stay.

Albuquerque, New Mexico

A hot dry wind has been blowing over the desert these last few days of travel. It followed us out of Grand Canyon National Park and into Holbrook where we camped overnight to enjoy a half-day tour of the nearby Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park. It also followed us as we headed out of Arizona along Interstate 40 and into New Mexico where we stopped overnight at the Sky City RV campground on the Acoma Indian Reservation. And it blew coolly as we splashed around in the heated outdoor swimming pool at the nearby Casino Hotel (complimentary with our camping fee). The next day it dropped off to a slight breeze as we toured the amazing Sky City – an Acoma Pueblo atop a large mesa that is the oldest, most continuously inhabited pueblo in the United States. On Wednesday afternoon, as we pulled into Albuquerque, the wind finally dropped off. The travel leg between Grand Canyon and Albuquerque has provided an amazing geological display. Huge trees growing in a semi-tropical environment 225 million years ago collapsed and were buried under in the sediment of an ancient river system. Over time minerals slowly replaced every cell in the fallen trees turning them into colorful tree-shaped rocks. Plate collision eventually lifted the Colorado Plateau up to 5,000 feet, and the tree-shaped rocks along with it. The surrounding soil slowly eroded exposing stunning, colorful evidence of a lush forest that once existed where the Arizona-New Mexico desert is today. Also amazing has been the display of Native American history. Visiting the remains of ancient pueblos (traditional communities of Native Americans in the southwestern US) it is hard not to imagine thriving cultures many hundreds of years before Spanish and European explorers arrived in America. These pueblos are largely preserved due to the dry and arid conditions of Arizona and New Mexico deserts. After visiting the Montezuma Castle and Wupatki National Monuments in Arizona, the crowning visit was to the Acoma Pueblo, or Sky City, in New Mexico. We opted to pay for the guided tour of Sky City since it is not possible to tour inside the pueblo without a guide. Sitting atop the 357-foot sandstone mesa, a small community has continually inhabited the pueblo since 1150 AD. None of the 250 dwellings have electricity, sewer, or water. Approximately 22 families live full-time in the pueblo today. The other homes are filled at times of special ceremonies. Traditional native religion is practiced by nearly all of the local tribes. Around 70% continue to also follow Catholic teachings (forced upon them in the early 17th century by the Franciscans). Today, their Catholic practices blend some elements of native religion (such as native dancing) but there is no blending of Catholic practices into the native religious practices. These remain sacred to the people and no tourists are allowed when the ceremonies are being performed. The tour enabled us to walk the streets of the pueblo and see the traditional form of building along with increasingly modern blends. For example, the use of a front door has been generally adopted rather than entry via the roof or second story (originally a protective measure). And glass is used in many windows rather than original animal hide or later translucent stone quarried from the surrounding area (most likely part of those ancient trees now transformed to rock). A few natural rock cisterns still exist atop the mesa that were once used to catch the precious rain water when it fell. Otherwise all food and water was gathered from the valley floor below. Access to the mesa was originally by ladder/steps carved into the sandstone and all items were hand carried to the top. The tour provided a remarkable step back in time made all the more contrasting by having the occasional car or truck drive by on the narrow roads inside the pueblo. (A road was built when Hollywood wanted to make John Wayne movies that included the mesa and village area). Today, those cars and trucks are also hauling essential food and water to the pueblo living families. We’ve spent the last two days visiting with Gregory – Denise’s nephew and the girls’ 25-year old cousin – as well as his mother, Christine, and their very welcoming step-family. Last nights barbecue was a real treat. Today we head further north into New Mexico, seeking out hot springs that we hope to visit.