Day 5: Petrified Forest National Park

Bluewater Lake State Park, NM

After a leisure morning hanging around the campsite we finally ventured out to discover the Homol’ovi culture and ruins.  First stop was the Visitor Center, museum, and then a walk around the ruins.

We had the ruins to ourselves. You could really feel the peacefulness of this site overlooking a wide expanse.  Interesting reading about the Hopi life and seeing excavated parts of their kivas.  What I really enjoyed was the shards of pottery that were displayed on rocks along the hike.  I think people just randomaly found them and left them for everyone to enjoy. 

Fun driving along historic Route 66 and seeing some of the iconic motor lodges.

We spent most of the day exploring the Petrified Forest National Park from one end to the other. Our first walk was the Giant Logs Trail. Some of the largest petrified logs in the park were here.

Some other things we explored were Agate Bridge a 110 foot long petrified log bridge and Newspaper Rock that displayed more than 650 petroglyphs, some over 2000 years old.  Fun to use my telescopic lens to get a close up of the rock! 

My favorite hike of the day was Blue Mesa.  It took us down into the badlands. Fun to get a different perspective of this geology as we hiked along. The top photo is Nonna beginning the descent down, the middle is half way down and the last photo is from the bottom of the badlands.

The Painted Desert was breathtaking! 

We ended our Petrified Forest Tour at the Painted Desert Inn.  It was built by the CCC and at one time was on Route 66.  Imagine how cool it would be to stay here while traveling on this historic route.  In the 1940’s it was a Fred Harvey hotel famous for the “Harvey Girls” that served you and put on a show.  The murals were painted to depict the migration and lifestyle of the Hopi Indians.

We have a really sweet campsite tonight in the New Mexico juniper and pinion trees.  It’s a bit chilly outside tonight, so we decided to dine inside.  Tonight we are having seared Ahi Tuna salad with homemade agre dolce.  Nonna is cooking.  Lucky me! 

Day 4: Sedona - On the Rocks

Homolovi State Park, AZ

We watched the most glorious, very red, sunrise this morning and remembered the adage “Red Sky at Night Sailor’s Delight, Red Sky at Morning Sailor’s take Warning” and thought that was a good omen to hit the road. Today’s destination Sedona! 

We lucked out with another glorious sunny day.  It was actually a bit cooler, perhaps in the low 70’s which made for great hiking weather. Neither Nonna nor I are the shopping type, so we bypassed the downtown area and happily headed right for the trails.  So many amazing choices in Sedona!  We opted for the Bell Rock Area Trails.  

We spent the next couple of hours just soaking in the scenery, warm weather and each other’s company.  This rock is called Courthouse Butte. 

Happy Camper😉

Nonna, our fearless leader.  Actually, I’ve renamed her Nonna the Goat.  (Stella, you don’t need to get any goats, Nonna can climb like a goat!) 

The view from a high point in our hike. 

Highlights of the hike: the red rocks (obviously), the spectacular flowers, the vistas and the mix of flora.  I especially liked the pine trees and cacti mixed together.  

Tonight we are staying at a very (ahem) humble campground.  It’s a state park in the high desert.  We’re hoping that what it lacks in ambience will be offset by the Hopi history.  Homolovi State Park is a center of research for the late migration period of the Hopi from the 1200s to the late 1300s. Supposedly there is a museum, petroglyphs and archeological sites. Tomorrow we’ll do some exploring and find out.  

But first tonight there is wine...

We think the label is apropos.  

Day 3: Sunrise to Sunset lots of fun!

Lake Havasu State Park, AZ

We woke to an amazing sunset with the light hitting just the top peaks of the mountains. One of the reasons I love Death Valley is because it’s a constantly changing place. The colors and the light are so vibrant it almost doesn’t seem real. Wait an hour and the colors have completely changed.   Last night we were serenaded by howling coyotes that roamed thru the campground. Nature is just so real and raw here.  

We took an early morning walk up Zabriskie Point.  So hard to capture all the colors and beauty. 

I just love this picture of Nonna!  It really captured the essence of the morning:

 smiles, sunshine, colors and warmth. 

On the spur of the moment we decided to take a detour to China Ranch Date Farm.  It’s a family run date farm, an oasis really, in the middle of the desert.  Getting there is half the fun.  You go down a windy canyon road that feels like the entrance to Thunder Mountain Railroad in Disneyland and then opens up to an oasis.  

Yes we personally tasted every variety of date and took a tour of the farm. A pretty scrumptious way to start the day!  

Next stop was a drive thru Mojave National Preserve.  The highlights were the cinder cones, the densest Joshua Tree forest in the world, sand dunes and amazing desert flowers in bloom.  

We stopped at Kelso Junction for a walkabout and a picnic lunch.  We learned about the history of the railroad here during WWII. It was also fun to see the restored Kelso Railroad Depot.  Can you find Nonna in jail?? 

Our destination for tonight was Lake Havasu State Park.  We had no idea what to expect.  We didn’t know if it would be overrun with Spring Break college kids or a bleak desert campground.  We hit the jackpot with a campsite on the water, with a huge beach.  After a walk to stretch our legs, we hopped on our bikes and found a glorious bike path. 

Who knew that the original London Bridge was moved to this spot!  Now it’s the highlight  of a multi-use resort.  There’s a channel that connects two lakes, beaches, bike paths, parks, shops, restaurants, bars, and plenty opportunities for boating.  We had so much fun exploring the area.  

We ended a super fun day with wine on the beach watching the sunset.  (Yes, Megan more wine...). Every day I think we couldn’t possibly have more fun and yet somehow we manage.  

Day 2 Hot to Trot

Texas Springs Campground, Death Valley, CA 

After a great night’s sleep we both woke about 5 am.  and couldn’t wait to hit the hot springs.  We spent the next 3 hours just soaking and talking. What a wonderful way to begin the day. 

We managed to rally and head back to highway 395.  First stop Schatz Bakery in Bishop.  OMG - I think we tasted every.single.sample!!  Love that Sylvia was ready to drive the bakery truck. She does come from a long line of bread bakers.

Driving along Highway 395 an abandoned cabin with the southern Sierras  in the backdrop. 

We spent most of the day at Manzanar Relocation Center. It was a Japanese Internment Camp established in 1941.  We watched the movie, toured the museum and opted to ride our bikes rather than drive the auto tour.  We appreciated the resilience of the Japanese people as we saw the beautiful fish ponds, parks and gardens they created in the most abysmal circumstances.  It was a very moving, sad, heartbreaking experience. What was weird was the juxtaposition of the beautiful snow capped mountains against the tar papered barracks. 

 

I especially loved the cementary with the wreaths made of 1000 cranes.  

Next stop Death Valley.  We loved the beautiful vistas as we climbed over the Panamintt Mountains.  The view from Father Crowley point was amazing. 

Furnace Creek did not disappoint. It was hot!!  Yes, bring on the hot weather.  We nabbed a spot at Texas Spring Campground and then made a beeline to the spring fed pool.  Can you spot me?  It’s definitely spring break here and I’ve never seen so many people at the pool.  After smuggling wine into the pool (yes, Nonna has been officially corrupted), we enjoyed the hot showers. 

Tonight at the campsite we continued to enjoy the warm weather, although breezy.  We had a bbq of chicken and roasted veggies with some yummy wine. Thanks Fred.  (I am a little worried that we’re gonna run out tho...Please send more Uncle Fred!!).  Day 2 was pretty darn great.  

And We’re Off!

Benton Hot Springs, CA

I see light at the end of the tunnel.  After a cold, wet and long winter, the glimmer of a wee bit of spring is in the horizon.  We are not only anxiously awaiting spring, but also the arrival of a grandchild!  Sweet, baby Madeline is due mid-May.  Can you think of a better way to rejoice the spring and new life than by the two grandmothers (Sylvia aka Nonna and Debi aka Nana)  spending two weeks together and celebrating life on the road?!  What a blessing to spend time together, rejuvenate and experience living in the moment.  Today’s adventure took us over several passes. We started our journey overlooking Donner Lake.  

Who wouldn’t want to hit the road with this beauty?!

We had a great time driving down 395.  The snow capped mountains were breathtaking.

One of our stops along the way was taking several hikes around Mono Lake.   Our first couple of  hikes were exploring a nature trail and walking a ridge hike next to Lee Vining Creek.  There was still some snow on the trails.  Nonna, aka Mountain Goat, had no trouble navigating the icy patches.  Nana, carefully just walked in her footsteps.  

Time for a picnic.  All the better with Cynthia’s homemade bread. Sooo good! 

We really enjoyed the South Tufa walk along Mono Lake.  The light was just perfect.  

I’ve experienced Mono Lake mostly in the summer or fall.  To see it in early spring/late winter was completely different. 

We finally made it to our destination for the night, Benton Hot Springs.  What a better way to kick off our trip than soaking in our own hot springs with good wine, great company and knowing we have endless days ahead of us.

P.S. Yes, I showed up in Soda Springs ready to hit the road in flip flops.  Can you believe the amount of snow here?!!!  

And That’s A Wrap

Home Sweet Home, Nevada City, CA

Alas, our 2018 Cold Springs Tour has come to an end.  We were gone 55 days, drove 9800 miles, camped in 18 states, visited 2 countries (Mexico and Jamaica) and biked 268 miles!  The number of hours in our floaties were unaccounted for.  

Thanks so much for being on this journey with us!!  

Here’s a link to our one second a day recap. 

Cold Springs Tour Video.  (The date is on the left, the place is on the right) 

All About the Journey

Redfish Lake, Glacier View Campground, ID

Today was all about the journey.  We had a long drive ahead of us so we got an early start.  Of course, we broke up the drive with stopping at historical markers along the way.  This view is taken from Big Hole Pass, elev 7400 ft.  You could see 400 square miles from this viewpoint!  It was glorious to be in the early morning light, hearing the cows’ moos echoing off the mountains and feel the crisp air.  Ned said this was one of the highlights of the trip for him.  

At the end of the pathway at this viewpoint was a “Beaver Slide”, patented in 1905.  It’s an efficient way to make a huge haystack. Farms that don’t use the mechanical baler still use this method today.  This place was also where Lewis & Clark stopped on their way back to St. Louis. 

Nez Pierce National Battlefield, Big Hole was also on the way.  We got there a bit before it opened so we used the time to wander the grounds, read about the battle and learn about how the Nez Pierce Indians were eventually annihilated.  Ugh.  After just coming off the high from earlier this morning, we just didn’t have it in us to stay and watch the film or do a ranger talk, especially after experiencing Little Bighorn National Monument a few days before. My heart just couldn’t take it.  

We drove through the Beaverhead-Deerlodge, Bitteroot and Salmon-Challis National Forests taking us from Montana to Idaho.  Jaw dropping gorgeous. 

We stopped in a couple of little towns.  Can’t remember the name of this one, but they were just starting their 4th of July Parade down the one road Main Street through town.  We perused the local farmer’s market and picked up some provisions. 

Mid afternoon we finally reached Redfish Lake, Idaho.  This will be home for the next 3 days. We couldn’t think of a better way to end our trip. We’re at Glacier Campground, quiet enough to enjoy the mountains and smell the pine trees, but close enough to hop on our bikes and hang out at the Lodge.  If you’ve never been to this place it is a great family vacation spot.  Beaches, boats, bikes, cabins, campgrounds, restaurants and outside bars. We’re all in.