2010 Road Trip - N0 Destination
"Thelma & Louise" At Their Best
This year it is definitely "Destination Unknown". We simply headed south with no real plans on where we were going to end up. There only seemed to be one objective - head south and get away from the cold weather. We had "No Destination".
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Saturday June 12 - Calgary to Butte
As usual it took us a bit of time to get out of town. By the time I picked up Karen, we were an hour behind schedule and then we had to return to my house to pick up the food I left in the fridge. Our plans to leave at 9:00 am became reality at 11:00 am.
Karen told Steve we would be on the road by 11:00 even if we planned to leave by 7:00 am. It's just the nature of the beast. By the time we remembered everything, gassed up, stopped at the bank and finally to Timmies - we'd be right on schedule. He was laughing is because I was telling him almost word for word what Karen predicted. We're scary.....
It wasn't long before Karen was into click mode. We knew then, we were really on holidays.
We decided to get off the I-15 as soon as possible so just south of Shelby, Montana, we took a side road over to Hwy 89 and then south again on Hwy 287 back to Wolf Creek. It turned out to be only 15-20 minutes longer and what a beautiful drive. There was no traffic except for a stream of bikers likely heading for Glacier Park and half dozen cars, we had the road to ourselves.
We got to Butte and stayed at the Rocker Inn again, except this time we were early enough to get a main floor room. We had a nice supper at Flying J and home in bed by 9:00 pm.
Great First Day on the road.
Sunday June 13 - Butte to Beaver
After hitting the hay early and asleep by 10:00 pm we were out of bed and rolling by 9:00 am. Weather was still a cool 53° in Butte and we figured we would have to get to Salt Lake City before we would have heat. The further south we travelled the warmer it got but by the time we reached Salt Lake City the temperature had dropped again.
We had a bit of a chuckle just before reaching Utah when we realized we were almost 1300 km from home and still had no idea where we were going. The weather to the east wasn't looking promising so out came the maps. What now? Maybe California?
Tooele, Utah
We took the side trip to Tooele to visit Icy for a half hour then headed down Hwy 36 south - once again the objective to avoid I-15.
Faust Pony Express Station, Utah
Along this route are several Pony Express station markers. Faust Station was operated by Henry J. Faust, who was a native of Germany. He went to California in the 1849 Gold Rush.
He wasn’t too successful and came to Utah in 1851. In 1860 he accepted a position as a station manager and part-time rider with the Pony Express.
We never hit any rain until driving into Tooele and while we visited Icy the sun was shining. From that point on it rained all the way south on Hwy's 36/6/50 and then Utah Hwy 287 to Hwy 21 into Beaver. There has been more rain here than in all the trips combined we've done through this State.
Beaver, Utah
Settled by Mormon pioneers in 1856, Beaver was one of a string of Mormon settlements extending the length of Utah. These settlements were, by design, a day's ride on horseback apart, explaining the regularity of today's spacing - either 30 miles apart, or 60 miles apart where intervening settlements failed or were absorbed.
Beaver is the birthplace of Butch Cassidy a notorious western outlaw. Appropriately, we stayed at the Butch Cassidy Best Western again. If the clouds don't lift - the trip over Hwy 153 mountain pass doesn't look promising. We won't know until morning.
Monday June 14 - Beaver to Las Vegas
1600 miles from home and we are still "destination unknown". We decided this morning to head out on Hwy 153 over the mountain and see what happens - go as far as we can go or turn around if we have to. By the time we checked out that idea was thrown out the window.
The hotel clerk advised us that the road is still snow packed and the entrance gate is closed. With all the storms around us, we decided to head to Vegas for tonight - the only agenda was to get into some hot weather and leave the storms behind.
Zion National Park, Utah - Day One
We had breakfast at the hotel and started down the I-15. It wasn't long before we were re-routing again to spend some time at Zion National Park and maybe head east toward Page & Monument Valley from there.
We arrived just before noon and boarded the shuttle through the park touring for the next three hours.
By mid afternoon it was 91° above and we were starting to feel like we were really in southern Utah instead of Alaska.
Hwy 9 east out of Zion was closed until 4:00 pm for construction so rather than wait, we decided to continue with the original plan to spend the night in Vegas.
Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
At St. George we turned east on Hwy 169 to take the short loop through the Valley of Fire. The $10.00 cost to drive through the Valley of Fire seemed like a bit of a rip off but we bit the bullet and paid the price. For an unseasoned traveller it would be quite spectacular, but when you've spent as much time touring larger, more breathtaking red rock locations that are free, this didn't measure up.
Valley of Fire State Park is Nevada's oldest state park. It covers an area of 34,880 acres and was dedicated in 1935. It derives its name from red sandstone formations, formed from great shifting sand dunes during the age of dinosaurs.
These features, which are the centerpiece of the park's attractions, often appear to be on fire when reflecting the sun's rays.
While we were at the Visitors Centre - which was closed - we were lucky enough to see a small herd of mountain goats.
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| Beehives |
There are some rocks that look like piles of cow patties which Karen appropriately labelled "Dino Dung". Actually, officially, they are called beehives.
Vegas Disaster
We arrived in Vegas at 8:30pm - DISASTER!! On checking in at the Riviera I realized I didn't have my wallet. We searched the car high and low - no wallet. The last time we used my Visa was for gas in Hurricane, Utah. We phoned the gas station and the McDonalds but no luck - no wallet.
Fortunately, we had enough cash on hand to pay for two days at the hotel and one day of internet. Panic set in and the next three hours were spent on the phone and emails cancelling all my bank accounts, Visa, paypal automatic payments and anything else I could think of. Fortunately, my drivers license and birth certificate were still inside my passport folder so the only significant losses I had were my bank cards, Visa cards and about $100.00 cash. I emailed my office requesting some back up funds and Visa arranged to provide me with emergency funds wired to a Western Union.
Finally at 1:30 am I could breathe easy and get some sleep. Now wouldn't THAT make a great Visa commercial? All that panic then me sleeping like a baby!!
What is this red on our skin? Could it really be sunburn?!!
Tuesday June 15 - Vegas to Zion and Back to Vegas
In response to my email, Sharon (from my office) phoned first thing in the morning to make sure we were OK and to let me know that arrangements were in the works to get some funds to us. Once Gloria got back to the office, Steve would be able to pick up a cheque to deposit for us to draw cash out each day with Karen's ATM.
In the meantime, we went to Western Union and picked up the cash Visa had wired. So our slight disaster was now under control. We headed to the factory outlook to buy some summer clothes and a new wallet for me. More good news came shortly after that. The gas station phoned to tell me that someone had handed in my wallet. So we headed back up I-15 to Hurricane - 125 miles - to pick it up. Even better news - all my cards and even the cash were still in it. Apparently someone did hand it to them but the clerk forgot to tell the night shift that it was there. No harm done.
The wallet was intact, all credit cards and cash not touched. I tried to find the good samaritan but no one knew who the young man was. I wanted to give him the cash in the wallet for his honesty. It was a nice feeling to know that there are honest people wherever you travel.
Zion National Park, Utah - Day Two
By the time we got back to Hurricane, it was after 4:00 pm and the Hwy 9 east through Zion Park was open.
There is a park fee but we'd purchased a National year pass (and lost it) the day before but with wallet retrieved and pass in hand off we went. We spent an hour or so touring.
The Longest Mile
We had heard about a tunnel and that made us curious. Tunnel is a mild term - it is actually 1.1 miles straight through the center of a mountain.
It was quite incredible and I called it "the longest mile".
I hate being underground in caves, I think I was beginning to hyperventilate before we got thru the end. And.... we did it twice.
Eight hours and 350 miles later, we were back in Vegas. The bottom line is we have been in Vegas two days and have done nothing in Vegas. Not a disappointment though as we have both spent a lot of time in Vegas. At least we didn't gamble our money away. Oh wait! We didn't have any money for most of our stay anyway!!
Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada
Karen took pictures of the room because we both had the feeling it would be our last trip to the Riviera. We'd heard that the Pool Tournaments were being moved from this location and honestly - the Riviera is badly in need of an overhaul and new management that gives a damn. For example, my bed had a flat sheet for the bottom. That would be OK except it was a single sheet and didn't go to the end of the bed. When I stretched out my feet were on the mattress cover. The towels were hard as rocks - no softener in the wash.
It seems like they are just trying to cut small corners. We have the feeling another dinosaur is going to feel the effect of dynamite. Too bad because walking into the lobby felt like "coming home" for us.
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| Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas |
The Riviera opened on April 20, 1955 as the first high-rise and the ninth resort on the Las Vegas Strip. The Riviera is one of the oldest and most famous casino resorts in Las Vegas.
The Riviera also broke new ground in its design. Previously, strip resorts resembled roadside motor courts.
The opening of the Riviera, along with the Dunes and the Royal Nevada casino resorts, within a month were the subject of a famous issue of Life Magazine, on June 20, 1955 with a Moulin Rouge showgirl on its cover. The headline was "Las Vegas-Is Boom Overextended?" and a story about how Las Vegas had built too many hotel rooms to be profitable. Liberace was the featured headliner at the resort's opening, and for many years afterward.
Wednesday June 16 - Las Vegas to Williams
We got off to a slow start today. By the time we were out of Vegas it was nearly noon. We stopped at IHop for breakfast then headed down Boulder Hwy to Laughlin. Temperature was 103°. At the gas station Karen found out that Silver Creek Road, a 13 mile gravel road, cut straight over to Oatman rather than going down to Route 66 so we headed out on it. The guy at the gas station said we needed a four wheel drive but it was no worse than any of the gravel roads we've ever travelled on.
Oatman, Arizona - Day One
We were late getting into Oatman and most of the donkeys had left for the hills and the shops were closing for the day. It was a bit of a disappointment to see that Brenda was closed (we hope just for the day) as we were looking forward to seeing her again.
One donkey came over to our car and stuck her head right in my window for a little attention. Attention she got, but no carrots.
Cool Springs, Arizona - Day 1
Karen had chatted with a couple at Zion who told her Cool Springs east of Oatman was operating again so we decided to go to check it out.
Once again we headed east over the Sitgreaves Pass and the winding narrow roads. It's hard to imagine Model T's making this trip.
It was nearly 6 PM when we arrived at Cool Springs and were pleasantly surprised to see that the store had a variety of memorabilia and gifts. We visited with George (the manager) and were thoroughly entertained for a full half hour.
George and his family are the only ones living at this isolated location. Finally, at 6:00 pm he kicked us out. Truthfully, his words were "hurry up and shop and get the hell out so I can close".
George was a pretty big guy so we weren't about to argue. By the way, George wears a pink ball cap "because he can" and he is the only person in all our travels that had the guts to outright ask if we were gay.
He said it wouldn't be a problem for him and my answer was "well it would be for me". Karen responded, her hubby probably wouldn't appreciate it either.
Laughing, we left and headed east on Route 66 towards Kingman. George had recommended the Best Western Kings Inn there but it was still too early to stop so we just kept heading east.
Cool Springs Service Station was built in the 1920s and eventually had a cafe, a bar, and cabins. But Route 66 was bypassed in 1953, and the station was abandoned in 1964. Adding insult to injury, its ruins were blown up for the 1991 Dolph Lundgren/Jean-Claude Van Damme film Universal Soldier.
Ned Leuchtner purchased Cool Springs in 2001 and in 2004 rebuilding construction was completed. Today, Cool Springs is open for business. Whether you are looking for a Route 66 Beer or to purchase souvenirs, Cool Springs can provide it. There are no restaurants or gas services - just a cool refreshing stop and down home history - and George.
Williams, Arizona
We decided to go as far as Williams for the night and along the way Karen discovered where the Jerome Pass was that the couple at Zion had said we should go over - just a short hop from Williams and south of Flagstaff. So we had a plan for the morning after all. We rolled into Williams about 8:30 pm and stayed at the Travelodge. Beds aren't the best, but the room was clean and the sheets fit.
Williams is a city west of Flagstaff. It lies on the route of Historic Route 66, Interstate 40, and the Southwest Chief Amtrak train route. It is also the southern terminus of the Grand Canyon Railway, which takes visitors to Grand Canyon Village.
Because of its location near the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, Williams is a major tourist stop and has many inns and motels. Restaurants and gas stations may be seen serving mainly tourists rather than local residents, especially during the summer and holiday seasons.
Williams is named after William "Old Bill" Williams, a mountain man and trader who often trapped in the area.
We've now concluded that we we really have no destination. Comparing where we are to other years I said to Karen "we are two days behind". Her response was "How can we be behind when we have no place to go?".
Thursday June 17 - Williams to Kingman
Jerome, Arizona
We left Williams and drove east on I-40 then south on Hwy 17 to Hwy 89A through a pretty community in the hills called Sedona, which leads into the mountain pass to Jerome, AZ.
This little town is unique in the fact it precariously sits on the side of the mountain and the streets are on different levels all the way up. The road curves and winds for miles and then back down to the desert floor again. The streets are extremely narrow and the doors to shops and homes are basically at the edge of the streets.
Jerome is a town in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 343. In 1915 the population of Jerome was estimated at 2,500.
The presence of silver and copper has been known in the area around what is now Jerome since the Spanish colonial era when Arizona was part of New Spain.
A mining town named Jerome was established on the side of Cleopatra Hill in 1883. It was named for Eugene Murray Jerome, a New York investor who owned the mineral rights and financed mining there. Eugene Jerome never visited his namesake town. Jerome was incorporated as a town on March 8, 1889. Local merchant and rancher William Munds was the first mayor. The town housed the workers in the nearby United Verde Mine, which was to produce over 1 billion dollars in copper, gold and silver over the next 70 years.
Jerome became a notorious "wild west" town, a hotbed of prostitution, gambling, and vice. On February 5, 1903, the New York Sun proclaimed Jerome to be "the wickedest town in the West". (Funny that every town seems to claim this - I guess because they all were!!)
When you think about it though, where would the romance be if they claimed that their town was completely law abiding, everyone was totally moral, and their one and only claim to fame was being the most boring town in the old west!!
Backroad to Nowhere
We turned off onto Hwy 96/97 through the desert onto Hwy 93 north and then a jaunt onto a dirt road hoping to find a route into the back side of Kingman.
It wasn't a good idea as about 10 miles in we came upon a washout that was still full of water. Scrap that plan. We could see that vehicles had gone thru but couldn't tell how deep it was.
So we turned around. We did try and find an alternate route north but there was no signage to give us an end result.
It was getting a bit late and we didn't want to end up driving another couple of hours to find ourselves at another dead end or in some rancher's laneway. He may not want to operate a bed and breakfast. So finally we gave up and returned to Hwy 93 which joins up to I-40 and back to Kingman.
Saguaro Cactus
The saguaro cactus along the road were really fascinating and since we were the only ones on the road (probably the only people within 10 miles) we were able to stop and capture some great pictures.
The saguaro is a large, tree-sized cactus species in the monotypic genus Carnegiea. It is native to the Sonoran Desert, State of Arizona, the Mexican State of Sonora, a small part of Baja California in the San Felipe Desert and an extremely small area of California. The saguaro blossom is the State Wildflower of Arizona.
Saguaros have a relatively long life span. They take up to 75 years to develop a side arm. The arms themselves are grown to increase the plant's reproductive capacity.
The growth rate of saguaros is strongly dependent on precipitation; saguaros in drier western Arizona grow only half as fast as those in and around Tucson, Arizona. Some specimens may live for more than 150 years. The largest known saguaro is the Champion Saguaro. It grows in Maricopa County, Arizona, and is 45.3 feet tall with a girth of 10 feet Saguaros grow slowly from seed, and not at all from cuttings.
Cholla Cactus
In my infinite wisdom, I decided to place our mascot "Willie" on a cactus to get some pictures.Not only could I not get him off the plant, when I did, the poor thing was imbedded with needles that were worse that porcupine quills to get out.
The Cholla has a soft appearance due to its solid mass of very formidable spines that completely cover the stems, leading to its sardonic nickname of "teddy bear". The silvery-white spines, which are actually a form of leaf, almost completely obscure the stem with a fuzzy-looking but impenetrable defense.
Willie Rides a "Teddy Bear"
Poor Willie !!! Last year we dumped you off the cliff on Hwy 261 and this year he gets rear-ended by a cactus.
Kingman, Arizona
On the recommendation of "George" at Cool Springs, we stayed at Kings Best Western in Kingman. What a great place!! Top notch accommodations under $100 and we ended up with a suite. And mustn't forget the beds - those comfy beds. Can't say enough good things about King's Inn. And we had supper at IHOP which was a fantastic way to end the day. Good food and a good night's sleep.
Lt. Edward Fitzgerald Beale, a U.S. Navy officer in the service of the U.S. Army Topographical Corps, was ordered by the U.S. War Department to build a Federal wagon road across the 35th Parallel. His secondary orders were to test the feasibility of the use of camels as pack animals in the southwestern desert. Beale traveled through the present day Kingman in 1857 surveying the road and in 1859 to build the road. The road became part of Route 66 and Interstate Highway 40.
Kingman, Arizona, was founded in 1882 and is the county seat of Mohave County, Arizona.
Friday June 18 - Kingman to Primm
We did a late checkout to take advantage of the hotel guest laundry before heading out. We finished our laundry about noon and headed west on Route 66. We were excited because we had only ever travelled Route 66 going east. The scenery would be totally different.
Cool Springs, Arizona - Day Two
We stopped again at Cool Springs to visit with George and buy a Route 66 Beer and some souvenirs. We made sure to thank him for his recommendation of the Kings Inn but didn't have a lot of time to chat as this time the store was full of travellers and he was busy regaling them with the history of Cool Springs.
We snapped a few more pictures with the different lighting and proceeded on to Oatman. We weren't disappointed in the scenery.
This time we were coming in from the east so Karen's side of the car was cliff side - straight down. Her comments had us laughing most the way over Sitgreaves pass.
With a different point of view, Karen says in her blog:
"Travelling from east to west - the "abyss" side of the mountain was now directly out my side of the car and many times I couldn't even see the edge of the road - just the long drop down. One of the pitfalls of having the drop side of the road on my side is this: Doreen laughs so hard at my reactions (curses) - that she starts tearing up and can't see to drive. I strongly feel this is not a position of security I'm sitting in. Again there is that feeling that death could be imminent but smacking her upside the head just doesn't seem friendly. I must ponder this problem and come up with a resolution."
Something tells me I need to watch my back!!
Oatman, Arizona - Day Two
Oatman was everything we remembered. We parked and headed up the street just in time to witness the cowboys' street gunfight. The town was full of tourists and donkeys - just like the website claimed and we were happy to find Brenda and her "covered wagon" was open for business.
We went to Brenda's kiosk to get carrots but as we arrived we watched her last bag being sold. We visited with her for an hour or so. Brenda told us that the young burrows are auctioned off each year as they have to keep the herd to twelve adults.
The adoptive families go through an extensive investigation to prove they are equipped to care for the burro.
We also found out that Splotches, the male, was hit by a car in January, 2009. Tragically, he suffered quite a while before they found him. Another distressing thing we learned was that a six week old baby burro had been kidnapped in 2009. Heartbroken, the mother wandered the street calling for her baby. Someone in a camper van just picked it off the street at the edge of town. It is unlikely it even survived if the people are stupid enough to steal it. There was a previous kidnapping in 1996.
The town people have no financial assistance to help with the health and care of the burros. If a burro is sick or hurt, they have to pay for the vet out of their own pockets or from the small donations made by tourists.
One burrow was 9 months pregnant when she broke her ribs. The vet was called and the residents paid the bill of $1,000.00. The good news was that the burro recovered and the baby survived. It really comes to light when visiting with someone like Brenda just how much the town people care about the burros.
They might be a tourist attraction, but all the burros are truly pets to people like Brenda. She knows everyone of them by name and is affected deeply when one is injured or lost.
We met one of the gunfight actors, Fred. We had a conversation with him about the making of the movie Tombstone. One of his friends was a stuntman in the movie so the inside information he gave us was quite interesting.
Finally it was time to say goodbye. Unfortunately there is no motels in Oatman. By late afternoon the shops close, proprietors head for home and the burros head for the hills. This time we exchanged emails with Brenda and promised to keep in touch - and of course to return again.
Joshua Tree Hwy 164 Nevada
We crossed over to Fort Mohave south of Bullhead City, back to Laughlin and up Hwy 95 again to Searchlight NV and turned west onto the "Joshua Tree highway" (Hwy 164) into California.
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| Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness |
The name Joshua tree was given by a group of Mormon settlers who crossed the Mojave Desert in the mid-19th century. The tree's unique shape reminded them of a Biblical story in which Joshua reaches his hands up to the sky in prayer.
Ranchers and miners who were contemporary with the Mormon immigrants also took advantage of the Joshua tree, using the trunks and branches as fencing and for fuel for ore-processing steam engines.
The Joshua tree has a top-heavy branch system, but also has what has been described as a "deep and extensive" root system, with roots possibly reaching up to 36 feet away.
If it survives the rigors of the desert it can live for hundreds of years with some specimens surviving up to a thousand years.
Primm, Nevada
Once we reached I-15 we travelled a short 10 miles north to stop in Primm for the night. We stayed at Buffalo Bills which is a really super hotel and only $23.00 a night. I guess they make their money in the casino and food. We took the new monorail between hotels and gambled away $20.00. Well I did anyway - Karen made 80 cents. Karen tricked me into riding on the log ride and by the first corner I knew that was just a roller coaster in disguise. By the second drop we were soaked.
Primm (formerly known as State Line and often called Primm Valley, after one of its casinos) is a tiny community in Clark County, Nevada, primarily notable for its position straddling I-15 where it crosses the border between California and Nevada. It sits at the edge of Ivanpah Dry Lake.
The community's economy is based on its three casinos, which attract gamblers from Southern California wanting to stop before reaching Las Vegas 40 miles to the north, or as a last chance to gamble before leaving Nevada. The community's hotels also serve as reliever hotels on the occasions when Las Vegas hosts major conventions. All of Primm's residents are workers at the properties and their families, and the employee housing is an apartment complex, the Desert Oasis.
Lots of things to make this a great day - and only 150 miles total driving.
Saturday June 19 - Primm to Bishop
We left Primm after grabbing coffee and egg mcmuffins at McDonalds and went southwest on I-15. Good thing we only had about an hour on this road because it was full of idiots passing in the slow truck lane and cutting in on civilized drivers forcing them to slam on their brakes. Never a cop when you need one.
Death Valley National Park, California
We turned north on Hwy 127 at Baker up to Shoshone and then headed into the southern end of Death Valley on Hwy 178. This was new route for us and we travelled most of the way on the valley floor. One spot at Badwater was 212 feet below sea level with Dantes' Viewpoint 5000 feet above us. Totally flat white bed as far as you could see till the next mountain range.
Continuing on we had an early supper at Furnace Creek and then hit the road again to get out of the valley before dark. We passed through Stovepipe Wells and up the long climb up the west pass.
Death Valley is situated within the Mojave Desert. It features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located within Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below sea level. This point is only 76 miles east of Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous United States with an elevation of 14,505 feet.
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| Ashford Mill Ruins |
Ashford Mill Ruins
Ore hauled down from the Golden Treasure Mine five miles to the east in Ashford Canyon was crushed at the mill. The Ashford brothers - Henry, Harold, and Louis - acquired the mine in 1907.
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| Devil's Golf Course |
Devil's Golf Course
The Devil's Golf Course is a large salt pan on the floor of Death Valley. It was named after a line in the 1934 National Park Service guide book to Death Valley National Monument, which stated that "Only the devil could play golf" on its surface.
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| Artist's Drive & Palette |
Artist's Drive & Palette
Artist's Drive rises up to the top of an alluvial fan fed by a deep canyon. Noted for a variety of rock colors, the Palette provides evidence for one of the Death Valley area's most violently explosive volcanic period.
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| Furnace Creek |
Furnace Creek
Furnace Creek is a spring, oasis, and village. The main visitor center of the park is located here as well as the Oasis at Death Valley resort complex, including a golf course.
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| Meesquite Flat Sand Dunes |
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are at the northern end of the valley floor and are nearly surrounded by mountains on all sides. These dunes have been used to film sand dune scenes for several movies. The depth of the sand at its crest is 130–140 feet.
The lowest temperature recorded at Greenland Ranch was 15 °F in January 1913. The average annual precipitation in Death Valley (Greenland Ranch Station) is 1.58 inches.
Death Valley holds the record for the highest reliably reported temperature in the Western hemisphere, 134 °F at Furnace Creek on July 10, 1913 just short of the world record, 136 °F in Al Aziziyah, Libya, on September 13, 1922.
We were going to stop at Lone Pine but the rooms only had single beds left so we phoned ahead and booked a room in Bishop - the same town we stayed in on the last trip into this area.
Tomorrow we head for the Yosemite National Park mountain pass - IF - it's open. The east side of the mountain range still has snow on it and doesn't look very inviting.
Sunday June 20 - Bishop to Bridgeport
We continued our meandering way - just following the road in front of us to see where it goes. Our destination was still unknown but each day we felt like we were getting closer to wherever that destination might be.
Yosemite National Park, California
The temperature was quite cool in comparison to the last 3 days. It was 67°. We headed north of Hwy 395 to Hwy 120 and into Yosemite National Park.
It wasn't long before we realized we were disappointed. The scenery is spectacular but nothing more than we have at Banff for seven months a year. The temperature had dropped to 51°.
We stopped about half way to look at the maps and decided to continue to the west side then north to the Sonora pass to take us back to desert weather. We were more impressed with the scenery leading to the gates and after the Park than we were with the Park itself.
Jacksonville, California - Don Pedro Reservoir
On the west side of Yosemite off Hwy 120 we connected to a short stretch of Hwy 49 before reaching Hwy 108 to come back over the Sonora Pass. There was a beautiful road through the mountains that passed over a man-made reservoir where we stopped for a break to read the marker and snap a few photos.
Don Pedro Reservoir’s water lapped over the Gold Rush-era town of Jacksonville in June of 1970. Most of what was left of the Gold Rush-era town now rests more than 100 feet underwater.
A few relics, however, have become visible on the reservoir’s muddy shoreline as the water has retreated from the drought — including a rusted winch and concrete pillars from a mining operation below the Jacksonville Road bridge.
Underwater has been the fate of many Gold Rush-era towns that were situated next to rivers. In total, about 30 towns across the State have been inundated to make way for reservoirs.
Sonora Pass, Highway 108 California
After the Park we headed north on Hwy 108 to Sonora then east over the pass. We kept seeing signs along the way "pass open" "chains required" and "snow tires required" so we knew we were heading into something unique. One sign was a good play on words - Mud Sweat and Gears!!
The pass connects the communities of Sonora to the west and Bridgeport to the east. Like most high Sierra Nevada passes, the highway is closed in winter, generally between November and May, due to snow accumulation.
The highway over the pass is extremely steep (up to 26% in some locations), narrow and winding between Kennedy Meadows on the west side and Leavitt Meadows on the east. The route is not recommended for vehicles or vehicle combinations that are unusually wide, heavy or long.
The first documented immigrant traverse of Sonora Pass appears to have been in the late summer of 1852 by a wagon train known as the Clark-Skidmore Company. Subsequently, merchant interests in the communities of Sonora and Columbia promoted the route to California-bound immigrants, not always with happy results when immigrants discovered how difficult it was.
With the discovery of deposits and development of silver and gold mining east of the Sierra Nevada in the beginning of the 1860s, merchant interests in the counties on both sides of the pass pushed for development of a road that would enable them to improve transportation and trade. Surveying for a road through Sonora Pass began in 1863 and the road was in use by 1865.
Hwy 108 was much more to our liking and it didn't cost us a park fee to go through. The roads were less travelled but the scenery was more spectacular because we could actually see it.
It wasn't buried behind the line of trees and campgrounds like Yosemite. Because traffic was minimal, we were able to pull off occasionally to take in the view and enjoy the trip.
We watched a few families out playing in the novelty of snow and laughingly wished we lived in an area where snow didn't exist either. In Calgary, it has been known to snow in every month of the year.
OK. Enough of cold weather and snow. WAGONS EAST!
Mountain Warfare Training Centre
The Mountain Warfare Training Center is located in Pickel Meadows in Mono County, California, at 6,800 feet above sea level in the Toiyabe National Forest, 21 miles northwest of Bridgeport, California. The training center exists to train units in complex compartmented terrain.
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| Mountain Warfare Training Center |
The Marine Corps' Mountain Warfare Training Center began training in the Toiyable National Forest in 1951. It conducts unit and individual training courses to prepare USMC, Joint, and Allied Forces for operations in mountainous, high altitude, and cold weather environments.
The Sonora pass was absolutely beautiful. After an hour of ups and downs twists and turns we were back on Hwy 395.
We headed south and stayed in Bridgeport as we wanted to visit Bodie again and it would be closed for the day. After supper we drove up to Bodie just for the ride.
Monday June 21 - Bridgeport to Mesquite
Bodie, California
We drove up to Bodie and into the park but Karen wasn't feeling well so we didn't do the walking tour. I chatted with a couple of cowboys that were organizing a horseback ride from Hawthorne to Bodie. They take the mountain trails camping along the way and will end up riding through Bodie. I sure sounded like fun - and hard.
I strolled around the town for about 10 minutes then we headed down the secondary road to come out at Hwy 167. The flowers along the road were in full bloom with everything from Indian Paint Brush to purple lilies in the moist areas.
Gold was discovered here in 1859 by W.S. Bodey after whom the town was named. Once the most thriving metropolis of the Mono Country, Bodie’s mines produced gold valued at more than 100 million dollars.
Tough as nails, the “Bad Man from Bodie” still carries his guns and his Bowie knife down through the pages of Western history.
Men, women and children came from all of the U.S. states, and from the world, to live and work here during the Bodie heyday. At the height of the boom in 1881, Bodie claimed 65 saloons, 18 lodging houses and hotels, three breweries, wholesale liquor dealers, more than a dozen markets, restaurants, two banks, barbershops, newspapers, a school, a post office and a telegraph office.
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| Mono Lake, California |
Mono Lake
Pretty soon we were on our way again and left on the south (non-paved) road - the one we had originally driven in on several years before which exits onto Hwy 167 by Mono Lake.
The Flowers along the road were in full bloom with everything from Indian Paint Brush to purple lilies in the wetter areas.
Warm Strings, Nevada Ghost Town
The first settlement in Warm Springs was in 1866, when it served as a stopover for stagecoaches and other travellers. The post office was in operation from January 1924 through June 1929.Warm Springs is in the Tonopah Basin near the mountain pass which divides the Kawich and Hot Creek ranges.
Warm Springs is located at the junction of U.S. Route 6 and State Route 375 (the "Extraterrestrial Highway"), around 50 miles east of Tonopah. Only two abandoned buildings remain.
After leaving California on 167, which turns into Nevada Hwy 359 until Hawthorne, we turned east again along Hwy 95/6 until Warm Springs where we turned south onto Hwy 395 to Ash Springs and connected with Hwy 93 south to the shortcut on Hwy 168 to I-15.
The rest of the day we drove over the desert roads heading east and south. Eventually we reached I-15 and had no choice but to drive the 30 miles up to Mesquite. We stayed at the Virgin River Hotel - $29.95 a night. Great room. We had a buffet dinner then headed to bed. I'm not sure if our days are getting shorter or our nights are getting longer, but it's only 9:00 pm and we are preparing for bed!!
Tuesday June 22 - Mesquite to Bluff
With the time to start heading home coming, it was time to head for Bluff and of course Hwy 261. We left Mesquite about 10:30 and headed north on the I-15 to Hurricane. For people that don't like I-15, we sure have been on it a lot this trip. We stopped at IHop for breakfast then drove Hwy89 through Page and connected with Hwy 98 to Hwy 160 to Kayenta then Hwy 163 through Monument Valley to Bluff.
Johnson Canyon, Utah
Along Hwy 89 we saw a sign at Johnson Canyon about a Ghost Town and Movie set. We travelled the 5 miles in to check it out.The movie site was built for the movie Westward the Women.
The set was also used in Pony Express and Gunsmoke. Gunsmoke ran from 1955 to 1975. There were 635 episodes and many of the scenes were shot in Johnson Canyon. Johnson Canyon movie set can be viewed from the road but is not accessible due to its state of general disrepair.
Pahreah, Utah
Further up there was another movie set at Pahreah. Movies filmed at this site were The Outlaw Josey Wales, Sergeants 3, and Buffalo Bill. The last movie filmed here was Clint Eastwood's The Outlaw Josey Wales in 1976.
The old film set in the canyon was damaged in a flash flood in 1998. The buildings were dismantled and rebuilt in a nearby location by volunteers. In 2006 these new buildings were destroyed in a suspicious fire.
Glen Canyon
Once we saw the sign for Glen Canyon we felt like we were coming home. Karen commented that this area is always our favourite place. No matter how far away we go, we always end up here.
Why don't we just come here and park for two weeks? The water level at Page was very low in comparison to other years we had travelled through this area.
Just outside of Page we turned off onto Hwy 98 down past Shonto, (that's another story), picked up Hwy 160 into Kayenta where I Karen asked if I wanted to pay a visit to the Kayenta Native Hospital. (That's another story again). I declined and we turned northeast onto Hwy 163 into Bluff, UT. I think we passed in and out of Arizona and Utah 7 times that day alone.
Bluff, Utah
Bluff is located in the scenic and very sparsely-populated southeastern Utah canyonlands. Under the direction of John Taylor, Silas S. Smith led about 230 Mormons on expedition to start a farming community in southeastern Utah. After forging about 200 miles of their own trail over difficult terrain, the settlers arrived on the site of Bluff in April 1880.
The town survived despite hostilities from Navajos, Utes, belligerent cattlemen, outlaws, and nature. The town’s population had declined to seventy by 1930 but rebounded during a uranium prospecting boom in the 1950s. With the uranium decline in the 1970s Bluff again declined and now remains a small town with about 300 residents.
Desert Rose Inn and Cabins
Luckily we had called ahead and booked a room at our favourite motel in Bluff - Desert Rose Inn and Cabins. No cabins available this time but we were able to get main floor room.
Gawd their beds are comfy. They have a mattress pad on every bed that feels like you're sleeping on a cloud. Have to remember Perfect Fit Industries for when we get home - gotta get me one of those.
Wednesday June 23 - Bluff to Torrey
Before leaving Bluff we paid a visit to the Twin Rocks Cafe and shopped for some souvenirs. We tried to make a reservation at Torrey for the night but there was no tower service in Bluff.
Valley of the Gods, Utah
We headed out with the intention to going directly up Hwy 261 but my car once again went out of control and turned into Valley of the Gods.
To our surprise there was water in the Valley - at the entrance. We never have we seen water there before. There hadn't been any rain here in over a week. Whatever storm had come thru before we arrived must have been a whopper.
Highway 261, Utah
We didn't spend too much time dawdling in the Valley and hit Hwy 261 around noon - plenty of time to catch the Halls Crossing Ferry across Lake Powell.
We stopped several times to take pictures and this time we were careful to make sure Willie was not going to fall over the cliff.
After all these years, we think we finally got the picture that really portrays the feeling of hanging on the edge. Karen literally stretched her arm out the window and in front of the windshield and aimed it where she was looking.
Yes folks, that is a straight 1000 foot drop over the side of that gravel edge. No guardrails, no trees, no fencing, not even a convenient boulder placed to discourage gawkers.
Eight years of going up and down this road and our stomachs still flip like a pancake on a hot griddle. And we love every minute of it!!!
At the top of Hwy 261 we passed a car from Alberta and couple of miles down the road curiosity got the better of us and we stopped and flagged them down to find out where in Alberta they were from. Edmonton. We didn't chat with them long as traffic was coming up behind us on the highway. It felt funny seeing another Albertan that far from home. What were they doing on "our" road anyway?
Lake Powell Ferry, Halls Crossing, Utah
We headed west on Hwy 95 and then south on Hwy 276 to Halls Crossing arriving at the dock with about 45 minutes to spare.
This was great as we were first in line and were able to play in the water for a while. While we were waiting for boarding we were entertained by the antics of a deck hand doing pushups, chins ups and various other calisthenics in 104° temperatures.
We were also entertained by a very unusual traveller behind us that looked like he was decked out for an Indiana Jones adventure. I took an instant dislike to him. Karen thought he was giving himself a sponge bath while waiting for the ferry to arrive.
However, in spite of being spooked, we spent a lovely half hour crossing the lake, relaxing and getting some sun. We were able to get a tower at the Bullfrog dock and managed to make a reservation for a cabin at the Chuckwagon Motel in Torrey.
Burr Trail, Utah
With lodging in order, next on our agenda was the Burr Trail. On docking we followed the highway for a few miles until we reached the turn off.
There was no sign that the Trail was closed so we proceeded. One major thing we noticed along the Trail (almost everywhere else too) was that there were more flowers and everything was greener than any other year. We assume this is a result of a wetter spring or perhaps more snow in the winter.
The Burr Trail is a backcountry route extending from the mountain town of Boulder down through Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument into Capital Reef National Park and then to Bullfrog in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The route covers about 68 miles.
The route is named after John Atlantic Burr, who was born in 1846 aboard the SS Brooklyn somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. He and his family lived in Salt Lake City, then later moved south and established the town of Burrville, Utah, in 1876.
John Burr soon developed a trail to move cattle back and forth between winter and summer ranges and to market. This cattle trail through the rough, nearly impassable country around the Waterpocket Fold, Burr Canyon, and Muley Twist Canyon came to be known as the Burr Trail. The entire route is scenic.
It takes traveler into some of Utah's most beautiful and extraordinary country. It affords extraordinary views of the Henry Mountains and lower Capital Reef country.
It provides access to incredible hikes in contorted landscape like The Gulch, The Circle Cliffs and the Waterpocket Fold. The road is graded dirt on the lower end. The condition of the dirt section may change from day to day. You can count on encountering washboardy and washed out spots.
Passenger cars can usually drive this section without any problem. However, during wet weather it may be impassable unless you have a high clearance vehicle.
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| Jumpy's Sandbox |
Jumpy's Sandbox
There was so much drifted sand that I kept saying "I want to play in the sand". So we stopped and that's exactly what I did. The sand was incredibly soft and silky to touch.
The Burr Trail becomes a secondary road 1668 and is at a very high elevation so it was quite surprising to find large banks of sand which I just had to go and play in. The temperature had dropped to a mere 75 degrees but was still quite comfortable.
Flowers Along the Trail
Again, one major thing we noticed along the Trail (almost everywhere else too) was that there were more flowers and everything was greener than any other year. We assume this is a result of a wetter spring or perhaps more snow in the winter.
We exited the Burr Trail on the east side of Boulder and connected with Hwy 12 north to Torrey. We passed several cows again on this stretch an only five deer. This is a long way from the hundreds of cows and deer we saw two years ago.
Torrey, Utah
We arrived in Torrey shortly after seven just in time to be invited for dinner from our two neighboring cabin occupants who advised us that we either had to join them or get annoyed by their antics as we were stuck between them. They were having family reunion with families visiting from as far away as Finland and Sweden. They were great group and fed us well!!
After dinner we did some laundry and watched Mamma Mia. We tried to stay an extra day in Torrey but the hotel was booked solid. We had only lucked out getting the cabin tonight by a cancellation.
Thursday June 24 - Torrey to Ely
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| Chuckwagon Motel, Torrey |
After gassing up we decided it was time to wash to car. The bugs were thick and the dust was thicker. We tried to take another backroad from Torrey to Antimony but about 15 miles down the gravel road a State of Utah wildlife officer with horse in tow advised us that this wasn't a good road to take.
We turned around and headed back to Hwy 24. Karen is absolutely sure he must have mistaken us for old ladies with no backbones. However, we heeded his advice.
By the time we reached the paved road again the car was dustier than before we washed it - and now on the inside too!!
Hwy 153, Utah
We took the paved plateau route down Hwy 62 to Hwy 89 to get over to Junction and connect with Hwy 153 that was closed when we tried to cross two weeks ago. We stopped at the gas station at Junction and they advised that it was open and clear. There wasn't a cloud in the sky - for that matter - we haven`t seen a cloud since we left Beaver on the way to Vegas.
Just over half of the western portion of State Route 153 has been designated the Beaver Canyon Scenic Byway as part of the Utah Scenic Byways and National Forest Scenic Byways programs.
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| Gun Site Flat Elevation 9934 |
Gun Site Flat
Again we only saw only a handful of cows and deer through the whole pass. We noticed too on this pass that everything was greener but a real decline of animals considering it is exactly the same time of year. We can't figure out why.
The route reaches its highest paved elevation at 9,200 feet. Shortly after the Puffer's Lake turn-off, the pavement ends and the route reaches its highest overall elevation of over 10,200 feet.The highway's route has remained mostly unchanged since 1945, except for some minor realignments.
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| Puffer Lake |
Puffer Lake
Puffer Lake is located at an elevation of 9,672 feet. While it is a natural lake, a dam for irrigation storage enhances its capacity, which reaches a depth of 50 feet when it is filled. It is privately owned by Puffer Lake Resort which rents boats and cabins.
Also we noticed more snow than the previous trip. After a short deliberation at Beaver to discuss the merits of traveling straight home on I-15 we determined another route into Nevada 150 miles out of our way was more desirable. Besides, the weather is still hovering in the 90°s and the weatherman says it`s pouring rain in Montana.
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| Frisco Charcoal Ovens |
Frisco Ghost Town, Utah
We crossed “under” I-15 and headed west on Hwy 21 - destination Ely, Nevada. Previously, along this route we found the ghost town Frisco but this year before reaching the Frisco Historic Marker, Karen noticed a group of Charcoal Ovens just off the road.
We drove to investigate and discovered not only were there Ovens but the remains of a ghost town.
After following a dirt road for a while, which I'm sure was an old rail bed, we found a road out to the highway (where we noticed a “no trespassing“ sign) Oops!! We rounded the next bend to discover the Frisco Historic Marker. The ghost town was obviously part of the original Frisco town.
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| Frisco Ghost Town |
We inspected the "townsite" and the ovens and then turned onto what Karen thought to be a road paralleling the highway. After a bit I said we were on an old railway bed that had been converted to a road. There were tire tracks on it.
Further down the road, we could see the "railbed road" and there was a big gap in it where the bridge used to be. Glad we hadn't tried to see where it would lead to. It might have been a tad awkward turning around in mid-air.
Frisco developed as the post office and commercial center for the San Francisco Mining District, and was the terminus of the Utah Southern Railroad extension from Milford. The Horn Silver mine was discovered in 1875, and had produced $20,267,078.00 worth of ore by 1910. By 1885 over $60,000,000.00 worth of zinc, copper, lead, silver, and gold had been transported from Frisco from the many mines in the area.
With 23 saloons, Frisco was known as the wildest town (of course - they all are) in the Great Basin. Killings were common. Drinking water had to be freighted in. Frisco's fortunes changed suddenly on February 13, 1885, when the Horn Silver Mine caved in completely. It was an unconventional mine, an open pit 900 feet deep braced with timbers, and could have collapsed at any time. In 1905 a Latter Day Saint ward was organized, but in 1911 with the closing of many of the mines, so many church members had left that the ward was discontinued.
There is also another ghost town a few miles up the road called "New House" but we were unable to get to it.
Ely, Nevada
We connected with Hwy 50 west and into Ely. We originally thought we might make it to Jackpot tonight but we spent too much time stopping for pictures and touring the ghost town.
We stayed in Ely and went to the Nevada Hotel for supper. After supper we toured around the town and gassed up the car.
Friday June 25 - Ely to Butte
Pony Express, Schellbourne, Nevada
We left Ely around 11:00 am and continued north on Hwy 93. At Schellbourne we noticed a Pony Express turnout and pulled off to read the information. There was a Pony Express Trail leading east so we drove up it but turned around at the summit - about 5 miles in. The flowers along the road were like planted rock gardens.
Fort Schellbourne is located south of the Cherry Creek road at the junction of US 93 and C.R. 2, then 3 miles east. Named for Major A. J. Schell, a commander of the troops guarding the mail line, it has a long history of indian fighting.
It first served as George Chorpenning's Jackass Mail and later as the Schell Creek Pony Express and overland Stage Stations. Then, it served as a mining camp during the 1870's. The Schell Creek Station was built by the Pony Express in the Spring of 1860. The Overland Stage Line also used the Schell Creek station for stock exchange and an Inn for travelers until 1869.
Stage Stop, Nevada
A little further north, we pulled into a little road stop called at Stage Stop. It was like walking back into the 1950s. The store was a pool hall, liquor outlet, grocery and diner all wrapped up in the gas station.
There were four local men bellied up to the bar having a beer and waiting for the sole employee to cook their lunch.One guy asked Karen where we had been and she briefly ran through our zigzag itinerary. He asked her why we did it and she replied "because we can".
We picked that line up from George in Cool Springs and figured it was as good an answer as anything else we could think of. After all, with no destination it's hard to explain the why, when and where of our last two weeks.
We stayed on Hwy 93 into Idaho, trough Twin Falls, and north to connect with Hwy 20/26 east.
Craters of the Moon, Idaho
We stopped at Craters of the Moon National Monument for about an hour. We had the Park Pass this year, so we took in the total tour.
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve is a national monument and national preserve located in the Snake River Plain in central Idaho. It is along Hwy 20 (concurrent with Hwy 93 Hwy 26), between the small cities of Arco and Carey. Average elevation is 5,900 feet above sea level.
The protected area's features are volcanic and represent one of the best preserved flood basalt areas in the continental United States.The Monument was established on May 2, 1924.
In November 2000, a presidential proclamation by President Clinton greatly expanded the Monument area. The National Park Service portions of the expanded Monument were designated as Craters of the Moon National Preserve in August 2002.Craters of the Moon lies in parts of Blaine, Butte, Lincoln, Minidoka, and Power counties.
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| Devil's Orchard |
Devils Orchard
Devils Orchard is a group of lava-transported cinder cone fragments (or rafted blocks) that stand in cinders. They were once part of the North Crater cinder cone but broke off during an eruption.
A trail loops through these formations and trees of the "orchard". The area is managed cooperatively by the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
The Monument and Preserve encompass three major lava fields and about 400 square miles of sagebrush steppe grasslands to cover a total area of 1,117 square miles. All three lava fields lie along the Great Rift of Idaho, with some of the best examples of open rift cracks in the world, including the deepest known on Earth at 800 feet. There are excellent examples of almost every variety of basaltic lava as well as tree molds (cavities left by lava-incinerated trees), lava tubes (a type of cave), and many other volcanic features.
Crater Gardens
Despite the seemingly barren nature of the cinder cones and lava fields, spectacular floral displays occur at Craters of the Moon each spring. Peak bloom for spring wildflowers generally occurs in early to mid-June.
Under the Dome
Just after we left the Craters, we observed dark clouds moving in from the southwest. The further east we went the more ominous they got. Everywhere around us were storm clouds but we appeared to be under the dome. The sun was shining on us.
At Arco the roads all divide and we followed Hwy 20 up to Hwy 33 and crow hopped north again to Hwy 22 over to I-15 at Dubois.
We seemed to stay slightly ahead of the rain but it finally caught us on the interstate when we stopped to gas up. Lightning was flashing everywhere and gave us quite a show. The rain was short-lived, we outran it and were once again "under the dome" of clear sky.
We tried to get a room at Dillon, Montana but the town was booked solid for the motorcycle show so we continued on to Butte and were hosed by the Days Inn for $170.00 (nearly double what we have been paying for hotels). They KNOW when you're desperate!!
Saturday June 26 - Butte to Calgary
We got a late start. Despite the cost, the Day's beds were comfy and we had a hard time getting up. We left at 11:00 am. The storm was past and we had a beautiful drive for the rest of the journey home. Even the customs agent was friendly and we were not detained on the return trip either.
Desert Flowers
This year we were surprisingly aware that the desert flowers had blossomed and seemed triple what we have found in other years. Perhaps because of their late spring warm up and lots of rain in May & June.
Even the grasses were taller and the trees were fuller. Flowers were everywhere. Unfortunately, we don't know the names of most of them, some of which we'd only seen for the first time this trip.
We finally have a destination - home!!
Map of Trip
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