Heading into deep Utah

Having spent several enjoyable days in moderate civilization, Paul and I have decided to head to the boonies again. So, as of tomorrow morning we’re lifting our jacks and heading North into deep Utah. It’s dry country up there so we’ve fortified our cellar with 24 bottles of wine, 3 bottles of rum and an assortment of other liquors. With a bit of luck we’ll be able to get by without rationing. We’ve also got an ample supply of cheese, so we should be properly nourished and ready for any circumstance.

 Given that we may, or may not have cellphone or internet access for the next week or so, we thought we’d leave you with a few parting shots of our fabulous time in Kanab. It’s been a wagging good time, and I could definitely see us coming back to spend more time volunteering and enjoying the red rocks and country atmosphere. If you don’t hear from us for a while, you’ll know what we’re drinking.

Gorgeous red mesa rock

View of Angel Canyon from Best Friends Sanctuary

Horse Haven at Best Friends

A very happy Nina w/ puppies at the Rescue

Sandstone, nature's art

$2 Westerns and a touch of Hollywood (Kanab, UT)

“I always heard there were three kinds of suns in Kansas, sunshine, sunflowers, and sons-of-bitches.” Josey Wales 

I have to admit I’m a sucker for old Westerns. There’s something about ruggedly handsome men sporting well-worn stubble galloping across the desert  in cowboy hats to save the day. These things speak to the hapless maiden in me. So, you can imagine my bliss when we discovered the hidden gem of Kanab. 

Set in the red mesa terraces of southern Utah, it’s a small town with a long history of good ‘ol Western Movies. Seems like many of the classics came through here from Deadwood Coach in 1924 to Gunmoke in 1955 and the fabulous Outlaw Josey Wales in 1976. The cherry on the pudding is that they kept many of the original sets and you can visit them for free in “Little Hollywood“. It’s a small sign at the side of the road so if you’ve travelled the 5 mins through town and missed it, turn back and drive the main drag again. In the back-yard of the unassuming front hides the gems of many of a good movie.  

So, you can walk the path of Clint Eastwood , peruse the set of Frank Sinatra and top the day by catching a $2 Western at the local Cinema in the PM. If you’re thoroughly in the mood you can even buy a cowboy hat at the Western store and explore the desert mesa in traditional getup. 

So, what d’ya reckon, you ready for the ride? 

Part of the Homestead set for Outlaw Josey Wales

 

Old town set at Little Hollywood

 

Good 'ol Western Props

 

Paul poses in front of the jail-set

$2 Westerns at the Local Crescent Moon Theatre

 

More Of Best Friends – where angels go to rest

As we enter our 3^rd day at Best Friends we’ve managed to frolic with puppies, play with the pigs and help out with some of the older dogs too. But, amazingly, that’s not all there is to this place. A ride around the grounds takes you to a stunning overlook of the valley at Angel Village (where you can get a $5 lunch with a view if you’re volunteering), hidden inlets, and…my absolute favorite, Angels Rest. This is where our lovlies go to rest, and it’s a gorgeous, peaceful and meditative place. The caretaker there is a lovely gentleman who started out part-time, became a care-taker and ended up staying for 8 years. The peacefulness and I guess the closure of helping people with the passing of their pets just kept him coming back.

There’s over 5,000 animals resting here of all kinds. Some have wind-chimes as memorials so you’re greeted by the soft sounds of bells as you walk around, at times becoming an opera of melodies when the wind picks up. The graves have pale red stones, and polished rocks are left for every visit, an old Hebrew tradition. In addition, each month the Rescue holds a blessing where you can share the impact a pet has had on your life. Every step here has a story and a meaning, so it’s quite a moving experience to walk around.

A fitting place for those we’ve loved and a highly recommended stop, indeed.

Don’t Weep for Me
Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there
I do not sleep
I am a thousand winds that blow
I am the diamond glints on snow
I am the gentle autumn rain
When you awaken in the mornings hush
I am the swift uplifting rush of quiet
Birds in circled flight
I am the soft star that shines at night
Do not stand by my grave and cry
I am not there
I did not die

Engraved at the entrance to Angel’s Rest

Angel's Rest

Memories of past lives in stone and chimes

Nina & one of the rescue dogs "Gunner" by one of the many memorial chime "trees"

The poem

2nd Day in Dog Town – A penchant for pigs

I’ve heard it say that pigs are smarter than dogs.

As Paul and I saw it there was really only one way to find out…and that was to send Paul over there. He saw it as entering his proper element. After all, George Clooney had a pot-bellied pig so it takes a certain suave and swagger to pull it off. So, in our 2nd day at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary Paul volunteered w/ the pot-bellied pigs, while I went off gallavanting with the puppies again.

The result? Pigs are sweet, super-clean animals with ample bellies and a love of mud (which reminds me of a good many men I know). They’ll walk, follow you around and can even be taught to sit, but are not quite as interactive as our own Polly. Still, they’re quite captivating and cute in a corpulent way. At Piggy Paradise, as they call it, you can walk, talk and interact with the little lovlies. Should you become besotten you can even take a pig for a “sleep-over” (apparently the local Best Western approves of it).

Fancy a trip to the pigs?

Paul in his element

Entance sign to Piggy Paradise

First Day in Dog Town…with nose to boot

My hubby’s always told me I have a terrible sense of smell.

I have to admit this particular asset has come in handy many times in my lifetime. During my 1-month hike in Nepal I was happily oblivious to all body odor and thus able to share eating quarters with my fellow hikers with no adverse effects to my nostrils. Also, I’m a cheap date having minimal discerning ability between fine and cheaper wines. And, to bring us to our current topic, I’m practically immune to the scent of dog poo.

It’s been said you develop a nose, but I think the opposite is true too. Having volunteered for many years in dog rescue the question of poo has become a very relaxed topic and even, I should say, a source of technical analysis. Most dog owners will happily engage in a spirited discussion on the finer aspects of correct feces formation. When you get to this stage yourself you will know you’ve ascended into the ranks of dedicated dog owners.

There’s many other subtle signs that you’ve gone to the doggie-side of life. Spending a week volunteering at Dog Town in Utah is just one of them. My nose comes in handy here, but so does a carefree love of doggie licks, thorough enjoyment of play, and the ability to abandon yourself in a little piece of doggie heaven. Should your preferences lie more towards bonding with horses, being rubbed by cats, or nuzzling with pot-bellied pigs you can get that here too. In fact, just about every kind of animal comes through here and it’s without a doubt the most amazing Rescue I’ve ever seen. They have over 1000 animals in ~33,000-acres of space nestled fabulously in the red rocks of Angel Canyon. I’ll be blogging more about it as the week goes on. In the meantime, may your nose lead you.

Our 1st day in Dog Town…we volunteered at the Puppy Center

In front of Dog Town

Paul and one of the puppies

Nina and a little slice of puppy heaven

RV Park Rating – Wahweap RV Park (Lake Powell, AZ)

Here’s the fabulous spot we picked in Lake Powell:

Link to park here: Wahweap RV Park

1. Site quality = 5/5
   It really doesn’t get any better than this. The sites are huge, many large enough to park two 45-foot RV’s next to each other (or RV, boat and car in one site). Also, there’s plenty of space between sites with 15-30 feet separation, so you have your own little sanctuary. Each spot is a nice concrete slab with a side-attachment of bench, grill and fire-pit. Full hook-ups with 50 Amp and good water pressure.
2. Facilities = 3/5
   Bathrooms are clean, simple and well-kept. However this place gets a ding because showers are only available at the Registration Center and they’re *Paid*. So, it’s $2 every time you need a clean-up. Not an issue for a self-contained vehicle like us, but could be a pain for those without built-in showers.
3. Amenities = 2/5
   There’s really not much in the way of extra’s at this park. The WiFi is free and works well, but aside from that no other perks. Also, the laundry room is small (only a few machines) and usually really crowded. Now, you’ve got Lake Powell within walking distance so there’s plenty to keep the adults,  kids and doggies happy, but just nothing much extra on-site.
4. Location = 5/5
   Again, it doesn’t get any better than this. You’re literally within walking distance (one mile or so) from Lake Powell. Most of the sites have a view and the surroundings are gorgeous. You’re close to Navajo Nation, Horseshoe Bend and all kinds of other attractions. If you need a margarita or some groceries, Page is just 15 mins away.
5. Pet friendliness = 4/5
   This is a pet-friendly park, and the lake is an extra bonus for the doggies.

 Overall rating = 3.8
BONUS ALERT: Gorgeous Lake Powell within walking distance from your RV

Summary: This is without doubt the most beautiful park we’ve stayed at so far in our trip. As far as site location and access to outdoor activities it ranks top 10. Our site was huge, the view was fabulous, the Lake gorgeous and plenty of space to walk the dog. The only dings (ratings-wise) are for showers and amenities. For us, neither of these matter much so we absolutely loved it and would gladly have stayed a month. For those looking for the best views and the largest sites I recommend C Loop back-in’s. They’re actually larger than the pull-throughs and can easily accommodate the biggest rigs. Two thumbs and four paws up for this RV park. We’ll definitely be back!

Perfect location. The view doesn't get any better than this.

Back-view of our site showing the grill, fire-pit and bench

View of C-loop sites. There's lots of space here.

View from our "balcony"

Magic and Icy Waters (Lake Powell, AZ)

“The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper” (Eden Phillpotts)

A sense of space and magic is exactly what you get at Lake Powell. It is a huge, gorgeous, awe-inspiring piece of water with over 1900 miles of shoreline (comparable to the entire US Atlantic coastline) and a capacity of over 7 trillion gallons. In an odd coincidence of numbers it took 3 years, 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days to dam and was completed in 1963. Wind, water and history have etched their lines into the rock so your eye feasts on the contrast of deep blue water and red sandstone rock. 

This is an area that’s life-giving to most of the Western US and steeped in Indian lore too. You can loose yourself for days in the lake, hike the remote backcountry, bask on the beach, or frolic in the icy waters. As an extra bonus all the recreation areas are dog-friendly so man’s best friend can come right along with you on the adventure.

If we’d known it would be this cool, we’d have stayed for a month.

View of Lake Powell from Waheap entry

Delicate flowers on Hanging Gardens hike

Magical, red sandstone

Polly playing on Lake Powell beach

Go Forth and Be Fruitful

As young and impressionable minds we’re often told to go out and make something of ourselves in life. This concept of being fruitful gets implanted early and so we tend to rush through life, constantly seeking the next achievement. Being on the road tends to slow down the pace and force the mind to accept the beauty of the journey rather than the end result. This is a wonderful lesson and I respect it greatly. Nonetheless every now and then one gets the urge to be fruitful again and thankfully there’s many ways to do it that don’t involve becoming a arborist.

In fact, RV’ers “do” all the time and one of the most satisfying and easy ways to start is with volunteering. Being now ~3 months into our journey Paul and I have started to look at ways to make ourselves useful (other than to each other, that is) and I’m happy to say we’ve bagged our first two volunteering slots. Next week we’ll be spending a week at Dog Town, a huge animal rescue in Utah, and a place I’ve wanted to visit for years. Then, a couple of months down the road we’ll be joining a Habitat For Humanity build in S.Dakota through an organization called RV Care-A-Vanners (RV’ers who build).

There’s plenty more places to get involved for those interested including USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, church organizations, National Parks and more. 

Check these links:
http://www.loverving.com/volunteering.html
http://www.safarimotorcoaches.com/adventures/archive/05junejuly/volunteer.html

So, fear not that you will be idle, the answer is in your hands.

It's a doggy good world. Polly our rescue pup plays in Coconino Forest.

Red Rocks and Animal Spirits (Page, AZ)

“If you look closely you can see the bear’s mouth” pointed our young guide. I squinted and did my best to make out the shape in the red rock.  You see, we were taking a tour of Antelope Canyon in Page, AZ and according to the local indians, the rocks are alive with animals.

Although the shape didn’t exactly jump out this concept was not new to me. In fact, it reminded me of an incident several years back…well, let’s just say many several years back, in the budding youth of my college years. A few friends and I had taken a primitive backpacking trip in Nevada and we had fortified our sustenance with beer and, shall we say, unusual fungi. After the evening meal, much of which involved the two aforementioned items, I hiked solo up onto the mountain face and sat down to absorb my surroundings. In the midst of mountains and nature, I was suddenly barraged by animals seeming to come out of the rock-face. So, I connected, if you will, to the mountain spirits.

Despite the lack of enhancing supplies in my current situation, I could easily see how the spirit of animals would abound in a place like this too. There is, indeed, something awe-inspiring and spiritual about red rock. The massive faces loom majestically in the landscape and reflect the forces of millions of years of history that have gorged their mark into the landscape causing both deep chasms and delicate patterns on their faces. They stand unmoving and strong, yet ever-changing in the light from fiery red in the early morning to shades of ochre by noon and purple hues in the evening.

So far, first impressions of this area are breath-taking. I’ll let you know if I see more animals…

Paul soaks in the view at Horshoe Bend. The Colorado River runs off into the background.

The awesome and crazy Horshoe Bend

Red sand and lots of space

Stunning Antelope Canyon

Staying Connected

“Honey, which of the cow’s stomachs should we buy tripe from for the dog?”

Hmm….that’s not something that I get asked everyday but it was this puzzling question that started me thinking about the importance of staying connected while on the road.

In our age of ‘just Google it’ knowledge, internet access has become pretty critical, particularly for former techies like Nina and myself. In some circles they have even started arguing that it is a basic human right (no comment!). For us it is pretty dang important, way above TV or phone, and up there with access to ESPN or the MLB network.

With that said, there are three basic choice when it comes to internet access while traveling in your RV; satellite, WiFi, and cellular broadband.

Satellite:

Satellite is the most reliable option. You can pretty much get a signal anywhere in North America as long as you have clear line of site to the sky. Trees and very stormy days are the only real issues. It usually  involves getting a satellite dish installed on top of your RV plus subscribing to a monthly service. The main drawbacks are the upfront expense for the dish (about $5K installed) and some performance issues – the latency with satellite is not great and the upload speeds are bad (important for Skype). But if you want access from anywhere and everywhere this is the best option.

WiFi:

WiFi internet access would seem like the best option. You can pretty much find a WiFi hotspot anywhere. It is reliable and widely available for little to no cost. Many, dare I say most, RV parks have free or low cost WiFi. The drawbacks are 1) RV park WiFi is notoriously un-reliable and slow and 2) you won’t always be in an RV park. Barring driving around the locale your visiting cruising for free WiFi this solution is just not good enough.

Cell-phone broadband

Data service over cell-phone networks has come a long way in just a few years. It has gone from an esoteric glitchy technology into one that is fast, reliable, and affordable. Also, the deployment of the cell-phone networks themselves have improved a ton, to he point where you can get coverage almost anywhere (bar the extreme boondocking locations). Similar to your cell phone plans you get a modem for little to no cost, a subscription plan for $40-$60/month depending on the provider,  with a 2 year contract. You can even get after market amplifiers and external antennas to improve the coverage and range even more. And the final accessory for this solution would be a router for inside your RV so the cell phone signal can be shared with multiple computers. Simple, not so expensive, and reliable.

Our choice

We chose to go with Verizon as our data provider because I think they have the best network coverage by far. Its $60/month, vs $40 for the cheapest option, but I think its worth it. We have a U190 USB modem from Pantech that takes an external antenna if needed as well. To share the connection in the RV we have a Cradlepoint MBR1100 router. We back up our cell-phone solution with RV park WiFi when available, free, and reliable. So far, so good.

P.S. In case you’re wondering, tripe is the lining of one of the three cow’s stomachs and green-tripe includes some of the pre-digested contents. Not very good for humans but like heaven for dogs, and really healthy! And apparently, tripe from the 3rd stomach is the best.

Nina 'working' away...