Another Long Trip Behind Us

Last week the weather in Yuma was bearable, but the forcast for temps to be in the high 90s made me decide to pack it up and head east! Yes, another 1400 miles or so to get away from extreme heat! Sunday morning we were on the road by 7:30 and headed north, back the same way through the desert that we just travelled. Having had a couple of really good rains while we were in Yuma, the washes and low spots had standing water and that's something we have not seen.

The first night we stopped in Gallup New Mexico, and the Second night in Amarillo Texas. Monday was our 34th Wedding anniversary and we went to the Big Texan Steakhouse in Amarillo and had Carrot Cake! It's the best carrot cake I've ever tasted and that was a big treat! We also had a two room suite in a hotel and that was pretty special and I slept really well.  It's amazing how such simple things have become so very important! No big party or champagne or whiskey, just my honey and a piece of carrot cake! Tuesday morning we pointed the nose of the car north. After having a relaxing sleep we got a later start than I wanted, but good weather all the way and not much wind, we made really good time.  By now I am back on Central time, but one thing I have done lately is try to keep my body clock on Central Standard Time. In the last three months we have been in all of the time zones and that tends to mess with my ability to sleep if I try to adjust too much and can't spend time to really settle.

 I honestly think the desert is greener than things here in the Plains States. We need rain desperately around here. The fall colors here however are very vibrant right now...

The trip north across Kansas on Hwy 83 showed lots of harvested fields, this huge elevator being torn down, lots of road construction and trees of red and gold.

 

Hay bales put up to help feed the cattle for the winter ahead.

 

It's time for us to attend some little league football games, hug some Grand kids and enjoy some fall weather and College Football Games here in Nebraska. I do hope that we get to see some more moisture before we head back to the desert because they will be out of luck for rain too. Their rainy season will be over and I'm sure we will welcome the warmth in Yuma at Christmas time. 

 

Fall Colors....

Sometimes they are in the eyes of the beholder! I know that orange, red and yellow are some of my favorites.... but here in Williams and the Grand Canyon we are taking advantage of other natural colors. We took advantage of the beautiful weather and took and long drive to Grand Canyon National Park. Then we unloaded the spoiled house dog and set out down a rim trail for a nice long exploring walk along the edge of the Grand Canyon.

 This was our first trip on our own, and we took our time, walked at our own pace and found many views and vantage points that we didn't see on the tour the first time.

The shade in along the forest path, made it almost chilly. By the end of the morning I was wanting to shed my coat. It was a great 3 mile walk in the fresh morning air.

If you look really closely at the picture on the right, you may see a small little character with a bushy little tail. He is a Cliff Chipmunk and KayCee was very interested in them! The banana yucca was very thick and healthy too, benefits of the rainy season. Fall colors are vivid here. Brilliant blue sky, and the rustic reds of the geologic wonder. The Colorado River flows at the bottom of this vast canyon and although I wasn't able to get a real good picture, the emerald green water was beautiful to the naked eye!

Being on our own in the car, we went to some view areas that we hadn't seen before -
The far peak over our shoulders in the distance is 9 miles straight across the canyon to the north. It was a very clear day for pictures.

We drove East along the south rim of the canyon, where we found a picnic table for lunch. After resting and having a sandwich, we turned back towards Williams. Exploring the surrounding area to the South of the canyon was fun too. Lots of things to do and see for everyone.

 A Trading Post along the way, looks to have some very interesting wares. Love their Sagauro Cactus!Very low maintenance lawn decor!  

 

 

Not a close enough wildlife encounter, so when we got back to Williams, we pulled into a place called Bearizona! We visited there the year that they opened and my my but they've really added and improved.

 

 The drive through portion of the visit gives lots of opportunity to see many animals. The walking part of the visit within the walls of Fort Bearizona is good for young and old.

The white wolf was trying to bury this bone! A sighting of a few white buffalo should mean I would have some good luck. I hope this is true!  None of these animals are afraid or pay much attention to the cars...they just go about their business, some more comical than others.My favorite of the day is the Kindergarten Bears and the  chickens and goats in the barnyard.

 The chickens are fancy and had eggs in their nests.

The goats climbed the benches for your attention!

 They are a hoot! All the animals and visitors alike have the change of seasons on their minds....Halloween is coming soon.

 They are showing some spirit and involving the community in their fun, inviting folks to dress up and visit their park. Although our visit here in Williams Arizona is quickly coming to an end, we will most definitely be back. Lots to see and do and the community is so friendly. We were invited to a Mexican Feast at the Catholic Church, put on by the Knight's of Columbus last night and that's the way we topped off a wonderful fall day! It was very good. I always like it when I don't have to cook!

This RV Park is also a motel, with some unique rooms, made of train cars and caboose's. This is my view from the windshield. Beyond is into a forest. These folks have a quiet business on the edge of town, and stay pretty busy. DH has a spot in a golf tourney at the local golf course on Monday and then we will be on our way. We have enjoyed our stay here very much. You can't beat this fall weather!

Goodbye September - Hello Fall!

 

Just like that!..... Or that's the way it seems anyway. Our September was jam packed with travel and business...travel from Montana to Indiana...from Indiana to Colorado and on to Arizona. The business was getting our new home on wheels tended to in Indiana, at the factory where it was made and also the paint factory where it was originally painted. After 13 days we had most of the issues taken care of and learned a whole lot as to how these coaches are built from the ground up. We will be returning to Indiana in the spring to have more things done and a portion of our coach repainted. They have all been very good to us and I don't dread going back there.







While we were waiting around for them to do things to our coach during the day, we took some side trips. One to the shores of Lake Michigan and the day we picked to do that it was raining and windy, causing the waves to crash up on the beach.






We left Elkhart on the run. DH was invited to participate in an annual Trap Shoot/Golf tourney with his older brother in Wray Colorado and we didn't have any days to spare! We stopped off in Nebraska just overnight to drop off some things that we've been toting around and unneeded.

 We spent the weekend parked at the Fairgrounds at Yuma Colorado and DH got to see his brother, one sister and brother in law. It was great weather for their tournament and a good time was had by all when we met for breakfast on Sunday in Yuma. The visit was too short, and they all had to get on back to work.   We continued on to Colorado Springs for a few days, where he played golf with a friend of ours at the Famous Broadmoor Golf Club, the site of many pro Golf Tournaments. The second morning there we woke up to Revoli from Fort Carson just across the road and Snow on Pikes Peak! After three days, the weather threatening rain and storms, we bolted to the south, stopping in Albuquerque for an overnight then on to Williams Arizona. I'm so glad that our plans are written in Jello! The plan was to be at our Winter home the 1st of October, but the weather this year is making my job difficult! It is 108 there today and the triple digits of this week caused me to call and postpone our arrival. We are now going to check in there on the 9th and hope it's 10 degrees or so cooler by then. This is a quiet little park here in Williams, the daytime high today is set for 79 and the nights in the low 40s. We drove into Flagstaff and explored a bit on Sunday and DH hit the local golf course here today.Saturdays are for watching a little "Husker Football" and we are enjoying the slow pace and mild temps here after a whirlwind busy month.