Yosemite National Park

Happy Fathers Day! We started with blueberry pancakes in Bishop, California - then on to Yosemite. A great day, the road only opened yesterday due to lots of hard packed snow and many campgrounds are still closed. We drove in from the East on the Tioga pass, over 10,000 feet so lots of melting snow, frozen lakes and rushing waterfalls. Hiked up Olmstead Point, very odd being 25 degrees and surrounded by snow.

Zion National Park

We almost skipped it but so glad we didn't, we drove in from the East, the scenery just got more and more spectacular. Then we saw the sign, anyone over 11” 4’ must stop for an escort through the tunnel to enter the park. We are 12”. Fair enough, it is a really narrow tunnel carved through the cliff into the park, anyone in a tall vehicle needs to have the traffic stopped and an escort to drive right in the middle of the tunnel to avoid hitting the sides. When we arrived at the entrance the ranger told us just to pull in our mirrors and we would be fine. Yikes – the sign definitely said 11” 4’ clearance as we drove in. It was very tight, with holes cut in the wall – to push the rubble out when they were boring the hole - which now produce stunning vistas as you drive through. After the tunnel the road just dropped with lots of switchbacks and towering red cliffs all around.

We took the shuttle bus and did a couple of hikes to the Emerald Pools and the Narrows – stunning! A very nice lady approached us in the car park and asked if we would like a camping spot as her husband had left early – result – usually you have to reserve six months in advance. Isla discovered her new favourite food, then we swam in the river and went to sleep surrounded by the red rock – lovely.

Grand Canyon = AMAZING

We had an amazing time at the Grand Canyon, woke up early and stopped at the National Geographic Visitor Centre for the IMAX movie to prepare ourselves, Isla sat and watched the whole 34 minutes on my knee, without moving, completely enthralled - a record! We drove in and dropped the RV at our campsite then took the shuttle bus to the visitor centre, we started at the Mather Lookout and walked almost all the way to Hermits Rest at the Western end of the trails.

It took all afternoon and was breathtaking. We did not hike into the Canyon, just to the lookout points. It is pretty steep so would be tough going with a wiggly kid on your back.

Looking down at Hermits trail it was so easy to imagine people arriving by carriage from Flagstaff before the railroad arrived, a 12 hour bone jarring journey, to be transported by mule to the bottom of the Canyon. There they would stay in tents with windows, a phone service - 5 star service!

Petrified Forest National Park

This National Park is a 28 mile drive, with spots you can hop out and take pictures, hike or check out the freaky petrified wood. The wood is, like, really old and turned to stone (that's the scientific explanation). It was an amazing drive, from bright red to smokey grey canyons of rocks. And obviously the cool rock/wood stuff.

Petrified Wood

Sunset in Arizona

Nice View!

Petroglyphs - they are REALLY old

Petrified Wood

Whats wrong with this picture?

Just the two of us for once - Arizona

Yikes - swift exit!

Slide Rock State Park

We passed this place on the way to Sedona and noticed all the people in the river off the side of the road and decided to check it out on the way back. It is a river with rocks worn smooth by years of water flowing over them, making a natural water slide. Charlie and Isla tried the slide and we had a fun day paddling and relaxing by the water.

Cadillac Graveyard

Just outside Amarillo, Texas. An eerie, windy, lonely feeling place.

El Rancho de las Golondridas

Upon the recommendation of a friend of Lynn’s we visited El Rancho de las Golondridas near Santa Fe. It was founded in 1710 as a stopping place on the road to Mexico City. It is a 200 acre living history museum a 19^th century home, blacksmith, wheelwright, schoolhouse, mountain village and water powered mills. It was a children’s weekend, they had people dressed in traditional clothing demonstrating how life would have been, plus fun stuff like balloon sculpture, face painting, a shepherdess herding her flock all over and making your own tortilla. Isla had a blast and so did we.

On to Cochiti Lake State Park – kind of desert-y and dry (well this is New Mexico), and hazy due to the forest fires over the border in Arizona. But a relaxing afternoon by the lake, Isla met a bunch of “big” girls so was happy to follow them around, and we got to chat to some locals and get some tips for the next stop – Albequerque.

Santa Fe

Such a cute town with adobe style low buildings and beautiful art. A really laid back vibe, lots of trendy artists. Saw lots of galleries and the History Museum. We found a bar and Charlie watched game 2 of the Stanley cup finals, then we slept in the visitor centre car park.

New Mexico

After Texas we decided to hit New Mexico - sounded more fun than Oklahoma. We tried to do a scenic drive to Taos, but due to forest fires the road was closed, a 75 mile fruitless round trip.

Took a chance on Villaneueva State Park and got the last site for the night. The camp hosts were super friendly, as were the other campers. Our water hose was not long enough so a nice lady swapped with us for the night. A beautiful place with little adobe style shelters to have dinner in, on the banks of a river with nice hikes nearby. Woke up and I was quite sick so decided a good place to stay for a couple of nights.

The next night a ranger hosted a stargazing party, we rocked up late as it was cloudy – but just in time to see Saturn and her two moons through the telescope. Totally amazing, like a picture from a book at school – and it was the real thing. Next morning we did the steep hike to a beautiful lookout. Got back just in time to see the presentation by the nice hose-lending lady, who was a bird expert. She had brought her screech owl, raven, kestrel and Harris hawk to do a presentation in the ranger station. Very interesting and educational too – Isla loved the tiny screech owl and sat still for at least 10 minutes of the two hour presentation.

New Orleans

Excuse me - I am a bit behind as we have been staying in state parks which lack an internet connection, when we have one Charlie usually has a lot of sport to catch up on so limited computer access for me!

Arrived in New Orleans on a Sunday, dropped off the RV, ate a lunch of soft shell crab and jambalaya (yum) and went to wander around town. Charlie watched the Canucks game in a little Irish bar and Isla and I checked out the French Quarter and ate frozen yoghurt. Beautiful buildings and friendly people. As Isla had a late nap we managed to get in a sneaky beer outside and then headed to check out Bourbon Street. We walked along and all the tourists were throwing beads down from the balconies, the music was deafening, after catching some beads we headed to a recommended place for dinner where we tried backened catfish – yum yum yum!