Day 38- May 11

The plan for today was an early-ish breakfast and Sean, Carla, Diane and I were heading for the San Diego Zoo and Jane and Ike were going to explore San Diego some more. Although the bus system would have got us there we were told it would take a couple of hours so Sean and Carla packed up their vehicle to drive there.

After a longish but very informative introduction from the helpful staff at the site we started off with a display of some of the more trained animals in the amphitheatre. A very clever sea lion was the star of the show, with guest appearances from macaws, a cheetah, and a white wolf.

The Star

We then took the half hour double decker bus tour of the site to get an idea of where we wanted to walk to. The site is simply too large to walk in a day and take anything in. There was a line up for the bus but in Disney fashion it is managed in such a way that you really don’t know how long it is until you get to the end of it. We chose to sit on the top of the bus despite the sun to get a better view. The ride was a great overview of the park but afforded little viewing of the animals due to the distance the bus keeps from most of the enclosures. In hindsight our time would have been better spent walking the site.

The animals are kept in large enclosures rather than cages. The enclosures are designed specific to the species and have activity areas designed to keep the animals engaged. These activities include swings, pools, slides and scratching poles. Many of the animals in the zoo are rescue animals, saved from some accident or endangered species that have been bred in captivity to ensure their survival perhaps until a gentler time when they can be introduced back into their native habitat.

Zoos can be an emotional and philosophical issue for some people who feel that the animals have no dignity in these settings. The staff at the zoo make every effort to emphasize the scientific nature of their work and talk of the studies that are underway on the habits and health of many of the park inhabitants. They emphasize the importance of protecting the genetic line of some species, for instance it was pointed out that there are now more tigers in captivity than in the wild due to their shrinking habitat and the pressures of civilization.

The key attraction in the park are the pandas. There is a 21 year old mother and her 9 month old cub, the most recent of 6 she has borne in captivity. One of the few animal attractions that you had to line up for, the display was worth the wait. After a thorough cleaning of the enclosure and the placement of fresh food, bamboo shoots and protein treats the bears are allowed in. The cub, like most babies was a crowd pleaser and a bit of a goof. Not yet acclimatized to eating bamboo he was more interested in playing with his mother than eating and she patiently tried to fend off his antics while she hunted for and ate her treats and then settled down to eat her bamboo. The cub took a break, climbed a tree and hung upside down, much to the pleasure of the crowd before returning to the ground to pester his mother.

Just goofin’ around

Amongst all the other animals the stand outs for me were the giraffes and the single horn rhinoceros. There was a new born giraffe in the enclosure. New born for a giraffe if 6 feet tall. We all have seen giraffes in cartoons and nature shows but to see them live was amazing. The variations in the colours and patterns of their markings and their phenomenally long tongues picking leaves off the trees seemed surreal.

Jerome?

The only way I can describe the rhino is prehistoric. Thick textured skin folded into what looked like armour plating and stocky legs like tree stumps. As we watched from behind the substantial fence, one of the attendants came along and called the rhino by name. Notoriously poor of sight you could see the rhino locate her by turning its head and it waddled over to her. She turned on a hose and began spraying the rhino down. To his obvious pleasure. It then pressed up against the enclosure fence to allow her to reach through and rub its skin. The rhino then slowly walked along the fence until she had rubbed it right down to its substantial butt and then it moved off back into the enclosure. This must be a nightly ritual but it was amazing to watch this tiny woman interacting in such a touching fashion with an animal that could have killed her with a simple twitch.

By this time we have spent about 6 hours in the zoo and were ready to head home for a supper of barbecued fish, rice and broccoli and well aged tabbouleh salad.

Jane and Ike’s day consisted of relaxing down at Seaport Village and historic Gas Lamp District. The harbour is beautiful with every type of watercraft imaginable from an aircraft carrier to paddle boats with sails. They lunched on the waterfront and had a great lunch of scallop ceviche, guacamole and fish and chips. The buildings in the Gas Lamp district were about 100 years old with interesting architectural details. Lots of shops and restaurants; we enjoyed coffee in a cupcake bakery and carried a six pack back to the KOA for dessert. Good thing they did a lot of walking after all that eating.

Day 39 – May 12

Happy Birthday Mom, love you – Carla.

Our goal for the day was to get to the other side of LA. We all agreed that LA deserved too much time to include in our schedule and was probably a destination trip for another time. Even though it was Sunday we knew that traffic would still be bad and Jane and Ike tried to increase their chances of a less stress drive by leaving at 6:45, that’s AM, by the way.

The latter part of the armadillo headed out around 9:00. We got on the I-5 south of San Diego and headed north. Initially traffic was very light and we made good time. North of San Clemente we caught the #1, the Pacific Coast Highway. However, just like at home in June (July and August…) the coastal fog was in and we could see little of the ocean. We could see however that the beaches were packed and parking along the narrow highway, with the combination of Sunday and Mother’s Day was minimal.

At Laguna Beach we decided to stop as the fog was giving signs of clearing and there was a craft fair close to the beach. It took a while to find a spot big enough for the BRT, 1-1/2 parking stalls, and then after a quick stop at Starbucks for coffee and a free wi fi FaceTime with Laurel we headed down to the beach where Diane and Carla browsed the fair while Sean and I watched the beach volleyball. We only watched the men’s games and totally ignored the women in the green, red and blue bikinis who had nice manicures, great tans and perfect teeth – hardly noticed them at all.

By noon we were feeling the need to move on even though the fog hadn’t cleared and the chipped fingernail time out on court #1 hadn’t been sorted out yet. As we drove further along #1 we realized that the traffic congestion was not going to end as we drove through the back to back settlements along the beach road. Before we hit Long Beach where we anticipated even worse traffic we moved out to the 405 and then to the 101 as we moved through the LA traffic.

If this was typical Sunday traffic I would hate to see rush hour. Although not as bad as our traffic hour approach to San Diego this was full focus driving. Sean’s hot spot Internet connection suddenly decided to have a digital hizzy fit and it stopped talking to Carla’s Ipad so we moved into the lead trusting to my GPS to get us through the maze of off ramps and merging traffic. Luckily Sunday or possibly Mother’s Day appeared to be a day of rest for truckers so we only had to deal with the nut bars in their Porsches, Ferraris and Lamborghinis weaving back and forth through traffic like the start of the Monte Carlo Grand Prix, grabbing at any car length space that opened up as if each move made the difference between standing on top of the podium or walking the walk of shame with the other also rans.

What I did find out however is that the BRT made the pretty boys in the fancy cars very nervous. A slight unintended swerve of the beast as one of them tried to pry themselves into the postage stamp sized piece of tarmac in front of me would make their eyes bug out like they had just been served the wrong vintage of their favourite Chardonnay. You take your little pleasures in life where you can find them and move on.

As we drove further north the fog did lift and we were treated to views of the houses and beaches this coast is famous for. North of Santa Barbara was our rendezvous spot for the day, Gaviota State Beach Park. We always have a contingency plan when travelling as a group so that if we get separated or have trouble we can connect again.

Gaviota SBP was a dry camping spot i.e. no power or water but it did have washrooms and showers, of a sort. The main attraction was the beach and a large California style pier that juts far out into the Pacific. The less desirable aspect of the park is the gale force winds that seem to blow endlessly. Jane and Ike had arrived at the parka couple of hours before us and said that earlier in the afternoon the breeze had been cool off the sea but had just switched around off the land and was now a very balmy if somewhat sand filled breeze. Through strategic parking of our vehicles we managed to block the worst of the breeze and enjoy the warmth of the afternoon.

I walked down to the pier to check out the ‘fishing’. The fishing seemed to consist of hooking a small bait fish on a hook that was part way up a line with a sinker at its end and then throwing that assembly over the side and then sitting down in a chair and waiting. I don’t know what they were fishing for but based on the variety of rod sizes being used it could have been anything from tinker mackerel to blue fin tuna. There were also several people setting crab traps over the side, baited with whole fish, who seemed to be having more success than the rod fishermen.

We had a barbecued pork loin, with barbecued potatoes, bean salad and a Greek salad/tabbouleh mash up for supper. After supper Diane and I lay out on one of the picnic tables facing the beautiful star-filled sky, contemplating our good fortune to be in all these beautiful places with such good company.

Day 37 – May 10

Our big plan for the day was to head to Tijuana but first we had to sort out our accommodations for the night. Jane, Carla and Diane, the negotiations team, headed down to the office and after a protracted period came back to say we could stay but we all had to move to a single pull through site. Due to the two for one sale we also had decided to stay another night and do the driving for our next leg in the relative quiet of Sunday traffic. After some time measuring and eyeballing we moved the three vehicles into a very cozy arrangement that left some communal space under Sean and Carla’s canopy at the picnic table. through the use of a couple of extension cords we managed to piggy back off of Jane and Ike’s power connection.

Once set up we headed for Mexico. The bus line runs right to the Mexican border. As we followed the crowd from the station we soon realized that we had unceremoniously crossed into Mexico, without border check, passport inspection or even a welcome to Mexico. It would appear, based on the rigour of border crossing, that the rush to sneak into Mexico is somewhat less than into the USA. Go figure.

We found our way to a taxi stand to get downtown. Visions of our trip to Greece came to us as we were set upon by a dozen taxi drivers who wanted our business. We quickly found the guy who appeared to be in charge and he convinced a taxi driver, known as Big Dog, that we could all fit into his full sized American taxi. It wasn’t like we were trying to avoid the costs, it was $1 each for the ride, but we didn’t want to get separated in two taxis. The driver was very friendly and warned us of places to stay away from and recommended a place to eat.

As soon as we got out of the taxi we were set upon by street hawkers and shop owners who wanted to sell us anything and everything. It took a few minutes for us to gather our collective wit, make sure that there were no stragglers, and have the group (which since Greece we affectionately call the ‘Armadillo’ ) moving smoothly through the streets.

Tijuana

We stopped at several shops to look at various items. I wanted to get a silver and turquoise belt buckle, something slightly smaller than my face if possible. I stopped at one shop and the minute I showed any interest in an item the owner started to negotiate downward. The $60 belt and buckle combination quickly became $40 and then $30 before I could say a word and as I walked out of the store promising to return unless I found something I liked better he followed me down the street calling special for Canadians today, $20. One one hand you can find it humorous but on the other a little disturbing, the effort to try and eek out a living amongst dozens of shops selling exactly the same products must be stressful.

A little further on we walked into a shop that was very different from the others we had seen. Inside there was a work bench, raw materials and tools for making jewellery. The owner was a very soft spoken low pressure guy who explained what he did and showed me the difference between the fake silver work by doing a nitric acid test on the pieces. He showed me the difference between the fake Chinese turquoise and real turquoise stone. His work was head and shoulders above anything else that I had seen so far but it was reflected in his prices. In this instance I began to negotiate. When it got to the point where he put the buckle on his scale to check the silver weight I knew I was close to his bottom line. I bought a beautiful buckle, knowing that I not only had a great souvenir but also a piece of wearable art.

The owner recommended the same restaurant as the taxi driver so after so more shopping we headed to Caesar’s restaurant. It was a very nice, upscale restaurant with white table cloths and waiters with black vests, white shirts and black ties. The service was impeccable with waiters, in their broken English, tried their best to please our every request. We had asked to sit outside, and as it was Mexican Mothers Day with lots of patrons wanting to sit inside they welcomed out request.

We all had requested the house speciality, Caesar Salad, which was prepared with a flourish at our table. We were presented with business card sized copies of the recipe and when we asked if the tapenade was for sale we were given a take home portion. The food was excellent and sitting outside provided a great opportunity to watch the Tijuanan life pass by.

Caesars

We caught a small cab back to the border and by small I mean compact small and the short ride to the border was vaguely reminiscent of some old college initiation in the mists of my memory.

Our Taxi

Once we got to the border it was apparent that the speed of crossing into Mexico was not going to be repeated on the homeward trip. A seemingly interminable line awaited us in the late afternoon sun.

We had been told that for $5 at the border you would be taken to the end of the line. Although dubious, when were approached by someone who had something that looked like an I.D. around his neck we looked at the line and feeling that there was some safety in numbers decided to try it.

We were scurried from the line back through some dilapidated building to a parking lot out back which resembled a set from a really bad B movie where a van awaited us. We all have had moments I’m sure when we think what am I getting my self into here. Had any of us been alone I doubt that we would have attempted this but there is strength in an armadillo so in we got, along with a couple of other tourists. The route travelled by the van did not increase our sense of security as we passed through back alleys, did illegal U-turns had near collisions with both cars and pedestrians.

Eventually, after we all had mentally planned our individual escape routes or wondered what our funerals would really be like, we miraculously cut into what appeared to be the line of cars crossing the border. One of the other passengers, who spoke English, told us that she did this regularly rather than face the 2 hour wait in line. After a brief wait behind a pylon, two homeland security guards waved us on and we got out of the van and into a very short line. After presenting our passports and a few quick questions we were sent on our way. Best $5 we spent that day. So easy to say after the fact.

Sean, Carla, Diane and I took the bus to the Seaport Village and Jane and Ike returned home to relax. We walked along the very pleasant San Diego waterfront, the first ocean we have seen in a long time. We stopped at a restaurant called Waters Edge where we had some appetizers and drinks. We struck a conversation with two well heeled couples at the next table from L.A. and New York , who were very pleasant and entertaining. It is always fun when we tell people what we are doing, how far we have come and how far we are going. Universally the reaction has been a big smile and some comment like, wow I’d like to do that. Some days it still doesn’t register that we in fact are doing that.

Day 36 – May 9

We arose at 7:00 to a beautiful clear calm morning and even at that hour could feel the heat of the desert rising, unabated by the winds of the previous afternoon. Our plan was to take the trail to the canyon oasis and then head out by noon for San Diego to avoid rush hour traffic as we approached the city. Carla had seen an oasis before and decided to stay at the campsite. The rest of us got started out at a reasonable hour to avoid the heat and to keep to schedule but due to very poor signage, i.e. none in the park and a somewhat ambiguous map we spent about half an hour trying to find the trail head which in hindsight was strange as we were in a flat desert and could see the canyon beyond.

At the trail head warning signs advised that we should have a gallon of water each person for the 3 mile round trip. At best we had a litre each, which, it occurred to me, meant that either we could only go one quarter of the distance, we were going to die of thirst on the way or the sign was wrong. We proceeded on, hoping for the latter rather than impending desiccation.

The walk was well marked and although not highly challenging did require paying careful attention to our footing as we moved through some very rocky areas. It has been interesting on all our walks in these arid climates, how little we sweat. The moisture evaporates so quickly from our exposed skin that it is only in areas that are protected from the air, such as under hats and behind backpacks, where clothes get damp.

Heading up the canyon

As we approached the oasis about an hour later we were struck with the sound of running water, a very unexpected sound in the parched landscape we were walking. As we followed the trail along the small stream we came to a little waterfall and then a large dense growth of palm trees that created a comfortable shaded and cool spot to stop. The area was full of bird life and much cooler than the trail, it literally was everything we expected to find in an oasis. The reality fully met our expectations of the cliche. We returned to the campsite to find Carla reading in the shade of a palm tree, very happy after having had a long Skype conversation with her mother.

The Oasis

We headed out somewhat later than expected and were on the road to San Diego by 1:00. Sean and Carla took the lead, with Sean at the wheel and Carla navigating, calling out the many turns in advance to the the two following rigs over our walkie talkies which gave us plenty of time to make the required lane changes.

The traffic intensified as we approached San Diego a couple of hours later and the lane changes and merges became more challenging. We all had several close calls as the local vehicles darted in and about us, seemingly oblivious to our signalled intentions. In more than one instance I had to resort to the cubic displacement rule, which basically goes, I am a lot bigger than you and I am coming over now, move or suffer the consequences. The bent fenders and scrapes on many of the cars was an indication that this rule was not fool proof. However after about 45 minutes of white knuckle driving Carla landed us on target with the accuracy of a space docking.

The next challenges was to get a spot as KOA had a two for one weekend special on and expected to be fully booked for the upcoming weekend. We settled for one promised night with possibility of a second, depending on no shows. After getting set up and catching our breath we followed the directions and recommendations of camp staff and took the bus/trolley system to the Old Town and had supper at Fred’s a Mexican food restaurant. Although somewhat of a chain, with music that was a little too loud for easy conversation the open air restaurant made for good people watching and had very good food at a reasonable price. Six of us ate good sized meals and had drinks, including tips for $150.

We made our way back to the KOA retracing our route with the exception of the last leg where we had to resort to taxis as the last bus route stopped service early in the evening.

Day 35 – May 8

After breakfast we headed out for Anza Borrega National Park. Jane and Ike were running a bit late so Sean and Carla and Diane and I headed out knowing that our frequent photo stops would allow them to catch up. We had to back track a bit east to get to the main park entry and then headed south through the park. Most national parks have a specific reason for being created be it geologic, vegetation, historic etc. in the case of Joshua Tree it was geologic, although a substantial private land donation helped to prompt the government of 1935 to establish the park.

The geological feature of Joshua Tree is a unique formation of granite rocks. Large vertical and horizontal cracks that formed in the subterranean granite allowed water to flow through rounding the rocks to give the impression of a series of interlocking rocks piled on one another. This is a rock climbers paradise.

Joshua Tree’s rocks

After several photo stops and one stop to climb one of the smaller rock piles to get a better view of the desert we were becoming concerned that Jane and Ike had not caught up. However at a traffic hold up for road work they finally joined us.

We arrived at the Anza Borrega Park before dark and although the temperatures were not dropping as they had the night before there were gale force winds blowing down the canyon. Sean estimated them at 16 knots but I think gale force sounds more impressive. Due to the wind we had supper in the BRT. A tasty meal of roasted chicken, potatoes and salad.

An Anza Borrega breeze

The wind dropped later that night and we sat out with Jane and Ike watching the stars. Although there is more light pollution here than at Big Bend, with the absence of a moon we were still treated to a stellar show.

Day 33 – May 6 continued

After a review of the various purchases we relaxed (more) and then headed out for supper and to see some of the sights on the Vegas Strip. Outback was our choice for a variety of well prepared meat dishes. One thing we are finding is that Vegas has service nailed. Every staff person from the concierge to cleaning staff always take the time to say hello whenever you meet and restaurant staff, with the exception of the bar on the 64th floor of the Mandalay Bay have been exceptionally friendly. Our waitress Kim last night was no exception. Absolutely attentive of our requests and very friendly she added greatly to our enjoyment of our meal. Lesson learned, if you take the time to engage people you can learn interesting things, like Kim is a chef but lost her business due to an injury in a car accident but is now trying to rebuild that dream by competing in reality TV chef shows. Not a story you would have guessed.

What gets bought in Vegas….

After eating we made our way to the Bellagio to see their fountain display which runs every 15 minutes. We tried to make it further down the strip to the Mirage to see their hourly volcano display but couldn’t make it through the busy pedestrian traffic in time. We learned very quickly in Vegas not to mess with the car traffic. When lights turn, cars go, pedestrians scatter. Vegas is a car town, no question.

trim.1suxHb

The sights along the way, both architectural and human, were great. There was some comfort in the fact that most of our fellow pedestrians appeared to be tourists and were gawking and taking pictures just like us. We managed to not get lost, run over or separated, which actually was much more of a challenge than you might imagine. Conveniently, our shuttle bus made pickups at the Mirage and we caught it back to Tahiti Village where we did a bit of planning for our 10:00 check out time the next morning.

Day 34 – May 7

After check out we headed to Denny’s for breakfast, OK we were in a hurry, and over breakfast planned our route. We all wanted to see the Hoover Dam which although requiring a bit of backtracking was close by. Traffic was heavy in both directions but well managed and marked as we approached the site. RV parking is on the far side of the dam and therefore we had to pass through a security check which involved a quick inspection of the insides of our vehicles.

The site is very well interpreted with many venues to take pictures. It is an incredible piece of construction and the site is immaculate but to be honest, my first impression, from the upstream side of the dam was that I expected it to be bigger. Even the huge expanse of the concave side of the dam, where most of the photographs are taken, still seemed smaller than anticipated. I admit to feeling guilty saying this and I don’t mean to minimize the engineering feat and the human sacrifices required to build this structure but the feeling was shared by all of us.

Hoover Dam

Hoover Dam downstream

There is a great interpretive centre and tour ( which Ike and I couldn’t take because we had jack knives in our pockets) just like rock beats scissors, I’m pretty sure that our knives presented little risk to this massive structure. However while we awaited the rest of the groups return it afforded us an opportunity to see other parts of the site. In particular the memorial interpretation site across from the interpretive centre. An audio loop explains how in the plaza underfoot are set brass markers locating all the significant solar bodies on the day of the dedication, September 30, 1935. The recording also explains how the flagpole points to the location of the sun on the day of dedication, which I took to be directly overhead, which tells me that the dedication date was driven more by solar alignments than the state of completion. I can say that I never worked on a construction project that had its schedule tied to the movement of celestial bodies although I have been involved with many that seemed to move forward in a geological time frame.

The impression that I left with was that this amazing and yet ultimately functional construct has evolved beyond its original purpose into not only a major tourist attraction but even more importantly into cultural icon for America, a witness to what the people of this country can achieve which, in these uncertain global times, may even outweigh its original intent.

After leaving the dam we headed towards Joshua Tree National Park where we planned to stop and dry camp at the Black Rock campsite on the northern edge of the park. We stopped at the town of Twenty Nine Palms along the way to stock up on provisions. This is a small military town and we were taken by the number of barber shops and tattoo parlours we passed. We stopped at the local supermarket and were amazed at the low cost of food and wine. For instance, Carla bought a package of five of what could only be described as Partonesque sized chicken breasts for less than$5. I’m thinking that in some chicken processing plant somewhere is a worker who still bears the scars from trying to subdue those ladies.

After once again filling our collective larders we headed to our campsite, which we rolled into just as dusk and the cool of the desert night settled in. Diane made chilli and garlic toast while Carla provided Caesar salad. Due to the quickly dropping temperatures supper was served in the capacious dining room of the BRT.

Night 32 – May 5

OK you have waited long enough.

Santana was awesome. The venue, House of Blues in the Mandalay Bay was intimate, if you consider 1,200 seats intimate. We hurried to get there for 7:00 to find out that doors opened at 7:00, Carlos onstage at 8:00 so we had time to relax and have a few snacks while we waited.

The upside to such a small venue was that you could see everything and were connected to the music. Downside is, you were connected to the music. At the risk of sounding old fartish I resorted to Kleenex in the ears – much kinder to the body, but nothing would stop the impact of all that bass. Two drum kits, a set of conga drums and percussion, two singers, a bass and backup guitar as well as a keyboard player – all of them amazing musicians in their own right.

Our balcony seats were great and afforded us An unimpeded view of the band and the rocking mosh pit below. Black Magic Woman had the crowd on its feet rocking to that Santana anthem. Two hours and change of uninterrupted Santana added another check to our collective list of artists you have to see before one of you dies.

Santana1

Like all venues in Las Vegas all routes lead through a casino so on the way home we put a five dollar bill in one machine which we collectively couldn’t figure out how to use and quickly watched it become 24 cents, the print out will be a trip heirloom.

The wages of sin

We were given VIP tickets (ya’ right) to the bar on the 64 th floor of the Mandalay Bay as we walked through the casino so we decided to check it out. The bar offered a spectacular view of Las Vegas at night but after four ignored attempts to make a purchase at the bar we abandoned ship for the free refreshments and more attentive company at home. An attempt to buy a bag of chips from a vending machine on our floor on the way to our room resulted in the loss of another dollar, reinforcing that we should avoid all forms of machines that needed to have money inserted.

Family # 1 went to see David Copperfield, which in their words was very amazing! He started the show by magically appearing in an empty box sitting on a huge motorcycle and ended by making a 1945 Cadillac appear, perched on two metal posts. The audience participation added to the entertainment.

A late(ish) turn in anticipated a late morning.

Day 33 – May 6

A late morning (for most) started a generally relaxing day. I (Phil) joined the women folk in a foray into the Las Vegas Premium Outlets Mall (south) but lacking the Olympic shopping credentials of my companions quickly flagged and returned to man land with a bag full of ‘wife approved discount clothes’. Ike had been in a flurry of laundry while Sean caught up on work. Sean and I retired to a late afternoon visit to the lazy river, three circumnavigations later more than filled our requirement for mindless entertainment for the day. After that we found that we didn’t have the requisite card to buy poolside food so we retired to our rooms to raid the fridge in anticipation of the return of the shopping team.

An early rise saw us blasting down the highway towards Grand Canyon National Park. Despite best intentions we can never seem to return all recently used RV items to their various nooks and crannies. And with a helicopter canyon flight booked for 11AM, our campsite departure at 10AM, with 55 miles to drive, was pushing it! But the MRT cruises at 70+ so no worries there. And despite best efforts, our communication-challenged buddies were offline and we had no idea what their plans were beyond meeting at our campsites later in the day. Who knew they were hanging out with the Flintstones.

And so we made it, just! We paid extra bucks to ensure we could ride up front. And we had chosen a company flying Eurocopters which I was happier about than 30 year-old Bell products. We took off with the nose down and flew low over the take-off area with theme music from Top Gun blasting through our headphones. Maybe the older Bells would have been a better choice after all… But the experience was amazing despite flying in these things with work regularly.

As we approached the rim of the canyon the pilot (who appeared to be 12 and was hoping facial hair would develop soon) announced over the music and said we would shortly experience perhaps the most amazing view of our lives when we crossed from our 300 foot altitude over the trees to over 5500 feet above the canyon without the pilot doing anything different. Despite the noise of the helicopter you can still hear people gasp as we view the canyon in all it’s splendor for the first time. The pictures don’t do it justice of course and the video below is such low resolution it isn’t the best but you can guess the appreciation of what we were experiencing we hope.

Grand Canyon – (for e-mail)

Upon returning with large s#@$-eating-grins we headed for Grand Canyon National Park and our campsites. Checked in but no mates yet. Headed for the grocery store (you can imagine the prices when you are a captive audience in a National Park like GC with no competition – $20 gets you a bundle of 5 small fire logs and a bag of ice) and real food was… well don’t get me going, but it was expensive. As we returned to our campground area there was Phil & Diane and Jane & Ike checking in. All very exciting. we setup camp and unpacked and our MRT was anointed with the very expensive letra-set Phil had brought for the occasion. All very wonderful.

MRT Anointing

The rest of the day was hiking the rim areas and trying not to walk along the paths with our mouths open continuously. Every angle provides you with a new vista. Amazing! We leave it to the eloquence of Phil to describe the rest.

As of our unification with the other RTs we will now take a back seat to Phil in our blog entries but will assist Phil as able.

Day 32 – May 5

We achieved our goal of wheels rolling by 8:30. After a brief stop for fuel we headed for Zion National Park. Arriving at the park entrance the BRT was exposed to the humiliation of having its butt measured to make sure it would fit through the ‘small’ tunnels ahead. A surcharge of $15 is levied on oversize vehicles that require one lane traffic management at the tunnels. Luckily she came in at a svelte 93″, a full inch under the cut off size – so long as we pulled the Dumbo mirrors in. It must be all the mountain climbing that is keeping her so trim. However as we proceeded down the road we were meeting some vehicles the size of small states that clearly had made it through the tunnel as there did not appear to be any parts sheared off – long term readers will understand the particular expertise I have in that matter.

As we approached the first tunnel Diane had no problem negotiating the passage. Granted there were no oncoming cars but the warning seemed strange. However we soon encountered another considerably smaller tunnel and joined a line of other visitors who were awaiting passage. Traffic was being managed as one lane only in the tunnel, with vehicles being stopped on the other side until a group had passed, which is what the posted $15 surcharge would have covered, which begs the question why did they even stop to measure us. With only a single lane of traffic the tunnel could have handled a tanker truck.

Zion National Park, like the Grand Canyon and Bryce was created due to the natural beauty of it’s canyon setting. Once again it is difficult to put in words the experience of being in one of these settings. We opted to take one of the frequent shuttle busses from the visitors centre that does an 80 minute loop of the park stopping frequently at vantage points and trail heads. There is a taped interpretation of the park that is perfectly synched to the sights so we got a great explanation of the history and specific features of the park as we rode to the halfway point where we got off the shuttle and walked the River Trail, which is held out not only as one of the most scenic, but being a wheelchair accessible trail also one of the most easily walked.

Although lacking the magnitude of the Grand Canyon and the unique colour and shapes of Bryce, Zion offered many breathtaking sites, including a chance to see some of the ascent of some mountain climbers who, according to our driver, had spent the night suspended in little hammocks hung from the face of the cliff. All could think of was you really would need to keep track of where you were if you woke up in the middle of the night and had to have a pee – watch out for that first step.

Zion

Some of the natural beauties of the site

It was after noon by the time we scarfed down a quick lunch and headed off towards Vegas. Carla’s sister, Karen and brother-in-law, Cam had gifted Carla two nights stay for her birthday. Very generously they had booked a double suite to accommodate our full contingent and we were all looking forward to some down time. However we had booked tickets to Carlos Santana (families #2 and 3 and David Copperfield family # 1 and didn’t want to be late so as we all had the address we opted to head out as quickly as possible along the I-15 with Sean and Carla taking the lead in their swifter vehicle.

Starting off, the drive was uneventful, passing for the most part through unremarkable desert landscape. The very high winds blew tumble weeds across the roads and buffeted our vehicles around. The passing traffic, especially the transport trucks, travelling at or beyond the posted 75 mph speed limit also required some frequent steering corrections. One difference I did note in the landscape from other desert routes we have travelled was the proliferation of power lines and towers through the desert heading towards Vegas. A steady line of hi deeds of towers marched their way across the desert, an indication of the mass of the city we were approaching.

As I crested a hill I saw a sea of red tails lights ahead and a sinking feeling came over me. We were now in a two lane parking lot that stretched to the horizon. Having read about the scale of some of the accidents that happen on these high speed interstates I knew that we could be here for hours. Our on board toilet provided some comfort if we were in for a protracted stay but we did not have a lot of time to spare in getting to our 7:00 show. Even with the one hour time shift that we had picked up at the Nevada Border we couldn’t afford any long stops.

Jane and Ike were right behind us but we knew that Sean and Carla were ahead and as improbable as it was, at the back of all of our minds was the concern of not knowing where they were. The walking talkies that we have been using to stay in touch on the road had very limited range so would be of no use is checking on their location.

As vehicles came to a halt at the Interstate parking lot, drivers and passengers flung open doors like a well practiced team and immediately headed for nearby vantage points to try and see what lay ahead. It was easy to see that this was not an uncommon experience. As we turned off the engine we were approached by two couples who were noting our Nova Scotia licence plates. They said that they had been to Nova Scotia and in fact were from Regina. What are the odds of being so far from home and ending up two car lengths away from some fellow Canadians. As it turned out it was one of the many happy instances where circumstances throw people together and within seconds you find some common ground. Pictures were taken of all the Canucks sitting on the Nevada guardrail. Not a common sight I’m sure.

At least we were ahead of them

As I was considering taking my bicycle off the back of the BRT and exploring, the line far off began to move. We crept along for what seemed hours but in reality from start to finish was less than an hour, eventually passing the accident scene which involved a bus, a motorcycle with a trailer and the jersey barrier. Mercifully the site was clean as we passed and resumed our trip but based on the condition of the motorcycle I fear for the driver.

Not much further down the road a wrecking truck was pulling a completed burned wreck from the roadside ditch. These both served as a sobering reminder to stay alert and a reinforcement of our normal policy to avoid these routes. Again, although not spoken, we breathed a sigh of relief as we passed these vehicles that we didn’t recognize them.

Jane and Ike took the lead as Ike’s GPS seemed to be offering a faster route than mine. As we approached Vegas, traffic intensified, exits proliferated and the associated rapid lane changes and impatience of seasoned interstate drivers increased. The chatter between Jane and Diane as navigators increased as they confirmed upcoming exits and signalled upcoming lane changes. Frequently when travelling in together in dense traffic the trailing vehicle will change lanes first, running defence for the lead vehicle who has the greater responsibility for watching the road ahead.

Ike and Jane did a great job of getting us close to our destination and as we chattered back and forth looking for the address were were joined by Sean’s welcomed voice over the walkie talkies as he told us to take the next turn. As we later found out, they had been very close behind the accident and also were delayed in the traffic so only had arrived about a half hour before us.

Sean helped us up to our rooms and we quickly cleaned, changed and headed out to our shows.

Day 31 – May 4

The Kanab RV Corral proved to be a good stop for us and in 30 days of travel it gets top points for the cleanest washrooms and laundry facilities. Although somewhat more costly than some sites ,$26 after our Good Sam discount, it is clear that they are putting that money back into the facilities. There is a loyal and friendly group of long term residents and maintenance staff that take great pride in their home.

After a somewhat leisurely start up and a short stop at the farmers market in Kanab we headed out on the 89 for Bryce Canyon. Our goal was to see Bryce and to get at least to Zion National Park for the night to position us for Vegas for tomorrow as we had tickets to see Carlos Santana. The drive out through Kanab showed us a south west style town that was immaculately groomed, with beautiful red sandstone pylons and street lamps marking the Main Street.

A stop in Hatch around noon for a coffee and leg stretch break broke up the morning ride. We arrived in Bryce Canyon and after getting some info from the visitors centre developed a plan, which was to drive to some of the scenic look offs and then to hike down into the canyon. Bryce is much smaller and more easily accessed than the Grand Canyon. You come upon it suddenly when the earth rises up in vibrant red cliffs full of phenomenal shapes and forms called hoodoos. Just as at the Grand Canyon this defies description. The vibrancy of the red cliffs and the multitude of shapes keep you gasping at each turn as you drive along the park roads.

Bryce Canyon

After a quick lunch in a picnic area, we took the Sunrise trail as recommended at the visitors centre and emerged at the Sunset vantage point. The trail, much wider than at the Grand Canyon took us down to the bottom of the canyon through a series of switchbacks. At the start of the walk the wind was very high and although the trail in most places is wide there are places where it travels along ridges and the buffeting wind was very disconcerting.

If the Grand Canyon was staggering because of its magnitude, Bryce was inspiring because of its colours and shapes. In the Grand Canyon I felt insignificant in the enormity of it as we walked down the trail. In Bryce I felt more engulfed by the canyon and I found some places that as strange as this may sound, were more of a human scale where I could take some respite from the visual onslaught that confronted me at each turn of the trail.

ET call home

A break from the sun

By the time we had finished our hike we knew that we could not make it to Zion at a reasonable hour, as we have said before, all plans are STC, subject to change so we headed towards Zion looking for a spot close enough to afford us a morning arrival at Zion. We stopped at a KOA campground on highway 89, the Bryce Zion Campground. Jane and Carla cooked up a great supper of buttered chicken, rice and asparagus. We retired early in expectation of an early morning start.

Day 30 – May 3

Our plan for wheels rolling by 9:00 was close to being met by all. Sean and Carla wanted to see some of the displays in the Visitors Centre which they had by passed on their entry to the park so the MRT was off first, followed by the BRT whose occupants were in need of a shower after the hike of the previous day.

With a staggered start our plan was to meet at the first turn off to Tuba City, where there was a flea market we wanted to see, but really who could drive by a place named Tuba City and not stop to find out where the name came from. However as the road passed along the Little Colorado River we spotted the LRT at a scenic look off as we pulled off were soon joined by the MRT. I contrast to the desert and warming temperatures, to the south we could see the snow covered top of Humphreys Peak, at 12,633 feet the highest point in Arizona.

We arrived at Tuba City around 11 and after some directions from a local we found the flea market. Set in the middle of what on non market days must be a dirt parking lot the market was a bustle of open booths selling native jewellery, bags of beads and a variety of local foods. The foods included buffalo burgers, mutton, pulled pork and fried bread. Sean and Carla sampled the $5 buffalo burger, Jane and Ike the pulled pork and Diane and I the fried bread. After the usual cross sampling we all agreed that the food tasted as good as it smelled. Although a feast for eye and nose the food appeared to be the main reason most of the locals were attending.

Tuba City Flea Market

After about an hour of exploring we headed off to visit the Navajo Museum in the town. The museum was well laid out and offered in interesting insight into Navajo culture and history, one that has been marked with hardship and adversity. The treatment of these people was similar to that of First Nations in many countries, in many instances nothing short of a policy of physical and cultural genocide. That fact that anything at all remains of the Navajo way of life is more a testament to the strength of that culture than it is to the ineffectiveness of the various attacks, both physical and cultural against it.

By 2:00 we were on our way heading towards Bryce Canyon. Along the way our route took us along the Little Colorado River which provided some other unique views of the Canyon. After some group consultation and calling ahead by Carla we were sure that there was no room at Bryce, as it was a Friday night. We started to explore options of campsites on the way and kept a watchful eye for any signs of camping sites. Carla consulted her Woodalls book and found a site in Kanab called the Kanab RV Corral. We found it without much effort and even though at first view appeared full we were given three adjacent sites. Although small sites they worked well for us as a group.

The Little Colorado

Having just crossed into Utah we found out that we had passed back into Mountain Time from the Pacific Time we had in Arizona due to their lack of adherence to Daylight Savings so we lost an hour and began to prepare supper around 8:00 in full sunlight which was a nice change. A meal of barbecued pork tenderloin was followed by a rousing game of ‘pass the pigs’ marked by enough laughter to cause us to be concerned about getting a reputation as the noisy Canadians so we retired to our RTs.