Ruth's Western Journey 2022 (2/27 - 3/4/22)

When we last left our Hopeless RoamAntics they had put Ruth to bed in a cozy warm garage in Albuquerque, NM in mid October 2021.  The air was starting to get crisp and they packed the Jeep, reminiscent of the Beverly Hillbillies and headed back to St. Pete. 

We had a lovely holiday season and enjoyed reconnecting with family and friends that we missed while on the road. We had some discussions about a tighter circle out west to explore Arizona, Utah and Colorado on our next trip.  By mid January we had a route and planned departure date of around March 1st. 

We repacked the Jeep, plus new the bike rack and Mike's new e-bike and headed back towards New Mexico.  We tried to pack the Jeep so there was access to just the essentials for each night, but it always felt like we were dragging way more into the hotel than we wanted to.  We decided to drive shorter days and take longer to get there because, well, why not. 

We headed out of Florida on I-10 across to our first stop in Mobile, AL.  We basically checked-in to the hotel and slept as this was an 8 1/2 hour driving day.  On a beautiful morning on our way out of Mobile though, we stopped and toured the USS Alabama battleship and the USS Drum submarine along with some other interesting exhibits.  The size of these floating behemoths are amazing when you walk the maze of decks and living quarters. It was an enjoyable tour. 

We also experienced our first of two Buc-ee's stops on this trip.  We had heard a lot about this travel station stop through the southwest, and the experience did not disappoint.  We picked up some of their famous brisket and it was actually quite yummy. Don't miss one if its on your route. 

Buc-ee

I had read that it was enjoyable to drive the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi.  The 444 mile parkway starts near the mouth of the Mississippi River in Natchez and travels up through Nashville, Tennessee.  Our route would only take us on a few hundred miles from the southernmost terminus,  but we wanted to experience it for at least a short while.  Natchez, MS is also a prominent setting in books by the author Greg Isles.  I always thought of Natchez as frozen in time, for good or bad, and similar to stepping into a time capsule. 

We were a bit cautious as to where we stayed and parked the Jeep with most of our worldly possessions stuffed in the back.  We found a hotel on the other side of the Mississippi Riverfront in Vidalia that was convenient to explore the area. 

We only had one overnight in Natchez.  We arrived to a eerily empty hotel.  It is possible that Stephen King may have considered it for The Shining at one point before he settled on a different location.  We traipsed all our stuff into the hotel and were famished.  After trying to pry some restaurant recommendations from the unhelpful desk clerk, we headed out into the Natchez historic district.  

As with many small towns post-Covid, the vibrancy of the historic area had been diminished a bit.  A few local restaurants were open, but not many.  We lucked in to a unique area called "under the hill".  As the name implied, the small row of historic buildings were nestled down along the bank of the Mississippi in the shadow of the bridge.  We happened upon the Magnolia Grill there and had a lovely meal with a Cajun influence.  The next morning we walked along the Riverfront before heading out to tour along the Trace. 

Before getting on the road, we happened upon signs for The Melrose House. One of 13 National Historic Landmarks in Natchez, Melrose is one of the best preserved and most significant historic sites in the entire South.  A ranger led tour provided the history of Natchez, the family who owned the home and the importance of the home in the community.  The original furnishing and contents were a treat to see.  These homes and their history have a tragic past that cannot be ignored. We choose to be educated by this history and reflect and respect those that lived through that time.

The roadway of the Natchez Trace Parkway was a lovely drive with wide sweeping turns.  It was early March and so the trees had not yet bloomed and the scenery was a little brown.  We probably passed no more than 10 cars on our trip.  However, we did stop at a few landmarks along the way.  The Mount Locust Frontier home had a fascinating history and was in reasonably good condition for its age. 

Had to ask what Kaintucks were...

I had read about a possible lunch stop at the Old Country Store in Lorman, MS, just a few miles off the parkway.  To say that we stepped back in time is an understatement. The building had started as a General Store in 1875.  Several permutations later it was something in between a flea market and a cafeteria.  Arthur Davis runs this establishment and is known for his fried chicken recipe.  The food was good, the atmosphere was unique and friendly.  This was truly a one-of-a-kind experience. Just our kind of stop.

We skirted through the edge of Louisiana with a quick overnight in Marshall, TX on our way to Amarillo, TX.  If you ever travel the old Route 66 or AKA Highway 40 through Texas you have probably passed the Cadillac Ranch and The Big Texan Steakhouse.  Home of the Free 72 oz. steak.  All you have to do is eat the shrimp cocktail, salad, baked potato, roll and all 72 oz. of meat in an hour to get it for free.  It's a thing.  Many people attempt it and some actually accomplish it each year.  

Texas, enough said. 

We got a table in the upper balcony overlooking the "challenge table" complete with time clock.  Our meal was good but not as good as it could have been as no one attempted the challenge while we were there.  It was a touristy spectacle, but worth a stop on the tour back to Albuquerque. 

The last two hours of our 6 hour drive to Albuquerque was delayed with a one hour traffic jam just outside of Clines Corners, NM.  We sat amongst the tractor-trailers which provided shade from the New Mexico sun.  We go so bored that we actually started watching a Netflix show, technology can be good.  We never saw any evidence of the cause of the traffic jam as we brought this part of our journey to an end. 

Taken out the back window of the Jeep

Welcome to New Mexico

   

Last Stop on the Western Roundup - Durango, CO (10/2-10/8)

After a spectacular scenic drive from Moab, we arrived at Alpen Rose RV Park.  We have stayed at this park before so know it is conveniently located near Durango.  Our campsite there was a little too close to our neighbor, but we made the best of it.  We would be meeting up again with Mike's family at this stop too, so we were looking forward to that. 

Alpen Rose getting into the Halloween spirit

Enjoying a cocktail and a fire

The first couple of days were quiet and we explored Durango a bit and watched the Bills same at Cuckoo's, on Sunday.  They were nice enough to put the game on a television just for us. Lynn and Keith were kind enough to leave their side-by-side at Alpen Rose on their way back from Moab to Albuquerque for us to use until they joined us.  We planned to go the Aspen Loop Trail but found one of the tires were flat.  Mike took it to be repaired and we decided we would to the trail the next day. 

Aspen Loop Trail was recommended for its groves of Apsen trees which just happened to be exhibiting their renowned shimmering golden leaves.  The trail was fairly smooth for a bit, then pretty rocky, then very muddy, dusted with snow and frequently dotted with cows in the meadows or in the road. Overall it was a stunning 4 hour ride.  

Our next outing was to visit Pagosa Springs, CO for lunch then head out onto Turkey Creek Trail for an afternoon ride.  We ate at a little Tequila's Mexican restaurant overlooking the hot springs.  Seemed like a good afternoon for a Margarita, so Lynn and I had one. We walked the main street and ventured into a few shops before heading back to the trailhead. The trail was a bit dusty but but the scenery was outstanding and we saw a deer and turkeys, bonus!

I took a picture of Mike's sister taking 
a picture of me enjoying a margarita

Hot springs that flow through Pagosa

The next day was a planned ride to Engineer Pass.  The ride starts with trailering the side-by-side to Silverton, CO.  Just the drive there is an experience with curves, elevation gain and idyllic mountain views. The day started a bit cold and gray with possible rain/flurries forecasted.  We bundled up and started toward Engineer Pass.  The rocky landscape led us up and up and up.  We passed a snow line just before reaching the summit.  The top of the pass was extremely windy and cold.  We stopped for photos then headed back down to warm up.

Back in the valley, off of Animas Forks Trail , we happened upon an old historical mining town.  We  toured some of the preserved  homes there and then headed up to California Gulch to California Pass.  The weather was looking progressively worse as we reached the top.  The wind was probably about 40 mph at the top of the mountain.  We agreed it was time to head back before we got wet or snowed on.  I am no longer used to that kind of cold.  It was a very fun day of riding 

Old mining remnants

Mountain lake at California Pass 12,960ft

We walked through the local Farmer's Market in downtown Durango then took a drive to see Vallecito Lake.  As we rounded the corner to get the first glimpse of the lake, we were taken aback by its level. Much of the water was gone.  Turns out that this late in the year they are using the water elsewhere and the lake gets very low until the snow melt returns it to full in the Spring.  It was actually very eerie to see it like this.  

Our epic trip just about to an end, we capped off the weekend with a Bills victory over Kansas City.  Tomorrow we de-provision Ruth with the things we have to take back to St. Petersburg and ready her for a few months rest in Albuquerque.  We have had a great time and Ruth was pretty good to us. 

Tremonton (9/21-9/24) to Moab (9/24-10/2)

Our gorgeous drive from the Grand Tetons to Moab included a three day stopover at Aspen Grove RV Park in Tremonton, UT over Soldier Pass.  It was a good halfway point and a new campground with wide, concrete sites situated just a couple hours north of Salt Lake City.  We played a little pickleball and just hung out without any specific plans.  The scenery and weather were lovely so we just enjoyed some quiet time. 

Ruth's glamour shot in Tremonton

Nice complex and nice people

We were looking forward to our next stay in Moab's Portal RV Resort.  Mike's sister and brother-in-law and Keith's son Cameron would be joining us for a few days of our stay.  As they did in the Black Hills, they would bring their Polaris side-by-side to do some off -road riding.  We were also looking forward to further exploring Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park since our visit here two years ago.

On the drive to Moab

Once we settled into our adjoining campsites we took our first side-by-side ride on the Fins and Things Trail.  This sand, slickrock and ridged trail ride was just a pre-cursor for the trails to come. We only did about half the trail as we got a late afternoon start.  We stopped by Milt's Stop N' Eat on the way home.

Rustic bathroom blended into the
desert landscape

Good burgers and shakes

The next day we headed out early for Hell's Revenge Trailhead in two side-by-sides.  The trail was mostly slickrock and an absolute blast.  The trail was busy with a variety of off-road Jeeps, side-by-sides and ATV's.  The riding was exhilarating...with fun intermixed with danger and rocks. There was some shenanigans at one of the lookout points instigated by a parking dispute which culminated in loud cursing and a brandished gun.  All became calm again in the middle of the desert as Keith and Mike mastered the Hell's Gate obstacle. We continued on our journey to an obstacle called The Escalator.  As karma would have it, The Escalator had exacted a vengeful toll on the gun brandisher from earlier in the day.  No one was injured in The Escalator, but we stayed for an hour and they still had not freed the Jeep from its grasp.   After lunch we went back and finished the back half of the Fins and Things Trail.

Someone coming up Hell's Gate

Very fun slickrock riding

The scene of the shenanigans

You see all kinds of things to climb rocks with in Moab

The Escalator won this battle

Our next ride started out without many challenging obstacles but led us to Gemini Bridge.  It was an awesome landscape and we spent an hour or so exploring and photographing this stunning site.   We then made out way to the Poison Spider Trailhead.  Right from the beginning we were grateful for our seatbelts as we crawled up the ascent.  The side-by-sides did an amazing job ascending the steep, rocky, sandy trail and its many obstacles.  This was an out and back trail that lead to an expansive viewpoint of Moab.  We were hot, tire and dusty after the ride, but filled with a sense of accomplishment for conquering the Poison Spider. 

Someone headed down the rocks

Gemini Bridge

Beneath Gemini Bridge

Some of my clothes will be forever reddish/pink

On a long, lonesome highway....

After several days in the red dirt and on wheels, we opted to use our feet for a few hours and hike to the Delicate Arch in Arches National Park.  Again, we utilized our GypsyGuide as we drove the park for historic narration. The parking lot was busy but we found a spot and headed up the slickrock to the arch.  It was quite busy and not that private, but I doubt this hike ever is. 

Delicate Arch

That evening we headed to watch the sunset at Hurrah Pass.  The ride out was a mix of gravel roads and rocky switchbacks up the mesa.  We thought we would be the only ones there, when, to our surprise a couple other folks rolled up to enjoy the sunset as well.  We headed back as dusk, then dark descended on us.  It was a bit eerie riding in the dark, but we had headlights on the side-by-side and made it back home with no issues.

On our last full day in Moab with Lynn and Keith we took a long easy ride on the Onion Creek Trail.  It was a perfect end to our off-road adventures in  Moab. On our own again, we headed to Canyonlands National Park.  We stopped at several viewpoints and short walks throughout the park.  Our favorite stops were the Grand Viewpoint Overlook and the short hike to Upheaval Dome. It threatened rain most of the afternoon, but we stayed dry.

Onion Creek Trail

View of the Schafer Loop Road 

Upheaval Dome

Don't know what this was on the rock,
but thought it was a pretty formation

We attempted to go to Arches again to check out a couple more hikes, but our 10am arrival was too late, the park was full and closed to further entries for at least 3 hours. We called an audible and headed to the La Sal Mountain loop.  This is probably not a primary stop on a Moab itinerary, but it should be.  The beautiful, winding road up into forested elevation and back down into the desert of Castle Valley is some of the most splendid landscape you could possibly see.  I don't think my pictures will do it justice as almost every turn exposed another breathtaking.  Wow!

We stopped for more cows on 
this trip

The next morning we got an earlier start and entered Arches again to hike the Devil's Garden Trail. We also stopped at the Windows arches on our way back through.  On our last night in Moab we revisited the Desert Bistro where Mike had Elk Chateaubriand and I had Duck Confit along with a lovely red wine befitting such a meal. The food and service were impeccable, such a lovely experience. 

Tomorrow we head to our last stop on this journey, Durango, CO. (Que the melancholy music in the background)😔