Not all of Death Valley is the natural world here. A lot of it's history, and that of the area around it is man made. The struggles of people here today, seems tough enough for some folks.
Think about being and working here when the only way in was by foot or by horse... or by mule train.
You think you're working hard pullin' outa this sandy oven worryin' about your radiator? Try a ten day trip drivin' a 100' long mule train and having to drag along 1200 gallons of water to keep those Mules from turning to dust!
I'm not so sure today's people could cut the mustard and hang with the folks that squeezed a living out of these dry hills a hundred years ago. "What do you mean a buck and a quarter a day? AND I gotta pay you to sleep in that scorpion infested tent? and buy my food at your company store?"
I guess the good news was that they had to shut the borax works down during the summer... It got too hot for the Borax to crystallize in the vats!
We got here a little too late for some flowers... and about a week too early it appears for others...but we did manage to find a couple blooms fighting for life in these dry canyons.
One of the entertainments was also a mite more modern. Just outside park boundaries are several military installations. I sat in camp one afternoon watching F-18's swirling and tumbling overhead at probably 15,000 feet or so. I don't know if they were some of the Top Gun boys... but they were doing a pretty good imitation of it.
You may have heard of "Scotty's Castle" and wondered about it. It's the1930's mansion of an eastern insurance executive. Parts of it never got completed when he lost his money or at least a lot of it in the depression. Kinda sad really. There's a humongous,awesome swimming pool that never got completed and never filled. I think the park should do the construction and finish it, 'cause the thing is an awesome design.
This place really touches a nerve with some people I think. That and deserts in general. Something about how stark and hard everything is. It's more honest in a way. What you see is what it is. No games.
That's a subject I hold close. I'll share more in a few days.
And then I've got a gob of Pics of the Alabama Hills country to post up. You've probably already seen quite a bit of it... if you've ever watched Roy Rodgers, The Lone Ranger, much of John Wayne, the movie tremors... Gunga Din... and even that Iron Man flick saw filming in the area.
So stay tuned!
Anyhoo... here's the last of the video photo collections of the last few days of Death Valley National Park...
One benefit of being boondocked in a signal-less situation is the 10,000 words+ that've been strung together in the past few days of Book Writing! ;)
Parked in the Dark at a Roadside... Where the "Force is Strong!"
Working the Keyboard
Brian
A broken down Ol' Cowboy goin' RV Boondocking ...
...and Yondering, to the beat of a different Biker Cowboy Drummer
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Thursday, March 28, 2013
The Second Death Valley Video Installment With #3 Soon to Come
Finally stumbled by accident onto a spot, with 4G/Four bar signal... half way between town where the signal is weak and slow and camp four miles or so away where the signal is gone... and it actually seems to be working! HooYa!
Makes me feel kinda foolish for sittin' outside the itty bitty laundromat waiting for the second Death Valley Video to load... since it only took 134 minutes! ;) Ahhhh... the lengths I go to to keep my readers happy! Kinda reminds me of Rodeoin'... bustin' bones and banks all for the glory of applause! :)
So... This second installment of our Death Valley Journey is a few shots of another Bike run down into the park and then Titus Canyon, which we explored on the way back from a fuel run back out to Beatty, Nevada.
That makes more sense than it might sound. Diesel inside the park was/is $5.44 at Furnace Creek and $5.98 over to Panamint Springs. Roll back out 35 miles or so to Beatty and it's $3.99.
Now, the part that makes it have a lil' bit of sense is that the start of the one way road down into Titus Canyon turns off just six miles or so out of Beatty... So it didn't take a whole lot of rationalizin' to make that work...
We're boondocked in the Alabama Hills now just a rock chuck out of Lone Pine. Pretty country with camps all around. As soon as I get caught up from Death Valley I'll start shippin' some pics of this country.
The weather above us in the high peaks, 14,000 feet and a bit is looking pretty stormy this evening. Though down in camp it's still 70 or around there so I'll not complain.
So here's the latest of the Death Valley sojourn. The third Video is built... just gotta get it uploaded... I'll try and do that in the morning... Charge up the laptop and the air card... fill the thermos... and come down here and take a nap while the meter goes tic... tic... tic... tic... :)
One fella already asked me if that 96 degrees in the video was real... Uh Huh... I think it supposedly broke 100 in a couple of spots that day... Juuuuust a mite warm for March! ;) but then broke right back down into the seventies the last couple of days there... so... Nice!
One benefit of being in such a poor cell reception area is that it removes any excuses to do other work and not tap away on the book. As a Consequence the #2 Ben Jensen Story is making some significant progress in working his way through the latest difficulty.
With modest luck and a miraculous application of discipline I might could have the first draft completed in another month! Ha! That's only something better than six months or so behind schedule. I'm improving! ;)
Camped Where the Movie Stars Played
Brian
Makes me feel kinda foolish for sittin' outside the itty bitty laundromat waiting for the second Death Valley Video to load... since it only took 134 minutes! ;) Ahhhh... the lengths I go to to keep my readers happy! Kinda reminds me of Rodeoin'... bustin' bones and banks all for the glory of applause! :)
So... This second installment of our Death Valley Journey is a few shots of another Bike run down into the park and then Titus Canyon, which we explored on the way back from a fuel run back out to Beatty, Nevada.
That makes more sense than it might sound. Diesel inside the park was/is $5.44 at Furnace Creek and $5.98 over to Panamint Springs. Roll back out 35 miles or so to Beatty and it's $3.99.
Now, the part that makes it have a lil' bit of sense is that the start of the one way road down into Titus Canyon turns off just six miles or so out of Beatty... So it didn't take a whole lot of rationalizin' to make that work...
We're boondocked in the Alabama Hills now just a rock chuck out of Lone Pine. Pretty country with camps all around. As soon as I get caught up from Death Valley I'll start shippin' some pics of this country.
The weather above us in the high peaks, 14,000 feet and a bit is looking pretty stormy this evening. Though down in camp it's still 70 or around there so I'll not complain.
So here's the latest of the Death Valley sojourn. The third Video is built... just gotta get it uploaded... I'll try and do that in the morning... Charge up the laptop and the air card... fill the thermos... and come down here and take a nap while the meter goes tic... tic... tic... tic... :)
One fella already asked me if that 96 degrees in the video was real... Uh Huh... I think it supposedly broke 100 in a couple of spots that day... Juuuuust a mite warm for March! ;) but then broke right back down into the seventies the last couple of days there... so... Nice!
One benefit of being in such a poor cell reception area is that it removes any excuses to do other work and not tap away on the book. As a Consequence the #2 Ben Jensen Story is making some significant progress in working his way through the latest difficulty.
With modest luck and a miraculous application of discipline I might could have the first draft completed in another month! Ha! That's only something better than six months or so behind schedule. I'm improving! ;)
Camped Where the Movie Stars Played
Brian
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
The Start of Our Death Valley Journey
I've been trying hard to get on line to start getting caught up on our travels of the past ten days or so... and find myself Running Against the Wind...
We finally moved out of the valley... Thinking we'd have signal to work with... and I do... NOT.
As fabulous as our new RV Boondocking camp is, I don't have a workable internet signal in that new camp either! but... there's a Mickey D's with free WiFi just down the road a short way, so I figured to be catching up with our journey over the next couple of days there... and I need to do that 'cause our new boondock camp is pretty danged awesome!
The only trouble with THAT scenario is the less than poor performance of their WiFi... so... I hooked up my air card down there, where there IS signal... at least it shows there to be... 4G and plenty of bars... that do... Nothing... grrrrrrr.... so... I sit here suckin' up their coffee waiting on the declining Verizon performance to get the job done...
It looks like a summer of internet struggles as I hunt for a workable alternative to Verizon Wireless...
and now on to the beginning of catching up! ...
When we pulled out of Cottonwood We used the Walmart in Kingman for our first night on the road. Let's just say that it's right up there with the Wally World resort over in Winslow for ambience ;) Remember that line in Crocodile Dundee? "You can eat it... but it tastes like shit!" Well, that same sentiment works in regards to some Wallydocking too! ;) But, what can I say? Kingman, Arizona isn't exactly known as a tourist mecca. ;)
We hauled west after some goooood Mickey D's coffee the next morning and headed for Beatty Nevada up Hwy 95. That's the spot I'd picked to access Death Valley National Park.
If you come this way... top off your tanks OUTSIDE THE PARK... Beatty, Pahrump where ever you can find it. Diesel in Beatty was $3.99. But less than 50 miles away... $5.98 at Panamint and $5.44 at Furnace Creek. Uh Huh... they figure they've got a captive audience so they're gonna squeeze ya for all your worth, so top off early and fill your larder too... there's no groceries to speak of in there, and what there is... well... you won't be able to gain weight at those prices...
$14.50 for a hamburger at Furnace Creek... damn thing must be good huh? ;)
anyhoo... Hwy 374 runs south and a touch west from there and drops over 4316' Daylight pass into Death Valley. Now that don't sound like much in the way of a high pass does it? But remember... you're droppin' into a hole.
Whoooooeeee! That's a brake BBQ'n ride! I'd guess you got 15 miles or so of steady, endless brake testing grade to descend into the lowest place in the country.
I vow... as quick as you get off your five second brake application to pull the RPM and road speed down... that 19 or 20 thousand pounds under and behind you shoves the needle on the tach right back to 2600 rpm. Considerin' that 2700 is just about the come apart speed for a Cummins in compression braking... it makes for a genuine butt wiggler of a decent! ;)
I could pick up the sweet smell of roasted asbestos on the desert breeze when we bottomed out.
We were aiming for the Campground at Stovepipe wells. I thought it might make the best place to ride out from for at least the first few days... and it worked well.
It's only drawback is the same as the rest of the place. For those of us that have to make a living ;) there is pretty much zero internet access in the valley. You'll have to go off line cold turkey! They have put in a tower at Furnace Creek that provides cell service... but for whatever reason I was still unable to hook up the air card when we moved there the fourth day.
We put the Raider on the ground that first afternoon and rode down past Furnace Creek through the 96+ degrees hoping to catch some good views of Artists Palette in the evening sun... Check out the video I put together of that ride and see if you think I did.
In the morning, expecting another sizzler that we sure aren't acclimated for yet... we struck out into the Mesquite Dunes that sit a mile or so east of the Stovepipe Wells Campground...
Something to remember about Death Valley; Mid day sun is difficult to photograph under anywhere... In this valley... it's dang near impossible... You'll do best to plan your day to start early in the a.m... hide out in the shade somewhere through the middle part of the day... and then go back out to do your viewing of sights and such, in the late afternoon and early evening...
You'll get better pictures and might could be avoid heat stroke too! ;) It did cool back into the low 80's and 70's later in the week so broiled brains was less of a danger.
So... since I took so many pictures... I thought maybe building them into a nice slide show would be the best way to present 'em...
Let me know what you think...
We finally moved out of the valley... Thinking we'd have signal to work with... and I do... NOT.
As fabulous as our new RV Boondocking camp is, I don't have a workable internet signal in that new camp either! but... there's a Mickey D's with free WiFi just down the road a short way, so I figured to be catching up with our journey over the next couple of days there... and I need to do that 'cause our new boondock camp is pretty danged awesome!
The only trouble with THAT scenario is the less than poor performance of their WiFi... so... I hooked up my air card down there, where there IS signal... at least it shows there to be... 4G and plenty of bars... that do... Nothing... grrrrrrr.... so... I sit here suckin' up their coffee waiting on the declining Verizon performance to get the job done...
It looks like a summer of internet struggles as I hunt for a workable alternative to Verizon Wireless...
and now on to the beginning of catching up! ...
When we pulled out of Cottonwood We used the Walmart in Kingman for our first night on the road. Let's just say that it's right up there with the Wally World resort over in Winslow for ambience ;) Remember that line in Crocodile Dundee? "You can eat it... but it tastes like shit!" Well, that same sentiment works in regards to some Wallydocking too! ;) But, what can I say? Kingman, Arizona isn't exactly known as a tourist mecca. ;)
We hauled west after some goooood Mickey D's coffee the next morning and headed for Beatty Nevada up Hwy 95. That's the spot I'd picked to access Death Valley National Park.
If you come this way... top off your tanks OUTSIDE THE PARK... Beatty, Pahrump where ever you can find it. Diesel in Beatty was $3.99. But less than 50 miles away... $5.98 at Panamint and $5.44 at Furnace Creek. Uh Huh... they figure they've got a captive audience so they're gonna squeeze ya for all your worth, so top off early and fill your larder too... there's no groceries to speak of in there, and what there is... well... you won't be able to gain weight at those prices...
$14.50 for a hamburger at Furnace Creek... damn thing must be good huh? ;)
anyhoo... Hwy 374 runs south and a touch west from there and drops over 4316' Daylight pass into Death Valley. Now that don't sound like much in the way of a high pass does it? But remember... you're droppin' into a hole.
Whoooooeeee! That's a brake BBQ'n ride! I'd guess you got 15 miles or so of steady, endless brake testing grade to descend into the lowest place in the country.
I vow... as quick as you get off your five second brake application to pull the RPM and road speed down... that 19 or 20 thousand pounds under and behind you shoves the needle on the tach right back to 2600 rpm. Considerin' that 2700 is just about the come apart speed for a Cummins in compression braking... it makes for a genuine butt wiggler of a decent! ;)
I could pick up the sweet smell of roasted asbestos on the desert breeze when we bottomed out.
We were aiming for the Campground at Stovepipe wells. I thought it might make the best place to ride out from for at least the first few days... and it worked well.
It's only drawback is the same as the rest of the place. For those of us that have to make a living ;) there is pretty much zero internet access in the valley. You'll have to go off line cold turkey! They have put in a tower at Furnace Creek that provides cell service... but for whatever reason I was still unable to hook up the air card when we moved there the fourth day.
We put the Raider on the ground that first afternoon and rode down past Furnace Creek through the 96+ degrees hoping to catch some good views of Artists Palette in the evening sun... Check out the video I put together of that ride and see if you think I did.
In the morning, expecting another sizzler that we sure aren't acclimated for yet... we struck out into the Mesquite Dunes that sit a mile or so east of the Stovepipe Wells Campground...
Something to remember about Death Valley; Mid day sun is difficult to photograph under anywhere... In this valley... it's dang near impossible... You'll do best to plan your day to start early in the a.m... hide out in the shade somewhere through the middle part of the day... and then go back out to do your viewing of sights and such, in the late afternoon and early evening...
You'll get better pictures and might could be avoid heat stroke too! ;) It did cool back into the low 80's and 70's later in the week so broiled brains was less of a danger.
So... since I took so many pictures... I thought maybe building them into a nice slide show would be the best way to present 'em...
Let me know what you think...
I'll be getting the rest of our sojourn in the Valley of Death caught up as soon as I can assemble all the pics... and find the place to get 'em uploaded to you!
Camped Now Under the Snowy Shoulders of Mt Whitney
Brian
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Lost in The Internet Wilderness
We moved from Stovepipe Wells to Furnace Creek for our last few days here on a promise... That turned out to be a false promise.
I thought because I found the only signal that exists in Death Valley that I'd be able to start catching up on the past busy week.
That ain't to be. Though my phone can hook on... My air card for whatever reason won't. So this emailed post is my only way to make contact with the outside world.
We'll be here 'till Monday morning when I'll hitch the rig and pull back into the world of electronic confabulations... Less than six dollar diesel and bottles of water that don't require a co-signer.
If you want it while you're in Death Valley, I'd suggest you bring it with you.
Been going all day it seems since we got here. Views, Dune Hikes, Canyon Drives, mountain photos that look like abstract paintings and more... Much to share when I can get to where I can link up my Ol' 'puter!
Dusty and juuuuuuust a mite warm in the Valley of Death
Brian
I thought because I found the only signal that exists in Death Valley that I'd be able to start catching up on the past busy week.
That ain't to be. Though my phone can hook on... My air card for whatever reason won't. So this emailed post is my only way to make contact with the outside world.
We'll be here 'till Monday morning when I'll hitch the rig and pull back into the world of electronic confabulations... Less than six dollar diesel and bottles of water that don't require a co-signer.
If you want it while you're in Death Valley, I'd suggest you bring it with you.
Been going all day it seems since we got here. Views, Dune Hikes, Canyon Drives, mountain photos that look like abstract paintings and more... Much to share when I can get to where I can link up my Ol' 'puter!
Dusty and juuuuuuust a mite warm in the Valley of Death
Brian
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Stayin' Alive...
...and cookin' fast. 95 degrees today at Furnace creek... And the only place I found enough signal to send an email post from my phone...
Hiked up on the Mesquite Dunes at Stove Pipe Wells this a.m.... Pictures coming... And a couple of days of pent up words ;) but.that's gonna have to wait till we move camp in a day or so and have some signal
Cooked Medium Rare
Brian
Hiked up on the Mesquite Dunes at Stove Pipe Wells this a.m.... Pictures coming... And a couple of days of pent up words ;) but.that's gonna have to wait till we move camp in a day or so and have some signal
Cooked Medium Rare
Brian
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Fire Belching Balloons, Dirt Bikes and Angle Grinders Eating Compressors!
Almost every morning here the day starts just before sunrise with a rumbling woosh... Not sure where they're taking off, but I'd guess not far from here...
Normally, I look out the window and watch it float as I wait on the coffee maker to brew my morning elixir... This morning, it took me quite a while to even find it...
Not sure how you spell the sound of a hot air balloon... but it was rumbling like what you might expect to hear crawling into a Dragon's lair...
Only... he was nowhere to be seen, so I'm stumbling around, pre-coffee, peering out the windows wondering how you can hide something that big...
I think he was right directly overhead ;) just before the sun broke over the eastern ridges. I think he was just goin' up and down in the dead calm of the morning, ... trying to find a breeze to move the balloon. ;)
We had some neighbors for a couple of days... a Dad and a couple of kids.
The other morning they loaded their bikes to haul over to the OHV trail head that's just across the road and down a half mile or so...
Kinda caught my eye when the daughter, helped load the lil' guys scooter. Dad had run the other pair up; His and her full size bikes... the boy, probably 6 or 7 had this cute lil' dirt bike...
I shoulda gone over to the trail head and photographed the lil' guy kickin' up the dust. :) buuuut... you know... lazy and workin' hard behind my window at the computer... ;)
But... I did finally get the button punchin' work done and tackled another small project that's been pokin' at me for a long time.
When you're on the road for a while... sometimes things start to migrate around when you're in a hurry to pack up... things get added, swapped out... and the "system" starts to get clumsy...
I wanted to do some reorganizing and clean up that mess as well as make some basic "improvement" changes that had come to me... as to where things might fit better.
I've wanted to move the compressor to the truck for a goodly while. Where it was in the front roadside compartment... it was really awkward to use... and so it didn't... and so having it along was pretty useless... and tires weren't being kept... ahem... up to speed as well as they should.
The problem was, the compressor had a handle on it that was a few inches too tall to fit in the sidebox of the truck... and honestly, I wasn't totally sure that bobbing the handle would make it fit.
The box where it was to go is a pretty tight squeeze... buuuuut... A minute or so with my angle grinder and a cutting wheel and it got shortened up just fine!
Now... another problem still lay ahead... 20" long 18" high compressor had to fit through a narrower and shorter door way...
Some of the tool cases, jack and such that had been in the compartment are sitting on the bed...
Tool me a few minutes of tweaking, torquing, cussing and wiggling things around to realize... it wasn't ONLY the handle... uh oh... ;)
I had to take some of the compressor apart to fit it through the door...
Nothing major... it came down to just the lil' muffler had to get unscrewed to give me that last 1/4" of clearance to pop her through the door...
Now... with the compressor in an accessible place and out of the front compartment of the Fifth wheel... it left all that space open...
To move my tool box in there from where it sat on top of the battery box on the other side of the front compartment.
Before, I couldn't open the drawers, 'cause the lid couldn't open to release 'em...
So I had to pull it forward to get that clearance... but I still couldn't see 'cause it sat too high...
Boo Hoo... it's always something.
Now, It's at a good height and the lid can open without a hassle...
And I can see into the drawers when I pull 'em open! Excellent!
Looks like a pretty good fit don't it? The box is also 20"long... and the space it slid into is 23"... shouldn't be a problem should it? Except because the way the battery box overlaps the opening, the box had to slide in diagonally and then turn...
Dang... this hyar is gittin' complicated! Gee-awmetree and thinkin' stuff an' ever'thing! Let's see; mass X acceleration divided by the coefficient of the tool box color = the negative multiplier of cold beer applied to the common denominator on a sunny afternoon... ME! :)
I fought that heavy loaded bugger, pushin' and gruntin' for ten minutes before I finally figured out that the Other end had to slide into a small recess out of sight on the right, and THEN it could turn into place.
Funny how ya just keep shovin' cuz you're only a 1/4 of an inch off... and you KNOW it will fit! Everyone knows that trailer frame'll flex if you push hard enough! :) and that steel tool box will compress! :)
So Then! I went in to home depot for some lil thing a bit later... and stood staring at the door wondering why it wasn't opening for me... until I realized that I was looking in the Window... BESIDE... the door! Man did that thing work slick when I moved 'bout six feet to my left... to where the door actually was! :)) The lot boy pushing carts in was exceptionally polite to the poor old man scratching his head and staring at the window... :))
With the tool box moved... I could move the cases that carry most of my small leather tools (the three cases to the right of the parts case drawers, and one more out of sight to the right of them) to where it sat... and stash the cases with them other tools ~almost enough to build a house ;) ~ out of sight above those...
With a little more repacking and the normal "puzzle work" of fitting odd shaped stuff and paraphernalia into the odd shaped nooks and crannies of a rig, I made some significant progress the day before and yesterday afternoon.
I even replaced my air chuck and air gauge for some that'd work without so much hassle on duals and got all the tires on the rig in proper shape to haul. We should be rolling out some time before noon! ;)
Tools more accessible, air compressor more accessible... Things a bit more organized... again... Dang! I might even start doing my maintenance around here in a lil' more timely fashion!
Yeah right... Had ya goin' there for a minute didn't I? ;)
Bound for Death Valley
Brian
Not sure how you spell the sound of a hot air balloon... but it was rumbling like what you might expect to hear crawling into a Dragon's lair...
Only... he was nowhere to be seen, so I'm stumbling around, pre-coffee, peering out the windows wondering how you can hide something that big...
I think he was right directly overhead ;) just before the sun broke over the eastern ridges. I think he was just goin' up and down in the dead calm of the morning, ... trying to find a breeze to move the balloon. ;)
We had some neighbors for a couple of days... a Dad and a couple of kids.
The other morning they loaded their bikes to haul over to the OHV trail head that's just across the road and down a half mile or so...
Kinda caught my eye when the daughter, helped load the lil' guys scooter. Dad had run the other pair up; His and her full size bikes... the boy, probably 6 or 7 had this cute lil' dirt bike...
I shoulda gone over to the trail head and photographed the lil' guy kickin' up the dust. :) buuuut... you know... lazy and workin' hard behind my window at the computer... ;)
But... I did finally get the button punchin' work done and tackled another small project that's been pokin' at me for a long time.
When you're on the road for a while... sometimes things start to migrate around when you're in a hurry to pack up... things get added, swapped out... and the "system" starts to get clumsy...
I wanted to do some reorganizing and clean up that mess as well as make some basic "improvement" changes that had come to me... as to where things might fit better.
I've wanted to move the compressor to the truck for a goodly while. Where it was in the front roadside compartment... it was really awkward to use... and so it didn't... and so having it along was pretty useless... and tires weren't being kept... ahem... up to speed as well as they should.
The problem was, the compressor had a handle on it that was a few inches too tall to fit in the sidebox of the truck... and honestly, I wasn't totally sure that bobbing the handle would make it fit.
The box where it was to go is a pretty tight squeeze... buuuuut... A minute or so with my angle grinder and a cutting wheel and it got shortened up just fine!
Now... another problem still lay ahead... 20" long 18" high compressor had to fit through a narrower and shorter door way...
Tool me a few minutes of tweaking, torquing, cussing and wiggling things around to realize... it wasn't ONLY the handle... uh oh... ;)
I had to take some of the compressor apart to fit it through the door...
Nothing major... it came down to just the lil' muffler had to get unscrewed to give me that last 1/4" of clearance to pop her through the door...
Now... with the compressor in an accessible place and out of the front compartment of the Fifth wheel... it left all that space open...
Before, I couldn't open the drawers, 'cause the lid couldn't open to release 'em...
So I had to pull it forward to get that clearance... but I still couldn't see 'cause it sat too high...
Boo Hoo... it's always something.
Now, It's at a good height and the lid can open without a hassle...
And I can see into the drawers when I pull 'em open! Excellent!
Looks like a pretty good fit don't it? The box is also 20"long... and the space it slid into is 23"... shouldn't be a problem should it? Except because the way the battery box overlaps the opening, the box had to slide in diagonally and then turn...
Dang... this hyar is gittin' complicated! Gee-awmetree and thinkin' stuff an' ever'thing! Let's see; mass X acceleration divided by the coefficient of the tool box color = the negative multiplier of cold beer applied to the common denominator on a sunny afternoon... ME! :)
I fought that heavy loaded bugger, pushin' and gruntin' for ten minutes before I finally figured out that the Other end had to slide into a small recess out of sight on the right, and THEN it could turn into place.
Funny how ya just keep shovin' cuz you're only a 1/4 of an inch off... and you KNOW it will fit! Everyone knows that trailer frame'll flex if you push hard enough! :) and that steel tool box will compress! :)
So Then! I went in to home depot for some lil thing a bit later... and stood staring at the door wondering why it wasn't opening for me... until I realized that I was looking in the Window... BESIDE... the door! Man did that thing work slick when I moved 'bout six feet to my left... to where the door actually was! :)) The lot boy pushing carts in was exceptionally polite to the poor old man scratching his head and staring at the window... :))
With the tool box moved... I could move the cases that carry most of my small leather tools (the three cases to the right of the parts case drawers, and one more out of sight to the right of them) to where it sat... and stash the cases with them other tools ~almost enough to build a house ;) ~ out of sight above those...
With a little more repacking and the normal "puzzle work" of fitting odd shaped stuff and paraphernalia into the odd shaped nooks and crannies of a rig, I made some significant progress the day before and yesterday afternoon.
I even replaced my air chuck and air gauge for some that'd work without so much hassle on duals and got all the tires on the rig in proper shape to haul. We should be rolling out some time before noon! ;)
Tools more accessible, air compressor more accessible... Things a bit more organized... again... Dang! I might even start doing my maintenance around here in a lil' more timely fashion!
Yeah right... Had ya goin' there for a minute didn't I? ;)
Bound for Death Valley
Brian
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Jerome Arizona ~ Old Places, Newcomers... and Witticisms
A few days back I rode up through Jerome solo... We thought, since we hadn't been there in a year or so we should go back... though for some unremembered reason we rolled the truck this trip.
Jerome is an interesting place... It's very much like what Mark had said in his recent post... The "new" folks don't carry the history of the place in their genes... and some of that history is lost in the process... and a LOT of what "NEW" people bring... is the same Failed Things they left the LAST place to escape! ... Talk about learning disabled...
... buuuuuut... all that aside... there's still plenty for somebody with their eyes and mind open to wonder about...
Like... how most of the oldest is still there... but some of the "newer" is already dyin' off... ;)
I wonder; Will we some day hear 'em laughin' at the old timer clingin' to his ancient smart phone?
... and squallin'; "I don't need no gol' dang Neuron Activated Tooth Implanted bio-powered telepathic communicator!... ain't nobody gonna read MY thoughts!!!"
... and it's pretty obvious that vehicles have come a long way since the glory days of copper mining in the American West...
Our stop was probably about a week off in timing, the flowers are coming on fast... Spring is rapidly approaching in the Black Hills of Arizona...
Snow the other day and in the 80's the last couple... and now overcast again as we prepare to start moving north...
The flowers are filling the fruit trees, whatever sort they are. We sat under one last night just FILLED with bees working into the evening...
Found one early daffodil that beat the rest...
... and it looks like another week and the beds all over town will be full of color...
We're hoping we've timed it right to find at least a few of the springs flowers layin' around in that stark country of Death Valley...
Weatherman said it topped a Hundred there yesterday!
Just up behind that Daffodil that has broke out into the sun, can you see that Vine? I guess it's a vine... though it's pretty freakin' huge!
I wonder how old the thing is? Took a while to get that thick and heavy...
Standing above the whole place is the Jerome Grand Hotel, built by restoring what was once supposedly the finest hospital in Arizona...
They say they built it to withstand the concussion of 260,000 lbs of explosives goin' off in the mine just a little ways away across the mountain! I guess nobody ever considered setting off a few more smaller charges to go a little easier on local architecture! ;)
It's been a hard place on buildings, considering the number of times the same buildings have been burnt out and rebuilt... and trying to slide down the mountain; according to plaques and such around town... But that seems to have been the normal way in a lot of the old towns.
There was one we wanted to get into... 'cause the scent of the cooking was torturous to hungry folks... but the wait at the Jerome Palace was just a might too long for a hungry drifter to wait on a burger... no matter how good it smelled...
Off across the Northern Arizona High Desert the San Francisco Peaks towering over Flagstaff, 60 or 70 miles away were calling to us... we'll be passing them tomorrow...
So... I mentioned this on the bike blog... I can't help but repeat it here... I was trying to photograph a bit of "architecture" and a couple walked by...
The fella apparently thought it funny that I was trying to picture what I was.
I say that 'cause he glanced at me, then up at what I had my camera pointed at; then tipped his head to whisper something to the gal...
... then back up at what I was photographing and then back down to her to say something a bit more animated... and that got a good laugh out of both of 'em.
Now, I don't mind folks havin' a good laugh. Bein' able to provide that adds to my sense of self worth! ;) Not a problem...
But... Seriously??? I'm the source of your humor? Really??? ;)
Repeating what I said on my bike blog... "people who live in glass houses... rocks and all that stuff" :)
The last bit of wisdom I found in Jerome was gained when I failed to be able to push my self past a local lil' coffee stand sort of a shop... the scent coming out of there was NOT to be resisted! ;) While I was waiting for my Americano :) ... uh uh... don't say it! ;) I captured these two lil' signs inside...
I vow! Though it sounds like they were talkin' right directly 'bout me... They ain't never met me before in the place!
Jerome in Arizona, or any of the old towns scattered across the landscape can teach a fella quite a bit if he listens. There are still the whispers of the struggles of the folks who built the place... as well as the struggles of those there now... working to keep their own lives going... whether we think they're foolhardy, learning disabled, nit wits or not! ;)
Today will be spent putting things together to haul out in the morning bound for the river or there abouts west of Kingman. It's something over 400 miles to Death Valley from our camp in Cottonwood. We'll be taking two and maybe three days to cover the distance.
I've no idea of what sort of 21st century communications they've got there in the park area... so we'll be learning that together.
Poor Boy as ever... Loading up and Truckin'
Brian
Jerome is an interesting place... It's very much like what Mark had said in his recent post... The "new" folks don't carry the history of the place in their genes... and some of that history is lost in the process... and a LOT of what "NEW" people bring... is the same Failed Things they left the LAST place to escape! ... Talk about learning disabled...
... buuuuuut... all that aside... there's still plenty for somebody with their eyes and mind open to wonder about...
 |
| *Modern Ruins* |
Like... how most of the oldest is still there... but some of the "newer" is already dyin' off... ;)
I wonder; Will we some day hear 'em laughin' at the old timer clingin' to his ancient smart phone?
... and squallin'; "I don't need no gol' dang Neuron Activated Tooth Implanted bio-powered telepathic communicator!... ain't nobody gonna read MY thoughts!!!"
... and it's pretty obvious that vehicles have come a long way since the glory days of copper mining in the American West...
Our stop was probably about a week off in timing, the flowers are coming on fast... Spring is rapidly approaching in the Black Hills of Arizona...
Snow the other day and in the 80's the last couple... and now overcast again as we prepare to start moving north...
The flowers are filling the fruit trees, whatever sort they are. We sat under one last night just FILLED with bees working into the evening...
Found one early daffodil that beat the rest...
... and it looks like another week and the beds all over town will be full of color...
We're hoping we've timed it right to find at least a few of the springs flowers layin' around in that stark country of Death Valley...
Weatherman said it topped a Hundred there yesterday!
 |
| *Next Weeks Flowers in Jerome* |
Just up behind that Daffodil that has broke out into the sun, can you see that Vine? I guess it's a vine... though it's pretty freakin' huge!
I wonder how old the thing is? Took a while to get that thick and heavy...
 |
| *Jerome Grand Hotel* |
Standing above the whole place is the Jerome Grand Hotel, built by restoring what was once supposedly the finest hospital in Arizona...
They say they built it to withstand the concussion of 260,000 lbs of explosives goin' off in the mine just a little ways away across the mountain! I guess nobody ever considered setting off a few more smaller charges to go a little easier on local architecture! ;)
It's been a hard place on buildings, considering the number of times the same buildings have been burnt out and rebuilt... and trying to slide down the mountain; according to plaques and such around town... But that seems to have been the normal way in a lot of the old towns.
There was one we wanted to get into... 'cause the scent of the cooking was torturous to hungry folks... but the wait at the Jerome Palace was just a might too long for a hungry drifter to wait on a burger... no matter how good it smelled...
Off across the Northern Arizona High Desert the San Francisco Peaks towering over Flagstaff, 60 or 70 miles away were calling to us... we'll be passing them tomorrow...
So... I mentioned this on the bike blog... I can't help but repeat it here... I was trying to photograph a bit of "architecture" and a couple walked by...
I say that 'cause he glanced at me, then up at what I had my camera pointed at; then tipped his head to whisper something to the gal...
... then back up at what I was photographing and then back down to her to say something a bit more animated... and that got a good laugh out of both of 'em.
Now, I don't mind folks havin' a good laugh. Bein' able to provide that adds to my sense of self worth! ;) Not a problem...
But... Seriously??? I'm the source of your humor? Really??? ;)
Repeating what I said on my bike blog... "people who live in glass houses... rocks and all that stuff" :)
The last bit of wisdom I found in Jerome was gained when I failed to be able to push my self past a local lil' coffee stand sort of a shop... the scent coming out of there was NOT to be resisted! ;) While I was waiting for my Americano :) ... uh uh... don't say it! ;) I captured these two lil' signs inside...
I vow! Though it sounds like they were talkin' right directly 'bout me... They ain't never met me before in the place!
Jerome in Arizona, or any of the old towns scattered across the landscape can teach a fella quite a bit if he listens. There are still the whispers of the struggles of the folks who built the place... as well as the struggles of those there now... working to keep their own lives going... whether we think they're foolhardy, learning disabled, nit wits or not! ;)
Today will be spent putting things together to haul out in the morning bound for the river or there abouts west of Kingman. It's something over 400 miles to Death Valley from our camp in Cottonwood. We'll be taking two and maybe three days to cover the distance.
I've no idea of what sort of 21st century communications they've got there in the park area... so we'll be learning that together.
Poor Boy as ever... Loading up and Truckin'
Brian
Friday, March 15, 2013
The Crippling High Cost of RV Fuel... Reality or Hystrionics?
Yup... pulled out my dikshunairy agin fer this'un...
Every conversation about RVing or RV Boondocking, just about everywhere we go always seems to come around to a Media fixation on the cost of fuel and how it obstructs folks; "We Just can't afford to travel."
To me it ain't obstruction... It's misdirection... I'm thinkin' they've been herded to follow Somebody's "Company Line"... and they didn't stop to see how an' why (the why's I'll leave to your own imagination) they're bein' pushed...
There's a lot of drifters that leave the road and their dreams behind; claiming the cost of fuel as the reason.
For the most part, I can only believe one of two things. Either they aren't being honest with me or themselves, and feel the need to avoid saying they just don't like the wandering way... or... the greatest majority of 'em have ONLY looked at the price on the pump and then kicked their brain pans into neutral right exactly there.
Now, let me say right off the bat that yup, I understand reality. If you're livin' at my end of the economic spectrum and say; "we just don't have it any more"; I get that. When the tank runs dry and you got no long green left for fresh dino-juice there's not a whole lot of options.
Except; To do things my way. Make the same dang run... just do it in 90 days rather than 30. (you just dealt with a tripling of fuel cost) Stretch the days/miles out to flow along with your income. That 300 miles you were gonna do today... now takes you three days... or ten... how ever your income flows... You're still gonna have to eat and LIVE somewhere, no matter whether you're traveling or not...
... and of course... you could split the difference... and break the thing up two ways. Cut the 5000 miles to 4000 and then stretch the days of that. You adjust... you don't quit, you still have what you had before the fuel went up!
Second, if you changed, and the wandering way just don't appeal to you any more SAY that. ~ and there's Nothing Wrong With That! ~ There's no reason to be embarrassed by the fact that people change. But don't hide behind the cost of diesel. You're only cooking yourself other trials down the road you ARE pursuing; if you paint yourself to be somebody you ain't.
But, back to where I started down this trail... People are looking at the price of fuel... ONLY... and doing NONE of the calculations to see what that really means. They aren't putting it into a clear perspective...
Let's take a 5000 mile summer circle together... we'll be pushing a rig that gets 10mpg.
So 5000 miles = 500 gallons. We're lucky and we buy our dino-juice at $3.50 a gallon which costs us $1750 bucks for the summer... right?
Now... next year we're planning to make a different 5000 mile circle in the same rig... another 500 gallons but we say; "NO! We can't! Fuel is up 75 cents a gallon! That's more than 20%! We can't afford that!"
Now... wait just a minute. If you're in that group I mentioned before (the one I'm in), I understand... though I offered a solution... But, for the rest of you? Do the math people!
It's still 500 gallons. At 4.25 a gallon it gives you a cost of $2125 for the circle... Now... if you make that run in five months like we do... that comes to an increase of $375... which spread out over the whole RV summer circle is $75 a month.
Are you seriously going to tell me that you'll give up great bloody chunks of your life, and your dreams of yondering and chasing the horizon... to save a measly $75 bucks a month? Even if you whittle it down to a faster 3 and a half month circle, it's just two cups of Starbucks coffee over a hundred bucks. Less than a single tank of go juice in my old rig!
Go out to dinner once or twice less a month at the sorts of places you high rollers congregate ;) and you just made up the difference if you feel the need. Of course... considering what OUR high end eateries are... let's see... we'd have to reduce our "eating out" by, oh... 17 or 23 times! ;) ... considering that we eat out... maybe once or twice in a moon... we're gonna have a hard time making it up that way! :)
Stop traveling if you want to. That's your choice and only making the choices that fit you is the only thing that makes any sort of sense.
But, if you truly are abandoning long held dreams, do it for a legitimate reason... Not because of some misperception that the cost is too huge... sit down with a pencil, calculator and some paper... and sketch out your circles... Put it into a clear, proper, and accurate perspective. Make your choices based on some real and genuine cogitations... not the hysteriatrics that gets squalled around the airwaves.
Just Sayin'
Brian
Every conversation about RVing or RV Boondocking, just about everywhere we go always seems to come around to a Media fixation on the cost of fuel and how it obstructs folks; "We Just can't afford to travel."
To me it ain't obstruction... It's misdirection... I'm thinkin' they've been herded to follow Somebody's "Company Line"... and they didn't stop to see how an' why (the why's I'll leave to your own imagination) they're bein' pushed...
There's a lot of drifters that leave the road and their dreams behind; claiming the cost of fuel as the reason.
For the most part, I can only believe one of two things. Either they aren't being honest with me or themselves, and feel the need to avoid saying they just don't like the wandering way... or... the greatest majority of 'em have ONLY looked at the price on the pump and then kicked their brain pans into neutral right exactly there.
Now, let me say right off the bat that yup, I understand reality. If you're livin' at my end of the economic spectrum and say; "we just don't have it any more"; I get that. When the tank runs dry and you got no long green left for fresh dino-juice there's not a whole lot of options.
Except; To do things my way. Make the same dang run... just do it in 90 days rather than 30. (you just dealt with a tripling of fuel cost) Stretch the days/miles out to flow along with your income. That 300 miles you were gonna do today... now takes you three days... or ten... how ever your income flows... You're still gonna have to eat and LIVE somewhere, no matter whether you're traveling or not...
... and of course... you could split the difference... and break the thing up two ways. Cut the 5000 miles to 4000 and then stretch the days of that. You adjust... you don't quit, you still have what you had before the fuel went up!
Second, if you changed, and the wandering way just don't appeal to you any more SAY that. ~ and there's Nothing Wrong With That! ~ There's no reason to be embarrassed by the fact that people change. But don't hide behind the cost of diesel. You're only cooking yourself other trials down the road you ARE pursuing; if you paint yourself to be somebody you ain't.
But, back to where I started down this trail... People are looking at the price of fuel... ONLY... and doing NONE of the calculations to see what that really means. They aren't putting it into a clear perspective...
Let's take a 5000 mile summer circle together... we'll be pushing a rig that gets 10mpg.
So 5000 miles = 500 gallons. We're lucky and we buy our dino-juice at $3.50 a gallon which costs us $1750 bucks for the summer... right?
Now... next year we're planning to make a different 5000 mile circle in the same rig... another 500 gallons but we say; "NO! We can't! Fuel is up 75 cents a gallon! That's more than 20%! We can't afford that!"
Now... wait just a minute. If you're in that group I mentioned before (the one I'm in), I understand... though I offered a solution... But, for the rest of you? Do the math people!
It's still 500 gallons. At 4.25 a gallon it gives you a cost of $2125 for the circle... Now... if you make that run in five months like we do... that comes to an increase of $375... which spread out over the whole RV summer circle is $75 a month.
Are you seriously going to tell me that you'll give up great bloody chunks of your life, and your dreams of yondering and chasing the horizon... to save a measly $75 bucks a month? Even if you whittle it down to a faster 3 and a half month circle, it's just two cups of Starbucks coffee over a hundred bucks. Less than a single tank of go juice in my old rig!
Go out to dinner once or twice less a month at the sorts of places you high rollers congregate ;) and you just made up the difference if you feel the need. Of course... considering what OUR high end eateries are... let's see... we'd have to reduce our "eating out" by, oh... 17 or 23 times! ;) ... considering that we eat out... maybe once or twice in a moon... we're gonna have a hard time making it up that way! :)
Stop traveling if you want to. That's your choice and only making the choices that fit you is the only thing that makes any sort of sense.
But, if you truly are abandoning long held dreams, do it for a legitimate reason... Not because of some misperception that the cost is too huge... sit down with a pencil, calculator and some paper... and sketch out your circles... Put it into a clear, proper, and accurate perspective. Make your choices based on some real and genuine cogitations... not the hysteriatrics that gets squalled around the airwaves.
Just Sayin'
Brian
Thursday, March 14, 2013
The Last Bit of the Day... A Sedona Red Rocks Jeep Tour
"Sit right back and I'll spin you a tale... the tale of a tiny jeep. The jeep set sail on the desert fair for a three ow-wer tour!" ;)
... sung of course to the tune of Gilligan's Island...
The carrot that teased us to listen to the Time Share spiel, (that surprised us) was a "gift". Like I said you could choose a hundred dollar bill, or tickets to several local "venues" ... Heidi woulda taken the long green...
... proving that in truth, I might NOT be spinning tales when I say money is not what motivates me ;) I thought one of the Jeep Tours might could be fun, since that's not something we'd drop the green for on our own...
So... in the end that's what we done.
Keep in mind that motorized adventure is NOT a high selling point for Heidi...
In spite of the fact that she's rode along in the back seat of the Ol' Dodge as it scrambled over the full scale 4X4 road that climbs over the 13,000+ feet of Imogene pass in the High Rockies...
... It is definitely not what she does of free choice on a summer afternoon...
So... when the first jeep she saw in the morning was that mud caked rig...her anticipation wasn't what you might call entirely positive.
Her apprehension wasn't ever proven justified... let's just say that for town folks it was "jeeping"... but... not putting down the tour outfits here, I understand the realities of things... but using such words as "Extreme" to describe these tours is ... um... a bit extreme! ;)
That's not to say they aren't some fun. We loaded up, our driver and eight of us and headed down the two lane to access some of the back country...
The driver we had, Mike, was what you might call a Sitdown Comedian... or would that be a Drive by Joker?
He kept up a running repartee of jokes and banter scattered amongst the names of rock locations, Celebrity Houses, and area history...
I know I'd not be able to do his job... No way could I remember all the bits and jokes to fill three hours! ;)
One thing I learned early on... it's extremely difficult to do much decent photography on such a tour. You're seeing a lot of nice country passing by... but capturing it on the move is a so so proposition...
Mostly what you get is fuzzy rock spires and real blurry, close up trees...
... as the jeep passed the point you were trying to picture...
... and the shutter tripped as you rolled in front of the juniper six feet away. ;)
We did make a stop or three along the way to stretch our legs on the three hour journey and take a few steady photos, and I did manage to get one or two along the way...
But mostly I'd have to say that these back country Jeep Tours are best spent looking and seeing...
Rather than trying to make any pictures as you go.
We came onto one bit of "Federal Trivia" at one of the stops.
Mike had just asked; "What's the difference 'tween a jeep and a rental car?"
Answer; A jeep has limitations... a rental car can go anywhere! ;)
... and then we rolled around a bend in the track and there in a small forest service parking lot, complete with outhouse, sat a couple of sedans... hmmmm....
Seems you can get to the same spot by way of a graded road that a prius can run over... not so much fun ;) ... but you can get there! lol
Well, before the Jeep even rolled to a stop, Mike warned that; "through that gate there's some Indian Ruins... "
" ...but if you go there I can get fined $500. We've got a permit from the Forest Service to run this Jeep Tour. I don't have a "Permit" to guide you to that ruins... so if you go there, I'm leaving you here, seriously. If I let you back on the Jeep that means I allowed you to go to the ruins..."
The thing is? Those people who drove their cars up? by another, well graded road? Were walking through the gate to the ruins. The Forest Service had built the outhouse and parking lot for Access to the site!... so those "Civilians" could go... and we could go if we drive back up in our own cars... but... because we were passengers on that Jeep... we could not...
NOW do you understand why when you hear; "I'm from the government and I'm here to help" You need to run. RUN FAST, RUN FAR!!! :)
As for the extreme part... I also discovered that it's real hard to photograph the angle of ascent or descent of a Jeep... from the inside...
What you can't see here is... that the track has dropped down in front of the jeep...
... pretty steep and rocky...
...but it's not real intimidating looking in this pic is it?
Now this is a few feet farther along...
and the nose of the rig tipped over and all you can see is the dirt in front us...
... but like I said you can't see the angle we were descending at...
Still not "extreme" in my experience ;) but it had a couple of the lil' gals squealing here and there...
I'd warned Heidi; "I don't want no bruises from you grabbin' on 'cause we hit a dang bump!"
So... this poor guy on the right of this pic?
When we Hit a bump and a lurch or two...
... squeezed in like we were... like it or not! he got a dent or two crushed into his leg.
I can't say I heard any complaints... Though those would have likely come from his wife!
The truth is... most of the mileage was more along the lines of this here...
... and then a few rocky tracks that most visitors to Sedona and the Red Rock country don't see.
If you've got a 4x of any sort, and modest driving ability...
... and at least a smidgen more sense than a turnip, you can drive the county we rolled through yourself...
If you rent a Jeep in town... remember... they have something like two "Rescues" a day of those rentals... of people who claimed; "It wasn't my fault! That rock just jumped under the axle!" ... and those "Rescues" run I'm told 'bout $600 bucks!
When you're coming back into town watch for the signboards for the new traffic game being installed in arizona... Red Rock Country has got the earliest "Beta" versions...
I'm not sure what you win... if you get High Score...
It sounds like fun...
I need to take the Raider back there and see how many points I can rack up...
They really do need to upgrade to a three digit readout for that though! ;)
I'm thinking the Tour Jeep...loaded up with 8 touristas and a driver isn't gonna do very well in the game.
In the end we had a good time. We saw some new country and had a fine day in the Arizona sunshine... and Heidi survived with no great terrors! ;)
Still Real Comfortable with the 4X4 ability of My Old Dodge Truck!
Brian
... sung of course to the tune of Gilligan's Island...
The carrot that teased us to listen to the Time Share spiel, (that surprised us) was a "gift". Like I said you could choose a hundred dollar bill, or tickets to several local "venues" ... Heidi woulda taken the long green...
... proving that in truth, I might NOT be spinning tales when I say money is not what motivates me ;) I thought one of the Jeep Tours might could be fun, since that's not something we'd drop the green for on our own...
So... in the end that's what we done.
In spite of the fact that she's rode along in the back seat of the Ol' Dodge as it scrambled over the full scale 4X4 road that climbs over the 13,000+ feet of Imogene pass in the High Rockies...
... It is definitely not what she does of free choice on a summer afternoon...
So... when the first jeep she saw in the morning was that mud caked rig...her anticipation wasn't what you might call entirely positive.
 |
| *The Jeep we rode ~ Along the way in Sedona* |
Her apprehension wasn't ever proven justified... let's just say that for town folks it was "jeeping"... but... not putting down the tour outfits here, I understand the realities of things... but using such words as "Extreme" to describe these tours is ... um... a bit extreme! ;)
That's not to say they aren't some fun. We loaded up, our driver and eight of us and headed down the two lane to access some of the back country...
 |
| *Drivers eye view - Heading out* |
He kept up a running repartee of jokes and banter scattered amongst the names of rock locations, Celebrity Houses, and area history...
I know I'd not be able to do his job... No way could I remember all the bits and jokes to fill three hours! ;)
One thing I learned early on... it's extremely difficult to do much decent photography on such a tour. You're seeing a lot of nice country passing by... but capturing it on the move is a so so proposition...
Mostly what you get is fuzzy rock spires and real blurry, close up trees...
... as the jeep passed the point you were trying to picture...
... and the shutter tripped as you rolled in front of the juniper six feet away. ;)
We did make a stop or three along the way to stretch our legs on the three hour journey and take a few steady photos, and I did manage to get one or two along the way...
Rather than trying to make any pictures as you go.
We came onto one bit of "Federal Trivia" at one of the stops.
Mike had just asked; "What's the difference 'tween a jeep and a rental car?"
Answer; A jeep has limitations... a rental car can go anywhere! ;)
... and then we rolled around a bend in the track and there in a small forest service parking lot, complete with outhouse, sat a couple of sedans... hmmmm....
Seems you can get to the same spot by way of a graded road that a prius can run over... not so much fun ;) ... but you can get there! lol
Well, before the Jeep even rolled to a stop, Mike warned that; "through that gate there's some Indian Ruins... "
 |
| *The Indian Ruins sit in that dark cleft in the rock - left center* |
" ...but if you go there I can get fined $500. We've got a permit from the Forest Service to run this Jeep Tour. I don't have a "Permit" to guide you to that ruins... so if you go there, I'm leaving you here, seriously. If I let you back on the Jeep that means I allowed you to go to the ruins..."
The thing is? Those people who drove their cars up? by another, well graded road? Were walking through the gate to the ruins. The Forest Service had built the outhouse and parking lot for Access to the site!... so those "Civilians" could go... and we could go if we drive back up in our own cars... but... because we were passengers on that Jeep... we could not...
NOW do you understand why when you hear; "I'm from the government and I'm here to help" You need to run. RUN FAST, RUN FAR!!! :)
As for the extreme part... I also discovered that it's real hard to photograph the angle of ascent or descent of a Jeep... from the inside...
... pretty steep and rocky...
...but it's not real intimidating looking in this pic is it?
Now this is a few feet farther along...
and the nose of the rig tipped over and all you can see is the dirt in front us...
... but like I said you can't see the angle we were descending at...
Still not "extreme" in my experience ;) but it had a couple of the lil' gals squealing here and there...
So... this poor guy on the right of this pic?
When we Hit a bump and a lurch or two...
... squeezed in like we were... like it or not! he got a dent or two crushed into his leg.
I can't say I heard any complaints... Though those would have likely come from his wife!
... and then a few rocky tracks that most visitors to Sedona and the Red Rock country don't see.
If you've got a 4x of any sort, and modest driving ability...
... and at least a smidgen more sense than a turnip, you can drive the county we rolled through yourself...
If you rent a Jeep in town... remember... they have something like two "Rescues" a day of those rentals... of people who claimed; "It wasn't my fault! That rock just jumped under the axle!" ... and those "Rescues" run I'm told 'bout $600 bucks!
When you're coming back into town watch for the signboards for the new traffic game being installed in arizona... Red Rock Country has got the earliest "Beta" versions...
 |
| *Click the pic to read the sign* |
I'm not sure what you win... if you get High Score...
It sounds like fun...
I need to take the Raider back there and see how many points I can rack up...
They really do need to upgrade to a three digit readout for that though! ;)
I'm thinking the Tour Jeep...loaded up with 8 touristas and a driver isn't gonna do very well in the game.
In the end we had a good time. We saw some new country and had a fine day in the Arizona sunshine... and Heidi survived with no great terrors! ;)
Still Real Comfortable with the 4X4 ability of My Old Dodge Truck!
Brian
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Part III - Ok... I Stepped Out of My Comfort Zone... And Took One For the Team!
We did something a lil' out of the ordinary for this drifter...
Ya'll know how I feel these days 'bout ownin' Real Estate... or even a part of one... So... This lil' bit of the day was a fella genuinely forcing his tiny lil' mind to Open a touch! :)
We were tossin' around, early in the morning, directly after those first photographs were captured... what we should do and where we should do it. Our brainstomin' was fit in just a bit before we made the drive into Oak Creek canyon to capture those snow on the pines pics... and then came out for the Fantisificatin' gallery stop...
'bout that same time my morning coffee was reminding me with increasing urgency that it was requiring some considerable additional processing and I was in significant need of a men's room.
I also wanted to try and capture the gate to Tlaquepaque on my digital film. For those of you who've so far passed on by Sedona... besides the Son Silver West spot, this is likely the best place in town for a ree-laxed stroll around shady courtyards scopin' out fine art of all sorts...
Well... it just so happens that die-recktly 'cross the street from Tlaquepaque is one of those "VISITOR INFORMATION" places you see in every tourist mecca 'cross the west... Generally means they're hawkin' the local tourist traps. ;) Buuuuuuut there was another big ol' sign alongside the info sign that caught my attention ~ PUBLIC RESTROOMS! :)
So... while I took care of the coffee and the Gate Picture... Heidi went to ask about the condition of Schnebly Hill Road... the place we were wanting (I was wanting) to 4X in pursuit of some more bad weather pics. (it was closed cuz of the snow)
The upstart is... the fella inside was hawking "Tours" of one of the local Time Shares... ooooffff.
Normally I walk away shakin' my head and gigglin'; "Not a Chance Sparky!" ... but... it would appear that I went and got myself contaminated at that Ak Chin Casino. See, they offered a $100 bucks or a FREE Jeep tour with one of Sedona's many back country Jeep Tour concessions... if we'd just endure their 90 minute spiel...
Heidi kinda leaned at the $100 bucks... I figured those Jeep outfits pull in pretty much a hundred a head... something we were unlikely to afford...
So... Time Share Touring we went in the afternoon... sheesh... this travel writer/RV Boondocking writer gig is gettin' me to pushin' the envelope just a mite.
All that stretching can be painful!
Now, my thinkin' runs like this; Some time in the future, some sort of a kind of a "Base Camp" is a likely change in our way of going... so investigating the many possibilities is only sensible... right? and it might could help some or a few of the readers who come here if I scouted the trail a bit? and... well... I did get a free Jeep ride out of it! ;)
I walked in hangin' tight to my empty wallet, figuring this was just another slick deal where you get soaked... and came away pretty surprised at how much 'economic sense' it makes for those who have the dinero to get into it in the first place.
'cause it's not just at this partic'lar spot. Their deal gives access to places to stay all over the world... some few thousand of 'em.
A year or so down the road... if our "Fortunes" improve a bit, I could see us setting up this sort of deal here. It would put a fella right smack in the middle of the best country in Arizona. Sweet day trips in any direction to keep the dust knocked off your tires OR your boots.
The spot here in Sedona is one of the few that have a small RV setup... the deal here is if you/we'd bought in, we could have 26 weeks with full hookups for "Free". 26 weeks using none of the "points"... That's six months on only the annual maintenance fee you pay on Time Shares...
Or, you can stay in "your casita" burning points and have your "Guest" stay in the RV area for a bit...
... THAT... would make for a pretty fair winter camp for someone... not to mention the economics of having fine places to stay on road trip side trips away from the rig... all the way to Hawaii and New Zealand! ;)
...all sorts of ways to capitalize on the economics of the packages they've got here come to mind... IF ... you've got the "Economic Tools" to take advantage...
"Economic Tools"... that's a fancy term those college educated sorts use... it means Dinero! ;) But, unfortunately for them here... My toolbox is pretty empty.
Anyhoo... they showed us around the place a bit. They're built in the form of one and two bedroom "casita" type places.
The second bedroom units are actually detached and sit just across the patio from the main space... nice privacy.
The streets are wide and well landscaped and maintained...
The feel of the place surprised me.
None of the claustrophobic feel I expected, and since it was spring break the place was fairly full... and ya'll know how I am 'bout crowds! ;)
The 'casitas' strike me as Park Model type construction in size and layout...
Each place has a nice patio... this is one of the two bed units. The second bedroom is behind me from where I took this picture and to the right a couple feet across the patio...
So... There it is. Our Time Share tour. We felt kinda bad turning the deal down.
I think, because we were so surprised by the "Sense" their product makes for folks who like to travel a lot, and the questions that had us asking, that the gal showing us around thought she had a sale.
If you're heading out on the road, or have been there a while and are thinking of a change of some sort... this sort of a deal, carefully weighed, would sure be worth some thought...
... and tomorrow... the Jeep into the back country that we got for taking their tour! :)
Geeze... "Free" play money at Casinos... "Free" Jeep Tours into the Arizona back Country... it's kinda like cocaine... I'm gaining a better understanding how some of the folks I rail against get caught up in their "entitlement" ways! :) ha ha...
Back to an RV Boondocking Rehab Intervention!
Brian
Ya'll know how I feel these days 'bout ownin' Real Estate... or even a part of one... So... This lil' bit of the day was a fella genuinely forcing his tiny lil' mind to Open a touch! :)
We were tossin' around, early in the morning, directly after those first photographs were captured... what we should do and where we should do it. Our brainstomin' was fit in just a bit before we made the drive into Oak Creek canyon to capture those snow on the pines pics... and then came out for the Fantisificatin' gallery stop...
'bout that same time my morning coffee was reminding me with increasing urgency that it was requiring some considerable additional processing and I was in significant need of a men's room.
I also wanted to try and capture the gate to Tlaquepaque on my digital film. For those of you who've so far passed on by Sedona... besides the Son Silver West spot, this is likely the best place in town for a ree-laxed stroll around shady courtyards scopin' out fine art of all sorts...
Well... it just so happens that die-recktly 'cross the street from Tlaquepaque is one of those "VISITOR INFORMATION" places you see in every tourist mecca 'cross the west... Generally means they're hawkin' the local tourist traps. ;) Buuuuuuut there was another big ol' sign alongside the info sign that caught my attention ~ PUBLIC RESTROOMS! :)
So... while I took care of the coffee and the Gate Picture... Heidi went to ask about the condition of Schnebly Hill Road... the place we were wanting (I was wanting) to 4X in pursuit of some more bad weather pics. (it was closed cuz of the snow)
The upstart is... the fella inside was hawking "Tours" of one of the local Time Shares... ooooffff.
Normally I walk away shakin' my head and gigglin'; "Not a Chance Sparky!" ... but... it would appear that I went and got myself contaminated at that Ak Chin Casino. See, they offered a $100 bucks or a FREE Jeep tour with one of Sedona's many back country Jeep Tour concessions... if we'd just endure their 90 minute spiel...
Heidi kinda leaned at the $100 bucks... I figured those Jeep outfits pull in pretty much a hundred a head... something we were unlikely to afford...
So... Time Share Touring we went in the afternoon... sheesh... this travel writer/RV Boondocking writer gig is gettin' me to pushin' the envelope just a mite.
All that stretching can be painful!
Now, my thinkin' runs like this; Some time in the future, some sort of a kind of a "Base Camp" is a likely change in our way of going... so investigating the many possibilities is only sensible... right? and it might could help some or a few of the readers who come here if I scouted the trail a bit? and... well... I did get a free Jeep ride out of it! ;)
I walked in hangin' tight to my empty wallet, figuring this was just another slick deal where you get soaked... and came away pretty surprised at how much 'economic sense' it makes for those who have the dinero to get into it in the first place.
'cause it's not just at this partic'lar spot. Their deal gives access to places to stay all over the world... some few thousand of 'em.
A year or so down the road... if our "Fortunes" improve a bit, I could see us setting up this sort of deal here. It would put a fella right smack in the middle of the best country in Arizona. Sweet day trips in any direction to keep the dust knocked off your tires OR your boots.
The spot here in Sedona is one of the few that have a small RV setup... the deal here is if you/we'd bought in, we could have 26 weeks with full hookups for "Free". 26 weeks using none of the "points"... That's six months on only the annual maintenance fee you pay on Time Shares...
Or, you can stay in "your casita" burning points and have your "Guest" stay in the RV area for a bit...
... THAT... would make for a pretty fair winter camp for someone... not to mention the economics of having fine places to stay on road trip side trips away from the rig... all the way to Hawaii and New Zealand! ;)
...all sorts of ways to capitalize on the economics of the packages they've got here come to mind... IF ... you've got the "Economic Tools" to take advantage...
"Economic Tools"... that's a fancy term those college educated sorts use... it means Dinero! ;) But, unfortunately for them here... My toolbox is pretty empty.
Anyhoo... they showed us around the place a bit. They're built in the form of one and two bedroom "casita" type places.
The streets are wide and well landscaped and maintained...
The feel of the place surprised me.
None of the claustrophobic feel I expected, and since it was spring break the place was fairly full... and ya'll know how I am 'bout crowds! ;)
The 'casitas' strike me as Park Model type construction in size and layout...
Each place has a nice patio... this is one of the two bed units. The second bedroom is behind me from where I took this picture and to the right a couple feet across the patio...
So... There it is. Our Time Share tour. We felt kinda bad turning the deal down.
I think, because we were so surprised by the "Sense" their product makes for folks who like to travel a lot, and the questions that had us asking, that the gal showing us around thought she had a sale.
If you're heading out on the road, or have been there a while and are thinking of a change of some sort... this sort of a deal, carefully weighed, would sure be worth some thought...
... and tomorrow... the Jeep into the back country that we got for taking their tour! :)
Geeze... "Free" play money at Casinos... "Free" Jeep Tours into the Arizona back Country... it's kinda like cocaine... I'm gaining a better understanding how some of the folks I rail against get caught up in their "entitlement" ways! :) ha ha...
Back to an RV Boondocking Rehab Intervention!
Brian
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Cowboy Redneck Gallery Hoppin' and Fantisificatin'
OK... part #2 of the several chunk story of the other day... which started Sunday morning and ended yesterday afternoon. ;)
We went Gallery Hoppin' right after capturing the Sedona Snow photos... and before an excellent lunch at the Wildflower Bread Company.
Now... hoppin' might could be a mite of an exaggeration... considerin' we only went to one... and Yup... our Tourista Budget is now pretty much exhausted for a bit. :)
How-some-ever... this partic'lar "gallery" is a pretty much fun spot to walk around and take a looksee... Fact is, it kinda tickles one of the many fantisifications that's been tinkering around in my un-medicated brain pan for a year or three...
One other thing... some might not call this a gallery... buuuuut... it's the onlyiest word I could come up with that was close to the real deal... You decide...
This place has a bit of everything from rough and rustic Folk Art and Western type of stuff...
To fine art and jewelry they keep inside and a bit more protected.
This gallery reminds me of a trip we made in Tucson a few weeks back... You might remember the African Village at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show?
Only this is American Art that runs from pure straight up American Route 66 road trip memorabilia, to South Western/Mexican culture...
The Mix is... Kinda Nice!
Where a giant Chicken... guarding a corner of the parking lot fits into that circle of culture I ain't got any sliver of an idea... but... If you should be Needful of a Giant Chicken... The Sun Silver West Gallery's got it!
More toward the back... if you were scouting places for a wedding or some such event... they've even built an actual, real pretty fine Chapel...
There's a door way that leads into some sort of a courtyard... I took it to also be an event type space... it was tied shut though and I failed to verify my suspicion...
Walking around amongst this collection of things... I kept seeing, floating around in my head a small camp of small, minimalist... rustic/industrial cabins/casitas for a partic'lar group of drifters... set amongst the Arizona junipers and pinions...
Rout 66 and a gas station sign or two... adorning the community cooking ramada... colorful lizards on the posts...
Chiminaeas to warm up in front of in the corners or on the cabin porches...
... and can't ya just see one of those smaller chiminaes on the right hand side below... sitting just out from under your awning in an RV Boondock camp on a chilly, sunny morning? a cedar fire burning in it scenting the sunrise with your coffee cup warming your hands and your insides...
... and your feet warming out in front of the lil' fire that's cheering your eyes?
I tell you... lil' "art" places like this have a way of tickling my imagination...
Too bad I'm constrained by time...
I tried once to modify a board stretcher so I could string out a day a bit longer...
Didn't work... the day kept snappin' in two a lil bit after supper... If I could just come up with some sort of an elixir I could paint on the calendar to keep the clock from gettin' so brittle as I crank on the handle...
You do need to mind your manners strolling the aisles and nooks of the place... There's a Guard Cat on Duty to deal with the occasional attempted shoplifting...
Are you one of those folks who likes to do your cooking using peppers you "store" hangin' from the ceiling in a chili ristra?
They've got a small lil' section with oh... maybe 675 or a 1000 of those for you too!
Yes Sir... a camp in the right place...
... with an atmosphere built of the many cultures that have wandered through the area over the centuries...
...hosting travelers from far off places traveling by bike, RV and motorcycle... a fine fantasy, don't ya think? ;)
Now... it might seem kinda Off... to have such trimmings as these be one of the first things a fella thinks of when he's fantasizin' 'bout such a set up...
But... years and years ago, when we were putting Heidi's lil' store together... the one that opened so many doors for us... the very first thing we bought when we started assembling the parts of the store... was a big, overstuffed blue, wingback chair... it set the tone for the whole place... and our philosophy of doin' business...
Now, 16 years later, back in Colorado, that chair is STILL THERE... it's a place for the husbands and boyfriends to sit, relax and fall asleep while momma keeps on shoppin' for Beads! :)
The point bein'... set the right tone, create the right atmosphere for folks right from the start... make 'em feel "at home" so-ta-speak, and maintain that as your way of goin'... and it puts a high shine on folks perception of ALL your efforts.
No Western Collection is complete without a Wooden Indian or two... is it?
Yeah... like I need another Iron in the Fire huh? :) Buuuuuut... this one has such a nice taste to it... I'll just have to let it keep on simmerin' and see what cooks up!
Goin' Down the Road and Schemin' Up a Storm
Brian
We went Gallery Hoppin' right after capturing the Sedona Snow photos... and before an excellent lunch at the Wildflower Bread Company.
Now... hoppin' might could be a mite of an exaggeration... considerin' we only went to one... and Yup... our Tourista Budget is now pretty much exhausted for a bit. :)
How-some-ever... this partic'lar "gallery" is a pretty much fun spot to walk around and take a looksee... Fact is, it kinda tickles one of the many fantisifications that's been tinkering around in my un-medicated brain pan for a year or three...
One other thing... some might not call this a gallery... buuuuut... it's the onlyiest word I could come up with that was close to the real deal... You decide...
This place has a bit of everything from rough and rustic Folk Art and Western type of stuff...
To fine art and jewelry they keep inside and a bit more protected.
This gallery reminds me of a trip we made in Tucson a few weeks back... You might remember the African Village at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show?
Only this is American Art that runs from pure straight up American Route 66 road trip memorabilia, to South Western/Mexican culture...
The Mix is... Kinda Nice!
Where a giant Chicken... guarding a corner of the parking lot fits into that circle of culture I ain't got any sliver of an idea... but... If you should be Needful of a Giant Chicken... The Sun Silver West Gallery's got it!
More toward the back... if you were scouting places for a wedding or some such event... they've even built an actual, real pretty fine Chapel...
 |
| *The Chapel at Son Silver West in Sedona* |
There's a door way that leads into some sort of a courtyard... I took it to also be an event type space... it was tied shut though and I failed to verify my suspicion...
 |
| *Doorway to ???* |
Walking around amongst this collection of things... I kept seeing, floating around in my head a small camp of small, minimalist... rustic/industrial cabins/casitas for a partic'lar group of drifters... set amongst the Arizona junipers and pinions...
Rout 66 and a gas station sign or two... adorning the community cooking ramada... colorful lizards on the posts...
Chiminaeas to warm up in front of in the corners or on the cabin porches...
... and can't ya just see one of those smaller chiminaes on the right hand side below... sitting just out from under your awning in an RV Boondock camp on a chilly, sunny morning? a cedar fire burning in it scenting the sunrise with your coffee cup warming your hands and your insides...
... and your feet warming out in front of the lil' fire that's cheering your eyes?
I tell you... lil' "art" places like this have a way of tickling my imagination...
Too bad I'm constrained by time...
I tried once to modify a board stretcher so I could string out a day a bit longer...
Didn't work... the day kept snappin' in two a lil bit after supper... If I could just come up with some sort of an elixir I could paint on the calendar to keep the clock from gettin' so brittle as I crank on the handle...
You do need to mind your manners strolling the aisles and nooks of the place... There's a Guard Cat on Duty to deal with the occasional attempted shoplifting...
Are you one of those folks who likes to do your cooking using peppers you "store" hangin' from the ceiling in a chili ristra?
They've got a small lil' section with oh... maybe 675 or a 1000 of those for you too!
Yes Sir... a camp in the right place...
... with an atmosphere built of the many cultures that have wandered through the area over the centuries...
...hosting travelers from far off places traveling by bike, RV and motorcycle... a fine fantasy, don't ya think? ;)
Now... it might seem kinda Off... to have such trimmings as these be one of the first things a fella thinks of when he's fantasizin' 'bout such a set up...
But... years and years ago, when we were putting Heidi's lil' store together... the one that opened so many doors for us... the very first thing we bought when we started assembling the parts of the store... was a big, overstuffed blue, wingback chair... it set the tone for the whole place... and our philosophy of doin' business...
Now, 16 years later, back in Colorado, that chair is STILL THERE... it's a place for the husbands and boyfriends to sit, relax and fall asleep while momma keeps on shoppin' for Beads! :)
The point bein'... set the right tone, create the right atmosphere for folks right from the start... make 'em feel "at home" so-ta-speak, and maintain that as your way of goin'... and it puts a high shine on folks perception of ALL your efforts.
No Western Collection is complete without a Wooden Indian or two... is it?
Yeah... like I need another Iron in the Fire huh? :) Buuuuuut... this one has such a nice taste to it... I'll just have to let it keep on simmerin' and see what cooks up!
Goin' Down the Road and Schemin' Up a Storm
Brian
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