NPR has published a _virtual reality_ presentation on the geology of Rocky Mountain National Park:
<https://apps.npr.org/rockymountain-vr/>.
I have just watched it on my computer, but in a few minutes I am going to see if my new twin-lens VR goggles can view it on my celephone screen.
Note that for either method, headphones improve the experience (as they do with nearly every possible sound presentation).
Also: Various places on the Internet host similar presentations on subjects like this one and others. More are linked at the end of this one. (Or perhaps not; for me, clicking does nothing.)
Anyway, it has made me want to go back to the Rockies and spend more time than I have.
Mark_
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
05 November 2017
23 March 2017
National Parks and such in our pockets
Some time back I had a brief look at a set of iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) apps by a group called "Chimani". They seemed good, but I didn't take the trouble to examine them deeply before uninstalling them to save space on my bloated, bulging, celephone.
Prompted by online comments by people I respect, I will be having another look.
Prompted by online comments by people I respect, I will be having another look.
Chimani Parks Apps
------------------
• Chimani website <https://www.chimani.com> Note the web-app, which functions in a browser window <https://www.chimani.com/park.html?park=14-national_parks>.
• Recommended by the Macintosh new site TidBITS <http://tidbits.com/article/16180>
• @ Life in LoFi <http://lifeinlofi.com/2015/03/23/chimani-apps-provide-some-great-tools-for-planning-your-national-parks-photo-adventures/>
• Partnered with Subaru <https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/subaru-chimani-team-up-to-bring-national-park-travel-guides-to-smartphones/>
• @ Backpackers DOT com <https://backpackers.com/chimani-national-parks-app-free-offline-and-full-of-information/>
• Augmented Reality at the Chimani National Parks <https://www.wikitude.com/showcase/augmented-reality-chimani-national-parks/>
• (Wikitude app <https://www.wikitude.com/app/>)
Might be nice to have along for our FourCornersCruise. Let me know what you think.
Mark_
23 March 2017
26 October 2016
131005 Missouri Trip Pictures 2013
In 2013 we traveled to Missouri, where we took some pictures. Because Google's online image service does not support "sharing" access to multiple "albums", here is a list.
The 6-digit numbers are the dates of the albums: YYMMDD.
• 131005 Our multi-legged Missouri friends <https://goo.gl/photos/iz4ZnXbRZAybz1kG6>
• 131021 Forest Park, St. Louis, MO <https://goo.gl/photos/kW2iuae7xstzjuaP6>
• 131021 Gateway Arch, St. Louis, MO <https://goo.gl/photos/dS9oc1VwevGtZ2L18>
• 131021 Historic Courthouse <https://goo.gl/photos/yfvw4DuC9HZHBHJf8>
• 131020 Southbound along the Mississippi, from Hannibal <https://goo.gl/photos/pxMthmhvD4DHMurv5>
• 131019 Hannibal, MO <https://goo.gl/photos/W2NmcPcQo2hBPoYN6>
• 131012 Knob Noster, MO, SP camping <https://goo.gl/photos/Gj1WUgn2achFhJ9LA>
• 131011 Jazz @ 18th & Vine, KC, MO <https://goo.gl/photos/rGVxKXjPkoJDVt2d8>
• 131007 Walking along the Little Blue River <https://goo.gl/photos/Tve3ScJrxbv4FjVb6>
Mark_
26 October 2016
The 6-digit numbers are the dates of the albums: YYMMDD.
• 131005 Our multi-legged Missouri friends <https://goo.gl/photos/iz4ZnXbRZAybz1kG6>
• 131021 Forest Park, St. Louis, MO <https://goo.gl/photos/kW2iuae7xstzjuaP6>
• 131021 Gateway Arch, St. Louis, MO <https://goo.gl/photos/dS9oc1VwevGtZ2L18>
• 131021 Historic Courthouse <https://goo.gl/photos/yfvw4DuC9HZHBHJf8>
• 131020 Southbound along the Mississippi, from Hannibal <https://goo.gl/photos/pxMthmhvD4DHMurv5>
• 131019 Hannibal, MO <https://goo.gl/photos/W2NmcPcQo2hBPoYN6>
• 131012 Knob Noster, MO, SP camping <https://goo.gl/photos/Gj1WUgn2achFhJ9LA>
• 131011 Jazz @ 18th & Vine, KC, MO <https://goo.gl/photos/rGVxKXjPkoJDVt2d8>
• 131007 Walking along the Little Blue River <https://goo.gl/photos/Tve3ScJrxbv4FjVb6>
Mark_
26 October 2016
09 February 2015
SoCalCruise15: Our "Cruise" to San Diego
Out intentions are to drive _Arcadia_ toward sun & heat in southern California, stopping for sightseeing along the way.
If I can remember to do it, I shall post here and in my Picasa images album.
I can promise nothing, except to try doing better at this than I ever have in the past.
Mark_
If I can remember to do it, I shall post here and in my Picasa images album.
I can promise nothing, except to try doing better at this than I ever have in the past.
Mark_
28 April 2014
Hiking to Delicate Arch
Today's activity was a 3-mile hike to one of the Moab area's signature features. An important part of this was a good steep climb up a sandstone slickrock face. (Cindy thinks a quarter-mile; I might have gone for a _third_. It was long, and it was steep.)
The arch itself is almost unbelievable. On the one hand, it's a large freestanding structure that looks like it should not exist at all--and may not forever, anyway. On the other hand, its setting is such that abundant magical scenery is in the view beyond it.
The hike is pretty strenuous, made more so by winds that came up, threatening to toss us off the rocky ledge that was the last push to the arch. It wasn't really quite dangerous as such, but did tend to enforce a certain awareness. It was in our faces on the way back down--and we ate a fair amount of the same sand responsible for the arches and the other fanciful contours of the surrounding scenery.
It felt like 40+ m.p.h. with gusts to quite a bit more. My Tilley hat's double leashes got a real workout--and I never worried about it.
All excellent!
Mark_
_Arcadia_, Moab, UT.
The arch itself is almost unbelievable. On the one hand, it's a large freestanding structure that looks like it should not exist at all--and may not forever, anyway. On the other hand, its setting is such that abundant magical scenery is in the view beyond it.
The hike is pretty strenuous, made more so by winds that came up, threatening to toss us off the rocky ledge that was the last push to the arch. It wasn't really quite dangerous as such, but did tend to enforce a certain awareness. It was in our faces on the way back down--and we ate a fair amount of the same sand responsible for the arches and the other fanciful contours of the surrounding scenery.
It felt like 40+ m.p.h. with gusts to quite a bit more. My Tilley hat's double leashes got a real workout--and I never worried about it.
All excellent!
Mark_
_Arcadia_, Moab, UT.
23 April 2014
SpringCruise14: Commences
After two days' traveling from the Seattle area with _Andy_ , we have rendezvoused with Dick and Evalyn (_Fafnir_) near Capitol Reef.
Our evening at Utah Lake, outside Provo, was pretty exciting. During quite a windstorm and as we sat on board _Andy_, some people came ripping up, having driven the wrong way on the campground road, jumped out, and looked intently out to the lake (just across a marsh from where we sat). We made out a couple of shapes out on the water--which eventually resolved themselves into two capsized kayakers. The wind was blowing them down onto the beach, but it was slow going.
Meanwhile all sorts of emergency vehicles showed up, lights going--and clustered around _Arcadia_.
Long and short of it is that the marsh was impassible, so the kayakers had to walk around to land to our south, where we couldn't see much of the action--and they were apparently without major harm.
This was a good little storm, with gusts to 40 or more--and we were parked broadside to the wind. The next day, we found little piles of small hail in the shadows of plants a few miles away.
Capitol Reef promises to be good. We are glad to be here, and happy that _Fafnir_ is here, too.
Mark_
04 April 2014
SpringCruise14 - Hotlinks
During a couple of hours' Googling, I found a number of potentially interesting/useful/entertaining web sites relating to our upcoming cruise to Utah. One or two of them lead to iOS apps that might be helpful.
I promise nothing about their suitability or anything.
They are listed here in no particular order, except that any additions would be stacked above what is already here. I have no actual plans in that regard, but I do offer to add anything suggested to me as suitable for inclusion.
04 April 2014
I promise nothing about their suitability or anything.
They are listed here in no particular order, except that any additions would be stacked above what is already here. I have no actual plans in that regard, but I do offer to add anything suggested to me as suitable for inclusion.
04 April 2014
Additions
- Cedar Breaks National Monument 140410
- Canyon de Chelley: An excellent friend who has toured that area a number of times, and who should immediately buy an RV and come "cruising" with us, wrote me: "It was a place [I.] and I consider one of our all-time favorites. It seems to be an overlooked gem of a place." It photographs very well. 10 April 2014
- Utah Senior Adventure Pass: $35. "Anyone 62 years of age or older may purchase the annual day-use pass", which will allow day-use entrance for the pass-holder and up to 7 passengers. I was about to assume that this was for state residents only ("Utah Drivers License or I.D."), but nothing says that specifically. By mail, or (presumably) at a Park gate. 09 April 2014
- Waterpocket Fold - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Pete F. (_Amanzi_) says this is a great feature. 05 April 2014
Original List 04 April 2014
- Activities - Utah Activities Guides
- Allstays Camp and RV | RV Parks Campgrounds
- American Trails: Trail Resources in Utah
- Backpacker Magazine - Your Backpacking, Hiking, Camping, Outdoor Gear, Adventure Travel, and Skills Magazine
- Backpacker Magazine: Hiking, Backpacking, Camping, Adventures; Trip Planning Topo Maps, Aerial Photos
- DOI: BLM: Utah Home Page
- Campgrounds and Camping Reservations - ReserveAmerica
- Canyon Country National Parks on the App Store on iTunes
- Chimani
- Find a Park | Utah State Parks
- Fotopedia National Parks on the App Store on iTunes
- Hikes in Utah | Hikespeak.com
- Hiking Trails, Mountain Bike Trails & Trail Maps | Trails.com
- Hiking Utah's National Parks - iOS Store Top Apps | App Annie
- Moab, Utah Official Tourist Information - Get up-to-date vacation planning information from the official tourism source for the city of Moab.
- National Park apps aid your trek from sea to shining sea | TechHive
- National Parks of the USA | Ryan Gruss
- ParksNReviews on the App Store on iTunes
- RV Parks Near Moab, UT 84532, USA
- RV Parky - RV Parks and More on the App Store on iTunes
- Search for Places - Recreation.gov
- Southern Utah Hiking | Let's go exploring
- Southern Utah Photography & Information
- Utah State Parks
- Top 10 Canyon Hikes in the U.S. Parks -- National Geographic
- Trail Details: National Recreation Trail Database
- Upheaval Dome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Utah (U.S. National Park Service)
- Utah and Colorado Incredible Backcountry Trails
- Utah Coalition for Educational Technology (UCET): Free iOS App Today - GeoQuest - Zion National Park
- Utah State Parks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Utah State Parks | Utah.com
- Utah Travel Site | Utah.com
- Utah Valley Maps
- Utah: Backpacking, Hiking and Backpacking Trips | Backpacker Magazine | Backpacker Magazine
- Windwhistle Campground
- Zion National Park and other SW Utah national parks.
SpringCruise14 - Rangers in Utah
SpringCruise14
==============
Travel schedule & accommodation arrangements (as of 4/3/2014).
Formatted & updated. 02:49 PDT 04 April 2014.
Outbound leg added. 00:45 PDT 16 April 2014.
Notes about _Fafnir_'s departure from and return to home added. 19:59 PDT 16 April 2014.
Changed first night's destination; updated the Ls' trailer's name. 17 Apr 14.
Changed or added lines will be indicated with ">>".
Links to places mentioned will be added as time permits; they may _not_ be noted as above.
Corrections will be welcomed; those _will_ be marked when made.
In brief
--------
Cruise Captain: Phil R. (_Andy_).
First Officer: Cindy K. (_Arcadia_).
Collision Avoidance Officer: Ann R. (_Andy_).
Chief Engineer: Dick L. (_Fafnir_).
Morale Officer (Cookie Bureau): Evalyn L. (_Fafnir_).
Dates: ca. 20 April - 20 May.
Destination (turnaround?): Mt. Carmel Motel & RV, outside east entrance Zion; 20 May.
Itinerary
---------
Our Cruise Captain has suggested a route between the Seattle area and our initial destination:
>> Sunday, April 20: Depart; Farewell Bend State Park, Huntington, OR. Changed 140417.
430 miles (from Federal Way).
On the Snake River and the Old Oregon Trail.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farewell_Bend_State_Recreation_Area>
Monday, April 21: Bruneau Dunes SP, Idaho.
248 miles.
Hookups available.
[_Andy_ has] never been there.
or
Three Island SP in Idaho.
About 25 miles beyond Bruneau Dunes.
[_Andy_ has] been there.
Very nice, on the Snake River near a historic crossing.
and
>> _Fafnir_ departs the Kansas City area.
Tuesday, April 22: Utah Lake SP near Provo.
340 miles.
On Utah lake.
Hookups available.
Wednesday, April 23: Capitol Reef National Park Area, Torrey, UT.
173 miles.
Thousand Lakes RV Park
1110 Utah 24, Torrey, UT 84775
(435) 425-3500
@ Highway 24, 2.2 miles west of Hwy 12; GPS: 38.30130, -111.44469.
Confirmation #12292 4/23, 24, 25 (on _Andy_'s card).
Thursday, April 24: Capitol Reef National Park Area, Torrey, UT.
Thousand Lakes RV Park.
_Fafnir_ joins us.
Friday, April 25: Capitol Reef National Park Area, Torrey, UT.
Thousand Lakes RV Park.
Saturday, April 26: Green River State Park, Green River, UT.
Reservations for _Freddy_, _Andy_, and _Arcadia_ made by _Arcadia_ 4/3/14.
$99.00 charged to _Arcadia_'s AMEX.
$25 each plus $8 reservation fee per site = $33 Total per site.
- _Flag_ - site GR 35; confirmation #2-13816649.
- _Andy_ - site GR 18; #2-13816650.
- _Arcadia_ - site GR 36; #2-13816648.
Sunday, April 27: Arches & Canyonlands National Parks and environs, Moab (4/27-30 & 5/1).
Spanish Trail RV Park
2980 S Hwy 191
Moab, Utah 84532
<http://www.spanishtrailrvpark.com>
800-787-2754
Sunday, April 27 - Departure Friday May 2.
$42+tax per night
Pay when you arrive.
Confirmation UG 0427.
_Andy_ guaranteed reservations with his credit card [_Andy_, _Fafnir_, _Arcadia_]; each party will pay upon arrival.
Monday, April 28: Arches & Canyonlands National Parks and environs, Moab.
Tuesday, April 29: Arches & Canyonlands National Parks and environs, Moab.
Wednesday, April 30: Arches & Canyonlands National Parks and environs, Moab.
Thursday, May 1: Arches & Canyonlands National Parks and environs, Moab.
Friday, May 2: Windwhistle campground, BLM, south of Moab;
GPS: 38.17738, -109.46208
<http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/moab/recreation/campgrounds/canyon_rims_recreation/windwhistle_campground.html>
$15/site, 15 sites, All Year, All ages, Tents, 30 ft max RV length, 6000 ft elev, tables, water, toilets, hike (C).
Saturday, May 3: Windwhistle campground.
Sunday, May 4: Goosenecks State Campground.
Dispersed camping. ("Anchoring out.")
GPS: 37.17482, -109.92679.
Free, All Year, All ages, Tents, 4971 ft. elev., toilets, dispersed (C),
(Cindy comment: I don't think there is water here!)
Monday, May 5: Monument Valley.
May 5, 6, 7.
Goulding's Lodge (and RV park).
Monument Valley, Utah.
<http://www.gouldings.com>
(435) 727-3231
Confirmation #s: 1937, 1938, 1939.
Full hookups.
Confirmations sent to all three parties.
Tuesday, May 6: Monument Valley and environs.
Goulding's Lodge (and RV park).
Wednesday, May 7: Monument Valley and environs.
Goulding's Lodge (and RV park).
Thursday, May 8: Antelope Canyon, Powell Lake, & environs, Page, AZ.
May 8, 9, 10.
Page Lake Powell Campground.
849 S. Coppermine Road.
Page, AZ 86040.
Phone: (928) 645-3374.
_Andy_ has made reservations for all 3 rigs. Credit card given to hold sites.
We pay when we arrive. Honor Good Sam discount. Around $21 per site per night.
Confirmation #SB431052.
Friday, May 9: Antelope Canyon, Powell Lake, & environs, Page, AZ.
May 8, 9, 10.
Page Lake Powell Campground.
Saturday, May 10: Antelope Canyon, Powell Lake, & environs, Page, AZ.
May 8, 9, 10.
Page Lake Powell Campground.
Sunday, May 11: Grand Staircase-Escalante.
Red rock formations?
Kodachrome Basin State Park
5/11 - 5/13.
Water available in park, dump station in park, power?
Reservations made by Mark for our site only.
- _Andy_: site 10.
- _Fafnir_: 20.
- _Arcadia_: 4.
Monday, May 12: Grand Staircase-Escalante.
Kodachrome Basin State Park.
Tuesday, May 13: Grand Staircase-Escalante.
Kodachrome Basin State Park.
Wednesday, May 14: Bryce Canyon National Park and environs.
Red Rock Canyon Campground - outside Bryce N.P.
May 14, 15, 16.
BLM - No reservations; first-come, first-served.
>> _Fafnir_ departs for Kansas City.
Thursday, May 15: Bryce Canyon National Park and environs.
Red Rock Canyon Campground.
Friday, May 16: Bryce Canyon National Park and environs.
Red Rock Canyon Campground.
Saturday, May 17: Zion National Park and environs.
May 17, 18, 19.
Mount Carmel Motel and RV.
3020 State Street.
Orderville, UT 84758.
Hook ups, power, and water.
$24 + tx per site, per night.
Showers and restrooms.
Will let us use the laundry facilities associated with the Motel - just let them know we need it and they will tell us when they can accommodate us.
$2 wash, $2 dry; per machine.
_Arcadia_'s Visa credit card is holding the reservation.
Sunday, May 18: Zion National Park and environs.
Mount Carmel Motel and RV.
Monday, May 19: Zion National Park and environs.
Mount Carmel Motel and RV.
Tuesday, May 20: Leave for home @ 300-400 miles per day.
Via Salt Lake City area (TBD).
Cindy will fly out of SLC on the 21st
Wednesday, May 21: Salt Lake to a location yet to be determined
Cindy flies to Kansas City from SL airport.
Thursday, May 22: ?
Friday, May 23: _Andy_ & _Arcadia_ arrive @ home.
(Or not. --Mark_)
Notes
-----
==============
Travel schedule & accommodation arrangements (as of 4/3/2014).
Formatted & updated. 02:49 PDT 04 April 2014.
Outbound leg added. 00:45 PDT 16 April 2014.
Notes about _Fafnir_'s departure from and return to home added. 19:59 PDT 16 April 2014.
Changed first night's destination; updated the Ls' trailer's name. 17 Apr 14.
Changed or added lines will be indicated with ">>".
Links to places mentioned will be added as time permits; they may _not_ be noted as above.
Corrections will be welcomed; those _will_ be marked when made.
In brief
--------
Cruise Captain: Phil R. (_Andy_).
First Officer: Cindy K. (_Arcadia_).
Collision Avoidance Officer: Ann R. (_Andy_).
Chief Engineer: Dick L. (_Fafnir_).
Morale Officer (Cookie Bureau): Evalyn L. (_Fafnir_).
Dates: ca. 20 April - 20 May.
Destination (turnaround?): Mt. Carmel Motel & RV, outside east entrance Zion; 20 May.
Itinerary
---------
Our Cruise Captain has suggested a route between the Seattle area and our initial destination:
>> Sunday, April 20: Depart; Farewell Bend State Park, Huntington, OR. Changed 140417.
430 miles (from Federal Way).
On the Snake River and the Old Oregon Trail.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farewell_Bend_State_Recreation_Area>
Monday, April 21: Bruneau Dunes SP, Idaho.
248 miles.
Hookups available.
[_Andy_ has] never been there.
or
Three Island SP in Idaho.
About 25 miles beyond Bruneau Dunes.
[_Andy_ has] been there.
Very nice, on the Snake River near a historic crossing.
and
>> _Fafnir_ departs the Kansas City area.
Tuesday, April 22: Utah Lake SP near Provo.
340 miles.
On Utah lake.
Hookups available.
Wednesday, April 23: Capitol Reef National Park Area, Torrey, UT.
173 miles.
Thousand Lakes RV Park
1110 Utah 24, Torrey, UT 84775
(435) 425-3500
@ Highway 24, 2.2 miles west of Hwy 12; GPS: 38.30130, -111.44469.
Confirmation #12292 4/23, 24, 25 (on _Andy_'s card).
Thursday, April 24: Capitol Reef National Park Area, Torrey, UT.
Thousand Lakes RV Park.
_Fafnir_ joins us.
Friday, April 25: Capitol Reef National Park Area, Torrey, UT.
Thousand Lakes RV Park.
Saturday, April 26: Green River State Park, Green River, UT.
Reservations for _Freddy_, _Andy_, and _Arcadia_ made by _Arcadia_ 4/3/14.
$99.00 charged to _Arcadia_'s AMEX.
$25 each plus $8 reservation fee per site = $33 Total per site.
- _Flag_ - site GR 35; confirmation #2-13816649.
- _Andy_ - site GR 18; #2-13816650.
- _Arcadia_ - site GR 36; #2-13816648.
Sunday, April 27: Arches & Canyonlands National Parks and environs, Moab (4/27-30 & 5/1).
Spanish Trail RV Park
2980 S Hwy 191
Moab, Utah 84532
<http://www.spanishtrailrvpark.com>
800-787-2754
Sunday, April 27 - Departure Friday May 2.
$42+tax per night
Pay when you arrive.
Confirmation UG 0427.
_Andy_ guaranteed reservations with his credit card [_Andy_, _Fafnir_, _Arcadia_]; each party will pay upon arrival.
Monday, April 28: Arches & Canyonlands National Parks and environs, Moab.
Tuesday, April 29: Arches & Canyonlands National Parks and environs, Moab.
Wednesday, April 30: Arches & Canyonlands National Parks and environs, Moab.
Thursday, May 1: Arches & Canyonlands National Parks and environs, Moab.
Friday, May 2: Windwhistle campground, BLM, south of Moab;
GPS: 38.17738, -109.46208
<http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/moab/recreation/campgrounds/canyon_rims_recreation/windwhistle_campground.html>
$15/site, 15 sites, All Year, All ages, Tents, 30 ft max RV length, 6000 ft elev, tables, water, toilets, hike (C).
Saturday, May 3: Windwhistle campground.
Sunday, May 4: Goosenecks State Campground.
Dispersed camping. ("Anchoring out.")
GPS: 37.17482, -109.92679.
Free, All Year, All ages, Tents, 4971 ft. elev., toilets, dispersed (C),
(Cindy comment: I don't think there is water here!)
Monday, May 5: Monument Valley.
May 5, 6, 7.
Goulding's Lodge (and RV park).
Monument Valley, Utah.
<http://www.gouldings.com>
(435) 727-3231
Confirmation #s: 1937, 1938, 1939.
Full hookups.
Confirmations sent to all three parties.
Tuesday, May 6: Monument Valley and environs.
Goulding's Lodge (and RV park).
Wednesday, May 7: Monument Valley and environs.
Goulding's Lodge (and RV park).
Thursday, May 8: Antelope Canyon, Powell Lake, & environs, Page, AZ.
May 8, 9, 10.
Page Lake Powell Campground.
849 S. Coppermine Road.
Page, AZ 86040.
Phone: (928) 645-3374.
_Andy_ has made reservations for all 3 rigs. Credit card given to hold sites.
We pay when we arrive. Honor Good Sam discount. Around $21 per site per night.
Confirmation #SB431052.
Friday, May 9: Antelope Canyon, Powell Lake, & environs, Page, AZ.
May 8, 9, 10.
Page Lake Powell Campground.
Saturday, May 10: Antelope Canyon, Powell Lake, & environs, Page, AZ.
May 8, 9, 10.
Page Lake Powell Campground.
Sunday, May 11: Grand Staircase-Escalante.
Red rock formations?
Kodachrome Basin State Park
5/11 - 5/13.
Water available in park, dump station in park, power?
Reservations made by Mark for our site only.
- _Andy_: site 10.
- _Fafnir_: 20.
- _Arcadia_: 4.
Monday, May 12: Grand Staircase-Escalante.
Kodachrome Basin State Park.
Tuesday, May 13: Grand Staircase-Escalante.
Kodachrome Basin State Park.
Wednesday, May 14: Bryce Canyon National Park and environs.
Red Rock Canyon Campground - outside Bryce N.P.
May 14, 15, 16.
BLM - No reservations; first-come, first-served.
>> _Fafnir_ departs for Kansas City.
Thursday, May 15: Bryce Canyon National Park and environs.
Red Rock Canyon Campground.
Friday, May 16: Bryce Canyon National Park and environs.
Red Rock Canyon Campground.
Saturday, May 17: Zion National Park and environs.
May 17, 18, 19.
Mount Carmel Motel and RV.
3020 State Street.
Orderville, UT 84758.
Hook ups, power, and water.
$24 + tx per site, per night.
Showers and restrooms.
Will let us use the laundry facilities associated with the Motel - just let them know we need it and they will tell us when they can accommodate us.
$2 wash, $2 dry; per machine.
_Arcadia_'s Visa credit card is holding the reservation.
Sunday, May 18: Zion National Park and environs.
Mount Carmel Motel and RV.
Monday, May 19: Zion National Park and environs.
Mount Carmel Motel and RV.
Tuesday, May 20: Leave for home @ 300-400 miles per day.
Via Salt Lake City area (TBD).
Cindy will fly out of SLC on the 21st
Wednesday, May 21: Salt Lake to a location yet to be determined
Cindy flies to Kansas City from SL airport.
Thursday, May 22: ?
Friday, May 23: _Andy_ & _Arcadia_ arrive @ home.
(Or not. --Mark_)
Notes
-----
It has been noted that these places can be quite hot and very dry--and therefore hiking with more than a single water bottle per person is indicated. Some hikers will wear dampened neckerchiefs, as well.
04 November 2013
Back From Our Trip to Kansas City
We have returned from our 5,500-mile trip. We had a great time, and we're already thinking about the text trip.
We did spend some time inside the grandparents' house, which was both worse and not as bad as I expected. Not as bad, because I had been lead to believe that everything had been stolen. The truth is different--and stranger--than that: There remains virtually nothing of ordinary /collectable/ value, but we did find some things that probably are worth something to the right collector. Example: _Reader's Digest_ from 1942. Wow.
Unexpectedly, pantry shelves still contained foodstuffs in glass jars--including home-canned foods (now altered beyond recognition by 35 years of storage). Clothing and shoes I recall having seen worn were still in the place. Appliances I recognize from childhood were still there.
The _worse_ was in the fact that the house still contained a large amount of ordinary household furnishings--mostly small stuff, but including clothing, small furnishings, and such that I recognized. Some of these materials had apparently not been touched at all (grandmothers dresses still in closets, jacket and gardening had still on the hook in the mud room, for example), but the whole place was strewn with /stuff/ that had been pulled out of its normal locations and dropped on the floors and onto every other horizontal surface. In some places, piles of /things/ made walking uncertain. In other areas, there was less on the floors but it was obvious nevertheless that things had been carried in from other rooms and abandoned there without any kind of intentionality. Not like someone had been interrupted in the process of moving out, but as if children had overrun the place for an extended period.
This place is down a natural-surface road two miles outside a very small town that is 50 miles from Springfield, MO. Even the vandals seem unable to muster the energy for anything serious; there was virtually no intentional damage beyond some wiring ripped out of walls. There were no drifts of beer cans, no indoor campfires, and in fact nobody had even sat upon any of the few chairs that remained; stuff was on every flat surface. The glass faceplate on the gas stove light had been broken, but the fluorescent tube inside was intact. Several mirrors all over the house were undamaged.
There were newspapers & magazines, picture frames, cooking utensils, jars of spices & flavorings, things, objects--all of the little paraphernalia that houses have in them--everywhere: on the floor, on tables and chairs and couch, on kitchen counters--and still on pantry and closet shelves.
Despite a few broken windows, a roof penetration or two, and open doors, the house is in pretty good condition, considering. Some hardwood floors were still actually nice. The house as a whole is probably not actually restorable to the kind of state that most people would want to pay for, but it is not immediately threatened either.
The barn was another matter. It is over a hundred years old, I think, and an important roof support has failed. Even so, the central structure is stacked log, most of which is still in good condition; the bulk of its metal roof is intact, which has surely helped. It seems safe to enter, but normal use is no longer possible; doors mostly don't work, and climbing into the loft would be seriously imprudent.
We could not enter other outbuildings, which had recently been fenced away from the main property, but I imagine that little of interest remains in them and I doubt they were safe to enter, anyway.
After a few hours, we departed with a large number of photographs and the feeling that we had just spent a period of time in strangeness.
Our trip hope was largely uneventful after we had spent a couple of very pleasant days with Cindy's relations in Morse, TX, and Albuquerque, NM. We saw and photographed scenery, vistas, views, novelties, and sun-rises and -sets.
And in the course of several legs outbound and back we consumed roughly equal measures of gasoline and coffee.
Great trip! (Pix @ my Picasa.)
Mark_
Federal Way
We did spend some time inside the grandparents' house, which was both worse and not as bad as I expected. Not as bad, because I had been lead to believe that everything had been stolen. The truth is different--and stranger--than that: There remains virtually nothing of ordinary /collectable/ value, but we did find some things that probably are worth something to the right collector. Example: _Reader's Digest_ from 1942. Wow.
Unexpectedly, pantry shelves still contained foodstuffs in glass jars--including home-canned foods (now altered beyond recognition by 35 years of storage). Clothing and shoes I recall having seen worn were still in the place. Appliances I recognize from childhood were still there.
The _worse_ was in the fact that the house still contained a large amount of ordinary household furnishings--mostly small stuff, but including clothing, small furnishings, and such that I recognized. Some of these materials had apparently not been touched at all (grandmothers dresses still in closets, jacket and gardening had still on the hook in the mud room, for example), but the whole place was strewn with /stuff/ that had been pulled out of its normal locations and dropped on the floors and onto every other horizontal surface. In some places, piles of /things/ made walking uncertain. In other areas, there was less on the floors but it was obvious nevertheless that things had been carried in from other rooms and abandoned there without any kind of intentionality. Not like someone had been interrupted in the process of moving out, but as if children had overrun the place for an extended period.
This place is down a natural-surface road two miles outside a very small town that is 50 miles from Springfield, MO. Even the vandals seem unable to muster the energy for anything serious; there was virtually no intentional damage beyond some wiring ripped out of walls. There were no drifts of beer cans, no indoor campfires, and in fact nobody had even sat upon any of the few chairs that remained; stuff was on every flat surface. The glass faceplate on the gas stove light had been broken, but the fluorescent tube inside was intact. Several mirrors all over the house were undamaged.
There were newspapers & magazines, picture frames, cooking utensils, jars of spices & flavorings, things, objects--all of the little paraphernalia that houses have in them--everywhere: on the floor, on tables and chairs and couch, on kitchen counters--and still on pantry and closet shelves.
Despite a few broken windows, a roof penetration or two, and open doors, the house is in pretty good condition, considering. Some hardwood floors were still actually nice. The house as a whole is probably not actually restorable to the kind of state that most people would want to pay for, but it is not immediately threatened either.
The barn was another matter. It is over a hundred years old, I think, and an important roof support has failed. Even so, the central structure is stacked log, most of which is still in good condition; the bulk of its metal roof is intact, which has surely helped. It seems safe to enter, but normal use is no longer possible; doors mostly don't work, and climbing into the loft would be seriously imprudent.
We could not enter other outbuildings, which had recently been fenced away from the main property, but I imagine that little of interest remains in them and I doubt they were safe to enter, anyway.
After a few hours, we departed with a large number of photographs and the feeling that we had just spent a period of time in strangeness.
Our trip hope was largely uneventful after we had spent a couple of very pleasant days with Cindy's relations in Morse, TX, and Albuquerque, NM. We saw and photographed scenery, vistas, views, novelties, and sun-rises and -sets.
And in the course of several legs outbound and back we consumed roughly equal measures of gasoline and coffee.
Great trip! (Pix @ my Picasa.)
Mark_
Federal Way
21 October 2013
Missouri, and beyond.
We have seen old friends, camped in a beautiful state park, eaten catfish, looked around Mark Twain's boyhood home town, and ridden a little train whose cars were like commercial tumble dryers (up a leg of St. Louis's Gateway Arch; pix soon)--and now it's time to visit south Missouri.
I will have a look at the small farm where my maternal grandparents lived, and where I got my taste for the outdoors. My memory of the nighttime insect sounds is vivid and pleasant; we have enjoyed hearing sounds that we have not heard during the 29 years we have been living in the Northwest.
The place will be in serious disrepair, and I have no expectation of entering the house. Apparently all worth having was stolen long ago, anyway.
Even so, I intend to walk around outside.
After that, a natural spring or two in south Missouri, then on to Albuquerque.
Mark_
R/V _Arcadia_, Babler SP, St. Louis, MO.
• Pictures: <https://picasaweb.google.com/socrates4718>
13 October 2013
Camping @ Knob Noster SP
The Longs and we have driven our trailers to Knob Noster (Latin: Our Hill[s]) State Park for a couple of nights among the trees. Nice park.
Sunday we took a nice walk through a forest of oak, hickory, and cottonwood. Some of these were pretty large. And the effect overall was quite beautiful. Things are beginning to look as if they might like to turn to fall colors, although not much progress has been made at present.
After our return, and just as our very late lunch (or slightly early dinner) was ready, were visited by old friends who had been our neighbors when we lived in Independence. We had camped together--they had had the first pop-up we had seen--and next weekend we will camp together again, near Hannibal, MO. While there we will look around Mark Twain country, and as we depart at the end of the weekend we may drive through St. Louis (MO Botanical Garden, Climatron, etc.).
We finished the day sitting around a campfire as the evening cooled. The majority of the other campers have departed, so except for the barred owl we hear, the place is pretty quiet.
Mark_
R/V _Arcadia_, Knob Noster
SP, MO.
• Pictures: <https://picasaweb.google.com/socrates4718>
Sunday we took a nice walk through a forest of oak, hickory, and cottonwood. Some of these were pretty large. And the effect overall was quite beautiful. Things are beginning to look as if they might like to turn to fall colors, although not much progress has been made at present.
After our return, and just as our very late lunch (or slightly early dinner) was ready, were visited by old friends who had been our neighbors when we lived in Independence. We had camped together--they had had the first pop-up we had seen--and next weekend we will camp together again, near Hannibal, MO. While there we will look around Mark Twain country, and as we depart at the end of the weekend we may drive through St. Louis (MO Botanical Garden, Climatron, etc.).
We finished the day sitting around a campfire as the evening cooled. The majority of the other campers have departed, so except for the barred owl we hear, the place is pretty quiet.
Mark_
R/V _Arcadia_, Knob Noster
SP, MO.
• Pictures: <https://picasaweb.google.com/socrates4718>
11 October 2013
Sights and Activities in Kansas City
Today we visited a quaint little retail complex where the foods were arrayed on and beside some interesting antiques, then we drove into Kansas City to walk around one of the U.S.'s first themed shopping districts, the Country Club Plaza. This area is near the biggest of the city's art museums, the University of Missouri, the Union Station, and other cultural features.
It contains a Starbucks, a Sur la Table, and an Eddie Bauer.
After reconnecting with old friends, we drove a couple of miles through town for some authentic barbecue from Arthur Bryant's. After that very late lunch we returned to pick up those friends and attend a Spanish Baroque music concert <http://bachariasoloists.com>. This was delightful.
Just as a major thunderstorm was arriving, we drove back to _Arcadia_ @ the Longs--arriving barely in time to close windows before the rain hit.
Mark_
R/V _Arcadia_, the Longs', Lone Jack, MO.
It contains a Starbucks, a Sur la Table, and an Eddie Bauer.
After reconnecting with old friends, we drove a couple of miles through town for some authentic barbecue from Arthur Bryant's. After that very late lunch we returned to pick up those friends and attend a Spanish Baroque music concert <http://bachariasoloists.com>. This was delightful.
Just as a major thunderstorm was arriving, we drove back to _Arcadia_ @ the Longs--arriving barely in time to close windows before the rain hit.
Mark_
R/V _Arcadia_, the Longs', Lone Jack, MO.
09 October 2013
Camping at Dick and Evalyn's
I had an excellent little shop install my rivets today: Abe Thompson RV of Grain Valley, MO. He knew exactly what was needed (although he was quite skeptical about the use of acorn nuts on the "other" end of pop-rivets). The cost was quite reasonable, he let help, and he was pleasant. One further, excellent, result is that I understand things better.
The trouble with my effort was that holes were not aligned so that I could push rivets into place. Because the coach and its furniture are flexible, when I parked in his lot loading was different, and holes lined up better.
All good now.
That stop along I-70 occurred as we drove to our next overnight stop: in the yard @ Dick & Evalyn's. Tomorrow evening Evalyn will host a party for Cindy and her former colleagues from the Blue Springs, Missouri, school district.
It will be big fun.
Weather has been beautiful: pleasantly warm, brilliantly sunny days; clear, cool nights.
We have been renewing our acquaintance with Midwestern plants, birds, and insects. Pix @ my Picasa. (That is the largest praying mantis I have ever seen. Wow.)
Camping with Dick & Evalyn this weekend.
Mark_
R/V _Arcadia_, @ the Longs', Lone Jack, MO.
• Pictures: <https://picasaweb.google.com/socrates4718>
The trouble with my effort was that holes were not aligned so that I could push rivets into place. Because the coach and its furniture are flexible, when I parked in his lot loading was different, and holes lined up better.
All good now.
That stop along I-70 occurred as we drove to our next overnight stop: in the yard @ Dick & Evalyn's. Tomorrow evening Evalyn will host a party for Cindy and her former colleagues from the Blue Springs, Missouri, school district.
It will be big fun.
Weather has been beautiful: pleasantly warm, brilliantly sunny days; clear, cool nights.
We have been renewing our acquaintance with Midwestern plants, birds, and insects. Pix @ my Picasa. (That is the largest praying mantis I have ever seen. Wow.)
Camping with Dick & Evalyn this weekend.
Mark_
R/V _Arcadia_, @ the Longs', Lone Jack, MO.
• Pictures: <https://picasaweb.google.com/socrates4718>
08 October 2013
Leisurely Day in Camp
This was a leisurely day in camp; we had taken a late-night walk to the marina last night, so we slept in this morning until quote late.
I spent the day working on the issue of some broken rivets @ _Arcadia_'s galley. ("It's not a bug; it's a _feature_!"). In the end, I failed; Casita will pay for a shop to install replacements.
I had not realized it, but one had been out for months--perhaps since our first trip. The other three probably broke because of that one's lack of support at a crucial location--and because we had to drive over the most uneven stretch of interstate highway I believe I have ever encountered.
The rivets are apparently considered sacrificial: They break so that nothing more expensive breaks. This seems to have worked.
During the evening we chatted with the full-timer owners of the Casita in the slip next door. They carry more stuff than we do--an amazing amount.
Tomorrow, to the shop (we hope) and then to Richard & Evalyn's.
Mark_
R/V _Arcadia_, Lake Jacomo Campground, Fleming Park, Jackson County, MO.
• Pictures: <https://picasaweb.google.com/socrates4718>
• Web-Log: <http://socrates4718.blogspot.com>
I spent the day working on the issue of some broken rivets @ _Arcadia_'s galley. ("It's not a bug; it's a _feature_!"). In the end, I failed; Casita will pay for a shop to install replacements.
I had not realized it, but one had been out for months--perhaps since our first trip. The other three probably broke because of that one's lack of support at a crucial location--and because we had to drive over the most uneven stretch of interstate highway I believe I have ever encountered.
The rivets are apparently considered sacrificial: They break so that nothing more expensive breaks. This seems to have worked.
During the evening we chatted with the full-timer owners of the Casita in the slip next door. They carry more stuff than we do--an amazing amount.
Tomorrow, to the shop (we hope) and then to Richard & Evalyn's.
Mark_
R/V _Arcadia_, Lake Jacomo Campground, Fleming Park, Jackson County, MO.
• Pictures: <https://picasaweb.google.com/socrates4718>
• Web-Log: <http://socrates4718.blogspot.com>
07 October 2013
Visiting with Friends
We visited Dick & Evalyn at their place last evening. It was great seeing them again--and also to have excellent cookies and cake--a triple treat:
Desserts! (We haven't been having desserts much for the previous year or so.)
Dick and Evalyn! (Warm hospitality; excellent slides of their summer travels; laughs; good times.)
_Evalyn's_ desserts! (Any desserts might have been acceptable, but _these_ cookies and _this_ cake were worth a three-day drive!)
Two more nights here @ Lake Jacomo (where, I have fairly recently remembered, I was on a sailboat for the only time during that part of my life), then we will relocate to Dick & Evalyn's for three nights. For the weekend we have arranged to camp with them @ Knob Noster State Park. We are eager!
For the time being, no plans are in place for additional visits with Cindy's father.
Mark_
R/V _Arcadia_, Lake Jacomo Campground, Fleming Park, Jackson County, MO.
Desserts! (We haven't been having desserts much for the previous year or so.)
Dick and Evalyn! (Warm hospitality; excellent slides of their summer travels; laughs; good times.)
_Evalyn's_ desserts! (Any desserts might have been acceptable, but _these_ cookies and _this_ cake were worth a three-day drive!)
Two more nights here @ Lake Jacomo (where, I have fairly recently remembered, I was on a sailboat for the only time during that part of my life), then we will relocate to Dick & Evalyn's for three nights. For the weekend we have arranged to camp with them @ Knob Noster State Park. We are eager!
For the time being, no plans are in place for additional visits with Cindy's father.
Mark_
R/V _Arcadia_, Lake Jacomo Campground, Fleming Park, Jackson County, MO.
06 October 2013
New mooring
After a trying morning and abrupt departure, _Arcadia_ has taken a new mooring in the campground @ Fleming Park, eastern Jackson County, Missouri.
After making the acquaintance of the Casita owners in the next site (fulltiming for the last 17 months), we accepted an invitation to spend the evening with Dick & Evalyn. While there we accepted an invitation to park there (beginning Wednesday night); Evalyn will host a party for Cindy of her long-ago colleagues from the Blue Springs school district.
Beyond that?
Not certain. I do wish to contact some old friends from music school and later, and we do expect to get around to that. In addition, there are parks and other outdoor attractions to see--earlier than we had expected to get to them. Plan 'B' may not be too bad.
Mark_
R/V _Arcadia_, Jacomo Campground, Fleming Park, Jackson County, MO.
After making the acquaintance of the Casita owners in the next site (fulltiming for the last 17 months), we accepted an invitation to spend the evening with Dick & Evalyn. While there we accepted an invitation to park there (beginning Wednesday night); Evalyn will host a party for Cindy of her long-ago colleagues from the Blue Springs school district.
Beyond that?
Not certain. I do wish to contact some old friends from music school and later, and we do expect to get around to that. In addition, there are parks and other outdoor attractions to see--earlier than we had expected to get to them. Plan 'B' may not be too bad.
Mark_
R/V _Arcadia_, Jacomo Campground, Fleming Park, Jackson County, MO.
New plan
We have weighed anchor, and will be moored in a park or someplace not-so-nearby.
Mark_
R/V _Arcadia_, Independence, MO.
Mark_
R/V _Arcadia_, Independence, MO.
05 October 2013
Midwest Trip 131005
Huge thunderstorm last night! Excellent!
We always liked them, and now our fiberglass craft does not have a large metal protrusion above us.
During the evening we used an app to watch the storm's approach, then as dark fell we saw distant lightning in the clouds. As we were retiring for the night, the lightning, thunder, and rain arrived, and I had to furl the awning and close the windows. Pretty entertaining.
As you can see from my pictures (Picasa), we are seeing insects unlike those we have found in the PNW. Of course, some of those are of the "singing" sort--something else that we miss. We both like to go to sleep to the sounds of insects, so much so that we have recordings that we play on occasion.
This is my first visit back here in quite a number of years. We have found that there are lots of new businesses--new business districts, in fact--but although there are cars in their parking lots, it is not clear how those cars got there; traffic is quite light by comparison to virtually anyplace we are accustomed to going in the NW.
This week, Evalyn & Dick L. will host a party of Cindy's former colleagues from her days as music teacher in nearby Blue Springs. We plan to see if they want to go camping somewhere; we have been reminded of a pleasant park not far from here <http://mostateparks.com/park/watkins-mill-state-park>.
Cindy has the unenviable job of considering how to help her parents--who are not yet convinced that any help is needed. It is not likely to be easy.
More later.
Mark_
R/V _Arcadia_
Independence, MO
03 October 2013
Midwest Trip 131003
Today's big event was a bit of a storm--the real, meteorological kind, not the family kind: dark clouds, wind, torrential rain, lightning, thunder. A year or so ago, I should have added, "the kind that Seattle never has." As of this very season, that might be rather less true.
Even so, this was quite the little event. I was fortunate to be able to watch it approach, arrive, and depart--all by using a weather-radar app on my iDevice. I stayed inside _Arcadia_ (after shutting windows and overhead vent, and unfurling about four feet of awning, with the feet in their fittings on the trailer's side; I wanted to leave the door open--which worked).
A half-hour later, sun and calm had returned, with humidity as companion. Maximum temperature was about 86 degrees F., or so, but the continuing breeze kept the impression from seeming overly warm.
We went driving around town--a place we used to know--to find that much was unfamiliar. (Someone apparently left a gate open somewhere, and a whole lot of people arrived and built stuff.) Of course, the predominant trees are broad-leaf deciduous trees, some of which really are quite large and beautiful. The elms are nearly all gone, but the big oaks and maples and such are lovely. Nothing is as pleasant as the cool shade of a big tree on a hot day.
And we learned why the house was so hot: For [however long; months?] the old hot-water baseboard heating system had been not just _not disabled_, but was actually _on_ and _active_--set to bring the house's temperature up to 80 while the climate-control system (unified heating & air-conditioning) (or the attic fan, later in the day) fought to reduce the temperature to 65 or so. The system that replaced the baseboard system, a heat-pump with gas-fired backup, must have wondered why the task assigned was so difficult. We all did, but once we worked out why the house had begun the day warmer than the outside air, things went better. (Gas to the old system has been shut off now.)
Now, at 22:47 Central time, the outside air is nice and cool, and the insects are singing. Pretty great.
Mark_
R/V _Arcadia_
Independence, MO
Even so, this was quite the little event. I was fortunate to be able to watch it approach, arrive, and depart--all by using a weather-radar app on my iDevice. I stayed inside _Arcadia_ (after shutting windows and overhead vent, and unfurling about four feet of awning, with the feet in their fittings on the trailer's side; I wanted to leave the door open--which worked).
A half-hour later, sun and calm had returned, with humidity as companion. Maximum temperature was about 86 degrees F., or so, but the continuing breeze kept the impression from seeming overly warm.
We went driving around town--a place we used to know--to find that much was unfamiliar. (Someone apparently left a gate open somewhere, and a whole lot of people arrived and built stuff.) Of course, the predominant trees are broad-leaf deciduous trees, some of which really are quite large and beautiful. The elms are nearly all gone, but the big oaks and maples and such are lovely. Nothing is as pleasant as the cool shade of a big tree on a hot day.
And we learned why the house was so hot: For [however long; months?] the old hot-water baseboard heating system had been not just _not disabled_, but was actually _on_ and _active_--set to bring the house's temperature up to 80 while the climate-control system (unified heating & air-conditioning) (or the attic fan, later in the day) fought to reduce the temperature to 65 or so. The system that replaced the baseboard system, a heat-pump with gas-fired backup, must have wondered why the task assigned was so difficult. We all did, but once we worked out why the house had begun the day warmer than the outside air, things went better. (Gas to the old system has been shut off now.)
Now, at 22:47 Central time, the outside air is nice and cool, and the insects are singing. Pretty great.
Mark_
R/V _Arcadia_
Independence, MO
02 October 2013
Midwest Trip 131002
We have been here for just 24 hours, and Cindy has accomplished some of the first items on the list: an escorted doctor visit, lists of medications, face-to-face evaluation of the situation.
I have installed Wi-Fi on their iMac (for our own convenience), tightened a dangerously and precariously loose blade on their ceiling fan, and demonstrated to them the joys of the attic fan. (They have stopped running the air conditioner, because keeping the house at 61 degrees when the outside is 99 is so expensive. It is considerably less hot than that now, but the house can be sweltering anyway.)
Alas, however, they don't like the fan because of the dirt and dust that the incoming air introduces into the house and the curtains it blows on its way in. (To clarify: This is in the middle of the suburbs; there is no perceptible incoming contamination.)
The trailer, sitting in the sun but with windows open, is more pleasant inside.
It has been a bit warm; sunny, and obviously humid. However the nights are cool and filled with the sounds of lovelorn insects--something that we both miss. (Last night we had crickets, katydids, cicadas, things I don't know [never did], and a barred owl. Excellent!)
Rush hour through Denver yesterday morning and through Kansas City in the afternoon were nearly nothing. Furthermore, the arterials here in Independence were nearly deserted as we drove between the freeway exit and the destination neighborhood.
Very different.
The trip was tough but not difficult; the challenge was in its length compressed into as few hours as possible. For Cindy, the next weeks (expected to number four) may be far tougher. Her father and his wife are likely to feel similarly.
More later, should anything interesting occur.
Mark_
_Arcadia_
Independence, Missouri
I have installed Wi-Fi on their iMac (for our own convenience), tightened a dangerously and precariously loose blade on their ceiling fan, and demonstrated to them the joys of the attic fan. (They have stopped running the air conditioner, because keeping the house at 61 degrees when the outside is 99 is so expensive. It is considerably less hot than that now, but the house can be sweltering anyway.)
Alas, however, they don't like the fan because of the dirt and dust that the incoming air introduces into the house and the curtains it blows on its way in. (To clarify: This is in the middle of the suburbs; there is no perceptible incoming contamination.)
The trailer, sitting in the sun but with windows open, is more pleasant inside.
It has been a bit warm; sunny, and obviously humid. However the nights are cool and filled with the sounds of lovelorn insects--something that we both miss. (Last night we had crickets, katydids, cicadas, things I don't know [never did], and a barred owl. Excellent!)
Rush hour through Denver yesterday morning and through Kansas City in the afternoon were nearly nothing. Furthermore, the arterials here in Independence were nearly deserted as we drove between the freeway exit and the destination neighborhood.
Very different.
The trip was tough but not difficult; the challenge was in its length compressed into as few hours as possible. For Cindy, the next weeks (expected to number four) may be far tougher. Her father and his wife are likely to feel similarly.
More later, should anything interesting occur.
Mark_
_Arcadia_
Independence, Missouri
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