Socrates4718

20 June 2015

ARCADIA Departs

Friday, 19 June 2015, we sold Arcadia to a very nice man who wished to experiment with some travel-trailering. He had several very reasonable questions, and I promised to answer more as they arose. The transaction resulted in smiles all around.

The neighbors are likely to be pleased, as well; the Casita's departure means that I can look into the issue of putting its replacement into my yard instead of taking up 9' X 25' of precious pavement in the street in front of my house.

Arcadia was great, and we used it in the course of quite a number of really great big trips (cruises) and many excellent weekenders (rendezvous). It had virtually everything we needed to be fairly comfortable for weeks at a time. Even so, when we began discussing and then actually planning a months-long cruise to the U.S. NE and Canadian Maritimes, we realized that we were going to need more comfort than any 17' trailer was likely to be able to afford us. The 25' Bigfoot Serenity promises to be the platform we need for extended cruising: nice seating, a pleasant galley, and a walk-around queen bed in its own space--all protected by real 4-season insulation.

We are very pleased.

Mark_

09 February 2015

TripPix: Along Oregon Highways with Guides

TripPix: Two Oregon trips this year

• 130329 Spring Break in Oregon- Beach & Trees <https://goo.gl/photos/dZ8coBtGfk2qnhdPA>

• 130908 Volcanic Observatory; Belknap Hot Springs; Clear Lake <https://goo.gl/photos/irfGgLsNXPSjFfie9>
• 130909 Lava Butte and Big Obsidian Flow <https://goo.gl/photos/LKV9tMBZaU4gX1V88>
• 130910 Metolius River, etc. <https://goo.gl/photos/coXdo7Czv3o1jgNV6>
• 130911 Redmond Caves; Mt. Bachelor; Elk Lake; High Desert Museum <https://goo.gl/photos/AXW7zciVkx1zKgY89>
• 130913 Lower Canyon Creek campground <https://goo.gl/photos/QpDqVnvjReva7sQ89>

Oregon is a very beautiful state--and we are determined to do more exploring there. Thanks, Henry & Miriam!

Mark_
21 November 2016

The service I have been using to host my online pictures has changed its interface: I cannot share all of my albums at once; they must be shared individually. This is how I solve that. (Those numbers are YYMMDD dates.)

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_

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.

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_

17 April 2014

_Ruby_ has been sold.

At long last, we have managed to sell our sailboat, Ruby. She was in rather frightful condition outside, after literally years of not selling--no interest at all*--and its seeming useless to try to keep her clean. (The interior was still clean and fairly fresh, which impressed the wife.) It all proceeded pretty quickly once it had begun.

Ruby has gone to a nice family who have boated quite a bit, but never under sail. The sons, 11 & about 8 years of age, are said to be "very excited" about sailing; we think that's pretty great.

* This note about people who did contact me: I have had quite a number of initial contacts. Without fail, they wanted me to contact them back by calling telephone numbers or sending them e-mails outside Craigslist's excellent e-mail obfuscation system. Most, I ignored. A few, I answered using CL's e-mail, asking back "Do you have questions?" None continued the contact past that initial probe.

I have no idea what was up, but something was--and I wanted no part.

The interesting thing about this is that the buyer had seen a paper copy of my Craigslist ad, which Ann insisted upon carrying with her to their truckload sale at the recent Boater's Swap Meet. In the end I actually had to disappoint two interested parties, both apparently "real".

Thank you, Ann!

Mark_
17 April 2014

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

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