Is there a Diner on Zzyxz Rd, Baker, CA??




Loving the ranches in Utah.  There are "Cows Crossing" everywhere on the roads.  You'll see mother cows, nursing their calves.  I saw every color calf, like puppies, all balled up and sleeping.... in the wide open field.




I pretty nearly made a mistake... almost sent my Mother's Day card from the Post Office at "Death Valley".  Sent it from Las Vegas instead.  Phew.




Cheers,


Karla

Tomorrow, who knows. 

Bryce Canyon is stunning......

Bryce Canyon, Utah

Bryce Canyon is beautiful.

            We ate a light breakfast, then started for the canyon. The brochure said to drive 18 miles to the end of the canyon, Yovimpa Point (9,115 ft) , then look back to see the full expanse. When we arrived at the point, it was 31 degrees, and there was a steady 40 mph wind, with gusts. But we were dressed for it, and  the sky was blue.

We made friends with a raven.......

Hiked numerous trails........

got to touch the Hoodoos (rock spires)

Ate lunch at the Bryce Canyon Lodge (high class...no picture)

Got tired and came back to Rubys Inn.    

Took too many pictures to post....amazing though.

Tomorrow Bryce Canyon

Tomorrow we head into Bryce Canyon,,,,tonight, it's Ruby's Inn at the rim of Bryce

Hoodoo you love.......

Zion

We traveled to Zion. The weather is perfect, 68 degrees, sunny, maybe a little too windy. The drive and hike were amazing.

The approach........

Entering the park

The Wall  and tunnel

the tunnel is cut through the mountain (it's 1.1 miles)..... we had to wait while tour buses went thru....

We took a hike......

and found a slot canyon........

we emerged...then found another one.....

went in, came out and......

and found a cave,,,,,,

in we go.....

then climbed back out....

and up......

We visited Death Valley, the National Park, and the town....   There is a retirement center called "Death Valley retirement home."

On Death Valley there are some icy or snowy looking patches.  They are salt.

Onward to Las Vegas.  In one Casino, I was privy to a massage.  Aqua massage.   I got in a booth, and the water just pounded away at me....

Took rent-a-car to Vegas

We left Sharon & Jack early this morning and headed for Vegas, we detoured to Death Valley,
because we could, and made a new 4 legged friend......walked the salt flats.....and descended to 282 feet below sea level...got a free room  upgrade to a top floor suite (for $50 total ??!!) ....then went to a very entertaining Penn & Teller show.......Tomorrow we are off to Zion........

Pictures, finally

Here a few pictures, now that I replaced my SD Card reader for one that works...........

Sharon's and Jack's home

We are leaving Temecula in the morning

Goodbye Sharon and Jack.  We will return sometime on 

We'd. Or Thursday. Or maybe Fri. When are vanagon is fixed.

Santa Barbara

We went to Santa Barbara with Geo's sister, Sharon.  Geo lived in Santa Barbara, and when the kid's were little, he kept telling Hill & Tom that he walked home from school, trudging up the precipitous climb to his house.  Geo. was 6 years old.


Well, I can vouch for this:  George walked FOUR miles up, from the school in the valley, to the house at the foothills of Santa Barbara.  PRECIPITOUS, SCARY, and I think it was the slope of Wheeler Mountain.  YES. 


Cheers,


Karla


P.S. - Oh, and I went in the Pacific Ocean...(just my feet)
P.P.S - Lobster ravioli for dinner

Rough day for the Westfalia

George took the van back to California Westys after yesterdays radiator overflow.   It took three trial runs around ElCajon and back to eventually  recreate the problem.  Unfortunately, George was fifteen miles from the shop, East on Interstate 8......After climbing to 2500 ft, while running the AC on high and accelerating up to 70 mph the van began to overheat, bubble radiator fluid out the overflow chamber,  and continue to overheat even after 3 tries of stopping and cooling down.  Cesar and his lead mechanic, Daniel, came to the rescue. Daniel drained the remaining hot coolant (????) from the overflow chamber, and refill with water. Off they went back to the garage, no overheating.....no incident.....Not!!! Cesar said that fluid was spewing out the back as he followed the van. Daniel thought it might be the head gasket....all three mechanic were very perplexed....the van runs like a dream, looks unbelievably awesome, and too fun to drive.  It just overheats while purring like a kitten ?????   Karla and Sharon had to drive down and pickup George,,,leaving the van with Cesar and crew.
   Plan: Put the van in a bay, remove the engine, check the head gaskets, regrind and replace, put it back together, and try again. All this should be accomplished by Wednesday.


     New itinerary:  Go to Santa Barbara with sister Sharon tomorrow, come back to Temecula. Rent a car Saturday. Go to LasVegas Sunday as previously planned, perhaps continue to Zion and Bryce, then come back and pick up the completed van. Then restart THE TRIP...........


Don't give up......perservere....." Damn, I'm stuck in warm, sunny California, whatever shall I do???"
Smile........

George is gone to Cesar's. I did unpack some..,..hot and tired... why not go to the hot tub?

Whew !!!

What a day yesterday was..........
Woke up at 4am EST on the East coast....went to bed 1am EST on the West coast.....
Flight went without a hitch....... Picking up the van was crazy,  Cesar was still doing little touchups to it, at California Westys, when we arrived (1PM PST). Looks great photos to follow.... First order of business was to find an alignment shop...Cesar shop doesn't do that.....He recommended Al Archards shop around the corner....Al was great, took us right in......The name over the shop (AL ARCHARDS) was his grandfathers.....3rd generation.   Joe the mechanic ( of course) was a perfectionist, (nice) and after an hour and a half we were on the road.  Plugged the GPS in and..........no power....(S*%T)  so up California Rt-15 we headed, blind.  Took me awhile on the 8 lane highway to get my sea legs....eventually the "little" van was up to 75 mph cruising along....until.... a woman passing on the  right flagged Karla down.....she rolled down her window to scream "you're leaking fluid" (S*%T)....off to the median... Calif drivers whizzed by. gawking.......Popped open the engine box checked all fluids.....all fine... then I remembered,,,behind the license plate is the radiator fluid overflow tank...yep that was it... I saw one of the mechanic topping off the radiator before we left.  I wiped off the dribble, checked all the temp sensors (fine) and off we went....
  After a phone call for directions we arrived at Sharon & Jacks  (my sister) in Temecula......the weather is perfect....Hugged, kissed, chatted and the began opening some of the fifteen or so boxes we had shipped out...Watched a little TV...then crashed.    
    Today is big......fitting the van for travel.....off to Pepboys to fix the cigarette lighter, drilling holes in the camper top for the external rainfly, more holes in the front windshield for the missing privacy curtain, putting the in LED interior lights, figuring out how the stove, sink, refridge work.....making extra keys, AND trying fit all that gear into the van....... More later gotta go      Geo

waiting

We are patiently awaiting our 5 am wakeup call at the Manchester NH Marriott.
Thank you Casey & Alannah for driving us here and for taking care of the house and pets.

  A special thank you to Dr.Andrew Nisbet for getting me well enough to travel. And to Dr.Joyce Dobbertin for realizing I wasn't just whinning.


And they proceeded on...............

What we are leaving behind.........

Lots of snow   (melting),   mud,  grit, sand,  our beautiful house...................the piles of dog........
Work......Friends......Vermont...
                                               the cats (Wiley, Vito, & Vinnie) and Mabel the dog

Sutton Hollow House

Can't wait!

We leave on the 23 of May.  Look at what we're missing......

Got the Vermont plates today.......GCR 985.......almost ready....

Just a few more weeks (2) and we will be on our way......Packing bags tonight, (first attempt)......

Q

We will miss Mabel and the cats.......

Hillary and Tom just gave us this IPad to post our vanagon trip! Way To go!