RIP computer

Well, we checked into a campground in Arco, Idaho that actually has free WiFi - great, right? I powered up my laptop to add photos and the screen is broken.

Day 12

Last night we camped outside Zion Nat'l Park and this morning we got up early and went to the park. That is the way to do it! Not crowded yet, not too hot yet, and we did two hikes- one to the Lower Emerald Pools (always nice to be rewarded at the end of the hike with waterfalls!) and then to Weeping Rock- again, rewarded with waterfalls. Zion is beautiful- drove thru a tunnel that was 1.1 miles long and then several switchbacks before getting to the parking area where we hopped on the shuttle to the hikes. We finished Zion and were on our way to Bryce Canyon by 1:00. This afternoon we did a hike to Mossy Cave which is outside the park itself. The river that runs thru the area is so brown, carrying all the sediment. Just next to it, the runoff from the water that seeps thru the rock (and causes the moss to grow in the shaded mouth of the cave) is so clear

Rock formations and blue sky at Zion

waterfall the creates the pools at the hike we did

the Virgin River- named by the Mormon settlers, but it looks like a latte!

Tom and Meg at the weeping rock

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Day 9 still

Had a wonderful day at the Grand Canyon. Can't wait to go back when we'll have more time to hike and maybe take a rafting tour down the river. Tomorrow we have an appointment with the Toyota service dept in Flagstaff. Not sure how long it will take. We may rent a car and drive out to the petrified forest, or may just stay close and ride our bikes around town.

Day 9

Spent last night in Williams AZ at a KOA. On our way this morning to the Grand Canyon. I haven't been there since 1988 when Marge Davey, Cynthia Clark, Cathy Goldman and I took a trip to Albuquerque.

Day 2- Crater Lake

Sunday July 29


Full day at Crater Lake National Park. We started the day with a campfire and pie iron egg sandwiches for breakfast.

Pie irons in the fire

Pie iron perfection!



Stowaway!



Day One

And we're off!

We left shortly after 9 AM on Saturday July 28th.  Maya didn't come with us, she just wanted to be in the picture. 

We drove all day and arrived at Crater Lake late afternoon.  There was still snow on the ground in places!

Not even to the lake yet and it was beautiful.

Campsite at Mazama Campground

First Campfire! 



Day 4 update

No updates the last few days due to lack of internet, but things certainly have been eventful!  On Tuesday when we left Redway/Garberville, we were going through San Rafael in the Bay Area when we decided to stop at a Toyota dealer to have the VSC (vehicle stability control) checked because the light kept coming on.  Turns out that it is nothing to worry about and probably just means we have an evaporative leak somewhere in the emissions system but it isn't a safety concern.  As we were coming out of the driveway, something scraped- we thought it was the hitch and weren't too concerned because it seems to happen every time we go over a bump.  After we got on the freeway, a car passed us honking and pointing to the trailer.  We pulled over and discovered that the bump was the bike rack (hitched onto the trailer bumper) bending.  The bikes looked like they were about to fall off, but Tom assured me it only looked that way.  In any case, the bikes were all tangled and Meg's new bike got some scratches.  At first I thought that my brake cables snapped, but they just popped out of the housing.  PHEW! Could have been so much worse.  SO, while we were on the side of the freeway we made some quick sandwiches for lunch, put the bikes in the car and trailer and started looking for REI stores to get new roof top bike racks. Quite nice that the freeway response truck arrived within 5-10 minutes to see if we needed any help. 

We stopped in Dublin, CA at the REI there and got their last roof top rack. 

We finally made it to Yosemite (well, the KOA just outside the park).