Gypsy & The Navigator

Moqui Cave & Pipe Spring National Monument

Moqui Cave is a large sandstone erosion cave about 5 miles outside of Kanab.  It was used by the Anasazi  people as a shelter or food storage.  Later it was discovered by white settlers in the 19th century and was even used as a speakeasy in the 20's during Prohibition. In the 50's it was purchased by the Chamberlain family and it was made into a tavern and dance hall and eventually into the museum and tourist attraction as it is today.  It is still owned by the Chamberlain family.

The entrance has been enclosed with pretty sandstone and glass blocks, that are supposed to look like a cliff dwelling,  but once you enter you know you are in a cave.   The original owner was an artist so many of his works are on display along with dinosaur tracks, indian artifacts,  fossils, rocks (including many that are flourescent) and the history of the Chamberlain family.  The present owners great grandfather was a polygamist who had 6 wives and 55 children.   Interesting pictures and stories about them.

The bar tops were beautiful.  Made by the original owner out of polished rock from the area.  The back area was covered with sandstone carvings.  In the 50's all the movie stars in the Kanab area would come to the bar and dance hall.  It had a stage with a live band on Friday and Saturday nights.
This photo of Moqui Cave is courtesy of TripAdvisor   I couldn't get a good picture with my camera of the bar area.  It was too dark so this gives a good idea of what it looks like.  The dance hall and stage were in a larger cavern across the way. 

Fun afternoon visit. 

Pipe Springs National Monument

The fort is called Winsor Castle, named after the first ranch manager, Anson Perry Winsor.  The reason it is called a castle is because it is similar to castles in Europe and the Middle East which were built over a spring as well.  The spring water runs through the lower level of the Castle and on into the two ponds that were used to water the animals, orchards and crops of the Mormon Settlers.

The slits you see are gun holes.  

The other side of the fort is built into the hillside.  The remaining 2 walls have these doors so wagons can be pulled through, unloaded and reloaded and then exit on the other side.  This driveway leaves an open courtyard that was used as a summer kitchen and a place for the children to be outside.  

 

 

 

 

 

The Mormon settlers had pretty nice living accomodations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many of the settlers were from England and tried to continue their civlized way of life. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indian housing then.................

Indian housing now...............

The monument is filled with history of the Indians and the Mormon Settlers and the Federal Goverment from 1870 until the 1930's.  The cut off of the water from the Indians created great hardships for them but the settlers needed the water too.  The conflict between the Indians, the Settlers and the Federal Government left me just that..............

CONFLICTED!

"We face a conflict between civilisation and culture, which used to be on the same side. Civilisation means rational reflection, material wellbeing, individual autonomy and ironic self-doubt; culture means a form of life that is customary, collective, passionate, spontaneous, unreflective and irrational."

 Quote by Terry Eagleton.

After a nice picnic lunch we headed back to Gypsy before the day cooled off.  Kanab is still experiencing wild, windy and cold spring weather one day and beautiful warm weather the next day. 

 

 

Bits and Pieces

Enjoying life day by day.

The sunrise yesterday was beautiful. 

We spent 3 days as camp hosts and especially enjoyed the travelers we met.  They come from all over the world to see this beautiful country and travel by motor home, travel trailer, 5th wheel, van, SUV's and motorcycles.  They stay in their RV's, cabins, or tents.  My favorite so far has been Richard and Susan from Napa Valley, CA.  They really travel with style.  Their little egg trailer is fitted out with everything they need.  They are a couple after my heart.  Table set with tablecloth, cloth napkins, crystal and real dishes.  And of course, wine right from their son's winery.  He named it Forlorn Hope but it wasn't a Forlorn Hope.  It sold out.

  They came to Kanab hoping to get a permit to hike The Wave.  Only 10 are given out each day at the Bureau of Land Management Office in Kanab and they are chosen by lottery.  There is generally at least 100 in line hoping to win one of the slots.  Unfortunately Richard and Susan did not get one on their 2 days of tries.  They did find plenty of beautiful places to hike after their line ups in the mornings and are now moving on.

 

 

 

 

 

For those of you who are seeking employment.

Ad in the Southern Utah News.

The Rocking V Cafe is looking for a part time lunch cook and full-time servers to work for relentlessly tough bosses with high expectations and a low tolerance for stupidity, in a high-stress fast paced restaurant that stays open way past your bedtime. ABSOLUTELY NO losers, whiners, punks, pimps, amateurs, momma's boys, daddy's girls, feeble minded, weak, dropouts, dolts, slow moving, simpletons, dolts, slow moving, simpletons, lazy, back biting (did we already mention whiners?), primping, mouth breathing, glue sniffers, shortcut takers, allergic-to-cleaning clods, scared of the public, reach-around scratching , parent-calling-in-sick-for-you, clock watching, time wasting, gossip mongers, afraid-to-bend-at-the-waist-to-pick-something-up-off-the-floor, quitters-after-4days-with no notice, comprehesionally (we say that is a word) challenged, emotionally stunted, butt crack showing, dense, dim-witted, tea partiers, deranged, druggies, republicans, gum chewing, work adverse, (what about lazy, was that already on the list?) baggy pant wearing, pie hole stuffing, foot draggers, supervision resistant, low talking, donkey heads, leaners, technophobes, drunks, crack/methheads, liars, democrats, thieves, terminally confused, slouchers, drama queens (and kings), insane, inane, imbeciles.  Please apply at the Cafe, 97 W. Center St. during business hours.

We stopped in today for dessert to see if it looked like they had hired some applicants.  They are known for really good food and to die for desserts. 

I had the key lime pie and Walt had bread pudding.  Wow!  The best key lime pie I have ever had and Walt said the bread pudding was good too. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Really nicely decorated with many interesting art works.  But, it looked like no help has been hired unless it was in the kitchen.  Appeared that the owners, Victor & Victoria, were the only ones serving in the dining room.  Can't say I am surprised. 

I have a Library Card

Temporary Residents in Kanab can get a Library Card with a $20 deposit that you get back when you leave if all materials are returned.  Unlimted supply of books to read, audio books to listen to while we are driving to our destinations and a surprising amount of movies.  And one day I plan to look at their Yearbooks (the Jr. High was in the Yearbook when I was there) to see if the photos trigger memories of my classmates.  Today I did meet the younger sister of one of my classmates, I remembered her name but not what she looked like.  And one used to be the mayor.  Quite a controversial one I understand. 

Everything is surrounded by those beautiful red cliffs.

"Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one."  Dr. Suess  

As you can tell I love Dr. Suess.  Apparently he wasn't always a nice man but he certainly had a gift for writing books that speak to adults like me. 

The First Bump in the Road

A bump for us, A mountain for another.

Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment, until it becomes a memory.  Dr. Suess

Three couples are camp hosts here at the RV Park.  Last night about 9 p.m. one of the gentleman hosts had a massive heart attack.  CPR was done until the Paramedics arrived but they were unable to revive him. 

The other couple and us will handle things at the Park until everything is sorted out. We are not yet sure what will take place but we will do what we can.  We feel pretty helpless to provide comfort to the wife, luckily she does have a son and daughter here but I am sure they are pretty distraught as well. 

This week our exploring will be on hold.  

Oh, the Places You'll See, on the Way to the Grocery! (and back)

"It's opener out there, in the wide open air" Dr. Suess - Oh, the Places You'll Go!

We decided to go to St. George to do some grocery shopping for things we haven't found in Kanab. (Actually didn't find all that we wanted in St. George either)

Since we had come in from St. George by the southern route this time we took the route through Zion National Park.  We left about 7 a.m. because the road out of Kanab is closed from 8 a.m to 11 a.m. each morning for road widening.  It was still very dark and there were clouds in the sky.  Down the road the red cliffs recede and more wide open spaces begin. Off in the distance we saw a very large herd of deer on a hill and on the next hill what I thought were cattle.  We stopped and Walt took out the binoculars and the herd of cattle turned out to be buffalo.  Walt counted the herd of deer and quit when he got into the 70's. The dots you see in the picture are the buffalo.

Soon we entered Zion National Park and the darkness and cloudiness continued in the canyon.

But at every turn the view was more and more awe inspiring.  The massive cliffs came  in waves of cream, pink and red with splashes of black thrown in. It is so astoundingly beautiful it is hard to comprehend. 

                                                                                                                        The sun continued to rise and the clouds began to clear. We stopped to go on the Riverside Walk at the Temple of Sinawava but didn't go very far before realizing we were dressed for shopping and not for hiking and the cold wind out of the canyon made us reconsider and decide it would be another of the places we would come back to when it warms up some.  So, onto St. George all the while enjoying the incredible scenery.                                                           

 The Park is truly something to behold.  Even the road is tinted to blend with the canyon.

It is a FIRST for us.

When we arrived in St. George it was well after time for lunch.  We had never been to a Cracker Barrel.  Hard to believe since we are the "Eating Out" champions.   It was Fish Friday so we had their cod special.  Very tasty and I had an enjoyable time taking in all of the eye candy in their gift shop while Walt very patiently waited.

And there was enough to bring back for lunch today.

Of course, going to St. George wouldn't be complete without a stop at Swig.  Wait!  

 

We didn't stop!

Family-------------A line up to order-----------------Reason to open a Franchise in Gilbert.

Never Fear!  There is an alternative.  Go to the Hurricane Swig.   Lyndsee, tell your Mom they are Cheaper by the Dozen. 

We were so excited to see that where the deer and the buffalo roam was much closer to the road on our way home.  Oh, What you can see on the way to the Grocery. 

Down Memory Lane in Kanab UT

We have stayed in Kanab for the past few days acquiring the knowledge that we need to be camp hosts at Hitch-N- Post RV.  It will be fun and we are looking forward to meeting the people that come to see this beautiful part of the country.

Cutest little cabins.  That is Gypsy parked behind this one.  The space between her and the cabin will be our outdoor patio for the summer.  It will be nice and shady for using the outdoor kitchen and enjoying the fresh air.

The daffodils are blooming in the Park flower beds.  I will be tending those on our scheduled days to camp host.  Can't wait to see what will be blooming.

Since we have spent quite a bit of time in Kanab I have found that many things are pretty much the same as when I lived here during my Jr. High years of 1957 to 1959.  Small towns seem to do that.

 The K is still in the same place right above the old High School.  They have since built a new High School but the old buildings are still in use for different purposes.  I did climb to the K when I lived here but that will NOT be on our "to do " list while we are here now.

Parry Lodge is still here.  It was where all the movie stars stayed when they were here filming many movies and TV shows. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was very grand in the 50's and I had never been inside until now.  We had lunch there and the inside is filled with movie star photos and memoribiia.  Not sure since I was able to go there now if I have come up in the world or if it is no longer grand.

 

But, occasionally I would get invited to swim in the pool.  That was always exciting. It has not yet been filled for the season but they are working on it. As I recall it was originally surrounded by a pretty white fence but other than that it is pretty much the same.

Aikens Lodge is still here.  It is where the tourists stayed when they came to town because Parry Lodge was full of movie stars.

These were some of the stars I remember back then.  People in Kanab took all the stars in stride.  They didn't seem to be "starstruck",  just used to having them around. 

 

I am sure that if I would have been here in 1963 I would have been "starstruck" .  I loved the "Rat Pack"_______Still do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are still many of the beautiful old houses in town. Look at the pretty trim on this one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This one has been turned into the Heritage Museum.

Yard full of old farm machinery that Walt was able to tell me what they were used for and how they worked.  He says he used them on the farm in Idaho. Proudly proclaiming that he was old enough to have done so.

 

 

 

The Kane County Information Center can point you to any activity you might want to do or any sight you might want to see. 

 

 

Guess this is what the tourists look like when they pull into town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Movie Theater does have new movies (one at a time) and old Western Movies on Monday.  Per their bulletin board they also have live productions.  I am sure we will take in some of those old movies and live produtions. 

 

The main street through town has different businesses but the building are still the same. They have been updated so they look good.

One thing that was on the "to do" list was to find Montezuma's Gold.  It is said to be worth $3 Billion and treausre hunters have narrowed down its location to tunnels beneath a pond in a canyon just outside of Kanab.  Divers tried to get to it but found that the pond was haunted by ghosts of the Aztec guardians.  They were going to drain the pond but the US Fish and Wildlife Service halted them because the pond is home to the amber snail that is on the endangered list.  So, now the treasure hunters are raising funds to send down submarines that will be remote controlled to do the search. We'll be seeing if we can find a way down there before they get those funds together.  Not sure how brave we would be challenging those Aztec guardians. Hmmm, who needs $3 Billion? 

Glen Canyon Dam

It was a windy day in Kanab so we decided to take a drive to the Glen Canyon Dam.  My Dad had worked on the Glen Canyon Bridge and Dam when we lived in Kanab when I was in Jr. High School and I had never seen them completed.  The drive took us through a unique sampling of technicolor cliffs and formations.

First are beautiful vermillion cliffs that surround Kanab and continue on for many miles toward Glen Canyon. 

Next are lighter cliffs that look like an artist with a giant paintbrush painted stripes on. 

When you get to Glen Canyon you are treated to spectacular sandstone.

The bridge is 700 feet above the river and was built to facilitate transportation of materials to build the dam.  Especially nice that you can walk across on both sides so you can view the dam on one side and the Colorado River on the other.

Huge, huge 1500 feet across, 700 feet down creating Lake Powell that when the water is at capacity reaches 186 miles. 

Unfortunately now the water level is very low. 

The Colorado River is heading on down to the Grand Canyon.  We spent some time in the Information Center at the Dam but would have had to wait to be able to go on the tour so we'll be back. We found many things that we want to see and do so I am sure there will be several trips back this way.

We went into Page for a late lunch and found the first fast food drive in in Page.  It has been in operation for 38 years and we hope it continues.  Walt said that their Green Chili Hamburger was better than What-a-Burger.  The fries were delicious but no wonder.  Look at what they have!

Made me remember Arctic Circle days.  Yes, WE WILL BE BACK.

Visiting Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

Our first exploration was to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary 5 miles north of Kanab. It is in a red-rock canyon of over 3700 acres owned by the sanctuary and 33,000 acres leased from the Bureau of Land Management. It is the nation's largest sanctuary for abused and abandoned animals. We took the tour that took us to Cat World and Dog Town. They house over 1700 animals of all kinds and you can take tours to go other areas such as Bunny House, Horse Heaven, Piggy Paradise and Parrot Garden. The animals are so glad to see the visitors. The cats wanted petting and the dogs just wanted to run around and around stopping long enough for a pat on the head. 

The cats all have access to the outdoors with places to climb to the rafters and plenty of cozy beds.  Most of the bedding is leopard print, tiger stripe or lion gold.  

This dog is deaf and has been taught sign language.  He and Walt communicated right from the start. I thought Walt was going to step up and adopt him on the spot but finally decided that since he is deaf a mobile life sytle would probably not work for him.

Then it was time to check out the little 9 hole golf course.  Just right for Walt. $120 for 10 rounds with a cart.  Buying that deal !  And just look at that view. 

Kanab and Smiling Like a Cheshire Cat

This is how we are feeling after our arrival in Kanab.  We left Lake Havasu on Wednesday (March 12,2014) and drove to St. George, UT.   Between Las Vegas and Mesquite a semi-truck fire closed the road and we were at a stand still for over 2 hours.  Nice not stressing about having to be somewhere on time.  We had some veggies and sodas in the cooler so we had a snack, Walt took a walk to to see what he could see at the top of the hill with the binoculars and found that the accident was over 3 miles ahead and the fire was still burning, and I played games on my phone.  We have never found out what happened but are hopeful that no one was hurt because when we went by we only saw the truck and no other vehicle.  Check the photos.  It was burned to a crisp.

When we got into St. George we unhooked and set up and went to dinner at a Mexican Restaurant that had been recommended to us by our neighbor in Lake Havasu. We shared chips and guacamole and shrimp, steak and chicken fajitas.  Tasty and just the right amount.

But if we ate sensibly then we really blew it this morning.  We had Cookies for breakfast. Had to go to Swig in St. George and since we were leaving for Kanab in the morning it had to be Cookies for breakfast.   Thank you Cynthia for pointing us in their direction. It will always be a stop when we come to St. George.

But, the reason we are smiling like a Cheshire Cat is we found the Park where we are camp hosting is really small, old but cute and the people we have met so far are great but the BEST is we are scheduled to work 3 days and then have 6 days off all of our time here.  Think of all the exploring we can do.  And, Kanab is so much the same as when I lived here in Jr. High School it is uncanny.  This has had me smiling all day long. 

Look at all this great stuff the owner of the park has collected.  Maybe we will find some treasures to add to it for her.  Happy Days. 

Exploring Lake Havasu

Parker Dam is the deepest dam in the world. It doesn't look that big because 73% of it is not visible. It is under water. It is what creates Lake Havasu that is actually 45 miles long.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

We drove around exploring the Lake and the City and had a picnic on the beach. Even though our second day in Lake Havasu was windy it was still pleasantly warm for our picnic and walk to their very small lighthouse. 

It was cloudy and it made the water that was brilliantly blue in the sunshine the day before a pretty shade of grey.  All in all a really nice day.  Finished off by winning $22.00 at Bingo at the RV Park.

It is Spring Break in Lake Havasu

SUN, FUN and More than one BUN.

The downtown beach is full of college kids, music, and adult beverages.  We had a fun interaction with a couple of VERY inebriated young men.  They wanted us to know that the blond was Liam Hemsworth.  We told them that we had no idea who Liam Hemsworth was (Walt really didn't) and they were very disappointed. I didn't want to ask him why he didn't have that great accent or why he looks so much better on camera.

Maybe I should have consulted the Tarot Cards or had my tea leaves read to confirm that it was not Liam Hemsworth.  This shop was in the English Village by the London Bridge.  What a feat it must have been to number the granite blocks, ship them from England, and reassemble them over the new concrete structure in Arizona to link Lake Havasu City with an island in the lake.  It is a beautiful bridge and anchors a pretty walk along the shore.  

We have been impressed by Lake Havasu City. It reminds us of a California Beach town with many beautiful homes taking advantage of the water views and resorts filled to the brim this week. It seems to be a small city with a lot of perks.  Sunshine, water, beautiful views, with several restaurants and there is even a brand new mall.   

There is a steak house not far from the RV Park we are staying in and we had dinner there . Good food and fun decor. 

Golden Horseshoe Steak House was an enjoyable end to our first day in Lake Havasu

If my ship ever comes in I hope it looks like this. 

 

All hooked up and ready to go!

 Everything hooked up, stored & secured outside.

And the inside is ready to go as well, cupboards closed firmly, everything off counters & tables and rugs holding baskets full of the items taken off the counters and table. 

Yes Sammie, Grammie did take some of her stuffed animals with her. 

 

 

 

We had a very enjoyable drive from Mesa to Lake Havasu. Beautiful blue skies and puffy white clouds. Much of the landscape as we got near Lake Havasu is very rugged  but the water is a brilliant, bright blue. 

 

Fun with Family

Thank you Cynthia and Scott for a yummy dinner the night before we left.  It was nice to spend time with most of the family.  Unfortunate that Rob's family was unable to be there as well.   The night was finished off with dessert and a game of cards.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And of course the cousins playing video games or on their iPhones.  We will miss the get-togethers.

Our stay in Mesa, AZ before traveling

Once the house was sold we moved into the trailer in Deserama Mobile Home Park in Mesa.  

This was the view from our window and that is about the only positive I will share about the park other than there does seem to be some nice people.

We have spent our time getting mail set up, addresses changed, Dr. appointments, haircuts, making sure we have all the supplies we need for the car and trailer, going to Spring Training ball games, spending time with family and meeting our beautiful new granddaughter, Brooke Kaylie Harper. 

The weather has been beautiful.  Good reason to be in Arizona in the Spring.  And the Arizona skies are incredible.  

We have always loved "road trips" and said that "someday" we would like to travel full time. In the fall of 2013 we realized that if we didn't do it now it wouldn't happen. So we bought a Coachman Travel Trailer (Gypsy) & a Lincoln Navigator to pull it with, sold our house and everything in it that wouldn't fit in the trailer. On 3/10/14 we start our full time travel adventure and will be adding to this blog for family and friends to follow along.   “The journey is the destination.” 
― Dan Eldon