Memphis to Monument Valley

5 Sept –

Before leaving the camp at Nashville we published the last blog and swapped some books at the camp library. Our e-readers can no longer be loaded as the download programme from adobe has stopped working. We have tried everything and now have given up on them. We will fix the problem when we get home. Thru Nashville and back on the I-40 for a short drive of 108 miles to a state pack at Natchez Trace. We decided to cut the trip to Memphis in half as we will go out to Beale St there.

6 Sept –

We drove thru Lexington, stopping for a shop before heading into Memphis and our camp at Gracelands RV Park. We stayed here last year but got a better site out the back under the trees and on grass. It was now hot and humid and after booking a shuttle into Beale St we relaxed in the pool. We were dropped off at Beale St at 6:30pm. This is the club and bar area of Memphis but was fairly quiet when we arrived. We found two good bars with great bands, one playing modern country, the other the blues before heading to The BB King Club. There was a really good band, 4 vocals, lead and rhythm guitar, keyboard, sax and drummer, all Afro American. They played blues, ballads, country rock and even a bit of Elvis. The place was full with a great atmosphere .We had a great meal, me with my usual burger and Val pork ribs. The music was so good we stayed there until 10:30pm and caught the last shuttle back to camp.

7 Sept –

Got a text from Claire saying that Phoebe had broken her little finger at school. Hopefully it will not be a problem for their trip. We decided we had better start getting some miles under our belt so drove 216 miles stopping for a lunch break. The first part of the trip was thru Memphis and over the Mississippi River into Arkansas and back on the I-40. Our overnight stop was at a state park on Lake Dardanelle, a very pretty lake.

8 Sept –

We continued on the I-40 for about 80 miles across the Arkansas/Oklahoma border and a further 100 miles to Lake Henryetta where we found a site with power overlooking the lake. Two other RVs were here and they said that you are meant to pay at the town hall 4 miles back down the road but nobody pays. That will suit us! When the temperature went over 100F (38C) at around 5:00pm we retired into Ernie and the air-conditioning. When it cooled in the evening we chatted to the other campers. They told us this lake is famous for ‘noodling” for catfish.  I had seen it on an extreme fishing programme on TV. The idea is to wade in the muddy water feeling underwater along the banks for holes where the catfish live. Finding one, you don a protective glove, reach into the hole as far as possible, and grab the catfish by the mouth and wrestle it out. The catfish can be up to 80lbs! We WILL NOT try this tomorrow! Today’s trip 176 miles.

9 Sept –

We drove back thru the town of Henryetta and fuelled up at a record low price for us of $1.95/gallon. Converted to NZ$ it would be 70c/l. Later down the road we saw $1.79/gallon! We skirted around Oklahoma City still on the I-40 and the landscape changed from rolling hills to flat farming land. We pulled off the interstate and parked on a side road for lunch. Later we realized we were on the old Route 66. Our overnight stop was at a RV Park in Elk City for laundry and internet. We booked some camps and a scenic rail trip for next week. Again it was hot in the night but rain and thunder came and it all cooled down. Today’s trip 208 miles.

10 Sept –

The theme for today was “Show Me the Way to Amarillo” over the border into Texas. This area is the Texas panhandle high plains. The landscape was flat with no trees or hills. We are slowly gaining altitude however and were now over 3000ft. This was cattle country with corn and beans feeding the cattle in huge feedlots. There were also many windfarms working as we were buffeted by cross winds. We stopped at a rest area before passing through Amarillo, a nice green looking town, and another 40 miles where we found an RV Park just off the I-40 at a one horse town called Vega. It had been a pleasant cooler day. Today’s trip 180 miles.

11 Sept –

We continued on the I-40 over the border into New Mexico. Immediately the landscape changed from farms of corn and beans for the cattle feedlots, to ranch land and semi desert. We continued on a steady climb and this coupled with a strong head wind, made “Ernie” a thirsty boy! After a lunch break at Santa Rosa we stopped at the first RV Park we saw a further 90 miles west. At some stages the road was over 7000ft.  Today’s trip 223 miles.

12 Sept –

We drove our last bit of the I-40 to Albuquerque where we turned north. Our most direct route to Phoenix would be to stay on the I-40 to Flagstaff and then south but we are taking a 200 mile detour for a scenic train ride and to visit Monument Valley. We missed doing these trips last time we were in this area 4 years ago. We followed the “550” with spectacular desert country with red rocks and soil and many ridges and buttes.

We had both forgotten how much we love this desert scenery. Half way to Durango where the scenic train trip departs from, we stopped for the night in a small New Mexico town called Cuba where we spied a handmade sign for an RV Park. It was deserted so we parked up but could not contact the owner as there was no cell phone coverage. Black clouds rolled in and soon an electrical storm and rain. After it had cleared some workers returned to their RV and told us there was cell phone coverage in the centre of town. We walked into town which was very run down with most businesses closed and abandoned. All a bit sad as it could be a nice town. There was more rain when we got back and the owner showed up and charged us $5 to stay!

13 Sept –

The great drive continued and soon we were in oil country which seems to be the only source of income in this area. As we neared the New Mexico/Colorado border there were more signs of life and some nice towns. Arriving at Durango, Colorado we shopped before finding our pre-booked RV Park. Val did some laundry later in the afternoon then the usual electrical storm arrived with rain. Tomorrow we take the scenic train trip.

14 Sept –

It was a really early start as we were booked on the 8:00am scenic train trip. We caught the trolley down to the station. It was cold so we were in full winter clothes and jackets. We had booked a “gondola carriage”, basically an open carriage with two rows of seats facing outward. A very large steam engine pulled the train with various styles of carriages, ours was the cheapest! It was a narrow gauge track (36”) and the first hour of the trip was up the valley where Durango is situated passing homes, farms, a golf course etc.

The train left civilization and we climbed into the gorge of the Animas River. Great views of the river sometimes right beside us, at other time hundreds of feet below. A great feat of engineering which only took 9 months to complete. We climbed 3000ft to the frontier town of Silverton.

We had a 1 ¾ hour break before the 3 ½ hour return trip. We had lunch at a local brewery and wandered the cute town.  The couple we sat next to offered to take us back to our camp. Halfway to the camp Val realized we were going the wrong direction and it turned out they were in a different camp. They took us back to the town and we caught the trolley home. It was a long day but very enjoyable.

15 Sept –

We headed west to Four Corners Monument.  This is the only place in the USA where 4 States meet - Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. It is traditional to but a body part in each State.

On thru Mexican Hat and in the distance we could see the mesas and buttes of Monument Valley. What a sight! Our camp was at Navajo campground right inside Monument Valley with fantastic views of the area. The valley road is very rough so we booked a guided tour for tomorrow. The sunset over the buttes was great as there was a full moon rising. We sat with a glass of wine and enjoyed the spectacle.

16 Sept –

A spectacular sunrise before our guided tour at 10:00am. We were the only ones on the trip with a very quiet Navajo Guide. He was very good however and we bounced our way passed many fantastic sights. There were mesas, buttes, and needles everywhere. This is where many cowboy movies were shot. We also saw some arches and visited a Hogan, a traditional Navajo house. The trip was 3 hours long, expensive but well worth it. After lunch we walked to the visitors centre and continued on for a 3 mile hike thru the desert and up to a view point. There is a hotel here but it is very cleverly disguised. Another great sunset.

17 Sept

We had a quick last look at the view before heading out of Monument Valley and down towards Flagstaff. We stopped 20 miles before Flagstaff at a National Monument at Sunset Crater. We had stayed here 4 years ago. It was a very cold night as we are over 7000ft.

18 Sept –

We had been confused by the time last night and the radio this morning made things worse. Our GPS insisted that the time was an hour earlier than our clocks and the navigator (Val) insisted we had not gone into a new time zone. We had to go to the visitors centre and ask what the time was. The GPS and the radio were right! Arizona does not observe day light saving and therefore has the same time as the Pacific Time Zone. All very confusing! As we only had a short trip into Flagstaff, we went for a walk around the crater area. This is an extinct volcano with a moon like landscape. At Flagstaff we booked into a camp for laundry and to charge up “Ernie’s” battery.

South to Nashville

22 August –

As we are crossing the Canadian/USA border today we used all the eggs for breakfast. We are never sure what we can or cannot take across the border. It seems to change every time. The border was only 6 miles up the minor road and only had one lane open. No one else around so the crossing was quick with only a look inside by the officer to make sure we had no extra people stashed inside “Ernie”. We were on a scenic route thru Maine on a nice road but having to slow down for many small towns. The drizzle settled into rain but cleared when we stopped to shop and have lunch. Our overnight stop was at Skowhegan (167 mile trip) and we refilled our liquor supplies and got LPG before finding a private camp on the banks of a river. The sun was out but the air temperature was cool. There was good internet so we managed to post the last blog.

 

23 August –

We continued on the scenic road to Bethel where we completed a large circle of Maine, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and PEI. Across the Maine/New Hampshire border and up into the White Mountains and back onto new roads for us passed Mt Washington and eventually across the New Hampshire/Vermont border.  Three states in one day!! It was a great road and we covered 222 miles easily. We stopped at a state park at the Quechee Gorge and walked down into the gorge for a look. It was good to stretch the legs.

24 August –

We were now on the “I-91” and followed it most of the day thru Vermont and into Massachusetts heading south towards the Connecticut border. Just before the border we stopped at a private camp (140 mile trip) where there was a nice swimming pool. It has been a long time since the bathing suits have been out!

25 August –

We drove south on a minor road before joining the “I-84” and some rough busy roads thru Waterbury and Danbury and eventually across the Hudson Riv

er into New York State and onto K-20, the camp that we had visited earlier with Don and Sue Dinsmore. We had decided to spend the weekend with them and relax. They have another couple staying with them and we had a “soup” night with the family. The soups were great with clam chowder being my favourite and broccoli and cheddar coming a close second. It was a great night catching up with everybody.

26 August –

The rain cleared in the night and it was a beautiful morning. We farewelled the other couple who were heading up into Maine where we had just left. In the afternoon Sue, Val and I kayaked the 3 lakes in this area. The lakes were joined by a culvert under the road which we kayaked thru. Back at the beach we enjoyed a swim and a sit in the shade. We lit a fire and sat outside eating toasted raisin bread.

27 August –

Don D and I trimmed a few branches around camp and fixed some lights while Val did a huge laundry and spotted 3 deer by the cabin. In the afternoon we went down to the beach for a swim. The camping season is almost at an end and we enjoyed a pot luck dinner with 70 campers at the Pavillion to celebrate it.  We have made some great friends at K-20, a unique place, difficult to explain unless you have experienced it!

28 August –

After hugs and goodbyes we left camp K20 and headed west on the I-84 and then turned south on the I-81. We will follow this interstate for about 5 days! We crossed out of New York State and into Pennsylvania and stopped at a state park at Locust Lake. We overlooked the lake and had a great swim in the clear water with a sandy beach. The family next to us were leaving and gave us a large lot of firewood so we had a big fire.

29 August –

Before getting back onto the I-81 we went into Mahonoy City to post some title documents to Florida for the sale of “Ernie”. This town stopped developing around 1960 when the interstate bypassed it. It is also in coal mining country. All a bit depressing! Trump country!!

We took a detour off the I-81 into Gettysburg, the scene of a deciding battle in the Civil War. The Union and the Confederate armies only fought for 3 days in this small town and surrounding countryside but there were huge causalities and it was the turning point in the war. At the visitor’s centre we watched the story on a wide screen before going into a circular gallery where there was a gigantic cyclorama (377ft round), painted with oils on canvas depicting the battle. This painting was completed in 1884, 20 years after the battle.

With clever lighting and sound you could walk around the scene. Very impressive! We then drove to the most important battle field at High Water Mark where Pickett lead a Confederate charge up the slope with canon and musket fire from the Unionists resulting in 5000 deaths and the end of the battle of Gettysburg. We heading west back towards the I-81. Our overnight stop was at Caledonia State Park.

30 August –

Back on the I-81 where we drove 200 miles on a great interstate crossing from Pennsylvania into Maryland, West Virginia and ending up in Virginia. Four states in one day. The private camp we had chosen turned out to be on a hill overlooking a truck stop area. Down the road a few miles was a Wal-Mart where we shopped and spied a tyre place. We had decided to replace one worn tyre and the guy said he had a tyre at a good price. Half way thru the job he realized he could not jack “Ernie” up. A great help. We phoned the truck stop where we were staying and they booked us in to change the tyre. We loaded the tyre and the spare back into “Ernie” and after having the price of the fitting deducted, head back to the camp. Trucks came and went all night but as it was a constant noise, it did not disturb us.  We counted about 70 huge trucks parked at this stop. It was hot in the night as we are now well south.

31 August –

We only planned to drive 153 miles so it was a casual breakfast watching trucks come and go. Back on the I-81 and another great drive thru to Hungry Mother State Park. We had stayed here last year before going into the Great Smoky Mountains. The unusual name came about in tragic circumstances. A mother and child escaped from being captive by the Indians and got lost in this area but the mother died of starvation, the child survived and the only words she spoke to the rescuers was “hungry mother”.  The creek is now dammed and we biked the 6 mile trail around the lake. A great ride. In the evening it started to rain so we had dinner inside.

1 Sept –

The I-81 curved south west and again we made good time averaging 60 mph with every vehicle imaginable flying passed at 70+ mph. I am now very used to the huge semi-trailers passing us first pushing us one way and then sucking us the other. Over the Virginia/Tennessee border, at the junction of the I-81 and the I-40, we stopped at a rest area for lunch before heading west thru Knoxville. There had been a crash on the outskirts and we travelled slowly for about 8 miles. Our overnight stop was at a camp in the Tennessee Valley at a dam. The trip distance was 185 miles.

2 Sept –

The highway became increasingly busy as we neared Nashville. We had booked into the same camp we were in last year in Music Valley. It is Labour Weekend so we will stay here until Monday. There was a nice pool so we had a swim and sat in the sun in a nice cooling breeze.

3 Sept –

We pottered around in the morning and swam in the afternoon. At 4:30pm we caught the shuttle into Nashville city and Broadway, the area of bars and restaurants with live bands at every venue. We had bar hopped in this area last year. The atmosphere was great. Many groups of “bachelorettes” with the bride in cowboy hat and veil. We visited about 6 different bars all with good/great bands mostly playing various versions on country music. At 9:00pm we were awash with beer and caught the shuttle back to camp. All good fun.

4 Sept –

We filled in the morning by taking “Ernie” to a Jiffy Lube and treating him to an oil change and filter. Back at camp Val did laundry and we went back to the pool.  The whole camp was invited to a Labour Day Party at 4:30pm. Pulled pork, chicken rolls and coleslaw was served with beer & wine. This was followed by sweets. All free. The band started at 5:30pm and just went on and on with great country music. Not only was the band great but singer after singer came on and did a couple of numbers. Fantastic entertainment and only in Nashville. The night eventually wound up at 9:00pm.