Well, Death Valley has been on my list of parks to see, but I’m not sure why. I guess it just sounded cool. I didn’t really do any research on it, and never realized why it was called Death Valley. Reason? It’s dead. It looks like a huge gravel pit. I arrived late in the day, and the first 2 campgrounds I stopped at were literally gravel parking lots. The only thing that distinguished sites from each other were cement curbs. I lucked out at the 3rd campground and got a really nice campsite under some trees. It had been reserved, but nobody had showed up to claim it. Given more time, I hear there are some very interesting sites within the park. The picture of the cactus below was taken on the north side of the park this afternoon. Tonight I’m staying in Big Pine, CA on Forest Service land. My next destination is Eureka, and then up to Redwoods N.P. It will likely take me 2 days to get that far.

Well, last night was my best night of camping so far on this trip. I spent the day driving and hiking in the Valley of the Gods. I stayed at Gooseneck State Park, in SE Utah, along with several other campers. The first picture below is a view from the front of my VW. The weather was perfect, about 65 degF. I ran 5k with with the pups, showered outside, and watched the sun go down. This morning I got up and decided to drive to the Grand Canyon North Rim. The second picture is of a sandstorm I drove through for hours, near Monument Valley. When I arrived at the Grand Canyon, I found it closed for the season. Blahhh!!! So, I found Zion N.P. on my map and decided to head there. It’s located in SW Utah, and it is absolutely amazing! That’s the third picture. I saw a fellow Westy driver already camped, and went a knocking. There was plenty of space in his campsite, so I convinced him to let me split the fees with him. So, very nice campsite for $8. BTW, it’s been snowing and cold here; quite a change from where I woke up.

I finished my visit to Mesa Verde N.P. today. I saw a lot more than I thought I would, and did a lot of hiking (~8 miles!). My feet are sore, and we’re ready to head somewhere else. We’ll go to the 4-corners National Monument tomorrow, and decide where to go after that. I have lots of pictures that I’ll try and post as a slide show. Tonight I’m camped in the San Juan National Forest, between Durango and Cortez, CO. I’ve got a nice campfire going, with wood I’ve been collecting along the side of the road. The picture below is of 2 butterflys mating. Can anyone identify the species?

For anyone traveling to the American Southwest, I’d certainly recommend the Mesa Verde National Park near Durango, CO. I got here yesterday, and so far have only made it around the Mesa Top Loop Road. The park is huge. The first real sites are 20 miles from the entrance, so plan to do a lot of driving. Also, although this seems like the best time of year to visit, most of the park is closed for the winter season still. I camped outside the park at the Mesa Verde RV resort last night. Tonight I’ll find somewhere to boondock. $20 for camping seems too steep for me. Plan on several days to see all of the park. Today I’m planning to see the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum, The Spruce Tree House, and I’ll probably make the 6-mile hike along the Cliff Palace Loop Road (closed for season) to see the Cliff Palace and Balcony House.

P.S. Hope I’m not offending too many people with my semi-political posts!! I’m not always posting my views or beliefs, just trying to present different views!

For anyone who visits the Southwest by car, I would really recommend traveling along US64. So far I have followed it from Clayton, NM to Gobernador, NM (Navajo Lake State Park). There are som many things to see along the way. Yesterday I crested a 10,500′ peak and had some magnificant views. I stayed in Taos, NM 2 nights ago, and at the State Park campground last night. It was the first night I’ve paid to stop along my trip so far, but the warm shower and fellow campers made it worth the $10. I ate chicken & veggie stew from a crockpot last night that had been cooking all day. I also went out 4-wheeling in the desert after dark and did some target shooting. Interesting to say the least. I’m off towards Mesa Verde N.P. in CO today. Hopefully I’ll get away from this rain!

See all the pictures from this art gallery by clicking on the slideshow link under “Pages” in the column on the right of this site. I’ll try to start putting slideshows up more often. I’ve got a lot of pictures so far.

The Rio Grande has been another spectacular view along my journey. I didn’t realize I would be crossing it. Last night my planned campsite was not-accessible due to a recent snowfall. I ended up in Taos, NM for the night. This morning I did some needed maintenance on the VW. The fuel filter, air cleaner, and alternator belt all needed replacement, and I did that myself. I had a shop change the oil since I don’t have a pan with me on the trip, and I’m on vacation and didn’t really want to do it! Here’s a picture of the Rio Grande:

Last night I made it to the Cimarron National Grasslands, where I camped out in a remote piece of desert. It was soooo windy yesterday driving that I could barely keep the VW going. My mileage sucked too. Today I left camp around 9:30 am, and on my way to the Sante Fe National Forest I decided to detour to the Capulin Volcano National Monument.

I also purchased a yearly National Park Pass today, which is good for entry fees at any NPS run site. Hopefully it will save me money in my journey. As you can see from the first picture, I have been traveling along the Sante Fe Trail most of the was through Kansas and Oklahoma. I’ve had no Verizon internet coverage for a few days, so posts may come slowly. I’m parked outside a Best Western right now, moocing free Wi-Fi. Well, time to head out. I’m hoping to make my next campsite in the Sante Fe National Forest before dark tonight so I can grill a burger. Thanks to everyone for all the birthday wishes.

It was really amazing when I got past Topeka, KS to see the landscape change so quickly and dramatically. It went from trees and green and urban to vast, uninhabited brown. It looks a lot like Colorado here. It was also amazing to see the sign “Denver – 500 miles.” I didn’t really think about how close I was. I’m thinking now that I’ll have to go through CO on my way south; maybe I’ll take I-25? South into Sante Fe.

Today is my last work day for Mactec. I’ll be finishing site KNZ184, and will head directly to FedEx to shed this calibration kit. It’s going to feel like a mansion in my van w/o that. The kit consists of 7 large pelican cases that consume my entire trunk area (and ~400lbs of weight capacity). I’m working on a map to post here that shows my route travelled so far, and my proposed route for the remainder of the trip. Stay tuned!