Sunday was another travel day. But, this time, it was returning home! I got up early to walk the dogs in the desert around the USA RV Park. It was a cooler time of day. Then, the dogs caught up on more sleep before it was time for their breakfast. They are such good RV travelers!
It was an easy drive from Gallup to Williams --- coasting across Interstate 40. I backed the trailer into the driveway. The dogs were happy to be home again. Tom and I started transferring food, toiletry items, and clothes from the travel trailer to the house. While the travel trailer has its separate set of most items, there are some things --- like refrigerated and frozen foods --- that can not be retained.
The next day was Labor Day. Tom decided to make "beer can chicken." Now, that is a new one on me! But, he bought the whole chicken and a can of beer and placed all of it on the barbecue.
After an hour or so, and our consumption of adult beverages on the patio, that darn chicken was cooked.
We complemented the dinner with corn on the cob and broccoli. Yum!!!!
Tom made arrangements with his son to tow Jon's trailer to Holbrook, Arizona. They were going to meet up there --- about a two hour drive from Williams. Unfortunately, Tom did not have the key to the lock that was wrapped around the trailer hitch. Tom called Jon with the dilemma. Jon was already in Holbrook for the night. So, Jon decided to drive the next morning to Williams and spend a couple of nights with us. Nice!
I had an appointment to take the travel trailer in to Camping World for some minor warranty work. The manufacturer's warranty expires on October 24. But, I did purchase an extended warranty policy to cover the trailer for another three years.
Jon arrived in the late afternoon. It was fun having him stay with us. The dogs, especially Kelsey, enjoy his company. We set aside some munchies and some IPA beers to welcome him!
That evening, we went to Bistro 66 for dinner. I had never been there. Tom treated. Jon had pizza, I had a hearty salad, and Tom had a fish special. It was nice to finally dine there, but it will not become a favorite.
The next morning, Tom made biscuits and gravy for breakfast. I have seen biscuits and gravy on menus, but it is not a traditional breakfast fare for a girl from California. But, I must admit that it was very tasty. It even deserved a photo!
I recently renewed my season pass to Bearizona. Bearizona is a drive thru wild animal park located in Williams. It opened in May, 2010, and has been very successful. Jon was interested in going there. Voila!
The park has a variety of wild animals --- some in the drive thru part --- and many in the walk thru part. And yes, there are many bears. The newest exhibit it a jaguar exhibit. The male jaguar was enjoying the sunny day.
Bearizona recently opened a 6,000 foot restaurant called The Canyonlands. It is adjacent to the jaguar exhibit. It was lunch time, so we stopped in for a beer and some appetizers. The restaurant manager, Paul, was the bartender that afternoon. He was very knowledgeable and very engaging.
Several years ago, he moved his family from St. Thomas to Williams. Hurricane Irma, out in the Atlantic Ocean, is setting her sights on passing through the US Virgin Islands! Paul is happy to be away from all of that.
Later in the afternoon, Tom, Jon, and I headed out on a road trip to see some of the local scenery. One place, where I had never been, was Sycamore Canyon. We drove up Perkinsville Road, into the Kaibab National Forest. The first stop was JD Dam Reservoir. I had been there before, but a number of years ago. It was a beautiful --- and only 40 minutes away.
The next stop was Sycamore Point. Sycamore Canyon is a natural canyon that opens up to the town and beauty of Sedona at its most southern part.
And this lovely canyon sight is less than an hour away!
The next morning, Jon was ready to head out of Williams with his trailer. He hitched the trailer to his jeep, made sure that all was functioning, and gave me a "playboy" poise for the camera.
After Jon left, Tom got industrious and decided to wash both trucks. His truck was dirty from yesterday's trip into the Kaibab National Forest. Mine was just dirty.
Friday was a day for me to renew with my massage therapist, Natanya. It had been six months since I last had her healing hands. It was so nice!
Brian, the carpet cleaner we used in March, 2016, came to the house to do the only wall-to-wall carpets in my home --- the master bedroom, reading/computer room, walk-in closet, and middle guest bedroom. The rooms are always refreshed after a good steam clean.
That night, we attended the bi-monthly Highland Meadows potluck gathering at the home of Dee and Greg. Their home is on one of the fairways and it was built by the same person who built my home. Very fine quality!
So much of the news on television is the tracking of a hurricane off the coast of Florida. Tom's mother and his sister live in Ft. Myers, Florida.
Over the weekend, they moved to hurricane enforced buildings. Tom's mother is in a senior care home and his sister, Pat, lives in a large condominium complex.
Tom read that a product called Rain-X could be used on glass shower doors and panels to reduce or eliminate the use of a squeegee. He meticulously washed the glass and applied the product. We'll watch and see what happens!
The California Spa, that came with the house, has two issues that have been troubling me. One, the water quickly turns milky white when the jets are running. It used to be clear. Two, when we leave for several weeks, there is some black mold that starts to collect around some of the plastic aeas above the water line. Six months ago, Jeff at Summit Spas told me that the black mold was caused by a chemical reaction of the bromide sanitizer with air. I immediately emptied the spa, filled it up with new water, and switched over to chlorine sanitizer. I picked up additional product at Summit Spas over the weekend to deep clean the spa and start again with new water. Apparently, the black mold spores were still lurking inside some of the plastic. Yuck!
Tom helped with the project. Hope we can get rid of the milky water and black mold!
Hurricane Irma did hit the area where Tom's mother and sister live, but they are safe. The major inconvenience is that they are without power. Thank goodness for the O'Dell family! Last year, my former nail technician here in Williams moved to the island of St. John in the American Virgin Islands. She and her husband were renting a home there and they lost everything to Hurricane Irma. Fortunately, not their lives!
My north garage door stopped working. I was not able to open or close it --- and it made a loud metal crunching sound. I called a repair place in Flagstaff and Jesse came out on Monday to evaluate the situation. Of course, the motor unit was manufactured in 2001 and the home was completed in 2002. So, the unit was 15 years old. Jesse said that was a good run. But, the motor needed to be replaced and both the north and south units needed new cables. What can I say? $$$
Tuesday, I attended a casual breakfast with some of the ladies from my Highland Meadows community. The group meets every Tuesday morning at a local Williams restaurant. With my schedule, I usually can make it only once a month. But, it is a nice group. Richard and I rarely ventured out and met neighbors. So, after he died, I forced myself to be more open to meeting people in my neighborhood.
That same afternoon, several of us got together to fold letters, label, and stuff envelopes. Highland Meadows has a homeowner's association, but it is informal and unfunded. These 92 letters were being sent to homeowners and lot owners who have not addressed the weed growth on their property.
One of the ladies brought a delicious lemonade mixture of two liqueurs. And we had some pound cake with fresh fruit and whipped cream. Now, that is a nice "stuff and stamp" party!
Tom and I wanted to take one more travel trailer trip before the factory warranty expired next month. We decided to go up the east side of Utah through Moab, some time in Grand Junction, a visit to Flaming Gorge, and five nights in Heber City --- east of Park City. Fun! We will see some of daughter, Donna, in Park City.
We made all of the RV reservations. It was impossible to get a site in Moab, so we settled for three nights in Monticello --- an hour south of Moab. Our first stop Friday night was Bluff, Utah. What a surprise! It was beautiful. The surrounding bluffs were really special. We set-up the trailer, walked the dogs, and then headed to Bluff, Utah, the gateway town to Goosenecks State Park and Valley of the Gods.
After checking in at Cottonwood RV Park and walking the dogs, we poured the dogs into the travel trailer for their nap and we headed off to Goosenecks State Park. Wow! It is an amazing place.
On the way back to our RV Park, we drove into Valley of the Gods. It is a 17 mile dirt road loop, a smaller version of Monument Valley. While we just saw some of the park. It still was neat.
Today is September 15. Tom and I have been an official "couple" for three months now. So, we decided to celebrate by going out to dinner at a local steakhouse --- Cottonwood Steakhouse in our town of Bluff. We shared a huge porterhouse steak and had separate side dishes. The wine wasn't bad either!
The next morning, I took the dogs on an early walk. At this lower elevation, the days can get hot for them. Bluff is a nice little town surrounded by none other than bluffs!
The dogs and I also caught a nice sunrise.
Our next stop was Monticello, Utah. It is spelled like Thomas Jefferson's home, but the Utah town doesn't pronounce the "c" as "ch." We spent three nights in this town. It was a good location for day trips to Natural Bridges National Monument and to Moab --- with Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park.
The first day trip was to Natural Bridges NP. I had never been there. After a stop at the Visitor Center, we took a nine mile loop to view three bridges. Bridges are created by water and arches are created by wind and erosion. The best bridge we saw was Owachomo Natural Bridge. We were able to hike a short way to visit it up close and personal.
The dogs were with us, but the weather was perfect for them to sleep in the truck. We did take them on a few walks in the area.
I rarely get caught in a candid photo, but Tom snapped this one. I do notice that my hair is growing.
That night, the owner of our RV park. Jim, demonstrated his sharpshooter expertise. He was too fast at the draw to take a photo of his action, but he looked the part!
Moab was our second day trip. I walked the dogs for a good time before we left. It was going to be too hot in Moab for them. It is always nice to snap another nice sunrise as we walked some of the wide streets of Monticello.
We parked the dogs in the trailer for four hours or so. We drove a back scenic drive to see some of Canyonlands National Park in the distance. I had not been to Moab in probably 13 years. We decided to have lunch at a restaurant called Spokes on Center. I had a nice Wedge salad and Tom had fish and chips. Surprise! The theme was bicycles.
After lunch, we drove out a road north of town toward Castle Creek. It is very scenic drive along the Colorado River. Thirteen years ago, Richard and I drove this same road --- out to Castle Creek winery. Our employer at the time was Zion Lodge and this wine was served in the dining room.
We only drove about five miles in and five miles out.
Tom and I have both been to Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. So, we did not get a chance to visit them this time. But, it was fun taking this photo of Delicate Arch poster on sale at the Moab Visitor's Center.
On our way back to Monticello, we did stop for a photo shot of Wilson Arch, just off the highway.
We left the next morning for Grand Junction, Colorado. The normal route would have been going north through Moab to Interstate 70. There was road construction on the Utah highway and we already passed through Moab. So, we decided to take a scenic way to Grand Junction. This was Colorado State Highway 141. It took an additional one hour, but it was beautiful.
The RV Park in Grand Junction was west of town. It had been recommended by Passport America and had good ratings in RVParksReview.com. It is nice, but is located in a more industrial park and/or farmland area. There are two dog parks within the facility, but the options for walking the dogs outside of the park is limited.
Our first day trip in Grand Junction was the Colorado National Monument. Richard and I had been there thirteen years ago, but I could not remember it. Tom had been through it just three years ago. But, he was open to do the 23 mile Rim Rock Drive again.
This national monument is part of the Colorado Plateau and has some of the natural features that you see in southern Utah.
Later in the day, we sat outside of the trailer --- enjoying adult beverages and cooked edamame.
