Well, here I am again, after months of posting nothing I'm sure my place in the algorithm has been taken away and given to someone more deserving.
Gina the Frugal and I haven't been in Yellowstone for weeks but it's been a flurry of activity leading up to and after leaving the park. It all begins with closing down the Lake location at Yellowstone including the store and the employee dining room and kitchen. It's the reverse of when I showed up so it was cool as much as possible to keep people fed then wash and store everything (and I mean everything) in garbage bags and put it back where it belongs so it can wait to be used next year. Then, get rid of as much perishables as possible before shipping the rest of to another kitchen, then one last inventory. Of course, all this happened after serving the last employee appreciation dinner and a slightly drunken porch party at the dorm.
All of this occured on Monday and, by technical definitions, we were supposed to leave by Tuesday, which we didn't. We made the assumption, and it was backed by several people of authority, that no one was rushing to get in our space so we stayed until Thursday. Given that packing up a toy hauler, including loading and strapping the bikes down, takes time and it's surely something that can't be rushed for safety reasons.
Our first stop out of the park was a short drive and tow to the town of Ricer, ID for a quick nights stay and to enjoy a location different from the past few months. I was determined not to cook on our first night out in months but the availability of good dining options was thin. We settled for a sub from a national chain, and I have a favorite, and it was back to the campground to eat Sammies with beer. It was a nice campground with plenty of soft, green grass...and we all know what that means to Free Range Adventure Dog.
I'll not bore people with a detailed list of where we've been and what we've done but there are some highlights for sure. After a few days of travel, we landed in Thompson Springs, UT which is a dusty, deserted town about an hour west of Grand Junction, CO, in a dusty but nice campground. The nearest, well, anything would be Moab, UT about thirty minutes south. To say it was desolate is a bit of an understatement.
We came here because Stay at Home Tom and Sonia MC were going to be there for a few days and we decided to hang out, cook, see some sights, and generally see if we could hang out for extended periods of time since we will be spending the winter in the same RV park. More on that later.
The proximity to Moab meant we would have access to several national parks including Arches and Canyonlands, which are bucket list stops for sure.
However, while goofing off, Gina and I rode back into the canyons just past the town of Thompson Springs and found Sago Canyon and Thompson Canyon. Sago Canyon contains the remnants of an old ghost town where mining was the industry and the remains of old mines, railroads, and industry can still be seen. Thompson Canyons history is one of settlement, ranching, and making a hard scrabble living in the desert. The proof of this lies in the small homestead we found that had at least three dwellings and a six foot clay and concrete oven. If you know anything about how people lived in the early 20th century, you'd know that an oven that large was meant to serve a business or a community. One way or another, its location next to a dry river bed and under the shade and protection of large cottonwood trees made for a smashing backdrop for dinner with friends over an open fire.
After about a week, we parted ways as we all had different plans. Gina and myself we're headed to Cedar City, UT for a few days with the intentions of hitting Bryce Canyon and Zion NPs, which we did including hiking The Narrows, which is accomplished completely in the Virgin River. Sure, there are time when you're walking on dry land but after the first mile, youre not dry anymore.
Fast forward past a few days in Bullhead City, AZ where we would spend a little time on the original Route 66 in Oatman, AZ and Needles, CA, and we'll land where we are in Yuma, AZ for the winter.
The shock we were expecting actually came in Bullhead City when we arrived to temperatures just a bit above one hundred degrees. All year in Yellowstone, our highest temp may, possibly have been just below ninty for a day or so and we ran our AC once or twice. Now, if the AC hasn't been running in the past four days, it's because we were moving. There has been a bit of a break from the heat but we'll be back in the hundreds in just a day or two.
It's interesting to see the locals of Yuma walking around in the temps of eighty or so since they believe it's a terrible cold snap and the women are wearing long pants and sweaters or jeans and a sweat shirt. We're definitely not in Wyoming anymore.
Anyway, we're here and settled for the most part and things seem to be slowing down just a bit. This will give me the time to get back on track with the blog and the Postcard Club. I also plan a video update but have to find the right place for it. Our campsite is against a wall that divides us from the four lane main thoroughfare through town. Not ideal conditions for videos for sure.
Buy Stickers please. The Postcard Club will resume very soon with two Yellowstone and Wyoming editions. Hopefully you've been patient and understanding while we got in the the next chapter in this adventure. And I thank you for it. We may be busy, we may be working, I may fall behind a bit, but it's all because the lifestyle Does Not Suck!
