Black Canyon National Park

Aug. 28,2013
We went to the Black Canyon just out of Gunnison, Co. did some trail walking , took lots of pictures. Had a picnic lunch drove to the end of the road. The painted Wall is the highest Cliff in Colorado at 2300 ft.  Followed the river Thur the park, talked to the ranger, she said there is a sand bar at the bottom where you can camp it takes 2 hours to walk down and 2 hours to walk back out.  So you want to make  sure you have everything on the first trip. We came back to the entrance took the road off to the left went down to the bottom 2,000 ft. they were fishing catch and release a small dam was at the bottom with a campground. It took us 15 mins. to climb back out . Had a great day, weather was nice 90. Tonight we had a thunder storm it lasted about 1 hr.  As you can see we were standing on the edge. Its a long ways down .





 

Telluride, Co

Aug. 27,2013

Well here we are out burning up the highway in this case the gravel road that turns into a goat trail. We went 9 miles in 45 min.  Went of Ouray heading for Telluride by way of the gravel road called Yankee Boy Basin, the scenery was beautiful lots of falls, old mines, old mining towns, and we saw a working mine..great big hole in the side of the mountain you could drive a truck in it. I don't know maybe they do in this day and age. The gravel road was a little short of going all the way for us. We had to turn around and come back down the mountain, that didn't stop us we just went out to the highway to finish our journey. Telluride is a middle class Aspen town with ski lift and expense stores. There is one way in and one way out. Saw a herd of Elk along the highway going into town. Came back to the RV Park sat around had dinner then played cards for awhile....Guess who WON...YES sir.

gravel road to Telluride

River below the gravel road



 

overhang on the gravel road

                                                                                                                     

 

Silverton, Co.

Aug. 26,2013


We went to Silverton, Co. (Founded in 1875) up the Million Dollar Highway (Red Mountain Pass) it is over 12, ft. the miners used the road to take their belongs up to the mines. They had to be tough ole birds..There is a lot of old mining ruins still standing. The train runs from Durango to Silverton til Oct. that is when most of the town closes their doors , the population is 500. Most of the old building are still in operation..lots of gift shops. We talked to a store owner, they will close in Oct. take 2 days off and then pack every thing up which takes two weeks. On the way back to Ouray we spotted this house on the other side of the canyon the sign on the front of the building reads "Antiques 9-5:30..good luck getting to it. Dawnett spotted some deer on the ridge they are really red and big ears..Then there is the famous "Colorado parking lot worm". Lots of waterfalls.

                                                                                           

Ouray, Co.

 

Aug. 24, 2013
We left Duchesne,Ut  coming over highway 191 went thru open range...the cattle sure looked healthy.  The pass was 9,178 ft. to the top.. it was a nice pull lots of curves  up to the top we worked our way down at 15 miles an hour with the Jake brake on and dragging our feet. Just kidding the Motor home did great. It sure is wild country. At the bottom of the pass was a coal mine that was working.
We arrived in Grand Junction, Co. at the Elks just in time for a rain storm with thunder and lightning....boy did it rain. Today we met up with Gary and Dawnett (Our niece and her husband) at Ridgfield and came into Ouray together got parked and went to town they were having a mining demonstration in the park so we watch the girls do single jack...they hold a drill in one hand hit it with a hammer, keep turning the drill and they are timed on how deep they could get the hole in a rock in 5 min. the youngest girl win with over 3  inches. I couldn't swing that hammer for 1 min. let alone 5 min. Gilbert is the oldest living miner in the town of Ouray he is 82 years old.

 Jay, Sandy, Niece Dawnett, Tour Guide Gary                            Gilbert setting in chair

                                                                                    

                                                                                                  Jenny..contestant               

                                                                            Main st. in Ouray

Dechesne, Ut.

Aug. 21, 2013
Today we left Garland, Ut. Hot Springs RV Park and Golf we went thru three canyons over the hill circled around Salt Lake City ...on the highway  we say lots of fuel tankers they were running three or four together, we are so used to seeing logging trucks and lumber trucks..arrived in Duchesne, Ut. (Lakeside) RV Park. Jay still not feeling well with the back problems...got set up then off we go to the hospital in Roosevelt (30 miles) to ER they did a urine test to make sure it wasn't his kidneys  Doc. said he has pulled a muscle in the back so here are some drugs for you ( pain meds, anti-inflammatory, and muscle relaxer) now all I have to do is keep him off the ceiling or from dancing on the table. We will be here tomorrow then on the road, Doc said no driving so this is fair warning......I will be behind the wheel so stay out of  Utah and Co. for a day. We just hope this helps he is so miserable. We were going to go for a ride today , we crossed over a beautiful lake getting to the park..will stay home to heal.

This doe was eating in the canyon coming out of the park.

Hot Springs RV Park and Golf Course

Aug. 17, 2013

Went for  a ride into town(Garland) to pick up the mail and check things out that took 5 minutes the town is very small not even a grocery store. Went to Plymouth their population is 246 all the street are dead end.  Came back and went golfing I did terrible got my monies worth.. its a 9 hole course but I played 18 in the 9 by the looks of the score card, it is up hill and on the side of the hill. Going back Monday for more torcher. It is a nice RV park.  To bad its so far away. The pictures were taken out the front window of the M/H. We did see a deer down in the canyon. There is a little bit of smoke from the fires around. It is 96 degrees here.

Burns to Mt. Home, Ida.

Aug. 15, 2013
We arrived in Mt. Home, Ida. 254 miles from Burns  its 96 degree . We are staying at the Elks lodge nice RV Park Electric and Water only. We came across Hwy 20 to 95 and onto 76 it was the back way thought we would see some wild life..there is a lot of smoke going thru the valley didn't see any fire. will head for Garland, UT. tomorrow there is a fire in Utah not far from Salt Lake City, but we will be up North from it. We will spend 5 days in  Garland, Jays back is really bothering him. He has  been behind the wheel to much.  Time for some "Jay time"...Sure hope this will help.  Doc is out of the question..he is using cold packs that is a good thing. Sorry no pictures there was just sage brush and flat land.

Burns and Frenchglen

Aug. 14, 2013
Leaving Lapine we saw a herd of Antelope in the farmers field and a coyote meandering along .We arrived in Burns to the City Park RV Park with 4 other rigs. When we got here we unhooked and headed out to Frenchglen into the mountains (I Thought) would you believe flatland. On the way we saw this fire its either a prairie fire or a desert fire it couldn't be forest because there isn't a tree around. They had it under control all you could see was lots of smoke, finally got to the end of the road to Frenchglen a town of a merchatile store, hotel and BLM building with a school

Lapine

Aug.l1, 2013
We are in Lapine at Cascade Meadows..The weather has been very nice. Went to Bend yesterday to have lunch with a friend..did some shopping and checked out the fuel prices. Today we will be going back to Bend to meet some friends for lunch. Had a great lunch and visit on the way home we were going to drive up the Newberry Volcanic Monument, but they only allow 10 cars every 1/2 hour and we were to late for the last 10 cars so we decided to road hunt with out a gun. We saw a beautiful Buck and a Forked Horn...We were out on the dirt roads away from the main highways. Tomorrow we will head for Burns.

Shore Acres State Park

Aug. 6, 2013

Entrance into the garden

Today we went to Charleston out to the Shore Acres Gardens which they call the Shore Acres State Park, it is beautiful even if the flowers are almost to the end of the blooming season the sun was shining but it was cold. We talked to the gift store attendance they have been working in the shop since the first of July, but they go back every year during the summer for the last 10 years. Then we talked to the little gal that was doing yard work..during this time of the year there is 2 people attending to the park and in the summer they have 7 trying to keep up with the garden. Went into Charleston next to the wharf to have chowder...not good was really surprised.

Jay (My Tour Guide) and Sandy

Jack and Sharyl

Elks and Winchester Bay

Aug. 5, 2013

We took a trip back to see the Elk at Dean Creek Reserve they are big and in nice shape. Then we went to Winchester Bay did some looking around, we found this little floating restaurant Unger's on the inlet  had lunch which was very good.
Took the back road to the Umpqua Light House...the sun is shining but it is cold with the wind blowing not hard but cold.


Day One

Aug. 4, 2013
We are heading for Lakeside to Osprey Point for 4 days with Sharyl and Jack , we saw the elk (picture taken as we fly by)along the road  in the game refuge just before you get into Winchester Bay. Everyone of them has a set of antlers sorry for the trucks and everything in the back...they are just campers heading home.