Dick’s Travel Blog

So,  as  far as I’ve seen,  I vote for Boulder City as a winter residence beginning maybe around the first week in Jan through mid May.  Then as the weather warms, head north.Boulder City has Lake Mead, Vegas Night life,  and many  activities are just a 1/2 hr away.   And above all it has good meetings and great weather.  Its Saturday  and I’m leaving for Marble Canyon. The landscape begins to change as soon as you head south towards the Grand Canyon. The Great Basin begins with a Plateau from the Mountain range of Bryce Canyon then down a level to Zion, then a level to the Glen Canyon, then down to the Grand Canyon below the Plateau.  I was never interested in Geology (it seemed boring) but this area has to be heaven to a Geologist.  Some of the views are spectacular especially those of the multi level cliffs and rock formations at the bottom of the cliffs.  Trivia, the slide will identify which view but what famous film which starred a recently deceased Actor and former head of the NRA has several scenes at these rock formations?   The scenes depicting people boarding rafts are the real thing. These guys (and ladies) are the heavy hitters. They are departing for a seven day rafting adventure down the Colorado through the Grand Canyon. The trip is grueling I’m told and can be dangerous at times. Not my style.  My idea of roughing it is slow room service.The bike was loaded on the coach with the welcomed help of Leilani and her dog Maggie.  She Leilani insisted on a photo of Maggie and I on the bike and one glance reflects that neither one of us (Maggie or me) wanted to do it.

The drive from Springdale, UT to Lake Powell (Page, AZ) seemed a lot longer than the 100 miles or so. The scenery was expansive and the road was winding around mountains with little or no one thing standing out.  Heading into Page* things start to change. First glance are mountains and cliffs then bingo you are overlooking the Glen Canyon Dam and the (Navajo) power station.  Carved out below (via nature) the Dam is a deep canyon with water meandering through ultimately feeding into Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam complex in Nevada. This time of year begins the snow melt from the high country of Utah but right now the Lake is down about 100 feet from it’s full status not reached since 1991.  Greg (our fishing guide) says that Lake Powell is rising about a foot to 18” inches per day and will increase over the next month or so.  Then as water is needed to replenish the California storage systems the water will begin to be released.  Greg says there is talk by the environmentalists to drain the Lake and return the land to its natural state.  Greg’s take on it is that environmentalist are out of work young people with nothing else to do.Sunday and Monday the 18th and 19th were spent relaxing at the new campground which is only a few miles from the Dam. We’ve cooked out each night. Pork chops (really good), then salmon (good), and tonight the Stripped Bass we caught today. What a great fishing day. We rose around 4:30 AM then did Starbuck’s then to the Boat at 6.  The Captain/Guide forgot to tell us we needed fishing licenses so we couldn’t fish till the Marina opened and are able to get licenses. (well almost). Greg pulled over a  spot and said we could fish and if a boat came by just hand him the poles. He stopped at a spot in 275 feet of water about 20 yards from the cliff and began chumming with pieces of cut frozen sardines.  After about 15 min of chumming we put our lines in and Bam! the fun started. We pulled in stripped bass after stripped bass  ranging in size from 2-3 lbs. We caught a few then quit to go get the license then went back to the same spot and continued to fish for another 2 hrs catching a total of 31 fish. There is no limit on strippers and in fact you are encouraged to catch as many as you can to help control the population.  The bass were introduced to the lake and adapted to the fresh water where the stay all year. Our east coast salt water strippers find fresh or brackish water to spawn but like salmon return to ocean.  We kept a few and gave the rest to Gregg who has a friend who distributes them to those who might need the food.  Last night I cooked the Strippers. I breaded a few fillets and also prepared a whole stripper by cutting it almost in half (like butterfly shrimp) and stuffed it with plum tomatos, onion, basil, olive oil, garlic sauté and wrapped the whole thing in foil and “baked” on the grill for about an hour. We were too stuffed with the fillets to eat it last night but I can tell by the aroma it will be great. Today I spent most of the day preparing a proposal and Leilani took a drive to take some photos. This afternoon she is going on a Rafting trip and I’ll hang around and do some work and maybe read. Tonight I head for a Closed meeting in Page, which starts at 7PM.  Went to the Wal-Mart pharmacy this morning and bought some casual shoes and and Jeans. I swear I don’t know how they sell them so cheap. The jeans were $8.00, a pair of Moccasin type shoes/slippers were $9.00 and another pair of shoes similar to Rockport’s were $26.00. I’m convinced some 10 year olds are working somewhere in sweatshops 14 hrs a day. Of note is that I still buy the shoes. 

* Since the building of Glen Canyon Dam, Page has changed its image several times. It went through two phases as a construction town the present one of a friendly, inviting and scenic vacation destination for visitors from all over the world.

From 1970 to 1975, another construction period took place with the building of the Navajo Generating Station—a coal-fired electric plant just east of page on the Navajo Reservation.  (I can’t seem to be rid of the Navajo)

Page’s population boomed and by 1979, more than 4,000 people lived here. Steadily over the next 20 years, the population would more than double.

However, it is with tourism and the influx of visitors that Page has seen incredible growth. Now, 3 million visitors travel annually to Page and its beautiful backyard playground—Lake Powell.

Located in the center of canyon country, Page is just a three-hour drive to numerous national parks, monuments and tribal and state parks. Beautiful, red, slick-rock scenery surrounds Page enticing boaters, hikers, bicyclists, photographers, and sightseers.  Seems there is no shortage of red rock in Arizona.

Accommodations are available for visitors from the simple to the luxurious. Dining opportunities abound from elegant to take-out. Native American art and crafts can be purchased as well as a variety of souvenir items in local shops. Page boasts an excellent modern hospital, three medical clinics, three dental clinics, two vision clinics and two pharmacies.

Page has a beautiful looking 18-hole championship golf course with most holes leading uphill. Residential home and townhouses are being developed bordering the new course as you might expect.

Annual events, which draw visitors to this northern Arizona community just minutes from the Utah border, include bass fishing tournaments, mountain bike racing, rodeos, powwows, adventure racing, golf tournaments, craft fairs, music and dance performances, art shows and an air show with hot air balloons, vintage aircraft and monster trucks.

All this in what was once nothing but a beautiful landscape in a desert. Its getting cool here. It was 95 on Sunday and won’t get above 60 today and down to 49 this eve. I passed. To cool and windy for the bike so I’m catching up on some reading and work.. Looks like I will leave Sunday and head towards Salt Lake City. There is a place called Fish Lake (original isn’t it) who’s propaganda reads …”Although Splake and Rainbow trout are commonly taken, the lake is especially famous for its 20, 30 and even 40-pound Mackinaw lake trout. (Any Mack under 10-pounds is called a ”pup” and not considered worth keeping by local fisherman)” . I booked a reservation for 3 nights beginning next Monday the 26^th.  It’s going to be fun. The Lake is at 8,500ft so I would consider any battle with a 20lb fish to be an equal match (i.e. he can’t breath in the air and neither can I)  For your viewing pleasure:http://proirb.com/For_Dick/PageandPowellSites.exe

http://proirb.com/For_Dick/PowellFishing.exe

http://proirb.com/For_Dick/Page-Rafting.exe

After spending lots of money to see the best and worst of man (Vegas),  it’s on to Zion National Park which (at little or no expense) promises to be among natures most majestic. One of the perks of being over 62 is the Federal Gov lets you purchase a lifetime free pass to all National Parks for $10. That’s a deal. I am so ready for the road again. The drive to Zion is a little less than 200 miles which should only take 5hrs or so. Most of the way is nondescript until I cross into Utah which starts to show mountains and vegetation. 

As most of you know I have been fortunate to have travelled extensively around the world on business. I have been to virtually every country that isn’t land locked and most that are. I have visited 160 major port cities worldwide. I have vacationed and travelled in Germany, Greece, and Italy. I have also been to many lovely and grand places in the US and Canada. None of these places, visits or experiences have prepared me for the absolute splendor I would encounter in Zion and Bryce National Parks.Zion National Park is one of the gems of the National Park system and one of Utah’s most beloved tourist destinations. The park is located in the far southwestern corner of Utah, where the Colorado Plateau meets the mountains and valleys of the Great Basin. The sculptured cliffs of Zion Canyon provide visitors with landscapes of unmatched beauty and diversity.The magnificence of the Zion Canyon area was known by a privileged few Native American Indians and early Mormon pioneer settlers prior to the completion of a Federal Land Survey in 1908. By March 1918 the monument had grown to more 76,000 acres and had a name change. The area was now known as Zion National Monument.. By 1919 the federal government had upgraded the area to National Park status. The Park is now part of what is know as the “Grand Circle” encompassing the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  Bryce Canyon Nat’l Park,  Cedar Breaks National Monument and Zion Canyon. 

I’m beginning to get frustrated with these RV parks who advertise Wi-Fi. Unless you are parked in the guys bedroom and on top of the router,  the reception is sporadic at best. Thank God for Sprint.  I have their data card and it has worked for me with sufficient speed to remote into my servers in St. Pete.  It has allowed me to run the business from the Coach without having to hunt down Wi-Fi hot spots wherever I am at.

The entrance to Zion is less than a 1/2 mile away with the shuttle stopping right at the Campground. The name of the town is Springdale (my family will relate) and its a cute touristy place but not overwhelming like some. Nice little shops and galleries with affordable hand made items. I’m glad to have the Coach because it doesn’t have room for the things I would buy if I still had the Condo. My life has been made easier and more enjoyable with the company of Leilani.  She has yet to (and looks like she won’t) ride in the Coach since she has her car and is headed to Tulsa at the end of the week.  No sense in backtracking to get her car. She’s been a big help both around and in the Coach.  I’m eating regularly instead of one big meal a day and then picking at night.  Salads and bread.  All the right stuff. She helps get the bike on and off the lift and has learned just about everything else  about the Coach. We seem to get along with both trying to be kind, considerate, accommodating, friendly, interested, and interesting.  I am losing badly. 

I feel at a loss for words to describe what I have seen in the last few days so I put together several slide shows in the hopes of sharing the experience with you all.  Or is it y’all.  I would imagine some of you getting bored with views of rocks and I promise to try and vary it a bit. 

The first show is upon entering Zion and views from the campsite. The campground is at the base of and between 2 peaks with glorious color.  At the rear of the camp flows the Virgin River which is all over Utah. There is a tube(as in Tubing) launch  spot here for those so inclined.  One downside here is I can’t ride the bike through the park but the town and surrounding area are very nice.  Next slide is more of Zion with Leilani’s Camera (a top or near top of the line Canon digital).  The picture quality shows versus my little Canon.  Her camera really captures the colors brilliantly.  On Friday,  May 16th,  we took her car and rode the 90 miles or so to Bryce Canyon National Park. The route brings you through a 2 mile long tunnel in Zion which if I was in the Coach I would need what they call an escort. They block the tunnel to traffic and you follow the escort down the white line which gives you about a 13′ clearance.   Just enough to get the 12′ 6″ Coach and others like it through.  Since we are in the car, we wait for one of those escorts to finish with a Coach before we continue through the tunnel. On the way to Bryce you pass through a small area called Dixie National Forest which has a few interesting rock formations and colors.

The ride to Bryce is all uphill to 9000 ft. and boy can I feel it.  Any minor discomfort is offset by the beauty and majesty of the approaching canyon. It’s only natural for one to compare Zion, Bryce, and even the Grand Canyon (which I have flown through via 2 seat piper, helicopter, and have driven around the rim). My thoughts are this: Zion is majestic in that it’s formations seem chiseled out by design to expose the diverse colors of the Geo layers of rock. Bryce Canyon, while expansive seems carved and sculptured by design to accent the depth and erosive quality of water on sand and lime stone. The Grand Canyon is just that- grand both in size, diversity, and above all, depth. If you don’t believe in intelligent design, a visit here will cure you.

We returned to the RV Park, had a really nice dinner out on Saturday eve(fish no less, in the middle of the desert). Time to pack and head for Lake Powell National Recreation Area.

http://proirb.com/For_Dick/FirstBlushZion.exe 

http://proirb.com/For_Dick/ZionDixie.exe

http://proirb.com/For_Dick/ZionAtLarge.exe

http://proirb.com/For_Dick/Bryce_Dick.exe

http://proirb.com/For_Dick/Bryce_More.exe

Before we move on to Zion I forgot to tell you about my trip back to St Pete for Steve’s Graduation and then onto Atlanta for the annual NAIM (National Association of IRB Members) conference.  The flight from Vegas to St Pete was OK except that Vegas airport, like Vegas itself, is sprawled out and probably requires more walking and tram riding than Atlanta airport. Hence I should have gotten there a day earlier based on how slow I need to walk and how often I stop. Anyway I can ask for a wheelchair but the same ego that let the awning throw me against the coach takes over and I trudge my way around the airport, huffing and puffing and saying “I’m OK, just catching my breath” to passersby asking if I’m OK? and hearing them making bets on how long before I drop (this is Vegas you know). I make it to Tampa and then to Comfort Inn and Suites on MLK. I earned enough reward points to stay the 5 days for free. These Comfort Inns and Suites are quite nice as opposed to some of the Comfort Inns and are usually priced well below the others like Holiday Inn express etc. Free Wi-Fi seals the deal. Best of all my Vette was waiting for me thanks to Steve and Mike and Mike A. who has been keeping it for me at his condo parking lot.   Much appreciated.  Crossing over the Howard Franklin I recall when I was moving back from Atlanta to St Pete how it felt like I was “home”. This time I didn’t feel that.  I guess I’ve made the transition to home is where the “coach” is to paraphrase a old saying.It was however wonderful to see my friends again at Central Saturday night. Bill W. Neil, Steve, Curtis, Margy and all those I’ve left out.

After my near death experience, I wasn’t all that interested in returning to the Strip however my friend Leilani arrived from Canada and Dinner in Vegas seemed like the thing to do… using her car! We/she took lots of Photos which you can view using the link at the end. I made reservations at the “Olives” restaurant in the Bellagio. The Bellagio is HUGE with ten or eleven first and world class restaurants and the promenade makes Rodeo Drive look like an isle at Wal-Mart. From Gucci to Versace etc. On the way to dinner I stopped and won dinner money playing Blackjack at the $10 minimum table which is the least Min bet table. The most you ask? The highest minimum bet Blackjack table I saw was $10000.They wouldn’t take my check so I went back to  the $10 one. Dinner was excellent. I ordered an appetizer which was Sautéed Figs over a bed of prosciutto on a thin layer crust of pizza dough. Really great! I had Ravioli and Leilani had Veal Milanese. Both delicious. I don’t know how they made the ravioli so light. Enjoy the slide show, while I head for Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Lake Powell National Parks.   Happy viewing! http://proirb.com/For_Dick/Real_Vegas.exe

Before I get into describing the suicide mission I went on to the Vegas Strip, let me jot down a few notes I forgot to make in prior entries. Did I tell you I was attacked by the passenger side porch awing on the coach, designed to shade the passenger side of the coach and kind of form the roof of a porch? I was warned when I purchased the Coach to bring in the awing anytime the wind starts blowing a little hard. Well one Saturday, with awing down and high wind warnings on the news,  I naturally waited until it really started blowing (30mph) because you know how those weather folks lie and exaggerate. So I go out and get the pole one uses to release the clip that holds back the awing so it winds back with a little tension at a time. I was also told that this is a job best done by two people but my ego tells me one man who can’t breath can probably do it as well. So I do this alone. We’ll once I unhooked the clip a gust of wind blows the awing and the awing support arm picks me up, throws me against the Coach and pins my arm against the side and I can’t move me or the support arm. I’m trapped and I think my arm is about to rip in half.  Left with no options I start screaming help. A man and his wife run over and take 10 minutes to free me.  It was painful, to say the least, and my arm was black and blue and red and green for 2 weeks. While pinned in and waiting for my neighbor to free me, I mused about the guy who woke up with his arm around a “coyote” ugly girl and chewed his arm off. Hell of a thought at a time like that.  Well, lesson learned and from this day forward I promise not to let my ego cloud my judgment. Yea right!  Another interesting event for me was when I was in Navajo country which consisted of a great deal of driving on Old US Route 66. I remembered as a  teenager being totally enthralled with the life style of the 2 guys in the TV show Route 66 traveling the country in their Corvette.. For you trivia fans…Martin Milner who went on to become a favorite Cop and his partner (see end for answer) who played his Route 66 heart throb partner then went on to become a very angry actor who ultimately whined his way out of the business.  It occurred to me that it took me approximately 50 years but I’m now living my teenage dream of traveling the country on Route 66.  Of course the Vette is being stored but I have the Harley. For those of my friends who were promised a life beyond their wildest dreams:; in my case the promise has come true. (Answer to trivia George Maharis).Anyway back to my suicide mission. The night was clear and the moon was yellow. I put on a clean pair of jeans and a nice Harley sweater. The Strip is about 25 miles from my campground and I originally thought it wouldn’t be too bad a ride to get into Vegas. What I didn’t know was how sprawled out Vegas is and that 20 of those 25 miles are in traffic. Traffic consisting of cabs going every which way, people with cell phones in their ears and their attention on the lights(not the traffic kind). I had thought that I would be able to pull over to the curb and take a quick photo and then move on. Well there is no place to pull over so the 3 photos I got that night were taken while at a traffic light. My last visit to Vegas was circa 1980 and everything was different. I could not just casually look over at the maze of new casinos for fear of getting hit by a car so after a half hour or so I headed back towards the campground. By now I was hungry and the casino nearest the campground  offered a T-Bone dinner for $7.99.I stopped, had dinner, and played Blackjack for an hour or so and won a couple of hundred. When I go to leave and walk outside the wind was blowing fiercely as in maybe 40 mph. A nice looking gal sneaking a cigarette said “your not riding in this are you/” I said.. I guess so. I only have about 5 miles to go. I waited there long enough to figure out she wasn’t going to invite me home with her and then pulled out.Folks, It was one of the scariest 5 miles I ever transversed. The 5 miles is on a super Hwy. The winds got worse each mile and were exactly from my right to left blowing me directly towards the side of any 18 wheeler passing me. I kept as far right as I could and kept the bike at a speed which it seemed most stable at. The shoulder was gravel rendering it even more dangerous for me so I just said a prayer and kept going. Obviously, I made it but I have a new found respect for the wind while riding a motorcycle.  The few photos I was able to take are at this link. http://proirb.com/For_Dick/vegas_Night.exe      The remaining couple of days before leaving for Mt Zion were uneventful and spent simply trying to catch up on a few business things.Stay tuned for some Vegas photos on my followup visit and then on to Mt Zion.