Two Penny Travels

Back to providing some news

When last I talked to you folks, we were about to head east for a few days in McPherson, KS, to visit Alice's sister and brother-in-law. We did that: 550 miles east, three days there, 550 miles back to Greeley. We got good mileage on I-70, but the drive was loooooong, both ways. Good to see the relatives, and we all enjoyed it, but ....

After Greeley, we headed north to Custer, SD where we spent a week in the foothills of the Black Hills. In the beginning it was cloudy and cool, then we had rain and storms. There was a hail storm, and Wolf heard the sound of 3/4" hailstones bouncing off the roof for the next three days. He was freaked out -- so was I. But apparently, there was no damage to our solar panels or roofing material.

On 6/20 we moved up to near Sturgis for the Boomerang. We had a delightful time meeting with the Boomers and exchanging tall tales. We took a couple of drives with Sarah and Pete -- almost got lost one time -- but their trusty GPS brought us back to the civilized world.

The next week we headed over to Gillette and set up for the Escapade. We had a pretty good show, and my seminar on Tuesday went well. We sold less product this time than last -- there was a lot of interest but people were holding onto their money.

We stuck around Gillette for the 4th of July show and then headed down to Ft Caspar where we stayed for a week. Next we traversed Wyoming through Rawlins and Evanston to Layton, Utah, where we visited with Alice's brother and sister-in-law. They are in a very nice assisted living facility in Clearfield.

On 7//19 we headed across the Great Salt Flats and reached Wells, NV. We stayed there for three nights to let the weather ahead clear out, the continued on to Sutherlin, OR. That is where we are staying at the present time. We expect to be here for two weeks.

The good news is that by keeping my average speed below 55mph and making sure I don't excite the Check Engine Light, I am averaging around 12.5 miles per gallon of fuel. Bad news is that the fuel is averaging about $4.75 per gallon. We have been seeing some very wide expanses along the way through northern Nevada and southern Oregon. But driving is getting to be a pain -- it will be good to sit mostly in one place for the next few weeks.

BTW, we came down OR-138 from Crater Lake along the Northern Umpqua River. It is a gorgeous drive, and the river looks great, like what I remember of the Feather and the Trinity back in California. Too bad I didn't have time to stop and enjoy it -- maybe later.

Guess that's it for the time being.

Sam Penny
the Prudent RVer
resting at the Timber Valley SKP Coop in Sutherlin, OR

Weather, Weather, Weather

This evening we sit in Greeley, Colorado, where this time of year (early June) the average temperature is supposed to be approaching the 90s. There might be wind, but not gales. There might be some occasional rain and a T-storm once in a while.

Tonight it is cold, wet (though clearing), and windy. Yesterday it was a violent thunderstorm that had our dog snuggling in closer and closer. Our old "weather radio" chirped on and gave us a warning of an approaching storm. We had strong winds, hail, rain, wind, etc. Then is eased off, and during the night it was occasional rain. It is decidedly cool.

However, we felt thankful we were not to the east, where the tornado watches were thick and active, where the country continues to be hammered by a record-breaking series of violent storms.

We are traveling to eastern Kansas tomorrow, leaving the trailer here in Greeley, to visit with Alice's sister, Margaret, and her husband, Ralph. Hopefully, the weather will be more calm than it has been, and we will make it back to the foot of the Rockies before the next big storm blows through. After that we will continue north into South Dakota and Wyoming.

But really folks, this is a great place to be from.

On The Santa Fe Trail

On 5/30, Friday, we left Gallup and headed out to Santa Fe. By the time we reached Albuquerque we were doing 15.6mpg, but after the climb from the Rio Grande River to the Old Pecos Trail in the city of Santa Fe, our mileage was down to 12.8mpg.

We parked at the Elks Lodge in Santa Fe for a very reasonable donation. No hookups for the rig, but we are used to boondocking with our solar and water supply. Nice people, and on Friday they serve a prime rib dinner for $11.

On Saturday we went down to the old town plaza area and parked just across the stream than runs through Santa Fe. Kids were busy fishing and seining for whatever they could find. We visited the oldest home in Santa Fe. The original pueblo had been built around 1200AD by the Indians, and then was rebuilt around 1610 along with the church next door, the oldest church in the USA. We continued up the street to walk around the Farmer's Market (lots of spinach and breads) and then back to the plaza. We had lunch at The Shed. It was very good, but their Margaritas are potent and their enchiladas are flaming. Afterward, we drove down the way to the WalMart where we found a replacement for the French Press coffee maker I had broken. Then it was back to the rig.

Sunday morning we packed up and headed “north” on I-25, which leaves Santa Fe going south then turns to the north toward Raton Pass. This road follows the route of the old Santa Fe Trail, and using our Topo Mapping Program, we tried to spot just where the old trail was. At least we identified some of the major landmarks, like Starvation Peak and Wagon Mound. I would label the land through which we drove as grassy desert. It looked quite dry, but there were some patches of green. Mostly it was pasture land, mostly without cattle.

After crossing the Canadian River, we continued up the easy slope into the town of Raton. The sign said about 3,000 folks lived there, so shortly thereafter we were through the town and heading up the grade to the pass. The old Santa Fe Trail traveled in this same canyon, and it must have been something to see three hundred years ago. Somewhere along the way, the truck's Check Engine Light came on, so when we reached the Cedar Ridge RV park at the top, I kept the engine running to cool it off and let Alice go in to register. We had done about 12.1mpg on this leg. We were put into a nice spot at the back, and shortly after we set up, the wind started blowing. It blew until nearly 10pm. Tomorrow is a red flag warning day.

Tomorrow we will go down into Trinidad, get a lub job for the truck and buy groceries. We will remember our time tracking the Santa Fe Trail.

Seven Days in Church Rock

Sounds like the title of a western – in fact, where we are staying looks like we are on the set of a western movie, with tumble-weed, red sandstone cliffs, and sand.

Church Rock, New Mexico, is represented by a small post office on the grounds of the Red Rock State Park. In the distance you can see the spike called Navajo Church. There are some houses back out on the spur to the park off old Highway 66 that could be the town, but I am not sure. We thought it would be quiet and peaceful, but more about that later.

We left the Holbrook area last Friday under cloudy skies spitting occasional rain. The wind was picking up from the south southwest. It was cool, almost cold. We said goodbye to the pile of petrified wood next to our campsite at the Root 66 RV Campground and headed east on I-40. With a partial tailwind, the drive was fairly easy, and we drove 98 miles and climbed 1,300 feet without the check engine light coming on. I held my speed in the 50 to 55 mph range, and there were only a few fast SUVs who whipped by me. Most of the 18-wheelers were taking it easy as well. My mileage on that leg was an improved 12.2mpg.

Church Rock is on the east side of Gallup, NM. We pulled off at exit 26 and stopped at the Denny's to reconnoiter and have lunch. It was still cool, and the breeze was strong. From there we drove another three miles down the old highway and turned left on the road to Red Rock State Park. We looked for the office, and found the post office where they explained the office was half a mile down the road to the campground and we should check in after we had a space.

Coming into Memorial Day weekend, it was surprising to see the campground so empty. We picked a nice spot, parked and set up, then went to find the office and check in. It was down in the “convention center” area. It cost $20/day for water and electric, but it would be better than boondocking.

The wind died down overnight, and the sound of the BNSF freight trains half a mile away were hardly a bother. But the next morning, as the sun rose I heard what sounded like fire-breathing dragons. I thought it was a train in trouble, but it continued, pulsing and growing louder. I lifted the blinds and looked out. There were hot-air balloons rising all around us. We immediately got up and grabbed our cameras and went outside to record the event.

We watched the balloons rise next to the red Navajo Sandstone cliffs, at times scraping the side as they moved up the canyon toward Navajo Church, the highest spire sitting atop the red cliffs. The weather had turned delightful, with bright sunlight and no breeze at ground level.

We soon exhausted the batteries in our cameras and returned to our rig.

After the excitement, we had breakfast and I prepared three LED shipments for mailing at the Church Rock post office. Then we went off to town to refill the fuel tank and buy some groceries. The cheapest diesel I could find was at Love's for $4.669 per gallon. On the LA news tonight, they said the diesel price in the Inland Empire is averaging $5.14, so I guess we got a good deal.

The weather has moderated, and we are enjoying our visit here. The park never has filled up, so I guess people are not vacationing so much in this area. This morning there was another balloon launch. We picked up our SKP mail in Gallup and extended our stay at Red Rock. The rodeo starts on Friday, and we expect to pull out Saturday morning heading on east.

Just kicking back and taking life easy.

Petrified History

On the 19^th we packed up the rig at Verdi Valley TTN and headed north on I-17 to I-40, then east to just past Holbrook. The weather remained cool and cloudy, with a bit of wind. It has been some of the strangest weather Arizona has seen for this time of year. Even though we climbed over 3,000 feet net over the 165 miles, the mileage on this leg was again 11.6 mpg.

Tuesday we did our tour of the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest. We visited a bleak land from 225 million years ago, a time of swamps, forests, muddy rivers, and a few early reptiles. The mud and silt covered the fallen logs and formed the base for more forests. Huge conifers grew until they fell and were washed downstream into clusters where they were covered by more silt and mud. The water seeped down, carrying the silica and minerals to replace the carbon skeleton of the trees with what today is agate and jasper and, in a few places, quartz crystals. Minerals stained the mud and silt and clay with colors ranging from red to yellow to purple to blue. Thousands of feet of erosion were piled on top of the old forests and it sank deep into the earth, until the time it was lifted up and erosion washed away the layers atop the Chinle formation, exposing the ages old silt and clay with its load of petrified logs.

Today the remains of that swamp stretch from Utah into New Mexico, pushed up to an elevation over a mile above sea level. The land is mostly worthless. It is dry, except on those days when the rains pelt the mesas and wash away their sides to expose the bright colors of the various layers of silt and clay and those old logs of the forests from 225 million years ago.

The Park runs from the entrance on I-40 at exit 311 nearly 30 miles to the south on US-180. The majority of the petrified logs are found at the south end, but the sights are awesome all along the way. There are several side-roads to see some more spectacular exhibits. There are some hiking trails and many photo-ops.

I really liked the Blue Mesa loop. The clays have a blue cast about them, and they are laced through with petrified logs. The cap rock of the mesa is a pale silty sandstone, and funny hoo-doos form in strange places. I started down the hiking trail, but when it headed down to the valley floor below, I turned around and came back.

This area was one of the first National Parks, and in 1906 the attitude was to save nature from itself. One of the embedded logs lay across a growing ravine, and folks worried that as the ravine grew the log would fall. So they built a concrete support under it and called it Agate Bridge. Today, the policy would be to let nature take its course. 

There is a variety of plant-life in the park, and in places it must grow into the rock to survive. This bit of shrub was alongside the trail on Blue Mesa.

I did walk the loop at Crystal Forest, about a mile. Wolf walked with me, and before it was over I wondered if I would have to carry him. But he was a good trouper, and we both made it back to the truck. We walked through more petrified rock than I ever expected to see. About the name: when this batch of rock was found, the rocks had formed from many hollow logs. The hollows were filled with vugs with many crystals, including amethyst. Thus, it got its name. But in time visitors stripped the logs of their treasures, and now there is just a lot of pretty-colored agate with a few dark holes in the logs.

When we reached the stores at the south end of the road, we saw a park ranger searching an SUV with the people standing around looking sad. Someone had reported that they had collected rocks, and nowadays, that is considered a very serious offense in the park.

By the time we returned to camp at the Root 66 RV Park, the wind was picking up and the rains were threatening. We paid for two more days and just hung lose in camp and waited out the weather. The next two days were cold, wet, and windy. Not good for driving. In fact, we decided to change our route and go through Albuquerque rather than southern Colorado.

On the Verdi River Railroad

On Friday, the 16th, the sun rose over the limestone cliffs to expose a clear and crisp day:  delightful weather for a train ride. We mailed out three LED orders, collected our general delivery mail, then headed over to the Clarkdale train station to catch our ride.

After lunch at the station, we checked out the old 1510 engine (with 1512 just behind.

We boarded our car, the Phoenix along with its observation platform, shortly before one p.m. Our hostess passed out complimentary champaign, and we sat back to wait for our departure.

The train travels over 20 miles of standard gauge track from Clarkdale up the Verdi River canyon at a speed of 10 to 12 miles per hour. It takes about two hours to reach its destination at Perkinsville where the engines switch from one end to the other of the eleven car train, and then another two hours to return to Clarkdale. It is a laid-back ride through the deserts and canyons of the interior of Arizona, with scenes of plants and animals amongst the rocks and geological formations along the way. We did see about six homes along the way, but that was about the extent of civilization.

The track was laid by a crew of 250 in 1911 and 1912 to service the copper mine at Jerome. Senator Clark of Montana had purchased the mine and proceeded to develop the property. The smelter operated until the 1950s. He paid for the railroad. It is still in use as a freight-line, connecting into the Sante Fe line to the north, as well as serving as the excursion line to Perkinsville.

As we left Clarkdale we went by the huge slag heap from the foundry that processed the ore from the mines on the side of Mingus Mountain. There is talk about reprocessing the "waste" for the uncollected gold and copper using the cyanide process.

As we moved up the Verdi River valley, our guide pointed out the cliff dwellings alongside the tracks in the cliffs to the west. Native Americans occupied the entire valley before the Europeans arrived. Further downriver are the Tuzigot ruins, a site we visited several years ago.

As we moved further into the canyon, we traveled close to the cliffs. Some places the rocks were within touching distance, though they warned us to keep our extremities safely within the observation car. At times the river was several hundred feet below us.

Along the way the guide pointed out an eagle's nest on the far side of the river canyon. There are a couple of mating pairs that hang around all year, and during the winter several other american and golden eagles spend time in the canyon. The eagles primarily eat fish from the river.  It appears the chicks have taken flight, and we did not get to see any birds, but the guide swore they were around somewhere.

In the distance we could see the red cliffs that make up a portion of the mesas surrounding the Verdi River valley. Once in a while we could see a ranch house in the distance, but rarely was there any other signs of civilization.

We moved into a deeper canyon as we went along, and at places there were high sandstone and shale walls alongside our path. The guide pointed out all the different peculiarly shaped rocks they had named: turtle, elephant, three monkeys, etc. They swore the early people who traveled the canyon had invented the names. The views were best from the observation car.

Finally, we came out of the deep canyon into a wide valley and the old station of Perkinsville. There was very little left. At one time it had been the headquarters of a ranch of almost 150 sections of land, then a watering station for the train and a slack-lime mine for the smelters downstream. Today there is a caretaker but little else. We saw no people, though there were some jeans hanging on the clothesline.

After switching the engine to what had been the back of the train, the journey began again as we retraced our steps back to Clarkdale. The objects along the way were the same, but the lighting was different. It was pleasant just to sit back and watch the world go by.

It was a good trip, and very low stress. We had first class tickets, and that made it even nicer with soft seats and complimentary hors deuvres and a wide selection of drinks available. And it was a good may to make the wife happy.

Sam Penny
the Prudent RVer

Are We Out of Our Minds? a TimeShare?

Alice wanted to ride the excursion train up the Verdi River canyon. We were in Cottonwood on Monday to mail a couple of orders, so we drove on up to Clarkdale to check on getting tickets. At a promotion booth there, the folks convinced us to do a tour of the Los Abrigados timeshare in exchange for a couple of train tickets.

Tuesday afternoon we drove up to Sedonna to take the tour. Karen was our tour guide and sales person. She did a good job, and after the tour and talk about the plans they offered, Alice and I agreed to buy in to the time share: one week of a one-bedroom accommodation at any of the ILX properties in Arizona, Colorado, or Mexico or trade, plus some added perks to make use of their system. Are we out of our minds? Could be.

Our logic is that with Escapees, Thousand Trails, and Passport America we have the camping front covered, but there are a few times when we want to do something a bit more exotic and luxurious. Maybe it is a matter of getting older and more desirous of comfort. The system we have joined offers the environment we like in the areas we like, and gives us the opportunity to expand into other places around the world. And, the folks we dealt with worked out the financial arrangements in a manner I could handle.

So, when we take the time to enjoy the timeshare life, it won't be very frugal, but it should really feel nice. Besides, I think we deserve a little luxury from time to time.

Oh yes, the train. They gave us complimentary tickets for the train ride. We do that tomorrow.

Sam Penny
the Prudent RVer

On the Banks of the Verdi River

We are camped next to the Verdi River in the TTN Park not far from Cottonwood, AZ, and will be here for another week. The weather is warming and delightful. NOAA says there is a chance for some thunderstorm on Tuesday, then clearing with a high in the mid-80s. Delightful.

There are many birds here, mostly tanagers and doves and a crested black bird we have not identified. The tanagers are yellow and red and black. There is a female mulberry tree next to our slideout, and the birds are eating up the berries as fast as they ripen. A female summer tanager is having a fight with her reflection in our window -- and Alice is worried she might hurt herself. It does make for interesting activities.

For Mother's Day, the Verdi Vally TTN offered free blue-berry pancakes for all the mothers. Of course, I had to pay for my own breakfast, so it was not all free. But the pancakes were very good (I had my own stack), and the company at the Family Center was pleasant. In fact, breakfast was so filling we skipped lunch; did the wash instead.

Wolf has had his summer haircut, and is frisky with the freedom of less hair. Several of the other dogs in the neighborhood have had encounters with a resident skunk, and I hope to keep Wolf indoors most of the time.

I am making use of the solar oven. Today I worked on a blackbean soup, and it was pretty good, but I need to be more attentive to turning the oven to face the sun. I added some cumin and cilantro and lemon juice, then topped the beans with some sour cream -- Yum. Tomorrow we plan to do a solar sirloin steak stew -- we need a few more vegies, so that means a trip to town.

On Wednesday we will take the Verdi Valley Railroad 4-hour excursion from Clarkdale to Perkinsville and back. It is a train ride up the Verdi River canyon into an area we have never been.

I have not collected a feeling of other RVers about travels this summer. The people here at Verdi Valley are all accustomed to traveling, so the price of fuel is more of an inconvenience than anything else. Some are talking about not driving so far or so much, but it is still hard to tell if they are responding to higher prices.

I did find some $3.979 per gallon diesel before we left Mesa, and I filled the tank. I am not planning on doing lots of exploring for the time being. We will see how long this tank lasts.

Sam Penny
the Prudent RVer

In Mesa AZ

We calmed down from the drive to Palm Desert, and the Check Engine light went out! Maybe the light is simply a reflection of my mental state. In any case, it felt better that it was not nagging me about something.

Sunday, we drove back to Jojoba Hills to pick up the things we had forgotten to pack. That's the nice thing about only doing 54 miles the first day -- you are still close enough to make corrections. It was also a test of the truck to see if it would run well and to see what kind of mileage to expect.

Highway 74 heads south from Palm Desert and immediately climbs over 3,000 feet in 11 miles. Then it weaves along the highlands above Palm Canyon and crosses the Pacific Coast Trail. We turned south on 371 to go through Anza and down into the Temecula Creek valley and Jojoba Hills. We picked up our NetDrive (with all our backups and music files) we had forgotten and left some small items we didn't need. We also said goodbyes to our neighbors and headed back, stopping at the Cahuilla Creek casino to collect $10 and then on down the mountain to Palm Desert.

The truck achieved 20.0 miles per gallon! And no Check Engine light. We had a light supper with my sister and brother-in-law and then headed back to the trailer to prepare for the Monday journey.

Monday morning we packed everything up and drove off toward Phoenix on I-10. It was a dull drive but things went well until the wind picked up, blowing in our faces. Our mileage plummeted according to the gauge. It improved when we dropped down into AZ and the wind died down. We fueled up across the river at Erhenberg ($3.979 per gallon) and continued across the Sonoran desert that covers western Arizona. After 280 miles we made it through Phoenix and into Mesa. Our mileage for the trip had dropped below 12 mpg, but everything seemed to be running okay.

I turned off the Interstate onto city streets to reach the Val Vista Park in Mesa where we planned to stay, and the damned Check Engine light came on! The truck seemed to be running fine, but it was unhappy about something.

We made camp at Val Vista and set up. TV came on quickly, but the Internet did not want to lock into the bird. Then I noticed the top of my tripod had cracked into two pieces. Damn! Always, there seemed to be a downer. I finally got a good signal, and we were back online.

Tuesday morning, I joined Kelly for a visit to one of his distributors. Good meeting and good potential. Today (Wednesday) I did the "turn ignition on three times" and saw that the Check Engine code was P1693 -- whatever that means. Then Alice and I took Wolf over to PetSmart for a bath and haircut, and I finally found a replacement tripod. And for some reason, the Check Engine Light went OFF. Go figure. I may still call Peter at Dodge to find out what the code meant.

Tomorrow, I plan to mail out three new orders and do some shopping, then we will see Kelly in the evening and have dinner with he and Dixie. Friday we will head north to Verdi Valley. I have been doing some thinking about where to go after that, and it looks interesting: short legs and good scenery. More about that later.

We are getting into the swing of traveling, and it looks to be a good trip. I will be adding some comments about what we are seeing, and what is happening in the world to affect RVers and the like. Maybe you folks can let me know what you think. In the meantime, drive easy and keep all your wheels on the ground.

Sam Penny
the Prudent RVer

Underway - but near the brink

It has taken a long time to get things ready for this trip. Maybe it is because we are getting old, but everything just seemed to be more work and take longer. And some of the interference seemed to be more like a streak of bad luck than happenstance. Maybe it says something about excessive complexity in today's world.

There were delays for medical reasons. I needed more tests on my eyes (visual field, eye pressure, etc.), and the doctor's conclusion was that I am developing glaucoma. So he put me on eye drops and will see me in the fall. That was the simple part. The first prescription he called in to the pharmacy was for  brandname Alphagan, and 5ml cost $45 with Medicare D and Humana. Ouch. When I came back in for a recheck, I asked for a prescription for the generic (brimonidine tartrate), and made arrangements to order it over the Internet: 15ml for $6. Much better, but it took time, and I had to remain in place to pick up the mail. Our medical system seems cockeyed and contains complexity I never realized before.

Then there was the delay for the truck's Check Engine light. It comes on when something wrong happens, and stays on until you take it in to a repair shop. I, the owner, have no idea what it means, and when they attach the "black box" and read out the code, the repairman is not sure what is really wrong. So they try something

Last December Dodge replaced the injection pump, fuel pump, and fuel filter ($4,007), then a month later it was a solenoid in the intake manifold ($250). When the light came on a third time, I went back, and the box told them the Engine Control Module had gone kaput. Okay. That was replaced ($1,300), but the light came on again the next day. Back to the dealer, and they put in another injection pump (on their ticket). 50 miles later the light came on again. Once again they put in an injection pump -- in fact two of them, #3 and #4. Finally, they said they were sure it was fixed and sent us home, asking us to drive around a week or so before leaving on our trip, just to be sure. So we took our time and drove around and the Check Engine light remained OFF, so everything must have been fine, just like they hoped.

Yesterday we transferred everything we could think of to the travel trailer and pulled out at 3:30pm. 10 minutes into the trip, on Hwy 371 up to Anza, the Engine Check light came on again. I am not sure what it means, but I expect it would cost another $200 to find out at the Dodge dealer, and I am sure they can find something else to replace. The truck system have become so complex only the black box knows what is going on, and it is not sure. It may happen that somewhere on this trip, the truck simply dies for some unknown reason. I am not sure I would want to know why.

The truck seems to be running well. I am running out of money and patience. One solution to complexity is to simply screw it.

We did complete our first leg: 54 miles to Palm Desert. The Thousand Trails Park here is only 25% full, but the railroad and Interstate still create the same amount of noise. I contributed my own dose of complexity and set up the TV and Internet satellites last night and things were running well until this morning. Then I suddenly started having problems getting out to the Internet. After a lot of analysis and trouble shooting, I concluded that my system had become confused when I left my DSL connection at Jojoba Hills and started using the Hughes satellite connection. It could not reliably find the DNS server.

It used to be that this was not really that complicated for me, but now I am using Vista on my laptop, and the networking interface is different -- another word for  more complex. My only hope is that it is self-healing. Else I am on the brink of hammering my router into small pieces.

BTW, if you can read this on the Internet, I must have fixed the problem, or it fixed itself.

Sam Penny
the Prudent RVer