Travelogue

Natural Bridges was one of those very pleasant surprises--strikingly beautiful and completely devoid of crowds. Definitely our kind of place.

Sipapu Bridge LookoutI was a bit concerned about finding a campsite, since the guidebook indicated that the small 13-site campground in the park could only accommodate RVs under 21 feet. However, there was no problem at all. The campground was practically empty, and the sites weren't all that small. We were able to comfortably tuck our 26½-foot motorhome into one of the sites in this lovely pinyon and juniper forest.

My only regret is that we got here so late in the day. There were three spectacular bridges to explore, but we would only have time to do two of them--greatly disturbing my obsessive need to see them all. After being told to get over it, we chose two: Sipapu because it is the largest and most spectacular and Owachomo because it is the most elegant and frailest (it might not be here the next time we pass through).

Boys on Sipapu Bridge HikeWe quickly headed out on the scenic Bridge View Drive, a 9-mile loop through the park past the trailheads for each of the bridges. Our first stop was the trailhead for Sipapu Bridge. It was so hot out that before beginning our hike we used the RV outdoor shower to soak ourselves. Feeling refreshed, we began our descent down into the canyon, which included climbing down a wooden ladder--not bad considering early visitors to the park had to use a tree. About halfway down the trail, we came out on a ledge, directly across from and slightly above, Sipapu Bridge. The view down into the canyon and across to the bridge was so incredible that we knew we had to go no further. Hiking the remaining switchbacks down to the base of the bridge was only going to use up more valuable time before sunset, and we were pretty sure that the view from the base couldn't compare with what we had right here on the ledge. We took lots of pictures.

Tommy on the ladder to Sipapu BridgeThen back up the ladders, into the RV, and on to the next trailhead. It killed me as we zipped past the one for Kachina Bridge, but there just wasn't time. The sun was already getting pretty low. The hike to Owachomo was much shorter and easier, so we were at its base in no time. This was a much different perspective than the view we had of Sipapu--up close and underneath looking up at it. The bridge really is quite frail--erosion has worn it down to a width of only 9 feet. The lighting was going fast, so we quickly took some photos. Tommy spent most of his time stalking a lizard with his camera, and he did manage to get some pretty good close-ups. Thank god for digital--he must have taken over 20 shots.

Once back at the RV, Andrew began complaining about a painful burning sensation in his foot. Having definite hypochondriac tendencies, he became convinced that a scorpion had bit him and that death was imminent. Knowing his son all too well, Herb calmly took off Andrew's sneaker and removed the cactus burrs that were clinging to his sock.

We got back to the campground just as it was getting dark. Parked in the campsite right across from us was another Lazy Daze motorhome, just like ours. It might not sound like a big deal, but they are somewhat rare so the fact that 2 out of the 5 families in this campground had Lazy Dazes was pretty exciting for us. Maybe exciting is too strong a word, but it did get our attention.

Description

Owachomo BridgeNatural Bridges National Monument in southeastern Utah is part of the Great Basin Desert of the Colorado Plateau. Its elevation ranges from 5,500 feet in the bottom of the canyon to 6,500 feet on top of the pinyon and juniper covered mesa. The most prominent and best-known features of the park are its three large natural bridges--Sipapu, Kachina, and Owachomo. Sipapu and Kachina are the second and third largest natural bridges in the world.

Tommy on Sipapu Bridge HikeThe bridges were formed millions of years ago by the action of the streams that flowed through the canyon. These streams, which flowed in wide meandering loops, eventually broke through the rock fins separating its loops. The streams then shifted directions and took a short cut through what became a natural bridge. Natural bridges look a lot like arches, but they are different in the way they are formed. Natural bridges are carved out of rock by flowing water, while arches are formed by frost and seeping water erosion.

Each of the three bridges in the park illustrates a different stage of bridge development:

• Owachomo is the oldest bridge and, therefore, the most slender and frail. It is also the most elegant. It spans 180 feet and is 106 feet high, but the forces of erosion have worn its bridge to a thickness of only 9 feet.
• Sipapu Bridge is the largest and most spectacular of the three bridges. It has a span of 268 feet and a height of 220 feet, large enough to fit the dome of the Capitol building. In the life span of a bridge, it is considered middle-aged. It's bridge has had less time to erode and is 53 feet thick.
• Kachina is the youngest of the bridges. It is much thicker (93 feet) and has the smallest opening of the three. Its opening would be even smaller, but in 1992, 4,000 tons of sandstone fell from its opening enlarging it substantially.

All three of bridges will continue to erode and widen, eventually causing them to collapse under their own weight.

The best way to see the park is the 9-mile Bridge View Drive, which leads to overlooks and trailheads for each of the three natural bridges. Round trip mileages for the three hikes are:

• Sipapu - 1.2 miles with a 500 foot elevation change - allow 1 hour.
• Kachina - 1.5 miles with a 400 foot elevation change - allow 1 ¼ hours.
• Owachomo - 0.6 miles with a 180 foot elevation change - allow ½ hours

There is a small 13-site campground in the park about .3 miles past the Visitor Center that operates on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no water or hookups.

Travelogue

I was pretty excited about this stop. Although I really love the solitude and natural beauty that we find in the national and state parks, I like a little civilization once in awhile as a contrast. The key word though is "little." On these trips, I'm not looking for the hustle and bustle of big cities, but rather the vivacity and charm of a small mountain or desert town--like Moab or Breckenridge. Ouray (which is pronounced "You-ray") was right up there with the best of them.

Lolo and Andrew swimming in the hot springsWe didn't exactly have to sacrifice much in the way of natural beauty in Ouray. Its setting was spectacular--a quaint village filled with colorful Victorian buildings surrounded on all sides by snow-capped mountain peaks. You felt more like you were in Switzerland than in Colorado. Obviously I was not the first to think of this as its nickname is the "Little Switzerland of America."

We had only been traveling about an hour or so today, but I was desperate to find a campsite so that we could spend the whole day here. I had read about the Amphitheater Campground just east of town that sounded great, so we drove right through town without stopping (which killed me) and up into the mountains on the other side. The road to the campground was terribly steep and winding, which made us begin to question the wisdom of this idea. We finally crawled into the campground only to find that the sites were meant for vehicles under 20 feet. That would explain the road as well. Although we probably could have squeezed ourselves into a site, there was no way that Herb was going to drive me back down to the village again and then back up to this campsite at night, thereby defeating the purpose, which was to visit the village of Ouray. I desperately pulled out my Woodall's and began searching for other camping options. I should have done this in the first place, but the Amphitheater Campground sounded so good on paper that I didn't think I needed an alternative. I found the 4 J+1+1 RV Park located right in town and called them. They had 2 sites left. We hurried, as quickly as I could get Herb to drive, back down the winding road into the village. The location was great--views of the surrounding mountains and in walking distance to the Hot Springs and downtown. I was now very happy. I couldn't wait to plop my butt into the Hot Springs.

Box Canyon Falls photo by AndrewAfter a quick lunch, we got on our bathing suits, grabbed some towels, and made the brief walk to the Ouray Hot Springs Pool and Park. It cost us only $28 for the four of us for the day--not bad at all, considering what you got for it. The pool was quite large and divided into sections with different temperatures, including one with swimming laps. Of course, being the obsessive types we are, we had to try them all. I must say, I preferred the medium temp ones, which were probably in the high 90's. However, no matter which section you chose, you could just sit back and relax and enjoy the incredible views. It's quite nice looking at snow in the mountains while soaking in warm water. I could very easily get used to this.

However, there was more to do in Ouray than just soak, so we forced ourselves to leave its warm waters and went for a bike ride over to the Box Canyon Falls on the southern end of town. After locking our bikes and paying our $12 for the four of us, we hiked the short trail to the falls, where the Clear Creek thundered 285 feet down into the narrow gorge below us. It was quite impressive. There was even some old mining equipment at the bottom of the gorge left behind from Ouray's previous life as a mining town. From the end of the Falls Trail, we climbed down an iron staircase--the kind that you can look down and see through that gives me the creeps--to the base of the falls. We spent quite a bit of time down there taking pictures. Andrew was still shooting black and white film for his summer photography assignment and moving water particularly fascinates him. He tried a variety of shutter speeds to capture different effects. We then hiked the other trail in the park, the High Bridge Trail, which leads up to a steel suspension bridge and great views of the village of Ouray and the canyon below.

Herb and boys at Buen TiempoThe hikes were quite short and not much of an exercise, so we decided to ride our bikes back to the other side of town and try to find the Uncompahgre River Trail, which I had seen on a map that I picked up at the Visitor Center. We weren't exactly sure where the trail started. We knew it was somewhere near the Hot Springs, but nobody we asked seemed to know anything about it. We finally did manage to find it, but it wasn't marked out very well at all. I think the problem is that it is brand new and not many people know about it yet. When it's complete, it's supposed to run along the river for 12 miles all the way into Ridgeway State Park. That will be quite a nice bike ride when it's done. In the meantime, the part they have completed is really fun. There are exercise stations placed every quarter of a mile or so with different things to work out, such as sit-ups, pull-ups, dips, etc. Of course, being the competitive types we are, we had to stop at all of them and practically kill ourselves trying to do the most. I usually waited to go last and then tried to squeak one more out than the rest of them--something I was pretty sure I was going to regret in the morning.

After the ride, we decided to take another dip in the hot springs before dinner. I was hoping the hot water would help lessen the muscle pain that would be setting in shortly. Once again, the water was delightful, but since it was getting late and I had big plans for going out on the town for dinner, we only spent a short time at the pool.

It was a lovely evening as we strolled from the campground up the hill to the historic downtown, which still had the feel of an 1890s mining town. In fact, the downtown area has been designated a National Historic District because of its many restored Victorian buildings. It would have been kind of fun to stay at one of the hotels, whose rooms are still furnished like they were in the 1890s. Maybe, next time.

4J +1 +1 CampgroundNow, to decide where to eat. My first inclination was the Outlaw Steakhouse, where you could pretend that you were in an 1890s saloon, piano player and all. Unfortunately, every other tourist in Ouray wanted to pretend the same thing. Rather than wait a long time to eat in a crowded noisy place, we opted for Buen Tiempo, a lovely Mexican restaurant with outside courtyard dining and 10 different kinds of marguerites. Everything about the place was great. I especially liked the atmosphere. It was a lovely night. It had cooled off as it does in the mountains and there was a nice cozy fire going in the outdoor fireplace near our table. I felt quite content--surrounded by my loved ones and no dinner to clean up in the RV.

I could have easily stayed another day in Ouray, but Herb was ready to move on--I think he was anxious to get to Lake Powell, his favorite place on earth. I think it's mine too. We headed south out of town onto the Million Dollar Highway, a very scenic, winding, two-lane road that goes over the 11,000-foot Red Mountain Pass before dropping into Silverton. There are several theories as to how the road got its name, such as how much it cost to build or how it has gold particles in the gravel, but I'll go with the one that says it was named for its million dollar views..

Description

The small mountain town of Ouray in the southwestern corner of Colorado lies along the San Juan Skyway, one of the most scenic drives in America. The town's spectacular setting of lush green meadows and colorful Victorian buildings surrounded by snow-capped mountain peaks has earned it the nickname the "Switzerland of America."

Uncompahgre River TrailOuray dates back to 1875, when prospectors discovered silver in the nearby mountains. The boom ended in the 1890s when the silver market crashed, but the discovery of gold shortly after kept the town prospering. Although many of these mines are still functioning, the area's main business is tourism.

The downtown area has been designated a National Historic District. More than two-thirds of its original Victorian buildings have been restored to their original splendor. Many of the 1890 hotels, such as the Western Hotel and the St. Elmo's Hotel still rent rooms, furnished much as they were in the 1890s. Although quite hilly, the downtown area is compact enough to tour on foot.

On the northern outskirts of town is the Ouray Hot Springs Pool and Park where you can soak in a public pool fed by natural hot springs while gazing at snow-capped mountains. This 250 X 150 foot pool is divided into sections with different temperatures. The cost is $8 for adults and $6 for children 7-17.

Near the Hot Springs is the beginning of the Uncompahgre River Park Trail, which when completed, will run about 12 miles along the river all the way to Ridgeway State Park. The trail, which is meant for hiking, running, and biking, has exercise stations to work out at along the way.

On the opposite eastern edge of town is the impressive Box Canyon Falls where the turbulent waters of Clear Creek thunder 285 feet down a narrow gorge. The Falls Trail is an easy 500-foot walk to the falls. At the end of this trail there is a staircase leading down to a lower observation platform on the Creek. The ½-mile roundtrip High Bridge Trail takes you to a steel suspension bridge at the top of the falls with spectacular views of Ouray and the canyon below. Admission to Box Canyon Falls City Park is $3 for adults and $1.50 for children 5-12.

The part of the San Juan Skyway over the Red Mountain Pass between Ouray and Silverton is known as the Million Dollar Highway. The original road was built in the 1880s as a way of more efficiently moving ore mined in Ouray over the Pass into Silverton. The current two-lane winding road pretty much follows the old path. There is much debate as to how the road got its name. Some think it comes from the cost of building the road. Others say it is because it was paved with gold-bearing gravel, which they didn't discover until the road was done. Perhaps the most likely explanation for the name is the million dollar views you get along the way.

There are several campgrounds in the area. However, the only one located in the town itself is the 4 J+1+1 RV Park, which is in walking distance to the hot springs and the historic downtown.

Travelogue

The Black Canyon of the Gunnison has both a North and a South Rim, but since the North Rim is only reached via an unpaved road, we chose to visit the more accessible South Rim, which was more directly along our route anyway.

Sunset View PointI'm not sure why I was disappointed that there was no brightly-colored red rock here. The park didn't exactly try to hide its darker coloration; in fact, its name practically flaunted it. I must say, I am getting spoiled. This canyon was truly beautiful, but its gray and black tones just didn't have the same impact on me that red sandstone does.

Since the park is not that heavily traveled, we had our choice of sites in the South Rim Campground, which unfortunately did not have any views of the canyon. We selected a site in loop C because we wanted to hike the Rock Rim Trail, which started from there.

Andrew ready to hike!The trail was quite nice and as its name implies, it did go right along the rim of the canyon. Nothing dangerous or anything, and there were some great views down to the Gunnison River and across to the sheer walls on the other side of the canyon. Andrew's photography assignment of shooting black and white film was perfect here. No red rock taunting him--just striking views filled with various tones of gray and black. The trail had several nice viewpoints along the way and ended near the Visitor Center and Gunnison Point. From there, Herb and I walked back to the campground along the road while the boys, after dumping all their camera gear, water bottles, etc. on me, ran back. I have to give them a lot of credit. They've really taken their training for track seriously this summer, and the high altitude really made things quite a bit more challenging. We were well over 8,000 feet here and you could really feel the difference.

That evening, rather than stay in our pleasant, but viewless campsite, we decided to drive the scenic South Rim Drive and find a place to BBQ and watch the sunset. There were several overlooks along the way, but we chose the aptly named Sunset View near the end of the 7-mile drive. This viewpoint faced west, so we were able to cook our burgers and watch the sun put on its show right in front of us.

Family at Sunset View PointWe met a friendly fellow traveler there who obviously seemed a bit lonely and wanted to talk. He told us that he felt drawn to us because he liked seeing a family traveling and having a good time together, which reminded him of his great times traveling with his own family. This year he was traveling alone because his wife and grown sons, who usually accompany him, couldn't get the time off from work. The reason he was so driven to go on this trip, even if it meant going alone, was that he was very close to completing his goal of climbing to the highest point in each of the 50 states. He had already done the big ones, like Mt. McKinley in Alaska and Mt. Hood in Oregon, and was just finishing up a few more. It was a bit lonely traveling alone, but this was something he really wanted to do. He was taking pictures of the sunset on his cell phone and sending them to his wife as we spoke. I guess everyone has a different reason for traveling, but I've come to the conclusion that it doesn't really matter what your reason is, as long as you just get out there and do it.

Description

The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is located in western Colorado about 15 miles east of the town of Montrose. The park contains a 14-mile stretch of river and sheer canyon wall. The canyon was named "Black" because of the dark gray color of its rock and because it is so deep (2,000 feet) and narrow that little light can penetrate it. It is truly one of the Southwest's most stunning natural wonders.

Sunset View PointThe canyon was formed by the Gunnison River more than 2 million years ago. Although Native Americans have hunted on its rim for thousands of years, no humans have tried to inhabit the gorge. The first non-native men to see the canyon were probably members of the Hayden Expedition in 1873. Around 1900, the people of the Uncompahgre Valley wanted to divert water from the Gunnison River to their valley for irrigation. Five residents set out on an exploratory expedition on the river but gave up after a month. A year later, Abraham Lincoln Fellows and William Torrence tied their gear to a rubber mattress and covered 33 miles in 9 days. They felt that an irrigation tunnel was possible. The 5.8-mile Gunnison Diversion Tunnel was completed in 1909. It has been delivering water to the Uncompahgre Valley ever since.

Today the park is a haven for hikers, backpackers, and rock climbers. There are two sections to the park--the less accessible North Rim and the more highly traveled South Rim. There is no bridge connecting the two rims.

Exploring the North Rim

The North Rim is reached via a gravel road from Crawford Lake State Recreation Area. The unpaved scenic drive has 6 scenic overlooks, with some of the most impressive views in the park. There is a 13-site campground at the western end of the drive. .

Exploring the South Rim

The South Rim is reached via Route 347 from the town of Montrose. The 7.5 mile paved scenic drive has 10 scenic overlooks, the best of which are Gunnison Point, Pulpit Rock, Chasm View and Sunset View. The Visitor Center is located at Gunnison Point. There is a 102-site campground about a mile south of the Visitor Center. The popular Rim Rock Nature Trail starts at the campground and follows the rim of the canyon to Gunnison Point and the Visitor Center.

The extremely steep (16% grade) and winding East Portal Road goes down to the river. Vehicles longer than 22 feet are prohibited. River access is actually in the Curecanti National Recreation Area where there is camping, picnicking, and fishing.

Travelogue

The "Entering Colorado" sign made me feel like we'd finally hit the West, but the scenery was still very much that of the Great Plains. It pretty much stays that way until you hit the Rockies. Taking the advice of a local, we decided to avoid Denver by getting off I76 and taking Route 71 south. This was quite a road--straight, narrow, and deserted. Well, at least we weren't driving through rush hour in Denver, but I'm not so sure that wouldn't have been preferable. You definitely didn't want to have car problems out here. The towns--and I use that term quite loosely--were at least 25 miles apart and had inviting names, such as Last Chance. I must admit I was a bit relieved when we hit civilization again.

Garden of the GodsHerb, however, is never that thrilled about hitting civilization. He would be perfectly content with nothing but nature--and I hope us--as his company and entertainment. That's why, as we inched our way along Saturday afternoon traffic in Colorado Springs, he was quite skeptical about our visit to Garden of the Gods. His feelings were not much improved when our motorhome practically got wedged in a tight turn within 2 minutes of entering the park. As dozens of tourists clambered happily atop Balance Rock, we edged our way ever so slowly around it trying not to bring some of it along with us. At this point, Herb was getting a bit cranky and mumbling something about just getting out of here. We pulled over as soon as we could, which happened to be in the parking lot for the Garden of the Gods Trading Post, Colorado's largest. Now, Herb is not particularly fond of gift shops and what he views as people's unnecessary need to consume crap, so he stayed in the RV to regroup while the kids and I quite happily went inside to shop. While in there, I was able to get information on how best to visit the park. If we could get a campsite at Garden of the Gods campground, just a block away, we could leave our motorhome there and bike through the park. Perfect. Bikes have always been our favorite form of transport.

Touring Garden of the GodsFortunately, despite it being a Saturday night, we were able to get a campsite in the very nice, but quite crowded, Garden of the Gods Campground. Since it was a hot afternoon, we decided to hang out by the pool for awhile and then bike into the Garden of the Gods when it cooled off and the lighting got better for photography. Hanging by the pool also gave me the opportunity to get some laundry done, which was good because we had accumulated about 3 days of some pretty stinky running clothes. As I started to pour my powdered Tide onto my wash, I was surprised to see a sign above the washers that said Liquid Detergent Only. I surreptitiously wrapped my beach towel around the box and had Herb, my accomplice, carry it out with him to the pool where he discretely placed it behind my beach chair. I'm not sure why I didn't just bring it back to the RV. After coming out of the pool from a refreshing dip, I bumped into the towel-covered Tide box, knocking some powder onto the pavement. I immediately began to panic. In my clumsy attempts to right the situation, I spilled some more. Meanwhile, my dripping body was causing it to suds up quite nicely. I wanted to die. Everything I did only made the situation worse. Finally, we decided to just leave and hope for the best. As we got back to the RV, a thunderstorm came through. I could only imagine what was happening to my suds at the pool.

Garden of the Gods CampgroundAfter the storm ended, we hopped on our bikes and headed up Ridge Road into the Garden of the Gods. It's hard to believe that this is a city park. When I think of city parks, I think of playgrounds and duck ponds, but this park had acres of magnificent red sandstone rock formations that were on par with the scenery of the national parks. We locked our bikes at the Central Garden Trailhead and walked the 1 ½ miles along the paved trail that went along the base of the formations. The lighting was perfect for photography--a great place for Andrew to shoot some pictures for his photography assignment. Too bad it was a black and white assignment--the colors were amazing. We tried to take one of the off-road mountain biking trails back, but got a bit lost and went back on the road. I was huffing and puffing a bit more than I thought I should--the change in altitude really does make a difference.

Back at the campground, I was relieved to see that the pool area looked pretty normal--no suds oozing through the fence. The next morning before leaving, the boys partook in the campground's Sunday morning $4 all-you-can-eat Pancake Breakfast. They definitely ate their money's worth.

Description

Garden of the GodsGarden of the Gods is a free city park located in Colorado Springs. Its 1,340 acres contain magnificent red sandstone rock formations, miles of hiking trails, a living history museum, the largest trading post in Colorado, and spectacular views of Pikes Peak. The park has been recognized as "a nationally significant natural area" by the Department of the Interior and designated as a National Natural Landmark.

This land was originally purchased in 1879 by Charles Perkins, a railroad magnate. After his death in 1909, his children gave the land to the City of Colorado Springs under the conditions that it be kept forever open to the public and free. Today it receives more than 1 million visitors a year.

Activities in the park include hiking, guided nature walks, mountain biking, horseback ride, photography, and rock climbing.

While there are no campgrounds in the park, the Garden of the Gods Campground lies just at its edge. This 5 star campground has many amenities, including a heated pool, indoor whirlpool, game room, basketball court, playground, etc.

Travelogue

As of yet, I wasn't very original in my planning. Day 1 to the Flying J in Toledo, Day 2 to Lake Anita State Park in southwestern Iowa, and now here we were again at Lake McConaughy on Day 3. Kind of a deja vu of our 2003 trip, but sometimes you gotta stick with something that works.

Lake McConaughy camping on the beachLake McConaughy was a great find for us on our 2001 trip. It's hardly off route when traveling west on Route 80, and it's really a very lovely stop. The lake is great--warm, aquamarine waters--and you can actually camp your RV right on the beach at the water's edge. We're always a little hesitant to drive in sand that is too soft and risk needing to be towed out, so we looked for a campsite further from the water on harder sand. Unfortunately, it was Friday afternoon, and being the popular vacation spot with Nebraskans that it was, we were unable to find anything good that we felt comfortable driving on. Not wanting to waste any more of the little time we had left that day hunting for a spot, we decided to camp at Little Thunder, one of the developed campgrounds on the asphalt. Also, it was very hot out, so this way we could have electricity and run the AC.

Tractor tracks for beachfront campingAfter settling in, which consisted of plugging in the electric cord, we quickly headed down to the beach for a late afternoon dip. Andrew brought along his old 35mm camera since he had to shoot 5 rolls of black and white film as a summer assignment for his Photography class. I was really glad he had this assignment and that it timed with our trip. It really forced him to look at things that he probably wouldn't have really noticed before--like the patterns that tire tracks make in the sand or the texture of the sand along the water's edge.

In the meanwhile, Tommy was running along the beach and jumping happily into a pile of sand. Unfortunately, the pile covered some fish that people had filleted, and one of the bones pierced Tommy's big toe. There was blood everywhere. He quickly hopped the fairly long distance back to the motorhome where we were able to bandage it up and stop the bleeding. So much for his running that night. I just hoped that this wouldn't put him out of commission for too long.

As always, Lake McConaughy had been a great stop, but I was getting antsy to see something new.

Description

Lake McConaughy camping on the beachLake McConaughy, nicknamed "Big Mac," is the largest reservoir in Nebraska. It is located just a few miles off Interstate 80 near the Colorado border. The reservoir, which is over 20 miles long and 4 miles wide when at full capacity, was formed on the Platte River by the Kingsley Dam. The lake has over 100 mile of white-sand beaches along its shore line.

To Nebraskans, the main attraction of Lake McConaughy is water activities--swimming, boating, windsurfing, skiing, and world-class fishing. Trophy size catfish, walleye, stripers, bass, and trout have been caught in "Big Mac."

The park has 200 tent and RV sites. However, most people choose to primitive camp right on the beach at the water's edge. Camping is on a first-come first-serve basis.

Travelogue

A long 10-hour day of driving brought us to another one of our favorite trans-continental stops--Lake Anita State Park in southwestern Iowa, a very pretty park with campsites right on a lake.

Tom's photo of swansIt was already almost 6:00 when we pulled in, so the sensible thing would have been to make dinner and relax. However, that being said, we decided to go for a run around the lake instead. The boys were so slow getting ready that Herb and I set out ahead of them, fully thinking that they and their young legs would catch up to us in no time. About 3 miles into the run, we couldn't understand why they hadn't caught up to us yet. Finally, we saw them coming towards us. They hadn't listened to our directions on finding the trail and took a wrong turn that brought them in the opposite direction around the lake. Oh well, I don't think they really wanted us to run with them anyway.

Back at the RV--it was now close to 7:00. We probably should have just showered and made dinner, but we were hot from our run and wanted to take a swim. Unfortunately, the only place you were allowed to swim was at the designated beach on the opposite side of the lake. So, we hopped on our bikes (this was getting to be a biathlon) and rode the couple of miles back around the lake to the beach. There must have been a drought since the last time we were here in 2003, because the lake levels were really down and the beach was pretty grassy. We never did wind up going in for a swim, but we did watch a very nice sunset over the lake. Tommy stalked some swans near the lake with his camera, who let him get surprisingly close to them.

That night we had dinner about 9:30--a little too late, but that's okay. This was really the first stop of our trip and having fun together was much more important than being sensible.

Description

Lake Anita lakeside campsiteLake Anita State Park is located in southwest Iowa about 5 miles south of Interstate 80. The park, which contains a beautiful 171-acre artificial lake, is very popular for swimming, fishing and boating.
There is a campground with 144 sites, all within easy access of the lake.

Travelogue

With the usual feeling of excitement and anticipation, we pulled out of our driveway and began our journey west, with the intention of getting to our usual first night's stop at the Toledo, Ohio Flying J (about 10 hours away). However, things do not always go as smoothly as planned. Less than 2 hours into the trip, we were abruptly brought out of our early-journey, contented reverie by the high-pitched squeal of an alarm inside the RV. I immediately jumped up to check the propane and carbon monoxide alarms as that seemed the most likely and dangerous source of the problem. We had had the propane alarm go off in the past after one of us bumped into the stove and accidentally turned one of the knobs. No, that wasn't it. The smoke detector was fine as well. All of a sudden a light bulb seemed to go off in Herb's head. He quickly pulled to the side of the road, ran back to the cabinet under the sink, ripped off the velcroed panel, and yelled "Water!" Apparently, the filter on the water pump had come loose with the highway bouncing, and water was pouring out into the area under the cabinet and out under the rugs in the RV. Three quarters of the family jumped into action--teenage son #1 somehow managed to sleep through the entire crisis. Tommy and I grabbed towels and tried to stop the flow of water out to the rugs. Herb ran outside and started dumping our water tank out onto the highway. Thankfully, no state troopers came by. Then Tommy and Herb got to work on the pump. Fortunately, Herb is quite handy and was able to quickly diagnose the problem and tighten the filter so that the pump could go back to doing what a pump was supposed to do--only supply water when you wanted it. In the process, Herb somehow managed to chip his elbow, which still hurts to this day. Crisis averted, we all sat down and breathed a sigh of relief. Andrew continued to snooze.

Having lost only about ½ hour, we headed back out on the road towards Ohio, stopping at a Flying J in Pennsylvania to refill our water tanks and test to see that was the pump was working. Thankfully, everything seemed to be fine and we could continue our journey as planned--with showers and running water.

The next order of business was finding a place for the boys to run. Both boys are high school cross country runners and needed to build up a lot of mileage over the summer. I had a feeling they would object to running around the Flying J parking lot, so as we drove along Route 80 across Pennsylvania, I scanned the National Geographic's Guide to the Interstates to try and get some ideas. This book has been an invaluable resource for finding interesting places to break up long driving days. I couldn't believe it. I found the absolutely perfect place to stop--Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area, just 2 miles off of Route 80, with miles of gravel towpaths along a canal--a runner's paradise.

We arrived at Cuyahoga 10 minutes after the Happy Isles Visitor Center closed, but fortunately were able to pick up a National Park pamphlet that gave us the lay of the land. Immediately Herb got all worked up that this park had been upgraded from a National Recreation Area to a National Park. "This place was nice and all that, but National Parks were places like Yosemite and Yellowstone, not a towpath along a canal! As this was my plan for the evening, I didn't want to give him the satisfaction, but I'd have to agree. This park was nice and all that, but it definitely wasn't of the same caliber as most National Parks. Still, it was a very pretty place and just what we needed that night--a place to run, so I told him that I didn't really care what they called it.

It was close to 6:00 by the time we parked in a lot near Lock 29 by the Peninsula Depot Visitor Center. We quickly donned our running clothes and left the RV only to discover that the skies had darkened, the wind had picked up, and thunder was rumbling in the distance. Not wanting to let reality get in the way of my plans, I proceeded to stretch and get ready to run. Tommy--always the most sensible one in the family--did not at all like what he saw. "You're not really going to make me do this in a thunderstorm, are you?" After convincing him that we would come right back if the storm moved any closer, we set out on a run together. Well, not really together--the boys were quite a bit ahead of us. Fortunately, the storm did move away and we were able to have a really nice run along the canal. Tommy's new Garmin GPS Watch worked great, except that somehow his big brother convinced him that he should be the one wearing it. It accurately told them their distance and pace and would have guided them back to the RV if they got lost--which is my favorite feature.

After driving for 8 hours, the run felt great. Time for a quick shower and then on to the Flying J in Toledo about 2 hours away.

Description

Located about halfway between Cleveland and Akron, Cuyahoga Valley National Park encompasses 33,000 acres of deep forests, rolling hills, and picturesque farmland along a 22-mile stretch of the Cuyahoga River.

The park is rich in history in that it contains a major section of the Ohio & Erie Canal, which was originally part of the national system of canals built in the 1800s to connect the East Coast and the Midwest. When this canal opened in 1827, it replaced the river as the primary mode of transportation between Cleveland and Akron. Today, bikers and hikers use the gravel Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail that runs alongside the canal to explore the beautiful Cuyahoga River Valley. The Canal Visitor Center at the northern end of the park has exhibits illustrating the history of the canal.

The Hale Farm and Village at the southern end of the park is a living history museum depicting farm life in the mid-19th century. In this re-creation of a farm village, live interpreters portray blacksmiths, glassblowers, weavers, candlemakers, and potters and demonstrate their crafts.

A great way to explore the valley is the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad which runs through the park on tracks dating from the 1880s. There are a variety of route packages to choose from.

Travelogue

The drive home from Quebec City took a little under 9 hours--something I would definitely keep in mind for the future. It's great to know that the feel of being in Europe is just a single day's drive away.

All in all, I would say the trip was a success and that I had shown the family that the Maritimes was not just a cold, damp, and buggy place (although sometimes it was). We didn't expect to find the dramatic beauty of the West or the warm beaches of the South, but we did--and all of it a lot closer to home.

Description

Our home in Upper Saddle River, a suburb of New York City.

Travelogue

The one thing that makes me feel a bit of a fraud in calling myself a seasoned traveler is the fact that I’ve never once stepped foot off the North American continent. Do I regret it? Sure I do, and someday (probably after the kids are gone) I’m going to make sure I see a lot more of the world, even though it means leaving our beloved Lazy Daze behind. In the meantime, Quebec City was the closest thing I was going to get to the spirit and feel of Old World charm.

Boy's on streets of Quebec CitySince visiting cities in a motorhome can often be quite stressful, I made sure ahead of time that we would be able to park the RV somewhere safely. In fact, my research actually began in Newfoundland when I overheard a Gros Morne park ranger say that she lived in Quebec City in the wintertime. She was quite helpful (as everyone in Newfoundland is) and drew me a detailed map of Lower Town, marking the large parking lot next to the Musee de la Civilisation on Dalhousie Street. It really does help to get local knowledge.

Despite my map and preparation, we managed to miss the turn into the parking lot and wound up on a narrow cobblestone side street where we almost became a permanent fixture. This made Herb a little cranky and brought back visions of the time I navigated him into the same situation in Salem, Massachusetts. For some reason I’m able to navigate us across an entire continent, but mess up on the details. Anyway, we did manage to get back to the parking lot without much further ado.

The first place we wanted to explore was Vieux Quebec, the walled portion of the city, which was sat atop the steep cliff rising from Lower Town. Having had so much success with talking to locals in Newfoundland, I decided to use the same approach here in finding the best way to get to Upper Town. Unfortunately, there was a bit of a language barrier—practically everyone spoke only French. I tried to get the boys to practice their French, but all I could get out of them was “No parle Francais.” Big help they were. After a few more unsuccessful attempts with passersby, we resorted to our map to find our own way.

Quebec City Faux BuildingsWe walked up a steep street that led us through a Gate and onto the Terrasse Dufferin, a pedestrian-only promenade along the cliff’s edge. From there we could look out over Lower Town, from which we had just come, and the St. Lawrence River. The boardwalk was full of activity—street performers playing music and vendors selling their wares from booths that ran the whole length of the boardwalk.

The kids and I became quite pouty when we saw happy tourists emerging onto the promenade from the funicular terminal. What the heck was a funicular and why weren’t we one of the happy tourists getting off of it? Perhaps if the boys had spoken French in Lower Town, we would have known about this. Anyway, for whatever reason, we missed out on entering Upper Town via a glass-enclosed gondola-like car along a very steep railway track. I just hate when this happens.

Since we had no particular agenda, we spent the afternoon wandering around the narrow cobblestone streets, taking in the various sights along the way. Right behind the Terrasse Dufferin was my personal favorite—the Chateau Frontenac, a majestic castle that serves as the symbol of Quebec City. It’s actually a hotel and has hosted such dignitaries as Queen Elizabeth, Winston Churchill, and Franklin Delanor Roosevelt. I wish it could have hosted me.

A refreshing break at La Lapin Saute CafeAfter seeing the main highlights, like La Citadelle and La Basilica de Notre-Dame, we wandered off the main drag into the residential section of the town. This is what I really enjoy—seeing the real city, not just the part marketed to tourists. We eventually wound up along des Ramparts, where cannons lined the fortified walls above Lower Town.

We followed the cannons back around to a park near the gate where we first entered the walled city. From there we could look down into the Lower Town and onto one of my favorite sights—a 900 square foot mural depicting the history of Old Quebec, painted on the wall of a building on the rue du Petit-Champlain.

From there we headed down the aptly named “Breakneck Stairs” into the Quartier Petit Champlain, one of the oldest and narrowest streets in North America. It was extremely hot out and we were getting a bit cranky, so we stopped at an outdoor cafe, named La Lapin Saute, for some iced coffee and desserts. It was the perfect thing to cheer us up. Having difficulty deciding which of the delicious desserts to order, we decided to each order something different and then share it. Herb ordered the cheese cake, I ordered the chocolate mousse, Andrew went for the apple pie, and Tommy bravely ordered the creme brulee. Of course, when the desserts arrived and were tasted, all previously established rules went out the window and those that received a dessert they truly enjoyed refused to share it. We were obviously nearing the end of a very long vacation together.

It was getting late in the afternoon and time for us to find a place to spend the night. We had all truly enjoyed our visit to Vieux Quebec, probably even more than we had anticipated. Although not a replacement for visiting Europe, it was the next best thing this side of the Atlantic.

Description

Quebec City, located along the St. Lawrence River about three hours east of Montreal, provides Old World charm without every having to leave the continent. The city is almost entirely French in spirit and language, although you will find a few people, especially those in the tourist trade, that do speak a bit of English.

Approach to Quebec CityThe city became the birthplace of French civilization in North America when Samuel de Champlain built the first permanent French settlement here in 1608. Because of the importance of its history, its unique beauty, and the fact that it is the only walled city north of Mexico, the historic section of the city was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.

The city is divided by steep cliffs into an Upper Town (Haute Ville), which is perched on top of Cape Diamond, and a Lower Town (Basse Ville) at the base of the cliffs. Both areas have old and new sections. The two towns are connected by steep ramp-like streets, steep staircases with names such as "breakneck stairs", and a cliff-side elevator called a funicular.

Some logistics before visiting the city:

• Stop at the large Visitor Center located right off Route 73 to obtain maps and information
• When visiting the city, park at the large lot next to the Musee de la Civilisation on Dalhousie street in Lower Town. The lot can accommodate RVs.

Visiting Upper Town (Haute Ville)

Upper Town, which sits atop Cape Diamond, is home to the most visited part of Quebec City, the charming, walled Old Town of Vieux Quebec. Although very hilly, Vieux Quebec is quite compact and best explored by wandering on foot along its cobblestone streets. Wandering through the old town is like wandering through an old European city. Maps of the old city and recommended walking tours can be obtained at one of the visitor centers or gifts shops in the area.

A good place to start your walk is at the Terrasse Dufferin, a pedestrian-only promenade along the cliff's edge overlooking the river, filled with street vendors and performers. From there, it is a short stroll to many interesting sights, such as:

• Chateau Frontenac - majestic castle atop Cape Diamond, which serves as the symbol of Quebec City. Built in 1893, this restored hotel has hosted such guests as Queen Elizabeth, Winston Churchill, and Franklin Delanor Roosevelt.
• Les Glissades de la Terrasse - a 270 feet high and 630 feet long slide on which you can ride a specially built toboggan, which reaches speeds of up to 60 mph.
• Basilica of Notre-Dame - the oldest Christian parish north of Mexico. Originally built in 1647, it was destroyed twice by fire and rebuilt. The Cathedral contains many impressive works of art.
• La Citadelle - star-shaped fort, which is now home to a military museum and the Royal 22e regiment. There are tours of the grounds and buildings as well as a changing of the guard ceremony.
• Parc des Champs-de-Bataille (Battlefields Park) - 270 acres of gardens, fountains, monuments, and trees where Quebecois come to relax and enjoy the outdoors. The park stretches over the Plains of Abraham, the site of a 1759 British victory over the French.
• Musee de Quebec - art museum that now occupies two buildings, one a former prison, linked together by a soaring glass-roofed "Grand Hall" housing a cafe and gift shop

Visiting Lower Town (Basse Ville)

The Lower Town is located at the base of Cape Diamond. It was here that the first French settlers lived before moving to safer houses atop the steep cliffs in order to avoid British gunfire.

"Breakneck stairs" leads down from Terrasse Dufferin in Upper Town to the restored Quartier du Petit-Champlain in Lower Town. The cobblestone Rue du Petit Champlain that runs through the Quartier is one of the oldest and narrowest streets in North America. It is lined with unique stone houses, churches, lovely squares, and numerous boutiques and outdoor cafes. One of the more interesting sights in the Quartier is a 900 square foot mural depicting the history of the area. It is painted on the side of a building at 102 rue du Petit-Champlain. There is an excellent view of the mural from the cannons in the park in Upper Town.

East of the Quartier du Petit-Champlain is Place Royale, a picturesque plaza that is the spiritual heart of Lower Town. During the 1600s, this plaza served as the town marketplace for the first permanent settlement in New France. After 1860, the use of the square declined and it became a run-down part of town. Today it has been restored to recapture its 400 years of history. Surrounding the square are 17th century houses that once belonged to wealthy merchants. Dominating the square is the Eglise Notre-Dame-des-Vicoites, the oldest stone church in Quebec. Suspended from the ceiling of this church is a large model boat, which served as an offering to ensure safe sea voyages. The church is open to visitors. The Interpretive Center at the northeast corner of the square conducts free guided tours of the plaza.

Another "must see" in Lower Town is the Musee de la Civilisation, one of Canada's most innovative museums. The dramatic atrium-lobby contains a massive sculpture of icebergs rising out of the floor. In the galleries above are five permanent exhibits and six temporary ones. If you only have time for one exhibit, make it "Memoires," which chronicles the history of Quebec, from its roots as a fur-trading colony to the present.