Tag: camping

RVing across the Southwest: Day 10 and 11

by margotrd, posted in Travel

After getting some much needed rest, it was nice not having to worry about leaving at a certain time to get anywhere. We took off from Gold Run Rest Area and decided we would drive till we saw something on the map that seemed like a good place to visit, since all our plans had changed due to the previous day. (Read about that here.) The mountains were beautiful, and I enjoyed the highway driving out where it wasn’t congested and stressful. Dean probably appreciated that more than me! I scanned my road atlas, and saw Lake Tahoe wasn’t too far off Interstate 80. I figured we could drive there to see about camping somewhere close to the waterside, which hopefully would make up for not staying on the coast.

When we pulled into Tahoe City, we first drove north around the lake. I had seen a campground on the map that seemed pretty close to a beach. Although it was a bit of a dreary day, we were determined to get this vacation back on track, and no cold, cloudy day would stop us from trying! We pulled into the Lake Forest Campground and took a drive around to find an open spot. After deciding we didn’t really like any of the sites, we drove back out and searched for the next campground. The scenic road that wraps around the lake showcasing impressive homes was quite a treat for the eyes! We drove all the way to the northern end of the lake, but the supposed campground I had quickly googled about wasn’t really a campsite for RVs. So we headed back south to the west side of the lake, hunting for Meeks Bay Campground. I was hoping that they would have an opening for us, but as we had learned, without reservations made way in advance we weren’t guaranteed a spot. We pulled up to the gate, and asked if they had any openings for two nights. She said they only had a few spots to pick from that might fit our RV, and that we could drive through to check them out before we decided for certain we wanted to stay there. Once in, we found it was tight getting around the loop of sites, but we did find one spot that Dean said he was pretty sure he could back into. I figured if he could do it, there was no sense in looking any further.

Most people were leaving their spots that morning, so it ended up being private and serene. It was just what we needed, especially after sleeping in a rest stop with loud semi-trucks with their engines rumbling through the entire night. Meeks Bay Campground is also a short walk to the beach, which is a private beach for the campground, unless you pay. It made it much less busy, with only one other family there when we arrived. The major plus was that dogs were allowed to swim just off to the right of the actual beach where it became rocky. (We did ask special permission before taking June for a swim, just to be sure!) There were huge pine trees surrounding the campground and a trail that went parallel to the main road that you could access from the resort next to the campground. This place gave us a chance to slow down and really take in a enjoy our surroundings. We had no agenda anymore, and for the first time the entire trip, our RV sat in one campsite for two nights! I got a lot less camera focused, and just enjoyed what I was seeing with my eyes, instead of being behind a lens.

We swam in the bitterly cold water both days, against our better judgement knowing we would be freezing for hours trying to warm up. The first day the water may have been half of a degree warmer than the second, but we had to take advantage of the private beach with nearly anyone out there! June loved to fetch branches we threw out in the water. She also would swim out to check on the boys and me and then would head back to Dean on the shore. The water is cerulean blue and clear as drinking water. I swam out all the way out to the end of the swimming area, and I could still see straight down to the bottom of the lake! We were all awestruck at the beauty of Lake Tahoe.

We walked on the path several times, strolling along under the massive trees, picking up an occasional pine cone to marvel at its size. We soon found we could have walked for miles with no real end in sight, as we were far away from any town or eatery. So, we spent most of our time playing games, taking walks, or swimming. The second day it rained most of the morning and then turned to snow for an hour or so! It was actually very beautiful, but we were really cold in the RV, as we hadn’t brought any winter weather clothes or extra blankets. The sun came out and warmed up the ground enough that the snow melted away at the lower elevations. We could clearly see snow capped mountains across the lake, and even right across the road from us the hills were a splash of white!

These two days gave us a fresh spirit about how we would end our trip, and I am so thankful we had the opportunity to visit Lake Tahoe! I know this area is extremely crowded during the peak season, but since we were there just a couple weeks after Labor Day, we almost had the place to ourselves. Dean and I both feel like we would visit there again, but maybe next time stay in Tahoe City to be able to visit the local shops and restaurants. All in all, it was an amazing first experience at this natural beauty.

Day 10: 87 miles

Day 11: 0 miles

RVing across the Southwest: Day 7

by margotrd, posted in Travel

I woke up pretty much when the sun came up, because since we had arrived so late in the evening, we had to pick from a handful of uneven sites to park at. The one we ended up with slanted downhill so badly we had to sleep on the opposite side of the bed so all that blood didn’t rush to our heads. If only we had some leveling blocks with us! (Next time we will be more prepared…) At any rate, we had to get moving because we had to vacate our spot by 11a.m., and we planned on hiking down to see the General Grant tree before we left. I took June on a long walk around the campgrounds, since dogs are not allowed on any national park trails or paths. Then we set off to see this tree, the 3rd largest tree in the world!

I felt like I had been shrunk down, the trees were so massive all around us. In Colorado, we have big trees, but nothing compared to what we were seeing all around us. I kept thinking to myself that these trees weren’t even the biggest ones we would see! We were in complete awe. It’s a short thirty minute hike down to the Grant Tree Trail, and I do recommend walking the trail rather than driving to the parking lot, if you stay at a nearby campsite. It forces you to take your time and digest everything you are seeing. Once we arrived, we were with all the other folks who had come to see the big trees. Photographs really don’t do these behemoths justice. And beyond that, I gave up trying to capture some gallery-worthy shot after trying to take nearly a hundred pictures and realizing this was a family trip not a photo shoot! I had seen many pictures when I was doing my research, but there is nothing like standing underneath a tree whose limbs are as large as the trees that grow in the forests that I am used to. The sheer height of General Grant is staggering, at a whopping 267.5 feet! It is actually taller than General Sherman, but is not as large in volume, which is why it is only the 3rd largest tree. We almost couldn’t believe it was real. It felt like a set out of Avatar or something. Naturally there are a lot of people who want to see this giant of giants, so we waited in line to get some pictures, and then continued back up the trail so we could head over to Sequoia National Park to see General Sherman.

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RVing across the Southwest: Day 5 and 6

by margotrd, posted in Travel

I think I was looking forward to this day the least, as it was a ton of driving, and there weren’t a whole lot of exciting places to visit on the way. We left the Kaibab Forest, heading towards Flagstaff, AZ. Our ultimate goal was to get into California, staying overnight somewhere on route to Sequioa National Park. I knew that the Mojave National Preserve was on the way, and I had my mind set on seeing the lava tube there. I figured it would be a bit of a detour from the straight path we were on, but well worth it for our family to experience this natural attraction. We drove in high winds for hours and hours, which definitely slowed us down and made the drive a bit of a drag. After a quick stop for lunch in Kingman, AZ, we were back on the road. The state line wasn’t far away, and I felt like our vacation was really beginning to become an adventure! We had done several new things and seen some awesome sites, and I thought to myself, we can just zip through this day to get to the really good stuff at Sequioa’s parks.

As we drove into California, we were “greeted” by a young woman, full on topless flashing us on the bridge we were passing under! Dean and I were stunned, and couldn’t believe that had just happened! I was also extremely glad the boys couldn’t really see out of the windshield, because they missed the whole debacle. THANK the LORD! Then, we roll up to the mandatory stop at the border station. They asked us if we had any fresh produce, to which we answered honestly, yes. They then proceded to confiscate my brand new bag of avocados and mandarin oranges! I had no idea you couldn’t have fruit or veggies from out of state, and I was in a rage. (Mostly an inner rage… don’t worry.) My opinion of California was going sour already, and we weren’t even a mile into it!

I stewed over those avocados for what seemed like hours, and we continued to drive across barren wastelands. Finally, the exit for Kelbaker Road came, and we entered the Mojave National Preserve. I looked around and thought, gee, isn’t this what we have been looking at for the last three hours? The main road was fine, albeit a bit bumpy, but we sped forth towards the old Kelso Depot where the visitor center is located. We saw signs to lookout for tortoises crossing the road, sand dunes off in the distance, and Joshua trees sprinkled across the almost other-worldly landscape. My sour mood was beginning to soften, as I drank in the unusual scenery and noticed we were practically by ourselves out there.

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RVing across the Southwest: Day 3

by margotrd, posted in Travel

Continuing west across southern Colorado, we stopped for lunch in Durango. We were headed towards the Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center, in Dolores, Colorado. This place contains the highest known archaeologically dense site in the United States! Once we arrived, we meandered through the small museum, which has several Native American artifacts and a large display of an underground dwelling. Outside of the building, there is a short half-mile paved trail up to the top of a lookout, where you can see all around the valley below. There are also old ruins of the Escalante Pueblo. Dogs were allowed on the trail, so June got to stretch her legs after a several hours of driving. The park rangers were very helpful in figuring out which locations to visit, as the Canyons of the Ancients covers a lot of land. There is a loop you can drive that is over 80 miles, which hits the major stops along the way. With all the research I had done, I didn’t quite realize the amount of distance from site to site. Adding to that, being in an RV limited us to some of the roads on that loop. We instead asked what site had the most concentrated ruins. The rangers quickly replied that we needed to go to Hovenweep National Monument.

On our way out of the parking lot, we decided to last minute change the plans and head to Mesa Verde instead. As we drove a few miles, I felt really anxious about visiting Mesa Verde in lieu of Hovenweep, namely because I had researched so much regarding places that are dog-friendly, and we were driving to a place that didn’t allow dogs to go anywhere except parking lots. I certainly didn’t want to leave June in a hot RV while we trekked around Mesa Verde. In a sheepish voice, I told Dean I actually didn’t want to go there, and thought we should, in fact, go to Hovenweep. I knew that they allowed dogs to be on the trails, and that made me feel much better. I reasoned it may not end up being as spectacular as Mesa Verde, but I wouldn’t be able to relax and enjoy it, if I knew our dog was stuck the RV for a long while. So, we recalculated the GPS, and headed towards Hovenweep.

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