Butte, Montana to Spokane, Washington

We drove I15 to I90.  We think we're not crazy about I90 through the Bitterroot Mountains.  It rained a lot, clouds were stuck on the trees, it reminded us a great deal of driving over the Cascades from the west side and descending into the terrible weather that is so often in Seattle.  Anyway, there's a lot of up down and twisty roads.  So, maybe something else will be better.  The fundamental problem here is that there is no good way to get from Tucson to here.  Because of  the terrain, like the Grand Canyon, all routes are not a straight shot.  Wah, call me a wahmbulance.

The other issue is that we're old now.  Various and sundry body parts are not enjoying being in a car for hours at a whack.  We think about shorter days, but that is another hotel bill and three more meals out.  Yes, I know, first world problems.

It did rain a bunch, but earlier in the drive it was not bad.  In the agricultural areas, there was the burning of the fields.  Being of the city, I have no idea why this is done.

There was scenery to be admired.

This place is something else.  They have bill boards up for miles, advertising 50,000 Silver $.  There is a huge "gift" store full of worthless crap from China, a bar, a restaurant, RV parking and a motel.  Most importantly there are restaurants.  We ate lunch there in the parking lot standing up and walking around some to get the feeling back in our extremities. 

It's funny being back, we can't remember where stuff goes in the bathroom and kitchen cabinets.  It will probably take awhile for that to be sorted out.  When we left Tucson I photographed all of the shelves, drawers and cabinets so I will not have to reinvent the wheel upon our return.  I think I'll do that here before we go.

We have weeds growing in the lava rock areas.  Some will have to be pulled by hand, they're too big to spray and leave on the ground.  "Gardening" season, other wise known as killing weeds, has begun.

Ogden, Utah to Butte, Montana

Today was a faster drive than yesterday, being all freeway.  Probably we could have gone farther, but there wasn't a stopping point that was just right in terms of distance.

Butte is an old mining town, enormous amounts of copper were extracted from the ground.  Three rail lines came into town to haul it all away.  We were here briefly in 2003, but ran away because it was supposed to snow.  That post is here.  Butte is now a poor city.  They're trying to attract tourists, but apart from the possible disaster that is the Berkeley pit, there's just not that much to do and see.   There are, however, sprucing up efforts going on.

This is a mine head frame, from when mining was done underground.  They hoist machines, material and people.  There are several scattered in the area.  In 1955 underground mining ceased and they started strip mining.  The smears are from the dead bugs on the windshield.

We're at the Hampton Inn.  This is a lovely facility.  Rooms are good sized, with horizontal surfaces upon which to put one's stuff.  There is adequate light.  They don't use air freshener in the rooms.  So much better than last night.  If we ever come back this route, we will stay here. 

We have a rotisserie chicken and a bag of salad for dinner.  We managed to avoid Subway this trip.

Tomorrow we are back in Spokane, to begin the gargantuan task of putting it all away.

Page, Arizona to Ogden, Utah

We're at the Ogden Holiday Inn Express and Suites.  It's very old, and it shows.  We're back in the days of really bad lighting.  We would never come back here, we actively hate this hotel. 

The drive on red roads was not too bad.  Between Kanab and the turn off for Bryce Canyon there was a fair amount of RV traffic.  Forward progress was slowed.  We hit Salt Lake City about 4:00, and traffic was horrible.  We may re-think this route because of SLC. 

Here is some scenery. 

There was a fire somewhere behind that ridge line.

I'm tired!  It was a long drive.

Ok, this is the noise the shower makes when it's running.

Actually, it's even worse now.  I'm expecting the pipes to burst through the walls.  This is pathetic. 

Page, Arizona

We are in Page, at a Home2 Suites by Hilton.  It's a nice hotel, except there is too much scent in the rooms.  It is beyond me why everything has to be covered in some smell not found in nature.  It's making my eyes burn a little.  

The route was to Flagstaff, then off on 89, which is a red road.  There are passing lanes.  There is a 25 mile stretch through the Navajo reservation which is signed as "rough road" and they are not kidding.  However, the scenery more than makes up for it. 

First I would like to address breakfast we got at McDonalds.  Two egg McMuffins and one medium cappucino for $20.  Twenty dollars!!!  When did this happen?  I guess we should have asked for the senior discount.

Here is some scenery.

I took this out of the window on the fourth floor of the hotel.  It's not a great picture, the sun is in the wrong place.  That's the Glen Canyon dam, which created Lake Powell.  It's a hydro-electric dam, it powers much of the south west.

So, one day down, three to go.

Update to post:  Here is the dam in the morning sun.

The hotel was good, with the exception of how much noise the refrigerator made.  There's no off switch, we just live with it.

Final Day in Tucson

It really is always something.  We're leaving tomorrow morning.  Currently it's 95F (35C).  The air conditioning is down for major servicing.  It started out as being a new thermostat, but evolved into a new capacitor, installation of a surge protector, and washing out of years of dirt from the system.  It's really hot in here.  So, there's that.

Once again we are reminded that we are constitutionally unable to travel light.  We were up early to finish packing and putting it in the car.  It barely fit.  We lost sight of the fact that two boxes came down in the trailer.  Now they're in the car.  We ended up with two garbage bags instead of the 5 or 6 we had coming down here.  We brought too many clothes.  Duh!  In our defense it was freezing last winter, we wore all of the bulky warm jackets and the warm waterproof boots.  This year we did not.  Since winter is always a crap shoot, I guess we'll transporting it all again when we come back down.

We also failed a little on eating down the food stocks.  The non-perishables went to the food bank.  Note to self, do better menu planning towards the end.

For future reference, this is how we got the bikes in the Arizona room.  The shed is now full of an eight foot ladder and the grill.  Plus, we wanted them off their tires, because it's hard on the side walls.

Tomorrow we are up and out for Page, AZ, home of Lake Powell.

Here is a cactus photo for you.

Happy Earth Day to those who celebrate.

Last Ride, Packing and Ukraine Got Funding

After we bought the park model, I had the idea that if Jim died before me, I could go live in the park model.  My interest in running a snow blower, or driving in snow is exactly zero.  Yesterday and today have disabused me of that notion.  Yesterday was brutal, in the 90's.  The R value of 1 park model is hot, even with the air on.  So no, there will be no full time residency in the shoe box.

We were up and out early for the last bike ride of the season.  Today the Tucson Clean and Green people were out doing river bed cleanup.  It's full of trash.  I'm not sure if it's from the homeless camps, or if it gets washed down the flood control channels.  Or maybe it's both, but there is a lot of it.  These are good people to be out doing this.

There were a lot of people out.  There were also food trucks, people playing music and tents for shade by the river.

Jim is defrosting the shed freezer.  It may take more than a day.  The previous owners opened the door, and then left for the summer.  The wood floor in the shed does not like that much water on it.

I feel like all I have done today is walk around in circles and pull stuff out of closets.  The problem with such a small space, is after you pack up stuff, there is no place to put stuff prior to packing the car.  Moves of any size generally require the walking around in circles stage.  This is my new packing paradigm, Space Saver bags.  I bought the Hefty brand, and thus far they are holding a vacuum.  It's amazing how much you can get in there and how small it gets.

These may replace the garbage bag paradigm.  I should have bought more, but I didn't.  Next time, more of these.

We are trying a new route.  Going through Kingman and on to Las Vegas is unpleasant, and out of the way when heading towards Spokane.  So, we're trying the red roads, through Utah.  It's more direct, but will be slower driving.  I think that indicates how much we don't like going to Kingman.  When we had the RV, we drove 89 a fair amount and survived, it should be better in a car.  Except maybe for restroom availability.  I do miss traveling with my own.  Once we leave Flagstaff until we reach I15, it's all red roads, all the time.

The route from 89 to I15 is on UT20.  From the internet we learn the following.

SR-20 begins at I-15, Exit 95, 14 miles (23 km) north of Paragonah, and heads east and southeast through a pass between the Markagunt Plateau and the Tushar Mountains. It ends at an intersection with US-89 at Bear Valley Junction. Trucks are routed from I-15 and US-89 onto SR-20 in preference to SR-9 and SR-14 to avoid steep grades and switchbacks required to cross the Markagunt Plateau. Because of this, SR-20 is included in the National Highway System.^[3] SR-20 itself is a difficult route, featuring 7% grades on the approaches to the 7,910-foot (2,410 m) summit, and oversize vehicles are required to have a pilot escort.^[1][4]

This should be interesting, if nothing else. 

^{The wretched speaker of the House finally brought the Ukraine funding fill to a vote, which passed.  Munitions will be flowing very quickly after it's signed, because much is in warehouses on the continent. This should have been done in February.  Johnson said that they'd gotten to it as quickly as they could, but they had been busy.  Yes, busy defeating the bipartisan border bill because the Orange Menace told them to, busy writing bills to protect our appliances, and busy drafting motions to vacate the speaker.}

^{Trump remains in the court room, complaining bitterly of the cold.  Why doesn't he wear a sweater vest under that jacket if he's cold.  He's also sleeping.  Yesterday it came out that as he's nodding off, he's also farting - a lot.  Ewwwwwwwww.  As you no doubt recall, Jenna Ellis got Covid from sitting next to Giuliani when he was doing the same thing.  Apparently orange is not happy with the art that's being generated about him.}

It's weird, it seems like we just got here, now we're leaving.