Last Day at GCNP

Sunrise over the Canyon

Our last day at the GCNP began at 5:15 am so that we could see the sunrise over the canyon.  The first day we saw the sunset and this is something that we wanted to do.  One picture is posted above but it does not do justice to the event that we watched for over an hour.  The colors and the shadows in the canyon changed every few seconds as the day became brighter with the rising of the sun.  It was as if God was painting a portrait of colors and changing the portrait every few seconds as only He can do in his infinite wisdom.  With temperatures in the low 40s we went back to the RV to get a cup of coffee and make plans for our last day.   We spent the morning visiting some of the buildings that were built at the turn of the 20th century.  Verkamp's trading post has now been converted to a visitors center and gift shop.  The oldest guest lodging was built by Harvey in 1905.  The Hobi House was built in the 1900s for the Hobi Indians to sell and display their art and crafts to the early tourists that visited the park

Sunrise on the south rim

Verkamp's Trading Post (1890)

Hobi House (1900)

El Tovar Hotel (1905)

After lunch, we mounted our bicycles and made a 10 mile bike ride along the south rim from our RV east alongside Desert View Drive.  Riding our bicycles along the rim was breathtaking and fantastic.  We saw views that the shuttle stops did not make.  After going to Yaki Point (the furthest point) we rode our bikes along the same route on our return.  We met some hikers at the South Kaibab Trailhead that was going to the bottom of the canyon and hike to the North Rim and return.  They planned on this being a 5 day trip.  Our expectations of the Canyon was met.  Today is the day where a government shutdown is expected, which means the parks will be closed tomorrow.  If we had stayed on our normal schedule, today would be the day that we would have arrived and the park could be closed tomorrow.  God blessed us by allowing us to travel where we got here two days early.

10 mile bike ride to Yaki Point and return to campground

Wildlife at the Park

Bull Elk Looking at my RV

I was not going to post again today, but about one hour ago, just before dusk I looked out the front of my RV and this Bull Elk was just across the road in front of my RV.  He walked straight up to my RV as I took its picture through the windshield.  Then he turned to his left and grazed on through the woods. He had about cows grazing with him and also a herd of mule deer.

Mule Deer

Sunday at the Canyon

Today we went to the Grand Canyon First BaptistChurch.   Services were held at the Shrine of Ages built in the 60's for the purpose of holding religious services.  The pastor and his wife are home missionaries supported by the home mission board of the Southern Baptist Convention.  The service was typical Baptist with us feeling like we were back home.  The crowd was small but brother Rick preached the word.  It was interesting in talking with him about his mission field and the prohibitions that the government puts on his witnessing.  He lives in the park in a home that the mission board owns but he cannot approach anyone in the park such as knocking on doors and witnessing or he could be asked to leave. Sounds like some other country.  Hard to believe that we have deteriorated to this point in America.  The way he gets around this is by inviting people to his home and then witnessing to them.  The park does not pass out any literature about the services that are held in the park.  After church we rode out the south entrance of the park to Tusayan.  We went to the IMAX t the south entrance visitors center to see the movie of the Grand Canyon.  It was very well done and I would recommend it if you come to the GCNP.  We then had a late lunch at a local steakhouse and then returned to the RV to rest up and for Linda to do some work on the computer.  Tomorrow is our last day here before heading to monument Valley

Grand Canyon

Standing on the South Rim

Hobi House on South Rim

Today is the first full day that we have spent at the Grand Canyon National Park.  We did not leave the RV until about 8:30 am and took the Blue Shuttle to the Village.  This is where all the lodges are located with beautiful scenic views of the Canyon from many of them.  Several of these lodges were built at the end of the 19th century, very rustic, huge logs and very old.  We checked out the mule rides and discovered that the rides to the bottom of the canyon were booked a year in advance and the 3hr. mule rides were only at the top of the rim.

Colorado River

We then proceeded to walk along the rim, taking many pictures along the way.  We finally caught the

Bull Elk

Red Shuttle that traveled the Hermit Road.  The shuttle made 9 stops at various viewing areas.  It took the entire day to do this but we saw mule deer, elk, spotted squirrels, ravens, and california condors.




                     

Spotted Squirrel

Bull Elk

Traveling to the Grand Canyon

Mountain Range 25 miles east of Flagstaff

Trailer Village RV Park

We left the Petrified Forest KOA at 8:30 am and began the final 176 mile journey to the Grand Canyon.  Traveling was uneventful, stopping only once for fuel west of Flagstaff for the final 70 miles of the journey.  We arrived at the Grand Canyon National Park at 11:30 am and got checked into our campsite.  Trailer Village is definitely the place to stay if you are camping.  We got set up and I washed the tow vehicle and cleaned the bugs off the front of the RV. while Linda cleaned the inside of the RV.   All sites are pull-thru and have full hookups.  Shocked that they also have cable.  Plans are to get to the canyon and see the sunset today.  Tomorrow we will check into the mule ride.  Linda has decided to go with me if we take the half day trip instead of the 2 day ride.  We will see!

Traveling Through New Mexico into Arizona

Carlsbad KOA Entrance

We left the KOA in Carlsbad at 8:22 am.  It is 680 miles to the Grand Canyon, our next destination.
We traveled US 285 north for 225 miles until we hit I-40 approximately 60 miles east of Albuquerque, NM.  We traveled through Roswell, NM, the home of the alien invasions.  Everywhere in the city was statues of aliens.  This is where siteings of spaceships and visitors from other galaxies have come to earth (LOL).  The day's travels consisted of very little settlements or inhabitants.  It was desert, tumbleweeds which slowly turned into grassland  and good cattle country, as we approached I-40.


We traveled through two small western settlements. There were several gas stations and motels

Grassland

that were closed.  Scrub trees were growing through the buildings, indicating that they had been deserted for some time.  There were shanties and trailers that indicated some people still lived there.  No grocery stores or service stations for miles from these areas, which made me wonder how they lived.  The wind was really blowing, which made it difficult driving.  Reports were that there were gusts up to 50 mph.  We drove into Arizona and pulled off in Holbrook, Az  on historic Route 66 and stayed overnight at the Holbrook Petrified Forest KOA.  Interesting that there is a petrified forest National Park when there is not a single tree in sight.

The area also boast of a painted desert in the vicinity.  We are approximately 160 miles from the Grand Canyon making this a good travel day.  Since we left Auburn, on Sunday, September 15, 2013, we have traveled 1831 miles.  We will be staying inside the Grand Canyon National Park at the Trailer Village.  Originally no sites were available on the days we were to arrive but due to being ahead of our schedule by 3 days, we were able to get reservations when we called yesterday.  Temperature at the Grand Canyon is predicted to be a low of 28 degrees tonight  with a high in the mid-fifties.

Carlsbad Caverns

We arrived in Carlsbad about 3 pm on September 24th.  We are two days ahead of the original schedule that I had planned.  While traveling we made our reservations at the Carlsbad KOA.  Little did we know that it was about 18 miles north of town on 285 which made it about a one hour drive to the Caverns.  After arriving Linda washed clothes while I crashed after a hard day on the road.  The KOA is really nice, serving supper, which Linda decided to purchase.  They had BBQ ribs and brisket.  We were both famished and really dug into the huge plate of food.  The next morning I awoke early, got my coffee, and washed the car as well as the bugs off the front of the coach.  We then began to prepare to leave for the Caverns.

Guadalupe Mountains

The journey began in the Chihuahuan Desert of the Guadalupe Mountains.  We arrived at the Caverns around 11 am.  After talking to the Ranger, we decided to take the two self-guided tours which meant entering through the natural entrance of the cave instead of taking the elevator down.  This meant walking one mile through the entrance and well into the cave before getting to the big room.

Natural Entrance

About 200 feet down is where the bats stay and you pass through many other beautiful formations down 750 ft into the earth following steep and narrow trails through a tall and spacious trunk passage called the main corridor.  This route ended where the elevators and rest area are located.  This is where the Big Room Route tour begins.  The Big Room is over 1 1/2 mile walk covering 8.2 acres.  This area is massive, with many formations.  We really took our time in the cave, finishing up about 3 pm.  Although we walked down, it was nice having the elevators to return to the surface.

THE BAT FLIGHT

After returning to the surface we grabbed a sandwich that we had brought and rested until returning to the amphitheater to witness the evening bat flight.
 This evening flight of bats out of the Caverns is a natural phenomenon as fascinating as the cave itself.  In a mass exodus at dusk, thousands of Mexican free-tailed bats fly from the cave for a night of feasting on insects.  This occurs only from March to October where the bats then migrate back to Mexico



FOLLOWING ARE PICTURES INSIDE THE CAVERN

On to Carlsbad, New Mexico

Big Bend Country

We left Johnson City, Tx about 7:30 am traveling about 460 miles to Carlsbad, NM.  The journey took us through Big Bend Country of Texas.  It was desolate, with scrub growth and tumble weeds.  This area of Texas is very unpopulated with I-10 seeming to go forever.  We passed acres of Windmills as well as natural gas wells.  We exited I-10 at Fort Stockton and traveled US285 through Pecos and a couple of other small towns. I have never seen so many oil fields as on the drive from Pecos.   Pecos is a town with a lot of history.  Real cowboys and gunfighters such as Clay Alison.  Judge Roy Bean, the hanging Judge who brought his form of justice to the Pecos.  The first rodeo was held in Pecos on July 4, 1883.

Gunfighter, Clay Allson's Grave

Johnson Saloon & Hotel

Judge Roy Beam's Saloon & Courtroom

We have traveled 1386 miles to date.
Tomorrow we plan on spending the day at Carlsbad Caverns and staying until the bats fly tomorrow night.

Texas Hill Country

Topography of Texas Hill Country 

Texas Hill Country is the rolling plains in central Texas that is 60-70 miles wide from Austin to Fredricksburg.  It is truly the old western cattle country where now much of the land is in orchards and wineries.  It is the home of our 36th President, Lyndon Baynes Johnson.  LBJ's roots ran deep in the Texas soil with his grandfather Sam Johnson Sr leaving Georgia with his brother to drive cattle up the Chisolm Trail in the 1850's.

Sam Johnson Sr

Johnson Settlement

 During his 5 years as President, LBJ returned to his beloved Hill Country many times.  In 1951 he bought the Ranch from his Uncle and Aunt and expanded the structure to what it is today.  As President he had a working office and had many cabinet meetings at the Ranch.  He had many state (Texas style BBQ's) functions in front of his house on the Pedernales River.  He had built a 6000 ft. runway where he and many state officials flew from Washington to conduct business.

Johnson's Boyhood home from age 5-25 yrs of age he lived here

Johnson moved to Johnson City with his family when he was five years of age,  He lived in the family home until he was 25yrs of age






LBJ always wanted to go back to the River and the land where he was born.  In 1951 he had that opportunity when he bought the 300 acres and home from his Uncle.  Over the years it became a 6000 acre working Ranch,  He lived there and died there and is buried on the Ranch in the family cemetery.

The Texas Whitehouse

Cabinet Tree

LBJ had many cabinet meetings 

LBJ & Lady Bird's Graves

LUCKENBACH TEXAS 
After visiting the LBJ Ranch and the Johnson Settlement, we had lunch at a local Mexican Restaurant.  It was really good, a home baked flour tortilla was the best I have ever had.  After a couple of hours back at the RV we drove to Luckenbach, Texas.  Willie and the boys were not there this day but there was another local group.  The population of Luckenbach wa 3 when the last census was taken but today it is 0.  Of course that is what the local merchant shared with us

Old Post Office

Local Group performing under 500 yr Oak trees

Driving to Johnson City, Tx

Downtown Houston

Today was an extremely long day.  We awoke about  5:15 am after getting to sleep at midnight.  We broke camp and pulled out of Baton Rouge at 7:30 am arriving in Johnson City, Tx at 5 pm.  We stopped about every 2-3 hours to stretch our legs and about an hour in Sealy, Tx. for fuel and lunch. (this was at 2pm)  The route we took was I-10 west until we got to Columbus, Tx just west of Houston, and then we took 71 W through Austin and then 290 to Johnson City.  The trip was 476 miles.

We made reservations to stay at the Roadrunner RV Park in Johnson City.  After arriving and setting up our RV for the night we decided to ride around town to find some supper.  We discovered a treat!  The courthouse was on a square in the town center and we saw several cars parked at a local pub, the Pecan Street Brewery and Grill.  The hamburger was great, but they had a local band entertaining in the back room.  A few local cowboys and cowgirls were there to cheer the group on.  They were mostly all seniors and very well behaved and the band was great.  Linda and I stayed longer that we planned due to enjoying the preformance.

Blanco County Courthouse, Johnson City, build 1895

Pecan Brew Pub

Baton Rouge, La. Auburn vs. LSU

Tiger Stadium at LSU

We left New Orleans on the Morning of September 19th and began making our way to Baton Rouge where we had reservations at the Farr Horse RV Park just a couple of miles from the stadium.  We dropped the girls off at the outlet mall in Gonzales, La where they shopped practically all day.  Us fellows went ahead and topped off our fuel tanks and got the RVs set up for the big game at Tiger Stadium, Saturday Sept. 21st.

Barge on the Mississippi

Walking the Levi

The second day we drove around the campus and the town and stopped at some local boutiques that the girls wanted to go to.  After returning to the park that afternoon, Linda and I walked on the levi that protected the city from the Miss. River along River Road.  It was very humid but a good day for walking since it was overcast.

It rained all night and most of the day and at the game that Saturday, but we donned our rain suits and went to the game.  Auburn is not there yet, but the game ended with a score of 35 to 21 with Auburn almost scoring at the end of the game.  It was about midnight before we got to bed since it was a night game.  We have to get up early for a long drive the next day.