Leg 60- Nov 17- Austin, NV

We made it to our overnight, a little park which was on the uphill side of Austin, NV.  We had really gone a long way this day so we just rested when we arrived.  Sasha had been cold so we pulled out Buster's old sweater; she's been wearing it every day since. 
 

Leg 60- Nov 17- Eureka, NV

When was the last time you saw an RCA store?

We stopped in Eureka as a break where we saw the old Opera House then took a walk around town.  The town was quite cute but we saw the worst racism of the trip so far; a car with an N-word phrase on the back.  Rough. 

A train house for railroad employees

 

Leg 59- Nov 16- Great Basin, NV

Many people had told us we had to see Great Basin.  Sadly, snow had just socked in the upper reaches of the park so we couldn't visit.  We took a side hike that turned out to be quite magical.  As we crested the hill side the temperature plummeted.  EP tried to walk and just ended up trying to eat pine cones. 

 

Leg 59- Nov 15- Ely, NV

There were not many folks in Ely so we risked breakfast.  Only one place is a siren's call to me.  We had a great time at Dennys then hit up the local museum.  It was chock full of artifacts and a whole pile of major mining equipment (with a rail car from 1897). 

 

Leg 58- Nov 14- Wilderness, NV

This place is not called Wilderness.  It doesn't have a name because it really is nowhere.  We drove about 2 hours and probably saw 4 houses.  We made it to a rest area (5 picnic tables, 2 trash cans and one grill).  We set up the Bounder then detached the Cruze to head toward Lunar Crater.  Being on a dirt road with only cows around, we let EP ride watching out the window.  We made it (on a rough road), the absolute nothingness is incredble.  You can see no human activity (or cowtivity).  Only the road in and the sign for the "park".  We hiked around until the cliff got to be too much.  As the temperature plummeted, I grilled outside.  I woke up in the middle of the night to look at the sky, but sadly we hit the only overcast Nevada night we would have. 

View from Crater Rim at absolutely nature

This slope is waaaay steeper than it seems

So excited to ride at the window

Tough slope hiking with a baby

 

Leg 57- Nov 13- Alamo, UT

Today was a day of splitting.  Myles returned to the vegas airport.  I took the Cruze to St. George to pick up more RV parts while Dallas took the RV, EP, and Sasha to the next stop.  My drive got delayed by stopping to get my Flu Shot (after hearing some rough stories of flu this year).  As I came over into Nevada (you can drive on Nevada roads very fast and it's incredibly fun), I passed a town called Caliente which still had a Radio Shack and an old cool Railroad Depot.    As I finished my drive, I came into an ancient dried lakebed.  I can never really capture the majesty of these wide open views but it really stirred my soul.  I met back up with EP, Dallas and Sasha where we fixed more of the RV and had a relaxing night in. 
 

Leg 56- Nov 12- Echo Bay, NV

Myles applies Nevada

We had planned to stop and stay in Valley of Fire.  We drove through the park but, alas, they had no room at the inn.  The nearest place would be a small campground at Echo Bay.  We had no idea what to expect and, oh boy, was it odd.  The park service clearly expends huge resources of labor and water to take care of non native palm trees and oleander bushes.  Additionally, the entire region has abandoned buildings, and huge sections of watersports infrastructure that are impossible now with the water so low.  It does not seem likely to come back anytime soon. 

EP ate her tomato like that

 

Leg 55- Nov 11- Snow Canyon, UT

After Zion, we had planned to head to Snow Canyon.  We made it, but unfortunately, the park was full.  After loading our water tanks, we headed for a turn off on the local highway.  Myles offered for me to ride on the back of the motorcycle, which was a total treat especially in the gorgeous valley.  We shared our first boondocking night with Myles next to highway 18 with hardly any people around us. 

Our boondock site

 

Leg 54- Nov 11- Zion NP, UT (Part 2)

We had decided the easiest way back to where we needed to get was to take the road through Zion.  We had expected to pay a boatload of money but since it was Armistice Day we paid hardly anything.  Based on the tunnel limits, it would mean that each adult had to take one vehicle.  I drew the straw of driving a 22 year old RV through the 90 year old tunnel then down an entire switchback mountain.  I made it (after spilling all of the olive oil) and we parked all the vehicles.  We took the shuttle up and down the park seeing wonderful sights.  A short hike in the Court of the Patriarchs which was highly impressive (and absolutely empty). 

 

Leg 53- Nov 10- Zion NP, UT (Part 1)

We thought we could accomplish Zion in one day.  We we were wrong.  The drive in was so pretty across the folded landscape (and we got to see on metric buttload of Big Horned Sheep).  They crossed right near where we had parked including going around Myles.  We took the easiest trail in the park where we saw tremendous views.  EP decided she had enough riding in the carrier so she decided she wanted to be chased all the way back along the trail.  I was absolutely exhausted while she continued to run and laugh.  

 

Leg 53- Nov 9- Red Canyon, UT

We took a hike in the canyon on the way to Bryce.  This may have been my favorite hike we've done in forever.  The rock formations, the color, the lack of hardly any people was a delight.  It got cold as rain came in but we still had a wondrous time.  Each of us found something that electrified us about the terrain.  Dallas loved these twisted logs which we named Twisty Mistys.  Myles found new viewpoints and loved it.  I ran on trails that seemed to wind all over the trail.  Later that night, when we got home, EP started her new activity of building lairs.  She takes each individual item from across the RV and makes a quite difficult to assemble lair.  It is shockingly impressive. 

A Twisty Misty

Myles above, Dallas Below

EP and her lair

 

Leg 53- Nov 8- Unka-timpe-wa-wince-pock-ich, UT

Myles, Dallas, EP, Sasha, and I got up early (for us anyway).  We went to a canyon nearby that is often called Bryce Canyon (but that seems a little silly for how awesome it is).  I've decided to use the Paiute word because its neater.  We circled the Amphitheater, taking our time and trying not to fall over the cliffs (I was terrified).  At one point, a random group of strangers cheered us on as Myles led me to an overlook.  I had knocked my foot into a water spigot earlier that morning so I limped all over while Dallas carried EP like a champion.  It was great and we barely saw the park at all!

Brobeam led me out here

 

Leg 53- Nov 7- Cedar Breaks & Glendale, UT

Myles, my Brother in Law, (and Dallas's Brother), showed up on a bike that was the same style as the one Arnold drove in Terminator 2.  He and EP napped (since Jet Lag was clobbering him), then we started on our trip to the National Parks of West Utah.  We had to get over a pass (either the difficult Zion pass or the Cedar Breaks pass).  We took Cedar Breaks which Dallas handled like a champ.  However, the road was terrifying, beautiful, incredibly steep and went to a summit elevation of 9910 Ft!  We tucked into our campsite and decided that was enough for one day.  We deserved rest and we were going to get it. 

 

Leg 52- Nov 6- Leeds, UT

Dallas and EP popped out to various stores across the cities nearby (the first medium sized town we had been to in weeks).  Our RV has a smaller furnace in the back, with a large on up front.  The larger one had as squeaky motor (which would eventually seize if left alone).  I took the entire thing out, dissembled it, took the motor out (realized the one I had bought was wrong sized), oiled my existing motor (which I realize won't last forever, but at least for now), reassembled it, then reinstalled it.  I blew up one fuse so I had to head to the next town over and frantically get a replacement.  I put it back together (cutting my hand in three places), but it worked!  Dallas worked all over the inside of the RV doing updates but I'm writing so I'm not 100% certain what she accomplished.