Who We Are

We sold our home in June, 2007, and spent the next 7 1/2 years traveling full time in a Cross Roads Fifth Wheel. (We had been traveling during our summers for several years before going full time.) We loved the full-time lifestyle! Each summer we spent a month or two volunteering in State Parks, first in Indiana at McCormick's Creek State Park, near our family, then in later years as the grandchildren got older, at the Bluewater Lake State Park in New Mexico. We spent 6 months each winter at Cactus Gardens RV Resort in Yuma, AZ, where I worked mornings in the park office. The remaining months were spent on the road, seeing this great country of ours. Our favorite places are our National Parks. Anita loved photography and the freedom of digital photography, taking sometimes hundreds of photos in a day. We hiked as much as our legs will allow. We also really enjoyed square and round dancing as we travel across country, and meeting all the wonderful people who dance and/or travel.

But as in all things, there comes a time for change, and we decided it was time to create roots once more. In the fall of 2014, we purchased a home in Cactus Gardens, and in the spring of 2015, sold the 5th wheel. Anita also retired in the spring. We will continue to travel each summer, but for a shorter period of time. We hope to continue blogging about those trips, but it will obviously be on a more limited basis than in the past.

Please explore our past posts if you are interested in traveling this great country. You'll find an index in the left column. We hope you enjoy our blog, and appreciate all comments

Monday, September 13, 2010

La Sal Mountain Loop Drive

No matter which road you take from Moab, it is a scenic drive.  We decided to drive today through the nearby La Sal Mountains.    P1100724

The second-highest mountain range in Utah, the La Sals have a dozen peaks that soar over 12,000 feet.  The name means “Salt Mountains” and came from the unusually salty springs around the base of the mountains.   The range fills the southeastern horizon at our RV park here in Moab.  (OK RV Park).   

Driving the narrow mountain road of 65 miles or so exposes one to mountains, canyons, buttes,  stretching desert floors, red rock cliffs, groves of quaking aspen,stands of ponderosa pine, and long, cool stretches of spruce and fir forests.

Two scenes stand out in our mind about the drive.  The first is the oft photographed Castle Valley.P1100685Castle Valley was probably first used as a movie setting in 1949, when John Ford shot Wagon Master, starring Ben Johnson and Harry Carey, Jr.  The valley, Arches National Park and the Moab area in general soon became a popular movie site.  Last year, while here, we visited the Movie Museum at Red Cliff Lodge.

A famous Chevrolet commercial was also shot here for the 1964 Chevy.  (The video is mistakenly labeled Monument Valley, another favorite site for westerns, south of Moab.

The second scene that stands out in our minds will be the bear crossing the road in front of us.  Unfortunately, I was not quick enough on the shutter to capture that scene.

Want to go for a drive with us?  The drive begins in Moab, follows the Colorado River Canyon east for a few miles, then heads through the mountains.  Click on the cartoon below:

La Sal Slide show 

Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)