October 2011, Heading Home!

Monday, October 3, we said farewell to Durango, CO. and head toward home. We said goodbye to the train that passes by the campground each day from Durango to Silverton, and headed out of town. Our first stop on our route was Tucumcari ( the sunrise photo is of the rising sun over New Mexico!). Then on to Denton, Texas for the night and then to Shreveport, Louisiana.  From Shreveport to Duson, Louisiana we passed through Natchitoches,  Louisiana.  While passing through Natchitoches I discovered that Natchitoches was established in 1714 by the French and is the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase territory. Maybe next time through Louisiana we will stop and explore this town. While in Louisiana we were looking forward to some good southern home cooking!!! And we found some!!  Duson is the frog capital of the country, so we went out to dinner and had gumbo with frog legs and it was out of this world!  The next day we found ourselves on Avery Island, the home of McIlhenny Tabasco Pepper Sauce.  We took the tour and learned how the peppers are grown, and how the sauce is made.  Very
interesting!  From pepper pods obtained shortly after the Civil War, Edmund McIlhenny cultivated a crop, invented a product, and founded a company.  Today on Avery Island you can see pepper plants being nurtured for next years crop. Seeds from plants grown on the Island are exported to Central and South America.  Main reason for sending them to these countries is so that if there is a drought or insect infestation, the whole crop is not destroyed.  Mr. McIlhenny's recipe was so unique that he was granted a patent on it, and it is closely followed today.
While in Duson we went to the Shucks (world famous) restaurant!  Once again we had a fantastic meal of Crawfish Etouffee, along with their famous oysters.  I could eat there over and over again the food was that great!!

From Duson we headed east and decided not to stop in New Orleans, instead we headed east to Biloxi, Mississippi for two nights.  As John is from the south we headed to "Beauvoir", home of Jefferson Davis (the only president of the Confederacy) and his Presidential Library.  Beauvoir is a National Historic Landmark and a Mississippi Historic Landmark.  It is privately owned and managed by the Mississippi Division, United Sons of Confederate Veterans.

The house was originally built by James Brown in 1848 and completed in 1852.  Problems following the Civil War and the death of Mr. Brown in 1866 forced the sale of the property in 1873.
The property was eventually sold to Sarah Dorsey, who names the property"beautiful view" because of the vista it afforded of the Mississippi Sound.  Jefferson Davis had visited Beauvoir twice during the mid 1870's.  Impressed by its natural beauty and serenity, the aging leader accepted Mrs. Corsey's invitation to write his memoirs at the estate and moved to Beauvoir in early 1877.  Mr. Davis purchased the estate in 1879, including some furnishings
for $5,500.  In the early 1890's, after Jefferson's death, Mrs. Davis and daughter Winnie, moved to New York.
Despite hurricane damage and lucrative offers to purchase the estate, Beauvoir remained in the hands of the Davis family until 1903.  It was sold to the Mississippi Division, United Sons of Confederate Veterans.  The terms of the sale required the USCV to maintain the site as a memorial to Jefferson Davis and the Confederacy and allow the home to be used as a home for Confederate veterans, along with their wives, widows, servants and orphans.
The home was finally closed in 1956.  Restoration of the structures and grounds continued in 1953-54 and again in 1978-79.  Today the historic site encompasses 51 acres of the original Beauvoir estate.  Five of the seven building were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  Many of the artifacts were also lost during the hurricane. It has taken time however the home is once again open for tours.

As we drove along the Mississippi coast the destruction of Hurricane Katrina is still evident! Biloxi is coming back, however it will take some more time.  Biloxi did not get the press that New Orleans did during the storm but they suffered as much or more.  Many of the beautiful homes along the beach are now just empty lots.  Not sure if these people will ever rebuild.

We left Biloxi and headed east to Tallahassee for the night before continuing home.  We arrived home on Thursday, October 13, having traveled 8,370 miles.  It was a wonderful summer and we saw so many wonderful places, however it is always nice to be home again.

We hope that you have enjoyed our travels.  We had a wonderful time..... until next time....

Candy and Johnny

Sept. 2011 Durango to Ouray, CO

Durango, Co. is one of our favorite stops along our route. After a busy month of traveling and sightseeing, I was looking forward a week to rest up and catch my breath!!  We did just that!!!  However on Thursday, September 29th we decided to drive up to Ouray to see the colors of fall on the hills... it was spectacular!!!!  The golden hills took our breath away.
Along the way, we found a brook that was a
brilliant yellow color.  It must have picked up
some minerals from the  local mines.  It fit right
in with the color of the hill side.  What a beautiful sigh!!!

Candy and Johnny

2011 Sept Ouray, Colorado

When we drove to Ouray to view the beautiful fall colors on the mountains we stopped at Box Canyon Falls. This compact but spectacular and powerful waterfall drops thousands of gallons per minute of Clear Creek waters from a height of almost 300 feet into a narrow (really narrow) quartzite canyon. To get to the falls, we followed the trail from the visitor's center along the narrow metal bridge-like paths that overhang the canyon. The roaring falls is quite impressive and the views beautiful. The photo's, once again, do not do the falls justice.
That is all for today,

Candy and Johnny

2011 Sept. Arizona to Colorado

Monday, September 26 and we were off once again driving from Williams, Arizona to Durango, Colorado. Once again the scenery is wonderful. The top photo is of the rock formation "Elephant Feet". We passed by Monument Valley. This is one stop that I hope to make one day.
As we reached the end of the road in New Mexico we came upon the "Four Corners" USA.  the only place in the United States where the corners of four states meet:  New Mexico, Utah, Colorado and Arizona.  Naturally we had to stop and place out feet on all four states at one time!!

We are planning on resting in Durango for a week before we continue east.

That is all for now,

Candy and Johnny

Sept 2011 Route 66

Route 66: It has been called the Glory Road; America's Main Street. For all its titles, Route 66 helped shape a culture. From Illinois to California, the 2,200 mile highway was a ticket to a freedom for the American drivers.

It wasn't until the 1940's that paved roads linked the east and west coasts, with route 66 being one of the major highways of that system. It linked the plains of the heartland, the desert southwest and finally coming to rest at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.

In the 1950's Americans had put the World Wars behind them and took to the road! It was during this time that "fast" food came into being, and created the American craze for hamburger stands and malt shops. Service stations competed for business by offering friendly attendants and clean restrooms. ( Do you remember when you did not pump your own gas? Your oil was checked with your fill up? Battery and tires were checked?) Era of a time gone-by!!!!! Route 66 was a major part of this.

On Route 66 the joy of traveling was not so much the destination, but the journey itself.

Williams, AZ. was the last town that was bypassed by Interstate 40. However Williams can still enjoy the ambiance of soda fountains, shops and motels from the glory days along this Arizona Scenic Highway.

The passing of route 66 to "progress" reminds me of the movie "Cars", by Pixar. where the interstate bypasses the town of Radiator Springs. If you have not seen this movie it is cute and worth your time, not just a kids movie!

After we left Arizona we headed to Durango, Co. for a few days to rest before continuing our trip back home. More later,

Candy and Johnny

2011 Sept Grand Canyon, AZ

We left Utah and headed south and found ourselves in Williams, Arizona. Home of the Grand Canyon, and the historic Route 66.  We stayed at the Grand Canyon Railway RV Park.

For years, the Grand Canyon Railway traveled the scenic landscapes leading to one of the world's greatest natural wonders, beginning at the charming depot located in the heart of Williams, Arizona.  The train first arrived at the South Rim on September 17, 1901, but then came the era of the automobile, when many of the great American railways were lost to both time and progress.

Today, the Grand Canyon Railway once again takes tens of thousands of passengers into the Grand Canyon National Park by way of vintage train service every year.  The Grand Canyon Railway's re-debut on the tracks was in 1989 and once again the melodic cacophony of a train whistle can be heard for miles.
Grand Canyon Railway offers its guests the opportunity to relive history - both en route to the canyon and in its restored, vintage locomotives and passenger cars.
John and I boarded our Luxury Parlor Car at 9:15  for our 2 hour 15 minute ride to the Grand Canyon.  The Parlor Car is a grand tradition of elegance and comfort.  There was an outside open-air platform to view the scenery and wildlife along the route.  On our journey to the Grand Canyon fresh fruit, pastries, coffee and juice were offered. On the return trip we were offered cheese, crackers, veggies and dip and prior to our arrival back in Williams sparkling wine was also served.  The air-conditioned car also featured a wood bar, serving fine spirits.  We decided this is a wonderful way to travel!! 

Our layover time at the Grand Canyon was 3 hours 45 minutes.  During that time we took a bus tour to the rim of the Canyon.  Have to say this is a very impressive place!!!!

The Grand Canyon National Park is the United States 15th oldest national park and is located in Arizona.
The park is 1,904 square miles.  Length is 277 river miles.  The width from rim to rim average is 18 miles. (Although to drive from the south rim to the north rim is 215 miles around).  Average depth is 1 mile. Rim Elevations: South rim:7,000 feet.  North rim: 8,100 feet.

The carving of the Grand Canyon by the Colorado River has taken place over the last six million years, exposing rocks at the bottom of the canyon that are close to two billion years old.

The Colorado River within the Grand Canyon National Park:  length is 277 miles; average width is 300 feet (although from the rim of the canyon the river looks to be only several feet wide) distance can play tricks on the minds eye. The average depth of the river is 40 feet however the greatest depth is 85 feet.  Average gradient is 8 feet/mile.  We were told that for most of the year the color of the Colorado River is a brown, however there are times of the year when the river is a brilliant blue/green.
The Colorado River is 1,450 miles long from its source in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado to the Gulf of California.

Grand Canyon National Park became a national park in 1919.  So famous is the landmark to modern Americans that is is surprising that it took more than thirty years for it to become a national park.  President Theodore Roosevelt visited the rim in 1903 and exclaimed: " The Grand Canyon fills me with awe.....Let this great wonder of nature remain as it now is.  Do nothing to mar its grandeur, sublimity and loveliness!  You cannot improve on it.  But what you can do is to keep it for your children, your children's children, and all who come after you, as the one great sight which every American should see."

Despite Roosevelt's enthusiasm and his strong interest in preserving land for public use, the Grand Canyon was not immediately designated as a national park. The first bill to create Grand Canyon National Park was introduced in 1882 and again in 1883 and 1886 by then Senator Benjamin Harrison.  As President, Harrison established the Grand Canyon Forest Reserve in 1893.  Theodore Roosevelt created the Grand Canyon Game Preserve by proclamation in 1906 and Grand Canyon National Monument in 1908.  Senate bills to establish a national park were introduced and defeated in 1910 and 1911.  The Grand Canyon National Park Act was finally signed by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919.  The National Park Service, established in 1916, assumed administration of the park.

The creation of the park was an early success of the environmental conservation movement. Its National Park status may have helped thwart proposals to dam the Colorado River within its boundaries.

The Grand Canyon, including its extensive system of tributary canyons, is valued for its combination of large size, depth, and exposed layering of colorful rocks dating back to Precambrian times.  It was created through the incision of the Colorado River and its tributaries after the Colorado Plateau was uplifted and the Colorado River system developed along its present path.


The photo's of the canyon do not really do justice to the park.  One of the world's seven natural wonders!!!!!!

That is all for today,

Candy and Johnny

Sept 2011 Zion National Park

Sunday, September 18, and we pulled into the Zion River RV Park, located along the Virgin River in the town of Virgin, Utah, located in Southwestern Utah. Our goal is to visit Zion National Park for the next three days.
Zion is the oldest and most visited national park in Utah. Zion was established as Mukuntuweap National Monument on July 31, 1909. Mukuntuweap means "Straight Canyon" in Southern Piaute. Zion National Park became the official title in 1919.
"Zion" is an ancient Hebrew word, originally used to describe a dry rocky holy sanctuary in ancient Israel. How fitting it is that today this same word should be associated with the magnificent towering cathedrals and temples of brightly colored stone called Zion National Park.
The canyons of Zion are all masterpieces sculpted from raw rock by the Virgin River.  The Virgin River is a tributary of the Colorado River in the states of Utah, Nevada and Arizona.  the river is relatively small, only about 162 miles long. It was designated Utah's first wild and scenic river in 2009, during the centennial c
celebration of Zion National Park.  The Virgin River drops an average of 71 feet each mile of the river.
Private vehicles are not allowed to drive into Zion Canyon during the tourist season.  A convenient shuttle bus loops through the canyon, stopping at all popular attractions.

Everywhere we turned there were awesome views of canyon walls and colorful rock layers!  Zion is a showcase of high plateaus, a maze of narrow, deep sandstone canyons and striking rock towers and mesas.
More on where we explored below.

Candy and Johnny