The hospital is small, but really good. They gave him lots of tests, including a ct scan, blood work, etc. and put him on intravenous antibiotics and pain medication. All of his vitals (heart, blood pressure, etc.) are good.
Poor Ben – he slept til 7:30, but the hospital didn’t decide to admit Jack and get him settled until noon, so Ben read and played games on his computer in the RV the whole time. It is considered a whole wellness hospital with rooms adjoining the gardens, muted lighting, carpeting in the hallways and very homey feeling. Jack has a private room, but is still in pain, but the folks are taking good care of him. The doctors think one to three days of antibiotics should take care of the infection.
Once Jack was settled, we returned to the campground to arrange for a few more nights and luckily we were able to get a spot since it is 4th of July weekend and the place was almost filled.
Ben and I spent a little time in the pool and hottub and then drove 10 minutes over to the Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River to tour the exhibits at the visitor center and watch a movie about the environment. We stopped to see Jack who still isn’t feeling much better (but not getting worse), and the doctors are still pumping him with antibiotics. We returned to the RV for dinner and were able to watch cable TV and check email.
July 2, Thursday – Grand Canyon North Rim
Ben and I woke up early to walk the campground trail looking for birds. We didn’t see many birds, but it was a nice walk in the cool, cloudy weather. Without any sun, the colors of the Canyon along the trail are muted and grayed.
We drove about 5 miles up to Inspiration Point, but the cloud cover is still with us making photography difficult. We then drove 20 miles out to Cape Royal where the sun began peeking out and we were able to get some good photos of the North Rim and the Colorado River. We did a 1 mile round trip hike to Cliff Spring through red sandstone with views of the Grand Canyon.
After lunch, we said goodbye to Grand Canyon North Rim and drove back through the Vermillion Cliffs and north to Page, Arizona. Page is a small town (9k people) that serves as a gateway to the Glen Canyon recreation area and Lake Powell. It has restaurants, shops, and even a movie theater; in other words, we’re back in civilization!
We checked in at the full service campground and headed out to the new Walmart to stock up on supplies. Jack has complained the last couple of evenings that he thought he had a fever, but it was barely over 99, so he soldiered on, but at Walmart, he started getting a pain in his lower abdomen. We returned to the RV, Jack rested and we had dinner, watched a little cable TV and read.
Jack’s fever increased to about 100, so he called his family physician who returned his call (after midnight Eastcoast time) and said if he develops any other symptoms, to see a doctor. Jack’s pain worsened during the night, so at 4, we decided to head to the small hospital in town. I filled the fresh water tank and dumped the gray and black tanks “just in case” and drove the 10 minutes to the hospital – one benefit of traveling in the RV was Ben just stayed in bed. The doctors checked him out, did lots of tests and weren’t sure what was going on, but knew he had an infection and needed antibiotics.
We checked in at the full service campground and headed out to the new Walmart to stock up on supplies. Jack has complained the last couple of evenings that he thought he had a fever, but it was barely over 99, so he soldiered on, but at Walmart, he started getting a pain in his lower abdomen. We returned to the RV, Jack rested and we had dinner, watched a little cable TV and read.
Jack’s fever increased to about 100, so he called his family physician who returned his call (after midnight Eastcoast time) and said if he develops any other symptoms, to see a doctor. Jack’s pain worsened during the night, so at 4, we decided to head to the small hospital in town. I filled the fresh water tank and dumped the gray and black tanks “just in case” and drove the 10 minutes to the hospital – one benefit of traveling in the RV was Ben just stayed in bed. The doctors checked him out, did lots of tests and weren’t sure what was going on, but knew he had an infection and needed antibiotics.
July 1, Wednesday – Moving from the South Rim to the North Rim
Ben, Jack and I said goodbye to Linnie and we all got on the road around 8:30. Lin is heading hope after a stop in Santa Fe to visit friends and we are going to the North Rim – a first for Jack and I. We couldn’t get any campground reservations at the North Rim, so we are winging it as we have been told that we can just pull off a forest service road outside the National Park and camp for the night.
It is 225 miles from the South Rim to the North rim and it took us about five hours. The scenery through the Vermillion Cliffs is awe-inspiring with the pinks, reds and greens of the 1,000 foot cliffs rising from the desert floor.
I stopped at a Forest Service office in Jacob Lake and found that we could get an actual camp site at the forest service campground, so we stopped and paid $9 for a site. When we got to the North rim, we stopped at the campground Office and were excited to find that there was a cancellation and we got the only spot available right in the Grand Canyon park.
The weather has turned cloudy and as we walked around the lodge area, thunder and lightning made a spectacular display. Lightning strikes on the Canyon rim are common and dangerous, so we retreated to a café in the campground to check the internet. We met some folks in the café that were returning to the forest service campground and we asked them to let them know to release our site so someone else can use the spot. After dinner, we played cards and read.
It is 225 miles from the South Rim to the North rim and it took us about five hours. The scenery through the Vermillion Cliffs is awe-inspiring with the pinks, reds and greens of the 1,000 foot cliffs rising from the desert floor.
I stopped at a Forest Service office in Jacob Lake and found that we could get an actual camp site at the forest service campground, so we stopped and paid $9 for a site. When we got to the North rim, we stopped at the campground Office and were excited to find that there was a cancellation and we got the only spot available right in the Grand Canyon park.
The weather has turned cloudy and as we walked around the lodge area, thunder and lightning made a spectacular display. Lightning strikes on the Canyon rim are common and dangerous, so we retreated to a café in the campground to check the internet. We met some folks in the café that were returning to the forest service campground and we asked them to let them know to release our site so someone else can use the spot. After dinner, we played cards and read.
June 30, Tuesday - Grand Canyon South Rim
Slept in til almost 7 – whoopee! Lin and Ben came over around 7:30 and we had blueberry pancakes and then took the shuttle to the west rim. We walked ½ mile along the rim, but it quickly became too hot for us to do any more walking in the sun. We enjoyed riding the bus to the end of the west rim, enjoying the views from the air conditioned comfort of the shuttle. We stopped at the café for lunch and some internet access.Jack and I returned to move the RV to a campsite that had electricity – a big plus so we can have air conditioning in this hot weather. This was the first available spot with electricity that we could get – the Canyon is mobbed. Ben and Lin joined us for a nice afternoon nap in air conditioning in the 90+ heat.
We packed a picnic supper and drove out to Yavapai Point to have a late dinner and watch the sunset. The changing colors in the canyon were incredible – what a great day.
June 29, Monday – Grand Canyon South Rim
Lin and Ben came over for breakfast at 6am and we drove to the trailhead only to find we weren’t allowed to drive down the trailhead road (apparently, we were supposed to take a shuttle bus). We had to park about ½ mile west at a viewpoint and walk in. On our way, we came across a large buck elk and we decided to give him a wide berth.
We arrived just about 7am while the ranger was introducing the hike into the canyon. We got impatient for the ranger to stop talking, so we just walked on ahead. The hike was mostly deep steps, but it was mostly in the shade so not so bad (a little hard on the knees which is one reason why Jack passed up this opportunity). The canyon was gorgeous with beautiful colored highlights and shadows from the early morning light.
We arrived just about 7am while the ranger was introducing the hike into the canyon. We got impatient for the ranger to stop talking, so we just walked on ahead. The hike was mostly deep steps, but it was mostly in the shade so not so bad (a little hard on the knees which is one reason why Jack passed up this opportunity). The canyon was gorgeous with beautiful colored highlights and shadows from the early morning light.
We made it down to the Ooh-Ahh point in about an hour and decided to go down a little further. We stopped for snacks, enjoyed the view and postponed having to hike back up the 600 feet in 1¼ miles – glad that we decided to do this early in the morning to avoid the heat. It took us a lot longer to hike back up and we got back to the RV about 11am. We enjoyed an early lunch and plotted out the rest of the day – naps first!
We drove to the village area to check out the lodges, walk along the rim and try to see the endangered California Condor. We attended a talk on the patio beside the rim about the condors and when we looked up, there were three Condors circling us – a little scary since they are scavengers. They are incredibly ugly – look like giant vultures with 9 ½ feet wing spans and gnarly red heads. Unfortunately, our camera has a delay in taking action shots and we got lots of great shots of blue skies, but did manage a couple decent ones.
Back at the RV we had pulled BBQ sandwiches, played games, made a fire when it got dark and roasted marshmallows. A great day!
We drove to the village area to check out the lodges, walk along the rim and try to see the endangered California Condor. We attended a talk on the patio beside the rim about the condors and when we looked up, there were three Condors circling us – a little scary since they are scavengers. They are incredibly ugly – look like giant vultures with 9 ½ feet wing spans and gnarly red heads. Unfortunately, our camera has a delay in taking action shots and we got lots of great shots of blue skies, but did manage a couple decent ones.
Back at the RV we had pulled BBQ sandwiches, played games, made a fire when it got dark and roasted marshmallows. A great day!
June 28, Sunday – Grand Canyon South Rim
We cleaned the RV, did laundry, and stopped for groceries before heading up to the Grand Canyon – an easy 45 minute drive. We arrived around 1pm, checked in and found our site – a great spot that is a pull through with a nice, deep site with enough room for Lin and Ben to add their tent if they wanted. We set up camp, and sat in the shade and read waiting for Lin and Ben. They arrived around 3:30 and they decided to keep their spot on the other side of the campground. We sat and talked and checked out some of the Grand Canyon literature and decided to start with the visitor center. We talked to a ranger about a hike inside the canyon and we decided to do the 2 mile roundtrip down the South Kaibab trail to a wide open vista. Forecast is in the high 80s, so we decided to do the hike the next morning before it gets hot.
We stopped at the Mather Point vista and took a lot of photographs. The crowds are huge – we’ve never been to Grand Canyon when it was this busy. All campgrounds are full and the areas of the park that we are allowed to drive are really busy and parking spots are difficult to find at the viewpoints.
We returned to the RV, made a nice dinner and relaxed – we are all very tired.
We stopped at the Mather Point vista and took a lot of photographs. The crowds are huge – we’ve never been to Grand Canyon when it was this busy. All campgrounds are full and the areas of the park that we are allowed to drive are really busy and parking spots are difficult to find at the viewpoints.
We returned to the RV, made a nice dinner and relaxed – we are all very tired.
June 27, Saturday – Flagstaff, Arizona
We had made campground reservations in Williams, AZ so that we would have an easy drive up to the Grand Canyon the next day. Williams is a small town on the old Route 66 that is home to the train that goes to the Grand Canyon. We arrived there shortly after lunch, relaxed for the afternoon and went downtown to a 50’s style diner for supper. Early to bed because we gained an hour due to Arizona not using Daylight Savings Time.
June 26, Friday -- New Mexico
Up early – another beautiful day. We got to the station for the Sandia Mountain tram just a little after 9am. It was 78 degrees at the tram terminal (around 6,000 feet). We rode the car that holds 50 people 2 ½ miles up to the summit at 10,368 feet where the temp was a cool 59 and windy. The summit afforded beautiful views of the whole valley, but it was a bit hazy making it difficult to get good photos.The tram rides up the west side of the mountain and at the summit, the ski trails and lift are on the east side of the mountain. We decided not to walk any of the trails because at over 10k feet, hiking is difficult and jack hasn’t really gotten back all his stamina yet.
The tram operator was very informative and chatty on the return trip down the mountain explaining what her duties were in case of emergency that included climbing the ladder and getting out on top of the tram car to do any repair work or release the car if it had been stopped using the emergency switch. 
After the tram ride, we drove on to the museum area near Old Town (we had toured Old Town on a previous trip) to visit the natural History Museum. It lived up to it’s excellent reputation with more dinosaur fossils than we have ever seen in one place and a great planetarium show – well worth the stop. We ran out of time, so didn’t get a chance to visit the International Balloon Museum. Albuquerque is the site of the huge balloon festival in October – added to my bucket list.We headed west on I40 after lunch, passing through fabulous red mesa country in western New Mexico. We stopped for the night at a seedy campground just outside Holbrook, AZ. No TV and the WiFi wasn’t strong enough to read email.
Tennesse, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas
June 22 – Monday - Southwestern, Tennessee
We woke up early because we’re now in the central time zone, walked around the campground, had a nice breakfast, checked the internet, took our showers and got on the road 8:30. Another scorcher – forecasting 100 degrees. We headed west on route 57 at the southern edge of Tennessee, going through small rural farms and then depressed areas with vacant businesses and dilapidated single wide trailers. Just outside of Memphis, there were a few upscale subdivisions and then we got on the interstate to circumvent Memphis. (We had spent a lot of time in Memphis in 2007 visiting Beale Street, Graceland and other attractions a few years ago, so no stops here for this trip.)
Just as we crossed the Mississippi into Arkansas, we stopped at the welcome center to have lunch – 102 degrees. Next to us in the parking area was a guy who needed a nap and apparently had no AC in his truck…now that is tired!
We stayed on I40 through Little Rock (waved to Bill & Hil) and then dropped down to route 70 through Hot Springs and route 270 through the Ouachita (pronounced Washita) mountains and national forest. We stopped for the night at a Corps of Engineers recreation area on Ouachita Lake. We grilled some steaks for dinner and sat outside watching the kids playing in the lake. It was still 84 degrees at 9:30, so no choice but to sleep with the air conditioning again.
June 23 – Tuesday
Did our early morning walk, took showers, packed up and were on the road by 8:30. We continued on through the Oachita Mountains and then up to Fort Smith and picked up I40 again in Oklahoma. We stopped at a Walmart for a few things, filled the tank at $2.36 (cheapest yet), ate lunch and continued on boring I40 – lots of trucks and patches of really rough road mixed with stretches of construction. Not too many alternatives to I40 through this area, though.
We stopped in OK City to visit the Murrah building bombing museum and memorial. It was very moving – Kleenex is a requirement. The museum begins with a timeline starting early on 4/19/95 and proceeds through the morning with an audio recording of the bombing from the building next door at 9:02. The exhibits of building bomb debris and artifacts from the victims, including baby shoes from children that were in the day care center were especially sad. One exhibit showed the pocketknife that a surgeon used to amputate a woman’s leg at the knee that was pinned in the rubble to save her life. Interviews with survivors highlighted the heroism of the rescuers and people in the bombing helping others escape, including a blind man who led a number of people to safety.
The memorial has a stone and bronze chair for each victim with the person’s name etched in the glass base, with smaller chairs for the 19 children who were killed. There is also a large reflecting pool with black gates at either end marking the 9:01 minute before the blast and 9:03 after the bombing.
In addition to the uplifting stories of heroism, another positive note was the American Elm that was severely damaged by the blast, but survived and is a living symbol of resilience and hope.
June 24 – Wednesday
The AC ran all night long and it was 78 when we woke up. We slept in a little this morning and got on the road by 9:30. Drove I40 all the way to Amarillo. The landscape is dryer with fewer trees as we drove west. We passed a massive wind farm on a ridge with the huge turbines slowly turning.
The roadside wildflowers were spectacular – lots of yellows with some oranges and few purple thistles along with occasional clumps of pure white daisies.
We saw a sign for the state museum of Route 66 and made a spur-of-the-moment decision to stop – lots of fun seeing the memorabilia from the Mother Road. We were reminded of the old tv show “Route 66.”
Continuing on I40 to Amarillo, we stopped at Palo Duro Canyon State Park, which is the second largest canyon in America – 120 miles long and 800 feet deep.
We woke up early because we’re now in the central time zone, walked around the campground, had a nice breakfast, checked the internet, took our showers and got on the road 8:30. Another scorcher – forecasting 100 degrees. We headed west on route 57 at the southern edge of Tennessee, going through small rural farms and then depressed areas with vacant businesses and dilapidated single wide trailers. Just outside of Memphis, there were a few upscale subdivisions and then we got on the interstate to circumvent Memphis. (We had spent a lot of time in Memphis in 2007 visiting Beale Street, Graceland and other attractions a few years ago, so no stops here for this trip.)
Just as we crossed the Mississippi into Arkansas, we stopped at the welcome center to have lunch – 102 degrees. Next to us in the parking area was a guy who needed a nap and apparently had no AC in his truck…now that is tired!We stayed on I40 through Little Rock (waved to Bill & Hil) and then dropped down to route 70 through Hot Springs and route 270 through the Ouachita (pronounced Washita) mountains and national forest. We stopped for the night at a Corps of Engineers recreation area on Ouachita Lake. We grilled some steaks for dinner and sat outside watching the kids playing in the lake. It was still 84 degrees at 9:30, so no choice but to sleep with the air conditioning again.
June 23 – Tuesday
Did our early morning walk, took showers, packed up and were on the road by 8:30. We continued on through the Oachita Mountains and then up to Fort Smith and picked up I40 again in Oklahoma. We stopped at a Walmart for a few things, filled the tank at $2.36 (cheapest yet), ate lunch and continued on boring I40 – lots of trucks and patches of really rough road mixed with stretches of construction. Not too many alternatives to I40 through this area, though.
We stopped in OK City to visit the Murrah building bombing museum and memorial. It was very moving – Kleenex is a requirement. The museum begins with a timeline starting early on 4/19/95 and proceeds through the morning with an audio recording of the bombing from the building next door at 9:02. The exhibits of building bomb debris and artifacts from the victims, including baby shoes from children that were in the day care center were especially sad. One exhibit showed the pocketknife that a surgeon used to amputate a woman’s leg at the knee that was pinned in the rubble to save her life. Interviews with survivors highlighted the heroism of the rescuers and people in the bombing helping others escape, including a blind man who led a number of people to safety.
The memorial has a stone and bronze chair for each victim with the person’s name etched in the glass base, with smaller chairs for the 19 children who were killed. There is also a large reflecting pool with black gates at either end marking the 9:01 minute before the blast and 9:03 after the bombing.
In addition to the uplifting stories of heroism, another positive note was the American Elm that was severely damaged by the blast, but survived and is a living symbol of resilience and hope.
June 24 – Wednesday
The AC ran all night long and it was 78 when we woke up. We slept in a little this morning and got on the road by 9:30. Drove I40 all the way to Amarillo. The landscape is dryer with fewer trees as we drove west. We passed a massive wind farm on a ridge with the huge turbines slowly turning.
The roadside wildflowers were spectacular – lots of yellows with some oranges and few purple thistles along with occasional clumps of pure white daisies.We saw a sign for the state museum of Route 66 and made a spur-of-the-moment decision to stop – lots of fun seeing the memorabilia from the Mother Road. We were reminded of the old tv show “Route 66.”
Continuing on I40 to Amarillo, we stopped at Palo Duro Canyon State Park, which is the second largest canyon in America – 120 miles long and 800 feet deep.
We camped in the bottom of the 
canyon and toured the scenic 6-mile road with nice views of the red canyon walls.
canyon and toured the scenic 6-mile road with nice views of the red canyon walls. After dinner, we walked ¼ mile to an outdoor amphitheater (encountering a very frightening spider – tarantula?) to watch the musical extravaganza “Texas” (what else?) that dramatizes the history of the Texas panhandle. 
The cast was huge – at least 75 mostly college kids that were very talented singers, dancers and actors with the canyon wall as the backdrop. The play started with a horseman on the top of the canyon wall waving the American Flag. During the play, horseriders would gallop along and an occasional covered wagon pulled by horses would provide a realistic background to the happenings on stage. The end of the play included horseriders carrying the five historical flags of Texas at full gallop and finishing with the American flag and fireworks. A great day!
The cast was huge – at least 75 mostly college kids that were very talented singers, dancers and actors with the canyon wall as the backdrop. The play started with a horseman on the top of the canyon wall waving the American Flag. During the play, horseriders would gallop along and an occasional covered wagon pulled by horses would provide a realistic background to the happenings on stage. The end of the play included horseriders carrying the five historical flags of Texas at full gallop and finishing with the American flag and fireworks. A great day! June 25 – Thursday
It was in the high 70’s when we went to bed, so we left the AC on. When we woke up, it was 65 and clear. The smell of the Colorado juniper and mesquite trees freshened the morning air, the birds were singing everywhere – what a gorgeous morning.
Jack checked the tires and found the tire that had been repaired was very low, so we stopped at a tire shop in Amarillo. They couldn’t find anything wrong, so apparently the repair shop at home never inflated the tire to the correct pressure.
It was in the high 70’s when we went to bed, so we left the AC on. When we woke up, it was 65 and clear. The smell of the Colorado juniper and mesquite trees freshened the morning air, the birds were singing everywhere – what a gorgeous morning.
Jack checked the tires and found the tire that had been repaired was very low, so we stopped at a tire shop in Amarillo. They couldn’t find anything wrong, so apparently the repair shop at home never inflated the tire to the correct pressure.
We got back on nasty I40 watching the scenery change to desert the further west we traveled. Few trees, cholla cactus in bloom, and cows, cows and more cows.
We had to make a u-turn to visit the "Cadillac Ranch" where vintage cadillacs were put nose-down into the dirt and visitors add their spray painted artwork.
We had to make a u-turn to visit the "Cadillac Ranch" where vintage cadillacs were put nose-down into the dirt and visitors add their spray painted artwork. We stopped for the night just east of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Continuing Westward
Happy Father's Day & The First Day of Summer
It was raining in the morning and temps were about 70, but as soon as we drove out of the rain, temps were back in the mid-90's again. 
We drove west continuing on route 64 through the Hendersonville and Murphy, NC areas. We crossed into Tennessee through the beautiful Ocoee gorge where we had gone rafting a few years ago. Diesel is running about $2.49.
We drove west continuing on route 64 through the Hendersonville and Murphy, NC areas. We crossed into Tennessee through the beautiful Ocoee gorge where we had gone rafting a few years ago. Diesel is running about $2.49.We stopped early in Savannah, TN so Jack could watch the end of the US Open. We could only get ABC over the air, but they had satellite in the clubhouse and the folks running the campground offered to set everything up so he could watch the Open. Just as we were getting ready to walk over to the clubhouse, all the power went out. No TV or air conditioning and it is hot, hot, hot - about 100. We jumped in the squeaky clean pool for a hour or so to keep cool, even though the water must have been in the mid 80s. Still no power, so we had to run the generator to make dinner. Sat outside in the shade until dark, then we had to run the generator again for the air conditioner so we could sleep. The power came back on a few hours later.
We're on our Way
We finished packing the RV and left Friday morning for the 3 1/2 hour drive to Charlotte.
We had a great time visiting with Alicia and Sean and playing with the grandchildren. Brynn and Finley are growing so quickly!
After lunch on Saturday, we said our goodbyes and headed west on routes 74 and then 64 in the southern part of North Carolina. These scenic, twisty roads took us through the beautiful Smoky Mountains. It was close to 100 degrees when we left Charlotte, but in the mountains the temps dropped to a comfortable 80 degrees.
The scenic routes were slow-going, so we drove less than 200 miles which is just fine with us - we're all about the journey and we don't have to be at the Grand Canyon until the 28th.We stopped for the night at a nice campground five miles outside Franklin, North Carolina. We enjoyed watching the fireflies sprinkle the night with twinkling lights.
We're back! Time to get on the Road!!!!
We will be leaving on Friday, June 19th for the Grand Canyon. We have been cleaning the RV and getting a couple of flat tires fixed (one had a nail and the other needed a valve replaced), but we still haven't figured out how to hook up our converter box to our analog TV. We have digital TV in the bedroom, and the analog TV will work when we have cable, so we're good to go even if we don't get it hooked up. If anyone has any great advice on how to hook a converter box up through a DVD player, let me know....
We're still working on the intinerary, but right now the plan is to meet up with my sister Linnie and her son, Ben at the south rim of the Grand Canyon for a few days. Jack and I are trying to get reservations at the campground at the north rim for the next couple of days, but it is full. We'll keep trying for a cancellation. After the Grand Canyon, we are going to explore northern New Mexico, especially the pueblo ruins (Bandelier and Chaco) and the Taos area. After that, the planning is pretty flexible....we'll see.
We will be leaving on Friday, June 19th for the Grand Canyon. We have been cleaning the RV and getting a couple of flat tires fixed (one had a nail and the other needed a valve replaced), but we still haven't figured out how to hook up our converter box to our analog TV. We have digital TV in the bedroom, and the analog TV will work when we have cable, so we're good to go even if we don't get it hooked up. If anyone has any great advice on how to hook a converter box up through a DVD player, let me know....
We're still working on the intinerary, but right now the plan is to meet up with my sister Linnie and her son, Ben at the south rim of the Grand Canyon for a few days. Jack and I are trying to get reservations at the campground at the north rim for the next couple of days, but it is full. We'll keep trying for a cancellation. After the Grand Canyon, we are going to explore northern New Mexico, especially the pueblo ruins (Bandelier and Chaco) and the Taos area. After that, the planning is pretty flexible....we'll see.
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