March by the numbers

March turned out to be a month of many new experiences and milestones.  It started with spending time on a Missouri farm. I really enjoyed my time there and I'm heading back for more.  From Missouri I took a new route to me on I-40 west.  I went south to avoid the last winter storms.  Despite some challenges with the RV things went well.  Driving through the middle of the country gives you a different appreciation for how big the US really is.  Lots of amazing beautiful scenery.  Highlights certainly being Zion and Arches National Parks.  A got two of the top three memorable hikes:  Angels Landing and Delicate Arch (the third being Knife Edge in Maine).  Part of the inspiration to get moving and head west was the hunt for rocks.  Mission accomplished I picked up 1000 pounds. The RV crossed over 100,000 miles. Leaving Utah I headed east on I-70.  I think I-70 has to be the most diverse Interstate in the country.  Starting in Utah with 110 miles of mountains, canyons, mesas then climbing over two 11,000 foot passes in Colorado and across the bread belt of Kansas you couldn't have different terrain.  (The best I could do over the passes was 25 mph but I made it.)  April looks to be time spent in a persistent place back at the farm and Orb.

March:
Miles Driven: 3,003
Gallons of gas: 481
Cost of Gas: $1,559
Camping Fees: $448
Food: $485
Rocks: 1,051 pounds


Trip to Date ( May - Mar)
Miles driven: 22,011
Gallons of gas: 2,935
Cost of gas: $11,313
Camping fees: $3,912

States: 38 (added TX,OK,NM,AZ,UT,CO,KS)
Days worked: 6 (as a PA)
Days missing work: 0
Time under water: 9 hours 36 minutes
Times crossed the continental divide:  3

Sunset over Kansas.

Flying Winnebago

April 1, 2013

"In the 1970s, the Itasca Division of Winnebago Industries actually built, certified, and sold the flying and floating Heli-Camper, advertised as “the most dramatic, comfortable, convenient and unique RV in the world.” (Floats were optional, though, and the porch was more of a screened awning that scrolled out for use with lawn chairs.) In the late 1970s, the lumbering offspring of a joint effort by Winnebago and Orlando Helicopter Airways, renamed Heli-Home, appeared on TV, starred in an RV trade show, and fluttered onto the pages of Time, Popular Mechanics, and Popular Science."

An actual flying Winnebago.

So not to be out done I decided to take what money I had left and buy a helicopter for the RV.  Who needs to tow a car around when you can just fly!

Helicopter lands on RV.

Sun rise over the Colorado River Scenic Byway, Utah.

Canyon-Arch-Bike Lands

I camped in Moab overnight and got an early start in the morning. The city of Moab felt a bit like Key Largo (except no ocean) it that its a tourist town feel with lots of locals "work'n it.  I didn't spend much time there except at get maps at the visitor center. With so much to see and do I had to pick and choose so this is what I ended up doing.  It was Easter Sunday morning so there wasn't much traffic to start and I headed up to Canyonlands National Park (only 30 mile away).  It was similar to Bryce Canyon in that it's a drive along the plateau above the canyons.  The payoff is Grand View Lookout.  It's the point where the Colorado and Green Rivers meet.

Grand View Point Canyonlands road end.

Edge of the plateau and looking towards the Colorado River.

The other side and looking over the edge to the Green River.

After checking out a few other lookouts I left the park and headed towards Arches National Park (10 miles back towards town).  Moab is down in the valley and the road into the park climbs up onto the plateau again.

The "Courthouse" entrance to Arches.

Arches NP had a very 'other world" feel.

By this time it was noon and traffic was picking up.  The 'arches" in Arches are spread out in different areas.  Some site were more popular and the lots full.  So I drove past to an almost empty lot, parked and went for a short hike to the lookout.  After the first place you can see the arch people turned around.  I kept going and walked up the ridge line. As I got further up you could begin to see though the arch more and more.  What's hard to see in the picture is that at the arch there had to 50-100 people around and under it.  Maybe next time I hike over there but I was having fun not being with the crowd.

Delicate Arch from across the canyon.

Spring wildflower.  It was 70 degrees.

I hiked up the ridge as far as I could go and went a little further.  A little scramble on the rock.

A little different angle view to the arch and a view up the canyon.

The little spire in almost the center of the photo is where I was standing for the precious picture.

I couldn't go to Arches and not get up close to one.

Crazy rock formations everywhere.

I wandered around Arches for most of the afternoon and headed back into Moab.  Just up out of town is another BLM area with hiking,  camping, 4x4 trails and home of the Slickrock Bicycle Trail.  What would Moab be without mountain biking so off I go.

An easy part of the trail.

I quickly learned many things.  Luckily not the hard way.  Bicycling on rock is different.  I took the two mile "practice" loop instead of the 10 mile real trail.  Overall it was fun and as I went along some spots were fun.  I also walked some steep areas up and down.  I like having my bones intact and lack the reckless abandon that seems to be require to get through parts of the trail.  My $400 Seattle Hybrid hardtail bike was probably not the right gear for this either but it was fun to try.

The view out into the main area of the bike trail.

I felt like I got to see and do a lot without being rushed.  I left some things undone for another visit.  Time to head east.