A hasty return to Florida

Mary Lou Chonko, Debbie's Stepmother, whom Debbie is the Power of Attorney for, passed away quietly at Arden Courts Alzheimer's facility in Seminole, Florida on June 8th.  We were in Birch Bay, Washington, 3,000 miles away and flew back to Florida the next morning.  Her service and burial took place on June 13th.  It was a very nice viewing and service.  We returned to Washington State late last night and got a restful nights sleep back home in our RV.  We leave for our friend's home in Langley, British Columbia, Canada. tomorrow.  We visit Nadia and Terry James for two days and leave our RV there with them for the 15 days we are on our cruisetour of Alaska. Then back for a few days in B.C. with the James family before heading south to California for a another visit with our family, Gerry & John in Palm Springs, and 2 VA appointments at Loma Linda.   Then we slowly head back to Florida for the winter. We'll get back to Florida October 1st.

Leavenworth, Washington (Our 2nd visit)

Leavenworth is a special place. This German themed city is great place to spend a week.  We are staying at the Pine Valley/Leavenworth KOA.  The campground is very well maintained and the staff is super.  The pool and hot tub are immaculate. The city itself was made over into a realistic German city. We love the shops, the restaurants, the location, the music and the people.  If you come to Washington state, make Leavenworth a stop, you won't regret it. The water in the creeks and Wenatchee River is running high, as the snow melt coming off the mountains.  Its a great area.

                                                   

Welcome to Leavenworth

We got to here a local school orchestra play German music

The also got to hear their choir sing

Front Street with the German Theme and the mountains

Beautiful Architecture

The mountains surround the city that sits in a beautiful valley

The maepole (maypole)

The first day of shopping and enjoying the flowers

After a second day of shopping, Debbie is pooped.

                                                                               The water runs through it!
                                             

Boise, Idaho

We are in Boise, Idaho for 5 days at Hy-Valley RV Park on the outskirts of town.  It is a very nice, well maintained park.  We have already visited the Idaho State Capitol building, the very touching and educational Idaho Anne Frank Memorial, and the Boise State Sports Hall of Fame and the blue carpeted stadium. The Anne Frank Memorial had famous sayings about human rights and hopes.  They were from Anne Frank, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, Chief Joseph, and other famous and not so famous people who discuss how we need to treat our fellow man and to never again follow a devil like Adolph Hitler.                                               

The Idaho State Capitol Building,.  Can you see Debbie?

Looking up at the dome

The Great Seal of Idaho

The Legislative Chambers

The Senate Chambers.  See all the visiting  students in the balcony?

This wood carved statue of George Washington was carved from one tree by a single man, taking four years and then covered with gold la-may.

                                       
         
                                                                                     The Anne Frank Memorial

Anne Frank looking out a window at the Germans hoarding the Jews to camps.

A waterfall and reflecting pool

Me at the Boise State football stadium

Trophies from the last 4 bowl victories, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012-Impressive!

                                                                 

Durango to Silverton Train

We are in Durango, Colorado or just 3 days for 1 reason, to ride the famous Durango to Silverton train. We go 45 miles to Silverton, spend two hours having lunch and shopping and then we head the 45 miles back to Durango.  We boarded the train at 8:15 a.m. and returned at 6:00 p.m.  It was a beautiful ride along the banks of the Animas River, with views of the mountains, rafters, old mine sites, bridges, and the area in general.  We decided to take the Narrated Coach.  We had Charles on the way to Silverton and Sue on the way back to Durango.  They filled us in on what we were seeing and the history of the area.  Each played a real character from the old west and were dressed in period clothing.  It was very informative.  We had a nice lunch at Grumpy's Saloon in Silverton, with piano player Lacy Black tickling the ivories as we ate. Then we shopped a bit, buying a few items for our new house, whenever that is!  When we got back to Durango, we had a delicious dinner at Guido's Italian Restaurant and Marketplace. Tomorrow, our last day here, we are shopping all day.

Our campsite in the beautiful Animas Valley

Our engine, Baldwin engine # 482, built in 1925.

Debbie is ready to roll!

Along the cliffs, headed for Silverton

The Animas River is really running fast from the snow melt

Beautiful Scenery

Majestic waterfalls

Crossing a tressel

Downtown Silverton, population around 300

The County Courthouse in Silverton

                                            We took this video of the train going by our campsite the afternoon before we took the train.

                                                                                    Please click to view

Bluff, Utah

We are in Bluff, Utah for 5 days.  The first evening here, Deb cooked specialty burgers that we purchased in California at Stater Brothers and froze them.  Mine was a Jalapeno Burger and it was great.  Debbie had a Bleu Cheese Burger and it made her sick within an hour.  FOOD POISONING!  On day # 2 we stayed in the RV while Debbie spent the day in the bathroom.  It took her several days to really get better.  On day # 3 We went to Hovenweep National Monument.  This place has many Native American hand made homes built around 1200 A.D.  They lived in them for nearly 100 years before they moved on to other places with water.

This is a Collard Lizard we saw at Hovenweep

Wild Horse we saw upon departing Hovenweep

 Our next stop was at Four Corners National Monument.  This is the only place where four states come together at the same point.  I am standing in New Mexico as Debbie straddles all four states, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, and Colorado.

On day # 4 we visited Natural Bridges National Monument.  These "bridges" were formed by rushing water.  As climate changed, water either went away or found another route.  This left behind what look like bridges.  Some are just huge, 200' wide by 200 feet high.

Debbie enjoyed the views.

 We also went to Sand Point Island on BLM land to see the petroglyphs etched into the walls sometime around 1100-1200 A.D.  They are quite interesting.

On our last day in Bluff, we visited Bluff Fort.  Like many of the forts in the southwest, they are outposts set up by the Church of Latter Day Saints (The Mormons) to spread the word.  This group of around 50 families had lived in Salt Lake.  They were directed to go set up an outpost and church in Cedar City, about 300 miles south in southwest Utah.  After a few years they were directed to go to Bluff, about 200 miles east near the four corners area in southeast Utah.  They helped the Navajo and Paiute Indians and converted many of them to the Mormon religion.  This was a great recreation of the Fort Bluff.  The decedents of the original have restored the fort and many still act as docents by direction of the church, sort of a mission.  There are about 10 cabins, a Hogan lodge used by the Indians, Conestoga wagons, a well, gift store, etc.  It is very nicely done.

Some of the remnants of the original fort

A work wagon and a Conestoga wagon

Two of the many cabins

Debbie as the School Teacher

An Indian Hogan

Inside the Hogan-this is built with cedar trees and no nails

On the way to Monument Valley, we passed Mexican Hat

 Our last stop was Monument Valley.  We went to Goulding's Lodge, had lunch, visited the gift store, and went through the museum.  This lodge was built and run by Harry Goulding and his wife "Mike."
It is now a beautiful destination, featuring a hotel, stores, and tour of the Monument Valley with Navajo guides, as the valley itself is on tribal land. Before the tour we went through the museum, which is mostly a tribute to the Gouldings and to the actors and all of the movies shot there.  Most were westerns.  The famous movie "Stagecoach" by John Ford was shot here.  John Wayne made numerous westerns here including "She wore a yellow ribbon."  Over 100 movies were made here. Now, on to the tour.  It was a windy 3 hour tour in an open truck.  We got some wind burn, covered with the fine red sand, and really bounced around.  But, we got to see some great sights.

Approaching Monument Valley

This is called "Right Mitten."  There is also a Left Mitten

This formation is "Three Sisters." 

This is known as "Totem Poles."

This great photo is a Navajo looking out over Monument Valley

This is "John Wayne's Boot"

Just a wind blown hole in the wall, up about 300 feet

Another hole made by blowing sand

Debbie trying not to digest too much red sand

The old girl is up in the stagecoach

 Back at our campground, Cadillac Ranch, in the community of Bluff, Utah.  Nice people and most all of the business are run by Navajo families. It was up to 90 during the day and in the 50's at night

One of our view from the RV, cliffs, sand, a pond with turtles, frogs & birds.

Our RV is the second one in

This formation, near our RV is "Navajo Twin Sisters."

  We enjoyed our stay in Bluff, but due to Debbie's illness we skipped Canyon de Chelly, )pronounced Canyon de Shay).