2011 BLOG REVIEW PART 3 of 3
If you missed my 2010, 2011 Part 1 and 2 Blog Reviews go to the header on top of the page
We left BC and headed to Crooked Creek Campground, near Waterton, Alberta
Day trip to hike Red Rock Canyon
Blakiston Falls...
We moved onto Townsite Campground in Waterton Lakes National Park
We took a cruise up the lake with Waterton Shoreline Cruise Co on the MV International on the right...
The Canada US border...
Our destination in the US...Goat Haunt, Montana in Glacier National Park...
Dianne enjoying the scenery on the way back...
We later hiked to Cameron Falls near the campground...
Then to a viewpoint above Waterton...
On a day trip to Cameron Lake we spotted a waterfall in the valley below...
That is Mt. Custer in the background...it is on the Canada/US Border and is the continental divide...
Not the best photo thru my telephoto lens of a moose grazing on the other side of the lake...
We toured the Prince of Wales Hotel...
I went all of the way to the top of the fire escape to take more pictures...
Our next stop was at the Crowsnest Mountain Resort, in Coleman. The main reason for our stop here in Coleman was to ride with the Quad Squad ATV Club. It's probably the best place in Alberta for scenic riding.
Dianne climbing the hill. Lots of spectacular scenic photos in this blog riding in the Rockies...
The following day we rode again high up into the mountains to the Continental Divide where we could look from Alberta into BC...
Almost above the treeline...
A day trip to the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre
The slide was Canada`s deadliest rockslide that occurred in 1903 burying part of the coal town of Frank (population approx. 600) killing over 90.
Overlooking the debris field from Turtle Mountain...
Hiking thru the debris field. The highway is in the valley below...
Crowsnest Mountain with our rig in the foreground...
Return to BC and Fort Steele Resort and RV Park, Fort Steele. We also returned to the Fort Steele Heritage Town to see if the steam train had been fixed so we could go for a ride...
Dianne fly's to the coast to visit with family and friends while I go on an Elk hunt near Castlegar. Fellow ATV'er Don, had invited me and my buddy Jim to our very first Elk hunt and as a former guide was going to show us the ropes.
One night as we sat beside the fire this coyote kept approaching us and at one point came within 5 feet of Don. (A funny story on the blog)
Don bugling out an Elk call...
One day our group assisted in the search for a lost hunter who was fortunately found alive after spending one night in the bush. Several Elk were seen and heard but none were a legal 6 point or better so we were skunked, but had a blast, learned a lot, saw some beautiful country, and met some great guys. Jim stayed with me in our 5th wheel and commented that it felt like luxury for a hunting trip!
We began our 6 month winter stay in the US. Palisade State Park, Sterling, Utah
We hiked around Funk's Lake which is a reservoir created in 1873...
Horsethief BLM Campground, Moab. UT
Views along our route...
A day trip to Canyonlands National Park
Upheaval Dome...
A day trip...Colorado River below in Dead Horse Point State Park
Day trip to Arches National Park
North and South Arch...
Double Arch...
Landscape Arch...
Double-O-Arch...
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Sand Dune Arch
From this campground we were able to ride directly to the Sovereign Trail...
Dianne wasn't comfortable riding down this hill so I had to do it twice. I have to admit, on my first trip the pucker factor kicked in when only a couple of tires were on the ground...LOL!
Dianne in the distance taking in the views below...
Goosenecks State Park near Mexican Hat, Utah
This is by far the coolest campsite we've ever stayed at. 1000' below the San Juan River meanders 6 miles while only advancing 1 1/2 miles on it's way to Lake Powell...
What a view!!!
We are camped about 30' from the edge. The sites are no longer free but $10 is still a great deal...
Spectacular sunset!
Day trip to the Navajo Nation's Monument Valley on the Arizona, Utah border
Day trip on the quads to Moki Dugway and Muley Point Large vehicles and RV's over 28' are not recommended on this road...wonder why.
We never made it to Muley Point due to signage that said "No Unlicensed Vehicles Beyond This Point"
However our views were still spectacular!
Once back down we rode 34 miles return thru the Valley Of The Gods on a well maintained dirt road. If you're in an insured vehicle you can do a loop drive as the road links up with highway 163 and 261.
The views are spectacular and you can see why they called it Valley of the Gods. Boondocking is also allowed.
Navajo Nation Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Chinle, Arizona
It was freezing cold out so we didn't do the 2 1/2 mile trail to the bottom of the valley to view the ancestral Puebloan village built about a thousand years ago
Navajo farmlands below.
Meteor Crater RV Park, near Winslow, Arizona
Meteor Crater is nearly one mile across, 2.4 miles in circumference and more than 550 feet deep.
The day we visited Meteor Crater the wind gusts were peaking at 127 kph/79 mph which actually took my breath away when I briefly stood on the observation deck. Due to the winds the trails were closed
Dead Horse Ranch State Park, Cottonwood, Arizona
The stormy weather brought snow to the higher elevations on our way to Cottonwood but luckily the roads were clear and we beat the next snowfall. This is a beautiful campground and a great home base for a great variety of places to visit.
A very cool day trip to the the historic hillside copper mining town of Jerome, now a centre for the arts with unique shops, galleries, wineries, tasting rooms, dining and lodging.
Douglas Mansion built in 1916.
Day trip to Sedona, surrounded by red rock buttes, canyons and mountains. A variety of unique shops, galleries, eateries and hiking trails...
We drove to Chapel Rock and toured the Chapel of the Holy Cross built into the rock in 1956...
Sedona from the viewpoint at the airport.
A day trip to hike Red Rock State Park...
Day trip to visit Montezuma Castle National Monument used by the indigenous peoples of the southwest between 1100 and 1425 AD
Next stop was Fort Verde State Historic Park, an Apache wars era fort from 1880's
Next we toured the trails to Montezuma's Well fed by an underground spring of 1,500,000 gallons per day. There's also cliff dwellings...
And finally for that day we toured the Tuzigoot National Monument pueblo ruins of the Sinagua Indians...
Eagle View RV Resort, Fort McDowell, Arizona. We made this our home base to get some servicing done and to store our rig while we vacationed in Los Cabos for 2 weeks then fly home for Christmas.
Pool time at the resort before we leaving for Mexico...
Of our November 19th-December 3rd trip to Mexico.
Dianne's brother Don and wife Rhonda were also in Cabo San Lucas staying a few doors down at another resort and came to visit us at ours, at the Villa Del Palmer
We were also here with my (left) Uncle Gord, Gweth, (right) her husband Don, and Aunt Esther
Snorkelling cruise and the Arch of Cabo San Lucas...
Passing the Arch on our dinner cruise...
Our second week was spent at the Club Regina Los Cabos in San Jose del Cabo
It just happened to be Dianne's birthday while here...
Back at Eagle View RV Resort, more servicing, chores and a little exploration. We checked out the nearby community of Fountain Hills. The fountain is "now" listed as the 4th highest in the world shooting as high as 562' for 15 minutes on the hour.
We checked out McDowell Mountain Regional Park. It has a great campground and would later become one of our favourites. It has lots of hiking/biking/horseback riding trails. We hiked for almost 3 hours and spotted the Fountain Hills Fountain in the distance...
I was in my glory checking out the Arizona Commemorative Air Force Museum Many of these planes are still flown and you can book a ride on some of them. Back then the cost for a 40-45 minute ride on
the B-17 as a side gunner was $425 per person or $850 for the nose section.
Our 2 weeks from December 16th-30th for Christmas in Victoria with family.
Grand Canyon below...
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Christmas dinner, sister Nadine/Mike, niece Amanda, nephew Matt, Dianne, Sons Chris and Rob, and my late father Steve Sr.
Just us in our old home that Rob and Angie have since purchased...
The hill just to the right of the wing is where we built the house...
That's a wrap of my 3 part 2011 Blog Review!
Thanks for sharing. A lot of those places we have also seen so nice to remember.
ReplyDeleteThanks guys! Hopefully we all can make new memories soon.
DeleteAlways fun looking at memories of the past.
ReplyDeleteBe Safe and Enjoy!
It's about time.
It sure is. That’s all we got during COVID. 😉
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