Mahoney SP, Ashland, NE

This is a huge park with huge offerings: 54 cabins, 40 lodge rooms, 149 RV campsites + tent sites, restaurant, gift shop, conference rooms, craft rooms, tennis, volleyball and basketball courts, softball fields, fishing, water slide and more.  There are modern bathrooms with spacious showers and warm water.  And therein lies a flaw. 

I've used a pressure washer a lot over the years, mostly for washing buildings prior to painting.  As the high-pressure nozzle blew away several year's worth of grime and loose paint, I frequently mused that I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of the darn thing - and hoped that I never would be.  That hope was dashed last night. 

I grabbed my towel and soap and trundled off to said modern bathroom, pushed the button to start the flow of water and was promptly blasted against the opposite wall by a jet of water that any fireman would envy.  Holy Crap!  What the hell kind of water pressure they got here, anyway?  The nozzle is in a fixed position about shoulder height, strategically and permanently aimed at the exact spot to cause instant emasculation.

The nozzle can be adjusted slightly by turning the collar.  It has 2 settings: engrave and filet.  Filet is slightly less damaging than engrave.  If you cower as close to the floor as you can, making sure to protect your delicate parts, the water jet on the filet setting can be endured for a few seconds.  

OOPS

Last 2 posts are reversed: Moab/Big Bend was first, then Jackson Lake.  You can handle it.

Big Bend BLM Campground near Moab, Utah; 6-6

We drove through a dust storm today with winds gusting at 50 MPH.  Trailer’s full of grit as are we.  Campground is in a beautiful setting on the Colorado River, across from Arches NP.  We wanted to have a campfire and grill chicken breasts but the wind was blowing great dust clouds around so couldn’t do that.  Instead, Trish did a shrimp and veggie sautee on the inside stove.  She does a mean sautee.  Excellent!
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We’re in a level pull-through space so didn’t have to unhook.  That makes for a quick and easy getaway when we’re ready to hit the road.  Today’s drive will put us in northeast Colorado.

Jackson Lake SP, Orchards, CO

Back in the day, I was in Denver many times on business and I always marveled at the abrupt transition from snow covered mountains on the west side to flat, grassy plains on the east.  Was reminded of that yesterday when we struggled up the last 11000’+ high pass, and then descended dramatically to the flat plains.


We’re road weary, gonna stay here a couple nights and mellow out before continuing on to MN.  Wednesday AM we’re going to the local library to send emails and do blog posts.

Barn quilts: ever heard of ‘em?  I hadn’t until Trish discovered them online a couple days back.  We’re in Morgan County, which has several.  They are quilt patterns painted on plywood by local artists and attached to barns, storefronts and the like.  You show the artist what pattern you want, maybe from a favorite old quilt of your granny’s, and specify the size.  The local REA (rural electric association) mounts them on your building, no charge.  Apparently there are several spots in the great plains that have them; a local fellow we chatted with said they originated in Iowa.  So did my father, come to think of it.  I'll include some barn quilt pix in next post.   

Rainbow Bridge NM, Lake Powell

Rainbow Bridge, the world’s largest natural bridge, is located 50 river miles above Glen Canyon Dam at the end of a narrow canyon.  Boats can be driven to within ¾ mile of RB.  The forest service maintains a dock there for tying up boats while people hike up to see the bridge.

Our houseboat crew.  

Left to right in rear: Mike, Jim, Joe, Julie, Mary Kay.  

Left to right in front: Trish, Pat, Paulette, Heidi, Gary.

Lake Powell Houseboat; 6-2/5.

Gunsight Canyon in Padre Bay, spent last night there.

Julie looking out from bow of boat.

Mary Kay at the helm.

The upper deck, great for viewing.

Another shot of Gunsight Canyon.

WOW! 
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Everything I’d hoped for and more: great trip, great crew, great scenery, great weather.  The people/personality dynamic is unknown and unknowable until individuals meet and interact.  In this case I can’t imagine the dynamic being any better.  Good humor & conversation, a pitch in and help attitude, and lots of good old joie de vivre.
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For some, the highlight of the trip was a run up a narrow slot canyon that our orientation guy recommended as a good place to spend the night.  Not!  I drove the boat up the narrow slot canyon, expecting it to open up any second to reveal a sandy beach for anchoring.  It never did open up.  It got narrower and narrower until finally we all agreed we couldn’t make the next turn.  At that point we had 2’ of clearance on each side, with sheer rock walls extending upward 100’ or more.  Couldn’t turn around, had to back out. 
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The boat was 53’ long.  Backing that big mother out of that slot canyon for a ¼ mile around hairpin turns was one tricky sumbitch.  Crew members in all four corners were fending us off the canyon walls with broom handles and kayak poles.  Finally, we got to a spot about 10’ wider than the boat length and I was able to do a power turn by reversing one engine and forwarding the other.  Since I was driving, I couldn’t take any pix but Trish took several.  I’ve asked her to do a guest blog and include the pix.  Stay tuned.
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Another Lake Powell adventure is a very likely possibility, probably a more northerly stretch in a smaller boat.

Glen Canyon Nat’l Rec Area, Page, AZ; 5-31/6-1.

Sunset Crater  NM, San Francisco Mts behind.

Wupatki NM, one of several ruins in the area.

The Wupatki ball court with aspiring player reviewing the rules.

We stopped briefly at Sunset Crater and Wupatki NMs - neat but not spectacular.  Having lived in the PNW for several years, having visited Hawaii and flying over the active volcano there, and having toured the southern Idaho volcanic parks, it’s been there done that.  Wupatki has several ruins but when compared to Mesa Verde, Chaco, et al, not that awesome. 

This picture and the 2 below are of Horseshoe Bend on the Colorado River, a few miles below Glen Canyon Dam.

Our campground overlooking Wahweap Bay on Lake Powell: a room with a view.

The GCNRA is anything but ho-hum.  The pix speak for themselves, with much more eloquence than a mere human can ever hope to achieve.

Bonito & Bag Bike Babe

What cha got in the bag, Babe?

Oh!  It's a bike.  Cool!

Unfold, attach handlebars. 

Attach pedals.

                                             Attach seat.

                                             Voila!

Hell on wheels!