hurry up and wait

There never seems to be time to write updates – either we’re in the car traveling or sightseeing or I’m researching the next day’s travel.  We had an amazing time in the canyonlands and I’m so glad we decided to take our time and explore.  We have really enjoyed each and every town we’ve stayed in; Page, Arizona; Kanab, Utah; Panguitch, Utah; Big Springs, Nebraska; Denison, Iown.  We had anticipated staying a 3rd night at the apartment/house/motel in Page and exploring the area more (Navajo Bridge and Lee’s Ferry) but the room, and as we found out later that evening, most every room in Page was rented that night.  Saturday nights are apparently hopping in Page.  We weren’t sure where we would head, but we wanted to explore the area more and figured we’d get a room wherever we ended up.  That is our usual mode of travel – I load webpages from TripAdvisor of the towns I expect we’ll be near at the end of the day and we drive around and choose a motel.

So, after I’d had a good run, the girls enjoyed the back garden at the apartment/house/motel, we rushed about packing up as we were already outside the checkout time.  We headed down to Navajo Bridge and then along the Colorado River to Lee’s Ferry.  This was the site of the only river crossing until the bridge at Page was built and I think that (I’ll check later when I get internet) the Lee of Lee’s ferry was one of the massacre of mountain meadows.  We spent a lovely afternoon along the Colorado, watching the tourists come downriver on boats and herded onto buses back to their destination while the girls played with their horses on the sole beach in the area and in the waves created by the occasional boats.  The boys and Jamie headed along the river trail and can now claim to have hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.  Lee’s Ferry is both part of the Glen Canyon National area and the Grand Canyon.  We spent the entire afternoon there and watched the sun dip below the canyon walls before heading to find a motel.

Each and every motel in Page was booked.  We were really amazed and trying the “worst” motel (as per Trip Advisor) the front desk clerk told us, “everything in town is booked – people are trying us as a last resort.”  With such a ringing endorsement, we decided to head to Kanab, knowing that Panguitch (2.5 hours away) definitely had room for us.  We managed to snag the last room at a motel in Kanab and were delighted to get a huge room with 3 queen beds, fridge, microwave and large bathroom.  We have found that the smaller motels are either pet friendly or will accommodate Kilo and have room for our large family AND will negotiate a good rate, especially for cash.  Plus, I much prefer to patronize a small, local-owned motel than a large chain.  I got a good exercise walk and medicinal run (rehab for the calf injury) the next morning and on our way out of town I took the family along my run route (usually around 5 miles) so they could see some of the town, farmland and old highway.  Running has really allowed me to explore the towns we travel through and allows us to get a good feel for the town.  The girls LOVED seeing the farmland and all the horses up close and personal.

Our next stop was pretty close – only an hour and a half away, but we managed to take all day.  I had planned to spend a couple nights in Panguitch to allow us to explore Bryce Canyon.  As we headed up Utah’s scenic highway towards Panguitch, however, we decided to take a detour to Zion and spent the day hiking and exploring and climbing Very High and finding that Kilo is pretty much a mountain goat when it comes to scrambling up steep rock cliffs.  The boys climbed a mountain and stopped our hearts a little and the girls played with their horses (I know!  Shocker!) atop the rocks at the pullout where we’d stopped.  I took about a zillion pictures and then we coaxed the kids out of the park, again, at sunset.  I was really surprised to find that while the motels in Panguitch were absolutely EMPTY (except for the one I wanted to stay at, that didn’t take pets) they were not very interested in negotiating a rate under $70 (BEFORE 12% taxes) for two nights.  The very last motel in town, (other than chain motels) that we tried was our ticket.  We got a 1/2 cabin; full kitchen (with dishwasher), laundry room (free laundry!), eating area, bathroom (no tub) and 2 queen bedroom (with fireplace!) for $50 cash/night, all taxes included.

We went to bed not knowing that we’d just enjoyed the last time we’d have an opportunity to see the sun.  Today, we are still under grey, cold, skies.  I was thwarted the next morning from a run but I was still able to drag the kids around town for a walk to the grocery store.  We headed out to Bryce and while we had a great time hiking down into the canyon among the hoodoos, Kilo had to stay in the car.  He was very happy to see us each time we returned from a hike, but by the late afternoon, the weather had turned incredibly cold and rainy and we headed back to town much earlier than I’d anticipated.  I hoped for sun for the next day as we’d pass the park but it was not to be.  The colors of Bryce were amazing but I can only imagine they are spectacular in sunlight.

Next day we had planned to stop at Goblin State Park on our way to Green River but decided instead to explore Capitol Reef National Park.  We’ve kind of been turned off of the National Parks as Kilo isn’t allowed except on roads,  (he was illegal in Zion, as it turned out) but Capitol Reef was so enticing that we had to stop.  The kids were loathe to leave the car as it was really Very Very Cold, but along the scenic drive through the park we were able to drive down a dirt road into a wash and along several narrow canyons.  It was amazing to get up-close and personal with the canyon walls and when hiking along the wash, we discovered several cave-like holes worn into the wash walls, the girls were in heaven.  The boys had a blast throwing rocks and the girls played in the caves and Jamie and I froze.  But it was really a beautiful place and we even managed to hike up a steep path to the top of one canyon wall.  I wasn’t really that impressed with our motel in Green River as it was IMO, the most run-down and dirty-looking (though Jamie found it to meet his standards for cleanliness) and was the first small motel I was uncomfortable in.  I actually took the bedspread off the bed to cover the carpet so the boys could lie their bedrolls on it and was paranoid enough to keep all the suitcases and Kilo’s bed in the car, allowing only a change of clothes in the room, worried about bugs.  The desk clerk was quite nice though, and had no problem with a dog and 4 kids and we couldn’t turn that down.

The back of the car had been getting quite out of control with all the packing and unpacking and was getting impossible to pack neatly and without everything falling out upon opening the doors, so the next morning I set to work repacking the back.  I found I needed to do it at least once more before it was packed well.  We also found on the drive to Green River that the alternator/generator on the van was starting to fail and Jamie spent some anxious moments making sure it was going to continue to function and locating a new one in Grand Junction (CO).  The drive from Panguitch to Green River, while not long in mileage, was a scenic mountainous drive and a full days’ worth.  We climbed mountains, hit 9600 ft, idled in the middle of a cattle drive, we continually amazed by scenic view after scenic view, the reds of the rocks contrasting with the fall colors of the trees, and listened to Jamie regale the kids with tales from his cross-country bike ride with his brother, along many of the same roads.

It was lovely to be back among the small towns and small roads and I enjoyed every moment of driving, especially knowing that interstates certainly lay ahead.  We were eventually to join I70 to I76 to I80.

From Green River we headed somewhat anxiously to Grand Junction and the promised alternator/generator for the van, hoping we’d get there before it quit on us.  Luckily, with a diesel, the car will continue to run even if the alternator/generator quits but once the engine is stopped, there is no starting it until the alternator/generator is repaired.  We hustled the kids out of the hotel room by 8am, sans breakfast, with promises to eat in Grand Junction at a Real Restaurant.  Not only did we make it easily to Grand Junction without any trouble, but we found diesel for $2.55/gallon (cheapest yet!).  Unfortunately, we didn’t realize that would be the cheapest price forever and didn’t take advantage of either the cheap diesel or bathroom (for jamie) and headed out to find a truck stop, where we expected to find even cheaper diesel, a bathroom and a cheap restaurant.  Surely, now that we were on the interstate, we’d be surrounded by truck stops and lots of cheap eats.  We had planned to stop meandering now and to put some serious miles in, and had planned a full day of miles.

For some reason, all the Colorado truck stops are located in Nebraska.  At least, that’s what we found.  We finally ended up paying $2.84/gallon and stopping for breakfast around 11am.  The kids were starving, everyone was a little grumpy and when the waitress told me that there was no breakfast available (the lunch specials looked REALLY expensive) I almost cried.  When she saw I was considering walking away she rushed to assure us that breakfast WOULD be available.  When I later thanked her for allowing us to order breakfast foods, she admitted, “well, i’d rather inconvenience the cook than loose a 6-TOP”.  With the kids splitting meals (both the girls and the boys ordered the same meal), we all left STUFFED and still managed to spend $50 (without the tip).  Coffee alone was $5.35.  I really prefer to patronize the local cafes, but the prices just about kill me.  I had checked the route ahead for that day and had found a nice 3 bed motel some 400 miles down the road from Green River or we could go for the gold with 467 miles and a Motel 6 with free internet (usually they charge for each computer, which means only one person, ME, gets internet) AND AN INDOOR POOL.  You can guess what the kids chose.  We went for the gold.

We drove clear across Colorado that day – from Green River, Utah to Big Springs, Nebraska.  It was a long day, with heart-stopping snow at the top of Loveland Pass (11K+) at the Continental Divide.  The sky was still grey all this day also with the added bonus of rain, which turned to snow in the Rockies.  I saw so many places I wanted to stop and explore but we were in destination mode and not journey mode.  One of these days we’ll have to do some gold mine exploring.  Vail seems to be rebuilding each and every condo in town.  We saw at least 3 giant cranes up there.  the kids saw ski runs and lots and lots of snow.  Jamie and I were just happy to get out of the Rockies without getting stuck.

After all my moaning and groaning about interstates and boring, flat scenery, jamie allowed non-interstate travel.  I found highway 30, the first transcontinental US road, and happily headed along it about midway through Nebraska.  We headed up to Denison, to the historical Park Motel and managed to check in before nightfall.  We dragged the kids out for an evening walk and were shocked to find the temperature at 39F.  I honestly could not comprehend the numbers and have simply decided to travel along the river Denial until we’re in reasonable temperatures.  Could be a while.

Next morning I managed to get in my first non-medicinal run since California and got a good explore of Denison in.  I fell hard for the architecture of the Craftsman and Victorian homes which peppered the streets of this quaint town.  This is apparently the hometown of Donna Reed and they have streets named “Friendly” and “It’s a Wonderful Life” in addition to a performing arts center and completely remodeled downtown.  There are a number of small businesses making up the downtown area and while a surprising number are hair or nail salons, all seem to be healthy.  It was an encouraging sign.   My run route took me through a residential area and back through the downtown and upon return, I found I’d been running in 35F weather!  I returned to a dark motel room and sleeping kids, but Jamie, my angel, had hot cawfee ready and waiting.  I immediately set to work finding a hotel room for that night, but looking down the road to troublesome Saturday, found nothing in Neenah (our destination) under $150 or so, due to a Packer game.  We finally decided to spend another night in Denison to arrive in Neenah once rooms had freed up.

We decided to spend the day lazy and once all the kids had awakened (and barely made the 10am cutoff for the motel breakfast) and eaten, headed to Ida Grove to explore their famous castles.   Once we entered Nebraska, I had been researching the websites dedicated to the history of the highway and found that Ida Grove boasted a town of castles.  After seeing many of the castles (but definitely not all of them) we headed to the Farmer’s Market.  One solitary farmer was selling potatoes and gourds and squashes.  I have no idea why I expected a full-on fair of pies and breads and apples and salad fixings and oodles of food but it was somewhat shocking to finally find the park (there was one clapboard sign in the middle of the towns cross streets but no others and we ended up at the highschool outside town before finally finding the park with the farmer’s market) and one very cold farmer with pumpkins and potatoes and not much else.  The kids, on the other hand, we overjoyed to find a playground.  It must have been eleventymillion degrees below zero and Jamie’s bald spot was icing over, but they swung the swings and ran themselves and Kilo into happy tiredness.  Jamie and I only lasted about 45 minutes in the cold before retiring to the warmth (comparably) of the car, which must be the universal sign for “it’s time to leave” as the kids soon followed us.

We then took a walking tour of the town and wandered into the drugstore where we found $1.00 rootbeer floats, 30-cent hot chocolates and FIVE CENT coffee.  After tasting Pike’s coffee, I have to admit it was Totally worth almost each of those five pennies.   After dropping almost $30 at the drugstore, we headed almost a whole block before stopping in at what I thought was a thriftstore but what turned out to be a conglomeration of garage sales inside a storefront.  It was, quite honestly, a treasure trove of old Stuff.  Old school books, old enamel kitchen bowls, hand grinders, porcelain percolators, and more junk than you could imagine.  I managed to pick up some books I hadn’t read and one, “Black Like Me” that I’ve had on my wishlist for quite a while.  I was really amazed at all the first edition classic books available and it was hard not to scoop them all up, especially at 25-cents each.

On our way out of town, everyone cranky from hunger but not willing to eat the cheese or PB&J sandwiches I’d brought, I caved to the unspoken encouragement of the kids, and stopped outside a burger joint.  Well, we really weren’t sure if it was a bar or a place to eat and after sending Jamie inside to check it out (especially for prices) he beckoned us from the door with a huge grin on his face.  It was a 5-lane bowling alley specializing in hamburgers made from local cows.  Well, dead ones.  Jesse was dying to bowl but since they had a league (we had to ask Jamie for a small-town translation of that) that night we couldn’t bowl.  Even though it was a bajillion degrees below zero and Kilo had to wait out in the car, we decided to stay for the “league” and order.  By the end of the night the girls had eaten 2 hamburgers (1/2 pound of meat), Jamie and Pike each ate a full pound of meat, and Jesse had TWO sandwiches (BLT and grilled cheese), a GIGANTIC amount of food for a boy who exists solely on sugar and air.

Once the “league” arrived, we were moved from our table to a different one, awaiting the second round of food orders, and we began to cheer the practice spares and strikes.  The “league” (what looked to be all women, as it turned out, in 2 teams) either glanced at us suspiciously or outright ignored the cheering.  One player, however, by the time the practice was over, began to enjoy our cheering (the kids and we would clap the spares and strikes and “ooh” the near misses) and little by little, we chatted with the players, the girls played with their girls and by the time we left, everyone seemed to at least acknowledge our cheering, if not appreciate it.  Unfortunately, we couldn’t stay until the end as we were worried about the weather and Kilo (out in the car).  I’m sure that this morning, the town is buzzing about the Mexican family handing out pesos at the drugstore and cheering at the bowling alley.

Yesterday morning, when we were coming to the realization that motel/hotel rooms were going to be impossible to find in the Fox Valley of Wisconsin, I had floated the idea of a waterpark visit to the Wisconsin Dells and the kids were very excited about the prospects.  I thought I had a great deal at Chula Vista for $99 a night, all meals, suite-sized room accomodating all six of us, and waterpark included, but I realized that I had forgotten to add the boys to the room.  Once I added those two, the rate climbed to about $300/night.  Yikes!  I felt really bad about disappointing them, and while they were all very understanding, I decided to at least find a motel with a pool for tonight.  So we’re headed to the Dells, but the Roadway Inn, which should be free with our points, an indoor pool, hot tub, sauna, wireless, THREE BEDS, Kilo for $15 (ouch!) and breakfast.  Course, we’re back on the interstates but Jamie and I drank in all the Victorian and farmhouse beauty of Auburn, Denison, Ida Grove and all the little towns along highway 30 and highway 20 that was possible.

Tonight I hope to find a place for us to stay in Neenah, Wisconsin, as Jamie’s childhood home has been sold and his sister’s is full of allergic-producing animals.  I think we’re going to be lying about the number of kids we have again, as anything else is either exorbitant or impossible to find without getting 2 rooms.