April 15, 2015. Adventures with the pie-iron

CAMPGROUND: Sand Island BLM Campground.  No facilities, except nice pit toilet.  (Is that an oxymoron?)   Sites along river. Ours is nice pull-through. $5/night. 4 stars

LOCATION:  Near Bluff, Utah in SE corner of state

WEATHER:  Cold!  Lows in 20s; highs around 50

We survived the windy night and packed up early due to the cold.  We visited Natural Bridges Monument, where we saw 3 huge rock formations in the shape of a bridge, or arch.  We were at 8000 feet, and it was 32 degrees at noon.  A few snow flurries.  

We had planned to drive a big loop, but we learned that the road we planned to take does not allow RVs.  It is partially dirt, with a severe grade, with impossible hairpin turns.  So, we backtracked a bit.  We stopped in Bluff for lunch at Twin  Rocks Cafe, aptly named 

More on weird Utah beer laws.....we ordered a beer (3.2% of course). The waitress couldn't take our order because she was under 21.  So, another waitress came by.  Then, after lunch, the older one picked up the empty bottles, as the young one isn't allowed to touch them!

It was a Native Indian restaurant.  I had their mixed bean soup....delicious.  It came with a choice of Indian fry bread, or ash bread.  Fry bread is like a thick tortilla fried and sometimes greasy.  I ordered the ash bread, which is like fry bread, but grilled.  It is a little like naan.  

It is warmer here in the valley, so we took some walks after getting the camper set up.  There are Indian petroglyphs here, too. On our walk, I picked up this tumbleweed.  These guys blow and tumble all over the place.  Sometimes they get caught under your car as they blow across the roads.  We will use the tumbleweed as a great campfire starter.

We decided to use the pie iron for cooking for the first time in a while.  George easily got the fire going with the tumbleweed and other wood we foraged from vacant campsite firepits.

And here it goes....

DINNER:  Pie iron sandwiches made with leftover BBQ, mashed potatoes and muenster cheese.  Sauerkraut on the side.

April 14, 2015. Batten down the hatches!

CAMPGROUND:  Windwhistle Campground.  Another Bureau of Land Managemrnt (BLM) site.  As with others, no services except pit toilet, albeit a nice non-smelly one!  Beautiful spacious sites.  Great grills. Nice picnic tables. Spectacular views of nearby snow-capped mountains.  $7.50/night. 3 stars.

LOCATION:  40 miles south of Moah, Utah in SW Utah

WEATHER:  Sunny and very windy. Highs in 60s

We packed up in Moab, taking one last shower before we go into the wilderness again.  The wind was very strong, whipping up the dust from the road.  I needed goggles to get to the bathroom!

We drove only about 40 miles to this BLM campground that had been recommended.  Normally, we get about 15 mpg pulling the trailer, but today facing into the wind, we got just 5 mpg.  We were glad that we had only a short distance to go today.

As we were selecting our campsite (all were vacant), the camp host greeted us and warned that there was a wind advisory tonight for gusts up to 70 mph. I was frightened that the trailer might topple over, but George positioned the trailer against some old juniper trees and thought that we would be ok.  We are also tucked under Windwhistle Mountain, so we thought that would help.

We have now visited all 5 national parks in Utah....

1. Zion

2. Bryce

3. Capitol Reef

4. Canyonlands

5. Arches

Canyonlands is massive.  We are next to the southern part of the park.  We unhooked the camper and drove to different parts of the park.  This area is famous for "needles"......columns of rocks.  The skyline of a series of these needles reminds me of a big city's skyscrapers.

On our way, we stopped at this historical place to see petroglyphs, drawn by different tribes of Indians over a period of 2000 years.  It is called Newspaper Rock, as it supposedly conveyed messages from year to year.

We took a hike on one of the trails called Cave Springs.  The cowboys used to have camps in these cave shelters, and their old belongings were still there.  The trail involved climbing 2 sets of ladders, and scrambling over rocks.  Cairns were placed along the way to help one figure out the trail.  The dust  stung with the strong winds.

Returning with the wind, we got 23 mpg.  What a difference!

We didn't build a campfire as it was too windy.  During dinner, the trailer rocked a bit, but everything was fine.

DINNER:  Shrimp cocktail appetizer.  Main course was spaghetti, using leftover turkey burger as meatballs.  Lettuce and tomato salad with blue cheese dressing (from the chicken wings we had at Moab Microbrewery the other day and brought home).  Waste not!

April 13, 2015. Awesome Arches National Park

CAMPGROUND:  2nd night at Pack Creek Campground

LOCATION:  Moab, Utah in SE part of state

WEATHER:  Beautiful. Highs about 70

We spent the day at Arches National Park, marveling at the unique rock formations.  Over the weekend, we saw a mile-long line of cars waiting to enter the park.  Today, we breezed in.  

We did the scenic drive, stopped at all the viewpoints, and hiked about 5 miles of different trails.

The first formation we visited is called Balanced Rock.  It is hard to believe it doesn't topple over.  The sun was streaming when I took the photo.  

Our next stop was Delicate Arch.  This is the most famous one....a popular computer screen saver.  This pic is from internet.  We only hiked to the viewpoint where my photo didn't turn out. We would have had to hike straight up a 3-mile trail classified as "very strenuous" to get close to it.  Call us wimps!  

We had lunch at a pretty picnic area..

Another interesting formation is Skyline Arch.  In 1940, a big piece of it fell, making the hole of the arch bigger.  Here is the arch now...

And here is George lying on some of the rocks that fell...

Back in town, we stopped at the microbrewery for their .$25 chicken wings for an appetizer. We're getting to be real regulars there.

DINNER:  I tried out my new hand-held emulsifier.  I sautéed onions, garlic and a big bunch of kale, added a bit of water, and emulsified it into a slightly chunky broth.  I added part of it to the leftover Italian soup.  We felt very healthy eating it!

April 12, 2015. Plugged in, in Moab

CAMPGROUND: Pack Creek Campground. Commercial RV park with hook-ups, nice bathroom with showers. Picnic area.  Their website called it a "hidden gem".  I wouldn't go that far....no cable TV, and really tight spaces.  Compared to $60/night other places in Miab, it is pretty good.  $39/night. 3 stars

LOCATION: Moab, Utah in southwestern part of state

WEATHER:  Picture perfect. Highs in ipper 60s

We took our time leaving the Colorado River BLM site.  I think spring break has finally ended.  Our campground emptied out.  In town, the gas stations were full of trucks loaded with their "toys"......dirt bikes, ATVs, jeeps, fueling up to leave town.

We set up in our RV park site, and immediately took full advantage of the electric hook-up.  iPad, camera, computer, phone, shaver, electric drill, electric hand-vac, and shaver all plugged in.  We haven't had electricity for about 10 days, so this seems like a luxury.  We charged up ourselves, too, with nice shower, grilled sandwiches for lunch on the George Foreman grill, and clean clothes after I did laundry. 

George wanted to watch the Masters Golf Tournament, so we returned to the microbrewery.

As George watched golf, I listened to bar conversations, learning more about Utah beer laws.  This microbrewery has a liquor license, unlike the one we went to at Zion.  The Zion one could only sell 3.2% beer and strangely, regular wine.  This Moab microbrewery has a full, regular bar.  The draft beer, however, is 3.2%, to comply with Utah law, but they also make/sell their full-strength  beer in cans and bottles.  So when you order a beer, you have to specify  low or high strength.  

Watching the Masters always reminds me of the years we lived in Augusta.  The azaleas are so pretty.

We picked up BBQ at a food truck, for a change of pace. 

There is no TV over the air here, or cable, so sadly we couldn't watch my Sunday night shows, 60 Minutes or Downton Abbey. 

April 11. 2015. Canyonlands National Park

CAMPGROUND:  2nd night at Hiltman Bottoms

LOCATION:  On Colorado River, outside Moab, in southwestern Utah

WEATHER:  Very pleasant. Highs in mountains about 60.  In valley, 75

Today we explored the 4th national park in Utah.....Canyonlands.  It is pretty remote. We had to drive about 50 miles to the entrance.  After getting an orientation at the visitors' center, we took off.  We did the suggested scenic drive, stopping for hikes and at viewpoints.  We had a picnic lunch by one of the canyons.

As with the other national parks here, there are amazing cliffs, sheer drop-offs and strange rock formations called hoodoos.

Back in Moab, we found it is still packed with sports enthusiasts. We stopped at the microbrewery to watch a little bit of the Master's Golf Tournament.

We took a backroad back to our campground through a high mountain range. We had 3 encounters with animals crossing the road.....a herd of cows, a deer couple, then some cowboys on their horses.  

Our campground is a popular place for the raft companies to drop their customers on the river.

The river is not too high, and this is the time of the year, with snowmelt, that it should be at its highest.

I bought a basil plant, and hope that it thrives this season.

DINNER:  Italian soup.  We did it over the campfire in an iron skillet.  I cooked Italian sausage, onions, and garlic.  Then, added cannellini beans, tomatoes, and broth.  I finished with basil, oregano, and a bit of my Hatch peppers.  We brought the skillet inside, and stirred in fresh kale and mozzarella cheese.  Very yummy.  We will have lots of leftovers. 

George is very proud of his smokeless fire ring. 

April 10, 2015. Bustling Moab

CAMPGROUND: Hiltman Bottom Bureau of Land Management Campground. Very primitive.  No water. No dump station.  Gravel sites. On Colorado River. Pit toilets.  $7.50/night. Magnificent scenery. 3 stars. No picnic tables or grill.

LOCATION:  Outside of Moah, Utah in west central Utah

WEATHER:  Cold in AM. warm, sunny in PM...HIgh about 70

We left Green River and had only a 50-mile trip to Moab, home of the next 2 national parks we plan to visit...Arches and Canyonland.  We had been warned that it would be crowded, but weren't prepared for this.  Driving into town, all the many commercial RV parks had "no vacancy" signs.  The town is full of ATVs and jeeps driving around crazily.  The businesses are mostly adventure tours, outfitters, and coffee shops.  We had heard that the campground inside Arches was by reservation only, and filled for months. So, we stopped by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) office to see about their campgrounds which we had heard about.  They gave us a map and we were off on our search.

We followed the Colorado River out of town.  There are about 20 tiny BLM campgrounds that are tucked into the riverbanks.  We passed about 10 that said "full" and another 5 that were tent camping only.  We finally found a site, just as last night's camper was leaving.  Yeah!  As I was helping George back in, a German guy walked over and said he had already paid for this site.  Darn!  So, we were off again, farther down the river.  After 23 miles, we entered the next to the last campground.  One site was available and we grabbed it!  It is right on the Colorado River.....

After setting up, we drove back into town to eat lunch at their microbrewery and to grocery shop.  Sitting at the bar next to us, a local guy recommended an RV park.  We stopped by there to reserve a site for Sunday and Monday.  We want some amenities like electricity, to charge things up, and a laundry, before we set off again.  

The campsite does not have a grill, so George made his famous ground campfire with rocks funneling the wind.  

 

We used our tripod to cook dinner.  We watched the gorgeous sunset from our site.

DINNER: I made turkey burgers from a new recipe.  In addition to ground turkey, I added chopped pepperoni and a little Italian sausage, garlic and sage.  (Obviously, I shopped today!).  We topped the burgers with provolone cheese to melt.  To serve, I coated toasted buns with a parsley/mayonnaise sauce, then added a slice of tomato and a lettuce leaf.  This was a winner!  

April 9, 2015. En route to Arches National Park

CAMPGROUND:  Green River State Park. Paved sites with grills and picnic tables.  Spacious.  Great bathrooms with showers.  Hook-ups available.  $20/ night for no hook-up.  4 stars

LOCATION:  Green River, Utah in western part of state.

WEATHER;  Warmer. Highs in 60s. Not as windy

We left Capitol Reef early as there was not much breakfast clean-up.....we are running out of food.  George had leftover pie and I had a pickled egg!

We are heading toward Arches National Park.  We stopped midway here at Green River.  It is in a valley, and is a pleasant change from the craggy canyon vistas.  We have cell service, for a change. This spring break rush is really maddening.  We have to snatch a campsite by about 11:00 AM everyday before the campground fills up.  We got one of the last sites today, and can only stay for one night.  We are headed to Arches, which we have heard is even busier.  We will try to leave early tomorrow to get a site.  It is next to the town of Moab, where we hope to stay a few days.  George wants to stay in a commercial park on Sunday so he can watch The Masters Golf Tournament!

This state park here has a golf course.  We took a walk around the perimeter for exercise.  

We chatted with neighbors from Newfoundland, Quebec, Wyoming, and Alberta.  

DINNER:  We grilled the LAST of the leftover porkloin.  I have a major shopping list for the grocery store in Moab.  I added onions, shiitake mushrooms and ginger.  I seasoned it with sesame oil.  Meanwhile, indoors I made rice on the stove, since we don't have electricity for the electric rice cooker.  It turned out well.    I cooked the rice in the liquid  that I had used to rehydrate the dried shiitake.  Nice Japanese flavor.