Tag Archives: Airstream

Lake Powell

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We are scheduled to meet our friends on June 13 so that means just under a month.  As we wander like this we are many times unsure where to go next.  We knew laundry was coming up so we needed to be in a decent sized town.  I thought Page AZ which is right by Lake Powell.  It was only a 140-mile drive.  I tried to get a spot in an RV park in town but they were full.  Memorial day was coming and we had no idea where we would be which makes it hard to get reservations.

Monument Valley is right on the border of Utah and Arizona.  Our campground at Gouldings was at 37.007010 latitude which puts it just north of the border.  But to get back to Lake Powell, which is also on the border, we had to go down to Arizona.  This time of year that poses a problem of timing.  Utah is on Mountain Daylight time but Arizona is on Pacific Time (they never follow Daylight time).  To make this even odder, parts of the Navajo nation, even if in Arizona, follow Mountain Daylight time!  We rarely knew what time it was.

On our way south of Monument Valley we stopped at Kayenta to get some groceries.  Upon leaving the parking lot we saw another Airstream.  We are always looking for other ‘Streamers.  This one looked oddly different but similar.  It was a long 30’ trailer but it was being towed by a Mercedes SUV.  This sounded familiar.  When I saw a faded spot on the side of the trailer where a sticker had been I knew who it was.  It was Rich, Eleanor, and Emma Luhr!  He was pulling in for some diesel so we turned and followed.

They did not know it was us for a short moment and then realized it.  It was very nice to see them as it had been quite a few years.  We spent a few minutes catching up with each other and went our separate ways.  They were headed to get Alumapalooza going.

We were heading to Lone Rock Beach Campground.  We had heard good things about this dry camping area and wanted to give it a try.  Also it was only $14/night, $7 for us.  We stayed 2 nights:

We visited the Glen Canyon Dam visitors center and Roxie even walked out on the bridge, I commend her for that:

Here is a view of part of the lake:

This area is also on the border of Arizona and Utah so we fought the time change issue here also!

Lake Powell also brings up memories.  The first time there I went with my parents and we took a boat tour to Rainbow Bridge for a day trip.  One of the next times there we rented a Boston Whaler for our own trip and the weather turned so violent we had to ground the boat on the shore and wait it out.  It appears the marina was ready to send out a boat to look for us.  The third time with my parents and we rented a boat again and spent one night on the lake.  My parents slept on the shore but my sister and I slept on the boat seats folded flat.  I remember catching a fish with a stick, hook, and corn.

Roxie and our family went there once on a vacation.  We rented a boat and had a day on the lake.  Roxie still talks about it because the lake was so rough at times.

The campground has a dump and water fill and we took advantage of it since we were probably going to dry camp again.  We did some laundry on our way out of Page.  One other thing, the Walmart at Page must allow overnighters but I have never seen RV’s so encamped at a Walmart as there!  People were disconnected, had generators and barbeques out, etc.  It was very surprising.

Off to our next spot.

 

 

One more memory

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I forgot, in my previous post, to relate a memory that my mother recently reminded me of.  I don’t remember too much of it but I am sure it happened.

My grandmother used to love to travel.  If there was a seat available in a car, on a plane, my grandmother would be willing to go.  That meant that she frequently went traveling with us on trips.  My grandfather was very content to let her go and stay at home, but we got him to go also a few times.  On one trip to Monument Valley, she was with us.

A bit more background, my father rarely picked up any hitchhikers.  I remember he did once around Page AZ where a couple of young girls were thumbing a ride.  On this trip, there was a Native American that was on the side of the road asking for a lift.  He picked him up and put him in the back seat with my grandmother.  I was probably in the back of the station wagon and I have no idea where my sister was.  This new occupant turned out to be inebriated (as my father always called it) and promptly fell asleep.  His sleep caused him to lean up against my grandmother.

My grandmother got very uncomfortable with this and my father decided his ride was over.  He had a very difficult time getting out and my father had to physically help him vacate the vehicle.  However, that did not deter my grandmother from traveling with us.