March 2010 - Road Trip to Canyonlands National Park

Welcome to March, Hopefully NEVER as expensive as last month!

In the beginning part of the month, we were still at Lake Mead NRA, but my last day working was March 3rd, then we went to AutoSafety House, to get our axles on the RV switched. This way, when we go over big bumps, we do not hit the back of the RV. Having a bit of weight in the back would mean bumps, but with the axles switched, this would not happen. So on March 5th, we got that done. It took all day, and as that was a Friday, we decided to head to a casino that would be able to accommodate our size and be on pavement (we knew it was going to rain all weekend.)

Picture	Explanation
	So we backed it up, but could not put into the building as the AC would have come off the top. It did not matter, they were able to do it on this beautiful day.
	One Wheel Off
	Jacked Up RV.

So we stayed at the Suncoast Casino on March 5th through March 8th. It was not a nice weekend, but we did get our taxes done at that time, so while not pleasant outside, we managed to do them without too much fuss. We thought they might be harder because of working in two different states and living in three. But Sasha did an excellent job, and by the end of the day on March 6th, we found out we were going to get refunds for the federal, and two states (Virginia and North Carolina).

The one and only reason we were getting refunds was because of the solar panels we put on the camper. Without that credit, we would have had to pay, but because we did it, we were able to take 30% right off the top! Basically, it was the last part of the taxes, so before that, we actually were going to owe money, then we did the tax credit, and we got a refund!  I hope that others follow our lead and do something to conserve power, whether it is solar panels, solar heating for your hot water, or something along those lines. Yes, I know it costs quite a bit, but thirty percent off the top is a great way to go. 

I must say though, that the energy-efficient machines, well, almost all of them are now made that way, so it really isn't a big deal to have them, it is not conserving enough.

So having those solar panels came in handy as we used the power during that weekend. We were not hooked up to anything at that time. But it was OK, as it was not too cold and we were mostly using the power for the computers, lights, and water pump. We did use the generator a bit for turning on the ceramic heaters in the evening. But we turn off the generator before we go to bed, and sleep under lots of blankets and are nice and toasty.

When we found out that we got a refund, we went to the casino and had a nice dinner buffet. Their buffet was pretty good, with different kinds of meats, potatoes, salad bar...but the best part was the desserts, excellent desserts.

On March 8th I called to find out if the paperwork had gone through for Canyonlands, and I called my boss first. She said that she had not heard of it yet. So I called up the human resources person said yes and that my boss should have called me. I said that she had not, and well, was it in and did I pass? YES I had, but I needed to confirm it with my boss. So I called my boss back, and said that the HR person said I had. SO, to make a long story short, by March 9th I knew that I had to be at Canyonlands Needles District by Saturday afternoon of March 13th...Only a few days away!

So we decided to go to Lake Mojave at Lake Mead NRA to spend a few days in warmer climate before we headed up to Canyonlands. We first tried the upper campground in Cottonwood Cove, but found it to be very tight fitting. So we just used the dump there and took on more water, and then headed down to the lower campground. While the lower campground had a few sites that we would be able to use, they were on a slope, and so not as good as the parking lot. And the parking lot was free. So we are Parking, not camping here. (the signs say that the parking is good for 7 days, but you are not allowed to camp, so that is what we did.)

We also went into the small town there called Searchlight, NV which had a library. We were able to get several movies and I got a book to read. We also made calls while we were up in Searchlight, as there was no internet where we parked. (we had unhitched and just drove the truck up). I called up my Dad a day early for his birthday (Happy Birthday Dad March 10th!) and to let my parents know that the paperwork had happened and we had to be at Canyonlands on March 13th. We made the calls to everyone, surfed the web and I got a couple of emails out, and then went in and got the books and movies.

While we were up in Searchlight, it started to snow! But Searchlight is at a higher elevation than Cottonwood Cove, so by the time we went back, there was not any snow down there.

The next day March 10th was the day that I practiced scooter riding. Basically I did all the practice tests in the book, got it up to speed ~ 15-20 mph within the parking lot and campground, did the 8 curves and got familiar with the turn signals and horn. I practiced for a couple of hours under Sasha's direction and it went very well. 

Picture	Explanation
	Lake Mojave and the gorgeous views
	Me and the Scooter
	Our Parking Spot
	The beach and lake views
	The marina and some of the boats
	Storm brewing, we really can't seem to get a break with the weather, it has been a little bit too cool and very wet for this area. But we took a walk around the campground too, right before the storm hit.
	This was the first time we had seen up close and personal, an Earthroamer. This was the vehicle that started the search for a RV for ourselves. Sasha had been enamored by the concept of an Earthroamer, but we knew the price ~ $250K, was not in the plans for us.
	Another view
	As close as we would ever get to one. Of course now it would be too small for us to full time in, but it is an amazing concept.

The next day, March 11th, we got up bright and early, not because we were planning on it, but because the NPS decided to repave the campground on that day. So it was good, we left to go on a long ride, 50 miles, pretty close to Mojave National Preserve. We did not get all the way in, as it was COLD, by the time we had gotten to where we were going to turn around, my teeth were chattering and my hands were cold. Sasha gave me his inner gloves, and we turned around, and went back. For the great ride, we went to Cottonwood Cove's cafe and had a very nice lunch. We went back to the RV, packed up and left so that we did not have as far to go. We went to a Walmart in Washington, UT (tried the one in Saint George but there were signs saying no parking overnight, so we went to the next one up the road, and stayed there.)  We got a few things at that Walmart. We had gone only 213 miles so we were going to have to get up early tomorrow.

Picture	Explanation
	Us at Lake Mead NRA sign at Lake Mojave
	The ride was a little on the cold side, but good views.
	Long Lake
	It is funny, always when we go to a park whether I am volunteering or working, that people ask, "What is Sasha going to do while you are ______?" Well, here is the answer to it. Sasha spent a bit of time doing the garage, fixing it so that it was nice and neat and so that most everything was off of the floor.
	One of the things you do not see is the double beds. Most toyhaulers have double beds in the back, I guess to sleep the masses of people, but it does not work too well when there is only two people. There just is no need for that many beds. So Sasha sold them on Craigslist in February. The guy came in and took them out for us, and he got a great deal. So anyway, you do not see those beds in these pictures, as it totally opens up the garage for storage.
	We have got extra room now for hanging stuff, whether it be Sasha's motorcycle outfit (which is real heavy, by the way) or jackets and stuff like that. The only storage in the garage was the cabinets, Sasha put in everything else.
	I love this part, as you notice the door, there is a little shelf (that part was there originally) and above the shelf are hooks. We put the extra keys there and he also put a place for the hats as well. Since this is a garage, there are things in here that you would normally have in a garage, like the weed whacker that we got in Hatteras, and some of the supplies for the vehicles and camper.
	He also put in two shelves, this is one of them. We used the same material as what was used in our old house in Potomac Falls, VA right down to the white rods for hanging clothing.
	Anyway, we are now hitched up and ready to go to our next adventure! We left that afternoon.

March 12th, we did not get up early, and we bought some stuff at the Walmart. We had to deal with a prescription for Sasha; his toe was bothering him, and he had a prescription for a toe cream. We took it in, and they stated they would not have it there until Monday. Since Monday was not good for us, we asked that it just be kept in the system and when we could, we would go to another Walmart and get it filled. Needless to say, we did not get the early start, headed out around 2 pm.

We went to a Walmart in Washington, UT (tried the one in Saint George but there were signs saying no parking overnight, so we went to the next one up the road, and stayed there.)  We got a few things at that Walmart. We had gone only 213 miles so we were going to have to get up early to make it to the visitor center by 5 pm March 13th.

Picture	Explanation
	It was just so unusual to see a Joshua Tree and then the snow in the background. Taken while we were driving, this one came out pretty good.
	We just thought this was so funny, Jersey barriers in Utah, with the red rocks and snow-covered mountains.
	Cool Formations

So we managed to get to a Flying J in Richfield, UT, where we got diesel, gas, propane and more water. There was also a big parking lot, and as it was dark, we decided to call it a night. We had gone 170 miles, and had another 250 more to go.

March 13th:  We got to the Flying J in Richfield, UT to get the last fill-up for the day as we had to be at the visitor center by 4 pm, so we got an early start, leaving around 9 am (yes, I know, it does not seem early to most people, but it is early for us!) The views were absolutely beautiful, as you can see.

Picture	Explanation
	Geologist's Paradise. This was at a rest stop.
	Sasha and the snow
	The sign here says no vending, yet this truck has jewelry and pottery that people were selling. You can also see on the sidewalk, some stuff that they were selling as well. Thankfully, they were not aggressively selling, just had it out there if people were interested in looking.
	If you can not see the picture too well, just click on it to really see it. The reason I put this in here, is that we are going uphill, so if we could do those speeds, we would be lucky. I don't think we were doing them though.
	Only 6% going down, not too bad, but it is for a long time.
	We did not use this ramp, but I guess for those that have no brakes, it might come in handy.
	Only in Utah would this not be considered a National Park. The pictures do not do this place justice, but I'm trying to give you a reason to come visit!
	Curvy road

We got into Moab, and got some lunch, and we got some diesel, just to fill up the tank. Then we headed back out.

Picture	Explanation
	This is the tourist attraction here, but we did not stop, and therefore did not see a hole.
	Traffic Ahead, makes sense too:
	Cows Landscape
	Next Right!
	Canyonlands National Park!
	Turn Here! BUT===>Still another 34 miles to go!
	Our first 10% grade road! I think.
	Views are starting to happen, looking good.
	Really good Climbing and people are out there in the cracks.
	VIEWS! And Park Boundary.
	No ATVs, but that is why we got me a scooter after all. And Sasha's Motorcycle is a dual sport, so it can go on dirt.
	The sign that states it all. And the picture to go with it. Welcome to the Needles District!

The road to Canyonlands Needles District is quite long, even though it is not as many miles as you would think. But it still took us over 90 minutes to get from Moab to the Visitor Center. We pulled up to the visitor center and I met my new boss, Karen.

She showed us where we would be staying for the next six months. It is very close to the Ranger Station, and near the maintenance area. But, the spot is not on pavement or gravel. There are three concrete slabs, two that are parallel to each other and are about 12 inches wide, 40 feet long, and a slab that is a square maybe 8x8 feet. But the turning angle is horrible. And the sand is SOFT. And we were not allowed to go on some of the soil as it was thought to be cryptobiotic. It took us approximately 3 hours to get into the spot, enough so that we were happy with it. During that time, there was a lightening storm where the rain came thundering down. We could not get the rig right on the concrete parallel slabs, the angle was just too great. So I will have a picture of how our site looks.

We did spread hay down to make it easier to maneuver the rig and the truck.

March 16th was my first day, have to get used to getting up at 6:00 am to get to work by 7:30 am. But that is OK, I did not sleep very well anyway, as we are on a different time zone now, and we went through Daylight Savings time on the 14th. So we are going to have to get used to the time difference.

March 17th, Happy St. Patrick's Day! Worked today, but then we went to a party at Alice and Nicole's house that evening. This was a neat day as Alice (another seasonal) and I went into Moab to get our paperwork done. So we made the trip in, got the paperwork done quickly, then did some of the chores, like post office, grocery stores, and I'm happy, there is a natural food store in Moab. We had a nice lunch at McStiff's Restaurant, and I was able to get wifi there. Then we headed back around 4 pm, as it takes 1.5 hours to get back.

March 18th, worked again, learning the visitor center morning and the 19th, learning the visitor center evening. Happy Birthday to Daniel Miles, my nephew!

March 20th, I had off, only a 4 day week, next week will be longer. So we took a hike and rode our motorcycles to the trailhead. Pictures coming soon.

Although we did not really live off the grid, we did boondock for several days during the middle part of the month. But we do not have to get much in the way of food now that we have stocked up on provisions. Living in Canyonlands means it is an hour and a half to just get into town, and with that being the case, we will probably not go into town very often. 

Expenses: Hopefully not too bad.

Check out Next Month: April, at a National Park!