May June 2011, New Mexico to BC, Part 1 New Mexico

Petroglyph National Monument
Cliff Dwelling at Bandelier National Monument
Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park
Crossing a high mountain pass in New Mexico

New Mexico

On Mother’s Day we landed in Albuquerque, MN after leaving Maui the previous day. From the airport we took a cab to pick up our RV from storage. That’s when we noticed a large puddle of oil under the generator. It turned out that when we took our RV in last January to a FL RV service center to get our 100 hour service done on the generator, they over tightened the drain plug and cracked the drain plug housing. This resulted in a slow leak which we had not noticed until the RV sat for 10 weeks. We wasted several days getting the generator checked out. They found the problem but were not able to fix it. Getting work done on an RV in the spring is difficult, because every place is booked up for weeks servicing RVs that have been in storage all winter. The fix would have to wait until we got to UT.

It was nice and warm in Albuquerque, so we packed away our winter clothes and got ready for summer. We visited Petroglyph National Monument and were amazed at the number of petroglyphs in the area. We toured the Coronado State Monument which contains the ruins of a Pueblo village which was occupied in the 1300-1500s.

We left Albuquerque and headed north to Bandelier National Monument. In addition to many hiking opportunities, the park is best known for the cliff dwellings and ruins left by the Ancestral Pueblo people who began to settle here by year 1150. We spent several days exploring the area before heading to Taos. By now we had unpacked our winter clothes as the days got colder the further we moved into the mountains. At times we were driving through snow storms.

We didn’t spend much time in Taos, but we did do the Enchanted Circle Scenic Drive and visited the Vietnam Memorial State Park. This memorial was started by Victor Westphall as a tribute to his son and the other 15 Marines that died with him in battle. Now it is the only state park dedicated to all Vietnam Veterans.

May June 2011, New Mexico to BC, Part 2a Colorado

Durango and Silverton RR Trip
Durango and Silverton RR Trip
Pinkerton Hot Springs
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

May June 2011, New Mexico to BC, Part 2b Colorado

Colorado National Monument
Colorado National Monument
Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area
Sheep Creek Canyon

Colorado

After testing the hot pools at Pagosa Springs, we headed to Durango and took the train ride to Silverton. The snow pack increased as we approached Silverton and certainly added to the beauty of the passage. The weather was poor while we were at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP, but improved considerably at Colorado National Monument. This was our first visit here and we found the rock formations quite impressive. If you get to Flaming Gorge NRA, don’t miss the drive though Sheep Creek Canyon. It’s almost like driving through the Grand Canyon.

May June 2011, New Mexico to BC, Part 3a Utah

Moose

Buffalo statue on Antelope Island

They named this island after me

Western Tanager

May June 2011, New Mexico to BC, Part 3b Utah

Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Sometimes you need to take a different approach
Yellow Pink Columbine
Mormon Temple

Utah
We spent Memorial Day weekend at Bear Lake in NE UT. While the East Coast was cooking with 90+ degrees temperatures, we had cold snowy weather. Not what we expected! Most of the trails in nearby Logan Canyon were closed due to snow. In fact we saw more people snowmobiling than hiking. It was standing room only at Crystal Hot Springs - going on Family Day during a cold 3 day weekend was not one of our better decisions. Antelope Island SP in the Great Salt Lake was practically deserted. Perhaps the large flashing “BUG ARE BAD” sign at the park entrance deterred some people. Of course the bugs made this a natural refuse for the birds that migrated through here. More than 500 bison roam the island along with antelope, mule deer and coyote. We avoided hiking in protected area where the “no-see-ums” were ready to devour us. As we drove back across the causeway, the front of the RV became the final resting place for thousands of midges.
We drove to the generator repair shop and finally got that job completed. We camped in a nearby canyon where the rangers were trying to capture a large bear that had been causing problems. We couldn’t leave Utah without visiting Temple Square in Salt Lake City. We entered the Visitor Center, and soon we had 3 friendly Tour Guides (aka missionaries, or Saints). They initially thought we would make excellent “Saints”. Obviously they didn’t know us well. When they discovered we were homeless, jobless gypsies, they moved on to more respectable prospects. We were lucky enough to catch the Mormon Tabernacle Choir during a rehearsal before they went on a two month tour. I was definitely ready to leave Salt Lake City and UT now.

May June 2011, New Mexico to BC, Part 4 Idaho & British Columbia

Not everything that comes from the earth is natural

Pat and Sacajawea

Hoodoos at Rexford Bench NF in ID

Three Sisters Mountain in Fernie BC

Idaho/ BC

At Craters of the Moon National Monument, we saw rare blue lava and lava tree molds. We walked though some lava tubes which provide good protection from the strong chilly winds. In Salmon ID we visited the Sacajawea Center. Sacajawea was a native woman who guided Lewis and Clark through the mountains. A little further up the road we hiked the trails at Big Hole National Battlefield. Here the U.S Cavalry staged a predawn attack on 800 Native American men, women and children camped at Big Hole. Many women and children died (some still sleeping) during the attack. It was the most violent battle of the Nez Perce War and led to the final surrender by Chief Joseph.

We arrived in Fernie, BC and moved in to our chalet. Here we could get off the road and relax for the next three weeks.

A Tribute to a Wonderful Friend

I started working with Margaret Green at the American Trucking Association in the early 80’s. Several years later, she left for a job in California. Leaving her car on the East coast became a problem for her, so I offered to sell it. She never forgot that small favor on my part.

Margaret did not have a particularly easy life. She had an accident on the job which caused her much physical pain and professional hardship for many years. In 2000, she and I fought breast cancer together, but she had many more subsequent problems. Her last major problem was congestive heart failure.

Although Margaret was divorced when I met her, she did have one son, Michael, who is now a law professor. The fact that he lives in Texas never kept him from assisting his mother, whether she lived in Illinois or Kentucky. No mother could have asked for a better son and she was, justifiably, very proud of Michael.

Margaret enjoyed reading our travel blog. She could hardly wait for the next blog to appear. She traveled vicariously, since she could not physically travel. I’m sure, without her health problems, she would have enjoyed traveling.

Through all of these problems and the many others that Margaret had to deal with, one of the things that impressed me the most was her positive attitude – she didn’t complain or feel sorry for herself. She was also quite a fighter – she ‘questioned’ her doctors constantly and fought to get any type of therapy that she felt would help her. Perhaps that was all part of her incredible will to live – despite the constant pain she lived with and the hardships created by her disabilities.

Margaret was a very special lady, a great inspiration and a wonderful friend, mentor and ‘life coach’ who will be truly missed. It was an honor to have her as a friend.

Pat

April May 2011, Fifi and Hawaii, Part 1a, Fiji

Tropical Flowers

Cooling off after a hike

Coconut Palm Grove

Spinner Dolphins in front of our boat

April May 2011, Fiji and Hawaii Part 1b, Fiji

Spinner Dolphins
Mother and baby
Our Captain/Driver
Our bure (cabin) at Daku Resort

Fiji
It took us a day and a half to get to our resort in Fiji from NZ, not because it is a great distance, but air travel in Fiji is infrequent and often unreliable. We checked into the Daku Resort, near Savusavu on Vanua Levu, Fiji’s second largest island. We were surprised to find we were the only guests at the resort. Getting a chair poolside was no problem. Our activity level was low initially as we relaxed and got a feel for the place. We did some snorkeling in the bay near the resort, but the coral was disappointing as we expected it to be amazing. We were told a cyclone had recently done a lot of damage to the coral. Still, it was better than most places. The water temperature was perfect and you rarely saw another group snorkeling. We rented a car one day and explored the best parts of the island. We hired a guide who led us to a hidden waterfall.
During our week at the resort, it started to fill up. Several small groups came in and for two nights there were 20 college age kids there as part of a GAPFORCE Project (UK’s version of the Peace Corps). Before we left the island we wanted to find the best snorkeling in our vicinity. After a 45 minute bumpy taxi ride, we took a boat out into Natewa Bay and found a pod of 50 or more Spinner dolphins. Smaller groups would approach the boat and play in the bow wave or just guide us around the bay. After we had given the dolphins a good run, we went snorkeling in the crystal clear water of the reef. Apparently this area had been protected from the cyclone as the coral was much better than in the other bay. It was an excellent snorkeling/wildlife trip and a great way to end our week in Fiji.
The best thing about Fiji is their people - they are the friendliest we have ever met! On most tropical islands, the people in the tourism business are very friendly to tourists but the locals blame the tourists for everything that is wrong with their island. In Fiji, the locals greet you with “Bula” (Welcome, Hi), and even wave to you as you drive by.
If you travel to Fiji’s outer islands, allow an extra day on both ends of your trip for layovers and missed, cancelled or delayed flights. After our flight back to Fiji’s International Airport in Nadi, we endured an eight hour layover before our flight to Hawaii.

April May 2011, Fiji and Hawaii, Part 2a Big Island

Pat and Sharon
Pat and Don
Looking down on Pololu Valley
Akaka Falls, 442 feet

April May 2011, Fij and Hawaii, Part 2b, Big Island

Wave crashing on SE coast
Don, Pat, Sharon, Terry, and Bob
Sea Arch
Mauna Kea @13,796 feet, with Mauna Loa in background

Big Island of Hawaii
We landed in Honolulu and then we were to connect with a flight to the Big Island. Unfortunately we booked this leg of the journey with “Go Mokulele”. This airline likes to cancel flights in order to maximize profits. We later found out that this airline is also referred to as “NO GO” airline. That was little consolation as we endured a 6 hour unscheduled delay. It took us a total of 26 hours to go from Savusavu to Kona.
The plan was for my sister Barbara and her daughter to join us for two weeks in Hawaii; however, Barbara was unable to come for health reasons. Sharon was able to come so we picked her up at the Kona airport the next day. Sharon tried snorkeling for the first time and after a rough start, enjoyed it. We explored the reef at several beaches and at one reef we saw three turtles and two octopi. We got a good aerobic workout climbing out of Pololu and Waipio valleys. After a week at our timeshare, we left the dry side and headed over to a B&B near Hilo.
Before breakfast, we drove to a tidal pool and swam in water heated by the volcano. In Pahoa, we had lunch with my first cousin Terry and her husband Bob. Sharon met Terry and Bob for the first time. It was great to connect with relatives that you don’t get to see often. We also visited some county parks on the rugged SE coast before heading up to Volcanoes NP. We learned about the recent eruptions in March, but now the volcano was on simmer so there were no lava flows to observe. We left Hilo and flew to Kauai.

April May 2011, Fiji and Hawaii, Part 3, Kauai

Plumeria
Sharon and Don at Waimea Canyon
Local Basket Weaver
Waimea Canyon

Kauai
We checked into our timeshare and drove to Waimea Canyon. We hiked through a rainforest with Redwoods and Douglas fir trees. Sharon attended her first dinner theater, South Pacific, on the island where the original movie was filmed. We managed to squeeze in some quality beach time at one of the best beaches on the island. On our last night together we attended a Luau. The next day, Sharon flew back to Baltimore and we moved on to Maui.

April May 2011 Fiji and Hawaii, Part 4a Maui

Green Turtle at Turtle Town

Haleakala Crater, Haleakala NP

Haleakala

Haleakala (sorry, I just could not believe the shades of color here)

April May 2011, Fiji and Hawaii, Part 4b, Maui

Orange Pincushion (non native )

Nene, rare Hawaiian Goose

Jackson's Chameleon (male has 3 horns, female has none) non-native

Rainbow over our resort

Maui
After retirement in 2006, we headed to Maui. Five years later we were back. We drove to the top of Haleakala and hiked into the crater. We finished our hike before the clouds moved in and filled the crater. We also tried to hike in the nearby state park but it was closed due to damage from heavy rains in January. One morning we got up very early and took a Pacific Whale Foundation trip to Molokini. On the trip out we saw two of the few remaining humpback whales (mother and baby) still in the area. They winter and give birth in the warm Hawaiian waters and most leave for Alaska in April. Molokini is an off shore crater, known for its clear water and great snorkeling. It is usually very crowded with boats packed with people. Fortunately our boat was one of the first to arrive and we could enjoy the fish without being disturbed by hordes of snorkelers. From here we sailed to Turtle Town, a location where turtle frequently go to get cleaned by fish. We only saw two turtles here, but on the return trip we saw at least a dozen turtles resting on the surface of the water. It was not a good day to leave my camera in the car.
We wanted to snorkel at the Sheraton’s Black Rock, the best beachfront snorkeling on the island. Since parking access is limited to a dozen or so vehicles, we went on a cool, windy and rainy day and had no problem getting in. The snorkeling was still good despite the weather. This weather continued for our last few days on the island - not exactly beach weather! It did make it easier to leave. We arrived back in Albuquerque on Mother’s Day and picked up our RV from storage.