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1 to 15 April 2024 16 to 30 April 2024

Tuesday, April 16, 2024.

Again, we use 2X4 lumber and left-over pipes to roll the porch back in place.
We are quite happy with the results.

Our neighbour, Lille, has many of those covers for your glass. They prevent bugs from going into your drink.

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

We are on our way to Los Algodones, Mexico, for our teeth cleaning.

Our appointment is for 9 am. But we decided to add a check-up with an X-ray.
This is the waiting room. The dental rooms are through those narrow doors.

Because of the change, our appointment has been pushed to 11:30.
So, we have a snack while waiting.

In Los Algodones, you have many of those indoor courtyards.

In this one, you have four dentist offices.

Our dentist had fallen behind, so we made it back to the U.S. by 2 pm.
Both cleanings cost us $35 each. Michele needed two old fillings replaced. It cost $155.

And we are back in Yuma.

We did not have any margaritas in Mexico. When we got back, we had a few.

Thursday, April 18, 2024.

Before it gets too hot, I place the stuff that stays here in the shed and the basement of the trailer.
We have many things staying here.

I dismantle the patio heater in half to store it in the shed for the summer.

Some stuff in the basement.

I also took down the vinyl cover under the gooseneck.

We are starting to put together the stuff that will come back to Canada with us.

I had to stop a 11 o'clock. The hot weather was too hard on me.

Friday, April 19, 2024.

I woke up later today. Because of that, I started later to continue packing/storing the windbreakers.
Once again I stopped working because of the heat (+35°C).

Michele has less of an issue with the heat. She went to a few yard sales.

Our friends Éric, Judith and Chantal, stopped at Jan and Jannie's place on their way back home in Quebec. They are staying two nights.
Jannie prepared a great meal for them.

Saturday, April 20, 2024.

We only have a few things left to put away before we leave on Monday.

We played "corn hole" or Bean bags for some, at 10 am. After the first game, we had to stop because it was too hot for many of the players. By 10:30 it was already + 32°C.

We putter around some more to get ready.

Sunday, April 21, 2024.

We are down to the last nitty-gritty stuff to put away before we leave tomorrow.

We talk to Benoit for over 45 minutes. It was fun.

We cannot wait to get back on the road. The trip back will be different with just the car and no RV.

Monday, April 22, 2024

Our time in Yuma is coming to a close for this season. Our trailer is ready for the hot summer.
We have three 5 gallon pails and a few one gallon jug with water in the trailer. This is to prevent the wood from drying out and split.

By 8 am we leave the park and head to McDonald's for breakfast.

It is going to be a hot day.

Michele thinks it is very hot.

Look at all the yellow flowers on the side of the road, my allergies are going through the roof.

The travellers.

The roads are great, smooth and hardly any construction.

The more we travel north, the less it is green.

We made a stop at Sunset Point on I-17 between Phœnix and Sedona.

The scenery is just beautiful.

We had lunch near a McDonald's.

A giant Kokopelli.

Our destination for today is Sedona.

We are using the app GuideAlong for our visit to Sedona.
We have used this app before when we crossed The Canadian Rockies.
We love it. It is not too expensive.

The following photos are from Sedona and the surrounding area.

Happy couple!

You cannot come to Sedona and not visit the Chapel of the Holy Cross.

It is very nice. Even with the hot day we are having, many people are here.

The view from the Chapel.

Can you see Mr. Trump? And the virgin Marie with a child in her harm?

We were told by the information center that we should not miss the Tlaquepaque market for its Mexican architecture.

Let's just say, it is very pretty, but out of our price range.

The GuideAlong app is great. The things we learn about Sedona and the area are fantastic.
We are at the airport viewpoint. It sits on top of a mesa. What a view.

I tried to find some info on this house. All I found was that it was a rich man who built it! I could've told you that.

The views are grandiose.

Everything is expensive in Sedona. It is a touristy place, pretty, but touristy.
The hotel/motel was out of our range. We carried on to Flagstaff to find a reasonable place to stay.

We spent the night at the Quality Inn in Flagstaff.

Tuesday, April 23, 2024.

A big day in front of us. For some reason, we woke up very early. So we got on the road early.

We are on our way to Monument Valley. It is a little more than 275 km from Flagstaff.

Along the way, we saw very nice scenery.

Sadly, we could not make the drive through Monument Valley with our car, too low to the ground.
We were told the road was too rough for cars. They offered a tour with a local operator with 4X4. It was way too expensive for our taste.
But, as we drove away, we saw many nice monuments!

Looking at the background, can you think of a movie it was seen?

Yep, Forrest Gump.

Can you see the rabbit?

Here it is.

We are now on our way to the Valley of the Gods.

Valley of the Gods is near a little town called Mexican Hat!
Now you know how it got its name!

We are still impressed by the sites.

We are going to travel on a 27 km gravel road in the Valley of the Gods.

The gravel road is very nice (for a gravel road!). We have no issue with our car on this road.

Like all the photos we took and that we will take, they do not do justice to what we actually see.

Surprise! Cattle and donkeys!

More photos.

It was free, and it was good.

The day is not over, we are now heading towards The Four Corners.
Here is what Wikipedia says.
"It is the only location in the United States where four states meet: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah."

Why did we make a detour to visit this place? Because it is an item on our bucket list!
Michele is touching all four states.

And so am I! I think.

All around the four corners, First Nations people are selling their crafts and jewelry.

At the end of the day, when we reach Monticello, Utah, where we spent the night, we have travelled more than 575 km today.

Wednesday, April 24, 2024.

We are up and about early once again.
Breakfast consists of leftover pizza.
Another big day is ahead of us. We are on the road by 6:30.

Why so early?
We are visiting the Canyonlands National Park today.
We are north of the Grand Canyon.
We bought the Canyonlands National Park tour from GuideAlong. It is going to be good.

The general area is beautiful. We saw this rock formation named Church Rock.

It is over 200 feet high. The hole you see at the base is 16 feet by 20 feet. This gives you an idea of the size of the rock.

Canyonlands National Park is divided into three parts, the Needles, Island In The Sky and the Maze.
The Maze is more about hiking trails, no visiting this part for us.
We are on our way to the Needles.

We are not even in the Park and the sights we come across are gorgeous.
GuideAlong is a must to get all the info for this Park and the surrounding area.

A quick stop at Newspaper Rock.

We are still driving to the Park.

It is hard to see, but the top part of the two mountains looks like six-shooter revolvers.

We finally arrived at the entrance of the Canyonlands National Park, district Needles.

Can you guess the name of this rock formation? Yep, a wooden Shoe.

Our first short hike is at the Cave Spring.

This hike is only 1.2 km long.
It is not an actual cave, it is a rock ledge.
This is a cowboy's shelter and it was used until the 1970s.

The ledge is very long and provides shelter not only to humans but also to other critters.

This is the spring. The water comes from the rain falling on the top and filtering through the rocks until it hits a waterproof rock formation.
It comes out of the rocks here.

It is amazing to see how the rock formation was shaped over the millennium.

Another example of the rock layers.

The view from the top of the ledge.

The views!
It is hot (+30°C), but we decided to hike the Slickrock trail (4 km) anyway.

It is a moderate hike. We can see the Needles in the distance.

We saw the "Upper Little Spring Canyon", the "Lower Little Spring Canyon" and the "Big Spring Canyon".

The La Sal mountains. They are 60 km away.

We loved this park, so much to see, you need to be here for days to maybe see most of it.
We spent a little more than 5 hours in the Park.

Between the Needles district and the Island in the Sky district, it is a 2 hours drive.
About halfway to the Island in the Sky district, you this touristy place.
It is Hole N'The Rock.
A little info about this place.
"Albert Christensen started to dig in the rock for the house in 1940.
The family moved in 1952. A restaurant operated between 1945 and 1955.
After Albert passed in 1957, The site was open to the public."

This is just one of the openings in the house.

After doing the tour of Hole N'The Rock, we continued to the entrance of the "Island In The Sky" district of Canyonlands National Park.
We entered the Park at 2 pm.

Why the name "Island in the Sky"?
The Island in the Sky district is a broad and level mesa in the northern section of the park, between the Colorado and Green rivers.

Before it was a national park, ranchers used this "island" as a grazing area for their cattle.
The only way to the "island" was through a narrow strip of land connecting the mesa to the surrounding area. The ranchers only had to fence this narrow strip of land to keep the cattle on the island.

This morning's hike was hard on Michele's foot and knee. We are doing a short hike this afternoon.
We are going to the Mesa Arch.

Two major rivers are joining in the Park, the Colorado River and the Green River.

Another lookout is the Grand View.

We enjoyed this Park. But our favourite so far is the Needles district.
We spent the night in Moab. Moab is a paradise for outdoor activities.

Thursday, April 25, 2024.

We are visiting Arches N.P. this morning.
To have access to the Park, you need to book an entry time. This is to control the number of people in the Park since this is one of the most visited parks in the United States. Our access time is between 7 and 8 am this morning. You can stay as long as you want.

All the information centers in the U.S. are great.

Once in the Park, you start a long climb.

On the way up, One Lookout explains the different layers you see on the cliff.

We can also see the valley. On the left is Moab, where we came from. On the right, it is going north.

Almost all the rock formations have a name.
This one is the three penguins.

This valley is called Park Avenue because it looks like Park Avenue in New York City.

This is the other side of Park Avenue.
The next photo will give you the name of the rock formation.

The three Gossips and the Sheep rock.

Way in the distance you can see Balance Rock.

Here we are.

This is Balance Rock.

Is bad weather coming our way? No, it will miss us.

Arches N.P. has more than 2000 arches. One is in this rock formation.

Some people would say "Yep, lots of rocks". For us, it is beautiful, big, colourful.

This area has easy access to many arches.

This one is Window Arch.

It is so big!

The view when you look in the Window.

The view from the Window towards the parking area.

At less than 1 km, you come up to the "spectacle" arches. Like a pair of glasses.

I know, it is so big.

From here, we can see the Turret Arch.

Can you see Michele?

Here she is!

We wanted to go and look at the Delicate Arch, but the hike is 5 km and moderately hard.
Michele still has a hard time with her foot and knee. The other option is to go to the Delicate Arch viewpoint. An easier hike.

The hike to the viewpoints is not long, only a 1.6 km return, but it is steep.

This trail does not go to the Delicate Arch. It is only a viewpoint (lookout).
Look at the size of people in relation to the arch in the last photo.

Why is the bottom of the valley green?
It is because of the iron rich soil that oxidized. Isn't iron oxidized red?
Yes and no, this iron oxidized while it was covered with water.
Because of the lack of oxygen in the water, iron oxidizes green when no oxygen is present.

Our next stop is at Skyline Arch.
This one is a short hike too, only 1.2 km.

The valley just before the arch.

What is special about this arch is that in 1940 a big chunk of rock fell from the inside of the arch. For that reason, the opening of the arch doubled.
The boulders you see at the bottom are the rocks that came from inside the arch.

Fun photos!

One more stop, this time at the Devils Garden.

An aerial view of the Devils Garden.

On our way out of the Park, we saw something on a rock at Park Avenue.
What do we see? Some amateur rock climbers.

I do not know how safe they were!

We were out of the Arches N.P. by noon.
We turned north to head towards Salt Lake City, Utah.

You never know what kind of weather you will have.
Sometimes it is nice weather.

Sometimes rain.

And sometimes nice scenery.

Coming into Salt Lake City.

Looking at the weather ahead of us, we decided to stop for the night in Salt Lake City.

We found an average motel north of the city, but I don't think we will ever come back to this one.

Friday, April 26, 2024.

We are on our way back to Canada. When travelling by car, you cover more distance than by MH. With the speed limit of 130 km/h and traffic travelling at more than 135 km/h, you cover a lot more distance in a day. The roads are beautiful.

I wonder if they get a lot of snow?

We travelled about 1000, km today.
Another average motel for the night.
We are in the State of Washington.

Saturday, April 27, 2024.

It was a day of only 450 km today.
As usual, nice weather.

Rain.

It is getting colder as we get closer to Canada.

The custom to get to Canada was fast and easy.

We will spend the night in Surrey, near Vancouver.

The doorman for the motel.

Tomorrow, Comox!

Sunday, April 28, 2024.

Natasha is waiting for us.

We board the ferry at 10:15 am from Tsawwassen.

We leave the ferry in Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island.

Comox, here we come.

We really enjoyed our trip, but we are happy to arrive too.
It is good to see Kristin, Jeremy and Natasha.

Monday, April 29, 2024

Our reservation for the campsite is on Wednesday, May 1st. Until then, we stay at Jeremy and Kristin's place.
We have the same guy as last year booked to move our trailer from storage to the campsite.
We use this time to have fun with Natasha.

Michele found a patio heater on Market Place for only $80.

Until next time.

Life is good...