9/25 Back To Radford then back to reality.

Pulled into our old alma mata to briefly remember the glory daze. The Campus has grown but Peery 209 and the Deli Mart remain as monuments to a bygone era.

Had a quick draft at the Hideout, now BT’s. The bartender showed us the historical photos of when the hideout opened. We were at the opening but did not make the story. Very fond memories of Radford. Many life lessons here have served Toj and I well.

Had to stop at White’s Truck stop on I-81, just as we did in college. This really is the last stop.

During our travels we felt the impact of two hurricanes and saw people everywhere as caring and resourceful. We met many tourists especially from Europe, who were making a pilgrimage to the American West, They were not supportive of our current administration but knew the difference between the American people and American politics.

It’s been an incredible trip. Writing in the back of the camper while going down the road has passed the miles. I once meet a cross-country bike rider and followed his trip on the web, which inspired me to do this web journal. I enjoyed his trip vicariously and hope this may have done the same for you.

Thanks to everyone we met along the way and thanks to family and work friends who helped cover the bases during the trek.

Cheers

Tom, Cam and Toj.

9/24 Tom and Toj have left the State

Graceland or Bust. This may be just another roadside attraction but, it was done very well for what it was. What a crazy guy that Elvis. We toured Graceland and visited his gravesite. We really missed Gregmo here, but will make it up to you somehow, man…Thank you…Thank you very much. We then had world famous dry rubbed ribs at “Rendezvous” near Beale Street. Again we had to hit the road if we were ever going to make it home.

Played Doc Watson’s Tennessee Stud one too many times during the 15 hours it took us to cross the state. We also played the Who’s little known Rock Opera Quadraphonia. Sad really. Two old high school friends reliving teenage angst from 31 years ago, at maximum volume, but “the kids are alright”

Interstate 40 all the way. Stopped in Knoxville to see the World Fair Site, long enough to take a picture of what appeared to be the largest disco ball in existence. With many miles to go, back on the road. Drove ‘til midnight and pulled into Davy Crocket State park. Beautiful quiet spot. The hot showers were nice too.

9/23 High Tailing it East – Lubbock in the Rear View Mirror

Stayed in the Santa Fe Courtyard Marriot last night and woke to coffee and a shower. After breakfast with Dave C. we headed south to meet up Interstate 40 for the long haul east. It didn’t take long for the intrepid adventures to shelve the idea of ‘no more fun’ so we fell back to Plan B, which was originally Plan A and decided to hit Lubbock after all. This meant leaving the interstate. We traveled the non-Interstate roads and still could not drive at the 70 mph speed limit.

We headed through Ft. Sumner, the site of Billy the Kids grave site. We paid our respects and then grabbed a shake (huge and tasty). From there we traveled Rt. 84 through canyons and desert. Once in Clovis NM, Tom H started reliving his days as Well site Geologist. The closer we got to Lubbock the more Tom recalled stories. Once in Lubbock we paid respects to Buddy Holly, took in Texas Tech and Tom’s old Landscape Architecture classrooms. We had a beer at Crickets – presumably named for Buddy’s back up band despite the young bar girls poo-pooing the idea – kids today. We went by the previous Hutchings’ homes around the campus and not much has changed.

Early evening we met up with Mark & Bobbie Maxey, Wiley Sides & John and Shari Cobb, kids, dogs, horses, prairie dogs and cats. It had been 18 years, but everyone looked great and it was really good to catch up. It was also good seeing Stan, Bobbi’s Dad who has an apartment on the Maxey mini ranch. We drank a few beers, relived old times and sat under the wide open skies of west Texas. The laptop was pulled out and Tom gave a slide show of digitized old pictures from the old Lubbock days - a big hit to be sure and Wiley made Tom promise to send the pics. Toj enjoyed himself thoroughly and was made an honorary Texan for a night. We spent the night at the Maxey’s and headed out early. At the same time Mark and Wiley left for a Guadalupe mountain backpacking trip. Thanks to everyone, now it’s now your turn to visit Washington.

Big John and Little Rock

Woke up late and we are determined to make it to Memphis. The biggest choice today was when to hit the Interstate. We put it off as long as possible. We drove Rt. 82 across North Texas. We hit the 6666 Ranch at Guthrie, the site of a wildcat well Tom worked many years ago. Disappointed that the old diner in Guthrie has turned into a mini-mart – progress is everywhere. We continued east through Wichita Falls, Paris and Texarkana. We finally hit the interstate at I-30. Had dinner in Hope, AR; but no Bill, so we moved on to Little Rock. Switched to I-40 for the long haul. The long haul, however, has been made palatable – if not fun – by staying on mostly non-interstate roads.

We made it to Little Rock tired, weary and thirsty. Little did we know, Little Rock is a rockin place. We discovered the Riverfront downtown and we were truly amazed. It was Georgetown on steroids. Live music everywhere. We ended up in the Underground listening to The Big ______ Band. This guy was larger than life and 3 time more entertaining. Hung out with Carl, a pilot from Sweden who was way laid over due to hurricane Rita. Carl, congrats on your upcoming marriage and thanks for the beer, sorry we could not take you up on the shots. The TV behind the bar was showing images of the hurricane with an incredible band and a room full of people dancing; it all seemed was a little weird.

We crashed in a Wal-Mart parking lot. They have a policy to let RV’s stay overnight. We were not there for the natural beauty or the shopping. We chose a dark corner popped the camper top, and got an early start in the morning.

9/22 Louder than a Harley and we have a sink!

Click on Picts to make them bigger. Camped at Ridgway, Colorado. Did a little supply shopping. Had Mexican food at True Grit, a bar near the place the John Wayne movie was shot. The camp coffee in the morning had a lot fewer grounds today. Drove from Ridgway to Santa Fe. Got the exhaust leak fixed in Durango. The overheating seemed to go away with the exhaust repair A nice shop charged us $20 for welding and I gave them $30. Still too cheap by half. All morning we explored old silver mines, and mining towns, had a beer and played shuffleboard in the Miner’s Bar in Silverton. Tojo won – this part added by Tojo with full expectation that Hutch won’t read my edits. This is my second time though this very cool town. Listened to Bob Marley while crossing northern New Mexico, again new types of mesas and mountains. Incredible. The Jackalope Shop is up the road, Hmm gifts? Turns out, No!

Toj wrote this part - Met up with a friend of mine in Santa Fe – Dave Connick. An okay chap for a bleedin Pom – I insisted that this last part is funny, so blame me if it isn’t. We had dinner with Dave at the Ore House right smack dab in the middle of historic Santa Fe. This place is famous for its extensive Tequila selection – you can spend $50 for a single shot – we didn’t. We all had a Horn Toad which was a sweet version of a Margarita and very tasty. Santa Fe is a great spot and Hutch and I agree that we need to bring the Trouble and Strife back – Trouble and Strife being Cockney for Wife and used here as an homage to Dave C. who turned out to be an okay bloke according to Hutch.

9/21 Feets Don’t Fail Me Now

Two Westfalia events marked the day. The radiator overheated going up a very steep dirt road and the exhaust manifold cracked, OUCH. The first one seems to be a one time event. We think the fan did not come on possibly due to the shaking due to driving on a rough road. We bought a new thermostat to have on hand just in case. The cracked manifold we believe can be welded in the morning.

A few little setbacks, but we saw some beautiful County on Route to SW Colorado.

9/20 Big Horn sheep and Big Monuments

The next morning we hiked back to the South Rim. Half way up, we rounded a corner and startled a big horn sheep on the trail. It stood about 10’ in front of me then moved about 20’ up a slope and stopped again before bolting away.

We left the park and headed east to Monument Valley. We made it by early evening and a spectacular sunset. Wow! We then headed on to the town of Mexican Hat to find a place to camp. We ended up camping in the parking lot of a lodge in the middle of nowhere. It had a in a bar with a dirt floor and tourists from around the world. They cooked the steaks on a swinging grill over a large wood fire. Need to crash now and I promise to say less tomorrow. Not a lot of cell service or internet out here. I will check in as soon as I can. Cheers.

9/18 The South Rim

We drove into the GCNP and got our gear ready for our hike down into the canyon. While packing we met “Memphis Ben”, who was out on his own Westfalia road trip, in a ‘78 Camper. He joined us for the first third of the way down the canyon. Very cool adventure racing enthusiast with loads of VW stories. Ben: Good Story - “One more behind”. Indian Gardens was our destination. We had a 4.6 mile hike down and 3,100 feet in elevation.

The hike down was incredible, every turn add a different look and feel. We reached the campsite by mid-afternoon. After a midday recovery, and a close encounter with a real live rattle snake, we hiked further down the canyon to Plateau Point. The view overlooking the Colorado River and the whole canyon was breathtaking. We hiked back to camp to cook dinner and watch the full moon rise lighting the canyon wall.

9/17 The Cam and Tojo Switcharo:

Cam and I said goodbye at the Las Vegas Airport. We had an incredibly fun time touring and hiking and I miss you already. I waited about an hour for Tojo’s flight to land to continue the trip back east. His flight was on time and my sadness was interrupted because of his excitement at stating an adventure.

Before even leaving the airport Toj, whose real name is also named Tom, informed me he was a very lucky gambler and proved it right in the airport by winning $2 at the slots next to the luggage pickup area. I knew right then I was in big trouble. We headed directly to the strip, not to gamble but to see the distasteful display of American decadence before beginning our wilderness trek into the Grand Canyon. We did stop long enough to eat the mini-burgers at the Clown Casino, and Tom won another $6. Being responsible nature seeking folk, we left before the clutches of Sin City took hold. The burgers however did not let us forget our visit for quite awhile.

The next stop was Hoover Dam, a second time for me because it was on route to the Grand Canyon. We stopped so Tojo could get a quick look. We pushed on to the Kaibob National forest just outside the Grand Canyon where we pulled in late to camp. The next morning the temp was in 30’s and Tom, sleeping in the upper bunk in the Westfalia, froze his petooties off. What the hell is a petootie anyway?

Blanding, UT - Canyonlands Mini update

Looking for internet access to upload pics and updates, but for now:
Since dropping Cammie off and picking up Baron von Toj we've hit the Hoover Dam - Again. It was a dam site better with Cam though. Next, getting our kicks on Rt 66 we met the defender of our nations railroads at a roadside watering hole.
Stopped for the night on the South Rim of the conundrum and next day hiked down the canyon and overnighted in Indian Grove, just above the Colorado. Hiked 6 miles and dropped 3100' in elevation. Can't wait to upload the snaps. Toj narrowly escaped a rattler.
Drove to Monument Valley - changed itinerary in mid-stream missing out on Canyon DeShelly - and had a look around. Very spectacular sites. Stayed last night in Mexican Hat at a neat little hotel. We camped in the parking lot and whetted our whistles at the canteen attached. Besides the wait staff we were the only Americans. Where did all the foreigners come from - What's happened to homeland security?
Heading to Silverton/Durango area, but before getting there we had a brief, but intense, moment when the car overheated. It happened during a 3 mile 10 degree switchback trail. But after 20 minutes and 3 candles - prayers - later we were back on the road.
Toj is missing Susan and I'm sending kisses to Cam.

9/16 Las Vegas Turnaround

We toured the dam in the morning. I looked for the tennis shoes I left on the roof of my car 30 years ago during my last visit. Did not see them. Expecting a short day, we drove into Las Vegas and find a room. HA ! we have been in the wilderness a little to long. Vegas is one bizarre and strange place, baby. Between the biker convention and the $300 minimum room rates we turned around and headed back to beautiful downtown Boulder City and got a room in the historic Hoover Dam Hotel. Don’t think we couldn’t handle Sin City. We gambled $2 on the slots while trying to find a room and walked away a dollar richer and a lot wiser.

9/15 Dam !!!

After the hike we packed up and headed west to Hoover Dam, only 5 hour for anyone else but we took 7 and enjoyed the trip. We made it though Nevada’s Valley of Fire, Mountain Range, desolate, 100 degrees hot and wild. We were not in Kansas anymore, Toto. Ended up in Boulder City, the town built to build the dam, at Millo’s Wine bar. Live jazz, outdoor seating who would have guessed. We camped on Lake Mead. Nice but nothing special. The water is about 50’ low and that moves the shoreline about ¼ mile from the campsite.

9/14 Grand Conundrum

I need to bone up on Intelligent Design for our next trip to the Grand Canyon. We visited the North Rim and found it to be beautiful and awe inspiring. Did I say HUGE!!! The NP facilities were a throwback to the 40’s. Very quaint but not accommodating to the casual show up at the last minute without a reservation kind of folks like us. It was a good thing because it required us to explore the abutting Kaibab National Forest for a campsite. Mr. Ranger at the north rim visitors center, after a lengthy chat finally shared a really good campsite on the rim. The only problem was the 15 miles of paved and another 15 miles of dirt road to get to this incredible place. It was worth it. We found ourselves at the end of a butte with seclusion and incredible views. We did a 5 mile hike in the morning to point Imperial, located back in the park.

9/13 Zion

We hiked the Virgin River slot canyon. The locals all recommended renting funny looking water hiking boots and hiking sticks. We did and were very glad. We hiked and almost swam at times, about 2 ½ miles up river. The canyon narrowed to about 40’ across and at least 1000 feet up. We cooked a quick dinner and hiked out at dusk. We may have been the last ones out. Incredible natural beauty.

Thanks to Rich and Nicole for the Park guidebooks. These have both been very well used and added to the fun of the trip.

9/13 Zion: All Work Related. Professional Development or Program Research?

(blog guideline #3 “ relate to your audience”. Since anyone still reading this thing must be criminally insane, I will forgo that advice and write what I want)

My exhaustive studies of the transportation system here at Zion has inspired me to promote some changes that could be adopted by the Arlington Master Transportation Plan update currently underway.

#1 Stop all cars from entering Arlington and provide a significantly expanded bus system and parking lots at all major entry points. Here at Zion, the transit system works nearly flawlessly because they do not let cars go into much of the park. Sheer genius.

#2 Allow RVs in Arlington to house government workers who cannot afford to purchase homes. Limit the size of the RV to a maximum 35'’ height and 70% lot coverage. I realize this is smaller than most RV'’s out hear but Arlington is an urban community. This will have a second advantage, supported by homeland security, of housing being able to be relocate as needed, based on the BRAC recommendations of the day.

#3 Have the bus drivers give continual talks about Arlington history, and environment. This will educate Arlingtonians in general and promoting the Arlington way. Caution, do not to hire bus drivers with “attitudes who stop talking unless everyone is very quiet and listening.

Zion related improvements: #1 Based on the highly successful WALKArlington Program Create WALKZion My professional observation is that many folks on the busses may be well served by getting off the bus and actually walking somewhere. This will be a sister city program I will head up and will need lots of development related trips back to Zion to fully implement.

Business expenses: I will need to be reimbursed for gas and beer, I will consider accepting only covering the gas costs if that is the position the County chooses to take. Note: In comparison, gallon to gallon beer is now cheaper than gas and I am considering converting the camper to bio-diesel.

I will now go back to bed now and try to sleep. Staying in a hotel 2 nights in a row has provided me with more rest and relaxation than I can safely handle.

9/12 Bryce Canyon Incredible hiking, excellent name

Too Beautiful to try to describe. Finally I will shut up. Just look at the pictures. Ok this just in: while doing the laundry a guy took off all his clothes except a speedo and is now sunbathing in front of the Laundromat in the campground. So European or an American exhibitionist, your choice. bla blab la, look at the pictures. Heading to Zion next. Oh yea, we camped next to a nice German guy with is mother out touring the west. They were in a Eurovan Westfallia. No relation to the guy doing laundry. Lots of tour busses here full of Germans and French, oui, oui !.

9/11 We Met a Younger Version of Ourselves in Capital Reef.

While still trying to make it to Bryce Canyon NP we passed through Capital Reef NP. More humbling canyons and buttes. There we were, cruising along and way up ahead on the shoulder was a grey Westfalia, exactly like our other one. A note on the window said “gone to Torrey, fuel pump out” They left a phone number. We called and caught up with them a few miles down the road. Matt and Diane, really nice folks from Wichita were out exploring Utah, just like us. We gave them a lift back to their camper and worked on reviving the fuel pump; to no avail. We pushed the camper down the road to a reasonable place to camp. Matt said he could order the part in the morning and have it shipped to the little store up the road and they would continue to hike in this incredible area while waiting for it. We hated to leave them, but it appeared that looking for a fuel pump enroute was as useful as we could get at that point. We did leave them with beer, a few tools and best wishes.

We ended up at Bryce Canyon and stayed in a private campground for the showers, laundry and the all important internet access. We ate out for the first time in days at the all you can eat Western Style buffet. Between the tour busses of Europeans and eating way too much, I knew I was back in civilization Bryce Canyon style. Wifi and laundry from the parking lot, now that’s living.

9/10 Head’em off at the Shortcut

As we headed toward Brice Canyon we drove past the entrance to Mesa Verde NP. We did the east coast 4 hour tour of a park that most people spend days in.

We took the classic western “shortcut” and ended up on 50 miles of gravel, dirt and rock ranch roads. We stumbled onto the Hovenweep National Monument. Here was 1,200 year old Pueblo towers and building ruins on the rim of a canyon that were equal to and in some ways more inspiring than Mesa Verda, and nearly unknown to the general public.

We realized we would not make it to Bryce Canyon, so we set out toward Cataract Canyon in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Traveling on back roads we drove through our first big canyons. For 2 ½ hours we experienced incredible bluffs, huge rock walls and breathtaking vistas. Finally we reached the Dirty Devil confluence with the Colorado River. We read the Glen Canyon rules very carefully and determined we could camp wherever we chose. We ended on the banks of the Colorado surrounded by 1,000 ft red canyon walls at a take out point for river rafters. We watched an unequaled sunset and sunrise. I had to fly the kite before leaving. Thanks Hope and Steve. We did not see another soul until we hit the road again.