Adventures with an RV, named Thistle Dew Too (say it out loud and you'll understand). We've been "wannabees". And "gonnabees". Then "newbees (noobs)". And now we're "retirees". So come along and enjoy Carol and Steve's RV adventures. Cause we've got "nowhere to be, and all day to get there!"
Our second day included Steve heading out solo to watch the chilly sunrise and sunset. Not spectacular due to the lack of clouds, but still worth the extra activity.
Then we decided to descend a bit into the canyon via the South Kaibab Trail to get the feel of it (especially the return hike uphill). Our target was aptly named the Ooh Aah Point (sounded worthy of the effort).
This time of year is perfect from a temperature perspective to hike down the canyon. And we enjoyed it enough that at least Steve (and maybe Carol) can envision a hike down to the bottom of the canyon, assuming overnight accommodations are planned in advance.
We'll see -- it's on someone's bucket list. ;-)
Here's the aptly named Ooh Aah Point and a sunset canyon glow:
Aptly named Ooh Aah Point
Grand Canyon Sunset Glow
And here is the photo album, probably the most photos I kept from a shoot:
After all that exploring, I thought on our final day I would leave the camera in the RV, and just go for a nice long run. Here's a tip for you photographers: never leave the camera ;-) Turns out my run took me to some amazing places just over the ridgeline. So I did the best that I could with my iPhone, and took a few movies as well.
And speaking of movies, here are four videos that might give you a feel for what was over that ridgeline. I will say it is a good reason to go for a long run. But next time, I'm also bringing the big camera ;-)
As I was exploring the hoodoos, I saw someone drive up in a yellow jeep and check out what I was up to. His dog looks pretty mean in the first photo, but it turns out "Joey" is a sweetheart. And Chris, a local, explained where I might want to run, he then waited around until I got back, and had a cold bottle of water ready for me! (I had not brought any with me.) And then he gave me a ride back to our campsite. Now that's a Good Samaritan!
Back at the ranch, Carol whipped up some of her vegan Chickpea-Artichoke spread for brunch. Yummy! Recipe is at the bottom. She also finished sewing her wall hanging (a gift for a friend), and it is now ready for quilting.
Finally, as we prepared to depart the next morning, and head toward the Grand Canyon, it was as if the sky, sun, and clouds got together to bid us adieu. What a wonderful sunrise show.
2 cans (15 oz) garbanzo beans (drained and mashed)
1 can (15 oz) artichoke hearts in water (drained and diced)
1 cup chopped sweet peppers
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup grated carrots
1/4 cup chopped scallions (or diced onion, or dried onion)
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 TBS dried parsley
1/2 cup Vegannaise
Mix together and chill. Makes 8 servings (wraps). Roll up in a tortilla with sliced cucumber, sliced tomato, greens (optional), and sliced avocado (optional). Goes really well with potato chips, but don't tell anyone we said so ;-)
So the sun was going down, and we needed a place to stay. Well, we weren't far from Ghost Ranch, and we knew they had some nice hiking trails, so we decided to head back (just a few miles).
We got there after the office had closed, so we just picked one of their camping spots and settled up in the morning. Dinner tonight consisted of homemade pizza using a pizza kit from COSTCO. The recipe is at the bottom of the post.
One of the reasons we went back to Ghost Ranch was we had learned about some of their hiking trails. The one recommended by the office, when she saw my camera, was Chimney Rock Trail. So I woke up before sunrise (as is the norm), and headed out.
I knew this would be a scenic hike, but I figured I would probably just get a good view, like above. But the further I hiked, the higher I got, and pretty soon I was standing on that mesa you see just to the right of Chimney Rock in the picture above.
This was an amazing place, and I was all alone, just soaking up the sun and the scenery. Let the record show, there are still places left in this country where you can kill yourself buy getting too close to the edge, or stepping back while taking a photo ;-) Somehow I thought we had become too protective as a nation -- maybe back East, but not out here, that's for sure. It was quite exhilarating.
If you have the bandwidth, here's a short 50 second iPhone video to give another view of where I was standing.
And here is Carol's vegan recipe for pizza. We try to keep a pizza kit on hand because it makes for a pretty quick and easy dinner, when we pull in late for the night:
Crispy Vegan Pizza Recipe
Pick up an Organic Molinaro's Pizza Kit from COSTCO (less than $8 for four pizzas). It comes with stone baked pizza crusts and individual packets of tomato sauce.
Add your choice of veggies, but Carol usually includes: thin slices of sweet onions, sweet peppers, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, asparagus, black olives, zucchini, banana peppers. Shake on dry sweet basil, italian spice and crushed red pepper. Finally, we add Daiya mozzarella-style cheese (non-dairy) on top.
Bake on a pre-heated pizza stone (if available) at 420 degrees for about 12 minutes. Let it set for 5 minutes and cut. This makes a thin, somewhat crunchy pizza, which also reheats well in the microwave if we don't finish off the whole thing in one sitting. For the RV, we also use parchment paper under the pizza to make cleanup even easier.
Mate with a nice salad (we make up a large tupperware bowl full we keep in a cooler and have this with most meals), a glass of wine, and some candles. How's that for 20 minutes preparation?
Warner, NH or Kailua, HI or an RV named Thistle Dew Too, United States
I consider myself a contemplative. One who enjoys reflecting upon his thoughts, and their interplay with the world in which we are immersed and intimately interconnected.
