Sunday, September 17, 2006
Mountain Shadows RV Resort, Draper, UT, Part I
We decided to take the upper route to Lake Tahoe. We figured we would drive past Provo and on to Salt Lake City. As we drove by Provo, however, a thought occurred to Brian. "Hey," he said. "Isn't BYU in Provo?" We immediately began rearranging our plans and trying to find a campground in or near there. Why does BYU have any significance whatsoever? It's a longish story. Basically, BYU is --or, perhaps, was-- the stomping grounds of one of Brian and Ian's personal heroes, Professor Steven Jones of the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Again, this probably means nothing to you. So I will elaborate.Steven Jones is one of the few prominent scientists in academia who has deigned to comment on the seemingly flawed logic which has surrounded the September 11 collapse of the World Trade Center. He is writing a paper demanding a true reinvestigation of the tragedy. If you would like to find out more about Steven Jones and other information pertaining to September 11, go to Ian's website, www.reachingtruth.com!
Anyway, as a testament to this man's courage and conviction, he has at least two, well, not worshipers, but admirers in B & I. And they wanted to pay a visit to Dr. Jones during his office hours at BYU. I went to the university's website to confirm that it was in Provo, and to find out his office hours. That done, we found one of the few RV parks in the area which had wireless internet and an open pool, Mountain Shadows RV Resort.
It was a weird, fate-like thing. We needed to find somewhere to stay for a few days because I needed to get mail delivered. And here we were, 20 miles from Provo to the South and Salt Lake City to the north. And the site we thought would be perfect for us was the only one available. Synchronicity, is that the term? A strange convergence of events with needs? Eh, whatever. We decided to stay for a while.
So we checked in, plugged in the water and electric, and Zorah and Ian headed for the pool and hot tub. Since we hadn’t been able to get cigarette tubes in Colorado, and had been buying packs instead, I asked the guy in the Park Office where I could find a smoke shop.
He said to just go down State Street, and I would run into one around the 7200 block. It sounded like it was pretty close, though I didn’t ask mileage. It also sounded like it was pretty easy to find, since all I had to do was take a right out of the park and keep going until I saw the store. I told Brian that I would go take care of that while they swam, and set off.It was easy to find State Street, just as the guy said. After a block, I was only in the 12000 range. Okay, not too bad. Next block, 11500. These blocks were really long, too, but I figured I should keep going. I think I was at the 9000 block about 20 minutes later. These blocks each seemed to house either a few strip malls, or a Cosco, Super Wal-Mart and a Home Depot. I was looking out for a smoke shop all the way, and saw nothing. At this point, I called Brian's cell phone to let him know I would be a while. I didn't realize, however, that the cell phone was in the truck. The ringer was off! Oblivious, I continued on. Finally, I reached the 7200 block. No smoke shop in sight. There was a gas station, a Chinese restaurant, a nail salon, and a pizza place. Ooookaay.
Maybe most of you would turn around and go back at this point. Not me! I was determined to get the thing I set out to acquire. After driving so long, this turned into a personal, if not fanatical, quest. I stopped at a gas station and looked in the phone book there. Can you believe it? In Utah, they don't rip the phone books out of the payphones! I found a smoke shop on State Street and called them. They were open and said to just keep coming down State Street. I would see a Carl's Jr., take a left into its parking lot, and the smoke shop would be right there.
One good thing that came of it was that I saw a restaurant that looked good for dinner. It was a more upscale Chinese restaurant called Joy Luck. They had interesting dishes, such as Strawberry Chicken, which we had to order just to see. It was all very good food, and somewhat appeased the family, making up a little bit for the fact that I went out for a pack of cigarettes and disappeared for three hours.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
A Picture of The Hitches
I banged my head on the corner of this hitch, which is built onto the trailer. It was the corner on the right, but there isn't any blood, hair, or skin stuck to it anymore. Just kidding. There weren't any visible remnants of my head there anyway.
And here is the part in the bed of the truck, into which you have to maneuver my nemesis, the hitch. I actually did it on my third try a few days ago. Not bad!
I know I haven't gotten to this point chronologically in my blog, but, alas, juice was spilled on my laptop, and I have sent it in for repairs. Thus, I can only update in dribs and drabs such as this one. Enjoy the anticipation until my next installment!
Saturday, September 09, 2006
United Campground, Green River, UT
September 4, 2006 We have passed through the Okay, so we didn’t pass Battlement Mesa, we are approaching it now. I wonder if that fantastic formation has a name.I guess we’ll never know. Unless one of you can identify it! Oh, well. As we were driving, we saw a sign for a scenic viewing area, so we pulled in to check it out. There was a path leading up a hill to a gazebo of sorts. If a gazebo can be made of steel and concrete, that is. Zorah ran all the way up the path, Ian skated, and I walked and took pictures. The trees in the desert are really fascinating. Their branches are splintered and twisted, yet very much alive. I would compare them to Lincoln Rhyme, although he is a fiction. A father and son we met up there were on their way to Vegas, as most people are who travel this road. Anyway, we left after some scenic viewing, and after much deliberation decided to stop at a campground in Green River, Utah. Green River is much like Wakeeney in that it is a waystation for those going either to Salt Lake City or through Utah to Las Vegas. However, Green River is exponentially so. It turned out to be a conglomeration of motels, truck stops, RV parks, and gas stations dropped incongruously into the desert landscape. Our park, United Campground, had lovely views. How could it not? Regardless of the surrounding buildings, or perhaps in contrast with them, the desert shone. Some lonesome structures served as accents to the desert's stark beauty. See? We ate at a restaurant there in Green River called Ray's. There was a large sign touting it as "The Place For Everyone!" And they were right. From motocross riders and bikers, families to farmers, truckers to teenagers, everyone really was there. The scene was completed nicely by the lovely waitress with her hair piled high. Not only the ambiance but also the food was great. It was a limited menu, but everything was good. We went for both lunch and dinner and I had to take a picture of these wonderful people.Too bad it's so dark, but you can't really sneak a picture when you use flash photography, and I hadn't the courage to ask and then try to explain myself. I suppose I could have tried a crazy Asian tourist approach. Eh. 
I can only guess, since we have never been here before. The sky is a brilliant blue, made all the brighter for the muted reds and dark greens of the striated mountains and rock formations. As we drive here, I envy the explorers who came first to this place, and the Native Americans who were born to it. Is it any wonder that people had a strong belief in God, when they were able to see wonders such as this unblemished, no telephone poles and asphalt roads, no trucks or cars to tarnish their impressions? I would consider this area to be God's country due to the awe it inspires. After all, one can hardly be inspired to muse on the presence of a supreme when assaulted with McDonald's, Starbucks, Old Navy, Britney Spears, etc., on a daily basis.
This was a great place. The internet flowed smooth and fast, and it had something none of the other parks have: a waterslide! Z had fun sliding down by herself, and in my lap.
After dinner I finally got to take a shower, and this place had THE best showers ever! I don't say this solely due to the fact that we were unable to shower at Wal-Mart. The water pressure was so remarkably strong that I stayed for an extra ten minutes for the massage aspect. I would have stayed longer, too, but someone else came in and turned on the one next to mine. The resulting fluctuations in temperature forced me to leave.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
The Bimbo Truck
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Wal-Mart Parking Lot, Avon, CO
There aren’t really any campgrounds in Vail, and certainly not for a 34 and a half foot fifth wheel trailer. We know that for a fact, as we tried to go to Gore Creek Campground. It was a state-run park, and inexpensive, so we decided to try it. All the spaces we passed were too short for what now seems to be a monster. Sometimes I think that our trailer is too small for the four of us. Trying to negotiate this campground's narrow roads made me think perhaps our trailer was too big. Then, as we were looping around, we almost got hung up on a big rock that was right to the side of the road. Eek! Luckily, I wasn’t driving. Brian was able to maneuver us out of that situation with some careful backing up and turning. I could never have done it. I have discovered that I have very poor interspacial relations skills. This means that I suck at judging how much space there is between the right side of the car and obstacles to that side. My impression is that I generally leave two or three feet of clearance, when I think I have inches.
Anyway, after attempting to back into a space and being thwarted by a rock buried in the side of the road, we decided to move on to the Wal-Mart parking lot in nearby Avon, Colorado. Being in the Rockies, this parking lot offered us better views than many of the campgrounds we have seen. Not only the mountains, but the fabulous Bimbo truck! We nestled among other campers who had had the same idea and took off to see Vail. We wanted to try to drive up to the top of one of the mountains.
We drove in the general direction of the mountain and asked a very nice lady in an information booth how we could do it. She was almost right. We made it most of the way to the top via a bumpy dirt road which was used mostly by mountain bikers and the occasional service vehicle. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous, as you can see. I'm afraid I am running out of ways to describe the surroundings. Sorry. Didn't bring my thesaurus.
Anyway, as I was saying, we got to one point where there was a security gate ahead and a path branching up to the right. A service man behind us said the path to the right would take us up the mountain, but that we would need a different vehicle to make it up there. Our truck didn't have enough clearance! We hace a big truck! Well, we tried to go on the road anyway, and were bounced and jostled for about 20 feet before we decided to turn back. Brian was, of course, all for making up as far as he could, adventurous as he is. I, however, was picturing us seesawing with a hugh boulder as the fulcrum. No, thanks. We returned to town, and compromised by taking the Lionshead Village Gondola up to the top of that mountain. Should I have learned the name of it? Probably. Did I? No.
It is a shame that we were late in coming to this place, because the gondola ride was pretty pricey. I am under the impression it was a day ticket. I would hope so, given the price of $18 per person! In any case, the ride was pleasant and the gondola clean. The best part is just getting out of the gate. The gondolas go through a rubber track to slow them down enough for people and their equipment to board safely, and once they leave that track, they slingshot forward, and whoosh! Off you go up the mountain. Or down.
We left the gondola and walked out of the peak base and lodge. They had a restaurant, but it had already closed. We were able to see the other side of the mountain from a viewing deck, complete with those binocular machines. No need for that, though. The view was spectactular without mechanical assistance. Behold! You can almost hear the choir of angels, no?
I believe the elevation here is about 13000 feet. Zorah and I could really feel it. We went hiking up only 10 feet of a mountain trail, when Zorah was too tired to continue. I picked her up and trudged up to where Brian and Ian had settled. I usually am not one to pant when physically exerting myself, but I was by the time we got there. Actually, I was after I picked her up. I think it was only 100 feet or so. Pathetic. Zorah sat next to Ian to rest while I caught my breath and this lovely photo. 
Zorah was hungry, so after a short while, we headed down the path to the gondola. She still didn't feel like walking, so B put her on his shoulders for the descent. Hooray! I'm sure it wasn't as strenuous an activity, carrying her downhill.
We had lunch at a place right next to the gondolas called Garfinkel's. Z was dying for fish and chips, which is her and my favorite food these days. It was really good there too. Crisp, hot, and not too greasy. Everyone felt even better after eating. See?
On the way back to Wal-Mart, our home away from home for tonight at least, we pulled over by this stream that ran along the road. We had to walk through slippery terrain, prickly plants and a pile of dried out branches to get to it, but it was well worth the effort. 
It was a nice secluded place to relax and think deep thoughts. 
Zorah climbed the rocks for a while, then decided to try swimming in the water. The bottom was too uneven for her to wade in very far, it turns out, but she had fun in any case.
After that we returned to Wal-Mart. Ian skateboarded while Z cheered him on. Then she found a friend in the camper across from us. Z and Devon played outside with the rocks in the parking lot dividers for a while, until Zorah invited herself into the camper. There they played until it was time for dinner. 
As you can see, I finally figured out how to do black and white with my camera. I like it. Think I am using it too much? Let me know. You can post and send comments, you know? And that way, you will no longer be part of a faceless mass reading my blog. You will have become, to me, a person!Anyway, the next morning we got up early and headed out, Tahoe bound via Utah.
Tiger Run, Part II
So what else happened at Tiger Run? Not much really. We were only going to be there for a few days, since they were all booked up for Labor Day Weekend. On Friday I had an appointment to fix my tooth, thank goodness, so that morning we walked around Breckenridge and had lunch. Afterwards, I suggested we go to the children’s museum I saw on the trolley ride the night before. Everyone agreed, and we started walking. Then Z saw a horse-drawn carriage, so there was nothing to do but ride it to the children’s museum. It turned out to be just three or four blocks away, so we felt a bit silly, but Z had a good time.
The children’s museum was small, but it had some pretty neat stuff in it. One thing that had everyone amazed was this fake snow stuff. Apparently, it is used to absorb all wetness in diapers. There was a sandbox full of it, this powdery, flaky cold stuff. It was pretty weird.
Next, we all tried on costumes. Brian was pretty adamant I try the parrot costume seen here. It was a bit of a tight fit, but I made it. 
Ian became Babar, or is it Cornelius who wears that hat? And Z, of course, was a princess. I don't know why we didn't take an offical picture of her dressed as such. It may be that we are trying to deemphasize that whole thing.
Z came with me to my dentist appointment afterwards, which was actually great. She was well-behaved and asked questions about the procedure, and asked if she could see what they were doing. She kept the dentist and her assistant amused by having conversations with them on various topics, aside from her questions about my teeth.
That night, we had dinner at an Italian place, and we come to our next rule about RV camping.
Rule #3: Do not eat shellfish the night before departure!
Brian was sick all night into the morning. We believe it was the linguine alle vongole. So we had to stay another night at the campground. This wasn’t easy to accomplish since we had bothered them about staying longer, but then had cancelled that to head to Tahoe. After actually going to the office and speaking with them in person, they were able to give us one more night at the same site. Relief!
The next morning, Brian still wasn’t feeling great. So Zorah went to the playground, which was right across from our site, Ian did the stabilizers on the trailer, and helped me with the awning while Brian slept. Then I did all the hookups, the slide-out room, and went to the dumpster with our trash. And then, I faced the daunting task of hitching the trailer to the truck.
Now, this may not seem daunting to some of you, but it really isn’t easy. Though I have been driving for 16 years now, and fancy myself to be more than competent, this is different. You think you need precision and accuracy to parallel park in the city? Ha! A trailer hitch is a little cylinder about 3-4 inches wide. The hitch in the truck is a U with 1 inch of funnel on either side. You have very little room for error. I tried countless times to get it right. Here, I was three inches too much to the left, then I was 1 inch too much to the right. Back and forth, back and forth I went right across from the playground. Of course, this was peak playtime, too, so I tried to ignore the parents and children swarming around right in front of me. ‘They have better things to do than laugh at me,’ I thought to myself as I became flushed and frazzled.
Finally, I got it right, and felt the satisfying ch-THUNK! I felt like jumping up and down, giving an arm pump, or Tarzanning. Instead, I played it off and casually turned off the truck, got out, and locked the hitch. Mentally, though? The 1812 Overture and fireworks. LOL.
Woke Brian up, and we were out of there.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Tiger Run RV Resort, Breckenridge, CO
When I was thirteen going on fourteen, I went to Copper Mountain, Colorado, for a month of summer camp. Thanks, again, by the way, Mom & Dad! Even then, I don't think I was wise enough to appreciate the beauty of the Colorado Rockies. I was actually a little cranky as we set out, but only because of a few minor disasters that struck while we were in Strasburg. The first you know about if you have been reading my blog. That was my idiotic encounter with the trailer hitch.
The second came when I was eating this awesome cereal that is a snack staple when we are on the road: Kashi Organic Promise Autumn Wheat. Mmmm. Soooo yummy. Anyway, I was chomping on it when HUH? I bit down on a hard piece. It felt a bit like a pebble, actually. I have never encountered this in Autumn Wheat, so I shrugged and kept chewing. Bit down on it again.
Now, most people would think it was a defective wheat square. Not me. I was thinking: "Oh, sh*t!" And I was right to think this, because when I isolated the chunk, it was a chunk of tooth. Ewwwww! My tooth. I knew exactly which one, too, without feeling around with my tongue. It was an old root canal which I have never gotten crowned. Apparently, procrastination is not a good strategy for dental health.
Sorry, but I didn't take a picture of the chunk for you all. Suffice to say it was large enough to be more than a little disturbing. You know those nightmares where you bite on something and your teeth crumble or shatter? Well, hooray for me, I got to have my nightmares become a reality!So as I was saying, I was a little stressed out about the chunk as we drove up into the Rockies. As you can see, the scenery was quite lovely, but I was mostly unaffected by it and had to be prodded to take pictures. Not only am I the navigator and sometime pilot of this ship, I am also the photographer! So I got this one good shot as we were driving, then we went through a tunnel or two in the mountains. The road went between two mountains, and the scenery was much like the scenery in Missouri or Pennsylvania, except that the trees on either side were growing on mountains instead of flatlands. Then, just as before, the mountain trees gave way to something amazing. Brian pulled over, I stepped out, and my spirits were lifted. Such is the power of nature, to overwhelm us and give us peace all at once.
No picture could capture this wondrous place. Certainly none of my pictures. I forgot how to do panorama on my camera. This is a scenic overlook called The Summit. Here you have a view of Lake Dillon and eleven of the surrounding mountains. Here is a picture with the plaque outlining the location.
So this was an auspicious start to our stay here in Breckenridge. To make it even better, our RV park, Tiger Run RV Resort, was really nice. Very posh compared to our other resting places. Two hot tubs, a heated indoor pool, a playground, and amazingly fast internet, a security gate with a code, and spectacular views. Right from our site! 
You are probably getting sick of these beautiful views of vast open blue skies with the puffy fanciful clouds that appear in children's cartoons and fairy stories. But I'm not! I don't think I could ever get tired of them. In Connecticut, it seems, we get the dregs. It's like the clouds from Colorado skies get dragged down the highway all the way across the country to the northeast, so that all that is left when they get to Connecticut is rags and tatters of clouds. Sigh.So if you are, in fact, tired of these clouds and scenic landscapes, listen to my tale of continued idiocy.
Brian did a spectacular job of backing into our new space. We set up, then I went to get my iPod from the truck. I think I was turning off the backlight when BAM! I cursed. I had done it again! I had hit my head on the trailer hitch for the second time in, like three days. I was so pissed off! I felt like maybe I should start wearing a bicycle helmet around our campsites. Absolutely ridiculous!
So everyone heard me cursing my folly, and asked me what had happened. "I banged my head on the trailer hitch again," I said as I walked around the trailer. I looked up to see my three family members giving me the uh-oh look. I was bleeding.
So I ran into the bathroom sink and started rinsing it off, watching the blood dripping into the sink. As you may know, especially if you are a "sports entertainment" fan, the forehead is great for profuse blood without extensive damage. I eventually grabbed a paper towel and blotted so I could take a look. It looked like I had a dent in my head! Not a big one, mind, maybe a half or quarter inch long. It was a bit like a mouth, though, because I could push it together. Since it would open and close, I thought it might need stitches. I had never had a dent or hole in my head before, so I was concerned. Brian laughed at me, but I wanted a second opinion. I wanted a trained professional to laugh at me. So we went to a doctor's office, and that's basically what happened. Enough said on that subject. Except that I felt really stupid. Once for the trailer hitch (again) and once for insisting to go to the doctor. So, hey, check out those yellow trees!So after my bout with humiliation and I told you so, we went into the town of Breckenridge and enjoyed a lovely dinner at the Steak and Ribs. We had asked the lady at the doctor's office if she knew a good steak place. Even being a vegetarian, she was able to direct us to this lovely place. There were flowers in profusion! I thought it was just for decoration, but it was more...
They were there to attract hummingbirds! Hummingbirds are mysterious creatures. Honestly, they probably aren't; I just don't know a lot about them. I thought they were more of a tropical thing. But, no! I have seen them in the Berkshires, and now in Breckenridge. Perhaps they are mountain creatures? Anyway, Z and I enjoyed watching them while we finished eating. Ian and Brian were already finished and were skating and smoking in the parking lot, respectively. Can you spot it? While I was taking this picture, some lady was watching me from inside the restaurant. She must not have seen the hummingbird, because she looked at me like I was an absolute freak!
I can just imagine how it looked to her. Probably much like a lunatic grabbing at empty air, except with a camera. Great, so I was the sterotypical Asian camera tourist, but with a psycho twist!Afterwards, we enjoyed a trolley ride on the free Breckenridge trolley. Z had been dying to go on one since Lake George, and we were finally able to oblige. Look how happy.
Well, my neck and shoulders are getting stiff from hunching over the keyboard, so the rest will have to wait until another time. I think that was plenty for day one in Breckenridge, don't you?
