July Vacation
July 1, 2011
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This was the first day of our vacation in 2011. Our first stop was the Gloss Mountains in western Oklahoma.
We’ve stopped here before, but we are still amazed by this little oasis of beauty in the middle of nowhere.
These mesas rise 500 feet above the plains and have a cap that is something like quartz.
When you walk on the top you can hear it echoing under your feet. Very strange.
July 2, 2011
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On our second day we traveled from Woodward, OK to Farmington, NM.
On the way we stopped on US 64 for lunch just north of the Philmont Boy Scout Ranch.
Because of fires in MN and AZ most of the state parks in NM were closed.
We stopped at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge just west of Taos, NM. It was very impressive.
July 3, 2011
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On our third day we traveled from Farmington, NM to Blythe, CA.
We went south from Shiprock, NM to Window Rock, NM, then on I-40 to Ash Fork, AZ.
We stopped for lunch somewhere off the highway west of Flagstaff, but if you asked me to find it again
I’m not sure that I could. From Ash Fork, we headed south through Prescott,
and connected with I-10 just east of Blythe, CA, where we spent the night.
July 4, 2011
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On the fourth day we left Blythe, CA and ended our trip at my parents house in the San Fernando Valley.
We stopped at the Salton Sea and a place called the Devil’s Punchbowl.
We went from I-10 (in a roundabout way) to I-15 and got off at highway 138.
From there we drove through Wrightwood, and took the Big Pines highway along the mountains
all the way to where highway 14 leaves Palmdale heading to LA.
Devil’s Punchbowl is along the Big Pines highway.
July 5, 2011
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Fifth day was a rest day. We just hung out and did nothing. Except enjoy each others company.
Here we are getting ready to have dinner at Carol’s house. Patti is sporting her short “do”.
That’s as much as had grown back after her chemo treatments.
July 6, 2011
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On the sixth day we took a trip to the beach. We went to Leo Carrillo State Park.
I took a side trip across the highway and went hiking to the top of a hill overlooking the beach.
It took longer than I thought it would. No one had called the search and rescue teams yet,
but they weren’t too worried because Dan had the car keys, not me.
July 7, 2011
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On day seven we went to Traveltown, which is an outdoor museum of trains, and to Griffith Park Observatory.
We had a great time with my sister Patti. Patti’s cancer was progressing and it wouldn’t be much longer
before we couldn’t do these types of things any longer. It was a blessed day.
July 8, 2011
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Day 8 saw me fixing the patio. A brick had fallen into a hole in the patio.
When I opened it up to see what had happened I found a huge void where there was once a tree stump.
When we first moved to that house in 1971 my dad and I had tried to dig up a big stump.
By the time we got to the tap root, the stump was so far down in the hole that we just left it there.
Should have taken it out! Later that day some of us went for a hike at O'Melveny park.
July 9, 2011
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On the 9th day we just sat around visiting at mom and dad’s house.
July 10, 2011
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We left the LA area and headed up to Mammoth Lakes, CA.
We checked into our hotel and then went hiking up to the Sherwin Lakes.
I had never been there before and we were all very pleasantly surprised at how beautiful it is.
We of course, stopped on the way in Independence, CA at our favorite park.
July 11, 2011
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Of course, no trip to the Mammoth Lakes area would be complete without at least a short stop at Convict Lake.
On this particular trip our goal was to hike up to Mildred Lake, but alas, it was not to be.
Everyone we talked to (including the rangers) said it would be way too dangerous to attempt the stream crossing.
So we hiked to where we would have crossed and took a break there. It was still a wonderful hike.
July 12, 2011
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The next day we drove from Mammoth Lakes, CA to Cedar Breaks National Park in Utah.
We stopped for lunch in the middle of nowhere, NV, and then, after checking into our hotel in Cedar City,
drove to the national park and did some hiking. Breathtaking!!
July 13, 2011
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On the 13th we drove from Cedar City, UT to Salida, CO. We drove through Cedar Breaks National Monument,
then through Capitol Reef National Park, north to I-70, then east to Vail, CO where we turned south on hwy 24.
We stopped in Leadville and ate at the worst Pizza Hut restaurant in the world,
then continued south to Salida, CO. It was a long day.
July 14, 2011
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Starting out on the 14th we visited a place we had been once before called O’Haver Lake.
At about 9,200 feet nestled in the hills. Then the Great Sand Dunes,
and a spot not far from the dunes called Zapata Falls. The elevation there is 8,100 feet.
We lunched there and then drove down to NM on I-25.
Then east on US 64 to Guymon, OK to spend the night.
July 15, 2011
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Last day of the trip, from Guymon, OK to home in Claremore, OK.
Round trip passing through the Gloss Mountains again, just as we did on our first day.
We didn’t stop there as we were tired and ready to be home.
