The Millers Go RVing -Day 8

It was a cool 50* that morning in Durango CO. It didn't take long to heat up, but was a brief, beautiful reprieve from the heatwave we couldn't seem to shake. Every time we thought we drove ahead of it, it would sneak up and smack us from behind again! It was near or above 100* every day of the trip so far. And we were heading for the desert.

We had a huge pile of laundry to do. At 7am you have the campground laundry to yourself. How cool is it to have 5 washers and 6 dryers going at the same time? That's the way to get laundry done quick.

R started calling tire shops as soon as they opened at 8am. By 8:30 he had found the tire we needed in stock. Best of all it didn't seem to be marked up for tourists. By 10am, "Big Bertha" was getting her new tire. She didn't fit in the tire shop so we put her up on her jacks behind the shop. On the other side of that fence was a river where we could watch rafters while we waited.

Thank God what could have been a major problem was only a minor inconvenience.

Before we left Durango, we went to Walmart to buy supplies -including our 3rd case of water!- and fluids to top off Big Bertha's reservoirs so she wouldn't pitch any more fits. We also went to Boot Barn so JS could get new work boots. While he was shopping, A & I were entertained by prairie dogs next to the parking lot.

Back on schedule. We drove to Four Corners Monument. We waited in the stifling heat in a long line for our turn to take photos. There was a limit of 3 photos per party, so we chose these 3 options:

 "They say you can't be in 2 places at once, but I've been in 6!"

 My favorite people -each in a different state:

JR in Arizona, A in Utah, JS in Colorado, R in New Mexico

We bought Indian fry bread at one of the little food trailers in the parking lot. They made it fresh while we waited. We chose powdered sugar & cinnamon for our choice of 2 toppings. It was really good.

R thought it was best to drive through New Mexico instead of backtracking to catch interstate. Can we just be honest and say that may not have been one of the best decisions of our life? We were not impressed with NM. It was barren, dull, and the roads were rough. Their state slogan is "Land of Enchantment"; can someone please enlighten us where the enchantment is?

Then we came to a flat area with signs that warned about 0 visibility in dust storms. Just like that it got extremely windy. R was hanging on to the wheel with both hands and fighting to keep Big Bertha on the road. Oh look, tumbleweeds! Next thing we know there is an awful thumping sound on the roof. Our awning tore loose and was flapping in the wind! We pulled over and the men tied the awning down with washline R had thrown in the cargo bay at last minute. A & I were inside praying Big Bertha stays on all 4 wheels -I have never experienced anything like the way she was rocking! -and that JS doesn't blow off the roof down onto the road.   

They got the awning secured and we drove on. The next 20 minutes were some of the most tense of our life, till we finally drove out of that wind. Looking on the bright side, we can make do without an awning but we can't travel without a motor. We'd rather have this trouble than the trouble yet to come. So maybe green plastic washline trussing up the awning looks redneck, but the awning is still in one piece.

RV Road Trip Tip #107 Tie your awnings fast before you set out- you never know when you are going to hit a windstorm.

With that slight delay, we didn't arrive at the Painted Desert & Petrified Forest National Park till 6:30pm.

We stopped at the first 2 overlooks. It was pretty in the evening sun, but after that it's just more of the same. There seems to be miles & miles of nothing to see except jack rabbits in between the 2 parks. The road is too rough to drive very fast. We did stop at Newspaper Rock to see petroglyphs carved by Indians 500 years ago.

Till we got to the petrified wood, the boys were too hungry to be interested and completely DONE with sightseeing.

 

My parents have a piece of petrified wood from here, acquired on their honeymoon almost 50 years ago. It was high on my bucket list to purchase a piece but till we got to the gift shop at the southern end of the park it was closing. We skedaddled over to Holbrook AZ, checked into the KOA and went looking for food. Denny's to the rescue at 9:30pm.  

to be continued...