SouthWestShimmy: _{Spring 1995}

Being recovered notes and imperfect recollections — better than nothing.

Saturday (6 May 1995).

Preparations - in Forestville - loading Spud (old Mobile Traveler RV) - My cherished dream was to have a nice Bud-like logo painted on the cabover. But alas, that was never to be,

Sunday (7 May 1995)

Preparations - departure in PM. Final (!) supplies purchased in Santa Rosa. Much congestion on Bay Area highways - US-101 south to CA-116 (Petaluma), 116 east to CA-12 (Napa), 12 south to I-780 (Vallejo), 780 south to I-680 (Martinez), 680 south to I-580 (Dublin), 580 east to I-205 (Tracy), 205 east to US-99 (Manteca), and south on 99 out of the Bay Area, FINALLY!

Evening-night - long drive south on US-99 to CA-58 (Bakersfield), east on 58 to Tehachapi. Enroute on 99: I switched on interior light above driver's seat - cushions pressing light caused plastic cover to melt, issue smoke - we feared fire. Finally, campered above Mojave town in Joshua Tree forest, one of our favorite overnight locales.

Monday (8 May 1995)

East on old road into Mojave, cruised town looking at stored jumbo-jets, then adequate breakfast in diner. East on CA-58 past 4-Corners (Kramer's Junction x US-395), when we smelt smoke and stopped. Investigation showed evidence of severe damage in aux. battery area. I walked to emergency phone and called for help. Long conversations with AAA.

We were towed to Kramer's Jct, then to outskirts of Boron, where shop crew showed no inclination to perform repairs. Finally were towed to major RV shop in Barstow adjacent to railroad freight yards, where we campered and listened to the music of the yards all night. Maureen in great pain from knees/legs from earlier fall, barely able to walk. Wait for AM.

Tuesday (9 May 1995)

Good breakfast and lunch at BunBoy while waiting for electrical system repairs. Finally decamped Barstow late AM. East on old US-66 to Ludlow, Amboy, then detoured (old 66 closed) back to I-40, east to Needles. Much confusion trying to find bridge across Colorado River.

North on AZ-95, east on minor road to Oatman, east on old 66 to ridge above Oatman. Decided not to camper there, as we were desirous of a real sit-down toilet. East on old 66 to Kingman (still swarming with Feds seeking terrorists) and on to the edge of the Hulapai Reservation. Campered at roadside near Truxton AZ.

Wednesday (10 May 1995)

East on old US-66 south of Grand Canyon into Seligman, then on old 66 and I-40 thru Ash Fork (several times), Williams, and into Flagstaff. Good lunch and pie at Granny's Burgers, then north on US-89 to Sunset Crater. Camped in Deadmen's Wash at edge of Painted Desert.

Thursday (11 May 1995)

Up early. On thru Wupatki Nat'l Monument - beautiful ruins, all to ourselves! South on US-89 back into Flagstaff, adequate cold sub sandwiches at north edge of town; buy supplies. South on AZ-89A to rim of Oak Creek Canyon (viewpoint loaded with Native American jewelry vendors - we walk along overlook and thru parkland), then descend into spectacular Canyon. Hot day, every river pool filled with fun-seekers.

On to Sedona (too Carmel-ized and crowded), Red Rock Canyon (familiar from films), Cottonwood town, Tuzigoot Nat'l Monument (too late, CLOSED), up thru and past Jerome (perched on cliff face) to Mingus Mountain, next to antenna farm overlooking Verde Valley. We stop for the night.

Friday (12 May 1995)

Attempting to leave our aerie atop Mt Mingus, I drain Spud's main battery. We solicit a jump-start, abandon our sub-goal of reaching Prescott, and roll back north on AZ-89A to Jerome. There we stroll the town, viewing art / jewelry / buildings. Then continue north on 89A to Cottonwood - buy and install a new battery at WalMart. Very friendly customers.

Roll south on AZ-260 thru the Verde Valley to Camp Verde and Montezuma Castle Nat'l Monument, spectacular cliffside ruins over a verdant riparian verge. Around Montezuma's Well, then back to Camp Verde, look at jewelry [LAJ]. Drive southeast on AZ-260 and AZ-87 onto and along the Mogollon Rim. Pass Tonto Natural Bridge State Park (CLOSED for repairs dammit!) and have adequate dinner at JB's in Payson. Continue east on AZ-260 into the dusk, back up the Rim, camp near Forest Lakes.

Saturday (13 May 1995)

Proceed east on AZ-260 along Rimtop - too few vistas, too many trees, too much wind. Thru Show Low (unrecognizable from my 1976 transit), Pinetop-Lakeside, McNary (casino town on White Mountain Apache Reservation), thru WMAR - hovels, forested desolation, bleak village. Over immense pass, descent into Eagar-Springdale. Camp in hills south of Eagar. First hearing of Navajo chants on KTNN radio.

Sunday (14 May 1995)

North on US-191 to St. Johns, west on US-180 to South Entrance of Petrified Forest Nat'l Park. Many glorious sights. Low on fuel. Then west on I-40 thru Holbrook to Winslow. Decent dinner at smoke-free Chinese restaurant. LAJ, Maureen buys two Navajo bracelets, gold on silver. Camp at Homolavi State Park - luxurious showers etc, Our first night in a for-pay campground. Petrushka loves the giant catbox / tenting site.

Monday (15 May 1995)

All alone at Homolavi I & II ruins. Wonderful - minor digs in extensive ruins above Little Colorado River. Then west on I-40 and old 66 to Winona and Walnut Canyon Nat'l Monument - long walk down to and up from great cliff ruins - and back to Flagstaff for supplies. Elden ruins in Flagstaff - community dig. East on old 66, IR-15 and IR-70 to Grand Falls on the Little Colorado - spectacular but nearly dry, not quite worth the long hard dusty road, at dusk,

Then southeast on IR-6910, east on IR-15 (Leupp Road) to Leupp, north on IR-2 (Leupp-Oraibi Road) to Kykotsmovi, east on AZ-264 thru Hopi country in dead of night, fruitlessly searching for a campground. We wandered around Keams Canyon, finally campered at roadside.

Tuesday (16 May 1995)

Good breakfast in Keams Canyon. Looped thru Nopi and Navajo country: east on AZ-264, south on IR-6 to Bidahochi, west on IR-15 to Dilkon, northwest on IR-60 to Seba Dalkai, north on AZ-87 to 2nd Mesa towns. Blah lunch at Hopi Cultural Center; we bought a great pot from the artist (Dee Setella) in the parking lot after LAJ. Cruised 2nd Mesa towns - enlightening. East on AZ-264 to 1st Mesa but Spud is too large to drive to Walpi etc. East on AZ-264 back to Keams Canyon, where we actually find and use the campground. Good dinner.

Wednesday (17 May 1995)

Plan to see museums in Window Rock, head for Canyon de Chelly, but... east on AZ-264 to Ganado, see Hubbell Trading Post Nat'l Monument (COLD rain!) - continue east but it's snowing heavily, Spud is unstable. So we bug out, head south or IR-12 past FABULOUS geology, west on I-40, south on US-191, east on AZ-61 & NM-53 to Zuni. Beautiful. Friendly. LAJ. We're invited to view corn dance. We wander old pueblo amidst laughing children, climb rooftops, are transported by dance. See glorious mission with Zuni artist painting Stations of the Cross with kachinas. Then south on dirt road to Ojo Caliente resevoir (behind Hawikuh ruins, Cibola) where we camper for the night.

End of notes

As of early August 2005 I recovered our gas log (see column right) and can maybe reconstruct the rest. Hang on, I'll work on it. As of early March 2005 I recall that in following days we continued on:

East past Ramah (Blue Corn Cafe), El Morro Nat'l Monument, the Malpais, and camp north of Grants. Encounter shitty Deputy. Then to Acoma Sky City, we take the bus up, I climb down. Facinating village, we bought a wedding vase from Yolanda Trujillo. Up west side of Rio Grande (avoiding Albuquerque) thru pueblos to Santa Fe. Take High Road To Taos past pueblos to Chimayo. Maureen buys great bracelet, we have fabulous meal at Inn, see Holy Chiles near Sanctuario. Camper at lake nearby.

Continue towards Taos past high high Truchas (and its Flute Museum) and other pueblos to Taos. Interesting, crowded. Out to high bridge over Rio Grande, then onward for the Vale Of Taos loop - Questa, Red River, Eagle Nest. Out to Cimarron - do laundry amidst great hailstorm. Back to Eagle Nest and complete the loop, camp in canyon above Taos. Back down the Ro Grande to Espanola, great meal at Delicias.

Leave the fabulous Rio Grande valley, head northwest thru Abiquiu and Tierra Amarilla to Chama and no, we don't take the train. West thru Jicarilla Apache country and Dulce (no UFOs) and camper out in the desert outside Bloomfield NM. Then into Bloomfield (splendid Salmon Ruins community dig), north thru Aztec NM (Aztec Ruins Nat'l Monument) to fabled Durango CO, now drenched in rain. It's probably Saturday, 27 May 1995.

Memorial Day weekend 1995

The weather sucks. There's a mountain bike race but the champ doesn't even wait for a trophy, just packs up and leaves. Everyone is coated in icy mud. We have tickets for the Durango-Silverton train but cancel out, don't want to be in an open railcar in an ice storm at 10,000 feet.

And then Spud breaks down. We manage to crawl to the only RV repairer in town but they're about to close, won't re-open until after the holiday on Tuesday. They give us a tiny tinny loaner and we cruise Durango all Sunday and Monday, sleeping in Spud parked in front of the repair shop. Nice town. First thing Tuesday morning we get the part fixed CHEAP (under $75 as I recall) and go on our way.

Tuesday (31 May 1995) and beyond

From Durango we went westward thru Cortez CO and Monticello UT, then south to Blanding UT and Hovenweep Nat'l Monument (haunting ruins under a spectacular sky) and Bluff UT and the Navajo Twin Towers. West to Mexican Hat, where cat and dogs hiked to the Rio San Juan. North up a humungeous cliff face to Natural Bridges Nat'l Monument, west across Glen Canyon at Halls Crossing, north past (east of) the Henry Mountains past Ticaboo to Hanksville, west across Capitol Reef Nat'l Park (where we stopped at dusk and were devoured by mosquitos), and then... I forget. Sorry, my memories are somewhat scrambled here.

Other Pre-2000 Southwest Trips

SouthWest Shake (1996) - click here:

SkyWatch Spring (1997) - click here:

SouthWest Swoon (1999) - click here: