Utah to Idaho (Fillmore KOA to Twin Falls-Jerome KOA) - August 10, 2022

Fillmore KOA to Twin Falls-Jerome KOA - Another long day on the road, straight through the greater Salt Lake City urban/suburban corridor with glimpses of the Great Salt Lake which is shrinking, another sign of our drying western landscape.  We drive past fields of RVs yet to be sold and realize why we have to reserve an RV campsite in advance.  There are too damn many of us all trying to do the same thing at the same time … spontaneity has gone out the window.  

The Twin Falls-Jerome KOA is adequate, but again, it was packed with campers and near the major roadway, so the sound of traffic, particularly truck traffic was ever present.  Trucking seems to be a major industry in Idaho.  And, Idaho seems to be home for a particularly virulent form of political insanity that defies logic … war on women, war on democracy, war on reason … time to move on.  

Flagstaff to Fillmore, Utah - August 9, 2022

Flagstaff to Fillmore, Utah - Into the lands of Deseret, we drove from Flagstaff KOA to our favorite KOA in Fillmore, Utah.  It is literally in the midst of nowhere, but it remains one of our favorite KOA campgrounds, well-tended, large poplar trees, grassy areas in front of each campsite, well-spaced trailer campsites with friendly staff.  

Along the way, we stopped at the Glen Canyon Dam Welcome Center, which was closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (not very welcoming).  Particularly unwelcoming because there were a number of international visitors (we heard French and German spoken), who had stopped to see the dam.  The water levels are exceptionally low … and getting lower.  And, the walls around the viewing area were tall, but not tall enough to keep Coco from wanting to hop up on the wall.  Fortunately we were able to stop her before she got up on the top of the wall as the drop on the other side was all the way to the water level (note to self:  No wall is too high for Coco).  

We spoke for a bit with the man who guided us to our campsite.  He was in his first year of retirement and was working with his wife at this KOA.  They had previously lived in Chicago and he had worked for 37 years as an ER nurse.  He was quite content with his retirement and felt that the last few years of nursing were so mired in overwork, understaff, and patients with such extreme levels of entitlement that he was pleased to retire (and he agreed that the KOA in Flagstaff was way too crowded ;-)

We also met a Dutch family who had gone on a grand tour of the Western US in a rental RV and were headed out the next day (via Salt Lake City Airport) to return to Holland.  They gave us their bottle of bear spray (with a nice holster) for our travels because they could not take it on their trip home.  

Coco made a mad dash for freedom … and ran to the Dog Park … where she and two other gold retrievers had a big dog excitement party.  Fortunately we were able to get her back on the leash and had a pleasant conversation with the owners of the two golden retrievers who understood Coco’s enthusiastic greetings (and understood the challenges of a young, energetic pup like Coco).   

Generous, hospitable folks to be found everywhere … even in a remote Utah campsite …

Leaving Town - Honeybear to Flagstaff KOA - August 8, 2022

Leaving Town - It is always amazing the number of pieces that have to come together to get out of town … and equally amazing that each time we pull it off and get on the road.  This time heading toward Flagstaff.  This is not a particularly long drive, but gives us an opportunity to get our road legs under us and to potentially trouble shoot any problems that might emerge.

We stayed the night in the Flagstaff KOA, despite having sworn to ourselves that we would not do it again.  Bonito Campground, our favorite campground near Sunset Crater, was not open due to the impact of the Tunnel Fire and the flooding that has occurred in the burn area during this monsoon season.  Our second choice, JH Campground, was not available, even though we pulled out the name of our friends, Jim and Kathy, who are well known to the owners of the campground.  So, back at Flagstaff KOA we went …

It was dismaying to again have such tight quarters on such uneven, not level, campsites at a high price.  We were near the bounce pad for kids and as I walked Coco, I saw parents driving their kids to the bounce pad and dropping them off.  I also saw people driving themselves and their dogs to the dog park.  Something seemed so wrong to drive kids in a campground to a play area … something seemed wrong to drive dogs to a dog park to get exercise.  However, Paul had a more compassionate take on it all and suggested that perhaps the dog owners had mobility concerns … three cheers for compassion!

Home Again - September 4, 2021

Home Again - September 4, 2021

We're home again ... we drove by Lake Powell and were struck by how low the water levels were ... one could barely see the lake.  

We were also struck by how difficult it will be to transform the transportation sector to more fuel efficient vehicles when the roads were filled with fellow travelers in large vehicles to tow even larger trailers, outsized motor homes, double and triple trailer commercial trucks carrying goods from point A to point B.  We're fully aware that we are part of this fuel-driven source of green house gases and that so much change will have to happen to convert the fuel-based part of our economy.  It is hard to wrap one's brain around the magnitude of the change that is needed ... particularly while driving during Labor Day holiday traffic.

It was good to get home ... to get Bambi unloaded and tucked back into his storage unit.  

And, clearly, Coco was glad to be back home to relax on "her" couch again ...

KOA Fillmore to KOA Flagstaff, AZ - September 3, 2021

KOA Fillmore to KOA Flagstaff, AZ - September 2, 2021

Another long day of driving, 375 miles, to arrive in Flagstaff.  Funny ... after all of our time in the Pacific Northwest with only one night of modest rain, we arrive in Flagstaff in the midst of a downpour.  It was hard to set up in all of the rain, but like most desert rains, it did pass and we were able to finish setting up for the night.  

KOA Flagstaff is perhaps the liveliest of the KOAs that we've ever stayed at ... campers, tents, teepees and cabins ... lots of children playing ... it just feels like a holiday campsite.  And, it was booked with Labor Day celebrants.

 Olivia and her two sons, Rouge and Rojo celebrated their return to KOA Flagstaff with Coco ...

And Coco was eager to get back on the road again ... from her perch (bed) in the back seat of Fritz ...

KOA Twin Falls to KOA Fillmore, Utah - September 2, 2021

KOA Twin Falls to KOA Fillmore, Utah - September 2, 2021

Labor Day traffic is beginning to pick up.  We traveled 361 miles from Idaho to KOA Fillmore in Utah.  Actually we have used this KOA before and found it spacious, with large cottonwood trees to provide shade, and an incredible amount of wind blowing across the valley in which this KOA is located.  

We're finishing up food ... including a tomato-habanero salsa that we made from some habaneros and tomatoes that were gifted to us by Jim from his garden ...

KOA Pendleton to KOA Twin Falls, Idaho - September 1, 2021

KOA Pendleton to KOA Twin Falls, Idaho - September 1, 2021

We have entered the land of the "unmasked" once we drove from Oregon into Idaho.  We are not sure what is in the water in Idaho to create a population of "unmasked" (and we fear, unvaccinated) individuals, but it is quite strange to go from the relative social commitment to public health and the safety of all into a land of "unmasked" individuals without regard to social distancing indoors or outdoors.  

It was another long day of driving, 347 miles, which is long when pulling a trailer, to arrive at the KOA in Twin Falls, Idaho.  It might have been nice to spend more time to see Shoshone Falls, but it would have been challenging to detach Bambi from Fritz to drive to the Falls and then to re-attach to continue the drive.  It just wasn't the time or place ... perhaps another time.