Tuesday, August 9, 2022

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 …


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