The Lovely Alex....

Here I am in damp soggy yorkshire, frantically trying to get ready to come back to the States, it's been a nice break to see all the family and friends, hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. I am just having a lesson in blogging and thought I would take the opportunity to share a photo of my youngest grandchild - The Lovely Alex, teenagers being teenagers I can't share a photo of my older two grandchildren.

I have updated the blog with the remaining entries from 2007, hope everyone enjoys 2008 as much as I hope to!!




Pink Cowgirl!!!!



Two of my daughters and Alex in Spain

Back in the UK........

A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS

AND A GREAT NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL.

I am now back in the good old UK, with no snow but very cold weather I had forgotten how cold England can be, it’s the damp yer know!!

Yet again I had a very wet departure from Prescott, Arizona. It rained a solid 36hrs before
we left. After packing the trucks up we spent our last night at the St Michaels hotel which proved to be very noisy the night porter decided to throw another guest out (for making to much noise) right outside my door at 1.57am I read this on my clock as 7.57am jumped out of bed and woke Les and Margaret up, our lift was coming at 8am L then getting back into my room realized my mistake and went back to themL then of course I couldn’t get back to sleep for an age!

Arriving at the airport our plane was delayed 3hrs, because of a mechanical problem when the plane was leaving Chicago. The staff at the airport were very good keeping us very well informed on what was happening, there was also a storm sweeping the US the eye of which seemed to be Chicago the flight should have taken 2hrs 20mins infact it took over 8hours, we were lucky enough to be put into a hotel and given food vouchers. We had ofcourse missed our 6pm flight to Manchester, which we found out next day did not leave passengers were put in hotels at 2am after spending 4 hours in the plane on the tarmac, so we faired very well being into our hotel by 1am!

The following day was spent at the airport, Chicago was very cold with a lot of snow which stopped us from having a little sight seeing trip. We then found out that there are NO restaurants at the airport only take away spots, we had McDonaldsL for breakfast. Once on the plane the journey was ok we arrived back in Manchester 24 hours late. My girls were late arriving because of traffic on the M62 (motorway over the Pennines) I had a lovely cup of tea whilst waiting for the lovely Alex to arrive.

Since then I have been trying to get the phone sorted out the account now stands at £3.500 no one at “orange” (service provider) seemed to want to talk to me, my solicitor is now trying to sort it out. I now have a new phone and provider the number is:- 07752825211.

I have been looking for some parts to take back with me.

Enjoying my family, friends and the delightful, funny Alex with lots of baby sitting Jack says she has to get a whole years worth in at one go!

We have had our annual family visit to “Panto” (pantomime) this is such a wonderful outing getting us all into the Christmas spirit; it is just 3 hours of belly laughing. We always go to the same one at the Theatre Royal York, it is very old fashioned keeping all the traditions going, the main characters are played by the same actors each year NO soap stars we have been going now for 15 years sit in the same seats front row, middle we all have lunch together first it is great.

I have also been down to South Wales to visit my brother Peter and Linda. I was baby sitting so took the delightful Alex who had a wonderful time, Pete has a granddaughter same age. On the way back home I stopped off at my travel friend’s house in Birmingham for lunch, this is OJ; we travelled with around South America

Now I am as ready for Christmas as I will ever be, it is very strange going to the girls houses and not doing anything myself

So I hope you will all have a wonderful time and a brilliant New Year. We hope that the immigration let us back into America when we return at the end of |January to continue our trip up to Alaska.

Santa Fe........

New Mexico’s capital city is nearly 400 years old; the Pueblo Indians had lived here before the Spanish arrived; as the Spanish colonists built their Churches, homes and government buildings they used the Indian method of adobe, which keep the interior of the buildings cool in summer and warm in winter. Now very strict rules govern the buildings and the look of Santa Fe - every building must be painted in the officially sanctioned hues of brown and conform to the traditional adobe style. The result is a very charming and unusual Spanish-Pueblo style, which I liked very much.

Adobe Church

We enjoyed a very interesting tour of the city, in a tractor/train; our guide obviously had a great love of his city, which always makes for a good trip because they fill lots of little bits in. Santa Fe is also a very large and important Art Centre mainly because of the beautiful scenery and the south western sunlight! There are dozen’s of galleries I saw some wonderful Bronze works of art - one of an Indian lady had a patch worked quilt bronzed as her cloak/cape it was sooooooo beautiful. We all know Santa Fe from the silver screen with cowboys, gamblers and lovely ladies along the “Santa Fe Trail” which was more of a trade route then for pioneers This wonderful bronze wagon with horses and driver, In front a young boy waves a welcome along with the trail boss, this is to mark the end of the trail which lasted 60 years until the rail road arrived. After the tour we went to see the “Palace of Governors” this adobe building was built in 1610 and is considered one of the oldest buildings in the United States, it was the seat of government under Spanish, Pueblo Indian, Mexican and the US territorial rule until 1909 it then became the state history museum, the building was very impressive and the museum it self was extremely interesting. Next we visited the San Miguel Mission Church another very old building which has been in constant use since 1610 when it was built, the bell on display was cast in Spain in 1356 but the most amazing feature is the staircase which has no nails or screws the wood was shaped using water when the carpenter had finished he left without payment for his very skilled work, the hand rail was added at a later date because the choir of girls were nervous climbing up to their seats. The staircase is quite something to see.

The Staircase!!

Our second day in Santa Fe we spent at the Museum of International Folk Art which I think is one of the most impressive museums I have been to, well we were in there ALL day, there is a collection from “The Girard Foundation” which consists of over 106,000 items !!! Made up into scenes of market places, villages and docksides from all over the world over 100 countries. It was amazing. Santa Fe was a wonderful experience. From Santa Fe we did some scenic driving to get to Taos which is an old Pueblo Indian village, still with a few people living full time, lots of people spend their days there making and selling their beautiful craft and art work, also home made bread and pies yummie!!

The End of the Sante Fe trail - the bronze statue is amazing to see!!

we are now travelling along the places I covered in June and July - seeing them at a different time in the year is very good, I am also able to seeing a little more as it is not so hot and so walking around is much more enjoyable, we had to go back to the garage in Farmington for Les, he was expecting some parts these had not arrived so we pushed on once again covering the San Juan Skyway which is so beautiful it’s a joy to repeat. I called into the visitors centre in Blanding to see the friends I made at the Quilt festival in June I was lucky enough to meet up with Norma, she was very pleased to see me made me feel very welcome and special I shall never forget that place. At Newspaper rock we meet 2 guys “Mike and J” on motor bikes they were so interested in our trucks we thought they would stay the night!! They were on their way to a “Folk Festival” in Moab which we decided to go to after we had been to Needles National Park I think this is one of the very best from a whole area of very good, the rock formation and colour is brilliant I felt as much overcome as I did in June. This part of the United States is truly magnificent also with lots of interesting history. Arriving in Moab we were able to find good parking for the day and stay the night, we were then able to enjoy 2 wonderful days, with glorious weather, fabulous music and great company, these were 2 very interesting guys who loved to talk and I have to say listen to our stories as well, we are hoping to be able meet them again next year in Alaska which would be great fun We then moved on to Arches National Park once more the shape, the colour, the splendour of the rocks takes your breath away - us Brits can only look in wonder all this beauty made from wind, rain, ice and sun. We had to go back to Moab and try to book our storage for the trucks over the phone!! Well what a laugh how frustrating that, these kind of things are so different here some times it’s very hard for us to understand, over the phone adds a further dimension, we managed after many phone calls a visit to the visitors centre for help and advice on said phone calls, then we had to get a money order because this company did not take credit cardL we went to a bank but they would charge us 15$ so they sent us to the post office where it was only1.5$ the poor guy in there retired after we had left!! He had, after lots of questions etc. made the order out for the wrong amount so we had to start all over again; thank goodness I had paid with real money and not a card!!! At last the company have their cash and we have 2 storage places in Prescott for our home coming!! We drove the wonderful scenic routes the ladies from Blanding sent me on last visit Bridges National Park, The Hole in the Rock road, wonderful, then down a huge cliff down which the pioneers had taken their wagons on the way to Bluff, I can only say what ever made them do it? I would have gone home long before I ever got here!!!! We parked at the bottom of the cliff for our night stop, ready to drive the Valley of Gods in the morning this is a very bad washboard dirt road; Les had first thing a starter problem a further problem round the drive. Once back on tarmac we had our morning cup of tea stop and decided to go back to Blanding to try and get Les’s starter changed as he had had one refurbished last time we were in Prescott. This seemed very simple and straight forward as we knew Blanding it would be a quick job, ha! ha! she says. When the guys in the garage changed the starter it blew the battery up, one terminal completely melted, melted to nothing, zap!! So we spent the rest of the day there (well and the night) with the garage trying to repair or get new starter and or new battery, in the end Les settled for a repair to his brand new battery and no starter, we were approximately 450 miles from our favourite garage in Prescott, with no starter we had to find hills to park on to get a running start, Oh! I nearly forgot the boys in the garage came back next morning to give Les a tow from outside the garage, then a tow down the road. Had we got really stuck I could have given a tow, (but I am only a learner) anyway we did good managing to get to Prescott where we parked in Wal-Mart on a hill. So now we are both in repair shops poor Les getting the starter fixed, it has blown up again, the guy in the electric repair shop had put a 12volt solenoid onto a 24volt starter! he had actually done this twice!! Me I am in the caravan repair shop having some running repairs done after 2.5 years on the road, tonight I am in a hotel having a very long shower!!!!

So my darlings that is my news up todate!! Take care all of you, see some of you soon

Onwards from Farmington

Today we drove from Farmington New Mexico to Ridgeway in Colorado by way of Durango and Silverton, from Durango we travelled along the San Juan Skyway which is one of the most scenic drives in North America and spanning elevations from 6.200ft to 11.008ft at the Red Mountain pass. This is the most beautiful of roads I have actually been along it 5 times now, when I came in July the flowers were out, every where you looked was a mass of colour the sun was shinning everything was bright and clear, it was ofcourse very hot with a very clear view over all the mountains and valleys. I then took the train to Silverton from Durango which was amazing, I took the bus back to Durango, I then came this way when playing catch up with Les and Margaret that time it was snowing, I think very hard there was lots of snow all the trees were very full, some of the Aspen trees were still golden, with every thing else so white and beautiful. Today it is a very winter picture with snow on the mountains and the hedge bottoms (as we say) the Aspen have lost their entire beautiful golden autumn (fall) colour, the ride has been just stunning. Each trip has been so beautiful and different. I had my lunch in one of Silverton’s amazing elaborate Victorian buildings now a restaurant/bar built in 1876 as a gambling hall/saloon most of which is still the original, the bar and the back bar had been rescued from a store hose in Durango where it had been painted with several coats of purple disco paint it took a whole year to restore back to it original state it is beautiful. So very beautiful.

I have missed some of the journey out but we will have email tomorrow, I will go backwardsJ

Aztecs, Kivas and Chacos....

We left the garage in Farmington today, the garage in Denver honoured the work they had done and the guarantee so I did not have an account to settleJ they would not however (garage in Denver) honor the work they had done for Les which I felt was most unfair. We did not leave until nearly lunch time, it was one of those mornings when you wish you could go back to bed and start the day again!!! Our journey took us to he Aztec ruins just out side Farmington, this is one of the largest and best preserved Ancestral Pueblo (native American) in this area (south west). The misnomer Aztec was given by early settlers who believed the ruins were connected to the Aztec from Mexico. It is infact much older then the Mexican Aztec buildings THIS POT IS 8 The builders carried sandstone from quarries many miles away each stone was dressed using stone hammers, mauls and pecking stone. Some unusual coloured stone was used to decorate (we think) but then the outer walls were plastered with mud. There are the original logs still inplace in these walls.

One of the most interesting buildings for me was the reconstructed “Kiva” this is a ceremonial building and I think the heart of the village all of the villages we have seen have had many “Kivas” so to be able to see on as it would have been was quite something. Kivas are still used today by the native American’s because their culture does not write down their history only pass their tradition down by word of mouth the core of their culture has not changed, so with their help this “Kiva “ was reconstructed.

A very interesting visit, from here we are going to “ The Chaco Culture” I went to Chaco in July, but this visit was no where near as HOT!!! The weather however was very warm. I braved the road again which I told you last time is the worst corrugated/washboard road I have ever been on 15 miles of it!!!! I enjoyed the visit as much the second time in the evening we went to a solar talk and enjoyed the moon and stars through the telescope, the evening however was very cold.
I hope that you enjoy these pictures and my little writing Take care you all

Back on the road............

At last I have left the garage, all repaired and glad to be back on the road. I left at 3pm the truck having been in the garage 12 days with no solar; also we cannot plug into American electric I have no power in the house which means no fridge therefore no food!! To remedy this I have to run the engine, so I may as well be moving, also I would like to get out of the city as soon as possible, it is so noisy. Les has been emailing me almost every day so I follow the route he has sent me I am soon out of the city and Into mountains and scenery. Looking for food and a night stop finding a supermarket this solves both problems. A good night’s sleep follows. I have to tell you here that Halloween and Pumpkins have taken over this country I have never seen so many pumpkins in the whole of my life, Halloween decorations and costumes are everywhere as bad as Christmas at home, every shop, every house, some trees I guess on the night there will be folk dressed up every where we shall wait and see! Just passing scen
Well I followed the road through the mountains heading for Aspen; the mountains are beautiful the colours of the trees amazing much more golden then at home, not as many browns and reds I also think the colours are much brighter, in England the autumn (fall) colours are more subdued. In Aspen it’s self the streets are lined with Aspen trees! Which turn the most gorgeous orange/gold and the leaves kind of dance in the wind it is a most beautiful site, unfortunately I could find no where to park to take any photos (sad)

I stopped for lunch at “Sally’s Breakfast” well I can eat breakfast any old time, I bet they have burger’s and steak’s as well, there were a number of people sat out side which was to cold for yours truly On opening the door my mouth dropped open. The room was not large and had a 3 sided counter with bar stools/chairs (they had backs) in the centre was the kitchen, the music playing very loud was the Beatles, the chef was shouting at the waitresses for not paying attention to the customers needs, I was told to sit where I liked in shock I just sat! Next to a Buffalo Bill look alike his plate of food was HUGE, I had taken my book to read whilst waiting but could not take my eyes off what was going on. The chef would have given Jamie Oliver a run for his money, every thing was home made, everything was cooked fresh in front of your very eyes I have never seen anything like it, the atmosphere was great. I ordered Manhattan Eggs, which were scrambled egg with smoked salmon one of my favorites, well my food came on an enormous plate I dread to think how many eggs were in the scrambled with lots of thick pieces of smoked salmon, home made Hash Browns gorgeous and a large home made scone (biscuit) Buffalo Bill laughed when he saw my face!! It was good I managed to eat all the egg n salmon most of the hash browns but failed with scone, the only down side is you cannot get a decent cup of tea in this country, a nice pot of tea would have been the icing on the cake. However I give the whole experience 100% excellent food, good music, good company at the counter it was great, I think so American !!!!! I had a nice cup of tea!!! Then got back on the road to catch up with Les and Margaret, the mountains are just beautiful with lovely log cabins some of which are very old, small townships, apart from Aspen which was not too large but very touristy, I pass mines most of which I think are coal also an old coke making plant. I came to the Town of Montrose and decided to park up for the night following a sign to “local car park” had a good and peaceful night, starting off fairly early I am still on catch up with LnM on the way out of town I pass a Wal Mart, thinking I could have parked there, little did I know that LnM had parked there and were still there. I continued on heading for Durango where I saw the 4th July parade this is a high Mountain road winding through old mines and mining towns, there had been a lot of snow when I passed the old mining town where I had stayed in June it started snowing not very much just enough to make every so beautiful This is just a winter wonderland like driving through Christmas However the road was clear!!!!! The road was fine but very slow but I am happy with that, Silverton was covered with snow but the just in a blink NO snow all the trees were green it was so sudden it was quite a shock. When I got to Durango I went to Mc Donald’s to use their internet. Les and Margaret had not come on the same road as me but were heading for Mesa Verde vie Cortez, Mesa Verde is between Durango and Cortez, So I head for Cortez asking at the gate of Mesa Verde if another truck like mine had gone in with the people speaking like me, they said no. so driving into Cortez deciding were to park so they could see me. Bingo there they were in the car park of a hotel emailing me to tell me where they were. I have a problem with my brakes the ABS (anti locking brake system) light is on and I keep getting a crunch when I brake moving slowly. Sooooooooo we have to go to Farmington to the Freightliner garage there Les will get his light fixed. So after a day visit to Mesa Verde which was just as wonderful and interesting as last time we are now in a garage AGAIN At the moment for me there is some discussion as to the payment, after only 5 days mine must be covered by guarantee, I am waiting for the other garage to ring back, I was told that all work is guaranteed by any freightliner garage in the US so fingers crossed.

DENVER TO COLORADO

DENVER COLORADO

Well here I am in a truck stop (Freight Line Denver)

There we were driving happily in the Rockies National Park, on what is said to be the most beautiful road in the whole of America, it was closed by the way at the very top because of snow and ice, and we had decided to drive as far as we could. When I heard this awful grinding noise from the front of the truck after a couple of inspections and listening by us and some people who came over to speak to us about the trucks infact they got very excited I think we could have sold them on the spot!! Anyway we decided to go back down the mountain and ring the AAA, it was brakes or bearings we had finger crossed for brakes AAA came another inspection, it was decided a tow truck was needed, so I went the 75 miles to Denver on the tow truck, to a 24 hour truck stop, Les and Margaret arrived about 1.5hrs after I had arrived, Les had quite a big oil leak which he decided to get this fixed at the same time. At one point I was in the garage minus the 2 front wheels and hubs and Les was in the garage with no engine. Cylinder head gasket had gone, but it was the original on the vehicle which will be 20 years old next year!

Les was fixed in the day, although my problem is not a big job here in the US there are NO parts and as it turned out no possibility of getting any, but I was not told that, until Wednesday night when I was told the parts would not be here for 2 weeks, I was not happy I could go home buy the parts and come back with them quicker then that. What they were going to do was buy the parts from |Canada this would mean the parts would come from Germany go into Canadian customs then get shipped to the US going into the US customs each time in customs takes at least 3 days!!!!! Soooo we decided to send an email to the Mercedes Garage in Wolverhampton (Wayne) he knows me, he knows my truck, then I would ring him first thing in the morning (this would be afternoon in the UK) Wayne had all the parts ready I paid him with my card the parts will be on a plane by 10am Friday, with luck will be here next week. I then had to go and tell the people here what I had done. To say the least those guys were gobsmacked !!!!!

Tomorrow I am going to stay in a hotel downtown Denver until next Wednesday, by which time I hope I may be back on the road…………….Watch this space