McCall Idaho

We left Utah on Sunday July 5th and headed North. It was a beautiful day and the drive was great! Lots of beautiful scenery. We decided to stop over in Boise for the night. The campground was nice but very crowded together! On Monday we left Boise and headed up to McCall, Idaho. Once again it was a beautiful drive. We followed the Payette River up the canyon to McCall. What a beautiful river!
We are camping at Ponderosa State Park. The. campsites are great and quiet. We do have a neighbor that John has taken up a friendship with, a ground squirrel. Don't think he has a name, but John calls everyone "Fred" so that may be his name.
The Ponderosa State Park would be a jewel in any setting. Add to this its location on the edge of the Payette Lake, and you have a state park that is awe-inspiring. It encompasses nearly 1,500 acres filled with old growth Ponderosa Pine, Douglas Fir and several other varieties of trees. Its area included hillsides covered with wildflowers, unique wetlands, marshes, lake and river habitats and numerous forms of wildlife.The terrain itself varies from lakeside beaches to precipitous cliffs.



On our walk the in the morning we discovered this little fox that was crossing the road. He didn't seem to mind that we were there in his forest.
All is well and we are enjoying the area and all the things to see..... more later.

Love

Candy and Johnny

Provo River Scenic Byway

The mountain in the top photo is Mt. Timpanogos. Timpanogos is derived from the Ute word, Timpanogotzis, meaning "people of the rock". The local translation is "Sleeping Woman". This prominent mountain is the second highest mountain in Utah's Wasatch Range at 11,749 feet. In 1984 Congress designated 10,750 acres of national forest of Mt. Timpanogos as a wilderness area. Timpanogos Glacier is not really a glacier at all, but a permanent snowfield. However, climbers have called it a glacier since 1916. Mountain goats were reintroduced in 2000 and 2001.


The water falls to the left is called Bridal Veil Falls. This magnificent two-tiered waterfall rises 607 feet in the south end of Provo Canyon. The falls is not only a summer attraction. In the winter, and ice fall just to the right of the falls attracts experienced ice climbers. The ice fall has been aptly named the Stairway to Heaven. The falls once had an aerial tramway, built in 1967 that carried passengers to the top of the falls, however an avalanche destroyed the tram in 1996. There is hope to reopen the tram in the near future.
Following up the Provo Canyon we encountered several more waterfalls, each so beautiful . Along the route we turned off and headed up to Robert Redfords place in the mountains "Sundance". It really is a beautiful retreat in the mountains.

I did not have room for all the waterfall photo's here so scroll down to see more pictures. We had such a wonderful day!!!!


On July 4th we went to the parade that goes down main street in Park City. A fun time with floats and clowns and bands! Great.

On July 5th we left Utah and headed to Idaho. We will spend the night in Boise and then head up to
McCall Idaho for a week or so before heading further west.

Hope all is well and that you all had a wonderful 4th of July!!!!

Until later,

Candy and Johnny

Falls along the Provo Canyon Scenic Byway

Durango to Heber June30, 2009

It is difficult to believe that we have been on the road again for almost a month, with three weeks in Durango. How time does fly when you are having fun!!

On Tuesday, June 30, we left Durango and headed to Utah. We left Colorado and crossed into Utah and hot weather. We went through Moab. (What a good time we had there last year!)
Crossed the Colorado River and dove by Arches National Park, up to I-70 and headed west. It is amazing how different the scenery is from one area to another in Utah. Beautiful! But so different from place to place.

We drove through Provo and up the canyon to the Heber Valley and our next home away from home. We are staying at a campground at the base of the Jordanelle Dam. We will be here for four days and head our once again.

Love to all,
Candy and Johnny

Saturday in Durango

Saturday in Durango.... what a lazy day. We stopped at the James Ranch, they sell beef, cheese, milk, eggs etc. all made themselves. In the yard were these two goats, they belonged to the
lady down the valley that makes goat cheese. As these are male goats she really has not much need of them so they are on loan to entertain the customers. Their names are "Frick" and "Frack". Not sure which is which. Later we walked along the Animas River that runs through town and watched the rafters and kayaks floating down the river. Since we had a huge rain storm on Friday the river was really running and the rapids looked like a lot of fun.

From there we decided to go to lunch at the local Irish Pub, and John found his favorite beverage, Guinness. He really enjoyed his lunch!!!!!

That is all for today.


Love for now,
Candy and Johnny

Vallecito, Co

On Thursday, June 25, we decided to drive over to Lake Vallecito, about 22 miles north of Durango. The weather was a little overcast and we did run into a little rain but it was a beautiful drive.
The area was devastated by a fire in June/July of 2002. The trees are beginning to return but it is a very slow process. I think that you can see some of the fire damage on the photo.

This year I did manage to get better photos of the wood carvings that were made out of some of the logs that were left from the fire. Instead of chopping the logs into chippings some were carved into totem poles to honor the firefighters and the animals that were devastated by the fire.

We have had more rain here than we encountered last year but the weather is still nice, especially when we read about the hot spell that Florida has been having.

We will be here in the Durango area for several more days and then head to Salt Lake City for a few days.
Hope all is well with everyone, remember that we love to hear from you also....

Candy and Johnny

Chimney Rock

Friday, June 19 was a beautiful day so John and I jumped in the car and headed out to see some more sights we had not seen before.

As we headed down the road we came upon the Archaeological Area known as Chimney Rock.
A thousand years ago, the forests below Chimney Rock's twin pinnacles were home to ancestral Puebloan people. Later, the formations served as a landmark for the European explorers and prospectors who settled this rugged country. Today, the prominent and beautiful spires mark one of the most unusual and intriguing archaeological sites in the Four Corners.
Located 17 miles west of Pagose Springs, Co. Chimney Rock's stone pinnacles guard an ancient pueblo on lands shared by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the San Juan National Forest.
Chimney Rock is a special place.. it offers a glimpse of the challenges faced by those who came before us. Originally excavated in the early 1920's, Chimney Roch was designated an Archaeological Area and National Historical Site in 1970.
Mysteries, myths, legends, and theories abound: Why did a lowlands, agricultural community migrate to the high elevations and harsh conditions of the Chimney Rock mesa...and why did they leave? What attracted them to the twin towers - spiritual purposes? Defense against enemies? Was Chimney Rock a trading post for the ancient Southwest?
Chimney Rock is the most isolated and remote of the "outliers" - the communities connected to Chaco Canyon - and is also the highest in elevation.
Since the 1960's members of the University of Colorado have studied the site, and research continues today. What brought the Chacoans here? Dr. J. McKin Malville of the University of Colorado thinks that the High Mesa structures may have been inspired by the "lunar standstill" phenomenon, which occurs every 18 years. Was the Great House built so that it residents could watch the moon rise between the pinnacles?
The Great House, Ridge House, Great Kiva, and some 200 other undisturbed structures are found within the six square miles of Archaeological Area.
Whatever brought their ancient ancestors to Chimney Rock, modern Southwestern Indian cultures still consider it to be a place of spiritual significance.

From Chimney Rock we drove over to Pagosa Springs for lunch at Boss Hogg's Restaurant & Saloon. What a cute little town! Known for its hot springs!

"Pagosah" is the name given to the Great Pagosa Hot Springs by the Ute Indians, the "Pah" meaning "water" and the "gosah" signifying "boiling".
A more popular and accepted definition is the term "healing water". This hot mineral water still holds a certain mystique today, and many attest to its therapeutic value.
May area resorts and hotels operate hot mineral baths/pools and a hot mineral swimming pool.

I am sure that this is more information than you really needed but we do find some interesting places.......

That is all for today....stay tuned for more later.....

Candy and Johnny