Anaconda

 

Years and years ago while watching tv with some friends, and probably using substances that were illegal then , but now you can buy at the corner pot shop.

The TV was showing Marlin Perkins Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom show, and they were deep in the Amazon. Now we weren’t really watching the show out of choice, it was the only channel we got.

But there was Marlin deep in the Amazon walking along with another guy and they came to a puddle that on tv didn’t look large enough to hold a catfish after a hurricane. When Marlin said “The only way to capture the giant Anaconda is to jump into its natural habitat  and wrap it around your body” the other fellow striped off most of his clothes jumped in and completely disappeared into the puddle. Soon the water was splashing about and the fellow crawled back out with a giant anaconda wrapped around his body

Now since we were using substances that were illegal then . We thought this was hilarious, we were ROTFL before it was a thing.

Marlin And A Anaconda

 Fewer  years ago, when I was meeting a motor bike compadre in Montana,   I saw the sign for the road to Anaconda. I thought it would be cool to see the huge mine, and the road  going  there was better than riding on  I 90.

The bike I was riding was the snake venom one. . It was bran new, but for some reason the heated grips quit working on this ride. No heated grips were not an issue until I turned down the road to Anaconda and the light rain turned to snow. No worries, the snow wasn’t sticking.

New Bike No Heated Grips Whats Not To Like

 Pretty soon the snow was sticking and by the time I got turned around Raynaud's Syndrome had made my hands dead. Luckly I had a pair of heated gloves in the saddle bag and I got those hooked up and got the hell out of there only stopping at the motor company outpost in Butte, where they took pity on me and pulled the parts off another bike so I could go along my way with heated grips.

For today’s run to Anaconda.

It Was Slow Going Getting Out Of The RV Park

My starting point was  Dillon Montana , where I went about my morning enjoying  my koffee , and then set about making the van ready for the road.

It wasn’t long before I had the interior temperatures perfect, had my jacket put away, and I started out.

This was not the way I had previously traveled, but highway 278 northbound was a welcome relief from the interstate, and I discovered some unique things to the area.

The gates were the first thing I noticed. I have not seen gates like these anywhere else.

Unique Gates Of Montana

Another interesting thing I spotted and  might be local  to the area are  giant catapults. ( you can’t be too careful living next to Idaho)  but I think they are used to load  hay that is not bailed

Giant Catapult

I saw a tractor pulling a wagon with a huge mound of hay, that’s why I think the catapults are used for that…

The mine at Anaconda is off limits. You can’t go there. It is more toxic than Chernobyl, and its surrounded by mountains of tailings, but no one seems to pay it any mind.

The only thing you can see of the mine is the stack that spewed toxins into the air everywhere.  But that was a long time ago.

Remains Of The Smelter

Memorial To The Miners

Anaconda, the town, is a great little town. Gas is inexpensive, the downtown was nice to walk around in. I never saw a espresso shop but there were lots of bars, and I’m okay with that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interstate Observations

After our dry camping shakedown my RV compadre’s and I spent two nights in Page Arizona, we planned on doing  the  Upper  Antelope Canyon Tour.

The tour was well worth the cost, as the canyon is spectacular. If you ever used windows, you have seen shots of the Canyon, as it’s been used twice for backgrounds.

I took a lot of photos. Actually, I took a lot of lousy photos as you can’t bring a tripod on the tour like the windows people did

The Blue Lady

Chopping off her head was by accident

 

Inside The Canyon

My compadres have to take their machine to an aunt’s house in Saint George Where with the use aunties well equipped shop PEMA will be renewed.

Saint George The Dragon Slayer No Dragons Sighted On This Trip

Good Job George!

It is a easy drive from Page to aunties house in Saint George, but no one really wants to stop RVing so we decide to spend our last night camping in Kanab, and so we settled into the Kanab RV Corral and had a great time filling water tanks, emptying water tanks, and getting hamburgers from Big Als

After a night of driveway camping I give aunties resort 10 for 10, and now its time to face the Interstate

Kenworth Race Trucks

I 15 is like a conveyor belt of trucks, all moving as fast as the 80 mpg speed limit or faster.

I only make it to Richfield. The road is putting me to sleep. Camping was easy to find at a KOA that has drained all the water for winter, but it wasn’t a bad deal for just electricity.

A fresh start in the morning with the goal of Lava Hot springs, I fill up at the local station where even at this early time of day people abandon their vehicles at the gas pumps and go into the convenience store, or go to the toilet, take a shower, I don’t know what they do, but do they think they are the only ones on the planet that need fuel, and that its ok to just park there blocking the pumps. It’s not like there isn’t plenty of parking, most even closer to the store than the pumps.

Abandoned  Vehicles

Be considerate, and don’t abandon your vehicle at the gas pumps.

Back on I 15 and facing a morning of getting through the   1 million plus salty city built near the remnants of a inland sea I spotted the giant sign for LOVES.

I had plenty of fuel, but I kind of like LOVES coffee. I know its most likely comes out of a pouch like on the ships, or maybe its Farmer Brothers brewed in a Bunn, but it was still early enough for coffee and after yesterday’s sleepy time while driving I figured why not.

Fixing my cup and then waiting to pay I was only number 2 in the queue behind a fella that was flirting with the cashier, a woman who was an A+ graduate of the tammy fay baker school of cosmetology, and she had on so many layers of color, and mascara and other color things that I know nothing about and do not want to. 

She Had Kaleidoscope Eyes

Both of them were lamenting on the amount of animals killed on the road. I didn’t know what animals they were talking about but I assumed deer , and I was reassured when eyes said she hit a deer last year.

Me I wanted to say well maybe going 100 in a 80 zone and being rude , distracted, and unskilled drivers might account for how many animals have been killed. But then I thought they are probably anti-union republicans, and I’m not

My new road name might have to be Zipper as I have been keeping my mouth shut here in klan country.

 

 

 

                                                                                                                   

  

Dry Camping Shakedown

 

It was a easy drive out of Moab, and we had planed for several stops. The first was at the trio of VW Beatles placed atop a shipping container.

Off The Road For Now

The sun was totally in the wrong spot for photos. I thought about going around to the other side but settled for post processing adjustments. 

Our next stop was at Hole in the Rock. It is quite a interesting tourist attraction  and is even listed in Atlas Obscura. For a few dollars you can go on a guided tour of the home that Albert Christensen blasted out of the rock. The tour is not long,  no photos are allowed inside the home and the animals that Albert stuffed are really dated and need to be set free. But living inside a rock in the desert isn't that bad of a idea. 

Inside The Kitchen

The grounds have some unique antiques, and the place just has a Kitsch feel to it.

Who Wouldn't Want To Fly Away In This?

Not much further along highway 191 we turned  onto  the dirt road to take us to a dry campsite in Valley of the Gods.

Not far  along the road was a almost dry stream crossing, and I watched as PEMA the Winnebago carefully crossed. The crossing offered no issues for the van with a name and soon we were jostling along in search of the perfect campsite. It didn’t take long until the site was found, and camp set up.

Dry Desert Camping

The van with a name, new batteries performed well, but PEMA had some issues with power to its heater and had to run on generator power for most of the night. Not bad for its first night out.

Sunrise In The Desert

We lumbered back out the dirt heading south to Page Arizona to prepare for the next adventure.

 

 

 

 

Classic Camper Caravan

 

Well, I met up with my ol traveling compadre  Maya Hucklberry the other day at Lava Hot Springs. The large state operated spring that you can walk to from the east KOA is closed for some major repairs. Seems the hot pool was sinking, and needed to be excavated and repaired, and that is just what was happening .

New Pools On The Way

No worries though as just across the street from the KOA west is the    Lava Hot Springs Inn

The Inn started its life as a hospital, and the outside retains that old institution look.

The Inn

 The inside look comfortable. The pools are dated but there is a pool with a temperature to suit you. The very hottest one was too hot for me and gave me a good case of rubber chicken legs to walk back to the van with a name.

After some soaking and some RV camper park camping it was south to the city that sits by a inland sea, but not actually to that city but to the one named Jordan after a city in the middle east where god delusional people have been fighting for their imaginary  friend from the beginning of time and most likely to the end of time.

The reason we had to go to the holy city was because Kevlar and Maya have resurrected a classic Winnebago Motor home and the van with a name was going along for the shake down cruise.

Pema

Now  Kevlar is a highly skilled mechanic and has been making the machine road, and camping worthy, and when he fired it up, I could hear the roar from quite a way away.

On our drive out of the holy city we skirted along on smaller highways than I 15. Our route took us through industrial areas, shopping malls, and semi-rural patches. At some point I hadn’t seen a church in some time and was becoming concerned. But soon off in the distance the spire of delusion appeared. .

We only did a short stint on 15 then turned off on a delightfully wide and empty of interstate traffic Highway 6.  The Winnebago proved its chops on the steep climbs , and soon enough we were at our destination of Moab, for some driveway camping and then some scampering on the rocks at the nearby  Needles Overlook, Minor Overlook, and  Deadhorse Point.

Needles Overlook

Needles Overlook

Potlatch Ponds Near Deadhorse Point