There's never a dull moment aboard Ol' Bessie...

she's showin' us some great times, but she's keeping us on our toes!!

let's see... after leaving manitou springs, we headed over to pagosa springs, CO. we seem to like the springs, don't we? the drive was going well until a thunderstorm popped up outta nowhere right before we headed up the mountain. pulled over and napped (well, jen napped, wendy watched a dvd!) until the rain had cleared up. we got back on the road and hit the mountains. bessie crept her way up that hill then came careening down that hill... until we remembered about the 2nd gear slowdown. brakes were smelly, but the transmission saved the day! whew. jen had to pry wendy's knuckles free from the steering wheel once we got to camp. girl's from the flatland, ya heard?

the next morning, we were showered and relaxed (you'd be surprised how few and far between those things have been lately!) we stocked up for a couple days in the san juan national forest. once we found our perfect spot at west fork campground (thanks Darren!), we set up our new hammock... and lo and behold, those damn ticks found us again! pesky little buggers...

moved over to the recliners and enjoyed a great dinner and a sky full of stars. we saw a couple of shooting stars... it's amazing what getting out into the middle of nowhere does for a night show!

spent the next day taking a little hike along the river (san juan). collected lots of rocks and tons of pictures. had a beautiful afternoon. nothing could have been better... until we got campsite envy! we saw this dude (who had actually gotten there at the SAME EXACT time we did the day before) who had found the perfect spot right along the river. it was the only spot like it... not that we're complaining, but sheesh, what else do we hafta complain about?? ;)

well, jen could complain about her ear infection that she woke up with the next morning... but had great luck finding a doctor (reasonably priced, no less) and got on some antibiotics. problem solved.

showered, relaxed and full of souped-up sudafed, we headed out toward the grand canyon. north rim. got about 4 good hours under our belt, then ol' bessie got the hiccups. fortunately, we wanted to pull over at the four corners national monument anyway. while we played tourists, bessie got some rest. problem is... rest wasn't the answer. we made it about a quarter mile down the road, when ol' bessie said "no mo' this ol' girl is tuckered". UNfortunately, we were at the four corners. check it out on the map.

the closest town to where we broke down is Teec Nos Pos, which in native american means the middle of freakin' nowhere. rainbeaux (the vespa) to the rescue! wendy rode her into town and used a pay phone to call command central - debbie heather AND jason! after using their valuable resources (cell phones and computers.... which don't work in teec nos pos) they came up with a solution to get us out the desert.

hi country towing to the rescue! six hours and $600 dollars later, we were unloaded into a parking lot in farmington NM. who knew?

next morning, we woke up and stepped 10 paces into the auto repair shop where the tow truck dumped us... problem: they don't work on gas engines, only diesel. oi vay.

limped a few blocks down the road to sweetland's auto shop... who DOES work on gas engines (and RV's too -- lucky for us!) after explaining the symptoms, and a thorough exam, they figured out the fuel pump was to blame for ol' bessie's hiccups. 24 hours, $600 more dollars and some really tasty bbq later we were on the road again. baklava.

grand canyon, here we come again! we were nervous about getting back into nowhereville, but the big hole was waiting for us.

stopped in page AZ to get a good night's sleep and get an early start to the grand canyon. we had no idea how early... we discovered later that morning, that AZ doesn't observe daylight savings time. 6:30 was really 5:30... we haven't been up at that hour since our going away party!!

an amazing drive throught the vermillion cliffs and over the navajo bridge. we staked out our campsite in kaibab national forest, then headed into the park. love the annual pass (thanks rachel)... we've saved over 30 bucks on this trip. $1200 repair bill notwithstanding.

north rim of the grand canyon -- woo hooo!!! it is abolutely breathtaking. and each view of it is a different one. packed a lunch, hiked a trail and marveled at its grandeur. had a beer and a nap... then woke up to take a photo workshop/hike with volunteer ranger nancy. got great tips and stories as we hiked out to take even more pictures. caught a beautiful sunset as we hiked back to ol' bessie. headed back to camp hoping not to hit one of the 15 or so deer we saw on the way.

early start back to the canyon (making sure not to hit the one turkey we saw), unhitched rainbeaux and headed out for a morning ride to cape royal and point imperial. still breathtaking from every angle.

got a rock star view from our table at lunch as we splurged on the pasta and salad buffet. perfect view after a perfect morning and a big full belly to boot. on the road again.....

kanab UT... our current location - 1st time with real internet in a while...so we decided to stay an extra day. leaving tomorrow.... maybe zion, maybe bryce... maybe both.