Gay RV Nomad

18/03/2024

Hello 🔵 It’s official. Signed at 8:16 PM. It was even on TV. Mine really turned blue. Don't forget that tomorrow starts the new Facebook rule (aka... new name, META) where they can use your photos. Don't forget the deadline is today!!!
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Hold your finger anywhere in this message and “copy” will appear. Click “copy”. Then go to your page, create a new post and place your finger anywhere in the empty field. “Paste” will appear and click Paste.
This will bypass the system….
He who does nothing consents.

26/11/2023

Zion Day 3

There was one more highly recommended trail called Zion Canyon Overlook. This was not on the information map and is off of route 9 just on the other side of Carmel tunnel which is one of the longest tunnels about a mile, going through solid rock. It is pitch black with no lights but an occasional window to the outside world.

On the other side of the tunnel there are only about 6 parking spots directly to the right. I parked along the road about half mile up and walked back to the trail head.

This rocky, narrow trail begins with a series of stone steps, then hugs the cliff wall as it winds through the canyon. On the way, there are impressive views down into Pine Creek Canyon, a shaded alcove with ferns growing out of the walls, hoodoos, and pinyon pines. At Canyon Overlook, you'll have one of the most stunning views in the park.

Rated Moderate and is 1 mile out and back at an elevation of 187 feet.

26/11/2023

Zion 6/1/23

Day 2

I got into the park at 7:30 am and there were some spots left at the visitor parking area.

Since the Emerald Pool Trail bridge was closed I entered at the Sand Beach Trail, rated moderate. This is a sandy horse trail that loops left but also has an extension to the right up the other side of that closed bridge. My Alltrails APP indicated that it was 1.1 miles to that bridge where the lower pools trail would normally start. Because it was a horse trail there was a lot of d**g and flies but otherwise it was pleasant with meandered through the hills.

From the other side of the closed bridge the Lower Emerald Pool trail is rated easy at 1.2 miles at 69 ft elevation. It is concrete paved to this side of the pools. The lower pool is definitely beautiful, fed by water falls which spray water down and over the rock cave where the trail goes under. Since it was still early and there may not be that many people competing for the Kayenta trail, I decided to take that back as it was rated moderate at 2 miles but with only an elevation of 150 feet. Don't let numbers fool you, this was a up and down trail with narrow walkways and steps and rocks to traverse.

From stop 6 I took the shuttle down to the museum at stop 2 where I watched a nice movie which is shown every on half and full hour.

After the movie, I went back to the visitor center and exited the park to the little coffee shop and have a wonderful chicken salad sandwich.

After lunch I took bike ride on Pa'us trail which follows the river from the visitor center. This if 3.5 miles with an elevation of 50 feet, relatively flat and paved. About half way back, I got a flat tire. I have the spare tire tube kit but have no idea how to get the back wheel off the bike and replace the tube, so I just waked the bike back to the truck.

26/11/2023

Zion 5/31/23

Willow Wind RV Park , Hurricane UT https://www.willowwindrvpark.com/

This RV park was is nice and simple with full hookups. It was the closest available to Zion when I reserved. There are other parks closer and some have length restrictions.

Day 1

Each park is unique and Zion has a lot to offer.

I arrived at 930 am and the parking lot was already full. Unless you arrive 1st thing. I would suggest skipping the visitor parking lot and taking the following right into the nature center for additional parking and taking the brief walk along the river back to the visitor center.

The visitor center had a gift shop but does not sell food or drinks which you find at the lodge stop or just outside the park in the little village.

There is a small Starbucks like shop outside the park in the breezeway of the lodge where I would have breakfast and ice cream.

Don't get freaked out by the long shuttle line at the visitor center; it goes quickly. I took the shuttle scenic ride and if it is not full of screaming kids you can hear various recordings of interesting information about the Canyon.

I went to the last stop which takes about 40 minutes where I took the easy, Riverside Walk, hike down to the narrows where you can hike up and in a river but it was closed due to too much water flow. This is a 2.5 mile down and back with a 57 foot elevation. Because it is sand over pavement and relatively flat, it is the busiest.

I Took the shuttle to stop 6 where I got the easy Grotto trail down to the lodge. This is 1 mile at 35 feet elevation and runs along the road.

I had lunch at the lodge and a quick nap on the lawn. There are picnic tables as well as an expansive central lawn area where you can picnic and nap.

The next planned hike was the lower Emerald Pool Trail, rated easy from the lodge, Stop5. However, bridge was closed and you had to access it through stop 7 Kayenta Trail but when I got to that trail and looked at a massive amount of people crawling along the steep edges, I decided to call it a day.

14/08/2023

Brice Canyon, Utah 5/29/23 - Mossy Cave

The third hike, Mossy Cave, was outside the park about 5 miles. This is a short hike about 1.8 miles round trip with an elevation of 150 feet but I think you can make it longer if you keep following the river. This is rated as an easy hike. Parking was limited and I had to wait for someone to leave. Before the spring thaw the cave has ice formations, see photo. Otherwise keep to the right and go along the river and falls. Definitely nice to sit and listen to the water.

14/08/2023

Brice Canyon, Utah 5/29/23 - Queens Garden Hike

I only had one day here so I did three hikes. The first was the rim from Bryce point stop 8 to inspiration point stop 9 which was about 1 mile with an elevation of 150 feet. This is rated as easy and there was only one scary section for about 50 feet. I am a bit afraid of heights and the 50 foot section had very steep drops off on both sides. I felt if there was a strong gust of wind, I could be blown off. If I had my knee pads I would have gotten down on my hands and knees and crawled. However, I just put my head down and looked directly at the trail and I was fine.

I strongly recommend if you do only one trail you do the Queen Garden which is spectacular. I did a combo trail of Queens Garden to the gardens and then Navajo back up for 2.9 miles at an elevation drop of 625 feet. It was suggested to go in this direction starting at Sunrise point stop 13 and coming back up an Sunset point stop 11. This was rated as moderate and as soon as I came to the steep part I had to stop and ask myself if i really wanted to do this. I really wanted to go down through the hoodoos and have that experience so I convinced myself if i took it slow and stayed to the inside walls I would be OK.

When I reached the bottom of Queens Garden, it was breathtakingly beautiful. I would suggest bringing sandwiches and having a picnic at the bottom and resting up before the climb back up. I thought the trip down was steep until I saw the long up hill switchbacks. Think 40 minutes of stair master on HIGH gear. I climbed very slowing and stopped many times to catch my breath. This section of the park is 8000 feet so the oxygen was thin. There was a young muscular gym boy, see photo, that walked fast up with no problem at all, show off.

14/08/2023

Brice Canyon, Utah 5/29/23 - The Rim

The shuttle hits all the view points and last 55 minutes if you never get off. Everyone is forced to get off at the furthest stop and at the visitor center. They use a lot of shuttles so even if the Disney line looks long, it doesn't take too long. You can put you bike on the front of the shuttle but I don't know how that is coordinated with you being in line. There is staff at the visitor center that direct you to the shuttles and also ask if you want to sit or stand.

13/08/2023

Brice Canyon, Utah 5/29/23 - Overview

Red Canyon RV Park https://www.redcanyonvillage.com/

The 17 mile drive from the Red Canyon RV park in Hurricane Utah to the Bryce Canyon was beautiful, through mountain passes and parries with wild flowers. I arrived about 8am and there was no line at the entrance gate. I first stopped at the visitor center to ask a ranger about the trails I was thinking of using. There was a great movie, free of charge, that I would suggest you see before going anywhere else. I think it would be difficult to find parking at the Amphitheatre view points so I would suggest parking your car near the visitor center and taking the shuttle which runs about every 8 to 10 minutes in one direction. If the parking lot is full inside the park there is paid parking outside the park where the same shuttle will pick you up.

Study the map carefully because it is very well organized and will tell you everything. You will find the trail descriptions with degrees of difficulty, the trail maps, and the shuttle bus stops. The trail map will have mileage markers.

The lodge was built in 1926 and every time I wanted to try the restaurant out it missed the opening house. I did find this great buffet place right outside the park on the left side when exiting, sorry forgot the name of it. It was not the burger place.

There are also hotel accommodations available but I would imagine they would be hard to get.

There is an RV park inside Bryce Canyon but you have to reserve far in advance but was happy at the Red Canyon RV park 17 miles out.

The shuttle hits all the view points and last 55 minutes if you never get off. Everyone is forced to get off at the furthest stop and at the visitor center. They use a lot of shuttles so even if the Disney line looks long, it doesn't take too long. You can put you bike on the front of the shuttle but I don't know how that is coordinated with you being in line. There is staff at the visitor center that direct you to the shuttles and also ask if you want to sit or stand.

31/07/2023

Grand Canyon - Desert View, East Entrance

On the last day, I packed up everything and pulled the trailer through the gates at 7am when no one was there. I took a right turn at the park and went to Desert View which is near the East entrance where there was plenty of parking for big rigs. I made a breakfast in my RV and went hiking to the Watchman Tower. Although this is a modern structure it was built to look old using many of the natural stones in the park.

After walking around for a while, I continued my trip to Utah

31/07/2023

Grand Canyon - Chopper

Facebook will not allow photos and videos on the same business page so here a video.

You really get a weensy feeling in your stomach when the pilot projects you right over the edge.
Facebook will not allow photos and videos on the same business page so here a video.

31/07/2023

Grand Canyon - Chopper Day

On Saturday I got to the entrance and turned around because the line was too long. Instead I took my first chopper ride ever and it was awesome. There are two chopper ports at the Grand Canyon airport and are very easy to access and sign up for a ride.

31/07/2023

Facebook will not allow photos and videos on the same business page so here is a panoramic video.

31/07/2023

Grand Canyon Rim

There are 3 shuttles, blue, red and orange. You can get the blue one and orange one at the visitors center inside the park but the red one is at the west end of the blue line. Take the blue to the end and then get on the Red. There are no vehicles allowed on the Red line route but walking and bikes are allowed.

Biking - You cannot ride your bike on any of the rim walks/trails. There are miles of great paved trails through the woods and along the roads for biking. You could spend a whole day just biking around in the forest; bring a picnic sack and water. If you are a bike enthusiast try riding Hermits Rest which is closed to private cars. You can rent both regular and electric bikes near the visitor center. Also the bike shop has a food shop where you can purchase pre made sandwiches and drinks

I would advise starting day 1 at the visitor center which closed at noon due to under staffing. Then walk to the right along the rim to Mather point for a spectacular view. Then you can walk back the other way to the Geological Museum where they have a good explanation of the canyon's origin and displays. You can keep walking in that direction along the rim or take the shuttle to the other stops.

On day 2 I rode my bike downhill about 4 or 5 miles to Hermit's Rest which is serviced by the red shuttle. I was planning on putting the bike on the front of the shuttle and taking it up the hill to start my ride. However, the shuttle stop there was mobbed so I just started the ride up. I thought I was in decent shape but that first hill beat my ass, panting and puffing, I finally had to walk the rest of the way to the top. Hermits rest route is a must see with incredible views and great ones of the river but no cars are allowed. You can take the shuttle walk or ride a bike electric if your not in the best shape. I rode the 7 miles out stopping at all the view points then took the shuttle back.

I went back for a few days just roaming around, visiting the museums and drinking at the beer garden.

26/07/2023

Grand Canyon Overview 5/24/23

First what to do and not to do.

1) Don't come on the weekends unless you like waiting in your car for over an hour to pay and get through the gate. See photo of the fees.

2) Better yet, stay inside the park so you don't have to leave. There are cabins, hotels and 2 trailer/camping parks. Reserve way way in advance and check the cancellation policy

3) Before you get to the park there is a little village called Tusayan which has a visitor center and it's basic function is to sell you tours, food and other stuff. However there is an IMAX theatre in it, yes a real one and I wish I had seen the short movie on Grand Canyon before I started. $12.50 well spent and the ice cream wasn't bad either.

4) The gate is open 24/7. You come in very early or late you may avoid the crowds.

5) The real visitor center in the park was only opened until noon due to staffing shortages

6) I had no problem parking inside but I didn't go in on Saturday.

7) The shuttle stops just about everywhere so it doesn't matter where you park

8) Once you get a parking spot, just leave the car and don't try to drive from one place to another; either walk, ride a bike or take the shuttle

9) At the entrance gate they will give you a map. This is gold. It has all the places, shuttle stops and mileage between points

There are a few places to eat but my favorite restaurant was at the lodge called the Canyon Chuck Wagon Meal. You choose what type of meal you want at the cashier and take your ticket to the buffet line where you get your protein and can choose your sides. It also includes a simple but good salad bar and as you can see, you can purchase wine.

One of the food places is inside the general store which was well stocked, like a central market.

There are 2 RV campgrounds inside the park. However only one accommodates RVs longer than 24 feet. I believe reservations for all National Parks open 6 months before and you will need to try to reserve on that day or check back often for cancellations.

26/07/2023

Grand Canyon - Ten - X Campground 5/23/23

There is so much here that I am going to split this up into spinets.

This is a beautiful campground place right off the main road and nestled amongst pine trees. There are back-ins and pull throughs of varying lengths, spread out and nicely leveled with picnic tables and fire pits. Someone must have left me a pile of wood by my site.

There are a few outhouse buildings with a toilet and toilet paper which are kept clean and well supplied. There is no water, electric or sewer, nor a main sewer dump. Therefore you will be taking whatever waste with you until you find a dump station.

It was in the low 70s during the week but high 30s at night. The RV does have a gas heater and I have 2 carbon monoxide detectors. However, I am still weary about using gas heat and just bundled up with blankets and a comforter. Generators were only allowed between 6am and 9pm but the RV has a gas/electric hot water heater and gas/electric refrigerator.

This is my first test of my custom boon docking (dry camping) setup. I found a little space between the pine trees where my Starlink satellite had good connectivity.

The 60 gallon on board fresh water tank was full and I also have six 6 gallon containers of water in the truck for backup. I didn't even come close to using the 60 fresh water gallons in the tank. The RV also has a 40 gallon kitchen gray water tank, 40 gallon for bath sink and shower. Since the out house was close by I didn't use the toilet much. I setup an outdoor shower tent so I could experiment taking showers outside thus saving space in the shower tank.

I have two setups for electricity.

The 400 amps of battery power was more than enough for a week of DC lights and fans. These feed into a converter, which as it's name implies, converts DC to AC power to power the AC appliances like microwave, TV, charging stations, etc. Utilizing air conditioning would drain the batteries too fast. Since I am nestled between trees, the solar panel could not put back a lot of amps into the batteries so I had to rely on the generator.

When on generator the built in RV charger will trickle charge the batteries which would take several days of full electricity to charge that many amps. To get the full benefit, I would need to upgrade that device to get a better charge. I did install a DC to DC charger witch draws current from the oversized alternator in the truck. This is perfect for charging when driving 5 hours or more between destinations.

15/07/2023

Cactus Canyon Ranch, AZ May 19, 2023

https://www.coppercactusranch.com/

Cactus Canyon is more of a men's retreat than an RV campsite and is only open Thursday through Sunday located about an hour from Phoenix. I am a super introvert and it is really hard to stay one with the most warm, friendly and welcoming people. The owners go out of there way to make sure you are taken care of. It is nestled in among hills in the Arizona desert and is about 3 miles up a dirt road. The entire facility is clothing optional except for the restaurant. There is an above ground pool and deck where people hang out during the day. At night people meet outside under a tent with sofas and chairs. Adjacent is a large hot tub with actual hot water. The restaurant has a great breakfast and lunch menu and the french toast is to die for. At night there is one communal meal. Everyone basically comes at the same time which makes for great fun and conversations.

On Saturday night is Jamioki which is a big hoot. Bobby, the owner is quite talented in singing and playing the many instruments including electronic piano, saxophone, violin, electric guitar and harmonica. I have never seen someone play the piano with their right hand and the harmonica with their left. After the owner and staff start the evening show, guests are encouraged to do kerioki. This is the traditional Kerioki with canned music and words on a screen but Bobby jams along with his instruments which gives it that live feel.

A little warning, there is a 3 miles dirt road leading the the camp. Cars and pick up trucks can squeeze by or find some way to get by but but pulling a trailer is a little nerve racking. If someone was coming in the other direction they could not get by without backing up most likely . There are some turn offs to alleviate this but few and far in between for my nerves. When I left, Michael and Jordon from San Diego were my scouts. They drove ahead of me and told oncoming cars to pull over until I passed. They did encounter one such car and I was so grateful.

There are 3 RV spots with electric and water but are sort of on the side of the drive and you have to figure it out. They have one 30 amp connection for 2 sites which really splits it into 15 amps. This was barely enough to run my small AC and nothing else. My surge protector kept shutting the electric off due to high and low voltage. My RV was 34 feet and they only suggest up to 26 feet.

There is have main house with nice rooms sharing a bath on each floor. The top floor is the bunk house with 4 beds and a bath. There are also small cabins and tent rentals sprinkled around.

This is not glamping but well worth the visit. I will definitely come back but rent one of the rooms or cabins.

01/07/2023

Matt's Ranch - May 13, 2023
Nogal New Mexico

The Ranch & Vicinity

On my summer trip I stopped to see Matt, a friend I have not seen in many many years who I shared some wonderful experiences with in my younger days. He bought a ranch in Nogal New Mexico where he keeps 2 horses and currently 4 cats. In his back yard you will find a national park; just open the back gate and experience miles of trails. Nogal is located about 15 miles north of Ruidoso, a popular tourist town and 158 miles north of El Paso Texas and 164 miles south of Albuquerque, New Mexico. In this post I also included some photos of Ruidoso.

Matt was the most gracious and attentive host, making sure my visit was filled with wonderful experiences.

Followed Dream Ranch, Matt's ranch is beautiful and truly the dream followed. It is very tastefully decorated in comfortable ranch style. It was even used to film part of a movie.

The first day we took a short hike up a not too steep hill in back of his home. I was panting ,out of breath and thought I was going to have a heart attack. Matt explained that at a 7000 feet elevation, my blood was not yet adjusted to delivering the proper amount of oxygen to my body. I met his two horses, Thunder, the white one and Spanky the brown one. Matt normally rides Thunder but Spanky has some sort of hoof problem which means he can't ride him. I soon found out the pecking order when Thunder gave me a nudge 2 times on my butt indicating that I was to step aside and let him take the lead. Like you would take your dog out for a walk, we took Thunder and Spanky out for walks in some great hiking spots. Matt has a special relationship of trust and respect with his horses. They can be left unleashed so to speak and they stay together like a herd.

After the deer got used to my RV parked next to the house they returned after a few days for their treats. I took the deer pictures right out of the kitchen window.

We went to the little village of Capitan (Smokey Bear's birthplace) in Matt's vintage truck to pick up some hay for the horses and ate lunch at Smokey the Bear restaurant, with real down home food and more than reasonable prices. On the way back, Matt noticed some activity at the county fairgrounds where they were having a junior rodeo.

01/07/2023

Historic Lincoln NM - May 13, 2023

This is an amazing old picturesque town. Even though it was Friday afternoon when i drove through, very little was open. Some people were roaming around and taking photos of the old buildings.

20/06/2023

Roswell Red Barn RV Park May 12, 2023

I made a quick stop on my way to my friend's ranch; don't know who would actually fly here but they have a nice airport.

The Red Barn RV park was a nice small mom and pop place with clean rest rooms and conveniently located. There was a larger one down the street but this was much nicer, however you have to call for reservations and she does not send confirmation emails.

Of course you should go to the UFO Museum, https://www.roswellufomuseum.com/ . I was just in time for a lecture from an old timer who could answer many questions. There were sections of displays depicting the progression of events. In each section there were newspaper clippings and photos as well as touch screens which would play a short movie.

The town itself was small and geared toward tourists with the usually UFO memorability shops. I was disjointed at the lack of a good ice cream parlor.

20/06/2023

Fort Stockton - May 11

I10-RV Park

Well I had to stop somewhere in the middle of nowhere. There are 2 RV places right off I10 and I chose this one because the woman owner lives onsite. The spots are not long enough so I had to put everything at an angle but it worked. I think it was $20 for the dirt pit but it worked for an overnight and it had full hookups plus 50 amp. On these overnights I only use electric.

13/06/2023

I was on I40 in the Mojave desert when my traier tire suddenly blew out. I take my tires seriously which is why i replaced the cheap china original ones with the best Goodyear endurance 10 ply trailer tires. I also have embedded sensors which monitor the pressure while driving and there was no warning. The force of the explosion ripped off the side shirt, the electrical step light and the ripped the AC plug right out of the inside wall of the trailer.

Never get Good Sam roadside assistance. I was 45 miles from needles but the only guy that would except the job was from Lancaster, some 196 miles away with an eta of 3 hours.

I do not jave a trailer Jack, you would need a special one but I watched a YouTube video on how to change a trailer tire by raising the good tire high enough using boards and blocks so that the bad tire got lifted off the ground.

It worked although a little scarey because the whole trailer would shake as trucks passed by.

It was late when I got done so I stayed in a truck park forn the night and am taking the tire to discount tire in the morning where it is under warranty.

04/06/2023

2023 SUMMER TRIP STARTING POINT

McKinney Falls State Park May 8 2023
5808 McKinney Falls Pkwy, Austin, TX 78744 512-389-8900 https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/mckinney-falls

Austin was the start of my Summer 2023 Western Trip and is a Texas State Park. This is on the south end of Austin and is a rare find. There are hiking trails and waterfalls and you can swim in the ponds. There are 81 campsites (all with water and electric hookups plus a main dump). The visitor center looks nice but only open during the weekends. I had stopped here to see my X who has grown into a wonderful responsible adult and we caught up on a few years.

03/06/2023

Vitambi Springs - March 10, 2023 https://vitambi.com/

FACILITIES

he clothing optional areas is near the pool. The pool itself is on the small side with nice bath facilities and a good volleyball court. I hope they improve this area with some sort of shade around the pool and updated lounges.

The main club house, has a full bar and restaurant. The prices on both drinks and food are very reasonable. The restaurant is open on the weekends from Thursday and offers a special meal each night but you can also order other things on the menu. I had one of the best burgers and fries I have had in a long time. The staff is friendly and helpful.

There is a small gym and attached massage studio where you can get a pretty good massage at a reasonable price.

This campground has huge potential and they are earnestly working on it. Florida needs more campgrounds especially in the winter or as some call it high season.

03/06/2023

Vitambi Springs - March 10, 2023 https://vitambi.com/

28280 Etumakee Way, Clewiston, FL 33440 (863) 983-8488

I divided the photos into several posts for more clarity.

Vitambi Springs is located midway between the west and east coast between Fort Myers and West Palm beach. It is about 84 miles and 1:35 hours from Fort Lauderdale. Being in the middle of the state it is surrounded by farming. Clewston is the nearest town with retail, located next to Lake Okeechobee which is about 24 miles and 30 minute drive. In Clewston there is a Walmart, gas stations, restaurants. There is some hiking around the lake. Previously this was a camp for trouble boys and as you walk around the woods you will come upon interesting housing and bath facilities much of which are decaying. Please don't mistake the photos of the past troubled boy camp mixed up with the current cabins.

This is more a park then a campsite, located on 269 acres where you can find many of the different Everglades habitats, all easily accessible in one park. There are open prairie, wetlands for wading birds, pine flats for the high flyers and countless tree hammocks bursting with life from the ground up. The actual campsite is on about 6 acres and includes 46 brand new full hookup sites finished in 2023. There are also a number of cabins to rent.

Although there are seasonal RV spots, there is no year round permanent residents.

23/04/2023

https://woodallscm.com/ram-targets-500-mile-range-on-1500-rev-pickup/

New Electric RAM with 500 Mile Range. The article does not mention what the range is when your towing a travel trailer.

Woodall's Campground Magazine Ram Targets 500-Mile Range with 1500 REV Pickup Industry News