National Parks

[Hokie Escape]

If you go to Arches Nat'l Park, or Canyonlands Nat'l Park in Moab, Utah, stay in Arches Campground. You have to reserve at least 4 days in advance, but it looks GREAT! Pack all your goodies in with you however, they have potable water, but nothing else! And you are about 23 miles into the Park, and 26 miles from a grocery, but check out site #24[img][/img]

[Jim Bennett]

That looks like a great site. The scenery is nothing like the mountains around here.

[Hokie Escape]

Yes, very different. But each has it's own beauty that's beyond description. God is sooooooo awesome and creative! When we were in BC, and the Pacific Northwest, we'd OOOOOOOh and Ahhhhhhh, and it's the same around every corner here too. Different from the soft beauty of our beloved Blue Ridge Mountains, but we sure are enjoying them.

[Hokie Escape]

Mesa Verde National Park- Awesome place to visit, but the campground is only open during summer, and it looked pretty sparse (kinda ugly), so wouldn't advise there. We'er staying IN Durango, i mean just a few blocks out, at Cottonwood Campground. Right on a creek, next to a picnic area, it's nice. Durango is a really nice small city with everything here. It's historic downtown is wonderful. Try out Franciso's Mexican. Expecting snow tonight, may be here a couple of days : - (

[Jim Bennett]

Dan, I'm lovin' your accounts of your trip. A great resource for future trips of my own.
Plus, it is so great that you have been keeping it up to date, I know how hard this is.

Do you use an air card for internet access, or a modem? Or, do you rely on Wifi service in campgrounds?

By the way, how is the star gazing going?

[Hokie Escape]

We love the telescope. Not much to see tonight. Possibly some snow tonight. Gonna get to check out the double insulation and furnace I'm afraid!
I'm "trying out" (great time to try) a Verizon Connection. Not sure what it's called, but it's worked wonderfully. Not as fast as DSL or Cable, but heh, we're in the boonies! Anywhere you have a Verizon signal, you've got Internet! My wife could be on FaceBook as we travel. [img][/img]Pretty slick, but I don't think I'll keep it past our trip. Not the type of thing I'd use much after our trip.

[Jim Bennett]

I was just thinking of using my smart phone as a modem, it is quite fast. I just have to set up a temporary plan when I go on trips. I do see that lots of private campgrounds offer wifi. I doubt if any government ones would though.

[gbaglo]

I'm on a Telus plan ( the company pays ) in order to send pix to the newspaper from anywhere I have cell coverage. Costs more than $90 a month, plus the regular cell charges, and it can take a while to send a pic. Of course, I'm sending large files, but I'd probably stick to sending text and limit my time on the phone, if the company wasn't paying for it.

baglo

[Hokie Escape]

The Verizon Plan is $59.95/mo (can do 5GB of info/mo). I just checked, and so far in 2 weeks, I've use 252MB. So, I've got to really start downloading some stuff to get anywhere near 5GB. Glen could probably do it with a few picture files. I shrink mine to 600 pixels each before I send them, so no real problem. Never thought about some kind of cell phone. I guess you'd download to your phone, then send? I knew you could do internet with a Blackberry device.

[Jim Bennett]

I have internet on my phone, it is part of the data package. I mostly use it for emailing, though the web browser has come in handy a few times. You can use just many phones to connect your laptop to the internet, they just act as a modem. You should check with your service provider to make sure you have a proper data plan though, otherwise the charges for data transfer can be quite high, giving you quite the surprise. I have only used this setup a few times, and the connection is surprisingly fast.

[gbaglo]

In my case, the phone acts as a modem. A single pic is 6 - 8 megs.
The plan is "unlimited" which is still limited, but I don't think I've ever topped it up.

baglo

[gbaglo]

Hokie,

I presume the propane tanks were full when you left, only a few days ago. How did you manage to go through two tanks ( or was it one )? Any comment?

baglo

[Hokie Escape]

Actually Glen, we left camped our first night Friday night a week ago!!! Time flies! Yes, one tank went dry, I refilled it (the one that didn't get turned back on), and now the second went dry. So, 2 tanks, one week. It has been quite cold where we've been and we've been at it 24hrs a day. At least 2 showers daily (one each, sometimes more depending on activities - the Escape shower works great!). We cut the heat off while we travel (warms up quickly when we turn it back on). Of course, we may like it warmer than most. I remember Jeff saying he kept his at 59 degrees (or something like that). My tender wife could not survive at that temp! We're from the South, remember : -)

[gbaglo]

As a kid, I remember returning to Canada after three years in Africa. I was the only kid in the class wearing a jacket indoors.

Still, that seems like a lot of propane for one week.

Anyway, I would have responded to your blog, but it insisted that I had to have a Google account or one of several others. I don't tweet or blog. Only blogs I've read are Dirk's and yours. Maybe if somebody explains to me why a Web log is called a Blog, I'll consider it. W doesn't look anything like a B.

baglo

[Jim Bennett]

I does seem like a lot of propane for a week, but I have hardly ever used our water heater before, I bet that baby sucks a lot of fuel. I am thinking of seeing if Reace could install a dual fuel one for us, that way if I happen to ever have shore power, I would use it instead of our propane.

We too keep the trailer around 60, other then when eating where we like it warmer. We even let it go cooler at night, we both prefer the warmth of blankets anyway. Heck, I am much more used to sleeping in tents with no heat, but for a few years now have used a lightweight down-filled air mattress, absolute heave.

[Jim Bennett]

WeB LOG

Glenn, this would be your answer.

[Hokie Escape]

I've never responded to one of my blogs either, and if I had to add google accts, etc, I'm with you!!!! The forum works quite nicely. And Dirks is the only one I've followed too, nice to vicariously travel : - ) Hope you're having fun, and if you figure out where all the propane is going, let me know.

[Jim Bennett]

I am thinking of starting a blog for my travels, as well as to share some of my photography.

I have never blogged, been on facebook, not even sure what twitter is, never sent an IM.

A few different forums seems to me to be all I need for cyber interaction.

[Hokie Escape]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

I does seem like a lot of propane for a week, but I have hardly ever used our water heater before, I bet that baby sucks a lot of fuel. I am thinking of seeing if Reace could install a dual fuel one for us, that way if I happen to ever have shore power, I would use it instead of our propane.

Our Casita had an Electric/Gas modality too. Actually, I thought this one would too, but it doesn't. It would save lots of propane, since we have stayed in places where we are hooked up. Also, at first, I didn't heat the water, take a shower and cut it off til next time. So, I probably wasted some propane. Learning!

[Jim Bennett]

Having little to no hair exempts me from showering daily unless I get a good sweat on, even then I tend to go into camping mode, where it is good to smell manly.

If in a campground, I tend to use their facilities if they have them too.