Due to a primary computer failure, posting here will be sparse. I am using Damsel’s computer to post this.
We did have a spectacular view of the total eclipse yesterday. We were at Mount Rushmore today on our way to Rapid City where we are camped tonight.
Here is one of Damsel’s eclipse images from yesterday:
Click on the image to enlarge.
We had a pretty good drive today heading from Colorado up to Wyoming. There was traffic, as one might expect when multitudes are flocking to see a rare event, but we were mostly able to drive the posted speed limits. Driving fatigue was minimal.
We pulled into camp at about 2:45 PM MDT. The place was already quite full, with only a couple of spaces that (obviously) would be filled later. Our spot is located at the end of a row closest to the road in front of the park. The next two spots do not have RVs in them but are occupied by a large group of people with canopies and tents. We drew the party animal neighbors – oh well.
We have the cameras and aux equipment to try and capture tomorrow’s event. Our friends are going to try and join us here in the campground and they have some more sophisticated cameras and equipment, so we will ask them to share.
We’ve been counting down to this for over five years. Here’s hoping and praying that it will be clear and beautiful for the totality in Casper.
Today’s journey took us further north into Western Colorado. We’re camping at the Craig KOA which is a pretty nice place. Last night, in Montrose, the campground was OK, but the spaces were too close together and we weren’t able to get the satellite TV to connect due to trees. TV is working just fine tonight.
Tomorrow is the last leg to where we will observe the eclipse in Casper. Our route takes us through Rawlins, WY and then on into Casper. We may be meeting with some friends who also plan on watching the event from Casper. We will be in either telephone or Ham Radio contact, still to be decided.
We are looking forward to our stay in Casper, not only because of the eclipse, but that we will be camping there for two consecutive nights which will give us a chance to relax and calm ourselves after a semi-hectic run up to witness the event. We will get out the grill and cook up a good dinner after the eclipse is done, and depart for the Black Hills and Mount Rushmore on Tuesday.
Today’s drive from New Mexico north into Colorado was quite the event. We started up US 550, the “Million Dollar Highway” to see the majestic western Rocky Mountains via the towns Durango, Silverton and Ouray along the route.
It was indeed a beautiful scenic ride, but Both Damsel and I resolved that we would not travel this way again even if someone were to give us a million dollars to do so. The winding road in places was very narrow with a serious drop off on one side or the other. Some of the switchback curves were posted as low as 10 miles per hour. We were both nervous wrecks taking the 36 foot big RV through there.
Once past Ouray, the road straightened out on in to Montrose where we are camped. We are having some adult beverages to help us relax and get back to normal.
We entered New Mexico this afternoon and are presently camped in Kirtland, NM, about forty miles east southeast of Four Corners. Our campground is adequate, with a reasonable price, but not a five star resort. But, that doesn’t matter since we have our own luxury accommodations with us. We’re comfortable.
After leaving Holbrook this morning, we stopped briefly at the Petrified Forest National Park. Damsel got some souvenirs in the gift shop and we went into the park only as far as the Painted Desert Overlook, just a mile into the park. We turned around just after that and headed back to I-40 to continue along the route.
We went east along the interstate to Gallup, where we refueled and then headed north to our present position between Shiprock and Farmington, NM. The ride was good today with some minimal slowing for road work and the usual small town speed traps.
Tomorrow, we will be heading into Colorado along US 550, the “Million Dollar Highway.” This leg of the trip, although a difficult drive along a winding and steep road, has been on our bucket list as one of the most scenic drives in America. Damsel will have her camera clicking away as usual.
Well, we’re on our way toward the rendezvous with the Great American Eclipse. Tonight finds us camped in Holbrook, AZ, along I-40 in northern Arizona.
We had a pretty good and uneventful (thank God) trip today, with mostly light traffic and minimal delays due to roadwork and no problems with weather. The forecast along our route for the next couple of days looks good too.
The forecast for Casper, WY, where we will be waiting to watch the big event is for some cloudiness, which we hope will change to mostly sunny on eclipse day next Monday morning. We will keep an eye on conditions as our trip progresses.
While browsing National Park Webcams, I found that the NPS at Grand Canyon had established a traffic webcam to evaluate arrivals at the park via the South Entrance on Arizona Route 64. Evidently, the NPS is concerned with the increase of traffic and visitation in not only Grand Canyon, but in other parks as well.
This is the blurb explaining the purpose of the experimental webcam:
We are testing a webcam to monitor the flow of vehicles entering the park at the South Entrance Station. Check the date and time in the lower right corner to make sure the image you are seeing is current.
Like other national parks, Grand Canyon has seen a dramatic increase in visitation over the last few years. The South Rim experiences crowded conditions during busy periods throughout the year, including spring break, summer, and holiday times during the fall and winter.
This experimental traffic count makes me wonder if NPS is considering a plan to require reservations to be made prior to entrance to the park. I can tell you from personal experience that the parks where we have recently visited can be overrun with people and vehicles.
At Grand Canyon last September, many of the turnouts for canyon overlooks had no parking spaces left for either autos or RVs. The main Village area was also very congested.
Click on the image to enlarge.
UPDATE: Out of curiosity, I looked at the South Entrance Webcam this morning (Saturday). My advice is to use the East Entrance on AZ 64 via US 89 at peak traffic times.
