Just before heading down South Kaibab Trail - Grand Canyon

This picture should have been with our other blog posted on details of our trip down into the Grand Canyon. Well, I couldn't figure out how to put this picture in that blog , so you can see us now. It was a great trip and would recommend that anyone that loves the outdoors and likes to hike do this one.

Grand Canyon!

Heading for the Grand Canyon on the 23rd of May. We were going to go a few days earlier and enjoy hiking on the South Rim. Well they had a storm in Northern AZ on that weekend. So that was why we left Happy Trails on Sunday the 23rd.

We traveled a total of about 250 miles to arrive at the East Entrance of the Grand Canyon. We had a lot of wind all the way north. As we came in on Hwy 64 the wind was so strong that we had to travel about 30 plus miles an hour just to stay on the road.

When arriving at the East Entrance were told that we couldn't camp at Desert View Campground because we were too long. So that meant traveling through the park and going out the South Entrance and stayed about 5 miles south Tent-X Forest Service Campground. This park was very nice but a long ways from the park.

Then on Monday the 24th did some looking around at the Grand Canyon Village, weather wasn't very good still wind and not warm. Then we did get some great sunset pictures in the evening.

We had made a reservation at the Phantom Ranch in the Grand Canyon for the night of the 25th of May. We were excited and ready to head down. Got up early and got things ready in the Motor Home. We headed to the bus stop by about 8:30 AM. Parked our car and head to the Green Bus Stop which would take us to the South Kaibab Trail head. So right on schedule we were there by 9:00 AM. The canyon is so awesome and hard to believe that a river like the Colorado could create this beautiful Canyon.

So we headed down the trail and 9:00 AM and by 3:00 PM we were standing on the suspension cable bridge over the Colorado River in the bottom of the Canyon. The distance down was 7.3 miles. Wow! We had made it down, the trail was steep but in very good shape.

Now we have to explore the area that they call the Phantom Ranch. History of this area goes back to the 1920's. This area was used as a resort for people way back then. Not sure how they arrived back then.

The Ranch is a step back in time, nothing fancy but build very well. They have a campground called the Bright Angel Campground if you want to camp. We were not going to bring all that stuff on our backs. So we had a reservation for one night in the Men's dorm and Ladie's dorm.

We had a great Stew dinner with all the trimmings at 6:30 PM. Met some very interesting people and had a great evening. we were both in bed by about 9 PM. Then were up early in the morning as breakfast was at 6:30 AM. Had great food to fill our furnace to make it back up the trail to the rim.

At 7:30 AM we were heading out to the Bright Angel Trail which is 9.5 miles to the South Rim. The trail up was very dusty, steep and having mules in our way. The mule teams that take supplies to the Ranch and back are using the Bright Angel so that really breaks up the trail. So we survived and arrive at the South Rim about 3:00 PM. We were very tired and had to find the bus to get back to our car. Found the bus stop area and had to wait for the second bus as the first one was full. Ater about 10 stopped arrived where our car was parked. Headed back to the campground to hook-up car to motor home. Then we were on the road to Page, AZ

"50th Anniversay"

This was a great party. There were 5 couples at Happy Trails who all had their 50th Anniversay this year. We rented a DJ for Music and had the party on the Patio at Town Center at Happy Trails. It was so good and everyone said it was the best party ever. Everyone bought some food and turned out just great. We had more then 200 people in attendance for the party which was held on 4-18-10.

We had pictures taken and are going to do something with them when getting back to Lynden in June. Since our Anniversay is May 13th didn't make it home bye then. So this was such a nice thing to do ahead.

Update for 2010!!

Well where did all the time go. We came home for Christmas on 12-19-09 and then drove our car down starting on January 1st, 2010. We arrived at Happy Trails three days later.

Spent the month on our lot at Happy Trails. Had so so weather with below normal temps and wind. Did enjoy our month playing pickleball, biking, and some kayaking. .Also played in the Annual Happy Trails Classic Pickleball Tournament. We didn't do real well put I won a bronze in singles and Ione got a Silver and Bronze

Then it was time to head toward Palm Springs on the 29th of Jan. We spent two weeks in Palm Springs and played in the annual Palm desert Pickleball Tournament. We won a couple of medals and had a great time with friends.

Then we were off to Yuma for two weeks. Stayed at Yuma Lakes and had some dentistry done in Mexico, shopping down there, etc. Visited friends in he area and before we knew it our two weeks were up. While there the weather was pretty good.

Back on our lot in Happy Trials on the 1st of March. We were kept very busy with pickleball, biking, hiking and just enjoying life. We also played some tennis. Did a lot of work on our lot getting things all set-up so it felt like home.

Since we had brought our Dune Buggy down in November. I did some updating on the Bug, like a new gas tank. It had a lot of rust in the old tank and didn't work well. So then when putting in the new tank the windshield broke. So ended up putting in a new windshield which really turned out well. The old one wasn't put in right 40 yrs. ago and that was why it broke.

Seems our time at Happy Trails just flew by. Before we knew it it was time to get ready to start heading home. So this puts us into the month of May.

Christmas is over and now the New Year! 2010 Here we Come!!

12-29-09 - Ione's birthday is just about over. We had a very good day, went to Pizza, took in two basketball games. The Lynden Boys & Girls team have a Christmas tournament at Lynden Christian. The girls played and beat Bellevue Christian School and then the Boys team beat Seattle Christian. Both teams won by more then 20 points. So that was fun to watch since it was the first games of the season we had watched. But Jessie our grandaughter has a broken pinky finger on her left hand and isn't playing. Hopefully we will maybe see her play one or two games before we have to leave.

Then we had to go to Brett & Pam's house, for birthday cake, ice-cream and Ione opened some presents. It was low key but I think she enjoyed the gifts.

We have been home since the 19th of December. Have had three Christmas parties and now it is time to kick back. We will be leaving for AZ on the 10th of January. The weather has been really cold the last few weeks. At least it hasn't been raining like it did for the first week we were home. But the rain is coming and will be with us the rest of the week.

We can't wait to hit the road and travel down the coast on Hwy 101 this year. We haven't done that road for many years so should be fun if the weather is going to work. Will be driving the Geo Tracker down which is new to us but is a 2002. We traded in our purple 1989 Suzuki Sidekick which had 240,000 miles and we had owned it since 1991. This new car has more bells and whistles. Now we have A/C, power brakes and power steering. So things are looking up and should be a better car to also tow behind the Motor Home. That's it for now.

Lynden Girls Basketball!!

Just an update on girls basketball at Lynden. The girls are off to a good start and have won all their games, so are now 3-0. Jessie hasn't been starting but is the first girl off the bench. She has been playing some good defense and her offense needs to be stepped up a notch. So far she has only made about three points so will have to practice on putting the ball into the hoop.

Well we are home for Christmas should be able to see about four games which will be lots of fun. So are looking forward to the games well we are home.

Will I ever catch up!!

12-14-09 - Time is marching on and we are scheduled to fly back to Lynden on the 18th at 8:40 PM from the Mesa Airport. Don't know where the time goes and aren't looking forward to going home to snow. As I write this just received a email from a friend that lives in Lynden. Well the ground is white and I think they have about two inches of snow. So things are really looking like Christmas up there.

We will be spending time with family and friends for Christmas and then into New Years! Then will be driving back down the coast by car about the 10th of Jan. as we have another car that we left home earlier when driving down and towed the Dune Buggy. So the coast should be a nice chance for us as we haven't done the coast route for years.

Our weather is finially warming up here in Happy Trails which is really great as our weather for the last three weeks has been below normal by about 10-15 degrees. The rest of our week is really busy with a fun pickleball tournament on thursday the 17th. Also have a pickleball meeting on the 16th with a potluck so that should be good.

We will be enjoying our last days here at Happy Trails before hitting the road to the snow country. But I'm a kid at heart and really do like a little snow at Christmas to get you into the mode.