i heart the west....

the trip is slowly winding down. we only have a few precious days left on the road and truthfully i'm a bit sad. we've looked forward to this for so many months and the more i camp/rv the more i love it. i wish i lived in this part of the country where you can put your rusty ol' rv in your backyard and no one would think twice about it. i love this land. ohhh, and i love the magazine sunset! it's the perfect magazine geared toward adventurous or vicariously adventurous folks who live (or wish they lived - or visited frequently) in the western part of the united states. it's hip and probably is well known out this way. i'm subscribing the minute i get home. photos below:
1. playing on the shore of the colorado river
2. moab, utah koa - i seriously loved this town for its outdoor enthusiasm, the wonderful desert heat and incredible evenings in cool breezes
3. the three gossips at arches national park - amazing!!
4. one of the arches in the park
5. the highway heading to moab!! it was a bit intimidating
6. learning her lessons
7. a magical river we drove along until it beckoned us to dip our feet in - magic

happy wednesday to you all!! thanks so much for checking in. sorry i haven't been by your blogs regularly. i 'm so tired at the end of the day! i look forward to catching up soon. paz, k

iron, like a lion in zion....

above - sitting at the picnic table as the sun sets looking at this amazing view - while blogging!
good evening all! we're outside of bryce canyon in beautiful utah. we visited zion national park today and are still in shock from all of the incredible veiws, rock formations and undeniable spirit in the canyons. this place is truly majestic and right here in our very own country! photos below:
1. sage grows everywhere - i can't get enough of its smell - this is right next to our motorhome tonight
2. koa campground outside of bryce canyon, utah
3. incredible aspen trees - shimmering in the sun in dixie national park (what a place!!)
4. emerald fall in zion national park - see the water overhead?
5. tunnel in zion - the kids screamed going through
6. kids playing in the virgin river in zion
7., 8. heading into zion! breathtaking
9. my boy in a tree where he would always like to be

have a wonderful weekend!! hope you're summer is superb so far. paz, k

at the edge of creation....

hello friends! thanks so much for your kind and encouraging comments. we saw the grand canyon today. i took a ton of photos on my little 6 pixel camera but i thought this photo says it all - or maybe you hear the silence too when you see it. it just is. it truly took my breath away approaching the view. what an utter marvel.
i'd post more but the internet connection here in page, az is not so great. so much to say about the Navajo, their land, the poverty....it is all so overwhelming. you cannot turn your head away from it. what to do?
happy friday to you all. good night, k
ps. thanks so much to hey, lady grey for the beautiful blogger award! yeah!!! i do try to please but mostly i'm so honored that you all read any bit of this thing. xoxo

in the desert i sit....

above - after the rain storm in santa rosa, nm ("I've seen fire in the sky....")
there is too much to say about how beautiful this country is. i'm sitting at a picnic table in holbrook, az smack in the middle of a desert and the sun is setting, making the clouds pinks, purples and oranges i could never adequately describe. the wind is blowing warm, dry air and i can see straight off into the desert. the moon is peeking out from behind a dark cloud and appears to be full....
sorry not to post yesterday but the internet connection in santa rosa, nm was not so good. photos below:
1. making dinner on the grill in holbrook, az
2. swimming girls in santa rosa, nm
3. the rainstorm in a santa rosa, where they said they hadn't had rain in months - it was wild
4. found item - route 66 (we are driving on route 66) on a little walk at the campground in nm
5. our first cactus in nm
6. beautiful dry earth in nm
7. spotted lizard who welcomed us at the nm campground - the kids were thrilled!
8. grain silo on our way to santa rosa
9. kids putting on a circus for us in elk city, ok - loved ok! such incredible open land
10. pastures, plains in ok!
11. night in elk city
12. sat under this lovely tree at the end of the day in elk city - peace.

thank you all for taking a look! on to the grand canyon tomorrow!! hi mom and dad! good night all, paz, k

red earth....

we entered oklahoma today and again the heat is remarkable. it's dry but the sun is fierce. the terrain has changed again. you can tell we're moving towards the desert. the earth is red here in elk city. we saw some cows bathing in a small pond and the water was as dark as red velvet cake. the dirt on the edge of their bath was rust colored in dark lovely layers. shade is highly desired at the campground and we were fortunate enough to get some good trees to protect us from the sun and to tie up the clothes line. also, the pool is only about 10 steps away! there's a playground but the equipment is too hot to use today. we're staying inside for now but we'll get back in the pool before bed. what do you know about oklahoma? photos below:
1. oklahoma - the land is getting very dry
2. red soil
3. tootsie out the window
4. pool time!!
5. the playground - sooo hot but love how old it is
6. how to draw a turtle
7. staying busy....

thanks so much for following along. i think we're off to arizona tomorrow. be well. paz, k

first day of summer....

happy birthday son! we're in joplin, missouri today and the temperatures were in the high 90s...what will the desert hold for us? the landscape has become more green and there are valleys around every bend. we've also started seeing insects we're unfamiliar with. new lands....sometimes the forests carpeting the valleys seem to go on forever. photos below:
1. something yellow caught our eye at our campsite
2. st. louis arch! thank you Saarinen
3. birthday presents at daybreak
4. lots of naps
5. company on the road
6. ikea fabric on the couch - much nicer to sit on something our own - happens to match the curtains too!
7. joy

thanks for stopping by....the days are long with driving time, pool time, cooking, cleaning....not much different than home but much simpler. i like it this way. one pot. one pan. one mission for the day....to be together. happy summer to you! what did you do today to celebrate summer? off to oklahoma tomorrow. k

here we go....

we arrived in granite city, il earlier today and it was hot!! the pool at the koa (kampground of america) was heaven. photos below:
1. cornfields in southern il
2. a bridge over a beautiful green river
3. my doll telling stories with her eboo cards - love these!!
4. she rides along with us on the dashboard
5. dinner in the almost suffocating heat - ikea fabric on the table i finished on the edges
6. towels drying in the sun
7. clovers from my other doll on the picnic table
peace....

thanks for taking a peek. hope your day was good. what did you do this weekend?

good night. on to missouri tomorrow....k