Travels With Charlize....a trans US journey

[Charlize]

Well i'm packing for a trip with my wife across the country. We are headed to the Grand Canyon and the four corners region. I'm not at all sure how far we'll make it but at this point it seems we'll leaving tomorrow and heading west on Rt. 70.

If you see a big grey sprinter van crossing through your neighborhood with a wheelchair on the back it's possibly us. We'll be camping but may well have wifi ayr some of the campsites so i'll try to post a bit.

Packing is certainly harder(but more fun) for me than it was a few years ago. Now i need some outfits etc. A pair of clean jeans isn't enough anymore.

I'm glad that today our health is good enough to travel and I hope we get to see the country we've never seen before.

If anyone wants to send me a PM i am hoping to meet some members as we travel.

I must admit to feeling a bit apprehensive. I'm a trans person with a bad heart and my wife is in a wheelchair with MS but we aren't dead yet. Wish us luck.

Hugs,

Charlize

[Guest]

Woooohoooooo.

ROAD TRIP!!!!!<giggle>

Stop and shop at 4 corners.

You have plenty of space in the Sprinter so you can always buy more clothes en-route.

That's another nice thing about road trips.

Enjoy Your Trans Continental Journey. Come home safely.

Huggs,

Joann

[Guest Clair Dufour]

If your taking I-70 thru Colorado PM me to get my cell number. Im at one of the turn off's to Four Corners. Keep in mind we have already had snow above 10,000 feet so road reports are important crossing the Rockies. Yes the rocks and desert are great but, wait see the irrigation and farms and orchards it makes possible.

[Carolyn Marie]

It sounds like a wonderful trip, Charlize. Please watch those weather reports and be safe, and take lots of pictures. I was in Utah recently and its a beautiful state. Watch out for the green chile, though; packs a punch! It doesn't sound like you're going to make it as far west as California, but please let me know if you change plans.

Happy trails to you! Yeeee haaaaa!

HUGS

Carolyn Marie

[VickySGV]

Back on the road again!! I do hope you make the GC, if I did not have full booking that weekend, I might have found a way to make the 15 hour drive out there. Be safe, I 70 can have some surprises, I have traveled it west to east in late spring in 2001 and had a lot of fun.

[StephanieVikingGirl]

Hi Charlize,

I drove across the country twice in 2011. The Southern routes are better if the weather is iffy, but the North routes are nice as long as the weather is okay. Traveling can be an excuse to do some clothes shopping at stops along the way.

Good Luck, and have fun!

hugs,

Stephanie

[Guest Mia J]

Not sure of your route after I-70 but South on 191 once you are in Utah will take you south past Moab where you have access to Arches and Canyonlands which are really nice this time of year.

Mia

[Guest LizMarie]

Keep us updated if you can, Charlize! And pictures, if you can, of course! Happy trails!!

[Guest]

Not sure of your route after I-70 but South on 191 once you are in Utah will take you south past Moab where you have access to Arches and Canyonlands which are really nice this time of year.

Mia

:thumbsup:

[Charlize]

Well a great first days trip! We are 5 miles west of California. I couldn't believe the sign. Oh it's California PA next to the West Virginia border. This campsite is run by the local firehouse and the nice fireman who checked us in gave us a pass key to the ladies room, no problem. I think my wife will understand how other folks see me by the end of the trip. The farms we passed were beautiful and with my rose colored sunglasses the beginning of fall colors was even more beautiful. I'm not home sick yet. Our little home is warm and cozy. One of the only thing i lack is a good map. Garmen is great for getting where you want to go but it doesn't tell me where i am. I kinda miss the old folding maps that even tell you where the rivers and towns you are passing are.

Anyway a few more days just driving before we hit Cortez CO and start to drive around some parks etc. I want to get a pretty Navaho belt and maybe some jewelry as well. A girl can dream.

Hugs,

Charlize

[Guest MostlySwell]

Happy traveling. Sounds fun!

[Guest Mia J]

Sounds great. The weather is here in Colorado today so you should be here after it has passed. The south west area of the state is wonderful.

Mia

[VickySGV]

If you were really 5 miles west of California USA, you would really be in Deep Blue TROUBLE!!! Life is to be enjoyed!! You did just remind me that my AAA membership is due and I gotta pay it soon.

[Guest]

If you were really 5 miles west of California USA, you would really be in Deep Blue TROUBLE!!! ......

Took the words out of my mouth.<giggle>

Don't forget the colorful Navaho blanket.

Safe travels to You.

Huggs,

Joann

[Charlize]

Well now we are in Kansas, well i means Kansas Illinois. So confusing after an 8 hour drive into rain. Fortunately the rain let up to hook up the electric and sewer. This campground unfortunately doesn't have drinkable water! Glad we had some in our tanks from home to do our teeth with. Picked up a great vegetarian Indian meal at a truck tsp in Indiana. Who would believe south Indian cuisine at a truck stop. I must admit to being exhausted but an looking forward to my trans AA Skype meeting. Amazing how great the confuser has made things.

Hugs,

Charlize

[Guest Clair Dufour]

There are two places to turn off to Cortez. Glenwood Springs thru Gunnison and Grand Junction the Clifton exit (me). Both take you to Delta, Montrose and South to Cortez. The latter is eazier and faster and just as nice and past Montrose the going is slow. There are other great ways to cross the Rockies but this not the time of year and us older folks don't do so good at over 13,000 feet.The Navaho have some great campgrounds and in case you don't know, you can camp on BLM land for free. 80% of the west is BLM. just ask.

[Charlize]

Today was made great by a visit with one of my sisters from Laura's. Kathyrn Julia and i had lunch together. What a joy to meet and have a chance to hug her. The day was wet and raining until then but the sun showed as we headed into Kansas. We are at a motel tonight getting nice hot showers and a chance to stretch out. My poor long suffering wife. Our first house was an old laundry truck with a pot bellied stove and now i've got her back into a van. Will i ever grow up.

Tomorrow Colorado if everything goes well.

Seeing the plains is lovely. It reminds me so much of the ocean except it is all soybeans and corn. Beautiful

Hugs,

Charlize

[Bulldog1948]

Charlize, So happy to hear that you're having a great time. I bet you and Kathy had a wonderful time together at lunch.

Are you coming back I-70?

Mike

[Guest]

Charlize, So happy to hear that you're having a great time. I bet you and Kathy had a wonderful time together at lunch.

Are you coming back I-70?

Mike

Maybe the more appropriate question would be:

Are you coming back?<giggle>

I'm happy to hear that you are enjoying your travels and meeting more of our Members.

Can't help but feel a bit jealous.

Huggs,

Joann

[Charlize]

We made it to Lamar Colorado. Kansas was not at all boring. Morning light on the flint hills was totally beautiful. The rolling hills covered with an even red tinged high grass set against the blue sky....what a way to start your day.

The only part of the drive that i didn't like was the feed lots. I think all meat eaters should come see and smell the hell their dinner is forced to endure. I'm a veggie but we do raise meat on our farm. My animals are happy until the day they are gone. I can't believe my fellow humans can raise livestock in those conditions. Sorry for that rant.

We traveled behind three propellers for windmills. Each had it's own truck that was as long as 3 or 4 normal tractor trailers. They were beautiful and were traveling oblong one lane roads at 75 MPH. Not a car in site. A jersey girl doesn't get bored of open road. I rarely see it at home.

Dodge City was fun remembering Miss Kitty on Gunsmoke and Wyatt Erpe. We ate our lunch looking at a somewhat cheesy reproduction of an old western town at Boot Hill.

Tomorrow we are hoping to stay in Durango. A friend said it was a great town.

Folks have been all nice. I talk to all the women but the men leave me alone. All well and good for me.

Hugs,

Charlize

[Guest]

for your continued up-dates on Your Journey, Charlize.

Those meat "factories" certainly have much to be desired.

I'm happy to hear that you are having a wonderful trip.

Huggs,

Joann

[KathrynJulia]

Hi Charlize

I so miss visiting Colorado and traveling up into the mountains to fish for trout. Visiting old gold mining towns. We had a favorite lake that in the spring you wake up to the mountains shining on the lake and it was beautiful to sit. wrapped up in a blanket with a hot cup of coffee. And just enjoy the view. The leaves on the Aspen should be turning to a beautiful fall colors in Colorado about now. Especially in the mountains.

Safe travels Charlize and tell your wife that I enjoyed meeting her. Kathy

[Charlize]

WiFi in the Steaming Bean Coffee house in Durango. Tha mountain passes at 10,000+ ft were awesome. Kathyrn you were right the aspen were bright yellow on the mountains against the green firs. It was hard to keep my eyes on the road but very necessary as the curves and switchbacks were demanding driving combined with snow squalls and high winds. I have no regrets about heading west. For an eastern girl i am awed at the vastness and emptiness of this country. I had a cell call or 3 from Clair as we crossed the high plains before the San Juan mountains. My wife looked it up and indeed it is the least populated part of the continent. Hard to believe you can drive on a two lane highway at 75 MPH for 10 to 15 minutes before passing someone else going the other direction at 75. Major traffic jam to see another person. Even the cows were miles apart. Needless to say our cell phone contacts were broken by distance and the mountains we were approaching.

Sorry i couldn't post last night the campsite WiFi was terrible but at least the ladies room was warm on a frosty night. Being myself on the road is just so rewarding. I feel so much just me now that gender issues are way in the background until guys start acting weird and women are so friendly.

Hugs to all,

Charlize

[Guest Mia J]

Glad to hear you have made it to Durango.

Welcome to Colorado's really wonderful areas. Did you come over the infamous Wolf Creek Pass? They have improved it a lot from the C.W. McCall days.

Mia

[Charlize]

Yes Mia we did the Wolf Creek pass in our 24' sprinter van. Snow, wind, and then sunshine. The views were spectacular but my knuckles got very white. I'm glad we have the power transmission shifter that Dodge added to the Mercedes. The climb is nothing compared to the decent. it was good practice for todays climb into Mesa Verde National Park. So beautiful. We had a great time seeing the ruins even though neither of us in in condition to do the climbs in and out of some of the sites. A ranger made us go back before getting too far down one climb. She was afraid my wife's power chair wouldn't make it back up. No problem we loved the views. Many of the people there were so kind to us then and later in the park. One gentleman asked me(don't tell my wife) if she was my mother. I think two women together makes folks wonder especially as after 43 years we are almost one in odd ways.

Don't know where we will head to next. Probably north to Canyon Lands. Tonight a good sleep in a motel after a long hot shower. Life is good.

Hugs,

Charlize