Tetons/Yellowstone, Lake Tahoe, Lake Powell

June 13, 2016.  We left early for our annual trip to Lake Powell because we wanted to make some stops along the way.  After overnight stays in Amarillo, Santa Rosa State Park, and the Sandia Resort & Casino near Albuquerque (a very good place to stay overnight in the RV) we drove on to Navajo Lake in New Mexico and Colorado.  Here we met up with Jim and Anna Maria (Liz's sister) and spent an afternoon on the lake.  The next day we drove to the the Aztec National Monument ruins near the town of Aztec, NM.  These ruins contained many kivas and other structures that had religious significance for the Pueblo Indians.

Liz, Jim & Anna Maria by a Kiva at Aztec Natl Monument

On June 19th we headed to Provo, UT and arrived the next day.  Here we found a beautiful campsite in Provo Canyon right on the Provo river at Nuns Park.  The Provo Canyon bike trail goes right through Nuns Park and we took full advantage riding our bikes up to Bridal Veil Falls and down the canyon into the valley where we found another great bike trail (the Murdock Trail) that winds through the valley.  On our last day at the park we invited Lee's Mom and Dad and  Rick and Ruth (Lee's sister) to join us for Mom's birthday dinner.  We had a great time and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings.  This would be the last time Liz & I would see my Father alive....he passed away in August.

Nuns Park on the Provo River

Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon

On June 24th we left Provo Canyon headed to Bear Lake (stopped in Garden City, UT for raspberry shakes) and camped overnight at Allred Flats, WY.  Then on to the Tetons Natl Park, staying one night at Gros Venture campground and 3 nights at Colter Bay.  The Park was simply beautiful.  We were joined by Liz's sister Barbara and we hiked and biked together through country as beautiful as heaven.

The Tetons

Mt Moran on Jackson Lake

Selfie by Heron Pond near Colter Bay

Barbara and Liz

On June 29 we went to Yellowstone and stayed 2 nights at Grant campground with a campsite right on Yellowstone Lake.  We went for a day trip to Yellowstone falls and hiked down to an overlook.  There was a young couple that wanted us to take their picture kissing by the falls.  After we took the pic they asked if we wanted one too......I never turn down a chance for a free kiss!

Kiss at Yellowstone Falls overlook

Liz at hot springs in Yellowstone

Yellowstone Lake near our campsite

From Yellowstone we traveled to Burley, ID to see Liz's family.  Then we pressed on to Lake Tahoe, CA stopping at Jackpot and Winnemucca Nevada along the way (great rest area outside Winnemucca with a dump station).  At Lake Tahoe we stayed 2 nights at Granite Flats campground where we met up with Bruce (Lee's brother), Becky and Aubrey and d, Zhouyi and grandbaby Meila.  We enjoyed dinner with Bruce & Becky who left later in the evening while d & Zhoyi stayed on for 3 days.  On July 4th we rode the Truckee River bike trail down to Tahoe City where we had an ice cream and enjoyed the beauty of Lake Tahoe.  The next day we moved on to Fallen Leaf Campground at the south end of the lake.  Here we took a bike trail to the beach at Taylor Creek.  The water was a little chilly but Meila still enjoyed it.

d, Zhouyi & Meila ready for biking

Swimming in Lake Tahoe

From Lake Tahoe we headed out on the last leg of our journey to Lake Powell, stopping in Provo to buy food for our week at Powell.  We picked up the speedboat in Green River, UT and made it to Lake Powell safely.  We were hoping for a great time at Powell this year because all the kids were there for the first time in many years.  John and Kathryn and their three kids Akston, Reayen, and Elynn, drove out from San Antonio with their boat and arrived on Monday July 11th.  All the rest of us (Liz & I, Topher, My, Denae, Beau, d, Zhouyi,Meila, Rachael, & Kevin) arrived on Sunday July 10th.  We had a good  day boating up river from Bullfrog on Monday.  On Tuesday we headed down river with the houseboat and found a great campsite in Clear Creek Canyon on the Escalante River.  Then trouble struck.  People began to get sick with the 24 hr stomach flu.  Before we were done more than half of the group had  been sick.  Fortunately, the symptoms only lasted a day or so and everyone was better by Friday, but it did take a toll on our fun.  Also, the houseboat generator only worked intermittently so we couldn't run the air conditioner.  To make matters worse, on Thursday while we were exploring the canyons on the Escalante River, I hit a rock with the propeller of our boat.  It bent the propeller so we were unable to use the boat except at idle speed for the rest of the week.  (When we got back home and took it in for repair we found out that the propeller, drive shaft and rudder were all bent and had to be replaced and the hull was cracked and had to be repaired to the tune of $10K - thank goodness for insurance).  Fortunately, we had John & Kathryn's boat so we still had fun for the rest of the week.  Despite our troubles, or perhaps partly because of them, we had a good time at Lake Powell as always.

Grandkids having a "danceoff" on the top deck of the houseboat

Kevin enjoying the scenery

Rachael, Denae & Topher at Davis Gulch

Beau reading the instructions on his life jacket

Meila wading with her dad

On July 17th we left Lake Powell for home with two of our grandkids, Akston & Reayen, in tow.  It was great to have them with us on the return trip and they were real troopers on the long trip home.  We arrived home July 20th having been gone more than a month but with the memories that only come with being in beautiful places with loved ones.