The Great Trip of 2006

Passed through here on the way to Dinosaur Valley SP to the west where I spent the time seeing dinosaur tracks by the river.

Passed through here and thought about camping at Palo Duro SP where I had visited last year, but decided to push on through Oklahoma to Kansas and Colorado.

Camped here Friday June 9th. Tried swimming but the water was cold and dark looking. Should've gotten a campsite closer to the bathroom!

A brief stop here for pictures enroute to Beatty NV and Death Valley, two busloads of Korean tourists showed up about the time I got there! Sign said Kingman was 73 mi., my mileage was 75.3 mi. and it was about an hour and 20 minute drive from Kingman.

Arrived just before midday after the drive from Kingman AZ, gassed up at Stovepipe Wells (cheaper? to get gas before you get into Death Valley) went to Badwater, the resort - where I ate a buffett lunch, then up to Hebe Crater and spent the night in the Mesquite Springs CG, being the only one there. Quite windy for the tent, but the nighttime sky was the most awesome sky that I have ever seen!

Just drove through after spending the night at Bakersfield KOA. The approach from the south end had many switchbacks which made the trip into SEKI a long one. Going out the north entrance (by Kings Canyon and the Wye) didn't seem to be as torturous. It was about 2 1/2 hours from the Bakersfield KOA to the Entrance Sign and station, then about 4h 20m to 'The Wye' which is were the road spitls off to go to Kings Canyon (I went to Fresno) and this was with stops, a short one at the first area (I think this is called the Giant Forest), about 10 minutes checking out Buckeye Flat CG (there's nothing flat about it!). All the camping was full, maybe better luck on a weekday. Then about 40 minutes at Lodgepole to get something to eat and do the postcard mailing thing before heading out.

After eating dinner at Cave Junction, a little town west of here, I settled in amongst the large trees in Cave Creek Campground, didn't like the look of the Grayback CG before that, seemed too dark and dismal.

Determined to find the Dinosaur Depot, was disappointed when I did, as there wasn't much to it. Left there to drive the trackway on the ridge, talk about vertigo for a flatlander, even tho I had been on some mountain roads before this! Went to eat at the Thunderbird Cafe which is near the KOA that I stayed at last year before going to Pikes Peak and Cripple Creek CO.

Stayed the night here in the KOA, called it an early day (after 8h 15m of travel)hoping to catch up on some rest. Should have taken the time and gone to see the VLA west of Socorro, but didn't realize the 526 miles from Raton would drive so quickly.

Stopped here for a bit at Evergreen Cemetery to visit my paternal grandfather's grave. What a change in the vegetation from the picture I had of his stone taken 50 years ago! Thought about camping at the Oracle SP, and visiting Old Tucson and the Desert Museum that I had not been to since childhood while visiting my grandfather. But decided to push on to Kingman.

Took the interstate through the 'strip', there are a couple more ways you could go. Arrived here about 30 or so minutes after leaving Hoover Dam. Hit the a.m. rush hour, but it wasn't TOO bad enroute to US 95 north.

Arrived here about 6 1/2 hours after leaving Redding. Nice drive and the road was good, nothing too torturous or steep. Experinced the same excitement felt by Lewis