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The Golden Spike National Historical Park in Utah – Day 44

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date October 22, 2019
Categories In The Days Of The Trip, Utah
2 Comments on The Golden Spike National Historical Park in Utah – Day 44

Today we had the pleasure of spending some time at The Golden Spike National Historical Park.

Just northwest of Salt Lake City, we made this our final stop in Utah.

We both have always been fascinated with the beauty and history of trains. In fact, during our first week of the trip we spent the night at the Golden Spike Tower in North Platte, NE which is the largest rail yard in the world.

Then we had the pleasure of taking a Steam Engine Train ride through the Black Hills of South Dakota.

golden spike national monument — This Monument was placed at the location of the golden spike to represent the location where the railroads were connected for the very first time.

But today we were at the location of one of the most iconic and life-altering events in America’s history. It is the exact site of the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad which happened on May 10, 1869.

Golden Spike National Historical Park

Golden Spike National Historical Park sits at Promontory Summit in the Utah Territory. When we arrived we immediately headed to the visitor’s center to learn more about the connection of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads.

Here is where we learned about the laborious construction process of building the connecting railroads over a 6 year time frame.

golden spike museum — In an effort to complete the railroad to meet the May deadline, the workers were able to complete 10 miles of track laid in just one day.

Not only did groups have to smooth the ground to lay the ties and rails, they also had to blast and dig through mountains to allow the rails to pass through.

This tedious process, among rugged weather conditions, cost many workers their lives.

But in May, 1869 the final spike was driven, making the railroad complete.

There was large ceremony to commemorate the completion. The last tie on the railroad was made from highly polished California Laurelwood and had 4 holes drilled for the spikes.

There were 4 precious spikes that were driven by Dignitaries during the ceremony. The golden spike is the ceremonial 17.6-karat gold final spike driven by Leland Stanford to join the rails of across the United States.

Not only did it connect the West coast with the East coast, it also connected communications via Telegraph as well. And as the last spike was driven, the telegraph message D-O-N-E was sent.

And when we had a opportunity to explore the Golden Spike location, we actually had the chance to replicate the completion of the railroad ourselves.

The Engine House

After exploring the grounds, museum and watching a short video about the era, we headed to the Engine House to see the steam engine locomotives.

Jupiter and No. 119 our housed here from mid-October to late April. These engines are fully-functional replicas of the original locomotives that met here on May 10, 1869, for the “Wedding of the Rails” ceremony.

engine No. 119 — Engine No. 119 – an exact replica of the steam engine used at the meeting of the railroads.

Although they aren’t the restored original engines, they are exact replicas that were built within 1/4 inch accuracy.

During the summer months, the two engines run down the rails. This allows visitors to enjoy a visual reenactment of the era.

However, the engines themselves are just as impressive to see in the Engine House. You can walk around each one and get a close up view of the details and design of each engine. It was truly an impressive sight, especially when you think about the construction and detail required and completed in the 1800’s.

The Jupiter Steam Engine that is used for reenactments during the summer months.

As we left the Golden Spike National Historical Park, we both were amazed at not only the labor that it took to build the transcontinental railroad, but how it truly shaped America in terms of travel and product shipment.

It is a visit that was well worth the drive as we headed out of Utah on our way to Idaho.

Happy Traveling – Jim and Mary

CURRENT TRIP STATS

Day 44 of 365
States Visited 8 / 50
National Parks / Monuments Visited : 10
Stayed In : Twin Falls, Idaho
Miles Driven : 254.2
Total Trip Miles To Date : 5901.9
Total Gallons Used : 437.18
Biking Miles : 0
Biking Miles To Date : 109.6
Hiking Miles : .5
Hiking Miles To Date : 117.0

About Our Living Simple Tour

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

Follow along by signing up for our twice weekly email updates at the bottom of the page. You can also follow us on Facebook : Live Simple Tour Facebook and Instagram : Live Simple Now Instagram Page.

Taking in Salt Lake City And The Great Salt Lake – Day 43

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date October 21, 2019
Categories In The Days Of The Trip, Utah
No Comments on Taking in Salt Lake City And The Great Salt Lake – Day 43

As we work our way up through Utah towards Idaho, Monday finally saw us arrive in the beautiful state capital of Utah, Salt Lake City.

Salt Lake is the largest city in the state with a little over 1.1 million people living in the metropolitan area. And is it ever growing!

All around the city, wherever we drove, the skyline was filled with crane after crane working on new buildings. It is certainly a city on the move.

Salt lake city — The downtown area of Salt Lake was awash in the colors of Autumn. It was a picture perfect day to walk all around the city. Here in the background, you can see the soaring towers of the Salt Lake Temple.

With a wide open day and nothing in particular scheduled, we decided to spend our time simply enjoying as many sites around the city as we could.

And by day’s end, we certainly had made it all over the city!

Downtown Salt Lake City

We started off with a drive and walk around the state capitol building area (pictured at the top of the article), which sits on a small hill overlooking much of the city.

Completed in 1916, and after some amazing renovations a few years back, it remains a prominent fixture of the downtown area.

One thing that really stood out to us about Salt Lake in general is how much green space is all throughout the downtown and surrounding area.

the wal mart view — To prove a point about always having a view – Mary took this gorgeous photo from the parking lot of a Wal-Mart!

It really gives the city such a beautiful feel, especially when you can always look up and see those incredible snow-capped mountains in the background.

The University of Utah

Next up on our Salt Lake City tour was a trip over to take a stroll around the picturesque campus of the University of Utah.

We both love to walk, and for some reason, college campuses located in the middle of a city always are such an incredible setting to get in a little exercise.

It certainly didn’t disappoint – it was simply gorgeous walking all around the campus with autumn’s colors on full display.

Call us crazy, but we always try to find a local landmark or background in each area we visit to take with a photo of our camper. And it just so happened that the Ute’s stadium was the choice for today.

I have no idea what we are going to do with all of these location photos someday, but the idea will come at some point!

university of utah — The University of Utah’s football stadium

After a little walking around the campus, it was on to see the namesake of the city, the Great Salt Lake

Seeing The Great Salt Lake

One of the things we also enjoy is the chance to learn a little history about each of the places we visit. And today, we both learned a lot we never knew about the Great Salt Lake.

At about 75 miles long and 35 miles wide, it is the largest salt lake in the Western Hemisphere. And, it is also the largest lake west of the Mississippi River.

It’s actually a small left-over portion of a prehistoric lake (Lake Bonneville) that once covered a huge portion of both Utah and Idaho.

Four rivers empty into the Great Salt Lake, all bringing in dissolved minerals. The lake has no outlet rivers, so the minerals brought in become trapped, giving it it’s “salty” water.

One thing we never knew was just how much the lake fluctuates with it’s water levels. At some low points, the islands in the lake can become peninsulas to the mainland. And at other points, it can extend far beyond to flood the farmlands around it’s banks.

In fact, in the early 80’s, the flooding became so bad, they had to install massive pumps to pump the water into the desert. Like I said, it really is fascinating to learn so much all along the way.

And with that, our day ended with a short drive to Ogden, Utah. It up camp for the night at a local horse farm. Tomorrow, we will head towards Idaho! Happy Traveling – Jim and Mary

CURRENT TRIP STATS

Day 43 of 365
States Visited 7 / 50
National Parks / Monuments Visited : 9
Stayed In : Ogden, Utah
Miles Driven : 97.8
Total Trip Miles To Date : 5647.7
Total Gallons Used : 418.30
Biking Miles : 0
Biking Miles To Date : 109.6
Hiking Miles : 2.5
Hiking Miles To Date : 116.5

About Our Living Simple Tour

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

You can follow along by signing up for our twice weekly email updates at the bottom of the page. You can also follow us on Facebook : Live Simple Tour Facebook and Instagram : Live Simple Now Instagram Page.

Cooking In A Camper – How We Create Our Meals On The Road. Day 42

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date October 20, 2019
Categories In The Days Of The Trip, Utah
6 Comments on Cooking In A Camper – How We Create Our Meals On The Road. Day 42

Since we have been on the road for 42 days now, one of the most frequently asked questions is how are we cooking in our camper and what meals do we prepare while on the road.

And I have to be honest, we have changed very little about how we cook while traveling across the country.

Ever since I purchased my first Instant Pot Multi-Cooker (Affiliate Product Link Here) several years back, I have rarely used my oven or stove.

3 quart instant pot — We would be lost without our 3 quart Instant Pot while cooking in our camper.

For those that aren’t familiar with the Instant Pot, let me give you a brief explanation of what it can do.

Cooking With An Instant Pot Multi-Cooker

Although it has several functions, one of the most popular uses is pressure cooking.

You can make recipes that typically take all day to break down in a slow cooker and make them in minutes.

cooking in a camper mashed potatoes — Mashed Potatoes made in the in our pressure cooker. Even though we don’t have a potato masher with us, we used a slotted spoon to mash them instead!

And that is a huge advantage when you are cooking in a camper. Because we are traveling on the road, it would nearly be impossible to use the slow cooker unless we are at a campground for a couple of days.

However, the Instant Pot allows us to enjoy meals such as a homemade Pot Roast or a Whole Roasted Chicken without it needing to be cooked all day.

Not to mention that the other functions on the Instant Pot allow us to make other quick and easy meals.

For example, we can use the Saute function to brown ground beef. With that we can make anything from Sloppy Joes to Tacos in minutes.

And because we brought our Ninja Foodi (Affiliate Product Link Here) with us as well, we can use the Air Crisp function to make all sorts of ‘fried’ and ‘baked’ goods. And I have to tell you that sharing our hot cinnamon rolls with fellow campers was a huge hit!

air fryer cinnamon rolls — Our Ninja Foodi multi-cooker allows us to fry and bake goods like these cinnamon rolls.

Stove Top Cooking

However, when we are camping without external power, we most often turn to other methods of cooking.

Although we can use our Ienergy Generator to plug in our Instant Pot, we typically use the power for our coffee maker, toaster, hair dryer and more.

Therefore, when we are boondocking we often use or burners inside the camper.

stove top cooking — Sometimes the best meals are made by throwing ingredients together on the stove top.

In our T@B 400 we have two gas burners that we can use to cook. If the weather is too cold or rainy we will pull out our skillet and make eggs, bacon and home fries for breakfast.

Then for lunch we turn them back on to heat up leftovers, such as soups and casseroles.

shelling popcorn — We even brought some popcorn from our garden so that we can enjoy it while we are on the road.

And we have even carried on making our favorite snack while cooking in our camper! Before we left for our trip, we loaded up several of our cobs of popcorn that we grew in our garden.

Although we have to make smaller batches, we still carry on the tradition of making popcorn in the evening for a healthy snack right on our stove.

Outdoor Cooking

But one of our favorite ways to cook while camping is outdoors. Although as of day 42, we have had only a few opportunities to do so, we are looking forward to doing much more of it as we continue to travel in warmer weather.

When given the opportunity we jump at the chance to use or cast iron skillet or cauldron over a campground firepit.

cooking in a camper outdoors — We love to cook outdoors when the weather cooperates. Here we cooked two steaks on our small, tabletop propane grill.

And when that is not available, we turn to our fold-able campfire propane grill (Affiliate Product Link Here).

I will never forget the night when we were boondocking at Little Moreau State Recreation Are. We pulled out our grill and made marinated steaks and diced potatoes for dinner.

One of the best homemade dinners that we have had on the road thus far. But I think the view helped too!

Happy Traveling! – Jim and Mary

CURRENT TRIP STATS

Day 42 of 365
States Visited 7 / 50
National Parks / Monuments Visited : 9
Stayed In : Midvale, Utah
Miles Driven : 37
Total Trip Miles To Date : 5549.9
Total Gallons Used : 411.10
Biking Miles : 0
Biking Miles To Date : 109.6
Hiking Miles : 1.2
Hiking Miles To Date : 114.0

About Our Living Simple Tour

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

Follow along by signing up for our twice weekly email updates at the bottom of the page. You can also follow us on Facebook : Live Simple Tour Facebook and Instagram : Live Simple Now Instagram Page.

A Day In Provo – Bridal Veil Falls, Sundance Film Resort & BYU Football – Day 41

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date October 19, 2019
Categories In The Days Of The Trip, Utah
No Comments on A Day In Provo – Bridal Veil Falls, Sundance Film Resort & BYU Football – Day 41

Saturday was one busy day in the beautiful city of Provo, from start to finish!

It all started off with a stroll through the historic downtown district, and ended with a big upset win for BYU over Boise State.

Something, as you will see at the end of the article, it starting to become a strange coincidence for us!

A Day In Provo

The day began with a visit to a neat little coffee shop in downtown Provo with the great name of Peace on Earth.

The last few days have included quite a bit of travel, and it was time to catch up on a bit of writing before heading out to see the town.

Working in coffee shops never gets old. We both love the activity around us, and of course, the coffee! See : Writing In Coffee Shops

Situated in downtown Provo, Peace On Earth was a great place to catch up on a little writing. In addition to one HUGE cup of coffee, they had a great menu as well.

And with a downtown location near BYU’s campus, Peace on Earth was bustling on Saturday morning.

After catching up on a few articles, and a little fun conversation with a few locals, it was time for a some sightseeing and hiking!

Bridal Veil Falls

First up on the list was Bridal Veil, a huge waterfall located at the edge of town on the south side of Provo Canyon.

Bridal Veil is a 600+ waterfall that cascades not once, but twice on it’s way down to the Provo River. And it was certainly a sight to behold.

The cascading double-drop falls at Bridal Veil. With the leaves turning all around, it made for some great photographs.

We decided to take the hiking trail up the hill, and were rewarded with some incredible views. And of course, some great exercise too!

From there, it was up the road to the base of Mt. Timpanogos, to see the Sundance Ski Resort.

When we were at the coffee shop, one of the locals we spoke to mentioned we should drive up to see Sundance Resort. Not only is it an incredible ski resort, it is also home to the world famous Sundance Independent Film Festival.

The Sundance Resort was founded in 1969 by none other than Robert Redford. It sits on 5,000 beautiful acres at the base of Mt. Timpanogos.

It was originally known as Timp Haven, but Redford renamed the resort in honor of his 1969 movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Although there is no snow on the mountain just yet, with it’s many cabins, restaurant, tavern and shops, the place was filled with visitors and activities.

It was certainly worth the drive to see and take in. Especially knowing it’s home to what is now the largest independent film festival in the United States.

The BYU Game – And A Strange Football Phenomenon.

The evening ended with a trip back downtown to the BYU – Boise State football game. Both Mary and I are avid football fans, and are loving the opportunity to experience games and football experiences all over the country.

But we realized after BYU’s upset win tonight, something strange is happening when we attend a game.

As we strolled around the stadium a few hours before game time, who knew an upset was brewing!

Call it coincidence if you will, but we have now attended a total of 6 high school, college, and pro football games on this trip. And at every single one, the home team has won. Even though at 5 of the 6, they were the underdog!

Coincidence? Who knows ???? We will have to see how this plays out.

Happy Traveling! – Jim and Mary

CURRENT TRIP STATS

Day 41 of 365
States Visited 7 / 50
National Parks / Monuments Visited : 9
Stayed In : Provo, Utah
Miles Driven : 74.8
Total Trip Miles To Date : 5512.9
Total Gallons Used : 408.36
Biking Miles : 0
Biking Miles To Date : 109.6
Hiking Miles : 3
Hiking Miles To Date : 112.8

About Our Living Simple Tour

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

A Visit To Rowley’s Red Barn During Fall Festival Season! Day 40

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date October 18, 2019
Categories In The Days Of The Trip, Utah
No Comments on A Visit To Rowley’s Red Barn During Fall Festival Season! Day 40

Today we had the pleasure of spending the day and night at Rowley’s Red Barn in Santaquin, Utah.

This family-owned, working farm is the ultimate stop for farm-fresh foods and country fun for the entire family.

The iconic red barn provides homemade ice creams and pastries, home-grown produce, and world-class dried cherries.

And we were lucky enough to visit during their busy Fall Festival season where the entire farm was bustling with constant activity.

A Visit Inside The Red Barn

As we pulled into the parking lot, we knew that we were in for a treat.

fresh produce — Rowley’s Red Barn sells their produce to the public along with other locally made products.

The parking lot was full of not only cars, but families filling their trunks with large pumpkins, gourds, apple cider and boxes of baked goods. And almost everyone walked out of the red barn with a cup of ice cream.

Then in the distance was a John Deere tractor pulling two wagons filled with customers who purchased a ticket to the ‘back forty’ of the farm.

It was then that we knew that this was going to be a fun visit!

So we parked our T@B 400 camper along the edge of the parking lot and headed into the iconic Red Barn to see what it was all about.

Fresh Produce and Baked Goods

rowley's red barn canned goods — The shelves are filled with not only fresh produce, but also homemade canned goods made right in their own kitchen!

Although it was crowded we were able to easily navigate around the shelves that held home-baked and canned goods made in their Country Spoon Kitchen.

There were jars of jams, jellies, canned vegetables and more! And in the cooler room we found cherry concentrate, fresh pressed apple cider, and pecks of fresh picked apples.

The Rowley’s Red Barn had just about everything to stock your kitchen. However, we couldn’t help but notice everyone walking around with boxes of donuts.

Therefore we went on a mission to find some for ourselves. And that eventually lead us to the Ice Cream Parlor.

Not only were they scooping out ice cream that was flavored using the farm’s fresh fruit, they were also serving donuts made from their fresh pressed apple cider.

Although they smelled absolutely delicious, we had to resist eating them right away. However, the minute that we walked back to the camper we poured a glass of apple cider and ate a couple of fresh baked, still warm donuts.

And what better place to eat them with a mountain view on one side and a farm view on the other!

The apple cider and donut was a fantastic snack with a beautiful view in the background.

Fall Festival Activities

After our quick snack, it was time to hop on the wagon and head to the back forty of the farm to enjoy the Fall Festival.

The wagon ride was filled with families of all ages. Grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and children enjoyed the ride towards the Fall Festival area.

And once we turned the last corner to the open field behind the pumpkin patch, you could feel the excitement increase.

rowley's red barn pumpkin patch — Pumpkins lined the field for customers to choose their own to take home.

There were so many different activities that the kids had a hard time choosing what to do first.

Right next to the wagon drop off area there were two large slides that you could slide down using a burlap sack.

And if those were too tall, they had transformed a combine tractor into a slide for the little ones to enjoy as well.

giant slide — Two of the slides that the kids could enjoy.

Next to the big slide there was petting zoo filled with goats, piglets, calves and more.

And in the distance you could see two large jumping areas and a zip line for the more daring kids.

The more that we explored the area, the more activities that appeared. From a bike pedaling race track to stacked hay bales for climbing, there was something for everyone to enjoy.

Apple Cannon and An Amazing Corn Maze

But my favorite two activities were tucked away in the distance. First was the Apple Cannon.

Apples were stuffed in a long barrel and with the magic of compressed air, kids aimed and shot at several targets in the distance. What a great way to use up those apples that aren’t suited to sell!

But the most impressive attraction was the corn maze. Designing a corn maze in itself is quite an art. However, this year, in honor of the 20th anniversary of the Red Barn, the corn maze was designed to honor the company’s founders, Phil and Shirley Rowley.

The maze not only had the typical twists and dead end turns. It was designed with both Phil and Shirley’s faces cut in the corn maze. Truly an impressive work of art!

We are so glad that we had the opportunity to experience the Rowley’s Red Barn Fall Festival. Which was all made possible because they are part of the Harvest Hosts program where RV’s can stay for FREE!

CURRENT TRIP STATS

Day 40 of 365
States Visited 7 / 50
National Parks / Monuments Visited : 9
Stayed In : Santaquin, Utah
Miles Driven : 207
Total Trip Miles To Date : 5438.1
Total Gallons Used : 402.82
Biking Miles : 0
Biking Miles To Date : 109.6
Hiking Miles : 1.6
Hiking Miles To Date : 109.8

About Our Living Simple Tour

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

Follow along by signing up for our twice weekly email updates at the bottom of the page. You can also follow us on Facebook : Live Simple Tour Facebook and Instagram : Live Simple Now Instagram Page.

The Amazing City Of Moab, Utah – And Canyonlands National Park – Day 39

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date October 17, 2019
Categories In The Days Of The Trip, Utah
2 Comments on The Amazing City Of Moab, Utah – And Canyonlands National Park – Day 39

Definitely chalk up Moab, Utah up as another incredible city that we simply never knew existed before this trip!

When we first started planning our trip last year, a classmate from high school happened to be camping out in Moab.

At the time, we had honestly never heard of it, but were amazed at the photographs she was posting on Facebook.

After learning about our trip, she emailed us and let us know that no matter what, we had to include Moab, Utah as a stop on the journey.

And was she ever right!

Amazing Moab, Utah

Moab is the playground for every kind of outdoor activity you could dream of doing.

From camping, hiking, biking and zip-lining, to off-roading with jeeps, dirt bikes and ATV’s – this high-desert town has it all.

downtown — The town of Moab, Utah is filled with restaurants, coffee shops, gift shops and more.

There is even a huge natural sand slide on the outskirts of town that was packed with kids taking huge tumbles from above. Talk about fun. If only it were 30 years prior I would have been up there with them!

We spent the better two part of days here, and I can honestly say we barely scratched the surface. In fact, there is little doubt that someday in the future we will be back for more.

With hiking trails like this, how can you not have fun! There are trails throughout both national parks and the city of Moab, Utah for every level of hiker and biker.

During our two days here, we visited 2 National Parks and hiked and biked over 25 miles. And then, spent the evening tonight walking and taking in the town.

It simply wasn’t enough!

This week happened to be fall break for many of Utah’s schools, and the entire area was absolutely packed with families having all kinds of fun.

Canyonlands National Park

After visiting Arches National Park yesterday, we traveled out of town a few miles to take in the second national park in the area, Canyonlands.

Canyonlands is truly a national treasure. As you gaze over the thousands and thousands of acres of red rock formations, it puts you in awe of nature.

Everywhere you look, the massive reddish rock morphs into thousands of shapes and sizes, creating a panoramic beauty that is simply hard to justifiably describe. It is, in a single, simple, word : beautiful.

We are staying here in our campground one last night, and then it will be off tomorrow morning for the sunny skies of Provo, Utah.

This state continues to both amaze and thrill us with the natural beauty it possesses. Happy Traveling – Jim and Mary.

CURRENT TRIP STATS

Day 39 of 365
States Visited 7 / 50
National Parks / Monuments Visited : 9
Stayed In : Moab, Utah
Miles Driven : 101.7
Total Trip Miles To Date : 5231.1
Total Gallons Used : 387.48
Biking Miles : 12
Biking Miles To Date : 109.6
Hiking Miles : 6.5
Hiking Miles To Date : 108.2

About Our Living Simple Tour

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

Welcome to Utah! Our First Stop – Arches National Park, Day 38

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date October 16, 2019
Categories In The Days Of The Trip, Utah
No Comments on Welcome to Utah! Our First Stop – Arches National Park, Day 38

Today we said goodbye to Colorful Colorado and headed towards Arches National Park in the southeast Utah.

Neither of us knew what we were about to witness as we headed towards Moab, Utah to spend the night.

But as we exited off Interstate 70 and headed south on 191 we could see the beauty all around us.

Although we were first faced with rugged dessert like terrain, there were beautiful mountain shadows in the distant background. Then what seemed to appear out of nowhere was the sheer beauty of red rock formations.

The further that we drove, the more magnificent the landscape.

drive to arches national park — We knew we were in for a special treat as we drove closer to Arches National Park.

As we were driving past Arches National Park to get to our campground for the evening we were simply stunned at the views among us.

The contrasting colors and land forms that we were able to see in the distance were unlike any other that we had experienced.

red slabs in archces national park — Individual slabs of rock nestled together in Arches National Park.

Although we hadn’t planned a trip through the national park today we knew that we couldn’t wait to experience the beauty of the area.

Therefore, after we unhitched our T@B 400 trailer, we decided to enter the park to explore what all it had to offer.

Arches National Park

rock pillar — There are many pillars of rock throughout the park and Jim jokingly names each one. This one he called bear rock, but I think it looks like a bunny.

What we didn’t realize was Arches National Park has over 2,000 natural stone arches in addition to hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive stone fins, petrified sand dunes and giant balanced rocks.

The 18 mile drive to the back of the park will lead you around a curvy road with fantastic views of the sights. There are plenty of pull off areas which allow you to take a closer look and to snap a few photos.

This rock formation is called balanced rock for obvious reasons.

However, you can see so much more if hike one of the many trails that roam through the formations.

And that is exactly what we did. At the end of the paved road there is a large parking lot at Devil’s Garden.

hiking through red rocks — Once you get off the paved road you can get an up close view of the magnificent red rocks scattered all through Arches National Park.

Here is where you can embark on several hiking paths that lead you around and through the red rock formations. All levels of hiking experience are welcome, as there are paths that are wide and easy to navigate to extreme rock climbing paths for the experienced hiker.

No matter what path that you choose to take, you can’t beat the out of this world views that the Arches National Park provides.

This red-rock wonderland will simply amaze you with its formations, refresh you with its trails, and inspire you with its sunsets and dark sky that is perfect for star gazing.

CURRENT TRIP STATS

Day 38 of 365
States Visited 7 / 50
National Parks / Monuments Visited : 8
Stayed In : Moab, Utah
Miles Driven : 200.6
Total Trip Miles To Date : 5129.4
Total Gallons Used : 382.79
Biking Miles : 0
Biking Miles To Date : 97.6
Hiking Miles : 4.6
Hiking Miles To Date : 101.7

About Our Living Simple Tour

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

Follow along by signing up for our twice weekly email updates at the bottom of the page. You can also follow us on Facebook : Live Simple Tour Facebook and Instagram : Live Simple Now Instagram Page.

Finding Out What Goat Heads Are…The Hard Way! Day 37 On The Road

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date October 15, 2019
Categories In Colorado, The Days Of The Trip
2 Comments on Finding Out What Goat Heads Are…The Hard Way! Day 37 On The Road

Up until two days ago, I can honestly say that Mary and I had never heard of the term “goat heads,” and certainly didn’t have the slightest clue what pain they could cause.

Oh, but how quickly we learn things on this trip! And sometimes, like with the goat heads, it’s the hard way!

A Fun-Filled Evening With Goat Heads…

I am sure some of our followers, especially those from the west, know exactly what goat heads are. But for us Ohio “newbies” to the western states, it was a bit of a painful lesson.

puncturevine - goat heads — Known by many names including Puncturevine and Devil’s Weed, the thorny “goat head” seeds this plant produces can be quite painful, and puncturing!

A goat head is a sharp little seed/thorn that comes from a plant officially called Tribulus Terrestris. The invasive weed is actually known by many names, including Devils Weed, Caltrop, or the aptly named Puncturevine.

The term goat head is derived from appearance of the thorny seeds, which do indeed look like that of a goat, horns and all!

A Mine Field In The Camper

Our first run-in with them came in the camper on Monday evening.

After taking a late stroll down the roads around the Alpaca farm where we were staying, we came back to the camper to relax a bit before bed.

goat heads — The sharp, pointy edges do indeed hurt when entering your foot!

After changing into some shorts, I took two steps across the carpet and immediately felt a piercing pain in my right foot. Sure enough, there was an extremely sharp goat head that went right through my sock.

And as soon as I removed it and stood up again, another piercing thorn hit my left foot.

Then the comedy routine really began. With a flashlight in hand, Mary and I gingerly combed the floor, only to find about 10 or so more goat head land mines lying in wait.

The camper — It was a bit scary walking around the floor of the camper on Monday evening.

The rest of the evening, every step we took was like playing Russian roulette as we would find another hidden in the carpet. It was amazing just how many we had tracked in on our shoes from the walk!

An Amazing Stroke Of Bad Luck & Good Fortune…All At The Same Time!

I wish I could say our story with goat heads was over, but they struck a bigger blow today! Although it did have quite an unbelievably happy ending.

We left Silt, Colorado and the Alpaca farm this morning to head 60 miles west to Palisade, Colorado. Palisade is an beautiful scenic town, situated on the banks of the Colorado River, and surrounded by towering mountains.

We had an absolutely beautiful bike ride in Palisade along the banks of the Colorado River…until the Goat Head incident of course.

When we arrived in the early afternoon to a sunny, warm day, we decided to take the bikes out to see the town and ride the trails that surround it.

After an incredible 12+ mile ride, we were heading back into town when it happened. My back tire went flat, just like that.

You guessed it. A goat’s head thorny seed was to blame! But this is where the story turns good.

What To Do…

As we sat there pondering what to do, we both looked up, and directly across the street, like a gift from heaven, was of all things, the Rapid Creek Cycles & Sports Store. Complete with a bike repair shop in back!

What are the chances a goat head punctures my tire, right beside a bike shop! Talk about bad luck – good luck! The folks at Rapid Creek Cycles were incredible, and had my tire fixed in about 5 minutes! ( photo courtesy of Rapid Creek Cycles)

Within 5 minutes, an amazingly friendly staff had the tire fixed. Along with adjusting my brakes and handle bars to boot! Now that is a stroke of pure luck.

Again, it never ceases to amaze us how many incredibly wonderful people there are all over this country.

And today, thankfully, that was certainly the case in Palisade, Colorado!

Now it’s on to Utah – and hopefully no more goat heads! Happy Traveling – Jim and Mary.

CURRENT TRIP STATS

Day 37 of 365
States Visited 6 / 50
National Parks / Monuments Visited : 7
Stayed In : Palisade, Colorado
Miles Driven : 119.9
Total Trip Miles To Date : 4928.8
Total Gallons Used : 367.82
Biking Miles : 12.5
Biking Miles To Date : 97.6
Hiking Miles : 2.0
Hiking Miles To Date : 97.1

About Our Living Simple Tour

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

Spending the Night with Alpacas at Sopris Alpaca Farm – Day 36

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date October 14, 2019
Categories In Colorado, The Days Of The Trip
No Comments on Spending the Night with Alpacas at Sopris Alpaca Farm – Day 36

Today we said goodbye to the Denver area and headed west on 1-70 to Sopris Alpaca Farm in Silt, Colorado.

Harvest Host Locations

As members of Harvest Hosts, we have the pleasure of being able to stay the night at some amazing business locations, for free!

For example, we have stayed at Wood Hat Distillery who not only makes amazing corn whiskey, but the owner also makes wooden hats.

Then there was the Tweed Couch in Omaha. We enjoyed staying at the 1920’s property which provides the public with a seasonal shop that carries unique items for the home.

And who can forget the night that we spent at the largest rail yard in the world in North Platte, Nebraska.

alpacas watching — Alpacas greeted us as we pulled into Sipos Alpaca Farm in Silt, CO.

But today we couldn’t wait to jump in the truck and head west, knowing that we would be spending the night at an Alpaca Farm.

After leaving Littleton we headed down interstate 70 towards Grand Junction. However, our 3 hour trip to Silt took longer than expected due to construction along the Vail Highway.

Although it took us almost 4 hours to get there, the drive was simply amazing. In fact, I am glad that the traffic was slower than normal. This gave us both the opportunity to take in the views just a little longer as we drove through the Rocky Mountains.

brown alpaca — Who can resist the cuteness of alpacas? Don’t you just want to pet his furry little head.

The scenery was filled with tall alpine trees nestled against large Rocky Mountains with crystal blue water flowing at its base. And who could ever get tired of looking at the hundreds of ski lodges and slopes as you passed through Breckenridge and Vail?

However, as we pulled into the Sopris Alpaca Farm, just west of 1-70 in Silt, Colorado, the sight was just as impressive.

Sopris Alpaca Farm

Down a long, straight drive, we could see dozens of Alpacas grazing in the distance.

We pulled up to a beautifully restored Log home where we met Kim, the owner. She and her husband Cory run the Alpaca farm and have opened it to the public just one short year ago.

They purchased the property a few years back and spent some time restoring the log home to become their own.

They have also restored many of the out-buildings, including the one that is closest to the fenced in alpaca yard.

The Talented Mural Artist

But they also had a little help. They hired a young graffiti artist to paint the outside of the structure. The intent was to honor the alpacas, but also the rich culture of the area.

mural at alpaca farm — It is hard to believe that this hand painted mural was from a graffiti artist and done with spray cans only.

And what he did was simply amazing! He painted a mural on each side of the building using only a picture as a guideline. But what is even more impressive is that he completed it using nothing but spray cans of paint.

Not one single image projection on the wall to use as a guideline and not one paint brush was used to create this masterpiece. The once run down building now stands proudly as an artistic gateway to the Alpaca yard.

furry alpaca — Upon first glance, you would think this alpaca had no eyes. No worries, they are on the side, not directly in front.

The Sopris Alpaca farm is open to the public daily from 10-4pm. Everyone is welcome to come and enjoy the beauty of the alpacas and their 50+ acre farm. You can even pet and feed the alpacas during your visit there.

The Sopris Alpaca Farm Boutique

But one of the most impressive parts of our stay was to be able to go into the Boutique. They sell all kinds of alpaca made products at the store, including clothing and other household items.

Sipros boutique — In the boutique you can purchase a bag of grain so you can feed the alpacas or purchase a variety of beautiful items from hats, gloves socks, sweaters and more!

Although they don’t actually make the products on site, they find local knitters who craft several of their products with the yarn made from their own alpacas.

Sopris Alpaca Farm also hosts several special events throughout the year and welcome groups, including school and nursing homes to schedule a visit. Alpacas seem to have a therapeutic affect on all those that visit.

And we can attest that we felt much more relaxed and calm after spending the night with the alpacas.

sunset with alpacas — Our evening ended as the sun went down and the alpacas wished us a good night.

CURRENT TRIP STATS

Day 36 of 365
States Visited 6 / 50
National Parks / Monuments Visited : 7
Stayed In : Silt, Colorado
Miles Driven : 120.1
Total Trip Miles To Date : 4808.9
Total Gallons Used : 358.87
Biking Miles : 0
Biking Miles To Date : 95.1
Hiking Miles : 1.2
Hiking Miles To Date : 95.1

About Our Living Simple Tour

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

Follow along by signing up for our twice weekly email updates at the bottom of the page. You can also follow us on Facebook : Live Simple Tour Facebook and Instagram : Live Simple Now Instagram Page.

A Final Day In Denver – Hiking, Biking, And A Denver Broncos Game!

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date October 13, 2019
Categories In Colorado, The Days Of The Trip
No Comments on A Final Day In Denver – Hiking, Biking, And A Denver Broncos Game!

As we prepare to move to the western edge of Colorado for the next few days, we spent our final day in Denver enjoying a few of their many incredible hiking and biking trails, and taking in a Denver Broncos game downtown.

The weather today was almost too good to be true. With bright sun and temperatures in the mid 70’s, it was a perfect time to enjoy the outdoors.

Denver Broncos Game — After riding our bikes in the morning on a long section of the trails around Prospect Park in Wheat Ridge, we headed downtown to catch an afternoon Broncos game. As you can tell, we were just a few of the tens of thousands that had that idea. What a fun and exciting environment to be a part of!

And outdoors is certainly where we were today – from start to finish!

Denver’s Biking and Hiking Trails

There is always at least one thing that surprises us about every new area we visit. And for the area surrounding Denver, there are actually a couple.

We were both absolutely amazed at how bike friendly and trail friendly this entire region is. In fact, it is nearly impossible to not find a bike or hiking trail as you head anywhere around the area.

Even better, it is awesome to see how many locals use them to their fullest potential.

The hiking and biking trails are full of beautiful views, all over the Denver area.

As we rode in the early morning on the trails around Prospect Park in Wheat Ridge, it was unbelievable to see how many other early risers were out as well.

With the beautiful Colorado skies and mountains as a backdrop, it certainly made for a great ride.

I think we could have continued on for hours more, but since the Broncos happened to be in town, we thought we would take an afternoon “break” and head down to the game.

Taking In A Denver Broncos Game

If there is one other thing that really surprised us about the Denver area, it is the impressiveness of their transportation system.

We loved using it earlier in the week to see the city, and decided to use it again today to head downtown to the game.

And, it wasn’t just us that had that idea! The trains were loaded with Bronco fans, turning the rail cars into a sea of orange. It was really a sight to see so many fans using such a great system.

The best part of all, no hassles of parking, driving, or worrying about a long walk to the gates. It is really great to see a city that “gets” it.

What a weekend – taking in the Air Force college football game in on Saturday, and the Denver Broncos game on Sunday!

So how was the game?

Bronco fans love their team, and with the stadium packed, it made for a great game to watch. And a very lively and fun trip home on the trains after a big win!

Ending The Evening In Littleton

We spent last night in the Littleton area, and of course, there was another beautiful trail just a few steps from our location.

We ended the day with a little 2 mile hike, trying our best to soak in the incredible weather and sun up until the very end.

It is hard to believe that just three days ago, our bikes were covered in snow!

And now it’s on Silt and Grand Junction. Our last few days in Colorado will take us through the more of the rural side of a state we have found to be nothing short of breathtaking.

From the Rocky Mountain National Park, Pike’s Peak, to Boulder, Colorado Springs, Estes Park and Denver, we have loved Colorado!

Here’s to the final few days in Colorado, and on to Utah! Happy Traveling – Jim and Mary

CURRENT TRIP STATS

Day 35 of 365
States Visited 6 / 50
National Parks / Monuments Visited : 7
Stayed In : Littleton, Colorado
Miles Driven : 45.5
Total Trip Miles To Date : 4692.7
Total Gallons Used : 350.20
Biking Miles : 7.5
Biking Miles To Date : 95.1
Hiking Miles : 4.5
Hiking Miles To Date : 93.9

About Our Living Simple Tour

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States