Summer Road Trip Part 7

We left the North Rim Campground and it took all day to get to Moab, Ut. It was hot, but dry so now I understand what people meant by that. We left the restaurant in Moab at 7pm and it was 104 degrees but it didn't feel like it at all! If you are in Moab, got to Lin Ottinger's Rock Shop. We found some really great souvenirs.

Some areas were like this........... on and on...........

Both Utah and Arizona are so beautiful!

And this is what the kids are doing.....
I think that after a while, "oh kids look out the window" is not of interest to them.

Summer Road Trip Part 6 --- YAY Arizona!

I'm finally getting to the last of our vacation pictures....

The last main stop on our vacation was North Rim of the Grand Canyon. I have never been to Arizona, but I loved it! From Kanab, UT everything looked just like Utah. Then we entered a forest. Until I started planning for this trip, I never knew there was a National Forest in Arizona. Kaibab National Forest was such a nice surprise.

Don't boycott Arizona, you'll miss out on so much!

We arrived at dinner time and found our campsite easily. The campground is beautiful, clean, and very quiet. Our spot was right next to the Transept Trail, and Transept Canyon. The elevation did bother me at first. The next morning, when we went out hiking, I felt dizzy. Not a good thing when hiking next to a canyon! The feeling passed and we went from the lodge to Bright Angel Point, short hike but so beautiful! I was in awe the whole time. I was almost teary, it was so amazing.

Trail to Bright Angel Point

I cannot wait to go back! We were only there for a day and a half. Not nearly enough time.

Kaibab Squirrel ---only lives in Kaibab Forest, AZ

View from our campsite

another view from our campsite

Tired feet

Carla Sonheim Drawing Lab

Drawing Lab For Mixed Media Artists by Carla Sonheim*

This is such a fun book! I messed around over the weekend on some of the projects, but have decided to start at the beginning and go thru each one.

I like to sketch out ideas, to get them out of my head...but the sketches are for me alone because they are horrible. I have never been good with line. I had to take drawing classes in college to get a BFA. In my Life Drawing Class it took till the end of the semester before any of my drawings even looked like the model!

I admit to avoid drawing....but this book makes me want to practice. Partly because she dosen't write the book telling you how to draw, but the exercises make it relaxed and fun. The more you draw they better you get. Painless process

So lab one is drawing cats in bed, hmmm. I decided to try with my left hand. Very odd feeling, and the 2 cups of coffee probably didn't help!
I had fun though. Emma joined me on the bed and soon both dogs were there too!

pretty horrible but in a way I like them????

I had to try some birds
*****

look at the poor starved kitty!
****

color adjust kitty
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* I am not getting paid a cent for linking to Amazon etc... I'm just doing for your convenience :-)

I almost forgot the day we spent in SLC!

We spent only one full day in Salt Lake City. My brother showed us around, his way. We walked and took mass transit. Breakfast was terrific at the Original Pancake House.
We took the bus to the University
to see the Natural History Museum.






kids got to hold hissing cockroaches!








Then on to the City Library. What a library! For one thing it is huge! I couldn't believe the size of the kids department. Look at the kids "attic"







What a great view!







The kids liked the street food, we come to Utah to eat Chicago Style Hotdogs???



We stopped by the Clark Planetarium and on to the mall.
We didn't shop at The Gateway Mall. We watch chalk artists fancy up the closed street and the kids got wet! Slightly soaked kids in tow, we headed back to my brother's cute brick bungalow.




After dinner he drove us out to The Great Salt Lake. Pretty mucky since they had lots of rain before we got there. I was in the desert getting eaten up by mosquitoes!!!!




We'll need to go back and spend more time in SLC.

Summer Road Trip Part 5

Trilo dig!!!! Yay!
With a freshly patched tire and a refill on water jugs, we ventured back out into the wilds!

Instead of going down the road to a BLM area to dig (where we got the flat tire),
we went to a pay site, A New Dig INC
Essentially, they use big machinery to scoop up piles of shale. We split them open to find the goodies. Easy and fun. Within our 2 hours we found maybe 80 trilos parts, wholes, and fossil imprints. I'm going to make jewelry from some small specimens. Worth the 60 bucks.


Emma and her prize bug


Great view








Afterwards, we found a great campsite nearby










View within Wheeler Amphitheater (Swasey Mountains) Utah

Camp Cooking

Our best dutch oven meal was Father's Day. Mike has never, ever taken a photo of food I've cooked, but this time he did! Everything was perfect. Meatloaf, sliced potatoes and onion, with pepper strips, gravy, and crusty bread. It was all so yummy!

Then after I made a cake for desert/ bedtime snack.

No Egg Camping Dutch Oven Chocolate Cake

1 cup white sugar
3 /4 tsp baking powder
1 TBS ground flax seed
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 tsp salt
5 TBS dried milk

Mix together the above ingredients in a heavy zipper bag.
When ready to cook, add 1/4 cup oil and 1 cup plus 2TBS water to the bag and knead until mixed.

I used a medium sized Teflon pie pan to bake the cake. I prepped the coals and used about 18 on top and 18 on the bottom. This isn't what other blogs said but it worked when I tried it at home.
Also I placed the pie pan on an empty tuna can to raise it from the bottom.
I forgot to watch the time...it takes maybe 20 -25 mins to bake???

The cake was Delicious!!!

-----I had a lot of fun preparing for our trip west by cooking in the dutch oven at home. The big thing I learned was to have extra wood/ charcoal going. If the oven seems too cold, then just add more. Extra can just be pushed over to the side.

Summer Road Trip Part 4

Look what we found in the middle of nowhere...seriously the MIDDLE of nowhere!

Soon afterward we traveled through Death Canyon to get to the Trilobite dig area and we got a flat tire. We were prepared. We ditched hunting for trilos and drove Delta to get the flat fixed. So when you drive in the desert, bring tons of water and make
sure your spare is in good condition!

Stressful day, but isn't that junk truck cool!!!

corner of Ye Old Indian Trail and Death Canyon Road
next to the Tule Valley dry lake bed
Approx: 39°20'44.57"N
113°25'23.84"W


Tule Valley, UT




This was the furthest west I've ever been.