Wandering through Time and Place

Exploring the world with Curtis and Peggy Mekemson
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  • Tag: Great Basin National Park

    • Living in 120 Square Feet… North to Alaska in Quivera the Van

      Posted at 5:00 am by Curt Mekemson
      Jul 5th
      Quivera at Great Basin National Park in Nevada.

      Quivera, and her older sister, Xanadu, have travelled two hundred thousand miles exploring North America. This photo was taken  at Great Basin National Park.

      As I write this blog, Peggy and I are preparing for a trip to Alaska. (Actually, when you read this we will be on our way.) Our itinerary includes driving north through Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and the Yukon Territory to Anchorage and back, a road trip of some 7600 miles that includes the Alaska Highway and travels through some of the world’s more remote and beautiful wilderness settings.

      A key part of our preparation is making sure our van, Quivera, is ready to hit the road. She has already been to the doctor and had her check up followed by on a shake down cruise to the Redwoods. (When you return from a trip to the hospital, it’s important to make sure all of your organs are still working.) Next up she gets stuffed– oh, I mean packed. We have lists. Peggy handles the majority of this task. Each and everything has its place and she likes to know where each and everything is. Being the ever forgetful husband, I like her to know where each and everything is.

      Our van, Quivera, has her own pad on the upper part of our property in Oregon.

      At home in Oregon, Quivera has her own pad on the upper portion of our five acres. The ‘porch’ provides a great place to write. (The yellow lift helps level the van.)

      White oaks in southern Oregon.

      The view from the porch looking down toward our home through the white oaks. I often see the neighborhood fox that lives on our property working the hillside for gophers and other rodents. 

      Black Tail buck in Southern Oregon just starting to regrow his antlers.

      There are other distractions. Black Tail deer stop by frequently to make sure I am working. The buck in front was just starting to regrow his antlers when I took this photo in April.

      Peggy loves the van– and that’s a good thing. Having a happy Peggy is very important, especially when you live in a 120 square foot house. I can stand in my office and do dishes. The bathroom and stove are two steps away. The living room, dining room, and bedroom are a distant four steps. (Speaking of Peggy, today, July 5th is her birthday. A proper celebration is required. She is required to make animal noises, which happens to be a family tradition from her side of the family. But more on that later…)

      The view from my office toward Peggy's domain, four steps away.

      The view from my office toward Peggy’s domain, four steps away. There is plenty of room to work on projects or lie back and read. The area also serves as our dining room and, at night, morphs into a king size bed. The kitchen is on the left, the bathroom on the right.

      Looking toward my office from Peggy's perspective.

      Looking toward my office from Peggy’s perspective. The passenger chair swivels around and is quite comfortable. Our TV/entertainment center is on the far right.

      The kitchen: a two burner stove, the sink, and a refrigerator. What more do you need?  (grin)

      The kitchen: a two burner stove, the sink, and a refrigerator. What more do you need? (grin)

      Our grandsons call our home on wheels a Transformer. They are experts on the subject. For proof, they point out the button that turns the couch into a bed. It’s an innovation Peggy insisted on having and the kids insist on using. Up and down, up and down, up and down. Grandma has placed limits.

      Pleasure Way, out of Saskatoon Canada, is the manufacturer of our 22 foot long RV. Twelve years ago we visited the plant and were given a tour by Mrs. Pleasure Way. She also gave us a jar of her homemade jam. The folks in Saskatoon are friendly; they also create a quality product. This is the second RV we have bought from the company.

      We called the first van Xanadu and the second one Quivera. Both names reflect our wandering ways. Between the two RVs, we have explored 200,000 miles of North America’s highways and byways. Our total road time includes four years of dedicated travel and nine years of shorter trips.

      “How do you live in such small space?” people often ask in wonder.

      “You have to like each other, a lot,” I respond with a grin. And it’s true.

      But there is much more. For one, wandering around North America is a grand adventure… a glorious road trip that most people only dream about. Our travels have taken us from Fairbanks,Alaska to Key West, Florida and almost everywhere in between. The journey has also enabled us to visit our far-flung kids and grandkids on a regular basis. For a while, before the Coast Guard transferred our son Tony from San Diego to Alaska, we had developed a 2000-mile commute route between southern California and Hendersonville, Tennessee.

      Quivera and Eeyore  share a moment at Yosemite National Park.

      Quivera and Eeyore  share a moment at Yosemite National Park.

      Camping at Burning Man

      Quivera and  horses hang out at Burning Man in the Nevada desert. The challenge at Burning Man is that white Playa dust gets in everything. Months later we are still cleaning it out of the van. Note: The horses have a hitching post. They also share the look that most of us have after seven days..

      If things get too tight inside, we have the outdoors. Warm days mean we can spend as much time outside as we do in the van. Even on stormy days, we can amuse ourselves on the porch. Plus there are always bookstores, museums and restaurants to visit.

      And it isn’t like we suffer. Quivera comes equipped with a microwave/confection oven, two burner stove, heater, air conditioner, TV and DVD, refrigerator, bathroom, two sinks, two tables, nine storage cabinets, a closet, five drawers, couch, recliner chair and a king size bed. There is even a shower if you are willing to sit on the toilet while you bathe. Peggy and I opt out for campground showers. The van operates off of electricity, battery, generator and propane. Two laptops, a Verizon phone and an Internet connection keep us in touch with the world.

      Not all is rosy. Space is at a premium. Stopping to camp means shifting boxes from the back to the front. And there simply isn’t room for everything we want to take. Sacrifices have to be made. Some toys have to be left behind. At least with the advent of Kindles, we no longer have to carry a 100-book library.

      NEXT BLOG: A tall tale where we do a shake down cruise to the beautiful Redwood National Forest of Northern California.

      Posted in National Parks, On the Road US | Tagged Alaska Highway, Burning Man, Great Basin National Park, life in 120 square feet, North to Alaska, Pleasure Way RV, Yosemite
    • It’s National Park Week 2013… April 20-28

      Posted at 5:00 am by Curt Mekemson
      Apr 26th
      Bryce Canyon

      Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

      It’s National Park Week. One of my blogging friends reminded me. Somehow I lost track of time and became so wrapped up in the minutia of life that the week had arrived before I realized it was happening. Shame on me.

      The United States and many other nations around the world have done a magnificent job of setting aside national parks. We owe it to ourselves to go out and explore these treasures. And, we owe it to our great, great, great, great-grandchildren to protect these sites of rare natural beauty for future generations.

      It won’t be easy. There will always be people who believe financial gain outweighs any other consideration. Why save thousand-year-old redwood trees when they can be turned into highly profitable redwood decks?

      Redwood

      This 1500 year old redwood is located in Redwoods National Park on the northern coast of California.

      Several years ago, Peggy and I set a goal to visit all of America’s National Parks. With the exception of Kobuk Valley and Lake Clark in Alaska, we’ve succeeded. It has been an incredible journey. Our travels have taken us from Denali National Park in Alaska to the Dry Tortugas National Park off the Florida Keys.

      In addition to driving through and hiking in these parks, I have also backpacked in 13, biked through five, and kayaked or rafted in three. Once I even organized a winter ski trek into Denali National Park where we slept out in minus 30-degree weather and listened to wolves howl. That was a learning experience…

      Since I couldn’t escape to a national park this week, I did the next best thing; I went through photos of parks Peggy and I have taken. All I could think of was wow– what incredible beauty!

      Rocky National Park in Colorado.

      Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.

      Hawaii Volcanos National Park.

      An active volcano in Hawaii Volcanos National Park on the Island of Hawaii.

      Grand Tetons National Park in Wyoming.

      Grand Tetons National Park in Wyoming. A sign warned us to look out for an active grizzly bear.

      Arches National Park, Utah

      Arches National Park, Utah

      Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park, California

      Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park, California. I once woke up near here with a bear standing on top of me.

      Fall colors of Shenandoah National Park in Virginia

      Fall colors of Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.

      Sand Dunes in Death Valley National Park.

      Sand dunes in Death Valley National Park.

      The green of Olympic National Park in Washington.

      The green of Olympic National Park in Washington.

      Lesser known National Parks such as Great Basin in Nevada also hold great charm and beauty. This photo features the van Peggy  and I travelled in for four years as we travelled around North America.

      Lesser known national parks such as Great Basin in Nevada also hold great charm and beauty. This photo features the van Peggy and I travelled in for four years as we wandered around North America.

      Spectacular scenery is only part of the national park story. Wildlife, birds, insects, reptiles, flowers and history add to the experience.

      Peggy and I found this beauty swimming through the water at Everglades National Park in Florida.

      Peggy and I found this beauty swimming through the water at Everglades National Park in Florida.

      And this striking Black Buzzard was another Everglades resident.

      And this striking Black Buzzard was another Everglades resident.

      We found this Luna Moth on the Natchez National Parkway.

      We found this Luna Moth on the Natchez Trace National Parkway.

      Brown Pelicans are a common visitor at Pt. Reyes National Seashore.

      Brown Pelicans are common visitors at Pt. Reyes National Seashore.

      Peggy and I are great fans of Native America rock art, much of which is protected in National Parks and at National Monuments. This man with his big hands and fat little dogs has always been one of my favorites.

      Peggy and I are great fans of Native America rock art, much of which is protected in national parks and at national monuments. We have several thousand photos from different sites. This one from Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado/Utah has always been a favorite because of the big hands and fat little dogs.

      It never hurts to complete a blog with a pretty flower. We found this Foxglove growing in Olympic National Park.

      It never hurts to complete a blog with a pretty flower, even if it goes on and on. (grin) We found this Foxglove growing in Olympic National Park.

      NEXT BLOG: I hope you have enjoyed my two diversions over the past week because of Earth Day and National Park Week. On Monday I will return to Europe and Rome’s historic Colosseum.

      Posted in National Parks | Tagged Arches National Park, Bryce National Park, Death Valley National Park, Dinosaur National Monument, Everglades National Park, Grand Tetons National Park, Great Basin National Park, Hawaii Volcanos National Park, National Park Week, Olympic National Park, Pt. Reyes national Sea Shore, Redwoods National Park, Rocky Mountains National Park, Shenandoah National Park, Yosemite National Park
    • Bush Devil Ate Sam

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