Silver Gypsy: In the Woods and Out of my Mind

Finally took off from North Ranch very early Sunday morning, hoping all the van conversion effort was worth it.  Stops – Grand Canyon National Park, Monument Valley, and later today, Arches National Park in Utah.  I won’t tell you a lot about my adventures now but will be writing columns or articles on them at a later time.

The fun part has been meeting people.  Arriving late at GC, I decided to get a campsite, then take a bus to the far west of the park to Hermit’s Rest.  This is a popular sunset destination and as on other trips, it didn’t disappoint.  One couple from NC saw me going through my photos on the camera on the way back and began telling me about their trip and asking me about mine.  This was their first trip to the canyon and it was fun to see their excitement in seeing this unbelievable hole in the ground.  I stayed in Mather Campground for my first night out with the van.  I know that over the next few days, I will make changes, improvements, and tosses, but for a first night, it wasn’t bad.  I’ll tell you more about that later.

In repacking and getting ready to leave, the fellow across the street asked if I had had my morning coffee yet.  I said no and he filled my cup (amazingly I found the cup right away) with what they were going to toss as they readied to leave.  He and his wife and brought their twin daughters camping for a celebration of a double graduation from Arizona State Univ.  They were from MN originally and had lived in Scottsdale, AZ, for ten years but this was their first trip to the canyon.

I spend a second day getting reacquainted with various points and stayed the night at Desert View Campground just inside the east entrance.  While talking with two teachers from MS, a couple they had just met invited them and me to a campfire.  Couldn’t say no to that.  We were supposed to have S’mores but they couldn’t find the graham crackers which made me feel not so stupid for losing things at whim.  Instead we had wine – y’all know what wine does to this gypsy!  I didn’t have much, but I felt like dancing on top of the fellow’s MH.  I restrained myself!  Fun!

Yesterday I left at dawn and eventually took a LONG tour of Monument Valley.  I should have driven it myself.  Even tho it was a long, very bumpy trip, as a photographer I would have been happier being able to dictate my own stops.  I can assure you they didn’t use any of the $70/person fee to blade their roads, maybe ever!  Oh well.

Last night I stayed in a NF campground.  Only two sites were taken in this loop of pines and rocks and hills and peace.  Had to wash my hair after all that dust and also managed to disinfect all my 2000 body parts.  This morning I stopped to chat with the other person parked in the loop.  He was by himself, too, and I think we are soulmates as he is addicted to RVing and camping, too.  He said I definitely should put a Colorado River rafting trip on my list of things yet to do and I clued him in on an adventure canoeing the Yukon.

Now I’m in the town of Monticello, UT.  I tried to get my notebook computer to pick up the WIFI and it did and I was a happy camper.  Suddenly it started making “slurping” sounds which didn’t sound good.  It shut down after some ominous messages so I guess I have to find a guru.  In the meantime I am at the Visitor Center using their computer.  If I am rambling it is because I didn’t have a way to “compose” today.

  God Bless until next time.

Sharlene Minshall - The Silver Gypsy

At 45, Widow Minshall began 20 years of solo full-time RVing throughout Alaska, Mexico, and Canada. Sharlene canoed the Yukon, mushed sled dogs, worked a dude ranch, visited Hudson Bay polar bears, and lived six months on a Mexican beach. She lectured at Life on Wheels, published six RV-related books and wrote a novel, “Winter in the Wilderness.”