Adventures with Conestoga Lite

We've named our trailer Conestoga Lite because it gives us the taste of pioneer life with less life endangerment. 

At the start of the five day journey to our first destination, we were excited and confident. Before long, however, we learned that RV trailer living is, well, different. It was challenging traveling 7-8 hours/day, setting everything up for the night, only to break it down the next morning.

We've decided the trailer is in charge. As soon as it seems we have all the nuances down, a problem pops up - sometimes due to our inexperience and sometimes we swear the trailer plays tricks on us. For example, we spent a half hour trying to figure out why the center lights weren't working, only to find the master switch was accidentally turned off. One night we ran out of propane and, therefore heat. The heater came back on eventually, but only when it was good and ready. Another day, we had no TV reception because the antenna cable decided to randomly disconnect from the trailer. As we said - the trailer is in charge. At various times, we've looked at each other and said, "What have we gotten ourselves into?".

It may seem kind of crazy to leave a spacious,  comfortable home and spend 3 1/2 months on the road in a trailer, but there is a wonderful feeling of freedom. While on the road, we listened to the audio book "Wild", about a woman who traveled over 1,000 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail. Her adventures and dangerous mishaps made us appreciate our luxuries. We figured if she could do THAT and survive, we had no cause to complain about our circumstances. Her strong spirit and driving incentive became infused in us. 

We arrived in Mesa Verde on Thursday, May 21st and settled in for a three day stay. Once we took in the amazing vistas and saw the ancient ruins, we turned to each other and said, "This is so worth it!"
                

  

  

Mesa Verde is the largest archaeological preserve in the United States and is best known for a large number of well-preserved cliff dwellings such as those pictured above. The people who inhabited Mesa Verde were ancestors of the Pueblo tribe called Anastazi and lived there from 400 to 1300 AD. Seeing these ruins in person and imagining the people who lived there was both humbling and inspiring. Sue was able to hike down to the site for close up shots while Doug painted the scene from above. 

DOUG'S PAINTINGS

 

I've included three paintings I did at Mesa Verde. The first is of the Anastazi ruins. The second is an amazing tree that Sue found near the ruins. i call it  "Anastazi Witness". The third is a rock butte I painted across the road from our campsite. Thunderstorms were coming through,so I was dodging raindrops. 

Our next journey will take us to Zion National Park in Utah for two weeks.  

Doug and Sue's 2015 National Park Tour Blog

Welcome all to our Summer National Park Tour Blog. This trip is the result of a dream long held by both of us in our own ways. For Doug, it has been something he has always wanted to do. It was in the category of one of those daydreams – you know the kind – a wonderful thought followed by the belief that it would never happen.  Sue has always been passionate about immersing herself in pure nature, enjoying hiking, taking pictures and just being absorbed by the beauty of it all.

It was really Doug’s passion for art that made this trip become a reality. The thought of doing a series of paintings in each of the major National Parks was exciting and, at first, he considered doing over the course of a few years – visiting one or two a year. Then the great gift of retirement offered the option to “just do it” and hence the RV trailer idea was born.   

We embarked on our journey on Saturday, May 16.  We will be visiting the following national parks/sites over the course of the summer: Mesa Verde, Petrified Forest, Zion, Lake Powell, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Sequoia, Yosemite, Redwood, Yellowstone and Glacier. We will then head up into Canada and come back east, entering the US through the Great Lakes. Our return date is sometime in the middle of August. (Yes, we ARE coming back!).  We look forward to sharing our experiences and Doug’s paintings with you via this blog.  

Doug Connects with Artist Thomas Moran

In preparation for this trip. I have been researching early National Park artists like Albert Bierstadt, Frederic Church, and the Hudson River School and found myself connecting especially with Thomas Moran. I have found a parallel in our two lives. Thomas Moran immigrated to the Philadelphia area from England and he painted many areas along Fairmont Park that I have driven past many times going downtown. He also dreamed of going west. In his day, it was via transcontinental railroad, followed by horseback to the sites we will be visiting. He was the first artist to paint Yellowstone.

Thomas Moran travelled with survey teams to these places and painted some magnificent works. His paintings, along with photos and surveys helped convince Congress to make Yellowstone the first National Park. His huge painting “The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone” was purchased by Congress and is currently located in the Senate lobby.

I am in awe of his achievements as well as the collective achievements of so many early people who passionately fought to keep these lands wild and undeveloped for future generations to enjoy. I highly recommend watching the Ken Burns series “The National Parks”. You will be amazed at how much continued effort it took to preserve and maintain these lands to keep them from being developed and lost forever.

  

I feel, in a sense that I am walking in Thomas Moran’s footsteps – another artist on a dream quest. Most of all, I realize that I am also fulfilling his dream by being able to walk the lands that he walked and view the same pristine views – exactly as they were when he first painted at Yellowstone. Amazing!