Summer Update and Heading South Again

Well, once again we are on the boat heading south for the winter. What did we do this summer?

Besides the usual working on some things with the house we had a wonderful two week trip out west to the National Parks. We flew out to Bozeman, Montana and picked up our bus tour from Vantage Travel. 

Our first rest stop.  What beauty!

We weren't quite sure how we would like a bus trip, but ended up loving it. It was so nice to just relax and leave the driving and planning to the tour company. Our tour guide was excellent and the group of 38 people were very nice and considerate of all. So no stragglers when we were to leave destinations which was a plus! 

The mist and the colors where magical.

We started at Mammoth Springs, then Yellowstone for two days. 

One of the many geysers!

The turquoise mist and orange minerals were a sight to behold in Yellowstone.

Grand Teton beauty.

Through the Grand Tetons which were spectacular and on to Jackson Hole, Moab and Arches National Park.

What a contrast from the Tetons!

We saw them in their convention center which seats 23,000.

We learned all about the Mormons in Salt Lake City and heard the Mormon Tabernacle Choir twice which was fantastic.

Monument Valley

Then onto Monument Valley on the Navajo Reservation where many movies have been filmed,

Grand Canyon

What a way to end the trip with the three greats, the Grand Canyon,

Hoo Doos- amazing natural formations

Bryce Canyon National Park,

Amazing what you see at 6:15am walks at Bryce!

Bryce Canyon

and Zion National Park. All with such beauty of their own. Our country has truly breath-taking beauty and we were so glad we went. Everyone asked which was our favorite spot. It was hard to choose, but I guess Bryce was my top pick and then Yellowstone.

Now we are heading to see a totally different kind of beauty. Fall is here and the leaves are starting to turn colors and drop. We left on October 4^th and made it to the Solomons Islands on the Patuxent River, Md. We have been here for two days waiting for the wind to change from south to anything else. It has been unusually hot in the mid eighties since we left, but we are sure will turn cool soon enough.  We are glad our new canvas, for the bimini, dodger, and sail cover got done.  Now we might be able to not get wet when it rains, because our old white canvas leaked like a sieve even after waterproofing it before we left last year.

Blue Heaven's new look.

It has been raining for several hours and canvas is doing well.   We have had time to do indoor projects like inventory of all our supplies and fixing and cleaning things we just did not get to before leaving. Hope to leave tomorrow to visit with friends in Mill Creek. Waiting for the decent weather does get tedious at times!