I barely slept last night in the Dixie National Forest. I had not put up the tent because it was cold and windy. I saw that rain was forthcoming as well. So, after dinner, I set up the car which means lowering the seat and putting up curtains. I was listening to an Audiobook into the night and finally fell asleep around midnight. At 1 AM, the rancher who had previously invaded my space set off his truck alarm. What was he doing out at that time? I am sure glad I had my curtains up. Anyway, I did not get much sleep after that.

Tomorrow I switch gears. I have been rambling around on scenic highways in the Southwest (AZ, Southern Utah). My nightly camps are wherever it looks interesting. Now, I will be doing highway driving with a precise destination: Spokane Valley, WA. Time to see my son, daughter-in-law, and baby Silas. I have been in NM since leaving Spokane shortly after Silas made his grand entrance into this world in September, so I am excited about a grandma fix. Then I go to Sandpoint, ID, about an hour north and visit with a young couple whose wedding I will do in October. So, it won’t be long before I am in one of my favorite areas (Northern Montana, the Idaho Panhandle, Northeast Washington). That is where I will hang out again after my Alaska trip; I tend to think of it as my other home zone (NM is the other).

But first, I am ready for a motel stay. I need sleep! I want to wash away the camping dust and sand. I can keep myself clean and neat while camping but my hair starts to act crazy after a week it will not even stay under a baseball cap.  A real shower! I also need Wi-Fi so I can post and schedule some blogs and transcribe notes (I keep everything in the Google Docs Cloud). While I am at it, why not charge up everything (including that inert taser) and eat in a restaurant? My budget allows for a much-needed break from the tent and daily sponge baths.

Red Canyon, UT

Tango and I hike around Red Canyon on the way to Panguitch, UT, a small Mormon town. We arrive at the motel around noon, and I was able to register and get a key but could not get into the room for another hour. I asked for a restaurant recommendation and discovered that the only one open on Sunday was the Chinese Restaurant. Oh yum. Just what I need. I left Tango in the car with the umbrella shading his car bed and scurried inside. Lunch special. Orange chicken. Mistake. Chinese Food in a small Mormon town? Leftover rice and poorly fried chicken nuggets with bottled sweet and sour sauce. Oh well, better than yet another faux pizza dish.

Historic Panguitch, UT

At 1 PM I have access to my room. What do I do first? This is a real dilemma. Take a shower? Nap? Surf? I grab my electronics bag, which has a power strip and all my plugs, and I start the charging. Computer, Kindle, Chromebook, camera. The little nightstand is overrun with electronic gear and cords. Eventually, I get it all done; including the taser. Then, I charge the computer and phone again after extensive use.

Next, surfing for a few minutes before I take a 3-hour nap! Then a shower. Then, I download Audible and Kindle books. Then, camera upload. Then, writing, writing, writing.Then a bowl of cereal that was stowed in the car. More surfing. More writing.

Now it is 9 PM and it will be hours before I get to sleep again. I am okay with that. I have my Tylenol PM as insurance towards a good night’s sleep. I don’t want to waste a nice bed!

Tomorrow I hop onto I-15 above Cedar City, UT for the long drive into even more beautiful country. Salt Lake City will be the last metropolis on this northward journey and I am eager to be through that mess before rush hour.