In the last episode of rvsue and her canine crew . . .
(No peeking at the slideshow at the end of this post! Eat your dinner before dessert!)
We discover Goblin Valley State Park’s campground is full. The BLM “campground” suggested as an alternative by the toll booth lady is too ugly to consider. Our exploration of the canyon directly west of the information kiosk reveals it is filled up with weekend campers and their Off-Highway-Vehicles. I’d rather sleep in a subway tunnel.
I’m tiring and Bridget and Spike are getting restless.
I park us at the information kiosk located at a T intersection.
Let me give you the lay of the land. The state park is nine miles of paved road to the southwest of where we’re parked. Think of that as the “vertical” part of the T.
Right before the park entrance Little Wild Horse Canyon Road swings westward around Little Wild Horse Butte. Both times we pass this road, several cars and RVs are streaming onto it. I’m too worn out to drive eight miles back and then more miles down that road only to find too many weekenders already there. If I can’t find anything else, I’ll check out that road.
Directly to the west is Camp Ugly and OHV Playland, as outlined above.
Barf.
Directly to the east is the road across flat sagebrush plain to Highway 24.
No possibilities there.
I climb out of the PTV to look at the map pinned to the bulletin board. The crew begins to wail and hop around in protest while the wind whips me so hard I have to hold onto my glasses lest they be blown clear across the San Rafael Desert.
As I try to make sense out of the map, a young couple joins me.
They are soon followed by a guy with an Class C rental. Hmm . . . fellow state park campground rejects? The roads on the map look like bacteria in a petri dish, twisting this way and that, and each with a number. Correctly deciphering the number code requires the skills of an experienced Egyptologist. Some are county roads, some are state roads, some are EM. EM? What the heck? Are there no BLM roads? Everyone present admits to confusion.
Ownership of lands is indicated by color.
Or more accurately, at one time in the past the ownership of lands was indicated by color. Now the map is faded to an almost uniform white. Plus one corner of the map has come loose and needs to be held down against the wind. BLM, private, national wilderness study, county, state . . . No way to tell the difference. I give up! I’ll have to ferret out a good campsite entirely by my wits. If I’m illegal, well, I’ll deal with that later . . . We have to camp somewhere.
I go back to the PTV to analyze the situation.
Well, what am I looking for? I want peace and quiet, solitude if possible. Some place where the crowds wouldn’t think to go. Safety for the crew, no perilous precipices. Level, of course. Out of this godforsaken wind — a sheltered spot — and not uglier than a coonhound’s a*#.
Hmmm . . . I survey the landscape. East, west, and south are no good. Not this weekend anyway. That leaves north.
I look to the north across sagebrush plain.
Blah . . . . Wait a minute . . . . A few miles in the distance, give or take, a dirt road climbs over a small hill. I wonder if that road makes a turn into the San Rafael Reef (the same gorgeous reef where the OHVers are camped but much further north).
I follow my gut feeling and fire up the PTV. I find the start of the road not far from the kiosk. I bet the other people are thinking I’m nuts to go camping in an open plain in this wind. Good.
We come to a fork in the dirt road.
I turn left toward the hill and the reef! We go over the hill and I take a spur road to the left. It goes up. Great little campsite. Drawbacks: a precipice looking down into a narrow canyon and no shelter from the wind.
We continue on the dirt road and take another spur road.
This campsite is very nice, it’s level, and it’s not at the edge of a cliff. Not a lot of shelter from the wind, but it’ll do for one night. I climb into the PTV to position the BLT on the most level place. I glance through the windshield and stop cold.
“Oh no! This is terrible! We can’t stay here!”
Way far in the distance I see the itty-bitty kiosk with a little toy Class A motorhome and ant-people walking up to the bulletin board. If I can see them, they can see me. “Oh look, Honey. Someone’s camped way over there. See that white speck? Let’s go camp next to them!”
We continue on the dirt road.
It dips downward and a lovely campsite beckons my tired self. No, that’s a wash. There isn’t enough water around here to fill a bathtub, but, still, I’m not camping in a wash wondering about precipitation in the mountains.
From this point on, the road is questionable.
Several times I park the PTV, get the crew out, and together we walk up the road to make sure it’s passable. We come to a fork. To the right is a sign warning that the road sucks. We walk up the left fork. Hmm . . . looks good. All this walking has me practically exhausted.
Was it this morning we were at Glen Canyon Rec Area?
Gee whiz. (No wonder this blog post is so long.) The road goes into a narrow canyon. In spots deep sand threatens. Boulders are scattered about the sides of the road. I look up. Boulders are ready to join their friends down below. Nope. I’m not sleeping under the threat of a 16-ton rock hitting the roof of the BLT. I stop, walk ahead, come back, drive a little further. Rinse and repeat. And again.
Mistakes are made when you’re tired.
I take a chance and drive further into the winding canyon without walking it first. Of course, I get us into a jam. I can turn around in a tight spot and probably scrape the side of the PTV or BLT, or I can back up through the narrow, winding canyon, past evil boulders out of my line of sight, for a MILE or so.
The best thing to do in this kind of situation is sit for a bit.
As I’m sitting at the wheel, contemplating my options, reassuring the crew that we aren’t going to die, what should appear? A man strolls around the rock wall jutting out ahead of us. He’s about forty, beginning to paunch, an open face, walking along enjoying himself. He comes over to my window. I’m ready.
“Hi! Maybe you can help me. Can you tell me what the road is like up ahead? I really don’t want to back-up out of here or scratch everything turning in this tight spot.”
“Oh, the road isn’t bad. You can make it fine.”
“Towing this trailer?”
“Sure. There’s a turn-around where you can camp.”
“There IS? ” Suddenly the Vienna Boys Choir starts to sing up the canyon. “How far?”
“About three-tenths of a mile.”
“Will rocks fall on my head while I sleep?
He chuckles. “No, it (meaning the canyon) opens up. I’ve camped there before.”
I’m all smiles as I thank him and as we continue to our camp.
Bridget and Spike hop out onto the soft sand. They’re ecstatic. Off-leash! Running around! Peeing on bushes! Climbing rocks! Sniffing flowers! (Bridget) Rolling in something smelly! (Spike) Doing a happy dance! (me).
I twirl around, head upturned, taking in the beauty all around us.
[slideshow]
rvsue
Note: What are the white flowers Bridget is posing next to?
Do not miss talking a walk around Goblin Valley. It was the highlight of our trip to Utah 2 years ago. We also went to the north from the valley,,, beautiful!
Tomorrow I’ll post about Goblin Valley. There, I made up for yesterday’s cliffhanger! 🙂
I love your “cliffhanger” post. It’s like an episode of “The Perils of Pauline,” only with real people (and four-legged people.) What a great campsite. Perseverance pays off!
I saw a truck camper at the ugly parking lot “campground.” I wanted to drive over there and tell the person to look around. You don’t have to settle for ugly! What if I had? We would’ve missed having our own private canyon with wildflowers and rocks to climb . . .
Sue, you had me on the edge of my seat….followed your directions with Google Maps Satellite and that looks like a good, safe, quiet, serene, wonderful place. Do you have Internet? If so, what else do you need for a few days??? And where in the “H” did that guy come from????
Dave (Marcia and Bubba and Skruffy)
GoingRvWay.com
I’m laughing out loud as I type this. Where the “H” did he come from? At first I thought he came from the other “H.” Later, after I sat at our campsite for a while, I got a second wind. The crew and I walked further up the road. I saw him and his tent tucked up in some rocks and gave him a thumbs-up as we passed.
No internet. The camp is surrounded by rocks as you can see from the pics. Plus the location is surrounded by empty land.
I should’ve explained…. We’ve left this camp (I’m behind on posting). We moved to a camp with internet.
What a fascinating, gorgeous place. I think you’ve earned the Boondocker of the Year award!
Ha! Thank you.
It is a beautiful spot. If ever anyone drives Highway 24 between Hanksville and Green River, they should stop and camp in the rocks of the Reef. I know I will if I’m ever this way again.
So glad you are safe and settled for the night. You really had me worried as I read. Brave lady!!
A tiny bit of brave and a whole lot of crazy. The way I look at it …. I didn’t go to the trouble of saving for my rig and planning and all that my early posts describe… just to camp in a parking lot.
Hope you enjoyed the post in spite of the worry!
Definitely enjoyed the post!! But I was truly getting concerned the further I read. Bet they don’t have Navajo Pizza around the corner!!! I am totally addicted!!
You had to go and mention Navajo pizza. Now I want some.
What a great adventure! Sounds (and looks) like you might be on “Behind the Reef Road”. Where ever you ended up, it looks like a perfect boondock! Do you actually have internet access there??
Things have changed since I was in that area. There were very few places we found cell coverage. And I don’t think there were nearly as many ORVers as you describe.
I do hope you take a short walk up Bell Canyon before you leave the area. Walking in a slot canyon is an amazing and unforgettable experience. Its most “accessible” (ie not scary or difficult) of the slot canyons in that area.
Spike is looking a tad bit pink. Has he been rolling in that red dust? I notice that Bridget has kept herself nice and white, of course…
Hi Alison!
No internet. We are at a new camp now. That’s how I’m able to post. In fact, that’s why we didn’t stay longer. I was getting behind with the blog and had so many photos piling up. Now that I know about it, I’d love to come back and do that Bell Canyon walk. We did have fun walking “our” canyon!
Spike’s fur is not as white due to his age and, yes, his habit of rolling around and lying in the dirt.
There are many other slot canyons, I’m sure you’ll get a chance! There are several beautiful and easy ones in Capitol Reef Ranger but they may be more crowded. Grand Wash comes to mind. Lots of them in Escalante area also. Ask around.
One can roam around Utah forever, it seems, and never run out of amazing places and free camping or boondocks! You’re inspiring me to get back there.
You know, as I think about it, you may actually have been camped near the far end of Bell Canyon! So maybe you did see it. At any rate, sounds like you and the crew had a wonderful quiet place to be.
Whew, I’m tired after that read but very happy to see the little travel antenna mast in place. LOL
Even the mighty antenna mast can’t reach above these big rocks! It’s so easy to set it up in the bumper mount, I put it there sometimes when no internet is available just to get it out of the way. Plus it’s cute. As is its little brother.
I thought you would have lost the little stubby antenna by now. You have increased my faith in Womankind.
When I take out the stubby antenna, I place it on top of the spare tire so it’s nearby when it’s time to take down the tall antenna.
Could those white flowers be Jimson weed? The blooms from their shape look like they could be – but the foliage looks too sparse.
I took your suggestion and did a search for photos of jimson weed. That’s not it. Like you said, the foliage is different. The stems are rubbery, almost like a succulent but not. Very pretty in large sweeps of white against the tan sand.
they almost look like poppies. is there a desert poppy? or some type of desert primrose?
The primrose looks closest to it… Desert primrose, not Evening primrose. I haven’t found a good photo of the foliage to be sure. I wish I’d taken a close-up photo of one of the blooms.
http://www.desertusa.com/wildflo/nv.html
Lots of Utah wildflowers in this link, maybe you can find them there!
I do believe it is some type of primrose but the pictures are not close enough to tell for sure. Maybe Oenothera pallida (Evening Primrose), this is a type of evening primrose that is native to that part of the country not the same as your common primrose Oenothera biennis.
Hi Sue, what you experienced is something that terrifies me when we’ll go boondocking. Finding a nice place and then have people come camp just right next to you. This is what in my country we call the mussel syndrome (sounds like it has no borders!!). For whatever reason, people are going to stick to you when they have choice to have their own place.
A couple weeks ago we drove in the canyons in the back of Sedona. Far far away. Miles and miles and miles of wilderness. Nothing around but the birds and the wind. Bliss. We found a place under a shade tree away from the road and started to put up chairs and picnic. A truck came and parked just next to us to barf a couple of noisy teenagers and an old dude with a beepping metal detector (??). It’s not like they could not see us. Our truck looks like a huge white whale. Why not driving a few hundred feet further? I don’t get it and it pisses me off.
When I read about your white rig showing up against the desert colors, it reminded me about this bad experience. I am seriously considering a camouflage net!!! maybe something to add to our amazon shopping list…
Now, what to do with the white dogs? I bet Spike will fix it by rolling himself in the dirk like a little Rambo. But precious Bridget need a little camo outfit;)
So glad you found a good spot for the night!
Patricia, I feel your pain. I don’t get it either. I call it the Velcro Syndrome. Why do some people have to cling? And the old excuse that they want to feel safe . . . Well, if you’re afraid to be by yourself, camp in a campground! Don’t glom up to someone else. I knew if I could be seen, even as a tiny speck of white, that someone would drive all the way over to camp next to us. Especially since the campground was full.
Your experience must have been infuriating. Ever notice how it’s never the quiet folks that do that?
Spike blends in very well! You’re right. Bridget needs that little camo jacket I show on the “For your crew” page.
OMG !! You are both so right. I dread that velcro Syndrome and have it happen to me as well and funny thing about it Sue is , just like you said, They allways seem to be noisy people who do that !!
One of these days I’m going to walk up to people who do that and ask them to enlighten me why they have to park so close. Then I’ll probably be “enlightened” with a fist. Oh well, it’ll give me interesting blog material.
Sue, beautiful pictures! I hope someone knows what the white flowers are. They are growing and blooming along the highways here too. Clarkia maybe?? Linda in Benson, Az.
So they’re all the way to Benzon, AZ? They brighten up the desert. I felt like we had our own flower garden at that campsite. There would’ve been more but they were apparently chewed up by an OHV….I saw the tracks in a circle. Don’t get me started. 🙂
I looked up Clarkia. That’s not it. Wrong foliage.
Looks like a really good spot. Hope it turns out to be far from the OHVs. They can be a pain.
As it turns out, there were no OHVs while we were there. It’s getting so that’s the first thing I look for. Any sign of recent OHV activity and I’m gone. I say “recent” because there are a lot of old OHV scars around, like in the white flowers by our campsite. Many of those scars were made before “designated road” rules were put in place.
I would have sworn that your two dogs used to be the same color. 🙂 Gorgeous spot BTW…
Oh, poor Spike. He’s yellowing with age.
Aren’t we all… here and there…
Hi Sue… I think the flowers might be bush morning glory. We call them pee-me bushes. Ask Spike, he’ll understand.
Hi Lisa ….I’ll look up bush morning glory.
LATER… I looked it up. Nope.
Oh, I forgot!! Spike wants to blend in so you can’t see him sneak off. That’s why he’s not the pristene white of the Bridge
So that’s why he rolls in the dirt!
That is one of my concerns about boondocking in an RV – driving all day then not finding a place to spend the night. It almost happened on my trip to England about 10 years ago, almost ended up sleeping in the car because we didn’t start looking for a B&B until late in the day.
But it appears that everything turned out okay, thankfully. You are traveling through some gorgeous scenery!
Hi Cari,
You’ve hit upon the reason I like short moves. Do the driving in the morning and then there’s the entire afternoon to find a camp for the night. Sometimes that isn’t possible… too much empty country to cross, but it usually is a workable plan.
That’s the great thing about RVing. You always have a place to sleep. My trouble is I think I have to sleep in a beautiful setting every single night!
Wow, What day you had looking for a site to camp in. Hope You can camp there a while, Spike n’ Bridget look happy, And Timber say’s hi too
Spike and Bridget are very happy. They love exploring a new place. The sand and rocks are easy on their paws. I’m happy, too, and hope the same for you and Timber.
So glad to see you back, glad the problem with word press is solved.
The white flowers might be Field Bindweed…it looks a lot like morning glories. I only know the flowers are all over northern AZ in higher elevation….my mother told me the flowers bloom at night. I’ll have to look at my desert flower book and see if I find it or in one of my hiking books. Flowers look beautiful. What gorgeous places you’ve been this year….and I see you are taking your time too to look and explore more. Glad you and crew are enjoying your trip through Utah.
Bindweed may be it. The one thing that throws me off is the foliage. The stems and “leaves” are like rubbery tubes, like an ice plant has. These flowers bloom during the day. My desert field guides aren’t very good for flower identification.
Our pace depends upon many factors. Last year I wanted to get a broad sweep of the West from AZ to SD to the Pacific Coast and CA. We also slow down and speed up in tune with the weather. You may see us high-tailing it out of UT as summer heats up. I know there are mountains in UT to cool off, but I do want to get back to Wyoming and Montana . . . the Tetons, the Wind River Range, oh my.
WOW…. A whole new meaning to boon docking! That was a lot of hard, stressful work you and the crew went through to find that spot!!!! I hope you can stay for several days and just relax and enjoy the peace and quiet. By the sounds of it, not too many know about your little tucked away place.
Spikey, you’re going to need to find a shower stall!!!! Bridget, such a sweet poser these days.
Have fun and enjoy!
It wasn’t really bad finding that spot (I do tend to dramatize!). What made it hard was I had driven through spectacular scenery that morning, stopped for gas, propane, and internet, drove some more, was turned away from the park’s campground, all of which wore me out. I tend to cave in around mid-afternoon anyway.
Spikey’s fur is not as white as it used to be, even when clean.
White dog shampoo. Never knew there wa such a thing til. We stopped at a Walmart on a trip. I stayed in the rig and wife came back with it. Unfortunately we have black dogs. She made me take it back in but I turned lemons into Miller Lite. I did verify they were out of all dog shampoo as my dear wife had claimed.
“Lemons into Miller Lite.” — funny, Stan. There’s not much point in turning Spike back into a white dog. He’d be dirty-looking again in a day. I like to think he’s morphed into Spike the Desert Dog or Spike the Camo Dog.
About white dog shampoo. I used to go to the pound the day before kill day and pick out one of the dogs that nobody wanted. I’d take the dog home, clean him up, give him food supplements like fish oil, give him a hair cut, etc. After a few week or months, he’d be ready for Adoption Day with a bright, shiny, thick coat of fur, happy and sociable, not forlorn and frightened like the day I picked him up. I’d take him to Adoption Day and now he’s not a reject, he’s a star! Adopted right away. I did this several times… about 24 dogs altogether. I used the white dog shampoo on several of them.
Whew! You had me on the edge of my seat in this chapter of the adventures of RVSue. I could almost hear a drum roll at the beginning of the story (or was it eerie music?) lol. You are a hoot and one very brave woman.
Hi Patti,
Once fear is out of the way, it’s exciting — even when tiring — looking for a special place to camp. Wondering what’s around the next bend or over the hill. Analyzing the wind and weather of an area, avoiding dangers like cliffs and annoyances like noisy people and their toys, positioning the rig for a pretty front yard, etc. Nice to see you here, Patti.
I am so glad you are back online. I went to read your very descriptive advernture to my husband and then it said your WordPress account was suspended for TOS? I started to worry that I had posted something wrong (think terrorism words) and I said, nope, sure didn’t. So glad you are back. There would be many, many people missing you! XXOOXXOO, Patti
Wow another adventure under your belt!!! As always the photos are awsome. I’m sure Spikes got some natural dye in his coat from rolling around in the dirt…that happened to my JRT here in GA with the clay and it took a while to get it out. But I think Spikes going for the camo look, he’s starting to blend in to the local scenery. Congrats on a another great camp site find.
MKR ~ stuck in NE GA for now
Hi MK…. Like me, the crew doesn’t have to keep up a high standard for appearance. I’ve needed a haircut for 6 months! I look like hell wearing a ponytail, what with my round face and hidden cheekbones . . . Ha! Who cares.
NE GA, I remember it well.
Wow! Incredible spot, and incredible adventure to find it. Who knows when a wandering guy will just show up with helpful information!
Isn’t it weird? I lock the keys in the PTV and a guy shows up with a lock kit. I’m clueless in a strange canyon that’s seemingly empty, and an experienced canyon camper appears.
If I wrote about my life in a novel, no one would believe it. What’s that term? “suspension of belief?” Sometimes I have trouble believing my good fortune… for a few seconds anyway. 🙂
“…the willing suspension of disbelief…”
You may not have had wide-open vistas there, but it looks like a wonderful camp! As for Spike, apparently he’s part water dog, part cameleon.
The last thing I wanted on that windy day was a “wide-open vista.” Once in the canyon the wind was gone. A very peaceful spot. I could stay there a long time and be happy. So would the crew.
You are really an adventuring spirit, and I love it.!! You sound like the old me….ahhhh maybe I mean the younger me… the old me now can barely hike around a campground! haha! But I used to love to find hidden places to camp! Exciting adventure, thanks for taking us with you! Look up Fish Lake on your BenchMark… it’s right near you up in the mountains in a forest of Aspen and much cooler temps!
No scary roads either! Do a search on my blog for a preview! Love ya, keep safe and Radar and Doogie say woof woof to Bridget and Spike!
I know our adventures are bringing back memories for you, Geri, of the days you lived and traveled the West in your truck camper.
Believe me, I know about Fish Lake. I think I’ve studied my Utah Benchmark map so long that I know where every lake in Utah is. I’m going to get some clear tape and reinforce the cover as it’s getting beat up. BTW, this blog post is about Goblin Valley, right? Let’s not get ahead of the story. (hint, hint) Fish Lake is not near Goblin Valley. I remember your post about Fish Lake very well … beautiful photos, especially the one as the lake first comes into view.
Geri’s blog
Actually, since you are a few days off on your blog, I’m really not sure where you are! hahaha! But I just wanted to remind you of Fish Lake before you get to it, not after you have passed it!
Sue the plant might be the Sego lily or the desert tobacco plant. Give those two a try. Just love your travels.
Hi, Sue: What a lovely campsite! Love the flowers. Soon you will have to scout out a site with water for Spike – he is looking “grey” these days, and I suspect it is not from old age. How does Bridget remain so pristine? Ahh, the joys of white dogs. Take care.
Hey Sue and Crew, I knew you could do it! You have the right amount of mocksey. Sorry if misspealed. The adventure is half the fun. Know you were tired but WOW what a great place. Rest up and enjoy. Thanks again for letting us glimpse this beautiful terrain! It’s so different than what I am used to. (Mountains of Virginia and West Virginia.) You had everyone waiting on this one, enjoyed it.
I hope you get things worked out with WordPress.
Brian
WordPress has your blog blocked,it says….. rvsueandcrew.wordpress.com is no longer available. This blog has been archived or suspended for a violation of our Terms of Service. For more information and to contact us please read this support document.
>________________________________ > From: rvsue and her canine crew >To: joey_ingram@yahoo.com >Sent: Monday, May 20, 2013 8:46 PM >Subject: [New post] How I found a boondock in the San Rafael Reef, Utah > > > > WordPress.com >rvsueandcrew posted: “In the last episode of rvsue and her canine crew . . . (No peeking at the slideshow at the end of this post! Eat your dinner before dessert!) We discover Goblin Valley State Park’s campground is full. The BLM “campground” suggested as an alternativ” >
Are you really back or is this a ghost?
First off………….glad to “read” you! Apparently I was the only one who didn’t post before you went into cyberlimbo.
I can’t believe you still made decisions being so tired. Glad you found a spot.
Oh my god…………you had me laughing so hard…the dog looked at me..mah are you okay?
How about a camo net? Nawh that won’t conceal you in the desert!
Glad you’re back. It created quite a ruckus when your blog was unavailable.
Your photos of the scenery (rocks) is gorgeous and I know you are enjoying it as I once did. Some of those rocks look like prime sites for Mountain Lions, but that should be no problem if no deer are there.
Welcome back Sue !
Sorry, I forgot to add
Elaine May in BC Canada
WELCOME BACK SUE!!!
Thanks to everyone! I have to figure some things out so this doesn’t happen again. I’ll make a post very soon. I missed you, too!
Horay. You’re back
WELCOME BACK!!!!! I’m so glad your absence was only temporary!
Whoa – you’re back!! Had us worried there for a long moment!
i tried to post a minute ago but probably hit the wrong button. anyway i missed you!
Hi Mary Ann in Pontotoc MS….I am Sue’s sister, Pauline in Rienzi MS….between Corinth and Booneville.
So glad you are back….
Ah yes, desert and rock salad with cyber mystery dressing.
glad you are back…great shots as usual…
still in Ar….stuck here until 15th of June…
Hi Sue, I may not comment very often But I do keep up on your blog daily. When it came up word press has your Blog blocked. My heart sank. Glad your up and running again. Hope nothing like this happens again.
Yay – you’re back! Like Dominic said, when I saw the message from WordPress my heart sank… And I promptly contacted them and said no matter what their reasoning they were wrong…
Great pictures, looks magical!
I wrote the owner of this blog service on facebook. I put a good word in for you. Someone else had already did thwe same thing. lol So glad your ok and back.
Glad you were able to get things straightened out and your BACK!!!!
I’ve been trying for several hours to transfer my blog to Hostgator. It doesn’t help that my connection is very slow. I probably won’t have this resolved until tomorrow. Right now I’m worn out with technology! But all of you have been wonderful. I’m sorry to skip posting today. I don’t want to post until my blog is self-hosted.
Right on! RV Sue prevails…….Word Press fails…
Don’t stress yourself out, Sue. We can wait. It was a bit of a shock, though….and SUCH a relief that you are back on board. 🙂
Did WordPress explain what the kerfuffle was about, so you can avoid a recurrence?
Sue, Did you loose your WordPress account?Mike from Minnesota
Yeah – so glad to see you are back up! Your blog is a bit of brightness in my day and I was so sad when I could not pull it up!
May I suggest godaddy.com
I use them, and are very professional and very little stupid rules
Putz
It loos like white wildflowers have reddish stems. Then they should be Pale Evening Primrose. Do you see some of them turning from white to pink? It happens after pollination.
Hi Rvsue Did you know that you have helped me through a three week illness? Every time you post I eagerly look at it and can’t wait until I can get back on the road also.You are also an inspiration to a friend of mine who is too sick to camp any more. She has terminal cancer and reads your adventures when she can or has someone read them to her. You are doing a lot of good with your blog! Thanks! Marilyn
Marilyn.. I wanted to respond to your heartfelt message right away. I hesitated because I don’t know if I should be answering comments at this time, since my blog should not be active until it is self-hosted.
I’ll take a chance and respond because I want you to know your comment touched me. Warm regards to you and your friend. Thanks to you both for following along with me and the crew.
OMG! Talk about a cliff-hanger……….not only do you leave the story hanging but then you go and get your account suspended and leave us all with “heart-attacks”. I kept saying “but I only got to Sept., 2011. I’ve got so much more to learn.” Delighted to see you back. Thanks to your friend for allowing you to post in her comments, that helped me to find you and to know how to contact WordPress. Keep up the good fight! Go Sue!
PJ San Dimas, CA
T@DA
I was worried the Goblins got you in Goblin Valley. It is truly a weird place, but a wonderful place to walk. Glad you are getting things worked out.
Glad to read your still online.
Now we will be able to find out answers to the following:
Will Spike ever lounge in some water again?
Will Bridget’s coat ever take on the red rust color like Spike?
Will RVsue ever tell what the 2 square brown pieces of felt were gonna be used for?
Hitting the road in one week and gonna go search for the ever elusive Blue pancakes.
(still in Denton,Tx, but not for long)
Mark Watson
So thankful that you and your blog are back Sue! I am still an armchair traveler, and look forward to reading your posts!
So glad to see you back Sue. I’ll soon be starting my trip to Rice to pick up ‘Juanita Casita’ and rely on your past blogs for places to stop on my way back home to the Northwest.
Happy to see you back in blogland. I was shocked to see your account was suspended. RVSue suspended? Really? Good for you to move your blog somewhere else.
Love reading your adventures.
Great to have you back! You are bright spot in my day and help keep me focused on my dream of the full time RV life.
Sue – if you have problems transferring your blog to Hostgator, give their service dept. a call. Their service has always been great for me and I am sure they will be happy to help you. Setting up a WP blog does have a learning curve, (creating database, etc.) but when it is set up you will have the same features as before with noone looking over your shoulder!
Hurry back. Cindy
Hey ya’ll, we need to give the credit to Laurie! She posted this on my blog and I just passed on the information! I had no idea who to contact, but Laurie did!
LaurieMay 21, 2013 at 10:36 PM
I wrote to Matt Mullenweg facebook page. He is co-founder of word press.
How could you possibly suspend RVsue and her canine crew- word press blog? She has a lot of followers and you just pissed of 500,000 people. That isn’t good business. I will personally take my word press blog down myself and tell everyone I know to use Blogger. I’m sure what ever the perceived violation, was not intentional. She will go host some where else and will continue. And we the people will find out the facts and shout it from the tops of web pages. How Word press is stepping on the people.
Everyone should post I agree!
Thanks to all of you for sending a post tp FB and Matt, it got us Sue back!
Thanks Geri, But we are all just a cyber family taking care of our own 🙂 Thanks to you, for letting us know what was happening.
Hi Sue,
Thank you for taking the time and effort to resolve your blogging challenges so we can continue to enjoy following your adventures and those of Bridget and Spike.
All the best,
Barrie
DEAR READERS:
I have been working on the transfer to Hostgator yesterday and this morning. I just completed what I need to do. Now I have to wait for Hostgator to complete the transfer process which may take anywhere from 24 to 72 hours from 11:30 (Utah time) this morning (Thurs. May 23.) I will still have a WordPress blog but it will be self-hosted.
Thank you for your comments and your efforts on my blog. It is not necessary to contact WordPress at this point as the transfer is in process. Since my WordPress blog is proprietary, I may lose some of the graphics and the theme. This will take some time for me to rebuild. I appreciate your loyalty and your patience through all this.
I will answer comments that have questions at a later date. I need to get offline so I can move to a new camp that will be away from this weekend’s crowds. I apologize for the delay and thanks again for your support!
RVSue
So glad I found you again!!!! I filed a complaint with WordPress hoping it would help. Whatever they perceived was a violation probably wasn’t intentional….so glad you are changing to a different account. Can’t wait to see your new blog. Take care and the force is with you!!!
You’ll be much better off in the long run–I have a feeling the monetizing on your site was an issue for with the generic WP format–but when you go “private” with hostgator you can do that without a problem. There are lots of beautiful “themes” you can choose from for your new WP site too–very low cost in many cases. HostGator has good support as well–so you’ll get there, oh intrepid traveler! It’s just another piece of the personal freedom you obviously crave–having your own hosted site.
On another note…
This is my first post on your blog though I check in with you daily–we’re long time RV’ers who have been off the road for quite a while–chose to live in Mexico for a few years, and also have a home in AZ–so now we are getting relaunched into RVing again, with our FOUR (yes, I know…)
dogs. So we have a crew too. 😉
Keeping positive vibes coming your way for a smooth transition to your new hosted site.
Onward and UPward!
Hi Sue… thought I would share this with you. My last Schnauzer buddy (RIP Sir Prince) was white. As he aged he yellowed. The gal who used to groom him came from NM. She always had pure white after grooming him. She used “bluing” found in the laundry soap area in the grocery stores. Mrs. ??? something, I know it when I see it. Sir Prince would look so beautiful for a month after grooming.
I wonder if your flowers are not related to the Morning Glory family? Just a guess, I am not knowledgeable on plants like my mother. Her nose and eyes don’t water like mine.
Well, time to hunt down two new front tires for the RV. Take care and enjoy your travels.
Happy to see you back, RVSueandcaninecrew. I was holding off placing an Amazon order, now that is done! Looking forward to reading about more of your travels.
Take time, Relax, Enjoy the success and bask in the warm glow of knowing you prevailed. We all will be ‘here’ when the dust settles. Can’t wait to read the details of this chapter.
Hi Sue
Having trouble finding your blog – I use chrome as my browser…..found you here on IE….is there a new address for your blog???
Now that’s what I call a camping adventure! I’m pretty impressed. Looks like the camping gods were with you (although it took a while).
And I’m very, very happy you’re back online!! Phew!
Nina
Just wanted to report in on breakfast this morning…had the blue corn pancakes at the coffee shop this morning. They were so sweet that I didn’t use syrup and just put the pat of butter on. Did I mention that the fellow that makes the coffee use to work at Starbucks (my favorite place)! He has now made me two Caramel Macchiato’s just like Starbucks. He’s good! Haven’t hit the Bluff City Restaurant yet. Tomorrow after we hike 10 miles to Jailhouse Rock!!
Wow, my heart sank when your blog stopped. Was worried about you, too. Can’t wait to read about what happened. The good of this is you see how much you mean to us!
When you have time, and are less frazzled, it would be good if you could tell us why Word Press suspended your blog. Did they talk to you first, or did they just do it? I had been considering a move to Word Press, but this event has made me rethink that decision. This has certainly generated bad publicity for the WP platform. Wishing you all the best with this.
Allison in Susanville, soon to be Canyonville, then moving on to Coburg and the rain.
You’re back…”Oh joy..oh rapture” as the tin man said. I double that with gusto. I must admit my heart about did a flip when we lost you. Now all is right with the world. Yes, the Force must be with you.
Hello, Everyone!
The transfer of my WordPress blog over to Hostgator is still in process. I won’t be able to post until it’s done. Again, thanks for your support!
+1 on the sigh of relief! My thoughts this morning: “There hasn’t been a post from RV Sue in several days. I hope she’s ok!”. I’m glad the Comments section had an update from you. Like others have mentioned, please share what you can about the WP issue, as my blog is hosted with them too.
WordPress does not allow advertising unless it is through its own ad program. No third party advertising. In order to advertise for Amazon on a WordPress blog, the blog must be “self-hosted” through Hostgator, GoDaddy, 1&1, or other such entity. Even though I’ve been paying for the use of WordPress’s platform, that is not sufficient. One must self-host.
It was my error, not the fault of WordPress. I will continue with WordPress. In short, if you have not signed up with a company like Hostgator, you cannot post third-party ads.
I hope the income much more than pays for the cost of self-host. Remember forks, when Sue gets back up, all of our Amazon purchases should be made through Sue’s links!
Sue – thank you very much for working so hard to help us be able to continue sharing your enjoyment of your dream. I am sure that your dream did not include the effort needed to stay connected with strangers who enjoy your story and writing.
I do have to ask, are you sure the problem was was not caused by the Goblins?
Hi Sue,
I am sorry I am so ignorant, but will you be able put new links to your Hostgator account for Amazon purchases? (I assume this is the only advertising that is in question.) Otherwise how does one find you there?
I’ll have links to Amazon on my blog. I won’t be hard to find. The URL will change from rvsueandcrew.com to rvsueandcrew.net. The blog will look different but it will be essentially the same. I hope to have a page to redirect readers to my blog. I haven’t talked with Hostgator about that yet.
Hi, RVSue. So glad you are able to keep your blog, and practically intact!! I must admit that I suffered a small anxiety attack when your blog disappeared – you are rving the way I want to someday. Can’t get out there and be a full-timer yet, so unless I travel vicariously through your blog, I am stuck at home! (Did you ever think that your blog would be loved and enjoyed by so many people?) Please know that all the effort and work you put into your blog is so greatly appreciated! What does “third party advertising” mean? It seems to me that first-party would be if you advertised your own products, and second-party advertising would be from an outside source, for instance your Amazon ads.
Throw in WordPress and you’ve got three parties! Thank you for your kind words.
Been missing you! Not to put any pressure on you or anything (lol) but I rely on you to help me keep my dream of someday full timing alive. I take great strength knowing you are out there doing it and as a positive example that I can do it too! Thank you for all your posts and I look forward to you next one!
Uhmmmmm…it snowed here this morning!
Hope all is well on your side of the coast!
kitty pheromone collars cost $20 each at the vet………Amazon was $9……oh I love being frugal! Thanks.
These collars really work. Our hellion child, Cruiser screamed all the way across the US. Her insecurities are well managed for the 30 day life of the collar…..they start to return around day 26.
Check and see if Hostgator gives you a referral bonus. I’ve been thinking about buying some web hosting and Hostgator was top on my list. You might as well get some benefit for something I would be doing anyway.
I really appreciate the solid sense of self you have.
Is the blog up somewhere????
This is it until RVSue transfers all files to new site on Hostgator…..it will take a while to transfer her files since her internet connection is slow she said. Hopefully by Tuesday she will be up and running at RVSueandcrew.net
Thank you
Thank you, Rita. I don’t know if I should even be answering comments during this transition time.
Monday being a holiday will probably delay the transfer further.
Message to all readers: Please do not send me emails asking when I’ll post again. Please don’t send me private messages on forums. Thank you for your patience and concern. RVSue and her canine crew will rise again!
Up here at 9000 ft altitude in Colorado…glad you are back and fine.Joy
I am Rattlesnake Joe now in Grants Pass Oregon awaiting the time when RV Sue will be back with us permently. Until then hang in there and may the Force Be With You.
Your back in Grants Pass, Joe? It’s Laurie from Southern Oregon(Grants Pass) You going to Boatnic? I think I,m going to go visit in Nov. after I leave SD. Spend about a month then head to a warm place. Have fun in GP and enjoy.
I’m not getting your up dates….
If you would take a few minutes to read all the comments, you would see that RVSue is having a bit of trouble posting. Please be patient, she will be back!
RVSue is having a bit of trouble posting,she’s trying to move her blog to a new site. Please be patient…she will be back!
Hi Laurie, Nope didn’t go to Boatnic, it rained and was kind of crummy with low clouds. Plus I’m kind ah like RV Sue I don’t like crowds. You sure get around, is it because your house is on wheels? Good for you, are you having fun? What did your niece name the baby? I anayze names so while RV Sue is taking a break…I’ll inform you of what the baby will be like.
Hi Rattlesnake Joe,
My Niece named her baby girl, Evelyn Ann. Yes I have a RV and its a 16′ Nash travel trailer. I’m working the nest 6 months in South Dakota and enjoying seeing places on my days off.I’m loving it and hope my winter will be just as great.Be interested to know what the name means.
Hi Laurie, Sounds like you’re having fun with your new life. While living in SD you may want to establish your residency in that state. Lots of plusses for doing so. Evelyn will want to be her own boss. Her great love of life will allow her to travel which she will love. She will learn quick and ask lots of questions. She will be a lady of action, her acertiveness will be a driving force for her to help in her lifes ambition. She will have a tendency to put things off even with her acertiveness. Mom should not let her do dangerous things like bronc riding, motorcycle riding etc. She may get hurt doing dangerous things. Mom will have to keep a close watch on her as she will want to go exploring and be down the block in a flash. She should use her first name and never be called Eve. That’s about all I can see in her name. You should have her Mother put this information in her baby book and check it often as she grows up. Always a pleasure talking with you Laurie. Hope you get to see all the Indian sites.
Hi sue have not heard from you in a post about week. Getting worried are you and crew ok? Followers since the beginning Celeste
Sent from my iPhone
Yea, new blog site.
and the “new” comments aren’t updating on the old site.
I’m sure Sue will post the change soon. Yo! We’ve moved to another campsite! 🙂
Yeah, you’re up and on the web. I don’t have to be patient anymore. (hrmph, that was getting to be quite difficult!) 🙂
Greetings Sue…..I just tried the rvsueandcrew.net and saw that the picture on the header has changed. Looks like the transition is happening or is in the process of happening. Can’t wait to hear all of your stories…I’m sure there are many. Hope you got a chance for some “sue and crew time”.
Haven’t received an email yet.
We’re they lost in transfer?
Miss you a lot, Dedra
In the last episode of rvsue and her canine crew . . .
all heck broke loose! But looks like we’re about ready to go again, yay!!
darn! I never should have given out my new site address. Now people are coming here and the sitemeter isn’t working yet.
I’m trying to get a few things straightened out before posting. Soon… I promise!
Ought oh….I’ll go back to the other site until we get an invite to change campsites.
It’s okay! Come back!
Yay! Sitemeter is working! Now to blog ….
tap tap tap……whistle whistle whistle…………….:)
scratch scratch. . .woo hoo 🙂
Sue,
So wonderful to have you back. I didn’t know anyone could be missed sooooo much! There are a lot of folks who enjoy your blogs immensely, including me. Keep up the good work, and we are extremely glad you are back. Tell Bridgett & Spike we missed their travels, as well. What a wonderful crew the three of you make!
Thank you, Barbara. It’s good to be back.
See how much we are all missing you? LOL Hope you are having a good time while you’re having to wait for your website/blog to be ready again.