Oct 19 - 327km/2,275km – Fremont Indian State Park – Zion National Park - Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park

Today, the sightseeing started. After a very cold night, where temperatures outside were down to 23F/under 0C at 6100Feet/over 2000m, we visited the Fremont Indian State Park & Museum and walked one of the trails on which even Chester was allowed! The Fremont Indians were agriculturists who lived from about A.D. 400 to 1300 in north and central Utah and adjacent parts of Colorado, Idaho and Nevada. We admired their Petroglyphs, artifacts and structures and also tried our luck at their traditional javelin. The deer was safe from us…

Fremont Indian Petroglyphs

Rolf trying to hit the deer - it was safe!

After all the solitude we had enjoyed earlier that day, Zion was a big shock! We had been here before, about 8 years back, and had loved it, but -oh my god- has it changed!!! Before we got there from the South-West, we drove past countless cafes, restaurants, gift shops, you name it. It sure wasn’t a help that it was Saturday and gorgeous weather! Cars were parked one after the other on both sides of the road, campground long fully booked, masses of people. What a disappointment! We did stop and took the bus tour up and down the Canyon (private cars are not allowed), but can’t say we really enjoyed it. Chester had to stay behind and there were just too many people everywhere. 

Zion Canyon

Zion Canyon - Temple of Sinawava

In the end, we enjoyed the not so popular part after the tunnel going East, away from the crowds, much more and took some stunning pictures of the “petrified” sand dunes from Navajo Sandstone.

Zion Park - petrified sand dunes

Zion Park - petrified sand dunes

Oct 15 – 18 1,948km Victoria, BC – Easton, WA – Boise, IH – Willard Bay, UT – Fremont Indian State Park, UT

I am summarizing these days as we mostly just drove, ate and slept. Once we left the beautiful North West we passed through endless, flat farmland. It got so boring that we started to make fun of billboards and road signs. The one I still remember is the one offering “pet-friendly continental breakfast” – which is not what they did, of course, but you could read it like that. J

A highlight during a boring trip: the for us unusual
truck with two trailers

The one thing we had in abundance was great, sunny fall weather with the air getting so dry that it started messing with our noses. Imagine sitting in an airplane 24/7 for days on end…And the nights freezing cold! On Oct 18 we lit our first campfire in the evening, but it got so cold so fast, that I couldn’t even finish dinner outside. Naturally, I didn’t insist on an outside breakfast the next morning…

First picture of the new baby

Here she is...

Second Chance 42 at the outfitting dock
in Les Sables-d'Olonne, France

Countdown has started

Today, Rolf had the first sea trials on board Second Chance. It must feel like deja-vu, been there, done that, only 1 1/2 years ago. It also must feel like coming home, this being the exact same boat as before. We loved it that much, didn't even consider getting a different one! But this time, it's hull number 280, not 130. We are both glad to have gotten rid of the "13" and to have exchanged it with an "8". Much better omen...

Sea trials - again - are held in Les Sables-d'Olonne, France. I envy Rolf, being back "home" on our boat, back to great food and wine, and the company of our good friend Gonzalo (Kazaio.com). I had to stay put in Victoria with our Golden Retriever, Chester. No more flying for Chester since he was diagnosed with heart failure in spring this year, his days are counted...

This time, the boat will be taken across the Atlantic by a professional crew instead of us. Rolf would have loved to go again, but with Chester's condition, the three of us will have to drive to Florida instead of flying, and there's no time for both.

The plan at this point is that the three of us leave in our motorhome on Oct 15, while the professional crew starts the Atlantic crossing some time after Oct 10. Eventually, we will meet up with them - or maybe just the boat, depending on the time it takes to get to our destinations - in George Town, Bahamas. Everything we saved from Next Life is still stored at our friend's Bob's place at Kevalli House on Stocking Island (Kevallihouse.com). The plan is to pick it up, go to Ft. Lauderdale for more work on the boat (yep, solar panels again and "Rolf knows what";-)..., but no more cushion sewing for me, sorry, I gratefully refused...), and to return to the Bahamas once that's done. And then we'll see...

What's in a name?

Welcome to our new blog! If you don't know us yet, you might want to check out our previous blog OnBoardNextLife.blogspot.com. That will explain why this is part II of "life aboard our 45' Lagoon catamaran". Yep, there's a previous story, one with a good ending, even though we wished it had gone differently...
For everybody who already knows us, welcome back! You guys probably already have a very good understanding why this boat's name is Second Chance. Because that's what it is, a second chance on our "next life". And for everybody who's wondering about the "42" part, well, the name Second Chance is already in use, but we wanted it so badly, we had to add something to it. And "42" being the answer to life, the universe and everything, that was it. :-)