We started the year in our usual spot in Texas, and in early March we left for a stay in Southern New Mexico. We revisited Carlsbad Caverns, explored
Roswell and the “International UFO Museum and Research Center” (the name was a lot more impressive than the place itself), and the grave of Billy the Kid before heading over the mountains to Alamogordo. 
We visited familiar haunts like the Inn of the Mountain Gods, Sunspot, Lincoln, and White Sands, then headed North to Albuquerque for a big-city stay. We then decided to head down the interstate to El Paso and a month at Fort Bliss’ great campground. El Paso is an interesting town; part truck terminal, part border town, and mostly dusty, but we enjoyed our stay before finally heading north again, this time 
on our way to South Dakota and our volunteer stay. Our route took us through Northeast New Mexico, a small part of Oklahoma, Eastern Colorado, Nebraska, and finally, Western South Dakota and the Black Hills. We arrived at our summer home in Spearfish in late April to a snowstorm and gray skies, but a warm welcome from our volunteer host and fellow volunteers. 
We quickly immersed ourselves in the history and current operation of the D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery, and began giving tours of the various exhibits and operating the gift shop. Each time we volunteer we learn something new, and here we were 
amazed at the history of the effort to stock the Western US with fish for both food and sport, something that began in the 1870s. The Black Hills were a great example – when Custer explored the area in 1874, the beautiful streams throughout the area had minnows and suckers, but no trout until stocking operations began in the late 1800s. It was always interesting to see the reaction from visitors from Western states when they learned that fish like bass, trout, and even carp were not native to their area. Besides a learning experience, our volunteering here gave us great access to the Black Hills – what an amazing area! Surrounded by green, rolling hills, the Black Hills, which are really mountains, are an interesting contrast of rocky crags, wildflower-covered valleys, and forests. We were truly amazed at how beautiful they were, and how many things there were to see and do. 
We managed to survive the Sturgis Rally experience, although having seen it once we’ll pass on future visits. 600,000 bikers concentrated around a small town of 3000 is an interesting sight. Besides, each year the crowd gets older – who wants to see a bunch of senior citizens, dressed like youthful rebels, roaring around like teenagers on motorcycles?
Leaving Spearfish, we drove west to Gillette, Wyoming and the annual Escapees Rally. We enjoyed the entertainment, the educational seminars, and the camaraderie of the rally, but decided that the industrial town of Gillette wasn’t on our list to revisit.
From Gillette, we journeyed on to the wonderful small village of Ten Sleep, with it’s great scenery including a moose sighting or two. Then on to Cody for a week’s stay. A tourist town that still has managed to keep it’s character, we enjoyed the area 
and took a day trip to again drive America’s most beautiful highway, the Beartooth All American Road. A visit to the Heart Mountain National Historic Site was an educational visit on that it wasn’t that long ago that our 
country forgot democracy and imprisoned it’s own citizens. A less than uplifting experience, but one everyone should see and remember.
Leaving Cody, we drove through crowded Yellowstone National Park and turned south into Idaho. We’d never been to this part of the state, and were amazed with the beauty. Deep forests, mountains, and lakes were everywhere, and the sparse number of people was a welcome relief after all of the tourist spots in Wyoming. We turned west to intercept the Salmon River Valley and spent time in the small town of Challis. From here, we visited the Sawtooth Valley and the small town of Stanley, a place of awesome beauty and cold, cold winters. You could easily tell the homes of the winter residents by the huge piles of firewood, some bigger than the home itself.
We continued up the valley, then over Lost Trail Pass into Montana and the Bitterroot Valley. Of all the places we’ve been, this is the one place that we always feel the need to return to. We spent a week exploring our favorite places and visiting old friends from the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge. Six years ago, we were the first “resident” volunteers here, and the refuge staff, like us, wasn’t sure what we’d gotten into. Now, we consider the folks there lifelong friends and always look forward to seeing them again.
From Montana, we traveled over Lolo Pass back into Idaho, and turned south into new territory for us. Idaho continued to amaze us with it’s beauty; the mountains, the forests – and so much of it unspoiled by population 
centers. We visited McCall, then spent two weeks in Boise, a vibrant city with the best Farmer’s Market we’ve seen. What a great downtown area – full of restaurants, stores, and parks. Here, we allowed our inner child to take over, and traded our well-worn Tribute SUV in on an MX-5 Miata, a car that makes no sense as a tow vehicle, but sure is fun! After wearing out the mountain roads surrounding Boise, we headed to our next stop in Sparks, Nevada.
We spent two weeks in Sparks, giving Brenda the chance to fly back to Ohio for a visit with her mom, then headed down the East side of the Sierras. Highway 395 is an interesting route; lots of scenery, few people, and some great places to stop and explore. We spent a week at Lone Pine, in the shadow of Mount Whitney, where we traveled to many of the places we saw in the movies. Whether it was an old classic like “High Sierra”, a serial western like the Roy Rogers Show, or a newer movie like “Tremors”, the area has provided the backdrop for many of our favorites. We traveled to Death Valley (and asked ourselves why?), visited the wonderful visitor center at Manzanar NHS, and each day marveled at the scenery. 
Driving South again, we spent time in Temecula sightseeing and visiting friends, then headed for the Southern California coast for Thanksgiving with our daughter and her husband. We had a great time, but too soon had to pack up and start our journey back to Texas with stops along the way to visit friends. Our favorites list for this year: Best RV Park: The volunteer village in Spearfish. Tree shaded, grass sites with paved pads that backed up against trout-stocked Spearfish Creek. With a large common area complete with 20-foot trout-shaped fireplace, it was a place where we made friends, enjoyed pot lucks, and had a glass of wine or two. Runner-up: Sparks Marina RV Resort. A true resort with outstanding facilities and no annoying sprinkler system to contend with (the grass is plastic!). Most Scenic Area: The Black Hills of South Dakota. What a marvelous place! We hadn’t visited until this year, but we’ll be back. Runner up: A tie between Idaho’s Sawtooth Valley and Lone Pine’s view of the Sierras and Mount Whitney. Brenda’s Best Casino: Western Village Hotel Casino, Sparks, NV. Unpretentious, friendly staff, and good slot play. Worst: Any casino in downtown Deadwood, SD. Best Dining Experience: The smoked prime rib at the Elk Mountain RV Resort in tiny Stanley, ID.
We were told that during the summer, people start lining up at 3 O'clock for the 5 PM serving. We’d be there at noon….incredible! Runner Up: The Shoot the Bull Sunday buffet in Spearfish, SD. Omelets and prime rib – what a way to start the day! Most Memorable Experience: Volunteering at D.C. Booth was an experience we’ll always remember. The beautiful, park-like setting, interesting job of interpreting the history of fisheries in the West, and the great camaraderie among the friends and staff – not to mention the numerous pot-lucks! Thanks, Renae, for allowing us the opportunity to be a part of your volunteer team! We haven’t firmed up our plans for 2012, although we’re leaning toward returning to the Pacific Northwest. Until then, we’ll be wandering around the Texas coast looking for things to see, so as the locals say, “Y’all Come Back!”
