Damn Near Perfect Couple

Big Cities and Vanishing Towns

2012-01-30T19:51:00.002-05:00

We’re enjoying our stay here on the Texas Coast; there’s a bit of everything to see and do, from the big city to quiet rural areas. We frequently make the 25 mile drive down the road to Corpus Christi, a typical large town with the usual strip malls and crowded roads. What sets Corpus Christi apart is the waterfront – miles of parks and marinas provide great places to take the kids, have a picnic, or just watch the abundant shorebirds and occasional dolphin as they hunt for fish.
Another of our favorite places to visit is Port Aransas, a short (and free) ferry ride across the bay. Port Aransas has the usual tourist spots, and a large marina next to the ferry landing. From an observation tower, we watched as the ferries worked their way back and forth – we’ve never waited more than 10 minutes to drive on. There are at least eight ferry boats, with crews both on board and on the loading areas, all to cross a short distance – we wonder why they don’t just build a bridge?
A short distance from the ferry landing is a birding center – a good sized lagoon with a wooden walkway and observation tower. This time of year the water is covered with ducks; mostly Teal, Pintail, and Shovelers, but on our last visit we were surprised to see a large, and I mean LARGE, alligator prowling the pond. He was around 10 feel long, with a massive head, and we watched as he worked his way through the shallow water and mud. The waterfowl didn’t seem too alarmed, but they didn’t get too close, either. Since the reeds were crowded with sleeping ducks, he probably didn’t have to work too hard to find a meal. I guess there’s a reason for the cute sign warning of alligators after all!

On one of our road trips we came across the interesting story of the town of Indianola. A few years ago we came across the tiny town of Pana Maria, and found that it is the oldest Polish settlement in the United States, settled by immigrants that landed in Galveston. This surprised us, since like most people, we assumed that European immigrants all entered the U.S. at Ellis Island. Indianola (known as Indian Point until 1848) provided us another surprise – in it’s day, it was the second largest port in Texas, and one of the first ports in the U.S. that Germans immigrated through.   The story of Germans and Indianola is not well known, but should be - in short, over four thousand immigrants landed in December, 1844 expecting an easy trip to their new land in San Antonio and New Braunfels. Instead, they found no transportation, buildings, potable water, or supplies, but plenty of mosquitoes, rain, and cold. In the next two years, of the little over 5000 total immigrants that landed, over 2000 lost their lives to cholera, typhoid, and meningitis. Even the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock fared better. In 1849, the town’s name was changed to Indianola and by now, most of the immigrants had moved on, although enough stayed to bolster the town’s population to over 1000 by 1860. Indianola soon became the primary destination for supplies destined for the West, including the camels for the ill-fated US Camel Corps. Civil war battles were fought here, a hospital and a railroad depot were built, and the population swelled to 5000. But in 1875 a hurricane struck the town, pushing water 20 miles inland, destroyed 75 percent of the buildings , and killed 176.   Much of the town was rebuilt, but in 1886 an even stronger hurricane struck, devastating the town and forever ruining the harbor. The town was abandoned.
Today, there are just a few beach houses where the town once stood. We found the site of the original courthouse, and visited the cemetery where entire families are interred from the hurricanes.   It’s hard to believe looking around that this was once such a vibrant town and important seaport, and it’s too bad that there isn’t more information available about the lives of the people here. Can you imagine a time when a hurricane appeared without warning? What would we do without “Storm Tracker Doppler High-definition Weather Radar”? Whatever that is.

Stay tuned, we’re still exploring the area – come back and visit!

Warm Weather and Waterfowl

2012-01-19T19:36:00.002-05:00

We’ve been enjoying the warm weather here on the coast – most days are in the 70s, and although often overcast, we’ve had little rain. It’s been “top down” weather, and we’ve been having a great time exploring the coast. This is the home for many migratory waterfowl and shorebirds, and the marshes, ponds, and fields have been full of winter residents. One of the most prolific is the White Pelican – it’s rare to find a body of water without a group of them, strung out in a line as they herd baitfish into shallow water. There’s so interesting to watch – almost clownish, yet still graceful the way they move through the water. We stopped at a fishing pier cleaning station where several fisherman were throwing pieces of fish to a group of White Pelicans with a few Brown ones mixed in. As the fisherman would raise his hand to throw, all of those huge beaks would rise together as if choreographed.

There are dozens of state and city parks on the water that provide great places for birdwatching, and there’s always a group of 5th-wheel hauling pickups in the parking lot of each, with license plates from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and other northern states. This is non-breeding season for birds and waterfowl, so most, like this Willett, are not very colorful, although some, like the Roseate Spoonbill, still manage to show a hint of their beautiful rose hues.
At one large pond, we were amazed by the number of ducks – Northern Shoveler, Green and Blue-winged Teal, Ruddy, and Red-headed ducks were everywhere, mixed in with Cormorants, both Double-crested and their smaller cousin, the Neotropic. The Green-winged Teal were very colorful, but it was a Northern Shoveler, preening himself that caught our attention with his vibrant colors.

The water isn’t the only place to see waterfowl – drive down almost any rural road and you’ll see hundreds of Snow Geese in the fields, grazing alongside cattle. We stopped to watch one large gaggle, and when I got out of the car to take a picture, the field erupted with hundreds of noisy, wing-flapping, quacking geese as they took off. It was an awesome sight, but naturally my camera wasn’t handy to capture it.
We’ve become enthusiastic wildlife watchers and have come a long way from our working days when we identified birds as “Robins and all others”, and ducks as “Mallards and all others”. It’s been a wonderful part of our post-working life, and our thanks to Bob and Deb at Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge (our first volunteer location), for their patience in helping us appreciate the magic of “birding”!
We’re also exploring historical sites, backcountry roads, and of course, restaurants, so check back and see what we’ve found!

2011–The Year in Review

2012-01-07T13:32:00.002-05:00

2011 marked our sixth year as full time travelers – what a great adventure it’s been! This year we “only” traveled a bit over 6000 miles in the motor home, but the fun we had, the friends we made, and the places we visited made it a year of great memories.
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!”

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-19T17:07:00.002-05:00

We’re back in our winter home on the Guadalupe River, seeing old friends, shopping for the holidays, and visiting our favorite restaurants. Thanks to all of you for taking the time to follow our travels this past year, and we hope you’ll continue visiting us! Brenda and I wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year!

Lone Pine, Part II

2011-11-23T21:18:00.002-05:00

Between Lone Pine and the Sierras are the Alabama Hills, a line of rock formations that are unique; we’ve never seen anything like them anywhere else. Driving along “Movie Flat Road”, you expect to see the Lone Ranger and Tonto around every turn – so many westerns were filmed here. Surprisingly, there is nothing left of any movie site, since the area is BLM land, everything must be returned to it’s natural state after filming. It’s a shame in a way, imagine being able to roam the streets of a wild west town, the golden temple of Gunga Din, or the streets of Perfection in the movie Tremors! But even without the sets, the Alabama Hills are amazing - lots of side roads into the rocks, hiking trails everywhere, and best of all, fabulous views of the rocks with the Sierras and Mount Whitney in the background. One formation we saw could be called the “heart” of the Alabama Hills (below).

We traveled north one afternoon to the small town of Independence and visited the Mount Whitney Historic Fish Hatchery, an interesting and beautifully maintained state facility built in the 1940’s using 3400 tons of native granite. Although it’s not active now, it’s maintained for visitors, and like the hatchery we volunteered at this year, had a large pond of “display” trout to view.

On another day, we drove east for a day visit to Death Valley. It’s an interesting day when you can start by looking at the highest point in the continental US (Mt Whitney 14,405’), then drive to the lowest point (-287’). We visited Death Valley in the late 70s while living in Las Vegas and remember asking ourselves “what’s the attraction"? After all they don’t call it “nice to look at” valley, or even “moderately pleasant” valley…..it’s DEATH valley! And there’s a reason for that. Miles and miles of rock, sand, and scrub brush, a place where even the snakes carry canteens. But we made the trip, stopped at the Furnace Creek (another great descriptive name), visitor center, then turned around and headed back home…..asking ourselves why did we drive all that way? I’m sure there are plenty of people who love Death Valley, but for us, we’ve permanently crossed it off our bucket list.

No visit to Lone Pine would be complete without a stop at the Museum of Film History, a wonderful collection of all things filmed in the area. As “Boomers”, it’s a reminder of our younger years spent waiting for Saturday morning and Hopalong Cassidy, Gene Autrey, and of course, Roy Rogers. Old posters, TV clips, and memorabilia like the “cowboy hat hall of fame” bring back old memories, and there is an extensive collection of props used in newer movies also. We enjoyed the movie “Tremors” and Brenda made friends with one of the movie’s “Graboids”. At the entrance, we marveled over the custom Cadillac of Nudie Cohn, the man who put the rhinestones on cowboy suits. He must have been very successful judging by the “Nudiemobile”, covered with real silver dollars and other uh, stuff. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to this museum, and recommend it to all.

We left Lone Pine with a promise to ourselves that we’d return again, perhaps next time in the spring or early fall when it’s a bit warmer. Back on Highway 395, we headed south for a stay at Edwards Air Force Base. I’ve visited Edwards many times in my working life, and it’s a bit easier to take, although not much, visiting it as a retiree. Edwards is the Flight Test Center for the Air Force, and if you wanted to pick a place where a failed test aircraft could fall out of the sky and not damage anything, this is the perfect place. Think Death Valley with a runway. But it has a nice Famcamp, a good commissary, and is the only decent place in the area to spend a night. We took a tour around the base, past the Test Pilot School and into the NASA area where we saw the two Space Shuttle carriers, now without a mission, parked on the ramp. From a distance, they look like regular Boeing 747s, but if you look close, you’ll see twin tails that were needed since the Shuttle blocked the airflow over the normal tail. Next to the aircraft is the shuttle mating facility, where they would lift the shuttle onto the back of the 747.

The base Famcamp has good facilities, and there aren’t many rodents thanks to the pretty camp coyote that paid us a visit:

We’re on our way to the San Clemente area for a stay at Camp Pendleton’s San Onofre campground and a Thanksgiving visit with our daughter and her husband. After that, we’ll be traveling back to Texas for our winter stay. We may not have anything interesting for a while, but don’t go away, we’ll be back! For all of our readers, Brenda and I wish you all a happy Thanksgiving Holiday!

Lone Pine, California, Part I

2011-11-18T14:12:00.002-05:00

Even if you’ve never been to the small town of Lone Pine, you’ve seen the area in movies and on television. From the old classics like “Gunga Din” and “Charge of the Light Brigade”, television shows like “The Lone Ranger” and “The Roy Rogers Show”, up to more recent movies such as “Joe Kidd” and “Tremors”, this area has been a popular filming location due to it’s incredible scenery. With Mount Whitney, the lower 48’s tallest mountain, and the rock formations of the Alabama Hills, it’s a wonderland of majestic mountains and magical rock formations. We spent a week here, and could have spent even more time exploring the hills and learning the history of the area.
Our first morning we woke up to a coating of fresh snow on Mount Whitney, the perfect start to a day of exploring. I don’t think we’ve ever had a better view from our motorhome. (don’t forget to click on the picture for a larger view)
We took the road up to Whitney Portal, a climb well into the mountains and high above the valley. It was cold at the parking area, and a short hike took us to a frozen stream, transformed into a crystal waterfall. Along the road back down, there were great views of the Owens Valley, once a fertile area but now desert due to the water needs of Los Angeles.

Each Day, as we drove through the area, the mountains changed as weather moved through. Looking at the mountains, it seems that sometimes you’re looking at a painting on the horizon. But words can’t describe the beauty - perhaps these images will help:

There’s also a lot of interesting history in the area. We visited Manzanar National Historic Site, like Heart Mountain (which we visited earlier this year), a former relocation camp for Japanese during WWII. Like Heart Mountain, the visitor center and museum were very informative in telling the story of how our government imprisoned it’s own citizens, but unlike Heart Mountain where all of the original structures were removed, here some remain. Entering the site, you pass by the same guard shacks that the internees passed in 1942. The visitor center is housed in the same auditorium that was built in 1944 by the camp population. It was sold and moved after the camp closed, but was located, moved back to the site, and renovated to become today’s main visitor’s site. An auto route travels through the camp where remains of old structures are visible, and passes by the cemetery, a poignant reminder of the people who lived and died here.

We’ve got more to share with you on our visit to Lone Pine, so check back soon to see Part II!

Roaming Around Reno

2011-11-05T14:01:00.002-04:00

Reno, for us, is one of those cities that has a confused identity. On the one hand, it is a gaming city, with a somewhat shabby downtown of large casinos, but it also has newer upscale areas to the south and north, and interesting places to explore in the surrounding area. We always stay at the Sparks Marina RV Resort, one of our favorite places because of it’s great amenities and professional staff. It’s also in a convenient location; close to I-80 and Highway 395, with plenty of shopping, dining, and even a casino or two nearby.

After settling in, we decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and took a drive over the mountains to Lake Tahoe. It was a beautiful drive, although a bit cool at the top of the pass, and the mountains were covered in golden slashes where the aspen had changed to it’s fall colors.

Lake Tahoe was quiet this time of year, the parks were almost empty and many of the homes and restaurants were closed for the winter. It was nice to just sit on a bench in the sun and soak in the scenery.

We also took a drive up to Donner Pass and explored the town of Truckee. The climb above Donner Lake took us through some beautiful scenery, but the bustle of I-80, heavy construction at every turn, and cold temperatures made for a short day trip.
Our favorite day trip in the area was to Virginia City, the once-booming mining town now restored. Of all the “old” mining towns we’ve visited, we like this one best. Uneven wooden planked sidewalks and buildings carefully restored make you feel that you’ve traveled back in time….except for the prices, which are definitely 2011. We enjoyed walking the main street, looking through the shops, and learning about the area’s history at the visitor center. As always, there was a “Christmas Store”, one of those places that women have to explore and men are loathe to enter. Finally through, a store with a place for the men to sit and wait. I took full advantage of the “Scrooge Chair” while Brenda shopped.

As you drive through the town and the surrounding area, it’s a rare view that doesn’t have mine tailings or a still operating mine; apparently there’s still silver in “them thar hills”.

The route back to Reno took us through the mountains with a long descent back into the valley. It was a clear day and gave us a great view of Reno and the area. Downtown looks great from a distance, which in our opinion is the best place to view it from….
We’ll be heading down Highway 395 and the eastern side of the Sierras, so stop back and visit!

Buoyed by a Stay in Boise

2011-10-24T22:25:00.002-04:00

We’ve never spent time in Boise, but were anxious to visit Idaho’s largest city. We found a gem of a military campground, the National Guard’s Gowen Field, conveniently located on the back side of the airport and providing concrete pads with full hookups, and settled in for what became a two week stay. We were surprised at the size of the Boise metropolitan area; over 600,000 and growing. And no wonder – it’s a wonderful location at the base of the mountains with vibrant downtown, great city park system, and of course, the Boise State Bulldogs and their blue football field.

We had read about the Downtown Saturday Market, and with the temperatures in the 80s and a blue sky, headed downtown to pay a visit. Unlike so many downtown areas, Boise’s is bustling, especially on a Saturday. We found the market, a large area of vendors covering almost four blocks. There was a bit of everything, fresh vegetables and meats, cheeses, spices, flowers, and ohhhh, the baked goods! We loaded up on a variety of peppers, yellow tomatoes, and fresh baked bread, all at reasonable prices – what a great place! The tough part was selecting a restaurant for lunch. We finally settled on the Red Feather Lounge, winner of the “Best of Boise” for three years running. It’s the kind of place we love to visit, with an innovative menu unlike the typical chain restaurants. The food was wonderful. We resisted the intriguing desserts, although we almost broke down when we saw the Upside Down Caramel Corn Cake.

There’s so much to do in Boise – we visited the Idaho State Historical Museum (well done, lots of interesting exhibits), the Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge (nice visitor center), and toured the Old Idaho Penitentiary. It was an interesting place to visit, and reminded us of the old prison we visited in Deer Lodge, Montana. Same sandstone walls, small, dingy cells, and depressing atmosphere. Here, though, there were interesting narratives of some of the more famous inmates that helped us understand the lives they lived and the crimes they committed.

We of course had to explore the surrounding mountains, and drove north to the towns of Idaho City and Lowman. Idaho city is a rustic and still active town; Lowman, not so much. Both were founded by miners looking for gold, and around Idaho City you can see the large piles of rocks left by the dredges. The Payette River runs through Lowman, another of the crystal-clear, tumbling rivers we’ve seen throughout this beautiful country. Continuing on past Lowman, we came upon the back side of the Sawtooth Mountains, decorated with the first snow of the year.

Back in Boise, we visited the World Center for Birds of Prey, an exceptional facility with an extensive collection of raptors, beautiful grounds, and a large visitor center. Many of the raptors here are not native to the “lower 48”, so it was a treat to see new birds. We especially liked the Aplomado Falcon and Gyrfalcon, but the Harpy Eagle really captured our attention. What an amazing face – it’s feathers look like an Indian headdress! (by the way, these are all live birds!)

Finally, as we left the center, we saw this bird feeder with an anti-squirrel device above the feeder, and another one below…..and a squirrel sitting in the feeder, happily eating the seed.

We’re heading for our next stop in Reno/Sparks, so be sure check back and visit!

There’s More to Idaho Than Potatoes

2011-10-16T14:27:00.002-04:00

We’ve spent time in Idaho over the last six years, but hadn’t explored the western side of the state along Highway 95. We left Bitterroot Mountains, and continued on Highway 12 along the Lochsa River, eventually joining the Clearwater River and descending into the valley and the small town of Kooskia (koos-ski). The drive along the Lochsa River is one of our favorites; rugged mountains, tall trees, beautiful river – AND it’s downhill. There’s not much out here, a few Forest Service and State Highway facilities; otherwise it’s just miles and miles of unspoiled scenery.

In Kooskia, the scenery changed from forested mountains to grassy hills with a winding, up and down road. To our East stretched the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, an area of over one million acres, while to our West were the rolling hills and farms of the valley. We spent a night in Grangeville, at the Bear Den RV Resort, a great Passport America park with the cleanest laundry and recreation room we’ve ever seen. We took a ride down the road to see the White Bird Battlefield, the first of what would become a number of battlefields during the journey of the Nez Perce. As we stood at the battlefield overlook, we noticed the sign describing the history of White Bird Grade, and we could see the old road in the distance. If you click on the picture and look closely, you can see how the old road goes back and forth, back and forth, as it climbs up the grade. And yes, we had to try it. It was an interesting drive and we had to wonder how big rigs must have struggled going both up and down.

From Grangeville, we travelled down White Bird Grade (the new one), a slow seven miles of 7% grade. At the bottom, we once again met the Salmon River, and continued along the valley to the small town of New Meadows.

We got into the utterly forgettable Meadows RV Park early in the day, and drove into the mountains to visit the resort community of McCall. Located on the South shore of Payette Lake, McCall is a community of condos, marinas, and the typical assortment of galleries and gift shops. It’s a pretty place, and the lake view, with the mountains in the distance, demanding that we take a break to sit in the shade and relax before heading back to the park.
We’re on the road, heading for Boise – C’mon back and visit with us!

More Idaho–and a bit of Montana

2011-10-06T15:58:00.002-04:00

Leaving Island Park, we left the mountains, descended to the rolling hills and desert of Southeast Idaho, then passed through Idaho Falls on our way to a night at Arco. We arrived early enough to settle in at the Mountain View RV Park and still make a visit to the Craters of the Moon National Monument, a short 20 miles away. The park is a huge area of lava flows with a 7-mile loop drive, visitor center, and hiking trails. The reference to the moon is well-deserved; in fact, NASA once sent astronauts here to train for the moon landing. It’s an interesting area of cinder mountains, strange rock formations, and lava flows that contain eerie shapes and designs. We walked one of the trails through the lava flows and were amazed at the landscape; it surprised us that some of the lava cones were hollow, and deep inside the cones we could see snow from last winter. An interesting place; we’re glad we stopped to look!

From Arco, we traveled up Highway 93 to the Salmon River Valley and Challis, a small town where we spent two days at the Challis Valley RV Park, a nice place with great owners who went out of their way to make our stay enjoyable. We drove west from town into the mountains along the Salmon River, stopping to watch some fisherman and came to the Sawtooth Valley, one of those places that words just can’t describe – jagged mountains, green meadows, forest, rivers, lakes…..just an incredibly beautiful place. The Sawtooth Mountains, appropriately named, fill the Western landscape with their chiseled peaks, reminding us of the Tetons.

Arriving in Stanley, a small town with around 100 permanent residents, it was easy to tell those that spend the winter by the huge piles of firewood stacked around their homes. This is a cold place in the winter, with lows averaging around zero during November through January, and 290 days of frost throughout the year – 10 of them in July! There are a number of large lakes in the valley, and one of them, Redfish Lake, has a large number of campgrounds and marinas. We were surprised how busy the area was on a late September day. We toured the Sawtooth Fish Hatchery, and learned the amazing story of how salmon are raised and planted there and make the 900-mile journey to the mouth of Columbia River, then into the Pacific Ocean to become adults. Although the numbers of those that return years later to spawn are in the low thousands, it’s still an amazing story. As we drove for miles and miles along the river, it was hard to imagine the incredible journey these fish make in their short lives.
We drove the length of the valley, and climbed to Galena Summit where we stopped to enjoy the view.

Our campground hosts in Challis had told us that if we enjoyed prime rib, that the Elk Mountain RV Resort & BBQ Restaurant was the place to go, so after working up an appetite from our exploring we headed back to Stanley to give it a try. We were told that during the summer, people started lining up in mid-afternoon for the 5:00 opening, but on this day, one of the last they’d be open, it wasn’t crowded. If you’ve never had smoked prime rib, don’t try it – you’ll be hooked! It was amazing, and my 22-ounce slab didn’t last long (neither did Brenda’s tiny 15-ounce slice). It’s a good thing that the walk back to the car was downhill…..especially since the “to-go” box was so heavy!
Leaving Challis, we continued north along the river to one of our favorite stops, the River’s Fork Lodge & RV Park. All of it’s 8 sites are right on the river, and if you park nose-in, your windshield is filled with a view of river, mountains, and forest. The owners are some of the friendliest you’ll find, and since there’s no cell phone service, provide a free phone for your use. We took a day trip to revisit the Big Hole National Battlefield, and had lunch in the cowboy town of Wisdom, then took a drive over Big Hole Pass back into Idaho.
We left Idaho and crossed over Lost Trail Pass, descending into Montana’s Bitterroot Valley, and an area that seems like a second home to us. We stayed at the Square Dance Center and Campground, in Lolo, a small town south of Missoula and spent time visiting with friends that we made during our two summers volunteering at the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge. We had a great time sharing pizza and stories of our times together, and caught up on shopping in a “big” city. But soon it was time to say goodbye, and we headed west over Lolo Pass and back into Idaho. It was a short day, only 60 miles to a Forest Service campground near the Powell Ranger Station. We’ve always wanted to stay here – it’s in a remote area on the Lochsa River, with tall trees in and old-growth forest. The campground has paved roads and sites, and we were lucky to get one of only two pull-through loop sites, with plenty of room for our motor home and tow vehicle. Surprisingly, the sites have electric hookups, most with 50A power available. We spent one our of the memorable nights – sitting around a fire, listening to the wind in the trees, and watching a Steller’s Jay as it circled our site looking for any stray food. The night was quiet and incredibly dark, with stars that looked close enough to touch. Although we enjoy RV parks with amenities, we’d trade them in a minute to spend time in a place like this.
We’re off again, heading down Idaho’s West side to Boise. We’ve got a lot to see, so check back and see where we’ve been!

One More Time Around Cody

2011-09-28T23:47:00.002-04:00

We’ve really enjoyed our time in Cody. Although it’s a tourist town, there are enough reasonable shops and restaurants for a week-long stay, and there are so many places in the area to explore. One of the places we enjoyed was the Irma Hotel, built by Buffalo Bill Cody in 1902. It’s retained most of the original woodwork inside, and has one of the most popular lunch buffets in town. The dining room is beautiful, with tintype ceilings, chandeliers, and the “famous” cherrywood” bar. We enjoyed our lunch, the highlight of which was the bread pudding with whiskey sauce. Real whiskey. Lots of REAL whiskey. I enjoyed it so much I went back three times, and would have gone for more except that Brenda pointed out (with just a touch of sarcasm) that I was no longer filling my bowl with bread pudding, just the whiskey sauce. Oh well. After a few cups of black coffee, we were off to shop. I don’t normally like shopping, but there’s nothing like a quart or so of whiskey sauce to put me in the mood for anything. While not very large, the shopping area of Cody has a number of interesting shops with all types of outdoor and wildlife items. It was a beautiful day, and although we didn’t find anything valuable enough to further crowd into our 400 square feet of home, we enjoyed the day.
Leaving Cody for the next leg in our journey, we headed west past Buffalo Bill Reservoir and into the East gate of Yellowstone, then over Sylvan Pass down to Yellowstone Lake. It’s probably the least scenic route in the park, since most of the drive to the lake is through burnt forest. At the lake, we watched as a wildfire burned on the far side. Because of the cool and rainy weather in the park, the fire’s growth was slowed, although there was still a lot of smoke.
We continued through the park, amazed at the crowds this late in September, and exited in West Yellowstone. From there, it was an easy jaunt down to Island Park, where we stayed at the Valley View RV park, a nice park that accepted Passport America. (Our Review). Island Park is in a beautiful area of forest and meadows, and we took a drive into the woods to see Big Springs, where over 120 million gallons of water a day bubble up to form the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River. What an incredible place! We walked the path along the river and watched as Common Mergansers and Redhead ducks enjoyed the crystal clear water. Later we drove up to the top of Sawtelle Peak, a 10000’ mountain with great views that I described to Brenda since she had her head covered in a map and refused to look.
We left Island Park and are headed for the Salmon River valley, so stop back and check on our journey!

When Democracy Failed

2011-09-22T17:17:00.003-04:00

Imagine you’re six years old, living in a small town in Southern California, where you and your brothers and sisters have always lived and gone to school. One morning, your parents, who also grew up in the same town and own a hardware store, tell you that by the end of the next day the family must take everything they can carry, board a train, and move to a camp in a place called Wyoming; a place with barbed-wire fences, armed guards, and cramped living quarters. Why? Because even though you and your family are American Citizens, you’re Japanese and the United States is at War with Japan.
For over 120,000 people of Japanese descent, two-thirds of which were American Citizens, this was their story in the spring of 1942. An unfounded fear of sabotage and spying by people of Japanese descent prompted President Roosevelt to sign an executive order relocating all Japanese to camps in the interior of the US, usually in remote areas. We visited one of these locations near Cody, the Heart Mountain Relocation Center. The site has a beautiful new visitor center built to resemble the original barracks and there are interpretive signs along paths throughout the former grounds of the camp. The visitor center exhibits are striking – full size pictures of internees are interspersed with camp pictures, documents, and descriptions of daily life in the camps. The camps became home for the Japanese-Americans for over three years. Gardens and fields were planted, schools were formed, small businesses were created, and even Boy and Girl Scout troops were formed. But it was the pictures of the children that touched us. How could the parents explain why they were here, and how could the children understand the barbed wire and the armed guards? Amazingly, the videos of the children, now elderly, all spoke of how they accepted their lives, went to school, played, and lived their lives just as other children. Many of the young men in the camps went on to fight honorably in the WWII European theater, but after the war, they, along with those in the camps, were unable to return to their homes due to the post-war hatred. In the end, most of the Japanese-Americans relocated throughout the country, and stoically got on with their lives without looking back. Brenda and I can understand the hysteria and fear in the early days of WWII; but it’s still hard to understand how all of the members of an ethnic group can be blamed for actions of those in another country, and we like to think that something like this could never happen now. But then again, on the wall of the last exhibit were cards that visitors had left with their thoughts. One said, “Last night at a local restaurant I overheard another patron loudly tell his friend that they should round up all of the Muslims and put them in camps”.
In reviewing the historical information at Heart Mountain, I came across this statement that we all need to remember:
“You may think that the Constitution is your security—it is nothing but a piece of paper. You may think that the statutes are your security—they are nothing but words in a book. You may think that elaborate mechanism of government is your security—it is nothing at all, unless you have sound and uncorrupted public opinion to give life to your Constitution, to give vitality to your statutes, to make efficient your government machinery.”
—Charles Evan Hughes
Chief Justice U.S. Supreme Court, 1930-1941

Revisiting the Beartooth Highway

2011-09-17T13:03:00.002-04:00

If there’s one place that we recommend everyone see, it’s the Beartooth All-American Road. Starting just outside the Northeast gate to Yellowstone, it winds it’s way for 67 miles before descending into Red Lodge, Montana. We started our visit from Cody, entering the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway, a beautiful drive through the Absaroka Mountains. Following the road over Dead Indian Pass, we stopped at Sunlight Creek Bridge for a quick look, then continued on to the road’s end at the Beartooth Highway. In the distance, the almost-perfect granite chisel of Pilot Peak dominated the skyline. This time of year, there wasn’t much snow in the Beartooth Mountains, which made for an easy drive. In trying to describe our Chief Joseph/Beartooth trip, words just can’t do it justice, but perhaps the pictures will give you an idea of what we saw. So take a look, and don’t forget to click on the pictures to give you the expanded view:

We’ve got more to share – c’mon back & see!

Escaping to the Escapade

2011-09-09T16:59:00.002-04:00

Gosh – we’re way behind on updating our travels, but we’ve been so busy having fun we didn’t have time to write about it! So here we go:
Each year the Escapees RV Club, founded by a full-timing couple in 1978, holds an annual rally or “Escapade”. Although we’ve been members for many years, this was the first time that the date and location worked for us, and so we headed up the road from Rapid City to Gillette, Wyoming for the rally. We’ve been to other national rallies, and while the Good Sam Rally is huge and had a lot of friendly people and the Winnebago Grand National Rally (also pretty big) was a fraternity of owners, the Escapee rally is like attending a family reunion. Escapees give each other lots of hugs, and everyone acts as if they’d known each other for years. It was a bit small in comparison to the other rallies, a little less than 700 RVs and 1300 people, but that made it all the better – I think we talked to just about everyone there!
Escapades are well organized; there are morning coffees, seminars on the RV lifestyle, a big vendor area, and much more. The Wyoming Cam-Plex where it was held, was a nice facility. However, the RV parking, basically fields of dead grass with hookups, was too far to walk to, so we had to drive and park for all of the activities. We both attended seminars, the mechanically-centered for me and the RV-upkeep type for Brenda. Some were informative, some were just OK, but after 35 years of RVing and six years of full-timing, we’ve experienced (and I’ve fixed) most problems. Each day there was a mass get-together where door prizes were awarded (none, sigh, to us). There were a number of socials, and at one, we joined the “Boomers”, an informal group that stays in touch through a bulletin board and gets together wherever more than one couple are in the same area. Actually, we were motivated by the “Margarita Boomers”, a couple that always shows up with a portable Margarita machine. There was nightly entertainment, meetings of special groups like Veterans, booths explaining the various groups (called the “Birds of a Feather (BOFs)), and get-togethers at local restaurants.
On the down side, Gillette is not exactly a picturesque town; after all, it’s county bills itself as the “Energy Capital of the Nation” and claims to provide over 10% of the nation’s energy needs (mostly coal). Not exactly a recipe for a pleasant location, and the town’s industrial pedigree was obvious. And they’ve obviously got their priorities wrong – the Golden Corral was closed and turned into a sushi restaurant! Oh, the humanity!
After our week at the rally, we headed over to Buffalo, WY, and traveled across the beautiful Big Horn Mountains to the little town of Ten Sleep. A pretty little town of just over 300, it had a Western look, a great RV park (Ten Broek, see our review), and a nice little diner called the Crazy Woman Café. The name kinda made you debate any complaints about the food. But fortunately we didn’t have any complaints, just a great breakfast. We traveled up Ten Sleep Canyon and turned on a dirt road through the woods. What a beautiful drive! Deep forests, mountains, streams, and there, along the stream, two moose! We watched as they ignored us, slowly moving through the grass as they grazed. They’re such neat animals to watch, and of course Brenda wanted to take them home (I don’t think you can house train them). We spent a full day in the area, but hope we have more time to return on a non-holiday weekend since the woods were full of campers getting in one last trip for the summer.
While at Ten Sleep, we made a road trip to Riverton WY, so that Brenda could add another casino to her list. We both came away winners, but the real treat was our trip through the Wind River Canyon. What beauty – miles of huge canyon walls, majestic and colorful, with a swift-running river along the highway.

We left Ten Sleep on a beautiful Sunday morning and headed for Cody, where we plan on spending a week. On Monday, we decided to visit a little town called Meeteetse which was having a Labor Day Celebration. While I’m sure that all 300 town residents were celebrating, we didn’t see much going on, although there was an interesting museum and a passable restaurant. We decided to head into the mountains, and took a dirt road into the Wood River Canyon. We didn’t see any wildlife, but the views were magnificent. As we got closer to the Bighorn Wilderness the rugged peaks grew larger, and larger….and the road got worse, and worse. After a while we’d had enough sensory overload from the scenery, but the memories will stay with us for a long time!

Wyoming…..Cody…….what better way to highlight the area than with an image of the animal that made Buffalo Bill Famous! This guy was monstrous – and made me grateful to the guy that invented the electric fence.

We’re in Cody now, and have been busy exploring, so come back and see where we’ve been!

The Sturgis Rally

2011-08-24T23:08:00.002-04:00

From our first day in Spearfish, back in early May, we were warned about what to expect during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August. Buy your groceries two weeks before, people said. Don’t plan on driving in the Black Hills, they said. Don’t even try to visit a restaurant, they said. And they were right. But it wasn’t at all what we expected.
First, some observations. Imagine moving the entire population of Sacramento, California to a small town of just over 6000. Yup, this year’s rally estimate of people in Sturgis is 467,000. Then add another 100,000 or so in the surrounding areas. Suddenly I-90, usually quiet, looks like the Washington Beltway at rush hour, only with motorcycles. Supermarket shelves are half-empty, and prices are up 20% or so. New menus appear at the usually reasonable restaurants, and gas prices inch upward. An RV spot with water & electric hookups in the middle of a field – $85. A room at the Econolodge – $180. But the rally is all about the people, and what a show it was.
If you haven’t been to the rally, you probably have a mental picture of thousands of lean, angry-looking bikers, with their youthful, tanned and tattooed babes on the rear seat…..well, not exactly. Instead of Hell’s Angels on Wheels, think AARP on Trikes. We began to realize that most of these folks were inspired by Eric Von Zipper and the Ratz back in the “Beach Party” movies of the early 60s. With the age of the men in today’s rally, Eric Von Zipper’s “the finger” gesture has an entirely different meaning.
Our park in Spearfish catered to the less-than-hard-core crowd, and we watched as motorhomes, toy haulers, and large SUVs pulling trailers unloaded their cargo of shiny Harleys, then as the owners donned denims, tied scarves around their heads pirate-style, and roared off to the rally. Although the rally attendees think of themselves a rugged individualists, in fact, they all pretty much look the same. As a local resident wrote in a letter to the Rapid City newspaper, “Sturgis is like a big Halloween party where everyone is wearing the same costume”. But it isn’t all geriatric tranquility; there was a knife fight between two outlaw gang members, four fatalities due to accidents, a tad over 250 DUI arrests, and one drug overdose (reportedly Metamucil). OK, I made that last one up. Still, it’s impressive that so many people can get together with copious amounts of alcohol, huge entertainment venues, and pasty-wearing women without more mayhem taking place.
Surprisingly, you can actually drive through Sturgis during the rally, although it’s at a very slow pace and akin to driving down the midway at a carnival. Vendors everywhere, bars overflowing, and an occasional young lady with nothing above the waist except pasties or an airbrush painting, since the local law requires that they have “some” type of covering. One can only hope that the Sturgis town council will get over it’s puritanical rules. During one stop, I was fascinated by the lemonade stand with the signs advertising “Lemonade – $5.00”, although Brenda accuses me of taking the picture of the underdressed girl in the background. I explained to her that it was only fair to capture the image of the young lady after she had won such a grueling athletic event. After all, those wet t-shirt contests can be exhausting.

We took a trip out of town to the famous Buffalo Chip, a huge campground that becomes a city during the rally. Thousands park here, and the nightly entertainment line up is amazing. You can see an aerial photo here. At the entrance, we stopped to look at the Patriot Flag; a huge tribute flag mounted on a fire truck and surrounded by smaller flags. Tents, RVs, and motorcycle riders were everywhere – probably not a place to get a good night’s sleep.

Sturgis, no surprise, has a number of “biker bars”, many of which are closed except for the rally. All have colorful names, like “Knuckles”, “One-eyed Jacks”, “Temporary Insanity”, “Loud American”, and “Full Throttle”. All have full parking lots throughout the rally – I’d love to see a statistic on how much beer is shipped to the area during the rally. As you can imagine, security is a big issue during the rally. Throughout the state, law enforcement personnel schedule their vacation time to coincide with the rally so that they can serve as temporary officers. Groups of two or more police are everywhere, and on the interstate near Sturgis it’s a rare day when you don’t see three or more highway patrol vehicles. Considering the crowds, the alcohol, and the free-wheeling atmosphere, the no-nonsense attitude of law enforcement in the area makes sense, and for us non-rally visitors, is much appreciated.
We took a ride through Deadwood, which is a popular place for bikers during the day. I talked to a local who works in a Deadwood casino and was surprised when she told me that it was quiet at night, as the biker crowd headed for the Sturgis entertainment venues. Still, it was interesting to see the bikes lined up along the main street in contrast to the old buildings.

Finally, no trip to the rally would be complete without checking out a “Bikini Bike Wash”. I eagerly looked for a bike to rent so that I could help out these young ladies, but the only bike anyone would rent me was a 10-speed Schwinn. Besides, that big dog sleeping under the table looked mean.
We’re glad we were here to experience the rally – it’s a one-of-a-kind event! But it reminds us of a saying we learned in Japan, “a wise man climbs Mount Fuji once, only a fool does it twice”. We’ll try to avoid being in the area in the future, it’s just too painful. Although, I am considering taking classes in “airbrush art”, after all, the additional income during the rally would contribute to Brenda’s casino fund.
We’re off to the Escapee’s rally in Gillette, Wyoming, where there’ll be more while-haired people than at a Golden Corral Senior’s Night. Thank heaven there won’t be a Bikini RV Wash……..

One Last Black Hills Road Trip

2011-08-13T14:26:00.002-04:00

We’re preparing to leave the Spearfish area, but before we departed, wanted to take one more road trip through the Black Hills. We headed up Spearfish Canyon to Cheyenne Crossing, then headed across the border toward Newcastle, Wyoming. Our drive took us through the heavily-forested mountains, through the foothills, and finally into the rolling grasslands of eastern Wyoming. We stopped at Newcastle, a town of 3000 and billed as the “Western Gateway to the Black Hills”. Driving around the town, we noticed the exceptional county courthouse, but frankly, the rest of the town was mostly industrial with an oil refinery right in the center of everything. We continued on, through beautiful rolling hills and ranchland and turned back into South Dakota, headed for Edgemont. We’d read in the South Dakota magazine about pictographs in an area just outside of town called Red Canyon, and decided to take a look. Finding the canyon road, we followed the gravel road through spectacular scenery. There were abandoned ranches, interesting rock formations, and a few drawings on the rocks of what may have been pictographs (or maybe cowboy graffiti). It was a beautiful drive, and here are some of the sights we saw along the way:

From Edgemont, we headed north back into the Black Hills, climbing back into forest and open areas with numerous prairie dog villages. We stopped in Hot Springs, the first tourist town in the Black Hills. With it’s beautifully maintained sandstone buildings, shops, and yes, hot springs, it’s a place we enjoyed visiting and will return to. The visitor center, formerly the train station, was staffed by a delightful lady who told us about the colorful history of the area, and we were intrigued by the adjacent wooden jail, which was discovered inside a house. No one knows why it was inside, but we suspect that the family had teenagers….wish we had thought of that! Hot Springs is truly unique; set in a beautiful area with interesting things to do – more so than the traditional tourist towns of Custer and Keystone. Here are some images of our visit:

It was a long day, almost 250 miles, but well worth it. One thing to remember when visiting the Black Hills is that this is not a small area; it extends almost 120 miles north to south, and 60 miles east to west. And there’s also Devil’s Tower, the Beartooth Mountains, the Badlands, and Rapid City to explore. We’ll definitely need a return trip to see everything we’re interested in!

Back in Spearfish, we were disappointed to learn that our volunteer coordinator, Renae, was leaving. Renae is an exceptional young lady who impressed us with her organizational and interpersonal skills. Just keeping all 20 of us senior citizen volunteers happy and motivated was a monumental task – but she succeeded and we’ll miss her smile and positive attitude. We had the opportunity to have a farewell pot-luck at our volunteer village for her where we sent her off with our best wishes and hopes that we’ll see her again. She’s a great young lady; we’ll miss her!

The Sturgis Rally is approaching, we can’t wait to see what happens when the estimated 600,000 bikers hit the area – c’mon back and see!

A Good Time in the Bad Lands

2011-08-06T12:28:00.002-04:00

We’re back to posting about our travels, but first I’d like to thank all of you for the comments. Sometimes it’s fun to describe the loony things that happen to us as we travel along. By the way, I’m still depressed over being told by the cashier; “Oh, YOU’RE the one”. But on to our travels:
South Dakota is an amazing state. If you haven’t been here, you probably think of South Dakota as endless prairies, the place where the bikers congregate, and the Black Hills. But it’s a lot more – from the Eastern rivers, lakes, and farms, the central “great” lakes area, and just east of the Black Hills, the Badlands National Park. Turning south off I-90 just east of Wall (just how many billboards can one store have, anyway?), the area quickly changes from rolling grasslands into something that looks like another planet – in fact, science fiction movies like “Starship Troopers” were filmed here because the landscape is often alien-looking. Some areas are full of rocky spires, some of wind-carved sculptures, some pink, others red….it’s an amazing area that changes as you come around each turn in the road.
For almost 30 miles, the park road winds it’s way through the rocks. There are numerous viewpoints to stop at, hiking trails, and an informative visitor center. It was a hot day when we visited, and if it’s hot in South Dakota, it’s really hot in the Badlands. So, no hiking for us, just stops to admire the scenery. Here’s some of the views along the road:

Exiting the Badlands, we passed through the town of Scenic, which has been in the news since the entire town (population 8) is up for sale. The 12-acre town and all the buildings are priced at $799,000, and after seeing the place, we can tell you that it’s waaaay overpriced! Calling this place “Scenic” is just a bit of a stretch!
We’re winding down our stay here in the Black Hills, but we’ve still got a few places to see, so check back – you never know when I’ll have another “dining adventure”!

It’s Tough to Get Good Help….

2011-07-28T16:13:00.002-04:00

Sometimes I like to depart from our travel diary to tell a story. This is one of those times:
A few days ago we decided to stop at the local Perkins Restaurant for lunch. As usual, upon entering, even though we were the only ones standing there, we were asked, “party of two?”. Although at our age we seldom have a party with just the two of us, let along a crowd, we said yes and were led to our table. While perusing the menu, I sensed that the server had approached our table, and I lost my focus on the menu when I heard Brenda say; “your hair is a lovely shade of purple – is that your school color?”. Looking up at our server, I saw a young lady with bright purple hair and enough metal on her head to pick up most of the area’s radio stations. When it came time to order, I though I’d best keep it simple, so I clearly stated five simple words, “club sandwich on wheat toast”. She nodded vigorously, and off she went.
A while later we were served. I looked at my sandwich, which was some type of breaded thing between slices of buttered, grilled bread. Asking what it was, our server proudly said, “it’s, like, your cod sandwich! We don’t have one on the menu, so I had the cook make it special!”. I nicely told her that I had ordered a “club sandwich on wheat toast”. Stunned, she left and went back to the kitchen.
About the time that Brenda was half way through her meal, a NEW server appeared with another plate. This one was some type of chicken or turkey, covered in melted cheese, on….yes, grilled bread. Sigh. A “club melt”. Once again I stated my five-word order, and was met with an apology. I also pointed out that the fries from the original order were now cold. Off she went.
A few minutes later, back she came, bearing what looked like a large pizza pan and three pounds of steaming fries. By now Brenda had finished her meal and wasn’t interested in any more fries. Shortly after, our new server reappeared with, YES! A club sandwich on wheat toast, and also told us that there would be no charge because of the confusion.
But my ordeal was not yet over. At the register, the cashier, without looking up, asked “and how was everything?”, to which I answered “Well, it was certainly an adventure”. She quickly replied, again not looking up, “That’s nice!”. Then, looking at my ticket, a dark look suddenly came over her face, she looked up at me, and said……”oh, so YOUR’RE THE ONE”. And of course, I was.
Seriously, I’m not making this up. Ask Brenda.
Hopefully we’ll be back to telling you about our travels next time!

Following Custer

2011-07-25T18:17:00.002-04:00

In July of 1884, two years before the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer led an expedition into the then-unexplored Black Hills. With over 1000 men, 110 wagons, cattle, and rations for two months, his mission was publically stated as an attempt to explore the area and build a fort to control hostile Sioux and Arikara warriors. However, with the country in a deep depression and needing an economic boost, some historians believe the real mission was to discover gold; after all, they did take a group of civilian miners with them. Gold was, of course, discovered, and the resulting rush by thousands of people hoping to get rich drove the native Indians from the hills and set the stage for Custer’s death at the Little Big Horn.
Knowing that I’m always interested in Custer stuff, Brenda bought me the book “Exploring with Custer”, an amazing chronicle of the Black Hills expedition. It details each day’s travel, with maps, photos, and reprinted reports written by the expedition members, including the five reporters who traveled as guests of Custer. It has a section of unique photos, where on one page is the black and white photo taken by the expedition photographer, and on the facing page a color photo taken recently – in the same location. The differences are intriguing; most notably that the landscape today is much more forested than in the 1870s, thanks to fire management practices. But the real reason for the book is the ability to follow in Custer’s footsteps as he explored, and so off we went!
We picked up the Custer route on a forest service road just outside of the former town of Buckhorn, on the Western edge of the Black Hills. In this area, gravel forest service roads follow the same route as the expedition, since the terrain follows a series of valleys. It’s a beautiful area, described by one reporter as an “exquisite site of park-like scenery”. At our starting point, we were at “Floral Valley, the site where on July 25th, 1874 Custer wrote:
“Its equal I have never seen. Every step of our march that day was amid flowers of the most exquisite colors and perfume. So luxuriant in growth were they that men plucked them without dismounting from the saddle.... It was a strange sight to glance back at the advancing columns of cavalry, and behold the men with beautiful bouquets in their hands, while the head-gear of the horses was decorated with wreaths of flowers fit to crown a queen of May. “
An interesting mental picture, isn’t it? But seeing the valley at about the same time of year, we could see why his men were so taken with the wildflowers covering the bright green valley.
We came across this interesting sign along the route, tucked into the edge of the forest. It’s been a long time since the tree was harvested; we couldn’t even find the stump!

After a couple of hours, we reached Deerfield Lake, a Custer campsite now covered by a reservoir. Our two hour trip took Custer and his expedition about four days!
Departing from the Custer route, we drove over the the town of Custer, to view it’s museum. On the way, we had this interesting view of the Chief Crazy Horse Memorial.
The Custer County Courthouse Museum is in a pretty building, and the museum was nice, but nothing exceptional. The one area we particularly enjoyed was the small section with memorabilia from Custer’s visit – in fact it looked like he was really standing there.
On the way back to Spearfish, we stopped at Pactola Lake, a large lake in the heart of the Black Hills. It was a hot day, and the lake was crowded with skiers. It wasn’t long ago (May) that the lake still had a coating of ice – it made us wonder how warm the water could be.
That’s it for this trip – C’mon back, like Custer, we’re exploring the Black Hills!

Another Day in the Black Hills

2011-07-18T14:37:00.002-04:00

There’s so much to see and do in the Black Hills – I doubt we’ll be able to see everything we want to in our remaining time here. On each break from our volunteer duties we try to take at least one day trip. On this trip, we drove back into the Black Hills to explore the rest of the Peter Norbeck Scenic Highway, this time the Eastern loop. This is another narrow, winding road with a narrow tunnel; big signs warn of the low clearance, but we wonder how many RVers fail to see them and end up trapped and trying to turn around. An unusual feature of the road is the “Pigtail Bridges”, tight-turning loops that are necessary to gain elevation in the small confines of the canyon. Along the way, viewpoints provide incredible views of Mount Rushmore in the distance:

Traffic was light, and we were able to stop in one of the tunnels and get this picture (nice of the builders to line it up with the memorial):

Leaving the Black Hills, we headed north to Belle Fourche (bell-foosh) to see their museum and the “designated” geographical center of the U.S. The actual geographical center is about 20 miles away in a pasture, with hand-written sign and red post to mark it’s location, so Belle Fourche decided to capitalize and bill itself as the “center”. There’s a nice visitor center and museum, and in the back, surrounded by state flags, is a 27-ton marker using South Dakota granite. We of course resorted to our basic tourist instincts, and now Brenda can truly say she’s a ‘centered” individual:

We’re still exploring – stop back and we’ll show you more of our travels!

Two Tourist Attractions–One Great Time

2011-07-10T18:34:00.002-04:00

As volunteers, we’re given Chamber of Commerce “VIP” passes, which give us free entry to most of the attractions in the Black Hills. It’s a good deal for us for obvious reasons, but it also allows us to help visitors decide where to visit since we can offer “first-hand” knowledge. So, off we went, to our first stop, the 1880 Black Hills Steam Train, which travels between Hill City and Keystone. Having ridden the Cumbres and Toltec train in Chama, New Mexico, we were looking forward to another old-West, realistic train ride through interesting scenery. Sadly, we were disappointed. Had we looked closely at the website under the history tab, we would have seen that the train tracks and station were built in 1957 and while deemed the “1880” train, the founder, to quote the web site, “was never a rigorous advocate of historic accuracy”. Fortunately, we weren’t charged the $24 per person round trip fee (45 minutes to Keystone, a brief stop, then back to Hill City), because the train ride was a disappointment. It meanders through the countryside, crossing the same road 19 times one-way, so it’s not exactly a wilderness experience. There was a commentary along the way, but there wasn’t enough to see to make the narrative very interesting. The part we disliked the most was the smoke and smell; instead of wood or coal, which couldn’t be used because of fire regulations, the engine used recycled motor oil for fuel. Environmentally a nice idea, but the reality was a constant cloud of blue smoke that watered our eyes and didn’t do much for the scenery. At the end of our ride, we both felt that the train would benefit from actors staging a holdup, or something to make the trip more interesting. We were also very glad that we were able to ride free….
Our next stop was “Bear Country USA”, which bills itself as “the home of the largest privately owned collection of black bear in the world”. Sure, we thought – after all, how many would it take to be the “largest privately owned”? Ten? Twenty? Big whoop, we thought. Then we drove through “Bear Country”……yikes! Wall-to-wall bear in all directions; sleeping, eating, walking around, sleeping, and of course, sleeping. Well over 100 bear of all sizes and colors, big ones, small ones, friendly looking ones, and not-so-friendly looking ones. As we drove through the enclosure with our windows up and doors locked (some of those bears looked sneaky!), we marveled at how many color variations there were; every shade of brown, different shades of black, even a blond or two. Unfortunately, the tinted windows and sun through the windshield resulted in poor pictures, but I did catch this one bear as he sat in one of the shaded pools – it sure looks like he’s smiling!
The drive through enclosures contain separate sections for Elk, Reindeer, Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Lion, and others. After the drive, we parked to visit the more traditional “zoo” area. There were large enclosures with Badgers, Lynx, Fox, and other small animals, and they were well done….but then we came to the enclosure housing all of the bear cubs born this year. What a hoot it was! Dozens of little bears, playing, sleeping, running, jumping on each other….it was quite a show! They were all busy doing baby bear things when suddenly they froze…and all stood up on their hind legs, heads pointed in the same direction as if the move was choreographed. It was the food truck! Suddenly it was a baby bear stampede as the 30 or so hungry cubs charged the lady with the barrel of food. She quickly tossed her delivery of what looked like a nut bagel around and each bear selected one, only to quickly decide that the one that the bear next to him looked better. There were growls, bellows, squeals, and bears running everywhere – what great entertainment! There can’t me anything much more endearing than a little bear cub! Brenda, of course named them all and wanted to take them home. Fortunately, the enclosure walls were too high for her to climb over, or our cat would have a lot of company. Our passes gave us a free admission, but even at the $16/adult fee, we’d go back and certainly recommend it to area visitors.

We’re truly enjoying our stay here in the Black Hills and have more adventures to share, so come back soon!

Black Hills Byways

2011-06-25T12:56:00.002-04:00

It’s finally warming up in the Black Hills; the snow is gone, the streams are running clear, and the green of the foliage is bright enough to hurt your eyes. It was time for a road trip before the crowds hit, and we headed for Hill City and the Needles Highway, a twisting road through carved rock tunnels, dense forest, and with some of most beautiful vistas in the Black Hills. It’s an area of towering granite spires, unlike any other place in the area. We made a quick stop at Sylvan Lake, one of those beautiful places that looks like a painting. The lake has a nice lodge, boat rentals, and is stocked with trout; just one of the many places in Custer State Park with these type of activities. Continuing down the road we came to the first tunnel, or more correctly, the first hole carved through the rock. Prior to the tunnel, there are interesting rock formations, viewpoints, and very limited parking. It was a mess when we were there on a quiet day, and we can’t imagine what it would be like during the busy season. One of the problems is that the tunnel, which is limited to one way traffic, has traffic coming from both directions, and it’s difficult to see if anyone is waiting on the other end. We watched this Hummer slowly work his way through, just barely clearing his mirrors on each side. It made us wonder how many large RVs ignore the signs and end up stuck here with almost no space to turn around. Bet it only happens on the busiest days!
The views as we traveled the highway were stunning:

At the end of the Needles Highway, we entered the “wildlife loop” section, an area where the majority of the Bison are located. It’s spring, and calves were everywhere – running, jumping, and generally driving their mothers crazy. There were a few half-hearted battles between the bulls, but in general everyone was hanging out in the grass enjoying the day.

Driving along a more remote stretch of road, my eye caught something up against the trees in the distance. We stopped to get a better look with binoculars, and were surprised to see this mother Pronghorn with twin fawns enjoying a day in the sunshine.

What an amazing place, the Black Hills! We’ll be back soon with more stories of our travels, C’mon back!

Close Encounters of the Fun Kind

2011-06-12T20:57:00.002-04:00

With a day off from our volunteer duties and bright sunshine for a change, we headed off for a road trip to Devils Tower National Monument in nearby Wyoming. When mentioning Devils Tower to some of our friends, they weren’t always sure what it was…..but mention the movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, and they remember that it’s the big rock where the music-playing aliens landed and took Richard Dreyfuss away with them. In reality, there was no filming done at Devils Tower; the alien landing scenes were done in a large hanger in Alabama. But a visit to the “tower” is a memorable experience, and getting to and from the monument is a worthwhile trip in itself. We began by heading north to Belle Fourche, then headed west into Wyoming, passing the bustling towns of Aladdin (pop. 15), and Hullett (pop. 45), all the while driving through incredibly green hills, meadows, and pine forests.
Approaching the tower is almost surreal – suddenly in the distance this strange monolith rises out of the ground, looking completely out of place. After passing the entry station, it’s a winding, three-mile road up to the base of the tower, where we stopped at the visitor center before heading out on the 1.3 mile loop around the base of the tower. It’s a fairly easy trail, nicely paved, and with plenty of benches for sitting and staring at the strange columns of rocks. Once again, those fun-loving park service folks made sure that all of the uphill grades are in the bright sunshine, while the downhill grades are in the shade. It was in the mid-80s and sunny, so those uphill stretches seemed longer than they probably were.
As we walked around the tower, each opening in the trees gave us a different view of the strange, columnar rocks. There are a number of Indian legends about how the tower was formed, but all have a central theme of a giant bear trying to claw his way up to the top where children were hiding, and so the columns were formed by the giant bear’s claws. The real reason isn’t nearly as enchanting, you can read about it here.
Wherever there are tall rocks, there seems to be a group of people, who for a reason unfathomable to us, want to climb them. We watched as a group was attempting to scale the tower. I say attempting, because there seemed to be a problem with one of the climbers who was getting help from another. You can just see them in the next picture, then see them up close in the following picture.

As we trudged along the trail, the trees would open up and we’d be treated to a view of the surrounding Bear Lodge Mountains. This is probably the prettiest time of the year as everything is green from the spring rains.
Leaving the visitor center, we stopped at “Prairie Dog Town”, and pulled over to watch the show. Since it’s Spring, the “town” was filled with mothers and their young, and it was fun to watch them as they scampered around, playing and tormenting their mother.
Back on the road, we turned south to Sundance, where we turned onto Interstate 90 for our return trip. This was a great road trip that we’re sure we’ll remember for a long time!
Things are heating up here in the Black Hills - we’ve got more adventures planned, so stop back and visit!

Lookin’ Around Spearfish

2011-06-06T23:07:00.002-04:00

We’ve been here a few weeks now, and have had the chance (when it wasn’t raining) to do some exploring. We took a ride North to the town of Belle Fourche (bell-foosh), a pretty little town just east of the Wyoming border. We headed west from town, and in a while came across the historic Aladdin Tipple, an underground coal mine that began operations in the late 1880s to provide coal for the gold smelters in the Deadwood area. The mine had it’s own rail line, which ran to the main tracks at Belle Fourche, and was operational until the 1940s. The “tipple” was used to sort coal – the coal was loaded into the bin on top, and as gravity forced it down the chute, the different sizes of coal would fall through grates and be sorted, then held in bins until loaded into rail cars. It was an ingenious system and viewing the “tipple” gives you a clear picture of how it worked. A few miles further down the road brought us to the town of Aladdin (population 15), where we stopped at the famous Aladdin General Store, a place of antiques, biker clothing, and a couple of friendly ladies behind the counter. We continued on to Sundance, a picturesque town at the foot of the Bearlodge Mountains. We visited the local museum, one of the best we’ve seen in a small town, with interesting information on the area’s history, the Custer expedition of 1874, and of course, the Sundance Kid.
We also took a drive through Sturgis, (which is not particularly picturesque or interesting), and visited Bear Butte State Park, an area considered sacred to Native Americans. Throughout the park, trees and bushes were adorned by “prayer cloths” to represent the prayers offered by individuals during their worship. Bear Butte is spectacular, rising over 1200’ above the surrounding landscape, with a lake, campground, and hiking trails. One trail, a little over a mile, even goes to the top, where we’re sure people with more hiking enthusiasm than we have will enjoy the view.
South Dakota has been the filming site of many western movies, and one of our favorites, Dances with Wolves, was filmed in the area. We took a side road down Little Spearfish Canyon to Roughlock Falls, an area where the last scene of the movie was filmed. This time of year the falls were roaring due to the still-melting snowpack, and there were just a few people watching instead of the summer crowds.
One of the reasons we enjoy volunteering is the friendships we make with our fellow volunteers. Here at “Volunteer Village”, we’ve had a number of pot-luck get-togethers, and if there’s one thing we all have in common, it’s hearty appetites, followed by a glass of wine….or two. We’re a group of people with wildly diverse backgrounds, but with a common interest in public service and learning new subjects. And did I mention the food?
Things are warming up and the trees are filling out – it’s a beautiful time of year and we’re looking forward to our summer here; stop back and see where we’ve explored!

Another Volunteer Adventure Begins

2011-05-23T19:29:00.002-04:00

We’re at our summer home in Spearfish, South Dakota, where we’ll be volunteering as interpretive hosts for the D.C. Booth Historic Fish Hatchery. This is our first time in the area, and we’ve been impressed with the beauty and history of the hatchery and the surrounding area. We’re parked in the “Volunteer Village” section of the city park across from the hatchery. Each spacious site is paved, with full hookups, large oak and elm trees, grass, and as a bonus, Spearfish Creek (which is stocked with trout), runs right behind the site. Spearfish is a great little town, with friendly people, a great library, shopping, and lots of non-chain restaurants. We’ve been welcomed by everyone we’ve met, and are looking forward to the summer here.
The D.C. Booth Historic Fish Hatchery is no longer a functioning hatchery, but serves as a living fishery museum to educate the public and to preserve fishery archives. It was a surprise to us that the hatchery, which began operations in 1899, was primary established because the Black Hills had no trout. It’s hard to believe, driving through the beautiful mountains with all of it’s streams, that no trout were native here. Today, a walk through the grounds is a history lesson in how fish were raised and distributed throughout the United States. It’s interesting to realize that without these programs, there would be no trout in the Black Hills, no shad or striped bass in California, and few bass, crappie, or even carp anywhere in the West. While here, we’ll be telling people about the history of fisheries as we host at the different buildings and exhibits.
The Visitor Center/Gift Shop is where most of the activity takes place – you can purchase fish food (and corn for the ducks), and feed the huge rainbow and brown trout in the adjacent pond. An underwater viewing area gives visitors a close up of the fish, and a continuous video explains how the trout were raised in the early 1900s. Throwing a handful of fish food into the water results in a spectacular feeding frenzy as the trout rise to the surface; they look more like hungry piranha then trout. There are also three other ponds with trout to feed, along with raceways filled with smaller fish being raised in cooperation with the state hatchery. And of course, the ducks. A resident population of Mallards and a few Wood ducks have figured out that this is a good place to get a free meal, and they’ll follow you around hoping for a handful of corn. We watched as they transferred trout from the smaller ponds to the main pond in front of the visitor center – some were so large that they had to be netted and moved one at a time!
A museum is housed in what was the original hatchery building. Built in 1899, it also served as the home of D.C. Booth, the first manager, his wife and two children. The museum holds numerous artifacts from the early days of fishery management to the present.
One of the most impressive exhibits is the “Fishcar”, a replica of a railcar used to transport fish across the country from the 1880s to the 1930s. Originally an 1880s Pullman car, it was rebuilt using a model and photographs to accurately depict Fishcar #3. It took over 2000 hours of work by a retired cabinet maker to complete the interior, and the result is an accurate and beautiful exhibit. The history of the eleven fishcars is not well known but is interesting – we learned that the first shipment of striped bass from New Jersey to California took place in 1879. To put that date in perspective, it was only three years after the Battle of the Little Big Horn!
Another place to visit is the Booth House, the original home built for the Booth family by the U.S. Fish Commission in 1905. The home is beautifully restored and furnished in period furniture. In back, a flower garden provides a location for weddings and events.
The grounds also have one of the boats used to gather trout eggs from Lake Yellowstone, a “Fisheries Hall of Fame” building, ponds, sculptures, and nature trails. It’s a popular place for locals and tourists….and it’s free! We’ll be here, providing tours of the facilities until the end of August, so if you’re in the area, stop in and say hello!

Well, It’s Not the Rolling Stone, But

2011-05-16T17:43:00.002-04:00

It’s a magazine cover….and it’s MY picture! And at my age, it’s as close to becoming a Rock Star as I could hope for. The cover picture was taken a few summers ago on a visit back to the Bitterroot Valley to visit friends we made while volunteering at the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge. Descending into the valley from Lost Trail Pass, the road leveled out adjacent to Trapper Peak, a picturesque snow-covered peak in the Bitterroot range. The green grass, blue sky, and beautiful mountain view begged for a picture, so I pulled over and took this shot. Here’s the original before cropping:
Having a picture published on the Escapees cover is a special treat for us. Not just because it’s the full-time RVer’s most popular magazine, but because people who identify themselves as “Escapees” are a special group. We belong to a number of RV clubs; Family Motor Coach Association, Good Sam, Winnebago/Itasca Travelers – and there are friendly people in all of them. But we’ve never met an Escapee who wasn’t quick to smile, shake your hand, or share a hug. There’s a kinship among Escapees uncommon to any other club, perhaps because most of us are full-timers, and happy in our lives. But there’s more to the Escapees; parks that provide members permanent sites as well as short stays, a great mail service, discounts at campgrounds, and other services. But the one thing that sets the Escapees Club apart is the Care Center, a facility that answers the question “What happens to full-time RVers when they cannot take care of their own or their spouse's needs following an illness, injury, surgery, or the progression of a long-term health situation?” Located at the “home” park in Livingston Texas, this amazing facility provides an amazing level of care at a price well below any assisted living facility, largely because of fellow Escapees who volunteer to help. For so many who are faced with no longer being able to travel but who want to remain within the RV community, CARE provides the answer. It’s worth being a member just to be able to support this great facility. You can learn more about the CARE Center here.
We’ve arrived at our summer home, the D.C. Booth Historic Fish Hatchery, where we’ll be volunteering as interpretive hosts. The US Fish & Wildlife, which manages the hatchery, provides volunteers with ten RV sites in Spearfish City Park, a beautiful park right across from the entrance. Each site is paved, with full hookups, shade trees, grass, and Spearfish Creek, which runs behind the sites, is stocked with trout. It’s promising to be a great summer, although the weather on our arrival was juuust a bit cool and wet.
A Drive into the Black Hills above Spearfish took us from a spring snowstorm into a winter wonderland. This is May? At least the road signs are marked for the preferred mode of transportation when it’s snowing!
The drive through Spearfish Canyon is breathtaking; lots of curves, tall pines, sandstone cliffs, and a roaring stream. We’re looking forward to spending more time exploring here, so stop back and see what we’ve been up to!

April in El Paso

2011-04-30T15:36:00.002-04:00

We were looking for someplace to stay warm for a few weeks before heading North, and so we headed for El Paso and the Fort Bliss RV Park, one of the best military parks we’ve stayed at (see our review here). We’ve visited El Paso since the early 70s, when it was a medium-sized, friendly city with interesting shopping opportunities across the border in Juarez. All that has changed, of course, as El Paso has grown to be the 19th largest city in the U.S. with a population of over 650,000, and Juarez has become a battleground of the drug cartels. Still, it’s a nice place to visit, and seems to be at least four cities in one. On the West side of the Franklin Mountains, there’s good shopping, with a large mall, and upscale housing in the foothills. On the east side of the mountains, Fort Bliss dominates the area; a huge and rapidly expanding Army post. Further West, miles of truck terminals and storage yards support the cross-border industries, and downtown, the retail stores display most of their signs in Spanish for the shoppers across the border. From Scenic Drive, you can take in most of El Paso and Juarez, which has an estimated population of 1.5 million, although as a result of the cartel violence (over 3000 killed in 2010), as many as 400,000 may have fled the city. As you look across the border, large white lettering is visible on a prominent mountain. Translated, it says “The Bible is the Truth – Read It” – which apparently isn’t being done by enough people there. It’s sad to see how the border has turned into what looks like a war zone – the fence, guarded by Border Patrol agents, is a visible reminder of the problems of illegal immigration in the area.

Just up the road from El Paso is Las Cruces, home of one of our favorite restaurants, La Posta de Mesilla. It’s always a must-visit when we’re in the area, Brenda for the Chile Rellenos, and for me, the pancake-style Enchiladas with an egg on top. It’s amazing how much better enchiladas are when stacked….and the egg……ahhhhhh! I’ve been visiting and ordering the same thing since 1967, and have never been disappointed.

From El Paso, we drove 30 miles to the Northeast to explore Hueco Tanks State Park, an interesting area of rocks and pictographs. We were surprised by the entry procedures; after filling out a lengthy registration form, we were given a pass and told to go directly to the interpretive center for a briefing. There, a friendly park ranger had us view a 20-minute video on pictographs an the need to preserve them, then showed us on a map where we could and couldn’t go. It seemed a bit unnecessary until we viewed the first pictograph site, and saw how graffiti had covered most of the original artwork. And not just recent graffiti, but even from the 1880s. In this picture, the red paint is the original native American pictograph, almost completely destroyed by the pioneer graffiti.
In another area of the park, we saw a red spot on the huge rocks along the road. Looking through the binoculars, it turned out to be a climber, dressed only in shorts, halfway up the sheer rock wall. I’m sure there’s a motivation behind why some someone would want to do this, but thankfully I don’t have it.
That’s it for this post; we’ll be headed to South Dakota soon – we’ll let you know how we’re doing, check back with us!

New Mexico Backroads

2011-04-16T18:15:00.002-04:00

We’re still meandering around New Mexico, biding our time before we can head north for the summer. We spent some time in the Albuquerque area, and were curious about a place that was listed as one of the area’s “top ten” places to visit by Trip Advisor. So, off we went to the Tinkertown Museum, a quirky, one-of-a kind memorial to one man’s passion for carving, circus, and well…..stuff. It took Ross Ward over 40 years to assemble this museum, a hodge-podge of miniature carvings, circus memorabilia, and interesting odds and ends. It’s difficult to describe – but we had a great time, and were amazed at the detail in his carvings and the patience it must have taken. Walking through the museum and surrounding buildings gives you a case of “sensory overload” – every nook and cranny is filled with a sign, carving, exhibit, design……it’s quite a place. It’s also a sad story of how an immensely talented man was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at an early age. We had a great visit with his wife, a delightful lady, who helped explain where many of the items in the museum came from. If you like to visit unusual places, this is a place to see!

From Albuquerque, we traveled down I-25 to spend a few days at Caballo Lake RV Park, a great little park next to the lake and just down the road from Truth or Consequences. And yes, that’s really the name of the town, changed from it’s original name of Hot Springs as part of a publicity stunt for a radio show. T or C, as it’s more easily known, is next to Elephant Butte Lake, the state’s largest reservoir that appears to be shrinking rapidly. The town seems to consist largely of RV and boat storage lots – literally miles and miles of dusty, chain-link fenced lots full of cheap trailers and old boats. It’s not exactly a picturesque place, especially at this time of year, and we wouldn’t want to be here in the heat of summer.
One of the great things about the Southwest is the diversity of terrain – if you don’t like the desert, just drive a few miles. In our case, it was just a half hour drive west into the Black Range and the town of Hillsboro, an old gold and silver mining town. Once a thriving village of 1200, the population now stands around 235, and aside from a few galleries and a restaurant, there isn’t much to attract visitors. It does have some interesting sights as you drive around, like the ruins of the old jail and an interesting antique truck.

A few miles further up the road brought us to Kingston, another old mining town, once 7000 strong, now with only about 25 residents. It’s another interesting place with a history, and a cemetery that’s worth a visit. We don’t normally visit cemeteries, but this one intrigued us. Located on a hill outside of town, there is no discernable order to the graves; they’re scattered here and there, some with readable gravestones, many that have been eroded and faded over time. At the entrance is the grave of James McNally, a Medal of Honor recipient from the Indian Wars. Walking around the hillside, you’re struck by the random location of graves – the hard ground required that dynamite be used for burial sites, and apparently the distance between markers is because of this. There’s no grass, in fact, nothing much is green, just shades of brown broken occasionally by the placement of flowers. More than any old buildings in town, it gives a sense of the hard life people must have lived here.

Our next stop was the highest point along the route, Emery Pass. It’s amazing that you can travel from sere desert to pine-forested mountain in such a short time. The overlook was 20 degrees cooler and dust free, stark contrast to the hot and dusty desert below. According to the sign, Lt. Emery must have been well liked – they named that pass after him even though he may not have traveled over it!
On the way back down, we stopped for a picnic lunch at a Forest Service campground, near the site of the Battle of Massacre Canyon. Here, a band of Apaches, let by Vittorio, nearly wiped out a company of U.S. Calvary in one of the last major Indian battles. We didn’t see any Indians, but after hearing something moving toward us through the forest, this female Javelina wandered through the area, pretty much ignoring us as she foraged for food.

As always, we’ve enjoyed exploring the back roads and sharing our travels with you. We’ll be heading south towards El Paso next, so c’mon back and see what we’ve found!

Billy the Kid Country

2011-04-09T14:01:00.002-04:00

Traveling around Southern New Mexico reminds us of being in Northern Virginia, because just as George Washington apparently slept in every dwelling there, Billy the Kid walked every foot of ground here. The entertaining but historically inept movies “Young Guns” and “Young Guns II” brought the story, however inaccurate, to a whole new generation, and merchants throughout New Mexico responded with ways to wring a buck out of the legend. Sad, because the real story is interesting enough without all of the embellishment.
We’ll start with our visit to Silver City, where we spent a great month exploring the city and the Gila Wilderness a few years ago, and where young Billy, then known as Henry Antrim, grew up. Silver City is a great place to visit on it’s own merit, but we were also interested in seeing the town where Billy lived as a child, went to school, and of course, committed his first crime – stealing butter. We stayed at a very nice park, Rose Valley RV Park, which was next door to the cemetery that housed the grave of Billy’s mother, Katherine (also known as Catherine). The story of where Billy was born, where his family lived before Silver City, and why he had so many different names is complicated, but can be unraveled here. We enjoyed the visit here, but the best reason to visit the area is the Gila Wilderness and the quirky atmosphere, especially during the Blues Festival.
Although as a young man Billy visited Arizona and many New Mexico locations, the most famous of his exploits took place in areas we’ve visited many times - the Sacramento Mountains area, and the towns of Lincoln, Mesilla, and Fort Sumner. In Old Mesilla, outside of Las Cruces, the plaza was visited regularly by Billy and it was here that he was convicted and sentenced to hang in Lincoln. Today, there’s a Billy the Kid gift shop dominating the corner, and just down the street is one of our favorite restaurants, La Posta, a place with great food and an interesting history. (hint – try the red enchiladas, stacked pancake-style, and topped with a fried egg!)
It’s a little more than an hour’s drive through Alamogordo and into the Sacramento Mountains from Old Mesilla – a trip that took Billy over five days to make when he as taken back to Lincoln to be hanged. On the way up the West side of the mountains to Cloudcroft you’ll pass the sign for Blazer’s Mill, where the gunfight took place that ended up with Billy’s murder conviction. There’s nothing here today but the sign, but when you travel from the site to Lincoln as Billy did, you have to marvel at the distances covered in the days of riding on horseback.
But if you’re a Billy the Kid buff, the place to visit is Lincoln. A pretty little town in the foothills, this State Historic Site looks much the same as it must have in the days of the Lincoln County War. Although dwellings in the town are occupied, owners must keep the outside appearance historically accurate. Our first stop was the visitor center, staffed by a delightful lady who let it be known that she wasn’t too fond of the “Young Guns” portrayal of Billy. We listened as she lectured a young man who had the bad judgment to ask if Billy really killed 21 men by his 21st birthday – he left humbled but smarter (most historians agree that the number was three or four). The visitor center has a number of very well done exhibits, not only of the Lincoln County War, but also of the area’s Indian history. It’s interesting to look at the old photographs of buildings like the courthouse, and compare them to how they look today:

The interior of the former store, later the courthouse, is much the same as it must have looked when Billy made his escape by killing the two men guarding him. The wall at the bottom of the stairway has what is supposedly the hole (enlarged over time by inquisitive fingers) made by Billy’s bullets.
On the second floor, you can stand at the window (left side of the building pictured above, nearest the street) and look out just as Billy must have before shooting and killing the second deputy.
After his escape, Billy retreated to Fort Sumner, one of his favorite places, where he was killed at the age of 21 by Sherriff Pat Garret and buried in the local cemetery. Traveling to Fort Sumner, you begin to wonder how anyone made the trip on horseback – it’s a long, dry stretch to a dusty, half-deserted town. But with plenty of “Billy the Kid’s Grave!” signs. Visiting the gravesite, you’ll notice the steel fencing protecting the headstone – it’s been stolen three times, the first time in 1950 when it went missing for 26 years. The experience is a bit of a letdown when you read the fine print and learn that shortly after Billy was buried, a flood washed away all of the grave markers, so it’s a sorta/kinda guess where Billy is buried. But hey, just like the legend of Billy the Kid, you’ve got to believe……
We’ve got some more New Mexico to show you, so c’mon back and see where we’ve been!

Alamogordo and the Sacramento Mountains

2011-03-30T18:13:00.002-04:00

We’ve come back to the Alamogordo area just about every two years – it’s a place we enjoy visiting and always find something new. The usual response from our friends when we tell them where we’re going is whaaa? But as you'll see, there’s plenty to keep you occupied.

We started this visit with a trip to the New Mexico Museum of Space History, an imposing building located high above the town. We’d never visited, and were surprised by the extensive collection of exhibits and interesting history displayed throughout the building. After buying your ticket, you take an elevator to the top floor and work your way down, an easy way to tour the building. Space exploration owes a lot to the work done by scientists at White Sands Missile Range located just down the road, and many of the original test vehicles are on display. We had fun trying to master (unsuccessfully) the Space Shuttle Simulator. It provided a fairly realistic experience of trying to land the shuttle at Edwards AFB, complete with shuttle controllers consoling you after you crashed and burned (“nice try, but let’s flare the shuttle next time so we don’t punch through the runway”).

Along with lots of interesting items inside, the outside area has a number of interesting items, like the remains of a crashed V-3 rocket, a section of rocket sled, and various missiles and rockets. And of course “Astronaut Ice Cream” in the gift shop. A neat place, well worth stopping by if you’re in the area.

We always spend time in the Sacramento Mountains. The tall pines, cool temperatures, and even a bubbling stream or two are a huge contrast to the desert below. The small town of Cloudcroft is a gem, and we enjoy the drive from there to Ruidoso on highway 244, which meanders through beautiful mountain meadows and forest.

From Ruidoso, a bustling year-around resort town, we headed North, passing the impressive Spencer Theater of the Performing Arts, to Fort Stanton, one of the truly unique places that we’ve visited. Originally a Calvary post, it has served as a Merchant Marine hospital for tuberculosis patients, an internment center for WWII prisoners, and a state hospital. Now a state monument, it’s an interesting place to explore.

One of the surprising sights is the Merchant Marine cemetery complete with anchor and chain. There’s a small museum where you can learn more about the fascinating history of this almost-forgotten fort.

Continuing down the mountains, we stopped at Capitan, a small town and the home of the Smokey Bear Historical Park (notice that there’s no “the” in the name). The park has a nice museum that tells the story of the little cub that was found after a fire, burnt and clinging to a tree, and how the Forest Service turned him into a symbol for fire prevention. There are some interesting exhibits from the 50’s and 60’s, and in the attached garden, you can visit the gravesite of Smokey, where you learn that Smokey, as an official civil service employee, was retired after 25 years of service. This is an interesting place to visit, and children especially will enjoy all of the interactive exhibits.

Up the road from Captian, we headed into the foothills of the Lincoln National Forest to the semi-ghost town of White Oaks. Once a booming town of 5000 souls, when the gold ran out, so did the people. What remains is a hodgepodge of historic buildings, weather-beaten houses and mobile homes, a small museum, and the social center of town, the No Scum Allowed Saloon. There wasn’t much of anything to see here at this time of year, and unless you’re in the mood for a cold beer at the No Scum Allowed, we can’t recommend going out of your way to visit.

That’s it for this week, stay tuned for our next entry, the All-Billy-the-Kid Blog!

Airplanes, Indians, & Aliens

2011-03-19T22:35:00.002-04:00

We’ve never spent much time in Roswell, NM, so on this trip we spent a couple of days exploring the area. We found a pleasant city, with an upscale shopping area, lots of good restaurants, and some interesting sights. When thinking of Roswell, most people think of the alleged alien spacecraft crash of 1947, an event that faded away quickly until around 1970, when the local Air Force base closed and the town lost fully one-half of it’s population. Local businessmen brainstormed for ways to help keep the town alive, and so the great alien spaceship crash was resurrected. Now each year, there’s an annual celebration, the Roswell UFO Festival, complete with alien parade, guest UFO lecturers, and fittingly, an Elvis impersonator. Who wouldn’t want to attend and see the “Alien Idol Karaoke Contest”, the “Miss UFO Festival”, and learn about the “News that the government won’t tell you about!”. Thirsting for more information, we headed for the center of it all, the International UFO Museum and Research Center, conveniently located in the heart of downtown. After paying our $3 admission fee (I think we were overcharged), we entered a world of faded newspaper clippings, bad artwork, and hokey displays. My favorite was the “authentic” recreation of the alien autopsy, where the alien looked like a preschooler’s silly putty creation that hadn’t been dusted in decades. What a hoot! And don’t be fooled, the museum doesn’t limit itself to the Roswell “crash” – there’s exhibits on alien abductions, crop circles, and of course, Area 51. But maybe the best part is the gift shop, where you can buy gifts that combine the best of New Mexico and aliens from outer space, like the red chili-alien Christmas Ornament – a must have! I’m sorry if this offends the true believers of the Roswell story, but for me, it’s just that – a story.
On a much more serious exploration, we journeyed to Fort Sumner to visit the Bosque Redondo Memorial, which commemorates the site of a million-acre Indian reservation. To get here, over 8000 Navajos were marched as far as 450 miles during a harsh winter in 1863, and kept here until 1868. The memorial, a beautiful building built to resemble an Indian Teepee, has a nice visitor center and interpretive trails that wander through the cottonwood trees. The story here is another example of how poorly native Americans were treated and the memorial is worth the trip to see.
As we were driving into town, we noticed the tails of large aircraft at what was once Walker Air Force Base, which closed in the late 60s. Taking a trip for a closer look, we were amazed at the number of wide-bodied airliners parked on the ramps. B-747s, DC-10s, L1011s, even a few A-300s were there, many of which had their engines removed and some which were obviously being cannibalized for their parts. Driving through the old base, it was interesting to see how some of the identifiable base buildings had been turned into a college campus, a medical clinic, and business offices. It’s always sad to see what was once a vibrant facility become a semi-deserted place like this, but at least it’s serving the community and the old base housing provides a home for low-income families.
We’re in cowboy country, so stop back and read about our travels on the Billy the Kid Trail!

On the Road Again

2011-03-06T20:45:00.002-05:00

It’s that time of year when we say goodbye to our Guadalupe River home and head North to our summer adventure in the Black Hills. After a day spent getting the motorhome a wheel alignment and oil change, we were finally ready to hit the road. Our first stop was at Fort Stockton, a dismal waypoint on I-10, where we spent the night at a surprisingly good RV park before heading North to Carlsbad, New Mexico for two nights. In Carlsbad, we explored Brantley Lake State Park (big dam, little water), checked out the “Riverwalk” (nice park), and of course, spent a day at our reason for stopping, Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
We first visited Carlsbad Caverns when we lived in Tucson during the early 70s, and have always considered it the gold standard of caverns. We had, however, forgotten that things change in 35 or so years. They must have made the ramps and walkways steeper and the trail through the caverns longer since our last visit. Tours through the main cavern trail and “Big Room” are now self-guided, and at the starting point we scoffed at the large signs stating “warning – strenuous trail ahead” – after all, it was all downhill, right? Right. After two hours of steep downhill trail, toes crammed into the front of our shoes, calves aching, knees straining, we finally made it to the “Big Room”, 800 feet below the surface. Don’t believe it’s tough? Try descending and 80 story building, in semi-darkness, with water on the steps making things slippery. But we made it, and oh, what a trip it was!
We opted for the 1.25 mile self-guided tour from the “natural” entrance. This is the where the cave was first discovered, as early settlers watched millions of bats leave the cave each night. Looking down into the entrance gives you an idea of how the trail will look inside the cave; lots and lots of switchbacks as you descend. The caverns are immense – the ceiling soars hundreds of feet above you in places; it’s difficult to convey the size of the caverns in photos. Just inside the entrance, millions of Mexican Freetail Bats roost during the summer, but on our visit the entrance area was home to hundreds of Cave Swallows, chirping away in the dark. The caverns were once mined for the bat guano, a terrific fertilizer, in places up to 40’ deep, The mental picture of how many bats it took to create 40’ of droppings is scary.
Once inside the caverns, we looked back at the entrance to see how the light, penetrating the mist rising out of the cave had formed a blue cloud. The mist, combined with the cave lighting, made an interesting image. If you click on the picture to expand it, you can see the railing of the trail winding into the entrance to get an idea of the huge size of the cavern.
As we continued down into the cavern, there were interesting formations along the trail. One, the “whales mouth”, provided an interesting contrast to the darkness around it. Further down, a pond with two pillars, or stalagmites, provided an interesting contrast. We traveled through narrow passages, open rooms, all the while amazed at the size and beauty of the formations. Amazingly, we had the trail to ourselves, which made us wonder if we were the only ones crazy enough to take this route.
As rooms opened up, we were treated to amazing scenes of rock formations and sculptures….

Eventually, we made it to the Big Room and the elevators to the surface. Although we had originally planned to continue, sore toes and aching legs said “enough”, and we opted for a ride to the surface and a lunch at the visitor center cafe.
If you’re ever in the area, don’t miss this park, it’s a one of a kind wonder that you’ll always remember. We’ll be back some day to take the Big Room tour and hopefully one of the Ranger-guided tours some day. For now, we’re headed north again, this time up to Roswell for a short stay. Come back and see how we’re doing!

Images and Memories

2011-02-03T16:45:00.001-05:00

It’s cold and miserable here on the river, and we haven’t felt much like exploring new areas. So instead, we sit and go through our picture library and remember where we were and what we were doing when they were taken. Here’s some of our favorites:

We’d never seen a badger in the wild until our first volunteer tour at Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge in Montana. Reclusive, wary, and intelligent, most people never see one, but we were fortunate enough to see “Betty” as she became known, throughout our two summers at the refuge. She became fairly acclimated to people, allowing us to approach within camera range, and during our auto tours we’d stop at her den and many times she’s make an appearance as if to say hello. She was the matriarch of the population, each year producing a litter of two or even three cubs. One of our fondest memories is the day that Betty brought out her three cubs, as if to show them off to us. We watched as they played, explored, dug, and did all of the things that baby animals do, while Betty sat on a nearby mound of dirt and watched us as we watched them. It wasn’t unusual to see Betty trotting towards her den, another Columbian Ground Squirrel in her mouth for her cubs. The refuge supported a number of badgers, since the ground squirrels were everywhere and provided a great food source. Badgers seldom live more than ten years in the wild, but we hope Beautiful Betty’s around for a long while.

Spending an entire summer at a wildlife refuge gave us the opportunity to watch as babies grew to adulthood. On a walk during the spring, I came across these two baby Great-horned owls and sat for an hour watching them as they stared at me, wondering just what kind of food source I might be. Months later, I saw them sitting together in a tree across a field from our RV. I walked toward them, took a picture, walked a little closer, took another picture, and so on, waiting for them to fly off. But perhaps they remembered me, because they stayed on their perch until I was close enough to get this image. You can tell by the plumage that the one on the left was the younger of the two, and as I got closer, it would twist it’s head up and look at it’s older sibling as if to say “are we OK here? Should we fly off?”. Owls are amazing raptors, voracious and effective in reducing the rodent population, although they’ll eat anything they can – even a skunk!

Watching an Osprey snatch a fish out of the water is a study in acrobatics and ballet – but they’re not born with the ability, they have to learn. We watched as Osprey chicks were hatched, struggled to learn to fly, as in this picture, and then received lessons from thier parents on how to fish. It was hysterical to watch, as a chick would hit the water and skip like a flat rock, or worse, disappear completely and reappear confused and shaking it’s head. But the most memorable moment is the first few days when Osprey chicks throughout the refuge fledged and flew together – to see 10 or more young Osprey soaring together, peeping at one anther, as if to say “look what I can do!”, is an experience we’ll never forget.

The Texas coast is home for thousands of Brown Pelicans, and I couldn’t resist this image of one in his colorful plumage, fresh from a dip in the water. They’re comical to watch, but at the same time sort of arrogant as they seem look down their noses at everything. This image reminds us of all the shorebirds we’ve seen on the coast, many of which are strikingly beautiful, but few with as much character as this guy.

The above image was taken on our visit to to Glacier National Park. For us, Glacier rivals Yosemite in it’s monumental scope and beauty, and in some respects is even more magnificent. We were standing along the road looking at where an avalanche had changed the look of a mountainside, when we heard a crashing coming at us through the brush. Suddenly, right in front of us, two young bears, one of them this small cub, burst into the open and climbed a tree looking for berries. After a few moments of berry-eating, the cub suddenly realized we were there, froze, and stared at us trying to figure out just what we were. Apparently he decided we were harmless and soon went back to stripping berries from the tree. What a magical moment this was! Brenda, of course, wanted to take him home.

Charles Kuralt called the Beartooth Highway “The Most Beautiful Drive in America”, and we’d certainly agree. As we left Yellowstone NP and drove up the winding road, we were stunned at each turn by the vistas of blue lakes, green forests, and snow-covered granite peaks. At the top, nearly 11,000 feet up, the “Beartooth” was visible in the distance. If you can only see a few places in your travels, put the Beartooth All-American Highway at the top of your list – it is undoubtedly the most memorable trip you’ll make in a vehicle. But don’t try it in your RV!

While traveling through the Southern Oregon coast in November, we experienced one of those “wow” moments when a storm drove from the Northwest out of the Bering Sea, while the wind howled from the Southeast, blowing against the30-foot waves and creating a spectacular show. The noise was deafening – wind screaming, waves crashing, and in the middle of it all, gulls screaming and even a few seals barking. What a show it was, and what a memory it gave us. By the way, can you see the woman’s face in the wave? Spooky!

Our daughter and her husband live in Orange County, California, and when we visit, we park at Camp Pendleton’s family campground, right on the beach near San Clemente. It’s a great location, where you can pull forward on the sand until you’re just feet from the surf line. One evening, the sun turned the sky orange just before sunset and I was able to capture this image. To us, it portrays the beach we remember in all of the old “Beach Party” movies, although we never did see Annette Funicello or Frankie Avalon during our stay.

Finally, while walking the beach near Klamath, California, we came upon this surf fisherman. We like this image because it was taken in our first few months of full-timing, and it reminds us how lucky we are to travel at will and experience scenes like this. Looking at this image, we can hear once again the crashing sound of the surf, the hissing of the water rushing across the sand, and the cry of gulls.

That’s it for this visit – we hope that you, too have a library of images that can bring back the memories of happy times! We’ll be hitting the road again soon, so check back and see what we’re doing!

Project for a Rainy Day

2011-01-17T21:48:00.001-05:00

Sometimes people ask us “just what do you do with all of your time?” thinking that just because we’re retired and living in a motor home that we don’t have anything to do. But the reality is that we’re home owners, and our home needs repairs, updates and improvements just like any other. So, with a couple of rainy days in the forecast, I decided to take on a project that Brenda’s wanted for a while – a tile backsplash for the kitchen area. After browsing at Lowe’s, we finally found a laminate tile that looked like ceramic, and best of all it was “peel & stick”. The first step was figuring out how the tiles would be placed to alternate between the plain tiles and those with a design. After that,it was just a matter of peeling & sticking, using an piece of 1/4 scrap wood to separate the tiles for the grout. This part wasn’t particularly difficult, except the bending and stretching to reach the area behind the cooktop. I’d considered using decorative molding stained to match the woodwork to provide a frame, but after trying a piece we decided it was too much.

After all the tile was in place, it was time for the grout. I bought pre-mixed and colored grout, and although I’d never “grouted” before, it wasn’t too difficult, just messy and time consuming. But the difference was worth it; the tiles look great! We’re really happy we did it – total cost was around $50 and it took about three hours.

This project adds to a number of improvements we’ve made. We previously replaced all of the day/night shades with custom wood mini-blinds, and last year replaced the table and chairs with a buffet or server. It has a hinged top that creates a “counter’ for us to pull up our stools, and we can enjoy our meal sitting side-by-side, looking straight out the window. As a bonus, it has lots of storage that we were lacking with the table. We found ours at the Oak Express (but it isn’t oak). Another myth we’d like to dispel is that you can’t set a beautiful table in an RV. This picture is of Brenda’s New Year’s dinner with traditional Czech-style pork roast, potato dumplings, and sauerkraut with caraway seed.

2010–The Year in Review

2011-01-09T21:30:00.002-05:00

It’s hard for us to believe that we’ve completed five years on the road! We’re so lucky to be living our dream, and have no plans to return to the life of a stick n’ brick house and an unchanging view from our window. This year, like any, had it’s memorable moments and a few not-so-memorable moments, and here’s our wrap-up:
We started our year in New Braunfels, TX, our winter home for the past three years, on a sad note when Fido, the campground cat left us but seemed to reappear as a younger, more energetic cat. We continued to enjoy exploring the area, and had the opportunity to share time with fellow full-timers and bloggers Kirk and Pam, and Laurie and Odel. It’s always interesting to share time with fellow travelers and hear of their adventures.
In March, we headed North to spend the summer on the Oregon coast, but at a Flying J truck stop in Amarillo, our coach was the victim of an unprovoked and damaging attack by a pole on a steel barrier. With two damaged cargo doors, we veered to the Northeast and headed to the Winnebago factory in Iowa to have the doors replaced and repainted. The factory did it’s usual outstanding job, and soon we were on our way again, headed West on I-90 through our “home” state of South Dakota. We needed to stop in Rapid City to renew our driver’s licenses, and while there, visited Mt. Rushmore NP, which amazed us with it’s beauty and magnificent visitor facilities.
Continuing West through Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada, we crossed the Sierras into California and headed North to the Oregon coast. We arrived in mid-April, beginning our volunteer stint with Shoreline Education for Awareness (SEA), a non-profit organization that believes education is the key in preserving the shoreline habitats and wildlife of the Southern Oregon Coast. In partnership with US Fish & Wildlife’s Bandon Marsh Wildlife Refuge and Bullards Beach State Park, we were quickly immersed in seminars which taught us about the coastline mammals, birds, and history. We can’t say enough about the people in this fine organization; they donate countless hours, in sometimes miserable weather, to provide an invaluable service to the community and visitors. SEA’s volunteer coordinator, Pam, was just amazing person – she made everyone feel at home, always had a smile, and was an incredible host and gourmet chef at our weekly pot luck dinners. We taught children about marine mammals, helped them dig up all manner of critters and crustaceans at low tide, provided on-site information on the endangered Western Snowy Plover, and our favorite, manned shoreline overlooks and explained to visitors what they were seeing. At one overlook, the rocks were covered with seals and sea lions. The noise of a couple of thousand of them barking and yelping almost made conversation impossible, and while they were the center of attention, there were Bald Eagles, Gray Whales, and even an occasional Killer Whale to marvel at. All in a breathtaking area of rugged cliffs, sea stacks, and towering pines. What an amazing experience!
Sometimes, though, family needs intervene and always take priority, and in June we left Oregon to return to Ohio and help Brenda’s mom who was having difficulty living alone in her home. While Brenda stayed with her mom, the cat and I stayed at a nice area park, helping out when we could. We managed a few interesting trips while we were there, the most memorable to the home used in the filming of The Christmas Story. The house, restored to it’s movie set condition complete with a tour provided by the actor who played Randy, was great fun to see. And who could resist a trip to the museum to see hallowed memorabilia like the actual coat worn by the evil Scut Farcus? But all of this paled in comparison to the moment in the gift shop, when I stood in front of the Leg Lamp section, mesmerized by the incredible beauty and meaningful style of this truly Major Award, and Brenda said, Oh, all right, go ahead and buy one! A chorus of angels filled the air as I selected my prize, which has become the centerpiece of our windshield table and an immediate conversation starter with people passing by.
Leaving Ohio with Brenda’s mom comfortably established in a beautiful assisted-living facility, we headed Northeast to Erie, PA for a brief stay on the lake. It was a quiet time along the lakefront, and we enjoyed the colorful sunsets and maritime museum. Looping back to the East toward Dayton, we visited Longaberger Baskets where I was disappointed to learn that all they made was, well, baskets. We stopped and spent two weeks at Dayton, where we spent a couple of weeks visiting friends, catching up on chores, and visiting the Air Force Museum, before heading South.
Brenda’s bucket list includes visiting every casino in the U.S., so we drove South through Memphis to Tunica, MS where we spent time exploring the many casinos in the area. We didn’t win any money, but made up for it by putting a serious dent in Paula Deen’s seafood buffet at Harrah’s casino. The buffet was divided into different types of her famous recipes, and although Brenda sampled most of them I spent most of the evening in the “Uncle Bubba’s” seafood section depleting their oyster supply.
Approaching Texarkana, we had one of those “aw darn” moments when the motor homes temperature gauge spiked and we learned that we needed a new fan hub on our engine. After three days and a significant dent in our finances, we were on our way again. All in all, it was as painless experience as could be expected; just one of things we expect to experience (hopefully not often) having a home on wheels.
Entering Texas, we decided to take our time in a meandering route that took us South of Dallas and West to Fort Davis, one of our favorite places to visit. We stayed in interesting towns like Pittsburg, Gun Barrel, and San Angelo, and came across unusual roadside attractions like the Ezekiel Flying Machine. In Fort Davis, we settled into one of our favorite sites, then revisited the McDonald Observatory, the town of Alpine, the Mysterious Marfa Lights, and even took a trip to the border to explore the area around Presidio. As December approached, it was time to head for our winter home in Camp Huaco Springs, where we started our annual doctor and dentist visits and renewed old friendships. We’ll be here until spring when we head North for our next year of adventure!
Our Favorites for the Year:
Best RV Park – A tie between Bullards Beach SP in Bandon, OR, and Davis Mountains SP in Fort Davis TX. Both are located in beautiful natural settings, have lots of wildlife, and are close to interesting attractions. Although we stayed at some beautiful RV “resorts”, the state parks remain our favorite. You can see our reviews here.
Most Scenic Area – The Southern Oregon coast. Sea stacks, crashing surf, towering pines, sea lions, whales, eagles, and even a Tufted Puffin or two….what an incredible place! Runner Up: The Black Hills of South Dakota and Mount Rushmore. We’re going back this year!
Brenda’s best Casino – The Mill Casino in Coos Bay, OR. Not the biggest or fanciest, but lots of customer-friendly incentives and a great restaurant.
Best Dining Experience – Paula Deen’s Buffet at Harrah’s Casino, MS. Not your typical buffet, more like dining in someone’s home. Friendly staff, beautiful surroundings, and ohhhhh, the food! Runner Up: Nel’s Coffee Shop in Fort Davis, TX. The best sandwiches in West Texas, but even if they weren’t, we go just to see Nel’s smile!
Most Disappointing Area - Northeast Ohio campgrounds. Overpriced, limited hookups, and the weekend seasonal campers and their drunken parties all add up to a hope we won’t have to stay long term again.
Most Memorable Experience – On an overlook above a reef covered with thousands of barking seals and sea lions, watching the face of a child who’s just seen the close-up face of a baby harbor seal through our spotting scope. Thanks, SEA and Pam, for allowing us to be a part of your team!
Sign of the Year – You know you’re in Texas when you come across a place called the “Hoity-Toit Beer Joint” and its motivational message!
It’s a new year! C’mon back and visit with us as we continue the Travels of the Damn Near Perfect Couple!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T17:47:00.002-05:00

It’s finally that time of the year, when we put up the outside lights, hang stockings on the electric fireplace, and wrap hugely expensive and exquisite presents that we’ve bought for our wives. Of course, nothing portrays the festive spirit of the season like a beautifully decorated leg lamp, and ours took center stage in our window complete with ornaments and a stocking cap. I am, as you can imagine, the envy of all of the men in the park. The women, not so much. Brenda’s been busy baking cookies, cakes, and cheesecakes, while I’ve been doing my part by sampling and offering important suggestions (more chocolate!). It’s a fun time,and we’ve been kept busy as we share some of our favorite places with our next-door friends Rollie and Carol. We took them on a shopping trip to Seguin to visit the Pape Pecan House, where you can buy any of six varieties of pecans (that’s pee-cans here in Texas), along with all types of nuts, spices, and jams. From there, we headed for Buc-ees’s, a beehive of activity along I-10 where we could load up on some delicious Kolache, filled with poppyseed, (my favorite), cream cheese, and various fruits. Buc-ee’s is a phenomenon, always packed with people, and with the most palatial bathrooms you’ll ever find at a roadside convenience store. Read about it here.
We decided a road trip North was in order, so off we went – first stop Blanco, where we had lunch at the bowling alley cafe that serves great burgers, fresh-cut fries, and best of all, pies with 6” of meringue. Don’t believe me? See here. Mightily fortified, we continued on to the LBJ Ranch, the “Western White House” during the administration of President Lyndon Johnson. An interesting place to visit, the ranch is now open to self-guided tours instead of the former bus tours, and you can now tour some of the rooms in the house itself. It’s a beautiful home, striking in the fact that it’s not at all pretentious, just a very comfortable and warm home. Outside, it was a little disturbing to see where Rudolph ended up during last year’s Christmas Eve deliveries – judging by his position on the tree he must have been going pretty fast when he overshot the roof and punched through this large oak. Don’t bring the kids here.

We always stop at Luckenbach when we’re in the area, and this time the little, very little, town was jumping in anticipation of the evening’s Cowboy Ball. It’s such an interesting place, and this time we watched as an informal sing-along began next to a warming fire.

Brenda surprised us all by volunteering to ride a local longhorn steer (it’s real, folks!), and by the look on it’s face it seems to be thinking “how much pie did this woman eat, anyway?”.

We continued on for a quick shopping visit to Fredericksburg, then headed back towards home, stopping at Johnson City to experience the lights in the local park. It’s an amazing scene, every tree is covered with thousands of lights, and they claim over a million lights total. Walking through the park is a magical experience we’ll remember for a long time.
Back home in the park, we also put on a light show, although on a much smaller scale. Brenda and I hope your Christmas lived up to all your dreams and that your new year starts on a positive and happy note. We’ll see you next year!

Getting Into the Christmas Spirit

2010-12-14T12:36:00.002-05:00

The Christmas season is upon us, and we’ve been taking advantage of the shopping, dining, and entertainment available in the area. Here in New Braunfels, we visited the Wassailfest, an annual event held in the city square. It was a beautiful, warm night, and the Christmas lighting and decorations, especially at the courthouse and gazebo on the square, were magical. We checked into the Wassailfest booth, where we picked up a map of the many Wassail-dispensing tables. Provided by merchants and organizations, each Wassail was given a score and then tallied to determine the festival’s best. We had fun wandering around with the crowds, sampling Wassail and checking out the stores. For those who haven’t tried it, Wassail (at this festival), is hot spiced cider, and each of the 40 or so booths offered a different variation. After a while, it became difficult to assign points on the voting sheet since they all began to taste the same – but then came #38, with the usual spices plus RUM! It quickly became our number one favorite; too bad they dolled it out in little 2-ounce cups. All in all, it was a great night with friends, festival food, and wassail – just the right start to the holidays!

In a world of chain restaurants with walls full of fake memorabilia, we’re always in search of a unique dining experience. We certainly found one this weekend, when with our friends Rollie and Carol, we visited Casbeer’s at the Church for their once-monthly Gospel Brunch. Casbeer’s is housed in a 100-year old former Methodist church, complete with pressed tin ceilings and European-style Tiffany stained glass. The downstairs is now the restaurant and bar, and the sanctuary, complete with original pews, is now the music area. We first visited Casbeer’s on Thanksgiving, where we had a great buffet followed by dessert while sitting in a pew and watching the movie “Alice’s Restaurant”. What could be more fitting for a Thanksgiving afternoon? And afterward,we didn’t even have to take out the garbage! (you have to remember the song or movie to understand this).

This visit, we were treated to a buffet brunch, with all of the standard items plus chorizo and eggs, carne asada, and enchiladas. The food was delicious, but the intriguing thing about this restaurant is that everyone is amazingly friendly, and you’d think it was a reunion the way that complete strangers start talking to one another – maybe it’s the “spiritual” environment. We had a leisurely meal, with a second trip (the one for dessert doesn’t count), and then settled back for the “Gospel” part of the brunch, provided by Miss Neesie and the Earfood Gospel Orchestra. What a surprise – not just a couple of performers, but a truly professional group – three horns, two guitars, an accordion, drummer, and of course, Miss Neesie, who amazed us with her wonderfully bluesy, throaty voice. We sang along, clapped, and generally just had a great time – after all, how can you beat a great meal, great friends, and outstanding music? Sure beats a visit to Applebee’s.

Brenda and I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a truly happy and memorable Christmas season! May you have good health, great fun, and a tailwind in your travels!

Wandering Around Texas

2010-11-29T17:21:00.002-05:00

tLeaving Texarkana, we decided to take the long route to our winter home in the San Antonio area, heading West between Austin and Dallas towards the West Texas town of Fort Davis. Our trip took us through some interesting and very pretty areas; at this time of year the trees still had multi-colored leaves and the weather was cool at night but pleasant during the day. We stopped at Pittsburg, a small town of less than 5000 with an interesting museum that we found on the Roadside America web site. While the museum houses a lot of interesting displays of the area’s history, our interest was in seeing the Ezekiel Airship, which area residents claim flew two years before the Wright brothers airplane. It’s an extremely well-done exhibit, with a recreation of the airship and a professional video that documents how the Reverend Cannon, a Baptist minister, somehow interpreted the biblical book of Ezekiel into a method of building an airplane. Although it’s possible that it actually flew, we’ll never really know, which is just as well, since we don’t need another state arguing with Ohio (“Birthplace of Aviation”) and North Carolina (“First in Flight”).
From Pittsburg, we traveled to Gun Barrel City, where we spent the night purely because of the really cool name, which was a good thing, because there wasn’t anything really interesting here. Although some references say that the name comes from Gun Barrel Lane, a place where gangsters hung out, it’s more likely that it was named because Gun Barrel Lane was a straight road that acted as a shortcut between the two major towns in the area. Some day we’ll have to visit Cut and Shoot, a town which has a more colorful explanation for it’s name.
Our next stop was San Angelo, where we stayed at the Goodfellow AFB recreation area. Goodfellow is a strange Air Force Base; there’s no runway or aircraft, just a training center. But the recreation area had a great campground, and San Angelo is a nice town, although it’s fairly isolated and far from any other large population center.
Our next stop was a five-day stay at Davis Mountains State Park, outside Fort Davis. We’ve visited here before, and this summer, after telling a neighboring RVer how much we enjoyed the area, we decided to make another visit. Davis Mountains SP is one of our favorites, set in a rocky canyon with beautiful scenery, wildlife, and great facilities. We enjoyed watching the deer wander through the campground, the coyotes howling in the distance, and were even treated to a javelina meandering around.   Fort Davis is a small, intriguing town with an historic hotel, the Limpia, built in 1912 and beautifully restored. We enjoyed revisiting Nel’s Coffee Shop, a local gathering place with great food that we highlighted on our last visit in March 2009, and which now has this amusing sign out front.

The Fort Davis National Historic Site is always worth a visit; it’s an extensive restoration of a frontier Calvary post and always has something new to see.

The mountains here remind us of New Mexico or Arizona, and there’s a loop drive that takes you through the mountains and past the McDonald Observatory, a great place to visit or just have lunch at the StarDate Café and enjoy the view.   There are self-guided tours, formal tours, and evening “star parties”, all of which are fun and educational; but wear a sweater, the observatory is at 6000’ and it gets very cool at night.

We always make a visit to Alpine, the shopping and dining hub of the area. During our visit, the town was hosting the annual “Art Walk”, with all of the 20+ galleries open and vendors set up on the street corners. It was a beautiful day, and we enjoyed strolling the sidewalks and window shopping.

No visit to the area would be complete without a visit to Marfa and an attempt to view the “Mystery Lights”. The town has built a nice viewing area, and Brenda and I settled in after sunset with our lawn chairs and binoculars in hope of seeing these mysterious lights, first reported in the 1800s. We gave it a couple of hours, but alas, the mystery lights remain a mystery to us, but we enjoyed the night sky and listening to people excitedly identifying distant car lights as they appeared over the far horizon as the “mystery” lights. Marfa is also home to a truly great liquor store – the “El Cheapo” store. There’s a certain kind of Texas sophistication about accompanying a dinner of chicken fried steak with a bottle of fine wine purchased at “El Cheapo”.
We decided on this trip to take a drive to Presidio, a small town on the border. When we thought of the name “Presidio”, our minds conjured up the image of white-stucco houses, palm trees, green grass….kind of like the California Presidio. Whoops. Think instead of a tired looking, dusty town and a Dollar General store, with a gravel parking lot filled with decades old cars and pickup trucks. Sadly, Presidio turned out to be rather, well, sad. But, down the road a bit we discovered Fort Leaton, a restored fort that was actually a fortified home, complete with an interesting history of violence, murder, betrayal, and other interesting stuff.   It’s an impressive place, with restored rooms, large courtyards, and this huge cart (Brenda wants one for her shopping trips to Kohls). The drive along river road is interesting; you can literally throw a rock across the border at many points, and the bright green vegetation along the river is stark contrast to the dry hills surrounding the area. On the way back to Fort Davis, we stopped at the ghost town of Shafter, once a thriving silver mining town but now an area of ruins, a few homes, and an interesting cemetery.
Back at Fort Davis, we were reminded to be careful when hiking the area’s trails when we came across this good-sized rattlesnake in the overlook parking lot. Kind of spooky just how well he blends into the parking lot surface, which is similar to the color of the surrounding rocks. It was neat seeing this large snake, although as a result I’m getting a bit weary having to carry Brenda from the car to the coach now that she refuses to walk on the ground.
We’ll be in New Braunfels, our winter home, for the next few months, but stay tuned, we plan on visiting new places and we’ll let you know what we find. We hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving and are meeting all of your shopping goals for Christmas!

Las Vegas – Mississippi Style

2010-11-14T13:18:00.002-05:00

As we continued our journey towards Texas, we decided to make a detour and visit the Robinsonville/Tunica Mississippi area, an area we haven’t visited, and one Brenda especially was eager to visit. It’s not like we envisioned; instead of one area of casinos, they’re arranged in clusters, or in some cases, by themselves, in an area of flat cotton fields along the Mississippi River. Most of the casinos are owned by the same big names that you’d see in Las Vegas, and we decided to stay at the Sam’s Town RV Casino RV Park (you can click on our review on the left), which turned out to be a very nice park for a reasonable price. Once we were set up, it was time for Brenda to work her magic on the slot machines while I thumbed through catalogs for custom-built Marathon Motor Coaches, anticipating her call to bring the car and help load up all of the money she’d won. Alas, the call never came.
Although we didn’t win at the casinos, we did manage to score a lot of free meals. Between “senior day” coupons, player points, and Brenda’s call to Harrah’s, we grazed for hours at the variety of buffets offered by each casino. Our favorite by far was Paula Deen’s seafood buffet at Harrah’s. Brenda managed to score us a two-for-one coupon, which made the price a bargain. Although I’m not a fan of Paula’s (how many times can you stand the word “Y’all” in one sentence?), many of her famous recipes were available, and we tried to sample them all. For me, I had trouble getting past the “Uncle Bubba’s” seafood bar with all of the oysters, shrimp, and crab, but managed to sample other items and still leave room for the dessert bar and the best blueberry pie I’ve ever had. Strangely, there was an area called the “salad bar” with beautifully stacked healthy stuff – untouched and without anyone coming within 10 feet. Who’d want salad with all of this butter-drenched, fried good stuff available? Not us, for sure.
All in all, the casinos were interesting. Much like the ones in Las Vegas, but a bit smaller, and because of the time of year and economy, much less crowded. The Harrah’s complex is particularly impressive, with it’s extensive facilities that include a convention center, event center, RV park, golf course, pools, children’s arcade, and more. But aside from the casinos, this is a largely rural area, and the nearest shopping is over 30 miles away in the Memphis suburbs.
We did manage a bit of culture on our visit when we stopped at the Tunica Riverpark and Mississippi River Museum. We expected the usual small-town type of museum, and were surprised by the beauty of the buildings and the extensive museum collection. Besides the exhibits, there were aquariums, videos, and exceptional art work to view, and we even watched a riverboat make it’s way upstream. This was a place where not only the exhibits, but the facility itself were enjoyable to tour. If you’re in the area, do yourself a favor and drop by.

Leaving Mississippi, we traveled to Little Rock AFB, Arkansas to spend a day stocking up at the base commissary and to visit friends that we hadn’t seen since 1978. We had a great time reminiscing about our time together at England AFB, LA and catching up on each other’s lives since. From there, we headed toward Texarkana intending to stay at a state park just inside Texas. Unfortunately, as we approached Texarkana, red lights and alarms in the coach indicated a severe engine overheat condition, and since we were near an exit with an RV Park, we pulled in for the night. The next day we watched as our “home” was towed off to the local Freightliner service facility where after three days of labor and a new fan hub, we were able to hit the road again. I sensed that the cost was going to be bad when, while standing at the service counter, the cashier looked at my bill, opened up the AED (Automated External Defibrillator), and began reviewing the cardiac arrest procedures. It’s a good thing he did, and the good news is that the burn marks on my chest are healing nicely.

Hey, we’re back in Texas and have plans to visit some interesting places, so in the words of Paula Deen, “Y’all come back so Y’all can see where we’ve been without Y’all, OK Y’all?”

A Cave So Big It’s…..uh……Mammoth!

2010-11-04T20:53:00.002-04:00

As we traveled down I-65, we decided to take a break and spend a day visiting the Mammoth Cave area and Mammoth Cave National Park. We stayed in the town appropriately named Cave City, which is surrounded by caves. Besides Mammoth, there’s Cave Spring Caverns, Cub Run Cave, Diamond Cave, Kentucky Down Under, and others. This part of the state is riddled with limestone caves, and for every cave there’s at least 20 souvenir stands and one miniature golf course. While this is a busy place in the summer, it was quiet during our visit, and most of the tourist spots were closed for the winter. We started our visit at the Mammoth Cave National Park visitor center, a modern, well-staffed facility where we pondered over which tour (there are many different types) to take. We settled on the discovery tour, which seemed to be a good compromise between what we’d see and the amount of time (1/12 hours). We queued up behind our tour guide Ranger, and started down the path to the cave. We entered the cave through the “natural” entrance, the one discovered when a hunter followed a wounded bear into a large hole in the ground. History doesn’t tell us what was going through this hunter’s mind, but we can assume that following a large, wounded animal with big teeth into a dark hole was not undertaken by the area’s sharpest tack. It was a long walk down the stairs and down to the first stop at the “rotunda”, where we stopped to look at the remains of a saltpeter mining operation that dated back to the War of 1812. This area of the cave system is not particularly colorful; there are no rock formations or stalactites or stalagmites, just lots of grey rock – but it is huge! The cave roof soars overhead, and the corridors are easily big enough in most places to drive our motor home through. The Ranger was interesting to listen to, and gave us just enough information to keep us interested without boring the children in the crowd. From the rotunda, we toured other corridors and rooms, ending up in a large room that was once used as a hospital. A doctor bought the cave in 1839 and touted the room as a place where the “vapors” would cure tuberculosis, which was at the time was a widespread epidemic. Not surprisingly, the idea didn’t work, and was scrapped when the doctor died of….you guessed it – tuberculosis. The cave tour ended with a long climb back up those stairs, then a hike up the hill back to the visitor center. Overall, it was an interesting tour that gave us an appreciation for the size (over 350 miles of caves mapped), and the history of the caves and the area.

After leaving the visitor center, we decided to tour the rest of the park. We came around a corner and unexpectedly ran into a river without a bridge….but it had a neat little free ferry. We had to wonder how much money it must take to run a ferry across such a small river as opposed to just building a bridge, but heck, it was fun to ride across.
It’s a large National Park, and we enjoyed the beautiful scenery as we drove the back roads, especially a gravel road we found that followed a winding creek through the woods. This is a nice place to spend a few days or even a week if you’re interested in exploring caves – you can even go on tours that require you to crawl on hands and knees through small passages while wearing a caver’s hard hat…..not our idea of fun. Besides, all we could think of while we were underground was hoping we wouldn’t become the U.S. version of the Chilean mine disaster!
We’re headed for Mississippi casino country, and I’m already reviewing colors for our new Prevost motorhome that I’m sure Brenda will win enough money for. So come back and see how she’s done!

Leaving Ohio – Finally!

2010-10-28T14:42:00.002-04:00

We’ve been in Ohio for nearly five months, and we’re finally getting ready to head South for warmer territory. We’ve been staying at Wright-Patterson AFB, where we started our full timing experience almost five years ago, visiting old friends and revisiting some of the places we enjoyed when we lived here. One such place, not to be missed if you’re visiting the area, is the National Museum of the United States Air Force, a sprawling, exhibit-packed facility that’s one of the best bargains around – it’s free! The main museum is located on the edge of the base and is open to the public, and while there you can sign up for a bus trip on base to visit the Presidential and Research hangers. Having visited before, we limited our visit to the areas we’ve enjoyed in the past, because if you visit every exhibit and read every storyboard, you’ll be here for more than a day. Our first stop was to view the “First Flight” Mural. At first glance, it looks like a large painting, but when you look close, you’ll see that it’s made up of small ceramic pictures of different views of the Wright Flyer – 163,000 of them!

Our next stop was at the “Fifty Years of Hope”, the Bob Hope exhibit.   For all of us military veterans, Bob Hope was a special kind of hero, and the exhibit does a great job of depicting his long history of entertaining the troops from WWII to Desert Storm.

But the museum is really about airplanes – lots and lots of airplanes. And not just Air Force, there are Army, Navy, and even Russian aircraft on display. We're always struck by the huge cold war bombers. The B-36 pictured here is amazing; it’s huge wingspan and six radial and four jet engines dwarf the aircraft around it – what a great RV it would make! Look close at the picture and you’ll see one of the original wheels that were changed in favor of a number of smaller ones. Six of those would look really great on our coach….
One area that we hadn’t seen was the relatively new Presidential and Research & Development hangers. We especially wanted to visit this area since it’s now the location of the XB-70, the amazingly beautiful and HUGE aircraft that incorporated then-unheard of technology to attain speeds in excess of three times the speed of sound (Mach 3).   And   remember this was 46 years ago! Only two XB-70s were built, and the other aircraft was lost in a midair collision while testing. You can read about it and see the amazing pictures here. Unfortunately, it’s too large, and the hanger was too small, to adequately show more than about 1/3 of this beautiful aircraft.
Next door was the Presidential Aircraft hanger, with aircraft ranging from the first, the C-54 “Sacred Cow” to the VC-137, with the famous tail number of AF 26000, used by Presidents from Kennedy to Clinton. All of the aircraft are open to view, although the Plexiglas walls make it a little tight to maneuver through the cabin areas.   I couldn’t resist taking a picture of my personal “First Lady” as she exited the aircraft – kinda neat, being able to stand in the same spot as JFK, Reagan, and others.

We came across this sign while driving around; after all, this is Ohio State University football country. I’ve always considered OSU’s math education suspect (question – how many schools in the Big 10?   answer - 11!) Now I have to wonder - was the sign made by an OSU graduate? And what would this say about OSU’s English program?    Or maybe OSU is playing the Perdue Chicken employees?

Finally, after five years and almost 200 campground stops, we’ve added a link to our new campground review site, where we rate parks as good, bad, or really ugly. We’ll continue to add to it as we continue our explorations. We’re planning on stopping at some interesting places on our trip back to Texas, so Y’all come back!

A Sad Time for the RV Community

2010-10-20T21:50:00.001-04:00

We in the full time community are a unique group. Besides our lifestyle of abandoning the traditional stick and brick house, loading all of our possessions into a wheeled vehicle, and hitting the road, our “community” is made up of friends everywhere across the country, held together by our Blogs. Find any full-timers blog, look for the “Followers” list, and click on any one of the icons. You’ll almost always be taken to another full-timer’s blog, with another list of followers, and if you keep at it, you’ll discover how large our community really is. On Saturday, our community suffered a tragic and unexpected loss. Bruce and Margie Mallin, of “Bruce and Margie’s Full Time Journey” were taking a morning walk when a despondent young man, bent on committing suicide by crashing his car into his ex-girlfriends restaurant, stuck and killed them (news article). Most of us in the community are of the age when we think about our mortality each time we get another ache or pain, but none of us can conceive of our lives ending this way. Horrible events like this aren't supposed to happen to people we know. Like most of our community, we never met Bruce and Margie, but we knew them well through their blog. Unlike ours, their blog was an almost daily account of their activities, thoughts, and family, and we grew to know them well. Our thoughts go out to their family with a hope they’ll understand that there are so many of us who never met Bruce and Margie, but knew them and will miss them dearly.

I’ll Take Fries With My Basket, Please

2010-10-02T20:31:00.002-04:00

I know there’s a “men are from Mars, women are from Venus” thing about communication between the sexes, but every so often an event happens to me that makes this concept crystal clear.
Such was a day recently when Brenda said “I’d really like to visit the Longaberger Basket place. Hmmm, I thought….I’ve really enjoyed Whataburgers, Steakburgers, and even a Freddy’s Butterburger; although I’d never heard of a Longaburger, I do love those burger baskets with fries, and maybe some coleslaw. So off we went.
OK, so now you’re thinking “what kind of idiot doesn’t know about Longaberger Baskets?” Well, almost any man idiot, that’s who. And I can prove it because as we strolled the grounds and stores I was one of only three men in the midst of hundreds of women, all of us men having confused looks on our faces, being led around by our wives.
It’s an amazing place, the Longaberger Homestead. Large tour busses were lined up disgorging their loads of blue-haired ladies by the hundreds, all with frenzied looks as they streamed to buy baskets and hand crafted nick-nacky stuff. Brenda was in woman-shoppers heaven, while I was confused with what all this stuff did. Why do you need a “cookie paddle”? To spank them? Do jars really need “bonnets”? These and other mysteries befuddled me, although I did find one valuable product, a “woozie” (a coozie for a wine glass). Things dealing with alcohol I generally understand.
I quickly went from befuddlement to shock when we entered the “factory store”. Here in this huge warehouse were tables covered with baskets stretching endlessly in all directions. I stopped at one table and picked up a small basket, no more than 6 inches square with a handle….and saw that the “sale” price was $124.00! Egads! It wasn’t even big enough for a decent burger, let alone fries!
Fortunately, Brenda sensed my confusion and led me to the “Homestead Kitchen”, where I recovered thanks to a two-scoop cup of raspberry-chocolate chip ice cream. Even more fortunately, Brenda didn’t find anything she liked enough to buy. Thank you, Brenda!
We’re enjoying visiting friends from our past working life in Dayton, but we’ll be out and about to look for new adventures – stay tuned!

Movin’ On

2010-09-19T16:08:00.002-04:00

We’ve finally left the Cleveland area, our home for the last three months, with Brenda’s mom comfortably relocated into a beautiful facility. We’ll be moving around for a while in and around the Dayton area while we complete some medical appointments, and then slowly migrate South for the winter. But first; BIG NEWS! Brenda, who bless her heart is always doing her best to win us a new Allegro Bus, now has her own Casino Review Blog! We’ve added a link on the left side that will take you to her site. If you’d like, you’re free to send her money that she’ll happily invest in slot machines for you (she promises to send you any winnings). Enjoy!
We decided to make a brief trip to Erie to relax for a few days before heading for Dayton. Although a little out of the way, we wanted to visit Presque Isle State Park and see what else Erie had to offer. Presque Isle is a wonderful park, a wooded sand spit with over 300 acres and a 13-mile auto loop that passes beaches, picnic areas, and boat launches. It’s a busy place; there are always people on the bike paths, the walking trails, and the beaches – but there are no campgrounds. We stayed at Sara’s Campground, near the entrance to Presque Isle, a sprawling, crowded park that must be chaotic during the summer weekends. We almost had one of those ruin-your-day experiences when the GPS and web site said the campground was on the left, without any indication that a left turn puts you at the office and beach camping. Turning there would have put us on a dead-end street and forced us to unhook the Tribute and execute a 64-point turn to get out. Fortunately, I noticed the “RVs enter here” on the right side of the road and was able to get across the other lane of traffic to enter. After setting up, we headed to the park to enjoy the evening and as you can see, a beautiful sunset.

The next day we headed to the downtown area and the Maritime Museum. The museum is nice, but the real attraction is the Niagara, a recreation of Oliver Hazard Perry’s flagship during the Battle of Lake Erie. The price of admission included a guided tour of the ship, which is really a “brig” (two square-sailed masts). The Niagara is an active ship, sailing around the Great Lakes for festivals, and on the day of our visit was getting ready for a day sail, so there were volunteer sailors crawling around in the rigging – with a topmast of 119’, a real challenge. Our tour guide was especially knowledgeable and entertaining and we learned that a “rope” is just a length of material, but a “line” is a rope that has a function. And there are lots of “lines” everywhere; coiled, strung, piled, and looped. There was more hemp on display than in a Berkley college dorm. We took a tour down into the living quarters, and quickly discovered that living in a dark, 5-foot tall space and sleeping on a bunk the size of a pantry drawer was an experience that we think we’ll pass on for now. But it was an interesting tour, and we came away with a greater appreciation for those who manned these ships.
Tomorrow’s a travel day, and we both look forward to moving on to a new location. C’mon back and visit!

From Our Travel Vault – Mt. Washington

2010-08-17T16:51:00.002-04:00

Almost as much fun as touring the country in an RV is a road trip in a sports car, and on this trip we headed to New England in our 99’ Miata to cruise the back roads and explore. One of our interests was Mt. Washington, the highest mountain in the Northeastern United States at 6288’. For us, having spent so much time out west and camping at altitudes over 7000’, we didn’t take Mt. Washington very seriously. Big mistake.

The day before we drove to the top, we stopped at an overlook to view the mountain in the distance; not particularly impressive, no craggy peaks or Matterhorn-looking ice and snow. We did notice the cloud cover, and decided to get an early start the next morning to try and have a clear view as we drove to the top. Of course for us, early meant 9:00 or so, and after paying our $20 for the privilege of driving ourselves, we started up the road. As we drove through the trees on the nicely paved asphalt road, I wondered what the big deal was about driving the mountain; after all, they made a big deal about selling “I drove Mt. Washington” bumper stickers at the entrance station. About then we broke out of the trees where the road turned into a gravel, lane and-a-half, no-guardrail, big drop-off nightmare….and as we continued, we entered the clouds. With the top down (after all, it was 70 degrees when we started), heater going full blast, almost zero visibility in freezing fog , and the knowledge that one misstep meant certain death, we quickly lost the “fun” aspect of driving the mountain. You would have thought that Brenda’s screams would have cleared away at least some of the fog, but no, it stuck to us like jam on a Cracker Barrel biscuit. If that wasn’t enough, we were almost run off the road by the 12-passenger vans, called “stages” that normal people bought seats on to make the trip. The drivers, making the up and down run dozens of times a day, entertained themselves by terrorizing those of us who drove the route. But miraculously, we reached the top, where it was 32 degrees and socked in, with occasional breaks that revealed amazing scenery.

Walking around the visitor area, we came across this sign; I can’t imagine what it must have like to be trapped in a cabin here with the wind roaring over 200 mph. We also explored the visitor center which provided a wealth of information; however, they may want to reconsider that the first thing you see upon entering is a list of names of all those who perished on the mountain. Yikes – what a welcome! But still, it’s an amazing place and one we’ll come back to some day….although next time I think we’ll take the “stage”.

Thanks for visiting; C’mon back!

A Christmas Story – In July

2010-07-30T16:51:00.002-04:00

Brenda and I finally had a chance to spend time together and decided to take a day to explore the Northeast Ohio area. Where, we thought, with our limited time, should we go? The Art Museum? Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Football Hall of Fame? No, we decided, we should visit someplace truly memorable, someplace meaningful and life altering…..and so we visited the home of the “old man”, Ralphie, and of course, the famous Leg Lamp.

The Christmas Story has always been a favorite movie of mine; after all, what male baby boomer didn’t lust for a multi-shot BB gun in their youth? The film connects in so many ways; the “double-dog dares”, decoder ring (mine was a “Captain Midnight Ovaltine decoder ring), and being from the Cleveland area, Christmas at Higbee’s. Brenda, like most women, doesn’t feel the connection, but face it, this is a story about guys and their guns, not one of those “heartwarming” family-is-reunited-isn’t-life-wonderful girly films. This film is more like “Young Rambo”.

The story of the house used for filming the movie is interesting. The director sent crews to scout out 19 locations throughout the midwest, places that would recreate the 40’s atmosphere and blue-collar neighborhood of the movie. Surprisingly, Cleveland was not on the list, but one crew, returning from another location, passed through the area in Cleveland known as the “Flats”, an area of steel mills bordered by working-class homes built in the 1920s. The director liked the area, and when approached, Higbee’s, the department store shown in the film, and a local antique auto club both agreed to provide support, and so the Cleveland location became the Hammond, Indiana of the story, and Higbee’s became “Goldblats’s” department store.

Equally interesting is the story of how the house became the restored movie location and museum, because if a young Annapolis Naval Academy graduate named Brian Jones hadn’t been eliminated from flight training, it never would have happened. Knowing how disappointed their son was because his dream of being a pilot wouldn’t come true, his parents, who knew of their son’s love of the movie, built and sent him a “major award” leg lamp, complete with wooden packing crate. After leaving the Navy, Jones augmented his income by building and selling leg lamps on Ebay, and when he learned that the original house was up for sale, he bought it, invested a great deal of money restoring the vacant, badly-maintained structure, and even bought the house across the street to become the museum and gift shop. Thanks to TNT Network’s 24-hour loop of the movie, thousands of fans have discovered the movie and visited the site – in fact, in August 2009, the house hosted it’s 100,000th visitor.

Driving through the neighborhood to the Christmas House takes you through an old but active residential area; a mix of restored and neglected homes and narrow streets. There’s no parking lot, so we found street parking a block away and walked on the cracked sidewalk, warily looking around in case Scut Farcus and his lackey Grover Dill were nearby. After getting our tickets at the gift shop, we assembled with others to hear the story of the film, and then entered hallowed ground……there, in all it’s glory, was the Major Award proudly displayed in the front window next to the tree. Everything in the house is as it was in the movie – down to the turkey in the oven (before being carried off by the evil Bumpus’ hounds). Upstairs, we walked through Raphie’s room, where Brenda tried on the Bunny Suit (quite fetching, isn’t she?), and viewed the bathroom with it’s supply of Lifebuoy soap bars for those moments of uncontrolled profanity. But the highlight of our visit to the house was meeting Ian Petrella, who played little brother Randy. Now 35 (yikes!), he’s spending time at the house this year, and we enjoyed talking to him about the movie (the “eat like a piggy” scene took three days to film).

Interesting trivia – for the scene where Ralphie’s classmate has his tongue stuck to the flagpole, the crew used a length of PVC pipe painted gray to look like metal. They drilled a small hole in the pipe at…um…tongue level, hooked up a vacuum pump, and when filmed, the vacuum held the tongue against the pole as if it was frozen.

Our last stop was at the gift shop, a veritable cornucopia of must-have memorabilia! We browsed through the knit caps, jackets, and even the bunny suits, marveled at the array of pictures, cards, and authentic Christmas Story jewelry, and even an authentic Red Rider Range Model 200-shot carbine with compass in the stock. Brenda couldn’t pass up the boxes of “Oh Fudge” (both walnut and plain) and bought one of each for her mother……but one entire wall was the holy grail of souvenirs, the home run of shopping…..the Major Awards! There were full sized ones, complete with wood packing crates, medium sized, small ones, and even dashboard models….Oh, the glory of it all, standing among these magnificent prizes! And then, came a moment which will always be remembered as the moment that Brenda confirmed her unconditional love for me, when she said in a quiet voice; “why don’t you go ahead and buy the desk-sized leg lamp for the front of the motorhome”. WHOO HOO! Fearing she might change her mind, I quickly pushed other shoppers aside, gently cradled the coveted box in my arms, and charged to the register. I drove home more cautiously than ever before that day, avoiding bumps, carefully turning corners, taking all the precautions due a Major Award. Finally home, the lamp quickly found it’s place of honor on our steering wheel table, where it cast it’s warming glow. Each night the road in front of our motor home is crowded with couples, who on their nightly walk, stop and gaze at my Major Award. The men, mouths gaping, green with envy as they look upon the lamp (the leg has it’s own light to better highlight the mesh stockings), their wives, shaking their heads and mouthing the words, “no”, “never”, and the all too often heard “don’t even think about it!”. All this while I, smile of satisfaction and knowledge of true love gained, gaze upon every man’s Major Award……ah, if only the “Old Man” was here to see it!

Thanks Brenda! YOU are truly my Major Award!

Thanks for stopping by, come back and see what new craziness we’re into!

From Our Travel Vault – Nova Scotia

2010-07-16T12:19:00.002-04:00

Before we became full timers, we were avid explorers, and even though we were still working, we took time each year to make a two-week “road trip”. For us, that meant packing up our Mazda Miata (one gym bag each of clothes, one cosmetic case for Brenda, one laundry bag, and a couple of rolls of quarters for the Laundromat), and hitting the road. We didn’t have the time to enjoy a leisurely pace like we do now, but we covered a lot of ground and saw so many incredible places – many that we’ve been back to and many that we plan to, especially the subject of this trip – beautiful Nova Scotia.

We visited Nova Scotia in the early summer, when the days were beginning to become comfortably warm and everything had turned green. Entering from New Brunswick, we were charmed by the visitor center – cheerfully painted like so many of the boats and homes we’d see as we toured the area. We stayed in Halifax, a large city with an interesting history and a waterfront full of great restaurants, shops, and museums. We visited the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, and were surprised to hear the story of the WWI Halifax Explosion, when two ships, one laden with explosives, collided in the harbor and caused the largest ever non-nuclear man-made explosion, killing over 1500 residents. The story of how Halifax was devastated is extraordinary, and you can read a great version here. In another area of the museum, we viewed a deckchair from the Titanic and learned that as the closest port to the sinking, over 200 recovered victims and their belongings were brought here, and that 150 are buried in the area. This is an amazing facility, and we hope to return when we can spend more time. Nearby is another one-of-a-kind facility, the museum of Canada’s immigration, Pier 21 . It was truly impressive – we never thought of immigration to North America other than through Ellis Island, yet 1.5 million men, women, and children came through this place on their way to a new life. Films, images, and exhibits bring to life what it must have like to have passed through these buildings – what a remarkable place!

While we enjoyed Halifax, touring the countryside is the real joy of visiting Nova Scotia. As you drive the coast highway, each turn takes you to another fishing village, with colorful boats and houses. The best way to describe it is that it looks like a living jigsaw puzzle. On the North coast, the Bay of Fundy produces incredible tides, up to 50 feet, and what looks like miles of mud flats in the morning becomes water-covered bay in the afternoon. Small lighthouses and great restaurants are everywhere on the coast, and we stopped to get Brenda a lobster here and there while I enjoyed the Digby Scallops. Everywhere we traveled, we found people to be friendly and helpful, a quality we didn’t always find in New Brunswick.

If you visit Nova Scotia, chances are you’ll journey to the area’s most photographed site, Peggy’s Cove. And for good reason. In spite of all of the tour busses and cars crowding the parking lots, it somehow remains what we all imagine is the ideal image of an North Atlantic fishing village. The lighthouse is perfect, the village picturesque, and in spite of all the people, the atmosphere is somehow relaxing. A truly magical place to visit.

We’ll be back soon, hopefully with some visits to local attractions, so stay with us & c’mon back!

Back in Ohio

2010-06-19T19:33:00.001-04:00

It’s been a while since I’ve had the time to update our blog; as you can imagine, we were busy with a sudden, unexpected departure from Oregon, a long drive back to Ohio, and now with caring for Brenda’s mom. Our sincere thanks to all of you who have passed us your good wishes, it’s been uplifting to her mom to hear of all those who she’s never met wishing her well. She’s doing better now that Brenda is with her around the clock, and even managed a trip out to our RV park to visit. It took all of my charm and a promise we’d go for pie to convince her to pose for this picture with Brenda and her brother, Ron.

Although we’re glad we’re able to be here to help out, we’ll miss the Oregon coast, the enjoyment of our volunteer duties, and most of all, the great people we met and had the opportunity to work with. On our last day before leaving, we spent time, on a beautiful day, at China Creek watching over a Western Snowy Plover on her nest and providing information to visitors. Walking the beach, I came across this lone sea star, watched a flight of Aleutian Cackling Geese fly overhead, and finally took a picture of Brenda at our Plover Host overlook. I think you’ll agree that it’s easy to see why we hope to return to the Oregon Coast some day.

We’ll be off the exploration trail for a while, but hope that soon we’ll be able to take some time exploring the area. Although we’re originally from the area, it’s been almost 40 years since we lived here and much has changed. Thanks again for staying with us and c’mon back and see what we’re up to!

A Change in Plans

2010-06-10T22:16:00.001-04:00

Sorry that we haven’t posted any updates – we’ve had a change of plans and have left Oregon and are on our way to Ohio. Brenda’s mom, who is 92, needs some help and we’re heading back to lend a hand for a while. We still have more news of Oregon, and will get back on line next week. Stay with us!

Puffins, Plovers, and Pinnipeds – Life on the Beach

2010-05-18T16:25:00.003-04:00

Wow, it’s been a month since the last blog and it seems like just yesterday that we arrived here. It’s been a busy time as we continued to learn about the area and work as wildlife interpreters for SEA and Oregon Parks. We recently finished up three days of “Habitrek”, a Parks program for fourth-grade students to teach them about the environment. We taught the students about Pinnipeds (seals and sea lions) using pictures, skulls, and other props. Our station was one of several scattered throughout the park – some of others were “beach art” (making art from beach trash), stream life, and a visit from a “mountain man”, complete with musket. It’s a great program that gets the kids out of the classroom and into the environment for a fun day. Lots more fun than my childhood field trips to Pymatuning reservoir to feed the giant carp.

On another day, we set up spotting scopes and helped visitors identify the wildlife on one the the area’s best ocean viewpoints, Coquille Point. From the overlook, you can see thousands of nesting Common Murres (cute little penquin-looking birds), Cormorants, and everyone’s favorite, the Tufted Puffin. There’s only one breeding pair visible on the rocks, and they’re the birds that people come to see. During our visit, they came out from their burrow, did a little dance and flew off for lunch, then returned and treated us to more dancing and some affectionate bill-touching. Then it was back into the burrow for the day. They’re fun to watch as they take off – sort of like a football with wings. They can’t glide, so they pump their wings furiously and look like they’re always in a hurry; but then, I guess they are!

One of our favorite places to watch wildlife is at the Simpson Reef overlook. Here, the rocks teem with Harbor Seals, California Sea Lions, Steller Sea Lions, and even an occasional Northern Elephant Seal. You can tell you’re getting near, even in a closed vehicle, by the loud barking of the California Sea Lions. This time of year there are hundreds of them on the rocks, piled on top of each other, walking over each other…..it’s a real party. The entire reef area is a constantly changing, noisy, and entertaining show – there’s even a resident immature Bald Eagle that hangs around drawing oohs and ahhs from the crowd. This is the time of year that Harbor Seals are “pupping”, and showing someone a mother and pup through the spotting scope is sure to result in “awwws” and smiles. The pups can swim almost immediately after being born, and we watched one mother bring her pup to the beach, and after a short rest, back to the rocks during an obvious swimming and fishing lesson.

Another of our volunteer jobs here is monitoring the protected area of the Western Snowy Plover, a threatened species that nests on a beach just south of town. We were given an orientation of the area, a pretty area of dunes and beach by one of the park naturalists, and even managed to see a breeding pair as we walked the beach. The Snowy Plovers numbers have been in decline alone the coast due to loss of habitat and human activity, and here the breeding area is protected by rope barriers, signs, and volunteers. Our job is to monitor beach activity, help people understand why the area is protected, and report any activity that may harm the nesting areas. Another tough job – sitting on the beach, listening to the crashing waves, eyes getting sleepy……..

It’s amazing the contrast between the coast and just a few miles inland. We spent some time driving inland and were amazed how quickly the landscape changes. In just a few miles, we were driving through a deep green tunnel, as the huge firs and Alders blocked the sun, and the ground was covered in ferns and brambles. We followed a bright blue river crashing down the mountains, and came across this pretty waterfall deep in the woods. Deep in the mountains, we were amazed at all of the old dairy farms, most of them abandoned, and the number of bright green meadows. This part of Oregon is truly amazing, and we’re looking forward to exploring more of the backroads.

We’ll be getting out and seeing the area a bit more as our schedule firms up, so c’mon back and visit!

Diggin’ in the Mud

2010-04-26T16:43:00.002-04:00

We’ve finished up most of our training, and are starting to get involved with some of the volunteer projects that the Shoreline Education for Awareness (SEA) and US Fish & Wildlife sponsor. This is the most diverse volunteer position we’ve been involved in; our training covered subjects such as whales, tidepools, shorebirds of the area, wetlands restoration, and our recent challenge – searching for invertebrates in the tidal flats.

We’re working with the “Shoreline Sisters”, two young ladies from USF&W who teach elementary school students about shorebirds. After four classes at their school, the students are bussed to the Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge where volunteers teach them to use spotting scopes to identify shorebirds, see them up close with a presentation from Free Flight, a bird rehabilitation center, and finally, a chance to get up close and personal with the creatures that shorebirds eat. One-third of the class at a time is giving instructions on how to use a shovel and what to look for, and with plastic tub and shovel in hand, off they go into the mud to look for treasures. It’s an interesting mix of personalities at this, the 5th-grade level; there are the “dive in and get muddy” kids, and the manicured young divas who aren’t too crazy about touching mud-encrusted worms and bugs. But after a while, even the divas dive in, the lure of unknown treasures finally winning out. Mostly they find Polychaetes, a bristly, squirmy worm, small clams, and isopods, small, many- legged little crustaceans. After a few discoveries and shouts of success, the digging becomes a contest, and soon all of the kids are poring through the mud trying to become the leader in critter-gathering. It’s great fun, although hard work, slogging through the mud and occasionally trying to pull a stuck student out of the cement-like goo (it’s always the BIG ones). The two young ladies of “Shoreline Sisters” are amazing – patient, upbeat, hard working – it’s a great program and hopefully the kids will grow up with an appreciation for the wildlife around them.

On Saturday, we picked up fellow volunteers Don and Betty and headed into Charleston to the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology and their “Aw Shucks” oyster feed. For a reasonable fee, we were served a cafeteria-style dinner of oysters (choice of breaded, sautéed, or barbequed) with side dishes and drinks. As you can see by the picture, Don and I enjoyed the oysters, while Betty and Brenda opted for hot dogs instead. Which of course proves once again that only real men eat oysters! We had to wonder though, since this was a “marine biology” school, if we were eating the leftover cadavers of oyster research…….but they were tasty!

This week we’ll spend some more time with the Shoreline Sisters and also spend time on an overlook showing folks the seals and sea lions. In between there’s lots in the area to explore, so c’mon back and visit!

Westward Ho!

2010-04-19T00:24:00.002-04:00

Leaving the Black Hills, we headed west, then south to connect with I-80. As we headed south on I-25, the snow-covered Bighorn Mountains graced the western horizon. Although it was cold, the sunny skies and beautiful scenery made for a nice drive in spite of the usual headwind. We spent the night in Casper, where we were one of only three RVs in the KOA, then continued on to join I-80. We spent the night (by ourselves) in a nice park in Fort Bridger, where the owner advised us to watch where we walked to avoid the moose droppings. If you’ve followed our travels, you know that the sight of anything moose-like energized Brenda, and she was at the windows with the binoculars throughout our stay. The next morning, after a mooseless night, I used Windex to clean her nose-prints from the windshield, and we headed off again.

The rest of our westbound trip was fairly uneventful, with stops at Wells and Sparks, Nevada, and Corning, California. While at Corning, the weather threatened to delay us again, as early in the morning I-5 was closed near the Oregon border due to heavy snow. The road was eventually opened, although heavy snow and a wet road made travel a bit sporty. It was beautiful, though, with pancake-sized flakes softly floating down onto the trees…..and windshield.

We finally arrived at our home for the summer at Bullards Beach State Park. One of the perks of volunteering is a free site with hookups, and we were given a prime place to park with lots of room. It’s good to be somewhere for a while, although we didn’t have much time to sit around since our delay took resulted in our arrival just prior to training for the wildlife interpreters. Our position here is a bit unusual; we actually work for the Shoreline Education for Awareness (SEA) organization, which is the “friends” group for the local US Fish & Wildlife refuge. We’ll be primarily spending our time on USF&W duties, but since we reside in the state park, we’ll also have projects to earn our site, primarily acting as Snowy Plover interpreters. In any case, our commitment is for 24 hours each per week, which leaves us a lot of time to explore the area…….and restaurants.

We’ve been busy with SEA activities on an overlook called Coquille Point, a magical place that overlooks the rugged rocks and coastline. It’s where we’ll spend time helping visitors see and understand the shorebirds and mammals that make the rocks home. The season kicked off with a “Puffin Party” to welcome back an amazing little bird, the Tufted Puffin. We helped set up spotting scopes and assist visitors hunting for a puffin, but we were “puffinless” as we watched gulls, murres, and even oystercatchers on the rocks. We did have a visit from some very large and happy birds – a giant puffin, oystercatcher, and murre (note the egg on the foot of the murre; like penguins, the males carry it around), and celebrated their arrival with brownies, cupcakes, and coffee. Suddenly a shout went up – a puffin! We quickly hit the scopes, and sure enough, there on the rocks was a lone Tufted Puffin, magnificent in breeding plumage and putting on a show for the crowd. He stayed long enough for everyone to get a look, then flew off to amaze others on the coast. They’re very rare here, and we feel fortunate to have seen one of these fascinating little birds.

After a while, we took down the scopes, packed up, and adjourned to a local restaurant for lunch and a much needed opportunity to sit and relax. We had a great time meeting our fellow out of state volunteers and the local volunteers who give so much time and effort to this program. For the next week we’ll be involved in seminars, field trips, and on-the-job training to prepare us for the summer. We’re having a ball – great people, interesting training, beautiful location; it doesn’t get much better than this! C’mon back and see how we’re doing.