Category Archives: RV Trip

Treasure Hunting and other Summer Stuff

Posted on by under Crazy Horse Monument, Hiking, RV Travels, RV Trip, Thrill of the Chase, West Yellowstone Park, Writing

We started off in the RV the beginning of June with plans to treasure hunt for Forrest Fenn’s treasure, visit our new great-grandson, attend a Tiffin rally and spend time on a dude ranch with the family. Alex, my step-son and Zoe, his finance, accompanied us on the first part of the trip. We managed to accomplish all that and more.

Our first stop was in Salt Lake City to visit our grandson, Kody, and his family, particularly the newest member of the family, our great-grandson. We are so fortunate to have them all in our lives! We stayed at the Salt Lake City KOA and it was very convenient.

The next stop was the dude ranch I had picked out, Gros Ventre River Ranch, near Jackson Hole, WY, with spectacular views of the Tetons. We met the rest of the family there and what a fabulous place it turned out to be. Besides looking at the stunning views, we went horseback riding, fishing and just had a spectacular time. This is a place for a once in a lifetime trip. We made such great memories and it could not have been a more beautiful place with the best staff we have ever encountered! Oh yes, Thanks to King and Kristen, we had a few Moscow Mules.

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Next, continuing our five year long search for “The Thrill of the Chase” treasure, we parked at Hebgen Lake near West Yellowstone. As usual, I felt I knew just where the treasure was, so we spent two whole days looking for it. We mostly looked along the Madison river just below Hebgen Lake. If you know the poem with the clues … I decided that “begin where warm waters halt” was the entrance to Yellowstone, only going out, not in. We began there and then “put in” below the house of brown. (Hebgen Lake full of brown trout) Needless to say, we did not find “the blaze”, which will point you to the treasure. We might have missed it by not crossing the Madison and looking where a lot of big rocks are beneath a white “blaze” in the mountain above. (See photo!) Of course the girls, Gypsy and Bella led the pack and we had a fabulous time looking. We even went to Ghost Road and then Quake Lake, where an earthquake moved mountains and buildings  on August 17, 1959. It measured 7.5 on the Richter scale and killed 28 people. You can still see cabins that were moved to the river along Ghost Road. IMG_3963

Bella dn Bella and Gypsy leading the pack
Madison River

The next day we looked just outside the West gate. Following “the canyon down – Canyon Street”, we put in just below the museum of bears and wolves “house of brown” and looked for a blaze. We saw a radio tower and headed for it. Again … no luck, but then that would have been too easy.IMG_3985

Off to the Tiffin Rally in Gillette Wyoming, where we met a lot of great people, particularly the group from the “Lucky Seven”. During the rally, we took a day trip to Devil’s Tower with new friends of ours, Stuart and Delores. You might remember Devils Tower from “Close Encounters of a Third Kind”. There is a 1.3 mile path around it which makes a great little hike. After that, we saw a sign for Sundance and decided to check it out. It is a very small town and one of the main attractions is a statue of the Sundance Kid, sitting on a bench in front of the jail. Couldn’t resist the obligatory photo! Robert Redford just missed us!

 

When the rally was finished, we decided to take a different way home and see Crazy Horse Monument. It is very near Mt. Rushmore and is actually larger, with a wonderful museum displaying beautiful Indian artifacts, clothing and art. There is lots of parking, so we just parked the RV and tow car in the lot. It was a good thing we got there early though, as it was crowed when we left around noon. Charge for the monument was $11.00 per person and parking was free.

The long road home took us through a bit of Nebraska and a lot of Colorado. Eastern Colorado has some of the worst roads we have encountered, but the road through western Colorado was stunning. All and all, it was a jam-packed fun month!!

BUFFALO WINGS AND THUNDERING FALLS

Posted on by under Epic Road Trip, Niagara Falls, RV, RV Travels, RV Trip

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Arriving in Buffalo, we pulled into the KOA on Grand Island.  What a great camping spot with ponds, a lease-free dog park, and a little creek running through the camp.  After two days of regrouping, we took a short trip to downtown Buffalo to see the new Canalside Park.  It is a redevelopment area next to the Military Remembrance Park.  It was hot, but we managed to cool down with a few minutes sitting in the shade and a beer. The next day we took the RV in to get the back air conditioner repaired.  While it was being worked on we went to Lewistown.

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Lewiston is a historical village and the site of the first European settlement in Western New York.  It was also the site from which the US invaded Canada in the first major battle of the War of 1812.  It sits just across the Niagara River from Canada.  We spoke to the Harbor Master there, who told us they have a couple of people a week try to cross over to the US from Canada every week.  You could almost throw a rock across the river it is so close. In fact, it is also an area where slaves were ferried over to Canada so they could be free.  A lot of history for a small town.

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Pointing the way to freedom

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We retrieved the RV and got ready to meet our good friends, Jim and Joanne, at their hotel for dinner at the Left Bank restaurant downtown Buffalo.  The next morning my cousins, Darlene and Rick, from Scarborough, Ontario, Canada joined us at the KOA. Jim and Joanne joined all of us for a sightseeing tour of the American side of the Falls, led by Rick, who seems to know every road in the nation!  We also saw the Whirlpool where the river has currents that can take you 150 feet under in a second.  That night we had a BBQ at our RV in perfect weather.

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The next day Rick took us to the Canadian side of Niagara, where we saw the US and Canadian falls, and the view is much more magnificent.  Then we drove to Niagara On The Lake for lunch.  This quaint, British style, town has so many beautiful flowers on the streets and near the stores and restaurants, you would think you were in a magnificent garden.  There were horse and carriages on the streets and old buildings with ornate facades from another century.  It was just beautiful.

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That night we went to the Anchor Bar for Buffalo Wings.  This restaurant was started by a family and still is owned by the same family.  One night the kids came in late with some friends and wanted something to eat.  Mom had some leftover wings so she fried them up, added some spicy sauce and Voila, Buffalo Wings were born.

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Sunday we took the morning Bedore tour of the American Falls.  Our first stop was back at the whirlpool and then we went to the Cave of the Winds.  What an experience.  You wear a poncho and traverse stairs until you are right next to the falls with the water cascading down and the wind carrying the water over you until you are drenched.  It was hilarious and so much fun!  We then went on the Maid of the Mist boat that takes you right next to the falls.  We of course wore the fashionable ponchos again to keep us sort of dry. It was very exciting as the falls thundered down above us.  You can’t imagine the power of the water and the thunderous noise unless you actually experience it.

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We were sorry to see Rick and Darlene leave that afternoon. That evening we took the tour to the Canadian side and went on the Journey Behind the Falls.  You take an elevator down about 150 feet and traverse a tunnel under the falls until you can see out a cave to the falls from the inside.  You can also go to a viewing station to get up close to the falls again.  Not quite as exciting as the morning, but great too. Then we drove to the Flower Clock and the Canadian Hydroelectric power station.  The hydroelectric power dam is not a large as Hoover Dam, but generates more electricity.

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After dark we went up the Skylon Tower to view the falls with the lights on them, and then to a parking spot to see the fireworks over the falls.  Both were exquisite.

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The next day we had lunch with Jim and Joanne before they left for Las Vegas.  Now we are getting ready to travel to Maine over the next couple of days. We are looking forward to visiting Bar Harbor before we travel down to Portland to meet up with Scott and Donna, who are making their way across country right now.  Stay tuned!

VANCOUVER TO HYDER ALASKA AND FOOD STAMP THE 500 POUND GRIZZLY

Posted on by under Alaska, British Columbia, Epic Road Trip, RV Travels, RV Trip

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Sorry to have been so long, but we do not have the availability of internet everywhere. And when there is you can’t count on it. Beginning our journey from Vancouver we decided to take the Cassiar Highway towards Fairbanks and Anchorage rather than the usual trail beginning in Dawson Creek.  We were told this is a spectacular highway and so far it has proven to be true.  It has been one beautiful scene after another.Williams Lake Stampede Grounds was our first stop after Vancouver. They have an annual stampede there in June. Lennard was thinking he could get a job there in the cow chute. From there we went to Prince George and stayed at Mama Yeh Campgrounds outside town in the woods. That’s where we learned if you even dare to step outside without mosquito protection, you will be attacked in seconds. We have the ankle bites to prove.it. After a day of reorganizing and going to Walmart, and some Tim Horton coffee, we headed for Ksan RV Park in Hazelton, with spectacular views of the Kitwanga Mountains.P1000310 - Copy

The next day we began our journey on the beautiful, spectacular Cassiar Highway 37 through the Cassiar Mountains to Alaska. We took the 37A cutoff towards Hyder, Alaska as an extra stop. P1000314The drive was one of the most beautiful we have ever seen. Every turn was a new and breathtaking vista. We made a pit stop at Bear Glacier to take photos. P1000343 P1000346And… We saw a black bear on the highway. He just watched us drive by. As we neared the border, I got the passports out to cross the border and there was no border stop going into Hyder. What??? There was coming back into British Columbia.

Hyder is a town of 87 people with one general store, run by Wes who was super friendly, a post office, two bars, no police, no taxes and NO gas station. There also is no cell service for 280 miles. We parked at Camp Run-A-Muck for two days we liked it so much. The local 500 pound Grizzly Bear is called Food Stamp. Fortunately we did not meet him.P1000399

On the first night we had dinner at the “bus”, (an old school bus made into a restaurant) where Diana cooked fresh halibut her husband caught. It was delicious and we sat outside on school bus seats. It rained while we were having dinner which just added to the atmosphere under the awning. Diana and her husband married about 36 years ago after a whirlwind 17 day courtship. Then he brought her to Hyder!IMG_0397 IMG_2090

After dinner we drove to the bear viewing station outside town on the Salmon River, but it was too early in the season for the running of the salmon.

The next day we took the beautiful, but terrifying (for me anyway) drive up the mountain to Salmon Glacier. I finally refused to go any further and the road was even worse after I got out of the car. Lennard got caught in fog at the top, and I was standing on the road waiting with Bella and Gypsy all alone thinking “Isn’t this bear country?” We got the boxing gloves out after that. So far that is probably the stupidest thing we have done. By the way, Salmon Glacier is the fifth largest glacier in British Columbia.P1000381 P1000392

That evening Lennard got Hyderized at the local Glacier Bar. That means you drink a shot of 150 proof moonshine. If you can’t drink it, you buy everyone a drink. He made it of course. Dave, one of the locals, was sitting next to me and it was his birthday, so Lennard bought him a drink anyway!IMG_0394 IMG_0401 IMG_0410

Later we met Sam and Ben and their friend George at out camp site. They are moving from Fairbanks to Arizona. Some local gentlemen and ladies showed up with guitars and a drum and we had a campfire jam-fest till almost midnight. Hyder is one of the most unusual places I have ever seen. Gorgeous scenery, local characters and NO traffic. Counting the people we met while there, bar tender, Diana and husband, Wes, Sullie (our RV host), David, and the young people at the campfire, we now know about 1/5th of the town. If you ever get the chance to go, don’t miss it.P1000377 P1000376

OH LORD, STUCK IN LODI AGAIN

Posted on by under Epic Road Trip, RV Trip, Sacramento

King and Kristen plus us 2For those of you who are old enough to remember, Credence Clearwater recorded this song in 1969.  Well, things have changed since then and Lodi is a bustling agricultural town that mostly grows grapes and produces wine.  We parked in Flag City RV Park, which was nice and clean with good sized pull through spaces.  We have learned that pull through is a good deal for us.  RV DriverParticularly if this one is driving.

My brother, King and his lovely wife, Kristen came over for BBQ.  King is a professional expert at it, so he taught Lennard a few things.  (Like how to turn it on)  We had a great evening talking, laughing and sharing stories.

The next day we went to visit the cemetery where my father is…Beautiful spot.  That night we met King and Kristen in Old Sacramento.  It’s a state historical park with about 50 old buildings from the Gold Rush era around 1850.  Great place with lots of good restaurants and located on the Sacramento River.  We had appetizers and then moved on to dinner at the Ten22.  Great pizza and salad right from the nearby farms.

On Friday we decided to try to do laundry.  Actually it turned out good.  Then, off to Walmart for important supplies like a sewer hose cradle.  If you are an RVer, you will know this is important to keep the “flow” going easily.  Lunch was at a dog friendly Panera Bread for Tuscan salad and Quinoa soup, and then we stopped at the Michael David Winery for wine tasting.  It was fun, but why do they charge more for the wine at the source than they do in the store or at Costco?  Doesn’t make sense.  We got a nice bottle of Earthquake Petite Syrah for King and Kristen. Dinner was at their home and KIng made a great BBQ of beer can chicken, ribs and shrimp, along with a fabulous rice salad.  We were very grateful for the time they spent with us and look forward to more times with them in Las Vegas.  All in all, we had a great time there.

Today we traveled to Willits, CA. via the 20 and it was a learning experience for Lennard.Not too bad, but it was a winding road.  Willits is the gateway to the giant redwoods, which we should begin seeing tomorrow.  Staying in a KOA campground tonight with a lot of families.  The dogs are happy!

FUN IN FRESNO CALIFORNIA

Posted on by under Epic Road Trip, RV Trip, Tiffin

So to those of you who have bets on how far we are going to make it, we have made it to Fresno Ca.  No major problems, but we did have a couple of “tense” moments when we got lost in Costco parking lot.  Lennard almost took out a light pole getting out.  Just part of the overall experience!.

After driving through Barstow, we took the 58 through windmill country.  We should all have windmills generating electricity. Edwards Air Force Base is a place we have been before with the Corvette club to see the airplanes on display there.  Thanks to all the military men and women out there protecting us.

The first night was spent in Bakersfield in a nice RV park.  Tonight we are at Millerton Lake State Park just outside Fresno California. It is beautiful here and there is hardly anyone in the park so it is quiet, except for us of course. We will be hooking up with my high school girlfriend, Linda, tomorrow night and visit with her and her mom, Ruby, now 98 years young.

It is $38.00 to park here with a hook up.  And…another ten for the tow vehicle.  Quite expensive really.  But, it is lovely.   We almost lost one of the girls (Gypsy) when a BIG hawk came swooping down over her and gave her the onceover like she would be a good dinner.  Bella was under my feet, so she was safe.

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I’m sharing some photos just before we took off and at our two nights stays so far.

We are missing you all already!!