#27 We left Hazen, ND & drove to Shadehill Reservoir SRA. This is a very nice campground with electric hookups. Near here in 1824 Hugh Glass, a fur trapper, was mauled by a grizzley bear & a few days later was left by the 2 men who were supposed to stay with him until he died & bury him. Glass came out of his coma & began to crawl the 200 miles to Fort Kiowa. He crawled most to the way because his leg was broken by the bear. There is a monument on a hill overlooking the reservoir.
From Shadehill we went to Hart Ranch RV Resort near Rapid City, SD. This resort is part of the RPI system & a great resort. We spent a week here. During the week we went into town to one of our favorite restaurants, the Golden Corral. Also, we went to the Geology Museum at the University of South Dakota.
On Oct 14, we left Hart Ranch & went to Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming. We spent 2 nights at the campground & took the hike around the tower. We were really impressed by this geologic wonder, it is quite spectacular. As we were going back to our car after our hike we saw some rock climbers leaving the parking lot. When we got back to our coach in the campground we were able to watch the climbers scale the side of the tower to the top. By the time they reached the top it was nearly dark so we suppose they stayed on top of the tower for the night. That night there were high winds & some rain so the climbers couldn't have been very comfortable on the top.
The next day we continued to Casper to spend the night in an rv park near the freeway & railroad. Not to pleasant. We then went to Lander, WY. The road from Casper to Lander follows the Oregon Trail. We stopped at several spots marking landmarks on the Trail. Interesting to see places we have read about since we were children to say nothing of recognizing places from playing "Oregon Trail" on the computer in the past. After we left Lander, we went through South Pass & could really see the advantage when compared with the rugged Wind River Range visible to the north.
This brought us to Fort Bridger. Another place I wanted to see after reading about it for many years. The rv park was next door to the restored military fort and in the back was the restored fort that Jim Bridger & his partner built & ran as a supply station along the Oregon Trail.
Wayne & Barbara have "Gone Walkabout"
#26 On Oct 1 we left Mike & Karen & continued our walkbout. That night we stopped at the campground at Fort Peck dam run by the Corps of Engineers. This was our first stay at a COE campground & we were plesantly surprised at the spacious sites. The sites were long & level & their was a lot of room between them. As it was after Labor Day there were many open sites to choose from. This campground is at Fort Peck Lake on the Missouri River & I imagine it is very busy during the summer.
The next day we drove into the NW corner of North Dakota. At Williston & Watford City we were surprised at all of the bustling activity with all kinds of trucks going in every direction. This is an oil boom area with oil wells sprouting up everywhere because of the fracking activity on private lands. There are many trailer parks & modular dormitory housing areas for the workers. We understand that anyone willing to work can get a job in this area. Even with all the well sites going up in many fields the work is being done in a very systematic manner & everything looks very orderly except for the dust & mud. Many of the small towns we passed were enjoying the boom. Because of the increase in revenues the small towns are improving or replacing streets, sidewalks & curbing as well as sewer systems. It was very encouraging to see all of this activity when you compare it to other parts of the country.
Our stop on Oct 2 was at Theodore Roosevelt National Park North Unit. This is a nice campground & the first night there we were one of about 6 rigs in the campground. The next day we visited the Visitors Center & drove through the park. It was rainy in the morning & in the early afternoon the rain turned to snow. But by late afternoon the weather warmed & it turned back to rain & washed off the snow. That night we were the only ones in the campground.
Oct 4 we drove to Hazen, ND and stayed at the city RV park on the edge of town. The next day we drove the 30 miles to the restored Fort Mandan near where Lewis & Clark spent the first winter of their journey across the continent. The young men who gave the talk at both the Visitor Center & the fort were very knowledgable & gave us lots of information about the Corps of Discovery. As we had driven across ND we had seen several large industrial plants & when we asked about them we were told that they were processing plants for coal. They are strip mining for coal & processing it into natural gas that is then put in pipelines & sent to the eastern US for power production & heat.
The young man telling us about it was very proud of his state & how they were able to do all of this without federal interference because it was on state & private land. At current consumption rates it is estimated that the coal will last for 800 years. All of this oil, coal & natural gas production is taking place with very little pollution. Shows what can happen if you keep the federal government regulators out of things they know nothing about.
The next day we drove into the NW corner of North Dakota. At Williston & Watford City we were surprised at all of the bustling activity with all kinds of trucks going in every direction. This is an oil boom area with oil wells sprouting up everywhere because of the fracking activity on private lands. There are many trailer parks & modular dormitory housing areas for the workers. We understand that anyone willing to work can get a job in this area. Even with all the well sites going up in many fields the work is being done in a very systematic manner & everything looks very orderly except for the dust & mud. Many of the small towns we passed were enjoying the boom. Because of the increase in revenues the small towns are improving or replacing streets, sidewalks & curbing as well as sewer systems. It was very encouraging to see all of this activity when you compare it to other parts of the country.
Our stop on Oct 2 was at Theodore Roosevelt National Park North Unit. This is a nice campground & the first night there we were one of about 6 rigs in the campground. The next day we visited the Visitors Center & drove through the park. It was rainy in the morning & in the early afternoon the rain turned to snow. But by late afternoon the weather warmed & it turned back to rain & washed off the snow. That night we were the only ones in the campground.
Oct 4 we drove to Hazen, ND and stayed at the city RV park on the edge of town. The next day we drove the 30 miles to the restored Fort Mandan near where Lewis & Clark spent the first winter of their journey across the continent. The young men who gave the talk at both the Visitor Center & the fort were very knowledgable & gave us lots of information about the Corps of Discovery. As we had driven across ND we had seen several large industrial plants & when we asked about them we were told that they were processing plants for coal. They are strip mining for coal & processing it into natural gas that is then put in pipelines & sent to the eastern US for power production & heat.
The young man telling us about it was very proud of his state & how they were able to do all of this without federal interference because it was on state & private land. At current consumption rates it is estimated that the coal will last for 800 years. All of this oil, coal & natural gas production is taking place with very little pollution. Shows what can happen if you keep the federal government regulators out of things they know nothing about.
#25 After going to Logan Pass, stopping at the many pullouts to view the scenery, we took many pictures. The smoke was not as heavy as at West Glacier but still very noticeable. Next we drove up to the Many Glacier entrance & drove up to the lodge & looked around. That night the wind came up & it got colder. During the night we had some rain. The next morning the smoke was gone but had been replaced by low clouds.
Sept 26 we drove to Havre, MT & setup at Evergreen RV Campground. We got together with Mike & Karen, our son & daughter inlaw, for dinner. We invited them out to our 5th wheel on the following day for dinner as Karen had not seen our coach before. Barbara fixed a very tasty pork loin with all the trimmings that we all enjoyed. The next day Barbara came down with a bad cold & was out of action for 2 days.
Mike & I wanted to drive out to the Bearpaw National Historic Site to view where Chief Joseph & many of the Nez Perce tribe surrendered to Col. Miles in command of the 7th Cavalry & the 5th Infantry. Since Mike was working graveyard shift & not getting home until 7:30 AM, I ended up driving out to the site by myself & walking the mile interpretive loop.
On our last evening in Havre we again met Mike & Karen in town for dinner then they showed us their apartment. Their apartment building is converted from the old hospital. They have one of the larger apartments. It used to be one of the chapels in the hospital. Karen said it was kind of creepy going to the laundry room in the basement. It use to be the morgue.
Sept 26 we drove to Havre, MT & setup at Evergreen RV Campground. We got together with Mike & Karen, our son & daughter inlaw, for dinner. We invited them out to our 5th wheel on the following day for dinner as Karen had not seen our coach before. Barbara fixed a very tasty pork loin with all the trimmings that we all enjoyed. The next day Barbara came down with a bad cold & was out of action for 2 days.
Mike & I wanted to drive out to the Bearpaw National Historic Site to view where Chief Joseph & many of the Nez Perce tribe surrendered to Col. Miles in command of the 7th Cavalry & the 5th Infantry. Since Mike was working graveyard shift & not getting home until 7:30 AM, I ended up driving out to the site by myself & walking the mile interpretive loop.
On our last evening in Havre we again met Mike & Karen in town for dinner then they showed us their apartment. Their apartment building is converted from the old hospital. They have one of the larger apartments. It used to be one of the chapels in the hospital. Karen said it was kind of creepy going to the laundry room in the basement. It use to be the morgue.
#24 We left Bend/Sunriver TTN on Sept 11 with plans to stop north of Goldendale, WA at a commercial campground. Unfortunately when we got to our destination we found that they had closed of the year. We did a quick look in our Woodall's Campground Directory & found another campground 50 miles further up the road at Toppenish, WA. This was at the Yakama Nation RV Park. They have a very nice park & cultural center. We will stay there again if we go that direction in the future.
The next day we continued our travels to Soap Lake RV Park. This is an RPI park on the shore of Soap Lake, WA. This lake has been used as medicinal spa since the Indians first came here thousands of years ago. We stayed from Sept 12 - Sept 15. The sky was very smoking from wildfires in Oregon & Washington.
When we left Soap Lake we stopped at Dry Falls State Park & marvelled at the cliffs where water from Ice Age melt produced a series of water falls much larger than Niagara Falls.
We continued our trip to Little Diamond TTN near Newport, WA where we stayed until Sept 21. The last time we were at this park 5 or 6 years ago, Barbara saw a mountain lion cross the road from one area of the park going to another area. About the only wildlife we saw this time were deer & a very determined ground squirrel whose job starting about 6:30 AM was to get up in the fir trees that lined our site & begin dropping small very hard fir cones on our 5th wheel roof that resulted in a loud BANG over our bed.
On Sept 21, we drove to Libby, MT where we stayed at the Two Bit Outfit RV Park. This is a nice park in a level open grassy field. We will stay here again if ever coming through.
We left the next day & drove to West Glacier, MT & found a site in the campground in Glacier National Park. The campground is near the shore of Lake McDonald. Lake McDonald is very senic, unfortunately the smoke was very heavy from the Wildfires behind us & there were also some big fires near Flathead Lake that were also contributing to the smoke in the air. We arrtived at West Glacier on Sept 22 and on the 23 looked around as best we could. The Going to the Sun Road that connects West Glacier & East Glacier was closed not far past the Lake McDonald Lodge to Logan Pass.
On Sept 24 we drove to the St. Mary entrance on the east side of Glacier National Park &camped in their campground. The next day we visited the the nearby Visitor Center then drove up to Logan Pass Visitor Center. Along the way we saw a group of cars pulled off the road with people looking out into the field next to the road. Of course we had to stop & see what was going on. Not far from the road was a large male grizzly bear. As we watched he walked awsay from the road down toward St Mary Lake. A man told us that a little farther up the road a female grizzly & 2 cubs had spent most of the day eating berries on an open hillside not far from the road. We proceeded to that location & were able to observe these bears as well.
The next day we continued our travels to Soap Lake RV Park. This is an RPI park on the shore of Soap Lake, WA. This lake has been used as medicinal spa since the Indians first came here thousands of years ago. We stayed from Sept 12 - Sept 15. The sky was very smoking from wildfires in Oregon & Washington.
When we left Soap Lake we stopped at Dry Falls State Park & marvelled at the cliffs where water from Ice Age melt produced a series of water falls much larger than Niagara Falls.
We continued our trip to Little Diamond TTN near Newport, WA where we stayed until Sept 21. The last time we were at this park 5 or 6 years ago, Barbara saw a mountain lion cross the road from one area of the park going to another area. About the only wildlife we saw this time were deer & a very determined ground squirrel whose job starting about 6:30 AM was to get up in the fir trees that lined our site & begin dropping small very hard fir cones on our 5th wheel roof that resulted in a loud BANG over our bed.
On Sept 21, we drove to Libby, MT where we stayed at the Two Bit Outfit RV Park. This is a nice park in a level open grassy field. We will stay here again if ever coming through.
We left the next day & drove to West Glacier, MT & found a site in the campground in Glacier National Park. The campground is near the shore of Lake McDonald. Lake McDonald is very senic, unfortunately the smoke was very heavy from the Wildfires behind us & there were also some big fires near Flathead Lake that were also contributing to the smoke in the air. We arrtived at West Glacier on Sept 22 and on the 23 looked around as best we could. The Going to the Sun Road that connects West Glacier & East Glacier was closed not far past the Lake McDonald Lodge to Logan Pass.
On Sept 24 we drove to the St. Mary entrance on the east side of Glacier National Park &camped in their campground. The next day we visited the the nearby Visitor Center then drove up to Logan Pass Visitor Center. Along the way we saw a group of cars pulled off the road with people looking out into the field next to the road. Of course we had to stop & see what was going on. Not far from the road was a large male grizzly bear. As we watched he walked awsay from the road down toward St Mary Lake. A man told us that a little farther up the road a female grizzly & 2 cubs had spent most of the day eating berries on an open hillside not far from the road. We proceeded to that location & were able to observe these bears as well.
#23 We left Lake Minden TTN on schedule & drove to Lake Shastina, CA out of Weed, CA. We had a pleasant stay then went on to Mountain Man RV Park in Cave Junction, OR to see Marie & Bill. We ended up spending over a month at Mountain Man. We had a nice time visiting & catching up on family news with Marie & Bill.
While we were there our son Mike called to say he was getting married in Las Vegas, NV & they would like us to attend. Most of his bride Karen's family live in Las Vegas & as they were planning a family reunion anyway, why not throw in a wedding. Barb, me & Benji made the trip to Vegas & met our granddaughter Simone & her boyfriend Shawn at the wedding chapel for the ceremony. This was the second marriage for both Mike & Karen. Karen's family had a very nice get together & an excellent meal after the wedding at one of Karen's sister's home. These folks know how to put on a meal. Mike is a lucky guy.
When we got back to Cave Junction we spent a few more days then went to Bend/ Sunriver TTN. This is one of our favorite preserves in the TTN system. We have met up with people we have played pickleball with at other places & enjoyed playing some more pickleball.
We also went into Bend & did another Segway tour of the historic Old Mill District. We really enjoy these Segway rides.
While we were there our son Mike called to say he was getting married in Las Vegas, NV & they would like us to attend. Most of his bride Karen's family live in Las Vegas & as they were planning a family reunion anyway, why not throw in a wedding. Barb, me & Benji made the trip to Vegas & met our granddaughter Simone & her boyfriend Shawn at the wedding chapel for the ceremony. This was the second marriage for both Mike & Karen. Karen's family had a very nice get together & an excellent meal after the wedding at one of Karen's sister's home. These folks know how to put on a meal. Mike is a lucky guy.
When we got back to Cave Junction we spent a few more days then went to Bend/ Sunriver TTN. This is one of our favorite preserves in the TTN system. We have met up with people we have played pickleball with at other places & enjoyed playing some more pickleball.
We also went into Bend & did another Segway tour of the historic Old Mill District. We really enjoy these Segway rides.
#22 We went to the Superstition Mountain Museum where I bought a new native american flute. This was also a movie & tv set for many of the westerns back in the 60's.
Another day we drove over to Globe & looked around the Besh Ba Gowan ruins. This was a Salada Indians community. If you would like to see some pictures let us know.
From Mesa we drove to Oracle, AZ & took a tour of the Biosphere. Along the way we came by the Tom Mix Memorial. The cowboy actor died in an auto accident here.
After the Biosphere we went to Huachuca City & spent a week at Quailridge RV Park, an RPI Park.
From here we went to Tombstone & toured the historic courthouse & saw a reenactment of the shootout at the OK corral.
Another day we drove to Karchner Caverns & took one of the tours.
We drove to Patagonia, AZ & visited the factory where both of my flutes were made. Had to buy a pocket flute while we were there.
From Huachuca City we went to Benson, AZ & spent a week at Valley Vista RV Park, another RPI.
While there we visited the Rex Allen Museum in Willcox, AZ, Fort Bowie, Chiricahua National Monument & Chochise's Stronghold. All were well worth the time.
From Benson we went to Casa Grande, AZ & stayed at Fiesta Grande RV Resort, an Encore property. We visited the Casa Grande National Monument in Coolidge, AZ. This was a Hohokam settlement & is very interesting. The Hohokam, here & in the Tucson area, the Salada at Globe, & the Sinagua near Cottonwood were all prospering at about the same time.
From Casa Grande we went back to Verde Valley TTN. We played some pickleball & went on the Verde Canyon Railroad ride from Clarksdale to Perkinsville & back.
When we left Verde Valley TTN we stopped for the night at the KOA in Seligman, AZ. Nice campground, near the railroad tracks but they do not whistle any crossings. I guess tracks are above the streets.
The next day we arrived at the Las Vegas TTN. We were not impressed by the facility. RV sites are very close to each other & the ambulance & police sirens are heard throughout the day & night. We went back to Hoover Dam & walked up to the walkway on the new bypass bridge. Again, we have some nice pictures, if you would like us to send them to you let us know.
After a week at Las Vegas we moved to Charleston Peak RV Park in Pahrump, NV. We had a really nice site with our rear picture window looking out to Charleston Peak.
From Pahrump we headed north & spent one night at Tonapah where the temperature was around freezing, elevation is 6000 ft. My parents were married in Tonapah in 1940. My Mom graduated from HS in Etna, CA & my Dad was working in a mine in Tonapah with his brother Chet & several other guys from Scott Valley.
After Tonapah we went to Walker Lake, NV. This is a very beautiful lake & the BLM campground is a no frills dry camp but you cannot beat the views anywhere. A very restful stop.
From Walker Lake we went to the Desert Rose RV Park in Fernley, NV. This is a very nice commercial park next to Hwy 50.
We then drove over the Sierras & took Hwy 20 to Lake of the Springs TTN. We had a nice stay & were there when the swimming pool opened for the season.
We have gone from Lake of the Springs to Lake Minden TTN. We will be here until June 12 & while here we will see our doctors for our yearly checkups. Memorial Day weather was great.
Maybe next weekend we will see Lindsay & Simone, our granddaughters.
We have lots of pictures of these events & stops, if you are interested let us know & we will send them.
From Mesa we drove to Oracle, AZ & took a tour of the Biosphere. Along the way we came by the Tom Mix Memorial. The cowboy actor died in an auto accident here.
After the Biosphere we went to Huachuca City & spent a week at Quailridge RV Park, an RPI Park.
From here we went to Tombstone & toured the historic courthouse & saw a reenactment of the shootout at the OK corral.
Another day we drove to Karchner Caverns & took one of the tours.
We drove to Patagonia, AZ & visited the factory where both of my flutes were made. Had to buy a pocket flute while we were there.
From Huachuca City we went to Benson, AZ & spent a week at Valley Vista RV Park, another RPI.
While there we visited the Rex Allen Museum in Willcox, AZ, Fort Bowie, Chiricahua National Monument & Chochise's Stronghold. All were well worth the time.
From Benson we went to Casa Grande, AZ & stayed at Fiesta Grande RV Resort, an Encore property. We visited the Casa Grande National Monument in Coolidge, AZ. This was a Hohokam settlement & is very interesting. The Hohokam, here & in the Tucson area, the Salada at Globe, & the Sinagua near Cottonwood were all prospering at about the same time.
From Casa Grande we went back to Verde Valley TTN. We played some pickleball & went on the Verde Canyon Railroad ride from Clarksdale to Perkinsville & back.
When we left Verde Valley TTN we stopped for the night at the KOA in Seligman, AZ. Nice campground, near the railroad tracks but they do not whistle any crossings. I guess tracks are above the streets.
The next day we arrived at the Las Vegas TTN. We were not impressed by the facility. RV sites are very close to each other & the ambulance & police sirens are heard throughout the day & night. We went back to Hoover Dam & walked up to the walkway on the new bypass bridge. Again, we have some nice pictures, if you would like us to send them to you let us know.
After a week at Las Vegas we moved to Charleston Peak RV Park in Pahrump, NV. We had a really nice site with our rear picture window looking out to Charleston Peak.
From Pahrump we headed north & spent one night at Tonapah where the temperature was around freezing, elevation is 6000 ft. My parents were married in Tonapah in 1940. My Mom graduated from HS in Etna, CA & my Dad was working in a mine in Tonapah with his brother Chet & several other guys from Scott Valley.
After Tonapah we went to Walker Lake, NV. This is a very beautiful lake & the BLM campground is a no frills dry camp but you cannot beat the views anywhere. A very restful stop.
From Walker Lake we went to the Desert Rose RV Park in Fernley, NV. This is a very nice commercial park next to Hwy 50.
We then drove over the Sierras & took Hwy 20 to Lake of the Springs TTN. We had a nice stay & were there when the swimming pool opened for the season.
We have gone from Lake of the Springs to Lake Minden TTN. We will be here until June 12 & while here we will see our doctors for our yearly checkups. Memorial Day weather was great.
Maybe next weekend we will see Lindsay & Simone, our granddaughters.
We have lots of pictures of these events & stops, if you are interested let us know & we will send them.
#22 We drove from Desert Vista to Verde Valley TTN at Cottonwood, AZ. Barbara drove the truck & followed me part of the way to give her a feel of the new rig.
We stayed at Verde Valley for 3 weeks.
Next we went to Mesa, AZ & stayed at Viewpoint RV Resort for a week.
While there we went to Lost Dutchman State Park & did a short walk on one of the hiking trails to the Superstition Mountains.
We stayed at Verde Valley for 3 weeks.
Next we went to Mesa, AZ & stayed at Viewpoint RV Resort for a week.
#20, We left Pio Pico TTN & drove to Winterhaven, CA. We stayed at Pilot Knob RV Resort from Jan 17- Jan 20. While we were there we went out to the ghost town of Tumco. Interesting history but not much left to see. Going out & coming back to the rv park we did some geocaching. This resort is part of the RPI Park system. We had avery nice wide back in space next to the fence. We had a great view across the desert toward Mexico which is not very far away.
From Pilot Knob we drove to Quartzsite, AZ & parked on BLM land from Jan 20- Jan 25. We went to the RV Big Tent in town to buy several items we wanted for the coach. It is always a fun time to go to Quartzsite during the big flea market, but not something we want to do every year.
From Quartzsite we made the short trip, 35 miles, to Salome, AZ & stayed at Desert Vista RV Resort. This resort is now owned by ELS who is the corporate owner of Thousand Trails & is also in the RPI system, like Pilot Knob. We can stay in RPI parks for $10 per night for up to 7 nights per visit.
While we were at Desert Vista we visited with our friends Larry & Jeannie from Prinville, OR. They were campground hosting at Greasewood Gold Course & RV Park. We went back the next day & played the back nine holes for $2 each. The front nine holes is a regular golf course with grass fairways & greens. The back nine holes is all dirt but we had fun playing.
From Pilot Knob we drove to Quartzsite, AZ & parked on BLM land from Jan 20- Jan 25. We went to the RV Big Tent in town to buy several items we wanted for the coach. It is always a fun time to go to Quartzsite during the big flea market, but not something we want to do every year.
From Quartzsite we made the short trip, 35 miles, to Salome, AZ & stayed at Desert Vista RV Resort. This resort is now owned by ELS who is the corporate owner of Thousand Trails & is also in the RPI system, like Pilot Knob. We can stay in RPI parks for $10 per night for up to 7 nights per visit.
While we were at Desert Vista we visited with our friends Larry & Jeannie from Prinville, OR. They were campground hosting at Greasewood Gold Course & RV Park. We went back the next day & played the back nine holes for $2 each. The front nine holes is a regular golf course with grass fairways & greens. The back nine holes is all dirt but we had fun playing.
#19 We arrived at Pio Pico TTN near Jamul, CA on December 27 & stayed until January 17. While we were there we did some geocaching.
On New Years Eve, Pio Pico has a dinner & party. We met Larry & Nellie from Manteca, CA & had a great time trying to hold a conversation over the loud music the dj had going. The next day Larry & Nellie came by our coach & it was much easier to talk
On Barbara's birthday we drove to Mission Bay in San Diego & took a tour of the area on Segways. We were led by Chris (a retired San Diego policeman) & his friend George, who works for the local newspaper, brought up the rear, making sure we did not have any mishaps. Chris began our adventure by getting us familiar with the Segway, then it was off for a 2 hour tour along the beach & around Mission Bay. Both Chris & George have lived in the area for years so they were very knowledgeable about the real estate, hotels & goings on. It was a lot of fun, if you ever have the opportunity to ride a Segway take it.
#18 We arrived at Wilderness Lakes TTN on December 6 & stayed until December 27. While we were there we played some pickleball. There is usually a large group here to play pickleball. Our PC crashed & the computer repairman told us that it was not worth fixing so we gave ourselves a new computer for Christmas. There was a very nice potluck for Christmas dinner with 75 people attending. Lots of good food & we had a nice time with new friends Bob & Jackie, fulltimers from North Carolina.
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