Day 43 – Travel Day from Beale AFB CA to Fallon Naval Air Station NV – 210 miles

We were awakened at 6:30 this morning by reveille blasting out from loud speakers all over the base. And it wasn’t the short version! I did turn over and go back to sleep for another half hour. We packed up and were on the road by 9.

It wasn't the Sierra Mountains that got us but a 10-mile shortcut that Bill’s GPS (otherwise known as Lola!) guided us down. It was a 2-lane, twisty highway that was a little bit of a nail biter. Otherwise, the trip was quite pleasant, and the scenery very pretty. Today’s photo is coming down from Donner Pass.

We arrived here at Fallon NAS about 1:30. This is a minimal campground built in what used to be a parking lot. There are concrete pads, electric, sewer, and water, but the rest of the area is gray gravel. We did a minimal setup, hooking up just the electricity and not putting the slide-out out. The laundry is free so we did the sheets, towels, and a load of clothes.

Bill went to the commissary to pick up a few items, and he fixed some fresh asparagus, meatloaf, and mashed potatoes for dinner.

Tomorrow we head south in Nevada to a place called Tonopah. It is a Ramada gambling casino, hotel, and RV park. Should be interesting.

Day 42 – Travel Day from Mt Shasta CA to Beale AFB CA (Yuba City) – 192 miles

It was a fairly easy day today. We got going at 10am and traveled through some more beautiful green mountainous highway until we hit Redding. Then the land flattened out. We had a few sprinkles early, but then the sun came out for the rest of the day.

We passed a road sign with a mama bear and her baby like a deer crossing sign. I wished I had gotten a photo of it. We passed lots and lots of olive groves as the land got really brown. As we got nearer to Beale, we saw metallic flickers in the fields. It was neon colored metallic ribbon on sticks and poles. We figured it was to scare away birds, but it really looked weird.

We got to the Famcamp at Beale about 3:30, checked in, and did a minimal setup. After we relaxed for a wile, we headed out to find the shopette since the commissary was closed on Mondays. We went to the BX and picked up a few items. We went to one shopette, but it was undergoing a remodel, so we had to go clear across base to the family housing area.

On the way, Bill spotted a marker for an old WW II POW site and turned down that road. There was some signage but the only small building left standing was the solitary confinement block. Rather interesting. We also saw lots of jack rabbits on base. This is a huge base and right now, it is covered in large open meadows of brown grass. That is today’s photo – the view from our campsite. This shopette still didn’t have the Pepsi Bill wanted, but he bought a couple of bottles from the case and we went next door to get Subway sandwiches for dinner. I got my new favorite – veggies on flatbread with chipotle sauce.

Finally we got back to the RV, ate our dinner, and relaxed. Later tonight, Bill was outside smoking his cigar and called me out. There are lots of jack rabbits feeding on the green grass in the campground. There was also a hawk that kept circling and landing on light posts and street signs. We didn’t see him get any the rabbits, but he sure was trying.

Tomorrow we are off to Fallon Navy Air Station east of Reno. It will be a tough climb over the Sierras, but it is only about 200 miles, so we should be okay taking our time.

Day 41 – Mt Shasta CA

It was a pretty day today, but still quite cool. Last night we had some tenters across the road who partied late into the night. They woke me up at 12:45. It is a large group camping with a fifth-wheel next to us. They were up blasting music this morning. We haven’t encountered noisy people at all during this trip. So this was a pain! But they are gone tonight.

We had a leisurely morning and left to drive around about 11:45. We first drove into town looking for info. We found the visitors center, got a map and took off stopping by KFC for some chicken to take with us. We stopped by the RV to get the cooler, and off we went.

The drive up Mt Shasta was really quite pretty. There are some unusually symmetrical and lovely conifers. We drove to the end of the road at Old Ski Bowl above the tree line. It was quite chilly up there, too cold for a picnic. There was a cloud cover over Shasta, but it kept moving around making for an interesting and pretty vista. It even started to snow little ice pebbles while we were there. Today's photo shows the parking lot at Old Ski Bowl. Note the lady in a blanket!

We came back down to a lovely city park where we had our picnic in relative warmth. This park holds a spring that is the headwaters of the Sacramento River. It was a really pretty park, and we had a pleasant time. Then it was back to the RV where I worked on photos. I got the Crater Lake area photos uploaded finally and worked on labeling some of the others before I totally forget what we did where.

We were going to go out to eat, but the restaurant we wanted to go to is closed on Sundays, so we had burgers, beans, and cole slaw here in the RV.

Tomorrow we head out for Yuba City. We are staying at the Beale AFB famcamp before hitting I 80 on Tuesday to cross the Sierra Mtns.

I also added the Crater Lake area photos to Flickr. You can see them by clicking the link on the right.

Day 40 – Travel Day from Waldport OR to Mt Shasta CA – 315 miles

It was a cool, foggy morning. We headed out of Waldport at 9. The fog was pretty and not really hazardous. We got down to Florence hoping to see the Oregon Dunes, but there were no really good views of the dunes. However, the route we took from the Pacific Coast Hwy over to I 5 – Oregon 38 along the Umpqua River – was really beautiful. We saw some elk at the edge of a meadow. When we stopped for a stretch, a beautiful rough-legged hawk flew over us and landed in a tree. Today’s photo is of the Umpqua River stop.

We also saw a herd of sheep with a single llama. We have seen that several times here in Oregon. Apparently many people put a llama in with the sheep because it is an aggressive animal and will protect the sheep from predators.

The drive down I 5 is also quite beautiful, both in Oregon and in California. It did start to rain a bit near Grant’s Pass, but it didn’t last too long. We arrived at Mt Shasta KOA about 4pm. We have a decent site, and the satellite works. It is still cloudy and cold, low 50s. Hopefully it will be prettier tomorrow.

Day 39 – Tour day from Waldport OR

Today was yet another fun day. No fog this morning, and the day stayed bright and sunny, but it was still cool – in the 50s. After having a leisurely time with the coffee, we headed out for the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport OR, about 15 miles north of us. I wasn’t expecting too much from this aquarium since it is located in a small town, but it truly was impressive.

Their indoor exhibits were displayed beautifully with lots of signage: crabs, sea anemone, sea pads (something I had never seen before!), star fish, jelly fish, plumose anemone (which I loved for its soft flower-like appearance and is the photo of the day), strawberry anemone (which I loved for its wonderful color), sand dollars which I had never seen live before, a touching pool.

Outside in a nifty mountainous rock (a la Disney) maze were all kinds of exhibits. I loved the seabirds and got a wonderful short movie of a pigeon guillemot going nuts in the water – skimming across the water, diving, shaking his feathers and just generally acting like he was on crack. There were also tufted puffins which have always been a favorite of mine along with some black oystercatchers and murres. Sea birds can be so much fun.

They had sea otters, sea lions, and harbor seals. There was an indoor aquarium with the acrylic tunnel to walk through with lots of rockfish, sharks, rays, and other fish. As we were leaving, I saw a new wildflower that a grounds keeper identified as a clarkia amoena. We spent much longer there than we had anticipated, and I could have spent another couple of hours, too.

We drove into town to eat at Mo’s Chowder, a Newport institution since the late 1940s. Bill found Mo’s in our Road Trips book and had to eat there. We got in pretty quickly and another couple was soon seated at our table too. We had a lovely conversation with them while we had our lunch. Bill got seafood cioppino and I got the grilled wild salmon steak. Both of us were happy with our lunches including an interesting cabbage salad with baby shrimp on top. We had a marion berry cobbler for dessert.

Then we had to drive 10 miles up the coast to Otter Rock to see the Devil’s Cauldron and a Mo’s annex where Bruce Springsteen supposedly visited in 1987. The Cauldron was interesting as was the seabirds in the surf fishing on the beautiful coastline.

When we got back to the RV about 5, we did our laundry. It was a small laundry room, and I got to chat with a nice chick from British Columbia who was on her first long trip with her husband and two kids. Next a guy from Chicago came in and while he waited for the dryers, we talked about his motorcycle trip from Chicago to ride the Pacific Coast highway down to San Diego. One can certainly meet interesting people along the road.

Day 38 – Tour Day from Waldport OR

We lucked out again today with a gorgeous day. When I got up at 8:30 we still had lots of fog. Last night it was almost like being in the rain the fog was so thick. But by the time we headed off at 9:45, the fog was lifting and we had sun all day. It is still cool sweatshirt weather but quite pleasant.

We drove south on the Pacific Coast Hwy (101) to Cape Perpetua stopping below at Devil’s Churn. The tide was out, so the water was too impressive. The drive up to the top of the cape was pretty, and the overlook was stunning! There was a lovely hike through the woods with various viewpoints looking down on the awesome Oregon coast.

We went back into Yachats for lunch at the Adobe Resort. We had a window seat overlooking the ocean. I got a cup of decent clam chowder and then the best quiche I have ever had – smoked salmon and crab. They smoke their own salmon, and it wasn’t overwhelming in the quiche. Plus the quiche was extra cheesy which is always a good thing. Bill had panko fried oysters which he said were good.

Then we headed back down the road, stopping at various viewpoints one of which was the Spouting Horn, Oregon’s Blow Hole and another was the Heceta Lighthouse viewpoint.

Then we came to the Sea Lion Caves. This was a really impressive tourist stop. The sea lions were out on the rocks way below the entrance, but they have a great viewing point and with our binoculars and my camera we had a great view. There were at least 60 sea lions on the large rock ledge below and some in the water. They were making a great deal of noise when they all adjusted their flopping positions or when a new sea lion came up on the ledge. I was mesmerized.

We took the elevator 200 feet down to the sea lion cave. We could spot one sea lion in the shadows there and one cormorant. The staff member was an older gentleman who answered lots of questions and showed us some of the film they had taken when the sea lions come in for the winter. They even share the cave with seals.

We were then ready to head back to the RV where we had a lovely sunset without the fog. I did stop to take a picture of the beautiful fuchsia bush by the office. I don’t remember seeing that flower before. Our view over Alsea Bay with the bridge beside us really makes for a neat campsite.

Day 37 – Travel Day – 148 miles from Astoria to Waldport OR

Today we encountered our first “Oregon Fog”. We left Astoria at 9 and drove south along the same route as yesterday. We made pretty good time without all the stops at overlooks. Bill decided to take a break at the Tillamook Cheese Factory again. We made it in time for breakfast, so I had a cheese omelet which was actually rather good. We passed on the ice cream, though.

We kept heading south with the fog coming and going. It was strange to see it hover off-shore and then drift in over random sections of the road. We arrived at Waldport about 2 and got settled in at our campsite. We overlook the Alsea Bay and bridge which is just gorgeous. However, it is quite windy here, and the fog started rolling in again late afternoon. So now we have a cold, moist evening out there. I was hoping for a good sunset but no such luck.

Bill wanted to eat in town even though there isn’t much here. The closest town of any size is Newport about 15 miles north. So we wandered around Waldport until we found The Salty Dawg. Someone described it on Yelp as a ‘dive’ which is why I think he wanted to go there. The bar half was pretty much a dive, but they did have a small family dining room. The menu was a strange one with the usual fried fish, clams, and fries. I got the clam chowder in a bread bowl. The bowl was pretty good sourdough, but the chowder was a bit too floury for my taste. Bill got fish and clams. The clams were a bit chewy but the fish was good.

We drove by the local grocery, which wasn’t a bad size, and went in for oatmeal, half and half, and some fruit for the Tillamook ice cream we got yesterday. Bill wanted blueberries, so we got some of those.

We are here for 3 nights and have lots to see and do.

Day 36 - Tour Day along the northern Oregon Coast – 148 miles

We got started on today’s adventures at 8:45. Our first stop was at Seaside OR, where we tried to find Lewis and Clark’s salt works. This is where some of the Corps worked day and night for many months, boiling saltwater to extract the salt to cure their meat for the trip back east. We drove by it a couple of times before we finally saw the small sign. The salt works look like a fenced garden in someone’s back yard. It was interesting to see this.

Our next stop was Ecola St Park. After driving through beautiful a beautiful sitka spruce tree forest for 4 miles, we came out on a large viewpoint overlooking the many miles of Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock. There was a pretty walk to the end of the peninsula with great views of big rocks that sometimes hold lots of seals (but not today). We also saw Tillamook Rock Lighthouse which is no longer a lighthouse but a wanna-be columbarium. Click on the link for the whole story which continues to this day. I got some great photos, one of which is today’s photo.

We drove a short ways back down the highway and through Cannon Beach town. This is filled with cutsy shops, restaurants, bed and breakfasts. At the end of Cannon Beach we pulled into Tolovana Beach Wayside to get a good look at the seven mile beach and Haystack Rock. And then we stopped at Neahkahnie Beach Viewpoint for another gorgeous look down the coast. A lot of route 101 is inland with various viewpoints over-looking the ocean.

We finally reached the Disneyland of Cheese – Tillamook Cheese Factory. The huge parking lot was filling up fast. We went in and had lunch in their Farmhouse Café – grilled cheese, of course. I had mine with bacon and tomato, and Bill had his with tiny shrimp. It wasn’t bad. Then we walked through their factory which has windows overlooking the factory floor. We mainly saw them cutting and packaging some sort of white cheese. We got Tillamook ice cream cones, did a little shopping, and then headed on south.

Bill really wanted to see the Tillamook Air museum. This is an old blimp hanger that is enormous and houses lots of old WW II airplanes. I was just impressed with the hanger itself – over 1000’ long and 190’ high, all made out of wood with some concrete supports for the enormous doors. There were two of these hangers here, but in 1992 one of the hangers was destroyed by fire (while storing tons of hay!!!!).

On the way home we stopped in Tillamook at the La Providensia Taqueria for a taco snack. This was Bill’s idea. They were small tacos ($1.50 each), and it was an experience.

We came on back to the RV rather tired of all the driving today. Tomorrow we will be going back down the same route only we will be going 90 miles farther to Waldport.

Day 35 – Astoria OR

Today we did some sight-seeing in Astoria. We had a leisurely breakfast in the RV and headed out at 9:30. First we went to the Astoria Column. This is a tower on hill in Astoria built in 1926, one of a series of columns built in Oregon. It is 125’ tall and is covered with a kind of bas-relief called sgraffito (paint and plaster) depicting 22 exploration events of the area. There is a beautiful view of the ocean and (this morning) fog shrouded mountains to the east.

From there we went to the Columbia Maritime Museum. I was pretty impressed with the variety and depth of the exhibits here. I especially liked the ones on the bar pilots who guide all the ships into the river. It was an hour well-spent.

It was time for lunch, so Bill got Yelp on his phone and we ended up across the street at a place called Bowpicker. It is a converted gillnet boat. They serve only fish (albacore tuna) and fries, and only have 3 picnic tables on which to eat. It was amazing fish and fries. There seemed to always be a line to order, so we picked well.

We drove south into Warrenton to the Lewis and Clark Ft Clatsop where the Corp of Discovery wintered before returning east. We have now gone from beginning to end of the exploration. The interpretive center was interesting, and they had a nice replica of the Fort. Today’s photo is me and a statue of Sacagawea outside the center. There were two women giving a talk about flintlocks outside the fort. One of them (a college history teacher) had on clothes that the Corp members might have worn including a blue-beaded belt. I had read a story in one of the other L&C centers about Lewis wanting a sealskin robe an Indian chief had on. The chief would not trade for blankets nor other trinkets. He wanted the blue beaded belt that Sacagawea had on. Lewis made the trade getting the coat at the expense of Sacagawea’s belt.

From there we made our first Costco run since leaving Raleigh. Bill was starting to have withdrawal symptoms. We picked up some nuts, steaks, wine, some books for me, and a pair of my favorite jeans.

Back at the RV we enjoyed the sunset over our beautiful golf course view. Bill did make a side trip to the Coast Guard BX which is quite near the RV park.

Day 34 – Travel Day from Castle Rock WA to Astoria OR – 70 miles

This morning brought clouds and a sprinkling of rain, something we haven’t seen much of, but by the time we left the RV park at 10:45, it was clearing up. We stopped for gas next to the RV park and headed back to Oregon.

It was a pleasant and short trip, and we pulled into the Lewis and Clark RV Park at 1pm. This is a fairly new RV park on the edge of Astoria OR. They have a 9 hole golf course right next to the RV park, and our site faces the golf course and the woods on the other side. It is a really pleasant park.

After we got set-up and had some lunch, we headed out to do some Lewis and Clark places across the Columbia River back in Washington. The Astoria Bridge is a pretty awesome bridge, built in 1966. It is really high on the Oregon side and then has a steep descent to a short bridge to the Washington side. I am glad I wasn’t driving.

The first stop was just over the bridge at Clark’s Dismal Nitch. The exploration team got stuck here because of bad storms for six days just short of their goal at the Pacific. They were in pretty bad trouble, but managed to last until the storm broke. We hadn’t heard of this part of the L&C story.

From there we drove another 10 miles to Cape Disappointment, the farthest west the team reached. There was an interpretive center there with a gorgeous view of the Pacific. The exhibits were well done, but we didn’t spend too much time on the first part of the exploration since we had done that two years ago. We concentrated on their trip across Washington. This will be the last of the Lewis and Clark areas that we visit. There is also a pretty lighthouse here.

The center closed at 5, so we drove back here to the RV, arriving about 6. Bill grilled steaks, onions, and green peppers. I fixed some spaetzel and cheese. Bill had gotten a box of spaetzel at one of his grocery forays, so I fixed that. We just relaxed, sat outside in the cool, and had a lovely evening.

Day 33 – Down day at Mt St Helens RV Park – Castle Rock WA

It was a really pleasant day to hang out at the RV. It wasn’t quite as cold this morning, but it was still nice not to have to roll out of bed and start touring or traveling. We had our coffee in our lawn chairs beside the RV. Today’s photo is of our campgrounds. I wanted to get the mountains in the distance, so you can only see the red Tracker where our RV is.

I did some work on my photos, mainly getting them labeled in Excel before I forget the who/what/when/where. I still have to process them through Photoshop before I can upload them to Flickr. I got all of them done except for yesterday. I took some breaks to read outside and watch some TV.

Bill (who can’t sit still for too long!) went into Castle Rock to ‘pick up a few items’. He mailed some post cards for me and went to the grocery. We both did some cleaning in the RV. It is amazing how the dust builds up and stuff gets tracked in.

Tonight we went to a local restaurant called Peper’s 49er Restaurant. Why Bill picked this one, I don’t know. It is like any small-town local restaurant. But it was close. We both got salads which consisted of green lettuce and shredded carrot. Bill got the country-fried steak with gravy which wasn’t too good. I got the halibut plate. The halibut actually wasn’t bad – not breaded and fried in a skillet and not a deep fryer. We got dessert with our dinners. Bill got rice pudding and I got the bread pudding. Neither was anything to write home about.

Tomorrow we travel again, but it should be a really short day, only 70 miles to Astoria OR.

Day 32 – Tour Day – Mt St Helens WA

It was another gorgeous day in Castle Rock WA. It was in the low 40s when we got up which made it difficult to roll out of bed. We took our time over coffee and breakfast before we headed out at 9:45 to drive the south and east side of Mt St Helens. It was a 10 hour day for us, but it was a great drive. We stopped to get gas at the little mart beside the campground and got some chicken to take with us.

Our first stop was at Beaver Bay Park on Yale Lake for a Kodak moment and a potty break. Our next stop was at a place called Trail of Two Forests which was quite interesting. It was an ancient lava flow on the south side of Mt St Helens which had flowed over trees and left only molds of the trees. This resulted in large holes where the trunks were or tunnels made by fallen trees. It was a lovely boardwalk around these ancient molds. It was a pretty area so we had our picnic here. I chatted with a couple of German girls from Germany who were vacationing with their two families.

Then it was on to Ape Cave, a lava tube. We had brought our flashlights, and I got 30’ into the cave and bailed. There were no lights in the cave, and I got really claustrophobic, so I went back out and back to the car. Bill went about 15 minutes more and then came back. I don’t do well in caves at all!

We drove by Swift Reservoir, another beautiful huge lake that we were high above on the road. The road continued to twist and turn, up and down through conifer forests with occasional glimpses of Mt St Helens and beautiful vistas. This whole area is so enormous, and the vistas miles wide. It is truly awesome. Today we saw the area that was truly destroyed by the eruption. There were wildflowers everywhere since they were one of the first things that came back to the area.

An interesting stop was of a rusted out car that belonged to a family who were camping in the area when the eruption occurred. The family was killed, and the car was carried sixty feet to this point where it is surrounded by a fence and a plaque.

We continued on ascending on this winding road, stopping at various lookouts to stand in awe at the scenery. The Spirit Lake overlook was particularly beautiful. This lake was directly in the path of the blast, and the water in the lake was sloshed 800’ up the banks. It is now much larger than it was before the eruption. Bill was most intrigued with the story of Harry Truman, an 83 yr old man who ran a lodge on Spirit Lake. He refused to be evacuated and gained some notoriety before he died in the eruption. Spirit Lake is the photo for the day. Down in the corner of the lake are lots of the logs still floating around in the lake 30 years later. We are told they tend to move around with the wind.

We finally reached the end of this road at Windy Ridge, just in time to hear a ranger give a talk on the eruption. It was really quite interesting, and the summer ranger did a great job.

Then it was an 88 mile trip back to the RV park. We stopped a couple of times along the way including a short, but lovely stop at Iron Creek Falls. It was 7:30 by the time we got back. We did a little relaxing, had some meatloaf for dinner, and are now watching TV.

Tomorrow will be a down day, staying close to the RV and relaxing.

Day 31 – Tour Day – Mt St Helens WA

It was another gorgeous day in Castle Rock WA. It was in the low 40s when we got up which made it difficult to roll out of bed. We took our time over coffee and breakfast before we headed out at 9:45 to drive the south and east side of Mt St Helens. It was a 10 hour day for us, but it was a great drive. We stopped to get gas at the little mart beside the campground and got some chicken to take with us.

Our first stop was at Beaver Bay Park on Yale Lake for a Kodak moment and a potty break. Our next stop was at a place called Trail of Two Forests which was quite interesting. It was an ancient lava flow on the south side of Mt St Helens which had flowed over trees and left only molds of the trees. This resulted in large holes where the trunks were or tunnels made by fallen trees. It was a lovely boardwalk around these ancient molds. It was a pretty area so we had our picnic here. I chatted with a couple of German girls from Germany who were vacationing with their two families.

Then it was on to Ape Cave, a lava tube. We had brought our flashlights, and I got 30’ into the cave and bailed. There were no lights in the cave, and I got really claustrophobic, so I went back out and back to the car. Bill went about 15 minutes more and then came back. I don’t do well in caves at all!

We drove by Swift Reservoir, another beautiful huge lake that we were high above on the road. The road continued to twist and turn, up and down through conifer forests with occasional glimpses of Mt St Helens and beautiful vistas. This whole area is so enormous, and the vistas miles wide. It is truly awesome. Today we saw the area that was truly destroyed by the eruption. There were wildflowers everywhere since they were one of the first things that came back to the area.

An interesting stop was of a rusted out car that belonged to a family who were camping in the area when the eruption occurred. The family was killed, and the car was carried sixty feet to this point where it is surrounded by a fence and a plaque.

We continued on ascending on this winding road, stopping at various lookouts to stand in awe at the scenery. The Spirit Lake overlook was particularly beautiful. This lake was directly in the path of the blast, and the water in the lake was sloshed 800’ up the banks. It is now much larger than it was before the eruption. Bill was most intrigued with the story of Harry Truman, an 83 yr old man who ran a lodge on Spirit Lake. He refused to be evacuated and gained some notoriety before he died in the eruption. Spirit Lake is the photo for the day. Down in the corner of the lake are lots of the logs still floating around in the lake 30 years later. We are told they tend to move around with the wind.

We finally reached the end of this road at Windy Ridge, just in time to hear a ranger give a talk on the eruption. It was really quite interesting, and the summer ranger did a great job.

Then it was an 88 mile trip back to the RV park. We stopped a couple of times along the way including a short, but lovely stop at Iron Creek Falls. It was 7:30 by the time we got back. We did a little relaxing, had some meatloaf for dinner, and are now watching TV.

Tomorrow will be a down day, staying close to the RV and relaxing.

Day 30 – Travel Day/Tour Day – 138 miles from Albany OR to Castle Rock WA

It was a long but really fun day. We awoke to a cold, cloudy day, got packed up, filled the propane tank, and were on the road at 9:30. It was a typical Interstate 5 travel day, and we arrived here in Castle Rock WA at the Mt St Helens RV Park.

We got set up and settled in, had some lunch and relaxed for a bit. Then we decided to drive the 5 miles to the Mt St Helens Visitors Center. That is a pretty visitors center with a good 15 minute movie and lots of exhibits. We decided to go ahead and drive the 49 miles to Johnston Ridge Observatory. It was an amazingly beautiful drive. Within the first few miles we saw a pair of coyotes trot across the road. There were awesome bridges, and we drove up on ridges and down in valleys.

From the Visitors Center, Mt St Helens was 35 miles away. The closest we got to it was 5 miles at the Observatory. With every turn, we got a new view of it. It was a good choice to drive late this afternoon since the sun was behind us most of the way which made for easier driving and better photos.

We finally got to the Johnston Ridge Observatory at 5:45, just 15 minutes before it closed. It was a great view. Then it was time to go back the 50 miles the way we had come. We made a few stops along the way including a restaurant Bill had read about online. It was still open, so we stopped for dinner at 7:30. It is called the 19 Mile House and is a cute little house high on a ridge overlooking the Toutle River. We sat out back on the porch. The place is known for burgers and cobbler, but we had burgers for lunch. I got a Southwestern Chicken Salad which was really quite good with a variety of greens and a spicy ranch dressing. Bill had halibut. We did share the mountain berry cobbler a la mode. It was really good.

Now we are back in the RV relaxing. This is a fairly pretty park, and we have everything except sewer, so we are happy. Tomorrow we will do a long drive on the other side of Mt St Helens and then maybe on Saturday have a down day.

Day 29 – Travel day – 205 miles from Ft Klamath to Albany OR

It was cold this morning, and I so didn’t want to roll out of bed. But I did, and we were on the road at 9. We had to backtrack some to get on OR 58 to cross the Cascade Mountains. It was a pleasant drive at first with pretty lakes and fir forests. Then we crossed Willamette Pass and down we went. It was a 2-lane, winding, steep descent. It always makes me nervous when there are runaway truck ramps. There were TWO of them on this road, fairly close together. It was a long descent, but we made it. As we followed the Willamette River to I 5, we passed Lowell and a lovely covered bridge. Then it was on to I 5 to just between Covallis and Albany to our KOA campground for the night.

We arrived here at 1:30 so that Bill could go look for cigars. Good cigars are hard to find on the road, but thanks to the Internet, he had a few spots picked out. We decided to do dinner and the cigars at the same time. In one of the brochures, I found a Thai restaurant that was supposed to be good. Then Bill found a Hungarian restaurant. Both were close to the cigar store, so we decided on Hungarian.

We drove right past the cigar store and had to call the owner to find out where it was. We were right there and just couldn’t see it. It is a tiny store, but the old man running it was delightful. He had a precious cocker spaniel named Sammie who was 3 yrs old and absolutely adorable. I played with her while Bill found cigars.

Then it was another trial to find Novak’s, the Hungarian Restaurant. Neither the Droid nor the GPS was any help. So we called again, and once again we were close but not there.

Our waiter at Novak’s was delightful. I ordered an iced Magyar Hungarian coffee, and Bill was delighted to find some Arnold Palmer iced tea/lemonade. The coffee was quite unusual – lots of cinnamon. At first I didn’t like it much, but then it grew on me. Bill wanted to order the langos – a Hungarian specialty of deep fried bread served with small bowls of sliced garlic, strawberry puree, and apricot jam. It was huge and oh, so good. It should have been dessert.

I ordered pork schnitzel and Bill got chicken paprika. Both meals came with soup (Bill got goulash and I got chicken and dumplings – really spaetzle), and a garden salad. The soups were good, the salad decent but standard. My schnitzel was really good, but the ‘homemade’ mashed potatoes were under-seasoned. Bill got spaetzle which I would have preferred. Both dishes were covered with a creamy paprika sauce. It was fun to try everything, but we didn’t eat it all.

Now we are home recovering! Tomorrow is a travel day to Mt St Helens where we will be for 3 nights.

Day 28 – Rogue River Gorge/ Natural Bridge OR

We both slept in this morning and took our time getting ready to go. We had a short road trip planned – about 37 miles – to see the Rogue River Gorge and the Natural Bridge. It was a pretty drive up to Crater Lake and then west. We had stopped at the Ft Klamath General Store to see if they had sandwiches for a picnic. This place looks derelict from the outside, and the fuel pumps next to it look like a hazmat problem, but there were lots of truckers there yesterday, so we stopped. The inside was thinly stocked with random items, but the deli section made fresh sandwiches that weren’t too bad. The husband/wife propriators were quite friendly, and the walls were covered up to the ceiling with baseball caps. The wife told Bill to put his hat back on or her husband would have it on the wall. We did stop on the entrance road to Crater Lake to see Annie’s Falls and the Godfrey Glen Meadow overlook, both of which were worth the 5 minute stops.

Once we reached the Rogue River, we started our exploration at the upper river viewpoint. The Rogue River is a small river that tumbles over large rocks, through narrow gorges, and then passes down and through a short lava tube and erupts at the other end to continue gently down to the Pacific 184 miles below. There is a 3 mile trail that follows the river from before the gorge to below the natural bridge. We just drove and parked at various viewpoints, hiked backwards a bit and managed to see a great deal of this pretty section of river. We had our picnic at the last viewpoint/walk before checking out the Natural Bridge. It was a fun day-trip.

We came back to the RV and did laundry. This was a little different in that they have a locked room with two washers and dryers. You pay $3 per wash/dry and get the key to the room. Anyway, the laundry is now done for a few more days.

At 5:30 we headed the 13 miles into Chiloquin for dinner at The Table. Bill found this on Yelp and we both loved the fact that someone said: “I promise that this is the best place you'll ever grab a sandwich that is attached to a laudrormat and has bars on the windows.” There were only a handful of people there, and the poor older female waitress brought us menus and water, explaining that she was flying solo tonight because everyone else had not come in. I got the Avocado Delight – a true California sandwich on sourdough with avocado, spinach, sprouts, onion, and tomato. It was fresh and good. Bill got a southwestern omelet that was also good. The food was just good, basic food which was kind of nice.

Once again it has really cooled off at night, and I have my sweatshirt back on! We had a truly amazing sunset which made the pine trees look like they were on fire. Tomorrow we are off to Albany OR for a quick overnight stop on our way to Mt St Helens.

Day 27 – Crater Lake National Park OR

It was a beautiful day with beautiful scenery. We left the RV at 9:30 and headed the 20 miles to Crater Lake Nat’l Park. As we left the huge meadow-filled valley and started climbing through the fir forest, a tiny fawn came onto the road. He still had his spots. He bounced across the road, paused a second on the other side, and then went on into the woods. A good omen for a good day.

We reached the Rim Village Area at 10:25 thinking we had just made it for the 10:30 trolley ride around the rim with a ranger narrating, but the schedule in the paper was wrong, and the tour was at 11. We signed up, went to the gift shop for a road tour book of Crater Lake and also found one for Mt St Helens.

The tour was a little dry. Ranger Ross needs some help with his people skills. But the stops were amazing and the scenery awesome. The ride around the rim is 33 miles, and this tour took 2 hours. I think we would have been better off doing it ourselves, but Bill had wanted to do this. I did see a stellar Jay and a Clark’s nutcracker which was fun.

When we got back, we went to the big, old lodge for lunch. The service was awful, mostly because they were badly understaffed. We waited a half hour to be seated. Then Colby, our waiter, took forever to take our order, and then it was forever before it was brought to the table. And he forgot Bill’s ice tea altogether. The good thing was that the Monte Cristo sandwich I ordered was quite good. I hadn’t had one in years, and this was yummy with marion berry jelly. The final bit of idiocy was just as we were waiting for the bill, Colby came by and put down another helping of our original order. We told him we had already eaten once. Duh-oh!

Then we set off in the Tracker to drive the rim again, seeing everything from a different perspective and stopping when we wanted to stop. We took a 7 mile spur road to the end where we saw The Pinnacles – old fossil fumaroles created when gases escaped after an eruption. They were quite impressive.

It was already almost 5, but we had one more stop to make – Castle Crest Wildflower Garden trail. This is a half mile trail with tons of wildflowers all around and a stream meandering through the area. It would have been perfect except for the hordes of mosquitoes everywhere, but it was well worth it. I got lots of photos which I will upload after I get them processed.

Now we are back at the RV relaxing. Crater lake is truly an amazing sight, and its enormity cannot be expressed in words or photos. If you click on the photo to make it bigger, you can see the tiny white spot in the water beside me that is a fairly large tour boat. That gives some perspective!

Day 26 – Redmond OR to Ft Klamath OR – 105 miles through OR

It was interesting to watch all the RVs pack up and get ready to leave. I was impressed at how orderly it was, and how easy it was to get out. We were on the road at 9:30. It was an easy drive down US 97, and we now had a new destination. Bill had called the Crater Lake Resort RV park and gotten reservations there, so we are now 34 miles closer to Crater Lake.

We arrived about 1. Another couple had just pulled in beside our site, and we all watched an idiot in a mega RV screw up. First he started to get out of his RV with the engine running and the RV in neutral. It started to roll, and he just barely got back in to stop it. Then when he tried to back into his slot, he rammed into a water pipe. He finally got it parked.

We are in a lovely site backed onto a pretty little stream. There are big cedars all around the campground which is great, but it means no satellite. We tried the dome and then took our chairs out back to sit by the stream. Our neighbors, Paul and Sherrie, who had also just come from the rally joined us. We all had a nice chat for an hour. We are out in the middle of nowhere! Our cell phones and internet connection do work, so that is something.

Then we tried to get the satellite dish to work which it didn’t. Bill had lots of help from another neighbor to no avail. We have lots of stuff taped, so we will not be without entertainment.

About 5 we headed out to check Ft Klamath and look for gas for the Tracker. None there, so we headed back to the small town of Chiloquin to look for gas. We headed south as we approached 97 again which was a wrong move. We had to drive 30 miles into Klamath Falls, passing several closed gas stations along the way. We finally found a station that was open and got gas in the nick of time. Oregon and New Jersey are the only two states that won’t allow the customer to pump their own gas. Maybe that is why gas is expensive here, and there aren’t that many open stations on a Sunday evening.

When we got back, Bill cooked steaks on the grill while I fixed some veggies. Tomorrow we tour Crater Lake which should be beautiful.

I posted no photo today because the internet connection is so slow, and I haven’t gotten a pretty photo of the campground yet.

Day 25 – Redmond OR

It was a lovely down day for me. I slept until almost 10! Bill was up early and went to a seminar sponsored by Coachnet, a new road assistance he had signed up for. I think he also went for the coffee and donuts. Then he wandered around the vendors and got some free stuff and made a few purchases. He bought a table top that fits over the steering wheel. That should be interesting. He also bought 3 pads that stick to the dash and hold cell phones, etc. For freebies, he picked up a chip clip, a first aid kit (with bandaids only!), and a strange looking pizza cutter.

He went back over for lunch and more browsing. I stayed here and worked on photos. I finally have them all processed and uploaded a sampling to Flickr. That feels good to be caught up before we head to Crater Lake and Klamath Falls tomorrow. The link to my photos is on the right. Today's photo is an aerial view of the FMC rally. We are parked in the group of RV's just north of the circular arena/expo area.

We did go out this afternoon to Walmart to stock up on groceries and water. I saw a new item in the checkout lane….coconut M&Ms. The lady in front of me had gotten some, and we talked about how strange they were. I got a small pack, and they are different. They only have green, brown, and white M&Ms, and they aren’t bad, but you couldn’t eat a lot of them at one sitting.

For dinner we went to Madaline’s Mexican Gill. It was really packed, but we were seated when we walked in. I got a $10 plate with chile relleno and a chimichanga. The relleno’s breading left a bit to be desired, but the chile was spicy and good. The pork chimichanga was quite good. Bill went a bit more upscale and got garlic rock shrimp which he enjoyed.

RVs are slowly starting to trickle out before tomorrow’s mass exodus. They turn the power off at 9, and we have to be off the premises by noon. Bill thinks we will leave about 9:30, heading to Klamath Falls AFB and their famcamp. They only have 5 sites at the AFB and don’t take reservations, so luckily Bill has some alternatives. Should be interesting.

Day 24 – Redmond OR

It was another touring day, not quite as wonderful as yesterday, but still rather pleasant. We left the RV at 9:30 and got on the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway. The first part of the drive was similar to yesterday – ascending through Deshutes National Forest up to Mt Bachelor. That was a really pretty drive. We have seen lots of bicyclists on all of our drives. Our first stop was at Soda Creek with a meadow vista, South Sister mountain, and Soda Creek meandering through the meadow. An older gentleman was dipping his feet in the creek. He said he was trying to see if the cold water would cause an old man a coronary!

The prettiest lake we saw was Devils Lake. We stopped at the Elk Lake Forest Guard Station built in 1929. Guards helped the rangers with various activities. Today it is staffed by volunteers who spend the summer here helping tourists. The gentleman who was there answered lots of questions and volunteered the info that they can sleep ON the bed in the station but not IN it, so he and his wife sleep in sleeping bags. We think it would be fun to spend the summer like that.

We continued on around to the Elk Lake Resort which was a small boat launch, restaurant, cabins, and gas. We got gas, and went a little further to the ‘beach’ on the lake where we had our picnic. The lake is quite pretty with Mt Bachelor looming over the far shore. We stopped at Lava Lake and then Cultus Lake Resort. The term resort has a much different meaning on this drive. They are usually small wood main building with wood cabins around, but the lake setting is quite pretty. Cultus Lake was the prettiest with lovely landscaping and summer flowers. The view of the lake was pretty. Bill wanted some dessert so we shared a piece of apple pie and then headed off again.

We were about maxed out on lakes and drive, so we cut across to US 97 and back to Redmond. We did make one more stop – the Crooked River Gorge and Peter Skene Ogden State Scenic viewpoint – just north of Redmond. Bill had found this the other day when he had gone to the fossil fields. It was pretty impressive! A smaller version of Royal Gorge in Colorado. Besides the beautiful view, I was totally impressed with the signs in the parking lot saying “Warning: Hazardous Cliff. Many dogs have died here. Put your dog back in the vehicle!” The 300’ vertical cliff did have a concrete wall, but I could see dogs escaping.

We finally made it back to the RV about 4:30. Seven hours on the road tired both of us out, but Bill headed over to the arena for tonight’s entertainment: some Jimmy Buffett tribute band. I decided to pass on that!

Day 23 – Redmond OR

What a wonderful day! Bill got up early and went to get coffee, donuts, and see what the vendors had to offer. He came back with a sewer donut (for the RV!) and some light bulbs. We headed out at 10 for the McKenzie Pass – Santiam Pass Scenic Byway. This is an 82 mile loop that goes through some varied and very impressive scenery. We stopped in the town of Sisters OR to get gas and sandwiches from Subway.

The first part of the trip is through a flat Douglas fir and cedar forest. Then it starts to climb to McKenzie Pass (elev 5325’) which is surrounded by large lava fields. At the summit is the Dee Wright Observatory made in 1935 from lava rock by the CCC. From the observatory we could see vast lava fields and several mountain peaks. It was quite cool up there even though it was sunny.

Back in the forest, we stopped to see Scott Lake which was just a nice little mountain lake. Then it was fun driving as we descended 1200’ in 4 miles through crazy switchbacks and curves on a two lane road. I am so glad that I don’t get car sick because this stretch could make almost anyone nauseous.

After we reached some flatter land, we stopped by McKenzie river to have our lunch. Just a short way ahead on the road we found the first of two waterfalls – Koosah Falls. It was just a short walk through pine woods to a great viewing point. That is where today’s photo is taken. A few miles down the road was Sahalie Falls, also a short pleasant walk from the road. It was so cool and pleasant at both Falls, I would have liked to spend more time there.

Our last stop was at the Head of the Metolius where the Metolius River originates from underground springs. It was a pleasant walk through Ponderosa Pines with a split-rail fence marking the walk. Chipmunks were darting everywhere like little kittens. The end of the path was a lovely overlook of the springs and a view of the river as it meandered away with Mt Jefferson in the distance. We sat on a bench to watch the chipmunks. One in particular kept coming close and darting away making it very difficult to get a photos. Bill picked up an old peanut shell and held it out to the chipmunk, and he scampered over to investigate. As he got closer he jumped on my shoe and bounced around a bit, and then sniffed at the peanut shell. They were so fun to watch.

Then it was back home to Redmond. We stopped at a grocery to get potato salad and fried chicken for our scenic tour tomorrow. Bill took a nap before we went to Red Dog Depot for dinner. It is close by and was a railroad depot that has been modernized and filled with hundreds of dog photos. It was okay but nothing to write home about.

Day 22 – Redmond OR

Today was my ‘down day’, and I spent it processing photos trying to catch up. Mainly I am having to clean off bug corpses from the windshield on my scenery photos traveling down the road. I got some great photos, but somehow a bug splat takes away from the beauty of the surrounding area we passed through.

Bill took off early to go visit some fossil beds. He said it was a pretty drive, but probably not worth the drive. He was gone most of the day and stopped at a Walmart to fill our water jugs. He also stopped by the UPS store to pick up our mail that Charles had shipped for us. It is great to have our mail taken care of.

Tomorrow we are doing a scenic drive out of Bend. We had picked up a brochure at the Oregon Welcome Center with lots of neat drives. Another reason for getting caught up with my photos. I will get some put up on Flickr when I finish these, I hope.

There still wasn’t much going on at the rally today that interested us. Bill is waiting for the vendors to open tomorrow so he can go look at all the new toys available for RVers.

Day 21 –Travel Day – Burns OR to Redmond OR – 150 miles through OR

We are parked at the Redmond OR fairgrounds along with 2000 other RVs. I hated to leave our beautiful campground, but off we went at 8:45. Along the way we saw some interesting sights. First was fencing in a barrel shape filled with rocks. We couldn’t figure out what it was or why it was there until our bus driver here at the fairgrounds told us it is called a ‘rock crib’ and used to stabilize fences at corners. Then we saw a herd of 15-20 pronghorn. These are my favorite hooved-animal next to kudu, and I did get an amazing photo of one of the pronghorn. It is on the right in the center. If you click on the photo, you can see it better.

We got all set up at our site which is lucky to be right next to the road and not in the middle of a double row of RVs. We may get a little dust from the gravel road where the tram buses pass by often, but it is worth it to have some extra room. They do come by with a water truck to spray the dust down. We took a tram ride to the main entrance and around the area. They are using 6 big buses to cart everyone from their RVs to the main exhibition/entertainment area. Nothing much starts until tomorrow. We do have 30 amp electricity which is good. And satellite reception.

Lorri, our bus driver, did give us the name of a good tire place, and Bill called them about 4:15. They said they weren’t busy, so he took the Tracker in to get the nail pulled out and the tire repaired.

After he got back, we got on a bus to take us up to the exhibit area to see Debbie Reynolds who was putting on a comedy/film clip show at 7:30. Luckily we got there early as it was totally filled by 7. The show was much better than either of us anticipated. She told stories, showed some of her film clips and sang along with many of them. At 78 she can still sing quite well. The show lasted about 50 minutes. That will probably be the highlight of my week at the rally.

The temperature here has been a relief. Today it only got up to 76 and tonight it is supposed to get down to 43. We are in heaven.

Day 20 – Travel Day – Meridian ID to Burns OR – 180 miles through ID and OR

It was another pretty travel day – good weather and great scenery. Before we headed out, Bill thought one of the Tracker tires was low, so he got out the air compressor and filled it up. While doing so, he found a nail in the tire that he will get fixed in Redmond. It is always something but luckily nothing major so far.

We left Meridian KOA at 9:15 and drove the 40 miles to the OR state line where we picked up Oregon maps and info for the time we will be here. Then we went off the freeway on US 20 for 140 miles to Burns. I took lots of photos of the awesome scenery and will get them posted soon I hope.

We soon found that folks in eastern Oregon have a good sense of humor. We saw the Roadkill Ranch, Tattle Tale Lane, the Bates Motel, and Stinking Water Creek. It was a beautiful drive.

We got to Burns RV park and got settled in. This is a really pretty (but small) RV park. On a tree next to our site is a bird house. I haven’t figured out what birds are in it, but there is at least one larger baby that both parents kept coming back to feed. I am not sure how much food the baby was getting since the parents were in and out in a heartbeat. The RV park is full tonight with mostly folks that are going to the rally in Redmond.

We headed out and went to the grocery to pick up a few items. Then we went to Subway for dinner. I got a veggie sub on flatbread, and had it toasted. It was quite tasty. Then we went to Dairy Queen. We both have been wanting a Peanut Buster Parfait. Unfortunately they were all out of hot fudge. Bill got one with caramel instead of hot fudge, and I just passed. I will wait for another DQ.

The weather here is amazing – 76 degrees with 32% humidity. It should be nice all week at the rally which will be a god-send.

Day 19 – Travel Day – Hill AFB UT to Meridian ID – 310 miles through UT and ID

We knew we had a long driving day ahead of us, so we were up and on the road at 9:15. The weather was good, and Interstate 80 wasn’t too crowded. The scenery changed from rolling hills to large expanses of flatland. As soon as we entered Idaho, there were several signs that caught my attention: Transportation of Invasive Species Prohibited, Dust Storm Area – Do Not Stop on Roadway, Deer Migration Crossing (never saw one deer!), and Game Crossing (not wildlife, but game – get out your guns!). At the Idaho Welcome Center, all boats were required to enter for an inspection. I went over to talk to the female inspector, and she said they were looking mainly for zebra mussels. They haven’t found any in Idaho yet, but they are a pretty destructive item in many other states.

We stopped for gas, but there was no where to park for lunch, so I fixed sandwiches on the road. We arrived in Meridian ID (just west of Boise) about 3:15, checked in to the KOA, and did minimal setup. We looked on Yelp for a restaurant for dinner and saw some interesting ones: Kana Girl’s Hawaiian BBQ, Epi’s Basque Restaurant. Both are closed on Sunday. We finally found a place called Goodwood Barbecue. Bill wanted to try their smoked prime rib, so off we went. It was really surprisingly good. Bill’s salad, prime rib, and baked potato were excellent. I got the beef brisket with wonderful potato salad and some beans.

Now we are back at the RV. A big storm is headed this way, so I am going to post this and log off. Lots of wind out in this area of the country!

Day 18 – Salt Lake City UT (Hill AFB)

It was another fun day in Utah. We were up and left the RV at 9:45 to head to the Golden Spike National Historic Site. We had just gotten on the freeway when I asked Bill if he had his phone and wallet. Unfortunately he had forgotten his wallet. So we had to get off at the next exit, get back on and return to the base. Luckily the gate guard let us on even though Bill didn’t have his ID. So off we went again.

Golden Spike is about 60 miles north of Hill AFB, and we got there just in time for the coal burning engine to join up with the wood burning engine. There were reenactors there to portray the meeting of the engines and the laying of the final spike. It was a pretty day and a pleasant experience. We also saw a movie on the Transcontinental Railroad and looked at the exhibits. Bill bought a souvenir – a ‘gold’ spike on its side with the two trains meeting. Another piece for him not to dust. On the way out we took an unpaved road to see some of the remaining berms and cutouts from the original railroads.

We stopped for gas and then thanks to Yelp found a neat drive in restaurant in Brigham called Maddox’s. It was begun in 1949, and they still have carhops who bring your food on trays that rest on the car window. Bill got a steak sandwich, and I got a half chicken basket. The food was really good. They had ‘fry sauce’ which reminded me of the sauce we used to get in high school for our fries. We shared my chocolate malt which was excellent, and Bill also got a sasparilla that was good. It wasn’t too warm to eat in the car, and it was a fun lunch.

Back at the RV it was raining lightly. Bill went to the AF Museum that closed right before he got there, but he did see some of the planes outside. We then did laundry since it is cheap here.

We ate lightly tonight and watched some TV.

Day 17 – Salt Lake City UT

It was an amazing and fun day. We were up at 7:30 for coffee and breakfast. Base Civil Engineering came by to work on our electric hookup post. Our 50 amp is fine, but the guy next to us keeps blowing the breaker on the 30 amp. So we had to shut down while they worked on it. I don’t think they ever got it to work, but they turned us back on, and we got on the road to Salt Lake City at 10.

We made it the 30 miles to downtown Salt Lake with no problems and got parked right at Temple Square. I got my photos of the Mormon Temple, and then we walked to the North Square Visitors Center. The exhibits were well done and not preachy. Two 20-something female missionaries approached us. One was from Arizona and the other was from Norway. We had a nice little chat, mostly about Norway.

Then it was time to go next door to the Tabernacle for the noon organ recital. Richard Elliott, one of five full-time organists at the Tabernacle, gave the recital. It was a half hour long and luckily included a Bach piece. It was awesome, and I am so glad we went!

We came on back to Hill AFB and went to lunch at a local spot called Holy Smoke BBQ. It was an interesting place. I had the beef brisket which was excellent. The sides were interesting. The platter came with a decent corn muffin, and a tiny container of green jello (I have no idea!). We also had some beans which weren’t bad, and an interesting applesauce with chunks of apple. A pleasant meal.

Then it was on to Antelope Island, just west of Hill AFB over a 7 mile causeway into the Great Salt Lake. In addition to giving great views of the lake, they had an interesting visitors center with barn swallows and nests everywhere. We drove the 7 miles of paved road south on the island and saw lots of buffalo that were introduced to the island in 1893. I was disappointed that I didn’t see any pronghorn – one of my favorite animals. But it was a beautiful drive and high enough to get some neat photos of the lake. We even saw what I can only describe as salt water spouts on the lake.

It was a warm drive, but it was well worth it. We came back to the base to get some bacon and lettuce for BLTs tonight. We had no sooner gotten back that a big wind storm came through with just a little rain. It was gusting 40-55 mph, but it quickly passed.

Day 16 – Travel Day - Rawlins WY to Hill AFB UT – 286 miles through WY and UT

It was a pretty travel day, no rain or strong winds. We left Rawlins at 8:45. The scenery was rather boring until we got to Green River WY, and then it was gorgeous. We stopped at the Utah Welcome Center which was one of the prettiest views of any welcome center ever. We had some lunch and then drove through more beautiful scenery to Hill AFB UT, just south of Ogden U. We arrived at 2:30 and got all set up. It is a decent campsite and only $14 a night. We have a beautiful view and a tree, so we are happy.

At 5 we went out hunting a cigar store for Bill which we found thanks to the internet. Then it was on to Costco for some cashews, shorts, and some great tomatoes. Lastly we went to Walmart for water refills, but the water machine was broken. We bought a couple of gallons of water and some food items and came back to the RV.

Now we are figuring out what we want to do with our two days in Salt Lake. Tomorrow we plan to go to Temple Square and look at the pretty Mormon buildings and maybe get in to an organ recital.

Day 15 – Travel Day – Chappell NE to Rawlins WY – 275 miles through NE and WY

It was a pretty awesome travel day. It started out cloudy and fairly cool, and then the sun came out. We stopped at the Wyoming Welcome Center, and Bill went to investigate some exhibit signs on the hill in front of the center. It was a short archeological trail around the Pine Bluffs with signs along the way. However, when he saw that rattlesnakes had been sited on the trail on Monday, he decided to pass.

West of Cheyenne in-between the east and westbound freeways is a small pine tree growing out of big boulders. The transcontinental railroad builders diverted the track around the tree and even watered it from passing trains. The Lincoln Highway and finally I 80 passed around this enduring tree. What a fun find.

East of Laramie, storms started building in the west which made for a wonderful scene. We passed around the edge of the storm seeing lightning off to the side. Finally we did catch some rain and a really strong wind. Bill was holding on for dear life as we trekked down the road. We stopped at a rest area in the rain and fixed some lunch and headed out of the storm to Rawlins, arriving at 2:30 to our campsite at the KOA.

The guest host told us that we would really enjoy the Wyoming Frontier Prison Museum. We didn’t think too much about it and went wandering into town looking for cigars. We saw the prison and saw that there was a 4:30 tour, so we went in. It was a real find. We were the only ones on the tour, led by a college student. The prison was in operation from 1901 to 1981 and was going to be torn down when it was saved and put on the National Register of Historic Places. Unfortunately they barely have enough money to keep the roof over their heads, but it was a really interesting hour-long tour.

Then we went to a restaurant we had found on Yelp called Rosa’s Lariat. It is a tiny place with one 4-person booth and 12 bar stools around a counter. We were the first ones there, and I am so glad we went. The food was amazing for not much money. I had green chile relleno with beans, rice, and a wonderful green chile sauce. I cleaned my plate which I don’t normally do.

For just a travel day, it was a neat day!

Day 14 – Chappell NE

I had another day off today. Bill took off on his trek to Ash Hollow State Historical Site and to look at signs of places that no longer exist, so I passed on that to stay here. The visitors center at Ash Hollow was closed Mon-Wed due to budget cuts, so he just walked around reading signs. He also went to the various Julesburg sites. He was gone about 3 hours.

I stayed here to read, watch some TV, and upload five more photos to Flickr. I also did some research for our 3 day stay in Salt Lake City. It was a pleasant day. Last night an RV got towed in by a wrecker. The guy thinks his fuel pump is broken. We also had two more RVs pull in today. That makes it a little less desolate here.

We sat outside watching the trains pass through and chatting with our new neighbors. I got a great sunset photo showing what sunsets can do in the middle of nowhere!

Day 13 – Travel Day – North Platte to Chappell NE – 96 miles through more of Ne

We didn’t make many miles today, but Bill has lots he want to see re the Transcontinental Railroad. We were a bit slow getting out of North Platte this morning, leaving the campground at 10:15. We got gas and made one stop at a rest area before arriving at Creekside RV park in Chappell at 12:30 mountain time. This is truly in the middle of nowhere! It is not a fancy RV park, but we have all the hookups for an inexpensive charge. We are also less than 2 blocks from the train tracks/silo, so we are getting our fill of railroad ambiance. We got setup, and then Bill wanted to go sight-see which in this neck of the woods means driving for miles in the hot Tracker to see a roadside marker!

I did go with him this time and got my photo taken at a scenic overlook of nothingness. Then he wanted to drive the 15 miles to Julesburg CO. He loves the fact that Julesburg was moved 4 times – 1st time it was burned by Indians, 2nd move to be near Ft Sedgwick, and the 3rd move was to the railroad, and the 4th move was to another railroad junction. There isn’t much to see, but Bill did find Ft Sedgwick in Julesburg 4. We got there, and the sign said closed on Mondays! I got out to take a photo of the closed sign when a nice lady opened the door and invited us in. She is the director of the small museum and was working on her day off. She gave us a 5 minute over-view, and then went about her work while we roamed the museum for half an hour.

We came back to Chappell (pop. approx.. 1300) and tried to find some roasted chicken for dinner. The Red Rooster Café didn’t have any white meat, so we went to the grocery store. They had sold out. We finally ended up at Burgies, a bowling alley where the manager said she could fix us up. We waited at the bar with an older gentleman who seemed to be just passing the time there. We had a pleasant chat with him and brought our chicken back to the RV.

It was quite hot today, once again in the 90s, but it seems to be cooling off nicely at night. We have another large cottonwood tree (one of only a few in the campground) next to us which provides some nice shade.

Day 12 – North Platte NE - Rest day for me, exploring for Bill

Today was my day off. It was a beautiful day for me to remain at the RV sitting outside reading, working on photos, and watching some TV. Bill headed off about 10:30 to go back down US 30 to see the Heartland Military Vehicle Museum, Ft McPhearson cemetery, the Pony Express station, and various roadside attractions. We both enjoyed out day!

He got home about 4:30. We went to the nearby WalMart to stock up on some produce and pick up a few necessary items like filling our water jugs. He cooked out tonight since it was the first night that was pleasant enough to actually be outside. Now it is raining.

I did get more photos posted on Flickr that can be seen by clicking on the link to the right.