Prescott is one of those places that I feel people try and keep to themselves. The beauty of this area is impressive. We have spent our time here exploring the town itself, the mountains around town and the state within 150 miles. WOW!!! We are staying in what I will call a "reasonably priced" RV resort. Most of the people here have planted roots. With the cheap price to live in such a place, I can understand. They keep to themselves and leave us alone, so I won't complain. We are staying at the edge of the Willow Dells. This is an area that is full of rock to climb and trails that take us all around the area. We have hiked a ton and are now starting to run the trails. The red rocks with the pinyon pine and Alligator Juniper are magnificent. All about a 30 second walk from our door.
We headed out to Sedona Saturday the 8th and was blown away by what was there. That is the real red rock. As deep a red as I have ever seen. The natural beauty is amazing, the tourist trap that it is, is not. That place is running on tourism. It was a bit disappointing to walk the town and get mostly tourist oriented shops. We headed out south of town to a Frank Lloyd Wright cathedral. It is a chapel built right into the red rock countryside. I pulled into a parking spot at the bottom so we could walk around and decided to get a picture. As I walked to the area I wanted to photograph a man asked if I could get his picture. Being the nice guy I am I said "sure". We exchanged names and began talking. His name was john. John asked if I was a "god fearing man"? I told him that I was and this spun us off onto a great conversation about how great the lord is. He told me about his troubled, jail filled, miserable life he once had and how the lord had delivered him from it. He now does Prison ministry work. I told John about our trip with the kids and why we want them to see what the lord has here for us. It was one of those moments in life where you can feel the lords power touching you. He asked if he could give me a hug. I said sure and we said our god bless yous. He introduced me to his girlfriend and we went our separate ways. (After a second hug) It was a moment that just struck me. Here we were, out where we know no one and I meet someone that has the word of the lord spilling out right when I need to hear it. No one will ever convince me that that was anything but the lord. We hit the road up to Flagstaff for the rest of the day. It was a great day to drive. We were able to see such a wide range of terrain. From the dry desert too the beauty of the red rocks, all the way up to the wonderful, snow capped San Francisco Peaks.
Wed. the 12th saw us at the Grand Canyon. I had flown over this magnificent hole in the ground many times. This was the first time that any of us had ever seen it up close. I think we all just stood and gazed out at the great unbelievable size of the thing. Never could I have imagined just how BIG it is. We decided to hike the South Rim trail over too the Bright Angel trail head. It was a grand hike. We walked for about 2.5 miles and around every bend was another vista that would take your breath away. We all wanted to do a hike down into the canyon, but I didn't want to kill the kids. The bright Angel was perfect. 1.5 miles down is a rest hut and a bathroom. We ate a light lunch and began the 1.5 mile and 1200+ vertical foot ascent. Lowman and I went pretty fast up the trail. A bit of competition. Hailey was the one that I was worried about. The was a champ. I think she only stopped once and was even passing hikers going slower than her. She too is a competitor. Another 3 miles back to the truck and we were done. And I mean DONE. We hiked about 9 miles that day. Beautiful weather and the dry air. DONE.
We had our first visitor the weekend of the 15th. Tres' sister Ginny (G-G) came down from Vegas to spend a few days. We had a great visit. We had not seen her in a few years, so it was good to catch up on things. We took her out to Montezumas Castle, Montezumas Well and back up to Sedona. Being able to see the Cliff dwellings was a treat. It is what Hailey has been studying in History, so she could put it all together. The Well was another interesting site. There were cliff dwellings in the sides of the Well. Around the rim were more dwellings. You walk the site, around the well it is bone dry. You walk the trail from the rim of the site and down to the creek. HUGE Arizona Sycamore trees all along the creek bank. There is an outlet from the Well underground. It spills into a canal system that enters the creek. The temperature change is so nice. Shade and cool. Stark contrast too 25 feet above you.
On Wed. the 19th We headed out to Wickenburg. It is a small town about 60 miles to the S/SW of Prescott. This town was the center of mining in the area for some time. It just missed being the territory seat by a few votes. Great Museum, and some of the best home made ice cream I have had in a while. Sweet cream ice cream. Again, great weather. 90 and sunny. Getting spoiled. They have some of the coolest cacti scattered around the town. Big, old cactus. Taller than two men and bigger around. Beautiful.
We got the Crapper back on this weekend. I fiberglassed the crap out of it and Tres, Lowman and I reattached it. Hopefully it stays on this time. I put extra screws in the brackets. Pray!!
Just a few more days and we are moving east. A quick stop in Santa Fe and off for a Visit too the place of my birth. TX.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Prescott, AZ 10/04/2011
Well folks we are officially back out on the road. We have been in Bakersfield, CA for the last month. What an experience that was. During our time in Bakersfield we had some crazy things to take in. I will tell ya'll a few stories. One that stands out, is my need to get my thyroid medication. I had about one week of meds left so I called in my prescription to the pharmacy like I always do. It is usually ready that day if I call it in early enough. When I went to pick it up I was told that it was denied. They asked if I wanted to resubmit it, I said sure. Second day, same result. I called my Dr. the morning of the third day and was told that it was "all good" and it would be ready the next day. Went back in the next day (day 4), same result. Denied! Now I call the Dr. office with a bit more, we'll say, "enthuiasm". The nurse on the line says,"I will call the pharmacy and call you right back". No call back from the office at all. Day 6, I call the Dr. office and get the famous answering machine. I left a nasty message about the length of time it was taking to get this done, where I am in the country and the need for my medication, as I am now on my last day of meds. No call back. Now my lovely wife gets on the phone with the Drs. office. I am completely out of meds. They inform her that since it has been so long since I have been in, that I need to be seen before they will fill my prescription. SWEET!!!! I am in Southern California with no meds and the need to see a Dr. No way I can get in to an Endocrynologist in any less than 2-3 weeks. Only other option is to go to the County Health Clinic. If you have not experienced an "Inner-City" clinic, you ae truely missing out on one of the craziest places you can visit. I had to go in as a walk-in and wait,and wait, and wait. In my two days I am waiting I am one of maybe 5 people there that speeks english and one of 3 that is white. Was everyone staring at me or was it just my emagionation? Two days later I see an old school Dr. that after asking how I feel, how the meds are doing and any health problems associated with the meds, fills my meds at the same dose. I needed to get my blood work done so he sends me down to the "real" ghetto clinic. Now we are in it. Roll up the windows and don't stare at anyone. In my travels I have found that most places I visit if there is a "Martin Luther King" Dr., Ave., Blvd. whatever, it is usually on "that side of town. Yep, the clinic is off MLK, big fences, bars on windows and doors. Two young black men helping another black youth get over one of the big fences into someones yard. Sagging pants and bad intentions written all over them. When we get done, we find out that this is the area where most of the murders in Bakersfield happen. Super fun. Blood work comes back good and I am now set.
We also made a trip up to the State Capitol, Sacramento. I have some great memories of Old Sacramento from my youth, so we took the kids to see what it was like. First stop was to get some of the saltwater taffy that I love. $15 later, we had a big bag. Tres and the kids had never been on train so we hit the old train that takes you along the Sacramento river. It was a beautiful day and the train ride was wonderful. On the way back to Bakersfield we stopped and had lunch with my Sister Pam and my nieces, Kaitlyn and Amber. We hadn't seen each other in years so it was a great visit.
We started to get the itch to get back on the road. The visit with the Jerrolls was fantastic, but we are meant to travel.
Back on the 58 at 0630 the morning of the first. Up and over Tehatchape pass and straight into the Mojave. What a landscape. We live in the high desert, but nothing like this. Miles and miles of some of the driest country I have ever seen. Still beautiful but no place to plant roots. I find it amazing that people could eek out any kind of existance in these kinds of places. We motored right into AZ., past Kingman and headed to the 89. After turning south on the 89, I hit the worlds largest bump in the road. I didn't even see it comming. The trailer actually got airborne. I should have stopped to check everything out, but didn't think anything felt wrong. Soooo not the case. We hit the Chino valley and a man pulled up next to me and said that I had lost my sewer line. I thought that the hose had come out of the bumber. That is where the sewer hose is stored. I pulled over to check and it was still there. I peaked under the trailer and noticed that the sewage holding tank was not where it was supposed to be. It is a 40ish gal black tank, its pretty hard to miss. I bungied the line to the tank in place and drove the last 8 miles to our campground. We dropped the trailer and headed back down the highway to find what was left of our crapper tank. About 15 miles from Prescott we saw our tank. Laying right beside the southbound lane. Other than a few holes in the tank it seemed fine. Most of the "goodies" were out of the tank so Tres and I threw it in the bed of the truck and headed home. I am now patching the holes and will hopefully get it fixed and get it reinstalled here in Prescott. Oh the life of the traveler. Yes folks it IS as glamerous as you think.
We are enjoying the Prescott area. It is a neat little city, centrally located to so many things. We will spend a month here and venture out to the sites.
We also made a trip up to the State Capitol, Sacramento. I have some great memories of Old Sacramento from my youth, so we took the kids to see what it was like. First stop was to get some of the saltwater taffy that I love. $15 later, we had a big bag. Tres and the kids had never been on train so we hit the old train that takes you along the Sacramento river. It was a beautiful day and the train ride was wonderful. On the way back to Bakersfield we stopped and had lunch with my Sister Pam and my nieces, Kaitlyn and Amber. We hadn't seen each other in years so it was a great visit.
We started to get the itch to get back on the road. The visit with the Jerrolls was fantastic, but we are meant to travel.
Back on the 58 at 0630 the morning of the first. Up and over Tehatchape pass and straight into the Mojave. What a landscape. We live in the high desert, but nothing like this. Miles and miles of some of the driest country I have ever seen. Still beautiful but no place to plant roots. I find it amazing that people could eek out any kind of existance in these kinds of places. We motored right into AZ., past Kingman and headed to the 89. After turning south on the 89, I hit the worlds largest bump in the road. I didn't even see it comming. The trailer actually got airborne. I should have stopped to check everything out, but didn't think anything felt wrong. Soooo not the case. We hit the Chino valley and a man pulled up next to me and said that I had lost my sewer line. I thought that the hose had come out of the bumber. That is where the sewer hose is stored. I pulled over to check and it was still there. I peaked under the trailer and noticed that the sewage holding tank was not where it was supposed to be. It is a 40ish gal black tank, its pretty hard to miss. I bungied the line to the tank in place and drove the last 8 miles to our campground. We dropped the trailer and headed back down the highway to find what was left of our crapper tank. About 15 miles from Prescott we saw our tank. Laying right beside the southbound lane. Other than a few holes in the tank it seemed fine. Most of the "goodies" were out of the tank so Tres and I threw it in the bed of the truck and headed home. I am now patching the holes and will hopefully get it fixed and get it reinstalled here in Prescott. Oh the life of the traveler. Yes folks it IS as glamerous as you think.
We are enjoying the Prescott area. It is a neat little city, centrally located to so many things. We will spend a month here and venture out to the sites.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
In California (9/4)
We left Boise on a hot Morning. It was the 25th of Aug., headed thru the desert. We didn't even make it past the Owyhee mountains and the truck was getting hot. One pullout to let her cool and we were back at it. The rest of the drive down thru OR., and NV. was fairly uneventful. Just HOT. We rolled our way south hitting a few stops along the way, one stands out for utter filth. There is a rest stop out in the middle of nowhere in NV., I think that it is near the Fallon exit. No running water in the bathrooms, open pit toilets that would make a skunk gag. There was something like 15 individual bathrooms and they were all nasty. Thankfully we were in and out in a hurry. We were heading to Reno for the night. Again, we just can't seem to get the concept of making a reservation or at the least researching the location we would stay. Well a sweet tour of the side streets of Reno with the trailer and I was ready to BLOW. I had to pull over into a parking lot of a small appliance store and grab the iPhone and find a KOA. Found one in Boomtown that was closed but we could use the night box. Thank heavens.
The plan for Friday was to be up super early to tackle the pass named Donner. This is the one I have been dreading for weeks. Just not comfortable with the combination of small motor, big load and one hell of a pass. We headed out at about 0600 with a temperature of 50 degrees. Prefect for the climb over the Sierras. Not one time did the truck give us any trouble. I nursed the brakes on the downhill and we were rolling thru California. (HE is watching out for us.) One big loooong drive south and we were in Bakersfield. Our home base for the next bit.
We have spent the last week up in the Lake Isabella/Wofford Heights area. If any of you have driven the Kern Canyon road you know what a "fun" drive that can be. We have done that drive 3 days now. Countless near misses. It is insane!!! NO shoulder to take shelter on, river or cliff. Those are your two choices. Well there is a third choice....that would be a head on crash with both cars doing about 40mph each. Ugly. The canyon is super steep, dry grass and oak trees everywhere. It really is a contrast to home. Like Riggins with more vertical feet and taller grass, minus the beautiful fir and pine. It does have a few huge palm trees growing in the river bottom, and the white water is something to behold. Almost constant. We are enjoying our time with Shilo, Brennan, and the rest of the family. They have made us feel right at home.
The plan for Friday was to be up super early to tackle the pass named Donner. This is the one I have been dreading for weeks. Just not comfortable with the combination of small motor, big load and one hell of a pass. We headed out at about 0600 with a temperature of 50 degrees. Prefect for the climb over the Sierras. Not one time did the truck give us any trouble. I nursed the brakes on the downhill and we were rolling thru California. (HE is watching out for us.) One big loooong drive south and we were in Bakersfield. Our home base for the next bit.
We have spent the last week up in the Lake Isabella/Wofford Heights area. If any of you have driven the Kern Canyon road you know what a "fun" drive that can be. We have done that drive 3 days now. Countless near misses. It is insane!!! NO shoulder to take shelter on, river or cliff. Those are your two choices. Well there is a third choice....that would be a head on crash with both cars doing about 40mph each. Ugly. The canyon is super steep, dry grass and oak trees everywhere. It really is a contrast to home. Like Riggins with more vertical feet and taller grass, minus the beautiful fir and pine. It does have a few huge palm trees growing in the river bottom, and the white water is something to behold. Almost constant. We are enjoying our time with Shilo, Brennan, and the rest of the family. They have made us feel right at home.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Aug. 22
I should apologise for the lack of posting on my part. We have been BUSY.
We shot thru IL like a rocket and made it to Missouri fine. We were just outside of St. Louis when the sky turned BLACK. I knew what was coming when I saw all of the cars heading the other direction with their lights on. The heavens opened up. Rain like you wouldn't believe. It was blowing like a banshee. I couldn't see twenty feet in front of the truck. I pulled to the side of the interstate, along with most of the traffic and waited for the tornado to take us to Kansas. It never came. The sky parted and the blue came back. I was so relieved. Back on the road thru Missouri with no more problems. We hit Kansas City for fuel and when I got out of the truck I realized I was wearing my Denver Broncos cap. I told Tres that this could be fun and went in to get some coolant from the store. The Chiefs fans in the store shot some pretty sweet looks my way, but nothing was said. We headed for Lawrence KS for the night.
We boondocked in Lawrence on the night of the 12th. The humidity was still with us but not as bad as it had been. We woke on the 13th ready for the final push into Denver. I had been keeping an eye on a wearing trailer tire for a few days and thought that we could limp into CO with it. We headed out and made it as far as Hays KS, it was like 150+/- miles away. One look at the tire and I was done trying to limp anywhere. Time for a new one. The heat of the highway and the holes we hit did it in. Another 20 miles and I would have been changing a blow out. Once the two and a half hour tire change was done we were back looking for the friendly CO border. Not so fast Mr. Hendricks, lets give you a mean head wind and a steady climb up to the mile high city. We did about 40-45 mph for several hours before the road changed directions and I could use the trailer as a sail. I was actually able to do 60+mph without my foot on the gas or at least barely on the gas for about a half hour. It was sweet. We made it into the Denver area ready to see the Storey family again and crash.
The Storey family was awesome, they let us park the rig at their house and stay with them. It was another few days to enjoy Jess' cooking and friendship. Our kids play so well with hers. They really have a blast doing what kids are supposed to do. We went out to Red Rocks on Sunday the 14th. We were feeling the elevation and the dry heat. Not complaining, it was great to feel the comforts of the west. The kids ran stairs and us adults sat and watched. Monday was the day I was looking for. DENVER BRONCOS training camp. We hit the afternoon session and were amazed to see just how close we were to the players. We sat on a small hill about six feet from the sidelines. We had a great time watching all of the players, coaches and staff doing their thing. We must have taken two hundred pictures. It was fantastic. I would have been fine with just the practice, but after practice we were able to stay and get autographs from selected players. Some of the more notable players were:Knowshon Moreno, D.J. Williams, Robert Ayers, Brandon Lloyd, Demaryius Thomas and Eddie Royal. SOOOO COOL!! We had been informed during the practice that if we wanted to stick around, we could watch the John Elway sports show taping from the facility. Well needless to say we stayed. I was able to see my favorite person outside of my family. The legend himself. Brian Dawkins was the guest and it was a super time. After the taping, Mr. Elway walked right up to where we were standing and I got a picture with him as well as an autograph. Now I was definitely in shock. Special thanks to my beautiful wife for ensuring that this all happened. I was so excited I didn't even ask for a picture. She loves me! We headed back on Tuesday for one more practice session and enjoyed it as well. We finished the visit with Jess and the kids on Wed., with a semi down day. Swimming and the kids running all over the neighborhood. Thursday was the day to head towards Boise. With the projected weather we opted to go north thru WY instead of over the Rockies. To hot and to steep. Up thru Cheyenne and over to Rock Springs for the night. Parts of WY are beautiful, but I still hate the wind! It really kills a drive. I fought it all day and was ready for a good nights sleep.
We have been boondocking at Walmart
Saturday the 20th, Tres and the kids went over to visit her family and I headed out to the Boise State fall scrimmage with my parents and my sister and her family. It was probably the only time this year I will get to see them live, so I took it. We had a great time and the team does look pretty good. Bring it UGA!!!!!
Sunday was a special day. My niece Em was baptised in the Boise river. It was great to see her take that big step in her life. Beautiful. We were blessed to be able to be here to see it.
I woke up early today and took my Dad fishing. We have not been in a long time, so I felt that it was time to get it done. I made him a bamboo spinning rod before we left on this trip and he was able to hook a few rainbows on it today. We had a great time enjoying a quiet river and time to just be.
We have a few things to tie up before we head out again on the 24th. Probably won't get to hang with the friends but we will have plenty of time to catch up when we are back for good. I know everyone will understand.
We shot thru IL like a rocket and made it to Missouri fine. We were just outside of St. Louis when the sky turned BLACK. I knew what was coming when I saw all of the cars heading the other direction with their lights on. The heavens opened up. Rain like you wouldn't believe. It was blowing like a banshee. I couldn't see twenty feet in front of the truck. I pulled to the side of the interstate, along with most of the traffic and waited for the tornado to take us to Kansas. It never came. The sky parted and the blue came back. I was so relieved. Back on the road thru Missouri with no more problems. We hit Kansas City for fuel and when I got out of the truck I realized I was wearing my Denver Broncos cap. I told Tres that this could be fun and went in to get some coolant from the store. The Chiefs fans in the store shot some pretty sweet looks my way, but nothing was said. We headed for Lawrence KS for the night.
We boondocked in Lawrence on the night of the 12th. The humidity was still with us but not as bad as it had been. We woke on the 13th ready for the final push into Denver. I had been keeping an eye on a wearing trailer tire for a few days and thought that we could limp into CO with it. We headed out and made it as far as Hays KS, it was like 150+/- miles away. One look at the tire and I was done trying to limp anywhere. Time for a new one. The heat of the highway and the holes we hit did it in. Another 20 miles and I would have been changing a blow out. Once the two and a half hour tire change was done we were back looking for the friendly CO border. Not so fast Mr. Hendricks, lets give you a mean head wind and a steady climb up to the mile high city. We did about 40-45 mph for several hours before the road changed directions and I could use the trailer as a sail. I was actually able to do 60+mph without my foot on the gas or at least barely on the gas for about a half hour. It was sweet. We made it into the Denver area ready to see the Storey family again and crash.
The Storey family was awesome, they let us park the rig at their house and stay with them. It was another few days to enjoy Jess' cooking and friendship. Our kids play so well with hers. They really have a blast doing what kids are supposed to do. We went out to Red Rocks on Sunday the 14th. We were feeling the elevation and the dry heat. Not complaining, it was great to feel the comforts of the west. The kids ran stairs and us adults sat and watched. Monday was the day I was looking for. DENVER BRONCOS training camp. We hit the afternoon session and were amazed to see just how close we were to the players. We sat on a small hill about six feet from the sidelines. We had a great time watching all of the players, coaches and staff doing their thing. We must have taken two hundred pictures. It was fantastic. I would have been fine with just the practice, but after practice we were able to stay and get autographs from selected players. Some of the more notable players were:Knowshon Moreno, D.J. Williams, Robert Ayers, Brandon Lloyd, Demaryius Thomas and Eddie Royal. SOOOO COOL!! We had been informed during the practice that if we wanted to stick around, we could watch the John Elway sports show taping from the facility. Well needless to say we stayed. I was able to see my favorite person outside of my family. The legend himself. Brian Dawkins was the guest and it was a super time. After the taping, Mr. Elway walked right up to where we were standing and I got a picture with him as well as an autograph. Now I was definitely in shock. Special thanks to my beautiful wife for ensuring that this all happened. I was so excited I didn't even ask for a picture. She loves me! We headed back on Tuesday for one more practice session and enjoyed it as well. We finished the visit with Jess and the kids on Wed., with a semi down day. Swimming and the kids running all over the neighborhood. Thursday was the day to head towards Boise. With the projected weather we opted to go north thru WY instead of over the Rockies. To hot and to steep. Up thru Cheyenne and over to Rock Springs for the night. Parts of WY are beautiful, but I still hate the wind! It really kills a drive. I fought it all day and was ready for a good nights sleep.
We have been boondocking at Walmart
Saturday the 20th, Tres and the kids went over to visit her family and I headed out to the Boise State fall scrimmage with my parents and my sister and her family. It was probably the only time this year I will get to see them live, so I took it. We had a great time and the team does look pretty good. Bring it UGA!!!!!
Sunday was a special day. My niece Em was baptised in the Boise river. It was great to see her take that big step in her life. Beautiful. We were blessed to be able to be here to see it.
I woke up early today and took my Dad fishing. We have not been in a long time, so I felt that it was time to get it done. I made him a bamboo spinning rod before we left on this trip and he was able to hook a few rainbows on it today. We had a great time enjoying a quiet river and time to just be.
We have a few things to tie up before we head out again on the 24th. Probably won't get to hang with the friends but we will have plenty of time to catch up when we are back for good. I know everyone will understand.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
The End of the first East Coast swing
We finished up our week in the East with a bang. Sunday saw us in Frederick, MD touring the local sights. The age of the communities around us here is still something we are coming to grips with. The places we visit seem so much older than what we see back home. The fact really hit home when we walked thru a graveyard that had a grave from 1797. We in the west just don't have that depth of community history that the folks in the East do. Not the Anglo communities, the native communities do. We did the walking tour of Frederick and enjoyed the architecture. One thing that we noticed was that most of the old houses have signs on them that read, so and so slept here once or so and so lived here for a short time. I guess it makes it more attractive for the tourists if honest Abe bedded down here once way back when. It was interesting none the less. We took the back roads home and toured the last three covered bridges in MD.
Monday the 8th was the big day for D.C.. We woke early for the 40ish mile drive into the city, we were commuters for the day. Traffic is amazing thru the older parts of the suburbs, tiny lanes with all sorts of vehicles crammed in. We drove around the city for about 15 minutes trying to find a place to park, it sounds harder than it was. Once we found the lot we were golden. Not a bad price either, $15 for the entire day. We dropped the truck and hit the streets. Our first stop was the Smithsonian museum of natural history. A huge museum with just about every kind of natural life you could want to see. Mummies, birds, stuffed animals of all kinds. We found the items that the kids wanted to see and headed out to the capital mall. Off to the Washington monument. Holy Moses that thing is tall. Something like 555 feet tall. From the monument we hoofed it out to the Lincoln monument. Again, that thing is giant. Seeing the pictures just doesn't do it justice. It was a wonderful feeling to be standing where so much has happened. From the Lincoln monument we had about an hour and a half until our tour of National Geographic so we swung by the white house and said "whats up" to Obama. I don't think he liked any of my ideas on how to fix the country. By this time my beautiful little girl was looking like she was going to pass out from the heat and hunger. I mean she had the look. It was either get her into a cool place or she was going to bonk! We cooled her off and fed her so she was now good to go. Now off to the highlight of the day. Mr. Carroll had been nice enough to hook us up with Mark Theisson, an incredibly gifted and quite famous photographer with Nat. Geo.. We met him at his office and got to spend a bit of time checking out his studio and getting a glimpse into what it takes to get the shots for the magazine and the channel. It was a really interesting visit. We were all floored. Definitely the top! From our visit we had enough energy to hit one more museum before crashing. Back to the mall and into the Smithsonian museum of American history. Floor upon floor of American history. More than we wanted to see at that point. We were pooped! Hit the road and enjoy a cold one back up in the hills
Tuesday the 9th was a prep day. Got the trailer and our personal things lined out for the trip West.
We headed out around noon on the 10th back thru the panhandle of MD and down thru the hills of WV. I have described the hills to a couple of folks this way. It is like standing on a boat and looking out at the rollers in the ocean. Just picture BIG rollers covered with hardwood trees, as far as the eye can see. You get to the top of one, only to drop back down into the belly and have to get back to the top again. It was beautiful and maddening all at the same time.
Today was trucking thru KY and right on into IN again. We are shooting for Denver for the weekend. We would love to see the Broncos training camp. Keep your fingers crossed.
Monday the 8th was the big day for D.C.. We woke early for the 40ish mile drive into the city, we were commuters for the day. Traffic is amazing thru the older parts of the suburbs, tiny lanes with all sorts of vehicles crammed in. We drove around the city for about 15 minutes trying to find a place to park, it sounds harder than it was. Once we found the lot we were golden. Not a bad price either, $15 for the entire day. We dropped the truck and hit the streets. Our first stop was the Smithsonian museum of natural history. A huge museum with just about every kind of natural life you could want to see. Mummies, birds, stuffed animals of all kinds. We found the items that the kids wanted to see and headed out to the capital mall. Off to the Washington monument. Holy Moses that thing is tall. Something like 555 feet tall. From the monument we hoofed it out to the Lincoln monument. Again, that thing is giant. Seeing the pictures just doesn't do it justice. It was a wonderful feeling to be standing where so much has happened. From the Lincoln monument we had about an hour and a half until our tour of National Geographic so we swung by the white house and said "whats up" to Obama. I don't think he liked any of my ideas on how to fix the country. By this time my beautiful little girl was looking like she was going to pass out from the heat and hunger. I mean she had the look. It was either get her into a cool place or she was going to bonk! We cooled her off and fed her so she was now good to go. Now off to the highlight of the day. Mr. Carroll had been nice enough to hook us up with Mark Theisson, an incredibly gifted and quite famous photographer with Nat. Geo.. We met him at his office and got to spend a bit of time checking out his studio and getting a glimpse into what it takes to get the shots for the magazine and the channel. It was a really interesting visit. We were all floored. Definitely the top! From our visit we had enough energy to hit one more museum before crashing. Back to the mall and into the Smithsonian museum of American history. Floor upon floor of American history. More than we wanted to see at that point. We were pooped! Hit the road and enjoy a cold one back up in the hills
Tuesday the 9th was a prep day. Got the trailer and our personal things lined out for the trip West.
We headed out around noon on the 10th back thru the panhandle of MD and down thru the hills of WV. I have described the hills to a couple of folks this way. It is like standing on a boat and looking out at the rollers in the ocean. Just picture BIG rollers covered with hardwood trees, as far as the eye can see. You get to the top of one, only to drop back down into the belly and have to get back to the top again. It was beautiful and maddening all at the same time.
Today was trucking thru KY and right on into IN again. We are shooting for Denver for the weekend. We would love to see the Broncos training camp. Keep your fingers crossed.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
August 6th
I think that the homesickness bug is going around the trailer today. We are having a wonderful time on our journey, it just isn't as good as it could be without the rest of the family. We really miss the west. We are a western U.S. family and that will never change.
We spent the day on Thurs. the 4th at Gettysburg PA. The National Military Park is a fantastic trip thru time. We started the day by watching our children enlist in the Union army and be instructed in the ways of the Army. Lowman ended up being a lieutenant and Hailey was a Private. It was a great learning tool that the park service uses to get the kids into what they are about to learn. They served honorably and were discharged after their battle. Once they had finished their tour we headed out on the self guided driving tour of the battlefield. It was much larger that I had imagined. The sheer size of the field and the number of soldiers that took part was humbling. I would read the signs that explained what had taken place in a specific location and I was transported back in time and could see the battle right before my eyes. It was a fascinating and sad slide show in my mind. It was a day that we will not forget for years to come.
Friday the 5th saw us at the Smithsonian air and space museum in VA. Lowman was like a kid in a candy store. He is way into all things military, so the planes he was able to get up close to blew his mind. It is unbelievable the size and amount of aircraft under one roof. The concord, SR-71, a Boeing jet, the space shuttle Enterprise, the enola gay, missiles, helicopters, balloon baskets, I could go on for days. Lets just say that it was a bunch. Again, most of this day was spent here.
Today was another trip back to the Civil War, this time it was Antitum. Again, humbling to say the least. The tour was wonderful. This trip had volunteers that were stationed around the park and would give you an in depth speech on what went on at that particular location. These people are good at what they do. Between the photos, boards with descriptions of the battle and the volunteers, you get a very good idea of the horror that was Antitum. An unimaginable loss of American lives in a single day. We learned more in the two days of battlefield tours than ever before. The country that these men fought in was beautiful. Farm fields surrounded by hardwood forests that take your breath away. We were able to see a firearms demonstration that was pretty cool in itself. Union soldiers showed how they fought with the musket and the Union sharpshooters with their sharps rifle. Period clothes and all.
Another note about the location we are in and why we miss the west. Most of the day was around 80 degrees, an off and on again drizzle. Darn Humidity!!!
We spent the day on Thurs. the 4th at Gettysburg PA. The National Military Park is a fantastic trip thru time. We started the day by watching our children enlist in the Union army and be instructed in the ways of the Army. Lowman ended up being a lieutenant and Hailey was a Private. It was a great learning tool that the park service uses to get the kids into what they are about to learn. They served honorably and were discharged after their battle. Once they had finished their tour we headed out on the self guided driving tour of the battlefield. It was much larger that I had imagined. The sheer size of the field and the number of soldiers that took part was humbling. I would read the signs that explained what had taken place in a specific location and I was transported back in time and could see the battle right before my eyes. It was a fascinating and sad slide show in my mind. It was a day that we will not forget for years to come.
Friday the 5th saw us at the Smithsonian air and space museum in VA. Lowman was like a kid in a candy store. He is way into all things military, so the planes he was able to get up close to blew his mind. It is unbelievable the size and amount of aircraft under one roof. The concord, SR-71, a Boeing jet, the space shuttle Enterprise, the enola gay, missiles, helicopters, balloon baskets, I could go on for days. Lets just say that it was a bunch. Again, most of this day was spent here.
Today was another trip back to the Civil War, this time it was Antitum. Again, humbling to say the least. The tour was wonderful. This trip had volunteers that were stationed around the park and would give you an in depth speech on what went on at that particular location. These people are good at what they do. Between the photos, boards with descriptions of the battle and the volunteers, you get a very good idea of the horror that was Antitum. An unimaginable loss of American lives in a single day. We learned more in the two days of battlefield tours than ever before. The country that these men fought in was beautiful. Farm fields surrounded by hardwood forests that take your breath away. We were able to see a firearms demonstration that was pretty cool in itself. Union soldiers showed how they fought with the musket and the Union sharpshooters with their sharps rifle. Period clothes and all.
Another note about the location we are in and why we miss the west. Most of the day was around 80 degrees, an off and on again drizzle. Darn Humidity!!!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
August 3rd
We woke up Sunday the 31st to another hot humid day in IL. Plan was made to get some relief and see some nature around Kankakee. Becca took us out to the Kankakee River State Park. We walked up a side creek for a bit, criss-crossing from shallow hole to rock bar wading thru the cool water. We had a gang with us that day. Tres and I with our two children and Becca with her six. We had a ball. The oldest boys were intent on finding all of the cool things in and around the water, the three younger boys were just down for play. It was like a western expedition. The older girls were so sweet with Hailey. They really made her feel like one of the them. It was a cool time to watch. We finished our hike at a nice waterfall that spilled into a few deep holes. Just big enough to jump into and really cool off. I had a great "father" moment with Lowman that day. Matt, Becca's oldest, wanted to jump off of a small rock ledge into the pool. He did it perfectly. Lowman decided that it looked like fun, so off he went to try it out. Those of you that know Lowman, know that he has not been the one to take chances. I watched as he climbed the rocks and tried to get his footing right. Well it was not meant to be...he fell. Right on the waterfall. He hit the left side of his body on the rocks, knocking his ribs and hip, leaving some small cuts and a really nice black and blue bruise. The look on his face when I grabbed him in the water was awesome. He was actually smiling. He had that nervous giggle and said he was good. Back he went jumping of the smaller rocks in the falls. It was a precious moment for me as a father, my boy was becoming a daring young man in front of my eyes. We had a wonderful time the rest of the way back to the rigs. That evening we enjoyed cake and ice cream for Hailey's birthday.
Monday was a big work day for Tres, almost nine hours of work. That meant that I needed to get things ready for our departure the next morning. Not bad under normal circumstances, but when it is as hot as the sun and the air is saturated with moisture, anything done outdoors is a chore. To top it off the generator providing power for our A/C took a crap. Great, a brand new generator with maybe three hours on it is now a lead weight. I called the manufacturer and did some trouble shooting but it would not give the juice. We decided to make a stop by Camping World on the drive east the next day. The night would have to be a hot one (and it was).
We said our good-byes tuesday morning. Again, it was bitter sweet. We had grown pretty fond of the family we have in IL. They are a very genuine bunch of folks. Down to earth and just really good people. They showed us around and made us feel right at home. We enjoyed the kids, I even got to teach the boys how to cast a fly rod. Hopefully it is something that they can continue and find their own joy in it. Watch out IL, those kids are going to do some great things. Artists one and all, each in their own right. From photography to drawing. The thirst for knowledge to the curiosity to see what is out there. Amazing group of youth. Once the tears were shed, we headed south thru IL and then east into IN, headed for Indy. We hit the Camping World like a tornado. Four sweaty, stinky travelers that wanted to get the generator issue handled and be back on the road. I spoke with the sales manager and he called his people who said lets fix it. I said you give me the part and I will fix it. I fixed my generator right in the Camping World store, about twenty feet inside the front door. Five minutes later we hooked it up to the trailer to double check and we were out. East thru the rest of IN and right into OH. We are on a mission to be in Gettysburg. No time for most of OH right now. We boondocked in a town, St.Clairsvill, just inside the OH border with WV. It was comical to see the want to be studs cruisiung the Walmart parking lot. Really?? Small towm americal at its best.
Happy Birthday to Hailey today!!!! My little girl is 10 today. We woke her up with some gifts and a breakfest on the go. Still trying to get to where we want to be for the next week. As we have been driving these last few days it has been a cool sight to see, the country changing with each mile. It was the flat farm fields of IL and IN, then into the gradually rolling hills of OH, now it is the tree covered hardwood hills of WV, PA and MD. What a glorious transformation. We chose a park that was out of the way for our base for the next week. Centrally located so we can get to all of the great battlefields of the civil war and drive easily into our nations capital. Well we found it. We are in the sticks now. We took the trailer up roads I never would have dreamed of before this trip. Narrow and steep. Hopefully the drive out in a week will be boring. Our park is nice, it is just not an easy place to get into. Nothing ventured nothing gained. We dropped the trailer and headed back into town for laundry and a birthday meal for the little sis. We ate in a neat old diner in a town that looks to be as old as dirt. I mean that in a good way. These folks here have definitely been around a while. Toured the country on the way back and walked around the park with my 10 year old daughter to cap off the night. Life is truly GOOD!!
Monday was a big work day for Tres, almost nine hours of work. That meant that I needed to get things ready for our departure the next morning. Not bad under normal circumstances, but when it is as hot as the sun and the air is saturated with moisture, anything done outdoors is a chore. To top it off the generator providing power for our A/C took a crap. Great, a brand new generator with maybe three hours on it is now a lead weight. I called the manufacturer and did some trouble shooting but it would not give the juice. We decided to make a stop by Camping World on the drive east the next day. The night would have to be a hot one (and it was).
We said our good-byes tuesday morning. Again, it was bitter sweet. We had grown pretty fond of the family we have in IL. They are a very genuine bunch of folks. Down to earth and just really good people. They showed us around and made us feel right at home. We enjoyed the kids, I even got to teach the boys how to cast a fly rod. Hopefully it is something that they can continue and find their own joy in it. Watch out IL, those kids are going to do some great things. Artists one and all, each in their own right. From photography to drawing. The thirst for knowledge to the curiosity to see what is out there. Amazing group of youth. Once the tears were shed, we headed south thru IL and then east into IN, headed for Indy. We hit the Camping World like a tornado. Four sweaty, stinky travelers that wanted to get the generator issue handled and be back on the road. I spoke with the sales manager and he called his people who said lets fix it. I said you give me the part and I will fix it. I fixed my generator right in the Camping World store, about twenty feet inside the front door. Five minutes later we hooked it up to the trailer to double check and we were out. East thru the rest of IN and right into OH. We are on a mission to be in Gettysburg. No time for most of OH right now. We boondocked in a town, St.Clairsvill, just inside the OH border with WV. It was comical to see the want to be studs cruisiung the Walmart parking lot. Really?? Small towm americal at its best.
Happy Birthday to Hailey today!!!! My little girl is 10 today. We woke her up with some gifts and a breakfest on the go. Still trying to get to where we want to be for the next week. As we have been driving these last few days it has been a cool sight to see, the country changing with each mile. It was the flat farm fields of IL and IN, then into the gradually rolling hills of OH, now it is the tree covered hardwood hills of WV, PA and MD. What a glorious transformation. We chose a park that was out of the way for our base for the next week. Centrally located so we can get to all of the great battlefields of the civil war and drive easily into our nations capital. Well we found it. We are in the sticks now. We took the trailer up roads I never would have dreamed of before this trip. Narrow and steep. Hopefully the drive out in a week will be boring. Our park is nice, it is just not an easy place to get into. Nothing ventured nothing gained. We dropped the trailer and headed back into town for laundry and a birthday meal for the little sis. We ate in a neat old diner in a town that looks to be as old as dirt. I mean that in a good way. These folks here have definitely been around a while. Toured the country on the way back and walked around the park with my 10 year old daughter to cap off the night. Life is truly GOOD!!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Sunday, July 31st
It has been a busy few days here in IL.
Thursday we headed over to Fair Oaks, Indiana and went to one of the most interesting dairies I have seen. It is the Fair Oaks Dairy. This dairy has a great tour. You load up onto a bus and they drive you around the spread. The care taken for these animals is impressive. Their philosophy is that happy cows produce more product. The highlight for me was the milking area. The cows enter the milking area onto a a "merry-go-round", they enter as they please and exit when they are done. All on their own. They really seemed to enjoy the ride. Some didn't want to get off the ride and went around for another spin, without getting milked. They have a birthing barn at Fair oaks, the kids were able to see a calf being born for the first time. What a beautiful site to behold. Nature in all her glory, with a little help from a vet.
They also make their own milk and cheese products at Fair Oaks. We sampled and ate plenty of cheese and milk while we were there. From the dairy we cruised up to the northern edge of IN to Hammond. Hammond is home to a HUGE Cabelas. I swung by the fly shop and checked out what the Midwest folks throw. The fish tanks hold much different fish that the ones back home. Lots of bass, catfish, gar, and muskie. We finished the day with a big bonfire, roasting dogs and enjoying the smores that Jess had showed us how to make. Fudge stripe cookies and marshmallows. Delicious!!
Friday we were woken up by a big storm. Lightning everywhere and about two inches of rain. The low grey clouds were flying by. Once the storm passed, Tres and Rebecca went out to the local antique shops and I headed down to the creek with the boys. What a different landscape than we have in Idaho. The giant hardwood trees and black soil is a place made for kids to run wild. We hunted for fish but none were found. That evening was a treat. Off to the Kankakee speedway for some 1/4 mile dirt track racing. We have a track back home but it is not dirt. This stuff here looks like a hoot. Full power slides around the track. We all had a great time.
Saturday was a road day. Up to Milwaukee, WI. Our drive took us back thru Chicago and all of its traffic. The first stop was the Miller Valley. Home of the Miller Brewing Company. We took the brewery tour and were blown away by the history of the area. The sheer volume of adult beverages was crazy. A 200,000 sq./ft. warehouse that is filled with beer of all kinds. A complete turn over of product in around 24 hours. Man, people sure like their beer. We again sampled and hit the gift shop. I was very proud of myself, only making a small purchase. I could have easily walked out with one of everything. I was in heaven. For those of you that know me well, you know my beer of choice is "Miller High Life". Heaven indeed.
Back on the highway to Madison, WI. The tour at Miller had taken a bit longer to complete than I realised so I was forced to break every speed law that the state has to make it to the National Mustard Museum before they closed. My boy is a mustard freak and we really wanted him to visit this spot. As the great Sammy Hagar says, "I can't drive 55". More like 75ish!! We made it to Madison with about a half-hour to tour and taste. It was just enough time. I don't think that any of us realised how many mustards there are in the world. Lowman was in heaven. Samples to taste and free dogs to go with it.
Our drive back to Kankakee was a long scenic drive thru the country. It was a long day, but that is what this trip is all about. Getting out and experiencing what the area holds.
Thursday we headed over to Fair Oaks, Indiana and went to one of the most interesting dairies I have seen. It is the Fair Oaks Dairy. This dairy has a great tour. You load up onto a bus and they drive you around the spread. The care taken for these animals is impressive. Their philosophy is that happy cows produce more product. The highlight for me was the milking area. The cows enter the milking area onto a a "merry-go-round", they enter as they please and exit when they are done. All on their own. They really seemed to enjoy the ride. Some didn't want to get off the ride and went around for another spin, without getting milked. They have a birthing barn at Fair oaks, the kids were able to see a calf being born for the first time. What a beautiful site to behold. Nature in all her glory, with a little help from a vet.
Friday we were woken up by a big storm. Lightning everywhere and about two inches of rain. The low grey clouds were flying by. Once the storm passed, Tres and Rebecca went out to the local antique shops and I headed down to the creek with the boys. What a different landscape than we have in Idaho. The giant hardwood trees and black soil is a place made for kids to run wild. We hunted for fish but none were found. That evening was a treat. Off to the Kankakee speedway for some 1/4 mile dirt track racing. We have a track back home but it is not dirt. This stuff here looks like a hoot. Full power slides around the track. We all had a great time.
Saturday was a road day. Up to Milwaukee, WI. Our drive took us back thru Chicago and all of its traffic. The first stop was the Miller Valley. Home of the Miller Brewing Company. We took the brewery tour and were blown away by the history of the area. The sheer volume of adult beverages was crazy. A 200,000 sq./ft. warehouse that is filled with beer of all kinds. A complete turn over of product in around 24 hours. Man, people sure like their beer. We again sampled and hit the gift shop. I was very proud of myself, only making a small purchase. I could have easily walked out with one of everything. I was in heaven. For those of you that know me well, you know my beer of choice is "Miller High Life". Heaven indeed.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Chicago
Where do I begin with Chicago, IL? I am sitting here, back in the beautiful rural confines of Kankakee, looking back at our day in the city. I won't say that I hated it, but it is definitely not one of my top places to see. We left mid-morning and set out north for what we were thinking was a great day to come. The drive up was much faster than I thought, you can really fly without the great Jayco anchor in tow.
We hit Shoreline drive and went looking for a place to park. First mistake. Try and have some idea of where you are parking before heading into downtown Chicago. Missed the turn into the "millennium park" garage and it was on. That started a frustrating drive thru narrow residential streets and culminated in a frenzy of activity in downtown Chicago. And I mean DOWNTOWN Chicago. People everywhere!! Watch where you turn, you might flatten a pedestrian. They way these people drive was appalling. I must have seen a dozen near misses. They would have been near misses for me, but to the locals it might be just another day. Finally hit the parking garage, it was literally the only place I could see to park. Nice price, $14 minimum, $29 maximum. The $14 price was for like the first half hour. I guess when you own the only parking garage around, you can charge whatever you want.
We parked and headed to Millennium park. Pretty neat park really. It had some neat sculptures and fountains but not a bathroom in sight. We took the tourist pictures and headed over to Navy Pier. Nice walk, probably took us half and hour to get there. People everywhere. Hot, sweaty, angry people everywhere. We headed out to the end of the pier and took some pictures of Lake Michigan and enjoyed the breeze.
We did some more walking and decided it was time to head out. I didn't really want to fight the traffic anymore so it was time to head back to the country.
CRAP!!!! TONS of traffic heading out of town. It takes ten times as long to get out of the hell-hole as it does to get in. Nice trap. Anyway, we will gladly scratch the great city of Chicago off of out list, probably never to return.
We hit Shoreline drive and went looking for a place to park. First mistake. Try and have some idea of where you are parking before heading into downtown Chicago. Missed the turn into the "millennium park" garage and it was on. That started a frustrating drive thru narrow residential streets and culminated in a frenzy of activity in downtown Chicago. And I mean DOWNTOWN Chicago. People everywhere!! Watch where you turn, you might flatten a pedestrian. They way these people drive was appalling. I must have seen a dozen near misses. They would have been near misses for me, but to the locals it might be just another day. Finally hit the parking garage, it was literally the only place I could see to park. Nice price, $14 minimum, $29 maximum. The $14 price was for like the first half hour. I guess when you own the only parking garage around, you can charge whatever you want.
We parked and headed to Millennium park. Pretty neat park really. It had some neat sculptures and fountains but not a bathroom in sight. We took the tourist pictures and headed over to Navy Pier. Nice walk, probably took us half and hour to get there. People everywhere. Hot, sweaty, angry people everywhere. We headed out to the end of the pier and took some pictures of Lake Michigan and enjoyed the breeze.
CRAP!!!! TONS of traffic heading out of town. It takes ten times as long to get out of the hell-hole as it does to get in. Nice trap. Anyway, we will gladly scratch the great city of Chicago off of out list, probably never to return.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Kankakee, IL July 26th
We had such a great time in Custer. That is such a wonderful place. It is amazing just how much you can "live" in a short span of time when you really give it a whirl. I can see my children growing right before my eyes. From Lowman taking steps to manhood, to Hailey really finding the courage to step out. We enjoyed the new Family we now have in Custer. Watching the Storey kids enjoy the outdoor places that they are fortunate enough to visit every summer. Having them teach us things about life and curiosity. The joys of just being a bunch of kids. All the children played so well together, not one spat in two weeks is a feat in itself. The Carrolls welcomed us with open arms and made us feel right at home. I can not thank you enough for the time you gave us. It was sweet.
It was bitter sweet leaving Sunday. Not wanting to leave the people we had gotten to know, but ready for the next step. Hello highway!!
Sunday was spent driving across South Dakota. I mean all of Sunday. I wouldn't stop until we hit Sioux City IA. I just had to get to a new state. We "boondocked" for the first time there. We stayed in the Walmart parking lot along with five other campers and a semi or two. I felt very comfortable and we saved about $45. The more we do that on our drives to a destination, the more destinations we can get to.
We were up and gone with the sun on Monday. We drove along the Missouri river, spilling over the farm land and closing highways as it pleases. I truly feel for the farm and ranch families. We saw houses completely surrounded by the mighty river. We saw a sign that read "honk and pray for us", so I did.
The drive thru IA was brutal, not brutal because it was long like SD, but brutal like this humidity is killing me. High 80s low 90s with heat indexes well over 105. DAMN!!! I had no idea IA was so rolling. The hills stretched out for miles in front of us. Miles and miles of corn laden hills. Tres took pictures of old barns as we traveled.
We made great time and hit Kankakee, IL at 7:00 pm on Monday. Seeing Tres and her sister meet for the first time in 19 years was enough to bring tears to my eyes. It was beautiful. We set up shop at their spread, surrounded by corn and the farm life. Fireflies and cicadas fill the night air. A clear star filled night is what we went to bed enjoying.
It was bitter sweet leaving Sunday. Not wanting to leave the people we had gotten to know, but ready for the next step. Hello highway!!
Sunday was spent driving across South Dakota. I mean all of Sunday. I wouldn't stop until we hit Sioux City IA. I just had to get to a new state. We "boondocked" for the first time there. We stayed in the Walmart parking lot along with five other campers and a semi or two. I felt very comfortable and we saved about $45. The more we do that on our drives to a destination, the more destinations we can get to.
We were up and gone with the sun on Monday. We drove along the Missouri river, spilling over the farm land and closing highways as it pleases. I truly feel for the farm and ranch families. We saw houses completely surrounded by the mighty river. We saw a sign that read "honk and pray for us", so I did.
We made great time and hit Kankakee, IL at 7:00 pm on Monday. Seeing Tres and her sister meet for the first time in 19 years was enough to bring tears to my eyes. It was beautiful. We set up shop at their spread, surrounded by corn and the farm life. Fireflies and cicadas fill the night air. A clear star filled night is what we went to bed enjoying.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
July 17th
We headed up to Sylvan lake on Wednesday the 13. Had a great hike around the lake and did a bit of fishing. After the lake, Jess had a hike for us. We went off trail with all of the kids up to a place called "the poets table". It was such a neat place. Up in the peaks of the mountains surrounding Sylvan lake. People have been heading up there since the 60s and writing poetry. Somebody even took a table and chairs up from the valley. Not a small set either. Full on wood table and chairs. From the hike it was off to the needles. Rock spires that you can climb and play around on. We had a blast.
Thursday the 14th we all headed to Stockade lake for the morning. The kids swam and I went fishing while Tres and Jess visited. Next up was the Badger Hole, named after Badger Clark. Badger was a writer and poet that carved himself a sweet niche into Custer state park in the 1930s. He built a cabin by hand and had, from the looks of it, many visitors. The cabin is in the same state it was on the day he died. Everything in its place. Off to Jewel cave for a nature/information hike around the grounds. After the nature hike we took all of the kids on a 3.5 mile hike around the Canyons trail. It was probably in the upper 80s-low 90s. Hot in the canyon. On the way out of the canyon we walk right up to the only natural entrance to jewel cave and the blast of ice cold air is soooooo welcome. It is like standing in front of a freezer with the door open on a hot summer day. Everyone was spent. Time for some much needed sleep.
Friday was my fly fishing morning. I took the kids to Jess's place to play for the day and I headed into Custer State Park for some much needed alone time. What a beautiful place to fish. Some action, but nothing like home. When I returned to the casa, Tres had some more work to finish up on so I headed down to Hill City for a new pair of Tevas. (I blew my sandals out in the needles). Once home again, Tres and I headed out to the Wildlife loop in the park and checked out the antelope, prairie dogs and the wild burros. Half way around the loop, the check engine light popped on. Great timing. We nursed the truck back, surging and hard shifting the entire way. Worried that the truck would konk out at any time. I got on the Internet and found that I can turn my key 3 times in the ignition and get the trouble code off of the odometer. Pulled the code, looked up the problem on the Internet and found how to fix it. It was a throttle positioning switch that had gone bad. The NAPA here in town doesn't have one so I had to make the trip into Custer. To late in the day at this point so off to dinner at the Carroll house.
Sat. I went fishing with Jess's Dad Frank in the morning. Sylvan lake is gorgeous at 0530. No one else on the lake yet. We spent a few hours fishing and talking about whatever popped up. He is an interesting man with so much to teach. Now it was time for the dreaded repair. Off to Rapid city for the autozone and to try my hand at fixing the truck. The 40 mile drive to Rapid City was a drain. We got in and got the part, with my assistant Tres at my side we were done in about 15 minutes. 2 bolts, 2 Torx screws, one band and finished. Thank you lord!! Truck is running great again. We were not even out of the Autozone 5 minutes and some 17 year old girl runs right into the side of the truck. We all pulled over and I went around the truck thinking I was going to see a big hole in the side. She just barely grazed us. Her mirror was ripped up, but she said that it was already like that. My scratches will buff out, no harm no foul. She was scared to death. She apologized and we were on our way. Up to Ft. Hays to check out where they filmed Dances with Wolves. Ate lunch and checked the old stuff out. The kids made a hemp rope with a machine from the early 1900s. Pretty cool. We had a beautiful drive back to Custer thru Keystone and up the pigtail highway. Breathtaking. We finished that day here at the trailer with Jess and the kids. BBQ and great conversation. Kids playing and having the time of there lives.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Rapid City July 12th
Back on the hwy heading back into Custer we stopped at an interesting spot for all of you stuffed animal people. It is in Hill City SD and it is the worlds largest teddy bear collection. This place is crammed with, on the day we were there, 7182 bears of all shapes, sizes, and ages. You can hardly walk around the building it is so full. Still not sure just how I feel about the place, I will just say it is interesting. Just up the road was one more stop, the mistletoe station. Christmas 375 is the best way to describe it. From the carpet to the ceiling. Ornaments and decorations for the holidays. (This one was for the girls.)
Back in Custer we visited with Jess's parents, had some pizza and visited. Sounds like her Dad is going to show us some fishing spots. He mentioned something about 5 pound trout and I about jumped out of my skin.
The kids stayed and hung out with Jess's kids for a few hours and Tres and I went out to Custer state park and walked around Bismark lake. Lots of turtles scooting around and fish jumping. Another beautiful spot in a really beautiful place.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Custer South Dakota
We rolled into Custer on the evening of the 10th. I will walk you thru the day, it was an interesting one.
The drive from Rawlings WY to Custer S. Dakota is beautiful, if you like the desert. More colors than a crayola crayon box. Rock formations that would blow your mind. Rising either out of the dry desert floor or out of a lush grassland.
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We left early to avoid some of the heat. That worked very nicely for the truck. She ran like a top. Until we ran into the black hills at about 90 degrees. I guess when I say that the day was an interesting one, I really mean the last hour or so. We cruised thru the thunder basin area and saw the most gnarly coal mining operation I have ever seen. GIANT!!! Big trucks, shovels, tankers and enormous piles of dirt everywhere. The thunder basin national grassland was not what I was expecting. Basically hills with grass and scattered oil and gas drilling rigs. Not much to report on that. Once we hit the foot of the black hills we were still cruising along, enjoying the change to a conifer forest. Pines and aspen all around. Still going strong until we ran into a small string of campers at the steepest, most narrow spot in the entire mountain range. None of which was doing anything to the speed I was looking for. I am a big fan of momentum. They were not. Once we lost the big "MO", it was all over. Traveling at a snails pace with a big load was hard on the temp. gauge and the transmission. No matter what I tried I could not find that gear that the truck and I could agree on. High RPMs to low RPMs back and forth. What a nightmare. Tres was not comfortable due to the erratic engine and the steep winding road crammed with traffic. Needless to say, we made it out of there.
Once in to Custer, we decided that we should get our home for the next few weeks. Something we should have done earlier in the day when we were calmer, cooler and more level headed. Tres started making calls,We had wanted to stay at the Crazy Horse but they were wanting something like $660 for the two weeks. NO!! By the time she was done talking to them we were now out of town and I was as hot as the truck. Frustrated!!! We need to call some more places. Oh yes.....her phone just died. This is her iphone, the one with all of the internet connections to find rv parks. Now we are thru town with no way to see who has what unless we go to every park and get rates. FRUSTRATED!!!!! She suggested that we pull off somewhere, keep in mind that I have a long bed truck with 26' of travel trailer behind it and not a ton of experience. Well folks, faith is still the theme of this trip. Around the next turn is a great little turnaround spot that just happens to be Custers germinate camp from back in the day. I pull in and after dragging out the power inverter to charge things up, notice we are right in front of a sweet little rv park. We decide to check the rates. Thank you lord. Less than half of what the crazy horse wanted. Super quiet little spot with no one behind us. We have a great view of the hills, pastures, wildlife and did I mention No one behind us. What really blows my mind was that as we were leaving Rawlings that morning, we did our morning travel prayer and I asked the lord to watch over us and to "show us what he wanted us to see". I don't know about you, but I believe we were where he wanted us to be.
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July 11th. Today was a tourist day. Mt. Rushmore in all its glory. Much smaller that I remember. It was an educational tour. We walked the presidence trail and saw the artists studio. What a feat. Looking back at the technology that they used, it was quite a feat. From Mt Rushmore we were toying with the idea of the Crazy Horse monument, but the clouds were aaaarollin in. Antique shop! might as well hit it. As we walked around the first corner to the outside displays we are greeted by a 19 year old donkey named Donk!! This little fat thing has free roam of the store. Up and down the isles. Crazy. We picked up our first license plate and a sweet old jar (ha ha Jenny) for our squished commemorative pennies. Off to the Custer county courthouse museum. That was a 2-3 hr tour that we all learned from. The kids did the scavenger hunt and we helped. What a great way to learn some history. So much history in this neck of the woods.
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The drive from Rawlings WY to Custer S. Dakota is beautiful, if you like the desert. More colors than a crayola crayon box. Rock formations that would blow your mind. Rising either out of the dry desert floor or out of a lush grassland.
Once in to Custer, we decided that we should get our home for the next few weeks. Something we should have done earlier in the day when we were calmer, cooler and more level headed. Tres started making calls,We had wanted to stay at the Crazy Horse but they were wanting something like $660 for the two weeks. NO!! By the time she was done talking to them we were now out of town and I was as hot as the truck. Frustrated!!! We need to call some more places. Oh yes.....her phone just died. This is her iphone, the one with all of the internet connections to find rv parks. Now we are thru town with no way to see who has what unless we go to every park and get rates. FRUSTRATED!!!!! She suggested that we pull off somewhere, keep in mind that I have a long bed truck with 26' of travel trailer behind it and not a ton of experience. Well folks, faith is still the theme of this trip. Around the next turn is a great little turnaround spot that just happens to be Custers germinate camp from back in the day. I pull in and after dragging out the power inverter to charge things up, notice we are right in front of a sweet little rv park. We decide to check the rates. Thank you lord. Less than half of what the crazy horse wanted. Super quiet little spot with no one behind us. We have a great view of the hills, pastures, wildlife and did I mention No one behind us. What really blows my mind was that as we were leaving Rawlings that morning, we did our morning travel prayer and I asked the lord to watch over us and to "show us what he wanted us to see". I don't know about you, but I believe we were where he wanted us to be.
July 11th. Today was a tourist day. Mt. Rushmore in all its glory. Much smaller that I remember. It was an educational tour. We walked the presidence trail and saw the artists studio. What a feat. Looking back at the technology that they used, it was quite a feat. From Mt Rushmore we were toying with the idea of the Crazy Horse monument, but the clouds were aaaarollin in. Antique shop! might as well hit it. As we walked around the first corner to the outside displays we are greeted by a 19 year old donkey named Donk!! This little fat thing has free roam of the store. Up and down the isles. Crazy. We picked up our first license plate and a sweet old jar (ha ha Jenny) for our squished commemorative pennies. Off to the Custer county courthouse museum. That was a 2-3 hr tour that we all learned from. The kids did the scavenger hunt and we helped. What a great way to learn some history. So much history in this neck of the woods.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Rawlings
Well folks we are in it!! Made it over to Twin Falls, ID on the evening of July 7th. HOT drive!!! Was more than a bit concerned about the truck. Lots of weight, a hot day and an impatient driver is a bad combination.
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Our first stop on July 8th was Shoshone falls, Tres and the kids had never witnessed it. Not fully pumping, but beautiful none the less. After enjoying the spray of the falls we headed up to the Shoshone Ice Cave. I had forgotten what an interesting place that was. We had a great guide that could not have been older that 15. He will be a geologist some day I'm sure. We had an older couple in the group that was having a hard time keeping up, so I offered a stable hand to a very nice lady from Texas. She took it, I helped her up the many rickety steps and we talked the entire way back. Once done at the cave we were off on a drive up to the Craters of the moon. Fascinating place. We drove and hiked around for about half of the day. The highlight was hiking up one of the cinder cones with about a 45mph wind. I could actually lean into the wind and have it hold me up. The big gusts felt like 55-60. All fun and games until the wind blew Lowman's new prescription sunglasses of his face and down the hill a bit. No worries, super Mom leaped down and rescued them. It was time to get off of the cone.
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We headed East out of Twin this morning bound for Custer, S. Dakota. We have made it to Rawlings, WY. A very nice drive with a great tailwind. Many stops along the way to check out little places and stretch the legs. I cannot believe how green the desert is. Just love the wet year we have had.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Short timers
We have sold the Rodeo!!!! Thank you lord!!!
I went down and got new shoes on the truck today. One more step down. I will have the hitch put on and the trailer bearings done by Thurs. That means we are rolling out this week. FINALLY.
Will be heading thru Southern Idaho and be in Eastern Idaho by the weekend. Lots to look forward to. A little trip to God's fishing holes around Island Park, Yellowstone, the Tetons and then over to S. Dakota to see Jess!!!
I think the time has finally come
I went down and got new shoes on the truck today. One more step down. I will have the hitch put on and the trailer bearings done by Thurs. That means we are rolling out this week. FINALLY.
Will be heading thru Southern Idaho and be in Eastern Idaho by the weekend. Lots to look forward to. A little trip to God's fishing holes around Island Park, Yellowstone, the Tetons and then over to S. Dakota to see Jess!!!
I think the time has finally come
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Delays
Well the day has come for the departure. We are still in town. The truck needed some work and we were not able to get it done in time. It is still in the shop. Hopefully get it back tomorrow. We are also going to sell Theresa's Rodeo. So we may be down a week or so. It has hit us a bit to have our first setback before we leave the gate, but all things happen for a reason. At least that is what I believe.
The last week has been spent feverishly finishing things around the trailer and with family. Solar charger, power inverter, storage and little things that will make the trip hopefully more cost efficient. Worked to finish up the landscaping at my parents house. I think that it looks pretty good. If I do say so myself.
We got news that our short-term job in California is not going to happen just yet. We wish them all the best. Again, all things happen for a reason. Theresa has been working online and the hours she is putting in would not work out with the job in California. I guess you just have to have faith. With that being said, we are looking at Yellowstone and Eastern Idaho for our first few weeks on the road. The park is a good deal for a weeks pass, and I can get my family into some GREAT fly and spin fishing. I have 4 bamboo fly rods, so one for each of us.
I am waiting to get a picture on the blog until we get something of us on the road, so please be patient.
The last week has been spent feverishly finishing things around the trailer and with family. Solar charger, power inverter, storage and little things that will make the trip hopefully more cost efficient. Worked to finish up the landscaping at my parents house. I think that it looks pretty good. If I do say so myself.
We got news that our short-term job in California is not going to happen just yet. We wish them all the best. Again, all things happen for a reason. Theresa has been working online and the hours she is putting in would not work out with the job in California. I guess you just have to have faith. With that being said, we are looking at Yellowstone and Eastern Idaho for our first few weeks on the road. The park is a good deal for a weeks pass, and I can get my family into some GREAT fly and spin fishing. I have 4 bamboo fly rods, so one for each of us.
I am waiting to get a picture on the blog until we get something of us on the road, so please be patient.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Recent milestones
Hit another mark on the timeline for the trip yesterday. HD had her last softball game! We are getting VERY close. The kids finished school last week. We picked up the weight distribution hitch this week and will get it installed in the next few days. Tres is in the last week of full time work. She will switch to part time work online next week. We need to sell the Rodeo and we are OUT.
Things are lining up beautifully! I still am amazed at how this trip has rolled together, the pieces keep falling into place. A few more and we can shove off. I guess I better get with the blog more frequently.
Things are lining up beautifully! I still am amazed at how this trip has rolled together, the pieces keep falling into place. A few more and we can shove off. I guess I better get with the blog more frequently.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Counting down?
My brother in law asked yesterday if we have started counting down to our leave date. Honestly we haven't. I guess we are just so busy, the time doesn't seem to be that short. Well it is!! We have about four weeks to go before we would like to shove off. That has me thinking about all that we still need to do. Weight distribution hitch for the trailer, tires for the truck, trickle charger and an extra battery, sell the Rodeo, and many small tasks that we need to take care of. Maybe we should hang a calender up and get some things on it to help with the plans.
We are ready to get this thing started, we just need to finalize a few things first.
We are ready to get this thing started, we just need to finalize a few things first.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
The first few weeks
I think that we are adjusting well to our new home. We have done a TON of down sizing. Getting the things that we really need set up and storing the things that we will need later. The kids have their bunks and I am working with my Mom and Aunt on some wall hanging caddies to outfit their storage spaces. I like the caddies and by the time we are on the road, hope to have several scattered about the place.
The space is tight, but many people make do with this kind of space.
Our routine is getting pretty well set. We are so busy we really don't spend much more time than the evenings at home. Sports, work, family, and running around take up our days. We want to spend as much time as possible with everyone here before we take off. We have another busy week ahead of us, and I am trying to get as much done to the trailer as possible. We have more ideas to make our space more efficient. I read other blogs from people doing the same thing we are doing to get more inspiration. It helps to know that we are not alone in our feelings of the adventure. Many people around this great country are doing the same thing. Fed up with getting by and setting out to experience what must have been the feelings of the pioneers. There is something better out there. We just need to find it. Be brave and fight thru the tough times. Great things come with sacrifice.
I ran into an ex co-worker from my non family oriented job at the grocery store last night. I was good to see him. He gave me the scoop on what has been going on. Two more of the great people that worked there have quit. Sounds like they were also fed up with the direction that they were being taken. I told him about our plans and he couldn't believe it. He said that he is going to be doing the same thing in about a year, once he retires. We are just jumping earlier in life.
The space is tight, but many people make do with this kind of space.
Our routine is getting pretty well set. We are so busy we really don't spend much more time than the evenings at home. Sports, work, family, and running around take up our days. We want to spend as much time as possible with everyone here before we take off. We have another busy week ahead of us, and I am trying to get as much done to the trailer as possible. We have more ideas to make our space more efficient. I read other blogs from people doing the same thing we are doing to get more inspiration. It helps to know that we are not alone in our feelings of the adventure. Many people around this great country are doing the same thing. Fed up with getting by and setting out to experience what must have been the feelings of the pioneers. There is something better out there. We just need to find it. Be brave and fight thru the tough times. Great things come with sacrifice.
I ran into an ex co-worker from my non family oriented job at the grocery store last night. I was good to see him. He gave me the scoop on what has been going on. Two more of the great people that worked there have quit. Sounds like they were also fed up with the direction that they were being taken. I told him about our plans and he couldn't believe it. He said that he is going to be doing the same thing in about a year, once he retires. We are just jumping earlier in life.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Struggling
Once the decision to do this was made, we began the planning process. We needed to start saving as much money as we could. I was out of work in a terrible job market, we have two children (L.D. & H.D.), a rent payment that was getting harder and harder to make and all of the bills that come with a family. Thank the Lord that Tres has a pretty good job or we would be really up a creek.
The decision was made to move in with a family member. We were advised against it, but we thought that we could make it work for the trips sake. The cost of splitting a rental with a family member made more financial since than doing it alone. We could help each other out. As anyone that has lived with family knows, it can be a very hard thing to get thru. Different personalities, likes, dislikes, ideas, and ideals can take the best relationship and turn it inside out under one roof. That plan went out the window within 6 months. We needed a new cheap plan. We are committed to making this trip a reality.
We decided that rather than spend the money on renting someone elses house we would put our money into our camp trailer and live in it until the kids were out of school for the year. Seven weeks to go, we would get a taste of living the way we will need to for the next year. CLOSE!!
This is a very brief explanation as to how we got to the point we are now. Hopefully my writing will get better and I will take some more time as the trip goes along to revisit some of the finer points to this tale.
The decision was made to move in with a family member. We were advised against it, but we thought that we could make it work for the trips sake. The cost of splitting a rental with a family member made more financial since than doing it alone. We could help each other out. As anyone that has lived with family knows, it can be a very hard thing to get thru. Different personalities, likes, dislikes, ideas, and ideals can take the best relationship and turn it inside out under one roof. That plan went out the window within 6 months. We needed a new cheap plan. We are committed to making this trip a reality.
We decided that rather than spend the money on renting someone elses house we would put our money into our camp trailer and live in it until the kids were out of school for the year. Seven weeks to go, we would get a taste of living the way we will need to for the next year. CLOSE!!
This is a very brief explanation as to how we got to the point we are now. Hopefully my writing will get better and I will take some more time as the trip goes along to revisit some of the finer points to this tale.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
How this all came about
This adventure started with a dissatisfaction with the way things had been going for our family. No matter what we did, we always seemed to come up short financially. My wife and I both had good jobs, I was a Quality Assurance tech., and she worked in marketing for a good company. We were always working for something better. Better meant more money, a better house, a better car, a sweet vacation. Better didn't really mean better for our little family. With all of the time spent working and struggling to make things "better", we started to loose the closeness we wanted. I had become tired of the rat race and asked if my wife wanted to just leave it all behind for a while and see what happens. This was not what she wanted to hear. She is not a fan of change.
A few years went by and the financial mess that has effected so many people globally finally got a hold of us. We lost our home and had to make a move into a rental. My employer cut hours and benefits. I became more and more frustrated with our situation, but we kept plugging along. Still trying to make it better. Things began to pick back up at work for me. More hours meant more money coming in. Better right? That also meant more time away from my family.
My previous job was as a wildland firefighter so I was very used to spending long periods of time away from them. Not ideal, but we do what we do. When I was finished with fire, I vowed to make my family a much higher priority in my life. I missed many birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and the like. I barely made it to the hospital for my daughters birth. No more putting other things before my family. This is where my QA job was taking me. The work load got to the point where we needed someone to work the night shift. Guess who? My supervisor came to me with a request to take the night shift. We had discussed my previous 10 years of work experience which kept me from them. I told my supervisor that I could not work the night shift and see my wife and children. Weekends is not the time for full time fathers. I was given an ultimatum, work the nights or you are out. I chose my family. They fired me two weeks later, on a Monday no less. When the reality of this sunk in, Tres (my wife) started to see the value of a year on the road, taking the time for our family that we had never taken before. She became a fan of some change.
The adventure was born.
A few years went by and the financial mess that has effected so many people globally finally got a hold of us. We lost our home and had to make a move into a rental. My employer cut hours and benefits. I became more and more frustrated with our situation, but we kept plugging along. Still trying to make it better. Things began to pick back up at work for me. More hours meant more money coming in. Better right? That also meant more time away from my family.
My previous job was as a wildland firefighter so I was very used to spending long periods of time away from them. Not ideal, but we do what we do. When I was finished with fire, I vowed to make my family a much higher priority in my life. I missed many birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and the like. I barely made it to the hospital for my daughters birth. No more putting other things before my family. This is where my QA job was taking me. The work load got to the point where we needed someone to work the night shift. Guess who? My supervisor came to me with a request to take the night shift. We had discussed my previous 10 years of work experience which kept me from them. I told my supervisor that I could not work the night shift and see my wife and children. Weekends is not the time for full time fathers. I was given an ultimatum, work the nights or you are out. I chose my family. They fired me two weeks later, on a Monday no less. When the reality of this sunk in, Tres (my wife) started to see the value of a year on the road, taking the time for our family that we had never taken before. She became a fan of some change.
The adventure was born.
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