Road to the Sun

The famed Going-to -the Sun Road begins in West Yellowstone and heads diagonally NE across Glacier Park. It has a number of notable areas to stop and walk or hike. It is really a hikers place as trails spread out through the park in all directions. Going-to -the Sun Road is the only road that actually makes it all the way through the interior of the park and only one real glacier, the Jackson Glacier is visiable from the road. We hit the park around noon and made a quick stop in the Lake McDonald Lodge for lunch. And what a lunch it was. An elk, bison, venison sausage appetizer with three sauces, all terrific. Dana had soup and sandwich and I had a chief's salad. All great. We then walked to the Mcdonald Falls and headed out. The Logan Pass area of the road has to be one of the most spectacular roads in the country. The road was built in 1932 and just hangs off the walls of the cliffs and canyons. Breathtaking. The Park service and hotels run shuttle services and "Touring Cars" which are open air vehicles, and encourage people to use them because Glacier Park's infrastructure is woefully inadequate. At the areas of interest, parking is almost nonexistant. Rest room facilities are also short. (Yellowstone must get the lion's share of the park systems capital budgets. ) As we continued through the park, we were unable to stop at any other areas for lack of parking. It was Sunday, so we attributed it to the weekend. The road ends in St. Mary's and we exited south down Rt 89 to Rt 49 to East Glacier and the intersection with Rt. 2. Route 2 follows the park boundaries, and we observed the Skylands fire along the side of the road. Dry weather, heat and wind have made fire control impossible, and the air quality in some areas is Code Orange, whatever that means. (Rt. 2 was closed the next am as they started backfires to clear the edges of the road.) The ride home was long and we got back around 6 pm.

Into Glacier

We came into Glacier National Park from the east on Rt 2. The drive up from Helena was very pretty but everything out here is hazy from the heat (mid 90's today, 100's tomorrow)and from smoke from forest fires. We set up just east of Kalispel in the Rocky Mountain Hi RV park and took a nap. After regaining consciousness, we went on a quick spin around Kalispel and then drove up to Columbia Falls for a local rodeo. They had bronc riding, bull-dogging, barrel racing,bull riding, calf roping etc. It makes for a fun night and the local announcer did a great job keeping everything moving and entertaining.
Today we explore Glacier.

Great Falls

We said goodbyes and extended our thanks to Bob Nystrand for his wonderful hospitality, then headed up I-15 to Great Falls, Mt. Lewis and Clark had a major challenge to portage all their boats and gear around the Great Falls. We set ourselves up at our RV park and headed into town. We first went to The Charles Russell Museum. Charlie Russell, the Cowboy Artist, was a prolificate producer or paintings, sculptures, clay and porcelain painted figures, and books of the west. At 12 years old he won a sculpture prize at a St. Louis Fair, but was unable to devote himself to art at that point. His parents tried sending him to New Jersey to a military school to straighten him out, but it didn't take. He was sent to Montana with a family friend to work on the range in the hopes that the hard work would prove discouraging to him. He called Montana home from that moment on and worked as a cowboy while teaching himself painting. Eventually, local folks bought enough of his work for him to devote himself to art. His water colors of western scenes are just amazing, as are his oil works. As his poularity grew, he went on the road to do shows in galleries around the country and began to meet and learn from artists in many different mediums. He must have worked sun up to sun down to produce all the work. Even his thank you notes and personal letters contained little sketches, which are now highly prized. The museum has five or six rooms of his work and then a number of rooms of other western artists. For my money, it's the most enjoyable art museum yet. A can't miss stop if you get to Great Falls.
From there we went to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. I guess the government not only wants us to learn about history but also wants to help us interpret it . What would they do if the populous was to interpret facts on their own? The government learned this trick from the news media which has long felt they needed to help us think about things. But, to get back on message, the exhibit was excellent and we spent a couple hours following the voyage of The Corp of Discovery. A number of years ago, Steven Ambrose wrote a book called "Undaunted Courage" about Lewis and the expedition. It's an excellent read for anyone interested in stuff like that.
Today we head for Kalispel and Glacier National and the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Now that's exciting.

Gate to the Mountains

Bob Nystrand led us up I-15 and over to a park called Gates to the Mountains. Here the Missouri River cuts through the first hills of the Rockies and the spot was named by Meriweather Lewis on the famous expedition in 1805. As they made their way upriver they entered these limestone canyons which at the entry from the river look like a gateway. A tour boat took us on a trip down the river to this area and then turned around to view the gateway. The trip was particularly interesting yesterday because a good deal of the canyon on one side of the river was on fire. It's a national wilderness area where they normally let things burn. Because there were some structures about half down our boat ride and because the Park Service had an historic shed up in a gulch somewhere, they had started some "hot-spot" control in the area. They had a huge twin engine Sky Crane helicopter swooping down to the river,dropping a suction hose in and filling up. It then flew to the top of the canyon and dropped it's load. We saw this operation numerous times. About half way back, the fire looked like it was intensifying and jumped up into the crowns of some trees. The winds picked up considerably as we returned and then blew hard all afternoon. From Bob's valley, it looked like the fire was winning. In the evening, things calmed down and it even looked like some rain may have fallen. This morning, the smoke was pretty well gone and it appeared that the fire must have retreated.
Last night Bob broke out some elk steaks which were terrific. Lisa and her family, Kevin, Fred and Gnise stopped over and we had a nice visit. They are all avid outdoors people and love hunting, fishing and propagating local wild plant species.

Helena, Montana

We are visiting Bob Nystrand. Bob moved out here in '02 and has a home and 20 acres just outside of town. His daughter Lisa and family live up the street. Bob has always been a great outdoors man and loves it here. He took us on a tour around the area and a pretty good fire is burning a couple of ridges over. It's on land where they will just let it burn. Last night the smoke and cloud combination made an eerie sky. For those of you who know Bob, he's doing great and still is hunting and fishing all the time.

YNP

We spent a last day on a short drive over to West Yellowstone and the area outside the park. We cut the trip short as we are so tired of driving. It's too big. Since we pulled into Moran Junction over a week ago, we've driven about 2500 miles, from the south end of the Tetons to the top of the Beartooth Highway near Red Lodge, Mt. The lay out of the roads past the many beautiful viewing sites has been great. It's like a huge example of Central Park or the Biltmore Estate. New delights await the eye around every curve. They have mountains, valleys, lakes, rivers, water falls, canyons, cascades, buttes, bluffs and then throw in a whole bunch of thermal displays, springs, fountains and geysors. Yesterday we did get out and walk the boards at Mammoth Springs. Another absolutely beautiful scene. As Dana mentioned, it leads to scensory overload. And of course the time of day means so much as the lower sun angles bring out colors that look artificial and shadows that change by the minute.
It would have been better to see the whole place in the Fall, but that wasn't an option with our plans. In the Tetons we had a few instances where we thought we had the place to ourselves, but that doesn't happen in Yellowstone in July. Hopefully Glasier National Park isn't quite as popular.

I'm in the laundry room also--just had to say that Yellowstone is wearing me out--just so much to see--it's sensory overload every time you turn a corner, or see things in a different light. The Beartooth Highway(featured in the Life Mag. 100 places to see in the U.S.) was magnificent, and we're caught in the hazy season--so was the Chief Joseph scenic byway-----When we finally came out of the mts. the other night, we got caught in a buffalo jam--hard to see in the dark--but they were snorting away at each other and the cars--they hate the diesel truck, so Bruce inched forward and one moved enough to let us by--it was late and we needed to get home. We've seen coyotes about 4x and a quick glimpse of a moose crossing a stream.
We've seen so much--mostly from the car since it's been so hot, but Yellowstone demands that you engage in some activity to truly "see"it--next time for us will be cooler, and we'll be ready to hike more.
I fouled up my pix the other night--sneezed while dragging some around--a mess--but I'll get squared away sometime soon!!!

More Yellowstone

Yellowstone is just huge. It has 5 entrances, and yesterday we got around to going out the last one, the East Gate. The entrance highway is under construction which meant a half hour stop on the way through. Route 14 runs to Cody, Wy., so we took off. The ride, like all the entry-exit rides, is a trip in itself. Might be the prettiest thing the Park offers. Cody seemed like a nice place, and we found a steak and ribs place for a late lunch-early dinner. (looking for those early-bird specials.) The food was good, the dessert great, and we wandered around Cody a bit. The trip home brought us in the Northeast Gate so we had to traverse the park to the North Gate and the Roosevelt Arch. Another 300 mile trip. Today is our last day here and we leave for Helena, Mt., and a visit with the old sea dog, Bob Nystrand.

Moving Day

We moved from the Moran Junction site across Yelowstone to the north entrance at Gardner, Mt. It was an uneventful drive outside of a traffic ticket for speeding. I was doing 49 in a 35 which I thought was a 45. The Rangers are on a zero tolerance program because a woman pushing a jogging stroller was hit by car and badly injured two days ago.
After we set up, we found out that our site is only partially covered by wi-fi, so I'm down in the laundry room typing away. Anyway, after setting up I convinced Dana to go on a trip out the northeast gate to Cooke City and up Rt 212 known as The Beartooth Hwy to Red Lodge, Mt. (Three of the parks 5 entrances are in Montana even though only a tiny amount of park is in there. ) It was a great ride upover 10,000 feet and back into Alpine and some Tundra areas. If I haven,t mentioned, the weather has been high and dry most of the time here, with day time temps in the low 90's. At these altitudes, that's hot and dehydration is a big thing. Fortunately, from the cab of an air conditioned truck, the heat is not too bad. On the trip back from Red Lodge, we took a slight detour to pick up another piece if scenic highway. We were still in the mountains when the sun went down and didn't return home until 11:00 pm.

More of the Same

Yellowstone continues to amaze. Yesterday we drove up to Mammoth Springs, just another thermal activity center here. Elk were grazing throughout the downtown area. Rangers hurried about trying to convince people that 25' was close enough to these things. They were mainly does with fawns who had just about lost their spots. Very cute. Soon I'll be able to identitify most local wildlife by the scat cleaned off my shoes.
We have now ridden on all main interior roads of Y.P., and most of the side shows. We'll never get them all. Today we move up to Gardiner, Mt., to our new site to view the north areas of the park. There are several note worthy rides just outside the park which we hope to make.
We have been lucky with traffic so far, and have not been in any gridlock situations, which can happen here. People pull off at the site of any animal, and sometimes don't take the time to get far enough over to allow other traffic to pass. The Park is in a 20 year road renovation program to upgrade all roads to allow shoulder space everywhere. The few General Stores in the Park tend to be crowded and under staffed.
We've been lucky to see great close ups of elk, bison, moose, coyote, mule deer and the rather large western chipmunks. Have yet to see a good close up of bears.
Will Sergio have what it takes to finish the British Open? Could Tiger make a run from 7 back? How about Jimmy Furyk going low the last day?

So Big

Yellowstone Park is just huge. Today will begin day three of getting around it and we should begin some of the northern loop. Yesterday we visited the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and saw the Upper and Lower Falls. All beautiful. We hit the ranger stations for some information and saw a film called "Ten Years Later," a take off on the old rock group. It was about the regrowth of the forests since the terrible fires of 1988.
The fires of 1988 made big news in the media where the Park Service took a big hit for letting the fires burn. They had actually made the change to this policy some years earlier. Fire was looked on as a natural part of the eco system. The years of controlling fire had lead to the development of huge amounts of tinder in the forest floors, and some experts believed that the fuel quantity was so large that fires would burn super hot and sterilize the soil and kill all seed. The fires of 1988 burned about a third of the Yellowstone forest, and to many people devestated the park. "Ten Years After" chronicles the regrowth of the forests and maintains that the fire was a natural and necessary part of the Yellowstone history. Most areas have vigorously regrown, mostly with the native Lodgepole Pines. The cones from a Lodgepole are held or glued together by a substance that only breaks down and releases the seeds when exposed to fire. The release of these seeds was prodigious, and most areas immediately began regrowth. Some areas either because of climate or exposure take longer and some areas were burned so hotly that regrowth was hampered. But overall the park looks great. The fire revealed the severity of the terrain here which the forest softens. The Park service maintains that the fire created more "edge of the forest" environments which is good for wildlife. The surface received more sun light so more species of plants grow. At any rate, people who thought the park had been ruined were wrong. It's just changed a little.

Hi--it's late--we started at 5:15a.m.--There's only one way to describe Wyoming--BIG and BOLD!!Forgive me the nature pix, but everything is so amazing. I didn't take the camera one time today, and as we walked along a river by the rapids there were 3 pelicans standing there, in the sun,in the white water--just minding their own business--maybe looking for breakfast--didn't at all care that we were there.--everywhere you turn, something surprises you. The animals are around, people out looking,or hiking,or kayaking,or horseback riding--In my mind the National Park System has done a good job of making these treasures accessible to everyone--there are paths and boardwalks and trails that can be used even by the least hearty person.
The colors out West are amazing too--just like the real photographers" pictures. Come West if you can!!
Gotta go--sleepy-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yellowstone

We began our assault on Yellowstone National Park. We entered through the South Gate and headed up to West Thumb where we saw our first geyser. We headed west toward Old Faithful and pulled into the lot at the Old Faithful Inn at about 12:30, so it seemed lunch would be appropriate. We went in and had an excellent lunch of baked brie, red pepper and smoked gouda soup, spinach salad and a veggy reuben sandwich. All was very good and the lodge is just amazing. After lunch, we watched Old Faithful go off and then walked the many boardwalks through the thermal areas. This is a really weird valley. Hot water and steam come out of the ground everywhere. They warn everybody not to walk off the boardwalks do to the danger of falling through the thermals, but buffalo pies are everywhere and right up to the geysers.
We left the Old Faithful area and proceded west to the town of West Yellowstone, Mt., where the West Gate sits. It's a little more touristy and we killed some time hoping that traffic would thin for the ride home. That worked, and we rode through a number of other thermally interesting areas on the way home. Once more got home late and didn't sit down to dinner until 9:00 pm.

Tetons?

These mountains were named by early French trappers who were looking for beaver and according to our float guide the name is a french reference to an ample bosom, which they can resemble from certain points. They must have been some lonely guys. Anyway, we started yesterday taking a tour boat across Jenny Lake to Cascade Canyon, a popular hiking and rock climbing area. We hiked about a mile in and up to Inspiration Point looking over the lake and valley. Just beautiful. The hike was quite inclined and about enough for both of us.
We left there and headed south to the sight of the Gross Ventre Slide. A massive land slide occurred there in 1925, caused by excessive rains. The slide brought trees and dirt from 9000 feet up down into the canyon in minutes and dammed the Gros Ventre River. Two years later, the dam burst and wiped out the town of Kelly and killed the 6 people who remained there. The wound in the mountain is still clearly visable as is the downstream debris from the dam burst. (the landslide is one of the largest movements of earth known) It was about a 40 mile drive out and we hadn't been looking in the rear view very much because when we turned around to drive back, we were greeted with an unbelievable view of the Tetons.
A visit to the National Museum of Wildlife Art just south of Jackson was next. The building is quite new and tucked neatly into the hill side. We took a guided tour and then spent some time backtracking and looking at various preferred works. If you're out here, it's worth the stop.
We scampered back to Moose Junction to take the 4:30 dinner float down the Snake River. They drove us about 12 miles up stream to their camp feeding area and we ate before departing. The float was very serene and we saw a number of beavers, an eagle or two and a few other animals. We had hoped to see moose but none appeared.
At the end of the float, we heard a couple people talking about seeing moose on the Moose-Wilson Road, a dirt road which runs over to Teton Village. Away we went and luckily we did run into a couple of moose. One, a young Black Moose male was standing legs splayed next to the road. In the light of dusk, it took a minute to realize he was taking a leak. And what a leak it was. He must have a 10 gallon bladder. He ambled down a stream bank and started to feed. The light was very dim and our pix may not be very good. We exited toward Jackson and headed home, about an hour's drive, at 9:45. Way past my bedtime.

Both Sides Now

We spent yesterday circumnavigating the Grand Teton Range. We entered the north gate and then exited north of the park to the area of the south gate of Yellowstone Park. We'd seen a road on a map called Grassy Lake Road which runs west from the Flagg Ranch Visitor's Center over to Ashton, Idaho. It was 57 miles of dirt road, half of it in pretty poor condition. It's as close to the wilderness as these city slickers have ever been. At about 1:00 pm we arrived at the Grassy Lake Reservoir. We drove down a steep accessway to an area that had been used as a camp and right onto the edge of the reservoir, which was down quite a bit. We turned off the engine and began our picnic (slimfasts) lunch. As we were finishing, we heard the strangest sounds coming from out on the reservoir. Dana grabbed the binoculars and watched out on the lake surface as two loons performed a dance. I believe it was two males competing for the attention of a female, and we could see a third bird further up the lake which didn't participate in the activities. The loons took turns flapping their wings and walking on water with chests stuck out in military fashion, all the time calling away. That lasted a little while, and they then went back to diving for food and surfacing. It made for great viewing. After we got back on the road, we saw a glimpse of a mule deer, but the rest of the ride to Ashton was uneventful. We did pass through scattered areas that had been burned. It looks like fires bounce around a good bit and pass over areas which are patches of green in the otherwise burned out landscape.
In Ashton, we turned south and began the ride down the west slope of the Tetons. The west slope is more gradual and rounded than the east slope, which is where the shear occurred when the mountains rose and the valley fell. From the road it still looked spectacular and the farmers and ranchers have awesome views.
The tour was completed by going through Teton Village and into Jackson Hole. From there it was due north back up the east side of the mountains. We went in through Jenny Lake again and while at a rest area saw a young Grizzly Bear about 50 yards away. It was probably under 200 lbs. People were all anxious to get close for pictures. I'll buy a post card. We stopped for several photo ops, but it was again hazy enough to make real good pix unlikely. We'll see. Back home, we cooked burgers and had iceberg wedges with diced tomatoes and blue cheese dressing. Klondike Bar for dessert. Can't be beat.

WOW

We drove from Rawlins, Wy., to our new RV park in Moran Junction, Wy., yesterday. Just after we passed through Dubois, we were passing one of these huge bottom dump truck-trailer rigs when my truck slowed down and gradually lost power. We pulled over and after consulting the owner's manual, decided that the fuel filter was most likely the culprit. Pulled a U-ee and limped back into Dubois where no dealerships exist. We stopped at the first gas station and their mechanic was a Duromax diesel expert who had just left a dealership. He had the diagnostic tools to determine the problem (it was the filter) and the new filter in stock. In less than an hour we were back on the road. Miraculous. Other than that, the trip over was just another gorgeous trip through Wyoming.
Our RV park here is a little dusty, but so is everthing in the area. We set up and took off for Grand Teton National Park. We started at the northern end and went past Jackson Lake and took the cut off to Jenny Lake. The views and sites are beyond my ability to describe. The Teton range soars above Jackson and Jenny lakes and reflects back in them. The high point is just over 13,000 feet. When the mountains formed, the peaks pushed up, but the valley floor also fell, hence the name Jackson Hole. The fall in the valley was 3 times the rise of the peaks. We were there late in the day on a reconnasance mission and will do in depth exploring today.
I was just about to call my sister Carol to get her input on what to do and see in the area, when my phone rang. It was Carol. She worked in the Lodge at Yellowstone Park summers during college and not only became very familiar with the area, but met her husband Mike. He was the maitre'de at the time. Today he would be charged with work place harassment and jailed or fired instead of starting a happy lifetime partnership with Carol. She gave me some tips on the area and said not to miss West Yellowstone. We won't.

The Great Divide Basin

Rawlins, Wy., is located just east of the Continental Divide and the start of the Great Divide Basin. This huge area drains to neither the Atlantic or Pacific. It didn't say where it drained but I suspect it's self contained. The Continental Divide is low throughout this area as it zigzags around ranging from a low of 6700 to 7550 at South Pass. This is the area the Oregon Trail, Overland Trail, Cherokee Trail and many other lesser known trails pass through the divide. South Pass was also known as "Parting of the Ways" as travelers here heading for Oregon took the Oregon Trail and those heading to Utah or California headed south. The tracks from the wagon wheels are still clearly visible. When you see the terrain these pioneers crossed, it's hard to see how they did it, and crossing the Continental Divide here also marked the completion of the easy part of the trip and the beginning of the hard part. Today this area is where I-80 passes through the Divide as well railroads, pipe lines, electric lines and everything else.
We started a lap around this area by heading west on I-80 for about 110 miles. We try hard to stay off interstates, but it's the only east-west road in the area. We set the cruise at 80 and see more truck traffic than we've seen all trip. The terrain is rolling with buttes, bluffs and rock outcrops everywhere. Immense. We hit Rock Spring and turned north on Rt. 191 up to Farson past the Red Desert and took Rt. 28 NE. This lead us to historic South Pass and South Pass City and Atlantic City, a couple of revived gold mine towns. Rt 28 then intersects Rt 287, and we headed back SE to Rawlins. Our loop traveled about 330 miles and the scenery was spectacular. Once again, I've never seen anything prettier.
Something really noticeable out here are the large, long, high sections of snow fence always on the west side of the road. They aren't like snow fences back home, but are metal structures with A-frames connected by horizintal struts. In some areas they are layered up to five or six deep. They appear to be over 6' tall. The wind is a constant through this area.
Back in Rawlins, we looked for a place to eat and finally located the Aspen House. It was a real treat with fine food and service. I take back everything I said about Rawlins yesterday. Off to the Tetons today.

Who picked this place?

We drove north from Loveland, Co, to Fort Collins and picked up Rt 287 NE to Laramie, Wy. It is a pretty trip. We took Rt 130 through the Medicine Bow Mountains which has a high point of about 10,700 feet. The mountains peak at just over 12,000'. That was spectacular. It's the highest we've been with the rig.
We ended up in an RV park just off Rt 80 in Rawlins, Wy, which is a small blue collar looking community with many cheap motels, bars etc. The add in Woodalls Dieectory had said it's windy here, and they weren't lying. Albert would hate the place. It blew up to 40 mph constantly for a number of hours. People have built wind breaks in outdoor locations to shield them. Picnic areas etc.
Since we are close to an interstate, we decided to check out a couple truck stops to see what the scene is like. There was a T/A place which segregated truckers from others, and then stopped at a Flying J. They offer truckers parking spots, showers which can be reserved and rented, a lounge room with tv, games, internet hook ups and buffet style meals. ("Not drooling yet" was the comment one trucker made as he checked it out.) Home away from home.

On the Road Again

We had a great time visiting the Simpsons in Webster, Mass. Their lake home is magnificent. We road on boats, went to lake fireworks, sailed in Naragansett Bay off Newport, saw Blueman Group in Boston, cracked lobsters with rocks at the Barking Crab on the Charles River, and played Horse with Jesse. Grant and Michelle came up for the first 5 days and it was great to see them. They had a blast being towed through the water on tubes and knee boards and playing with Riley and Blinckey, the Brittany Spanials.
The trip home ran a little late, and Loveland is having a Summer Fest this weekend. When we got there, no rooms were available so we got into Carl and Marion's home for the night. The good thing was we heard an add for a concert at Redrock Amphitheatre with KD Lang and Lyle Lovett on Friday night. We went on the internet and got tix. Kevin joined us and we drove down to the affair just south and west of Denver. Redrock was built in a redrock canyon on natural terrain, and is breathtaking; overlooking the distant Denver skyline. The seating is bench style but wide and roomy. The concert was excellent. KD was real good and Lyle had 13 pieces and four vocalists including Francine Reeves, who's a killer jazz/rock and roll singer. He went two hours non stop and must have done 25 tunes. Third time we've seen him and the best yet.
We head for Rawlings, Wy., today.

A Much Needed Vacation

We're flying back to Boston to spend a couple weeks with the Simpson family on Webster Lake in Mass. The constant blogging and picture taking, moving from site to site, and changes in altitude have been exhausting. No further blogging will occur until our return on July 14. See you then.

Higher and Higher

We took an extended tour through and around Rockey Mountain National Park. The weather for the day was shakey, and as we started out on the NE side if the park, visiability was poor. As we continued up, on and westward, we broke out of the clouds and into the highest parts of Rt. 34. Peak altitude on the road is 12,200'. The views became terrific, and we made two or three stops and took walks at points of interest. There is still a good deal of snow up here and the tundra landscape of low growing shrubs, flowers etc is breaking out into bloom. Tundra means "land without trees" in Russian. We had some close encounters with elk, and saw some marmins, which are western ground hogs. We headed south down the western edge and began to see the devastation wreaked by the pine beetles. They are wiping out just about everything in their path above a certain altitude and it looks loke these areas will be barren in a couple of years. Trees grow very slowly up in the mountains and will take generations to reestablish a forest. This beetle is just beginning to make its way over the Continental Divide and onto the eastern slopes.
Stopped for lunch in Winter Park and continued south. No roads cross east to west through the park until we hit I-70. We went east and then back north up to Center City and Blackhawk in the heart of the old gold mining region. There still appears to be some active mines up there, but the towns were allowed to use gambling to try to resurect the area economy. Doesn't appear to have worked, and the casinos look third rate. Once again on the eastern slope, visiability declined. We completed the loop by heading up through Boulder which has a reputation as a hippy enclave even today. We didn't spend much time looking around, but the U of Co. is located in town and probably contributes to the reputation. Took Rts 72 and 7 north back up into Estes Park which completed the loop.

Lovely Loveland, Co.

Had some service done on the truck early yesterday and then took an extensive tour of the area after lunch. It's a really nice town with a lot to offer. We drove through a number of subdivisions on the edges of town, and then went into the downtown to a gallery where Marion has her art work displayed for sale. We then toured the Loveland Museum, which was very interesting.
Marion had us over for dinner. By 9:00 pm everybody was beat and we beat feet for home and bed.

It's picture time again--I hope. Might be too slow and frustrating. This area is gorgeous--You have to be happy when you're in the sun, and the scenery is so spectacular--some photos are good, but can't do justice to the wide open vistas!! Lovely wildflowers, but too busy standing with our mouths open in awe of everything else!!

Easy Does It

We took a slow one yesterday. Did some shopping with Marion and found an RV place to have a few minor repairs and store it while we are gone. Watched some Soprano's last night. Some show.

Colorado Rocky Mountain High

We took a ride up to Rocky mountain National Park just west of Loveland. Mt. Long is the dominant peak in the area and is one of 54 14ers in Colorado, as they say out here. It's just a little over 14,000' and still has snow on top. We hiked up from the parking lot to an elevation of just a little bit over 10,000'. Streams were running full and snow was still on the trail in places. Once up there, the views were magnificent. The rides up and down through the canyons are awesome. The trails run through all sorts of wild flowers. It was a busy day on the mountain as folks from this area really get out and take advantage of the great out doors. Dana and Marion stopped by Dream Lake and painted with water colors while the rest of us went a little higher. Their drawings came out very well.
We all got home and cleaned up and Carl and Marion and Kevin took us out to the Chop House in downtown Loveland for dinner. It was great. We went back to their house and played Apples to Apples. It was good time spent. Amy leaves for her mission tomorrow early am and Jessica the next day. We wish them both the best on their journeys.

Estes Park

We road up to Estes Park with Carl, Marion, Amy and Kevin yesterday and took an aerial tram up to the top which is about 9,000 feet.The ride up is breath taking. The views into the Rockies were beautiful. It's a summer resort area and there are no ski areas around here. In town we shopped and had lunch. Headed home and Dana and I food shopped. Later, everybody came over to our place for dinner. It was a hot day, well into the 90's, and the camp electric went out for a short time. Things in an RV heat up or cool down fast. Fortunately it was not out for long.
We can watch folks rafting and tubing by on the Big Thompson river just out the back of our rig.

The Rockies

The drive from SD to Loveland,Co, was uneventful. We went south through Nebraska into Colorado and then east. Lots of flat and open. We were hoping to get that great view of the mountains on the way in, but later in the day storm clouds rise over the mountains and they completely covered the view. We set up in our RV park and quickly found that our cell phones have no signal here. ( They pick up about 3 miles east) Our site backs up to the Big Thompson River, site of a tragic flash flood in the '70's. Very comforting.
We turned on our GPS tracker, plugged in Carl and Marion's address and took off. Their home is only five minutes east of here. We're just catching their two daughters, Jessica and Amy, who are both leaving for mission work early next week. Jessica is going to the Azores and Amy is going to Uganda. Kevin came over and we all enjoyed a hearty minestrone soup that Marion made. We took a walk up the street to a local sculpture park. Loveland puts 1% of their budget to parks and the arts and you can't believe the place . About 75 bronze sculptures set in a well thought out surrounding. Once again, property taxes are very low, about $1300 for a home that would pay $10,000 in Jefferson, NJ.

Hail

We took a day off yesterday. Dana did some laundry and I did a number of little repairs around the RV which I'd been putting off. Also washed the truck from the day before's trip over a couple of gravel roads. When all that house hold stuff was out of the way, we headed into Hill City,SD, to look around stores. Lots of neat shops around here. We ended up at a DQ for a cone and noticed that the thunder heads were rising high and fast. We hurried back to the RV and some open windows just in time. A thunder and lightening storm hit and hail began to fall. The largest hail was about golf ball size, and fell early in the storm. As things continued, the hail became smaller in size and more plentiful. Inside the RV was almost like being inside a drum. I was sure some damage was occurring, but when the storm passed, everything seemed fine. The hail stones felt light, as if they had air in them. Storms of this nature are apparently fairly common in this area of the Black Hills.
We head for Loveland, Co., today, about a 400 mile ride. Dana's sister Marion and her family and her brother Kevin moved out there from Jersey about two years ago.

Badlands of South Dakota

We drove east yesterday on a trip around Badlands National Park. The scenery was once again spectacular. These areas started at one time as flat layers of varying sediments and with time,wind and water, gradually eroded. The harder materials eroded at slower rates than softer material so that hills were left and gullies created. The colors are amazing and the shapes are all different. We jogged in on a side trip to a place called Sheep Mountain Table. A table is a high section of land, flat at the top, which for some reason eroded slower than surrounding areas. It's an island. Traversable areas between the low Prairie of the bottom sections and the high areas of the high Prairie are called passes. The gravel road through the pass to the top of Sheep Mt. Table was steep and windy, and they were doing some roadwork to fix potholed areas. At one of the work areas we stopped to get out and met a young man from Haddenfield Hts, NJ, who had graduated from Georgetown and was working the summer as the resident Paleo-monitor. Whenever any disturbance of earth occurs in the Badlands, his job is to be there and check to make sure that any fossils run into are properly inspected recorded. The area is loaded with fossils. As the layers continue to erode, fossils are often exposed. The road from where we ran into him and the tip of the table top ran through Indian Reservation land and became rougher and rougher. We dropped into 4-wheel and forged along to the very end. The views were spectacular. It was mid day, so there were few shadows and pictures will probably be bleached out. From there north to the main Badlands Loop. Sensory overload.
We headed home and I started suffering from indigestion of some sort and went down hill until night fall. Had to bail out on Tom and Joyce who were heading over to see the night show at Rushmore. We thought they were staying until Friday, but are leaving tomorrow am. We had a wonderful visit with them.

Crazy Horse

Another huge mountain sculpture in granite. In the '40's, Souix tribal leaders decided that the Red Man needed to know that they had heroes also. An artist named Karsaik(sic) who had experience at Rushmore was contracted for the work and the leaders had to choose a subject. Crazy Horse was selected because he had never signed a treaty or lived on a reservation. The artist began work by himself and had to build laddering all the way up and then rig a system of piping for compressed air to run drills. For the first five years he worked alone, carting all his equipment, dynamite etc. up the ladders to the top. A couple college girls showed up one year to volunteer their time and he married one of them. They had ten children over time, and after the old man died in '82, they carried on the work. It has been financed privately with no state or federal funding, and their goal is to keep it that way. The head, 90' tall, is completed and much of the over burden covering the horse has been removed, but a lot of work remains. After that, we road a number of the scenic byways in the area, including Custer State Park, which has a large buffalo herd. The roads are spectacular with a number of narrow tunnels, two of which exit directly into a view of Mt. Rushmore.
We went to a cowboy dinner with Tom and Joyce Gerlitz followed by a show by the Riders in the Sky, a grammy winning cowboy group who sing old songs with a mix of humor. They were very good. From there to the laser light show at Crazy Horse Monument, which was also quite good. It's light until 10:00 pm and again by before 5;00 AM. Hard to get enough sleep.
Something we started seeing at Devil's Tower, is an Rv that is half RV and half horse trailer. Horse people go to facilities with stables and ride the state and national park trails on horse back. Everybody around here has horses and the trails go forever.

North by Northwest

Or how did those big heads get there? Yesterday we went to the Borgym(sic) museum in downtown Keystone to learn about the artist's life and times and then up to Mt. Rushmore to see the famous granite heads of our Presidents. What a creation. Because of the height of the sculptures, all the views are a good bit away. The trail around the base takes you to many different angles. The scope of the work is staggering. The Roosevelt head is recessed because they had to remove over a hundred feet of granite to get to stone that was crack free and durable. The artist wanted to remove the rubble at the base from all the construction, but that was never done. He actually died before the completion of the last head and his son completed the work. His original plan called for the sculptures to go to the waist and Washington has a waistcoat on. He used a staff of unskilled laborers whom he trained and highly praised for their effort and desire to learn. He used dynamite for the bulk of the removal and then jack hammers and shaping tools to finish. A safety advocate, no one died and only one man was injured badly enough to miss any work during the whole operation. He had to be a genius to figure it all out.
From there we went to Rapid City where Dana shopped for a little bit while I had the oil changed in the truck. It was a nice little town.
Had Tom and Joyce Gerlitz over for dinner last night, then went over to their site for a campfire. The weather here has been a mixture of sun and clouds with wind and a bit cool. It was in the mid forties yesterday about 9:oo am. The wind finally stopped about 8pm last night.
For anyone with comments, the procedure is fairly simple. You need an active e-mail address and when you sign in, follow the prompts to establish a google account if don't already have one. There's no charge for the account.
Our campsite offers all you can eat pancakes every morning from 7-10. It's almost as cheap as my normal Cheerio's with half a banana breakfast.

Now somewhere in the Black mountain hills of Dakota

It was a short trip over to Hill City, SD, from Devil's tower. We were in and set up by about 1:00, and I sat down to watch the experts play Oakmont Country Club. Just as we got tuned in, there was a knock on the door and Dana's cousin Tom and his wife Joyce were here. They are about three RV's away. We had met previously a couple of years ago when they stopped by Bowling Green to play, and then stopped down at the house. They came in and we nibbled on some smoked trout from Lake Superior and chatted while the boys tried to figure out Oakmont. Tom and Joyce have enjoyed RVing for several years, at first in a class C and now in a fifth wheel. They live in Warwick, NY, and spend time in Florida, the Outer Banks, and on the road. They invited us over for dinner, and after the golf we went over. They had terrific marinated spare ribs. Had a real good visit and we'll have them over tonight.
Tiger hasn't been making all the shots and putts that lead to wins in the last two majors, but he's the only one out there who could be in contention with his B or C game. The par saving putts on 15,16 and 17 were as pressure packed as you can get. Real pukers as they say. He knocked all three in dead center. My buddy Jimmy Furyk hit driver off the tee on 17 into what looked like eight inches of extra thick blue grass. He said later that a pea shooter like himself had no chance for the green and that he was didn't think he could hit it far enough to get in trouble. After birdies at 14,15, and 16, the adrenalin must have been pumping. He, Tiger and Angel all bogied the 17th which at 306 yards, was called a "birdie" hole at least 50 times by the commentators. But you have to give credit to Angel for hanging tough and making an easy par on 18 after hitting an absolutely monsterous drive. Last man standing, and great back 9 action for us viewing choppers who love to see the big boys brought to their knees. I heard somewhere that the USGA had to slow the greens down which had gotten to 14.5 on the stimp. Frightenly fast, even for those guys.
Mount Rushmore today.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

We are at the Devil's Tower KOA, where much of the filming for the movie was done. Every night at sundown they show the movie on an outdoor screen. Last night thunder and lightening storms were all over, so I dug our old video copy out and we watched in the rv. We got here early afternoon, set up and went to the National Park. They have a trail at the base which is located at the edge of the boulder field, that goes all the way around the tower. It's quite something and worth a stop if you're in the area. The walk is 1.3 miles and the path is paved, so it's an easy walk. (At Pompey's Pillar, I'd run up quite a few of the stairs to the top for a little exercise, and yesterday had to take Advil to go on the walk.) After that, we took a drive around the local area, which is partly in the Black Hills National Forest, and ended up on a 30 mile gravel road on which we saw one other car and a couple of ranches.
Today is one of my favorite days. It's Father's Day, but just as importantly, it's the final day of the US Open golf tournament. We'll move over to Hill City, SD, and the Mt Rushmore area, where our campground has cable hook up, and I shall sit my butt down and watch to see if Tiger can win another Open before he's a father.
We spoke to Dana's cousin Tom a couple days ago and he and his wife, Joyce, are on a trip including a reenactment of Custer's Last Stand and up to the Callgery Stampede. As fate would have it, they are staying in the same RV park in Hill City that we are. There must be a hundred spots in that area to choose from, so it's quite a coincidence. At any rate, we'll have company for a few days over there.

Pompey's Pillars

After a maintainence morning of truck and trailer cleaning and laundry, we headed north to view a place called Pompey's Pillar, the only known evidence that William Clark left in this area of his exploration. He named it for the child of a french fur trader and Sacagawea, the Indian translator who helped the Expedition of Discovery along. He was quite fond of the boy and had him travel in the same boat when possible. Recent rainfall and continued mountain snow melts have local streams and rivers at near flood stage. It has also led to a very green look everywhere, which I believe is normally more tan or brown. The area receives less than 20" annual rainfall.
To get where we were going, we took a road which was unpaved for about half the way and really out in the middle of nowhere. Beef country. It made us very hungry for steak, so we went into Billings, Mont., and wandered around town. It's quite an industrial looking area with coal and gas produced in the area, but the down town area was quite nice. Jake's claimed to be the steak place to be, so we went. It was very good.
By the way, we have received a number of comments posted back. We really enjoy the feedback, so don't be shy. It can't be hard to do.

The signal is very strong here, so I'm again catching up on pictures. North Dakota was amazing--as we traveled we passed many ponds and wetlands along the road--they were ringed with yellow flowers, and mallards were in each one--never saw so many mallards.The fields are emerald green, and very hilly, or wide and flat, or rocky and barren-- very diverse--
many pheasants just wandering around in the fields--you could ride for miles looking out to nowhere, and then there are cliffs and rocks in front of you.
I wish I had time to enlarge and crop these pictures--someday--ask me

The Little Big Horn Battlefield was so interesting--nothing has changed since it happened, so you could really envision how it all unfolded.Looking at this terrain--hundreds of people could hide just a few hills away.

Enjoy the pix--you'll have to backtrack to get the text-------Dana

How many Indians did you say were over that hill?

We drove about 400 miles yesterday from Beaulah, ND, to Hardin, Mont., and the Little Big Horn Battlefield. The drive was once again beautiful and once again long. We set up in a KOA and headed over to the battlefield. We bought the cd self guided tour and were able to view the progress of events while observing the terrain. Custer split his forces up to try to prevent the Indians from escaping into the hills. The Indians were quite surprised by the attach being launched against them because there were 7,000 people in the camp of which 1500 to 2000 were able bodied warriors. Custer had a total of about 400, but split down into 5 groups. At the end of the day, 260 soldiers were dead. The others survived because the main body of the army which Custer was scouting for arrived on the scene. It is rolling ground with valleys and gullies everywhere. White markers are in the ground where historians think soldiers fell and red markers where indians fell. Not many red markers.
In yesterday's entry, I left out an interesting story. Back in the late '60's, my brother Andy was hitchhiking cross country and was on the road near Fargo, ND, which is on the eastern border of ND. A couple picked him up and headed west going about 90 miles per hour. They drove all the way across ND and were heading into the Theodore Roosevelt NP at the Painted Canyon area when Andy asked to get out. They let him out and went one way and Andy began hitching. A couple ranchers eventually picked him up and were talking about a couple who had robbed a bank in Minneapolis and were last scene heading west. How about that?

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

The TRNP is in the far western area of ND and split into a North and South section. The ride over was through rolling praire and we saw lots of Prong Horn Antelope along the way. We first went to the North section which has a 14 mile in and out road to ride. Route 85 going to the park breaks into Badlands terrain just before the entrance and is absolutely spectacular. The day was clear and coolish and recent rains had greened up vegitation and in the case of the abundant Sage, Blued up. The terrain is radical with Buttes and knobs jutting up and ridges running in all directions. The sedimentary rock has layers of different colors with black seams of coal mixed in. The views go on as far as the eye can see. We bought our National Park Pass entering the North area, which is smaller and by what's written, lesser than the South area where TR resided. I would beg to differ. The North has higher, larger meadows and plains while the South sports a slightly more rugged look. You wouldn't want to have to find your way out of either section.
Wild life is plentiful and the Parks are home to just shy of 400 American Bison or Buffalo. Signs warn people and hikers to beware of these beasts which are quicker and more agile than their looks would indicate. The bulls weigh up to 2000 lbs. In the North secton we encountered two bulls at a pull over area that were on what appeared to be a regular commute. They crossed the road next to our truck and Dana got some good pix. They are huge and looked healthy, fit and muscular. As bulls age they tend to become more and more solitary, fraternizing only during mating periods. We saw more out in the high plains areas, but at quite a distance. In the South area we encountered a single bull wanting to cross the bridge we were stopped on. He wouldn't cross with us on it, so I pulled through and over. He dashed past and crossed over. Just after that we saw one laying down on ledge that looked like a spot for mountain goats. The last one we saw was posing on a ridge top just off the road. He held pose as car after car stopped and clicked away.
Wild horses also live there, and we saw two having a pretty good dispute just off the road. They were nipping, snorting and rearing at one another. An amazing site. Prairie dogs were everywhere. Overall, I'd have to say we've never been to a prettier place. TR had gone to the area in the 1880's for health reasons and fell in love with it. He went in as a partner on a cattle ranch and then added a second area which he owned by himself. A Frenchman had also come to the Medora area to establish a beef empire. Both were doing very well until a severe winter in the late 1880's destroyed 80% of the herds. The rivers were clogged by carcases in the Spring, and neither ranch recovered from the disaster. The Frenchman left and TR got into politics.
On the way back, we detoured to go on the Enchanted Highway which is known for the roadside sculptures artists have constructed. It was anti-climactic and we were wearing out by the time we got through it. Capped the day off with a traffic ticket from the local boys in Beulah,ND. Hit 40 leaving a 25 area following some motorcyclists. He didn't get them, but he got me. It's a $15 ticket and according to him, ND only has reciprosity with Montana and SD. A bad end to a great day. As the sun went down at our site, the coyotes were howling in the backround.

The Long Haul

Drove 530 miles yesterday from Minneapolis, Min., to Beulah, ND. It was our first exposure to the Great Plains and the terrain was more rolling than expected. ND looks like the backround of Dancing With Wolves. (We saw wolves twice, once on the UP and once in northern Wisc.) Went past the tallest structure on earth, a TV tower, and saw a number of the huge excavators used in strip mining for coal. They are visible from miles around and all lit up tp work 24 hours a day. Our campground is mainly occupied by fishermen, with a sprinkling of the huge motor coaches. Out here, the horizon is so far off that it looks like the clouds are forming and rising from the edges. The sunset was beautiful.
Joe Riggs called yesterday with the sad news that Jim Egan passed away while on a golfing trip to Atlantic City. He died in his sleep. Jim was quite a character and will be missed greatly.

MOA

That stands for Mall as in Mall of America. Biggest, highest anywhere. There's an amusement park inside with water rides and roller coasters. Karen Lufek was our guide. It's a big attraction, drawing 2.5 million visitors a year. We toured, had lunch and I bought three shirts, the only purchase of the day besides lunch. When we left and got back to Karen's home, she showed us how to hook up to the wireless campsite routers which just about everybody has. It is much faster than the Verizon Broadband Wireless here. A big thanks to Karen.
We hit the road for N Dakoda this am.

Hi again--i just need to add a bit--the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and Upper Wisconsin are gorgeous. Tried to convince Bruce that we could run a motel on Madeline Island, Wi. for the summer, and go south in the winter--He's not buying it--too cold, too much snow--(I hate housework, so it's not really for me either), but Lake Superior can seduce you--so beautiful. The area of Bayfield, Wi. is so pretty--lupines covering the banks of the roadways. I really wanted to tell you all that we've seen 2 wolves so far--Bruce missed one--he was driving--very cool--no moose yet though. We've overdosed on smoked trout--fresh from the fishery--can't look at any for a while.
Enough--having fun with friends-------------------------------------------------Dana

Twin Cities Spin

We made it down to Minneapolis-St.Paul and set up in a KOA NW of town. Friends of ours from Oak Ridge, Karen and Jay Lufek, moved out here four years ago when Jay was transferred. He is a native of Minneapolis. They came over and took us for a great tour of the area. About two million people live in the greater metro area. The city has a series of 3 lakes and parks that are all connected by walkways and bike trails, and everything is clean and well kept. The cities have many residential areas that look like our suburbs. The city areas also look the same. In the city, areas are connected by enclosed overhead walkways so that in winter people can park in heated garages and connect anywhere without walking outside. It's really a necessity here with the severe winter temperatures. We visited St. Paul's Cathedral, a structure which reminds one of Europeon churches. They then took us out to dinner at a terrific favorite place of theirs. It was a great day and this is a beautiful area. Jay has to depart today on business, so Karen and us will probably hit the Mall of America.

Lazy Day

We found out the tix for our Aposle's Island boat tour were down stairs only, and after a barely audible moan, they offered to refund our money. We jumped on it and headed up to a neat State Park north of Bayfield where we walked the shore and collected interesting stones just like old folks do. This trip could be the final episode of "Cocoon." Bought some Brown Sugar Smoked Trout and dip, hit a few shops and enjoyed an alfresco lunch overlooking Lake Superior. Back home we cooked local Whitefish for dinner. It was great. Twin Cities next.

Storm Front

We left Munising and drove west through Marquette on our way to the western edge of the Michigan UP. Predictions of violent T-storms, damaging winds and possible tornatic conditions were broadcast on the radio all day. Our destination is River Pines RV park in Ontonagon, Mich. We checked into our site and found that the owner had just baked fresh Pasties for sale. Pasties are big up here. A pastry crust is filled with ground meat, potatoes and anything else left in the frig. We set up and then drove up the Keweenaw Pennisula (don't you love those Indian names) as far as the road went, Copper Harbor. Fueled up out of fear of wide spread power outages, and while doing that, Dana walked across the street to a cafe. By the time I got there, she had established a relationship with the owner. He roasts his own beans, and we enjoyed a great cup of coffee and bought a bag to go. It was almost as good as CozyCabinCoffee, my tour sponsor (Klondike Bars rejected my recent offer of co-sponsorship). Once again, the tour was longer than it looked, and we got back in time to make dinner and wait for the storm. It came through like a wall and for a while it rained White Pine limbs. When it passed, nothing was worse for the wear and things cleared up.

Yesterday we left western Michigan and the Eastern time Zone, and drove along the coast of Lake Superior into Wisconsin. Our stop was in Bayfield near the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Met some real friendly people, then headed downtown to catch the afternoon boat cruise to the islands. Since it is still "off season," there was no tour, so we bought tix for tomorrow morning and started looking around town. Found a fish shop selling fresh Whitefish, Brown Sugar Smoked Trout, and Trout dip. Will stock up tomorrow. Next door was Oley's barbarshop, so I popped in for a trim. Oley turned out to be the head of the local Chamber of Commerce, so it was an informative trim. We stopped in some great craft shops and then headed back into town to catch a ferry to Madeline Island, a little upscale ,off shore enclave. Just about everything was closed, so we took a walk and came back. It was beautiful out, so the boat ride was worth it.

We got home, cooked dinner and then started chatting with the people next door. They're from Ventura County, California, and doing what we're doing, but backwards. It was nice because we could share notes on where we'd stayed and gone. As we spoke, a group of younger campers approached us about participating in a bean-bag toss game. That was a hoot. Then it was over to some other folks spot to compare notes on campgrounds. He was a sports trainer for clients at the Mayo Clinic and she is a young Mom who runs marathons. I was tired talking to them. It was after 10:00, finally dark, and way past my bedtime. Chao

Kitch-iti-ki-pi Springs

That's the Indian name of a very neat place up here in the UP (Upper Pennisula) or Yoopees as they refer to it and themselves. Most of the UP was logged over the years and left to grow back. One man with vision came across this deep spring area when it was full of clearing debris and realized it was a gem in the rough. He acquired the land, began cleanups, and then donated the area to the state. It is now in Palms Book State Park a little NW of the town of Manistique. They have built a passenger powered, cable guided raft with a roof and the centerleft open for viewing down into the water. You can clearly see all 45' down to the bottom and the colors are beautiful. The spring flows at 14.5 million gallons per day, small by Missouri standards, but quite something. Passengers turn a large wheel attached to a cable to propel themselves across and back. A guy from Traverse City back in Mackinac told us about it and it was truly a gem.

We found a place to eat lunch overlooking an inlet from Lake Michigan. I asked the cashier if there were someplace local to buy fresh fish, and she directed us to her family's fish store in town. We bought some fresh Whitefish and a piece of Brook Trout just out of the smoker. We grilled the Whitefish while nibling on the Trout. both were good, but the trout was superb. Wish we'd bought more.

Had an appoitment at a local Chevy dealer to service the truck. Oil and filter, trans fluid and external filter, lube job, and tires rotated and a complementary wash for $102. At a dealership!

Pictured Rocks Boat Tour

We moved west and north from St Ignance to the Port of Munising on Lake Superior. After setting up, we headed into town to check out the well advertised boat tours of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. These sandstone cliffs project as high as 200' above the lake level for fifteen or twenty miles of the coast. We went in to sign up and the girl at the ticket counter made sure we were aware that it was really rough out there today. It had been a cold blustery day up to then. Morning temps were low 40's and the high was about 50, with winds out of the north. We left, but then decided it was so bright and clear that it was worth a shot. We signed up and the boat loaded at about 2:10 pm for the 3 hour ride. The boat had a capacity of about 150, but was less than half full. It was divided between the lower enclosed but not heated level and the open upper. It took about half an hour to clear the well protected harbor and get into Lake Superior, which was running a three foot chop, and another fifteen minutes heading east to get to the cliffs. As we approached the cliffs, we left the lower area and went up top. The cliffs are beautiful. Mineral laden water which seeps out of the rock and comes over the top has colored the stone in a manner to resemble murals. The day was so clear that the views were stunning. The water is deep straight down so that the boat could run very close to the cliffs in some areas. Lake Superior is the largest fresh water lake in the world by surface area, about 170 miles wide and 400 miles long, and up to 1300 feet deep. In normal winters, the edges will freeze a couple of hundred feet out, and about every 20 years, will freeze all the way across. In a chat with the captain, he said the busy season was only July 15 to Aug 15, with the shoulders starting at June 15 and wrapping up in Sept. Winter storm activity keeps vegatation from growing on the cliffs up about 25 feet and nothing grows on the real sheer spots. It was a worth while trip and the seas didn't prove to be as punishing as we were lead to believe. One little boy hurled, but fortunately it didn't start a chain reaction from other land lubbers.
Hit the 10,000 mile mark yesterday. An unusual site up here are the massive long haul trucks. The biggest ones are 38 wheelers. Nine dual wheel axles and the front steering tires. Some of the log trucks may even have more.
When we set up camp here, we originally decided on a woods site, but as we tried to set up, the biting bugs changed our minds. We moved out into a wide open site and they were more tolerable. I believe they're known for the density of the insect population at certain times.

apologies and pix(I hope)

Hi All--It's me again--Bruce has kept you posted, but now some "girlie" things. First off, sorry no pictures lately--busy,busy, and we've been in VERY SLOW reception areas. I'll try now, and see what happens--I'll be catching up since Graceland.
It's been fun observing the terrain as we drive. I hate to tell these other states, but sections of a lot of them look like "Joisey" to me. At this point Bruce and I have seen all 5 Great Lakes--not all this trip. The views here have been serene, different, and beautiful--We're in a rain pattern, so this is certainly a different view of the lakes. It's an area known for lilacs--taller than I've seen before. Saw yellow lady slippers, and a bird never seen before--the American Bittern--about the size of a wild turkey hen on long legs.
The marshes and swamps are also beautiful--flowering hummocks in the midst of the water--"ghost forests"--areas where the marsh has overtaken the forest and left dead, bleached trees standing for acres--neat.
Hope the weather clears because we have at least 3-4 more days to explore Michigan--ta-ta-Dana

The Lake Superior Trail

Unsettled weather has followed us from Missouri north to the Upper Pennisula. We had planned on taking the jet ferry to Mackinaw Island but overcast, cloudy weather persuaded us to wait a day. Instead we climbed into the truck and hit the Superior trail. We headed north and west up to the Tahquamenon Falls, the second largest falls east of the Mississippi. It was worth the stop as the views are nice and they also had a nice place to eat lunch. Whitefish is the fish of the day everyday around here, so we shared a smoked cheese and whitefish dip and a lightly fried whitefish sandwhich. We continued north along Lake Superior and stopped at a spot with beach access that was spectacular. The terrain and flora and fauna make up a wilderness. Traffic is extremely light and most places look more like fishing and hunting camps than places for family vacations. From there, north to Whitefish Point. The area off this point is known as the shipwreck capital of the Great Lakes and a little village and museum are found there. We had to travel south and then east on Lake Shore Trail to get over to Sault Ste. Marie where the Soo Locks which connect Lake Superior to Lake Huron are located. Locals say that boat traffic has been increasing the last few years after diminishing over a number years. Michigan is still hurting economically and is considering passing laws to become a "right to work state" to attract businesses which are reluctant to come to a pro union state. A guy next to us at the campground was from Traverse City and said that the resort business down there and up here had been badly hurt by a series of regulations restricting rentals. Everything up here seems empty, but schools are still in session and maybe it will be busier as they get out for summer vacation.
We got home in time to make dinner and get down to the Lake Michigan beach to watch another spectacular sunset. We are at the west edge of the eastern time zone and sunset occurs at about 9:35 PM.

Gateway and Long Drives

From Springfield we drove over to a campground on the SW side of St. Louis, Mo. We set up and ran into town to view the Gateway Arch. It sits right on the Mississippi River and is a remarkable structure. You can take a tram to the top, but the day was so hazy we didn't go up. It's constructed of triangular stainless steel pieces of diminishing size. Quite a site. When we returned, Jeff Meshach (for non family, Jeff is the son of my cousin Marilyn and Ernie Meshach, which is a cousin once removed?) met us and we followed him out to his home. Jeff and Katrina, along with their children, McCoy and Marilyn, live on the top of a ridge on 30 acres in the town of Pacific. It's a long trail off the road to their home. It had been an A frame type home until just recently when, as Katrina says, they added a house to the A frame. It was designed by Katrina and built by a contractor friend of theirs. It came out great and probably tripled the size of the house. They served a dinner of bar-b-q venison, St. Louis style, with asperagus and potato salad, all of which was delicious. McCoy is 10 and Marilyn 8, so Jeff and Katrina are running with activities of the ages, and loving it. Jeff gets his deer right on his own property for the most part. We had a great visit with them and are happy we were able to connect.
Friday, June 1, and we headed out on the longest drive of the voyage. We drove from St. Louis across mid Illinois to Terre Haute, Indiana. The scale of agriculture is amazing. We drove back roads and every ten or fifteen miles there was a small town with a grainery. Large graineries. Miles of farmland, and in this area, little sign of dairy or horses. We crossed into Indiana and jogged north and east all the way up through South Bend, Ind., and into southern Michigan. We stayed at a campground in Niles, Mich. We covered about 470 miles.
Sat., June 2, we headed north up Rt. 31, which follows the east shore of Lake Michigan. We didn't see the lake until we got up to Traverse City. Rt. 31 was another close to vacated highway for most of the way. It's a big orchard and vineyard area. Peaches, apples and cherries galore. Traverse City looks like a huge resort area, similar to shore spots. It must not be their busy season yet. Most of the hotels and motels along the water were only partially filled. North and east of Traverse, the scenery improved with rolling ground and lake views. The Macinaw Bridge is spectacular. It connects the mainland to the upper pennisula and Lake Michigan and Lake Huron meet beneath it. We drove just under 400 miles for the day. We are staying right on Lake Michigan at an RV park in the town of St. Ignace. It has a walkway to the shore, from whence was observed a spectacular sunset last night. We chatted with another Bruce who has been on the road for 19 months and was a commercial photographer. At first he allowed the sunset was pretty good, but as time passed, it became prettier and prettier. When we were chased in by mosquitoes, he stayed shooting pictures and slapping mosquitoes away. We also took a bunch of shots and hope to get some posted.

Out of Springfield, Mo.

Yesterday was our last in Springfield. Andy and I played golf and once again got wet on the second nine. The entire stay here was a forecast of scattered showers and boomers. It looks like they still have a few more days of it. A stalled low system is blamed.
On the way to dinner, we stopped by Carol's business and she gave us a tour. She is an Optometrist specializing in vision therapy for children. Her office is very impressive. She really stays on top of things in the field and goes to educational conferences all the time. Lots of kids with learning problems just aren't seeing things and need vision therapy.
We ate at Fishes restaurant which is owned by a friend of Andy's, James. It was a great dinner and a great time. Carol and Andy went way out of their way to show us around and show us a good time. We've really enjoyed it.

The Teeny-Weeny Ranch

Carol and Andy managed to have us included in a Memorial Day celebration at a friend of theirs ranch. The ranch owner, Margie Hazelton, is a character. She is from Arizona where as a young woman she performed in a rodeo, mainly as a calf roper. She has pictures all around of this action. She later married a thoroghbred horse trainer and became very involved in that. Sometime after they separated, she came to the town of Seymour, just east of Springfield, and bought and began operating her Tenny-Weeny Ranch, which is 1,000 acres, small by western standards. Her ranch house is modern in design and beautiful. Everybody brings kites to fly, is encouraged to participate in Karioki, and sings patriotic songs whenever Margie starts one out. Andy and I struggled mightily getting one of the kites assembled and airborne, which some observers took great glee in. Eventually, both kites flew. At the ranch it was very breezey, and looking out over the grass lands we could see what "waves of grain" means. It was a great day and Margie, who is mid '80's, made everybody feel right at home.

The Total Tour

While Carol, Dana and Linda went off to Ozark to antique, Andy took Phil and myself for the unabridged tour of Springfield. Phil has lived here only seven months, so he saw some new things too. We all met back at Carol's home where I learned I had dodged a bullet on a Rosewood jardenaire. It was too large to travel with. We stayed at Carol's and had a terrific filet dinner with a potato dish and asperagus, then strawberries and whipped creme.
The summer season starts today. We'll see if the campgrounds and RV parks become noticably busier.

Around and About

We went out to brunch with Carol, Andy,Carol's dad, Johnny, and Carol's aunt and uncle, Linda and Phil, to a place called Valentines. It was an order off the menu place with an interesting selection of choices. Somebody had come up with buy one get one free coupons so that made it even better. After that the girls went to a flea market and Phil, Andy and myself went over to Bass Pro Shop, the grandaddy of outdoor stores. It's huge. We then went back to Phil and Linda's place to wait for the girls. Phil and Linda moved over here from Memphis about seven months ago. Their home is filled with furniture and many items including Kochina dolls which Phil had made himself. He is a real craftsman. Linda's library is also a marvel.
That evening, we went to a Tapas Bar where Ira, along time friend of Andy's, was playing classical guitar. The food was great as was the music.

Current River Area and Retreat

Andy took us on a guided tour out to the Current River. It is a couple hours east of Springfield. He and Carol and her sister bought 40 acres of property out there over looking the river. On the way out we stopped and saw a couple of the springs which feed and in some cases originate creeks, streams and rivers in the area. The Alley Spring flows out 81 million gallons per day and is the origin of a fast moving creek. It is the 8th largest spring in Missouri. We ate a picnic lunch there. It's a beautiful spot. We then went to the Blue Spring, which is known for vivid blue color of the water running out. It flows at 87 million gal/day down a short creek into the Jackport(?) River which then runs into the Current River. About half way out the walk to the spring it started to pour and we all got wet, but I failed to wear rain gear and got soaked. We then visited their property which is adjacent to property owned by a fellow named Scott and his wife Jodie. They have a cabin up there they live in and have built a second one they rent out to folks as a retreat. The places are very remote and up a narrow road carved through the woods. The views down to the river are just great. Andy, Carol and her sister had a travel trailer out there for several years, but had to remove it because with limited use the local wood residents started to make it their own. They are considering a cabin at some point. It was a terrific tour of the area which as a whole is agricultural with some rafting, canoeing, floating businesses along the rivers and streams. Floating is very popular out here.
Last night Andy took us all out to the Metropolitan Grill for Dana's birthday. We had an excellent meal and a great time. Thanks Andy.

Golfin' In the Rain

Andy and I went out to Riverview Golf Club just south and west of Springfield and teed it up. It's a real nice course, well maintained and layed out. It was $32 per person with cart. The course is part of a real estate project and houses on the course were very large with a lot of detail, and looked nice. We were playing along and the weather started to turn on us. On the way to the 14th tee, a bolt of lightening and a crack of thunder sent us scurreying to the protection of a culvert going under a road. When the rain let up, we headed in. They gave us nine hole rain checks which was very generous. We left and had a Thai lunch.
This whole deal gave Dana a day by herself which she seemed to enjoy. In the evening we went to Andy's friend Carol's for dinner. She has a real nice home and we ate out on the patio on a beautiful evening. Later.

Queen of the Ozarks

That's what Springfield,Mo., is known as in these parts. Got in yesterday and saw Andy in the afternoon. He looks great and we set up plans for this week and the week end. Should be a good time. There is a car show in town that had most camp grounds booked up and we ended up at a lesser place, but not terrible. Today we'll explore the town and see what's up.

Home Day

We just caught up on some things yesterday. Went to an rv store and picked up some light bulbs. Washed the truck and gave the interior a good cleaning. Off to Springfield,Mo., today where my brother Andy lives. Back roads of course.

Branson, Mo.

Well Branson, Mo., is known as Nashville west and the best RV area in the country, but Dana and I drove in yesterday and couldn't wait to get out. It's a real tourist trap with as much neon and glitz as Vegas (almost). We finally got through, going east to west, and headed back down to Blue Eye. Luckily we ran into Jill,s Bar-b-q place , which saved the day. They served St. Louis style ribs, which have a smokier flavor than we've tasted in the past. Caught the end of the golf. Zach Johnson is on the way.

Eureka and the bulls

Springs that is. In NW Arkansas. Hot water comes out of the ground. People soak. Artists work. It's another artists conclave. Shop after shop after shop. We took the trolley to move from place to place. Big biker area. Lots of people riding these three wheel cycles (Tricycles?) and pulling little trailers. It's been a beautiful few days with sunny skies and highs of about 70.


On the way home, listening to a great country station, 94.3, we heard about a Bull Riding Rodeo going on over in Huntsville,Ark. Looks about an hour away, so we rush home, drop off groceries and head out. Lots of windy country mountain roads. Takes an hour 15 to get there. The arena is called Sky Hi and we take a dirt road next to a Conaco station way back and up into the woods. It is sky-high, and there are bulls and cowboys everywhere. If you ever watched any bull riding, you know how violent and jerky they buck to get folks off their backs. They weigh up to 1800 lbs., are all muscle, and mean in disposition. As the guy behind me said as he spit tobacco juice into a cup, "they wasn't made for ridin', they was made for eatin'."They had the last four or five years national champs out there riding these beasts. You have to make it to the bell to get a qualified ride and advance. The first guy up, one of the champs, got tossed and the bull landed on him. The rodeo workers and a mounted cowboy with lariet and bull whip keep the bull away from the downed rider while they remove him. A later rider caught a spur and was held on by one heel as the bull continued to spin, kick and buck. You have to be nuts to get on one. To get mounted, they run the bulls, one behind the other, through narrowing steel fencing until it's so tight that the bull can't turn at all. They put a rope under him and cinch it up, which really irritates the bull. The rider is then loaded and he wraps that rope around his hand and grabs a braided piece of bull mane, which further riles the bull. When the rider says ready, they throw open the gate and out they come. Some rider were thrown before the gate was fully open. After they separate the two, the mounted cowboy tries to herd the bull out, but some of them really have an attitude. The bulls leave when they're good and ready. If they didn't clip and shape the bulls horns, nobody would get near them. The show also included precision riding by twelve cow girls with American flags tearing around. One of them opened the show singing the National Anthem acapella while sitting on an alert and anxious horse. A very good performance. We didn't stay for the last round, but it was an entertaining evening.

Lost in Space

On Tuesday, May 15, we left Memphis and headed for Hot Springs, Ark., Bill Clinton's boyhood home and a black hole in cyberspace. Arkansas has no Verizon, very little Cingular, and lots of Alltel. The interface they provide, RoamAmerica, or something like that didn't work well. After giving them $20 for a pin#, I found that after punching in the pin and the call# twice, that getting connected was about a 1 in 20 shot. And one of the calls, a voice mail to Grant, he never received. I hold Bill and Hill personally responsible for this travisty.
The trip from Memphis on Rt. 79 and 270 was easy with hardly a car on the road. We crossed the Grand Prairie of Arkansas, a vast, flat agricultural area that went on for a long ways. They grow a lot of rice there. We pulled into the Hot Springs area and found our camp ground at Cloud Nine CG just east of town on rt 70. Right on top of a ridge and very nice. Had some boomers and down pours that late afternoon and night.
Wed. am, we headed over to Garvin Gardens, a very pretty spot left to and maintained by the U of Ark. It was about a 3 hour self guided tour. If you get here, don't miss it. We then headed east of town and drove the ten miles to Hot Springs Village, one of the largest planned communities in the country. You've probably seen Eric Estrada pitching it on tv. We stopped in the real eastate office and took the full blown tour. It was started in the '70's and so far about 8,000 of a total of 32,000 homes have been built. It's about 17 miles long and gated, with many services inside the village. It was actually very appealing. The realtor company we dealt with is not associated with the Eastrada outfit. She said that the company he pitches for bought up a bunch of previously sold lots from distressed investors and sells them at inflated prices. They fly folks into Little Rock and house them at the airport. Prospects can't rent cars or do any looking around on their own. They are shown the sight and if they don't buy, it's back to the airport. Anybody know somebody who's done this?
Thursday we did the Hot Springs National Park, the Park within a town. The Springs are amazing, coming out of the ground at about 140 degrees. For years the bathhouses flourished as a health spa. People soak in it and drink it. It also became known first for the resorts and recreational facilities around it and then for gambling and all sorts of deprived behavior. Al Capone had a place there and a casino. All this was overt and winked at by authorities who threatened to shut them down when money was needed. It wasn't until one of the Rockefeller's became governor in the early '70's that they were all shut down. I never remember this being a big story up our way, but it sure was down here. We took a Duck Boat tour of the area and then checked out the National Park area, and drove up to the Park's observation tower overlooking town. That was the most interesting thing about Hot Springs.
Yesterday we drove north on Rt. 7, designated as some sort of scenic byway. It was a great drive with little traffic. We looked over the Grand Canyon of Arkansas and eventually pulled into the town of Blue Eye, Ark. Blue Eye has about 39 people who live on the Ark. side and 129 who live on the Missouri side. We are staying at Ozarks RV Resort, operated by Outdoor resorts of America. The sight is on Table Rock Lake, which is huge. It winds all the way to Branson, Mo. These folks sell luxory camp sites, which they will rent for you when you're not there. Sites here go for a base of $30,000 and up to over $100,000 for lake front. The same company has sites across the country at exclusive spots. Our one neighbor is spending his first summer here, arriving May 1 and leaving Oct. 1. He has a boat and the rights to one of the 20 boat slips being constructed. People really doll up their sites, within guidelines. It's gated and patrolled at all times. Tents, pop-ups, and van conversions and anything with canvas sides are prohibited. Will post some pix soon.
It's great to be back. We missed all of you.

Graceland,Graceland, Memphis Tennessee

We went to Graceland. Not as tacky as we expected. The mansion tour was interesting and well done. The audio program included in the tour was excellent. As John Lennon said, "before Elvis there was nothing." He had quite a career and an amazing number of capes and leather jump suits. They even had the tv he shot a hole in one night. He was on top of the world for quite some time.
Managed to get camp reservations through Aug. 10 in Missoula, Mt. Hope to finish through Labor Day by end of week. After that, we'll go back to week by week.

Memphis--Beale Street is certainly alive--street bands, street "drummer" bands(kids marching down the street beating out rhythms), street tumblers--no mats here, just the hard cobblestone road. I had to go into the "original" B.B. King's Blues Club--had a "shooter" and got the glass as a souveniere--but, the band stopped as soon as we walked in--oh well, the only tiny disappointment in a very fun Mother's Day!!!!

Wouldn't you know it--the International Barbecue Contest is here --starting this coming Thursday, and we leave tomorrow!!!--

Mother's Day in Memphis

Mother's Day morning we took off for a tour of the "Home of the Blues." Our first stop was Mud Island Park located right in the Mississippi River. It's the first time either of us has set eyes on Ol' Man River. The park is known for it's five block long scale model of the River. It's outside on a river walk and really neat. You can walk along the edges or cross back and forth at will. Kids take off their shoes and play in it. ( water runs through it) We were there by 10:30 or so and initially had it to ourselves. After touring the river, we went inside to the Museum, which was very nice but seemed to go on forever. I was desparate for an exit when we left.
We walked up into town looking for a place for a late lunch. In the section we were in, few places were open. As we headed back to The Blue Plate, we noticed an odd bus painted black with knives painted all over it. It was parked in the "valet only" area in front of a hotel. When we went down to check it out, we saw the entrance to the 83 Grill, and decided to give it a try. What a find. Turns out it's the restaurant and bar for The Madison Hotel, described by the bar tender as the only true boutique hotel in Memphis and the place be. We sat down at the bar looking over the street and bus and ordered a great salad, an order of the best calamari dish we've ever had, and a Madison Club sandwich. It was all out of this world. We finished up with a pecan tart topped with a dolop of whipped cream and a thin leaf of dark chocolate, and espressso. During this time the bartender got us up to date on all the celebs who frequent the place and came out on the sidewalk to take photos of us in front of the bus. The bus is for the band Tool, who is one of Grant's favorites. They were staying while they work on a new recording. When we finally finished, the staff insisted we take the elevator to the top observation deck of the hotel which looks over the river and city. A couple women who were up there struck up a conversation with us and took our pix, which we hope to post shortly. Some view.
From there we took the trolley down to Beale Street, where the Blues were invented. Every bar and honky tonk had a live band playing, and we stopped at a public plaza where we watched a guy called Canaan Gage perform. His roady says no white man since Stevie Ray Vaughn has done the blues like that. He was great and I bought a cd which he autographed for me.
We finished up stopping at the Blue City Cafe where a three piece group did Elvis, Ray Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, and mostly Johnny Cash. All five started at Sun Records in the '50's. It was great. All in all, it was a terrific Mom's day, and Memphis made a very posative impression on us.

Happy Mother's Day to all my friends celebrating today. Grant called early and started my day off w/ a smile--I'm sure I'll hear from Brad--these guys take good care of their Mom. Just wanted you to know that Grant is the map-man--surprised us, but it's fun to see where we've been already.

Note to Reader

Please note that I have changed several blog settings, most noticeably the template. This was done to accommodate some of the many creative ideas that Bruce has for the future of this blog. He has officially gone Blog Wild.

Also note that Bruce had been posting under Pacific Daylight Time settings. So he has not actually been posting at 4:02 AM or other ungodly hours of the night when normal people sleep.

We believe the changes made will show a marked improvement that will help to allow this living, breathing document to more accurately reflect Bruce's creative vision.

Thank you.

-Ed.

Marching to Memphis

We drove from Atlanta to Memphis yesterday, our longest drive thus far, just shy of 400 miles. We went due north to Chattanoga on an interstate and then took state route 64 all the way across Tennessee. We cruised at 65 with hardly a car on that road, which is alternating two lane-four lane. It is also being expanded to four lane the whole way for some purpose I don't understand. A Senator must have rolled some pork. Crossed into the Central time zone and saw our first road kill armadillos of the trip. An odd animal. We reached our camp ground without taking any wrong turns, a first on the trip, and are set up in the Graceland RV Park, right next to the hallowed ground. A quick call to a local Rib joint brought a pink Cadillac to pick us up and take us to dinner. Today we will visit downtown Memphis and go to the Mudd Island display which is a mock up of the Mississippi River from the confluence of the Ohio River south. Also to check out Sun Records and Beale St., the home of the Blues. This is the first spot in a while where we don't have someone to look up. Anybody know anyone in Memphis?

Scott's Antique & Collectable Show

The Pino's picked us up in the AM and took us to Scott's Show. It's huge and occupies two huge buildings. More stuff than you can believe. Books, jewelry, furniture, rugs, odds and ends, you name it. Mostly very nice stuff. Decorators and home owners shop here to furnish homes. I do believe you could entirely furnish a home in a trip here.
After the show, we went for dinner at Houston's and had a great rack of "fall off the bone" baby-back ribs. Bob and Eloise have been down here about 8 years and really know the places to go. Their hospitality has been wonderful.
There's an Air Force and Reserve Base right across the street from our site and they share the runways with Lockheed-Marietta, the company that won the bid for the next generation fighter for the military. We looked up the first day we were here and saw one. It's called the F-22 Raptor. It was followed by a F-16 chase plane. The new plane was half again as big as the chase plane with a very stealthy look. Awesome.

Marietta,Ga.

Bob and eloise Pino toured us around the city of Marietta. It's grown to a town of over 70,000 and is a major suburb of Atlanta. The tour also included much of Cobb county and parts of Fulton county. It's a bustling area with some very upscale neighborhoods. We stopped at the Kennesaw Mountain Battle Park which comemorates the civil war battle as Sherman approached Atlanta. In Marietta he left only oe house standing, the home of a former West Point classmate. Needless to say, Sherman is not very popular down here.
Today we head toward Atlanta and a huge market where all types of antiques etc are available. The Pino's have acquired many furnishings for their home there.

On To Georgia

We traveled from Seneca, SC, to Marietta, Ga, yesterday. After planning on using interstates, which we try to avoid, I missed a turn and we just jogged our way west and south on smaller roads. It worked just fine. We got to the rv park, backed into our tiny spot and found out that the tailgate wouldn't unlatch. Located a Chevy dealer only two miles away and had to haul the whole trailer down there as we can't disconnect without lowering the gate. I was expecting to get get raked over the coals. They sent their shop foreman out and he repaired it in 5 minutes for no charge. How great is that?
We then set up and Bob and Eloise Pino picked us up. They are previously from Milton and Eloise taught Dana decorative painting. They toured us around the Marietta, took us out to dinner, and then back to their home. They are both students of many types of art and collect porecelains and miniatures, among other things. Their home is beautiful. Dana will have to fill you in more on art subject. Today they are taking us into Atlanta for a tour. They have cetainly shown us what "Southern Hospitality" means.

The Big Lake

Ruth and Joan took us for a boat ride around Lake Keowee yesterday. It was a beautiful day but a little windy. The lake was built in the early '70's to service a nuclear power plant. It's big and very deep. Duke Power Co. built it and over time has developed and built subdivision projects on the shore. They have their own development company for this purpose. The housing is amazing. We lunched on the lake. It was a great tour and some pix are on the blog.
After that Dana and I did a little planning as the summer season approaches and we will be needing to have reservations at many of the places we want to see. We'll be stuck on a schedule which we've tried to avoid, until at least Labor Day.
For dinner we went back over to Ruth and Joan's. They invited their neighbors, Pamela and Bill over for drinks and then for dinner. We had a great meal and a great time. Their hospitality has been wonderful and we'll sure miss them as we get back on the road this am.
Yesterday I forget to mention an NBA tidbit. Did ya'll see the collision between Steve Nash and Tony Parker in the Sun's-Spur's game? They were both going for the ball and collided head to head. Nash's nose was a mess and they both must have had headaches in the morning. Nash had to leave the game because they couldn't stop the bleeding. He needed a cut man from with ring experience.

Hi All--just came off of lovely Lake Keowee--not a cloud in the sky, and views to the mts.--Ruth and Joan are taking such good care of us--they are wonderful hosts!!!

Chore Day

The Crooked Creek RV Park is one of the few that will allow patrons to wash their RV's on the premises, so I scrubbed her down top to bottom on a brisk, breezey day. It came out pretty good but the bugs on the nose are tough to get off. Got some compound and polish and will try a little harder today. Went over to Ruth and Joan's for dinner and had a great time.
They're taking us for a boat ride today which we are looking forward to. Lake Keowee is man made and huge by Jersey measures. Over 400 miles of lake front. The steep ridges and gullies which characterize the mountains down here create a series of coves and peninsulas when dammed and flooded. Lake Norman in NC and the TVA lakes near Knoxville are similar. The many communities we've seen on these lakes take advantage of this by offering many lake front lots and often having cul-de-sac roads lead down onto peninsulas. It's a boater and fisherman's paradise.

Taking it easy

We just hung out at the campground yesterday and had Ruth and Joan over for dinner later in the day. Cooked Salmon and asparagus on the grill with potato salad, garden salad and fruit with yogart for dessert. With a diet like that we may live forever. Tiger wins again. I once dreamt about hitting a 6 iron 200 yards out of deep rough with a little draw onto the green and making the putt, but woke up before the ball dropped over the edge.

Clemson University

Ruth and Joan took us on a driving tour of the town of Clemson and Clemson U. Believe me when I tell you everything down here is orange. The kids wear orange, adults wear orange, there are orange tiger prints on the road, and Ruth and Joan both sported orange rain gear because it was pouring a good part of the day. We had lunch in town then stopped at the student center to acquire some of Clemson's reknowned blue cheese. (the cheese was not orange) Ruth then toured us through the town of Seneca, where they live. It's a very appealing area, and on our list of possible locations. Got home and watched the derby. A horse won.

Seneca

We hauled over from Moonshine Creek, NC, to Crooked Creek in SC, yesterday. It was a very easy drive in comparison to the last move. Crooked Creek is the nicest campground we've been to in terms of facilities. It sits right on Lake Keowee, the same lake that Ruth and Joan live on. After we set up and laid in some provisions, we headed over to Ruth and Joan's home. We had been there in '02 for a visit. It's a great location, lake front, with a terrific view out over the lake, which by Jersey standards is humungus. They have just completed a renovation of their kitchen. It used to be a galley kitchen. They tore down the inside kitchen wall, which opens everything up into the living room and allows views from the kitchen out over the lake. It really came out great. It should be in a magazine. We all headed over to a friend of their's home for a chilli dinner. Other friends were there, so 8 of us were together. The food was wonderful, and the conversation stimulating. It was a delightful evening. Rain possible over the weekend.

Last day in western N.C.

Took a ride over to Hendersonville, a highly publicised area for retirees. Another great town down here. Stopped at the N.C. arboretum on the way and saw some nice gardens and bonzai trees. A thunderstorm hit while we were in town and I mean to say that storm was right on top of us. A real boomer. We hit rain on and off on the way back to Moonshine Creek, but it hadn't rained there. Most areas down here are extremely dry and praying for rain. Leave for Seneca, S.C., today to see Ruth and Joan and look over the area. This is a late post due to poor internet connection. I'll get back on schedule tomorrow and try to drive the few remaining readers of this blog out of cyber whatever it is.

Up and Down Day

We checked out more of western N.C. yesterday. This area of the state is incredibly mountainous. We started in Franklin, the gem capitol of the east. Another neat, friendly little town with lots to offer. After dipping down into Georgia, we went east on Rt 106 to Highlands, a beautiful , very upscale lake area. From there, Rt 64 east took us to Cashiers. We stayed on 64 through Sapphire and Lake Toxaway to Brevard. This stretch of road had one private lake or golf community after the other for mile after mile. There were some resorts scattered in and a few of the courses were open to the public. In Franklin, Brad and Grant bought Dana a bracelet and ear rings for her birthday. Today we head for Hendersonville.

Western N.C.

Road over from Pigeon Forge yesterday looking for a campground just north of the town of Cashiers. A really, really mountainous area. Far and away the most challenging roads we have traveled while pulling the rv. Anyway, we were looking for Singing Waters Campground and followed this winding road off the main road up into the hills. Finally found it, but the owner had sold it to a developer and it won't be opening. Fortunately, after we got turned around, a guy who works for the development company rode by and directed us to another place, Moonshine Creek Campground just off the Blueridge Parkway. It's a gorgeous place and once again we are right on a babbling mountain creek. We're in the gem area where some rubies, emeralds, and opals etc. are mined. Will investigate today.

Dollywood

What an idea. A hillbilly Disneyworld. It was a pretty neat place, very clean, everybody super polite and friendly. No life size model of Dolly though. According to one fella, they used to have one, but it disappeared. Can you imagine? They did have a large picture which I posed beneath. Will post it soon. Today we head back into N.C., between Asheville and Hendersonville. Need to repair a window blind which looks like it will be quite a job.