Photo Memories

This photo was taken at Johnson Reservoir just north of Loa, Utah.  The elevation is 7500 ft.

The campground hosts at Capitol Reef have this view from their RV site.  Not too bad!

A look back at Bodie, Ca.  It was hard to believe that the town was at 8300 ft elevation.  Winters must be brutal !

Mankato

   Today we traveled the 60 miles from Fairmont where R's sister lives to Mankato, where my sister lives.  I was born across the Minnesota River in North Mankato.  Different town, different county.  It has been 45 years since I left the Minnesota to go into the military.  When I got back from Viet Nam, I was stationed in Twenty Nine Palms, CA.  When I was finished with my military service, we did not return to the Midwest, but looked for work on the west coast.  The rest is history.
   We have been back a few times every 5 years or so.  But still you notice differences.  In Texas and the west, spices.  As you saw in a previous blog, the condiment selection here is more limited.  When people ask me if I want hot sauce, I tell them, "No thanks, I'm from Minnesota where we only know three spices."  Then I wait....... "What are they?   Salt, Pepper, and Ketchup. "  It's a joke but not much of a stretch.
    What else did I notice?  Lots of trees at farms.  Out west, like in South Dakota, Wyoming, even Nebraska, a few trees mark a home site.  Here a few hundred mark a farm site.  Looking at the rural landscape as we drove today, it really hit home.
    Fuel is less expensive here.  I have seen unleaded for $1.99/gal and diesel for 2.25.  When we left Tahoe fuel was $2.67 for both grades.  Through Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, and South Dakota saw diesel prices from $2.39 to $2.49, still quite reasonable.  It makes traveling much less painful.

Condiments

We are definitely back in the Midwest.

Museum of the Fur Trade

How unlikely is this.  The museum of the Fur Trade is located, not in Canada, not in northern Minnesota, not in the Pacific Northwest, but in Chadron, Nebraska.  Who knew?

Actually it is quite large and quite impressive.  The gun collection is huge !  There are stories and information on this old industry from all areas of North America.  We have worked at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, which was a trading post and distribution center for the Hudson Bay Company and we still learned a great deal by visiting this place.  

Notice the Canoe Cups.  Each Voyager carried on his sash.  When he got thirsty he could just dip water from the lake or stream he was paddling through.  We had never seen these before. 

Fort Robinson State Park

Fort Robinson was an important Army location for many years.  It was built on this site in 1878 to keep a watch on the 13000 Lakotas that were marched from the North Platte to the Red Cloud Agency on the White River.

The fort played a part during the Sioux Wars from 1876 to 1890.  Crazy Horse surrendered here in 1877.  In 1885 the Buffalo Soldiers were stationed here.  After WWI the fort became the world largest quartermaster remount depot, a breeding and training center for horses and mules for the military.  In WW II it was a K-0 corps training center, and later held German prisoners-of-war.
  It is now a state park with many activities to attract visitors.  There are two campgrounds, several officer and barracks buildings for overnight rentals.  Other activities available are two museums, riding stable, kayak rentals, hay rides, bike rentals, even plays in the theater.    A great place for the whole family.

There is a natural history museum to visit as well.  You can view a local Columbian Mammoth.

Agate Fossil Beds

 A diorama of some of the early mammals that lived in this area millions of years ago.


This National Monument is located on the prairie about 50 miles north of Scottsbuff, Neb.

A very nice visitor center with a very impressive  room devoted to the native peoples of the region.

Scotts Bluff Nat Mon

Who knew that part of Nebraska is not flat farm land

 The view from the top went on forever.  There's that farmland in the distance.

NW Nebraska

   Who would have thought?  Nebraska is actually interesting.  Well, NW Nebraska is.  The Fossil Highway for example.  Highway 71.
   Let me go back to Utah.  Left Torrey at our usual time 9ish.  Enjoyed the drive back through Capitol Reef, passed the Headquarters, and east on 24.  The landscape got bleaker and turned north until finally intersecting I-70.   Driving the Interstate is a different experience.  The road is normally considerately better (except for sections of I-10 in Texas which were awful).
   We rambled eastward, Green River, Grand Junction, and turned north at Rifle.  We spent the night at Yampa River State Park just east of Craig.  A nice park.
    The Saturday we bought a few groceries and continued north on Hwy 13 which is a very nice road.  The next morning a hundred miles landed us unto I-80 just west of Rawlins.  Some more pleasant scenery and we were out of Wyoming and into Nebraska.
   Riverside Campground in Scottsbluff was not great, but adequate.  After unhooking we drove solo out to Scotts Bluff ( notice the different spelling) National Monument.  Nice visitor center, good movie, great drive up to the top of the bluff.  It's about 3 - 4 miles of twists and turns, through three tunnels, to reach the summit.  The view from up there was great.
   Back to the rv park and picked up the trailer and again went north.  Hwy 29 to Agate Fossil Beds out in the middle of nowhere.  Interesting fossils of early mammals.  Then east on Hwy 20 to Fort Robinson State Park.  Most of the Army buildings are still standing and a great place to spend a week or at least several days.  There is a multitude of activities available for vacationing families.  Many of the barracks and officers quarters are available for nightly rentals.  Activities include, horse rentals, tubing, kayaking, hay rides, plays at the theater, several museums.  A good thing.
   Yesterday we left Ft Robinson and stopped at the Museum of the Fur Trade just east of Chadron, NE.  Wow!  Did not expect such a place in the unknown area of Nebraska.  Have you ever heard of Chadron, Nebraska?  Me neither.  Huge display, lots of items, unbelievable number of ancient rifles and handguns, and fur trading info from all over North America.  Having worked at Fort Vancouver, we were somewhat familiar with the fur trading industry.  Well this place blew us away !  A definite must see.!
    Then back in the truck down the road.  First east on Hwy 20 then jog north to South Dakota and east on Hwy 18 through the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Reservations, finally north on Hwy 47 to I-90.
AS we drove north we watched a very dark clouds to the Northwest.  Trouble !
   We continued north, watching the blackness getting closer.  Finally we reached I 90 and turned east away from the storm.  As we drove the radio kept interrupting telling us of the heavy rain and ping pong sized hail that was falling in Winner where we had just come.  Our timing was great.
   With the storm in mind we did not stop until we arrived at R's sisters house in Fairmont, MN at 11pm.  We had called and let them know we were arriving late, but they were still waiting for hugs and smiles before we all went to bed.  Is it good to be back in Mimnesota?  I'll let you know.

Sunset at Torrey

The evening  thunder storms provide color to the sky.

Craig, Colorado

   This is morning.  I am sitting at the table waiting for my wife to stir.  The boys and I went for a long walk earlier.  At the end of a long lane was a raised viewing stand,  I would call it a viewing blind.  There were several holes looking out at a field which now holds bales of hay.  When we checked in yesterday I saw a bulletin advertising the fall Sandhill Crane Festival in September.  I'm thinking that this is what the blind is used for.  I heard the distinctive call last evening.  It made me think of Malheur.
    We were lucky enough to get the last campsite here at Yampa River State Park at 5pm yesterday.  It is located just off Hwy 40 about 15 miles east of Craig.  This area of Colorado is ranching and coal.  Coming up on Hwy 13 from I-70, we passed signs noticing coal mines.  We also noticed a coal-fired electric generating plant.  It makes sense to have one close by.
    After breakfast we will take down and head back to Craig to get a few groceries and then continue north on 13 up to Wyoming and I-80 and easterly.  The weather has cooperated with mostly sunny days and not too warm temperatures.  Utah and Colorado do get afternoon thunderstorms this time of year so the cloud formations are awesome.

Looking back at Capitol Reef.  Photos do not do it justice.  You have to be there and experience the expanse of beauty!

Last Night in Utah

This is our third night at Thousand Lakes RV.  It's definitely the busiest.  This is summer so the summer traffic here is ongoing.  Lots of rental RVs with European visitors driving them.  German and French folks wanting to see the Big 5 National Parks of Utah.
   Plus this is a holiday week-end.  At least it is in Utah.  It's Pioneer Days.  A state-wide celebration of when the Mormons arrived at Salt Lake City.  State offices are closed.  Banks are closed.  So the parks of Utah are overflowing with families camping.  I'm glad we aren't trying to find a place for the night in Utah for the next few days.  Tomorrow we pack up and head east.
   Our route will take us on Hwy 24 back through the park and east through Hanksville and up to I-70.  We will travel east to Grand Junction and then turn north toward Craig.  I am trying to avoid the high passes of Colorado.

Camping at Torrey

This is our spot at the Thousand Lakes RV park just west of Torrey, Utah.  We traveled through a large thunderstorm with hail on the way and it followed us here.  The thunder and lightning was exciting.  The rain was much appreciated by the locals for the moisture and cooling temperatures.  The 80s are predicted for the next few days as we explore Capitol Reef.

A Statement of the Obvious

Two of these trucks were parked last night when we got to where we spent the night at the Utah border.  Each one contained the box for one of the giant mining dump trucks.  The overhang on each side looked to be over 6 feet. That load width requires that the traffic on Hwy 50 would have to be stopped on the passes where the wide spots do not exist.
   I expected to see these trucks gone when I took the dogs for a walk this morning, but they were still there waiting for the pilot cars.  Finally they arrived and the entourage started down the road heading west at 8:30.  I'm glad that I wasn't going west this morning.

Away

This is Tuesday July 19, 2016.  I was up by 6.  The sunlight had been up for hours.  The morning walk with the boys was significantly different than yesterday.  Yesterday it was a familiar route with tall fir and pine trees.  The lake was in the background, always in the background.
   Today, desert.  As far as the eye can see, far as the mind can wander, desert.  We spent the day crossing and spent the night parked in the Great Basin Desert, the largest of the US deserts.
   We left our site at Tallac almost on schedule, (9:45) and trudged through the traffic lights of South Lake Tahoe.  We finally got past the city and over Spooner Summit and Hwy 50 down the long grade into the Carson Valley.
    We were on 50 all day.  Fallon, east to Austin.  A pathetic little spot.  I was in low gear driving through Austin because it is located in a rather steep canyon and every part of town is either up or down, including the highway.  Going east I had no trouble dropping to the 25 mph speed limit because of the grade.  I never got up to that speed,  either through the town or up the steep grade for the next several miles to the pass.  Boy was I glad to be out of there!
   I was going to count the number of passes we went over during our day, but I lost track.  It is somewhere around 8 or 9.  In a car they aren't very noticeable.  Pulling a 30 ft fifth wheel, loaded to the gills, they are noticed !  But the BRT  ( Judy and David started calling it that. Big Red Truck. ) the BRT performed well.  We had a tail wind which was greatly appreciated.  400 miles under our belts or tires.
   Today we cross over into Utah (which is 50 feet away) and head for Torrey, which is just outside Capital Reef National Monument.  But first, breakfast at the Casino.  :)
   
 

Wednesday July 13

Today is our last Wednesday meeting.  R and I have four more work days.  Saturday is our last day on the job.  The time seems to have slipped away again.  It does that every place we go.  Days go by, things happen, memories are made, lessons learned, and we move on.  Just like life, I guess.

  Sunday we will pack up the trailer, and head down the "hill" on Monday morning.  I have been doing a few tasks to prepare for the trip.  Checking battery levels, cleaning my K&N air filter, rearranging items in the underneath storage compartment.

 I was trying to figure out our route to Minnesota yesterday.  We are definitely not going the direct route.  First, we are spending a few days at Capital Reef Nat. Mon. visiting friends we met at LBJ.  Ron and Mary are camp hosts and the Fruita Campground.  That area is beautiful and it will be good to see it again.  That means we will drive across Nevada on Hay 50 which is labeled "The Loneliest Highway in the US".  We have been on it before.  It is.

  Then we will drive east and north, avoiding the high passes of Colorado, thru Grand Junction, Craig and up to Wyoming.  We want to stop at Scottsbluff Nat Mon and go straight north to several small parks in NE Nebraska and SW South Dakota before we jump on I-90 and go east.  Eastern SD is not that exciting.

Up up and Away

Morning is the best time to take a hot air balloon ride.  At Tahoe the balloon rises from a barge in the lake for a flight where ever the winds will carry it.

Cowslips

On a morning walk in the woods the sun coming through the birch trees decorating the Cowslips with strings of light.

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

Sometimes when you are tired and Quam is in your bed, you just have to make do with what is available.

Neighbor

Monday I was out at the picnic table pouring Cheerios into Tuperware  containers when I heard a scratching noise behind me.  I glanced back to see what it was and saw one of our neighbors sauntering along the side of the volunteer trailer about 25 feet away,  I turned and watched him, not saying anything.  He stopped and we looked at each other for a moment.  I called out to R, who was in the trailer, to come and see.  She stepped out, said , "Oh my!" ( or something appropriate) and went to get the camera.  Her shot is not too great but it is better than the one I got when I finally thought about taking my phone out of my back pocket.

 He was the most beautiful shade of chocolate brown.

Two Weeks

   We have two weeks left here at Lake Tahoe.  Eight actual work days. How did that happen?   When you arrive, there is so much work to do and time to pass, it seems to be a long way off.  Not so.  It goes by, just like life, quickly.
    Two weeks from today we will be on the road again, (sounds like a Winnie Nelson song ), heading east and then north toward Minnesota.  That is going to be another story.  We will have no time frame so it will be at a more leisurely pace.  Going and coming from Texas, we had dates and appointments to keep so time was more important.  The only time I have set for us is that I would like to be back in Oregon by September at the latest.

    The View out window, if 5 or 6 trees were cut down.  The cross of snow on Mt Tallac has broken.  Last year the snow level was much less and it disappeared much earlier.

July 4th

A quiet day for us.  We were off !  So we just hung out here at the RV site.  No way were we going to face the crowds and traffic.
  I did go for a morning walk with the boys down by the lake.  At 7:15 there were already several canopies set up on the beach with folks staking their claim.  The hot air balloon had customers as well.  It was a good way to start the day.  Happy Birthday America !