Dalpe Park - Pelham, NH

Our trip came to a conclusion just before Father's Day.  So we spent four days visiting with family and relaxing.  Went to see Mame! at the North Shore Music Theater.  With our kids visiting from the west coast, it was a wonderful week-end.

Of course, looming in the background was the trip down the Northeast Corridor from Boston to Virginia.  This is not a particularly camper friendly part of the world...roads that are passenger car only, state parks that are not pet friendly, expensive gasoline...so we decide to make the trip in one shot (650 miles).  We were able to stop along the way,  took a few naps, made lunch, made dinner, which made it bearable.  But still, it took almost three hours to get around Washington.

We left before sunrise and got home after sunset...but it was over!   Nothing left to do, but clean the RV for our next trip!

Watkins Glen State Park - Watkins Glen, NY

Gorge at Watkins Glen

As promised, we had an early start out of Findley State Park in Ohio.  As I went to throw our trash in the dumpster, I was met by four beady eyes.  Two raccoons had gotten stuck in the dumpster and could not get out.  I felt I should let someone know.  The camp host was right next to the dumpster, so I knocked on his door, figuring he should be up by 7:00.  He told me that the same two raccoons get stuck in the dumpster every Wednesday, because they can’t get out until it s half full.  They put a stick in the dumpster so they can crawl out.

After a nice Interstate drive, we arrive at Watkins Glen with enough time to walk through the Gorge. As Deb said, “It was gorge-ious!”  Lots of tourists.

This is really our last night out.  Tomorrow, we visit with family for a few days, and then home to whatever awaits us after being away a month and a half!

In the morning we decide for a very early start and leave in our PJ's! 

Findley State Park - Wellington, OH

We are now on the final part of the trip.  We pass through the birth place of Thomas Edison, and the town that Archibald Willard painted “The Spirit of ‘76” without even batting an eye.  We head right for the campsite, make dinner, change the sheets, catch up on e-mail.  It has rained really hard here in the past few days and everything is muddy.  So instead of hiking, we make meatloaf (slow cooker style) and garlic bread (pan cooked).

It will be an early start for the next two days, at least early for us...half the time it seems like the campground empties before we wake up.

Bay City State Park - Bay City, MI

The scenic trip down the eastern coast of Michigan was in a word...scenic.  We arrived at one of those campgrounds where each site is really defined by whether or not you can reach the electric plug for the site, if you can you are in your assigned site.  Within fifteen minutes of arriving, Deb’s Fitbit was bored and wanted to go for a bike ride AND a hike!

There are some storms looming around us, but we have been spared.  Everything in Michigan says “Pure Michigan.”  When Mathews paid $100,000 for “Be Here” we were a little miffed, but it makes you wonder what “Pure Michigan” cost and if they would like to buy “Be Here” from Mathews.

Tomorrow...Ohio

Main Street Inn - Mackinaw Island, MI

Mackinac Bridge (5 miles)

The last time we were here we boarded Drex at Suzie’s Kennel and Quilt Shop, in St Ignace on the upper peninsula, but Susie retired.  So we rebooked to Mackinac City KOA on the lower peninsula which had a kennel right across the street.  With Drex boarded, we headed for Mackinaw Island.  Mackinaw Island does not have cars, or franchise restaurants, just fudge shops, bars and thousands of bicycles for rent.  So, first lunch, then a bike ride around the island, with a brief side trip to Lookout Point, then a nap, then a walk around the town to find the perfect pre-dinner drink place.  Then a walk around the town to find the perfect dinner place.

Making fudge

Then a walk around town to find the perfect after dinner drink place, followed by the perfect place for a nightcap with some Fried Green Tomatoes.  Of course, the highlight of any hotel visit is a large shower, with unlimited hot water.  The only place open in the morning was Starbucks, with an 8:00 ferry ride back to Mackinaw City.  Even after a 10 mile bike ride, several miles of bar hopping, Deb’s Fitbit was not satisfied, and we had to walk the mile and a half back to the KOA.

Today is either a short drive on the Interstate or a scenic drive along the coast. Well, we have to be in Boston on Thursday, but how we get there is our business! (...scenic...)

Mackinac City KOA - Mackinac City, MI

It was 400 miles, it was a time zone change in the wrong direction.  Left at 8:00, arrived at 5:00...enough said.

The drive along Lake Michigan was pretty, and it’s always fun to drive over the Mackinaw Bridge. Stopped to get some Pasties (that’s with a short “a” as in “ball”).  As the woman said, with a long “a” it’s a totally different thing. Pasties are a stuffed pastry that is famous on the U.P. (that’s the upper peninsula to non Michiganers).

Mirror Lake - Wisconsin Dells, WI

Mirror Lake is another redo for us, but only because it’s next to the Ishlana Supper Club which is right on Mirror Lake.  On one of my early cross country road trips, I saw a sign for the Spam Museum, but didn’t stop.  This time, we were driving by right at lunch time...call it destiny.  What an exciting place! Just oodles of information about the history of Spam, how it was the single advantage that the Allied Forces had in WWII!  How it changes the war effort in Vietnam!  There was a chance to test your skills as a canner.  Deb tried it but, alas, will not be asked to return for the job interview. It’s the only place in the world that sells all 15 different flavors of Spam.  We bought several to give as Christmas presents (it’s sort of like buying one of those flowery Hawaiian shirts...it seemed like a good idea at the time)

It was Friday night at the Ishlana Supper Club, so we had a fairly long wait for dinner.  We sat at one of the bars and tried to talk but a trio of loud women next to us kept drowning us out.  Finally, we got away when they called us for dinner, but, yes, five minutes later, they were seated at the table next to us.  Oh well.

It’s 399 miles to Mackinaw City and we have our last time zone change, so it should be an early start.

Palisades State Park - Garretson, SD

It’s a short drive (don’t get too used to them).  We get in early enough for lunch...Deb has been wanting to make potato salad since Idaho.  We have a couple of Idaho Russets, just waiting. Delicious.

Palisades Park is the second smallest state Park in South Dakota.  It is a small stream that runs through palisades of catlinite.  Catlinite is a pink rock, also called Sioux Quartzite.  This is the only place it is found, and primary use is to make Indian Peace Pipes.  My father had a piece of catlinite that he carved into a pipe and polished.  With well established trails and mowed fields, we took in the entire park in about an hour and a half.  We looked at the palisades from the top, from the bottom, from the north bank and the south bank.  We studied the historic bridge built with Platt Girders in 1908, as well as foundations of Pattens Mill.

Sioux Quartzite

By 3:00, we had it covered, but it also started to shower, which was an ideal time to go back to the campsite and make some pizza dough.  By 6:30, we were eating personal pepperoni pizzas right off the Barbie.  We finished the evening eating popcorn watching “San Andreas”

Kennibec KOA - Kennibec, SD

Lunch in Badlands NP, SD

We are heading home, with a few interesting places on the way.  When I plan the trips, the days have to be shorter than 400 Miles, AND they have to end up someplace where there is a place.  We are at the awkward area, South Dakota, where there are not many “places.”  To try to make up for an embarrassingly short day, I suggest renting something so that we can drive the Needles Highway, in Custer State Park. It has tunnels that are only 9’ high and 8’ wide (a little small for our RV).  Although there were several rental places, none of them were particularly convenient...so we have placed the Needles Highway on our bucket list.  With that option gone, I suggested climbing to the top of Mount Rushmore, but Deb’s knees wouldn’t take it, so that went on our bucket list.  In desperation, I found the “National Grasslands Visitors Center.”  Really?  That’s what we’re going to do for the day?  Okay, maybe not that exciting, but it was interesting.  Finally a little detour to drive through the Badlands helped.  We ate lunch at the first overlook, which of course, makes me a little sleepy.  After a few brushes with the shoulder of the road where there was a 500’ precipice, Deb offered to drive so I could look at the view...let’s go with that.

The side trip plus losing an hour going to Central Time, got us in at a respectable 4:00.  Our next day is only 181 miles...maybe I can find another visitor’s center!

Bluebell Campground - Custer State Park, SD

Bison (not Buffalo)

Before leaving Casper, we refilled our propane tank (normally we can do a summer trip on a single fill-up, but this trip has been a little chilly), we washed the RV in a car wash with high ceilings, and used our gas credit card for the last time.  Chase has been sending us potential fraud alerts since Texas, and I guess the last place where we bought gas put them over the edge.  I checked the receipt and it was called “The Giggle Stop,”  in Dubois, WY.

As we approached Custer State Park, we realized that the park abuts Wind Cave National Park.  We drove through it, but couldn’t find anything exciting, except for a herd of bison.  We settled into our campsite.

Moose Drool Ale

 My plan was to reprise our dinner from our last visit...Moose Drool Ale and a Bison Burger.  I suggested a quick trip to the lodge to make sure it was still there.  There was a major fire here last December, started from a downed power line that burned thousands of acres.  Fortunately, the lodge was still there, and still serving Moose Drool.  As we were leaving the lodge, Deb’s Fitbit started acting up again, it made her ask about hiking trails in the area.  We ended up taking a lovely drive through the park with a bike ride tucked in.

A thunderstorm threatened dinner, but it turned out to be all bark and no bite!  Moose Drool Ale and Bison Stew!  We are going to look for some frozen bison meat to take home with us.

Casper KOA - Bar Nunn, WY

The day started like any other day, well any other day when you didn’t have internet access so you drive to the first vista point with a view of Jackson Lake and the Tetons as the sun is rising while drinking your coffee and checking your mail.  With one final pass to climb to get to the continental divide, we are on a downhill slide to the Mississippi River.

The Casper KOA is at the old Casper Airport.  The land was bought by Ronnie Nunn in 1954 To start a horse ranch called Bar Nunn.  He eventually parceled it out and it became the city of Bar Nunn. The airport hanger, which is right across the street from the campground, has been

The Hanger (our dinner spot)

repurposed as a sports bar and restaurant.  We had to check it out. It’s the best place to eat here, Bar Nunn!

Colton Bay Village - Grand Tetons NP, WY

We left our already reserved spot in paradise for an unknown destination.  This is not what we do! We are Type A people, we plan everything out months in advance and we keep to the plan no matter what.

In the morning, over oatmeal (the breakfast of choice when there is frost on the picnic table), we review the flight plan.  The preferred landing location is Colton Bay in the Grand Tetons National Park.  It sits right on Jackson Lake and the Grand Tetons rise from the other side.  I have seen this place twice before and it always looked interesting.

There is a small RV campground, but it is full.  There is a huge, first come first serve area, with no utilities.  We gladly take it, lock in our site, and search for internet (we found it at the gas station, along with 20 other people).  With our need for internet sated, we’re off to tame the Fitbit...it’s like one of those Furby’s that always needs some sort of attention.

Back at the campground, it’s time for chili and pan cornbread. After this we are back on our Type A plan, with a stop in Casper, WY.

Skillet cornbread

Teton Canyon - Alta, WY

Alaska Trail

On our last trip, we tried to learn the song “I’ve been everywhere, man” made famous by Johnny Cash.  It has about 200 places sung rapidly in succession.  One of those places was Pocatello, so we had to make a Walmart stop (mostly to refresh our DVD supply).

From there it was onward through the potato fields of Idaho to the western side of the Tetons.  The last four miles to the campground was on a “forest road.”  The potholes were incredible.  As we were going through the first set, a local coming the other way gave us some good news and some bad news.  The good news was that the potholes were only in the first quarter mile, the bad news was that a few of them might actually be bottomless.  Then he said, “don’t worry, you’ll make it!”  

Our campsite was tucked in the woods, but with the temperature hovering in the fifties, the host suggested that we find a sunny spot with a view.  There are several endless hiking trails that start here.  We took the Alaska Trail, that basically follows the valley of Teton Canyon.  It was an easy, scenic hike.  We met lots of locals out for a warm day stroll, many of them exercising their dogs and horses.

We were slated for two nights here, but we have decided that we have done all that we want to do and are heading to Jackson, without any real plan for where we are going to stay.

Massacre Rocks State Park - American Falls, ID

Snake River

The last two days have been pretty much traveling northeast, from Yosemite to Idaho.  The scenery is nice, but not dramatic.  There is still snow on the Sierra Nevadas.  I’m not certain that we have actually put out the awning since we got to Texas a few weeks ago.  It’s spring, and every afternoon the wind kicks up too much.

Chris and Drex

Massacre Rocks is a redo.  It sits above the Snake River with cliff faces going down to the water.  We got here early enough to take a short hike along the rocks.  With 30 mph winds, it is difficult for the pelicans to make a smooth landing on the river, although the ducks don’t seem to have a problem.

We watched “Watchmen,” for nearly three hours!  It’s our last DVD.  Looks like it’s going to be a Walmart kinda day heading to the Tetons

KOA of Ely - Ely, NV

Tioga Pass

This was going to be a fairly long day, about 377 miles, so we get an early start. It starts out with a 60 mile ride over Tioga Pass, reaching just short of 10,000 ft.  Then on to Route 6, which claims to be even lonelier than Route 50, “the loneliest highway.”  We stop for lunch near Tonopah, right by the Crescent Dunes Solar Project, a 1.1 gigawatt solar power plant, with a 10 hour 1 gigawatt battery.  You’d have to google it for details,  but let’s just say our 200 watt solar panel felt just a little inadequate. With a fuel stop in Tonopah, we drove confidently past the “Next Gas 187 Miles” sign.

The highway goes over small mountain passes and then into flat valleys before heading over the next pass.  At times you can see the road twenty miles ahead.  Finally into Ely for laundry and grocery shopping.