Alaska Bound Days 9-10

Day 9 Miles 81 The best way to describe this day is COLD. I had difficulty convincing myself to crawl out of the sleeping bag. The reverse cycle air went on several times during the night but it’s not very effective when the temps get low. Tonight I put on the propane furnace but it blasts so I know I’ll wake up. Anyway I was actually on the road by 8 a.m. and headed for the Crazy Horse monument. You may have read about this incredible sculpture that is being blasted out of a mountain. The sculptor originally worked on Mt. Rushmore and was asked by the Lakota Indians to do one of Crazy Horse. To give you an idea of the magnitude, the Mt Rushmore 4 heads would barely cover just the head of Crazy Horse. It is far from complete with really only the face visible. Started in 1948 it seems they would be discouraged by the progress but it seems there are many supporting and believing in the project and it will be magnificent upon completion. It is a tribute to the Native Americans and a number of artifacts are in the museum complex.
There was snow on areas of the facility and as I drove out I noticed the temperature was 34! No wonder I was cold. Time to dig out my wool sweater. I bundled up good for Mt. Rushmore but somehow I couldn’t get too excited about spending time there. In addition to the cold the wind was very strong and it began to snow!
Off I went to Custer State Park which is beautiful with unbelieveable tunnels carved out of stone, but very small. Curves and switchback make for challenging driving while at the same time on the lookout for the various wildlife. Burros on the road vying for food, buffalos (bison) goats, deer, were among those animals I saw. I ate lunch at the Blue Hill Lodge and really liked the bison meatloaf.
Once back in Custer it was laundry time and then a quick grocery store visit. All day I had been trying to upload the blog but kept getting blocked in one way or another. Finally tonight I was able to at least load the verbiage. Photos will have to wait. Hopefully I will figure out how to do an album link this weekend.
I am debating my route from here. I’m back to thinking I’ll take 90 up to Montana. If it is this cold I may stay in a motel tomorrow night. I really need a hot shower and a warm bed would be nice. I prefer the camp ground life but I have to be practical. I saw in my AAA book that most of Yellowstone services begin May 30 so I want to get more information before I tackle that area. I’m sure if we are having snow here, they are also. My phone shows Stuart’s temperatures, about 40 degrees higher!
Day 10 Miles 341 I’ve reached Billings Montana. It was 39 about 8:30 when I pumped out my tanks. Br-r-r. The night was the coldest yet and I toyed with getting a motel room tonight. However as the day progressed I decided to try camping if the temperature rose above 50. Amazing how suddenly that seems warm. It was actually close to 60 and I lost no time heading for the showers after my 5 p.m. arrival at the campground. The prediction for the coming week includes hail and more low temperatures so I may yet succumb to a motel. Meantime I celebrated my stamina by having a great dinner with yesterday’s bison meatloaf, Mary Lou’s asparagus, one of the last of my homemade carrot muffins and some wine from Julien and Kate. With my clean body and hair I felt like it was an occasion.
From Custer I drove to Newcastle Wyoming and then on to Gillette where I picked up I 90. Not too far into Montana I stopped at the Big Horn National Monument. It is also a National Cemetery as well as marking the battle in 1876 where Custer was killed. There is a new monument to the fallen Native Americans and an emphasis on peace. Fortunately the intermittent rain I’d experienced held off during my visit here.
The area of Wyoming through which I passed was not scenic. Lots of oil pumps and in the distance long trains of coal cars and I saw one open pit coal mine. The only good thing was that the road had curves unlike the straight ones in South Dakota. Montana though seemed greener and more pasture. Billings however has a refinery and lots of industry along the expressway. I’m not sure if I’ll explore any before leaving tomorrow.
I’ve spent some time tonight researching alternatives for the coming week. From all I’ve been able to learn I could get into Yellowstone through the North entrance at Gardiner as originally planned but heavy snow is still being removed and the low temperatures for the week are predicted at 15. Since I’m not winterized, I’ve decided I’ll have to forgo the park on this trip. Hopefully a future one to Colorado will give me another alternative. As I suspected, I’m at least 2 weeks early for most activities particularly with the cold spring. There has been almost no traffic on the roads.
Emily contributed offsets to the carbon footprint I’m leaving with the trip as a mother’s day gift. She also gave me a gift for an Itunes credit. I’ll have fun deciding how to use that…Iphone apps? Songs? Albums?
I’m having difficulty downloading my email on the computer but fortunately it’s coming through on the Iphone. Happy Mother’s Day everyone.

Alaska Bound Days 6-8

Day 6 Miles 190 I left the Nauvoo campground around 8:30 a.m. Stopping at the toilet facilities, I met the park ranger who asked for the camping fee of $20. I had seen him driving around earlier. I’m happy to support the park system. The GPS and I agreed on the initial route though when I saw the ancient, seemingly decrepit bridge over the Mississippi River at Ft. Madison Iowa, I wondered if it was a good idea. There was a weight and size limit but I was ok with that. Lots of work going on but it looked pretty tired to me. I found Rte 218 which would take me north most of the way through the state. There was little other traffic except for between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. The rolling farm country with substantial looking farm operations was very pleasant. I couldn’t believe the growth around Iowa City where I spent four years in the 60’s. I didn’t go into town which is struggling to get back to normal after a massive flooding last spring. There was evidence of flooding around Cedar Rapids as well and many fields had standing water.
I found the home of Mary Lou and Janice after circling the block once. They toured “Big Mama” and I toured their wonderful garden. Later I enjoyed some of the early harvest of asparagus and rhubarb. At my suggestion, Mary Lou made the rhubarb a la Les Larsen: Cut in pieces and place in bowl. Microwave 5-10 minutes and then immediately stir in a container of frozen strawberries. We had it over ice cream and even Janice, who is not crazy for rhubarb, liked it.
I had decided I would try to get the oil changed here and discovered that the Chevrolet dealer in nearby Waterloo was also a Roadtrek dealer. They have a pit for changing oil and the whole thing didn’t take 10 minutes. I was able to see a bit more of the area without taking much time out of our visit.
Mary Lou and I reminisced about our Iowa days and caught up on family news. I also benefited from the fact that she and Janice had made the South Dakota and Yellowstone Park Circuits just a year ago. Janice had produced a great DVD with their photos using Microsoft Movie Maker, something I want to try. We went over maps and brochures and debated their route into Yellowstone through Wyoming and my plan to come down from Montana.

Day 7 Miles 378 After a wonderful breakfast of homemade waffles eaten with the rhubarb/strawberry sauce, we had a picture taking time with all three cameras inside and outside. Janice transferred some to my floppy so I could load them on my computer. I sent a couple off to our friend from freshman year, Cathy. Soon I was loading everything into the van and on the road. It wasn’t long until intermittent rain became the theme of the day until I reached southwest Minnesota. The roads were good and traffic light. I took 218 to 18 to I-35 to I-90 which will be my principle route until I get to Missoula, MT.
The South Dakota welcome center was not open but I was able to find the Corn Palace in Mitchell. It wasn’t difficult as there were constant signs for it all along the way. It is an interesting structure and used by the community as a venue for both sports and culture. Every summer they start taking the coverings of grass and various grains off and then attach “about 3000 bushels of milo, rye, oat heads, and sour dock tied in bundles” to the building. When the corn is available they render a local artist drawing using “over ½ million ears of corn.” It is quite something.
I found the Lake Mitchell campground recommended in my Fodor’s RV Book, and was able to secure a spot right on the lake. Though there are traffic noises, it is a delightful park and maybe the birds will muffle the trucks. So ends my first week. It has really gone quickly.

Day 8 Awoke to rain but fortunately before I reached the Badlands National Park the sky was almost cloudless. The drive there seemed particularly long. I had given Greta Garmin the day off and I misjudged the distance. The good news is that I gained an hour of time and now I am on Mountain Daylight Time. The Badlands rock formations really are a spectacular and more colorful than I would have imagined. Of course I wanted to pull off at every viewing site and walked a few of the short trails. The rattlesnake warning signs deterred much wandering. Discussions of the fossils found in the area very much tie into the book I’m reading. I took lots of photos and will have to do some culling.
The next stop was Wall Drug. Signs for it began miles before. I confess by the time I arrived I was so tired I didn’t even look around. I bought a couple of post cards and treated myself to a root beer float and passed on the nickel coffee and famous donuts. Others in the soda fountain were exchanging travel plans but I kept quiet until it was just me and another man who of course wanted to know where I was from (“you from around here?”) I don’t know why I was hesitant as he appeared very harmless but I gave some sketchy info. I then telephoned the campground I’d chosen, Big Pine in Custer close to Mt. Rushmore and just west of Custer St. Park. It’s the oldest town in the Black Hills. They’d just opened but don’t have water yet. I decided to go for it anyway and there was a discounted price ($18 a night). What I really was hoping for was their laundry facility but there is one in town.
Today I’ve felt more ahead of the “season”. Maybe it was the snow I saw along I-90. I guess they had some last Friday in addition to the 12 inches a couple of weeks ago. Now I hear that snow showers are predicted with 30 degree temps on Saturday. At Wall Drug I learned parts of Yellowstone are supposed to open tomorrow. I was planning to be there by Sunday. I’m looking at some alternatives and will try to get some weather info when I can get online. So far the temperatures haven’t been too bad for this thin blooded woman but that may be changing.

Alaska Bound Day 5

Photos: Joseph and brother Hiram Smith statue; Loon? Family

Day 5 Total miles 255 This was a touring day. After pumping out my holding tanks (always a fun job!), I headed for the marina and used their Wifi to upload the Blog, days 1-4 with great success. Then I headed for Hannibal following my own route much to Greta Garmin’s consternation (there is a better way! She kept repeating.) My route was about an hour more in time but it followed the mighty Mississippi along the Great River Road with limestone cliffs along the way. Evidence of flooding was to be seen and I suspect parts of the road had been underwater not long ago. Fortunately no problem for me but at times the water was not far from the road. Part of my ride crossed the Illinois River on a drawbridge we went through in 1997 on HOME JAMES return to Florida that year. I stopped and took a photo and noted how swift the current was.
Lunch was in Hannibal at Lula Belle’s next to the dike. Two of their 3 flood gates downtown were still closed and it appeared some city “honchos” were evaluating the damage at a new riverside park. By the way Lula Belle’s is also a B & B but originally was a bordello begun by a madam from Chicago in 1917 and continued in operation until the 50’s. I walked around the town. The trolley tour needed at least four people so I didn’t qualify but the walk did me good after the large lunch. Becky Thatcher’s house is under renovation as were some of the other buildings.
I then drove further up the river to Nauvoo Illinois. This was where Joseph Smith the original leader of the Mormons (He authored the Book of Mormon) established their base in the 1840’s and the town was comparable in population to Chicago’s at the time. Smith though was controversial and eventually murdered along with his brother. Much of the area is under restoration. I remember hearing of a lot of archeology work in the 70’s-80’s period and this is assisting them in their work. It appeared there’s a section being done by the followers of Smith who are a separate group from those whose base is in Salt Lake founded by Brigham Young who was active here as well. Then another restoration area is more secular but unfortunately I didn’t find that area until past closing time.
I am camped at the nearby Nauvoo State Park and my site is in a pine forest on a bluff so no flooding problems. However there are only a couple of others camped here. Tomorrow it’s a short trip to Cedar Falls Iowa where I will be visiting my roommate of 3 years at the University of Iowa . The last time I saw her was at Les’s and my wedding in 1992.

Alaska Bound Days 1-4

(L) Yurt & Big Mama at High Falls

Day 1: Total miles 529 Hello from High Falls Georgia about 50 miles south of Atlanta. I drove 529 miles today in a little over 8 hours. Except for some back pain in the late afternoon, it felt quite comfortable. The High Falls Georgia State Park is only a short distance from I 75 but a world apart from all that traffic. My campsite in the tranquil area overlooks the lake. I walked the rocky path next to the water cascading over rocks and experimented with my new camera. Despite the “stay off the rocks” sign there were people out in the water and sunbathing on the rocks in the warm weather.
It was pretty hectic getting the van packed and the house prepared for my 3 month absence. I had been collecting items for the last month and amazingly most of them made it into the van which probably means I have too much stuff. Time will tell. At one of the Roadtrek rallies, tips on packing the van were given which came in handy. Now of course the question is: can I find things? The refrigerator and pantry are particularly full. I won’t need to go to the store for some time.
So my 2009 journey has begun. There were lots of motor homes on the road today and I wondered “are any of them heading for Alaska???? “ It’s good to have you along for the trip!
Day 2 Miles on Friday 578 Writing on Saturday, May 2, 2009 from Dam West Campground on Carlyle Lake about 50 miles east of St. Louis. Yesterday was a 10 hour day with lots of rain but I made it the whole way for a total of 1107 miles from Stuart. This campground is great and my site is very large, made for a 40 footer at least. Good electricity but no water connection. There has been considerable rain in the area and many farm fields are flooded. Some of the campsites have pools of water but mine does not. I expect the mosquito population will be high soon. The birds are vocalizing and the trees are in early stages of leafing with that delicate green color.
I managed to drive through Atlanta without a problem but the rain started just north of there. Nashville was the scariest with a terrific downpour and the pavement starting to collect water. The signs are confusing enough with several interstates coming and going. I was amazed I made it through unscathed. Fortunately Big Mama with her size and lights is very visible. The problem was I couldn’t see so I just concentrated on the white dashed or solids lines and listened for Greta, the GPS . Debating whether to stop in the Kentucky Lake area mid afternoon, I decided to keep going when I learned from the radio tornado warnings had been issued for the area. All went well until a 10+mile backup on I57 heading north in Illinois. It was all due to a traffic merge into one lane for a 5 mile construction area. The delay added about 45 minutes to my long day but fortunately I had no difficulty finding the campground and arrived in daylight at 6:40 CDT. The first thing I did after plugging in the electric was to go for a long walk.
Day 3 This turned out to be an active day away from the van. Cousin Julien and wife Kate arrived late morning and were introduced to Big Mama. We had lots of catching up to do for the two year interval since we’d last visited. They took me into the town of Carlyle and treated me to a great lunch at Lubar, a second choice since their usual favorite spot left over the winter.
This is the start of their sailing season on Carlyle Lake, the largest lake within the boundaries of the state of Illinois. We spent the afternoon putting on the sails of their 25 ft Catalina. Kate worked below as I assisted Julien on deck. I enjoyed every minute of the work! No time for a shakedown sail as we had a date with my friends the Huhns at their nearby sailing association Derby Day Party. Kate provided me with a hat and we placed our bets on a “blind” chart. Our horses were revealed prior to the race. Goodies and fantastic mint juleps in authentic cups added to the celebration. Kate’s horse won the race and she won some money! No luck for me except in picking friends and family, the best kind of luck. Everyone had sailing in common and I felt part of the group, having done my part on the MARY ROSE that afternoon.
Kate and Julien headed back to St. Louis and the Huhns and I caught up over dinner in the town of St. Rose. Dave and I reviewed the Illinois map in preparation for my trip Monday to Hannibal, MO. I was back at the campground around 9 p.m. from a wonderful day.
Day 4 Rain again overnight, mostly cloudy day. I did some reading on South Dakota as well as my historical fiction Pictures from an Expedition about Montana at the time of the battle of Little Big Horn. I also rearranged some of the compartments. A long walk all the way to the dam caused me to plan to return with my bicycle. It’s a great bike path but long walk. I could see a sailboat race beginning on the lake. Some of those from last night’s party might be aboard. I’ve also been preparing for a 3 way phone call with my Alaska traveling companions. We are going over reservations, tours, etc. Emails have been going back and forth but it helps to all get on the line to go over details. We did it a couple of weeks ago and I hope we’ll do continue until they leave California around the 16th.
Here’s a recipe for all my living alone friends and the rest of you too perhaps: Thanks to Roadtrek friend Susan, I was introduced to the 1 qt. “slow cooker” or as I refer to it Crock Pot. She cooks in hers as she drives. I haven’t worked up to that but today tried doing it while staying put. I found the pot for about $10 at Walmart (as many of you know I don’t usually shop there). I had a frozen chicken breast from home and didn’t think I should push my luck keeping it frozen. Of course I forgot to thaw it but another recipe using frozen chicken inspired me. So I sliced ½ Vidalia onion and put on the bottom of pot; threw in about ¼ cup quick cooking, uncooked barley (are you following this?). I laid the frozen skinless ½ breast on top and poured a can of Delmonte Fresh cut zucchini that contains tomatoes. Just because it was handy, I added about a ¼ cup V8. Lid on, set on High and let it go for 6 hours. Notes: My chicken contained bones and I had to be careful not to eat them. Boneless would work better. I suspect it would cook on Low for 8 hours and I could have managed a shorter time on high. This may depend on thickness of chicken. Anyway it was delicious and will make 2 meals for me. It also added a good smell and some heat on a chilly rainy afternoon. Bon Appetite!

Catching up

I can’t believe it’s almost a month since I wrote. I feel as though I’ve been in “overdrive” during that time but not sure what I’ve accomplished. I’m posting some photos to show some of the activities I’ve also posted some on my Facebook page.
Mike and Karen’s wedding was small and beautiful. It was a lovely family time. They had a fantastic trip to Paris doing the city sites and Euro Disney. Despite snow I had a good quick visit with family in Rock City and Rockford and saw Jim’s beautiful creation of a Harp Guitar. Click on the photos and you can get a larger view.
Once back in Stuart I was on the road to camp with sister Karen, husband Brad and Mena, the dog, who were traveling from Arizona to New Hampshire. Unfortunately I had come down with a terrible cold causing me to not have my usual vim and vigor but we still had a good visit and Brad was very helpful with some of my concerns with my van. Then it was onto the Will McLean Folk Festival where I met 2 Roadtrek friends. We had a great time with lots of wonderful music. Heading back home, I had some assignments for the local genealogy group.
Easter Sunday I received a call from our Alaska tour leaders. Her husband was in intensive care with serious bleeding in the brain due to head injuries. He is improving but they will not be able to go to Alaska. Also departing from Florida, I was hoping we’d meet along the way. Later that day I spoke with both the other participants and said that I still wanted to go. They agreed. They are both in California but did not know each other. We are all getting acquainted with emails and telephone conversations. They are also women traveling alone and around the same age. So I will depart Stuart on April 30. Watch this space for the story!

Back on the bicycle

This week has been really busy but the good news is the doctor removed all restrictions which means I'm back riding my bike. I can tell I'll have to build up my miles again. I feel it in my legs.

The photo was taken Sunday night as I walked home from our dock where we watched the shuttle launch, It was quite spectacular and I wish I'd taken a photo then but was busy watching the separation through my binoculars. Do click on the photo to get a better picture.

I am starting to do a count down for my April 30 departure for the road trip to Alaska. I expect to be gone a little over 3 months so there's lots to do. This week I'll head to Chicago for Michaels wedding on Friday and seeing some of the Rockford area family on Saturday. The following week I'm off for some Florida camping and a rendezvous with sister Karen in the Ocala area. It seems as if I'm doing everything in double time which is a real adjustment from the life of leisure I had in February. I am pleased though to have the recovery go so smoothly and am so thankful for all the assistance, thoughts and prayers that aided in my healing.

Emily's visit

Emily made my seafood pizza on Saturday night complete with a homemade crust. It was delicious. She cooked three nights and we enjoyed leftovers on the last night. I gained weight! It was a great visit that included a long beach walk and a tour of the Frances Langford Beachhouse that was a designer showcase to raise funds for the Children's Home and Aid Society. Spectacular ocean views and guest suites that had once been occupied by the likes of Jackie Gleason and Bob Hope.

She also helped me with some chores including putting the new windshield cover on the van, changing light bulbs, and storing my health aid equipment back in the attic. The 500 piece jigsaw finally was finished as a result of her seeing my problem in a new light (missplaced pieces).

On my list was checking out the I Phone. I had been considering one or an IPod which I learned is actually a feature on the I Phone. I decided to go ahead after Emily plied the ATT salesman with questions and I tried it out. As a result Emily says I've now "out teched" her. However I still have a ways to go on the learning curve. She was able to set up some applications including one that will use the GPS function to track my bicycle riding. My email is coming through on the Ipod as well and will be great for traveling. I can't believe all it does and I've probably barely scratched the surface. (Actually fingerprints on the surface are the biggest negative so I need to get some kind of cover.)

I have to say I was a bit worn out but the 4:45 a.m. departure she had may have contributed to that. I found a series of gentle exercises from Hystersister website which I'm trying to do twice a day for that "swelly belly" that just doesn't seem to go down!