Alaska Bound Days 14-16

Day 14 Miles 228 The day began very overcast but seemed clearer looking west, my direction. The temperature was 36 degrees but I decided to add water to the tank. I took a photo of myself doing it with my ear muffs under my Roadtrek hat. I also was wearing a turtleneck shirt, wool sweater, lined windbreaker, and long underwear under my jeans. Fortunately the wind was calm. I proceeded to the sanitation dump station and all went well with the pumpout until the end when somehow the donut hose attachment that secures the hose in the pipe, fell down into the pipe never to be seen again. I know from experience it is expense to replace but as the day evolved I’ve learned they are difficult to acquire. I decided I should report it to the KOA office. It could cause a sewer backup. The maintenance man assured me that since he couldn’t see it there wasn’t a problem. It is quite a thick piece of rubber but at least I had notified them. He suggested I stop by a local RV dealer for a replacement and while I was there I could pick up some of their cheap propane. After some circling around, I found the dealer. They’d never heard of such a part nor was there one in their catalogue. The man sent to file the propane tank didn’t have a clue about the way the Roadtrek tank worked and since I’d never had it done before, neither did I. I think he was delighted when I said maybe I’d better find a Roadtrek dealer. The poor man had on a stocking cap and a lightweight jacket and looked more than eager to escape from the cold.
Onto I 90 westbound there were signs that there had been snow at the higher elevations. Some of the tree branches were snow laden. I took a photo at a rest area. My route foller the fast flowing Clark Fork river which was in Missoula (miss identified at Crooked River in Day 13) and the Lewis-Clark fault which according to the information is where the Rocky Mountains rose into being.
I had several tasks planned for the Coeur D’Alane ID area and people I met Monday had advised about a Bank of America location where I wanted to get some cash. There are no branches in Alaska. The teller used to live in the Stuart area! I then placed a call to a nearby RV dealer re the problem with my refrigerator pilot light. He pleaded backed up in the service area and suggested RnR in Liberty Lake “just across the line”. “ You mean the Washington State line?” I asked. Hard to believe I had to go to another state. It was actually rather close and I found the dealership without much trouble. They though said there was no problem with the refrigerator and thought I wasn’t turning on the gas far enough. (Not true) but they filled the tank and only charged me for the propane. Interestingly, unknowingly I drove away from there with the propane powering the refrig, something safety experts do NOT recommend. I was impressed by the dealership and delighted that they also sold Roadtreks. However they did not have a “donut” for the sanitation hose either. Meantime I’d called a dealer in Vancouver as well to see about an appointment for Monday only to learn Monday is a holiday in Canada. That may play into my plans.
So tonight I am in Farragut State Park in the Idaho panhandle. Can you name the states that have “panhandles”? I came up with Texas, Oklahoma, Idaho and Florida. There are only 3 of us in the campground and word is the temp could go to 32. Now it’s raining and more is predicted for tomorrow. I realize I don’t have a good map for British Columbia. Originally I thought I wouldn’t have to navigate past this area. That reminds me that some who are reading this might have wondered about Day 13’s “now we are 2”. So I will recap of how this trip has evolved. It started when I was recruiting people to go to Newfoundland in 2008. I met a couple at a Florida Rally in March of that year who said they were not able to make that trip but were planning on Alaska in 2010. I said that was my plan and to keep me informed. By fall they wrote up the trip for the Roadtrek Newsletter. The group was limited to 12 vehicles and commitment was needed by the end of the year. I signed on and sent the money requested which would cover the first and last nights camping and dinners.
As it turned out only 3 of us signed up and all three were women traveling alone, the other two coming from California, but who were not acquainted. Plans went back and forth. The couple would be driving from Florida so we would meet up along the way or at least rendezvous and proceed from Hope ID on May 15. Then on Easter Sunday the wife called and said her husband had sustained a very serious head injury and would be unable to travel for a year. I made an immediate decision that I would still go and asked her to convey that to the other 2 and I talked to them both by the end of the afternoon.
We three then began working on reservations and plans, picking up from the schedule the leaders had prepared but missing some of their details. Then as was written on Day 13, plans changed. again We knew about the surgery but kept hoping it would be benign. One could ask oneself “was this trip not meant to be?” Some considered it but with the economic situation, diminishing funds as investments plummeted, but I told myself, this is my year for this and I may not have another opportunity. Last year it was the gas prices and the idea of going on my own that made me hesitate about Newfoundland. Thank goodness I didn’t let that stop me. It was a wonderful trip. None of us knows what is around the corner. Setting goals for myself is part of me. This trip takes me to the four states I’ve never visited plus an area where Les served in the Army. I’ve reach Idaho after about 3500 miles. What awaits me, who knows? I certainly want to give it a try!
Day 15 Miles 54 It rained all night and continued most of the day. I was in no hurry. I didn’t have far to go and my only stop enroute was to poke around the town of Sandpoint. Since check out at the park wasn’t until 1 p.m. I decided to stay through lunch and spent the morning reading Michner’s Alaska. The sun would make brief appearances but soon the rain would come again. On the road to Sandpoint I some very heavy downpours. Fortunately my time in Sandpoint while cold was dry. I think Coldwater Creek my have started here. It’s listed in the “things to do” from AAA but the clerks were to busy to inquire. The town has some upscale shops and a great book store whose rent is pricing them out of the central business area.
I am now at Island View Campground Hope Idho. This was where our “tour” was officially to begin and I think it could have been a problem as there is a lot of flooding in the area including in the campground. My site faces a beautiful view of the lake but the road is on my back side so I may sense traffic in my bedroom tonight. The good news is that my mail has been received by the Hope post office thanks to sister Margaret’s diligence. They’ll deliver it to the campground tomorrow. The laundry has one of two washers not working. There’s no internet service so I’m not sure when these last couple of days will get posted. Fortunately I can get my email on my IPhone but that will change when I go into Canada on Saturday. I’m a day ahead which hopefully will give me an extra day in Vancouver.
Day 16 After a leisurely start I hauled my laundry up the hill only to find washers already in use. There are people living in trailers for the season and one of them, Dave, was doing his laundry. He’s in Bakersfield in the winter and up here until October. They are expecting a number of seasonal and part timers arriving today for the weekend. The washing machine repairman, Stan, arrived and the owners Misha and Steve were in and out. It was the most socialization I’d had for a while. The building is an old hand laid stone structure. This is a beautiful area surrounded by snow capped peaks and overlooking Lake Pend Oreille which is Idaho’s largest and deepest lake, at 43 miles long and 1,158 ft deep. The south end is more of a sailing area and also where Farragut State Park is located. The mail came after lunch containing a couple of checks which I’ll deposit on my way in the morning. I’m going to Pendiction, BC to visit friends of Judy, my Alaska travel mate. They were kind enough to invite me to stay at their house. My new boots from Target came in handy on the squishy ground in the area. On a personal note the Family Motor Coach Magazine had a piece on my sister Karen in the recipe section talking about Solar Cooking!! Next mail comes in Fairbanks.

Alaska Bound Day 13

Day 13 My site here at the Missoula KOA is M13 Hm-m-m could that be an omen. In short now we are two. Our trio of women travelers has been reduced to a duo today when that old demon breast cancer struck its ugly head and Sherrie’s lump turned out to be malignant. The good news is that the cancer was totally removed but the bad news is the doctor wants her to start radiation right away so she must give up the trip. She had done a lot of research and reservations for us so we’ll have a bit of unwinding to do. However I think through all this our lives have been wound together and Judy and I will miss her company even though we’ve never met and hopefully one day we will get together. She’ll follow along on our blogs and write one as well.
I was able to get out to see a bit of Missoula today. The Art Museum was closed but I found a great local gallery, Dana, and some interesting downtown shops. I also drove pass the university and took a brief walk along the Crooked Fork River. Missoula appears to be very bicycle friendly but today’s strong winds and temperatures in the 40’s were not conducive. I did do some shopping though. The Albertsons ad in the Sunday Paper caught my attention with some coupon doubling and 5 lbs of apples on sale. The amount I saved more than paid for the paper. Then I remembered that they may not let me bring the apples into Canada or the pears that are still ripening. I can’t say that was a problem last year though.
For my December birthday, my family gave me a video camera to attach to my bicycle helmet (yes you read that correctly). It’s been a source of frustration in that I had difficulty mounting it and even more difficulty using the various functions. The one video I took would cause motion sickness in most viewers. So I stopped at REI which is near the campground. I explained the problem to the young salesman and he tried it and he couldn’t get it to work. Since Emily is a REI member and did the purchasing they were able to pull up the transaction, get the amount and give me a credit for the price plus the 10.25 Chicago sales tax. I am impressed with that store. They also previously exchanged my camelback backpack when the fault was mine! So I proceeded to Target and finally found a speaker set to use with my IPhone. To my amazement there was no sales tax on the purchase. It seems to work well and I can play my podcasts and music and try to drown out the noise the propane furnace makes. So some good has come from this Day 13.

Alaska Bound Days 11 and 12

Day 11 Miles 160 The drive to Bozeman went well and the temperature went up to the 50’s. The dark mountains (basalt?) topped with snow made me think of dark chocolate cake with white mountain frosting. A rest stop along I 90 said this area was the Crazy Mountains but originally named Crazy Woman Mountains for a womean who went insane while traversing the area. Therefore I adopted them as mine! I took a photo of the sign but the view from the rest stop didn’t have a good look at the mountains. That is often the case. Incredible scenery but no place to safely stop. Emily called to wish me a happy Mothers Day while I was enroute but it took several tries to complete the conversation.
I was headed to the Museum of the Rockies which had been highly recommended. It is adjacent to the campus of Montana State and many of the dinosaur fossils and copies were discovered and researched by staff and students at the school. The exhibit was very impressive as were the stories of how the finds came about. In one case a woman was walking around while her husband was fishing and she spotted some bones. She took them to the university which resulted in a quite complete fossilized called E Rex I think. Then another case a staff member had gone off on his own for his picnic lunch during a research trip. While eating he looked up at saw what looked like a T Rex foot. He couldn’t reach it so went back to the research area and took a folding chair to stand on and determined it was indeed a “foot”. The size of the bones and feet are awesome. I also learned a new term “non-avian” dinosaurs” are extinct while the avian dinosaurs are our present day birds. They have been able to obtain DNA from some of their finds and the research is continuing to refute some old theories. Wish I could have retained more. I was tempted to stay another day and go again but certainly encourage anyone finding themselves in Bozeman to take advantage of it. The facility also has a planetarium attached where I saw a presentation on the Hubble “finds”. It made me appreciate the necessity of sending the repair launch tomorrow.
Heading out to the edge of town where the KOA was located I stopped for some skin cream—my skin is really dry, and a Sunday newspaper. First newspaper in a long time! I had visited with some campground neighbors in Billings who recommended I try KOA’s. I’ve stayed at a couple others but they seem high in cost and more family oriented. This one is ok and my site is fine. I have a great view of the sunset. Their internet works well and I again studied the weather forecasts and concluded I was best to go ahead to Missoula and stay a couple of days until a storm system passes through. The forecast seems to be less severe but still indicated to be hazardous with thunderstorms, high winds, and snow/rain. Not the best for driving if I can avoid.
Day 12 Miles 219 Another cold night but this was partly my fault. I forgot to turn on the propane. The electric heat sources couldn’t keep up with the cold and the propane heater cut off of course. The sun was high in the sky by 7 a.m. and I turned on the propane to heat the interior though I think it was warmer outside. I gassed up ($2.15) and was headed west by 9 a.m. The roads were dry but as I’ve seen a number of times recently, gates similar to those used at railroad crossings are along the road so that traffic can be stopped for road problems. Signs were still up cautioning “watch for icy spots” and areas designated for putting on and taking off chains all pointed to what the roads can be like. I have had two incidences of unexpected wind gust hitting the van. I was able to correct ok but it is a reminder that I have “windage”. The colors between Bozeman and Butte were browns and grays although there were interesting rock formations. The B cities, Billings, Bozeman and Butte, all strike me as sprawled out and the areas near the interstate are lined with old vehicles and equipment which is not a very appealing introduction to a town. It’s as though they’ve always had plenty of space so they don’t need to be conscience of land usage. At 10 a.m. I crossed the Continental Divide at about 6300 feet. It brought back memories of my first of crossing it when I couldn’t stay awake because of the Dramamine to ward off car sickness. My hosts that had invited me on the trip were a bit chagrined. I was 15.
Approaching Missoula there was more color with trees farther along than the other areas although this is further north. This KOA is quite large and backs up to a street full of stores including Costco and Lowes. My site is at the farthest end near a school bus lot. I feel like a bit of an outcast. (though I have more company than usual.) However they are doing some digging in the middle area which I suspect is some type of utility problem so it’s probably best to be away from that. I’m staying 2 nights and hope to use the time to catch up with some maintenance chores, perhaps get some propane, as well as some touring of the area.
The internet connection works well and I was delighted to receive some emails which told me I have some readers! I appreciate the feedback. As I said last year on the trip to Newfoundland, it’s like having company along.
I’m hoping to put up my photos to date (146). Try it with this link and you should be able to see as slide show:
http://picasaweb.google.com/sandy41mail/AlaskaTrip?authkey=Gv1sRgCPfxvenrorWQtwE&feat=directlink
Working on the photos has reminded me of many things I wanted to share that then fleet away when I’m writing. These include the fact that the rock formations in the badlands lose about an inch a year through erosion by wind and water. If that happened to me I would be gone 67 years, 67 inches! The buffalo at Custer State Park are rounded up once a year, vaccinated, tagged and some are selected to be auctioned off thus controlling the size of the herd. Be sure to look for the photos of the baby bison. There are quite small and must be fairly newborn.

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!