I am sitting in the passenger seat of The Beast enjoying the views out the big window (remember it is called the big screen when we are parked) of blue skies and cumulus clouds (that I am sure will bear rain later this afternoon) and the landscape of southeastern SD and now western Iowa - farming country for sure - corn (lots and lots of corn,) cattle, hay - and much more I can't see.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
The Run for Home - Not our normal exercise!
First - I must apologize to my all friends and family following our journeys this year. For over a month I have been a slug, a well meaning one, but still a slug. I have not kept up my blog and now we are making a run for home. Why, you say, are you running for home? Since inquiring minds want to know, I will expound.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Sun,Water, Baby Backs, Coleslaw- Ahhhhh - 4th of July!!!
Yes, today is the 4th of July. I hope all of you had a great day - I can attest to the fact ours was wonderful. The weather has been perfect - sun with a light breeze to keep you cool, great food on the grill, time to just read a book in the shade and a view of the river and all of the crazy boat people.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Today - Summer from the John Day
It is the first day of summer, the longest day of the year, the summer solstice and today we definitely experienced summer.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
On the Oregon Trail and over to the Coast....
We left California and moderately warm weather over a week ago to arrive in Oregon to what we in Florida would consider WINTER, rain predicted 60% or more every day, nights in the upper 30s/low 40s and days hovering between 50 and 60s. We had to break out pants and long sleeves again, along with sweatshirts and jackets.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
No Campee in Yosemite...
We are on our way again, just left hidden View Campground outside Madera, CA. We never did take The Beast to Yosemite
Friday, May 13, 2011
Hidden From View.............
I know- I am very, very late in updating my posts. I will work on that tonight and update soon, but right now we are hidden from the view of most of the Verizon 3 G upload capability- so this will be short and sweet.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Wind, Wind and now even More Wind?
Wind - the most consistent part of this April trip in the Southwest (and probably some other places too). Some wind is fine, but 35-40 mph starts to get a little old when you are camping - OK, I admit it is not really camping but more like living in an RV
Monday, April 18, 2011
A Big Data Hole.......
Did you miss me? Well, Coleman, TX is in the middle of a giant data hole, the type that is labeled - Don't even think about trying to connet. So, for all purposes we have been incommunicado - at least via computer, unless I wanted to find a wi-fi hook-up in Coleman and then have to put up with Bruce's figiting while I tried to get something done- just not worth it. But right now I am back so will do a quick update while we remain on I-20 moving W from Sweetwater to Big Springs- because once we leave the interstate, who knows if I will have connectivity for the rest of this leg of the trip.
I am pretty sure I added mucho information about Coleman on our 2009 trip - as we stayed at the Lakeside Park at Hord's Creek back then too, but obviously later in the season, so won;t spend too much describing the area. This time we stayed on site #1 - right down the hill from the newest bathhouse in the park - only to find that it was locked. Apparently, to our surprise, since neither the park hosts or the web site offered any information, they don't have a contract to have any of them cleaned until May 1- so only 3 in the whole park were open and of course none within walking distance to us. They offered to move us to another site once we questioned the Park Ranger about the problem, but since it had taken more than the average time to get The Beast level and we were already set up, we declined. We were only staying 7 nights and could use our own facilities until then - but we had to relocate the cats' bathroom in the meantime. Just inconvenient, not a show stopper. The bathhouses that were open were in bad condition, in fact at one time Bruce said that the shower on his side of the one closest to us looked like had someone stood across the room and threw whole boiled potatoes on the walls where they spattered everywhere and it was never cleaned up while we were there. So using The Beast's facilities was the right decision. Note to self- when arriving before May 1, be prepared to use our own facilitates and try to find a site with sewer hook-ups where The Beast will fit.
Weather was warm during the day but very, very windy except for Satruday. Night temps were perfect and we didn't use the AC until late yesterday evening and to sleep last night- 90 is getting too hot, even with a heavy wind and the cats were complaining audibly. Eating outside was limited, especially since picnic ware doesn't stand a chance of remaining in the vicinity of the camp site with 35-4 5mph gusts and the grill even had a hard time staying lit. I must admit, instead of cooking we sampled most of the Coleman restaurants instead.
The deer were prolific int the park and would graze nearby without even worrying about the dog. There were feeders placed around the area, so it was apparent they had a good, safe home in which to live for the time and were making the most of it.
Terrie drove down to see us Friday, leaving to go home early Sunday morning. We had a beautiful day on Satruday with a morning filled with garage sales, a comfortable afternoon at the park, a wonderful dinner where we could even eat outside, culminating in a dessert trip to the Dairy Queen. The weather was so nice that evening she opted to sleep outside on her puffy mattress covered with a comforter and was very happy.
We just left the interstate and I want to get this update out before I am conectless (or down to dial-ip speeds) so will conclude now. All in all, it was a very nice stay at :Lakeside Park (even with the winds and bathroom issues) and we enjoyed Coleman. I will post all of our new pictures once we get situated in Carlsbad (I hope).
Until then - Drive safely and Retire early.
I am pretty sure I added mucho information about Coleman on our 2009 trip - as we stayed at the Lakeside Park at Hord's Creek back then too, but obviously later in the season, so won;t spend too much describing the area. This time we stayed on site #1 - right down the hill from the newest bathhouse in the park - only to find that it was locked. Apparently, to our surprise, since neither the park hosts or the web site offered any information, they don't have a contract to have any of them cleaned until May 1- so only 3 in the whole park were open and of course none within walking distance to us. They offered to move us to another site once we questioned the Park Ranger about the problem, but since it had taken more than the average time to get The Beast level and we were already set up, we declined. We were only staying 7 nights and could use our own facilities until then - but we had to relocate the cats' bathroom in the meantime. Just inconvenient, not a show stopper. The bathhouses that were open were in bad condition, in fact at one time Bruce said that the shower on his side of the one closest to us looked like had someone stood across the room and threw whole boiled potatoes on the walls where they spattered everywhere and it was never cleaned up while we were there. So using The Beast's facilities was the right decision. Note to self- when arriving before May 1, be prepared to use our own facilitates and try to find a site with sewer hook-ups where The Beast will fit.
Weather was warm during the day but very, very windy except for Satruday. Night temps were perfect and we didn't use the AC until late yesterday evening and to sleep last night- 90 is getting too hot, even with a heavy wind and the cats were complaining audibly. Eating outside was limited, especially since picnic ware doesn't stand a chance of remaining in the vicinity of the camp site with 35-4 5mph gusts and the grill even had a hard time staying lit. I must admit, instead of cooking we sampled most of the Coleman restaurants instead.
The deer were prolific int the park and would graze nearby without even worrying about the dog. There were feeders placed around the area, so it was apparent they had a good, safe home in which to live for the time and were making the most of it.
Terrie drove down to see us Friday, leaving to go home early Sunday morning. We had a beautiful day on Satruday with a morning filled with garage sales, a comfortable afternoon at the park, a wonderful dinner where we could even eat outside, culminating in a dessert trip to the Dairy Queen. The weather was so nice that evening she opted to sleep outside on her puffy mattress covered with a comforter and was very happy.
We just left the interstate and I want to get this update out before I am conectless (or down to dial-ip speeds) so will conclude now. All in all, it was a very nice stay at :Lakeside Park (even with the winds and bathroom issues) and we enjoyed Coleman. I will post all of our new pictures once we get situated in Carlsbad (I hope).
Until then - Drive safely and Retire early.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Texas - here for a couple of weeks
We are currently staying outside Jefferson, TX again at a COE Lake -Lake O' The Pines and at a COE campground, Buckhorn Creek, to be exact. Wednesday, after another GPS malfunction (Bruce said we need to have that thing updated or rebooted but I think it will work awhile longer)
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
We are Officially On Our Way
My first real entry for this trip- and I did most of it sitting in The Beast experiencing what MS calls a line of weather bringing" afternoon thunderstorms, some severe" along with high winds and a tornado watch. The dog was hysterical and The Beast moved about a bit with the winds - just the kind of evening I looked forward to in a motorhome.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
At Last - The Beginning of Another Trip (You know you can hardly wait!)
We are only one week away from the start of another journey westward. This one will take 6-7 months and cover all of the western states and yes, the itinerary is pretty much drying in concrete as I type - at least for the first 2/3rds of the trip. For you footloose and fancy free travelers, I offer this in our defense. When you choose to camp in the Federal and National Parks with a larger motorhome (oh yeah and want water and electricity if possible, at a minimum) and most of those parks were in existence BEFORE motorhomes so are geared around pop-ups, small Class Cs, truck campers and tents, you want to be assured of a spot that will fit your rig when you finally arrive at some of these off the beaten path campgrounds we like to use. For us that means reservations. Electricity matters to us most of the time because, remember folks, 3 months of this trip will be in summer in the high desert - and the cats are wimps and need that AC (OK, so they make perfect scape goats and we can act like we would not need it it if it wasn't for them and could just show up or dry camp.) Also, with more and more of the state and federal parks taking (and often requiring as in the Grand Canyon during the summer) reservations, you might as well get them early when you have the pick of the sites. So I have been working on this trip for quite awhile, as federal campgrounds will only take reservations 6 months in advance. September reservations could only be made this month- so the summer months were made in late December and on and most people can't think that far in advance to make any plans nowadays, giving old more structured people like me the pick of the parks and the sites within those parks. Recreation.gov (Federal campgrounds and tours/things to do in them) and reserveamerica.com (Used by states and some private campgrounds) internet reservation sites are great and many of the campground sites include pictures. Pair those tools with Google earth where you can almost see the actual site from above and the surrounding areas with respect to traffic (guess that only matters if you are staying for more than a night or two), trees/rocks in the way of slide-outs, winding roads, and more, and reservation making is not bad. In fact, it has become an art and I, for one, think I am well on my way to being labeled a Master (Guess the site reviews as we move through this massive itinerary will be the real test of whether I am just good or actually GREAT!).
Bruce and I spent time looking at most of the available sites in most of the campgrounds to make these reservations. OK - in reality I created the itinerary around the places we wanted to be at certain times, found the parks, located what i thought were the best sites and showed him them for his opinion AND to make this happen would open several windows so he could see the site map and the satellite overhead pictures at the same time so could make other suggestions besides my choices. He would never spend that much time on a computer even if he was willing to learn and even then, after me doing this and then getting his recommendations, he says I come back and second guess those decisions in many of the parks. Maybe I have too much time and too much information - no that would never be the case! Anyway, we made decisions based on where the sun in July and August would be with respect to different sites, whether we would face north, south, etc., were there trees for shade, waterfront for view when possible and wide sites with no impediments, etc. Why is this impediment issue important - well when we first camped at Cheyenne Mountain we ended up in a site with large rocks in the place where the slide-out and bins needed to be. Those rocks were everywhere and we could hardly find a place to park in the site and access the amenities - duh, what was I thinking, Cheyenne MOUNTAIN. This time I spent time finding a site at the same campground that had a wonderful day and night time view over Colorado Springs, plenty of space to sit outside and enjoy adult beverages while Bruce grilled in the evenings and room to maneuver around the rocks.with a long drive to clear any impediments. I found one meeting my requirements and booked it yesterday (they have nice site pictures this time) and even then it was hard since many of the prime sites were already reserved for mid-September. I am not the only one with this reservation fanaticism. .
Finally I get to the Itinerary (no I am not done yet!). Our first stop after leaving Jacksonville will be Crestview, FL for a visit with friends and family. Then we head up to just out of Meridian, MS and then on over to Texas. We will be staying a few weeks in Texas and then heading to New Mexico again, (Carlsbad where I deleted all my pictures that year) and also Alamogordo (White Sands National Monument) where we really want to participate in the Lake Lucero Ranger led excursion on the 23rd of the month. After that, we will be exploring (sound like we are up for lots of exercise - right? No, just the walking tour for us- no crawling around in the dark for me!) a new cavern in Arizona at Kartchner Caverns State Park and finally will spend a few days with Bruce's sister, Charlene in Cave Creek right outside of Phoenix. Leaving AZ will take us over the new Hoover Dam bridge through Las Vegas to a Forest Service campground about 20 miles NW of the city. It was the only one in Nevada I could find with electricity by the way and it only has 15 amp service - so hope those cats don't really need those air conditioners at that altitude. Of course we will go in to Vegas to visit, maybe see a show and hit one or two of the nice restaurants, but gamblers we are not, and even in May, Las Vegas will be hotter than we like. Once we leave NV we are in new territory for the The Beast - California. (You remember The Beast - our 36' Fleetwood Discovery Diesel (ouch, diesel fuel is already $4/gal here and higher in some areas - well it is only money.) Class A motorhome, carrying us, the dog and 2 cats faithfully around the US.)
So - California, the state of many drivers, many people, many earthquakes (please not while we are there), none of which make us happy - so why that state? This trip we wanted to see Yosemite and lucked out getting a few nights in the park, so will stay at some of the other federal areas in California before and after that short stay. All in all, we are only planning about 2 weeks there and much of it will be off the beaten path. Once we leave CA we are off to one of our favorite states - Oregon. We should be in Oregon about 6 weeks and then will stop in Washington State at a few sites, move on to Idaho and then Montana. In Montana we will stay outside Glacier for several weeks, just chilling. After that - we are pretty loose for a few weeks until we head back South towards Zion National Park, a stay at Grand Canyon North Rim (in site 11 actually on the rim- but no electricity), and some extended time in Grand Junction, CO to visit Janet and family. Leaving there we will traverse I-70 towards Denver (what a beautiful drive) and head south to Colorado Springs and Cheyenne Mountain. then we are headed towards home, stopping for some time at my sister Terrie's home in Edmond, OK. We should arrive at her place in late September. How and when we come home after that is still to be decided. So as you can see, just getting to Terrie's will take the better part of 6 months.
OK - enough on where and how we got to this point - tomorrow or later this week I will let you in on what it is taking us to actually get out of Jacksonville in The Beast next Monday!! Until then - Drive Safely and Retire Early!
Bruce and I spent time looking at most of the available sites in most of the campgrounds to make these reservations. OK - in reality I created the itinerary around the places we wanted to be at certain times, found the parks, located what i thought were the best sites and showed him them for his opinion AND to make this happen would open several windows so he could see the site map and the satellite overhead pictures at the same time so could make other suggestions besides my choices. He would never spend that much time on a computer even if he was willing to learn and even then, after me doing this and then getting his recommendations, he says I come back and second guess those decisions in many of the parks. Maybe I have too much time and too much information - no that would never be the case! Anyway, we made decisions based on where the sun in July and August would be with respect to different sites, whether we would face north, south, etc., were there trees for shade, waterfront for view when possible and wide sites with no impediments, etc. Why is this impediment issue important - well when we first camped at Cheyenne Mountain we ended up in a site with large rocks in the place where the slide-out and bins needed to be. Those rocks were everywhere and we could hardly find a place to park in the site and access the amenities - duh, what was I thinking, Cheyenne MOUNTAIN. This time I spent time finding a site at the same campground that had a wonderful day and night time view over Colorado Springs, plenty of space to sit outside and enjoy adult beverages while Bruce grilled in the evenings and room to maneuver around the rocks.with a long drive to clear any impediments. I found one meeting my requirements and booked it yesterday (they have nice site pictures this time) and even then it was hard since many of the prime sites were already reserved for mid-September. I am not the only one with this reservation fanaticism. .
Finally I get to the Itinerary (no I am not done yet!). Our first stop after leaving Jacksonville will be Crestview, FL for a visit with friends and family. Then we head up to just out of Meridian, MS and then on over to Texas. We will be staying a few weeks in Texas and then heading to New Mexico again, (Carlsbad where I deleted all my pictures that year) and also Alamogordo (White Sands National Monument) where we really want to participate in the Lake Lucero Ranger led excursion on the 23rd of the month. After that, we will be exploring (sound like we are up for lots of exercise - right? No, just the walking tour for us- no crawling around in the dark for me!) a new cavern in Arizona at Kartchner Caverns State Park and finally will spend a few days with Bruce's sister, Charlene in Cave Creek right outside of Phoenix. Leaving AZ will take us over the new Hoover Dam bridge through Las Vegas to a Forest Service campground about 20 miles NW of the city. It was the only one in Nevada I could find with electricity by the way and it only has 15 amp service - so hope those cats don't really need those air conditioners at that altitude. Of course we will go in to Vegas to visit, maybe see a show and hit one or two of the nice restaurants, but gamblers we are not, and even in May, Las Vegas will be hotter than we like. Once we leave NV we are in new territory for the The Beast - California. (You remember The Beast - our 36' Fleetwood Discovery Diesel (ouch, diesel fuel is already $4/gal here and higher in some areas - well it is only money.) Class A motorhome, carrying us, the dog and 2 cats faithfully around the US.)
So - California, the state of many drivers, many people, many earthquakes (please not while we are there), none of which make us happy - so why that state? This trip we wanted to see Yosemite and lucked out getting a few nights in the park, so will stay at some of the other federal areas in California before and after that short stay. All in all, we are only planning about 2 weeks there and much of it will be off the beaten path. Once we leave CA we are off to one of our favorite states - Oregon. We should be in Oregon about 6 weeks and then will stop in Washington State at a few sites, move on to Idaho and then Montana. In Montana we will stay outside Glacier for several weeks, just chilling. After that - we are pretty loose for a few weeks until we head back South towards Zion National Park, a stay at Grand Canyon North Rim (in site 11 actually on the rim- but no electricity), and some extended time in Grand Junction, CO to visit Janet and family. Leaving there we will traverse I-70 towards Denver (what a beautiful drive) and head south to Colorado Springs and Cheyenne Mountain. then we are headed towards home, stopping for some time at my sister Terrie's home in Edmond, OK. We should arrive at her place in late September. How and when we come home after that is still to be decided. So as you can see, just getting to Terrie's will take the better part of 6 months.
OK - enough on where and how we got to this point - tomorrow or later this week I will let you in on what it is taking us to actually get out of Jacksonville in The Beast next Monday!! Until then - Drive Safely and Retire Early!
Monday, November 1, 2010
New Trip to Houston but Not in RV
It has been awhile since I have posted anything and since I am traveling, albeit not in the
RV, I thought this would be a good time to get back into the groove. So where am I - I am currently sitting in my hotel in Houston. I am here for the Fall International Quilt Festival. Yeah- I know, you are thinking- her she goes again on quilts. Well, this is a big festival. It began last week on the 30th with the International Quilt Market- open only to the wholesale trade (shop owners, retailers, etc.). Then the second week (the one I am attending) began today (Monday) with classes and culminates at the end of week with the Quilt Show (Th- Sun) and for many attendees, a shopping frenzy. While the classes occur at the beginning of the week, the vendors from last weeks Market and many of the shop owners who attended Market set up their booths to sell everything that touches the quilt industry and then some. Bruce told me once at looked like the largest flea market he had ever seen around Quilters - although I think I busted his bubble when I told him that there would be nothing close to a flea market price on anything. Anyway, the Festival is officially over on Sunday, although this year they are also offering, for the first time, a Mexican Star Overnight Tour - Quilt Shopping, TexMex Food & the Alamo the Monday & Tuesday after the end of the show. Maybe next time I will consider something like that - I love Quilt Tours. As you might have guessed by no, I will not be here for the whole thing, so this blog will only cover the part of the Festival I am attending, and my trip back home.
As all of my friends had other commitments this year, I came to Houston alone (yes I drove by myself- my views on flying have NOT changed), but I took 2 days to make the trip, staying above New Orleans last night and continuing on today. This trip is an indulgence for me, letting me get away, letting Bruce have some time by himself before we head out after Thanksgiving, so it will not be a trip filled with activity the whole time. A slow drive over and back and a few fun filled days are all I am anticipating. So then, if not a whirlwind of activity - just what do I have planned - I know you are just dying to know!!
I arrived after lunch today, checked in, went back out and picked up some take out Mexican food from the food court across the street and a decadent Starbucks Mocha Frappaccino, took it all back to my room and relaxed the rest of the day (after driving through the terrible rain most of the morning, my head felt like it would explode so a nap was definitely on the menu after some food and caffeine). Tomorrow the day starts officially at 9:00AM (although I will have to get some breakfast of course and all my sign-in goodies first so will need to arrive earlier than 9). I will be attending an all day class (OK - all day here means 9-12 and 2-5, with 2 hours for lunch, etc. so I guess I could get my sign-in goodies then instead of having to get up too early tomorrow morning) - Intuitive Color Theory given by Jean Wells Keenan and then on to the International Quilt Association (IAQ) Winner's Circle celebration at 6PM - a new activity for me. This program will allow me to see the tope winners and their quilts as they are revealed for the first time in a more relaxed environment (think NOT with 10,000 others). Wednesday morning my sister Terrie will fly down from Oklahoma City to join me for some sister bonding time. I am still trying to decide if I should be wonderful and pick her up at the airport or just have her catch the Super Shuttle to the hotel - she arrives at 8:40AM. What a decision - sleep longer and not get in rush hour traffic or meet her in person - it will probably end up being meet her in person (at the hotel room door.) We intend to see a few lectures, eat out at one of the nicer places downtown and then hit the Preview Wednesday evening from 5-10. That is when I intend to get in my shopping and see any special exhibits of interest, if we have time. I know, you can't think of even one thing I might actually need - right? Relax- I do not intend to buy more fabric so stop hyperventilating. I know I can already start my own store with what I have. And - I certainly do not need any new gadgets either, although I am a real sucker in this area so I only hope there is nothing really "amazing" I just have to add to my collection. I know you will all be surprised, but I actually have an agenda for this shopping spree. I want a a Sew-Ezi table for the motorhome. My big dilemma will be finding the Sew-Ezi vendor in the hundreds there (oh yeah, I can always use the vendor listing in the materials I get tomorrow- but that would be too easy) AND deciding for which sewing machine to have the custom top insert made. Yes, I know- it is a real problem and one I will wrestle with all tomorrow - but rest assured, I will manage to come to a decision before I order (or just get 2 different table tops). Other than the table, any thing else I buy will really just be gratis shopping. All right all you realists - yes, I know I could have ordered the table online but I would have to pay $40-50 in shipping and I can get that for free by ordering at the show and I get to have a nice little vacation doing it. (no one is to say one word about the cost of the vacation vs the shipping- OK). Thursday Terrie and I will begin our drive home, stopping in Ft. Walton Beach for an overnight stay on the beach and a wonderful dinner at the High Tide(they have a wonderful fish sandwich, especially when they are serving Trigger) and then stop to see my Dad in Crestview on Friday morning as we begin the last leg home. Hopefully we will not be too late arriving at our house Friday night. So yes, this is a whirl wind trip for me - only 6 days, but Bruce can only go so long without me any more.
Enough of my plans, time to get some sleep so I can be rested and ready tomorrow. Sweet dreams from Texas.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Happy Mother's Day Greetings
Today is another beautiful day. We were blessed with cool temperatures this morning and abundant sunshine. Bruce built an early fire so we smoked up the neighborhood all day. It was too cold to cook outside- at least for us fair weather campers. All those electric appliances we hold so dear cool off rather quickly when the temperature hovers in the mid-50s. So - I cooked (Bruce's excuse was that he only cooked outside- not in the camper.) He offered to take me out (of course after I was up and had coffee in front of the fire), but when you are already in sweats and need a shower- who wants to change for something that minor so I made one of my favorite breakfasts - fried eggs, hot country sausage links, hash browns and biscuits - yum- kept me full until 3 this afternoon. Jeremy called with his greetings and we talked about a trip he wants to take next year with a friend to the King of the Hammer race and to maybe even try their hand at boondocking with an RV. Bruce is already looking at our schedule- but February may be too early for us to be able to get out to California- we would not want to come back until fall and that might be hard to make happen. We do want to do a very long trip next year, so who knows if it will begin then or not. We still have some time to make plans.
We saw most of the campers leave this morning or by early afternoon - with children, school, jobs and regular life to return to on Monday. I remember that time fondly - NOT! Boy am I glad we both jumped as soon as we could- who knows how long we will be able to enjoy getting out and around or will be able to even afford it. Anyway, only a few of us were left to cruise the campground with maps in hand marking our favorite spots for next time. In fact, we just completed that review and will definitely be back here next year (or maybe even this fall). We had done the same cruise for the first 2 COE campgrounds we saw last week and we completed the other 3 (Springfield, Watsadler and Paynes Creek) on Friday. All in all - this is the best one for our needs with Springfield second. They will be keeping one loop open here at Twin Lakes beginning this winter and we have talked about maybe giving it a try (most probably before January). That is only if this coming winter is less fierce than the one we just saw and does not show up too early. We can't really find much to do outside when the weather is in the teens and below and snow would probably just send us (and Hazel) into a tailspin.
We did have a wonderful Mother's Day today here at the campground, culminating in dinner of course - pork tenderloin on the grill, twice baked potatoes and broccoli with cheese sauce. There was apple crisp with ice cream and whipped cream (Bruce went wild when I sent him to the store) for dessert. I know, you are all thinking how lucky I am that my husband would cook such a delicious meal for me but that of course was not the case. We had both already agreed we would rather eat my cooking this time- although he did clean up everything while I got to use the campground shower (with almost no campers in the park) for a leisurely hair washing. Smoke from the fire does stick with you and then your clothes smell, your camper smells, your hair smells- you get the picture. Anyway, we are now both relaxing in the camper, watching the sun set, he reading a book and I, of course, electronically chatting with all of you!
Tomorrow will be a trip to the Quilt Shop of Anderson for some material shopping for me as I am going to visit my friend Julie Friday and we plan to participate in mystery quilt evening at her local quilt shop. I need to be ready to sew, sew, sew (you know, get something done besides visiting, eating, visiting, shopping, etc.) so will try to get my material bought AND cut for the quilt before arriving at her house. I can't wait - it has been way too long since I have spent any time with her. I will be leaving Bruce alone with both cats and Hazel for at least overnight during that time - no telling what could happen to him with no other wheels. Think good thoughts for him :-)
Tomorrow we will also be getting ready for our move Tuesday to Bald Ridge Creek on Lake Lanier (just outside Cumming, GA). Since it is only about 81 miles, we don't need to leave too very early - which means coffee outside while the sun comes up and reflection time before we start on Tuesday. For the readers who followed us in 2009 you might remember that Bruce tells everyone we meet that my idea of travel is 4 hours on Wednesdays so we never get very far. He always kids - but when we look at how we like to actually drive/stay and what we have been doing- it is not too far off, although this trip the 4 hours travel seems to be occurring on Tuesdays instead.
No pics this time - just prose, so will sign off before I get too very lengthy. Until we get to Bald Ridge, unless of course there is just too much news about the quilt shop tomorrow ---------
We saw most of the campers leave this morning or by early afternoon - with children, school, jobs and regular life to return to on Monday. I remember that time fondly - NOT! Boy am I glad we both jumped as soon as we could- who knows how long we will be able to enjoy getting out and around or will be able to even afford it. Anyway, only a few of us were left to cruise the campground with maps in hand marking our favorite spots for next time. In fact, we just completed that review and will definitely be back here next year (or maybe even this fall). We had done the same cruise for the first 2 COE campgrounds we saw last week and we completed the other 3 (Springfield, Watsadler and Paynes Creek) on Friday. All in all - this is the best one for our needs with Springfield second. They will be keeping one loop open here at Twin Lakes beginning this winter and we have talked about maybe giving it a try (most probably before January). That is only if this coming winter is less fierce than the one we just saw and does not show up too early. We can't really find much to do outside when the weather is in the teens and below and snow would probably just send us (and Hazel) into a tailspin.
We did have a wonderful Mother's Day today here at the campground, culminating in dinner of course - pork tenderloin on the grill, twice baked potatoes and broccoli with cheese sauce. There was apple crisp with ice cream and whipped cream (Bruce went wild when I sent him to the store) for dessert. I know, you are all thinking how lucky I am that my husband would cook such a delicious meal for me but that of course was not the case. We had both already agreed we would rather eat my cooking this time- although he did clean up everything while I got to use the campground shower (with almost no campers in the park) for a leisurely hair washing. Smoke from the fire does stick with you and then your clothes smell, your camper smells, your hair smells- you get the picture. Anyway, we are now both relaxing in the camper, watching the sun set, he reading a book and I, of course, electronically chatting with all of you!
Tomorrow will be a trip to the Quilt Shop of Anderson for some material shopping for me as I am going to visit my friend Julie Friday and we plan to participate in mystery quilt evening at her local quilt shop. I need to be ready to sew, sew, sew (you know, get something done besides visiting, eating, visiting, shopping, etc.) so will try to get my material bought AND cut for the quilt before arriving at her house. I can't wait - it has been way too long since I have spent any time with her. I will be leaving Bruce alone with both cats and Hazel for at least overnight during that time - no telling what could happen to him with no other wheels. Think good thoughts for him :-)
Tomorrow we will also be getting ready for our move Tuesday to Bald Ridge Creek on Lake Lanier (just outside Cumming, GA). Since it is only about 81 miles, we don't need to leave too very early - which means coffee outside while the sun comes up and reflection time before we start on Tuesday. For the readers who followed us in 2009 you might remember that Bruce tells everyone we meet that my idea of travel is 4 hours on Wednesdays so we never get very far. He always kids - but when we look at how we like to actually drive/stay and what we have been doing- it is not too far off, although this trip the 4 hours travel seems to be occurring on Tuesdays instead.
No pics this time - just prose, so will sign off before I get too very lengthy. Until we get to Bald Ridge, unless of course there is just too much news about the quilt shop tomorrow ---------
Thursday, May 6, 2010
2010 - A New Year to Travel
We are currently on our Spring Tour of the SE- where we started with a full service of The Beast in Gaffney, SC by Freightliner Custom Chassis Service Center. "The service took 1 1/2 days, even with 2 people on it because we had to have the exhaust brake replaced and they ordered the part. We arrived in Gaffney on Tuesday, May 27 and stayed in their "camp area" for 3 nights. They have electricity at each site, water available to fill your tank but not on site and a dump station. We were definitely not the only ones taking advantage of their expertise, the 6 service bays were in action the whole time we were there. We left Thursday afternoon and took a short run down I-85 towards Clemson, where we had reserved a space in Twin Lakes Campground. This is one of 9 COE parks ( 7 have electricity & water on each site) on Hartwell Lake.
As you can see, the site is nice and spacious. We are on the Lake, overlooking an inlet on one side and the Lake on the other. The site is a back-in and has a steeper grade than I expected. I had to have Bruce take the hitch off to ensure we didn't dig ourselves into the site, but once that was accomplished we situated The Beast rather quickly. It is very private and no other site really overlooks us or we them. The best of both worlds.
Obviously leveling The Beast, hooking up the utilities and getting the table situated was very strenuous work so a rest was in order before dinner. Even Hazel needed R & R. As you can see, there is no rest for the person making dinner, that idea clearly represented by the empty seat next to Bruce. (Yea, I know- someone has to be taking the pictures, that is unless I am very, very clever with the camera's timer - Not!) In any case, the day concluded with a lovely sunset (again caught on camera by the elusive picture taker).It has been a week since those pctures were taken and I have not been inclined to take too many others. The weekend came and went and we stayed in the campground- watching people. Of course we had to ride around at least 3 times on Friday to spy who had arrived and what they were using as their "home away from home". The weather was overcast Saturday but still nice to be outside. Sunday the rain set in and we spent the day lolly gagging inside, reading books and dozing. Even Hazel refused to go outside. I, of course, got in quite a bit of library book reading over the first several days when we stayed in camp ( last count 7) and now just have to keep renewing the books I was foolish enough to bring with me until we return or find some way to get them back to the St. Johns County library without breaking the bank - Time to explore how many books will fit into a priority mail package. I guess as long as no one else requests them I can chance just renewing them- what a dilemma.
Monday was shopping and laundry day, so of course very uneventful. On Tuesday we began our COE park review process . Of the 6 other parks with facilities, one is a group camp and is discounted in this review. By visiting the other 5, we can look at the park and its facilities (showers, sites, internal roads, etc.), talk with the hosts and understand the condition of the roads getting to them. That is always a consideration when you drive a brick on wheels. The surprise elevation change backing into our own site at Twin Lakes has made us much more curious than we might have been if all of these campgrounds were was more level ground. So far we have reviewed 2 of the 5- (Oconee Point & Coneross) and are still partial to Twin Lakes. For you COE enthusiasts- we only founds 4-5 sites in Oconee Point that would take our motorhome easily and nothing in Coneross, it is really set up for smaller rigs and trailers.
Yesterday we spent the day exploring Anderson, including of course the thrift stores. The downtown is wonderful, historical buildings, lots of small shops, and restaurants - definitely set up for the tourist and university trade to enjoy. Today we visited Clemson, both the town and the University and the close city of Seneca. Clemson University is beautiful and the town is typical university town, very small, most things within walking/biking distance of the university and definitely supporting the school. As well as Clemson University being here, Southern Wesleyan is in the vicinity too. So we have had a nice time riding around, visiting the area, etc. Tomorrow we hope to get to the other 3 COE parks in the morning and then get back here for the arrival of all of the weekend campers. That is always the highlight of a stay in one of these parks, watching the people back in and set up new campers, motorhomes and especially pop-ups and tents. All campers are subject to this same review when they arrive at any park, so our plan is to always try to arrive in mid-week and early, before we are the highlight for the other campers.
Well, I am up to date and it is time to put this to rest and post so until next time.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Final Post for the 2009 Trip
My dad's 80th birthday party went well and we enjoyed visiting with all of the family that showed up. My sister had made arrangements for a house on Okaloosa Island, so there was a place for most people to crash and meet to enjoy the sun & fun of the area. Although I did not remember my camera- pictures abounded so will hope to get some from others to commemorate the occasion.
We had spent the week prior with our friends Ann & Herman visiting all of the thrift stores, Salvation Armys and Goodwills in a 50 mile radius. We found a few things to add to our ever increasing "stuff" collection, but all in all, we reigned in the extraneous spending.
We stayed at Karik Lake in the Blackwater State Forest- and the weather remained good most of the time. There were minimal bugs and though it did rain every day it seemed- it was generally not all day and we had plenty of outdoor time. I have to say though- we were not used to the humidity after the 3 months in the west. We will definitely become reverse snowbirds in the future.
We left for home the Tuesday after Labor Day (9/8/09) and reached our final campground later that afternoon. As you can see, it is shady and has all the comforts of home- oh yea IT IS HOME!!!!, although Bruce did suggest leaving as we stepped out into the hot,humid day. Again- we will be leaving this area next summer too- summer is just too much for us here now that we have experienced the difference.
Everything was well in the house except for some issues with the wood flooring in the great room buckling - but Jeremy had already prepared us for that little bit of news. Stepping out of The Beast and walking into a house with an 85% relative humidity made us really realize very quickly why we had that buckling floor. Florida isn't really a place designed for glue down solid wood flooring on a slab floor, there is usually too much moisture in the ground and the concrete, and concrete is somewhat porous and always has cracks. We had put this floor down ourselves several years ago - before they stopped selling it in the state because of the moisture issues, and had never had any problems, even with tropical storm/hurricane rains. Let's add another stressor though - an air conditioner on the fritz. Our AC usually keeps the house and everything in it at 55-65% humidity - but Jacksonville had mucho rain while we were gone, causing standing water around the house and when the AC was nonperforming and the internal humidity increased to at least 85%, it was the rain of doom for that floor. There was nothing to offset any moisture creep- and a solid wood floor, unlike an engineered wood floor, has NO GIVE - my error - it gives, but it gives UPWARD.
Now we are in the process (OK Bruce is in the process)of trying to repair the 2 large areas - one in the middle of the floor and one along a corner wall- but finding the correct glue in something besides a 2 or 5 gallon bucket seems almost insurmountable. I am having a problem even online- but will make a decision today (see - I am helping too) and get something here for early next week. We need about a quart- guess most people don't do repairs- they just rip it up and start over. Not us- we will persevere- but it could take awhile.
In the meantime, we are working on the house, I am trying to clean out ALL of my work clothes (2 store racks with clothes on both sides are currently parked in my dining room- full as I go through things) and of course- all of the quilt shows and programs are on the horizon.
So what is next? I have the Quiltfest with Maggi here in Jacksonville tomorrowand the 2 classes Friday & Saturday; I am off to the International Quilt Festival in Houston in mid-October where I will meet Julie & friends, visiting, shopping and again, taking some classes; and then I am taking another class in Paducah at the National Quilt Museum in early October. Bruce will be attending 2 'swap meets" with his friend Bobby in November (Moultrie, Ga & Daytona)looking for that elusive jeep fender and other "cream puff" items. He is already back to visiting the Wednesday flea market and am sure he will find other things to occupy his attention (I have quite a list you can be sure if he can't think of something) We have a short 2 week trip planned right after Christmas up to Prairie Creek located on the Bob Woodruff Reservoir near Benton, AL(between Selma & Montgomery on US 80 for you folks with an Atlas) with our friends Ann & Herman. In February I do a retreat here in Jacksonville and then then Maggi & I are venturing up to Lancaster, PA for the first AQS show there in early March (ooh - cold) & Bruce & bobby have the Spring swap meets - same places (probably same things too. I am pretty sure there are no new pieces, patterns, or projects let alone new materials for old vehicle projects- OK, maybe someone has come up with a new product.) Finally - we are already making plans to be back on the road for 5-6 months with The Beast no later than next April 2010 (with our fingers crossed that nothing goes wrong between now & then)- back to Oregon and other places, but that is for future blogs. I know- it seems I am the one off and he is the one staying all the time- but that is OK with Bruce. He just says- where are you going this week and for how long? - Gotta love this relationship.
So, Vaya Con Dios and I will start this up when we take our next trip in The Beast - unless there is something just so important I need to commemorate it in this blog.(You never know with all those quilt shows and classes!!!) Until then---------
We had spent the week prior with our friends Ann & Herman visiting all of the thrift stores, Salvation Armys and Goodwills in a 50 mile radius. We found a few things to add to our ever increasing "stuff" collection, but all in all, we reigned in the extraneous spending.
We stayed at Karik Lake in the Blackwater State Forest- and the weather remained good most of the time. There were minimal bugs and though it did rain every day it seemed- it was generally not all day and we had plenty of outdoor time. I have to say though- we were not used to the humidity after the 3 months in the west. We will definitely become reverse snowbirds in the future.
We left for home the Tuesday after Labor Day (9/8/09) and reached our final campground later that afternoon. As you can see, it is shady and has all the comforts of home- oh yea IT IS HOME!!!!, although Bruce did suggest leaving as we stepped out into the hot,humid day. Again- we will be leaving this area next summer too- summer is just too much for us here now that we have experienced the difference. Everything was well in the house except for some issues with the wood flooring in the great room buckling - but Jeremy had already prepared us for that little bit of news. Stepping out of The Beast and walking into a house with an 85% relative humidity made us really realize very quickly why we had that buckling floor. Florida isn't really a place designed for glue down solid wood flooring on a slab floor, there is usually too much moisture in the ground and the concrete, and concrete is somewhat porous and always has cracks. We had put this floor down ourselves several years ago - before they stopped selling it in the state because of the moisture issues, and had never had any problems, even with tropical storm/hurricane rains. Let's add another stressor though - an air conditioner on the fritz. Our AC usually keeps the house and everything in it at 55-65% humidity - but Jacksonville had mucho rain while we were gone, causing standing water around the house and when the AC was nonperforming and the internal humidity increased to at least 85%, it was the rain of doom for that floor. There was nothing to offset any moisture creep- and a solid wood floor, unlike an engineered wood floor, has NO GIVE - my error - it gives, but it gives UPWARD.
Now we are in the process (OK Bruce is in the process)of trying to repair the 2 large areas - one in the middle of the floor and one along a corner wall- but finding the correct glue in something besides a 2 or 5 gallon bucket seems almost insurmountable. I am having a problem even online- but will make a decision today (see - I am helping too) and get something here for early next week. We need about a quart- guess most people don't do repairs- they just rip it up and start over. Not us- we will persevere- but it could take awhile.
In the meantime, we are working on the house, I am trying to clean out ALL of my work clothes (2 store racks with clothes on both sides are currently parked in my dining room- full as I go through things) and of course- all of the quilt shows and programs are on the horizon. So what is next? I have the Quiltfest with Maggi here in Jacksonville tomorrowand the 2 classes Friday & Saturday; I am off to the International Quilt Festival in Houston in mid-October where I will meet Julie & friends, visiting, shopping and again, taking some classes; and then I am taking another class in Paducah at the National Quilt Museum in early October. Bruce will be attending 2 'swap meets" with his friend Bobby in November (Moultrie, Ga & Daytona)looking for that elusive jeep fender and other "cream puff" items. He is already back to visiting the Wednesday flea market and am sure he will find other things to occupy his attention (I have quite a list you can be sure if he can't think of something) We have a short 2 week trip planned right after Christmas up to Prairie Creek located on the Bob Woodruff Reservoir near Benton, AL(between Selma & Montgomery on US 80 for you folks with an Atlas) with our friends Ann & Herman. In February I do a retreat here in Jacksonville and then then Maggi & I are venturing up to Lancaster, PA for the first AQS show there in early March (ooh - cold) & Bruce & bobby have the Spring swap meets - same places (probably same things too. I am pretty sure there are no new pieces, patterns, or projects let alone new materials for old vehicle projects- OK, maybe someone has come up with a new product.) Finally - we are already making plans to be back on the road for 5-6 months with The Beast no later than next April 2010 (with our fingers crossed that nothing goes wrong between now & then)- back to Oregon and other places, but that is for future blogs. I know- it seems I am the one off and he is the one staying all the time- but that is OK with Bruce. He just says- where are you going this week and for how long? - Gotta love this relationship.
So, Vaya Con Dios and I will start this up when we take our next trip in The Beast - unless there is something just so important I need to commemorate it in this blog.(You never know with all those quilt shows and classes!!!) Until then---------
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
All the Rest and Onward to Crestview
After Gavins Point we went to Whitebreast Campground on Lake Red Rock in Iowa . It is located SE of Des Moines and about 20 miles from Ottumwa. There is little in the area except farmers, hunters and fishermen. The nearby Dam, Red Rock Dam of course, after all this is a Corp Engineers Park, does not produce hydroelectric power but does provide a wonderful lake area for fishermen and other water activities from the Des Moines river. The closest towns were Pella (yes, it is the Pella of Pella Windows) and Knoxville (the sprint car race capital of the world). We explored Pella with its Dutch ancestry, ate breakfast twice at the local cafe and of course bought wonderful fabric at the local quilt store. We also spent some time in Knoxville but didn't do the Sprint Car Museum. Of course we drove over to Fairfield,IA the home of Vintage Power Wagons to see if they just happened to have a hood for his "cream puff" 1941 WC (that was for you Joan). They didn't have one in any better condition than he already owns so fortunately we didn't have to find a place in the already overstuffed HHR to bring it home. In addition to always looking out for old power wagons and of course trim pieces for my 57 dodge town wagon, we spent time in every location searching in all sorts of places for the elusive front passenger fender for a old Jeep CJ. All in all a nice time. 
On Friday, 8/21 we left Whitebreast on the way to Grand Rivers, Ky (Paducah area) - via Hannibal, MO. Not ones to drive 500 miles a day if we can do otherwise, we opted to stay a few days on the way at Ray Berhens Campground on Mark Twain Lake (yes another Corp of Engineers park so there was a dam nearby). You can tell from the changes in my pictures, both content and amount, that I may have seen enough dams for this trip, although they continue to fascinate me as they all have wonderful history around them. This is another campground in the middle of nowhere - guess that is where they place dams and recreation areas. We did find a garage sale in the nearby town of Perry where we bought a 75 cent 550 piece puzzle and a $10 chair. Getting the chair into the little car was a feat in itself, the puzzle was no problem! The chair is an old style, upholstered with very wide wooden arms and legs. We had to almost empty the back of the car, put the chair in and then relocate all of Bruce's wheel finds and my quilting project cases to take it with us and Hazel had to ride back to the campground on my lap. That was an experience for both of us! She wasn't really too impressed with having to look out of the window on my lap - no standing or sticking her hared out as we drove. You surely suspect with that explanation that we don't have much room any longer in the car so riding the dog around for her daily tours is no longer an option. Just as well- we are getting so close to the hot muggy weather that having the car windows open is no longer and option. Once we left Ray Berhens on Sunday we drove directly to Eureka Campground off US 62S just outside of Grand Rivers, KY. We have stayed there before on the same exact site so knew what we were getting into.
The sites are on the side of Lake Barkley and are sloped and terraced, so getting level is not always easy. And to make things worse, the motorhome was cocked and on a hill when we pulled in so Bruce almost had to beat the poor HHR off the tow bar. That would have made for a wonderful visit to the area- but we managed all and ended up having nice weather and a wonderful stay. The next morning we had breakfast at the Cracker Barrel (hadn't seen one of those for months) and then popped into Paducah for me to buy some acid-free solid plastic fabric organizers to wrap my yards of fabric and store neatly once we get home (Stop laughing!!) After that purchase and again having to find room in the already overstuffed (that was a chair play on words) car, we hit Hancocks of Paducah for me to try to find some black fabric to finish one of my projects and Gander Mountain for a new 12x12 screen room (on sale no less). We ended up in the SAMs for a few staples (the best fresh salsa and some good sirloins)and then headed back to the campground. Bruce took off that afternoon on another jeep fender search, but again, there was nothing he wanted to pay to haul home. Now if they were giving these things away we would proably have had to buy another trailer to pull behind the motorhome with everything we had found and I would be driving the HHR instead of riding in the motorhome. The next day we ran into the little town of Eddyville for a box of Miss Neda's homemade donuts (her husband is up all night making them and at 5 AM she opens with hot donuts of all varieties - they are wonderful) and then explored one of the other Corp parks (Canal) on Lake Barkley. Once we reviewed all the sites there we decided we were at the better campground (Eureka), but they had the better bathrooms and showers. Guess you can't have everything all of the time. We ended the day with dinner at the Oasis Southwest Grill and got ready to leave early for Florida. We left Eureka round 6:40AM on Wednesday, 8/26 (we tried to get out earlier but my internal alarm did not work and the air condition obviously drowned out the coffee pot when it beeped completion)trying to beat the work traffic through Nashville. It pretty much worked, but not because we got out early. Unfortunately, we had to stop to investigate a sudden, unexpected clanging noise from under The Beast. I just knew we had a real problem when I first heard it and could see the dollar signs flying out of our account and the days flying by as we waited for a part to fix it. Buce, on the other hand, just slowed down until we could find an exit to let him take a look, although when you are looking for one, they never seem to materialize. After a couple of miles we found a convenient Flying J and pulled, dragged out the moving pad and Bruce crawled under The Beast where he found a small metal cover over the AC had dropped down and was dragging. Apparently the area where the bolt went through to the frame had broken and one end of the cover had fallen down and was being dragged along the road, making all sorts of nasty noises. We were lucky it was that small, that it was visible and even better, that Bruce could take it, off with the tools he carries. We don't carry much to work on The Beast- it is a diesel pusher on a freightliner chassis and if something happens to any of the related parts, well we are out of luck, even to changing a tire (they are 22.5 RV tires- think big truck) - we would just have to call AAA. Anyway, that stop along with the inevitable Putting America Back To Work road constructions that are occurring on all Interstates delayed us enough that when we hit Nashville around 9AM and it wasn't too very bad. The worst place is the one lane merge from I-24 on to I-65 and since it is the only direct route into the city, everyone takes it. One lane from one interstate to another is enough of a problem by itself but the traffic jam there is made much worse because there is an exit as I-24 merges that many people on I-65 need to take, so they are trying to cross over in front of the I-24 mergers, etc. - as you can imagine it is quite a cluster in that area.
Once through the merge cluster, we made it through the rest of Nashville in good time, drove south on I-65 almost to the Alabama line and then stopped for a quick brunch of leftover Brats, coleslaw and home made donuts (remember the Eddyville trip the day before?). Alabama was the enxt state and we has most of the north to south route to drive, although we got off at the Georgiana, AL exit short of Mobile, and rove through Andalusia, AL and on towards Baker, FL. We arrived at the Karick Lake Campground (our last stop before we head home this trip) in the Blackwater State Forest mid-afternoon and will stay there about 2 weeks (through the Labor Day holiday). The campground is 7 miles north of Baker, Fl and about 15 miles from my dad's place in Crestview so makes a good stopping point for visiting before heading east towards home on I-10. We will celebrate my dad's 80th birthday with family and friends over Labor Day and leave shortly thereafter I suspect. Since my sisters Terrie & Janet and their respective family members as well as Jeremy, our son, won't be showing up in the area until just before the holiday, we will hang out with our friends Herman & Ann Parker at the campground, visiting and hitting all of the thrift stores and antique shops in a 50 mile area. I will post more on that stay and the family visit in a future chapter. Vaya Con Dios Mis Amigos
Sunday, August 23, 2009
More Dams- Gavins Point
Tailwaters Campground at Gavins Point was our stop after Garrison Dam. Gavins Point is the last major dam on the Missouri and is just south of Yankton, SD on the SD/NE line. It was the second one built as part of the Pick-Sloan Plan and has the smallest lake - Lewis & Clark Lake. Again, it was built for hydroelectric power, navigation and water management/ irrigation. We arrived at the Tailwaters Campground after a quick stop in Yakton at Walmart for one of their rotisserie chickens to have for dinner and some staples (bread && milk and I just had to include a lemon cake). Tailwaters is of course on the downstream side of the dam (tail?)- but it is called tailwaters instead of downstream because it is situated right below the actual dam along the waters that flow out from the dam. 
The area is a fisherman's paradise because there is so much food that comes through the gates the big fish just congregate along the concrete walls to feed. There are so many they swim over each other- it is a real site to see. I tried to take some pictures show the melee but the contrast is not enough for you to actually see much of the fish. 
Gavins Point was different from the other sites we had been previously because the spillway, powerplant and inlet gates were all built as one unit on the south end of the earthen dam. The inlet wicket gates were always open allowing water to turn the turbines, so they were generating electricity 24/7. The lake was just over the spillway and while we ere there, it was windy enough that the Lewis and Clark Lake waters were being pushed over the spillway gates. We went on the powerplant tour this time and there was quite a bit of difference in the actual generators at Gavins Point (2nd dam built) and Ft. Peck (1st dam built) in both heat generated and noise. Again, if you ahve the chance- take advantage of some of the dam tours- they are very educational and you learn quite a bit about how dams are constructed as well as hydroelectricity and its generation.
The Tailwaters Campground had about 33 spots with electricity, half reservable. There were an additional 15 or so primitive sites- and all of sties in the campground were strung along the side of the Missouri river just below the powerhouse a you can see from the first picture above. The bugs were horrible when we got there and since we were not in the open, the breezes were diminished. the view was wonderful though and we could watch the construction going on across the river using the Put America Back to Work money- they were expanding the baot ramp parking and paving all of the roads. 
The one thing we have noticed is that most of the Corp parks have been run down since budgets have been tight and no one really likes to appropriate money to the park service for "fun" when people are out of work, homeless and starving (but Congress will always find money for their pet pork barrel projects- but that is another issue). Now most have some type of improvement project in the works, especially if they are associated with a hydroelectric dam. We spent time looking for the elusive front passenger fender for a jeep CJ- but to no avail. Seems that all of the really god stuff got crushed last year when steel reached one of its all time highs. That never makes Bruce happy wIen he hear that explanation- but it is what it is. Walmart saw us several times (i should buy stock in that place as much as we spent in that place on this trip - oh right, I have some of that stock.)
We drove over the dam whenever possible- it jsut fascinated us. There was a one way road behind the powerhouse that went right over the intl gates and through the overhead crane used to pick them up when necessary. It was controlled by a light- so you never met anyone in the wrong place.As you drove up to the dam, you passed a lovely overlook that was filled with crab apples. I think it was the first time Bruce ahd seen those baby apples and of course he had to taste one- they were still sour, even though they were ripe. The trees are really beautiful- may have to think about putting one or two i when we get back home (Uhoh - more work for Bruce in the yard- he just loves cutting around different growing things!) 
The other fascinating part of the dams for us are the Godzilla training sites. You can almost imagine him stopping through tearing up everything. You can see the sparks flying and electrical lines tumbling - but not now- now they are pristine and doing their job of bumping up the voltage of the generated electricity to the high voltage needed for transportation over the lines.
Enough about Gavins Point - it was a nice place and we will proably come back to visit- although we will stay at Cottonwood- the Corp park on the downstream side of the dam on Lake Yankton (the lake created when they diverted the Missouri to build the dam). The sites are more open, they get the breezes and there is plenty of room to walk Hazel and to let her play with her fake frisbee.
Friday, August 7, 2009
More Dams As We Are Homeward Bound - Garrison
The next few posts will be summaries of the last few weeks since there has not been a great deal of activity and the weather has been less than stellar, keeping us inside more than anticipated. We left Ft. Peck, MT early Friday, 8/7 and drove the long way around to get to the Garrison Dam at Riverdale, ND to try to avoid road construction on US2 and supposedly multiple miles of gravel road, especially after the rain we had been having. MT actually posts signs about the gumbo the ground becomes after a rain if you get off on the dirt roads and how you will most proably need a 4 wheel drive to get out. Anyway, we went south from the campground at Ft. Peck on MT 24 until we reached MT 200. We followed MT 200 east, splitting on to 200S some ways out and then we went back to the Interstate. I-94 is a nice drive through eastern Montana and western North Dakota. Once you hit the western ND state line on I-94 you drive through thier badlands and part of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. 
We stopped at the rst area there- and we were not the only ones "walking" our pets. No one but Bruce & I thought this was at all out of the ordinary - only in North Dakota. 
While there we also walked along the Painted Canyon, although the weather was overcast and the colors not as vibrant as when sunny. Continuing on, we drove to Bismark, Nd where we turned north on US 83 to Riverdale, crossed the Garrison Dam spillway, went down the tow road on the side of the dam (yes it is another earthen dam) and arrived at the Downstream Campground. Have you noticed a similarity in the names of most of these Corp parks close to dams - Downstream, Tailwaters, etc. Can you guess where they situate them? The Downstream campground at Garrison was really in the middle of nowhere Everything around us concerned farming with wheat, corn and I think soybeans the crops we saw most of this time - and of course cattle.
The wheat is actually quite beautiful in all of its stages. We saw both the golden wheat ready for harvest and some fields of green wheat- and both were the "waves of grain" of America The Beautiful. Speaking of that song, I think we may have seen all of the references so far on this trip, spacious skies, purple mountains majesty, amber waves of grain, fruited plains, etc.
Downstream Campground at Garrison Dam, ND is also along the Missouri River. Seems there are 6 major dams on the Missouri, with Ft. Peck being the first in Montana and
Garrison being the second as the Missouri passes through North Dakota. There are 3 additional dams in South Dakota and then the final and smallest one- Gavins Point, on the SD/Nebraska border where we went next. The thing about all of these locations is that we seem to remain on the Lewis & Clark Trail - although we are moving backwards (eastward) instead of westward.
We didn't get to take the tour at Garrison as the last one that week was on Saturday just after we arrived so we drove around, read all of the informational postings, took pictures and educated ourselves. Garrison Dam is a 2 mile earthen dame and creates Lake Sakakawea (I know, we all grew up with it being Sacajawea but specialists today think that is incorrect- it is either with a hard g (guh) or k. This is a much disputed name- but North Dakota chose to use the K for the Lake)At 173 miles long, it is the third largest man-made lake in the US - only Lake Mead and Lake Powell are larger 
and is used for all of the usual water activities. The dam itself provides hydroelectric power, navigation control and irrigation management. The intake gates are not attached to the power plant which is located on the downstream side of the dam at the bottom of the first picture. They are in the lake and both are at located at the southwestern edge of the dam. The spillway is at the northeastern edge of the dam- and the water from it goes into Spillway Pond.
The campground where we stayed is also located on the downstream side of the dam, nehce its name- Downstream. The sites were spacious and the campground large, with 3 different locations. Our site as at the far end of the campground and backed up to the vegetation that grew along the high banks of the Missouri. We faced a large park-like circle so we had the benefit of being able to watch all of the on-goings of those residents during our 2 days of rain. The rain stopped late Sunday evening and the group occupying most of the sites around that inner circle got to celebrate Christmas in August outside. It seems they could never find any place at Christmas to accomodate them all, so moved that holiday to the Campground at Garrison and to August. fAfter the ususal christmas Buffet (with somked meat of some type) they all particpated in the gift game where the order is determined by your birthday or numbers sleected or soemthing like that, and the person can take (steal) the already unwrapped present of a prior selectee or select a wrapped present. 
If you look at the picture closely, you will note that all of this All of this joviality took place under a lighted and decorated Christmas Tree (that was set up when we arrived and in its own screen room with its 2 companions) and a lighted, animated reindeer and moose. It was great fun for all, inlcuding the o bservers and we were all happy they left the decorations until the next morning so we could all enjoy them once it was dark.
Enough of Garrison- those were the highlights and we are almost to Grand Rivers so I will bring you up to date with Gavins Point in my next update.
We stopped at the rst area there- and we were not the only ones "walking" our pets. No one but Bruce & I thought this was at all out of the ordinary - only in North Dakota. 
While there we also walked along the Painted Canyon, although the weather was overcast and the colors not as vibrant as when sunny. Continuing on, we drove to Bismark, Nd where we turned north on US 83 to Riverdale, crossed the Garrison Dam spillway, went down the tow road on the side of the dam (yes it is another earthen dam) and arrived at the Downstream Campground. Have you noticed a similarity in the names of most of these Corp parks close to dams - Downstream, Tailwaters, etc. Can you guess where they situate them? The Downstream campground at Garrison was really in the middle of nowhere Everything around us concerned farming with wheat, corn and I think soybeans the crops we saw most of this time - and of course cattle.
The wheat is actually quite beautiful in all of its stages. We saw both the golden wheat ready for harvest and some fields of green wheat- and both were the "waves of grain" of America The Beautiful. Speaking of that song, I think we may have seen all of the references so far on this trip, spacious skies, purple mountains majesty, amber waves of grain, fruited plains, etc. Downstream Campground at Garrison Dam, ND is also along the Missouri River. Seems there are 6 major dams on the Missouri, with Ft. Peck being the first in Montana and
Garrison being the second as the Missouri passes through North Dakota. There are 3 additional dams in South Dakota and then the final and smallest one- Gavins Point, on the SD/Nebraska border where we went next. The thing about all of these locations is that we seem to remain on the Lewis & Clark Trail - although we are moving backwards (eastward) instead of westward. 
We didn't get to take the tour at Garrison as the last one that week was on Saturday just after we arrived so we drove around, read all of the informational postings, took pictures and educated ourselves. Garrison Dam is a 2 mile earthen dame and creates Lake Sakakawea (I know, we all grew up with it being Sacajawea but specialists today think that is incorrect- it is either with a hard g (guh) or k. This is a much disputed name- but North Dakota chose to use the K for the Lake)At 173 miles long, it is the third largest man-made lake in the US - only Lake Mead and Lake Powell are larger 
and is used for all of the usual water activities. The dam itself provides hydroelectric power, navigation control and irrigation management. The intake gates are not attached to the power plant which is located on the downstream side of the dam at the bottom of the first picture. They are in the lake and both are at located at the southwestern edge of the dam. The spillway is at the northeastern edge of the dam- and the water from it goes into Spillway Pond. 
The campground where we stayed is also located on the downstream side of the dam, nehce its name- Downstream. The sites were spacious and the campground large, with 3 different locations. Our site as at the far end of the campground and backed up to the vegetation that grew along the high banks of the Missouri. We faced a large park-like circle so we had the benefit of being able to watch all of the on-goings of those residents during our 2 days of rain. The rain stopped late Sunday evening and the group occupying most of the sites around that inner circle got to celebrate Christmas in August outside. It seems they could never find any place at Christmas to accomodate them all, so moved that holiday to the Campground at Garrison and to August. fAfter the ususal christmas Buffet (with somked meat of some type) they all particpated in the gift game where the order is determined by your birthday or numbers sleected or soemthing like that, and the person can take (steal) the already unwrapped present of a prior selectee or select a wrapped present. 
If you look at the picture closely, you will note that all of this All of this joviality took place under a lighted and decorated Christmas Tree (that was set up when we arrived and in its own screen room with its 2 companions) and a lighted, animated reindeer and moose. It was great fun for all, inlcuding the o bservers and we were all happy they left the decorations until the next morning so we could all enjoy them once it was dark.Enough of Garrison- those were the highlights and we are almost to Grand Rivers so I will bring you up to date with Gavins Point in my next update.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Ft. Peck Lake
We are still at Ft. Peck Lake campground (the green part of the picture left of the dam across the Missouri River) but are getting ready to move on tomorrow. We will be driving to Garrison Dam, another of the dams built by the Corp of Engineers, but until then a little more about Ft. Peck Lake. This lake is 143 miles long and is the largest lake in Montana. It spreads westward from here (Ft.. Peck) back towards Great Falls, MT. 
There are over 1520 miles of shoreline and the lake is 220 feet deep. The whole lake rests inside the Charles M. Russell Wildlife Refuge and much of the access is remote so much of the shoreline can actually be considered to be in the middle of nowhere. The lake is so large and there is so much wind in this area that small boats can at times easily be capsized by the waves. The whole area is included in what is known as the Montana Hi-Line, the 100 miles from the Canadian border south between North Dakota and Rocky Mountains in the west along US 2, As I stated in an earlier posting, this area is rolling hills and prairie, fields of wheat and herds of cattle with mountains in the distance. It is a sportsman's paradise for fishing and hunting along with recreational birding and of course hiking and all of the water sports on the lakes. It seems everyone has a boat of some kind and a four wheeler. As for Bruce, it is the place where there are more old trucks on the roads and sitting abandoned in the fields that are in pretty decent shape than in any other place we have been yet. He would move here in a minute just to be around all of that wonderful iron and steel, except the winter temperatures are in the minus 30-50 degree area for 30 or more days a year. That is just unthinkable for us- so we will stay in Florida and he can just dream about those old trucks- oh and come visit them in the summer.Yesterday we rode to Wolf Point to visit a junk yard Bruce had heard about. He is always hopeful he will find that missing front passenger fender for his jeep, but it was not to be. He did find several old wheels (don't ask what they will be used for, he just loves them) to cart home and an old drill press at a stop in Glasgow the day before. He seems to think that he should be allowed to spend as much on junk as I have spent on quilting "stuff". Speaking of quilting stuff, we also found a new quilt store in Wolf Point called Fabric Attic. I wasn't going to stop - but am glad we did.
This shop has more of what I would call theme/novelty print material than any shop I have ever seen. They also carried some of the brand new materials and I bought quite a bit of Mark Lipinski's oakdale line from Northcott as well as some of his Katmandu line - The Quilts from Pickle Row. Both are wonderful prints and the oakdale is as soft as silk. Now to find the perfect pattern for that material - the search is on!!Bruce is done getting the outside area ready to leave tomorrow - putting everything away except the last bit of firewood that we hope to be able to burn this evening. It is overcast and raining a bit now, so who knows if that will be possible. We are off To Glasgow to visit the local RV place and proably hit Albertsons to see what is on sale today and of course one last look through the Plaid Square for me - who knows what wonderful item still waits in yonder town for my discovery. Later-------------
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