Aug 28th to 30th - Parker

Aug 28^th – Wed – Parker

It was over 100 degrees before 9 this morning.  I can’t say that we are really getting used to it, just getting used to puttering around inside.  When we finally ate breakfast and got going we headed to the casino.  They have a promotion on Wednesdays where you get $50 slot play for $40.  Neither one of us liked it much as it is harder to determine how much money you have spent.  Winnings are available to cash out and a balance remains on your player’s card.  All that said, I did well.  I covered our allowance and gave Terry more money to play.  Sometimes I think days like this aren’t good as it makes me want to go back!

As we were leaving the casino, a message indicated that we need an oil change so we looked for a place in town.  We stopped at the Chev dealer but no service manager showed up so we went to the Ford dealer where we got an appointment for tomorrow.  Then we stopped at WalMart for groceries.  We actually planned a couple of meals ahead and had to circle around some aisles a couple of times.

It was nearly time to start dinner when we got back so we didn’t even cool off in the river.

Aug 29^th - Thurs

We had a strong but short windstorm last night about 10 that rocked the rig pretty good.  We went golfing early this morning and the guy in the pro shop remarked that we were becoming regulars.  With 2 players and no one in front of us, it only takes just over an hour to play the 9 holes.

We had lots of time for showers, coffee & breakfast before going to town for the oil change at 11.  I decided it would be a great time to do laundry so I sorted out the clothes and we loaded everything in the truck.  Terry dropped me off at the laundromat and took the truck in a couple of blocks away.  I was the only person doing laundry so I could wander around the large facility to find a place to sit & read that was actually benefiting from the marginal AC.  I had only a couple of items left in the dryers when Terry got back.

We didn’t plan on a casino trip today but somehow the truck just turned onto the road!  It was not a good day!

After dinner we started to walk to get a couple of gallons of drinking water when Terry noticed a couple of empty wave runners being pushed upstream by a steady wind.  He got the binoculars to check them out more closely and then mentioned them to a neighbor as we walked by.  He knew who owned them so he took off to tell the owners.  When we came back with our water, a couple was getting into a truck and we correctly figured that it was the owners.  They had to drive 8 miles to Parker to cross the river and then drive the same distance back on the California side as by now the machines had settled in a weedy patch on the far side of the river.  It was getting dark and was still windy so there weren’t many boats on the water that could give them a ride across.  The guy rode one rig and towed the other while the woman drove the truck back around.  We ended up chatting with a couple of neighbors and trying to take pictures of lots of lightning to the north of us.

Aug 30^th - Fri

After coffee, breakfast & general goofing off, I put together a salsa/salad for dinner.  Then it was time for a trip to town for a few items.  We went to WalMart where I got thread & needles for a small crafty project (and a few groceries of course) and then on to a hardware store for a hose clamp. 

It was still only 1:30 so a stop at the casino was necessary to fill a few hours in a cool place.  Today it was a good decision as I did very well.  I was playing a machine that gives 8 free spins for each line of 3 symbols & 10 for each line of 4 symbols.  I had 3 solid columns of symbols and one more in the 4^th column which resulted in 258 free spins.  Then during the free spins I got 24 more spins.  This type of machine doesn’t pay a lot on each free spin but I ended up with $76 and a lot of fun.  Terry happened to be sitting beside me so we could share the fun.  Unfortunately he wasn’t close when I bet more than usual on a machine (a whole $1!!) and won $181 on a bonus.

I got dinner going when we got back as it was 4:30 and we didn’t have lunch.  After dinner we took a drink and wandered down to the river.  We went towards the bar and talked to a guy who was fishing and then to two young women from the LA area.  I was hot by this time so Terry took my wallet, etc from my pockets and I floated the river back to our site while Terry walked along the bank.  It was lovely!

Aug 25th to 27th - Parker

Aug 25^th – Sun – Parker

Yesterday an employee at the golf course said there was an 80% chance of rain today so we didn’t plan to golf and the forecast was correct.  I came close to going out in the rain to wash the truck and let the rain help rinse it but luckily the rain let up a bit before I got that crazy.

After a late breakfast, Terry moved furniture while I vacuumed and cleaned up spots on the carpet.  Then we had to return to the casino where it took several hours to finally lose our allowances.  A stop at Safeway before we came back provided steaks for the BBQ for dinner.

Aug 26^th – Mon

Terry has been waking up early and thinks he is quietly going to the living room and letting me sleep.  I am rarely asleep but enjoy being lazy and reading in bed for a while.  When we finally quit drinking coffee and got dressed, we went to find a Great Clips hair salon in Lake Havasu City.  It is 30 miles away as opposed to the 8 miles to Parker but we wanted a slightly different outing.

I had to wait about 20 minutes before my haircut.  After the stylist cut my hair shorter than it has ever been (!!), we had lunch and then stopped at a Basha’s grocery store.  I have been looking for white balsamic vinegar and finally found it today.

On the way back, we crossed the Parker Dam and drove down the California side of the Colorado River.  We were amazed at the number of stored RV’s and huge parks where they will be placed during the winter.  There were also thousands of storage units in big buildings where we figure people are storing boats and golf carts.  Burros roam everywhere.

It was not as hot today but still kept the AC running all day.  We had a late dinner as one propane tank ran out while the casserole was cooking and I didn’t realize for a while as I was putting captions on pictures.

Aug 27^th – Tues

We are getting into quite the lazy morning routine – and enjoying it!!  Computer (games, email, blog), TV, reading and finally breakfast. 

At 1:30 we went to play golf on the “twilight” special any time after 1 for as many holes as you want - $39 for both of us with a cart.  Actually, I don’t think you can – our would want to – play this course without a cart as there are some wicked hills.  We took lots of water and there are water coolers on the course which was very nice as we dumped water on our heads, arms & legs – it was HOT.  The heat (and too many swings at the ball?!) actually got to me and for a couple of holes I played from Terry’s drive and then I didn’t play the last 2 holes.  Terry bought a new putter when we played here the first time and feels he is doing OK with it.

When we got back about 4:30, we changed into swim suits and headed to the river.  Terry even immediately waded all the way in.  Once we were cooled off, we set the chairs fairly deep in the water and watched the river traffic which was light today.

There is a bar & grill at the end of the campground – less than ¼ mile – so we brought the chairs back, got some money and walked down to check it out.  The emphasis is on the bar so we had a beer and headed back.  Terry walked in the river and I floated the whole way back.  It was wonderful.  Terry walked because he can’t float – just sinks.

Aug 22nd to 24th - Parker AZ

Aug 22^nd – Thurs – Parker

Yesterday evening we got severe weather warnings on our phones about a possible dust storm.  We switched to a weather channel and saw that the wind would probably not hit us.  But about 9 (2 hrs after the warning was cancelled) wind rocked the rig so we went outside and put our chairs away.  It didn’t blow hard for long.

We were up early but not doing too much besides TV, email, trying to figure out a couple of things on our phones and, eventually, breakfast.  We went to Parker (8 miles) and drove on the road closer to the river rather than on the highway.  There are lots of houses and scattered businesses along the road.  Our first stop in Parker was for diesel.  Then we went to the Blue Water casino – nice & cool!  I did quite well – covered our allowances, paid for something to eat and had some left over.  Terry didn’t do so well but he generally has fun.

We went to WalMart looking for swim shoes and just ended up with a few groceries.  Then we tried CVS pharmacy with no luck but next door was a clothing store (River Rags) that had what we wanted.  We stopped at the golf course on the way back to make a tee time for tomorrow morning.

We put on our suits & new shoes and headed for the river.  There were clouds so we left the umbrella behind this time.  The water felt cooler but I can’t imagine that it would change much in one day.  There are lots of wave runners and boats pulling kids on floats which are fun to watch.  Across the river (California), a burro came down to the river even though that area is solidly lined with homes.

Terry boiled & BBQ’d baby backs for dinner and finished just before it got dark which is a little after 7.

Aug 23^rd – Fri

We had a tee time at 6:45 – yes, am! – to golf at Emerald Canyon which was taking advantage of the special for $12 per person including a cart to golf the back nine before 7.  We had a quick frozen waffle before the 2 minute drive to the course. 

There was a 3-some in front of us but we were hitting multiple balls, sometimes with different clubs so we could get a feel for our new clubs.  The 17^th hole is quite different.  It is a par 4 for men (OK – white tees) and a par 3 for women (red tees).  But the white tees are 243 yards from a cliff where you have to lay up and then hit across desert and down to the green which is another 220 yards.  There is a nice approach to the green so that shot can be shorter and not in trouble.  The red tees are uphill from the cliff edge and 155 yards from the green which is “way down there”.

We had a second breakfast late in the morning before we went back to the casino.  This time it was Terry’s turn to win and he ended up with more money than I did after covering our allowance.  We went to Safeway for groceries before heading back.  We had an early dinner and then made our trip to sit in the river.  109 is very warm!  It was nice to cool down before going to bed.

Aug 24^th – Sat

We got cooled off this morning. Unfortunately it was by a downpour that hit as we were finishing the 16^th hole.  After the winding climb to the 17^th hole, we sat for a few minutes under a tree that didn’t block much blowing rain and then headed back to the clubhouse.  There is a tunnel under the highway between holes 17 & 18 so we sat there until the rain let up a bit and then made a dash for the truck, unloaded the clubs and went to the clubhouse for a cup of coffee.  By the time we finished our coffee, the rain had stopped and people were heading back onto the course but we were done.

We changed out of our wet clothes and I made breakfast.  We were able to shut off the AC and open the door when we got back but it heated up by the time we left for Parker.  We drove all over town looking for a hair salon and finally found one.  However, the only lady working today was busy so I took a card to call them on Monday.  Then of course we returned to the casino.  I figured it was time for both of us to do well but it was exactly the opposite – neither of us was lucky.  Lunch was chips & salsa/salad when we got back about 2:30.  There is a lot of traffic on the river today.

After dinner we walked to buy a couple of gallons of drinking water.  I have been complaining about the water ever since we got here and finally decided to do something about it.  On the way back we passed a couple sitting outside with their large dog who “asked” to be petted.  So we stood & chatted with them for quite a while – and I paid attention to the dog.  Unfortunately they are leaving tomorrow.  Some dark clouds provided a lovely sunset this evening.

Aug 19th to 21st - to Parker AZ

Aug 19^th – Mon – Pahrump

As usual, another change in plans.  After coffee, posting the blog, a phone call to sister Marg and breakfast, we went to the office to pay for our site.  Even with using Passport America for 3 days, a weekly rate and an 18% discount with our player’s card, it will cost $27 per day if we stay 12 days.  This and the changes at the casino made us decide to stay here for the 3 days on PA and then move on.  When we got back we started looking at a map and the internet and picked Parker AZ for the next stop.  We are hoping to stay at La Paz County RV park which is right across the highway from Emerald Canyon Golf Course.  They don’t take reservations which is why I say “hoping to stay”.  If the weather isn’t too much above 95 maybe we will even play golf!  They have an inexpensive early bird special to play the back nine with a tee time before 7.

We filled up with diesel on our way to get groceries at WalMart.  I put everything away and made salsa/salad and poached chicken for chimichangas for dinner while Terry had a little snooze.  We had an early dinner since we didn’t have lunch.  Then we were thankful for AC and watched TV – it is hot.

Aug 20^th – Tues

I went for a walk early this morning while it was not too hot – twice around the lake at the park.  Then I took the sheets to the laundry room (about 1/3 of the way around the lake), walked back to the rig and made another trip to put them in the dryer. Terry joined me to walk to get the sheets.  We decided to use points on our player’s cards for breakfast which was a good idea as we had a great breakfast for about $3.

We went into town for a few items at WalMart and Walgreens.  We had a fairly early dinner and I decided to do the rest of the laundry so I went for another walk to put it in the washers and then into the dryers.  Terry again came with me to hang & fold clothes.  When we were walking to take the clothes out, the moon was just rising and was beautiful in the reflection of the sunset.  I should have gone back for the camera as it totally disappeared behind clouds by the time we returned.

Aug 21^th – Wed – to Parker AZ

As we were getting ready to leave, I found another reason to be happy to be leaving Pahrump – tiny ants in the rig again.  We kind of forgot about getting them the last time we were here.  Luckily we still had some spray which I put on a paper towel to wipe up the little buggers.  We spoke with the lady beside us and she was very disappointed with the changes here.  She said the row of sites where we stayed would be filled with “high rollers” in the fall and predicted that they would also be unhappy.

We left about 8 while was late enough to avoid any rush hour traffic as we skirted Las Vegas.  We stopped for breakfast in Searchlight and arrived at La Paz County RV park in the early afternoon.  The camp host gave us a map, told us to drive out & find a site and then come back to pay which is exactly what we did.  We made a leap of faith and paid for 2 weeks as we wanted to stay put through the Labor Day weekend and not have to worry about finding a place to stay then.  There are more rigs here than people but I am sure that will change when the weekend arrives and for sure on the long weekend.

After a snacky lunch and setting up & watching TV, we walked the short distance to the Colorado River.  We are on the front row facing the river.  We don’t have the view through the back window but the rig faces the correct direction that we will have shade on the door side & patio in the afternoon.  Shade is going to be very important – it got to 109 today.

When we were at the river we saw a couple a ways down who were sitting in the river in camp chairs with a big umbrella.  We immediately went back to change into bathing suits, get chairs & a big golf umbrella and make a drink.  The water is a perfect temperature – no gasping to get in but refreshing.  There is a current of course but I know I could swim to shore if I did get out a ways.  There are sharp little pebbles on the gradually sloping bottom which got into the sandals that we wore so tomorrow we will go shopping for stretchy beach shoes.  We will definitely be repeating this procedure!

Aug 16th to 18th - CO to NV

Aug 16^th – Fri – Longmont

Suz had to do a couple of haircuts this morning and Larry had some work to do so I had time to finally catch up the blog.  We went to their house shortly after 11, chatted while they finished their chores and had a quick lunch and then went sightseeing again.

We drove through the Prospect housing development which was interesting.  There is a wide range of building styles and the background provided by Larry makes it more fun.  Then we went to the Leanin’ Tree (greeting cards) facility.  They have a big outdoor area with bronze statues that are wonderful.  There is also a full-sized horse welded from pieces of everything including nuts & bolts, farm machinery parts, and hay forks for the mane & tail.  Inside, of course they have lots of cards & such for sale but they also have art galleries up & down with more sculptures as well as great paintings.  Loved it!

Our next stop was quite close at Celestial Seasonings which specializes in tea.  We shopped a bit and then went to the next building for tea tasting but passed on the tour.  Now it was on to Chautauqua Park which is up a mountain and provides amazing views of Boulder and a peek of Longmont in the distance.  We walked to an amphitheater where people were setting up for a wedding.  On the way back down the hill we went through a housing development which included a lot of rental cabins.

We carried on to Pearl Street in Boulder which has a pedestrian mall for several blocks and which offers street entertainment on Fridays.  We found a parking spot a couple of blocks away and started wandering, “shopping” & people watching.  When David & Docma called, we met them and decided on a place for dinner.  We ate on a rooftop patio with misters as it was still very warm.  We did some more wandering after dinner and paused to watch a couple of street performers.  Of course the people watching was the most entertaining.

After hugging Larry & Suz goodbye, we headed back to the rig.  We got back shortly after 9, directed the AC to the bedroom and relaxed with TV & a book.

Aug 17^th – Sat – to Salina UT

We were on the road at 8:30 after dumping the tanks.  Of course we could not make the turn into the dump station as we came out of the RV spot so Terry had to turn around and come in from the road.

I took lots of pictures as we drove through scenic Glenwood Canyon.  Larry recommended a stop at Glenwood Springs (hot spring pools) but as we approached the town we saw nothing but full parking lots and kept going.  Also, according to some information that Suz printed from the internet, it costs close to $20 per person to use the pools and reviews on RV parks were not encouraging – both $$ and facilities.  We stopped down the road for fuel for the truck & for us and kept driving on great roads at high altitudes.

We stopped for the night in Salina UT.  The GPS took us right past the RV park and we didn’t notice the hard-to-read sign.  Terry did notice the RV park so we returned and discovered it was the park we were looking for!  We didn’t have to unhook in the long pull-through and since we had a late lunch we settled for a drink, dessert and a walk around the park.

Aug 18^th – Sun – to Pahrump NV

It didn’t take long to unhook the electricity & water, pull in the slides and get on the road.   We quickly got into typical, amazing Utah scenery with colored cliffs & canyons.  There are a lot of view pullouts on the road and we stopped at one for yet more photos. 

A display on the truck indicated that our coolant was low so I looked through the manual for advice – type of coolant – and we pulled into a station for diesel.  We bought a gallon of coolant ($20!) but when Terry went to put it in he found the reservoir was full!  We thought we could eat as well but the available restaurant didn’t open until 10 so we hit the road.  When we got out of the canyons, the wind started and we actually had to slow down several times as we were getting blown around a lot.

We stopped at Mesquite NV which of course was to visit a new casino and finally get something to eat.  We had to walk halfway down a large parking lot to buy a parking ticket and then waited in line for a player’s card and received travel mugs for joining.  After eating, we played the slots a bit.

As we were going up the entrance ramp to the freeway, we heard a HUGE bang and a metallic clank.  I thought we blew a tire but Terry said it was the engine as we had no power.  He realized the engine was still running so he quickly pulled to the edge of the road, checked under the hood and found a large hose had come apart.  He decided to continue as long as the engine was running and try to get off the ramp/freeway.  I searched the GPS and found a diesel repair place in Mesquite.  We got on the freeway, drove 2 miles to the next exit, got back on the freeway to the first exit and then less than a mile to the repair shop – all at 10 MPH max with the engine whistling.  We found the shop with a large parking spot at the curb, found a phone number on a company truck for 24 hour service and called.  The guy said to give him 20 minutes and actually arrived in 15.  He found a very sturdy clamp to replace the one that gave way on the hose and made a quick fix.  If it wasn’t for the $75 “Sunday” charge, it would have been really cheap!

As we approached Las Vegas, we saw clouds & then lightning.  Since it was Sunday, the traffic through Vegas wasn’t bad.  We got some rain and saw white “clouds” towards Pahrump which we finally identified as blowing dust.  We arrived at the RV park just before 3 (PDT) which was lucky as the office closed at 3.  We thought we would stay here for a month until the guy said they were totally full for Labor Day weekend.  He found a site for 12 days and said come in tomorrow to pay.

We had some trees that we thought might block the satellite but it all turned out OK and we got set up.  I think we were tired as we did the worst job in years of parking & leveling.  Good thing it was too hot for neighbors to be sitting outside.

After a drink we went the casino to get player’s cards and check out the slots.  It didn’t take long to discover that they are not the same as the last time we were here.  There are new owners so we might be happy that we can’t stay a month.  I made dinner and we called it a day.

Aug 11th to 15th - WY to CO

Aug 11^th – Sun - to Cheyenne

We fueled up on the way out of town for the 3 hour or so drive to Cheyenne.  We didn’t plan too well and settled on an A&W for a mediocre lunch.  We pulled into the Jolley Roger RV Sales & Park where there were a few rigs lined up to use a dump station.  The night registration didn’t have the rate on the paper so after talking to a couple of people we just found a site and set up.  We have an appointment tomorrow to have our slide adjusted here so we figured we would pay in the morning.

I puttered around doing some rearranging & cleaning before settling down with a book.  Terry wandered around & chatted with a neighbor and then watched TV.  We haven’t stopped for groceries for a while but I found chicken thighs in the freezer and we had a nice dinner.
 

Aug 12^th – Mon

Ann called this morning and we decided to go golfing.  First we had to check in with the service department and get everything set up.  We called Ann back and decided to golf early, come here to pay for the repair and then go to dinner.  By the time we packed up the rig and parked it in front of the shop, Bruce & Ann arrived to pick us up.

We golfed at the Airport Golf Course which is not far from here and is the course they play regularly - at least 3 times a week for Bruce and once a week for Ann.  Dark clouds started forming when we were still on the front 9, we heard thunder about hole 11, had a few raindrops on 13 and had to leave the course when we finished 16 as the horn sounded to indicate bad weather.  Until we drove back it still remained warm.  We decided not to wait to see if we could finish and went into the bar for a drink.  We ended up having a couple of drinks to let a downpour pass by before going to the car.

We went back to the RV shop, paid for the repair & 2 night’s stay, put the rig back & set it up minimally.  Then Bruce took us to a restaurant for dinner.  Ann ordered Rocky Mountain Oysters so now we can say we tried them.  I can’t say that they had a distinctive flavor but we wouldn’t hesitate to eat them again.  Of course, anything deep fried can’t be too bad!

We decided not to stay another day and hugged goodbye when Bruce delivered us back to our site.

Aug 13^th – Tues – to Longmont CO

We had less than 100 miles to drive today so we didn’t have to get up at the crack of dawn – like that ever happens!  We planned on going to the Boulder Elks lodge but then we saw a sign for the Boulder County campground at the fairgrounds just out of Longmont and changed our minds.  We had actually decided to go to the fairgrounds before picking the Elks and just made another of our instant decisions.

There weren’t many vehicles in the pull-throughs for larger rigs and we found one that did not have a reserved sign on it.  The off ice is closed on Tues & Wed so I went to self-register while Terry started setting up.  As we were driving, I called Suz (of Larry & Suz in VVV) to tell her we were in town.  She & Larry were with their son at a soft opening of a Cabela’s in Denver so they invited us over for pizza on the deck for dinner.

We did some shopping, relaxed for a bit with TV & reading and then followed the GPS instructions to their house which is less than 2 miles from the fairgrounds.  We had a great evening on the deck as promised.

Aug 14^th – Wed

Larry & Suz picked us up at 9 for a day of sightseeing.  We headed for the Peak to Peak drive but Larry took us through lots of interesting places on the way.  He is an excellent tour guide and it is obvious that they love and are justifiably proud of Longmont and the surrounding area.  We stopped at Camp St. Malo Catholic center and took pictures of the exterior of the lovely stone church.  The church is normally open but wasn’t today.  We took many pictures of the highest peak you can see from this area which is Longs Peak.  We went into a federal recreation area (can’t remember the name) where we saw 2 moose right beside the road.  Their antlers were still in velvet and they looked very healthy with glossy coats.  There was a very cool breeze and Suz’s knee has been bothering her so it wasn’t hard to say no to any hikes.  We stopped in Nederland for lunch.  The first restaurant we chose had only one server and we finally left when she didn’t get back to take our order.  There was another place a couple of doors down and we had a light lunch.  One of Nederland’s “oddities” is the frozen man.  When an eccentric resident passed away many years ago, he wanted to be frozen and is still kept in dry ice.  The town uses this unusual “resident” as a theme for annual events.  We toured Boulder and stopped at the Elks so we could check out their RV parking.  David & Dagmar (pronounced Docma) who were at VVV last winter are staying there and were home so we got to meet them and their 2 Westies.

Larry & Suz dropped us off shortly after 4.  I got our laundry together as Suz insisted that we do it at their house.  We put together our drink bag, added salad ingredients and went to their place at 5 for dinner.  We were joined at 6 by Larry & Norma (also from VVV) and David and Dagmar.  Larry & Norma live nearby in Jownstown and stayed across from us the first year that we stayed at VVV.  We were amazed when we realized it was 10:40 and we were still sitting outside talking non-stop.  Larry did bring out jackets to throw over our shoulders but it was very pleasant and a great evening.

Aug 15^th – Thurs

I put a pork roast in the crockpot before our chauffeur and tour guides showed up again this morning at 9.  Suz also provided coffee both days!  We headed towards Blackhawk but with detours to see more of the area.  Blackhawk is a gold mining town that has been resurrected with casinos.  Larry & Suz are not gamblers but love to wander through the town & casinos.  We parked and then walked to 4 casinos – and got more player’s cards!  Terry did better than I did but we ended up losing.

We made a loop and came back through Boulder which was a faster route.  We were going out in the evening and had to have an early dinner at our place.  Larry dropped Suz off at their house before bringing us back.  I had time to cook sweet potatoes and make a salad to go along with the roast before they returned.

After dinner we went to Niwot which is a small town a few miles away.  Every Thursday at 6:30 during the summer there is music at a bandstand and dancing on the concrete slab in front of it.  Everyone takes their folding chairs and there is beer, wine and food to purchase.  Attendees in the know discreetly take a drink in with them but bags are checked.  People watching was every bit as entertaining as the music.  A train went past and everyone stood up, turned around and waved to the engineer.  A noise ordinance requires that music stops and everyone is gone by 9 which was OK with us as it was another busy day.

Aug 7th to 10th - Idaho to Wyoming

Aug 7^th – Wed – to Hagerman

We headed east through Burns, Ontario & Boise and ended up near Hagerman at a marginal RV park that was Passport America and inexpensive which was good since we ended up there in time for dinner.  They were proud of their shade trees but we selected a site that let us put up the satellite dish and avoid the trees!  I had to turn off the fan pulling air into the bedroom part way through the night as it was pulling in a lot of feed lot odor.   An uneventful travel day.

Aug 8^th – Thurs – to Pocatello

We got a reasonably early start and continued east towards Pocatello.  Shortly after a detour onto the westbound lanes to allow for road resurfacing, a car pulled up beside us with the passenger window rolled down and told us we had a tire going bad on the 5^th wheel.  They pulled ahead of us, pulled onto the shoulder and we followed.  The guy worked for a Les Shwab and had noticed a bulge inside the rear left tire.  We contemplated changing the tire on the highway and the guy offered to help – how nice!  But we said we would drive slowly and see if there was an exit that would be safer.  We were so pleased to see a rest area about 2 miles further.  We put on the spare and I got on the GPS & phone trying to find a new tire with no luck.  A shop in Pocatello said they could get one tomorrow so we headed there.  Unfortunately, the employee who told us that had not checked far enough and they could not get the tire for several days.

It was mid-afternoon by now so we continued on to a casino just north of Pocatello which was our original destination.  We pulled into a spot in the RV park, checked the service desk and found out everything was reserved.  So, back to the RV park, go to the service station next door for DEF, put in one jug, park in non-overnight RV parking and head back into the casino.

The time in the casino followed the rest of our day!  We headed back towards Pocatello where I had found a city park just past the city to stay for the night.  The sky was ugly and a sudden HUGE gust of wind hit us.  We saw a sign right after for an RV park at the next exit which is where we went.  Their business is obviously people passing through as the after-hours instructions showed 20 sites or more for overnight stays.  It was a nice place with little freeway noise.  We got a spot, set up, paid and crashed.

Aug 9^th – Fri – to Wyoming

Another “reasonably” early start (8:30) heading east to Wyoming.  We were tossing around ideas for tires when we saw a tire shop right along the highway in Soda Springs and pulled in.  We had talked about just getting a same size, non-matching tire for the spare and have the matching tire on the spare mounted on the “fancy” rim.  That is what we ended up doing here.  The people in the shop were very nice and got the new tire swapped & mounted in short order.

Now we were feeling better since we had a spare tire and started looking for a place to eat breakfast.  We were not exactly in a highly populated area of Idaho/Wyoming and ended up finding a place in Cokeville WY.  It was almost noon so we had to settle for lunch.

In Green River WY we stopped at an information center for Flaming Gorge.  We decided to stay overnight at the first RV area in the park and headed south.  We actually ended up at a private RV park rather than the federal RV park just down the road.

We set up and then headed out in the truck to see the sites.  We were happy that we didn’t go further to find an RV site as there are some very steep hills – both up & down.  We drove for many miles before we saw scenery that was worth the drive and then it was really worth the drive as the gorge starts to appear.  The colors on the hills were wonderful and as we climbed switchbacks the views were amazing.  We went to the Red Canyon visitor center, saw the most incredible views out their windows and discovered that the battery on the camera was dead.  We went back to the truck to get a phone or tablet for pictures and found that we had our portable battery pack with us which worked just fine on the camera.  We walked to a couple of viewpoints which were slightly scary as they were right on the edge of the canyon but had superb views.  We had to put up with intermittent rain but it was all worth it.

I felt sorry for Terry having to drive from Idaho and then drive through the park but we made plans to visit friends in Cheyenne so don’t have too much time to lollygag.  I made dinner when we got back and we relaxed.

Aug 10^th – Sat – to Casper WY

It was hot & sunny when we left and headed north out of the Flaming Gorge area and then north to Riverton for a casino fix.  We are at the high elevations common to most of Wyoming and it was strange to see a continental divide sign on a flat area.  The roads were great with little traffic.  We saw in the atlas that Wyoming is the 9^th  state in land area and 50^th in population which was supported by the few towns & houses along our route.

We got coupons at the Flaming Gorge visitor center for the casino so we both had $15 free play on our cards and $5 towards lunch which was the first thing we did and it was very good.  I won some money on the first machine I played so we gambled until 5:30 without spending too much.

We now headed east to Casper.  Again, good roads and few vehicles so we made good time.  There was a cross wind most of the way which we really noticed when a big truck passed us.  We got one of the last sites at Fort Casper Campground.  It was a nice big pull-through so didn’t take long to set up.

Aug 3rd to 6th - Eugene to La Pine OR

Aug 3^rd – Sat - Eugene

After lazing around and having breakfast, we went back to Fiddler’s Green but this time to play their 18 hole par 3 course.  We started on the back nine as it was open and a couple of groups let us play through so it didn’t take too long.  We could still hit multiple balls which was a really good way to try out our new clubs.

We needed some booze and asked the starter at the golf course where you can buy it in Oregon.  He thought it was available in stores and suggested Costco which we knew was nearby.  We used the GPS first to find a liquor store and there was no store when we arrived at the address.  We tried another GPS address and this time found a “moved to” sign.  After a stop at WalMart, we went to Costco and found just wine & beer.  We asked a guy working at Costco and he said there was a liquor store beside Fred Meyer.  Success!  We did get to see quite a bit of the area!

By now it was time to settle in for HH, dinner & TV.

Aug 4^th – Sun – to La Pine

We left at 8:30 and were going to take a longer route through Sisters as Terry figured it was more scenic.  Then I suggested taking the longer Hwy 58 route and make a trip with just the truck to sightsee in the Sisters area.  Terry agreed and we were able to make a couple of turns to end up on Hwy 58.  It turned out to be a lovely road with little traffic.  There was one construction area with a pilot car – yes, even on Sunday – but again the lack of traffic resulted in getting through the short stretch quickly.

We go to Cascade Meadows RV resort before the office opened at noon but someone got us a spot and we set up.  All the sites are long pull-throughs and the entire park is grass.  By the time we set up and had lunch, the office was open and would could pay.  We went a few miles back to La Pine and got diesel and then found a nearby golf course that has a reduced twilight rate starting at 2.  By now it was 1 so we made a tee time.  The guy suggested that we could get our stuff on the cart & putt for a bit and then he could get us on the course early.

It is quite obvious that we need practice on the golf course.  We haven’t been playing much and we could put some of the blame on new clubs but that wouldn’t be entirely true.  On the first hole I was walking back to the cart and noticed wasps going into a nest/hole in the ground.  Before I could react and give them a wide berth, I was stung on my toe.  I didn’t have much swelling but it hurt for the whole game.

When we got back to the park, Terry put out chairs and the BBQ while I started boiling baby backs.  We are situated so the rig provides afternoon shade on the door side and we enjoyed sitting outside.  It was hot however and we moved inside to eat as the AC had cooled the rig down.

Aug 5^th – Mon

Today was a day for sightseeing.  We took the road from right beside the RV park towards the Newburg Caldera but after a few miles of nothing we turned around.  We went to Bend and did a bit of shopping including the Outlet mall.  We stopped at Sunriver for more browsing.  We went to the Lava Cave attraction, used our federal pass for admittance and rented a kerosene lantern to go into the cave.  I went back to the truck to get jackets as it is 40 degrees in the cave.  We headed into the cave and met some groups coming out.  It was indeed totally dark without a lantern.  The path is very uneven with large rocks but luckily has a handrail on one side.  We didn’t go very far when we decided that what you might be able to see was not worth the chance of stumbling on the path and we headed back out. 

We went past the RV park to La Pine and picked up a few groceries.  Then we spotted a DQ which I had mentioned sometime earlier and had to stop for ice cream.  The rest of the day was similar to yesterday and the day before – HH, dinner & TV.

Aug 6^th – Tues

We watched TV until late last night so got up late today.  I gave Terry a haircut, looked after emails and made a late breakfast.  Then we went back to Bend to find a golf store that we had seen advertised.  We didn’t have to buy anything there and stopped at Sears & Kohls for 1 purchase.  By now it was 1:30 so we headed back to the golf course and got a 2:20 tee time for twilight golf.  At 2:30 an employee came out and said he was waiting for another twosome to join us but they had not showed up.  He said we could start on the back 9 and follow another twosome which wouldn’t be as slow as the front nine.  When we came around, a single guy was right in front of us and eventually held up by a threesome.  The single guy decided to look for golf balls in the woods and let us go ahead.  We only had a couple more holes and we were done.  Same as yesterday – we need more practice and more playing to build up stamina.  My perfect golf course would be 13 holes!

I made a salad to have with a drink and decided to put a couple loads of laundry in the nearby laundry room before dinner.  After dinner it was time to put the clothes in the dryers and we were done.

There was a beautiful sunset tonight.  I got the camera from the truck, took some pictures, put the camera back in the truck and sat back down to work on the blog.  Now the sunset was even more gorgeous so I had to repeat the procedure.

July 31st to Aug 2nd - Florence to Eugene

July 31^st – Wed

I caught up on expenses on the computer which is always “interesting” and sometimes surprising.  After a late breakfast we went to do laundry.  While the clothes were washing, we went next door to a huge Ace Hardware store and found a few items that we needed.

We put everything away and then went to old town to browse all the shops before going back to the rig for dinner & TV. 

Aug 1^st – Thurs

We decided to stay another night and go back up the coast to check out sights that we can’t always stop at when we are towing the 5^th wheel.  Unfortunately, we woke to rain!  I switched to entering & printing recipes on the computer which ended up taking a lot of the morning.  Good thing our satellite dish gives Terry quite a bit to watch on TV.

We finally had another late breakfast and went for a drive.  The first detour to a park & beach was long not very scenic.  Florence is about sand dunes and not accessible beaches.  The clouds & fog were lifting so we continued on up 101.  Very soon, the fog was back so we turned around.

We stopped at Fred Meyer for some groceries and had to check out other departments as they had a lot of things on clearance and then another 50% off.  Too bad we don’t need much.  I made a snack with the last of our crab meat and then we settled in for HH & finally dinner.  We did make a short trip to find a dump station for tomorrow.  

Aug 2^nd – Fri – to Eugene

We packed up and went to dump our tanks before we hit the road (Hwy 126) east towards Eugene.  Terry was looking through a magazine when we were doing laundry and found a large golf store that does club fitting and figured we needed to check it out since new clubs were on our do-list. 

The skies cleared as we travelled the short 70 miles to our destination – Premier RV park.  The road was lovely with light traffic.  The park will be full tomorrow so rather than move to a different site tomorrow, we are staying in an overflow area with electric only which, at a much lower rate, is just fine.  We set up and headed to the golf store.

Terry couldn’t find the address in the GPS and ended up with just Hwy 99.  We drove sort of the wrong way before I figured it out what he had done and found the store (by spelling!) in the GPS. 

We were helped by a nice young man (aren’t all salespeople young now?!) and took several clubs and buckets of balls to the driving range right behind the store.  It is really nice to be able to try clubs on a range rather than hitting into a net.  Once we both decided on clubs, he checked the length & angle and found we were both OK without changes.  I also wanted a driver & 3 wood so that called for another round of hitting.

We were starving by the time we got out of there and as we were looking for somewhere to eat we saw Dick’s sporting goods.  We stopped to look for golf bags – no good – and then spotted a Super Cuts for a long overdue haircut for me.

I decided to make a burger at the rig rather than grabbing something out so we headed back.  It was after 4 by the time we ate so we accompanied the meal with a drink and then relaxed.  At 6 we made a second drink and went to the pool area of the park for their happy hour.  You bring a drink and they provide snacks.  The snacks turned out to be substantial enough for a meal.  Terry eventually had a hot dog and some chili but I was still full and only tried some great smoked salmon.  We chatted with 2 couples – Ed & Diane from Fallon NV and Ed & Marsha from Bozeman MT – and really enjoyed the sunshine.