Rocky Mountain High

Today was an early rise so we could go to Rocky Mountain National Park, south west of Fort Collins/Wellington where we spent the night. Oh, it was SO worth it! We had explored the southwest corner of Colorado on a previous trip where we saw Four Corners, Mesa Verde, and stayed in Durango. That's where I learned I liked mango Margaritas...

The Rockies are not like the mountains back home, they are sharp and many snow capped. There were breathtaking views around every bend. The primary vegetation at sub-alpine levels were spruce; we opened the windows to take in the fragrance!

Some of the road was in poor condition and we had been warned about construction delays. None today with half hour stops...nor was there bumper to bumper traffic that we had been cautioned about. Many of the pull off areas were utilized as storage for roadwork machinery and supplies. There are fewer stops that can accommodate larger vehicles like RV's. That meant fewer photo ops.

After the harrowing drive to the top which is over two miles in elevation, Skip announced that we were NOT going back the way we came. It was a result of the condition of the road with many ruts and bumps that made steering hard. It was a good call because the condition of the road out the other way was resurfaced and much nicer.

We were also rewarded with a herd of elk, including some bucks. (or is it like moose: bulls?) Skip had been joking that they were as fictitious as jackalopes as we hadn't seen any either trip to Colorado.

The Continental Divide was marked several places along our route. The sign in the park indicated which side drained into the Atlantic and which went to the Pacific. Hard to believe that the watershed is so huge and the divide is so far away from either ocean.

The road back to Wyoming also offered beautiful vistas; we passed several large lakes and wove through mountain passes. I was surprised that both in the park and on this road there were people on bicycles with all their gear. I'm sure they thought we were the crazy ones in the RV. It looked like too much hard work to be fun. When the rain started I pitied them, when the pea sized hail came down I knew that had to hurt when it hit their backs!

Another plus of the long trip back to the interstate was that we witnessed a pronghorn crossing the road and running between the wires of the cattle fence. Both of us expected it to go over the fence. Beautiful creatures...

The driving yesterday amounted to almost 500 miles. We were driving west toward the setting sun and unable to read signs until Skip had enough and we stopped for dinner. By the time we got to the KOA it was midnight. I had joked as we passed an oil refinery that I hoped the campground wasn't near it. As we got off the next exit, made a right, then a second right my fears were realized we were right behind the oil refinery. They didn't have an envelope with our name and reserved site hanging with the others, so we took on of the two sites left. The entire place was stones, not gravel, larger stones...no vegetation, no trees. I said to Skip: "All that's missing is the train" and sure enough the train whistle sounded! We were so tired we slept without leveling the RV or hooking up the water or sewer.

In the morning the view of the hills surrounding the place WAS beautiful. It was a dessert, so that's why there was nothing green. I would NOT recommend that place, even though it was clean and the people were nice. They said someone took the site they had reserved for us, they were going to make sure they paid!

This afternoon we arrived in Montpelier, Idaho. It is beautiful here, but I will save that for another post!

From Trepidation to Serendipity

As previously posted we stayed at Devils Tower an extra day. Not obsessed with the Tower-no mashed potato sculptures-just needed to send a few post cards, download some photos, and add to the blog. The stay also gave Skip an opportunity to take his guitar to the community campfire where he sang and yodeled. It was a lot of fun!

Finally relaxed and totally into the trip I wanted to do some planning. Realizing that we had no reservations until Monday made me nervous. I did not want to sleep in a Walmart parking lot again (weren't too many around these parts) nor did I want to sleep on the side of the road. Pouring over a map with KOA directory in hand we planned the days until we check in Flagg Ranch. The only glitch was there was no KOA in western Nebraska. There were several state parks, but no ability to make reservations.

So with trepidation we left Wyoming yesterday to drive to Nebraska. Chadron State Park had an overnight opening for a bargain price of $21. It was pleasant enough; shaded, electric, and a long haul to the showers.

Prior to finding the campground we located a Walmart Superstore where we filled the cart with fruit and veggies! A vegetarian could starve to death in South Dakota and Wyoming. I love buffalo, but there was a craving for fish and veggies. Dinner was pasta with zucchini, mushrooms, onions and garlic. Yum!

We work early, broke camp (lifted the hydraulics) drove to the shower, then got on the road. We decided to see a portion of western Nebraska en route to Colorado, our next KOA reservation. Most of Nebraska was pretty flat with some rolling hills.

In the distance rose some bluffs, growing ever larger as we approached. Signs indicated that it was Scott's Bluff, a National Monument. Until we arrived we had no idea of the historical significance of this location. This was part of the Oregon Trail! We hiked a bit of it and listened at length to a history lesson offered by the Park Ranger we met along the way. Prior to this encounter I thought of Park Rangers as naturalists; this guy was a historian full of information about the Oregon Trail, Civil War, and the Pony Express which also passed through Mitchell's Pass. He tied the Pony Express to the Civil War as it was integral in keeping California informed of the situation and helped it be a free state. Fascinating and totally unplanned; hence the serendipity. It was important to us to leave room for that in our trip. Today was a win.

Close Encounters...

I sit here with a view of Devils Tower from my campsite. How cool is that? For those of you close to my age you will remember "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" from the 70's. Great movie, saw it on a big screen in downtown Philly. I knew then that I would want to see it for real.

As we drove up the highway and could see it growing larger the closer we got I realized how enormous it really is. Walking around the base of it was a humbling experience. This is a sacred site to the Native Americans and there were signs not to disturb the prayer bundles and cloths tied to trees.

Again, pictures do not do it justice; you have to be at the base and look up to totally understand and feel the power of the earth. The time of day and direction of the lighting impacts the view as it does in the Badlands and Grand Canyon. I woke early today to see it in the early sunlight. I hope to stay up tonight late enough to see if the stellar show is equally impressive.

They show the movie every night at 9 at an outdoor venue here at the park. The movie was filmed here at the campground as well as on the Tower. Skip has never seen it so we just might go...

Stopping to catch my breath!

Although it has only been a few days since I last posted, we have done so much that it seems like a week has gone by.

We revisited Mt. Rushmore by full light of day and the difference was remarkable. While still impressive, the beauty was gone. The soft lighting of the setting sun gave depth and beauty; now it was just carved rock. We did go back a few days later to catch the sunrise as my friend, Gloria Peck, suggested. Again the soft light of the rising sun as it struck the faces made them art. I took a photograph in the sunrise that mimics the color of my first view, but the background sky was grey, not lavender and pink. It's OK, I have the memory and maybe when I get home I can photoshop the picture to replicate the one in my head. Modern technology!

Technology has been a challenge on this trip. Being spoiled by always being connected either by cell phone or Internet has made me cranky when there are problems with that connectivity. I have seen people with laptops in arms walking to find a connection. Who would have thought that camping would include a need for speed. The KOA campgrounds offer WiFi, but it is often slow with frequent drops.

After visiting Mt. Rushmore we went to Crazy Horse Monument. This unfinished sculpture is of Chief Crazy Horse on his stallion. The model on display is beautiful; the mountain, a work in progress. I liked this for a number of reasons. The artist who was self taught and of Polish descent, was asked by the great chiefs to immortalize Crazy Horse so others knew that there were Native heroes as well as the white men on Mt. Rushmore. The Black Hills belong to The People, so it makes sense that one would be immortalized there.

The following day we took the rental car on a road trip into the Badlands. This included a long stretch of gravel road (boy was the car dirty when we were done.) through native lands that looked like another planet. Again no matter how many photos I would take or buy, no justice is done to the true beauty of the place. Some formations looked like sand castles. The weather was changeable that day making the sky in the background interesting as it went from blue to ominous clouds.

Our last day in South Dakota we drove to Custer State Park where we were greeted and wowed by the wildlife. Up close and personal with bison; we watched mothers with the calves romping across the road, a bull rolling in the dirt to help him shed his winter coat, and another blocking traffic trying to cross a one lane bridge. There were wild donkeys and mules who knew how to work the crowd. It was like they were ticket takers standing in the road approaching each car for a hand out. The best was an SUV with one donkey in the front window and one in the back. There were signs about not feeding the wildlife, but I guess the people couldn't read any better than the jackasses. We also saw a few prairie dog towns. As a child I remember them at the Philadelphia Zoo. My mom said they made me laugh. It was fun to see them in a natural habitat.

We ventured to Wind Cave, a National Park. Only one tour was left, so we took it and enjoyed it very much. There were formations in this cave called boxwork that is rare in other places around the world. As a "dry" cave there were not the requisite stalactites and stalagmites. We were more than 17 stories below ground. Much of the cave has still not been explored.

Above ground was more wildlife. So cool that the National Park had two levels to enjoy and explore.

Tuesday was a dreary drizzly day. We broke camp which would have made me sad if the trip were ending, but we were leaving for another great adventure. We drove to Deadwood, SD, just to say we were there and then to Devils Tower, Wyoming.

Friday was a very long traveling day. We set out from south of Souix City, Iowa to travel north to South Dakota and across the state to Mt. Rushmore KOA. The winds across South Dakota praire was gale-like. When Skip asked a store clerk if it was always this windy, she replied that it was; only changed directions. We never would have set out in our boat on such a day. It wasn't bad with a tail wind, but once we headed west, the cross wind made keeping the RV on the road an exercise in constant steering. The ride was further complicated by intervals of road construction where the traffic was one lane, each way. No worries, they reduced the speed limit to 65!

The wind created a dance of prairie grasses that was beautiful to watch; rolling waves of grain. The prairie gave way to rolling hills after crossing the Missouri River which bisects the state. We got peeks of the Badlands, but exploring that would have to wait for another day. We have many miles to cover including a stop at the Rapid City Airport to pick up a rental car before we can rest.

The scenery was different in South Dakota which made the ride more interesting. There were also hundreds of signs advertising Wall Drug. Since we had to stop for gas anyway, it made sense to drive the four extra blocks to visit the famous landmark and stop for a free glass of ice water. I was moved by the story of the founding family, a young struggling couple trying to make a living during very bad times. The wife, an English teacher, got the idea to give away free ice water to hot and weary travellers. The business took off and years later it is a city block of touristy shops, silly photo ops, and the best ice cream!

Getting a rental car meant that I would do some driving. Not that Skip didn't offer to let me drive the RV, but my answer was always in Nebraska, where it is flat and there is no traffic. We'll see...

I did drive from the airport to the campground which was on the road past Mt. Rushmore. As the sun was setting and the colors of the sky were pinks and purples I rounded a bend and saw it. The stone sculptures were lavender grey and were breathtaking. At first I wasn't sure that I was looking at the real thing. I was awed by what I previously thought was a defaced mountain. In the setting sun I saw it as a work of art.

When we returned the next day, the full sun showed the harsher profiles we are familiar with through photos. I am not sorry we went back, but wish the picture in my head was the one recorded by my camera. It was truly beautiful.

We were disappointed to learn that the fireworks display would not take place due to dead and dying trees which would be a tinderbox. There is a light show at night, but we had no desire to return to that. We still hope to catch the sunrise there on Tuesday morning before we leave the Black Hills.

Technical difficulties

My cell phone works at the campsite, but the WiFi does not. The WiFi works at the "commercial area" of the KOA campground, but my cell phone does not. Makes staying connected difficult. Sorry I haven't been posting about my wonderful adventures.

A Day of "Almosts"

We arrived in St. Louis to do some sightseeing. The first "almost" was finding the special parking lot for RV's. We followed the directions and ended up at a road blocked by a large concrete barrier- so high we couldn't see over it. So we drove around and around St. Louis looking for a place to park. There was a Cardinals game so the town was wearing red, not Phillies red, Cards red..and not many parking options. Skip asked a parking attendant who would let us park there for $60 bucks, but gave directions to a free lot farther away from the stadium, close enough for the Arch. We found a place to park and walked toward the Riverwalk...to find that it was quite flooded. The mighty Mississippi had overtaken about a block of the tourist area along its banks. Letting the humans know who is boss. We walked to the water so Skip could touch it and I could take a photo. None of the water activities were running, no riverboat tour today. (Almost #2) We understood why the parking lot was blocked, the street, which ran along the river was flooded.



After a brief view of the Arch and a few photos, we looked for a restaurant and found an Irish Pub. I had the best pulled lamb sandwich! (OK, it was my ONLY pulled lamb sandwich, hadn't eaten lamb since I was an honorary Armenian in high school.) Washed it down with a Harp, also good. Skip had salmon and iced tea since he was driving.



Back on the road we hadn't gotten far out of St. Louis when a tire from a semi jumped the median and careened toward us! Neither we nor the car in the next lane hit it! (Almost #3, or miracle #1, depending on your point of view.) A little nerve rattling, but a prayer of thanks was offered.

Not getting much further down the road, I fell asleep and was awakened by Skip saying, "I just got pulled over by a cop and I have no idea why.." Uh oh...

He got out of the RV and spent a long time talking to the officer. Then a second officer came up and I was asked to come out. They asked a lot of questions about where we were going and about our plans. What I didn't know at the time was that they had already asked Skip if we had any guns, drugs, or large sums of money. Skip's answer of we don't own guns, have prescriptions for any drug with us and had about $500 between us, drew an amused, "we are looking for thousands, not hundreds." Then one asked if he could go inside to check. Forget about the 4th Amendment and search warrants! We were so rattled that neither of us thought a second before we gave permission. Nothing was found, of course, and we were sent on our way with a handshake and very frazzled nerves. (almost #4) No ticket, no traffic violation, no warning, just: "have a nice trip you seem like nice people..." They were not bullying nor rude, just doing their job. Don't know who they were looking for, but glad it wasn't us. Next time I teach about the 4th amendment, I have a story to tell.

Almost #5 came when we tried to get on the internet to make reservations for a campsite, and couldn't log in at McDonalds #1 and Almost # 6 was the second attempt at McDonalds #2.

We were also planning to find Jack Stack for barbeque, Kansas City style. That takes care of Almost #7 and #8. We stopped at another McDonalds in KC but a woman in a van identifying herself as with the police department told us we were in an unsafe neighborhood and we needed to leave! She gave us the address of Jack Stack in downtown KC, but we drove around and around and never found it. Ended up in Kansas...

So today is sunny and bright, the corn in Kansas is higher. We made reservations on the KOA free WiFi for tonight in Iowa. Maybe we'll buy some corn for dinner.