This is a collection of stories that happen in my life. Enjoy life and make the most of every moment.
Lora and I decided to head to Panther Creek State Park to do some hiking. They have a lot of trails here that go all over. Most of them are short but there are a lot of loops. We had stayed one night here before, but it was inroute to the AT and never got to check out the park. We really enjoyed it. We saw lots of deer in the hills. It would be a great place to canoe as well.
This year with the Covid 19 lots of things were different including Christmas. The family get to gethers were different. Our first gathering was at Lora's Dad and Moms' with Mitsi and Paul as well as Nick and Amy on video. We had dinner and opened gifts this way.
Our second gathering was at the cousins' house which was more normal with everyone getting together.
Our third gathering was at Uncle Rick and Aunt Lindas' house with Dad, Mom, and Austin. Once again the family had a zoom meeting later that evening to visit.
Lora and I went to the Head of the Sequatchie to find that Cumberland trail. We followed the Southern loop that went past the campsite before. It was a mess and ended shortly after the campground. This time we did the Northern part of the loop. It is in a lot better shape and has a few nice bridges. It goes a lot further up the mountain as well. It is a shame to see trail sitting like this not being used. Hopefully they will get the rest of it built soon.
Did a little trail maintenance on the McGill Creek Segment today. We hiked in from Downey View Road and went down near the bridge. We were very happy to see the work that they have done from McGill Creek Falls to the bridge. Beautiful section of trail.
Lora and I headed to the Piney River Segment of the Cumberland Trail today. We hiked down past the bridge from the lower trailhead and then did the Twin Rocks loop. Lot's of trees down across the trail. It was a beautiful day to hike!
Lora and I did a short 8 mile out and back on the Soddy Segment from Mowbray Pike to Hotwater Road.
Today Lora and I headed to the Cumberland trail to see the new segment that goes between Ozone Falls and Black Mountain. They have done a really nice job with the trail. We stopped short at the downhill to the gorge of Basin Creek as we were doing an out and back. We met Debbie on the trail and had quite the langthy talk about hiking. Always good to meet new people. We will have to do the other end soon.
We got to see and owl on the way home....bonus!
A little adventure on a beautiful day. We headed to Laurel Snow Pocket Wilderness for a hike. We hiked to Snow Falls and back. Lora especially liked the creek crossing.
Lora and I joined Dawn and Celia for the Honey Creek Loop in the Big South Fork. This was their first time to do the hike and were ready for the adventure. It was a beautiful day with a little snow to freshen things up a bit. This trail is always an adventure and a bit on the tough side. For further intertainment Celia lost her phone so we got to hike the first part over again. The phone was found and all was good.
We had 22 hikers for the traditional after Thanksgiving Day hike at Old Stone Fort State Park in Manchester. We met at 9:00 am CT in front of the museum and started our hike along the beautiful Duck River. We hiked the Forks of the River Trail, Backbone and Moat Trails. We stopped along to see Blue Hole Falls, Big Falls and Step Falls. After the hike we had lunch in the picnic pavilion. After lunch we hiked the park's newest trail, the Chumbley Woods Trail along the Duck River. Beautiful day for a hike! Hikers were Roberta Adams, Joan Bentley, Tom Bentley, Jay Brain, Joe Campbell, Jeanne Conatser, Barbara Draude, Eleanor Gilchrist, Joe Gonzalez, Susan Gonzalez, Joan Hartvigsen, Tom Hartvigsen, Pete Jacobs, Rene Jacobs, David James, Craig McBride, Lora McBride, Susan McLaughlin, LouAnn Partington, Sara Pollard, Judith Rusciolleli, and Pat Thomas.
Deb led 12 hikers from Plateau, Upper Cumberland, and Soddy Daisy thru the woods, while 3 others left us to start at another trailhead. We got to the first junction which had NO trail signs, only red or blue trail markers. We chose red and kept going crossing two creeks, and following fields that had plowed areas. Not sure if it was fire breaks for controlled burns or feed plots for wildlife. We did make it to an overlook before we turned around to head back to the blue markers. Just a little way down the blue trail we found the signed intersection that told us all about Polly Branch Falls. It sure was pretty to see along with the cascades. We looked for Bee Branch overlook, but the trail ran into the overgrown area and we gave up the search, headed back to the junction where we split up. Some to the main parking lot, the others to the shuttle car the 3 other hikers left at the other parking area.
It was a beautiful day in the woods.
Crystal and I hadn't hiked together in a while. When she had a day off to play, we met up at Roaring Creek Trailhead in Graysville on this cold sunny morning. Hiking along the creek side, we were so into catching up that I missed the turn up the ridge. We had to backtrack to find the blazes. The leaves were crunchy and the sun was warm, by the time we got to the overlook we were stripping out of jackets. We had lunch at the rocky edge of the ridge overlooking Cranmore Cove. Water was flowing good in the creek and at Wildcat Hollow Falls. Beautiful day to spend with my sweet friend.
On the way to pick up Samantha and Kaylin, we stopped North of Vonore TN by the Tennessee River and hiked a section of the East Lakeshore Trail. First time we got to check this trail out. We did the Wildcat Point Section with the hike out to the overlook. It looks like quite the popular trail and is supposed to have over 30 miles of trail.
Lora and I had a day to get some hiking in before it rains. We headed to Savage Gulf and hiked the South Rim trail and the Day Loop. It was a beautiful day of hiking.
Joan put together a fantastic weekend camping and hiking at Big South Fork. We hiked all the trails at Pogue Creek State Natural Area. We also hiked to Angels Falls Overlook and Rock Creek Loop. Fabulous hiking, wonderful weather, and nights clear and star filled. TTA hikers included Craig, Lora, Joan, Ruth, Sara, Marietta, Dawn, Celia, Jane, Patty, and Chuck.
It has been a long time since we were on this trail. We hiked this trail on our first date twelve years ago but have been on it since. This time the bridge over the creek was out so we had to cross over on some logs. There were alot of people out on the trail today. It was a beautiful day for hiking.
We all met up at Smokemont campground in the Smokies. Dad and Mom got there first but battled traffic all the way. Lora and I didn't get in any traffic but Steve and Kathy drove through Gatlinburg by mistake so they battled traffic all the way. Kathy put on a chili dinner for our first night together. We sat around the campfire visiting.
Sunday morning we got up and started on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We saw the elk before we got on the road. We stopped at a few different overlooks to take in the sights. We stopped at the Devils Courthouse and hiked to the top. We stopped at another overlook for lunch and then went to our campground at Mt. Pisgah. This is a really nice campground. Dad was having battery problems so I ran him to town. We had steak and veggies for dinner. Another enjoyable campfire.
Monday we went hiking. We drove down and saw Looking Glass Falls and then went out the forest service road to hike to Twin Falls. We didn't make it to the falls, but had a good hike anyways. We came back and had hamburgers for dinner followed by a campfire.
Tuesday we went hiking again. Mom and Kathy stayed at the campground. We hiked Looking Glass Mountain. A really nice hike with wonderful views from the top. Dad lost his apple off the Looking Glass Cliff face. Lora was talking with some young ladies from Alabama, comparing Southern accents. They won. After our hike we drove the forest service road and saw Slick Rock Falls, Log Hollow Falls, and another waterfall. We also found a hunting dog that followed us to the waterfall and back. Steve got the info off his collar and helped get it back with it's owner. We had chicken tonight followed by a campfire.
Wednesday we were back on the Parkway toting our campers. We stopped at Craggy Gardens for our lunch with a short hike up to an overlook. We pulled into the parking area at Craggy Pinnacle Summit when we heard a large bang. Dad's tire blew out on the camper. Come to find out, he hit the curb leaving the Gardens and pinched the sidewall. We were very blessed that a race car owner was in the parking lot and had all the tools we needed to get the tire changed. After that we climbed the Summit. We drove on to the Linville Falls Campground, and RV Park for the next two nights. We had a Mexican dinner followed by a campfire. The entertainment was the acorns falling from the trees. The trees were extremely tall and the acorns had plenty of speed when they hit. Loud noises as they bounced off the camper tops.
Thursday we drove to Little Switzerland for some shopping and exploring. We had lunch in town followed by an exciting trip led by Steve down some good old washed out roads. When we turned around and headed the right direction we found the Grassy Falls which were beautiful. We drove to Linville Falls which was another beautiful area to visit and then made a Walmart trip before heading back to camp. We had fish for dinner tonight followed by a campfire.
Friday we all loaded up the campers and headed down the Parkway. We stopped at Blowing Rock and did the shopping thing again. We ate lunch at the campers and then headed on down to our campground at Rocky Knob. We had a Thanksgiving dinner of turkey tonight followed by a campfire.
Saturday Steve and Kathy headed towards home as the rest of us finished the Blue Ridge Parkway. We had our lunch at Peaks of Otter, finished the parkway and drove the Skyline Drive up to Hwy 33 and camped at Swift Run Campground. When we got here we found that we had lost one set of our camper keys?? We cooked out Brats and skipped the fire. We were tired and wanted to get our showers in.
Sunday the fog settled onto the mountains so instead of doing a moutain drive we did the valley drive through the Shenandoah Valley. We stopped at the little towns of Stanley, Luray, Rileyville, Overall, Bentonville, and Front Royal. Mom got her shopping fix on. We headed back to the campground for dinner of spaghetti. Cold and damp evening spent relaxing in the campers.
Monday we got up and headed East on 33 to Mechanicsville to see my sister. We had a good visit with her and Jim. They took us to the battlefield for a little hike and then after dinner we got to see the play Hamilton.
Tuesday the ladies went shopping while the men got projects done and or rested. Jim and Lynelle took us over to the river downtown and then we went to check out Nate and Perry's house. We enjoyed visiting and dinner with them before heading back home.
Wednesday we got up, said our goodbyes and then headed West. We took back roads to see the rolling hills of Virginia. We stopped in Fort Chiswell and camped at the Pioneer Village RV Park for the night. Hurricane Zeta is supposed to come through tonight.
Zeta didn't get through until about 10:30 this morning. We packed up and headed out taking interstates the rest of the way home. We stopped at the TN boarder for lunch. The weather turned to sunny for us. We had a great time.
We went over to Columbia TN to Josh's wedding. On the way we stopped by Marco's and Natalie's. We took our camper to stay the night. The next morning we checked out Columbia before heading home.
We had time for a short hike today so we headed off to the North Chick trailhead. Just as we came the crossing for the Blue Hole, Lora saw a black lab in the creek that she recognized, Bear, and then she spotted Ed Swanner across the creek. Sure was nice to see him and meet his young lab Belle, another pretty black lab. Sad to hear about Skinny dying, but she surely died a happy dog being out there on a trail with Ed.
The wildflowers were pretty, birds were singing, the blue sky was beautiful, the waterfalls were flowing. The wooden stairs were still in good shape. All the bluff walls and rock houses were just grand, still some graffiti (sad). The trail on top of the bluff is overgrown. After the fires, with the trees gone, weeds grow. We turned back to get out of the weeds.
We got up this morning got with our host. Made fun of him for not bringing our firewood last night. Then we walked over to pay our account when he told us about Barbara having a birthday so we sang Happy Birthday to her before we paid. After that we walked around the fort and watched the tug boats working in the river.
We headed out taking the scenic drive down to TN and across the Northern part of the state. We stopped for lunch in Paris at their park which had its own Eiffel tower. We were looking for a campground after we left Clarksville and didn't find one until we got to Galleton. We stayed at Bledsoe Creek SP. We ended up spending the evening talking with some people that had a fifth wheel Escape trailer.
We got up Sunday and drove to Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas. We took hwy 10 to 49 to 62 to 14. Pretty drive through the mountains of Arkansas. We entered the Buffalo National River and camped at Buffalo Point. Very nice campground along the river. During our walk through the campground we saw an Armadillo which is Lora's first.
Monday we got up and hiked the 3.5 mile Indian Rockhouse Trail. Lots of stuff to see. Sinkhole Icebox, Waterfall, Old Zinc Mine, Natural Bathtub, Sculpied Bedrock, and the Rockhouse itself. After the hike we drove to Rush, an old ghost town. There are several structures there and some discriptions of others. We drove down to the canoe put in to see it. After lunch we hiked the campground trails including the overlook. Then we set up the hammock for a restful afternoon reading. We visited with the Rangers when they stopped by and took another short walk after dinner before getting our campfire going. First campfire in a while between the heat and the no fires allowed. We saw a turtle, deer, millipede, and butterflies.
Tuesday we got and headed East. We finished our drive around the Ozark National Forest and headed back to 62 which we followed out of Arkasas, through Missouri, and into Kentucky. As we crossed the Mississippi traffic came to a halt. Cars were turning around and heading back. One stopped by and told us that a wide load was coming through and they didn't close the bridge first. We had to back our camper back off the bridge and off to a side parking lot to let them through. A guy was vidioing me backing and was quite proud that I could back as fast as he was driving forward. Then there was construction on the bridge going over the Ohio River. We finally made it to our campground Columbus Belmont SP. This is a very nice campground with a good view of the Mississippi. It is also the site of an old fort.
Wednesday we got some pictures and headed out. We decided to head into New Mexico and cross over to Oklahoma. We stopped in Trinidad for supplies and then took 25 south into New Mexico. There was construction on the way in with no welcome sign for Lora's picture. We got off 25 and took 72 to 456. We stopped at the Sugarite Canyon SP which had a sign stating if you are not from NM then don't come in. After driving out 456 past Folsom we found out that the road turned to dirt and gravel. Well we were getting low on fuel as well and continued on. Then we found the road was closed due to a bridge out and we ended up taking another dirt road out 35 miles to pavement heading toward Clayton. We made it to Clayton to get fuel and we did get to see a Roadrunner. Our camper was a little rearranged on the inside from all the jarring and everthing was covered in dust. We ate lunch in Clayton and then headed on to Oklahoma. We stayed in the Black Mesa SP for the night. We got there early enough to relax by the creek and cool down. We even got some laundry done.
Thursday we got up and did a hike around the park and did their one trail, the Vista Trail. Short and sweet with views of the campground and lake. After that we headed East following Hwy 64. Not much in Oklahoma and no phone signal between towns. We camped at Great Salt Plains SP. When we got there we were the only ones. We checked to see if the electric and water were turned on before we set up. Later people started pulling in.
Friday we got up and drove to the Great Salt Plains where people dig for hour glass shaped gems. After that we toured our joining campgrounds with views of Great Salt Plains Lake and river. We spent the afternoon on the shore line. When I went for a swim, I found out that you can pretty much walk across the lake.
Saturday morning we got up and headed East. We took 64 to 60. We stopped in Ponca City to see the Pioneer Woman Statue, Standing Bear Park, and the Marland Mansion. We made it to Copan Oklahoma and stayed at the Washington Cove campground. When we got to our campsite, someone else was still there. We decided to ask and of course they thought that they had another night, but would move out. Instead of waiting on them we moved to another site. This campground is very nice with it being on Copan Lake which was another of those shallow lakes, but pretty. We saw deer as we walked the many loops of the campsite.
We found a place to stay West of Berthoud through Hipcamp named "Farmland with Mt. Views". All parks and national forests were booked solid and one again no place to boondock. Sandra was extremely nice and had a really nice place. Marjorie and Zep got there about the same time as we did. We had lunch and then headed to Estes Park and hiked the Button Rock Preserve. A beautiful hike through the mountains to a reservoir. Lora provided entertainment by a snake encounter. A very large snake jumped off a rock and landed on the trail between Marjorie and Lora. There was an extremely high pitched scream, the thump of the snake hitting the ground, and then the slithering with hands over his ears under a rock. Lots of laughs for sure. Back at the camper we enjoyed dinner and visited under the stars.
Monday we got up and headed to Denver. Marjorie gave us a tour of the place she is staying and the area. It used to be the old Lowry AFB. They still have some old hangers there and a B-52 on a stick. It gave me flashbacks of working on them. Lora and I headed South after that. We stopped in Monument for lunch and then drove on to the Garden of Gods Park in Colorado Springs. Really cool place to visit. Lots of rock formations. From there we headed on to Divide by Pike's Peak to camp in the National Forest.
Tuesday This morning we drove scenic Hwy 24. We saw several mountains: Thirty-Nine Mile 11,593, Saddle 10'794, Trout Pass, West Buffalo 13,340, and Past Pancha Springs Pass. Road construction kept us off Hwy 17. We were following Sangre De Christo Mts with 13-14 thousand foot Mts. In the valleys between the mountains we saw fields of campers and tiny houses. I guess this is the place to live off the grid, but I don't know why here. We got back on 17 after the 112 detour for the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Didn't want to ski the sand or hike up the dunes. It was hot and too much sand for us. They have the highest dunes in the US. We followed the scenic route with miles and miles of plains to Walsenburg. From there we drove to Aguilar to find SWA Spanish Peaks. Got on 41.7 following GPS and Phone. We took a wrong turn that led up a mountain with steep rough dirt roads. There was a gate at the top so we had to back down to a turn around spot. A little hairy for sure. We decided to leave out the other way when we came across what we were looking for. We had a good night out in a beautiful canyon. We had some hunters for neighbors that were from Arkansas and Texas. We watched a lighting storm in the distance and the stars.
Well we pulled into the Twin Pines campground and saw the horse camper trailer knowing that it had to be Mike and Wendy's. We got the site next to them and waited their arrival. Actually we did laundry and cleaned up the car and trailer. Anyways it was great to get with them. They took us to town for dinner and their daughter Katlin joined us.
Tuesday we got with our friends again and they took us to watch some horse training at the Wyoming Catholic College before heading out to explore the Sinks Canyon SP. Their big thing is the Popo Agie river that disappears into a large cavern, the Sinks, and reappears a half a mile down stream i n a trout filled pool, the Rise. It was pretty cool. We got to see a muskrat that kept swimming accross the Rise. From there we hiked to the Popo Agie Falls which was a mile and a half up the Popo Agie Canyon. We ate lunch at the falls and then headed back. From there we did the Loop Road which is a sixty mile trip through the mountains and canyons with lakes and rock formations. Beautiful scenery.
Wednesday Happy Birthday to Lora! We left the Twin Pines CG drove into Lander to the City Park and found a spot to set up. Free campsite, no amenities except a bathroom. The toilet starts flushing as soon as you close the door, and if you wiggle on the seat it flushes and flushes. Very wasteful and then NO water in the sink to wash your hands. Hmmm. Time for a sightseeing tour. Red Canyon has really beautiful walls with a creek running thru it. We saw antelope and cows. The valley in the winter is the feeding ground for hundreds of elk. We were too early for that. We drove from gravel road to red dirt road, some ruts, washboard rough in places. We just prayed the last gate out would be open. It was. From there we traveled to the Carissa Mine and Mill closed to tours. On to Atlantic City to see the old western town. Historical buildings, just drove thru. On to South Pass City where we got tickets to walk thru the old town. State Historic Site. It's a cool place to visit, homes, jail, dance hall. saloons. Then on to Miners Delight, a ghost town. The biuldings here are not being restored, but are being supported with cables and poles. Different way to preserve. On the way past the first cabin we heard weird noises, may have been ghosts after all!
Afterwards back to town for dinner. After we had the birthday dinner we had birthday cake. After that we had to walk it off except we spent more time talking to neighbor campers than we we did walking. We didn't get very far before dark.
Thursday we got up and headed Southwest through Wyoming. We had lunch at a rest stop, supplies in Rawlins and hunting campsite in Laramie. We camped off 210 on BLM land with the cows. We went back to Laramie to tour before dinner.
It's Friday and time to move on. We drove through Yellowstone again on our way South to the Grand Teton NP. We stopped to see Lewis and Moose Falls on our way out of Yellowstone. We found our campsite on Grassy Lake Road and set up in time for lunch. After lunch we drove further into the park stopping at overlooks and Colter Bay Visitor Center. We took a side road in Oxbow Bend to the river access and saw where they used to have a log bridge crossing Snake River. Then we drove out Pacific Creek Road and up to Two Ocean Lake. No wildlife. We drove on to Signal Mountain and drove to the top for the views. Beautiful. Time to head back to the camper for dinner. After dinner we drove down Grassy Lake road to the hot springs trailhead and looked for wildlife. No luck there but we did see some mule deer on the way back.
Saturday we decided to hike Cascade Canyon. We started at Jenny Lake hiking around the lake and then to Hidden Falls and up to Inspiration Point. Ended up with thirteen miles in. Lot's of people on this popular hike. After we got into the canyon we saw three moose, a bald eagle, pika, chipmunks, and squirrels. Poor moose had lots of people waiting on them to do something special. Paparazzi everywhere. After our hike we relaxed and swam in String Lake. A lady next to us ended up losing a Croc in the mud at the bottom. We helped search. On the way back to the camper we drove by Oxbow Bend to see the bears. Oh my, what a mess of people. We just headed back to the trailer and got dinner in. While we were eating we got a visit from the Flagg Ranch Guy. Said that where we were camping was private property of the Ranch and that we would need to move on. Out to the parking lot with the rest of the homeless for the night. At least we got one night there. We talked to another couple that couldn't find a place to stay either from Denver. Told us a few places to check out on our way there.
Sunday we got up and headed back to String lake and hiked to Holly Lake up Paintbrush Canyon. 12.4 mile day. Not nearly as crowded and it was a beautiful canyon. It is a strenous hike 9410 feet. The only wildlife we saw were Pika, Falcon, chipmunks, and squirrels. We were exhausted after the hike. A quick dip in the lake to cool and clean off, dinner in the parking lot, and search for a camping spot. No luck. Ended up spending the night at a pull over spot.
Monday we got up, visited the Mormans Row and the Church of the Transfiguration. Then we headed out to Lander to catch up with friends before they left. We are going to spend some time checking out the Wind River Range.
Today we headed West again. This time we were heading for Cody WY where we had reservations at a real campground. They are calling for snow on Monday so we wanted to be prepared and over the mountains. On the way down off the Longhorn Mountains we came across Shell Falls which a wonderful water fall in a canyon. We saw lots of antilope on the way across the plains.
After we got set up at Parkway RV Campground we headed on West to Yellowstone because we just couldn't wait. We came in the East enterance checking out Yellowstone Lake and then turning North on the loop road to see the Mud Volcano, Sulphur Caldron, and Hayden Valley. We took the South Rim Drive to see the upper and lower falls. Then we took the North Rim Drive to the Grand View followed by dinner at the Eatery. By then it was getting late and we returned to our campground. We saw buffalo, Elk, Deer, Antelope, and all sorts of birds.
Monday we walked the Paul Stock Nature Trail by the Shoshone River. We didn't see any bears that the sign said we should watch out for. Then we drove about 20 miles east of Cody to hunt for the wild horses. We found them at the McCullough Peaks Wild Horse Management Area. It's 110,000 acres and home to about 120 horses, said to have ties to the horses from Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Tests have shown the horses may have a bloodline from the Cleveland Bay Breed, established by England's royal family. We saw four at one entrance road, then a herd of 23. Camera didn't do as well as the binoculars. What a sight to see! Driving back to Cody, the incoming storm wind gusts kept blowing the canoe loose on top of the Jeep. Had to stop a couple of times to tighten the straps. Then some shopping in Cody at Sierra Trading Post where Lora got her birthday present. Got back to camp in time for the rain/snow mix, some big flakes, mostly rain and cold wind gusts.
Tuesday we got up and hiked the Sheep Mountain Trail. It was a steep climb, started out a little muddy so our boots got heavier. There was a lot of snow on the trees and hillsides. The cliff walls were beatiful with snow on top. We were following someone's tracks with dog tracks too. In the meadow we met the Fish and Game officer with 6 dogs that were a little too happy to see us. He said he only went to the sheep herder's cabin, but we could go further into a bowl or hike up to the top of the mountain. After stopping at the cabin we hiked into the bowl but with all the snow, we couldn't see the trail. Lots of beautiful views. On the way down we had lunch at the campsite on the side of the mountain. Then we hiked another draw for some more beautiful views. On the way back into Cody we walked the Colter's Hell Trail, interpretive self guided. The Old Cody city was here but there was no room to grow and the sulfer spring stank, no easy way to cross the river. So they moved it.
Went into Cody to see the Murals but the church was closed due to COVID. (eye roll). On to the Irma Hotel for the Wild Bunch gunfight. Got to watch Wyatt Earp, Butch and Sundance have a shootout. Very entertaining.
Wednesday we had to move campsites but the one we were moving to was still occupied so we parked out of the way, packed up for a day in Yellowstone. On the way in on the East Entrance Road we saw a grizzly. Further along the way just before West Thumb we saw a bull elk with a huge rack. We drove counterclockwise around the loop to see the big geysers. Old Faithful really put on a show. The others blew a lot of steam and some water but we missed their erruptions. In the Biscuit Basin we hiked to Mystic Falls. On the way back I heard a thump behind me, turned and found Craig on the ground. He just keeps falling for me. We drove the Firehole Lake Drive, lots of steam coming from the lake. Saw a coyote here. Then drove the Firehole Canyon Drive, following the narrow road along a canyon. Had a very small area to pull off to see Firehole Falls which was incredible. Then on to Gibbon Falls, Virginia Cascade, then to a picnic area called Otter Creek on the Yellowstone River for dinner. Hamburgers on the grill, and a nice couple from Californina to talk to. On the way back we saw herds of buffalo, some swimming across Yellowstone River (with lots of people standing on the riverside with cameras...) Saw a beaver in the river, lots of deer, one really nice one with a big rack at the entrance gate. Then saw a bear jam and stopped to see what everyone was looking at. Another grizzly, a big one, and a motorcycle got his attention and he stood on his hind legs to see it. Awesome site. We got to camp, hooked up our camper, moving into our new site.
Thursday we went back to Yellowstone for some hiking. Elephant Back Trail was beautiful, a climb thru the forest to the top for views of Yellowstone Lake. Lots of switchbacks on this trail. Still no moose, or an elephant. Then on to Pelican Valley where the Grizzlys supposedly hang out in the valley. We saw none, but followed a couple with some bear spray. We did find currants and they were delicious. Lots of dusty walking in this meadow of wide open spaces. We did see some bison and some ducks on the creek.
We headed West this morning. We drove to the Devils Tower to check that out. We did the hike around the tower which was pretty impressive. We saw three different groups of climbers on the walls of the tower. I tried climbing just a little bit, but Lora told me to get down. From the there we continued West on 90 and made it to Tongue River Canyon just outside of Dayton WY. It is a beautiful canyon with about 6 campsites. We got one. After dinner we walked the road up the canyon and we also got to talk to the man that lives right across from our campsite. He has a house on the other side of the river.
Friday morning we drove down to the end of the road and hiked the Tongue River Canyon Trail No. 002. It is a four mile one way trail that climbed out the far end of the canyon an into a large meadow where the animals feed during the winter. It was amazingly beautiful trail. After we got back, we ate lunch, did laundry, and then enjoyed the river for the afternoon. While sitting on the rocks in the river, Lora let out a scream. An otter was sneaking up on her. This is a wonderful place to camp for sure.
Saturday we loaded up and headed up the mountain to spend the day at Sibley Lake Recreation Area. While driving down Tongue River Road we saw a ring neck phesant. We climbed the mountain and found our lake. It was cooler on the top so we hiked the Prune Creek Loop looking for wildlife. After not seeing any we took the canoe out on the lake and ate lunch on the lake side. After a relaxing paddle, we went in search of the moose that we were told about. We found him laying down in the woods.
We traveled a little farther West and explored Prune Creek off 193 hiking the trail off the end of the road. We saw a ranger on the trail and visited with him. Then we headed back to camp where we found that it was too hot, 100 degrees, so down to the river we went to cool down. We saw a mink along side of the river. It was a good wildlife day!
We got up this morning and decided to head North. This is the start of September and we are into our seventh week on the road. We took 385 up through the National Forest checking out sights along the way. We ended up driving into Deadwood to play tourist. We walked the town, the grave yard, and the streets. We watched the gunfight "The strange tale of David Lunt" in the street show and had an icecream to finish it off. If you have a camper park in the Welcome Center on the North side of town.
From Deadwood we drove through Lead which isn't really much. We did check out the ore mine museum and then on to Spearfish. The Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway is AWSOME! Cliff walls and waterfalls. We checked out the city park campground but $$$$ We headed up Forest Service Road 134 Tinton Road and found us a nice campsite not far in. We are at trail 8002 which we hiked this evening.
Wednesday we got up and did part of the bike trail 55 which is across the road from us. We drove on to Sturgis to check it out. I can see that they survive on the rallies. We walked the streets and then drove out to Bear Butte State Park. We checked out the lake and did a hike up the Butte. We saw Buffalo, a rabbit, and birds. We came back down and had lunch at the lake campground.
On the way back to Sturgis we stopped for fuel. I heard music playing and sure enough they were having a Mustang rally next door. We had to check that out. Live band and lots of Mustangs. After watching the driving practice rounds we headed out, but didn't make it very far. We came across a creek next to the road with parking. The afternoon was spent enjoying the sun, the water, and scenery. We got some book reading time in too. Dinner back at camp.
Sunday started out with saying goodbye to our neighbors who survived the storm with us at the Badlands. We headed West and found us a camping spot West of Custer off Forest Service Road 661K Wabash Spring Road. We drove up two miles to a clearing on the left in some pines. We set up and ate lunch. After lunch we drove back through Custer and into the park. We saw Buffalo, deer, and antilope. We drove up 16A to Mt. Rushmore and did the tour. Had a great time and enjoyed the park.
On the way back we took 244 to 87 to Needles Hwy. Wow, if you ever come out here take the Needles Hwy. The Needles are a rock formation that they take you through including a few tunnels. Absolutly beautiful! We stopped at Legion Lake campground for a shower, Custer for some groceries, and headed back to camp. We enjoyed a walk after dinner as the temps dropped down in the 40's. Rain set in.
Monday morning we headed to Hell Canyon for a 5.8 mile loop trail. This is a really beautiful hike which I would recommend. The trail takes you through the bottom of the canyon to the far end and then you climb up the side and follow the top on the way back. Beautiful scenery. We got to see mountain goats.
After the hike we drove to see Crazy Horse without going in to the park. We stopped by the Stockade by the park with a very nice ranger that served in the Airforce. We ate lunch at the Stockade. After lunch we checked out a few lakes in Custer State Park before taking the Wildlife loop drive around the park. Part of the drive included going to the viewing tower on Mt. Coolidge where we have views for miles. We could see Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, the Needles, the Badlands, and everything for miles. Durning our drive we saw Buffalo, Mountain goats, Longhorn sheep, donkeys, and deer. Then we walked the streets of Custer and caught dinner before heading back to the camper.
We got up drove on to the Badlands this morning. The wind blew like crazy all morning. The Badlands are beautiful and filled with wildlife. We saw Buffalo, Mountain Goats, Mule Deer, Antelope and Prairie dogs. The rock formations are amazing. We did some hikes by the enterance and then headed off to set up camp at their boondocking site. We wanted to make sure that we had a place to park. We ate lunch and then went back for more scenery. We came back for dinner and then watched the goats playing on the cliffsides beside us.
Saturday we started the day with a trip to Wall SD. We saw Antelope and Long Horn Sheep on the way. We did the historic tour of Wall Drug Store and then some shopping. After we got stuff loaded back in the camper, we did some more driving in the Badlands and hiked some of the trails. Our favorite was the climb to the peak at Saddle Pass. The view was wonderful and the climb was challaging. We drove to Interior SD and Scenic SD doing a loop back into the park. It was a really nice drive. After we got back to camp, we met our neighbors. One had bought his camper in Soddy Daisy, full timers from Atlanta. The other neighbor was from Knoxville. What a small world we live in. We ended up setting through another bad thunderstorm with high winds before finally getting some sleep.
Thursday, we left Mobridge, driving on scenic 1804 but it turned to gravel, then paved then gravel (sign said for the next 34 miles) so we abandoned scenic and hit Hwy 83, paved. Saw a lot of pheasants, and as we got near Pierre, spotted a herd of elk on a hillside near the highway. We set up camp in Griffin Park, a city park next to the Missouri River. Only $16 with electric. We toured the Capitol, and the Heritage Center. Drove across the River to a new time zone into Fort Pierre. The railroad bridge is a swing bridge. Would have been cool to see it in action.
In Fort Pierre we saw the Casey Tibbs memorial and the statues outside the Rodeo Center. They had just closed for the day so we didn't see the museum. We followed the Verendrye Drive to see the plaque the young French boys buried as they explored a route to the Pacific Ocean. Then on up the road to visit the Cedar Hill Cemetery. After supper we did a short hike on the Lewis and Clark Trail along the River. Saw a large buck, a hawk and some turkeys.
About 11:30 we got woke up by the Sheriffs officer beating on our door. He said 70-140 winds were expecting and we should go to the bath house for safety. By the time we got there the wind was blowing like crazy and two guys with tents were already in there. The three Sheriff officers dragged their tents and helped them bring their motorcycles up to the building. The winds got up to the 70 but none of the campers where damaged. The next morning we saw a pile of limbs that the park had already picked up.
After leaving Roy Lake we headed pretty much straight West. We stopped in Aberdeen for lunch, gas, and to get a little rock out of our wheel. They had a very pretty park that we walked around after eating. From there we headed to Mobridge which is right on the Missouri river and set up camp at Indian Creek SP. It was 93 degrees out so we headed to the swimming beach which we had all to ourselves. It is amazing how clear the river is. Later in the evening we watched a few otters swimming along the river too.
Wednesday we headed into Mobridge looking for sights. It took us forever to find the Chamber of Commerance, but finally we hunted it down. We found the monument with the large Walleye, the monument for Jedediah Smith, the monument for Sacagawea, and the monument for Sitting Bull. We drove 22 miles out to see Fort Manuel which is advertised in Mobridge but has not been taken care of in 15 years. We still checked it out, after driving into someone's driveway with barking German shepherds and a few other guard dogs. They barked as we walked to the Fort but didn't come out there. They must be used to people going out there. As we walked back to the Jeep, a truck coming in stopped and the nice man asked us if we were lost. The canoe on top of the Jeep must have made it look as if we were lost. Back in town we toured the Klein Museum which has more stuff in it than most I have seen. Deffinitely worth seeing. After lunch we headed back to the camper and hit the river again. Not as hot as yesterday for sure.
Left Minnesota Land of 10000 lakes. Entered North Dakota in time for lunch at the Wahpeton Park and Zoo. Interesting art, the moose was made of metal: gears, hinges, fasteners, washers, bolts, spoons, forks and a hitch ball to make it Bullwinkle. We could see into the zoo from the art walk so we watched the rhino put on a show of who can make the biggest pile of poop. Southbound into South Dakota we drove thru Sisseton, visited the tower for some views of the farmland. Found Roy Lake SP set up, walked the trail around the island. Saw an eagle sitting in a tree on the island. He was taking to us. Even with a threatening sky, Craig had to swim in the lake. We met a nice couple at the lake that gave us tips on where the best canoeing would be, and areas to visit. They were from Britton, we told them we had a family friend there, turns out they know Corrine. The storm held off so we put the canoe in the lake right behind our campsite for an evening paddle. Had a major storm during the night, rocking our little camper, according to Craig, Lora slept right thru it....
Monday morning Congratulations to us on 5 weeks of traveling! We explored Sica Hollow SP, found two parking lots for trails with no info at either one except to explain the Spirit Trail. No distances, no trail map, nothing. We had to go to higher ground for signal to get an online trail map. Hiked the Spirit Trail, then part of the horse trails (that HAD maps) at every junction... On the Spirit trail there were humming birds all over the jewelweed covered hillside. On the horse trail there were hundreds of dragonflys. HUNDREDS! And plum trees, with a few plums that were ripe enough. After the hike, we met up with Corrine for a wonderful lunch and an afternoon of fun. She took us to a lovely gift shop, then on a tour of Fort Sisseton State Historic Park. Came back for dinner and a romantic walk along the beach and then watched otters play and eat their dinner.
Leaving Beatrice Lake we traveled on Hwy 1 trying to see the Northern wildlife. None to be seen. We cut down through Bemidji and on to Camp Itasca. While looking for our campground just outside the Itasca SP, we came across a village in the woods across a large open field. We found later that this was where they had large events such as antique tractor shows which draw thousands.
After we got set up and had dinner we headed over to see the Headwaters of the Mississippi River. It is amazing how the Mississippi changes on the way South. We took the canoe out on Itasca Lake for an evening cruise. We got to see a beaver and some ducks.
Saturday we got up and headed back over to the park and did the 10 mile Wilderness drive. Lora got to see her first Jack rabbit. The first trail we tried to hike we got ate up by GIANT HUNGRY Mositoes. We got to see some of there record trees and took the canoe out on Elk lake to see Eagles and Loons. After the drive we took time and ate lunch and swam at Mary Lake. We had read about a big statue of Paul Bunyan in Bemidji, so we went exploring in the city. Found Paul and Babe the Blue Ox in his park on Lake Bemidji. This lake is fed by and drains into the Mississippi. Their claim to fame is being the first city on the Mighty Mississippi. A church mission group was there, had just finished singing, and wanted to feed us. We must have looked hungry.
Had a great dinner and watched the stars.
We arrived at Beatrice lake in the George Washington State Forest. We found us a site and headed to the lake for a swim and some relaxing. After dinner we went out for a paddle around some of the lake.
Thursday morning we headed into Hibbing to see the Hull Rust Mahoning Mine, the Grayhound bus musium, and in Chisholm we saw the 85' Iron Man Statue. Then we drove to Eveleth to see the giant hockey stick, the Shrine to our Lady of Lourdes, and the Hipproama. Then we drove to Virginia to see the Big Loon in the lake. After taking all this in we headed back for a swim at our campsite.
The next morning we headed West.
Sunday we listend to Loons in the morning on the lake with the fog lifting off it. We walked around the campground and then packed up to head North.
We stopped in Silver Bay to look for a Post office, finally found a PO Box. Found Library for wifi. Then traveled South to Split Rock Lighthouse and shoreline. Didn't pay the $8 to tour lighthouse. Then to Gooseberry State Park where we couldn't find a parking spot because people can't read. We were pulling the trailer so cars were parked all in the camper spaces. Wanted to BLOCK them in but left without hiking there instead. We did use their dump station and filled up with water. Northbound again, we stopped at Tettegouche SP, hiked to Shovel Point where we saw folks rapelling. Then Baptism River to High Falls and Two Step Falls. Drove to Finland State Forest to find a campground. Tried Eckbeck but too crowded and not very pretty at all. Finland campground was perfect, got a spot next to the creek. Took a bath in the creek with crawdads.Had a campfire, stars and coyotes barking.
Monday, we went to be tourists traveling the Superior coast up to Canada. Started with waterfalls in Schroeder. More waterfalls at Cascade River. Devil's Kettle at Judge CR Magney SP. Then on the the Grand Portage National Monument and toured the Fur Trade Post and learned how to tie birchwood bark together to make a tent and a canoe. A lady was baking bread at the outdoor kitchen but it wasn't done, darn it. We settled for having our balogna sandwiches at their picnic area. We did stop at the overlook which would have been a beautiful lunch spot. We saw the Susie Islands and could see Isle Royal way over in Michigan. Then to Grand Portage SP within view of the Canadian Border to hike High Falls. Heading back South, like we had an option, hiked at Cascade River SP for more waterfalls, then Temperance River SP for even more waterfalls. Back at camp, met a couple with a friendly golden retriever. They wanted to see our Escape camper. Found another egg here in the campground, a Scamp.
Tuesday we hiked the Twin Lakes Trail. It was a very pretty hike to Bean Lake and Bear lake. Lots of overlooks. We had lunch at Bear Lake. After our hike we took the canoe out on Lake Superior and paddled around Silver Bay Marina. It was beautiful out there. Then we went out for pizza.
Wednesday morning we headed West.
Friday we wanted to make good time as we did not have reservations at the Cloquet State Forest. We got a place at Indian Lake campground. Beautiful campground and lake. We hiked the campground and then we got the canoe in the lake. We also paddled up the Cloquet River. It was pretty but we had to battle the mosquitoes. After we got back we set up the hammocks for some rest. We did have some noisy neighbors. We got in another canoe ride before the storm came in for the evening. We had our first bath in the lake since we've been on the road.
Saturday we put on shoes and headed to town. We explored Duluth. We got to see the large cargo ships leaving in the morning then we toured one that was on display. We got to see lots of older buildings and climb a tower for a view. At the end of the day we got to watch a cargo ship come into the marina. When we got back to camp we relaxed by the lake and then took a canoe ride around one more time before loading it up. We got to see four Loons and one Bald Eagle.
Sunday we got up to Loon's calling on the lake. We hiked the campground and then loaded up to head North.
Tuesday after we left Rice Lake, we went to town to dump and pick up some bread. We took 35 to 3 to 47 and headed up the St. Croix river. We saw another pretty church on the way as well as some pretty towns. We stopped at Afton SP for lunch and an afternoon hike. Stillwater was an interesting town which will require some more exploring as was Marine on St. Croix.
After we arrived at William O'Brien State Park and got set up, we headed to the beach on Lake Alice here in the park. It is a really nice swimming lake. We soaked up the sun until dinner time. After we ate, we took the canoe out on the St. Croix River. There was a lot of current going upstream. We cut across the river to the East side and canoed the sloughs. We got to see two eagles, an Ospry, some herons and a couple of beaver. We had one beaver that let us get right up next to him before he slapped his tail and went under. We were blessed with another beautiful sunset.
Wednesday morning we got up did laundry, washed the trailer, and then hiked the river front trail. From there we hiked the Beaver Lodge trail. It started raining so we brought in the laundry and headed out to explore the nearby towns. We went to Marine On St. Croix to check out the general store and fire museum. We ate lunch there and then headed to Stillwater where we saw the ships and some historic buildings. After that we headed to the Interstate State Park to see the Glacier Pot Holes and then on into Taylor Falls for some icecream and historic places. On the way back we stopped by an art field off the side of the road. They had made all sorts of metal and other materials into artwork?? We headed back to a big storm at the campground.
Thursday we got up and hiked the River trail. Then we canoed across the river into the inlets. We saw deer, Herons, Swan, and a Sandhill Crane. When we got back we hung out at the lake swimming and sunning. That night we had a campfire and watched the stars.
Friday we got up and headed North.
We left Yellow River State Forest and followed the Mississippi River up into Minnesota. We headed West through Richard Dorer Memorial Hardwoods State Forest and then up to Rice Lake State Park. After getting here we walked the park which there is not much of and we cannot canoe because they drained the water down.
Monday we drove up to St. Paul and explored around the capital building. We snuck in the St. Paul Cathedral and got pictures, but got caught by the priest when we were leaving. The door was open for workers. Got to see some other churches from the outside. Then we headed back to the park
That evening we hiked back down to the lake to catch the sunset. We brought the binoculars with us this time so we could see the Pelicans and other birds on the lake. It was a beautiful sunset.
Tuesday morning we hiked around the lake and back to campground. We ate blackberries, saw a couple of deer, and saw some more of the park. Then we packed up and headed North.
Friday we left Mississippi Palisades Park. We drove into Iowa to Dyersville to see the Basicilla of St. Francis Xavier. It was a huge church in the middle of a small town. It was beautiful! Lots of pictures of the insides. From there we headed to the "Field of Dreams" where the movie was made. It is a tourist trap so we just drove through and took pictures. It was pretty cool though. From there we headed to Yellow River State Forest. We hiked around the campground the first night noting that they have Fords just like White Pine Forest SP. You have to drive through the creeks to get to other sections of the park.
Saturday we got up and did laundry. What a special start of the day. After that we hiked the Backpackers trail up through the Bluff trail which had some scenic overlooks. Back down at river level, we hiked the horse trail back to our campsite. It was time to hit the creek. Very cold water, but it felt so very good! We were in and out of the water the rest of the day. Reading and relaxing in between. It didn't cool down either night until late and we didn't have any AC because we were on battery power. We did get to see beatiful stars, shooting metorites, and hear owls.
There were two other egg campers in the campground with us. Both of them were Scamps.
Sunday after walking the campground we headed North
