June 24, 2005 (Fri)
McDonald Campground, Muncho Lake PP #3 dry $14.00c dry A-
Fort Nelson, BC to Muncho Lake, BC (171 miles today/4727 total) Q017042
We drove into the spectacular Northern Canadian Rockies today. The first few miles were a continuation of the rolling forested hills of the last few days. Then we began to climb and the hills became magnificent rock gray mountains. They were so close sometimes that it seemed we could reach out and touch them.
We took off before breakfast (5:00 51°) in hopes of seeing more wildlife than we did yesterday but it wasn't to be. There was a deer a few miles north of the campground but it wasn't until we were high in the mountains that we saw anything of interest. We were on the steep winding cliff road down Stone Mountain when we saw something on the road up ahead. It turned out to be a herd of stone sheep - 8 or 9 adults and 3 or 4 young kids. The only male had big curling horns like those of the Big Horn sheep but smaller. Later on we saw another even larger herd on the steep road cut. They seemed not to care that they walking on 45° loose gravel.
We had planned to spend the next two nights at J&H Wilderness Resort campground but when we got there - we were the first to arrive - we found that we couldn't get sites by the lake and that a large number of units (a caravan) was expected later on in the day. We checked out a provincial park a mile or so south and found there were several lakeside sites available so we drove a few miles further south to intercept the others to discuss our options. We, except Ed and Kathy, decided to stay in the provincial park. It really is beautiful! The lake is a few feet out our back door and one of those gray mountains looms over us in front. If the mosquitoes would go away, it would be perfect. Ed and Kathy didn't think that they could get their big rig into these sites so chose to go to J&H Wilderness Resort.
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June 25, 2005 (Sat)
McDonald Campground, Muncho Lake PP (2)
Muncho Lake, British Columbia has a population of 29 people and three lodges, gas stations, restaurants, cafes and campgrounds spread along the 7 mile eastern shore of Muncho Lake. (There must be some multi-tasking going on!) That gives you some idea of the desolation up here. And the the availability of exciting things to do.
This morning the 8 of us piled into the 2 toads and headed north to Laird River Provincial Park where there are hot sulfur springs. The changing rooms were thick with mosquitoes so we didn't waste any time in them. Instead, we cooked our bodies, and mosquito bites, for 20 minutes or so in the naturally hot sulfur water. It smelled oddly - and faintly - like rotten eggs (as sulfur does) but the soak was wonderful. The water temperature ranged from 108° to 126°. It was generally hotter toward the source but there were areas of hot through out. And those little pools were HOT!
After lunch we sat around reading, knitting, napping, and generally enjoying being in this beautiful park. In the late afternoon we all got together to plan our next couple of weeks - we'll be pretty much doing our own thing for a few days - and Bob celebrated Holy Eucharist for us. And what a beautiful place to worship!!
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June 26, 2005 (Sun)
Downtown R.V. Park, Watson Lake, YT #54 w/e/s $24.15d C+
Muncho Lake, BC to Watson Lake, YT (264/4892 miles) Q017206
It was 41° and a clear beautiful morning as we turned onto the Alaska Highway and headed north again. Bob & Pat and Chip & Kim had already left and their campsites already reoccupied at 6:00am. We stopped for gas at J&H Wilderness Resort where Ed & Kathy were camped. We couldn't get gas - it was closed until 8:00 - but we did see Ed and Kathy out walking their dogs. So instead of paying $1.09/liter CAN ($3.31/gal US) we had to pay $1.19/liter ($3.61/gal US) at a station in the sticks. (Here it's $1.04/liter less a 4% discount for camping here. Or $2.49/gal US) Now that's good planning!
Our excitement for the day, other than the continuing beauty of the landscape, was to see a Grizzly Bear mom and her three cubs. We pulled over to take some pictures but did not get out of Q. Grizzly Bears are VERY dangerous - especially with young ones around! Ed and Kathy came along about then and we traveled the rest of the way here with them. The roads were pretty good except for a 7 mile section about thirty miles from Muncho Lake.
When we got here we learned that Bob and Pat had fuel pump problems and may be held up a few days. They are camping in their RV at the garage next door. Chip and Kim didn't like the looks of the campground (little more than a parking lot) so went on. We are parked (that is the only name for it) with full hookups about 6 feet from Ed and Kathy. The important things are here though - a laundry, a sewer, a good shower, and fresh water - all which we desperately needed.
After settling in we all walked over to the Northern Lights Center where we saw a wonderful planetarium show about the search for extra terrestrials and another about the northern lights in Yukon - Watson Lake is in Yukon Territory (YT).
On the way back we visited the world famous "Sign Forest". This is where people from all over the world have nailed signs (their names or the name of their home town or traveling group) on poles erected by the town authorities. There are hundreds of poles and thousands of signs. And more are added every day. Tonight we went to a BBQ in the "Mess Tent" - the campground restaurant literally in a tent - and ate heartily. Dominos at 8:00.
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June 27, 2005 (Mon)
Mukluk Annie's Campground dry free
Watson Lake, YT to Teslin, YT (169/5061 miles) Q017375
It was still light when we went to bed last night at 10:30 and light again at 4:00 when we woke up. It never does get completely dark. Strange!
It was 59.2° when we got off at about 7:40 but dropped to 50° as we drove north. The graffiti of choice appears to be rock writing. On the banks of the cuts all along the highway people have written their names, symbols, or expressions by placing fist sized rocks in rows to form letters or drawings. It goes on for miles. The snow capped Cassiar Mountains were visible throughout most of the trip, first ahead and then to the south. At the Continental Divide Rest & Cafe we fell to the temptation of cinnamon buns advertised for each establishment along the way. A quick nuke in the microwave did wonders to a bun baked yesterday or the day before.
Yesterday we drove over 30 miles before we saw the first vehicle on the road. Today we were amongst several groups of RVs who would pass us one after another then fill up the pullouts to sightsee then have to pass us again. This went on most of the way. Most unnerving and frustrating! Tomorrow we'll get an earlier start - get out ahead of them.
Mukluk Annie's, a restaurant, offers free camping - by the lake and quite nice it turns out (except for the mosquitoes) - with the only obligation a moral one, to buy a meal (or two) in the restaurant. The baked salmon, prepared by Mukluk Chuck, was delicious, though expensive. After lunch we went with Ed and Kathy, in their toad, to the Teslin Tlingit Heritage Center. There was a small but interesting display of Tlingit Indian art and culture and an informative film about the effect of the mid 1900s intrusion of white culture.
This evening a quick storm came up but we didn't call off the domino game.
To Mukluk Annie's - #52-09
To Ft Nelson, BC - #52-08
June 20, 2005 (Mon)
Mile 0 Campground, Dawson Creek, BC (2)
After breakfast we headed into downtown Dawson Creek in search of a free WiFi hotspot. Well that's not exactly true. We knew where it was, we found it yesterday. We went there to use it this morning. As we sat in a parking lot outside an IGA food store we saw Bob and Pat go by on their way to the campground. They were in the midst of registering when we got back. Chip and Kim got here about an hour later. We're all here now and ready for our great adventure.
After lunch we all toured the "Pioneer Village" that is part of the city owned campground complex. The buildings and furnishings inside represented life at the beginning of time for this area - the early to mid 1900s. It was interesting in that a lot of the items reminded us of those used by our parents and grand parents when we were young. After that we hopped into toads and went over to a museum and art gallery near the original mile one sign post - the official start of the Alaska Highway. Then it was home for naps to restore our energy for the evening fare - a shared dinner and conversation. We also watched a video about the building of the Alaska Highway on Ed and Kathy's outside entertainment center (build into one of the storage compartments in their motor home.
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June 21, 2005 (Tue)
Mile 0 Campground, Dawson Creek, BC (3)
Gail and Phil left to return home this morning. It sure was good to have so much time with them, in their home, on their boat and on the road. Thank you guys!
Gas bargains are rare in Canada. Prices have varied only a penny or two in all the time we've been in British Columbia. A place here in Dawson Creek offers 7 cents a liter in the form of a discount coupon for a supermarket in the complex. that's nearly 27 cents a gallon! We took advantage of it and found the store to be a good one. We saved $5.84. Before lunch the four couples sat down to plan our next few days then, after lunch, we went with Ed and Kathy to the Dawson Creek Walmart. The rest of the day was for us - lounging, napping and reading. Tomorrow we're off again.
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June 22, 2005 (Wed)
Sikanni River Campground #26 dry $14.98c C
Dawson Creek, BC to Fort Nelson, BC (174/4418 miles) Q016732
We started up the Alaska Highway at 7:50 (54°) after an abortive attempt to connect to the WiFi network in Dawson Creek. We also stopped by Walmart for a printer cartridge. No luck there either.
The Kiskatinaw River Bridge is the only original timber bridge on the Alaska Highway still in use. It is uniquely curved and well worth the side loop to see it. Except for occasional glimpses of the Rocky Mountains off in the Northwest the scenery was a lot like the back woods of Maine - mile after mile of trees - mostly evergreen. The signage, including mileposts, along the highway is sparse. That's good for the scenery but not so good when trying to find something. Therefore we missed seeing the world's largest golf ball (actually Joy saw it out of the corner of her eye as we went past), the world's largest glass bee hive, a giant sculpture of a lumber jack, and the historic village of Wonowon (milepost 101) - population 150. In Fort St. John we stopped at the visitor's center where there was a heritage quilt on display and free wireless internet service.
We saw our first moose of the trip just south of Pink Mountain, BC. Unfortunately it was road kill. It was like living a Gary Larson cartoon! We did see a live one though - on the way back to the campground from hiking out to see Sikanni Chief Falls. There was also a black bear on the side of the 10 mile dirt road to the trail head and another one was on the access road. The falls were spectacular, even at a distance, and worth the effort to get there.
Sikanni River Campground is rustic to say the least - pit toilets etc. - but the location is peaceful (if we ignore the few heavy trucks on the highway). There are hook-ups but we chose to dry camp to save a few bucks. Our site is semi-wooded with the Sikanni Chief River flowing about 50 feet away out our living room window.
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June 23, 2005 (Thu)
Westend Campground #G dry $14.00c dry D
Fort Nelson, BC to Fort Nelson, BC (139/4557 miles) Q016871
Two campgrounds with the same address 139 miles apart! That shows you how rural this area is! There is nothing but trees for miles and miles. And miles. At 6:00 in the morning there aren't many vehicles on the Alaska Highway either. We drove most of the way at under 50 MPH and only few vehicles, three or four 18 wheelers with trailers, a pick-up truck and a couple of campers, over took us. Human traffic was light but the wild life was out. In the first ten miles we saw a white tail deer, two black bear (separately), and three grizzly bear (in a group) by the side of the road. Joy says that if she'd known there were grizzly bear so close to where we hiked yesterday, she wouldn't have gone.
When we went to bed last night at just after 10:00 the sun was shining brightly on the hillside across the river. When we woke this morning the sun was again shining. The days are really getting longer!
When we got to Fort Nelson proper, we hunted up the visitor's center. Questions: Where is the cheapest gas? On the Dene indian Reservation (10 cents/liter less). Where is the local quilt shop? We got directions. Where is there free wireless internet? There isn't any. Actually they were wrong on the third answer. Mark got a signal from the motel across the street and up/down loaded email. We also found that the campground has it too. The quilt shop was small, had only been around for 10 months, but the gal who owned it was delightful.
After lunch the eight of us went to the museum near the campground. A lot of old stuff. Late this afternoon Bob and Pat build a campfire and we all sat around it and chatted until supper time. Note the name of the campground.
To Dawson Creek, BC - #52-07
June 16, 2005 (Thu)
Emory Creek Park Campground #17A dry $16.00(canadian) C-
Edmonds, WA to Emory, BC (175 miles today/3600 total) Q015915
60.3° and cloudy at 8:00am when we cautiously eased our way down the steep road at the end of Gail and Phil's driveway. The snow covered Olympic Mountains were clearly visible and beautiful to the southwest. Our great adventure had resumed.
Mount Baker loomed ahead much of the way up I-5 and at one point Mount Rainier was visible to the rear. Along the way we passed; a children's church built to look like a big dark wooden ark, a sign proclaiming "Chocolate Necessities" (a store advertisement?), a sign for the "Pigout" restaurant, an alpaca farm, a billboard stating "Behind every successful man is a surprised mother-in-law", and lots of beautiful scenery. At the crossing into Canada, the grumpy immigration officer told us to pull over and report our cargo of apples and a half bottle of scotch to the inspector. We were allowed to keep the scotch but no apples are allowed to cross the border either way (although we know of some in another motor home that did!)
Gail can't pass a garden like Joy can't pass a quilt shop so we had to stop at Minter Gardens in Rosedale, British Columbia. They were lovely and well worth the stop. Most of the display, if you can call it that, was natural (as opposed to formal) and laid out along a winding hilly path. The few formal gardens were quite nice too.
Emory Creek Park Campground is listed in the campground guide as a provincial park (state park) but the care taker said it is a private campground. When questioned about the discrepancy, he said it is the same thing. (???) At any rate it is very woodsy with back-in sites - some big enough for a big class A unit and a toad. The Fraser River is rushing behind us, a nice sound, but a train (a very long train) rumbles by on the other river bank every 10 to 15 minutes. And every so often one goes by between us and the highway on this side of the river.
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June 17, 2005 (Fri)
Kokanee Bay Campground #26 w/e/s $21.00c C+
Emory, BC to Lac La Hache, BC (201/3802 miles) Q016116
There was a trail head near our campsite. Our intent was to take a nice long brisk walk this morning so we got up at 5:30 and headed out. The trail ended at the shore of Emory Creek 1/8th mile into the woods. We walked the campground loop and walked it again later with Phil and Gail - a total of 3 miles.
The Fraser Gorge and Valley filled our senses for the first part of our trip. Spectacular!! Called "The Gold Rush Trail" Provincial Highway (PH) 1 follows the route taken by the gold prospectors in the 1800s. And we thought of them trudging along leading heavily laden pack mules as we sped along in our comfortable little motor home. There was no way to capture the breathtaking beauty of the scenery. The sheer rock walls and the high close mountains were far too immense to get any kind of decent picture. At times we were at river level twisting and turning through the gorge beside the river and the long freight trains. At other times we were high on the canyon wall looking down on the river where the trains looked like tiny scale models. And there were long, sometimes curved, tunnels every few miles. PH-97 above Cache Creek wasn't as spectacular but scenic all the same. We passed by small towns with such interesting names as Horsefly, Likely, 70 Mile House, 108 Mile Ranch, and Ashcroft. In 100 Mile House we bought gas for the U.S equivalent of $2.97/gal.
Kokanee Bay Campground is very small and packed in parking lot style. We are lucky to have gotten in as this is the weekend of the 5th annual Father's Day Fishing Derby. The winner is expected to pull in a trout well in access of 25 pounds. We'll never know the outcome. A majestic bald eagle flew by with a fish in its talons as we ate supper. What a thrill!
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June 18, 2005 (Sat)
Crooked River Provincial Park #3 dry $14.00c C-
Lac La Hache, BC to Bear Lake, BC (236/4038 miles) Q016352
We went to sleep last night to the sound of rain on the roof (it was still light at 10:00) and woke this morning (light again at 4:30) to the call of loons on the lake. After on-board showers and breakfast we hit the road (PH-97) north again at about 9:00 (56.5°). Do you know how you sometimes see dogs in the back of pick-up trucks? A pick-up passed us today with a goat in back. He seemed to be just standing there not even leashed. Strange! We stopped for lunch in the Quesnel Walmart parking lot. Mark and Phil went shopping (a new water pressure regulator and a Canadian Flag for Mark) while Joy and Gail fixed lunch.
In Prince George we left the motor homes in the visitor's center parking lot and took Gail and Phil's toad into the city. A youth popular coffee shop (the Second Cup) had free WiFi so Mark was able to "do" email and download our banking data. Then we hunted up the local arts and crafts guild where they were having an open house.
Too late. The artists had closed up shop a half hour before we got there! The building was open though so we wandered around. At one point we stopped a man, obviously connected with the place, to ask some questions. Phil jokingly told him that we'd come all the way up here from the states especially for the show and had gotten lost on the way so had missed it. He turned out to be one of the artists. We ran into him later and he gave Joy and Gail each one of his ceramic sculptures - cute but garishly colored dragons. They didn't sell (understandably), he told us, and wanted us to have them for coming all that way and getting lost. We, of course, told him the truth and turned down his offer as politely as possible. But he insisted. So we have strange and interesting souvenirs.
The further north we go, the warmer it gets! The temperature got up to 77° this afternoon.
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June 19, 2005 (Sun)
Mile 0 Campground #14A w/e $17.50c B
Bear Lake, BC to Dawson Creek, BC (206/4244 miles) Q016558
It was fully light at 4:00 am so we were awake at 4:00 am. But fortunately we were able to doze off and on until 6:30. After breakfast we had a nice walk with Gail and Phil along the lake shore (Bear Lake) - until the mosquitoes discovered we were there! We had to cut the walk short but we did manage 1 1/4 miles.
PH-97 follows the Crooked River north and so did we. A long construction delay (15 - 20 minutes) preceded a long stint 10 1/4 miles) behind a pilot car. We couldn't figure out the reason for it as there was no work being done and the road was passable (albeit gravel) in both directions the whole way. If fact a pilot car leading a southbound convoy passed us on the way. Strange! Perhaps it was to keep the speed down. Gail and Phil's toad had some stone damage and a cracked windshield when we got here. The large moose warning signs yielded no sightings but we saw an eagle fly up into a nearby tree as we drove by and Gail and Phil saw a black bear foraging in the gutter beside the road.
It was so warm yesterday that we put on shorts this morning. Big mistake! It was 51° (down from 60° when we left Bear Lake) in Chetwynd when we stopped beside the road to eat our lunch. So much for "the further north we go, the warmer it gets"!
Mile 0 Campground is crowded but more interestingly laid out than the one at Lac La Hache. There is more space between the sites, though not much, and there are trees. When we pulled up to the office to register we could see Ed and Kathy's rig in a campsite straight ahead. It was like coming home, well sort of!
Back to Edmonds & Q - #52-06
June 10, 2005 (Fri)
Bell Harbor Marina, Seattle, WA (2)
Our state room in the bow of Friend Ship is very tight - one thin bunk on each side with a space about as wide and half as long between for standing, dressing, etc. It also includes a small head and a closet. Q is going to seem roomy when we get back. The beds were comfortable though. We both slept well and soundly. This morning, as we sat in the main cabin with Seattle out the port windows and Mount Rainier in the distance off the bow, the huge cruise ship Mercury of Celebrity Cruises out of Nassau glided silently in. It was 10 decks high, excluding the lower service decks without ports, and a good big city block long. A couple on the dock watching it with us, who seemed to have some experience with cruise ships, said it was one of the biggest they'd seen.
After breakfast we did Pike Street Market which has hundreds of small businesses ranging in size from single table "booths" to small stores selling everything from crafts to odd and rare musical instruments - with food vendors far outnumbering the rest combined. This is the home of the famous Pike Street Fish Market there the mongers shout to and with each other and their customers and throw fish around. Fascinating! There is also a quilt shop! The hustle and hassle of the crowded market was accompanied by a variety of Street musicians with open instrument cases at their feet.
This afternoon we took a trolley up the Seattle Public Library, world renowned for its architectural design, then walked back through Pioneer Square, (the "original" Seattle). Back aboard Friend Ship, we gathered on the rear upper deck for drinks (soda) and watched the cruise ship depart and, later, two sea gulls argue over a starfish one had brought up from under the dock.
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June 11, 2005 (Sat)
Arabellas Landing Marina slip C20.
Seattle, WA to Gig Harbor, WA (aboard Friend Ship)
Joy woke to an odd noise and finally realized that it was another cruise ship coming in. She watched through the porthole. By the time we had our showers another one had come in.
We were off for Tacoma at 8:30 and crossed the sound in wind driven choppy water. We docked there at a public pier being readied for the arrival of some tall ships at the end of the month. Tacoma is struggling to build a waterfront walk and park. They've succeeded beautifully at one end - the other end! We walked down to the Museum of Glass. The museum's focus is art glass. There are displays of contemporary artists (fabulous!) and a large room with glass furnaces where we watched artists at work. The museum also includes a permanent exhibit of works by glass sculptor Dale Chihuly along a foot bridge spanning I-705. We got some great pictures of his naturally back-lit ceiling panels - great inspiration for quilts.
Back aboard Friend Ship we crossed another finger of Puget Sound and threaded our way through a narrow channel into Gig Harbor. This is a pretty little town with lots of small "touristy" shops. Mark and Joy walked a half mile up (literally) into town to a grocery store for supplies while Gail and Phil prepared supper. In the evening, another game of dominos. Phil won again.
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June 12, 2005 (Sun)
Gail and Phil's driveway. (5)
Gig Harbor, WA to Edmonds, WA (aboard Friend Ship)
At about 9:00 we hauled in the ropes and made our way out the narrow channel. The tide was up so it wasn't the challenge it was yesterday. We set a course almost due North and headed for home in a "sea" almost as smooth as glass. We made good time so we decided to put into Eagle Harbor for a lunch break - wraps and soda on the aft deck. We chugged into Friend Ship's home port at about 4:30 - the end of a wonderful voyage and experience.
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June 13, 2005 (Mon)
Gail and Phil's driveway, Edmonds, WA (6)
Q went back into the hospital today. The leak in the toilet that the Chinook factory was supposed to have fixed, wasn't. There is a Chinook dealer right around the corner here in Edmonds and they agreed to squeeze us in. We're hoping it's fixed now. Other than a trip to Costco (business) it has been a feet-up kind of day.
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June 14, 2005 (Tue)
Gail and Phil's driveway, Edmonds, WA (7)
This has been a day for errands and relaxation. We did another area Costco (Warehouse, a third store is designated "Home"). It is similar to ours at home but laid out completely differently. It was very confusing! We went to a Mexican Restaurant with Phil and Gail's good friends and co-boat owners, Mitch and Carol for supper. We had a good time and the tortilla soup that Joy had was delicious.
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June 15, 2005 (Wed)
Gail and Phil's driveway, Edmonds, WA (8)
Mark's birthday. Today has been devoted to preparation for travel - shopping, packing, filling, repairing, etc. We will be going into Canada tomorrow. Until we get to Alaska communication will be spotty at best. So if you don't hear from us for a while, that's why.
Boarding Friend Ship - #52-05
June 6, 2005 (Mon)
Yakima Sportsman SP #6 w/e/s $22.00 B
Coeur d'Alene, ID to Yakima, WA (259 miles today/3163 total) Q015477
Up at 5:30 (43°) off at 7:00 (50.2°) after saying good buy to Ed & Kathy. Clear and sunny. Stopped for gas at the Post Falls, ID Flying J ($2.15) then headed west on I-90 (again). Traffic through Spokane, WA was heavy - like the GSP on a slow day - but it didn't last long. Washington license plate on a gray pick up - "MAGNUS"; 2 Chinooks on a flatbed truck east bound; an east bound class A motor home towing a Chinook Concourse painted to match; huge fields of potatoes, alfalfa, wheat, sweet corn, timothy hay, and peppermint; and rolling hills spotted with sage brush or plowed for planting as far as the eye can see. The Columbia River has carved wide deep gorges through the hills. Gorgeous! We can see trucks the size of periods on a printed page moving along I-82 as we approach the exit for it five miles up ahead. South on I-82 - more sage brush covered hills and the Yakima River is trying to recreate the Columbia River Gorge.
With Henry's help we got to the Chinook factory without trauma at 11:50. They have no facilities for overnight stays. Mike, the service manager, said it would be OK to dry camp in a nearby parking lot but since the holding tanks need to be clean for tomorrow, we elected to come over here to the State Park where we could dump and flush.
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June 7, 2005 (Tue)
Swauk Campground, Wenatchee National Forest #14 dry $6.50s A-
Yakima, WA to Wenatchee National Forest, WA (72/3234 miles) Q015549
Being in the Chinook factory was kind of depressing. The last time we were here, 6 years ago, it was a beehive of activity with dozens of Chinooks being assembled. Today there were maybe six and the formerly bustling retail area was empty space - a sign in the window announced that it had relocated. Apparently the sagging economy, high gas prices, and increased competition has hit sales pretty hard. But Chinook is a survivor, having weathered other bad times, so they will probably survive this one. While Q was in the hospital, we were given the use of a small Ford pick up truck. Also, the waiting room was very nice with comfortable couches and free coffee (and TV if we wanted to watch it).
At 10:00 we went out and found 2 quilt shops where Joy browsed, schmoozed with the owners, and bought fabric. We also looked up what we thought would be a chocolate factory but turned out to be a retail store. We bought some chocolate, of course. On Yakima Avenue we saw a string of railroad cars that had been converted into small shops. There was little there of interest to us except for the dining car which was a Mexican restaurant. The food was authentic and very good.
We had a long list of things we wanted taken care of at the Chinook factory. We had rightly expected to pay for some of it but Chinook took care of it all! What a company!
This campground is a National Forest campground which means lots of trees (very tall here), no hook-ups or showers and pit toilets. Also no wireless signal, so no email tonight. The trees here are the tallest we've ever seen. Majestic and magnificent! There is only one other camping unit here - a class B (converted van) camper. The road is close but has hardly any traffic.
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June 9, 2005 (Wed)
Phil & Gail's driveway
Swauk Campground to Edmonds, WA (146/3381 miles) Q015695
Up at 5:30 (45°) off at 7:05 (50°) Rather than the more heavily traveled I-90 (and the Seattle congestion of I-5), we crossed the Cascade Mountains via the Stevens Pass Scenic Byway (A.K.A Cascades Loop and US-2). Beautiful! Leavenworth, WA is an interesting little town. To avoid extinction, the town fathers decided to transform it with a Bavarian theme. Now the setting (towering mountain rocks), architecture, and commercial offerings are distinctly Bavarian.
We stopped at the Deception Falls parking area and hiked to the falls and for a way down the Tye River - our exercise for the day. It was a beautiful walk through a moss covered forest with the sound of rushing water never far away.
From Stevens Pass, altitude 4106, we descended to near sea level in Everett, WA then south to Edmonds, WA. We got here at about 12:00 and backed Q into Gail and Phil's driveway and parked next to their motor home. It's good to be here.
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June 10, 2005 (Thu)
Bell Harbor Marina slip B9
Edmonds, WA to Seattle, WA (MnJ Aboard Friend Ship)
We boarded the Friend Ship, Phil and Gail's 36 foot trawler, at about 10:00am and headed out into Puget Sound. The sky was clear with big puffy clouds and the water smooth and calm as we chugged south toward Seattle. A sea lion sunbathing on a buoy lifted his head and complained loudly as we passed but the white harbor seal we saw swimming by later seemed not to care. In Paulsbo we found an empty slip and upset the harbor master by pulling into it. There was a yacht sale going on and we'd stumbled into a reserved slip. He directed us to a "legal" one and we tied up there for lunch. As luck would have it there was a quilt shop in town so Joy and Gail checked it out while Mark and Phil browsed the sales docks and vendor's tent.
We also upset the Coast Guard a couple of times (once when Joy was at the wheel) when we got too close to the naval station - they came over and yelled at us with a bull horn. They said they were conducting underwater experiments and that if we got too close or went too fast it would blow up. Really?? On our way to the Bell Harbor Marina in downtown Seattle the small ferryboat Rachel Marie overtook and passed us.
After settling in we went ashore for a wonderful seafood dinner at Anthony's, a restaurant across the boardwalk from the marina office. A beautiful red sunset over the Olympic Mountains finished off an interesting waterfront walk down Alaskan Way.
To Coeur d'Alene - #52-04
June 2, 2005 (Thu)
Camp Walmart, Gillette, WY
Hill City SD to Gillette, WY (188/2174 miles) Q014479
Deadwood South Dakota is where Wild Bill Hickok, a gambler, sharpshooter and one of the most infamous characters to ever come out of the Wild West, met his demise - shot in the back while playing poker in Saloon #10. The cards he held at the time, two black aces and two black eights, came to be known as a "Dead Man's Hand". It would have been the winning hand had he lived. The brochure says that Saloon #10 still stands on Deadwood's main street. It does (kind of). It and its neighboring establishments (3 or 4) were apparently built of ageless wood or lumber purchased from Home Depot just last week. Even so the tiny half street is the only thing in Deadwood that looks remotely "western". It has become a gaming town with tiny metered parking spaces and no interest in RVers. We drove on, disappointed.
The alien space ship in the movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" landed at the Devil's Tower in Northeast Wyoming. We saw no hint of space ship or aliens but it sure was a spectacular piece of rock. From a distance in sticks up out of the landscape all alone and seemingly over sized and out of place. Close up it towers overhead with majestic power. It is easy to understand why it was and is a spiritual place for Native Americans in the area. We hiked a little way up the trail circumventing the tower but since we weren't staying - the campground doesn't accommodate rigs as big as Ed and Kathy's - and it was lunch time, we marked it as something to do next time.
We're guests of Walmart tonight. It was so nice of them to offer us this quiet(?) spot.
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June 3, 2005, (Fri)
Camp Walmart Bozeman, MT
Gillette, WY to Bozeman, MT (360/2543 miles) Q014857
A penske rent-a-truck (18 wheeler) parked near us last night and idled his engine until nearly bed time then started it up again about 3 am. Why didn't he go to the Flying J truck stop down the street? Maybe too noisy!
I-90 was our entire venue today. Our only stop, other than rest breaks, was to visit the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument near Hardin, Montana. This is the site of what has come to be called Custer's Last Stand. Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer lead a 600 man attack against a large (1500 - 2000 warrior) Lakota-Cheyenne force camped in these hills. His battle tactics, and inferior manpower, lead to an astounding defeat - they were all killed! This site is not only a memorial to the men lost from the 7th U.S. Cavalry but also to the Indian's loss.
Our first sighting of the snow capped Rockies was of the Bighorn Mountains before coming to the National Monument, first ahead of us then beside and finally behind. We didn't go through them but north of them. Then it was the Beartooth, Crazy, and Absaroka mountain ranges all snow capped blending with the clouds and beautiful. Although the sky was overcast the mountains glowed as if in bright sun shine. We hit heavy rain coming down out of Bozeman Pass (elev. 5760) but it didn't last long.
We are guests of Walmart again tonight. It's a beautiful recently converted (enlarged) Supercenter just off I-90. There are several RVs (20?) parked around and more coming in. There's even a collapsible trailer!
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June 4, 2004, (Sat)
Wolf Lodge Campground #5 w/e/s $14.11p B+
Bozeman, MT to Coeur d'Alene, ID (361/2903 miles) Q015218
Last night the computer indicated that there was a WiFi hotspot nearby but the signal wasn't strong enough to use. On our evening walk we noticed that the Arby's (a fast food place) across the highway had free WiFi so this morning we drove over there. No better signal there. On a hunch we stopped near the Comfort Inn across the Walmart parking lot from where we spent the night. We got a good strong signal there but we needed to have a password.
Today it was all I-90 westbound across Montana. It was an absolutely gorgeous day - mostly sunny with big puffy clouds casting shadows on the nearby mountains. It's impossible to fully describe how beautiful this country is with its great expanses of rolling hills that fade into the far distance. The white jagged mountain horizon drew our eyes and soothed our spirits. It's amazing how vast open landscape can be so calming and restful. We crossed the Continental Divide at about 9:15 am (48.9°) following a railroad line much of the way. It's interesting how much like model railroad layouts the real thing looks out here. The tunnels, trestles, bridges and landscape cuts and fills may as well have been modeled by a giant hands. Everything has a different scale out here - and perspective. We found gasoline for $2.19 a gallon and considered it a steal.
We're in Idaho about 23 miles from the Washington border. The campground is small and very close to I-90 so it will be noisy tonight but it's clean and nicely kept. The owners are friendly and helpful.
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June 5, 2005 (Sun)
Wolf Lodge Campground, Coeur d'Alene, ID (2)
No travel today. Instead, we took a scenic ride along the Coeur d'Alene Lake. This is a true mountain lake in that the foot hills of the Rocky Mountains tower over it on both sides. At times we were at lake level but usually the road was a few hundred feet up the side of the mountain. It was a beautiful drive even though the clouds were heavy and it began to rain well before we got back to camp. We also took a jaunt to Post Falls where there is an outlet mall. Many of the stores were empty and the rest were closed. Bummer. On the way back we went into Coeur d'Alene to see what is left of the painted moose sculptures (a city fund raising project). We only found one. This afternoon we sat around reading, napping, and listing to the rain on Q's roof.
To the Black Hills - #52-03
May 29, 2005 (Sun)
Camp Cabela's Mitchell, SD A
Rochester, MN to Mitchell, SD (302/1656 miles) Q01396
Another first for us today and it's one that can't be claimed by many. We took showers in a Kohl's Department store parking lot. We also had breakfast there and got off at about 8:00 (60.0°). It was all I-90 today. Traveling on Sunday morning is wonderful. Hardly a car in sight for the first hour or two. The land through Minnesota is mostly flat, plowed for huge farm crops. As we approached South Dakota it began to undulate with small hills. On the side of one hill we saw a huge dark object that looked strangely like the head of a large bull. It was! The sculpture, metal we think, was 60 feet tall and the center piece for the Porter Sculpture Park. This is a good area for wind mills and we have seen several groups. All very picturesque silhouetted against the sky. We stopped twice for gas - more because the price was right ($1.89 & $1.93) than because we needed it. We see it mostly for $2.09 and up around here. Joy drove some today (the first time that I have driven this larger motorhome -J.) so we stopped twice to change drivers and another time for lunch.
Mitchell, SD is the home of the world famous Corn Palace, a rather garish theater building topped with highly decorated Moorish type minarets, turrets and domes. Around the outside and on the inside walls are huge murals made from multiple varieties, therefore colors, of corn. In addition to the theater inside there are, what the brochure calls, "corn-session" stands and pictures of each of the palaces since first built in 1892. It really is a-maize-ing!
We're camped out tonight in a Cabela's ("World's foremost outfitter" "Hunting, fishing, and outdoor gear") parking lot. They welcome overnight RVers. They even have a dump station. It should be real quiet here as we are a long way from the highway.
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May 30, 2005 (Mon)
Badlands National Park, Cedar Pass CG, #69 dry $5.00p B-
Mitchell, SD to Interior, SD (213/1869 miles) Q014174
49° at 5:30 when we got up this morning but it had warmed up to 57° by the time we got off at 8:30. I-90 was straight and flat. We could see farmlands way into the distance. The rest areas at about mile post 300 have miniature churches in back. They were the size of large doll houses. What could they be all about? The topography change upon crossing the Missouri River was astounding. Suddenly we are in the west. It's hard to describe what the change was but looking at the distant treeless hills made us expect to see a large herd of cattle being driven by hard riding cowboys.
On one hill we saw a metal sculpture of a life sized(?) T-Rex skeleton being led on a leash by a human skeleton. Interesting! Further on there was a flat metal sculpture of a four horse stage coach being chased by a group of Indians. Animal life along the way: a herd of wild horses w/young running across the plain, cattle of various colors, goats, several antelope, and a camel.
Coming down into the Badlands National Park was spectacular. The rock formations making it the badlands are like huge piles of sand - some several hundred feet high. And they are everywhere. The campground is situated in a basin of unnatural looking "mountains" at a distance all the way around us. After setting up, we went out with Ed and Kathy in their toad and got some close-up views and many pictures.
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May 31, 2005 (Tue)
Rafter J-Bar Ranch #211 w/e/s $35.00p B+
Interior, SD to Hill City, SD (117/1986) Q014291
It rained all night making it easy to sleep and we slept well - and late. But we got off in good time (7:50 55.4°) and followed the Badlands Loop road out of the park. The odd landscape was no less awesome in the morning although driving through it was less dream like.
We had begun seeing bill boards for Wall Drug 322 miles out on I-90 and then every few miles from then on. We had to make it a stop especially since it was on the way - more or less. It turned out to be an ordinary drug store - a small part of it. The rest was tourist trap, albeit a nice one, that sold everything from clothing to gift shop items to six shooters (and holsters to carry them in). The place was huge - several shops linked together with doorways between. It even had a chapel. Well worth the stop.
On the way to Rapid City where we stopped for gas (at $2.19) we passed the Box Elder (exit 66). We got into the Rafter J-Bar Ranch campground where we met up with friends of Ed and Kathy's. We're in the middle of South Dakota's black hills near Mt Rushmore. After setting up, the six of us crammed into Ed and Kathy's toad and headed for the Crazy Horse Memorial. This mountain carving of the Sioux Indian chief Crazy Horse, when finished, will be the largest sculpture in the world. But even after 50 years only the face is complete. But the work goes on.
June 1, 2005 (Wed)
Rafter J-Bar Ranch, Hill City, SD (2)
We took a scenic tour through the Black Hills this morning. The Needles Highway is appropriately named for the many formations of tall pointed rocks that the road wound around and through (literally!). It was good that we were in Ed and Kathy's car as there were three one lane rock tunnels way too small for a motor home. One of them was 8'4" wide (Q is 8'6" wide without his mirrors!) We met a couple at the turn near that tunnel who were afraid that their large SUV wouldn't fit. It would but barely. The Iron Mountain Road has similar scenery complete with severe switch backs and narrow tunnels. But the tunnels on this road were wide enough for a bus - with a few inches to spare. On entering two of the tunnels, the famous Mount Rushmore sculpture was framed in the exit portal. The turn out at the highest point in the road presented a view of the Memorial as a carving on a rugged outcropping of rock among many. An interesting perspective. Although we drove under and around Mount Rushmore, we did not stop.
Animals seen along the way: Buffalo (Bison), burros, pronghorn antelope, and mountain goats.
This afternoon was for relaxing. Although the wind is gusty enough to rock Q at times the sun is out - between occasional sprinkles. The temperature is 70°.
