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August 2012

Snake River

by Richie

Jackson, Wyoming

It was a relief to be settled in camp and not have to drive 400 miles today. We’ll be at this spot for a few more days.

Woke to a chilly morning – 40 degrees. Three of us took a float trip down the Snake River. Even though we were prepared with jackets, it was quite cold sitting in a big rubber boat under cloudy skies.

The Snake River is running swift this week. It’s fairly shallow and very clear, and you can see the large round river rocks on the bottom. We floated a tame section, not white water, but small rapids were present throughout. I was fascinated by the swirling patterns on the grey-green waters. A smoky haze from wildfires in Idaho is still lingering about the Tetons, so the view was not as clear as we have seen it in previous years.

We spotted half a dozen bald eagles, and flocks of funny merganser ducks who swim the rapids with ease. Beaver presence is evident also, with many half-chewed and fallen trees.

Bald Eagle
Ducks

 

Beaver Lodge

We caught up with the parents, Rich and Claire, in the afternoon. There are now seven intrepid travelers in our Wild West expedition, and one big dog. This evening we all enjoyed a chili supper at the cabins, including Shadow who got pot-lickins’.

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Jackson Hole

by Richie

Jackson, Wyoming
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Our Mantis Mascot

After 1500 miles of heading due west, we finally turned north toward the Grand Tetons. Another long high desert valley was traversed, and we stopped at Landers Cut-Off where remnants of the Oregon Trail are still visible. On a warm and windy rise, the soft sand of the old trail sifted into my shoes. Nearby were the bleached bones of a former antelope.

Oregon Trail
As we pressed further north, the terrain changed dramatically. We plunged into heaving foothills and followed the verdant path of the Hobart River.

 

Mid-afternoon we set up camp at Jackson Hole Campground on the Teton Village road and celebrated with some frosty local beer.

This campground caters to large motor coaches, and hoo boy there’s some big-uns here this week. We are the peewee of the group.
Giant Fifth Wheel with Porch
Prevost Bus with Custom Trailer

There’s also ultra modern cabins for rent here, and our friends Paul, Jane and Frank have joined us for the long Labor Day weekend.

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High Desert

by Richie

Rock Springs, Wyoming
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Elevation 8835
Up and up we climbed, to the highest point on I-80 West, which is commemorated with a statue of Lincoln and a swell visitor center.
Each butte we crested served up another immense view. The valleys we crossed today are nearly incomprehensible in size. Hundreds of miles wide, and simply jaw dropping in scope. The vistas are so vast that Tim said he could almost see the curvature of the Earth. Haha.
The High Desert is quite empty. It’s an enormous void of sagebrush and sand, with an occasional prong horn antelope at play, and the mountains in the far, far distance. Pictures don’t do it justice.
We are still following the line of the old Oregon Trail, and can’t help but imagine the hardships the pioneer families must have endured. Walking, riding in a wagon, or, as in the case of those crazy Mormons, pushing a handcart for months across this unforgiving landscape.
“August 28, 1857  
Dear Diary,
Provisions almost gone.
Down to 2 cups of flour and a pound of salt.
Pregnant again. Two children dead from fever.
Kill husband soon.”
Tonight, with our modern version of a Conestoga Wagon, we are safely tucked into a campground in Rock Springs. And our biggest concern is that we might run out of cocktail sauce.
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Wyoming Or Bust

by Richie

Cheyenne, Wyoming
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Up at dawn again today. Traveling west through Nebraska, the corn fields give way to grassy prairie, dotted sparsely with cattle.
We missed the big Cabela’s flagship store in Kearney, so we stopped at the one in Sydney. The temperature was in the high 90’s, and we were concerned about leaving the dog in a hot camper. Fortunately, this Cabela’s has a splendid RV park right at the edge of the parking lot. The office was closed, so I slipped a $5 bill with note under the door and we hooked up to their power for an hour. The dog had air conditioning, and we had a good shopping spree.
Gas is getting cheaper the farther west we go. In Wyoming, it’s about 50 cents less than back home. As a rule, we fill up at half a tank.
This evening we’re camped at Terry Bison Ranch. It’s a working buffalo ranch with all kinds of touristy fun on the property. The ranch is laid out like a old-timey western town. There’s a menagerie of animals in a huge corral-like petting zoo. The bison are in fields surrounding the property, and you can take a miniature train ride to see them up close. The RV park is just gravel sites, kind of close together, but that’s okay for the one night we’ll be here.  We had a fine supper at the restaurant – buffalo short ribs for me, and rib eye for Tim.

 

 

Shadow eyes the Buffalo
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Kearney, Nebraska
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We are traveling west, following the famed pioneer trail along the Platte River. We headed out early again today and laid down a lot of miles under low hanging clouds and spotty showers. We skirted around Kansas City and passed through a small slice of Iowa, where sunflowers grow wild in the fence rows and the dirt is black as coffee grounds.

Today’s collector theme was antique farm tractors, and we saw quite a few being trailered to an unknown convention.
A shortcut from Iowa took us on Nebraska Highway 2 – a road that should be labeled as a crime because some contractor has surely spent time in prison. This thumping washboard of a road alarmed us so much we pulled over to check for a flat.
Around lunchtime we were back on the smooth surface of Interstate 80. If you haven’t traveled through American’s heartland, specifically the mid-section of Nebraska, let me clue you in with a single word: Corn. That’s all there is. For hundreds of miles. Nothing but corn fields. As far as the eye can reach. It’s so monotonously the same that you end up hoping for a billboard or two just to entertain you.
In the middle of this mind-numbing drive, just outside Kearny, we were startled to see an enormous structure arching across the road. “What the hell is that!” we said in unison. Turns out it’s a fabulous museum – The Great Platte River Road Archway. And it’s right down the street from our campground.
Kearny was the starting point for the big western migration. Buffalo originally made the trail along the Platte River. Indians and fur trappers followed. Then the Mormons and early pioneers took up the path. The California, Oregon, Gold Rush, and Mormon trails all begin here. The route was used by Pony Express and stage coaches, with railroads following later. When the automobile became popular, the road was improved and labeled The Lincoln Highway. President Eisenhower expanded the idea, and the original buffalo trace is now I-80.
The Archway is a splendid self-guided tour with audio phones, cleverly staged displays, and fascinating narratives. We couldn’t have been more pleased to end this long day of driving by visiting such a marvel.
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Middle of MOwhere

by Richie

Arrow Rock, Missouri
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Pretending to be morning people, we exited Lake Rudolf at 7am. There must have been a Hot Rod convention in Evansville, as we saw scores of fly jalopies cruising by.
Past the state line, rolling hills and deciduous trees began to give way to a flat and featureless landscape. Fields of withered soybeans and  parched, stunted corn told the tale of this summer’s drought. In an odd coincidence, we spotted a roadside wildfire just past Burnt Prairie, Illinois.
.
Approaching St. Louis, a traffic jam over the bridge gave us a good long view of the Arch.
We ran through a surprise storm front with bursts of gusty crosswinds, making for some lively steering. Anxious to get off the road for lunch, Tim was pleading for the next rest area but I pointed the coach to Reifsnider State Forest instead. And it certainly was an off-road experience. We ended up on a wildly steep gravel road, with no opportunity to turn back, and were forced to cross a half- dry rocky creek. I bottomed out the coach coming and going. But we managed to have a lovely picnic once the adrenaline subsided, and I’ve made a mental note that “State Forest” means unpaved roads.
Mid-afternoon we arrived at Arrow Rock to camp for the evening. This historic town was once a bustling riverboat port. Blockades during the Civil War and the advance of western railroads put the town into serious decline. Then, in an unkind final blow, the Missouri River spitefully changed course and left the town a mile from the water and without purpose.
Nowadays Arrow Rock is a sweet little tourist stop. It’s only a couple of streets wide, lined with original stone curbs. The Lyceum auditorium was happily crowded this evening.
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Lake Rudolf

by Richie

Santa Claus, Indiana
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 H-Hour. D-Day. On our way!
Please assume driving positions.

After a flurry of silly last-minute activity, we finally left town mid-afternoon under dirty blue skies and temperatures in the 90’s. A couple of easy road hours later we arrived at Lake Rudolf RV Resort Park.

The campground is attached to Holiday World, a regionally popular amusement park located in festive Santa Claus, Indiana. As you might expect, Christmas is the main decorating motif around here, and there seems to be no limit to the imaginative use of the theme.

We paid top dollar (a hefty $58) for the “premium site” which turns out to be just a concrete pad. A bit disappointing, but it is an improvement over the unkempt gravel and crabgrass parking of the regular sites. The back of our site has a big drop off, so the scooter is hanging out in space, and won’t be unloaded tonight.
But hey, no worries! We are thrilled to be on the road. We’ve got frosty drinks in our hands, a lovely lake view, and a fully stocked fridge.
The hardest decision of the night has been, “What’s for supper?” Tim decided that a little bit of everything was in order!.
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T-Minus a few days, and counting…

We’ve got three lists of ‘Do Not Forget’ items, six piles of clothes, and two freezers of food waiting to be crammed into the coach. But first, maintenance chores at the farm are required before we can leave the cabin unattended for a month, so we traveled the two-hour round trip this evening.

We just purchased a swanky new portable generator for the cabin. Opting for the cheaper route, we bought a refurbished unit on ebay, saving hundreds of dollars.

Last week we diligently tested the generator at home. Ran great, easy start, super quiet operation. We congratulated ourselves for finding such a great deal. Then Pin-Head mode set in, and we didn’t actually plug an appliance into the blessed thing.

You can guess what happened next…

That’s right, it doesn’t work. We hauled it out to the farm tonight only to find the outlets are dead. Fired right up, but doesn’t produce any AC power. So tomorrow I’ve got to make a special trip to the “authorized factory dealer” and put in a claim before the 30 day warranty expires next week. Meanwhile the cabin chores are left unfinished, and we’re out of time.

Yup, leaving is the hardest part of going on vacation.

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Our Coach

by Richie

We’ve had a bunch of questions about our motorhome, so here’s a tour…

We own a Coach House 261 Platinum XL motor home. It’s 26′ 10″ long, and weighs about 7 tons.

 

Coach House is a bit of a boutique manufacturer. Made in Florida, these RVs are built on a Ford Econoline chassis. They are considered a Class B+ van conversion, although there’s nothing “van” about them, other than the driving seats. We love the design, interior appointments, and drivability. This is our second motorhome of the Coach House brand.

Our rig has a full kitchen and bathroom with corner shower. The sofa in the slide-out nook folds out to a queen size bed. The dinette also converts to an extra bed. Both furnace and air conditioner keep us comfy year round, plus all windows are screened for those pleasant days when fresh air is welcome.Even though this is considered a small RV, there’s plenty of room for two adults and a big dog.

Chances are you’ve never heard of the Coach House brand. They’re kind of rare, and we’ve spotted only two others on the road. You can find out more at www.coachhouserv.com

Top photos: Coach House brochure

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