Day 2 - Swannanoa, NC

We went to Panera's for breakfast and then found the Mast General Store in Asheville. Our younger daughter loves the candy cigarettes they sell there, so that was my mission - pick up some for her. They are politically correct now -- they call them candy "sticks" but they're still in boxes that look like cigarette boxes. When we got back to the trailer I cut Jack's hair and washed 2 loads of clothes. The KOA recommended a really good German restaurant in Black Mountain, so for our last night on the road we went over for supper. WONDERFUL! I ate waaaay too much! I had a smoked port chop, German potato salad and red cabbage. The apple strudel we had for dessert was awesome!

Tomorrow we'll be home! I'll post again next trip.

We're in NC!

Here are the pictures I mentioned in yesterday's blog. I think the falls speak for themselves. The building on the upper right in the KFC I mentioned.

We arrived in Asheville, NC about 1:30 Sunday afternoon and got set up under a beautiful maple tree. The trees on the mountains coming through Kentucky, TN and NC are beautiful. We stayed in camp aside from a short foray into Swannanoa to see about a Sunday paper. I was HOPING for a News and Observer, but got the Asheville Citizen Times.

Today (Monday) we went into the city and had our first Bruegger's Bagels in 5 months. They're as good as we remembered them, but the price seems to have gone up. YIKES! The morning brought us tornado warnings and a three minute spirt of very heavy rain and wind. End of story. After breakfast we went to the Asheville Mall and walked around. Ate a bowl of soup at the deli and then got some supplies at Wal-Mart. The sun's out now, and the temp is in the 60's.

Not sure of plans for tomorrow -- Mast General Store? Biltmore House? Stay tuned!

Corbin, KY

We arrived at the Corbin KOA yesterday afternoon (22nd) and enjoyed the beautiful weather here in southern KY. Our neighbors have a 1976 Airstream and 4 cute little kids. They were busy preparing their campsite for today's Halloween festivities. They want to win the best decorated Halloween site. They're busy helping their Mom decorate, and very excited about the hay ride and the "weenie roast" after dark tonight. They range in age from about 8 to 3. All white blondes!

This morning we drove 20 miles to the Cumberland Falls State Park to see the "Niagara of the South". It's claim to fame (aside from being the highest falls) is the "moonbow" that is evident at night when the moon is full. Unfortunately, while today is a full moon, tonight the sky is cloudy, so no moon :-(. It was so beautiful there today with the trees in full color and the sun in perfect position to take pictures. I'll have to post them another time, as they're still on the camera. We spent most of the morning there, tromping from one observation site to the next and taking pictures.

After lunch we drove to the site of the original gas station/restaurant that Colonel Saunders started here in Corbin, KY. When the depression hit and people weren't traveling as much, he decided to sell meals to boost his income. He developed his famous chicken recipe right here in Corbin on highway 25w which at the time was the main road between the north and Florida.

The rest is history! The site has a KFC restaurant, and the eating area is a replica of the original KFC.

We leave tomorrow for Asheville East KOA in Swannanoa for several days.

Louisville, KY

We arrived in Louisville on Monday afternoon and found our KOA which is right across the river from Louisville, on the Clarksville side of the Ohio River. It is definitely a different campground -- not a blade of grass to be seen. The sites are all paved and the space (very little) between campers is gravel. It's definitely an URBAN campground! However, it's extremely convenient as I don't believe we had to travel more than seven miles in any direction to see the attractions we were interested in.

HOUSES: We stopped at the Thomas Edison "house" -- I use the term loosely, as actually Thomas Edison rented only one room in the house in the year that he lived there. He worked nights as a telegrapher for Western Union and got fired after only a year for spending his time doing experiments instead of doing his job. The room has been designed using period pieces and the remainder of the house is now a museum showcasing many of the inventions made by Edison.

Farmington Historic Plantation (1815) was the home of Lincoln's friend Joshua Speed, whom Lincoln roomed with in New Salem, Il. The Speeds owned 60 slaves and had a hemp farm of over 500 acres, selling rope, twine, and burlap-type bags. Lincoln visited the Speeds after he and Mary broke up.

Whitehall House was a 4-room brick farm home that was purchased in 1909 and the wife of the new owner took the simple home from a square brick home to a 16 room mansion with huge pillars inside and out and the final owner, Hume Logan, Jr. Mr. Logan was a collector of French antiques, and he filled the home with them. When he died at the age of 94, he deeded it to the city of Louisville with the caveat that it must be opened to the public to enjoy. The gardens are beautiful and this home is the site of one or two weddings per weekend.

Historic Locust Grove was built in 1790 and was the last home of Revolutionary War hero George Rogers Clark, older brother of William Clark of the Louis and Clark Expedition. General Clark lived in Clarksville until he had a stroke and was no longer able to take care of himself. His sister and her husband, owners of Locust Grove, took the General into their home and he died there nine years later. Locust Grove was a farm -- growing corn, beans, potatoes, and hay as well as many varieties of fruits which they sold in Louisville. While we were there the house had costumed interpreters in the kitchen and one doing spinning demonstrations. The cook was making a blueberry cake over the coals of the fire in an iron dutch over. Smelled wonderful. She explained why the bottom portion of her dress was wet -- to prevent it catching fire as she worked among the ashes. It was probably the best tour of houses we took.

Other Sites:

Falls of the Ohio Interpretive Center is a nature and environmental center located at the Falls of Ohio State Park. The park is noted for it's 350 million year old fossil reef. Exhibits related to the history of the falls from prehistoric times to the present. After touring the Center we walked down to the fossil reef, but did not stay to go out onto it.

Kentucky Derby Museum was our last sight-seeing adventure in Louisville for this trip -- there's soooo much more to see we'll likely have to return another time. We had a walking tour to see the paddock area, the alley that takes the horses and the jockeys out to the track (the bricks are made of old tires to protect the legs/ankles of the horses) and we were down by the track and the seating areas of the racetrack. Inside the museum we had a movie showing the 2010 Kentucky Derby, the various hats worn by the owner's wives, the jockey colors, trophies and many multi-media shows -- very interesting!

Tomorrow we're on our way to Corbin, KY for two days and then into North Carolina!

Indianapolis, Motor Speedway & Conner Prairie

The picture on the left is of the Soldiers and

Sailor's Monument in the center of Indianapolis. The picture on the right is the Morris-Butler Mansion which I mentioned yesterday.

On Saturday we went to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indy 500, the Brickyard 400, and the Grand Prix of motorcycle racing. We took a bus ride on the famous track, and saw the communications Pagoda, Gasoline Alley, the brick start/finish line, and then went inside the museum to see the many race cars that are there. They also had exhibits of the trophies and of the scoring devices. There were exhibits of the various broadcasters who have announced the races too. Went back on Sunday to get souvenirs.

Sunday afternoon we went to Fishers, IN to the Conner Prairie Interactive History Park. The park takes visitors back to the 1800's and is divided into an Indian village (Delaware), Conner's Homestead, a 1836 village with costumed interpreters, and an 1859 Lafayette, IN balloon ride.

It was fun to talk with the various interpreters, and I learned that the fingerless gloves I bought in Amana, IA were called "muffetees" in 1836! Several of the girls were knitting them. There were also demonstrations and discussions with a blacksmith, a woodworker, a homemaker, a guest at the Inn, and a teacher. There was also a lady playing a dulcimer, and she did a great job of playing the old songs.

Tomorrow we will travel to Louisville, KY -- we're going from race cars to race horses!

Indianapolis, Indiana

We arrived at the Indianapolis KOA east of Indianapolis on Tuesday, October 12. We spent the evening on the web looking for things we'd like to see while we're here. On Wednesday we ventured out to find a Hardees (thank heavens for the GPS system!) and ended up finding a Wal-Mart, a Panera, a Kroger Grocery Store AND Hardees! After breakfast at Panera's (we changed our mind), we went to the White River State Park -- a metro area with many attractions to explore. We decided to visit the Indiana State Museum as our first stop. We enjoyed the museum, but when we came out it was raining...and we had two blocks to walk. Jack had left the truck windows open, so we came back to wet seats as well as our wet clothes and hair! Found our way back to the KOA and had supper.

Thursday we had breakfast at Hardees (best cinnamon-raisin biscuits I've had in YEARS!) and then headed into downtown Indy to the James Whitcomb Riley Home. It seems that Riley, the Hoosier Poet, lived for 23 years as a guest in the home of a baker and his wife and their daughter and her husband. Riley wrote over 1000 poems including Little Orphant Annie. The house is one of the finest Victorian preservations in the US (according to the travel magazine). The furnishings were beautiful and were all authentic to the home!

From the Riley Home, we drove to the Benjamin Harrison home (23rd President of the US) and toured the house. Another couple was on the tour with us, and the tour which should have taken about an hour extended into over two hours. At that point the other couple was arguing over whether to buy one or two candlesticks (one was cracked), and at what price would they be sold. After 20+ minutes of waiting while they argued, we excused ourselves and went to lunch (2:30 p.m.!).

Today we toured the Morris-Butler House. This house was in the north east section of Indy, and from 1959 - 1963 was deserted and very run down. Eli Lilly and a committee of like-minded people bought the house, repaired it, and filled it with beautiful Victorian furnishings . We enjoyed the docent who led the tour -- very personable. She suggested we tour the capitol

so we drove into downtown and were lucky to find a parking meter about a block from the capitol. It was tough to get in -- the security was very strict. Jack was wearing his big western belt buckle and his hat with all the pins both caused the alarm to sound. He was "wanded" and even had to raise his pants legs to show the tops of his socks! We spent a couple hours looking through the 4 floors. From there we went to the Soldier's and Sailor's Monument in the center of downtown. It's 284 feet tall and is a tribute to those in the armed forces who died in the Civil War. Eli Lilly has provided a free Civil War museum under the monument with the focus on those from Indiana who served.

Tomorrow we're off to the Hall of Fame Museum, which houses one of the most diversified collections of antique and classic passenger automobiles and racing cars in the world. Stay tuned!!!!

The Land of Lincoln!!!!

We arrived in Springfield, IL late Tuesday afternoon and planned our excursions into Lincoln country. So much to see! Thankfully we allowed enough time to tour and to rest. Good thing -- Jack got a cold so isn't feeling the greatest.

LINCOLN SITES: We started our Lincoln tour by heading to the Lincoln Presidential Museum which is a modern building built in late 1977 with the Lincoln Presidential Library across the street in a mirror image building. The Museum has two special effects theaters (one on the Presidential Library and one on Lincoln's years in the White House and the Civil War). We had two paths to follow: Lincoln's early years by entering through a log cabin and with displays show casing his early years as a store keeper, his courting and marriage to Mary Todd, and his life in Springfield as a lawyer and legislator. By entering the White House, we were taken through his years as President of the United States and the effect of the Civil War on Lincoln.

We walked a few blocks down and visited the Lincoln and Herndon Law offices. The next day we went to the National Park Service's Lincoln Home National Historic Site. The main property is the Lincoln home where the Lincoln's lived for 17 years and is amid a scenic and historic neighborhood. The National Park Service offers free tours of the house. The house contains many pieces of Lincoln furniture, and it was moving to be able put my hands on the stairway bannister and know that Lincoln had likely put his hands on the same piece of wood! Two neighboring houses are also open containing information on the neighborhood and the inhabitants' relationship with the Lincoln's. We also visited Lincoln's tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery. The tomb is a 117-foot monument and contains the tombs of Lincoln, wife Mary, and Tad, Eddie and Willie.

OTHER Springfield Sites:

Old State Capitol where Abe delivered his famous "House Divided" speech in the Hall of Representatives. His body lay in state there May 3 and 4, 1865.

Dana-Thomas House:

This house was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1903-04 for Springfield socialite and activist Susan Lawrence Dana. The house has all the furnishings designed by Wright and is known for it's beautiful art glass windows and use of space.

Illinois State Museum:

This library contains exhibits on the state's natural history and arts. I especially enjoyed the paper weight collection!

Korean War National Museum:

This museum contained donated pictures from some of the many servicemen who served in the Korean War and provided a timeline of events of the war. One of the most interesting DVD's was of the group of military people who travel to the various war sites of all wars to find, bring home, identify remains, and return them to their families.

Vachel Lindsay Home:

Vachel Lindsay , a Springfield poet, author and artist was born here in 1879 and died here in 1931. The home remained in the family for 80 years and was acquired by the state in 1991. Abe and Mary Todd Lincoln visited the home often when they lived in Springfield during the mid-1800's when Mary's sister and her husband owned the house. The house was built in 1840.

The two pictures are of our Lincoln touring: One is of us in front of the Lincoln home, and the other was taken at the Museum where the Lincoln family invited us to have our pictures taken with them. The statues are said to be the correct height of the Lincolns.

Amana, Part 2

Brrr! Saturday lived up to the forecast! We woke up to temps in the 30's-- 32 to be exact! The campground came around last night and turned off everyone's water. Good thing our tank was full of Worthington water, and we could still brush our teeth and wash up! We went to the Amana Bakery and had yummy pastry -- mine was a blackberry braid. WONDERFUL! Then we went outside and waited 40 minutes to see the Oktoberfest parade. The streets were crowded with people waiting. As in other parades we've seen, the kids made out like it was Halloween, as most kids went home with at least half a grocery bag of candy! Best part of the parade was the Shriner OOMPAH band :-)

We went to the Woolen Mill and the Furniture Store, and many other shops before heading back to the trailer for lunch. After lunch we went to Middle Amana to see the Community kitchen and the Arts Guild building. The guide in the community kitchen was very interesting -- girls started working in the kitchens at the age of 14, and there were 62 community kitchens in the seven colonies.

We went to Mass in Williamsburg at 4:00! I WANT THAT PRIEST!! We had Mass, sang 4 songs, the Responsorial Psalm, the Sanctus and Angus Dei and had a speech by a member of the parish regarding the Annual Bishop's Diocesan Appeal AND WE WERE STILL OUT IN 40 MINUTES!!!!!!

Sunday we ate breakfast family style at the Colony Inn. We didn't realize that it was family style until we were seated, and decided to stay. Our breakfast consisted of: Orange juice, mixed fruit cup, toast, 2 wonderful thin pancakes, and a platter of 4 eggs, 2 sausage patties, bacon, and a bowl of fried potatoes. We waddled out of there and walked for an hour to work some of it off! Stopped at the craft fair at the campground and after lunch we drove to West Amana to see Opa's Barn (closed) and stopped at the Festival barn to listen to the music for an hour. For supper we went back to Amana and had supper at Ronneburg restaurant.

On Monday we drove to Homestead to see the little colony and then spent the day at the campground. Tuesday a.m. we ate breakfast at Ronneburg's and had more of those yummy pancakes. Then back to pack up and hit the road to Springfield, Illinois and Abe Lincoln!!!!

Amana, Iowa Oktoberfest and more!

We drove from Worthington to Amana, Iowa on September 30. It was a 314 mile, six hour trip and we arrived about 5:30. We registered at the Amana RV campground (huge!) and spent the evening perusing the brochures we were given. We're staying until Tuesday -- maybe longer.

We decided to have an apple strudel for breakfast from Hahn's Bakery in Middle Amana and then went walking in the town of Amana. We visited an antique shop -- kids, don't sell any of my glassware without getting it appraised! I saw stuff I'm still using going for good prices! We visited many shops, but in the leather shop I found a purse I liked. Ate lunch in a cafe and then went to the Heritage museum where we spent a couple hours. Stopped at the meat shop and picked up some brots and summer sausage; the winery where I got some great plum wine :-) and then went to the Festhaus to listen to the Oktoberfest band and ate a great meal of brots, hot German potato salad, and cherry strudel.

It was beautiful today, and we were able to walk about without jackets or sweaters. Tomorrow and Sunday are supposed to be in the 40's! BRRRRR!!!!

Worthington, MN

We've been busy visiting with Jack's brother Melvin and his wife Betty here in soggy Worthington. On Friday we enjoyed visiting with their son, Scott, who's home from California for his parents 60th wedding anniversary celebration.

Scott and I cracked 9 DOZEN eggs on Saturday for an egg casserole to be served to 50 people on Sunday and then Scott was assigned other duties while his sister Barb Walter and I cut up fruit for a fresh fruit salad. Saturday evening we drove about 40 miles to Lake Shetek near Slayton where Betty and Melvin had chartered a boat for a 2-hour dinner cruise on the lake. It was great seeing all our nieces, nephews and cousins.

Today we attended church as a family (7 pews!) and then went back to their house for a fantastic brunch! The garage was turned into a party room with 6 large tables and another table in the house to seat the 50 guests. The weather cooperated and the sun was out and very light breeze, so the little ones could play outside, and the families could sit in the sun if they chose. By 4:30 everyone had departed, and I'm certain that Mel and Betty put their feet up and relaxed!

The weather's so nice here right now, and the forecast is for sun all week. We think we'll prolong our stay by a few days :-) Don't know where our next stop will be, but will keep our record going!

Mankato, Part 2

The Monday tour went off well. I had 15 women to escort, and they seemed to really enjoy the tour of Good Counsel. The day was super warm -- almost 90 degrees!

On Wednesday we celebrated our anniversary with another trip to Amboy to the Amboy Cottage Cafe and Lisa treated us to a warm carmel roll. My sister treated us to breakfast and we opened our anniversary cards that had been received. That afternoon we started packing the trailer for our trip to Worthington, MN. About 2:15 it started raining and the thunder was LOUD! It rained continuously from afternoon into this afternoon. Heard that Amboy got 12 inches of rain; many other towns had 4-10 inches of rain, and many roads were closed.

The Sojourner Community at Good Counsel treated us to a fantastic anniversary dinner Wednesday evening. We certainly have been made to feel at home at Good Counsel!

Now we're in Worthington, MN (90+ miles southwest of Mankato) to visit Jack's brother Melvin and his wife Betty. We're at Olson's campground and the wind is roaring at 15-18 miles per hour. Many of the campsites are under water, but our site is wet, but not flooded. Will post again in a few days.

Visiting the Rellies :-)

September 7 we arrived in Iroquois, SD and spent 5 days visiting our niece Barb and her hubby Rollie Walter. We also drove to Brookings and spent an afternoon with Jack's sister, Leila. The time went waaaay too quickly. On the 12th we drove 200 miles to Mankato, MN to spend 10 days with my sister, Sr. Dominic. This visit is going awfully fast as well! We've had marathon games of "golf" -- a card game, and Dom seems to have developed the ability to win nearly every game and has had numerous negative scores! On the other hand, I ended up with a 110 final score compared to her negative numbers! She even skunked me at cribbage!

We've been to the Amboy Cottage Cafe three times! The rolls are as wonderful as we remember! While in Amboy we caught up with our friend Art Schuch and had a wonderful morning catching up with him. We were blessed he joined us another morning for breakfast as well. Lisa (the owner) says that things are progressing well on saving the bridge she's been fighting for.

We've visited our first cousin, Joan Brown in Red Wing, MN on Friday, and went to Victoria, MN on Saturday to see sister-in-law, Marion, and our nieces and nephew. Had a great time visiting with them, and enjoyed seeing Corine and Steve's new Honda motorcycles. Their house is just a shell right now, as Eric and Dave are in the process of remodeling the first floor. Steve and Corine are living in the basement!

Today was the last day that Jake's Stadium Pizza is open in it's original location, so Jack and I got 4 pizzas and treated the nuns at Dom's. They'll be closed until after we're gone on Thursday.

Tomorrow I'm drafted to be a guide taking people through the various gift shops at Good Counsel, as Dom has a large tour coming in. My marching orders include: 15 min. in each location to see the Specialty shop, Ceramic Haven, the Gift shop, and the Woodcarving shop. Should be interesting!

Bismarck, ND

The picture of us on the bench was taken in Medora (see last Medora post for all the details) on our way back up the hill from visiting the Chateau's stable and caretaker's cottage. Besides the steep climb, we were also facing a 40 mph "breeze". We had an uneventful trip from Medora to Bismarck, and had no problem finding the KOA campground. Our address?? 39 Lilac Lane. If you know me well, you know I LOVE lilacs. There were large bushes between the sites, giving everyone a bit of privacy.

Sunday we went to breakfast at the first Cracker Barrel we've seen since Missoula, MT! We discovered after breakfast that ND still has blue laws (no sales on Sunday a.m.). Soooo, no boxes of crackers for Jack until Sunday afternoon. We could eat in the restaurant and get fuel, but no other sales are allowed. We went from there to Fort Abraham Lincoln where we had a tour of the reconstructed George Custer home and a portion of the barracks of his 7th Cavalry. On the foot lockers of those who were with him at Little Big Horn, their names, dates, and information about their careers was posted on each locker. Very interesting. From there we went farther into the park and stopped at the Museum and the On-A-Slant Mandan village. Five of the lodges have been rebuilt, but at the height of their population, there would have been lodges for 8 miles on both sides of the Missouri river. A Sioux was the interpreter at the site, and it was interesting hearing about their customs and symbols. Also went to the top of the hill and saw 3 reconstructed block houses. We got back to camp about 4:30. A long day.

Today we woke up to the sound of rain on our roof. It's rained ALL DAY!!! Mary Buchholz (a school friend) came over about 12:00 and treated us to a Chinese dinner and then in the afternoon we drove over to Mandan to see her son Joe Brincks, who was two the last time we saw him. He's 36 now, and the postmaster in a small town about 20 miles from Mandan. On the way back to the trailer, we also drove past the University of Mary, which is run by the Benedictine nuns and priests, and drove past some of Bismarck's McMansions. Tomorrow we will arrive in Iroquois, SD and spend several days with our niece and her husband.

Medora, Part 2

Wednesday we drove over to Dickinson, ND to get groceries and diesel and decided to stop at the dinosaur and mineral museum. The museum was awesome, and I personally enjoyed the mineral exhibit more than the dinosaurs. In the same complex there was also a county museum and a pioneer equipment museum. After the county museum we walked over and were entertained by an elderly couple as Jack and the husband walked among the old farm equipment, and his wife and I discussed canning pickles and beets and sauerkraut. We did get groceries and diesel, and on the way out of town, a Dairy Queen :-)

Thursday we drove back to the Chateau to see the stables and the caretaker's cottage. Both in very poor shape, and to get to them we had to walk down a steep road -- walking back up was a CHORE! Of course we were also battling a 40 mph "breeze". Thankfully they had thought to put a bench halfway up. We made good use of it. We also checked out the gift shops and got a bargain on a sweatshirt (for me) and a free T-shirt for Jack. We also toured the local museum, and at the last minute decided to visit the Harold Schafer Heritage Center. What a neat surprise! Harold Schafer was a Bismarck native who started the Gold Seal Company which sold Glass Wax, Snowy Bleach and MR. BUBBLE bubble bath. In 1965 he discovered Medora and he is responsible for the Medora Musical and for updating the stores in Medora and made it the number 1 tourist attraction in North Dakota. Medora has a volunteer program which gives volunteers a very nice place to stay and meals both free. Volunteers come from all over the US, and can stay from a season to a week or two. They staff the various gift shops and eating establishments in Medora.

Today (Friday) was our last day here, and since the weather was beautiful and NO WIND, we drove through the TR National Park one more time. Saw 2 bucks butting heads, several wild horses, some buffalo, and the always charming prairie dogs! Then we drove up to the Painted Canyon visitor's center where we took more pictures. Since it was almost noon, we drove 24 miles west to Beach, ND, and toured their Golden Valley County Historical Museum. By the time we got back to camp, the weekend influx of trailers had begun. As we walked through the campground after supper, we noted that there were only FOUR campsites that were open. By the time we came back from our walk, the campground was full.

Tomorrow we get into Central time in Bismarck, ND. We'll be staying at the KOA.

Medora, ND

We arrived in Medora on Monday afternoon in rain and temps in the LOW 60's. After setting up at the Red Tail Campground, we decided to go to the Chateau de Mores State Historic Site. The town of Medora was founded in 1883 by a 24-year-old French nobleman, the Marquis de Mores. He named the town for his bride, the former Medora von Hoffman, daughter of a wealthy NY City banker. With the financial backing from his father-in-law, he founded the town of Medora, built a meat packing plant, a hotel, stores, and a large home, the Chateau de Mores overlooking his new town. His new home has 26 rooms and he imported wine and mineral water from France. Medora was an ardent hunter and when not entertaining friends from the East and the Continent, liked to hunt. All the Marquis' enterprises ended in financial failure, so the Marquis and Marquise and their children returned to France. The house was kept up by caretakers and in 1936 it was given to the State of ND. A good portion of the furnishings remained in the house (including the French wine and mineral waters!) and it was interesting to visit. Medora built the St. Mary Catholic Church in Medora, and it is the oldest Catholic Church still being used in North Dakota.

Today we debated about going to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, as it was very cloudy and was threatening rain as you can see from the picture of us by the National Park sign. We went in and spent an hour at the visitor's center and toured the relocated Roosevelt Maltese Cross Cabin. By that time the sun was out and the dark clouds were traded for white fluffy ones. We spent 3 hours driving the 35 mile road, stopping often for pictures such as the one of the Little Missouri River I've included. That one was taken from the ridge of the trail after a short hike to the edge. Jack likes to hang on the edge like a mountain goat. I prefer to stand several feet AWAY from the edge! Got back to the trailer about 2:00, ate a light lunch and then went to the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame. They kicked us out at 5 when they closed.

The town of Medora is definitely a tourist town; no fast food outlets (Jack's got withdrawals), only one gas station (we just found it today), and tons of souvenir shops, fudge shops, and antique stores. The closest true grocery stores (not convenience stores) are in Beach, 25 miles to the west, and Dickinson which is 30 miles to the east. We still have more to explore, and 3 more days to do it!

Great Falls, MT

We've been in Great Falls since Tuesday afternoon. Wednesday we found the Visitor's Center and signed up for a 2-hour historic tour of the city. The first hour appeared to be a commercial for the Chamber of Commerce. Finally after the first hour, the tour got more interesting. We learned that GF is called the "electric city" and can understand why! All 5 of the falls named by Lewis and Clark have been reduced to a trickle as dams have been erected and the water harnessed to provide the electricity for the city. What a disappointment!

After the trolly tour we drove out to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center to learn about L&C in this area of Montana. We were treated to a Ken Burns movie on Lewis and Clark and the second was of the L&C portage around the falls and then a 20 minute talk by the National Park Service on Charles Russell and his painting. A short distance down the road we saw the Giant Springs where the water pushes up from 400+ feet below the surface. The water is clear and a beautiful blue. It forms the shortest river in the US - the ROE River which is 201 feet long. It is said that it takes 54 years for the water to soak into the ground in the mountains and resurface here at the Springs. We ate supper at the Makenzie River Pizza Company -- very good!

On Thursday we drove to Ulm, about 15 miles from GF to see the Indian Pishkun (First People's Buffalo Jump) and then down to Hardie Creek to see Tower State Park, where Lewis climbed the bluff to see the mountains the Corp of Discovery would have to cross. When we got back to GF we stopped at the County Historical Society Museum and saw more of the history of the area -- the smelter, the Indian schools, and another display on Glacier National Park.

Today we spent the day at the Charles Russell Museum, home and studio. Charlie Russell was born to society in St. Louis, but was enchanted by the life in the west after hearing the stories of his great uncles. At the age of 16 he went west and worked on the range as a cowboy. He'd always had a skill with drawing, so he would cowpunch at night and draw during the day. His pictures hang in all the major art galleries in the US, and his statue is in the US Capitol. His museum has an extensive catalog of his works, and the studio is just the way it was when he was alive. The house was saved from condemnation by the Garden Club, and the building has been furnished with period pieces.

We will spend tomorrow in the campground and prepare for our trip to North Dakota. Will add more from Medora, ND. We'll arrive there on Monday. We'll spend Sunday night in Glendive, MT.

Helena, Part 2

Sunday we had breakfast and drove 18 miles north of Helena to take a 2-hour tour to see Gates of the Mountains. The Gates of the Mountains is a name which Meriwether Lewis gave to canyon walls which protrude into the Missouri River from opposite directions so closely to each other that they appear to open and close like gates when approached by boats. We didn't see any wildlife other than ospreys and one eagle. The scenery was beautiful and the boat captain pointed out many interesting rock formations and told about several forest fires that have occurred in the area.

After the tour we drove back into Helena and had lunch, and then decided to tour the state Capitol. We were just in time for the 2 p.m. tour, and to our delight, the tour guide was the same man that we had met on Saturday when we toured the old Governor's Mansion! The Capitol was restored during 1999-2000 ad is beautiful. It was built in 1902 and the same plans were used for the South Dakota Capitol! Charles Russell's 25' x 12' painting of Lewis and Clark meeting with the Salish Indians to trade for horses is considered his best work. It's official title is Lewis and Clark Meeting Indians at Ross' Hole. It was so large that the roof of his studio had to be raised to accommodate the mural. When we're in Great Falls later this week, I'm looking forward to visiting his studio.

Today we spent 5 hours exploring the Montana State Museum. There were several exhibit halls: One on Glacier National Park, the works of Charles Russell, the Indian cultures of the state, and one on the history of Montana, and Big Medicine, the white buffalo. My favorites were the exhibits on Glacier Park and the Charles Russell exhibit. There were oils, pencil sketches, water colors, and sculptures showing his talent. Of special interest were 12 linen privacy screens that were used at his cabin in Glacier which had his sketches on them, and each summer his friends signed the screen, and many drew pictures as well. One name of interest to me was a man whose last name was Krebs.....

Tomorrow we move 81 miles north to Great Falls.

Helena, Montana

We arrived in Helena on Friday afternoon and after setting up the trailer we drove the six miles into Helena to see where the various historical sites were located so today we would know where we were going.

This morning we took the one-hour train tour of the historical sites and got ideas of other places to revisit after the train tour. The train tour would have been more helpful if the people sitting right behind us would have listened to the tour info instead of planning their lunch, the kids' naps, the best friend's problems, etc. Very rude! I don't think Jack and I heard but perhaps of what was said. :-(

From the train we drove over to the old Governor's Mansion for a tour of the house. Very nice house -- we saw all 3 floors of the house, and heard the history of the first governor to live there. It seems the first 5 governors were very wealthy and had their own mansions, so the state had to scramble to find this house when a middle class governor was elected who didn't have a house suitable for the entertainment that would be required. The house was occupied by the governors until 1959 when a new mansion was built.

We went downtown to the walking mall and ate lunch at a place called Parrots. It's been in business since 1922 and they make their own ice cream and dip their own chocolates. They have a soda fountain, so I enjoyed a chocolate soda and Jack had a huckleberry malt. YUM.

Attended Mass at the Cathedral of St. Helena tonight and were awed by the beauty of the church. After Mass we went back in and took pictures.

Polson/Flathead Lake, MT

Arrived here early on Monday afternoon. We have a beautiful grassy site with a great view of the Flathead Lake. We spent the afternoon sitting in the shade reading and watching a crew wash the 5th wheel trailer at the next site. Two of the crew were teen girls, and they giggled and gabbed their way around 2/3 of the trailer. Had a campfire Monday night but the marshmallows were so old they wouldn't even brown! Note to self: BUY NEW MARSHMALLOWS!

Tuesday we left Polson at 7 and drove up to Glacier National Park. We drove the Going-To-The-Sun road from the West entrance all the way to the East Entrance at St. Mary's. It's a 50+ mile trip from one end of the park to the other. It took us about 3.5 hours, as we stopped often to take pictures. To add to the problem, there is a lot of construction occurring with traffic taking turns on the narrow, one lane road. I hate heights, and hugging the right side of the road with no guard rails caused many white-knuckled moments! We wanted to stop at the Logan Pass Visitor's Center on the Continental Divide, but the parking lot was jammed. If we come again next summer, we'll arrive at 7 a.m. and head there first! The drive back from the East Entrance to the West Entrance didn't take nearly as long.

Today we visited two museums -- Miracle of America Museum in the morning/early afternoon and the Polson Flathead Museum in the afternoon. The first museum had loads of materials, but they were not displayed well, and it boasted 35 buildings outside. We were disappointed in the condition of the exhibits and found the museum has evolved into a dumping ground for everyone's parents' castoffs. The Polson Museum while smaller, was much better organized.

Missoula, MT #3

Saturday we went downtown and went to see the Missoula carousel. It is the fastest carousel I've ever seen! I think those ponies thought they were in the Kentucky Derby! I wanted to ride, but didn't, as it was so fast that I feared the onset of vertigo. The story of the carousel is really awesome.

In 1991 a Missoula cabinet-maker named Chuck Kaparich made a promise to the City Council that he would build a carousel for Missoula IF the city would give it a home and promise that no one would ever take it apart. He had already carved 4 ponies, and had purchased an antique frame in pieces. The Council agreed, and Kaparich's dream of a carousel became the dream of the community. He taught others to carve the ponies and mechanics started restoring the 16,066 pieces of the frame and motor. Stained glass artists and painters were recruited, and on May 27, 1995 the carousel was opened in it's permanent brick home. It has 38 ponies, 14 gargoyles, two chariots, and a band organ. The band organ is the largest band organ in continuous use in the United States. Now the volunteers carve ponies for other carousels and local not-for-profit organizations, and restore ponies for antique carousels. The mechanical crew donates time to keep the machine in tip-top shape.

In 2001 4000 volunteers gathered to Create Dragon Hollow Play area next to the carousel.

They accomplished their task in just 9 DAYS! A 3-headed dragon guards a castle and the play area features an obstacle course, swings, slides, phone systems, musical instruments as well as a totland for children under 5.

The complex is in a beautiful grassy park on the banks of a fast-moving river and adjacent to a walking path. It's a very active place on a Saturday morning!!!

We stayed in camp today -- cleaning the inside and outside of the trailer. It sparkles! We leave tomorrow for Polson. We've truly enjoyed the Missoula area!

Missoula, MT #2

Wednesday was Senior Day at the Western Montana Fair in Missoula. Jack and I took our driver's licenses and some $$ and headed for the fair. We were disappointed we weren't challenged when we said we were seniors. That's why we had our licenses with us :-( Guess we look like Seniors now. At any rate, we got in free, if deflated. The fair was definitely agricultural. The exhibit buildings were either 4-H, Extension, or FFA. I must admit, those 10 year old girls can sew and quilt! We walked through the photography, culinary, floral and craft exhibits as well. Besides the livestock there was also a large carnival and a rodeo. We treated ourselves to over-priced corn dogs and a Diet Coke for lunch ($10.00!!!). We shared a table with a lady from North Dakota who had just moved here to live with her daughter. She's 97 years old and we enjoyed visiting with her. Around 2:30 we started for the truck and back to the trailer.

Yesterday we completed our tour of the Fort Missoula Museum and then went to the Montana Military History museum for a few hours. The museum was quite extensive -- Revolutionary War to Afghanistan. By the time two hours were up, my eyes were crossed! Luckily Jack couldn't absorb any more either, so we stopped at Target and then came home.

Today is Friday the 13th -- and we stayed close to camp. It didn't get above 68 today, and it started out wet and cloudy. The forecast was for 1-3 inches of snow in Glacier at the 7000 foot level. Wonder if they got it. We went to breakfast and then washed a couple loads in the camp laundromat and after lunch got groceries.

We plan to explore the Carousel for Missoula tomorrow and will likely stay in camp on Sunday and then Monday we leave for Polson, MT for several days. While there we'll go up to Glacier National Park.

Missoula, MT #1

Saturday we found BAGELS! Bagels on Broadway has huge bagels and serves Diet Coke. I'm happy! After breakfast we decided since we were right downtown, we'd walk and see what was going on. Walked a block and noticed a lot pedestrian traffic so followed the crowd. A street

fair. I bought some handmade wooden knitting needles (tiger mahogany) and a leather needle pouch and we both got t-shirts. Followed the crowd in the other direction and found a farmer's market. Bought fresh beans, snow peas and sweet peas and KOHLRABI! Found the first Catholic Church in Missoula - founded by Jesuits. Beautiful! I don't think there was a spot on the ceilings or walls that didn't have a picture from the life of Christ or Jesuit missionaries.

Sunday we tried out the laundromat and basically stayed in camp enjoying the weather and watching the parade of RV's pulling in during the afternoon. We planned our sightseeing for Monday and I fixed some of those fresh veggies for dinner Sunday night.

Monday we toured Historic Fort Missoula and learned about the huge 1910 forest fire that ate miles of forest in Idaho and Montana. There were also pictures by Wm. Jackson from the exploration of Yellowstone and some general history of the area. Outside were 13 buildings to see and one of the most interesting was the history of the fort during WWII when it served as an internment camp for Italians, Japanese, and Germans. We were only partially through the outside buildings when we could hear thunder and the rain was coming down the hills, so we headed for the truck. We'll go back on Thursday to complete the site.

Today we drove 47 miles to Hamilton, MT to visit the 50-room Daly Mansion. Mr. Daly was called the Richest Man on God's Green Earth in 1900. His widow built the 1910 version of the mansion -- 25 bedrooms, 15 baths. During his lifetime, he built the town of Anaconda and owned the Anaconda copper mine and smelter in Butte, MT. He also invested in 22000 acres of land and owned and raised race horses. His last heir boarded up the mansion and it sat empty and neglected for 40 years and in 1983 the state got 50 acres and the mansion and began refurbishing it. It was a fun tour.

Bozeman 8/3-8/5 2010

Hmmm the pictures were side by side in the "compose" mode, but I guess you can figure out which picture is which in our previous blog. We had a short drive from Livingston to Bozeman so arrived around 1:00 p.m. We spent the afternoon planning our trips, and drove into town to get groceries and a DQ :-) Around 5:00 the picked up from a gentle breeze to 40 mph and the temp dropped from 90 degrees to 71 degrees in less than an hour. WOW!

Wednesday we drove about 25 miles west on 90 to the Missouri Headwaters State Park. The area was beautiful and the interpretive signs were very good. The area may have more trees and bushes than in 1806, but it's easy to imagine what the Lewis and Clark party saw. We ate lunch back in Bozeman and then went to the American Computer Museum which tied the information age from early pictographs through the smart phone and IPAD. Really interesting! Do wish I could find a Nortel Display phone to add to their collection! On our way back to the KOA we stopped at Mall but was just every other mall -- no unique stores to visit.

Thursday we drove back into Bozeman and went to the Museum of the Rockies. WOW!!!! They are known for their prehistoric studies and their dinosaurs. I guess so! As we drove up, we were greeted by "Big Mike" a copper casting of one of the complete dinosaurs the museum has on exhibit. There was also a planetarium which was showing videos on the age of the dinosaurs called The Dinosaur Chronicals that started back when all the continents were loosely joined and went up through modern day man. There was also one on Lewis and Clark and the parallel to the Kennedy space explorations. Another wing was all about the inventions of Leonardo de Vinci. They had taken many of his drawings and made working models. Another section was on the history of Montana. Outside they had a Living History area with a house built by a homesteader in the 1800's and an 1880 garden with heirloom plants. Many I'd never heard of. One of the docents met us and we were talking about some of the plants, and she mentioned that the alpine strawberries were soooo sweet and delicious. We'd never heard of white strawberries, so she picked some and she was right! Sure beat our genetically improved red ones!!!!

Friday we pulled out of Bozeman and drove 199 miles to Missoula. This KOA is in the city, across the street from a Costco and down the block from Jack's favorite playground--Lowe's. It's a very large KOA - several blocks long with a swimming pool, hot tub, rec room and a gathering room which serves breakfast and in the evenings ice cream....for a price of course!

Livingston and Yellowstone

We arrived at the Livingston KOA 10 miles south of the town in the midst of a storm. As we were waiting to check in, a lady came in and said there was a big tree down by her site, and it had pulled an electrical wire with it. Another couple came in and said their trailer roof was badly dented from a big limb falling on the top of the trailer. The electric company was called, and then we were able to check in. We got to our site and soon the electricity was off so the power company could get the tree off the wire and repair the damage. Never a dull moment!

The picture on the right shows the view from our trailer on a SUNNY day! It's beautiful.

On Sunday we left the camp at 7:45 to head for Yellowstone National Park. We were only 40 miles from the park, and the scenery was beautiful on our way. We stopped at the gate and took a picture of us by a Yellowstone sign. We enjoyed seeing the Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces and the various geyser basins, but the biggest thrill was being at Old Faithful when it erupted. The park has bleachers set up around the perimeter, but by the time we got to the site it was standing room only. We had a great place to stand, and took a lot of pictures of the geyser. It was awesome and that alone was worth the trip! We did some shopping (I collect magnets, Jack pins) and then continued past Yellowstone Lake and stopped at the Upper Falls and Canyon Village to have ice cream and to see an educational film on Yellowstone. It seemed almost everywhere we went, we were climbing up -- either a long ramp, steps, or paved path. By the time we reached our last stop -- Tower Falls, I was sore and so tired I wasn't sure I'd make it up to the viewing spot. Found out after we came back down that Jack was just as tired as I was! As we were making our way back to the North Entrance (about 40 miles) we encountered several traffic stops -- for buffalo, a black bear, and a few antelope. To that point we'd only seen buffalo, but got to see the bear, the antelope, and more buffalo. When we came into the Mammoth Hot Springs Village, we were treated to the sight of about 30 elk grazing on the manicured grass of the village. One last stop at the North Gate to get a picture of us by the arch as we left. By then it was after 7, and we were tired and hungry.

There was a small bar/cafe/hotel in Gardiner right outside the park gate so we stopped and got something to eat before we headed back to the camp. There were three bikers sitting at the table across from us, and they ordered sweet tea-- a dead giveaway. I asked them where they were from and they said, "Salisbury, NC." I grinned and said we were from Raleigh, and they surmised that their order for sweet tea gave them away. We had a nice chat waiting for our meal. Small world!

Today we drove into Livingston and rinsed the Yellowstone mud off the truck and toured the Yellowstone Gateway Museum. It was a nice museum-- three floors of the old elementary school and an outbuilding containing wagons, firetrucks, a sheep wagon and an old cabin.

We leave in the morning for Bozeman (about 25 miles west on I-90) where there is a museum that interests us.

Oh yes, the left picture is of us at the Upper Falls in Yellowstone.

Billings, Part 3

Wednesday our plans were to tour 3 museums -- one was closed because of a plumbing problem, the second one didn't exist (hmmmm), but the third was really worth the visit. We visited the Yellowstone County Museum and enjoyed a special exhibit of pictures of early Billings taken by a hometown boy who made a name for himself with his pictures while in the Army. There was also an exhibit of western saddles made and tooled by two local men -- beautiful! What museum would be complete without an Indian collection? The beading on the mocs, leggings, arm bands and dresses was impressive. Today just a small belt buckle beaded costs $150 in the museum gift shops. Can't begin to estimate what that exhibit would bring!

Thursday we drove over to Laurel, Montana, about 15 miles west of Billings on I-90 to see the Canyon Creek Battlefield where a battle took place between the 7th Cavalry and the Nez Perce Indians. The National Historic Site was 7 miles north of Laurel and consisted of a brick shelter with three plaques regarding the fight. From there we drove an additional 35 miles to Columbus to visit the Museum of the Beartooths (mountain range southwest of I-90). The curator at the Yellowstone County Museum had recommended visiting, and we weren't disappointed. Of particular interest to Jack and me was the fact that the town of Columbus was originally called Stillwater. The name was changed because of the confusion of Stillwater, Montana with Stillwater, Minnesota! Seems the confusion caused so much difficulty that the name was then changed to Eagles' Nest, then Sheep Dip and when the Northern Pacific Railroad came through, the name became Columbus. The town's local hero was a Marine who was killed at Iwo Jima when he threw himself on a live mortar to save his squad. He was honored with the Medal of Honor in 1947.

On our way back to Billings we stopped at Cabela's, the sportsmen's paradise :-) and hit a couple western wear stores.

Today is our last day in Billings, so Jack is working on the trailer and I have busied myself inside scrubbing the floors, cleaning, etc. Tomorrow (31st) we'll be moving 130 miles west on I-90 and camping at the Livingston KOA which is only 40 miles from Yellowstone National Park. Our intent is to drive down to Yellowstone during our stay there.

Billings, Part 2

The picture of the deer was taken when we were at Yellowtail Dam near Hardin, MT last week. Since then we've seen two does and 4 little ones munching in a garden across the road from the campground. I tried to get a picture last night after a trip to the Dairy Queen, but the fawns were too far away to get a good picture. I did get one of one of the does, however. I'm sure the family who planted the garden don't appreciate their "guests" as much as I did!

The picture of Jack and me was taken at Pompey's Pillar on Sunday when we went out to the Lewis and Clark celebration. Yesterday we stayed around the camp and enjoyed their park-like setting and planned what we'd do today. We washed clothes (yippee!!!) at a laundromat away from the KOA as KOA's machine's were too spendy for my way of thinking. After lunch in the trailer we went to the Visitor's Center and picked up an armful of brochures for Billings and future camp towns.

We visited the Moss Mansion and toured the house with several other tourists. The house was built in 1903 by Preston Boyd Moss who owned two banks, a hotel, a utility, and several other ventures. The house is 60 ft. x 60 ft. and 3 stories tall. The house was reported to be the most magnificent home in Billings. The last surviving member of the Moss family lived in the house until her death in 1983, at which time she donated the house and all the original furnishings to the City. The house cost $100,000 to build and was furnished elegantly. I noticed on a sideboard that the service for 12 of sterling silver cost $193.00!!!!! What a deal!

I don't think you can even buy one place setting of sterling for that amount today. Each room had a black and white picture taken of the room, and when you stepped into the room, it was exactly like the early picture.

One interesting note -- Mr. Moss got tired of having an operator listening in on his business calls, so he had dial phones brought to Billings TWO YEARS before New York City had them!

He also had electric lights in his house when it was built.

Tomorrow we're touring several museums. More later!

Billings, Montana July 24/25, 2010

We pulled into the Billings KOA on Friday. It's the first KOA in the system, started in 1962 here in Billings. It's really a resort -- super level sites, trees, grass, pool and hot tub and each site has a cement patio with fireplace, table and SWING :-) There's an on-site chuck wagon - Pistol Pete's- and if you can afford it, serves breakfast and supper. To my way of thinking, it's a bit spendy if I'm eating outside with paper plates and plastic utensils and trying to keep my plate from flying away in the wind. Oh yes, it also has paved roads. We'll be here for a week, then it's back to the more common KOA campgrounds.

Saturday we went to the Pictograph Cave State Park and walked into the caves where prehistoric hunters lived and saw the cave paintings they created. The paintings are over 2000 years old. They have stsrted to fade, so are not as clear as they were when they were discovered in the 1930's.

Since we had paid $5 for a day pass at the state parks, we got directions to Chief Plenty Coups State Park. Its waaayyyy out in the boonies. It is 35 miles from Billings near the little town of Pryor. We visited the Chief's home, a trading post, tipi, sweat lodge, and a modern museum outlining the Crow Nation's culture and heritage. The Chief donated his 189 acre farm to the state of Montana and wanted all cultures to come together in a cooperative nature. He wanted to honor the culture of the Crow Nation and bring people together in harmony. The Chief was born in 1850 and was the last of the traditional chiefs of the Crow Nation. He was a visionary that led his people from the Buffalo days into the 20th century. He was a stateman and ambassador and well known by US Presidents and foreign leaders.

Today we drove to Pompeys Pillar National Monument where on July 25, 1806 Wm. Clark carved his name on a sandstone cliff on the edge of the Yellowstone River. It is the only remaining evidence of the Lewis and Clark exploration of the Louisiana Purchase. Pompey was the name of Sacajawea's baby boy. It was a climb to the top of the rock (213 steps) but the view was awesome!

Hardin, Montana

Arrived in Hardin Sunday afternoon and were fortunate to get a great campsite with TWO trees! We didn't have any trees in WY, so this is a real treat to have shade. We found that the town has 3445 inhabitants, is between the Crow and Cherokee reservations, and we counted SIX casinos in town, and two on the edge of town. WOW! Guess gambling is the local past time! The farms in the area grow barley, oats, wheat and sugar beets. The harvesting crews arrived last night and are staying at the KOA.

Monday we went to the Little Big Horn National Monument and were very impressed with the interpretive opportunities. Besides the usual interpretive film there was a museum which held a good number of Custer artifacts. Mrs. Custer gave the government his buckskin frontier clothing, one of his uniforms, and his cadet uniform from West Point. The museum also held other articles such as guns, boots, saddle, and his campaign desk and a diary from the Civil War era. There were numerous Indian artifacts as well. We took the 1-hour van tour sponsored by the Little Big Horn College with a Crow Indian guide. She gave us the battle from the Indian viewpoint. Very enlightening! When we returned to the Visitor's Center we sat in on a ranger talk and he pointed out that the government had cut back on soldiers, weapons were outdated, and communication among the 3 armies was lacking. Quite a different viewpoint than the idea that Custer was inept at the battle.

Tuesday we toured the Big Horn County Museum outside Custer. We especially enjoyed the 1911 farm house and the cabins from the Custer Motel. We also liked Camp 4 of the Campbell Farming Corporation which was the brainchild of Thomas D. Campbell of Grand Forks, ND. He founded the largest privately owned wheat farm, which employed 100 men and cultivated 10,000 acres. He was known as the King of Wheat Growers because of the mechanized farming technique he developed to raise wheat in Montana's semi-arid climate. We were able to tour the cookhouse and shower/lavatory buildings and saw many of the early wooden grain wagons and old combines.

Today we drove the 47 miles to the Yellowtail Dam and the Bighorn Lake and canyon. The 71 mile lake was formed from the Yellowtail Dam and extends from Ft. Smith, Montana to Lovell, Wyoming. We only visited the Dam and the North end of the Bighorn lake near Ft. Smith. It was overcast, so pictures taken are a bit dark. As we were leaving the marina area, there were two deer grazing close to the road. They didn't run off, so Jack snapped several pictures of them.

Tomorrow we'll stay in camp and on Friday we move the 55 miles to Billings, Montana where we plan to extend our stay to 7 days. Hopefully the wi-fi will be more robust in Billings. We have found it difficult to log in from here.

Casper, WY July 12-18

We arrived in Casper on Monday, 7/12. It was suggested we take the secondary roads so we could see some wildlife, etc. We were not disappointed! We saw many pronghorn antelopes and some deer and cattle (not exactly wildlife, I know!) The campground is just outside Casper, in a little town called Bar Nunn, population 930 people.

Tuesday we went into Casper to watch the Central Wyoming Rodeo and Fair parade. There were 170 units, but we only stayed through 95! The wind was blowing at a very consistent 20 mph! While the Laramie parade was mainly horses and tractors, this one was pretty heavy on fire trucks, ambulances, sheriff and police cars -- all with sirens blaring! What a din! My favorite unit was the Troopers Drum and Bugle Corp. Note to granddaughter: The dance studios used a flatbed truck and the girls took turns dancing on the truck! After lunch we went to the Fair (free for seniors :-) ). There was only one exhibit building, the tractors from the parade, and a petting zoo as well as a large carnival. The rodeo was starting Wednesday night. By then the wind was gusting at 40 mph, so all high rides were closed down.

Wednesday we drove 100 miles south to see Ft. Laramie and then stopped at the Guernsey wagon ruts (picture at top). These ruts were made by the thousands of wagons crossing the prairies to Oregon, California Gold Rush,and the Mormans on their way to Salt Lake City.

Thursday we toured Ft. Caspar (not a spelling mistake) and visited the National Historic Trails Center. The Park Ranger suggested our trip for Friday as we had expressed an on-going interest in the Oregon and other trails west. He gave us a map and directions to the Mormon ferry and Richard's Bridge and suggested a county road to follow the trails west.

Friday we were successful in finding Richard's Bridge, but didn't find the Mormon ferry site. We followed his suggestion and headed west. If you know my husband, he HATES to have dust on his truck. Forty miles of gravel roads and there was no trace of the the bluegreen hue of the truck! It was a very dusty brown! The second picture is taken from the Oregon trail and is what the pioneers were seeing as they came across from the Platt River area. We drove 15-20 mph, and seemed to take forever to get through the 40 miles. I can't imagine 15 miles IN ONE DAY! I was never so glad to see a highway!!!! Since we were only a few miles from Devil's Gate, the Mormon Handcart Museum, and Independence Rock we decided to continue west on the highway to see them. Pioneers wanted to reach Independence Rock by July 4 to ensure that they would get through the mountains before the weather turned cold and the grasses died.

We were very impressed with the Mormons who walked pulling a handcart containing no more than 17 lbs of goods per person in their group. They had supply wagons carrying food and other supplies, but I can't imagine pulling those wooden carts up over the mountains. It was hard to pull them empty! At the handcart museum Mormon teens come and make the 3 or 7 day treks out into the prairie carrying only 17 lbs of their belongings (no electronics!) to appreciate the sacrifices of their ancestors. One trek group lost their tents in a hail storm and came back into camp at the end of their trek with mud up to their knees.

Tomorrow we leave for Montana. More to come!

Laramie, Sunday, July 11

On Friday, July 9 we got into the Laramie Jubilee Celebration spirit! We ate lunch at the Eppson Sr. Citizens center as they invited KOA seniors to join them. For $4.00 a plate we had tossed salad, BBQ chicken, baked beans, cole slaw and ice cream for dessert. The seniors line dancing club entertained, and there was a sing-along as well. After lunch we made the walking tour of the historic downtown Laramie, and slipped into a couple of western wear stores and after our tour we checked out the carnival and treated ourselves to a funnel cake and a diet Coke.

Saturday we hurried downtown to watch the Laramie Jubilee Parade. Being used to having to park miles away and get to the parade route early, we were there at 9:15 for the 10:00 parade. We could have parked on the parade route (wish we'd have known that!) and we could have arrived at 9:45 and had a great spot to watch the parade. As it was, a fellow who was parked on the street offered us the use of his folding chairs, so we were able to enjoy the parade in comfort. There were no bands, dancing studios, Shriners, etc. There WERE a lot of rodeo princesses from various areas advertising their rodeos and celebrations, politicians galore (primary is held in August in WY), and a lot of antique tractors. It seemed every unit in the parade was giving the kids candy -- some of their bags looked like they'd been trick or treating on Halloween! We adults were inundated with political brochures :-( Oh yes, the women along the route received a carnation. After the parade we returned to camp until Mass time and then had dinner at a Chinese restaurant. My next post will be from Casper, WY!

Laramie, Part 2

Today we visited the Wyoming Territorial Prison and grounds. The prison was opened in 1873-1903. One of it's most famous inmates was Robert Leroy Parker (aka Butch Cassidy). We toured the Warden's house, the prison, and outbuildings. Volunteers dressed in prison garb were busy making brooms in the broom factory. We also saw a homestead exhibit, frontier town, horse barn, and boxcar house. We HAD planned to walk through the historic downtown Laramie, but saw a sign indicating a book sale at the library. We came away an hour later with a bag of used books! Tomorrow we'll tour the downtown on foot and see what other museums catch our interest. We extended our stay here to Monday, July 12. Stay tuned!

Oh yes, one more piece of Wyoming trivia -- the bucking bronco on the WY license Plate is Steamboat a horse that when he was bucking whistled and it reminded the cowboys of a steamboat whistle. Hence, the name, Steamboat!

In Laramie, WY

It's been brrr chilly here in the mornings - 49 degrees on Wednesday and 51 on Thursday. The temp hasn't broken 70 but there is a promise of tomorrow. Wednesday we toured the Historic Iverson Mansion Laramie Plains Museum and the Laramie Railroad Station Museum.

It was interesting that middle school honor students were our guides in the Iverson Mansion. Thee girls were very poised and were very knowledgeable about th e artifacts in the house, and the history of the Iverson family. It was refreshing to see the eagerness and the willingness to se ek answers to questions that stumped them (where did the butler live if the maid had the upstairs bedroom?)

Scott's Bluff/Chimney Rock, Nebraska

July 4 we celebrated our Independence by driving about 100 miles back into Nebraska to see Chimney Rock and Scott's Bluff. The pioneers depended on these two landmarks to guide them west. Chimney rock is about 22 miles east of Scott's Bluff and the early pioneers would climb as high as they could and etch their names into the soft sandstone. Erosion and time have diminished to rock somewhat, and the names are no longer legible.

Scott's Bluff National Monument sat along the Oregon trail where the pioneers moved through the Mitchell's Pass on their way west. There is a portion of that trail that have been protected, and it was really a moving experience to walk on the trail that the pioneers walked so many years ago on their way west. We also drove to the top of the Monument and enjoyed looking out over the area. We could see Chimney Rock in the distance.

On Monday, July 5, we drove the old Lincoln Highway from Cheyenne to Laramie. We stopped at the Summit rest stop on I-80 where the old Lincoln highway joins I-80 to view the huge statue of Abe Lincoln. The Summit is the highest point on I-80 at approximately 8000+ feet.

Today, July 6, we decided to take the Snowy Range byway up into the Snowy Range mountains and enjoyed a beautiful day. I'm attaching a picture of us at Snowshoe Rec area. We were at 11,000 feet, and were on the snow line. We left Laramie at 10:30 and got back to camp about 2:30. We were disappointed to see all the dead/dying trees in the Medicine Bow National Forest. It's caused by the pine bark beetle and is truly distroying the forests from Mexico to Canada.

Cheyenne, WY

Ahhhh! I like the weather here! Temps in the 80's, always a breeze (sometimes 20 mph!), and 20% humidity. We're camping on the east side of Cheyenne, about 7 miles from the center of town. The KOA owners are great hosts and have had some excellent suggestions of things to do/see.

Some "factoids" for you:
Cheyenne is the largest city in WY, with a population of about 50,000.
Wyoming was the first state to give women the right to vote, the first to have a woman governor.
Before WWII, women participated against men in rodeos, riding bucking horses, calf roping, and bull riding. Now all they can do in a rodeo is barrel racing!

We've toured the capitol and viewed their 1000 pound Tiffany chandelier, and the stained glass skylights in the House and Senate chambers. The woodwork is beautiful! The trolley tour gave us a good history of the city, and pointed out museums and places we should see while we're here. We are doing a great job on the museums: the Train museum in the restored train depot, the WY State museum, the Nelson museum with it's beautiful saddles - one worth $250K! The early cowgirls started their own museum --Cowgirls of the Old West, which celebrates the women who rode bulls, roped calves, rode broncos, and did trick riding in the pre-1940 rodeos. The KOA suggested the Messenger's Old West Museum with it's collection of old carriages, and various items of the area. Mr. Messenger came in while we were enjoying the museum, and we met him. He raises, trains and sells Percheron draft horses and his sons show their 6 and 8 hitch teams at rodeos and horse shows around the US. Very interesting. I love old houses, so we HAD to visit the Historic Governors' Mansion which was built in 1904. Nineteen governors lived in the mansion before it was opened as a public historic house museum. A new governor's mansion was built in 1975. So far, it's been a very enjo

Grand Island, NE June 24/North Platte, June 25

We said goodbye to Kansas City about 10:45 a.m. and headed north and west. We were fortunate that the humidity and heat of previous days had abated, and so the trip was quite pleasant. Our original plan was to dry camp at the Cracker Barrel in Lincoln, NE but we arrive much too early to get off the road, so continued to the Wal-Mart parking lot in Grand Island, NE. Generally we don't like to camp at Wal-Mart, as truckers also stop there, and they don't turn off their trucks and so are quite noisy. We weren't disappointed -- there were at least 12 semi trucks in the parking lot, as well as 6 of us RVers. It got so noisy that at 11 Jack jumped in the truck and moved us to the other side of the parking lot so we could sleep!

June 25 we continued west and stopped at the Harold Warp's Pioneer Village in Minden, NE. Spent about 3 hours there. There were 26 buildings and 50,000 items in the various buildings. We got to North Platte Holiday RV Park at 5 p.m. and have been busy sight-seeing ever since!

Saturday we toured the Scouts Rest Ranch, the 1886 ranch built by Wm. F. Cody (Buffalo Bill) and the Lincoln County Historical Museum. Today we went to see the Golden Spike Observation tower at the North Platte railroad yards. The Union Pacific's Bailey Yard is where east meets west on the Union Pacific line and where an average of 10,000 train cars are handled each day on 2,850 acres of land stretching out eight miles! The tower is 8 stories high and enclosed; there is also an open observation deck on the 7th floor for those who want to take pictures.

On Tuesday we'll head into Wyoming to Cheyenne where we'll camp until July 5.

Kansas City East KOA June 21-23

We found another Hy-Vee, so had breakfast there a few times, also Einstein Bros. Bagels. Not as good as Brueggers! We did everything Harry Truman -- his home, the Presidential Library and Museum, and the drug store where he held his first job. We enjoyed his home - all furnishings are original to the home, and while we could only see the first floor, it was definitely the home of a common man! He said the only reason he put up an iron fence with a lock around the place was because he was warned that previous presidents lost even the doorknobs to souvenir seekers! His library consisted of an area on his youth and life after the presidency and an area on the time he spent in Washington. There was also an exhibit on the Korean War. The Trumans are buried at the library, including their daughter Mary Margaret Truman Daniels and her husband. We spent about 4 hours there.

Had lunch at a German restaurant and enjoyed it, but the staff was definitely running crazy, as General Patrias had spoken in Independence to Korean War vets that day, and they all seemed to come there for lunch!

Also toured an 1852 jail, and two homes. But aside from the Truman tours, the one we enjoyed most was the Steamboat Arabia which sank in the Missouri river before the Civil War. 5 guys from KC decided to dig it up and came up with tons of pre-civil war dishes, hardware, food, clothing, etc. which they have put into a museum in KC. It was fascinating!

Had trouble with our AC on Tuesday. When we came home the temp in the trailer was 105! The temp outside wasn't much cooler. Handy Jack switched circuit breakers and it eventually cooled off. Whew!

Today we drove from KC to Grand Island, NE where we're sharing a Wal-mart parking lot with several VERY noisy trucks! There are probably 6 trucks and 3 of us RV folks at one end of the lot. Tomorrow we'll go on to North Platte, NE. Stay tuned!

Kansas City East KOA

We arrived at the KOA which is actually located 25 miles east of KC on highway 70 about 12:30 p.m. As we drove up to the office to register, the tornado siren started and the camp ground manager had the restrooms unlocked as a tornado shelter. At first we thought this was where we'd be spending our time. Then there was announcement indicating that there was no tornado, but there was the danger of high winds and heavy rain for the next half hour. We got registered and escorted to our site and no more than hooked up the electricity when it started raining. We were tucked between two huge coaches, so didn't feel the wind at all. :-) Finished setting up after the rain was over. It was a beautiful evening with cool breezes and low humidity, so we sat outside and enjoyed the evening.

Today we came home from breakfast and Jack decided to level off the area and redistribute the gravel, as it had washed away and piled up in some areas, leaving bare ground (MUD) in others. We moved the picnic table under the canopy so it was in the shade and while Jack was working one of the KOA work-campers rode up in his golf cart to say that the owner of the campground called the office to have someone check on what was going on at site 51. She thought Jack was going to steal the gravel! He was embarrassed that he had to come see what was going on, but gave us some good hints on things to see in the area, and thought Jack had done a great job on the site!

St. Joe, June 17-18

We've been surprised at all there is to see in St. Joseph. We went downtown to tour the Twin Spires Cathedral (formerly the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church). When the congregation got too small and old to support the expense of the church, the diocese sold the church in 1992 to a couple from California who were buying up old buildings in St. Joseph. The church has beautiful stained glass windows, and the statuary was impressive - especially the stations of the cross. The owners turned it into a wedding chapel, and weddings are held all year except for Dec - March when it is too expensive to heat the church. The basement is used as a banquet/reception facility.

From the Twin Spires we went to see the oldest house in St. Joe. It was built in 1843 by the founder of St. Joseph, Joseph Robidoux a French Canadian fur trader who named the city for his patron saint. The house was originally about 10 one-room apartments which were rented to people moving west who arrived in late fall and wintered in St. Joseph before their wagon trains went west. Mr. Robidoux lived in the one end of the house until his death. Many of the furnishings were his.

On Friday we toured the Wythe-Tootle Mansion which has been made into a museum. The parquet floors are beautiful throughout the main level. Because of the economy the house is in need of exterior and interior repairs, but there is little money to accomplish it. It's located among all the mansions we saw as we walked on "Museum Hill" yesterday.

Today 5 Airstreams pulled into the campground. Jack and I were eating lunch when there was a banging on our door. A member of the group came over to invite us to join the Wally Bynum Club. Jack visited with them after lunch and we learned that they were on their way to the Airstream Rally in Gillette, Wyoming and were meeting up with their caravan in Sioux Falls the next evening. Tomorrow we leave for Kansas City East KOA, about 75 miles south and east of here.

St Joe, June 16

We went downtown and toured the Pony Express Museum and the Fire Fighter's Museum. The top picture is of us putting mail into the rider's mantilla. At the time of the first ride in April, 1860, a 1/2 ounce letter cost $5.00! And we thought today's mail was getting expensive! By the time the Pony Express ended in 1861, lighter paper had been developed, and the cost was down to $1.00 per 1/2 ounce. Each rider rode 80 miles, changing horses every 9-15 miles. When a rider had completed his 80 miles (about 10 hours in the saddle), he would stay at the station and meet the rider from the opposite direction and take the mail back to his home station. Tradition has it that there were two young ladies on the trail who waited for the express riders and gave them cookies. They put holes in the middle to make them easier to grab and hold as the rider raced by, and the story is that that was how donuts were invented....fact or fiction?

At the Fire Fighter's Museum we toured Engine Company No. 5, which was manned by 4 men on 24 hour shifts. They had two ladder trucks - a 1948 and 1952. We learned that the pole that firemen came down was invented by the St. Joseph, MO firemen. It was discontinued when it was decided it was unsafe for them to come down the pole; at that point fire stations started being built on one floor.

We went for a walk on Museum Hill, where all the rich had their mansions. It's sad to see that the majority of them are in disrepair, many are boarded up, and others have been made into multiple apartments. Their architecture was really impressive, and I can imagine what they were like when they were owned by the original families who built them.

The second picture above was taken in the grand ballroom of the Patee House Museum yesterday. Couldn't resist the chance to dance! We also learned at the Museum yesterday that newsman Walter Cronkite was born in St. Joe, as was actress Jane Wyman.

Tomorrow we plan to see the Twin Spires Cathedral (formerly Immaculate Conception/Queen of the Apostles Church) in downtown St. Joseph. It's only open on Tuesdays and Thursdays for tours. Also plan to visit the founder's Robidoux Row Museum.

ST JOE, MO!

Wow, it's Tuesday, June 15 already! Time is really going fast. We left Alma, AR at 9 on Saturday and arrived at the Beacon RV Park in St. Joseph, MO about 3:30 in the afternoon. THERE ARE NO REST STOPS BETWEEN ALMA, ARKANSAS and KANSAS CITY!!!!! We finally found a little town about 12:30 on Route 71 that had a big enough area that we could pull in with our trailer and get diesel and then sat out a heavy rain storm and ate our lunch in their driveway. About 1:15 we left and continued on our way. We were pulling through Kansas City and I saw a billboard for Hy-Vee, a wonderful grocery store chain out of Des Moines, IA. We were excited! It's our favorite hang out when we're in the Midwest. We were hoping to find one in St. Joe. It would have been a 50+mile to commute back to KC for breakfast -- not likely!

Found Beacon with no problems, got checked in and escorted to our site -- very end of the row, by the exit to another street. Good points: SHADE!, clean bathrooms with showers, nice laundry, close to everything! (Only 6 blocks to the HY-VEE grocery store!!!!) Bad point: It's downhill, so when they forecast flash flood warnings on Saturday night, we were more than nervous, having just read about the flash flood in Arkansas! Found a church a mile away so headed to Mass, then to HY-VEE for Saturday night dinner.

Sunday found us awake and reading at 5:00 a.m. as the severe storm they had been predicting was hitting -- it thundered for an hour non-stop. No flooding here, but there was some in Kansas City and in Oklahoma. St. Joseph must be taking care of St. Joe, MO! We acquainted
ourselves with the town, checked out the mall, and planned our Monday.

We toured the St. Joe Museum, which had exhibits on the plains Indians, a Black History of St. Joseph, and the Glore Psychiatric Museum which described mental illness, its treatments and its perceptions, as well as how treatments have changed over the past several hundred years.

Today we visited the Patee house Museum which included the Pony Express headquarters of 1860-61. It's a fabulous museum! We were there from 10:00-2:30 this afternoon. Besides the usual displays, there's also a 1941 carousel and the last home of Jesse James. He was killed in the livingroom of the house. So much to see! Stay tuned!