The final curtain

September 16 – When I sit down to write the last of each trip, it reminds me of the Frank Sinatra song, “And now the end is here and so I face the final curtain, My friend, I'll say it clear I'll state my case, of which I'm certain”.  I’m certain we had a super summer and met some wonderful people that we hope to continue to be in contact with.  I’m certain that we look forward to seeing our family and friends at home.  What I’m never certain of is what to expect when we walk through the door at home.

The drive from Tifton was probably the easiest leg for the trip going home, as the roads and traffic were a breeze.  We stopped at the Florida Welcome Center mainly to see if they still give out orange and grapefruit juice, and they do.  We stopped for lunch but no fuel stops today.  We arrived back at our business around 2:30 and the weather was not looking good.  We had been warned by everyone in Florida how much rain there had been and luckily we managed to park and get unloaded with no major weather battles.

Since we had loaded a lot in the car before we left Idaho, we only had so much space left so once it was full Bill took it home and unloaded all the bags and came back for Molly and I. I unloaded the fridge and freezer and gathered up more of the laundry.  I still had to go back on Thursday and get into all the cabinets and check for things I missed and clean the RV.

Molly was happy to be home and have so much space to wander and a porch to go out on.  For us it wasn’t quite as nice!  I’m sure I mentioned that we had a water leak and the city had turned off the water.  So we had to fill bottles and buckets to have water to flush the toilet, wash dishes and our hands.  The plumber was scheduled for Thursday afternoon.  The water had gotten into the air ducts under the house and caused mold to be growing in the bathroom, kitchen, and dining rooms.  It was on most anything that was wood.  Yikes!  It was all I could do to get everything unpacked and sort all of the mail pile so the mold is waiting for tomorrow and how many more days it may take.

We are showering at Kerry’s next door and getting water from her outside faucet, it’s nice to have good neighbors!  My good neighbor also mowed the grass which Bill was happy to see but there is a lot of weed eating to do and the garden area is once again like a jungle!  A huge limb broke during one of the storms and is lying on the carport and off the side touching the front porch screen, so that’s another job for us.  Of course the concrete walkways are green with mold and will have to be pressure washed.  There are leaves on the roof and pothos growing rampant everywhere, up the walls, up through the cracks in the porch.  It will be a few weeks to get things back under control.

But the bottom line is:  We are lucky to have a home and family to come home to and to have the opportunity to spend our summer as we have.

Note to my followers:  I may do some mini-blogs so check back on occasion and see what we (or I) may be up to, and thank you for taking an interest in our adventures!

At the very tip top of Georgia!

September 14 – We were up at 8 and Bill was in line at 9 for his script.  We had plenty of time this morning so I made ham and cheese omelets and we had the rest of our fruit mix from yesterday.  We left at about 9:15 and headed on to Nashville.

It was a rough driving day!  The traffic in Nashville was horrible and I had an ambulance I had to get out of the way for, then there was more and more road work and later there was an accident that stalled us for about 30 minutes.

We got off to get fuel at Pilot and did not see the sign for truck entrance and then had to drive a mile past it to find a place to turn around.  The plan was to fuel and to have lunch but there was no where to park.  So we just got our diesel and left and stopped later down the road at a Flying J where there was plenty of pull thru spots to stop.  We ate and got back on the road to Chattanooga.  There were some ups and downs with 5-6% grades but that was not bad at all.  It’s just stressful when people won’t let you over or cut in on you from the merge lane.  Then I hit a bird that was in the road and starting to fly off, but I was going 60 and I guess he wasn’t up to speed.  That was a first!  Bill said there were no “parts” on the front of the RV.

There is a Camping World at the first exit in GA, just south of Chattanooga that we stopped at last year for some assistance.  They have a campground that looked pretty nice so that is where we stopped tonight.  They don’t take reservations and it’s all 30 AMP but we managed to arrive before all the spots were gone.

Bill put more water in the tank and it seems to be working fine now.  The true test will be tomorrow once we’re on the road.  Once we hooked up we went over to the CW store and I got some extra light bulbs and asked some questions.  Today Bill was getting a bandaid while I was driving and he said I hit a bump and he grabbed or fell against the cabinet door and sprung it.  CW didn’t have a hinge for it so tomorrow he will call Winnebago and order it.  For now we are using handy dandy duct tape. 

We had less trouble tonight getting the Directv working so that was good.  I did my last load of laundry on the road.  I called a plumber who is coming out on Thursday after-noon to hopefully fix our leak at home. 

Bill was excited over dinner, grilled brats!  He was whining last night so thought I’d make one of his favorites tonight.  Only one more night on the road, I can’t believe another summer has flown by!

Now we're in Kentucky!

September 13 – I was ticked when I went to bed and more ticked when I got up.  The people behind us, literally behind our bedroom were having an outdoor gathering and the last person to shut up was at 12:30.  I read until 10:30, thinking quiet time starts as 10 (in most campgrounds) but they had music playing, and talking and laughing and we needed to get up and go today.  Well, I was so tired that I didn’t manage to drag out of bed until 8.  I wanted to turn my generator on or the diesel engine and let them get a taste of what I had to listen to last night!  I held off until 8:45 and then needed to start the engine to warm up and bring up the legs.  We pulled out into the main lot to hook up the car and by then the office was open so I went in and expressed by feelings.  She said 10 was quiet time and she’d let the campground manager know.  I felt better!

We left East Peoria just after 9 and on south through Illinois.  It was really another boring day of more corn fields.  We only stopped twice, once to get fuel and have lunch and later to run the car a while.  The goal was to reach our Wal-mart destination by 6 for Bill to pick up his prescription that was ready.  I asked him if the time changed for us today and he said no, tomorrow.

From Illinois we crossed about 116 miles of Indiana and the over the Ohio River into 

Bridge over the Ohio River

Kentucky at Louisville.  We knew we were cutting it close but pulled into the “new” Wal-mart parking lot at about 5:45 and I dropped Bill off while I went to park with the truckers for the night.  He came back with no prescription as the time DID change on us and the pharmacy was closed!  Crap, crap, crap!  Now we can’t leave tomorrow until they open at 9. 

I George’d some pork chops, made acorn squash and heated leftover green beans once I turned the generator on.  It started right up!  Oh, and this morning I tried using the water with the pump and had just about no pressure and it didn’t get any better as the day went on.  We’re not sure if sediment got into the pump when we ran the tank dry or if the pump is broken.  So we could not take showers at all, just get a dribble of water in the sink.  After dinner we walked over to Wal-mart for some fruit and window washer fluid.  I bought 2 nice pumpkins at what I thought was a really good price til they rung up for more.  Bill checked and the sign was for something else but right in front of the pumpkins but it’s too much hassle to return so will have them to get started on my pumpkin butter when I get home.

We did manage to get the Directv going again but nothing of interest on so back to reading.  We plan to be ready to leave the minute Bill gets his script in the morning.       

Getting closer...tonight in Illinois!

September 12 – I didn’t set the alarm but was up at 7:30 and we were on the road at 8:30.  We discovered this morning that our water tank was empty as someone didn’t believe me when I said we needed more water in it for 2 days!  Luckily we had 2 gallon jugs to use for hand washing and flushing.

It was a boring ride today.  I drove until lunch then Bill drove the afternoon.  We saw more than our share of corn today.  You just would never think how much corn is grown all out in this area.

Approaching Missouri River

Other than a stop for fuel and lunch, we didn’t make any

As we crossed!

other stops.  We crossed the Missouri River north of Iowa City.  It was rather wide and would have been a nice photo stop.  It is hard to take good photos from the RV between the bugs splattered on the window and the screen on the door and the little window.

We arrived at Carl Spindler Campground and Marina at 4:05 in East Peoria, IL and they were closed but left our space info on the door.  We unhooked and drove the car in as it looked like it was crowded and we didn’t want to get in a pickle.  The space was fine and the only vacant one our size.  This is a seasonal place and it’s packed.  We went back for the RV and got settled in.  Bill put water in the tank as we are dry camping at least 2 more nights.  Once he got the water going in the RV I did 2 loads of laundry.  I put sauce with Italian sausage on to simmer for a while for dinner and made a batch of peanut butter muffins for breakfast.  After dinner we both got on the computer and then we read until bed time.

Maybe tomorrow won’t be such a boring day!

Winnebago Time!

September 11 – A moment of silence for the anniversary of 9-11. 

6:30 came early!  We had to be at the Service Center by 7.  We ended up requesting a

Our RV in its space at Winnebago

meeting with a Service Advisor instead of signing up for service and not getting to us.  We got an appointment for 11:45 and picked out the parts we needed for the hitch and the sink and would pick it up after our appointment later. 

The Visitor Center after closing

The Visitor Center was not open until 8 so we went back and I made pancakes and bacon for breakfast.  Once the VC opened we signed in for the 9 AM tour and toured the building with the history of Winnebago.  It was quite interesting.  At the time they started the RV’s were being made in California so they joined forces with a company there and brought a manager here.  A local group of businessmen, lead by John Hanson, pooled their money to start up the company so they could provide jobs for residents of Forest City that were leaving.  The new company only lasted a few months but then went on its own with more money infused and Hanson ended up owning it.  He owned several other businesses in Forest City.  Winnebago was the first to build a motorhome.  The really interesting part of their story is they actually make most of their parts in Forest City or now in plants they have in other cities.  Most are within 60 miles of Forest City.  They do the upholstery, the tanks, cabinets, aluminum parts.  It’s a very impressive company.

After the tour we went for our appointment and got a lot of our questions answers and the

We went of one of these busses

right places to contact regarding some issues such as the info system.  I will start making calls when I get home.  We picked up the parts and headed into town for lunch and a few groceries.  We had lunch at Hardee’s and then went to Bill’s Family Foods.  My Aunt Janet called while I was there and they are leaving from Ohio tomorrow and may be getting to Orlando about the same time we do. 

When we got back I thought I better check the new sink drain I bought as it was not a pop up drain, but a regular one with the plunger.  Apparently the guy who had the RV

first, for whatever reason, took out the plunger drain and put the pop up one in and when he did he removed the plunger post that is needed to make it go up and down.  So I walked back over to the Service Center and took it back.  They don’t have the plunger post and there is definitely a hole for it in the back of the faucet.  Guess I’m going to Lowe’s when I get home and see if I can buy another pop up one!  Crap!

We just relaxed this afternoon and wrote the last of the postcards.  Bill took a nap.  I made dinner a little early as he wanted to eat by 6 so he could go to the local high school’s football game.  I was invited but I passed.  I don’t go to see our teams at home so I certainly don’t have any interest in these kids.  Plus, it gave me some time to my self!  I made the chicken we didn’t have last night with corn on the cob and fresh green beans. 

I had some email to catch up on and steamed the rest of the beans for another night.  Then shower time and reading until Bill got back.

If it weren't for bad luck.....

September 10 – Things did not exactly go according to plan today!  So what else is new?  We got up at 7 to be on the road at 8.  Once we had breakfast Bill went out to unhook the utilities and start the car to run its required 5 minutes before towing.  He came back in and said the battery was dead and I asked him if he turned the key off last night and he “thought” he did.  Well he didn’t so the battery was on all night.  He wanted me to wake the neighbors to jump the car but I said it was too early to wake people.  I called to the office to see if there was someone who could jump it and the lady working said she’d send her husband over.  He was very nice and it was no big deal since we had jumper cables.  We left it run while he finished his jobs and I finished my jobs inside.

Last panel in progress

We went into Mitchell to the Corn Palace.  Bill and I had been before when we were out here maybe 7-8 years ago but they change it every year.  The first Corn Palace was built in 1892 when the city was only 12 years old.  The

One whole wall

beginning purpose was to display the agricultural bounty enticing immigrant farmers to move here.  Each fall a festival was planned to celebrate agriculture and their productivity.  The tradition has continued.  This is the third Corn Palace but the tradition has remained the same. 

A panel up close

Once the new theme has been decided, the outside is stripped and redecorated with new corn, as well as rye, oat heads and sour dock tied in bundles.  Roughly 275,000 ears of corn are soaked in water and sawed in half lengthwise and nailed on.  A “paint as you go” background

The Front

is drawn and used for the pattern.  They start on it the beginning of summer and by the end of summer it is done.  Today we got to watch the workmen attaching the split corn on the last panel while a third man was splitting the corn. 

Stage inside, panels above

Inside there is a basketball court and a stage.  Big concerts are held here as well as stage shows, graduations and the annual festival.  Along the inside walls are photos of EVERY year of the

"Maize" column in lobby

corn palace and photos of well know entertainers such as the Osmond Brothers, Gene Autry, Lawrence Welk, Tricia Yearwood and Willie Nelson.  It would be nice to go back every year but it’s a long drive from Florida!  Mike Miller the number one draft pick of the Orlando Magic played high school basketball there and his photo was on the wall!

Today’s drive was all interstate and a pretty nice drive until we got to Minnesota and the road quality diminished considerably.  The

highway was lined with corn fields, cattle, wind turbines and granaries.  I thought all the corn was in Iowa but no, there’s a lot in southern SD and MN. 

We had to stop once before lunch time to run the car to make sure the battery stayed charged and again when we stopped for lunch.  We ate fast as we really wanted to get to Winnebago before 3.  I was driving along, keeping vigil of

Bill and Cornelius

the highway when a trucker eased up beside me and waved me off the road.  I’ve learned when a trucker tells me to pull over, I better pull over.  Well, one end of the darn mud flap had lost a bolt and it was dragging.  We spent about 30 minutes taking it off and wedging it into the car and securing it from hitting the walls, ceiling and gear shift.  We would have put it under the RV in the hold but we were too close to the highway to open the compartment doors.  In all of the times we have had a problem along the side of the Interstate, and we've been on busy ones, this was the first time a highway patrolman stopped to check on us.  Geez, it’s always something!

Guess Who?

When we exited the interstate in Blue Earth, we made a brief stop to see (again) the huge statue of the Jolly Green Giant.  Then it was on the little 2 laners zig zagging our way to Forest City, Iowa.  We arrived a few minutes after 3 at the Visitor Center.  Bill went in and got us a 2 night parking pass.  They provide 50 amp service but no water or sewer.  Free is good though!  Once we parked I went in to see about service tomorrow for the RV and she said I had 10 minutes to go over to the Service Center and sign in so I raced over and got on the list but that doesn’t mean we will get service.  I at least need to talk to them about if we can add an electric outlet and if we can change the couch to 2 recliners.  We also need some parts.

Then we just chilled for a while!  I had a Jack and ginger and we

Sunset over Winnebago land

discussed eating in or out.  I told Bill we could eat out tonight or tomorrow night but not both.  He chose tonight since he said I was probably tired from driving.  He heard the Mexican restaurant, Ay Jalisco, was good so we found it and ordered just before the Early Bird ended.  It was good, small portion, but that’s all we really needed.  We drove around to look at the college here, Waldorf, and saw the football team finishing practice.  Bill found the high school and its field and wants to go to the game tomorrow night. 

When we got back I made a lime cool whip pie for tomorrow and a couple and started on my journal.  Now to see if we have any internet to post anything!

Driving and Sightseeing!

September 9 – We were up at 7:30 and left in the car to go into Sturgis at 8:30.  Bill and I

could not believe how different it was in 10 years so we drove to the road we drove in on from Deadwood 10 years ago to see if we just didn’t drive far enough into town.  Well, we didn’t find the shabby run down places we found then.  We stopped in a gift shop and I commented to the girl how much things had changed in 10 years and she said EVERYTHING was built since then. She said she came here then also and what we saw was what there was.  She also said that with the big 75^th Anniversary of Sturgis’s Motorcycle Rally someone had a gas station and fast food place put in on the corner of the interstate in just 3 weeks so it opened in time for the event.  Wow!

We dropped some cards in the post office box and took photos of the “Sturgis” on the mountain side, then we went back to the RV park and hooked up and off we went on eastward!

Wall, SD was the next event for us along I-90.  For hundreds of miles in all directions leading to Wall there are signs advertising Wall City Drug.  It opened in 1931 and is now being run by the 3^rd generation.  My parents took us there when I was 14, Bill and I went 8-10 years ago so we went back today.  It was just a couple of small rustic looking buildings when I was 14 and I bought a red wool cowboy hat and rawhide leather pants (which I still have both).  Now it’s a

Cool Posts at Wall Drug

row of shops all connected internally.  Across the street are other independent shops that surely benefit from the store’s fame.  There’s still a drug store, but now there’s a restaurant, souvenirs, clothing, jewelry, art, so much stuff. Luckily the town or maybe Wall City Drug has public free parking for cars and

Great Carved Posts inside

RV’s so we had no problems.  We did a bit of shopping then the smell or doughnuts and sweet rolls lured us into the restaurant and malt shop.  Bill had a plain cake doughnut and I had one with chocolate.  We sat eating with another couple and ended up being there an hour talking about travel and our diesel and transmission.  Before we left Bill decided to order his lunch to go but I wasn’t hungry yet so he ate it on the road.

Some fields were sunflowers??

The drive today was nicer than yesterday.  We were on interstate all day and instead of constant road kill we passed field after field of sorghum, sunflowers and corn.  We didn’t see any wildlife today.  The weather was gorgeous and there were farmers out harvesting their

Sorghum

crops and loading hay.  The sorghum was in two stages of color, a bright rust and a brown color that was closer to ready for harvest.  I was watching for a field of the rust beside a field of sunflowers for a beautiful photo but it didn’t happen. 

Missouri River

We stopped at the visitor center just after crossing the Missouri River as it overlooks the river and I thought it would make a nice photo.  Bill said he thought we’d been there when we parked but I didn’t really know.  Once we went it, we knew

Replica boat

we had been there before as it’s the Lewis and Clark Information Center with a nice display on their trip.  There is a replica of the boat and information on what they took with them and displays of the tents representing what they lived in along the trail.  It’s a very nice VC and the view is awesome.

Before arriving in Mitchell, SD we stopped for fuel and Bill had to clean the window.  That was a job as we had hit or been hit by so many huge bugs.  Bill did a good job and we could actually see again when we got back out on the road.

Our campground, the R & R Campground was right off the interstate and since we lost an hour today it was 6:30 when we arrived.  We managed to get a pull through long enough that we didn’t have to unhook.  Bill hooked up the water, electric and sewer so he could empty the tanks since we won’t have hook ups for the next 2 nights.

We had the rest of our beef stew and corn muffins for a quick and tasty dinner.  I put a load of laundry in and then we watched some TV.

A lot of Wyoming!

September 8 – We got up at 7 and surprising to Bill we were on the road at 8:03.  It got

Wind River Canyon

colder than we expected so I turned the heat on and also the engine heater. It had about an hour to warm up and the RV started right up.  We turned right out of the RV park and headed down the road through the beautiful Wind River Canyon.  The river carved a deep gorge for 2,000 years and then the granite and other rock were blasted to put a railroad on one side of the river and a road with tunnels on

Wind River Canyon

the other.  It was a much longer drive through than I had expected and Bill took a lot of photos but through the window.  Today was over 400 miles and we didn’t want to make any more stops than we had to.  Wind River is an Indian Reservation and the canyon is part of it.  At the southern end is a huge dam, which of course had an even larger lake behind it.

The lake is Boysen Lake and there is a Boysen State Park along it.  One of the campgrounds in the park is on the shore of the lake.  Looks like a really nice place to camp.  The lake backs up and forms various fingers so the park is huge and has multiple campgrounds around it.  It took a while to get passed the lake and then it was a

Road to Casper

boring straight 2 lane drive to Shoshoni, WY.  It’s a tired run down little town with very few businesses still operating.  From there we headed to Casper, WY.  Now if you look at a map you will wonder why we went south to go east and the answer is the 2 routes from Cody east are over mountains that we found would not be fun in the RV.  Even our friend Newell warned us against the route he had taken.  So that’s why it was a 400+ mile ride today.

The mountains we avoided

We stopped at one of the parking pullouts for a bathroom break and small snack and after we passed Casper we stopped at a regular rest area on I-25 in Kaycee and had lunch.  Then it was I-25 to I-90 at Buffalo, WY and then west to SD.

Today was the day for 2 things:  pronghorn antelope and road kill.  I have seen more antelope than I could ever imagine.  There were herds of all size in the fields on both sides of the road and I never tired of watching for them.  Some would be in fields with the cattle even.  Now the roadkill, well, I saw 5 skunks and I haven’t seen 5 dead skunks in my entire life!  There were 4 raccoon, well over 100 rabbits, 4 birds and 10-12 venison.  The only one I was sure what it was is a buck deer because of his large antlers.  It’s such an open space on all the roads today that the poor things must run out at night and then they are goners!  I gave up counting the rabbits!  There were places that had one every 10-15 feet.

Bill took a lot of video and photos but since it’s through the windows, they don’t look the best, but again, we didn’t want to keep stopping.  We arrived in Sturgis, SD at 5, so that wasn’t too bad.  We cannot believe how different it is here than when we came about 10 years ago.  Either we were in a very different part of town or the town has grown and changed drastically.  It was little old buildings of tattoo parlors, shirt shops and bars and now it all looks so nice and new.

We had some of our leftovers and fresh corn on the cob so dinner was easy.  I started on my photos and posting while Bill read and then he got busy on his computer catching up on facebook and email.

On the road home

September 7 – We only drove 247 miles, but they were hard miles!

We left Valley View at 9:06 after filling with propane, hooking up the car, saying our good-byes to some of the staff and the super nice couple we met, The Carpenters, from Tennessee.  They’re the couple on the motorcycle with the neat little tent trailer.  They invited us to come by or call if we’re close to Jamestown, TN and they have relatives in Florida so they may get the chance to come our way! Like I said, you meet the nicest people camping!

The trip through Yellowstone was what took so much time.  We didn’t see a single elk today

but we saw buffalo, and even saw a pair rutting!  Bill missed it of course as they were on my

The  Old Faithful Buffalo

side.  We saw a few more buffalo here and there and one was only about 20-30 feet from us when we made a quick stop at Old Faithful Inn for a couple of things we saw there but didn’t buy and never saw again.  We almost got to see Old Faithful erupt as it was supposed to be while we were there but since I was blocking traffic in the RV while Bill went inside, we didn’t think it was wise to linger.

The road around Yellowstone Lake is a bit up and down and at the northern part of

Sylvan Lake

the lake there are those sad looking burned out forests that stand vigil over the tiny little trees trying to survive and replenish the forests.  We hadn’t been to this part and the hills looked like old bald men with spiky sparse hair.  Once we passed Yellowstone Lake we stopped at Sylvan Lake and took a few photos with those mountains in the background.

Then came the ascent and descent to get

The bald old man

to the East Entrance.  Going up didn’t seem bad at all but going down was another story.  We had unhooked the car and Bill drove it and I drove the RV and he stayed right behind me.  The grade was 7% and very curvy.  Most of it was 25 – 35 mph.  We were glad to get to the bottom.  We stopped at the entrance gate to see if they had a passport stamp and all she told Bill was go to the Visitor Center.  Well, there wasn’t one for the east entrance that we saw so we headed on into Wapiti Valley in the Shoshone National Forest.  What a beautiful drive!   We went through a trio of tunnels, 1 long and 2 short ones.  The river ran along one side of the road and later along the other.  The hills were rugged peaks with angular layers of the rock.  There was little civilization except for forestry campground and some ranches that advertised trail rides, hunting and fishing guides.  I did see 2 more buffalo on the forest property.

Buffalo Bill State Park was right along the road and had 2 really nice campgrounds.  Bill applied there for us one year but was too late or there were no openings.  One campground runs right along the river.  At the east end of the river is a huge blue lake from damming the river.  Once you go through the mountain pass after the dam, it opens into a huge farming valley like so many places we’ve seen in Idaho and Montana.  There were many more ranches and fields of cattle and horses.   I also saw a male pronghorn antelope and in another spot 2 females.

Once we reached Cody, WY we pulled into the Wal-Mart.  Bill had called in a prescription to pick up there and we needed some produce so we parked, had lunch and went in.  His med had not come in since today was a holiday so he had them cancel it and he called the Wal-mart where we’re going to be camping later in the week.

Road to Thermopolis

Bear in mind, that all of the roads we were on today were 2 lane, so no interstate speeding along!  From Cody we headed south on 120 and were back to pretty boring landscape until we were close to Thermopolis.  Then the landscape changed once again with stone and soil layers exposed from ancient earthquakes. 

In Thermopolis is the largest thermal spring in the world.  It was only released by the Native Americans with the stipulation that it remain free forever for American people to use.  It’s now a state park and the bathhouse is still free to the public.

Our campground, the Eagle RV Park, is just south of town and we have a nice pull-through space but it was not long enough for the car so we had to unhitch it.  We decided to drive into town since we were unhooked and have dinner and see a little of the town.  It didn’t’ take long!  The first place we went was closed but I had read on Yelp that this one place, Lil Wrangler was one of the only places open for dinner during the week, so that’s where we went.  Bill enjoyed his sirloin steak, salad and potato salad but I was less than thrilled with my liver and onion, salad and potato salad. The onions were barely cooked and the liver was too thin to be cooked so much!  But, I was starved so I ate it, every last bit!  Well, not those raw onions!

Now we are settled in for the night with a long day ahead again!

Last day in Idaho!

September 6 – Our last day in Island Park!  The furnace ran all night and we left the water dripping in the bathroom so we didn’t have any freezing issues this morning.

 

We got up at 8 and Wendell, Elaine, Becky and Andrew picked us up at 9:30 to go breakfast at the Cowboy Café over by Earthquake Lake.  It took about 30 minutes to get there and the line was incredible.  It’s a very well known breakfast place and I guess since it was Sunday and a holiday weekend the crowd was huge.  We didn’t get seated until after 11.  Part of the problem was we were a party of six and most of the seating was for 2 or 4.  The breakfasts were huge.  I’m glad I only had the sausage gravy and biscuits as those that got the ham steak had ½ pound of ham, homemade hash browns, toast and an egg.  Bill went with sausage gravy and biscuits also.  I guess they are known for their huge cinnamon rolls so Becky ordered 2 for everyone to share.  They are about 8 inches wide and 2 inches thick.  Bill and I only had a small piece but the rest didn’t go to waste.  Three in our group had take-home containers of ham and hash browns.

Once we got back and said our good-byes as we will be gone tomorrow before they come over to the park, Bill and I got busy.  He washed the windows outside, drained the tanks and loaded the back of the car with stuff that we will be taking back to the house and it will be less stuff to unload when we get home.  He helped me dust all the wood in the RV and I did all the floors and 3 loads of laundry.  Later we went out and put my shepard hooks back on the RV ladder and the bike rack on the car and the bikes on that.  So there really won’t be much to do in the morning.  All the rugs are shaken and put way.  I didn’t get my ironing done but maybe I’ll do that once we land in Iowa at the Winnebago place. 

Before we left for breakfast this morning I put beef stew in the crockpot so I made some corn muffins to with it for dinner and now we have another night’s dinner on the road ready.  We settled in to watch some TV and I’m writing my last journal from Idaho.  Time to post it and put my desk and computer away until tomorrow.

Last day on the job!

September 5 – Last day on the job!  It was MUCH busier than yesterday and my days last week.  It was COLD this morning and Bill broke down and wore long pants for the first time!  I wore jeans for only the second time since we left home, with a t-shirt, long sleeve chambray shirt and my down vest.  I kept the chambray shirt on most of the day!

At one point today the washers were all taken and people were waiting. I only had time to make 2 scrubbies!  Bill was constantly having to come fill propane tanks as it is supposed to freeze tonight and tomorrow night.  We will fill our tank Monday when we get ready to leave.

 

We visited a lot with a couple on a motorcycle from Kentucky with a tiny trailer they pull that opens up with a tent top that holds a queen size air mattress.  They are really nice and we shared some stories. 

Wendell and Andrew came in this afternoon.  We were surprised to see Andrew but he and his mother came up last night to help her parents get some tax and paperwork done.  While he was there, Andrew helped Bill put some advertising flags back up out front and he repaired a washer and dryer for me.  Wendell said they want to take us to breakfast tomorrow since we wouldn’t let them pay us for being here.  They are really nice people and Bill is very sad to be leaving.

When the time came I balanced to the penny, locked up and took the money bag and my keys to the people working tomorrow.  We will go in at some point and take her a scrubbie. 

Dinner was leftover pulled pork, a zucchini and leftover pasta salad.  Time to blog and journal before reading for a while! 

THE HEAT IS ON!!!!! 

Only a couple more days here....

September 4 – It was cold this morning!  I had to turn the furnace on while we dressed and had breakfast.  Then switched it to AC when we left for work.

Only 2 more days of work!  It’s kinda sad when the summer winds down, but even sadder when I think of the 2,500 mile drive home, ugh!  It was a REALLY slow day for me.  I did have 6 arrivals. Most are here for a square dancing weekend.  I bet I didn’t have 20 washers to clean today but I did get to visit with several people in the park that came in to do laundry.

Bill was in and out and had a few propane customers and parked some of the RV’s.  It looked like a big storm for a while but we could literally sit and watch it move west into Montana.  They need the rain to end the rest of these fires.

It was so slow that we got to close up at 6:30.  I had done everything but balance so Bill went on home.  I mis-read (even with my glasses) the register total by $10 and I hunted and recounted and hunted some more.  I finally took a closer look and had read a 5 as a 6 so I balanced!  Bill had a glass of wine waiting for me when I got home.  That was so nice!  Lucky girl that I am!

Then we had pasta salad I made before going to bed last night and leftover sloppy joe for Bill and chicken for me.  

Busy day and nice dinner out

September 3 – It was another windy night!  I’m really over the wind!

The plan for several days was to go out to breakfast at this place Bill heard about and wanted to go to, but when we got up he decided not to.  We were going into West Yellowstone this afternoon and staying for dinner so I guess he thought eating out twice in one day was too much.  Plus there was stuff he wanted to get done here.

He did some prep work for leaving on Monday.  He put the grill away and most of our outdoor ornaments and bags over the seats of the bikes.

At least it's back up

We went up right after lunch to put the big Valley View RV sign back up.  One pole had broken off in the ground and the other guy who mows the grass laid a new pole out there.  One of the sign boards was all the way off and two were hanging by one screw.  We took my drill and what long screws I had and we took the sign apart and Bill dug the hole to move the pole to miss the stump still in the ground.  We got the pole in place and by then 4 RV’s had arrived.  Bill went to park them but there were some check-in issues so he kept coming back to help.  I drilled all the holes and measured the signs and we got one up at a time, then he’d go park someone and come back.  We ran out of screws and found some super long ones in the park’s tool room, then my drill ran out of steam.  We managed to get all 3 signs up but a couple of screws need drilled tighter.

After we showered we headed to West Yellowstone.  Bill needed a sympathy card for someone so we stopped for that and then made a stop at the hardware store for some reflector tape to put on some of the row marking poles.  Then we browsed some of the shops.  Several are having End of Season Sales but only 20% off.  One is going out of business so had 20% off and 30% off already reduced items.  We picked up a few things for Christmas.

My Osso Bucco

When dinner time rolled around we headed to Bullwinkle’s since Bill had been told it was really good.  It’s a bit more upscale than most of the places in town.  Bill had Bison meatloaf and I got to try Osso Bucco for the first time.  I’ve seen other people have it and thought, why not?  It’s a pork leg that is kind of slow roasted.  The presentation is part of the enjoyment.  This restaurant served more of a sauce than gravy and it was delicious.  Even the sautéed zucchini and veggies were seasoned to perfection.  There were also homemade yeast rolls and a very nice salad bar.  No room for dessert!

We finally stopped after how many weeks, and took a picture of the welcome sign for Island Park on our end of the town. 

Later once we had room for it, we had some tapioca pudding for dessert.

Trip to Rexburg

September 2 – We had to be up at 7:30 to shower, eat and get to Rexburg by 10.  Bill had an appointment for an oil change in the car.  We made it with about 6 minutes to spare.

It took an hour and I used the time to type yesterday’s journal on my netbook.  Kam called so it was a good time to talk.  The car had no other issues and they washed it, which it seriously needed after yesterday’s trip.

We had talked about going to a movie but the only one showing that we hadn’t seen really didn’t interest either of us.  We decided this was a good time to get our flu shots so we pulled into the Walgreens.  It ended up that Bill could get his but my current prescription card is not good at Walgreens, just CVS and others, so he got his and I looked around.  There is no CVS in Rexburg and no wine and liquor store! 

We stopped at Dollar Tree and then we went to Wal-mart for my paper goods.  Bill checked to see if they could fill one of his scripts today but they would have to order his meds and he’d have to come back on Sunday.  That would be another hour drive each way so he declined.  He’ll call ahead to a Wal-mart, maybe the first one we camp at one night on the way home. 

Since we weren’t going to a movie today, we went ahead and had lunch at Blister’s BBQ.  It’s in a gas station and we went by the address and didn’t see a single sign for it.  I went inside to ask if it was near there and saw the line for orders.  What a busy place and excellent brisket!  I also had deep fried green beans.  Yummy!

Time to start making our way back to Island Park.  First stop along the way was St. Anthony’s for a liquor and wine store.  It was a small one but they had some Idaho made wine I wanted to get so it worked out well.

Next stop was Ashton to take back some of the soda we bought for the park last week.  Bill got the wrong brand of orange so while we returned it I picked up a few more produce items as their little market has better prices on them. 

The last stop was the post office in Island Park so I could drop off some mail.  Elaine came in while I was chatting with the post mistress.  Elaine had been to the office and was on her way back home to work on tax stuff.  That does not sound like fun!

On the last leg home we spotted a small herd of antelope for the first time in our valley. 

We spent the afternoon doing laundry, reading and blogging.  Bill unloaded the car and did some cleaning inside the car.

Big Spring at dusk

After dinner we left at 7:30 for Big Springs, to hunt for

Look really hard and you can see the moose to the
right of the tree in the middle

Moose.  On the way the antelope were still in the same spot.  We finally, at almost dark, spotted one moose at the far end of the spring.  She was too far to get a decent photo, but at least we saw one.  We will try a couple more times before we leave.  On the drive home in the dark the antelope were still there.

I made a batch of tapioca pudding to use up some milk that will go bad.  It will be a nice change.

Last Big Day in Yellowstone!

September 1 - It was a long, 12 hour day of sightseeing and shopping! We left at 9 after a hardy breakfast for Yellowstone and we got home just before 9 PM.

Young elk stranded

We hadn't been in the park long when traffic halted. Someone spotted something but we headed on to the next traffic halt. This time there was space on the side of the road so Bill pulled off. There was a young elk in the middle of the river. It looked so scared with so many people watching and it carefully too a couple of steps while I watched as the water was flowing rather swiftly and it was for sure looking for its mother. I felt bad for it but hopefully it made it across.

Road work

Once we made our turn at Madison for the northern route the traffic thinned drastically. We knew we were in for a slow down once we reached the area where the road is being widened and repaved. Our wait was short but it was slow going for the next 6-7 miles. Once we were back on 2 lanes it was fine. As Bill rounded a bend I glanced to his side and spotted a bison extremely close to the side of the road but I hadn't seen it soon enough for him to stop so no photo.

The old and the new

The drive through that section is really beautiful. There are mountains and a lot of green area and valleys with grasses turning a lively shade of golden yellow. You see skeletons of old lodgepole pines looming above the new growth and it reminds you of the

Overlook view

deadly fires here in 1988. One of the areas we stopped for some scenic photos was above a valley that had been overtaken by fire and is once again plush and vibrant.

We enjoyed our quick view of the Terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs as we passed by for a stop at the Visitor Center for a bathroom break. There I picked up confirmation instructions to the Boiling River. Nothing in our literature tells you about it, but Kam spotted it on public media and I checked for it on several blogs. As you leave Mammoth Hot Springs the road curves on the long decent and the last time we were there we wondered why so many cars were parked along the road and flooding the parking areas and we could see lines of walkers along the river. We thought it was just nice picnic area. That was the path to the Boiling River.

Bill on the path

My information said to change your clothes before arriving or do it in the vault toilet at the end of the parking lot. Since we were heading on to Bozeman later, we packed our swim clothes and water shoes and changed in the clean but pungent vault toilet. They said the walk to the “hot springs” was only 1/3 of a mile but

Boiling water flowing into the pools

by the time you walk around the bend to the bench area it's at least a ½ mile. Had we known the full scope of the area we would have stopped when we first saw people in the pooled areas below and their bags left along the path. From the bench area you VERY carefully walk into  extremely cold water from the Gardiner River and all along the left side BOILING water flows in to meet the ice cold water. There is steam coming off the water as they meet and a rock wall to sort of divide the river from the 

Found a nice spot!

pooled areas has been built. There are several large pooled areas far down that we had passed from above. I found a rock strategically placed in the middle where the water was perfect. That didn't mean that in one instant you wouldn't

More hot water flows

feel scalding water hit your leg and in the next instant cold. We were glad we waited until now to come back here since the crowd was much less than when we were by there last time. It was such a neat experience! They warn you all over the place about how hot the boiling parts are. Still some idiot

The Chippy watching the river

will stick their hand or foot in and complain. I can see why they don’t publicize the area, the crowds would be horrendous. It's the only place in the park you can enjoy a thermal bath for free.

Once we walked back and changed clothes we headed into Gardiner. We had our lunch in the car and then indulged in possibly our last treat of Wilcoxson ice cream. I had the Cream and Coffee and Bill had the Graham something. Then it was on to Bozeman.

As we headed out of town and through the valley I spotted 3 small herds of privately owned buffalo. I guess that's where the meat comes from that they have in the restaurants and stores. They were much smaller than the wild ones in the park. Either they were young or bred with cattle as we have heard. The drive was nice and we saw some beautiful homes along the rivers and on the hills overlooking the water. They're just too far away from civilization for me. Even the little villages, they don't have much so like we've done all summer you must carefully plan your trips to town.

The disappointing Ice Cream Factory

We stopped in Livingston, MT on the way so see if we could tour the famous Wilcoxson Ice Cream factory. I called and got an address and she said they do have tours. Then when we arrived that addressed didn't exist. I Googled again and got a different number and she gave me the address and we drove by twice and finally turned since it was on a corner to see if the sign was on that side and there was no real sign. There was a small sign on the door with the hours and a smaller sign in the window. They don't have tours as it's now just the plant and main offices. We determined that the first place I called was their facility in Billings where they make the individual servings, such as ice cream sandwiches. Oh well, I tried!

Once we arrived in Bozeman we decided to head out to the airport where we had been told I could get my last passport stamp for Yellowstone. They closed the Yellowstone Destinations store at 5 so we thought best to go there first. Well, no, they don't have a stamp since they are not “in” the park. Someone needs to get their stories straight!

We went back into town and made our stops at Bed, Bath and Beyond, World Market,

Sign in the restaurant

Albertson's and then to The Roost for dinner. We love that place. This time I had the half rotisserie chicken with collards and cheese grits and a biscuit. Bill had 2 pieces of fried chicken with slaw. I shared my biscuit and brought home the breast and wing half of my chicken but the grits and collards were so yummy! We stopped at the Rosauers grocery and they had some good sales on produce so I picked up what I hadn't gotten at Albertsons. Last stop was for gas and then I drove the trip home.

It was still sunny out until we reached the long narrow valley leading into West Yellowstone and then I had to put the lights on.  There was very little traffic on the 2 lane road which was nice.  It has plenty of curves and little hamlets along the way and its calming to drive along with the river rushing along side.  There was a much larger herd of privately owned bison along the road.  We didn't notice them when we went to Bozeman before.  We made our right turn in West Yellowstone for the final 14 miles back to Valley View.  The big sign outside was finally on and working, welcoming us home.

We missed the 7:00 Rizzoli & Isles but it repeated at 9 so we managed to unload and settle in just in time to sit down and enjoy the season finale – with a cliff hanger, of course!