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Ahmet Erkun
Ahmet Erkun

Ahmet Erkun

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  • Türkiye 2021
    Waiting to check in for TK34 — Terminal D @ IAH ... Houston, TX.
    A bunch of United planes are poised for their flights — United Lounge @ Terminal E ... IAH, TX.

    Checked In!

    6 de septiembre de 2021, Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 88 °F

    Leaving the hotel around 4:30p, we strolled over to Terminal D/E via the underground tunnel, crossed over to Terminal D via the sky bridge, and queued up to check in at the THY BizClass counter … thank goodness for that as the line for the economy cabin was snaking around with no social distancing whatsoever.

    The check-in itself was easy-peasy. In addition to our passports, we had to show the agent our COVID-19 shot cards and the forms we completed online to enter Turkey. Travel during pandemic times dontcha know!

    The only glitch? Somehow our Trusted Traveler Number must have dropped from our online profiles on the Turkish Airlines website. So, our boarding passes did not show TSA Pre✔️. No matter. The line for the BizClass security checkpoint was not long. And, since IAH has new screening machines with modern technology, we did not have to remove electronics or 3-1-1 bags from our carry-on luggage. Shoes were another matter, however. But that’s why I always wear socks when traveling!

    Once through the checkpoint, we walked over to the United Lounge in Terminal E. As a Star Alliance partner, Turkish Airlines BizClass passengers are welcome to use the lounge to while away their time. Which is what we are doing at the moment!

    In another hour or so, we’ll be heading to our gate.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    When you have writing to do, the wait-time flies — Houston Airport Marriott Lobby, TX.
    Mui in a Bottle — Houston Airport Marriott, TX.

    Almost Ready to Walk to IAH

    6 de septiembre de 2021, Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 90 °F

    After lunch at the Flights Grill, we found some comfy seats in the lobby of the Houston Airport Marriott … no one around but the desk clerks and us. In the last ½-hour new arrivals have shown up to check in, but they all continued on to their rooms, so we continued to have the place pretty much to ourselves.

    The two additional hours we needed to kill before walking to Terminal D to check in for our flight has gone by in the blink of an eye. I even found time — before it was too late — to call mom before we commence the “over-the-pond” flight that will end in Turkey tomorrow afternoon … what with the 8-hour time difference between here and there.

    Now, time to put away our electronics and get ready to walk to the airport.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    Delicious food for lunch — Flights Grill & Lounge at Houston Airport Marriott, TX.

    Lunch Time!

    6 de septiembre de 2021, Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 90 °F

    What with breakfast, a walk to/from the airport, our morning ablutions, and packing our overnight accoutrements in one of the checked bags, the morning flew by. Before we knew it, our extended check-out at 1:00p was upon us.

    As per the plan we came up with yesterday when we were unable to extend our check out to 4:00p, we headed down to the lobby, checked out of the room, and walked over to Flights Lounge and Grill for lunch. Good food … good service from a waiter with a fun sense of humor, and best of all, empty tables in the section where we opted to sit.

    We easily killed another hour before we have to go to the airport.

    ———————————-

    For those interested in such things …

    I ordered the Market Fish … switching out the mahi-mahi for salmon [with fingerling potatoes, grilled broccolini, chorizo hash]. Mui ordered the Watermelon Greek Salad [lettuce, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, red onions, feta cheese, cucumber, chunks of watermelon … Greek vinaigrette] and added grilled salmon for protein. We wrapped up with a delicious cheesecake.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    The walkway is between the train tracks on either side — IAH underground access ... Houston, TX.
    Welcome to Houston ... mural and nighttime satellite image @ Terminal D — IAH ... Houston, TX.2Undulating mosaic wall leading to the Terminal B parking structure — IAH ... Houston, TX.1Detail from the mosaic wall leading to the Terminal B parking structure — IAH ... Houston, TX.Detail from the mosaic wall leading to the Terminal B parking structure — IAH ... Houston, TX.

    Airport Recon

    6 de septiembre de 2021, Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F

    Actually, not so much a recon … more for exercise since it was just too hot and muggy to go for a walk outside.

    After breakfast at the Flight Lounge & Grill at the Marriott, we set off for the airport. We took the underground train from the hotel to the IAH Terminals D/E stop to locate the Turkish Airlines counters for tonight’s flight check-in and find out what time they open. Turns out … not until 4:40p. Good thing we have a plan to kill time at the hotel after we check out.

    That accomplished, we headed back down to the underground tunnel and walked all the way to Terminal A … with a detour to the Terminal B parking structure where I had spotted a lovely, nature-inspired mosaic mural. Then, we headed back to the hotel via the walkway.

    All in all … a little more than 1.5 miles. We’ll be walking back to Terminal D when we leave the hotel this afternoon, adding another mile to our total steps. Not bad.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    An artistic rendition of the hotel we'll be staying at in Ayvalık ... in the province of Balıkesir.

    Ayvalık Added to Our Sept Schedule

    6 de septiembre de 2021, Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F

    On 26 September, my brother-in-law, Murat, has a swim meet in Ayvalık, a seaside town in the province of Balikesir … north of İzmir. As a teenager, I spent a lot of time there with family and friends. At times there were so many of us that we’d book out an entire boutique hotel. Lots of fun memories from those days.

    When Aylin and Murat suggested that we make a weekend outing out of his need to be in Ayvalık, we jumped at the chance to do so. So, now … we have two short getaways planned for September.

    Our first choice, a boutique hotel, was not available, but Aylin and Murat made reservations for us all at Çınar Hotel … overlooking Sarımsaklı Beach. We received the confirmation this morning before we headed down to breakfast at the Marriott IAH.

    Looking forward to a walk down memory lane while making new family memories.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    A very satisfying dinner — Houston Airport Marriott, TX.

    Dinner Time: Flights Lounge & Grill

    5 de septiembre de 2021, Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 91 °F

    Once we were settled into our room, it was time to get our tummies sated. If there are any eateries in the vicinity, they require wheels to get to them. The restaurants at IAH are all after the security checkpoints. So, we went down to Flights Lounge & Grill, the restaurant at the hotel. Good food … very satisfying.

    We were both up at 5:00a this morning and we’ve since traveled some 800+ miles (as the crow flies). Time to relax a bit … and then early to bed methinks.

    ——————————————-

    For those interested in such things …

    I ordered the Rotini Pasta [creamy wild mushroom and garlic sauce, asparagus, parmesan] and topped it with grilled salmon for protein. Mui ordered the “H-Town” Cobb Salad [chopped romaine, local bacon, hard-boiled egg, grilled corn, pickled red onion, blue cheese, avocado, tomatoes, house made chipotle ranch] and added grilled salmon for extra protein. We wrapped up with a Key Lime Pie … good, but we’ve had better.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    Our air chariot ... and our hotel in the background — IAH ... Houston, TX.
    Our home away from home for the night — Houston Airport Marriott, TX.

    Checked into Marriott @ IAH

    5 de septiembre de 2021, Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 95 °F

    The Houston Airport Marriott is not connected to a terminal at IAH … per se. But there is a tunnel one can use to get to it … either by taking the below-ground train that runs between the terminals and makes a stop at the Marriott … on on foot via the pedestrian walkway between the tracks that loop around. Wanting to stretch our legs, we opted to do the latter.

    By 4:30p, we were settled into our room … the airport luggage cart we used to haul the bags parked in one corner … well out of the way. Nice … clean … all the amenities we could want for an overnight stay (though we did have to ask for some hand lotion) … a partial view of the airport.

    The only hitch in our plans? Our late check out can’t be extended past 1:00p tomorrow because the hotel is booked solid. We won’t be able to check in for our THY flight until 4:00p or sometime thereafter. So we’ll have to kill time somewhere.

    No worries, though. We have a plan. We’ll check out at 1:00p, leave the bags with the concierge, and have a leisurely lunch at Flight’s Grill, the on-property restaurant, before we make our way to the appropriate terminal.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    Blue skies and fluffy white clouds ... and spots on the porthole — Aboard UA4660.
    That's quite the thunderhead ... but we have a smooth flight — Aboard UA4660.

    Uneventful Flight

    5 de septiembre de 2021, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 91 °F

    That about describes our flight … once our winged-chariot was swapped out and we got off the ground. The problem? Too much weight for the CRJ … passengers and bags.

    At first they were looking for volunteers to jump to the next flight … with quite a generous offer that we might have taken. But then they rescinded that and found another solution. In the end, what I think happened was that they had another aircraft going to IAH, so they left the bags on the original aircraft and put us on the second one.

    Despite our delayed departure — by about 30 minutes — we were on the ground at IAH shortly after our original scheduled arrival of 3:25p.

    All’s well that ends well.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    CR-J ... the plane that will be taking us to IAH — Colorado Springs Airport, CO.

    Our Chariot to IAH Arrives

    5 de septiembre de 2021, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    The CR-J 200 that will be taking us to IAH has landed and is approaching Gate 5. We should be boarding in the next little while … later than the original 11:18a boarding. No matter … it’s not like we don’t have plenty of time on our hands.Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    Lobby of Colorado Springs Airport, CO.
    On cold winter days there's always a welcoming fire here — Colorado Springs Airport, CO.Pikes Peak features prominently in the tile mural — Colorado Springs, CO.And here's the real Pikes Peak from our gate area ... on a smoky Sunday morning — COS Airport, CO.

    And We Begin …

    5 de septiembre de 2021, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    We turned off the water, checked the doors and windows, set the alarm, and locked up. Time to get this show on the road.

    A quick Lyft drive brought us to COS. Our local airport might be small, but it offers the convenience of a non-stop flight to IAH so that we can connect to the flight that will take us across the pond … tomorrow.

    At the moment, we’re at Gate 5 … awaiting our air-chariot. More later …    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    The dreaded packing is done!

    Almost Ready

    4 de septiembre de 2021, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    I’ve got a pre-trip checklist that I use each time we go off on an adventure. It has everything on it — from what to pack, to stopping the mail, to verifying flight information, to turning off the water, to … well you get the idea. Big and small … everything is on the list.

    Added to the list this year is researching and verifying COVID-19 related entry requirements … which can be a moving target … what with the ever-changing profile of the pandemic. Luckily for us, being vaccinated has made meeting the entry requirements for Turkey easier. In fact, we just finished taking care of the last of those requirements … completing an online entry form that we printed out to hand over to THY when we check-in for our flight to IST on Monday.

    All but a few things on the checklist are now checked off. Even our bags are zippered and zip-tied. The items that remain unchecked are the last minute things that have to wait until just before we set the alarm and lock up the house.

    I guess we’re just about ready to get this show on the road … just one more sleep to go.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021

    Moving Up Our Departure

    30 de agosto de 2021, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    Apparently, Mui and I have both been thinking about a “what if.” And not saying anything to each other. The “what if” was … what if our flight from COS to IAH on 6 September is delayed or canceled? Would we be able to make our flight departing IAH for IST?

    We’re not superstitious people. And if we weren’t in the midst of a pandemic, we probably would have laughed off our concerns once we voiced them during our morning walk today. But we are in the midst of a pandemic and air travel can have more bumps than usual.

    Rather than stress over the “what if,” we decided to just move our departure from COS up by a day. Thanks to an earlier schedule change, our United flight was eligible for a one-time change/cancelation at no charge to us. Why not take advantage of it?

    Step One … check flight availability for 5 September. The answer was yes.

    Step Two … verify full refund for the 6 September flight on the UA website. The answer was yes.

    Step Three … cancel the original booking. Miles refunded immediately; refund of taxes & fees pending the usual credit card cycle.

    Step Four … book the same round trip COS-IAH-COS flights with a 5 September departure; return date unchanged. The bonus … fewer miles to purchase the tickets. The second bonus … same exit row seats available on both flights.

    Step Five … book a hotel room for the overnight before our 6 September IAH-IST departure on Turkish Airlines. The bonus … a room at the Marriott at IAH … no shuttle transport required to/from the airport.

    So, our 2021 overseas jaunt will now commence a day early … and neither of us will be stressing over the “what if.”    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    We'll be flying the Dreamliner both ways.

    Inbound Fligts: Sch & Equipment Change

    28 de agosto de 2021, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

    Mui got a text from Turkish Airlines last night. It was advising us of a schedule change to the domestic portion of our 2 January flights from İzmir to Houston. Same flight number, but an earlier departure from ADB ... and a slightly later arrival @ IST. No matter, still plenty of time to connect to our afternoon flight to IAH.

    THY requires confirmation from the passenger whenever there is a change. We tried to do this online and through the app. Both gave error messages. So we made a phone call and spoke to an agent. In no time at all, our online flight record showed the revised flight info.

    I'm not sure what prompted me to ask that the agent confirm our selected seats as well. When it came to our IST-IAH flight, she said our seats were 4A/5A. Aha! An equipment change! And one that I was hoping would happen. TK33 was now going to be on a B787-9 … a Dreamliner, in other words.

    I’ve since gone online to switch our seats to the starboard aisle … 4K/5K … better aerial views from that side IMHO.

    We now have ten days to go before we begin this year's overseas jaunt.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021

    Entry & Re-Entry PCR Testing

    19 de agosto de 2021, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    The good news? If you are fully-vaccinated, Turkey no longer requires PCR testing 72-hours ahead of entry into the country. That’s a huge relief.

    As for re-entry into the US in January … good news on that front as well. No, the requirement for a PCR test has not been abolished, but the guidelines call for the test to be taken within 3 days of one’s flight. And the CDC example on their website does not count the day of travel. That means that for our 2 January flight, we can get tested on 30 December … which is a Thursday. With so many labs providing testing in Turkey, not to mention testing centers at the airport, we won’t have to worry about purchasing an at-home test kit to take with us.Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    The trip will be more like 3 hours by bus.

    Kâmil Koç to Güvercinlik

    15 de agosto de 2021, Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    Işıl — Mui’s sister — has a beach house in Güvercinlik, a village near Bodrum … in Turkey’s Muğla Province. Mui and I will be taking a bus from İzmir to spend a few days with her there in September. The three of us will drive back to İzmir in her car. The plan is for her to spend a few days in İzmir and then Mui will drive her home to Eskişehir. He’ll probably stay with her for a bit, but for how long and all that is TBD.

    Hence the reason we needed to get HES codes today.

    Armed with the code, we got online to buy our bus tickets. Our preferred bus company — Pamukkale Turizm — had only one bus daily. Turns out they are in Chapter 11 and have cut back on their services. Instead, we booked with Kâmil Koç … which is now a partner of FlixBus, a German brand that offers bus service not only in Europe, but in the US as well.

    Long story short, we selected our departure date and time; filled in the necessary passenger information, including our ID and HES code numbers; and even pre-selected our seats … the first ones to do so on our departure … not surprising as Turks don’t plan their travels as far out as we do. It took us no more than 5 minutes to complete the purchase.

    So, we now have the first of what may be several short trips in Turkey planned.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    Required for domestic travel within Turkey during the pandemic.

    HES Codes ✔️

    15 de agosto de 2021, Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F

    What is that you ask? It’s something anyone who wants to travel domestically in Turkey needs to present before being allowed on any form of public transportation, including planes, trains, buses … even drivers of private automobiles traveling between cities and provinces must show this code.

    The system was implemented as a pre-cautionary measure after COVID-19 started exploding in early 2020. It’s basically a tracking/contact tracing system to monitor and aid in preventing the spread of the dastardly Coronavirus. Since its initial implementation, the program has been expanded to include places like restaurants, movie theaters, etc, etc … at least that’s my understanding.

    The code is easy enough to get … either online or through a special app. And it is good for 18 months. It took Mui just a couple of minutes to get our codes today.

    So, now we can make some logistics plans for a short trip we’ll be taking in September.    Leer más

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  • North to Alaska By RV 2021

    We Rolled Many Miles!

    11 de agosto de 2021, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

    I took a few minutes this morning to figure out the miles we drove during our 100-day road trip between May 3 and August 10 …

    Phoenix Cruiser: 5,738.9
    Honda CR-V: 2,915.8 … (with tow-mode added: 8,589.7)
    Rental Vehicles: 1,279.3 … (AK and WA rentals)
    Total Road Miles: 9,934.0
    Sea Miles (NM): 3,000.0 … (estimated R/T for the Cruiser & toad)

    So, there you have it … nearly 10,000 road miles and 3,000 nautical miles for the TAC-ANC-TAC crossing with Tote Maritime.    Leer más

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  • North to Alaska By RV 2021
    New neighborhood is going up across the arroyo ... but distant enough that we're OK with it — COS.

    Day 100 Ends @ Home

    10 de agosto de 2021, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    Not only did day 100 end at home, but our road trip did as well.

    We had just 65 miles to go from Aurora to get home. We could have dallied at the campground, but we wanted to get home before the high temperatures hit so we could open the doors and windows to air the house out.

    I-25S was busy, but with nothing to impede the flow of traffic. So, we were home by 10:30a, the Cruiser tucked into its spot at the storage facility. We’ll be bringing it back for a deep-cleaning in the days ahead.

    The first thing we both wanted to check on when we got home was the construction that is going up across the arroyo from us. At the time we bought our place in 2018, we knew that the wide expansive views would not always stay open. So, before we did anything else, we went out on our deck.

    The good news is that the few houses that have gone up give us a very good indication of the distance between the two neighborhoods … which is considerable thanks to the arroyo. And even better, the area that has been designated as parkland is quite big and is what will be in our natural line of sight. (We believe the construction will be growing to the left in the attached photo.)

    Thus, our long-awaited road trip — which included a bit of cruising for the Cruiser and toad — is now in the can. We had a wonderful time, but it’s nice to be home … even if it is for less than a month. Our next adventure … well, it will have its own “trip,” so that’s it for the time being.    Leer más

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  • North to Alaska By RV 2021
    A delightful tapas meal with Sonia & Boris — BarcelonaWine Bar ... Denver, CO.
    A great selection of tapas to share — Barcelona Wine Bar ... Denver, CO.

    Tapas with the Gelmans

    9 de agosto de 2021, Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 90 °F

    Our day started very quietly. It was too chilly to eat breakfast on the patio. But after our meal, I donned a jacket, grabbed my laptop and iPad … and my small thermos of tea, and made myself comfortable on the patio. The north/south orientation of the pad meant that I had shade through the morning. Peaceful … reading … writing … and just enjoying being outdoors.

    Around 3:30p, we headed up to Denver to meet up with Sonia and Boris for dinner. But first, we socialized at their place for a bit … catching up on all that’s happened in our lives since we last saw them before we left for Alaska.

    Our tapas dinner tonight was at the Barcelona Wine Bar in Denver’s RiNo (River North) neighborhood. What a great place … and every bite of food was delicious … as was the pitcher of red sangria. We followed the server’s suggestion to pick two tapas each to share … ended up with one extra one … which was indeed one too many. But that didn’t stop us from ordering a sweet treat to share. If there is one complaint we have, it’s that the warehouse-like setting makes for a very loud dining experience. But somehow we managed to talk over the noise, so all was good.

    As is always the case, we enjoyed great camaraderie. We will likely not see the Gelmans until we return from our overseas trip in January 2022. So, I’m especially glad that we had this chance to get together.

    ——————————————-

    For those interested in such things, here’s a list of the tapas we ordered (I forgot to take a photo of the salad, so it’s not featured in the collage.)

    🇪🇸 Asparagus a la Plancha … with a truffle vinaigrette and Manchego cheese 🇪🇸 Roasted Zucchini … with red chimichurri 🇪🇸 Pan con Tomate … with garlic and sea salt 🇪🇸 Gambas al Ajillo … with Arbol chili, olive oil, and garlic 🇪🇸 Bacon Wrapped Dates … with Valdeón mousse 🇪🇸 Jamón & Manchego Croquetas … with garlic aioli 🇪🇸 Truffled Bikini … with Jamón Serrano, San Simón 🇪🇸 Roasted Corn & Arugula … with red onion, salsa verde, boquerones (herring) 🇪🇸 Warm Flourless Chocolate Cake … with coffee Anglaise and almond crumble.    Leer más

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  • North to Alaska By RV 2021
    Site 141 ... Cherry Creek State Park — Aurora, CO.

    Day 98 Ends in Aurora, CO

    8 de agosto de 2021, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

    A 263-mile drive … increasingly better air quality. Excellent. However, hot, hot, hot … 103F in the sun … about 10 degrees cooler in the shade. Luckily, the A/C managed to keep the interior comfortable.

    Traffic was quite heavy today … luckily no accidents and traffic jams to slow us down too much. But we did have to negotiate some road construction that stretched for miles in Wyoming after we left Rawlins.

    It was around 1:30p when we arrived at Cherry Creek State Park in Aurora, east of Denver. We stayed at the campground here for the first time in 2018 … during our where-shall-we settle tour. As then, our goal this time is to have a quick get together with our friends — Sonia and Boris — before we head home. We’ll be going overseas for four months in early September, so we figured this was our best chance of seeing them before we leave.

    This time we’re in the Buffalo Loop … site #141 … 50A FHU. I think this site is our favorite now … very spacious, totally private with no sites on the patio side … thick trees and bushes behind and to the other side. Just as I remembered from last time, the campground is meticulously maintained. The gravel in the patio area is combed … just like you might find in a Zen garden. I had to, unfortunately, wait for the sun to go down to enjoy it all because it was so hot today.

    After a light lunch, Mui headed into Denver to pick up some foodstuff from his favorite Middle Eastern Market and from Costco. As you can imagine, we’ve been gone so long that there is little to nothing in the larder at home. Now that he’s back, it’s time for a light dinner … followed by a quiet evening.

    Tomorrow will be a quiet day of rest … and then we’ll be meeting up with our friends for dinner.    Leer más

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  • North to Alaska By RV 2021
    Site 58 @ Western Hills Campground ... our home for tonight — Rawlins, WY.
    A double-ended car ... that's a first for me — Rawlins, WY.

    Day 97 Ends in Rawlins, WY

    7 de agosto de 2021, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    Day 4 of our trip back home.

    A short driving day with only 235 miles added to the odometer. We considered driving further, but seeing the blue-ish skies and the 68F temp when we arrived in Rawlins at noon, we decided to keep to our plans and take it easy this afternoon.

    The office at Western Hills Campground was closed when we pulled in. No matter, there was a list showing us our assigned site — #58 … in the 30A electric-only section. This is our fourth time staying at this campground it really is quite convenient off US-30 and quiet. Though the entire campground is gravel, it is very well maintained.

    We lost no time in setting up. Then, taking advantage of the patio being in partial shade, we had lunch on the patio. I sat out afterwards to read for a while. By mid-afternoon, the temp had risen considerably, but the A/C kept the interior of the Cruiser comfy. It will cool off once the sun sets … it always does thanks to the constant breeze.

    Tomorrow we arrive in Colorado and will be just 65 miles from home when we stop for the day. We won’t get home until the 10th, however, because we have something fun planned in Denver first.    Leer más

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  • North to Alaska By RV 2021
    Just one word to describe the skies ... ugly — McCammon, ID.
    There are three campsites at the Hideout Motel — Cokeville, WY.Equine neighbors grazing in the field behind us @ the Hideout Motel — Cokeville, WY.Delicious burger ... cold brew ... good meal — Gold Buckle Grill ... Cokeville, WY.

    Day 96 Ends in Cokeville, WY

    6 de agosto de 2021, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    This day was to have ended in McCammon, Idaho. But the smoke haze from the wildfires was so thick and unpleasant — not to mention unhealthy — that we decided to add another 90+ miles to our driving day and stopped in Cokeville instead.

    Our 368-mile drive was once again uneventful … just the way all road trips should be. With very few stops along the way, we pulled into the Hideout Motel around 3:30p. The skies were still hazy, but at least it didn’t have a greenish yellow tint. Later, I was told that until about noon, when the smoke moved in, the skies were clear here.

    The motel is right off US-30 … very convenient for an overnight. But we’re not in one of the motel rooms. There are three 50A FHU sites at the back of the property. There’s nothing special about the sites … they are dirt and fairly tightly spaced. No matter. Now, around 8:00p, the sites on either side are occupied … and there is a car in front of practically every motel room as well. Nonetheless, all’s quiet … not even any neighing from our equine neighbors behind us.

    After settling in, we walked across Hwy 30 to the Gold Buckle Grill, the only restaurant in the vicinity. We would have sat on the patio, but there was a stiff breeze and the smell of smoke was noticeable. So, we ate indoors. At the time we were there, only one other table was occupied, but I can see through the windshield that the parking lot is filled with cars. Glad we went early.

    Mui and I both ordered burgers … mine with fries; Mui’s with onion rings. Dos Equis lagers washed down our food. The food definitely deserves it’s 4-star TripAdvisor rating. We were both so full that we got our dessert — cheesecake — to-go. We’ll enjoy our sweet treat when we sit down to watch a movie on TV … compliments of our satellite dish.

    We continue east tomorrow … through familiar territory in Wyoming. We were going to skip I-80 on the way back home, but when we couldn’t get a place to camp at Yellowstone National Park, we decided to take the fast route back instead. I’m so glad we jiggled our plans. I hear the AQI is even worse up there.    Leer más

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  • North to Alaska By RV 2021
    2 Bar Lazy H ... a convenient campground for an overnight stay — Rocker, MT.

    Day 95 Ends in Rocker, MT

    5 de agosto de 2021, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    I did say that today would be a slightly shorter driving day. And it was … just 298 miles.

    It was another uneventful day on the road with just a few stops. Unfortunately there was heavy smoke haze from the wildfires and it veiled the scenery. On the upside … it was a much cooler day. In fact, as I write this, the temp is only 68F and we are being buffeted by strong winds … which will hopefully clear the smoke a bit here in Rocker … west of Butte.

    We lost an hour when we entered Montana and are now on Mountain DST … that means no more time zone changes for us. It was around 3:00p when we pulled into the 2 Bar Lazy H Campground. There is nothing exceptional about this place, but it is conveniently just off I-15 where it junctions with I-90. The sites are all gravel … the grass is dry in every direction. We’re in the middle section, which has the 50A FHU pull through site. Every once in a while there is a strong whiff of “Eau de 🐄” … we can live with that.

    Tomorrow we will be entering Idaho.    Leer más

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  • North to Alaska By RV 2021
    A well-maintained campground near Spokane — Liberty Lake RV Cg ... Liberty, Lake, WA.
    1I had to wrap a wet cloth around my head while waiting for the coach to cool-off — Liberty Lake, WA.

    Day 94 Ends in Liberty Lake

    4 de agosto de 2021, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F

    We are still in Washington State. But what a difference our 308-mile drive on I-90E made. From 60F at Dash Point when we left this morning, to 99F in the shade … 112F in the sun in Liberty Lake. Even with the A/C blasting, it is 92F inside the Cruiser. In other words, we’re cooking here in the Spokane metropolitan area. On the upside, the air quality is much better here, with a light breeze and blue skies overhead.

    Our drive was uneventful … we made a few stretch-your-legs breaks, and took a slightly longer break for lunch. That was it. The smoke haze from the wildfires to our west was evident and accompanied us most of the way to Liberty Lake. Unfortunately, it looks like conditions will be worse as we continue through Idaho and Montana.

    We pulled into the campground around 2:00p and were escorted to our site — B-15. It is a 50A pull through, with a level concrete pad and green grass separating us from our neighbors. The campground is well-maintained, with decently spaced sites. In many ways, it reminds me of Advanced RV Resort, which we used as our base in Houston, TX when we were full timing.

    Day 1 of the trip back home is now behind us. Time to rest up for another day on the road tomorrow … a slightly shorter day of driving.    Leer más

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  • North to Alaska By RV 2021
    Not the best photo ... but it's the memories that count — with Jack & Patty — Kirkland, WA.

    Day 93 Ends w/Friends in Kirkland

    3 de agosto de 2021, Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

    I’m sure I’ve told the story before, but I’ll do so again.

    When we first arrived in the US in 1981, the Haggarty Family — Jack and Patty, and their kids, Erin, Molly, Emmett, and Michael — opened their homes and their lives to us. They didn’t know us. We didn’t know them. They were friends of friends, who became dear friends of ours.

    We stayed with them for three weeks before moving to Tacoma after I found a job. Then, in 1983, we moved to Utah and eventually further away. Though the distance between us grew, we remained in touch … Christmas cards, catch-up letters, emails, and now, social media. Then, in 2018, when we returned to Washington on our “where shall we settle down in retirement” tour, we had a chance to meet up in person again.

    With Washington on this year’s road trip, we just couldn’t miss the opportunity to meet up again. Schedules didn’t work out in May, so here we were in August … with a date to meet them for dinner in Kirkland.

    Patty had made reservations for us at the Le Grand Bistro Américain … overlooking Lake Washington … a French restaurant with excellent food; great service; and lovely views. The camaraderie, as always, was great. We got caught up on each others’ lives; told stories — both new and old — and laughed and laughed.

    It was so wonderful to see Patty & Jack … and we will plan to do so again whenever our travels take us back to Washington.

    ———————————————————

    For those interested in such things, Mui and I both ordered the special … Neah Bay Coho Salmon, grilled and served over a bed of quinoa tossed with herbs, roasted chanterelles, green beans, caramelized shallots, grilled broccolini … and cauliflower purée. We wrapped up with a delicious creme brûlée.    Leer más

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