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X-country adventure
  • Corduroy Hat
  • Daniel Korot
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  • Corduroy Hat
  • Daniel Korot

X-country adventure

We will be heading cross country to be attending two very special weddings Lue lisää
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  • Tällä hetkellä paikassa
    🇺🇸 McCall, United States
    X-country adventure
    2Overlook1Morning walkPayette Lake1

    Ponderosa State Park - Idaho

    Eilen, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Today was a day to enjoy Ponderosa State Park in McCall Idaho. Before breakfast, we went for a nice walk along the lake for about an hour. There were no clouds and the sky was a deep blue which complemented the cool, clear lake water and the snow capped mountains in the distance

    When we returned, we had breakfast at the camper. Nothing fancy, but it was nice to be outside. We enjoyed reading for about an hour and then decided to take the bikes off the camper and roll around the park a little. There are several loops, with everything from paved to single track (moderate skill level by my estimation). We started out on easy paved, then progressed to gravel, then dirt, and then some texture in the dirt where Melissa started to struggle, especially on the climbs. We started at over 5000ft elevation, so just the little 500ft elevation gain was enough to double us over panting for air. There were some fantastic view points along the way, and to ease our return trip, we stuck to the road which was mostly down hill.

    Next was a 3/4 mile walk to a small beach in the park. In fact it was so small, when we got there, only 2 other people were there and they left shortly after we arrived. Melissa went in the water for a quick dunk, and then we ambled back to the camper to clean up and have lunch.

    After lunch we headed to McCall (only about 1 1/2 miles away) to take care of some camping business. We loaded our laundry at the laundromat, went to grab some dinner from some food trucks, came back and moved the laundry to the dryer, ate our dinner on a picnic table in the parking lot, folded, went food shopping, washed the car, put everything away in the camper, and then lit a camp fire. Lots of stuff for one day! Tomorrow we hit the road for Placid Lake State Park still in Idaho.    Lue lisää

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  • X-country adventure
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    Off the west coast!

    15. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Today is our first day east of a state that has waterfront on the pacific. We have gone quite a bit north, but not all that far east yet on our journey home. We only have 24 days left to get back home, boy is time flying.

    Today was a driving day, one of the longer pulls on the trip with over 400 miles from start to finish. It took most of the day as we usually only average about 50 miles an hour. Today, we may have been a bit faster, but never got on a major road. It was two lane roads the entire way, some with steep climbs and descents with curves and guard rail-less edges, some as straight as an arrow for an hour with a tail wind.

    We really didn’t pass through any towns with populations over 1,000 people. We did pass over to Mountain Time from Pacific Time, so there was a little confusion as to what time it was when we were driving. Starting off was a little praying exercise as there can be 70-80 miles between gas stations.

    It wasn’t much of a picture day, as we rolled early, and stayed in the car for most of the daylight, but we did get in a walk when we arrived. The campground we are staying in for the next two days is Ponderosa State Park in McCall, Idaho on Payette Lake. The town (McCall) is like a little Lake Tahoe for the good people of Boise. Only about an hour and a half from Boise, there are a lot of very nice looking houses in town (there is money here). We will explore the town more tomorrow.

    The campground should be fun, there are a lot of hiking and biking trails with plenty of lake access, Melissa might even go in for a swim tomorrow!    Lue lisää

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  • X-country adventure
    Salt Creek Falls
    Crescent Lake

    Unexpected afternoon

    14. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We had a little time this morning to have a leisurely morning until we left to meet Maxine and Gary for a visit. We picked a location between us, so we each drove a little over an hour to meet at Salt Creek Falls. They are the second largest falls in Oregon with a 286 foot drop. We walked on a small trail which took us to a great vantage point for some pics.

    Lunch was next on the schedule, we found a food truck a few miles up the road. Each couple got a Philly cheesesteak to split, plenty of food, we were to full for ice cream.

    The group decided it was getting a little warm for hiking so we went to Crescent lake to hang out. It certainly exceeded our expectations. It was a beautiful white and black sandy beach that was not crowded. Gary (Maxi’s boyfriend) had brought an inflatable kayak which we enjoyed on the water. Lots of swimming and chatting made for a wonderful afternoon. We then said some sad goodbyes and headed back to camp.

    Stopped at a small grocery and got some fuel for us and the car.
    Dinner menu: grilled sausages, cauliflower and corn. After doing the dishes we headed out for our evening stroll. Returned to camp and cleaned up inside and out. Tomorrow is a long travel day so we want to get to bed early to be on the road early.    Lue lisää

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  • X-country adventure

    Oregon

    13. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Waking up in Manzanita Lake Campground in Lassen Volcanic National Park, we took a beautiful walk/hike around the pond with fantastic views of Lassen Peak, a snow covered dormant volcano! This was our first night of full dry camping, although there was fresh water and a dump station available. We did not have a good idea of how much battery we were using, so kept our loads to a minimum. Still quite plush by tent camping standards.

    After our hike, it was time to pack up and hit the road. A long journey through country roads. There were a few views of the impressive Mt Shasta, a larger version of Lassen Peak. We passed through Modoc National Forest which has more trees than further south, and some fantastic views. The trip would have been more enjoyable except for the scarcity of gas stations. We finally pulled into the first town in Oregon that had below $7.00/gallon gas, with about 60 mile range left in the tank.

    A short stop at an RV dealer in Klamath Falls netted us a new LiPo smart battery for the camper, so we now have a gage that tells us how much power we are using and how much we have left.

    Our home for the next two nights is Collier Memorial State park. The campground is lovely with great amenities (clean toilets and showers that is). Our site backs up against the edge of the campground with great views of a meadow. Before dinner, we were able to sneak in about a 90 min bike ride down some USFS trails. Interesting that there is a lot of blown down trees as a result of a brush fire that went through here a few years ago.

    Dinner was a chicken caesar salad. After dinner activities included reading together at the dinette.    Lue lisää

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  • X-country adventure
    Lake Tahoe on our way northSoaking up some solar, Dan figured out how to connect the panel on the roofThe memorial represents the height of the snow pack the Donner party got stuck in.The plaque has the names of the 87 people in the Donner partyWooden plaque at the visitor centerFirst look at Lassen Peak

    Feeeling peckish? Donner Pass

    12. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    This day was a travel day. We packed up and were moving relatively early and traveled up the western shore of Lake Tahoe. There were some absolutely beautiful views across the lake from atop high cliffs. Dan (the trusty driver) saw none of it as he was white knuckling 10mph switchbacks, no road shoulders, and drop-offs with no guardrails that were so steep, you couldn’t see the bottom, all with the camper in tow.

    Eventually, we came out at Truckee (where fuel was a meager $7.40 per gallon). We stopped at the Donner Memorial State Park. There was a great exhibit on how the Donner Party became so famous, and what events unfolded, and mistakes made, that lead to the tragedy of ~40 people dying trying to get through the pass. It also dove into the personalities of those involved. We watched a 20 minute movie that gave an introduction, but on the way out, Dan met one of the rangers that was scheduled to give a talk, but no one had come out. Luckily, he agreed to give Melissa and I a private session. He was able to clear up a lot of the timeline that were not clearly explained.

    When we were in the museum, we were able to get the solar panel out and topped off the battery. An important test because we were going to be off grid this evening.

    The rest of the day was spent driving to our destination. We had fun in the car playing 20 questions, and alphabetically going through every fruit, vegetable, US State, and Country. We also had time and good enough cell coverage to make a few “check-in” calls while we were moving.

    We found our site, and set up the camper. Had a chance to talk to some of our neighbors (which is one of the fun parts about camping). The young woman next to us was wheelchair bound and was on a three month camping trip while working remotely. It was very interesting to hear her perspectives and challenges.

    At dusk, we walked down to a near by lake and watched the ducks and geese float across the lake while the sky reflected the last of the orange glow. Since there was no cell coverage, we both left our phones, and didn’t think to bring the other camera, so we have nothing but mental pictures.    Lue lisää

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  • X-country adventure

    Takin’ it slow in Tahoe

    11. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Today was another bright and sunny day, cool in the morning but the strong sunshine raised the temperature quickly

    Our morning started with a hot breakfast of eggs and avocado toast (not bad for camper life) and then we packed up and headed out on the bicycles to see Southern Tahoe.

    Our first stop was a local bike shop where we upgraded our old cable lock to a serious covered chain lock. We have been worried about bike theft and although there is no theft proof lock, these locks will provide much more security

    There is a bike trail that is right outside our campground and winds through several beaches and historic sites. We stopped at El Dorado, Pope, and Baldwin beaches. Melissa tried to go in and swim a few times, but the water was too cold, even for her. Dan made no attempt whatsoever and was happy to read while soaking up some beach sun.

    After enough beach/sun time, we rode back to the camper, cleaned up, and went out on a sunset cruise on Tahoe Cruises Spirit. It was a nice 2 hour cruise across the southern edge of Lake Tahoe. The water is a very deep blue and is nicely framed by majestic mountains. A splash of red from the sunset capped off a wonderful day.    Lue lisää

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  • X-country adventure
    Pine Flat lake
    1Nice little spot, lots of big pine trees1

    Tahoe Tahoe it’s off to camp we go!

    9. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    When we woke up this morning, the sun was in our eyes from the small slit under the shade. Being it was so bright out, Dan decided to get a few more drone shots. After a short photography session, it was pack-up and then off to the dump station. There was about 6 hours of rolling time so we thought it best to get on the road.

    About noon, we pulled off for fuel, lunch at Huckleberry’s, and a grocery shopping trip. Then back on the road where we happened to find a car wash. Dan was able to wash the car and camper. It is amazing how much road grime accumulates, and it feels oddly satisfying to wash it all off and have a nice clean car and camper again.

    The rode into Tahoe was steeply down with lots of big drop-off’s and no guard rails. Shortly after, we found our campsite and set up. We had hamburgers on the grill, complete with sides. The Tahoe Valley Campground is very nice. There was almost half occupancy, but the camp plots are quite small, and the campers line up only 20’ or so apart. Lots of young children running around and riding bikes, scooters, and other rolling objects. Big playground with fun outdoor games, and an outdoor movie theater (it was too light when we walked by it, not sure if they show a movie every night). Seems like a great place with young kids where you can just let them run and find other campers to play with.

    Melissa gave Dan a “Summer Cut”, we went for a walk, a couple of games of Rumikub, and then off to bed.    Lue lisää

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  • X-country adventure
    Pine Flat lake

    Pivot day!

    9. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Well, just to prove that our luck isn’t endless, today was a day of unexpected events. I’d like to say we navigated smoothly through the challenges, but it was more stressful than I would like to admit.

    We got up early to get Melissa to the dentist to get what we thought was a temporary crown 🦷. The dentist office that she picked was better prepared than we were. He looked at the post sticking up where the crown was and decided he needed to build up the tooth before adding the crown, so he ended up laser cutting back the gum to expose more of the tooth root, then added some material, let that harden, and then with a state-of-the-art scanner, scanned her mouth and then 3D printed a permanent crown, and installed it. Good news is there is no follow-up. The process took most of the morning

    Dan, determined not to waste valuable vacation time, did laundry 🧺. When Melissa still wasn’t ready, he drove back to the camp site, packed up the trailer, dumped the tanks, and went back into town to pick up the groggy and sore patient.

    The drive was mostly on local roads which slowed down our progress, and we found our next campground on a beautiful reservoir, but the RV spot we had was too uneven to get properly set up. We struggled for several hours to change plans. In the end, we ended up stealing the sight next to ours and luckily the renter (who arrived later) said they didn’t need the site for another day, so we stayed put. About an hour later, another camper offered us an even better site, but Dan was too tired to pick up and move again after trying to set the camper up for several hours.

    After settling in, we took a short hike to a beautiful overlook, but I think we are going to call it an evening as soon as the sun sets

    We were able to check in at home via our Starlink (bad cell coverage here) which was critical as Melissa’s mom had surgery on her knee (full replacement) and are happy to say she is recovering well at home

    Looking back, it shouldn’t have been such a stressful day, but there are some important lessons:
    - California state parks are not the same caliber of parks from other states
    - it is difficult/impossible to make reservations one day out on-line and there is no longer anyone you can call to make changes
    - well rested, and well fed allow you to keep your perspective
    - when you focus on the big picture, it’s never as bad as it seems
    -most people will offer to help you out when you ask if you are a good natured human.
    -pivoting is a skill, if you don’t do it often, it gets harder to do.    Lue lisää

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    Walking Amongst Giants!

    8. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Quiet and slow morning. Melissa had a chance to use her new rechargeable blender to make smoothies this morning… yum, and broken tooth friendly too. After cleaning up, we packed up the car and headed off to Sequoia National Park.

    About thirty years ago, Dan had taken a work trip to Visalia (which is in the neighborhood we are in now) and as a side trip got a chance to visit Sequoia National Park and King’s Canyon. Melissa had been to King’s Canyon, but never Sequoia so we decided to visit. The park is up in the mountains rising about 7000’ above the valley we are currently camping at. At this altitude, and with specific water and soil conditions live the only Great Sequoia trees in the world. They are the largest trees (by mass) with >70’ diameter trunks, and >300’ in height. They grow as much mass every year as an entire 120’ pine tree like the ones in my front yard. Hard to explain the feeling standing amongst them. Definitely a different type of forest bathing.

    Oh, and we saw a bear and cubs on one of our hikes 🐻!    Lue lisää

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  • X-country adventure
    Walking along the water in Santa Barbara
    Sunset at Success LakeMelbaruString lights give a nice lookSaw oil rigs on our way north

    Going North!

    7. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Today officially starts the “return trip”. We are half way through and an interesting time to reflect on some of our challenges. We must of done a good job planning, because there have only been a few challenges.

    1st was the cracked windshield on Melbaru (the car). Not a major mechanical issue, and insurance still covered over half of the cost, but the logistics were challenging because we weren’t in one place very long, and it was hard to find a place that would allow us to disconnect the camper while they worked on the car. That was more of a surprise, and it took us making 3 appointments with different vendors before we found someone that would approve us hanging out with a disconnected camper for the 3 hours it took them to do the work.

    The 2nd challenge came about quietly. While eating breakfast in Santa Barbara, Melissa suddenly made a funny expression and spit out her mouthful of food into a napkin like there was something really wrong with the food. Actually, there was something really wrong with her mouth. One of her crowns resolved into several pieces, and we soon learned there were too many pieces to rebuild the crown. There was no significant pain, clean break, so this was not an emergency situation. Luckily, only 2 days later, we found a dentist in a small town in California that will give her a temporary crown. We scheduled it early on a travel day, so there should be no impact on the schedule other than to start a little earlier so we can make it to the dentist in time.

    Not in order of importance, but the camper had a little glass breakage problem too. The glass cover on the stove, the part that allows you to use it as a counter when the heat is off, shattered on its own. We were able to clean it up easily enough, but since it is a new stove, and we did not make the mistake of putting the glass on a hot burner, it should not have shattered. We called the camper manufacturer and put in a warrantee claim which they denied. Luckily, the day before, we had agreed to be a Casita ambassador, that is, because Casita does not sell through dealerships, they send potential new customers to existing customers in their area. There aren’t too many Casita owners in upstate New York, so Casita was excited to have us as in their ambassador program. Well, a little of the right leverage at Casita, and we got our sales person to pressure the service manager, who over rode the warrantee manager and Casita put a new stove top in the mail. We can fix it up before we show the camper!

    I also had a chance to think about the tools we are using for this extraordinary adventure, and wanted to pay a little homage to our mighty steed “Melbaru” 🚙 (Melissa’s Car), and our Casita camper. They have been performing fantastically, and most nights we are very happy to have both of them with me. The other times we are just too dead tired to appreciate how much fun this is.

    OK, time to get to the normal post. Waking up early again (at least for west coast time zone, we met the wedding party for a farewell breakfast of really good bagels, cream cheese, lox, tomato’s, capers, and other fixings. (Yum!). Jewish weddings have their advantages! We wished the bride and groom well, said goodby to some new friends, and hugged old friends saying “we will see you at home in a few more weeks”. A beautiful walk along the beach back to our camper, packed up and hit the road. Not a super long drive, but the route took us back into some metropolitan areas which always makes driving a little more interesting.

    As we approached our destination, we stopped at a Walmart in the last town before where we would camp for the night, and Melissa found a battery powered blender she had been looking for, especially critical now as we don’t know how long before she can chew again 🦷. Stocked up on some food items and went to the campground to cook a fantastic 4 cheese ravioli dinner. Our site overlooks a lake, and the sun set right across the lake behind some mountains. Made some great views, and we watched the colors become more and then less vibrant until the milky way splashed across the sky!    Lue lisää

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  • X-country adventure
    1Brunch
    On the pier in Santa Barbara1CousinsArghGorgeous21

    Wedding #2

    6. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Woke up early and walked to the Funk zone in Santa Barbara to meet Dana, Emily and Bryan for brunch. Wonderful gourmet avocado toast, but when Melissa took her first bite the passenger princess lost her crown (broken tooth), so she is only chewing on the left side now 🤷‍♀️. Our group then did some shopping on our way to the pier. We had success at an outdoor store, Dana bought a hat and Emily found a pair of skies on sale. Luckily we have the roof box so they can travel back to the east coast. Since we had the wedding today, it was a short visit with Dana, but still very special. Dana drove is back to the RV park to check out our rig before she took off.

    We took a few minutes to get cleaned and pressed for the big event. Another Uber took us back to the hotel to grab the shuttle to the winery for the wedding festivities. It was a beautiful day to enjoy the venue up in wine country. It was a traditional Jewish ceremony with a ketubah, chuppah and the breaking of the glass and a real Rabbi to officiate.

    Cocktail hour was next and then we sat for a fabulous dinner. Music was performed by a live band with an incredible sax player, great guitarist and several talented singers. After dinner we kicked up our heels and hit the dance floor.

    Special surprise a rocket flew overhead during the dancing. ( SpaceX had a successful launch of several Starlink satellites). Such a special evening celebrating with Catherine and Jacob 💒.    Lue lisää

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  • X-country adventure
    Got to put our feet in the ocean brrrr
    I do love 💦Beach walkPalm treeScary movie, no1Welcome party in Santa Barbara1My bff11Old fashion

    A very Specific Ocean!

    5. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Today we made it to our furthest part of the trip outbound! The Pacific Ocean! Can’t get any further west, and not much further south without leaving the country.

    Since we had wedding festivities to attend, and some urban driving to do, we left early and hit the road right after breakfast. As we skirted LA traffic built steadily along with mountainous terrain which made driving fun, but The Melbaru (that’s what we are calling Melissa’s car now) performed without issue. Temperatures dropped as we approached the coast which helped.

    Once we were parked and set up at our first urban RV park (literally borders the freeway) we walked to the beach, and then got together with Emily and Bryan who were fresh off their camping trip in Yosemite to the kickoff cocktail hour for Jacob and Kathrine. We had a good time meeting new people, and then Uber back to the campsite for bed.    Lue lisää

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  • X-country adventure
    Petrified sand dunes
    Headed out early to beat the heat1Desert tortoiseSand dunesOur spot for the night on Rt 66

    I need a crayon!🖍️

    4. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    About 20 years ago, I heard the funniest travel line from an exchange student who had traveled from Chile to our home in upstate New York. He asked if I had a crayon, I said “I think so, what do you need it for?” His reply still tickles my funny bone. He said “I’ve been sitting so long, I need to re-draw the crack in my ass!” 😂. Well, today was sort of like that. We had a good morning at Snow Canyon State Park, and then drove from Utah through Arizona, and Nevada, and are now in California! About 7 hours of driving, with a few breaks to feed ourselves and the car.

    Snow Canyon is not very big, but has some amazing geological features. All three types of rock can be seen quite easily (Igneous, Metamorphic, and Sedimentary). The rock features are stunning with deep reds and stark whites. Fantastic outcrops with amazing features that play with the light during all times of the day.

    The drive was mostly uneventful, just long. There is a lot of “nothing” in this part of the country. Sage brush and sand. We even had a little detour on the classic Rt66 (in fact our RV park is on Rt66). We raced a few freight trains, and got caught on a road with construction for over 30 miles where we could only travel 35MPH.

    We were supposed to spend the night in the Mojave desert at a campsite that had no services, but when the thermometer in the car spiked at 110DegF, we decided to keep rolling for another hour or two and Melissa found an RV park on the fly in San Bernadito County. It isn’t much, but we have full hookups and will be rolling early tomorrow morning. When we finally plugged in the camper, the thermostat just said “High”. I expect it was over 100DegF in the camper too, but it is nice and cool now that the AC is running 😎    Lue lisää

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  • X-country adventure
    Overlooking Fishlake🙁Snow Canyon overlook1

    Butch Cassidy!

    3. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    Woke up at Fish Lake to a cold clear morning. Dan went out early to try and catch some golden-hour light with the drone.
    After breakfast we hiked some of the old Spanish trail. It climbed over 9000ft. We both moved slower at that altitude.

    When we got back the cooktop cover in the camper shattered. It was made from safety glass so a little crack, and the whole pain turns to pebbles. It took some time to clean it all up, but when we were done we got on the road.

    We stopped for lunch at Butch Cassidy’s boyhood home. Mostly because it had a big parking area with no one in it and a clean pit toilet. We had lunch in the camper. In the time we where there, 6 other vehicles pulled in. We thought it was a lonely spot but it appears it is quite popular!

    Driving the rest of the way to Snow Canyon State Park, was uneventful. The canyon was beautiful but it was 103Deg out, so we hid in the camper till dusk

    After dinner we went out to see some of the park. The shadows moved fast across the canyon, so the pictures weren’t great. We did slide into Jenny’s Canyon just as it was getting dark and hiked back with flashlights. It was a fantastic experience being between such tight canyon walls    Lue lisää

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  • X-country adventure
    Shoreline rideOn our ride

    Fishlake

    2. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Made a big breakfast this morning pancakes, bacon and fresh fruit. We saddled up the bikes and headed out along the shoreline trail, once again a dirt and rock path. Returned to the campsite to have some grilled sandwiches for lunch. Lots of humming birds at camp, they would buzz up about 6” from your face, and then zip away…scary in a BOO! sort of way. Tackled laundry again. Treated ourselves to dessert prior to dinner. Played some dominoes and got to bed early.Lue lisää

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  • X-country adventure
    Always capture the sign
    Provo Utah1Dan is always up for a challenge 🚲RV park on our way out of Provo, cool gas station signs

    Utah Lake State Park

    1. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    We woke up and finally got a look at the lake. The night before we arrived in the dark. We decided to take a bike ride before we took off. We rode towards Provo on the Shoreline trail. Nice scenic ride along the water, lots of birds. Packed up at noon and headed to town to stock up on groceries and have some pizza for lunch.
    Our next location was at an altitude of 8,900 feet. The Subaru worked hard for the climb but we made it. We are staying at Fishlake it is very remote and quiet.    Lue lisää

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  • X-country adventure

    Flying back to SLC

    1. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Full travel day. Slept in, nice walk, Mexican brunch, returned the rental car, caught our flight, found the camper in the lot, repacked the bikes, paid for parking, drove to Provo, set up camp, and went to sleep.

    One memorable point, as we were setting up camp in the dark with flashlights and head lamps, the bugs were really thick…. Like up your nose and behind your glasses thick. Luckily we found our head nets quickly and it wasn’t much of an issue. Surprised how many times we have used them on this trip.

    Not the most adventurous day, but happy to be in the camper again.    Lue lisää

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  • X-country adventure
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    Wedding #1 down

    30. toukokuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Today was the wedding day for David and Savannah!

    We started off with a slow morning and a trip to a local restaurant Mediterra Cafe for breakfast with Emily and Bryan. We ate outside, which made for good local watching. The food was delicious, pastries were decadent, and the coffee… well, we didn’t have any coffee and didn’t ask Emily and Bryan how it was.

    Next was the number 1 tourist thing to do in Pittsburgh, the Funicular, which is basically a rail car, pulled by a cable up a steep hill. The rail car is built on a ramp so the floor is horizontal as the car ascends/decends. Great views of the three rivers and downtown Pittsburgh from the top. We also went on a short walk before taking the funicular back down. There was a little excitement/delay for the return trip as the funicular car door (which was designed and built in the mid 1800’s wouldn’t open and the needed to perform some minor adjustments to get it working again.

    A drive back to the house, and a failed attempt to find a market to buy some lunch, ended at what is essentially gas station food eaten at the house. We all showered, got dressed, and headed off to the wedding.

    We arrived early as Dan was the Officient and needed to line up with the bridal party. The ceremony went off as planned and was short and sweet, only about 20 minutes long. Cocktal party and Dinner were excellent, with about 4 hours of heavy dancing. 💃 🕺. It was a great evening!    Lue lisää

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  • X-country adventure
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    Schwartz family looking sharpClay, Zoey, Emily & Bryan

    Pittsburgh

    29. toukokuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    This morning we picked up Emily and Bryan from the airport. We stopped for breakfast at The Original Pancake House. Took a walk and relaxed a bit at the house prior to the rehearsal dinner. Dan and I headed to the Kamin Science center for the rehearsal dinner and welcome reception. We spoke to several Queensbury alumni at the reception.Lue lisää

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  • X-country adventure
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    Back to Pittsburgh

    28. toukokuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Today was the start of a bubble trip within our trip. We flew back to Pittsburgh for Savanah and David’s wedding. Everything went off without a hitch, but we think we underestimated the logistics involved. It took a lot of planning to pull this off. Flights were uneventful. Melissa had a chance to get a mani-pedi after dinner, and we found the home we are staying in without issue.Lue lisää

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  • X-country adventure
    Playing with the big boys
    LeftoversRockies still have snow1Airport parkingTucked away inside

    Oil and Glass Spa day!

    27. toukokuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Today was all about the equipment that has enabled us to enjoy this exciting adventure.

    We started early from Phillips Campground in Evanston, WY and were rolling before 7am. Our first stop may have set the karma level for the day when the gas pump would not let go of our credit card, and wouldn’t dispense any gas. After Dan pushed the card around a bit, the machine finally declined the card and released the card. Melissa wisely suggested we move on to the next gas station where everything went according to plan. We also successfully used an Amazon locker to get an order of some odds and ends we needed.

    The early morning drive was nice with golden hour lighting on the mountains in front of us as we approached Salt Lake City. Traffic steadily built but never slowed. We arrived at Safelight about 45 min before about appointment, and they began replacing the windshield about 30 min ahead of schedule. Everything turned out great, and the crack is all gone.

    Next it was time for an oil change. The JiffyLube that we started at wouldn’t let us leave the trailer in their lot while they worked on the car, so we headed down the street to a Big O Tires (love the name) where we had the oil changed and tires rotated. Took longer than we were expecting, but the cost was reasonable.

    Next it was our turn…. We drove to a nearby park and rode along the Jordon River Bikeway for about 10 miles.

    Then off to check in to the hotel, pack clothes for the weekend, shower, eat all the leftover and refrigerated food from the camper, drop off the car/camper at the airport long term parking lot. We stuffed the bikes in the camper, no easy job it required removing tires, but we felt they would be safer inside for the weekend. grabbed an Uber back to the hotel for the night. Tomorrow we fly out to Pittsburgh for Savanah and David’s wedding!    Lue lisää

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  • X-country adventure
    That hurt😀
    Dan always seems to find the dirtViewpointBear river

    Travel back to Wyoming - Evanston

    26. toukokuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    After a great stay in Utah, we headed West today (and a little north) to go back into Wyoming. Pretty drive, half on local roads, half on Rt80 where we got to play with lots of trucks. We pulled into Phillips RV park in Evanston right around noon. We were set up 30 minutes later and cooked lunch in the camper.

    The next adventure was a bike ride from the RV park to Bear River State park, where they have Bison (including white bison) and Elk in pastures, and Bear River which runs right through the park. We stopped at the visitors center, got a trail map, and then peddled up the ridge to look down in the valley and…… see lightning and hear thunder! Well that cut the trip short. Dan was pretty sure it wasn’t going to hit us, but it wasn’t worth the risk to leave Melissa out in the rain on a bicycle. Been there, done that, and it’s not at all fun for either of us!

    We rushed back to the camper just in time for it to NOT RAIN, but it was windy. Since it was dry out, we did a trial run of getting the bicycles inside the trailer. Melissa thinks they will be much safer inside the camper, than outside with just a cable lock to keep them out of the hands of thieves. Shouldn’t be too bad if we take the front wheels off, which luckily, Dan has plenty of bike tools with us.

    After about 30 min of wind, the sun came out, and we went for a walk in Bear Paw park (not to be confused with the state park). We actually rode through it when we were going to the state park. It is a lovely park that surrounds the banks of the Bear river as it goes near town.

    We walked in the historic downtown area, a little too late to shop, but still nice to get a feel for the history of the town. Apparently, there is a lot of train history here. There is a major rail line that runs along side of Rt 80, and there used to be a round house here and there is a sizable rail yard. Trains in this part of the country tend to be long, like 2 miles long.

    Eating through leftovers for dinner and then an early night. We will need to get moving early tomorrow as we have to be in Salt Lake City at the windshield replacement place, with the camper disconnected by 9am, and we are estimating a 2 hour drive.    Lue lisää

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  • X-country adventure
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    Awesome Laundry Day!

    25. toukokuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Well, today was planned to be a clean up and laundry day. One of the advantages of this campsite is not only full hook-ups, but on-site laundry machines. We started with a small walk, and cleaning up the camper, then off to load the laundry machines. Dan cooked breakfast outside while the wash was running. We cleaned up breakfast and repacked the car while things were drying and then folded and put stuff away - pretty boring and I thought that was going to be the highlight of the day but boy were we wrong.
    Rolled out of the campsite at 11:30 and drove to Red Canyon. We started at the lodge. It was very nice but we weren’t up for bike rentals or another horse ride, so we went to the Red Canyon visitors center.
    This location has to be one of the most beautiful sites in the National Parks (even though it is a National Recreation area, not a park, and even the rangers couldn’t really tell us the difference)
    We hiked on the rim of the Red Canyon which is about 1400ft sheer drop into a 400ft deep reservoir. The views were absolutely stunning and the clouds contrasted perfectly. We could have spent all day gawking at the pure beauty, but there was more to see.
    We then drove to Flaming Gorge, to stop at the visitors center which is right next to the Flaming Gorge dam. A short walk around the side of the visitors center, and there was a great view of the dam, and it is a BIG dam! Both of us felt a little uneasy with the exposures and heights, but it just added to the grandeur.
    Tummy’s were rumblin’ so we ordered a Philly Cheese Steak from a food truck in the parking lot of the visitors center and ate at a picnic table overlooking the reservoir. Unexpectedly delicious.
    On the way back, we spun through Sheep Creek Canyon. Now this loop was the icing on an amazing cake of a day! The views just kept getting better and better! There were some white knuckles for Melissa as she drove down the steep and tight switchbacks, but the views were definitely worth it.
    Back at camp, we cooked dinner, cleaned up, and pre-packed for our trip to Pittsburgh in just a few days. There may be a few keepers in this photo batch for today!    Lue lisää

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  • X-country adventure
    1

    Wyoming to Utah

    24. toukokuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    We woke up at Glendo State Park. After taking care of business, it was time to head to the beach and do some yoga, followed by a walk/hike down the same bike trails we have been biking on. The fish in the reservoir were splashing around the shore, We think they were making little fishes.
    Back to the campsite for a quick breakfast, and then we broke camp and hit the road. We had a longer drive than originally planned as we decided not to stay at Sinks Canyon State Park, and went to Flaming Gorge in Utah instead.
    It looked like it was going to be an easy drive down the interstate, but a cold front was moving across the area and the wind was blowing us around. We got off Rt25 to cut the corner over to Rt80. It was a lonely road with beautiful vistas. The road climbed to over 7000’. Luckily, the car didn’t have any issues with the altitude (having a turbo has its advantages), but it did burn a lot of fuel.
    Melissa did a test drive with the car, and made it about 10 miles. The wind came up and caused a little trailer wagging of the car, and it scared both of us. Dan got to drive the rest of the 400-mile day.
    When we got to Rt80, it was clogged with 18-wheelers that pushed the camper around every time one passed us. We managed to keep the speed in the low 60’s, but with a speed limit of 80, there were a lot of vehicles passing us.
    We stopped for lunch at Sinclair, Wyoming (which, by the way, is home to the Sinclair refinery) at a Sinclair gas station. Our stomachs aren’t quite hardy enough for gas station food, so we probably won’t be doing that again real soon.
    Another hour and a half later, we were back in Walmart heaven restocking the camper (so we don’t have to eat gas station food) and buying a new floor mat for the camper (the other one was cute, but made more dirt than it stopped), and some jeans for Dan as the only pair he brought were really making him look like a farmer that was crawling around under cows all day.
    We finally got to our KOA campground and set up the full hook-up. After electric only for the last 6 nights, it is great to not have to conserve water, take really quick showers, or worry about the waste tanks filling up. We took long, hot showers which felt great! So excited to do laundry at the campground tomorrow!    Lue lisää

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  • X-country adventure
    Barrel Roll trail
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    Feet in the sand and water

    23. toukokuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    This was our third day in Glenco so we took our time getting going. After breakfast Dan flew the drone and then decided to spend a few more hours mountain biking the Narrows Bluff trail, the single track along the reservoir. When he returned we made lunch and hung around the campsite. In the afternoon we had planned a hike near the dam, we started on a trail called Barrel Roll, after a mile we decided the exposures were too steep so we walked back to the car on the road. We still wanted to explore, so we headed out to the Wetlands trail. It was a beautiful day to hike, sunny and mid 70’s. After the hike we decided to treat ourselves to some ice cream. We headed to the marina and got some ice cream sundaes. When we returned to the camper we made some chicken sausage and quinoa for dinner. Walked on the sand dunes after dinner and played some cards, nice relaxing day.Lue lisää

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