Chris-crossing the Country

Traveling the country in our Thor Tuscany 41’ Motorhome Read more

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Chris-crossing the Country Traveler
Side Trip with TnT Sailing
Mar 24–31 on the U.S. Virgin Islands ⛅ 79 °F
We took a side trip to help Tom and Tina move their 53’ Benateau sailboat from St. Thomas USVI to George Town in The Bahamas. We left LAX on Tuesday, Mar 24 on a 1:00 am redeye flight to Houston, then caught a flight to St Thomas. We got lucky on both legs of the trip with up grades to first class. We arrived in St Thomas at 1:00 pm local time with a fair amount of free alcohol in our system 😄 We went to dinner on the island that night and in the morning walked up the “99 stairs” to view Blackbeard’s Castle, which is really just a watchtower. It was built by the Danes in 1679 and believed to have also been used by Blackbeard in the 1700’s. The stairs were also built by the Danish to connect the harbor with the town. After breakfast and souvenir shopping in Charlotte Amalie we set off for The Bahamas. The first 24 hours was relatively mild with some cloud coverage but not enough wind to fully sail. The second day and night brought rain and lightening and a rough passage; rough enough to cause one crew member seasickness despite wearing a patch. Day 3 cleared up and around 2:00 p.m. we were able to pull both sails out and turn the motor off. For the next 52 hours we sailed without the motor, except for a brief period to out run water spouts. This is by far the longest amount of full on sailing with no motoring that we have done. Winds varied around 15 knots Friday to Saturday and picked up around 20 knots thereafter; we were able sustain an average speed of 7 knots. We sailed past Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Turks and Caicos and around the lower Bahama Islands. By Saturday night we were sailing around Crooked Island and then along Long Island on Sunday.
At 6:50 Monday, March 30, the motor was turned on as we pulled into the Exuma inlet, anchoring next to Stocking Island by 8:00 pm. We traveled approximately 735 nautical miles.
The next day we went to Coconuts Club on Monument Beach and were able to catch up with Stephen and Mary Beth from SV Harmony who have been in George Town for a few weeks. That night we stayed at The Exuma Yacht Club and Marina so that we could catch a cab at 6 am to the George Town airport. From there we flew to Nassau, then had a flight to Houston, then another to LAX. Unfortunately we did not get upgrades on any of the flights back to LAX!Read more
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Chris-crossing the Country Traveler
California - San Dimas and Bakersfield
Apr 26 – May 2 in the United States ☁️ 63 °F
From Desert Hot Springs we went to San Dimas, about 40 minutes from Sydney and Evan’s house in Pasadena. We spent a day with them being tourists on Hollywood Blvd to sightsee the Walk of Fame and Grauman’s Chinese Theater. For lunch we went to a taco place in Silverlake; their old neighborhood in Los Angeles. In the evening we went to a comedy show at a local spot that Evan has photographed. The next night Sydney joined us for dinner on the RV. The campground we stayed at was located on Bonelli Bluff and it had a very pretty view.
Next we went to Bakersfield for 2 nights with the intent to hike Sequoia National Forest. Kevin obtained a consulting opportunity and worked in the morning so instead of hiking we found a bike trail. Unfortunately that turned out to be a fail, the view was not pretty and large black bugs frequently hit us in the face. On the positive side we had a nice end site with a lot of grass that Pepper enjoyed laying on and soaking up the sun and sights.Read more
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Chris-crossing the Country Traveler
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Yosemite National Park
May 1–8 in the United States ☁️ 82 °F
On May 1st we began what I consider our start to visiting the north western US national parks. Our first park visit was Yosemite National Park and we stayed on the south side of the park, in the town of Coarsegold, at an Escapees Park called Park of the Sierras. It is a nice park in the sierra mountains that is run by escapee members who are very friendly. We played pickleball once and went to a potluck dinner for Cinco de Mayo. The second night we went to the Coarsegold Rodeo. It was a 2 day event that really made us appreciate how big and elite the Houston Rodeo is. We browsed the vendor tents, bought large cans of local beer and watched probably 3/4th of the rodeo. Most of the participants couldn’t finish their event, which is what made us realize how elite the cowboys are that make it to HLSR. It was fun to participate in a small local event. The next day we visited Dorval Estate Winery. The wine tasting was very laid back with a flight of wine that we enjoyed at our own pace. We sat outside and watched kids chase the chickens that roamed the property! On May 4th we drove to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias in Yosemite NP. It was a bit drizzly and foggy but a smooth hike with incredibly large and interesting Sequoia trees. The fog gave the hike a different vibe that turned out to be awesome as shown in the pictures. We walked past several fallen trees that displayed the massive width of the tree, plus enormous trees hundreds of years old. We waited a day for the weather to clear up and on May 6 drove another hour into the park to hike the Mist and John Muir trails to see the 317 foot Vernal Fall and the 594 foot Nevada Fall. We went at an optimal time in spring when the water was strong from the snow melt; the Merced River and waterfalls were both flowing rapidly. The views were stunning with the mountains all around and rushing water from the falls and river. After hiking to the top of Vernal Falls we continued on and came to the top of Nevada Falls and from there we began our decline back down. The hike was the most difficult one we’ve done to date, the combined elevation and stair climb was very steep going up to the top of Vernal Falls and to Nevada Falls. After that it was all downhill and we saw great views of Half Dome.
On the drive back we stopped at Tunnel View for a picturesque view of El Capitan, Half Dome, Bridalview Fall and Cathedral Rocks.Read more
Traveler Beautiful pictures. I especially like the rainbow!
5/13/26Reply
TravelerThanks, that was a nice view.
5/13/26Reply
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Chris-crossing the Country Traveler
California- Lodi
May 8–12 in the United States ☀️ 82 °F
We had a lot of fun in and around Lodi, Ca. Lodi is known for its Zinfandel wines due to the dryer climate that is better for the grapes compared to Napa and Sonoma where Pinot Noir and Chardonnay do well. (Though I tasted several excellent Chardonnays.) Lodi is not as touristy as Napa/Sonoma and the wine tasting prices are very reasonable. We arrived on Friday, May 8 and went to Michael David winery after we set-up as it was only a 5 minute drive from the RV park. We sampled 4 or 5 wines and bought a bottle of Zinfandel and a Chardonnay. On Saturday we went to Peirano Winery and sampled about 12 wines for $10! We found most of the wines to be enjoyable and very reasonably priced. They offer a special to get 50% off on a case plus tasting fees waived. Needless to say we bought a case! After that we walked around downtown Lodi and stopped at Smack Pie for a pizza, which was yummy. As we were walking back to the car Kevin spotted a place called Bricks and Hope and the next thing I know we meandered in there for a drink.
Sunday was Mother’s Day and we drove to Suisun Valley (known for Petite Sirah) to meet up with Kevin’s nephew Dan, his wife Lara, and Cindy who is the mom of Dan’s friend that is currently deployed. They are stationed at Travis Air Force Base there in the valley. We did wine tastings at Blue Victorian and Mankas Gardens, both owned by the Vezer Family. Cindy’s son Drew is a member and got us free tastings at both places with a personalized reserved library tasting at Mankas. We then had lunch at Mankas Grill. While there Dan joined the wine club and we took advantage of a 6 bottle wine discount. Finding spots for 20 bottles of wine in the RV was a challenge but we figured it out! On Monday we drove 2 hours and 20 minutes to Los Gatos to meet Kevin’s college friend Mark, his wife Amelia and their son Luke for brunch, then visited Testarosa Winery for a tasting. They took us to their “vacation” home that they recently bought that has 2 acres of amazing sculptured landscape and overlooks a reservoir with the Bay Area in the background. They are in the process on redecorating it and are bouncing between homes. Next they plan to tear down and rebuild their current house.Read more
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Chris-crossing the Country Traveler
California: Corning-Redding
May 15 in the United States ☀️ 73 °F
We spent Tuesday May 12 through Thursday May 14 in Corning, CA. It calls itself “Olive City” due to all the olive trees grown in the area. Kevin wasn’t sure why he picked the location as there was not much around. We researched going to Lassen Volcanic National Park but the major road was still closed for the season. There were 2 wineries in the area but both were open on weekends only. In the end I think it was good to chill for a few nights after all the fun we had in Lodi. On Wednesday I took an informal 4 mile walk along Main Street checking out sights and places for dinner. Later we walked to the Olive Pit store and bought olive oil then had dinner at Mariscos Las Hacienda.
We relocated about 46 miles up the road to Redding on May 14, it’s a much bigger town than Corning and has a lot of hike and bike trails, shopping and eateries. It’s also close to lakes and mountains. On Friday we drove to Whiskeytown Lake and hiked 6 miles on the Davis Gulch Trail that “meanders in and out of small canyons” and follows the lake. The total elevation was about 200 feet with slight inclines up and down. Saturday we rode our bikes on a trail that was nicely paved along the Sacramento River. The path had a lot of curves with inclines up and down. Toward the end we stopped at Woody’s Brewing Company for a beer then went to Fall River Brewing Company where there was live music.Read more
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Chris-crossing the Country Traveler
Oregon
May 17 in the United States ☀️ 61 °F
We arrived in Grants Pass, Or. on May 17 with the initial intention to visit Ted and Paula. Unfortunately timelines got crossed and they flew to Turkey a day before we arrived. Another reason for going to Oregon was to see Crater Lake. Oregon is absolutely beautiful with mountains and pine trees everywhere. We stayed at Riverpark RV Resort with a site looking at the Rouge River. It was a beautiful location, we could see the river from the kitchen window; unfortunately the maple bugs and Cottonwood pollen at our site put a little bit of damper on the experience. While in Grants Pass we drove to Crescent City, Ca to see the Redwoods and the coast. It was about a 90 minute drive and the closest point to the RV park of all our stays. We hiked the Grove of Titans in Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Park. It was a beautiful drive into the park then an easy 2 mile hike that circled around large redwoods and was filled with ferns on the ground and some on the trees. After that we drove to Battery Point Lighthouse. We were not able to visit the lighthouse as it’s only accessible during low tide. Oddly there is a museum in it but you have to time that to low tide to get to it! It was a pretty coastline and we popped into Sea Quake Brewing for a local taste of brew.
There are several wineries in the area of Grants Pass and I picked Edenvale as it had a comedy show that we went to after the tasting. The red wine was good but high in sulfites as we both got a headache. The Chardonnay was horrible! Another night we attempted to go to a new place called “Steam Distillery” that the RV park owner recommended but they were closed, on a holiday weekend no less! Instead we went to Code 4 Taphouse and had one drink but it wasn’t really our vibe so left and went to The Horny Goat Gastro Pub, which was more our style. On another night we went to Abby’s Pizza only because Kevin went there 40 years ago when visiting Ted over Christmas break. On May 24 we drove to Chiloquin and stayed at Waterwheel RV Park on the Williamson River. The drive to Crater Lake was beautiful with tree lined roads and a gentle but noticeable incline up the mountain. It’s still spring that high up and the park is not fully open but we went on a sunny day and were able to view the entire lake. I was so excited I felt like a kid when we got to the parking lot - I couldn’t wait to see it! It is as breathtaking as the photos; the blueness of the lake and the volcano rim around it is like nothing else you’ll ever see. In another area of the park are views of pinnacles; cylinder shapes of harden ash created from gases escaping from the flaming hot ash that erupted from the volcano 7700 years ago. We also hiked into the park and crossed over several snow patches and springs. With the rest of our time we went to the Train Mountain Railroad Museum and Collier State Park to tour the logging museum, both up the road from the RV park. The train museum is the largest in the world located on 2200 hundred acres with 32 miles of 7.5 gauge railroad track that train enthusiasts can bring their trains to run on. We only saw a small part of the property but it was impressive. The Logging Museum taught about the history of logging from the cutting of trees using hand saws and ox drawn carts to power driven equipment and transporting by trains. Most impressive was a log loader built in 1900 to accommodate loading logs onto trains. It was rolled over the tracks, its wheels pulled up to allow a flatbed to roll under it then a boom lifted logs onto the flatbed. There were seven log cabins pulled from various locations around the area to display how people live, one of which was built in 1870 and lived in up to 1955.Read more
TravelerI'm so glad you guys got to see Crater Lake!!!
6/8/26Reply
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Chris-crossing the Country Traveler
Nevada
May 29 – Jun 2 in the United States ☁️ 45 °F
We arrived in Nevada on Kevin’s birthday, May 29, and as customary went to a Mexican restaurant to celebrate. We stayed in the town of Verdi; a few miles outside of Reno and on the border of California. Kevin looked at Google Maps and saw that our RV was literally on the Nevada/California border! With that said we again drove to California to visit Lake Tahoe. It’s very pretty with blue water surrounded by pine trees and mountains. After visiting the lake we drove to a state park and did a dog friendly hike with Pepper.
On the second day we took the RV in for an oil change. To kill time we went to a coffee shop shop then rode our bikes along the Truckee River. It was a nice path and easy to ride. Since we had Pepper with us I put her in the backpack and took her on her first bike ride! She did well; didn’t try to jump out or move around too much. On our last night there we drove into Reno to a cocktail lounge in Midtown for a drink. It was a nice little place, not busy at all as it was a Monday night.
On June 2 we started our drive to Utah on Highway 50; noted by Life magazine in 1986 as “ The Loneliest Highway in America”. It has 4 small towns in a span of 286 miles. We stopped in Eureka, the third town, for the night (and thankfully it was only one night!). The next day we drove to the last town, Ely, where we turned onto Highway 93, which is equally as vast and more void of civilization than Highway 50. The land scape went from sagebrush to mountains spotted with trees and back again. We drove past ranches with cows in the distance along most of the drive. All told we drove 549 miles. We arrived in Utah at 1:51 pm on June 3rd and within a few minutes had cell service again.Read more
TravelerHappy birthday Kevin. You guys went thru gold country!
6/8/26Reply
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Chris-crossing the Country Traveler
Zion National Park
Jun 4–6 in the United States ☀️ 79 °F
We stayed on the north side of Zion National Park in New Harmony, UT; a five minute drive to Kolob Canyon. Kolob Canyon has fewer tourists than the south end of the park where the main visitor center is located. On June 4 we hiked the Middle Fork Taylor Creek Trail to the Double Arch in Kolob Canyon. It was a moderate trail that switched back over Taylor Creek more times than I could keep count- maybe 20 times each way? We passed two log cabins built in the 1930’s and beautiful red rock formations. The arch at the end was large with 2 layers (hence “double arch”) that created an echo. The next day we drove to the south side to hike. We got there at 7:45 and the parking lot was almost full; luckily I talked to the ranger in Kolob Canyon who suggested we get there no later than 8 am. From there we took the park shuttle (no cars allowed on the park roads) to stop 6 to get on the Scout Lookout via West Rim trail. It’s rated hard by All Trails and I would agree based on the steepness; the only breaks were as you circled around one of the numerous switchbacks! Luckily there were no stairs and it was a paved path; that’s why I rate it second hardest to Yosemite. The lookout view at the top was pretty with red rocks higher up and condors soaring in the sky. We took the shuttle back to the base, ate lunch, then hiked the Virgin River trail that started at the base. At the top of that trail is a large alcove that provides relief from the heat, and a waterfall that you see from the backside. Our last excursion was to Parowan to see petroglyphs and dinosaur tracks. They are roadside historical sites about 35 miles from New Harmony and down a 2 lane road that goes through Parowan Gap; which is a gap in the Red Hills formed by a stream 15 million years ago. At some point the stream dried up and Native Americans passed through it leaving signs in the rocks. About 2 miles further down the road is another small roadside marker where the dinosaur tracks are. There is a marker by each track to help identify it; which was very helpful as they are not easily recognizable to a lay person.Read more
TravelerLooks like you saw some wonderful sites in Zion. Love those petroglyphs.
6/11/26Reply
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Chris-crossing the Country Traveler
Bryce Canyon National Park
Jun 7–12 in the United States 🌬 73 °F
We drove 2 hours on Sunday , June 7, from Zion to Bryce Canyon and the landscape became increasingly impressive with large rock formations and different types of rock layers. We stayed at Ruby’s Inn RV Park and Campground; a mini town owned by one family. It’s an interesting story starting in 1916 when Ruby and Minnie Syrett purchased land on the Paunsaugunt Plateau. In 1919 they pitched a tent at the rim of the canyon to show visitors the beauty. Then they built an Inn and the rest follows with restaurants, entertainment and activities for families. It’s still owned by the family run by their grandchildren and great grandchildren.
On Monday we rode our bikes 10 miles on a paved bike path into Dixie National Forest (away from Bryce) toward rock hoodoos in Red Canyon and tunnels we drove through on the way to Bryce.
Tuesday we took the Bryce Shuttle into the park and hiked the Navajo loop to Peek-a-boo loop. It was incredible with very unique rock formations ranging in colors of red, gray and white. We started by hiking down “Wall Street”; a steep descent into the canyon surrounded by massive red rock walls. We then hiked up and down the mountain, between walls and through tunnels cut in the rock. Peek-a-boo is named such because there is a surprise around every turn and there was!
On Wednesday we drove to Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument and hiked Lower Calf Creek Falls trail. It was a fairly level hike but sandy which made it more difficult. The path was narrow between tall shrubs and trees and there were several spots where we climbed over rocks, but overall not too bad. The waterfall at the end, wildflowers and flowering cactus along the path was well worth the sandy hike. On the way back to camp we stopped at Petrified Forest State Park but were too tired to hike up to the petrified trees; we were hoping we could drive through it.
On our last day we biked 5 miles into Bryce Canyon from camp to Inspiration Point and back. Then we drove to Mossy Cave to view a grotto and a man made waterfall that was created when pioneers were digging Tropical Ditch to bring water down from the Sevier River. Mossy is a few minutes from the RV park and outside the main gate of Bryce, though it’s part of the park. From there we drove the Southern Scenic Drive on the far side of Bryce Canyon and stopped at the overlooks to take in the views.Read more
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Chris-crossing the Country Traveler
Salt Lake City
Jun 13–20 in the United States ☀️ 82 °F
On the way out from leaving Bryce Canyon we stopped at Butch Cassidy’s boyhood home as it was along the route and the RV fit into the parking lot. It’s a log cabin, another building I assume was a barn or some type of storage and old farm equipment. The cabin had furnishings but no plaques on the originality of the belongings to the Cassidy family. The place was not well maintained though the information panel indicated the original plan was to expand on it.
We stayed one night in Nephi, UT then drove to Salt Lake City KOA Holiday on June 13. It was a good location with large sites, shade trees, pool/hot tub, pancakes and coffee in the morning and, the best part, a laundromat with 4 lb washing machines where I finally washed my king comforter! It was also very close to Debra’s house. We had a nice dinner at her house Sunday with Bert and her son Logan. On Monday we all drove to Park City and rode the Crescent lift up to hike to a pond at the top with a beautiful view. Bert worked at the mountain and in Park City for many years and knows it inside and out. After the hike we walked into town (the back way!) to say hi to nephew Jonathan, who was working the Town Lift, then drove to Boneyard for a late lunch. Wednesday night we ate dinner at Red Iguana 2 and watched the World Cup in the RV with Jonathan. On Friday we met Jonathan at Piper Down to watch the US vs Australia game. And US won!Read more
TravelerLove you guys!
7/15/26Reply
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Chris-crossing the Country Traveler
Idaho
Jun 20–26 in the United States ☁️ 68 °F
I never gave Idaho much thought. I’ve never met anyone from here nor talk to anyone about it. I know potatoes are grown here and Sun Valley Ski Resort is here but that’s about it. I certainly never correlated Idaho with Yellowstone. As we drove into the state on the far east side I was in awe of the beauty of the Teton mountains, dense with evergreen trees and rolling lush fields with crops. It is the greenest state we have been to in 2026. What’s interesting is there will be a rocky mountain with green brush on one side and a tree dense mountain on the opposite view. Our first stop was on June 20 in Pocatello, home of Idaho State University. We didn’t know ISU was there and assumed it was a small town, turns out it’s not. The RV park was mostly a mobile home park with a section set off for RVs. We didn’t do anything there but I did walk a mile into town to a bagel shop. The next day we drove to Swan Valley, ID and stayed at The Park in Swan Valley that had a beautiful view of the Tetons. On Monday, June 22, we drove the car to Jackson, Wyoming and hiked Josie’s Ridge. The trailhead is in town off a street between townhouses and a shopping center. It starts as a multi-use trail along a creek then turns up into the mountain. It’s a steep climb with little shade until you get to about 1000 feet up. On the way down we took Kelly’s trail which had more trees. After the hike we went to Jackson Square for lunch then stopped along the road at Grand Teton Brewing. On Tuesday we viewed Fall Creek Falls waterfall that was a 5 minute drive from the RV. Fall Creek drains into Snake River with a 60 foot multilevel drop. It was an amazing waterfall for being just off a road.
Tuesday, June 24, we were in Ashton, ID at Yellowstone RV and Golf Resort for 2 nights where Kevin got some golf practice in. Resort is used loosely, the grounds were not well maintained and the bath house was a modular outdoor unit. They did have a nice outdoor bar and concert stage though! We went one night and 3 people rode in on their horses! Kevin played 2 rounds plus a quick practice session with his wedges. We followed the Snake River for a good part of the drive between Pocatello and Ashton and it lives up to its names with frequent winding turns. We saw people fishing, kayaking and rafting at various places.Read more
TravelerLooks like a well deserved drink after the hike!
7/15/26Reply
TravelerHaha you know us!
7/16/26Reply
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Chris-crossing the Country Traveler
Yellowstone National Park
Jun 27 – Jul 1 in the United States ☁️ 43 °F
Friday, June 26, we relocated to Island Park, ID near West Yellowstone. West Yellowstone basically borders Idaho, Wyoming and Montana; to get to the west entrance of Yellowstone National Park we crossed all 3 states. On Saturday we set out at 6:30 am to drive into the park and watch Old Faithful erupt. It was cold and rainy and luckily we saw an eruption before it rained hard; we probably waited 40 minutes or so. After that we drove the southern loop in the park and stopped at various sights when it wasn’t raining. Lunch was in West Yellowstone where I got my fix for a buffalo burger.
On June 29 it was colder with a bit of sleet. We drove the northern loop of the park and saw views of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, a herd of elk, and interesting geysers. It warmed up enough on Tuesday, June 30, to hike and we choose the trail to Upper and Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and they were impressive. We also did a second shorter hike to the Natural Bridge. By the end of the day we drove the southern loop again and saw elk and bison.Read more
TravelerGreat pictures! Yellowstone is amazing. I'm glad you got to see Old Faithful do her thing.
7/15/26Reply
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Chris-crossing the Country Traveler
Montana/Glacier National Park
Jul 1–10 in the United States ☁️ 77 °F
Driving through Montana is unforgettable; endless mountains, green rolling fields, an abundance of trees, lakes, rivers, streams, ranches with cows, horses, sheep, and small western towns with miles of scenery in between. We spent our first 2 nights in Anaconda, a town northwest of Butte. Anaconda is (was) one of the oldest iron smelting towns in the country, getting the ore from Butte. We walked on the Old Works Mining Trail that provides a history of the smelting industry where remnants of the smelting process are located. Afterwards we went into town to a local pub. To visit Glacier National Park we stayed in Coram, MT that was a 15 minute drive to the west entrance of Glacier. On July 4th we drove to the east side of the park, leaving at 5:30 a.m. to beat the crowds and arrived at the trailhead at 6:40. We took the Two Medicine South Shore trail to the Rockwell Falls trail with a slight detour on the Twin Falls trail. The trail was moderately easy and fortunately not crowded at that time of day. We crossed a swinging bridge and walked through the forest. The falls are beautiful with multiple levels of cascading falls. After the hike we drove on the Going to the Sun road through the park, which had opened for the season a week or 2 prior to our arrival. We stopped at Logan’s Pass, one of the highest points on the road and very popular. We managed to find parking and went to the visitor center. There was still a lot of ice up there. The drive back to the west side was filled with waterfalls on the cliffs next to the road and beautiful scenery of the glaciers and valleys, and we saw a young grizzly bear on the side of the road! On July 5th we went whitewater rafting on the Flathead River. We were in a 6 person sport raft and got very wet with icy cold water!
The next day we got an early start at 6:30 am for a 7.7 mile hike to Avalanche Lake. The trail followed a rushing stream to an emerald green glacier filled lake surrounded by waterfalls coming down from the Glaciers. After that we did a 2.5 mile hike on John’s Lake Loop that started along another rushing river and led into the trees, at which point there were almost no people which was peaceful. To end the day we stopped at Glacier Distillery and sampled spirits which were surprisingly good.
Upon leaving Glacier, We followed the Yellowstone River from Coram to Deer Lodge, MT on the 8th of July then to Billings on the 9th.Read more
TravelerDid this trip make you think about eventually settling in beautiful Montana? Glacier looks amazing. Once again, great pictures and thanks for sharing.
7/22/26Reply
Probably a little to cold for us in the winter and housing was rather expensive - we’re looking to stay under $1 million lol! [Ericka]
7/23/26Reply
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Chris-crossing the Country Traveler
Wyoming
Jul 10–12 in the United States ☀️ 81 °F
We stopped in Buffalo, Wyoming and spent the weekend with Bert and Paula who we met in Fredericksburg, TX at Lantern Oaks RV Resort. They live about an hour away in Gillette and met us in their RV at Deer Park Campground. Paula got us tickets to the Sheridan WYO Rodeo on Friday night which was fun to watch. It started with Indian Races where tribal members race horses bareback and jump from one onto another using only the reins and continued racing; it was very impressive. On Saturday we drove into Big Horn National Forest, stopping at Deer Haven Lodge for apps and Bloody Mary’s. For dinner we went to a restaurant in the town of Buffalo. It as fun to spend time with them and hope to meet up again somewhere!Read more
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Chris-crossing the Country Traveler
South Dakota
Jul 12–15 in the United States ☀️ 90 °F
There was a lot to see in South Dakota; Black Hills and Badlands National Parks, Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Jewel Cave National Monument and small western towns. We begin on July 12, 2026 at Black Elk Resort in the Black Hills. We visited Mount Rushmore the morning of the 13th and it was impressive to learn the history on how it was built. You can see the monument from multiple angles both within and outside the park. We then drove on Iron Mountain Road which is a very winding road and you can see views of Mount Rushmore at various lookout points. We then drove on Needles Highway in Custer State Park where you can view pinnacle rock formations. Both roads have one car lane rock tunnels to drive through; Needles has the Needles Eye Tunnel that was like two connecting tunnels and was the longest. The next day we toured Jewel Cave which is the 3rd longest cave in the world with 200 miles of known passages, they are still exploring it and really don’t know how long it is. The rocks are full of calcite crystals that sparkle and from which it gets its name. After the cave we walked around the town of Custer and did a drive by of the Crazy Horse monument.Read more
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Chris-crossing the Country Traveler
South Dakota Part II
Jul 20–24 in the United States ☀️ 79 °F
On Wednesday, July 15, we hiked the Spring Creek and Flume Trail in the Black Hills. It was a nice shaded trail that follows a lake and crosses Spring Creek multiple times. You hike over rocks that are from a fallen flume - a stone chute used to route water when mining was active.
Thursday we drove through Custer State Park looking for wildlife; we saw proghorn antelope and burrows but no bison or bighorn sheep. 😔 Although the park is located in the Black Hills the terrain is mostly rolling prairie. Bison were once extinct from the area but there is a healthy conservation effort to bring them back. While at the Black Elk we enjoyed local beer and wine in the Taproom and fabulous waffles in the morning! We also visited Cohort Brewery where I had a good lemon flavored beer.
We moved to Wall, SD on Thursday, July 17th located near The Badlands and famous for Wall Drugs. Wall Drugs was started in 1931 and struggled for the first 5 years due to the remoteness of the town. The family, the Hustead’s, were about to give up when Dorothy Hustead (wife) had a brilliant idea to offer free ice water to thirsty travelers driving on the hot dusty highway in 1936. They put up multiple signs on the highway to stop in Wall for a cool cup of water and had immediate success. The store is now a block long and full of merchandise from western wear to souvenirs. The store is still owned by the Hustead family and still offers free ice water plus 5 cent coffee (or so it’s still advertised). On Friday we hiked Notched Trail in the Badlands. It was a cool hike that went through rock canyons and required climbing over rocks and down a wooden ladder. We then drove through the park and stopped at various lookout points. On our last night we ate dinner at Salty Steer and had a good steak dinner.Read more
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Chris-crossing the Country Traveler
Minnesota and Wisconsin
Jul 21–25 in the United States ☀️ 72 °F
We left Wall, SD on July 20th, concluding our north west national parks journey. As we drove to Presho, SD the terrain flattened and the landscape changed from ranches to crop farms. We spent one night in Presho then went to Fairmont, MN where we met up with Ted and his wife Paula (Ted was Kevin’s college roommate) who were heading west back to Oregon from Michigan. We spent the afternoon and evening catching up as it had been several years since we last saw them at a Tulane reunion. After dinner it was finally cool enough for a campfire. As Kevin was getting the wood out from the RV “garage” he spotted a dreaded mouse! Fortunately we don’t think it had been there long as there were no sightings of droppings but there was a definite odor on a sheet and some wood. The wood was burned, the sheet was trashed and I researched mouse traps!
We left the next morning to drive to Tomah, WI and crossed the Mississippi River at the Minnesota - Wisconsin border. That night we stayed at a quiet, small RV park. The temperature was cool and I went for a nice jog on a paved road along farm land. After dinner we walked to Double Barrel Bar across the street for a drink and met another couple also staying at the RV park and had a lively conversation about RVs, destinations, Wisconsin cheese curds and Wisconsin Supper Clubs. We left the next day and spent 2 nights in Suamico (pronounced “suamaco”), close to Green Bay. On Friday we went to a farmers market close to the campground and a cheese shop in Pulaski for fresh Wisconsin cheese, including cheese curds (which are very good). In the afternoon we went to historic Suamico to Station 1 - a taproom and coffee house located in a slightly renovated fire station. While there Kevin decided he wanted to try the restaurant around the corner - Four Way. It had an interesting menu and good prices. They also had an interesting way of seating you - they gave you a table number then sent you to the bar to wait to be seated! We just ate at the bar and had fun listening to the Wisconsin accents. Wisconsin is a very pretty state with nice people.Read more
TravelerI always get hungry and thirsty after viewing your postings!
7/28/26Reply
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Chris-crossing the Country Traveler
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore - UP Michigan
Jul 25–27 in the United States ☁️ 75 °F
We crossed the Mississippi River and entered Michigan on July 25th, staying in the town of Curtis in the Upper Peninsula. While there we went to Munising for a boat cruise to view Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore along Lake Superior. It’s one of three national lakeshores and known for the colorful rocks that have copper, iron and magnesium. We also learned about Lake Superior; it’s 3 times the size of Manhattan and over 1,000 feet deep.Read more
TravelerBeautiful Ericka. I grew up in the LP and have never been Picture Rocks before. I might have to make the trip now.
8/4/26Reply
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Chris-crossing the Country Traveler
Mackinac Island, Michigan
July 28 in the United States ☀️ 66 °F
We spent 2 nights at a KOA in Mackinaw, MI to visit Mackinac Island. The island sits in Lake Huron and is only accessible by ferry. I expected the island to be predominately tourism, and it was, but it did have a lot of nice walking trails, aka roads. Since there are no cars all roads are for walk/bike/horse carriages, with the latter 2 being predominate. Our first stop was to Fort Mackinac, built by the British in 1780-81 and occupied during the Revolutionary War. It was transitioned to the US in 1796, but the British seized it back during the War of 1812, primarily because the Americans had not yet learned war was declared and were unprepared, thus surrendered unconditionally. The island was returned to the Americans in 1815. The buildings are in very good condition and the exhibits provide a thorough history of the fort and island.
After touring the fort we walked to Arch Rock which is an impressive rock formation though we had to stand in queue for a picture of it. From there we walked to Mission Hill, past beautiful resorts near the water and old churches, each a different denomination. We took a long route to visit the cemetery and passed by a small museum of horse drawn carriages; it was interesting to learn about the different designs. We also passed Skull Cave, another geological formation, but it didn’t look like much of a cave. We had lunch in the park and as we headed back to the ferry we spotted a place with 50 types of draft beer, so we had to check it out 🙃Read more
TravelerDid all the Great Lakes water make you guys want to get back into sailing again? A cold beer sounds real good right now.
8/8/26Reply
We miss the boat at times but not living on it full time. [Ericka]
8/9/26Reply
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Chris-crossing the Country Traveler
Northern Michigan
Jul 29 – Aug 30 in the United States ☀️ 73 °F
On July 29 we relocated to Traverse City, MI. Along the way we stopped at Friske Farm Market which is the Buc-ee’s of farm markets. It was indoors with all kinds of gourmet and locally produced goods, plus clothing and household products, a cafe and a very cool playground for the kids. We bought a pizza for lunch and it was one of the best we’ve had on this trip. The next day we rode our bikes around Traverse City. Two days later, on Friday, we were traveling to Manistee on a one lane, one way only road under construction and within 20 minutes from departure the engine temperature was in the red zone. Fortunately we found a business (a boat yard no less!) with room for us to pull over. A tow truck came to get us and spent several hours figuring out how to hook up the rig. Turns out he did it wrong and bent the steering control arms (which we found out later and the tow company paid for). By the time we arrived at the Freighterliner service shop it was closed for the weekend and we couldn’t hook up to power. We used the generator that night and luckily a worker happened to came by the shop on Saturday and offered to hook us up to power. We were also very lucky that Stuart and Lesley’s lake house was about 30 minutes away in Honor and they offered to let us stay there until the rig was fixed. Their property is beautiful with awesome sunrises over a lake and literally next to Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore. While in Honor we went on a hike with Pepper and rode our bikes outside of Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore. Our rig was ready on Aug 5 and we finally made it to Manistee. Lesley and Stuart arrived at their lake house soon after we left and we were able to visit several times. We hiked Sleeping Bear dunes with them and they came to visit us in Manistee. On another day we went to an antique engine show in the town of Buckley with Lesley (unfortunately Stu came down with Shingles). During our time in Manistee Kevin joined his golfing buddies for their annual outing and I hung out with people I met there; I saw The Odyssey in Manistee’s historical theatre and went to the 5th Avenue Lighthouse with Kim, we also looked for sea glass at a lesser known beach (unfortunately we did not find any). I also went on a trolley tour of Manistee followed by lunch with ladies from the rv resort, played bunco and “card bingo”, and started crocheting!Read more
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Chris-crossing the Country Traveler
Lower Michigan
Aug 31 – Sep 14 in the United States ⛅ 77 °F
We visited Mears, MI for 8 days over Labor Day weekend. It is a small but very beachy town close to Lake Michigan. It was mostly empty since school was back in session but ramped up over the holiday. We went on a dune ride with Mac Woods Dune Rides, it was fun and we learned some history about the area. Next to Mears was the town of Hart that had more to do. We rode our bikes on the Hart-Montague bike trail, a beautiful paved trail built where a railroad once was. We started in Hart, rode past Mears and turned around in Shelby. We met up with Holly and Dan in Muskegon, we met them in Bimini when we started our sailing adventure. They sold their boat a few months before we sold ours and are now in the process of looking for a new one. We also caught up with Renee and Gary, our Maine cruising buddies! They are now also RVing and stayed at the campground in Mears one night so we could visit. We spent 2 nights in Jenison, MI near Grand Rapids. While there we saw another Thor Diesel Club member, Kathy and her husband and took the RV to a Cummins service center for maintenance on the generator.
To visit Nancy and John we stayed in Grass Lakes, about 20 minute from their house. It was a great visit! We met their daughter Megan, son-in-law Rob and grandson Ray. They made a wonderful Rosh Hashanah dinner. Nancy and I did a fun hike on the Waterloo Pinckney trail and saw a lot of colorful mushrooms. Kevin’s golfing buddy gave us front row tickets to the Michigan-Oklahoma game. We had a great time watching Michigan win!Read more
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