Cruising with the Cowan's

Day 50 6/18/18 We are at the Ambassador RV Resort in Caldwell, Idaho.  Very nice.  This will most likely be my last post.  We have now been on the road for 50 days.  We spent three weeks in Canada exploring B.C. and Alberta.  Then headed south to Wyoming, North and South Dakota, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana.  We encountered rain, heat, tornado warnings, hail, floods, forest fires and on occasion, pleasant weather.  We traveled with the trailer 4,390 miles.  Used countless liters and gallons of gasoline.  We've had lots of adventures, mostly good, and seen much of the West.  We were in the Black Hills and revisited Mt. Rushmore, saw the Crazy Horse monument still being chiseled from the granite hills, and saw old pioneer houses in places. It has been a great ride and would certainly do it again.  Not sure what Gracies thoughts are.  She seemed to have slumbered her way during the entire trip.  As we speak, Sue i...

Day 49 06/17/18 We arrived in Jerome, Idaho at our last KOA stop.  After arriving and just finishing up setting up, the rain began.  Fortunately, it was a gentle one without any hail, thank goodness.  We holed up in the trailer and ate leftovers for dinner.  Not much else to report.  Tomorrow we head for Ambassador RV Resort in Caldwell, ID.  We have stopped there before and it is truly one of the best campgrounds ever. 

Day 48 06/16/18 Arrived in Ogden Utah and met the glass replacement company at the campground.  He started to unpack and looked at what he had brought and it was missing a part to hold the rear view mirror.  They could have the additional part on Monday.  We are leaving tomorrow morning.  So finally cancelled the install until we return to Portland.  The glass will hold until then. What a delightful campground we are in. Century Mobile Home and RV Park.  A huge development with space for 192 RV's and they were full.  We have a nice shade tree next to us with a gentle breeze.  Wish I had a hammock.  We stayed hooked up to the car for an early getaway tomorrow. Just spending one night at each place as we make a beeline for home. A local BBQ caterer came by and we had sausage and chicken.  MMMM MMM GOOD. Tomorrow we swing into Jerome, Idaho.  We'll see what is doing there. I am including a picture from Sue's side of the car...

Day 47 06/15/18 Now in Rock Springs Wyoming in another KOA.  All gravel and dust.  Temp again 85.  Ugh.  Further discussion with State Farm and depending on the extent of damage to both vehicles, it's possibly they could both be totaled.  They will have to be inspected before a final determination is made. We didn't unhitch the car.  We're just staying in the trailer and heading out in the A.M. The cracked windshield seems to be holding.  Tomorrow in Utah we are scheduled for a replacement windshield.  With our camping schedule, a wedding in Buellton on July 10th and then an Rpod meet in late August nothing will be done until then.  Neither vehicle can be inspected and repaired until beginning of Sept.  Both are usable.  Although the car looks like it is diseased with some kind of rare skin condition.

Day 46 06/14/18 We arrived in Laramie this afternoon to 87 degree temps.  Can't catch a break.  We are staying at Albany County Fairgrounds.  We are right between the swine barn and the horse barn.  Normally people stay here who are showing at the fairgrounds.  So, the accommodations are pretty basic.  Fortunately the barns are kept pretty clean so we don't have any "farm" smells.  From here on out we will be doing just one night at each location to get home.  The ice damage to the car is rather extensive and will run about $20K to fix.  We will be without the car for about a month or more.  So we will wait until our travels are done for the summer and then turn the car over to the repair shop.  Not sure if they will repair it or total it.  Will have to see.  The trailer roof has four punctures in it.  Speaking with the factory they will have to meet with State Farm and see if they will patch or replace the roo...

Day 45 06/14/18 Yesterday the mobile RV repair came by and did a great and expensive repair.  Evidently there was more damage than I had thought.  The bill came to $685 and that does not include, his suggestion, of replacing the entire roof.  I am feeling better about the damage now that it is fixed.  Still, people were wandering about the campground not sure of what they were going to do.  For instance, many had undriveable cars with shattered windshields.  They were scheduled to leave today and the campground would not extend their stay.  A real problem.  Our windshield is also cracked on the passenger side but I think is still driveable.  We will be leaving Colorado Springs this morning for So. Laramie, Wyoming.  Have scheduled a replacement for Saturday when we pull into Haven, Utah.  I have scheduled a number of one night stays so we can get back to Oregon next week.  So far it has been an adventure filled trip with m...

Day 44 06/13/18 We were awakened last night about 1:30 with tremendous lightning and thunder.  Pretty loud.  Then the hail began.  For the next 45 minutes we experienced huge hail.  This morning upon reviewing the damage, here is my assessment report.  The windshield on the car is fractured, one of the mirror covers is broken, the roof and hood sustained major hail damage.  Dimples all over.  The trailer sustained a couple of holes in the roof, a broken awning and rips in the cover over the slideout.  I tried to contact a windshield repair company but they are already scheduled out a week.  We are wounded but can  still continue on our journey back to Oregon.  I hope. Turns out the hail stones were 3" in diameter.  Almost all of the cars in the campground have damage to their windshields.  I passed an Airstream with the owner on the phone.  Looked like someone had taken a large ball peen hammer and wacked away at...

Day 43 06/12/18 Yesterday was a travel day to Colorado Springs where the Air Force Academy is located.  We went thru Denver which is another big city.  We are here to possibly see Pike's Peak and also the Broadmoor Hotel where Sue's parents met around 1942.  Her father was a society band leader possibly playing for the soldiers and Sue's mom possibly driving Army trucks to deliver to the Army.  More later. Day has become very warm again.  87 degrees.  Went to the Garden of the Gods, which is an interesting rock formation with many hiking trails. This of course is called the Balancing Rock.  Then we headed over to the Broadmoor Hotel.  It was built in 1917, and what a magnificent hotel it is.  The grounds are quite extensive, and beautifully maintained.   By that time the heat was too much for me so back to the cool trailer.   We are in our return back to Oregon.  Probably another week or two on th...

Day 41 6/10/18 Another hot one.  Got up and took ourselves out to breakfast at a cute diner called Luxury Diner which was once a trolley car.  Then off to sightseeing. First, we went to see the "Big Boy" steam engine.  The worlds largest steam locomotive.  This powerful coal-powered locomotive was designed to pull a 3600 ton train over steep grades between Cheyenne and Ogden, Utah.  The 4004 is one of eight remaining Big Boys on display from around the country.  One is currently being refurbished in the Cheyenne steam shops being readied for the 150th anniversary of the Union Pacific transcontinental rail crossing.  Unfortunately for us, it was sequestered in the shop only to be shown twice a year to the public.  The last showing was last month.  Here are some pictures of one of the Big Boys in a park.  Unfortunately it is covered and they will be renovating it sometime in the future.

Day 40 06/09/18 We arrived in Cheyenne about noon.  Very warm.  Temp in the mid 80's.  Too hot for me.  So we set up and we   cooled off in the trailer.  Sue, as some of you may know is heavily into recycling, in spite of me.  Well anyway, we have been saving soda cans since we left.  The bag has gotten so large with cans that she had to go a second and then a third bag for the cans.  I had the duty to head to Safeway to get some supplies.  On the way I spotted a re-cycler of  aluminum cans.  Hooray!!  I made a U turn and happily emptied the back of the car.  Got a whole 80 cents in return.  We're going to Vegas!  Anyway, returned from shopping, still too warm for my delicate body.  So have been in the trailer all afternoon.  The owner of the campground has a BBQ catering business on the side and has a restaurant on the grounds.  So we had some BBQ brisket for dinner.  Good,...

Day 39 6/8/18 What a night we had.  Early evening the wind started to pick up.  Got windier and windier.  The saplings that were planted by our trailer were about 8' tall.   They were bending in the middle and the branches were parallel to the ground.  The trailer was feeling every blast.  I became so concerned that I pulled in the slide out dinette for about 45 minutes until the wind subsided.  Then came something totally unexpected.  I was watching out one of the windows and the horizon lit up with lightning flashes.  I have never experienced what we saw for the next two hours.  The lighting flashes occurred simultaneously three and four and sometimes five flashes at the same time.  This went on for a two hours.  Thankfully they were far enough away that we couldn't hear the thunder which must have been deafening.  I can't imagine living in a place where that occurs.  Amazing. Today was a travel day to Dou...

Day 38 06/07/18 Did I mention that Pine Haven has a population of 427 souls.  Not a thriving metropolis.  Fortunately across the street is Paradise Market which caters to the locals.  Basic but functional.  We headed out to the Devil's Monument of movie fame.  That is one big monolith.  The Native American legend has it that three little natives were standing on a little rock when a bear approached.  The girls became frightened and prayed for the rock to save them.  So according to legend, the rock just grew and grew to the sky saving the girls.  The bear, incensed on losing lunch tried to claw his way up.  Hence the claw marks on the sides.  He was not able to reach them and there they stay.  Safe.  Just a quick aside.  While pulling a trailer you are attuned to the rhythms of the multiple tires and always wary of a blowout.  Well the other day as we were traveling I heard a thrumming noise coming from...

Day 37 06/6/18 Today we traveled only about 150 miles to the tiny burg of Pine Haven, WY.  Sue found a site that we can't miss.  The Devil's Tower National Monument.   The one that was featured in Spielberg's movie, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."  Which starred a high school classmate, Richard Dreyfus.  In 1908 Teddy Roosevelt designated the tower the first National Monument.  The wind constantly blows across the plains.  We have a small wood shelter next to the trailer to block the wind if we wanted to sit outside at the picnic table.  Sue is attending to one of her weekly favorite tasks.  Today is laundry day.  We are truly in the middle of nowhere.  I will have more tomorrow.

Day 36 06/05/18 We took off this morning for Deadwood.  And on the way we stopped at Tatanka.  I museum totally funded and created by Kevin Costner, of "Dances with Wolves."  It is a museum dedicated to the buffalo and their story.  Sue spent an hour and a half walking thru the exhibit and listening to Native Americans talking about the buffalo and how they used every part of them.  An interesting fact was how the name "red men" was given to denote a Native American.  It seems that the hills are made up of iron minerals that the Native American's smeared over their bodies as a type of sun screen.  So when the first white men came upon them they called them "red men."  Never knew that.  The on to Deadwood.  I guess this prairie town's fame is because Wild Bill Hickok was shot there in 1878.  The buildings are original architecture and fully two streets have old hotels, shops, and saloons.  They are well preserved and lots o...

Day 35 06/04/18 Rather warm today.  Headed off to Mt. Rushmore once again.  The monument is busier than ever.  Lots of cars and buses.  Interestingly the four Presidents seem to take it all in stride.  No discernible changes, however they are painting in Trump's face.  Turns out there isn't enough mountain left for his insufferable ego let alone that orange face and stiff hair.  So maybe we'll get a reprieve and after the impeachment, well we'll have to see. After Mt. Rushmore, we headed over to the Crazy Horse sculpting.  Wow.  Very impressive.  You could take the four Presidents heads and place them in one small corner of the Crazy Horse monument.  Of course, it is still under construction and has been for quite some time.  Possibly another twenty to forty years until completion and then it will be the largest sculpture in the world. Not sure you can see much but will get closer as they complete the sculpture. Tomo...

Day 33 6/3/18 Another travel day to Rapid City, S.D.  About 30 miles outside of Rapid City is a town called Wall.  Where Wall Drug is located.  Been there since 1931. I think the Wall family owns Wall.  Which consists of a main street with many many shops full of KRAP.  However, my wife decides that we have to see Wall.  Well you see pictures of those ladies in short shorts that are about 100 lbs beyond looking good, well this little town attracts them all.  All the fly over people from the fly over states are here.  Walking around, slurping ice cream and texting.  Some of my favorite things.  Also, many had body art.  For you old geezers, that's a tatoo to you. We stopped at the local eatery and had a buffalo burger.  Meh!!  Tastes like a beef burger.  Somewhat less fat, but there goes the flavor.  Have checked that off my todo list. We are now parked at Rushmore Shadows Resort.  If you can call i...

Day 32 06/02/18 We find ourselves in Presho, N.D. on the way to the Black Hills.  We were constantly buffeted on our 4 hour journey from Bismarck, N. D. by warnings on the radio of strong winds.  They weren't kidding, either.  Wow.  It literally never and I mean never stops blowing here on the plains.  I'm talking 30-35 mph winds.  Upon asking one of the locals if it ever stops blowing his response was "  the air is always fresh." We pulled into Presho to our campground which was virtually empty.  Wind blowing, of course.  Seems their season starts June 5th and we were just a tad early.  Eventually 7 other RV's followed us in.  Still pretty vacant looking.  Yesterday was quite a weather event.  Lots of lightning and thunder, rain, and of course the wind.  They seem to grow casino's in every little burg along the way.  No money for food or gas but just enough to drop at the local casino, hoping for the big ...

Day 31 06/01/18 Well Bismack has not lived up to its spectacular listing.  Another agriculture center, fairly modern, and hot and humid.  We took a drive to Abraham Lincoln State Park, where General George Custer and his wife lived in a very lavish home on the army camp ground.  Adjacent to the Missouri River. We toured the house with a guide dressed as a sergeant in the army.  We were the only one's on the 45 minute tour.  Custer brought three house maids who took care of his wife and himself.  He personally paid them very well.  The sergeant said he was paid about $16 a month.  The housekeepers were paid about $600 a month.  I believe he said George spent about three years until he went to the Little Big Horn and his untimely demise.  We tried to see the Capital building but the grounds were covered with school kids.  Tomorrow we head out to Presho, ND as a stop before heading to The Black Hills, eventually.