Thursday, November 6, 2014

Year Four - Days Forty-Five and Forty-Six - Home!


Summer’s View

Driving day today to head south – glad to be a couch potato today, as we are all sore from yesterday  - LOL! We made it to Cordele, GA to spend the night at a KOA. Tomorrow we are hoping to make it all the way home! Yay!

Last day - We made it home! Yay! Sam was super excited and we were all looking at what had changed since we last drove through town!
Thank you all for joining us on our trip this year! We could feel you with us in spirit and it helped us enjoy ourselves! Until next year, Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! :)
 
 

Year Four - Day One Hundred and Forty-Four


Summer’s View
Today was the day for the ropes course adventure and zip lines. Sam is just under the age limit for the full course, so we did the junior course, which is actually just the first two of four different levels of the ropes course.
Three hours later, all I can say is, thank goodness we didn’t try to do the whole thing! J Whew! This thing was CHALLENGING! There were a couple of the areas where I could barely reach the ropes and wires, so Sam was amazing that he did it! Wow! Now, I am pumped and ready to get better at it for next year! J





Year Four - Day One Hundred and Forty-Three


Summer’s View
Sam and I went to the Science Center today for a day of fun and learning. This place was pretty big, and Sam had a blast! There was a colossal playground/climbing gym that just kept going up – it peaked at a point that actually went through the roof for a view of the city and river from up above, about six stories up! Needless to say, we closed the place down, and Sam wore himself out! J


 

Year Four - Day One Hundred and Forty-Two

Summer's View

Driving day today – we are heading further south! We made it to Nashville, TN for a couple of days of play. We are staying at a campground that has a huge waterpark and even bigger outdoor ropes course and zip line area. The waterpark is closed for the winter, but the ropes course is open on weekends, so we will check it out on Saturday.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Year Four - Day One Hundred and Forty-One


Summer’s View
Sam and I went to the St. Louis Zoo today, as the weather is supposed to clear up and stop raining, finally! It was still chilly, and the sun never did show, but we had a great zoo day! This zoo is really big, and we barely made it through before they kicked us out to close at 5:00 pm!
We managed to find a few new animals and insects we had never seen before, and we had fun watching the baby elephant steal hay from the larger elephants. J There was a pair of lions, and it must be mating season for them, because the male lion went on a roaring fit every few minutes. We finally caught him in action once, and he was too funny! After roaring for a while (and you can hear their roar up to five miles away) he flopped over on his side like he was exhausted! LOL




 

Year Four - Day One Hundred and Forty


Summer’s View
We went to see the famous St. Louis Arch today – woo hoo! Sam is excited to ride to the top and look out!  Another cold and rainy day, with lots of construction downtown around the Arch, so it was a bit of a challenge to find a place to park and walk over to it.


We watched the cool movie that showed the construction of the arch in the early 1960’s – what an engineering feat!  Afterwards we toured the Museum of Westward Expansion which chronicled the Lewis and Clark Expedition, among other things. 
 
Then, the ride up! They were not kidding around when they asked if anyone was claustrophobic at the ticket counter! The trip up takes four minutes and five people sit inside a barrel shaped pod (barely fitting inside).  Yikes!
The view from up above was spectacular, and we could feel the structure swaying a little – a lot like being on a cruise ship in choppy waters. The ride back down was only 3 ½ minutes, and a little less stuffy feeling since there were only three of us in the “pod.” J
 
Afterward, we stopped for some food and brews at the stadium and watched the Cardinals play the Giants (on the big screen).  We left when they ended the ninth inning in a tie, but heard later that the Giants won.
We then went to the Lemp Mansion to check out some ghostly activities, and found they were giving a tour with real ghost hunters and infrared cameras we could all film with, so we were in! Sam was super excited! We had just seen a Ghost Adventures episode a few days earlier where they had explored the Lemp Mansion. It is listed as one of the 10 most haunted places in the U.S.



Our tour was cool, and Sam and I bought copies of our recordings so we can review them at length to look for paranormal activity. He was really into it, having his own EVP sessions and asking the tour guide questions. Even the tour guide made a comment about what a great little ghost hunter he was! J



Year Four - Days One Hundred and Thirty-Eight and One Hundred and Thirty-Nine


Summer’s View
We headed south, going around through Escanaba and down through WI.  After two driving days, we are in St. Louis, MO for a couple of days of sightseeing. As usual, it is cold and rainy. We actually drove through some pretty strong storms today. KOA for the next couple of days just west of St. Louis.

Year Four - Days One Hundred and Twenty-Nine thru One Hundred and Thirty-Seven


Summer’s View
The driveway was big enough, so we parked the RV there for the next several days while we checked out the house. It is a pretty nice place, but needs a new roof, so that will be our priority for this trip. There are eight acres with some woods and open field, so plenty of room for Sam to roam around, and he is enjoying it.  After the first two days of cold rain, it actually cleared up and was sunny and nicer, although the temperatures were only in the high 50’s during the day.
The worst part is the basement collects ground water, as so many do, but there was no sump pump running all year so there is about a foot of water standing in the basement. After a few days of pumping and drying it out, it looks and smells MUCH better! J


This place is really off the beaten path, about 9 miles south of Garden, which has two restaurants, a gas station/grocery store, and a post office. The nearest town with a Walmart and a Menards is Escanaba, which is 52 miles away.
 
Wildlife is everywhere out here! We have seen dozens of deer, and wild turkeys are everywhere. One morning, we looked out the window and counted 24 wild turkeys in the front yard! The sandhill cranes gather in this area for their winter migration, too, and we have seen dozens of them in the fields. We have literally counted hundreds flying over!
 
 
We have met a couple of the neighbors, and everyone seems nice. Salmon fishing and hunting are big activities in this area, and the summer gets a little busy with the fisherman going out on the lake. We are on a peninsula that sticks out into Lake Michigan, and only four miles from the point.

After arranging for a new roof to be installed, and making arrangements for the local “watchman” to keep an eye on things, we are headed south on the 12th.  We plan to return in the spring with tools and parts in tow to fix the place up!

Year Four - Days One Hundred and Twenty-Seven and One Hundred and Twenty-Eight


Summer’s View
After two more driving days, we made it to Garden, MI.  Because we don’t know the layout of the property and whether we will be able to park the RV in the driveway, we are spending the night at Fayette State Park, which is about 3 miles away. As usual, it is rainy and cold.

Year Four - Day One Hundred and Twenty-Six


Summer’s View
The last day of the month, and we are heading east toward MI. We are going to finally see the house we bought at the online auction. Our goal today is to make it to Sioux Falls, SD for the night.
We are all sad to be leaving our friends, again.

Year Four - Day One Hundred and Twenty-Five


Summer’s View
We decided to stay today so we could attend an auction of a campground in Custer. It was a raw, blustery day, so it was a good indoor activity. After a few hours, the campground sold. And no, we didn’t buy it. J

For our last night in town to visit with the Gluhosky’s, we watched Monday night football with them and shared some Papa John’s Pizza.

Year Four - Day One Hundred and Twenty-Four


Summer’s View
Today we went hiking with the Gluhosky gang along a nice trail that took us along a dam and an old log flume. It is amazing how the weather was cold and cloudy with misting rain when we left their house, but a short drive (about 10 miles) later it was sunny and pleasant in the hills! Great day for a hike!


 
 

 

Year Four - Day One Hundred and Twenty-Three


Summer’s View

The Gluhosky gang had soccer games today, so we took a drive along Iron Mountain Road, heading across Custer State Park and back again. That is one of the best drives for twisting roads and a great view of Mount Rushmore through a tunnel!

Matt came by after dinner to take Jim over to his friend’s house for some guy time. J

Year Four - Day One Hundred and Twenty-Two


Summer’s View
Today was the Buffalo Roundup at Custer State Park, and we picked up Matt and Michele around 7:00 am to get there in time to park and check it out. I read that over 14,000 people come to this event from around the world every year! As we got closer to the parking area, there was a HUGE line, and we just made it in to park at about 9:15 am before they closed the gates! Whew!

We found a spot to watch on the hillside, and around 10:30, they came barreling over the hills! It was such a cool sight to see them all running! Beautiful! The cowboys were cracking their whips, and the dust was flying! As they herded them toward the corral gate, which was right in front of us (lucky spot), a pronghorn that picked the wrong place at the wrong time was caught in the melee. He started freaking out, trying to figure out how to get out of there, and the bison were jumping away from him, frightened of him! LOL It was too funny, although I felt bad for the guy. He finally jumped the fence (barely) and went into the bigger corral where the bison were headed. At least he got some breathing room before he gathered up his strength to jump the fence later and escape! He really stole the show!

We got out the chairs and sat in the field for a while to let the traffic thin out before loading up to head back to town. It was after lunch time, so we opted to go to the steak house for lunch – yum! Naptime afterward. J

 
 

Year Four - Days One Hundred and Twenty and One Hundred and Twenty-One


Summer’s View
We had a salmon bake at Matt and Michele’s – yum!! Jim’s salmon catch was a hit! J

The next day, we hung around the campground, catching up on some work and doing some shopping.  Matt came over to watch the football game with Jim outside. The temperature here has been in the 90’s since we arrived! Woo hoo!

 

 

 

Year Four - Day One Hundred and Nineteen


Summer’s View
We left Thermopolis this morning, and drove over the Big Horn mountains to arrive in Rapid City, SD for a few days. The KOA in town is just a few miles from our friends, the Gluhosky’s. Yay!  Jim and Sam caught up with them at Luke’s soccer game that night.

Year Four - Day One Hundred and Eighteen


Summer’s View

We spent the day hanging out in the mineral hot pool, and we drove into town to go to Hot Springs State Park. We walked around the park area for a while, and then we drove the back roads to catch a glimpse of the buffalo herd that stays here. One spot we stopped to check out was Spirit Hole, an extinct hot spring hole.

The hot mineral pool at the campground is awesome – I wish I could hop in it every day!


Sunday, September 28, 2014

Year Four - Day One Hundred and Seventeen


Sam’s View
Today we drove to Thermopolis, WY. The camp has the third largest hot mineral pool in the world! It feels nice.

Summer’s View
After leaving the KOA, we only had to drive about 200 miles to reach Thermopolis, WY. We are spending two nights here to enjoy the world’s third largest hot springs mineral pool! Ahhh!

Year Four - Day One Hundred and Sixteen


Sam’s View
Today we drove to Billings, MT. At the campground I met some kids at the playground and played for over an hour.

Summer’s View
We left the rest area this morning and drove to Billings, MT where we spent the night at the KOA there – again! This time we had a bigger site, so it was a little nicer stay. Sam met some kids on the playground and played well after dark!

Year Four - Day One Hundred and Fifteen


Sam’s View
Today we drove about 40 miles past Missoula, MT and slept at a rest stop.

Summer’s View
We drove east from Fall City, WA and made it into MT. We were going to stop for the night at a KOA in Missoula, MT but they were full by the time we got there, so we went about 40 miles further down the road and spent the night at a rest stop.

Year Four - Day One Hundred and Fourteen


Sam’s View
Today I fed the goats some carrots, and they liked them. After we left the campground, we put the rv in another shop, and went to McDonald’s, Michael’s Arts and Crafts Store so I can build atom models, and we went to Barnes and Nobles and got books. After that we took the rv to Fall City, WA.

Summer’s View
After Sam went to give the goats some carrots and bid goodbye to the farm animals, we dropped off the RV at the glass shop for the windshield replacement around 10:00 am. After our daily McDonald’s visit, we went to a Michael’s craft store for some school supplies for Sam – he is excited about building atoms and molecules in 3D. J
We then went to a Barnes and Nobles bookstore to get some school material for Sam – yay books! J
After a fancy early dinner at Taco Bell, we picked up the RV and headed to a campground just east of Seattle in a little town called Fall City. We are on the road headed east tomorrow, so we wanted to be out of the rush hour traffic zone in the morning.

Year Four - Day One Hundred and Thirteen


Sam’s View
Today we went to Priest Point Park. We walked on the beach and climbed hills! It was fun!
 
Summer’s View
Today we took the RV back to drop it off at the garage at noon so they can repair it. After some quality time at a McDonald’s (yawn) we went to a local park named Priest Point Park to stretch our legs and kill some time. We walked around some of their trails through some beautiful old growth forests and along the bay. It was a nice place, and Buster loved it, too!

After a shopping trip to Walmart, we went back to the garage around 4:30, but the RV was still not ready so we waited in their lounge area until we could take it to the campground. We finally made it back to the campground around 8:30 pm.
 
 

Year Four - Day One Hundred and Twelve


Sam’s View
Today we did a 3 mile corn maze. We found all 18 clues in about 2.5 hours! Yay! Buster saw chickens and barked for about half the maze.
 
Summer’s View
After a night at the KOA, where I FINALLY had a chance to do some laundry, we took the RV back to the garage to drop it off at 10:00 am. We spent some time at McDonald’s and then went to a corn maze just up the street. It was pretty cool, with two “treasure” hunts so we spent a couple of hours walking around, and Buster got dirty and thirsty in the dust, LOL!

When we went back to the garage, the RV needed another part that was super expensive (is there any other kind?) and they can’t get it until Wednesday, so we took the RV to a campground down the street near the corn maze to spend the next couple of nights. This campground is really nice, and our site is in a big open field bordered with huge trees, with some goats, ducks, and chickens behind us to keep Sam busy and drive Buster crazy. J
Sam and Daddy did some metal detecting for a while – relax time.
 

Year Four - Day One Hundred and Eleven


Sam’s View
Today we put the rv into a shop.

Summer’s View
We were supposed to drive to Kent, WA (just outside of Seattle) to spend the night at the KOA so we can get our windshield replaced tomorrow, but the stop engine light keeps coming on, so we are taking the RV to a garage in Olympia. All of the gauges are reading good temps, so we think it is just a bad sensor or something, but we have to get it checked.

After stopping at the garage, they told us they can’t look at it until tomorrow, so we had to find a place to stay the night. After calling all of the RV campgrounds in the area and only getting one to answer the phone (no vacancy) we decided to drive up to stay at the KOA in Kent after all. 58 miles each way – bummer.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Year Four - Day One Hundred and Ten


Sam’s View
Today we took the rv and car on a ferry to Port Angeles, WA!!!!! We made it back to the USA!!! Yay!!! We stayed at a KOA. It has a pool and hot tub! I will be in both.

 

Summer's View
We finally made it back to the lower 48 today – woo hoo! We took a ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles, WA. After a nice ferry ride where we saw a pod of orcas on one side and a humpback whale on the other, we made it into port. The customs agents went through our fridge and took tomatoes, scallions, and a green pepper (for fajita night, I suspect), but they left an apple. I find that strange, because they took the apples from a car in front of us. Hmmm.

We just drove down the road to spend the night at the KOA, but the stop engine light kept coming on, so now we have a new engine problem. Oh, joy.

Year Four - Day One Hundred and Nine


Sam’s View
Today we went whale watching! We saw orcas, grey whales, seals, sea lions, birds, and I even saw a little squid! One grey whale came really close to the boat! I loved it a lot!!!!!
 
Summer’s View
We decided to go whale watching today with Jaime’s Whale Adventures. What a great day! The weather was postcard perfect again, and the bay was flat like glass. Along the way to the area where they spotted whales feeding, we saw some harbor seals lounging on the rocks, and some sea lions. There were quite a few sea lion pups, too!

We came to an area where there were several grey whales feeding – awesome! One came really close to the boat and even came up to look at US looking at him! For the first time, I was actually close enough to get some decent pics!
 
 
On the trip back to the harbor, we came across a pod of orcas feeding, so we watched them for a while. It was a family group, and they had one calf that was only about five feet long – he was so cute! It was an awesome trip!
 

Year Four - Day One Hundred and Eight


Sam’s View
Today we went hiking on the Pacific Rim Trail! We saw tidepools with sea stars, crabs, snails, and anemones! We also saw a shipwreck and a lighthouse! It was amazing and I loved it!
 
Summer’s View
We hiked a mile or two along the Wild Pacific Trail, and it was beautiful! The views were amazing, and the weather was gorgeous. We went down to climb on the rocks a couple of times, and checked out some tide pools. There were bat stars, hermit crabs and snails everywhere! Lots of anemones, too, including the green ones.
 

Year Four - Day One Hundred and Seven


Sam’s View
Today we took a ferry with the rv and car to Vancouver Island! After that we drove for 2.5 hours to Ucluelet! The camp has a hot tub and sauna! Yay!

Summer’s View
Today’s adventure was our trip to Vancouver Island, taking the RV and car across the bay on a ferry! It was a two hour ferry trip, and they had really good food at the cafeteria on board! Buster had to stay in the RV alone, so he was not a happy camper!

After arriving on the island, we had about a four hour drive to Ucluelet, which is a small town on the western shore of the island. The drive took us over and around a lot of mountainous terrain, along a narrow, winding road.

The campground I had made reservations with was not what it advertised on the internet – it had no power hookups, only electrical boxes for an extension cord to plug into, and the “lodge” was closed with a tarp over the roof. The office was closed, and the person in the pub had no idea what to do about a campground check-in. We left and went down the road to a different campground, which at least has 30 amp power and water. They also have a hot tub and sauna – big plus! Dinner at a local restaurant with EXCELLENT food wrapped up the day!

Year Four - Day One Hundred and Six


Sam’s View
Today we went to the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park! We walked across a 450 foot long suspension bridge, in the treetops, on a cliffwalk, and over streams! I loved it!
 
Summer’s View
Today we went to Suspension Bridge Park to check out a reeeeeaaally long suspension bridge! LOL It was a beautiful park, with boardwalks and nature walks all along the river and huge canyon. There was a treetop walk, and a cliff walk, too! We had a good time, and Sam really enjoyed it!
 
 
 

Year Four - Day One Hundred and Five


Sam’s View
Today we went to the Vancouver Aquarium! We saw fish, beluga whales, jellyfish, dolphins, porpoises, crabs, and sea otters! They were amazing!
 
Summer’s View
We went to the Vancouver Aquarium today to check out their sea creatures. It is a beautiful aquarium, but a lot of the exhibits are not in operation, and only one cafeteria was open for food, and it was lined up out the door with SLOW service.

This aquarium is the only one in Canada that does not capture their animals in the oceans, but rather only displays and trains animals they have rescued and rehabilitated, and that cannot be returned to the wild. The white-sided dolphins were beautiful!