Touring with Tommie

We are on the road again! 

Finally! 

First came Covid - which effectively shut down travel, especially for us "old folks". 

Then we decided to sell our Airstream trailer.. and then "Big Red", the motorhome. 

Then we bought a Class B to safely travel with the dogs from Florida to California.

Then came a host of medical issues for the Mister.

Then we were able to get vaccinations - which required hanging around for another month for the 2nd shot.

And finally the day came when we were clear of medical appointments and obligations... 

and we were off!!

April 21-25: The "Tally Rally" Region 3 Airstream get-together. We stopped at friends' home (Elaine & Art) for lunch, then on to the fair grounds.

We met several folks from our local Airstream group.

MaryAnn, Mike, Rosa & Robert...and Scott!

April 25: We landed in Kiln, Mississippi at McLeod State Park. This is a fairly large park with river-side sites and boating. Lots of people were enjoying the facilities. 

Lost sole at McLeod State Park

April 26: We ventured off of I-10 and turned north to spend the night at the Texas Airstream Harbor park. This Airstream-only park was established in 1972. Lots of friendly folks, and lake side views. 

Sketch of Town Hall in Newton, TX

April 27: We turned west and parked at a Harvest Host location, an olive farm in Elgin, TX. Our host, Frank Majowicz shared his and his wife's story of how they came to be olive oil producers following his 40+ year career leading to his being an executive chef for Hyatt. Sadly, their orchard was severely damaged by a freeze. He is hoping 60% of the trees will regrow from the roots. He already has plans to plant more. We purchased some great olive oil and want to check back to see if his orchard/grove is green next time!

April 28: We had planned to swing down to Lake Medina to camp with Carlos & Donna. Donna inquired if I had been looking at the weather?! They were expecting 2" of rain, which would have turned the canpground into a mud pit. It's a good thing we decided to forego our visit as they had hail and over 4" of rain! We continued our trek west, avoiding all of the bad weather south of us. We stopped in Llano for a brief stint of shopping and admiring the town. We landed for the night in San Angelo.

St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Mason, TX

There were many interesting buildings in Mason. We'll have to stop next time we go through.

April 29: As we came closer to the Texas/New Mexico border I "penned" the following:

The sun has ris’, the sun has set,

and here we are in Texas yet!

The clouds done came; so, too, the rain.

And on we traveled just the same!

We get up early; we travel late,

And still we are in this *$%! state!

Although most of our trip this day was under threatening, but dry skies, as we approached Carlsbad, NM the skies opened up. Into each life some rain must fall, and fall it did! All afternoon and all night. I waded through 2-3" water when walking the dogs, vainly trying to keep them dry with an umbrella. I awoke at 6 AM to the eerie quiet when the rain finally stopped pinging on our roof!

April 30: We ventured down into Carlsbad Caverns in the morning. Having visited Kartchner Caverns and the caves of Sonora, to name a few, this was totally different. I admired the subtle lighting used to highlight different formations in the Big Room, which is almost 4,000 feet long, 625 feet wide, and 255 feet high - the largest in North America. From there we turned north towards Roswell to spend the night. Most of the RV resorts in this area of the country are small, tightly packed "parking lots" with electric and water service. I picked the Trailer Village RV Park in Roswell from images on Google maps which showed it to be all gravel, but still looking orderly. I picked "good"! The park was spotless, gravel roads were freshly scraped. No campers had extraneous stuff stashed in and around their rigs. The managers (?) were welcoming. It was a great experience. 

May 1: We turned west and hopped on to I-40 just east of Albuquerque. After traveling country Texan and New Mexican roads, the interstate seemed over-populated! We arrived in Gallup, NM at another nicely run, well-kept park. 

May 2: After leaving New Mexico, we stopped at the Petrified Forest National Park, and drove a loop through  the park. That night we stayed at the Distant Drums RV resort. Geoffrey and Katharina (my brother and his wife) came down and we had a nice visit while eating at Storytellers, the upscale restaurant at Cliff Castle Casino. It seemed strange to see so many people in the casino - even with masks and social distancing. 

May 3: Our plans to travel beyond Tehachapi went by the boards when we hit the road and became tired of the winds buffeting us. We stopped in Kingman and visited the Rt. 66 Museum. Then, we traveled the twisty section of Rt 66 to Oatman. We strolled through a few shops, then went on our way stopping at the Desert View RV Resort in Needles. It was a delightful, small resort, with tall Oleanders separating each site. 

Wild burros on the streets in Oatman

May 4: As we began our trek we decided to drive extra miles and arrive "home" in the evening. We switched plans from traveling on 99 to using I-5. That was a mistake! Even though I-5 is fewer miles, it seems very congested with trucks. Trucks and anything towing are supposed to have a maximum speed of 55. Thus trucks jam up the road, going significantly slower than cars, with everyone trying to pass everyone else - all on two lanes. It will be interesting to try CA 99 next time and see if it is any different. We made it to 102 Seaview before 6 PM. It was nice to know we didn't have to get up and drive in the morning!

We visited with the kids and grandkids. We enjoyed a weekend camping with them, and then we began to dig into the work of preparing our house for sale. 

Secret Admirer

We were camping out in our Airstream trailer with a local California group. Upon returning from an evening event I heard delightful guitar music and singing from an adjacent campsite. It was brutally cold and I didn't want to stay outside, but I thoroughly enjoyed the music as I went back and forth with the dogs.
The next morning our campground neighbor was tidying up on his campsite. I asked if he was the guitar player and singer from the previous night. He indicated that he was. I complemented him, and told him of my enjoyment. Shortly thereafter, we Dreamers left the campground on an adventure.
As we returned, I noticed some Hydrangeas on our picnic table. Along with the flowers there were a few pieces of firewood (and more by our campfire ring), and a hand-labeled CD of music. I felt like I had a secret admirer!

Steff Kayser was my "secret" admirer. He hails from the Seattle area. The CD included his original songs in the same genre as others, such as, "What Am I Doing Hangin' Round", "Doctor My Eyes", and "Desperado".  If you ever have the opportunity to hear Steff sing, and like this genre of music (as I do) I highly recommend you take the time to listen, He's great!

Steff Kayser

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My! Chapter Two

Gypsy, what does the sign say?

It says they have seen a bear in the campground, 

and to be really careful.

Well, of course. 

Anyone can see that there is a bear in the campground. 

Look over your shoulder. 

What do you think that is?

 Stupid humans.

We went camping with friends in our Rocky Mountain Allegro club this week. A few freeloading bears decided to poke around the campground for some easy pickings. Or, maybe they just wanted to live the lifestyle, as this YouTube video shows.



The wildlife folks came in with two different traps, and caught the bigger of the two bears. Evidently he was the ringleader.

Once the big guy was trapped and taken away, the wildlife folks seemed to think campers wouldn't need to worry about bears any longer, and the traps were removed

May Campout

We Dreamers belong to a camping group of people who all own the same type of motorhome. Now, whether one can call spending time in a 36'-45' home on wheels, with heat and ac, indoor plumbing and at least two TVs "camping" is debatable! But, we do enjoy getting together, sitting around a campfire, catching up and relaxing.

Our most recent trip was somewhat of an exception. We somehow missed the 'sitting around the campfire' bit. Within an hour of our arrival at one of the nearby State parks, the skies opened up. The rain continued for the entirety of our trip.
We did discover that we could seat 16 people in the hosts' motor home! I would have taken a picture, but I couldn't reach into my pocket to get my phone out, since we were wedged in so tightly. (Just kidding... Dreaming simply forgot to take that picture, as always!)
We had plenty of fun things to do. The group visited the Denver Mint and the History Colorado Center. I really liked the emphasis on water conservation at the Center. That is such a crucial aspect of life in this area. The Center had many well thought out hands-on activities that engage kids of all ages.
We also toured Stranahan's Distillery. The tasting at the end was motivation enough to take the free tour, but to be honest, it was very interesting and our guide was knowledgable and entertaining.

Wrong Way....Again

We have spent the day packing and running out to get odds and ends. I have made trip after trip out to the RV with clothes, food, books and other stuff. We have capitulated and I 'made' the couch up for Gypsy and Tucker. I covered it with a fitted sheet to capture all some of their dog hair. Son #2 picked up a new dog bed for Gypsy last night. The beds will go on the couch while we are en route, and then they'll find a place on the floor. Gypsy's bed is too much.... it came with a pillow for the princess - is that silly stupid or what?

We are taking off tomorrow for our trip to the southeast. We are heading to the Jacksonville, FL to visit Mr. Dreamy's family. But.... we are going the wrong way!

Because of freezing conditions, and possible snowstorms en route, Mr. Dreamy has decided he would rather drive straight south. The road goes from here to Albuquerque... which is slightly west of us, before we head further south and then go east. I'm confused! It's the wrong way!

25 Days in 25 Feet

We have returned from our 25 day trip in our 25 foot trailer. 

We had a fabulous time.

Neither of us... nor the dogs... wanted to come home!

In fact, if you look closely, you can see Gypsy under the trailer.

Do you see her now?

It's a lousy picture, but she's under the right corner.

You can see the white tip of her tail.

Gypsy's not sure just what defines 'home'.

She has spent more of her time with us living in the trailer

than she has in our house!

She wasn't sure she wanted to come into the house.

Here is a map of our trip.

Each pin is a stopping point for one or more nights. 

Google maps says that we traveled 3,286 miles.

Hubby feels every one of those miles.

The ride in the truck, pulling the trailer, 

is not especially smooth.

So...what other options are there?

How about this rig?

We saw this setup on our first night out in Rock Springs, WY.

It was part of a Holiday Rambler group 

following the Oregon Trail. 

This couple has the mother of all fifth wheelers,

hauled by some sort of big a$$ truck,

and yes, that's a Smart car behind the truck. 

This picture was taken at Rock Springs, WY on July 27. 

The date is only significant in that we passed this

very same rig the day before yesterday,

on a mountain pass between Missoula, MT and 

our stop in Big Timber.

Did you 'get it'???

We. Passed. It! 

Our little Toyota Tundra passed this big a$$ truck!

Ha! Maybe our rig isn't so bad wimpy puny after all!

But, what are the odds of running into the same folks, 

almost three weeks later,

in a different state, going a different direction?

Hmmm... makes me wonder!

Gypsy's Journal

Thursday, August 9
I found a cupcake wrapper on an empty campsite. Yum. Dreaming took it away from me. That made me sad.

Friday, August 10
I found a small bone near the fire pit at the campsite. Yum. Dreaming took it away from me and tossed it.

Saturday, August 11
I found the same bone again. Yum. Dreaming took it and threw it in the trash. I was not happy.
We had a long ride in the truck.

Sunday, August 12
I found some old dog food on the ground by our campsite. Yum. Dreaming didn't see that I was eating it until I was almost finished. Yay, me! We had a long ride in the truck.

Monday, August 13
We are at a new campground. It has a play yard with a small A-frame and an agility dog walk. Dreaming feeds me treats if I go over them. Yum.

Tuesday, August 14
Dreaming took us for a walk this morning. I got to smell goose poop. Yum. Dreaming wouldn't let me roll in it or eat it. She is too fussy. We had a long ride in the truck.

Wednesday, August 15
Yummy! I hit the jackpot. Someone spilled something wonderful on the gravel. I licked it. And licked it some more. Dreaming told me to stop. I went back and licked it some more. Yum! I think I like this kind of camping!

Some Like It Hot

Not me!

Not the weather...

Not mustard!

We stopped in Pendleton, OR for the night. When we pulled into the campground it was over 100 degrees. The campground had a lot of concrete and only a few, small trees. I was not a happy camper! The next morning we went by Barhyte Specialty Foods. They don't advertise it, but if you ask, they will give you a tour of the plant. Here Mike, with his beard net, since he hadn't shaved all weekend, tells us about the mustard that they use as a base. (Am I the only one who sees him as a big, blue Smurf?!) He is leaning against a container of 'white' mustard that will be used in a variety of recipes.

This is an overview of almost the entire operation. Unfortunately, when we were touring the facility everyone was  on lunch break. 

The mustard is mixed in vats you can barely  see through the large window at the back of the picture. This day they were processing Aioli Garlic Mustard. The mixers are about 5 feet in height. Once all of the ingredients are mixed they are pumped into the bottling room in the foreground. Bottles are cleaned, then filled and capped. They receive a plastic sleeve that is shrink-wrapped around the cap. Next they get a label and they are boxed for shipment. We were both surprised that there is no heating involved in making the mustard, but since it has a lot of vinegar that acts as a preservative. We stopped by the factory store and bought a variety of mustards, then we headed across town to tour the Pendleton Wool Mill. 

This particular mill spins the yarn and then weaves their signature blankets. Here the roving (slim batts of wool) is being spun into a thread. Later it will be put on another spool that will then be used with the looms. 

This loom is weaving a fairly simple blanket. Other looms in the plant weave more elaborate 'Jacquard' patterns. 

The blankets are inspected and piled into a huge stack, still attached to each other, and sent to another Pendleton factory in Washington for washing and finishing.

Following our tours we happily returned to the campground, hooked up the camper and headed west. We stopped for the evening in Cascade Locks, OR. Thankfully, this campground has shade! We hooked our camper up and I took the dogs for a walk. I returned to find our camper spewing water! We had our own cascade! A connection under the kitchen cabinets had broken and water was running across the kitchen floor. Gee, what a great opportunity to wash the floor! Hubby got a cap to repair the connection and we are now high and dry! Luckily this didn't happen when we were gone from the camper for a few hours. That would have been a terrible mess!
We'll be staying here for a few days visiting family and friends. Are any of my west coast blog friends nearby? We could swing by to say, "Hi!"

Blogger Acting Up

For the past few days the layout of my Blog has changed.... and I didn't knowingly do a thing to it.
All of the information that is normally on the sidebar on the right is now under my posts. However, when I go to the layout view... it shows that my posts should be on the left, taking up about 2/3 of the page, and all of my miscellaneous items are on the right. Like this...

If I switch back to view the page, it's still messed up.
Is this happening to any of you?

We are on the road again...

A bug-smeared view of the Payette River

The ONLY way to get a drink from Lake Fork River.

Gypsy, being a lady, didn't want to get her toes wet!

Coming out of the pine forests in Idaho

Happy puppies!