Rally #1 Cody WY

We are scheduled to attend three separate motor home rallies during the next 2 weeks, from Cody, WY back to Rapid City SD. Due to the scheduling of the rallies we will be looping back in the wrong direction from where we want to spend the bulk of our summer (Yellowstone, Grand Tetons and Glacier National Parks) but hey, that's why our home has wheels.

People often ask “So, just what is a rally anyway?” and “What do you do there?” Well, simply put, a motor home rally is a gathering of motor home owners, usually members of the same club. They usually have a common bond, such as they might own the same brand of motor home, or they might come from the same geographical region. Often a rally is mainly an excuse to visit a certain place or a certain area of the country. There will often be organized tours or suggestions for local excursions to take on your own. There are often seminars, technical discussions, and the opportunity to tell tales about our travels, our problems and our solutions. At several past rallies Dorcas has led beading classes, and we have led biking or canoeing trips. Often vendors will be present and sometimes certain service work can be performed on site. There is also a big social component; we do eat, drink and party a bit.

So that's what a rally is. On Monday we moved across town from the Walmart to Absaroka Bay RV where we were attending a rally hosted by Country Coach International (CCI). We own a Country Coach brand motor home, and CCI is the mother club for Country Coach owners and the regional Country Coach clubs. There were about 40 coaches registered for the rally, and we knew maybe a third of the folks here. We actually arrived a little early; the parking committee (Bill S.) was not yet expecting coaches, but Bill found us a site and we were parked by 9:00 am. Many folks had arrived earlier in the week, and we began making the rounds to see who was there. We were parked across the row from friends Rick and Tammy from Florida and their sheltie Dixie. Matilda and Dixie are big buds.

Matilda and Dixie

Some of the best seminars were those presented by “Mac the Fire Guy”. Mac is a long-time fire-safety instructor who travels in his motor home attending rallies and doing fire safety seminars. He shows videos on engine fires and refrigerator fires that will scare the bejesus out you. Then he will sell you fire extinguishers, automatic suppression systems and smoke and CO detectors. Actually he presents very good information on the prevention and suppression of motorhome fires, and safely exiting the coach. He has live burn demonstrations and folks get to put the fire out. We also practice exiting the emergency exits in a coach.

A CCI rally tradition is the pet parade. Folks dress up their pets and parade them for prizes. Most were dogs, but there was one horse (well actually a great dane dressed as a horse). Some animals were not real, such as the stuffed gorilla and various stuffed reptiles. Pretty much everyone got a prize. Matilda won in the most adventurous category, based on her wilderness travels and various animal encounters. The judges made up categories as they went to fit each pet's strengths.

Bella the horse

Several days we went to town. On at least two occasions we visited the Sierra Trading Post Outlet. Sierra Trading Post is an on-line discount house for outdoor clothing and gear, featuring great prices. In a travel brochure in a rack outside the store there were coupons for an addition 35% off. We did manage to find a few items we could use.

Check out the butt on that floozy!

One evening the group had the buffet dinner in the Governor's Room at the Irma Hotel. The Irma was built by Buffalo Bill Cody himself in 1902 and named for his daughter Irma. We had planned to watch the nightly gunfight in the street next to the Irma, but dinner ran over, and somehow we missed it. I can't figure out how we didn't hear all the shooting. We then all went across the street to hear Dan Miller and his Empty Saddle Band for an evening of western music and comedy. It was a great show. Don't miss it the next time you are in Cody.

Dinner in the Governor's room at the Irma

Dan Miller and his Empty Saddle Band

Friday the 14^th was Flag Day. At the city park supporters had planted ~1000 flags to honor veterans and others. It was a moving sight.

Flag Day in Cody

The last day of the rally was a free day, so we decided to ride up the hill into Yellowstone National Park. It was a very pretty ride up the Shoshone River canyon. We entered  atthe East Entrance and continued another 10 miles or so to Sylvan Pass and then to Sylvan Lake. Sylvan Pass was where there were avalanches in May two years ago, thwarting our attempts then to enter Yellowstone via the East Entrance. Even in mid June there was still snow on the pass.

Shoshone River

Sylvan Pass

The weather was great, cool and dry, although we did have a few storms and some hail. Now eastward to Gillette WY for Rally #2.

The Bighorn Mountains WY

We departed the Badlands National Park about 9:00 am. Not exactly the crack of dawn, but, for us, a fairly early start. Our destination was Cody WY, about 470 miles away. This was a fairly long day, even for us. Our itinerary for this trip is a bit convoluted. We are attending three consecutive motor home rallies in the next two weeks. The first is in Cody WY on June 10, the second in Gillette WY on June 18 and the third in Rapid City SD on June 24. If you look on a map, you will see that these run from west to east.. The problem is that we are headed from east to west. Furthermore, after the Rapid City event we are headed back to western Wyoming to visit some national parks. Not the most efficient itinerary. During the last three weeks of June we will be making a series of ZZZs across Wyoming.

Bighorn National Forest

Instead of I-90 we chose to take the scenic route to Rapid City, through Scenic SD on SR 44. The distance was no further, the road was good and the drive was much more, well, scenic. At Rapid City we stopped for some groceries at Sam's Club and Walmart. We also bought a cooked pizza at Sam's for lunch. We got back on I-90 westbound and skirted the north edge of the Black Hills National Forest. We didn't stop at any Black Hills destinations, because we knew we would be back in a week or so. We crossed into Wyoming and stopped at a visitor center, primarily to ask about the best route across the Bighorn mountains. The Big Horn mountains are big and steep. There are basically three routes to traverse them. US 16 is the most southerly route, and it is the flattest route. It is for wimps. US 14 and and US 14A are much steeper. Both feature long, steep grades; US 14 has an 8% grade for about 15 miles, while US 14A has a 10% grade for about 12 miles. Neither route is for the faint of heart. Dorcas did not make me take US 16, but she also would not let me take US 14A. We compromised with US 14. I didn't fight her, because I knew I would have another chance when we came back across next week. The drive was gorgeous. The approach was steep, as expected, but once on top there was a bit of a rolling plateau, until we dropped off the other side. At each overlook we could see thousands of feet below, and look back on the road we had just driven up.

After we dropped off the western edge of the mountain I turned on the Jake brake, shifted down to third gear and coasted smoothly down the hill at about 30 mph.  Near the bottom we stopped at Shell Falls. Dorcas has been recording the TV series North America on the Discovery channel. We wouldn't get to Cody before the show aired, so she made me stop and put up the satellite dish to record the show. We made dinner with the remainder of our lunch pizza and toured the falls while the show recorded. The best part of the falls was the “BigBelly” automatic solar trash compactor at the visitor kiosk. I put our soiled pizza box in the BigBelly, and it started to compact, but then apparently jammed. Oh well, it seemed like a good idea. We got back onto the road after Dorcas' show recorded and were rewarded with a fantastic sunset.

"Big Belly" solar compactor

Shell Falls

We arrived in Cody well after dark and proceeded to the Walmart Supercenter on the west side of town. This is a familiar stop for us. We stayed here for two nights in May 2011 on our way to Alaska, while waiting for the National Park Service to clear the avalanche on Sylvan Pass. As usual, we called ahead to ask for permission to park and where in the lot we should park. The folks at Walmart are always very gracious, so we don't hesitate to spend our money there.

Badlands!!!

The Badlands National Park is a favorite stop when we pass through South Dakota. We camped at Cedar Pass CG at Interior SD in the Badlands NP for 2 nights. We were last here in May 2011 on our way to Alaska. At that time they had just added electric service to a number of sites, a pleasant surprise.

When we pulled into our site we saw a Safari TREK parked two sites away from us. We always check out the Treks; we used to own a TREK, and we still travel with the Southeast TREK Fun Club. Sure enough, we knew these folks: Doug and Judy from Washington state. We had last seen Doug and Judy at rallies in Galax VA in September 2012 and Tampa FL in January 2013. Small world. Of course, with 3000 motor homes converging on Gillette WY, only about 200 miles away, for a convention the following week, it really isn't such a coincidence that we would see someone we know.  Doug and Judy offered to cook dinner for us. Ground beef patties with onions and peppers, and it was delicious.

One of the perks to staying in the National Parks is that they usually have ranger led programs each evening at an amphitheater, usually within walking distance to the campground. We walked over to the evening program, but we could tell there was a storm headed our way. At our location you could see a long distance, and there was severe lighting on the horizon. When we arrived at the amphitheater, the ranger announced that there was a dangerous storm headed directly towards us, and that the evenings program had been canceled. Bummer. We headed home to batten down the hatches, but ultimately the bulk of the storm missed us. We had a bit of wind and some rain, but nothing too significant.

The next day we took a driving tour of the park. The Badlands feature distinct hills that have been eroded into interesting shapes and unusual colors. We saw bison, prairie dogs, pronghorns and bighorn sheep throughout the park. We also drove into Wall SD to see the famous Wall Drug, famous for offering free ice water to thirsty travelers. It's pretty much a tourist trap now, but one that you should see at least once if you are passing through.

 

After our drive Dorcas and Judy did a few short hikes up beyond Cedar Pass, while I took advantage of strong winds to fly my stunt kite. The winds were great, but when I landed the kite I usually got it fowled in the sage brush. We attended the evening program which was about the black-footed ferret. The black-footed ferret feeds on the prairie dogs. Unfortunately, the prairie dogs have been affected by fleas carrying the plague and both populations are declining. There are programs ongoing to treat the colonies, but with limited success.

We will hit the hay very shortly tonight. We have a very long travel day tommorow: ~450 miles to Cody WY.

Through the “I” States Once More

We departed the Thousand Trails park in Batesville questioning whether we will ever return here again. I expect we will, but we can also choose from two other Thousand Trails parks not a far distance away on either side of this one. We'll see. We continued our trek across the dreaded “I” states: Indiana, Illinois and Iowa. We have nothing against any of these states, but the topography is rather bland and boring, and we have passed this way many times before. The most interesting features are the wind mill farms: hundreds of them sprouting across the plains.

To break up the day we had a lunch date planned in Champaign IL with a high school classmate of mine. I have only seen Bill a few times since we graduated from high school in Morganton NC; the last time about three years ago when we were passing through the area. We met bill at the Cracker Barrel just off I-74 in Champaign and had a very nice visit, talking mainly about his family and our travels. After lunch we continued westward across Illinois and into Iowa. We stopped for the night at the Walmart Supercenter in Mason City Iowa, where bought groceries and fuel. We pumped 104 gallons of diesel at $3.599 per gal, perhaps the cheapest fuel we will find on this trip.
 

The next morning we drove about 30 miles to Forest City Iowa, the home of Winnebago for a factory tour. Winnebago Industries has a long history in the RV business. They began producing travel trailers in 1958 and produced their first motor home in 1966. Their products initially were very inexpensive compared to their competitors and the company thrived. Today “Winnebago” and “motor home” are synonymous for many people. Currently Winnebago manufactures motor homes, with about a dozen models ranging from about $100,000-$400,000.

The tour was very fun and interesting. Our tour guide was a long-time former employee and knew most of the folks on the production lines. The factory building were rather old, but the production techniques were modern and innovative. The most impressive part for me was the automated system that delivered components to different parts of the production lines. Various components, such as air conditioners, furnaces, water heater, roof vents, etc. are transported via an elaborate automated system of overhead conveyors and elevators to the point on the production line where they would be installed in the unit. Very cool. Winnebago also manufactures many of their parts including metal framing, cabinets, body and wall panels and upholstered parts, keeping quality control up and costs down. They also produce a number of these products for other customers. After the tour we spent a while in their museum which documents describes the history of the company and its founder. There is a campground on site that has electrical hook ups where guests can spend the night at no charge, whether or not they own Winnebago products. They also had about a half dozen display models there for viewing. 

 

After the tour we zigged north into Minnesota where we picked up I-90. We continued westbound on I-90 until we entered South Dakota at Sioux Falls. We went into town at Mitchell SD to visit the famous Mitchell Corn Palace. The Mitchell Corn Palace is a city auditorium that is decorated inside and out with murals made of different colored corn, depicting historical themes. The original Corn Palace was built in 1892 as a tourist attraction and to highlight the rich soils and to encourage farmers to the relocate to the area. In 1905 the Corn Palace was rebuilt with a larger version as part of the town's bid to become the State capitol (they lost). In 1921 the palace was rebuilt for a final time with a larger structure. There are lots of puns associated with the Corn Palace. I signed the guest register with the comment “Shucks!” There is a “Corncession” stand and the mascot is named “Cornelius”.

We are parked for the night at the Cabela's store in Mitchell. Cabela's is the most RV-friendly store I have every visited. This particular store had a dedicated RV parking area on the far side from the main parking area. It had ~50 long, wide painted RV parking spaces. There was a dump station, kennel and corral for visitors' use. They really do want you to spend the night there. We shopped for an hour or so before hitting the sack.

We are finding it hard to sleep late in the mornings. The sun is setting after 9:00, but rising before 5:30.  With summer solstice almost 2 weeks away, it will only get worse ... but we'll adjust.

Dissapointed in Indiana

We departed Tamarack under clear blue skies and headed north on the West Virginia Turnpike towards Charleston. Beyond Charleston we continued into Ohio and eventually skirted the north side of Cincinnati. From there we entered Indiana and arrived at our camp at Thousand Trail Indian Lakes near Batesville.

Dorcas and I have been members of Thousand Trails for over 6 years. Our membership allows us to stay at any park in the system for up to two weeks at a time for no fee. We often stay at Indian Lakes because it is on the way to Minnesota and because Dorcas likes the hairdresser that works in the salon in the park. Actually there are two other very nice Thousand Trails parks close to our route within a few hours of this one, but Goldilocks says we have to stop here. Unfortunately, Thousand Trails has made some changes that negatively affect the experience. Previously, Thousand Trails only admitted members into the parks, all of whom paid dearly for that exclusive privilege. In an effort to increase revenue, they now also admit the public at large. They also rent their sites on an annual basis, with the effect that less overall camp sites and a small number of the most desirable sites, are available to travelling members. In Batesville there is a pipeline construction project on-going nearby, and all the full hook-up sites were filled with the so-called “pipeliners”. They have also leased or sold a significant number of sites in a very desirable section to KOA. Not only could we not find a full hook-up site, we had difficulty finding a dry level site at all. Eventually we did find a dry grassy site in Phase III and set up for our two night stay. If things don't improve here we will start staying at one of the other Thousand Trails parks, haircut be damned!

Another irritating aspect of our ride through Indiana is their silly-ass diesel pricing practices. On the surface it would seem that diesel is cheaper than gasoline. Sweet!. But nay, it is not so. Fuel depots post the “exempt” diesel price, meaning the price that exempt truckers pay. Apparently they pay their road tax on some other basis than a tax added to the fuel, thus a lower price at the pump. Joe Blow (AKA Myron) pulls up to the island, pumps 120 gallons, then goes in and finds the price is 40 cents more per gallon than the posted price. CRAP!!! We actually learned this many years ago and always boycott diesel stations in Indiana. We have a 135 gallon tank and have a lot of flexibility where we buy fuel.

Westward Ho ... again

We're on the road again! Actually we have been on the road the majority of the time since we returned from Alaska in the fall of 2011, but this writer has suffered from severe writer's block (AKA laziness) and has not posted any updates to this journal since that time. We have just departed for a rather long-distance adventure to the Rockies, so I wanted to resurrect this travelog. I hope that once I get started it will begin to flow more freely again. I regret not writing in the interim, because we have done so many interesting things and been to so many interesting places. Not only have friends said they miss our tales, I miss going back and reading them myself. Reading my own past writings brings back the memories of those trips as much as does looking back at the photos.

So off we go. We are heading west towards South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana, then meeting friends in Minnesota for our traditional Boundary Waters wilderness canoe trip. We left home this evening at about 6:00 PM in a light rain. We often like to leave home after the evening rush hour, driving about 3 hours, then spend the night somewhere along the road. We headed north through Virginia and West Virginia and stopped at Tamarack in Beckley WV.  Tamarack is a kinda shopping center/conference center that specializes in West Virginia crafts and folk products. Best of all, it has a dedicated RV parking lot that is very quiet and safe. It is our favorite RV parking spot in all WV. The rain abated and our first night on the road was very nice. Life is still good.

Fries (rhymes with trees) Out!

We had a three-day weekend coming up and we wanted to do something with some of our working friends. A paddling trip was considered. We hoped Jim and Ann, Katie and Michael would be able to join us for a three-day, two-night canoe camping trip. Everyone had Friday off and Katie had Saturday and Sunday off (her only weekend off in November). Yea! Next came the obstacles... OK, Jim and Ann were going to be in Hawaii for her brother's 11/11/11 wedding...trip to Hawaii vs padding with Myron and Dorcas...duh, no brainer. Next, Katie and Michael's 2 year old daughter has never been in a canoe...and with their work schedule not sure when they will have time to do the introduction... Maybe we should consider a backpacking trip. It was early...we still had time to plan.

Our friend Ken sent us an e-mail inviting us to spend the weekend with him and another couple in a co-worker's "cabin" in Fries, VA. We could go up on Thursday, bike and hike two or three days, enjoy the hot tub, time around a campfire and a great view overlooking the New River.

Choices, choices... We talked with Katie to see how their plans were coming together. Nothing definite yet. So, she suggested we go with the Virginia trip. We could get together with them another time. Ah, it's great to be retired and flexible.

So, how do we pack for a weekend in a cabin? We need sheets and towels, food for breakfasts, lunches and dinners... We know how to pack for canoe camping trips, no problem. We know how to pack for RV camping, no problem. We know how to pack for a backpacking trip, no problem. OK, I know we can do this. The cabin has a fully furnished kitchen, check. Will we have quick breakfasts of cereal, yogurt or group breakfasts and cook? Will we eat out for dinner or cook group meals? After consulting with Ken we planned for quick breakfasts, cook in Saturday night and eat out Thursday and Friday. We have a plan and we'll stop by the Super Walmart in Galax on the way up.

Now, for packing. There is a king, a queen, a twin and 2 full size beds. What size sheets do we take? King, Queen and Full? Well, maybe take the king set and it can fit either. We'll need trike gear, layered clothing for cold weather. Packs and hiking boots (from the RV) camera, binoculars, food and medicine for Matilda. ...this shouldn't be this hard. Believe it or not...we packed the car and met Ken in King at 4:30. At Walmart in Galax we shopped for groceries. The plan changed from quick to group cooked breakfasts. OK, Myron would fix omelets for everyone on Saturday, John would fix French toast for everyone on Sunday. We could cook in three nights...meat to grill, charcoal...extra snacks and beverages. OK, we're good.

We finally arrived at the lovely "cabin" which is a very lovely house well furnished with a great view of the New River, hot tub, gas log fireplace, private yard for Matilda to run and play. Nice.

After a few housekeeping chores and turning on everything, we settled in for a cozy evening. Friday was forecast to be a bit chilly so Ken, Myron and I agreed a hike would be our best choice. John and Easter would arrive Friday evening so we will bike on Saturday when the temps will be warmer.

We drove to Cumberland Knob for a 4 mile hike. Access to the parking lot and our trail head was closed so we joined another vehicle and parked beside the road and walked through the gate. The day was beautiful and just the right amount of chill in the air for a moderately strenuous hike. We had the trail to ourselves most of the day. We met a couple from Raleigh who Ken knew (small world) and later met a large border collie running ahead of his owner. Matilda was a bit shy initially (he was really big for a border), then they became friends and chased each other for a few minutes. The dog's owner arrived and told us he was a "wolf" border collie. Interesting...

The hot tub wasn't warm enough to try out after our hike. We grilled steaks and enjoyed a nice campfire. We welcomed Ester and John when they arrived later and settled in.

Saturday was another beautiful day. Myron treated us to a delicious breakfast of hearty omelets and cheese grits, then we all set out for the New River Trail access in Fries. Myron and I packed a lunch and planned to eat on the trail; Ken, Esther and John decided to bike into Galax for lunch at a local diner. The trail was in good condition so the trikes (Myron and I) moved along fairly well albeit not nearly so fast as the bikers (Ken, Esther and John). I was trailing everyone...but not a problem, it was a great day to enjoy a leisurely ride. It had been about a year since we last triked. Myron pushed ahead and stopped periodically for me to catch up. There were several groups of riders (not crowds) out this day with most pedaling from Galax to Fries and return. There was one church group traveling our way Fries to Galax and return. They had folks setting up for lunch and a campfire at the Fries access. I think they turned around at Fries Junction.

Our bikers had lunch at Aunt Bea's and Myron and I lunched at Cliffview campground. A really nice place to stop and enjoy the day. Too bad we hadn't planned to camp. Another time... We all arrived back at the cars about the same time with me bringing up the rear. Everyone was eager to "hit" the hot tub. The temperature was right and the jets soothing. A fine way to end a day of exercise followed by steaks on the grill and marshmallows and tall tails around the campfire.

Sunday morning John treated us to delicious French Toast and Ester prepared a wonderful fruit salad with her "secret" ingredient chocolate chips. Yum.

Before heading home we decided to do a short hike on the Virginia Highlands horse trail near Fries. After quite a bit of car "hiking" we located the trail and enjoyed a nice walk in the woods.

We returned to the "cabin" and cleaned house, turned everything off, locked up and packed up for home... the workers back to face a new week and Myron and me to plan our next adventure. Life is good. Nice meeting you Esther and John. Thanks Ken for inviting us...keep us on your list for next time.

Out of the BWCAW

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Once again we have survived our annual canoe trip into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). Dorcas and I have gone into the BWCAW every year since we met in 1997, except one. This year was unique in that this was the first time we have gone by our selves. In every other trip we have gone with our friends Wayne and Lynda. This year Wayne and Lynda went to New England and the Adirondacks instead. Wayne and Lynda had always planned the route, which meant Dorcas and I were on our own to plan our route and all our meals. In previous trips we shared meals and cooking chores, and shared certain camping gear. Dorcas really stepped up to the plate and planned our route.

We decided to take a very leisurely trip. We planned short days with many lay-over days, days when we stayed on the same lake and campsite two nights instead of moving to another lake and site. We also stayed on smaller lakes, which tend to be more interesting, and paddled a number of creeks and rivers. In total we paddled and/or portaged about 50 miles over 14 days. This is a trip many folks would do in a week or less. It is good to be retired and not have to rush a trip. Following is a GPS track of our trip showing our route and the location of our camps.

We had a really great trip. The weather was mild, with highs generally less than 80 degrees and lows in the 60s. It rained a few times, but usually after we had retired to the tent. We only set up the rain tarp twice and only actually used it once. We saw a fewer number of other paddlers than in past trips. At one point we went 72 hours without seeing another party. We had our choice of good campsites.



There was one out-of-boat experience when Matilda fell asleep and rolled off the boat into the water. This was not the first time she has fallen out of the boat, but this was a little different in that I don't think she woke up until she was about a foot under water. I dragged her up and she came out coughing and choking. Not a happy camper.

While in Alaska we purchased an REI tent that is a bit larger than our North Face tent we have used for several years. The new tent worked out well. It has plenty of head room, two large vestibules which Matilda stayed in and is very easy to set up.

All in all it was a very laid-back trip.

The fishing was good early in the trip. Dorcas caught one small northern pike and probably would have caught more if she had kept her line in the water. I caught the usual assortment of small mouth bass, walleye and pike. Typically, Wayne and I would fillet the fish we ate, so Dorcas was not looking forward to helping me. Something about the combination of a sharp weapon, slippery squirming fish, and trying to cut out sections of fish without the bones didn't seem like fun to her. The appeal of a delicious camp fish meal won her over in the end. We actually made a good team, and our fish dinner was quite good.