Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Thelma and Louise in the Northwest
Thelma and Louise - Part Two - the Northwest US and southern Alberta/ British Columbia - 2016. Or as Kelzie says, Best of the West - Part Two
Day 1 - Saturday, July 9, 2016 - Madison to Watertown, South Dakota
483 total miles, 7:47 moving time
First funny sighting - on the way to Sauk City a sign along the road said "Chips Happen" with the picture of a cow looking back past its butt at the passers-by. In Sauk City the sign was clarified by a billboard announcing the upcoming Cow Chip Throw contest.
At our first soda/bathroom stop we took on a hitchhiker, a small tree frog on the hood of the car. Around Rochester, MN Kelzie was in touch with Amanda and learned she and Leif were in town visiting her parents after a trip to the boundary waters. Unfortunately, we were beyond town and didn't turn back to visit. In general the crops were very healthy throughout the day, having had a great growing season thus far - lots of corn and some beans, still short, with a few fields of wheat thrown in among them. Fields varied in size but none were immense, and there were a lot of wooded areas and tree lines throughout the state, not fully cleared land as in IL. A lot of huge dairy farms dotted the landscape, with immense open sheds and no grazing land. One example was Christiansen Farms in Sleepy Eye, MN, with at least 20 semi cattle trailers parked on-site. We saw stockyards and ethanol plants. Hay was being baled, including all along the roadsides. Our route took us past many huge private grain elevators, community elevators, and long lines of grain train cars (some being filled from the elevators).
We saw a few motorcycles today, but not large groups, and no riders with helmets. There were almost no semi trucks or RV's on the road. Our route through MN on Hwy 14 was 55 mph mostly and police were present. This is the Laura Ingles Wilder Highway, and we drove by her childhood home of Walnut Grove and the nearby Plum Creek which she made famous. The weather can close these roads and signs along the way can provide warnings with flashing lights.
Interesting sighting(s) - Tea Party advertisement, Vote Trump yard signs, as well as many Pro-Life billboards and a church sign "Blessed is the Nation whose God is the lord".
West of Balaton, MN a massive wind farm began, and it continued to the SD border, many miles. All side roads through this area were gravel.
Gas today ranged from $1.99 to 2.09 in MN, with SD prices being $2.19 + as far as Watertown.
At Brookings, SD we turned north onto I-29 (speed limit 80 MPH)and spent the night at the HIEx in Watertown. Upon arrival I walked 25:00 outside around the nearby business park in 85+ degrees then 25:00 on the Fitness Center treadmill. After dinner at IHOP, a walk through Walmart for jerky and a drive around this town of 20,000+ which is the commercial hub of the area I logged and we watched parts of some movies. By evening the hotel was very full and the pool, befitting a small resort, was quite busy.
Day 2 - Sunday, July 10, 2016 - Watertown, SD to Ipswich, SD, including Roscoe.
During the night fierce storms came through and the hotel lost power, setting off the fire alarm. I Didn't hear the alarm but did hear the thunder several times. The system was mostly past by 8:00 with a few showers lingering. I was awake at 5 and at 6 went to the Fitness Center to do a core/strength workout. Kelzie joined me a bit later and rode the best bike option. We were off in 64 degree temp after showers and breakfast. We noticed last night that gas was $2.19 at the interstate but $2.29 further toward the city center. On our way through town this AM all the family owned restaurants were full of Sunday breakfast people.
I chose Hwy 20 for our route toward Aberdeen and Kelzie did the driving. We saw a lot of grazing cattle, crops, smaller farms/homesteads, and small lakes. The road took off west, straight as a shot, with a few curves and jogs. Rolling hills covered with crops and pasture painted a beautiful picture.
Interesting sighting: Merkel's Garage - "Why Cuss, Call Us" in the very small town of Bradley SD., The nearby house/storage shed was painted with a mural of Kilroy, the Kilroy's bar logo of the round fellow with a long nose hanging down the wall.
We saw a roving pheasant crossing the road (very colorful bird!) and a hawk sitting on the shoulder of the road watching for dinner. At that point we dropped over the last rim onto a massive flat-as-a-pancake valley with interesting weather clouds in the far distance and a massive wind farm trailing north on the crest of the rim. South Dakota at its best. At the turn toward Aberdeen I met up with a bicyclist who was well-equipped for cross country camping and heading south another 20 miles to beat today's heat. Aberdeen, a very long E/W-oriented city has everything anyone would want, as it's the supply source for this part of the state. By now the weather had cleared and the city was busy with people shopping and brunching. Kelzie took a picture of the world's first Super 8.
Interesting sign: Don't squat with your Spurs on.
Heading west on Hwy 12, we found the Elford cabin on Mina Lake at 199 S. Summit. The paint is peeling badly but there is a very nice dock in the water with a pontoon boat tied up. The shed between the house and road is still standing, the outhouse is gone and the water equipment/water pump shed is still in place. A room has been added to the east side of the house, toward the water, a sunroom of sorts. The stonework on the cabin to the south was a familiar sight but the cabin to the north is gone, with the lot being vacant and mowed. Back on Hwy 12, Great Lakes Energy has a huge facility just west of Mina. The land here is very flat and the road can be seen as a ribbon in the distance.
We elected to drive through Ipswich and head to Roscoe but thought better of that plan and spent time in Beebe before turning back to Ipswich. Here Kelzie took loads of photos of the BEEBE sign on the railroad track and then the train passing by the sign. There are 2 houses on the south side of Hwy 12 and 1 about 1/10 of a mile north of the highway. West of the intersection is a business of some sort in a large metal shed.
Back in Ipswich we cruised the town, checked into the hotel (the Manager came from her home when we called her from the provided phone) then identified all the important sights. The MP Beebe library is open T-Sat 2-6 PM and looks good with the prayer rock out front. Across the street is the Parmley Land Agency Museum which was not open. Further south on that street the Bank building looks good except for the southeast corner and a very nice, large historical mural decorates a building across the side street south. The west side of that street has almost nothing to offer in services or appearance. One street to the west, the JWParmley Historical Home and Museum opened at 2 PM and we spent about 30 min reacquainting ourselves with its extensive contents. Kelzie found a photo of Ed Beebe in a group of men at some sort of celebration at the Sitting Bull grave when Ed was an early teen. She was able to take a photo of the photo. We conversed with the dosant working today and shared Beebe and Ipswich history. The big house on Hwy 14 looks a bit worse for wear - it probably requires a lot of upkeep which is more than the current owners can handle . The Beebe house at 4th and Euclid is rundown and somewhat overgrown but in spite of the growth Kelzie was able to get a photo of the stone walls around the east patio. The Yellowstone Trail Road arch looks well kept and has colorful pots of flowers at its bases.
We drove to Roscoe, checked out the Elford house then drove north into the countryside. In the Morning Side Cemetery we found the Elford grave, which was standing tall. Back in town (Roscoe) we ate a late lunch (3:30?)at Rickey's, which was doing a brisk business in the bar/pool room, but saved half for dinner. Back in Ipswich we found 91 gas, took our stuff to our room, walked to the store for drinks and relaxed in the room after talking with Rick. We noticed that a Dollar store is being opened across the street. This hotel is the former hospital, and a man purchased it to make a motel. The Manager said the owner is doing quite well with it, as confirmed by the # of trucks in the parking lot - construction workers working on a pipeline and some building onto the Roscoe school. My Achilles seized and I'm still disabled.
Day 3 - Monday, July 11, 2016 - Roscoe to Hill City, South Dakota (or Dakotah as some signs say). 431 miles, 12:41 moving, 1118 tot miles
My Achilles was OK this morning, thankfully. It was cloudy and rainy this AM so I did a core/band workout in the community room across the hall. We were about the last people to get away, as the parking lot was empty when we left. Those construction workers leave early. Heading west on flat lands we could see the weather in the distance all day. In Roscoe Ricky's was doing a brisk breakfast/coffee business, the road bypassed Bowdle and we continued on open road (Hwy 12 and south on 83) with little traffic. Further south, grain trucks increased, we saw a pheasant but no other wild animals, there appeared to be no good coffee, the wheat combining had started, the sunflower plants are about 2 ft tall, and we were impressed by the open space, mostly grazing land. I thought I saw a field of lavender. There are SO MANY hay bales in this part of the state, and most are still in the fields. Many of the Local vehicles on the road seem to be older sedans or pick-up trucks.
We entered Pierre beside another WI car, with the 4-lane road ending suddenly with no warning. At McD's we ordered a light breakfast and coffee, though we had eaten yogurts earlier from our cooler bag. Across the Missouri River Kelzie found a couple of surprising items in the grocery store, given that we're in SW South Dakota - peppermint coffee mate and key lime/graham Oreos.
On I-90 heading west toward Wall, SD we saw this:
"Help Manage your Wildlife - Wear Fur. Hunting and Trapping controls population". In Wall we re-visited Wall Drug and discovered that Americans love their trinkets and anything western. Outside town we headed south and joined the crowd driving through the Badlands National Park. This area is notably dry and windy but interesting in its starkness. In certain lights it shows its colors but during early afternoon today it was rather bland. Beautiful, still. We chatted with a lady whose 2 sons have/do attend IU, the one graduating in Physics/math and the other studying Computer Science. We rounded the east end of the Park and took Hwy 44 west to Rapid City. Here we visited the Information Center to learn how to see Mt. Rushmore without paying the $11 parking fee then drove south to Keystone and out on the Iron Mountain road to take photos of the heads through the 3 tunnels precisely carved to frame them. Before leaving Rapid City we noticed some of the bronze US President statues that Kelzie says the city has installed. The ones we saw were positioned on street corners in the center part of the city. The weather was perfect for having the top down on the car but Kelzie in particular got a bit sunburned.
Tonight we are in the nearby Hill City Holiday Inn Express. We had dinner of salads at the nearby Golden Spike restaurant after checking out a more expensive grill. Afterwards Kelzie did an elliptical workout and I talked with Rick by Facetime/worked out our next few days of travel. He has changed his upcoming surgery to Sept from Oct. It is taking me about 3 hours in the evening to settle in, plan the next days, set up the GPS for the next day and write my log.
Day 4 - Tuesday, July 12, 2016 - Hill City to Red Lodge, MT - Big Horn Mountains
I woke up on Central time so was an hour ahead of the game right from the get-go. I walked on the treadmill and elliptical for 40 min then walked outside in upper 40's temps through downtown for 20 minutes. It was too early to see much going on. Kelzie finished her workout, we went to breakfast, which was busy, and after showers and packing we were on the road in great weather. Our first stop was the nearby recommended Coffee Cabin then we were off and running. Kelzie discovered battery problems with her camera and we solved it by googling Nikon problem solving, charging using her laptop and changing the car charger plug-in. In the end we found that following the Nikon plug-in protocol seemed to solve the problem. Time will tell.
The fire danger in South Dakota and Montana has consistently been high to extreme. We have seen no forest fires but did see evidence of a long-past large fire outside Custer.
Interesting sighting: Between Custer SD and Newcastle Wyoming we saw a stove sitting in a wide open field with its oven door open. The sign sitting on it said "OPEN RANGE". Someone has a great sense of humor!
At the SD/WY border we stopped so Kelzie could take photos of the welcome signs to both states with my IPad since her camera batteries were discharged. Here I met a family of 3 generations from Alabama and FL who were traveling to Cooke City in pickup trucks towing huge 4-wheelers on flat trailers and a closed trailer of equipment and baggage - family vacation to play!
Around the Gillette area, which originally was supported by gas and oil drilling, open pit mining is now the main industry. We saw several pits north of town. Cattle range can be seen as far as the eye can see, which is great for the antelope that inhabit this area. In fact a sign on 14/16 toward Spotted Horse named the road the Wildlife Loop. This route through the countryside was quite remote, 70 MPH, less traveled but quite scenic. We saw a small 4 legged animal with white stripes running down its face crossing the road; tonight Kelzie found out it was a Badger. This area doesn't seem to produce a lot of hay but we saw a semi flatbed hauling huge round bales to a farm. Later on in lush lowlands (Powder River?) we saw irrigated alfalfa fields and green pastures. Areas not so lucky were dry buttes, gullies and hills with few cattle in sight. No decent pasture could be seen.
Seeing the Big Horns in the distance was a beautiful sight. We approached Sheridan and were surprised by its size. The trip up and over the Big Horns presented wonderful sights. On the way up the eastern side on gradual assents we were in pine trees and there were a lot of ATV'rs, campers and fishermen making use of what seemed to be federal lands. At the top (Bald Mountain and Medicine Mountain) we could see both east and west vistas for miles. There was little traffic and the road was good. The descent to the west was quite steep and dry, with the valley far below presenting an impressive sight. From elevation it was impossible to get a perspective as to the terrain below, but as we came down further we could see the rivers and their ravines and buttes more clearly. Beautiful.
Around Lovell we saw bentonite and limestone plants. From Lovell, which was a surprise for its services and interesting downtown, we traveled mostly in the valley heading north to Bridger then southwest a short distance to the cutoff to Red Lodge.
We saw only one Cheney for WY sign.
The amount of wide open space out here is astonishing, and the use of land (or non-use) is interesting to watch, as it changes according to elevation, soil, water and climate conditions. There are a lot of cattle out here and a lot of hay bales.
We are at the very modest Lupine Lodge on Hauser Street (1 block off Broadway) in the small town of Red Lodge. We ate dinner on Main Street at Logan and ______. The town was pretty busy with tourists and locals, with a lot of motorcycles taking up parking places. It sprinkled while we were at dinner but cleared before dark. Red Lodge proper is western-layed-back in culture and architecture and would not survive if not for tourism. The houses in town are modest and the many businesses take up the old storefronts on Broadway. The central part of the town has seen little recent improvement, with the most new building taking place on the approaches - N and S. The number of businesses seems to have expanded to meet the demand, but older facilities have gone defunct as evidenced by some empty/abandoned motels, restaurants and storefronts, particularly away from the town center.
I talked with Rick tonight and we worked on route and housing possibilities for the next couple of nights.
Day 5 - Wednesday, July 13, 2016 - Red Lodge, MT to Jackson, WY - Yellowstone and Tetons
I did 30 minutes of exercises in the decrepit fitness center with a cup of coffee then we dressed and got away by 7 for the Regis Diner and breakfast. Our meals were fantastic at this funky and very popular (with locals) healthy option. I had an apple and walnut omelette with mozzarella, fruit and fruit bread (toasted) and Kelzie had a spinach, mushrooms, cheese and sunflower seeds omelette. We shared a small order of cornmeal and wheat pancakes. We each saved 1/2 of our food for lunch. The coffee was very good and endless and they filled our car mugs, too. So much better than the skimpy continental breakfast (cereal, milk, juice) they put out with poor institutional coffee at the motel!
The trip up Beartooth Pass was beautiful. There was major construction taking place on a deteriorating rock wall on the way up but no stopping, we watched a dirt road progress up the mountain across the valley then we stopped at the first major overlook. Stunning view with the sun coming up. I talked with bikers who had just come down from the pass and they said it was closed 2 days ago for a snow. Someone else said there was still snow. The chipmunk population here was insistent and brave. 2 couples traveling together from Wisconsin asked Kelzie to take their photo and she said she charges 25 cents. Afterwards they paid up!
Progressing, we saw some marmots (we think) and quite beautiful tho small wild flowers of purple, and yellow which bloom in June and July. At 10,899 feet there was lift equipment, a huge lake with others above draining into it and hanging snowpack across the way. The summit was 10,947. We progressed down quickly, met a group of bikers from Waunakee (Harley's). The day started at about 56 degrees and we saw 37 degrees.
Passing Chief Joseph turnoff we were on the Nez Pierce trail. We passed through Silver Lake then entered Yellowstone. Within a mile we started seeing buffalo and saw coyotes in the meadow. Through the meadow area, which continued on for miles, we saw several buffalo herds, many young, more coyotes and antelope. At one point we were up close and personal with a buffalo that stopped traffic so he could cross a long bridge on the road. There were lots of fishermen braving the bear territory and many birders in groups with massive equipment. The weather was perfect and we had the top down. Around 10:30 the traffic picked up, which slowed down our progress.
At Tower Junction we turned south and explored a couple of side roads but were faced with too much traffic and extensive walks to see falls, etc. At Canyon Junction we visited the Visitors Center then moved on to see the geysers on Upper, Lower and Midway Basins. At all the stops there were masses of cars parked along the roads and throngs of people on the boardwalks so we viewed from the road and moved on from each. At Old Faithful we were able to park up close to the Education Center and walk the boardwalk around the nearby geysers during the wait until the main event at 4:00. Again, the extensive bench seating (which has been massively increased since Rick and I were last here) was filled with many more people standing, 100's of people in all. Immediately after Old Faithful spewed we exited in a long line of cars. On our way to West Thumb we Crossed the continental divide twice. Yellowstone Lake, elevation 7733, was a beautiful sight as we headed south from West Thumb and again over the Continental Divide at 7988 ft elevation. We made our way out the South Park entrance, where the line of vehicles who just left Old Faithful was being waved into the adjacent Teton National park with nary a check of passes or taking of money.
The Tetons came into sight and we were quite impressed. Kelzie was able to get a great photo of the range from the northern end over Jackson Lake. We turned off on Teton Road, which runs close to the eastern side of the mountains and next to Jenny Lake then turned back out to the main road at Moose. We could have continued south on the secondary road to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and Teton Village had it not been for the rough gravel portion of that leg. On the main road (Hwy 89) we passed the commercial airport and the nearby huge elk refuge, but we saw no elk. The Wildlife Art Sculpture situated at the edge of town sported a very nice work of art at its entrance. In Jackson we were immediately struck by the masses of people who were here. We had no idea this area was such a draw during the summer, thinking it was a winter resort. The town square is decorated with huge arches of antlers at each corner, which we learned are decorated with Christmas lights during the holiday season. It was hard to get through town due to the congestion.
Our motel, the huge Virginian Lodge and RV Resort, was a welcome sight. The staff were helpful and friendly, but their enthusiasm for Sidewinders grill was misdirected, as the restaurant was very busy and our meal poorly prepared. After a chat with Rick we called it a day without finishing our usual evening tasks of writing and planning. I did call and try to reserve a room for tomorrow night in Missoula but was unsuccessful. We'll drive and search.
266 miles for the day.
Day 6 - Thursday, July 14, 2016 - Jackson, WY to Missoula, MT - sunrise view of the Tetons.
Up at 4:30, Starbucks at 5 with a film crew hoping to film sunrise on a cabin for a house renovation program. There was barely light on the east "horizon". After a quick search we settled on a viewpoint along the main road north of Moose, Glacier view Turnout. We viewed the slow sunrise with a full vista of the 40-mile long range with a man from Michigan whose adult children live here. Kelzie got many wonderful photos and the man took our picture in front of the 3 main mountains. Back in town we ate breakfast at the very popular restaurant associated with the Virginian Lodge and had a good conversation with the Manager, who moved here 17 years ago from Baraboo. He filled us in on the housing shortage and expense here, which severely limits the ability of workers to live in town. I had yogurt, fruit, granola and a biscuit. Kelzie had eggs, ham and potatoes and made a breakfast sandwich with the included biscuit.
We packed and were away by 8 on Hwy 22 over the Snake River in view of hot air balloons taking advantage of the early morning air and views. The road was busy with workers coming over the pass from Idaho and its lower housing prices. On the west side of the pass Victor is not as popular as Jackson, which is a surprise given its proximity. It's empty store fronts gave it a ghost town appearance. Further north toward and in Diggs there was a lot of housing. This area is irrigated. We could not see the Teton mountains nearby to the east due to the relatively high foothills; the east side of the mountains have no foothills.
Continuing on, the wheat was green and mostly irrigated, the hay was in big square bales and the potato fields were blooming. The potato sheds here on the many potato farms were Quonset hut-type and some were earth bermed for storage. Potato harvesting equipment was visible and we saw a crop sprayer near Newton. The rolling hills made for a nice terrain, particularly because it was so green. We were on the Sacajawea Teton Scenic Byway. West of the Interstate and Rexburg we drove through unproductive lava fields which reach as far south as Craters of the Moon National Monument west of Idaho Falls. We turned from 33 onto 28 and headed up the valley next to the Bitterroot range. There was lots of hay storage and we saw a sign for a lavender farm. At 10:30 I called the Missoula HIEx and was able to get a room after they were all sold out last night.
This area was wide open grazing land. We crossed the 45th parallel 17 miles south of Salmon. This town with 3100 residents is the commercial center for this huge area of spread-out ranches. We were able to get our photo taken along the Salmon River north of Salmon. Nearby we saw what might have been an eagle's nest on top of an electrical pole. Up and Over the continental divide at Lost Trail Pass we stopped to get photos of the Idaho and Montana signs.
The rapid descent from the pass was not a safe one for a bicyclist; 2 ambulances and other emergency vehicles, including what may have been the sag vehicle for the bicycle tour, were administering to the riders who evidentially bit the dust just down from the pass. Further on between Sula and Conner a 3 vehicle crash turned over a large RV bus and badly damaged 2 other vehicles.
Into the Bitterroot Valley the population drastically increased, as did prosperity. Homes and small ranches (including horse ranches) were in evidence, dramatically different from the open grazing land. We passed through several towns, including Darby where logger days will be this weekend. In town was a place that makes life-size metal sculptures. Through this area and to Missoula the road was very busy and the traffic fast moving.
Missoula is a bustling city with an abundance of coffee trailers and a healthy tourist trade. We checked in at the HIEx and soon went to Ruby's Diner (a Gilliland recommendation from scouting trips evidentially) for comfort food. We kept half our dinners for lunch tomorrow. The evening was spent researching, writing, editing photos and watching old movies. Gas here is $2.39 regular and $2.69 premium. Far less a price difference than Madison.
417 miles.
Day 7 - Friday, July 15, 2016 - Missoula, Montana to Rising Sun Inn, Glacier NP MT
Missoula - elevation 3257
Up at 5:30 to my alarm and quickly to the fitness center. The elliptical fought me back so after 10 minutes I moved outside to the nearby business park for a brisk walk. 35 minutes total due to our agreed-upon meeting time approaching. After loading the car we walked to the adjacent parking lot to purchase coffee from one of the many (!) coffee trailers that dot this city. We did our usual HIEx breakfast of turkey sausage and hard boiled eggs and I took a yogurt and granola with me for late morning snack. Underway at 7:30, we progressed quickly in light traffic at first toward Glacier National Park. Our first interesting sighting was a large sodded overpass built for animals. We would like see many of these during the coming days. The speed limit varied, as did the intentions of the other drivers so progress was frustrating. However, the scenery more than made up for it in that the mountains to the east of us (Mission Mountain wilderness or the Flathead Range in the Rocky Mountains further east, according to the map) provided a nice sunrise as the sun came up over them. Eventually Flathead Lake came into view and impressed. The area south of the lake was fertile ground of wheat and alfalfa. The lake area appeared as a large bowl with pine trees down to the water except on the west which was grazing land. Picturesque islands, marinas and sailboats dotted the lake. Rustic mountain western style lake-side homes were in abundance. Kelzie commented that the area is reminiscent of Lake Tahoe in appearance, though not size.
Polson on the south of the lake was busy and a large RV park of just bus-size vehicles was situated on the north side of town. To the north of the lake healthy crops and small ranches covered the terrain.
We spent the day driving through Glacier National Park and stopping at many scenic sights. Water in the form of lakes, rivers, streams and waterfalls flowed into and down the valley and beautiful mountains towered on all sides. We walked the Avalanche Creek Trail of the Cedars Nature trail on the boardwalk and it was a beautiful cedar-hemlock forest with the creek and waterfalls providing the moisture for lush growth. In 2003 the Trappers Fire burned a massive area around "the loop" of the drive, and we were able to see much of the damage from overlooks. The West tunnel Loop Falls, Big Bend, Weeping Wall, Bird Woman Falls, Triple Arches, Logan Pass (Continental Divide crossing at 6646 ft) kept our heads turning. We had the top down in perfect weather and were out/in the car numerous times. Wild Goose Island in St Mary Lake on the east end of the park and near our lodge was a favorite stop because we could see many of the peaks of the park in the distance to the west. Funny sighting: Here I saw 3 different people, all foreigners, having their photo taken with our car. We'll return here tomorrow morning for a sunrise photo.
Along the way we visited the Apgar, Logan Pass and East Entrance (St Mary) Visitors Centers to get information and ask questions. It was late day by the time we found our cabin at Rising Sun Lodge, then after a brief rest and checking email at the only wifi hotspot at the Reception building we drove 5 miles to the intersection of Hwy 89 and the park road for dinner at Johnson's Restaurant up on the hill. There weren't many options. The Cafe we wanted to eat at closed at 5 without notifying our Lodge of their new schedule.
226 miles.
Day 8, Saturday, July 16, 2016 - Glacier National Park to Golden, British Columbia
We were up at 5:15 with the alarm and quickly out the door dressed warmly to go to Wild Goose Island (1 mile away) to take sunrise photos of the scene over it to the mountains in the west. However, Mother Nature needed to water her garden so provided thick cloud cover. Kelzie and several other well-equipped photographers waited in anticipation of a clearing, but it wasn't to be. Back at the cabin we packed up, checked out, looked at email and news, filled our coffee mugs from the free coffee bar and headed to St Mary for breakfast at the Park Cafe. It was open this morning and doing a brisk business; this is clearly a popular place with locals and tourists alike. We chatted with a young Madison man and his companion from Chicago about their Elements and service in Madison while eating eggs, etc. About 8 miles north we did the Many Glacier Lodge road, which suffers from weather and being part of an Indian reservation. Ranging cattle and deteriorating road sections kept us alert. The scenery at the end of the road could have been spectacular but the clouds prevented great views. The campgrounds and lodges (one massive in size) were full and many hikers were taking off for their day's walk. The red park buses, similar to the Yellowstone buses, were already running.
Back on Hwy 89 we picked up what we thought might be a Canadian cell signal 10 miles from the border and checked with a cafe waiter to confirm that it was indeed not a US carrier. At the border the serious Canadian immigration officer didn't even have a good morning for us. We moved on across the very wide open valley in mostly cloudy conditions and 50's temp. Don't know that it reached 60 today and later dropped to low 50's. The wheat was green, the safflower was yellow and the traffic was light and quick. Approaching Calgary we could see the rain system moving across the city from the high plateau of our approach so we skirted the city and headed for Banff. In heavy traffic we approached this destination and found tight quarters, droves of wet tourists and congestion unmatched. We moved on to Lake Louise and were warned by a DOT sign that the traffic there was bad and recommended taking the shuttle. We found the Information Center at the edge of town and I learned that most rooms were taken with some $500 variety remaining. We went to the Lake Louise Inn to inquire about any cancellations but didn't get good news, with no rooms available tomorrow either. With a full tank of gas and a Diet Coke we headed to Golden at the advice of the Information staff person. On the way through Kicking Horse Pass and across the continental divide. We stopped at the lodge right before the pass but no vacancies existed there, either. In Golden we first stopped at the HIEx, where a No Vacancy sign decorated the door. A room became available while I was inquiring (I think the manager heard our conversation), but the $199 price tag (including discounts) turned me away. The Best Western and Prestige hotels were full, as was the Days Inn. We took a $124 room at Super 8, happily.
The car needed to be cleaned out and organized then we lugged stuff to the room and collapsed for a few minutes with slow wifi. Rick and I tried to FaceTime but the wifi wouldn't support it so Rick called. He's finding food and doing a lot of watering, has done a ride each day, had his new knee brace adjusted, dined with Brian Wertz and worked out every day, more than I have been able to do.
We had a taco salad (me) and chicken (Kelzie) at the very popular nearby Legend Diner (sign only half lit) and returned to our room to finish evening tasks.
The road-side part of this town is very busy with tourists wanting to overnight outside the park and truckers passing through or using it as a truck stop. Many people are walking to/from dinner at one of the many options among the franchise hotels along the 4 lane that cuts through the area. We did not explore the town as we were glad to be out of the car.
Day 9, Sunday, July 17, 2016 - Golden around trip to Jasper National Park
Workout on the balcony
Shower
Continental breakfast
Tim Horton's for coffee
Over the pass to Lake Louise in clouds then some clearing so could see some glaciers.
Bear on the Lake Louise road, readily identified by the # of vehicles parked near it to take photos.
50,000 on odometer
To Lake Louise at 49 degrees. Photos in mostly cloudy weather with enough clearing to get some photos of the mountains and hotel. Bright green water, most of the vacationers were Asian.
Gas is $1.32 per liter. Mint Kit Kat at the gas station!!!
Highway 93 toward the Icefields; Hecter Lake Crowfoot glacier, bow glacier and waterfall. Sights too numerous to mention and cars too many to count, though moving along OK. Many bike riders on this road.
Rain started south of Saskatchewan River Crossing with shops, food, etc.
After that, rough road, traffic thinned or spread out
Kelzie got a ticket for speeding - reduced to 5 KPH. Accelerating up a hill so.....of course moving right along after being behind a long line of vehicles
Columbia Glacier Icefield Center - packed with tour buses. Everyone taking glacier tour via snow bus. Inside for Info, coffee, bathroom, gift shop
Had been clear so we could see sights with a few low clouds
Rain north of Jonas campground
Sunwapla falls walk to take photos - lots of water going through a narrow passage
Decided to turn around rather than continuing on to Jasper. The town might have been interesting but the drive would have been similar to the terrain since the glacier center.
Turned back with the top down and 58 degrees. Of course the return trip seemed faster and the sights that we missed on the way up could be better seen this time.
Very short wild flowers along the road today - white, bright orange and some blue or purple. Stunted by weather.
Bridal Veil Falls
Weeping Wall (which evidentially freezes in the winter, which creates quite a sight).
Moraine Lake - crowded road and parking along the road. We were able to get a spot up front. Lodge said vacancy. Walked edge. Many people walked across log jam to high rock hill for better look. Very bright color because this glacier does not sluff off "flour" into the water like Lake Louise glacier.
Over the pass and into Golden. A lot of traffic coming up the pass toward Lake Louise though late day.
Grocery store - IGA for snacks
Diner again because reliable - very good homemade daily soup, good chicken, good chili.
Tim Hortons where truckers were lined up to get Java before leaving town. One t-shirt read "Ice road Season 2015"
Unpack car, call Rick and plan tomorrow, write log.
OK weather by end of day; mostly cloudy but not raining.
Room is OK with us - basic but beds comfortable, frig, TV, not stinky or noisy. Quiet tonight as the crowds headed home today.
Light outside at 10 PM
350 miles (GPS)
50,302 OD.
Day 10 - Monday, July 18, 2016 - Golden, BC to Republic, WA gained an hour
West on 23 to Revelstoke with sunrise on mountains.
Mountain goat and stopped to photo
Grooved road because of truck traffic.
Rogers Pass
Revelstoke - destination town, 5 gal gas to get to US, coffee. Looks like nice community
Hwy 23 South , newly chip sealed.
Columbia R is huge here but we would see it much bigger by end of day. On this route difficult to see River because of trees
Ferry every 1/2 hr. Only one running. Not full
Hwy 31 which we intended from ferry is packed clay we heard so didn't take - concern for potholes, rocks and wet clay.
Stayed on 23 to Nakusp, New Denver.
Logging trucks - telephone pole size. Saw raw and prepared to use
Nakusp on Upper Snow Lake - Nice little town on picturesque lake
All lakes are huge and picturesque surrounded by pine covered mountains.
By now out of high Rockies
New Denver - hang gliding
followed pretty stream down to Keslo (beautiful mountain stream -rocky and pines along
Sign posts are metal "L's" with sign suspended so can swing when hit by snow plow or spraying snow.
Curvy road.
Kalsomine onto 31A busy, OK but rugged
Dark chocolate Kit Kat in Kalso
Signs - many - "Be vocal against moving the ferry - Save Queens Bay"
Motorcycle camp ground - Toad Rock Campground
Ferry - Balfour to Kootney every 50 min - 2:00
Lots of vehicles waiting in Kootney - 2 ferry's running.
Later on radio heard ferry problem - backed up ferry's not going or having to wait, don't know which.
Along Kootney lake. Beautiful but not touristy. No resorts. Many places for sale. Look across to pine covered mtns.
Overcast on ferry then cleared.
R called - in Superior. We're still in Canada
Part way down to Creston fertile valley S. Of Lake. Huge lake
Turn west on road K and I took year Ironman Canada.
Creston Pass - first 100 KM speed limit in long time. Moved quickly
Sign - "Keep right. Let others pass"
Border crossing. Looked in trunk and engine. Gave gas directions. Smiles and not intimidating.
South on 31. Talked w Rick again at gas
20 across thru Coleville and Kettle Falls
Deer on the road, 2 families of turkeys incl young at a farm
Beautiful lakes and family ranches.
Canyons of trees, wood products.
White Mountain fire east of Republic. Sherman Pass
Kettle Falls sign "Size 1531 friendly souls, 1 grouch"
Republic - found Klondike Motel - owned a year and "bringing it back up to what it should be". Basic clean, everything needed. Friendly owner. Proud of coffee he makes. Buys special beans and brings each pot. Not the best....
Dinner Mexican. Worker lives Phoenix in winter. Good food.
Spent evening finding route for tomorrow and next day and making 2 nights of reservations.
R 2 hrs later in Superior on 2 day ride. Had OK ride with brace and seemingly tolerable discomfort. Back HM tomorrow.
Day 11 - Tuesday, July 19, 2016 - Republic, WA to Lacey, WA Days Inn (near Olympia)
Exercises
Coffee that owner is so proud of - buys special beans and grinds per pot. Not great but started the day OK.
Ice for cold bag, supplied by hotel
Expresso shop for thermos coffee
Knotty Pine Cafe on main street because Virginia's Cafe was not open (Mon and Tues closed) and Lilly's also not open. Two senior ladies walking suggested Knotty Pine because tho one liked owner of Lilly's and goes to church with her she doesn't like her waffles.
OK breakfast with shuffling, bent-over waitress who had a pleasant disposition and wasn't frazzled by crowd, most of whom were locals.
Peach orchards were covered
Scrubby hills at first
Omak where Kelz and I had headed north to Penticton for Ironman
Supported bike ride in mountains west of Omak, E of Twisp.
Whole Mtn side burned in past
Range area
Twisp - nice community, lake
Winthrop - alfalfa irrigated and bright green/healthy, Popular community for staying, it seems/ lots of services and tourists
Nice River
Nice valley along Lost River (check spelling), irrigation. Nice mountain-type houses like Lake Tahoe.
Washington Pass - 5477, beautiful through mtns above, no traffic
Smell of pine trees and tanned leather every time we open window to take photo
Pacific Crest Trail
Rainy Pass 4855
Cascade Range
Hanging moss on trees and roofs covered with moss
Interesting sign: "Delay of 5 vehicles illegal; Must pull off"
Cascade Loop Road
Down/open more/damp/many old buildings decaying/moss on roofs
Fruits. Places close to road. Not upscale as expected. Not thriving except a couple of small orchards and fruit shops
Little traffic
Gas- $2.99 to $2.39
Skagit Valley
77-81 Degrees
$2.65 gas predominantly west of mtns
Huge rock on flatbed going to a barge to be taken to mouth of Columbia.
North on I-5 to Bellingham and Costco actually in Blaine. Wanted to see what sort of people live here. Later learned this is the major shopping area for Bellingham. Costco PACKED and later learned Canadians come here to shop in droves. New store will be built because of volume. Separate dairy room because they buy a lot of cheap milk.
B. Tourist office for discussion and info. She says NOT a diverse population.
B Chamber of Commerce same. He said rainy in winter. He was surprised people would winter here.
Downtown (with some interesting bldgs) is on hillside to water/bay (uninteresting) and mostly 2-3 story buildings with trees. I thought city was busy with traffic. Got demographics so we can digest. Not happy about I-5 traffic.
To Olympia but I-5 horrific from south of B all the way. Bumper to bumper for an hour.
Days Inn $79 (reservation). OK room but not well maintained and not cheery.
Dinner at sports bar across the Main Street. Wash car. Gas door popped off because I didn't close it but K popped it back on.
2 nearby Starbucks closed - 8:30
51165 - 420 miles not a lot but long due to mountains and rush hour
40 MPH avg
Plan all evening, no logging.
Talked w Rick. Left back-A-Line behind at rest stop on his return leg and ordered new one. Wrote testimonial, which I edited tonight.
He's back from Superior test ride.
Day 12 - Wednesday, July 20, 2016 - Lacey, WA to Sequim, WA
Partly to mostly cloudy, warm/humid.
Poorly maintained Days Inn Lacey - curtain coming off rod, no replacement TP, no Kleenex, toilet trickling, bed frame corner sticking out and hit it with my foot.
Work out, continental breakfast.
Missed rush hour traffic b/c of route. West on 8 to Aberdeen on rough surface and noisy roads.
Aberdeen sign - "Gateway to the Olympics" over the lift bridge.
1-2 story buildings, stretched out, gas less expensive, bungalows, working man's town. Tidal. Population 16, 900
Radio stations - country.
Ad for razor clams
Hydrangeas HUGE blooms of white and purple.
Pot store, Kelzie said advertised baked goods wouldn't be what I expected.
What supports this immunity - logging? Fishing? Fish hatchery nearby.
Gas $2.56
Trump signs throughout. Prolific pink wild flowers like lupine, along the road.
K stuffy yesterday
Dry for days - we both have chapped lips and sore cuticles.
Sign: "STOP $900million land grab". Tomorrow we will see a sign "NO park expansion, NO more national forest".
Side trip - Quinault - World's largest Sitka spruce 3/10 walk to see. Quinault Rain Forest. Nice little town. K liked, wet environment.
Elementary School - School playground under shelter because of wet weather.
Hwy 101 to Forks, learned of false rumors that Twilight was filmed here.
On to Ozette - 70-72 degrees perfect hiking weather.
Hike : very nice environment, dense trees and undergrowth, people packing in to camp, some families on day hike with children. All ages. Group of teens doing beach clean-up. 6.62 miles, 2:35:19, 430 calories used. Gravel path, boardwalk of wood and steel planks, stairs. Around and over foothill to beach with view of islands. Saw whales blowing
112 to Port Angeles - tight and curvy road along the northern coast with occasional views of Victoria. Used by commuters who move right along. Bad accident of pickup truck that overturned and slid into guard rail. We moved on and ambulance/tow truck came from town.
Debris on the road always, wood from trucks hauling rough cut logs.
Small homesteads, OR/WA culture
Port Angeles - K liked it better than Bellingham. Open flat not so busy but all amenities.
Olympic view hotel - sister to hotel in Forks that was full. Popular
Appleby's for dinner - salads
McD for coffee since Starbucks closed an hour earlier than we were told by Receptionist.
Did load of laundry
Talked with couple from Milwaukee who planned Trip a year ago and flew into Seattle last night. Said Southwest had a computer glitch and shut down nationwide so glad they left WI 5 Am before it happened. They will do Olympia peninsula in rental car. (this conversation happened tomorrow AM as loading cars)
51487
322 miles
Day 13 - Thursday, July 21, 2016 - Sequin, WA to Pendleton, OR Travelodge.
Sequin is the town of lavender. Several farms that grow many varieties and city streets are decorated with lots of it. Well taken care of and apparently hardy.
Motel OK. Kelz used fitness center. Up last last night planning so tired. Walked 35 min outside. Town stretches along the main drag.
Beautiful coast with sight of Victoria to the north. Nice area and popular with retirees.
Hi-Way 101 Cafe for quick breakfast. Very popular with locals, great menu, clean and well decorated.
Private fishing boat on trailer - steel with cabin. Could be used long season.
Haying but ground must be wet.
Took Hwy 101 as fastest -- not bridges road to Tacoma. No traffic after Hwy 16 turned off to bridges.
Passed bridge to Whidbey which K really wanted to see because the main town has a bunny problem. This is where Oconnells live.
Huge Hood Canal
Not touristy but many cottages on water
Car rally? Many hot rods and old cars on 101 yesterday and today. Maybe doing road around the park?
101 mostly in pine and deciduous canyon.
sign:" No new wilderness; no national park expansion"
Fishing/RV parks/small motels and lodges/waterfront cabins/small commercial areas/not much room between mountain and water/no road shoulder
Big tide/swim platform in water (brrr)
I-5 looking for views of Mt. Rainier and Mt St. Helens; off on side road but trees/some photos
Some views from I-5 but short and unexpected/ no overlooks
Trump sign with no T
Mt. Hood in south
Troutdale - difficulty finding scenic road through Columbia River Gorge
30- I-84 very busy with tourists.
Multnomah Falls - 2nd tallest year round falls in the country - too busy to see - No parking, no stopping, tight quarters.
Back on I-84 and east to Pendleton
Columbia R is huge and"gorge" is very wide, with highest side being on the Oregon (south) side. Followed River - windsurfing and parasailing, some barge traffic
Good then very hot weather to 100 and 101 degrees.
Talked with Rick then he had tornado warning
Hood River - water/wind sports, I-84 very busy, road surface rough and noisy,
Homeward bound
The Dalles - dry, brown foothills, unappealing area, dam, many wind generators,
Bicycles allowed on interstate
Some small truck farms, some corn then wheat everywhere and into the distance as out of gorge and up onto rolling plateau.
Bailing hay or straw. Some irrigation. Trees in groves - some sort of crop.
Pendleton - bike week - found room at Travel Lodge and took it as afraid to lose it by looking around
Dinner at Mexican then gas (Oregon law can't pump own), washed windshield, coffee (caught by train going AND coming back), back to talk with Rick and write.
OD 51919
GPS 438
7:46 moving
Day 14 - Friday, July 22, 2016 - Pendleton, OR to Tremonton, UT - Crossed the 45th Parallel
Pendleton in valley on Plateau with foothills to East. Brown/wheat
Up to walk around town before anyone was up and around except delivery trucks. Up and down Main Street, up into hillside, over the river, to residential area of nice Victorian homes and bungalows, back down and discovered a trail along the river.
Drove to nearby circle K for coffee as motel office closed until 7 and breakfast.
Shower, load up, breakfast, more coffee and away
East of town away from town on I-84 huge hotel/casino.
Up onto high plateau - alfalfa, irrigation, cattle, ranches
Trucks, again and still noisy road from worn surface, bad right lane
Substantial snow fences built out of large logs
Potatoes? A few
Covered hay bale storage (many huge rows) with distinctive white tarps with large blue stripe. In some cases totally covered, in others only top and part way down sides
Stopped near Oregon Trail Interpretive Center near Baker City to see the actual trail still apparent on the countryside. Interesting maps at the site and good information in the guidebook
Passed 52,000 on odometer
Baker city, Mountain time
Lots of traffic both ways all day and very fast . Busy Boise area
Landscape often devoid of much except wind farms and some ranches which must work hard with a lot of land to make a go of it. Continued eastern Oregon and Idaho.
Twin Falls, ID - off interstate and toward town to see Snake River in deep canyon - Perrine Memorial Bridge 486 ft above River. Couldn't see nearby Shoshone Falls, which drops 212 ft in spring (called Niagara of the West). Noticed paramedics in rappelling gear standing on the path under the bridge. Walked to Overlook and a film crew was set up (but wouldn't divulge reason for filming) and a small crowd had gathered. The bridge is reputedly the only US location where BASE jumping is permitted year-round without a permit. Eventually the jumper appeared with a team, set up and jumped. Event was filmed by crew including a large drone. Paramedics were on hand, lifeguards on paddle boards and a boat were in the water for safety and to retrieve. Person landed in the water perfectly and got to the boat. As we were walking back to the car several people rushed up with cameras and microphones but late. K thought perhaps the event was part of The Great Race, a TV program
Snake River valley - very fertile and productive - corn, wheat, alfalfa, huge ground silos for very large dairy operations.
On to Tremonton. Hampton Inn for surprising $89. By the time we were settled the place had no vacancies so we were lucky. K to gym for an hour while I did my evening work then to the Grille restaurant nearby. Excellent smoked meat but very noisy and chaotic. Back to room to read email and watch various TV. Hit 100 degrees todaysign - "ID is 3rd largest producer of milk in US"
52424 OD
503 miles today
5338 miles total
Day 15 - July 23, 2016 - Tremonton, UT to Windsor, CO
Very good Hampton INN in Tremonton with more amenities than HIEx in an effort to compete.
Great breakfast. Around Salt Lake City - surprised our route (84 south and around east of city) took us through the countryside/ canyons/streams/small horse farms/prosperous area/some flat but mostly in Mtns.
Park City - drove through including Olympic facility (still in use), downtown - 10:30 and busy. Residential area near downtown (some old buildings totally renovated and some new very upscale townhouses and homes close together) and some a bit up the Mtn. Good community feel but must be tight with lots of snow. Lots of bikers, great path for miles for any use. Lots of water used here
Heber City and onto 40 - many towns. Lots of reservoirs and stream fishing. Many boats and camping. Other towns - not much going on. Inconsistent
To the east - cattle and horse ranches. Not as much hay
Strawberry River.
Vernal - very long town "The Basin" it's called - many franchise hotels. Recreation heaven. Dinosaur area
Hot/dry 91 degrees.
Towns are long in general.
Speed limit 65 with well placed passing zones.
Gas $2.37
Utah music on the radio - songs are changed or bleeped - no drugs or rap
Lots of road kill all AM - deer mostly
Craig - coal powered plant, dirty/dusty, regional population center
Hayden - empty storefronts, popular state park, big RV park, ranching and haying for last 100 miles, lots of green on hillsides and green undergrowth in grasses.
FM Light & Sons - yellow and black signs for miles advertising their goods and store in Steam boat springs. Like Wall drug....
Walden our intended destination for the night - small town with 5 "motels" but no rooms. The best hotel owner called all and found nothing then suggested we drive to Laramie for the night - 1 hr he said. Or drive over the pass to Fort Collins. Took his brochure for Rick for name for next visit. Call ahead - town generally full throughout summer.
Decided to go over the pass to Ft. Calling.
Very long canyon down from Cameron Pass (10,276 but not quite Continental Divide) with light waining. To Days Inn but he said no rooms in town due to Cheyene Frontier Days. He called Windsor Super 8 - 2 exits south and I got on the phone and reserved. Good thing we didn't go to Laramie, as it would have been full and we might have had to come to Ft. Collins anyway.
Talked with Rick
Went to Thai restaurant in strip mall next door at 9 - closed 9:30. Good food but rushed to eat. Owner lingered around patrons.
Room by 9:45. Bed by 10 without doing anything except brush teeth. Forgot - called several hotels in Boulder, etc for tomorrow night. Settled on Rodeway after checking others but when I called back to reserve she said I had to call tomorrow. Ugh!
O
53,032 (over 53,000 on OD)
610 miles for day - too long but beautiful canyon.
5948 total
PS. Nice canyon along Poudry River - a lot of activity - camping, fishing, kayaking even late day. Long down from the pass but moved fast with 2-3 vehicles. Everyone wants to be home. ( Sunday Eve)
Day 16 - Sunday, July 24, 2016 - Windsor, CO to Longmont, Co - Rocky Mountain National Park
Body is tired so no exercises. Up with coffee in breakfast room to call to reserve room, read email. Night clerk at Rodeway said call back at 9. Set my phone alarm and did that - then he said they had no rooms!! Called next choice the Travelodge in Longmont and got a room. See below for results.
Away after breakfast in cloudy conditions to Fort Collins. Drove around the Colorado State University campus - 2 story buildings, buff colored brick, lots of trees and green space, saw cranes at perhaps a new /renovated stadium.
Gas $2.01
Up Big Thompson Creek Canyon to Estes Park - elev 7662 at entrance.
Into and through park as far as Milner Pass.
Over 12,188 at highest point on the road. Elk with and without antlers.
Marmots
Several bikers through park.
Cleared then clouded up again and rained in various places, which we could see from high up.
Out the south way past Longs Peak, Meeker Park, Through Ward (last time took photos of school crossing sign with alien painted in with children) and back mountainous roads used a lot by bikers. What climbs! All familiar to Kelzie.
Boulder Costco for Jerky for trip plus found good eye drops for painful eyes, nearby Whole Foods to walk through,
Through town to Longmont, Travelodge. They had hard rain today.
One of 1 inexpensive motels at I-25 exit with loads of fast food places but out of town. Receptionist was oblivious about what' s in the area. Back to town for dinner. WhichWich open in 1 day and having staff party so next door to Tokyo Joes for quick dinner. No coffee. Disappointed by both.
Motel not recommended for future stays! Basic amenities but not cared for, not clean.
Busy day but saw a lot. Last day of sightseeing.
Day 17 - Monday, July 25, 2016 - Longmont, CO
Exercises on indoor pool deck and in the parking lot.
Continental breakfast more minimal than usual - no fruit or yogurt.
To Boulder to see the sights and hear Kelzie's animated description of her time here training. Walked one of the main streets.
Got to 2:00 appointment early and Tammy was ready. Long discussion of the problem, Dr's visits, etc and decision about what to do.
Made a cast and a schedule - Back in AM to try out and make adjustments.
Dinner at 5:30 at The Med, a popular place clearly, with Lindsey, Kelzie's friend. During happy hour they had Tapas for 3.50 each with many choices so we had good food. There until about 8:15. Lindsey still competes but Phil, her and K's coach, got out of the business so she's looking for a new person. Still competing and doing some PR consulting, whatever that is.
Hurried back to hotel to call Rick, back out to get coffee then did planning for tomorrow's drive.
Mountains were hazy morning and evening and it was hot and dry. We have noticed there is a burn ban on almost all over the west and in CO the fire danger is "very high".
OD 53335
81 mi
Day 18 - Tuesday, July 26, 2016 - Longmont, CO to Lincoln, NB
Exercises
Away 8:45 or so for coffee after poor breakfast then K's appointment in Louisville with Tammy for orthotics fitting and adjustment. Away to pick one item on hold from consignment shop visited yeaterday then out of town and on the road to Lincoln, NB.
Called ahead to reserve HIEx and it turned out to be very nice and opened June 1.
this exit has many hotels, probably for football season?
Beautiful day for traveling - slightly overcast but hot
Ruby Tuesday's after talking w/Rick.
No planning tonight!
OD 53867 miles
532 miles
10:25 moving
Day 18 - Wednesday, July 27, 2016 - Lincoln, NB to home
Walked outside while K used the fitness center.
Continental Tire trailer plus 2 little cars from trailer saw at gas station by hotel then later in the day stopped by police in interstate.
Great breakfast, coffee, on the road
Straight driving and stopping for bathroom and drinks.
As usual, lunch from what we have with us.
Home 3:30 with Rick meeting us at the 151 overpass!
OD 54335
470 Miles
7 Hrs moving.
7249 Total miles
Final notes.
Kelzie in boot for entire trip due to stress fracture
Always ate breakfast at hotel if provided except once when bad
Usually coffee at Starbucks or the like in AM
Always ate lunch from our stash including crackers, jerky, apples, almonds, tootsie rolls, lemon drops, key lime Oreos, combos (blue cheese!) left overs from dinner before, maybe soda in afternoon.
Good dinner and often ate only half/saved rest for lunch next day
Cooler bag with ice from hotel
Difficult to keep car organized because of lack of space in cabin
GPS worked OK but doesnt' show entire map; only to first via.
Only 91 gas in the west.
One time nearly out of gas and no premium so 2 gallons of regular to get us to good gas
Day 1 - Saturday, July 9, 2016 - Madison to Watertown, South Dakota
483 total miles, 7:47 moving time
First funny sighting - on the way to Sauk City a sign along the road said "Chips Happen" with the picture of a cow looking back past its butt at the passers-by. In Sauk City the sign was clarified by a billboard announcing the upcoming Cow Chip Throw contest.
At our first soda/bathroom stop we took on a hitchhiker, a small tree frog on the hood of the car. Around Rochester, MN Kelzie was in touch with Amanda and learned she and Leif were in town visiting her parents after a trip to the boundary waters. Unfortunately, we were beyond town and didn't turn back to visit. In general the crops were very healthy throughout the day, having had a great growing season thus far - lots of corn and some beans, still short, with a few fields of wheat thrown in among them. Fields varied in size but none were immense, and there were a lot of wooded areas and tree lines throughout the state, not fully cleared land as in IL. A lot of huge dairy farms dotted the landscape, with immense open sheds and no grazing land. One example was Christiansen Farms in Sleepy Eye, MN, with at least 20 semi cattle trailers parked on-site. We saw stockyards and ethanol plants. Hay was being baled, including all along the roadsides. Our route took us past many huge private grain elevators, community elevators, and long lines of grain train cars (some being filled from the elevators).
We saw a few motorcycles today, but not large groups, and no riders with helmets. There were almost no semi trucks or RV's on the road. Our route through MN on Hwy 14 was 55 mph mostly and police were present. This is the Laura Ingles Wilder Highway, and we drove by her childhood home of Walnut Grove and the nearby Plum Creek which she made famous. The weather can close these roads and signs along the way can provide warnings with flashing lights.
Interesting sighting(s) - Tea Party advertisement, Vote Trump yard signs, as well as many Pro-Life billboards and a church sign "Blessed is the Nation whose God is the lord".
West of Balaton, MN a massive wind farm began, and it continued to the SD border, many miles. All side roads through this area were gravel.
Gas today ranged from $1.99 to 2.09 in MN, with SD prices being $2.19 + as far as Watertown.
At Brookings, SD we turned north onto I-29 (speed limit 80 MPH)and spent the night at the HIEx in Watertown. Upon arrival I walked 25:00 outside around the nearby business park in 85+ degrees then 25:00 on the Fitness Center treadmill. After dinner at IHOP, a walk through Walmart for jerky and a drive around this town of 20,000+ which is the commercial hub of the area I logged and we watched parts of some movies. By evening the hotel was very full and the pool, befitting a small resort, was quite busy.
Day 2 - Sunday, July 10, 2016 - Watertown, SD to Ipswich, SD, including Roscoe.
During the night fierce storms came through and the hotel lost power, setting off the fire alarm. I Didn't hear the alarm but did hear the thunder several times. The system was mostly past by 8:00 with a few showers lingering. I was awake at 5 and at 6 went to the Fitness Center to do a core/strength workout. Kelzie joined me a bit later and rode the best bike option. We were off in 64 degree temp after showers and breakfast. We noticed last night that gas was $2.19 at the interstate but $2.29 further toward the city center. On our way through town this AM all the family owned restaurants were full of Sunday breakfast people.
I chose Hwy 20 for our route toward Aberdeen and Kelzie did the driving. We saw a lot of grazing cattle, crops, smaller farms/homesteads, and small lakes. The road took off west, straight as a shot, with a few curves and jogs. Rolling hills covered with crops and pasture painted a beautiful picture.
Interesting sighting: Merkel's Garage - "Why Cuss, Call Us" in the very small town of Bradley SD., The nearby house/storage shed was painted with a mural of Kilroy, the Kilroy's bar logo of the round fellow with a long nose hanging down the wall.
We saw a roving pheasant crossing the road (very colorful bird!) and a hawk sitting on the shoulder of the road watching for dinner. At that point we dropped over the last rim onto a massive flat-as-a-pancake valley with interesting weather clouds in the far distance and a massive wind farm trailing north on the crest of the rim. South Dakota at its best. At the turn toward Aberdeen I met up with a bicyclist who was well-equipped for cross country camping and heading south another 20 miles to beat today's heat. Aberdeen, a very long E/W-oriented city has everything anyone would want, as it's the supply source for this part of the state. By now the weather had cleared and the city was busy with people shopping and brunching. Kelzie took a picture of the world's first Super 8.
Interesting sign: Don't squat with your Spurs on.
Heading west on Hwy 12, we found the Elford cabin on Mina Lake at 199 S. Summit. The paint is peeling badly but there is a very nice dock in the water with a pontoon boat tied up. The shed between the house and road is still standing, the outhouse is gone and the water equipment/water pump shed is still in place. A room has been added to the east side of the house, toward the water, a sunroom of sorts. The stonework on the cabin to the south was a familiar sight but the cabin to the north is gone, with the lot being vacant and mowed. Back on Hwy 12, Great Lakes Energy has a huge facility just west of Mina. The land here is very flat and the road can be seen as a ribbon in the distance.
We elected to drive through Ipswich and head to Roscoe but thought better of that plan and spent time in Beebe before turning back to Ipswich. Here Kelzie took loads of photos of the BEEBE sign on the railroad track and then the train passing by the sign. There are 2 houses on the south side of Hwy 12 and 1 about 1/10 of a mile north of the highway. West of the intersection is a business of some sort in a large metal shed.
Back in Ipswich we cruised the town, checked into the hotel (the Manager came from her home when we called her from the provided phone) then identified all the important sights. The MP Beebe library is open T-Sat 2-6 PM and looks good with the prayer rock out front. Across the street is the Parmley Land Agency Museum which was not open. Further south on that street the Bank building looks good except for the southeast corner and a very nice, large historical mural decorates a building across the side street south. The west side of that street has almost nothing to offer in services or appearance. One street to the west, the JWParmley Historical Home and Museum opened at 2 PM and we spent about 30 min reacquainting ourselves with its extensive contents. Kelzie found a photo of Ed Beebe in a group of men at some sort of celebration at the Sitting Bull grave when Ed was an early teen. She was able to take a photo of the photo. We conversed with the dosant working today and shared Beebe and Ipswich history. The big house on Hwy 14 looks a bit worse for wear - it probably requires a lot of upkeep which is more than the current owners can handle . The Beebe house at 4th and Euclid is rundown and somewhat overgrown but in spite of the growth Kelzie was able to get a photo of the stone walls around the east patio. The Yellowstone Trail Road arch looks well kept and has colorful pots of flowers at its bases.
We drove to Roscoe, checked out the Elford house then drove north into the countryside. In the Morning Side Cemetery we found the Elford grave, which was standing tall. Back in town (Roscoe) we ate a late lunch (3:30?)at Rickey's, which was doing a brisk business in the bar/pool room, but saved half for dinner. Back in Ipswich we found 91 gas, took our stuff to our room, walked to the store for drinks and relaxed in the room after talking with Rick. We noticed that a Dollar store is being opened across the street. This hotel is the former hospital, and a man purchased it to make a motel. The Manager said the owner is doing quite well with it, as confirmed by the # of trucks in the parking lot - construction workers working on a pipeline and some building onto the Roscoe school. My Achilles seized and I'm still disabled.
Day 3 - Monday, July 11, 2016 - Roscoe to Hill City, South Dakota (or Dakotah as some signs say). 431 miles, 12:41 moving, 1118 tot miles
My Achilles was OK this morning, thankfully. It was cloudy and rainy this AM so I did a core/band workout in the community room across the hall. We were about the last people to get away, as the parking lot was empty when we left. Those construction workers leave early. Heading west on flat lands we could see the weather in the distance all day. In Roscoe Ricky's was doing a brisk breakfast/coffee business, the road bypassed Bowdle and we continued on open road (Hwy 12 and south on 83) with little traffic. Further south, grain trucks increased, we saw a pheasant but no other wild animals, there appeared to be no good coffee, the wheat combining had started, the sunflower plants are about 2 ft tall, and we were impressed by the open space, mostly grazing land. I thought I saw a field of lavender. There are SO MANY hay bales in this part of the state, and most are still in the fields. Many of the Local vehicles on the road seem to be older sedans or pick-up trucks.
We entered Pierre beside another WI car, with the 4-lane road ending suddenly with no warning. At McD's we ordered a light breakfast and coffee, though we had eaten yogurts earlier from our cooler bag. Across the Missouri River Kelzie found a couple of surprising items in the grocery store, given that we're in SW South Dakota - peppermint coffee mate and key lime/graham Oreos.
On I-90 heading west toward Wall, SD we saw this:
"Help Manage your Wildlife - Wear Fur. Hunting and Trapping controls population". In Wall we re-visited Wall Drug and discovered that Americans love their trinkets and anything western. Outside town we headed south and joined the crowd driving through the Badlands National Park. This area is notably dry and windy but interesting in its starkness. In certain lights it shows its colors but during early afternoon today it was rather bland. Beautiful, still. We chatted with a lady whose 2 sons have/do attend IU, the one graduating in Physics/math and the other studying Computer Science. We rounded the east end of the Park and took Hwy 44 west to Rapid City. Here we visited the Information Center to learn how to see Mt. Rushmore without paying the $11 parking fee then drove south to Keystone and out on the Iron Mountain road to take photos of the heads through the 3 tunnels precisely carved to frame them. Before leaving Rapid City we noticed some of the bronze US President statues that Kelzie says the city has installed. The ones we saw were positioned on street corners in the center part of the city. The weather was perfect for having the top down on the car but Kelzie in particular got a bit sunburned.
Tonight we are in the nearby Hill City Holiday Inn Express. We had dinner of salads at the nearby Golden Spike restaurant after checking out a more expensive grill. Afterwards Kelzie did an elliptical workout and I talked with Rick by Facetime/worked out our next few days of travel. He has changed his upcoming surgery to Sept from Oct. It is taking me about 3 hours in the evening to settle in, plan the next days, set up the GPS for the next day and write my log.
Day 4 - Tuesday, July 12, 2016 - Hill City to Red Lodge, MT - Big Horn Mountains
I woke up on Central time so was an hour ahead of the game right from the get-go. I walked on the treadmill and elliptical for 40 min then walked outside in upper 40's temps through downtown for 20 minutes. It was too early to see much going on. Kelzie finished her workout, we went to breakfast, which was busy, and after showers and packing we were on the road in great weather. Our first stop was the nearby recommended Coffee Cabin then we were off and running. Kelzie discovered battery problems with her camera and we solved it by googling Nikon problem solving, charging using her laptop and changing the car charger plug-in. In the end we found that following the Nikon plug-in protocol seemed to solve the problem. Time will tell.
The fire danger in South Dakota and Montana has consistently been high to extreme. We have seen no forest fires but did see evidence of a long-past large fire outside Custer.
Interesting sighting: Between Custer SD and Newcastle Wyoming we saw a stove sitting in a wide open field with its oven door open. The sign sitting on it said "OPEN RANGE". Someone has a great sense of humor!
At the SD/WY border we stopped so Kelzie could take photos of the welcome signs to both states with my IPad since her camera batteries were discharged. Here I met a family of 3 generations from Alabama and FL who were traveling to Cooke City in pickup trucks towing huge 4-wheelers on flat trailers and a closed trailer of equipment and baggage - family vacation to play!
Around the Gillette area, which originally was supported by gas and oil drilling, open pit mining is now the main industry. We saw several pits north of town. Cattle range can be seen as far as the eye can see, which is great for the antelope that inhabit this area. In fact a sign on 14/16 toward Spotted Horse named the road the Wildlife Loop. This route through the countryside was quite remote, 70 MPH, less traveled but quite scenic. We saw a small 4 legged animal with white stripes running down its face crossing the road; tonight Kelzie found out it was a Badger. This area doesn't seem to produce a lot of hay but we saw a semi flatbed hauling huge round bales to a farm. Later on in lush lowlands (Powder River?) we saw irrigated alfalfa fields and green pastures. Areas not so lucky were dry buttes, gullies and hills with few cattle in sight. No decent pasture could be seen.
Seeing the Big Horns in the distance was a beautiful sight. We approached Sheridan and were surprised by its size. The trip up and over the Big Horns presented wonderful sights. On the way up the eastern side on gradual assents we were in pine trees and there were a lot of ATV'rs, campers and fishermen making use of what seemed to be federal lands. At the top (Bald Mountain and Medicine Mountain) we could see both east and west vistas for miles. There was little traffic and the road was good. The descent to the west was quite steep and dry, with the valley far below presenting an impressive sight. From elevation it was impossible to get a perspective as to the terrain below, but as we came down further we could see the rivers and their ravines and buttes more clearly. Beautiful.
Around Lovell we saw bentonite and limestone plants. From Lovell, which was a surprise for its services and interesting downtown, we traveled mostly in the valley heading north to Bridger then southwest a short distance to the cutoff to Red Lodge.
We saw only one Cheney for WY sign.
The amount of wide open space out here is astonishing, and the use of land (or non-use) is interesting to watch, as it changes according to elevation, soil, water and climate conditions. There are a lot of cattle out here and a lot of hay bales.
We are at the very modest Lupine Lodge on Hauser Street (1 block off Broadway) in the small town of Red Lodge. We ate dinner on Main Street at Logan and ______. The town was pretty busy with tourists and locals, with a lot of motorcycles taking up parking places. It sprinkled while we were at dinner but cleared before dark. Red Lodge proper is western-layed-back in culture and architecture and would not survive if not for tourism. The houses in town are modest and the many businesses take up the old storefronts on Broadway. The central part of the town has seen little recent improvement, with the most new building taking place on the approaches - N and S. The number of businesses seems to have expanded to meet the demand, but older facilities have gone defunct as evidenced by some empty/abandoned motels, restaurants and storefronts, particularly away from the town center.
I talked with Rick tonight and we worked on route and housing possibilities for the next couple of nights.
Day 5 - Wednesday, July 13, 2016 - Red Lodge, MT to Jackson, WY - Yellowstone and Tetons
I did 30 minutes of exercises in the decrepit fitness center with a cup of coffee then we dressed and got away by 7 for the Regis Diner and breakfast. Our meals were fantastic at this funky and very popular (with locals) healthy option. I had an apple and walnut omelette with mozzarella, fruit and fruit bread (toasted) and Kelzie had a spinach, mushrooms, cheese and sunflower seeds omelette. We shared a small order of cornmeal and wheat pancakes. We each saved 1/2 of our food for lunch. The coffee was very good and endless and they filled our car mugs, too. So much better than the skimpy continental breakfast (cereal, milk, juice) they put out with poor institutional coffee at the motel!
The trip up Beartooth Pass was beautiful. There was major construction taking place on a deteriorating rock wall on the way up but no stopping, we watched a dirt road progress up the mountain across the valley then we stopped at the first major overlook. Stunning view with the sun coming up. I talked with bikers who had just come down from the pass and they said it was closed 2 days ago for a snow. Someone else said there was still snow. The chipmunk population here was insistent and brave. 2 couples traveling together from Wisconsin asked Kelzie to take their photo and she said she charges 25 cents. Afterwards they paid up!
Progressing, we saw some marmots (we think) and quite beautiful tho small wild flowers of purple, and yellow which bloom in June and July. At 10,899 feet there was lift equipment, a huge lake with others above draining into it and hanging snowpack across the way. The summit was 10,947. We progressed down quickly, met a group of bikers from Waunakee (Harley's). The day started at about 56 degrees and we saw 37 degrees.
Passing Chief Joseph turnoff we were on the Nez Pierce trail. We passed through Silver Lake then entered Yellowstone. Within a mile we started seeing buffalo and saw coyotes in the meadow. Through the meadow area, which continued on for miles, we saw several buffalo herds, many young, more coyotes and antelope. At one point we were up close and personal with a buffalo that stopped traffic so he could cross a long bridge on the road. There were lots of fishermen braving the bear territory and many birders in groups with massive equipment. The weather was perfect and we had the top down. Around 10:30 the traffic picked up, which slowed down our progress.
At Tower Junction we turned south and explored a couple of side roads but were faced with too much traffic and extensive walks to see falls, etc. At Canyon Junction we visited the Visitors Center then moved on to see the geysers on Upper, Lower and Midway Basins. At all the stops there were masses of cars parked along the roads and throngs of people on the boardwalks so we viewed from the road and moved on from each. At Old Faithful we were able to park up close to the Education Center and walk the boardwalk around the nearby geysers during the wait until the main event at 4:00. Again, the extensive bench seating (which has been massively increased since Rick and I were last here) was filled with many more people standing, 100's of people in all. Immediately after Old Faithful spewed we exited in a long line of cars. On our way to West Thumb we Crossed the continental divide twice. Yellowstone Lake, elevation 7733, was a beautiful sight as we headed south from West Thumb and again over the Continental Divide at 7988 ft elevation. We made our way out the South Park entrance, where the line of vehicles who just left Old Faithful was being waved into the adjacent Teton National park with nary a check of passes or taking of money.
The Tetons came into sight and we were quite impressed. Kelzie was able to get a great photo of the range from the northern end over Jackson Lake. We turned off on Teton Road, which runs close to the eastern side of the mountains and next to Jenny Lake then turned back out to the main road at Moose. We could have continued south on the secondary road to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and Teton Village had it not been for the rough gravel portion of that leg. On the main road (Hwy 89) we passed the commercial airport and the nearby huge elk refuge, but we saw no elk. The Wildlife Art Sculpture situated at the edge of town sported a very nice work of art at its entrance. In Jackson we were immediately struck by the masses of people who were here. We had no idea this area was such a draw during the summer, thinking it was a winter resort. The town square is decorated with huge arches of antlers at each corner, which we learned are decorated with Christmas lights during the holiday season. It was hard to get through town due to the congestion.
Our motel, the huge Virginian Lodge and RV Resort, was a welcome sight. The staff were helpful and friendly, but their enthusiasm for Sidewinders grill was misdirected, as the restaurant was very busy and our meal poorly prepared. After a chat with Rick we called it a day without finishing our usual evening tasks of writing and planning. I did call and try to reserve a room for tomorrow night in Missoula but was unsuccessful. We'll drive and search.
266 miles for the day.
Day 6 - Thursday, July 14, 2016 - Jackson, WY to Missoula, MT - sunrise view of the Tetons.
Up at 4:30, Starbucks at 5 with a film crew hoping to film sunrise on a cabin for a house renovation program. There was barely light on the east "horizon". After a quick search we settled on a viewpoint along the main road north of Moose, Glacier view Turnout. We viewed the slow sunrise with a full vista of the 40-mile long range with a man from Michigan whose adult children live here. Kelzie got many wonderful photos and the man took our picture in front of the 3 main mountains. Back in town we ate breakfast at the very popular restaurant associated with the Virginian Lodge and had a good conversation with the Manager, who moved here 17 years ago from Baraboo. He filled us in on the housing shortage and expense here, which severely limits the ability of workers to live in town. I had yogurt, fruit, granola and a biscuit. Kelzie had eggs, ham and potatoes and made a breakfast sandwich with the included biscuit.
We packed and were away by 8 on Hwy 22 over the Snake River in view of hot air balloons taking advantage of the early morning air and views. The road was busy with workers coming over the pass from Idaho and its lower housing prices. On the west side of the pass Victor is not as popular as Jackson, which is a surprise given its proximity. It's empty store fronts gave it a ghost town appearance. Further north toward and in Diggs there was a lot of housing. This area is irrigated. We could not see the Teton mountains nearby to the east due to the relatively high foothills; the east side of the mountains have no foothills.
Continuing on, the wheat was green and mostly irrigated, the hay was in big square bales and the potato fields were blooming. The potato sheds here on the many potato farms were Quonset hut-type and some were earth bermed for storage. Potato harvesting equipment was visible and we saw a crop sprayer near Newton. The rolling hills made for a nice terrain, particularly because it was so green. We were on the Sacajawea Teton Scenic Byway. West of the Interstate and Rexburg we drove through unproductive lava fields which reach as far south as Craters of the Moon National Monument west of Idaho Falls. We turned from 33 onto 28 and headed up the valley next to the Bitterroot range. There was lots of hay storage and we saw a sign for a lavender farm. At 10:30 I called the Missoula HIEx and was able to get a room after they were all sold out last night.
This area was wide open grazing land. We crossed the 45th parallel 17 miles south of Salmon. This town with 3100 residents is the commercial center for this huge area of spread-out ranches. We were able to get our photo taken along the Salmon River north of Salmon. Nearby we saw what might have been an eagle's nest on top of an electrical pole. Up and Over the continental divide at Lost Trail Pass we stopped to get photos of the Idaho and Montana signs.
The rapid descent from the pass was not a safe one for a bicyclist; 2 ambulances and other emergency vehicles, including what may have been the sag vehicle for the bicycle tour, were administering to the riders who evidentially bit the dust just down from the pass. Further on between Sula and Conner a 3 vehicle crash turned over a large RV bus and badly damaged 2 other vehicles.
Into the Bitterroot Valley the population drastically increased, as did prosperity. Homes and small ranches (including horse ranches) were in evidence, dramatically different from the open grazing land. We passed through several towns, including Darby where logger days will be this weekend. In town was a place that makes life-size metal sculptures. Through this area and to Missoula the road was very busy and the traffic fast moving.
Missoula is a bustling city with an abundance of coffee trailers and a healthy tourist trade. We checked in at the HIEx and soon went to Ruby's Diner (a Gilliland recommendation from scouting trips evidentially) for comfort food. We kept half our dinners for lunch tomorrow. The evening was spent researching, writing, editing photos and watching old movies. Gas here is $2.39 regular and $2.69 premium. Far less a price difference than Madison.
417 miles.
Day 7 - Friday, July 15, 2016 - Missoula, Montana to Rising Sun Inn, Glacier NP MT
Missoula - elevation 3257
Up at 5:30 to my alarm and quickly to the fitness center. The elliptical fought me back so after 10 minutes I moved outside to the nearby business park for a brisk walk. 35 minutes total due to our agreed-upon meeting time approaching. After loading the car we walked to the adjacent parking lot to purchase coffee from one of the many (!) coffee trailers that dot this city. We did our usual HIEx breakfast of turkey sausage and hard boiled eggs and I took a yogurt and granola with me for late morning snack. Underway at 7:30, we progressed quickly in light traffic at first toward Glacier National Park. Our first interesting sighting was a large sodded overpass built for animals. We would like see many of these during the coming days. The speed limit varied, as did the intentions of the other drivers so progress was frustrating. However, the scenery more than made up for it in that the mountains to the east of us (Mission Mountain wilderness or the Flathead Range in the Rocky Mountains further east, according to the map) provided a nice sunrise as the sun came up over them. Eventually Flathead Lake came into view and impressed. The area south of the lake was fertile ground of wheat and alfalfa. The lake area appeared as a large bowl with pine trees down to the water except on the west which was grazing land. Picturesque islands, marinas and sailboats dotted the lake. Rustic mountain western style lake-side homes were in abundance. Kelzie commented that the area is reminiscent of Lake Tahoe in appearance, though not size.
Polson on the south of the lake was busy and a large RV park of just bus-size vehicles was situated on the north side of town. To the north of the lake healthy crops and small ranches covered the terrain.
We spent the day driving through Glacier National Park and stopping at many scenic sights. Water in the form of lakes, rivers, streams and waterfalls flowed into and down the valley and beautiful mountains towered on all sides. We walked the Avalanche Creek Trail of the Cedars Nature trail on the boardwalk and it was a beautiful cedar-hemlock forest with the creek and waterfalls providing the moisture for lush growth. In 2003 the Trappers Fire burned a massive area around "the loop" of the drive, and we were able to see much of the damage from overlooks. The West tunnel Loop Falls, Big Bend, Weeping Wall, Bird Woman Falls, Triple Arches, Logan Pass (Continental Divide crossing at 6646 ft) kept our heads turning. We had the top down in perfect weather and were out/in the car numerous times. Wild Goose Island in St Mary Lake on the east end of the park and near our lodge was a favorite stop because we could see many of the peaks of the park in the distance to the west. Funny sighting: Here I saw 3 different people, all foreigners, having their photo taken with our car. We'll return here tomorrow morning for a sunrise photo.
Along the way we visited the Apgar, Logan Pass and East Entrance (St Mary) Visitors Centers to get information and ask questions. It was late day by the time we found our cabin at Rising Sun Lodge, then after a brief rest and checking email at the only wifi hotspot at the Reception building we drove 5 miles to the intersection of Hwy 89 and the park road for dinner at Johnson's Restaurant up on the hill. There weren't many options. The Cafe we wanted to eat at closed at 5 without notifying our Lodge of their new schedule.
226 miles.
Day 8, Saturday, July 16, 2016 - Glacier National Park to Golden, British Columbia
We were up at 5:15 with the alarm and quickly out the door dressed warmly to go to Wild Goose Island (1 mile away) to take sunrise photos of the scene over it to the mountains in the west. However, Mother Nature needed to water her garden so provided thick cloud cover. Kelzie and several other well-equipped photographers waited in anticipation of a clearing, but it wasn't to be. Back at the cabin we packed up, checked out, looked at email and news, filled our coffee mugs from the free coffee bar and headed to St Mary for breakfast at the Park Cafe. It was open this morning and doing a brisk business; this is clearly a popular place with locals and tourists alike. We chatted with a young Madison man and his companion from Chicago about their Elements and service in Madison while eating eggs, etc. About 8 miles north we did the Many Glacier Lodge road, which suffers from weather and being part of an Indian reservation. Ranging cattle and deteriorating road sections kept us alert. The scenery at the end of the road could have been spectacular but the clouds prevented great views. The campgrounds and lodges (one massive in size) were full and many hikers were taking off for their day's walk. The red park buses, similar to the Yellowstone buses, were already running.
Back on Hwy 89 we picked up what we thought might be a Canadian cell signal 10 miles from the border and checked with a cafe waiter to confirm that it was indeed not a US carrier. At the border the serious Canadian immigration officer didn't even have a good morning for us. We moved on across the very wide open valley in mostly cloudy conditions and 50's temp. Don't know that it reached 60 today and later dropped to low 50's. The wheat was green, the safflower was yellow and the traffic was light and quick. Approaching Calgary we could see the rain system moving across the city from the high plateau of our approach so we skirted the city and headed for Banff. In heavy traffic we approached this destination and found tight quarters, droves of wet tourists and congestion unmatched. We moved on to Lake Louise and were warned by a DOT sign that the traffic there was bad and recommended taking the shuttle. We found the Information Center at the edge of town and I learned that most rooms were taken with some $500 variety remaining. We went to the Lake Louise Inn to inquire about any cancellations but didn't get good news, with no rooms available tomorrow either. With a full tank of gas and a Diet Coke we headed to Golden at the advice of the Information staff person. On the way through Kicking Horse Pass and across the continental divide. We stopped at the lodge right before the pass but no vacancies existed there, either. In Golden we first stopped at the HIEx, where a No Vacancy sign decorated the door. A room became available while I was inquiring (I think the manager heard our conversation), but the $199 price tag (including discounts) turned me away. The Best Western and Prestige hotels were full, as was the Days Inn. We took a $124 room at Super 8, happily.
The car needed to be cleaned out and organized then we lugged stuff to the room and collapsed for a few minutes with slow wifi. Rick and I tried to FaceTime but the wifi wouldn't support it so Rick called. He's finding food and doing a lot of watering, has done a ride each day, had his new knee brace adjusted, dined with Brian Wertz and worked out every day, more than I have been able to do.
We had a taco salad (me) and chicken (Kelzie) at the very popular nearby Legend Diner (sign only half lit) and returned to our room to finish evening tasks.
The road-side part of this town is very busy with tourists wanting to overnight outside the park and truckers passing through or using it as a truck stop. Many people are walking to/from dinner at one of the many options among the franchise hotels along the 4 lane that cuts through the area. We did not explore the town as we were glad to be out of the car.
Day 9, Sunday, July 17, 2016 - Golden around trip to Jasper National Park
Workout on the balcony
Shower
Continental breakfast
Tim Horton's for coffee
Over the pass to Lake Louise in clouds then some clearing so could see some glaciers.
Bear on the Lake Louise road, readily identified by the # of vehicles parked near it to take photos.
50,000 on odometer
To Lake Louise at 49 degrees. Photos in mostly cloudy weather with enough clearing to get some photos of the mountains and hotel. Bright green water, most of the vacationers were Asian.
Gas is $1.32 per liter. Mint Kit Kat at the gas station!!!
Highway 93 toward the Icefields; Hecter Lake Crowfoot glacier, bow glacier and waterfall. Sights too numerous to mention and cars too many to count, though moving along OK. Many bike riders on this road.
Rain started south of Saskatchewan River Crossing with shops, food, etc.
After that, rough road, traffic thinned or spread out
Kelzie got a ticket for speeding - reduced to 5 KPH. Accelerating up a hill so.....of course moving right along after being behind a long line of vehicles
Columbia Glacier Icefield Center - packed with tour buses. Everyone taking glacier tour via snow bus. Inside for Info, coffee, bathroom, gift shop
Had been clear so we could see sights with a few low clouds
Rain north of Jonas campground
Sunwapla falls walk to take photos - lots of water going through a narrow passage
Decided to turn around rather than continuing on to Jasper. The town might have been interesting but the drive would have been similar to the terrain since the glacier center.
Turned back with the top down and 58 degrees. Of course the return trip seemed faster and the sights that we missed on the way up could be better seen this time.
Very short wild flowers along the road today - white, bright orange and some blue or purple. Stunted by weather.
Bridal Veil Falls
Weeping Wall (which evidentially freezes in the winter, which creates quite a sight).
Moraine Lake - crowded road and parking along the road. We were able to get a spot up front. Lodge said vacancy. Walked edge. Many people walked across log jam to high rock hill for better look. Very bright color because this glacier does not sluff off "flour" into the water like Lake Louise glacier.
Over the pass and into Golden. A lot of traffic coming up the pass toward Lake Louise though late day.
Grocery store - IGA for snacks
Diner again because reliable - very good homemade daily soup, good chicken, good chili.
Tim Hortons where truckers were lined up to get Java before leaving town. One t-shirt read "Ice road Season 2015"
Unpack car, call Rick and plan tomorrow, write log.
OK weather by end of day; mostly cloudy but not raining.
Room is OK with us - basic but beds comfortable, frig, TV, not stinky or noisy. Quiet tonight as the crowds headed home today.
Light outside at 10 PM
350 miles (GPS)
50,302 OD.
Day 10 - Monday, July 18, 2016 - Golden, BC to Republic, WA gained an hour
West on 23 to Revelstoke with sunrise on mountains.
Mountain goat and stopped to photo
Grooved road because of truck traffic.
Rogers Pass
Revelstoke - destination town, 5 gal gas to get to US, coffee. Looks like nice community
Hwy 23 South , newly chip sealed.
Columbia R is huge here but we would see it much bigger by end of day. On this route difficult to see River because of trees
Ferry every 1/2 hr. Only one running. Not full
Hwy 31 which we intended from ferry is packed clay we heard so didn't take - concern for potholes, rocks and wet clay.
Stayed on 23 to Nakusp, New Denver.
Logging trucks - telephone pole size. Saw raw and prepared to use
Nakusp on Upper Snow Lake - Nice little town on picturesque lake
All lakes are huge and picturesque surrounded by pine covered mountains.
By now out of high Rockies
New Denver - hang gliding
followed pretty stream down to Keslo (beautiful mountain stream -rocky and pines along
Sign posts are metal "L's" with sign suspended so can swing when hit by snow plow or spraying snow.
Curvy road.
Kalsomine onto 31A busy, OK but rugged
Dark chocolate Kit Kat in Kalso
Signs - many - "Be vocal against moving the ferry - Save Queens Bay"
Motorcycle camp ground - Toad Rock Campground
Ferry - Balfour to Kootney every 50 min - 2:00
Lots of vehicles waiting in Kootney - 2 ferry's running.
Later on radio heard ferry problem - backed up ferry's not going or having to wait, don't know which.
Along Kootney lake. Beautiful but not touristy. No resorts. Many places for sale. Look across to pine covered mtns.
Overcast on ferry then cleared.
R called - in Superior. We're still in Canada
Part way down to Creston fertile valley S. Of Lake. Huge lake
Turn west on road K and I took year Ironman Canada.
Creston Pass - first 100 KM speed limit in long time. Moved quickly
Sign - "Keep right. Let others pass"
Border crossing. Looked in trunk and engine. Gave gas directions. Smiles and not intimidating.
South on 31. Talked w Rick again at gas
20 across thru Coleville and Kettle Falls
Deer on the road, 2 families of turkeys incl young at a farm
Beautiful lakes and family ranches.
Canyons of trees, wood products.
White Mountain fire east of Republic. Sherman Pass
Kettle Falls sign "Size 1531 friendly souls, 1 grouch"
Republic - found Klondike Motel - owned a year and "bringing it back up to what it should be". Basic clean, everything needed. Friendly owner. Proud of coffee he makes. Buys special beans and brings each pot. Not the best....
Dinner Mexican. Worker lives Phoenix in winter. Good food.
Spent evening finding route for tomorrow and next day and making 2 nights of reservations.
R 2 hrs later in Superior on 2 day ride. Had OK ride with brace and seemingly tolerable discomfort. Back HM tomorrow.
Day 11 - Tuesday, July 19, 2016 - Republic, WA to Lacey, WA Days Inn (near Olympia)
Exercises
Coffee that owner is so proud of - buys special beans and grinds per pot. Not great but started the day OK.
Ice for cold bag, supplied by hotel
Expresso shop for thermos coffee
Knotty Pine Cafe on main street because Virginia's Cafe was not open (Mon and Tues closed) and Lilly's also not open. Two senior ladies walking suggested Knotty Pine because tho one liked owner of Lilly's and goes to church with her she doesn't like her waffles.
OK breakfast with shuffling, bent-over waitress who had a pleasant disposition and wasn't frazzled by crowd, most of whom were locals.
Peach orchards were covered
Scrubby hills at first
Omak where Kelz and I had headed north to Penticton for Ironman
Supported bike ride in mountains west of Omak, E of Twisp.
Whole Mtn side burned in past
Range area
Twisp - nice community, lake
Winthrop - alfalfa irrigated and bright green/healthy, Popular community for staying, it seems/ lots of services and tourists
Nice River
Nice valley along Lost River (check spelling), irrigation. Nice mountain-type houses like Lake Tahoe.
Washington Pass - 5477, beautiful through mtns above, no traffic
Smell of pine trees and tanned leather every time we open window to take photo
Pacific Crest Trail
Rainy Pass 4855
Cascade Range
Hanging moss on trees and roofs covered with moss
Interesting sign: "Delay of 5 vehicles illegal; Must pull off"
Cascade Loop Road
Down/open more/damp/many old buildings decaying/moss on roofs
Fruits. Places close to road. Not upscale as expected. Not thriving except a couple of small orchards and fruit shops
Little traffic
Gas- $2.99 to $2.39
Skagit Valley
77-81 Degrees
$2.65 gas predominantly west of mtns
Huge rock on flatbed going to a barge to be taken to mouth of Columbia.
North on I-5 to Bellingham and Costco actually in Blaine. Wanted to see what sort of people live here. Later learned this is the major shopping area for Bellingham. Costco PACKED and later learned Canadians come here to shop in droves. New store will be built because of volume. Separate dairy room because they buy a lot of cheap milk.
B. Tourist office for discussion and info. She says NOT a diverse population.
B Chamber of Commerce same. He said rainy in winter. He was surprised people would winter here.
Downtown (with some interesting bldgs) is on hillside to water/bay (uninteresting) and mostly 2-3 story buildings with trees. I thought city was busy with traffic. Got demographics so we can digest. Not happy about I-5 traffic.
To Olympia but I-5 horrific from south of B all the way. Bumper to bumper for an hour.
Days Inn $79 (reservation). OK room but not well maintained and not cheery.
Dinner at sports bar across the Main Street. Wash car. Gas door popped off because I didn't close it but K popped it back on.
2 nearby Starbucks closed - 8:30
51165 - 420 miles not a lot but long due to mountains and rush hour
40 MPH avg
Plan all evening, no logging.
Talked w Rick. Left back-A-Line behind at rest stop on his return leg and ordered new one. Wrote testimonial, which I edited tonight.
He's back from Superior test ride.
Day 12 - Wednesday, July 20, 2016 - Lacey, WA to Sequim, WA
Partly to mostly cloudy, warm/humid.
Poorly maintained Days Inn Lacey - curtain coming off rod, no replacement TP, no Kleenex, toilet trickling, bed frame corner sticking out and hit it with my foot.
Work out, continental breakfast.
Missed rush hour traffic b/c of route. West on 8 to Aberdeen on rough surface and noisy roads.
Aberdeen sign - "Gateway to the Olympics" over the lift bridge.
1-2 story buildings, stretched out, gas less expensive, bungalows, working man's town. Tidal. Population 16, 900
Radio stations - country.
Ad for razor clams
Hydrangeas HUGE blooms of white and purple.
Pot store, Kelzie said advertised baked goods wouldn't be what I expected.
What supports this immunity - logging? Fishing? Fish hatchery nearby.
Gas $2.56
Trump signs throughout. Prolific pink wild flowers like lupine, along the road.
K stuffy yesterday
Dry for days - we both have chapped lips and sore cuticles.
Sign: "STOP $900million land grab". Tomorrow we will see a sign "NO park expansion, NO more national forest".
Side trip - Quinault - World's largest Sitka spruce 3/10 walk to see. Quinault Rain Forest. Nice little town. K liked, wet environment.
Elementary School - School playground under shelter because of wet weather.
Hwy 101 to Forks, learned of false rumors that Twilight was filmed here.
On to Ozette - 70-72 degrees perfect hiking weather.
Hike : very nice environment, dense trees and undergrowth, people packing in to camp, some families on day hike with children. All ages. Group of teens doing beach clean-up. 6.62 miles, 2:35:19, 430 calories used. Gravel path, boardwalk of wood and steel planks, stairs. Around and over foothill to beach with view of islands. Saw whales blowing
112 to Port Angeles - tight and curvy road along the northern coast with occasional views of Victoria. Used by commuters who move right along. Bad accident of pickup truck that overturned and slid into guard rail. We moved on and ambulance/tow truck came from town.
Debris on the road always, wood from trucks hauling rough cut logs.
Small homesteads, OR/WA culture
Port Angeles - K liked it better than Bellingham. Open flat not so busy but all amenities.
Olympic view hotel - sister to hotel in Forks that was full. Popular
Appleby's for dinner - salads
McD for coffee since Starbucks closed an hour earlier than we were told by Receptionist.
Did load of laundry
Talked with couple from Milwaukee who planned Trip a year ago and flew into Seattle last night. Said Southwest had a computer glitch and shut down nationwide so glad they left WI 5 Am before it happened. They will do Olympia peninsula in rental car. (this conversation happened tomorrow AM as loading cars)
51487
322 miles
Day 13 - Thursday, July 21, 2016 - Sequin, WA to Pendleton, OR Travelodge.
Sequin is the town of lavender. Several farms that grow many varieties and city streets are decorated with lots of it. Well taken care of and apparently hardy.
Motel OK. Kelz used fitness center. Up last last night planning so tired. Walked 35 min outside. Town stretches along the main drag.
Beautiful coast with sight of Victoria to the north. Nice area and popular with retirees.
Hi-Way 101 Cafe for quick breakfast. Very popular with locals, great menu, clean and well decorated.
Private fishing boat on trailer - steel with cabin. Could be used long season.
Haying but ground must be wet.
Took Hwy 101 as fastest -- not bridges road to Tacoma. No traffic after Hwy 16 turned off to bridges.
Passed bridge to Whidbey which K really wanted to see because the main town has a bunny problem. This is where Oconnells live.
Huge Hood Canal
Not touristy but many cottages on water
Car rally? Many hot rods and old cars on 101 yesterday and today. Maybe doing road around the park?
101 mostly in pine and deciduous canyon.
sign:" No new wilderness; no national park expansion"
Fishing/RV parks/small motels and lodges/waterfront cabins/small commercial areas/not much room between mountain and water/no road shoulder
Big tide/swim platform in water (brrr)
I-5 looking for views of Mt. Rainier and Mt St. Helens; off on side road but trees/some photos
Some views from I-5 but short and unexpected/ no overlooks
Trump sign with no T
Mt. Hood in south
Troutdale - difficulty finding scenic road through Columbia River Gorge
30- I-84 very busy with tourists.
Multnomah Falls - 2nd tallest year round falls in the country - too busy to see - No parking, no stopping, tight quarters.
Back on I-84 and east to Pendleton
Columbia R is huge and"gorge" is very wide, with highest side being on the Oregon (south) side. Followed River - windsurfing and parasailing, some barge traffic
Good then very hot weather to 100 and 101 degrees.
Talked with Rick then he had tornado warning
Hood River - water/wind sports, I-84 very busy, road surface rough and noisy,
Homeward bound
The Dalles - dry, brown foothills, unappealing area, dam, many wind generators,
Bicycles allowed on interstate
Some small truck farms, some corn then wheat everywhere and into the distance as out of gorge and up onto rolling plateau.
Bailing hay or straw. Some irrigation. Trees in groves - some sort of crop.
Pendleton - bike week - found room at Travel Lodge and took it as afraid to lose it by looking around
Dinner at Mexican then gas (Oregon law can't pump own), washed windshield, coffee (caught by train going AND coming back), back to talk with Rick and write.
OD 51919
GPS 438
7:46 moving
Day 14 - Friday, July 22, 2016 - Pendleton, OR to Tremonton, UT - Crossed the 45th Parallel
Pendleton in valley on Plateau with foothills to East. Brown/wheat
Up to walk around town before anyone was up and around except delivery trucks. Up and down Main Street, up into hillside, over the river, to residential area of nice Victorian homes and bungalows, back down and discovered a trail along the river.
Drove to nearby circle K for coffee as motel office closed until 7 and breakfast.
Shower, load up, breakfast, more coffee and away
East of town away from town on I-84 huge hotel/casino.
Up onto high plateau - alfalfa, irrigation, cattle, ranches
Trucks, again and still noisy road from worn surface, bad right lane
Substantial snow fences built out of large logs
Potatoes? A few
Covered hay bale storage (many huge rows) with distinctive white tarps with large blue stripe. In some cases totally covered, in others only top and part way down sides
Stopped near Oregon Trail Interpretive Center near Baker City to see the actual trail still apparent on the countryside. Interesting maps at the site and good information in the guidebook
Passed 52,000 on odometer
Baker city, Mountain time
Lots of traffic both ways all day and very fast . Busy Boise area
Landscape often devoid of much except wind farms and some ranches which must work hard with a lot of land to make a go of it. Continued eastern Oregon and Idaho.
Twin Falls, ID - off interstate and toward town to see Snake River in deep canyon - Perrine Memorial Bridge 486 ft above River. Couldn't see nearby Shoshone Falls, which drops 212 ft in spring (called Niagara of the West). Noticed paramedics in rappelling gear standing on the path under the bridge. Walked to Overlook and a film crew was set up (but wouldn't divulge reason for filming) and a small crowd had gathered. The bridge is reputedly the only US location where BASE jumping is permitted year-round without a permit. Eventually the jumper appeared with a team, set up and jumped. Event was filmed by crew including a large drone. Paramedics were on hand, lifeguards on paddle boards and a boat were in the water for safety and to retrieve. Person landed in the water perfectly and got to the boat. As we were walking back to the car several people rushed up with cameras and microphones but late. K thought perhaps the event was part of The Great Race, a TV program
Snake River valley - very fertile and productive - corn, wheat, alfalfa, huge ground silos for very large dairy operations.
On to Tremonton. Hampton Inn for surprising $89. By the time we were settled the place had no vacancies so we were lucky. K to gym for an hour while I did my evening work then to the Grille restaurant nearby. Excellent smoked meat but very noisy and chaotic. Back to room to read email and watch various TV. Hit 100 degrees todaysign - "ID is 3rd largest producer of milk in US"
52424 OD
503 miles today
5338 miles total
Day 15 - July 23, 2016 - Tremonton, UT to Windsor, CO
Very good Hampton INN in Tremonton with more amenities than HIEx in an effort to compete.
Great breakfast. Around Salt Lake City - surprised our route (84 south and around east of city) took us through the countryside/ canyons/streams/small horse farms/prosperous area/some flat but mostly in Mtns.
Park City - drove through including Olympic facility (still in use), downtown - 10:30 and busy. Residential area near downtown (some old buildings totally renovated and some new very upscale townhouses and homes close together) and some a bit up the Mtn. Good community feel but must be tight with lots of snow. Lots of bikers, great path for miles for any use. Lots of water used here
Heber City and onto 40 - many towns. Lots of reservoirs and stream fishing. Many boats and camping. Other towns - not much going on. Inconsistent
To the east - cattle and horse ranches. Not as much hay
Strawberry River.
Vernal - very long town "The Basin" it's called - many franchise hotels. Recreation heaven. Dinosaur area
Hot/dry 91 degrees.
Towns are long in general.
Speed limit 65 with well placed passing zones.
Gas $2.37
Utah music on the radio - songs are changed or bleeped - no drugs or rap
Lots of road kill all AM - deer mostly
Craig - coal powered plant, dirty/dusty, regional population center
Hayden - empty storefronts, popular state park, big RV park, ranching and haying for last 100 miles, lots of green on hillsides and green undergrowth in grasses.
FM Light & Sons - yellow and black signs for miles advertising their goods and store in Steam boat springs. Like Wall drug....
Walden our intended destination for the night - small town with 5 "motels" but no rooms. The best hotel owner called all and found nothing then suggested we drive to Laramie for the night - 1 hr he said. Or drive over the pass to Fort Collins. Took his brochure for Rick for name for next visit. Call ahead - town generally full throughout summer.
Decided to go over the pass to Ft. Calling.
Very long canyon down from Cameron Pass (10,276 but not quite Continental Divide) with light waining. To Days Inn but he said no rooms in town due to Cheyene Frontier Days. He called Windsor Super 8 - 2 exits south and I got on the phone and reserved. Good thing we didn't go to Laramie, as it would have been full and we might have had to come to Ft. Collins anyway.
Talked with Rick
Went to Thai restaurant in strip mall next door at 9 - closed 9:30. Good food but rushed to eat. Owner lingered around patrons.
Room by 9:45. Bed by 10 without doing anything except brush teeth. Forgot - called several hotels in Boulder, etc for tomorrow night. Settled on Rodeway after checking others but when I called back to reserve she said I had to call tomorrow. Ugh!
O
53,032 (over 53,000 on OD)
610 miles for day - too long but beautiful canyon.
5948 total
PS. Nice canyon along Poudry River - a lot of activity - camping, fishing, kayaking even late day. Long down from the pass but moved fast with 2-3 vehicles. Everyone wants to be home. ( Sunday Eve)
Day 16 - Sunday, July 24, 2016 - Windsor, CO to Longmont, Co - Rocky Mountain National Park
Body is tired so no exercises. Up with coffee in breakfast room to call to reserve room, read email. Night clerk at Rodeway said call back at 9. Set my phone alarm and did that - then he said they had no rooms!! Called next choice the Travelodge in Longmont and got a room. See below for results.
Away after breakfast in cloudy conditions to Fort Collins. Drove around the Colorado State University campus - 2 story buildings, buff colored brick, lots of trees and green space, saw cranes at perhaps a new /renovated stadium.
Gas $2.01
Up Big Thompson Creek Canyon to Estes Park - elev 7662 at entrance.
Into and through park as far as Milner Pass.
Over 12,188 at highest point on the road. Elk with and without antlers.
Marmots
Several bikers through park.
Cleared then clouded up again and rained in various places, which we could see from high up.
Out the south way past Longs Peak, Meeker Park, Through Ward (last time took photos of school crossing sign with alien painted in with children) and back mountainous roads used a lot by bikers. What climbs! All familiar to Kelzie.
Boulder Costco for Jerky for trip plus found good eye drops for painful eyes, nearby Whole Foods to walk through,
Through town to Longmont, Travelodge. They had hard rain today.
One of 1 inexpensive motels at I-25 exit with loads of fast food places but out of town. Receptionist was oblivious about what' s in the area. Back to town for dinner. WhichWich open in 1 day and having staff party so next door to Tokyo Joes for quick dinner. No coffee. Disappointed by both.
Motel not recommended for future stays! Basic amenities but not cared for, not clean.
Busy day but saw a lot. Last day of sightseeing.
Day 17 - Monday, July 25, 2016 - Longmont, CO
Exercises on indoor pool deck and in the parking lot.
Continental breakfast more minimal than usual - no fruit or yogurt.
To Boulder to see the sights and hear Kelzie's animated description of her time here training. Walked one of the main streets.
Got to 2:00 appointment early and Tammy was ready. Long discussion of the problem, Dr's visits, etc and decision about what to do.
Made a cast and a schedule - Back in AM to try out and make adjustments.
Dinner at 5:30 at The Med, a popular place clearly, with Lindsey, Kelzie's friend. During happy hour they had Tapas for 3.50 each with many choices so we had good food. There until about 8:15. Lindsey still competes but Phil, her and K's coach, got out of the business so she's looking for a new person. Still competing and doing some PR consulting, whatever that is.
Hurried back to hotel to call Rick, back out to get coffee then did planning for tomorrow's drive.
Mountains were hazy morning and evening and it was hot and dry. We have noticed there is a burn ban on almost all over the west and in CO the fire danger is "very high".
OD 53335
81 mi
Day 18 - Tuesday, July 26, 2016 - Longmont, CO to Lincoln, NB
Exercises
Away 8:45 or so for coffee after poor breakfast then K's appointment in Louisville with Tammy for orthotics fitting and adjustment. Away to pick one item on hold from consignment shop visited yeaterday then out of town and on the road to Lincoln, NB.
Called ahead to reserve HIEx and it turned out to be very nice and opened June 1.
this exit has many hotels, probably for football season?
Beautiful day for traveling - slightly overcast but hot
Ruby Tuesday's after talking w/Rick.
No planning tonight!
OD 53867 miles
532 miles
10:25 moving
Day 18 - Wednesday, July 27, 2016 - Lincoln, NB to home
Walked outside while K used the fitness center.
Continental Tire trailer plus 2 little cars from trailer saw at gas station by hotel then later in the day stopped by police in interstate.
Great breakfast, coffee, on the road
Straight driving and stopping for bathroom and drinks.
As usual, lunch from what we have with us.
Home 3:30 with Rick meeting us at the 151 overpass!
OD 54335
470 Miles
7 Hrs moving.
7249 Total miles
Final notes.
Kelzie in boot for entire trip due to stress fracture
Always ate breakfast at hotel if provided except once when bad
Usually coffee at Starbucks or the like in AM
Always ate lunch from our stash including crackers, jerky, apples, almonds, tootsie rolls, lemon drops, key lime Oreos, combos (blue cheese!) left overs from dinner before, maybe soda in afternoon.
Good dinner and often ate only half/saved rest for lunch next day
Cooler bag with ice from hotel
Difficult to keep car organized because of lack of space in cabin
GPS worked OK but doesnt' show entire map; only to first via.
Only 91 gas in the west.
One time nearly out of gas and no premium so 2 gallons of regular to get us to good gas
Monday, August 8, 2016
Thelma and Louise do the Northwest
Southeast X Southwest -Spring '16
WI-IL-IN-KY-VA-TN-NC-SC-GA-AL-MS-AR-TX-NM-AZ-CA-OK-KS-MO-IA
Odometer = 21835 - 28036 / Total miles= 6201 / GPS=6005 / 95 Hrs
Day: 1 Friday Date: 4.15.16
Str Cty: Home Str Mls: 21835
End Cty: Bloomington, IN End Mls: 22448
Dly Mls: 412 Tot Mls: 412
Time: 6:34 Notes: nice temp after Crawfordville
Left at 9:15 and rode straight thru except for 4 stops- down 231 to Spencer and saw Tim Figg on my way thru Ellettsville so we talked for a half hour. Very sore and tied, so bed early. Saturday 4.16.16 we went to the Men's Little 5 bike race and gorged on kettle corn while sitting in the shade...nice exhausting time with huge crowd. Then dinner at Smok'in Jacks bbq. Sunday 4.17.16 ended a religious menagerie - two weeks ago in a 1777 Catholic Church in Portuguese and Latin with the "holy father" visiting the homes, to a traditional Methodist service at our Bethany UM, to a country service in rural fundamentalist tradition at Mt Pleasant Christian Church with a young pastor giving a punishment sermon of 45 minutes with forced alter call (but no "light of the world" candle on the alter or Lords Prayer). The panic was played thru the enter sermon. We enjoyed visiting many old friends from the time we lived nearby on Chittenden Brook Farm.
Day: 2 Monday Date: 4.18.16
Str Cty: Bloomington Str Mls: 22448
End Cty: Johnson City, TN End Mls: 22845
Dly Mls: 396. Tot Mls: 809
Time: 7:11 Notes: crashed at 325 in mtns
Saturday and Sunday with Kelzie.. Little 500 on Saturday and Mt Pleasant church on Sunday. Nice visit and weekend. Left at 9:00 riding 37 to 150 thru Indiana countryside for 90 miles, then I64 thru Louisville and beyond Lexington for 90 miles. Caught Hwy 15 to Hazzard, KY and to the mountains. Took one wrong road and then back on 7-667-etc-23 out of the mountains to Appalachia and Big Stone Gap, leaving KY, crossing the corner of VA, and entering TN and caught the expressway to Johnson City HIx. I crashed in the mountains in Kentucky. ..too fast in an off cant uphill curve... Slid on berm and went down.. and then fell again trying to get back to the road... Luckily the berm was dirt and leaves, thus soft and forgiving so my bike has no marks. I was very skittish thereafter as ankle was badly sprained, my knee hurt, and my ribs were bruised on the left side, making it difficult to get my bike up when getting on .. No damage to bike except tank bag snap broke. Now to fix the tank bag.. One more stupid move like that and I am done riding.... The Red Bud was dramatic and the weather improved to 80+ degrees into the mountains of KY, VA, & TN. Went over 4100 feet on the KY-VA border. Icing my ankle and when I cough my ribs hurt. Dinner of salad at Cheddars. Sore-ankle, rib, and right knee. Slept well but up at 5:30. Saw an eagle today.
Day: 3 Tuesday Date: 4.19.16
Str Cty: Johnson City, TN Str Mls: 22845
End Cty: Pittsboro, NC/Tarpley's End Mls: 23080
Dly Mls: 228 Tot Mls: 1040
Time: 4:15 Notes: into North Carolina
On the road before 8. Eastern TN and western part of NC are very rural & hilly with twisting roads showing lots of backwoods poverty. You never see this condition in Europe. Broke out of the mountains at Boone at 3200 feet, home to Appalachian State University. The students were hustling to get to class. From there on I rode increasingly sophisticated roads, finally on interstates. Went thru the city centers of Winston-Salem and Greensboro to survey the academic triangle. I arrived at Tarpley's by 12:30. Bill and I toured the house and grounds. They live in a large home on a 2-3 acre wooded lot isolated from their next neighbor. Very nice setting. At 2 Andrea came home from golf and we drove to Chapel Hill - Carraboro area, to a huge lake and to eat at The Pig bbq joint. We got home and talked til the NY primary results started coming in..then talked more about Bedford county, people, and our families. During dinner we had a very blasting discussion about very conservative model of govt, economics and business, trying to actively avoid the topics of economics and fiscal policy with a very interesting contrast on social policy. Bed by midnight.
Day: 4 Wednesday Date: 4.20.16
Str Cty: Pittsboro, NC Str Mls: 23080
End Cty: Charleston, SC End Mls: 23338
Dly Mls: 258 miles Tot Mls: 1298
Time: 4:43 Notes: Sturdevant's
Up at 6:30 and on the road by 10 after long discussions. Rode US 15-150 south on 2 lane roads for over 150 miles, then caught I26 and finally took 52 into the city expressway. Hwy 17 to Folly Rd and to their apartment. So much useless, junk land south and east of the Appalachian front. The mountains, however, are beautiful...and in the midst of spring. South of Pittsboro it is summer. Tried Marnie on FaceTime...and marn and Kelzie called back to discuss payment for K's accident. Dinner at home. Al has lost 10#s mostly in muscle and has lost his hair. He has periods of tremors but continues to fight to be active and in the best shape possible by daily stretching and Nordic trac. Spent late eve reading emails and then slept very well and got up late..
Day: 5 & 6 Thursday - Friday Date: 4.21-22.16
Str Cty: Charleston Str Mls: 23383
End Cty: End Mls:
Dly Mls: Tot Mls:
Time: Notes:
We were up by 8 but I was hurting in ankle, ribs and knee due to the fall, so a rest day. We talked and read the whole morning, learning about the treatment and condition of Al's situation/health. I took a rest day and did not hurt too much. We went for an auto ride around Folly Island for about two hours and then stopped for an early dinner at the Roadside Seafood Cafe. We met the mother of the young black owners outside and kibitzed merrily, then met the rest of the family inside to get food recommendations and got the last of 11 tables, for which there was a line outside when we left. I splurged badly- fried clams, calamari, sweet potato fries, and onion rings...I smell like fried food. But what a treat. Read in evening and to bed at 11.
Friday .. We were up and done with breakfast by 8:30 so we left for a tour of downtown Charleston. We drove over the Yacht basin we tied up at on Kelzie's School, rode the waterfront with the majestic homes (all restored from $$s after hurricanes), and looked at the old jail (now a trading center for people who can restore old buildings properly), and reviewed the row areas of cheaper housing and semi-slums. Home for a nap, reading and dinner. Al is lean and trim from loss of weight with loss of strength. The port on his right upper chest which goes directly into the juggler takes a significant amount of care and caution. We have had some good discussions/conversations about the old days in WV, the current political shenanigans, the future and our hopes. Spent evening reading and eating ice cream.
Day: 7 Saturday Date: 4.23.16
Str Cty: Charleston Str Mls: 23383
End Cty: Woodstock, GA End Mls: 23717
Dly Mls: 334 Tot Mls: 1632
Time: 5:43 Notes: Edler's
I left at 8:45 and rode the two lane state highway 78 to Augusta. Then I got on the interstate 20 to Atlanta and north to Woodstock and their beautiful lake house. We talked and talked til a salmon and shrimp dinner. Talked on til 11 and wrote til 12. Nice day and great visit. Their house is set back from the lake and the roads from Atlanta to their house is villages and developments- like 30 miles north.
Day: 8 Sunday Date: 4.24.16
Str Cty: Woodstock Str Mls: 23717
End Cty: Greenville, MS End Mls: 24111
Dly Mls: 445 Tot Mls: 2078
Time: 7 hours Notes: started at 11:30
Had a great baked breakfast, then we went to their marina, had to charge the batteries to get the engine to start, and went for a 45 minute boat ride. Back at the house I loaded up and was on the road by 11:30. First, I skirted west Atlanta and then caught
2 lane Hwy 278 to Gadsden. When I could not get a HIx due west I dropped south to Birmingham and Tuscaloosa on I20-59. Then Hwy 82 all the way to Greenville, MS on the Mississippi River. Poor area and poor eating choices so I went to McD for breakfast and hamburger to tide me over. Rode to the river on some streets not even on my gps in very poor housing areas where the predominate ethos was black. The downtown looked prosperous and there were several southern mansions. Crossed 1/2 Georgia, all of Alabama and all of Mississippi - Almost all roads were very good 4 lane limited access federal highways. Greenville 32k and 69% black....did laundry
Day: 9 Monday Date: 4.25.16
Str Cty: Charleston, SC Str Mls: 24111
End Cty: Wichita Falls, TX End Mls: 24596
Dly Mls: 481 Tot Mls: 2558
Time: 7:38 Notes: Got up at 6:30 preparing bike.
Crops in Mississippi River valley are planted and up. 200 miles across Arkansas on 2 lane roads, mostly violating the speed limit. Nice rural countryside and small rural towns. Crossed into Texas and got 4 lane roads and speeds of 70 or 75. The further I went the more tired and hot.. 92.5 temperature in WF. 7:30 hours riding is too long for me now...less tomorrow I hope. Nothing of note except an open agricultural landscape and rural simple towns. Ate at Back Porch for hamburger...and indigestion during the nite. Watching Sanders interview. Am weak and tired ... Can't keep up this pace and will only go 400 tomorrow.. Bad nite of watching TV, thinking of problems Alex may create and worrying about my front tire. Will make a tire appointment in Albuquerque.
Day: 10 Tuesday Date: 4.26.16
Str Cty: Wichita Falls, TX Str Mls: 24596
End Cty: Santa Rosa, NM End Mls: 25006
Dly Mls: 409 Tot Mls: 2967
Time: 6 hrs Notes: 4800'
Rode Hwy 82 from Tuscaloosa to Lubbock...then Hwy 84 to Santa Rosa, NM. Today from Wichita Falls to here I gained 4000'. The Texas countryside was lush and filled with cattle and horses while the New Mexico side was desert grey and brown as still not into spring. At Lubbock I arranged a review of my front tire at the BMW dealer in Albuquerque at 10 and then on to Flagstaff for the nite. As I crossed the border in NM there were grey fields and significant wind from the south ..temperature dropped from 88 degrees to 61 degrees and the temp rose 10 degrees in the next 100 miles. As one crosses the border you come into the city of Clovis. It is a disaster, half the buildings are empty and falling down, half of the rest of the buildings are decrepit and deteriorated badly, the streets are a disaster, and the environment is sterile. This is a military-supported town near Cannon Air Force Base which is off a few miles. After passing thru Fort Sumner, Billy the Kid's home, I arrived in the transit town of Santa Rosa. The remainder of the afternoon Marnie and I talked of plans to talk to Alex's father, the insurance claim, and iPad. Talked with Marnie and Kelzie, and Nook is worried about not having enough supervision, practice, and modeling of sport psychologist work. I ate hot Mexican food at the Silver Spoon which is the best restaurant on old Route 66. Got gas. Slept 9 1/2 hours.
Day: 11 Wednesday Date: 4.27.16
Str Cty: Santa Rosa Str Mls: 25006
End Cty: Flagstaff, AZ End Mls: 25459
Dly Mls: 447 Tot Mls: 3414
Time: 6:13+3hrs for service Notes: stop at Albuquerque BMW
Rose 2000' to 7K' in the 125 miles and a temperature only in the high 40s. 1.5 hours to BMW Sandia in Albuquerque and they did not have the tire I needed..after checking around they found one in Santa Fe and proceeded to secure it in 2 hours. Hopefully, I'll be out of here by 1:00 for my 4.25 hours and 325 miles to Flagstaff.. and I got out in 3.5 hours. Went over 4200' at the Continental Divide and not over 60 degrees at any time today. As I enter Flagstaff the temp dropped to 51. Tires were over $294.. Leak in coolant and air in brake lines. Rain and freezing over nite...must wait to see how weather breaks. Did not sleep well..to bed at 8:30 and up at 4 trying to figure out what to do today- stay or go and how far with late am start. Changed clothes...
Day: 12 Thursday Date: 4.28.16
Str Cty: Flagstaff Str Mls: 25459
End Cty: Kingman, AZ End Mls: 25605
Dly Mls: 148 Tot Mls: 3562 miles
Time: 2:30 Notes: check tire pressure
Snow, rain and cold... Decided to give it a try since the temp went above 43. Rode slower to keep cold air off me. I stopped to warm up in Williams and put on rain pants for warmth, and when I remounted the corn snow started. By the time I was back on the rode it was rain. Dropped my glasses when taking off my helmet and a lens popped out. Went over the Arizona divide above 7200' with temps in the high 30s. Shortly hereafter it seriously started to snow with 34.5 degrees, and the snow stayed on the road...I slowed to 30 mph and others did as well. 10 miles later the roads cleared and snow turned to constant rain. Temperatures would rise to 50 degrees then plummet to 40 sometimes depending on elevation, tho I dropped to 4000' and temp still did not rise above the high 40s. When I saw a sign for HIx in Kingman, I opted to look into transferring my reservation here- after 30 minutes of hassling with the Philippines I got my transfer and stopped riding at noon. Washed clothes, skipped dinner and plan to stay up late so I don't wake too early in am. Rained on and off all afternoon...glad I stopped.
Day: 13 Friday Date: 4.29.16
Str Cty: Kingman Str Mls: 25605
End Cty: Bakersfield, CA End Mls: 25944
Dly Mls: 341 Tot Mls: 3904
Time: 5 hrs Notes: woke at 3am and tried to get direction. Tuff to decide how to head home... Knee is very painful and in cold aches on bike. Left at 8 in 55 temps and worked my way down 3000' to 500' on the Colorado River and the California border on I40. Paid $3.49 per gallon for fuel at DQ. On to Barstow where I caught Hwy 58 to Bakersfield.. Temperatures varied with elevation from 59 to 72, and finally 88 in Bakerfield at 250' elevation. I rode 22 miles to find and get around the Kern River Oilfield. It was discovered in 1890 when they could get oil at 70 feet depth. One company owns almost all (chevron) the field now and must drill to about 1000' and get 10% oil and 90% water. The water is used for steam or pumped back into the earth. Wells are about 100 feet apart and 60% were pumping today and oil piped to the central place for processing. Thousands of wells and all connected by insulated piping. 88 degrees hot here. Dinner and staying up til 10 so I don't wake too early and be tired mid day. I ate at Hunter Hearth and had a small prime rib and a great salad. Got gas.....$14.02 debit.
Day: 14 Saturday Date: 4.30.16
Str Cty: Bakersfield Str Mls: 25944
End Cty: Gallup, NM End Mls: 26639
Dly Mls: 700 Tot Mls: 4602
Time: 10:30 Notes: hail, rain, sun, snow.
Up at 4am worried about where to go, so I talked with Marnie at 6 and left to backtrack from Bakersfield at 7 am. The only problem on 58 to Barstow was the temperature which fluctuated between 40 and 50 with elevation changes.. On I40 the rain started and just before Flagstaff the temp went to 34.5 and there was snow on the road. I had to slow. Then after Flagstaff a deep slush spot occurred and a accident bottled up traffic and I lost traction in snow momentarily. When I went back to the HIx I found my seat cover. Then when I asked I was allowed to cancel my reservation there so I could go on. It rained at least 50% of the time on the road. IT hailed twice. Had a surprise HIx in Gallup so I stopped short. Elevation.. 500 in Cal and rising to 4000 across CA, rising from 500 at the Colorado River to 7300 in Flagstaff and 5-6000 continuous for the rest of the trip. Gas in California $1.50 higher than adjacent states. Did not walk to the restaurant in rain, thus no dinner.
Day: 15 Sunday Date: 5.1.16
Str Cty: Gallup, NM Str Mls: 26639
End Cty: Santa Rosa End Mls: 26892
Dly Mls: 253 Tot Mls: 4856
Time: 4:30/ 0ver 7 hrs Notes: bike not undercover/snowed upon
I slept 7.5 hrs and awoke to snow on the vehicles and 34 degrees. Will leave at 8:30... @6400'. The temp once rose to the 50s @ 5000' feet in Albuquerque. I went thru two snow belts, the first was forty miles in the 34.5 degrees and dangerous looking roads but the second belt was not as menacing. When temps went to 32-38 it made my deck flash the ice warning. Into the low forties about 1/3 of the trip. Stopped every 40-50 or less miles to warm as my legs and arms got cold from wind draining heat at higher speeds.. Mostly rode at 50-55 mph with flashers on. When I was getting chilled to the bone I decided to cut the ride short in Santa Rosa, 150 miles from Amarillo. Misting when I got here. Pizza in house as the options were all Mexican and it is too cold to go out- been cold enough today. Tired but no nap. Morning temp predictions look better and elevations will reduce.
Day: 16 Monday Date: 5.2.16
Str Cty: Santa Rosa Str Mls: 26892
End Cty: Kansas City, MO End Mls: 27563
Dly Mls: 676 Tot Mls: 5531
Time: 9:30 Notes: cool - cross country
Left at 8:15 and rode I40 for 80 miles to Tucumcari. By chance I discovered a short cut on US54 to Wichita that saved me 150 miles if I went to OC and north. Great ride as I rode 80-90 mph all day. Found a HIx in north KC which cut my distance home tomorrow. Meat and salad for dinner. Lowlife HIx. Temp started at 40 and gradually increased to 64.5 before eve cooling.
Water pump leaks
Air in brake system
Gas cap open/closing difficult
Service.
Double sided tape
Day: 17 Tuesday Date: 5.3.16
Str Cty: Kansas City, MO Str Mls: 27563
End Cty: Home End Mls: 28036
Dly Mls: 474 Tot Mls: 6005 miles
Time: 6:30 Notes: cold
Woke at 7 swollen on the face and eyes...slept well. Left at 8:15 on I35 to Des Moines where I caught I80 east to Iowa City, then 150 the rest of the way home... The closer I got to Madison the less spring was apparent. Saw another eagle that flew directly over my head..what a view. .....386000 Life Miles....
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