On the Road to Winnemucca

There is something about the word, Winnemucca that is fun to say.  I like the word.  Try it out loud.  Winnemucca.  Wasn't that fun for your lips and tongue?  So, here we are in Winnemucca and it is still hot.  Winnemucca is in the northern part of Nevada and fairly high so I was expecting it to be a bit cooler.  The cashier at the local grocery store said that it has been unseasonably hot this year.  Lucky us!

We did about 300 miles today which is a big day for us.  We prefer about 250.  We go slow too so it takes a while.  Regardless, we are always set up before cocktail hour which will be here before I know it.

The interesting thing about Nevada is that it is so lonely.  There are so few people and so few towns.  We were going to take a more remote route but decided that taking 95 was remote enough.  I had very sketchy cell service the whole time as it was.

We had no incidents and just rolled along.  We did make a few roadside stops for our dog, Jake, as he was acting a bit strange but he seems to be fine now.

This is such an exciting blog, isn't it?  So, I will just give you some of my through the windshield pictures to entertain you.

This was my favorite of the whole day and it really wasn't through the windshield but at one of our Jake Stops.  It reminds me of those nightmares I get when I need to wake up to find a bathroom but instead I dream that I can't find a private one.  The search continues!

Everything is old, worn out and abandoned.  It is such a sad thing.  I think it was all there for mining and the mining is gone.

These are very lonely roads.  I can't even imagine how it would feel at night to be out there alone.  No thank you! 

Have a good day!

Heading North August 2016

Our summer was all messed up and we had too many difficulties that kept us stuck in Yuma for the first part of the summer.  But we finally are on our way and have headed north.  And just in time as I was about to scream for the hot weather.  Soon we will be north enough that the days will be a bit cooler and the nights down right chilly and then I will probably be complaining about the cold.

We timed our departure to travel through Las Vegas early on Sunday morning when the traffic was light.  So our first stop was back at Canyon Trail RV Park in Boulder City.  It is not their fault that it was hot and miserable when we were there.  It actually is a very nice RV park with pull through sites, large spaces, a new pool, off leash areas for dogs and nice showers.  We had been there before and like it.  But by the time we got there it was 100 degrees or more and our RV was HOT.  It took hours for it to cool down but when it did, we slept really really well.  We love the bed in our camper.

Jake is getting older and he doesn't travel quite as well as he used to.  He gets really tired.  He has his own sofa in the camper and this year we got him a cooling pad that he does not like but since I told him to use it he does.  He is a good boy and does what mommy says.

It was over 90 degrees in the camper when we first got set up and Jake was very uncomfortable.  So glad it cooled when the sun went down.

Today we are in Tonopah, NV heading north to Oregon.  Both travel days have been without incident and easy.  The countryside is barren and lonely looking.

We did see some wild burros which was a thrill for me!  I have never seen them before and was not ready with my camera so this is all you get!

And of course - this is Nevada folks -

I almost forgot the best part.  When we went for fuel this afternoon we just happened upon a local Brewery!!  We sat outside with Jake and had a great double IPA at Tonopah Brewing.  What a way to begin a holiday that is centered on good brews!

Montana!

We have been having way too much fun here in Montana and I have been lazy with updating the blog.  We are currently in Fort Benton which is in central Montana and pretty darned close to Canada.  In my next life I want to be born in Montana!  I love it here.  Actually, getting to spend part of my summer here is almost perfect.  When we left Henry's Lake in Idaho we went to Livingston and spent a week there visiting with Kirby's cousin, Melani.  She has lived there for over 10 years...a California escapee!  While in Livingston Kirby got outfitted for some trout fishing and we have been searching for that big boy ever since!

We have seen some beautiful country on our travels and Montana is probably one of the very best!  From Livingston we went a whole 75 miles north to White Sulfur Springs which sits just south of Lewis and Clark National Forest.  It is a tiny town that is quiet, quiet, quiet!  The RV park was our favorite this year.  We walked to town and back many times, drove all over dirt roads searching for that perfect fish, picniced and played tourist at a home that has been converted to a museum.

I loved the simplicity of this old abandoned farmhouse.  I found it interesting that the white paint was still so white.  I have to wonder what brand of paint they used to last so long! There was no vinyl siding when this house was built.

Kirby found us this canyon to check out.  It was all rock and gorgeous. 

We were just driving down the dirt road minding our business when I spotted these two deer sitting under a tree.  Kirby slammed on the brakes and backed up.  I started taking pictures and walking closer to them very slowly.  They let me get quite close before the bolted off.  I felt so fortunate to get so close to them.  Their antlers were gorgeous!

This was one of our many picnics.  Convenient tree stump to use wouldn't you say?

Why do I take pictures of cows?  I have always done it and I am not too sure why.  Maybe because they are there.  This young one didn't know yet that you DON'T sleep in the middle of the road!

One day there were lots and lots of butterflies and they each had a thistle.

Driving a big truck and pulling a 38 foot trailer can be a bit of a challenge.  We had no idea this was waiting just up the road for us.  The picture is no where near as awful as the real thing was.  Lumpy, bumpy and very narrow.  I was so proud of Kirby!

This is the house museum that we visited - Bair Family Museum in Martinsdale, MT.  There really is no more Martinsdale - only a handful of people still living in the old houses but it used to be a nice little town full of people  that the sheep rancher, Charles Bair, employed.  The house was furnished by his two daughters throughout their lives with travels to Europe to purchase antiques.  It was pretty gaudy with all the big picture frames and gold gilt on everything but I fell in love with the kitchen.  It was remodeled in the 1960's and stayed the same thereafter.  Isn't the color incredible.  That would wake you up pretty fast each morning!

On The Road To Idaho

How many people have a sewer dump on their street?  Well, my sister does!  It was time to leave them and head over the pass to Idaho and we needed to dump our holding tank.  Kirby just backed the rig down the road a bit and there was a sewer plug!  Can't beat that!

And then it was over the hill.  We decided to take the southern route towards Idaho Falls instead of going over Teton Pass.  Teton Pass is very, very steep but about an hour closer to our destination.  We decided that ease of travel was worth the hour since we weren't going very far.  We had traveled this route before, most recently last summer, and new it would be easy and beautiful with a lot of variety. 

We crossed the Snake River.  This river seems to be forever in our lives.   I am beginning to feel a personal bonding with it. (This looks like an old railroad crossing.)

I love these golden fields!

Best Rest Area ever!  View of the Snake River from the rest area on Highway 26.

Then we cut through on some country roads which is always more fun than highways and interstates.

And this is Henry's Lake State Park where we will be staying for the next few days. There are good hiking trails, we can ride our bikes and there are nearby scenic drives.

On The Road to Jackson Hole, WY

There was weather coming the day we planned to leave Lander, Wy for Jackson so we were up early and off to the dump station.  While Kirby did his thing, Jake and I looked around and found this nice view of Lander and the walk/bikeway they have. 

After dumping our tanks we headed out pretty much north and then west, up over the pass and then dropped down into Grand Teton National Park.  The drive was, like so many of them, very varied.  I think our drives (or roadtrips) are just about the best part of our travels.  My camera is busy clicking out the windshield so the photos are not the best but it sure is fun.  On this trip someone needed to tie my hands down because I just kept clicking away as each turn brought more beauty.  Are we lucky to live in such a beautiful country or what?!!

 It may be barren but it is still gorgeous!

This was the best part of the trip for Jake.  We stopped on the pass to let some folks pass us and took the opportunity to look around and stretch our legs.  This deer carcass was not that old but it was clean except for the feet and lower legs.  Jake found it extremely interesting!

 And then we spotted the Grand Teton and it just kept getting better and better as we got closer.

On the Road to Lander, Wyoming

We had no idea when we left Thermopolis, WY that the drive to Lander would be so beautiful. There were dramatic canyons and fun tunnels - even a double tunnel.  Now come along with us!

Wyoming Travel

We traveled from Buffalo, Wy to Thermopolis, Wy today and the scenery was so diverse.  At the top of Powder River Pass we reached an altitude of over 9,600 feet.  It was steep going up and really steep going back down.  We saw snow covered peaks, rugged rocks and desolate flats covered with oil wells.  The drive was short but I think with the altitude changes and all the curves it was pretty tiring for Kirby.  Sure was beautiful though.  Now come along with us!

This was our route.