We arrived back in Oceanside on Wednesday, September 8th, and checked in to Woods Valley Kampground in Valley Center, CA. Not our first choice but sometimes our only option. Our arrival was the start of 2-ish months in Southern California. My volunteer commitments were spaced with a week between each. The week we arrived, I had a golf committee meeting; the next day, we had food distribution. The following week, we had no commitments, and the week after, we were volunteering for Sicily in September. A dinner fundraiser where the winner of the 8th season of the TV show MasterChef, Dino Luciano, and 15-ish active duty Navy/Marines cook dinner for the guests. The second week of October held my last golf committee meeting, the online auction piece of the golf tournament I was in charge of, food distribution, and the golf tournament on the 22nd. November was another golf tournament we were volunteering for but had nothing to do with putting together.
Mural on the side of Don’s Country Kitchen in Oceanside, CA
We started our visit at Don’s Country Kitchen in Oceanside, our go-to breakfast and lunch spot whenever we are in town. The food is delicious, the servers are fantastic, and the owners became friends. While eating breakfast one morning, we learned that one of the owners was playing percussions for a play at the Moonlight Amphitheatre. They invited us to Friends and Family Night for the dress rehearsal. We met them there and enjoyed a lovely evening with lovely people while tapping our feet to the beats of On Your Feet: The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan. The show was toe-tappingly good.
Sunset outside our hotel in Channel Islands Harbor
With time to spare, we visited Channel Islands National Park. We booked a room at the Hampton Inn at Channel Islands Harbor for a night and set off for an adventure. We had tickets to the islands for the 21st, so on Monday, September 20th, we moseyed over to Ventura Harbor to visit the Channel Islands Visitor Center and a stroll through the harbor after checking in to the hotel. While strolling the harbor, we found Top This Chocolate, and Liv exclaimed, “It’s like a real-life Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!” as we entered. The girls made their own candy bars, then we set out in search of real food. We climbed the stairs for a late lunch at Margarita Villa and enjoyed a meal overlooking the harbor. I also received a call from the Executive Director at VANC with the news that we had to postpone MasterChef.
Santa Cruz Island – Channel Islands National Park
Tuesday morning, we made our way back to Ventura Harbor to ride to the Channel Islands. We would have a few hours at Santa Cruz and a few hours at Anacapa. First stop, Santa Cruz Island. On the way, we enjoyed a ton of dolphins around the boat. When we arrived, we were met by a park ranger who went over the rules. The National Park is only about a quarter of the island, and The Nature Conservancy owns a large portion. We chose to hike toward Pelican Bay, knowing we were not likely to make it in the time we had. Part of this hike is on The Nature Conservancy land and typically requires a guide. Due to COVID-19, they allowed the guides to stay on the trail but allowed each party to travel at their own pace to keep social distance. We made it through many uphills, switchbacks, rock scrambling, and beautiful views before needing to turn around to meet our ride. We stopped for a snack on the island’s shore while waiting for the boat to board.
Birds on Anacapa Island – Channel Islands National Park | The lighthouse sits atop the island shrouded in fog
When everyone boarded, we set off for Anacapa Island. When we made it to the cove with the dock, a concrete platform with short ladders we would be required to climb. The Captain wasn’t sure he would allow us to get off the boat. I don’t know anything about boating, but I know that cove seems really small for that big boat. He was afraid that he would let us off, but we wouldn’t be able to get back on to go home. In the end, he let us off. Getting off required climbing that short ladder I mentioned while the boat rocked in the waves. Not a slight rocking. More like hurry up if you don’t want to get caught between the boat and the ladder. Then, we had to climb the 150 stairs to get to the island’s top and begin our hike. There was a heavy fog surrounding the island, and we couldn’t even see the ocean over the cliffs. We could hear the foghorn and see a few birds when they were close enough. Boarding the boat was a little more exciting than disembarking. About half of us made it on the boat, and the Captain had to back out and take another go at it before boarding the rest of the passengers. Dolphins joined us for part of the trip back to the harbor, then we drove back to our home in Valley Center.
Volcan Mountain Trailhead
October was an event-filled month. It started with a hike at Volcan Mountain in Julian, CA, with our friend David. As we neared our car at the end, the apple orchard owners were out taking care of their trees and tossed each of us the most delicious, freshest apple I’ve ever had. After a long hike, we refueled with food and a flight at Julian Hard Cider. As we ate, David raved about the apple pie and vanilla ice cream at Julian Apple Pie Company, so of course, we had to stop for dessert. The next day, we installed our new 21-foot awning to replace the one we lost to the wind. If you’re reading this, thank you for your help, Richard. Three girls and Tom aren’t always tall enough and/or strong enough to complete what we think we can. We couldn’t have completed it without your help. It was tall, long, and heavy. We had a hard time holding it against the RV while Tom screwed it in. We went from manual to electric, and I’m glad we upgraded.
Marine Memorial Golf Course – Camp Pendleton
October was also the biggest month for our monthly volunteer commitment. The golf tournament we had been planning all year occurred on October 22nd. The online auction was my responsibility, and that ran from October 8th through the afternoon of our tournament. The entire event was a huge success raising around $43,000 for the Veterans Association of North County. With the golf tournament behind us and relaxing on our minds, we ventured over to Rancho Guajome Adobe for Tierra Caliente Academy of Arts’ Dia de Los Muertos event. We watched many talented dancers and viewed altars created in the adobe.
Yosemite National Park
When moving between campgrounds, we discovered an issue with our airbags and made an appointment to have them looked at/fixed. Since we had to find a hotel room anyway, why not find one in a fun place? So I booked us a yurt just outside Yosemite National Park for 2 nights. We arrived at the shop to drop off our home; the manager came out to look and determined he couldn’t fix it. He got on the phone with another local shop, and they could work us in. It might take an extra day, so we would need to find sleeping accommodations for one more night. With our home finally dropped off, we took off for Yosemite. We arrived later than we were hoping, checked in, and set off for The Rush Creek Tavern to enjoy a delicious dinner. The next day, we discovered we didn’t miss fall. The colors were all over. The waterfalls were flowing, and we got to explore a beautiful park. On our way home, we stopped overnight in Santa Clarita.
MasterChef Season 8 Winner Dino Luciano with guests and an active-duty who helped cook at VANC’s MasterChef fundraiser
November brought our MasterChef fundraiser with VANC and an end to our 8-month road trip to Galveston, TX.
While we were in Oceanside, the girls and Coco stayed with their best friend and family. Tom and I split our time between a friend’s house and a friend’s neighbor’s second home. It was a weird relaxing freedom to not have children for a week. After a busy week with no children, we headed back to Montana to pick up our home on Thursday, August 19th. Because we wanted to just get home, we took the fastest route and didn’t stop for any sightseeing. We arrived in the Flathead area around lunch and enjoyed a delicious BBQ lunch at Cowboy Up in Somers, MT, on the North end of Flathead Lake. The place was adorable. A Tuff Shed turned into a restaurant with 5 tables and all cooking done in a trailer out front. The wife serves, and the husband cooks. We all loved the vibe of our lunch spot.
Glacier National Park
Shortly after we finished lunch, the mechanic called to let us know our home was ready. We picked her up and went back to Swan Lake Campground for a few nights. Since we had a couple more days in the area, we decided to check out a few of the sites we hadn’t checked off the list and stop again at a couple we enjoyed the first time around. Early one morning, we set out for Goat Lick and Upper Two Medicine Lake. We didn’t see any mountain goats; I think it’s the wrong time of year. We did see beautiful scenery. We stopped at Memorial Square at Marias Pass and read about the different people who have traveled the pass and what they called it. After one last stop at Big Mountain Ciderworks, it was time to move on. We had reservations in Denver to keep.
Old Montana Prison
We stopped by Old Montana Prison & Auto Museum on our way to Denver. We’d seen it on our way to Montana the first time. Then, while in Oceanside, I spoke with a man who highly recommended we stop by and check it out. So we made it a stop on our way. We parked our 38′ beast with tow car attached in a dirt lot a block-ish away from the museum. We entered the gift shop and paid our entrance fees. The prison entrance led us to a courtyard and the sun beating down on us. This prison is the Montana Territorial Prison and was first used in 1871 to house prisoners. They put the prisoners to work building the prison as more buildings were required. Seeing the old, crumbling buildings was fascinating. The heavy feeling in some of the buildings became too much for me. The Auto Museum entrance is located across the gift shop from the Prison Museum entrance. The cars are immaculate, there are a gazillion of them, and they range from the earliest of cars to 1970’s muscle cars.
Denver Skyline from the Dam Road – I used to love saying that as a child.
We found a delicious family-owned and run BBQ spot in Craig, CO, called The Seasoned Brisket on our way to Denver. The food was some of the best BBQ we’ve had, the service was very polite (we were served by the children), and it was a super cute place. We will definitely stop by next time we are through Craig. We made it in time for our reservations at Cherry Creek State Park on Wednesday, August 25th. On Friday, August 27th, my best friend since high school came out, and we celebrated her birthday for the first time in who knows how many years. She said we were the only ones to sing to her on her birthday. We checked out and headed for Boyd Lake State Park the following day.
Elk at Rocky Mountain National Park
Living at Boyd Lake State Park gave us Rocky Mountain National Park access. As usual, when visiting a National Park, we were up early and driving up Old Trail Ridge Road when the sun rose. Old Trail Ridge Road is a one-lane, one-way dirt road up the mountain that takes you to the visitor center at the top. Rutting season was just beginning, and we were treated to the bugling of the males. We were followed by one big guy who came up on the road from the side of the mountain. We watched a large female moose chase off what we believe was her young female calf. Old enough to be weaned and on her own, it seemed the more senior was telling her. We watched a bald eagle fish in a pond with an osprey. We drove alongside moose who were walking along the mountainside. We watched male elk sparring. These large animals sound like kittens mewling while sparring. We saw marmots and pikas, even a coyote, and some of the most breathtaking scenery. It was hard leaving all the wildlife, but there is always more to see.
Sunset from our campsite at Stevens Creek Campground.
Stevens Creek Campground in Curecanti National Recreation Area is a beautiful place to camp. I feel like I am always saying this place or that place is the most beautiful. And that’s because each place is. Almost everywhere we go carries its own unique beauty. We went from the mountains of Colorado, 12,183 feet at the top of Trail Ridge Road, to a dry, high-desert lake at 7,540 feet. Since we were close, we decided to hike Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park – North Rim at sunset. First, a drive to see Crested Butte. When we returned home from Crested Butte, our awning was tied down to the picnic table. As we started untying it, our only neighbor came walking over. He explained how the wind broke our awning, causing it to beat the crap out of our AC unit and roof. The AC unit was damaged, but it didn’t work and was scheduled to be replaced anyway. The roof was dented but not punctured. The neighbor helped us remove the awning and slide all 21 feet inside our RV through the slide window. We thanked him profusely. The whole thing could have been much worse without his help. By the time we finished taking care of the awning problem, it was time to leave for our sunset hike on the North Vista Trail. Pictures don’t do the views any justice.
View of what’s left from long ago mining along the Million Dollar Highway.
Saturday, September 4th, we booked the Ouray (pronounced yur-ay) KOA to drive the Million Dollar Highway without having to worry about where we were going to sleep. There are multiple stories of how the Million Dollar Highway got its name. One of them was that when they were discussing building the road, someone exclaimed it would cost a million dollars to build. It’s also been said that the views were worth a million dollars, and that is how it got its name. Either way, the views are amazing, and I cannot imagine the cost of building a road on the side of a mountain that requires avalanche tunnels. We weren’t sure where we were headed next, but the North Rim of the Grand Canyon was on the list. I texted my friend who lived in Page, AZ, figuring we could see him and the North Rim. We booked the Monument Valley KOA to visit Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park when I didn’t receive a response.
Mexican Hat Rock Formation
We left Ouray semi-early to have time to explore a little after we got to Monument Valley. It was only a 4-ish hour drive. While driving through Mexican Hat, Utah, not far from where we were staying, I received a text back that my friend wasn’t home that weekend. They were staying in Mexican Hat, Utah, for the night. SAY WHAT?!?!? When we arrived at the KOA, we decided to chill for the rest of the afternoon because I was feeling a little beat up. We set up and were relaxing when I decided it wasn’t that hard to ride in the car, which is mostly what I’d be doing. So we set off for some sightseeing. We had Mexican Hat rock formation and Valley of the Gods on the list. We got the picture proving we’d been to the Mexican Hat rock formation and were turning out to get a picture from a turnout with a colorful view we’d noticed on the way. Right after turning off the rock formation road, my phone rang, and it was my friend from Page, AZ. He wanted to know if we’d just left the Mexican hat rock formation and told me to turn around and meet him there. Of course, we did. We spent a few minutes chatting at the rock formation base before going our separate ways with plans to meet up later in the evening.
Valley of the Gods
We continued to Valley of the Gods and a 17-mile drive through gorgeous rock formations. I’d read that it was a loop, but we didn’t come out near the same place we went in, so I’m going to say that isn’t a loop. After completing the drive, we met my friend, his boyfriend, and his cousin at the San Juan Inn, where they were staying the night. Tom and the girls grabbed a 6-pack of beer and sodas before settling into the outdoor seating. We spent the evening laughing and talking, reminiscing, and catching up. At one point, we heard and spied a wild-ish donkey. The story is he was rescued by the owner’s son and lives free to roam on the land. We saw other wild donkeys in the area, so who knows.
Moki Dugway
Monday, September 6th, we woke up and set out to explore. We tried visiting Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. When we got to the gate, we were told it was only open to the sheriff and their horses. We were free to explore the gift shop, but we wouldn’t be allowed to go any further. Dang, it! We turned around and went to Gooseneck State Park, where the river snakes through the land leaving interesting land formations. Like Big Bend, only multiple bends. Next, we drove up the Moki Dugway and over to Natural Bridges National Monument. The Moki Dugway is one-lane switchbacks up the side of a mountain. Any time a car is coming from the opposite direction, someone has to wait in the wider turn section of the road because it isn’t wide enough for 2 vehicles side-by-side.
A bridge in Natural Bridges National Monument
Natural Bridges National Monument surprised me with how interesting and cool it is. The natural bridges were created by streams cutting into the sandstone. We’re always amazed at what the Earth does on its own. With the dog in tow, we were limited in our hiking. Mostly we stuck to the short trails on the scenic drive pull-offs. Tom stayed in the car with the dog while the girls and I hiked Horsecollar Ruins Trail. We love cliff dwellings, and we take it any time we get a chance to see them. Then it was a crazy drive down the Moki Dugway.
Liv and the stray dog she named Maddie
With the second Thursday and Friday of the month looming, it was time to get back to Oceanside. Leaving the Monument Valley KOA was hard because the moment we arrived, a stray dog won over Liv’s heart. Liv named her Maddie and made sure she had food and water. Both Tom and M had seen Maddie early Tuesday morning, but she was gone when Liv went to say goodbye. We were unaware of how many people will leave their dogs at KOAs, but the employee said this was definitely not the first stray. We imagine someone took her home with them. There were so many families taking care of her and talking about keeping her; I just wouldn’t allow another dog to move in. We made one more stop at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We found a roadside spot to park and unhook to take the car and drive the scenic drive through the North Rim. We had the dog and no time to hike, but we could take in the views from a different perspective than we’ve seen on the South Rim.
While driving through a Flying J parking lot in Mesquite, NV, some guy backed into us. I saw his reverse lights; I made a sound because it happened too fast for words, and he was backed into us. Tom stopped, we hopped out, and he had pulled his van forward, getting out apologizing. Admitting he looked, messed with the stereo, and didn’t look again before backing out. We had about 12 inches of damage to our storage doors from the hinges on his van, and he had a broken taillight lens. He gave us his insurance and took off in a bit of a hurry. With no more excitement, we made it to Oceanside, and this time we were scheduled for a 2-month stay.
Have you ever heard of Flathead Lake in Montana? M heard about it somewhere, researched it, and wanted to visit. Why not? We didn’t have any other plans. We left California on Tuesday, July 13th, and arrived in the Flathead Lake area on Thursday, July 15th. We parked our home on a pull-off, and before looking for National Forest land, we thought we would take a trip through the Swan Lake Campground. Maybe we’d get lucky and find a site. We found the last spot, paid our fees, and went back to the highway for our home. We leveled, put our slide out, and went to check out a little more of the area. We did not have cell coverage at our campsite, so we would need to find a place to work and school.
Our office and classroom at Flathead Lake Wayfarer’s Unit.
Flathead Lake State Park has 6 units around the lake. We made the Finley Point Unit and the Wayfarers Unit, on the shores of Flathead Lake, our office and classroom each day. We often worked and schooled at a picnic table, and then we’d take a break and float on the lake with our tubes and stand-up paddleboards. We’d go back to working and schooling at the picnic table before stopping for the day and having another float. Then it’d be time to figure out dinner, make dinner, eat dinner. After dinner, it’d be time to wander across the highway for more floating on Swan Lake. Maybe even make dessert in the dutch oven on the shore.
Kintla Lake in Glacier National Park.
We explored the area without going into Glacier National Park. The reservation system was in effect, and a timed reservation to enter was required from 6 AM to 5 PM. The reservation is only for Going to the Sun Road, so we drove to Polebridge and checked out Kintla Lake in Glacier National Park. The campground was full, and we were exploring, with the dog, so we didn’t stay long before setting out for Bowman Lake, where we also stopped for only a few moments.
Flathead Brewing Co. in Bigfork, MT.
Friday, we went into Bigfork on the North end of Flathead Lake and found Flathead Lake Brewing Co. When we arrived, there was a sign that due to a fire, the upstairs was closed, but we could be seated downstairs. We made our way down the stairs and put in our name with the hostess, who informed us it could be up to an hour. And they do not allow dogs. We sat in the car using the car’s WiFi to get some work and school done. Then, Tom, M, and I went in to eat while Liv sat in the car with the dog and attended her Zoom math tutor. Because we live our life traveling, and our dog has separation anxiety issues, we try to take her with us as much as possible. Often this means she is not welcome when we stop to eat. Instead of leaving the dog in the car, we leave a dog and a child in the car. One of the girls volunteers to stay with the dog, we order to-go drink and food, and the one who gets to eat inside runs drink and food to the one outside.
We try to mostly eat at home, but we also enjoy exploring the local restaurants. We found Bias Brewing in Kalispell, and they allow dogs. Nothing on the menu kept me on the gluten-free, dairy-free diet I try to maintain, and I was glad I had dairy pills to help me through the meal. Breweries are easy to find, but beer contains gluten, so we thought we’d start searching out cideries. When we found Big Mountain Ciderworks in Kalispell, we were not disappointed. They are a newer hard cidery and restaurant. The food was delicious, and the cider was even better. We made a stop at Tamarack Brewing Company in Lakeside and had good food and better beer. We also found Buzz N Bagels coffee shop in Bigfork and had the most delicious coffee drink called THE Flathead. We bought cherries from multiple roadside stands and even found fresh huckleberries at one.
Picking huckleberries at our campsite.
Do you know about huckleberries? Locals told us that huckleberries only grow in the mountains. You cannot grow huckleberries on a farm. Summer is huckleberry season, and people go deep in the mountains searching out huckleberries. Because huckleberries are difficult-ish to come by, they are expensive—$ 20 for a sandwich-size zipper-seal bag and $80 for a gallon-size zipper seal bag. Then there is huckleberry everything. Huckleberry chocolate, tea, coffee, syrup, jam, preserves, taffy. If they can add huckleberry, they’ll add huckleberry. While we were dispersed camping on the shore of Hungry Horse Reservoir, we would see huckleberry pickers whenever we were coming back to camp. We discovered the hillside next to us was covered with them, and we commenced picking our own fresh huckleberries.
Swan Lake, Montana
After 11 nights at the Swan Lake Campground, with no hook-ups, we booked a night at the Whitefish KOA for the hook-ups, and so we could find dispersed camping. The following morning, we chose to extend an extra night. We had delicious BBQ at DeSoto Grill and watched as the chef made the best-looking sandwich we’ve ever seen. With full bellies, we went in search of a dispersed campsite. As we drove into occupied site after occupied site, our hopes were waning. I commented that the perfect campsite would be at the end and no one would be in it. After what seemed like forever, we pulled into the ideal campsite, got out, and set up the tent so we could return the next day. We were a long way from the main road, and there was no cell service, but the place was amazing. We went back to the KOA for the night and the girls set about completing their assignment of talking to at least 3 people their age. They went outside, made friends, and played all night long. We awoke the next day, excited to take off to our new home.
View of our campsite at Hungry Horse Reservoir.
We pulled into the most fantastic site we’ve lived in yet, and while trying to get the view out our front door perfect, I stepped in and decided to drive the RV for the first time ever. I went 10 feet backward and 7 feet forward. After setting up, we put on our suits and went for a float on Hungry Horse Reservoir. We had the reservoir out our front door and a private cove in front of us. We could see three campsites across a larger cove that were full for the first 3 days we were there. After the weekend, we were the only ones in the area until we left. For 4-days we didn’t leave. We enjoyed no cell service, no electricity, nothing but nature.
A handwritten sign on a broken road sign we found hanging from a tree on the dirt road back to our campsite.
Our 4-day weekend of bliss ended, and it was time to find cell service so we could work. We also wanted to explore Glacier National Park. Because we were 42.8 miles from the main road, we had a 1.5-hour drive back to it. Glacier was another 15-ish minute drive. We saw 2 AM and 3 AM more often than we would have liked. The first time we woke up early for Glacier, we drove from West Glacier to St Mary’s and back, stopping at turnoffs. Closer to the St Mary’s side, we saw 3 grizzly bears alongside the road. Between trees on a hillside, we saw a mama and baby black bear running up the hill. The morning we decided to hike Hidden Lake, we discovered that the reservation system destroyed how we visit parks. When we hike in a National Park, we are up well before the sun and on the trail before the sun rises. When the day is getting warmer and the trails are getting busier, we are done and leaving. Around 6 AM, we arrived in the parking lot at the trailhead for Hidden Lake with 200 of our closest friends. The mountaintop was shrouded in fog, and people were pouring toward the trailhead. We opted out, heading for Sun Point and hiking to Virginia Falls instead.
View of the river from the trail to Virginia Falls during a smoky sunrise.
We were not disappointed with our choice. The trail was long and felt almost straight uphill at the end. We enjoyed Baring Falls and St. Mary’s Falls along the way, with our reward being Virginia Falls at the end. When we arrived at the top, a tree had fallen, blocking our path over a footbridge. We ducked beneath the ginormous tree and made it to the waterfall and the pool it created below. After taking a gazillion pictures, we ducked beneath the tree and descended back down the mountain. Glacier National Park is beyond words beautiful. Every part we saw.
Smoky sunset from the shore of Hungry Horse Reservoir.
We spent 9 nights, 10 days 42.8 miles from the main road. 15 of those miles were paved; the rest were dirt. .8 of a mile probably shouldn’t have seen our 38′ Class A Motorhome, but she made it like a champ. We had 100 gallons of water on board, plus another 7-10 drinking. We only ran the generator when needed and bathed in the lake. If we could live like this forever, we would. But it was time to get back to Oceanside again. We drove separately into Kalispell, where we washed laundry, had lunch, and bathed the dog. Tom drove off in the RV headed toward a dump station while the girls and I found our way to the grocery store. When the girls and I pulled into the parking lot to meet Tom, I knew something was wrong. There was a liquid pouring from the back of our home. That wasn’t normal. The radiator dumped what appeared to be all of its coolant. Saturday evening in small-town Montana meant no one was open until Monday morning. We were in a church parking lot and figured they would want their parking lot on Sunday morning. The casino next door allowed us to park there until Monday. We limped it out of the parking lot and next door, with it dying twice in the process.
View from my stand-up paddleboard on Hungry Horse Reservoir.
A quick search and we had the Quality Inn in Kalispell booked for $350 a night. It was the most inexpensive room in town. Sunday had us paying the same price for the same room. Monday morning, Tom immediately got on the phone looking for a mobile mechanic with time to look at our RV. He scheduled a Monday afternoon visit, we checked out, and headed for 4B’s restaurant, where we had the friendliest server. When she heard our dilemma, she took our number and offered to have her husband take a look. I found us a room at Timbers Motel that was a little less expensive at $250 a night. The husband of our breakfast server showed up just before the mobile mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed a hole in our radiator and confirmed he could fix it. He had to order the part, have it shipped, then it would take him 2 or 3 days to complete the work. The only tow truck around that could tow something of our size was a flatbed semi at the cost of almost $1500. And we were going back to Oceanside without our home. Again.
With everything fixed, we were free to explore wherever our hearts desired. We thought we’d spend some time in Twin Falls, ID, and headed that direction. First stop, Eddie World in Yermo, CA. This gas station just off the 15 between Southern California and Las Vegas has multiple food choices and more snacks than I have ever seen in a travel stop. We’d passed by many times but never stopped. So glad we added it to our list this trip. Next stop, Seven Magic Mountains in Jean, NV. Fun fact: M’s middle name is Jean. Seven Magic Mountains is an art installation created by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone. The exhibition opened in 2016 and has been more popular than imagined. On our way from Seven Magic Mountains to the Bonneville Salts Flats, we saw a sign for Great Basin National Park. We decided to execute a drive-by visit since we had the dog.
Great Basin National Park
We found a spot to eat inside a casino in Ely, NV (pronounced ee-lee by the locals). There was a parking spot large enough for us, so we parked and went in. While waiting for our dinner, I was looking on their website, and it said they had an RV park. When Tom inquired at the front desk, the woman had no idea what he was talking about. She did tell him that we were welcome to park in the back lot, where we were parked. After a good night of sleep, we woke up and set off for Great Basin National Park. As we were driving along the road to the entrance, I swore my mind was seeing things when I saw a leg sticking out of the dirt. When we saw fence poles with clothes, I knew my mind wasn’t playing tricks on me. After being treated to an unexpected art show the locals created along their fences, we made it into Great Basin National Park.
We drove the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive without hiking. We had the dog, and National Parks are not very dog friendly. After our scenic drive, we went back to Ely, hooked the car back up, and headed to the KOA in West Wendover, NV. After getting settled in, we searched for food. West Wendover is not a child-friendly city. The restaurants are in casinos, and children are not allowed. We went to the Bonneville Salt Flats at sunset. Being on the Salt Flats is like being in another world. The salt changes from location to location. In some places, it’s like sand; in others, it’s hard as a rock. We woke up for sunrise at the Salt Flats, then went after 10 PM when it was pitch black out in the middle of nowhere. At one point, we had our car up to 115 MPH before Tom slowed down. After having a couple days of fun in the Salt Flats, we moved on. Craters of the Moon National Monument had never been on our radar before, but when we saw it, we knew we had to go. We decided to drive through Twin Falls and onto Picabo, ID, to stay at the Picabo Angler RV Park. On our way, we stopped for breakfast in a great restaurant, Bella’s Restaurant & Espresso in Wells, NV. While there, another RV family came in and asked the server about the Salt Flats because it was on the husband’s bucket list. The server talked about how boring it was and not worth the trip. After she walked away, we told them they should do it because we didn’t grow up there like the server did, and we went 3 times in 48 hours or less.
Collapsed lava tube at Craters of the Moon National Monument
On Tuesday, June 22nd, we explored Craters of the Moon National Monument and were awed by the landscape. We went from one other-worldly landscape to another. Have you ever stopped and just marveled at how amazeballs Mother Earth is? Within 1 day of driving, we went from the Salt Flats to hardened lava covering the Earth. A beautiful lake on one side and blackened lava fields on the other. Wednesday, we went early to get our pass to explore the lava tube caves, then we went back home to work and school before actually exploring the caves. You must obtain a pass, and to receive a pass, you must not have worn anything you are wearing in any other caves. White Nose Disease is a disease carried by bats. It causes them to wake up from hibernation early, burn too many calories, and die. There has never been a case of this in Craters, and they would like to keep it that way. According to the ranger, this disease can live on clothing and shoes for 15 years. One woman in the group trying to receive a pass could not obtain one because she had worn her shoes underground and didn’t have another pair to change into.
You can’t, but we could see our breath in this lava tube cave at Craters of the Moon National Monument.
Liv was the most excited to start exploring underground, and Craters of the Moon quickly became her favorite National Park/Monument. There are 4 caves to explore, and we explored all 4. Boy Scout was Liv’s favorite while Beauty was my favorite. It was my first time in a cave, and it was a super cool experience that I am thrilled we experienced. On June 24th, it was time to move on. We had reservations at Flaming Gorge for June 27th, which gave us 3 nights on the road. We left Picabo and started down the road with a plan to overnight near Montpelier, ID. While driving, I found Bear Lake on the map, and it wasn’t too far off our path. Away we went. We unhooked the car and went searching for a spot of BLM land we could boondock on. We found one and set up camp, then went out to explore. We found Rainbow Cove campground and went in to see what it was like. There, we found one last campsite that could have fit 5 or 6 of our RVs. We paid for the site, left the girls and the dog, and went to get our home. We spent the next 3 nights on the shore of Bear Lake, the Caribbean of the Rockies.
A mountain lake swim at Flaming Gorge.
Bear Lake was amazing. It was hard to leave after 3 nights, but we had more Earth to explore and reservations to keep. Away to Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, we drove. Our campsite there was not on the water, but it was close. A short hike down a trail that ran next to our camp. Monday, June 28th, we rented a party boat and floated on Flaming Gorge Lake for the day. M and Tom braved the cold mountain water and jumped off the back of the boat. Had it been a hot, sunny day, the water would have felt good. We got a cloudy, overcast day that was kind of chilly. We saw a mama bighorn sheep with two babies, a great blue heron, and an osprey. Flaming Gorge is enormous, and we barely explored any of it. You could spend weeks traveling up and down the lake and still not see all of it.
Gondola at Royal Gorge Bridge and Park.
Leaving Flaming Gorge, I made a Harvest Host reservation at El Rancho Brewing in Evergreen, CO. Our first and only experience. We invited the adult children, their girlfriends, and another friend out for dinner at the restaurant. We pulled into the parking lot, checked in, then went inside to enjoy an ice-cold beer. A friend met us, then the adult children showed up, and we sat down to dinner for 8. It was a strange experience, and we have no reason to ever go back. The parking lot was quiet, and we got a good night’s sleep before getting up early to wash laundry and get on the road. After completing our laundry, we headed for the Royal Gorge/Canon City KOA. We dumped our tanks, filled our water, and went to the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park the next day. The Royal Gorge is the most dog-friendly park we have visited. We took Coco everywhere with us, including the gondola. By the time she made it back to the coach, she was barely moving. For the next three days, she only walked in circles to the left. When we left the Royal Gorge, we had to find somewhere to live. We parked the RV on the side of the road in Lake George, CO, and went searching down the dirt forest roads. We found the perfect spot and went back for the RV.
Petrified redwoods at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument.
We spent the 4th of July weekend, and my 42nd birthday, boondocking in the National Forest near Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. On July 3rd, we started exploring Florissant Fossil Beds, but in true Colorado fashion, an afternoon storm rolled in and canceled our plans. We went back on the 4th and were able to hike for a while. We were sitting atop a hill, on a bench, watching lightning and a storm rolling in when we decided to head back to safety. Florissant Fossil Beds was a fun learning experience. Like, who knew there were giant redwoods in Colorado at one time? My favorite was the sign that put the Earth’s timeline into 1 year because that is a time frame we can understand. January 1st was the beginning of the Earth, and we came into the picture at 5 minutes to midnight on December 31st. Crazy when you think about it like that. On Tuesday, July 6th, we headed back to Oceanside for our monthly commitment.
Getting towed. Again.
We arrived in Oceanside and parked at our friend’s house, then met him for breakfast. When we got back to our home to go check-in, it wouldn’t start. We called a tow truck and had it towed to Oceanside Truck, where they discovered we had 4 – 8-volt batteries running a 12-volt system. Or not running the system as the case may be. We had a couple of other things done and booked a room at Harry Belafonte Spa & Resort in Escondido. The vibe was weird, then we met our friend, and he told us about an article he read about it being a rehab that got in trouble and is now a hotel. The room was decent, the pool was relaxing, and nothing terrible happened. Overall it was just weird, without being able to pinpoint what exactly was strange. It was a vibe.
Saturday, May 1st, we were finally leaving Auburn, IL, with our partially remodeled home. We completed the floors, replaced kitchen and bathroom sinks and faucets, bricked the walls, and wallpapered the toilet room. Tom also built the girls’ beds and installed my shelf for storage. We had breakfast with his brother and sister-in-law then we wandered off to a part of the original brick section of Route 66. We couldn’t think of a more fitting place to start our adventure.
Tom & Kim with our new car.
Deb, M, and Kim when we met for the first time ever.
We found the car we wanted, which was not easy with the computer chip shortage. A dealership in Joliet, IL, would have it ready to leave with as we passed through. We stopped and completed the paperwork for a 2021 Chevrolet Equinox we could flat tow. Tom and Liv took off in the RV while M and I cruised down the highways in our new car. We didn’t have a way to tow yet, so I had to drive across the country again. M and I stopped in Colona, IL, to visit another one of my friends, Deb. She is another friend from the Facebook group from years past. The visit was too short, but it was so lovely to finally meet her. We left Colona and headed for Tom and Liv, who’d stopped at the World’s Largest Truck Stop in Iowa, aptly named Iowa 80. It’s in Iowa and it’s on I-80. If you’ve never been to Iowa 80, you must stop as you pass. It’s like a department store. They have an entire semi-truck inside the store. And, it’s like 6 stores in one. It’s crazy large. We walked across the street for dinner at Gramma’s Kitchen and decided to tuck in for the night. In a whole large parking lot just for RVs. A lot of RV delivery drivers were staying overnight, also.
The Archway in Kearney, NE.
While heading across Iowa, that screeching that told us to stop, that was supposed to be fixed? Yea. It wasn’t fixed. It started screaming at Tom and Liv again. Luckily, Iowa, Eastern Colorado, and Nebraska are primarily flat. We stopped at The Archway in Kearney, NE, and explored the museum on our way through Nebraska. I was born in Iowa and moved to Colorado when I was 7. We made a lot of road trips back and forth, then as an adult, I made multiple. Until this stop, I had no idea the archway was a museum. A visually appealing, informative museum. The Oregon Trail, California Trail, and Mormon Trail all crossed paths in Kearney. The museum holds unique exhibits regarding the travelers of each trail. It explores the different eras in the area and is overall a fun and informative stop. We left the museum and headed over to S.A.M.Que for a BBQ dinner before getting back on the road. Shortly after dinner and heading into the sunset, it started to rain. It would intermittently pour sheets of water then barely rain at all. Not seeing very well at dusk and even worse after dark, I no longer felt comfortable driving, so we pulled off in a rest area for the night. We awoke next to a field of cows the following day, took a family selfie with the cows, and drove toward Denver.
Bear Creek Lake State Park
We checked in to Bear Creek Lake Park, and Tom got on the phone with the local Cummins shop. We arrived in Denver on Monday, May 3rd, and Cummins was able to take a look at our home on Thursday, May 6th. Bear Creek Lake Campground was a great campground in the foothills of Denver. We were close enough to visit the adult children, do laundry, and shop without driving too far. We enjoyed wandering the trails in the park. Thursday morning, we packed up the RV and dropped her off at the Cummins shop. We booked 2 rooms at Woolley’s Classic Suites, enjoyed room service and the bathtub. Cummins called Friday morning to let us know that when CIT replaced the fuel system part, they should have replaced a couple of other parts as well. They didn’t, the parts were bad, and the shop ordered them. They were hoping to have them Monday or Tuesday. The girls and I planned a road trip when the parts didn’t come in on Monday. Tom stayed behind in Denver while the girls and I drove back to Oceanside. Tom would follow whenever Cummins was done with our home.
Liv, M, and Kim in Denver at the start of their road trip to Oceanside.
Again, there was rain in the forecast, and it was raining when we left, so we took the southern route to get out of the storm. We pulled into La Quinta Inn & Suites in Holbrook, AZ, to find a room for the night. We settled in then went down the street to Bienvenidos Restaurant for dinner before turning in for the night. We barely got half a mile down the road before stopping at a Route 66 roadside attraction the next day. On our way out of town, there was a closed shop full of ginormous dinosaur sculptures. If they’d been open, we would’ve stopped. They weren’t, so we headed for Oceanside. We checked into the Marina Inn & Suites in the Oceanside Harbor when we got there. My favorite hotel in Oceanside. We were going to have dinner at Joe’s Crab Shack, but we went somewhere else after waiting for an hour. Just as we were getting our food from Rockin’ Baja, Joe’s was texting that our table was ready.
Thursday morning, the girls slept in while I attended my golf committee meeting. Thursday afternoon, we just hung around schooling and working. Cummins was finished with our home in Denver, and Tom was on his way to Oceanside. By the time we woke up Friday morning, Tom was sleeping in the park n’ ride off of the 15 and the 76. We met him at Guajome Park and set up our home. We had fun working the food distribution at VANC Friday afternoon and enjoyed a BBQ with friends that evening. Sunday afternoon, we headed over to Orfila Winery in Escondido to celebrate our friend David’s birthday.
We spent the next month in North County San Diego, Anza Borrego State Park, and Lake Moreno. We completed projects in the RV, including putting the TV on an electric lift and creating a lid. After the June food distribution, we were on our way to adventure.
We finally had our home back and could begin remodeling. With it closing in on the second week of April, I needed to be back in Oceanside, CA, for my volunteer commitment. There was no way we were taking our home back to Oceanside, so we’d made the decision to purchase a plane ticket for me. That gave us a few days to get started. We started taking out the seats and couches, then the flooring. Before we got too far in ripping out the flooring, it was time for our trip to Chicago. I booked us a room at the 21c Museum Hotel for Tuesday, April 6th, and Wednesday, April 7th, for Tom and the girls. A four-ish hour drive typically leaves us hungry and ready to refresh so, after checking in, we went in search of a snack. We found the Rock Bottom Brewery with a rooftop deck nearby. Later, we met my friend Jen and her children for dinner and enjoyed visiting.
Kim and Jen in Chicago after dinner.
Knowing we would be in Chicago, I made dinner plans with my friend, Jen. I met Jen in the same Facebook group as my Galveston friend, 10-ish years ago. A group of about 10 of us grew close and have remained in contact through the years. We met at a time in our lives we needed the support each other gave, and we were in a small, private group that allowed us to get deeper. To share things we couldn’t share on our personal Facebook page. I hope to meet more of the women I love from this group as we travel. Lauri, near Galveston, TX is on the list still since we never made it in February.
The family at The Bean
After breakfast, the family dropped me off at the airport and headed out for some of their own adventures. (M’s POV here. Liv’s POV here.) I sat in O’Hare International Airport, waiting to board my flight. Finally, we were boarded and on our way to San Diego. Our friend, Richard, picked me up, and we discussed dinner. Before we made it back to his place, his daughter called and invited us to dinner with her and her kids. After dinner, we went back to Richard’s to get my car and head to the hotel. Moments after arriving, I locked my keys in the trunk and had to call AAA. One hour, one lovely AAA guy, and a few good laughs later, I was on my way. Luckily, the rest of my night was uneventful. I checked in to my hotel then went to bed after calling the family.
Kim and David at Pacific Coast Spirits.
Thursday morning, I made it to my golf committee meeting, then went and got my hair did. Staying beautifully pink requires a lot of time, and since my hair looked so good after, it was time to meet our friend David for a drink at Pacific Coast Spirits. I love that Pacific Coast Spirits has a cocktail of the month. Part of the proceeds from the cocktail sale is donated to a local Oceanside charity. April’s was Earth Day colors and a slushie. How could I pass that up? It was an early night to bed, where I read and enjoyed the silence.
Packed boxes at Operation America Cares.
Friday brought food distribution and an afternoon of serving our military. Then a night spent relaxing in the bathtub and reading in bed. Saturday morning, I was up early for box packing with Operation America Cares. Since I was in Escondido, I had breakfast with David. Then I picked up breakable chocolate Easter eggs from DaniGirl Cake Pops, and discovered I had locked myself out of storage. I broke in via a locksmith then spent another evening relaxing. Sunday, I met our friend, Buggs, for a drink before heading back to the hotel to pack up for Monday’s departure. Richard had stored our 2008 Jetta, and I was driving it back to Illinois. Alone.
Leaving Las Vegas…I mean…Oceanside.
Initially, I thought I would stop in St George, Grand Junction, and Denver, then decide if I was stopping again or heading straight through to Illinois. After getting started, I decided to forego the stop in St. George, UT, and head straight for Grand Junction, CO. Partway through Utah, on I-70, my car started making a strange noise and freaked me out. I was in the middle of nowhere, and there was no traffic. It was the strangest thing I’d ever experienced. I drove miles and miles and never saw another human. I did see a donkey. I pulled off at an exit and climbed under the car to see if I could figure out the problem. There was a piece of plastic flapping and scraping. I went on down the road, and I stayed the night in Grand Junction, CO, then met one of my son’s old friends for coffee. In a previous life, the children and I lived in Grand Junction, and the two of them had gone to school together, and his family had lived just a couple of blocks away. It was great catching up with him, and he followed me over to Grease Monkey, where they fixed my scary noise problem. The skid plate had lost screws, so they screwed it back in, didn’t charge me anything, and sent me on my way a much happier camper. I hugged Patrick goodbye and pointed the car toward Denver.
Glenwood Canyon, just outside Glenwood Springs, CO, is one of the most beautiful drives I’ve ever driven. I stopped along the river for a few peaceful moments of rushing water, taking my time getting to Denver. I found an adorable hotel on the Booking.com app and was excited to check-in. I made it into Denver, checked in to Woolley’s Classic Suites, and drew a bath. When I climbed in, it was even bigger than it looked. Being as short as I am, I had difficulty not floating to the top. The bath was still amazing. The bathtub alone was worth the price of the room. I was up at o’dark thirty and on the road to Auburn. I’d made the decision to drive straight through. Because I was out so early, I didn’t get a chance to stop and see my friend, Doreen, whom I hadn’t seen in years. It was 11 hours to Auburn, and I’d rather get up early than arrive later. I arrived in Auburn, IL, about 9 PM after a long, grueling day of driving in one of the world’s most uncomfortable cars. During that drive, I decided we were replacing it.
Bricking the walls.
Tom and the girls had been hard at work on the RV remodel between work and school. We continued the remodel until May 1st, 2021 when we set back off for Oceanside. We would continue to remodel while we were living in it. The big things were done.
