CONTINUING ON, MAKING A RIGHT TURN

We hung around Omaha for a few days, doing the necessary shopping, washing the truck, laundry and cleaning the RV before continuing on.  While heading across Iowa on the roads less traveled we spied a sign pointing to a Freedom Rock several miles off the main road. We figured we ought to check it out.  In Sac City, a small town with just one stoplight, in the city park, was this large rock painted with scenes honoring our veterans.  Who painted the rock? You ask.  Ray “Bubba” Sorensen, that’s who.  An Iowan native painted the first Freedom Rock near the town of Menlo in the western part of the state in 1999.  After seeing the movie, Saving Private Ryan he wanted to honor veterans and painting became a way for him to do so.  It is his goal to paint a Freedom Rock in each of Iowa’s 99 counties.  He’s up to 76 and counting.

While in town we discovered that Sac City is famous for another reason.  It is home to the world’s largest popcorn ball, a must see on anyone’s itinerary.  I mean we could travel all over and never see anything like this.  Just awesome!

We spent the next couple of nights a another fine county park in Humboldt, Iowa.  Again off the beaten path, just like we like it.  I’ve been asked several times how I find these places.  Well, there are several ways.  I look for places where I can ride my bike, and by that I mean flat places.  I don’t do hills, not well anyway.  I also use an app called Ultimate Campgrounds, which shows all the government owned campgrounds in the U.S.  Down to the small city parks with sometimes as few as 2 RV spaces and usually very inexpensive if not free.  You would be surprised on just how many interesting and beautiful places there are to campout for a night or two.  From national parks to the smallest of towns many of these places are unique and best of all uncrowded.

On our way to our next stop of Cedar Rapids of course stopped in Brandon to see Iowa’s largest frying pan.  Holds 44 dozen eggs, 352 1/2 pound pork chops or 88 pounds of bacon.  I wonder if it helped pop all that popcorn back in Sac City.  Cedar Rapids has another great bike trail that goes for about 67 miles both north and south of the city.  A very nice paved trail on a old rail line.

While in Walmart picking up a few things, we heard over the PA system, “Code Black”. I figured it was the code for a shoplifter as we were in Walmart.  So we continued shopping.  It seemed the aisles were less crowded, which I liked because there were no Walmart shoppers blocking my path.  We soon learned from a helpful employee that “Code Black” was to let us know to head for and take cover in the restrooms as there was a tornado warning.  How were we suppose to know not being from these parts.  I mean, couldn’t they just say, “Hey folks, you should probably head for cover as there is a possible tornado in the area”.  The nice Walmart people did pass out free cookies to keeps us calm.

After our excitement in Cedar Rapids we continued east finally reaching the Mississippi River.  We are now hold up in a nice Army Corp of Engineers campground right on the Illinois side of the river.  it is here where we will make a right turn and head south.  Of course there is a flat bike path here, called the Great River Trial, which follows the Mississippi on the Illinois side of the river.  While out and about the other day we came upon Travis, who at first glance appeared to be talking to the M&M figures in his yard.  We just had to stop and say hello, to Travis that is.  He told us he has been collecting M&M memorabilia for years.  He had a bunch of other stuff in his yard, but it seemed that he had a special attraction the candy guys.

Other than a bunch of mosquito bites that we incurred on a recent hike, we are fine.  Cathie is glad to be heading south as the morning sun will be on me for a while and she can sit in the shade in the passenger seat.

BACK ON THE ROAD

Two weeks, it’s was two weeks of waiting for our new slide out motor.  During that time we saw plenty of Riverton.  Don’t think we’ll ever be coming back.  We did manage to get out and about exploring this part of Wyoming.  We took a couple of hikes, soaked in the hot springs in Thermopolis, visited a ghost town.  I even managed to get in a couple of bike rides.  We also met up with my sister Jude, who was passing through Wyoming 100 miles south of us.  This Rendezvous took place in Farson, Wyoming, home of the Big Cone ice cream at the mercantile.  Big is an understatement, as what they consider a one scoop is really on the order of 3 to 4 scoops.  So of course we had to partake as Jude’s birthday was a few days away and we had to celebrate.

NOW THAT’S AN ICE CREAM

JUDE

We hiked along the Popo Agie River near Lander, following the river up stream to a series of water falls in a pretty rugged canyon.  A one point the river disappears into a cliff face and resurfaces several hundred yards down stream.  We paid a visit to the ghost town of South Pass City,  now a state park.  Many of the buildings had been restored so I suppose the season it’s a ghost town is because no one lives there.  Still an interesting place.  Our drive there included driving over sharp rocks which quickly morphed into a flat tire.  With a slice across the tread, the tire was un-repairable, so off to the tire store for a new set.  Just a little sooner than expected, as we had planed on avoiding California taxes and buying new tires on this trip anyway.  We spent a whole lot of time looking at each other and wondering if we should buy a home in Riverton, should we register to vote or join the country club.  We did manage to get the resident rate at the state park, saving us $4.

SOUTH PASS CITY

THERE’S THAT SNAKE AGAIN

SPENDING MONEY IN RIVERTON

But last Wednesday we were informed that the part had arrived, but they had no one to install it till Friday.  We we waited a little longer till first thing Friday morning Glen from Adams RV arrived and replaced the motor.  We crossed our fingers, pushed the button, and in came the slide.  Once the slide was in, we beat feet outta there.

We didn’t spent too much time dallying around.  First an overnight stop in Gering, Nebraska in a really nice city park with view of Scottsbluff of Oregon Trail fame.  We had been there before so we opted not to climb the bluff again.  The next morning we continued east, with a stop at Carhenge.  As the name implies, it’s Stonehenge with cars replacing the stones.  They are actually placed in the same positions as the stones in Stonehenge, but way more interesting.  I mean, who wants to look at a bunch of rocks when you can be looking at a 55 Caddie, or a 72 Vega.  Quite the monument to the stars in the middle of the Nebraska prairie.  Check out their website for more useful information. 

CARHENGE

We spent two nights near Valentine, in the north central part of the state.  Here there is the beautiful Niobrara River, whose course meanders through a plush valley for over 70 miles.  We had intended on floating down the river, but the weather changed, so we opted to move on.  I think we will someday return.

SMITH CREEK FALLS

As we continued east, the scenery through the Sandhills was spectacular in it’s own sedate way.  Low rolling hills covered in prairie grasses, still green this late in the year.  We stopped for a night in Columbus to take a look at a memorial we had seen several years earlier while driving past.  At the time I wanted to stop, but due to traffic and towing the trailer at the time, passed on by.  But now we returned and discovered that it was a memorial to Andrew Jackson Higgins, the man who designed and built the landing craft use extensively in WW 2.  

HIGGINS MEMORIAL

We are now in Papillion, Nebraska, just outside of Omaha, where we will stay for 4 or 5 days to re-supply, do laundry, and relax for a while.  I will get some much need bike rides in as this place has miles and miles of paved bath trails.  We’ve been here at Walnut Creek in a city campground many times before.  If fact upon our arrival today, the camp host recognized us.

AFTER THE STORM, PAPILLION

STUCK IN WYOMING

Well, we took off early as is our usual custom heading north, trying to stay ahead of the traffic through Riverside and San Bernardino.  Smooth sailing most of the way.  Then across the Mohave, through Las Vegas and stopping for the night in St. George.  We camped at Snow Canyon State Park just outside of town, a beautiful canyon of red rock.  After the first long day, we tend to slow down and keep the mileage to a comfortable 250 miles or less a day.  After another overnight in Provo, Utah, we arrived in Idaho Falls where we met up with friends  Bret and Tami.  We met Bret and Tami some years ago while exploring Indian ruins in Utah.  Bret had been exploring a cave and fell, severely cutting his knee, so being Good Samaritans we helped him get back to his car.  If you are a long time reader of the blog, you might remember the photo.

Snow Canyon State Park

After an overnight in Idaho Falls we continued on to Jackson and the Grand Tetons.  I don’t much like the town of Jackson, too much traffic, crowded, expensive and not very pretty, but ahh, the Tetons.  One of the most beautiful mountain ranges in the west.  Being there before the summer season ends it also has too many people.  But take a hike and we are soon away from the crowds.

We planned ahead of time to meet up with my pilgrim brother Len and his wife Janet.  They arrived right on time having traveled from Winnipeg via Mt Rushmore and Yellowstone for a week of camping.  We spent the first day trying to stay dry as the rain came down.  This was a blessing in disguise because the storm cleared away all the smoke from the numerous fires in the west.  We first encountered the smoke around Provo, Utah and it stayed with us all the way to the Tetons.  Thick gray smoke cutting visibility to less than a mile at times.

After the rain we managed to get in a nice easy hike along the shore of Leigh Lake, only encountering a few other hikers.  As planned, after a couple of days we packed up and headed east, across the Continental Divide for a stop and soak in the hot springs at Thermopolis.  We stopped at a rest stop on the way for lunch.  Getting ready to leave, Cathie went to bring in the slide out on trailer.  We hear a “Clunk” and the slide stopped moving.  So I gave it a try and it came in with a whole bunch of “Clunks”.  No Bueno.

We got into a RV park in Thermopolis and in putting the slide out, it was obvious that a gear had one or more broken teeth.  I called around and found a RV repair place in nearby Riverton.  So in the morning with the help of a big wrench, we got the slide back in and we headed to Riverton.  The shop ordered a new slide motor and with overnight air it was there the following morning.  Only problem was that it was the wrong motor.  A search for the right one turned up nothing, so a call the the manufacturer was made and they didn’t have one either.  But for the right price they would make us a new one.  Of course this was on Friday before the Labor Day weekend, so they wouldn’t get started making the new one till after the holiday.  We are told it will arrive in a week to ten days.

So here we sit in Riverton till the part arrives.  We are hold up in a so-so RV park in town and we’ll manage to entertain ourselves somehow.  There is a bike path and the Wind River runs past the town, so I’ll get on the bike and perhaps get the kayak wet.  Len and Janet hung around till after the holiday, but they needed to get moving as their time on the road was limited.  So we said our goodbyes and promised to meet up again in the future.  Cathie and I will take care of chores and do a deep cleaning of the RV.  We will also manage to get in a little exploring in this part of Wyoming.