Day: February 22, 2017

August 5th – Drive to Glacier

This should be a shorter day. Only planning 300 miles to the Glacier area, taking about 5 hours.

The drive was gorgeous, winding through and up and down the mountains.

At Summit Lake, about 70 miles from Glacier, I took some pictures which later I judged to be the best of the trip. I had one made into a canvas for my wall, used it on a mug etc.

The campground for  two nights is Glacier Campground, Columbia Falls, MT.    The sites are wooded and private.

August 4th – A Reunion Day in Bozeman, Montana

It’s been 35 years since college!! Today, I met up with two of my former music major friends from those days. I acted like a tourist and bought a few souvenirs. Here’s me getting into the spirit of it: The bookstore was the best!

In the late afternoon and evening we drove to Norris Hot Springs about 45 minutes away. Kinda like a hippie place haha but not as crowded as Bozeman Hot Springs. What an enjoyable day!

August 3rd – On to Montana

Headed for Montana today. I was on the road early enough to see a beautiful sunrise!!

A college friend and her husband lives near Bozeman, so I am going to stay there a couple of days to enjoy some time with her. They were both fellow music majors with me.

I noticed something interesting. Yesterday, perched on a hill overlooking the highway exit for the Wyoming Welcome Center was my first sighting of a buffalo!! Haha it was just a sculpture!! In the next few days I saw many various sculptures randomly put on hilltops, so I guess that it a thing they like to do in the great northwest!

Supposedly it is a cell phone tower camoflauge.  http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/28546

Again today there was a traffic delay. I could see billowing smoke miles ahead and after creeping along for about an hour, finally got close enough to see it was a burning 18-wheeler–no idea what happened. You know, it’s convenient having a camper along! When there’s stoppages, you can hop back there and use the toilet or get a drink!

Montana really is BIG SKY country! I saw my first glimpses of snow on the mountains surrounding Bozeman.

I will be staying 2 nights at the Bozeman Hot Springs Campground.   http://www.bozemanhotsprings.co/bozeman-campground/    A former KOA; campers have access to the Hot Springs next door.

August 2nd Northward bound…..

Heading today for Caspar, Wyoming!  Mileage should be about 526 miles and 7 1/2 hours.

I woke up and was on the road at practically dawn this morning.   Can you tell I’m excited?  It was COLD.   Little did I realize I would have cold nights for the next 2 months!!!  I headed north to Raton Pass elevation 7834 feet, where I entered into Colorado.  If you go this route, there are few services till closer to Colorado Springs, so fill up your gas tank.   My V6 engine is doing just fine towing up and down the mountains.    I hardly even feel it back there.

Many signs for deer, moose and bear crossings.

Today I was aiming to be in Denver approximately at lunch time, so that I could meet up with a childhood friend. I encountered construction before Denver, so arrived at about 1 pm at a designated restaurant. It was so good to see her! I hadn’t seen her in 39 years!!! Her older sister was in my class and I had seen her sister a few times for class reunions, but not her.

After a couple hours of visiting I got back on the road, anticipating a couple of hours drive to Casper, WY.      BUT the highway just north of there had a huge hour-long delay with some sort of accident. Gridlock on the highway, rubberneckers…..you know the routine.

The campground tonight was Fort Caspar Campground, Casper, WY. It has a beautiful view of the valley if you can get a spot on that side.

August 1st – First Day – Off to Alaska!

Day 1 of the epic trip to Alaska.
Today I traveled from Dallas TX area to Capulin, New Mexico.
Mileage = about 511 miles
Time = about 7 3/4 hours

Having driven from FL to TX when I retired, I found that driving across Texas is a long journey also!
Texas does everything BIG. Having a teardrop camper is kind of like having a cute baby: Everyone stops to look and admire. “May I see the inside of your camper?” Two people at my lunch stop said they had been following me most of the way and would love to have a peek!

I myself must’ve been born Curious Georgina, cause I love seeing everything along the way!

Most of the way was flat, but after Amarillo, it starts getting hilly.

.My first night at a campground was uneventful.  I stayed in Capulin at the Capulin RV Park.  A very rustic place and there is basically nothing nearby, no villages, stores etc.  Only the extinct Capulin Volcano, which is directly across the highway from the park.   You can drive your vehicle to the top of the volcano.   About 20 years ago my parents took me and my 2 kids on a trip to Colorado and we drove to the top that time.  But I just camped for the night and then went on this morning.  BTW, this was only my second time backing in to a spot.  The first time, on the journey from FL 6 weeks before, it didn’t go so well.  But this time, although I had to pull up and try it again a number of times, I eventually got my T@B in the spot perfectly!

 

September 28th – Cour d’Alene, Idaho to Dillon, Montana

I took  the Clintons (not the former president–my cousins) out to breakfast at the Chompers Cafe.  Then I got on the road, traveling  further south east through Idaho, then down through western Montana  past Missoula and Butte and on to Dillon for the night.     The journey took about 5 1/2 hours and 336 miles.   Since I didn’t leave Cour d’Alene till about mid-morning, that meant I would have less hours to drive before it got dark.    So I got to Dillon, MT at dusk.

        Parkin’ with the big guys.

         Anaconda Mining under big blue sky.

On Facebook, my brother mentioned wanting some taters from Idaho, then when he saw this picture, he said they probably mine the taters here, blasting them right out of the ground!  lol

Cows  and  caribou living in perfect harmony.

     God owns the cattle on a thousand hills.

 

September 30th – Orem, Utah to Chama, New Mexico

My next-to-the-last day of traveling on this epic journey.   Today I will travel through the rest of Idaho, then   into the SW corner of Colorado and then into NE corner of New Mexico!

 

Todays drive I encountered mountains, deserts, canyons and much more.

Price Canyon, Utah

Somewhere north of Green River, Utah.

 

 

http://theholeintherock.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson_Arch

   Land for sale nearby!

Long road, beautiful skies!

Late in the afternoon  I saw aspens turning fall colors near Pagosa Springs, Colorado.

Shortly after that, I turned south on Highway 64 and entered the northwest corner of New Mexico, going through the San Juan National Forest and stopping for the night at Chama, New Mexico.

The campground was nothing great, but it was surrounded by beautiful mountains and there was a grocery store right next door for me to get some food.

 

For the first time, I encountered a sewer connection that was in a concrete box underground.  You took off the lid, and reached down about 8 inches to get to the connection.   I guess that keeps it from freezing in the winter.

 

October 1st – Home again – Chama NM to Denton, TX

Today will be my last day of traveling before getting home!

It’s going to be a long day, but I want to get home today and not have to break this distance into 2 days.

 

I decided I could probably make this my home.  A lake,

mountains, cool air, sunshine……..

A great place to get souvenirs.

It hit 87 degrees again; haven’t seen that since leaving TX 2 months ago!

Around 9 PM, I made it home to Denton!   The official trip mileage is 10,833 miles!!!!

Preparing for the epic journey

Here are just a few suggestions on preparing for any long journey with your trailer/camper/rv.  These are by no means exhaustive or conclusive.  You might even have a better idea.

  •   Prepare financially.  Get an idea of possible costs and make a budget.   There will  always be emergencies also, so have extra money available if you need it.  Decide how you will handle credit/debit cards and cash.  Notify your credit card companies of your approximate itinerary to avoid getting your card declined.
  • Prepare an itinerary.   It can be as detailed or as flexible as you want depending on your lifestyle.   Will you want reservations ahead of time or will you just meander along, finding a place to stay as you go or boondocking?   Give family or a friend a copy of your itinerary and emergency numbers.
  • Research.  Other people have made similar trips.  Many have blogs such as mine.  Read them.   You will get ideas and pointers.   BUY A MILEPOST.  Every March they publish a new one for the year.   It has detailed routes going to Alaska and within Alaska also, mile by mile.  Learn how to read the routes backwards or forwards, depending on which direction you are going.  From the Milepost, you will be able to tell where gas stations and points of interest are located.
  • Read some books about Alaska.   Here are some recommendations:   “Anchorage, Denali & the Kenai Peninsula: by Don Pitcher  2.   “Looking for Alaska” by Peter Jenkins and 3. “The Alaska Highway” by Murray Lundberg.
  • Think about trailer security.   Hitch locks, wheel locks, re-key the door locks from the original factory ones which are generic, etc.  Have duplicates made of each and store them somewhere where you can get to them if needed.   If you lose one in the middle of the Yukon or lock yourself out of your trailer, there will be no locksmith to help you!
  • Think about your personal security.  Handguns are not allowed in Canada.  Bear spray is allowed.  Wasp spray is a good substitute also.  If you plan to hike, bear bells will let the bears know you are around.   You don’t want to come up on one and startle them.  Personal security is not necessarily equipment, but just be aware and not naive.   If you are single, be careful just like you would ordinarily.  Don’t be paranoid or scared, but just think ahead.
  • Choose and buy comfort items:  Visors, tents, outside chairs, patio rugs, outside lanterns etc. will make your travels easier.  Don’t get carried away though, or you will have to much weight and stuff!  I had both a battery lantern and a propane lantern, which were invaluable in the remote campgrounds which had no lightpoles anywhere.  You will want a light of some sort at your picnic table.  A couple of flashlights are recommended for walking to and from the bathhouse or just looking around in the middle of the night.
  • If you are new to rv/trailering, practice your routines ahead of time, such as hitching up and unhitching, and that pesky backing up!   Some places may have pull-thrus available, but those are not guaranteed.  People around are usually helpful and will help you if needed, but who wants to feel helpless and unprepared?   Go to a parking lot, set up some cones or something similar and practice manuevering.
  • Understand power and battery management so that you don’t drain your battery.   Have extra fuses available in case something blows.   You don’t want to be shivering in the middle of nowhere with no heat!  Buy a solar source or generator if necessary.
  • Buy groceries – staples and fresh food, snacks and drinks.  Have a cooler and ice if necessary.
  • Fill your fresh water tank.
  • Check tire pressures.