Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Crazy fun in South Dakota
We lucked out being in South Dakota on the anniversary of the Battle of Little Bighorn so they were blasting at the Crazy Horse monument. And we lucked out because I happened to notice the blast info, which they only do twice a year! So we loaded up and headed to Crazy Horse for the evening light show and blast.
They showed a video that was very educational. The sculptor, Korczak Ziolkowski, was chosen by elders to create the monument after he received 1st prize for a sculpture he created for a world’s fair and for his knowledge in assisting the carving of Mt Rushmore. He began the work in 1948 and it was hard work. He had to climb up 791 stairs to chisel away at the rock and when his compressor stopped working he had to walk back down the stairs, turn it on and walk back up again. He twice turned down 10 million dollars of government funding because he didn’t think people should stand around with their hands out for the government to help. He also felt that the people that were interested in the project would fund it. Once the project is complete it will be the largest monument in the world.
In addition to it being the anniversary of Little Bighorn, it was also the sculptor’s wife’s birthday. She turned 85 and we happened to see when we picked up some birthday cake so we congratulated her and took her photo. There is interesting connection between Crazy Horse and the sculptor- Crazy Horse died on Sept. 6 and the sculptor was born on Sept. 6 years later. The elders took this as an omen. The sculptor and his wife, Ruth, had ten children- five boys and five girls. Seven of them still work on the site.
Monday we went to Belle Fourche- the center of the United States. They had a nice monument declaring their fame. It was surrounded by flags of each of the states in the order they came into the union and a card displaying the state nickname, how far is was to the capital from there, etc. hung off the pole.
We then headed to Devil’s Tower in Wyoming. It was quite an incredible site. Up close you can see the columns in the stone. The Native American have a few stories about how it was created: seven sisters and their brother were playing outside. The boy began to act weird and turned into a bear and began to chase the girls. The girls ran to a low stump and prayed to be delivered from the bear. The stump rose up into the sky as the bear clawed at it. The sisters now make up the seven stars in the Big Dipper.
The kids had fun playing on the boulders at the base of the tower and compared it to climbing on the rocks at Ko’olina and Shark's Cove in Hawaii. I love seeing the kids play outdoors and enjoy the national parks. Becca wants to have her birthday at Yellowstone and Faith wants to decorate her room, when we settle down, in a national park theme! Faith completed another Jr Ranger badge and we saw hundreds of prairie dogs.
On the way back we stopped in Sundance to try to find the museum we’d missed on the way to Devil’s Tower. We found it, but it was closed. They did have a statue outside the jail depicting the Sundance Kid in jail. He was jailed there for 18 months for stealing a slow horse and adopted the name of the Sundance Kid while there.
Tuesday we spent the day in museums. We loved the Museum of Geology. They had so many interesting rocks, minerals and gems. There was a rock that had a fish fossil in it. You could see the scales and detail literally coming out of the rock. The man that found it was working on his yard and had picked up these stones at the local landscape place and found it in one of the rocks! The museum also had several dinosaur fossils that were quite impressive. Rick repeatedly said, “Look at this. Is this real? This is incredible.”
The next museum we went to was the South Dakota Air and Space museum right outside Ellsworth Air Force base. Looking at the planes built in the 30’s, it was pretty impressive how far planes had come in the 25 or so years since the Wright brothers flight. They also had a display of the launch control facility for the Minuteman Missile. That program was impressive also!
We are staying at Ellsworth AFB while we are in South Dakota. Many bases have RV parks and they are well kept, have all the base services and great prices. There are so many things to see in South Dakota that we are going to stay for ten days. The only “problem” with staying on base is reveille at 7:30am. I know that’s somewhat late, but we have many late nights and growing kids so it’s early to us!
They showed a video that was very educational. The sculptor, Korczak Ziolkowski, was chosen by elders to create the monument after he received 1st prize for a sculpture he created for a world’s fair and for his knowledge in assisting the carving of Mt Rushmore. He began the work in 1948 and it was hard work. He had to climb up 791 stairs to chisel away at the rock and when his compressor stopped working he had to walk back down the stairs, turn it on and walk back up again. He twice turned down 10 million dollars of government funding because he didn’t think people should stand around with their hands out for the government to help. He also felt that the people that were interested in the project would fund it. Once the project is complete it will be the largest monument in the world.
In addition to it being the anniversary of Little Bighorn, it was also the sculptor’s wife’s birthday. She turned 85 and we happened to see when we picked up some birthday cake so we congratulated her and took her photo. There is interesting connection between Crazy Horse and the sculptor- Crazy Horse died on Sept. 6 and the sculptor was born on Sept. 6 years later. The elders took this as an omen. The sculptor and his wife, Ruth, had ten children- five boys and five girls. Seven of them still work on the site.
Monday we went to Belle Fourche- the center of the United States. They had a nice monument declaring their fame. It was surrounded by flags of each of the states in the order they came into the union and a card displaying the state nickname, how far is was to the capital from there, etc. hung off the pole.
We then headed to Devil’s Tower in Wyoming. It was quite an incredible site. Up close you can see the columns in the stone. The Native American have a few stories about how it was created: seven sisters and their brother were playing outside. The boy began to act weird and turned into a bear and began to chase the girls. The girls ran to a low stump and prayed to be delivered from the bear. The stump rose up into the sky as the bear clawed at it. The sisters now make up the seven stars in the Big Dipper.
The kids had fun playing on the boulders at the base of the tower and compared it to climbing on the rocks at Ko’olina and Shark's Cove in Hawaii. I love seeing the kids play outdoors and enjoy the national parks. Becca wants to have her birthday at Yellowstone and Faith wants to decorate her room, when we settle down, in a national park theme! Faith completed another Jr Ranger badge and we saw hundreds of prairie dogs.
On the way back we stopped in Sundance to try to find the museum we’d missed on the way to Devil’s Tower. We found it, but it was closed. They did have a statue outside the jail depicting the Sundance Kid in jail. He was jailed there for 18 months for stealing a slow horse and adopted the name of the Sundance Kid while there.
Tuesday we spent the day in museums. We loved the Museum of Geology. They had so many interesting rocks, minerals and gems. There was a rock that had a fish fossil in it. You could see the scales and detail literally coming out of the rock. The man that found it was working on his yard and had picked up these stones at the local landscape place and found it in one of the rocks! The museum also had several dinosaur fossils that were quite impressive. Rick repeatedly said, “Look at this. Is this real? This is incredible.”
The next museum we went to was the South Dakota Air and Space museum right outside Ellsworth Air Force base. Looking at the planes built in the 30’s, it was pretty impressive how far planes had come in the 25 or so years since the Wright brothers flight. They also had a display of the launch control facility for the Minuteman Missile. That program was impressive also!
We are staying at Ellsworth AFB while we are in South Dakota. Many bases have RV parks and they are well kept, have all the base services and great prices. There are so many things to see in South Dakota that we are going to stay for ten days. The only “problem” with staying on base is reveille at 7:30am. I know that’s somewhat late, but we have many late nights and growing kids so it’s early to us!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Billings and Hardin, Montana
During Lewis and Clark’s trek back to Missouri, Clark saw a big cliff and decided to call it Pompey’s Pillar after Sacajawea’s son. He climbed to the top and carved his name and the date into the stone. This is the only physical evidence of their trip. Climbing up the stairs to view his signature, I once again wonder why I am fascinated with rocks and why all the things I pick to see are uphill! I am happy to be at a somewhat lower elevation though, it was harder for me to breathe in Wyoming.
Pictograph caves outside of Billings had drawings on the cave walls. There were signs for rattlesnakes and we were happy we didn’t come across them.
Boothill was our next stop. It was overgrown, but looked pretty with all the yellow flowers. Most people met their demise with their boots on, thus the name.
Our last stop in the area was in Hardin to view a reenactment of the Battle of Little Bighorn. They told the story from the Native American’s point of view from Lewis and Clark’s expedition up through the battle.
Pictograph caves outside of Billings had drawings on the cave walls. There were signs for rattlesnakes and we were happy we didn’t come across them.
Boothill was our next stop. It was overgrown, but looked pretty with all the yellow flowers. Most people met their demise with their boots on, thus the name.
Our last stop in the area was in Hardin to view a reenactment of the Battle of Little Bighorn. They told the story from the Native American’s point of view from Lewis and Clark’s expedition up through the battle.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Bits and pieces of Montana
Near West Yellowstone is Madison Canyon Earthquake Lake. This lake was created when an earthquake in 1959 occurred and half the mountain slid down the hill. The sliding rocks displaced the air and caused hurricane force winds. Twenty eight people lost their lives on August 17th close to midnight as many people were camping in the area. Reports in Yellowstone were that all the geysers were going crazy. In one quote a lady said that Old Faithful normally went off for four minutes, but at 11pm that night it kept going and going. I asked the ranger about the length of the eruption mentioned in the quote because now the time she erupts is based on her last eruption being over or under two and a half minutes. He said that the eruption time changed after the earthquake. It’s so interesting how everything is linked together.
We drove up 191 to Bozeman. It was just beautiful and along the way we saw a big horn sheep! It was right off the side of the road, but I wasn’t prepared with my camera so no picture for us : ( We spent the night at the Walmart in Bozeman. Most Walmarts offer free parking for Rvs. It’s pretty nice- we were able to pick up groceries, a prescription, photos, and belated Father’s day gifts. We also lucked out because there was a hotel right next to the parking lot so we were able to get free wifi! And since we turned on the generator we had air conditioning, the tv for movies/video games, and the kids had home made pizza in the convection oven while Rick and I had tacos. It wasn’t a rough night of “camping” by any means. There was a railroad track nearby so we heard trains throughout the night and the street sweeper cleaned the parking lot at 4am, but hey, it was a good deal.
Tuesday we headed to Madison Buffalo Jump. Years ago, Native Americans would dress in hides from other animals and get the buffalo/bison’s attention. They would rile them up, get them to run after them, then lead them to a cliff where it was too late for the bison to stop and they would fall over the side and die. The Native Americans would then skin them, cut up the meat, use the bones as tools, etc. It was pretty ingenious even though it may sound inhumane. We have to think what we would do if we were living in those times. And the Native Americans used every part of the buffalo- even the “chips” to fuel their fires- so they weren’t wasteful. This type of hunting was done away with once the horse was introduced to them.
We drove up 191 to Bozeman. It was just beautiful and along the way we saw a big horn sheep! It was right off the side of the road, but I wasn’t prepared with my camera so no picture for us : ( We spent the night at the Walmart in Bozeman. Most Walmarts offer free parking for Rvs. It’s pretty nice- we were able to pick up groceries, a prescription, photos, and belated Father’s day gifts. We also lucked out because there was a hotel right next to the parking lot so we were able to get free wifi! And since we turned on the generator we had air conditioning, the tv for movies/video games, and the kids had home made pizza in the convection oven while Rick and I had tacos. It wasn’t a rough night of “camping” by any means. There was a railroad track nearby so we heard trains throughout the night and the street sweeper cleaned the parking lot at 4am, but hey, it was a good deal.
Tuesday we headed to Madison Buffalo Jump. Years ago, Native Americans would dress in hides from other animals and get the buffalo/bison’s attention. They would rile them up, get them to run after them, then lead them to a cliff where it was too late for the bison to stop and they would fall over the side and die. The Native Americans would then skin them, cut up the meat, use the bones as tools, etc. It was pretty ingenious even though it may sound inhumane. We have to think what we would do if we were living in those times. And the Native Americans used every part of the buffalo- even the “chips” to fuel their fires- so they weren’t wasteful. This type of hunting was done away with once the horse was introduced to them.
A Grand Time in Grand Teton National Park
Saturday we were up early to head to Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park. We took photos in the city center square with the antler archways, enjoyed lunch at the bread bakery and went to the visitor center. Next stop was the airport to drop my mom off. The airport is inside the national park area so it was convenient, but we were sad to see Gramma go. We went to another visitor center and Jacob and Faith decided to partake in the Junior Ranger program. We loved the beautiful mountains and majestic scenery, it made me want to break out in America the Beautiful.
We weren’t too far into our adventure when we came upon a brown black bear on the side of the road. It was so exciting! Becca had really wanted to see one. I was able to get some good shots. Further down the road we saw a pelican and then a big black black bear. Whooppee! We didn’t get to see a momma bear and cubs, but we were happy that we finally saw a bear.
For the Junior Ranger program we attended a narrated native American museum and learned some interesting things. One was how they used porcupine quills to decorate outfits- the women would put the quills in their mouth for awhile to get them pliable then pull them out of their teeth to get the air out of the quills. Stories passes down, as well as dental records, confirmed this process. The kids also had to watch a video and we were thrilled that it was on wolves being reintroduced to Yellowstone. We saw a wolf in Yellowstone, but only from afar. Becca worked on a paper in school about hybrid wolves so she became more interested in them at that time. So it was another beautiful and successful day of learning and sight seeing.
We weren’t too far into our adventure when we came upon a brown black bear on the side of the road. It was so exciting! Becca had really wanted to see one. I was able to get some good shots. Further down the road we saw a pelican and then a big black black bear. Whooppee! We didn’t get to see a momma bear and cubs, but we were happy that we finally saw a bear.
For the Junior Ranger program we attended a narrated native American museum and learned some interesting things. One was how they used porcupine quills to decorate outfits- the women would put the quills in their mouth for awhile to get them pliable then pull them out of their teeth to get the air out of the quills. Stories passes down, as well as dental records, confirmed this process. The kids also had to watch a video and we were thrilled that it was on wolves being reintroduced to Yellowstone. We saw a wolf in Yellowstone, but only from afar. Becca worked on a paper in school about hybrid wolves so she became more interested in them at that time. So it was another beautiful and successful day of learning and sight seeing.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
The Wonders of Yellowstone
Yellowstone was fabulous. Mom had been here before, but it was new to the rest of us. We arrived in West Yellowstone in the late afternoon so we set up and made dinner. We decided to venture out and head to Old Faithful. Within minutes in the park we saw our first animal- a bison (also known as a buffalo). As we drove further we saw more wildlife dotting the side of the road- elk, moose, pronghorned antelope, etc. I had asked for the predicted time of Old Faithful’s eruption at the gate so we knew we had some extra time and stopped off at Fountain Paint Pots. This hot bed of thermal activity was so interesting to me, bubbling up in different colors thanks to the chemicals involved.
We drove on seeing geysers and wildlife until we made it to Old Faithful as the sun was setting. It would’ve been a great shot to have it erupt at sunset, but that was not her schedule for today. She blew at the predicted time and everyone waiting gasped and ooooohed and ahhhhed at the impressive sight. We grabbed some hot chocolate and snacks for the hour drive back.
It was dark now that the sun was down and a little scary as we came upon bison crossing the road right in front of us. We decided to take a road along the water, hoping to see a bear, but then again maybe not since we were already spooked. We made it home without seeing a bear and started the adventure again the next day, heading to the north loop.
The landscape is so different as you drive through the park- grasslands followed by rocky canyons, snow covered mountains, lakes covered in ice and areas that are recovering from past fires. Everything is beautiful and different. We stopped at the visitor centers, attended ranger programs and learned something everywhere. Faith completed the Junior Ranger program they have at the park.
Our last night in the park there was one thing left on my to do list- hike a trail to get a better shot of grand prismatic geyser. It was after 8pm, we hadn’t had dinner, didn’t have water with us, but we started the trek anyway. I thought it would be a fast trek half a mile down the trail and then to scamper up the mountain side and get my fabulous shot, but not too far into our walk we came across a carcass. Most of our group wanted to turn back. And I wasn’t too excited about going up the mountain either since that particular morning we’d seen a buffalo carcass that others said a wolf was chewing on and the wolf had disappeared on this mountain side. Needless to say, this trek got our heart rate up!! I didn’t get the shot I wanted, but I was fine with that. I couldn’t find the trail others had spoken of and I was happy to get our group out of there unharmed. We were all thankful that the bear we’d wanted to see didn’t show itself then!
We drove on seeing geysers and wildlife until we made it to Old Faithful as the sun was setting. It would’ve been a great shot to have it erupt at sunset, but that was not her schedule for today. She blew at the predicted time and everyone waiting gasped and ooooohed and ahhhhed at the impressive sight. We grabbed some hot chocolate and snacks for the hour drive back.
It was dark now that the sun was down and a little scary as we came upon bison crossing the road right in front of us. We decided to take a road along the water, hoping to see a bear, but then again maybe not since we were already spooked. We made it home without seeing a bear and started the adventure again the next day, heading to the north loop.
The landscape is so different as you drive through the park- grasslands followed by rocky canyons, snow covered mountains, lakes covered in ice and areas that are recovering from past fires. Everything is beautiful and different. We stopped at the visitor centers, attended ranger programs and learned something everywhere. Faith completed the Junior Ranger program they have at the park.
Our last night in the park there was one thing left on my to do list- hike a trail to get a better shot of grand prismatic geyser. It was after 8pm, we hadn’t had dinner, didn’t have water with us, but we started the trek anyway. I thought it would be a fast trek half a mile down the trail and then to scamper up the mountain side and get my fabulous shot, but not too far into our walk we came across a carcass. Most of our group wanted to turn back. And I wasn’t too excited about going up the mountain either since that particular morning we’d seen a buffalo carcass that others said a wolf was chewing on and the wolf had disappeared on this mountain side. Needless to say, this trek got our heart rate up!! I didn’t get the shot I wanted, but I was fine with that. I couldn’t find the trail others had spoken of and I was happy to get our group out of there unharmed. We were all thankful that the bear we’d wanted to see didn’t show itself then!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Final days in Idaho
We headed to the Shoshone Indian Ice Caves to see this natural wonder. It was interesting, but not the most fabulous thing we’ve seen. We learned that for this lava tube to become an ice cave it has to be going east to west, have rocks fall and close one end and several other things have to be in place. The ice was between 24 and 30ft deep. At the front of the cave people had thrown coins into the ice years ago. The coins froze into it, but the coins have changed the chemical process and the ice is melting from the bottom instead of the top so you can’t throw coins in anymore.
We had a late lunch at Chili’s and basically across the road was the visitor center next to Perrine bridge. The bridge is a popular spot for BASE jumpers, but we didn’t see any today. I tried to get Mom to jump to celebrate her birthday, but she didn’t :( Not far from there is the jump where Evel Knievel attempted to cross the Snake river on his Skycycle in the 1970's.
I figured we should go see Twin Falls since we were in the Twin Falls area. The fall was not as impressive as Shoshone and now it’s only one fall. I guess that’s why I couldn’t find a lot of info on it.
We had a relaxing evening swimming and hanging out. We had cake for dinner since we were still full from lunch. The kids asked for dessert (seconds on cake and ice cream since the first bowl was dinner!), but we saved it for breakfast.
Today we packed up and headed east with our first stop at the Potato Museum. It was a fun place to learn about potatoes, see the largest Pringle ever made, view a collection of Mr. Potato Heads and a huge collection of potato mashers, etc. Their slogan is “We give taters to out-of-staters” so we got a box of hashbrowns as we left. It was a fun place to visit. This was our official first state we toured and we had a great time in Idaho!
We had a late lunch at Chili’s and basically across the road was the visitor center next to Perrine bridge. The bridge is a popular spot for BASE jumpers, but we didn’t see any today. I tried to get Mom to jump to celebrate her birthday, but she didn’t :( Not far from there is the jump where Evel Knievel attempted to cross the Snake river on his Skycycle in the 1970's.
I figured we should go see Twin Falls since we were in the Twin Falls area. The fall was not as impressive as Shoshone and now it’s only one fall. I guess that’s why I couldn’t find a lot of info on it.
We had a relaxing evening swimming and hanging out. We had cake for dinner since we were still full from lunch. The kids asked for dessert (seconds on cake and ice cream since the first bowl was dinner!), but we saved it for breakfast.
Today we packed up and headed east with our first stop at the Potato Museum. It was a fun place to learn about potatoes, see the largest Pringle ever made, view a collection of Mr. Potato Heads and a huge collection of potato mashers, etc. Their slogan is “We give taters to out-of-staters” so we got a box of hashbrowns as we left. It was a fun place to visit. This was our official first state we toured and we had a great time in Idaho!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Another great day
We had another great day in Eden, Idaho. We slept in then visited the Hagerman Fossil Bed visitor center and learned about fossils in the area. Faith completed another Junior Ranger book on the national park and also picked one up on paleontology to complete.
On the way to our next stop, Balanced Rock, we saw geese, cows, baby alpaca, and a frightening dead cat. On the way back a snake slithered right under our tires. We backed up to see it- I wanted a picture, but Rick wanted to make sure it was on the road and not wound around the under side of our van.
Balanced Rock was an awesome sight to see. We didn’t plan on climbing up there, but it seemed like the thing to do once we got there. I was outside taking pictures with my mom and asked her when the kids would start complaining as I looked up the path. It was as soon as we informed them of our plans! Once we got to the top it was great fun and the kids were climbing around exploring.
Our next stop was Cloverleaf Creamery in Buhl to try their potato ice cream (and most likely get another flavor to eat!) We drove to the address which was 205 Broadway, but all we found was BFD- the Buhl Fire Dept. I had to take a picture of their logo and then we found out it was 205 S Broadway so we had a few blocks to go to get there. It was a fun little place with milk in glass bottles and yummy ice cream.
We headed back to the rv park for a round of miniature golf and swimming in the geothermal pool. I can’t get my pictures to upload so they will have to wait for another day. Tomorrow we are heading to the ice caves where it will be 29 degrees inside. Looking forward to another dip in the pool already!
On the way to our next stop, Balanced Rock, we saw geese, cows, baby alpaca, and a frightening dead cat. On the way back a snake slithered right under our tires. We backed up to see it- I wanted a picture, but Rick wanted to make sure it was on the road and not wound around the under side of our van.
Balanced Rock was an awesome sight to see. We didn’t plan on climbing up there, but it seemed like the thing to do once we got there. I was outside taking pictures with my mom and asked her when the kids would start complaining as I looked up the path. It was as soon as we informed them of our plans! Once we got to the top it was great fun and the kids were climbing around exploring.
Our next stop was Cloverleaf Creamery in Buhl to try their potato ice cream (and most likely get another flavor to eat!) We drove to the address which was 205 Broadway, but all we found was BFD- the Buhl Fire Dept. I had to take a picture of their logo and then we found out it was 205 S Broadway so we had a few blocks to go to get there. It was a fun little place with milk in glass bottles and yummy ice cream.
We headed back to the rv park for a round of miniature golf and swimming in the geothermal pool. I can’t get my pictures to upload so they will have to wait for another day. Tomorrow we are heading to the ice caves where it will be 29 degrees inside. Looking forward to another dip in the pool already!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
On the road again
After a week in Washington, we’re on the road again. We had a great time visiting with the family in Spokane for Gramma’s birthday. Then we spent about 48 hours in western Washington putting items in storage, seeing the girls’ BFF’s in Washington and spending time with my mom, nephew and sister.
We left Friday to start our “official” trip to and through the states for the next year. The trip has been revised so many times in the past three weeks, and it may change again, but this is the beginning. We arrived in Mountain Home, Idaho, Saturday where we spent a night at the Air Force Base. We are planning to stay at military RV parks if their location works into our plans because they are inexpensive, have the commissary, exchange, and a good price on gas.
It was a nice, scenic drive through Washington and Oregon. Saturday evening we picked up my mom at the Boise airport so she could spend a week with us playing. This morning we washed the RV for the first time. That was great fun for the whole family! Then off we drove to Eden, Idaho, near Twin Falls. We’ll be staying here for a few days seeing the sights. Today we saw Shoshone Falls. They are 50 feet higher than Niagra Falls. Becca said this is her favorite thing so far that we’ve seen.
We left Friday to start our “official” trip to and through the states for the next year. The trip has been revised so many times in the past three weeks, and it may change again, but this is the beginning. We arrived in Mountain Home, Idaho, Saturday where we spent a night at the Air Force Base. We are planning to stay at military RV parks if their location works into our plans because they are inexpensive, have the commissary, exchange, and a good price on gas.
It was a nice, scenic drive through Washington and Oregon. Saturday evening we picked up my mom at the Boise airport so she could spend a week with us playing. This morning we washed the RV for the first time. That was great fun for the whole family! Then off we drove to Eden, Idaho, near Twin Falls. We’ll be staying here for a few days seeing the sights. Today we saw Shoshone Falls. They are 50 feet higher than Niagra Falls. Becca said this is her favorite thing so far that we’ve seen.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Holding my breath again /Letting out a sigh of relief
We made it to Utah- one state closer to Washington! Our challenge Monday was making sure there was enough air in the spare tire so we could get to Utah. Putting air in a tire is not usually a challenge, but we have to go back to Saturday night when the spare was put on. As you know, it took forever for the fella to get there so it was after 10pm. He asked if we had tools. Um, no, you’re the tire repair guy that’s being paid to fix the flat.
Little did we know until it was time to put air in the tire that the air valve stem was facing toward the inside of the vehicle. Now that would be a pain on a regular vehicle, but it was even more challenging with the rv since there’s another tire right there. It was near impossible to get your hand in between the two tires to try to get the air hose onto the air valve stem. And then it was even more challenging to squeeze the thing for the air to enter the tire. Rick duct taped the thing down so the air would flow and we tried again and again. I prayed for the tire to get air. I laid hands on the tire. When I put in the fouth set of four quarters the last quarter wouldn’t go in- the edge had a flat spot on it and wouldn’t fit in the machine. Are you kidding me? We had to laugh.
Holding my breath, we made it to Moab, UT, a few hours away with Rick driving the rv and me driving the van. It was a relief to arrive early in the afternoon and not stress about finding our way around the new town. We did some laundry (our washing machine/dryer works perfectly thanks to cousin Mark and Rick for installing it) and headed to Arches National Park. Arches has spectacular rock formations- spires, fins, balanced rocks and, of course, arches. We were only there for three hours and it was not enough. We’ll have to come back next year. Utah has five national parks- impressive!
Tuesday morning we took Faith to the visitor center to get her Junior Ranger badge. The Junior Ranger program is a free program in the national parks. Upon arrival you ask for a booklet on the park and the kids have different pages of activities to complete based on their age. It’s fun and educational. Our little brownie has completed three now- one for Carlsbad Caverns, Mesa Verde and Arches. I’m going to buy her a special national parks vest on which to sew/pin them.
Then it was time to head north. I was holding my breath once again hoping all would go well. I googled tire centers in the area we hoped to reach, thankful the long weekend was over and businesses were open. Les Schwab was happy to help us out. They gathered the tires from surrounding stores, let us stay in their parking lot overnight, offered us water for the rv and told us they had free internet and popcorn! Woohoo!
So if you’re keeping track that’s three days now that we haven’t had a major problem! Looking forward to a smooth ride to Washington on our new tires. I’ll be happy to get there and relax for a bit before actually starting our “trip”.
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