Thursday our household goods shipment was delivered. All 13,700+ pounds of it. Whew!! We were relieved to know that we weren't over our weight allowance (17,000#). It is also a relief to know that a good portion of that weight is packing materials.
I had listed several "high value" items on the inventory sheets. I am missing two tubs of yarn. Well, one tub of yarn and one tub that held all my pattern books and magazines. The other four made it. I'm estimating the value of the loss at around $3,000. I am hoping that the books were repacked into one of the thousand boxes marked "books" and the tote was placed in another box instead of being wrapped by itself. We checked several boxes to try and find them, but we didn't have any luck. I'm a little bummed. Otherwise, we escaped relatively unscathed. Some minor damage, but overall not bad.
The moving crew we had was top-notch! I have never been impressed by movers before, but these guys were great. They were professional, polite, friendly, helpful, and competent. AWESOME!
After the unloading, Bill and I decided to go back to the coach and have some wine. That changed into going out to dinner. We found a little Italian joint called the Loose Noodle. The food was very good and relatively inexpensive. The service was a little lacking, but I see potential. We will definitely go back there.
Friday morning we packed up the coach, loaded the herd, and set forth over the Donner Pass. We took a different route than before and it took longer and cost us $14 in tolls. We won't be doing that again on the way back! We got into Reno and our RV spot with just enough time to spare to grab a quick dinner and head over to the Tailhook Convention for the annual "Bug" Roach mixer. We saw so many folks we haven't seen in years and it was a lot of fun. There was quite a bit of drunken debauchery, as usual. We headed out around midnight. We probably could have spent more time there, but there were the dogs to take care of and we were getting up early to run the Tailhook 5k Fun Run. Report time? 6:45am. Oofah!
Showing posts with label moving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label moving. Show all posts
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Home sweet home
Tuesday Bill got to start checking in at NPS. He got quite a few things checked off his list. That afternoon we went to the downtown Farmers' Market. WOW! There was so much good stuff! We could have spent a fortune. We ordered crepes for dinner at one of the vendors. It was HUGE! Delicious.
We decided to go with base housing. Wednesday we went in and signed the lease on a particular unit. It is a four-bedroom duplex with a super size yard. We're pretty happy with it. It will do quite nicely as we downsize.
Not bad, huh?
We decided to go with base housing. Wednesday we went in and signed the lease on a particular unit. It is a four-bedroom duplex with a super size yard. We're pretty happy with it. It will do quite nicely as we downsize.
Not bad, huh?
Thursday, September 01, 2011
Day Thirty-seven of the big move west
We woke up at six this morning. Well, Bill did, and he fed the dogs. Then he started breakfast. I was awakened by the yummy smell of coffee and eggs. Mmmm! We ate, showered, buttoned up, and hit the road a little after 8. Today's destination? Monterey!
Yes, today was the last day of our once-in-a-lifetime vacation. We got out here midday and checked into the RV Park on the base. We set up camp, but ended up changing sites a few minutes later. We're now on a 50amp site (with our 30amp coach) and had to borrow an adapter to plug in. We may be moving to a different site after a few days.
Marco was a pain in the butt for most of the drive. I think the last hour was all the peace we got! Here are some cute photos of the animals on the drive today. Oh, and Happy Birthday, Rava!! May you have many, many more!
For dinner we went and picked up California Pizza Kitchen and dropped by the Whole Foods next door for some beer. Yes! We have a Whole Foods here! Just a few minutes away!
The Monterey County Fair is going on now, within walking distance of the coach. We are thinking about checking it out this weekend. Apparently tomorrow is Military Appreciation Day. We talked to our friend, Ty, who is here and we are going to try and see him and his wife and son this weekend too. We've made plans on Sunday for a day trip to San Francisco. That just sounds like fun, doesn't it?! A day trip to San Fran?! We are going to our favorite restaurant, Greens, for Sunday Brunch. We're going to count it as our anniversary celebration.
Tomorrow we head to the housing office and see what we can find out. It should be interesting!
Mileage for the day = 328
Total mileage = 4288
Yes, today was the last day of our once-in-a-lifetime vacation. We got out here midday and checked into the RV Park on the base. We set up camp, but ended up changing sites a few minutes later. We're now on a 50amp site (with our 30amp coach) and had to borrow an adapter to plug in. We may be moving to a different site after a few days.
Marco was a pain in the butt for most of the drive. I think the last hour was all the peace we got! Here are some cute photos of the animals on the drive today. Oh, and Happy Birthday, Rava!! May you have many, many more!
For dinner we went and picked up California Pizza Kitchen and dropped by the Whole Foods next door for some beer. Yes! We have a Whole Foods here! Just a few minutes away!
The Monterey County Fair is going on now, within walking distance of the coach. We are thinking about checking it out this weekend. Apparently tomorrow is Military Appreciation Day. We talked to our friend, Ty, who is here and we are going to try and see him and his wife and son this weekend too. We've made plans on Sunday for a day trip to San Francisco. That just sounds like fun, doesn't it?! A day trip to San Fran?! We are going to our favorite restaurant, Greens, for Sunday Brunch. We're going to count it as our anniversary celebration.
Tomorrow we head to the housing office and see what we can find out. It should be interesting!
Mileage for the day = 328
Total mileage = 4288
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Day Thirty-six of the big move west
Wednesday we got up and went to look at RVs. Yes, we are more and more leaning towards upgrading the coach and living in it in Monterey. There seem to be so many more advantages to it. We saw a few nice ones and so far, the Eagle by Jayco is at the top of my list. No coach is going to be perfect for me unless I design it myself, but this one was pretty close. Now we really need to verify that our truck will still be able to tow it with ease.
We had lunch at Sushi Pier, giving Bill his all-you-can-eat-sushi fix. The food was good, but I didn't eat enough to make it worth the price. Bill made up for it, so we're even.
After lunch we went to a few other dealers and then drove to Jimmy Beans Wool. Those who know me have probably been wondering why I haven't been posting my knitting progress. That's because there hasn't been much. I finished a pair of socks while in Colorado. I've been working on the second sock of another pair lately, but I just haven't put much time into it. I've had great knitting time in the car, but I've been dealing with Marco a lot, and this pattern just isn't that great for working in the car. It has a lot of cables in it and working on it for too long at a stretch is not good for my hands. The rest of the time we've been seeing sights or people, so there really has not been good knitting time. I may try to work on it a little tomorrow as we drive, depending on Marco.
So anyway, we got to JBW and found them moving. Just my luck. I'm here during the week they are relocating. I wish they would have put that on their website; I wouldn't have tried to visit. Oh well. It just wasn't meant to be.
For dinner we met up with two of my MBA classmates and their wives. We went to Silver Peak Brewery. I had a hefeweizen, which was outstanding. For dinner I had the crimini and asparagus pizza, which was also outstanding. It was so good to see Ron and Scot and their wives (Rosemary and Jeannie) again. Ron and Scot were so great to work with through school, or at least the Reno half of it. They are really cool people, fun to hang out with, and great conversationalists. I really had a great time at dinner.
Tomorrow we head out again. We're going to try to get an early start (yeah, I've said that before).
We had lunch at Sushi Pier, giving Bill his all-you-can-eat-sushi fix. The food was good, but I didn't eat enough to make it worth the price. Bill made up for it, so we're even.
After lunch we went to a few other dealers and then drove to Jimmy Beans Wool. Those who know me have probably been wondering why I haven't been posting my knitting progress. That's because there hasn't been much. I finished a pair of socks while in Colorado. I've been working on the second sock of another pair lately, but I just haven't put much time into it. I've had great knitting time in the car, but I've been dealing with Marco a lot, and this pattern just isn't that great for working in the car. It has a lot of cables in it and working on it for too long at a stretch is not good for my hands. The rest of the time we've been seeing sights or people, so there really has not been good knitting time. I may try to work on it a little tomorrow as we drive, depending on Marco.
So anyway, we got to JBW and found them moving. Just my luck. I'm here during the week they are relocating. I wish they would have put that on their website; I wouldn't have tried to visit. Oh well. It just wasn't meant to be.
For dinner we met up with two of my MBA classmates and their wives. We went to Silver Peak Brewery. I had a hefeweizen, which was outstanding. For dinner I had the crimini and asparagus pizza, which was also outstanding. It was so good to see Ron and Scot and their wives (Rosemary and Jeannie) again. Ron and Scot were so great to work with through school, or at least the Reno half of it. They are really cool people, fun to hang out with, and great conversationalists. I really had a great time at dinner.
Tomorrow we head out again. We're going to try to get an early start (yeah, I've said that before).
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Day Thirty-five of the big move west
Tuesday was a really awesome day! I had planned to do a long run this morning, but an invitation to breakfast trumped that. We met Jennifer and Craig early for breakfast. We were planning to go to a new place called the Courtyard Cafe, but it wasn't going to open until 7:30. We ended up at Anecita's Good Food, which I think made Jennifer really happy. It is her favorite breakfast.
We chatted with them for a while, then made our way back to base to meet Darren at the coffee shop. He and Bill were together at VFA-2, and we enjoyed hanging out with him and his wife, Tricia, when we were in Lemoore. It was great to catch up with him. From there, Bill went back to the coach and I went to Public Works to see my co-workers. First stop was to see Truman. Unfortunately everyone was at a training program at the theater. I ran into Fred, and it was so awesome to talk to him. I also saw my old boss, John, and that was fun. People started filtering back in and Belinda and Martha were outside John's office. We went up to find Truman, but Mark told us that he went to the contractor meeting. Belinda thought it was in the conference room, but it was at the site. Mark offered to drive me over. Mark was a Seabee when I started at PW. He left two months later. Now he's back as a civilian. We got along really well. I think he was surprised that I had as much knowledge as I did and that I cared as much as I did. It was great to see him again.
He pulled Truman out of the meeting. I heard him come out saying, "What is so important?" Then he looked over and saw me and it took him a minute to process what he was seeing, but he came down the stairs and gave me a big hug. He said he and Fred were talking about me that morning (which Fred had mentioned too). Truman looks great! He's lost 70 pounds! Unfortunately he started smoking again, after being off the cigarettes for five and a half years.
He, Fred, and Mark all mentioned that they want me to come back, because there are no good engineers there. I'm truly flattered that they noticed the hard work I put in. I really cared about my job there and sometimes I felt stymied by the system. It feels good to be appreciated.
After that visit, I picked up Tawny and went to CAPS (the Churchill Animal Protection Society), where I volunteered for a few years. We adopted Tawny from there and I thought Teresa and Sharon would like to see her again. I asked for Teresa to come out and I said "I'm bringing this dog back ... for a visit!" She was speechless! Then she went in to get Sharon and tell her that she couldn't handle this return and Sharon had to do it. So I told her the same thing. She was only looking at the dog. Then she saw me and was stunned. It was fun to surprise them. I got a tour of the revamped facility and it looks really good. Tawny had a fun time there. She ran around the office and the office cat chased her. He reached for the leash, hooked it around his paw and got dragged around the office. He loved it! It was really sweet!
From there we went back to the coach, hooked up, and headed out. We dropped by Belinda's house and Dave showed us their new Montana fifth-wheel. Nice. Then we headed to Fernley and lunch with Darren's wife, Tricia. We really enjoyed that. We babysat their son while she went to pick up their daughter. I spent a bit of time with those two in Lemoore, but they were too young and didn't remember me. I was a little bummed at that, but such is life. We didn't realize we had spent so much time there. It was after five o'clock when we finally got on the road again!
We made it into Reno, but the office at the RV park had already closed. It took us a while to figure out what to do, but we finally got our site. It was a tight fit and it took us a while to get situated. Then we sat back in our chairs and enjoyed a fine bottle of wine. We made dinner and relaxed. We'll be here tomorrow too, and we're going to have dinner with two of my classmates from my Masters program tomorrow night. I am really looking forward to seeing them again.
I really enjoyed my day in Fallon. I don't know that I would want to move back here, but it was so nice to see people again. What a fantastic, nostalgic, day!
Mileage for the day = 73
Total mileage = 3960
We chatted with them for a while, then made our way back to base to meet Darren at the coffee shop. He and Bill were together at VFA-2, and we enjoyed hanging out with him and his wife, Tricia, when we were in Lemoore. It was great to catch up with him. From there, Bill went back to the coach and I went to Public Works to see my co-workers. First stop was to see Truman. Unfortunately everyone was at a training program at the theater. I ran into Fred, and it was so awesome to talk to him. I also saw my old boss, John, and that was fun. People started filtering back in and Belinda and Martha were outside John's office. We went up to find Truman, but Mark told us that he went to the contractor meeting. Belinda thought it was in the conference room, but it was at the site. Mark offered to drive me over. Mark was a Seabee when I started at PW. He left two months later. Now he's back as a civilian. We got along really well. I think he was surprised that I had as much knowledge as I did and that I cared as much as I did. It was great to see him again.
He pulled Truman out of the meeting. I heard him come out saying, "What is so important?" Then he looked over and saw me and it took him a minute to process what he was seeing, but he came down the stairs and gave me a big hug. He said he and Fred were talking about me that morning (which Fred had mentioned too). Truman looks great! He's lost 70 pounds! Unfortunately he started smoking again, after being off the cigarettes for five and a half years.
He, Fred, and Mark all mentioned that they want me to come back, because there are no good engineers there. I'm truly flattered that they noticed the hard work I put in. I really cared about my job there and sometimes I felt stymied by the system. It feels good to be appreciated.
After that visit, I picked up Tawny and went to CAPS (the Churchill Animal Protection Society), where I volunteered for a few years. We adopted Tawny from there and I thought Teresa and Sharon would like to see her again. I asked for Teresa to come out and I said "I'm bringing this dog back ... for a visit!" She was speechless! Then she went in to get Sharon and tell her that she couldn't handle this return and Sharon had to do it. So I told her the same thing. She was only looking at the dog. Then she saw me and was stunned. It was fun to surprise them. I got a tour of the revamped facility and it looks really good. Tawny had a fun time there. She ran around the office and the office cat chased her. He reached for the leash, hooked it around his paw and got dragged around the office. He loved it! It was really sweet!
From there we went back to the coach, hooked up, and headed out. We dropped by Belinda's house and Dave showed us their new Montana fifth-wheel. Nice. Then we headed to Fernley and lunch with Darren's wife, Tricia. We really enjoyed that. We babysat their son while she went to pick up their daughter. I spent a bit of time with those two in Lemoore, but they were too young and didn't remember me. I was a little bummed at that, but such is life. We didn't realize we had spent so much time there. It was after five o'clock when we finally got on the road again!
We made it into Reno, but the office at the RV park had already closed. It took us a while to figure out what to do, but we finally got our site. It was a tight fit and it took us a while to get situated. Then we sat back in our chairs and enjoyed a fine bottle of wine. We made dinner and relaxed. We'll be here tomorrow too, and we're going to have dinner with two of my classmates from my Masters program tomorrow night. I am really looking forward to seeing them again.
I really enjoyed my day in Fallon. I don't know that I would want to move back here, but it was so nice to see people again. What a fantastic, nostalgic, day!
Mileage for the day = 73
Total mileage = 3960
Day Thirty-four of the big move west
Sadly we left Las Vegas on Monday morning. We didn't leave as early as we should have, but we enjoyed the sleeping in. I think our wallets are happy we left but I think we could have spent much more time there enjoying the shows and the sights of the strip.
We hit 95 and headed north to Fallon. We lived in Fallon for two and a half years. We still have several friends there. There was a lot of construction on the road. We made several stops and decided to shut off the engine. That was a smart move as several vehicles ahead of us overheated and had to be pushed off the road. We saw a huge dust devil along the road. I have not seen one that tall in a long time.
We drove past Walker Lake, which looked very much like a mirage! It is a beautiful lake, but as I found out later the salinity is increasing every year, which is reducing the recreational opportunities. Regardless, it was nice to see some green popping up amongst all the brown.
Abby likes to ride in the space between the two front seats. When she looks forward and sniffs, it looks like she is co-piloting. It is cute.
We put the Thundershirt on Marco for this drive. The Thundershirt is designed for dogs. Cat anatomy is different as we found out and he was slithering out of it every half hour or so. I will have to make some modifications when I get my sewing machine back. That being said, it did seem to keep him quiet. We tried putting him in a carrier and I think that worked pretty well, too. He was singing less on this trip that on previous trips.
We arrived in Fallon around 6:45. We called Belinda, one of my Fallon co-workers, to join us for dinner. Luckily she was free and met us at Don Julio's. We used to go there pretty often when we lived in Fallon. It was the place that created the Tuesday Night Supper Club, a group of 5 to 8 of us who would go out to dinner every Tuesday. I think we moved it to Wednesdays at one point, but it was a great social event. We always had a great time.
It was really awesome to spend that kind of quality time with Belinda and it was good to meet her husband. I have heard so much about him, but never met him. Belinda is very special to me. My mother-in-law taught me to knit, but Belinda took me to the next level. She instilled in me the confidence that I needed. I am an engineer. I can think logically. Knitting is really just math. I just needed someone to tell me that, and that someone was Belinda. Once I got that sense of confidence, I was able to make some really great things. I owe her more than I can ever repay. I paid it forward, by trying to instill that kind of confidence in my customers. In any case, I really enjoyed having the evening to catch up with her.
We stayed at the RV park on NAS Fallon. I was monitoring the construction on that when I worked there. There have been a few changes, but overall it was a nice park. It would be better with some landscaping. Even one blade of grass would have been a welcome sight. Anyway, it was a nice stop for a night or two. Not that good long term.
Mileage for the day = 393
Total mileage = 3887
We hit 95 and headed north to Fallon. We lived in Fallon for two and a half years. We still have several friends there. There was a lot of construction on the road. We made several stops and decided to shut off the engine. That was a smart move as several vehicles ahead of us overheated and had to be pushed off the road. We saw a huge dust devil along the road. I have not seen one that tall in a long time.
We drove past Walker Lake, which looked very much like a mirage! It is a beautiful lake, but as I found out later the salinity is increasing every year, which is reducing the recreational opportunities. Regardless, it was nice to see some green popping up amongst all the brown.
Abby likes to ride in the space between the two front seats. When she looks forward and sniffs, it looks like she is co-piloting. It is cute.
We put the Thundershirt on Marco for this drive. The Thundershirt is designed for dogs. Cat anatomy is different as we found out and he was slithering out of it every half hour or so. I will have to make some modifications when I get my sewing machine back. That being said, it did seem to keep him quiet. We tried putting him in a carrier and I think that worked pretty well, too. He was singing less on this trip that on previous trips.
We arrived in Fallon around 6:45. We called Belinda, one of my Fallon co-workers, to join us for dinner. Luckily she was free and met us at Don Julio's. We used to go there pretty often when we lived in Fallon. It was the place that created the Tuesday Night Supper Club, a group of 5 to 8 of us who would go out to dinner every Tuesday. I think we moved it to Wednesdays at one point, but it was a great social event. We always had a great time.
It was really awesome to spend that kind of quality time with Belinda and it was good to meet her husband. I have heard so much about him, but never met him. Belinda is very special to me. My mother-in-law taught me to knit, but Belinda took me to the next level. She instilled in me the confidence that I needed. I am an engineer. I can think logically. Knitting is really just math. I just needed someone to tell me that, and that someone was Belinda. Once I got that sense of confidence, I was able to make some really great things. I owe her more than I can ever repay. I paid it forward, by trying to instill that kind of confidence in my customers. In any case, I really enjoyed having the evening to catch up with her.
We stayed at the RV park on NAS Fallon. I was monitoring the construction on that when I worked there. There have been a few changes, but overall it was a nice park. It would be better with some landscaping. Even one blade of grass would have been a welcome sight. Anyway, it was a nice stop for a night or two. Not that good long term.
Mileage for the day = 393
Total mileage = 3887
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Day Thirty-three of the big move west
In a word -- INDULGENCE.
After the run this morning we went to brunch. We went to Caesar's Palace to Max Brenner's. Talk about going off the wagon. This place is made for chocoholics! We had a mug of hot chocolate (I got milk chocolate, Bill got the dark mocha). It comes in a "hug mug" so you are supposed to hold it with two hands. It was quite tasty.
For food Bill ordered the Illegal Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Pancakes and I had the Chocolate Cheesecake Crepe. Mine was about 12" long. There was a chocolatey cheesecake filling in the crepe. There were milk chocolate chips running down one side of the roll and white chocolate chips down the other side. These melted as I ate. There was also a warm caramel sauce and a cup of whipped cream with raspberry sauce. I can't believe I ate the whole thing!
Then we rolled out of there and picked up tickets for the show tonight, got in the truck, ran a few errands, and came back to the coach. I took a nap and Bill went swimming. Well, I attempted to take a nap. It didn't seem to matter how tired I was. I just couldn't sleep.
We left around 5:30 and went to Olives at the Bellagio for dinner tonight. We were really impressed with our waiter's knowledge of the menu. The bread was really good, as was my roasted beet salad. I ordered the portobello flatbread for my entree. I took one bite and my mouth was on fire. I asked Bill to taste-test it and he agreed that there was quite a bit of zing. We asked the waiter and he assured us that there was nothing in there that was pepper-based, but the portobellos were salted and peppered. I decided not to eat it and we had it boxed up. Bill took it out to the car while I settled the bill. We met outside the theater. We had just enough time to get to our seats.
We saw Cirque du Soliel's show "O", and it was unbelievable! I was absolutely blown away by pretty much everything! I don't know what the story was, but the acrobatics and the diving were just incredible. There was a ton of stuff happening all the time, so I feel like I missed some things, but wow. Just wow. I would highly recommend this show to anyone.
To sum up our eating experiences here in Las Vegas, I'd have to rate them as overall mediocre. There were some highlights (service, mostly), but overall I'd say "meh". We're hitting the road tomorrow, so our splurge time is almost over. It's too bad, as I'd like to stay here a while a see some more shows. It's a good thing as we would go broke if we stayed too much longer!
After the run this morning we went to brunch. We went to Caesar's Palace to Max Brenner's. Talk about going off the wagon. This place is made for chocoholics! We had a mug of hot chocolate (I got milk chocolate, Bill got the dark mocha). It comes in a "hug mug" so you are supposed to hold it with two hands. It was quite tasty.
For food Bill ordered the Illegal Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Pancakes and I had the Chocolate Cheesecake Crepe. Mine was about 12" long. There was a chocolatey cheesecake filling in the crepe. There were milk chocolate chips running down one side of the roll and white chocolate chips down the other side. These melted as I ate. There was also a warm caramel sauce and a cup of whipped cream with raspberry sauce. I can't believe I ate the whole thing!
Then we rolled out of there and picked up tickets for the show tonight, got in the truck, ran a few errands, and came back to the coach. I took a nap and Bill went swimming. Well, I attempted to take a nap. It didn't seem to matter how tired I was. I just couldn't sleep.
We left around 5:30 and went to Olives at the Bellagio for dinner tonight. We were really impressed with our waiter's knowledge of the menu. The bread was really good, as was my roasted beet salad. I ordered the portobello flatbread for my entree. I took one bite and my mouth was on fire. I asked Bill to taste-test it and he agreed that there was quite a bit of zing. We asked the waiter and he assured us that there was nothing in there that was pepper-based, but the portobellos were salted and peppered. I decided not to eat it and we had it boxed up. Bill took it out to the car while I settled the bill. We met outside the theater. We had just enough time to get to our seats.
We saw Cirque du Soliel's show "O", and it was unbelievable! I was absolutely blown away by pretty much everything! I don't know what the story was, but the acrobatics and the diving were just incredible. There was a ton of stuff happening all the time, so I feel like I missed some things, but wow. Just wow. I would highly recommend this show to anyone.
To sum up our eating experiences here in Las Vegas, I'd have to rate them as overall mediocre. There were some highlights (service, mostly), but overall I'd say "meh". We're hitting the road tomorrow, so our splurge time is almost over. It's too bad, as I'd like to stay here a while a see some more shows. It's a good thing as we would go broke if we stayed too much longer!
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Day Thirty-two of the big move west
Saturday morning I got up early and started some laundry. Once that was done we hooked up and headed out. We got to the new campground and we're much happier with it. There is a lot of green here and it is just a more pleasant atmosphere.
There was an ad for a mobile RV wash, so we had them come out and wash our coach. It sorely needed it. Not only did it have the grime and dirt from this trip, it also had five years' worth of gunk. It cleaned up quite nicely and was well worth the money.
I checked my facebook and saw that a friend had posted a comment about Vegas. I called him up and he was indeed vacationing here so we met for lunch. It was great to see Franklin again. Life has treated him well the past few years. I really enjoyed catching up with him. Franklin was the Deputy Public Works Officer in Lemoore. He was great to work for and he taught me a lot.
Bill and I then went back to the coach to feed the dogs and give them a little break before we headed out to dinner. We went to SushiSamba at the Palazzo. The food was pretty good, though not quite what we had expected. The price was what we expected, which was exorbitant!
Then we headed to the Venetian and the Blue Man Group show. It was AWESOME!! We had seats in the third row center section, also known as poncho seats. What does that mean? It means there was a plastic poncho at each seat because the show can get messy.
I found that out firsthand, as a bunch of banana came flying at me. I didn't have my hood up and it landed on the left side of my face and got in my hair. Some got in my lap and so I got it all over my arms. I needed to clean up a bit after the show! But I wouldn't trade the experience. It was a blast!
We came back to the coach and saw that there was no damage. Tawny has been really good lately. We're starting to feel a little more comfortable leaving her alone. We changed into swimsuits and hit the pool. It is a nice size pool. Not a lap pool, but it takes more than three strokes to get across it. There is an adult only pool as well as a family pool. We goofed off in the water for a few minutes then walked over to the hot tub to relax. It was such a great day! Makes me wonder what tomorrow will bring ...
There was an ad for a mobile RV wash, so we had them come out and wash our coach. It sorely needed it. Not only did it have the grime and dirt from this trip, it also had five years' worth of gunk. It cleaned up quite nicely and was well worth the money.
I checked my facebook and saw that a friend had posted a comment about Vegas. I called him up and he was indeed vacationing here so we met for lunch. It was great to see Franklin again. Life has treated him well the past few years. I really enjoyed catching up with him. Franklin was the Deputy Public Works Officer in Lemoore. He was great to work for and he taught me a lot.
Bill and I then went back to the coach to feed the dogs and give them a little break before we headed out to dinner. We went to SushiSamba at the Palazzo. The food was pretty good, though not quite what we had expected. The price was what we expected, which was exorbitant!
Then we headed to the Venetian and the Blue Man Group show. It was AWESOME!! We had seats in the third row center section, also known as poncho seats. What does that mean? It means there was a plastic poncho at each seat because the show can get messy.
I found that out firsthand, as a bunch of banana came flying at me. I didn't have my hood up and it landed on the left side of my face and got in my hair. Some got in my lap and so I got it all over my arms. I needed to clean up a bit after the show! But I wouldn't trade the experience. It was a blast!
We came back to the coach and saw that there was no damage. Tawny has been really good lately. We're starting to feel a little more comfortable leaving her alone. We changed into swimsuits and hit the pool. It is a nice size pool. Not a lap pool, but it takes more than three strokes to get across it. There is an adult only pool as well as a family pool. We goofed off in the water for a few minutes then walked over to the hot tub to relax. It was such a great day! Makes me wonder what tomorrow will bring ...
Day Thirty-one of the big move west
Vegas, baby!
After the run Friday morning, we went back to the coach and picked up the dogs and took them for a dip in the river. They seemed to really enjoy it. Then it was back to the coach for breakfast and showers. After that we hooked up and hit the road. We headed down the highway to Las Vegas.
We arrived at the Las Vegas RV Resort. We saw that it got a stellar rating in the Good Sam parkfinder app. When we got here, we discovered that it was less than stellar. There is not one single blade of grass on the entire property. The dog play area, where the dogs can play off leash because it is fenced in, is also rock. Yuck. I don't see how this place rated so high. We will change parks tomorrow.
We went out to look at some RVs in the afternoon. We have been mulling over the idea of upgrading our coach. It was quite hot.
The highest temperature I have ever seen on the mirror was 117. This is not that far off!
We decided to treat ourselves while we are here in Vegas. This weekend may be the budget buster of the whole trip, but that's OK. It's only money, right? There is a heck of a lot of money in this town. I still am amazed by the sheer magnitude of the luxury. No detail is overlooked. Anyway, we went to a little French restaurant off the strip that came highly recommended by our friend, Amy. The name is Pamplemousse. It was quite a nice fine dining experience. I had the cream of roasted garlic soup (which was not overpowering) and the kitchen made me a pasta dish with red sauce and tons of vegetables like zucchini, cauliflower, and broccoli. For dessert Bill and I split a delicious Grand Marnier Souffle. Yummy!
Mileage for the day = 168
Total mileage = 3494
After the run Friday morning, we went back to the coach and picked up the dogs and took them for a dip in the river. They seemed to really enjoy it. Then it was back to the coach for breakfast and showers. After that we hooked up and hit the road. We headed down the highway to Las Vegas.
We arrived at the Las Vegas RV Resort. We saw that it got a stellar rating in the Good Sam parkfinder app. When we got here, we discovered that it was less than stellar. There is not one single blade of grass on the entire property. The dog play area, where the dogs can play off leash because it is fenced in, is also rock. Yuck. I don't see how this place rated so high. We will change parks tomorrow.
We went out to look at some RVs in the afternoon. We have been mulling over the idea of upgrading our coach. It was quite hot.
The highest temperature I have ever seen on the mirror was 117. This is not that far off!
We decided to treat ourselves while we are here in Vegas. This weekend may be the budget buster of the whole trip, but that's OK. It's only money, right? There is a heck of a lot of money in this town. I still am amazed by the sheer magnitude of the luxury. No detail is overlooked. Anyway, we went to a little French restaurant off the strip that came highly recommended by our friend, Amy. The name is Pamplemousse. It was quite a nice fine dining experience. I had the cream of roasted garlic soup (which was not overpowering) and the kitchen made me a pasta dish with red sauce and tons of vegetables like zucchini, cauliflower, and broccoli. For dessert Bill and I split a delicious Grand Marnier Souffle. Yummy!
Mileage for the day = 168
Total mileage = 3494
Day Thirty of the big move west
Thursday morning Bill, the dogs, and I went on a hike. The Pa'rus trail is the only trail in Zion where pets are allowed. It is around 3.5 miles round trip. We went early in the morning so it wouldn't be so hot. The dogs enjoyed the walk, as did we. The dogs also got to take a little dip in the Virgin River, which was nice and cool.
After our showers, we headed out to Kanab, Utah, home of the Best Friends Animal Society. We went to take a tour of the sanctuary. We went into Kanab to have lunch. Kanab is a neat town. A lot of westerns were filmed there in the spaghetti western's heyday. We found a place called the Rewind Diner. When we walked in, the lady asked whether we wanted the regular menu or the vegetarian one. WOW! Deep in the sticks of Utah, there was a vegetarian haven. In fact there were several! Unfortunately all of the meat replacement products had some kind of pepper in them, so I ended up with the hummus plate. It was quite good, but I was disappointed after seeing all those other options.
We went back to Best Friends and sat and watched the movie. Then we got in the van to tour the place. We were able to bring our dogs with us, which I thought was pretty cool. They were well behaved again, and we all had a good time. I was amazed at the size of the sanctuary and just what goes on there. It was an incredible experience that I would recommend to anyone. I wish we had the time to volunteer there. Perhaps another time.
After the tour we headed back to the campground to drop off the dogs and then we got on the park shuttle. We went and looked at some of the park's features and saw some really neat things.
Then it was back to the coach to cook dinner and have some wine. What a nice day!
After our showers, we headed out to Kanab, Utah, home of the Best Friends Animal Society. We went to take a tour of the sanctuary. We went into Kanab to have lunch. Kanab is a neat town. A lot of westerns were filmed there in the spaghetti western's heyday. We found a place called the Rewind Diner. When we walked in, the lady asked whether we wanted the regular menu or the vegetarian one. WOW! Deep in the sticks of Utah, there was a vegetarian haven. In fact there were several! Unfortunately all of the meat replacement products had some kind of pepper in them, so I ended up with the hummus plate. It was quite good, but I was disappointed after seeing all those other options.
We went back to Best Friends and sat and watched the movie. Then we got in the van to tour the place. We were able to bring our dogs with us, which I thought was pretty cool. They were well behaved again, and we all had a good time. I was amazed at the size of the sanctuary and just what goes on there. It was an incredible experience that I would recommend to anyone. I wish we had the time to volunteer there. Perhaps another time.
After the tour we headed back to the campground to drop off the dogs and then we got on the park shuttle. We went and looked at some of the park's features and saw some really neat things.
Then it was back to the coach to cook dinner and have some wine. What a nice day!
Day Twenty-nine of the big move west
Wednesday morning, after a long leisurely wake up, we took a driving tour of Bryce Canyon National Park. It is beautiful! The views and rock formations are stunning. We drove down to Rainbow Point and stopped at Natural Bridge
Then we headed out to Zion National Park. We just made the length cutoff (the switchbacks are so severe they have to limit the vehicle length) but didn't make the width requirement. We had to purchase a tunnel permit. When we got to the second tunnel, we had to stop and wait until oncoming traffic was halted and we could go through down the middle of the lane.
We got through and took the switchbacks. They weren't as bad as the ones on the Beartooth Highway, but still a little hairy. We drove to the campground and got set up. As we were talking to the ranger at the gate, Abby popped her head out the window behind Bill. The ranger was a little surprised.
We settled into the campsite and then walked over to the visitor center. We found out there was a bus tour with a ranger scheduled for that evening so we signed up. The tour was interesting. I learned a lot about the flora and fauna of the park as well as the Native Americans and the Mormons who previously inhabited the park.
Mileage for the day = 88
Total mileage = 3326
Then we headed out to Zion National Park. We just made the length cutoff (the switchbacks are so severe they have to limit the vehicle length) but didn't make the width requirement. We had to purchase a tunnel permit. When we got to the second tunnel, we had to stop and wait until oncoming traffic was halted and we could go through down the middle of the lane.
We got through and took the switchbacks. They weren't as bad as the ones on the Beartooth Highway, but still a little hairy. We drove to the campground and got set up. As we were talking to the ranger at the gate, Abby popped her head out the window behind Bill. The ranger was a little surprised.
We settled into the campsite and then walked over to the visitor center. We found out there was a bus tour with a ranger scheduled for that evening so we signed up. The tour was interesting. I learned a lot about the flora and fauna of the park as well as the Native Americans and the Mormons who previously inhabited the park.
Mileage for the day = 88
Total mileage = 3326
Day Twenty-eight of the big move west
Tuesday was a pretty good day. We started the day watching the sun rise over the Great Salt Lake. It was a neat experience. We considered dipping our feet in it, but the little salt fleas were too annoying. There must have been millions of them!
Then we went back to the coach, hooked it up, and headed south. We had reservations at Zion National Park Wednesday and Thursday night, but nothing for Tuesday. We decided to take a chance and see if there was anything at Bryce Canyon National Park. As we drove in, we noticed several RV parks outside the park where we could stay if we needed to. We got to Bryce Canyon and there was a ton of availability there.
After we got settled in our spot and dropped the coach, we headed off to Sunrise Point with the dogs to take a hike on the only dog-friendly trail in the park. We got some looks from people and even a snide comment behind our backs, and I really wanted to tell the jerk that HE was the one who didn't read the signs and that there was a dog cleanup station not even 100 yards away! Oh well. Some people are just idiots.
After the hike we went to the general store and purchased some beer and firewood and headed back to camp. Bill started a really nice fire and we cooked dinner. We also had s'mores for dessert. It was really nice until the rain storm rolled in. Unfortunately we didn't get more than a few drops, but we extinguished the fire and went inside.
While camping in Yellowstone, we realized our batteries wouldn't last very much longer. We purchased some distilled water and filled the batteries when we got to the campground. They were almost dry! We didn't have much juice in them, so we were quite limited on what we could do, as we were dry-camping in Bryce Canyon. It was kind of nice to go to sleep with and wake up with the sun.
Marco was extremely vocal the whole ride. To the point of complete annoyance! Every few seconds he would holler. It was getting old fast. He finally settled down around the last 50 miles. The good news is that he used the makeshift litterbox almost immediately and did not have any other issues requiring clean up the rest of the trip.
He did give me a heart attack when we stopped for lunch. I opened the back door of the truck to let the dogs out. I was almost finished putting the ramp back in when he leaped out over my arm and took off running. I shreiked and Bill came running back to help. Tawny was also on him like white on rice. He ran under the coach and refused to come out. I was finally able to capture him and put him back in the truck. Whew!
Mileage for the day = 280
Total mileage = 3238
Then we went back to the coach, hooked it up, and headed south. We had reservations at Zion National Park Wednesday and Thursday night, but nothing for Tuesday. We decided to take a chance and see if there was anything at Bryce Canyon National Park. As we drove in, we noticed several RV parks outside the park where we could stay if we needed to. We got to Bryce Canyon and there was a ton of availability there.
After we got settled in our spot and dropped the coach, we headed off to Sunrise Point with the dogs to take a hike on the only dog-friendly trail in the park. We got some looks from people and even a snide comment behind our backs, and I really wanted to tell the jerk that HE was the one who didn't read the signs and that there was a dog cleanup station not even 100 yards away! Oh well. Some people are just idiots.
After the hike we went to the general store and purchased some beer and firewood and headed back to camp. Bill started a really nice fire and we cooked dinner. We also had s'mores for dessert. It was really nice until the rain storm rolled in. Unfortunately we didn't get more than a few drops, but we extinguished the fire and went inside.
While camping in Yellowstone, we realized our batteries wouldn't last very much longer. We purchased some distilled water and filled the batteries when we got to the campground. They were almost dry! We didn't have much juice in them, so we were quite limited on what we could do, as we were dry-camping in Bryce Canyon. It was kind of nice to go to sleep with and wake up with the sun.
Marco was extremely vocal the whole ride. To the point of complete annoyance! Every few seconds he would holler. It was getting old fast. He finally settled down around the last 50 miles. The good news is that he used the makeshift litterbox almost immediately and did not have any other issues requiring clean up the rest of the trip.
He did give me a heart attack when we stopped for lunch. I opened the back door of the truck to let the dogs out. I was almost finished putting the ramp back in when he leaped out over my arm and took off running. I shreiked and Bill came running back to help. Tawny was also on him like white on rice. He ran under the coach and refused to come out. I was finally able to capture him and put him back in the truck. Whew!
Mileage for the day = 280
Total mileage = 3238
Monday, August 22, 2011
Day Twenty-seven of the big move west
Today was an interesting day. We started out by getting the oil changed in the truck. We went to Gus Paulos Chevrolet, which was a HUGE MISTAKE. The service person barely said two words to us. I felt like I had severely inconvenienced him. We did not get an estimate. We asked for a wash. No problem. It would take about an hour and a half. Bill and I went for our run.
We finished the run in a little over an hour. The truck was ready. It was still dirty. The cost? $189. What?! That would have been nice to know. They are trying to tell me it was because of the fuel filter. I have never paid more than about $135 for an oil and filter change. There was nothing we could do. So I walked over to the grumpy guy and told him that it would have been nice to have been given an estimate before he did the service. He just grunted. What a jerk. If we get a satisfaction survey in the mail or a call from the dealership, I'm going to make sure they know just how DISsatisfied I was with my experience there.
From there we went to Starbucks and had coffee. That made me feel a little better. We came back and showered. Then we headed downtown and had lunch at Whole Foods. Yummy! Then we went to Temple Square and took a tour. Our guides were very nice and knowledgeable and we learned a lot. We forgot the nice camera, but I took a few pictures with my phone.
The Assembly Hall
Inside the Tabernacle
The Temple
As we were getting ready to leave we saw that we were near the Family History Center and decided to go in. We sat through the introductory movie about the center, which was fascinating. Then we decided to go in and look for my side of the family. We only had about twenty minutes, but I did find the 1910 and 1920 census records for my paternal grandmother. I called my dad about it tonight and I learned more from him in a half hour than I learned at the center, but it was a neat experience. I don't know much about Dad's side of the family, but I think that is because very few lived in the area, so we didn't get much exposure to them. And also because we never really asked about them.
Once we left there we headed to Cali's to look for food and especially the nut burgers we had for brunch the other day. It was not to be. We got there five minutes after closing. Bummer. So we headed back to Whole Foods and bought groceries there. We should have enough fresh fruits and vegetables to make it through the next few days.
We'll be packing up and moving on tomorrow. I hope that Marco has had enough time to settle down. We are thinking about putting the litter box in the truck so that if he has to go, at least he knows where to go. I think that may crowd the dogs a little too much, but we have to try. I am getting desperate!
We finished the run in a little over an hour. The truck was ready. It was still dirty. The cost? $189. What?! That would have been nice to know. They are trying to tell me it was because of the fuel filter. I have never paid more than about $135 for an oil and filter change. There was nothing we could do. So I walked over to the grumpy guy and told him that it would have been nice to have been given an estimate before he did the service. He just grunted. What a jerk. If we get a satisfaction survey in the mail or a call from the dealership, I'm going to make sure they know just how DISsatisfied I was with my experience there.
From there we went to Starbucks and had coffee. That made me feel a little better. We came back and showered. Then we headed downtown and had lunch at Whole Foods. Yummy! Then we went to Temple Square and took a tour. Our guides were very nice and knowledgeable and we learned a lot. We forgot the nice camera, but I took a few pictures with my phone.
The Assembly Hall
Inside the Tabernacle
The Temple
As we were getting ready to leave we saw that we were near the Family History Center and decided to go in. We sat through the introductory movie about the center, which was fascinating. Then we decided to go in and look for my side of the family. We only had about twenty minutes, but I did find the 1910 and 1920 census records for my paternal grandmother. I called my dad about it tonight and I learned more from him in a half hour than I learned at the center, but it was a neat experience. I don't know much about Dad's side of the family, but I think that is because very few lived in the area, so we didn't get much exposure to them. And also because we never really asked about them.
Once we left there we headed to Cali's to look for food and especially the nut burgers we had for brunch the other day. It was not to be. We got there five minutes after closing. Bummer. So we headed back to Whole Foods and bought groceries there. We should have enough fresh fruits and vegetables to make it through the next few days.
We'll be packing up and moving on tomorrow. I hope that Marco has had enough time to settle down. We are thinking about putting the litter box in the truck so that if he has to go, at least he knows where to go. I think that may crowd the dogs a little too much, but we have to try. I am getting desperate!
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Day Twenty-six of the big move west
Today was all about us. The word of the day was: RELAXATION.
We went to bed last night with the plan to wake up early and go running or for a ride. After Bill fed the dogs this morning, he came back to bed and looked like he was sleeping hard. I didn't want to wake him. We didn't get out of bed until after 10!
We spent a little time looking online for a place for Sunday brunch and found a vegetarian restaurant called Sage's Cafe. We headed out to check it out. As we were driving in downtown Salt Lake City, we got stopped by a policeman at an intersection. We were stopped for around 15 minutes as a motorcycle procession went through in the cross direction. We found out later that it was a procession for fallen police officers. Seeing that many motorcycles at one time reminded us of going through Sturgis.
After we got through the intersection, we couldn't find the cafe! We were pretty disappointed, thinking that it had closed. As we drove around the corner, we saw a little sandwich board on the sidewalk for the cafe. The storefront was covered by vines and that is why we didn't see it. We parked and went in. They were quite accommodating of my pepper issues and we had an excellent brunch. We found out about an organic grocery called Cali's where they sell the delicious nut burgers we had. If we bring in our receipt we get 10% off our purchase. We made plans to head there after brunch, as we need to get some vegetables and other groceries.
As we drove down the road to go to Cali's, we passed a day spa called Akasha and Bill suggested we go in. We did a couples massage and it felt so good. I think it really helped loosen my calves (more on that to follow). It was a great way to spend the day! We left there and just came back to the coach, made dinner, and had a glass of wine. Aaaaahhhhh!
What a great day! It was definitely a splurge, and something that we won't do that often, but it was really needed.
My calves have been improving. I've been using my Triggerpoint Therapy kit (almost) every night to work out the knots. I wear my compression sleeves when we travel and I believe that had made a big difference. I think that sitting in the car for a long time for several days really had an affect on my legs. Since they are feeling much better -- almost back to normal -- that I am going to continue to hydrate, self-massage, and wear my compression sleeves in the car.
We went to bed last night with the plan to wake up early and go running or for a ride. After Bill fed the dogs this morning, he came back to bed and looked like he was sleeping hard. I didn't want to wake him. We didn't get out of bed until after 10!
We spent a little time looking online for a place for Sunday brunch and found a vegetarian restaurant called Sage's Cafe. We headed out to check it out. As we were driving in downtown Salt Lake City, we got stopped by a policeman at an intersection. We were stopped for around 15 minutes as a motorcycle procession went through in the cross direction. We found out later that it was a procession for fallen police officers. Seeing that many motorcycles at one time reminded us of going through Sturgis.
After we got through the intersection, we couldn't find the cafe! We were pretty disappointed, thinking that it had closed. As we drove around the corner, we saw a little sandwich board on the sidewalk for the cafe. The storefront was covered by vines and that is why we didn't see it. We parked and went in. They were quite accommodating of my pepper issues and we had an excellent brunch. We found out about an organic grocery called Cali's where they sell the delicious nut burgers we had. If we bring in our receipt we get 10% off our purchase. We made plans to head there after brunch, as we need to get some vegetables and other groceries.
As we drove down the road to go to Cali's, we passed a day spa called Akasha and Bill suggested we go in. We did a couples massage and it felt so good. I think it really helped loosen my calves (more on that to follow). It was a great way to spend the day! We left there and just came back to the coach, made dinner, and had a glass of wine. Aaaaahhhhh!
What a great day! It was definitely a splurge, and something that we won't do that often, but it was really needed.
My calves have been improving. I've been using my Triggerpoint Therapy kit (almost) every night to work out the knots. I wear my compression sleeves when we travel and I believe that had made a big difference. I think that sitting in the car for a long time for several days really had an affect on my legs. Since they are feeling much better -- almost back to normal -- that I am going to continue to hydrate, self-massage, and wear my compression sleeves in the car.
Day Twenty-five of the big move west
Saturday we left Jackson Hole, WY, and headed to Salt Lake City. We took a more scenic route that took us through the Teton Pass, elevation 8431. In retrospect, this was a risky move, but more on that later.
This route took us through Idaho, a state we haven't seen. If we had taken the more direct route, we would have passed through Idaho for about 10 miles. We made it to Idaho Falls (about 85 miles) and stopped at a Big O Tires. Bill felt a little nervous about traveling without a spare. We got a new tire and then Bill checked the others on the RV. One of the treads on another tire was starting to separate! We asked the kind gentleman at Big O about it and he said we would be lucky to get 15 miles down the road before we would have another blow out! So we decided to replace all four tires and put the original spare back on the back of the RV. As he inspected the tires, he mentioned that he believed that the tires should not have failed so early and that there may be a manufacturing issue. We decided to keep all the tires, since we've decided to pass through Fallon and we would take them back to the RV dealership to inquire about any compensation. Also, since we bought the coach there, they should be able to fix it appropriately. What a fabulous idea! Then we discovered through the power of the internet that the dealership is closed.
Anyway, we spent some time in Idaho Falls. From there it was an easy cruise down I-15 into Salt Lake City, where we have taken up residence at the Pony Express RV Resort. It is a decent place, but it could use some more trees.
We thought we had Marco figured out after a few days of poop-less travel. We had been pulling up his food the night before we left. We did that again this time, but he had us figured out. He made up for all the poop-less travels by going a record six times! He soiled all the pet towels, one cat bed, and the back seat cover. Thankfully we were able to do laundry when we arrived. We hope he will settle down over the next few days before we set out again.
We decided to treat ourselves to a nice dinner out Saturday night. We went to Biaggi's, an Italian restaurant. We had a very good waiter who paid attention to my pepper issues and was quite attentive to us all meal. We were as impressed with the service as we were with the food!
Mileage for the day = 297
Total mileage = 2958
This route took us through Idaho, a state we haven't seen. If we had taken the more direct route, we would have passed through Idaho for about 10 miles. We made it to Idaho Falls (about 85 miles) and stopped at a Big O Tires. Bill felt a little nervous about traveling without a spare. We got a new tire and then Bill checked the others on the RV. One of the treads on another tire was starting to separate! We asked the kind gentleman at Big O about it and he said we would be lucky to get 15 miles down the road before we would have another blow out! So we decided to replace all four tires and put the original spare back on the back of the RV. As he inspected the tires, he mentioned that he believed that the tires should not have failed so early and that there may be a manufacturing issue. We decided to keep all the tires, since we've decided to pass through Fallon and we would take them back to the RV dealership to inquire about any compensation. Also, since we bought the coach there, they should be able to fix it appropriately. What a fabulous idea! Then we discovered through the power of the internet that the dealership is closed.
Anyway, we spent some time in Idaho Falls. From there it was an easy cruise down I-15 into Salt Lake City, where we have taken up residence at the Pony Express RV Resort. It is a decent place, but it could use some more trees.
We thought we had Marco figured out after a few days of poop-less travel. We had been pulling up his food the night before we left. We did that again this time, but he had us figured out. He made up for all the poop-less travels by going a record six times! He soiled all the pet towels, one cat bed, and the back seat cover. Thankfully we were able to do laundry when we arrived. We hope he will settle down over the next few days before we set out again.
We decided to treat ourselves to a nice dinner out Saturday night. We went to Biaggi's, an Italian restaurant. We had a very good waiter who paid attention to my pepper issues and was quite attentive to us all meal. We were as impressed with the service as we were with the food!
Mileage for the day = 297
Total mileage = 2958
Friday, August 19, 2011
Day Twenty-four of the big move west
Friday started out great. I ran first thing and it felt good. We had decided to go down and spend a few days in Grand Teton National Park. We had noticed that our batteries were low, so we knew dry camping was going to be a problem. There is a full-hookup RV Park in the park, and so we made plans to call them and get a spot, or at least recharge for an hour or two and then go to a dry site.
We decided to drive a different route to get south from the one we had taken yesterday so we could see a few more things. We stopped at Mud Geyser and saw that bubble up. There were several geysers in that park, so we took the trail around and checked them out. This is Mud Geyser.
This is Dragon's Mouth, part of the Mud Volcano.
We continued down to West Thumb and Grant Village. We filled up on diesel and had a nice lunch. The service was lousy and it took FOREVER to get our food, but it was pretty good once we got it. Off to the Tetons!
But it was not to be.
One of the RV's tires shredded a few feet after the turn onto the road. We pulled off as soon as we could so we could assess the situation. We got the jack out of the truck and started to put the spare on.
It was low, but we used the compressor we had to fill it most of the way. Then we headed back to the service station in Grant Village and filled it up. While there, we found out the RV park in the Tetons was full. That sounds like it didn't take as much as it did. We were changing the tire for a good hour or more.
We decided to press on to Jackson, WY, just south of the park, and camp there for the night. We wanted to get another tire. All of our tires are the same age and we're afraid that something might happen. The drive through Grand Teton National Park was stunning.
We wish we had been able to stay, but it just wasn't going to happen. The piece of tread that came off the tire hit the coach and did some damage. Thankfully it isn't structural damage, and it is probably a simple fix with the right materials. Our concern is moisture getting in there if we have to drive in rain anytime soon. We thought if we could get to Salt Lake City soon, we'd have a good chance of fixing it quickly.
We have put a temporary fix on for now, and we'll get a spare tire on the road tomorrow. The tire place was closing when we called them. We are staying at The Virginian RV Park and we are thoroughly underwhelmed. This place is unbelievably expensive and we aren't getting squat. The free wifi is not working. Under other circumstances we would have considered staying, as the town seems kind of neat and worth exploring. Instead, we'll pull up stakes tomorrow and continue on. At least we got to do some laundry tonight.
Mileage for the day = 160
Total mileage = 2661
We decided to drive a different route to get south from the one we had taken yesterday so we could see a few more things. We stopped at Mud Geyser and saw that bubble up. There were several geysers in that park, so we took the trail around and checked them out. This is Mud Geyser.
This is Dragon's Mouth, part of the Mud Volcano.
We continued down to West Thumb and Grant Village. We filled up on diesel and had a nice lunch. The service was lousy and it took FOREVER to get our food, but it was pretty good once we got it. Off to the Tetons!
But it was not to be.
One of the RV's tires shredded a few feet after the turn onto the road. We pulled off as soon as we could so we could assess the situation. We got the jack out of the truck and started to put the spare on.
It was low, but we used the compressor we had to fill it most of the way. Then we headed back to the service station in Grant Village and filled it up. While there, we found out the RV park in the Tetons was full. That sounds like it didn't take as much as it did. We were changing the tire for a good hour or more.
We decided to press on to Jackson, WY, just south of the park, and camp there for the night. We wanted to get another tire. All of our tires are the same age and we're afraid that something might happen. The drive through Grand Teton National Park was stunning.
We wish we had been able to stay, but it just wasn't going to happen. The piece of tread that came off the tire hit the coach and did some damage. Thankfully it isn't structural damage, and it is probably a simple fix with the right materials. Our concern is moisture getting in there if we have to drive in rain anytime soon. We thought if we could get to Salt Lake City soon, we'd have a good chance of fixing it quickly.
We have put a temporary fix on for now, and we'll get a spare tire on the road tomorrow. The tire place was closing when we called them. We are staying at The Virginian RV Park and we are thoroughly underwhelmed. This place is unbelievably expensive and we aren't getting squat. The free wifi is not working. Under other circumstances we would have considered staying, as the town seems kind of neat and worth exploring. Instead, we'll pull up stakes tomorrow and continue on. At least we got to do some laundry tonight.
Mileage for the day = 160
Total mileage = 2661
Day Twenty-three of the big move west
Thursday we stayed put and took a drive around Yellowstone National Park. There is way too much to see in the short amount of time we had, but we did our best. We drove down to Old Faithful, checking out a few sights along the way.
We got there about an hour or so before its next predicted eruption time, so we went to the restaurant and had lunch. The food was surprisingly good. Then we went outside and tried to find seating around the geyser. We got good spots and hung out and waiting. It spurted for a bit and the crowd got excited. We heard a few people ask "Is that it?". Then it went crazy!
It was pretty neat to watch, and impressive that it is so (relatively) predictable.
From there we headed back towards the campground and stopped at the Grand Prismatic Spring. That was really neat! There were so many different colors to be seen, the picture just can't show how awesome it was.
Among others, we saw Gibbon Falls, an elk with her three babies lounging next to the river, and a whole herd of elk in the town. There must have been three or four dozen of them, just lounging in the grass between the roads. That was pretty awesome!
It gets better! We were just finishing up dinner, when we heard that some elk had come into the campground. We were able to get pretty close to them. Carefully, of course. This one posed for Bill!
That's with no zoom!Then we went up the hill across the street from the campground and took a picture. It was a really pretty campground.
Oh yes, there were more s'mores and outdoor cooking that night.
We got there about an hour or so before its next predicted eruption time, so we went to the restaurant and had lunch. The food was surprisingly good. Then we went outside and tried to find seating around the geyser. We got good spots and hung out and waiting. It spurted for a bit and the crowd got excited. We heard a few people ask "Is that it?". Then it went crazy!
It was pretty neat to watch, and impressive that it is so (relatively) predictable.
From there we headed back towards the campground and stopped at the Grand Prismatic Spring. That was really neat! There were so many different colors to be seen, the picture just can't show how awesome it was.
Among others, we saw Gibbon Falls, an elk with her three babies lounging next to the river, and a whole herd of elk in the town. There must have been three or four dozen of them, just lounging in the grass between the roads. That was pretty awesome!
It gets better! We were just finishing up dinner, when we heard that some elk had come into the campground. We were able to get pretty close to them. Carefully, of course. This one posed for Bill!
That's with no zoom!Then we went up the hill across the street from the campground and took a picture. It was a really pretty campground.
Oh yes, there were more s'mores and outdoor cooking that night.
Day Twenty-two of the big move west
Wednesday we loaded up and moved out. Off to Yellowstone National Park! The road there was a little scary.
We climbed and climbed and climbed. We got to 10,640 feet (at least) and saw snow! There were incredible views in every direction. When we got to Yellowstone we headed for Mammoth Hot Springs campground on our cousin's recommendation. We were able to get a spot there and set up camp. Along the way we saw some wildlife, including chipmunks and this guy:
They aren't kidding when they say that the wildlife goes where it wants to go. It's a good thing we were able to maneuver around it.
Once we set up camp, we decided to check out the "town" of Mammoth. We saw the old Fort Yellowstone buildings, now housing park employees, the hotel, the general store, and the restaurants. We had a craving and picked up the fixings for s'mores.
It was a great way to end the day!
Mileage for the day = 147
Total mileage = 2501
We climbed and climbed and climbed. We got to 10,640 feet (at least) and saw snow! There were incredible views in every direction. When we got to Yellowstone we headed for Mammoth Hot Springs campground on our cousin's recommendation. We were able to get a spot there and set up camp. Along the way we saw some wildlife, including chipmunks and this guy:
They aren't kidding when they say that the wildlife goes where it wants to go. It's a good thing we were able to maneuver around it.
Once we set up camp, we decided to check out the "town" of Mammoth. We saw the old Fort Yellowstone buildings, now housing park employees, the hotel, the general store, and the restaurants. We had a craving and picked up the fixings for s'mores.
It was a great way to end the day!
Mileage for the day = 147
Total mileage = 2501
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Day Twenty-one of the big move west
We left Spearfish this morning and headed west. Next stop: Montana!
Yes, Montana. Where the pyramids are.
These pyramids of hay rolls were everywhere throughout the drive. We have seen single hay rolls in several states, but the pyramids have just been in Montana. MT. "Empty" for short.
We pulled the cats' food from them last night. They were quite hungry this morning. Marco did not poop on the ride, and we think that the two might be connected, so we're going to do it again tonight. On the ride Tawny discovered that Marco makes a nice pillow.
We took a little bit of a risk and decided to take Highway 212 rather than I-90. The risk was whether there would be diesel stations along the way. We were lucky and found a few, filling up whether we needed to or not. We arrived at the Billings KOA around 4pm. This was the first KOA. It is a nice campground, but the sites are close together.
This afternoon we went into town and found Angry Hank's Microbrewery. We had a Head Trauma IPA and an Anger Management Belgian Wheat. They were quite tasty! We also tried a Dirty Girl Dunkel Weizen and a Streetfight Imperial Red Ale, which were also quite good. We came back to the coach and picked up our growlers for them to fill so we'll have some good beer for the next few nights. Then we had dinner at The Rex across the street. A grasshopper was interested in trying my beer. Thankfully my glass was empty.
The campground is located on the Yellowstone River. When we got back Bill and I went to take a look at the river. It was running a little too fast to risk letting the dogs swim. It is pretty to look at, though.
The campground has an ice cream social every night, so we dropped by and got some ice cream cones. It was a good end to the day.
Mileage for the day = 281
Total mileage = 2354
Yes, Montana. Where the pyramids are.
These pyramids of hay rolls were everywhere throughout the drive. We have seen single hay rolls in several states, but the pyramids have just been in Montana. MT. "Empty" for short.
We pulled the cats' food from them last night. They were quite hungry this morning. Marco did not poop on the ride, and we think that the two might be connected, so we're going to do it again tonight. On the ride Tawny discovered that Marco makes a nice pillow.
We took a little bit of a risk and decided to take Highway 212 rather than I-90. The risk was whether there would be diesel stations along the way. We were lucky and found a few, filling up whether we needed to or not. We arrived at the Billings KOA around 4pm. This was the first KOA. It is a nice campground, but the sites are close together.
This afternoon we went into town and found Angry Hank's Microbrewery. We had a Head Trauma IPA and an Anger Management Belgian Wheat. They were quite tasty! We also tried a Dirty Girl Dunkel Weizen and a Streetfight Imperial Red Ale, which were also quite good. We came back to the coach and picked up our growlers for them to fill so we'll have some good beer for the next few nights. Then we had dinner at The Rex across the street. A grasshopper was interested in trying my beer. Thankfully my glass was empty.
The campground is located on the Yellowstone River. When we got back Bill and I went to take a look at the river. It was running a little too fast to risk letting the dogs swim. It is pretty to look at, though.
The campground has an ice cream social every night, so we dropped by and got some ice cream cones. It was a good end to the day.
Mileage for the day = 281
Total mileage = 2354
Monday, August 15, 2011
Day Twenty of the big move west
Another great day, even though it didn't start out that great. Following the crummy run and when I felt better, we had a delicious breakfast, cooked up by my incredibly awesome husband. then we hit the road.
Today we went to see the Badlands. I'm glad we split this into two days, as it would have been tough to do in one day. It was a lot of driving, but completely worth it.
The pictures just don't do the scenery justice. It was interesting to go from these huge rock peaks to flat, grassy areas all of a sudden. We were hoping to see some wildlife, but it just wasn't our day.
After the drive through the Badlands we headed home, stopping in Rapid City for dinner. The manager at Ruby Tuesday's was kind enough to let us sit on the back patio with the dogs. It was still pretty hot out (in the 90s), but the patio was shaded, so it was quite pleasant.
Tomorrow is a drive day. It should be a light day and we may be able to arrive early enough to see some sights there, rather than it just being a stopover.
Today we went to see the Badlands. I'm glad we split this into two days, as it would have been tough to do in one day. It was a lot of driving, but completely worth it.
The pictures just don't do the scenery justice. It was interesting to go from these huge rock peaks to flat, grassy areas all of a sudden. We were hoping to see some wildlife, but it just wasn't our day.
After the drive through the Badlands we headed home, stopping in Rapid City for dinner. The manager at Ruby Tuesday's was kind enough to let us sit on the back patio with the dogs. It was still pretty hot out (in the 90s), but the patio was shaded, so it was quite pleasant.
Tomorrow is a drive day. It should be a light day and we may be able to arrive early enough to see some sights there, rather than it just being a stopover.
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