Curlew National Grasslands

We are camping at Curlew Campground, south of Curlew National Grasslands.  We have miles of sagebrush and a view of Stone Lake, a lake owned by the cattleman’s association. Even though the lake is right next to the campground it is trespassing to go to the shoreline. Cattle outnumber people about 20 to 1. They surround the campground on all sides. It is humorous to watch them wander in herds about with seeming intent on getting somewhere else and to me, the surrounding area appears to be equal. Enough grass between the sage, enough water close by.  Why they come and go, is a mystery. The signal is the moo. They all seem to sing the chorus anytime they decide to go somewhere.  They don’t make much noise when they are stationary. I guess it is a question of being able to moo and eat at the same time. Perhaps the mooing is a protest, “why are we going somewhere, when we could be eating?”

The nearest settlement is Stone Idaho. Not much attraction to Stone, from what I could see it is an intersection, and a ranch right next to the road.  The “city” is south of here and is Snowville Utah, which has its own freeway off-ramp. Snowville sports a church, a town hall, truck stop, diner and coffee shop, and a motel – called the Outsiders Inn. I bet the name of the town and the motel are very descriptive. Snow is frequent for six months a year and only outsiders stay at the Outsiders Inn.

Back to our RV story

Diesel or Gas

Why did we buy a gasoline-powered RV?  It is just a money question. I had bad luck with a diesel VW Rabbit that had a very poor design. I am still burned about how bad that car was, it was forty years ago. Some would say I should let it go, but somehow I can’t. I know that big diesel engines only have the fuel in common with that Rabbit and everything else is different. Besides, the one advantage that the car had at that time was that diesel fuel cost less than gasoline, back then. Now the energy advantage of diesel is somewhat erased by the higher fuel cost.  (There is more energy in a gallon of diesel than there is in a gallon of gasoline.)  I also had problems with the diesel fuel gelling in the winter, thus causing the car not to run.

Question of Cost

Really it came down to a question of cost. If diesel engine RVs cost less than gasoline that is what I would have purchased. I can erase my feelings on a subject when dollars signs are involved. Gasoline-powered RVs cost less than diesel-powered RVs.

Diesel’s have huge advantages when going to places. But my view is that going somewhere is less than 10% of the time we spend in the RV. We have adequate power, and diesel is way more powerful. They go uphill much better, they weigh much more and drive more comfortably. This applies to us only 10% of the time. The other 90% of the time, we are stopped and then it doesn’t matter how much power you have. Many times I have said, “I didn’t buy it to drive it”. Driving isn’t the joy, being there is the joy.

Here is a link to the google map for the area.

Link to our 2018 Route.

Link to our route Salt Lake to Boise

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