It has been a wet winter in California and when that happens the desert in eastern San Diego County changes. We went seeking early spring flowers in the Anza-Borrego desert. In the summer, in the desert, I look past the small patches of dry vegetation surrounded by sand and instead focus on the dramatic views. […]
Seeking Early Spring Wildflowers in the Anza-Borrego Desert Read More »
Food Desert — Not in Tucson! As we travel we often encounter both outstanding food choices and food deserts. Tucson is not a food desert. In fact, our anniversary dinner uncovered a great downtown restaurant. Great downtown restaurants alone would not create a blog post. We have been to lots of great downtown restaurants. However,
Food Desert? Not in Tucson! Read More »
Classic Rotors is a unique aircraft museum in Ramona, California. One-of-a-kind refers both to the museum and the helicopters. The museum is dedicated to rescuing one-of-a-kind and unique historically significant helicopters. The all-volunteer museum staff brings these historic aircraft back to flying condition and then flies them. They have several one-of-a-kind helicopters, and some are
Classic Rotors, a One-of-a-Kind helicopter (rescue) museum Read More »
Tucson is in the Sonoran Desert. It has been a relaxing visit to Tucson. Unlike the summer there is nicer weather this time of year. It is lots greener than the Mojave Desert. The Sonoran Desert has the Saguaro cactus (pronounced suh-war-oh) and lots of other vegetation, all with sharp parts. They don’t need signs
Tucson and the old west Read More »
Organ Pipe National Monument is at the very south edge of Arizona. It is home to and dedicated to the very rare Organ Pipe cactus which only grows naturally in this and a few other locations in Mexico. In southern Arizona, the larger of the two varieties of the cactus thrives in Organ Pipe National
Little known secret Organ Pipe National Monument Read More »
Scientists have decided that the Cascade chain of volcanos ends at Mount Lassen. Mount Lassen is the last volcano in the chain. The Cascade chain spans more than eight hundred miles. Mount Lassen is the last one when you count from north to south. Mount Lassen is the namesake for Lassen Volcanic National Park. Lassen
Mount Lassen is the last volcano Read More »
Campsite Review: March ARB Campground is located on March Air Force Reserve Base in Moreno Valley California just to the east of Interstate 215. This makes for a perfect spot to stop before or after crossing the Mojave Desert from the Los Angles Area. The best way to get to the FAMCAMP (Family Campground) is
Campsite Review: March ARB Campground Read More »
On our cruise, we went to Catalina Island and Cabo San Lucas. For us, the reason we went on a cruise was to go on the cruise ship. We were spoiled rotten on our cruise. We didn’t go on a cruise to go to the cruise ship ports. Instead, our goal was to experience the
Catalina Island and Cabo San Lucas Read More »
We were very spoiled on our cruise last week. We left our RV in Los Alamitos (south of Los Angeles) and spent the previous week on a two-thousand-two-hundred-mile cruise from California to Los Cabos in Mexico and back. This story is all about the ride, not the destination. We didn’t choose a cruise ship with
Spoiled Rotten on our Cruise Read More »
We have now traveled the entire Willamette Valley southbound going through Oregon. Our previous visits to Oregon included crossing and visiting the Willamette Valley each time with the objective of going somewhere else. This time going to the Willamette Valley was the objective. Tacked onto this journey was also visiting the mountains south of the
Southbound in the Willamette Valley Read More »
Who can stay at military campgrounds? Generally, the answer is all personnel on active duty, most military retirees, some other veterans, and some DOD employees. Who can stay at military campgrounds? Roughly the groups are outlined as follows: Usually, there is a preference for active duty, but the other categories don’t usually establish a pecking
Snippet: Who can stay at military campgrounds? Read More »
Oregon slowly lost the Navy. No, the Navy did not get lost in Oregon; rather, you might say that the Navy retreated from Oregon and has not returned. Where are the active-duty military bases in Oregon? The fact is they are all gone. Oregon lost the Navy and all the branches of the military. While
How Oregon lost the Navy, Tillamook Naval Air Station Read More »
This new RV water system works much the same as the one I installed in my previous RV. The exception is that every part of my RV water system of it is bigger. This is the biggest water filter that I have ever seen in an RV. The filter is about four times the size
Super-Sized RV Water System Read More »
You need an RV water treatment system. Unless of course, your RV doesn’t have water. Nearly every RV, straight from the factory has an inadequate RV water treatment system. This article is an update to our 2018 article by the same name. Since then we installed an even better and more robust RV water treatment
RV Water Treatment System Read More »
Oregon was the only state in the United States directly attacked during World War II. The attack was at Fort Stevens. My bet is that you probably didn’t know this fact. Until our visit, I didn’t know it. Hawaii and Alaska were not admitted to statehood until 1959 well after the war. Oregon however was
Oregon Attacked at Fort Stevens Read More »
We have achieved a milestone, we have been full-time RVers now for five years. Overall it has been great but not without challenges. No matter which way you look at the dates, we have been on the road for five years. For the last five years, we have been traveling non-stop. Sorry, that last statement
Five years of full-time RVing Read More »
Tillamook Head is in the northwest corner of Oregon. It is beautiful and very interesting. Tillamook Head is to the south of the Columbia River along the coastline. Tillamook Head is the furthest north mountainous area in Oregon on the coastline. Everything north of Tillamook Head all the way to the Columbia River is a
Beautiful vistas at Tillamook Head Read More »
The Quinault rainforest and Kestner Homestead are at the southwest corner of Olympic National Park, the park’s newest part. Positioned northeast of Lake Quinault, the Kestners tried to carve a farm out of the rainforest and eventually failed. It wasn’t for lack of effort or associated with lack of water—after all, it is a rainforest.
Quinault Rainforest and Kestner Homestead Read More »
Kalaloch Beach is part of the Olympic National Park overlooking the Pacific Ocean to the west of the mountains in the Olympic National Park. Before planning our trip to the Olympic Penisula I didn’t know that Olympic National Park had two sections. One section is in the mountains and a separate section is on the
Kalaloch Beach Olympic National Park Read More »
The Hoh Rain Forest is at the northwest corner of Olympic National Park in northwestern Washington. This place is wet. Wet is an understatement in a rainforest, but for us, during our visit, because we timed it in September, it never rained. I am very glad that we were able to visit without the threat
Hoh Rain Forest Olympic National Park Read More »
We made it to the end of the road. Starting in Key West in January our goal was to cross the country from corner to corner. We made it all the way. Perhaps in a couple of years, we will repeat the adventure of crossing from San Diego to the far northeast corner of Maine.
The End of the Road Read More »
Lake Crescent is amazing. Its crystal clear water sparkles with colors ranging from the deepest sapphire blue to turquoise. It is Olympic National Park’s largest lake and Washington’s second-deepest lake. Even though its size doesn’t match Lake Tahoe or Crater Lake, it is just as beautiful as, or, for me, more beautiful. Location From Port Angeles,
Lake Crescent Olympic National Park Read More »
Hurricane Ridge is the easiest place in Olympic National Park for most people to visit. It is located about eighteen miles south of Port Angeles, which has an airport and most of the area’s hotels. Olympic National Park is divided into two sections: the main park and the coastline. Both are part of the park.
Hurricane Ridge Olympic National Park Read More »
I have been hearing about the Olympic Rain Shadow for about fifteen years. The Olympic Mountains get lots of rain, so much rain that I could never consider living there. Not willing to live there also holds for Seattle, Tacoma, and almost all of western Washington. As a side note, even though I am grouping
In the Olympic Rain Shadow Read More »
Fort Worden shouldn’t be mentioned without mentioning its sister forts. Fort Worden, Fort Casey, and Fort Flagler were linked together as if they were one fort. This was because they all had one task. They created a crossfire that defended Puget Sound from a Naval attack. These forts, all acted as one, even though miles
Amazing Fort Worden Read More »
In 1890, the people of Port Townsend hoped it would be the New York of the West Coast. It was already an ideal port with a vibrant waterfront. In 1890, Port Townsend was the first port on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The Strait of Juan de Fuca was easy to navigate, even by
The Charm of Port Townsend Read More »
I am very happy to announce that our RV floats. It’s not that our RV floats by itself, but rather, it floats just fine on a ferry. It is not that I had any doubts, but this is the first time floating our RV. Last year, when we were on the east coast, in Virginia,
Taking our RV on the ferry, our RV Floats Read More »
Deception Pass connects the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Skagit Bay. This waterway is between Fidalgo Island and Whidbey Island. The state of Washington built Deception Pass Bridge in 1935. The bridge connects Whidbey Island to the Washington Road system. Before the construction of the bridge, the only access to Whidbey Island was via
Beautiful and Dangerous Deception Pass Read More »
Whidbey Island sunsets are beautiful. We are so lucky to have been there at the perfect time of year and camped at the perfect campsite. This was a surprise, not that I didn’t know if Whidbey Island had a sunset every day, but rather that I didn’t know where our campsite would be and that
Beautiful Whidbey Island Sunsets Read More »
Working our way west across the Cascade Mountains. During our full-time travel journey, we have done this several times. We might go across the Cascade Mountains again next year. Our route next year is not quite certain yet but firming up. This year’s journey started on January 1st in Key West and crossed the entire
Across the Cascade Mountains Read More »
RVing in a Heat Dome isn’t fun. There I go again, complaining about the weather. Yes, the problem was all self-induced. Our goal for the year was to travel and have fun while crossing the lower 48 states from the tip of Florida in Key West all the way to Puget Sound in the far
RVing in a Heat Dome Read More »
That is right, we are not going back to a wonderful place. It was just too hard, so hard we are not going back. Once and done is good enough. This is not the first time we have declared that we were not going back to some particular place, but it might be the first
Wonderful Place Not going back Read More »
The Lochsa River is wild and remote. After Lewis and Clark crossed Lolo Pass they continued westward (generally) following the Lochsa River. The Lochsa River headwaters start north of Lolo Pass flowing to the west. On both the north and the south banks of the Lochsa River there is a dense forest. When Lewis and
The Lochsa River is wild and remote Read More »
We went across the Bitterroot Mountains and enjoyed every minute of it. The Bitterroot Mountains connect Montana and Idaho. U.S. Highway 12 starting in Lolo Montana follows the same path across the mountains as did Louis and Clark. We liked the Lolo Pass area (explanation below) so much that we visited it three times. They
Going the old way across the Bitterroot Mountains Read More »
Lolo Pass – Bad Roads for RVs is located on U. S. Highway 12 between Lolo Montana and Lewiston Idaho. This road has almost no services. This road is steep for five miles westbound from the pass. Following this, it doesn’t have a straight section for the next seventy-seven miles. This is a paved two-lane
Lolo Pass – Bad Roads for RVs Read More »
We heard that the Bitterroot Valley is a very pretty place in Montana. I have wanted to visit it for a very long time, but there is so much more to the story. Yes, the Bitterroot Valley is beautiful. We spent ten wonder-filled days in a tiny campground on the edge of the Bitterroot Valley.
Camping in the Bitterroot Valley Read More »
In the “big fire”, as they call it, it all burned. Everything of value was gone. The big fire was actually 3000 smaller fires, yes the number is correct three thousand fires. The fire destroyed three million acres of prime, old-growth forest. The big fire Three million acres is three times the area of the
Our Hurricane Kayaks are very responsible for making our kayak adventures more fun. By following our journey, you already know that we really love kayaking. We promised to and are taking our kayaks to places that Hurricane Kayaks have never been before. I can say this with confidence because some of our next stops are
For the Oregon Trail Pioneers, crossing the Grande Ronde and the Blue Mountains was near the end of their journey. The Grande Ronde (great round valley) was easy and gentle compared to the last two thousand miles of sage and desert sand. On a wet year, like this spring the Grand Ronde is lush green.
Grande Ronde and the Blue Mountains Read More »
While going across Idaho we rejoined the Oregon trail in Burley Idaho. The Oregon trail splits from the Mormon Trail at Fort Bridger. Instead of staying on the Oregon Trail, we followed the Mormon trail to visit Salt Lake City. You might see some similarities in the title of this post. Last month I described
We stopped in Salt Lake City on our way west. Starting in Fort Bridger, we (almost) followed the Mormon trail to Salt Lake City. I say almost because starting in Echo Canyon, the Mormon pioneers took a different route. From Echo Canyon, we followed the Weber (Wee-ber) River, through Weber Canyon, and then to Ogden.
Before the road was built, all the locals (all second and third-generation pioneers) agreed that this route across Wyoming was a big mistake. Since we are not pioneers and have a motorhome rather than a wagon, we have to follow the roads. We went anyway but timed it carefully. So going across Wyoming, for us,
Carhenge is a modern interpretation of Stonehenge made by Jim Reinders. It must have been a long coldwinter in 1986-87 to design and erect a not-so-exact replica of Stonehenge in western Nebraska. I can’t come up with a better reason (other than a long cold winter) to stack cars up like Stonehenge in Alliance Nebraska.
Carhenge Like Stonehenge in Nebraska Read More »
Our JackRabbit article was published, this time by Escapees magazine. The article is meant to be a review of this super fun, super small e-bike. Escapees will occasionally publish articles from our blog in their print magazine. This time the JackRabbit e-bike article is in the Escapees print Magazine. In the past, they have published parts
Our JackRabbit article was published in Escapees magazine Read More »
I don’t know how many small-town Presidents there are. This spring we visited two small-town Presidents’ museums and libraries. It was fascinating. Bill Clinton was from Hope, Arkansas. Dwight Eisenhower was from Abilene, Kansas. Both Presidents are from very small towns. All the other Presidental Libraries that we visited were about small-town Presidents. Thus the
Small Town Presidents Read More »
We have visited every cowboy state. It has taken almost five years to do this. Said another way, with the exception of Alaska, we have camped in every western state. I call this a milestone. This is not to say that there are no cowboys in states we have not yet visited. There are also
Every Cowboy State Read More »
We upgraded to a Blackstone Griddle. This is the story of our RV outdoor cooking makeover. This is a big improvement to our grilling. Really this article started as a how to use a Blackstone Griddle but that subject was pushed out to a different article and this one is about how we became Blackstone
Blackstone Griddle Read More »
Correct campground voltage is very important. If you operate your RV on low campground voltage, you will damage your RV. You can fix low campground voltage. For my RV, I have decided to install a Hughes Autoformer to ensure the correct campground voltage every time I plug in. It took nearly two years to write
Correct Campground Voltage Read More »
It is like January in April here in South Dakota. I got this phrase from one of the residents here and he agrees that it is unseasonably cold. Yes, we have friends who live in South Dakota year-round. They said that this recent storm was like January weather. Thus the title is January in April.
Like January in April Read More »
This article explains cooking on our Blackstone griddle. This is a companion article to our article on why we chose a Blackstone griddle. Here is a link to our other Blackstone article. Blackstone Griddle Cooking on a Blackstone Griddle isn’t difficult but it is a little different than cooking on a standard propane grill. The
Cooking on our Blackstone Read More »
