The final leg - July 15th through 20th

The night of July 14th, stayed in Boston Bar, 15th in Golden, and in between we drove... Western Canada in the Summer is hot - upper nineties and above in places. It is also heavily blighted by the pine bark beatles which have decimated the pine forests there. Long drives along a picturesque river, with little in between the sparse towns, and two train tracks winding the whole way along. Saw many trains with engines on both ends - push-me-pull-me style. Saw the famous figure 8 rail road tunnel which was interesting as well, which crosses over itself several times to give a less steep ascent up the hill.


The 16th was the day that the trip was all about - we went drove up to Lake Louise and another lake nearby to oggle at the beauty there, then on to Banff for a tour of the town, and a taste of Cow's Ice cream, which the Wiley family thinks is the best Ice Cream ever. That night, skirting Calgary, and stayed in High River area.

The 17th, we headed back across the boarder to the US, and skirted around the South side of Glacier (our RV is too large to fit through the Highway To The Sun), and then entered on the West side of the park, and met up with my brother Mark who had driven there from the cruise to take some time to write. After Delilah took a dip in the lake there, we got together with him, chatted for a while, ate some more ice cream (I've had more ice cream on this trip than I think any other time in my life), and then said good by, and headed out to our KOA just outside of Glacier. Was a nice campground, which would have been nicer if a) it weren't raining, and b) if Delilah hadn't left the water running in the sink in thebathroom, which of course flooded the carpet, and required several hours of lifting the plastic carpet cover, stomping on towels, drying the towels, and starting over. At least Delilah helped with the "Towel Dancing". When we put the towels in the drier, we found that they actually serve a dinner at this KOA - a nice BBQ'd chicken, with corn and beans, which Delilah and I gobbled up. Unfortunately the internet access was blinky, so the game night that I was hoping to play ended abruptly. C'est la vie...

On the 18th we started out to get to some of our other relatives in Idaho, but I didn't realize just how far it was (had originally estimated time on the assumption that we would have driven after seeing Glacier) so ended up being a full day of driving. We made it to about a hundred miles shy of our destination, when I gave up, and we did the Hotel thing for the night.

On the 19th, we drove into Jerome area to meet with Hank, Norma and Claudia (mom's brother and family), and had a nice chat, and lunch there, then hopped back in the RV, and we were off to Beaver, Utah for a late night camping episode (the last night).

Finally, on the 20th after a very long, short night (long on lack of sleep for various reasons, short in actual sleep hours), we got up about 6:30 AM and hit the road with both Delilah and Mom still in bed. Drove through Vegas, and stopped at The Mad Greek in Baker for a good lunch (some of the best road food that we had on the trip - they had Shwarma which is a favorite of mine). Turns out that "Bun Boy" is no longer, bought out by "Bob's Big Boy" which oddly, I had thought went away years ago, but appears to be making a revival. They still have the Bun Boy Hotel and teh Worlds Tallest Thermometer there. Driving on, through traffic in LA, and got in to Escondido to drop off the parents about 5:30. Called Kim on the way out of town about stopping off to pick up the keys, and she invited Delilah and I for dinner at their place which was fun. Then finally, home. Home.

Home. The house was empty, since Barbara was at a Bachelorette party for the night, and was funny sleeping alone, after having slept with Delilah or Barbara next to me for so long. In the morning, D and I cleaned up the RV some, started the "decompression" laundry, food removal, etc, did a Costco run, etc, trying to get back in to a "semi-normal" lifestyle again. I will start back to work on Monday.

So the total trip - 17,478 miles, almost 4 months, 3 tires, 5 provinces, 45 states. Cat survived, Delilah loved it, Barbara actually is traveled out, and I am satisfied and joyful to have had this possibility realized.

So, anyone want to buy an RV? :)

On to the Cruise, and off again - July 7th through 15th

The cruise departed from Seattle, Washington. We were on the Golden Princess, took the 7 day cruise. As a very quick overview - it was a GREAT cruise, a nice ship (though admitedly large), fabulous food, and had some remarkable destinations. I would strongly recommend this cruise.

First day was at sea, cruising. Found out about their kid program, and enrolled D in it, which she really enjoyed. Got a little fetter, eating some excelent food, and did the "formal dinner" thing to Barbara's particular delight.

Second day - Juneau, Alaska. We did a tour of the Mendenhall Glacier, a Salmon Hatchery and ended at a Salmon Bake. The Glacier isn't accessible from the observation point - you have to take either a helicopter, dog sled or jet boat to get there - all of which were outside of our budget... So, we observed from a distance at the remarkable beauty of a really BIG chunk of really OLD ice, played with some of the floating ice bergs that used to be part of it, and moved on to the hatchery. Very interesting tour - they actually raise the fish from fry there to about 2 years of age, then put them in an open mesh net near their stream fed fish ladder, and the fish program for that particular chemical combination of that stream - unique in all the world. They are then released to the wild, and many of them after a few years return to river, smell the stream, and then climb up their ladder to the home of their birth - ready to spawn, and soon therafter get zapped, and canned or otherwise prepped for somebodies dinner. Speaking of dinner - the salmon bake was great, they baked it over a pit BBQ, with a nice sauce, and all the trimmings.
Third day - Skagway, Alaska. We went into the town for a few hours, and tried to avoid all the jewelry stores there. Were able to find a bookstore, and an internet connection for a few minutes. Then, back to the pier for a really frustrating running back and fourth between two trains - one of which we were told wasn't the right train, but ended up being the correct one after all, and met up with the rest of the family for a really fun train ride up into the hills overlooking Skagway called the "White Pass Scenic Rail". Some great views of the mountains, waterways and forests, and actually crossed momentarily into Canada at the top of the pass, prior to heading back down the hill. Along the way we saw a small bear.
Fourth day - Tracy Arm Fjord, Alaska (Scenic Cruising). During the night, the ship had been navigated into the Tracy Arm Fjord, and we awakened to the gentle thumping of icebergs against the hull... Truly beautiful, many different shades from silvery white, to a very deep blue. We were blessed with overcast skies, which cuts much of the IR, and lets the blue really shine through - the captain actually said that there were some colors that even he hadn't seen before (I bet he says that to all the cruisers :) ). We also saw some Orcas, including one jump out of the water, some seals, and a number of arctic turns.

Fifth day -Ketchikan, Alaska. We did the Rainforest Tour there, and remarkably didn't get rained on (I think this was the first day that it didn't rain on the cruise for at least a small part of the day). Had a nice walk through the forest with our guide, and saw some bald eagles and some slugs in the wild, and an owl and reindeer in the pens there. That evening, the second formal dinner, which we were able to convince some of our relatives to join us for. Cruising is truly an exhibit of excess, debauchery, etc. Where else can you get all you can eat lobster, also get a beef wellington, and the veggies off a third entre... Have I mentioned that the food was excellent?

Sixth day - Victoria, British Columbia. We got in in the evening, and took a city tour, followed by a tour of Butchart Gardens - which we decided that we will definitely need to return to, to spend more than the two hours there. Could be a full day thing. Very nice. Return trip was a little worisome, since the transmission on the bus sounded like it was about to fall out, but we made it back ok, on the ship for the last bit of packing.

Back to Seattle (on the 14th), Washington, and off the boat. Early dis-embarkation and a combination of requirements (including Barbara flying home, and my parents joining Delilah and I for the reminder of the trip) made for a bit of confusion, but was it was easier than getting on. Got all parties collected, and tried to find a brunch place to have a final meal with Barbara before she flew off, but found our selves in airport central with the only options being - Arriving flights, Departing flights and Parking... Ended up having to kick B off prematurely, but she did get home ok.

From there, Delilah, my Mom and Dad and I drove into Canada. Mom had picked up a bug that she has spent most of her time trying to recover from, and the rest of us spent the rest of the day watching the Canadian landscape - which has unfortunately been hugely blighted by the pine bark beetles, which have wiped out high percentages of entire forests. It is also surprisingly hot in British Columbia at this time of year - the thermostat at the RV part read 89 degrees which was a few degrees cooler than it had been. I spent a while reconfiguring the RV for the new passenger reality (mom sleeping in the third bed, sheets on the back bed, clothing in the bags for laundering soon, etc), and we had a simple dinner of sandwiches which was a joyfully simple repast as a break from cruising food. Barbara claims that she will be doing a cleanse - we'll have to check in and see.

On the 15th, just more driving, but slowly getting into the Canadian Rockies, so the temp has dropped a bit. Tonight was able to do the laundry, get an internet connection (thus), and play part of "Sound of Music" DVD for the parents and Delilah. Somehow ended up being late again, but hopefully Delilah will sleep amply.

Tomorrow in to the Yoho National Park, Lake Louise, Banf and area. Should be very nice. If all goes well, we will meet up with my Brother on Tuesday (two days hence) in Glacier on the US side for a while, as he will be in a cabin there for part of the week to contemplate and write. He actually spent time there as an 'intern' or whatever you call a preacher in training :), so it's got a lot of great memories for him.

More later.

The Drive to the Cruise - July 3rd through 6th

In the interim time between the last trip, and departure, I was able to work a few days on a project at work which was interesting, and frustrating at the same time. I was basically doing consulting for another company, but between the short time that I had to work, and some missing something on their side, I ended up not even getting the hardware that I needed until Monday, and I had to leave by Noon on Tuesday - just didn't have enough time to finish. Oh well, at least got them some good leads to look at, and other things to look out for.

Tuesday the 3rd, headed home at a bit after noon to pack the RV for afternoon departure. During the prep phase, I quickly discovered that the refrigerator wasn't working when running from gas (LP). I ended up spending most of the time that I had intended for packing and organizing, on trying to diagnose the thing - and since I haven't ever actually worked on this type of fridge before, the idea of using a lighter as a diagnostic tool just seemed wrong, but ended up being exactly what I needed. I isolated the problem to either a thermocouple (I have know idea what metals they are using, but the 30mV output when held to a match seems low, and should the case really be grounded?) or the control board (which would be the BAD answer)... No time left to fix it now, and won't need the fridge while on the cruise, so for now, it's back to the ice chest, and eating out.

Barbara had similar complications, and our supposed 3PM departure (with plenty of time to swing by Kim's to pick up the spare set of keys that had hidden in her purse) worked its way to a 4PM departure on the day before the 4th of July - no time for a stop at Kims, and barely made it to my parents for their 5PM sitting for dinner. As was the way of the day, the service at their place was the slowest ever, and finally the dog sitter arrived later than expected, so it was a bit after 7 before we finally pulled out of town. From there, smooth sailing ensued. We made it up the 5 to about the level of Bakersfield and stayed in a little hotel that we had made the mistake of staying at once before, and somehow had forgotten.

The day of the 4th was spent driving up to Redding, a long and relatively unattractive stretch of the 5 that someone had the gall to call a "Scenic Highway". The only thought was that they must have driven the stretch in March (just after a rain, during the few weeks of the year that this stretch has any natural green), and further must have driven it MANY years ago, prior to the advent of mass cattle farming along the way. Getting in to Redding, we went to find just some Green Salads, and somehow ended up at "Cattlemens" which was easy walking distance, but ended up getting beef with our salads, which was more than a bit heavier than we were hoping for. Would have been good food if you were in the mood for meat, but ended up being an expensive salad and leftovers. We were able to see the fireworks show from our 3rd story room, and were delighted at the length and content of the Redding fireworks - I think it was the longest, and most impressive city show that I've ever seen. After that we ate a wattilermelon that we had been saving, and off to a late bed for D (particularly since the show didn't start until 10PM with the later darkening up here).

On the 5th, we continued towards Eugene, Or, driving along the beautiful mountain and lake views there, and stopping in Ashland for a little walk, and then meeting up with Ken and Ann in Medford area for lunch. Things with them are progressing apace, Ken having to have a hip injury looked at, but overall both were in good spirits, and fun to see again. Then continued up to Eugene, where we stayed for the night with Suzie, Brian, Kolbie and Lydia. They always make us feel so welcome - the kids make great drawings, and they decorate the room with chocolates, cookies and fruit, it' like staying at a B&B whenever we visit. Had a nice dinner, and a bit of chatting after a quick run in to town to replace B's ailing sandals, and a nice nights sleep, until the sun popped up at 6 something and flooded the room...

On the 6th, managed to get up to Seattle in preparation for boarding the ship tomorrow. Got in to the hotel after wrestling with traffic for too long, and then mom watched Delilah as Barbara and I visited with our friends Mike and Pam Wall up here. Went out to dinner (a great Thai place), and then B and Mike did another recording in his home studio of a self improvement audio, while Pam and I related our recent adventures. Finally pried B out and wandered home, and after a bit of being lost, were able to relieve mom from her sitting duties not too long after midnight (how did it get so late??)

Tomorrow, we will hang out in the morning, and eventually make it over to the Cruise terminal around noon. Not sure from there when I will be able to post again, but will certainly have some stuff afterwards.

Yosemite, Buelton, Santa Barbara and Home again - June 26th - 28th

After our adventures of the previous days, it seemed like we should do something exciting on Tuesday, so after a fine breakfast of fruit and cereal, we hopped back on the road, and headed out to Yosemite. The first section of the drive was very "Big City" for a while, but later things thinned out, and we ended up on some nice two-laners (the kind of driving that I really enjoy) wandering around the hills. Pulled in to Yosemite early afternoon, and had a nice toe wetting in a river there, hiked up to Bridal Veil falls, and rode around on the buses there for a while, then headed southward with the original intent of "starting home" and taking pictures along the way.

Got as far as Fresno, and pulled in to a funny little RV place, where the office was also the residence, and their kids were still up watching TV when we pulled in at 9 ish (fortunately, our kids were all sleeping by that time). Another strange place that was mostly "full-timers", with a few spots for transients like us. By now, we've gotten a good rhythm to things, and we just let people assume that Kim and I are married, that the kids are all brothers and sisters - albeit a year apart each... Easier than explaining and you don't get the funny looks and questions that way.

Pulling out of Fresno in the AM, the decision started out "which way do we want to go home", with me leaning towards the faster inland route, and Kim leaning for the longer, but much more scenic coastal route. After some hemming and hawing, and some smooth talking and deal making by Kim (she found out the her husband wouldn't be back for another day), I was coerced (arm behind back) to take an extra day, and stay in the South Central coast. The RV Park description actually had "Santa Barbara" in the name, but ended up being in Buelton (you know, where the Anderson Split Pea Soup place is...). Nice place with a great pool, jacuzzi and play lot. Long day contributed to some somewhat grumpy kids all around so after an Anderson's dinner, they got an early bedtime, and Kim and I chatted into the wee hours about how to solve some of the worlds more vexing problems - like how to make Republicans and Democrats get along :)

Last day of what I would call "Phase II" of the trip included a jaunt down to Santa Barbara to see the mission there, and then a lunch at a favorite beach front cafe there, while the kids played in the sand. We were mostly blessed with light traffic (due partly to our early departure - out of Santa Barbara before 1), save a few annoying "California Driver" moments, a good return trip. Managed to get Kim and Kids home in time for her to rescue her wayfaring cat, and meet up with Barbara at a friends for dinner with D before finally heading home to decompress.

Santa Cruz, San Rafael and San Francisco - June 24th and 25th

On Sunday we broke camp, and decided to head in to Santa Cruz, to wander the Boardwalk. Ended up having a great time there - managed to do a bunch of kiddy rides, a fun "cave train" for all of us, and the requisite corn dogs all around. Managed to also get some "Gilroy Fry's" which had garlic on them which was tasty but a bit pungent towards the end - still a must have regional treat. We did manage to avoid the Garlic Ice Cream this time - done it before, and decided it's a "once in a lifetime" thing, in the "interesting..." kinda way.
D and I wandered back to the RV, as she was starting to melt, and Kim went on one last ride with her kids, then joined us for a "kid nap session", as we drove north towards San Rafael to meet up with my friend Gregg and his wife Kelly and their two daughters.
Drove through San Francisco and over the Golden Gate Bridge by the time the kids were up again, and weren't even too plagued by traffic along the way. Got up to Gregg's just as he was coming home with the last of the groceries for a fine BBQ dinner with all the trimmings at their place. Unfortunately, all the trimmings later include yellow-jackets, so towards the end we moved it inside, and all the kids played in their "Princess Play Room" to great delight.
Managed to pull a power cable inconspicuously over the sidewalk and into a plug in their side yard, and slept in the RV on the street, after giving a tour of the RV to their kids, and Delilah being at the end of her rope.

Monday morning, we said our "good byes" to the Dupree family, and drove down to Larkspur and hopped on the ferry over to The City. Nice ride, got to see Alcatraz, Treasure Island and of course a nice view of the downtown area. Then bought an all day metro network pass, and took a cable car up to China Town. Always so much to see there - Kim had an unfortunate incident with her Digital camera, and was able to pick up another one at one of the many Camera shops there. Another store, off the beaten path, had live sea food, including a crate of frogs, and a bucket of turtles - both of which delighted the kids. I stuck with their explanation "it's like an aquarium..." Did lunch at a sushi place that had the floating boats which was fun, but Kim didn't tell me until AFTER lunch that she had never had Dim Sum - which was right next door. From there, hopped on to another cable car after a bit of a wait, and then a walk along Pier 39 area, and a snack and drink in Rainforest Cafe there. Finally got on a trolley that took us back to the Ferry terminal for the ride back to Larkspur.
From there we drove to the East Bay on the chance that we might meet up with another friend, but it was destined not to happen. Instead, stayed at one of those RV parks that has close ties to a trailer park off in one of those "residential to light industrial" transition areas. At least it was cheap, and the office was still open when we pulled in at 7ish.

The pickup and Central Coast - June 21st to 23rd

As readers of this blog know, I've been attempting to recruit someone to join Delilah and I for part of this second phase of the trip. Through a fortuitous series of events, a couple that we are friends with had the husband Mike leaving on business (I heard something about him smoking cigars with Fidel...) and thereby leaving Kim and her two kids (the older, Brianna and the younger Andrew) ripe for the trip picking.

We stopped by their place in Thursday morning, loaded up and were off. LA Traffic was bad as it always seems to be, and found our selves pulling in to San Luis Obispo about two hours later than expected, but still had a little time for the Farmers Market there. Then met up with Kim's sister Krista, and she took us back to their place. There was room in Krista and Jame's house for Kim and kids to sleep, and they were kind enough to provide a power cord and hose for D and I in the RV - which is all that it really takes to make it feel like home any more :).

On Friday, Kim and kids and Krista loaded into the RV, and we motored off to Morro Bay. Had a nice time there feeding the critters (sorry about your sweater Kim...) and then went to dunk our feet in the water, and to my shock Delilah decided that the 60 something degree water was just fine for swimming and proceeded to plunge in. It is sure nice to have a shower, towels and change of clothes in the RV handy for such events... Back to Krista's for dinner, where we can up with a lovely repast of Pizza, and a deluxe salad with custom dressing and all. Very yummy!

Saturday the 23rd we were on the road again, headed up to Santa Cruz for a stay at the most expensive KOA in history - $98 with my member discount! Good news is they have tons of stuff to do. Once D formally wakes up, we'll explore and see what we can get out of it. Kim's kids couldn't nap in the new RV experience, and so are off swimming already. We'll see what else they find. There is a cute little "train" that runs around the park that we will hopefully be able to pull off.

Plan to meet up with a friend of mine, Gregg, tomorrow afternoon, but will see what his schedule ended up looking like. Might try to do "Roaring Camp Railroad" sometime tomorrow morning on the way up, or, well, we will just see. We are definitely running in the "whatever works" mode, and having a good time.

Amuse-a-ramma - June 17 through 19th

Having bought the Disney Pass, and knowing that B only goes to see Delilah and I have a good time, I took D back to Disneyland on the 17th. Lines were still huge for the new "Finding Nemo" Sub Ride, and we were planning on meeting B back at the campground for a Fathers Day get together by 3, so just did a few rides, including the requisite "Tiki-Room", "Carousel" and "Pooh's Adventure", along with a few others for good order. Got back to the RV for a nap/recharge for D in time for B to come up, then went out to a Moroccan place ostensibly for the Papa Dinner, but all parties had a nice time there.

On Monday, we went to the Long Beach "Aquarium of the Pacific" which has definitely grown up some - added new displays, lots of interactive stations, and a "smart fun for kids" embossing machine to emboss animal shapes at various stations. Then B headed home, and D and I went back to the RV - nap for her, and some quality "World of Warcraft" time for me, prior to her waking, and playing some fun animal impersonations with her. Ever heard my frog? I'm told it's pretty good...

Tuesday, D and I did a quick jaunt into Disneyland just for Nemo, which was amusing and fun, but I won't wait 2 hours for it again. B actually did remarkably well in the line, and only complained at one point about the wait, but when I explained we were almost halfway there, and we would just need to leave she toughed it out. Then we went to California Adventure and did a few more rides there, and thoroughly sated my hunger for Amusement parks for a while. After the park we headed home to San Diego for the night, and to reconfigure for picking up some friends for another little jaunt (though still part of what I was calling Phase II). Home Wednesday for restocking, and then off on Thursday AM again.

Back on the road - June14th through 16th

Delilah and I hopped back in the RV on Thursday, and headed up to Big Bear. Unfortunately the eternal construction on the 215 through us for a loop. There was a detour on the 215N that shot us off on surface streets, which was ok for a while, until they forgot to say which way to go for the 215N again... After a while, I ended up just getting on the 60E, and did my own detour around to the 10W, through the "charming" berg of Yucaipa, and finally made it up to Big Bear, only an hour later than I had expected.
We hung out with Titanya and Jeffry at their place for a while, then went and fed some ducks by the lake, went out to dinner, and returned to their place to watch a video - Balto, which Delilah found enthralling (of course, she finds everything enthralling). Jeffry found a short extension cord that combined with the main cord, and the extension that I had was just enough to give us the much needed "feed" for the night. In the morning of the 15th, we went in and Titanya set us up with another movie - Brother Bear (which I suppose was at least fitting for Big Bear). Titanya is getting ready for a teaching trip that she is doing with her sister Dondi in New York, so didn't have much time to spare, so we headed out after the morning movie to explore on our own.
We went into the Village of Big Bear which I had somehow missed before - cute little place, which somehow ended up with two movie theaters, strolled the shops, ate at a cute little place called the "Teddy Bear Cafe", and then, in theme with the day, went to see Shrek III, which Delilah found enthralling...
From there, found a campground with a spot for the night, with all hookups (suffice it to say that the tanks were ripe...) and managed to get Delilah to nap late, and still to bed by 9 (ok, maybe a little after 9).
This morning, we headed back in to Big Bear City with several goals - a few more gallons of gas to safely get me off the mountain above the magic 1/4 mark that kills the generator, if I try to run the somewhat feckless A/D; a refill of the LP tank; a car wash big enough to fit the RV to remove at least a little of the last 3 months of goo; and some acetaminophen to take the edge off a nasty headache that I acquired apparently from having too much room in the comfy bed all by my self. Managed to kink my neck something fierce. Somehow a toaster on the cheap managed to get in there with the drugs, so at least we can make toast without a skillet.
So it turns out that washing an RV isn't as simple as washing a car. In starting, I foolishly started in the "serial" washing fashion - spray the whole thing, then use the brush (timer!) on the whole thing, and the foam is dry before I can rinse it (timer!) so I have to go back and wet a single wall at a time and (timer! - screw it!) then use a washcloth as I am rinsing to elbow grease the spots that had dried on, etc. So after $10 in quarters (the entire laundry piggy bank), it is about 70% cleaner than it was.
Stopped at the Big Bear Discovery center, which I couldn't quite figure out what it was trying to be - a community center, a mini ranger station or a mini museum, with an oversized cafe and gift shop. All said, a nice space particularly for the locals that are in the know about the programs that they offer there.
Then, down the hill, into LA, and to our home for the next three nights, a charmingly paved slab of asphalt called the Anaheim Harbor RV Resort. Ok, at least they have a pool, and they are only 5 miles from the land of Disney which will be our day time destination for at least 2 of those three days - Sunday and Tuesday. We did have a fun time in the pool, then at her request I got to emote the plastic boarder collie animal (think army men), as she played with the pig, which somehow evolved into me getting out the guitar and us singing a rousing round of "Old McDonald". A good evening with D.
Theoretically, Barbara may be driving up tomorrow evening to meet us for a Fathers Day thing, which will be fun - then staying Monday for a visit to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.
Tuesday again to Disney for at least part of the day, then home that night, and probably to the Del Mar Fair on Wednesday, and then off on the next part of the adventure on Thursday. Delilah and I will pick up Kim and her two kids thursday noonish, and head up to San Luis Obispo, Monterey, SFO, Santa Clara (to see Gregg and Family), and then possibly meet up with Jennifer and her kid for a day of ??, and a whole lot of other ?? before returning on the 27th to get ready for the next stint!
We certainly keep busy, but I did find myself smiling a satisfied smile as I drove out of Big Bear today - the road was nice, the weather good, the temperature optimal, Delilah napped on the road, and I knew where I was going to sleep that night, and we were actually going to get into camp at a reasonable hour!

The Time In Between Trips

Ok, so the tally from loop one, in conjunction with some of the states that we saw on our trip of two years ago in the "first RV", is 42 states that we have seen - notably missing are 5 states of the deep south, North Dakota, Alaska and Hawaii. We will be going to Alaska in July, and Hawaii in September. We also have seen 4 provinces and will see two more (PEI isn't a province is it? If so that would be one more...) I'm thinking that the south will have to wait for another year! First loop we did over 11,000 miles...

Been home for a couple weeks now, and getting ready to head out to "Phase II" of trip with Delilah, leaving Barbara behind to do some of the work stuff that she needs time to make happen. Planning on taking off on Thursday the 14th, with D, wherever we go... It is looking like I will stay somewhat local for a few days - perhaps Big Bear, and maybe even meet up with some friends and the wife in Palm Springs on Sunday, before wandering off somewhere else for a few days. Then next Friday, the plan is that I will pick up the-ex-girl-next-door Kim and her two kids, and then make the central coast/SLO/Monterey/SFO/California Delta trip, returning on the 28th or so.

Has been an interesting few weeks, since we know that our "return to normalcy" is only a brief one, prior to our next departure. We have had time to do many of the things that we thought that we would, and not enough for others - funny how things like folding clothes always get pushed to the bottom of the chore stack...

Still managed to have some adventures along the way. One of the reasons for having come back when we did was to be at the wedding of Laura and Micheal, which was up in Fallbrook at a place called "The Grand Tradition" which was really a nice event and location. Then, we were able to visit with some friends to re-connect a bit, stop by my parents, and have a little fun time alone.

Over this last weekend, we went to the Corona Ren Faire on Sunday. Nice venue - it is the only Permanent Ren Faire in So Cal, so has some nicer buildings. Smaller place, friendly folks, and very walkable. They actually allow free "dry camping" (no hookups) there, which was a nice perk.

Then on Monday, B, D and I went to Disneyland, and plunked down the cash for the annual pass (mid grade version), so we'll be spending more time in the Magic Kingdom. Turns out that RV parking is only $13, and is right next to the tram to get in, which works really well for Delilah in terms of returning to the RV to nap mid day. I will probably sneak there during my upcomming stint with D.

I have had time to stop in at SeekTech and do about a week and a halfs work there, to get another piece of the digital video recording puzzle completed (another schematic and Printed Circuit Board or PCB). In particular, designing a PCB is somewhat meditative in a way - making the wires flow together, uninterrupted, fitting the parts together in a rational pattern like a puzzle. Since we couldn't get our child care folks to take her for the two weeks, Delilah has been at work with me on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and has gotten quite good at sleeping under my lab bench...

Then also had some time to fix a few things on the RV, replaced a cover for the refrigerator exhaust which had cracked with age and wear, got some replacement locks for the outside, and a spare key or two. The "Check Engine" light that came on briefly during the last day or so of the return trip has turned it self off again (some day when I'm near civilization and it's on, I'll have someone look into it).

I have also had some time to work on a book idea of my own, though no time to think on the Web Site as I had originally prognosticated would be my creative outlet.

The words, they come in fits and starts,
little pieces, little parts...

Stay tuned...

Back to Sedona, as Phase I draws to a close - May 28th

Funny that even though we got up early, we are always down to the last minute to get things done. With the packing up of the RV, and returning to car, we were literally down to the minute to be at the car joint, but we made it. The 9:38AM return made for an early morning, and a little more time to explore Old Flagstaff, which we liked much better than the "main drag" that we drove through a few days ago.

After a futile search for a nail joint, we decided to press our luck and see if they would let us in early at the hotel. Headed to Sedona, and to our joy found that they had a room ready at 1PM (instead of the 3PM check in). Promptly made our self at home (after three resupply loops to the RV), and hit the pools and jacuzzi, prior to napping, and just really having a relaxing and enjoyable afternoon. Worked with B on her paper doll project (ok, so scissors are still a bit advanced for her...) until she crashed and napped until almost 8 PM, at which time she woke ravenous and ate 5 pieces of water melon and some grapes. We watched some History Channel presentations on "The Science of Star Wars" - celebrating the 30th (yikes...) anniversary of the movie that changed the world (yes, it DID!) until Delilah complained that "Hey, why are all those guys hitting each other?"... We switched over to HBO and actually got to watch "Over the Hedge" which D thoroughly enjoyed.

Tomorrow, we will start home - perhaps we will make it, or maybe we will tucker out and sleep somewhere along the way. We will see. Phase I of the trip draws to a close. From there, several days of getting things back into working order at home, then a week of "regular" work before, well, we'll see what's next! Keep checking back, to see how the adventure plays out! :)

To the Grand Canyon - May 27th

This morning, had a tough time figuring out what we were doing. The end of this first phase of the trip is immanent, and trying to figure out the details of the interstitial time, and time line for phase II is tough. I had committed to working for a week or so in between sections of the trip, and need to figure out day care options for D on Tuesday and Thursday. Then also need to try one more time to see if others are interested in joining D and I for a desert trek for a week or two.

Once we had chewed on options for a while, and gotten our selves worked into a lather, we decided that the destination d'jour would be The Grand Canyon. Hopped into the rental car, and off we went.

We did the Grand Canyon loop from the East which I believe from traffic is opposite of most folks - which was good. In the rental car, we were able to fit in to the small remaining traffic places that would not have worked with the RV - so particularly this venue was great for the rental car. The canyon was awesome as it always is - awe inspiring, a space that puts you in the perspective of a grander picture. It was also nice having the smaller vehicle and the Air Conditioning that was "fast acting" in terms of environmental happiness, though the temperature was by no means scalding - probably in the mid eighties. Delilah was in particularly pill-ish form though, and required forced extraction from several locations... A late afternoon nap seems to have mostly fixed that.

Drove back through Williams. Talked to some people about the Grand Canyon Train there, which sounds like a really neat deal. We will definitely do that some time, particularly since we are certainly destined to visit Colorado again in the not-too-distant future. Perhaps we will do the Christmas Train, which includes a visit from Santa? We'll see... Pulled back into the camp in time to pack D off to bed, then I drove out to pick up a few items from the store - in particular, some rubber gloves for "clean up duty" connecting and disconnecting the sewer, and some art supplies for Delilah to work on a paper doll project tomorrow. Filled up the rental car with its requisite juice, and disgorged its contents back to the RV.

Decided that we would also stay a night at a hotel in Sedona as a final gig on the trip. Did a "price line bid" thing, and got a room at the Hilton there for $85 - great deal. Off there again tomorrow.

She says, he says - General notes and observations

I too have been working on a general observation blog, which I've finished and posted. Look back around May 17th for my input. :)

Observations by Barbara, aka Dave being possessive of blog

Dave is letting me add stuff to the Cox family blog- only under duress! He told me I have to make sure I sign my name, and delineate what I wrote and what he wrote- so take note! We have had a wonderful time, excluding big chunks of the first week or so, when the weather was so bad, we got caught in a Nor'easter, people said it was the "worst weather in years", and we missed a Tornado by a day. Being in a 25 foot RV with 3 people and a cat in stormy weather, cooped up for days can be claustrophobic. I admit I was less than pleasant at the time :)

Once we got in the swing of things, it was a blast. Some things we noticed:
- alot of the country shuts down until after Memorial day- In Maine- we drove for almost 2 hours looking for a restaurant that was open for lobster! Most restaurants were closed. We also drove for hours looking for open campgrounds. Even when the weather was OK, it seemed many people, from the coast of Maine into big parts of canada, just were hibernating waiting for summer, no one was out side. The Aiderondacks in New York were the same. It is a new concept for us from california, to shut down for winter.

- Dave and I both noted that we ran into also of friendly people in big towns and small, and hence has restored more of our faith in humanity :) (Since Michelle's mom is house-sitting for us, and they had relayed to us that yes, in-fact, her experience is that "we have reclusive neighbors that don't look you in the eye or say hi", -it must just be that our neighborhood is anti-social!)

-I've been to beautiful places I didn't know existed, that rivaled any oveseas place I've visited. the drive down highway 24 from Manitou springs to Ouray and down to Durango, Co, was amazing! Everyone should go there at least once in their life. It did look like parts of Switzerland. Also-the cog railway up Pike's peak was beautiful and awe-inspiring, we were in a blizzard and then 20 minutes later-in sunny weather- weird! Now that we have 20 friends living in Colorado, between Rob and Suz, Phil and Shannon and families and Crystal's siblings and their gang, we'll be visiting more. I even found out that there is a co-housing community in Colorado Springs (!) and they sometimes rent out their homes for vacations or do a swap- so I'd emailed them to be put on the list. So, we'll probably do a week or two here and there.

-trying to work from the road is difficult, you can't trust a campground or hotel to really have wi-fi if their sign says they do, and you can't talk reason into a satellite phone and make it promise to work when you have a scheduled client- it doesn't care. Overall- miraculously though-everything came together.

-There are big chucks of the country I love and can't wait to go back to- and big chunks I don't want to go back to! My favorites: Quebec, Canada , Delilah even learned some french
-the scenic drive up the Carolina's was beautiful (but long)
-Frederick, MA
-lobster in Maine does taste better
-Galena, ILL
-Most of Colorado-but esp. Ouray
-the drive from Flagstaff to Sedona is beautiful

-It's Memorial Day weekend- places are coming alive now. that's all for now....

Flagstaff and area - May 26th

Today, decided to get a rental car to toodle around the area, into places that are less accessable by RV. Turns out there is an Alamo place just up the way, so I walked the 1/2 mile or so, and ended up getting the last car they had to rent - a Buick Sedan. Memories of my brother's Buick going A-Flambee several times still haunt me, but it's the only thing they've got.

We take a drive through "historic downtown Flagstaff", and kept on driving... Ended up heading down to Sedona, which is one of B's favorite places, and only less than an hours drive. Ate at a Thai place that we remembered from last year, walked around a little, as Delilah's fuse got shorter and shorter, and finally headed back to camp.

Found the laundry facilities here sub par, and somewhat humorous. Almost half of the washers, and more than half of the dryers have "Broken - do not use" on them. There are in fact only two functioning dryers, and one of them has a broken interlock switch, so that when you open the door, it keeps running. The previous "resident" of the dryer told me he was done, and let me have a go. It is surprising how hard it is to load a front load dryer that is spinning... You get to a certain point where it is nearly impossible to put something else in without somehow upsetting the delicate balance, and having a sock thrown out onto the floor. Changing between loads was even better sport - trying to remove all of the things, guessing where in the arc they will fall, and trying to catch them without banging your knuckles on the hot spinning ribs of the dryer barrel. On some level it was a "so this is what some people do for fun" moment...

The RV "resort" as they call it is very mediocre in terms of amenities (including laundry as above), beyond one - there is a "Black Bart Dinner Theater" here, which appears to be a local hang out as well as a stopping ground for the mobile class. Decided to do a dinner there, which was a lot of fun - especially for Delilah - and a whole lot of food. Have decided that tomorrow we are going to try to subsist on leftovers from today, which shouldn't be hard, if we are in the area - problem is that with the rental car, I do feel somewhat compelled to wander...

Into Mesa Verde and Four Corners - May 24th and 25th

Orchestrating for B to make a few business calls on the 24th, so arranged for a late departure, and then headed out what they call "The Million Dollar Highway" - for the stunning views along the way. Many abandoned (and some still operating) gold mines, trickling streams, alpine meadows, mineral springs and vistas along the way. Then got into our camp across from the entrance of Mesa Verde in the afternoon.

Camp was a particularly good one as far as Delilah was concerned, with not one but TWO play areas, including a large wood fort, Tepee (complete with toy washer and dryer, and kitchen unit ???), a number of different critters (goats, donkey, miniature horses, sheep) and a mini-golf course. D and I played a round of golf while B did her afternoon calling, and then we all settled down for an evening movie - the musical "State Fair" which I don't recall having seen before. Delilah really enjoyed it also, saying that "That was my favorite movie, that I never did see before..." which is the way of any movie that she has recently seen.

On the 25th, we headed into Mesa Verde to see some of the Native American Ruins there. Remarkable place. I remember seeing it as a kid, but was still impressed with the scale of the dwellings there. Since D isn't yet much of a walker, we mostly enjoyed from the distance, then later found one of the Mesa top dwellings and walked up close.

Wormed our way out of the park, and headed to Four Corners - the only place where four states touch. It is on Indian Land, so they charge an admission but it is a novel place. Tourist trappen. Cute pict of B bisected by Utah and Colorado in her hands, and Arizona and New Mexico in her feet...

Then continued driving (which took longer than I had expected) to Flagstaff where we were able to find camping over the holiday weekend at an RV park called "Black Bart's".

An extended stay in Ouray - May 23rd

The Best Western in Ouray (pronounced "You-ray") is a fun place indeed. Last night, we swam in the mineral spring, in their nicely heated pool (95F), and then enjoyed a bunch of Hot Chai and other teas in the office, until they chased us out at 9.

This morning, enjoyed their breakfast (including waffles, biscuits and gravy, yogurt, fruit, and cereal), and then walked up to the Box Falls.

The town is a small, very picturesque place. The whole town is a "national historic landmark". A neat toy store with thinking toys and games, a place specializing in ice climbing gear (they have the largest ice park in the Americas), and many nice B&B's and Cafe's. As with many of the places that we've been though, they are just starting to wake up - many places painting and cleaning, construction, etc.
More fluries of snow, but the ground was warm enough that it doesn't stick. Decided to stay for another night here, and enjoy the place before heading on tomorrow.

On the road again - May 22nd

After a great stay with the Chansky's, it's time for us to head on down the highway again. Apparently Sophia is an early riser (to the chagrin of her folks), and even after not going to bed until close to midnight, the kids were up by like 6AM - so by the time B and I got in to the house close to nine, the had already been up for hours. Good bye's all around. We enjoyed the stay and the area so much that we will definitely be coming back regularly. We figure that Colorado will replace Monterey Bay area for a while in our "periodic pilgrimage" so will come back at least next summer, and perhaps before, depending on the faites, etc.

When the reality that we didn't make any reservations for the impending Memorial Day Weekend struck us, we decided to dynamically change our plans a bit, and instead of heading for Sedona, we've decided to do "the road less traveled" sorta thing and toodle about. Since yesterdays shwarma sandwich quest was a failure, we decided to try again for lunch on our way out of town. Found a parking place for the RV after some interesting manuvers, and I hopped out and ordered the meal to go. This time they had the bread, but not the deserts - we ordered Baklava instead. Interestingly, as we were waiting for the food, the shop owner asked if I was strong, and ended up recruiting me to help lift and haul a freezer out of his truck into the back of the restaurant. In return, we got a size upgrade on the tea, and an extra baklava. The whole thing was SO yummy. If you go to Manatu Springs, you must eat at "City of Jerusalem" which is on the main drag.

Looked at the map, and decided to take highway 24, which is a small highway that runs through Manatu Springs and west. We were rewarded with some of the most lovely vistas we have had driving. The weather danced from sunny to rainy, and finally to a full snow storm as we crossed into the higher mountains. Delilah slept for like 4 hours...


By the time we hit the Continental Divide, there were inches of snow, snow plows running, and trucks pulling over. We hopped out for just a few minutes of snow fun, and then jumped back in for more beautiful drive down the other side.

Barbara has taken on several significant roles on the road trip beyond her usual responsibilities - these include stewardess ("Would you like some water, or a snack?"), chief navigator, and tour guide/chief researcher. She had been doing some pre-reading and found a stretch of highway on the way to Mesa Verde and Four Corners that was supposed to be some of the most remarkably beautiful in the country, or even the world - a stretch of highway leading into a little town called Ouray. A fabulous trip indeed.



Ouray is a little known gem - called the Swiss Alps of the Americas for good reason. They have natural hot springs here, and we decided to stay in a hotel with a spring water jacuzzi (natural hot springs feed the pool) and pools, as well as tubs, and this hotel actually has a separate little room with bunk beds for Delilah! A great place (we'll take pictures tomorrow of the hotel, since we took so many pictures today along the way, the memory on the camera is full). A great hotel, with a real Alpine Charm in what looks to be a really fun town. To top it off, they have tons of travel literature for B to digest, free Spiced Chai and other teas and beverages, and a hot breakfast included!

More tomorrow as we explore, but I suspect we might have to stay another night here!

Pikes peak on the Cog Rail - May 21st

Back to work for Rob this AM, and Suzanne has a play date with Shannon and Barbara and kids, so I borrow her car, and go on some errands. There's a bit of a tradition in my world that when I visit a friends, I often help out on some projects, so I picked up a few parts for their BBQ, some food units to cook up, some odds and ends for the RV, and back to the house.

Then Barbara, Delilah and I head in to Manitu Springs for a lunch - attempting to eat at the Shwarma hut there called "City of Jerusalem", but they had run out of Pita of all things... So we end up going to a quicky burger joint which is charging a premium for the privelage of eating their food - a few burgers, an order of frys and an ice cream comes to almost $30! Ouch! From there, up the hill to the Cog Railway.

Turns out the over 100 years ago, Mr. Simmons (the guy that started the Simmons Mattress company) decided that he wanted to see "The Wonders of Pike's Peak". He road a train to the nearby depot, and from there hired a donkey which he road for three days to get to the peak. Upon returning he claimed that the view was the most fabulous thing he had ever seen, even for having to endure the most uncomfortable 3 days of his life. He went back home and raised $1.5 million dollars to have a Cog Rail built to go up the mountain and in a few years it was done. In those days, the tickets were $5 - the equivalent of about $150 dollars today. It has a center split flat gear rail, that is basically two rack gears 90 degrees shifted, laid side by side which allow it to climb grades of up to 25%. Pike's Peak Cog Rail has the honor of being the highest (terminating at 14,110ft) and longest (over 12 miles) Cog rail.

It was a bit pricey at $30 per adult, and $16 for kids, but the views were stunning. Some of the most beautiful views I have seen in my life were of this pristine alpine landscape. It is a long ride - about 1:15 each way and no restrooms on the tram. Half hour at the top.

At the top, there is a lookout tower, but on the way up we went from a mostly clear day with a few drizzles, to a full blizard with limited visibility. There was a coffee shop at the top, which is also a stopping point for folks choosing to ride on the Pikes Peak highway. They announced that the highway was closed, and that the ranger was there to escort drivers down the mountain. Glad we didn't drive... Between the snow and the wind chill, the temp was definitely down there - I would guess in the teens.

The trip back down was even more stunning than the one coming up, the snow quite suddenly broke and gave way to some fabulous vistas. There was actually a sick hiker that we stopped for at mid way for a while, which allowed us to get out there and take some more pictures.

Really a great trip - definitely something to do if you come to Colorado Springs/Manitue Springs.

When we got back to the Chansky's, we finished up the upgrades to the BBQ, and they cooked a great meal of gourmet burgers and corn. In the mean time, we loaded my new ice cream ball (thanks mom!) for its first run, and everyone enjoyed rolling and playing catch with it as we made the VERY tasty ice cream for desert. Then the kids supposedly went to bed, as we watched "Oklahoma" - only to hear the kids running around at 11:30 claiming that they were thirsty... Oh well, I guess they will sleep tomorrow!

Exploring Colorado - May 20th

We have been hauling around some Scone mix that we bought at the Tuck Box in Monterey a ways back, and were happy to fix and enjoy it with Rob, Suzanne and Sophia this morning, then all piled into the RV, and headed up to Boulder (again, trying to bypass large cities like Denver as possible).
There, Barbara had found a very nice Tea room that was built by one of Boulders sister cities in Tajikistan. Beautiful place, with great food. Then wandered around down town, and took shifts as the kids napped in the RV. Downtown had a nice mix of tourist and local flair - they were the first city in the US to have a "walking district" there they closed off the streets for a 4 block section, and made it walking only, which did great things for the area - invited in more browsing stores, and gave a space for lots of nice art, play areas, and an inviting space in between.

From there, we headed down to the outskirts of Denver to a place called "Casa Grande" for dinner. A really fun and remarkable place. Inside, it is at least three stories tall, with a central water fall with cliff divers, ala Acapulco diving from like 30ft up. Have all sorts of shows going on, and the whole place is a bunch of caves, caverns, walkways and patios to explore. Also, guys in gorilla suits jumping around, Maraichi bands, puppets, and treasure chests. Really fun - sort of like "Medieval Times" but with a Coco-Loco flair.

Then back to Colorado springs, and another days activities tomorrow (TBD - playing it by ear, but I hear rumors of a BBQ tomorrow night, so we might have to stay another night!)

Colorado Springs, Garden of the Gods and Manitou Springs - May 19th

When B and I finally drug our selves into the house at 9AM, we found that Delilah and Sophia had been up since 6AM - going to be a long day! Rob cooked a great breakfast, and we all piled in to the RV (less Suzanne who had a Xerascape class to attend), and rolled off to Garden of the Gods - a remarkable place with beautiful vistas, great hiking trails, and climbing.

From there, headed to Manitou Springs, had a lunch in the RV and put the kids down for a nap, while we explored the town in turns. The town has the small town charm that we really enjoy, lots of funky shops - crystals, American Indian stuff, cool bookstores, great food (ok, so B and I snuck a shwarma sandwich while walking), and "Healing Springs". Then to old downtown Colorado Springs.

Tomorrow off to Boulder for more "small town charm", then to Denver for dinner at Casa Grande.

Nebraska, Wyoming and in to Colorado, May 18th

Since we had a common bed room, we went to bed by 10PM last night, so I ended up waking up at like 5:30... I called around and finally found out that one of the tire stores opened at 8, so after some fiddling, went in, got the tire changed, oil changed, (as Barbara and Delilah hung out at the hotel) and we were on the road around again.

Traveled through Nebraska, on to part of Wyoming, then south to Colorado to meet up with some friends of our there for a few days in Colorado Springs. Avoided Denver by going down a toll road that we assumed would be a few buck - ended up being $8 - second only to the PEI bridge in $/mile...

Got in to Co. Springs about 7, pulled in to Rob, Suzanne and Sophia's place there. Phil, Shannon and their two kids (who had also moved to the area just a few months ago from San Diego) also came over for a great dinner, chatted and had a great time, then Delilah and Sophia had their first "Sleep Over" - though the sleeping was late in coming. With Sophia and Delilah sleeping together, B and I had a nice private night sleeping in the comfy bed in the RV!

South Dakota adventures - May 17th

Technical complications intermixed with grand views were the general themes of the day.
Day started off with Barbara needing to make a call for a meeting in the AM. Since cell phone reception was mostly non-existant, I went through the hastle of hooking up the satellite internet and the VOIP phone, which worked during dry runs at home, but of course ended up not working when we needed it... Then, I had plugged in B's cell phone to charge last night, but the plug had come out of the charger, so it wasn't charged.
Finally, after walking around the little burg, we drove up towards Mt. Rushmore, and along the way, we got cell reception, so we pulled over, and B made one of her calls as I fiddled with making sure the charger wouldn't misbehave again.

Visited Rushmore, and of course was impressed with the place. They have added the flags of the states along the prominade going to the upper viewing area, and it was interesting to see how many of the states didn't actually become states until the 20th century. Rushmore is interesting, and one of those "must see" things, but all said and done, half an hour staring at the faces and your pretty much done.
Then went down the road to see the Crazy Horse Native American monument. It is much lesser known, but a very interesting work in progress. After Rushmore was built, a number of the tribes of the Indian Nations got together, and decided that they wanted to have a monument built as well "So that the white man would know that we have great heroes also". The commissioned a fellow who had actually worked with the guy that did Rushmore and had him talk with different Indians. They finally settles on Crazy horse, in a pose on his horse.

There was a famous quote from Crazy Horse, when a white man asked him "So, where are our land now?" he answered, pointing and sweeping with his hand "My lands are the places that our dead are buried." The carving is all privately funded - no government money is wanted. Started off making money by selling cokes, etc. The thing is 565 feet tall - making it taller than the Washington Monument. The entire carving of Mt. Rushmore could fit in an area smaller than just his head. It is a moving monument on many fronts - it is a testament to the Native Peoples (and will eventually have a university, medical center and even an airport nearby), and to the artist and his family, that have devoted their lives to this project.

From there, we drove over to the Wind Cave National Park. It turned out that since Delilah was badly in need of the nap that she was finally taking, that from lack of stretching, B has been kinda sore and the 300+ of steps didn't sound interesting to her, and that we also wanted to try to see Mammoth Park before we feared it would close, I just wandered around the museum for a few, and went down just to the opening of the cave, then headed back. Another cave, another time.

On the way out of the park, we saw a number of prairie dogs all calling to each other, then some Bison and also some Antelope like things. Pulled over for a few for B to commune with nature, which she enjoyed.

Then on to Mammoth park. This is a place that in the 70s, it was discovered that there were rich deposits of mammoth bones. About 26k years ago, a sink hole formed with a warm spring - plants grew around the sink hole year around because of the spring, and critters would come in for a bite to eat, and fall into the hole. Thus, they have recovered more than 50 mammoth skeletons. Also interesting in that the bones actually didn't fossilize - they were just encased in something like likestone. Thus, the bones actually still have DNA in them.

All was well, and we headed out of South Dakota, into Nebraska when BANG - FLAP FLAP FLAP... the familiar sound of tire trouble. This time, a full blow out. That would be three out of the back four tires that have now gone south on us. I checked it out, and drove slowly on the shoulder down the road for a few miles. B called AAA again, and after a few minutes, I decided that we should figure out where we were, so I pulled over to fire up the laptop and GPS. Then, an ambulance passes us, and quite suddenly flips around, and turns their lights on. The pull over on our side, and asked how things were, if we needed help, if we needed a ride, etc. Real nice couple of guys, with not much to do in this neck of the woods. They told me we were only a few miles from a berg, and off they went. We crawled on in to town, talking with AAA the whole time. Ironically, we saw the Ambulance at a drive through along the way. AAA couldn't find any place open to even swap out the spare at the late hour of 7:20 PM, and so we ended up having to stay in this little berg until morning.

Pulled into a Safeway parking lot to get some groceries, as Barbara made a business call. After I came back we settled down to a light dinner in the Safeway parking lot, as B was still on the phone. I had the window open for fresh air, and the inside lights on, and up walk two very scruffy looking Indians - one of them has a black eye swollen up, with stitches on the side of it, and had the extra red-ness and odor of being drunk, the other stood back a few feet. The one with the funny eye walks up to the window -
"So, where are you from?" he says
Delilah peeps out "San Diego!"
"Where are you going?" the two of them standing outside the window. I look over at B who is still on the phone and look back to them and do the finger to the lips "Shhhhh - she's on the phone..."
The feller looks at his friend for a moment, then says to me "Ok, I'm gonna go to the store, I'll be back in a few minutes."
Now the reality is very probably that they were an innocuous bunch just looking for some interesting story, but they were scruffy enough, that I was glad to be able to wait just a minute, and then tuck tail and run...

Ended up staying an a motel 8 for the night, waiting for the stores to open in the AM to get at least one, and perhaps two (avoiding other unforseen complications) tires. The good news is that the Motel 8 had a pool and Jacuzzi, and internet and was only $60 for the two beds.
Tomorrow, our standard errand - new tires...