ON THE ROAD JUNE/JULY 2020/21 IN AND OUT OF NEVADA

Shortly after our Betaso salads at Betaso restaurant, it was coming on to bed time. Not much to say about our overnight spot except that is was basically perfect for an overnight stop ;’-). Before heading out in the early morning I was able to get in a very short but somewhat interesting bike ride. I love slowly drifting through little towns or neighborhoods on my bike. Here in Wells, NV I got that opportunity. This photo is typical west…

This next photo could well be typical of much of the west…I would add that shooting can cause much more than wildfires.

There were several horses in a dry and dusty corral that looked hot and dusty. They looked so forlorn that I had no desire to take a photo. They must adapt to these hot and dry conditions and I’m sure the ranch hands give them hay and water, but not seeing any of that made me feel bad for the horses.

Nevada was mostly a drive through state. We entered into Jackpot where there are casinos lining the roadway, one right after the other. I did note the Hold ‘Em Street sign in the last post. As we drove through another town — of course there were more casinos. This one caught our eye…

It is located on an appropriately named street …

We took time to also drive through another town that I had read somewhere is a typical Cowboy Town. We did not find it such, but did see a lot of cowboy/cowgirl boots along the way. I got a photo of only one, but there were many.

More casinos through towns, and a lot of empty prairie along our drive to exit Nevada and enter California. We are now at Sarah’s and will be staying put for about two weeks now. We’ll see what I come up with to blog about ;’-)

YAY!!! I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO POST

I had been trying in several places that said they had wifi. Well, not strong enough for me to post my blog. But here we finally are ;’-).

That is about all I really wanted to say, and to let everyone know that I have been off the grid of electronics but all is well. We left camp in Montana this morning — driving through Bozeman we appreciated the electrical box designs. Note he moose on a bike ;’-).

After about 500 miles we have landed in Wells, Nevada. The first town we hit when we crossed the border was “Jackpot’, and I had to have a photo of this street name, even though it is a bit out of focus from the passenger window of the RV.

We drove around here in Wells to check our possible places to stay for the night and chose Mountain Shadow RV Park. Cheap at $31 and we got a AAA discount ;’-). Very nice owner also directed us to the Mexican/American restaurant next door that we walked to.. and look at the size of this salad!!

I know this is a more or less a boring post, but I could not pass up this great wifi without writing a few things post-Montana camp.

ON THE ROAD JUNE/JULY 2021 MONTANA (DAY 2)

This would be parade day. In the afternoon Susan would be up for biking into town for the 2:00 parade. Needing more than that I took myself for an earlier ride in the “other” direction. I would stop at the campground entrance, walkie-talkie to Susan, and wait for her to ride up to meet me.

Every morning as I am preparing my tea, I look out the back window and I feel like I am on a house boat. That is the Boulder River directly behind us, and Susan is not quite ready to get up ;’-).

Another view of Montana countryside.

This lone deer watched me and did not take her eyes off me the entire time I took photos of her. She was so sweet.

A little later on I stoppped to commune with the sheep. I love them in the field and seldom get to be so close to them.

The babies nudged each other out of the way to get to feed from Mama ;’-)

A typical homestead around will most likely have horses involved.

As I continued on I felt a few raindrops here and there, but fortunately actual rain did not develop. Big Sky is full of Big Clouds on this day. As the day progressed it would become less densely clouded and more blue would be allowed through.

Susan met me at the campground entrance and we rode into town for that parade. It could possibly be the most boring parade I have ever watched. Mostly it was the line of 94 cars that had been parked for the Car Show, fire trucks, and cars carrying varying people - the guy runnng for mayor, the Nile Shriners and 1970 & 71 HS graduates, as well as recent graduates. There was no marching band, no baton twirlers, no dancers and only one small group of horses that did not perform in any way. It seemed endlessly long and the ones who mainly enjoyed it were the kids gathering up tossed candies. 

Here are at least a few photos (that Susan took) to justify sitting there through this rather quiet (except for fire truck sirens) parade.

The only “float” in the parade…







That’s it for today folks.

ON THE ROAD JUNE/JULY 2021 — MONTANA

From Oregon we headed to Missoula where we would have two nights with our friends Vikie and Ray at the their house. They are most welcoming to our visits and sleepovers with them ;’-). 

I did not get any photos while we were with them, but Susan had a great time fly fishing with Ray floating around in their float tubes at a local lake, and I had a fine time being chauffeured by Vickie for a visit to the old western town of Phillipsburg, famous for gems, especially sapphire.

After breakfast out, we said our farewells and see ya soons and Susan and I headed for our next destination: Big Timber MT, but first we would do a drive through Livingston.

We enjoyed a walk around town and a stop for Smoothies to have for today’s lunch. Old buildings and old ads on buildings interest me.

Susan found a fish she could not pass by.

 Pleasure Way (the manufacturer of our RV) is holding a rally here at Spring Creek Campground at Big Timber.

It has taken me two days to think about posting here because I really did not want this to be full of negativity. Why post that?? Now that I have had even a short bike ride today, I am better ;’-).

We will get over with the negatives first: campsite is on gravel with not a blade of grass close by; sites are small and we can almost reach out to shake hands with our neighbor (ok, this is a little exaggeration but not much); there very few trees around us so no shade and no privacy; all roads — in, out and around — are gravel which make for not fun riding for me; there are at least some flying insects that bite and we must use OFF. See these photos…

Negatives done (unless I think of something else)

Our site is directly on the Boulder River. Sitting and watching the river roll swiftly past is my only activity for an entire day. I read a lot. Susan prepares to do at least some fly fishing. 

There are two stocked fish ponds wher campers can fish — and can keep the fish they catch if they so choose. At least Susan did some of her preferred activity. And she caught a good size trout. Of course, she released rather than kept.

That brings us to this day. I told Susan last evening that I was thinking of walking my bike up the gravel road to the paved road and riding into and around the town of Big Timber. Much to my surprise, this morning she geared up to join me! I do think she was feeling a little bad for me in the environs we were in and in my boredom mode.

Surprisingly, I made it up to almost the top of the little hill on the gravel road and it was not really all that bad. Goes to show what worry does — nothing. Of course Susan made it all the way up and through the looser gravel at the top.

A little view at the top to show some of Montana’s usual landscape.

Looping through town was a nice bimble for the mid morning with a few interesting things to take a photo of.

Susan hitched up her wagon and says “wagons this way”…

…or maybe that way…

Disappointedly this tea shop was closed, but I took the photo to send to my friend Cindy…

This next photo needs a little explanation: I, and all of us who know of Susan’s propensity to “be prepared” (for everything) laugh, make fun of her and joke about her preparedness and all that she always carries with her. However, if and when (and it often happens) someone, anyone, needs ANY thing — Susan has it and we have all benefitted from her preparedness and the things she carries in those huge panniers and/or buckets. Well, she did it again. I/we needed a restroom stop and found one in a nearby park. Susan went first and fortunately had her stash of Kleenex in her pocket (prepared) as there was no TP! I did not have any tissue with me, but was saved by Susan’s preparedness: she gave me her backpacking “poop bag” fully equipped with shovel (you need that to dig the ‘cat hole’ when backpacking), hand sanitizer, extra baggies (to carry out your tp when backpacking), AND TP!! 

I was chuckling as I was in the restroom peeing and pulling the TP out of this well prepared bag ;’-).

Before heading back to camp we needed lunch. THIS place was the highlight of my day. 

We learned the owner is Nancy and possibly the kindest, friendliest, most welcoming person we have met. We asked if we bought a drink from her could we buy lunch elsewhere and sit in her garden to eat. She responded with a loud smile and freindly voice that we did not need to buy anything from her, just come and sit and have our lunch. “You’re in Big Timber, you can do anything you want” she told us. Of course we did buy drinks and a slice of pie for after lunch, but she did NOT allow us to tip. 

This was a short ride but so necessary for me! And Susan will say how true that is. It has lifted my mood and spirits, and made all else just fine. I know that is mostly due do having a bike ride, but it is also helped by doing something outside of camp ;’-). And tomorrow — I get to do it again ;’-)

ON THE ROAD JUNE/JULY 2021 (OREGON DAY 3)

Today would be a solo ride for me as Susan was not interested in doing the Bikeway loop again. I went on my own and had two alterations to yesterday’s route (well three actually). We will come to those.

By now everyone has seen plenty of photos of Mount Jefferson, but here is one more to show the difference smoke in the air can make. There is fire on the other side of Mount Hood and everyone here is listening closely to any news about its direction so they can decide which route they need to take out of here.

Alteration #1 was to take the scenic overlook spur that we did not take yesterday because Susan said there was a big hill down and then up that she did not want to do. This morning she told me I should do it ;’-0. Half way down the hill I was thinking of possibly strangling her when I got back to camp. The climb out was a climb, but not as bad as I had been thinking on the way down.

At first arrival I was a bit disappointed to see the sign on the gate that said “CLOSED”. What? The sign at the turn off said open Thursday-Sunday 10:00-3:00. This was Sunday. I looked at my watch — it was 9:45. As I dithered about whether to stay and wait or to trudge back up the hill right away, an attendant came and unlocked the gate. A little early because I think he saw that I had ridden down the hill on my bike.

This is looking in the other direction.

I walked around the park a bit and took in the views from all angles before getting back on the saddle and tackling the hill. Here is a look at the road I will take nest. No traffic most of the day until I got near to the campground. 

Another example of how well the route is signed. You see the stop sign there — it is at a major road — a tick before that road is another lightly traveled road that the sign tells me to take. Otherwise I would have missed that road and been on a busier one.

Alteration #2 was to skip going into the town of Madras. There was no reason to go into and directly back out of the town we had been in yesterday. Along the route of my alteration was what I thought an interesting cemetery.

1905 was a long time ago. Are there only Germans buried here I wonder. 

A very sparsely populated cemetery indicates a small town, or few members of the church or few Germans. I vote for small town — because it is.

Alteration #3 does not have a photo as it was an unintended one. I neared the end my ride with a stop at the Corner Store (where we had bought our caftans), bought and drank a bottle of chocolate milk for sustenance and continued downhill  to end my ride (YAY DOWNHILL). I was looking for the “Cove Palisades Campground” sign. So I passed the “Crooked River Camp” sign and rode another mile to the end of the downhill!!!! Blast! Now I needed to ride back up the mile long hill and I was tired, hot and hungry! Who knew (except for Susan) that our campground was named Crooked River? I felt vindicated when the driver and passengers of our friends said they had done the same thing as I — but in a car.

While I was peddling my butt around, Susan took the opportunity to do a bit of exploring with her friend Jody. Susan and Jody taught together and is the person who told her about these Camping Sisters. The two of them took a driving tour to Pelton Campground on Lake Simtustus, where the Camping group are considering to hold this outing next year. 

Lawn games…

Party boat rentals…

There are some great advantages to doing so: It is directly on the water with water craft rentals, it has a small restaurant, there are beautiful views right from the campsites, it has cabins and yurts rentals. There is however, one huge disadvantage —- no bike riding! The roads are busy and winding with narrow lanes and no bike lane ;’-(. So — Susan found what she thinks may be an alternative for me…

…boat pedaling. Note the bikes attached to the pontoons.

I am not very sure that I will like pedaling this for very long, but I do appreciate that she was thinking of me ;’-), and it will be something new to try.

Off to our next leg of the adventure now, heading to Montana (where I will then be able to post these days of adventure).