September 11, 2020

Aching Back

Huzzah Valley Resort Steelville, Missouri

The campground we stayed in last night was very clean and nice and cheap and had full hookups…but it was on the interstate.  It took a long time to go to sleep.

I did my morning walk in various parking lots close to the RV.

Today we had a short ride.  Tim’s back is really hurting.  Over the past week or two, he has tried all manner of remedies to feel better but today, it was just too much.  We found an RV resort that offers tubing down the river and horseback riding in the Ozarks…but we laid low.  We did call our resident physical therapist.  Kyle sent some PT exercises and he also mailed some Rock Tape. 

I managed to keep busy reading and I cleaned the inside of the Jeep…which was VERY dusty.  I also took another long walk this evening.

Hoping that tomorrow is a better day.

September 10, 2020

Missouri!

RVExpress 66 RV Park Marshfield, Missouri

We woke up and it was raining. I walked regardless, doing 9 loops in the campground to get my 2 miles done. I was hesitant to walk further…I didn’t want to get caught in a downpour.

We got a late start and then we drove 200 miles from Fall River into Missouri. The sky got brighter and the rain stopped. It is warmer here as well. We drove through Joplin on Route 66.

We drove through Springfield and then found a campsite along the highway in Marshfield, Missouri. We shopped for some supplies and then walked to Grillos for our dinner.

September 9, 2020

Kansas In The Rain Part Two

Damsite Campground Falls River Lake, Kansas

The wind died down during the night.  By morning it was 40 degrees and misty.  I decided to take my walk.  The little town of Jetmore.

We drove 211 miles today in the rain.  We found a campsite at an Army Corps of Engineers Campground.  In all of our past experience, the ACE facilities have always been first class…and cheap.  With the senior pass discount, we had a water and electric site for 9.00.  When our email confirmation came through, it suggested that larger rigs should be cautious which entrance they use because of a small bridge with low weight tolerance.  I carefully studied the map and chose the wrong way…so, we had a little tour of the Kansas countryside.  We found ourselves on a road with some Amish farms.  When we got to the park entrance, it was closed because of COVID, and last year’s flooding, and because if we went that way, we would have to cross that little bridge…which was also closed.  We called the ranger who gave us the combination to the lock on the gate so that we could get turned around.  We went back the way we came and found the correct entrance. 

We took a nice walk to look at the dam and the river. 

This is the little bridge.  It had a 3-ton weight limit.  We have an 11-ton RV.  Tim took one look at it and said, “NO!”

Some Kansas flora.

We saw a bobcat, but by the time we registered what we were seeing, he was gone…but how cool!!!

It was raining again after dinner and it is supposed to rain again tomorrow.  We should reach Missouri by lunchtime.  We might just have to drive through Kansas again another time and see if we like it any better in better weather.

September 8, 2020

Kansas In The Rain

RendezVous Campground Jetmore, Kansas

On Sunday, the temperature was 98.  Yesterday it was 84.  Today when we woke up it was 40.  I guess whenever there is such a radical change, we should expect that it might involve a clash of the thunder gods.  During the night we had strong gusty winds, wicked lightning, and pounding rain.  We packed up and left without our morning exercise and walk…we just wanted to go!

We stopped along the roadside at this historical marker for our breakfast.

The rain, the cold, and a tailwind all pushed us south from Nebraska into Kansas. Indeed, there was a huge difference when we were driving from north to south and the wind was behind us.  When we traveled east for short distances, the wind broadsided the RV.   We took a scenic road but it might have been prettier on another day.  It was hard to appreciate the view, especially for Tim who needed both hands on the steering wheel to keep us on the pavement. 

We left the sandhills of Nebraska behind.  Kansas is flatter with dark rich looking soil.  This is still farm country with lots of corn fields, and hayfields. 

We also started to notice sorghum fields.  It is primarily used for biofuels, cereals, and animal fodder.

We found a six site no frills full hookup campground in the small town of Jetmore, Kansas.  We spent the afternoon doing chores and reading and resting.  It was just too nasty to go out.  We are hoping that tomorrow will bring a change in the weather…but the forecast doesn’t look too promising.  We are going to keep going south and east to outrun the wind and rain.

September 7, 2020

Sandhills

Red Willow Recreation Area Campground McCook, Nebraska

My morning walk in corn country.

Today we drove through the sandhills of Nebraska.  They are lumpy,

bumpy,

and humpy.

The undulating ride made me feel tired!

We camped at Red Willow State Recreation Area.  We have a wonderful site overlooking the water.  Now that most people are going back to work and home, we expect that we might have an easier time finding camping spots.

We spent some time this afternoon exploring the park.

This is from the bison viewing area.  The bison are in a fence and being fed, not roaming wild.

We saw the dam.

And stopped at overlooks.

We took an easy hike this evening.

The smooth sumac is turning red. Indigenous people used the leaves for salad and used the berries to make a lemonade like drink. It is an invasive plant and deer like it.

This is a tiger or common desert centipede. This guy was four inches long and looked like it could hurt you. They eat rodents and frogs. They pinch their prey with their mandibles and inject poison…glad we didn’t step on this one!

Not sure what kind of snake this is…maybe a North American Racer…but he’s pretty!

We are grateful to have electric service tonight.  It was 84 degrees today but tonight it is supposed to be 40 and rainy.  At least here, there is no snow in the forecast! We plan to continue moving south and get further south to warmer temperatures.

We wanted to have a campfire but it is too windy and very dry here, so we skipped the fire but still enjoyed the hot chocolate with amaretto!

September 6, 2020

Lake McConaughy

Country View Campground Ogallala, Nebraska Day 2

This morning I walked to the Tri-Trails Park.  This small park honors the confluence of the Oregon Trail, The Pony Express Trail, and the Great Western Cattle Trail, also known as the Texas Trail.  From 1875-1885 ranchers from southern Texas drove their herds of longhorn cattle to Ogallala.  The journey took about 5 months.    The cattle were allowed to roam, free range until it was time for auction.  The cowboys would gather the cattle, sort them, and sell them. 

We went to lake McConaughy this afternoon.  Our first stop was the hydroelectric dam.

OOPS!!

We had originally hoped to camp in the state recreation area, but all the sites were full.  As we drove through the park and then out onto the sandy beach, we could see thousands of people, tents, and campers along the water’s edge…for five solid miles!  Apparently, it was even more crowded yesterday!  It was a good thing we were able to get the camping spot we had in town.

We found a way to take the Jeep in the softer sand, away from the throngs and under a couple of shade trees.  We enjoyed our lunch here as we watched the show/circus.  There were big tractors to assist with launching boats and we also saw them towing out some stuck vehicles.  There were lots of jet skis and motor boats and a sailboat as well as a few kayakers.

The NASCAR race was on this evening and we had cable television so that Tim was able to watch. 

Evening walk. The town of Ogallala has painted the water tower to look like a UFO. It flashes yellow and red and white.

I couldn’t resist adding this picture…smiles for all of you!

September 5, 2020

Nebraska Countryside

Country View Campground Ogallala, Nebraska

An early morning walk on a country road.

We pulled into the Bridgeport Community Center for our breakfast.

I love creative names for businesses…Cramalot Inn Storage…

We traveled on Route 26E which runs parallel to the railroad tracks which runs parallel to the North Platte River which runs along the Oregon Trail.  As I have said before, every place has its beauty.  Nebraska’s beauty is in the vast openness, its plainness and simplicity, its small towns and farming communities.

We stopped at a Farmers Market in Oshkosh.  Tim chose some chokecherry jam to try.

We settled at our campsite and honestly, we were hot, tired, and a little lazy.  It was 100 degrees today and it kept us inside.   

I did go shopping for supplies at the Walmart and found the local post office to mail my postcards. 

We ordered burgers and salads from Open Range Grill. We are in cattle country and our burgers were delicious!

Sunset walk.

September 4, 2020

Chimney Rock

Chimney Rock Pioneer Crossing Campground Bayard, Nebraska

Last night we were still in a quandary about where we were headed.  We thought about staying out west and even thought about going to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.  As we have discovered, the national parks are not fully functional.  Rocky Mountain is no exception.  Their solution to the Coronavirus regulations is a timed entry system where advanced tickets are required.  We have decided to come back when things are less complicated.  So, we have decided to slowly head east.  We crossed back into Nebraska and found a campground at Chimney Rock.  We had full hookups here so I was able to do laundry.

Chimney Rock was another landmark on the Oregon Trail. The peak used to be taller according to sketches done by early settlers. It has been diminished by both erosion and lightning strikes.

Here is another resting place for both pioneers and more recent local residents.

The owner of the campground, Joe, recommended a dirt road into the valley. 

We had to pull over for the hay truck.

We had passed a sugar beet processing plant on our way here. We stopped to watch the sugar beets being harvested. Sugar beets grow well here in this temperate climate. They thrive in the dusty sandy soil. The warm days and cooler nights make for sweeter beets with a higher sugar content.

Sunset walk.

The rock illuminated this evening.

September 3, 2020

Register Cliff

Black Canyon Point Campground Guernsey, Wyoming Day 2

My early walk.

Later in the morning we drove to the end of the park and took a hike on a fire road.  There was a steep incline up to the plateau and then lots of prairie.  We found a footpath the took us to the rim where we could see the lake below and the rocky cliffs on the other side of the water.

A memorial on the high point.

This afternoon we went to Register Cliff.  The first people to mark this rock were Native Americans.  Eons ago, pictographs and petroglyphs were painted and etched here. They have long since faded and been erased by the people who traveled in the many years since.  Fur traders carved their names in this stone face in the 1830’s. This was a stopping place on the Oregon Trail and it became a rite of passage to write your name in the sandstone.  It became a register of the emigrants on their trip along the North Platte River.  In more recent time, travelers and tourists of all sorts have added their names, writing over the records and words of those before them.

The oldest etchings are protected by the chain-link fence.

The cemetery here holds the graves of those whose journeys were cut short.  The river crossings were particularly dangerous.

Cliff swallow nests.

The Pony Express also used this route.

This was a place, alive with history.  Perhaps, there are families in Utah and Oregon whose ancestors’ names are here in this cliff.  These names represent real people in their quest for a brighter future.  I remember as a young child being enchanted with the stories of the pioneers of the west…I am enchanted still.  The challenges they faced, the courage that it took, the harsh living conditions…all for a better life for their children.  To take that journey and know wholeheartedly that you are never going back to your old life or your family.  It is inspiring.  The very sad part of this story is what happened to the Native Americans as white men made their way west.  This part of the story cannot be changed but it can be remembered and honored.  We chose tonight’s quote from Sitting Bull.

The weather forecast here for the next several days…crazy fluctuations in temperature…and snowflakes!!

The sun went to bed in a beautiful but less dramatic fashion this evening.

September 2, 2020

The Town of Guernsey

Black Canyon Point Campground Guernsey, Wyoming

A morning walk with wild turkeys as companions.

We moved to another site with grandiose views of the lake and the cliffs.  We sat outside, enjoying the peace and stillness.

We drove into the town of Guernsey and followed signs to the Oregon Trail Ruts Historic Site.  The journey westward for most people started in the Missouri plains and as the Conestoga wagons crossed into Wyoming, the terrain became rougher and more difficult to navigate.  The journey west took four to six months.  These wagon ruts are permanently etched into the earth.  The 2,000 mile trail is one of the longest emigration routes in the world.

We wanted to get a carryout lunch but the Mexican restaurant we had seen on our way through town was closed.  There were not other places to choose from.  We went to the grocery and got summer sausage, cheddar, snap peas, guacamole, and grapes and took our impromptu picnic to the community park.  I worked on the blog here as well.

We stopped to see the CCC museum in Guernsey Park.  The building is a work of art with stone arches and timbers.  The displays are well done and worthwhile and tell the history of the area including, Native American culture, pioneers, mining, the Oregon Trail, and the building of the dam.  We napped and read in the late afternoon and then enjoyed a simple dinner of eggs and toast.

Our new campsite was a wonderful place to watch the sunset.

We watched as the colors faded and the stars began to pop out. We were consumed by darkness. We went back outside later to see the full moon, the corn moon. The moonlight was so bright it lit the cliffs and the lake water and it cast long shadows on the ground. It was pretty special.