Last day

Final map of our route - Bicycle tour heading west on the northern tier and the Sprinter Van return heading east thru middle and lower US.

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Day 116

Day 115 Interstate 40 EB Milepost 23, Yucca, AZ-Joshua Tree NP Cottonwood, CA 11.23.16

Day 115 Interstate 40 EB Milepost 23, Yucca, AZ-Joshua Tree NP Cottonwood, CA
11.23.16
Drove Route 66 through the Black Mountains over Sitgreaves Pass.  It was a tight narrow road with no guardrails. In the 1930s, dust bowl migrants feared the steep, winding grades on this section of Route 66. Many migrants hired locals to drive or tow their cars over the Pass.  Once over the pass, we were in Oatman where wild burros run freely through the streets.  Of course, it helps that tourists are always feeding them.  As it was early in the morning, nothing was open but we did spot one lonely burro waiting for a hand-out. We stopped the van and I called to the burro and he trotted over.  Jo fed carrots to the burro from the van window trying to keep all of her fingers safely away from the burro's large teeth.  We headed out since it would be a couple more hours before anything would be open in Oatman.  Winding our way through the desert with lots of great free camping spots.  Eventually we crossed over the Colorado River into California.  In Needles, we attempted to find the gravesite of Kevin's great Uncle Ernest T Whitaker at the Needles Riverview Cemetery.  We were unsuccessful as the cemetery lacked plot markers and we were not up to walking through the whole place grave by grave.  Kevin bought his S10 Blazer from a friend who owned the Chevy dealership in this town.  It is no longer a dealership, but it looks like someone sells a few custom cars there by appointment.  Tried to take the National Trails highway toward Amboy but the road was closed. Kevin said he remembered hearing something about a big wash out in this area. So we continued on I40 which had its own road construction detours for new bridges across washes then turned south on Kelbaker rd to Amboy and 29 Palms.  Passed by the home of the National Chloride. The desert landscape is reshaped here by huge piles of dirt lining the trenches dug to extract the salt.  We entered Joshua Tree National Park knowing it might be difficult to get a campsite the day before Thanksgiving.  The visitor center said that Cottonwood campground still had a few spaces so we made a bee line in that direction which meant we missed going through the climbing area of the park.  Oh well, we'll be back. We made it to the campground and actually had a few spots to choose from. Ate a hearty meal of ramen noodles and enjoyed the sunset from the van rooftop.

Day 114 Prescott, AZ-Interstate 40 EB Milepost 23, Yucca, AZ 11.22.16

Day 114 Prescott, AZ-Interstate 40 EB Milepost 23, Yucca, AZ
11.22.16
Breakfast at Waffles and More. Guess what we ordered?  Phil gave us a tour of Prescott, the hiking areas around town and his new shop.  Phil demonstrated how his light weight backpacking stove works. The whole cook set only weighs 5oz.  It's made from an aluminum soda can.  After we said our goodbyes, we headed down Route 66. Along the route was Ash Fork, AZ. Ash Fork has proclaimed itself "The Flagstone Capital of the World", due to the large number of stone quarries and stone yards in and around the town. During its history, the town has had several fires destroying most of the buildings thus not much exist in the town anymore. I guess calling themselves the flagstone capital gives a nice spin to a dying town along Route 66.  From there the highway was a pleasant two lane road in the desert until we reached Kingman, AZ.  Kingman was a different story-lots of people and traffic.  It was getting late so decided to stop at rest stop however it was closed in our direction of travel but across the highway it was open. So turned around at next exit to get back to the eastbound rest stop. Always turning around and heading in the opposite direction, you'd think we weren't ready to go home. We do like our nomadic lifestyle, however we do want to get back home to see family and friends. So tomorrow, we will return to our westward journey.

Day 113 Lees Ferry, AZ-Prescott, AZ 11.21.16

Day 113 Lees Ferry, AZ-Prescott, AZ
11.21.16
Rainy and windy day so sight seeing was a challenge but we managed.  Left our campsite next to the Colorado River which was flowing at 6200 cfs. Seems low.  Drove upstream to check out Lees Ferry put in for the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. No boaters putting in today. Next stop was Sunset Crater National Monument. Cool lava flow beds and cinder cones. Still blustery and raining so we continued on our way. Stopped in Flagstaff to try out Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers. It's a fast food joint but some people had recommended it so we thought we try it since we don't have them back home. Our evaluation is that it's better than most fast food joints and the custard is tasty. Steep descent on I17 out of Flagstaff towards Prescott with occasional view through the clouds. The landscape near Prescott is similar to Southern California. As we were driving through town we noticed many RV resorts so it must be a good place for snowbirds. Finally arrived at our friends Phil and Lynn's. They took us to downtown Prescott. We walked around the square with the old courthouse and historic buildings surrounding us. Ate dinner at Gurly Street Grill.  Fun time catching up with old friends.

Day 112 Bluff, UT-Lee's Ferry, AZ

Day 112 Bluff, UT-Lee's Ferry, AZ
11.20.16
At the sand Island campground, took a short walk to the petroglyphs. They were very faint images.  Sadly, some people had graffitied over them so the BLM has fenced them off.  Spent time at Goosenecks State Park. Here the San Juan River winds its way in a serpentine fashion through the canyon. I guess someone thought it resembled a goose's neck.  Back on the road, we passed by the Mexican Hat rock. With a lot of imagination you could say it was an upside down sombrero. Heading into Monument Valley, we decided to take a run with Forrest Gump.  Well actually, this was the spot where Forrest Gump stopped running after 3 yrs 2 mos 14 days and 16 hours.  We visited the area in Monument Valley where John Wayne western movies were filmed. We decided to save the tribal park for a future date when we would have more time to explore. Besides it's a weekend which seems to generate loads of tourist buses.  Just after crossing into Arizona, a parade of fire trucks passed us.  A few miles down the road, we came across the scene. The Anasazi Inn or some part of it had caught fire.  All we saw were the charred remnants of one of the buildings.  So sad, hopefully no one was hurt.  We continued south then west towards Glen Canyon Dam.  Watched a video on the building of the dam which was completed 1963.  It is the 2nd largest dam built by Bureau of Reclamation.  For an entertaining "fictional" story about the demise of the Glen Canyon Dam, we recommend you read "Wet Desert" by Gary Hansen. Not surprisingly, you won't find this book at the visitor center. LOL  Our final stop is at Lees Ferry campground along the Colorado River just downstream from the put in for the Grand Canyon run on the Colorado River.  It's Kevin and Jo's first time here but I have been here twice (1999 & 2004) when I kayaked/rafted the canyon.  I can hear the rapids roaring!

Day 111 Arches Natl Park, Moab, UT-Bluff, UT

Day 111 Arches Natl Park, Moab, UT-Bluff, UT
11.19.16
The stars were incredible last night. You could see the Milky Way and Jo saw a shooting star. We woke in the morning to not as cold weather as expected only 28 instead of 18 degrees, but we still turned on the heater to take the chill off. On our drive out of park, I suggested we hike Park Avenue. The hike has an option as a one way so Kevin volunteered to be the shuttle bunny. We chose to hike from Courthouse Towers viewpoint to Park Avenue viewpoint which is probably the opposite way most people hike but we like to be different.  The hike took us up the wash through towering canyon walls. The scenery was awesome. After the hike, we left Arches and headed south.  Down the road, we encountered a police car driving down the middle of the road with its lights flashing.  So we pulled over.  Right behind the police car was another car that said wide load. And then came the wide load - a mining dump truck. Needless to say it was huge. Not 10 minutes later the same scene was repeated. Jo thought they were driving a little fast for what they were carrying, but they probably had some schedule they were trying to make. The rest of our day was spent doing laundry and shopping. Well, actually we left Kevin to do the laundry while Jo and I shopped. After that we drove another 25 miles or so to Sand Island Campground near Bluff, UT.  Campground was empty except for a couple of other campers. We chose a spot right next to the San Juan River.  Tonight was movie night in the van. So we bluetoothed the iPad sound to the van stereo and watched Star Wars The Force Awakens on the iPad with surround sound. After the movie, Jo was hungry so she got out the hummus. As Jo and I were eating it, Kevin says hey I just read that there was a recall on that hummus.  Luckily we didn't have too much but we were disappointed because we like hummus and veggies as our late night snack.

Day 110 Moab, UT-Arches National Park, UT

Day 110 Moab, UT-Arches national park, UT
11.18.16
Woke up to a gorgeous canyon wall towering over our campsite along the Colorado River.  Got moving early so we could check out Arches National Park. Watched a video about how the arches were formed at the visitor center.   Water seeping through parallel cracks dissolves the calcite that bonds the sandstone together from the inside out.  After the video, we decided that we should spend the night in the park so that we would have time to hike to some of the arches. So we drove to the end of the park road which is where the one and only campground is located-Devil's Garden Campground. Once we secured a campsite, we headed out to Fiery Furnace, a labyrinth of narrow sandstone canyons. We could only view Fiery Furnace from above as a ranger is required to hike there.  Next stops were Salt Valley overlook and Delicate Arch viewpoint.  Then on to Windows arches where we took a hike around and through the various arches in the area-north window arch, south window arch, turret arch, double arch and more. It wasn't a long hike but somehow we managed to take over an hour as we oohed and awed at the scenery and arches. The Windows arches were rock picture frames for the valley below.  Double arch is two giant arches that are joined together at one end. Standing under these arches and looking up you wonder why they don't just break apart and fall down. They are really amazing. One last stop before heading back to the campground at Balanced Rock. The name describes it well.  Back at the campground, time for one more hike before dinner to Tapestry arch. This arch is not hollow in the middle yet but you can see the arch formed in the rock wall.   Watched the sunset as it created an orangy red glow across the valley floor and on the rock formations. And then it was dark, but of course then we had the stars to gaze upon.  It is suppose to get down to 17 degrees tonight so we are bundling up.

Day 109 Durango, CO-Moab, UT

Day 109 Durango, CO-Moab, UT
11.17.16
Thanks Laurel for the gifts and great breakfast suggestion.  Morning greeted us with a brief snow flurry.  We warmed up with a delicious breakfast at Doughworks.  A short tour through Durango before we headed west. We passed by Mesa Verde Natl Park as the snow flurries would have made it difficult to see anything, but we will be back another time to see it. While the road was bare and wet, the van accumulated some ice on it.  But by the time we got to Cortez, CO, the skies were turning blue.  And in a few miles, we were in another state - Utah and on our way to Canyonlands Natl Park - The Needles section.   The park is about 34 miles off of US 191 but the drive in to the park provided spectacular views of its own. We saw a few climbers scaling the cracks of these magnificent rock walls.  Along the way, Newspaper Rock revealed its petroglyphs of horses, deer, buffalo and other etchings by historic peoples from B.C. to A.D. 1300.  The drive takes you through tight canyons of red rock and cottonwood trees and then opens up to a huge valley. Once in the park, the views continue to become awe inspiring. It is really something that everyone should experience.   We only spent a few hours in the park as this was more of a scouting mission for a future visit when we can spend more time exploring the park and hiking its trails.  As we drove out of the park and headed north, the sun was setting causing highlights and shadows across the landscape.  I love this time of the day.  We found a campsite just north of Moab on the Colorado River (Goose Island). As it was dark when we arrived, we couldn't see the river or the cliffs around us but that will be tomorrow's surprise.

Day 108 Santa Fe, NM-Durango, CO

Day 108 Santa Fe, NM-Durango, CO
11.16.16
Left the Camel Rock casino camp spot and headed toward Camel Rock.  It's a rock shaped like a camel.  As a teenager, Kevin used to climb all over it, but now there is a barbwire fence around it keeping us out.  Stopped at Abiquiu, to see Georgia Okeefe's home and compound but it was closed. So we wandered around the gift shop and made some purchases. Drove up a dirt road to see the Ghost Ranch with an incredible view. Cabin was open and empty with a rope hanging over one of the rafters. Jo and I were wondering was there a hanging here lately. Continued driving north on US84 with incredible views. Echo amphitheater, a big natural concavity in a cliff face offers free acoustic thrills. We amused ourselves with Bobdog howls and echoes. Reached another state border between New Mexico and Colorado.   That makes 26 states and 2 provinces.  Final destination is Durango to our friends Laurel and Paul's home.   Enjoyed great conversation and dinner at Animas Brewery.

Day 107 Glenrio, NM-Santa Fe, NM

Day 107 Glenrio, NM-Santa Fe, NM 11.15.16
Back on Route 66 through the town of Tucumcari to check out the historic buildings - Teepee Curios, Blue Swallow Motel, LaCita Mexican Foods, and others. In Santa Rosa, checked out the Blue Hole.  A circular, bell-shaped artesian pool that is popular for SCUBA diving and training.  It's depth is 81 ft, diameter is 60 feet and water temp is 61 degrees. The water was very clear with a deep blue tone.  Chatted with a couple guys diving there. They said not much to see other than a few toys and other odd items. They were just there to brush up on their skills. Quick stop at Clines Corners Travel Plaza which has been around since the 30s to see if there were any trinkets we need. While they had a lot of items, we came out empty handed.  In Santa Fe, we visited the cathedral basilica of St Francis of Assisi, beautiful church stain glass windows and interior. Walked through the Plaza with its street vendors and then west to burro alley where we posed with a bronze burro carrying a heavy load.  Then on to see the Miraculous Stairway in the Loretto Chapel which is now a museum.  So the story goes that the church was built but the stairway to the balcony was never finished. The sisters prayed for someone to finish the stairway and their prayers were answered.  A man walked into their church and offered to build the stairway but while he was building it no one could be in the room.  So each morning after the sisters prayers, they would lock the doors so the man could build the stairway.  When the stairway was done, the sisters went to pay the man but he had disappeared. There are three mysteries of the circular stairway  1. Who was the man who built it? 2. Where did the wood come from that was used in the stairway since it is not local? 3.  How was it engineered so that it didn't require a center post?  Last tourist activity was to see the oldest house in the US which is an adobe pueblo built in 1646.   Now the search was on to find sopapillas (fried pastry).  We found it at Tomosita's. But first we had the best Mexican food I've ever had and Kevin had a tasty margarita. Then we dove into our hot sopapillas with lots of melted honey butter. Yum yum!  Tonight we are stopped at a Camel Rock Casino.  Decided to get a players card and lucky me I got $10 to gamble, a deck of cards and a card bungee.  After gambling with their money, I walked out with $5 of their money.  Not a bad deal although the slots were anything but loose.

Day 106 Canyon, TX-Glenrio, NM 11.14.16

Day 106 Canyon, TX-Glenrio, NM 11.14.16
We awoke to the local deer and turkeys in our campsite. I think they were looking for a handout.  Drove through Palo Duro State Park.  Magnificent views of colorful canyons and plateaus. A short hike took us to a viewpoint of the Lighthouse which is the geological signature of Palo Duro Canyon State Park.  Roadside America provided the rest of the day's entertainment and it was a full day as we barely got out of Texas into New Mexico.  First stop Jack Sisemore's RV museum.  This place was filled with vintage motor homes, trailers and motorcycles.  We must have spent over an hour wandering through all of the displays.  Some of theses are original and others have been restored back to their original glory.  Here are just a few on display: first production serial #0001 Xtasca built in 1975 as a prototype for Winnebago. It has only 6,000 miles.  1953 Fleetwood trailer that they bought from an 84 year old lady that was traveling across the country.  She said it was time for her to quit camping.  The Flexible bus from the movie RV with Robin Williams. There was also a huge motorcycle collection. I could go on but you just have to go see it for yourself.  Next stop the Helium Time Columns.  A 66 foot tall stainless steel sculpture.  The sculpture commemorates the large amounts of helium in the Texas panhandle and the processing plants in Amarillo.  Each leg is a time capsule from 1968 stored in an inert helium to be opened in 25, 50, 100, and 1000 years.  Attached under the sculpture is a model of the helium atom and it's a sundial as well.  On to the next stop the 2nd amendment cowboy and Cadillac ranch-esque RV park. These are displayed at the Amarillo West RV Park along the old Route 66.  Then onto Cadillac Ranch were 10 Cadillacs in 1974 were buried nose down in a field. Over the decades the cars have gone through many changes. Today, they are splattered with spray paint from visitors.  It was amazing to see how thick the paint was on the cars. And no we didn't participate in graffiti of the cars as we didn't have a can of paint.  Next stop Route 66 Midpoint - 1139 miles in either direction to Los Angeles or Chicago.  As the sun was setting, we  ambled over the Texas New Mexico border. Our last stop was Russell's Truck and Travel Center which has a huge collection of restored vintage autos, toys and other memorabilia. We chatted with Art, the director of the museum. He retired and was looking for something to occupy his time so he started working at Russell's. He does all sorts of jobs for the museum from vacuuming to finding cars and memorabilia to be added to the museum.  The collection is quite impressive and they are constantly changing it so the next time you come back it will be different. To top off the day, we dined at Russell's cafe for down home cooking.

Day 105 Mt Park, OK-Canyon, TX 11.13.16

Day 105 Mt Park, OK-Canyon, TX 11.13.16
Leaving the Great Plains Park via the dam route and then through Mt Park, OK.  Not much happening there. Looks to be a dying bedroom community of Synder.  Most of the houses are in disrepair, cafe was closed and a couple of other businesses. In Synder, OK, Kevin posed next to the giant tire man (roadside America attraction). Off to see Tipton, OK the birthplace of Bob Tice aka Kevin's dad. Other interesting facts about Tipton: Hottest recorded temp in the Oklahoma in 1994 of 120 degrees.  "Tipton loam" is considered to be among the most ideal soils (farmland) in the USA branch camp of Ft. Sill was opened in Tipton on Oct. 20, 1944 and held 276 prisoners, reportedly troublemakers from the Ft Sill camp. The camp closed Nov. 1, 1945.  Four escapes were reported.  The town of Duke, OK was a tale of two cities.  The citizens of East and West Duke feuded over where to put the new school. It became so intense that the railroad moved its depot to halfway between the two towns. Five years passed before "the hatchet was buried" both figuratively and literally (a grave was dug and a hatchet was buried). The mural in Duke shows their history and industry.   Passed through Hollis, the last town before the 100th meridian which marks the Oklahoma/Texas border.  Crossed over a huge mostly dry river bed which turned out to be the Red river.  Passed more cotton fields and milo fields (feed crop for cattle).  We are in the plains now.   To our surprise, Turkey, TX was the home of Bob Wills.  We love his music. And for those of you who don't know - He's the King of Western Swing and had a big influence on music. The town has great monuments and murals in his honor as well as the Bob Wills and Texas Playboys' bus.  Tonight we are camped at Hackberry campground in the Palo Duro State Park. The canyon is approximately 120 miles long, 600 to 800 feet deep, and is the second largest canyon in the US. The first being the Grand Canyon.  We enjoyed the sunset on the canyon walls and then a full moon.

Day 104 Lawton, OK--Mt Park, OK

Day 104 Lawton, OK--Mt Park, OK 11.12.16
Today explored the Wichita Mountains. Drove to the top of Mount Scott for a 360 degree view.  Then took a side trip to Meers.  Kevin remembers eating at Meers' restaurant as a kid so he wanted us to experience it too. The building probably hasn't changed much since Kevin was last there-complete with severely slanted floors.  We ordered a peach cobbler a la mode that turned out to be HUGE with easily 2 pints of homemade ice cream.  We managed to eat most of it!  Roadside America said to check out the Holy City of the Wichitas so we did a quick drive through. I guess it is suppose to resemble biblical Israel and is the venue for the Easter passion play.   Next stop, Jed Johnson lake and tower.  Interesting tidbits about this lake-as a teenager, Kevin painted this scene and Bob, Kevin's dad, was bit by a copperhead snake when he was just a lad.  Watched a short film at the Wichita Mts visitor center about the bison, elk and longhorn that run free in the area.  Over hunting of these animals severely reduced their numbers in the past but the park has helped to bring them back.  Last stop was Mt Park Cemetery where Kevin's grandma is buried.  Didn't really know where the grave was located in the cemetery so we spent the next hour looking and we found it along with other family members' grave sites.  Camping tonight at Great Plains State Park on the Tom Steed Reservoir. We got a great spot with a view of the lake. Actually we are in a handicap spot that the park ranger told us to use so who are we to argue.   And another beautiful sunset over the water.

Day 103 Sulpher OK-Lawton, OK 11.11.16

Day 103 Sulpher OK-Lawton, OK 11.11.16
Campground at Chickasaw Recreation area was great except for one thing, the showers are solar heated.  Jo and I found out that meant we were taking a cold shower.  Kevin opted to skip the shower.  Clean but a little bit cold we headed out to see the rest of the Chickasaw national recreation area. We visited the Travertine Nature Center with its live screech owl, turtles, bees and a rattlesnake skin as tall as Kevin. Then, we took a short hike to see Little Niagara Falls (no resemblance at all to the real falls), Antelope Springs, and Buffalo Springs (looked like a giant soaking tub).  The water in the springs and creek was crystal clear.  Did someone say chocolate?  Why yes just down the road in Davis is Bedre' chocolates. We sampled and of course made a purchase.  We discovered Duncan, OK was the crapemyrtle capital or at least that is what the giant mural said. (?) Just around the corner, we found another mural with Hoyt Axton, folk singer-songwriter/actor and Elvis. Hoyt was born in Duncan. One of his hit songs was sung by Three Dog Night-Well I've never been to Spain. And why was Elvis on the mural, well Hoyt's mother co wrote the song Heartbreak Hotel which as we all know was a big hit for Elvis.  Google other notable people of Duncan, there are quite a few.  Duncan's Memorial Park had several interesting monuments to the Chisholm Trail, Indian Base Line, Halliburton and more.  Our last stop for the day was Lawton where Kevin's dad (Bob) grew up.  Lawton is the fifth-largest city in the state and was named for Major General Henry W Lawton, a quartermaster at Fort Sill, who had taken part in the pursuit and capture of Geronimo.  It is a big old city!  We drove around looking for Bob's childhood home and finally found it - a little white house on the corner.  Campgrounds were all full tonight so guess what that means...

Day 102 Fort Towson, OK-Sulpher, OK

Day 102 Fort Towson, OK-Sulpher, OK 11.10.16
On highway US 70 between Hugo and Durant, drove through the towns of "B"s - Boswell, Bennington, Bokchito and Blue. Wonder if they planned it that way?  The Mobile Service Station in Boswell was filmed for scenes in the Route 66 cult classic Two-Lane Blacktop (1971).  It starred singer-songwriter James Taylor, Warren Oates, Laurie Bird, and Dennis Wilson.
Thanks Wikipedia.  In the town of Blue, named after the nearby Blue River, many of the buildings were painted blue (surprise). The terrain changed from rolling hills and thick forest of trees to pastures and lots of cattle - Longhorns, Herefords, brahmas.  Met Durant local Don Krumme, Durant's biggest booster. He gave us all the low down on the sites to see in and around Durant. Crossed over Lake Texoma, one of the largest reservoirs in the US and the 12th largest lake built by the US Army Corps of Engineers. From there, we headed down back roads to Lake Murray Nature Center and the Tucker Tower where Julie and Bonnie, the park rangers, greeted us. The lake, tower, and surrounding roads were built by the CCC and WPA.  We climbed the 80 steps of the Tucker Tower for a bird's eye view of Lake Murray.  Sadly, our viewing was cut short by the giant wasps flying around the tower.  Back at the nature center, we collected our sticker for climbing the tower (LOL), checked out the 250lb meteorite on display, and caressed the California King Snake.  By now it was 2:30pm and we were really hungry so we stopped at the 1st place in Ardmore we saw -Sirloin Stockade. It had a giant bull in front and Kevin said "I remember eating here as a kid."  Well, we can now say "been there, done that and never again."  Camping at the Lake of the Arbuckles-Buckhorn on the Chickasaw National Recreation Area.  Enjoyed a gorgeous sunset.

Day 101 Talimena, Ok-Fort Towson, OK

Day 101 Talimena, Ok-Fort Towson, OK 11.09.16
Today, we explored the towns of Hugo and Fort Towson.  We visited the Frisco Depot museum and learned the history of Hugo.  Hugo is known as the Circus City as three traveling circuses over winter here.  We learned the story of the escaping elephants and how they were recaptured.  Many of the circus performers are buried in the cemetery here.  Kevin's mom was born in Fort Towson and she grew up in Hugo.  We found an empty lot at the place that used to be her childhood home.  A neighbor happen to be out doing yard work so we asked him what happened to the house. He said it had been torn down as it was falling apart.  Lynell Webster, the neighbor, had lived in Hugo when he was a kid but then his family moved to Ohio. He worked in California as a cement mason and moved back to Hugo in 2001. As we talked with Lynell, we learned he laid the cement in many of the prisons in California including the cement in Charles Manson's cell.  He is a proud fisherman and gave us pictures of the fish he had caught. Lynell is retired, 80 years old and he loves telling stories. He was very entertaining.  We visited MT Olivet cemetery where Kevin's grandparents are buried. Their markers had moss and dirt on them so we gave it a little cleaning. They happen to be buried right next to the Showman's rest where many circus performers are laid to rest. The circus performers have many unusual monuments on their graves. Also buried in this cemetery are world champion cowboys and bull riders such as Lane Frost and Freckles Brown.  We even found Ed Ansley, buster brown's grave. We enjoyed walking around Mt Olivet.  We are camped at Raymond Gary State Park which is located on a lake that as a kid Kevin fished with his grandfather.

Day 100 Kissee Mills, MO-Talimena, OK

Day 100 Kissee Mills, MO-Talimena, OK 11.08.16
Wow, it is hard to believe that we have been on this trip for 100 days. Woke up to a beautiful campsite next to Beaver Creek.  When we got there yesterday, it was dusk so we couldn't see much.  Traveled through three states today - Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. The landscape changed from oak trees and rolling hills to open grassy fields with lots of cows to trees again as we drove.  Along the way, we passed several polling places and the parking lots were full so people were out voting. We voted by mail a week ago.  Tonight we stopped at Talimena State Park where we almost have the place to ourselves. And they have nice hot showers so we are all clean again!

Day 99 Joplin,MO-Kissee Mills Public Use Area, MO

Day 99 Joplin,MO-Kissee Mills Public Use Area, MO
11.07.16
Spent nite at Joplin Walmart on Rangeline Rd which was essentially across the street from Discount Tire where we had an 8am appointment to get the rear leaking tire fixed.  It seem to be losing air faster now and when we woke up this morning it was flat. Kevin was able to inflate the tire with the 12 volt compressor which came with the Sprinter.  Finally one of those accessories that they throw in when you buy a car that was useful!  Discount tire discovered the rim was cracked near the valve stem.  So they swapped out the spare tire rim. And since it had been 10,000 miles since the tires had been rotated we decided to have that done too. Note we did have the tires rotated just before we left so that means that since July 21, we have driven 10,000 miles! WOW!  FYI I drove 6,500 of those miles while Kevin was riding his bike.  He says he rode 4,500 miles so that means that Jo and I managed to drive 2,000 more miles while they were riding. I guess we did go all over the place.  Discount Tires didn't charge us. The guy said you guys have bought a lot of tires from us over the years.  Yes, we have for all three of our cars.  So we will start looking for a replacement rim but at least we can get back on the road.  Before hitting the road a guy wanted to check out our sprinter. We enjoyed talking with Jed about the Sprinter and as it turns out he was a whitewater kayaker.  First attraction for the day is tri state marker.  Yes, you can be in three states at once - Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.   Back on the road to Longrun, MO which actually takes us east and south. Now you can understand how we rack up so many miles. On the way, we stopped at Mansfield, MO which is the home of Laura Ingalls Wilder (Little House of the Prairie) and where Carl Mays lived as a child.  And who is Carl Mays? Well he is best remembered for throwing the pitch that led to the death of Cleveland shortstop Ray Chapman in August of 1920. But he also had a career record of 207-126 and a 2.92 ERA over fifteen seasons.  The things you learn when traveling. Continuing on through rolling hills to Longrun. What's in Longrun?  Kevin's grandmother Gladys was born there.  There is not much left in Longrun, but we did find some houses, a couple of churches and a graveyard. So of course, we set out searching the graveyard for Kevin's relatives and we found the graves of his great great grandparents -Elliot & Francis Stockton.  Pretty cool!  It was getting late so we starting looking for a place to camp.  We found one after about 30 miles of the windiest, up & down road we have ever been on. It was like riding a roller coaster. Jo was a little green after the ride-sweat beads on her forehead and dry mouth but she managed to keep it all in.  We have the Kissee Mills Public use area all to ourselves located along some creek with a view of the bridge.

Days 97-98 Lebanon, MO-Carthage, MO-Joplin, MO 11.05.16-11.06.16

Days 97-98 Lebanon, MO-Carthage, MO-Joplin, MO
11.05.16-11.06.16
Enjoyed a quiet campsite at Bennett Springs State Park. Park was next to a clear cold creek with lots of fish.  Maybe that was because of the hatchery that was just upstream.  We hit more highlights of Route 66 before meeting up with friends in Carthage.  They live in a beautiful Victorian house. They gave us a tour of Carthage and Red Oaks ll. We spent the remainder of the evening reminiscing and catching up. Next morning, we noticed the tire that was fixed two days ago was low.  Denny had a compressor so we filled it up again.  Got to Joplin and toured the sites there. Tire still seems to be losing air so we decided to hang out in Joplin until the Discount tire opens on Monday (they were closed on Sunday).  We've got an appointment at 8am so hopefully they can fix it and we don't have to buy a new tire.

Day 96 St Claire, MO- Bennett Springs SP Lebanon, MO

Day 96 St Claire, MO- Bennett Springs SP Lebanon, MO 11.04.16
Drove Route 66 or at least some parts of it as we could jumping onto I44 when Route 66 disappeared. Saw some of the oddities along Route 66 - town of Bourbon's water tank, town of Cuba with its murals and the oldest running motel, Bob's Gasoline Alley with his collection of signs and other items, 2nd largest rocking chair, Devils Elbow bar where the ceiling is lined with bras, and final stop in the town of Uranus where we bought fudge and other candies. LOL Camping tonight at Bennett Springs State Park

Days 94-95 LaGrange,KY-New Harmony, IN-St Claire, MO 11.02.16-11.03.16

Days 94-95 LaGrange,KY-New Harmony, IN-St Claire, MO 11.02.16-11.03.16

Toured a strange town New Harmony.  Streets were empty on Main St but we did see people driving around in golf carts checking out the old part of town and the roofless church. Wandered through their labyrinth eventually finding our way to Harmonie State Park only to find a sign that said campground full but it really wasn't full and we got a spot for the night.  Next day, we drove to St Louis and viewed the arch from across the river.  Sprinter rear tire had a slow leak so found a tire shop west of St Louis and hung out while they fixed it. Just another day on the road and still loving it.

Days 92-93 LaGrange, KY and Louisville, KY 10.31.16-11.01.16

Days 92-93 LaGrange, KY and Louisville, KY 10.31.16-11.01.16
Spent a fun couple of days with our friends Kurtis and Claudia touring Louisville and the area. Checked out their not for profit company WaterStep and trick or treated with their grandkids.  Next day, we took a drive along Ohio River on the Indiana side.  Thanks again for everything Kurtis and Claudia.

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Day 91 Babcock SP-LaGrange, KY

Day 91 Babcock SP-LaGrange, KY 10.30.16
Followed the New River to where it joins the Gauley River and becomes the Kanawha river. Lots of coal mining in this area. Cemeteries reflect that fact. Finally arriving at our friends home in LaGrange, Kentucky

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Day 90 Beckley, WV-Babcock State Park, WV

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Day 90 Beckley, WV-Babcock State Park, WV 10.29.16
Three people, a beagle, 90 sq ft, and 90 days. Can it be done?  Of course it can.  We just did it!  We set off today to see the New River Gorge and Bridge.  Beautiful sunny fall day provided great views of the gorge and the bridge.  The Fayette Station loop road took us to the bottom of the gorge and under the bridge.  As we cruised to the bottom, we listened to the audio cd telling about the history and other facts such as the rich coal mining tradition here. At one point West Virginia was the coal producing leader of the US.  We watched a kayaker run Fayette Station Rapids.  At 2,226 cfs, we were thinking it was about a class 3.  We checked out a couple of the free campgrounds in the park, but none were close to the river and lots of underbrush so probably full of ticks. Thus, we opted to stay at Babcock State Park with showers and laundry.  Ate a great dinner of Amish noodles, ham and salad prepared by Jo. Topped off with Amish cookies.

Day 89 Shenandoah Big Meadows, VA -Beckley, WV

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Day 89 Shenandoah Big Meadows, VA -Beckley, WV 10.28.16
Continued our tour through the park with better views of the valleys as we had sunshine today.  Between the two days, we stopped at 65 or so of the 75 pull outs.  That's a lot of ins and outs. The best stop of course was Beagle Gap.  We also walked a short bit on the Appalachian Trail.  We continued onto the Blue Ridge Parkway and then onto Hwy 11 at Steeles Tavern. Never saw the tavern so not sure if there ever was one or just the name of the town. Passed briefly through Lexington.  Stopped at the Natural Bridge but the state park charges a lot just to go see a natural feature that takes about 20 mins to see so we opted out. The road goes over the natural bridge but you still can't see it because there is a fence that blocks your view.  We just took our picture with the painted mural of it in the gift shop.  Lol.  In the town of Buchanan, we stopped to walk across the suspension bridge which said maximum of three people on the bridge at one time. Sure glad the beagle doesn't weigh very much. The bridge creaked as we walked across but we made it across and then back safely.  Then it was onward to Beckley, West Virginia for the evening.

Day 88 Martinsberg, WV-Shenandoah Big Meadows, VA

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Day 88 Martinsberg, WV-Shenandoah Big Meadows, VA 10.27.16
On our way to Shenandoah National Park and the state of Virginia.  In Winchester, we stopped by the home of Patsy Cline and sung a little tune with her.  At the Shenandoah NP, we started on the 100 mile Skyline drive along the ridge. The road was built by the CCC and has over 75 pull outs to view the valleys on either side of the ridge. It was raining so our views were hazy at times. We camped midway on the drive at Big Meadows. We had a great site all by ourselves with a view. Later, we learned that was were the bear had been visiting the last couple of days.  Maybe that's why no one was camping there!  Oh well, we never saw or heard the bear.  We did see lots of deer in the campground and a beautiful sunset

Day 87 Sprinter Elverson, PA-Martinsberg, WV

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Day 87 Sprinter Elverson, PA-Martinsberg, WV

Toured the Pennsylvania Dutch area.  Our first stop was Kitchen Kettle Village in the town of Intercourse. What a tourist trap just a bunch of stores selling stuff and not necessarily Amish items.  Not really the Amish experience we were looking for.  We finally found a bakery off the beaten path that was less touristy and loaded up on bake goods and other items.  The remainder of the day was spent visiting chocolate factories. In Lititz, PA visited Wilbur chocolate factory. The company developed a technique for depositing specially blended chocolates into a mould that resembled a flower bud, and thus, Wilbur Buds® were born in 1894!  We sampled a few of the buds and of course made a purchase.  Then onto Hershey, PA. Driving through the town is quite an experience in itself. Everything is Hershey this or that even the street lights look like Hershey kisses. The Hershey store was huge and packed with lots of candy in all shapes and sizes along with other Hershey memorabilia.  We took what we thought was going to be factory tour (watching the candy being made) but to our surprise it was actually more like Disneyland's Adventure thru Innerspace ride.  We jumped on the people mover car and begin our tour of the animated chocolate factory with lots of singing in the background.  We passed thru the processing of the cocoa beans which including sending us thru a simulated roasting machine where it became a little warmer in our car.  The ride continued on with the making and final packaging of the candy.  As we exited the ride, they handed us a photo album which included our photo on the ride and other Hershey info-all for the bargain price of $35.  We opted not to purchase it.  The funny thing about our photo is that it was taken in front of a green screen.  Kevin was wearing his green Seahawks sweatshirt so his middle section became invisible in the photo except for Seahawks' logo.  Back on the road, we needed to get some miles behind us so we crossed the Mason-Dixon line into Maryland and then in under 15 miles we were in West Virginia.  So as Hershey would say "Have a sweet day!"

Day 86 Sprinter Carmel, NY-Elverson, PA

Day 86 Sprinter Carmel, NY-Elverson, PA

Stopped by the camp office to pay for our site and the guy told Kevin not to worry about it.  Thanks New York State!  Crossed over the Hudson River on the Hamilton Fish (Newburgh-Beacon Bridge). The river is much bigger than the last time we saw it just north of here. We were in the tri state area when Kevin pulled off to get fuel.  We thought we were in New York, but when Jo and I went into the store to find New York trinkets we noticed New Jersey maps in the store. Hadn't realized that we had crossed the state line. Back on the hwy, crossing over the Delaware River took us to Pennsylvania.  We followed the River south thru the Delaware Water Gap Natl Park.  I ran up to check out the waterfalls then back on the road.  We are staying at Pennsylvania French River State Park tonight with electrical hookups, flush toilets and showers. We are living it up now!

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Day 85 Sprinter Kittery, ME- Carmel, NY

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Day 85 Kittery, ME- Carmel, NY 10.24.16

It was a five state day: Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, & New York ~ only 285 miles!  In the west, we would still be in the same state with that kind of mileage.  From our Maine rest area campsite, we drove about 6 miles and we were in New Hampshire.  New Hampshire's little

sliver of the coast is only about 16 miles across so we were in Massachusetts in no time.  We opted to take the Mohawk Trail scenic byway which goes along US2.  We crossed over and followed the Connecticut river along the way.  The fall colors are still beautiful even though we are past the peak.  We stopped at the birthplace of John Chapman aka Johnny Appleseed  (Leominster, MA 1774).  He was a pioneer nurseryman who introduced apple trees to large parts of the states. He became an American legend while still alive, due to his kind, generous ways, his leadership in conservation, and the symbolic importance he attributed to apples. And you thought he was just a made up character.  In Springfield, MA, we passed by the Basketball Hall of Fame.  Still waiting for Herbie Meyer to tell me all about it.  Then onto Hartford, CT the insurance capital of the States or so it seems to be from all the commercials.  And our final landing spot for the day is at Fahnestock State Park, NY.  A campground that is still open with several campers, although, there is no one in the office to take our money or any pay stations.  And Jo discovered that there are showers so maybe we will clean up too!

Day 84 Sprinter Houlton, ME-Kittery, ME

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Day 84 Houlton, ME-Kittery, ME 10.23.16

Last night, we had two choices to park: Walmart parking lot or rest stop.  I know these are not the prime spots everyone would choose but when it's late and you just need a place to sleep for a few hours it works.  We finally decided that the rest stop would be quieter and darker, this was after making Kevin drive back and forth.  Next day, breakfast was at Dunkin Donuts across the street from the rest stop. We really need to stop eating at these places, but they are fast and easy.  We stopped for fuel, Kevin filled up the tank then climbed back in and started to drive away.  I said, "Did you know that Jo and Bob are not in the van?"  He responded "no" and quickly turned around. Good thing because it was trying to snow and it would have been mighty cold out there. We decided to take a side trip down route 11 to view Grindstone Falls which features small protruding rocks (grindstones) that rise only a foot or two above the level of the water.  I'm not sure I would call this a waterfall but I guess you've got to attract tourist somehow.  Back on I95, we came across our first toll.  Quickly, we started digging for dollars and change.  In Portland, ME we toured the town, shoreline and lighthouses.  We even spotted a surfer at Pond Cove.  At our last stop, there was lobster restaurant and the sign said "open" instead "thanks for a great season ... closed" so we made it our dinner stop as well as our last lobster roll in Maine.  We enjoyed our last sunset in Maine watching the waves crash on the rocks that looked like petrified wood.

Day 83 Sprinter Alma, NB CND-Houlton, ME

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Day 83 Alma, NB CND-Houlton, ME 10.22.16

Woke up to heavy rains this morning. After taking long hot showers, we got back on the road again.  It was low tide on the Fundy coast and much of the tidal flats were exposed. It was cool seeing river beds where the tide has cut the banks deep and wide.   We stopped at Shipyard Park on the Shepody River. In the 19th century, shipbuilding was an important part of this community.  Gaius Turner owned the shipyard at this location. He built over 18 tall ships in his day.  We crossed the tidal dam and continued on our way.  Hopewell rocks was closed although everyone seem to just walk around the closed sign. Howell rocks are caused by tidal erosion. They stand 40-70 feet tall.  The town of Moncton was a big industrial like city.  We did not like it at all so we quickly moved on. Moncton is where we finally have turned WEST!  We headed down Hwy 2. It felt strange to be going down a road at 110 km or 70 mph. We have been on backcountry roads for so long.  Tonight's stop was just across the border into Maine at a rest stop near I-95.  The views don't compare to the last three nights' stops but there is free wifi that actually works!

Day 82 Dipper Harbour, NB-Alma,NB CND

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Day 82 Dipper Harbour, NB-Alma,NB 10.21.16

What a great pullout we found for the night on hwy 790 next to Fundy Bay. Love the Sprinter as it allows us to camp just about anywhere.  Forgot to mention that yesterday, we entered the Atlantic time zone so we are 4 hours ahead of you west coasters. Today, we checked out the reversing falls in Saint Johns.  The Tide was going out so we didn't see the falls in reverse but it did make the existing rapids in the river huge. The whirlpools would rival many on the Grand Canyon.  They are in the process of building a glass floor platform to view the whirlpools. May need to come back. We continued heading east on route 111 which took us to St. Martins, Gateway to the Fundy Trail.  St Martins and Alma claim to have the greatest vertical tidal range due the rock cliffs on the shoreline.  St Martins had some cool caves along the shoreline, covered bridges (enough clearance for the Sprinter) and a lighthouse.  There are no roads between St Martins and Alma so we headed back towards hwy 1 and then took route 114 to Alma and Fundy National Park.  The trees are nearing the end of the fall colors with more yellows and browns and specks of greens from the fir trees. One campground is still open in Fundy NP so we decided to stop here for the night.  Our campsite has a view of Fundy Bay, flush toilets and showers for $20.  What a deal!  FYI: Everyone in New Brunswick has been extremely friendly and helpful.  At camp, I decided to take Bob for a walk to the beach and town while Kevin and Jo kicked back in the van enjoying the view.  Bob and I descended the 119 steps to the beach which we had all to ourselves probably because it's off season and it's raining.  The weather has definitely took a turn so it looks like more rain to come from now on.

Day 81 Sprinter Pembroke, ME-Dipper Harbour Back Cove, NB Canada

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Day 81 Pembroke, ME-Dipper Harbour Back Cove, NB Canada 10.20.16

Woke to the sunrise over the Cobscook Reversing Falls. This place is in my top 5 camping spots on this trip.  Last nite, we could see white turmoil and hear the water rushing over the rocks as the tide rose.  It sounded like we were camped near a Grand Canyon rapid. This morning, low tide had exposed all of the rocks creating those rapids.  The views were awesome and we really didn't want to leave so we did some van cleaning and chatted with a guy that tent camped there with us last night.  Around 10am, we finally got back on the road heading up the coast of Maine to the border town of Calias, ME.  Before we crossed the border we filled up with fuel and surprise surprise there was a McDonalds next door.  So you know what happened next... With our bellies full, we drove to the border crossing. The town had three crossings. We ended up crossing at North Street which was a small quiet crossing into New Brunswick. We were the only ones in line. The Canadian border patrol questioned Kevin about all sorts of things; wanting to make sure we weren't bringing in any goods for sale in our van.  The Canadian border town St Stephen is known as Canada's Chocolate town.  The Ganong brothers have been making chocolates since 1873 and is Canada's oldest candy company.  The old Ganong factory has become the Chocolate Museum, where one can learn about the history of Ganong Brothers.  We opted to buy some chocolates rather than tour the museum for $10 per person.  We are now traveling next to the Bay of Fundy. The bay is known for the largest tidal variances up to 50 ft.  We won't see that kind of variance but it has been about half of that. The landscape changes a lot between high and low tide.  Along our route was a Tim Horton's.  Kevin has been crying about going to one but he wanted his first visit to be in Canada.  It's basically a donut shop. We were not impressed and don't understand what everyone was raving about.  We found a nice pullout along NB 790 near Dipper Harbour Back Cove to stop and watch the tide recede and spend the night.