This story is a summary of highlights of what was an epic 90 day trip, as there is no practical way to document our daily experiences in this forum. If you are interested in getting a more detailed day to day chronicle on this experience please check out our Rocklyn RV Road Trip 2025 Facebook page. The link can be found on our Blog home page.
Our friends Dean and Angie invited us down to Navarre Beach on the Florida panhandle in the fall of 2024. They were on the last leg of a 90 day cross country camping adventure. We spent much of the time there hearing about the trip and it inspired us to plan our own cross country trip for the summer of 2025.
The four of us in Florida, October 2024:
As part of the planning we knew we wanted to visit the Pacific Northwest, as going through Washington and Oregon would bring Lynn's number of states visited to all of the continental 48. We also knew that we wanted to visit as many National Parks as we could along the way. With this goal in mind we went to work planning.
We received a lot of advice from Dean and Angie on how to plan such a trip and things to be aware of that might not be self evident. One big item was if we wanted to stay at a campground within a National Park, and in some cases State Parks as well, you have to reserve the campsite 6 months in advance. The sites are released for reservations each day for 6 months into the future. Much like concert tickets that are released for purchase online, the reservations are often completely sold out on the same day they are released so you have to be on top of it to get a spot. Knowing that we would be leaving in late May I started scoping campgrounds and making reservations in early December. In cases where campgrounds within parks were not available we would stay at traditional campgrounds outside of parks. This ended up being much more of a challenge than I anticipated and most of our campsites ended up being outside of parks but convenient to entrances.
Also critical to the plan would be drive times between stays. With breaking camp, drive time, then setting up camp again we knew that a drive time of 5 hours or less would be optimal. We did end up with a few long drive days back to back, staying one night and not unhooking the camper to save time. When you realize how large the country is you have to get some serious distance covered quickly at some point so we built that into the plan as well.
After a couple of months we had a pretty solid travel plan laid out. We used RVLife Travel Planner to put it all together. We were not as fluid as you might expect due the limited access to some of the National Parks (very short seasons) so we made sure those were covered then filled in the blanks. We knew that we would have the flexibility of cancelling campsites and/or adding others along the way but having firm reservations gave us peace of mind and ensured we were able to hit the main hot spots on our wish list.
Here is a visual representation of our itinerary provided by the RVLife app:
Before I get into the story line let me share some stats about the trip, as well as a few vital lessons learned to peak your interest.
Stats:
- Miles driven =13,283. This includes towing and non-towing.
- Hours behind the wheel = 373. Also both towing and non-towing.
- Highest elevation (driven) = 9,143ft
- Lowest elevation (driven) = 10ft
- Duration of trip = 89 days
- Campgrounds visited = 28
- Harvest Hosts campsites visited = 5
- Nights spent in Hotel/Lodge = 3
- Nights spent at friend's house = 1
- 25 states travelled
- 17 National Parks visited
- 2 DIY RV repairs
- 1 DIY generator repair
- 4 eBike flat tires
- 1 new truck
- 1 broken foot
- Thousands of photos taken and memories made
Some lessons learned:
- Every day is an adventure, live in the moment and cherish it.
- Try the local food everywhere you go. Things you think you don't like may surprise you when sampled in the right region of the country. We probably ate out a lot more than most folks would on a "camping" adventure, but for us that is a big part of the experience. Local vibe, local cuisine.
- Don't sweat the small stuff (or even big stuff if it is not life threatening).
- Respect your partners boundaries when the need arises. Close quarters for 90 days forces you to understand that love thrives on togetherness, but also there will be some days that your partner may need some distance. We had surprisingly few of those days but we learned to recognize, acknowledge, and respect the need.
- Know your value add and lean into it. For us, I planned the big high level stuff and solved problems as they arose. Lynn planned the details and documented our journey.
Our departure date would be 5/31/2025 and our return would be somewhat open ended but with a target of late August/early September. We made no plans or reservations beyond mid-August as we knew we would be on a course toward home and our National Park visits would be behind us. We could take as much or as little time as wanted making our way back east. I filled in the above itinerary as we went at that point. Our plan eventually took us through 25 states and into 17 National Parks. We would see more of this country than most people ever do. What an epic adventure this would be!
So with a solid plan in place and the departure date approaching we decided to bring the camper home from storage the first week of May to give us ample time to pack and prepare. One thing I insisted on was that Lynn hookup the camper at the storage facility herself as well as drive it home and park it in the driveway. This would ensure that if she needed to drive for any reason she would already be familiar with pulling the camper. She totally nailed it! No issues.
In hindsight I packed a lot more than we needed as far as tools and things like that. I was concerned that if we had issues on the road I would need to be able to deal with any possible scenario. I also packed fresh water bricks that would provide an additional 20 gallons of fresh water for when we were boondocking at sites that had no water or power source. Better safe than sorry, as the saying goes.
Aside from tools and campsite items like chairs and camp size Blackstone, etc., we would need clothing and hiking gear for 4 seasons. The weather in higher elevations in the parks and in the Pacific Northwest in general can be quite cold even in the middle of the summer. We also expected to need beach type gear and regular summer apparel for locations farther south.
For internet connection we had purchased a Starlink set up that can be used when no cell service is available. I tested it in the driveway prior to departure and was quite impressed with how easy it was to set up and with the speeds I was getting. This would be a valuable tool in the tool chest.
So with multi-season clothing, tools for every scenario, chairs, eBikes, Starlink, and a refrigerator / freezer packed to the maximum possible capacity we were ready to roll. Weekly needs like replenishing groceries and doing laundry would be part of what we called "town days" or "down days" depending on your perspective. Many of our reserved campgrounds had laundry facilities so that was really less of an issue. As time went on we would come to understand that a stop at Walmart would be invaluable as we would find we would have needs only a large box store could fulfill.
So here we are, 5/31/2025 and it is finally time to depart!
5/31/2025 Camp #1 - Sheltowee Campground, Morehead, KY. 2 nights.
Our first stop would be at Sheltowee Campground in Morehead, KY, where we discovered several things:
1) "Sheltowee" is the Shawnee name given to Daniel Boone and translates as "Big Turtle". The town has numerous painted turtle statues celebrating this heritage.
2) Bull frogs are loud almost to an annoying point, but also quite humorous when they are competing with each other. The pond in our campground had a large and loud population of bull frogs that kept us entertained.
First camp night! I leaned into the experience by cracking open a bottle of Angels Envy Triple Oak I had been saving for the occasion, along with a Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 cigar. A good pairing. I could get used to this.
We visited Carter Caves State Park while staying there and explored the caves and learned a lot about the local history.
6/2/2025 Camp # 2 - Steckler Grass Fed Farm (Harvest Host) in Dale, IN. 1 night.
From there we were headed to Dale, Indiana, where our next camp experience would be a Harvest Host site. Harvest Host is a network of privately owned properties that offer over night camping for free. There is a minimal yearly fee to become a member but each stay is at no cost. These sites include places such as breweries, wineries, farms, basically any type of business that has open land and welcomes visitors. The host sites rarely have any hookups for RVs so you are boondocking while there.
This stay would be one night at Steckler Grass Fed Farm, which is a beef, poultry, and dairy producing farm owned by the Steckler family. Once we got settled into our spot we bought some steaks, eggs, and cheeses from the farm store and enjoyed a wonderful steak dinner and beautiful sunset.
6/3/2025 Camp #3 - I55 RV Park in Edwardsville, Ill. 2 nights.
Our next destination would be Edwardsville, Ill, just outside of St. Louis. The St. Louis Arch would be our first National Park stop.
Along the way we stopped at The Lincoln Childhood Home National Memorial in Hodgenville, KY. This was a great stop as it offered a glimpse into the humble upbringing of our 16th President.
After a stop for lunch along the way we noticed the truck hesitating to turn over. Rather than risk having a battery failure we stopped at a local Auto Zone and installed a new one. Inevitable issues will arise on a trip like this and with this being our first hiccup (we'll call it hiccup #1) we were glad it was so minor and easily resolved.
On to St. Louis! The Gateway Arch National Park is the smallest National Park at only 90 acres. Of course we took the ride to the top of the arch, which has an interesting history. The construction of the arch was a monumental task completed in 1965. The ride up is a bit cramped but the views from the top make it worth the effort.
While breaking camp to move on to our next destination we had our second hiccup of the trip. The underside of the slide out on the camper became torn in one corner, exposing the wooden subfloor in a small section. I had no idea how this occurred but luckily I had items on hand to provide a temporary solution. I removed the torn pieces of what is very much like heavy tar paper, then removed any splintered wood. The section was about 8 inches square. I then used Flex Seal Paint on the exposed wood to prevent moisture damage. We'll call this hiccup #2.
6/5/2025 Camp #4 - Stay with friends in Omaha, NE. 1 night.
Once we had that issue resolved it was off to the next adventure! Our next destination would be Badlands National Park in South Dakota. We had 2 long travel days planned with a stop over at a friend's house in Omaha, which is halfway between St. Louis and Badlands.
The drive to Omaha was uneventful and we had a great meal and over night stay with friends. From Omaha we stopped along the way in Valentine, NE for lunch at the Old Mill Diner and then took the eBikes for a 10 mile ride on the Cowboy Trail, which is a 321 mile converted railroad trail that runs through Valentine.
6/6/2025 Camp # 5 - KOA White River Holiday in Interior, SD. 4 nights.
We arrived at Badlands KOA which is just outside of the park entrance on 6/6/2025, exactly one week into our trip. Only 11 more weeks to go! We would be staying for 4 nights while exploring the park and surrounding areas.
Once we set up camp and got settled in we had a family pull into the camp site beside us. There was an issue with his electric trailer tongue jack. It was jammed and therefore he could not unhitch the trailer. After looking it over with him it was obvious that the issue was that the hitch was installed too low on the shank and the trailer tongue had been hitting the pavement any time there was a bump in the road.
This is where my overpacking with tools came in handy. I had a 3 ton hydraulic jack in the back of the truck and we were able to use that to jack up the front of his camper and allow him to unhitch from the truck. We left it on the jack so they would be level. The next day we put him in touch with the camp host who also has a mobile camper/RV repair business. He was able to install a new tongue jack the next day. Problem solved!
Badlands is a wonderfully scenic park with lots of hiking and a scenic road traversing the length running East to West.
Breakfast before heading into the park to explore. By this time I was really leaning into the camp size Blackstone.
The sunsets in Badlands are awesome!
On our second day at Badlands we took a day trip to Custer State Park / Wind Cave National Park. Here we saw our first Bison, as well as Big Horn Sheep. We also drove the Needle Highway and saw Mount Rushmore.
After 3 days of exploring in around Badlands it was time to move on to our next destination.
The campground had laundry facilities so we took advantage of that, and we planned to restock groceries on the way to our next stop (one of many Walmart stops along the way).
6/10/2025 Camp #6 - Elkhorn Ridge RV Resort in Spearfish, SD. 2 nights.
Our next destination would be Spearfish for a 2 night stay. We would be staying at Elkhorn Ridge RV Resort, and what a place that turned out to be! Swimming pool with an outdoor bar and a stage for live music!
During our stop to get supplies and refuel I noticed another issue with the camper slide out. Hiccup #3. It seemed to be separating from the frame when fully closed. This was happening on the same side that had the previous issue. Once we got camp set up I started calling around to see if I could get and RV repair service to take a look at it.
Well I was not able to get a repair service to come to our site as the closest I found was 3 hours away and that would not only delay us another day or two but it would be outrageously expensive to have them travel that far. As I was talking to the tech about my issue he seemed to think it was relatively simple and that I could probably fix it myself as long as I had the tools needed. Yes! Tools would not be an issue! Bringing an assortment of Milwaukee battery operated tools, bits, etc. would pay off.
After sending him some photos of what was happening he explained that the screws holding the slide out body to the track were backing out. Adding new screws at several points would fix the issue. All I needed were the correct size galvanized screws and a drill. Fantastic! After a trip to the local ACE Hardware for screws and an hour of repair time the issue was fixed.
Since the repair only took a couple of hours including the trip to the hardware store we were able to enjoy a relaxed evening and keep our plans for exploring Spearfish Canyon, Deadwood, and Devil's Tower the next day.
We got up early and drove through Spearfish Canyon. Beautiful!
Next stop, Deadwood and lunch at the bar where Wild Bill Hickock was shot (I think all the bars in Deadwood make that claim, however).
6/12/2025 Camp #7 - Prune Creek Campground in Bighorn National Forest, Dayton, WY. 2 nights.
The next morning we loaded up early and got on the road to our next destination, Prune Creek in Bighorn National Forest. This would be our first multi-day boondocking experience as this campground has no hookups for RVs. We would be staying 2 nights and exploring in and around Bighorn.
This turned out to be my favorite camp site of the entire trip. We were in the woods with a stream right by our site. Peaceful. Beautiful.
We set up camp and spent a relaxing evening with a nice dinner by the fire. Oh, and Starlink worked excellent here!
The next morning we decided to take the eBikes out to explore. There was a forest road right across the stream from our site that we wanted to check out. Well, a couple of miles in I got a flat back tire. Hiccup #4. We considered carrying the bikes across the stream to get back but the water was fast moving with a lot of rocks and we did not want to risk an injury. I took Lynn's bike back to the campsite to get the truck. Since it was a forest road I had no issues getting the truck there to bring the bike back. Lynn sat right across the stream from the site and could see when I got there and she also had internet while waiting since our Starlink was close by.
Later that day a friend of Lynn's drove out from her ranch across the state line in Montana. She brought us some ribeye steaks produced on her ranch for dinner that night. Excellent!
Our camper has a 300amp hour lithium battery with a 3kw inverter and solar panels. Since we were in the woods we were not getting solar so I ran the portable generator for while to bring the batteries up.
Well, I should have run the generator longer. I really had no feel for how long we can go strictly on batteries with no solar, but now I do! Next morning we were at about 15% battery. We had been running everything as if we were connected to shore power with no concern for battery conservation so this was really no surprise. Lesson learned. Hiccup #5. I quickly pulled the slide in and then did all of the other camp breakdown by hand rather than use the motors for the tongue and stabilizers. Once on the road we had full sun and I am able to monitor the status via a phone app. Charging up nicely while driving so no further issues.
6/14/2025 Camp #8 - Fishing Bridge RV Park in Yellowstone National Park, WY. 2 nights.
Our next destination was Fishing Bridge Campground in Yellowstone National Park. This is one of the camp sites I had to reserve 6 months in advance so it drove our timeline up to this point. Had to be there when reserved or give up the site.
It is a beautiful drive from Bighorn to Yellowstone. We had plenty of time for stops along the way since it was only a 3.5 hour drive and we got an early start. We stopped in Cody Wyoming to get the bike tire fixed, grab lunch at a local cafe, and some supplies. What are the chances of running into neighbors from home that are on an RV trip and in the same place at the same time! The Stroupes live in our neighborhood just around the corner from us!
As we entered Yellowstone we were greeted by big horn sheep, then stopped to watch a grizzly bear running along a lake shore. Not even to our campground yet and already saw these two examples of just why Yellowstone is so special.
While in Yellowstone we visited Old Faithful (of course), and saw many herds of bison, black bear, and even a grey wolf (which is rare to see). The scenery of course is outstanding!
Of course while in Yellowstone you must visit the Grand Arch and stop in at Cowboy's for a local brew...
Dinner that night was indoors as the mosquitos were unbearable, not to mention we were in bear country. I grilled the other 2 ribeyes that Lynn's friend had brought us from her ranch and we paired it with our last bottle of wine we brought back from our Italy trip.
6/16/2025 Camp #9 - The Virginian in Jackson Hole, WY. 3 nights.
So on the third day we packed up camp and headed south to Jackson Hole, WY, where we would be staying at The Virginian, the only campground within walking distance to downtown. We would be there 3 nights and explore Grand Tetons National Park. This would be the last season that The Virginian Lodge and Campground would be in operation. The land has been sold to a developer in order to provide affordable housing.
Once there we decided to take the bike path that runs from Jackson to the park entrance, about 18 miles one way. Well as I unloaded the bikes I found that Lynn's bike had a flat! Hiccup # 6. No worries. I found a local bike shop that fixed it same day. By that point, however, it was too late for a ride so we hopped in the truck and chased down sunset views. The way the Tetons just rise up from the valley floor is really a site to see!
Next morning we were up early as Lynn wanted to get photos of the sunrise. We did not realize how popular this spot is. Sunrise over the Tetons:
After that we took that bike ride from Jackson Hole to Moose Junction park entrance and had lunch at Dorman's. Along the bike path we saw beaver, elk, and moose, as well as wonderful views of the Tetons.
Of course while in Jackson you have to saddle up at The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar.
There also is a Kuhl retail store in town. I may have dropped a little coin...
One of the highlights is taking the ferry across Jenny Lake, hiking up to Inspiration Point (or beyond into the canyon), then taking the 8 mile hike back. You can take the ferry both ways but hiking the perimeter of the lake is a really good experience.
6/19/2025 Camp # 10 - Headwaters Lodge and Cabins at Flagg Ranch in Moran, WY. 1 night.
On the morning of the 4th day in Jackson we packed up and headed toward Bozeman, MT, with a one night stop over at Headwater Campground between Teton an Yellowstone. This would break up the drive and give us a light travel day. We would not unhitch the camper in order to allow for a quick departure the next day. We stopped in Colter Bay for a picnic lunch on the way to Headwater.
There was a short hike to the river at Headwater that offered some great views.
The next morning was an easy camp break down since we did not unhitch the camper. We had a leisurely morning and headed out about 9:30am.
6/20/2025 Camp #11 - Bozeman Hot Springs Campground in Bozeman, MT. 3 nights.
The drive the next day from Headwater Campground to Bozeman took us through Big Sky and along the Snake River. Scenery was beautiful.
Our destination was the Bozeman Hot Springs Campground, where we would be staying for 3 nights. After setting up camp we went into town for dinner at a local place that had been recommended to us.
The next day would be taking care of things needing attention. A town day, as we call it. Up to this point we had been successful in either hiking or biking every day except travel days so we wanted to keep that going as well.
I took the truck in to get the oil changed while Lynn took care of some business things she needed to attend to. We were 3 weeks in at this point and I already needed to get the oil changed. With towing as we were I wanted to keep the oil fresh and tires rotated on shorter intervals.
That afternoon we found a hike called the M trail. It is a 1.5 mile (each way) hike with a 1000 foot elevation climb. Short but steep.
The next day was a little rainy and chili so we went into the historic old town district to check that out. This time it was Lynn's turn to drop some coin (a coat and a hat).
We capped off the day with a dip in the hot springs, which was very refreshing to say the least!
6/23/2025 Camp #12 - Johnson's of Saint Mary Campground in St. Mary, MT. 4 nights.
The next morning we were packed up and headed out by around 8:30. Our destination being Johnson's of Saint Mary Campground just outside of the east entrance to Glacier National Park.
The day before we left for Saint Mary there was substantial snow fall in Glacier National Park. This would mean that some of the hikes that we wanted to experience would be closed. Most notably of these is the Grinnell Glacier Trail. Many other hikes, as well as Going To The Sun Road were open, however, so we just needed to adjust our expectations.
After getting set up in the campsite we walked over to the on site "World Famous Johnson's Of Saint Mary Cafe" for an early dinner. The Buffaloaf was exceptional!
After dinner we drove out to the Many Glacier Lodge to check it out and find out what hikes, if any, were open.
The lodge looks much like a Swiss Chalet. The scenery along the route was awesome.
As we expected, although the ferry was running not many of the hiking trails that originate at the other side of the lake were open due to the snow. We decided we would focus on other areas of the park the next day.
It can be really cold in Montana in June...
The next morning we started on Going To The Sun Road from the east. We stopped at Sun Point Trailhead and took the 4.3 mile (each way) hike up to Virginia Falls.
6/25/2025 Camp #13 - "Fancy Night" interlude at Prince of Wales Inn in Waterton, Alberta, Canada. 1 night.
After exploring GTTS road and hiking on our first full day in the park we were ready for our second day. We had "fancy day" planned and would be travelling into Canada and staying overnight at the historic Prince Of Wales Inn in the town of Waterton which is inside Waterton Glacier International Peace Park.
Crossing the Canadian Border was non eventful to say the least. We arrived in Waterton around 1:00pm and stopped into Kilmorey Lodge for lunch. Canadian food so far was excellent!
After lunch and shopping in town we went on to the Inn to check in.
The view from the patio at the Inn...
After checking in we drove down through Red Rock Canyon and scoped out a hike for the next day. We also stopped to walk along the banks of Cameron Bay, and we saw a big Golden Black Bear with her cubs in the field just below Prince Of Wales Inn.
Then it was back to the room to clean up and enjoy a nice meal with a fantastic view at the Royal Stewart Dining Room.
At this point we were on day 26 of our travels and I think Lynn was a little excited to be wearing something other than hiking gear and to be served a great meal in an elegant setting...
The next day we went into Red Rock Canyon where we hiked to Blackiston Falls. Our waiter at the Kilmorey had mentioned a swimming hole that locals go to about a 1/2 mile up the trail past Blackiston Falls. These folks must be crazy! That water is cold. Like dangerous cold.
6/27/2025 Camp #14 - Apgar Campground in Glacier National Park, MT. 4 nights.
Our destination the next day was Apgar Campground just inside the West Glacier entrance. Like Fishing Bridge in Yellowstone, we had to reserve the site 6 months in advance. Unlike Fishing Bridge this campground has no hookups so we would be boondocking for 4 nights. Based on lessons learned from our last boondocking stay I would be utilizing the generator on a regular basis to keep the batteries up. There would be no solar in Apgar either due to the wooded sites. I had to work a bit to get good placement for the Starlink antenna but once locked in it worked fine. Surprising with the density of the trees.
We were now in the high season for visitation in Glacier. From the west entrance timed entry passes to GTTS road were required. We were told that with reservations at Apgar our timed entry was included (yeah, not so as we found out). Being inside the park meant we would not have to deal with the lines at the entrance gate though, which is big plus.
Our camp site at Apgar was excellent! We settled in and enjoyed the quiet with a nice camp fire and meal cooked on the Blackstone.
The next day would be ATV day. We had rented a 2 seat side by side ATV for the day to explore the mountains and trails around West Glacier. You can't operate an ATV inside the park but you sure can see some great sites all around it!
We packed sandwiches, water, and layered clothing and headed over to Glacier UTV rentals. Steve was as laid back as you can get. He got us set up, gave us some recommended trail choices, and got us running in no time.
Our first trail would be to the top of Desert Mountain. This trail rewarded us with stunning views as well as great adventure driving rough terrain.
After Desert Mountain we stopped at Hungry Horse Dam and walked across both sides to get some steps in and enjoy the views.
We found a shore side spot to enjoy a picnic lunch.
There were clouds rolling in and shortly after getting back on the trail from the lake we were caught in a down pour. We were at least 15 miles from the rental place and with no windshield on the ATV we could only manage 45 mph on a smooth road. Any faster than that was just painful with cold rain hitting your face.
So our day was cut short but we can certainly say that it was an adventure!
After getting back to the campground and getting a much needed hot shower and dry clothes, we headed over to check out a place called Josephine's Speakeasy for dinner. It was named after Josephine Doody, the "The Bootleg Lady Of Glacier" Apparently she provided bootleg liquor to the trains passing through during the 1920s.
We spent the following 2 days hiking from points along the GTTS road as well as biking and hiking around Lake McDonald.
Here are a few highlights:
This was a roughly 6 mile hike each way to get to Avalanche Lake. Absolutely worth it!
We rode bikes about 6 miles each way from the campsite to a trailhead that circles Lake McDonald.
7/1/2025 Camp #15 - Tamarack RV Park in Coeur d'Alene, ID. 2 nights.
We left Apgar around 11:00am with about a 4.5 hour drive to Coeur d'Alene. Our RV App had us going south on 28 and then Interstate most of the way. Since there was construction on 28 and we prefer scenic routes over Interstate anyway we decided to take Hwy 2. This took us through small towns like Libby and Troy, as well as through Kootenai National Forest. The Drive was Beautiful!
Libby is known as the City of Eagles and has Eagle statues everywhere.
We arrived in Coeur d'Alene around 4:00pm. Once we had set up camp we went into town to check it out. We found the town to be a wonderful place with a historic Main St with shops, restaurants, and breweries.
The next morning I took some time to take care of some things while Lynn got laundry and some cleaning done. I went to the gym first thing (my intention had been to visit the gym as much as possible but I had REALLY fallen down on that goal). After that I found a much needed car wash and had the truck washed.
Once back at the campground I noticed a fellow across from us obviously struggling with some issue having to do with his hitch. Turns out he needed to move his weight distribution hitch up a notch on the shank. These bolts are tightened to about 200 foot lbs and he did not have the tools he needed. No problem! I had a 48" breaker bar with exactly the right sockets for the job (I had anticipated having issues myself so I brought those along). I lent him the tools and he had it sorted out in no time.
That afternoon we loaded up the bikes and headed to Bull Run Trailhead. This would give us a 36 mile round trip bike ride to Harrison, on the south side of Lake Coeur d'Alene and back. The bike path is a converted rail road bed so it is flat and smooth, offering great scenery.
In Harrison we had a late lunch at One Shot Charlie's overlooking the water front.
The next morning we loaded up camp and were on the road around 9:30am.
7/3/2025 Camp #16 - Coulee Playland Resort in Electric City, WA. 2 nights.
Our next destination was Coulee Dam in Washington. Once we crossed the Washington state line Lynn was able to add it to her count of visited states for a total of 47!
This stop was about half way between Coeur d'Alene and Seattle, and since they have a fireworks celebration at the dam each year we thought it would be a good place to spend the 4th of July.
Once we got settled in other folks started showing up and setting up camp for the 4th of July weekend. The place got crowded quickly with large groups and families enjoying the weather and the holiday.
There was a large group close to us that were having a "Onion Volcano Fire" competition. They had 3 flat top grills set up and were doing their best to imitate the experience you get at a Japanese Hibachi grill. They pulled us in to add more votes to the competition. These folks were hilarious!
The lake was beautiful and the weather was warm compared to where we had visited so far so we decided to rent a boat for the next day (July 4th). They had one rental left so we grabbed it. A small Sea Ray that you could describe as quite old (that coming from me who owns a 25 year old boat at home!).
The engine sounded quite rough and she had trouble getting anywhere close to 20mph so we just putted around and toured the lake at a leisurely pace.
After having a picnic lunch on the boat and exploring around a bit I noticed the engine struggling to start after each time we would stop. Since the water was too cold to swim we decided to cut the day short and head back to the marina. Good thing we did because as soon as we docked and shut the engine off it refused to start again! The marina had some work to do on this vessel for sure, but we really enjoyed the lake. The scenery was amazing!
That afternoon we headed over to the dam where the fireworks and festival were to take place. The festival was a little under whelming. I guess we had different expectations based on all the hype we had heard about it. We grabbed lunch at the food truck and headed back to the campground for the evening. The crowd there provided plenty of celebration to make up for the festival!
7/5/2025 Camp #17 - Tall Chief Campground in Fall City, WA - 3 nights
Our next destination of Fall City, WA was a bout a 4 hour drive based on Interstate. As mentioned before we prefer the road less traveled when we can so we got an early start took Hwy 2 west with intention of stopping in Leavenworth for a while along the way.
The scenery was fantastic on this route!
Our stop in Leavenworth was a wonderful time. The weather was excellent so we walked around sampling different foods and shopping. The town is just like a Bavarian Village with German restaurants and plenty of beer.
After Leavenworth we continued on to Falls City with plenty more great scenery along the way.
Once we got to Tall Chief Campground in Falls City we quickly got settled. The campsite was top notch and easy to get into. I went ahead and loaded the bikes from the camper bumper to the truck so we would be ready for biking and hiking the next day.
On the way back to the campground after the hike we found a little place in Falls City called The Last Frontier Saloon. Well, you have stop at a place like that... It turned out to be great little spot for food and refreshments.
Our plan for the next day was to ride our bikes from Carnation, WA to Snoqualmie to see the Snoqualmie Falls. As we rode this bike/hike/horse trail, we were surrounded by huge evergreens, loads of ferns lining the path and the most fragrant trees or flowers that we couldn’t identify, but enjoyed immensely. The sky was brilliant blue with not a cloud in sight and temps were perfect about 75.
Much like the “turtle walk” we saw in Kentucky, there was an art walk along the path in the form of “cedar rounds” with art work on them that can be enjoyed and purchased on the trail to Snoqualmie Falls.
It was 10 miles each way and from the end of the trail about a mile each way on the road to the Falls themselves.
Parked, bikes locked up, we carried our lunch over to the upper falls, behind the Lodge (which might be a destination next trip)!
The next morning we got packed up and headed out around 10:30am. Our next destination was only a couple of hours drive so we were not in a hurry.
On our way out of the campground we had an "incident" that I will try to explain. It's quite comical looking back at it. So take a look at this map below. To exit the campground we have to turn left at the T-intersection as I have highlighted.
As you can see, the road curves in the direction we need to go and there are trees lining the road. Visibility is not very far and the speed limit is 45mph. Well, I look both ways and pull out. Since I'm pulling the trailer I'm moving slow. As I get halfway into the maneuver I see a car coming around the bend. As soon as I am in the travel lane the car goes by I realize it is a police vehicle. He immediately puts his lights on, turns around and follows us to pull me over. Since I'm pulling the trailer I need enough room to pull over without just stopping on a narrow shoulder. As I am slowing down and watching for a safe spot to pull over he hits his siren. Obviously he knows I can see him and also that I am not just going to stop in the middle of the road. He hits his siren again (wow). I pull over at the next side road and wait for him to come to my window. I can see him in the rear view inspecting my tags and looking over the rig so I'm wondering if I have something unsafe going on back there that I was not aware of. Ok.
When he gets to my driver side window he immediately points to his chest body cam and says "We are being recorded". Umm, Ok. Now this guy is wearing full riot gear while riding patrol in the tiny town of Falls City. I'm really wondering what the hell is going on at this point. Are they looking for someone driving a similar rig that has committed some heinous crime? The next thing he says is "I guess you were leaving Tall Chief Campground?". He just saw us leaving the only road into and out of the campground, pulling a camper trailer. Now my sarcastic brain is yelling in my head, "Your powers of deduction are superior, how are you not a detective already instead of a beat Cop?" My actual response was tempered by years of practiced constraint and reason, "Yes, sir", I replied. He then finally gets to it - "I had to put on my brakes back there when you were pulling out, I could have hit you". I honestly had to suppress a chuckle here as I have never heard of getting a ticket for someone needing to use their brakes! I knew at this point this guy's ego was a bit much and that there was absolutely nothing he could issue a ticket for. Then he says "If I had been texting this would have been a crash". WTF?! Why would a police officer be texting and driving? Why would he create that scenario? Just to add drama to the situation? I am laughing inside but I know I need to just be polite and let this play out. I know Lynn is really wanting to get a picture of this guy for this blog but like me, she knows we just need to chill. He gave me a lecture about safe driving and then wished us a safe journey. He never even asked for my driver's license! What a waste of time this was. Lynn played it cool the whole time but we both busted out laughing as soon as he left.
He would fit in nicely as a character on Reno 911!
Ever since that episode I wonder where the police are every time I have to slow down because someone pulled out into traffic ahead me!
So on to our next destination...
7/8/2025 Camp #18 - Alder Lake, Eatonville, WA - 4 nights
Our next camp would be at Alder Lake, which is about 20 miles from the south west entrance to Mount Rainier National Park. The drive took us through Tacoma and once we were south of Tacoma we started to get glimpses of Mount Rainier from the road. Until you see it in person it is hard to understand how magnificent this mountain is. It rises above the surrounding landscape as a monument to nature itself.
Our first view of the mountain from just south of Tacoma, still many miles away from the campground and even further from the park entrance. Our friends, Karen and Joel who live in Seattle have told us that they can see the mountain from their home on a clear day, which is about 60 miles as the crow flies.
As we continued south the views became more impressive.
We reached our campground at Alder Lake around 2:00pm. Karen and Joel, whom I mentioned before, have camped all over for years and planned to meet us the next day at the campground so we could explore Mount Rainier together.
We spent the afternoon setting up camp, made pizzas in the toaster oven for dinner, and enjoyed a relaxed evening.
The next day would be our first full day exploring Mount Rainier. Karen and Joel weren't due to join us until late afternoon so we set out on our own to see the park. It was cold and rainy so we were not sure about hiking and decided instead to go to the visitor center to get maps and to check out scenery inside the park.
We met some young ladies at an overlook, Minato and Aiko, who came to the park for the purpose of summitting the peak. They made it to Camp Muir, which is the base camp at 10k feet, but due to the conditions did not continue to the summit. Still quite impressive!
We stopped at the Paradise Visitor Center which was quite crowded. We had to park about a 1/4 mile down the road. We could see a family of black bears down in the meadow from the road!
On the way back to camp we wanted to pick up a few things and needed a market or grocery store. One thing we had learned thus far is to not pass up an opportunity to re-supply when passing through any town of decent size that may have a Walmart or at least a large grocery store. Here in Elbe near Mount Rainier there was no such opportunity. Good thing we only needed a few things. We found a local market called Mineral Lake Market a little off the beaten path and were able to get some cheeses, eggs, beer, and a couple of other basic items. Love these local little places!
Once we were back at the campsite Karen and Joel were there setting up camp. It was misty and chili so rather than cook at the camp site we decided to go into the town of Elbe and check out the Mount Rainier Railroad Dining Co. The small town of Elbe was founded by German Settlers and served as a railroad hub for logging and tourism in the early 20th century. Today there are railroad cars outfitted with bars, restaurants, and cabin type accommodations.
The food, atmosphere, and company were all excellent!
After dinner the rain had stopped so once back at the campground we were able to enjoy a fire and catch up on things with our old friends.
The next day started out with a lot of mist and fog. It been noted that due to the height and mass of Mount Rainier compared to the surrounding terrain it can form it's own weather patterns. We were experiencing this first hand.
We started the day by heading up to the Paradise Visitor Center for some hiking. We took the Dead Horse trail from the lower parking lot which eventually led into the Skyline Trail. Although we could not see Mount Rainier at all due to the fog and mist, we still enjoyed the flora and fauna and met many people along the way. Some folks were quite ill prepared for the hike and it showed. We noticed one woman all the way up around the 10,000 ft level with heels. She had made it up there and obviously would have to make it back down. Wow!
We were not able to complete the Skyline Trail loop due to the snow. We reached the point where special equipment was needed to continue on the snow sheets and turned around there. There were quite a few folks outfitted to keep going with the summit as their goal. There is a very small window in summer that the loop can be completed with just standard hiking gear as the ice cap is present year round.
We got back down to the visitor center around 2:00pm and the skies in the distance were clearing up. The peak, however, would remain covered for the remainder of the day.
We decided to make the most of the afternoon so we decided to make a stop at Reflection Lake and make the hike up to the overlook. With sky clearing up the scenery was beautiful!
After that hike we headed back to campground with a few stops along the way. We stopped to get fresh cherries at a road side stand. These are delicious and not anything like the cherries we buy at home. Freshest ever. Lynn swore she didn't like cherries but once she tasted these she couldn't stop eating them!
The next stop was the Elbe Bar and Grill, which exemplifies a small town dive bar...
Then it was back to the camp site for some chicken and veggies cooked on the Blackstone and cards by the campfire.
The next day would be Karen and Joel's last day with us. Since we wanted to get a decent hike in before they hit the road I loaded us up that morning with some bacon and eggs to give us fuel for the hike.
We decided to go to the Longmire Wilderness Center where we could hike part of the Wonderland Trail up to Carter Falls. This hike was absolutely beautiful as it was forested and followed the river, as well as offering views in less dense forest. About 6 miles out and back but quite steep at times.
Back at Longmire Wilderness Center, we parted ways as Karen & Joel headed home and we decided to head back up to Paradise to find some more beauty (from the truck as we weren’t sure we could do more hiking today).
Driving up to Paradise, it’s hard not to stop at every turn out, jump out and hike toward all that beauty (and we did a bit more than we planned). We decided to go out the east side of the park, so off to Stevens Canyon we went.
At one turnout, we got to chatting with the Lightcap family who are on a west coast vacation headed to some of the same places we are, so hope to run into them again in Oregon, California or Tahoe.
It was fun seeing the spots we hiked when we couldn’t see much in front of us yesterday.
Back at the campground we started preparing for our departure the next morning. Lynn decorated our dinner table with fresh lavender that she had collected from a field (on private land with the owner's permission).
The next morning we were loaded up and ready to roll around 9:00am.
7/12/2025 Camp #19 - Thousand Trails Seaside, Seaside, OR. 2 nights.
Our next destination would be Thousand Trails Seaside in Seaside, OR. We planned to make a stop in Astoria and spend the afternoon. We had been told about a few interesting things to see in Astoria and were looking forward to seeing it. Since our drive time to Seaside was only 2.5 hours we had plenty of time for site seeing in Astoria.
We passed through many small towns along the way and one thing that really stands out in the Pacific Northwest is the love of coffee and the small independent coffee stands that seem to be everywhere. They take a lot of pride in these so we had to stop in and sample at least once.
This leg would bring us into Oregon via crossing the Columbia River. This would bring Lynn's states visited count to all 48 continental states! She was keeping an eye out for that milestone cross over.
And here is our approach to the bridge!
The line is crossed!
Next stop, Astoria.
We wanted to find a lunch spot and knew the waterfront along the river would offer the best choices. Parking with the camper was a little challenging but we found streetside and took up 2 spaces a little way out from the waterfront. We needed to get some steps in anyway.
We settled on Astoria Brewing because it was hopping with activity and offered great views of the Columbia River. The chowder and prawns were delicious!
After lunch we pressed on to Seaside, about a 30 minute drive. Since Astoria was so close to the campground we knew we would come back to visit Cape Disappointment State Park and Lighthouse, which would have us going across the Astoria-Megler Bridge and thus back into Washington.
We arrived at Thousand Trails Seaside around 3:00pm and set up camp. This campground had recently been purchased by Thousand Trails and had not yet been renovated. It was a bit rough, but the camp site was level, the hookups worked, and the location was great as a base camp to explore the coast. It is not, as the name implies, seaside. It is about 1/2 mile from the ocean.
Once we were settled in we ventured out to explore. We drove through the town of Seaside, which is a quaint little coastal town. We ventured out on the beach to get our first hands on experience with the Oregon Coast, and let me just say it was COLD! Like NC winter cold. Beautiful though!
We had been told that Cannon Beach was a great place for shopping, dining, and the beach was a popular spot as well so after checking out Seaside we drove the 15 miles south to see what we could get into there.
We found a great waterfront restaurant called The Wayfarer for dinner.
After dinner we walked down on the beach at Haystack Rock, and then explored the main street shopping and dining scene.
The next morning we awoke to sunshine! Our plan was to spend the day near Cannon Beach and see the coast. Since that is south, we first decided to go north to Cape Disappointment and see the lighthouse there. What a beautiful drive over the Astoria bridge and just as we crossed the bridge, a bald eagle flew over the truck! Lynn couldn’t get the phone focused quickly enough so the picture is a little blurry, but seeing that beauty was amazing.
The little towns along the coast are simply beautiful and with all of the cedar shake shingles and lush landscapes and flowers, it reminds me of Maine (which I guess makes sense with the latitude being similar).
Cape Disappointment was…..disappointing! (But we still loved it). The fog was thick and it was windy & chilly even though it was sunny in Seaside and Astoria! We walked to the lighthouse and passed the lighthouse keeper’s former residence which is now a vacation rental (perhaps a future stay?). We went on down to the lighthouse and looked around but didn’t stay long.
After visiting the lighthouse we headed back south with a stop at The Bridgewater Bistro in Astoria for lunch. It's called the Bridgewater because, well, it over looks bridge water...
After lunch we headed south toward Cannon Beach but stopped first at Ecola State Park. We had been told that sometimes whales can be spotted from there! Once there we understood why people love the Oregon Coast so much. Even though it was cold, the sun was now shining and the views were fantastic.
After Ecola we went on into Cannon Beach again. This time Haystack Rock was a completely different experience with the clear sky and less wind.
From Haystack Rock we set out on foot to explore more of the town of Cannon Beach. Stopped in at MacGregors for craft cocktails and appetizers, then did some shopping.
Once back at the campground we prepared for departure the next morning. We would continue south along the Oregon coast.
7/14/2025 Camp #20 - Sea And Sand RV Park, Depoe Bay, OR. 3 nights.
As we set out on the morning of the 14th we were looking forward to seeing more of the coast and making some stops along the way. The scenery along Hwy 101 (aka Pacific Coast Highway) is something you have to experience first hand to fully appreciate it. As with most scenery, the photos just do not capture the full beauty.
Our first stop was Arcadia Beach, where we found starfish among the rocks and great views.
Then Neahkahnie Beach...
More scenery along the way...
We arrived at Sea And Sand Campground around 2:00pm and set up camp. We were not in an ocean front site but the beach was just a short walk down the hill. It was cold. The Pacific Northwest is just cold. Here it is the middle of July and we have been wearing cold weather gear more than warm weather gear so far!
After setting up camp I ventured out to find a market where we could pick up a few things. I found Chester's Market just a couple of miles down the road and picked up some steaks, beer, and a few other items. Local markets are always a lot of fun!
After a dinner of steak, mushrooms, and asparagus cooked on the Blackstone we ventured down to the beach to enjoy the sunset.
The beach at the campground did not disappoint!
We awoke the next morning to sunshine and blue skies. Still cold, though! Lynn had made plans to meet a friend of hers for lunch at a place called The Pines Dine, which is a food truck court / bar / outdoor eating place.
Pretty cool place with an eclectic variety of food and drinks. I dropped Lynn off and went out to find my own lunch experience. Pelican Brewing was just down the road and offered great views of Siletz Bay.
After lunch I picked Lynn up we headed north to further explore the Oregon Coast. We went out to Proposal Rock, explored the beaches of Neskowin, Lincoln City. Then back at the campground we enjoyed a gorgeous and peaceful Oregon sunset while learning how to tolerate the wind!
Standing there enjoying the sunset, we chatted with Jennifer and Tim from San Diego on a month long trip celebrating his retirement, 2 couples from Idaho who come here annually, and a family from east Oregon on a family vacation with the kids on summer break.
As we were walking back from the beach, we ran into a group of friends staying in our campground just giggling so hard that we had to stop and ask. They all come here this week every year from Bend, Oregon and this year decided to draw names, head to the local thrift store and buy something that person had to wear all evening with a $10 limit!
They asked us to take a picture of them, and so we had to take one for us to keep as well! What a hoot!
The next day was sunny once again and we intended to make the most of it. When we had arrived at the campground I noticed my bike had flat rear tire (again). We'll call that hiccup #7. So part of the plan for the day was to find a shop to get that fixed.
One of Lynn's friends from Ohio had moved to Oregon and was living not too far away from our campground so we made plans to meet for lunch at a place called Tidal Raves. This is a great place right on water in Depoe Bay. Great food and great views!
Then it was off for more exploring (and find a bike shop). We went a little south this time from Depoe Bay, some little path that only “locals” know about (thx Trisha), where I saw a whale pretty close to the beach (but wasn’t quick enough on the camera to capture him), beautiful cliffs and rocks, Yaquina Lighthouse, Pirate’s Cove, Agate Beach, down to Newport for the bike to get fixed, and back up to Otter Rock, Lincoln Beach with a stop at Depoe Bay shops. That led to a discussion about the BEST clam chowder in the state (how do they quantify that?), but we understand that Gracie’s Sea Hag is the best and came with the legacy of Gracie Strom who owned the place right until she passed in 2014. It was the BOMB and such friendly folks.
What a great day! We would be departing the next morning for our next adventure.
7/17/2025 Camp #21 - Bastendorff Campground, Coos Bay, OR. 3 nights.
It would be about a 3 hour drive to Bastendorff Beach and since we got up and on the road around 9:30 we had plenty of time for stops along the way. The fog was thick rolling in from the ocean but the scenery was beautiful nonetheless.
First stop was to pick up the repaired bike, then a much needed car wash that had room for the camper as well.
Then down the coast toward Coos Bay...
The campsite at Bastendorff Beach was nicely wooded and although the sites were close together it felt somewhat secluded.
After setting up camp and having some burgers on the Blackstone we went down to catch the sunset on the beach.
The next day would be a long one as we planned to make the 3 hour drive to Crater Lake National Park, spend the day there, then drive back. We got up early and were on the road by 7:30.
Crater Lake is quite scenic and there is a rim road that follows the volcano rim around the lake. That road was partially closed for renovations so we were only able to see 3/4 of the rim road. The scenery is fantastic!
As we were driving back to the park entrance from the rim road the truck started jerking. We'll call this hiccup #8. The speed limit in the park is 35mph so luckily we were not going fast when this happened. It seemed to be dropping into 1st gear for no apparent reason, almost causing the rear wheels to lock up. Since there is no cell service in the park I knew I had to limp it back the visitor center where there would be wi-fi before I could make any calls.
As I said at the beginning of this story you learn to not sweat the small stuff on a trip like this. I would say that you also learn to not sweat the big stuff either. Every problem has a solution. You make your choices and move on. By the time we got to the visitor center I had already worked this out in my head and had a plan.
Here was my thought process for this:
- The issue was obviously the transmission. Wait time for a repair plus the cost was not something we wanted to do because the truck was old and we were on a trip of a life time
- A new truck was the answer
- Call and get a tow the 80 miles to Crater Lake Ford in Medford, OR (closest Ford dealer)
- Book a hotel room close to the dealership
- Drive away the next day in a new truck
There you have it, problem solved before we even got to the visitor center. Now to put the plan in action.
It took a couple of hours for the tow truck to arrive. The tow truck driver, Brian, was extremely nice as well as entertaining...
Another hour and a half to get to the dealership in Medford...
After unloading I took a few minutes to browse the parking lot. I had been looking at inventory online and already had good a idea on the right truck for us.
So we spent the night at what I would describe as a rather crappy hotel (let's call that - Camp #22 - Interlude at crappy hotel, Medford, OR), but it was basically right across the street from the dealership so that made it a good choice.
The next morning I was up and at the dealership when the doors opened. The service department confirmed what I already knew - transmission issue (undefined), expensive, takes weeks...
Now, when the vehicle that you want to trade arrives on a flat bed tow truck, the salesperson takes on a completely different attitude. Of course we can help! Of course we can get this done quickly! Shannon was our salesperson and he did an incredible job taking care of us. Of course we got raked over the coals on the trade in and purchase price but I knew this would be the case going into this. I also knew I would refinance with my credit union for a better rate as well as pay cash out of pocket to get the amount financed down to a reasonable number. But, hey, no time for that right now, where do I sign?
So I went with a new (I usually buy used vehicles) F150 STX, which is quite a step down in trim levels from our Lariat that we were trading in. This one, however, had the heavy trailer tow package. That meant a 5.0 V8, 3.73 max tow e-lock rear end, 4 wheel drive, trailer brake controller, 36 gallon fuel tank, and a total towing capacity of 13,500lbs. My old truck had a lighter tow package (that may have contributed to the problem!). Also the new truck was, well, new. So I had a factory warranty and full confidence that no issues existed.
So Lynn met up with me about the time I was signing my life away and asked which truck we were getting. I pointed to this one...
Leather seats? No. Power seat adjust? No. Heated seats? No. Cooled seats? No. 3 zone auto climate control? No. Power folding mirrors? No. Built in bed lights, etc., etc., etc.? No. Alrighty, then.
The dealer let me park both trucks side by side so I could transfer the bed cover, all weather mats, and all of the massive amount of cargo from the old truck to the new one.
We were on the road in the new ride by 1:00pm. The plan came together!
We did lose a day of exploring but over all I would say it worked out pretty well. We got back to the campground around 5:00pm and spent the evening preparing to depart the next morning.
7/20/2025 Camp #23 - Golden Bear RV Park, Klamath, CA. 4 nights.
Up and heading out with the new rig around 10:00am! I noticed right away that although both trucks had the same engine, the new truck towed at lower RPM with better gas mileage and more power. No doubt due to the upgraded rear end.
Our next destination would be Klamath, CA, just outside of Redwoods National Park. It's about a 3 hour drive but we made a lot of stops along the way. The scenery down the coast continued to amaze us! We stopped in Bandon, OR, where we had lunch at Tony's Crab Shack and did a little shopping.
Then we continued south and stopped at Battle Rock, where there was a cafe overlooking the bay.
From there we must have stopped at every overlook. The weather was great and Pacific Coast Hwy offers incredible views at every turn.
We got into Klamath about 6:00pm and set up camp. The campground was beside the Klamath River. We walked down to the shore to enjoy the sunset and a bottle of Oregon wine that Lynn's friend, Monte, had gifted us a few days earlier.
The next day we ventured into the Redwood Forest for some hiking and sight seeing. These trees are impressive! You really have to see them in person to get the scale of how massive they are.
The plan the next day was to do some more hiking and also some biking. There were several bike trails throughout the park so we thought we would give that a try.
We decided on a bike trail that looked to be a loop. We could go part way down the beach and come back or do the full loop depending on how we felt. The bike trail we chose is outlined by the dotted red line on the map below. Clearly marked as "bike". More on that later.
So we started down the trail on what is supposed to be a 1.5 mile leg (Ossagon Trail) that meets the trail leg going down the beach (Coastal Trail). Not very far in the trail became very narrow with a lot of underbrush on each side.
Then it became very steep with fallen trees that we had to go both over and under. Large roots also made the going a little difficult. We had to walk the bikes a good part of the way.
Then we get to the bottom where we can see and hear the ocean so we know we must be close to the coastal trail, and we come across this...
How is this a bike trail?! Well we didn't want to go back the way we came because we thought surely the coastal trail would be in better shape, so I carried the bikes over this obstacle and we continued on to the beach.
The sand was too soft to ride on so we went about searching for the Coastal Trail trailhead. Eventually we found a sign designating the trail buried in marsh. These trails must have been neglected for years without the maps being updated. At this point we really had no choice but to go back the way we came. The trail was impassable and the beach to soft for riding.
Lynn was not pleased...
Once we got the bikes back across the muddy creek Lynn was done with this whole adventure and set her sights on getting back to the truck as quickly as possible. It was cold, damp, and not fun at this point. She hit the eBike throttle and up the path she went.
My view, she is up there somewhere...
As I was alternating between riding and walking I was coming across parts of the path and thinking "she rode up this?". Well I caught up with her not too far ahead. She had stopped, jumped off the bike, and twisted her foot on either a log or a root that was hidden by the brush. It was swelling already and she was in pain. We'll call this hiccup #9. We pushed on and eventually made it back to the truck.
Back at the camper Lynn got her shoes off and yep, that foot was swollen and bruised. She decided to push through the pain and carry through with our plan to meet some friends from Ohio whose trip was overlapping ours. They were in an Air BnB not far away so we got cleaned up and headed over there for the evening.
On the way we stopped at the drive through tree...
Great food and great friends...
The next day the foot was still swollen. Not sure if it was sprained or broken so she elevated and iced it while we waited for our friends to meet up with us. We would limit the hiking and focus on the scenery. Joe, Dan, Buck, and Mac met us at the camp site and we headed out to spend the day in Redwoods. After that we went for lunch at SeaQuake in Crescent City before parting ways.
The scenery around Crescent City is amazing!
The next morning as we headed out of Redwood National Forest we stopped by the visitor center to pick up some memorabilia and were greeted by a herd of Elk just waking up.
7/24/2025 Camp #24 - Manzanita Lake, Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA. 2 nights.
Our next destination would take us away from the Pacific Coast and further east into California. Manzanita Lake Campground is located inside the Lassen Volcanic National Park and as such, required us to book a site 6 months in advance. This park would also have no hookups.
The drive time was expected to be about 5 hours but, as usual, we made plenty of stops along the way and enjoyed the journey.
Our first stop (other than scenic overlook photo ops) was Willow Creek, CA. Willow Creek is the self proclaimed home of Bigfoot and is in a region known to have the highest number of sightings. We had to stop in to visit the Bigfoot Museum. With all of the hard evidence on display how could you not believe?!
And right beside the museum there was a Mexican restaurant we were able to grab a quick lunch. Bonus!
As we travelled east the landscape gradually changed from lush green forest to desert mountain scenery.
Our next stop was Weaverville where we stopped in at Diggins Bar and heard all of the local lore from the bartender. I bought a new pair of light weight hiking shoes to replace the pair that I pretty much ruined crossing the marshy creek in Redwood.
From there we went through Shasta-Trinity National Forest and on into Redding. In Redding we found a proper grocery store and loaded up with much needed supplies.
We arrived at Manzanita Lake just before dark, set up camp, and enjoyed a quiet evening by the camp fire.
Unlike the previous National Park campgrounds we had stayed in this one had a much higher percentage of tent campers vs. RVs. Probably due to the warmer climate. At every camp ground there are designated generator hours (8am-10am, and 5pm-7pm). Since we were not hooked up to power and had limited solar exposure I started the generator promptly at 8am and found out quickly that tent campers are NOT happy about this arrangement! Every other RV that I could see was also running a generator though so such is life in campgrounds without hookups.
After breakfast we set out to explore the park. Lassen Volcanic National Park is one of only two parks that have had active eruptions in the 1900’s (Lassen erupted in 1915, Mt St. Helen in 1980).
All the boulders you see in the pictures are from the eruption.
We drove the entire drive through the park, from Manzanita Lake to the Kohm Yah-Man-Nee entrances, and back. We stopped and walked a bit when Lynn could tolerate it. I hiked down to Helen Lake & Terrace Lake to take pictures for Lynn while she stayed in the sunshine on the even path. It’s amazing the temperature change as you move from 5,000 ft to over 8,000 ft in elevation. Always good to pack layers in the truck for days like these!
Along the way, it’s always fun to chat with others and see where they are from and how they are traveling.
We met Bill who was an older gentleman traveling alone, in a 21’ camper trailer similar to ours on a 120 day trip from Arizona. We also had a woman in our campground next to us that is traveling alone in an old XTerra with no tent, no camper, who just sits in her chair all day and reads. Perhaps she lives here? We have seen MANY folks along the way who appear to be living in their vehicles.
As we were heading back through the park, we heard the thunder roll and saw the rain coming in (so cool from that high up) over Horseshoe Lake, so we limited our walks from the truck so we didn’t get caught far away in the rain.
Back at the campground, it was Taco Friday, followed by a great hike around Manzanita Lake, enjoying Lassen Peak from a different angle, lots of friendly mule deer, and beautiful scenery!
A little fire before it started raining and making a plan for the next day since it will be a long drive.
That night I didn't run the generator to bring the batteries up (missed the alloted time window due to hiking) and we were at about 65% after being gone all day with limited solar. We took showers, listened to music via the TV sound system, used internet via Starlink, etc. that evening. I wanted to try a strategy to preserve battery power and see if it works. Before going to bed we unplugged everything non-essential (TV, phone chargers, etc.) so basically only the 12v refrigerator was running. When we woke up we were at 42% and had plenty of power to do everything we needed. Learning as we go on battery preservation and this strategy definitely worked.
Off to Lake Tahoe!
7/26/2025 Camp #25 - Zephyr Cove Resort Campground, Zephyr Cove, NV. 6 nights.
Our next destination was the south east side of Lake Tahoe. It would be a long drive so we got an early start around 6:30am. Of course, as usual, we would make some stops along the way.
Our first stop was in Susanville, CA at Joe's Coffee Shop. Here we met a gentleman who had lived there his entire life. His son owned the coffee shop. He gave us some history of the town and shared his love for building hot rods. He even recommended an upcoming car show for us to check out of we could work it in.
The scenery along the drive was fantastic!
We got to the campground around 1:00 pm and started setting up camp. This was a really good camp site set at the back of the campground surrounded by boulders. It also was the most challenging to set up because it was designed for Class A and Van RVs that would pull straight in, not for backing in a camper trailer. This put the hookups not only on the wrong side but also very far away. I already had a long fresh water hose and an extension for the electrical hookup, but I had to drive into Carson City to an RV supply store to get an extension for the sewer hookups. Other than that, however, the site was great!
We had some interesting neighbors as well. I met a fellow that had toured Europe, Australia, and now was touring the United States in his Unimog based RV. Check out this rig!
After getting set up we went down to the lake front and had dinner at the Zephyr Cove Restaurant, followed by a relaxing evening by the fire.
The next day we did some shopping, took a 10 mile bike ride (Lynn's foot still hurting so no hiking). That night we went to dinner at Jimmy's On The Lake which is a very popular (and fancy) restaurant. I had made reservations months in advance and we were told we had the best table in the house! The view was excellent.
The following day we rented a motorcycle for the day and took a leisurely ride around the 72 mile loop that circles the lake. We stopped along the way for lunch at Chambers Landing, which has the oldest bar on the lake housed in a 150 year old fishing cabin over the water.
After riding the loop around the lake we still had a few hours left so I dropped Lynn off and went for a solo ride. What a great way to spend the day!
The next day we went into South Lake to shop and explore. Lynn has a friend who's son runs the North Face store so we stopped in to say hi to him.
Then we took the gondola up to Heavenly Mountain Resort, where we had an incredibly over priced lunch. We also rode the Ridge Rider Mountain Coaster!
The next day we parked the truck at Incline Village and road the bikes along the trail from Incline to Sand Harbor State Park. A light rain set in just as we got back were loading up the bikes. Beautiful ride!
After dinner we walked down to the beach for a bit, then enjoyed another relaxing night by the fire. Tomorrow would be a drive over to Truckee to check that out.
Saw this in Truckee. Wow...
Truckee is great little town and a wonderful place to spend an afternoon. We had lunch at the Old Town Tavern, did some shopping and walking downtown. There was an antique car rally coming through town so that was fun to see.
On the way back we stopped at Vikingsholm in Emerald Bay State Park. It is a Scandinavian style home built in 1928 by Lora Knight. It was her summer home for many years and is now owned by the California State Parks system. It is quite a hike down but worth it.
This was Lora Knight's back yard when the house was occupied...
The view from the road above Vikingsholm...
This would be our final night in Lake Tahoe so we spent the evening getting ready to pack up camp.
8/1/2025 Camp #26 - Yosemite Pines RV Resort, Groveland, CA. 5 nights.
It would be about a 5 hour drive to Groveland, and we took our time stopping to enjoy the scenery along the way. We went through many small towns, some of which we found out later have been totally devastated by fire. One town in particular, Chinese Camp, with a population of 150 was completely destroyed.
Some of these CA roads can be a challenge when pulling a camper. 120 East from 49 was the only route to our campground when traveling from the west. We encountered narrow lanes, up to 12% grades with switchbacks and 1000 foot drop-offs with no guard rails. Although we were only in the 3000 foot elevation range, this road demanded my attention more than any other on this trip. This was the "New Priest Grade". The original road, "Old Priest Grade" is still maintained, paved, and open to cars only. No trucks or trailers as this road exceeds 25% grade in sections. It is the steepest public Hwy in the continental US. My acrophobia has been tamed over time on this trip. I could not have driven this road two months ago, yet I pulled a trailer up. I think Lynn was more nervous than I was.
The town of Groveland is known as the Gateway to Yosemite. It is home to the oldest bar in California. Of course we would be checking that out during our stay.
We got into the campground around 3:00pm and set up camp. The next day, Aug 2nd, we would be exploring parts of Yosemite not requiring timed entry passes as our passes were for the 3rd thru 5th.
We started out by driving to Hetch Hetchy to see what that was all about.
After visiting the dam, we decided to head to the Evergreen Lodge and grab a bite to eat (which is code for Lynn chatting up the locals and servers about things to do and places not to miss). Today, Ryan was our bartender (we also prefer to eat at the bar - better service and bartenders are GREAT sources of knowledge and info and usually very interesting people). Ryan has been in Yosemite for about 10 years - originally from California but lived in Utah and Sequoia National Park for years before Yosemite. He is a climber rather than a hiker!!
At this point is was just after 2:00pm so timed passes into the main area of the park were no longer needed. We decided to go to the north part of the park to Tuolumne Meadows on Tioga Rd. I was surprised at how much rock there was in this part of the park. Wonder if that is unique to the north part, because I was expecting more trees and not all the rock. It is gorgeous! The views, the temperature! Just incredible!
Our views of Half Dome from Olmsted Point were stunning. I can’t imagine folks scaling that! On down the road is Tenaya Lake. The water wasn’t as cold as I expected, and there were plenty of folks enjoying SUP, kayaks and swimming. We went as far as Tuolumne Meadows and turned around. Driving back is as enjoyable as going east -different angles and view and lighting!
Once we got back to Groveland we stopped into The Iron Door Saloon for dinner. The menu was surprisingly eclectic and everything was delicious!
The Iron Door Saloon was established in 1852 and was named for the doors that were installed on this block walled building so in the case of a wildfire, folks went inside, closed the doors and waited it out. This area boomed around 1860 during the gold rush. It is estimated that $25 million dollars was extracted from this area!
The next morning we awoke to cooler temperatures and sunshine. Since we had timed entry passes we planned to spend the entire day in the park. We loaded up the truck with extra layers of clothing, hiking gear (Lynn's foot was feeling a little better), picnic lunch, and headed out.
Once inside the park we made MANY stops. The views are fantastic from almost any point along the road. We hiked up to Sentinel Dome, where the views of Half Dome and El Capitan were stunning! We eventually made our way to Glacier Point and the Yosemite Valley Loop before turning back. Yosemite is a LOT of driving.
Back at the campground that night we had burgers on the Blackstone and a big salad. No campfire as we were in a fire hazard condition, but we enjoyed a quiet evening nonetheless.
The next day we decided to take a down day, meaning take care of things around the camper, resupply, etc. Lynn had a lot of things she wanted to take care of and I needed to have a look at our generator. During the Manzanita Campground stay at Lassen Volcanic National Park I had noticed the generator bogging down and running rough. As I knew we would need to use it more during the remainder of the trip I decided to dig into the issue. We'll call this hiccup #10.
While Lynn stayed back to take care of some things and make some calls, I headed to the nearest hardware store for some carburetor cleaner. My suspicion was a clogged carburetor. We had been in very dusty conditions and the generator also sat right on the dirt on several occasions. PML Hardware in Groveland had what I needed as well as a few other handy items. On the way back I stopped in at The Iron Door for a cold brew, then the local Mar-Val for some grocery items.
Once back at the campground I did what I could with the generator. I pulled the carburetor out, sprayed cleaner in the float bowl and the jets, and cleaned the air filter. I did not have any type of tool small enough to push through the jets so a spray clean would have to do.
Once I got it back together it ran nicely so I considered the issue resolved. I would do a proper tear down and clean once back at home.
Lynn was able to catch up on a lot of things that needed her attention so by the end of the day we were excited to get back into the park. The next day would be our final day at Yosemite. We enjoyed another relaxing evening at the camp site.
Our last day in Yosemite - another sunny day at about 90 degrees (it’s less as we get deeper into Yosemite). We did the rest of the Yosemite Valley (realizing that at the end of the loop would have been awesome bike riding but we didn’t bring ours). We parked, enjoyed the Yosemite Valley Chapel, Ansel Adams Gallery and the Valley Store (where Lynn found pimento cheese from Greensboro NC!), and did a few small hikes to see those monster rocks one more time. El Capitan, Half Dome, Taft Point and the waterfalls and mountain ranges. Then we headed to the Wawona end of the park to the south.
Getting back to Groveland required two choices of very curvy, steep roads since we exited the park via Wawona Road, but at least we didn’t have the camper. Beautiful scenery and so many small OLD towns. It’s amazing how much unused land is out here. So different from home.
Returning to the camp site from this direction was a lot of fun because we saw scenery and went through towns we would not have seen otherwise. This road, however, wow! RVs not recommended!
Once back at the campsite we talked about those people who made Yosemite a desired destination - from John Muir and Ansel Adams to Alex Honnold and appreciate their talent, spirit and love for this area.
Ending the day with steaks and asparagus, paired with another Oregon wine that Monte had gifted us and watching Free Solo about Alex Honnold’s journey to conquer El Cap. Seemed fitting.
8/6/2025 Camp #27 - Sequoia RV Park, Dunlap, CA. 5 nights.
Our next destination would be Sequoia RV Park in Dunlap, which is a good home base for exploring both Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. The drive was expected to be about 4 hours and, as usual, we were in no hurry and would make multiple stops along the way.
We were loaded up and on the road by about 9:00am. Our first stop was the J&J Farm Fresh Produce stand in Hughson. There we picked up an assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables. Local fresh produce has proven to be a staple on this trip and has contributed to some wonderful camp site meals.
Not too far down the road from that we stopped in Turlock at El Rosa #3 Mexican Restaurant for lunch. It was very authentic and delicious. The day you see me decline Mexican food is the day you will know something is seriously wrong!
Once we made a turn toward the east from Fresno the scenery really started shaping up and we could see the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the distance.
Once at the campground we were able to choose our own site. We picked a large, level site with a big tree for shade. Definitely our largest camp site to date, and since the adjacent site was vacant we had a lot of privacy. We would have a clear view of the night sky as well as shade during the day.
After setting up camp and having a leisurely dinner we went up Hwy 180 East in search of sunset views.
Once back at camp the moon was rather impressive as well...
The next morning was spent taking care of some errands. While Lynn got some things done around the camper I drove 40 miles into Clovis for an oil change, tire rotation, and car wash. When I arrived back at the camp site around 11:30am Lynn was ready to go.
We spent the afternoon exploring Kings Canyon National Park. Lynn's foot was giving her trouble so the plan was to drive the Kings Canyon Scenic Parkway and do limited hiking, if any. The parkway is a fantastic scenic adventure! The views are incredible at every turn. Once you are on the parkway proper it is about 30 miles to the end. One way in and one way out. It is also Hwy 180 which ran right beside our campground.
The parkway can have steep inclines on both sides. We saw some taller vehicles actually hit the rock in curves due to the camber of the road...
Case in point - how did this guy even get here?
The scenery is amazing!
At the end of the road it makes a loop and then sends you right back the way you came.
The scenery may be even better from this direction...
As we made our way back going east after reaching the end loop we stopped at an overlook. While we were admiring the views a box truck pulled in right behind us (also travelling east) and slammed on brakes. The driver hopped out and frantically asked us if this was the road to Fresno. The road to Fresno? Well, technically Hwy 180 is the road to Fresno if you keep going west far enough. How did this guy get all the way out here and hit the end of the road and start back westward without knowing this? We just laughed and said yes, stay on this road. For a very long time...
Anyhow, we kept moving on enjoying the scenery. The weather was perfect!
The boundaries between Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are somewhat vague. We spent several days there and I never really figured it out even though we had maps, but on the way back east on 180 (no longer the Kings Canyon Scenic Parkway) we turned off to go see General Grant, the 3rd largest tree on Earth. The hike would be minimal and Lynn felt up to it so we turned in to check it out. There is no way to describe the Sequoias other than to see them yourself.
After we left the General Grant Tree and we got within a few miles of the camp site we saw this...
Umm, local vibe dive bar cafe? Yes, please. We stopped and had a wonderful meal. This would not be our only visit to Gena's Sierra Inn and Bella Brooke Cafe.
Once back at the camp site there was nothing left to do but enjoy the sunset, and perhaps I enjoyed a little Angels Envy Triple Oak as well...
The next morning we headed out to explore Sequoia National Park proper. So we took 180 east and instead of continuing into Canyonlands we took the right turn onto Generals Hwy, which is the main road through Sequoia National Park. The scenery along the way was amazing!
Of course the most visited and most well known attraction is General Sherman and the trails around it that lead to other famous trees. General Sherman is the largest tree on Earth by volume. It's kind of hard to really get your head around that but once you see it you understand.
General Sherman rises 275 ft from its base, is 107 ft in circumference, is believed to be about 1650 years old and weighs 2.7 million lbs!
There were many other famous trees of note along the Congress Trail, as well as fantastic scenery. We found that most trees above a certain size have names. Fire scars were also prominent and are actually critical to the survival of these trees. These giants require so much nutrients from the earth that any competing vegetation is a threat. Fires control the undergrowth, allowing these giants to flourish. Their root systems are large but shallow. This creates roots that are entangled, allowing them to survive as a community. If one tree is distressed the other trees allocate nutrients to the distressed tree to ensure community survival. Amazing.
After the General Sherman and Congress Trails, we continued south on the Generals Hwy. This part of the park is more about the scenery. The section of the road between the Giant Forest Museum and Tunnel Rock is not recommended for anything other than passenger vehicles due to the switch backs and narrow lanes.
As you exit Sequoia National Park via the south entrance on Generals Hwy it brings you into the small town of Three Rivers, where we found The Riverview Grill And Bar. Waterside, local vibe, dive bar? Yes, please. We stopped in for a late lunch (early dinner?) and had a great meal and a great time.
From there we followed Sierra Drive around Lake Kaweah into Woodlake and took main roads back to the camp site. Along the way we passed lime groves, avocado, and other farms.
Back at the camp site it was another beautiful sunset and moon rise...
8/9/2025 Camp #28 - "Fancy Night " interlude in Wuksachi Lodge, Sequoia National Park, CA. 1 night
That morning we packed for an overnight at Wuksachi Lodge. We had reserved a room to celebrate Lynn's birthday on the 10th and to enjoy a night away from the camper. Much like our stay at Prince Of Wales, we knew we would need to be waited on so we booked this well in advance.
On the weekends during the summer it is highly recommended that you use the shuttles between Wuksachi Lodge and Giant Tree Museum. We wanted to see for ourselves so we drove down to the Giant Tree Museum and wow, no parking for miles along the road.
Since we would be staying at Wuksachi Lodge we thought we would pivot and try the shuttle, seemed like a good plan. We got to the lodge (too early to check in), parked the truck, and waited for the next shuttle. The shuttle runs in 3 legs. Purple takes you between Wuksachi and Lodgepole, Green takes you between Lodgepole and the Giant Tree Museum. Orange will take you into the General Sherman area but we had already seen that.
Hopping on the shuttle to Lodgepole was easy but at Lodgepole there were so many people waiting for the Green shuttle, and it was taking so long, we decided this was not for us. We hopped the next available Purple shuttle right back to Wuksachi. As we boarded there were angry tourists insisting that this shuttle take them to the Giant Forest Museum (not how that works). We made the right decision. Too much of a crowd for us to deal with. Back at Wuksachi we did some small hikes, checked into the room, and spent a relaxing evening in the bar and restaurant being waited on.
The next morning we had breakfast at the lodge and then headed down to The Giant Tree Museum. There are a lot of trailheads that originate from the museum and we were determined to see more giant sequoias, Moro Rock, Log Tunnel, and whatever else we could fit in. We got lucky and found a parking spot in the museum lot!
Sentinel Tree is right beside the museum...
From there we took what ended up being a 3 mile hike to Tunnel Log and eventually Moro Rock.
From Moro Rock we took the shuttle back to the museum where we had parked. At this point it was late afternoon so we headed back to the camp site, but we took a different route up Ten Mile Road which took us past Hume Lake. Beautiful scenery!
With this being our last night at the camp site of course we had to stop in at Gena's Sierra Inn and Bella Brooke Cafe for dinner, then another great sunset at the camp site.
8/11/2025 Camp #29 - The Dam Ranch (Harvest Host), Tehachapi, CA. 1 night.
Our next destination would be a Harvest Host farm in Tehachapi, CA. The drive would be about 3.5 hours but again, we would stop a lot along the way. As we loaded up camp I noticed I had a flat rear tire on the bike (3rd time!). We will call that hiccup #11.
Our first stop in Tehachapi was a little Greek cafe for an excellent lunch.
After that we stopped in at Cycle and Go Cyclery to drop the bike for a repair. I explained to Marvin, the owner, that this was my 3rd flat and something had to be wrong with the tire and/or wheel. He assured me he could solve the problem and even recommended a local brewery around the corner where we could wait! He would only need an hour. When we stopped back by to pick up the bike he explained that one of the spokes had a bur inside the rim and had been puncturing the tube. He filed off the burr, replaced the tube and the bike was ready to roll! Thank you to Marvin!
Once we got the the ranch we set up camp basically in the middle of an open field. We did not unhitch the camper since we were just staying one night. The views were awesome.
After setting up camp I took the bike out for a test ride down the adjacent dirt roads. Meanwhile Lynn explored the farm a bit and wandered up the horse farm next door. There she met the cowboy that owns the farm who also is a horse trainer for the movie industry. Tehachapi is only about a 2 hour drive from LA so this was a convenient location for him. Lynn looked him up on IMBD and found that he has been involved in over 40 movies both as a trainer and as a character actor! Brief run in with fame, right there! She, umm, really seemed to like this guy...
We enjoyed another quiet evening and beautiful California sunset. Tomorrow would see us heading into Nevada.
8/12/2025 Camp #30 - Artesian Cellars (Harvest Host), Pahrump, NV. 1 night.
Our next destination would also be a Harvest Host overnight stop. The drive would be about 5.5 hours so with stops we knew it would be a full day. The drive would take us through part of Death Valley National Park. There is a very valid reason it is called Death Valley. Being stranded there for very long without water can be deadly. Temperatures can reach 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
Thankfully the new truck gave us no trouble pulling the camper through the extreme heat. We arrived in Pahrump 2:00pm.
The camp site is basically parking in the lot beside the winery and since the winery is on a main road the camp site itself had no ambience to speak of. Fortunately they did have electrical hookups which allowed us to run the air conditioner all night. It was hot!
After getting set up (again not unhitching) we went over to the winery and enjoyed a great meal and excellent local wine.
8/13/2025 Camp #31 - Zion River Resort Campground, Virgin, UT. 3 nights.
Our next destination would be about a 3.5 hour drive and take us through Las Vegas, a corner of Arizona, and into Utah where we would be staying at The Zion River RV Resort. This would be our home base for exploring both Zion National Park.
We arrived at Zion River around 3:00pm and set up camp. The heat was oppressive so we took advantage of the swimming pool and enjoyed a quiet evening.
The next morning we drove up to Kolob Canyons on the north west side of the park, where we took a short hike (1.5 mile each way) out to the Timber Creek Overlook. Awesome scenery!
From there we looped back through Virgin and took the Kolob Terrace Road up to Kolob Reservoir.
Kolob Terrace Road is about 26 miles one way and winds its way up to the reservoir which is at 8118 feet in elevation. This road is definitely worth the time to explore.
Once were back at the camp site we enjoyed an easy meal and relaxed evening.
The next day we entered the park via the South Entrance, and drove the Zion- Mount Carmel Hwy (aka Tunnel Road) out to the East Entrance.
During the summer you can only access Zion Canyon via shuttle so after exploring Tunnel Road we parked at the visitor Center (this was a challenge and took quite some time to get a spot) and hopped on the shuttle. We decided to go all the way to the end at Temple of SinaWava. There we would hike the Riverside Walk to The Narrows. We had no intention of hiking The Narrows due to the rocky creek bed. Lynn's foot was not up to that type of abuse. Our plan was to take other shuttle stops on the way back but rain came so that was not possible.
After the canyon we headed over to a place called Balcony One in Virgin for an early dinner. It had been recommended so we thought we would give it a try. From the outside it is quite funky looking, to say the least...
The rain had brought the temperature down quite a bit so we decided to dine outside and enjoy the views with storms passing in the distance. The food was fantastic!
Back at the camp site the storms made for an interesting sunset...
We spent the evening preparing to break camp the following morning.
8/15/2025 Camp #32 - Roam America Horse Shoe Bend, Page, AZ. 5 nights.
Our next destination in Page, AZ would be about a 3 hour drive so of course, we were in no hurry. The drive was an easy with wonderful scenery the whole way. We bounced in and out of times zones several times since AZ does not observe daylight savings time. This drove Lynn a bit crazy as she was trying to attend scheduled calls as we drove.
When we arrived at the campground we were immediately impressed by the facilities. Pool, cafe, general store, and laundry were all in great condition and the staff was extremely helpful.
The heat was extreme so after setting up camp we took advantage of the swimming pool right away.
The next morning we got up early to make the 2 hour drive to spend the day at Bryce Canyon National Park. Of course we made stops along the way so the drive took a bit longer. We got to the parking lot around 11:00 and went toward Sunrise Point and decided to hike down to the Queens Garden Trail to Queens Hoodoo! Coming back up was a little tough gaining 450 ft in elevation back to 8000 ft at the rim. We met Deb & Mike from Florida (Margaritaville near Panama City) on our way down.
We brought a picnic lunch which we enjoyed in the park area and then made our way to Sunset Point along the rim.
As we left the canyon area, we popped over to Mossy Cave and did a quick little hike to the cave and falls, but being August, most of the water had dried up so there wasn’t much to see.
Our two hour drive home was full of interesting and beautiful scenery and we made a stop at a funky little cafe called the Rocking V cafe in Kanab, UT. Back into AZ where the time changed again (I honestly don’t know how people live near here and deal with that all day long).
We stopped by the Lake Powell/Glen Canyon overlook on our way home. The water level is way down and it looks like parts of the lake are disconnected from each other right now. What a shame.
The following day had scheduled a trip into Antelope Canyon. Upper Antelope and Lower Antelope are the most popular slot canyon tours, usually patronized by bus loads of tourists. We avoided those as we are not fans being in a crowded tour group. We chose Mystical Antelope Canyon which is owned by a Navajo couple, Roseann and Lester, who would also be our guides. All of the slot canyons are on Navajo land and you cannot visit without a Navajo guide.
We were lucky enough to be the only people on this tour so we had what I would describe as a VIP experience! Since we were the only ones on this tour, it was like walking through the canyon with them as they relived the stories of Lester's ancestors who have owned this land for decades. There were carvings in the canyon that his ancestors made in the 1864 era as they were hiding from the government who were trying to take their land away from the Navajo tribe. These stories were told through each generation and made Roseanne & Lester more determined than ever to stay on this land and pass it on to their kids & grandkids. They started giving tours of the canyon 9 years ago as a way to make money to help upkeep the land and improve the canyon for better tours. They are currently working tirelessly to work on the road back to the canyon, building shade areas to rest, and building railings and stairs around and in the canyons for better safety of their guests.
Lynn learned very quickly not to touch the "crazy horse" plant, which she thought was a flower and gently touched it. Roseann jumped in and set her straight on that. Apparently the oils from the leaves act as a hallucinogen. She had to scrub her hands in the sand after touching it.
Once back at the camp site we had dinner and then hiked over to Biidi The Arch, which was basically across the street from the campground.
The following day we rented an ATV and used it to explore the Page area. There are trails everywhere through the desert and surrounding Page. We were told by the rental center that we could drive pretty much anywhere we wanted but DO NOT cross over onto Navajo land. Apparently that is frowned upon.
About half way through the day Lynn decided she was done. We had packed plenty of water and were staying hydrated but the heat was getting to her. I dropped here back at the truck for her to go and enjoy the pool while I set out for more adventure. Plenty of room to roam out there on one of those things!
Back at the camp site we decided it was too hot to cook so headed over a place called Sunset 89. They are well known for the food but the real claim to fame is, well, the sunset.
We spent most of the next morning by the pool and then set out in the afternoon for Horseshoe Bend. We had tried to reach Horseshoe Bend on the ATV but could never find the right trail.
The walk down from the parking lot is less than a mile but Lynn was really struggling with her foot that day. Even though we were going slow it was obvious she was in pain. Between that and oppressive heat we were ready to sit somewhere in the AC for a while.
Oh look! I found a brewery! Air conditioned!
Back at the camp site we started preparing to break camp the next morning. Part of that preparation including deciding where to stop. At this point we were officially headed east toward home and Page was the last stop that we had planned ahead.
Our final night in Page was a peaceful one...
8/31/2025 Camp #33 - Meteor Crater RV Park, Winslow, AZ. 1 night.
We decided to set our sites on Winslow, AZ as this would allow us to travel some distance on the old Hwy 66. We would be staying at Meteor Crater RV Park, whose claim to fame is being just a couple of miles down the road from the giant Meteor Crater.
Once we got camp set up we headed into town to see what that was all about. Also, Lynn made an appointment at an urgent care to have her foot x-rayed. So after hiking on that foot and being in pain for a month it turns out to be a metatarsal fracture! They gave her a boot and crutches and advised staying off of it as much as possible. Alrighty then! Not really much to do about a fracture and it was already healing on its own.
Standing on a corner in Winslow, AZ...
We were up and out the next morning, our destination being Albuquerque, NM. We rearranged the truck so Lynn could sit in the back and prop her foot up (better late than never).
8/22/2025 Camp # 34 - Starr Brothers Brewing (Harvest Host), Albuquerque, NM. 1 night.
Our next stop would be in Albuquerque, where we would be staying at a brewery that hosts campers in the adjacent lot. We found that our route would take us right through Petrified Forest National Park so we took some time to explore that along the way.
Once we got set up at camp (just parking really as we were not unhitching and there were no hookups) we walked over the brewery for some food and beverages. The sunset was amazing!
8/23/2025 Camp #35 - Elk City KOA, Canute, OK. 1 night.
We were up and out early as our drive was expected to be about 6.5 hours and, of course, we would be making stops along the way. Our first stop was for lunch at Midpoint Cafe and Gift Shop on Route 66 in Adrian, TX. It is the midway point between Chicago and LA on Route 66. Cool little diner with all of the memorabilia one would expect.
And of course we had to stop at the Cadillac Ranch and leave our mark...
8/24/2025 Camp #36 - OZ Farm (Harvest Host), Lowell, AR. 1 night.
Lowell, AR is just outside of Bentonville, which is the home of Walmart headquarters. The daughter of our dear friends, Rob and Angela, works for Walmart and lives in Bentonville. We took this opportunity to catch up with her see the town. We got into the camp site around 3:00pm and Erin picked us up to show us around.
Bentonville is such a great town and it’s fun to now have a visual of her apt, where she works and where she hangs out! She took us to Bentonville Brewing and then introduced us to Table on 6 for dinner. The weather was perfect so we sat outside.
Back at the farm, we were texting with the owners of the Harvest Host to place our order for farm fresh eggs and homemade bread (our “donation” for staying at their farm.
Mom and two young girls came out to feed the animals so we chatted for a bit about this young family and how they ended up moving here from Bend Oregon (after 5 years on the road as full time RVers). They finally settled in Bentonville because of their oldest daughter’s interest in mountain bike racing (this area is HUGE for biking of all kinds). Hannah informed us that they have over 10 bikes in their family, but no street bikes. Well educated on bikes, Hannah. She is maybe 10 or 11. The little one, Adeline (about 6 or so) all about the animals! We confirmed our order and were told this was the girls job was to make sure that these orders are filled!
We were assured that our fresh bread and eggs would be delivered in the morning before we left.
Up and out early the next morning and on to our next destination, but before we could leave we had to get our fresh baked bread that was prepared by the kids at the farm. Our understanding is that aside from caring for the animals, the girls are also tasked with providing provisions to the campers. This is their full time job and is teaching them responsibility.
Our travel days were longer now as we were just trying to move east and no multi-day stop overs. We had the "horse to the barn" mentality at this point. Our next stop would take us east of Memphis.
8/25/2025 Camp #37 - Hatchie Cove Campground, Brownsville, TN. 1 night.
We left Oz Farm about 9:00am and headed east. As we drove Lynn started looking for a good place to stop for lunch.
She finally found one that said it had salads, which may be a challenge in certain parts of Arkansas. So off we went to Old South Restaurant in Russellville, Arkansas.
From the moment we walked in, we were convinced that we were on candid camera or the set of The Truman Show set (IYKYK). Loretta (real name) was our server, complete with a beehive hairdo (not ironically but for real), who repeatedly asked folks if they wanted some homemade “pah”. I ordered a Reuben which turned out to be not a Reuben at all but rather a Philly cheese steak with onions instead of sauerkraut and thousand island dressing on the side!
Everyone knew each other in this restaurant, and everyone sang Happy Birthday to Helen for what appeared to be her 90th birthday, complete with a pink balloon and sparkly tiara. The register at the front was adorned with a gold bust of Elvis Presley. This place was a hoot!
Once we crossed into Tennessee we started getting the feeling of home. Familiar landscape, weather, etc. We pulled into the camp site, got set up, and quickly realized that this campground was mostly for work crews who moved around with different companies (the guy next to us, Brady, builds solar farms and has a contract thru January here and will move on to the next job site). He had a new little Boykin Spaniel, Koda, who will soon be trained as a duck hunting dog. I had to keep an eye on Lynn to make sure she didn't snatch that puppy and bring him with us!
What a great, quiet little spot for the night. The laundry facilities were clean and working (a big plus). Oh look! A kegerator on the laundry room porch with free beer! Double plus!
Another quiet night and the camp site, then ready for the next day.
8/26/2025 Camp #38?? - Spacious Skies Campground, Monterey, TN?? 1 night??
Our plan was to make the 4 hour drive to Monterey, TN, which is about half way between Nashville and Knoxville. We had no plans to stop in Nashville as we have spent so much time there over the years due to my work.
Not un-hitching the camper is a huge time saver and we were up and on the road by 8:00am.
We got to Nashville about 11:00am. It was surreal to me to just drive on by without spending time there. I used to spend 3 or 4 days per month there at least. Guess we've had our fill of it at this point.
At this point we were really rolling. We had food and water in the truck and I started thinking why not push on? The point of stopping in Monterey was to break up the drive and give us extra time if needed, but we were rolling.
I looked over at Lynn and said "you know at this rate we could be home by 7:00pm". She just smiled and said put the hammer down, so I did.
We hit the NC border around 3:00pm and although there was a lot of construction on I-40 we were making good time.
Mecklenburg County 6:30pm!!
We pulled into the driveway just before 7:00pm and wow, what a huge mix of emotions! So glad to be home but also sad that such and epic adventure had come to an end. How to describe the feeling is near impossible. We would now start to re-acquaint ourselves with home and shift from camper living to the house.
So look at what awaited us when we got home...
We had one of our neighbors, a college student who was home for the summer, stay at our house while we were gone. She took care of the mail, packages, and made sure the house had no issues. She has 9 siblings and she is the oldest so she was happy to have a place she could stay while still being just around the corner from her family.
The house was in good shape, no issues. The camper would need some attention. Overall everything went well during our absence. I was eager to get the boat out on the lake as well as take a solo motorcycle trip (did I mention how much togetherness you have on a 90 day RV trip?).
In looking back over the trip it is difficult to describe the experience. We saw so many places and met so many people that you just would not be able to do unless you are on a road trip. Flying in to a destination is great but we were really able to experience all of the in between, or "fly over" destinations.
It is humbling to realize how big this country is. Most people only experience a fraction of it. We are fortunate as Lynn has now seen all 48 continental states and I am currently at 42, plus Hawaii. We intend to schedule Alaska and Hawaii in the near future, which will complete all 50 states for Lynn.
I think that all we really can say is just get out there and go. It is worth the effort. We have truly been changed by this experience in the sense that we have learned how to live in and enjoy the moment at hand without thinking about the past or the future. We intend to continue that mindset.
And that is a worthy goal.
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