6-25 Nearing home

Saturday, June 19th, we finished the cross-country leg of our trip, finishing at the home of brother S and his wife S at Lorton, Va. We stayed there until the following Tuesday, enjoying a good visit with them, their son S and his wife (and young son we hadn't met before, and their son K and his fiance R. We got out on a short sail on S's nice new boat. 

Three days of travel took us to Gadsden, AL and the final family visit, an overnight at the home of nephew P, his wife A, their three fine little girls and, another little one we hadn't met before, their son Henry. A good visit to a fine young, hard-working family.

That left us with about 650 miles to home, which we chose to split into two days. We are spending our last camping night of the trip at a quiet KOA at Tifton, Ga.

6-18 to Bedford Pa

The terrain changed today, from the nearly flat farmland of central Ohio to increasing hills farther east. By the time we nipped the WVa panhandle, we were in small but steep mountains, covered with dense broadleaf forest where it hadn't been cleared in the 19th century for pasture. It must be spectacular in the fall. Continuing east into Pennsylvania and the Allehgeny mountains, we got off the Turnpike and drove past prosperous farms with enormous barns. Many dairies. Stopped for the night at a big RV resort near Bedford. Last night's farm was fun, but here we can refill our water tank and dump our holdings tanks, and enjoy 110V AC. Rain forecast tonight; haven't seen a drop a month. Gracie's neighbors are two giant Great Pyrenees dogs.They have not eaten her yet.

6-17-21 to Zanesville, OH

The drive was unremarkable, but we're staying at another Harvest Hosts place, McDonald's Greenhouse and Corn Maze. Corn is just sprouting, but we are parked in  grassy field near barns and pens where there are goats, sheep, turkeys and a small calf. The animals are habituated to visitors and all showed great interest in Gracie, especially the turkeys. She was cautious, but got nose to nose with several of them.

7-16 to Richmond, IN

Not much to say about crossing Indiana on the Interstate. On the way we skirted Indianapolis, where we spent a 6-month training assignment many years ago, and recognized not a thing. But the KOA campground in Richmond, IN was a winner, with a large mowed meadow behind our site for Gracie to enjoy, and plenty of shade trees and grass. Surprisingly cool, 60's in the evening and mid-50's in the morning.

6-15 to Edwardsville, iL

Saturday thru monday we spent near KC visiting S's nieces C and S and their families. Sunday we were 13 for a  barbecue lunch at C's, representing 4 generations of cousins, aunts, uncles and nieces. Great fun. Monday we were 4 for lunch, S and i, niece S, and C's husband B. Monday night we caught a KC Royals game, great fun. Tuesday morning we bid them goodbye. A fine visit, catching up and sharing tidbits of family history. The only loss was the baseball game. Gracie and C&B's dog Darby became good friends. They even shared dog beds, despite a size disparity. See pic.

Driving east on Tuesday, we crossed Missouri straight across I-70, circled north of St. Louis, and stopped for the night at another Harvest Hosts spot, Triangle H Farm in Illinois. As the sunset approaches, we are the sole 'campers' at a large and attractive horse farm. There appear to be about 25 horses, mostly boarded, plus chickens.

6-10 and 6-11 heading east into Kansas

We said goodbye to Colorado family and to the mountains, and headed east. Unremarkable trip on the Interstate except for a strong southerly crosswind which kept us on our toes. Our Harvest Hosts stay at the winery went so well we sought out a host in extreme eastern Colorado, which turned out to be a farmhouse owned by a woman who is over her head when it comes to getting rid of junk and trash. A strong wind was blowing, but it was still uncomfortably hot until the sun went down. i got up to close up the trailer windows and vents at 3 a.m., and was rewarded with a bright starry sky. Should also mention that at Burlington we briefly visited a 100+ year old carousel, beautifully painted and accompanied by an equally old pipe organ.

6-11 to Salina, Kansas

went halfway straight across Kansas on I-70, stopped for the night at a KOA at Salina. Nothing exciting, just made tracks. Across from the KOA is a museum of antique farm implements, including a steam tractor. had hoped to visit the Eisenhower museum and library at Abilene tomorrow morning, but need timed reservations and the only time avail was too late in the day.

6-2 to 6-7 Oregon to Colorado

Some catching up to do, but I did keep notes day by day.

6-2 Soapstone to Pendleton OR

Said goodbye to family at the forest Air BnB and followed U.S. 30 and I-84 along the Columbia, passing through Portland along the way. At the Dalles traffic was stopped in both directions by a brush fire. Many fire trucks and a helicopter dumping water. after 40 minutes the fire was suppressed enough to let us through, but just as we passed the fire it flared up 20-30' right beside us. We quickly noticed there was no traffic behind us; they'd stopped traffic again. 48 degrees this morning, but 104 in eastern Oregon. As we approached Pendleton the Interstate was closed by what we later learned was a fatal truck accident. A late arrival at an RV park on a ridge with a fine view over a wide valley of green pastures. No hot water in the trailer; will have to try to get it fixed.

6-3 to Ontario Oregon/Idaho

Broke camp early and towed the trailer to an RV service shop as soon as they opened. Technician quickly discovered an unplugged electronic control box. Probably caused by electric wire stowage. Quickly and cheaply back on the road. At Ontario, a mix-up with RV park reservations left us with no campsite. Crummy RV park anyway. Due to lat hour we bailed out and stayed at a motel. When we went out to look for dinner, we were caught in a bad dust storm, very high wind and little visibility.

6-4 to Nat Soo Pah Hot Springs, Idaho. 

Desert terrain except where irrigated. A lot of nothing. Camped at an old-time mineral spring with a good (grass, trees) campground. I took the waters, S did not.

6-5 to Ogden, Utah

Google said only 200 miles, so I coded the route preference to stay off Interstates, with a destination of Promontory Summit, the site where east met west to complete the Transcontinental Railroad with a Golden Spike ceremony in 1869. We sure did stay off the main highway: the last 40 miles were gravel, and the last 20 miles were on the roadbed of the 1869 original Central Pacific side of the railroad. The railroad was rerouted from that roadbed in about 1900, and the rails were pulled for the steel during WW2. So we were driving on the gravel roadbed which hasn't been maintained or improved for 150 years. The road was so bad we briefly considered veering off and driving on the adjacent salt flats instead. We were comforted by our provisions of food and water, enough for a couple of weeks if we got stuck. Anyway, we made it with no worse damage than some cabinet screws shaken loose. Need to be careful what I tell Google.

6-6 Visit to brother in Ogden

We spent the afternoon visiting with brother T and his partner V at their home in Ogden, and then they took us out for a fine dinner. Our chances to spend time catching up with T are too rare.

6-7 to Palisade CO

Followed the main highways to Palisade, just east of Grand Junction, where the Rockies start. We stayed at a small winery which participates in the Harvest Host program, allowing members to park their RVs for free. We got a tour of the vineyard by owner Linda Lee, and enjoyed her garden and, once the sun went down and it cooled off, a good night's sleep.

6-8 to Golden CO

in the morning we visited our host's store in the town of Palisade, tasted and bought serveral of her wines. Then it was a beautiful drive across the mountains on I-70. Snow above 10,000'. The Suburban pulled the trailer without more than a little complaining. To son P's house in Golden. We enjoyed sharing dinner with P and his wife S; we'd spent a week in Golden last month but this time we had time with just them. The next night, Wednesday the 9th, grandson G joined us for dinner at P's. Didn't see G last month because he was down with covid. He's doing very well and we're proud of him.

5-20 to 6-1 Family Visits

On May 20 we drove along the scenic Washington side of the Columbia, finally reaching the Portland home of Son M and his family.

Also living in Portland were niece R and her husband W; brother S and his wife S also flew in to see his dtr and the rest of us. Finally, elder son M and his family were in Portland for a 5-week stay. We spent a week in Portland, highlighted by 2 all-hands get togethers, and while the rest worked we did 2 day trips with S&S, and my S, to see the Columbia Gorge and a bit of the Oregon Coast. We also built a Little Library for M to install in front of his house.

We joined sons M and M and their families for 3 days at a spectacular Air B&B overlooking a river near the Pacific Coast., before finally saying goodbye and starting east on June 2.

This bare-bones narrative covers two weeks of lifetime-great family visits. We wish they all lived closer, and cherish the times we do get together.

5-19 to Maryhill State Park, Washington

Cool day with spots of rain, but another scenic drive day. We drove along the Snake River and then the Columbia, alternately on the Oregon and Washington sides.  Started with high dry hills, then greener, incl. some vineyards on the Washington side. Huge wind turbine farms on the ridges. Good campground on the riverside, green and well kept. Trains passing continually on both sides of the river, but didn't bother us.

Spoke by phone with sons M and M, arranged for long-awaited visit in Portland starting tomorrow. Concern is how our dogs will get along, but I'm optimistic.

Ever since Walden, Colo., we have been mostly retracing the route we followed on our 2013 cross-country tandem bike tour. We remember many of the places well, but it is hard to believe we pedaled the long lonely stretches in between. The old joke is, "The older I get the better I was". But it's true. We are impressed with what we once did.

Tuned in to the last 3 innings of Rays game, heard them come back from down 6-33 to win 9-7 over the hapless Orioles. 6 wins in a row, now. Also watched the last inning of a no-hitter by the Yankees that happened to be the MLB free TV game of the day. I think it's the first no-hitter I've watched live. 

A short hop to Portland tomorrow. Blog will likely be silent until after Memorial Day.

5-17 to Clarkston, Washington

Completing our circuitous crossing of the wide part of idaho. We drove north along scenic (forests, mountains, lakes, fertile valleys) Routes 55 and 95. At White Bird Hill, only 4400', U.S. 95 is the only road connecting the southern and northern halves of idaho. We finally turned away from the Salmon River and drove along the Clearwater River for a few miles before Lewiston, idaho, a gritty small city which is the eastern limit of ship navigation in the Columbia River system.  We crossed the Snake River to its twin city of Clarkston, Washington, where we stopped at a very different place from last night's forest campground. We're in town, in a small but fancy RV park, located at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater Rivers. it would be a good spot for canoeing but for the perennial strong wind. Even so, it is comfortable and convenient.

On Tuesday we did laundry and some shopping, and i got a needed oil change. Otherwise we stayed out of the wind, enjoyed the view across the river, walked Gracie, and took it easy until the Rays game broadcast started at 4 p.m. Oh- and brought the blog up to date.

Speaking of Gracie, she has learned to put her car window down. At first we thought it was accidental, but then she started doing it over and over, and crying if we put the window back up.

5-15 to Boise National Forest, Hot Spring Campground

Followed the aptly-named  Sawtooth Scenic Highway through the Sun Valley area and over snowy Galena Pass,  up the especially beautiful Salmon River Valley and through the town of Stanley. We were there many years ago and took rough forest roads due west. Those roads do not show on today's maps, and just as well. We've done our share of taking roads not intended for our 2-wheel drive SUV and travel trailer. We took the road more travelled by, and stopped at a likely looking National Forest campground. Lucky to get the last good site on a Saturday afternoon. In the woods, overlooking a rushing Payette River, and warm weather. Who could ask for more? Actually, there was no more; in particular, no water on the site and no dump station for waste water. But OK for two days if we were careful with water use.

On Sunday we drove a few miles to get a cell signal and tuned in for an online church service. Gracie and I later took a hike up the easy-looking hill in the woods behind the campsite, which turned out not to be easy at all. in the afternoon we went over to the riverbank where I enjoyed a soak in the hot spring there. The river was several magnitudes too rough and fast to consider canoeing.

5-14 to Picabo, Idaho

Drove along the Palisades Reservoir- a surprising 15 mi. long- with mtns on each side.

Stopped in sm city of Idaho Falls to do laundry, then skirted lava beds incl. Craters of the Moon. At sm town of Picabo spotted a tiny but appealing RV park alongside a pasture of sheep and mainly lambs. The lambs were interested in Gracie, who was intensely interested in them. Quite a bit of highway traffic noise overnight. A one-night stop anyway.

5-12 to Alpine, Wyoming

We were dry camping at Boysen State Park, i.e. we were relying on our own water supply, which ran out Wednesday morning. After S's video doctor appointment, which seemed anticlimax after our careful planning and preparation, we filled up on water and dumped our holding tanks at the ranger station, and hit the road. The route took us across very scenic western Wyoming. When we crossed Togwatee Pass at 9600' there was deep snow on the ground everywhere but the road itself. We spotted a mother grizzly with two small cubs. Can you see the cubs in the tree? We descended to Grand Teton National Park and enjoyed seeing again that spectacular mountain range, and saw a couple of elk and a herd of about 200 bison. We

continued to the small town of Alpine, near the idaho border. We found a small but hospitable RV park to stay for two nights.

Thursday morning we had big plans for the day: get our propane tanks refilled, find a laundromat, take a short hike into the nearby National Forest, and maybe do some canoeing on the Snake River. Other than the propane, none of those things happened. No coin laundry in town. When i tried to dump our holding tanks into the sewer drain at our campsite, the trailer's blackwater (sewer) outlet was clogged. We've never had that happen before. We didn't want to risk unclogging it and dumping sewage at our campsite, so we packed up everything and took the trailer to a nearby truck stop which had a proper sewer drain. After extensive probing with a snake and backflushing, the clog suddenly released and the tank drained, leaving a god-awful mess to hose down. But i was so relieved to get the drain unclogged i didn't mind the mess or the work. So we headed back to the RV park, set up camp again, and ate a late lunch. No more activity except a nap and reading.

5-10 to Boysen State Park, WY

We awoke this morning to a surprise: it was snowing heavily, and just cold enough to stick and give the area a good dusting.

Our plan for the day was a short jump to Boysen State Park on a large lake in central Wyoming, but it turned out not to be that simple. When i dumped the waste water holding tanks there was a bad leak in the valve which controls "grey water", i.e. dish and bath water. 

Following a tip from the campground we broke camp and towed the trailer the shop of the only RV service outfit in the small town of Rawlins, waiting our turn in a freezing mix of rain and snow. They didn't have the replacement valve part but they did a temporary fix to get us on the road. We called ahead to the larger town of Riverton to set up service there, and drove through rain and snow which obscured

 some of the good scenery, with the temperature hovering above freezing. The shop at Riverton did a good and quick job replacing the valve for us and we were finally able to head for Boysen State Park, another 50 miles down the road. Our campground was in the remote Wind River Canyon which runs 15 miles with sheer cliffs of about 1500' on each side. We camped alongside a beautiful river. 

in the morning we sought out a cell signal to prepare for Wednesday's scheduled video appt with S's neurologist, and spent the rest of the day exploring the canyon and shopping in the next town north, Thermopolis, which boasts a sulphur hot spring in which we did not bathe.

4-30 to 5-7 Lakewood and Golden, Colo.

We enjoyed a week with sons M and P and their families, incl daughters-in-law who knocked themselves out with hospitality, grandchildren and step-grandchildren.  The adults all work online, so we stayed out of their way, and spent quality time with grandson E,  On the 7th, my birthday, M, E and I did bike ride on a nearby park's paved trail which we all especially enjoyed, and we had a fun birthday dinner at P's house. A happy time together after so long apart due to covid.

5-8 State Forest State Park, Colo

M and his family set off at dawn Saturday for an extended stay in Portland. The trip will take them two days. After a fancy pre-Mothers' day brunch at P's, we said goodbye to P and S, and left for Portland oursleves, though for us the trip will take more like two weeks.

A scenic drive to oddly-named State Forest State Park, near Colorado's border with Wyoming. On the way we saw a fox and three elk. The park is in a beautiful setting, way up in the Rockies at 9000', with snow remaining on the norhtern side of mountains and hills. A large reservo8ir was mostly drained for maintenance, and what remains is frozen solid. We had the campground almost entirely to ourselves.

5-9 to Rawlins, WY

Saturday night set an all-time cold camping record, 15.1 F, but our trusty propane furnace kept us warm. We were up and down all night to adjust it, however.

Sunday morning we broke camp and explored the State Forest State Park by road, hoping to spot some of the plentiful moose in the area. No luck there, but the scenery was wonderful.

A few miles from the park, at the town of Walden, we joined the route we cycled in the other direction on our Transamerica bike tour eight years ago, and headed north into Wyoming. Long stretches of sagebrush desert and huge cati7tle ranches. We happened to stop for lunch at Riverside, at a spot where we'd overnighted on our epic Transam tour. 

We reached Rawlins, WY early in the afternoon, but we were both tired, so we stopped at an RV park and took it easy for the rest of the day.

Great Sand Dunes NP in the distance

April 28 and 29 Alamosa Colo.

Left Santa Fe in the 30's, and the day never really warmed up. Drove up a wide barren valley with snow-capped mtns on each side. As we moved into the Sangre de Cristo Mtns bare ground gave way to scattered junipers, then sage, then pines. We picked Alamosa as halfway between Santa Fe and our Golden/lakewood destination. After setting up camp, a short storm came through, with slushy hail instead of rain. Tonight's forecast is 18 deg but we're cozy. 

S has not felt well today, with waves of nausea. We hope it's just a passing bug.

Thursday morning 24 deg, not as cold as predictedbut ice on the car's windows. S feeling better. After breakfast we set out on a day trip to Great Sand Dunes National park, 30 miles away, not knowing quite what to expect. The dunes, up to 700' high, cover 10 sq miles at the foot of a high mountain range. To access the dunes, we waded a shallow river (Gracie was hesitant, but loved it), and hiked about 1/2 mile over level sand to the foot of the dunes. They are popular for sliding down on a sled or board, which we didn't do, or hiking far up the hills. We didn't do that, either. We just enjoyed the hike and the scenery. Reportedly, the park is jammed with visitors in another month, but not very many people were there today. 

Did some shopping in the afternoon, then had a pizza delivered. Tomorrow we head for the homes of M and P near Denver, where we'll stay a week. The blog may go dark for that time.

April 26 and 27 Santa Fe NM

A short drive from Las Vegas NM to Santa Fe. Stopped on the way at Pecos National Historical Park, the ruins of a pueblo and a mission church. The pueblo was occupied for 600 years until other Indians and white settlers crowded out their farm land in the early 19th century. Very interesting walk with good interpretative information. If you want to build someting that lasts a very long time, use stone, not adobe.

Overnight 35 degrees, but warmed up in the morning. On Tuesday we visited the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, with a current exhibition of paintings by a Navajo man whose name I should have written down- wonderful. Their permanent exhibition is a collection of silver and turquoise jewelry from the last 150 years. And we made a somewhat crazy purchase of a very nice Navajo basket inspired by the legend of the Coyote Woman.

Tuesday evening we took our step-granddaughter E to dinner. It was great to get to know her better; a charming young lady. And a good mexican dinner, too.

Family selfie back at Ft. Sill

4-25 Las Vegas, NM

While stlill at our campsite we tuned in to a Zoom Mass, as we did last week, with our old friend Fr. Pete Krebs from NJ. A few old familiar faces and a good homily. We take Gracie everywhere, as a service dog, but we aren't comfortable taking her into a church.

 A short drive today, most of which was very dry desert: scattered junipers, cholla, and scraggly grass. But we could begin to see mountains in the distance with snow on top, and by our destination the terrain was a little hillier and slightly greener. Stopped at a KOA with good facilities but not much in the area of interest. Didn't see the town of Las Vegas NM itself. Took a walk in the desert to give all 3 of us a chance to stretch legs. Daytime 80 deg, bone dry, and wind avg 28 mph, gusts > 40. Elev 6450'. Really glad we took the back roads today. Desert has a beauty easy to miss from the Interstate.

4-23 and 4-24 Santa Rosa NM

Our route, which we planned to avoid major highways, avoided practically everything. We went 175 miles between gas stations. A problem for the unawares, but not for us. The terrain transitioned from grazing and farming to flaat-out desert. But with a bright sun and temperature in the 70's, it was an enjoyable trip. Tumbleweeds. One pronghorn. Flat terrain except for one large valley/canyon with colorful cliffs and rock formations. Just after crossing into New Mexico we passed through a large wind farm, which turns out to be one of Nextera Energy's. That's ex Florida Power and Light, the largest wind producer in the U.S. and one of our favorite stocks. Btw the largest mfr of turbines is a Danish company, Vestas. I notice that on a windy day like today, the biggest turbines regulate themselves to 15-18 rpm. They are relatively quiet, kill fewer birds than cats do, and are currently the only economically viable alternative energy source. And i think they are beautiful.

Our destination was Lake Santa Rosa State Park, but it turned out to be desolate and, because of state covid regulations, unattended. So we went back and found a good quality campground in the town of Santa Rosa. Talking with other campers, the situation is about the same now at all the NM. A shame; generally we like state parks best. The campground in town even has a BBQ restaurant which delivered a fine dinner to our campsite. Wind howling. Overnight low 35.

A phone call from daughter M on Saturday morning gave us the worrisome news that grandson G has tested positive for covid. He feels pretty good so far.

Saturday morning was for chores. Laundry, grocery shopping, failing to find a Fed Ex box to send young G a blood oximeter. in the afternoon we drove a few miles to the near-ghost town of Puerto de Luna, along the Pecos River, with many old adobe buildings and ruins. The drive out there wound through canyons with colorful rock formations.

Gracie is adjusting well to camping. She has her own bed, but once we're awake she can join us. 

4-23 on the road in NM

4-21 and 4-22 near Amarillo Texas

Leaving Ft. Sill, our route took us through the Witchita Mountains Wildlife Refuge where we saw two bison and were held up while several wild longhorn bulls occupied the road. Gracie didn't notice the buffalos, but she thought the longhorns were exciting. Her wildlife list now includes whitetail deer, alligator, armadillo, Canada Geese, bison and wild longhorn cattle.

The terrain changed continuously as we headed west, including scrubby desert, green pastures, and irrigated wheat fields. We city kids could not understand why land is used for different purposes since it all looks pretty much the same to us.

Our stay for 2 days is a large RV park 10 miles west of Amarillo.

Listened to a Rays game Wed. eve. Lost a good game to KC. We're still over .500.

Wednesday night it went down to 35. 

On Thursday, with the prospect of a cloudy, cold, windy day, we took a day trip to Palo Duro Canyon where we didn't have to go outside unless we chose to. We'd been there before, in midsummer 2019 when it was over 100 degrees. The scenery is beautiful and it makes for a good driving tour. Gracie saw mule deer, two big tom turkeys, and three more longhorns.

The sky cleared in the afternoon, and it warmed up into the 60's. We are snug in our little trailer, but we look forward to the promised warming trend so we can get outside more. i suppose we should have started this trip a couple of weeks later.

4-16 to 4-20 Visiting family

We spent 5 days at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma visiting daughter M, granddaughter J, and great-grandson K. We hadn't seen M since our pre-covid Thanksgiving family reunion, and it's been 2 years since we got together with J and K. A fun time with them, catching up on news and getting a feel for the routine of their lives these days. G is deployed to the mideast for a year. We hope it isn't so long before we see them all again.

The whole middle of the U.S. is having unseasonably cold weather. At M's, the nights were in the 40's and one night the wind blew above 40 mpg. Our big Florida flag blew away completely, but a soldier came to the door the next day with it. 

4-14 and 4-15 Cooper Lake S.P., Texas

lighning and thunder started 5 a.m. Wednesday, followed by steady rain. We broke camp in the rain and drove through it until about noon.

The terrain changed when we got far into Texas. instead of mixed forest and rolling hills in La., it was flat open prarie with large green pastures. We are out of Southern Yellow Pine timber country now. Having driven through a thousand miles of it once again, it occurs to me that cultivated timberland is actually a poor excuse for forest. The trees are densely planted, often in rows.  Mature longleaf yellow pine trees are beautiful, tall, with a spreading canopy, sometimes 30" in diameter. But trees are cut for timber when they are still only 10-12" thick. And when an area is clear-cut harvested, what's left behind looks even worse than the aftermath of a forest fire. We all need 2x4's, but it ain't pretty.

A thunderstorm came through at 1 a.m. Wednesday night, and Sandy gave Gracie a dispensation from the rule that our bed is off-limits when we are sleeping. She snuggled with us for a couple of hours, then went willingly back to her bed when the storm had passed.

Thursday morning we took a short hike on the park's nature trail, which looped through hardwood forest and "pocket prarie" remnant of the primeval grasslands. The trail was wet, but Gracie was in heaven. We'd planned to canoe in the afternoon- the park is on a very large reservoir lake- but it rained intermittently. And besides, it was cloudy and chilly. So the afternoon was spent on housekeeping, reading, and naps. in the evening, rain started in earnest.

I somehow lost a french press coffee mug yesterday, so I'm learning how to make "cowboy coffee": stirred into boiling water. 

4-12 and 4-13 Lake Bistineau State Park, La.

The best part of the travel day was a 35-mile stretch on the Natchez Trace Parkway. Over the years we have bicycled most of this road and driven the rest, a depression-era boondoggle road to nowhere. it makes for very enjoyable riding or driving. The historical markers make it a lesson in the history of trade and settlement along the Mississippi in the early 19th century. The rest of the drive was a straight shot on I-20, with no good alternative secondary roads, so it was an unusual Interstate trip for us.

We nabbed a waterfront campsite by the lake, which is really a beautiful complex of cypress swamps. Shortly after we set up camp, a yellow cocker spaniel came by. Turns out, a woman bought the dog in January "For six hundred dollars!" and took him camping first thing. He promptly ran away, and no one has been able to catch him since. He's been living at the campground, relying on the kindness of strangers. He's friendly, but won't let anyone, or any dog, get near. ironically, the dog's name is Buddy. it was fun to listen to the Rays game on the radio Monday night. Rays won a pitchers' duel.

Tuesday we took a short hike in the morning. Gracie likes a walk in the woods better than anything, and she thought this was the best hike ever. in the afternoon we launched the canoe and had a good paddle exploring the bayou. After the canoe trip, as we were walking up the dock, Gracie mistook a carpet of aquatic plants for dry land and jumped in.Turns out, she can swim. Once ashore, she ran around like it was just what she'd intended.

Rays game on the radio Tuesday night, but we got killed.

Hardly any other campers here, but they are expecting a big motorcycle rally this weekend after we're gone.

Looks like we'll have one more stop before reaching Melissa's home in Oklahoma. We're settling well into the routine of travel and camping. Gracie keeps us entertained. She thinks camping is great. Travel in the car, not so much.

Gracie wasn't through with her adventures for the day. At bedtime I took her out for a walk and she spotted an armadillo. She gave chase and the two animals were well matched for speed, with Gracie about 10' behind for a long way. Shortly after they disappeared in the dark, Gracie trotted back, very pleased with herself. i'm glad it was not a skunk.

4-10 and 4-11 Coal Bluff State Park, Miss.

Once again, a quiet, almost-deserted state park campground. The recent rain caused high water in the river; we saw swollen creeks all the way across Alabama and Mississippi. The current was running too fast in the river to consider canoeing, so Sunday, after finding an online Mass in the morning, we drove upriver a few miles and launched the canoe to paddle back to the campground. Per the GPS we were making between 2 and 3 knots even without paddling. I rode the bike 10 miles to fetch the car, the first ride in a while. Enjoyed it. Gracie liked the canoe ride well enough, and while long car rides are not her favorite thing, she's adjusting well. And she doesn't get carsick.

4-8 and 4-9 Camden, AL

Nothing interesting to report. On Thursday we came to Roland Cooper State Park, the right distance for the day, which looked like a good river for canoeing. But thunderstorms all day Friday made for a quiet day of reading. The bright spot is we signed up for MLB live audio coverage of all baseball games, so we enjoyed hearing the Rays whip the Yankees, and we look forward to listening to many more games. Learned that Prince Philip has died. Almost made it to 100.

Early hrs fri: 2 hrs constant lightning and thunder, 6 hours steady rain. Little wind. The storm was worse along coast. 

4-6 and 4-7 Torreya State Park

During our drive Tuesday, Gracie wouldn't settle down. She has a single back seat to herself, with a booster seat to give her some elevation. After lunch we took away the booster seat and put her dog bed on the seat, and she quickly curled up and took a nap. Live and learn. The only thing better would be if she rejects the back seat entirely; would give us a lot more storage space.

We made our way to Torreya State Park. The terrain is a surprise for Florida, a jumble of ridges and ravines. The campground is small and quiet. Hiking is the only recreation. Hurricane Michael two years ago devastated this part of Florida, stripping the leaves and many branches from the trees it didn't destroy entirely. The tree canopy is recovering, but is nothing like pictures from before.

It was forecast to drop to 48 deg. overnight, but was 55 in the morning. We took advantage of the cool morning to hike a trail over serveral sharp ridges ending at a waterfall. Yes, a Florida waterfall about 15' high. Very pretty. Gracie loved the hike. She actually stepped on a big box turtle before realizing it was alive. When it moved, she jumped a foot.

In the afternoon we drove a short distance to an ante-bellum plantation house high above the Apalachicola River and did a short hike to the ruins of a Confederate artillery battery which defended Columbus, Ga. from Union gunboats.

Before leaving home we downloaded an app which gives us a live stream of radio stations from home. But we were disappointed to learn that the Rays games are blocked by agreement with MLB. 

In our car and little trailer we have a surprisingly complete household for extended living.

4-5 at Manatee Spgs

A warm Sunday afternoon, but a chilly night. The propane furnace took off the chill quickly Tuesday morning. After breakfast we took Gracie out the boardwalk along the spring run out to the Suwanee River. in the afternoon we launched the canoe and paddled out into the river, which is running fast and high after recent storms in Georgia. most of the manatees have left for the season, but there were still about 6 lazing in the clear spring run, including a 3' baby.

in the middle of the afternoon, Gracie did her service job of alerting me to something approaching from behind: two deer, which ambled through the campsite. G was ready to chase them, but was told not to and didn't. 

There was an alligator near the canoe launch, but we didn't see it.  So Gracie's wildlife list is at two: manatee and deer. Squirrels and domestic animals don't count.

Nobody blinks when we bring G into a store or restaurant. She behaves well.

Green green cypress trees. Flowers shifting to yellow and notably red: One field was so dense with Indian Paintbrush you'd think it was sown.

first day, to Manatee Spgs

After Easter Mass and breakfast we hit the road at 11:15. Gracie has never been on a long car trip, but had been carsick twice before, so we'd primed her with an anti-carsick pill and hoped for the best.

just a 4-hour trip to Manatee Springs, with a lunch stop along the way. A sunny day in the low 70s, with spring wildflowers carpeting the roadside along Rte. 19 in pink, red and white.

Not warm enough to swim in the cold spring water, but just as well: no swimming pending a "security check". Turns out there's a big alligator which ate a dog.

Preparation for this trip seemed like a bigger job than usual; checklists, etc. And Gracie occupying one side of the back seat made packing more like a puzzle. To get anything, you must move something. But it all fits, and we don't seem to have forgotten anything critical.

ADA regulations for service animals actually do qualify Gracie. We've all heard of silly abuses, but the guidelines give as an example a person with hearing loss- check: my last test rated my hearing loss "profound"- and a dog trained to alert to sounds I can't hear, e.g. something or someone approaching from behind.- check. So Gracie has a Service Dog vest and she can go anywhere at all with me. Makes a big difference.

Off again soon

Having been vaccinated, we'll celebrate on Easter our own resurrection from pandemic restriction by setting out across the country in our camper trailer to visit family and see... whatever. Stay tuned!