September 24

Hello all you followers, I hope your are OK patiently waiting for each installment. With the Holidays it seems to be hard to find the time to put together a post. Not to mention trying to get some of our house projects done. So here is the next episode of our Big Adventure.

Carol and Millie went into town to check out the quilt shops and some other things they did not tell me about. Millie said they had fun and found some neat stuff, whatever it was. Ed and I talked about times long past and I learned a bunch about his military service.

After a quick small lunch Millie, Lefty and I went to the beach. When we left the camper it was low 70’s, sunny and a light breeze. When we got to the beach, 4 miles away, 

it was low 60’s, cloudy, foggy and a stiff breeze off the ocean. We did walk and Lefty got a good run in the sand, but did not like getting his feet wet. Sat in the truck for a while, watched the waves and let the ocean breeze blow though, till we got cold and went home. 

When back at Ed & Carol's, the sun was out and it was a bit cooler and hardly felt the breeze. Not sure I would like living here. Although November through March is not always pleasant in West Fargo.

Not a real exciting day and it was nice to see one of the many moods of the Pacific Coast.

Make your day great.

Tom, Millie and Lefty.

 

 September 21

Big “Mod Tour” today. Spent a little time getting the rig in order, probably just like everyone did. WOW, lots of new ideas for us to do after seeing what some very imaginative, talented people have done.

A rematch of Pictionary, men vs women, and the women walked away with it tonight. Millie and I only lasted till around 8PM. Watched an episode of Northern Exposure and went to bed. 

Tomorrow is time to say "good bye" and move on. It was our first and hopefully not the only Arctic Fox get together we can attend. Just would be nice to have one closer to the central part of the country. Weather was fantastic, even though it was windy most of the time, mostly sunny skies, temps in the 70’s and great people to share with. Thank to those who started, those that took over when situations changed, and all who attended.

WE HAD A GREAT TIME!

 

September 22

Made the move to Ilwaco, WA. All set up to “Moochdock” at my cousin’s property. Got settled in and visited for a while then made supper and crashed.

That’s about it, long day and lots of traffic.

 

September 23

Nearly perfect weather for us. Mid 50’s overnight and upper 60’s daytime. Light breeze and occasional sunshine.

Drove into Astoria, OR for some thrift store shopping with Carol. 

Hit several stores then stopped at Bouy Beer for a shared lunch. Interesting fact, their previous location on the wharf collapsed into the river. Was a neat place, and they are now at a temporary location while the new location gets fitted up. Hope it is as nice as the old one.

Stopped at Josephson’s Smokehouse for some smoked Salmon, Tuna and Scallops. Expensive, but oh so tasty. Then picked up some groceries and headed back across the big bridge between Oregon and Washington.

Supper was smoked fish, cheese , crackers and a nectarine, was really great and easy. Then over to Ed and Carol’s for puzzling and conversation. Millie stayed and puzzled, I headed back to the camper and got sidetracked by Chris. He was working on a problem with his car’s backup camera. I helped him, (second set of hands) to figure out what the likely problem was.

That was it for the day.

 Make your day great.

Tom, Millie and Lefty

 September 20

The group hoped to do a hydro tour at the Dalles Dam on the Columbia River. Well, after 9/11 and then Covid, they no longer allow the public to tour the facility. However the Visitor Center woman did a great job of presenting about the river history, dam construction and mostly the dam operation. She was a wealth of info and answered nearly all our questions, spending better part of an hour with us.

After the Dam, Millie and I went into The Dalles, OR for fuel, hardware and thrift stores. Then home about 1PM for a light lunch, some small projects and documenting the modifications we had made to our “Fox”. Tomorrow will be the “modification tour” of a few rigs, so we also did a little cleaning. Was due anyway.

After supper it was “Men vs Women Pictionary”. The men smoked the women and we all had a great time. Lots of laughs and fun as a group till the wee hours of 9PM. On the way back to our RV several of us decided to "show the lights". Looks a bit like the aliens have landed.

Another great day with some great people.

Make your day great.

Tom, Millie and Lefty

 

 September 19

Sunny and windy morning. Normal get up, make coffee, make breakfast, listen to hometown news and get ready for the day.

WINE TASTING at Maryhill Winery a few miles down the road. Great views of the Columbia River valley. 

Millie and I split a “Flight” of wine and a sandwich. When ordering, the young lady behind the counter looked at the credit card and asked “Do you know Eddie?”. When I said I did and we are on our way to visit Ed and Carol. She then told me she was my cousin Ken’s Granddaughter (Ken’s mom and my dad are half siblings), why she was not sure of a relationship, different last names. Short visit and quick photo since she was working.

From there, Millie and I went Thrift store shopping in Goldendale, WA. Millie found a few small items and I struck out. Fun to look around the town. After that we went back to the Park. Millie took a nap and I joined the group in the sunshine and fresh air, circled up and getting to know each other. About supper time we all contributed appetizers and a bottle or two of wine. 

Visited and told stories until the wee hours of the evening. Watched a couple episodes of Northern Exposure and headed to bed.

Fun day and so happy to spend time with wonderful "new" friends.

Make your day great,

Tom, Millie and Lefty

 

September 17

Full day in Pomeroy, WA and we spent much of the day looking for something to do. Tried the museum, thrift store, bakery and a book store, all closed. Found a neat Quilt shop and visited with the owner for a bit. 

Got fuel for the truck and some groceries. Rest of the day involved sewing, napping and laundry. Pretty quiet day in Pomeroy. Supper, treats and streamed some entertainment.

 

September 18

Up early and I went to the Bakery for cinnamon rolls while Millie got the last load of laundry done. Packed up, stowed gear for travel and got on the road about 10AM.

Strong head wind, curvy road and pretty plain scenery. Lots of grass, rolling hills and blue skies. Arrived at Maryhill State Park in Maryhill, WA. Got set up in the row of Arctic Foxes for the three day rally. (We are the one under the flag.)

So far there are about 15-20 rigs here. Meet and greet after supper to go over the agenda for the rest of the rally. Nice to meet people I have communicated with on Facebook for years. So far seems like a great group of people and should be a fun few days.

Moonset at Maryhill State Park, WA.

Make your day great!

Tom, Millie and Lefty

 

September 15

Travel was uneventful today. Butte, MT hasn’t changed much, from I90. Enjoyed a bit of lunch at a nice Montana Rest Stop, they do have some nice ones. Through Missoula and stopped in Lolo, MT and proceeded into Idaho over Lolo Pass. Highway 12 across Idaho is for the most part a great road, just have to like curves. It is a slow road, speed limit mostly 50mph. Stopped for the night at a great USFS campground that surprised me by being nearly full on a Sunday night.

Enjoyed sitting outside with the very comfortable temps, even needed a long sleeved shirt. Visited with a retired couple from California. We shared campsite and things to see info, and a few wildlife encounters.

Early to bed so we can early rise.

 

September 16

Moving on a little earlier, that’s usual for us. Only about 160 miles for the day to Pomeroy, WA. Trip was slow because of a 10 mile construction zone, 35mph speed limit and a pilot car wait. Beautiful country all along Lochsa River to the confluence with the Selway River and becomes the Middle Fork Clearwater River. Would be a fun drive on a motorcycle. Then negotiating all the construction through Lewiston, ID/Clarkston, WA and on to Pataha Creek RV Park in Pomeroy, WA. 

Finally back to good cell service and the fastest RV Park WiFi I have ever encountered. Thanks to the Port of Garfield.

Just staying two nights so we can do laundry, empty tanks and add water. Will check out the town tomorrow.

Make your day great.

Tom, Millie and Lefty

 

September 14

Sunrise at Red Mountain.

After breakfast we went into Four Corners, just on the West edge of Bozeman. Found a great Artisan Bakery and after tasting a few items got a  great looking Basil, Rosemary, Olive loaf and a couple of treats. Then off to Thrift stores and even a, so called, Antique store which was more flea market than just antiques. Millie did most of the looking, although I did a quick walk through then joined Lefty in the truck and got caught up on emails and news. Last item in town was to top off the fuel tank and be ready to head out tomorrow.

Back at camp we enjoyed a scone (from the bakery), Millie set up to sew “squares” together and I got the generator fired up to fully charge the batteries and some other trailer related stuff. Cooked up a couple of hamburger steaks, sautéed some onions for a light meal and an adult beverage to round out the day. A couple more episodes of Northern Exposure and off to a good nights sleep.

Make your day great.

Tom, Millie and Lefty

 

September 13

Lazy morning drinking coffee , made a great breakfast and headed to Ennis, MT for some shopping and general sightseeing. 

Millie found the Thrift Store and made a few purchases, and I took advantage of cell service to catch our kids up on our travels. I found Willie’s Distillery. 

From Ennis we headed to Norris and the Hot Spring. Spent a few hours soaking in the glorious warm water and meeting Clint and Vicky. They are “full timers” and we visited about travels and places we have stayed.

So far the weather has let us know why we pack so many clothes. Upper 80’s when we left home and now the highs are barely reaching upper 60’s. Living off grid and dry camping it is better to be cool, since we cannot run the AC from out Solar and batteries.

Back at camp, Millie made a potato beef soup with lots of veggies. It was a great supper and she even had cut the recipe in half so we only have one or two more meals. We also do not have much fridge or freezer space so it was a good choice. It is a really good recipe. After supper we watched the last DVD of Northern Exposure, season 5.

It was a great day. Make yours great.

Tom, Millie and Lefty

 

September 11

More travel day from Medora to Billings, MT. Swanky RV Park right on the edge of town and within walking distance to fine dining (Burger King) and Sam’s Club. OK, it was Cabela’s RV parking next to their store. Other than noise from I90 it is a great spot to overnight and shop in the store. After fast food supper we played a few games and took advantage of great cell service.

 

September 12

Last travel day till after the weekend. Good old Red Mountain BLM Campground about 15 miles East of Norris, MT. This will be the fourth time we have utilized this campground. Spacious level sites with views (some right on the shore) of the Madison river. Almost always windy, yet so lovely when it is not.

Make your day great.

Tom, Millie and Lefty

  September 10

HI ALL and welcome back.

As some of you may have noticed, there was no Big Adventure last spring. We had two reasons.  Number one, started and completed a full Master Bath remodel and began replacing all the flooring on the second level. Number two, kind of really didn’t have much winter, so I never got tired of moving what little snow we had.

So now we begin our new adventure with a non-eventful trip across ND. Other than the smoke from the fires West and North, the drive was pleasant and a good way to get into travel mode.

Sunrise at our favorite first night campground, just West of Medora, ND.

All set up and trying to relax with a nice breeze and 85°. Nice Chefs salad, a glass of vino, play a couple of games and get a good nights sleep.

With all the smoke the half moon was blood red, kind of spooky. Unfortunately the camera I have does not do well with night images. Oh well.

Make your day great.

Tom, Millie and Lefty

Welcome Back to Fall 2024 BigAdventure

 Hi all, we are back.

I will be starting to publish our travels this fall, and as you will notice it is delayed. Changing plan so I publish after we return from travel. Sort of a safety concern so it is not so obvious our home is empty. Can only have so much security with cameras, alarm systems and automatic lights. 

We had a great time visiting some great people and wonderful places and I will publish often for you to follow.

Enjoy the trip, hopefully as much as we did.

Tom, Millie and Lefty

 Hi all

We spent several days in Harmony, MN. Visiting with relatives, Amish product shopping, sampling great beer and eating way too much delicious food.

The colors of the leaves must have been near peak making traveling around with Ken and Muriel one scenic view after another. Just in the town of Harmony the colors were spectacular.

We also did several thrift stores, I know your surprised, and occasionally something grabs my eye. This case was just for a photo and not a purchase. Of course we also did find a few things to purchase. Sometimes I enjoy thrift stores and Millie always enjoy them.

From Harmony we moved to Brooklyn Park, MN for a visit and project assist with Chelsey and Levi. Finished up the baseboard on all of the floor covering they had completed installing. We also enjoyed Levi's cooking skills and enjoyed a nice bonfire. A few more projects to do and/or advise on then will be time to head for home. We did take time to go to the dog park with all three dogs. It is a really nice off leash park. We were worried about Lefty and his aggressive tendencies. However, with the two big dogs as part of his pack, he acted so well with other dogs, or just ignored them. It was a good trip and he got tired.

 

Had to include this photo called " Who Put Baby in the Corner?"

Our trip home is going to involve the RV going to the dealer we bought it from. Yes, Rob and Chris, something else broke. When we packed up to head to Chelsey's, the bedroom slide would not come in all the way on one side. Able to get it road worthy so I will let the dealer solve the issue. 

Make it a great day.

Tom, Millie and Lefty

 Hi All

Nebraska provided a great rest stop at Windmill State Rec. Area. Even though there were no Sandhill Cranes, our little wild one enjoyed the campground.

The morning sunrise painted a picture of the day to come. 

Finishing our move across Nebraska, we ended up in Iowa at a casino RV Park. Literally a place to park your RV and have electricity. We did not spend any time gambling as the smoke in this casino is crazy. By the time I got us registered for the parking spot, I considered hanging my clothes outside to air. In the morning clouds hid the sunrise and gave a great photo op.

Long travel day across Iowa to Harmony, MN and a visit to several family in that area. Finally traveled into the Fall colors. Got set up in the City provided campground and out to eat with Ken and Muriel. Great restaurant and conversation. Back to camp and a full parking lot all around our campsite. The High School football field is just across the road and there was a big game. Hometown won and the parking was all cleared out by 10 pm. Quiet night, good night's sleep and woke ready for today.

 Preston, IA from the Branding Iron Supper Club.

Make it a great day

Tom, Millie and Lefty

 Hi all

After two nights on the mountain above Canon City, the weather made the decision for us to stay put. Fifty mile per hour gusty cross winds. The site we had was reserved so we ended up moving to the Day Use parking lot. Still a nice spot with a great view and beautiful sunset.

Next day we did move on across Colorado into NW Kansas. The city campground I planed for was in use. Food venders, games and no spots open. We then headed farther East to a town with a great campground on a small reservoir. A much prettier spot than the place we could not get into, so worth the extra drive. 

Next morning, headed for Nebraska. A state park East of Kearney, NE. Stayed here before with the Sandhill Crane migration, just a bit too early this year and no cranes. Went into Kearney to visit the Great Platte River Road Archway Monument. If you are traveling through it could be a stop worth planning a couple of hours to visit. The museum is built over I-80. We sure enjoyed the time spent. 

I spent a bit of time discussing maps with some old prospectors. Other stops in Kearney were all thrift stores. Millie enjoys them but I was tired and elected to rest in the truck. 

Back to camp and a light supper, clean up and The Voice. 

Off to Iowa tomorrow, a quick overnight at a casino and on to Minnesota. More to come when we get there.

Make the day great.

Tom, Millie and Lefty

 Hello everyone

Our time in the Grand junction area was productive, well, at least for retirees. Laundry, trailer duties, groceries and of course thrift stores. Believe or not we did not go to all of them. Just spent the first day getting everything done. 

Day two started off with beautiful weather and a drive through Colorado National Monument. If you like beautiful views, curvy roads and lots of elevation change, it is really worth the drive. Take a picnic lunch and enjoy one of the many pull outs. Suggestion, go from East entrance to West entrance, most all the view points are on that side so you don't have to cross traffic to access them. It will mean the passenger side will be right next to the drop off edge, so they should just look at the scenery and ignore the edge of the road.

After finishing the  drive it was time for wineries. Only had time for two, both of which were wonderful. We sat in the sun with Lefty (he acted like a gentleman), sipped wine and talked about the day and where we will be going next. On the way back to camp we stopped at a roadside produce stand and experienced a Loofah tunnel.

Yesterday, our travel day, we drove along the Gunnison River to Monarch Pass. Very nice travel weather and we got into a slight bit of snow on the pass. You did have to look real close to notice, but it was snow. Down the pass along the Arkansas River and into the Canon City East Ridge Campground. High up on the bluff overlooking Canon City. Millie made a "once around the fridge leftover casserole" and again amazed me how good that can be. Fortunately it solved our hunger and cooking options for a couple of days.

New adventures today and stories tomorrow. Today's sunrise over Canon City.

Make the day great

Tom, Millie and Lefty