Helena MT, Rapid City SD, Hersey PA to Wilmington NC

We left Boardman OR headed to Couer D'Alene ID to the Elks Lodge but once we arrived they didn't have a spot.  This was a beautiful location near a lake and it was hot out so we should have figured they would be full.  So we drove on and found a spot at Haugan MT at 50,000 Silver $ casino with 50 amp for free. There isn't anything in the so called town but it's a good stopping point.  They have the casino gift shop, a motel and a convenience store that has a bar in it, now that's a first for us!

Our next destination was Helena MT to visit Tim and Katy who we meet 2 winters ago in Wickenburg AZ at the park we stayed in.  They have a beautiful home high on top of a mountain looking down on the town, unfortunately the smoke from all the forest fires obscured the views.  Everywhere we have been there has been smoke.

They were wonderful hosts cooking delicious meals and showing us the downtown area.

  Thank you so much for a great time, until we meet again, hugs.

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We left Helena MT and headed to Sheridan WY staying over night at the Walmart, luckily the temps were cool.  The parking lot was full with over nighters as the Sturgis bike rally was going on.

We scored a spot at the Elks Lodge in Rapid City, SD.  Our friends from Wickenburg AZ, Bob and Sharel, were staying in Pedimont which was about 20 miles up the road from us.

About 2 weeks before we arrived Bob and Sharel were in a bad hail storm at the campground they were staying in at a dealership.  They had all the roof vents, sky light, windshield and mirrors on their motorhome damage along with the pickup truck!  The dealership had millions of dollars in damage to new RVs.  

I can't imagine being in a storm like that and dealing with the damage!

Of course since the bike rally was going on we had to get the harley out and do some riding.  We were at the rally in 2007 so we had to ride to the new Full Throttle Saloon.  

It's has a very cool industrial feel honoring the backbone of our country.

On Thursday nights in Rapid City on the square they have free concerts.  I will have to say this is one of the coolest downtown areas we have been in.  They took us to dinner at the Fire House which is an actual fire house, great food and wonderful atmosphere.

There is this alley that folks can get a permit to paint, what a great idea.

Planned on leaving Saturday and when Mark went to backed up my truck to the trailer it wouldn't go in gear and the shiftier was moving all around!  This was Friday night and he knew if we cut it off it wouldn't start again so Bob suggested a repair shop just down the road from where we were.  So we dropped it off and Mark went back when it opened Saturday morning.  The shiftier lineage had broke and the shop got the part delivered but weren't able to install it.  They were super helpful getting a tow truck and suggesting another repair shop that was open on Sunday.  The tow truck driver showed up, asked what the problem was, then asked if we had a zip tie.  Gave him one and he crawls under the truck and made a temporary fix allowing us to drive it to the next repair shop.  No towing bill and we gave the man money for lunch.  Ok, so we get it to the shop and they said there was a possibility of getting it done that day if not it would be Monday.  Back at home we were saying how super happy we were that this didn't happen in the middle of nowhere, about then the phone rings and the truck is ready!

A big shout out to Bargain Barn in Rapid City.

Thank Bob and Sharel for showing us a good time during our visit.

I'm going to miss you girlfriend, see you in a few years.

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Moving on we landed in Mitchell SD at the Moose Lodge and had to check out the one and only Corn Palace.

Most of the outside and inside designs are dried corn cobs!

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Next day we stopped at a rest area and came across this, it's the base column to a wind turbine which has 3 sections, so this gives you an idea how large they are.

Scored a spot at Walnut Woods State Park in Des Moines IA where Mark's nephew Jason lives.

This was a nice find for us that Jason suggested as we usually don't fit in a state park.  It was nice to spend time with family and see his girls again, they were just little when we saw them last.  Jason married Annie 5 years ago and she had 2 kids as well so they now have a wonderful blended family and the kids are nicknamed CHAOS.  

Thanks for a wonderful time, great food and use of your laundry facilities.  

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Moving on through Iowa we had to stop at the worlds largest truck stop in Walcott.  This place has anything the traveler could possibly want.  

Spent the night at the Moose Lodge in Joliet Illinos after driving through some horrible rain, sure glad we didn't wash the rig.

The next day we arrived in Howe Indiana at the DRV factory to pick up some parts for the rig.  Got a spot that had full hookups, haven't had that since Utah.  One of the things we got was the floor for the bedroom slide as we had some water damage that we need to address.  We have an appointment with Allegaint RV Repair in Middlebury IN to get it fixed but it's a week from now so they were nice enough to let us park my truck and trailer at the shop, seems strange riding together! 

On Sunday we went to the RV/MH Hall of Fame in Elkhart, it's definetly worth a visit if you are in the area.

Man we have come along way in the RV world.

Once we toured the factory Monday morning we had to move and that morning Mark found out about some classes he could take in South Bend IN.  So we had to scramble to find a spot and try to get there before a rain storm.  Now this was only a 35 mile trip but it was our worst trip since we left Arizona.  It cost a small fortune to take the toll interstate so we decided to take 20 but they were doing railroad repairs and detoured us about 40 miles out of our way.  Rain, detours and me almost running out of gas along with a confused GPS made for a awful trip!  But on the bright side we got a spot at the Elks Lodge in South Bend and it wasn't raining when we arrived.  This location is 3 miles from the classes Mark will be taking for RV repair.

Found out about a speedway 30 miles from us that was having a race with monster trucks and a sort of demolition derby.  What a hoot it was with a backwards race, fox and hound tag race and a trailer race.

We left South Bend IN headed to Greenville Ohio to the county fairgrounds where we will stay over the Labor Day Holiday.  If you don't have reservations over the holiday it can be tough to find a spot but always check fairgrounds and as long as the fair isn't going on you can usually get a spot.

My brother lives in Englewood Ohio which is 30 minutes away, there was a KOA near him but they wanted $57 a night and we refuse to pay that!  On saturday he came and visited us, it was nice to see him again as it had been 3 years.

It was a good decision to leave on Labor Day as the traffic wasn't bad and we landed in Mercer PA.  I have family here in the area and we had a few days to kill before we needed to be in Hersey PA.  Found a nice spot at RV Village and we were only ten miles away from my cousin Doug and his wife Patti.  If you stayed 6 days you got the 7th free, we couldn't stay 7 but they will allow us to use the free night on our return trip.

Man it was hot and humid when we arrived.  They were setting record highs with thick humidity, actually the schools were letting kids out early as they didn't have A/C.  Who would have thought the weather would be so crazy the first of September.

The next day we took my Aunt June to lunch at her favorite restaurant Bob Evans, she is 96 years young and the nicer lady you will every met.

That same day my 5th grandchild was born!

Welcome to the world Nash Anthony Williamson.

That night we went to dinner with my cousin Doug and his wife Patti at Quaker Steak n Lube in Sharron PA which is the original one, this is a tradition when we are in town. 

A few nights later we had dinner with the rest of my cousins, always great to see everyone!

We pulled out headed to Harrisburg/Hersey PA driving in the rain all day.  Mark is taking some continuing ed classes and we have a friend flying in to attend the RV show and pick out his new fifthwheel.  We were lucky enough to find a spot at Harrisburg East Campground, abit pricey but worth it.  Stayed in one site and then moved the next day to another one, again lucky with the show going on.

Glad we could help our friend Doug Villers pick out his new RV, he fly's back home and we headed back to Mercer PA for one night and then to Middlebury IN to get the slide fixed.  During this time there is a hurricane headed right for Wilmington, so worried about our family and friends!

These folks did a great job and we couldn't be more pleased!  We got there on a Sunday and they let us stay in the parking lot hooked up to power. They started working on it Monday morning and it was done Tuesday, spent the night in a hotel.  Damage was caused from broken caulk and poor construction.  Tony the owner has worked in the RV industry for 30 years and knows his stuff.  He put a larger L channel on the slide and was able to replace the floor without taking out the slide!

Call Allegiant at 574-825-3303 for your RV repairs and keep things caulked!!!

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Left IN putting some miles behind us staying at some Walmart's landing in Mount Airy, NC at the fairgrounds.  Spent a few days and visited the downtown area.  We have been here before and always go to Snappy Lunch to get a famous pork chop sandwich!

Left Mount Airy headed to Bracey VA where we visited my Aunt Ruthie.  We were in a holding pattern waiting for I-40 to open up, the flooding from hurricane Florence was unbelievable!  

After a few days I-40 opened up and we were able to make it home!  Will be spending the winter at my son Ryan's house.  It's good to be back home and be able to help folks recover from the hurricane.

Thanks for following our travels!

Check out my jewelry at 

www.etsy.com/shop/wanderingdesigns

  

  

Oregon and Washington

On the 19th of June we arrived at the Boardman Marina Park in Boardman OR.  This is a beautiful park right on the Columbia River with large sites and full hookups, very popular location and it fills up every weekend.

We booked 2 nights but wanted to stay longer so we walked to the check in booth but the girls where out for a few minutes.  While we were waiting a man pulled up and started talking to us and told us he was the winter time workcamper.  We told him what a beautiful park it was and that we wanted to book a few more days.  Well the girls came back and between them they told us they didn't have any spots but if we wanted to workcamp they had a spot.  Workcamping wasn't in our plans for this summer as we did that last year.  They said they would take however many days we could give them and they would refund the second night that we already paid for.  Dah, it sounded to good to be true and all we had to do was make rounds at 10 at night and help anybody that came in late.  So we moved the rig the next day and workcamped for 8 days!

So this is our new site.

It's huge with a beautiful yard and good views of the river.

We took a ride to a winery called Jacob Williams to get some wine for our daughter in law, now there are tons of wineries in the area but this is the one I choose because our son is Jacob Williamson, just seemed appropriate.  Along the way we stopped at the John Day Dam where there is dry camping right along the river for 14 days.

Portland is the nation's largest wheat port, 40% of U.S. wheat is shipped through the Gorge via barge or train.  Grains, hay cubes, bulk legumes, and paper products comprise the major Northwest agricultural products headed for world export, along with that all-American favorite - frozen French fries.

Next we visited the Maryhill Museum constructed by Sam Hill who built the first paved roads in Washington state.  He thought the area looking over the gorge was the best place so he bought 5,300 acres and began construction on his mansion.  In 1917 Sam decided to turn his mansion into "a museum for the public good, and for the betterment of French art in the far Northwest of America".  The collection is amazing from Indian art to Queen Mary's gold throne, a very interesting place to visit with spectacular views of the river and Mt Hood.

Maryhill Stonehenge is a concrete replica of Stonehenge in England and is located at the eastern end of Maryhill Museum's property.  It was commissioned by Sam Hill and dedicated in 1918 as a memorial to local World War I dead. 

Our friend Doug, from the park in Wickenburg AZ, who we plan on visiting in Washington came for a visit.  He told us to arrive after the 4th of July when the weather gets better.

We will miss the beautiful sunsets over the river but it's time to move on.

If you are in the area of Boardman Oregon I highly recommend staying at this park.

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Our next move was Vancouver City WA to the Elks Lodge, $20 for electric and water.  We will stay here over the 4th of July.

One thing I will say is that the traffic around Portland coming or going to WA is terrible!!!

Took a ride to Hillsboro OR to check out Roloff farm and the area. 

Of course it wasn't pumpkin season so this is as far as we got. The town of Hillsboro is larger than what you think.  The downtown area was blocked off for a farmers market which was fun to walk through.

The Elks Lodge in Hillsboro was nice so that maybe an option for a stay, it's nice to be able to check things out.

Our next outing was to Esther Short Park in downtown Vancouver.  It's a 5 acre park and is the oldest public square in the state.  There is this really cool clock tower that chimes and then tells a story of the salmon.  The arrow points to the doors that open with the story boards.

The Chinook believe the salmon are their ancestors.
The first salmon caught is magical and is carried to the
village with ceremony.

The salmon is prepared with great care and shared
among the tribe.

The bones of the magical salmon are returned
to the river to honor the tribes of the sea.

It's a nice park but it was sad to see all the homeless people just hanging out.

The town of Vancouer was having fireworks at Fort Vancouver National Historic site so we checked that out for the 4th, we hadn't seen fireworks for two years.  Fort Vancouver was the first U.S. Army post in the Pacific Northwest.  We toured the Marshall House which was the residence for the Commanding Officer of the Vancouver Barracks.  Some of the homes along officers row are private residences or rented out for businesses, the income being used to preserve these historic homes.

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Our next adventure took us to the historic highway 30 on the Oregon side of the Columbia river.  First stop was the Vista House at Crown Point sitting 693 feet above the river.  

In 1916, construction began on a "comfort station" for motorists traveling the new 75 mile Columbia River Highway.  The architecture is amazing with marble floors and stained glass windows, sure wish our rest spots of today were like this stunning one.

There are 8 waterfalls along Hwy 30 but there were some we couldn't visit due to a forest fire last year.  

Latourell Falls and Shepperd's Falls

Bridal Veil Falls, love the texture of the moss covering this tree.

The best one was Multnomah Falls which is the second highest year-round waterfall in the nation.  Plummeting 620 feet, the fall is fed by rain, snow-melt and underground springs on Larch Mountain.

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Totally enjoyed the fireworks display at the fort but taking pictures of them is one thing I haven't mastered yet.

The next day we made a short move to Kelso WA staying at the Elks Lodge.

Opened the door after we parked and found out that the freezer door had opened spilling chili and beef broth on the floor that had begun to melt, what a mess!  Have never had this happen before, note to self always check inside when you stop, especially traveling over bad roads.

Next stop was Port Townsend WA where our friend Doug was staying.

We called this the compound at the gun range.  Some of the folks, including Doug, staying here worked on the range and they were all so welcoming to us.  

Doug took us to Tongue Point at Salt Creek Recreation Area on the Olympic Peninsula.  The tide levels can be as much as 20' causing the tide pools.  Looking across the water is Victoria BC.

This was taken on the pier from Port Townsend looking out on the bay, ferries and ships are constantly traveling back and forth.  Note the jackets and it's the second week of July!

One evening we went to the Rose Theatre to watch a movie.  It was the neatest venue for a movie.  The building is the original Elks Lodge and the theatre is on the top floor.  33 seats available for an intimate showing along with food, beer and wine.

Our next adventure Doug took us on was a ferry ride to Everett to tour the Boeing Facility, it was amazing!  It is the largest manufacturing building in the world and produces 747, 767, 777 and 787 airplanes.  

That's Mt. Baker at 10,781 feet.  Of course I couldn't take any pictures in the factory as it's a matter of top secret information.

A friend of Doug's was babysitting a beautiful house for the week and invited us to dinner.  

Awesome views, good food and really nice weather made for a nice evening.

We celebrated Doug's birthday playing cornhole and having a cookout.

Our next adventure that Doug took us on was a trip to Seattle.  Ferries play a major role in transportation in this area and you can't be in a hurry.  Two rides later we landed in Seattle and headed to Fisherman's Terminal to check out the boats.  Alot of the big ones were out as salmon season started the day before and none of the Deadliest Caught boats were anywhere to be found.

We enjoyed a wonderful lunch dinning on fresh caught fish, yum!

After lunch we strolled through the Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Gardens and then went to the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks.

From tug boats, luxury boats to kayaks, you never know what will pass through the locks.

Port Townsend is just outside of the Olympic National Park so Doug took us to Hurricane Ridge at an elevation of 5,242 feet.  Impressive to say the least!

We enjoyed our time in the Pacific Northwest and one thing that I will always remember is the abundance of beautiful flowers everywhere.  I believe it is all the moisture and moderate temperatures.  Lavender grows like a weed in this area.

Thanks Doug for showing us this part of the country and introducing us to new friends, we will see you in Hersey Pennsylvania in September.

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We left Port Townsend headed to Brush Prairie WA to get new awnings on the rig.  Mark has used this company all last winter to replace awnings and they are a great company to deal with.  You can stop by and have them installed if you are in the area or have your RV Technician order from them.  They are thicker than the original ones and the solid color really looks nice, as a matter of fact alot of the new RVs have solid color awnings.

Once the awnings were installed we headed to the Elks Lodge in Hillsboro OR for a few days.

Being a rock hound and lapidary artist I seek out rock shops.  Found the Rice Museum in Hillsboro didn't disappoint, it is an extensive collection in the family home of Richard and Helen Rice who fell in love with rocks on a visit to the Oregon coast and the rest is history.

Took a nice drive through the Tillamook State Forest on our way to the Tillamook Cheese Factory.

Tillamook cheese products are so good!  This company churns out more than 160,000 pounds of cheese each and every day.

We had hoped to spend more time in Oregon this summer but there is alot on our agenda so it was time to move on.  Drove back to Boardman Marina and campground for a night, then headed onto Montana.

So much to see in our great country.

Thanks for following and be sure to check out my jewelry on Etsy.

www.etsy.com/shop/wanderingdesigns