Quiet Day @ David Crockett SP (6/27/14)

This morning was a time of reflection for Barbara and I. We had a leisurely breakfast, a couple pots of coffee and thought about all we have done on this trip. After a year of planning, 9 weeks of travel 9200 miles driven, we are now about 400 miles and 1 week from returning to Etowah. We have had a fantastic time and loved all that we have gotten to see and do. The trip and the Escape trailer have exceeded our expectations. We have gone from total novices with the trailer to pretty skilled travelers. Getting set up and torn down is routine, towing is easy and we have gotten good at figuring out where to go next. After breakfast, Barbara went over to talk to the campground host to find out what there was to do in the area. It turns out that just one town over (Ethridge) is a large Amish Community. It’s called an old order Amish Community. We visited some shops, saw an Amish farmers market where they auction off their produce, and had lunch in a local (non-Amish) restaurant. When we got out of the restaurant, the skies opened up with a downpour, so we headed back to the campground. Barbara and I put together a meal in the slow cooker. After that, since the temperature was mild, I decided it was time to wax the trailer. That was a good workout, but the trailer doesn’t look like it has seen 6200 miles of road grime! After dinner, we sat out for a while (until we felt we had fed the local insects enough) and then headed inside. We’ll probably play some more Cribbage and then call it a night. As we are getting closer to home, it’s nice to be able to sleep with the AC off and the windows open.

Mississippi Rain (6/26/2014)

This morning we woke up to a torrential rainstorm! It was nice being “warm and dry” when it was very wet outside the camper. (And also in the car where I had left the windows open a crack) Fortunately, I had reconnected the towing mirrors and set the hitch up on the car before going to bed. When we were in the various states of the desert, rain was not in our vocabulary! After a leisurely breakfast, it was time to break camp. We dug out our Bean boot,s which hadn’t been used since we left Washington State, took out our rain jackets and hats and Kevin’s rain pants. You would think that we had been doing this for a long time with our preparations! Before leaving the campground, we drained our tanks and headed out in the rain. It was nice driving on the Natchez Trace with hardly any traffic rather than being on an interstate. We arrived at David Crockett State Park around noon and set up quickly before the rain caught up to us. There is another SP called Davey Crockett Birthplace near Johnson City, TN. We took advantage of being close to a town (Lawrenceburg) to take care of laundry and grocery shopping for the next few days. When you look around the campground and see the very short sights, you will understand that this campground was set up in 1959, long before campers were often 40+ feet long. Our 19’ camper fit very nicely into our sight. We even took advantage of the senior discount! (We’ll take ever discount offered!) We will spend the next couple days just chillin in place before we head east for the final leg.

Jackson to Tupelo (6/25/2014)

Today, we got an early start as we were heading up to a small National Forest Campground. Without rushing, we were hitched up and on the road by 7:15. After being on the road for 41 days of camping (not counting visits where we weren’t sleeping in the camper) we have gotten really efficient. This morning we got to walk around a small cypress swamp, walk on the original trace and read lots of the sign boards along the road. Still, after taking our time, we got to the next campground by 10:30, were set up and heading into Tupelo by 11:30. We found another neat restaurant in downtown Tupelo. The Trip Advisor hasn’t failed me once on this trip. I seem to have the ability to “read between the lines” to find the kind of restaurant that we both like. I had homemade pimento grilled on sourdough bread while Barbara had chicken salad. Some of the specials they had revolved around Elvis Pressley who was born in Tupelo. After a delicious lunch, we took a stroll down Main Street and into the same Hardware store where Elvis’ mother bought his first guitar. (He wanted a rifle, his mother wanted to get him a bicycle and they compromised on a guitar for about $7.00! And the rest is history) After that, we drove by the home he was born in and took a picture. (We weren’t willing to pay the admission!) Then we thought we were going to see a National Monument where the battle of Tupelo was fought. Turns out, it was just a field with some exhibits! Then, back to the campground for a leisurely evening. Tomorrow we’ll head to David Crockett State Park. If we can, we’ll probably stay 3 days so we avoid having to search out a campground over the weekend when the “working folk” take all the available sites! It’s kind of nice not being one of them!

Natchez to Jackson (6/24/2014)

Today, we began our slow meandering drive up the Natchez Trace. We were not covering more than 100 miles or so, and decided to take multiple pullouts to read the signs, walk the paths, etc. The trace reminds us of the Blue Ridge Parkway without hills and curves! I believe that the highest point in Mississippi is only 603 feet. Although I have heard about Natchez Trace for years, I didn’t know the history of it. Apparently, the road was mainly developed as a way to move mail between Nashville and Natchez between 1801 and 1820. It was also heavily used by boatmen that brought their cargo down the Mississippi River. Due to the current, they would sell their boats for the lumber when they got to the end and walked back up stream. When the steamboat came into existence around 1820, the need for the road diminished. Towards the end of our days drive, we came across the Mississippi Craft Center. Barbara was able to find a unique cream pitcher to add to her collection. We ended up camping in a utility owned campground on the Ross R Barnett Reservoir. This was a huge campground and almost full. Most of the campers seemed like they were there full time as the owners would commute to work in Jackson and either come back evenings or weekends. All we needed was a place to set up and relax, so the campground met our needs. (Also, with the high heat and humidity, we had electric to run the AC which made both of us happy!) 

Natchez, Mississippi (6/23/2014)

Today we drove to the start of the Natchez Trace, in Natchez Mississippi. The drive down was uneventful as the roads were flat and straight. It seems like such a contrast after the driving in all the states leading up to Texas! We arrived at the campground at 12:15 and the signs directed us to the campground office. When we got out of the car, we saw a sign stating: “be back at 1:30.” So, we drove back to the campground, around loop B and saw 1 site with a reserved sign on it but not a site with a camper. We decided to set up and have lunch. (It pays to have the camper and air conditioner) We had the trailer backed in, hooked up to electric and water in minutes and sat down to a leisurely lunch. At 1:30 we were back at the office by 1:30 waiting in the 88 degree heat for the office to open back up. By about 1:40, the ranger came and opened up. (The leisurely pace of the south!) We registered for the site that we had already occupied and then headed into town. We first went to Melrose, a National Historical Park. This is “A Cotton Kingdom Estate.” We learned this from the ranger who took us and 2 other couples for a tour of the house. It is called an Estate vs. a plantation since there wasn’t any crops being raised here. It was amazing that with people this wealthy, it was all about showing how rich they were! After that, we went to a plantation that has a restaurant and pub in what was the stables. We had drinks and appetizers that were delicious. Then we tried (and failed) to find the terminus of the Natchez Trace Parkway. Well, I guess that we’ll be 9 miles shy of the southern part!

On the Road Again (5/22/2014)

Well, this morning we said our goodbyes to the Keller Family and were back on the road by 8AM. It was about a 5 hour drive to our campsite, but well worth it! Originally, I had considered staying at a commercial RV site, but eventually came across this Parish (county) owned & run campground. It was a short hop off the interstate, reasonably priced and they took a reservation over the phone. We got there and found everything that we needed. Most of the “lower” sites back up to where you are looking right over the lake. The sites have water, electric and sewer which allowed us to handle some “tank housekeeping.” When we left Kelly’s, it was raining and rained on and off for most of the drive. So, as Barbara got the inside of the camper back into shape, I went over the outside so that it still looks like new! We had a late lunch and relaxed during the afternoon. Barbara cooked up salmon burgers and risotto for dinner and of course we will have our usual dark chocolate for desert. Since we will be having short drives for the rest of the trip, we’ll try sleeping with the shades down to see if I can “sleep in” for a change.Plus, as you can see, they actually had Wi-Fi at the campsite!

5 in an Escape 19? (5/18 – 5/20)

We spent the last two nights camping in Eisenhower State Park about 1-1/2 hours north of Richardson with Kelly, Nate & Sam. We arrived early on Wednesday morning and had our pick of campsites. Kelly had already scoped out a really good site and we were able to secure that. It just took a few minutes to get backed in & unhitched. (Practice over the last 35 nights of RV’ing has made us pros!) Once situated, we took a walk/bike ride to check out the other campsites, fixed a light lunch, turned on the AC and put Sam down for his nap. All the buyers of Escapes in NW US and Canada don’t understand what it is like camping in Texas in June! Although it is still “only” in the 90’s, the air conditioner is very much appreciated! During the 2 days camping, we tended to do whatever “cool” things that we could – eat ice cream, swim, sit inside the air conditioned Escape, sit under the awning & rain tarp! Seems like in Texas, you spend your time “dealing” with the heat & bugs! By Friday morning, it was time to head back to Kelly’s. We got an early start despite a leisurely breakfast of grandpa’s famous “camp eggs” and were back by lunch time. Kelly’s greyhounds, Monte & Kit Kat were very glad to see Kelly back home! We will spend a couple more evenings here and then hit the road for the final leg. The plans call for driving to Lincoln Parish Park in LA on Sunday. Then, about a week meandering up the Natchez Trace Trail and finally, the last part of the trip will be spent close to home in the Smokey Mountains National Park. 

Time off the road (6/8 – 6/18)

For the past 9 days, we have been staying in Kelly & Chuck’s house in Richardson, TX while the Escape Trailer & Car sit in the street in front of their house. I am really glad that the width of the trailer is the same as that of the car. While the trailer looks bigger due to the height, the cars and trucks passing in front of the house have not had a problem with where we are parked. If anything, I would say that the trailer parked out front tends to be a “traffic calming device” like a traffic circle or speed bumps. Since arriving, we have been spending lots of time with Kelly, Chuck and “the boys.” (Nate & Sam) Due to the high temperatures here, we normally have the boys at the park by 8 AM every day. After that, you tend to really cook. We’ve gotten to go with Nate to his swimming lessons, and have made the normal Target, Sprouts, and IKEA runs. After 35 days living in the Escape on the move, it has been refreshing with no place that we had to be! We also got to celebrate Father’s Day, my birthday, Sam’s birthday (with a pool party). Also, time to catch up on events with access to Wi-Fi. One thing that has been hanging over me is the lack of a place to park the trailer when we get back to WNC. Well, that is now solved. We found a storage area in Mills River that has openings and is just off of Airport Road. That will be convenient as we will normally be passing right by going to and from the interstate. Another surprise was that we now have license plates on the trailer. The company that financed the trailer sent a check to North Carolina to cover the sales tax for the trailer once they had received the papers from Homeland Security showing the exportation of the trailer. Kind of a nice surprise that we don’t have to go to the tag office! I feel fortunate that we were never pulled over in the 5 weeks and 5,200 miles of towing without a plate. Between the fact that we were not speeding and also “looked like Canadians” with a Canadian Maple Leaf on the back of the trailer, I guess we weren’t a target. 

Heading to Texas (6/8/14)

Today, we were up and ready to start moving by 6 AM. I went down and decided that I needed some fresh coffee and wasn’t ready to tackle Dom’s coffee maker. I filled my water bottle with water, and then headed out to the camper to prepare a thermos of coffee! It’s always nice to travel with an extra kitchen! When I got back inside with my coffee, Joyce & Dom were up so we all had a leisurely breakfast together. Some more catching up, and then time to hit the road. This turned out to be our longest drive with the trailer – 377 miles. We’re not anxious to see Kelly, Chuck and the boys, are we? We decided to camp at a “city” campground that I found on one of my apps. We were a little nervous as we didn’t hit the campground until 4 PM. We suspected we would be alright since it was a Sunday and most “weekend” campers would be gone. Well, we drove in and took the best site (of 25) with no other campers! Retirement traveling definitely has its advantages! We set up quickly as the pad was perfectly level. Then, we decided that we needed to begin emptying the fridge, so I had a couple beers and Barbara finished a bottle of wine. We heated up leftover chili in the microwave and then explored the campground. We did find one other camper in a tent and also found the “bath house.” We were glad to have our own as this one was really in poor shape! We’ll spend the evening reading and playing cards and then be in bed early so we can be up at the crack of dawn and driving to Kelly’s!

Rio Rancho – Day 2 (6/7/14)

This morning, we awoke with the sun at 5 AM as has happened so often on this trip. We did manage to stay in bed until 6 and then got up and crept around trying not to wake Joyce & Dom. Eventually, we all had a light breakfast and then sat on their back patio enjoying the views and catching up on old times. In fact, we spent so much energy catching up, that Joyce had to make us a second breakfast (or brunch) of egg tortillas! After that, we headed out for more adventures. We first went to Petroglyph National Park. We spent some time in the visitor center checking out their exhibits, and then headed out to walk some of the trails. The number of petroglyphs out there was amazing. We couldn’t believe how close the housing developments come to the rocks that they have in the park. I guess that it’s hard to keep the builders from building where the views are spectacular! After that, we drove out to the foot of the mountains where there was a cave that we could climb to. I couldn’t believe that Barbara made it almost to the top. I can understand why she wouldn’t want to climb the “circular staircase” up to the cave as it was hanging over a sheer drop! Although the cave was interesting, it was disappointing that there was some much “trash” in the cave from the tourists visiting. When we got back to the house, we enjoyed some frozen Margaritas to “rehydrate” and finished off with Chili, garlic bread and some fresh fruit. Then it was time to share pictures. But again, this was hard work and we had to take a break to enjoy some cobbler & ice cream! Eventually, we tore ourselves away from the pictures to head up to bed.

Albuquerque – Day One (6/6/14)

Today, we left the reservoir and headed into Albuquerque to visit some good friends. We’ve known Joyce and Dom since we moved to Asheville in 1987 and they have remained good friends. Our daughters grew up together and remain good friends to this day, despite being spread apart. (Florida, Fletcher-NC, Houston, Dallas & Santa Fe) Joyce & Dom have been retired and living in Rio Rancho (outside Albuquerque) since 1987. They also have enjoyed traveling and purchased an RV when they started retirement. It was fun discussing tanks, hookups, leveling, charge level and all the other special terms related to RV’ing! After situating our Escape trailer in their drive way, we moved inside where we had a light lunch and caught up on old times. After hearing all the options for the evening, we decided to take the “Road Runner” train up to Santa Fe to check out the town and then have dinner with their daughter Susanne, son-in-law Hector & grand-son Santiago. The food was good and the company even better. What an enjoyable evening. After our meal, we all piled into their car to meet the train for the ride back to Rio Rancho. Kevin and Dom stayed up into the wee hours of the morning catching up. Then, finally off to bed where I crashed – my normally bed time is much earlier!

From Dam to Dam! (6/5/14)

This morning, we left Navaho Lake SP and headed down the road to Abiquiu Lake Campground. (Army Corp of Engineers) Both of these sit on lakes created by dams. I was glad that once we hit route 64, the road improved. Some of the back roads make you dizzy with all the bucking! One of the amazing things about today’s drive was the amount of oil and gas activity in New Mexico. You are constantly being passed by white pickup trucks with a couple flags sticking up. I believe that this is so they can more easily be seen when they are driving the back roads. As you drive, you are constantly passing working oil wells and what must also be gas wells. It seems like between wind, solar, oil, gas, coal and hydro, we could tell the Saudi Countries that we don’t need their oil. We arrived at Riana Campground on Abiquiu Lake at around lunch time. The campground was almost empty, but as we drove around, we saw that almost every site was reserved from tonight forward. After talking to the park supervisor, we found out that there were several available slots without electric. Since we have solar, we were ok with that and found a prime site overlooking the lake. We set up the trailer and awning and then had a bite to eat. After lunch, we were sitting outside when all of a sudden; it looked like waves flowing across the lake. Well, the waves were caused by wind! Needless to say, we put up the awning. We spent much of the afternoon inside the camper reading (and enjoying the breeze from our fan) while the camper was rocking and rolling from the gusts off the lake. Hopefully the winds will die down somewhat tonight and the temperature will drop from the 90’s to the 60’s. Tomorrow, we will head over to stay with some former neighbors right outside Albuquerque for a couple days. And then, off to Texas!

DURANGO, COLORADO June 4, 2014

It was 38 degrees in the Mesa Verde NP when we got up this morning. I turned the heat on for a little while to take the chill out of the trailer. We had a good breakfast and headed on down the road to Durango, CO. Neat town. We parked our car and trailer at the visitor center and walked a beautiful pathway along the Animas River, which is running very high and fast due to snow melt. We walked around the historic area and had lunch at The Diamond Belle Saloon in the Strater Hotel which was built in the 1880’s. The girls were all in dance hall girl costumes. It was a fun place with good food. As we walked back to our car along the river we were amazed by the kayakers playing in the waves.  We are now in New Mexico staying at a state campground on Navaho Lake. 

OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE June 3, 2014

Kevin thought it would be appropriate if I did the entry today, so here I am. Our plans were to tour some of the Cliff Dwellings in the park. Kevin did the Balcony House because it had tall ladders to climb and a tunnel to crawl through. Both were out of my comfort zone. He had a ball. The ranger who led the tour made it very interesting, so when Kev got done he was psyched to do the next tour which would be the Long House Cliff Dwelling. We had discussed this when we purchased our tickets. It sounded pretty easy so I said Yes, I would do it with him. We got to the meeting place early and as we were inquiring whether we were in the right place the ranger who was about to leave with a group told us to join them. Our tickets had a 1:00 time slot and it was just 12:00 I didn’t have time to prepare. Off we went. There were 17 of us in this group including a man who said he had one lung. The ranger leading our group is young and very knowledgeable and passionate about the area and the cultures. He explained that his mother is Pueblo and his father is Navaho. We start down the path and as we round a bend all I see is sky and a sheer drop into a canyon. At this point I am ready to turn around and head back, but Kev said “you can do this” so he took my arm and as I looked at my feet he lead me down some steep steps and a steep grade pathway, some more steep steps and another steep grade pathway till it leveled out and we were at the “Cliff Dwelling”. Now, all I can see is the sheer drop down into the canyon. I had to turn my back to that and concentrate on the dwelling. And then I see a ladder.  No Way…. Everyone else in the group climbed the ladder, even the man who said he had one lung. I stayed at the bottom and just listened to the interesting talk that the ranger was giving from there. All together our group was there for about 40 minutes, than we all started the ascent. Kev stayed on the sheer drop side as we made our way back up to the top. All I know is I would not have been a very good cliff dweller. This truly was an experience that was out of my comfort zone. We toured The Archeological Museum which was also very interesting. On our way back to the campground we saw a black bear which was not too far from where we were staying. I kept looking for him but never did see him again. Later that evening we went to the amphitheater for a star gazing talk. We actually got to see the International Space Station as it went by overhead. Beautiful sight. The evening got chilly so it felt good to get under the comforter. More adventures tomorrow…

San Juan Skyway (6/2/14)

Today, we drove over some of the most outrageous terrain ever! We left the Black Canyon of the Gunnison around 7:30. Just getting down to Montrose from there is an adventure – you keep the car in 1^st gear the whole way. After that, we started heading South on 550. We went as far as Ouray and then had to turn west as they have been clearing up a rock slide for the last few months. We went up, and then up some more. We eventually came out of the highest elevation and then down into Telluride. That was kind of a neat old town. Barbara picked up a wind chime for the trailer and a couple tee shirts for the boys. After a light lunch in our trailer (great place to find a bathroom and restaurant when you’re traveling!), we headed on to Mesa Verde – Colorado NP. That part of the drive was even more exciting. We hit 10,000 feet and saw mountains all around us that were 14,000 feet high and covered in snow. We followed rivers that were swollen with snow melt. Eventually we got to the park and checked in. We were amazed to find that the campground has Wi-Fi! I believe that other than the one commercial campground that we stayed at in California, this is the first. We signed up for a couple tours of different cliff dwellings tomorrow. Barbara and I had to separate from each other on the first as it includes multiple ladders and she doesn’t do ladders! Tonight, we will head over to a ranger program and then be up early for a full day tomorrow.

Goodbye Highway 101! (5/16/2014)

This morning we continued south on 101 and finally started heading east. We picked up 101 when we started driving the Olympic Peninsula on Sunday, May 4th just outside of Tacoma. We continued around the Peninsula, down the coasts of Washington, Oregon and then through the coast of California including the many Redwood Forests. In fact, we have towed the trailer for 1788 miles already and most of them on 101! Tonight we are camped in Clear Lake State Park with a large lake to the north and surrounded by vineyards and various fruit trees. I guess that it hit us today that there is an abundance of wine produced around here. Tomorrow we will be staying at Jessie’s Grove Winery just outside Lodi. So, if we over imbibe, we just have to make it over to our camper which will be staged on their property. Some people talk about “camping” in Walmart lots or Casino’s. For us, why not a vineyard? This is how we are taking part in an organization known as Harvest Hosts. For an annual fee, you can stay at wineries, vineyards, orchards, organic farms, etc. Barbara has been enjoying using her ipod and Audubon app that Steve gave her. (Acorn Woodpeckers, Cliff Swallows and we found an Osprey Nest) We are staying right on track with about 120 miles averaged per day of driving. We expect to be in Yosemite National Park by Sunday! And the adventure continues – stay tuned for more. (Sorry about the lack of pictures, but Wi-Fi has been scarce and extremely slow.

A Hike in the Yosemite Valley (5/19/2014)

This morning, we decided to make the “trek” back down into the valley. Although the trip is only 30 miles from our Stansilaus National Forest campsite to the valley, it is 1-1/2 hours each way due to the winding and steep roads. In addition to this, they are very proud of the gas burned in the park charging $5.00 per gallon! But when you are many miles from the nearest town, you gratefully pay it to keep the tank full. We left our by 7:15 in order to beat the crowds. What a pleasant drive it was! We were at the parking area early, hopped the free shuttle bus and got off for the Mirror Lake hike. It wasn’t long, but it was so pleasant to have the trail to ourselves. We did see a crew from the CCC (California Conservation Core) performing maintenance. Kind of ironic to see them removing rocks from the trail that have been there for over a century! After our hike, we stopped at the visitor center, had a light lunch, took care of some phone calls since the valley has cell coverage. We then headed back to our campsite. We took advantage of the afternoon sun shine to read for a while and then headed into the trailer. We decided to leave early the next morning so that we could tow through the park without traffic. Played some Cribbage and then hit the hay.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison (6/1/2014)

This morning, we left our last campsite in Utah and headed over to Colorado. Barbara took the wheel as she is paying me back for towing through the precarious mountain roads. A game we like to play when towing is to see how high we can get the MPG! I’m amazed that on the interstates we’ll be up over 15 towing. (We were down around 9 climbing into this park!) The other thing that amazes us is how the topography changes as you move from one state to another. As we entered Colorado, we started seeing snowcapped mountains – and it’s June 1^st! One of the interesting things on the drive was how swollen the Colorado river was. It was over its banks almost up to the interstate! I guess this is still spring snow melt. We were also amazed with how well the cell coverage is on the interstates. We caught up on phone calls and then stopped in the little town of Montrose. What a nice little town! We then headed the short distance out of town and climbed into the National Park. When you get to a campground and they ask if you need electric, it’s nice to say no! We were able to choose one of loops where the “campers” stay as opposed to the RV’ers. With a high temperature of 73 and a low overnight of 40, I’m really not sure why they have to have electric. Maybe to run their tv? We had a great site with a view over the canyon. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison was just amazing. It drops 3000 feet from where we are looking down. Compared to the Grand Canyon, this is a little known park. It is every bit as astounding as the Grand Canyon without the crowds. As we walked around the campground, we came across many mule deer that were not afraid of the campers. You still have to keep your distance, but it is really neat seeing them!

Back to Original Purpose of Trip (5/31/14)

This morning we were able to have a leisurely breakfast and enjoy the campground before leaving since we had reserved our Saturday campsite. (I didn’t realize that ReserveAmerica had charged me $8 for that privilege!) While wandering around the campground and just taking it easy, we met a camper from Colorado. He literally talked our ears off telling us all the places that we “had to” go. After an hour of being talked at, I was literally reconsidering all the places that we “needed to” visit. I even got mad when I skipped a stop that two people had said we should go to. After getting to our campsite and setting up and looking over maps and talking to Joyce & Dom, we made some minor adjustments to our trip. And then, we sat down and discussed what our goal was for this cross country adventure.

1.       Use this trip as a “second honeymoon” in repeating the cross country drive of 1975

2.       Transition from work to retirement

3.       Use the $3400 that we would have had to pay for delivery of the trailer for our adventure

4.       Slow down, relax and chill!

So, tomorrow, we return to our original plan of driving 100 miles per day. Driving with our eyes open and the foot lightly pressed on the accelerator. If we see something we want to see, great. If not, that’s also great. Despite the above, the sights today were amazing. We are now camped next to a golf course, a wide river & a railroad. We are hooked up to electric and are enjoying the air conditioned air, I’m drinking a beer and Barbara is microwaving some popcorn! (This morning, we ran our blender on 110 volt without hookups!) So for now………..

The Early Bird gets the Campsite (5/30/14)

This morning we were up and out by 7:00 AM. We knew that we had about 120 miles of driving over mountainous terrain and wanted to get to the National Park early to get a camp site. So far, we have been on the road for 4 weeks and the days I’ve been most concerned with are Fridays and Saturdays as on those days we are competing with the “weekend working folks!” To put it mildly, the trip from Kodachrome Basin to Capital Reef NP was interesting. At one point, we were up about 9,000 feet on the ridge line of the mountain. The width was just enough to have two lanes of traffic with a drop off on each side. Barbara was leaning in towards my side of the car! Not only did we have outrageous climbs and descents, but we also came across some  outrageous run. We saw signs for runners in the road for over 100 miles! Once we started seeing them, they were running up 8 to 12 degree climbs! Well, we got close to the campground and saw a “campground full” sign but decided to keep going into the park and campground. Luckily, when we got here, there were still openings. We added freshwater to our tank, set up our camp site and had an early lunch. Within 1-1/4 hours of our arrival, the campground was full! Since we were at a national park, we went up to the visitor center, Barbara stamped her passport and we watched the park movie. (We do that at every National Park that has one) We wanted to walk the campground as there are bunches of historical exhibits, but the weather was threatening. Instead, we drove into the town of Torrey (about 11 miles away) where a restaurant had been recommended. We caught up on Wi-Fi and phone calls and had another fabulous meal. When we got back to the campground, we enjoyed some Jessie’s Grove Winery Wine and sat back and watched a thunderstorm move in. We can have a leisurely morning tomorrow as we have reservations for a State Park . So, for now, we sit back, relax and contemplate another great day on the road. We have now been in the camper for 4 weeks and have covered 3600 miles with it! No regrets!!!