We stocked up on food while there as the cupboards were a bit bare after 2 weeks in the country. We scored some more Jack In The Box (not available in Utah or back East). No luck on replacing the blown SUV tire.

I dragged my brother to the Idaho Potato Museum in Blackfoot, ID. Definitely a must see just for giggles. We learned all about how spuds are grown, harvested, and stored. We took a picture in front of the World’s Largest Potato sculpture. We saw the World’s Largest Potato Chip, Marilyn Monroe’s sexy potato ad, a letter from the Idaho governor to Vice President Dan Quayle telling him he could spell it any way he wants, Mr. Potato Head, and lots of stuff made from potatoes. They even gave us free freeze-dried hash browns which we cooked up at home and turned out to be very tasty.

The zoo, a replica of Fort Hall, Fort Hall Casino, and a well treed graveyard with resident and very entertaining buzzards are nearby but we didn’t go to those.

For more pics click here.

Over the mountain pass on SR20 and just 15 miles away is the tourist town of West Yellowstone, MT. While on the way there going east, watch for a large turnout with restrooms, picnic area, and lots of people filling jugs with water from a clear fresh stream/fountain at Howard Springs. I don’t know what the big deal is with the water but there are always lots of people there filling up on it. I stopped there to score a geocache up in the picnic area.

West Yellowstone is your typical tourist trap. There are lots and lots of interesting little stores full of Tshirts and Yellowstone knick knacks as well as art galleries, playhouses, restaurants, etc. There are campgrounds all over there if you don’t mind a tight squeeze and/or high cost. 2 small grocery stores supply both locals and tourists but at significant prices. Even the McDonald’s and KFC there cost twice as much as elsewhere! Forget finding the dollar menu. Bring lots of cash or be prepared to pay for ATM fees. Many places don’t take plastic.

There is a very good Yellowstone museum there and Imax. We enjoyed the museum very much and had some fun taking pictures. I can’t imagine touring the park in the good old days by stagecoach as they show or young girls leaving home to work the summer there in the shops and dining halls while boarding there with no car. Many seemed to enjoy it though. The stagecoaches were replaced by yellow touring cars which are still used for tours.

Entrance to Yellowstone usually requires waiting in a long line at a group of toll booths. The cost to get in is $25 for 7 days. If you have a pass, as we do, they open one line just for those to speed things up during busy times. It is a long long scenic drive along the river, past lush meadows and mountains laid with fallen timber, past fly fishermen, picnickers, and gawkers, to get to the crossroads where decisions must be made. Will you be touring the north, east, west-south areas of the park today? The park is so big that it will require several days to see it all. It takes a lot of driving and stopping for pictures and gawking. There is plenty of walking too though nice boardwalks are provided to keep everyone in safe areas off the thin crust that can hide a very hot, deep frying pool beneath its surface. As earthquakes occur though, the geology changes so you may see a steam vent blocked off in the parking lot. You should be aware at all times that you are in an active volcanic area when in Yellowstone and be careful. As beautiful as the pools are, not only are they very hot, they also contain the sort of dangerous bacteria that grow in high heat and can be very acidic so don’t touch.

This was my first time in such an active volcanic area and it was amazing. We saw clear cerulean pools, steam vents everywhere, white wasted hillsides and tree remains, geysers, paint pots (boiling mud holes), waterfalls, long fallen trees, new trees planted after the horrendous 1988 fires, the Continental Divide, elk and geese lounging or foraging for dinner in this fragile landscape, lakes lined with volcanic rock and hot wells, and more. Old Faithful did his thing as expected every 57 minutes and we got great seats to watch. They have lots of benches on the boardwalk in front of it to wait for it and ice cream nearby certainly helps too. Don’t let a stormy day keep you out of the park. It is even more amazing then because the rain makes the steam rise even more so you will see the steam vents better.

We didn’t see any bears though there were bear attacks at one of the campgrounds which hurt several people in tents and killed one. That campground was closed and others were only open for hard sided RVs. We didn’t see any bison either which is probably also good since a man was hurt by one of those too. There were also several escaped murderers from Arizona in the park while we were there so everyone was on high alert. They were all caught eventually after they moved on.

I thought the smell of sulfur would be much worse than it was. Not bad at all. The change in elevation in some parts of the park got to me though. It gave me a headache, made me very nauseas, and my chest hurt a bit when breathing. It was worth it! The road construction going on right now in the park was not a lot of fun, particularly with half hour wait times, but we were prepared with a DC powered fridge we picked up at a thrift store and had filled with drinks and sandwiches. Driving in 3 states (Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming) each day was a bit weird.

Please note, if you plan on doing something stupid while at Yellowstone, they do have webcams. The webcam at Old Faithful caught some park employees one night appearing to be tossing something in it and peeing in it. They were fired, charges have been brought, and they are banned from the park.

There are numerous other things to do in the area. There is hiking and fishing of course, rafting, kayaking, river tubing, horseback riding, rodeos, plays, boating, etc. We went to a play at the Pinecone Playhouse to see Calamity Jane which was pretty good. There was a Mountain Man Rendezvous while we were there. Not much going on in demonstrations but it was fun to look at the crafts they were selling and we found an excellent glass and metal magnifying glass for our old eyes. I went to the Meadow Vue Ranch BBQ and rodeo in Island Park. The ranch boards kids every summer and teaches them how to be responsible by working there and taking care of the livestock along with horseback riding and rodeo skills. They host a BBQ and rodeo 3 nights a week for a very reasonable charge with very tasty steaks, a salad bar, Dutch oven beans, potatoes, and cobbler, and more. Entertainment was provided by a guitar player and the kids. Seeing them turn the horses loose and running them down the road out to the pasture was pretty cool. They need donations by the way to keep helping kids so please take a look at their website. Call (208) 558-7411 for reservations for the BBQ.

Bad things that happened this trip:
- Altitude sickness.
- SUV tire blew out and we had to change it in a rain storm.
- Road construction in the park and out.
- Scary, really high winds at the lake.
- Moron left dogs in tightly closed up car with no windows open at the Rendezvous, Rendezvous person in charge didn’t care or have PA, moron went redneck and insulting when very politely asked to open the windows next time.
- Another moron backed his truck into a parking space in front of the general store and porch at Old Faithful where we were sitting in rocking chairs and left the truck on while he ran inside for a long time. Totally gassed all out.

For lots more pics click here.

The first thing you see there is a gigantic pool that is filled from the springs and actually spans over the road, or at least the slides for it do. The pool was filled with happy swimmers and more were walking and sliding over our heads. Despite the cost of camping, the fees for all the pools and river tubes seemed reasonable. We saw smaller hot springs pools at area motels and a fine set of covered lounging pools at the other end of town for the more sedate set. They reminded me of Roman baths and seemed like a good place to talk politics or make a deal. The hot springs put out quite a lot of water so the pools are refilled easily every night. The bottom of these pools below is gravel.

The best attraction there actually seemed to be the river. The shallow river winds through town at a nice clip to be exciting but not too exciting if you know what I mean. You get some very nice small rapids that demand your attention if on a single tube but are negotiated easily on a double or quadruple tube. Tubes can be rented all over town and hauled on top of your car or in a truck bed to the end of town where putting in to the river will take a little downhill climb in the park. They ought to formalize the put in point with a sign and steps. There is a nice paved walk along the river to watch the rafters. We desperately wanted to join them but unfortunately had not brought our swim suits and it was on a weekday when the shuttle to get from the bottom end of town back to the park and our car was not running. The shuttle only runs Friday-Sunday and that is quite a walk uphill through town without it. You get tickets for the shuttle in a local shop.

We had to settle for ice cream which also seems to be a popular activity there.

For more pics click here.

The campground RV spaces are tight so be prepared to love thy neighbor. It has 30/50 electric and water. There are no sewer connections and no dump. There is a nice dump nearby at the fairgrounds for $3. The campground restroom is not the greatest but it is clean. There is only one shower for each sex and they are pay showers – 50 cents for 6 minutes. I don’t mind paying but the least amount of time I can take a shower in is 8 minutes. Darn. The pool has free open showers (not private) for use after swimming so take your shampoo and soap with you there.

While my Verizon aircard worked fine, we mostly used the fantastic and fast free wifi they provide. Rarely do I see wifi that good at a campground. These guys did it right!

Also available are cabins, yurts, teepees (no kidding), and a large wall tent.

The pool is excellent. At around 88 degrees, you won’t shiver when walking in and it is very large with 3 waterslides in the pool, a couple cooling sprays across the pool, and a hot tub ( a VERY HOT hot tub!). Playing basketball in the pool with the provided bballs is fun as is just floating or standing around talking. One slide is your typical pool slide while the other is a giant corkscrew which is my favorite. It is long enough to give a great ride and the stairs up to it are very easy on an old geezer like me. The kiddie pool within the pool is also a nice touch and I like the ramp into the pool in addition to stairs and ladders.

Next to the pool is a nice water fountain play area for the kiddies and 2 full sized waterpark slides. The Dragon slide lets you sit up while going down through a corkscrew and then some straights into the shallow pool at the end which has one heck of a current. There does not seem to be a graceful way to exit the slide into that pool and I swim like mad for the step rail when I drop in. The Blackhole is a speed slide which means nearly vertical to start and down underground for a few feet then into an easy loop and out in a nice trough. It looks scarier than it is. I really like that it is completely within a tube so you don’t feel like you will pop off at that speed and the finishing trough is surrounded by wall so you have a minute to adjust yourself out of the wedgie which is unavoidable on that slide without everyone seeing.

The slides are open till 8:45pm and the pool is open until 9pm. The price is great at only $7-$9 per adult all day. Twilight swim from 7-9pm is my favorite because the cooler outside air helps to offset the temp of the pool and it only costs $4.

This morning I performed an ancient campers ritual. I scavenged all the empty campsites for wood and came up with more than enough for my own fire. Momma said we shouldn’t waste. Tonight I had a roaring fire of my own for a change with hot dogs and corn roasted on a stick and potato salad. Me good cave person. I got to use one of the Fire Starter sticks I got at Walmart months ago and I can now attest that those truly are the greatest thing to start campfires with. Make a pyramid of wood over it and light the packaging. Up it goes. For those other singles out there who want a nice campfire experience, two words, MP3 player. Music makes it so much better and players with ear buds don’t bother the neighbors.

What I learned this week:

1. It is odd that in a regular pool you look for the warm spot but in a hot spring pool you look for the cool spot.
2. If you arch your back up while sliding, you slide faster.
3. Heavy people slide faster and farther than skinny people. Hooray for those extra pounds!
4. It is very odd that to go down a slide named “The Black Hole” and NOT get hurt, you must assume the death position.
5. Wedgies aren’t really that uncomfortable.
6. Fire warm. Fire good. Ugh.

I should also mention that the geocaching in the area is great! I found 10 caches easily nearby and enjoyed the hospitality, store, and lunch at Flags West truck stop while hunting the cache hidden there. There is one cache hidden right at Downata but it is surrounded by stinging nettles so it is not for kids. For my 11th cache, I drove out into the Idaho outback in a canyon through the mountains on a gravel road. It’s good to drive a truck. Maybe it is just me but I think an ammo can should be stuffed with goodies rather than nearly bare so I added a bunch from my stash I carry. I then went for a light walk up the road following a brook. I’m not sure if it was babbling or not but I couldn’t understand it.

For more pics click here.

Pleasant Creek is an RPI park with plenty of treed sites, a game room with a pool table, laundry room, TV lounge, ice cream parlor, and a heated swimming pool. The pool seemed to be the big attraction. I know I made full use of it while I was there and I wasn’t alone. They have planned activities like Bingo (where everyone wins a prize) and crafts. Some folks played cards in the evening in the lounge and I worked on a puzzle while watching a movie there. It is a very nice park I heartily recommend. The view from our living room window overlooking the valley was amazing. There are lots of sheep, cows, and horses around on the surrounding farms. The wifi is pretty good and my Verizon aircard worked fine there. Neither of our phones worked there though.

Don’t expect much in terms of tourism. There is not much to the town though we found the Radio Shack to be different and interesting and we stood at the geographical center of Utah downtown. We took a drive one day for fun over to Manti to see the Mormon temple there and we found both a Walmart and phone signal there. It is enjoyable just looking at the many grand Victorian homes in the valley. I did some geocaching in the area.

Would you believe we ran into others we had met at the Samboree in Nephi there in the park just 2 trailers over? Would you also believe they live in the next town down from where we were staying in Layton, UT. What a small world.

Most Samborees do provide space to camp at the fairground or other venue as part of the fee but they do not provide utilities or reliable Wifi at your rig. Some electrical hookups may be available for those with medical needs though it will likely be 20 amp. Most attendees camped at the Juab County Fairgrounds for this. Some electric for those in need and showers were available. We chose to stay at the High Country RV Park nearby instead due to having an old dang cat on board that requires air conditioning and our need for good electric and wifi. The RV spaces are very narrow and use side-by-side hookups but they are fairly level pull-throughs and they have an inexpensive laundry room and excellent bathrooms. The owners/managers are hard to get hold of. The wifi was truly excellent though and free. Excellent prices too.

It seemed like lots of Good Samers had come in early and were staying at High Country RV Park. I met a few before the Samboree opened and they moved over there. Joann and Bill were camped next to us and were lots of fun. I was glad to meet them before the Samboree.

We hit up some geocaches before the affair started. Nephi is loaded with them! I got the last 6 I needed to hit 200 caches found. Later, I grabbed 3 more on the way to the grocery store. LOL They called to me on my GPS screen on the way there. Had to be done. We got some fellow geocachers camped next to us last night. They are a husband and wife team and totally hardcore. I just find a few here and there for fun. They go after 100 per day and actually plan trips around it. GEEZ! One puzzle geocache, we actually found the end point by accident before doing the rest of it because they had posted a picture of it and I recognized it as we were driving by a park. That led to accidentally finding another right next to it. I did go back later and do the rest of the puzzle right.

We went to the fairgrounds and registered at the Samboree. They gave us numbers we had to wear and try to find someone else wearing our matching numbers. Dale found his match easy. Mine I finally found by running around the crowd while they were gathered in one building. Dale found Joann’s match and helped her. Someone he knew was there and happened to have her number. What luck! At the rally, it is so hard to find your match that folks make signs with their numbers to carry around. We each got a nice bag for a reward which was useful to carry brochures we picked up and purchases from the vendor booths.

There were plenty of games to participate in. They had bean bag toss, beanbag baseball, crazy golf (with bolos), real golf, pinochle, dominoes, a treasure hunt, washer toss, and the prairie schooner race (with tricycles). There were also lots and lots of raffles with the ticket money going to charities such as Dogs for the Deaf and there were door prizes. I signed up for dominoes and lost big but got to stay and play with the other L-ooooo-sers. I made it to the semi-finals in the prairie schooner race with a spectacular showing in my first race but suffered technical difficulties (my fault) in the finals and lost. It sure was fun though. I found a penny in the treasure hunt which I traded in for $1. I won a very nice 300 watt inverter in the chinese auction. I won at bingo for the first time ever and got $20 from that. It was a pretty good week all in all.

The local high school served up BBQ burgers and hot dogs every day for their fundraiser. It was very tasty and much appreciated. Even with ice cream on board, we did not miss the ice cream social and socializing. The ladies had a social at which a delicious chicken salad was served and a funny bridal fashion show was performed to much laughter. The men were consigned to their own lunch elsewhere of chili dogs. Dale got quite sick right after the lunch. Oops!  He was better in time for the delicious catered dinner on the last night of the event. We both got 2 plates of that. Oink.

The entertainment was good. I was a little trepidatious about going in to hear the yodeler, Kerry Christenson, but he turned out to be a wonderful performer with a great sense of humor. He played accordian, zither, and alphorn. He also sang very well. Don’t tell Neil Diamond but he sang one of his songs and yodeled part of it. Snicker. Kerry started out performing at Disneyworld in Epcot for 7 years and now travels the world performing. For the last night we had 3 professional locals sing for us. They were singing the songs of my parents’ time but we all knew them and sang along. One of them got lucky and won one of our raffles. We also got a couple of songs and some great hip action from our caterer. Woohoo! Shake it, baby!

For fun, Dale and I rode their wild shuttle around the fairgrounds. OK, it wasn’t that wild but we are easily amused. . The local car dealer provided a truck to tow the shuttle and get everyone back and forth from their rigs.

Alas, the Samboree has ended and even while the final dinner was being served, at least one rig was already hitched up and lined up at the exit to head home right after. I enjoyed finally getting to wear the patch vest I made of my travels to this event. I enjoyed meeting some wonderful, friendly people. I also learned some very important information I would like to pass along:

When the chips are down, the buffalo is empty.

Happy trails to you all!

The first saving tip I can offer is to stay longer and always ask if there is a weekly or monthly rate. There usually is in private parks. The monthly rates can be very good.

Another great tip is camp in the best places out-of-season. For instance, I was able to spend a week in the Florida Keys in November one year at a cost I could afford and the weather was gorgeous the whole time. I could not possibly afford to pay double what I paid had I gone in December which begins the Winter RV snowbird season. Sure you don’t want to roast in southern climates in the Summer or freeze in northern climates in the Winter but take advantage of Spring and Fall. You may also find fewer crowds at those times.

The cost of state parks has risen quite a lot to the point where they charge as much for partial or no hookups as you may pay for full hookups in a private park. They also do not have discounts (some do honor senior and handicapped discount passes for state residents only). Compared to a private park with a discount or a weekly/monthly rate, state parks are no longer a deal. I rarely stay at them anymore. That is not to say you should never check them out. The cost to camp in some areas such as the Florida Keys is so ridiculously high that the state parks are the better deal there in-season though they are so full that you have to reserve a site a year in advance to get in. I have used them anytime in Massachusetts too.

National parks can also have a high cost or a reasonable cost but if you are a senior or permanently handicapped, you can get half off camping with their senior or handicapped access passes which includes free entry to the parks. Be aware that few national parks have electricity available. They are revamping some and I did find one in the middle of the Everglades and Big Cypress in Florida with electricity but no water or sewer. It still worked well for me.

Corps of Engineer campgrounds can be a good bet. Many of them are near a lake, offer utilities, are reasonable, and honor senior and handicapped passes for half off. I stayed at a quite lovely CoE campground in Ponca City, OK.

Regional, county, and city parks can be very reasonable. There are some free still (no utilities) and others at very reasonable cost. Don’t expect a lot and the electricity may only be 20 amp but a smart RVer learns to manage their use and what items cannot be on at the same time without blowing the breakers. I stayed at the city park in Miami, FL for a week or two and can honestly say it is truly lousy and not free but it has the perfect location at the crossroads of all the best southern Florida has to offer and was the cheapest around. I have also stayed at a regional park just outside Washington, D.C. which was not great but would have been just fine had it not been for bad campers nearby.

Joining discount camping clubs is a definite must and by all means join more than one. The one most RVers belong to is Good Sam Club. Personally, I rarely use the 10% discount they provide because it is just not enough for a full-timer. However, I use most of the services, insurance, etc. they provide and do attend the Rally and Samborees when I can. It is a good place to start. Escapees is another good one. They offer great rates at their own Rainbow parks and coops and 15-50% off at other parks. I have stayed very happily in their Florida parks and the one near Branson, MO. Their discount came in handy in Bangor, Maine too. They also have a yearly rally to attend, interest clubs, HOPS for arranged tours, and CARE at a park in Texas for injured or sick Escapees.

Passport America is a great discount club I have had a lot of success with and saved a lot of money camping at 50% off. Many full-timers use them. Watch out for listing clauses such as cash only required for camping fees, reservations required at some places, extra charge for electricity which may eliminate most of the savings, and limits to 1 night, Sun-Thurs only, no holidays, etc. Most of the time these are not an issue but be sure to read every listing carefully and keep in mind campgrounds are added and drop out during the year after the book has been printed. Their website will be more up to date. Happy Camper Club is similar to Passport America but PA is still the king.

Clubs that require a “home park” such as Coast to Coast, RPI, Thousand Trails, AOR, Outdoor World, etc. can be very good for the full-time RVer on the go and have saved me a ton of moola while also letting me stay in very nice private membership parks with lots of amenities in places I could not afford without them. There are classic or  basic memberships which allow you to stay one week at a time, twice a year at each member park and there are deluxe memberships which allow two weeks at a time, twice a year at each park in-season and more off-season at each member park for only $10 a night at this time. Deluxe memberships can also be used by your adult children with limits and both types of memberships can be passed on to family as can home park membership so these become a family asset for generations. Watch for the rare extra charge for electricity, blackout dates such as all holidays and special events, inability to use another park within 125 miles of your home park, fewer parks than Passport America, etc. Home park memberships can cost several thousand dollars but you don’t have to choose one near home so shop around. Look for resales in the RV magazines and believe it or not on Ebay. Home parks have yearly dues so pay attention to that amount as well. I rarely use my home park due to its location but I had a great time there last year, the yearly dues are very reasonable at less than $50, the cost when I stayed there was only $2 a night (that is not a typo!), and they let me stay for more than a week. Best of all, it gets me into Coast to Coast and RPI with all the other member parks I can use. I got to stay on Cape Hatteras, NC with them, Orlando, FL, Fredericksburg, VA (near Washington, D.C.), near Atlantic City, NJ, Myrtle Beach, NC, etc.

Another part of the “home park” type clubs is the other parks they affiliate with under what they call Good Neighbor parks, Enjoy America parks, etc. While they cost more at $15 per night, they really expand your choices, many allow you longer stays, are not subject to the 125 mile rule, and are still reasonable. Again, read the listings carefully.

If you belong to the Elks, they do provide free or cheap camping at many of their lodges.

If you are retired or active military, there are many good RV parks they offer so don’t waste a valuable benefit.

Of course, there is always rest areas and Walmart for the overnight quickie. I don’t stay overnight in rest areas both due to the danger and because what few are now open are very much needed by truck drivers and therefore full by early afternoon. Walmart I have used when necessary. They can be noisy in the middle of the night when they clean the parking lot but survivable and I always make a point of shopping there before I leave to pay them back.

I have heard good and bad about truck stops. They can be noisy and some truckers resent us using those. Some folks use truck stops a lot though and have very good experiences. I have no experience with them.

Other possibilities are the driveways or backyards of family, friends, or fellow RV club members. I love introducing myself to my son’s friends as the mother he keeps in his backyard. I have also stayed in his in-laws driveway which is both interesting and fun. As a member in several clubs, I can sometimes stay with other members who choose to share their backyards or driveways.

Lastly there is boondocking on public lands which I have no experience with since utilities are not provided there and I require at least electricity to work and play. Boondocking is free usually or a very inexpensive permit may be required. You can check it out on the Internet by searching for “boondocking”. There’s some great tips and advice out there on it. http://cheaprvliving.com/Boondocking.html and all their other links will blow you away.

I hope this helps those of you thinking of jumping into the RVing lifestyle either full- or part-time. It’s a great life so see you out there!

Got plenty of geocaching in with my buddy, Bernie. We went for a long drive on a glorious sunny day through the mountains and snagged 11 caches, an all-time best for me. At one point, we looked at each other and both said how ridiculous it seemed to be chasing after silly little log books to sign but the mountains were as green as Spring and the river so inviting that it still seemed right.

We went out geocaching again on Mother’s Day to get out of the house. Bernie helped me find 2 geocaches I had trouble with previously. Of course this time one jumped right out at me just to embarrass me. I know I searched that spot thoroughly previously. At least I finally got some Pirates of the St. Joe booty. The other one was very well camouflaged as a leaf I discovered but we found it. We went out for dinner at $50,000 Silver Dollar Bar after nailing an easy cache there. The food there is good (not great but good) and it is always fun to look at the ton of tourist souvenirs there. It’s hard to get out of there without buying one of their gags or something. Just as we were finishing dinner, we shared a laugh as a large family piled into a car outside one after the other. The only space left was in the glove compartment. LOL

Bernie called and we were off on another day in search of a geocache she had trouble finding. When in doubt, grab a friend. We found it across the street from where the coordinates pointed.

My son came by one day for a walk and talk along the bike trail and river. We found a geocache too. He came back the next week to take me to my first comedy club, the Blue Door Theater. That is, after all, one of my goals in the waning years of my life, to do things I have never done or in other words a bucket list. I enjoyed it very much. Go to Comedy Club – check.

We had plans to see the Depot Days festival in Wallace, Loyalty Day Parade in Osburn, picnic in the park, etc. but it rained most of the time while my brother and I were in Osburn so we missed them. We did manage a trip into Couer D’Alene one day though. My brother loves thrift stores so I introduced him to St. Vincent’s. We scored really big there. One thing we found was the portable satellite dish we had been looking for at only $20 in excellent condition. He found lots of items he sells on Ebay and cables he needed for changes he is doing in my trailer. We highly recommend thrift stores for buying cables cheap. We managed to stumble into another thrift store that was going out of business and selling everything at 90% off. Yes, you read that right, 90% OFF! We scored a working Palm handheld for 20 cents, more Ebay items, books, etc. Later we went to the Best Buy in town and found a great deal on a Cradlepoint router that my internet aircard plugs into and it puts out wifi internet for all the computers in my RV. A router also provides more security on the internet and an internal computer network. Anyway, it was a good day.

We got in Uno night at Bernie’s. Usually it is an all-girl affair but we let my brother be an honorary girl for the night and join us. Lots of finger food, stories, excellent card playing, cheating, and laughter was had. I took my tuna salad which seemed to go over well and nobody died from it. On the way there, we drove up to Burke to see the remains of the mill that was blown up during the silver miners vs. owners war long ago.

We finally got another semi-sunny day. Our neighbors whipped out their BBQ so we were forced to whip out ours and the smell battle was on! They filled the air with delicious chicken and butter basted asparagus. We had to bring out the big guns with 1 inch think ribeye steak on ours and cheesy broccoli. I made a point of fanning the delectable smoke in their direction as I cooked and went over to tease the neighbors about it. Alas, there were innocent victims. Just as we started to cook, another trailer pulled in between us and got blasted by the incredibly good smells from both sides. We wish them a speedy recovery. This brings up a major rule of RVing. Always be prepared to BBQ unless you want to be the innocent victim.

Alas, after 4 weeks there all good things… yada yada. We headed back to Utah by way of Montana. We spent one night at Countryside RV Park in Dillon, MT again. It’s the half way point and a nice Good Sam park with excellent views. I also like the grave marker there – “Here lies Les More, shot 4 times with a 44, no Les no more”. ROTFL I also like their helpful sign on the way out – “Antenna down? Wife onboard? Pet onboard?”

Since we pulled out late, I knew we had little hope of making it to my first park choice beyond Boise, ID. I had already prepared for that though and had 2 other parks loaded in my GPS that would be suitable and closer to stop for the night. We easily found the Power-POP RV Stop right off the highway in Glenns Ferry, ID. It is very small with only 14 spaces but they are pull-thrus with full utilities and it is a Passport America park. The owner was very nice. He built this park in his backyard which is quite large and next to the fairgrounds which was pretty smart. The only con to the park is it is right next to a rail yard so expect to see and hear trains. I had no problem sleeping there though.

The next day we left early en route to Richland, WA. Somewhere along the way, the cover blew off one of my rear lights. We arrived in Richland and put up at my son’s in-laws again in their driveway. No one was home so we just backed it on in, hooked up to the outside electricity, and made ourselves at home. Don’t you just love guests who bring their own guest house?

We had a great time as usual at the in-laws. They are always fun to be around. Barb got her motorcycle license while we were there after completing a safety course. One night, they went to go to bed and found the dog had pooped on the bed which had them quite befuddled until they poked it and realized it was rubber dog poop. Katrina was there! Snicker. We kept leaving it in places for each other all week. Barb really enjoyed seeing it on her potatoes in the sink and in the dishwasher. 

We had a BBQ again. My son and his wife came over with my grandkids. My son and grandson thought they were going to get me with a water pistol and water balloons they brought over but I was prepared with my own Super Soaker primed and ready for them. The annual Spring water fight was a blast and I got them good! We also got my daughter-in-law screaming when she went to pull out the potato salad and found a cockroach in it – rubber of course. Every time she turned her back on me I slipped rubber cockroaches into her food. We got her again at dinner at her house. To get me back, Jon served me up a rubber dog poop burger at the BBQ. LOL. Before we left, we put Vick’s Vaporub on the knob of the door into the house and the refrigerator door handle then left town fast. We got Jon with both I hear. Believe it or not, they actually invited us back!

Also while there, I got some geocaching in on their bike trail and nearby. I went to the local Tea Party on April 15th for fun and to hear what they had to say. I got to throw eggs at pictures of several politicians. Always wanted to do that.

Before we left, we debated whether to go find a dump for the tanks or just go. The nearest campground wanted 10 bucks to dump there. Geez! For that kind of money they should dump it for me! But, with gas as high as it is, pulling a lot of extra weight did not appeal to me. I wasn’t real happy about the lumbering elephant that pulled out behind me either. We found a free RV dump over at the marina and boy did that make a difference in the way my trailer pulled; huge difference and well worth the time spent.