Now that we are home, people ask what our favorite was, but I can’t say. I liked every destination, and all were different. Every town was different, and each had its own interesting parts. Although people said we would see a lot of rocks, every canyon, every ruin was different. We saw some amazing rock formations, formed by an ancient sea that covered the west for 34 million years. Talk about climate change!
We learned so much about the people who lived in the southwest 900 years ago, as well as a lot about the Indian tribes that followed. We saw so much incredible art work, and bought some. The people we met are so much a part of the fun. Sometimes, when we are preparing to go somewhere, I am anxious to get going, but I have learned to stop and listen when someone starts talking. They often have great suggestions. They come at odd times when you might not pay attention, like when I was pumping gas or shaving in a campground bathroom, or in a grocery store, or in a shop. Sometimes you hope you will see those people again, often exchanging cards.
I often think of my now-deceased sister’s comment on my trip with Kelly across Canada. We went to some very remote places and had some scary moments. Gayle said, “Angels are protecting you.” Every time I reach a destination, I thank God for delivering us safely, and a big thank you at the end of the trip.
A big thank YOU for coming along for the ride. We love your comments and knowing you are there.
There are always issues, and this trip had them:
Stink bugs in the refrigerator heat stack.
New fresh water tank had corn in it that stopped up the water filters and galley faucet.
Air conditioner tripped the circuit breaker, so we had to replace the breaker.
Of course there were the usual loose screws and cabinet latches that had to be tightened or replaced.
Reading light by the dinette dropped down twice, breaking a wire that had to be soldered.
Refrigerator wouldn’t come on twice.
Check engine light was on for the entire trip home. turned out to be an expensive fuel mixing valve
Summary
3 months and 5 days
10,600 miles
4,025 pictures
10 National parks
10 National monuments
1 National reserve
2 National historic sites
1 National natural landmark
5 State Parks
5 Loop Drives
5 Scenic Drives
1 President’s Museum
1 Service Academy
3 Halls of Fame
48+ hikes
Someone asked if we had seen all the national parks, but we have not. I have all the national parks and monuments marked on Google Maps, but we’ll not see them all, and the below list is just the US.
63 national parks
85 National Monuments
60 national historic parks
76 national historic sites
19 national preserves
10 national wild and scenic rivers
Again, thank you for coming along, A big thanks to Martha, a great travel companion, a great cook in a variety of conditions and a great path finder.
There is a “Search Box” on the upper right where you can enter a park, campground, town, river, etc, and it will take you to the posts that contain that item. Or you can click or search a category, like campgrounds. There are now 609 posts and 159 followers. I kind of wish I had merged the blog “Fish Across Canada” with this one. I took it down because it is costly, Kelly wrote “If The Fish are Bit’n” about it, and because we gave away a lot of information on some great trout streams.
While the Airstream was getting solar panels, we were fortunate to stay with a friend from Charlottesville, Sheri. She has a gorgeous home on a wonderful lot overlooking a lake. Sheri took great care of us for three days.
One day, while a potential buyer came to see the house, we went to explore old town Bonita Springs. It is a pretty little town with the lovely Imperial River running through it. Several artisan huts were in a plaza so we went to explore. There was a great basket shop, Coiling Pine By Design. We talked with one of the owners, Jennifer Sanders. Her work reminded me so much of Tara’s mom and her friend, Tina’s work. Martha bought a basket for the Airstream table. Jennifer used to work for the Tourist Information Center, so she knows the area well. She have us some great ideas for restaurants, ice cream and sight-seeing, and is a delightful lady.
Walking down the street, we went to the Everglades Wonder Gardens, the highlight being a parrot that would ring a bell when asked. Martha couldn’t stop asking.
It’s a 7-8-hour drive to the Smokies from Charlottesville, depending on how you go and where you are going, but Martha wanted me to break it up, so I booked a night in Highland Haven Campground outside Roanoke. I went down 29, which is pleasant enough. You just have to be alert to turns. Then 220, to 221 up the mountain. It is not an easy drive to Highland Haven, especially in the rain, but I arrived and met campground hostess, Nancy, and pulled into site 26. This campground is known for its spectacular sunsets, but I wasn’t going to see it tonight. It was hard to see anything.
I drank a half bottle of wine listening to music of Andrew Loyd Webber turned up loud while making a salad. Hope I didn’t wake the neighbors.
I got up at 4:00, read for a while until daylight, then hooked up, filled the water tank and got on the road at 8:00. It was raining lightly as I followed Rt. 221 south through the cute little town of Floyd, famous for its country music.
I thought about Virginia Highland Haven Campground, which is an Airstream only campground that is owned by its campers. When someone is not there, you can rent a site for the very reasonable fee of $35 with full hookups. It’s a beautiful spot with wonderful views looking west.
I have never driven 221, but it’s beautiful country with lovely, mountain farmland and quaint, little towns. Surely it would be more fun to drive when I have more time and it isn’t raining. At Hillsville I got on 77S. The rains became harder and would continue the entire drive, sometimes hard, sometimes light. One hand seemed to be constantly changing the windshield wiper speed. Still, I could see the majority of the big storm was to my west. Traffic was busy, but not as bad as I81. Still, it winds through the mountains to Statesville, where I turned onto I40 west, and into the storm I went.
Sometimes the rains were so heavy, traffic slowed to 45mph. My strategy is to get behind a tractor trailer and follow at a distance that allows stopping, but where I can see his lights. If you are a car driver, you curse the trucks that are slow uphill and fast downhill. If you pull a trailer, you appreciate their professionalism, their knowledge of the roads and their ability to drive in all kinds of weather. They move into the left lane when passing a disabled truck on the shoulder. They blink their lights to let you into their lane. If you let them into your lane, they flash their brake lights to thank you. Actually, they put on their flashers for a second or two. It took me forever to learn how they made those brake lights flash, but without slowing down.
I have the greatest respect for truck drivers. They deliver to every store, merchant, gas station and post office. They are the life blood of our economy. They drive at night or in daytime. They put up with poor car drivers entering the highway at too slow a speed, or changing lanes right in front of them. Whenever I am driving through a city, I follow a truck. It’s like a running back getting behind a 6’6. 360 pound lineman. They run interference for me. When I am in heavy rains like this, I follow a truck, and when I stop following, I flash my headlights or tap my brake lights to thank them for their help. At a rest stop, I laid down for a 1-hour nap. Whew! Renewed energy.
I thought I had a big truck!
I turned onto 220 south with the rains still coming. In Asheville, I missed a turn and had to go into a Home Depot to turn around and get new directions. I’m still not sure what I was supposed to do. Then onto 221 in heavy rains, then Rt. 19 through Maggie Valley. I’ve been in the mountains all day, and the rain wasn’t helping. When I could barely see the road, I ended up behind a pickup pulling a large water tank on a trailer. In front of him was another truck pulling a trailer with a front end loader on it. They were obviously working together, and they knew these roads, so I continued to follow. When they pulled into a rest area, I did too. Then back out on the road, following. These guys were excellent drivers. When I turned onto 441, I flashed my lights to thank them.
441 is called “The Smoky Mountain Parkway”. Driving through Cherokee, NC I stopped to fill up the gas tank – well the diesel tank in my case. This is a nice little town, not far from the campground. I thought I would be climbing up a steep mountain, but was surprised to see it was fairly level, following the Oconoluftee River. The rains had lightened up, and people were watching elk graze by the Visitor’s Center. I could feel my blood pressure ease.
At 3:00 I pulled up to Smokemont Campground and said my prayers, thanking God for guiding me safely in a difficult two days of driving. In a light rain I parked and leveled the trailer for my 9-day stay. I put the awnings out as it drizzled rain. By the time I finished, the rains stopped. I went for a walk around the campground to get my bearings straight.
It’s a nice campground that would be entirely full by the weekend. Bradley Creek runs through the campground, joining the Oconoluftee River just below the campground. I was interested in fishing both of these, so I walked right over to the stream. High and muddy, as I suspected. It wasn’t terrible, but also not fishable. I wondered how fast it would run out of here. At the north end of the campground, I found the Bradley Creek Trail, which looked more like a highway. I could easily drive my big truck up it, except for the locked gate. As I read the fishing regulations sign, I noticed a yellow caterpiller walking up it. An odd looking creature, it’s black head had four antennae, and there was a black tip on it’s tail. Was this a Yellow Sally nymph? I have no flies that look anything like this. I reached for my phone to take a picture, but had left it in the trailer.
Walking back down the other side of the stream, I talked to an Airstream couple who were dumping rain from their awning. “Did it rain a lot here?” the lady asked. “Oh yes!” I replied. They had gone home for a few days. They were in a nicely shaded spot, but that wasn’t good for their roof covered with solar panels. The husband was deploying two portable panels, aiming them at the sun that was now peeking through the clouds. “One amp”, he noted. “Well” she said, “that’s the end of the rains for a while.” It was nice to see sun peeking through the trees.
As I walked along the stream, I looked tor yellow bugs, but didn’t see any. Back at the trailer, I got the Garmin InReach and turned it on. Without cell phone reception, it is my only means of communicating with Martha. “No signal” the device indicated. I took it up to a clearing, where i could get clear access to the sky. No signal. I waited 15 minutes before giving up. I set it on my little ladder in a clearing behind the trailer, leaving it there while I cooked dinner – ratatouille and chicken. Checking it again, I was happy to see the message and tracking were sent.
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Self Portrait
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Just another path
Good design is making something intelligible and memorable. Great design is making something memorable and meaningful.
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Lighting on France Landmark
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Hello I am Photographer
Good design is making something intelligible and memorable. Great design is making something memorable and meaningful.
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Just another path
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Landmark Bridge Cliff California
Hello I am Photographer
Good design is making something intelligible and memorable. Great design is making something memorable and meaningful.
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Landmark Bridge Cliff California
Good design is making something intelligible and memorable. Great design is making something memorable and meaningful.
Lorem ipsum dosectetur adipisicing elit, sed do.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur Nulla fringilla purus at leo dignissim congue. Mauris elementum accumsan leo vel tempor. Sit amet cursus nisl aliquam. Aliquam et elit eu nunc rhoncus viverra quis at felis. Sed do.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur Nulla fringilla purus Lorem ipsum dosectetur adipisicing elit at leo dignissim congue. Mauris elementum accumsan leo vel tempor.
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Cooking Lesson
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Mythy Forest
Hello I am Photographer
Good design is making something intelligible and memorable. Great design is making something memorable and meaningful.
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