Western States 2012 - Day 25

June 29, 2012 - Friday

Though we are parked 25 miles northwest of Rapid City near Sturgis, South Dakota, Rapid City provides a good reference point for seeing how far we’ve on this portion of our journey through some of the western states.

Total mileage from Kaibab on the North Rim to Mt. Rushmore near Rapid City is about 1,275 miles. That boils down to covering about 100 miles a day. That’s a fast pace for the 1860’s but a slow one by today’s standards. For vacationing in a motorhome it’s fast enough.

Have you ever heard the saying, “Thar’s varmits in them thar hills”? Well, it’s a true statement out here, plenty of wildlife — especially rattlesnakes. Beware when hiking, a good pair of sturdy boots and a big stick would be wise when getting off a wide path. That has been the message we’ve received from Billings, Montana to Rapid City: “Stay on the trail and keep your eyes and ears open.” We stay on the main trail and haven’t seen anything like that yet. Thank goodness!

Deadwood and Lead

Today we struck out for Deadwood and Lead (Leed), South Dakota. Deadwood was a lively gold-rush boomtown in the late 1800s built along the floor of Deadwood Gulch. Deadwood is best known for its legendary figures such as Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. There was one less known personality, but familiar to Byron, and that was Poker Alice. Poker Alice was an Ivers (Byron’s mother’s maiden name) and a cousin to Byron’s great-grandfather. In Southern Missouri she was not married while building a reputation as a “wild woman”. She had quite a reputation as a Faro (card game) dealer and brothel owner. She followed her clientele during the Black Hills Gold Rush to Deadwood and married a guy with the last name of Tubbs.

Deadwood has gradually been restored due to a percentage of the gaming receipts being allotted to restoring the town’s buildings to their original condition. Tourism is big business in the Black Hills and the Deadwood town leaders have made use of that lure. Gaming establishments abound on this it’s solitary main street but there is a lot of other interesting history as well.

Our first stop was the restored train depot and then a visit to the Adams Museum, both of which were quite interesting. We learned that the though Deadwood had a reputation of being rough that it also had quite a cultured society. It was also home to several Chinese immigrants at one point being second only to San Francisco 125 years ago.

This small locomotive, which ran on rails less than two feet apart, was used by the Homestake Mining Company hauling ore from the mine hauling up to 700 tons in a 24-hour period.

Except for the Holiday Inn Express and Hampton Inn, the buildings on Main Street in Deadwood have all been restored. Their next project is to restore the back sides of the buildings and bury the utility lines.

We then made the short drive to Lead (pronounced as Leed), which was founded during the gold rush of 1876. Lead was known for having one of the richest gold veins unearthed. It was here that George Hearst, father of William Randolph Hearst, amassed his fortune through an investment in the Homestake Mining Co. The mine was in operation until 2001 and goes 8,000 feet into the earth.

Our one stop here was the Black Hills - Fort Pierre Railroad Roundhouse to view a 35-minute multimedia presentation showcasing the history of the Black Hills Gold Rush through video, music and a 3-D map. It was quite an interesting presentation.

Western States 2012 - Day 24

June 28, 2012 - Thursday

We continued our journey East today. Our destination was Sturgis, South Dakota which is 25 miles northwest of Rapid City on the northeastern edge of the famous Black Hills. As we traveled eastward in Wyoming we saw evidence of more recent rain than was seen from Bozeman, MT to Sheridan, WY. The vegetation is a little greener and more plentiful. We even saw a few ponds or small lakes. We were getting out of the mountainous area and into the rolling hills and even some plains. It is easy to tell where the rivers run out here because that is where you see lush, green vegetation and trees along the banks.

The rolling plains of Wyoming. I-90 often runs parallel to the BNSF railroad or the Yellowstone River.

Our historic stop for the day was Devil’s Tower, northeast of Gillette, Wyoming. Devil’s Tower is a huge mass of rock that rises 867 feet from its base and 1267 feet above the Belle Fourche River. Approximately 5000 climbers come from all over the world each year to ascend its height. The first recorded ascent was made by William Rogers and Willard Ripley on July 4, 1893. President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed Devil’s Tower the first national monument in 1906. At the base of the tower on the grasslands below, prairie dogs make their homes in the ground and run playfully to and fro with some dens being very near the highway.

Devil’s Tower as seen from a pull-out a few miles from the formation. It is sacred to several tribes most of whom state that bear claws formed etched the sides of the rock.

The expanse of the boulder field at the base of the Tower is truly amazing. The path through this field is not on solid ground but a walkway paved on fill dirt and rock poured over the boulders. When viewing the location on Google Earth the large shadow it casts is easier to see than the top surface of the formation itself.

Devil’s Tower as viewed from the Visitor Center. Trees are all around the perimeter of the boulder field.

Park visitors from the vehicle in front of us got the attention of one, curious prairie dog. They were actually smaller than we imagined; less than half the size of a ground hog.

After levying Devil’s Tower we continued toward our home for the next six nights; Rush-No-More Campground just south of Sturgis, SD. It is a nice campground in spite of the fact there are no trees for shade. Byron noticed that very few of the campgrounds in the area have trees though trees are abundant in the Black Hills area. We have learned that our first question from now on will be: “Do you have shade trees?” Out here it seems you either get dust and shade or grass and no shade.

Western States 2012 - Day 23

June 27, 2012 - Wednesday 

Today was another short travel day. Our destination was Sheridan, Wyoming as we make our way towards Rapid City, South Dakota. We had about 130 miles to travel today so we stopped at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument just South of Hardin, Wyoming at Crow Agency. The monument is a memorial to the battle fought on June 25, 1876 between the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes and the United States Army under the lead of Col. Custer.

Little Bighorn Battlefield

This was a battle about a people trying to preserve their home. As Sitting Bull asked, “What would you do if someone was trying to take your home.” Custer’s 7th Cavalry Regiment was defeated but the Indians finally retreated when they learned of the approach of more soldiers lead by Colonel John Gibbon from Fort Ellis in Montana and General Alfred H. Terry from Fort Lincoln in Dakota Territory. Following that day, most of the Indians returned to their reservations and surrendered a few years later. The most powerful statement we read this day was “Power is in peace.”

Monument to Custer and the 7th Cavalry Regiment. The monument sits atop Last Stand Hill.

Western States 2012 - Day 22

June 26, 2012 - Tuesday

This was a slow day. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, it was a regular work day for Martha and a “fiddle around” day for Byron, who made a run to Pierce RV in Billings to see what the dealership was like. Second, it was hot. Since we had been in upper elevations for more than a week we got used to temperatures no higher than 78. Here at the lower level it got between 95 and 100, depending on which way you stood.

Like fools, we took off for a discovery adventure to Pictograph Cave State Park — in the middle of the day. Martha was ready for a break and she was caught up on reports to complete.

The park was about six miles from the Billings KOA where we were parked. It is situated along the rimrocks about 1,500 feet above the river valley. It is a cluster of caves where, over a period of five thousand years, historic American Indian counterparts left behind a legacy of painted images and artifacts. The walls of the caves are sandstone. These caves are actually more like shelters and were probably only used for temporary purposes since they only go back into the rimrock from 60 to 90 feet.

It is a bit of a steep climb up the concrete walk to the main cave of Pictograph State Park. Archaeologist feel that the rims of the rock indicate that this area was once under water. Oyster beds are imprinted in the sides of the sandstone.

Western States 2012 - Day 21

June 25, 2012 - Monday

Today was another traveling day. Our objective was to go from West Yellowstone to Billings, Montana. Martha put in a couple hours of work before leaving. Since she always checks the coverage maps with regard to Verizon and Virgin Mobile’s mobile broadband coverage, she knew we’d not have service for 90% of the first 90 miles.

Google Maps takes the route into the west entrance of Yellowstone, up to the Mammoth area, and then eastward to the northeast entrance which is near Livingston, Montana. While it may be the shortest route in terms of mileage, it isn’t the fastest way to get there. One can only average about 38 mph when driving in the park. At times, it isn’t that good. There are reasons. First, the maximum speed limit in the park is 45. Second, there are twist, turns, and steep hills to deal with in addition to a few rough sections of roadway where our federal dollars and low park fees haven’t covered maintenance. Third, it is necessary to keep on the lookout for the animals, which also means watching for stopped or very slow vehicular traffic of the human kind.

Our route took us up US 191 to Bozeman and the east on I-90 to Billings. Basically, it is downhill all the way. West Yellowstone is at an elevation of 6,650. For the 90 miles to Bozeman there is a descent of 1,850 feet to an elevation of 4,800 feet. From Bozeman to Billings through Livingston the descent isn’t as steep. The difference is 1,625 feet stretched over a distance of 120 miles. The drive, however, is beautiful all along the way.

The Gallatin River near Bozeman, Montana. It is fairly shallow and rocky and ideal for trout fishing. There are rapids all along the way.

Western States 2012 - Day 20

June 24, 2012 - Sunday

The Morning Hours

Since we didn’t have to cross state lines or a time zone change, we decided we might be on time for church today. We decided to not have ice cream today and, instead, stop at Ernie’s Deli and Bakery for a cinnamon roll while on the way to the 10 a.m. service. Instead of a cinnamon roll, we opted for a large sticky bun with pecans. Our eyes changed our minds. They were delicious but rich! Big, too!

From what we saw there are four churches in West Yellowstone; Baptist, Catholic, Mormon, and a non-denominational church. We went to First Baptist of Yellowstone. It is a small church but a church with a big heart. Martha’s daughter, Ashley, spent the summer of 2006 working in Yellowstone through a program the church calls “Innovators.” It is a college outreach summer program. Students from all over the country apply to be are a part of this program. They work during the week and do ministry outreach on the weekends. First Baptist is the home base for this group. The church’s sponsors remembered Ashley so, in a way, we had a connection to this church beyond just a place to visit. The pastor asked that the resident members in attendance stand. Then he asked all those visiting for the first time to rise. It was obvious that visitors outnumbered residents. There were visitors from all over the country and even a couple from Scottsville, Kentucky who know many of the people Byron knew when he was Associate Pastor at Scottsville Baptist Church in 1971-1975. Of course, they struck up a lengthy conversation after the service.

Western States 2012 - Day 19

June 23, 2012 - Saturday

We were slow to get started today, but eventually headed out around noon sporting our new Yellowstone t-shirts. Our destination for today was the Tower-Roosevelt region with a stop at the Artists Paintpots.

We drove through a lot of mountains today, at one time being at 9000 feet, so high we could reach out of the car window at some places and touch the snow we had been looking at from a distance for a few days. Of course, again, there were the bison and elk along the way. At Tower we walked the short distance to Tower Falls which is a 132 foot drop. We made our ice cream stop for today choosing Painted Buffalo Chip for today’s flavor Yesterday it was Moose Tracks, tomorrow we will see. We then drove a few miles to Roosevelt Lodge in the northeast area of the park. Along the road we saw a black bear, and at the lodge we saw a trail ride/chuck wagon supper group heading out across the plain for an evening of fun.

On our way to Tower-Roosevelt area we stopped by Gibbon Falls

on the west side of the Park.

Western States 2012 - Day 18

June 23, 2012 - Saturday

“The hills are alive with the sound of music
 -With songs they have sung for a thousand years

 -The hills fill my heart with the sound of music,
 -My heart wants to sing every song it hears…” – Oscar Hammerstein II

It seems that everywhere we have traveled, some song comes to mind. This is the song that played through Martha’s head as we traveled the 35 miles north to Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park. We entered the park mid-morning under cloudy skies and cool temperatures driving along the beautiful Madison River amongst new pine trees. The park was touched by fire in 1988, but the trees are once again replenishing themselves. It was not long before we caught a glimpse of elk frolicking in a distant meadow and then were among a buffalo herd grazing near the roadway. We have seen so much new life on this trip, baby elk, baby buffalo, baby cows, baby horses, new growth of vegetation.

We stopped to take more pictures of wild life, laughing at how many pictures we have already taken. We were here in 2005 and have pictures from then as well. There is just something about seeing these animals in their natural habitat that draws you to stop and take a picture.

A buffalo (bison) calf tries hiding behind a tree.

Western States 2012 - Day 17

June 22, 2012 - Friday

“On the road again –
-I just can’t wait to get on the road again…
-Seein’ things that I may never see again…
--------on the road again” – Willy Nelson

Today was another travel day with about 265 miles to go to our next destination – West Yellowstone, Montana. We both had to agree that this was probably the prettiest drive of our trip so far. The route took us straight north through northern Utah into southeastern Idaho. The further north we went the more water we saw and the greener things got including the mountain sides. Idaho is such a pretty state.

Looking southward from the KOA in Bringham City one can see the Great Salt Lake about six miles away. Irrigation fields are in the foreground and a stretch of I-15 is in the distance.

Western States 2012 - Day 16

June 20, 2012 - Tuesday

Today marks the halfway point of our trip. We have had a pleasant two days here in Brigham City, Utah. We have seen a lot of God’s beautiful earth and a lot of variety. The mountains and the desert have a beauty all their own but Martha says “give me the green, green grass of home.” West Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona are great places to visit, but we both agree that we don’t want to live there — it’s generally dry and a bit dusty for us. However, the northern half of Utah is a good bit different.

Western States 2012 - Day 15

June 19, 2012 - Tuesday

On Tuesday morning we continued our drive northward on I-15 from the southern part of Utah. Our destination is the KOA Brigham City. Actually, the KOA is a couple of miles south of Brigham City in Perry but I guess the owners think the use of a word well-known to Mormons would attract more customers.

Driving up from Beaver, where we spent the night, the terrain continues to change as we come closer to Provo. Around Beaver it’s fairly flat with few trees to obstruct the view of the wide-open sky.

The view through the windshield of our Airstream Land Yacht is enhanced by the beauty of the Utah mountains; the Unitah-Wasatch Range.

Western States 2012 - Day 14

June 18, 2012 - Monday

Today was a work day for Martha and a slowdown day for both of us. We needed a brief break from the activity. Our original plan was to stay at the Kaibab Camper Village outside the North Rim gate until Tuesday. However, since Byron wanted to get to Golden Spike near Ogden, Utah we decided to leave today (Monday) after Martha got most of her transcription work completed. That meant leaving about 4 p.m.

One of the first things we did after leaving the campground was stop in Fredonia where there was a car wash. There we could get the dust off rear of the motorhome and the car and wash the bugs off the front end of the motorhome.

Western States 2012 - Day 13

June 17, 2012 - Sunday

Lesson #3, things learned about traveling in a motorhome: When you change altitudes and you are carrying food items, be careful when you open them. The mayo came out a little quicker than expected, and a lot more than Martha wanted! Byron noted that the air pressure in the tires is 8 pounds greater.

Our Location

There are no small towns within 15 miles. There are a couple of campgrounds which have hosts that live in them for the summer; no communities, however. This has been an unusual place compared to the Midwest. We are in the middle of Kaibab National Forest. One side of the forest is flanked by Navajo Indian territory. From the time we left Marble Canyon until we reached Kaibab National Forest, we only saw one, single-family dwelling. On the other side of the forest, the land is public work land. There are no private residences there, either. The closest grocery store of any size is 40 miles away where there also is no Walmart.

It has been quiet. We listened to the wind sing through the pine trees. We had internet access through our Verizon mobile broadband service but no cell phone service through AT&T and no TV because we do not travel with a satellite dish. Not to bad, we don’t mind the quiet, but everywhere you go you have to drive for miles. Interestingly, there are six or seven motels in the Kanab, Utah which is 40 miles away because that town’s primary business is tourism.

At Kaibab Camper Village we are parked among Ponderosa pine trees. The roadway and pads are of native rock. On the dog path one can see very small sprouts of some variety of holly.

Western States 2012 - Day 12

June 16, 2012 - Saturday

We don’t know how many of you have been to the Grand Canyon, but if you haven’t, it is our opinion that you need to put in on your “bucket list”. Today was quite an awe-inspiring experience and our first day for seeing what’s in the area.

We headed out around 10:30 a.m. in our Honda Accord and drove through the terrain here on the Kaibab Plateau. Immediately after leaving the campground, we began climbing up. This time we had less altitude to traverse, only about 800 feet. As we drove along, we saw evidence of charred tree trunks from a fire that swept through parts of the forests in 2000. What was strange, though, was that in the midst of charred trees there are swaths of perfectly untouched pines as if the fire just went around them and moved on. Even the charred trunks have branches with green pine needles for the upper two thirds of tree. Suddenly, we drove through an area where it appears there had never been fire as we drove among Quaking Birch and Ponderosa Pine trees flanking beautiful meadows as far as the eye could see. The trip from our campground to the Canyon was 30 miles of beautiful land, a plateau atop a mountain at 8000 feet.

Driving on the Kaibab Plateau toward North Rim. The plateau has forests of pine, fir, and aspen trees where some open meadows exist.

Western States 2012 - Day 11

June 15, 2012 - Friday

Today was another travel day but it was quite different from the others. First, we didn’t have as far to go and, second, it was more of an “adventure” because of what were discoveries for us along the way.

Thus far we have traveled 1,830 miles since leaving our home in Louisville.

The Flagstaff KOA, our departure point, is nestled among pine trees and mountains. After about five miles of travel we entered Navajo territory which is flat, desert land with majestic, treeless, canyon walls on every side. We traveled across Navajo lands for about 140 miles.

Honestly, we weren’t quite sure what to expect other than some twisting roadway which shows up on Google Maps. Martha was not sure if she would like the ride for this day. Though she loves the mountains she does not like riding in them; especially when the cliff is on her side of the road. Since we knew we had to go up (Flagstaff is at 6000 feet), we never dreamed we would go down first. The ride proved to be delightful but humbling.

Western States 2012 - Day 10

June 14, 2012 - Thursday

Another travel day. What a vast change in scenery we experienced! Our goal for today was a 323 mile trip to Flagstaff, Arizona before heading to Jacob Lake and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Albuquerque is in the valley and is pretty dry and desert like. As you travel west all of a sudden you see big trees as opposed to scrub bushes. Everything is luscious and green right in the middle of Albuquerque. The reason is the Rio Grande River which winds from Colorado south to Texas through ABQ providing an area of farming for the region.

Not far out of town we had climbed to a plateau of, once again, flat and dry land. Rock outcroppings were visible and the mountains stood out in the distance with layers of green, white, and a pinkish hue in their palate. We eventually climbed to a height of 6000 feet. Martha would have liked to stop and take a picture of each changing scene in terrain but we would have never made it to Flagstaff.

Western States 2012 - Day 9

June 13, 2012 - Wednesday

This morning proved to be a bit of a test of patience for both of us. Since Martha has to have internet access, we travel with Virgin Mobile and Verizon Wireless mobile broadband adapters. The USB adapters are plugged into our Cradlepoint router. Since these provide pay-as-you-go service we buy time based on where we’re going and who provides the better coverage we’ll need based on our destination. Our preference is Virgin Mobile. Their plan is the best in terms of price and use. However, their coverage is limited. Our second option is through Verizon which isn’t hassle-free nor as good for it’s value. (Compare unlimited download vs. 5 GB cap.)

Martha had been noticing that the Verizon wasn’t working where we were to expect 3G coverage. Since Verizon was going to be the best and, at times, only availability for more than half of the rest of the trip she wanted to be sure she could work. We headed to a Verizon store to have them check the situation. Long story short; two hours later we emerged with a new 4G MIFI due to the fact that the modem in the USB 760 simply gave up the ghost. It provided no coverage even in the Verizon store.

Western States 2012 - Day 8

June 12, 2012 - Tuesday

Today was another day for putting in more than 250 miles since the plan was to go from Amarillo to Albuquerque. Since a gentle rain had moved in overnight, a much-needed rain, we stayed around the campground until it passed about 9:30.

On the way out of we saw several feed lots for beef cattle. Martha said: "So this is the type of operation where dad send the calves to be fed.

It has been nearly 50 years since Byron traveled this route, either by train or by car, when his oldest brother was stationed in Roswell at Walker Air Force Base. Since I-40 parallels most of old US Route 66 he was recalling memories of his first time seeing the difference in terrain from the panhandle of Texas to northeast New Mexico. At times we were also parallel to the old Santa Fe rail line, the same line he rode in 1962 for his first trip west.

Western States 2012 - Day 7

June 11, 2012

Today was a “traveling day”, meaning we unhooked the water, electric, and sewer at the campground and headed out for a drive in excess of 250 miles to the next location. We went from Oklahoma City to Amarillo.

We left Oklahoma City early. It wasn’t long before we were traveling through dry, flat, arid country. Everything is built low to the ground out here so it almost gives the appearance that the buildings are trying to hide from view—few trees, scrub brush, little grass. What trees there are show evidence of almost constant wind from the south.

Since Byron does the driving while Martha works (and are we ever grateful for internet access via mobil broadband connectivity), he listens to public radio from Louisville through an iPhone application. This way he doesn't miss portions of NPR News, The Diane Rehm Show, or Fresh Air, the programming he finds interesting. And, since he’s listening to a Louisville station he is able to keep up with some of the news there.

Picnic shelter at a rest stop west of Amarillo.

Western States 2012 - Day 6

June 10, 2012 - Sunday

We chose to worship today at Council Road Baptist Church. Martha works in Vacation Bible School every year at our home church in Louisville but will miss that this year since VBS is next week; however, she got to enjoy some of the VBS songs presented by the children of Council Road in their morning service. The pastor’s teaching for the morning was from Ephesians 5:21-31. He taught about “covenant love” in a Christian relationship versus what many in our society embrace today, “consumer love.” He reminded us that those who are the happiest in life are the “givers,” not “getters”. In talking about covenant love, he stressed three points: 1) Covenant love is a promise for future love, 2) In covenant, we commit to togetherness in spite of our differences, 3) It brings long term stability to the family. He followed these points with the topic of the importance of submission in the marriage relationship stressing that: 1) Our biggest problem is self-absorption, 2) When we give my life away, we find life, and 3) Christ is our model.

Western States 2012 - Day 5

June 9, 2012 - Saturday

Martha is not sure she can keep the day numbers correct, so we are going to switch to using actual dates.

Saturday morning was cleanup and laundry time. Byron spent some time buffing the Honda residue off the side of the motorhome. The Honda, unfortunately, will need more than buffing; it’ll need some dent removal and some paint applied. He did a pretty good job on the Airstream and it looks 90% better. He even managed to straighten some panels that were pushed in somewhat.

One of the things Martha loves about the motorhome is being able to clean from front to back in about 30 minutes. However, cleaning all the mirrors takes a few extra minutes. For those of you that haven't owned a motorhome you won't fully understand until you grasp that fact that there are more mirrored walls in an RV than in a 2,000 sq. ft. home. Having our own combination washer/dryer is nice as well. We don’t have to sit at the laundry for several hours. Instead, we do small loads three days out of five so we manage can manage to keep up. Since there is no steam iron everything we brought is of the “wrinkle-free” variety.

Western States 2012 - Day 4

June 8, 2012 - Friday

Most mornings Martha doesn’t need an alarm clock because the cat starts meowing and the dogs whining for their breakfast at the sight of daylight. That seems to come earlier out here in the Central Time Zone. The bedroom has dark shades, but not the living area, so Julie was tuned up pretty early. Martha says she doesn’t really mind because she enjoys the early morning when it is quiet. Byron doesn’t mind because he helps keep it quiet by staying in bed, allowing the dogs to join him after they’ve finished with eating.

Western States 2012 - Day 3

June 7, 2012 - Thursday

We left Seneca, which is on the border of Missouri and Oklahoma, in time to enjoy the cooler part of the day. We stopped at a familiar sight on the Will Rogers Turnpike, the restaurant that straddles the highway.  He wanted to let Julie and Redford stretch their legs at this familiar stop.

While Byron was walking them he spotted a few more vehicles from the Hot Rod Power Tour. The caravan is making it's way to another Oklahoma stop. Today they're making their way to Moore, Oklahoma which is south and east of Oklahoma City.

Western States 2012 - Day 2

June 6, 2012 - Wednesday

Since we are new to the Airstream, we're not totally familiar with where everything is located. You know the feeling -- when you move into a new house you have to reprogram your mind to where the switches are that work what lights or sockets. Well, Wednesday morning proved to be a bit of challenge considering the late night and the fact that I accidentally hit the Test button on the CGFI outlet causing all of the 110 outlets in the motorhome to cease functioning. Of course, this was discovered when Martha plugged in the coffee maker. For a few moments it was crisis time. After all, coffee is an essential part, if not the best part, of waking up.

Not to worry, however, Byron to the rescue! Getting a flashlight so he could see in all the shadowed corners, he hunted for the problem after checking all the circuit breakers. After a few moments of quiet time, a good cup of coffee, and a hot shower, we were on our way.

Before heading on Byron filled up with diesel fuel and checked our mileage. We averaged 10.4 mpg. We also saved on diesel fuel compared to the price when we left Louisville.

Western States 2012 - Day 1

June 5, 2012 - Tuesday

We left Louisville on Tuesday afternoon, June 5, for our trip through several western states. Our plan is to take about 35 days to make the loop before getting back to Louisville.

This will be our first trip in our new-to-us motorhome, a 2000 Airstream Land Yacht XC, that we acquired in April after selling the Holiday Rambler Endeavor. A photo is shown below that was taken after hooking on the Honda.