Western Swing 2013 - 34 & 35 - Missouri to Home

We’ve been in “homeward bound” mode so this post, the final one, is coming to you a bit late.

On Wednesday morning we awoke to a bright, sun-shiny, and humid day. “Welcome back to your reality” was pretty much the theme. Central Missouri, like the rest of the heartland, can be very humid in the summer. But, we made it through the rest of the day OK.

Our first stop was St. Louis at the Gateway Arch. Finding a place to park was a bit of a challenge. Yes, there were spaces plainly marked on the river front but, for some reason, there were cars loosely parked in the area that said “Bus and RV Parking Only”. And, as if that weren’t enough, there were cars parked in other areas clearly marked “No Parking, Tow Away Zone.” Based on our observation, the police of St. Louis have chosen to overlook the posted restrictions and the towing companies didn’t want their employees perspiring had they chosen to actually tow vehicles to an impoundment lot.

There is no doubt as to where this was taken;

Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri

After walking about for an hour (thirty-five minutes for parking and walking to/from the arch and old cathedral), we headed on toward Fairfield, Illinois and a evening spent visiting with Byron’s cousins. Along the way we stopped in Wayne City to get one cousin and transport him to Fairfield with us.

For our evening meal we at the New Hope Baptist Church south of town. In all, eight relatives plus us were present. We comprised a significant portion of the group. One in attendance was the widower of Emma who had died from a stroke a couple of weeks earlier.

On Thursday we continued our trip homeward arriving around 1:30 PM. The house was still standing and the grass was still growing. Now we have to act like homeowners instead of travelers. This makes it tempting to be full time RVers.

Western Swing 2013 - 33 - Iowa to the Heart of Missouri

Last night, after posting the blog, we attempted to find a free place to stay. Upon checking the All Stays application for iOS we decided to head for that Harrah’s Casino in Council Bluffs. After getting set up Martha suggested we check in with the casino personnel to be sure it would be OK. Wrong! We were told to go to the sister property, Horseshoe Casino, where they had an RV park for $40 for the night. That wasn’t what we had in mind. So, we headed for the nearest Walmart.

When we got there we saw that Sam’s Club was adjacent to it so we pulled in there. Sam’s Club isn’t open all night so it’s a bit quieter. Besides, there were three other motorhomes and four or five trucks that had already checked in. On more coach on the parking lot wouldn’t matter. We did have to run the generator for a while to get the motorhome comfortable. But, once our heads hit our pillows, we might as well have been at a four-star resort.

We pulled out on Tuesday morning about 9:00 and headed to Kansas City. We were still on I-29 driving in the relatively flat valley of the Missouri River. That is, until driving through the Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge. Suddenly the we were in rolling hills with trees, shrubs, grass, and weeds on the boundaries of the corn fields. The right of way narrowed even as we approached Missouri. Suddenly, we had left the wider spaces and the broader view of the sky. Though we had been seeing corn fields amid the pastures since Mitchell, SD, we were now in farm country where there were smaller fields and fewer cattle. How quickly the landscape changed.

We called ahead to find out where to park so we could visit the Hallmark Visitor Center in Kansas City. Byron has long been a fan of the artwork done by Hallmark and he wanted to visit “The Card Vatican”. Though the directions given weren’t clear, we did park a few blocks away on the west side of the Liberty Memorial. Finding this 200-foot structure was a total surprise to us. Neither of us had read or heard of it.

The Liberty Memorial rises high from a hill in Penn Valley Park

in downtown Kansas City just a few blocks to the west

of Crown Center and Union Station.

At the top, the memorial features four stone guardian spirits – representing

courage, patriotism, sacrifice, and honor. They were sculpted by Robert Aitken

who better known for his “Equal Justice Under the Law”

sculpture above the entrance to the

U.S. Supreme Court Building in Washington.

The Liberty Memorial is a memorial to the soldiers who died in World War I and houses The National World War I Museum directly beneath the circular shaft. The memorial was completed and dedicated on November 11, 1926. By the time World War I ended on November 11, 1918, many citizens of Kansas and Missouri had lost their lives and a movement to build a monument for their sacrifices and the surviving veterans arose. A group of 40 prominent citizens formed a Memorial Association to raise funds to build the monument. It is said that one in four citizens of both states contributed to the fund which completely paid for construction without the use of government funds.

Union Station as viewed from the Liberty Memorial.

Train service has been restored to the station

which is now a multi-use building with

museums, a theater, and shops.

After our trek across the park, we finally came to the Hallmark Visitor Center which is not far from Union Station, the largest remaining Renaissance-style train station in the United States, and home to the interactive Science City museum. Byron passed through this station twice in 1962. He has a story to tell about the second time through the station. To keep it short, we’ll just say he did find his parents after they contacted the authorities with Santa Fe to help in finding him.

Once inside the Visitor Center, guests are welcome to take the self-guided tour. Everything it displayed behind glass walls. There is no “hand-on” exhibit here. There is information and artifacts about the history of Hallmark (founded by an 18-year-old), varieties of cards and printers, all kinds of Christmas ornaments as well as a display of a dozen themed Christmas trees, information about the Hallmark Channel and the special presentations that have been presented on network television over the years, and a special area where the ”artist of the day” is working. The artists include graphic designers, photographers, painters, and sculptors. On the day we visited an ornament sculptor answered question and displayed samples of her work. Amazingly, the first half of her career was spent in design and drawing. When asked if she had ever sculpted, she replied that she hadn’t but was willing to give it a try. For the last half of her career at Hallmark, 15 years, she’s been sculpting ornaments.

Some of the many themed Christmas trees on

display in the Hallmark Visitor Center. There’s a

tree made of wreaths, a Santa Clause tree,

a twelve days of Christmas tree, etc.

After leaving Kansas City he continued on east to the Lazy Day Campground in Montgomery City, about 80 miles west of St. Louis. The campground is an independent campground (not a franchise) and has to be one of the hidden gems of campgrounds in Missouri. It is over a mile from the Interstate on a hillside with trees and small ponds. All of the sites are large and terraced and held in place by decorative block retaining walls. Everywhere we went we could see perennials, trimmed shrubs, and freshly-mown grass. It is obvious that the owners take pride in making this seem resort-like. We’ve put this on our short list of spectacular campgrounds.

Wide gravel pads, grass medians, fire pits, picnic tables,

trees, flowers, decorative block walls, 50-amp electric,

water, and sewer all for under $35; what more

would an RVer ask for? Nothing. Did we say

it was also quiet?

Tomorrow we head to Fairfield, Illinois, Byron’s hometown, to visit with cousins before returning to Louisville on Thursday. We’ve been glad to be home but it’ll feel nice to be home — we think.

Western Swing 2013 - 33 - South Dakota to Iowa

Monday morning we were pleased to awake and find we were still on a dry spot. When we pulled into the KOA last night, we were told that several of the sites were closed because of the excess rains experienced the day before. Here we were, almost to the Missouri River near Chamberlain and they had as much rain as the city from which we left. Don't ask where we were. It was in the middle of nowhere.

We headed on eastward. When approaching the Missouri the road goes down in elevation a couple of hundred feet. Then, crossing the wide (literally) Missouri I-90 goes up nearly 250 feet. At the top of the bluff there’s a rest area that overlooks the area. We stopped there last year but had no need to this year. Still, a photo will show just how wide the river is. If one pays attention, the gradual change from open range with only a few trees to smaller fields and wooded areas. As a result, the horizon seemed to get closer and the view of the sky smaller.

Crossing the wide, wide Missouri River at Chamberlain, South Dakota

We continued on past Mitchell, home of the famous Corn Palace (see last year’s blog) to Sioux Falls, South Dakota where we turned south on to I-29. Unlike last year, we decided to see the falls and called about RV parking. We were directed to the Farmers Market lot on the north edge of Falls Park. From there is was a brief walk along the river and under a bridge to the park area itself. The time was about 2:30 and there were visitors scattered about. About half were tourists and the other half were enjoying the day.

The Big Sioux River runs through Sioux Falls. The park is on either side of the Cascades. The formations are of jasper (Sioux granite) with several jutting up in the middle of the river. Yet others form large patios. There are several areas up and down the .8 mile stretch where the water ultimately drops around 200 feet in it’s drop from the upper point to the lower point.

Overlooking Falls Park and the Cascades at Sioux Falls from

the tower at the visitor center. This section of the Big Sioux River

Actually flows northward as the river makes a big “S” curve

through the city of Sioux Falls, Iowa.

Since this was an ideal area for getting power using  water, a system of pipes that fed the Queen Bee Mill and the Hydroelectric Plant were installed to harness the energy of the falling water. The mill had a gate and one large pipe feeding one turbine. The water plant had a separate gate and three pipes that fed three turbines. The mill was built in 1887 and the utility plant was constructed in 1908. To redirect the water’s flow some blasting was done on the rocky cascades. Since both the mill and the electric plant are no longer functional, the gates have been removed as well as the pipes so the water flows freely through all of the openings as well as over the natural falls. 

We stepped into the refurbished electric building which has been converted into a café. We got some ice cream and looked around. On the list of bands entertaining in the shell of the Queen Bee Mill he saw a listing for Poker Alice. After enquiring he found that a Bluegrass band in the area is named Poker Alice and had been playing for several years. in fact, they’re a local favorite.

The Falls Park Visitor Information Center, (http://www.travelsd.com/Attractions/Falls-Park) featuring a five-story observation tower and elevator, provides information on Falls Park and other Sioux Falls attractions. We spent more time walking around the park than we thought but it was a relaxing way to break up the trip and take a journey back 100 years to see how things were done then.

As we pulled into the Walmart at Sioux City we saw a

caravan of antique tractors making it’s way into

the town for an overnight stop. They tended

to get together by brands though there

was a mixture, for sure.

Leaving Sioux Falls we continued south on I-29. As we neared the border with Iowa traveling in the Big Sioux River Valley, bluffs started to appear on the horizon to the east. By the time we reached Sioux City, where the Big Sioux meets the Missouri, bluff appear to the east and west, though they are some distance from the interstate. Oddly, where these rivers converge it seems that the width is scarcely more than 30 yards. It’s quite a contrast from how wide the Missouri is farther up stream. Once in Council Bluffs, it is easy to see how the town got it’s name.

The bluffs to the east of Interstate 29 are obvious while

approaching Council Bluffs, Iowa from the north.

Western Swing 2013 - 32 - Across South Dakota

Sunday, the day after the first day of summer for 2013, found us awaking to a blue sky, lots of sunshine, and a slight wind. Could it be we’re still in Gillette, Wyoming? As a matter of fact, we were.

Before turning in for the night we checked the service times of several churches. Some had posted times on their websites, some had Facebook pages listing times, and others had no web presence. So, we selected the First Presbyterian Church as our preference because their service started at 10 AM according to their Facebook page. Wrong! When we got there we discovered 9:15 covered over the 10:00 on their painted sign in from of the church. So, we drove to the First Baptist Church. Same story. The service time was changed from 10:45 to 9:30. A check of the Methodist church revealed the same tale. Apparently all over Wyoming churches dispense with Sunday School (Bible study) and move the worship service into that time slot so they can get out early and enjoy more of the “day of rest”.

We told God that we made an honest effort using the tools at our disposal and asked that we be forgiven. Since it didn’t pour down rain on the way back to the campground, we took it that we had been excused. Besides, when we can’t make it to a service on Sunday we listen to a variety of church music whether by vocal soloists or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. The opportunity to do just that came after we unhooked from water, electric, and sewer and prepared to leave.

At that point came our thrill for the day. When we returned to the campground we pulled the Honda behind the Airstream because there was no one in the slot behind us. Byron hooked the car to the tow bar and Martha did her cross check to be sure everything had been done: Car in neutral, parking brake off, key in first position, fan turned off, and radio turned off. Then Byron started to pull out when two men started waving their arms and shouting for us to stop. At that moment Byron looked in the mirror and saw that the car wasn’t tracking behind the motorhome. One of the men came up and said: “Your hitch came disconnected.” At that moment Byron realized that he hadn’t replaced the pin after the Blue Ox personnel serviced the tow bar. We’re glad the men were watching and that it was a minor incident. Things like this happen to all motorhome drivers. We each have our dumb stories to tell on ourselves.

Upon leaving the campground we noticed that several wreckers and tow trucks were working in a variety of locations pulling coaches out of the mud. One we saw was up to the frame in mud on the front while the rear seemed to be OK. This was yet one more small thing to be thankful for; being able to park in a better location for the night.

On our way east of Gillette we saw the Eagle Butte Mine and Steam Plant. It sits next to a large strip mine. On east of the plant there where three coal trains sitting on the siding loaded with coal. In a phone conversation with Byron’s oldest brother he learned that a train had derailed in DeSoto, Illinois on it’s way to Marion, Illinois loaded with coal from Wyoming. It seems that the Wyoming coal is low in sulfur content and is in demand all over the USA.

A train loaded with coal is ready to roll from the

Eagle Butte Mine near Gillette, Wyoming while

a train of empty cars awaits filling.

We’re always amazed at the great expanse of land

visible while driving across South Dakota from

Rapid City to Wall. Fields are ten times

the size they are in Kentucky.

We refueled at a Flying J in Rapid City in the western shadow of Ellsworth Air Force Base, where Byron’s oldest brother was deployed in 1964 through 1967. At that time the country was in the midst of the Cold War with the USSR. Danny was in the Minuteman program attached to the 66th Strategic Missile Squadron of the 44th Strategic Missile Wing.

About 45 miles east of the Base (and past the Badlands Scenic Route) is the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site which was established in 1999. There it is possible to see an intact launch control facility. From the facility more than a few dozen missiles could be launched from their silos the were sprinkled all around the southwestern portion of South Dakota. Driving through this area always brings back memories of Byron’s visiting here in 1964.

The Launch Control facility of the Minuteman Missile

National Historic Site near Wall, South Dakota

Driving on eastward the landscape changes gradually while approaching the Black Hills of South Dakota. Last year we were along the same route and it was very dry the first week of July. This year it is green and obvious that they’ve received more rain. The hills were even more beautiful. Not only did we see green grass but we also saw several places on the right-of-way where hay had been bailed already.

Can there be any doubt as to our next stop?

Further east of the missile location is the small town of Wall. Of course, we made a mandatory stop for some cherry pie with ice cream and a cup of 5-cent coffee at Wall Drugs. One thing we didn’t see there last year when we stopped were the life-sized carvings of some famous westerners. Byron spotted one and said: “That’s Poker Alice; get my picture.” You have to understand, Poker Alice’s maiden name was Ivers. She was born in England and moved to Virginia as a child. Later the family moved to Leadville, Colorado. She married and moved to Deadwood, South Dakota after gold was discovered there. She was well know for here abilities at poker and faro. Near the end of her life in 1930 she moved to Sturgis before it became popular with Harley riders.

Byron sits next to a wooden carving of Poker Alice, a famous Ivers

who was well known for the business she ran in Deadwood, South Dakota.

Byron is related to Poker Alice through his great, great, grandfather.

After leaving Wall we journeyed on to where we’d spend the night in Kennebec at the KOA. Kennebec is just 30 miles from Chamberlain where Interstate 90 crosses the wide Missouri River.

Tomorrow we head on eastward on our return to Louisville.

Western Swing 2013 - 30 & 31 - Last Days in Gillette

Friday and Saturday at the FMCA convention was pretty much like the other days as far as the schedule was concerned. As to the weather? It was different. Friday was a little cooler with clouds building in the afternoon. This led to a shower that lasted about 20 minutes. That wasn't so bad since we'd had another light rain the day before. For sure, it helps keep the dust down when parked on a grassy plot of ground though a dirt path was created when the motorhomes started entering and filling the rows. In our assigned location there were thirty coaches in a row. Once, again, Byron worked several hours in the RV Golf Club booth. In between prospects he and the driving force behind the business discussed marketing opportunities and how to restructure the website making it more effective as an information and communication tool.

An interesting sight at night are the buildings and shafts of

a Wyoming coal mine lit up in the night sky.

Friday evening we met with some of the other officers of Diesel RV Club in the club president and board member area. Though the units were parked on grass the streets were paved with rock. They also had full hook-ups (electric, water, and sewer) available. The DRVC president gave us his parking pass since they were leaving on Saturday morning so we could take advantage of the sewer connection to wash clothes and dump the holding tanks.

That turned out to be to our good fortune because at 5:30 AM on Saturday an extensive storm system moved through producing dime-sized hail. The area where we were parked had become a muddy mess. We pulled out of that spot at 10 AM before a second cell of activity was to move through. Talk about slip sliding away; we did it. Though we were just moving many people were leaving based on the prediction that there was to be more rain.

After getting the motorhome weighed, something that’s good to do regularly, we headed to our new parking spot. We backed into our spot, hooked everything into the services, and enjoyed the “comforts of home” by running a couple of loads of laundry. (For those of you that don’t know, we have a combination washer and dryer. It handles small loads but sure is handy.)

Sure enough, another system of clouds moved through, lightened up, and then provided a deluge of rain and nickel-sized hail along with wind gusts to 60 MPH. The outside displays were either blown over or damaged. Ice from the hail was piled against the windward side of the buildings. Obviously, this dampened everyone’s spirits at bit. Those who could, began leaving and those who stayed began hoping for winds overnight and sun the next morning to help dry things out before leaving.

For dinner we went with GMC-owning friends to a local restaurant called The Chop House. We enjoyed the “last night at camp” experience before we all headed out on Sunday.

After getting back to the motorhome for the evening we checked email, etc. Byron received a message that Don Hustad, a former seminary professor in church music, had died. Dr. Hustad used Byron in several programs during the last several years before the Hustad’s returned to the Chicago area a couple of years ago. Don was the type of Christian we’d all admire. During the late 50’s and early 60’s he was the organist for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and continued to accompany George Beverly Shea in concerts when possible. By the way, Shea died at the age of 104 on April 16 of this year. Hustad was 94 at his home-going.

Prior to coming to the School of Church Music at

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Dr. Donald P. Hustad

had taught at Moody Bible Institute. He was pleased

to return there a year ago to deliver a lecture

regarding music and worship. Though his

body weakened with age, his mind

never did.

Western Swing 2013 - 28 & 29 - At Gillette for FMCA

Wednesday and Thursday in Gillette -- This is another one of those posts that will cover two days worth of activity. Why, because we’re parked in one place at what is, more or less, a convention. There’s not much to write home about with regard to a convention unless you happen to be a fan of the organization involved.

On Wednesday morning we learned that eight motorhomes had been the target of profanity in the form of graffiti during the middle of the night. It causes us to wonder what sick minds and irresponsible attitudes some people possess. One of the phrases is quite common but one was profane in a different way. It was this: “God hates you.” As best as can be determined, the act was carried out in the middle of the group of over 200 motorhomes parked in or section of the grounds (there are 2200 motorhomes on the whole site). The police surmise that the ones doing the work didn’t want to be seen in the light around the perimeter  and chose the darkness of the coaches parked close to each other. Thankfully, the owners were able to acquire a product to clean the sides of their units before the paint had much time to set up.

Other than that, the FMCA Family Reunion at Gillette has been a pleasant experience. There were seminars on a broad range of topics on Wednesday with the opening of the Motorhome Showcase that evening. That’s when attendees get the opportunity to wander through new units of all sizes, gas or diesel, looking at what changes have been implemented. It is also the opportunity for some hungry sale people to offer to “make a deal”. Unfortunately, we’re not prospects. Still, it’s nice to look at new stuff.

For dinner we went with seven other friends who own classic GMC motorhomes. We wound up eating a lot and talking just as much. Two couples in the group have become particularly close and we enjoy being together at these events.

Since this is the 50th anniversary of FMCA and the 100th anniversary of Flxible, there are several Flxible coaches (the original busses converted to motorhomes) on display in front of the main pavilion. Flxible (yes, it is spelled correctly) started out as a motorcycle sidecar manufacturer in Loudonville, Ohio and grew, over time, to manufacture busses and hearses. The busses, with their quaint art deco look, still hold fascination for people today. The coaches on display represent a part of the FMCA chapter of Flxible owners.

A Flxible Starliner on display in from of the main building

at the FMCA event in Gillette, Wyoming. This, and

six other bus conversions of four, different Flible

models, are celebrating the 100th anniversary of

the founding of the company.

On Thursday Byron went to the doughnut breakfast were an RV club called the Frustrated Maestros get together regularly to provide choral and instrumental music at the FMCA events. The perform at each breakfast and also perform one special program through the rally.

The Frustrated Maestros performing for the breakfast crowd.

From there he went to the Caterpillar engine session. He, along with a few other members of the Diesel RV Club worked the membership table. There was also a group that worked a table in the Cummins seminar.

After than, he went on to work in the RV Golf Club booth in the exhibit hall. On the first day the exhibit hall is open it means a lot of standing and a lot of talking. After Martha put in a good portion of her work day, she joined Byron in attending the Diesel RV Club business session and pizza party.

By the way, Byron was elected the VP Publications for the Diesel RV Club. We think it was because no one else would take the job.

The entertainment for Thursday evening was a group called The Buckinghams. They’ve been around as long as or longer than Byron. He remembers hearing them during his college days. You may have heard of one of their hits from the 60’s, Kind of a Drag. Two of the original members of the group are still performing though the makeup of the band supporting them has changed often since they first started performing in Chicago after the British Invasion of The Beatles and other groups.

The next report will cover Friday and Saturday.

Western Swing 2013 - 27 - Douglas to Gillette

Tuesday was a travel day after spending the night at the KOA in Douglas. Though we had arrangements to stay at the Douglas Golf Course (made through our membership in RV Golf Club) we decided on the KOA so we could fully empty the gray and black tanks and fill the fresh water tank. While we had electrical service scheduled for our stay on the CAM-PLEX grounds for the FMCA family reunion, we would have no water and sewer service at the site. That makes it important to start with empty waste tanks and a full fresh tank.

Martha, Redford, and Julie Ann enjoyed rocking in the

sunshine at the KOA in Douglas while Byron

attended to getting the LP tank filled. The “kids”

will do just about anything as long as they

can be around Martha.

By the way, Redford is classified as a red English

cocker while Julie is called orange (white

with red markings). As you can tell, they are

great companions.

The trip took us up Wyoming 59 across the Thunder Basis National Grassland, a vast area that includes approximately 547,500 acres of land managed by the National Forest Service. The acreage isn’t all contiguous since there are areas where private ownership of land exists and where rail lines also cross. It is in northeastern Wyoming in the Powder River Basin between the Big Horn Mountains and the Black Hills. The climate is semi-arid where sustainable grass is allowed to grow (no farming operations, just ranching). There are no developed campgrounds in the area although camping is allowed. The Grassland is home to a lot of wildlife year-round and provides forage for livestock. Under the surface there are mineral resources including coal, oil, and gas.

Just north of Douglas where there are active oil wells with working pumps, there a many drilling rigs set up for gas exploration. As mentioned earlier, there are railroad tracks that cross the area. At points there are sections where the there are sets of three tracks. Train traffic is especially heavy coming from and returning to the large mines south and east of Gillette. Byron believes he was at least six, 120-car consists moving southbound in the 90 minutes we were driving northbound. Each train had two engines pulling and two engines pushing. One even had three pushing. The northbound trains, which are made up of empty cars, have two pulling and one pushing unit per train.

A coal train works it’s way southward from the mines in

Campbell County, Wyoming. Gillette, the county seat,

calls itself the “Energy Capital of the Nation”.

We spotted several antelopes on the many cattle ranches. Just north of the Grassland were several large sheep farms as well.

The terrain on the Thunder Basin National Grassland includes

prairie grasses, sagebrush, and mounds of dirt that are

reminiscent of sand dunes on the dessert.

As to the terrain, there are many places where the land where we saw mounds reminiscent of the mounds made by the natives in Southern Indiana only taller with peaks. They also reminded us of sand dunes only these aren’t made of sand. One wonders if theses were naturally formed or made many, many years ago by some of the plains tribes.

Adjacent to the protected Grassland are several large strip mines

operated by the Peabody company. These mines utilize

massively-sized equipment. The mines also are

involved in land reclamation putting the land

back to use for forage by livestock and wildlife.

Gillette is a town of approximately 38,000. It was built as a railroad terminal in the 1880’s. Today the main business is that of energy and the many businesses in town support that business. The coal in Wyoming is low-sulfur as opposed to the coal from Kentucky which isn’t as clean burning.

Just south of Gillette is the small community of Wright. Many workers in the mines live here where the average yard is about three-quarters of an acre. The yards in the outlying part of town are probably two to three acres in size. They certainly take advantage of the ample amount of space.

Judging from this sign one would think that Wright is a

prosperous town of many thousands instead of a

community of a couple thousand. But, like many

communities in the west, they are patriotic.

We arrived at the CAM-PLEX and were parked among the three thousand or so motorhomes by 2:30 PM. By late afternoon the dark clouds filled the sky and the wind picked up speed and changed direction. A cool front moved through dropping the temperature about 15 degrees. It also brought two showers that each lasted about thirty minutes. The thirsty ground, however, quickly absorbed the water. It did nicely settle the dust created when we all drove onto the grassy fields surround the facility.

The seminars get started tomorrow as does the nightly entertainment. Welcome to the 50th anniversary celebration of Family Motor Coach Association.

Western Swing 2013 - 26 - Rocky Mountain National Park

There’s nothing quite like waking up on a Monday in the mountains. Though this was the first day of a work week for Martha, being in Estes Park made it unique because we’re went to the Alpine Visitor Center before she even checked to see what transcription work there was to do.

Morning at the KOA in Estes Park with a snow-capped mountain

in the distance. “Oh, what a beautiful morning” sure captures

the feeling well. Some are loading their vehicles

for a day in the park or for continuing on a journey.

KOA’s tend to cater to travelers who spend two nights

or less whether in one of their Kabins or in a motorhome

or pulling a travel trailer.

US 36 and US 34 cross each other in Estes Park before continuing on separate paths through Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). In fact, the highways through the Park are the highest in the US in terms of maintenance at elevation. The trip to the Alpine Visitor Center took us to a summit of 12,138 feet as we followed the Trail Ridge Road, the highway in the sky. Since the check out time at the KOA was 11 AM we were in the Park by 8:30. The trek is around 30 miles. The speed limit, like in all National Parks, is 35 with opportunities to pull over and take photographs. It took the full 2.5 hours to go to our turnaround point. In out next visit we’ll make a full loop after going over the continental divide.

Big Thompson River is the culmination of many streams from

the mountains. Since the snow in the upper elevations is

still melting, the river’s water is flowing rapidly at the

lower level near Estes Park.

The climb to the summit isn’t all that difficult. The grade never exceeds 7%. Though the roadway is of standard width, there are several places where there is no shoulder and there certainly are no guardrails. If you make a wrong turn, your GPS will not figure out a way back before landing several hundred feet below.

No guardrail and no shoulder. Actually, this is a good stretch

of road where the edge is not on the edge of the ridge.

There are, however, wooden poles of Ponderosa Pine

standing about 12 feet high that mark the edge

of the pavement.

This photo was taken from an elevation of approximately 11,000 feet

looking down into the valley where one of the tributaries

of the Big Thompson is flowing with water from the

summer melt. This roadway can be seen

on the right half of the image.

Please ignore the look on Byron’s face, he always seems to get

and inquisitive look when someone else is using his camera.

That the sun was shining in his face didn’t help. At any rate,

he’s standing next to an unmelted drift at the Alpine

Visitor Center. The elevation is a little more than

12,000 feet above sea level.

Martha is smiling pleasantly in this photo. Why? Because

she hadn’t yet climbed to the observation peak shown

behind her. We have hundreds of steps to make

in an ascent of hundreds of feet. Those are

people at the top left getting ready to take

the stairs down the hill to the parking area.

This amazing view of the tundra shows the ecosystem of rocks, grasses,

and wild flowers. Thing up here grow very slowly in the thin

layer of soil. The snow on the peaks, all above the tree line,

has yet to melt for the summer. The skies are not

cloudy in the early morning but build as the

day goes on.

These hardy wildflowers fight for the right to thrive

amid the melting snow and rocky soil of the tundra.

The flowers and the grass are low- and slow-growing

never reaching a height of even three inches.

Byron thought a "glamour" shot of the RMNP sign would be a

nice effect. What that means is a soft focus, especially on the

trees in the background. Goodbye, we’ll be back.

Immediately after returning to the campground we left for Douglas, WY via Loveland, CO on US 34. The highway winds downward for 2,200 feet following the Big Thompson River most of the way. There are many inhabitants living in houses and cabins built on the banks of the rapidly-flowing river. There are stretches where there is little room for anything other than the river, the highway, and a fisherman or two. There is no shooting of the rapids here.

One of the more gentle portions of the Big Thompson.

The trip to Douglas was uneventful. Though we had traveled this section of I-25 two times in the last three weeks, Byron was still saw things he didn't see on the other trips. Once into Wyoming north of Cheyenne it isn’t unusual to see antelope in a field. Typically one can be spotted and, on occasion, it’s possible to see of group of four or more. Of course, they are never more than a couple of miles from the creeks as they roam through the vast prairie system.

A rare sight, a group of antelope pausing to sing “Don’t Fence Me In.” Amazingly,

they manage keep from being hit by a car, unlike the deer in the Ohio Valley.

Western Swing 2013 - 25 - On to Estes Park

Sunday morning and the sky is clear blue again. Give it a few hours and it’ll get cloudy. That’s OK. It keeps the temperature down and helps the firefighters moving in on the final hotspots of the recent fires.

This morning we attended a service on the grounds of the Fountain KOA. A local Baptist church sponsors the services held each. There were several volunteers from the church in attendance as well as a few from the campground including a family of six from Spearman, Texas.

If you recall, last week Byron mentioned wondering why there were no contemporary service formats that utilized Country & Western or Jazz. Well, today he got his wish. The hymns were all done using C&W settings in Karaoke style. What an experience! “What a Friend” was done in a slow, Western Swing. The other were much more like a fast Texas Two-Step. The leader was an gentleman who looked to be about 77 years of age. There was a sincere and well thought out testimony presented by a woman originally from Korea. She talked about how Jesus was her guide, map, and GPS through life. The message was presented by a man who had seen combat in Iraq. It was obvious that it was all done with great sincerity and we appreciated being present.

Around 11:30 we took off toward Estes Park, Colorado where neither of us had been before. We followed the GPS to the Flying J in Aurora so we could fuel up and use our discount credit card provided to us by Pilot and Good Sam. After leaving Aurora we continued to follow the guidance of the GPS to some extent. Once Byron took a good look at the route on the iPad’s Maps application, he decided to take a road less traveled. Instead of going through Boulder from Denver on the toll road we headed up US 287 through Longmont and then on Ute Highway to Lyons and on to Estes Park on US 36.

Wow, what a gorgeous drive! It has to be the most scenic trip we have yet to make in the motorhome. the curving road took us along the path of North Saint Vrain Creek past Steamboat Mountain and Indian Lookout Mountain and on into the Roosevelt National Forest. We passed Button Rock Mountain and Keeny Mountain before beginning the descent into Estes Park below Mount Olympus. To my surprise, Estes Lake would lie ahead where we’d turn to go to the KOA.

The “welcome rock” is near the base of Mt. Olympus. Just

around the curve the town of Estes Park can be seen

along with Lake Estes in wide valley. Estes Lake

is supplied by the Fall River that drops from within

Rocky Mountain National Park.

Mount Olympus – Is there any wonder how it got it’s name?

The peak is all granite with jutting edges and trees growing

where they can set their roots in the rocky soil.

Estes Park sits at an elevation of roughly 7,525 feet above sea level. We have yet to spend the night on this trip at that elevation. After checking in and parking at the KOA, we had an early dinner then drove around the area.

Once again, photos fail to show all that can be seen. Snow-capped mountains

meet the sky just within easy view of our Airstream Land Yacht XC. If it weren’t

for the trouble of moving and other things about Louisville, we’d consider

making Colorado our new state of residence. There are no

mountains like the Rocky Mountains as far as we’re concerned.

On our drive around town we stopped at the Visitor Center. It is next

to the public golf course where we found elk enjoying the late

evening hours. By the way, some of the elk moved a few

feet to allow the golfer to play through.

A well-kept, century-old hotel, The Stanley, sits higher in the foothills

overlooking Estes Park. The Needles formation is in the distance.

On Monday we plan to get early and rive into Rocky Mountain National Park. We may take the Trail Ridge Road which reaches an elevation of 12,000 feet. This will be before Martha has to begin working.

Did we say it was beautiful out here? If Katharine Bates had visited here instead of Pikes Peak she would have had difficulty not making the poem longer.

We feel blessed. Good night.

Estes Park, Colorado at night with snow-capped

Deer Mountain overlooking.