Back on the road again

Badlands National Park in South Dakota

After a long break in our travels we are back traveling and exploring North America. Right now we are in Bellingham, Washington. In order to bring you up to date, we will split this into 2 updates:

1. This one – our travels up to the Olympic peninsula area in the northwest.
2. The second one (in 2 weeks) – Our 2 trips to Alaska (cruise and on the Alaska Marine Ferry) plus our visit to Olympic National Park.

Here is what has happened since the beginning of 2009 (with some photos included below):

•  In April we were in Louisiana on our way to the east coast when we were diverted to the Austin Texas area to help Cathy’s brother David. With no warning, he developed a brain tumor and needed someone to help him since he lived alone and his daughter lives in London. For the next 9 months we lived in our rig parked on his driveway.
  
• In January this year, when his condition worsened, we moved him into an assisted living facility. With help from Cathy’s sister and other brother (who fortunately also live in the Austin area) we got his house ready to sell, disbursed his furniture etc., and fortunately completed the sale of the house by the 1st of March.
  
• We left David’s sister and other brother to help with his doctor’s visits etc. and we drove to Dickinson (close to Houston) for a month set aside for our annual doctor checkups etc.
  
• After camping a few days at the Escapees RV park in Livingston, TX (our “home base” address) we headed to McKinney (north of Dallas) to spend a month with our daughter’s family and grandkids plus help with major house repairs (like putting on a new roof on an addition).
  
• Finally, on April 8th we hitched up and started this year’s trek to the northwest.

Our first major goal was to be in Idaho for an RV rally with other owners of New Horizons 5th wheels and travel trailers. On the way, we visited with Jan’s brother in Kansas City and stopped at the following National Park Service sites:

1. Buffalo National River in Arkansas
2. Pipestone National Monument in Minnesota (This is where the Native Americans did [and still do today] quarry for the special stone used to make peace pipes).
3. Missouri National Scenic River in Nebraska
4. Niobrara National Scenic River (plus Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge) in Nebraska
5. Badlands National Park in South Dakota
6. Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in Montana
7. Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in Wyoming/Montana
8. Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming
9. Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho

The RV rally in Mountain Home, Idaho was a great time to learn RVing tips, reconnect with old friends and meet new ones. The best part (as it has been with previous rallies) was when we have open house and get to visit each other’s RVs to see how their home on wheels is configured. Each RV (5th wheel or travel trailer) is unique and was custom made in Junction City, KS . They only problem we had were the north cold winds which seemed to blow almost all of the time.

After the rally we headed to the Olympic peninsula in Washington State with a stop in Kennewick, Washington to photo a brand new functional lighthouse on the Columbia River – this was the 1st lighthouse we had seen in over a year. We then settled in at the Escapees COHO Evergreen Co-op RV park in Chimacum, Washington.

We plan to visit Vancouver Island for a month and then meander down the Pacific Coast to San Diego (of course seeing lighthouses).  Then we will head east thru the Grand Canyon (north rim) and Canyon de Chelly on our way back to Texas for the winter.

Winnewissa Falls in Pipestone National Monument in Minnesota

Bison in Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge in Nebraska

Yellow mounds in Badlands National Park

Part of the Indian Memorial at Little Bighorn National Battlefield Monument In Montana

Red rocks in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in Wyoming

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area (view to the north from Devil Canyon overlook in Montana - accessed thru Wyoming)

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area (view to the south from Devil Canyon overlook in Montana - accessed thru Wyoming)

A hot springs terrace at Mammoth in Yellowstone National Park

Distant photo of grizzly bear and vultures in Yellowstone National Park

Our campsite after a light overnight snow at Craters of The Moon National Monument Campground in Idaho

The new Clover Island Lighthouse in Kennewick, Washington