https://www.threehappycampers.com/home daily 1.0 2022-06-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581080923646-KXOP3OVS6WVME46Z799Q/IMG_0801.JPG Home https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/ur5x5q9z9itywvburr21fjegsamo9j monthly 0.5 2021-10-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1630809347290-F58C25RXX9VJGXNGDF4R/IMG_2731.jpeg Home - Those Mountains in Montana! In Billings, Montana, we stayed at the First KOA Campsite. In the 1960s, Kampgrounds of America (KOA) founder, David Drum, noticed station wagons and RVs overnighting on the side of the road or in church parking lots. Drum said, "America was camping, but they had no place to stay." He soon opened his first campground on this incredible piece of property, in 1962, next to the Yellowstone River. Today there are over 485 KOA locations worldwide. Right past our campsite, a row of hedges led to this unexpected wide open space. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1631355745708-XV9BPL8ZF1NV44XPVYRE/IMG_0471-1000px.jpg Home - Those Mountains in Montana! The day we arrived in Butte, Montana, we saw something in the distance, miles away. A statue?...Jesus?…Mary? Then we learned about Our Lady of the Rockies. This statue was first imagined by Bob O'Bill in 1979 when his wife was seriously ill with cancer. O'Bill asked God to allow his wife to recover, and if He did, Bob would build a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe. His wife did recover, and Bob began the project. The land for the site was donated, a retired engineer designed it, a large portion of the money, materials, and labor from the local community were donated, and in December 1985, a helicopter from the Army National Guard airlifted the statue in four sections, into place 3,500 feet above town. Later, after the statue received criticism for being such an overwhelmingly large religious display, the figure was additionally dedicated to "All women, especially virgin mothers." (Photo credit: AllAroundTheWest.com) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1630809220204-RX9RBHOOAUMY73V0FGG4/IMG_3032.jpeg Home - Those Mountains in Montana! Our Lady of the Rockies is the 4th largest statue in the US. We don’t know how far you can see the statue at night, but we were amazed that nearly anywhere you went in the area, the brightly lit virgin mother could be seen. For reference, this statue is three times taller than the 30-foot Presidential carvings on Mt. Rushmore! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1630809239472-DRUGVXZA5GDGEJT1BEGF/IMG_3012.jpeg Home - Those Mountains in Montana! Butte, Montana is a mining town once called "The Richest Hill on Earth." In the 1890s, Butte supplied over 25% of the world's copper and over 50% of the United States' copper. Gold and silver were also mined here before copper. The locals say there are still untold treasures underground in this region. That may be true: even after 100+ years of mining in this area, two men found a nearly two-pound gold nugget (around $70,000 value) not far from here, in 1989, less than 2 feet underground. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1631295846623-PRKIIXUOYZJE83Q2DNIF/IMG_3005.jpeg Home - Those Mountains in Montana! Butte is extremely proud of its mining heritage and honorably memorializes copper miners that died during the tragic Granite Mountain/Speculator Mine disaster of June 8, 1917. A fire started when a worker's lantern ignited a cable that led deep into the mine, resulting in the most deadly underground hard rock mining event in United States history. The memorial is quite elaborate, and includes personal details of many of the miners’ last hours in the mine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1631295843587-0EDP40IZK5UIGQIJJFU3/IMG_2967.jpeg Home - Those Mountains in Montana! Butte's population and the economy tanked in the 1970s, and in 2000, mining stopped altogether. In 2002, mining started again due to significantly rising copper prices. Today 370 people still work in this ragged little town, pulling copper out of the only remaining active mine, The Continental Pit. In memory of their history, 14 headframes (pictured here) still stand around town at the mining sites. Seven are decorated with American Flags and red lights that shine at night, in memory of Butte’s history and those that died in the mines. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1630809358243-0Z4N94EKZK452PRUC4U5/IMG_2993.jpeg Home - Those Mountains in Montana! This is Chuck, the owner of Quarry Brewery. With great pride he told us more about the town of Butte and explained his Mug Club to us. On the wall are the mugs of 200 of his best patrons. Each cup hangs on a numbered peg, and he knows every customer and their assigned number by heart. There is a 2-year waiting list to get your own mug, but Chuck can bump you up the waitlist if you are an active citizen that helps others or volunteers in the community. One customer stepped up to us and recommended a good restaurant in town. At first, we wondered if he was trying to earn his mug, but then decided he must already have one when he also informed us that Butte didn't want outsiders moving in and trying to change their town. He politely said we could spend our money and then “move on". We thanked him for the food recommendation and said we'd be on our way very shortly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1630809227070-SA75WTVU6NBF7TZ9QUU0/IMG_3086.jpeg Home - Those Mountains in Montana! Charming scenes like this can be seen all over the US, but this particular one is at the Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site in Deer Lodge. This 1,600+ acre ranch, in operation since the 1850s, is still fully active and maintained by the National Park Service. The ranch was developed by Grant, who seized a prime business opportunity during the gold-rushing days. After discovering his property was along the route of the Oregon Trail, he began to trade westward travelers one healthy cow for two starving and exhausted ones. He fed and rested the trail-weary animals, and the following season would trade them again—two for one, of course. He began a thriving cattle ranch this way and later sold the farm to another successful businessman (Kohrs). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1630809247329-V6UJHVQ742H2X2S7AIEX/IMG_0138.jpeg Home - Those Mountains in Montana! One day we enjoyed a day of driving the Beartooth Highway. The Beartooth traces a series of steep zigzags and switchbacks for 68 miles along the Montana-Wyoming border. The Beartooth Highway has been called the most beautiful road in America, but Car and Driver magazine also dubbed it One of the Most Dangerous Roads in America. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1630809363593-6THIYDE30FMVG9BLXCTM/IMG_2824.jpeg Home - Those Mountains in Montana! The Beartooths comprise some of the highest elevations and most rugged areas in the lower 48 states, with 20 peaks over 12,000 feet in elevation. Snowstorms occur even in the middle of summer at this altitude, and the pass is known for strong winds and severe thunderstorms. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1630809351122-U7WSXXNFK3UNFSQYPKP4/IMG_2928.jpeg Home - Those Mountains in Montana! The US DOT has designated Beartooth Highway as an All-American Road. This means it has features that do not exist anywhere else in the United States and are unique and important enough to stand alone as a tourist destination. All-American Roads must possess two of the following “intrinsic qualities:” archeological, cultural, historical, natural, recreational, and scenic. If a road only has one of the six features, it’s called a National Scenic Byway. Congress established this program in 1991 to preserve America’s scenic, but less-traveled roads and to promote tourism—which in our case worked, and we’re glad we didn’t miss it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1631295825790-BKUGA53C9JYIK1LNROKU/IMG_2812.jpeg Home - Those Mountains in Montana! Chipmunks on the Beartooth are cashing in on tourism as well. They know every visitor at this prime overlook is a potential provider of some type of snack. Even with his jaws packed with sunflower seeds, he reaches for more treats. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1630809243478-WV1QJBJ0LFYTDIURQHHE/IMG_0146.jpeg Home - Those Mountains in Montana! On another day, a big friendly mountain goat was on a hiking trail in the very charming town of Big Fork. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1630809450743-3HUD7B17HIOUQQ7OGQLB/IMG_3388.jpeg Home - Those Mountains in Montana! It was great to have our son and daughter-in-law, Kevin and Rachel, join us for over a week. Here, they’re hiking on the Highline Trail in Glacier National Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1630809237823-WSTBT8RSS4VKEPHNC3PJ/IMG_0157.jpeg Home - Those Mountains in Montana! Also on the Highline Trail, was this sweet, baby mountain goat! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1630809253516-J13DQNUARPBBBS98I7BV/IMG_3661.jpeg Home - Those Mountains in Montana! Our dog, Clay, and I saw big-horn sheep on our walk. The sheep were infatuated with Clay, who mostly ignored them. One sheep attempted to get a better look at Clay through the trees, but then started to walk directly to us. This is when I stopped filming. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1630809339613-66LHI05GENKLXGA94IFD/IMG_3652.jpeg Home - Those Mountains in Montana! Craig’s brother, and our sister-in-law, Keith and Tiffany, also came to enjoy Glacier National Park with us. Two days of their visit overlapped with Kevin and Rachel’s. It was truly a special time together. We had so much fun. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1630809375899-E19X21DTO4K7XFEQWXNY/IMG_5449.jpeg Home - Those Mountains in Montana! At the top of Hidden Lake Trail, there were also professional peddlers. After helping Keith and Tiffany get a priceless photo with wildlife, this ground squirrel asked for a dollar for his service. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1630809225762-7W91TVK80LYKNMFC2SG6/IMG_0162.jpeg Home - Those Mountains in Montana! More beauty on Hidden Lake Trail. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1630809249912-92QWD3S0M0ZI0E3A1IAV/IMG_0164.jpeg Home - Those Mountains in Montana! This photo was taken along the Going-To-The-Sun Road, the 50-mile road that connects the east and west entrances of Glacier Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1630897888175-S3IT7TDP0EOFXKUKBM2A/DSC00095.jpg Home - Those Mountains in Montana! Lots of hiking and good vibes in Montana! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1632484057455-MFZQK22JR31SD41SH0DC/IMG_0175.jpeg Home - Those Mountains in Montana! The 12-mile (round trip) Grinnel Glacier Trail was breathtaking and amazing every step of the way. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1630809251345-UWEOUJ9ROUMJUY7NAQBS/IMG_3637.jpeg Home - Those Mountains in Montana! We haven’t seen quite as many mamots as last year. They’re always fun to watch. This three-toned marmot was a little different than many we see. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1630809222960-VUIXXIM55Q3M691OL93U/IMG_0074.jpeg Home - Those Mountains in Montana! The six-mile and 1800+ foot elevation climb was more than worth the effort to see the Grinnell Glacier up close. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1630809236170-PWKEZVAU663CS74JN8R1/IMG_3618.jpeg Home - Those Mountains in Montana! Lots of smiles on this hike. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1630809245127-XARETFZIB40NB3RH8H4Z/IMG_3664.jpeg Home - Those Mountains in Montana! A double rainbow! We learned the lower rainbow is the primary rainbow and the second, higher rainbow is a reflection of the primary. On the first rainbow, red is the outermost color of the arc, and violet is always the innermost color. As a reflection, the second rainbow is higher, fainter, and the colors are in reverse order. We also learned they’re actually pretty common. Oh well, we were thrilled and amazed, anyway! https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/wisconsin-minnesota-amp-north-dakota-passing-through-americas-heartland monthly 0.5 2021-09-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1628805568717-CCV7P7VWPUZZXGV0M157/IMG_1919.jpeg Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! Apostle Islands National Lakeshore includes a beautiful stretch of shoreline and 21 islands at the northernmost tip of Wisconsin on Lake Superior. This area is named after the 12 Disciples (or Apostles) in reference to the 12 largest islands here. According to the National Park Service, some of these islands have the largest concentration of black bears in North America, and since the bears can swim so well, they may be seen on any of the islands in the area. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1629476837558-045W3Q5KRLK936ITRU3B/Capture.JPG Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! While visiting the Apostle Islands, we learned about the invasive sea lamprey. These things are what nightmares are made of. The 14"-24"-inch long blood-suckers have a large, oral disk filled with sharp teeth surrounding a razor-sharp tongue that burrs holes through a fish's scales and into their sides. These parasites came from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes about 100 years ago through a single canal built for ships, around Niagra Falls. Before their invasion, the US and Canada harvested about 15 million pounds of lake trout in the upper Great Lakes each year. By the early 1960s, the catch had dropped 98%, and during the time of the highest sea lamprey population, up to 85% of the living fish had sea lamprey attack wounds. Due to the US and Canada's various efforts to control sea lamprey, the fish population has recovered, but managing them continues to be an ongoing project today. And speaking of nightmares, sea lampreys attach to humans when given the opportunity. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1628805623424-SHB6117FWJ0WPCMS0HXU/IMG_1830.jpeg Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! After a major national economic downturn in 1857, an unemployed Duluth, Minnesota resident with brewing experience and a few of his friends had a capital idea—brew beer. One source said of them, "The absence of malt and hops and barley did not at all embarrass those stout-hearted settlers." Years later, Fitger's Brewing Company became a major local employer and even stayed open during prohibition by shifting to soda and candy bar production. Fitger's Brewery historical complex (built in 1886) stretches 720 feet along Lake Superior's shoreline. Today, the building is an indoor mall with shops, a brewery, restaurants, nightclubs, a hotel, and a museum on the brewery's history. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1629441224183-ADIUG5N43S8QCKCRRTW0/4wwf5y77c6k41.jpg Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! Duluth, Minnesota, is a port city with an early history of economic challenges and some very notable high points. Because of its position on Lake Superior, new railroads, and rich natural resources, Duluth was the fastest-growing city in the country in 1870. Shortly before 1870, Duluth's newspaper's founder boasted in a public speech that Duluth was "The Zenith City of the Unsalted Seas!" At the time, he wasn't entirely wrong about the city's bright future, but most people found great amusement in his declaration. Because the statement was so laughably presumptuous, the designation stuck, and to this day Duluth's tongue-in-cheek nickname remains, The Zenith City. During a period of opportunity and prosperity, the town erupted with beautiful architecture, most of which still stands today. Old Central High School, built in 1892 is still owned by the school system in Duluth. (photo taken from Reddit.com.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1629661941966-C0Y971R2NQZ3R9GQMDL4/IMG_2010.jpg Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! In the early 1900s, there were more millionaires per capita in Duluth, Minnesota, than in any other city in the world. Chester and Clara Congdon were among Duluth’s most prominent. In 1905, construction began on their 27,000 sq. ft. Glensheen Mansion on Lake Superior. In today’s dollars, construction costs were over 22 million and included every imaginable luxury of the day, including showers equipped with 5-head shower sprayers. (Not bad for 1905!) Elisabeth Congdon, the last living heir of Chester and Clara’s seven children, never married and lived in the house until she died in 1977. Years before her death, Elizabeth donated Gleensheen Mansion to the University of Minnesota. Today, U of M operates the home as a museum and special events venue, but nearly every aspect of the home’s interior remains as it did when the Congdns lived there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1628805645368-1S35R50SBL3VXS5MWSN8/IMG_1971.jpeg Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! Chester Congdon enjoyed remarkable accomplishments personally and professionally, and for Minnesota, as a State Representative. His daughter, Elizabeth, was also an active philanthropist well into her old age. Unfortunately, much of the Congdon legacy is overshadowed by Elizabeth's murder, and the murder of her nurse, in the Glensheen Mansion in 1977. The nurse was killed with a candlestick on this staircase before 83-year old Elizabeth was murdered in her bedroom. The prime suspect was Elizabeth’s adopted daughter, Marjorie Congdon, who stood to inherit 8.4 million dollars. Marjorie was acquitted, although evidence linked her with other felonies and murders after the death of her mother. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1628805585746-BG98P874AXZZ28UT29J5/IMG_0065.jpeg Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! The North Shore of Lake Superior is a scenic state highway that runs from Duluth, Minnesota to Canada. Lake Superior is the largest of the Great Lakes—by a lot. With a surface area of nearly 32,000 miles and areas as deep as 1,332 feet, Lake Superior could hold all the water in lakes Huron, Michigan, Ontario and Erie, plus three more Lake Eries. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1629779134818-LBGG0VV6CX92DTW29M7G/st+lawrence.png Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! Lake Superior is not just special because of its size; it connects the heartland (the midwestern states) to the global economy via the St. Lawrence Seaway. This channel flows from Duluth to the Atlantic Ocean. The St. Lawrence Seaway we see today is the result of 50 years of discussions, negotiations, and planning between Canada and the United States. "Highway H2O" is 2,038 nautical miles and takes about 8.5 days to travel, with an average speed of 12 mph. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1629783122431-7ARW862EB9ZWL1O3I19Y/ships.png Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! If you’ve never thought about how much we depend on water transit, this map from a few days ago shows ships currently on the water in and near the US. On land, it's easy to forget that at any given moment there are around 50,000 merchant ships crisscrossing the oceans, stuffed with goods, and another 40,000 non-merchant vessels. This cool website shows real-time traffic on the waterways of the world. Click this link and see whats going on right now! https://www.marinetraffic.com https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1629786819856-N021TKEIIJ92SM3M732R/608px-Aerial_Lift_Bridge_at_night.jpg Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! Duluth’s ports, along with the neighboring ports of Superior, Wisconsin, make what is known as the Twin Ports. Together, they are considered the largest freshwater port in the world. The Ariel Lift Bridge at Duluth’s Ship Canal is a major landmark and attraction in the area. In this photo, cars pass over the water on the bottom roadway portion of the bridge. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1629908445519-O9PZE5HBWXBQKYMMJ3W9/Capture3.JPG Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! The roadway portion of the Ariel Lift Bridge lifts 135 feet into the air when ships pass through. Once the ship has cleared the bridge, the roadway decends down to land level again for commuting cars. A 1,000-foot boat arriving to port came through as we were here. An online ship schedule makes it easy for visitors to plan to see the action from Canal Park along Lake Superior—and if you’re not in the area, you can watch the Duluth Harbor Bridge Cam online! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1628805630528-OLCRN3N3QV7CWIO5RM68/IMG_1877.jpeg Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! Split Rock Lighthouse along the North Shore was built specifically because of one storm in November 1905. During the storm, the temperature dropped to -13 degrees, winds were more than 60 mph and waves exceeded 30 feet. Twenty-nine ships wrecked, 36 men died in the icy waters, and shipping losses topped 3.5 million, in 1905 dollars. Historians estimate that 350 ships have been lost to Lake Superior since the first recorded shipwreck in 1816. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1629852965709-4HBB1AFCT043RWWWY1NM/Capture2.JPG Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! For Georgia residents, it may be of interest that Duluth, Georgia, was named after Duluth, Minnesota. The Georgia city is referred to as Duluth, Minnesota’s "sister city," and there are no other cities in the nation by this name. How the name got from Minnesota to Georgia is a bit of a long story, but it involves an inside joke linked with some humorous events in Duluth, MN, when the railroad system came through both of the small towns in the same year. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1629783538207-67YL0CARMBMJJCO09CWR/IMG_2138.jpg Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! You’re probably aware that the great Mississippi River ends at the Gulf of Mexico, but you may have never asked yourself where, exactly, the Mississippi River is flowing from. We hadn’t either, but we learned that many others before us were obsessed with this question and couldn't figure it out. Finally, an Indian Chief led explorers to Lake Itasca, and there, the head of the Mississippi River was gloriously discovered in Park Rapids, Minnesota, in 1832. Itasca State Park is built around this locally famous place, and we camped here for a few days. Itasca is Latin for "true head." This small rock dam marks the very spot in Minnesota where Lake Itasca ends, and the Mississippi River begins. And now you know… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1629781799519-PO18YWRPZKDSY15KLVT7/IMG_2145.jpg Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! There she is in all her glory—the first few flowing feet of the Mississippi River. And there he is, always thrilled to pose for a picture. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1628805611875-6D28U329DPW93Q5TQYAL/IMG_2243.jpeg Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! After leaving Minnesota, we made our way to North Dakota. On our way through Fargo, we had certainly arrived in Farmland, USA. I took this picture of the traffic when we stopped for gas. Traffic here looks much different than in Atlanta. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1628805583227-Q1BY9XWSXP2HOJXMFLUJ/IMG_2190.jpeg Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! In Buffalo, North Dakota we camped one night at a Harvest Host location, Red Trails Vineyard. The owner, Rodney, was absolutely the best host. We enjoyed wine tasting at this lovely vineyard and then the three of us went to dinner at the only restaurant/saloon in town. I hope to come through here again sometime just to see Rodney. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1629786075277-NDM7NVRVYKZOCXJV7K1G/IMG_0132.JPG Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Teddy Roosevelt came from New York to the badlands of North Dakota in 1883 for a time of restoration after a series of tragic personal events, namely the death of his mother and his wife on the same day. He ranched, hunted, and lived simply. But even as he himself hunted extensively, he became aware of the ability to exhaust the national resources. Roosevelt felt the decimation of bison and the eradication of elk, bighorn sheep, deer, and other game species indicated man's perception that our natural resources were endless. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1629786072653-FVKNODU5UYQJ42O8HVB8/IMG_0128.JPG Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! Roosevelt turned a love of hunting and the outdoors into a passion for conserving our natural resources for future generations. Later as president, he designated more than 230 million acres of national parks, forests, monuments, and wildlife reserves around the country. Craig captured this special photo of a mom bison and her calf in serene park while hiking early one morning. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1629789525952-21741ZM42IU50B81TUG0/DSC09840.jpg Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! When Roosevelt initially traveled to his new Dakota ranch, he thought he might spend the remainder of his days as a cattleman. Years later, Roosevelt, the man known as the "Conservation President” said, "I would never have been president if it had not been for my experiences in North Dakota." As you may imagine, that’s a very famous quote in these parts, and Teddy Roosevelt is loved and wildly celebrated here. In 1978, one hundred and ten acres around Teddy Roosevelt's midwestern home became a national park named for him. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1628805927990-ZL1QJTI8HBF07HFN97V2/IMG_2586.jpeg Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! The park is truly beautiful with various unusual landforms. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1629789519361-XR181L65UAI27SPKQFLK/DSC09693.jpg Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! Wildlife is abundant at Roosevelt Park. Our first evening here, we spotted this wild horse family taking a walk in the badlands. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1628805934882-ZYVOXTX7245LTMZTRDGO/IMG_2324.jpeg Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! North America once contained 25–30 million bison. Due to heavy hunting, there were fewer than 100 bison by the late 1880s. After protection efforts were put into place around 1907, bison made a comeback and are no longer on the endangered list in America. In this particular park, there are about 500. It seems that stopping traffic is their favorite pastime…and we loved it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1629786070472-D2EX7HGWALNLHVONV5UH/IMG_0122.JPG Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! We had not been in the park very long when we came upon a prarie dog town—which is the name for a colony of prarie dogs. This particular one decided to have a seat before enjoying his lunch. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1629789461777-DJ85TV9N4D9T0M9VHO8T/DSC09665.jpg Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! This sweet baby prarie dog didn’t let much space get between him and his mother. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1628805930007-FQNGSB5NB8U1UTOV5Q0A/IMG_2595.jpeg Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! This wild steer was standing on the side of the road. I opened the sun roof to take a picture and he didn’t seem to mind—until he did! He charged the truck and Craig had to hit the gas to move out of the way. Yikes! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1629946865341-F65X4SA3TKGT1DH9YMX4/Capture7.JPG Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! Did you know the Teddy Bear began with President Roosevelt? In 1902, the President was on a bear hunting trip in Mississippi, and unlike other hunters in the group, he had not located a single bear. His assistants, trying to help him, cornered and tied a black bear to a tree. They called Roosevelt over to shoot it. Viewing this as extremely unsportsmanlike, Roosevelt refused. The story spread quickly as newspaper articles recounted the story of the president—the big game hunter, who refused to shoot a bear. In the Washington Post, this cartoon satirized the incident. A candy shop owner saw the cartoon and made stuffed bears and dedicated them to the president who refused to shoot a bear. He called it 'Teddy's Bear.' The bears sold like hotcakes. After receiving Roosevelt's permission to use his name, the shop owner mass-produced the toy bears, which were so popular that he soon founded a toy company! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1628805914821-KIK740KM720QBWOSCPPV/IMG_2431.jpeg Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! I would say going to the Medora Musical is one of the coolest things we've done this year. (Craig would likely pick something else ) While enjoying the “rootin'-tootinest, boot-scootinest show in all the Midwest,” we could see past the stage and into the hills and badlands of Medora, the town just a few miles from where Teddy Roosevelt once lived. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1630076731521-963WX0P2Q8BKIY58SFZ3/IMG_2481.jpg Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! The outdoor entertainment began around dusk with a cool breeze, perfect temperatures, and low humidity, and ended long after sunset with a full moon hanging over us. It was lovely! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1629983975120-G7F7CJ2M21AGAQ0VDWLT/IMG_2467.jpg Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! The elaborate stage changes were an amazing aspect of the show. The theatrical "town" buildings could slide back and forth on rails for various scenes and skits, with an actual dirt trail behind the stage, where real horses can be a part of the show. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1628805917977-J0SFL6UT76MAOBQ78DHU/IMG_2478.jpeg Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! During the grand finale, a lone horse and its rider (spotlighted just above the smaller band stage in this photo) ascended an actual mountain behind the set to the top of the MEDORA sign. Meanwhile, the rest of the cast sang, played, and danced their hearts out in an "ode to patriotism, Theodore Roosevelt, and the Great American West!” I don’t know if we will ever see a another show that includes dancers, cloggers, horses, dirt trails, real mountains and an open night sky, but I hope we do. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1628805899283-F1KEJ9LRTBKIVOK6LOE3/IMG_2621.jpeg Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! We haven’t shared any original campers along our travels recently…people continue to get more and more creative these days! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1630016881505-05TRZRTTU8JSRED220KK/Capture9.JPG Home - Hopping Through the Heartland! https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/michigan monthly 0.5 2021-09-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1626886917705-LZQ8JOBGBG2I1QWJ6EOG/IMG_1287.jpg Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! At our first RV campsite, our view of Lake Huron made us instantly aware that this was no Lake Lanier. For reference, Lake Lanier in north Georgia is roughly 58 square miles, and Georgia’s largest lake, Clark Hill, is 111 square miles. Lake Huron is 23,000 square miles. That’s over 200 times bigger than Georgia’s biggest lake. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1627515327989-SG1XOGDFH7D3WIGZ6KP7/IMG_1124.jpg Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! I was thrilled and delighted to meet these two little great nieces of mine! So precious! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1627279227128-90OY9NI5VH01IR1NMGCD/Capture.jpg Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore near the friendly town of Empire (at the pinkie of the mitten) is known for some of the largest sand dunes in the world. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1626374578076-MFHRURY2W58XRNSZ3ECQ/IMG_1344.jpeg Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! A section of the dunes at Sleeping Bear are 450 feet straight down to the water’s edge. Even with this warning, we watched a continuous stream of people skip down into the thick fog. Much like walking up an escalator that is going down; climbing back up the 33-degree grade, soft sand makes for an 2-hour return time from the bottom, according to park authorities. Since many are injured running full-speed ahead going down, or become exhausted or dehydrated while returning, this area has become one of the most notorious outdoor rescue spots not only in Michigan, but in the entire National Park system. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1626885632747-KIIKKJ4ODP3BB0VX5WTL/IMG_1357.jpg Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! This 460-foot sand dune is a climbing favorite for park visitors. Many people climb this misleading dune expecting an overlook into Lake Michigan. The trail is actually a continuous climb up and down many more sand dunes for over 2 miles before reaching the lakeshore. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1626375186144-I58SGZ8A1R2H1H6ONU71/IMG_0058.jpeg Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! Because of its picturesque form and location, Point Betsie Lighthouse on Sleeping Bear Lakeshore is said to be one of America's most photographed lighthouses. Often the subject of photographs and other types of art, Point Betsie seems to have inspired Craig to some creative photography as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1626893517690-6EK7AFJ2KPR7QKJBHEJF/IMG_1523.jpg Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! Situated on Little Traverse Bay, Petoskey is another charming coastal resort community. In this town, we had lunch at Petoskey Brewing, and at the state park, we participated in a favorite local activity—searching for Michigan’s state stone—the Petoskey rock fossils… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1627314768327-78OP1UPW0QFHTE9ZHVHO/Captur8e.JPG Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! A Petoskey stone is a rock and a fossil, composed of a fossilized coral. There is a lot of scientific detail in how these rocks are formed, but in (mostly) simple terms it goes like this: This area was part of a sea millions of years ago and after a few more million years, the sea’s coral was fossilized. Later, sheets of ice from glaciers pulled portions of the fossilized stones from the bedrock, grinding off their rough edges and scattering them all around the northwestern portion of Michigan’s lower peninsula, and in some areas of the upper peninsula. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1627314769387-4K9X158WZD0KH4LGHFPT/Picture2.png Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! The Petoskey on the left is dry, and on the right, a polished stone that looks much like it would if wet. Finding this unique hexagonal pattern along the lakeshores is not easy, and it's tempting to look for Petoskeys at the edge of the water, where the design is more easily seen. We learned a seasoned Petoskey seeker takes a water bottle and wets the dry rocks higher up on the beach, where no one else looks. It is lawful to take up to 25 pounds of rock away at a time from the state park, so Craig and I scanned the beaches for over an hour and found various beautifully colored and patterned stones, including, to my delight, four small Petoskeys. The day was a success! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1626375176304-7W0B91VQ0T4GVEVX4XT3/IMG_1552.jpeg Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! Also in Petoskey is the headquarters and home of the very first Kilwins. “Sweet in every Sense since 1947,” Kilwins has long been a celebrated part of Americana, having earned a reputation for the finest fudge, ice cream, and candies in the business. It all started here, and today Kilwins has 146 locations nationwide. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1626381656442-640VP7TLDRQH4VIHJSQH/IMG_1555.jpeg Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! We felt like we were in a scene from Willy Wonka browsing through the vast store that sold every imaginable confection, including $500 oversized chocolate Santas and giant, $300 chocolate Easter Bunnies. Craig holds up one of his favorites, a 10-pound dark chocolate bar. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1626375180923-CKPJP6DX83A7CQ2KK5O5/IMG_1605.jpeg Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! Pond Hill Farm was an unexpected discovery as we traveled the Trail of Trees in Harbor Springs. Pond Hill Farm is a winery, brewery, music venue, petting zoo, fresh fruit & vegetable market, and brick oven pizzeria—and that's just on the day we were there. Brimming over with authentic country-life charm, the farm holds seasonal festivals and celebrations year-round on the most beautiful piece of property you've ever seen. There really weren't words for all this place had going on. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1626893529990-GLWVTN7WL62KJ8N2M460/IMG_1616.jpg Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! A relaxing Saturday evening at Pond Hill. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1626893542029-IW384U0I95WK8EAICWOY/IMG_1632.jpg Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! If you know me at all, you know nothing is going to make my day any better than being this close to a sweet, sleeping baby pig! Thank you, Pond Hill Farms! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1627323169763-OA4346KK3RQ4INUC0TLL/Capture456.JPG Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! A quick geography lesson/refresher: The state of Michigan consists of its upper and lower peninsulas. The Mackinac Bridge (right by the red dot) is the only connector between the two peninsulas. There have actually been maps published that forgot to include the upper peninsula. Although overlooked as a part of Michigan on occasion, the residents of the UP--the Yoopers, take great pride in their land, way of life, and overall strength and resiliency. If you've never heard of a Yooper, don't feel too bad…but it may be time to learn; Merriam-Webster added Yooper to the dictionary in 2014. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1627324489856-ZTE81B0TS095B464KBU1/mackinac_bridge_4.jpg Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! The Mackinac Bridge, which is also I-75, is the only way to reach the UP from the lower peninsula. At nearly five miles long, Mackinac Bridge is one of the longest bridges in the world. Since its completion in 1954, only two cars have plunged into the waters; one was intentional, and the other happened when a woman's tiny Yugo met 45 mph winds on the bridge in 1989. (Bridge file photo) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1626382037275-GSI4072DEY4X0XQ39S4B/IMG_0059.jpeg Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! We crossed the Mackinac Bridge into the upper peninsula, and caught a ferry onto Mackinac Island. In the late 19th century, Mackinac Island became a popular tourist attraction and summer colony. Because of its historic significance, the entire island is listed as a National Historic Landmark. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1626374515883-C665H8O8M7VPV6KV4V9U/IMG_1415.jpeg Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! Horses and bicycles are the only public transportation allowed on Mackinac. A shipment of merchandise and supplies to the local shops and restaurants also arrive by horse-pulled carts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1626374645399-7KI3DU80SQDX1QTWN0LE/IMG_1425.jpeg Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! Michigan's oldest church, St. Anne's Catholic Church. The rites of the Catholic faith on Mackinac Island were inaugurated in 1670, but the earliest surviving parish records began in April 1695. For decades, the parish used a historic log church for mass until 1874 when St. Anne's Church was built. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1627332004431-3M45614E3XH517QAYSBD/IMG_1417.jpg Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! It could be said that time stands still on Mackinac Island until you notice that the horse-pulled carriage driver is scrolling through his iPhone. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1626885800505-G2EZD6YIEGBEMDYJL75F/IMG_1440.jpg Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! The Grand Hotel, the most prominent feature on Mackinac Island, is grand indeed. Five US presidents, Thomas Edison, Mark Twain, and countless other notables have stayed here since the doors opened in 1887. The hotel became a family-run business in 1933 and still is today. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1627330586404-I3YJMKYVC0TTNE90WN46/IMG_1439a.jpg Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! The Grand has 397 guest rooms, each individually and artfully decorated so that no two rooms are alike. The Grand also takes pride in having the longest porch in the world: 660 feet! And in case you didn't notice…that is Craig on his bicycle on the right. ‍♀️ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1627329808877-BN1DU7S7L4FNS0FFHRWW/IMG_1412.jpg Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! Mackinac’s population of full-time residents is around 1000 people, but the number rises into the thousands during the summer due to an influx of summer visitors and hundreds of seasonal workers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1626885604355-O2DM3OBJSQJ1ODEVMBEF/IMG_0053.JPG Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! In Indian Springs, (close to the tip of the middle finger ✋) we found Cross In the Woods very close to our RV park. Cross in the Woods is a 31-foot wooden cross and bronze figure of Jesus by sculptor Marshall Fredericks, and is the largest in the world. This area was beautiful and had a woodsy trail with stops documenting highlights of the life of Christ along the way, all the way up to his crucifixion and resurrection. Mass is held here every single day and each year between 275,000 and 325,000 people come to visit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1626471524480-7VQYWZG3F7XA4GKCM7LY/IMG_0067.jpeg Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! In the upper peninsula, Presque Isle Park in the town of Marquette was a nice place to hike near the shoreline. It was pretty cold and windy on this day, which we understand is typical even though it’s July. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1626893570934-VQ2KIW4PANQS4RK5RUN6/IMG_1758.jpg Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! Many beautiful views at Presque Isle Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1626893568925-FJV6Z24PJT15WIA1U9IV/IMG_1768.jpg Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! The Black Rocks area of Presque Isle Park is a popular place for various outdoor activities, including…painting? Yes, this man had an easel set up in the frigid winds and worked on his masterpiece. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1626893572135-PLDELNNHXA0LTPEDHOXK/IMG_2748.jpg Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! Black Rocks is also where all the cool kids go to jump off a 30-foot cliff… into Lake Superior. The summer water temperatures of around 52 degrees is as warm as Lake Superior gets in Marquette. Another popular time to jump is right after the ice melts, when the water is about 39 degrees. This couple asked us to film their jump, and we did. They were supposed to jump at the same time, but the girl couldn’t quite get herself to leap at the count of three. She did eventually muster up the courage. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1627285723764-UZ25SNAI6C64H7W5J28N/Capture5.JPG Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! Pasties, (pronounced PASS-tees) "the meaty center of Yooper food," are filled with beef, diced potato, yellow turnip or rutabaga, and onion, seasoned with salt and pepper, and baked. Pasties were established as a UP staple when the copper mining rush of the early 1800s brought an onslaught of laborers to the region from Cornwall, England. They may not look special, but that may be why they are; they’re surprisingly light and packed with favor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1627329753042-7DVJKA6CMJW10MKYXP86/IMG_2958.jpg Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! One of Craig’s photos of the shore of Lake Superior along his hike in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Munising. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1626375202815-QNI5BMVCP79ZV00TGDO0/IMG_0064.jpeg Home - Michigan - Smitten by the Mitten! The Marquette Harbor Lighthouse is not likely to be the last lighthouse you see from us… we see them often, Craig likes taking pictures of them, and we still have many miles to cover before we are entirely on dry land! https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/on-the-road-again monthly 0.5 2021-07-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625416710428-4OBWEYMCTTI1VPN97TB3/IMG_0542.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! Beautiful Cumberland Falls Resort Park in Corbin, Kentucky, has a rich and colorful history. Since it's first owner in 1750, the area has been used as a healing facility for Civil War soldiers because of the "healing springs,” it has been a place of mystery and scandal because of a secret silver mine that was rumored to be here and con artists that sold thousands of shares of the hoax mine to people as far away as France. It almost became a hydroelectric dam power plant before it was purchased in 1927 by an individual to preserve its natural state. In the 30s and 40s, Cumberland Falls was home to a large, upscale vacation resort. Although fires destroyed the resort as it was it the past, it is still recognized as one of the must-see parks in the state and is an beautiful and serene place for vacationers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625430896049-TR4A0SKBGVOC47IXHFOO/IMG_0005.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! Cumberland Falls is one of the few places in the world that regularly produces a moonbow. A moonbow is a nighttime version of a rainbow. The moon's position during certain lunar phases and Cumberland’s waterfall position causes moonbows to be seen here multiple times a month on clear nights. This is not the moonbow waterfall, but another waterfall we came to at Cumberland after a 4-mile hike into the woods. We were amazed that virtually no one was in this park! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625368132245-HGVSR7VWECK6RND3KKLM/IMG_0561.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! Taking a break under an overhanging rock at Cumberland Falls. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625425920512-RLPOBSDSLM20MEEBKG0O/IMG_0577.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! Reunited! We were so happy to see Steven after 16 years! Steven is a high-school friend of Curtis’, who has always been like a fourth son to us. He lived with us for about a year after his father took a job in another city during Curtis and Steven’s senior year of high school. How great it was to see him again, and we sure hope he comes to see us in Atlanta soon! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625368163802-IUV3AT4WLC2Q2FZ8XXRT/IMG_0569.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! It all started in Corbin! Colonel Sanders’s gas station across the street from this property was one of the first to offer “Free Air!” Harland Sanders used to serve food to the truckers that came to the station for gas. Later he opened his first restaurant on this property. There is a museum here too, but they were still observing COVID and hadn’t reopened yet. That was disappointing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625430902356-EDNDIBIOLJCNNHWDZ2ZD/IMG_0017.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! Mammoth Cave National Park has been one of the highlights so far! Who knew the largest cave system in the WORLD is right here in Kentucky? The Mammoth Cave network consists of over 400 miles of caves, and they are still discovering more. This main sinkhole and entrance to the cave system was found in the late 1700s when a man was bear hunting on family land and ran into the cave to escape the wrath of a wounded bear. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625439528595-C2UDBUB5YQ6Y1RTAAWVF/IMG_0586.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! This is a model of the Mammoth cave system and many of the tributaries that are currently known. Some cave areas are quite large, while other areas can only be entered by crawling or squeezing through narrow openings in the rocks. The form of the cave system is best described as a shallow bowl of spaghetti, with many strands overlapping on top of each other. Some parts of the cave system have three or more levels of tunnels. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625441024437-F8JN0NWU59EGWIW8OTNX/mc2.jpg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! Some chambers in the cave system are enormous, with the tallest room reaching 192 feet tall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625433137002-W3JM22KETTCJ5Q6DOIHY/IMG_0007.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! In late 1842, physician Dr. Croghan invited 16 of his TB patients to take up residence inside Mammoth Cave. Within the cave, patients initially seemed to improve, and Dr. Croghan began plans for a hotel there to house the masses that would seek treatment. But as winter progressed, it became clear that the damp, dark conditions worsened the patients' symptoms. Smoke and ash from lard oil lanterns and fires used continuously to light the cave filled the chambers and further damaged the patient's lungs. One patient convinced Dr. Croghan to allow him to leave the cave to seek other treatment, but Dr. Croghan successfully convinced the remaining 15 to stay and participate in his cave treatment experiment. All 15 remaining patients died here shortly thereafter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625368009993-GD0AYIXI9Q4XDUTECD20/IMG_0644.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! In Louisville, Kentucky, we found Cave Hill Cemetery to be most unusual. Many notable people are interred in this upscale cemetery where the ordinary headstone is all but…well, dead. This is a cemetery of rich stories to be told and five-star tributes to the dearly departed. This particular headstone does not depict the deceased, but rather the surviving widow. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625368076040-3EHY1DOEJXCOIXC04LXJ/IMG_0646.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! This man was 33 years old and before passing, sculpted his own grave memorial. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625601433693-IQ8QON24BZ8CI9N6M47B/IMG_0640.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! Saundra Curry Twist’s family had this monument built in her honor and the stone on the ground tells a curiously detailed story of her life beginning with, “Sandy was born prematurely…was laid aside by the doctor as stillborn…her father refused to give up and…nurtured her for several days and saved her.” The story continues with her career, achievements and even her “financial success through wise investments in real estate, and oil,” and concludes with, “We laid her to rest on a beautiful, cold, clear, crisp winter morning here in this peaceful place where she used to come with us to feed the ducks and geese and swans on Sundays.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625421726012-7SN2LSGZ4IZHYKQUDPN0/IMG_0649.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! The sculpture overlooking Colonel Harland Sanders’ grave was sculpted by Colonel Sanders’ daughter, Margaret. Margaret and her son, also named Harland, are buried beside her father. Harland’s gravestone beside his grandfather reads, “I sure had fun!” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625604757002-FLRE0LKJ0WU8JH4BC5Y9/IMG_0677.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! Mohammed Ali’s grave reads, He took a few cups of love, he took one tablespoon of patience, one teaspoon of generosity, one pint of kindness. He took one quart of laughter. One pinch of concern. And then, he mixed willingness with happiness. He added lots of faith and he stirred it up well. Then he spread it over a span of a lifetime and he served to each and every person he met.” Mohammed Ali died in June of 2016—32 years after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625368193183-H2DTMBOV5THLVVN6TQT0/IMG_0667.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! Okay, last one…but I wanted you to see this elaborate memorial for “Sam.” Also buried here is a renowned pioneer of hand and micro surgery, and the composer of the Happy Birthday song, Mildred J. Hill. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625368205566-8L22XBWGYJ3XTNOHQZT4/IMG_0705.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! If you're not familiar, Churchill Downs is the horse racing complex in Louisville, Kentucky, famed for hosting the annual Kentucky Derby. The Kentucky Derby is known as The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports and is the oldest continuously held major sporting event in the United States. According to KentuckyDerby.com, Churchill Downs has hosted the Run for the Roses uninterrupted for 146 years…even when coinciding with profound events like The Great Depression and World Wars I & II. The first Kentucky Derby was in 1875! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625434041860-E677FTT4Z005H9L1RU2Q/IMG_1696.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! Almost at the finish line! All our money was on Horse 5. He came in third place. Good thing we only invested five dollars. Oh well, the Mint Julep was tasty. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625366506663-RVG0EMP04UOM7EWBCG78/IMG_0742.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! Louisville Slugger Factory & Museum-Before making Louisville Slugger bats, the Frederick Hillerich family made wood butter churns. Frederick believed his side-swinging churns would carry the company into the future. He resisted his son Bud's move into the baseball bat business. Company legend holds that 17-year old Bud skipped work one day to go to a major league baseball game, where megastar Peter Browning aka "The Louisville Slugger," played. Bud saw Browning break a bat and offered to make him a new one at his workshop. According to the story, Browning got three hits with the bat Bud made. In 1894, the name Louisville Slugger became their registered trademark, and the rest is history. ⚾ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625430892420-XLU3C8Z7MAW4LNONW3TY/IMG_0028.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! The Louisville Slugger business took another leap in 1905 when Pittsburg Pirates’ shortstop Honus Wagner, signed a contract as the first player to endorse a bat. His autograph was the first to be used on a bat, and the first time a professional athlete endorsed an athletic product. Today, 80% of the hitters in the National Baseball Hall of Fame have or had contracts with Louisville Slugger, including Ken Griffey, Jr. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625613761715-OT3A0NG6L2L3LQV051Y2/IMG_0727.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! Each Louisville Slugger is made according to a professional player’s specifications for handle size, weight, length, and other details, and a professional player orders 100-120 bats per season. While many players may have used a Louisville Slugger, they might also experiment with other brands of bats. That was not the case with Derek Jeter—all 12,602 times he was at bat during his two-decade career, he held a Louisville Slugger. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625368220604-HPUOVS9L0TLSC1WYFXXF/IMG_0775.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! Barns, barns and more barns…we enjoyed beautiful scenes like this one all throughout Kentucky and Ohio. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625400210348-N5O3AB9QQ6C6QRFO8ELH/IMG_0835.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! No details were spared on the elaborate exhibits at the Creation Museum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625424687917-HPKWEFALUC34UJFR9S2N/IMG_0845.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! So you always thought it was…an apple? Or a squid? The Bible says it was a fruit. There are many things we assume we know about the Bible that we have only heard from others, and that are simply not there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625430881459-7PBV4Q583S7RAJHTBCOC/IMG_0009.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! The Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky, was quite a sight! This ark is described as a modern engineering marvel at 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, and 51 feet high. The ark was built as literally as the Bible specifies, with artistic liberties taken on the inside to show how things may have worked. Robotic, lifelike characters comment on what they think of the ark, including complainers who think the project is lunacy. The mechanical Noah can be interviewed by pressing buttons to ask specific questions. Noah says, "Why did I build the ark? Because…simply put…God told me to." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625366367601-DQ326XIF7ODPDBUPJU4N/IMG_0949.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! Old Man’s Cave within Hocking Hills State Park is a natural formation carved into a gorge by the flow of the Salt Creek and melting glaciers. This cave gets its name from a hermit who lived under the rock shelter in the early 1800s. He lived out his life in the area, and legend says he is buried beneath the ledge of the main recess cave. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625430878154-HW746KWKOSHNJD11IVST/IMG_0010.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! Hocking Hills south of Columbus, Ohio has miles of hiking trails and caves to explore. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625400260910-YBVURYM0JNLXD1HKO3XR/IMG_1028.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! Hudson, Ohio seemed to be a most proper town with endless charming homes and landscapes. We were surprised to see even the McDonalds in Hudson appeared to be dressed to impress. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625416483191-NZJI9FX4GH3LA2VMWLDQ/IMG_1166.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! If A Christmas Story is one of your favorite movies, you may recognize this Cleveland, Ohio house. Filmmakers fell in love with the outside of this house and decided this was the perfect setting for A Christmas Story. Unfortunately, the creators were so excited that they secured use without seeing the inside. The house was too small for filming indoor scenes, so outdoor scenes were filmed here, but most indoor scenes used another home in Canada. Today the entire home is a replica of the film’s set and is used for tours and as an Airbnb. Yes, for around $4,000 a night (with a two-night minimum) your family can pretend to be the Parkers, and wake up on Christmas morning here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625416732307-50GHKIVIEROU4ECM8Z61/IMG_1175.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! Set in the 1940s, all Ralphie Parker wants in the world is a "Red Ryder air rifle" for Christmas, but his mother is convinced he'll "shoot his eye out." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625430889788-EY9U65O2L5Y1N4LODWRL/IMG_0032.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! Outside the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. This place was hopping on the day of our visit. A young group of students from the School of Rock in Cleveland were performing and across the lawn, the bubbles were a-flyin’. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625428692038-YCZBSHPVYW4KSLLP0WG4/IMG_1202.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was one of the places on Craig’s bucket list…taking him back to his old guitar playing days. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625424519325-MQA4JZCP2TEN8N3XRCQD/IMG_1208.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! Tons of interesting history and artifacts from the past. I especially enjoyed the stage wear section. Here are the dresses the Supremes wore in a 1969 show. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1625924463869-NBQK1CM1TYNN2BZFLHIV/IMG_0013.jpeg Home - On the Road Again...Hello Kentucky and Ohio! A peaceful evening in the Midwest. https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/california-land-of-fruits-nuts-and-beauty monthly 0.5 2021-08-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620852703211-7M9ESAZCDSZCR8AGFTRB/IMG_5776.jpg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty Think you have problems with asses around you? You may not get much sympathy from some of the residents of Beatty, Nevada. This small town is known for its wild burro (over) population. The town has historically embraced the burros as symbols of the community's roots, but with donkeys increasing their population by 20% each year, things get out of hand. A few years ago, over 900 asses were pushing down fences, getting into loud fights, and eating and stomping vegetation, causing the Bureau of Land Management to come and remove 400 animals. While that was helpful, they still had 4 times (about 300) more donkeys than can be sustained by this small town. The bright side is with so many burros walking on and near the roads, it's easy to enforce their 25 mph city-wide speed limit! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620845680343-PTSG9BZTSFHTC7F6ICMA/IMG_5812.jpeg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty All those National Geographic episodes that feature the hot sand, cracked ground and deadly heat of Death Valley came to life as we visited here. Death Valley extends 3,000 square miles and is one of the hottest and driest places on earth, along with deserts in the Middle East and Sahara. Here, Ambrey makes bearing the heat look easy, and even glamorous. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620857322345-RMUOG263QESLNWPS6W9G/IMG_5813.jpg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty I was most amazed with how remote this area is. I suppose I should have known, but there is nothing here. A long list of movies have been filmed here, including Star Wars, Return of the Jedi, and multiple episodes of the Twilight Zone series in the 1950s. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620939695129-MPT029C9J73QCGCP670U/DSC08465-HDR.jpg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty Borax is a natural mineral commonly used for laundry detergent and 100 other uses, much like baking soda. Borax was mined from this area in Death Valley from 1881 until 2005. Craig and Chris enjoyed hiking on the enormous mounds as Ambrey and I enjoyed the sunset. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620939961551-8CIMM4OM3JYZUSKO86LU/Capture789.JPG Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty The brand name of Borax laundry detergent that we still see today, 20 Mule Team, and the mules on the box refers to the revolutionary way the borax was taken from the mines in Death Valley. The 2-horse, 18-mule teams were famous for pulling the massive wagons that carried 10 tons of borax out of the mines at a time. This photo was taken sometime before 1896, when the teams were replaced by railroad. The famous teams are still remembered at the The Mule Team Borax Terminus, a California Historical Landmark in Mojave. The borax mounds in the background of the photo look just like they do today. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620845677893-U3NVFZ409FI14ULSCP6Z/IMG_9732.jpeg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty Kaweah's still operational, 12 x 15-foot post office appears to lead the pack in the Oddest Origin category. Someone even wrote a book specifically about this community and the social experiment involving 500 non-conformists from San Francisco that settled here. The landmark sign reads: "[The Kaweah Colony] was a utopian project started in 1886. For several years, it attracted international attention, and many settlers came here and actually did much to further their ideals. Unable to secure the title to the land and because of internal difficulties, the organization ceased to exist after 1892. Leaving as one of its tangible reminders, [this] Kaweah Post Office." Part of the trouble in paradise began when the community members started chopping down a bunch of trees, and the government stopped them. Interestingly, the efforts to protect the trees from the utopians resulted in California's first national park, Sequoia National Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620863390917-STRLKB57IXZCX59IB8N4/DSC08471.jpg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty Kings Canyon National Park connects with Sequoia National Park. Sequoia NP had yet to reopen on the day of our visit, but we still got to enjoy the enormous sequoia trees here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620863366734-H97HXNDTZIPYMEFW45ZP/DSC08467.jpg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty Early pioneers told folks on the east coast about the giant trees in California, but no one believed them. At least three nearby sequoias died just to prove they lived. Cut into pieces, they were shipped across the country to exhibit as freaks. Some still hang in New York and London museums today. A 16-foot cross section of a tree from this park was sent to the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition of 1876. It took two men nine days to chop down the tree. With only the outer shell on exhibit and the parts being reassembled after shipment, Eastern people refused to accept the exhibit as part of a single tree. They laughed it off as a "California Hoax." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620845713813-ERHTGGTK26CEFSA5IG5H/IMG_5906.jpeg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty Fallen Monarch Tree was mostly hollowed out by fire before it fell over 300 hundred years ago. It was used as a living space for two loggers while building a ranger's cabin in the park. Over the years, Fallen Monarch has served many purposes, including a horse stable for the US Calvary in 1890, and a saloon and hotel from 1890-1914. Ambrey, Chris, and Craig stand in the middle portion of the trunk. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620845700456-K01XYQZ6TZQ8IVE33LFQ/IMG_5910.jpeg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty Fallen Monarch has two full-sized entrances, and plenty of room inside to move around, giving a great appreciation for how big these trees really are. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620847165880-X0SY8L9NV54BBPWHFBG7/IMG_0865.jpeg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty While driving through the park, Chris spotted a bear walking in a wide open field next to the road. Not much is more exciting that a bear sighting. We experienced quite a treat; the bear walked past our truck, over to the river and took a bath as we watched from the bridge. More on the bear in our video below! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620863465322-H5IEEJPCFA1AFZ3OVJYP/DSC08561.jpg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty Before leaving Kings Canyon, we were treated with a beautiful sunset in this deserted place. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620863484785-Z6VB2S5DGMO402HNL0YY/DSC08601.jpg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty We made it, Yosemite National Park! This iconic view of Yosemite Valley features El Capitan, on the left, one of the most iconic rock formations in the world, and Half Dome, behind the shortest mountain on the right. The water in the valley is like crystal and perfectly reflects the mountains above. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620928179839-2655PA2A3OC2VLZE8F1A/DSC08578.jpg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty Yosemite NP. If you’ve kept up with us for very long, we know you’ve probably seen enough rocks, streams and trees for a lifetime, but here is another just because it’s beautiful. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620928178647-MU3OQ83Y94JQC91MC00Q/DSC08597.jpg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty The color of gold that glows here in the evening is unlike any other place. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620852472858-I8DILO0KYPHOHTPQZKUR/IMG_6137.jpg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty Although equally as beautiful, very few of Yosemite National Park’s visitors take the time or trouble to visit the remote area of the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. The entrance to this area is miles out of the way and is therefore known to be a calm and quiet place. From where we stood to take this picture, we saw a bear walking towards us on the trail ahead. That was the end of this hike; we turned around and made our way back to the car. That makes two bears in two days. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620845983594-3JVBMP2DOQQ3OH3VXMJQ/IMG_6159.jpeg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty Our ability to completely fill a day is elephant-sized! After visiting Hetch Hetchy and Yosemite NP in the same day, we hiked the along the South Fork Tuolumne River outside of the park that evening. It may have been delirium, but I believe I saw a woolly mammoth along the way. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620863495271-RI8EWA2Q9YUC0M9VFWNV/DSC08609.jpg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty Carlon Falls on the South Fork Tuolumne River. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620845974791-ZK0MWAHKWWTJK5IGWG1R/IMG_6190.jpeg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty Our RV park was in the small town of Groveland, home of California’s oldest saloon, outside of Yosemite. The saloon has been open since 1852 and still has its original bar intact. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620845846019-AVAFRO8CS9YGQOB3Y0FB/IMG_6221.jpeg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty Not much makes me happier than an RV park with a petting zoo. This early morning visit with the donkeys and llamas was our last interaction with life in slow motion before heading off to the big city of San Francisco. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620845988107-BM2IBQXN39PESPGFL3R1/IMG_6285.jpeg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty We knew it would happen, but we didn't want it to; time for Chris and Ambrey to go home. Here Craig and Christopher take a beach walk on our last night together. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620863500455-D84GYLXBKTMYHX6NX16X/DSC08616.jpg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty Point Bonita near Sausalito in San Francisco. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620845885294-KDWNLXY4780U1K083G6I/IMG_6333.jpeg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty We all had a great time! Tell Atlanta hello for us! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620845879260-USKCQ21XJO8TH1BOAZZS/IMG_6347.jpeg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty I took this photo because I thought the Big Al’s sign in San Francisco looked antique and nostalgic. I was unaware that the current sandwich shop with the 1960s sign had a far less savory history as an infamous trend-setting strip club. We enjoyed San Francisco for a day, and would have loved going to Alcatraz, but it was still closed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1621389762865-Y8QRY8GTZ3WG44N6JAWC/IMG_6421.jpeg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty We enjoyed driving all over San Francisco and seeing one if its most lovely features—the uniquely beautiful Victorian and Edwardian homes, built from 1820s until the mid 1900s. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620845877651-IBMISWITJS8J1N7PYG92/IMG_6499.jpeg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty After leaving San Francisco, we headed south down the coast toward Big Sur. Along the way, we saw the Hurst Castle. Forgive us for the terrible picture. That's as close as we got! It also was closed so we didn't get to tour. The Hurst Castle is off of Route 1, in a rural area overlooking the Pacific ocean. Countless rich and famous have traveled that highway for engagements at the castle including Clark Gable, Calvin Coolidge, and Winston Churchill. William Hearst was the ridiculously wealthy man known for developing the nation's largest newspaper chain and media company, and was the inspiration for the famous 1941 movie, Citizen Kane. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620845830559-UVCONRIGR6LB933CPLCI/IMG_6534.jpeg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty Ragged Point Inn and Resort was built in the 1950s on land that used to be part of the Hurst Ranch. This gem sits high on a cliff overlooking the Pacific. There was a privately owned trail for hiking (at your own risk, of course) down the cliffs to the water. The trail was almost entirely vertical in some places. It was an enjoyable adventure and afterward we had lunch in this serene courtyard. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620863523827-THBJNDSOGHFXG449TYXL/DSC08681.jpg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty The trail down to the water at Ragged Point is behind me in this photo, and goes almost straight down over 250 feet to the water’s edge. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620845874495-NQ7JADASKG3Y9HBLC645/IMG_6550.jpeg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty Getting down to the water was difficult, but not as difficult as getting back up… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620845838418-O07KXYWF2PCF2H5068FD/IMG_6553.jpeg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty Craig scopes out the trail heading back up. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620852445564-8ETPOJ2MPI1K8YRS6SDS/IMG_0869a.jpg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty Up to 17,000 elephant seals can be seen along the Hearst-San Simeon State Park coastline during birthing and breeding season in November-January. These jumbo seals have a fascinating schedule all year long. During our visit, it was "Fall Haul-Out" season; the males and females who are too young to take part in the breeding season stay here and rest, and the males practice fighting for breeding rights for when they are older. We witnessed their casual fighting and their attempts to rest--often, they wake up to scratch themselves or throw sand on their bodies to cool and protect themselves from the sun. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620892729424-9VIKS7TRSSKEFN6RXSEU/DSC08737.jpg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty The Joshua trees of Joshua Tree National Park are in the Mojave desert. Joshua Tree NP is unusual in its varied animal and plant life because this is where the two separate ecosystems of the Mojave and Colorado deserts come together. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620892763123-52S7CWQ28HXNUWFE8JRM/DSC08738.jpg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty Joshua trees were named so by early Mormon settlers because they look as though all arms are stretching to heaven, as referenced in a story in the Bible. Joshua, Moses’ successor, succeeded in battle as long as Moses’ hands were raised toward God. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620845854232-TM3IRGGQVU34GJAHB0W4/IMG_6787.jpeg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty Skull Rock is a popular attraction at Joshua Tree. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620845865995-OBH7MN1QTIT72VCR3DFI/IMG_6815.jpeg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty The Teddy Bear Cholla cacti in Joshua Tree NP are unusual and beautiful. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620892701322-MORDBTBAJCEBCVG1RCRF/DSC08713.jpg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty The Cholla Cactus Garden was a fun, 1/3 mile loop full of prickly Teddy Bears. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620871885682-TXK7N57421WRSU5SIKWK/DSC08749.jpg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty Now for the obscure: This is Salton Sea, and it's actually a lake. Last year, Palm Springs Life referred to it as "the biggest environmental disaster in California history." Here's our best condensed version: In 1905, farmers altered the flow of the Colorado River for crop irrigation, and a series of subsequent events caused excess water to turn dry land into what became the state's second-largest lake. The Salton Sea became a bustling upscale vacation paradise, and the area exploded with hotels and vacation homes in the 50s and 60s. In the 70s, scientists said the lake was shrinking, getting saltier, and would adversely affect the rich bird and fish population. No one cared. Accidental contamination from farm chemicals caused an outbreak of diseases in the water in the 80s and killed most of the fish and, eventually, birds. The increasing saltiness of the lake later finished off the bigger fish. With millions of dead fish carcasses on the beach and the stench of rotting wildlife in the air, tourism died too, and a thirty-year exodus ensued, leaving this area deserted and desolate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620928202407-CE1UIJHQ0X5CWM4XE7IP/DSC08754.jpg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty As everything died in the Salton Sea, the once sought after land became a liability to businesses and homeowners. Vacation homes were abandoned, vandalized, and left to crumble. A flood years ago dispersed the contents of the abandoned houses, giving the area an even more apocalyptic ambiance. Today, the area is well known for its most unusual circumstances and has become a canvas for eclectic artists that often use the debris as part of their art, as seen here on Bombay Beach. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1621106069626-ZWPHMXUA2G37INGJAOKV/IMG_6940.jpg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty In its heyday, Bing Crosby and The Beach Boys entertained here, but in recent years Salton Sea’s only notable celebrity visit was from Anthony Bourdain, who featured the area on Parts Unknown. And by the way, it still smells terrible here. One vlogger said of the Salton Sea, “If California needed an enema, this is where you would put the tube.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620928233627-8CARRFZDSBKWKF55TSNE/DSC08768.jpg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty One person described Salvation Mountain as "Candy Land meets Vacation Bible School." This mound of mud, hay, and over a million gallons of donated paint was a 28-year long project of Leonard Knight, the man who settled here and began to work on his dream. Before he passed away in 2014, he made a video giving a tour of the entire place and gave his reason for this project: "I wanted to put "God is Love" in a beautiful and simple way to everybody. God loves everybody in the world, and I love everybody too." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620845672153-CXXVFNAS201OS6MK112P/IMG_6978.jpeg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty The blob on the hill on the right is Mr. Knight’s museum for touring. There are also cars, boats, buses, and other decorated things sitting around. In the video, Knight was especially proud of his yellow brick road and the two waterfalls on the left. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620845719160-ZWXJIOBZ0ZC9EDUE128J/IMG_6996.jpeg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty If you thought the last two places were odd, you haven't seen anything yet. Meet Slab City, “The Last Free Place.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1621120036317-AY4XAI07JGBDZRT3VCG4/IMG_7012.jpg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty Wikipedia describes Slab City as an off-the-grid squatter community known for attracting people who want to live outside mainstream society. There is much to say to explain this bizarre community, and at the same time, there are no words. The quote on the front of this camper says, "Anarchism is democracy taken seriously." Another sign advertises the Anarchists Dinner Theater. And yes, those are shotgun shells on the ground. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1621120033828-5RNJ6WR5E7CS40W1PZ4H/IMG_7014.jpg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty The first "slabbers" were Marine veterans who never left when the WWII Marine base here closed and dismantled--leaving only concrete slabs. The Department of Defense deeded the land to California, and the state never did anything with it, so the veterans stayed. There is no power, plumbing, phone lines, law enforcement, stores, or medical care. In the summer, when temperatures get upward of 120 degrees, there are only about 150 residents, but snowbirds come in their RVs in the winter, and the population gets up to a few thousand. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620894098565-W4KXGL9TRD1VJHLFDJOP/IMG_7004.jpg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty Anarchists, artists, drug addicts, eccentrics, outcasts, outlaws, and retirees have long been attracted to the "free" land as well. Crystal meth and drug abuse have a significant presence here, and as with any city or neighborhood, some have fancier dwellings than others. (This is a fancy one in case you’re confused.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620928246281-5ZU6NS68985V5Z1LP6EB/DSC08773.jpg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty East Jesus is at the very end of Slab City. My best explanation is that it’s a place where artists live and create random things with random things. Their humorous yet sophisticated website explains it in a little more detail: The inhabitants provide a refuge for artists, musicians, survivalists, writers, scientists, laymen, and other wandering geniuses…dedicated to providing an improbable, improvised community at the edge of the world. We have many more pictures, but if you’re remotely interested, there are more great pictures on their website, and the rules for visiting them are quite entertaining. www.EastJesus.org https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620845683407-PXI0HLX2MCRUZZ2TKQXC/IMG_7056.jpeg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty Did you know dates are one of the most labor-intensive and expensive crops to grow? With no significant natural pollinators, female date palms are hand-pollinated from the male palms by humans. The roots need tons of water, but the palms have to be protected from rain. Harvesting is done when the temps are around 100 degrees, and you have to climb 30 to 50+ feet to reach the fruit! The bags shown here are to keep the fruit from being eaten by birds. These farms south of Palm Springs supply 95% of dates consumed in the US. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620894779859-EYX222Y103GMGY5YKUMR/IMG_7100.jpg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty Did you know that when London Bridge was falling down, an American tycoon bought it and shipped it to his community in Arizona? Developer and founder of Lake Havasu City, Robert McCulloch, struggled to attract tourists and homebuyers to Lake Havasu, primarily due to the remote desert location. Someone told McCulloch the London Bridge—yes, the real one in London —was for sale, and suggested the historical piece may be precisely what he needed to ignite tourism to Lake Havasu. McCulloch decided to take a chance and purchased the bridge for just under 2.5 million. The bridge was delivered to the Arizona desert and installed over dry land. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620845696336-6OX6O69B80TU4ZCOCOGZ/IMG_7149.jpeg Home - California-Land of Fruits, Nuts and Beauty After assembly, engineers dug a London Bridge-sized channel to route water under the bridge for the full effect. In 1971, the bridge was dedicated in Lake Havasu City with a large British-American celebration. Lake Havasu is now a mecca for water and ATV recreation and is the second most-visited tourist attraction in Arizona after the Grand Canyon. We truly loved our stay here and hope to return as soon as we can! https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/westward-boundagain-arizona-utah-amp-nevada monthly 0.5 2021-06-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1619224715602-D01F8K2PDE2B4SWQECJZ/IMG_4878.jpg Home - The Adventure Continues-Utah, Arizona & Nevada! We drove along the fringes of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah while en route to our next destination. We didn’t get to see some of the more popular attractions here, but we highly recommend looking it up and visiting this place if you get the chance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1619225539660-IZ36GZXAKN352I00MB8V/DSC08244.jpg Home - The Adventure Continues-Utah, Arizona & Nevada! Craig photographed this slot canyon in Escalante National Monument on one of his hikes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1619225491947-WC75GWHNA0JO3SW7E0M2/DSC08199.jpg Home - The Adventure Continues-Utah, Arizona & Nevada! Also at Escalante National Monument. From looking at this photo, I’m glad he made it back that day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1619225564822-OSG07LSITGF7L8162VWN/DSC08298.jpg Home - The Adventure Continues-Utah, Arizona & Nevada! We didn’t plan to go to the Grand Canyon, but in southern Utah (Kanab), we realized we were only a little over an hour from the canyon’s north rim in Arizona. It was a wonderful day here. Still, almost no people to speak of, and by the end of the evening, we were virtually the only ones left in the park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1619225563166-Y99LHBJN3FB01EOHPFD9/DSC08334-HDR.jpg Home - The Adventure Continues-Utah, Arizona & Nevada! And there she is…in all her glory at sunset. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1619206045077-GU1PSHRLEOODIS9PBE8F/IMG_4944.jpg Home - The Adventure Continues-Utah, Arizona & Nevada! Point Imperial, Grand Canyon. It’s easy to walk around here and take pictures for hours… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1619203871544-9TEU6ZWK6I9Q2MCOS1WT/IMG_5005.jpeg Home - The Adventure Continues-Utah, Arizona & Nevada! …and that’s pretty much what we did. It was so serene here—except when Craig gets closer than I’d like to the canyon’s edge. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1619274825729-DIZGHKGUW7MFCLRW6QGT/IMG_5203.jpg Home - The Adventure Continues-Utah, Arizona & Nevada! In Kanab, we took a Side-by-Side ATV excursion. Our guide drove very fast. It was a tad stressful—and a total blast trying to keep up with him! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1619203869124-GCT8CVMUNBQIT8O1PRU1/IMG_5125.jpeg Home - The Adventure Continues-Utah, Arizona & Nevada! Along the ATV excursion, we stopped for short hikes in beautiful places. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1619225589044-76I60NL6DIX8OM3V4RPJ/DSC08389.jpg Home - The Adventure Continues-Utah, Arizona & Nevada! For some reason, large portions of rock had broken off some of the rocks, creating huge arches. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1619206058368-RSOI51G4YYI7735SZ9QI/IMG_5174.jpg Home - The Adventure Continues-Utah, Arizona & Nevada! This picture doesn’t really indicate how slanted the rock was that we walked on. Then from the rock, we glided down steep, powder-soft sand that completely covered our shoes. We were a mess! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1619229817174-A72H8IYQXMOG25IE4QIU/IMG_5213.jpg Home - The Adventure Continues-Utah, Arizona & Nevada! …and that was BEFORE our guide’s ATV got stuck in the sand. This adventure was not on the itinerary. Make sure you watch the video below for more on this ordeal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1619225589319-QQ9B28V4UQSCATT59VUO/DSC08393.jpg Home - The Adventure Continues-Utah, Arizona & Nevada! For anyone who has never been to Horseshoe Bend in Page, Arizona, the circular, “horseshoe” route of the Colorado River is much bigger than it looks in photographs. Kayakers 1,000 feet down look like tiny toothpicks from the top rim. A storm was brewing this evening, making for a great picture, but we paid the price; we didn’t make it back to our car before we got poured on. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1619203891850-H07ZIRGXNAYFN873XLZ6/IMG_5455.jpeg Home - The Adventure Continues-Utah, Arizona & Nevada! Lake Powell/Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is a beautiful manmade reservoir on the Colorado River. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1619275455084-GZS0A9N0BRF9XYZJ3X4M/IMG_5330.jpg Home - The Adventure Continues-Utah, Arizona & Nevada! Boating here was like a hiking adventure on water. We were in awe of the different landforms and rocks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1619283396318-FMSSVQD2KV9HOW1TZFE1/image.jpg Home - The Adventure Continues-Utah, Arizona & Nevada! Glen Canyon National Recreation area has filled 96 canyons and has over 2,000 miles of shoreline—that’s more than the west coast of the US. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1619203867221-DSLXUZYQCXDZ5HQ5Q7ZS/IMG_5335.jpeg Home - The Adventure Continues-Utah, Arizona & Nevada! We spent all day, and only saw a small portion of the vast 185-mile long lake, but we hope to go again! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1619215551646-OK9WTNICMIPADRUM6FI1/IMG_5746.jpg Home - The Adventure Continues-Utah, Arizona & Nevada! We stopped two nights in Las Vegas, NV to pick up our son and daughter-in-law, Chris and Ambrey. (YAY!) It was a very quick stop, but we enjoyed riding up and down Las Vegas Boulevard and taking in the sights. We had never been here before. Just WOW! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1619215554361-J4S8GD718HVX8GC4Z7QH/IMG_5755.jpg Home - The Adventure Continues-Utah, Arizona & Nevada! This picture does no justice to the luxury of Ceasar’s Palace, but here’s a glimpse. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1619286258224-377CY2TBIEWJ0UK7M55J/Capture456.JPG Home - The Adventure Continues-Utah, Arizona & Nevada! Our blog would not be complete without a factoid! Outside of New York-New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, there is a sculptured replica of the Statue of Liberty. The artist, Robert Davidson, made $233K for the creation of the statue. In 2010, the US Postal Service released the Lady Liberty "forever" stamp. Unfortunately for the post office, instead of using an image of the New York statue, they accidentally used a photo stock image of Davidson's Las Vegas version. The mistake was discovered three months and 3 billion circulated stamps later. Davidson sued the post office for using work he deemed different enough to be protected by law. He argued his version was "sexier and more fresh-faced" and had more defined lips and eyes than the masculine original. A federal court agreed and ruled that the post office pay Davidson 3.5 million dollars for infringement of copyright. The stamp was discontinued three years after the discovery and with 10.5 billion printed stamps, still holds the record for the largest run of an error on a postage stamp. I guess it wasn't really a forever stamp after all. https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/the-colorado-tour-amp-grand-canyon-in-arizona monthly 0.5 2021-04-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1611281305743-3DTFVKV9Y5QE03N1OAFG/DSC07971.jpg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! When John Otto, a self-professed trail builder, first saw these canyons in 1906, he decided it should be a national park and worked tirelessly to preserve the area for the generations to come. In 1911, President Taft made this area Colorado National Monument. John Otto was the park's first custodian and fondly referred to as the park's founder. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1611281286386-BYTCQORIMA2BD7EE62U6/DSC07955.jpg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! Otto was described as “a marvelous guide [who] knew every inch of this monument, which he tended like a personal kingdom." Part of Otto’s kingdom was Independence Monument, the tall, freestanding rock in the right/center of this picture. Otto started the tradition of climbing up and raising an American Flag atop the 450-foot monolith every July 4th. This tradition continues today by rock-climbers, with many following Otto’s exact course via Otto’s Route, to the top. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1611281305028-FU1YNO4RRGJYWLH3SGGU/DSC07983.jpg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! Otto wanted to give visitors a sense of being in a place "where only birds could fly." Thus, construction began in 1931 on Rim Rock Drive, a 23-mile roadway that showcases many park features and took 20 years to build with their heaviest equipment being horses. In recognition of its significance, the entire road has been designated a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places. Craig took this picture from the Fruita Canyon Overlook with slow shutter speed. This image contains the headlights of only three cars. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1611281327518-VLDAFJ4HIT7FKARTXDZL/DSC07984.jpg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! We arrived in Estes Park (300 miles northeast of Fruita) and learned Rocky Mountain National Park's main road was closed due to the growing Cameron Peak Fire. Twenty-five miles away, Cameron Peak had been burning for about three weeks. We later learned the fire, suspected to have been started at a campsite, burned for three more months and eventually covered more than 320 square miles, becoming Colorado's largest wildfire in recorded history. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1611281327628-ZDJBWLM74PGOULTLANC3/DSC07991.jpg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! After getting settled into Estes Park, Rachel, our daughter-in-law, came to visit us for Labor Day weekend. What a treat! In this photo, you can see the Cameron Peak Fire smoke in the background. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1612543251032-LGSLHLBQWUIKTZE4YJI9/IMG_8870.jpeg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! Elk in Estes Park are accustomed to people and are seen daily in town on the streets and sidewalks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1611281343122-VA0GTG1C162WT302PH8J/DSC08001.jpg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! One of the many spectacular views along the Emerald Lake Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1611282632158-N0ZTRIQ03R2HGDDY76MF/IMG_4119.jpeg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! Rachel came to visit and to escape the seemingly endless, hot temperatures in Atlanta. This beautiful hike was on the only day that went according to our plans; the very next day was the freak Labor Day snowstorm! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1611285305219-DQIJVR9GEJRFJCK9G8FE/IMG_4190.jpg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! It was truly beautiful though and we didn’t let it slow us down! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1612644598011-7613XB38ZHPUZFHU1XZZ/IMG_4192.jpg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! Unfortunately, the winter storm that preceded the 8-14-inch snowfall caused temperatures in the Cameron Peak area to drop from the upper 80s to the low 20s, with wind gusts of 50+ miles per hour. The winds pushed the fire eastward toward Estes Park, burning another 70,000 acres in two days. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1611281342084-PSY7ZVKOS1ODT2LSCY4J/DSC08017.jpg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! Colorado officials say the elk of Estes Park were pushed to lower elevations as the fire expanded, but only to places they would have migrated to anyway. Their trip was just a little earlier than normal. This elk was strolling through our campsite. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1612704750781-B93K6KOCHPBN5FE4M3TX/IMG_8880.jpeg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! Saint Catherine's Chapel on the Rock in Allenspark, near Estes Park, is a functioning Catholic chapel and tourist landmark open to the public. The beautiful church was built in 1936. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1611282600143-AOXT417NY3ET313UE56J/IMG_4280.jpeg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! Rachel gets a picture with an elk as we wait to be seated at a restaurant. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1611285314789-BD495O8E52BFLV8HE8I7/IMG_4259.jpg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! We took an interesting tour of the Stanley Hotel. It was here, one fateful night, that Steven King passed through Estes Park and stopped to rent a room at this tattered and spooky hotel. One remaining suite that had not been winterized for the season was available and rented to King. Having minimal success as a writer, this old vacant hotel in the snowy mountains gave him the inspiration he needed to write The Shining. The balcony shown on the hotel's front is the infamous Room 217, where he and his wife lodged during their stay, and that is also featured in his legendary tale. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1611282601443-AVOSAN8C88I2XKYB62G8/IMG_4250.jpeg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! The Stanley Hotel, built by Freelan Oscar Stanley, in 1909, was built as a personal mountain retreat and playground for the wealthy. He made his fortune in photography, (eventually selling his company to George Eastman, of Eastman Kodak) but was better known for being a co-inventor of the Stanley Motor Carriage Company. His cars, referred to as Stanley Steamers, were distributed to his guests upon arrival to enjoy mountain drives. Known to be a jokester, Stanley enjoyed "punking" his friends by having a man dressed in a bear costume jump out into the roadway as the visiting drivers approached. Stanley would then "shoot" the "bear" with a fake gun and enjoy the laugh! Today, the connection to The Shining seems to overshadow much of Stanley's legacy. This may be just as well since the hotel's Hollywood connection converted the run-down and creepy guesthouse back to its thriving 1900s glory. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1611281407161-P2WAJDJBA6KE3K3DMNBQ/DSC08121.jpg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center in Colorado Springs. These beautiful sandstone formations were so named in 1859 when discovered by two Denver City surveyors. M.S. Beach, who told of their discovery, said he thought it would be an epic place for a beer garden. According to Beach, "Rufus Cable, his co-worker, exclaimed, "Beer Garden?! Why it is a fit place for the gods to assemble! We will call it the Garden of the Gods!"...and it has been called so ever since. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1611282615363-AUYNX12JQ8WVB1UE9XRR/IMG_4321.jpeg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! Charles Perkins purchased 240 acres of the area in 1879 to build a summer home. He later bought additional surrounding property but never built on it, preferring to keep this wonderland in its natural state. Perkins died before making arrangements for the land to become a public park, although it had been open to the public for years. In 1907, Perkins' children, knowing their father's wishes for the Garden of the Gods, gave his 480 acres to the City of Colorado Springs with a decree that, "It shall remain free to the public, where no intoxicating liquors shall be manufactured, sold, or dispensed, where no building or structure shall be erected except those necessary to properly care for, protect, and maintain the area as a public park." Well…looks like it won't be a beer garden anytime soon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1612543359400-BQPDIXXWG550CJI28DUT/IMG_4205.jpeg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! More fun at Garden of the Gods. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1612700717777-JH15Z4XDLTD1EAV5K6LE/pikes+peak.jpg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! There she is! Pikes Peak in the center background with the highway zig-zagging to the top. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1611281367611-XQZVQZMJ2BYD5IBDPPLY/DSC08057.jpg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs is famous because it’s one of the more accessible “14-ers,” (14,115-foot elevation) in Colorado due to its location, and because it can be reached by car along the 19-mile paved highway. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1611282611899-WOGL65P8Q9VRS4I2Q0AM/IMG_4347.jpeg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! Although it’s “easy” to drive, Pikes Peak Highway Drive is still a little precarious at times for a nervous rider like me. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1611282639944-AZSUKEO2WPVAWLXFMIT1/IMG_4364.jpeg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! With the wind chill factor, it was 12 degrees at the top of Pikes Peak that day. Somehow we missed this forecast when preparing for our visit, and only had light jackets with us. Craig got out to take a few pictures but didn’t stay long. ⛄ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1611281366766-RIZ80QARF1MCWHBHNG93/DSC08078.jpg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! Royal Gorge Bridge and Park in Cañon City is home to the highest suspension bridge in America. Built in 1929 by 80 men, in only 7 months, the bridge is a wonder in itself, in addition to towering nearly 1,000 feet over the Arkansas River. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1612703312640-83ENATBI9IZMRDPCT3X3/wire.jpg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! Royal Gorge Bridge is 1,260 feet long and 18’ wide. There are 2,100 strands of galvanized wire in the 300 tons of cables suspending the bridge, 1,000 tons of steel in the bridge floor, and the weight capacity of the bridge is over 2 million pounds! Today the bridge is affectionately called “America’s Bridge” in tribute to the solid bridge and the remarkable men who built it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1611281388291-PO3IS4Q90IE1WU4J301U/DSC08094.jpg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! A fire that caused only minimal damage to the bridge's wood plank floor destroyed the entire Royal Gorge park and amusement area in 2012. Fourteen months later, the park reopened with many new features, including this gondola (at the very top of the photo) that transports visitors over the enormous, 956-foot gorge. In this photo, you can see the Arkansas River far below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1611285319252-OM99QHLJF8LVH2KT7ZT5/IMG_4520.jpg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! Over 30 square miles of sand dunes appear as a “sea of sand” at what is now Great Sand Dunes National Park. These unique dunes are created by the continuous work of water and wind moving sand, where there were once lakes. These dunes continue to grow as sand erodes from surrounding mountains and is stacked up by wind and water. This process, ongoing for thousands of years, has caused the tiny fragments of rock to add up to what is now the largest area of sand dunes in North America. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1612718999936-1X1HJAQOC402EC3WD1UQ/sand.jpg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! I’m not sure our photos convey the eerieness of this unusual place. These dunes resemble an alien landscape so much that NASA uses the geological conditions to test rovers. The two Viking spacecraft that first landed on Mars were tested in the extreme environment of these dunes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1612719007405-DCN40CHPI18S9Y0I6R9M/sand3a.jpg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! Craig and Clay hike one of the top-ten tallest sand dunes in the world. If you zoom this photo, you’ll see other people on these enormous dunes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1611281414552-AIQYYULXNOV5AGTWGVRT/DSC08132.jpg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! Craig spotted these Mennonite women enjoying the dunes and took a photo opportunity for what has become one of my most favorite pictures. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1611281444966-H30DSGO3FQYAOTO21UFQ/DSC08169.jpg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! Great Sand Dunes NP is a certified International Dark Sky Park. This means that the park’s rare combination of dry air, little light pollution, and high elevation makes it perfect for viewing galaxies. Craig took advantage of the optimal photographic conditions and captured this image of the Milky Way one night while we were there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1611282638570-UOU1ZK37LW5U6LX3JMNJ/IMG_4553.jpeg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! This sign outside our campground serves as a small indication of how remote and rugged the Great Sand Dunes National Park area is. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1611282637439-4W0SNTW4E664DA5EV3TH/IMG_4563.jpeg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! En route to the city of Montrose, we passed Curecanti National Recreation Area, a beautiful place preserved by the National Park Service for salmon and trout fishing, hiking, boating, camping, and bird watching. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1611282597093-CTEGCY1RRA0RH4I4VXRK/IMG_4613.jpeg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in western Colorado boasts some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rock, and most jagged spires in North America. The Gunnison River, along with the forces of weathering, has been sculpting this wilderness for about 2 million years…or so they say. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1612723631076-0VKZ1YEQXQ4QEQS7VDVJ/DSC08185.jpg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! The Black Canyon is so named because its steepness makes it difficult for sunlight to penetrate into its depths. As a result, the canyon is often shadowed, causing the rocky walls to appear black. The right side of the canyon is more worn away than the left side, due to the amount of sunlight it gets, and weather patterns that expose it to more wind. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1611282626171-MW1URJVNWN923ECIAWRI/IMG_4623.jpeg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! The canyons of the Gunnison River drops 240 feet per mile at its steepest point at Chasm View—some of the steepest mountain descents in North America. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1612723635381-HTI8P6QBTSKS3LD6556B/DSC08192.jpg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! After spending most of the day at the top of Black Canyon, we took a lovely drive to the base of the canyon to see the Gunnison River up close. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1616444690282-9FIU0AP39H9YW3NWEPXV/IMG_9954.jpeg Home - Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! The final wonder of our Colorado excursion was this one-arched McDonalds sign in Montrose. McDonald’s opened its first restaurant in San Bernardino, California in 1940, and quickly became a fast-food chain that has expanded into 119 countries and over 38,000 locations today. This single-arch design is one of the 12 remaining original golden arches in America. We saw it. We wanted you to see it, too. https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/a-u-turn-in-california monthly 0.5 2021-02-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603937713355-7KJY8OK5V3TDH876RDB4/Adjustments.jpeg Home - Smoke Signals in California The Smith River dumps into the Pacific Ocean at the very northwestern tip of California. Because this is the largest free-flowing river in the state (no dams), it's a prime spot for fishermen and for seals to find notoriously oversized salmon. As we walked the black sand beach and climbed the rocks, we watched several seals come almost to the shore to run down their salmon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603935782139-FYA0NST80I3IY1EK54N0/DSC07695.jpg Home - Smoke Signals in California The Redwood Forest is nearly the first thing you come to in California when traveling down Oregon's coast. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603935898150-AGYPNFITEPSAQ5M391U4/DSC07716.jpg Home - Smoke Signals in California The Redwood tree is the tallest tree on Earth. Right now, there are about 50 redwood trees taller than 360 feet living along the Pacific Coast—that’s about 100 feet higher than the tallest pine tree. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603941836629-VPTVCMS8NLLCXKA9Z2LZ/IMG_2857.jpg Home - Smoke Signals in California Big Tree is not the biggest tree in the forest. It just happens to be one of the big trees. This particular tree has a circumference of over 75 feet and is estimated to be about 1,500 years old. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603938622681-KY8HPCQPLH92B4IIA37F/Adjustments.jpeg Home - Smoke Signals in California As you can see from this sign, there are lots of big trees in the Redwood Forest. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603937535461-LBU6KVFU7LI3BED3YP67/Adjustments.jpeg Home - Smoke Signals in California There are many trails in the Redwood Forest, and they all contain these spectacular giants. As I took this photo, Craig thought he heard a voice coming from above and softly whispering, "Helloooo." He ignored the voice but then heard it again: "Helloooo." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603941836584-8P475WL8ZZGHOI6WU74W/IMG_2867a.jpg Home - Smoke Signals in California As Craig began to look around for the source of the voice, he spotted this man nestled between three Redwoods about 20 feet above the ground. After a good laugh, the man invited Craig to come up and join him in the tree. Craig politely declined. The man came out of the tree, and we spoke for a while. He was a New-Age naturalist motivator/speaker and just happened to be up there getting a little positive energy from the trees. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603939106656-CV7BPU341R06I18KLBMA/Capture.JPG Home - Smoke Signals in California Damage to this tree’s bark caused the interior to be vulnerable and further damaged by fires in years past. Early settlers made use of these hollowed trees and used these “goose pens” to corral fowl or even horses. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603937768052-GQV31PWLUP9RT3O9PBMA/Adjustments.jpeg Home - Smoke Signals in California Massive redwoods are part of the culture of the northwest part of the state. This is one of a few drive-through trees in the area. We barely fit! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603937553335-N6RJ1L93QD9S3Y69SSV4/Adjustments.jpeg Home - Smoke Signals in California Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park near Redwood National Park is known for the hiking trail through Fern Canyon, where various types of ferns grow over a 50-foot wall. This lush tropical paradise was a filming spot for The Lost World: Jurassic Park and other shows featuring dinosaur habitats. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603935956054-O2FX425XCDT2A0ZZ1UPZ/DSC07726.jpg Home - Smoke Signals in California The greenery in Prairie Canyon consists of ferns native to California and many ferns we also saw in the lush areas of Washington and Oregon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603937673358-SQGLXRB94A4W1DCR3XT1/Adjustments.jpeg Home - Smoke Signals in California Less than a mile from Prairie Creek Park is Gold Bluffs Beach. Many people were in Fern Canyon, but to our amazement, not a single person on this beautiful beach. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603936254265-2GAKF3V93XCFEQ976STX/DSC07762.jpg Home - Smoke Signals in California Constructed in 1855, Battery Point Lighthouse in Crescent City is one of the oldest lighthouses in California. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603937591010-3ACTLBN0PHO3XH5F0G5Z/Adjustments.jpeg Home - Smoke Signals in California In Crescent City, California, we talked to this nice couple and their adorable, goggle-wearing dog. He did not enjoy the rides before goggles, but now with his new eyewear, he's good to go anytime! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603940669805-9CR0E6G2UPRM7HNZKR7Y/IMG_3084.jpg Home - Smoke Signals in California Many new things in the west; getting gas on the Yurok Indian Reservation in Klamath, California. Is there any chance Pem-Mey means QuickTrip? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603937513038-A0TZZZ1O2UOX72G6KYH3/Adjustments.jpeg Home - Smoke Signals in California En route to Idaho, we passed through the southeastern area of Oregon. Here is the remote desert we didn't know existed—miles and miles of nothing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603941320701-YZPXOP9IES558VYXB7MQ/IMG_3163.jpg Home - Smoke Signals in California There’s not much to look at while out in the desert for hours. Perhaps that is the reason I was so impressed with these real-life Lincoln Logs alongside the road. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603941334836-BCCFEPLMBNFZIZMELNIL/IMG_3127.jpg Home - Smoke Signals in California In Lakeview, Oregon, we stayed at a remote RV park in the desert. It was still a little smoky here, but a lovely place. They told us we were welcomed to roam anywhere on the 5,000-acre property. We enjoyed a morning walk before the last leg of the trip to Boise, Idaho. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603937691983-D6NTWNE3KCJCVSEPZQMZ/Adjustments.jpeg Home - Smoke Signals in California Bitter Creek Ale House in Boise came up with a fun and creative way to keep people properly distanced. These "Temporary Diners" were scattered throughout their restaurant and seated in all the areas where customers could not sit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603937788293-OY9Y6XN3RK703FFQ1H5Q/Adjustments.jpeg Home - Smoke Signals in California In the heart of downtown Boise, creative murals abound in Fear Alley. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603937564591-UICZX76MIKHDS907JLXM/Adjustments.jpeg Home - Smoke Signals in California So many murals to choose from for almost a block—and Craig picks this one for his photo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603936418446-F3ZLPPQ5YKGIM894Z2C9/DSC07779.jpg Home - Smoke Signals in California Only ten minutes from downtown Boise, Lucky Peak State Park is a lovely boating, swimming, fishing, and biking destination. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603937808037-QPNST0XVROU2PJPC6FGJ/Adjustments.jpeg Home - Smoke Signals in California Almo, Idaho (pop. 158) was part of the Oregon Trail in which thousands of pioneers traveled to reach the west coast in the mid-1800s. According to some sources, the town is better known for having "The most deceitful historical marker in the United States." According to The Sons and Daughters of Idaho Pioneers, three hundred pioneers traveled along the trail in 1861 and were massacred by Indians. They erected this memorial in honor of their ancestors in 1938. The State Historical Society says this incident cannot be authenticated and recommends the removal of the marker. We were aware of the marker before we arrived in Almo and wanted to see it. We stopped in the all-in-one market/gas station/post office in town and inquired; the store owner let us know most assuredly the incident did occur and that the marker would not be removed...ever. Unknowingly, I was speaking with the author of a soon-to-be-published book that would outline the massacre events in detail. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603936594222-43F63VCNXSFTOKTTVAE3/DSC07825.jpg Home - Smoke Signals in California The City of Rocks National Reserve in Almo is located at the bottom of Idaho, two miles from Utah. This reserve is known for its most unusual rock formations and is popular with rock climbing enthusiasts. The California Trail, an off-shoot of the Oregon Trail, is pictured here; it was most assuredly a bumpy ride for the pioneers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603936533381-45HZQ5OQE6TYZ8H99HOJ/DSC07823.jpg Home - Smoke Signals in California Emigrants of the California Trail describe the rocks here in vivid detail as "a city of tall spires,” “steeple rocks," and "the silent city." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603944440578-3M5HIBW8DJ83AVJAKF2W/IMG_3475.jpg Home - Smoke Signals in California As thousands of pioneers traveled back and forth along the California Trail, they would "check-in" on some of the rocks. By signing their names and the date of their travels, they would commemorate their endeavor and let others know where they were. Many pioneers wrote home and told of seeing their neighbors' or friends' names on the rocks. Daniel Tickner traveled this trail three times from Illinois. The first time with his friend, A. Freeman on June 12, 1850, as inscribed above. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603944827659-QWMTB8IE81ULO40SX9S4/IMG_3441.jpg Home - Smoke Signals in California Register Rock was another popular site for communication. Much like social media is used, this was done to share they were here, that the place matters, and that their lives are connected to these places, people, and time. One pioneer wrote home in August 1852: "The rocks are covered as far us as one can reach or climb, with names of emigrants. We left ours with the date in a conspicuous place for the boys behind. We saw the names of some of our acquaintances who passed here two years ago." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603945495383-XB99MLNC6FKNKUFE4HIG/DSC07837.jpg Home - Smoke Signals in California The rock climbers were also enjoying the day at City of Rocks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603946048270-FDC2NT0LPKCF9GUSHC94/DSC07886.jpg Home - Smoke Signals in California Clay did a little rock-climbing, too. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603946202100-AK41BCTS81LRZZ2TQG54/IMG_3540.jpg Home - Smoke Signals in California The morning we left Almo, Idaho, we saw farmers on horseback driving their cattle with the help of their farm dogs. We just wanted to share this picture in case you're like us, and have been in the city too long to realize some people still do this every day in America. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603937824101-KXUMPB7QGPRRV78A851K/Adjustments.jpeg Home - Smoke Signals in California Not too far from Salt Lake City, Utah, we swam in Homestead Crater. The crater is a 55-foot, geothermal, beehive-shaped spring that stays around 90-95 degrees at all times. The hole at the top lets in light and fresh air. We didn't see this in our future, but it was a nice, impromptu experience. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603946570243-NGW8BNC0V8H9ZRNIYEIP/DSC07847.jpg Home - Smoke Signals in California A scenic hiking trail in Brighton Ski Resort outside of Salt Lake City https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603947021275-0UMTVZ85X3941FWXRFTN/DSC07900.jpg Home - Smoke Signals in California Dinosaur National Monument in Jensen, Utah, is a very out-of-the-way park but well worth the drive if you are interested in dinosaur fossils and history. This lovely and remote area is expansive and incredibly peaceful. We enjoyed our days and sunsets here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603947399494-1NGBLHL44I662GQNK4MJ/DSC07869.jpg Home - Smoke Signals in California Beautiful farmland in Jensen, Utah https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603937497703-H1OCRU7XPOT37PV0HK5Q/Adjustments.jpeg Home - Smoke Signals in California The Quarry Exhibit Hall in Dinosaur National Monument is a building made around dinosaur bones discovered, but never removed from the ground. The site is unusual because the bones are densely packed together and because this building was the dream of Earl Douglass, the anthropologist that found them over a hundred years ago. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603937842276-H9Z7L8Z0HA32OA9QHDUI/Adjustments.jpeg Home - Smoke Signals in California It's believed that a large river once flowed through here. A prolonged drought brought many dinosaurs to the river. As the drought continued, many dinosaurs died near and in the dry river channel. When extensive rains returned, floods drowned some living dinosaurs and floods swept up carcasses of others that were already dead. The fast-flowing river carried the bones downstream along the river bottom. As the floodwaters receded, the river slowed. The bones dropped to the river bottom and began to pile up in this area. They were covered by sand and mud, resulting in the dinosaur logjam that we see now. Over time the sediments turned to rock, protecting the bones in a stone time capsule. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603937579611-0TZ3HJJ7RN6XNYIE55QD/Adjustments.jpeg Home - Smoke Signals in California In a letter to the Smithsonian Institute, Earl Douglass requested, "That the government, for the benefit of science and the people, will uncover a large area, leave the bones and skeletons [as they are] and house them in. It would make one of the most astounding and instructive sights imaginable." I cannot help but be just as impressed by his vision for the generations to come as I am at the bones themselves. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603937632837-J7HG9U2TXQ72F1GS9UF7/Adjustments.jpeg Home - Smoke Signals in California Scattered in this section (and outside the range of this photo) are skeletal remains of an almost complete Stegosaurus individual. Decay, scavengers, and river currents probably helped to scatter the bones before they were covered with mud. Dozens of full dinosaurs were excavated and shipped from this area to museums all over the United States and Canada. Some of the first and biggest went to the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburg, PA, where Earl Douglass was employed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603937854309-7K1NKO90SGJLPOCDCKV4/Adjustments.jpeg Home - Smoke Signals in California Over 1000 years ago, Dinosaur National Monument was home to the Freemont Indians. It is believed they are responsible for the petroglyphs here. We saw many carvings of men, sheep, goats, and other recognizable figures. In particular, this one stuck out to us; it appears to be an alien figure (not matching all the other carvings of men) with a spaceship and rays of light shining down. We also saw "alien" petroglyphs elsewhere in Colorado. Our guide told us that it is not uncommon but is also not at all explained or understood. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1603937519664-8Q7TGEC4M7P6VUHIVJHG/Adjustments.jpeg Home - Smoke Signals in California Dinosaur, Colorado, is named for all the dinosaur fossils found in this area—and the town really embraces their name! ‍ https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/s626t60or3ikceoayydbpabc415iay monthly 0.5 2021-02-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1600562081307-80CBN0XO5XD0QI160H3A/IMG_1456+%282%29.jpg Home - All Over Oregon! Yay! Curtis is here! There was nothing better than getting to hug our oldest son after not seeing him in months! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1599842460711-KI3JCB5LG6DE5WROKP5D/Adjustments.jpeg Home - All Over Oregon! In Portland, we happened upon Burnside Skatepark, a famous skater-made park that began in 1990 with kids pouring spare bags of concrete under Burnside Bridge. Resourceful skateboarders struck up a deal with a local construction company for donated concrete, causing the project to explode with more vertical ramps and bowls—all poured without the city's permission. Portland still does not contribute any funds to the free-admission park, but now accepts the skater-made and maintained project as a public park. The hundreds of concrete public skate parks seen across America today are credited to the ingenuity of Burnside Skatepark's creators. Curtis spent most of his teen years skateboarding and immediately recognized the famous spot, as shown in skateboard media and video games. He was thrilled to be there in person, and we enjoyed watching for a while. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1600618964557-P8RG5CDUOE4GYX1W13QM/DSC07130.jpg Home - All Over Oregon! At Cannon Beach, we saw our first haystack rock out in the water. While this may be a familiar scene on the west coast, we were pretty impressed! We had lunch at a brewery that was also a hardware store, thus their name, Screw and Brew. They actually had a sign saying if your dog digs a hole under the picnic table, you will be charged for a bag of soil! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1600860568149-371ND7K4Y7HW5GYLHO11/IMG_1627.jpg Home - All Over Oregon! Since Cannon Beach was surprisingly warm, we assumed Pacific City Beach, about 75 miles south, would be as well. It was not. We were pretty cold but determined a beach day is a beach day, and as we say, "A freezing day at the beach is better than a good day at work!” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1600560518067-1TA5XOC9ZC4VWUAV0LCW/IMG_1665.jpg Home - All Over Oregon! At Pacific City Beach, the rocks and sand dunes were the biggest we’d seen. Craig and Curtis climbed up the dune to look out over the ocean. Craig took this photo looking north up the coast. The scene of people going up and down the enormous dune was like watching a human ant hill. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1599760100017-2J6LA2XZNEFKPO5OUXHE/Adjustments.jpeg Home - All Over Oregon! Oregon flowers of all varieties bloom as large as your head. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1599760094033-NJROSHC66JPHURVXJAO5/Adjustments.jpeg Home - All Over Oregon! Camping in the woods is the best. And even better with the ones you love. At this stop, near the Colombia River Gorge, we enjoyed a good dinner and playing cards by lantern-light under the stars. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1600619191643-PCMZ3JQSC729MRG51V2Z/DSC07216.jpg Home - All Over Oregon! Craig and Curtis hiked near the Columbia River Gorge. The Gorge runs between the state borders of Washington (on the left) and Oregon (on the right). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1599760073636-G12L88RY3Y1M01UE6O50/Adjustments.jpeg Home - All Over Oregon! Before we knew it, it was time for Curtis to go home. We hated to see him go and enjoyed having him with us up to the very last minute. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1600619092219-5XCVHWJZQZUS4MUF44VZ/DSC07181.jpg Home - All Over Oregon! Another one of Craig’s pictures of the Colombia River Gorge. From this view, Oregon is on the left and Washington is on the right. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1600619311884-VQ1ASQOUHO9458JALDIH/DSC07267.jpg Home - All Over Oregon! At Silver Falls State Park in Sublimity, OR, Craig and Aunt Polly hiked the breathtaking 7.2-mile hike around the Trail of Ten Falls. At this fall, the trail bends behind the water. If you look closely, you can appreciate the size of this spectacular scene by noting the people under the falls, to the left. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1600548515501-SKW3JGUUDMXA37XBL9RB/Adjustments.jpeg Home - All Over Oregon! After their hike, we enjoyed a delicious picnic lunch Aunt Polly packed for us. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1599760223930-6P4XEDPGDAV4GP2RMRU7/Adjustments.jpeg Home - All Over Oregon! Visiting Polly’s peaceful, lush 11 acres, and her husband, Rick, was a real treat. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1600783951547-754U3212449D5NJEIY8D/DSC07370.jpg Home - All Over Oregon! Devil’s Punchbowl State Natural Area in Otter Rock got its name from the swirling churn of the sea as wanves fill the rocky bowl like a witch’s brew. Waves enter the bowl through openings in the base and often violently churn, swirl, and foam. The bowl is thought to have been created when two caves carved by the ocean, collapsed. During low tide, as it was the day we visited, many people walk around inside the bowl. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1599760233080-BST7SN0U5N9K7HZ3M555/Adjustments.jpeg Home - All Over Oregon! We’ve enjoyed featuring some of the unusual custom-made campers we’ve seen. In Newport, we spotted this impressive beast. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1600619611776-O779OHTJT9B3T2XBZ0LP/DSC07408.jpg Home - All Over Oregon! The Yaquina Head Lighthouse in Newport is the tallest on the Oregon Coast; at 93 feet tall, it is nearly twice the height as many others. The lens of a lighthouse is responsible for optimizing the projection of light. The first Fresnel lighthouse lens installed in 1822, in France, quickly became the gold standard of all lighthouses. The active Yaquina Head Lighthouse still uses its original, first-generation Fresnel lens, installed in 1868. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1600619342302-57LHWHHJOCRTLQE1JD5O/DSC07303.jpg Home - All Over Oregon! At Agate Beach State Recreation Site, in Newport, the waves in the sand look almost like the ocean. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1599760242910-9KO1JGHURP8HG5ZBUDNA/IMG_2102.jpeg Home - All Over Oregon! Craig loves to go out at sunset and take pictures. When he does, I take pictures of him. I especially like the haze of sundown at the beach this evening. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1600864291832-59828Y4V45MFASG592N1/IMG_2153.jpg Home - All Over Oregon! The roads of Oregon have a surprise around nearly every corner. We pulled over on the side of the road in Cascadia to stretch our legs and spotted this beautiful area down an embankment. We enjoyed exploring for a few minutes before continuing our journey to Bend. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1599760659077-3U47JCEVYOCEJJI755T1/Adjustments.jpeg Home - All Over Oregon! We enjoyed taking it easy for a few days in the quaint town of Bend. Here, Clay waits for Craig to finish cooking what he believes to be “his” dinner. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1599760567673-ZR0STELCB1QDH2VM91LD/Adjustments.jpeg Home - All Over Oregon! We visited the highly recommended High Desert Museum featuring wildlife, history and art of the western high desert. The otters were a fun feature. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1599760555899-1ZJZ0YAPC5V8SGVRT25M/Adjustments.jpeg Home - All Over Oregon! The High Desert Museum largely featured the Native Americans of this area. I found this photo and caption especially interesting, perhaps because I never saw an Indian Chief driving an automobile. Early twentieth-century photographers often placed Native Americans in automobiles to show the contrast between the old and new eras. Some Plateau Indians, such as this wealthy Nez Perce family, owned cars and made the best of the changing times. Courtesy Library of Congress https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1600619883242-3TFVOYYV2FTH8DNO8JKQ/DSC07489.jpg Home - All Over Oregon! There could never be too many photos taken of Crater Lake. The pictures all look like they’ve been augmented, but the lake is absolutely as blue in person as it is in the photos. Crater lake is a collapsed volcano that formed the deepest lake in America. (1949 feet deep). There are no inlets from other water sources, so the lake only contains rain and snowfall, making it one of the cleanest and clearest lakes in the world. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1600548652608-JH2PZUOAZO15UNRT13XG/IMG_2388.jpeg Home - All Over Oregon! With an annual average of 43 feet of snowfall, Crater Lake is one of the snowiest places in the US. That’s equivalent to almost 1.5” of snow every day of the year! Crater Lake was established as a National Park in May 1902. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1600620107022-WPYN0KCP124IT8SEV18A/DSC07542.jpg Home - All Over Oregon! Remotely located away from the light pollution of nearby cities, Crater Lake is an excellent place for astrophotography. Craig took this picture of the Milky Way over Crater Lake one night. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1600869073253-FXZNW3B1CF7L9Y9P7QKM/IMG_2590.jpg Home - All Over Oregon! We drove over an hour to visit Sea Lion Caves, “America's largest sea cave and the year-round home of the Steller sea lion.” Discovered in 1880, the land was later sold to R.E. Clanton in 1927, who recognized a good tourist trap when he saw one. Three years later when the state planned to run Route 101 right by the property, Clanton and two business partners were all-in to build an access tunnel to the cave from the land above. A 1500-foot trail was excavated by hand into the face of the cliff, and they’ve been open for business ever since. As you can see, we are in the cave, but there are no sea lions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1600870971837-8ST0MXRY864PFEG0VQPM/slos.jpg Home - All Over Oregon! As Sea Lions Cave’s website explains, “Sea lions are not always in the Cave. They are wild animals and we are not a zoo so these protected animals come and go as they please. When spring breeding and birthing time arrives, the sea lions will move to the rock ledges outside the Cave and will remain there through the summer.” Since this was the case on the day of our visit, we looked down from a high cliff, and it seemed instead of observing sea lions, we were looking at slugs. Loud, barking slugs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1600620356173-S5QAKMPFWUWYM97572H7/DSC07575.jpg Home - All Over Oregon! While at Sea Lion Caves, Craig photographed Heceta Head Lighthouse. Heceta goes on record as being the brightest lighthouse in Oregon, and is now also used as a Bed and Breakfast. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1600955892783-K8FWYDVTDQTFTN7MS5MG/IMG_2635.jpg Home - All Over Oregon! First erected 1936, the iconic welcome sign hanging over Route 101 in North Bend was sentimental to its residents, but the cherished sign was in disrepair with only a portion of the lights working. As a rule, Oregon no longer allows neon welcome signs, but in the spirit of history and sentiment, they made an exception for this town. In 2011, the state permitted its residents to install a new, $50,000 replica of the original, and the tradition now lives on. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1599760693148-59N0GUCH8I8CO1G330SQ/Adjustments.jpeg Home - All Over Oregon! In North Bend, I thought the large sand dunes away from water were remarkable. Also interesting how the trees grow out of the dunes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1599760741119-2VH9X59I3PHPME526UO2/Adjustments.jpeg Home - All Over Oregon! Coos Bay had a string of state parks clustered together, each offering a different feature. At Cape Arago State Park, we discovered this beautiful coastal area. This is clearly no Georgia state park! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1600620357135-M7VJE6TGA4S0FRJF5MMV/DSC07589.jpg Home - All Over Oregon! To our amazement, just to the right of Craig in the photo above, at Simpson Reef Overlook, were seals and sea lions. Free, local, and close enough to look life-size, sea lions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1600620485295-E1PGVPIQPUWSAV96LARH/DSC07597.jpg Home - All Over Oregon! Later down the road, we saw piles and piles of sea lions and seals out on various rocks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1600620673143-B9YE24ZY6XF52D6TVSRK/DSC07647.jpg Home - All Over Oregon! Shore Acres State Park had some of the most breathtaking shorelines as pictured here, and in the cover photo of this blog. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1600548523870-70FUQVOJ7QPM7622IMOP/Adjustments.jpeg Home - All Over Oregon! Shore Acres State Park also featured a dreamy botanical garden. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1600620483663-R99U0O4LX2Z1JJ4VIVSG/DSC07625.jpg Home - All Over Oregon! Interesting Monkey Puzzle Tree at the Shore Acres State Park Botanical Gardens. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1600620245232-SFR8L4WI16BVPZQAK8H2/DSC07568.jpg Home - All Over Oregon! One of Craig’s sunset photos from Sunset Bay State Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1600620545657-QYYNO46VJ7F4EY1E2WW5/DSC07628.jpg Home - All Over Oregon! From Sunset Bay State Park, we can see Cape Arago Lighthouse. In operation from 1934-2006, this smaller-scale lighthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places but is not open to the public, and is encircled in a fence so that no one can approach it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1602442389959-D9FKLVVSBFZNWFJR1CEJ/Adjustments.jpeg Home - All Over Oregon! Gold Beach is located on the Pacific coast where the Rogue River feeds into the ocean, a couple of hours north of the California state line. This beach/river town was named so in the 1850s when hundreds of mines at the mouth of the river rendered gold. This historical town also has one of the only two remaining mail boat delivery routes in the US. We’re almost to California! Redwood Forest, here we come! https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/dywx2g1xwpspa6rs9falhvgxtsas3f monthly 0.5 2020-09-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598808963764-R5IU10U2FAAL2SG9L67P/Adjustments.jpeg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful At Walters’ Fruit Ranch, we learned all sheep have distinctly different voices. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598809044852-UCU8S30WNNEH2HMP4NYI/Adjustments.jpeg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful At Walters’, this children’s “sandbox” is filled with various homegrown dried peas. To me, it doesn’t get much more farm-life charming than this. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598808912000-SPIU43665V5KUFHMDBGJ/Adjustments.jpeg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful We went to explore some other farms and growers near Walters. As fate would have it—right next door, Big Barn, home of “bodacious berries,” grew their own hops and had their own brewery. I think Craig is starting to like farm life. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598813874770-8Z0792WE0ZYTXCIMAMKA/Adjustments.jpeg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful We had never seen hops growing before coming to Red Barn. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598803298280-1CE1D2DT5J08WXITBPK3/DSC06717.jpg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful Another beautiful sunset. We never get tired of them. We hope you feel the same way. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598808968867-S3BLYXC1GYYRZPV94QCG/Adjustments.jpeg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful After all the trees were cut down, and the railroad moved out of town, the thriving logging town of Leavenwood was nearly a ghost town by the 1920s. Seeking an economic boost in the 1960s, civic leaders tried their hand at the tourist industry by turning Leavenwood into a Bavarian village. The effort was an instant success. Today the town holds major festivals in all four seasons and is known nationally and worldwide as the “Most Festive Christmas Town in America.” Did you know Helen, Georgia, became Bavarian around the same time for the exact same reason? Notice: Dead logging town seeks exciting new opportunity as a Bavarian village! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598807204649-P3E5ZIUBQLGTU0MBVT0N/DSC06795.jpg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful Travel Day to Mount Rainier National Park. There she is! We’re excited! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598807192205-4724WNW19G2P1DQ3E4E5/DSC06772.jpg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful The day before hiking inside the National Park, we hiked High Rock Lookout Trail. Topping out at 5,685 feet, High Rock and the fire lookout house are dramatically higher than its surroundings. Craig loved it up there. I did not stay long. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598807312511-MJZOCRBTJTFULIPKP2CK/DSC06803.jpg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful Inside the National Park at Christine Falls, Craig captured a rainbow in this waterfall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598807342170-SNV93G9WJYXWQ4UDQQ8W/DSC06818.jpg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful Also inside Mt. Rainier NP, we walked through Grove of the Patriarchs, home of some very big trees! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598807476201-7KOPY3Q86T9JCA7F6C43/DSC06943.jpg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful Although Mount Rainier hasn't erupted significantly in the past 500 years, it is potentially the most dangerous volcano in the Cascade Range because of its great height, frequent earthquakes, and active hydrothermal system. When Mt. Rainier erupts, it will likely cause a "cascade effect" and cause other volcanoes in the range to blow as well. This is expected to happen in 500-1000 years. The Cascade Range is a major mountain range extending from southern British Columbia to Northern California. The Range includes both non-volcanic mountains and the known volcanoes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598815890354-K9RS99EH9NRPHXBF29EE/Adjustments.jpeg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful Washington is nicknamed the Emerald State because of it’s deep, lush greenery year-round. We were entirely surrounded by dark green foliage as we began our 6-mile hike inside Mt. Rainier National Park, but our path quickly turned to this snowy scene. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598815893312-BU7F0LV2ZRHGDOHBYJBH/IMG_0841.jpeg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful This was my view for most of our hike. Craig keeps walking while I stop and look at every plant, rock, and critter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598815885037-U2F6703CAE0K6X8868X4/Adjustments.jpeg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful After over a mile in the snow, we came to this peak with blooming wildflowers and well-conditioned chipmunks, begging for snacks. We also got our best view of a glacier on Mt. Rainier, beside us. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598808925099-XOZNU5L6TRSBQOXF14FR/Adjustments.jpeg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful This is one of 25 glaciers on Mt. Rainier. A glacier is a large accumulation of ice, snow, and rock that builds up over years, and even centuries, as the snow accumulates faster than it melts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598808917131-55KLYF2YHSDC3FJRHJIG/Adjustments.jpeg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful More beautiful scenery as we walk along. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598824260115-V2DZO7DPO9D68TYQLTLB/IMG_0915.jpeg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful This tunnel is larger and more dangerous than it looks. The dark lines in the snow indicate hollowed out tunnels where melting snow causes water and debris to rush downstream. Two people died at Mt. Rainier this week, one of which was witnessed stepping into an underground tunnel. When this happens, a person can be washed downstream and trapped by tree branches and rocks. Unfortunately, in these particular cases, formal search efforts were fruitless. More snow will need to melt to have a better idea of where to search for the deceased. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598822045924-GYR7E9BUCHNRO6QY5LO7/DSC06899+%283%29.jpg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful These marmots did not take notice of us at all, as they wrestled in the grass and sometimes ran out right in front of us. They growled like puppies as they played and were a lot of fun to watch. More marmot wrestling in the video. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598808971960-YKQF696NL955W95QB3UK/Adjustments.jpeg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful Paradise, the area on the south side of Mt. Rainier NP, gets an average of 55 feet of snow per year, making it one of the snowiest places in North America. Some areas where we hiked still had more than 5 feet of snow, which brings us to how we got down many of the hills. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598822168318-WFO61H5X0T9LED1H903F/DSC06985+%282%29.jpg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful Craig captured this skyline photo of Seattle at dusk. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1599056576105-7BVULS5OJVPURDDS33U7/Adjustments.jpeg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful We hadn’t seen any of our children for three months, so it sure was great to be reunited! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598808891931-KNLWYB8SBMG9FO1O0FBO/Adjustments.jpeg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful In 1907, American Messenger Company, now known as UPS, was started by a 19-year old, in the basement of a Seattle tavern, on a one-hundred-dollar loan. UPS has since purchased the property of their humble beginnings and built a waterfall garden, "In honor of all the men and women of United Parcel Service." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598808976619-WM6UG0Y2XE2TI0TJGGTF/Adjustments.jpeg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful Public Market Center officially started on August 17, 1907, with around ten farmers coming to town to trade produce from their wagons. Today, Pike Place Market is one of the oldest continuously operating farmers’ markets in America, and is a Seattle icon. This neon sign and clock were a new addition in 1937. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598809029998-6FZS578N7LN4ZICGQL8M/Adjustments.jpeg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful Beautiful flowers are abundantly plentiful in this part of the country, and for great prices. Loback Meat Co. opened in 1946 and closed in 1986, but its neon sign lives on because it is now a historically protected icon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598809019458-R6CHTUUTQLFDOUBMU6P7/Adjustments.jpeg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful The famous Pike Place Fish Company almost went bankrupt in 1985 when they decided to take a stand to deliver "World Famous" customer service. The new "loving" mindset and philosophy turned the company around. Now, just for fun, the happy workers toss purchased fish to the customer, just for them to throw back before wrapping. Their "Fish Philosophy" of giving each customer joy is also now "world-famous" and outlined in a published book used today in business training and schools. While we were there, they couldn't throw fish due to the large crowd that fish-throwing draws, but they were happy to chat for a while and pose for pictures. Notice even the cashier in the background jumps in for the picture. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598808929158-P47YA1MS72TLAV15AGXJ/Adjustments.jpeg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful Kevin and Rachel shopping for our dinner. We ended up with garlic asparagus that looked like solid green tulips. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598808898456-5ND3TQ0JSBDEQQCFXZ4M/Adjustments.jpeg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful Queen Anne Hill is a historic neighborhood that sits on the highest hill in the city, overlooking Seattle. That is Mt. Rainier in the skyline. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598807565538-NTD7IOPU5O1FO1AJ36WU/DSC07033.jpg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful Our visit to Olympic National Park was our first time seeing the Pacific coast beaches. We were not disappointed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598809002119-7R7LBAC61TFTC84ZJ5LM/Adjustments.jpeg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful Craig, Kevin, and Rachel also enjoyed hiking in Olympic National Park. I stayed home to rest the ankle that is still suffering from our visit to Mt. Rainier. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598808921037-TBCSXJJB23HSF5FCSAMC/Adjustments.jpeg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful Rachel told Craig and Kevin that if they hug a tree, they’ll feel more grounded. We thought this was funny. Later I read that tree-hugging will make you feel calmer, and you should do it every day for around five minutes to get the full effect. It may be time for us to get out of the woods and start heading home. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1599022755942-FWR5WG6FNY5LJSFKUZ3A/Adjustments.jpeg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful Along their hike in Olympic NP, Rachel got this great shot of the mountains and a lounging deer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598808998009-1Y3LSQ9WW4RCSZ1WNCQH/Adjustments.jpeg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful Quite an impressive root system on this fallen tree in the Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park. Notice the many trees growing out of the exposed roots. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1598808946526-4VZ4BRQUM48F40A9BVZI/Adjustments.jpeg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful We had so much fun taking an evening drive on the beach for the first time. Meanwhile, it looks like Kevin may be looking for whales. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1599021788439-DX47QVQ9IO8FSYVV36MB/IMG_1384.jpg Home - We Cannot Tell a Lie-Washington is Beautiful Our next adventure is in Oregon! We’ll see you there! https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/montana-the-treasure-state monthly 0.5 2021-07-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1596981702692-0T0TRIFS5HG4C05YQPS1/IMG_0222.jpg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana Here are the very popular and abundant huckleberries of Montana. Did you know bears eat about 30,000 berries a day? When bears go into hibernation, the berries in their stomach ferment and work as a form of sedative. Who knew all the sleeping bears were drunk? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1596926620279-T0GC4XYDRVLR6V53WO7U/DSC06463.jpg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana Our first stop in Montana was Bozeman. Craig took this picture at the peak of one of his many hikes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1596981847671-L7LODIA4K1WJ7C9Y7JAR/IMG_9529.jpg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana In Bozeman, we visited The Museum of the Rockies, a division of Montana State University. This museum is one of the most sophisticated research and history museums in the world, with one of the largest dinosaur fossil collections in the world. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1596981788970-MZOSNGBAG80OG48CE9B3/IMG_9473.jpg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana In the dinosaur complex, this Fossil Preparator had a whiteboard posted that read, “Today I am working on a 66 million-year-old thescelosaurus tail vertebrae section. I’m also working on a 78 million-year-old hadrosaur limb bone and jaw bone.” Wow! What did you do at the office today? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1596981784610-84C6XCC0MI84NTFO16W6/IMG_9481.jpg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana More dinosaur bones are being found in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and Montana in the last 120-150 years than ever before. This is due to a complex 70-million-year history of landform changes, fossilization, and recent erosion of rock. The erosion is surfacing some dinosaurs that are found in-tact, up to almost 90%! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1596981867058-1OXZFYCFXILEA3MUWRLD/IMG_9540.jpg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana This full adolescent triceratops skull was found in 2017 in Colorado. Sixty-six million years ago. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1596981817212-XMU0P5VHOED6N968K9CQ/IMG_9492.jpg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana The Museum of the Rockies also had an impressive reptile exhibit. More creepy things are in our video. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1596981886061-Y7I2Z1ZYD4KV6Q4SNWYL/IMG_9555.jpg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana At the American Computer & Robotics Museum, we learned many fascinating things. I especially found enjoyment in this original 1892 sign, posted in hotels for patrons to know how to use electric light bulbs, and instructing them not to “attempt to light with a match"“. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1596981956619-JC1HX7UR3G3E04VKNTI3/IMG_9661.jpg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana In the city of Great Falls, artwork of Lewis, Clark, and Sacagawea stands along the Missouri River. Sacagawea accompanied Lewis & Clark on their expedition to the Pacific Ocean. Scholars say while Sacagawea was highly regarded by Clark, the portrayal of her invaluable efforts in assisting the expedition may be exaggerated or even fiction. Either way, the art is fun. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1596981997354-JZKH4KFG73J32RPIQXEV/IMG_9671.jpg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana Over 150 million gallons of water a day flow from Giant Springs and fall into the Missouri River in Great Falls. Expedition member William Clark first documented these springs in 1805. “…[the largest fountain I have ever seen, and doubt if it is not the largest in America, this water boils up from under the rocks and keeps its color for a mile which is immensely clear and of a bluish cast.]” This area is now Great Springs State Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1596981931171-4T6NG3IDZ897P2O5XD9J/IMG_9624.jpg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana In our last post, we showed you some various ways people travel and live on the road. Here’s another one; although these are not an unusual sight, they are always impressive; a full 18-wheeler tractor trailer carrying an extra-long fifth-wheel. Toward the back of this tractor, are doors that open with a hydraulic pad to lower their Harley Davidson to the ground. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1597209787865-D2ZOJWVR79XTDAJV6SQI/IMG_9720.jpeg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana It was unusual for us to sit in jackets and blankets on July 4th to watch fireworks. It also does not get completely dark out here until around 10:20 pm, so the fireworks were done while it was still partially daylight. This picture was taken at 10 pm. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1596927198497-PRFM2D5DC8JUWM685HY9/DSC06499.jpg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana We may have booked our stay in Great Falls a day or two longer than we should have. We had to get creative on a few days for things to see and do. Taking pictures is always fun. And Clay seldom minds modeling. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1596926749992-N2RNUBSEHR5S1C64K5KP/DJI_0173-HDR-2.jpg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana Craig took this picture of Great Falls with his drone. The Great Falls of the Missouri River was an incredible challenge for Lewis & Clark in 1805. Upon arriving at this river bank, Lewis logged in his journal “…the river was one continued scene of rapids and I readily perceived could not be encountered with our canoes”. I also perceive I would not want to travel down these rapids in a wooden canoe. On another note, this picture always causes me to crave a Cinnabon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1596926880351-QQAEPYNBPBTWQXUSW55L/DSC06529.jpg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana This is Goat Lick near Glacier Park. The area was named so because the mountain goats have come here in May-August for years, to lick the rocks. Scientists speculate when the goats shift to green vegetation each spring, their chemical balance is altered causing them to seek the nutrition of the salts and minerals found in these rocks. It can be hit or miss seeing a goat, but today was a hit; Craig spotted through the trees this rock-licking goat family. The baby is just above the dad, and mom is on the ground. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1596982095295-Q0JIU7J1KCX4NZ8SJ3F8/IMG_9849.jpg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana This picture of Stanton Lake in Essex is an example of one of the many beautiful crystal clear lakes we have seen while hiking. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1596982148498-K9LHR037J163QP5P32JN/IMG_9888.jpg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana Simple beauty everywhere. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1596927070477-I0N28BQK5M1QCIRFMXFE/DSC06551.jpg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana A picture Craig took along the Apgar Lookout Trail in Glacier National Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1597207649000-R46JEQX0IGROICJOLY7S/IMG_9924.jpeg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana Twenty-two miles south of the Canadian border, is Polebridge. It’s only public establishments are a saloon next door and this mercantile store, which has been in full operation since 1914. With less than 10 full-time residents, one source said people are much rarer than the endangered species in the area. Remote as it is, it’s popular with those visiting Glacier Park; especially on July 4th, when the town’s celebration draws around 2,000 people. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1597212126235-LI90R6E7NYX553DLFR4Q/IMG_9989.jpeg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana We’re always in awe of the turquoise water in the Rocky Mountain states and the multi-colored rocks in Montana. So beautiful! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1597207663069-MZAQL1239J7RHORUFKJL/Adjustments.jpeg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana These rocks are all around Glacier National Park. The iron content in the rock changes colors based on the depth of the water they have been in for millions of years, and the amount of oxygen they were exposed to. Variations in conditions results in the endless shades of red, green and brown rocks you see here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1596981473094-CGWZ38ZAG8LIHHRBPII4/IMG_0013.jpg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana Trail of the Cedars, Glacier National Park https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1596981516265-R92M8RGFKZ7A04FGT7QN/IMG_0035.jpg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana Here the grizzly bear claws at the tree stump as we pass him in Glacier National Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1597621211174-GS8NH41SUFZLIZSBDHKJ/Adjustments.jpeg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana While driving in Columbia Falls, we noticed the 10 Commandments Billboard Park, on the side of the road. This unusual attraction had a billboard for each of the 10 Commandments and other billboards with faith-based quotes from past presidents. It was quite a sight. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1596981555959-FHEEKTRGQ9HXFDH9NKNN/IMG_0058.jpg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana I believe Ronald Regan might have been on to something. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1597212727139-ZKNKBOOOJMJ80661Y4AQ/Adjustments.jpeg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana This unmistakably bright yellow crop is canola. Canola farming is a fairly new, but profitable venture for Montana farmers. Canola oil was “invented” in Canada and is traded on a Canadian commodities exchange. With Canada being so close by, it is easy to sell canola to them. Canada is also home to the crushers used to make canola oil. In addition to the profitability of selling canola, it also serves as a “rotation crop” to interrupt the pest and disease cycle in the soil, experienced when the soil doesn’t get a break. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1597625843295-M16P76RMU2FUNWOULX4S/IMG_0078.jpg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana Did you know the name, “Canola” comes from the words “Canadian Oil, Low Acid”? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1596927311996-61W98PDKL7P2VK7AW01E/DSC06636.jpg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana The town of Kalispell is self-described as the new American West, and we agree it is a perfect balance of city conveniences with an abundance of outdoor activities. We enjoyed visiting the notorious Moose Saloon, and taking pictures of canola fields, but especially delighted in Craig’s encounter with the mountain goats while hiking one evening. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1597213065144-17SWPBP4YY85AE9PUKBK/Adjustments.jpeg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana Whitefish is known as one of the “Top 25 Ski Towns in the World” by National Geographic, but like Kalispell, it has old west charm coupled with miles and miles of beautiful farmland. On our way home from dinner, the sky grew moody with pink and blue clouds, and we stopped to capture a few pictures. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1596981685254-XLOLI43VYWMXQR3BFE6O/IMG_0205.jpg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana We have laughed sometimes that everything we see is “beautiful”—even the gas station has a certain charm on a warm, windy evening when you’re free and happy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1596981722218-GMT2QLZKNUBAJBW0KYHZ/IMG_0258.jpg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana After falling in love with Bryce Canyon in Utah, we purchased this puzzle. 1000 pieces. Our first puzzle ever. It was so hard. We thought we may give up. We carried this project through four states and almost 1500 miles before it’s glorious completion in our last stop in Montana—St. Regis. Also an appreciation shoutout to Jennifer Behlmann for making these fun camping coasters for us to bring on our trip! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1596927525854-28J6X20DZEGV22TMZEJZ/DSC06692.jpg Home - Berry, Beary Wild Montana On our last day in St. Regis, Craig spotted and captured this impressive bald eagle picture. This is also where I insert a corny reference to “flying” off to our next destination, the state of Washington! See you soon! https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/w3o8boo8w3czei3pxuan4xlglbu5bx monthly 0.5 2020-08-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594668233856-KLHFEIOCP32QB32EU5KR/IMG_8699.JPG Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! Great Basin National Park is named for the topography here; the basin, which is as it sounds, is a “sink” in the middle of the surrounding mountain ranges in California, Utah, Oregon, and Nevada. No water here drains to an ocean; all water either sinks into the ground, is evaporated or flows into lakes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594668002456-5UPXU5KOJRWA5YKH7F29/DSC06118.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! The lakes are crystal clear collections of melted snow and ice. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594668290792-9J8KXKWJQ7GTELS11POH/IMG_8704.JPG Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! The pictures don’t really do this area justice; the colors are vivid and the air is so crisp, clean, and fresh. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594668228848-4HX00N2JDTIPTGDLM3P0/IMG_8687.JPG Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! Along our hike, Craig tried out the water filtering system that our son, Curtis, bought for us. We drank the water and it was cold and delicious. Something tells me we may not have needed the filter in this park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594668258540-632X3TG4455DMVCJJ0NO/IMG_8700.JPG Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! As we walked up the trail, it began to snow. The snow was unlike the fluffy flakes or the icy hail we are accustomed to in Georgia; the drops were white, frozen balls, like Dippin’ Dots! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594668210463-LHGUNDJTU8Y37JMSS7II/IMG_8692.JPG Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! This mule deer was calm and grazed not too far away as I videotaped her. Mule deer are given their name because of their over-sized ears and are also distinct because of their white rump patch and black-tipped tails. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594668299763-BOJODXPHUCCSN8864BS3/IMG_8711.JPG Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! Great Basin NP is also known for the Lehman Cave tours. Unfortunately, due to the virus, the caves were closed. No worries, though…we continued our hike to the ancient Bristlecone Pine Orchard…hold on to your seats! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594668426678-NAOBAIBNL5EHFOXSNYLN/IMG_8770.JPG Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! Bristlecone pine trees have bottle-brush shaped bristles that grow in batches. They’re special because some bristlecone pines are nearly 5,000 years old—the oldest living things in the world. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594668350480-931N4ZPUN7S9I8E1F7ME/IMG_8745.JPG Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! Bristlecones are found in extremely rugged sites in the high mountains of the southwest and grow to be so old because of their ability to adapt to harsh environments. They often live in isolation where other types of trees cannot survive. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594668362612-D2ZVV8B35PUJM7PCP4QZ/IMG_8748.JPG Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! A core sample of rings shows this tree to be be “born” in 1150 BC, making it between 3100 and 3300 years old. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594668015620-XBTEE98X4VZMEDPBV0RC/DSC06135.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! Bristlecones don’t die easily; they may cling to life for centuries after reaching old age. After they die, they may stand for hundreds of years longer before they fall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594668379732-0I9ORU14QO86UVTQHTJC/IMG_8760.JPG Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! Their wood is resistant to insects and decay so instead of rotting, they slowly erode and are polished by the elements, almost giving them a sheen. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594668437844-WCFXDLST2T2QNG4RX7YP/IMG_8780.JPG Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! The drive home from the peaks of Great Basin National Park was also a beautiful sight. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594668442900-X5COCCT423O1HWJ68302/IMG_8839.JPG Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! Immediately after arriving in Twin Falls, Idaho, we discovered the Niagara of the West, as Shoshone Falls is sometimes called. The falls are 212 feet—45 feet taller than the true Niagara Falls, and are over 1000 feet wide. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594668523503-SCSFRVK7Z78641BRSMA6/IMG_8871.JPG Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! Shoshone Falls Park was a beautiful place with plenty of space for gatherings in the park, boating, hiking, etc. The grass is nearly neon green from all the fresh and clear water rushing from the falls into the Snake River. Here we also learned about “rock chucks” or the yellow-bellied marmot. Unlike their relative, the groundhog, they are not loners and live in colonies. They were everywhere in this park. It was a lot of fun watching these big things (8-12 pounds!) interact with park visitors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594668555589-92GMZI12J89PAWCWSQ6W/IMG_8881.JPG Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! After observing the falls and marmots at Shoshone Falls Park, we heard we should drive a few miles down the Snake River to see the Perrine Bridge. It seems our timing was perfect; we arrived just as the sun was beginning to set on the rocks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1595032790459-UMZSHUM7AZ3JR2BNQQIY/DSC06205.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! The Perrine Bridge is about 500 feet tall. If one desires to jump from the bridge with a parachute, there is a service for that, and it’s a daily activity here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1595084554797-F0WESQN0XWYKG37J2M7D/IMG_0462.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! This jumper decided to get fancy and do a backflip. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594668577391-E1PC2C0AFE1RMVEKVW17/IMG_8888.JPG Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! As breathtaking as the Snake River was at the Perinne Bridge, we also marveled that all this beauty was at the edge of a Best Buy and TJ Maxx parking lot! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594668639259-GYQUFGCWLH0OT53GZ44I/IMG_8985.JPG Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! On another day, we hiked along the Snake River at Auger Falls Park. It was hot and we enjoyed our breaks by the rushing water. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1595084275070-TCJTT90IH9T4SCQRSL0D/IMG_8924.JPG Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! Clay had a particularly favorite watering hole. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1595018360025-AC3S2HMAFEE8OZH1YQJN/IMG_0418+%282%29.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! On Craig’s birthday, we were in Sun Valley, Idaho. Sun Valley is a ski resort town that boasts being home to fifty-six former and current winter sport Olympians. We knew many Olympic ski medalists lived and trained here, but were surprised when on a bike ride, we came upon an outdoor ice skating rink (in June!) with several expert-level ice skaters. The guy in the back nailed every triple-axel he attempted. The guy in the front had an equally impressive spin. I would have watched them all day. Craig said that would have to be done on my birthday, not his. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594668676193-AUSDTKTUKBIV350RSXMR/IMG_9045.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! Ketchum, just outside of Sun Valley is a remote town with many of the same year-round outdoor treasures Sun Valley offers. The population is only about 2500 in this town of beautiful sunsets and mountain ranches, and because of it’s seclusion and great beauty, many celebrities have chosen to live in the area, including Tom Hanks, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mark Zuckerberg, and Warren Buffett to name only a few. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1595014869739-EB1DA8JOPV588ADVR38N/IMG_0419.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! After Craig’s birthday dinner at the famed Pioneer Saloon in Sun Valley, we went back to our RV park in Ketchum and enjoyed the sunset and visited with the “neighborhood” kids who wanted to take Clay for a few spins around the park. Clay obliged. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594668020650-81EGHDGD8YNSI9PUBBN7/DSC06247.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get This first-come, first-served cabin in the area is open for any group of hikers to stay overnight. Craig found the door unlocked and instructional notes hung everywhere for managing the amenities, including cookware and firewood. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594669199238-WAPHQL8IIL69X12WL8RI/IMG_9433.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! About 60 miles north of Ketchum we visited another treasure; Redfish Lake in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. We will make every attempt to visit here again for a summer or winter vacation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594668705933-J25I8R7GZE41MRM0COIJ/IMG_9076.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! Redfish Lake has mountain lodging, boating, hiking trails and water activities. Until reaching deep waters, you can see to the very bottom through the crystal clear water. This place also had the most pristine dog beach you’ve ever seen! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594668724698-P6K98U1Y2IV57IK8S4OF/IMG_9084.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! A boat shuttle took us to a trailhead where we would hike almost 9 miles back to the lodge. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594668778016-MDE8OQPDSBKAFPJF5K39/IMG_9125.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! The Sawtooth Mountains are named for their short and ragged mountain tops. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1595047032403-D8D8HKG0ASXSNFDONXU3/DSC06292.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! It was a long hike, but we promised ourselves ice cream from the snack bar when we returned, and that kept our spirits high. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1595110533009-MJBN7UB719NRX3ON4F0O/DSC06310.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! At the very end of our Redfish Lake hike, we came upon this beautiful stream under a canopy of pine trees. So serene and a great place for me and Clay to stick our feet in the water. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594668855911-9NOI2KVXQFY8R973OV1M/IMG_9196.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! En route to our next destination, we stopped at Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve. This 1,117-square mile area in central Idaho was created by the lava flow of several volcanoes that erupted between 15,000 and 2,000 years ago. This is another area where the pictures cannot portray the immense colors and eeriness of the place. It really does look like another planet here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594668816580-5ATD90P10P83934M0RT7/IMG_9190.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! Surprisingly, there are thousands of various plants that live in the lava. The white spots here are shoots of Drawf Buckwheat, a delicate, adorable plant when viewed up closely. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1595110479530-I68VDZ71UCCUZQD3WCPJ/DSC06334.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! Craig captured an up-close shot of Drawrf Buckwheat for you. Isn’t it cute? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594668911945-4POA7T1MLZL6GV8Q0N33/IMG_9204.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! The smaller lava rocks crunched under our feet like Rice Krispies as we walked. Clay didn’t like it. Usually right on our heels, he did not want to walk on it and stood by the truck, urging us to get out of this strange place. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594668977798-6E4RI1J4P1P6LSJY1AAN/IMG_9223.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! We’ve stayed at some really beautiful campsites. In the small town of Ashton, ID, our campsite backed up against a lovely private farm. We also just happened to have a view of the Grand Tetons about 40 miles away. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594669000710-RHT7NPYHTIRTJGB9G8WS/IMG_9237.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! Magpies were all around our camper in Ashton. The magpie is considered one of the most intelligent animals in the world and one of only a few non-mammal species able to recognize itself in a mirror! They’re also very territorial and do not think twice about attacking people that walk too close to their nests. Magpies recognize and remember human faces, and good or bad encounters with a particular human for years. I hope we’re making a good impression; it looks like he’s planning to remember us. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594669022863-PLUECWM3H0HMSVZYY5ID/IMG_9257.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! We stopped immediately upon arrival into Yellowstone National Park and took a picture of this peaceful stream. It felt like we should see bear, elk or moose or something enjoying a cool drink or fishing for salmon. A primary objective of the day was to see some wildlife! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1595110634360-FIEOMDPOS5N6QN6DSK7N/DSC06373.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! The hot springs and pools at Yellowstone are always a treat to see. Various heat-loving bacteria give the pools their bright and varied colors. Different colors represent different types of bacteria. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594669035902-T2SN91VDGJ41MUFVBLEP/IMG_9265.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! The colorful hot springs and pools of Yellowstone NP are always interesting. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1595100592961-KYX9TU9WTWEFYASOW256/aaaab.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! Because of the acidity of the pools, many other living organisms have a tough time living here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594669062572-33BKUD4CFE7CUV9ZVOIV/IMG_9280.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! The geysers and springs are acidic because they are fed by thermal water deep underground that picks up sulfuric acid as it rises to the surface. For this reason, they can be very dangerous to humans if safety guidelines are not followed. In recent years, a young man fell into one of the pools. It was not good. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594669082775-XSTSKG18TUW1XVAOQAR2/IMG_9282.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! One last picture of the hot springs of Yellowstone. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594669091261-BA84ZU2ZMRX7QCYLSS8G/IMG_9291.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! Well, there it is, Folks—The only large wildlife sighting of the whole day. Do you see it? Also note this picture is zoomed in and blown up about 10,000 times. Not exactly the wildlife encounter we were hoping for. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1595110734878-RFSZ0ROCMD85WE9BSB7W/DSC06411.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! Grand Teton National Park covers about 480 square miles and is made up of the Teton Range (pictured here) and most of the northern sections of the surrounding valley known as Jackson Hole. This mountain range was named by French trappers who first saw the mountains and thought the three prominent mountain peaks reminded them of breasts. Grand Teton—the tallest of the three—literally means, “Big tit.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594668192287-BZGN37TC1TGQK7CK5Y51/DSC06419.JPG Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! At Grand Teton NP we explored many old barns and buildings along Mormon Row Historic District. Mormon settlers arrived here from Idaho in the late 1800s and established 27 homesteads. Six homesteads remain along with drainage systems dug by hand for crop irrigation, barns, fields, and corrals. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1595132513778-CHLVH3IAWCJFP6UR42WU/IMG_9348+%282%29.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! One old outhouse still remains as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1595110866561-RPPWY7VPNUJ7719XOPVI/DSC06447.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! The most well-known of all the structures on Mormon Row is the famous T.A. Moulton Barn. You’ve probably seen a framed photograph or painting or completed a 1000-piece puzzle of this famous barn with the Teton Range in the background. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594667990973-TLBMF2T0ZCM0P44PN30F/02590734-407C-4AB4-9F1E-DF9FED60D26C.JPG Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! Hands down, Clay’s favorite part of visiting the Grand Tetons was looking for prairie dogs. A vast stretch of land with hundreds of holes, prairie dogs would pop up and whistle at him, sometimes waiting until he was almost upon them, then drop straight down into their holes. Clay ran from hole to hole for as long as we would let him. As you can see, some of the holes are quite large! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594669171936-S4Z4XDILS3JMTVX51KE9/IMG_9387.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! After a full day in Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks, we found this treasure in Victor, ID. A great place for dinner and an incredible sunset to boot! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1595110881901-2PA84RRDKRFYRUK13LZ5/DSC06454.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! Another picture of the sky that changes minute-by-minute and this cool brewery we visited in Victor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1595084454935-TPEORZAQ6SL9BAJ85VBV/IMG_0219.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! If you’re not regularly traveling around in an RV, you may not be privy to some of the RV culture. While there are many who enjoy a life of luxury on the road in $350,000+ rigs, there are also those that get a bit creative. We thought we’d share a few we’ve seen. This “back in the day” rock-band style tour bus would probably have some interesting stories to tell if it could talk. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594669119156-DTA8Q1LRKBPA26OVOWK4/IMG_9318.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! Take a Hertz rental truck, add a window, and Voilá!…you now have a camper! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1594669213483-Q1IVHMO92OLR58U2UTFL/IMG_9435.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! Is there an emergency? YES! Let’s get out of town and go camping! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1595100379131-S9AIG9GHSMGLL1ZXHHBL/aaaad.jpg Home - Uncharted Territory-Nevada and Idaho! Until next time, lots of love to you all! See you in Montana! https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/life-elevated-our-tour-of-utah-state monthly 0.5 2021-07-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593470886620-LY6D7ZD9EEVAKOT1ADZX/Church+Rock+%282%29.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah On the way to Moab, UT, we spotted this lone rock near Monticello. As it is named, Church Rock carries rumors of getting its name from a zealous religious woman with a colorful history, who came into the area in the 1930s and wanted the rock made into a church. The legend says the chiseled 16’ x 24’ opening and hollowed out space in the base of the rock (shown here) were the results of her efforts to make it into a place of worship. More factually, a rancher by the name of Claud Young, owned about 2000 acres of this area for a cattle range before the current highway came through. He had the hole dynamited out in the 1940s, to store cattle feed. Although the 200-foot monolith still carries the name Church Rock, it remains privately owned by the children and grandchildren of Claud Young and has nothing to do with a church. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593230101719-R5AP3OOKUYFFSY3ZGG77/IMG_8161.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah We spotted this large arch on the side of the road in La Sal, UT. We hopped out and climbed it for a little exercise on our journey. The pictures hardly give justice to how large this arch is. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593230147541-ZM140GGOKC1CF49HIYUM/IMG_8162.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah Craig getting in position to take pictures. He is in the shadow on the right. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593230236825-4I64HK1SROKFE599ECUS/IMG_8170.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah The desert road at the La Sal arch. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593230319794-VOP5KF80VIYS44IHLWUD/IMG_8182.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah We enjoyed our RV spot at Portal RV Resort in Moab. This is our private deck area and campsite right beside the swimming pool. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593212201611-PWHMS0LW49Q8M1JP7I1Q/DSC05768.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah A photo Craig took at Arches National Park the day we arrived in Moab. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593212376216-DX6P89HOJHH79C04VJC2/DSC05776.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah There are endless places to explore in Moab. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593230383953-ZDTMZPBLPKA873JIB3Q2/IMG_8199.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah There’s a story on why this rock appears to be falling into the water; it has to do with the ground shifting over millions of years, but that’s all we remember. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593230402506-LUTGXT4EGNH0FT69IUEE/IMG_8219.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah Our quest to reach Hurrah Pass in Moab was not an easy one. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593230472310-SBNS1PRHM6RU0I342MPS/IMG_8220.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah The roads were treacherous and many had steep drop-offs, but Craig enjoyed the challenge. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593231726699-CBZO24QU6LHX06S098UB/IMG_8238.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah At the appropriately named area, we stopped at Chicken Corner Trail to give our nerves and the truck a small break. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593472939030-1AY2UHUCYYUU0FLJRW8H/IMG_8230+%282%29.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah Still on the way. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593230789377-1RTBHPK1AE7EKKV6KXTF/IMG_8267.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah We made it! The treacherous drive causes me to have mixed feelings about thanking our friend, Matt Miller, for recommending this as a "Must See” spot, but the overlook is truly beautiful! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593230621810-WF67K1MAPPVC7VSISBHD/IMG_8250.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah The view from Hurrah Pass. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593212518588-MFJRWKD5GG6OP16DWMAB/DSC05797-2.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah Another picture of the Hurrah Pass overlook. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593230556396-0EJQG4Q2XG6V1ZRBSTFH/IMG_8237.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah At an elevation of nearly 5,000 feet, we had certainly made a climb. Craig and Clay out exploring the area. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593232051935-LBQC7U4345RJJL14A1L9/IMG_8311.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah Canyonlands National Park in southern Utah is known for its desert landscape carved out by the Colorado River over millions of years. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593231984431-PBWB8A8BBKV0BDAYD97I/IMG_8309.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah This morning we set out at 4 am for sunrise pictures of Mesa Arch in Canyonlands. Craig was there in plenty of time to set up his camera. Clay and I tried to sleep beside a rock as we waited. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593229971292-MAO0T97KB6HQ3SDENZ5E/IMG_8342.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah The cover photo for this blog is one of his photos from this morning at Canyonlands. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593229962440-0M16Q6GEET9H2Q4ILSP6/IMG_8344.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah Before 6 am Craig had already declared the day a success! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593231033125-INZ6KJO3I1ZZVELMHQRK/IMG_8327.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah As the sun rose, I explored the area and took more pictures of Clay. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593232106360-IHSCOUS3KNATCI9AFNMI/IMG_8317.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah Another picture of Clay enjoying the adventure. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593230010068-GWCUDXHA4YN2F45FL44B/IMG_8353.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah Monument Basin in Canyonlands National Park https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593230004478-MOXZ9ZLK9J6S5CBNN7UE/IMG_8367.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah It seems part of Life Elevated in Utah always involves being elevated AND having a big dropoff over to the side of the road. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593230185937-BXSBCPUCQKCDJUKWUKHW/IMG_8505.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah Capitol Reef National Park is about 140 west of Canyonlands and surrounds a long wrinkle in the earth known as the Waterpocket Fold. This area is filled with layers of golden sandstone, canyons, and beautiful rock formations. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593230294741-B9XLCZTGOLRAK7Y051W1/IMG_8514.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah Partially in Wayne County, this area was formally known as Wayne Wonderland. When the area was to become a national monument and park in 1937, officials believed the area to be beautiful but thought Wonderland might be an overstatement. In 1937 the area was renamed and became Capitol Reef National Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593231411996-D0S3R22A4ZGLUU050AGJ/IMG_8507.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah Capitol Reef is named after both the Capitol Building and the Waterpocket Fold. “Capitol” refers to white features that resemble the capitol building in Washington, while “reef” refers to the rocky Waterpocket Fold. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593230453438-YOWM3G9RRVLEON2OCL8M/IMG_8539.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah The cliff formations, buttes, and canyons seen within the park are largely part of a warp in Earth’s crust, dating to about 65 million years ago. This “spine” in the landscape that we are walking through is about 75 miles long. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593230386692-TN23I7H6TB49R5VM1LQK/IMG_8535.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah The day we walked here, it was very hot and dry. We didn’t walk the full 75 miles, but it felt like we did. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593230320095-NAGIDKWJIM00FWL9IJC9/IMG_8515.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah Capitol Reef is known to have monsoons. There are warning signs everywhere not to enter these areas if there is a threat of rain. The abundant rocks cause the water not to be easily absorbed into the ground, and the force of the water can knock the sandstone structures loose at times. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593231283122-JSBHNY1KISGLXXZQ616B/IMG_8486.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah The sandstone is relatively soft, so when the rains do come, little by little, it washes the sandstone to the base of the structures. The sandstone at the base of Chimney Rock, is the result of rain over the course of millions of years. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593212723213-DN9IYQAF1FQ2RRDUD16X/DSC05933.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah Craig took this beautiful picture of Castle Rock in Capitol Reef NP. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593230537213-9KONDS0UUXWWRG9P09RS/IMG_8560.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah Our RV park near Capitol Reef NP displayed this model of camping-past and was named Wonderland in honor of the area’s history. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593230492756-AMA1IJIXBNUMPOGJQ7AZ/IMG_8548.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah Wonderland RV Park was a peaceful place in the country and we enjoyed feeding the cows. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593230556960-7LAWMJUMRBCFOVZFMM76/IMG_8568.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah We’re not certain anyone cares, but this is where Butch Cassidy was born. We passed his birthplace in Beaver, UT en en route to Bryce Canyon National Park. Butch Cassidy was a train and bank robber, and the leader of a gang of criminal outlaws known as the "Wild Bunch" in the Old West. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593231122389-FTT70SA9KB5A979SU1SL/IMG_8628.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah Bryce Canyon National Park is one of the most unusual and beautiful places we’ve seen so far. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593230886489-X2YRLPHI95X67G136HX8/IMG_8598.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah Bryce Canyon is a sprawling reserve of crimson-colored peaks, called hoodoos. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593231985346-4LHUGF3PNHX17NYG7SIC/IMG_8596.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah The hoodoos are believed to be 60 million years old, https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593231240109-DW9J7OIDRHRJFYFNXQSW/IMG_8637.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah Boocoos of hoodoos! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593231819020-6RAF5GBS6Y40455ETWWD/IMG_8580.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah Here we had another early morning outing that started with photography and ended with a 5-mile hike. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593231853573-1N7PC41487EZKYWALXQI/IMG_8583.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah Craig setting up his camera for the sunrise shots. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593231909497-R0I6UJ0P0WGRXGOFZXAF/IMG_8587.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah Meanwhile, I took note of a single batch of flowers growing in the midst of the rocks. I believe there’s a life lesson in there somewhere. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593213032857-CXKIAOAEO59QXTVEMDO1/DSC06067.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah The Bryce Canyon area was settled by Mormon pioneers in the 1850s and was named after Ebenezer Bryce, who homesteaded in the area. Bryce Canyon was designated a national park by Congress in 1928. Craig took this beautiful picture of the Canyon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593232124079-8X0ESF7KD60HUEIZM5L9/IMG_8618.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah As we began to hike, there was a beautiful scene at every turn. Craig was my patient model. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593231202961-QRVSRO14X8N3PWOVHVMR/IMG_8630.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593267028456-22JVZ2W2SOZ7YAW35PEE/IMG_8629+-+Copy.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593583342555-07N63KZENRIJ6DLY0XHR/Adjustments.jpeg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593230904186-NCUJ1KK8ZWAMBX7R3ADA/IMG_8599.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593231892871-I4M2BYNVK6UGG0RFLGQ0/IMG_8585.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593267115476-4UI7Q4LBCAUB8V68Y4HS/IMG_8633+-+Copy.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah Once we went deep into the canyons, it was a long climb back to the green mesa on top again. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593232170977-1JUCTL9G4Q26F21JOV2S/IMG_8626.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593232159977-7UC20XMCQQ2L6SJG5Q9N/IMG_8620.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah Craig enjoyed every step and I survived https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593583333348-T7A4F845UT7DQL5M89MN/Adjustments.jpeg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah Any hike that involves spotting wildlife is a success in my book! I enjoyed sharing my almonds with this Uinta chipmunk. He gets his name for being native to the Uinta Mountains, named after the Ute Indian tribe and reservation, about 350 miles north of Bryce Canyon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593231249416-7NXS91BA41B9ETN6JIUG/IMG_8656.jpg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah Did you know Smokey Bear’s fire prevention campaign is the longest running public service announcement in U.S. history? His career began in 1944 with the slogan: “Smokey says—Care will prevent 9 out of 10 forest fires”. In 2001 His slogan was changed from “Only you can prevent forest fires” to the current, “Only you can prevent wildfires,” to address the numerous accidental wildfires in recent years. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593586378911-734PF2Z63DQR9YGKUJUG/Adjustments.jpeg Home - Life Elevated-Our Tour of Utah We noticed all the road signs had a beehive symbol and learned the beehive is the State Symbol of Utah. The early Mormon settlers used the symbol of the honeybee to represent hard work and industriousness. They saw the example of a beehive, in which all of the workers cooperated in the construction of something much bigger than themselves, as a model for a properly run society. What a novel idea!! Speaking of roads and signs, we are on our way to Nevada and Idaho! See you soon! ❤️ https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/road-trip-take-2 monthly 0.5 2020-06-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1592017316628-8XTJTZGEJ06U4BGL6M6B/IMG_7565.JPG Home - Road Trip, Take Two! After setting up camp a time or two, it felt like we hadn’t missed a beat with our travels! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1592017291912-AMWUG4KHXC49Z3RP19CN/IMG_7541.JPG Home - Road Trip, Take Two! Here and there along the Texas interstates, we come across huge crosses like this one. They say everything is bigger in Texas! To us, it’s a welcome reminder of our faith and that God is bigger than all the concerns and worries of this world. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1592017404909-DZ6LPC01NFA91V3UG34L/IMG_7592.JPG Home - Road Trip, Take Two! By far, the biggest thrill of our visit to Dallas was visiting with Craig’s sister, Kerry, and her beautiful family! Here we are with Kerry and Gary, after the amazing dinner they fed us! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1592017388157-BBROCHKII2YEHJP7TJ5K/IMG_7589.JPG Home - Road Trip, Take Two! We also got to see Kerry’s daughter, Corie, and her new baby! Baby Piper has not been out and about very much since her birth due to COVID-19. We were happy to see her, and to ooh and ahh from 6 feet away. She is truly a beautiful baby! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1592017382103-8SFR5JU6RXS66TCLBUXZ/IMG_7578.JPG Home - Road Trip, Take Two! Checking out one of the local breweries in Dallas, TX. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1592017424540-UTJQIBCFB660P3J9N6KM/IMG_7654.JPG Home - Road Trip, Take Two! Abilene State Park in Tuscola, Texas, has an incredible historical recreation and pool area, built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The CCC was a part of the New Deal put in place by Franklin Roosevelt, which provided work to unemployed young men after the Great Depression. The task given to over 250,000 Americans involved forest preservation and various projects using native materials and thoughtful design to create iconic features in state and national parks across America. As we have traveled around the country, we have seen many major and beautiful projects that were completed by the CCC. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1592017464674-9GDDP8E8FI4J8MBJ96OT/IMG_7699.JPG Home - Road Trip, Take Two! Nothing is better than an unexpected, wonderful experience. One evening we planned to venture to a local BBQ joint on the outskirts of Abilene, Texas. Along the way, we found Perini Ranch restaurant in Buffalo Gap, Texas. It was in the middle of nowhere, and we decided to check it out. After passing the cows and rustic exterior, we walked in and they asked if we had a reservation. We did not, but they squeezed us in—to a rustic picnic table in a cool breeze, under dense greenery and welcoming cafe lights. As she seated us, she told the cat napping there, to move. He did not. We said he could stay, and he did. With men in cowboy hats coming in and saying, "Howdy" to each other, and the rustic yet elegant ambiance, it afforded us a small taste of authentic Texas charm and hospitality, and a special evening we won’t soon forget. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1592017477847-93H4MXXK05OLGG2TWYX8/IMG_7708.JPG Home - Road Trip, Take Two! We’re in Texas, boys. A freckled cow at Perini Ranch. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1592017431391-EVL0XV8W3NHRL8GULU2M/IMG_7695.JPG Home - Road Trip, Take Two! The sleepy cat stayed with us throughout our dinner. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1592018054035-CAHMXQMCKIW6KJ58875U/IMG_7563+%282%29.JPG Home - Road Trip, Take Two! In Wylie, TX, right outside of Dallas, Craig threw some early morning horseshoes before we headed to Roswell, New Mexico. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1592017504381-K2C0OKAZ33QNYD9C9J7C/IMG_7750.JPG Home - Road Trip, Take Two! In the event you didn’t know, the town of Roswell, New Mexico, has an alien theme throughout because many believe this town has had UFO and alien activity in the past. Here’s the story: In 1947 there was a crash in a rancher’s field near Roswell, New Mexico. The rancher notified the Sheriff's Department and nearby Roswell Army Air Field. Exactly what crashed on that night is uncertain to some; the rancher and a few witnesses (the sheriff and others on the call) say it was a UFO and an alien body (or bodies) were transported from the crash site by ambulance to a nearby top-secret military site. The US Army initially said it was a weather balloon, an explanation they said sufficed at that time because they were actually testing top-secret Project Mogul. Mogul was an effort by the Department of Defense to fly an experimental craft near Russia to determine if they were testing nuclear weapons. The government states they could not tell the world what they were doing in 1947, and that the alien hysteria helped to conceal the truth. Still, many who claim to be witnesses to the crash site, or families of the witnesses say there was alien life involved in the incident. While the government says there is no validity to the claims, the town of Roswell still rages on regarding UFO sightings and aliens after 70 years! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1592017489140-RZH49JLPRCVQC9XKNDKQ/IMG_7724.JPG Home - Road Trip, Take Two! The entrance to our RV Park in Roswell, NM. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1592017515778-5QRHH2Z9HC5RMIION9W8/IMG_7766.JPG Home - Road Trip, Take Two! The whole town of Roswell takes their alien heritage very seriously! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1592017528611-S7BCUH8SGE70WQIWM6V6/IMG_7767.JPG Home - Road Trip, Take Two! Even McDonalds gets in on the alien theme in Roswell with their spaceship-shaped dining area. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593214181826-7LQXW5QP9RYPAUK9V3HU/a.JPG Home - Road Trip, Take Two! A current contest in Roswell challenges all to take their best selfie with this mural, painted on the side of a building in town, to win a prize. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1592017677063-0LA1DPSE0I7FI33OYIZK/IMG_7930.jpg Home - Road Trip, Take Two! Santa Fe, New Mexico had a very different and sophisticated vibe. We walked down the famous Canyon Road and enjoyed all the outdoor art. With more than 250 art galleries, this town is sure to please anyone with an appreciation of visual arts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1592017692340-UMQ6VQFZ6XD9FYBWQVBX/IMG_7937.jpg Home - Road Trip, Take Two! In Santa Fe, many of the businesses and art galleries were still closed, and the streets were almost bare. One man noticed we were taking a lot of pictures and asked where we were from. We chatted a few minutes and then he thanked us for coming to Santa Fe and supporting their city during this difficult time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1592358033698-13FFSJQOMA76V6LRN38Z/new2.jpg Home - Road Trip, Take Two! Even our RV Park owner had a hobby of collecting modern art and old vehicles and machinery. The machinery was the park's theme with all types of antiques scattered around the grounds, mixed in with modern art. It certainly went with the Santa Fe vibe and was a lot of fun to look at and read about the different pieces of history. It may sound boring to some, but it's been fun to slow down and enjoy the simple things in life, and to reflect on the historic elements of this country. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1592017559921-15IFWV4D1QJPL7C0F6HT/IMG_7831.jpg Home - Road Trip, Take Two! This International Harvester truck with wood wheel spokes had the keys hanging in the ignition. Clay is posing in the back of the truck. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1592017625984-TCSA4QYXFVHSYZZX9KVL/IMG_7898.jpg Home - Road Trip, Take Two! This 1949 truck was left at an auto repair shop in 1951 and never picked up by the owner. In 1988 the owner of our RV Park purchased it from the auto shop for $50. After sitting at the auto shop for almost 40 years, the truck still ran and the new owner drove it to this spot in Santa Fe! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1592017599103-IUMUNTNP8OPXRCUBIURD/IMG_7864.jpg Home - Road Trip, Take Two! We also got to meet Mater, in person, if you will, from the Disney Pixar movie, Cars. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1592358014723-R05X6CWEGKW1NABB1QTQ/new.jpg Home - Road Trip, Take Two! In Santa Fe National Forest, we enjoyed serene walks in beautiful nature. On this day, it rained a few times and we ran for cover from large hail that fell on us several times during this hike. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1592017555261-07YBXEYYHH96740OTFO5/IMG_7846.jpg Home - Road Trip, Take Two! Craig has taken some incredible photos of the nature we’ve seen. His gallery on this site has somehow been erased, but some of his most beautiful photography is on Instagram at craig_mac_photos. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593214149086-A138O50D80FGLPKZATCE/aa.jpg Home - Road Trip, Take Two! A humorous sign on a Santa Fe hiking trail. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1592017649690-Y4YZJEW81SLBTL8WGNB1/IMG_7910.jpg Home - Road Trip, Take Two! On one hike in Santa Fe, we came upon this car out in a remote area, half-buried in the sand, It made us wonder if it had fallen off a cliff at some point years ago. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1592017669154-9DLNJRXHRUDGBMY80PQQ/IMG_7913.jpg Home - Road Trip, Take Two! Another shot of the mystery car. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1592017703310-NKT5B8VA2CKZW0T418H8/IMG_8011.jpg Home - Road Trip, Take Two! In Durango, Colorado we hiked more beautiful nature trails. This particular trail involved some 4-wheel-drive-off-roading to get to the trail head. The drive was intense but the 3-mile hike to this lake was lovely. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593215623231-XJI943NOOBV0BBSY2LNB/IMG_8099.jpg Home - Road Trip, Take Two! In Mesa Verde, Colorado, we visited the Mesa Verde National Park. Mesa Verde means “Green Table”. Here you can see why this area is named such. What We Learned: A butte is a small flat-topped or pointed hill or mountain. A mesa is a medium size flat-topped hill or mountain, and a plateau is a really big flat-topped hill mountain. A butte is what is left of a mesa. Hold on to your seat!…We have plenty of buttes coming up for you in our next post! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593215584566-ZT3BPTGHWO9IWGURHBSE/IMG_8086.jpg Home - Road Trip, Take Two! Lots of Green Tables here. Multiple lightning-strike fires destroyed 450 acres of greenery here in July of 2003. This picture shows many of the trees that still stand, though burned by fire, and all the underbrush greenery that grows back much quicker than the trees. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593214353665-0FAXYL1ZKENI4JP5JG7D/aaaa.jpg Home - Road Trip, Take Two! An incredible highlight of Mesa Verde NP is the cliff dwellings that were built over 800 years ago by the Pueblo Indians. Long House, pictured here, is the second largest dwelling and has 150 rooms and 21 kivas (large rooms used for political and spiritual meetings.) No picture can do the size and detail of the dwellings justice; notice the square structure toward the right is four stories high. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593214389483-C35ZXY3LNYX0RY4RA8ZI/aaaaa.jpg Home - Road Trip, Take Two! Typically, these dwellings can be toured with a guide, and you can walk near and around the rooms. Due to COVID precautions, that was not available on the day we were there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593215661920-W7X4PIIE6ZIWIJ745BDV/IMG_8108.jpg Home - Road Trip, Take Two! We stayed in Mesa Verde National Park Campground. It was remote and private. While outside the camper one morning, Craig spotted a large deer lying in the grass behind our camper. Once I came out to see, he got up and ate leaves from the trees before he strolled into the woods. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593215703288-B44ST1H6R9USOZYBS8J8/IMG_8118.jpg Home - Road Trip, Take Two! This picture is much like the previous, but in the evening, the sun will hit things differently every few minutes, making a new landscape. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593215696952-7X1U8DARFWTS9K7TCQLB/IMG_8125.jpg Home - Road Trip, Take Two! I was amazed to see in Colorado what seemed to be the biggest dandelions on the planet! This picture shows the true and actual size of this dandelion, for those that don’t see these mammoths every day. I tried to blow off the parachutes, but they wouldn’t budge; I had to shake the flower like a thermometer for them to take flight! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1593214187067-QTNIQM22IYDTCHR6YM5T/aaa.jpg Home - Road Trip, Take Two! We’ll see you soon, in Utah! https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/coming-home monthly 0.5 2020-06-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1590838232184-SW2OFRQFHJFMY228E2U2/IMG_6155+%282%29.JPG Home - Going Home The clouds in Albuquerque, New Mexico reminded me of the Toy Story movies. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1590838323857-HMZ995WADG6TN6DLP3HB/IMG_6224.JPG Home - Going Home Cadillac Ranch along Route 66 west of Amarillo, Texas. This roadside art was the idea of an Amarillo billionaire and a group of hippies in the 1970s. These cars were driven, in working order to this site and then buried nose down in the dirt. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own spray paint and make their mark on the cars. The art is a tribute to the 1949-1963 Cadillac tail fins, and for all to enjoy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1590838301432-CBRSG2H6TEVCYNCEQ8B6/IMG_6219.JPG Home - Going Home The fields around Cadillac Ranch made for a great photography spot as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1590838346044-4OZYJ00YPCUY9FED070U/IMG_6235.JPG Home - Going Home Run, Clay, Run! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1590838281730-I768B5V9YYUC7TW5VF57/IMG_6208.JPG Home - Going Home Our RV Park in Amarillo also wanted to get in on the Vehicle-In-The-Dirt fun. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1590838356298-XBDAIH6CIC3UAMY0HEJJ/IMG_6277.JPG Home - Going Home Our stay in Watonga, Oklahoma (population 2859) was like going back in time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1590838239409-RHMBHT4TQ58QJJLJ740R/IMG_6278+%282%29.JPG Home - Going Home No open bowling allies here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1590839385216-EEWZFIIWBDWPYWJ7AUM8/IMG_6380.jpg Home - Going Home In Oklahoma we camped in Roman Nose State Park. Henry Roman Nose was a highly respected Cheyenne Indian Chief recognized as a vocal proponent of obtaining education and training while keeping the Cheyenne culture. He died in 1917. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1590838371794-AP6VPXGWI4GMMXKMZHXR/IMG_6317.jpg Home - Going Home At Roman Nose, our RV neighbors had a baby goat. They had to bring it on vacation because it had no mother, it required feeding every few hours. Clay typically doesn’t care for dogs, but was extremely curious about this kid! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1590838386277-B1E3H6RKFYI8X7LN8Y74/IMG_6319.jpg Home - Going Home Clay still trying to figure out what kind of creature this might me. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1590838384555-BMACKCDZF9LRITFVXQ2X/IMG_6361.jpg Home - Going Home Soo cute!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1590838398938-EWFPXZLXBIVXQLQ0ABBG/IMG_6406.jpg Home - Going Home On Easter Day, we arrived in Arkansas and visited Craig’s brother, Keith, and his lovely family, Tiffany, Travis and Katie. It was so wonderful to see and hug family after social distancing for what already seemed like forever. The next day, we went hiking. Travis didn’t get to hike because he was working. Our visit with them was truly special. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1590839388783-L7VNXV61SBWL3L3CFSDD/IMG_6401.jpg Home - Going Home Keith and Tiffany also took us by The Walmart Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas. This museum is a replica of the very beginning of what we know as Walmart today. The truck outside was actually Sam Walton’s transportation back in the day. Walmart’s home office is in Bentonville.. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1590838454035-0NBOE3ZUGF81RBB426W9/IMG_6448.jpg Home - Going Home Hot Springs, Arkansas, had some beautiful scenery. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1590838428984-VIHJWW6R4LULCIZSA73S/IMG_6434.jpg Home - Going Home …and some pretty serious hairpin turns as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1590838431680-0ROF1FCYHMKSF4WOCI37/IMG_6437.jpg Home - Going Home I’m not exactly sure what is going on with these trees but thought it was worth snapping a picture. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1590838484957-G17KWWLC6NSE3J7E73LS/IMG_6438.jpg Home - Going Home Another picture of the hugging/kissing trees. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1590838541274-G5MIDU6XGLI9Z78948FF/IMG_6502.jpg Home - Going Home While in Hot Springs, Arkansas, we discovered what Travel + Leisure magazine calls the state’s Best Kept Secret—Hot Springs National Park. Not fully a nature park (although there are some lovely trails) the park is located in the middle of Hot Springs, where Bathhouse Row is located. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1590838519494-Q3EPM498TWJLPNFUAM95/IMG_6494.jpg Home - Going Home Bathhouse Row is a row of eight bathhouses or spas built over geothermal springs that run under the main street in Hot Springs. For nearly 200 years, people have been coming to experience the springs and the healing qualities the 145-degree waters are believed to have. The heat and moisture deteriorated previous structures, and in the late 1800s-1920s, the current bathhouses were built as luxurious retreats for the famous and wealthy to enjoy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1590838539178-TADNVYHIPDCA8NUWB97Z/IMG_6496.jpg Home - Going Home Although many of its competitors closed between 1962 and 1985, The Buckstaff Bathhouse is the only bathhouse that has continually been open as a bathhouse since it’s opening in 1912. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1590884480650-D1DQ28RA5SSJ8Q10K39T/IMG_6509.jpg Home - Going Home The Fordyce Bathhouse, built in 1912, became the first bathhouse on the Row to go out of business in the 1960s, but it has been extensively restored and is now a historically furnished museum, and functions as the park’s visitor center. Within the park, there are hot spring fountains and cool water fountains to provide the spring water to the public. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1590838584403-IUQCULJ5N7JF69Q6MS5W/IMG_6609.jpg Home - Going Home Springtime was beautiful in Pelham, Alabama, where we enjoyed the exceptionally green Oak Mountain State Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1590838240146-8EDI0MIAOOELI0D1AKIN/IMG_6618+%282%29.jpg Home - Going Home This tree fungus in Alabama was interesting to me. It typically grows on dead or dying trees and is a part of the cycle of life in the forest. The fungi themselves have rings that indicate how old they are. Some fungi are thriving at 30-50 years old! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1590838591759-I456XUH1V0JOQJLQ7VKV/IMG_6617.jpg Home - Going Home Another fungi picture in case you wanted a closer look. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1590838355996-QOABBHP3PPOZPZS7VYMW/DSC05162.jpg Home - Going Home We’re getting closer to home and walking on water…sort of! https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/the-wild-west-tuscon-and-phoenix-arizona monthly 0.5 2020-04-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587153707549-GE3PDGGK5OFBIFQAELG7/IMG_5565.JPG Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! Our first stop in Arizona was the old western town of Tombstone. Normally the town would be packed with tourists exploring all things cowboy, western and outlaw but as you can see our trip was a little unusual—looking more like a ghost town. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587153726646-XF1XDMVRGO2FOJOLK8TN/IMG_5569.JPG Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! I watched Clay while Glenda attended The Gunfight Palace’s reenactment of the infamous gunfight at the O.K. Corral. These actors are looking pretty legit! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587153752461-WIOROLEO9Q3J5BKZ7O45/IMG_5581.JPG Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! Don’t mess with an armed cowboy at the poker table! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587153780445-2V61JTL9P8QWKDWW53VT/IMG_5597.JPG Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! Clay daydreaming of the simpler times of a ranch dog, haha! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587303423739-UWAWA0A6WV516CUP0GFY/DSC04714.jpg Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! Tombstone was one of the last boomtowns in the American frontier, growing significantly through the mid-1880’s. One of the main draws was the silver mines. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587153776396-HYY2U2CX52HK4IBP556A/IMG_5643.JPG Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! We loved our campsite in the Tucson area. From our RV windows we could enjoy a desert wonderland! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587303438072-GA1PY33W37KXBXXVGMC1/DSC04742.jpg Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! It’s not every day I get the opportunity to capture sunset photos like this—thoroughly enjoyed it! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587153810354-CY88K4COEDOM9ULPJ151/IMG_5656.JPG Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! Glenda read these yellow “things” on the top of the barrel cactus were edible, and just had to try one. I was not as adventurous. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587153824112-LDXQ5R15WG96BOEF2W8O/IMG_5679.JPG Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! The best way to take it all in is on foot. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587153888584-SVKCTT2XV1UFCF7AX2HN/IMG_5694.JPG Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! The saguaro cactus is pretty amazing. It can take 10 years to reach 1 inch in height and may take 70 years to reach 6 feet. After 95-100 years the cactus may grow its first arm. In the spring they produce beautiful flowers which are the Arizona state flower. Unfortunately we left before the flowers bloomed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587153857283-KMCVBQ0DLPJDHNUUTS7I/IMG_5681.JPG Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! They come in all shapes and sizes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587153878653-QMZ8W4M9DPNLAP7JQ5R8/IMG_5696.JPG Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! To answer your question of what ‘s inside the Saguaro and how such a large size and weight can be supported. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587303520796-JNA7JS55T2O7TXIMQWVP/DSC04759.jpg Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! The combination of mountains, cactus and flowering plants made this an amazing place to visit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587153974217-RPBN1XACLKZADQAPA474/IMG_5754.JPG Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! The Saguaro National Park was just a few miles from our campground so we had the opportunity to check out another one of America’s great National Parks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587303490092-9XDVHRPOBMOAFBX7Y0TS/DSC04770.jpg Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! We took a short hike in Saguaro National Park to check out some petroglyph rock carvings. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587154009937-WJ0VVRRNAATS63FL1CGZ/IMG_5785.JPG Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! Saguaro National Park https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587154033136-EJK41XCGMSI64BUXE9TQ/IMG_5811.JPG Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! On our first night in the Phoenix area we drove to Papago Park in Tempe where we pretended we were kids and enjoyed climbing around the rocks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587154061310-WP4RWQSTJ90ZU2DAR20W/IMG_5814.JPG Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! I can see why people love Phoenix. It has all the attractions of a big city but an abundance of outdoor activity options. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587154084730-DN2YRJX8O3MTLHQNHZKD/IMG_5819.JPG Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! Clay has become a pretty good rock climber as well! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587154126268-6ANY9KLOIBCJAEVAQWRL/IMG_5906.jpg Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! East of Phoenix we found an amazing botanical garden to visit called Boyce Thompson Arboretum. I know a botanical garden doesn’t sound very exciting but this place was pretty spectacular with all sorts of interesting and unique species of plants and trees. It is the state’s largest, 323 acres, and oldest botanical garden dating back to 1920. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587154164972-8QSX4CCYCXF2Z9IOLJC1/IMG_5913.jpg Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! Boyce Thompson Arboretum https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587303631518-CYSZGDU1CP8VMGFVMZ0J/DSC04795.jpg Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! Boyce Thompson Arboretum https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587303638802-1ERV5L24PA7HVIOAXLMY/DSC04808.jpg Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! Boyce Thompson Arboretum https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587301365773-QLPFFRSJUNW3GS0BT5TM/DSC04830.jpg Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! Boyce Thompson Arboretum https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587303782753-H4HRMEPYAQCSF7LA2QXQ/DSC04838.jpg Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! I thought these Red Gum trees with their white trunks were pretty cool. I had never seen anything like them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587154166643-BK00ZD6S2LLNRNIL242E/IMG_5942.jpg Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! This picture shows some of the diversity of color in the desert plants during spring. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587303728747-34JPEIHYEJOX9D37D9DE/DSC04835.jpg Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! These Mexican Palm Trees were pretty impressive as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587154201618-6GNOUWGUB8L9IFIR3YFI/IMG_5955.jpg Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! Setting out for an adventurous and challenging day of hiking the Tonto National Forest. We were glad Clay was able to hike all of the trails in this area. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587154185140-GAKLXI829O0QG76ZT7S6/IMG_5957.jpg Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! We were hoping to see something a little more interesting like a rattlesnake or Gila Monster but Glenda did spot this Chuckwalla on the way back from a hike. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587303836224-QY9HA7QBVHHXGQ3U77QJ/DSC04859.jpg Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! The sunset illuminating the mountains in Tonto National Forest in the Senoran Desert. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587154250978-T9R0CY4M8I2XMLCTKJLY/IMG_6011.jpg Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! Sedona was our next stop in Arizona—so much diversity in Arizona. The prickly cactus plants were replaced with an abundance of Juniper trees against a backdrop of red rock mountains—just beautiful. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587154267414-1UYC8JYBUR39C3NC20FB/IMG_6014.jpg Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! I was a little captured by these twisted trees. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587154298379-Y8MRIJMXHHLDLPAN37EK/IMG_6027.jpg Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! And more Juniper trees. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587154283841-JTLYRTVZF1WLFUH6MX6V/IMG_6033.jpg Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! Looks like an Eminem fan named this trail…… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587301368329-2TWDD6IJ5637I2P121J1/DSC04886.jpg Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! How about another Juniper tree. Did I mention I liked these trees? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587647772322-N1C90H9N5X1Q1N2GL8DM/DSC04909.jpg Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! This picture was taken while Clay seemed to be feeling the Sedona vortex vibes. He was so happy and energetic this night. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587647776553-JJ8DY0E8NGST7FFA0IZ6/DSC04941.jpg Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! Glowing Sedona mountains at sunset. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587647826121-1YNVK9228KPUCQJFOKJT/DSC04943.jpg Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! Glowing Sedona mountains at sunset. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1587647954042-4YN3QKQXJHNFR3G2MBBV/DSC05025-HDR.jpg Home - Arizona-In Search of the Vortex! I’ve always appreciated pictures of Watson Lake. When I realized we were staying only 45 minutes away I decided to make a day of hiking and photographing these unique rock structures before leaving Arizona. After spending several days here, I think I’m ready to live out west! https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/the-land-of-enchantment-new-mexico monthly 0.5 2020-04-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1586470494838-X4QK2VKGKKIM2EV1YQ0A/IMG_5365.jpg Home - The Land of Enchantment-New Mexico Our campsite was a lovely spot looking over the city of Las Cruces and out to the Organ Mountains. Craig enjoying his Officially Retired mug. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1586470502060-U5ACC9CH1S011ZIA990Y/IMG_5389.jpg Home - The Land of Enchantment-New Mexico The weather has really been on our side since we left Atlanta in February. We believe we have seen rain only a couple times since our departure and mild temperatures everywhere. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1586470549502-MAZKT3AR0NV3AIKEZR8L/IMG_5398.jpg Home - The Land of Enchantment-New Mexico Clay standing in front of the Organ Mountains. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1586910184931-3NS5YC7J4VGAE5ISNZ6O/DSC04657.jpg Home - The Land of Enchantment-New Mexico After our ascending hike to Dripping Springs, a couple of hikers sitting on a rock nearby started to chat with us. They said they were from a town an hour away and had just come out for a day hike. We told them we were from Atlanta, Georgia. They asked, (jokingly) “And you came all the way from Atlanta to see this waterfall?” Craig replied flatly, “Yes and now I can go back and tell everyone not to bother.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1586470565713-T85EK2BBQ6KQJ4RQP895/IMG_5412.jpg Home - The Land of Enchantment-New Mexico I loved this picture of the bird’s nest in this cactus. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1586470594031-H6NNRGXSCAIKM2FWOMMV/IMG_5427.jpg Home - The Land of Enchantment-New Mexico I didn’t realize that New Mexico was full of adobe-style homes. The adobe is thick and is efficient in keeping homes cool in the sweltering summer and warm in the winter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1586470595047-M61KA4N8QDSYFIWCEI2R/IMG_5431.jpg Home - The Land of Enchantment-New Mexico I also never thought about grass not being part of neighborhood landscaping. A load of rocks and …Wha-la! Instant yard! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1586470633497-P54ODFDJQDNK4M4FMV47/IMG_5442.jpg Home - The Land of Enchantment-New Mexico Most homes are painted in some shade of the Southwestern color palate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1586902909761-BS00UF7CZBZAX4KAVWT3/IMG_5548.jpg Home - The Land of Enchantment-New Mexico I like to call this one “When your house looks too much like your shrubbery.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1586470963617-GXIGS0CPAIAAHQJ2J0JU/IMG_5513.jpg Home - The Land of Enchantment-New Mexico What an inviting resting spot! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1586470678293-7Y0WFMJ4NTVPUAS406CM/IMG_5450.jpg Home - The Land of Enchantment-New Mexico Early spring in the southwest has provided opportunity to see lovely desert flowers in bloom. While out driving, we found acres of Mexican Gold Poppies that looked just like those in the old 1000-piece, mountain-scene puzzles we used to do back in the day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1586537006123-NIL68YTLTB0SGSXI8ORJ/image-asset.jpeg Home - The Land of Enchantment-New Mexico https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1586470837612-A9J6YX0DVNH1SP0JGM99/IMG_5481.jpg Home - The Land of Enchantment-New Mexico Clay, the only living soul in White Sands National Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1586470899434-UQ27A89F2SHQH1KQJGIJ/IMG_5485.jpg Home - The Land of Enchantment-New Mexico We’re pretty sure this is what alerted the State Trooper to investigate the possible trespasser situation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1586470879241-A5N5QEHF82PJ0TCG90B2/IMG_5486.jpg Home - The Land of Enchantment-New Mexico Craig taking pictures of White Sands. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1586536990378-IX5SL7OE3TDION2W8ERJ/image-asset+%282%29.jpeg Home - The Land of Enchantment-New Mexico One of Craig’s pictures before the Trooper came to run us off. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1586903777960-Q7WD48L945L3QFAL9MU7/IMG_5540.jpg Home - The Land of Enchantment-New Mexico Mesilla became a part of the United States in 1854 as part of the Gadsden Treaty, in which the US paid 10 million dollars for 29,000 square miles of Mexico that would later become parts of Arizona and New Mexico. The US wanted this land so they could complete a transcontinental railroad and to resolve conflicts that lingered with Mexico after the Mexican-American War. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1586902770398-95ADG71EYXPG7SDI45TW/IMG_5535.jpg Home - The Land of Enchantment-New Mexico This building in Mesilla is where William McCarty, aka Billy the Kid was tried, convicted of murder, and was sentenced to hang. Before he was hanged, he escaped from jail, killing two sheriff's deputies, and evading capture for more than two months. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1586902770262-AP94KX1O2ZJUP3S44ILC/IMG_5537.jpg Home - The Land of Enchantment-New Mexico Billy the Kid killed eight men before he was shot and killed at age 21. https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/texas-where-the-plan-changed monthly 0.5 2020-04-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585733206587-G3XVITZDXJ1I7FLUPLYP/IMG_4430.JPG Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed At the winery in Anahuac, we didn’t understand exactly what Jim does with this bottle of Vietnamese snake wine that contains a cobra with some other snake in the cobra’s mouth. He might have said he uses it to raise the alcohol content in some of his other wines. We’re not sure, but one thing we are sure of…Yikes and Yuck! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585950497085-H082W9P3PWQCM2EDU7CM/IMG_4432.JPG Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed Anahuac is where we unexpectedly had no power. We played cards by the lantern Rob and Angela brought us when they came to see in us in Orlando. Good friends always bring light into your life—sometimes when you need it the very most. ❤ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585733317572-FYEYQFPKKXBNV4MZ81GP/IMG_4459.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed A building on the Riverwalk housed some of the floats for the St. Patrick’s Day parade. They were still in storage; the parade had been canceled. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585734169641-L6BWGIHRD039RERH19SU/san+antonio+cropped.JPG Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed The Riverwalk was completed in 1941, but by the 1950s the Riverwalk had gained a reputation for seediness. In an effort to return the Riverwalk to its former glory, city officials hired engineers from Disneyland to help revitalize the area. Their efforts included adding shops and restaurants at the basement levels of buildings along the Riverwalk. Since that time, the Riverwalk has thrived as a go-to place for tourists and locals alike. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585733681660-Z8WMO4L813E1AOBXPMQB/IMG_4500.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed One of the iconic scenes of San Antonio’s Riverwalk, but the reduced crowd was not the scene anyone would have expected a few months ago. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585733417794-RFOVFLTOZKN4SE2OY919/IMG_4473.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed The Arneson River Theater on the Riverwalk. Many events and shows are held here, but its biggest claim to fame seems to be a scene in Miss Congeniality, with Sandra Bullock. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585733730072-I798IK66O2O0B9SZKVAA/IMG_4534.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed We had been forewarned that visiting The Alamo can be a little underwhelming after hearing “Remember the Alamo!” all your life. Although not a ton to see, it was rewarding to have a reminder of the meaning and context of the phrase and to see the monument that symbolizes perseverance to the very end. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585950817807-C5COROU35BV086YI8Y87/IMG_4532.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed The commander of the Texas army against Mexican forces wrote, "I shall never surrender or retreat…I am determined to sustain as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country". After fighting for 13 days, 3,000 Mexican soldiers defeated the 182 Texan soldiers, which included Davy Crockett, at the Alamo Mission. For Texans, the Battle of the Alamo became a symbol of their heroic resistance and struggle for independence, which they later won. The battle cry of "Remember the Alamo" became popular during the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848. Fight 'til the very end!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585733728866-6Y53PLYTWZHTZXLVSZDH/IMG_4529.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed One day we toured San Antonio by bicycle. Pictured in the background is the Tower Life Building, built in 1929. The first six floors of the building housed the very first Sears & Roebuck department store. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585733824554-C2A6KWNSKC8HY6RQS1IX/IMG_4549.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed On our bike tour, we discovered this fun and colorful outdoor place—The Friendly Spot that played country music in the front and Mexican music in the back courtyard. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585733827769-8XHKCOSI9GCXDITSYSN0/IMG_4560.JPG Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed We stopped at Rosario’s for Mexican food and when I went to the restroom, I was faced with a moral dilemma. Don’t worry—in the end, I did the right thing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585734169992-7XRW0TPX2JHNSUA5HS7G/san+antonio+cropped2.JPG Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed We happened to drive by Mission San Jose Catholic Church on our way back home. This mission was founded in 1720, two years after The Alamo. There are five missions in San Antonio. These outposts (missions) were established by Catholic religious orders to spread Christianity among the local natives. San Jose Mission was not completed until 1782 but became “the most beautiful church along the entire frontier of New Spain”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1586100584243-7H1K79K3K9LNL42JUVEU/IMG_4605+%282%29.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed Once in Del Rio, TX we took a short drive to check out the area and found ourselves at Amistad National Recreational Area. This body of water is a beautiful blue and feeds into the Rio Grande, which defines the border of Mexico and the United States. Amistad, Spanish for friendship, referred to the close relationship and shared history between Ciudad Acuña, the city on the Mexico side and Del Rio on the Texas/US side. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585733946049-1B9V7UVT61DI5ORW3VMX/IMG_4657.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed Our isolated and remote little RV campground boasted having a bird sanctuary. We went there but did not see one bird. We assume this is where you hide and wait for the birds to come. It didn’t work. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585732873295-CFX8LN9UQI1D1NBPRVLP/image.PNG Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed While in Del Rio, more and more areas were calling for full isolation. One of the campers posted this photo on our campsite Facebook page. People are getting very clever. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585733995704-COCI6I1GCTPW1H0QX9NV/IMG_4686.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed They would not have provided this nifty ladder over the fence if they really meant it. We were on our way to see the Pecos River High Bridge and the water below! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585734035188-B24M68KUEJU6M3QL1MUP/IMG_4690.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed The Pecos River begins in New Mexico and travels about 900 miles before meeting the Rio Grande. We pulled the camper to the side of the road and got out to explore. We took so many good pictures here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585734589941-V4VX5Q8J4YW7KOIJS68B/IMG_4726.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed Judge Roy Bean has quite a colorful past as the “Law West of the Pecos”. This is his saloon that also served as his courthouse. He named it The Jersey Lilly after a current day movie star that he was obsessed with, Lilly Langtry. It is highly questioned to this day if he was ever officially more than an overzealous notary public. Maybe it was easy to be a big fish in a small pond here; as of 2016, the town of Langtry still only had a population of 12. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585734592677-3IKUZ54GH1URAXAB6REF/IMG_4770.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed At the Lost Alaskan RV park, I saw two girls walking two critters on leashes. They were not dogs—or cats. I took a video that we’ve included below and later ran out to ask them what they had. It was a crab-eating raccoon and a coatimundi. We included a video of our visit with them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585734591826-R3PQIWI8BPP7H5ELY09Y/IMG_4752.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed They also had this baby crab-eating raccoon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585734593758-5V72XIDWL4OYICVDA0LH/IMG_4811.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed This is the town of Terlingua. In the late 1800s, the town was discovered as a place to mine mercury. This caused an influx of miners to the area, that it drew a population of 2,000 and by 1900 there were four mining companies in the area. After resources in the area had been depleted around the 1940s, the mining companies had filed for bankruptcy and the miners began to trickle out. By the end of WWII, it was a true ghost town. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585954236042-2834JXHBRK1VCHQGQQF0/IMG_5212.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed In the 1960s, the town of Terlingua had an influx of hippies. The tale is they all came because they heard there was no work here. Terlingua became famous for its annual chili cook-off and in 1967 was deemed the "Chili Capitol of the World" by the Chili Appreciation Society. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1586054668381-QN70V4WYLO54MRBB6OIA/IMG_4914a.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed The Window Trail at Big Bend National Park was a 5- mile hike to this abrupt trail end. The elevation is almost 1000 feet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1586055547070-7OLJRB2W0FF40A36BYNG/IMG_4916a+%282%29.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed Craig got closer to the big drop off than I did. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1586053588653-XZGPJ6GIR5FRUMKFCM2H/IMG_4966.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed The same day we hiked the Window Trail, we drove down a ridiculous six-mile bumpy dirt road and hiked about a mile on this trail to see Balancing Rock. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1586053583178-HER56SCAQ0D9JJB73054/IMG_4976.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed This is Balancing Rock. You’re welcome…and you didn’t even have to break a sweat. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585738971394-IYEK71OZWZCJMTFSLL8E/Photo+Mar+22%2C+11+17+42+AM.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park. In this photo, Mexico is on the left side of the canyon and the canyon on the right is the United States. The Rio Grande that runs in between is the international boundary line. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585738983476-5F9M912P1W5ANKZ0S1CF/Photo+Mar+22%2C+11+23+21+AM.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed I enjoy taking pictures of Craig taking pictures. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585739062791-65H8E4KN4QCBTTHLBCY9/Photo+Mar+22%2C+12+17+13+PM.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed In Big Bend National Park we spotted these unusual ashy mounds with lava rock. We never noticed until now that Clay is the same color as a lava rock. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585954090983-87Y36AXKYSERQVDGNCZA/IMG_5181.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed It’s believed the lava rock and ash are between 32 and 38 million years old! Walking around in that area felt sort of like being on another planet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1586054642992-8FWOTG2Q18D9NQJQZI37/IMG_4873a.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed I had to chuckle at a kid in the RV park trying to make some money running a “Rock Stor”. “5 [dollars] ore below. OPeN”… I didn’t see anyone around; I think it was a self-service stor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585954357553-EO8FYB1AYMHYNHXSA1OG/IMG_5854.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed Terlingua was really a peaceful place. The sunsets every single night were so beautiful! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585954301485-SDP91PTUWYCZXAAZY11A/IMG_5320.JPG Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed One of Craig’s first nighttime pictures, taken in Big Bend National Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1586054694283-FR2RY06QSH8JC2CV662X/IMG_5113a.JPG Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed If you’ve seen our Instagram pages, you may have seen all the car pictures we took, but we wanted to share another. We discovered it out in a field while on a walk one evening. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585739044372-58T6GZYBFORQHLR1GX7V/Photo+Mar+23%2C+6+20+47+PM.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed The sunsets were lovely in Fort Stockton as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585739128729-C6791LZCPU5TD9ESNIZT/Photo+Mar+24%2C+9+02+23+AM.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed Fort Stockton’s history is rich and we thoroughly enjoyed the town’s Driving Tour of historical sites and our walking tour around the (closed) visitor’s center. Having one of the largest sources of spring water in Texas, this town became the largest city between San Diego and St. Louis in the mid-1850s to early 1900s. So much history here and so little time…One interesting tidbit though, Fort Stockton was the headquarters of the first Buffalo Soldiers. These two regiments of cavalry were composed by an Act of Congress to increase peace in the United States after the Civil War. The 9th and 10th regiments were composed of “colored men” that would help to control the attacks of the Comanche and Apache Indians. The Indians actually gave the regiments their name, and the Buffalo Soldiers wore it as a badge of honor as the Native Americans considered the buffalo to have noble attributes such as strength and stamina. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585739187599-NOUBSUDC0R61GM8T1NS7/Photo+Mar+24%2C+9+17+43+AM.jpg Home - The Thirteen-Day Texas Tour and Where Everything Changed Fort Stockton is where we first were introduced to real Roadrunners. They are the cutest things—preferring to run rather than fly. Its always fun to see them. They can run up to 20 miles an hour. https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/westward-bound-tallahassee-and-new-orleans monthly 0.5 2020-07-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584930794874-QND09NSOK5QM08K3YSTV/IMG_4212.jpg Home - Westward Bound! Tallahassee Auto Museum and New Orleans, Louisiana Many of our campsites in Florida were very cramped due to the Snowbird season. We thoroughly enjoyed having more space in this nice quiet Tallahassee park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584715614433-ZQRFQH577TUQQ4U17FPV/IMG_4231.jpg Home - Westward Bound! Tallahassee Auto Museum and New Orleans, Louisiana The Tallassee Auto Museum displayed over 190 autos from Devoe Moore’s collection. This one is his most prized. He doesn’t tell exactly how much he paid for it, but antique collectors know he traded 10 other cars for it, valuing approximately one million dollars. This is the 2nd motor car EVER made. It’s an 1894 Duryea, made by brothers Charles and Frank Duryea. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584930900993-9RT4CCE2X0RSVE41ZP4V/IMG_4234.jpg Home - Westward Bound! Tallahassee Auto Museum and New Orleans, Louisiana The Duryea Brothers, who made the car in the previous picture were not great businessmen and didn't get along very well with each other. Charles Duryea lamented before he died in 1938, that "Children will grow up and think Henry Ford invented the automobile!" And that is pretty much what happened. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584930926327-9645ZWRX99CJZWET2GVY/IMG_4236.jpg Home - Westward Bound! Tallahassee Auto Museum and New Orleans, Louisiana The Model T Ford was known as “The car that put America on wheels”. This was the first affordable car for the average American. The Model T was manufactured from 1908-1927. It seems Mr. Moore may have one from every year! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584930790548-MK3I8BR8UGYEQIKWT2FE/IMG_4216.jpg Home - Westward Bound! Tallahassee Auto Museum and New Orleans, Louisiana Henry Ford had this car custom-built for his youngest grandson, William Clay Ford’s 15th birthday. It is the only one like it in the world. It was on display at the Ford Museum in Detroit until Mr. Moore purchased it and brought it to Tallahassee a few years ago. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584930837719-DV2U11UM3ZS0T5J8CNPM/IMG_4224.jpg Home - Westward Bound! Tallahassee Auto Museum and New Orleans, Louisiana We tried to drive one home, but they stopped us at the door. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584930953476-R08C81UMVNTWK728AV9C/IMG_4239.jpg Home - Westward Bound! Tallahassee Auto Museum and New Orleans, Louisiana The museum states that every car here has been fully restored and will run, including the 1894 Duryea in the first picture. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584930970505-1R0HRK0B6EZJU1S13H4F/IMG_4243.jpg Home - Westward Bound! Tallahassee Auto Museum and New Orleans, Louisiana Cars from every decade. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585001591347-XO5EUHRJ91WIJ67HIPRW/IMG_4240.jpg Home - Westward Bound! Tallahassee Auto Museum and New Orleans, Louisiana https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585001587428-F0OWYXY9904JQYR8I821/IMG_4244.jpg Home - Westward Bound! Tallahassee Auto Museum and New Orleans, Louisiana A quirky and humorous feature at this museum is the random mannequins positioned throughout the on the various collections. Notice the legs under the car on the right https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584930986081-B5SKB6OXG3GW60YT3768/IMG_4247.jpg Home - Westward Bound! Tallahassee Auto Museum and New Orleans, Louisiana The isles go on and on but have interesting tidbits and history about each era. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585001620760-DJBW9ITQQAYGQDJM64AX/IMG_4248.jpg Home - Westward Bound! Tallahassee Auto Museum and New Orleans, Louisiana This Trans Am has only 10 actual miles on it. The interior is in perfect condition. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584930838519-0K96GOGYP3VBC0FEI3E4/IMG_4218.jpg Home - Westward Bound! Tallahassee Auto Museum and New Orleans, Louisiana A new Steinway piano can cost between $70K-190K. The 500,000th commemorative Steinway piano has been valued at $1.2 million, but Steinway & Sons sold to Mr. Moore for much less. It was the first time Steinway has sold one of its commemorative pianos to a private collector, but did so because he would give it a proper home--on display where others could enjoy. I didn't take a picture of that piano but opted for this more colorful Steinway in Mr. Moore's collection. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584930875400-8MZQHTLT02HVP0GEKW13/IMG_4226.jpg Home - Westward Bound! Tallahassee Auto Museum and New Orleans, Louisiana Mr. Moore also collects dolls. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584930885563-I2J7F0EOXFK965STBDZ0/IMG_4228.jpg Home - Westward Bound! Tallahassee Auto Museum and New Orleans, Louisiana Lots of dolls. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584997711158-TZG39MLV0OWCU71ULMYF/IMG_4219.jpg Home - Westward Bound! Tallahassee Auto Museum and New Orleans, Louisiana …and guns and isles and isles of knives. He collects musical instruments, golf clubs, baseball cards, toys, clothes pins, Batman cars from the original movies, and much more. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584930993970-RO1HSFITOJ8FRA2SAD4O/IMG_4264.jpg Home - Westward Bound! Tallahassee Auto Museum and New Orleans, Louisiana He collects cash registers… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584931047133-PQK7P4EQRSNI519ZZHBI/IMG_4291.jpg Home - Westward Bound! Tallahassee Auto Museum and New Orleans, Louisiana …lots of cash registers…and antique adding machines, typewriters, and telephones of all ages! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584931030836-SLOF54HOZINRWVPX44LT/IMG_4270.jpg Home - Westward Bound! Tallahassee Auto Museum and New Orleans, Louisiana Part of the radio collection. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585001623723-Q6JCKNZZ5WPPOFWERJ59/IMG_4304.jpg Home - Westward Bound! Tallahassee Auto Museum and New Orleans, Louisiana The child’s peddle-car collection. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585001664319-8OUS1Q9FMLTWU2MWPUZS/IMG_4307.jpg Home - Westward Bound! Tallahassee Auto Museum and New Orleans, Louisiana As you might imagine, this is the largest boat motor collection in the world. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585001653661-210KC3ORGO00P14DJ1A8/IMG_4320.jpg Home - Westward Bound! Tallahassee Auto Museum and New Orleans, Louisiana One of the batman cars. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585189382905-CZZ6ZIWDU4YXL7OQV1ON/aaaa.JPG Home - Westward Bound! Tallahassee Auto Museum and New Orleans, Louisiana On the way to New Orleans, we had our first lunch and fuel fill-up at a truck stop with the camper. Up until now, we stayed on the highway when we had the camper hitched to the truck. Craig titled this picture, “Just one of the boys.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584931096895-RBDKHFUJCNC92RAZWNOY/IMG_4374+%282%29.JPG Home - Westward Bound! Tallahassee Auto Museum and New Orleans, Louisiana Dinner at Mambo’s on Bourbon Street in New Orleans was delicious. No matter what time of day, there’s always a photo opportunity on Bourbon Street. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584931108775-O3SG08ME3IHYRV2DWBGX/IMG_4386.JPG Home - Westward Bound! Tallahassee Auto Museum and New Orleans, Louisiana A man outside the Krystal on Bourbon Street asked Craig to buy him something to eat. Craig said he would, but later said he had to “cut him off” because he was ordering two of everything on the menu. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584931136924-AUNZVLS2GUK6IZAG62RB/IMG_4389.JPG Home - Westward Bound! Tallahassee Auto Museum and New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans has had its share of trouble lately. In October 2019, a partially collapsed construction project left 2 dead and several injured.. Today the building is still too unstable to recover the remains of the two men that died. A yellow tarp hangs to conceal from view one of the deceased. In December 2019 NOLA declared a State of Emergency because of a cyber attack on the city’s computer system. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584931157969-BWCEJ6MKOJSAR08N6NE5/IMG_4404.JPG Home - Westward Bound! Tallahassee Auto Museum and New Orleans, Louisiana Always a New Orleans Tradition, coffee and beignets. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1585003818290-0AOOLQ4CR5LPEL58140N/IMG_3569.JPG Home - Westward Bound! Tallahassee Auto Museum and New Orleans, Louisiana An Oh, Clay! Moment: Clay seems to have adjusted well to the travel schedule and he continually entertains us. While walking to the RV shipyard's restaurant for dinner, we suppose Clay decided he would have dinner out as well. As we approached the restaurant, a park employee reprimanded us that all dogs must be on a leash. Confused, we said okay. He continued to stare at us to see what we were going to do next and then repeated his statement. We looked around and saw another guest nearby with their dog beside their car. We said that isn't our dog. He seemed more impatient than before and said THAT isn't your dog?? He was pointing behind us. We both turned around and saw Clay about 8 feet behind us, happily trotting, and seeing we had stopped, he stopped in his tracks. We had not closed the camper door completely, and Clay decided this was his invitation. However, we are sure he knew he shouldn't have been out because he usually runs ahead of us, but this evening he walked the entire distance to the restaurant far enough behind us that we wouldn't notice him. ‍ https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/meeting-with-micky-and-casey-in-orlando-and-tampa-florida monthly 0.5 2020-03-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584663068188-ZW34DMRXYI8L60KJ8H9B/take+3.jpg Home - So Many Sweet Faces Along the Way! Orlando and Tampa, Florida Where you are sure to have a Magical Day! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584661581690-L45DO6GUBJ7N2URWRPF7/IMG_3935aaa.jpg Home - So Many Sweet Faces Along the Way! Orlando and Tampa, Florida This is the Disney Campgrounds. So fun! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584661791835-AWADB0LBYL07FAB93XXW/ra+newer.jpg Home - So Many Sweet Faces Along the Way! Orlando and Tampa, Florida It was refreshing to see faces from home and to laugh with our dear friends, Rob and Angela Little. They brought their golf cart with them, and Clay thoroughly enjoyed the rides. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584662742034-3DWDUBC1Q3GZMLSYF28S/better+version+2.jpg Home - So Many Sweet Faces Along the Way! Orlando and Tampa, Florida The four of us love playing pickle ball. As we started to play, a plane began to write in the sky. We thought it may be the beginning of a marriage proposal, but the finished product said, “Love U Jesus”, “Thank U Jesus” and finally, “Praise U Jesus” March 1, 2020 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584662280440-KDAP87VB6N8WKIH6FD2A/new+forky.jpg Home - So Many Sweet Faces Along the Way! Orlando and Tampa, Florida Forky, from Toy Story 4, effectively recreated by a fan for the top of their golf cart. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584328266911-IDWVETS80TAWNJWX484G/IMG_3957.jpg Home - So Many Sweet Faces Along the Way! Orlando and Tampa, Florida It was hard to get a picture that did justice to this LEGO Woody and Buzz Lightyear creation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584471989378-VSQY7R7WIZZ3OQRYTOUX/IMG_3963.jpg Home - So Many Sweet Faces Along the Way! Orlando and Tampa, Florida LEGO Cinderella has over 36,000 lego blocks and the inside is partially solid with LEGOs as well, https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584663487641-Z85PNHCI7CKW60GD3YO7/IMG_4031.jpg Home - So Many Sweet Faces Along the Way! Orlando and Tampa, Florida I was mesmerized by the way Alice stayed in character as she posed for pictures and interacted with the kids and adults at Epcot. Here, she thoughtfully considers her answer before answering a child’s question. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584471996760-YYK0XIBNU8NR4K0I09AA/IMG_4052.jpg Home - So Many Sweet Faces Along the Way! Orlando and Tampa, Florida We just happened to walk into a building where Micky was standing around. It was basically the four of us, Micky and maybe 6 other people that also had just discovered him. He was so cute and sweet and gave us each what felt like a genuine hug. I’ll admit, I was star struck! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584663597303-56Z963J3YUTPU1642F74/IMG_4068.jpg Home - So Many Sweet Faces Along the Way! Orlando and Tampa, Florida Morning routine: Spark for Angela, water for Clay and coffee for the rest of us. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584472000336-23HAZNDZIXLRBSO4PE5F/IMG_4074.jpg Home - So Many Sweet Faces Along the Way! Orlando and Tampa, Florida Even the powerlines in the area remind you of where you are. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584627555806-JO8D797H0LO1WYBMG7Y7/DSC04256.jpg Home - So Many Sweet Faces Along the Way! Orlando and Tampa, Florida Craig took this picture in Tampa from the rooftop of the restaurant Casey recommended. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584472004456-NQW6SLHXULW0MNGT0933/IMG_4083.jpg Home - So Many Sweet Faces Along the Way! Orlando and Tampa, Florida Waiting at M. Bird for Casey to get off work. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584476551991-OKWI01NTS9N10SINJOW7/IMG_4087.jpg Home - So Many Sweet Faces Along the Way! Orlando and Tampa, Florida After dinner on the boardwalk with Casey. It was great to see him! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584472006123-RTS5NIMLVL6O2FMCQUI0/IMG_4100.jpg Home - So Many Sweet Faces Along the Way! Orlando and Tampa, Florida Clay enjoyed the boardwalk festivities on his big night out to dinner. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584644830776-KB5IGJCPR28I85ND4THR/IMG_4123.jpg Home - So Many Sweet Faces Along the Way! Orlando and Tampa, Florida The Strawberry Festival nearby in Plant City, Florida took us back in time to the days of country fairs and livestock competitions. Clearly, these things still go on today, but we had not been in years. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584644826234-4L0JLX1HW0PDGL4FX2GW/IMG_4112.jpg Home - So Many Sweet Faces Along the Way! Orlando and Tampa, Florida You cannot go to the Strawberry Festival and not partake in the signature dish, strawberry shortcake! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584645740178-731FISZXV554U2HSW9C5/IMG_4130.jpg Home - So Many Sweet Faces Along the Way! Orlando and Tampa, Florida I wanted to win Craig a sloth at the fair, but I was too busy eating shortcake. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584667843675-M9T4SR9ZQIYOXBGPQAHZ/IMG_4177.jpg Home - So Many Sweet Faces Along the Way! Orlando and Tampa, Florida If you want to take your dog to the beach at Honeymoon Island State Park, near Clearwater, FL, you’re going to have to work for it! This is part of the trek from the parking lot to the beach. The video below shows the other challenge. https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/naples-and-fort-meyers-florida monthly 0.5 2020-07-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584282170771-ZT68UQRWY297KTBNU7BA/Blog+Glenda+in+Kayak.jpg Home - South Florida is Awesome! Naples and Fort Myers, Florida Glenda and I rented kayaks from the RV resort where we were staying and set off for a couple of hours exploring the surrounding waterways. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584282220068-08RYTMPFN6DPSUHUN5PT/DSC04091.jpg Home - South Florida is Awesome! Naples and Fort Myers, Florida This bird sanctuary was in a busy and crowded part of Naples but we were blown away just how beautiful it was and how many birds actually took sanctuary there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584282026045-K7I8LCF8IH3AGWAYLG9S/DSC04146.jpg Home - South Florida is Awesome! Naples and Fort Myers, Florida Even though I love taking sunrise and sunset ocean pictures, this was my first real photo opportunity. I enjoyed watching an unobstructed view of the sunset from the west coast of Florida. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584282092552-AK0BMSYADC9X0ZGPC2IU/DSC04229.jpg Home - South Florida is Awesome! Naples and Fort Myers, Florida I always wanted to see a spring training baseball game and decided to drive an hour and a half to catch the Braves in action against the Yankees. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584282184747-8M8JAGS3B6NJRX3W0LZI/Blog-Glenda+with+Hotchy.jpg Home - South Florida is Awesome! Naples and Fort Myers, Florida We loved this Shiba Inu puppy of our friends Jack and Dee who we visited twice in Ft Myers—sweetest puppy ever. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584282093869-VNSD0RQO9PWWP79PJFO4/DSC04178.jpg Home - South Florida is Awesome! Naples and Fort Myers, Florida Thomas Edison’s Ft Myers laboratory located on the property of his summer home were he completed research and worked on his many inventions. It was awesome how it was so well preserved. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584293083582-DFLMMSZSB7G1ZRWY7TLY/IMG_2835.JPG Home - South Florida is Awesome! Naples and Fort Myers, Florida Craig stamping our National Parks Passport book at Big Cypress National Preserve in Ochopee, Florida. Here we saw a large alligator swimming down the river as the park ranger spoke. Our National Parks book was a gift from our dear friends and neighbors, Chris and Natalie. Thank you, Friends! ❤❤ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584293138520-FMNPY2IQM1I3DGYMLCRK/IMG_3628.jpg Home - South Florida is Awesome! Naples and Fort Myers, Florida Clay didn’t recognize the green-covered water at this park was not a continuation of the grass. He decided to chase this duck and didn’t realize he was sinking until he was up to his neck in the lake! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584293131036-VW13F69DVXRZGJ7FF4CL/IMG_3625.jpg Home - South Florida is Awesome! Naples and Fort Myers, Florida Clay still wet from his “run-in” with the lake. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584293142419-QROY4ZR0YH5WXBO45734/IMG_3648.jpg Home - South Florida is Awesome! Naples and Fort Myers, Florida Naples, Florida. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584293147416-WX1QD8VZ2EVQ6N1P9C3F/IMG_3669.jpg Home - South Florida is Awesome! Naples and Fort Myers, Florida Laundry day in Naples, Florida. Also Travel Day…next stop, Fort Myers! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584293208933-YIP2MCZOQLGJD00IJ87P/IMG_3863.jpg Home - South Florida is Awesome! Naples and Fort Myers, Florida The Brown Pelican is the only native pelican to Florida. I know…these look white, but trust me, these are the brown ones. It was amusing to see about 10 of them in the evenings all fighting like siblings for the same branch to rest on. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584293217386-YHAZWCC399YTJL7Z8IVC/IMG_3901.jpg Home - South Florida is Awesome! Naples and Fort Myers, Florida In Fort Myers, our campsite was on the water, with squadrons of Brown Pelicans in the mangroves behind us. From this view, it looks like a pretty peaceful place… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584293087366-QBABMK2VB6FRRGSUTSC4/FRONT+VIEW+FT.+MYERS.JPG Home - South Florida is Awesome! Naples and Fort Myers, Florida The view from the front window of our camper in Ft. Myers shows our most crowded campsite to date. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584293153690-1HWM6TAPCDPOZ23P2UIS/IMG_3715.jpg Home - South Florida is Awesome! Naples and Fort Myers, Florida Our Friends, Jack and Dee Nemecek are enjoying retirement life in their 55 “and better” retirement community in Fort Myers. What a lovely place! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584293158633-YD981DG2FAHHWXRLYHCV/IMG_3719.jpg Home - South Florida is Awesome! Naples and Fort Myers, Florida Dee and Glenda worked together after graduating from Surgical Tech school. She was a mentor and friend to Glenda and still is! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584293160905-PXW0ZAH1M7VBFLDCHPHS/IMG_3758.jpg Home - South Florida is Awesome! Naples and Fort Myers, Florida Clay enjoyed another dog-friendly beach on Sanibel Island, FL. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584293171480-NJGMA2XGDFMUXT02XEQ7/IMG_3835.jpg Home - South Florida is Awesome! Naples and Fort Myers, Florida This was Thomas Edison’s office, next door to his summer home in Fort Myers. Did you know Edison didn’t actually invent the light bulb? He improved upon it so that it would burn for several hours. His version was considered the first commercially practical incandescent light. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584293192636-AW1I1U6UAMJJIFRAEZN3/IMG_3855.jpg Home - South Florida is Awesome! Naples and Fort Myers, Florida https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584293208822-84IK66PHC1V9IX85636K/IMG_3866.jpg Home - South Florida is Awesome! Naples and Fort Myers, Florida Glenda said this was the most peaceful laundry room she’s ever used. https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/from-swampy-to-swanky monthly 0.5 2020-03-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1583525297759-MY0ADX7BKK5BPJNFUUPI/IMG_3283.jpg Home - From Swampy to Swanky-Palm Beach and Miami Beach, Florida Air Force One picture taken from our car window, Saturday, February 15th. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1583680078181-RVJHR6O41QNYT2WPAO8H/DSC03998.jpg Home - From Swampy to Swanky-Palm Beach and Miami Beach, Florida Beautiful blue and clear beaches in Palm Beach, Florida…and they love dogs here! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1583525357908-AGZ6BYESJFSH2QMKSO4A/IMG_3462.jpg Home - From Swampy to Swanky-Palm Beach and Miami Beach, Florida The attention given to greenery and landscaping in the Palm Beach area made the streets even more beautiful. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1583680084312-KYHZL1NJQVFZ9O9NLM4S/DSC04016.jpg Home - From Swampy to Swanky-Palm Beach and Miami Beach, Florida South Ocean Boulevard in Palm Beach. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1583525655053-TNM88R5VV2TIGK9MQO3Q/p3.jpg Home - From Swampy to Swanky-Palm Beach and Miami Beach, Florida Entering the walking portion of Lion Country Safari in Loxahatchee, Florida. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1583525662452-ZS4REM0QDT2RBNK9G0GY/p4.jpg Home - From Swampy to Swanky-Palm Beach and Miami Beach, Florida We planned to drive our own vehicle into the safari portion of Lion Country Safari, but the attendants told us our truck looked too much like the white pickup trucks the animals are used to eating from. They feared we wouldn’t be able to move our vehicle since every animal would think we were bringing lunch. They recommended using their vans so highly that they gave it to us free of charge. Hearing all that, it seemed to me our truck would have been way more fun. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1583525318415-NQAG6BUVNQ0LVT4SKR4H/IMG_3452.jpg Home - From Swampy to Swanky-Palm Beach and Miami Beach, Florida Many of the original streets West Palm Beach were named after flowers. This picture is at the corner of Clematis Street and South Narcissus Avenue. Narcissus is the scientific name of the Daffodil or Jonquil. Narcissus is a figure from Greek mythology who was so impossibly handsome that he fell in love with his own image. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1583757272615-KNCSL06A3FCS6K7D2AU9/IMG_3451.jpg Home - From Swampy to Swanky-Palm Beach and Miami Beach, Florida Looking west on historic Clematis Street in West Palm Beach. Clematis is over 130 years old. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1583525435690-7Y8SLETQ02645O3KS9HT/IMG_3481.jpg Home - From Swampy to Swanky-Palm Beach and Miami Beach, Florida Shopping district in Palm Beach. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1583754159492-T59UPITCJYOEITVEMSK2/dsfasdfas.png Home - From Swampy to Swanky-Palm Beach and Miami Beach, Florida Regrets: We did not have enough time to see the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum! Remember Flagler from St. Augustine? He brought his sick wife to Florida to see a doctor. Not finding proper lodging accommodations for people of his caliber and seeing how beautiful Florida was, he got the idea to start the tourism industry here. The doctors may not have been that great either—his wife died. A few years later, Flagler built this 75-room, 100,000 square -foot mansion for his 3rd wife as a gift. (He doesn’t like to talk about his 2nd wife—it was a short marriage.) At 83 years old, Flagler fell down a flight of marble stairs here and died. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1583525560099-ZLU8IBNWP1IUJOVKD1O2/m6.JPG Home - From Swampy to Swanky-Palm Beach and Miami Beach, Florida Hello Miami!! Our new neighborhood for the next few days. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1583525579665-Y75PFDPYML4ZJVYWNZXR/m5.jpg Home - From Swampy to Swanky-Palm Beach and Miami Beach, Florida I like it here already! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1583525629326-V4BJ45LJB16ST9QVLKBA/mia.jpg Home - From Swampy to Swanky-Palm Beach and Miami Beach, Florida Upon check in, Clay was ready to get out of the car and stretch. This campsite provided lots of room to play for Clay and for us. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1583525665110-HTQAAI1MEDK7O86XO5VH/miami2.jpg Home - From Swampy to Swanky-Palm Beach and Miami Beach, Florida More of Everglades RV Resort. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1583525578931-7MS17FL2JY5NNS2XS3SZ/mi.jpg Home - From Swampy to Swanky-Palm Beach and Miami Beach, Florida La Quebradita Mexican Grill, Homestead, Florida. We hope to find good food like that again some day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1583680085124-LGYCA6FTFP2OWQXN3R33/image-asset+%281%29.jpeg Home - From Swampy to Swanky-Palm Beach and Miami Beach, Florida This was such an unusual and beautiful scene. The combination of the worker’s clothing, the lush, green vegetation, and even the colors of the school bus made such a rare sight. Craig pulled over to try and capture the moment but was soon sent on his way as a laborer yelled out for him to stop photographing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1583525537190-THUVYY4QDV66LD075EFK/IMG_3539.jpg Home - From Swampy to Swanky-Palm Beach and Miami Beach, Florida We read on the internet if you are chatty with the guards, they will let you take a little bike tour on Star Island. It worked! Star Island is a small island in Miami with only 12-18 houses where many rich and famous have bought and sold since Carl Fisher lived here. Gloria Estefan, Shaq, Sean Combs are a few that either do or have lived on the island. It would have been fun to know who lives behind the very private entrances. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1583750187087-GUUVRGD69OBNAAV5L67Z/IMG_3544.jpg Home - From Swampy to Swanky-Palm Beach and Miami Beach, Florida Carl Fisher built his mansion on Star Island, in 1923. It is currently for sale. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1583525533226-ZNYRS4Z3126SGQRSAH8T/IMG_3868.jpg Home - From Swampy to Swanky-Palm Beach and Miami Beach, Florida A day in the life of Craig. #Camplife #RetiredAndLovingIt https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1583525506013-RFDLQOQK7NFJV4NF3BRR/IMG_3531.jpg Home - From Swampy to Swanky-Palm Beach and Miami Beach, Florida Riding along the South Point Park boardwalk in South Beach, Miami, Florida. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1583525487613-S1S98HO2DPXXFJ79C0PU/IMG_3529+%282%29.jpg Home - From Swampy to Swanky-Palm Beach and Miami Beach, Florida Daytime view of the Art Deco District at Lummus Park, on Ocean Boulevard, Miami. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1583680092951-2YTQXP2QRY2OSHRREDVX/image-asset.jpeg Home - From Swampy to Swanky-Palm Beach and Miami Beach, Florida Lummus Park and Art Deco District. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1583525546400-C92L7MH6AV3XX6V9YDT9/IMG_4134.jpg Home - From Swampy to Swanky-Palm Beach and Miami Beach, Florida Muscle Beach South Beach. This was fun to watch! The atmosphere was intriguing. This is not the place for beginners to break into the work-out scene. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1583525623758-PDOJI8STU2A0CPJSLQ37/miami.jpg Home - From Swampy to Swanky-Palm Beach and Miami Beach, Florida A man and his dog and his truck and his camper. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1583525524173-QZBP93D9A8U8UYKEAR96/IMG_3576.jpg Home - From Swampy to Swanky-Palm Beach and Miami Beach, Florida Clay enjoyed chasing a few lizards while we played shuffleboard. https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/6i25tbq273q3j2kni9pno7d4fa1qap monthly 0.5 2020-03-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582912693357-M3UOZF7QY6XODVNAWT3B/IMG_3161.jpg Home - Still Heading South in Florida! Port Canaveral, Fort Pierce and other stops along the way! Manatees—take our word for it. We didn’t get great pictures, but we saw them at Canaveral National Seashore Park in Mims, Florida. It’s unknown why they love this area, but they are consistently seen here. They sign says, Maybe they love to come here to watch all the people! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582912709822-J8ZQRKTDMXHHHYAR0BE2/IMG_3182.jpg Home - Still Heading South in Florida! Port Canaveral, Fort Pierce and other stops along the way! Walking along the Jetty Park Pier in Port Canaveral, next to our RV campsite. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1584200416312-YIWWXBYJEG9X6JU50DLJ/IMG_3673.JPG Home - Still Heading South in Florida! Port Canaveral, Fort Pierce and other stops along the way! Jetty Park Pier in Cape Canaveral is 1200 feet long. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582912704132-RSX838IWPEPCEA43RTIV/IMG_3170.jpg Home - Still Heading South in Florida! Port Canaveral, Fort Pierce and other stops along the way! Haulover Canal. The trees line the shoreline of the Indian River and the pines make a beautiful outdoor “carpet”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582912696811-MD0T8HEQTO58Q5QUQ4NO/IMG_3165.jpg Home - Still Heading South in Florida! Port Canaveral, Fort Pierce and other stops along the way! Craig on Haulover Canal in Mims, Florida. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582912704112-LR6R04F53NX2R8KCMVM7/IMG_3173.jpg Home - Still Heading South in Florida! Port Canaveral, Fort Pierce and other stops along the way! Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge near Titusville, Florida. While we drove through this area, we saw an alligator approximately 8” long cross the road ahead of our car. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582912710292-494H6PO7EF4F36AR4AHV/IMG_3181.jpg Home - Still Heading South in Florida! Port Canaveral, Fort Pierce and other stops along the way! Clay holds the fort down at Jetty Park RV Campground in Port Canaveral, across the water from Cape Canaveral. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582912716038-15AXZLNYBCGN7NBZQHTB/IMG_3218.jpg Home - Still Heading South in Florida! Port Canaveral, Fort Pierce and other stops along the way! The entrance to our next Harvest Host lodging site, Summer Crush Vineyard and Winery! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582912721964-079X0A23XRVC809SHEG7/IMG_3224.jpg Home - Still Heading South in Florida! Port Canaveral, Fort Pierce and other stops along the way! Our site was right beside the vineyard. After the four of us enjoyed the Port Canaveral area for a couple days, Matt and Holly Miller followed us to Fort Pierce to help set up, and then they headed back to Port Canaveral in hopes of seeing a rocket launch from the cape. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit with them and hated to see them go. Here, Craig and Matt level the camper. Meanwhile, Clay has found a bug on which to rub himself. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1583001634315-XM2YN1KKUFD9EORABCMR/IMG_3232+%282%29.JPG Home - Still Heading South in Florida! Port Canaveral, Fort Pierce and other stops along the way! Welcome to Summer Crush! An appropriate name for our February 14th check-in! ❤ Fort Pierce, FL https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582923928158-TVQUYKAEGAJJU8Q18P6X/IMG_3260.jpg Home - Still Heading South in Florida! Port Canaveral, Fort Pierce and other stops along the way! When we told Matt and Holly Summer Crush’s entertainment for the night was none other than Barry White, they informed us Barry has been dead for years. What?? We had no idea! Oh well, we got Jerome, a Barry White cover act. Jerome was really good. Barry White would have been proud. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582923927991-4UGTPIO9ZGFU1SZVUYY9/IMG_3249.jpg Home - Still Heading South in Florida! Port Canaveral, Fort Pierce and other stops along the way! “Barry” even had a costume change during the course of the evening and gave out roses to the women. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582923928872-OIIJI24I45NM2C8GOKSH/IMG_3273.jpg Home - Still Heading South in Florida! Port Canaveral, Fort Pierce and other stops along the way! Our next stop is Palm Beach, Florida. But first…Chocolate. We heard Bruno’s Chocolate Creations in Fort Pierce was great, and someone said this is where John Travolta makes sure to get his chocolate. When we asked about John, they had no idea what we were talking about. https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/meet-the-millers-ocala-national-forest-florida monthly 0.5 2020-06-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582511943059-QSCTF8AVR8E95WQGJXFS/IMG_3085.jpg Home - Meet the Millers! Ocala National Forest, Florida Successfully backed into our RV site at Renegades on the River in Crescent City, Florida. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582511993419-REMF0AUU33D2E1I65DCZ/IMG_3100.jpg Home - Meet the Millers! Ocala National Forest, Florida Craig and Matt followed commands as Holly led the tent-building project. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582511988298-OQUJQPF3WEYWY362KIF6/IMG_3102.jpg Home - Meet the Millers! Ocala National Forest, Florida Clay keeping a watchful eye on all the squirrels in the area—and waiting for the grilling to begin. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582512000891-U4DG74I7VM73RJM05TW9/IMG_3107.jpg Home - Meet the Millers! Ocala National Forest, Florida We’ve made some delicious grill food since we’ve been out on the road. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582512095205-TH9MEFCUZMIP4Z53KS8G/IMG_3643.jpg Home - Meet the Millers! Ocala National Forest, Florida Holly made delicious guacamole for our chicken fajitas. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582511878816-4JDGX17WFKKTRR5GS1H4/Capture.JPG Home - Meet the Millers! Ocala National Forest, Florida Salt Springs Recreation Area, McCoy, Florida. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582512009544-NX38GVJ7UF2Y6PFQP0J2/IMG_3129.jpg Home - Meet the Millers! Ocala National Forest, Florida The water at Salt Springs is very deep in the darker areas. Craig and Matt look for fish swimming around the springs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582512017994-CJWINNV2A7IT76LKIK9U/IMG_3111.jpg Home - Meet the Millers! Ocala National Forest, Florida Walking in Bear Swamp in Ocala National Forest. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582512020314-OOBJCFGL0RGZ94NCRMN2/IMG_3131.jpg Home - Meet the Millers! Ocala National Forest, Florida We had a fun game night. Turns out Glenda tends to be a little too liberal with her attempts to go nil in Spades. Matt and Holly also attempted to teach us to play Bridge, but it seems to be a complicated game! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582512031332-J89XMZMBF44I0UMZ6PKS/IMG_3146.jpg Home - Meet the Millers! Ocala National Forest, Florida Keeping things festive for the retired fellas. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582512108816-ASRS179VDGU5FRWDNJ2X/IMG_3644.jpg Home - Meet the Millers! Ocala National Forest, Florida Glenda and Matt in the Salt Springs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582512110019-B0RLWNUD353ZAR1VOZY2/IMG_3645.JPG Home - Meet the Millers! Ocala National Forest, Florida After three days with no internet, we stopped alongside the road where there was a signal so Glenda could get a few things done. https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/the-oldest-city-in-the-us-st-augustine-florida monthly 0.5 2020-03-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582116703478-BLCIKIP3VWHDECDOH4RC/IMG_2866.jpg Home - The Oldest City in America, St. Augustine, Florida Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park. Definitely touristy but still charming. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582116704910-DWDS95LEKE25ZEYGHQ88/IMG_2871.jpg Home - The Oldest City in America, St. Augustine, Florida We all had a sip of sulfur water from the Fountain of Youth. Hopefully, it works! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582116703356-7DMQ6U76GVNHV41RFO8L/IMG_2750.jpg Home - The Oldest City in America, St. Augustine, Florida Pedro Menéndez de Avilés colonized St. Augustine about 50 years after Ponce de Leon landed there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582116704784-60KHJAOCLFOU5QFU2V70/IMG_2898.jpg Home - The Oldest City in America, St. Augustine, Florida Craig trying to step on a peacock’s tail. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582116706209-0T1YLMZHIDVU7FCF9I2H/IMG_2908.jpg Home - The Oldest City in America, St. Augustine, Florida What? You didn’t bring any quarters for the squirrel food?? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582116706271-OZG7361MAI5BRVXUOTGI/IMG_2925.jpg Home - The Oldest City in America, St. Augustine, Florida Fun at the Fountain. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582116707337-URSL0F5GJDEA0ER2W83C/IMG_2927.jpg Home - The Oldest City in America, St. Augustine, Florida Peacocks everywhere. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582117928673-DWD1I1EZ48DQ1I21OR3V/IMG_2934.jpg Home - The Oldest City in America, St. Augustine, Florida https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582117929171-ESD72UCJDI862IWGM7L2/IMG_2943.jpg Home - The Oldest City in America, St. Augustine, Florida Very realistic images of the misery experienced by the prisoners of Old Jail. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582117929703-RV6OA5C4AX1779TWLETM/jailbird.jpg Home - The Oldest City in America, St. Augustine, Florida Jailbird. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582118253181-QRLY4VP6QRK2Z06AW16N/Oil+Jail.png Home - The Oldest City in America, St. Augustine, Florida When constructed in 1891, the outside of Old Jail was made to look like a warm and cozy home and was barely noticeable as a jail except for the bars on the windows. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582118535635-QN060EP0MO67W3SPBKLF/IMG_2931.JPG Home - The Oldest City in America, St. Augustine, Florida The Ponce de Leon Hotel, now Flagler College https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582118663941-NK6X7WOS1505UNLY1YEJ/IMG_2978.jpg Home - The Oldest City in America, St. Augustine, Florida Atrium of the Ponce de Leon Hotel/Flagler College, the first of many elaborate hotels Flagler would build for the world’s wealthiest people to enjoy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582118663974-RI04R13AECBE70EMQ1OL/IMG_2988.jpg Home - The Oldest City in America, St. Augustine, Florida Staircase to visitor rooms. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582118954480-1F9SFZP2NJ4GBXC3PURD/Capture.JPG Home - The Oldest City in America, St. Augustine, Florida The Alcazar Hotel built as an overflow hotel to the Ponce de Leon across the street. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582118957595-A5QX66FEMPNMQNVGXKF8/IMG_3012.jpg Home - The Oldest City in America, St. Augustine, Florida in the 1880s, Alcazar boasted the largest indoor swimming pool in the world. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582118954457-S61RYKFT84CQEWWWVX3L/60287632805__688339A2-646D-42C5-B921-2B58B366227C.jpg Home - The Oldest City in America, St. Augustine, Florida Alcazar is now Lightner Museum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582119918355-76IYJ6TZCYUDYD8TJQDU/Capture.JPG Home - The Oldest City in America, St. Augustine, Florida Now the pool inside Lightner Museum is used for weddings and special events. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582118955983-GX34BW2SLW767T23IK9J/IMG_2761+%282%29.jpg Home - The Oldest City in America, St. Augustine, Florida When we visited, the area was their lunch cafe. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582120432072-Z0XJK2FXB7LCGE24X4OP/IMG_3008.jpg Home - The Oldest City in America, St. Augustine, Florida These carved pieces by Grinling Gibbons are now considered National Treasures by the British government. His work is in Canterbury Cathedral, Windsor Castle and here at Lightner Museum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582120432235-DSK8OGGGZDOYCZ57ALZY/IMG_3011.jpg Home - The Oldest City in America, St. Augustine, Florida https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582118956337-INSBNIFFJZQ3ICFZNP3H/IMG_2763.jpg Home - The Oldest City in America, St. Augustine, Florida Baby bed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582120727334-O6QY9B70I49OYD8AJM4V/IMG_3025.jpg Home - The Oldest City in America, St. Augustine, Florida Also in Lightner’s collection, Rota, the Lion was given to Winston Churchill by the Zoological Society of London as “A war mascot and to commemorate the magnificent victories in North Africa.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582120987447-V06A5RMB9WLWQ48BNRPU/IMG_2964.jpg Home - The Oldest City in America, St. Augustine, Florida In the Cathedral of St. Augustine, the oldest Catholic parish in the present-day United States. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582120987724-IKQDIZYFGT9H1QFGSO0Z/IMG_2962.jpg Home - The Oldest City in America, St. Augustine, Florida It struck me funny that Jesus was so little. I then remembered the average Spaniard was 4’2”! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582120989358-VOBIS2ANCHHWL5RC57DP/IMG_3028.jpg Home - The Oldest City in America, St. Augustine, Florida This picture is for all of my family who knew and loved Granny and Leila. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1582121002989-GK0T8LCE9F2WZL1QOBBL/new+old+school.jpg Home - The Oldest City in America, St. Augustine, Florida The oldest schoolhouse in the US is on St. George Street. https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/jacksonville-florida monthly 0.5 2020-02-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581805786775-VVJRWZ4Y6RFW3VA4YMHN/IMG_3053.jpg Home - Yay…The Beach! Jacksonville, Florida Enjoying dinner with our sweet friends of over 25 years, Rob and Tracy Harrast. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581805061306-8ZTQL273D5W6513857XQ/tracy.jpg Home - Yay…The Beach! Jacksonville, Florida We had a great time with Rob and Tracy Harrast. She’s a dear friend and it was great to reconnect. Just to brag, Tracy is a best-selling author of over 50 Christian children’s books. If you have smaller kids in your life, you should google her! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581781364124-GMF6H7G822ZEQ7YZJLU1/driftwood+on+Big+Talbot+Island%2C+GA.jpg Home - Yay…The Beach! Jacksonville, Florida Big Talbot Island beach in the Timucuan Ecological and Historical Preserve. This beach had beautiful driftwood. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581356293333-8GZOWQ03VKFEEQUNJUGH/IMG_2814.jpg Home - Yay…The Beach! Jacksonville, Florida Cumberland Island was full of wildlife. We spotted what is apparently the only albino deer on the island too, but didn’t get a picture of it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581356295219-2MT49NE25AUDII8WTMX8/IMG_2836.jpg Home - Yay…The Beach! Jacksonville, Florida Path to the Cumberland Island beaches. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581356294896-666FLXSHEZ8F80DPW0YD/IMG_2834.jpg Home - Yay…The Beach! Jacksonville, Florida The Live Oak’s growth is stunted by exposure to salty air, causing the branches to grow out and not up. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581356298648-714MB3BW67JJO7KQDKNY/IMG_2851.jpg Home - Yay…The Beach! Jacksonville, Florida The twisted Live Oak makes an impressive canopy for the rest of the island forest. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581356296128-7XH5A2O6AC0CINAH8LSH/IMG_2838.jpg Home - Yay…The Beach! Jacksonville, Florida Craig trying to get a good tree shot. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581356296635-XHPKQWW6SDJ68OUI4RMF/IMG_2845.jpg Home - Yay…The Beach! Jacksonville, Florida The horses were here! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581357020724-6T86GQGB3WXIQSZO9TAC/IMG_2779.jpg Home - Yay…The Beach! Jacksonville, Florida I saw turtles hatching. Just kidding. I saw a turtle display at the Cumberland Island Visitors Center and thought it was interesting. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581781288598-LZBLDEQ24EAYXTY31YEH/Dungeoness+After.png Home - Yay…The Beach! Jacksonville, Florida The Dungeness Ruins. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581356291733-U2Q7YKKCQWSFFW3BEX6F/IMG_2801.jpg Home - Yay…The Beach! Jacksonville, Florida Dungeness entry. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581781288593-QOJ1XX5R20V824AOH2DX/Dungeoness+Before.png Home - Yay…The Beach! Jacksonville, Florida Dungeness in her glory days, before being abandoned and later destroyed by fire in the 1950s. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581356293065-0CXM1WO3DXP1T9QLEHVB/IMG_2804.jpg Home - Yay…The Beach! Jacksonville, Florida Side view. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581356747179-TEFD1L7OK6X00B29EBIE/Capture.JPG Home - Yay…The Beach! Jacksonville, Florida This bird on Little Talbot Island caught a fish and flew in about 3 big circles before taking it somewhere to land. It made us wonder if he was trying to dry it out so it wouldn’t fight as much when he tried to eat it! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581356918903-EA2TSV51J8P0O9XXLUGS/IMG_2687.jpg Home - Yay…The Beach! Jacksonville, Florida Our RV Park in Jacksonville, where many residents on the lake decorated their yards and campers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581356250795-HJIQDDXB9R538B648IAA/DJI_0800-HDR.JPG Home - Yay…The Beach! Jacksonville, Florida Craig took this picture of downtown Jacksonville, looking across the St. Johns River. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581356289115-HQOWMHPUKNS1JPA29XIH/IMG_2767.jpg Home - Yay…The Beach! Jacksonville, Florida In Jessie Ball DuPont Park, Treaty Oak is thought to be the oldest living thing in Jacksonville, FL. The 250-year-old tree is believed to be named for peaceful relations between Native Americans and Spanish or American settlers that signed peace agreements under its branches. https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/laura-s-walker-state-park-amp-okefenokee-swamp-park monthly 0.5 2020-02-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581162836510-JV4ICJK58J5IA76SSMT7/IMG_2548.jpg Home - Laura S. Walker State Park & Okefenokee Swamp Park Very peaceful here at Laura Walker. This is the view from our campsite. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581085165902-IKDCMQAS68A3EZJE15BI/IMG_2542.PNG Home - Laura S. Walker State Park & Okefenokee Swamp Park This is the most amount of traffic we saw all day on Sunday. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581085286110-5ENS3KB7DMTFH48K7AWO/IMG_2646.jpg Home - Laura S. Walker State Park & Okefenokee Swamp Park Nice little outdoor church area at Laura S. Walker State Park. I also picked up a lovely book at the free library. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581085177092-878KP6WWXTDPEDLUVO7T/IMG_2552.jpg Home - Laura S. Walker State Park & Okefenokee Swamp Park Okefenokee tried to be its own incorporated town several decades ago and supporting leadership applied for a post office for their new city. The plan never came to fruition and the post office was never in operation, but remains here in the gift shop of what is now the Okefenokee Swamp Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581085188814-F3L0PABQGJ5NBQY0NFKO/IMG_2555.jpg Home - Laura S. Walker State Park & Okefenokee Swamp Park Mom and baby basking in the warm February temperatures. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581085198922-RKCLX2RGVVK4BBLZRCB9/IMG_2565.jpg Home - Laura S. Walker State Park & Okefenokee Swamp Park Tom Music enjoying a refreshing drink from the swamp. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581085210929-8IVRF8GJX02NTFHGE11A/IMG_2566.jpg Home - Laura S. Walker State Park & Okefenokee Swamp Park 90% pure! The black water is so clear it’s also called ”Mirror Lake” in this area. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581085231992-3R0TL9RRJ6NI93S0M8B8/IMG_2617.jpg Home - Laura S. Walker State Park & Okefenokee Swamp Park “Back in Time” exhibit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581085243151-LJP4ZAWBICYMT6QYWMWM/IMG_2618.jpg Home - Laura S. Walker State Park & Okefenokee Swamp Park In commemoration of the Wilde family. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581085267617-0WQW5NFOBJTIGEVIBT4M/IMG_2626.jpg Home - Laura S. Walker State Park & Okefenokee Swamp Park https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581085255453-WG5N8TXFILEEP2KZ7IY4/IMG_2625.jpg Home - Laura S. Walker State Park & Okefenokee Swamp Park Back in Time was not Craig’s favorite attraction, but he made the best of it… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1581085222548-QUG3YRXDO6X8BDUQCV9U/IMG_2586.jpg Home - Laura S. Walker State Park & Okefenokee Swamp Park https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/our-first-stop-west-green-ga monthly 0.5 2026-02-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1580996276794-FKTOEYMCW4TY11K6F25E/IMG_2498.jpg Home - Our First Stop! West Green, Georgia Clay couldn't stop smiling once we got to Mom's. He knew we were on an adventure for sure. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1580996276860-52XHFOMNG4EN53WCBSSH/IMG_2507.jpg Home - Our First Stop! West Green, Georgia Craig with his new ukulele. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1580996278453-B7JHHPI778YOL6TZO1QK/IMG_2525.jpg Home - Our First Stop! West Green, Georgia Glenda, Mom and Sidney https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1580996279624-0U5LNHOD5F0IY48WL2RY/IMG_2527.jpg Home - Our First Stop! West Green, Georgia Craig, Mom and Sidney https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1580996278425-8JDA1QDFJR78BWTIQOJR/IMG_2512.jpg Home - Our First Stop! West Green, Georgia Sidney and his Harley! https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/2016/2/17/pre-departurejitters monthly 0.5 2020-02-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1580221129400-RV1W2MAGHGBRNG65JZP4/Airbnb%2BListing.jpg Home - Pre-Departure Jitters https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/category/Hotels monthly 0.5 https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/category/Travel monthly 0.5 https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/category/Style monthly 0.5 https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/category/Diary monthly 0.5 https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/category/Food+%26+Drink monthly 0.5 https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/tag/horseshoe+bend monthly 0.5 https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/tag/mountain+goat monthly 0.5 https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/tag/ATV monthly 0.5 https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/tag/our+lady+of+the+rockies monthly 0.5 https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/tag/rv+travel monthly 0.5 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https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/tag/redwoods monthly 0.5 https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/tag/going+to+the+sun monthly 0.5 https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/tag/lake+havasu monthly 0.5 https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/tag/travel monthly 0.5 https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/tag/bison monthly 0.5 https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/tag/pure+michigan monthly 0.5 https://www.threehappycampers.com/home/tag/Mackinac+island monthly 0.5 https://www.threehappycampers.com/new-gallery daily 0.75 2020-06-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1578503989613-OCB763446RO5EDGXW46T/DJI_0609-HDR.jpg Craig's Photo & Video Gallery - Pre-departure Shot of Lake Lanier Taken during one of our RV trial runs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1578503989613-OCB763446RO5EDGXW46T/DJI_0609-HDR.jpg Craig's Photo & Video Gallery - Pre-departure Shot of Lake Lanier Taken during one of our RV trial runs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1592950299968-54T3CX5SVCHXU10CXHS6/DSC05850.jpg Craig's Photo & Video Gallery https://www.threehappycampers.com/aboutus daily 0.75 2021-08-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1578497423239-Q5Y0KTFP6BECXEQ3NWRA/DSC03538.jpg About Us https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1578497857689-CMVM9IC0ZZFQXLVAXYZ3/DSC03538.jpg About Us https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1620849796222-O3K7XTIWEEL78VC6VC92/IMG_6586.jpg About Us https://www.threehappycampers.com/contact daily 0.75 2020-01-08 https://www.threehappycampers.com/travel-map daily 0.75 2020-06-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1592949043443-6EA1BBZY9LAEA8MXTHTI/western+RV+trip.jpg Travel Map After Covid-19 subsided we set out from Atlanta again to explore the Western United States. We were unable to go to Canada due to Covid-19 border restrictions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0e1dbadcd6625064420440/1592949588593-MBOBBGMN75AO6ONOK02Z/1st+leg+of+our+RV+trip.jpg Travel Map This is our route for the first leg of our trip. We were forced to come home early due to Covid-19.