Montana to Maryland Sept- Nov 2021

Natural Arch at Bryce Canyon NP

Shortly before we left Helena, Pat fell off her bike while avoiding a car. She fractured a bone in her right foot and had to wear a boot for a month. Also, the planned completion of Pat’s tub was delayed due to delivery of the wrong side panels. Months later we are still waiting for the replacement, most likely stuck on a cargo ship off the coast of CA. 

Bryce Canyon

On Sept 27 we started our trip south. Our first layover was near Salt Lake City, where we had our RV levelers repaired again. We got to Bryce NP and really enjoyed the park. Pat could enjoy most of the park from the lookouts along the park road. I did a couple solo hikes. The Park was impressive plus we visited nearby Red Rock Canyon and Kodachrome Basin SP.

Navajo Trail BCNP

Zion NP

Next, we went to Zion NP and it was a complexly different experience. Even a month after Labor Day, the park is very crowded. To get to the park you take a city shuttle bus from your campground to the Visitor Center, due to inadequate parking facilities there. Then you can board a NP shuttle bus that takes you into the canyon to one of five designated stops. We took the NP shuttle to the last stop and I hiked a bit and Pat took a shorter walk. We took the bus back to the Lodge stop and I did a hike while Pat waited for me. We were about to load back on the bus when we noticed the busses stopped moving. No one in the know was sharing info, but we heard rumors that there was a car accident near the park entrance, possibly a fatality. The order was to shelter in place. After sitting on the bus for about 40 min. we found out that there was an active shooter in a nearby town. Eventually the busses started moving and we returned to the Visitor Center. 

Big Horn Sheep ZNP

We waited awhile for the city shuttle bus but soon realized they were not operating. We started to walk back to our campground but found that the police had closed off all access to that part of the town.  We decided to get dinner at the only available restaurant, a Thai restaurant. (Yes, someone has to get shot before Pat will go to a Chinees or Thai restaurant). We were not the only ones who decided that this was the best way to kill some time.  After a 40 min wait, we got seated.  During our meal we noticed things were starting to get moving and after our meal, we were able to catch a shuttle bus back to the campground. 

Canyon Overlook ZNP

Later we found out the details of the Active Shooter Incident. A 55 yr. old local male threaten a couple with a knife. When the police approached, he took off in his car hitting speeds in excess of 100 mph while shooting at 10 passing cars. None of the people in the cars were hurt. The police flattened one of his tires which forced him to stop and run away. Eventually a large manhunt tracked him down and then he shot himself in the head with his shotgun. Later he died. Not too many tears were shed by the thousands that were inconvenienced for hours by his reckless actions.

Odyssey Aquarium, Phoenix

The next day we skipped the busses and drove to other areas of the park for sightseeing and hiking. Pat’s foot was bothering her due to all the running around in the campgrounds and parks so we adjusted our schedule and left Zion a few days early and skipped the Grand Canyon (which we have rafted and visited before). We managed to get a last-minute timeshare in Scottsdale AZ for a week before our timeshare week in Sedona. 

Sedona

On our way to Scottsdale, we had a quick visit with Phil and Connie and saw their beautiful new house in Kingman AZ. Scottsdale is much nicer than Phoenix. The best place we visited was the Musical Instrument Museum. Their displays included a minimum of four video from every country, featuring music played on locally made instruments.

Bluebird

Sunset in Sedona

Sedona was great as always, except for the crowds and difficulty finding parking. I got a hike in everyday and Pat did some crafts at the resort. She also took a Boynton Canyon trolley tour and learned a few things. We also took a day trip to historic Jerome and toured the nearby Gold Mine and Ghost Town in Haynes.

Gold Mine

Sedona

Collared Lizard

Confused Saguaro, Sweetwater Preserve, AZ

Sitting on a very large rock core sample for the building of TVA's Douglas Dam

From Sedona we returned to Phoenix on Saturday and waited until we could get the RV into the Ford Dealer on Monday to fix the door lock. We went to the AZ Science Museum which was a disappointment. We drove to Fort Davis, TX and toured the Ft Davis NHS, which was an Indian Wars' frontier military post, and then the McDonald Observatory which was interesting and easily accessible. In Tennessee, we camped near Douglas Dam, which was built in record time, one year, in order to provide electricity for aluminum production during WWII. We stopped in Lewisburg to organize our stuff in preparation of a move next Spring. We met Bill and Shirley for lunch in Harrisonburg, VA and meet up with Pat’s aunts and cousins in Buckeystown, MD. We ended our cross-country trip at an RV park in College Park.

McDonald Observatory

Aunt Janice and Aunt Ann

WV to MT, WA and BC May-Sept 2021

Sunset in Ohio

Starved Rock SP, Utica IL

We put our moving disaster behind us and spent Memorial Day Weekend at Watauga SP in WV. After the holiday, we got back on the road and got our RV levelers repaired in Elkhart IN. When we got into MN, we caught up with Diane, our friend from Habitat For Humanity. 

                              

 

Rare Yellow Lady Slipper

We arrived in Helena on 6/15 and found out that we had no water to our house. By the following day, repairs were completed, water restored and we moved back in. (For more details see attached “Pumping Fiascoes”.)

Willow Falls SP, WI

Elk on a trail near Helena MT

Once we got settled in, Pat wanted to spruce the place up by adding more plants in front of our house. These plants were supposed to be deer resistant. Because dogs are banned in the community, the deer have free reign. After Pat completed the planting, the buffet was open. Pat tried to close the smorgasbord, but deer are like cruisers, they like that midnight buffet. Pat tried various remedies, including fencing, but she was outnumbered about 20 to 1. She is now using Liquid Fence, a product with a god-awful stench. Now the deer are just waiting for us to leave so the treatments will stop and the stench wears out. We don’t expect many plants to survive until Spring. 

Follow me to Pat's Buffet

Gold Creek Pond, WA

In July we attended the Symphony under the Stars, which was held close to our house. It was the largest gathering in Helena since COVID started. Music from the 80’s was the theme. Then we drove to Renton WA to see our friends Tom and Cornelia. On the trip over we encountered plenty of smoke from forest fires, especially in Idaho.

With Cornelia at Seattle Waterfront

Father and Son Fountain, Olympic Sculpture Park

 In Washington, we took a variety of day trips exploring the area. In addition to taking several hikes, we walked the Seattle waterfront and had lunch on top of Crystal Mountain, with great views of Mt Rainier. Of course, there was plenty of great home cooking to keep us going. 

Don with Tom and Cornelia at Crystal Mt

View from Crystal Mountain

On the trip back to MT, we stopped at Savenac Historic Nursey to visit with our friend Robert. He manages the site and has continued to improve the facility. A week later we drove up to Great Falls for the Montana State Fair and got our fill of junk food. We met Art and Christine for dinner in Butte MT. They had just flown in from VA.

Historic Train Station, Wallace ID

Mt State Fair - Shouldn't the horse be bigger than the rider?

Someone had a lot of time to kill

 After a few weeks in Helena, we were in the RV and back on the road. We entered Canada, with some difficulty, and spent a week in Fernie BC. We meet with Sheryl, our friend, and realtor.  We picked up our belongings left over after the sale of our place on June 15th. We enjoyed hiking and eating at our favorite restaurants. On the trip home, we spend some time on the east side of Glacier NP. With real estate booming this year, we took the opportunity to sell our Florida timeshare.

Day hike in SE Glacier NP

Our last couple of weeks in Helena were spent with home remodeling and repair. A contractor ripped out the carpet in the Living Room and Pat’s BR and replace it with a laminate. Next week Pat will have the tub replaced in her bathroom. 

Running Eagle Falls, GNP

We got some good news. When we bought a house in a Mobile Home Park, we assumed it was a double-wide trailer. We found out recently that it is in fact a Modular Home, which is better built than a trailer. So please stop referring to us as Trailer Trash, the correct term would be Modular Home Solid Waste.

We will leave Helena on 9/27 and head south to Bryce, Zion, Grand Canyon and Sedona. Details in the next blog.

MD Mar-May 2021

Don after knee replacement

 

 We returned to Maryland on 3/11. This was scheduled around our departure for Africa on 3/17, which by now had been postponed for a year, for the second time. I used this time to catch up on resolving some medical problems I had been putting off. On 3/22, I had a Green Light Laser procedure to resolve my BPH and remove a bladder stone.

On May 13 we went to Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore for my robotic-assisted total knee replacement surgery. I was slow to recover from the full anesthesia, so the surgeon (Michael Jacobs, no relation) kept me overnight. I started a PT schedule of three treatments/week for 6 weeks. Pat was busy taking care of me and hiking and touring gardens with Julie, Susan, and Mimi. 

Frog resting in a tree on the Rachel Carson Trail

The girls enjoying Brookside Gardens

 

At Brookside Gardens

With real estate booming, we decided to sell our quarter share in Fernie, BC, we contacted our friend Sheryl and she had our place sold in a week for more than we thought we would get. 

Tom, Pat, Phil, and Linda

Linda and Rick

Once most of our friends got vaccinated, everyone was more willing to socialize. We enjoyed some visits with family, and Phil came out to York, for a quick family reunion before Connie and Phil move from IN back to AZ. We had many good meals with our close friends. We got out on the Bay with Ron and Sarah and their girls in their new powerboat.

Azaleas at Brighton Dam Gardens

Ron and Sarah's family

Eldon recently published a book, a compilation of his many expeditions over his lifetime from extended canoe tripping in the Artic to exploring unknown rivers in the wilderness of Guyana. I was fortunate to have participated in his some of his adventures.

Eldon and Lois after hiking in British Columbia

We drove to the Philly area to see Jenn and Patrick’s new home. They are learning a lot as they try to fix up their house. We went to the Eastern Shore and canoed the Nassawanga Creek and the Pocomoke River plus spent a day in Ocean City. From here we went to Patapsco Valley SP and camped.

Pat with Jenn at her new home

We left town after my 6 weeks of PT were completed, and attempted to move our stuff from Lewisburg WV to Helena MT, for the second time, and again we were cursed. Get all the gory details in the attached "How Not to Move Guide for Dummies".

Trip South, Jan - Mar 2021

Ohoopee River in GA

I was nursing a painful knee and Pat was recovering from thumb surgery, but come Jan 9, we decided it was time to pack up the RV, leave our AirBNB in Savage, MD and head south for a couple months. We decided to take the canoe even though I felt canoeing might present some interesting challenges, but since I could not hike, it was my only alternative to easy biking. At Congaree NP in SC, we paddled up and down Cedar Creek and explored the rest of the park by foot or bike. I found canoeing was not too bad on my knees, as long as I didn’t knell. Getting out of the canoe proved a lot more difficult. When we arrived at Hunting Island SP, we found out that our reservation was at Huntington Beach SP, only a 5 hr drive away. Apparently, I was hardly the first idiot to make this mistake, and they accommodated us as best they could. We found some outstanding southern restaurants in Beaufort, SC. and good biking on the Spanish Moss Trail.

On our way to another river

We proceeded northwest to Magnolia Springs SP in GA and canoed on Brier Creek where we saw two river otters. As we were leaving the park, we saw a sign for COVID parking. The vaccines were by appointment only, but they had a few cancellations so they gave us a shot. From Jack Hill SP, we canoed the Ohoopee River. We needed to replace our 6-volt RV batteries, so we headed into Brunswick and pick up new ones. Oddly enough, we were in Brunswick 3 yrs. ago when we needed to replace our last set of RV batteries. We found GA to be somewhat spotty in terms of COVID compliance, we hoped to see improvement in FL.

Last year on 3/14/20 we pulled into Hanna County Park just east of Jacksonville. Despite our reservation, we found out they had just closed the park due to COVID. Now, 11 months later, with COVID much worst, the park was open. We got to our reserved site and found it under 4 inches of rainwater. We were able to transfer to another site until the water finally drained away three days later. The Park was well suited for biking the roads and hiking the trails. From here we headed west to Lake City, FL. We were disappointed with the nearby Osceola NF. Most of the trails were flooded out. We did find that Alligator Lake Park had some nice trails. We kept heading west past Tallahassee to Torreya SP. We canoed the Juniper Creek and the Chipola River and Pat had plenty of hiking in the park. We found businesses and restaurants in FL took even less COVID precaution than GA, so we felt safer returning to GA.

Callaway Gardens Pine Mountain GA

 

FDR home in Warm Springs GA

We headed up I-75 and camped at Reed Bingham SP. Pat took me to the put-in for a solo paddle down Buck Creek. There were several interesting trails in the park. Pat took a walking tour of Calloway Gardens while I biked the paved trails. Nearby was FRD ‘s Little White House Historic Site. FDR came to Warm Springs, GA hoping to find a cure for polio. He did find relief in the 88-degree waters, but no cure. We drove to the NW side of Atlanta and found two impressive museums. Booth’s Museum of Western Art, which has the world’s largest exhibition space for Western Art, and the Tellus Museum of Science with rooms of minerals, fossils, transportation technology, and hands-on exhibits.

Buffalo Nickel, Booth Museum of Western Art, Cartersville, GA

The time for our second COVID shot was approaching, so we proceeded east to the Hard Labor Creek SP. We visited the towns of Rutledge and Madison and toured the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center. Back to Magnolia Springs SP for our second COVID vaccine on 2/18. 

Falls near Highlands GA

We drove up to Sky Valley timeshare in Dillard, GA. From this base we were able to explore Highland, NC, a cute, touristy town; Helen, GA a German theme town; and Clayton, GA. Pat did some hiking at Unicoi SP, Moccasin Creek SP, Black Rock Mt SP, and Whiteside Mt. Due to the mountainous terrain, my biking was restricted to a boring loop at Sky Valley. Next, we stayed at a timeshare in Boone NC in a log cabin. Boone has a Greenway Park which was perfect for biking, and I went there almost every day. Pat did hikes at the Moses Cone Center and other hikes along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Little Germany

Falls near Highland GA

We drove to an Airbnb just east of Roanoke. From here we traveled to Bedford, VA, and took a tour of the National D-Day Memorial. We spend a day catching up with Bob and Wendy whom we had not seen in 30+ years. Roanoke has Greenway trails, so I biked there and Pat found nearby hikes. We took a day trip out to our place in WV so we could organize the stuff that we wanted to move to MT. We meet up with Bob and Wendy at Liberty Station for dinner before we left the area.

Wendy and Bob