We had planned to go from Coeur d’Alene and stay at a nice little winery in Kennewick, Washington. The weather didn’t agree. It was to be 105 degrees there and our RV air conditioning only works when we are plugged into a 30 amp outlet. There are none at the winery. So, Lisa not-so-reluctantly called our hotel in Bend and scheduled another night. We made the 7 1/2 hour drive to Bend and happily checked into a beautiful boutique hotel called the Oxford Inn.
Lisa found the Oxford Inn on an app called Bring Fido. We, of course, needed a place that allowed dogs. Well, the Oxford Inn ranked in the nation’s top 10 dog friendly hotels so we were particularly excited to stay there. It also know for it’s eco-chic approach to Inn keeping. Look it up. The hotel staff had put out two dog beds, a water bowl, two travel food bowls for us to keep, and the ever necessary eco-friendly poop bags. The dogs were thrilled. We can’t recommend it highly enough.
The Winona Rider at the Oxford Hotel.The Oxford Hotel. Very dog friendly.
As we checked in, our close friends, Mike and Mary Frandsen, were waiting for us at a cafe across the street. When we told them that we were finishing up our trip in Bend, they offered to meet us there. Their dog Mojo and our dog Sophie are best of friends. Ralphie, not so much. But, he tolerates them both.
We were last together in Bend in 2018 when we met Mike along with Chris Dittmore, Matt Swinnerton, and Ed Brown who were on a bike ride from Canada to Mexico. A group of us thought that Bend, a place we hadn’t been to prior, would be a fantastic place to meet them. Bend did not disappoint. It was a great time and we sent them off on the rest of their trip with enthusiasm, although our primary contribution was toasting them with beer.
Brad giving Matt Swinnerton a high-five greeting with Chris Dittmore looking on in September 2018.
After we checked into our hotel and cleaned up, we met Mike and Mary for our traditional post-drive beer. This was particularly appropriate in Bend, the center of the craft beer universe. After two weeks on the road it was great to spend time with two of our closest friends. Mary also brought along four of our other close friends in, well, flat form. It’s become somewhat a custom of ours to bring flat friends along since Chris Dittmore had a bike accident and he and Brenda (his wife) couldn’t make our planned trip to Zion National park. We also took them to dinner. They didn’t get to drink any of our delicious Oregon Pinot Noir.
Flat Mark and Jill Schratz, flat Chris and Brenda Dittmore, and 3D Lisa and Mary.
Bend, a city of about 100,000 people, is in Central Oregon, sitting along the Deschutes River. It is surrounded by beautiful mountains, heavily wooded forests and miles of hiking and biking trails. The townspeople are fit, highly educated, and love outdoor activities. Heck, there’s even a Bend pledge that makes you promise to leave Bend better than you found it. We hope we did.
The Bend Pledge
We spent the next two days in Bend hiking to waterfalls, drinking local beer, eating nice dinners and walking along the river. This town is beautiful and Lisa and I both felt like we could live here. Lisa even took a photo of a house on the river. I reminded her that the grandchildren would live 8 hours away (rather than 5 minutes). She quickly changed her mind.
Lisa spotted this home for sale right downtown on the river. Bend Brewing Company is owned by our daughter Amanda’s college friend Leslie Deenihan and her husband Packy. A food truck complements the indoor kitchen and serves wonderful food.Brad eating fish and chips accompanied by a nice session IPA at Bend Brewing Company.Mike getting some pre-hike nourishment at The Commons Cafe.We hiked to Tumalo Falls.All four of us at Tumalo Falls.Sophie, Ralphie and Mojo loved their hike.Post-hike beer at Good Life Brewing. We all agreed. It is a good life.Mt. Bachelor and South Sister Mountain as seen from the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway just outside of Bend.Mojo, Sophie, and Ralphie on the Deschutes River at sunset.
As we said goodbye to Mike and Mary and prepared to leave Bend on our way back to Danville, Lisa and I felt we found the Bend Pledge’s random episodes of magic. We will most certainly be back. Even Ralphie behaved well enough to be invited back (maybe).
We left Glacier National Park and headed back west to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, our next stop. Coeur d’Alene sits on a beautiful lake and is surrounded by mountains. This was to be no more than a waypoint to our stop in Bend, Oregon. But, we knew it was pretty and would be worth a quick visit.
Then, as we planned our stop, we saw that there was an RV park right on the lake called . . . Blackwell Island RV Park. Yes, the RV park was on an island on Lake Coeur d’Alene called Blackwell Island. Well, we have to stop there. Lisa and I took a trip to the British Virgin Islands and sailed by Necker Island which is owned by Richard Branson. We didn’t own Blackwell Island. Heck, we didn’t even know it existed until now. But, we knew that, unlike Necker Island, we could stay there.
It was a short drive from Glacier to Coeur d’Alene so Lisa and I headed into town for a look before going to “our” island. As we got downtown we saw many street closures and a lot of people milling around. So, we had to stop to take a look. Turns out there was the Coeur d’Alene Ironman taking place that day and downtown was the finish.
The finish line for the half-Ironman
It was fun to experience the energy of the event. We stopped to grab a beer. Well, I grabbed a beer and Lisa got an iced tea. A trio of Irish singers came along and did a number for us. Coeur d’Alene is so welcoming. Of course we had to tip them so maybe not that welcoming.
Our Irish bards
We moseyed over to the lake where people were lounging on the beach. It was 98 degrees here which was a bit of a shock to our bodies that had acclimated to mountain chill. A welcomed shock, however.
The beach on Lake Coeur d’Alene.
We then went back to the Winona Rider and, with great anticipation, headed over to Blackwell Island. We drove up and I went into the RV office to check in. When the woman asked my last name, I said, “Blackwell.” The whole staff (all three of them) turned around to look at me. One of them said, “We’ve been laughing about that one since we saw the reservation.” I wasn’t sure how to take that.
I asked who the Blackwells were and they point to photos on the wall behind me. There they are. They owned a big sawmill and gave most of the land for the beach and parks to the town. There you go. If you want an island named after you you have to have a sawmill and give the town a park.
The entrance to our RV park on Blackwell IslandPictures of the Blackwells on the wall. They look, uh, nice?
It was a cute little island and we had a nice spot overlooking a small park and the water. Other than that, it was a nice, uneventful visit. We grilled a couple of steaks, had salad, and nice bottle of Hall wine and took a sunset walk.
Our spot for the evening.Sophie and Ralphie liked Blackwell IslandWe found a gnome house on our walk. Sophie wasn’t too sure about it.The Blackwells on Blackwell Island
Other than that, nothing really happened. Sorta reminds me of the old Smothers Brothers song, The Wreck of the Old 49, where nothing happens.
The Wreck of the Old 49.
Anyway, it was a nice visit, it was fun to stay on a namesake island, and maybe Richard Branson will read this and invite us to Necker Island. I doubt it though.
We left Shuswap Lake at around 9:30 and headed west toward Banff. We thought we were in the mountains until, about an hour later, the real mountains appeared. It was one of those moments when your breath catches and you marvel at the beauty of the view.
Now, we have seen mountains before. After all, we met in Colorado and got married there. And, we love Colorado mountains. These mountains, however, were different. They went straight up. They had craggy cliffs and jagged peaks. It’s hard to describe. And, the photos clearly don’t do them justice. But, let’s just say we were awed. And, for these world travelers, that’s hard to do. We now know why Lisa’s mom and dad so wanted us to visit, as they did thirty years earlier.
The Canadian Rockies overlooking Lake Minnewanka.
We only had two days to explore Banff National Park. So, we knew we couldn’t possibly see all it had to offer. But, if we could get in a couple of nice hikes, see some of the key offerings, and enjoy the views, we would be satisfied. We arrived at our camp on Monday evening. It was stationed at the base of the towering Mount Kidd. We set up camp and then set out to explore the area.
Sophie and Ralphie posing before Mount KiddIf the dogs get a photo, well, then so do we.The Blackwell Campsite Bar and Grill
Those hikes we mentioned? Well, we were constantly being warned about bears. Not those friendly black bears we have in California. Grizzly bears. Signs told us not to go hiking without bear spray. That’s like super, ultra, extra-strength pepper spray. You’re supposed to carry it with you and have the presence of mind to pop off the safety and spray a charging bear in the eyes before he eats you. Even our campsite had constant reminders along with a big fine if you left bear “attractants” out overnight. Attractants are anything a bear might want to eat — leftover food, an ice cooler, Ralphie. That kind of thing.
We had many opportunities to be educated about bear behavior.The sign as we entered our camp.There were four of us but two were dogs. Hmmm.
Fortunately, we keep the Winona Rider equipped with bear spray so we were ready. So, off we went on two beautiful hikes. One began at Lake Minnewanka and headed up the canyon on the river that feeds it. And, one hike was from Tunnel Mountain to “the Hoodoos.” We learned about hoodoos at Bryce Canyon National Park so this hike held promise.
Before we show you photos of the hikes, we need to explain the aqua blue water you’ll see in the rivers and lakes. The landscape at Banff National Park is largely influenced by glaciers carving the stone in the mountains. As these glaciers move down the rock, they grind the stone into a super fine powder called rock flour. This rock flour flows in the streams, rivers, and lakes creating silty water. The stone isn’t bright blue, rather, it absorbs all incoming light except this aqua color giving the waters a magical turquoise appearance.
The shore of Lake MinnewankaLake MinnewankaThe Cascade River flowing through Stewart Canyon and feeding Lake Minnewanka.A ranger let Lisa holding a bighorn sheep horn. She learned how they get their name.We hiked along the Bow River on our way up to the hoodoos.The view on our way to the famed hoodoos was spectacular.If you look closely you can see rock climbers scaling this wall. No, thank you.The hoodoos. Needless to say they were underwhelming. But, the hike itself was incredible.No bears, but, we did see a pair of Canadian Geese with their baby.
Lake Louise
Lake Louise is the most famous site in Banff National Park. So, of course, we wanted to see it. We got up on our first morning and headed out to the lake. It was an hour-and-a-half drive so it took us a while to arrive. Once we approached the turnoff to the lake, signs informed us that the parking lot by the lake was full. We needed to go to the park and ride lot. Lisa, never deterred by these things said, “let’s just drive up and see if we can get in.” So, we drove up. And, we didn’t get lucky.
So, we drove back down to the park and ride where they summarily informed us that dogs were specifically not allowed. (I think they read our blog about Ralphie.) So, we drove home with the beautiful mountain views as our consolation prize.
The next day, we decided to head up at the end of the day. While we wouldn’t be able to get in a hike this way, we might be able to get in to see the lake. As we approached we got the same no parking available signs. Lisa, still not deterred, said we should drive up and see if we could get lucky.
We got to the top by the lake (You can’t see the lake from your car, by the way), and the same people that waved us back down the mountain appeared to be doing so again. But, no . . . They were sending us up to another lot right by the lake. We’re in!
It was worth it. The lake is all that was advertised. It was a bit of a cloudy day so the blue wasn’t as iridescent as it could have been. But, no matter. It was spectacular.
Lake LouiseThe dogs mugging it up by the lake.Shameless Lake Louise selfie.A bit of sun caught this corner of the lake to give you a sense of the color.
We went into the town of Banff one afternoon and, as we always do in a new place, bought a Banff Christmas ornament for the tree. While it was clearly aimed at tourists, it was clean and beautiful.
Downtown BanffLot’s of clean public transportation.The Fairmont Banff Springs. We had lunch here. It was really nice.
Canadians
We’ve spent the past week in Canada and, while the country is beautiful, our lasting impression will be of the people of this country. They were polite, kind, friendly and accommodating. Not just some of them — but, everyone we met were plain good people. Even the drivers were polite. When Brad mis-communicated an order at lunch, the wait staff were so apologetic that they got the order wrong, they brought out this amazing dessert for free and offered coffee and tea and water for the dogs. Now that’s hospitality, eh?
Not sure what this dessert is, but it had a Twix bar on top and in the middle. And, it was delicious. Sophie’s not impressed.
This trip so far has been an incredible experience. We highly recommend both Vancouver and Banff National Park for your future travel plans. On our way out of town we did, finally, stop at a Tim Horton’s. We do recommend Lake Louise. Tim Horton’s — well, you’re on your own for that.
Glazed donut and black coffee at Tim Horton’s
Next, we’re back in America at Glacier National Park, Montana.
We drove out of Vancouver saying goodbye to the friendly staff at the Fairmont Pacific Rim. The doorman was particularly fond of Ralphie. Lisa offered to leave Ralphie with him. I quickly ushered Ralphie into the van.
As we entered the Canadian Rockies, Google Maps kept trying to get us to Shuswap Lake, today’s destination, via a longer circuitous route. Highway 5, the trans-Canadian Highway, is the most direct route but, for some reason, Google had a bias against it. We decided to ignore Mr. Google and obey geometry — the shortest distance between two points, and all. Given the popularity of our “something went wrong” blogs, you’ll be disappointed to know we arrived an hour-and-a-half faster than Google’s suggestion with no mishaps.
Lisa and I stopped for lunch in Kamloops, a town of about 90,000 residents in the foothills. Apparently, Kamloops is known for being the Tournament Capital of Canada. Hard to tell. We just stopped at a nice park on the river and had a picnic lunch. Ralphie nipped at a little girl who tried to pet him. Lisa asked if we could go back to the Fairmont and give him to that nice doorman.
The river was quite high. There has been record rainfall in the area so lakes and rivers are overflowing their banks.
The Thompson River overflowing its banksThere used to be a trail under the railroad tracks here.
We arrived at Blind Bay Resort, our RV Park, at around 4:00. The nice woman at the check-in desk sent us to our spot, a beautiful site overlooking Shuswap Lake (pronounced shoe-schwap). It is a beautiful place and we have been sorry this is only a one-night waypoint on our trek to Banff.
We set up camp, went on a walk, grilled up some burgers (accompanied with Hall wine, of course) then went to watch the sunset on the pier. It was a beautiful evening and we marveled at the little but rewarding experiences we are having by traveling in our little RV know as the Winona Rider.
Enjoying a beer upon arrival at Shuswap LakeNo one on the pier for Lisa to give Ralphie to.Oh well, the beach is largely consumed by the high lake level anyway.The end of the dock at sunsetBlind Bay at Sunset“No, really. I’m innocent.”
We left Portland and continued our trek north on Interstate 5. The Winona Rider had never been to Washington so we were excited to cross the border and bag a new state. Lisa and I compete to see who gets into a new state first, usually by sticking our hand toward the windshield at the border, therefore having a body part enter the state first. As we approach the border I distract Lisa by pointing a random something-or-other and then stick my hand out to enter the state first. She looks at me with pity and shakes her head.
Vashon Island sits in the middle of Puget Sound between Tacoma and Seattle. An old friend of ours, Kevin Hoffberg and his wife Eddy live on Vashon Island. When we drew up our route for this trip, I reached out to Kevin to see if we might stop by for a visit. He enthusiastically invited us to stay the night with them and we enthusiastically accepted.
Kevin and I met over 20 years ago. I had just started my job at Wells Fargo and I needed to develop a mortgage growth strategy for the West Coast. Wells was then a distant third in market share. Our goal was to get to number one but that would need discipline and a good plan. Someone told me Kevin was a great consultant and could help. We met and almost immediately developed a connection. From that point on, Kevin and I worked together on bigger and bigger projects. His brilliance helped refine the knowledge and expertise of the Wells team and his ability to articulate the key issues and strategies to address them was unrivaled. We often met at High Tech Burrito for our meetings. That’s why, to this day, we never say we need to catch up. We simply say we need to grab a burrito.
Our relationship goes beyond a professional one, however. We have seen each others’ kids grow up, we have spent time with our spouses, we have gone through career changes, and life changes. We trust each other without question. In short, we have a long and rewarding history together. Lisa and I were looking forward to seeing Kevin and Eddy.
Now, Vashon Island, with about 10,000 residents, has no bridges. It is a relatively rural island (one might call it rural chic, however) and the people who live there want to keep it that way. So, the only way to get to Vashon is via ferry. Kevin texted me the ferry schedule and said to simply drive up pay the fare and drive on. The Winona Rider’s first boat ride!
We arrived at the line to get on the ferry at 1:15 to catch the 1:40 ferry. As we pulled up to the toll booth, the woman in the booth looks at our van, shakes her head, looks at me and says, “This van can’t get on.” “Um, ever?” I replied. I know I had checked the length of vehicles that could ride and we should have been fine. “We’re at low tide,” she said and that meant a vehicle of our length and clearance couldn’t get down the ramp without bottoming out. You see, the further north you go, the greater the tidal variation. Being in Seattle, tides go up and down a lot. That means the ramp onto the ferry was angled steeply down and 1:40 and the nose of our van would go straight into the floor of the ferry. “OK, when can we go?” I asked. “The tide will be up far enough for the 3:40 ferry. Come back then,” she responded. As I pulled out of the line and turned around, I hoped this wasn’t one of those Wizard of Oz “Come back later” moments.
Lisa and I went into the town of Ruston for lunch and then hung out at Point Defiance Park to see their gardens, run the dogs at their dog park, and stretch our legs.
The Antique Sandwich Company. A delightful place for lunch.Garden of Eatin’. My kind of pun.The dog park. Sophie had a great time. Ralphie got a time out because he doesn’t play well with other.Point Defiance Park is, like much of the Northwest, quite wooded.Lisa loved the rose gardens.
Once 3:00 rolled around we drove back to the ferry entrance. The woman who sent up away before gladly took our money and sent us into the ferry line. Soon we started loading and a guy directed us onto the ferry.
Driving onto the Vashon Island Ferry
Kevin and Eddy bought an old five-acre farm in 2012. The farm had been owned by a Japanese family for nearly 100 years. When they were sent to an internment camp during World War II a local farmer watched over it for them. The place is oozing with history. It also needed a lot of work.
We arrived at the Hoffberg property after a beautiful drive through Vashon Island. Kevin and Eddy greeted us with hugs, Sophie and Ralphie enthusiastically greeted Kevin and Eddy, and soon we were off on a tour of this magnificent place.
No matter how long you’ve known someone, there is always more to learn about them. Kevin, a business consultant, and Eddy an accomplished artist, also are quite capable farmers (they are adamant this is a “hobby farm”), carpenters, mechanics, gardeners, beekeepers, furniture makers, bakers, and overall fix-it people. Much of the renovation of the original home, and construction of outbuildings has been done by Kevin, Eddy, or both. I had no idea. And, the fact that I have no talent for any of these things made this discovery all the more impressive.
The property has many apple trees that Kevin and Eddy use to make cider. It also has pear trees, buckwheat, lavender, beehives, any vegetable you can name, a wood shop, art studio, flowers of all variety, tractors, an ATV, and even an area where people can glamp (luxury camping). The property is simply beautiful.
Rows of apple trees. They are cultivated a bit like grapevines.Kevin and Eddy’s home. They did most of the renovations themselves.The view from the house.An outbuilding containing a wood shop, art studio, and soon a production studio for their professional dancer daughter’s videos.The orangery that Kevin built. Basically a hothouse with citrus and other warm weather plants in it.PoppiesGlamping TentA magnificent table that Kevin made himself in the glamping area.
We had a delicious dinner on their patio. For dessert we had Eddy’s homemade biscotti with Vin Santo, an Italian dessert wine that, I am embarrassed to say, had never had. It was delicious.
Kevin somehow remembered we were fans of the Golden State Warriors so he ushered us into the house to watch the fourth quarter of game six — one that the Warriors would win to take the championship. We cheered them on, turned off the TV, gabbed for a while longer then went out to watch the sunset. The days are very long this far north so sunset is quite late. In the morning we had a delicious breakfast of egg salad on homemade sourdough toast. We also got to sample honey from the bees out back (delicious).
Our conversations continued apace in the morning. Too soon, we had to leave before the tide went down and we couldn’t get off the island. As we said goodbye, I’ll confess to having a bit of a tear in my eye. You see, old friends are woven into the fabric of our lives. They are irreplaceable. Lisa and I are fortunate enough to have many old friends. The past two nights we were able to visit with two of them — Jon and Sallie Cohen, then Kevin and Eddy. We’re less than a week into the trip and it’s already created many memories.
If you have a chance today, reach out to one of your old friends and say hello. You will both be glad you did.
Kevin and EddyOur daily “Dogs at Sunset” shot. I think Sophie and Ralphie are getting bored of this.Ralphie at the front door as we were getting ready to leave. I don’t think he wanted to go.
Two days into our trip and there is so much to tell you about.
Day One and We Have No Power?!?
Traveling by RV is a lot like your typical road trip except you effectively bring a house with you. This gives you many advantages — a bathroom, a bedroom, a kitchen, a clothes closet, snacks (yeah!), TV, etc. It does, however, bring disadvantages. Namely, there is a lot that can go wrong. There are many systems in an RV, like water, sewer, HVAC, appliances, and, today’s problem child — an electrical system.
An RV electrical system is rather complex. It’s been a long time since I took a physics class, so figuring it all out is a bit of a challenge for me. There is the usual automobile electrical system that starts the van and runs all things related to driving. Then there is what are called the house system that runs, well, the house.
Stay with me here. The house system has lithium batteries that power the lights, TVs, electrical sockets, water pump, etc. The batteries are charged in one of four ways — plug the RV into an electrical outlet, run the engine and the alternator charges them, run the onboard propane generator, and/or there are solar panels on the roof that charge them.
Well, I woke up after our first night on the road (I always wake up before Lisa) to find our power had gone out overnight. We had exhausted our batteries somehow. OK, this is bad as we are on a three week trip and power is pretty important. We are staying at some places that have plug-in power, but, on many of our stops we are boondocking— that is we are camping with no available hookups and are completely self contained. While we can recharge the batteries, if they run out after only a few hours we will not be in good shape on this trip.
Figuring out why, that’s the hard part. Not panicking, well, that’s even harder. Fortunately, Lisa and I are not prone to panic. But, it sure was tempting. Lisa, the grown-up in the relationship, said, “We are not going to let this cause us any stress.” And, she’s right. We generally look at these situations from a “What’s the worst thing that can happen” perspective. And, really, the worst that could happen was that our food in the refrigerator and freezer would spoil. While that would be a shame, there are a lot of grocery stores along the way.
So, now we have a puzzle to solve. That makes it like our morning Wordle or NYT Crossword. Much more fun than panicking, don’t you agree?
Studying the Electrical Panel to Figure Out What’s Wrong
OK, I’ve droned on too long here. After much thought, observation, and exploration, we determined that our freezer is, for some, reason, a power sucker. You know the type — they walk into a room of happy people and suck all the life out of everyone. That’s our freezer. I turned it off and voila, the system started behaving normally. The batteries were happy, the rest of the electrical appliances worked normally and we woke this morning to a fully functioning system.
The Energy Sucking Freezer
Whew. My fear of having to eat Tim Horton’s donuts every day for three weeks has been averted.
More Wine Tasting
When in wine country, one must taste wine. And, when in wine country in an RV, one must stay overnight at a winery. So, as we landed in the Willamette Valley, the Napa of Oregon, we stayed overnight at Laurel Ridge Winery in Carlton.
Laurel Ridge is a beautiful property with rows of vines and an orchard of hazelnut trees. We parked the Winona Rider among these trees, heading to the tasting room and drank some beautiful Pinot Noir wines.
Laurel Ridge WinerySleeping with the Hazelnut TreesSophie and Ralphie at SunsetRalphie Giving Lisa Some Attitude
Climate Change, It’s Getting Real
As we drove up Highway Five through Northern California and Southern Oregon, the obvious effects of climate change hit us hard.
Our good friend Mark Reckers grew up on a rice farm in Northern California. He told us that, because of the multi-year drought, rice farmers in his hometown were allocated no water for their crops. This means no crops. We drove past those rice fields on our way north. And, there they were, completely barren. Sad for the farmers and bad for the price of rice.
We then drove past Shasta Lake, a major reservoir and large source of water for Californians. The water level was so obviously low, we wondered if it will go completely dry.
And, finally, as we approached the Oregon border , we saw miles of burned up forest from the fires that happened over the past several years.
It isn’t that there is less water. Climate change is just causing it to be redistributed. As we were driving we heard word of Yellowstone getting closed down due to flooding and the resultant rockslides. I guess we know where the water went.
Climate change has been one of those theoretical, it’s in the future type of problem for decades. Well, it’s here. Time to deal with it.
Follow along as we head to Banff, Canada and other interesting stops in the Pacific Northwest. Lisa and I will keep you posted on our adventures (and misadventures) along the way. We are looking forward to connecting with old friends, seeing new places, and enjoying our time together. Oh, and Ralphie and Sophie are going to be happily along for the ride. Click the link above for our full itinerary and a map of our route.
Sometimes thing don’t work out exactly to plan. That can lead to disaster. But, Lisa and I have found that, often, a mangled schedule can lead to adventures you never would have thought to plan. The last leg of our trip in the Winona Rider unexpectedly led us to old friends, a new friend, and beautiful sights along the way.
Let’s roll the clock back to our last day at Winona Lake. Lisa’s sister Diana had a best friend, Heidi. Lisa has known Heidi since she was born and I first met her when she was 16. Well, Heidi was visiting Winona Lake while we were there. She asked where we were going as we headed home. When Lisa told her one of our stops was Twin Falls, Idaho, she said, “No it isn’t! You are staying with us in Ketchum.” Seeing a chance to reconnect with an old friend, we quickly agreed.
OK, roll forward to our last day in the Black Hills. As Lisa wrote, we loved the three days we spent there and were enjoying our final dinner the night before heading to our Harvest Hosts spot near Bozeman, Montana. When I made the reservation in May she had offered us a five-course meal at her farm along with a bottle of Prosecco followed by a movie in the barn. It sounded perfect.
A month later she texted me that she had to work at the county fair the night we were staying and couldn’t provide the dinner and movie. OK, no problem. We’ll still enjoy staying at what looked to be a beautiful farm.
Well, I texted her the night before our arrival and she let me know her house on the farm is now rented and she would need to ask the renters if we could stay. Uh oh. You see, Bozeman is a popular destination not far from Yellowstone National Park. I called several RV parks hoping they may have had a cancellation. No luck. I could only hope our host could arrange a stay for us.
She texted us back that her neighbor, Cheri, said we could park at her home for the night. I called her and she sounded so friendly and accommodating. We got her address and set out for Montana the next morning. Whew!
Devil’sTower
On the way we saw that Devil’s Tower was only about an hour off of our route. Lisa and I decided that it would be worth the time and we readjusted our route. For those that haven’t heard of Devil’s Tower, it is a large butte that rises off of the floor of a valley in Northeast Wyoming. You may remember it as the alien landing place in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I think Richard Dreyfus might have crafted a replica in his mashed potatoes in one scene.
Devil’s Tower turned out to be worth the change of itinerary. It was spectacular. We could see how Steven Spielberg chose it for a starring role in his movie as it had an almost surreal, other-planetary feel to it.
The Winona Rider posing with Devil’s TowerLisa and I posing with Devil’s TowerDevil’s Tower
Three Forks, Montana
We left and headed into Montana. We drove through Bozeman and headed west to a small town called Three Forks. Our route took us to a narrow winding road through farmland. Small and winding turned to a gravel-covered dirt road. We passed our original Harvest Hosts destination (it looked very nice) and drove another six miles to Cheri’s home over the washboard-rutted surface. Cheri explained to us that six miles away still qualifies as being neighbors in this area. Makes sense to us.
As we pull up, Cheri comes out to greet us. She told us where to park and showed us where her garden was along with the chickens and cats. She said we should help ourselves to anything in the garden. I told her we would keep the dogs tied up as they had never seen a chicken before and I was a bit worried what they’d do if they did see one (most likely cower in fear). Cheri then pointed out a nice area to take the dogs for a walk and said feel free to walk around the adjacent ranch. She would call them to let them know we would be walking around.
After we returned, Lisa and I sat down for a nice wine and cheese dinner. Cheri came out to chat. She said she grew up in Florida, came to college in Bozeman, got married and found this cute little farmhouse to rent. She said is was the only place they could afford at the time and fell in love with it. Unfortunately, her marriage ended, but her stay at the farmhouse didn’t. A few years ago she offered to buy it from the ranchers that owned it. They agreed and she happily owns this beautiful property today.
Later that evening she texted me from inside her home and asked if we would like some eggs for breakfast. I enthusiastically said yes. Out Cheri comes with four fresh eggs from her chickens. The next morning I fried them up and we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast.
As we prepared to leave, Cheri was also getting ready to depart on her own camping trip. We thanked her for her hospitality and as we drove gingerly down the washboard road, Cheri passed us by smiling and waving at us. Cheri let us stay to help out her friend. But, she also showed that the kindness of strangers can lead to new friendships. The world needs more people like her.
The Winona Rider parked in front of Cheri’s farmhouseThe road to Cheri’s homeSophie and Ralphie enjoying a beautiful Montana eveningCheri’s gardenThe iconic-looking barn next door.
Ketchum, Idaho
Six hours later we arrived in Ketchum. The town of about 3,000 people is in a valley surrounded by mountains and ski resorts just south of Sun Valley. Heidi moved there several years ago with her husband Eric. The home, built by Eric’s father, is a beautiful, large home on the outskirts of Ketchum. It has spectacular views of the mountains.
Heidi and Eric took us out to dinner in town with a few business associates of Eric’s. The dinner entailed great company, great food,and great wine. That night we stayed in the guest quarters, got a good night’s sleep and a nice shower (the shower in our van is a bit tight!) Heidi and Eric served us a nice breakfast before heading to the airport. We went into Ketchum to see the town before getting back on the road.
Heidi and Eric in their backyardRalphie didn’t want to leave.
Winnemucca,Nevada
“I was totin’ my pack down the dusty Winnemucca road. . .”
You’ve probably described a remote place you’ve been as being in the middle of nowhere. Well, no matter where that was, it wasn’t as middle-of-nowhere as Winnemucca. We had to find a place to stay that was halfway between Ketchum and home. Well, Winnemucca is it.
You may have heard of it. Johnny Cash sings about it in the song, I’ve Been Everywhere Man. It truly is dusty, hot, and dry. But, it does have a few things going for it. Being halfway between the Bay Area and lots of places makes it a regular stopping point for many people. It has a robust Basque population with the cultural benefits that affords. And, Butch Cassidy once robbed the bank there (What is it about all the bank robberies in the towns we visit?)
Anyway, we had a nice RV park, we fired up the air conditioner and turned on the TV for the first time on our trip to watch the Olympics. We had tough chicken we had bought in South Dakota, runny cheese, pasta, and a bagged, pre-made salad. But, we paired it with a very nice Burgundy we purchased in Ketchum so all was right in the world.
The next day we set out early and headed for home after a memorable month-long adventure. We met a lot of good people, reunited with others, and saw beautiful sights that continue to remind us of the beauty our country possesses. And, on road trips, like in life, sometimes when things don’t go exactly as planned, go with it. You never know what adventures might lie ahead.
When we last left you, we were sleeping with goats in Nebraska. Well, since then we have stayed at a winery in Iowa; spent two weeks in one of our favorite places — Winona Lake, Indiana; stayed at a brewery in Wisconsin; and as I write, we are staying in a winery in Garretson, South Dakota called Humble Hill Winery.
We come from California wine country so if you think we might be a bit snobbish about our wines, you’d be right. And, while the wines in South Dakota, Iowa, and other non-California wineries we’ve been to aren’t what we’re used to, we have met wonderful people who are plying their trade with the tools they have been given and doing a good job of it.
We have nothing but praise for the places we’ve stayed and the people we’ve met. You don’t need to make world-class wine to make people happy and to build a thriving business. You simply need to make something that is tasty and make the experience something people enjoy.
Let’s back up a bit. We left Pickrell, Nebraska and drove to Marengo, Iowa (yeah, we’d never heard of it either). We stayed at Fireside Winery which had beautiful grounds and a very friendly staff. Given the wine selection we ordered a local beer that they had on the menu. Add a nice cheese and charcuterie plate and we had a beautiful evening. The sunset was spectacular and the generous people at the winery allowed us to eat dinner in their outdoor dining area. It was a fantastic experience.
Our beer and cheese platter Sunset at Fireside Winery in Marengo, Iowa
Off to Winona Lake, Indiana to spend time with Lisa’s Dad and to enjoy all that lake life has to offer. Stephanie, our youngest daughter met us there and we had a fantastic time although it wasn’t without it’s lowlights. For one, Lisa’s childhood friend’s mom (Lisa’s summer Mom) passed away while we were there. It was tragic and sad.
We left Winona and headed north on our one-week adventure in the Winona Rider. First stop — Tumbled Rock Brewery in Baraboo, Wisconsin. While the place feels like it’s in the middle of nowhere, it is close to Devil’s Lake State Park, a popular attraction that was spectacular. Baraboo is famous as the home of the Ringling Brothers and their circus.
We had dinner and a local English IPA (it was very good) at the outdoor bar and were entertained by an enjoyable blues singer from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. While we were hoping for a circus act, the singer won Lisa over when he did a James Taylor song early in his first set.
Toasting a Successful Travel DayTumbled Rock BrewerySophie and Ralphie Enjoying the Evening’s Entertainment
As we headed west, Lisa said she had always wanted to visit Winona, Minnesota since it had the same name as the lake she so dearly loved. And, since our van, the Winona Rider shared the name we knew we had to take the detour to the town. Oh, and the original Winona Ryder was born there so it had that going for it too.
The town of 27,500 was beautiful. It had a large lake at its center named Lake Winona (as opposed to our Winona Lake) and ran along the Mississippi River at the Minnesota/Wisconsin border. We had a terrific lunch on the shore of the lake. After lunch I headed to the center of town, only to be flagged down by a local telling me I was going the wrong way on a one-way road. I hate it when that happens.
Once we got turned back around, we found the Winona Visitors’ Center and Lisa bought a t-shirt. You’ll probably see her wearing it someday. She’s very proud of it.
Us in front of Lake Winona. My Port Winona shirt is from Indiana, not here.Lisa at the Lake Winona Visitors’ CenterLisa’s new favorite shirt
We left Winona and headed west for Garretson, SD and our current overnight stay at Humble Hill Winery. Garretson’s claim to fame is that Jesse James robbed a bank here and eluded the posse sent out to capture him. We didn’t see him either.
Rob, the owner had a dream to start a winery ever since he met a retired Lt. Colonel in San Luis Obispo who had started one in California. Rob is a retired Army Lt. Colonel and thought he could do the same. He said it took him about ten years to make it a reality, but, he seems to be doing well with it. Things started out rocky, however. First, a powerful line of thunderstorms came through in 2015 and blew down the building behind his home where he planned to put the tasting room. We are parked right next to the wreckage. Then, the new garage addition he put on his home for the tasting room burned down. He finally rebuilt and opened a couple of years later. Give him credit for persistence.
Sophie and Ralphie at Humble Hill WineryThe should-have-been tasting room that blew down in 2015
Lisa and I have been appreciating the simple pleasures of road travel on this leg of the trip. We have been able to see things we never would have seen and meet people we never would have met had we simply flown from one place to the other. It is a slower pace that we are cherishing. And, coming from the West we don’t have much water. In the Midwest, water is plentiful. So, while we may have the wine in California, no one can top the lakes in the Midwest. If you haven’t spent time at one, you haven’t lived.
It’s also a pace that we may long for on our next leg as we head to the tourist crowds of Badlands National Park and the Black Hills. Stay tuned . . .
We bought our 24-foot Airstream Interstate motor home almost exactly one year ago. It was the middle of COVID lockdowns and we were desperate to get to Winona Lake, Indiana to see Lisa’s 91-year old father. We named it the Winona Rider, watched a bunch of You Tube how-to videos, and set off on an adventure that was memorable, but, in our minds would last only until the pandemic ended. I figured we could sell our motor home and recoup most of the money we spent to buy it.
Well, the pandemic is largely over for those of us who are vaccinated and here we are driving across country on a month-long trip to Winona Lake and back again with scheduled adventures along the way. Today is day four of this trek. We’ve already experienced reunions and, uh, misadventures. Let’s rewind to last Friday.
Ready to leave (we thought).
Lisa and I had spent the previous three days preparing for our 9:00am Friday departure. We were pros. We had this down. Fill the fresh water tank — check. Empty the black and gray water tanks — check. Groceries loaded into the van — check. Engine fluids filled — check. Packing cubes efficiently assembled — check. Dog food — check. Reservations at every stop along the way — check. I even bought tire pressure monitors to ensure we knew immediately when we had a flat tire!
Lisa gave me the new insurance card and I opened the glove box to put it in the folder with the vehicle registration. Hmm. I know the folder was in here. I clearly remember placing it there. But, the registration was nowhere to be found. We started to search everywhere. Did I really ever have it there? If we can’t find it, how quickly can we get a copy? Lisa went into the house to search and I started looking through the van. The Winona Rider has a lot of drawers and cabinets and cubby holes so this took some time. Finally, I looked under the passenger seat and, on a ledge below the seat sat the little folder we keep the registration and insurance in. How it got there we’ll never know. But, whew. We found it.
OK, well, that only took 20 minutes. Our first night was to be with Mike and Mary Frandsen at their home at Lake Tahoe. Mike and Chris Dittmore had scheduled a 2:00 tee time for nine holes of golf and wanted me to join them. No problem. We still have plenty of time to get there. Except . . .
We opened the back gate where we park the van and were ready to pull out. I leaned over, gave Lisa a big kiss and said, let’s go on an adventure!. I inserted the key, turned the ignition and — nothing.
The battery was dead.
Now, fortunately, the Boy Scout in me was ready. I jumped into action like the father in a “A Christmas Story “ when he got a flat tire. (Note: Lisa never hollered “Fuuuudge” during this process.) It was fortunate that I had purchased a new lithium battery jump starter and I opened the back door to the van, pulled it out, and attached it to the battery. Unfortunately, this process was not quite as easy as advertised and the charger needed to be hooked up for a while until it transferred enough power to the battery to start the van.
While we were waiting, our friend Susan Reckers strolled by. “Are you guys leaving? Have a great trip!” We had to embarrassingly explain that there was a slight delay. She said she hoped she wouldn’t see us here when she came back from getting her coffee.
OK. I got the van started. My Amazon purchase paid off! Here we go! We pulled out of the driveway and started on our way. Lisa drafted a text to Susan that we were on our way when an alarm interrupted our elation. It was the new tire pressure monitor telling me that we had a very low tire on the right rear inside tire (we have dual tires on the rear). We had made it exactly 1/2 mile and we had experienced our third mishap. I pulled over in front of St. Isidore School and went to work again.
Since I didn’t trust the new monitors, I pulled out my trustee old-school tire pressure gauge and learned that yes, in fact our tire was very low. But, Mr. Boy Scout was ready. I went into the back of the van and unpacked the tire inflator. I plugged it in and put another 10 pounds of pressure in the tire. Ready to go. Only 40 minutes late now. I am certain we can make that tee time in Tahoe.
Onto the highway and we’re off. Except the tire pressure monitor is telling me that the same tire is getting low again. At this point, I can’t definitively say that Lisa didn’t say Fudge.
I removed the brand new tire pressure monitor from the inner right rear tire and we took off for Tahoe. I was certain this was the issue because this tire had always held pressure and the only thing that had changed was this stupid gadget I just had to have.
Here we go again, off on our adventure. I must say, however, I was a bit nervous about the rest of the tires and Lisa kept reminding me that the tires were a really important part of the van and we should be mindful of the pressure.
About halfway to Tahoe, I noticed the inner left rear tire was gradually losing pressure. “Fudge,” I said (Only I didn’t say Fudge). It was a slow leak so we soldiered on since I didn’t want to miss that tee time. As we got closer with my attention divided between the road and that stupid tire pressure monitor, I felt a sense of relief. The tire would hold enough pressure to make it.
We arrived at the Frandsens. Mike met us in the driveway, grabbed my clubs, told me Mary had made one of her signature peanut butter sandwiches for me and we needed to leave. You see, he had a new driver and needed to try it out before we teed off. I explained our entire harrowing experience. Mike didn’t care. He wanted to get to the driving range before 2:00. We all have our priorities.
The trip has been a total pleasure since. Golf was fun despite my time spent looking for lost balls. We drove to Salt Lake City the next day where I got to hug my sister Vicki for the first time since the pandemic began. She took us on a beautiful hike and we had quality time to catch up. And, here we are now in Boulder, Colorado, our home away from home.
Our hike with Vicki above Salt Lake CityVicki and I toasting our reunion. Sophie eying the food.
Our travels will take us to goat farms in Nebraska and wineries in Iowa (?!?) before our two-week stay at Winona Lake, Indiana. We return through Wisconsin, Minnesota and then to the Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota. We’ll even visit my old high school near Rapid City.
After our travels last year, Lisa and I didn’t think we would write a blog on this year’s trip. After all, we are experts now and nothing exciting will be worth writing about. The first hour of our trip humbled us and we decided writing about the trip will be fun and may give you something worth reading. So, join us along the way as we have adventures, misadventures, and, hopefully, experiences worth remembering.
Lisa and Brad's Travels 