Travel

Well, That Didn’t Work Out the Way We Planned.

Posted on July 27, 2021 by loansbrad

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’s Tower

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 Tower
Lisa and I posing with Devil’s Tower
Devil’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 farmhouse
The road to Cheri’s home
Sophie and Ralphie enjoying a beautiful Montana evening
Cheri’s garden
The 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 backyard
Ralphie 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.

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Badlands, Black Hills, and Buffalo Jams!

Posted on July 24, 2021 by lisablackwell

The main destination of our trip this week is South Dakota. I have never been to the Dakotas. Brad spent two years of his early high school years in Rapid City and was anxious to show this beautiful area to me. None of it disappointed and we had many delightful surprises along the way.

We started our journey at Badlands National Park. We drove from the Eastern end of South Dakota starting with fertile farmland to arid prairies to this unbelievable force of nature called the Badlands. The Native American tribe — the Lakotas — named this area Mako Sica meaning very eroded or bad land and the early French fur traders called the badlands ‘les mauviases terres a traverser’ or bad lands to traverse. Imagine early settlers traveling across the flat grassy plains and coming upon this magical geologic mystery of towering rock spires. We drove the scenic Badlands Loop and got out at as many scenic overlooks as we could. Dogs aren’t allowed to hike on the trails of most National Parks so we had to stick to the overlooks. We were fine with that because by the time we went sight-seeing the temps were in the mid-90’s. Here’s a few of our favorite Badland scenes. In a place like this, pictures really don’t do the area justice.

Brad does all of the planning for our RV trips.  Some of you might enjoy that little detail because until we got an RV, Gracie Forman, his right-hand person at Wells Fargo and I have done all of his travel planning.  He pre-warned me that our RV spot for the night might not be up to our standards but it was in a GREAT location because it was close to the Badlands.  Suffice it to say that if all of our overnight spots were like the RV spot near the Badlands, we would probably be selling the Winona Rider when we got home!  We made the best of it and enjoyed our air-conditioning and really good WiFi and called it a night.  

The next day we were off to the Black Hills but first we had to make a stop at Wall Drug. What a crazy place that is. You have to visit it to be able to describe it. Wall Drug Store began in the 1930’s as a place that offered free ice water to travelers. You can’t miss the location because there were at least 100 billboards telling us where it was and what they offered. We really wanted that 5 cent cup of coffee they advertised but the line was so long that we decided to pass and just enjoy the spectacle. There were cowboy hats, ice cream cones, coffee mugs, buffalo-skin coats, little license plates with your name on them – pretty much any cliche souvenir you can imagine.

Wall Drug goes on for blocks and blocks!

From Wall, we drove to Rapid City and stopped at Brad’s high school—Douglas High. Brad attended school there his freshman and sophomore years. The façade had changed but after walking around, he still remembered certain classrooms and areas he used to hang out as a young 15 year old. We drove by Ellsworth Air Force Base where his Dad was stationed and stopped quickly to look at the outdoor Air and Space Museum at the Base.

Brad re-living his youth at Douglas High
A Huey helicopter similar to the one Brad’s Dad flew when stationed at Ellsworth AFB

Next we decided we were up for Mount Rushmore. We weren’t sure how busy it would be but were delighted to see that the lines were short and the parking was plentiful. We did a quick Chevy Chase tour of the Monument. (Dogs aren’t allowed up close) We took a selfie and patted ourselves on the back for our lucky timing! It really is impressive and worth your time to visit.

Quick selfie at Mount Rushmore
Close up of the Presidents

Time for lunch and Custer State Park in the Black Hills. The Black Hills were named by the Lakota tribe because of their dark appearance from a distance, as they are covered with evergreen trees. Until I visited, I had always thought they were named that because the hills were actually black. Duh! Of all of the parks we have seen, Custer State Park has to be one of the finest. There is so much to see and do and such variety of terrain. Our first day we had a picnic lunch at a lovely lake and then headed towards the Visitor Center to get our bearings. Funny thing though when you are driving through Custer State Park, you never know when you will get stuck in a buffalo jam. And stuck we got!!! There were at least 100 buffalo when we turned a corner on our path. They were everywhere—in the pasture, on the road, in the hills. None of them were going anywhere quickly. In fact, they seemed to relish in the fact that they were stopping lines of cars on both sides of the road and they were not about to move. We sat there for about 45 minutes wondering how we ever were going to get through but one-by-one each car took their turn navigating through the bison.

Buffalo Traffic Jam…These guys weren’t going anywhere fast!
A field of buffalo

The Native American term for buffalo or bison is Tatanka. The buffalo are held in high regard by the Lakota people and the species are respected as a symbol of the divine. After seeing these creatures up close, you really do understand their magnificence. Of course, my husband just wanted to sing the CU Fight Song and call out Ralphie every time he saw them because that’s what Buffs do.

A Retired Ralphie?

After our buffalo jam and a few more walks in the park with Sophie and Ralphie, we headed to our campground for the next three nights. I know that Brad was holding his breath that this one would get my approval and luckily it far exceeded it! We got one of the most picturesque spots in the place and have enjoyed a very peaceful, private camp site these past three nights. We were surrounded by pine trees and a real shower! I know I shouldn’t mix nature with a modern facility but when you are showering in a tiny wet bath in the Sprinter Van, a real shower is akin to heaven. I think I have enjoyed my three showers here a little too much!! We have been able to walk the dogs outside of the campground and see the sunset every night. We also have fun seeing everyone’s different RV’s and tents. They certainly do come in all shapes and sizes from Monster RV’s that are up to 45 feet long to Retro ones that are complete with a white picket fence and matching outdoor furniture to small pup tents that can only fit a single person. Our neighbors at our campsite are from Boulder and live in the area Brad and I bought our first condo. (What are the odds?)

Peaceful Big Pines Campground
Sophie and Ralphie going on a Sunset Stroll
Cute Retro RV…We really need to up our game!
Can’t even imagine driving and parking this monster

The last two days we have had slow mornings and leisurely evenings with some great morning hikes, picnic lunches at lakes, and a little sightseeing thrown in. We did another quick Chevy Chase tour of Crazy Horse Memorial (they were building this memorial well before Brad lived here and are still not close to finishing) and we did a couple of lovely picturesque drives on Iron Mountain Road and Wildlife Loop. Our excursion on Iron Mountain Road was averted when we got caught in some pea-sized hail (and Brad hates peas). We quickly turned around and felt great pity for all of the motorcyclists who were finding cover under the trees. On our way to Wildlife Loop, we got caught in a shorter Buffalo Jam- these guys were on the move this time. We also got to see Pronghorn antelope, Prairie Dogs, more Buffalo and delightful, playful Burros.

Lover’s Leap Hike!
Lost Trails Hike…Just a man and his dog(s)
Beautiful waterfalls on the Lost Hills Hike
Crazy Horse Memorial…Will it get done in our lifetime?
Another Buffalo Jam…These guys were on the move this time.
Brad, Can we bring this cute donkey home?
Hail Storm!

The Black Hills and Badlands are one of the most awe-inspiring places we have been. It has been so nice to “drop anchor” here for three days and take our time seeing the sights and enjoying nature. And, yes, I’ll never forget the great showers and my husband calling all of the buffalo on the road “Ralphie”. Go Buffs!

You lookin’ at me, Brad?
So True!

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Midwestern Wine and Beer and Water — Lots of Water

Posted on July 18, 2021 by loansbrad

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 Day
Tumbled Rock Brewery
Sophie 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’ Center
Lisa’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 Winery
The 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 . . .

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Sleeping With Goats in Nebraska

Posted on July 1, 2021 by lisablackwell

After a busy couple of days in Boulder seeing friends and getting the van stocked for our next few days on the road, we headed out early Wednesday morning for our first Harvest Host destination of the trip:  Shepherd’s Rest Goat and Sheep Rescue in the Village of Pickrell, Nebraska—Population 199.

When we arrived at the beautiful 100 year old farm, we were warmly greeted by Jen; the owner of the property and hero goat rescuer.  We have been listening to the book “Running with Sherman” by Christoper McDougall  in the van and there were a couple of chapters about the wonderful qualities of goats so we were primed and excited for our visit.

Jen has over sixty goats with cute names like Oreo, Bam-Bam, Inigo Montoya, Lovey, Eleanor, and Sven on her property and she knows each one, their back-story, and calls them by name.  She also has a miniature cow –Moose, a mini horse — Minnie Winnie, four baby red foxes, some deer, sheep, and nightly tree frogs.  Jen runs only one of three goat rescues in the United States.  The other two are in the East and West Coast so she rescues goats mostly from the middle part of the country.  She told us when she turned 50, she decided she could either take it easy and drink margaritas on a cruise ship or she could pursue her passion and rescue goats.  She chose the latter!

Jen calling to her goats!
She has over 60 goats on her property that she has rescued right now.
We seemed to have a staring contest going on with these guys.
Sophie meeting Moose, the mini cow and a very large sheep!
Wanted to take this little one into the Van with us!! Why not add a goat to our menagerie?

Jen rescues goats that have been neglected or abused and rehabilitates them while providing a goat sanctuary in her beautiful setting.  She also educates the public about goats and sheep as therapy animals and provides animal assisted therapy to nursing homes and assisted living facilities nearby.  She said she felt her animals truly helped many people get through covid lockdowns who were alone and without family.  Jen also has monthly goat yoga classes here on the farm complete with meditation paths around the farm.  What a peaceful oasis!

We were all by ourselves in a forest setting for the evening.  I will take a Harvest Host setting over a crowded RV Park any day of the week!  So glad we found out about them.  We ate dinner while watching the sunset and the fireflies put on a fireworks show for us.  As we went to bed, the sound of the tree fogs serenaded us to sleep. 

Our traditional “We Made It” Beer!
Sophie and Ralphie back posing for sunset pictures
Sunset in Nebraska

 All in all, Shepherd’s Goat Rescue was one of our favorite stops yet.  If you ever find yourself in Pickrell, NE or even Lincoln or Omaha make sure to make the trip to visit Jen’s Goat Rescue Sanctuary. On weekends, you can play with the goats and even do some goat yoga!

Here is Jen’s website in case you are interested in finding out more. We made a donation so she could rescue a few more cute little critters. Now we are off to a winery in Marenga, Iowa for our next adventure!

https://www.shepherdsrestrescue.com

Shepherd’s Goat and Sheep Rescue

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One Year Later: We’re Still Doing This?!?

Posted on June 29, 2021 by loansbrad

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 City
Vicki 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.

Boulder Creek
Posing in front of the Boulder Flatirons

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Nelson Family Vineyards

Posted on May 22, 2021 by lisablackwell

We spent two days at an RV Park in Avenue of the Giants before driving to Nelson Family Vineyards. Our hikes around Avenue of the Giants were amazing even though most trails once again don’t allow dogs. We were resourceful and found trails that did even though we needed to drive to Eureka for one of them. The Elk River Trail in Eureka was everything you could want in a trail so we weren’t disappointed. Because the temps were chilly and windy, we were forced to eat our dinners inside. We were pretty impressed with ourselves that we could cook and serve dinner for four people and three dogs in a Sprinter Van. It definitely was like a game of Twister but we enjoyed ourselves and had good food and, of course, great wine!

Thumbs up to Elk River Trail in Eureka!

We spent one lovely evening in Nelson Family Vineyards-the last night of our trip. Nelson Family Vineyards is south of Ukiah right off of 101. It’s a beautiful 2000 acre ranch that has been family owned and operated since 1951. Not only does it have 200 acres of vineyards but it also has 37 acres of Bartlett Pears, 7 acres of Christmas tree with a few donkeys, and 300 olive trees. We had a wine tasting outdoors in a lovely setting looking at Redwood Trees and acres of vines. Not only did we buy some Sauvignon Blanc but we also came home with Honey, Balsamic Vinegar Reduction, and some Olive Oil.

The Tasting Room
Donkeys and Christmas Trees at the Ranch

The best part of the visit was our RV site. We were in the middle of the hills and the vineyards in an extremely peaceful setting. The site can have up to 15 RV’s but we were lucky and only three RV’s showed up for the evening. We had a lovely charcuterie dinner and watched the sunset over the vines.

Our Camp Sight
Morning in the Vineyard

Not being natives of California, Brad and I are continually amazed at the beauty of this state and the many places we still have yet to see. Sometimes we pinch ourselves that we both were lucky to end up living in a place with so much natural beauty and diversity.

And once again, our Harvest Host visit reaffirmed why we enjoy them so much. We had a vineyard almost to ourselves and woke up (after 9 ½ hours sleep!) to only the sounds of birds and a few critters. It was a good way to end our week.

We were all Ralphie at the end of this trip!!
Categories: RV, Travel, Wine | Tags: , | 1 Comment

The World of Harvest Hosts

Posted on May 20, 2021 by lisablackwell

We are back for a weeklong trip on the Winona Rider!  It’s our first real van-life adventure of the year. We are traveling with our good friends, Mike and Mary Frandsen and their dog Mojo who rented a sprinter van for the week.  Our trip this week is taking us to Lassen Volcanic National Park and the Avenue of the Giants in Northern California with stops in between along the way. Instead of blogging every day that we are in the van this year, we thought we would highlight the places we stay with Harvest Hosts. After all, we are experts now and it wouldn’t be nearly as amusing to our readers if we no longer had van mishaps…even though I am sure a few of those will happen from time to time.

First, a little information about Harvest Hosts to jog your memory.  Harvest Hosts is a membership program for RV owners that provides access to a network of wineries, farms, breweries, golf courses, museums and even an alpaca farm. We love staying at Harvest Hosts locations because we are able to get to know the owners, have a personal new experience, and there are usually only one or two RVs at a time visiting for the night.  Most of these places are small businesses and in a year that we all need to support small businesses get back on their feet, we thought we would highlight them.  Maybe if you happen to be in the area, you can visit them with or without an RV.

Our first Harvest Hosts location of the year was a place called Smiling Dogs Ranch in Kelseyville, CA near Clear Lake.  Their write-up said “Need to love dogs and wine” so, of course, we had to book a night there.  We were greeted by Scott and Susie and their dogs Coda and Gelato.  It was a bit chaotic at first with the dogs getting used to each other and barking and sniffing, as dogs will do.  They became fast friends once they got acquainted.  Scott served us a vast variety of wines that he makes with his vineyards on the property and grapes he buys from others in the Lake County area.  They all have adorable smiling dog labels and are named after many of their dogs, past and present.  Our favorite was Sophie’s Choice for obvious reasons.

Brad drinking wine with Sophie, Coda, and Gelato
Scott showing off Sophie’s Choice-named after a beloved Samoyed

Scott and Susie live on a little slice of heaven surrounded by grapevines, beautiful Italian Cypress Trees, and a multitude of birds and critters along with, of course, their smiling dogs.  We took a late afternoon walk amongst the vines to see all of the views and barbecued out by their barn for our dinner.  It’s a perfect place for a sunset and Sophie, Ralphie, and Mojo (the Frandsen’s new puppy) posed perfectly for the picture.

A Touch of Italy in Kelseyville
Mary, Brad and friends in the vineyard
Our dinner view
Mojo, Sophie, and Ralphie enjoying the sunset

We slept like babies in the quiet of the vineyard and were awakened with a pot of fresh coffee.  Susie and Scott also roast their own coffee.  Susie served us banana muffins and even had a bouquet of flowers from her home for us and dog treats for the dogs.  Coda, the young Samoyed, was at our doorstep wondering if Sophie and Ralphie could come out and play.  They happily obliged and ran freely in their expansive grounds.  I think the dogs were the saddest of all when we had to pack up and leave.

Our morning breakfast complete with freshly roasted coffee
Sunrise in the Vineyard

If you are ever in the Clear Lake area, make a point to visit their Smiling Dogs Tasting Room on Main Street in Kelseyville…Or better yet, if you have an RV, make sure to book an overnight stay at Smiling Dog Ranch.  And don’t forget to bring your pups…They will thank you for it and it will put a smile on everyone’s faces.

Categories: Travel | 3 Comments

Lessons we Learned on the Winona Rider

Posted on August 22, 2020 by lisablackwell

Now that we are home from our maiden voyage on the Winona Rider, I thought I would share some lessons learned about traveling around the country. Brad and I traveled 5600 miles in four weeks and went to 13 different states racking up over 150 hours in our Sprinter Van. Although we spent some time in our Boulder condo and at the Winona Lake cottage, we did have enough time on our own in the Winona Rider to learn a thing or two.

Simplicity is freeing.  It was unbelievably freeing to live life simply while in the Winona Rider.  Brief showers, no makeup, hair in a ponytail and a hat, and rotating between three or four outfits.  Our dinners were simple with very minimal clean up. Even though we had some really good wine, we used plastic wine glasses so Brad didn’t spend hours shining up his wine glasses like at home.  Yes, you heard me right….plastic wine glasses!

Conservation is necessary and important.  We had to conserve everything because we were  not going to RV Parks and were not plugging in anywhere that we camped.  Conserving fresh water was key so we didn’t have to keep stopping to find water.  We did the shower routine we learned on The Andiamo in our sailing days.  Turn on water.  Get wet.  Turn off water.  Lather up.  Turn on water.  Rinse off.  Minimal water used….minimal time!  Our tiny bathroom converted into a wet shower so you didn’t want to spend that much time in there anyway.  

Our biggest issue was battery power.  We didn’t have enough to feel comfortable each night plugging in devices and using power around the van so we were very careful.  One night we left the refrigerator door slightly ajar and woke up with Zero Percent Battery Power with warning lights flashing at us.  Never a good thing.  We patiently waited for the sun to come up to get some solar to help power up the RV.  It was a race between the refrigerator running and the sun shining that morning.  I really got into all of the solar power vs. battery numbers after that day!

Routines are Good.  We figured out our roles and routines early on and then refined them along the way.  We had a morning routine where Brad got up and took the dogs out and made me coffee and then I slowly got up!  Everyone who knows me knows of that truth.  We figured out the timing of cleaning up breakfast and dinners, making and un-making the beds, when to take showers, and when to charge our devices.  Our best new routine that we developed was having a beer together when we first got to our new camping spot.  We started doing this after the harrowing drive in Kansas with the wicked thunderstorm and decided it was a worthy routine after that!

One of Lisa’s birthday presents. And, it’s true.

Dogs are great traveling companions….most of the time!  Sophie and Ralphie really did well on this trip.  They assumed their positions in the RV and were very patient on the days we had long drives.  They slept like champs and loved the wide open spaces wherever we camped.  We did have a few issues, however.  For one thing, Ralphie is a wanderer and we frequently had to go searching for him as he slowly wandered off to check out a venue that looked more interesting.  We nickname Sophie the Velcro Dog so we never had a problem with her wandering off.  Unfortunately, Sophie got a little case of diarrhea when we were in Boulder the first time and poor Brad had to take her down three flights of steps to the nearby park every two hours for two nights in a row.  Luckily, after some rice and pumpkin added to her diet, all was well.  Our only other issue with the dogs was when my Dad announced he didn’t allow dogs in the Lake Cottage upon our arrival.  We did our best to do a dance where the dogs went out to play or on a walk when my Dad was in motion.   Ralphie and my Dad ended up being fast friends so it was almost a win!

Sophie got tired of posing after her many photo sessions.

You meet really interesting people even during a Pandemic.  Although our main goal was to go to places without people because of Covid, we did encounter some really interesting people and their stories at the Alpaca Ranch.  We met one woman who is the founder of the African Library Project and has started over 1900 libraries in sub-Saharan Africa.  She lives in the Bay Area and, of course, we connected to see how we can participate in the future.  We also met a few other couples who had sold their homes and were living in their RV’s for the foreseeable future and traveling the country.  We met a few novices like us who bought their vehicles during the pandemic and were on their own maiden voyages.  People were from all over the country and were trying to travel the safest way they could figure out during this troubling time.  We also re-connected with some good friends and family along the journey.  We appreciated them all for welcoming us into their backyards with our two crazy dogs and a van that scraped up their driveways.  We book-ended our trip with the Frandsens and Dittmores in Tahoe and can’t thank them enough for their hospitality and we are thankful that their neighborhood bears didn’t want to have a midnight snack in our RV.

A nice visit with Gracie and Arthur Forman
We stayed with Chris and Brenda Dittmore (and new puppy Rimy) on our last night of the trip.

We Loved Our Wide Open Spaces.  Wow, this country really is beautiful.  We loved waking up every day to a new place for a sunrise and sometimes a different place for a beautiful sunset.  Almost every place we stayed at had Wide Open Spaces and we felt so fortunate to just sit outside by our van in the mornings and evenings and look at the beauty around us.  The beauty wasn’t only in Montana but we also enjoyed our stays in Nebraska, Kansas, and Iowa.  There is a lot of beauty to see everywhere in the United States.  It felt good to appreciate it and not be in a hurry or fly over those places.

Sophie in Montana

Ralphie in Kansas

Masks should be federally mandated everywhere.  We were very aware of the mask issue in each state we visited.  Places like Colorado who have one of the lowest infection rates in the nation had 99% mask compliance.  People even wear masks while cycling and hiking in Colorado.  Other states seemed to have very optional mask-wearing ordinances.  Sadly, most of the states with the worst mask compliance were also those who were seeing surges in cases.  We saw large weddings, a large party, and people in stores without masks. Hard to believe that wearing masks has become a political issue and not one about health… but I digress.

Lisa and Joan hiking in the mountains near Boulder

We slept like babies.    We both haven’t slept this well since before Trump became President.  Our bed was very comfortable but there was something about the fresh air and lack of distractions that made us both have the best sleeps of our lives.  The dogs slept amazingly as well.  Ralphie slept with us and Sophie was right by our feet and would only get up and start pawing us when the sun rose.

A sense of humor with your spouse is helpful.  Things went wrong.  We both made mistakes.  I kept leaving the light on in the bathroom draining our much-needed battery.  Brad mistakenly left the water running in the sink somehow filling up the grey tank and over-flowing the shower.  We went up some harrowing roads with hairpin turns and we backed out of a few driveways and made our mark in the streets. Sometimes it got hot and buggy inside the van and we wished for air-conditioning.  And yet, we enjoyed figuring it all out and laughing about it.  We laughed and sang and talked a lot.  My phone never seemed to work so there were no outside distractions or negative news about the world.   It was nice to take a break from it all for once. (Although we did make sure to catch the Democratic Convention whenever we could find it on one of our devices.  Some things are worth the exception!)

A month is a long time to be away from home and the grandkids.  We loved our time away but couldn’t wait to get back to see Max, Maile, and Noa.  (Oh, and their parents, too)  

A lot changes in a month. California has had record heat and lightning strikes and now fires, smoke, and unhealthy air. Kamala Harris became the Vice Presidential Nominee.   Steph moved into a new apartment in New York.  I announced my retirement from the Town Council.   A rat decided to take up residence in our home while we were gone.  Sophie has doubled in size. Noa has changed dramatically with his moving and smiling and cooing.  Maile is in the process of starting remote pre-school and learned how to swim across our pool and jump off the diving board while we were gone.  Max turned three and has become even more curious about the world.  His favorite word is “Why?”  We FaceTimed almost daily but as everyone now knows, FaceTime or Zoom is not the same as being there in person.  It felt great to arrive in smoky Danville this afternoon.  I was filled with gratitude about being able to go on this journey with Brad.

A smoky Lake Tahoe. Normally you would see mountains and crystal blue water.

The first thing we did after unpacking was to take a really long shower and start planning our next (shorter) trip!  We may not blog in the future now that we are thinking we are pros but we will post some more sunset pictures along the way this fall.

Categories: Travel | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Itty Bitty Living Space, Great Big Backyard

Posted on August 18, 2020 by loansbrad

We spent the past week in Boulder. On Sunday we started the final leg of our journey by heading north to Montana.

I went to Kindergarten in Great Falls and did a family vacation to Yellowstone as a kid. But, I haven’t been to Montana as an adult. Lisa has never been here. So, we have been looking forward to our quick tour of the state as we work our way home.

It took us about eight hours to get to Billings in Central Montana, our first stop. On the way we found a spot by the North Platt River in Casper Wyoming for lunch. Most lunches involve almond butter and jelly. Since the food isn’t much to speak of, we go for atmosphere.

Amoco Park in Casper Wyoming

Billings became a town because it was a convenient railroad stop in the late 1800s. It has grown because it sits upon a rich reserve of coal, oil, and gas. It is situated among long cliffs called rims. We had a pleasant evening, staying overnight at a golf course. We dined on cheese and prociutto, had a nice bottle of wine, and got another beautiful sunset. Our friends Neil and Dave will be disappointed to hear we had no RV disasters to deal with.

Sunset over Eagle Rock Golf Club in Billings

The next morning we got up, and, since we only had a three-hour drive to our next destination, we went for a hike. It was an easy 2-mile hike but we got up high enough to see Billings. Max and Brodie called as we arrived at the trailhead, so we took them along. The place was teeming with grasshoppers and, upon seeing all the action, Sophie started catching and eating them. Max thought this was very funny (we didn’t).

A selfie with Max on FaceTime
A view of the cliffs

After our hike we hopped back in the Winona Rider and drove to Sentinel Ranch near Bozeman. This unique Harvest Host stop is an alpaca ranch. Yes, hundreds of alpacas. And, we are parked overnight in what they call the back 20. That’s 20 acres at the back of the ranch with lots and lots of alpacas. Alpacas are much friendlier than llamas, although we understand they will spit if in distress. But, then, I have a few friends that will do that too.

Lisa is fascinated by the fact that alpacas use a communal dung pile. She insisted we include this fact in this blog entry. Now I need to get up and walk over to take a picture of a dung pile so you can see it. Be right back.

An alpaca communal dung pile. Apparently the males are far tidier than the females.
We guys have that going for us.

We took a tour of the ranch and had the chance to feed the mothers with their new babies. The ranch family keeps the new mothers all together close to the house so coyotes don’t get the babies. Speaking of coyotes, there is a ranch sheepdog that protects the herd. His name is Falcor after the dog in The Neverending Story. Nathaniel, one of the owners, told us it is because this face looks just like the dog in that movie. I couldn’t tell. We couldn’t really see his face.

Falcor, the ranch guardian
Falcor meets Sophie and Ralphie

The babies are cria. We saw one that had just been born that morning. He was a little wobbly but otherwise looked a lot like the other babies. Our guide reminded us that prey animals are essentially able to run away from predators at birth — an important survival characteristic. Lisa, who is endlessly fascinated with these animals, reminded me that alpacas have two sets of eyelashes. I hadn’t noticed. But, they’re very cute.

The newest baby alpaca, born that morning

Lisa feeding a mother

A Harvest Host guest met this one and bought her. I hope she has room at home.

Alpacas only have bottom teeth. This gal needs hers straightened

Lisa examining the double eyelashes

It was 96 degrees during the tour so we quickly retreated to the gift shop (that was their sinister plan all along). Alpaca wool is much softer and more breathable than sheep’s wool. We’re suckers for soft and breathable.

After dinner we walked through the back twenty and watched the sunset. We have been having the dogs pose at sunset each night. They’ve done really well. But, tonight Sophie was not having it. She wouldn’t stay long enough for me to get a good photo. I scolded her not realizing that Sophie is a very sensitive girl. She decided she would stay, but, she moped about it the whole time. Photo shoot ruined.

We slept well since, at 10% humidity, it cools down nicely. We have developed a very nice habit of taking our time to get ready in the morning. Coffee, breakfast and relaxation. We then headed off for a hike in the nearby mountains. It was a beautiful 5-mile journey along the Cottonwood Creek as it wound down a valley in the mountains.

As I was writing this entry the alpaca herd came over to take a look at us. It underscored our experience — itty bitty living space, great big backyard. And, sometimes, with unusual neighbors.

Categories: Travel | Tags: , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Rookie Mistakes, Lunch with Old Friends, and a Race with Mother Nature

Posted on August 10, 2020 by loansbrad

We awoke this morning to chirping birds and cool crisp air. Feeling like we had conquered the challenge of RV life, we gathered the dogs and walked around the lake at the idyllic winery in central Missouri. We were heading west and planned to leave at about 9am after our walk and a leisurely breakfast.

Our view of the lake at Serenity Vineyards

An RV has a lot of moving parts. Water, electricity, HVAC, gas, plumbing, solar, etc. Learning all the systems takes a bit of study. I guess we were bound to make a mistake or two. We just didn’t think we’d make them all on the same morning.

There are three water tanks on the Airstream Interstate motor home we’re driving:

— a fresh water tank that holds 27 gallons of water for drinking, washing, showering, and , uh, the toilet.

— a gray water tank for all the water that goes down the sink and shower drain. It holds 17 gallons if this water.

— and, finally a black water tank. We’ll let you guess what that one holds.

Well, a design flaw on this RV is that when you close the cover on the sink while after using the hot water, the water will turn back on. If you don’t discover your error quickly, you use up fresh water while filling your gray tank. Yeah, we did that this morning. Then Lisa discovered that the bathroom floor was filled with soapy water that should have already gone down the drain. Well, my error with the sink filled the gray tank, emptied the fresh tank and caused the bathroom floor drain to back up. Thank goodness we didn’t make a mistake with the black tank!

As we prepared to leave with empty tanks that were supposed to be full and full tanks that were supposed to be empty, our propane generator suddenly stopped and all the lights went out. Total power failure. Oh, no.

Lisa and I immediately went to the ultimate authority — Google in order to solve this mystery. Nothing.

We did, however, find a service that offered an expert to help us solve the problem. For $1 (using our credit card number, of course) we could subscribe to their service and have a friendly technician magically give us the answers. After about 15 minutes, Randall, our friendly expert texted to say he was ready to help. After describing the problem he gave a couple of generic suggestions that made absolutely no sense to us,

Lisa and I walked around looking for something called genset, wondered why we didn’t have a digital multimeter to diagnose the issue, but mostly we just wandered aimlessly hoping for a miracle. Well, a miracle came along. As we were searching for a solution, I noticed that a switch, called the main disconnect switch, was in the off position. Hmm. I flipped it on and presto! the lights came on and everything worked. I let Randall know he solved the problem, embarrassed to tell him what really happened, and we breathed a sigh of relief.

You see, it turns out one of us had accidentally bumped the switch and turned it off. Lisa and I continue to be in disagreement as to who it actually was. To keep the peace, we’ve blamed Sophie.

The culprit — Main Disconnect Switch

After this near crisis we headed out to the freeway to find a dump station where we could empty our tanks so the bathroom would drain. Thirty miles down the road we found one and I dutifully did the deed — draining the tanks into a septic tank through a hole in the ground.

Draining our tanks at the dumps station

Lunch with Old Friends

Our route back to Boulder took us through Kansas City, conveniently close to our dear friends Steve and Stacey Physioc. They graciously offered to serve us lunch, and after our morning fiasco, we arrived an hour-and-a-half late. It was great seeing them. They have a beautiful home on 2 1/2 acres in the country. Stacey served us a healthy (of course) lunch and we bid them farewell. A significant benefit of this trip has been our ability to visit friends and relatives (all socially distanced, of course). We are thrilled.

Steve guided me out of their driveway as I backed into the street. He rushed to move solar lights along the edge of the pavement as I backed up, telegraphing to me that he really didn’t like the way I was handling the rig. Another rookie mistake. Fortunately I made it to the street with no damage and we were on our way.

Steve and Stacey

A Race with Mother Nature

As we headed west through Kansas the skies began to darken. Lisa, ever the vigilant one, opened up the Weather Channel app to see what was up. She said, “Severe thunderstorms in Hays, Kansas with golf ball-sized hail. It’s heading north.

Well, from looking out the windshield it was clear that a massive storm was now south of I-70 and was heading into our path. We needed to get 20 miles down the road before the storm reached the highway. Big rigs clearly had the information as they were “putting their hammer down in their rush to get in the clear.

A screenshot of the weather radar. You can see I-70 at the top of the screen.

We felt the wind before the rain hit. I don’t know how strong it was, but, it was all I could do to keep us on the road. Should we pull over and find shelter or can we make it?

We decided to make a run for it. I couldn’t go too fast because of the high winds. The northern-most part of the storm hit us. It was dark, windy, rainy, and then the hail hit. We don’t have video of the worst part because our white knuckles had us paralyzed. I would have felt better if Lisa wouldn’t have kept singing the Wicked Witch of the West song.

The Winona Rider, although battered, did pretty well through the storm. As we came through to the other side we both looked at each other and exhaled loudly. Incredibly, the skies cleared and as we set up camp at a little nine-hole golf course in Wakeeney, Kansas, we opened a nice bottle of wine (of course) had pesto tortellini and were treated to a beautiful sunset. Life is good.

Categories: Travel | Tags: , , , , | 6 Comments

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