Thinking about our 2011 trip



Camping at Onawa, Iowa, July, 2011

Why did we do this?

Roger asked me five or six years ago what I thought we should do in retirement. Then he put forward two possibilities: a) drag the recliner out on the front porch and sit there with occasional outings to Costco and Macy's or b) travel and experience life all over the United States  . . . hmmm, this was a difficult decision--along with Michael's, Costco and Macy's are some of my favorite spots. Still, I had been an advocate for lifelong learning for about one hundred years and here was the opportunity of my lifetime.

After three or four years of grueling research by Roger and much discussion, we resolved that the part-time RV lifestyle could fit the bill for our retirement. That was the beginning of our biggest project: making it happen. And then we stepped back to think and research and do the math again, making certain it was worth it for us. We purchased our motorhome in 2010 and traveled about 4,400 miles during that summer.

Roger has always been my line leader. After driving 8,002 miles in 64 days this summer, he continues to be positive and brave and only once wondered if sitting on the front porch might have been not such a bad idea. I thank you, Roger. We didn't take a vacation; we experienced a new lifestyle. Already, we've begun outlining our itinerary for 2012.




Coming home in 2011

We know this road. We've been here lots of other times in a car. We've even been here in the motorhome in 2010. This summer as we drove the 500+ miles from the Utah-Idaho border to our home, we began sorting out this summer's travel experiences: what we would do differently, how we would repeat some things in exactly the same way, places where we would return to explore more leisurely, and when we would head out again.

The scenery along I-84 and US-95 is very beautiful. We relaxed because we knew pretty much what to expect. Road construction continued to be the greatest source of excitement during this final stage of our trip. 



The view from our deck at home



Idaho corn



Onions north of Fruitland



New Meadows



The Time Bridge near Riggins
Pacific Time north; Mountain Time south

Riggins

The Salmon River



Rock removal at the top of White Bird Hill began Sept. 21, with delays up to 90 min. We drove through
on Sept. 23. Thank goodness delays had been reduced to 30 min. This project is planned to run Mon-Fri,
until Dec. 4, and will resume in the spring, 2012. 



Traffic going north and south is stopped for 30 minutes at a
time as the construction crew makes the pass safer.



Rock blasting stops and traffic moves from both sides of the hill for 15 minutes.
Then vehicles are stopped for 30 minutes as blasting and rock removal resume.



We passed this wide load at the bottom of White Bird Hill. Able to get to the top of this seven-mile grade (with 2700 vertical feet rise) during the stop, the wide load and its escorts were allowed to roll through the pass. Next came our motorhome and all the big trucks that had climbed the hill and were waiting behind us in a pull-out lot near the top of White Bird. After the big trucks, buses, and RVs came passenger vehicles. Keep this delay in mind if you're going to travel on US-95 this fall.



Seven bridges are being rebuilt between Winchester Grade and Culdesac



The day we went through, there was no flag person--you're on your own.

  



At the bottom of the Lewiston Hill



Between Genesee and Moscow



Almost there



We're home!

Salt Lake City, Utah

We visited with family in Murray and Holladay three days before heading to Idaho. Highlights included having the fuel pump replaced in our Acura and riding Trax and spending time with family. We camped at the KOA on North Temple near Redwood Road in SLC. This is a very nice campground and we will stay here again.




Jan and Steve's garden in SLC
Our family always has deep discussions and
lots of laughter around the dinner table here.



Leaving Colorado and entering Utah



near Price, Utah



Jan, Roger, Andrew, and Ella



Jack



Jan, Andrew, Ella. Lynn, Gabe, and Roger



Ella and Andrew

Pueblo, Colorado

Two stops in Colorado: overnight at Pueblo KOA and then two nights in Grand Junction. We traveled US-83 from Liberal to Garden City, Kansas, and then on US-50 to Pueblo. The rest of the journey through Colorado would be on Interstate highways 25 and 70--no small roads for us through the Rocky Mountains!

Our first challenge was our approach to the KOA in Pueblo. In phone conversations--when we made the reservation and again when we were about ten miles out calling for last-minute advice about our approach--the staff at the KOA mentioned the one-lane tunnel. We would take Exit 108, keeping as far right as we could, then turn left immediately, come through a one-lane underpass tunnel, proceed about 100 feet and then turn right into the campground road. They told us the one-lane tunnel was 13.5 feet tall and that it went under four lanes of freeway plus the median.They assured us that the tunnel was wide enough for our 8'5" wide motorhome to get through without scraping our coach's paint. What a lovely thought. We should have stopped and taken a photo of the entire tunnel. UGH! We were so glad to get through unscathed! When we left Pueblo even though we were headed north, we took the southbound on-ramp and went four miles, exited and then came back on the northbound I-25 to avoid going through the underpass tunnel again.

Colorado is gorgeous mountain country. The KOA staff had told us about 12" of new snow that had fallen at Pike's Peak the day before. Roger seemed unimpressed. However, as navigator, I took particular note. I had read the freeway reader boards reminding all truckers that chains are required to be on board from September 1 through May. We didn't have chains. We had no intention of driving through slush, let alone snow or ice. But here we were on a mostly sunny fine September day, climbing from Denver to Littleton, ready to continue onto I-70, and head over the pass (and snow?) and then down to Grand Junction. 

First, we had to get to the summit. We had our eye on the speedometer as it dropped from 60 mph to 40 and then 37. Our speed slowed and the water temperature gauge climbed steadily.  As the Interstate rose over 5,000 feet from Denver's 5,280 ft. elevation, we leaned our bodies forward in the seats, helping our Cummins 450 IML motor with an extra you-can-do-it! push that would help us make it to the top without being forced to stop to cool down. And then just as we realized we had made the grade, the steep descent began with warning signs for truckers (and us): Truck Speed Limit 35 (mph); Truckers, don't be fooled . . . ; and Truckers, you are not down yet. We stayed in the right lane in a line of semi trucks cruising down the Rockies at about 35-38 mph. That was perfect during the steep sections near the top. We didn't care that cars, SUVs, and small trucks zoomed past us in the left lanes. We went through rain and some hail, but no snow--thank you very much! After the steep sections, we once again drove at about 60 mph, relaxed, snacked on cheese and crackers, and enjoyed the scenery.
  




To get on or off I-25 at Exit 108 at Pueblo, you travel through this 13.5 ft. one-lane tunnel.

 

 

Liberal, Kansas

Heading westward again, we camped at Wichita Falls, Texas, and then continued on our way to Liberal, Kansas and the Mid-America Air Museum. The weather had been terribly hot in Sherman and Wichita Falls, Texas, as well as Dodge City, Kansas. The ground had big cracks. What grass there was in campgrounds was dormant or dead. Finally, when we got to Liberal, it was overcast, breezy, and rainy. Apparently this was an excellent time to visit. According to people who live there, the smell from the nearby feedlot doesn't always waft the other way and a cooler outside temperature meant a pleasant temperature inside the Mid-America museum hangar.  We enjoyed our stay in Liberal and recommend
visitng the air museum displays.


Western Star RV Ranch in Liberal, Kansas



We found a spot at Western Star RV Ranch

We have lots of elbowroom at Western Star RV Ranch

Mid-America Air Museum



Mid-America Air Museum

Mid-America Air Museum



Mid-America Air Museum

Mid-America Air Museum



9/11 Trubute at Mid-America Air Museum



Mid-America Air Museum



Mid-America Air Museum



Mid-America Air Museum



Mid-America Air Museum



Mid-America Air Museum



Mid-America Air Museum



Mid-America Air Museum

Voted Number One for having the worst summer by weather.com meteorologists
because of more than 100 consecutive days of 100 degrees or higher in 2011.
We camped at Wichita Falls, Texas during three of those 100+ degree days.

Between Texarkana and Liberal, we drove in Texas on US-82,  US-287 and US-83,  then through the panhandle of Oklahoma on US-83, and into Kansas. We passed through Nocoma, original home of the Nocoma Boot Company. Roger remembered that the first baseball mitt his dad gave him was a Nokoma (from Nocoma).


The view along US-82

 This is the landscape I usually associate with Texas--dry, flat open range.  We followed the Chilsom Trail during part of this day's travels.





Canadian, Texas