Lake Jennings Campground Merry Christmas

 1223 - 1229 2025 Lake Jennings Campground  Merry Christmas

Lake Jennings

     I arrived Lake Jennings campground right areound 1500 and checked in. Quickly I discover I did pick the right spot.  Seems like everything slopes towards the lake. I was able to pull in sideways but it was far from level. Considering that I would be pulling in and out almost every day, I want to find a spot where the setup leveling will not be too hard. So I paid the $5 fee to change to the next site over which I was able to back in and get leveled with one or two blocks.  BH and RH came over and picked me up so I could help with the baking, I was a taste tester. After a fine dinner we played a couple games of Clue. 

The next morning I took the campground loop trail getting a couple of Geocaches along the way.  After a small lunch I packed up and drove over to the Heufts. We then went over RH's Grandparents house for a Christmas eve dinner that could be beat. After dinner it was Clue again. It was even more fun with so many players.  Thanks D & R for the wonder meal and great company.  Back a the Heufts we exchanged gifts. 

The next morning I arrived at DL&S house just in time  for breakfast, gift exchange and board games with LCDR and his fins. It was a very fun time. I got a cool 50 states water bottle. 

R & S diving in the living room

Friday BH&RH picked me up to go spend the day at DL&S. We had a great time visiting and playing games. Watching R & S bouncing around especially fun. On the way home we stopped to take the RC Jeep for a spin. Found GC8MTKC  under the Mast Bridge, RH made the grab

On Saturday morning I walked around the lake and got most of the caches hidden along/off the lake road.  It turned out to be longer than I though, but it was a nice trip.  I packed up and went back to DL&S for some more games. 

Sunday I checked out of Lake Jennings Campground, then we all met at the Boardwalk Arcade and watched the kids play the game and win prized.  After the arcade games we went out for pizza.  I stayed at DL&S then took off Monday morning for some 🌵 boon-docking to finish off 2025. 

That's it for this post, here is my 👀 shared photo album. 👀

Thanks for visiting and Merry Christmas.

Rick, Dawn, Josh, Riley, Breanna, Brinn

Quartzite Camp

121025 - 121525 Quartzite Camp 33°51'21.6"N 114°02'35.7"W 

I stayed the night at three different locations on the BLM land in the Quartzite area. First 2 nights, just south of Joshua Road in Bouse AZ where Dottie and Chief lived. I was Geocaching on my ebike when I met a full time nomad Bjarne Winkler and his Dog Ohana (means family) There was a cache near his camper and they wanted to know what I was doing. 

We talked for a good hour. I explained geocaching and Bjarne shared his wisdom about living on the desert and van life. I enjoyed hearing his stories and I asked many questions taking advantage of Bjarne's experience. 

The next day I explored some of the other boondocking areas there and round Quartzite. A area west towards California called Tom Wells Road Dispersed Camping and then the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. During this camp out I stayed up late to view the Geminid meteor shower  on Saturday 13th.  I also had some peaceful walks and plenty of ebike geocaching. 

The Quartzite area is pretty busy this time of year. There are many RV'ers and nomad campers. But there are plenty of space outside of the Quartzite town to find peaceful Isolated desert camping. 

Thanks for visiting. 

👀Photos 👀

Thanksgiving 2025

112325 - 120525 Sun City to Olympia and back again with points in between

Now that the repairs on Vannie D0T1D9 are fixed I was eager to get on the road again. Destination a thanksgiving dinner that could not be beat compliments of the Caron Family somewhere near Olympia. 

I had a good start heading NW through Las Vegas then on to highway 93 that parallels the Nevada - Utah North and South border all the way to Idaho. I pulled into Pahranagat Rest Area after dark, found a level spot and stayed the night. 

Morning was a quick bowl of oatmeal I headed north. I was going to stop at the Alien Research Center but the alien's were off for the holiday and they were closed 🙁 so I continued north. Driving conditions were very good and I made good time. My plan A, a casino campground in Jackpot at the north border of Nevada and Idaho, was a bust. I just didn't have a good feeling about Cactus Pete's Saguaro RV Park. So I continued north into Idaho and found a gem. 

Lud Drexler Park

USFS Lud Drexler Park right next to Salmon Lake Dam. High desert at 5000 feet. It was about 45°F when I parked. I was the only one there, including any Rangers, but they were open. I paid $13.50 and pick a site that had a view of the lake. I had to break out the sleeping bag because it got down to 28°F. In the morning I cooked breakfast inside on the butane stove which help warm the up the inside of the van. I walked down to the dam and around the park. Found a geocache near where I parked. So it was already after ten by the time I lwas back on the road. Highway 93 meets Interstate 84 in Twin Falls, I figured I would make it as far a La Grande in Oregon before sunset. For the third day I didn't really have a confirmed campsite because this late in the season the state USFS campgrounds are closed in the high elevations. So I figured I would stay at a rest stop. But I thought I would check out Forest Road 21 Dispersed Camping between the La Grande exit and Deadman's Pass.

Forest Road 21

It seemed fine when I pulled in and there was only one other camper. The ground was wet forest floor, not muddy. Satisfied, I found a nice spot between the trees. I checked the weather forecast that shows "wintermix", whatever that means,  starting at 2100 with accumulation of .3". It was already after dark, so I figure I was good, after all it was warmer that last night. I woke up at 0230, stepped out side for the necessary and discovered about 2.5" of wet snow! Now I know what "wintermix" is 😟 

Try as I might, I could not go back to sleep. I was worried about getting Vannie out of the snow. Front wheel drive is good, but with so much weight in the back, I'm always afraid of spinning my wheels. So I forced myself to stay in bed, knowing myself I would try to get out in the dark, and wait until sunrise. No telling when the snow might stop, best to wait until there is at least traffic on the freeway. I decided that I would try to go out the way I came in because I know that ground was somewhat level. So at about 0630, have everything packed up, forgoing breakfast for now, I made my first attempt, which was all that was needed. I did spin the front wheels, but there was plenty of traction all the way to the pavement. Feeling relieved, I stopped at Deadman'd Pass Rest Area and had my breakfast before heading out for the 5 hour drive to Glenwood Park. 

Gus

I arrived right before dinner time, I have a knack for that. We had salad and sausage rolls, a NW treat! Banjo and Fiddle-Mandolin caught me up on all the PNW news and the agenda for the weekend. This includes a nice walk with Gus each day, a Thanksgiving dinner that could not be beat, a music jam and a trip to Tacoma to see old friends.  I always feel welcomed and I'm treated more like a inhabitant than a visitor these days, just part of the big familia.  Thank you all very much!

Alas, I do eventually leave, usually before there is any serious work to be done, always with a heavy heart and anticipation for my next visit.  Sunday morning, after yet another fine Banjo breakfast, I headed south down interstate 5 with my sites set on Umpqua Lighthouse State Park on the coast of Oregon. 

Umpqua Lighthouse State Park

The weather forecast was very favorable for this time of year and there were plenty of campsites available.  I arrived way before sunset and set up in a nice back in site with electrical and water hookup, almost glamping for this trip. There was plenty to do, several geocaches to hunt and the lighthouse to visit. The park was maybe 1/2 full make for a nice and quiet visit. 

I walked around Lake Marie an found all the tiny geocaches, then rode Jagurandi down by the beach. At the lighthouse gift shop there was a real nice Letterbox geocache. I discovered all the travel bugs and swapped a pair. I visited the gift shop and got some stickers.  It was nice to have a whole day to explore and relax. My visit went by quick, next thing I knew it was time to get back on the road.  I spent some time planning my stops as I head south. 

I thought I would stay on the coast as I enter California, stay a night then jump east towards Reno area. The USFS and State campgrounds in the Redwood forest were closed, but I did find a first come first serve campground near Trinidad Ca.

Sue-Meg State Park

The drive down the 101 was beautiful with open skies and colorful transitions from forest to sea. The only traffic was through the numerous small towns along the route. I arrived Sue-Meg State Park about 1600 but didn't get parked until about 1700 because I had to drive into Trinidad to get correct change for the envelope drop pay station. I still had enough sun light to take the stairs down to the beach and take in the view. 

The campground area was nearly full so I was lucky to find a site for the evening.  I'm not complaining, but the difference of the facility up keep between Oregon and California State Parks was drastic. Maybe it was only because one is more popular than the other, still this is a nice park, just somewhat run down after the summer season.

Nevertheless, this was only an overnight stay and made the best of my time. Having filled up with water and emptied the grey tank in Oregon, there was no worry about it in the morning. After breakfast I was off again, only heading east across California, wanting to stay clear of any big metro areas. It took most the day driving the very curvy highway 299 from Trinidad to Reading through the Redwood Forest.  I took my time and arrived safely. From Reading I continued east up highway 44 towards Susanville.

Again, a lot of the campgrounds are closed this late in the year, so my choices for an overnight were thin.
Fortunately, Goumaz Campground was still open. A USFS free area with no facilities but nice level spots to camp. "Pack in pack out" rules apply! The forest road into the park was well maintained, mostly free of ruts and level except for the last part. I still had time for a nice walk around the forest, down a babbling creek, almost I wanted to try a fly. So peaceful it was kind of eerie because there was absolutely nobody else here. I defiantly needed my sleeping bag here, temperatures were in the 20's.  Maybe that was why I was the only one here. There was no waiting around in the morning for the temp to rise, so after a quick breakfast, I was off early making Tonopah BLM land for overnight before the end of the day. From here it was a 6 hour drive through Las Vegas and home. 

Here is a link to my shared photo album for this successful Thanksgiving trip. 

Thanks for reading my blog. 

 

Repairs and the numbers

 10102025 - 🌵

I arrived at home and delivered the Van to the RV body shop to repair the hole in the drivers side. You can read about what happened here  The RV body got the insurance company to reassess the work because they will need to take the inside apart, away from the hole, so they can cut and weld.  I was able to stop by 2 weeks ago to see their progress, estimated date I will pick it up, 11/21/25. 

This marks the end of my first summer with a van, I made 3 major trips and saw many places. I am spending October and November at home to catchup on doctor appointments and wait for van to get repaired.  So how much did I spend?  From April 9th 2025 ending October 10th 2025 184 days, I stayed in my van 127 nights. I averaged $20.04 per night, this counts moochdocking, for a total of $2,545.61. Fuel, this is pretty accurate because I used the same credit card for payment a the pump. I got gas 92 times averaging $45.88 per fill up for a total cost $4,221.35.  +  camping = $6,766.96 ,  $751.88 per month. 

This is a good benchmark for summers to come. Depending on when I get the van back, my next outing will be local camping here in Arizona, then head north for Thanksgiving. 

Thanks for visiting, leave a comment is you have one. 

Update Photo 11/20/25

Nevada, October 2025

100825 - 101025 

There is a lot more to discover around southeast Oregon,  but I was ready to make my way towards home. I'm finding that my travel time has been between 4.5 and 6 hours  on average which has been working out good. I have been using a trip planner called Roadtrippers with Campendium that helps me find places to camp along a route. I try always a plan B incase my first selection does not workout. I continued to take the less travel route into Nevada stopping at the Virgin Valley Dispersed Camping, yes another free camping area in the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge.  There was quit a few campers for being in the middle of the week. The rigs range from car campers to 40' mobile homes, with everything in between.  I parked in a gravel space that was pretty clean, however there was some trash in the fire ring. I settled in and had an uneven-full evening.  

The next days destination was Kinston Campground USFS Auston Nevada, a 5 hour drive through Winnamucca, a short time on Interstate 80, then South 1/2 way to Tonopah NV. This is another free campground and being later in the season, the campground was pretty empty. I imagine it is much busier in the summer. The trip in was fine for a front wheel drive Promaster, but the narrow bridge make it difficult for a bigger rig.  7092' Elevation, beautiful fall like temperatures.  I did not have T-Mobile cell service but Starlink mini worked good. I arrived right a 1600 so I had plenty of time to get setup and settled before dark.  I know in the future I will be driving to and from Washington, so it will be likely I will stay here again. 

Right behind the van was a flowing stream and a nice place the sit and just think. This is where I was when I finally decided to go ahead with another Cochlear Implant on my right side. This got me thinking of getting home and all the things that need some of my attention.  I left for Indiana a month ago, so I was feeling it was about time for me to get home and get these life balls rolling.  

So I was off early in the morning headed south. Fueled in Tonopah and onto the 95 which goes through  Las Vegas.  My destination was Silver Hill Dispersed Camping located between Las Vegas and Kingman AZ.  The horizon started to turn dark and then it started raining.  I made it through the Vegas traffic and passed the Hover Dam and it was still raining when I stopped for gas in

White Hills AZ. This is when I realized that I'll be camping in the rain. So I got a footlong Subway tuna to have for dinner. The sun was low on the horizon when I arrived at the dispersed camp area. There was only one area that was not flooded and there was a big rig there. I pulled in and just did not have a good feeling, so I head back through the small town to the highway.  I pulled over and ate my sandwich, then took a 30 minute nap with the rain pounding on the van. My plan B was Hualapai Mountain Resort , I've had my eye on this for a while, but with the pouring rain, I was not eager to go driving in the mountains after dark and I was only a little over 3 hours away from my desert habitat (home 🌵). 

Considering game 3 of the ALCS was on the radio, I decided to
break my 6 hour driving time rule and drive all the way home. It was still raining when I pulled onto Willowbrook Dr. at 2148, but surprising enough the game was not over. I was able to watch the 18th inning on my TV!   My 30 day trip I drove 126h 22m 14s averaging 50 mph and traveled 6,334.9 miles.

👀 Nevada OCT25 👀

Here is a link to my map:

Thanks for visiting, please leave a comment if you have one. 

Oregon - 2025

 100525 - 101025 

We parted ways on Sunday, John, Todd & Kate headed home and I took off for 

Fort Stevens Oregon on
the Columbia River. I was only able to get an RV site for Sunday night, there was nothing available the rest of the week. This was one of the biggest campground I have ever been to, but the campsites were individual, not like a RV parking lot. I got in after dark, but I did get a walk early in the morning. There was a lot of free ranging Elk, like everywhere! According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, over the last 30 years, the elk population along Oregon’s northern coast has ballooned. It seem that Elk have figured out where man cannot hunt. The areas where hunting is allowed, do not have a problem with the Elk population.  

I didn't have much time to explore the Columbia river area, so I have added this area to my list to return to. Staying off the interstate was pretty easy in Oregon, I only drove a few miles of I5 on my way to Bend Oregon and the Deschutes National Forest. 

I made it to USFS Prairie Campground before dark, so I was able to get a nice walk in and geocache. There was a cache on 250' from campsite #9, but I had to balance a log to get across the natural creek running next to the campground.  There was only one other camper, I'm pretty sure they are the host. Maybe because it was a Monday? Or, maybe it was because they have already shut off the water in the park for the winter and at 7am it was 39°F inside the van and 22°F outside! 

I am used to living without a schedule, I mean I try to schedule, but I like to keep things flexible. After a cold night at #9 Prairie campground, I proceed up the highway to visit a place Todd told me about, the Big Obsidian Flow Trailhead and Interpretive Site part of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument.  The trail takes you up the side of the lava flow and through massive blocks of obsidian. I completed the Earth Cache but had no cell service to upload. So I left the Big Flow parking lot and headed into the an adjacent campground to set up my Starlink to get online. Plus there was quit a few geocaches near the Little Crater Campground.  

I drove through the campground, along Paulina Lake. looking for a place to park. I found a beautiful spot right on the lake, so I decided to stay.  

I paid my 1/2 price fee and took off to find some geocaching. There was a wonderful loop trail up to the top of the side of the little crater. I found 8 cool geocaches and took in the awesome views of the lake and of the lava flow on the other side. 

I had a wonderful van life evening, salad and patty melt for dinner and I watched the game 3 ALCS.  Definitely a Win. One of the best overnights I've had in the van. 

Okay off to Nevada then home. Thanks for stopping by, here is my shared album 👀 Oregon OCT25 👀

 

2025 Kinetic Sculpture Race - Port Townsend WA.

 100425 - 100525 Port Townsend WA.

Kinetic sculpture races are organized contests of human-powered amphibious all-terrain works of art. Artist teams with their amazing creations have been competing since 1969. 

In Port Townsend, the race is scheduled for the first weekend in October each year. The race starts on Saturday downtown by the waterfront.  All racers parade through the streets, then a downhill break test then splash! in to the water. Sunday involves mostly off road in sand and mud courses. It was very entertaining, with all the costumes and creative vehicles. The race is hosted by The Great Port Townsend Bay Promotional Consortium.    

👀 Kinetic Sculpture Race 👀 Thanks for visiting. 

Fort Ebey & Fort Worden

 093025 - 100525 Fort Ebey and Fort Worden

After a wonderful stay at the Glenwood SW resort, I took off for a a couple days in Whidbey Island area, camping at Fort Ebey State Park.  I took the I5 from Olympia to Mount Vernon then jumped on Highway 20 all the way through Deception Pass, Oak Harbor, all the way to the campground. Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve is on the Puget Sound's Admiralty Inlet, the waterway connects with the Straits of Juan de Fuca.  Named for Colonel Isaac Neff Ebey, one of the first permanent settlers on Whidbey Island, WA. He came to the island from Missouri in 1851.  I spent the whole day exploring trails on the the coast line and the remains of the gun turrets. The campground was quiet and peaceful. The ranger station was already closed for the season, but one of the rangers was able to sell me a park sticker. 

👀 Fort Ebey 👀

I camped for 2 days then took the Coupeville to Port Townsend ferry across the Admiralty Inlet to meet up with Todd & Kate at Fort Worden Historic State Park. I set up in front of their Bend Teardrop Camping Trailer.   The next day John showed up. 

We went on walks during the day and played Old Time music in evening. The campground was full because this was the weekend of the 2026 Kinetic Sculpture Race, the topic of my next post. So thanks for visiting and please leave a comment if you have one. 

👀 Fort Worden 👀

On the road with LT. Dan WY-MT-ID-WA

 092125 - 092425 

Shortly after leaving Devil's Tower, we were held up by a herd of cattle being moved along by some real cattle drivers. It was slow going but we were in no hurry. Yeehaw! We finally made it to Cody BLM Dispersed Camping area about 5 miles outside Cody Wy. There was very few other campers, but there was some. Parked and set up on a small promontory above a vast valley of barren land, nothing to stop the strong wind. The tossed the van back and forth all evening and through the night. The forecast called for rain in the morning and sure enough after a beautiful sunrise, it started raining hard. We got out of the BLM land before the dirt roads got too muddy and headed around Cody and north toward Montana. 

Soon we were on the interstate plowing west in the consistent rain with a million big rigs. It only seemed like a million because I was a custom to the 2 lane highway. Five hours later, we arrived at Cardwell General Store & Campground 

I book this site because they had showers and laundry facilities. We parked in the dry camping area and went for a nice walk around the grounds. There was a nice creek on the back of the property. 

After our walk, I left LT Dan in the Camper and started laundry and took a nice shower. The was 5 or 6 spots in the dry camping area. They were all full by sunset, but the rest of the sites stayed pretty empty. This was a good spot for a productive overnighter. 

Fortunately the rain was gone and it was a beautiful day with fall temperatures. Montana is a beautiful place. 

We were the last of the dry campers to leave. Took our time because we have a pretty short 4.5 hours drive on the I90 so there was no reason to rush.  We will stop at a USFS campground near Lake Coeur d'Alene in Idaho, called Beauty Creek Campground 

Lake Coeur d'Alene

LT Dan did not like this camp. We went on walks, but he was jumpy, I'm sure he smelled other critters about. I left his food outside and some critter ate it all. He does not bark much, but when a couple of bunnies came into view, he would lay in his bed and woof quietly. 

This is our last overnight, we will make it to our destination the next day.  We took off after 9 and soon we were past Spokane and making good time across eastern Washington. 

We arrived Glenwood Park in Olympia just in time for dinner. LT Dan and Gus met and were onto being fast friends. Thus concludes LT Dan's excellent adventure.

 👀 LT. Dan WY-MT-ID-WA 👀 

Thanks for visiting my blog. 

Devil's Tower National Monument - Wyoming

 091925 - 092125 Belle Fourche River Campground

This was the view from the campground. We arrive at about 1700 and drove around the campground looking for an open space. After the first loop, I turned to follow a Ranger in a golf cart. Her name was Bobbie and she was helping a family find a spot and took me along with them. There was only 2 group sites left, so we got them. Bobbie made a big deal about the cost, $30, but I was just happy to get a space. As soon as we got set up, I knew I want to spend more than 1 night. Ranger Bobbie said we can move after 1200 the next day.  Even though the campground was full, there was plenty of space between sites, which is typical for Forest Service campgrounds. There was a lot of people out walking their dogs in the campground.  Dogs are not allowed on the monument trails.

 

LT Dan and I took a long walk the next morning, we mistakingly visited the Prairie Dog field, must had missed the sign. Then we packed up and move to another space. Bobbie talked me into going back to the gate and get a senior pass so I can get the space for 1/2 price. Bobbie pick a nice space for us and I made the move. 

Because dogs are not allowed on the trails or the welcome center, I left LT Dan in the van and rode my bike 2 miles up to the welcome center. Glad I didn't drive, because there was a big traffic jam getting to the welcome center.  I was able to see the museum and the gift shop. I hiked up the trail a ways, but I did't want to leave LT Dan alone for too long, so I rode back to the camp.  

We went for another walk as soon as I got back. We stopped and talked with other campers and their dogs
We walked for about 45 minutes just around the park. We were on our way back to the Van when LT Dan saw the snake! He ran ahead to the end of the lease and barked. A green rattlesnake coiled up and rattled in response. Glad I had a hold of the lease, I pulled him back. We found a ranger and stayed near the walkway to keep others from walking up on the snake.  Two young men came up from the other direction, I told them to mind the snake and they got real close, like they didn't know that a rattlesnake bite! Luckily the ranger returned with his snake grabber pole and stopped them from trying to get a selfie with Mr. snake.  

Well we had a great time visiting Devils Tower and I think I will probably return sometime in the future. Thanks for visiting my blog. Leave a comment below. 

👀📸 Devil's Tower National Monument 📸👀

P.S. I zoomed in on one of my photos and you can see climbers on their way up the tower! Cool. 

 

On the Road with LT. Dan (IA-ND)

 91625 - 91925 Iowa, Minnesota and North Dakota 

On the road heading NW through the Chicago freeways and into Iowa. LT Dan was excited to ride shotgun but after he figured out we were not just going down the street, he relaxed and settled in for a long ride. There was some congestion around the Chicago that slowed us down a bit, so we finally pulled into Pikes Peak State Park just across the the point where the Wisconsin river meets the Mississippi river in Iowa.  Far away from the big city, the park is located atop a hill overlooking the two rivers. We arrived late, took a quick walk and settled in for the night. We were up with the dawn and made our way out to explore the park and quickly found the impressive overlook. 

The interpretation marker states: "Across this impressive gorge of the Mississippi River is the mouth of the Wisconsin River. The steeply notched valleys of both rivers are carved into sedimentary bedrock which underlies the level, plateau-like uplands and forms the abrupt, picturesque bluffs along the valley margins.. The layered rocks originated as loose sediment on sea floors 450 to 550 million years ago, and over time hardened into strata dominated by dolomite and sandstone. Fossil remains of marine life are seen in rocks throughout the area".  

After breakfast we hit the road again keeping to the quite and steady pace of the country highways stopping frequently at roadside parks and gas stations. You see LT. Dan went all day before he peed and I wanted to make sure he had plenty of opportunity to go.  Our next stop was Chippewa County Park Minnesota about 2 hours northwest of Minneapolis.  No great rivers here, just a small county park nestled between to small lakes.  We arrived early enough to enjoy long walk around the park and quiet afternoon. This is a small park with only 7 sites, there was only 3 other campers when we were there. Followed our normal routine in the morning. I was able to top off on water before we headed out on a raining drive into North Dakota.  

We stopped at Petco, cause that is where the pets go, in Fargo. I wanted the full experience of taking a dog in a pet store. LT. Dan picked out some treats and new gear. We also got a new 💩 bag holder cause I ran over the one Pete gave me. It rained pretty hard most the morning and past noon, but let up in the afternoon when we arrived at our boon-docking spot at Mckenzie Slough Wildlife Management Area. Basically a open lot next to hay fields. This area is open to public hunting and overnight parking is allowed. 

We were all by our selves and we had all this open area to walk and play ball.  It stayed cloudy and cool throughout the evening. I woke up before sunrise and there was another Van parked, but they left before the sun came up. I tried to get Dan to go out for a pee, but he does not like the dark. I discovered he is not a morning dog.  Although it was not raining it was clear that rain was on its way, so I thought we better get out of here before the dirt road got too muddy, as it was already pretty sloshy driving. 

We got out okay and stopped at a nearby rest area for the necessary and the 2 caches. That done, we headed out to the Enchanted Highway , a stretch of highway that has large metal sculptures made by Gary Greff , I heard about it from the Built to go podcast with Jeff Wagg. I saw that it was right on our way, so I put it in the route. Un fortunately and as previously mentioned, it was raining. but we were still able to enjoy seeing all the sculptures.  I was surprised that we completed the route before noon. So we stopped in town, gassed up, had a bit of a walk and made lunch, leaving enough time to make it to Wyoming and the Devil's Tower campground. This concludes this post, thanks for visiting. Leave a comment below. 

👀📸 LT.Dan On the road IA-ND 📸👀

 

Picking up Lieutenant Dan

 091525 - Crown Point Indiana 

I arrived at noon, Lieutenant Dan was in the back yard with Rosie. They were very excited to meet a new human and jumped up to greet me. Pete & Sam Summer, was very welcoming and soon I met 5 of their 6 kids and 2 of the many cats and all 4 dogs. 

I went to a local grocery store to stock up for LT. Dan and my trip to Washington.  The rest of the day went by quickly and I was able to set my first to stops, Pikes Peak State Park in Iowa and Chippewa County Park in Minnesota.  I slept in the driveway and had a breakfast as the kids jumped on the school bus. Pete and Sam provided all the pet supplies and gave me many helpful tips. I feel so fortunate to meet such an energetic family. I wish you all the best!   LT and I left about 10am.  

CO-KS-MO-IL 2025

 091125 - 091525 

Leaving the Four Corners heading Northeast, the sun was covered with clouds that extended getting darker on the horizon. The rain started shortly after driving through main street Cortez as I entered the Mesa Verde National Park. The weather app showed rain all the way to through the mountain range to Alamosa. I stopped several times because it was raining so hard and it was still raining when I pulled into Del Norte Town Park. There was a fifth wheel already set up, so I pulled into the opposite parking space. Later a small trailer pulled in leaving room for only one more. Light rain continued through the night which kept any park activity to a minimum.  I used the very convenient dump station on my way out, not bad for free overnight parking.  

I left a little early because I want to spend some time at the UFO Watchtower just a few miles away.  The place was deserted at 9am so I made my way straight to the geocache which was a real easy find among the UFO displays. It was just a box mounted on a pole surrounded by keys. The rest of the Watchtower was kind of corny but hats off the Lady that created a place to watch for UFO for $5 per person or alien. Apparently there is camping here, but I didn't see where? Learn l more at her un-secure website  http://theoriginalufowatchtower.com/  I dropped a $5 bill in the payment slot and went to find the other geocaches in the area.  A couple o park and grabs later I was heading east towards Kansas. 

I fueled up near Walsenburg CO on I25, but instead of taking the the interstate north then east, I stayed on the more scenic farm routes.  I stopped Smokey Hill Trail Marker, a roadside monument near Cheyenne Wells CO. Found the geocache and made some lunch. Refreshed, I continued on a NE course through the small towns, crossing into Kansas. I arrived at Atwood Lake Campground at about 1600 which was not a campground. It looked like a Permanent RV parking lot with no open spaces. I took off towards plan B, highway 36 to Smith Center roadside park, a 2 hour drive east, but the Campendium App shows Sappa Park Campground only 30 minutes east, so I checked it out. It was after dark before I was able to park right on the grass next to a electrical box with #1 on it. I tried to call the number on the sign, no answer, but I did find another sign that there is a payment box by the restrooms. I never found the restrooms, but I had a nice

overnight under a starry night.  

In the morning I booked a site 67 at Wallace State Park in Missouri then got back on highway 36 east for 349 miles. The drive was flat and steady 65 mph, down to 35 mph moving through the small farm towns then back to 65. I made good time and arrived at 1500, plenty of time to get settled before dark. The was no one else in this area of the campground, probably because it was dry camping, no hookups, perfect for an overnight.  

I'm scheduled to pick up Lieutenant Dan in Crown Point Indiana on Friday so I wanted to stay Thursday night close by so I booked Kankakee River State Park, Chippewa campground in Illinois.  This will only be a hour drive in the morning. Gives me enough time to have breakfast and take a shower before I leave.  It was after dark when I finally found my space in a big park and just a few other campers. In the morning I discovered the park did not have showers, just pit toilets. Normally I would not care, but I booked this place because I wanted to shower before I go to crown point. So, I rigged up my outside shower and got ready to go pick up Lieutenant Dan.  Thanks for reading my post, leave a comment if you have one. 

👀 📸 CO-KS-MO-IL 2025  📸 👀