Williams, Gooseneck, Arches

 

Arches National Monument

06282026 - 07012026 After spending 12 days recovering from the Colorado Crud, missing a visit to San Diego and an Old Time music camp, it was time for me to hit the road again. During the 12 days, I took care of some van maintenance items; New Tires, repaired a broken gray tank valve and raised the 12V refrigerator. I decided to start with an overnight closer to home in Williams AZ, just in case I had lingering symptoms  and to shake down the changes I made.

Williams, AZ

I found a nice spot at Garland Prairie Road Dispersed Camping near the south rim of the Grand Canyon. When I left Sun City about noon it was well over 100°F. 2 1/2 hours later I was setting up camp in 75° and sunshine.  There was still plenty of time left to go get some caches and enjoy a nice hike through the 6852' park. I found 3 caches that included a nice ammo box traditional that was in honor of a grave stone. 

Completely satisfied with my refrigerator reinstallation, I set off early in the morning west to Flagstaff then north through the Navajo reservation. 

When I first planned this trip, I automatically scheduled to stay at Sunset View campground at the Navajo National Monument, but it is barely 3 hours away and I wanted to get a little more miles in, so I continued north into Southern Utah 

Gooseneck - San Juan River

Just across the state line I stopped and logged a virtual cache called Harry and Mike's Place near the Goulding Lodge. I drove through Monument Valley on the highway that is in the movie Forest Gump, the scene where he stops running. 

I was not sure what to expect when I arrived at the Gooseneck State Park campground  hoping that there was an open campsite. There were probably 8 designated sites and I was only the second camper there. There was a steady stream of visitors throughout the day because the view of the Gooseneck canyon was breathtaking and I was camped right on the edge of the canyon. The San Juan River twists and turns through sinuous 'goosenecks' as it flows toward Lake Powell traveling over 6 miles while it advances to the west only 1 mile.  Well worth going off the beaten path to see the 1,000 feet between the overlook and the river, 300 million years of geology is revealed in the layers exposed by erosion. (GC5H9T9)

I got set up and took a long walk to get the two regular caches near the canyon. There was also a EarthCache and a Virtual cache at the visitor's overlook. So 4 smileys and a $10 campsite, throw in a beautiful sunset and a more exciting moon rise. Life is good. 

I stayed up late watching the sky, using some of the things I learned at RMSS, and tried to capture a photo of the red moon rising.  In the morning, I wanted to get an early start, but it was hard to stop staring at the views. I was able to get everything ready before 10am, but the van would not start!  I mean it was like the battery was dead. Fortunately, I have a VIKING 1000 Peak Amp Multifunction Jump Starter and Power Pack with 150 PSI Air Compressor.  I had to google how to jump start the van, because the battery is under the driver floorboard. After several minutes of purposely keeping calm, I was able to jump start. I got my multimeter out and verified it was charging and let it run for about 30 minutes. It started right up after that. I must have left something on that drained the power overnight, I don't know. I'll keep an eye on it. I set my GPS to Arches National Monument, 2 1/2 hours away and headed out of the Gooseneck. 

South Window - Arches National Monument

After a quick stop at the visitors center, I decided on the Windows arch hike. I spent about 3 1/2 hours at the park and barely scratched the surface of all there is to see. The hike was pleasant but the air quality was bad due to fires to the west.  Still there was plenty of activity on the trails and viewing areas.  The parking lots were crowded but not full which made for a very fun and quick visit. Centrally located in Utah, I'm sure I will have the opportunity to return during my future trips.  I pulled into Green River State Campground just before 1700, where I can dump my gray tank and get in a shower. I monitored my startup battery all day and it started fine the next morning. I thought about getting it tested, but it seems to be working normally.  Next stop Spirit Lake for the 4th of July weekend. 

Here is my Photo Stream thanks for visiting. 

South Dakota & Wyoming

 060726 Cold Brook Lake Campground, Hot Springs SD.  I arrived early and had to wait for the camper in my space to check out, but there was no sign of them. They were camping in a small trailer and must be out on the lake. So I pulled into another space to wait. But I did do some geocaching on the way. 

I pulled out of Crawford pretty early, it was only about 30 minutes to the border of South Dakota. I made it in 31 minutes and pulled over at the state line because on these back roads there is usually a cache welcoming you to their state. Sure enough, I was parked less than 50' from a cache. The description said I will need a TOTT (Tools of The Trade) to retrieve this micro. I took a look and saw the container way up high on the Welcome to South Dakota sign. I hesitated not and got my ladder out of the van to make the grab.  

Continuing on into South Dakota, a state I need for another sticker on my water bottle, I proceeded to visit The Mammoth Site  in Hot Springs to claim a virtual cache. I did not pay for a tour, it was pretty crowded, but I was able to meet the requirements for the find. 

Driving through Hot Springs, a small mountain town surrounded by evergreen with modern condos and an old downtown. Before I knew it I was on a dirt road heading north out of town for about 3 miles before pulling into the campground where I am still waiting for my campsite to open up.  The ranger stopped by and said it was fine if I waited where I was and that he would check down by the lake. 

I didn't need to wait too long and I was all set up by 1630 and had a nice peaceful evening in the small campground.  Although the Camp Host had to run their gas generator, but that ok with me. In the morning I took a nice walk down a jeep trail before packing up. This is definitely a place that I wish I could stay longer, but I have a place to be at in Southern Colorado in 2 days.  

The next days route will be determined by the wind. There are high wind warnings for south Nebraska and Wyoming but it looks like if I make it to Cheyenne then go west I should miss all the heavy wind. So I left at the regular time and entered east Wyoming and stayed on the eastern border. I stopped in Lingle Wyoming to claim a virtual cache and have some lunch. It was overcast but the wind was mild. 

The wind picked up as I got closer to Cheyenne and when I made the junction to I80 west the wind was even stronger, but I pressed on west until I saw the Highway warning sign, you know the ones that tell you click it of ticket, that said road closed for high profile vehicles less than 20,000 lbs, that's me! I took the next exit and stopped at the Northbound "Welcome to Wyoming" rest area. It had a RV area with a dump station and best of all 2 adventure labs with a bonus cache! 

So I went ahead and dumped my gray tank, parked and got to work on the Adventure labs. To get the answers to all the questions required walking the whole rest area and the perimeter, where the final micros were, so I got in a good walk in strong wind. 

No reason to try and find a campground, obviously overnight parking was allowed. I talked to an old fella that said someone had run him off his land and all he had left was his old beat up chevy van. He gave me a tour of the inside and I listened to all the improvements he'll make once he get his settlement money for his property cause "I'm gona sue them for all their worth" he said many times.  I asked him if he was okay on food and that I would make him a sandwich , but he declined, says he can take care of himself. I didn't press the issue, though he looked like he missed a few meals, we just shared our good wishes for each other and settled in for a fine rest stop camp. Tomorrow I'll stay at a state campground outside of  Walsenburg CO, only 30 miles from the Rocky Mountain Star Stare. I can fill my water tank, get a shower. and stock up for a week of boondocking.  I sure took a roundabout route to get from Alabama to Colorado, but I got four more stickers on my water bottle and saw some pretty neat sites.  Thanks for visiting, bye!

📷Camera Roll 🧻

Vanning the gulf coast.

 

Perfect Spot

Fairview-Riverside State Park Campground - Madisonville, LA

Tchefuncte River 

051326 I left Humble with my eye on a dispersed camping area along the interstate in Louisiana, not sure what I was getting into my plan b was a State park above Lake Pontchartrain and New Orleans. I stopped for a break and a geocache at the Sabine River Rest Center just across the border of Texas. There was convenient parking and a nice park with a boardwalk that went over the river. While I was hunting the cache I saw my first alligator just swimming around near the bank. Back on the road, had already decided to try the state park so  passed the turn off to the dispersed camping area. I pulled into the park at 1815, the office was closed so I picked a small tent site and set up for an overnight. The park had a nice swamp trail, boardwalk, so I took a nice walk in the morning before pulling out. 

Meaher State Park Campground - Spanish Fort, AL

Great Egret & Alligator

051426  It was less than 3 hours from my next campground in Alabama, so I stopped and took a break at the Jackson County rest area. This place had designated spaces just for overnighters and one was right near Nana’s Perch geocache. I was not overnighting, but I did go find the cache and made lunch. I made it to the campground in Alabama before 1600 and found my space. I was in the new part of the campground, no trees, just asphalt pads. Brand new shower house built off the ground. The humidity was probably 75% but there was a nice ocean breeze off Ducker Bay. After getting parked I was ready for a walk and some geocaching. I strolled the boardwalks, saw Great Egret, Alligators, and found all the hides in the park. I felt much better about the place after my walk. In the morning I had a really nice shower and went to Waffle House for breakfast. Today I will travel the pan handle of Florida to a campground in Georgia. 

Eastbank Campground - Bainbridge GA

Space #50 Eastbank CG

051526 - 051726  I did not book a space online because they require a minimum of 2 days, so I thought I would just change it and have a drive through before I pick a space. But when I arrived I was informed that even in person, there is a 2 day minimum. The attendant let me drive through and pick my space and I got it for 2 days. Turns out it was a really nice spot so I ended up staying for both days and I was able to move the dates for my next reservation. I got the nearest geocache at the entrance to the park, the only other one was an Earthcache. I had a nice ride on my bike down by the dam. 

Jim Woodruff Dam

Lake Seminole was produced by the construction of the Jim Woodruff dam and is the result of the water flow coming in from the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers. The Florida and Georgia state line runs north to south along the middle of the Chattahoochee River, then turns east just before the dam. North of the Dam is the Central Time Zone, south of the Dam is the Eastern Time Zone. So the water of Lake Seminole takes an hour to flow through the dam 😁. 

I ended up having a very nice stay before I moved to another campground on the other side of the lake.

Three Rivers State Campground - Snead FL

Gators

051726 - 051926 It was a short drive over to the campground in Florida. I stopped at Piggly Wiggly for groceries on the way. This space was not like my last, it was an accessible site right in the middle of the park. This is why I like picking my site after arriving. I got set up and went for a walk along the lake. No geocaches allowed on Florida State Parks but they did have nice walking and riding trails. I walked about 4 mikes on the first day and rode about 7 miles on the 2nd day. I did not see any Gators here. The three rivers referenced in the name are Chattahoochee River, Flint River and Apalachicola River below the dam. I updated the stickers on my water bottle to include Alabama, Florida and Georgia. I will be nice to stay at Camp Carla for the rest of the week. My Photos of Vanning the gulf coast

Palmetto State Park Campground

 

Beef committee watching geocaching activities

050726 My first idea was to stay here two days I didn't realize how far away the campground is from the San Antonio baseball park. So instead of driving back here after the game, I will stay on the road.  The space I reserved was seriously slanted, I would have to raise the port side of he van more than 10" and that would require jacking up the van. Luckily the office was manned and I was able to move to another site that was more level. One thing good about Texas State Parks, they allow geocaching!  It was raining a little, about an hour before sunset, when I set out on my geocaching walk.  I was able to locate all of them except one because my phone's battery ran out. 

not really knowing where I was at, I finished the San Marcos River trail and made my way back to the campground via the Mossycup Spur. 

The campground was filling up for the weekend and by bedtime all the spaces were taken, except for the real slanted one. 

In the morning I took my time because I have all day to kill before the San Antonio Mission baseball game starts. The gates open a 1800 and it looks like I can park at the stadium. 

Here is a link to the photos I took. Thanks for visiting 

If you want to be added to the email notification when I publish a new post, send me an email and I will send you an invite. 

Washoe Lake and Gemfield Road Nevada.

 

Washoe Lake 

042326 - 042426 The drive from Oregon,  through Shasta to Carson City took a little over 6 hours. I arrived at Washoe Lake State Park Campground with plenty of time to get settled  and take a walk before the sun went down. You could tell it had been raining and there were still some angry looking clouds over Mt. Rose to the west. Made for a  beautiful background for camping.  The air was crisp but the forecast said sunny 🌞, so after a nice walk and two geocaches, I decided that I would stay an extra night. 

 

Feral Horses in the camp

In the morning while I was making my breakfast a herd of horses visited the campground. They grazed their way right through my site. I was thinking that someone left the gate open, but no, turns out this is an open range and they are a wild Mustangs. A local I talked to on the beach said "they are more farel than wild." They don't mind being around you but they do not like to be approached,  

According to Gemini Ai, The Virginia Range: This 40-mile mountainous area stretches between Carson City and Reno. You can frequently spot them along the trails on the east side of Carson City, near Industrial Way, or occasionally wandering into historic spots like Virginia City.  Here is an interesting article about the BLM roundup program and local advocacy efforts to protect and preserve the wild herds.  

Gemfield Road Dispersed Camping

It was really nice to skip a day of driving and relax. Saturday I took off late morning and found a Krogers in Carson City then I headed south. Roughly 5 hours later I arrived at Gemfield Road Dispersed camping just north of Goldfield NV.  I drove in about 2 mile and found a empty site great view of the valley and surrounded by Joshua Trees. I even saw more wild mustangs.  Gemfield road continues on to Gemfield Nevada Chalcedony, renowned for harboring what is believed to be the largest deposit of gemstone-quality chalcedony in the continental US.  At almost 6000' elevation, this was a really nice boondocking spot, off the beaten path enough for privacy and not far from civilization.  Other than the wind rocking the van on occasion, I had a really nice stay and a good one to end my trip to Victoria and back.  The next day, I drove the whole 7 1/2 hours to my desert habitat.  Links to Washoe Lake and Gemfield Road shares albums.  Thanks for visiting

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. 

 

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 👀

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  📸 👀

 

Something happened on the way home.

 081925 - 082425

I left the Northwest knowing that I would be back in September, but that is another post yet to be posted. When Mom died, she left a grandfather clock to my sister, said clock has been at my brothers house for a long time. So, because my NW hosts were so accommodating, I thought I would offer to U-haul the clock to my sister. Towing a trailer, I didn't look for campgrounds, so much as just a place to sleep. I left on Wednesday 9/20 and stayed at Rest Stop near ‎⁨Boardman⁩, ⁨Columbia River Basin⁩, ⁨in Oregon.  My scheduled delivery was for Friday morning so Thursday I stayed in a nice pull through space at the Willard Bay State Park in Willard Utah, just up the road from my sisters house. The delivery went well and I dropped off the trailer in Ogden then headed to a boon-docking spot just south

of Beaver Utah. To get, I figured I would just jump on the 15 south and brave to crunch-e-thon through Salt Lake City and Provo. Well, this is when my luck turned bad and I had to use my emergency flashers.  While in the 4th lane of the 5 or 6 lane freeway on the long curve towards the Lehi exit my driver side rear tire blew up! I completely destroyed the tire just getting into the emergency lane, which is just a little bid wider than Vannie. I used the red button above my head and soon I was talking to RAM roadside assistance.  Well, this is where my luck improved, Jesus arrived only 16 minutes later and towed me to a RAM dealership. They were happy to change out the tire with my SPARE TIRE for free. I won't mention all the fact the vehicle did not come with a spare, only a repair kit. After the dealership, I found a Big O tire shop 2 miles away. I bought a new spare and had them swap out the rims. Soon I was on my way. I stayed overnight at a boon-docking spot near ‎⁨Paragonah⁩, ⁨Utah⁩. I left early because I had a 6 hr drive to Marshall Lake Dispersed Campground near Flagstaff. 

Marshall Lake is a dry lake, or swamp in the Coconino National Forest that is a popular place for weekend camping out of Flagstaff. Most of the established sites were taken, but I was able to find a suitable spot for overnight. It was getting dark by the time I got set up, so I heated up some stew and  settled for the night. In the morning the weather was beautiful so I jumped on the Jaguarandi to grab some Geocaches. The ones on the other side of the lake I had to park the bike and bushwack to the caches. Very satified, I rode back to the camp and started to get ready for the 2 1/2 hour drive home. This is when my luck turn bad again. While I was doing my final walk

around the vehicle I discovers the hole above the rear window. I stood there staring at the hole wondering how it happened. There was no low branches close by and I do not remember a collision.  It is still a mystery. Could it have happened when Big O worker pulled in and out of their garage, that does not sound likely and I think they would have told me. It probably happened when I was turning around somewhere. I do no it happened after Friday.  Anyway I made it to the AZ Habitat without incident, thus ending my Washington 2025 trip. 

July 20th - Aug 24th

74 driving hours 4,303 miles

 👀 Photos👀

Thanks for Visiting 😊

Coasting in Washington

In between music campouts, I took off for the coast of Washington where the pines meet the beach.

 80525 - 80625  👀Cape Disappointment👀

I shared a space with Charlie and her puppies at Cape Disappointment State Park Campground. We went on a bike ride along the beach trails and saw some awesome scenery including some creative sand castles. The weather  was wet so we stayed inside and played Trains (Dominoes). 

It was still raining the next day, Charlie and the dogs took off for Oregon and I stayed and hiked up to the
lighthouse. The trail was muddy when I started but the rain stopped and the sun came out. There was a nice virtual cache and I took in wonderful views and saw some interesting wild life. 

80625 - 80727 👀Pacific Beach👀 

After finishing the hike, I headed north to see if I could find a campsite near the beach. I ended up getting a real nice space with the rear of the van aimed right at the beach at Pacific Beach State Park  This was a postcard for vanlife spot, sun shinning and a cool breeze. I set up my chair on the berm and took in the view.  

There was no geocaching on the state park so I took a walk then had a nice dinner in the van. Slept with the back doors open.  In the morning I took my time packing up, stopped on my way out to find a geocache at the local Fire Department. 

80725 - 80825 👀Kalaloch South Beach 👀

I continued north to see if I could get a space at the Kalaloch Campground. When I arrived, I could tell the campground was full.even though it was a weekday. I stopped and went into the lodge gift store and got a sticker. Next option was to try my luck at the South Beach Campground. Here is was less crowded but still almost full. I found a spot with a view over the top of the big rigs. After getting set up, I walked the beach, 2 kilometers south, then 4 kilometers north then back to the camp. By the time I returned, it was completely full. 

There was a Park Ranger making sure everyone paid and was not parked for day use. I'm not much for the crowds, but it's hard not to enjoy myself with the beautiful beach, cool weather and wonderful sunset and sunrise. 

This wraps up my coastal hiatus before the Old Time Music campout at Centrailia Wa 

Thanks for reading my blog, leave a comment if you have one. 

 

Twin Falls ID - Farewell Bend Oregon

When I left the Ashley National Forest I headed for a rest stop in Snowville Utah but I got there to quick and decided to continue on into Idaho and find a car wash and a place to camp. I found a waiting line at the Bubble Barn carwash in Burley ID  I just wanted to get the Uinta mud off the RAMVAN. While I was waiting U discovered the Milner Historic Recreation Area right on the Snake River just west of Burley. There was plenty of spaces available and only $15 per night. I got parked and went for a walk on down by the river, "Grandpa lives in a van down by the river", experienced a nice sunset and got visited by the local mosquitoes.  I had a very relaxing evening and a good nights sleep. 

I was up early because there was a couple Virtual geocaches I wanted to find before I left the southern Idaho area. Shoshone Falls Earthcache  took be to the very scenic Shoshone Falls Park, "The Niagara of the West". I went straight into tourist mode answering all the required question to complete the earthcache, and I even found the nano cache on the railing. Even though it was about 100° there was steady turn over of cars and buses driving through the park. I spent about 90 minutes walking around the park and watching the beautiful falls. 

Next on to  Thousands Springs Scenic Byway  Whoever put this virtual caches together went overboard on the questions. All 11 fill-in-the -blank questions came from the same sign. Kind of boring. The main attraction here is the Perrine Bridge, 4 lane highway that spans across the snake river 486 feet below. This bridge is popular for Hang Gliders that jump of the bridge. The reason it is popular, is the gliders do not need a permit.  This is near the sight where EVEL KNIEVEL attempted to jump the snake river on his custom SkyCycle in 1974.  The welcome center was great for escaping the heat and learning about the Thousand Springs Scenic Byway. 

My next stop is known as the last camp on the Oregon Trail across the Snake River Plains. The Oregon State campground is called Farewell Bend. The last camp on the snake river before reaching the Columbia River that leads to the Pacific Ocean.  The mosquitoes were very thick and hungry especially down. by the river. I camped next to 3 ladies from Pennsylvania  on a trip to kayak the rivers of the west. But I think the Mosquitos ran them off. I went off on the Jaguarundi up a jeep trail pointing at a geocache about a mile away. The cache was at a sight where there was Remnants of the Oregon Trail written on a sign that depicted the hardships the pigrams endured to complete the journey  

👀Twin Falls ID - Farewell Bend Oregon Photos 👀

This inspired me to move on with my journey to Olympia. So after returning to the RAMVAN I got ready for the road and took the scenic route, avoiding the Portland traffic, taking my time driving through Yakima farmlands, over White Pass and down in the forests of southwest Washington.  Now begin the days of the camp, Iron Creek, Cashmere and Centralia ...... to be continued, thanks for reading my blog. 

Oklahoma - New Mexico - Sun City

 0628-2925

I fueled up in Dodge City, did not run into Marshall Dillon or Wyatt Earp. Then headed SW towards the Oklahoma state line. There was a corner virtual cache called Coloklakan where Colorado, Oklahoma and Kansas all connect. It was located on a farm road the went right along the border of Kansas and Oklahoma. After finding and logging I continued SW through the pan handle and stopping at another road side park in Felt OK. Overgrown parking lot with a vault toilet and picnic tables. I parked in the far corner and made some dinner.  I was the only one there for about an hour, then 2 car campers arrived. This made me feel better about a Sheriff showing up to tel me to leave. It rained pretty hard before the sun went down, there was some nice rainbows. It rained again overnight and I was the first to pull out about 7am. 

I targeted another corner virtual cache called Texhomex where Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico all connect. This farm road was very muddy from the rain, half of the road was flooded so I was careful not to get stuck. After I left this one, I found another cache on the northwest corner of Texas. The drive from here was to Albuquerque starts out as rolling grasslands that lead you into majestic mountain cliffs then ending in the Alamo River valley through Santa Fe. I stopped on I-40 in Albuquerque for Fuel, then headed west. By the time I made Grants, I was only 5 hours from home, but I did not want to break my rule to drive only 5-6 hours, I decided to find a space at Pinon Cliffs Campground. There was only 2 tents sites available but I squeezed into #19. An hours later it looked like all the spaces were full. The weather was real nice, 72° F  7,434 elevation. 

In the morning I dumped my grey water tank, but did not fill my fresh water. I was within 6 hours of home, so I did not plan to camp. I stayed on I-40 until Winslow, then took the scenic route through the Forest that the Mogollon Rim is located, then through Camp Verde, on the I-17 pulling into my driveway about 1500. Home again. 

Here is a link to Oklahoma - New Mexico photos.  So what's next? 4th of July weekend in San Diego then take off north to Washington.   

to be continued.........

Thanks for reading my blog.