Death Valley National Park to GA and places in between

We left Quartzsite AZ on the 12th of Feb after the rally and headed out on a 385 mile trek to our reservations at Furnace Creek campground in Death Valley National Park. February is an ideal time to visit Death Valley (unlike the time in June when we drove across the desert). 12-17 Feb: We joined John and Kathy Roeder here for the week, and took day trips from here to visit the park extremities (Scotty's castle is still closed due to last year's flooding). Furnace Creek allows reservations and it was full so it was good we got them. They also have two other campgrounds just across the highway, one of which was mostly empty (no shade) and the other, Texas Springs, is first come first served but is a pretty campground if you enjoy rock formations as a backdrop. We might try for Texas Springs next time. There are several great hiking trails and driving trails within Death Valley. Being an aviation buff, I really enjoyed looking down as the F-18's flew through the valley under us at Father Crowley overlook near Panamint Springs. We also enjoyed watching dogfights and air to air refueling when we visited Ubehebe crater at the Northern end. It was dry, since they only get about 2" of rain per year (I think we got that much the day we left though) 17- 20 Feb: We stayed at Desert Eagle FAMCAMP in Las Vegas. Not big fans of Las Vegas, although we did join up with John and Kathy to take a night tour of the strip and see the lights. We prefer the nearby attractions, like Hoover Dam, Valley of Fire state park, and Red Rock Canyon scenic drive. The FAMCAMP is nice, they are friendly there, and if you get lucky you get to see the Thunderbirds in the traffic pattern. 20 Feb: Our need to get back for scheduled doctor appointments required me to break the last 2,000 miles into long driving chunks that we don't usually like to do, but we did it. Looking at the map, Holbrook AZ looked to be a good stopping point, and a check at campendium.com revealed a free campground at the South entrance to the Petrified Forest National Park! Crystal Forest free CG south of Petrified Forest entrance was actually a pretty nice place to spend a night, with a covered picnic table. No hookups, but another campground across the street has hookups for a small fee. The campground is right at the southern entrance gate, so you can watch as they come in and unlock the gate in the morning. We figured it would only take about an hour or two to go through the park (after all, how many petrified trees can you look at). This turned out to be much more interesting than we expected, so we spent most of the day taking small hikes around the petrified trees and geological formations. This is a beautiful park! We even crossed paths with another Scamp from GA, Linda Fisher Crowley! 21 Feb: This was a late drive to Kirtland AFB NM FAMCAMP. It was getting dark as we arrived due to our long stay at the Petrified Forest, so we just picked a spot and left in the morning. No reservations, but they had plenty of room. 22 Feb: Another long drive brought us to Caprock Canyons state park, TX. We arrived late in the afternoon, but early enough to hit a trail and get some good sunset pictures over the canyon. 23 Feb: We stopped to visit our adopted family June and Pat in Rockwall TX and parked the Scamp in their driveway overnight. Nice being able to visit once in awhile! 24 Feb: Twiltley Branch COE MS. Nice place to kayak. Unfortunately, due to our fast moving schedule we didn't stay long, but this is a pretty campground and we had a long pull through site. We actually thought we were on one of the campground roads, but it was just a really long site! 25 Feb: Arrived home in time for Saturday church.

Quartzsite boondocking

John and Kathy Roeder talked us into attempting boondocking at Quartzsite, AZ for the first time ever. Not the first boondocking for us, but the first time we traveled to Quartzsite. We were a little bit wary of the unexpected, having no idea of whether we would even find the "boondocking" area, but we decided to forego our usual FL trip to try out AZ for a change. We already had a 90 watt solar panel that I added on top of our Scamp, and we also had a portable 90 watt panel for an extra charge if needed. I did decide to upgrade our 100 amp "marine" battery to a 155 amp "golf cart" battery just to give us an extra margin of watts for my CPAP and the heater fan, but as it turned out, it never really got cold at Quartzsite and we had plenty of sun all week. The fiberglass group gathering this year was held between Feb 6 - Feb 12 and was the 10th anniversary of the fiberglass gathering there. The weekend before this was superbowl weekend, so we stayed at Arizona Oasis RV park just before the rally so we could be sure to have TV coverage. I had my Falcons shirt and my GA bulldogs hat on, and when the USAF Falcons overflew the stadium, it was a good omen for the Falcons, and they surged to an unbelievable halftime lead! Alas, they forgot they were playing against Mr Cool, Tom Brady and the Patriots. Arizona Oasis also provided up with the opportunity to empty our tanks and fill our water tanks and extra water jugs to maximize our boondocking capabilities! (There are no toilets, dump station, hookups or water at Quartzsite BLM) We left Arizona Oasis and soon found the area right along I-10 that we were looking for. We checked in for our free 14 day camping permit, and then headed to whatever spot we felt like occupying in the BLM Dome Rock area. Picked a spot on an upper ridge, set up our Scamp and screen room, and kicked back for an enjoyable week with many friends old and new that camped nearby. The weather was great as far as I recall (I'm writing this 3 months later and tend to forget any bad stuff), although it was windy enough at times that I did not even attempt to put our awning out. Our Coleman screen house did just fine though. Fortunately we were able to make it through the week without having to dump or refill, and the battery filled up with solar energy very quickly every day. Quartzsite boondocking might not be for everyone, but we enjoyed it and plan to be back next year! We got together with different friends and enjoyed pizza and beer at Silly Al's pizza, and some great burgers at Bad Boyz Cafe. Best part of Quartzite is the laid back atmosphere and good winter weather, and getting together with friends.

Traveling from GA to Quartzsite AZ via Big Bend TX and Arizona state parks

This year we decided to try the free BLM camping at Quartzsite, AZ. Since it's over 2,000 miles from our home, it's definitely not an overnight trip. I've decided to jot down a few notes about how we got from here to there. Departed home 4 Jan after Marilyn’s doctor appointment. We stayed overnight in the MS rest area on I-10 at the LA state line. Arrived San Antonio on the 5th and camped in Jen’s driveway. Departed Jen’s house on the 17th and stayed at the following places; 17 Jan: Seminole Canyon state park TX. This park is on Hwy 90 (we like hwy 90 vs the little bit shorter I-10) and has some petroglyphs that can be seen on the canyon walls if you take the ranger led hike. If this is your first state park visit in TX and you plan to spend a few more nights at TX state parks, you can buy an annual pass that covers the daily entrance fee for you and your companions, which is a good deal. 18 - 23 Jan: Big Bend NP Rio Grande village. Site 43. We love touring Big Bend. Last time we stayed at Chisos Basin but waited to long to make reservations so this year we got a spacious pull through site at Rio Grande village. This trip the weather was warmer than last year's winter storms so no ice on the step to test my balance (although strong winds knocked me over on one of the canyon trails this trip). We took the international ferry (rowboat) to Boquillas Mexico for a lunch and a beer (don't forget your passport). Had a scare as this was on inauguration day and some Federales came roaring into town in their Humvees, and we were worried they were closing the border! 23 - 26 Jan: Davis Mountains state park. Scenic tour and Ft Davis. Their is a 73 mile scenic loop where you can drive (or take your bike if you are so inclined) that goes through various topographies of this region. Fort Davis is a good place to visit and see what the Buffalo soldiers had to endure. The McDonald observatory is also in this area, so you can sign up in advance for one of their star parties and have an unbelievable view of the night sky. 26 Jan: Aguirre Springs NM. Beautiful but steep curvy drive. The National Recreation area first come first served campsite is fine for little 16' campers like ours, but 20' and longer might be pushing it. The campsite has hiking trails and a good view of White Sands missile base. No hookups, but you can collect drinking water at the host station at the entrance. Nice cool site up in the hills. 27 - 29 Jan: Catalina state park, AZ. Nice CG, visited Allen and Aurora Glasgow who live close by (I worked with Allen and we shared an apartment at my first Air Force base in 1970). Nice hiking trails at this campground, and we got to watch the Roadrunner, followed by Wiley E Coyote pass right through our campsite! Spotted a golden eagle on one of our hikes. 29 Jan - 4 Feb: Lost Dutchman state park, AZ. Site 64 was looong! We could have fit another entire Scamp or Casita ensemble in our campsite! This is a really pretty state park with a great view of the Superstition mountains. There are several trails with increasing difficulty levels for beginners to the pros. Lots of mining history and scenic drives in the area. We also got to visit another coworker from my Air Force history on our way through Goodyear, AZ, John and Glenda Pannell. 4 - 6 Feb: Arizona Oasis RV park. Stayed for the super bowl, ATL lost a heartbreaker. See next blog for more details. This campground accepts Passport America rates!

Blue Angels Navy demonstration team homecoming, Pensacola, FL

We departed our home in GA 9 Nov and stayed the night at Tyndall AFB at the "Raptor Ranch" FAMCAMP. Nice facility, got to see some F-22s finally since the departure path is right above the campground. Free coffee and donuts at the center. Headed to the Blue Angel Naval recreation area FAMCAMP on the 10th and finally got to eat at Joe Patti’s restaurant on the way there. The last time we tried to eat here they were already closed, so lunch is a good time to go. Decent meal grouper and shrimp and a great price. Got so much food that we had enough to reheat some Saturday. The FAMCAMP located right on NAS Pensacola would be a great place to stay, since you can walk to the airshows, but reservations are really hard to get. The FAMCAMP we stayed at was a few miles west of the base, but the traffic flowed nicely when we drove there so it wasn't too bad. Had quite a hike once we got to the parking spot. Watched the day and night show on Friday, and headed to Ft Pickens to watch the Blues Saturday. Ft Pickens has a decent view of the base so you can see the aerial maneuvers, but not the ground shows or displays. Didn’t make reservations in time to get on base or at ft Pickens. Spotted 2 Casitas at Blue Angels. Great weather. Sunday we visited the NEX and also had dinner at Herman and Ann Parker's house. Enchiladas! Nice way to spend a birthday weekend!

Sampson state park NY and Niagara Falls ON wine Escape rallies

Departed home in GA 29 Aug after Dr appointments for VA and stopped at Kings Mountain state park campground near York, SC for the night on the way to VA. Didn’t get to tour much, we were in the travel to the kids house mode, but the campground loop we stayed at was empty! No problem getting showers. Visited Greg and Ela and our Grandkids for a few days. Departed the kids house in Barboursville, VA on 5 Sept for Little Buffalo state park near Harrisburg, PA for the night, since that was about halfway to the Sampson state park rally in NY. Headed for Sampson state park on the 6th, and met Fred and Dora in their Casita along the way. It was cool because we were on intersecting highways, got within CB range of each other, and then both got to the same intersection at the same time. We all stopped to see the Little League hall of fame in Williamsport. Free admission for all with my ID card :-) Sampson state park has a museum and lots of wineries nearby. It used to be a Naval training base, and an Air Force base. Had a great time there at the rally, and visited a couple of wineries in the area. The museum is certainly worth a visit if you're nearby. Sept 11th we then headed to Watkins Glen state park for 2 nights. Hiked the beautiful gorge and would like to visit there during the annual old time racer parade. Continued to Letchworth state park on 13 Sep (park was voted best in Nation in 2015) and met up with Ann and Joe who were in their tent for 3 nights. Friday the 16th we headed to Niagara Falls Riverside Park for the Niagara Wine Escape rally with Ann and Joe. Got lots of rain on Saturday during the potluck. Rode the Horatio Hornblower from the Canadian side Sunday and had a great time visiting the falls. I think that the Canadian ride into the falls is a bit more exciting than the American side, the lines were shorter, and it cost a little less due to the favorable exchange rate. The Niagara wine Escape rally is a fun rally with lots of fun Canadians and their Bolers. Bolers look a lot like Scamps and this year there were 2 Scamps including ours. There are also several Escape travel trailers there, which is what the host Alf owns. Monday the 19th we left for Hickory Run state park in PA, and the next day headed for Dover DE. Hickory Run seems to be a great campground for hiking and scenery, but again, we were in travel mode and headed to Dover as soon as we got up. Stayed 2 nights with Ann, then 2 nights with Reg, then headed to VA on the 24th in time for Ela’s birthday. Left Greg and Ela’s Monday the 26th and headed all the way home since it was raining where we were going to camp.

North, to Alaska!

May 11 - Aug 13 2016 Alaska trip. This page is still under construction since we revised our original itinerary based on weather as we went. I'm actually compiling this in Jan 2018 but it snowed and the comment book is outside in the truck. Needless to say, we loved our trip to Alaska on the Alaska highway going up, and the Cassiar highway coming back. Fabulous trip, starting from Sharpsburg GA, and spending the first night at our friends John and Rebecca’s house. They gave us some tips as they have made this trip a couple of times. Next stop was Roy’s fish fry rally at Shakamak state park in IN the next day. Headed across IA (Fishermans corner COE, then NE (Offutt AFB FAMCAMP and Lake Ogallalla SRA, then Riverside Park in Scottsbluff, NE. Riverside park was within view of Scottsbluff National Monument which we visited the next day, as well as a nearby state park that boasts the tallest lighthouse in Nebraska! (Also the shortest, and only lighthouse in Nebraska). Lander City Park in Lander WY was a free campground with water taps and toilets, plus free dump at the city lot a few blocks away. Headed to Gros Ventre campground (FCFS) (Grand Tetons NP) for a couple of nights to have a place to tour the Grand Tetons and Jackson WY. Saw several mooses and a few right in the campground. Next we headed to Yellowstone NP (had 4 nights reservations at Bridge Bay) and got there just before the Memorial day crowds. Stayed at Lewis and Clark caverns state park in MT and toured the caverns, then visited our former neighbor Diane in Whitefish for a couple of days, parking the Scamp behind her house. Whitefish is not far from Glacier National Park so we headed there. Snowfall kept the "Going to the sun road" closed, but we could drive partway up. Crossed into Canada at Roosville, and they actually had us get out of our Scamp while they searched it. They probably thought I had a gun since I recently obtained a concealed carry permit. Headed to Tunnel Mountain campground at Banff NP and saw Scamp friends Craig and Josie while there. Had reservations at Banff but didn't really need them this early in the season. Toured Banff area for a few days before heading North again. Lots of good hiking trails surrounding the Banff area, definitely visit if you get the chance. Headed to Wilcox Creek campground near Icefields Parkway and had a great site for the night (FCFS). Walked to the Icefields glacier. Headed to Jasper NP (Whistler CG) for a few nights, where we had reservations we made a couple days before we got there. June 8-9 Dawson Creek 5 hours (Kiskatinaw Provincial Park North) ($18 night) (Swan Lake provincial park South near Tupper)(Stop and take a photo at the intersection in town where the highway begins. Visit the historic buildings at Pioneer Village and check out the Dawson Creek Tourist Information Centre.) The Kiskatinaw curved wooden bridge is a great place to take a picture of your camper, it's right outside the campground. June 9-10 Fort Nelson (5 hours) Toad River lodge in Toad River?(Good eats at the Shepherd's Inn, about 75 miles out of Dawson Creek. Stop at the Fort Nelson Heritage Museum. Fort Nelson also used to host a Visitors Program. Check at the Visitors Bureau across the road from the Heritage Museum.) June 10-11 Liard Hot Springs (4 hours) June 11-12 Watson Lake (3 hours)(visit the Alaska Highway Interpretive Center next to Signpost Forest. See if you can find the Casita sign we put up in the Signpost Forest. The Northern Lights Center is across from the Signpost Forest. It is about as close to seeing the Northern Lights you can get unless you go up late in the year.) (Head up the highway toward Teslin. Stop at Rancheria Falls. CAUTION! Watch for bears here, especially in the dumpster! In Teslin, stop at the Yukon Wildlife Gallery. Visit the George Johnson Museum, just out of Teslin on your left. June 12-13 Johnsons Crossing (4 hours) (Skagway was scheduled but deleted from trip) June 16-18 Whitehorse (3 hours)(The SS Klondike stern-wheeler and the McBride Museum. There is a walking tour of Whitehorse. Get a brochure at the Visitor Center in downtown.) The Whitehorse WalMart has a "welcome campers" sign with a map showing where to park. There is a gas station right here with a free dump and free fresh water. Also a Canadian Tire store which is always a treat for the guys! Stop at the Braeburn Lodge for the biggest cinnamon roll you've ever eaten. June 18-19 Pelly Crossing June 19-21 Dawson. We passed through Dawson and crossed the Yukon on the ferry so we could get a campsite at the Yukon River campground. Yukon territory campsites cost $12 CAD per night and provide free firewood. We walked back to the ferry to visit Dawson and spotted some friends from the South crossing in their two Olivers! Once you arrive in Dawson City, visit the Klondike Visitors Association along the Yukon River for info, "Must see" attractions include Gold Dredge #4 (guided tours by Parks Canada, eh!) Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Hall (show & slots), and Dawson City Museum - make sure to watch the "City of Gold" film. You may consider taking a walking tour of Dawson City. June 21 We left Dawson for Chicken, AK, and crossed back into the USA at the Northernmost customs station in the USA. Friendly customs guy offered to take our picture. Very smooth new highway for about 7 miles, and then we hit the worst gravel of the trip on the road to Chicken on the top of the world highway. A few miles before reaching Chicken we spent the night at Walker Fork campground, which I think is National Forest, cost was $5 with our senior pass and free firewood! You can pan for gold for free across the highway from the campground, host can provide gold pans if needed. June 21-22 Tetlin Junction/Tok After Delta Junction is Rika's Roadhouse. Good place for a bite to eat, but tour buses stop here too. Stop at the Knotty Shop for Alaska gifts. North Pole is next....visit Santa Claus House. In Fairbanks, there is a lot to see & do June 23-25 Eielson AFB FAMCAMP June 23-25 Fairbanks Tour the University of Alaska Museum of the North. If you are into museums, you could easily spend at least a half day there. Take in a ball game of you'll be there during solstice and watch the 2nd baseman adjust his sunglasses at 2 AM. There was a Farmer's Market on the weekend. Pioneer Park is another "must see." Take in the Palace Theatre & Saloon "Golden Heart Review" about life in Fairbanks. Take in Sunday brunch at Pike's Landing. Sit on the deck overlooking the river unless the mosquitoes are bad. June 25-26 McKinley Park June 26-29 Denali June 29-30 Wasilla/Palmer. Tour Palmer (stop at the visitor information center) and learn about the Creampuff Pioneers. Visit the Musk Ox farm outside of town. June 30-2 Elmendorf/Anchorage. Great market on the weekend in downtown. The city used to offer free bus tours of the port. Check at the visitor bureau in downtown for info. JULY JULY -2 Elmendorf/Anchorage JULY 2-4 Seward. Don't even think about going to Seward over the 4th of July! Stops along the way? Portage Glacier for sure. In Seward, walk around downtown and visit the Alaska SeaLife Center (built with BP $$$ after the grounding of the Exxon Valdez). Camp on the beach, operated by the city of Seward JULY 4-6 Homer Spit. After Seward, head back toward Anchorage, but at Tern Lake, turn left and head to Soldotna and Kenai. Fish the Kenai River. Camp at Fred Meyer or one of the local RV Parks. Head to Homer (watch for moose along this stretch) stopping at all the little towns along the way, especially Ninilchik. Homer is one of our favorite places. Camp on the spit. Visit the Salty Dog, Pratt Museum, and Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center. Downtown Homer has a few breweries and art shops. Souvenirs are available at the Safeway store and on the spit. Look for the eagle's nest near the city owned dump station across from Safeway. JULY 6-10 Valdez. head to Valdez, on the Richardson Highway. Stop at the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve Visitor Center. Take the "loop" through Copper Center. From Thompson Pass into Valdez it's all downhill....literally. Did you stop at Bridal Falls for a photo?? I highly recommend taking the all day Stan Stephens Glacier tour of Columbia & Meirs Glacier. You may have to wait a day or two for a seat, as this is a very sought after tour and there are a lot of tourist in the summer, especially from foreign countries. If you stay at Bear Paw RV Park, they can book your cruise and you can walk to the dock from camp. The cruise, while pricey, well worth the money. Visit the Valdez Historical Museum. Lots of little touristy places in Valdez. JULY 10-12 Tok JULY 12-13 Destruction Bay JULY 13-15 Whitehorse JULY 15-16 Watson Lake JULY 16-18 Cassiar JULY 18-19 Hyder. Hyder, AK and watch the bears. Visit the Toaster Museum in Stewart, BC. JULY 19-20 Burns Lake JULY 20-21 Prince george JULY 21-23 Red Pass (Jasper) JULY 23-25 Banff JULY 25-28 East Glacier JULY 28-29 Great Falls JULY 29-1 Rapid City (Custer etc) AUGUST AUGUST 1-3 Badlands AUGUST 3-4 Sioux Falls AUGUST 4-5 Kansas City AUGUST 5-6 St Louis AUGUST 6-7 Paducah AUGUST 7-9 Nashville AUGUST 9-11 Chattanooga AUGUST 12 Home (give or take 2 or 3 weeks) One Provider trailer tire had steel belt showing on the way back, so placed spare Loadstar on. It had been wearing on outer edge, first noticed on way up and rotated/balanced in Montana, but belt came through on Icefields parkway on way back. These were the M rated Providers, tire amazingly kept together though. Installed Carlisle 205/75R-14 D rated tires after this trip. 14,123 miles total, 1014.8 gallons, 13.9 MPG, approx 12,000 on Scamp.

Blue Angels homecoming and Big Lagoon state park FL

Big Lagoon State Park, Pensacola, FL. Blue Angels homecoming airshow. We arrived on Veterans Day and made it to the Friday night show, and then came back for the day show the next day. Impressive, but no A-10s (my favorite airplane) flying. We had a nice shaded spot at site 19, and would go here again just to take a break. We just hiked the trails on our last full day and relaxed. Met Ray and (Re)Voe here, they own an EggCamper. The park has kayaks and canoes for rental, and places to launch your own kayaks. Beautiful weather and sunsets. The Navy Blue Angels museum on NAS Pensacola is worthy of a visit any time, and can take a full day or more since it is so interesting.