We are in Atlanta, visiting our family. We will be going camping tomorrow. We can't wait.
Tonight, sitting outside, for some reason we talked some about lightning bugs, also known as fireflies. Vicky mentioned she had never seen one.
Come to think of it, while living in the Northwest, neither have I. How odd.
In a couple of weeks we will be in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where I grew up. I lived at the edge of town, with fields that stretched for miles just across the road.
A powerful memory of this childhood, along with homemade ice cream, freedom to ride my bicycle all over town, cap guns, Davy Crockett, and playing badminton almost every night, is lightning bugs.
During the summer, in those fields, every night, stretching for miles, was a light show--probably thousands and thousands of lightning bugs. Bugs so numerous that they lit up the entire area. We would catch them, put them into jars, release them the next day. As much a part of that era as cowboys and Indians and black and white TV. How I miss all of it.
I want Vicky to see a lightning bug. And I want to see them again.
Dancing, Camping, Cycling, & Hiking on our Public Lands....living in the valley of love and delight
Friday, September 27, 2013
Saturday, September 21, 2013
We discover an old Civilian Conservation Corps Trail--thrilling!
September 18 & 19, 2013
In our travels we have seen many vestiges of the 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps. It is always a fun discovery, and often a moving experience.
The Civilian Conservation Corps (or CCC) was a public works program initiated by Roosevelt during the depression. Young men were put to work on a variety of conservation projects--building lodges, bridges, lookout towers, and campgrounds throughout the U.S.
The young men (boys) lived in barracks, and began their days with calisthenics. Their leaders ran the camps in a quasi-military fashion, although not to train them for the military. The reason for the quasi-military format was that there were an absence of people who could manage this type of group in outdoor settings since the program grew so quickly. Those who were available were often ex-military men.
What is remarkable is the quality of their workmanship. Their structures have a massive quality to them. Made from stone and huge timbers, they were built to last. And many have lasted.
But what is sad for us is to see how often these structures have fallen into disrepair. Some of the parks where these men worked have been maintained, but we frequently see evidence that they have not. For example, many campgrounds that used to have water piped in from wells dug high in the mountains above them no longer have functioning wells. Many structures have been allowed to deteriorate when it seems that only a bit of upkeep could have prevented this.
One of the most puzzling aspects of the CCC is the number of hiking trails that were built. Why? Was the country into hiking during the depression? I doubt that any but a fraction of the population had even heard the word. And most people couldn't drive to these places to hike (couldn't afford it, no roads, etc.), so who were they built for? A lot of effort was expended creating these trails, but I have no idea who actually used them until well after WW-II when the country became more prosperous and people took to the interstates to vacation far from home.
REI didn't even start until 1938, and back then it wasn't for hikers, but for serious climbers. It wasn't until the 1970s that it became more diversified.
Was it someone's very far-sighted thinking? I'd really like to know. It's quite a puzzling aspect of the CCC in my opinion.
We spent two nights at Guernsey State Park in Wyoming. Structures built by the CCC are featured prominently on their web site.
The park was practically empty. Not sure why exactly. Obviously it wasn't the summer season or the weekend, when a state park that features a large reservoir is going to attract a lot of boaters and fishermen. And the water levels were very low. Still, we couldn't figure out why it was so empty.
Great for us, though. We like empty.
And we were excited to see more CCC structures.
It rained some our first night (big surprise), but the second day looked promising for a hike. We didn't know if there were marked trails in the park, but the terrain was such that we felt we could hike off-trail.
What we did was head up the hill next to our camp site--the hill that can be seen above the hood of our pickup:
From the top of the hill we had a nice view of our rig:
We traveled over to the other side of the hill, and had a beautiful view of the reservoir:
We went on around the reservoir, and down the other side of the hill. It was evident that there had been a large burn in the park fairly recently. One of the many public areas that we seem to find everywhere that have burned.
Surprisingly, after trekking along for awhile, we found ourselves at one of the park roads!
Not knowing anywhere better to go, and wanting to hike some more, we decided to cross the road and head on up into the hills on the other side. We trudged along in this area for awhile, until we knew we had to hike down off of them. We found the best place, and carefully made our way down.
When we were almost to the bottom Vicky spotted something in the distant woods. We couldn't tell what it was, but we thought we would go explore.
What we found was so fun--an old CCC pedestrian bridge out in the middle of nowhere.
At some point in the past the wooden timbers burned. There was no trail that led to it. But the massiveness of the construction is obvious. The supports are still strong enough that a small bridge could be built across the stream, although unless a lot of effort was made to create a trail to it, there would be no reason to rebuild it.
However, what we could see was a trail leading away from the bridge on the other side. So we followed it.
It was clear to us that this was an old CCC trail. It was so well constructed that it was still present, in most places, 85 years later, even with all of the exposure to the elements it had endured.
It was also clear that it had been a long time since someone else had walked this trail--the only prints we could find were from deer.
We followed this trail, and what do you know? It led us back to our campground!
It seems a shame to us that this trail is not better maintained. It would be difficult for many people to even find it, much less hike it. The basic structure of it is still there and is still in good shape.
One of those trails built out in the middle of nowhere for who-knows-who? How many people actually used this trail in the 25 years after it was built?
The park advertises the CCC history, and that is really nice. However, to really honor the memory of this fine program, a little more effort to reconstruct these ancient trails would be great.
It is a shame that a CCC is no longer possible. Young boys/men today would probably not be willing to start their days with calisthenics, spend their days being led by ex-military men expecting them to lift and tote heavy timbers and rocks, and spend their nights sleeping in barracks.
Yet look at what could be accomplished. If any of these men/boys from the CCC are still living, they could take their families all over the country, and point with pride to how long much of their work has endured.
How many of us can say that?
In our travels we have seen many vestiges of the 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps. It is always a fun discovery, and often a moving experience.
The Civilian Conservation Corps (or CCC) was a public works program initiated by Roosevelt during the depression. Young men were put to work on a variety of conservation projects--building lodges, bridges, lookout towers, and campgrounds throughout the U.S.
The young men (boys) lived in barracks, and began their days with calisthenics. Their leaders ran the camps in a quasi-military fashion, although not to train them for the military. The reason for the quasi-military format was that there were an absence of people who could manage this type of group in outdoor settings since the program grew so quickly. Those who were available were often ex-military men.
What is remarkable is the quality of their workmanship. Their structures have a massive quality to them. Made from stone and huge timbers, they were built to last. And many have lasted.
But what is sad for us is to see how often these structures have fallen into disrepair. Some of the parks where these men worked have been maintained, but we frequently see evidence that they have not. For example, many campgrounds that used to have water piped in from wells dug high in the mountains above them no longer have functioning wells. Many structures have been allowed to deteriorate when it seems that only a bit of upkeep could have prevented this.
One of the most puzzling aspects of the CCC is the number of hiking trails that were built. Why? Was the country into hiking during the depression? I doubt that any but a fraction of the population had even heard the word. And most people couldn't drive to these places to hike (couldn't afford it, no roads, etc.), so who were they built for? A lot of effort was expended creating these trails, but I have no idea who actually used them until well after WW-II when the country became more prosperous and people took to the interstates to vacation far from home.
REI didn't even start until 1938, and back then it wasn't for hikers, but for serious climbers. It wasn't until the 1970s that it became more diversified.
Was it someone's very far-sighted thinking? I'd really like to know. It's quite a puzzling aspect of the CCC in my opinion.
We spent two nights at Guernsey State Park in Wyoming. Structures built by the CCC are featured prominently on their web site.
The park was practically empty. Not sure why exactly. Obviously it wasn't the summer season or the weekend, when a state park that features a large reservoir is going to attract a lot of boaters and fishermen. And the water levels were very low. Still, we couldn't figure out why it was so empty.
Great for us, though. We like empty.
And we were excited to see more CCC structures.
It rained some our first night (big surprise), but the second day looked promising for a hike. We didn't know if there were marked trails in the park, but the terrain was such that we felt we could hike off-trail.
What we did was head up the hill next to our camp site--the hill that can be seen above the hood of our pickup:
From the top of the hill we had a nice view of our rig:
We traveled over to the other side of the hill, and had a beautiful view of the reservoir:
We went on around the reservoir, and down the other side of the hill. It was evident that there had been a large burn in the park fairly recently. One of the many public areas that we seem to find everywhere that have burned.
Surprisingly, after trekking along for awhile, we found ourselves at one of the park roads!
Not knowing anywhere better to go, and wanting to hike some more, we decided to cross the road and head on up into the hills on the other side. We trudged along in this area for awhile, until we knew we had to hike down off of them. We found the best place, and carefully made our way down.
When we were almost to the bottom Vicky spotted something in the distant woods. We couldn't tell what it was, but we thought we would go explore.
What we found was so fun--an old CCC pedestrian bridge out in the middle of nowhere.
At some point in the past the wooden timbers burned. There was no trail that led to it. But the massiveness of the construction is obvious. The supports are still strong enough that a small bridge could be built across the stream, although unless a lot of effort was made to create a trail to it, there would be no reason to rebuild it.
However, what we could see was a trail leading away from the bridge on the other side. So we followed it.
It was clear to us that this was an old CCC trail. It was so well constructed that it was still present, in most places, 85 years later, even with all of the exposure to the elements it had endured.
It was also clear that it had been a long time since someone else had walked this trail--the only prints we could find were from deer.
We followed this trail, and what do you know? It led us back to our campground!
It seems a shame to us that this trail is not better maintained. It would be difficult for many people to even find it, much less hike it. The basic structure of it is still there and is still in good shape.
One of those trails built out in the middle of nowhere for who-knows-who? How many people actually used this trail in the 25 years after it was built?
The park advertises the CCC history, and that is really nice. However, to really honor the memory of this fine program, a little more effort to reconstruct these ancient trails would be great.
It is a shame that a CCC is no longer possible. Young boys/men today would probably not be willing to start their days with calisthenics, spend their days being led by ex-military men expecting them to lift and tote heavy timbers and rocks, and spend their nights sleeping in barracks.
Yet look at what could be accomplished. If any of these men/boys from the CCC are still living, they could take their families all over the country, and point with pride to how long much of their work has endured.
How many of us can say that?
World's most informative interstate highway sign
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
On an exit on Interstate 90 in Wyoming. Glad we saw the sign or we would have started driving around looking for a McDonalds.
On an exit on Interstate 90 in Wyoming. Glad we saw the sign or we would have started driving around looking for a McDonalds.
Camping with Moose at Bighorn National Forest--amazing!
The floods in Colorado have been devastating. Fortunately our family and friends have been spared. We had planned on seeing my long-time, dear friends from Illinois, Doug, Becky, Laurence, and Susan in Fort Collins on Saturday. Those plans had to be changed because of the floods, so instead we are driving to Denver to see them on Friday.
To arrive a day earlier so we could see them, we dumped our route that went to the Custer Battlefield. It is something I have wanted to see for a long time, but I wanted to see my friends a lot more. Besides, it will be there next year. We had also scheduled a day of hiking before we got to Fort Collins, and thought we might be able to get at least part of that in, if we could avoid the huge storm that started in Seattle and has followed us all the way across the continent.
Consequently, while driving, we made about six different plans for today and tomorrow. Using the IPad (when we could get a signal), Vicky scoped out several routes and several camping spots, all the while watching the weather channel closely for when the storms were predicted (the predictions kept changing, adding to the fun).
We "finally" decided we would camp at the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area.
But about 20 miles from the campground there we passed a Ranger Station. We went inside, and based on what we learned changed our plans once again. Instead, we finally finally decided to drive to the Bald Mountain Campground in the Bighorn National Forest. To get there meant a drive that seemed practically straight up. Our pickup downshifted to second gear several times. But the sights along the way were breathtaking and well worth the effort (although, granted, it was only an effort for the pickup, not us). The grade was 10-12% for 14 miles. That is a beast of a grade.
Here is a nice shot along the road about half-way up. Shows the road below and how steep the ascent was:
Some amazing photos from the top:
We got to the campground, closed this time of year, although people can stay here if they want to anyway. It looks like what happens is that people just move their trailers here, claim a spot, and then maybe come up on the weekends. It was actually kind of a weird feeling. We felt like we were camping in an used RV lot.
Fortunately we got a nice spot. By the next morning, it appeared that there was only one other campsite that had been occupied that night. Not sure why the Park Forest would allow this, but maybe there is some reason we don't understand. If other people traveling through like us wanted to stay here, there wouldn't have been room for them, even though the campground was, in reality, empty.
We got set up, checked out the pit toilets (clean), got inside the camper, and the rains, winds, and thunderstorms hit us.
That afternoon, outside our camper, we saw moose. Eventually we identified four of them--two mothers and two youngsters. They spent the afternoon and early evening munching away on plants not 30 yards from our camper. We kept our distance, knowing that the mothers would not be happy if we got too close to their babies. I have only seen moose one other time in my life, as a child in Yellowstone, and Vicky has never seen them. And yet here we are, 30 yards from four of them, in a deserted campground 9500 feet high in the Bighorn Forest.
That night the storms continued unabated until about 2:00 in the morning, when they moved East, and a full moon came out. Our camper shook in the rain that pelted us with all it could. The next morning it was very cold. We were glad we had heat.
Remember two days ago when we were sweating in 94 degree heat?
A road trip means making constant adjustments. That's what is part of the adventure. Because we made them we saw some jaw-droppingly beautiful country and four moose.
Beavertail Hill State Park, Montana
Monday September 16, 2013
377 miles from our previous night, at Beavertail Hill State Park (part of the Montana State Park system). We didn't know what to expect from this park system, but they are off to a good start.
We secured a lovely spot by the Clark Fork River, with (so far) nobody on either side of us. No matter--you can tell this is a quiet place. And besides, the small river is a natural white-noise machine which would drown out sounds made by other people.
We are sitting out behind our camper--me once again having my you-drove-us-here-safely-glass-of-wine-reward. And looking for the bear.
The camp host informed us that a bear had been wandering through there on a regular basis. He had seen him today. Vicky said, in fun: "A Grizzly?!!!" We had already checked out the map of Grizzly bear territory in Montana, and she knew that the bears in that area were Black Bears, not Grizzlies. Our plan is not to camp or hike in Grizzly Bear areas.
Black Bears are shy, retiring creatures. They evolved in wooded areas and so protect themselves by climbing trees. Their babies also are adept climbers. Grizzly Bears evolved in the plains, and are not tree climbers. Instead of being of a shape and type to climb trees, the claws of Grizzly Bears are effective for digging--they dig roots to eat.
Grizzly Bears protect themselves in a more aggressive way--by fighting--since they can't climb trees for escape like Black Bears can. Grizzly Bears also have few babies. That, combined with the fact that their babies don't have the natural protection of climbing trees, is why the old adage about not messing around with bear cubs because their mommas will get you actually applies mostly to Grizzly Bears.
We do a lot of reading on how to protect ourselves in wilderness areas from potentially harmful animals (bears, mountain lions, snakes, oh my.). One expert who studied several years of bear attacks summed up the difference between the two types of bears (I paraphrase): "Comparing Grizzly Bears to Black Bears is like comparing a bucket of dynamite to a bucket of feathers."
So, we have our camera ready. I'd really like to get a photo of the bear. We also have our bear spray, but wouldn't be doing anything different if we didn't have any. This Black Bear is much less dangerous to us than the probably 1000 or so drivers we met on the road today who were talking on their cell phones or were texting. For them I wish I had something like "SUV spray."
The new pickup drives nicely. A bit easier than the F-250 because it has a wider stance. But the additional 1500-2000 pounds we are carrying takes its toll on gas mileage. So far, we are getting 10.4 mpg. I am hoping for 10.0 for the entire trip. If there is a silver lining, it is this: Gas is a lot cheaper everywhere than Washington (and California).
Vicky sitting by the river:
377 miles from our previous night, at Beavertail Hill State Park (part of the Montana State Park system). We didn't know what to expect from this park system, but they are off to a good start.
We secured a lovely spot by the Clark Fork River, with (so far) nobody on either side of us. No matter--you can tell this is a quiet place. And besides, the small river is a natural white-noise machine which would drown out sounds made by other people.
We are sitting out behind our camper--me once again having my you-drove-us-here-safely-glass-of-wine-reward. And looking for the bear.
The camp host informed us that a bear had been wandering through there on a regular basis. He had seen him today. Vicky said, in fun: "A Grizzly?!!!" We had already checked out the map of Grizzly bear territory in Montana, and she knew that the bears in that area were Black Bears, not Grizzlies. Our plan is not to camp or hike in Grizzly Bear areas.
Black Bears are shy, retiring creatures. They evolved in wooded areas and so protect themselves by climbing trees. Their babies also are adept climbers. Grizzly Bears evolved in the plains, and are not tree climbers. Instead of being of a shape and type to climb trees, the claws of Grizzly Bears are effective for digging--they dig roots to eat.
Grizzly Bears protect themselves in a more aggressive way--by fighting--since they can't climb trees for escape like Black Bears can. Grizzly Bears also have few babies. That, combined with the fact that their babies don't have the natural protection of climbing trees, is why the old adage about not messing around with bear cubs because their mommas will get you actually applies mostly to Grizzly Bears.
We do a lot of reading on how to protect ourselves in wilderness areas from potentially harmful animals (bears, mountain lions, snakes, oh my.). One expert who studied several years of bear attacks summed up the difference between the two types of bears (I paraphrase): "Comparing Grizzly Bears to Black Bears is like comparing a bucket of dynamite to a bucket of feathers."
So, we have our camera ready. I'd really like to get a photo of the bear. We also have our bear spray, but wouldn't be doing anything different if we didn't have any. This Black Bear is much less dangerous to us than the probably 1000 or so drivers we met on the road today who were talking on their cell phones or were texting. For them I wish I had something like "SUV spray."
The new pickup drives nicely. A bit easier than the F-250 because it has a wider stance. But the additional 1500-2000 pounds we are carrying takes its toll on gas mileage. So far, we are getting 10.4 mpg. I am hoping for 10.0 for the entire trip. If there is a silver lining, it is this: Gas is a lot cheaper everywhere than Washington (and California).
Vicky sitting by the river:
Friday, September 20, 2013
Off on Road Trip 3.0
Sunday, September 15, 2013
We are officially on Roadtrip 3.0. An incredible amount of planning and organizing to get to this point. Yet, here I am, at Wanapum State Park, sitting out behind our camper, with a glass of wine, and Vicky sitting next to me. We are looking out over a field where several Magpies are playing. There is an abundance of silence. And an abundance of heat--94 degrees when we arrived. Boy, can you ever get different climates in Washington by driving only a few miles.
Off in the distance, above the hills, lightening is flashing. You can see the gray skies in the photo. Even though it is hot, and humid, it feels like we could get rain. No matter. We will be driving tomorrow anyway--into Montana--and couldn't get outside even if it was nice weather.
I have only been to Montana once in my life, when my family drove across the state on our way to Seattle, of all places, where we spent some time one summer in the early 1960s. We went into a store somewhere along the route, and my father remarked to the old man working there about how beautiful Montana was. He said, "Yeah, the view is pretty, but you can't eat it." Why do I still remember something like that?
Because of the amount of organizing that was needed, Vicky went into full "list" mode." In the month before we left, she made dozens of them. Finally got her a computer program for lists, and that has added to her fun.
Vicky's list "app:"
We created a staging area in the garage--every time we would think of something we would need we either took it to the staging area, or put it on one of her lists, or both. Even with all of this advanced planning we forgot to bring the badminton set I had purchased for us to use some evenings at our campsites.
In the final week before we left, there were many last-minute details. We had to clean all of our bird feeders so they would be ready in the spring when we returned, plus, being the bird lovers we are, we left about 25 suet packets in all of our suet feeders. At about $1.25 per packet, this tells you how much we want our birds to be fed even if we aren't there to enjoy them.
Vicky mowed the lawn one last time, and I cleaned the gutters. Loaded the camper back onto the pickup.
We have an enormous amount of food to bring. Although there are grocery stores almost everywhere, we are often miles from the closest one. And it saves a lot of money to do a Costco run before we go to load up on V-8, Diet Coke, refried beans, and other staples.
About a dozen 20-packs of our favorite low-carb tortillas. These are hard to find anywhere.
We loaded up the camper with water, propane, and gasoline, along with all of our food. And were so excited to get it weighed at the CAT scales. With our F-250, no matter how hard we might try, we couldn't get under the weight recommended for the axels and tires.
Well, not so with the F-350. The weight we can carry, legally and safely, is 14000 pounds. We were at "only" 12,040 on the CAT scales. Instead of being 600-800 pounds over weight as we were with the previous truck, we are about 2000 pounds under weight.
And the gas mileage shows it. Oh well. The price paid for safety. We were happy. We have invested a lot to be safe, and to have a vehicle that will take us places the F-250 couldn't.
After we left Whidbey Island this morning, we stopped to see our family in Seattle--Jessica, Jules, Adam and Ian, celebrating an early birthday for Jessica. As a birthday gift, she got Jack. He roamed around the house while we were there, exploring, and having a hissing contest with their cat Thisbee, but seemed to settle in fine. (the next day Jules and Jessica emailed that he sat on Jessica's lap for the Seahawks game. Jack is a lap cat, and needs a lap to sit on, so that made us happy). It feels so right to have him there, even though I miss him already.
Off we go to Seattle and then on to the rest of the trip:
We left Seattle for Wanapam State Park early afternoon. That night, the storm that we saw in the distance while sitting out behind the camper blew through, and did it ever blow. Not a lot of rain, but a lot of noise. Safe and snug in our camper (unless a tree fell on us).
Our first day of our 7-month road trip. Already I have seen things I have never seen before. A good start. Our Whidbey Island home seems so far away already. The back of our pickup bed now seems like our home which is good since we will be living there for seven months.
A road trip isn't official until Vicky puts out her bird lamp!
We are officially on Roadtrip 3.0. An incredible amount of planning and organizing to get to this point. Yet, here I am, at Wanapum State Park, sitting out behind our camper, with a glass of wine, and Vicky sitting next to me. We are looking out over a field where several Magpies are playing. There is an abundance of silence. And an abundance of heat--94 degrees when we arrived. Boy, can you ever get different climates in Washington by driving only a few miles.
Off in the distance, above the hills, lightening is flashing. You can see the gray skies in the photo. Even though it is hot, and humid, it feels like we could get rain. No matter. We will be driving tomorrow anyway--into Montana--and couldn't get outside even if it was nice weather.
I have only been to Montana once in my life, when my family drove across the state on our way to Seattle, of all places, where we spent some time one summer in the early 1960s. We went into a store somewhere along the route, and my father remarked to the old man working there about how beautiful Montana was. He said, "Yeah, the view is pretty, but you can't eat it." Why do I still remember something like that?
Because of the amount of organizing that was needed, Vicky went into full "list" mode." In the month before we left, she made dozens of them. Finally got her a computer program for lists, and that has added to her fun.
Vicky's list "app:"
We created a staging area in the garage--every time we would think of something we would need we either took it to the staging area, or put it on one of her lists, or both. Even with all of this advanced planning we forgot to bring the badminton set I had purchased for us to use some evenings at our campsites.
In the final week before we left, there were many last-minute details. We had to clean all of our bird feeders so they would be ready in the spring when we returned, plus, being the bird lovers we are, we left about 25 suet packets in all of our suet feeders. At about $1.25 per packet, this tells you how much we want our birds to be fed even if we aren't there to enjoy them.
Vicky mowed the lawn one last time, and I cleaned the gutters. Loaded the camper back onto the pickup.
We have an enormous amount of food to bring. Although there are grocery stores almost everywhere, we are often miles from the closest one. And it saves a lot of money to do a Costco run before we go to load up on V-8, Diet Coke, refried beans, and other staples.
About a dozen 20-packs of our favorite low-carb tortillas. These are hard to find anywhere.
We loaded up the camper with water, propane, and gasoline, along with all of our food. And were so excited to get it weighed at the CAT scales. With our F-250, no matter how hard we might try, we couldn't get under the weight recommended for the axels and tires.
Well, not so with the F-350. The weight we can carry, legally and safely, is 14000 pounds. We were at "only" 12,040 on the CAT scales. Instead of being 600-800 pounds over weight as we were with the previous truck, we are about 2000 pounds under weight.
And the gas mileage shows it. Oh well. The price paid for safety. We were happy. We have invested a lot to be safe, and to have a vehicle that will take us places the F-250 couldn't.
After we left Whidbey Island this morning, we stopped to see our family in Seattle--Jessica, Jules, Adam and Ian, celebrating an early birthday for Jessica. As a birthday gift, she got Jack. He roamed around the house while we were there, exploring, and having a hissing contest with their cat Thisbee, but seemed to settle in fine. (the next day Jules and Jessica emailed that he sat on Jessica's lap for the Seahawks game. Jack is a lap cat, and needs a lap to sit on, so that made us happy). It feels so right to have him there, even though I miss him already.
Off we go to Seattle and then on to the rest of the trip:
We left Seattle for Wanapam State Park early afternoon. That night, the storm that we saw in the distance while sitting out behind the camper blew through, and did it ever blow. Not a lot of rain, but a lot of noise. Safe and snug in our camper (unless a tree fell on us).
Our first day of our 7-month road trip. Already I have seen things I have never seen before. A good start. Our Whidbey Island home seems so far away already. The back of our pickup bed now seems like our home which is good since we will be living there for seven months.
A road trip isn't official until Vicky puts out her bird lamp!
Friday, September 13, 2013
Back to Nature
A recent study reported that there have been significant declines in nature-based activities by Americans in the past 25 years. This study examined Americans' time spent in National Parks, State Parks, and National Forests. The results are sad.
This time frame has coincided, of course, with the rise of the internet, Netflix, videostores, IPads, IPhones, personal computers, and hand-held video games, to the point where adults spend, on average, 8.5 hours a day with "screen time" for recreation.
It is so easy to say: get back to nature.
But, really, how easy is it these days?
For both Vicky and me, experiencing "nature" as children was as easy as walking out our front doors. I grew up at the edge of town where all I had to do was cross the street, climb a fence, and I was in open fields with streams that stretched for miles. And that's where I spent most of my free time--roaming around, "hunting" bullfrogs with my trusty bow and arrow, and playing "cowboys and Indians."
Vicky spent her childhood in a neighborhood that was on the edge of Seattle, with acres of woods everywhere. The kids would run in packs through these woods. She and her siblings rode their horses through those same areas.
Now it is all built up--all city, all houses. Gone forever are the trails that were everywhere, trails that existed because the kids hacked them out. Building forts from discarded wood pieces from construction sites (always with the permission of the builders--kids always asked in those days). Some summer days she would play on the beaches below her home, making rafts from boards found anywhere. Being in nature.
So it is no wonder we love living on our 5 acres on an island, with trees all around and complete solitude. And it is no wonder we are leaving in less than two days to find more nature to explore.
We won't "hunt" with our bows and arrows, or build forts, but we will be chidren once again--remembering those days long ago when we were totally free to run around everywhere in the fields and in the forests.
This time frame has coincided, of course, with the rise of the internet, Netflix, videostores, IPads, IPhones, personal computers, and hand-held video games, to the point where adults spend, on average, 8.5 hours a day with "screen time" for recreation.
It is so easy to say: get back to nature.
But, really, how easy is it these days?
For both Vicky and me, experiencing "nature" as children was as easy as walking out our front doors. I grew up at the edge of town where all I had to do was cross the street, climb a fence, and I was in open fields with streams that stretched for miles. And that's where I spent most of my free time--roaming around, "hunting" bullfrogs with my trusty bow and arrow, and playing "cowboys and Indians."
Vicky spent her childhood in a neighborhood that was on the edge of Seattle, with acres of woods everywhere. The kids would run in packs through these woods. She and her siblings rode their horses through those same areas.
Now it is all built up--all city, all houses. Gone forever are the trails that were everywhere, trails that existed because the kids hacked them out. Building forts from discarded wood pieces from construction sites (always with the permission of the builders--kids always asked in those days). Some summer days she would play on the beaches below her home, making rafts from boards found anywhere. Being in nature.
So it is no wonder we love living on our 5 acres on an island, with trees all around and complete solitude. And it is no wonder we are leaving in less than two days to find more nature to explore.
We won't "hunt" with our bows and arrows, or build forts, but we will be chidren once again--remembering those days long ago when we were totally free to run around everywhere in the fields and in the forests.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
621 miles to go
Beginning in February 2009, to today, I am 621 miles short of 10,000 cycling miles in 5 years.
I have four months to do it--to reach 10,000 miles. About 150 miles/month. Not the easiest thing to do on a road trip, but Vicky and I have outlined several bike rides so I can accomplish this goal. It is one I want, and one she wants for me.
Never, in my wildest imagination, as a professor of psychology at Illinois State University, did I ever think I could, in my 60s, ride my bike 10,000 miles in five years. That's what one should do in their retirement--something they could not imagine in their wildest imagination. Cross your fingers for me.
I have four months to do it--to reach 10,000 miles. About 150 miles/month. Not the easiest thing to do on a road trip, but Vicky and I have outlined several bike rides so I can accomplish this goal. It is one I want, and one she wants for me.
Never, in my wildest imagination, as a professor of psychology at Illinois State University, did I ever think I could, in my 60s, ride my bike 10,000 miles in five years. That's what one should do in their retirement--something they could not imagine in their wildest imagination. Cross your fingers for me.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Leaving for 35 weeks is not the same as leaving for 1 week X 35
Today is D minus 4. Four days from when I am writing this we will leave on Roadtrip 3.0.
I can hardly believe that the time is already here. Can it really be five months since we arrived home from Roadtrip 2.3? We were really looking forward to being home on Whidbey Island. We had been gone 7 months on Roadtrip 2, with a couple of side excursions home to visit grandchildren, children, parents, brothers and sisters, and other relatives, and were really ready to be here. We knew that the birds would be arriving, plants would be growing, flowers could be planted, days would be sunny. Whidbey Island would be a paradise.
And we were so looking forward to using a real bathroom in the middle of the night instead of crawling out of the camper and finding a bush.
We used our summer well. We trained for and rode our second STP together and with Jules, and did several bike rides after that. We saw a lot of our grandchildren and family, and got to take many of our grandchildren on camping trips so they could experience what we do in the natural areas of our country. We visited with our friends as often as we could. We got several house projects completed (new gutters, new roof for the pump house, new security systems, new mower). We did a lot of hiking on Whidbey Island, went on a dance cruise, went to the ballet, and danced in our home. We planted more flowers, Day Lilies, and Hosta. We traded in our "old" (ha ha) F-250 for a new 4 X 4 Dually so our future Roadtrips will be more comfortable and so we can get to more places with the 4-wheel drive. We had to deal with several medical issues that thankfully were not serious but still required time.
And we sat on our front and back porches and simply enjoyed being here--watching the deer that arrived daily, the Pileated Woodpecker that fed at our feeders, and our trees and ferns. Mostly we enjoyed the quiet and solitude of our home.
But all good things come to an end, including this summer. It feels like fall is in the air. Soon it will be the rainy season.
This year our plan is to drive through Montana to Colorado, visit family there, fly to Atlanta to visit family there, and then drive from Colorado to Atlanta, through Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Tennessee. Then we will head down to the bottom tip of Florida, drive back along the coast to Arizona where we will leave the camper to fly back for a couple of weeks in January. After we return to Arizona at the end of January, we will head to Southern California--to Joshua Tree, the Mojave Desert, and Death Valley, which are our favorite places. So many new places to see and to explore. What a gift life has given us, for both of us to find someone who is so like-minded and who we mutually find so easy to get along with. And who has the same energy level and who won't let the difficulty of finding a bush in the middle of the night deter them from having adventures that are indescribable.
But oh my golly the planning. Leaving for 35 weeks is not like leaving for a week multiplied by 35. It is not a quantitative difference but instead is a qualitative one. I'll give you an example: Medications. At our age everyone is taking some type of medication. Try getting a four month supply of them! You deal with insurance, with insurance, and with insurance. The local drug store (Island Drug in Clinton) is fantastic and patient. But to get these medications requires at least 30 trips/calls.
There are a million things to remember, and to pack. Vicky has been making list after list. So finally I found a list program for the IPad that she really likes (I guess, officially it is an "app," but I can't bring myself to call something that used to be called a program an app.).
I actually think that one of the reasons why our 7-month Roadtrip 2 was so relaxing was because we got all of the "stuff" of modern life done in the months before we left.
Every day we review our lists, plan what we need to do that day, do various things, and then gleefully cross them off. "Do you want to cross off washing the bird feeders from the list or do you want me to?" is a typical conversation.
But, you know, it is sweet. Somebody once wrote that life happens when you are making plans. And that's about all we do in getting ready for Roadtrip 3: Make plans.
I love it.
I can hardly believe that the time is already here. Can it really be five months since we arrived home from Roadtrip 2.3? We were really looking forward to being home on Whidbey Island. We had been gone 7 months on Roadtrip 2, with a couple of side excursions home to visit grandchildren, children, parents, brothers and sisters, and other relatives, and were really ready to be here. We knew that the birds would be arriving, plants would be growing, flowers could be planted, days would be sunny. Whidbey Island would be a paradise.
And we were so looking forward to using a real bathroom in the middle of the night instead of crawling out of the camper and finding a bush.
We used our summer well. We trained for and rode our second STP together and with Jules, and did several bike rides after that. We saw a lot of our grandchildren and family, and got to take many of our grandchildren on camping trips so they could experience what we do in the natural areas of our country. We visited with our friends as often as we could. We got several house projects completed (new gutters, new roof for the pump house, new security systems, new mower). We did a lot of hiking on Whidbey Island, went on a dance cruise, went to the ballet, and danced in our home. We planted more flowers, Day Lilies, and Hosta. We traded in our "old" (ha ha) F-250 for a new 4 X 4 Dually so our future Roadtrips will be more comfortable and so we can get to more places with the 4-wheel drive. We had to deal with several medical issues that thankfully were not serious but still required time.
And we sat on our front and back porches and simply enjoyed being here--watching the deer that arrived daily, the Pileated Woodpecker that fed at our feeders, and our trees and ferns. Mostly we enjoyed the quiet and solitude of our home.
But all good things come to an end, including this summer. It feels like fall is in the air. Soon it will be the rainy season.
This year our plan is to drive through Montana to Colorado, visit family there, fly to Atlanta to visit family there, and then drive from Colorado to Atlanta, through Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Tennessee. Then we will head down to the bottom tip of Florida, drive back along the coast to Arizona where we will leave the camper to fly back for a couple of weeks in January. After we return to Arizona at the end of January, we will head to Southern California--to Joshua Tree, the Mojave Desert, and Death Valley, which are our favorite places. So many new places to see and to explore. What a gift life has given us, for both of us to find someone who is so like-minded and who we mutually find so easy to get along with. And who has the same energy level and who won't let the difficulty of finding a bush in the middle of the night deter them from having adventures that are indescribable.
But oh my golly the planning. Leaving for 35 weeks is not like leaving for a week multiplied by 35. It is not a quantitative difference but instead is a qualitative one. I'll give you an example: Medications. At our age everyone is taking some type of medication. Try getting a four month supply of them! You deal with insurance, with insurance, and with insurance. The local drug store (Island Drug in Clinton) is fantastic and patient. But to get these medications requires at least 30 trips/calls.
There are a million things to remember, and to pack. Vicky has been making list after list. So finally I found a list program for the IPad that she really likes (I guess, officially it is an "app," but I can't bring myself to call something that used to be called a program an app.).
I actually think that one of the reasons why our 7-month Roadtrip 2 was so relaxing was because we got all of the "stuff" of modern life done in the months before we left.
Every day we review our lists, plan what we need to do that day, do various things, and then gleefully cross them off. "Do you want to cross off washing the bird feeders from the list or do you want me to?" is a typical conversation.
But, you know, it is sweet. Somebody once wrote that life happens when you are making plans. And that's about all we do in getting ready for Roadtrip 3: Make plans.
I love it.
Monday, September 2, 2013
Hiking close to home
I say this often: I live where people come for vacation.
And we really do a nice job of taking advantage of that fact.
There is so much to do on Whidbey Island if you like the outdoors. We cycle a lot, of course. Most of our training for the STP is on Whidbey Island because the back roads are not only beautiful to ride on but are safe because they require drivers to be alert when they drive.
And there are so many areas where one can take gentle hikes. You could almost consider these to be nature walks instead of hikes, but just because the elevation gains aren't 3000 feet, or the distances 10 miles, one shouldn't dismiss these areas if you enjoy hiking.
For the past month we have tried to take a nature hike or bike ride every day. We ride for an hour or two or hike from 3-5 miles.
In 30 minutes or less we can drive to hikes at Saratoga Woods, Trillium Woods, Greenbank Farms, South Whidbey State Park, Kettles Trails, Ebey's Landing, Double Bluff, Putney Woods, Metcalf Trails, and more. There may be close to 100 miles of trails within an hour's drive of us, especially since that distance also gets us to Deception Pass State Park and Joseph Whidbey State Park. (update: Vicky says there could be almost 200 miles of trails).
Who wouldn't want to live here? (in the summer I mean).
And we really do a nice job of taking advantage of that fact.
There is so much to do on Whidbey Island if you like the outdoors. We cycle a lot, of course. Most of our training for the STP is on Whidbey Island because the back roads are not only beautiful to ride on but are safe because they require drivers to be alert when they drive.
And there are so many areas where one can take gentle hikes. You could almost consider these to be nature walks instead of hikes, but just because the elevation gains aren't 3000 feet, or the distances 10 miles, one shouldn't dismiss these areas if you enjoy hiking.
For the past month we have tried to take a nature hike or bike ride every day. We ride for an hour or two or hike from 3-5 miles.
In 30 minutes or less we can drive to hikes at Saratoga Woods, Trillium Woods, Greenbank Farms, South Whidbey State Park, Kettles Trails, Ebey's Landing, Double Bluff, Putney Woods, Metcalf Trails, and more. There may be close to 100 miles of trails within an hour's drive of us, especially since that distance also gets us to Deception Pass State Park and Joseph Whidbey State Park. (update: Vicky says there could be almost 200 miles of trails).
Who wouldn't want to live here? (in the summer I mean).
