Wendell, Idaho

We left Wells around 10:00 AM, stopping in Jackpot for lunch at Barton's Club 93. Then it was on to Intermountain RV Park in Wendell, Idaho, one of our Good Neighbor Parks (part of the Coast to Coast system).

Miles driven: 142.5
GPS coordinates: N 42° 46.281' / W 114° 42.897'

Wells, Nevada

Before leaving Lund, we filled up with diesel ($3.399/gallon).

Since we drove so far yesterday, and are now two days ahead of schedule, we've decided to stay at one of our Passport America parks in Wells, Nevada (Mountain Shadows RV Park) for a couple of days. It's probably a good thing since, according to the weather report, tomorrow is going to have chances of thunderstorms...not a good time to be out on the road driving!

Miles driven: 173.2
GPS coordinates: N 41° 06.489' / W 114° 58.515'

A Long Day

It was, too...284 miles. OK, I know a lot of you have to put in your requisite 500 to 600 miles or more a day, but we usually try to keep our trips to 150-200 miles, sometimes even less. After all, we're retired...why do we have to be any place at any specific time?

We were originally planning on camping at Upper Pahranagat Lake Campground in the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, but it was only 1:00 PM when we got there, so we decided to go on to Dave Deacon Campground in the Wayne E. Kirch Wildlife Management Area. However, when we turn off onto the gravel road, it was so heavily rutted that we finally turned around and came back to SR-318 where we headed north again.

We are now dry camping at the travel center (such as it is) north of Lund.

Miles driven: 284.0
GPS coordinates: N 38° 54.846' / W 115° 02.612'

On our way to Idaho

We left Quartzsite around 10:00 AM this morning and headed to Blythe where we caught US-95 going north. We stopped in Vidal Junction for lunch and are now set up on some BLM land north of SR-164 west of Searchlight, Nevada.

Miles driven: 178.8
GPS coordinates: N 35° 30.587' / W 115° 03.336'

We have several boxes of books which, at one time, I was going to put on E-Bay to sell. But, besides the fact that I don't really know much about selling stuff like this on E-Bay (and the problem with getting the books mailed), we don't have time to devote to it now since we have to leave for Idaho on the 27th of this month. So we took them by the local Quartzsite school and donated the books to them.

I got an email from my sister, Lorri, saying that her Dad died early this morning. He's going to be cremated, so won't have a *regular* funeral. Instead, they're going to have a graveside service on November 3, so Earl and I will drive up there for the service.

We did some shopping at the Family Dollar Store and then went by Bealls to see if they had something we could put the printer on...we're getting rid of the Easy-Up coffee table that came with the rig because it's too big and heavy to be moving around all the time. In fact, it's been sitting in the corner by the dining table with the printer on it. Fortunately, Bealls had a nice table that will work nicely for the printer and it was inexpensive.

We had lunch at Taco Mio.

Today we signed the papers for the house...it's set to close on the 8th of November, but Hank (the realtor) said he'd try to get it done sooner. We've given him permission to handle the closing for us, and the proceeds will be wired to our bank account, so we won't have to be here for the closing.

Back in Quartzsite

We arrived in Quartzsite before lunch and got all set up and said "hi" to the neighbors who live behind us. Later in the day, the neighbors who live across the street from us arrived, too.

In the evening, we had dinner at Silly Al's.

I got an email from my sister, Lorri, saying that her Dad (my stepfather) is in the hospital not expected to live for more than a week or two. They are making arrangements to move him to a hospice.

Lake Havasu City

We got up early this morning and headed for the Cracker Barrel in Flagstaff where we had breakfast. After breakfast, we stopped at the Love's in Kingman for diesel ($2.989/gallon).

We were originally going to stay at the BLM area north of the Lake Havasu City airport, but missed the turnoff, so continued to the BLM area south of town where we'd stayed before. We were the only ones there...except for one lone Class C that showed up later and parked about 30 feet from us!

Miles driven: 286.3
GPS coordinates: not taken

Meteor Crater

We stopped at the Hopi Travel Center in Holbrook, Arizona for diesel ($3.049/gallon) and lunch. We then went on to the Meteor Crater RV Park west of Winslow...one of our Passport America parks.

After setting up, we headed off for Meteor Crater which Earl had never seen before (I'd been there many years ago). Meteor Crater is a privately owned tourist site (the same company also owns the RV park) and the entrance fee is fairly steep ($13 each for people over 60). Besides seeing the crater, they do have interesting exhibits in their museum/visitor's center.

Miles driven: 199.2
GPS coordinate: N 35° 06.380' / W 111° 01.983'

Bluewater Lake State Park

We stopped at the Santo Domingo Puelbo, south of Santa Fe, for diesel ($2.979/gallon) and lunch. Then we stopped in Grants to fill up an empty propane bottle.

We were going to stay at one of our Passport America parks in Grants, but they were completely full from people staying here for the Balloon Festival in Albuquerque!!! It's something like 80+ miles from here to ABQ...can't imagine driving that far -- and back again -- just to see some balloons!

So we decided to go a little farther down the road and overnight at Bluewater Lake State Park again. We dry camped, so it didn't cost us anything.

Miles driven: 240.6
GPS coordinates: Not taken

Storrie Lake State Park

We stopped in Raton, New Mexico for diesel ($3.099/gallon) and lunch at Arby's and then headed to Storrie Lake State Park near Las Vegas, New Mexico.

We had passed up this park earlier in the year in favor for Coyote Creek State Park farther north, mainly because Storrie Lake State Park is at a lower elevation and would have been hotter...not to mention much busier, especially on the weekends. During the summer, particularly on the weekends, the hookup area (water and electric) would be very tight, especially for a rig with 3 slides like ours, because the sites are so close together. However, today, there are only two other RVs here.

After setting up, we did some grocery shopping at the Wal Mart in town.

Miles driven: 198.8
GPS coordinates: N 35° 39.658' / W 105° 13.923'

Comanche National Grasslands

Before leaving Seibert, we filled up with diesel ($3.259/gallon).

We've stayed in the Comanche National Grasslands a couple of times before, but always at the Vogel Canyon Picnic Area off SR-109 south of La Junta, Colorado. This time, we headed southwest out of La Junta on US-350 and spent the night at the Timpas Picnic Area. This area is right next to the railroad tracks, but they are not very busy. In fact, during the time we stayed here, only two trains went by...and none during the night.

We got a call from the realtor in Quartzsite who said they have an offer on our house!

Miles driven: 158.9
GPS coordinates: N 37° 49.421' / W 103° 46.252'

Seibert, Colorado

After leaving Hoxie, we stopped to get diesel in Goodland, Kansas ($3.049/gallon).

We were planning on traveling farther, but we were driving in an almost gale-force wind. Earl said he could watch the back end of the fifth wheel being blown around, so we finally got off the road at Seibert where there was a Passport America park located...Shady Grove Campground. Not a fancy campground, but the owner was very friendly.

Miles driven: 133.4
GPS coordinates: Not taken

Hoxie, Kansas

Before we left Smith Center, we filled the truck with diesel ($3.089/gallon) and did grocery shopping.

We stopped at the rest area in Nicodemus National Historic Site. Nicodemus was settled by former slaves fleeing the south in 1877.

We're spending the night at the Elks Lodge in Hoxie, Kansas. We're the only RV here, and we were the only people at the Lodge until later in the evening when the locals started to show up. We were invited in and one of the lodge members bought us drinks. Very friendly lodge, and we'd stay here again if we ever in the area again. There is also a very nice 9-hole golf course next to the lodge.

Since it's 3 months until my 62nd birthday, I went online and completed the request for benefits.

Miles driven: 115.6
GPS coordinates: N 39° 21.191' / W 100° 27.401'

The people at Peterson Industries start work early in the morning...about 6:30 AM (at this time of year, it's still dark out at that time), so we had to get up early, have breakfast, and get the rig ready for them to put into the bay (which consists, mainly, of just putting in the slide).

Our rig was worked on most of the day...not only for the slide problem, but also for several small, miscellaneous items we wanted repaired. Work wasn't completed until late in the afternoon, so we moved down the road a mile or two to the Sunset Park Campground in Smith Center. Had a big thunderstorm come through during the night.

Smith Center, Kansas -- At Last

We arrived at Peterson Industries, manufacturer of our Excel fifth wheel, around lunch time and were directed to park in front of one of the bays in preparation for them to work on our bedroom slide tomorrow morning.

After setting up, we drove over to Jiffy Burger for lunch.

Miles driven: 77.7
GPS coordinates: Not taken

Russell, Kansas

We stopped in Wakeeney, Kansas for diesel ($3.099/gallon) and lunch at the Friskey Brisket, and then continued on to the Triple J Campground (a Passport America park) in Russell, Kansas, home of Senator Bob Dole.

Miles driven: 134.3
GPS coordinates: N 38° 51.996' / W 098° 51.560'

Airplanes

Picture #1: Cessna T-50D Bobcat. Original Songbird of the Sky King TV series (1951-1959) which starred Kirby Grant as an airborne Arizona rancher.

Picture #2: 1947 Beechcraft Bonanza 35. Same as the plane that crashed with Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper aboard.

Picture #3: Mooney M-18C Mite.

Picture #4: Beechcraft 17 Staggerwing.

Mid America Air Museum

Before taking off this morning, we toured the Mid America Air Museum. The museum was established in 1988 in a former Beechcraft plant and is billed as the largest aviation museum in Kansas with more than 100 aircraft, including 56 planes donated by retired Air Force Colonel Tom A. Thomas, Jr., of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

The first exhibit upon entering the museum is a wall of quilt squares, all airplane-related.


After leaving the museum, we had lunch at Applebee's in Garden City, Kansas and ended up at Jetmore City Lake Park just outside of Jetmore, Kansas. This is a nice park with 10 water and electric sites and 10 non-hookup sites, plus lots of room for dry camping...$8 for hookups, $7 for no hookups.


Miles driven: 129.2
GPS coordinates: N 38° 03.128' / W 099° 57.669'