BobandGena

Day 9 Casper, WY to Flaming Gorge NRA, WY: B&G got up early to use the dump station, go to Walmart again and get postage stamps at the post office. Despite B&G's running around early, we made it out of camp by 9:30. First stop was at Independence Rock SP about 40 miles SW of Casper. It is a big granite rock sticking up out of the prairie where the settlers stopped and carved their signatures and date. Saw another bull snake. Next on the Flaming Gorge NRA in the SW corner of WY. We dry camped in a beautiful place called Fire Hole CG. It is on the banks of the Green River with chimney rocks and buttes all around. Lots of little rabbits at this campground. Jenna went wading in the river.... read more

Day 7 Oreville NFCG, SD: Stayed set up at Oreville NFCG for another day. Headed through Custer SP, SD Wildlife loop. Stopped at the VC for S&P and then took a short loop off the main road where got to see bison up close and personal! They walked right by our windows and across the road only a few feet from the front of the truck. They had a bunch of calves. It was a pretty good “Critter” day with sightings of Big Horn Sheep (right next to the road), prairie dogs, rabbits, and PH antelope. Jenna earned another Junior Ranger badge. Then another long drive back to Oreville NFCG.... read more

Day 5: Left the CG in Ogallala, NE just before 9 AM. Made a quick stop at Walmart for ice, some meds, and a replacement daylight running light for the Trailblazer. Headed west on US 26. Stopped first at Chimney Rock National Monument which has a very nice visitors center. Second stop was Scotts Bluff NE - - another nice visitors center. The bluff is quite spectacular when viewed from the visitors center. Both of these NE really emphasize what an ordeal the pioneers went through to open the west. They also clearly pointed out the impact on the native American Indians. Last visit was to Agate Fossil Bed NE about half way between Mitchell, NE and Harrison, NE (population 251). What a neat place Agate is! Really nice displays of some of the fossils (whole ... read more

Got away from home by 6:30 AM on Wed the 10th of June. It took an uneventful 9.5 hours to get to Magee's home in Huntingdon, TN. We (I) only made two wrong turns but in both cases was able to get right back on course quickly. Day 2: Hixson's & Magee managed to pull out of their back yard at about 9:50. Drove west through rural western TN. Everything ws really green and all the yards were manicured. All in all a delightful drive. Crossed the Mississippi just west of Dyrsburg, TN then up I-55 and around the SW corner of St. Louis - - Traffic was heavy but FAST moving. Wound up at a Corps of Engineers campground near Hannibal, MO. Day 3: Drove through cloudy weather and then light rain. Came all the ... read more

Day 13: Another day trip day. We started out at about 9:20 headed for Baddeck, NS. After a quick stop at the visitor information centre, we went to the Alexander Graham Bell Museum. REALLY interesting. Never knew that he was into aviation (Silver Dart made first powered flight in Canada in 1903), Hydrofoil equipped boats (HD4 managed over 74 mph in 1919), and a bunch of other stuff. After the museum, we saw a pram regatta in full swing out near a light house at the entrance to the Baddeck harbor. Onto CA 105 headed to Glace Bay to see the miner's museum and the Marconi museum. I had no idea that Cape Breton Island was a center of coal mining for Canada and as a result also a steel manufacturing area. Both the coal and ... read more