Thoughts, Musings, Opinions, etc

• The entire country seems to be under repair or construction
• Speed limits might as well be "speed suggestions"
• I found best and most polite drivers in MT and WA, worst and rudest in TX
• The whole world is in a hurry, particularly drivers
• The Indians had it right in the first place
• Distances in the west are much different than the east
• People in MN really do talk that way
• You cannot pump your own gas in OR
• In Seattle, it usually is about noon before you know if it is going to be a sunny day
• Everybody seems to own some type of RV
• RVers are very nice and helpful
• South FL is no place to be during tourist season
• The wind never stops blowing in TX and OK
• Huckleberry ice cream is delicious
• People pay more attention to Riley than me
• Always buy your third RV first
• If something can happen on an RV, eventually it will
• European travelers really do go for "smaller" when it comes to RVs, unlike us Americans

Pics from Washington Olympic Peninsula Area

Trip Comes Full Circle

After traveling about 15 months and probably six or seven thousand miles, my trip has returned to its starting point; as you can see, Panama City Beach, FL is pretty deserted in mid-November; this is me and my good friend Tish hard at work one beautiful day; I am the ugly one! The beach area is adjacent to St Andrews State Park, where I was camped; no oil here, but even so, tourism has really been hurt

Dreaded Sign

This was the most common sign I saw as I traveled around the USA; the entire country road system is under repair or construction, particularly freeways; some of the freeway road surfaces are terrible, enough to shake by TV in my Teton loose as I went down the road; I must have seen thousands of these signs

Forrest Gump

This is Highway 128 near Moab, UT; it is a Utah Scenic Byway, runs right along beside Colorado River; goes for about 45 miles, every inch of it beautiful; many movies have been filmed in this area; remember when Forrest Gump decided to run across the US? Remember when he finally stopped and said "I think I'll stop now"; this is the stretch of Highway 128 where that scene was filmed

Open Range

In lots of places out west, there is open range land; cows and horses are free to roam wherever they want, such as right beside (or in) roads; no fences to hold them in; signs warn drivers about open range areas; you really do need to be careful and watch out for animals

Part of Monument Valley

Riley does not seem to be impressed; all he wants is for me to let him off his leash!

Toyota Commercial

The area between Moab, UT and Monument Valley, AZ has long been a region where many movies and commercials have been made; while Riley and I were taking a hike here in Monument Valley, they were filming a Toyota commercial; funny thing, most all of the trucks that the film people were using were Fords!

Monument Valley, AZ

Monument Valley is entirely within the Navajo Indian Reservation, which is mostly in AZ, but also in parts of UT and NM; it is largest reservation in US, about size of West Virginia! The rock formations are huge; there is a 15 mile loop road running through the valley; extremely rugged road, hills, rocks, potholes; rarely can you get above 10mph; I needed four wheel drive in several places; my truck will never be the same! It took me and Riley about 3.5 hours to make the loop

Cottonwood Tree

All throughout the west, there are these beautiful trees called Cottonwoods; they are found usually around streams or rivers, even in small desert gulches with some running water; they are brilliantly deep yellow this time of year, very beautiful, particularly when there are a bunch of them together

Delicate Arch in Arches NP

That is me under the arch! It was a rugged 1.5 mile hike, up the whole way, to even get here; I wanted to be here at sunset; started hike at 5:50PM and only had short time before sun went down; huffing and puffing, I made it in about 30 minutes; came down in dark, but worth every step; to get underneath this massive arch, you had to walk around the inside of a rock bowl; if rocks had not been dry, you would not want to attempt this

Friendly Visit

I was exploring around the Moab, UT area and had driven to a bed and breakfast well out from Moab; just as I was driving into the driveway to check out the B&B, two deer were roaming around in the yard; they seemed to be little affected by my presence

Hiking Trail Marker

This pile of rocks is called a cairn; hikers set them up to mark the way for trail hikers; in the middle of a desert, these cairns are often a lifesaver

Arches NP in Utah

Balanced Rock; this NP is one of the most majestic places I have ever been! This is just one of hundreds of unbelievable rock formations in this NP; there is a 17 mile loop road through the park; I spent six hours here --- and returned another day; you would swear that the slightest of breezes would blow over this rock; it will indeed topple one day, felled by wind and water erosion, the same forces that created it; this NP is just outside Moab, UT, a great town!

Port Ludlow, WA

This is house and view of my friends Bud and Dot Clawson; I stayed just down road from them with one of their neighbors; neighbor actually had RV hookup in his back yard (electricity, water and sewer); this picture shows only part of Bud and Dot's home; they look out over Admiralty Inlet, part of Puget Sound; on clear days, snow capped Mount Baker is visible; there are golden eagles in trees around their house; this is a gorgeous area, very tranquil

Olympic Mountains

Another shot coming down steep road to Hurricane Ridge in Olympic NP

Hurricane Ridge

This is in Olympic NP in Washington; it is about a 15 mile drive up to Hurricane Ridge, with an elevation gain of 5,000 feet; some years ago, I rode my bicycle up here; going down was hard part --- cold and speed of bike; very cold and windy up here; this day clouds were low, below mountain tops; the entire Olympic peninsula area is beautiful

Cape Flattery

Cape Flattery is the most northwesterly point in the continental US; it is where the Pacific Ocean meets the Strait of Juan de Fuca; it is located on the Makah Indian Reservation in Washington; so incredibly beautiful and majestic, and yet so remote that only about 15,000 visitors come here each year; this picture does not do it justice; the beauty and incredible power of the Pacific Ocean is very evident here; Canada is in the far distance

Bulldog Saloon in Whitefish, MT

This is Bob (Duncan's owner) and a good friend of his; I treated both of them to dinner here (best burgers in town); notice the wall behind them; every wall and the ceiling are completely covered by sports and/or Bulldog related memorabelia; enlarge this picture and see if you can make out some of the wall stuff

My High School Honored in Whitefish, MT

Hard to believe! There is a very famous tavern in Whitefish named the Bulldog Saloon; whole place is covered with Bulldog plaques of all kinds, any sports team named the Bulldogs; Georgia Bulldog stuff is everywhere; my hometown, Valdosta, GA was recently recognized as "Titletown USA", primarily because of the Valdosta High School Wildcat football program that has won more high school football games in its history than any other high school football team in the US; this plaque is on the wall at this famous MT saloon

Canoeing in Boundary Waters Canoe Area in MN

While in MN, Riley and I went canoeing with a great guide; Riley was a little skiddish at the beginning, but quickly adapted to the canoe and he did just great on this trip; we had to portage the canoe at one point (pick it up and carry it from one lake to another); MN is known as the land of 10,000 lakes; I believe it!

Mushing Dogs Wall

When I was in MN for eight days, I visited the Voyageur Outward Bound School headqtrs just outside Ely, MN; this is the location where I did a three month program with VOBS, in winter 1985; this small shack has an historical record of years and years of mushing sled dogs that have been born, raised and trained by VOBS; that year, I was in Duluth, MN, the night before our adventure was to start; absolute temp was -50 degrees, wind chill factor was -95 degrees!

My Rolling Home

This gives you an idea of what my rig looks like as I move around the country; you can see two of my Teton's three slideouts on this side; the slideout right behind the bed of my truck is the bedroom slideout; obviously, all three slideouts are in as you travel down the highway!

End of Danny On Hike

This was right at the end of the roughly 3.9 mile hike that I made to top of Big Mountain; the mountains in the far distance are part of the Rocky Mountains in Glacier NP, about 40 miles away

Danny On Hiking Trail

Riley spent half day getting washed, groomed, clipped, getting pretty, so I went hiking; hiked up Danny On Trail at Big Mountain, just outside Whitefish; 2000 feet elevation increase, from about 5000 feet at mountain base and 7000 feet at top; this picture from along the trail shows Whitefish Lake down in Flathead Valley; saw beautiful antlered mule deer on hike

Montana Sign

I came across a beautiful MT lodge in a very remote area of the Flathead National Forest; this sign was posted as I neared the lodge; Riley was in the truck with me; about six dogs gathered around my truck as I arrived at the lodge (belonged to lodge owner); six different breeds, one a huge black beautiful Newfoundland; the sign proved true!

Treat Time

Riley and Duncan impatiently wait for their treat

Fly Fishing on Flathead River

My friend Pete Wodraska and I went fly fishing for trout on the Flathead River; this is our guide Kenny (28 yrs old) and boat we went in; no motor, all oars by Kenny; river current probably runs close to 7-8 mph; Kenny had patience above and beyond the call of duty; it was my first ever attempt at fly casting; needless to say, Kenny untangled a number of snarls created by me! Some were so bad, line just had to be cut; both Pete and I caught trout and I managed to not hook either Pete or Kenny in their body; they wisely wore hats!

Much Better Than It Sounds

One of the most popular beers in MT; brewed by Big Sky Brewing in Missoula, MT, Moose Drool is an excellent brown ale; with a name like Moose Drool, it had better be good!

Rainy Day in Whitefish

This is what two goldens do on a cold, rainy day in Whitefish; each one has their "comfort" ball; not quite enough room on my couch for both of them, so Riley gets preference over Duncan; 47 degrees and rainy today

Bob Joslin, Chef Extraordinare

This is my RV neighbor in Whitefish; this is where Duncan lives as part of Bob's family; this man is a great cook! First thing I had from him was guacamole dip, then smoked rainbow trout, then poached Montana rainbow trout that was delicious! The trout we had is a hybrid breed, cross between regular rainbow trout and Atlantic salmon; the meat is salmon colored, not white; Bob fishes in Duck Lake (lake is literally shaped like a duck), which is on the Blackfoot Indian Reservation, largest Indian reservation in MT; Bob spends the warmer months here in Whitefish; he will be heading to Mexico end of September and will spend winter months there at an RV park just north of Puerto Vallarta; he loves to fish and cook and play with Duncan; Riley and I have been fortunate to run into Bob and Duncan

Glacier NP Scenes

Riley Goes After Some Swans

This beautiful small lake is in New Harmony, IN; before I realized that there were two swans on the lake, I let Riley take a swim here; next thing I know, Riley is swimming like crazy after the swans; he did not stand a chance of catching them, but he sure tried; he made about two laps of the lake chasing them; I was afraid he was going to drown, so I jumped into the lake to swim after him; that was not a good move, because there was no way I was going to catch him either; I gave up, swam ashore and thank goodness, Riley finally gave up and came to shore; another Riley adventure

Big Horn Sheep

This small sheep was one of about eight Big Horn Sheep that were simply roaming around in the parking lot area of the Many Glacier Lodge; it may look like a goat, but is in fact a Big Horn Sheep; the large ones have beautiful, large curved horns on their head; I saw some of the big guys by binoculars this same day

Logan Pass

Logan Pass is where the Going to the Sun Road crosses over the Continental Divide; this is the lowest point along the Continental Divide; many of the peaks exceed 10,000 feet high; the major reconstruction of the road is being done within several miles of Logan Pass, both west and east of Logan Pass

Along Going to the Sun Road

Just one of the vistas as you travel along the 52 mile long famous road

Entrance to Glacier NP

There are two ways to enter Glacier NP, a west entrance and an east entrance; Whitefish is 25 miles from this west entrance; the east entrance is about 52 miles from this entrance, at St Mary, along the world famous Going to the Sun Road; Riley was not impressed with this moment!