I hope to write more about RV’s in general but thought I would start by letting all of you know what we will be living in during our extended trip (except for occasional hotel stays). During the lock-down months of March, April, May and June of 2020 we researched RVs by watching YouTube videos and… Read more: About our home on wheels

Photo Courtesy of Christopher Passante

Class B RV’s are built on a van chassis from the prior year. Our 2020 Pleasure-Way is built on a 2019 Ford Transit chassis. Unfortunately for us, the 2019 chassis lacks many safety and convenience features, such as blind spot detection, a tire pressure monitoring system and swivel seats, that are standard on the 2020… Read more: A few improvements before we leave (Part One)

Our first RV trip of the year to ensure everything is in working order and we become accustomed to living in the rig prior to our sojourn west this summer. Good thing, as we learned we have lots more to do to prepare! First and foremost is to make a comprehensive list of EVERYTHING so… Read more: The Importance of Having a List

We emptied the refrigerator, turn off the water and stopped the mail. We are finally on the road. We are heading west to Northern Ohio and Michigan to visit family on the way to the Pacific Northwest. The first leg of the trip included the Pennsylvania turnpike from King of Prussia, PA to where it… Read more: Travel Day 1: Where did we stay?

First, this was a special and important stop for Sue to visit the grave of a dear college friend. I had always planned to visit Penny when I retired only to learn that I lost the opportunity to reconnect with her. Penny died in 2019. We met at the University of Colorado (CU) in the… Read more: Why did we make a special trip to Salem, Iowa and why are we chasing shade?!

Visiting relatives in Ohio and Michigan and the gravesite of a college friend in Iowa doesn’t make for a particularly interesting read, but it did create precious memories for us. There have been beautiful, interesting and odd sites a long the way. Here are a few from the last three days. Food photos for our… Read more: Encountered along the way…

Visiting Blue Earth, Minnesota, we ran into an old acquaintance. He is 55 feet tall and wears an off-the-shoulder dress. The Jolly Green Giant was installed on July 6, 1979 as part of a local promotional effort. Interesting fact, a portion of the back half of the Green Giant had to be designed because it… Read more: Ho, Ho, Ho…

The temperature is approaching 100 degrees and we see what appears to be a sculpture of a larger than life horse and bull’s head off in the distance as we drive west on Route 90. These sculptures were visible from miles away and we were compelled to investigate. We took exit 374 for Montrose and… Read more: Where are we?

The western part of the US has experienced some frightening weather. We experienced a little taste of that today. There was a thunder storm warning issued for Interior, SD at 4:15 PM. The storm started right on schedule and lasted 45 minutes. Winds and were strong and sustained. There were moments when we thought the… Read more: A little scary

Located in southwest South Dakota, the Badlands National Park is comprised of 379 square miles of stunningly beautiful rock formations and protected grasslands. The area was first designated as a National Monument in 1939 and re-designated as a National Park in 1978. To learn the difference between a Park and Monument read this. The Park… Read more: Badlands National Park

“Other towns of the West have been built and populated with marvelous rapidity, but it has remained with Cheyenne to spring, full-fledged, into existence, as it were, in a single night.” – J. H. Triggs 1876Read More:  Why is Cheyenne called The Magic City-Queen of the Plains A quick trip to Cheyenne to visit another of Sue’s personal… Read more: Cheyenne: “The Magic City-Queen of the Plains”

Most of us can conjure an image of Mount Rushmore in our minds. However, seeing the carvings in person provides the context to appreciate how significant an artistic and engineering achievement it is. Originally conceived as a way to promote tourism in South Dakota, the carvings took 400 men and 14 years to complete. Mount… Read more: Four Presidents and Five Whiskeys

I’ll post more on this in 30-60 days when I am released and Susan picks me up. Susan, you will pick me up? Susan…..

One new aspect to RV travel is determining if we can fit into parking spaces and under bridges. Our Rig is almost 23 feet long and we carry bikes on the back. Our height is only 10 feet. Many RVs are taller than 10 feet. Bridge heights are clearly marked. You will not run into… Read more: Almost lost our AC

We are at Crater Lake and have no Wifi or Cellular internet at our campsite. We are posting this from the side of the road where we found 2 bars of cellular. Should have better connectivity next week when we reach the Redwoods in California.

After 48 years of driving I thought that I knew how to fuel a vehicle. That changed when we began traveling through Idaho and Wyoming. Take another look at that gas pump photo. Did you see something odd? No, it is not only the high cost of gasoline: It’s the Octane rating! Regular unleaded gas… Read more: It’s not only the price of gas…

Our journey this past week included cherished time with family and friends with some amazing sights along the way through Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon and California. We met up with Joe’s brother Chris east of Portland in Hood River, OR where we camped alongside the beautiful Hood River in Tucker State Park. The three of us… Read more: Family, Friends and Majestic Views

We spent a few days in Eugene, OR to regroup and explore the McKenzie River Valley so loved by author Barry Lopez, whom Sue had met in the 1980’s during her time in Arizona and had seen more recently at a Free Library of Philadelphia author event. “To put your hands in a river is… Read more: Eugene, OR

Our trip to the Pacific Coast included a visit to the Redwood forests of Northern California where we camped amongst these stately, towering giants. Our souls were never more at peace than in the dark and stillness of the California Redwood forest. Redwood National Park was established in 1968 and is designated a World Heritage… Read more: Redwoods: The World’s Tallest Living Trees

Crater Lake was formed in the Caldera of a volcano that erupted on Mount Mazama more than 7,000 years ago. The lake is a breath-taking sight with the water a deep blue. The color in our photographs is not enhanced except for the use of a circular-polarizing filter to eliminate glare. It was early July… Read more: Crater Lake National Park

Who knew that our trip up the California and Oregon Coasts would take us in and out of tsunami danger zones? In fact, we stayed for several nights in different areas where we needed to be cognizant of tsunami protocol. Highway 101 up the coast is absolutely stunning as those who have traveled this way… Read more: Pacific Coast Scenic Byway: A Journey through Tsunami Evacuation Zones

We rearranged our travel schedule when we learned that Wolf Haven International was once again open to visitors (with advance reservations). We first learned of this special place through a former work colleague, Valerie Pena, who was Director of the Biomedical library at Penn. Sue now eagerly awaits the arrival of the sanctuary’s quarterly publication,… Read more: Wolf Haven International and Tenino, Washington

On our way to Great Falls, we made a quick stop in Missoula, Montana, to pick up BBQ at The Notorious P.I.G. for dinner that night. The place was packed on a Tuesday afternoon and when they sell out, they close. We were lucky to get the last rack of ribs! The BBQ was excellent… Read more: Great Falls, Montana and Lewis and Clark

This spiritual site just north of Missoula, Montana lies within the Flathead Indian Reservation and is part public park, botanical garden and Buddhist Center. The garden’s purpose is “to bring about positive transformation within those who visit, in response to the negativity that abounds in the world today.” We were moved by the scale of… Read more: The Garden of One Thousand Buddhas

Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP), located in western North Dakota, was the 40th location in the United States to receive designation as a National Park. Park status was first proposed in 1919 and Jimmy Carter finally designated TR as a National Park along with the Badlands in 1978. If you are interested in why it… Read more: Back in the Badlands – Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Our first spontaneous stop in Wisconsin (thanks to Autio) was to the World’s Largest Six Pack in La Crosse, WI. Wisconsin is not only known for cheese but also for beer and the town of La Crosse, the state’s top producer of beer in 1884, is home to this unique roadside attraction. These actual beer… Read more: Wisconsin: 688,200 Gallons of Beer and a Big Bike

We are in our 9th week of travel and heading east across the midwest. There are a lot of miles to cover until we get home. RV travel is more fatiguing than car travel. Unlike traveling by car, RV travel involves a lot of set-up and break down with every change of camp. One has… Read more: Accidental Discoveries

Most people ask us our favorite park or part of the country. Leave it to Sue’s cousin, Joe Randolph, to ask our impression of the trip using our senses: what was our favorite sound, sight, smell and taste? He caught us off-guard with this thought-provoking question and made us consider our recent travel experience through… Read more: A Perceptive Question

We were in the “other” Austin. Austin Minnesota. We were there for one reason—to tour a museum dedicated to a food product. Any guesses? We will wait at the bottom of the page while you think…..

The very best end to this trip was to spend a week in Duck, North Carolina with Joe’s youngest sister, Karen, and her family. What better than to return to the sand and surf of the Atlantic Ocean: a tonic to our souls! In addition to Karen, her husband Mike and our two terrific nephews… Read more: Sweet Ending