WANDERING WITH THE WRIGHTS

August 26, 2024     Week 12

August 21st Wednesday we traveled to our next Harvest Host stay for two nights in Three Forks, MT

Some sights as we traveled

This little guy was on the dirt road we were on when leaving - he ran back under the fence as we approached and then gave us a very dirty look for bothering him

Beautiful sunset

This was our home for the next two nights

There we are way in the back field.  First night we were alone, second night another couple came in

This covered patio is on the back of the house and Karen made it clear it was for us to use as well as she gave us her wifi code

The porch was decorated so cute

Little storage shed she had also decorated

Her garden - full of fresh herbs that she used a lot of when she fixed us dinner.

One of the services that the owner, Karen, offers is to fix you a homemade all fresh meal.  She could do gluten-free so we signed up for it as did the other couple that came in.  We had the most delightful evening.  We ate on that beautiful covered patio and were waited on hand and foot.  The meal included appetizers of bacon wrapped dates and deviled eggs.  The soup was fresh carrots, raw cashews, fresh ginger, coconut milk and a little curry.  We then were served a caprese salad and some of the best homemade rolls I have ever had (only thing Jerry couldn't have).  The main meal, not that anyone was hungry at this point was pork with a yummy raspberry orange balsamic sauce, smashed potatoes, fresh corn on the cob from the neighboring farm.  And desert was a lavender lemon gelato.  It was pricey but worth every penny.!

Karen is known for her cooking and especially her chocolate chip cookies

She even sells them at the end of her driveway - people stop, take as many as they want and pay in the black box

They were very good for sure

We then drove to Cody, WY and the Buffalo Bill State Park where we also spent two nights

I love seeing the sun shine on the water

We visited the dam and learned so much about how it was built back in 1910 - 

and all the men had to go through to build it.

The side of the dam holding back all the water

And the gorge on the other side of the dam

The rocks were beautiful but how they dug through all of it still seems impossible

They had to build several tunnels to get themselves and the equipment to the site for the dam - we fit fine and didn't have to share this tunnel with a train

The original town that is now Cody, WY

Another sunset back at the motorhome - there is some smoke in the are from fires - along way off 

On Sunday the 25th we headed to Ten Sleep, WY for another two nights

There was a slight traffic jam on the way - all of the cows stayed on the side of the road except that one guy trotting down the highway.  Jerry drove very slowly and we just traveled down the road with them until they turned right into another pasture - they knew where they were going.  Didn't see any humans guess they thought the grass was greener in the new pasture,

The town of Ten Sleep is about 3 blocks long - a very cute place

The reason for our visit to Ten Sleep was to see our godson Garrett.

We lived next door to my cousin Lauri and her husband Shaun, Garretts parents, from the time we got married until we went full time in 2014.  So we were Garrett's neighbors his entire life.  We had such a great time seeing him and catching up.  He is BIG into rock climbing and Ten Sleep is a place where many rock climbers come.  He works nearby and climbs often.

We had lunch at a place called 1 Cow.  It has that name as they have a freezer inside where you can purchase frozen beef and they stock 1 cow at a time.  

Garrett recommended their burgers and fries and both were delicious

He then took us on a drive into Big Horn National Park - it was beautiful - we stopped or rather hiked down to this beautiful lake.  I should have taken more pictures but I didn't.

Garrett came back over this morning and we all went to breakfast at the Daily Bread Cafe

We got a kick out of the sign

Little hard to read but you could order the Noah, Mary, Jospeh, Samson, etc.

Then it was time for good-byes 

Jerry and I head out in the morning for our last week of this 3 month trip.  Can't believe it is about over.

We have gone so far and seen and learned so much - hate to see it end but there is one big draw in going home - 

Vincent is back home and we can't wait to see him

Last year he wanted to be a fireman - this year a scientist and the thing he was most looking forward to was recess!!!

 WANDERING WITH THE WRIGHTS

August 20th, 2024 - Week 11

We left Ft. Nelson, BC on Thursday 8/15.  Some of our observations: a lot more traffic and big trucks (large refinery nearby and lumber trucks) then we have seen the last few months.  Condition of the roads are improving.

Wish I had thought to take a before picture - the motorhome and Jeep were filthy - Jerry scrubbed and scrubbed and has the motorhome back to looking normal.  The Jeep has been washed more in the last 

2 1/2 months than it has since we bought it 10 years ago.

We traveled through the town of Dawson Creek, British Columbia.  For many travelers this is the start of the Alaskan Highway.  Since we traveled up the Cassiar this was the end of the Alaskan Hwy. for us.

We left British Columbia and entered Alberta (1 hour time change).  Drove through a lot of farm country.  Mountains are gone just hills now.  Once we got to Grand Prairie we had 4 lane roads and Jerry could use the cruise control as roads were so much better.  We are no longer in the wilderness.  There are not the frequent pull offs like in northern Canada and Alaska to pull of and rest or just enjoy the beauty.  And the pull offs are paved and not gravel when we do have one.  The highlight of the day (NOT) was arriving at the Provincial Park I had made reservations at to learn I had made them for the wrong park.  The one I made them for was 3 hours back the direction we had just come from! YIKES!  Fortunately the park we wanted in the first place had one spot left.  We had to eat the cost of the other but much better than driving back.  We stayed two nights and didn't do much but rest and relax.  I did go into town for a little pampering (manicure & pedicure).  We then spent many hours figuring out our route and stops for the return trip to Illinois.

Saturday the 17th we traveled to Diamond Valley, Alberta for our last night in Canada.  I had been preparing for days to cross the border back into the US.  Many people traveling in rv's had been reporting having fresh meat, vegetables and eggs taken from them at the border so have been trying to use those items up.

Our last nights dinner in Alberta - trying to use up all the items we could have confiscated at the border.

We waited about 40 minutes in line to enter back into the US

When it was our turn Jerry handed the agent our passports.  She asked how long we had been in Canada, were we coming from Alaska - bye have a great day.  She said nothing about food!

I do like how the Canadians sell their cheese

Nice and thin - makes it so much easier to slice - we are glad to be back in the US as the food in Canada is so expensive.

We spent our first night back in the lower 48 in Shelby, MT the same place we stayed 72 days earlier on our way up.  We did laundry, emptied tanks, filled up with water as we will be staying where we won't have any hook-ups for awhile.  This was the sunset.

We drove a short distance to spend the next two nights at a Harvest Host location (an organization that works out permission with wineries, farms, museums, churches, etc. for campers to spend a night or two.)  Most of these places do not provide hookups so we are boondocking.  We are in Conrad, MT on a Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy farm.  We will be here for two nights

When we arrived we were greeted by this lovely welcome.  Two chairs with a footrest and fresh flowers!  The welcome is not normally this lovely.  Next thing there was a knock at the door and Ann, the owner of the farm was handing us a welcome bag of locally made beer and chips.  She invited us to join her at 7:00pm to feed the horses.  This is a 120 acre farm and the closest neighbor is 1.2 miles away.

Here we are all settled in for two nights.  We are right next to a pond and on the other side of the pond is a very nice couple in their camper that are on their way to Alaska so they are full of questions.  We are happy to answer as we received so much help and advice from others during our trip.

We are all settled in our comfy chairs with our flowers in the shade

We did go up at 7:00 for the horse feeding but there was a storm moving in and it was getting really windy so we will try again tonight.  There was a storm with lots of wind and lightening but fortunately it ended before bedtime.  Ann had Jerry put the Jeep in a large quonset hut she has on property just incase of hail - she is really nice.

We leave tomorrow morning for another Harvest Host stay.  We are currently "killing" time as we are scheduled to meet up with our godson on Sunday in Wyoming.  We are running ahead of schedule but he couldn't reschedule his work and a little mini-vacation he is taking so we have plenty of time to get to him.