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Home Tomorrow !
April 26th (274 miles today):
We left Wendover at 10am and traveled west on I-80.
Passing over several mountain ranges, we had cold temperatures in the high 20’s and snow flurries on & off all day.
As we traveled past Elko, Battle Mountain and Winnemucca, all within the Great Basin Desert, the weather warmed into the low 50’s.
Arrived at the I-80 Imlay Rest Area at 3pm.
This large rest area has plenty of RV parking and is well off the interstate, so it’s quiet at night.
Tomorrow we hit the road at 6am and travel 247 miles back into California and home.
We’ve had a great trip and we leave for our next excursion (Idaho, Oregon, etc) in mid-June.
Total miles on this trip: 5,675 miles.
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Wendover, Nevada
April 25th (266 miles today):
We left Little America at 10am and continued west on I-80.
Traveled over the mountains of Park City, Utah, through Salt Lake City, along the Great Salt Lake and the Bonneville Salt Flats and dropped down into the Great Salt Lake Desert.
Arrived in Wendover, Nevada at 3pm. The border town is split between Utah and Nevada.
We’ll be spending one night in the parking lot of the Rainbow Casino on the Nevada side of the border.
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Little America, Wyoming
April 24th (298 miles today):
We left the Cheyenne area at 10am. Almost immediately, we climbed up to 9,000’+ in elevation into the Rocky Mountains.
Traveled west along I-80 through Laramie, Rawlins and Rock Springs. We had cold 40-50mph winds most of the day.
We crossed the Green River and arrived near Granger, Wyoming at the Little America Truck Stop at 4pm.
This large truck stop has been a travel stop, Fuel station, hotel, truck stop and diner since 1934.
We had dinner at the Little America Diner. Tonight will be a warm balmy 39 degrees.
Tomorrow we continue west into the Great Salt Lake Desert.
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Fort Laramie, Wyoming
April 23rd:
First stop today was the historic Wyoming Governor’s Mansion.
Governors used the mansion between 1905 and 1976. We toured each room from the basement to the attic.
Since we were the only tourists in the mansion, the docents allowed us to even take a peek in closed-to-the-public rooms.
We then traveled about an hour north to the Oregon Trail Ruts State Historic Site in Guernsey, WY .
At this site, where the trail was forced away from the river and crossed a ridge of soft sandstone, the track is worn to a depth of five feet, creating some of the most spectacular ruts remaining along the entire length of the Oregon-California Trail.
The geography of the area dictated that practically every wagon that went west crossed the ridge in exactly the same place, with impressive results.
Next stop was at the nearby Register Cliff, where wagon train settlers carved their names in the soft rock, while camping nearby.
We then drove to Fort Laramie National Historic Site 15 miles east.
The fort was founded as a private trading post in the 1830s to service the overland fur trade and in 1849, it was purchased by the United States Army.
Three companies of cavalry arrived at the fort that same month, and Company ‘G’, 6th Infantry, which was the post’s permanent garrison for many years, arrived on August 12, 1849.
Fort Laramie became a popular stopping point for migrants on the Oregon Trail and as a trading post, diplomatic site, and military installation. It was later important as a Pony Express stop and later a telegraph station.
The fort itself occupied a location where the westward trail diverged in the direction of either Oregon, Salt Lake City or California. Based on contemporary accounts travelers would remain at the fort several days to mail letters, exchange or purchase cattle, replenish their provisions and reset wagon tires.
Fort Laramie was never seriously threatened by Indian (Sioux) attacks during the quarter-century of intermittent warfare by Indians.
However, a number of civilians were killed in the immediate area and their property destroyed or stolen during this period of hostilities on the plains. The last known death occurred in March 1877.
We toured the fort area and had a picnic lunch at the fort.
We leave tomorrow for the western side of Wyoming.
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Cheyenne, Wyoming
April 22nd (99 miles today):
We had a quiet night last night and light snow showers.
Left Cabela’s at 11am and headed west on I-80.
The drive most of today along I-80, was just north of the Colorado border.
We arrived in Cheyenne and pulled into the AB Camping RV Park just after noon.
We’ve stayed at this RV park a couple of times in the past. It’s full-service, quiet and has it’s own BBQ restaurant in the park.
We’ll be in Cheyenne for two nights.
Tomorrow, we’re off to explore the Fort Laramie National Historic Site.
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Sidney, Nebraska
April 21st (476 miles today):
Left St. Joseph at 8am and traveled north-west on I-29, entering Iowa and Nebraska, to Nebraska City, then west on Hwy-2 to Lincoln.
The Highway-2 cut-off allows us to bypass Omaha. We also passed by the gigantic Lincoln Rail Yards.
Was in the 30’s most of the day and windy. We pasted many old farms (mostly corn) during today’s travels.
Once in Lincoln, we connected to I-80 and continued west. We followed the Platte River most of our drive in Nebraska.
We arrived in Sidney, Nebraska at 5pm. We’ll be staying in the Cabela’s RV Park for the night.
This Cabela’s store was the headquarters for the company, until the Cabela’s / Bass Pro merger a couple of years ago.
The full-service RV park has full hook-ups, fast WiFi, cable TV and since we’re members of Cabela’s, our stay was free.
Being that our elevation is almost 5,000′, the forecast is for possible snow during the night.
Tomorrow, we’re off to Cheyenne, Wyoming for a two night stay.
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St. Joseph Museums
April 20th
Snowed last night, and we woke up to 4″ of snow. It was fluffy and melted in the late morning.
St. Joseph was founded in 1826 as a fur trading post. In 1860, the Pony Express launched it’s famous mail service between St. Joseph and Sacramento.
The outlaw Jesse James lived in St. Joseph with his family, under an assumed name (Mr. Howard). The townsfolk didn’t know James was hiding in their town as an outlaw.
After breakfast, we stopped at a local antique mall, toured the downtown St. Joseph area, visited the National Pony Express Museum, the Hotel Patee Museum and Jesse James’ home (where he was killed in 1882).
The Patee Hotel opened in 1858 to serve western travelers on the railroad. It cost $180,000 to build and had 140 guest rooms. It was also the headquarters for the Pony Express (the express horse barn was down the street).
Once the hotel closed, it was a girl’s school and a shirt factory for the WWII war effort.
At the Pony Express Museum, we learned that the service only lasted 18 months, and took riders 10 days to ride to the west. The Pony Express was replaced by the telegraph, which was cheaper, more reliable and faster.
We also toured the Jesse James Museum. It’s housed in the James’ home where Jesse was shot dead in the rear living room in 1882.
All three museums were outstanding.
Tomorrow, we leave west for Nebraska.
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St. Joseph, Missouri
April 19th (275 miles today):
We left the Branson area at 8am.
Traveled north on Hwy-65 and Hwy-7 through Springfield and Kansas City. This is mostly farming & cattle country.
This is Mennonite Country (Amish) and many of the stores & businesses are Amish.
Continued north in I-29 to St. Joseph and arrived at the AOK RV Park at 2pm. Breezy and in the 40’s.
We’ll be staying at this quiet family-owned RV park for two nights.
The weather forecast is for snow tonight (2″-3″) and Tuesday, but warm and clear by Wednesday.
Tomorrow we’ll explore the town of St. Joseph.
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Last Day in Branson
April 18th:
Had a great time at the Legends Music Show last night.
We saw Elvis, Michael Jackson, the Blues Brothers, Johnny Cash & George Michael. The show was great!
After breakfast, we went back to the downtown Branson area and walked the stores & shops along the Branson Landing Mall and Lake Taneycomo.
Had an early dinner at a local 50’s diner… also did a little grocery shopping.
Next time we return to Branson (maybe in two years), we’ll be sure to do the Dolly Parton Stampede Dinner Show again and maybe tour the Titanic Museum.
Tomorrow, we leave Branson for St. Joseph, Missouri.
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Springfield, Missouri
April 17th:
Had a fantastic time at the Dolly Parton Stampede Dinner Show last night.
Horses, cattle, pig races, dog show, chicken catching, barrel races, etc….Great dinner and Show!
We got an early start this morning and drove the hour north to Springfield, known as the “Queen City of the Ozarks”.
The town was first settled in 1829 by farmers, due to clean water in the area. Springfield was a telegraph hub in the area and several important Civil War battles were fought near the town.
We visited the Fantastic Caverns just north of town and took a 60 minute tour far underground. Propane jeeps take visitors deep into the caverns.
The caverns were first discovered by a farmer’s dog in the 1800’s, but were kept a secret until after the Civil War.
We then visited the Bass Pro Shop Headquarters & Gun Museum in town. This GIGANTIC retail store is the world corporate headquarters for Bass Pro & Calbela’s.
There’s a free NRA national museum on the second floor with thousands of guns and one-of-a-kind weapons, including guns from Teddy Roosevelt, John Wayne, General Eisenhower, wild-west outlaws, movies, etc.
We drove back to Branson, to go out to a steak dinner, then the see the Legends Show.
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Dolly Parton Stampede Dinner Show
April 16th:
Had a good time at the Haygood Show. It was just a five minute walk, past the Titanic Museum, between our RV camp and the theater.
The Haygoods are 5 brothers and one sister and have been playing music in Branson for over 29 years. The family started preforming in 1987 and moved to Branson in 1993.
The Haygoods play guitars, violins, drums, saxophones, and dozens of other instruments. They have preformed 7,000 concerts for over 6,000,000 people worldwide.
After a full 16 hour day yesterday, we had a leisurely breakfast. It sprinkled last night and sprinkles today. Highs in the 50’s.
We then did a little shopping around town this afternoon and tonight we are off to the Dolly Parton Stampede Dinner Show.
Tomorrow, we’ll be exploring the Springfield, Missouri area.
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Silver Dollar City
April 15th:
Last night we went to the Clay Cooper Country Music Variety Show. The singers and dancers were fantastic and we loved the show.
After breakfast, we drove 10 minutes out of town to Silver Dollar City.
Silver Dollar started in the 1880’s, with a cave attraction and grew into a large family-friendly amusement park.
The park consisted of rides, restaurants, demonstration areas (glass, leather, pottery, candles, wood carving, knives, etc), original 1800’s buildings and shows.
We had a great time.
From the park, we drove back into Branson and to the Haygood Country Show.
Tomorrow, the forecast is for a little rain and cooler temperatures. We will be going to the Dolly Parton Stampede Dinner Show.
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Downtown Branson
April 14th:
After breakfast, we drove a few minutes into old downtown Branson.
In 1882, Reuben Branson opened a general store and post office in the area.
In 1894, William Henry Lynch bought the nearby Marble Cave and began charging visitors to tour it.
Hugo and Mary Herschend leased the cave for 99 years in 1950 and began hosting square dances in it. The Herschend Family modernized the cave with electricity and concrete staircases, and the Branson entertainment venues all started to grow.
The town of Branson was formally incorporated in 1912, and construction of the Powersite Dam nearby on the White River, which would form Lake Taneycomo, was completed.
Today, Branson gets over 9 million visitors a year. There’s hundreds of show venues, restaurants, attractions in the town.
We walked the old town, visited the town’s history museum, rode the free trolley car around the streets and strolled the shops.
Tonight, we’ll be seeing the nearby Clay Cooper country music show.
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Branson, Missouri
April 13th (210 miles today):
We left the Poteau at 9am and traveled north on I-540 through Fayetteville.
We started out going through a few small towns, then forest area, then farmland.
Traveled on Hwy-412 east and Hwy-65 into Missouri and north to Branson.
We’ll be spending six nights at the Musicland RV Park in Branson.
This RV park is right in the middle of all the Branson action.
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Last Day In Oklahoma
April 12th:
After breakfast, we returned to the ranch and hit the 4×4 Quads.
Went out to where the cattle were, but the herd was split in two locations. Searched the ranch and found them, and used the Quads to wrangle them back with the main herd.
Once together, spread 150lbs of cattle mineral grain into two troughs. I was instructed not to show fear, squeal or run away.
The cattle wanted to get to the feed, and could care less about a “city-boy” in their way. The cattle were gentle and never knocked me down or laughed at me.
Next we went into a pasture that had old hay that wasn’t scooped by the baler. We lit the field on fire, where the dry hay was on the ground, to allow the grass under it to grow.
We went into the small downtown area of Poteau to explore the stores & shops and had a nice lunch at the Western Sizzl’n.
Don took me to the farm supply store for a few things needed on the ranch and took a scenic tour of the area.
We had a great time and Don, Joanna, Marie & Misty were great hosts.
Tomorrow, we leave the Poteau area for Branson, Missouri
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4-Wheeling Up The Mountain
April 11th:
We arrived back at the ranch after breakfast and took two separate ‘Quads” up the mountain to another section of the property with Marie & Misty as tour guides. It was a first time running a Quad out in the open & through creeks.
Once up in elevation, we could see the entire ranch and valley. There was also a gas pump-jack up at one of the overlooks. The weather was in the low 80’s and no humidity – perfect riding weather.
We returned to the main house and had a nice lunch. Don & Joanna have been such great hosts while we visit their ranch.
Donna and I each grabbed our own Quads and rode the property and cattle pastures. We all met up at Wire Creek, where I helped with fence-mending chores.
Riding those Quads was a lot of fun, don’t know it the cattle liked it?
We’ll be back on the ranch tomorrow and do a little exploring of “downtown” Poteau.
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A Shot Heard Around The World
April 10th:
We had a strong thunderstorm cell roll through the area at 11pm last night.
We could see the lightening in the distance, then within a couple of minutes the winds went from calm to 40+mph and torrential rains started.
The squall lasted about twenty minutes, then left the area, with only light rain for another hour. Thunder was heard on & off all night.
Since Oklahoma opened their Covid vaccines to all persons, including non-residents, I went to the local Walmart and got my vaccine shot in the morning.
Donna will wait until we get home, so we both don’t suffer any vaccine after-effects at the same time, while traveling so far away from home.
After the shot (no crying – just a few tears) and a little shopping, we returned to the cattle ranch at noon for more farm-fun.
Today was moving hay from one hay field, to the cattle area. After a day’s work, we all went out to dinner to a local pizza restaurant.
Rumors for tomorrow is fence mending near the creek.
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Henryetta, Oklahoma
April 9th:
We left camp at 9am to take a two hour drive north-east to Henryetta, Oklahoma to visit Mary & Denis, long-time friends.
This area is mostly cattle ranches and farms. We crossed over the Arkansas River a couple of times.
We had a great visit over lunch.
When we returned back to our RV park, we drove out to the other side of the park property and found the small heard of Bison in a pasture and Donna made friends with a pony.
Of course, I reminded Donna that we DO NOT have room for a pony in the RV!
The Poteau area is once again in a severe thunder storm warning for this evening, along with a tornado watch.
We decided to move the truck under a nearby picnic shelter for the night, just in case we have any hail.
Tomorrow, it’s back out to the cattle ranch for some more farm-hand chores.
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Life On The Ranch
April 8th:
After breakfast, we drove to the nearby cattle ranch, where Donna’s sister Marie & Misty have a home.
The 900 acre ranch is owned by several family members and has ponds, creeks and meadows.
We were first taken on a tour of the property and shown the old homestead.
Since hay bales needed to be moved from one of the pastures to the cattle area, I was ‘briefly’ shown how to work one of the tractors and sent on my way – p.s. , I’ve never sat in, let alone driven a tractor before…
After a few trips learning how to load & unload the 1,000 pound bales, I was running the tractor like a pro! It was fun maneuvering the tractor around the ranch.
After playing a ranch-hand for a couple of hours, we all went out to dinner, to a catfish restaurant, and met even more family members.
Tomorrow, we’re off to Henryetta, Oklahoma to visit friends for the day.
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Poteau, Oklahoma
April 7th (166 miles today):
We left the Texarkana area at 9am. Light sprinkles as we broke camp and got ready to leave.
Traveled north on Highway-259 to Hwy-59 and back onto Hwy-259 to Poteau. Had on & off showers all day.
Drove through many small towns through Texas, along Arkansas and into Oklahoma.
We arrived in Poteau, Oklahoma at 1pm and will be staying at the Long Lake RV Park for six nights.
As we started to set-up, the rains started and a severe thunderstorm warning was issued, as well as a tornado watch for the Poteau area.
The sky darkened, lightening started, the winds picked up and heavy rains lasted for about 30 minutes. We have a brick storm shelter just 30 yards from our trailer…. just in case I guess.
After the rain subsided, finished setting up camp outside, all the while listening to the thunder. The tornado watch is in effect until 8pm, so we’ll watching the weather radar.
Just as fast as the storm rolled in, it left the area and the sun came out.
This limited service RV park (no WiFi – limited cell service) will be our ‘base-camp’, while visiting Donna’s sister & family nearby.
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Crater of Diamonds State Park
April 6th:
Got an early start this morning before sunrise, to drive into Arkansas and near the little town of Murfreesboro, to the Crater of Diamonds State Park.
The park features a 37.5-acre plowed field, the world’s only diamond-bearing site accessible to the public.
Diamonds have continuously been discovered in the field since 1906 with the site becoming a state park in 1972.
Over 29,000 diamonds have been found in the crater since it became a state park. Visitors may keep any gemstone they find regardless of its value.
In addition to diamonds, visitors may find semi-precious gems such as amethyst, agate (yes Gordon, agates!), and jasper or approximately 40 other minerals such as garnet, phlogopite, quartz, baryte, and calcite.
We were given two screen boxes (one with large holes, one fine), and used our shovel & bucket. Shoveled dirt into the screens and pick out large rocks and dirt. We then took the tailings to the water trough and sift again to wash away any dirt, flip onto a table and sort while looking for diamonds.
Almost all the diamonds are the size of a pin-head to a match-head —– VERY small.
We had fun digging in the dirt like the “Dirt People” and sifting out our priceless tailings in the water trough….. unfortunately all we found was dirt, rocks and more dirt.
Tomorrow we leave for Poteau, Oklahoma.
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Texarkana, Texas
April 5th (93 miles today):
We left the Shreveport area at 11am and traveled north on Hwy-220 and I-49.
We went from Louisiana, into Arkansas and into Texarkana, Texas.
Half of Texarkana is in Texas and half is in Arkansas – we’ll be staying on the Texas side of town.
We arrived at the Shady Pines RV park at 1pm. We’ll be staying here for two nights.
It’s a quiet family-owned RV park just outside of town, and even has it’s own fishing lake!
Tomorrow, we’ll be exploring the Crater of Diamonds State Park and doing some diamond hunting.
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Easter in Louisiana
April 4th:
Being a Sunday & Easter in Louisiana, almost all the area shops, stores and attractions are closed today.
We hung around camp (light breeze and in the 70’s) today and BBQ’d steak, on the outside grill for dinner.
Even though we’re in Louisiana, we skipped the frog legs, skunk fritters, gator pudding and possum pie.
Tomorrow, we leave for Texarkana, Texas (on the Arkansas border) for a two night stay.
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Shreveport, Louisiana
April 3rd:
We had a leisurely breakfast and at about noon, we drove the short 12 miles to the Shreveport area.
Shreveport was established in the early 1800’s along the Red River and the Texas Trail.
Shreveport soon became a center of steamboat commerce, carrying mostly slaves, cotton and agricultural crops to & from the plantations of Caddo Parish to the eastern markets. By 1860, Shreveport had a population of 2,200 free people and 1,300 slaves within the city limits.
Our first stop was the Shreveport Water Works Museum, where we received a personal tour from the docent.
The 1887 Shreveport Waterworks Pumping Station, also known as the McNeil Street Pump Station, is a historic water pumping station in Shreveport, Louisiana.
It exhibits a century’s worth of water pumping equipment, and was the nation’s last steam-powered waterworks facility when it was shut down in 1980.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, declared a National Historic Landmark in 1982, and designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1999.
After our tour and a visit to the nearby railroad museum, we traveled over the Red River, into Shreveport’s sister city of Bossier City.
In the early 1800’s, Bossier City was cotton plantations and river docks. Thousands of Confederate troops used the docks to travel to far-away battlefields during the civil war.
We walked Bossier City’s Red River boardwalk area and shops. We also had a nice seafood dinner in the city.
Tomorrow (Easter Sunday) will be spent in camp.
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Greenwood, Louisiana
April 2nd (196 miles today):
Had another fantastic sunset on the lake last night.
We left the Dallas area at 10am and traveled east on I-20 past Canton, Liberty City and Longview.
It was nice to be out of the Dallas area’s traffic and out on the open interstate again.
Arrived in Greenwood, Louisiana (just west of Shreveport) at 2pm.
We’ll be staying three nights at the Southern Living RV Park. It’s a quiet full hook-up park.
Tomorrow, we’ll explore the Shreveport area.
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Fort Worth Stockyards
April 1st:
After breakfast, we drove 30 minutes to the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District.
The stockyards were along the “Chisum Trail’ and the arrival of railroads in 1876 made the area a very important livestock center.
Fort Worth Union Stockyards opened for business on January 19, 1890, covering 206 acres. On February 7, the Fort Worth Dressed Meat and Packing Company was founded, later along with Armor Meats and Swift Meats.
By 1907, the Stockyards sold a million cattle per year. The stockyards was an organized place where cattle, sheep, and hogs could be bought, sold and slaughtered.
Once the animals were brought to the stockyards by trail or train, they were put in pens and then sent to the meat processing plants within days. Millions of animals went through the stockyards each year.
Almost all the meat sent overseas during WWI and WWII, came from the stockyard processing plants. Fort Worth remained an important part of the cattle industry until the 1950s.
The Fort Worth Stockyards now celebrates Fort Worth’s long tradition as a part of the cattle industry and was listed on the National Register as a historical district in 1976
We took a walking tour of the streets of the old stockyard complex, visited the shops and stockyard museum and watched the twice-daily cattle drive down the main street.
On the way home, we stopped to top-off our fuel and explored the old downtown Grapevine, Texas area.
Tomorrow, we leave for Shreveport, Louisiana.
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Downtown Dallas
March 31st:
We left camp at 9am and traveled the 20 miles to downtown Dallas. The Dallas area has to be one of the worse cities in the nation for confusing freeway & highway systems.
First stop was The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. It’s an often sold-out popular museum focusing on the President Kennedy assassination.
We first explored Elm Street (where the motorcade shooting occurred) and the “Grassy Knoll”.
Our reservation made weeks ago, into the Book Depository was at noon. We toured the depository museum, the 6th floor window where Oswald shot from and historical artifacts.
We then drove a couple of miles to the Dallas Heritage Museum. We met three ol’ hens (Rose, Joanne & Carol) that followed us around the old homestead grounds.
All of the 1800 & 1900’s buildings are authentic, historic structures that were moved to Heritage Village over the last 40 years from areas in Texas.
The buildings, interior artifacts and park grounds were beautiful.
Tomorrow, we’ll visit the Fort Worth area and the Stockyards National Historic District.
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Grapevine, Texas
March 30th (101 miles today):
We had a nice sunset last night and a quiet evening.
We left the Henrietta area at 10am.
Continued east on Highway-287, which turned into Highway-81 near Bowie.
Arrived at the Vineyards RV Park in Grapevine at noon. This modern RV park has full hook-ups and isn’t far from Dallas.
We’ll be staying right along the shores of Grapevine Lake for three nights. It’s 75 here today, somewhat humid and thunder storms in the forecast tonight.
Tomorrow we’ll explore the Dallas area.
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Henrietta, Texas
March 29th (255 miles today):
We left the Amarillo area at 10am. Very gusty winds all day – some topping 55+mph, with temperatures in the low 80’s.
Drove east on I-40 to just east of Amarillo, then south-east on Highway-287 towards Dallas. This is mostly farming & cattle country.
Stopped at the Headley Rest Area for lunch. The grounds and building were like a museum. Puts other rest areas to shame.
We passed through Memphis (Texas), Childress and Wichita Falls (Texas), and many smaller towns. Fun seeing all the old small towns along the way.
Arrived at the Henrietta Rest Area at 2pm. Not too many places out here in the middle of nowhere to stop for the night.
Tomorrow we’ll arrive in Grapevine (Dallas area) for three nights.
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Amarillo, Texas
March 28th (183 miles today):
Last night, we talked with a rest stop worker. He said watch out for snakes, coyotes and black bears that roam the area. Nothing seen….
We left the Vaughn Rest Area at 9am and continued east on I-40. This area of the country is flat and mostly farming and cattle.
We entered Texas and arrived at the Oasis RV Park, just west of Amarillo, at 1pm.
After setting up camp, we took a short drive along Route 66 to the world famous “Cadillac Ranch”.
In 1974, ten Caddies were driven into one of farmer Stanley Marsh’s fields, then half-buried, nose-down, in the dirt.
They faced west in a line, from the 1949 Club Sedan to the 1963 Sedan de Ville, their tail fins held high for all to see on the empty Texas panhandle along I-40.
Over the years, tens of thousands of tourists & locals alike have visited the cars, and some have left their paint mark on the local landmark.
Noooo … we didn’t bring any spray paint cans with us!
We then drove into Amarillo and had a steak dinner at The Big Texan Steak Ranch. Opened in 1960, they offer Texas-sized steaks and all the fix’ns.
They also have a full 72oz steak dinner, that if you finish within an hour while seated at a special table for all to watch, it’s FREE — most don’t finish! We didn’t even try.
Tomorrow, we are off south-east on Hwy-287 to Henrietta, Texas for a one night stay.
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Vaughn, New Mexico
March 27th (231 miles today):
Had a little sleet & hail last night, but we were warm in the trailer.
Departed Gallup at 9am and continued east on I-40. We should be out of cold snowy weather for awhile.
Traveling east, we drove through Laguna, Albuquerque and Moriarty. The start of today’s journey was in the mountains, ending in flatter desert terrain.
Near Cline’s Corner, there were 7+ big-rig trucks all smashed up in the center divider. Per news reports, three days ago in a snow storm, 30+ trucks & cars hit black ice and crashed. No fatalities, but several injuries. With the driving we see on the interstate, I’m sure speed was a factor.
We arrived at the I-40 Santa Rosa Rest Stop, near Vaughn, NM at 3pm. This is a large rest stop with out-of-the-way parking for RV’s, away from truckers and the interstate.
We’ll be here for one night and enter Texas, and onto Amarillo tomorrow.
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Gallup, New Mexico
March 26th (210 miles today):
Had another snow storm roll in last night. We were ready, in that we hooked-up and completed most of our outside chores yesterday afternoon.
We left Williams at 9am (late enough to avoid ice on the interstate, yet early enough to beat heavier snow forecast for this afternoon).
Traveled east on I-40 through Flagstaff, Winslow and Chambers, before entering New Mexico.
Most of our trip today was traveling parallel to the old ‘Route 66’.
We could see the remnants of the old 40’s filling stations, abandoned motels and roadside souvenir shops, where the newer I-40 bypassed them long ago.
We had on & off snow flurries on today’s journey, but nothing on the roadway. It was a nice drive.
We had planned to stay at the I-40 New Mexico Visitor’s Center near Gallup, but it was closed due to construction. We decided to stay at the TA Truck Stop just a couple of miles down the road.
We’ll be staying here for one night and continuing east tomorrow.
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Flagstaff Area
March 25th:
We had a leisurely breakfast and after housekeeping chores, drove the 30 miles to the Flagsstaff area. We’ve only driven through the area in the past, but never stopped.
We visited the Walnut Canyon National Monument just east of town.
The canyon rim elevation is 6,690′, the canyon’s floor is 350′ lower. A one mile long loop trail descends 185′ into the canyon passing 25 cliff dwelling rooms constructed by the Sinagua, a pre-Columbian cultural group that lived in Walnut Canyon from about 1100 to 1250 AD.
During our hike to the canyon wall dwellings, the temperature was in the high 20’s, wind 40mph+ and snow in the area. The elevation + climbing the 273 stairs kept us warm.
After our hike we had lunch, then drove into downtown Flagstaff, along Route 66.
The city sits at around 7,000 feet and is next to Mount Elden, just south of the San Francisco Peaks, the highest mountain range in the state of Arizona.
Flagstaff was nothing more than a cattle town & wagon stop, until it became a state in 1912. Flagstaff became popular as a stop along Route 66 in the 1920’s.
Flagstaff’s ‘old town’ is now surrounded by a modern city. We walked the streets of ‘old town’ as the afternoon snow started to fall. We’re expecting another storm tonight and tomorrow.
We then drove back to Williams and walked along old Route 66 and stopped by a couple of shops and the town’s museum.
Tomorrow, we leave Williams and travel east along I-40, into New Mexico.
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Grand Canyon Railway
March 24th:
Snowed on & off most of the night with 2″-3″ of snow on the ground when we woke up.
We made reservations a few months ago for a train trip today from Williams to the south rim of the Grand Canyon aboard the Grand Canyon Railway.
After breakfast, it just took a few minutes to drive through town, to the 1900’s railway depot.
We checked in at 9am and after a wild-west show, boarded the train. The trip took a little over two hours through the high desert country, to arrive at Grand Canyon Village before noon.
The railway was originally constructed between Williams and the south rim depot by the Santa Fe Railroad and completed in 1901. The depot is one of three remaining railroad depots in the United States built with logs as the primary material
At the Grand Canyon, the temperatures were in the mid-40’s. We stayed in the park for 3.5 hours. We had a picnic lunch and since the park buses weren’t running, did several miles of hiking along the canyon rim.
At 3:30 in the afternoon, we re-boarded the train for the journey back to Williams.
We had a great time at the Grand Canyon and of course, on the train.
Tomorrow, we’ll travel a few miles to explore the Flagstaff area.
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Williams, Arizona
March 23rd (220 miles today):
We left the Essex Rest Area in California at 9am and continued east on I-40 and entered the state of Arizona. We made a brief stop for fuel in Kingman and continued east.
Once leaving Kingman we started gaining elevation in the mountains, from the desert floor. Once we hit 2,500′ in elevation, it started snowing and the temperatures dropped from the 60’s to the low 30’s.
The interstate was ice free and no snow stuck to the pavement. It made for a beautiful travel day.
We arrived in Williams at 1pm to light snow. The roads were still clear and no ice in town.
We are spending three nights at the Railside RV Park. This modern park has full hook-ups and is close to the town’s train station.
Since it was only 32 degrees and the snow was fluffy, getting camp set-up was no problem.
Tomorrow, we’ll be taking full-day train ride to the south rim of the Grand Canyon.
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Essex, California
March 22nd (251 miles today):
We left the Bakersfield area at 10am and traveled over the Tehachapi Pass and into the Mojave Desert.
Had lunch at the Boron Rest Area (known for Twenty Mule Team Soap mining) and continued through Barstow and onto I-40 (the winter hibernation parking area for several major airlines).
We had planned to spend the night at the Newberry Springs Rest Area, but it was closed due to construction. We continued for another 70 miles on I-40 to the Essex Rest Area about 65 miles west of the Arizona border.
We’ll be staying here one night, then continuing west on I-40 into Arizona tomorrow and spending three nights in Williams, AZ.
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Bakersfield, California
March 21st (299 Miles Today):
We left home at 10am and traveled south on I-5 through Sacramento, Stockton and south past Kettleman City. We had nice weather in the 60’s and an easy travel day.
We cut east on Highway 46 to just north of Bakersfield and arrived at the Flying J Truck Stop at 4pm. This large truck stop has plenty of parking for RV’s and trucks.
We’ll be here for one night and will continue into the Mojave Desert tomorrow on Highway 58.
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2021 Mid-West Itinerary
We’ll be leaving March 21st for the Branson Missouri area. Some of our stops will be: Williams Arizona, Dallas Texas, Shreveport Louisiana, Poteau Oklahoma, Branson Missouri, St. Joseph Missouri among many other stays, sights & adventures.
Please check back for daily updates.
Rocklin Roamers 