Footies Save the Day

Sun-Mon, Sept 24-25…

Our dear friend Beth is a part-time Lutheran pastor serving a tiny congregation that meets (after the Catholic service) in a neighborhood association building up in Cold Creek Canyon (the same general area as Nederland). I located an LDS church house on the way and attended the 9am sacrament meeting, then continued west another 20 or so miles for the Lutheran service. Beth told me attendance averaged about 10, but today we had a whopping 16. After the service, there was a progressive dinner with appetizers near the top of the mountains, main course lower, and dessert reasonably near the meetinghouse. Carpooling, we only needed 3 vehicles. Great food at each stop, everyone was friendly, and I met some very interesting and talented folks. Also realized that – beautiful as these mountains (and their views) are – I’m not cut out for living this far “out.”

(And, because it was foggy and drizzling the whole time, I couldn’t get any really good photos.)

No lawn to mow when you live in the mountains.

Homes in the mountains are rarely of the "cookie-cutter" variety. Floor plans are drawn to accommodate natural surroundings, and interiors frequently reflect natural elements and/or personal talents. Later additions are common.The owner of the house at the left is an artist working mostly with fabric (quilting, clothing design & fabrication) and yarn (she was wearing a lovely multi-colored sweater that looked nothing like something your grandmother might make. When she heard that a church was selling its stained glass windows, she bought two and used them as part of the wall that separates her upstairs laundry room from the stairwell. The colors are much richer than they appear.

MONDAY morning we tried to nail down a travel plan for the next couple weeks, but it's just not coming together. We'll leave here Thursday and head to Raton, NM... beyond that nothing is for sure. Shortly before noon, we drove over to Beth's house, where I attempted lemon squares again. (Hey, I had a real oven & I've made these dozens of times. I won't bother w/ the details, but - while these didn't have to be chipped out of the glass dish - they were decidedly average. Altitude? Who knows.) We enjoyed lunch, conversation, Upwords and dinner (yummy soup!) with Beth. If the weather's decent tomorrow, she's going to take us on a grand tour of the Rockies.


BlogThoughts...  About those "footies."  We're traveling in an RV, which limits wardrobe options. Nearly all our travel so far has been in warm weather. It's now the end of September but, despite my earlier declaration to the contrary, it's not really winter yet. My church expects me to wear a dress/skirt. (Beth's Lutherans are casual.) It's cloudy, cool, and threatening rain. I have 2 chocies. Rather than a decidedly winter-ish wool skirt & sweater, I choose the lightweight dress and 1½" patent leather heels. When I leave the first church, it's beginning to rain. I get the heat going in the car, and 20 minutes later I'm cozy. It's only a few steps into the second building, which is warm and inviting. After that service, however, I have to enter & leave the car pool vehicle three times in rain and much cooler weather (I'm in the mountains now). I am simultaneously over- and under-dressed. I'm not miserable, but irritated that I didn't think to bring a change of clothes. At the second house, the hostess asks if I'd like a pair of footie socks. Oh yes. What a difference 2 oz of fuzzy polyester makes.😃 (I put the heels on again to travel to house 3, but slipped back into footies once we were there and ret'd them with gratitude before heading back down the mountain.)

Sforno & Poppies

Fri-Sat, Sept 22-23…

Looks brand new.

Friday was quiet during the day.  Greg replaced the exhaust elbow, greased the chassis, and took care of other RV maintenance. I plugged along on the blog (almost caught up – I slip onto tangential sites too easily) Greg also ran shopping errands. (For the record, he spends more $$ than I do, but – to be fair -  a good bit of it is on MH-related items.) One possible note of interest: I missed it, but a 5th wheel camper came in to day... pulled by the green cab pictured here. Quite the rig. 

Around 6 we left for our third drive to Boulder in 3 days, this time to join Nick’s family and friends for a birthday dinner. Table for 12 at Sforno Trattoria. Turned out the woman next to me knew our street very well (daily walks maybe? I didn’t ask). She even had a question about one of our neighbors. It’s Friday night in a fairly high-end section of a college town. Great service, but the restaurant was noisy. Cindy & Nick shared interesting stories from the family’s recent trip to Thailand. Fun evening.

Note birthday hat at the head of the table. 😃

Saturday was cold and wet. I managed a short walk this morning before the rain started. Putzed around with chores and reading (I’ve slowed down in Exodus). Greg’s trying hard to plan out our next 2-3 weeks. At the moment we’re scheduled for Albuquerque Oct 6-9, but no RV reservation. Why? Good news=bad news. That’s Balloon Weekend! I’ll keep you posted.

Nondescript, in a strip mall, dark interior.
(Don't judge a book by its cover.)

Yesterday Greg contacted a local business associate who invited us out for dinner (tonight), and the evening turned out to be both congenial and delicious. Possibly the best prime rib I’ve eaten – the accompanying burgundy/mushroom reduction was to die for (and I’m not even a mushroom fan). Some of my favorite times have been with these work-related fellows (here, San Antonio, & Niagara Falls) and their wives.

BlogGrumble... We've been spoiled by almost 9 months of amazing weather. Now we're in this gorgeous area and - like the Tetons - we're fogged in. (I guess I'm allowed one grumble in 9 months.)

Rocky Mountain High, Colorado

Wed-Thurs, Sept 20-21…

Denver’s not much more than an hour away, but we’re off by 9am as usual. It’s another straight shot south, this time down I-25, skirting the suburbs of Fort Collins and Loveland. We’re (paying) guests of the Elks Club for at least the next week. Several folks to touch base with here, but today was mostly just settling in, making contacts, and checking the must-dos for the area. Seems that RV parking here provides a fairly steady income for the local Elks. About 40 sites, at least half of which have winter-proof hook-ups. Quite a few folks are full-timers, and there's always at least a couple fellows working on vehicles. Greg pulled an elbow off the MH exhaust system. A replacement will be ready for pick-up tomorrow. 

(The university calls it a buffalo.)

Greg's niece's son, Nick, is a sophomore at UCBoulder. We're treating him to dinner tonight, and it was kind of cute the way the options played out. He lives with 3 other guys in a house a few blocks from the main campus, and we just happened to find a parking spot practically in front. We'd passed several small eateries driving in, but Greg also had an old $75 Outback gift card in his wallet. After a quick hello, Nick offered the equivalent of a "free parking" placard to place on the dash so we wouldn't get ticketed. As he started to explain, I told him we'd be happy to join him at one of his favorite local hangouts, but - if he preferred - we could also go to Outback a few miles down the road. It was funny to watch him process the choice and see his eyes quite literally light up. "Steak? ...I'd love steak. Outback!" So we did. He's an outstanding young man, and we enjoyed spending some one-on-one time with him.

All smiles, and we haven't even tried the Bloomin' Onion yet.

Thursday we took a scenic drive through Boulder Canyon -- and quickly realized why the city is so named. I rarely get decent pictures when the car is moving, and there were no pull-outs, so photos are limited. In another week there will be lots more yellow infiltrating the evergreens.

Entering the canyon.

Crags

Boulder Falls (in there somewhere)

Lone Cloud

Another town in this area is named Golden. 

Stopped in a funky little town called Nederland for a late lunch. We surmised equally funky reasoning for the name, but I'll share the official (Wikipedia) version, which is also interesting.

In 1873 the Caribou Mine, at an elevation of roughly 10,000 feet (3,000 m) and 6 miles (10 km) northwest of the town, was sold to the Mining Company Nederland from the Netherlands. The high elevation meant fierce winds and deep winter snow, so the new owners of the mine decided that it was beneficial to bring ore from Caribou down to Middle Boulder for milling. In the Dutch language, Nederland ("Netherlands" in English) means low land, and based on casual usage by the Dutch miners, Middle Boulder came to be known as Nederland. (This is ironic, considering that the town's elevation is higher than 8,000 feet (2,400 m) and most locations in the Netherlands are near or even below sea level.) In 1874 the town was incorporated and adopted Nederland as the official name

We were immediately drawn to the Moon Bakery & Cafe, but - despite the lure of homemade carrot cake - we decided against the breakfast-leaning menu and went next door to Ned's, where we split an excellent (½ lb) bleu cheese burger. On our way out, a fellow suggested great pizza just a block or so away. For a town w/ a resident population of only about 1500, there's also a pretty vibrant music scene - and the Carousel of Happiness, a menagerie featuring 56 hand-carved animals on a restored 1910 Looff carousel, turning to the music of a 1913 Wurlitzer band organ.   Cool town! 

Whimsy abounds as this whirls around.

Home just in time to head out to our friend Beth's house for dinner. A few years back she bought a TOTAL fixer-upper and, with the help of a good contractor and even better landscaper, has turned it in to a lovely little home. Pork chops from the butcher, and she rolled ears of corn in smoked paprika and steamed them on the grill - delish!  Great visit, and we'll spend more time with her early next week.  

BlogAdvice... Carpe diem. I'm learning to "seize the moments" when it comes to walking. We're not hikers, but I still need steps. So our last stop today was a trucking parts place where Greg was picking up a new exhaust elbow. No reason for me to go in, so I start walking laps around the very large parking lot... and log another 1.67 miles on the FitBit. (He was in the wrong line for most of the time.)

Cheyenne

Mon-Tues, Sept 18-19…

(more on this later)

Relatively short drive to Cheyenne, where we’re camped next to a retired couple from Woodland (WA) who have a delightfully friendly 2yo lab named Gracie.  We shared travel stories and got together later to watch Ken Burns' Vietnam War series. This campground also does homemade BBQ, and we enjoyed a generous portion of ribs for dinner. Wandering through the park earlier, I noticed a rig with Hawaii plates – not a license I expected to see out here (more or less in the middle of nowhere).

That's a calf. Go figure.

Tuesday I worked on the blog all morning while Greg installed a new exterior radio and puttered around w/ other maintenance issues. Our new WA friends had recommended the Union-Pacific Depot Museum, so we headed into town later. Cheyenne was apparently a pretty important hub during the construction of the transcontinental railroad. And photos from the heydey of rail travel are always interesting. All the formality – nothing like today. (I never traveled first class on anything, but I still remember dressing up to fly home from college in the mid 60s.) Many museums we’ve visited include incredibly detailed dioramas and/or models. Here we saw a beautiful, 9000-piece wooden model of “Big Boy,” the 600-ton articulated locomotive used for hauling over the Wasatch Mts (Utah) during the 1940s. Twenty-five were built; 14 are still around (though not in use), and one of these rests in Holliday Park (Cheyenne). The real thing is awesome in its bulk, the model equally awesome in beauty.

117', including tender (engine is 85')

Three or four feet, each piece meticulously detailed and polished.

Public Art, Downtown Cheyenne

Tribute to Women for their Role
in Developing the West

First Settlers (left)
and Cowboys

Maybe persistent wind at Holliday Park?
(downtown Cheyenne)

BlogThoughts... It's been windy since we left Yellowstone, and especially so here in Cheyenne. The gusts today seemed to get stronger and more frequent as we went along. I like wind. (I thought hurricanes were "fun" when I was a kid.) I love walking in a good wind, but walking 100' back from the laundry this evening I had my arm close over the clean clothes to make sure I didn't lose any. After supper, Greg suggested I make one more loop around the campground. I can always use steps, so I grabbed a jacket (yes, there's been a decided wind chill factor today) and headed out. Ten or 15 minutes later, I'm back. Greg grins and asks "Have fun?" and I'm like "Yeh, but actually it was probably more work than fun." The gusts continued 'til after midnight. The MH rarely budged, but we pulled the sides in as a precaution. Fortunately, things were pretty calm in the morning. (We wouldn't have left if that level of wind had persisted.)

Slow Sunday

Sunday, September 17...

Quiet day overall, but I was surprised this morning to discover I had 9 choices for church. Later, at the museum, I learned that Casper (on the North Platte River) was one of the important stops on the westward immigration trail. I imagine some Mormons decided it looked like a pretty good spot to settle. Our campsite is adjacent to the Fort Caspar Museum (including restored fort bldgs), so we spent a couple hours soaking in local history (including geologic history determined through types of arrowheads). Casper was also a big oil town during the late 19th/early 20th century. Driving to Casper, we passed through Natrona, home to the Salt Creek oil field, the largest and most significant field in the state in 1920.

Standard Oil Refinery on N. Platte River, Casper WY. 1920s
(photo from Casper College Western History Center)

The wagon below stands on a “Mormon Ferry” consisting of cottonwood dugout canoes, planking, 2 oars and a rudder. Later, using a rope and pulley system, the ferry could float a loaded wagon across the river in just 5 minutes. Apparently the Mormons were the first to construct and employ such a ferry, which was so popular with immigrants that Brigham Young left 9 young men in Casper to operate it (presumably during the summer flood season) while the rest moved on to Salt Lake. Later, other groups built their own ferries.

We first encountered the North Platte River in Grand Isle, NE.
(no ferry necessary)

After supper, Greg shooed me outside to capture some sunset photos...

BlogThoughts…  The people of Casper hold their local drum & bugle corps (the Troopers) in high esteem. The first section room of the museum was devoted entirely to this group – awards, evolution of uniforms, etc. Founded in 1957, the corps certainly has some history of its own, so – after being surprised – I was impressed at the attention devoted to it.

Troopers in competition.

SNOW!!

Saturday, Sept 16…

As I wake up, I still hear raindrops hitting the roof. It’s a good sound (snow is silent). But, when Greg gets up he’s quick to point out the flakes falling outside. Forecast: mixed snow & rain. We decide to move on to Casper. BUT… we definitely want to revisit the Tetons sometime, even if we have to sleep in a cabin. Greg secures our (full) refund, we take care of some housekeeping/maintenance tasks, and we’re on the road again. At Moran Junction we turn left onto WY26/287 and climb Togwotee Pass to 9485’ at the Continental Divide. The snow does get heavier, but never heavy – and never a problem. Photos tell the story...

Mixed rain and snow.

Exiting campground...

Climbing the pass...

Entering highway...

At the top!

Heading down: no snow anywhere, but we've still got
compacted ice between the 2 wipers.

Once we’re over the pass, we enter the Wind River Valley and empty no longer describes Wyoming.  It’s open, yes, but a softer landscape that’s welcoming. Our route doesn’t include Wind River Canyon (had I looked at the map rather than let Greg leave routing entirely up to Magellan & Garmin, it probably would have), but there’s still plenty to enjoy. (Wyoming has 23 official byways.)

Definitely Peaceful, and more of those nestled trees.

Impressive cliffs.

And a river. 

Seasoned lamb patties, spinach w/ feta &
tomatoes, and rice. 

An hour or so short of Casper (WY) we pull over for a quick sandwich, and Greg asks if I’d like to drive. I recall the hour I drove in FL – the road was straight as a yardstick. Do I want to drive? Sure. And not only does this highway have curves, I also get to make real turns onto other roads… and navigate the suburbs of Casper until I pull in to a Walmart parking lot. No scrapes. No injuries. An hour later I'm catching up on laundry at the Fort Caspar [correct] Campground. Greg prepares another tasty dinner and then maintains a steady lead throughout our Scrabble game. 

PartingShots...  I captured these during a short after-dinner walk. (There were actually 7 deer grazing near the museum, but I was slow realizing it was a photo op.)

Fifty Shades of Gray

Friday, Sept 15…

Railing, greenery, and...

When we registered here we got a great sheet of “bests” (picnic areas, scenic drives, etc –14 categories!). Super idea. At Willow Flats yesterday we could only see part of the mountains. Then it rained all night and drizzled most of today. About 10am we decided to take a drive anyway. Followed Signal Mt Rd (one of the best for wildlife viewing) all the way to the top (7727’). You can enjoy my overlook view in the photo to the right. (Two ghostly parking lots shots below.) 

Back on the main road we continued south toward Jackson Hole, where the sky seemed a bit lighter, but never found any serious sunlight or wildlife. We did find a great sandwich place at Moose Junction. Multi-grain bread piled high with real roast beef, chutney, & shredded lettuce. Shared a small table w/ a couple from Michigan, who were on a 12-day bus tour. They got 2 hours in Yellowstone yesterday -- time to watch Old Faithful erupt and visit the gift shop. And don’t take too long in the restroom – the bus driver scolds anyone not back exactly on time.  ♫ “Oh give me a (motor)home, where I can roam as I please.” ♫

Puddle Path

I love how trees nestle between the hills.

After lunch we drove out Antelope Flats Road and stumbled onto Mormon Row, the remnants of a community of 27 families who settled this area east of Blacktail Butte (shelter from the wind) and near the Gros Ventre (Grovont) River (good for irrigation) around 1900. Only a few buildings still stand, and this pink one is a bit atypical. Unlike many western homesteaders, Mormons clustered their farms to share labor. By now our gas gauge was listing strongly left. No pumps in the nearby town of  Kelly, but we could fill up back at Moose Junction. A gray drive home, but Greg fixed pork with caramelized onions for dinner so, as always, the day ended well.

Merci, Chef Greg.

BlogThoughts… Summer is apparently OVER. Driving around today felt just like home (except that Seattle usually has pretty good weather in Sept). As I type, it’s 8pm and the temp is 41°. Snow predicted for tomorrow morning (though I think we’re under 7000’ here, so we may miss it.) We’ll probably pull out and head south to Casper. A day ahead of schedule but I have so much Blog posting to do that I’ll need an extra day. (And I’m finally posting this entry 5 days later.)

The name caught my attention, but 70% off Patagonia is
still a lot of money! I don't have a new windbreaker.