Wild West Adventurer ....part three

     Day four saw us up early to hopefully get a good shot of the Tower as the sun rose, but the clouds were being difficult again that day.  Our drive was not all that long today but we did have an unexpected stopover to get a slowly leaking tire repaired and a watch battery for JP's multifunction watch.  Long story, but after the watch just stopped working somewhere in Wyoming, we stopped in Casper to pick up a few things and a battery for the watch.  Needless to say they did not carry this battery at Wally World.  We found one in Rapid City, South Dakota at the Batteries Plus.  Thanks to the folks at Tires Plus for repairing the slow leak and to the folks at Best Buy for sending us to the battery store to get the battery we needed. 

     Along the way to Badlands National Park, we stopped at the Minute Man Missile site D9 at exit 116 and the Visitors Center at exit 131 off highway 90.  Next stop was Badlands which was just a short trip down the road. 

Important information.... get fuel (especially diesel) in Rapid City as the prices in Wall are about twenty five cents per gallon higher. 


     As we drove through the entrance to Cedar Pass campground the gal at the gate warned us of an impending storm.  We could see the storm clouds approaching.  It rained quite heavily for twenty to thirty minutes and the temperatures dropped about twenty degrees in that time.  But the sun came back out and things started to dry.  Met a wonderful retired school teacher from New Jersey who travels around the country in her Chevy Avalanche.  Had a great conversation and invited her to join us for the nightly Ranger talk.  After a bit, we decided to take a walk to the Visitors Center to get our National Parks Passport stamped and to look over some of the many things they had to offer in this park.  On our way back to the campsite we also stopped at the Cedar Pass store and restaurant to see if there was any item we just could not live without. 

     Since this was a no fire campground, we decided that this would be a great opportunity for some night shots and to also see what the Ranger talk had to offer.  Ranger Lydia gave us a presentation on the creatures of Badlands and it was great.  The night shots did not come out very well.  No amount of playing in photoshop was gonna help these shots!

A Wild West Adventurer - Trip to the Homestead Day 2 and 3

     Day two started out with a bit of wind.  Did I say a bit?  What an understatement!  Fought the wind throughout the remainder of Utah and through much of Wyoming.  Sadly, our planned stop at Independence Rock was spoiled by wind gusts of over fifty miles per hour.  You can imagine what this did for our fuel economy..... next few tankfuls were just over ten miles per gallon.  We very much want to go back to Independence rock and actually get to see the anmes carved into it.  Story goes like this.  If the early settlers left Missouri in time to get to Independence Rock by the Fourth of July, for the most part they were assured that they would get to California or Oregon before the snow would fall.  Since this is basically the only rock outcropping on this vast plains, they would carve their names into the rock to indicate they had been there. 

     But our goal for the day was to get to  Devils Tower which we managed after twelve long hours on the road.  You crest a hill and you see this magnificant piece of geology ahead.  A winding route to the park itself and we got what I consider the best site in the house.  From our folding chairs we could look right up past Prairie Dog Town to the Tower itself.  The weather did not cooperate for us to take photos at night, but it was still a great photo opportunity.  While planning this adventure, we decided that having a bike would be a great asset.  The bike adventure would begin the very next day.



     We awoke on day three and we decided that we would ride our new bikes to the Visitors Center.  We got there all right, but ended up walking about half of the way as it was so steep.  We did get quite a few comments from folks... "you guys rode up here from the campground?"  We hiked around the Tower and then rode back to the campsite.  But I must say, the ride back was great.  We also rode the bikes to the store at the entrance to the Monument. 

     Small side note:  this is the first National Monument in the National Park System.  If you do not already own a yearly pass (for those under 62) I suggest you invest in one. Contact the National Park Service to inquire about purchasing one.  Another great service they have at the parks is a nightly talk froma ranger.  Our first night there the talk was about climbing Devils Tower ... which is not allowed in June out of respect to the Native Americans.  Our second night the talk was about bats in the Monument and it was very informative.  It was off to bed for us for an early start in the morning.

JP and Laurie

The Cruisin Campers

A Wild West Adventurer - Visit to the Homestead... and other points East.

     Those of you that have been reading of our adventures in our Adventurer know that we like to just go and see where the road takes us.  This time we are doing something a little different.  We have a loose plan in mind for this trip as it's gonna be a long one.  Over three thousand miles in our Dodge Truck with our trusty Adventurer Camper.  This trip also brings on a new addition.... We are bringing along our new bikes!  Let's see how much use they get on this our first cross country trip or as I like to call it, A Wild West Adventurer.

     We started this journey on an early Sunday morning.... our goal, to travel from Reno, Nevada to South Dakota to visit the family homestead.  Our expectations were $4.00 per gallon diesel fuel and about ten miles per gallon.  We are back in the Adventurer for this trip and plan on stopping just a few times before getting to the homestead.  So let's get this Adventurer started, shall we?

     We drove as far as Rockport State Park outside Park City, Utah our first night.  We stopped along the way for a snack or two and lunch.  Our route this day takes along I80 all the way to just outsiode Park City, Utah where we will stop for the night.  If you are taking this route along I80, be sure to stop along the way to see what the area has to offer.  For example, you can go to the town center in Lovelock and place a lock onto the growing chain and "lock" your love.  We plan on doing this for our thirtieth wedding anniversary..... 

   We stopped in Elko for our first fuel stop and we got pretty good news... we were getting better than the anticipated ten miles per gallon.  Our next stop was even better with an average of over twelve and one half miles per gallon.  The campground at Rockport was clean and the host
very nice.  Our site was at the base of the dam and even as hot as it had been, the breeze was cool and refreshing.  We had our campfire for the night and seeing as the fire danger is very high in the west right now looks like it will be about the only onefor us this trip.  Weather report says wind in the morning, we are hoping it will not be too much wind.

JP and Laurie
The Cruisin Campers

The Adventurer on the Pony Express Trail

This is a short trip that we recently took from the Reno area to Fort Churchill, Nevada.  Along the way, we spent the night at the very small Dayton State Park – which was a bit noisy for the night.  Our goal here was to explore the Dayton area a bit to see if it was a destination we would like to return to.  It certainly was, as I will explain a little later. 

Dayton is not far from the Reno area which makes it a great stopping point as we left home on a Friday evening.  We took US 395 south to US 50 and headed east towards our first nights stop.  This park is clean and well kempt, but has the disadvantage of being right along Highway 50.  Now Highway 50 may be the loneliest Highway in America – but not on this stretch!  Lots of road noise throughout the night, but we wanted to see some of the surrounding attractions in the area, so this was a good jumping off point.  We walked up a small trail to a tunnel that takes you under Highway 50 and over to an old processing station for ore coming out of the Virginia City area mines.  This was an easy walk although it was a bit warm in the sun, be sure to bring sunscreen and a hat.  After we checked out the rest of the park, we loaded up and headed just a short ways back west to see the Dayton Cemetery and the Dayton Historic Schoolhouse.  The Cemetery was interesting and had several unknown graves – miners that did not have gravestones any longer… and there is also the site of the grave of the gentleman who is credited with being the inspiration for the name Virginia City.  The Dayton Schoolhouse is part of a historic walking tour and we will be sure to come back this way when we have the additional time to spend here.  Of note – there seems to be some controversy over whether the first settlement in Nevada was here in Dayton or in Genoa.  Both sides put up valid arguments and seeing as we have not yet been to Genoa to read the story they present, I am not sure it is fir to side with one or the other.  I will say that they do have in their possession a diary that references a family having a visitor to their settlement who was on his way… to establish Genoa – or at the very least he was a man of the same name…..

Leaving Dayton, we traveled east on Highway 50 and when we reached the Lahontan cutoff and go south on Alt 95.  Our final destination of this trip is Fort Churchill.  This place has a great sense of history and a small museum …more of a display than a museum but interesting nonetheless.  The Fort was built in 1861 to protect settlers from the local Indians.  Sadly, it was the settlers that were harassing the Indians.  You can read more about this part of the story on the State of Nevada website by using this link: http://parks.nv.gov/parks/fort-churchill-state-historic-park/ and other facts.  Named after Sylvester Churchill, the fort served as an important site for the Army during the Civil War.  Permanent structures of adobe were made, surrounding a central parade ground.  The Fort was abandoned and the buildings sold off to the highest bidder for only $750.  The State was offered the property and gained title to it in 1957.  While no complete structure remains, they are beautiful to capture at sunrise and sunset.  When we toured the grounds a thunderstorm was in the area so it made for some really great photos.

The campground rates are very reasonable and there are many shade trees.  While there are no amenities, if you are spending the night you are in for a great show from Mother Nature.  The restrooms are clean and the grounds are well kempt.  One of the things we love about camping in State and Federal Campgrounds is the ability to have a campfire and Fort Churchill does not disappoint. The night sky here is beautiful and is not too light polluted, so it makes for good photo opportunities.  The Carson River runs along the park boundary and there is also a train track nearby that is seldom used.  Close by the Fort is Buckland Station, this was an important stop for both the Overland Stage and Pony Express. They also supplied the locals with supplies.  The house that stands today was built from some of the ruins of the Fort after it was abandoned by the military.  Check the site listed above for opening hours of the Station and a brief video about Fort Churchill.  We were unable to tour the facility as it was closed when we stopped by.

I want to apologize for being so new to this that I have just come to the realization that I can also post photos here as well.  I am going to try and insert some into this story if I can figure it out.

Til we see you again, stay safe out there,

Laurie and JP

The Cruisin Campers 

Highway 49 - California’s Gold Country Part Two

Welcome back!  Sorry it has been so long..... we've been preparing for a mini family reunion - I say mini because four of my siblings are unable to attend.  But we are all working on trying to set something up here in the near future.  This is a trip we took in early May and I am just now getting to posting.  The one after this one will be chock full of things and will probably be a few posts.  So away we go on another Adventurer tale!

On our previous encounter with the California Gold Country we went from Vinton to Downieville in our Adventurer Cab over Camper, stopping at a few campgrounds along the way.  In this next segment, we will take you along for the ride from Nevada City to Downieville and head back home back through Sierraville.  A note here, if you are traveling through Sierraville and it’s time for lunch or dinner, be sure to stop at Los dos Hermanos – fabulous food and great service. 

We started out on a late Friday afternoon from our home base here in Northern Nevada.  Our first stop for the night was Snowflower Preserve a Thousand Trails ELS property that we are members of.  The park this time of year is pretty deserted… we only saw one other fellow camper.  He was quick to admire our truck and camper…. Which does not surprise me – we have a really great looking rig!  This was our first outing with our new bicycles and the new front hitch mount bike carrier.  This unit was purchased through Amazon and was pretty easy to install and the bikes ride rock solid.  We did not go too crazy on the bikes as we wanted to be sure we would get good use out of them before we dropped any serious money.  After leveling the rig, we detached the bikes and off we went for a short ride.  We could not go far as Snowflower still had a significant amount of snow in places.  But it was a nice little ride.  Snowflower at this time of year has only electricity for campers but does have water shed for you to fill your tanks if you choose to.  There is nice lodge for guests and has a stone fireplace and satellite TV if you choose to watch a show or two.  There is no store at this writing – winter was harsh a few years back and finishing touches are being made to the store for the summer opening.  Management has told me that it should open soon.  At the time of our visit they were operating on winter hours so staff was not on hand to welcome us.  They did leave a nice note explain where to camp and where to fill our tank with water etc. – one of the great things about this campground is its proximity to Lake Tahoe and Reno.  You can stay at the preserve and take your time touring the area.

On Saturday morning we headed out down Highway 20 towards Nevada City to Highway 49 northbound with a planned stop at Malakoff Diggins State Park.  A word of caution regarding this park and many others in the California State Park system… they may indicate they have camping but unless you go into reservations you are not able to determine if they are open or not.  While this park was of great interest to us, after traveling quite a ways to get to the location we found the campground is closed.  The State of California could do a much better job of letting the public know which campgrounds have been closed.  Nonetheless, Malakoff has interesting history and you should try to see this treasure before the State of California closes it for good.

Originally named Humbug by early inhabitants, the name was changed to a more dignified Bloomfield and changed yet again to North Bloomfield when it was discovered that there was a town with the same name in California.  A bit of a history lesson for you folks – Malakoff Diggins is considered to be the largest hydraulic mine site in California.  One of the remarkable things about the site is that this is where one of the very first rulings on environmental impact was made.  Hydraulic mining treated many issues for the towns and cities downstream and rich farmland was destroyed.  Even the great San Francisco bay was being affected by the hydraulic mining operation at Mallikoff.  The result was that the farmers filed suit against the mining operators and in January of 1884 hydraulic mining was ruled illegal in the State of California.  While there are few staff members at the park, they welcome your questions – even if it’s just to tell you that the campground is closed! 

From this site we headed back to highway 49 and found ourselves taking a slight detour to see the Bridgeport Covered Bridge.  This is the longest-span wooden covered bridge in existence.  The bridge was nearly destroyed in the floods of 1997 – but was saved and repaired.  It is currently closed to traffic and pedestrians with work being done to open the span in time for its 150^th anniversary.  This is a nice stop to make and read all the historic information along the way.  So after our slight detour, we drove back to Highway 49 and our gold country adventure.  There are campgrounds located in the area that are National Forest operations.  We found them to be clean and pretty well kempt.   With our plans to camp at Mallikoff dashed, we made our way to one of the nicest little spots I’ve camped.  There were pit toilets and no other services, but the campground was well maintained and we even were able to buy firewood from the campground host for our evening campfire.  After a good night sleep, we headed towards home.  As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, we headed back home via Vinton and Highway 70 returning through northern Reno.  Another great trip, with great memories added to our treasure chest.  Making California Gold Country just a little closer to completion.  Our next adventure along Highway 49 will take us so bound along Highway 49.

Til we see you again, stay safe out there,

Laurie and JP

The Cruisin Campers 

Death Valley for Days in the Adventurer

Death Valley opens up before you when entering the Park from Beatty Nevada full of promise, with beautiful vistas, sounds and adventures.    Diverse in many ways, Death Valley is a land of contrasts.  Not just the arid desert that many picture, but a land of water and brimming with life.

We of course, took our Adventurer Truck Camper and were able to live out of it for eight days only buying additional ice and beer.  I was a bit concerned when we started planning this excursion as I just could not see how we could get everything we need for the week into the camper and still be able to use it comfortably.  Boy was I wrong!  There was plenty of space when packing creatively and never felt crowded at all.  Matter of fact, we enjoyed this trip so much we are planning on spending two weeks soon traveling back to South Dakota and the like.  There will be plenty of tales to convey after that trip I am sure. 

A good side trip when using this route is to take the time to see the ghost town of Rhyolite.  Rustic, with just a few buildings (or remnants thereof) remaining, Rhyolite was established in 1905 but new discoveries of gold ceased in 1909 and the town’s fortunes quickly subsided and was truly a “ghost town” by 1920.  In its hay-day, the town had concrete sidewalks, a hospital, fire department and train station among other things.  Telephone and telegraph along with electricity were available.  This most definitely is a worthwhile stop.

When traveling within Death Valley National Park, this amazing place has a size that can be daunting.  But many of the attractions are not very far apart from one another.  At 3.4 million acres, this is one of the largest National Parks.  Surprisingly, this Park has a greater variation in altitude than Grand Canyon National park as the tallest mountain – Telescope Peak – is 11,049 and at the lowest point 282 feet below sea level. 

Many envision the hottest place in the U.S. (it is!) but few know that there is a creek that flows in the valley basin and that there is a year-round waterfall located within the Park boundaries.

For those not quite as adventurous, rooms can be found in Furnace Creek, Shoshone, Panamint and Stovepipe Wells and there are several campgrounds located throughout the park.  Reservations can be made by searching the Death Valley National Park site or sites that reference the above mentioned location names.  Food service is available at most of the locations and all have beverage service that includes draft beer.  A warning for those with diesel rigs – there are not many locations in the Valley that have diesel fuel and the station at Furnace Creek charges accordingly.  Be sure to fill up before you enter the Park.  Be aware that Scotty’s Castle no longer has fuel available for sale.

The places to explore- note some locations are best to be seen at certain hours of the day as the late afternoon nearly dusk brings out the best views.  In no particular order, here are some spots to see.

Artist Palette – this location is best viewed just prior to sunset as the multicolored hues become more vibrant in the waning light.  A one way road for much of the route, there are a number of pullouts to stop for photos.  Vehicles greater than twenty five feet are not recommended and there are rock outcroppings to watch out for if you are driving a high profile vehicle.

Badwater – the lowest point in the United States, at 282 feet below sea level, this area is salt encrusted and is quite interesting.  Look up on the side of the road, for the sea level sign.  The salt cakes onto your shoes, but the walk out to the salt flat are a must.

Devils Golf Course – located just off the main road leading to Badwater, take this small side trip to see the interesting formation of salt crystals in the soil.  Road is a bit of a teeth jarring experience, but no special equipment needed to access this location.

Natural Bridge – this natural bridge was formed by running water and has many interesting geologic features.  A slight hike, but not difficult.  A good spot for photographs if not crowded and the sun is in a good location.

Zabriskie Point – One of the most scenic views in Death Valley can be seen from Zabriskie Point.  Beautiful sandstone which shows various layers and a surprising amount of colors.

Golden Canyon – from the parking area it is an easy walk up this canyon to the Cathedral – rock formations of deep red sandstone.  This is the back side of Zabriskie Point.  The trail will allow for hikers to transit all the way to Zabriskie.

Twenty Mule Team Canyon – This route will accommodate two wheel drive vehicles but in some spots is a bit twisty and has many turns.  Would not recommend anything greater than twenty five feet in this location as well. 

Dante’s Peak – this drive is a scenic route and is about the longest trip suggested if traveling out of Furnace Creek.  The last section of this route has blind curves so caution should be exercised.  Worth taking the hike out to the end of the trail as there is a good view and photo opportunity there.

Darwin Falls – A bit of a hike, but so worth it once you get to it!  Located at the far western corner of the park is Panamint Springs with a small campground and a great bar across the road.  There is a fuel station here that has diesel fuel.  You drive west for a short distance until you see the turn off for Darwin Falls.  Taking this road for about one mile and then hiking into the Falls which is also about a mile.  While not marked, you can easily see where others have gone before you.  You are going to get wet and muddy so dress accordingly.  Great place to stop, relax and listen to the waterfall…..

Scotty’s Castle – located at the far north end of the Park, Scotty’s Castle has a great amount of history surrounding it.  A guided tour is well worth the cost. Our guide regaled us with some of the many stories of Scotty and the true owners of his “Castle”.    There is a great amount of history and legend surrounding this place and is worth making the drive here.

Stovepipe Wells/Mosaic Canyon – Stovepipe Wells has a nice campground and provides easy access to Mosaic Canyon which has beautiful marble walls that have been made smooth by running water.  Difficult to climb over and around at spots, it is worth the effort that you may make.   Don’t be shy, slide over those rocks on your derriere!

I hope you have enjoyed this narrative as much as I have enjoyed writing it,

Until the next trip……….. Stay safe.

Laurie and JP

The Cruisin’ Campers

The Adventurer goes to the Big Trees – Calaveras Big Trees that is.

Our latest installment of short trips is what follows.  For those of you that have been reading along as we put our rig through its paces, welcome back.  For those of you just joining us, pull up a chair and travel with us as we go down some roads less traveled and some that everyone knows…..

We had a long weekend at the end of October.  For those that do not live in Nevada – we celebrate our States Birthday.  What makes it all the more interesting is that Nevada Day is in reality on October 31^st.  That’s right, Halloween… kind of fitting.  We entered the Union on October 31, 1864 and are proud of it.  There are many tales to tell …. Some true and some not so true…. about the why and when.  But those are stories for another day.

We start out our excursion as always from the Reno, Nevada area.  We head south on US 395 and taking Hwy 88 to Hwy 89 and then the route over the mountains on SR4.  Calaveras Big Trees State Park is our destination and is located off SR4.  A word of caution and warning as this route is not designed for large rigs.  As a matter of fact, rigs larger than 25 feet in length are strongly discouraged.   It also closes in winter because of the great amount of snowfall.   For those who have toads – you can park your rig at a park in Carson City and take the toad over the mountain to Big Trees.   Additionally you can take an alternate route if you chose – this a spectacular Park and should be seen if you are traveling in the area. Great thing about this route, if you have the time you can stop near Genoa and visit a nice State Park as well.  More on that location another time. 

Our trip over the mountain to see the Big Trees was uneventful – but not for the faint of heart.  This routes peaks at 8730 feet at Ebbetts Pass.  Lots of hairpin turns and in many places the road is about a car and a half wide.  There isn’t even a center line on the road!  But there are numerous hiking trails along the highway - and a few pullouts for picture taking as well.     A bit of a history lesson here…. Ebbetts Pass was originally recommended to surveyor GH Goddard as a route of great promise for the Transcontinental Railway by Major John Ebbetts.  The Transcontinental Route eventually was chosen and Ebbetts Pass was not selected.    The pass was used by Stages and serviced Silver City.  Along the route there are many small unimproved campgrounds – that can be used for a minimal cost.  One of my favorites was the quite small setting at Mosquito Lakes.  Prices for use are posted on the Restrooms and are paid through the honor system.  They do have regular site drive bys to confirm fees are paid. 

Our travel time was a little more than 4 hours…. and a beautiful one at that.  We arrived at Big Trees shortly after noon and did a drive through the camping area looking for a spot that was convenient to the trails we wanted to hike and to other park amenities.  We decided on the loop closest to the Park entrance as it had meadow access and trails access nearby.  They have a very nice Visitors Center with a small store on the premises that sells various logo items.  They also have a small museum type exhibit that was very informative.   While the fees are a bit high considering there are no hook-ups, the surrounding trees and wildlife make it worth the extra expense.  After checking in, we decided to have our lunch and then hike the trails.    The first trail was an interpretive one with lots of great info and interesting facts.  This is just a short one – but made for a nice warm up for the longer hike we would take next.  For those who have never been to this park, I want to tell you that it is very well maintained and the trails were even and easy to walk.  This park is about 6,000 acres and actually has two groves of these spectacular big trees.  There is North Grove (where we stayed) and the South Grove.  While the South Grove has bigger and grander specimens, this portion of the park was closed to camping this time of year.  We will return another time to see these great trees.   A guide can be purchased at the Visitors Center or at the Trailhead for a nominal fee - just fifty cents at this writing.  There is some uncertainty as to the actual first white settler to discover these magnificent trees…  but whoever is given credit, we are all thankful that they have been preserved for future generations.  This site is recognized as the longest continuous operated tourist attraction in California.

Many of the trees are greater than 250 feet in height with diameters exceeding 25 feet in circumference.  The Big Trees trailhead through the North Grove starts near the Discovery Tree.  The Discovery Tree was taken down in 1853 to create a dance floor in the woods.  It took over three weeks to saw through the massive trunk.  John Muir wrote of it in later writings lamenting that such a thing was done to such a beautiful tree.  There were parties held at the tree with illustrations of up to thirty two revelers dancing upon the stump.  There was even a pavilion built over the stump in 1856 to keep out inclement weather.  Other additions show that there was also a bowling alley and saloon erected at the tree site.

As we continued or walk through Big Tress, we came upon the Father of the Forest which has a path through it and is said to have fallen centuries ago.   There is also the Pioneer Cabin Tree which was originally created to compete with the trees of Yosemite National Park.  Unfortunately the tree is slowly dying as the result.  It can no longer support its growth and has become less resistant to fire.  There is a stop along the trail that allows for an up close view and sensory experience.

After our walk we returned to the Adventurer and had a campfire and a delicious dinner.  My theory on that is that if you eat it and nobody dies, it had to be good, right?

The campground loop filled up quite a bit while we were on our hike but they provide enough space between sites that this was not an issue. 

So in conclusion, this was a great place to get away for a long weekend, relaxing amongst the majestic trees and enjoying nature.

With weather turning colder here in Northern Nevada we will have to park the Adventurer for a bit, but we’ll be back on the road soon. 

Next trip for us is a Western Caribbean Cruise onboard the Carnival Dream.  For those who have enjoyed this writing, look for my review of that trip at cruisecritic dot com under the handle Sparkscruiser. 

Until we travel together again, stay safe.  And explore what this great land has to offer.

Laurie and JP

The Cruisin Campers