August 26, 1981 I Drive it MY Way-More Introduction to Greenvan Trips
I found that in the earlier blogs that I had to put in a filler page to establish the correct starting point for the trip, otherwise it would look like I started where I was after the first day. So that is what this is, but it also gives me the chance to give a lengthier intro than the real intro. Anyway, in general I have three guidelines to get the most out of my trip #1. Drive no faster than 40 to 45 miles an hour. Gas is the biggest expense and the trip is more important than the destination(life is like that) and if you zoom along at 60 miles per hour you just catch glimpses at things and are less likely to stop when something captures your interest. Usually you mainly are trying to get from point a to b and nothing in between should slow you down. #2 No fast food restaurants. Even though the food is generally lousy we are familiar with it and hesitant of strange and new experiences being local diners we have never heard of. But that is part of the trip-seeing new places and people- and actually I have never been really disapointed with an unknown spot even if the food wasn't great, and in many cases it was really a good deal, like in Joes Diner in southern Idaho up in the hills where I had the largest and most inexpensive breakfast I ever had and every thing was excellent. Sitting at long tables that were shared I felt like I was in a lumberjack camp. I couldn't imagine going coast to coast and looking back at all the meals you had and they were an endless string of McDonalds. ( I do stop at donut places) #3 I don't ever pay to park and stay somewhere for the night. I feel somewhat like the pioneers and early explorers who stopped where they could and made do. Paying for a place to stay is like paying to exist, a tax on life. I've read numerous travel books, one of the early ones in the motor vehicle is Travels with Charlie by Steinbeck (I have since found out that he made most of it up, mine isn't). The country was open then and he had no problem stopping wherever he wanted to, but since then there is a vast industry that has grown up to make money off of travelers and the profits and taxes made from this industry has created an atmosphere and legal setting that if you don't pay someone for where you are staying you are a criminal, which is much more enforced in high priced resort areas.
So I am off tomorrow on another trip of exploration, I've seen it for years on maps but until I actually see if first hand it doesn't really exist. I am a modern pioneer and I am out to capture the countryside and the big cities and little hamlets with my eyes and to present it to others in my photos and landscape paintings. I include these along with the blog.
So I am off tomorrow on another trip of exploration, I've seen it for years on maps but until I actually see if first hand it doesn't really exist. I am a modern pioneer and I am out to capture the countryside and the big cities and little hamlets with my eyes and to present it to others in my photos and landscape paintings. I include these along with the blog.
4 First Greenvan Trip Via Northern States to West Coast and Southern California
August 27, 1981 Day 1 Grandma's House in Rehoboth Beach then Philadelphia
I start the trip by stopping at K-Mart and get a simulated sheepskin seat cover. I tossed out my passenger seat shortly after I got the van and the drivers came as an old vw beetle seat that has seen alot of use. The cover says it will keep you warm when cold and cool when hot-anyway it will be better than ripped vinyl. Then down to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware to see my grandmother, which is always a good idea to see your grandmother on your birthday.
After a short visit I headed north to Philadelphia. Breaking my speed rule but I want to make it to the Utrecht Linens there to get some art supplies. They had great deals back then and they still do. I got a case (48) of 12x16 canvasboards, a case(12) of prestretched canvas-16x20 and some tubes of paint. I prefer the earth colors, especially for landscapes, which is good because they are the least expensive and usually the most colorfast. I tried to get my work shown in a gallery in Baltimore years later and the lady poohpoohed the canvasboards as real art was not done on them. Well I bet she never lived in a van. They didn't take up a lot of space and 12x16 is a good size to do a complete painting on the spot. I've tried a number of supports. I did a lot on gessoed masonite, but found the paint chipped off too easily and the surface was too slick for my preference. I found that when I used them I needed to use flat brushes, but when I had more texture I liked to work in round brushes. I make my own panels now by glueing canvas to masonite or plywood. They are compact and portable but I can use a canvas type suitable for what I want. Philadelphia is one of my favorite towns to walk around in but I didn't do it this time.
Anyway I was now ready to head on west. After a stop in Norriton I headed on to Hershey Park. I had become very interested in rose bushes and on this trip I had planned to stop at a number of the renowned rose gardens around the country, one being at Hershey Gardens. the information center was closed so I headed on to the Hershey Hotel. My mother stayed here a number of years ago with her second husband. She stayed inside, I stayed in the parking lot. It was very quiet and my bed was comfortable. I would be close to the gardens, tomorrows first stop.
I thought I would add here a little something about the preparation for the trip. Since I had returned from the previous years trips I had been doing some housepainting and saving my money. I am not including the art supplies as part of the expenses of the trip but at the end of the day I had $838.10. More than what I started with last year, but I still had to keep my expenses low. The less I spent the longer I could travel, and there was an awful lot of country reamaining to be seen. Gas at this time was about $1.25 to some places about $1.50 and my van got about 15 to 17 miles per gallon.
After a short visit I headed north to Philadelphia. Breaking my speed rule but I want to make it to the Utrecht Linens there to get some art supplies. They had great deals back then and they still do. I got a case (48) of 12x16 canvasboards, a case(12) of prestretched canvas-16x20 and some tubes of paint. I prefer the earth colors, especially for landscapes, which is good because they are the least expensive and usually the most colorfast. I tried to get my work shown in a gallery in Baltimore years later and the lady poohpoohed the canvasboards as real art was not done on them. Well I bet she never lived in a van. They didn't take up a lot of space and 12x16 is a good size to do a complete painting on the spot. I've tried a number of supports. I did a lot on gessoed masonite, but found the paint chipped off too easily and the surface was too slick for my preference. I found that when I used them I needed to use flat brushes, but when I had more texture I liked to work in round brushes. I make my own panels now by glueing canvas to masonite or plywood. They are compact and portable but I can use a canvas type suitable for what I want. Philadelphia is one of my favorite towns to walk around in but I didn't do it this time.
Anyway I was now ready to head on west. After a stop in Norriton I headed on to Hershey Park. I had become very interested in rose bushes and on this trip I had planned to stop at a number of the renowned rose gardens around the country, one being at Hershey Gardens. the information center was closed so I headed on to the Hershey Hotel. My mother stayed here a number of years ago with her second husband. She stayed inside, I stayed in the parking lot. It was very quiet and my bed was comfortable. I would be close to the gardens, tomorrows first stop.
I thought I would add here a little something about the preparation for the trip. Since I had returned from the previous years trips I had been doing some housepainting and saving my money. I am not including the art supplies as part of the expenses of the trip but at the end of the day I had $838.10. More than what I started with last year, but I still had to keep my expenses low. The less I spent the longer I could travel, and there was an awful lot of country reamaining to be seen. Gas at this time was about $1.25 to some places about $1.50 and my van got about 15 to 17 miles per gallon.
Grandparents House at the Beach when I was Growing Up 22x28
I got up and drove to Hershey Gardens, a short distance away, and had my
breakfast. This generally was cereal and milk made from the powdered box
mixed in my bowl. I had survived the last years trips without ice. I had a
cooler but it was used just to isolate the food and keep it in one place. Ice
would be too much of an expense and too much trouble. I had apple juice
most of the time and it would keep a few days, depending on the
temperature before it went bad.
Then I went to the gardens. I mentioned that I was interested in roses and
what I did was at every place where I went to a rose garden I would go
through and see which ones I liked the best,size, color, fragrance, number of
roses, and I would make notes of which ones did best in each locale and
habitat. Some were great in one place but would develop mold or blackspot
somewhere else, etc. At the end of the trip I would have a list of all my
favorite roses that seemed to do well in all of the gardens. And I did get a
good list, unfortuneately none of them did well in my yard which was very
sandy and dry.
Next I took the tour of the factory, or not exactly the factory but a liitle
thing you rode in as you went through you got a verbal story of what
Hershey's was-no samples. Enough-now time to go on west. I also had
somewhat of a schedule to keep this time besides wanting to spend more
time further west. When I visited my grandmother she told me my aunt and
uncle who lived outside of Cleveland would be moving any day. Growing up
we lived with our different grandparents in the same town so whenever any
of our relatives visited them we would also see them. As happens with most
families when you grow up everybody spreads out and you don't see them so
much any more. Also most of the three years I was in the army I was
stationed in Germany and hadn't seen my relatives in a long time. So I was
hoping to have a visit on my way west.
I started out on route 322 and followed it for a good bit, had my lunch past
Milroy at a rest stop, a short stop in State College, Port Maltida. I went to my
first donut stop at the Holidaysburg Dunkin Donut ( in my first blog I discuss
the strange way they spell donut in the phone book). From there I head west
on 422 through Indiana (the town) and stop at the Eastland Diner by route
422 and 38. On my first trips my only hot meals were generally a cup of
coffee. On this one I did have a little more money but I was still thrifty. If I
was going to stop somewhere I would look for a place that served breakfast
all day and had good specials, as close to $2 as possible, and I was able to
fine a place quite often. Here I had 2 eggs, coffee and hash browns for $2.17
plus a tip. I also stayed in the parking lot for the night. 267 miles for the day.
August 28,1981 Day 2 Hershey Gardens then on West
August 29, 1981 Day 3 Coming up Empty in Cleveland then on to Colombus
Got an early start at 6:55 am. I went to the Sears in New Castle and got gas
and made my breakfast, and after a brief stop to get postcards I headed on to
Chesterland outside of Cleveland to see if I could catch up with my aunt and
uncle. This was long before cell phones and I had not been able to reach them
from phone booth calls. I reached their house about 1:00 and it looked too
late. All the furniture was gone and no signs of anybody around. After
seeming to come up empty I decided to go on into Cleveland to the Museum
of Art. I found out months later that they were still there for one more day
but had gone out to eat lunch.
Went to the museum which was pretty nice, outside and in, but as often
happened on these trips part of what I wanted to see was being renovated
and it would be several years before I had the chance to see what I had
missed. Next I headed down to Columbus so I would be ready to see the big
rose garden there. Picked up a newer atlas on the way. I always tried to get a
free state map at the info center going into a new state but traveling on the
back roads I often missed them. I found a quiet street in Coloumbus to stop
for the night.
August 30, 1981 Day 4 Rose Heaven, an Art Museum and then to Bowling Green
It was raining when I got up so I went to look for a place where I could take
a natural shower and I found that place in Blendon Woods Metro Park. I am
always looking to take advantage of natural and unnatural sources of water
to clean up. Sometimes it can be a real challenge. But clean and refreshed,
with the rain clearing up I head for the Columbus Park of Roses. This is billed
as the world's largest municipal rose garden with 13 acres. San Jose is a
strong competitor for first place, while it comes in at 5.5 acres, it now
maintains that it has the largest number of roses of any municipality. Who
cares, they are both great places to visit having been to both (I will reveal
later on this trip which US rose garden I think is the best). I smelled a lot of
roses and made my notes. And when I say smell it is not here and there. I
tried to smell one of each of the great many varieties.
An aside about all these polls local magazines etc. have for all kinds of
restaurants businesses and everything else, how can you vote for which one
is best in any category if you haven't been to them all? I think these polls are
a complete farce because people just put where they go and they never
actually list how many votes each one got. Not very representative but I
guess it works to generate the advertising dollar. So when I pick out the best
roses I have looked at and smelled them all.
After touring the rose garden I head downtown to the Columbus Museum
of Art, not terribly big but nice and some paintings of interest. Then time to
head north the Detroit Institue of Art is in my sights, I reach Bowling Green
and stop at a rest stop where I am able to shave and wash my hair and then
hit the sack. I realize during the night I have a maintenance problem as the
rear window leaks during heavy rains.
August 31, 1981 Day 5 Toledo Zoo and Night Stop at Michigan Info Center
I went to the A&P in Bowling green to stock up on food supplies, then the K
Mart for film and van stuff. The I headed north and stopped at the Open Book in
Maumee and bought two books for .32. My first big stop for the day was at the
Toledo Zoological Gardens. Many old dark small buildings that may have been
nice when they were built but were long overdue for a face lift and several
years later when I went back the zoo was completely changed and these old
buildings had been done away with. It's too bad they couldn't keep the earlier
era look but had updated them to be more in keeping with the concerns for the
animals.
After spending several hours at the zoo I was ready for a stop at Mister
Donut. A couple of more stops around town and then I went to the Nature Park
on Bancroft Road but the mosquitos were really bad so I moved on. I went to
Secor Metropark and was able to take a bucket shower at a water pump there.
I did this with a plastic gallon milk container that I had cut the top part off of
but left the handle. I could fill this up and dump it over my body and whether I
did this with my bathing suit on or naked depended on the surroundings-
whether there were any other people likely to show up. It was late in the
evening so I was pretty much alone. It was late enough for me to find a night
spot and I stopped at the Michigan Info Center on I-75 for the night. Tomorrow
I would be heading into Detroit to the Institute of Art.
September 1, 1981 Day 6 Detroit Institute of Art and Back to Toledo
I was able to get a michigan map and information about the Detroit Institute
of Art when the welcome center opened up in the morning. I was still nervous
and hesitant about spending too much time in a big city. Growing up in a small
town we heard the worst about the city and I had no counterbalancing
experience. I spent a great deal of time in many European cities, but that was
different-a completely different mindset. We use to go to Baltimore when I
was in high school because my father was in a hospital there for a long time.
But we were told never to go out at night and if you did it was only 15
minutes before you were robbed. I had no idea how people living in cities
survived, they must of spent all their time inside their houses. So a lot of the
cities I was going to it was to see something specific and get out. And Detroit
had one of the worst reputations. It wasn't that long after the big riots when
so much of the city was trashed or burnt down. (It wasn't until I lived out in
this area that I heard about those earlier riots in the late forties when whites
viciously attacked the blacks and the cops just turned their heads.) Over the
course of these trips and spending a good bit of time in major cities, including
Detroit which I have gotten to know and have visited quite often while living
out here, my perception of american cities has changed tremendously.
One other thing about Detroit. Several years before I had been on my
college's chess team and we had a meet out here at the airport hotel. All
expenses paid (there were rumors that I wasn't even a student there any
more but I hung out in the student union playing chess so much nobody really
thought about it). Some of the others actually went into Detroit one night to
the strip bars and x rated movies and came back with some wild stories. I just
spent that whole weekend in the hotel playing chess.
Well I got to the institute easy enough and it has a real nice collection and it
has my favorite museum coffee shop, downstairs in an enclosed courtyard
with a skylight ceiling. For years I was trying to remember which museum it
was at and then I was pleasantly surprised when I saw it again on my first
trip back there after moving out here.
I headed back towards Toledo and stopped at Woodland Beach near Monroe.
Time for a bath and shampoo in Lake Erie, then dinner and finally I parked for
the night on a side street in Toledo. I wanted to go back because I found out
they have a really nice art museum.
September 2, 1981 Day 7 New Haircut, Van Chores and New State
I head back into Toledo to the Museum of Art, which was very nice and still is. It's free, which is always nice, and it's not fake free. I have been to a number of mueums, some even advertising they are free, but when you get there they make it very clear they expect you to pay to get in. Not here, there is a donation thing but you are free to come and go. A good representative collection of some of my favorite painters. I get a couple of postcards-I usually do this at all the museums I go to build up my own art gallery of favorite postcards.
I get gas and then head west on US 20. This is my seventh day out and I am getting in the swing of things. It becomes a completely different rhythm and takes awhile to get everything rearranged and set up efficiently. I find when I start these trips I restow and move everything around a couple of times. This becomes a chore day, I stop in Angola at the Subway Barber Shop and get a haircut. Next a stop in downtown Elkhart and I go to the Midwestern Museum of Art. I pick up some essentials at KMart. A thermometer so I know how hot it gets in the van. Sewing needles, window cleaner and a 5 gallon water container. I needed something larger to carry good water in between places I can find it. I use it to mix up my milk, drinking plain and for washing up and brushing my teeth. I also found that the window cleaner is a good quick body cleaner, under the arms etc. with a change of underwear you can blend in with a crowd and they will never realize you have been living in a van for a week. However they did have one of the old style YMCAs where you could go in a pay for a shower and get some soap and a towel. Fewer and fewer of them would do that, you could pay something like $15 for a day pass but they have terribly changed their original calling-they don't want no tramps , bums or homeless. Next it was to the laundromat and I was set for another week.
I crossed into the central time zone and found a spot on an abandoned road near the Indiana Dunes and National Lakeshore for the night.
I get gas and then head west on US 20. This is my seventh day out and I am getting in the swing of things. It becomes a completely different rhythm and takes awhile to get everything rearranged and set up efficiently. I find when I start these trips I restow and move everything around a couple of times. This becomes a chore day, I stop in Angola at the Subway Barber Shop and get a haircut. Next a stop in downtown Elkhart and I go to the Midwestern Museum of Art. I pick up some essentials at KMart. A thermometer so I know how hot it gets in the van. Sewing needles, window cleaner and a 5 gallon water container. I needed something larger to carry good water in between places I can find it. I use it to mix up my milk, drinking plain and for washing up and brushing my teeth. I also found that the window cleaner is a good quick body cleaner, under the arms etc. with a change of underwear you can blend in with a crowd and they will never realize you have been living in a van for a week. However they did have one of the old style YMCAs where you could go in a pay for a shower and get some soap and a towel. Fewer and fewer of them would do that, you could pay something like $15 for a day pass but they have terribly changed their original calling-they don't want no tramps , bums or homeless. Next it was to the laundromat and I was set for another week.
I crossed into the central time zone and found a spot on an abandoned road near the Indiana Dunes and National Lakeshore for the night.
September 3, 1981 Day 8 Morning at Indiana Dunes-Afternoon at Chicago Institute of Art
I went a short distance to Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and saw Lake
Michigan, my third great lake. Next I went to Marquette Park and divided
my morning between these two spots. then I headed for the big city-
Chicago. This was another city I had a specific place to go and then was
going to leave. That was the Institute of Art, which I found was free on
thursdays. this is a tremendous museum with many of the important
paintings that I had often seen in books, including La Grand Jatte the big
pointillest painting by Seurat. Many many others, saw as much as I could
see but definitely have to go back. I had my dinner there-yogurt, cherry pie
and coffee-$2.03, then I headed northwest on route 12 out of town about
7:30. Again the city was too overwhelming to me. Plus it was really hard for
me to get around in the van in this kind of traffic. I couldn't see out the right
side too well and the direction signal was useless, nobody would let in over.
It wasn't until years later when I was doing a lot of driving in Washington
DC and trying to maneuver around the circles there with no success, the
people in their faster sporty cars like BMW's and Mercedes just ignored my
attempts to change lanes. I kept ending up going where I didn't want to go.
Then I learned something. Just start moving over into their lane and those
jerks will just about wet themselves to get out of your way. I didn't have
any trouble getting around after that. But that was much later. Now I
wanted to get out of the big city crush.
I made a stop in Wheeling at a Dunkin Donut and then later in Fox Lake at
the Golden Coin Family Diner for a cup of tea. I was killing time until after
11:00 so I could make a cheaper call to my mother. That done it was on into
Wisconsin and a stop at the Info Rest Area on route 12 for the night.
September 4, 1981 Day 9 A Capitol Day at the Zoo
After moving from my nightspot I went to a roadside picnic area past
Cambridge on route 12 and had my lunch. Then on to Madison, a new capitol
for me but that was before I started touring all the capitol buildings. My main
area of interest was the arboretum, which I toured and then to the best free
zoo outside of Washington, DC that I've been to. I did some sketches of the
animals and I might scan some of them to add but they are a little
disorganized. As I remember my two favorites were the kangaroos and the
orangutans that had a scale in the cage and you could see their weight when
they got on it. Also the enclosure allowed you to get up close to them. And
they made funny faces by pressing their face against the glass wall.
Next I went and stopped by Lake Mendota. It was getting late and I had to
get some supplies, which I did at Nakoma Plaza then headed south were I
found a spot for the night at a wayside on 92/69.
September 5, 1981 Day 10 Best Omlette Ever and Back and Forth Across the Mississippi
Heading on west my first destination for the day was New Glarus or as it is
called Little Switzerland. It was a showcase of the the Swiss in this country.
I had a landjaiger and ice cream to eat and then I went to the Swiss Valley
Museum. After spending the morning there I found my all day breakfast spot
in Fennimore at Beverly's Truck Stop and Cafe. A cheese omelet and coffee
for $2.36. and I made a special note and star in my log that this was the best
omelet I ever had, and I know about omelets since I had one just about
every morning for two years before I moved off base while I was in the
army. And they were good. I liked the army mess hall cooking where I was.
You walk in and pick up your food and then when you are done you just take
your tray up and leave everything. That was one of my favorite things about
college too, but there they called it the cafeteria. To do an omelet right you
need to turn it before you put on the cheese, ham or whatever because if
you don't the inside is not cooked enough or the outside will be cooked too
much with a burnt shell. So to get a star and a mention it had to be good.
There was one major disappointment I had with Wisconsin. This was long
before starbucks and gourmet coffee places. This was back when the food
manufacturers had deceived the people into thinking dairy products were
bad for you and you were better off using soybean oil in your coffee. I never
believed it and I never liked it and it was becoming more and more of a
strugggle to get people to give you real cream or milk with your coffee. But
here I hoped it would be different. You know what they call Wisconsin-the
Dairy State. I figured it would be kind of sacrilege to offer you soybean oil in
the dairy state. I was wrong. I can't remember if this was the place that
gave me powdered crap with my coffee when I asked for cream and when I
called the waitress and asked if they had the real stuff she was very
pleasant and proceeded to give me a little container of liquid soybean oil in
it's place.
Anyway after having an interesting morning and the best omelet of my life
I headed further west and crossed the Mississippi River into Iowa-another
new state and went to Effigy Mounds National Monument just up the river.
These weren't anything too spectacular but they were interesting. They
were supposed to look like animals, which I had trouble seeing there but
there are supposed to have been quite a few of them around the country and
other places they were more accurate. From what I learned there were
different speculations about what they were for but they said they were so
old that even the indians didn't know for sure. I took the three mile hike to
hanging rock and felt I had seen enough.
I crossed back over the Mississippi River at Lansing because it looked like
the road followed it better on the Wisconsin side and I followed the river
road up north of Cochrane where I stopped at a wayside for the night.
September 6, 1981 Day 11 Two New Art Museums and More Car Trouble
After adding a quart of oil to the van I headed on into Saint Paul and
racked up my 35th state since I had started the trips in the green van. It
was to be a mixed day. I had two atlases in the van and any state maps I
could pick up. Other than rose gardens, I ususally looked on the map for
the red squares-places of interest, and with no addtional information
Iwould decide my route as I traveled west. The St Paul Arts and Science
Center was mostly a place for children's classes in art and music, or at
least it looked like it that day. So it was a disappointment.
Next I headed over to the Minneapolis Institute of Art of hoped for
better luck. As it turned out it was located in a real nice neighborhood
where I could find a nearby free parking spot, always a plus. From the
outside it looked a lot more of the type of place I was looking for. And it
turned out to have a real nice collection. Also it did something real sensible
that I can't remember being done at any of the numerous other art
museums I had been to. The painters name and the name of the work of
art were in big letters so you could read it from across the room. This was
great for looking at a large painting from the optimum distance and still
having the info handy. Of course I always was getting up close to the
paintings to examine the technique and more of the detail, but it kept
many of the others back out of the way for easier viewing rather then
everybody getting right in front of the painting so they could read the info.
An aside I won't get into now is the practise of providing recorded
information in head sets, especially during special exhibits, which causes
people to stand for an extended period of time in front of a painting
listening but probably not seeing-if you are familiar with the right brain-
left brain concepts you would realize that visual is right brain and verbal is
left brain. Maybe it's selfish but these people get in my way and I just
want to see-which is why they call it visual art.
One other thing I remember about the museum-I don't know if it was
just a slow day or was always kind of slow, but the elderly guards were
kind of goofing around and seemed to be playing games, hide and seek or
something, to pass the time.
I topped off my gas because I would have longer distances now
between major towns and I headed northwest somewhat along the
Mississippi River. I was having more noticeable engine problems and I
stopped at a rest area and park above Elk River on route 10 by the
Mississippi.
I cleaned the spark plusgs off and put my old distributor cap on and
when I did I found the coil terminal full of powdered carbon. I then
washed and shampooed my hair at the park hand pump and tried to
continue on, but things were worse so I cleaned the original cap and put it
back on.
I got about another 20 miles and it was stumbling and stalling so I
pulled off on a dirt road (70th Street) past Big Lake and stopped for the
night. Wow-a tremendous down pour and lightening and thunderstorm
that night. I felt very vulnerable out in the open and not able to go
anywhere. My van was about as high as anything else there being only
fields around.
September 7, 1981 Day 12 Fear and Trepedation Outside St. Cloud More Car Trouble
Trepidation is a word you probably don't see too often in blogs, but after
doing another round of cleaning and checking my electrical system that is
what I felt when I started the van up that morning. Living in the van, if it
didn't move I was stuck and I was far from my home base ( I considered the
van my current home) and as usual I didn't have a lot of money to spend.
Well it started but I knew there were problems that wouldn't go away. This
was monday-Labor Day and I was afraid it would be hard to get parts. From
my troubleshooting experience I figured I needed a new coil. I was southeast
of St Cloud and when I reached the 23 cutoff I took it and stopped at a closed
gas station to look at their phonebooth phonebook, and I even was able to
find one. I looked for department stores and auto parts stores. I saw there
was a JCPenny on 23 and started heading there, but in less than a mile the
van died completely.
I didn't know how far away it was or how late it would stay open on a
holiday and since I was on the outskirts of town I knew I couldn't dally. I ran-
walked until I reached it (I later drove it and it had been four miles away)
and it was still open, which greatly elated me. I got a coil and other tuneup
parts and ran-walked back four miles to the van. I put the new coil and other
parts and it started up and seemed to be doing fine. I drove back to the
JCPenny and had the system checked out and it was ok. I got some new turn
signal bulbs which needed replacing, a carb cleaner and some gasoline hose. I
was also able to get a book and then a quart of oil. I fixed my lights and then
I was on the road again.
I got back on 10 and headed on north. I stopped at Lincoln to have a
sandwich and then on to Wadena where I stopped at the Copper Kettle Cafe
where I had a well deserved ham and cheese omelet and a cup of coffee
($2.76-within my budget). It was fairly late and I stopped at the rest area
before Frazee for the night, glad to be alive but gladder that the van was
running again. 2304.1 miles so far on the trip
September 8, 1981 Day 13 More Car Trouble in the Morning-Dead Battery
I was able to fill up my water jug at the rest stop but then when I tried to
leave-no dice. The battery was dead. But there was a guy there that offered
to help and pull started me and I made it into Dilworth where I stopped at
the KMart. I got a new battery and voltage reguator plus a set of jumper
cables just in case. Also got batteries for my lantern and a couple of other
odds and ends. One thing I would like to say about the mechanics at KMart
back then when they had service centers-they probaboy didn't make a lot of
money but I usually found them very knowledgeable and very willing to give
me advice and tips about how I could do things myself. They knew I didn't
have much money myself and I really appreciate the help that they gave me
and things they pointed out in keeping my van on the road.
Heading on west things seemed to be much better and after a stop in
Moorhead for gas I had a full supply of both essentials-gas and water. A
short stop in Fargo where I got a book at the Dakota Book Exchange and
then I headed into North Dakota, number 36. I was able to get a map at the
ND Rest Area Info Center.
I treated myself to a cheesburger and milkshake at the Jamestown Tastee
Freeze on route 20 and then a little further down 94 I was able to get
washed up with a hose. Now I was feeling real good. My van was running
again, I had a warm meal and I was clean and had new territory to explore
the next day. I drove a little further and then stopped for the night on the
frontage road near Steele.
September 9,1981 Day 14 Two Capitols in One Day
I started off and I was able to return the favor I had received the day before when I came across a couple of guys whose car had broken down on 94 and helped them get going again. My first main stop of the day was the Bismarck state capitol grounds. Called the "Skyscraper on the Prairie". I went in to check out the building and took the elevator up to the 18th floor which had an observation deck. However it was a diasappointment because you couldn't go out on the deck itself and the view from the inside was much more limited and only in two directions. Next I went to the North Dakota Heritage Center but was not impressed with that either.
Heading south I kind of followed the west side of the Missouri River, stopping at a rest area in Fort Rice and then on into South Dakota where I stopped at the Three Sons Restaurant in McLaughlin for a late afternoon snack and coffee. Getting close to Pierre, which isn't pronounce like it is spelled, I saw that there was a free campgournd with bathrooms in town and that's where I headed. I found it and that's where I parked for the night. It even had free hot showers-it became one of my favorite cities.
Heading south I kind of followed the west side of the Missouri River, stopping at a rest area in Fort Rice and then on into South Dakota where I stopped at the Three Sons Restaurant in McLaughlin for a late afternoon snack and coffee. Getting close to Pierre, which isn't pronounce like it is spelled, I saw that there was a free campgournd with bathrooms in town and that's where I headed. I found it and that's where I parked for the night. It even had free hot showers-it became one of my favorite cities.
September 10, 1981 Day 15 Pierre for Another Day - My First Painting of the Trip and Another Run in With a Bull Snake
I liked the area so much and it was had great facilities in the park I did
something I rarely ever did- I decided to stay for another night. I moved
the van to a shady spot in the park and did some house cleaning,
rearranging things once again and took out my throw rugs to shake out
and swept out the main carpet. I also added a quart of oil and then I
walked downtown, which was real close by. I saw the Capitol building and
went to the Soldiers Memorial Museum. I made a stop at the World of
Donuts and had a donut and coffee (.58).
When I returned I set up my easel for the first painting of this trip, a
view of the mountains across the river. It was nice enough under the
shade and usually, unless I was going in somewhere, I just wore shorts.
My thermometer in the van which was under the shade too read 94
degrees, which was warmer than I expected for this time of the year this
far north.
After finishing the painting I got on my running shoes and ran out on
the connecting levee to La Framboise Island. It was here I had another
run in with the well named bull snake. I was on a wide dirt lane and not
going fast when I came upon about a foot long snake smack in the middle
of the road. I figured if I stayed in the midlle he could retreat in either
direction like they tell you snakes will do. Not with this guy, when I got
within a few feet of him he reared up as high as a foot long snake can and
starting hissing and springing towards me. Well it was enough to convince
me to give him a wide berth and around to the side of the road I went.
After returning I was able to shower again and took another walk up
town to see what Pierre in the evening was like. It was pleasant enough
with the temperature going down somewhat but not too much was
happening. I did get myself a drink and returned to my van. $1.16
expenses for the day and zero miles. End Day 15.
View Acrosss the Missouri 12x16
September 11, 1981 Day 16 On the Move Again-To the Badlands
I got an early start heading south on 83 then west on I-90. I made a short
stop at the Murdo rest area and crossed into mountain time a little bit
further down the road. When I reached Kadoka I stopped at the Petrified
Gardens, looked around and had a Dr. Pepper. Years later during my trips to
California I would often go rockhounding with my cousins husband whose
favorite discovery was petrified wood. Doing a goggle search for wood I
found this place mentioned but until today when I reviewed my log book I
had forgotten that I had been there.
Next I got a partial fillup of gas because I found the price in this outlying
area had jumped up like it usually did away from the city. I had a 20 gallon
tank and usually got between 15 and 18 miles per gallon so had a range of
about 300 to 350 miles and I always tried to plan my route so I would hit an
urban area before I ran out. I would be hitting Rapid City soon so I figured I
would get gas there cheaper. Gas was my major expense so I always kept
close watch of it as I went along.
The Badlands National Park was my main destination for the day and at
Cactus Flat I headed south and entered the northeast entrance. I stopped at
the first scenic overlook by the gate and then the Big Badlands Overlook
where I took the first pictures of this trip. I was really taken by surprise by
the landforms. When you are approaching mountains you usually see them
in the distance and you adjust to their size as you get closer, but here the
approach was basically a flat plain and when you reach the edge of the
badlands they drop away before you suddenly in all their fantastic eroded
shapes. Next stop was the Windows Overlook where I hiked the Door Trail,
then I hiked the Cliff Shelf Nature Trail a little further on. I stopped a while
at the visitor center then onto the Gullies Overlook and the Pinnacles. What
a day. I even saw a veritical rainbow that went straight up in the distance.
I was back to civilization when I reached Grand Rapids, stopping at the
Ruchmore Mall where I got a late snack and picked up a book, groceries at
the Kmart-supplies for the next few days as I would be heading out into the
Black Hills. Here I did fill up with gas $1.26/gallon as opposed to
$1.37/gallon in Kadoka.
After checking out downtown Rapid City I went out into the country again
and stopped for the night off 16 near Keystone. The Badlands is one of the
areas I would like to get back to and see more of sometime.
The Badlands-Check Out the Guy Middle Left
September 12, 1981 Day 17 The Black Hills-Mount Rushmore-Jewel Cave
I was excited because I was about to go see Mount Rushmore. I had
seen so many pictures of it growing up-it is an American icon, just like
the Washington Monument or the Statue of Liberty. Only it is way out in
the middle of nowhere and there was little chance of me ever seeing it
while I was growing up and it is so far from where I was living it's not
somewhere you just jump in your car and drive all day to see. When I
arrived at the parking lot and walked up to the visitor center I realized
that Alfred Hitchcock took a lot of liberties in the scenes that were
supposedly at Rushmore in North by Northwest. No way you could walk
up there or climb around it. I got a cup of tea and savored the moment,
non-chalantly glancing out the window and oh yes there is the big
scuplture of the presidents.
After spending about an hour and a half of the morning there I went on
to explore more of the Black Hills. I stopped at Iron Mountain Picnic Area
for lunch and for you birders I saw some red crossbills there. Next I
stopped at the Norbeck Memorial Scenic Overlook.
I saw there were cave tours in the area, the main being Wind Cave and
Jewel Cave. I decided to go to Jewel Cave, as the site says Jewel Cave at
146 miles is the second longest cave in the world. One of the things that
is nice about it is that they try to keep it from becoming like many cave
tourist attractions and protect the integrity of the site.
After my tour there it was getting on toward evening so I stopped at the
Moon Camp Ground in the national forest for the night.
September 13, 1981 Day 18 Deep in the Woods-Beaver Creek Campground
I left the last nights Moon Campground and didn't go very far. I did take a
photo of an old shack and then stopped at another national forest
campground-Beaver Creek, a mere 11.6 miles. I was having vehicle
problems again and I spent a good part of the day doing maintenance. This
consisted of various tune-up tasks again as I must not of solved the
problem a few days ago-points, condensor, timing, and saw the vacuum
was low.
I have talked aobut the national forest campgrounds in a former blog, but
to repeat, they were generally pretty basic-no running water, no
bathrooms (sometimes portojohns), sometimes picnic tables and trashcans,
but that was about it. And I liked it liked it like that, because as a general
rule they were always free and you didn't have a bunch of big rv's turning
it into a big parking lot. And Beaver Creek was very basic, and it was full
when I got there but I found a spot to park. But this was the magic time of
the year-Sunday and the end of the weekend. By the time it got to late
afternoon I was the only one still there. It was me and the woods and a
little streamlet.
After I had finished working on the van I washed and shampooed in the
creek. Then I started on the second painting of the trip. One of the little
creek that ran behind the campground. Later as dark came on I started a
campfire and had plenty of firewood because of all that was leftover by the
weekenders. With dark night coming on I enjoyed the sound of the fire
crackling and the quiet of the deep forest.
September 14, 1981 Day 19 Wyoming Will Be My New Home-For Now
When I got up the next morning I was walking along the creek and I saw
where somebody had left 13 beers in it to keep it cool. It definitely wasn't my
favorite but at least it wasn't diet beer and it would be fine on a hot dry day
when I have been hiking.
I headed back into civilization, which out west could be several buildings
sitting together. This was Moorcroft where I had breakfast at the Hub Cafe-
eggs, toast, potatoes and coffee for $2.18. I love these places, how can a
chain fast food ever compare? Yeah, I really want breakfast in a bag.
I headed on west to Buffalo and figured I needed to do my laundry before I
went back into the woods again. After getting some gas and stopping at the
postoffice I went to Fort Phil Kearney Historical Site and had my lunch. I
didn't spend much time there before heading to Sheridan where I got some
groceries and filled up with gas because I figured I wouldn't be seeing good
gas prices where I was going. I got a free Wyoming map there too. I guess I
had a somewhat deprived childhood because going into an old gas station
back then and seeing a rack full of free maps was big excitement. I loved
looking at maps back then and hoping someday to be doing what I am doing
now. Next a stop at KMart for auto supplies-antifreeze, tail pipe mender and
oil. One last luxury of civilization-a milkshake at the local Dairy Queen.
Heading west into the backwoods and hills/mountains I found a spot for
the night at Sibley Campground in the Bighorn National Forest. Had some hot
chocolate that evening by the campfire with an older couple that were living
the RV life after retirement. The man had grown up on a farm and studied
corn in college. Who would have thought that that would have led him to
being paid by just about every country in the world that grows corn to come
and share his knowledge with them.
My 38th state since the beginning of these trips, 3410.2 miles so far on
number 4, $573.46 spent and $326.32 left. I have to start economizing or
quit having vehicle problems. End Day 19.
September 15, 1981 Day 20 Stalking a Moose
When I went to move the van in the morning to another spot in the campground it stalled and flooded. After waiting awhile I did get it started but there was a lot of smoke and a sooty type of powder coming out the exhaust-more vehicle problems. Another day was dedicated to fixing the van. Checked dwell and timing, found the vacuum was low and started checking for leaks. I found a loose metal tube that had broken off from the engine and I tried to bondo it back on. The van was running more smoothly after it had heated up and I figured I would check it again in the morning, meanwhile spending the day and night here.
I started a painting of Sibley Lake and while I was working on it I saw a moose in the distance to the right. I put down my paints and decided to sneak up on it and have a closer look. No camera and no time to get it. I started heading around the lake and tried to keep behind trees and get closer whenever it was looking the other way. A bonus, it was a big mama moose with a young one. I kept up the same pattern until I got within 35 feet of it, but then ran out of cover. It turned around and saw me there and snorted and started pawing the ground like it was getting ready to charge. And it was big-I could have walked under its head and there was no way to out run it. I slowly backed up and tried to get a tree in between me and it but the closest thing was a sapling about 4 feet tall, but I got behind it and continued to back up. After a couple more snorts and shakes of its head she walked off. I was really glad she didn't trample me death.
On the way back arond the lake, I had gone about a half mile chasing the moose, I spied another wild animal but this one didn't seem so threatening-a beaver and its hut. Back to finish the painting and then I heated some water for a washcloth bath and went to bed.
I started a painting of Sibley Lake and while I was working on it I saw a moose in the distance to the right. I put down my paints and decided to sneak up on it and have a closer look. No camera and no time to get it. I started heading around the lake and tried to keep behind trees and get closer whenever it was looking the other way. A bonus, it was a big mama moose with a young one. I kept up the same pattern until I got within 35 feet of it, but then ran out of cover. It turned around and saw me there and snorted and started pawing the ground like it was getting ready to charge. And it was big-I could have walked under its head and there was no way to out run it. I slowly backed up and tried to get a tree in between me and it but the closest thing was a sapling about 4 feet tall, but I got behind it and continued to back up. After a couple more snorts and shakes of its head she walked off. I was really glad she didn't trample me death.
On the way back arond the lake, I had gone about a half mile chasing the moose, I spied another wild animal but this one didn't seem so threatening-a beaver and its hut. Back to finish the painting and then I heated some water for a washcloth bath and went to bed.
September 16, 1981 Day 21 Custer's Last Stand and More Van Problems
I backtracked somewhat to I90 and headed north into Montana, my 39th
state, first stop being the Custer Battlefield National Monument. It was
fixed up rather nicely and had nice views. There was a small national
military cemetery there where I might be able to be buried since I was in
the army. It did seem to have a number of Vietnam war dead there.
I guess that was appropriate-to bury the dead from a misbegotten war at
the site of one of the worst military disasters at the hands of one of the
worst military leaders our country had. If Custer had been in Vietnam he
would have probably been fragged. If you look at where the men were you
would realize they were sitting ducks. Custer was looking for glory and had
no regard for the safety of his men and he led them into a trap. Our history
books in school as I was growing up pretty much touted "manifest destiny"
as god's will. I don't buy that. I read an interesting book a number of years
ago presenting American history through the eyes of minorities, or those
without the power and it gives a much different view than our textbooks
give us. Anyway, enough of that, it was just interesting to get to see a
place like that, something like Mount Rushmore but on the opposite end of
the spectrum.
It was a beautiful day and after spending a couple of hours there I went
on north and had a cheeseburger deluxe at the Schwarzwald Restaurant
Club off of 90. then into Billings to the KMart dealing with my own
seemingly never ending problems with my van. It had been missing all day
and the temperature was going way up whenever I went up a hill. I got a
metal hose and tried to clean up my vacuum leaks, checked things over
again and mostly scratched my head and hoped for the best. Then I turned
west on 90 and stopped for the night at a rest area past Park City.
185.3 miles for the day-end day 21
September 17, 1981 Day 22 Another Day of Van Maintenance and a Courtesy Parking Ticket in Livingston
I headed into Livingston and stopped at the Safeway to look for a phone book. My recurring van problems were recurring and I wanted to fine an auto parts store. I saw a couple spots and went downtown to the business district. Before I got started I took a break at Daylight Donuts for a coffee and donut. As the name says it is only open mostly during daylight hours so I don't consider it a real donut joint ($.40). It had to do, and then I got a couple of books at a used book store (2 books-$.35). Things were cheap here.
I got a bunch of stuff at a hardware store that had auto parts. I had checked the spark plug wires and saw that they were a big part of the problem. For those who don't know you use to run the engine when it was dark and you could see if the cables were bad by the flashing crossfire along the cables. Mine could have been lighting up a road sign. So cables, distributor cap, tune-up set, book on auto maintenance for additional insights and 5 feet of vacuum hose. The days were getting cooler so I had to get some wool insoles for my shoes at the drugstore.
Returned to the Safeway to do the work on the van in the parking lot. I realized I had the wrong set of cables so went back downtown to replace them. As I travel around I get impressions of the towns and cities where I travel and some put on a good and friendly face and others are Hadleyburgs (see Mark Twain). The first time I went downtown I had parked without paying the meter, a rather small sum. I came back and there was a ticket. But when I took it off I got the surprise of my life. It was a courtesy ticket welcoming me to town and asking me to pay next time I stopped-no fine. So that is what I did this time.
Starting down the road again about 2:30 I headed south on 89 towards Yellowstone which I was hoping to see tomorrow. I reached Gardiner but turned around and retrace my path back along the Yellowstone River until I found a good stopping place. I had additional car stuff to do. I took my tape player apart and cleaned the sprockets, then I fooled around with the antenna, which I kept hidden so it wouldn't look like I had a stereo. The system was in a cabinet I built behind the drivers seat so I could operate it by reaching behind the back of the seat but it was concealed behind a curtain. In response to the colder weather I had to do some maintenance on my heater. The heater controls no longer worked and I had to put on a petcock in line with the heater hose and would turn it on and off manually by opening up the petcock or closing it. After putting on a new fan belt and adding more antifreeze I was ready to go get a bucket shower and shampoo by the river. It's always good to be able to get cleaned up after working on the van because of all the dirt and grease I would get on me.
Once I got cleaned up I headed back to Gardiner and parked near the entrance to Yellowstone National Park. After working most of the day I was really looking forward to seeing the park the next day.
I got a bunch of stuff at a hardware store that had auto parts. I had checked the spark plug wires and saw that they were a big part of the problem. For those who don't know you use to run the engine when it was dark and you could see if the cables were bad by the flashing crossfire along the cables. Mine could have been lighting up a road sign. So cables, distributor cap, tune-up set, book on auto maintenance for additional insights and 5 feet of vacuum hose. The days were getting cooler so I had to get some wool insoles for my shoes at the drugstore.
Returned to the Safeway to do the work on the van in the parking lot. I realized I had the wrong set of cables so went back downtown to replace them. As I travel around I get impressions of the towns and cities where I travel and some put on a good and friendly face and others are Hadleyburgs (see Mark Twain). The first time I went downtown I had parked without paying the meter, a rather small sum. I came back and there was a ticket. But when I took it off I got the surprise of my life. It was a courtesy ticket welcoming me to town and asking me to pay next time I stopped-no fine. So that is what I did this time.
Starting down the road again about 2:30 I headed south on 89 towards Yellowstone which I was hoping to see tomorrow. I reached Gardiner but turned around and retrace my path back along the Yellowstone River until I found a good stopping place. I had additional car stuff to do. I took my tape player apart and cleaned the sprockets, then I fooled around with the antenna, which I kept hidden so it wouldn't look like I had a stereo. The system was in a cabinet I built behind the drivers seat so I could operate it by reaching behind the back of the seat but it was concealed behind a curtain. In response to the colder weather I had to do some maintenance on my heater. The heater controls no longer worked and I had to put on a petcock in line with the heater hose and would turn it on and off manually by opening up the petcock or closing it. After putting on a new fan belt and adding more antifreeze I was ready to go get a bucket shower and shampoo by the river. It's always good to be able to get cleaned up after working on the van because of all the dirt and grease I would get on me.
Once I got cleaned up I headed back to Gardiner and parked near the entrance to Yellowstone National Park. After working most of the day I was really looking forward to seeing the park the next day.
September 18, 1981 Day 23 Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons
There was a tremendous lot to see and after I saw the Terrace Nature Trail I
went east on the Grand Loop Road. I saw Undine Falls and then stopped at the
Calcite Springs Over Look. Heading south on the loop I saw Tower Falls which I
have a photo of (I actually broke down and took a number of photos while I was
here). Next it was the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone-Inspiration Point and
Grand View. then I stopped at Caldron Springs, the Mud Volcano and Dragon's
Jam Spring. It was amazing how much variety was in this area.
I went by Fishing Bridge and saw numerous fly fishermen in the water (see
photo). And even though it was catch and release I could imagine that it could
be very rough on a trout passing through this gauntlet of fishermen. He could
end up by having a very sore mouth by the time he got past them and actually
got a real fly to eat.
I stopped at Bridge Bay for lunch and then looped westerly to see that most
famous sight here-Old Faithful. I timed it right and didn't have too long to wait
to see it go off. It was kind of anticlimactic after seeing it. You sit there with
anticipation, looking at your watch, seeing the estimated time it supposed to go
off, and then whoosh-it's over and as you leave you pass the next bunch of
excited people coming to get their view of it.
Backtracking so I could exit through the south entrance since it was getting late
I had to forgo seeing much more, but I was running low on cash and had much
more country to see and hoped to return on a future trip and spend more time
here. I could see the Tetons off to my right as I went south. I did get a couple of
photos of the Lewis River and also stopped at Yellow Flats Overlook and the
Glacier Gulch Turnout.
I reached Jackson Hole about 7:00 pm and parked downtown and walked
around. I had expected more from all the times I had heard it was such a neat
place, but I think it is one of those rustic places that you still need a lot of
money to appreciate. What I appreciated was the free campground in the
Targhee National Forest where I ended the day (it now costs $10 per day). I
had a full day seeing some fantastic sights and had a nice peaceful place out in
the woods to spend the night.
Sibley Lake 12x15
September 19, 1981 Day 24 Joe's Place and Idaho-My 40th State
When I got up I saw that there was running water here so I shaved,
shampooed and washed up. Then I headed up 26 into my 40th state-Idaho.
When I got to Swan Valley I saw a sign for breakfast and stopped at Joe's
Place. This is the epitome of the reason I shun fast foods when I travel. The
place didn't look too fancy from the outside and inside it had long tables that
were shared. I felt like I was in a loggers' camp. The cooking area was on one
side of the room and you could see all the action. The special I ordered was 6
big sausage, 3 eggs, 2 toast and hash browns with coffee for $3.50. And
there were two things that amazed me. How much was piled on my plate for
that amount, (I think he added pancakes too), and how everything was done
at the same time. Everything was hot and cooked just right. Now when I
cook, either microwave and now grilling-there is no rare, medium or well
done, it is just done. This was a tremendous meal and I couldn't help but
think when he saw me he thought I hadn't eaten very much lately and he
would see to it that I had a really good meal. So I don't know whether they
are still serving meals like that or even if they are still there, but that had to
be the best breakfast I ever had.
After leaving there I made a stop at a rest area scenic overlook on my way
into Pocatello, where I stocked up on groceries and got some film. Now I
swear they had price collusion in Pocatello for their gas prices. Every gas
station I saw in town was either $134.9 or $1.35.9 no matter whether it was
a convenience store, a self serve or a full service station. But I was low on gas
so I had to bite the bullet and fill up.
After I had driven about 8 miles I realized that I was going in the wrong
direction so I had to double back. Heading west again I was roughly following
the course of the Snake River and several man made lakes along the way. I
stopped at Masssacre Rock State Park along route 86, a historical site and
one with nice views. I ended the day at a rest area near Twin Falls on 84.
The end of my 24th day of the trip, 265.9 miles for the day and 3237.5 miles
since I left home.
Snake River-Idaho
September 20, 1981 Day 25 Boise-Best Rose Garden in the U.S.
I headed for Boise to see what was there, then I figured to head north. A
short distance from where I spent the night I stopped at the Perrine Memorial
Bridge Scenic Overlook. Next another overlook on Highway 30 at the fossil
beds. Lunch at the rest area on 84 west of Bliss.
Arriving in Boise about 2 pm I headed for Julia Davis Park on the river and
parked near the Art Gallery. Unfortunately it was closed so I went in the State
Historical Museum. Then to the rose garden. One I didn't know about. And as
my title says it was the nicest rose garden I have found. If you have followed
my travels you would have seen that I have stopped at several major rose
gardens and more after this, including Roselawn-the cemetery near Los
Angeles that has a large collection of roses to entice people to bury their dead
people there.
Boise's garden was not large by any means but it was so well tended that it
really impressed me. One of the problems with roses is they need an awful lot
of attention. One thing that I never saw until I was here was the spent
flowers removed-called dead heading-so after they put on a nice show they
become a detraction from the appearance of the bush. Because of cost or lack
of inclination at no other rose garden have I seen this done. and it wasn't only
the spent flowers, but there were no dead leaves, broken limbs or other signs
of damage a rose bush often shows. I was so impressed I went back to the
museum and asked the lady there about the garden. She said they took great
pride in their garden and pretty much all the work was done by volunteers
who showed up just about every morning to tend it. It has been many years
since I have been there but hopefully the locals still take great pride in their
rose garden and would well be worth the visit of any rose aficionado.
Next a more mundane desire of mine as I went to a Winchell's Donuts for
my hot meal of the day. Then gas and I went on north and stopped for the
night by the west shore of the Cascade Reservoir in the Boise National Forest
for the night.
September 21, 1981 Day 26 Washington State
My first stop of the day was at the Donnelly Post Office to send some postcards and then on to 95 and a stop along the Salmon River. I had a beautiful view and I used the opportunity to take a bath and shampoo my hair in the river. Today's picture is from this location.
Continuing on I passed many side roads I would have liked to take, but the constant pressure of budget and much ground to cover with fall coming on pushed me on north, though at my usual slow pace. I made a late afternoon stop at a recreation area that I can't decipher from my writing.
A food stop in Craigmont at the Food Factory for a cheeseburger and coffee, then turning west I entered my 41st state of my trips-Washington. After getting gas, my first enjoyment of Washington state was washing my clothes in a laundromat. I waited awhile for the sun to go down further so I wouldn't have the glare in my eyes and then found a spot for the night off of 12 by September Creek.
218 miles for the day.
Continuing on I passed many side roads I would have liked to take, but the constant pressure of budget and much ground to cover with fall coming on pushed me on north, though at my usual slow pace. I made a late afternoon stop at a recreation area that I can't decipher from my writing.
A food stop in Craigmont at the Food Factory for a cheeseburger and coffee, then turning west I entered my 41st state of my trips-Washington. After getting gas, my first enjoyment of Washington state was washing my clothes in a laundromat. I waited awhile for the sun to go down further so I wouldn't have the glare in my eyes and then found a spot for the night off of 12 by September Creek.
218 miles for the day.
September 22, 1981 DAy 27 Further North or South-Wallet Says South
This was day 26 of the trip and after adding a quart of oil and some water to my radiator I headed northwest until I reached Connell where I stopped for a late breakfast at Michael Jay's Family Restaurant. It has been a while since I made my last entry so I may be repetitive but I was wanting to head further north and see more of Washington but my money fell below the $150 point today and and so after reaching Ellensburg I headed southwest towards the coast. After getting gas near Yakima I headed south on 97 and stopped for the night by a creek halfway between Toppenish and Goldendale.
I had covered 291.7 miles for the day, my average expenses per day now averaged out to $28.01. This was a lot more than last trip and the van maintenance was probaly the main reason. I would have liked to bring this down because I had a lot of territory to cover before I made it to my California destination and gas was always my biggest expense.
I had covered 291.7 miles for the day, my average expenses per day now averaged out to $28.01. This was a lot more than last trip and the van maintenance was probaly the main reason. I would have liked to bring this down because I had a lot of territory to cover before I made it to my California destination and gas was always my biggest expense.
September 23, 1981 Day 28 Two Museums and a Rose Garden
Heading on south to Goldendale, my first stop was the Donut Hole for coffee and a donut, then groceries (bread, fruit and peanuts). I continued on south on 97 to Maryhill and the Maryhill Museum of Art right on the Columbia River. It was a fantastic building with a beautiful view of the river. I missed the Stonehenge reconstruction there and it seems to have had a good deal more in the collection then what I remember (it could have been what I often ran into that a major portion was being renovated or a change of exhibits). Because as I remember most of what I saw was native hand made and dyed cloths and crafts from the Americas. Not my favorite thing to see, I am mainly interested in oil paintings, but I was amazed at how bright and colorful many of the cloths were with natural dyes and the patterns were quite beautiful.
Next I followed the river on west and crossed over into Oregon (my 42nd state on these travels) when I reached Portland. At some point I would really like to follow the length of the Columbia River(I did see more of it on a later trip along with the Grand Coulee Dam). In Portland my first stop was the Portland Museum of Art which I found nice but not very large. The other stop I had been planning on since starting was the Rose Test Garden which I had heard was one of the nicest rose gardens in the country. It was nice, but my favorite remained the Boise, Idaho one. I did continue compiling my list of the best roses I found at each garden. I think the rainfall on the west coastal area gives many of the gardens along it an unfair advantage over places further east but you do have to stay away from plants that tend to mildew.
Heading on west I got some gas in Beaverton and I found something really strange in Oregon. You weren't allowed to pump your own gas. I guess they figured it was a hazard for the average person to pump gas without spilling it all over the ground. I reached route 6 and stopped in Glenwood at the Bonanza Lounge Cafe for a late breakfast-eggs, hash browns and coffee ($2.75) and I even got a draft beer after that (.50). Traveling a few more miles west, I stopped for the night along 6.
209.4 miles for the day-I had turned over my speedometer again during this day and now was over 200,000. I had reached 5,107.9 miles since leaving the east coast and I could practically start smelling the ocean breeze from the Pacific
Next I followed the river on west and crossed over into Oregon (my 42nd state on these travels) when I reached Portland. At some point I would really like to follow the length of the Columbia River(I did see more of it on a later trip along with the Grand Coulee Dam). In Portland my first stop was the Portland Museum of Art which I found nice but not very large. The other stop I had been planning on since starting was the Rose Test Garden which I had heard was one of the nicest rose gardens in the country. It was nice, but my favorite remained the Boise, Idaho one. I did continue compiling my list of the best roses I found at each garden. I think the rainfall on the west coastal area gives many of the gardens along it an unfair advantage over places further east but you do have to stay away from plants that tend to mildew.
Heading on west I got some gas in Beaverton and I found something really strange in Oregon. You weren't allowed to pump your own gas. I guess they figured it was a hazard for the average person to pump gas without spilling it all over the ground. I reached route 6 and stopped in Glenwood at the Bonanza Lounge Cafe for a late breakfast-eggs, hash browns and coffee ($2.75) and I even got a draft beer after that (.50). Traveling a few more miles west, I stopped for the night along 6.
209.4 miles for the day-I had turned over my speedometer again during this day and now was over 200,000. I had reached 5,107.9 miles since leaving the east coast and I could practically start smelling the ocean breeze from the Pacific
September 24, 1981 Day 29 I Reach the West Coast
My first stop of the day was at the Tillomook Visitor Information Center. I always like to get state maps because my atlas doesn't have enough information and and state maps will often point out more interesting places to see. Next a couple of chores. First to the YMCA to get a shower-.25. What a deal. I've talked about Y's in other parts of my blogs, how they have changed their mission over the years and no longer provide sevices for those at the lower end of the ecomomic spectrum. People don't want poor people around them. I really appreciated being able to get cleaned up for cheap when I was traveling and living in my van and there were a lot of other people who also used this service, but I doubt if there is a Y today where you can still go in and pay for a shower. The last time I tried they wanted to charge me for a one day trial membership-$15 as the only way to use thier facilities. There is a lot of talk about homeless people these days and how to help them, but it is always to do it somewhere away from everybody else.
Anyway next it was time to wash my cloths so it was a stop at the Little Cheese Coin Op. Three times in the drier and my clothes were still not dry but I was anxious to get to the ocean so I threw them around the van to finish drying out and headed west.
I first hit the coast north of Tierra del Mar and stopped along the beach road to take a walk on the beach and look for a place to set up my easel. I went back to the van and pulled up further on a cliff overlooking the ocean and did a painting of Haystack Rock. I have no idea what I did with it but I must of sold it while I was traveling and I just have a poor scan of a slide I took of it along with three other paintings I had finished. As usual I was trying to save money on slides and what I often did was just lay the pictures next to each other on the ground and take a picture of all at once, so please excuse the poor quality of the reproduction I show.
After finishing the painting I continued south along the coast a short distance until I was just below Cape Kiwanda and I pulled into the beach parking lot and decided to spend the night. Here was another offshore rock formation called Chief Kiwanda Rock which I took a couple of photos of, one didn't come out so well but the other shows it with the sunset over the Pacific Ocean. I grabbed a small pizza and coffee from The Patio, then I retired to my home on the beach for a pleasant night, listening to the surf as I fell asleep.
Day 29, 58.7 miles for the day-5210.3 miles from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific.
Anyway next it was time to wash my cloths so it was a stop at the Little Cheese Coin Op. Three times in the drier and my clothes were still not dry but I was anxious to get to the ocean so I threw them around the van to finish drying out and headed west.
I first hit the coast north of Tierra del Mar and stopped along the beach road to take a walk on the beach and look for a place to set up my easel. I went back to the van and pulled up further on a cliff overlooking the ocean and did a painting of Haystack Rock. I have no idea what I did with it but I must of sold it while I was traveling and I just have a poor scan of a slide I took of it along with three other paintings I had finished. As usual I was trying to save money on slides and what I often did was just lay the pictures next to each other on the ground and take a picture of all at once, so please excuse the poor quality of the reproduction I show.
After finishing the painting I continued south along the coast a short distance until I was just below Cape Kiwanda and I pulled into the beach parking lot and decided to spend the night. Here was another offshore rock formation called Chief Kiwanda Rock which I took a couple of photos of, one didn't come out so well but the other shows it with the sunset over the Pacific Ocean. I grabbed a small pizza and coffee from The Patio, then I retired to my home on the beach for a pleasant night, listening to the surf as I fell asleep.
Day 29, 58.7 miles for the day-5210.3 miles from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific.
Haystack Rock
Chief Kiwanda Rock
My first Pacific Sunset from My Van