Category: Adventures

Montana – The Second Best Of “The Last Best Place”!

To say that Montana never ceases to amaze us would be an understatement.  So don’t be disappointed by the title of this post (you will understand later why the best is still ahead!). As we continued with part two of our three segment tour of the Treasure State, we set up camp at a quiet little campground in Island Park, Idaho called RedRock RV Park (which is really close to Montana).  We knew this might be a great stay for us when the road took us on a five mile gravel drive past dozens of dispersed campsites, into free range grazing land and around the massive and beautiful Henry Lake.  As we approached the campground, the sign said it all – “Shhh, it’s quiet around here”.

  • The campground has a place for painted rocks…
  • …so I painted my first rocks and left one behind!
  • the flowers around us were beautiful
  • Our “back yard”…and a dispersed camper
  • The road headed out to Henry Lake
  • Shhh, it is wonderfully quiet out here
  • The prettiest sunset this summer was right behind our RV, enjoyed with 2 dozen other neighbor campers
  • There are many of these cattle “gates” in roads out west

See the dots? Swipe right (mobile) or click the right arrow to scroll through the photo gallery.

The campground is adjacent to public land on the back side of the property as well, so our “back yard” for two weeks was filled with wide open spaces, acres of open space for Calvin to enjoy being off lease, hundreds of friendly grazing cows and a smattering of boondocking RVs across the distant panorama.  This was our perfect jumping off point and only a 25 minute drive to the west entrance of Yellowstone National Park (which is actually in Montana AND Wyoming).

The magic, as it were, began the next morning when we ventured in the direction of the national park.  The campground employees had told us to take our time on the little gravel road out to the highway, as it wasn’t too uncommon to see wildlife.  Sure enough, as we neared the end of the drive, out popped four giant male moose, with full racks of antlers covered in velvet.  They grazed along the side of the road and allowed us ample time to take photos and video.  They jumped the four foot barbed wire fence with ease, casually crossed the road in front of us, posing for more photos along the way.  Once on the other side, they continued their breakfast of tree leaves before wandering slowly into the woods again.  

We were completely energized, having checked off a big item on our “animal wish list”!  We made our way through the little gateway town of West Yellowstone and into the mid-morning line of cars waiting to enter the park.  We knew that our late arrival would set us up for a crowded visit, but all along we had planned this day to be just a drive-thru visit to become assimilated and perhaps hatch a plan to maximize the coming days in the park.

Don’t show up at the park between 10 am and 4 pm if you want to avoid crowds…

The first and most lasting impression we had as we drove along the Madison River and deeper into the park was the immense grandeur and diversity before our eyes!  Crystal rushing waters, massive boulders, wildflowers in blues, yellows and orange were abounding.  It wasn’t ten more minutes before we looked out across a grassy valley along the river that we saw a herd of elk!  We quickly pulled over and stood in awe as we watched the huge animals make their way across their perfect habitat.  Elk sighting – CHECK!

Watching them move through the grasses and water was a real treat

That day I was able to wade in the Firepole River , where the rounded and colorful rocks under clear waters gave us a little glimpse into the beauty we would be seeing later in Glacier National Park (teaser to an incredible Part III of our Montana journey).

The clear, cold Firepole River on day #1 in YNP!

We stopped along the way at the less-busy “attractions” in the park that day, noting the location of the very popular sights so that we could visit another day at an earlier hour.  We quickly realized that this park is different in its topography with each turn we took.  Open grasslands, turned to mountain cliffs and misting geysers and smoke-pots.

We left in mid-afternoon, just as much of the park started to empty out, leaving the wildlife to their privacy for the evening.  Hungry, we sought some “Linner” (a mid-afternoon meal that combines lunch and dinner into one meal) at the aptly named Firehole BBQ, whose claim to fame was their appearance on an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (BIG fans!).  SOLD!  We were all in!  I enjoyed what was perhaps the best brisket I have EVER HAD.  Andrew had a sampling of ribs and a pork BBQ sandwich, which were equally rewarding (he had been hunting a good rack of ribs for weeks and after a couple of disappointments, was rewarded well in West Yellowstone).

The restaurant was noticeably empty, and the young man that worked there said that this was nearing the “end of the busy season”, a surprise to us, feeling like mid-August was still the height of summer back east.  He went on to explain that the restaurant as well as most of West Yellowstone and even the National Park itself all shut down in the winter months, with cold weather not seen anywhere else in the continental US, and snow piled up as tall as buildings.  It was difficult to imagine on a beautiful August afternoon, but it was a solid reminder that this national treasure sits on harsh and precarious ground.

Over our two-week stay in the area, we spent a total of five days in the park, arriving earlier each time than the time before so that we could beat the crowds and find the animals at their most active.

We saw our first bison on day two in the park.  Having learned that it can be more important to watch for where cars are parked than watching for the wildlife itself, we pulled over on the side of the road and walked toward the gathering crowd.  In our not-so-distant view was a large male bison, laying in the grass in a light wooded area by a creek.  It was a sunny and warm day and he just seemed content to lie still while we took photos and admired his vast size and incredible beauty.  Wild bison – CHECK!  We were satisfied and exhilarated to finally see what Andrew had sought for a lifetime, and had no idea that in the coming days we would see hundreds more of these magnificent beasts.

We were blessed to see animals of all shapes and sizes, nearly every animal on our wish list , and many others that we hadn’t expected (we missed out on seeing any American Bald Eagles).  There were many black ravens, as well as some yet-to-be-identified birds (perhaps you bird lovers can help us in the comments).  Even the little chipmunks were adorable.  We enjoyed a sudden visit by a coyote on a back road we were scouting (another couple had seen a black wolf on this road a previous day, so we were hoping to strike it rich with a visit).  More moose, elk, many fish, and then, near the end of our visit, we saw the gathering crowd witnessing a mother black bear and her two cubs.    They were perhaps 100 yards away, devouring a huckleberry bush in the comfortably warm afternoon sun.  There were perhaps 100 humans looking through their cameras and binoculars for hours as these amazing creatures of God entertained us all.  The “oohs” and “aahs” were heard among the park visitors as the bear cubs could be seen leaving the bush and wandering up the hill to a log, where they licked and swatted playfully at each other.

The winner of our two-week visit was most certainly the bison.  We found many in both the Lamar and Hayden Valleys of the park.  Bison grunted, grazed, rolled in the dusty dirt to get relief from bugs, and occasionally, one male would tussle and butt heads with another as the males were in the rut and busy competing for females for mating.

As you meet fellow visitors to the park, invariably, the conversation tends to become an exciting discussion of the various wildlife encountered.  Everyone is happy to share photos, video and tips on locations for the best sightings you seek.  One couple shopping in a gift shop alongside us in West Yellowstone witnessed the carcass of a recently killed male bison being scavenged by other wildlife.  While there, they watched a video taken by another park guest of two bison in full mating battle, and watched as one bison gored the other in the head with his mighty horn, killing him instantly.  Seven park rangers then labored to move the body of the huge animal to a safer location where nature would take its course in the circle of life, feeding an abundance of other wild animals.

Beyond animals, the natural features of the land were like nothing we have ever seen before.  Old Faithful Geyser is the best known, and was absolutely amazing to see early one morning, but the beauty goes so far beyond this crowd pleaser.  The hydrothermal features included mud pots, lesser-known geyers, large swaths of downed trees from previous volcanic activity, bubbly fumaroles of gaseous waters, hot springs, steam vents and the near-constant smell of sulphur (one of the only times in my life the odor has not been offensive).  None of them disappointed.

  • Waiting for Old Faithful…
  • …on a rainy morning

We stopped at many road turnouts to take a peek at the various interesting spots.  Side roads took us to outlying areas that felt like we were part of a secret in nature, and we even found our way to a very, very, VERY old (50 million years old) petrified Redwood tree.  

A 50 million year old petrified Redwood tree

We ate and shopped our way through West Yellowstone, enjoying one of our best dinners at the Madison Crossing Lounge (try their cocktails!) on my birthday.  We ate huckleberry fudge ice cream one afternoon, and we even had a great check-up visit to the West Yellowstone Vet one afternoon with Bug and Calvin.

In what felt like a great departure from the camping life, we got tickets to see Disney’s Newsies at The Playmill Theatre, also on my birthday. It had been a number of years since we had been fortunate enough to see a live show (thanks, Covid), and this little summer stock theatre was just wonderful! The theatre was only perhaps a dozen rows at center stage and perhaps eight rows on two sides of the very small stage – so small that our seats shook as the actors sang and danced! At intermission, guests remained in seats and the actors brought concessions around for sale! Even as we left, we saw the actors dressed as ushers and ticket-takers for the next show of the evening; they truly did it all!

In the summer, there are two shows each day and three different shows continuously through the summer! The quality of the performance was quite impressive overall, and the small atmosphere made for a very personal performance.

The ONLY challenge we had (on soap box) was feeling comfortable in what seemed to be a warm vat of Covid – approximately 300 people (267 guests plus actors) packed into a very warm, very small theatre, elbow-to-elbow and knee-to-knee, with perhaps only a half dozen people choosing to wear masks. We went into the show knowing that vaccines and masks were not required, but we were not prepared for the tightness of the facility. Thankfully, we are vaccinated, and we wore our masks, and did not get sick, but I have no doubt that performances like these are part of what is driving the severe infection spread throughout the state this summer (off soap box).

Another day found us in Ennis, MT where we had a great lunch at Tavern 287, wandered through the Nearly New (thrift) Shoppe, and Willie’s Distillery, where Andy added to his bottle collection and we chatted with several retired service members that were hanging out in town to watch the 8th Annual Montana POW/MIA Ride To Remember ride down the main street (motorcycles).

  • We believe these are snowdrift fences…
  • But tell me if we are wrong.
  • Ennis, MT – a cowboy town
  • This was on display downtown
  • Here is a close-up
  • Bistro 287 croissant grilled cheese and soup
  • Beautiful park in the middle of town
  • …and a cool sculpture
  • This is a great fly fishing sculpture coming into town
  • Willies Distillery
  • Thinking of Dad when shopping at Deemo’s Meats
  • The owners came from NJ to MT
  • Picking up some adult beverages for our expected guests
  • A cool stop to drink and eat
  • with a cool fence

On a long 12 hour “Sunday drive” road trip with the dogs, we combined a needed visit to Walmart (the best place to buy RV TP, lol) into a big loop south and around and up north again through Grand Teton National Park, which is adjacent to Yellowstone National Park.  We saw Jackson Hole and a number of little towns that catered to visitors with cabins, all terrain vehicles, biking, snow sports and much more.  We watched sunset at a turnout along another section of the Snake River, formed into layered terraces by glaciers millions of years ago, and then made our way through the evening pitch darkness through Yellowstone Park and back to our campsite by midnight.

  • Wildflowers are a daily treat
  • As the sun sets on the Snake Reiver
  • Terraces in the land formed by glaciers
  • Blessed every day
  • Even more beautiful in person

We even took a little day trip up to Big Spring, close to our campground in Island Park, Idaho.  It is the birthplace of a river, where we could feed bits of hot dog to the eager and abundant trout that swarmed the warm spring water that is the headwaters of the Snake River.

In the end, Part II of our visit to Montana exceeded our already lofty expectations.  Some observations we made along the way, in no particular order of importance:

  1. There are no big grocery stores in much of the state.  The stores that are there are expensive and very busy and have a small town feel that made us stand out as outsiders.
  2. When visiting, enter the park EARLY.  The summer crowds are excessive frome 10 am – 4 pm, so plan accordingly to see the most sights and to have the potential of seeing the most wildlife.
  3. The population of all these popular areas swells significantly in the summer.  Island Park, Idaho, for example, has a population of 268, but has approximately 2.3 million visitors that stream through its main highway each year.
  4. We continue to notice that Montanoans are very friendly and welcoming in their state.  Since tourism is their 5th largest employer, they value our presence in their state and take great pride in being a part of such a special place.
  5. Many of the summer employees we met were not Montanoans at all, but rather out-of-state visitors that return each season to spend time in this outdoor paradise, earn some money, and then return to a warmer climate each winter.
  6. There are no sales taxes in Montana – and alcohol is remarkably affordable.  This makes for a fun time shopping and dining out!

And finally….we agree – Montana is indeed THE LAST BEST PLACE!  

Safe travels, and stay tuned for Part III – we promise this will be the BEST of the “last best”!

  • The posts on the little grocery store in Island Park were cool.
  • We sampled some Huckleberry Cordials
  • BIG camp chai in our campgrpund

When History Comes To Life, So Does The Painful Truth Of Our Nation’s Past

The Indian Memorial at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument

Andrew’s favorite travel stop so far was in Crow Agency, Montana, which is the headquarters of the Crow Indian Reservation.  As the weeks of 100 plus degrees continued, we were able to use our America the Beautiful National Parks Pass for the first time with a visit to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.  

The property’s 765 acres include a visitor center, cemetery, two memorials and a vast battlefield area.  It is located on two small plots of federal land with a large area of Crow Indian Reservation land in between, so the 4.5 mile drive through the various defense and battlefield locations took us past a gate and sign notifying us that we were entering private property (Crow Country).  It was on this reservation land that we paused for some seemingly free-grazing horses to pass, adding to the mystique of the historic land upon which we tread.

There are a few ways to experience the battlefield, including an audio tour with point-to-point storytelling (if you can get cell service).  Without any service available to us, we instead picked up a map upon arrival at the Visitor’s Center, which marked and explained each stop or point of interest along the roadway.  We suggest driving all the way to the end of the drive to begin the tour, working your way chronologically through the days of battle, until you end up back at the visitor’s center.

We used the road signage and the map, but this is a nice option as well – if you have cell service.

There are signs located at each wayside with a painting of the landscape and positions of the Indians and US federal troops during the key days of battle.  So as we gazed across the vast landscape of today, we could see and reconcile those fateful days in history by matching up the hillsides and valleys with the painted sign images.  With that, I could visualize the nearly 8,000 Native American men, women and children living off the land in a village of tipis along the Little Bighorn River in front of us.  We could envision Captain Benteen’s and Major Reno’s men lowering themselves in the shallow gullies hidden by the barren ridges of the terrain.  When they failed to make it to where General Custer’s men were located, the story of Custer’s last stand came to life, and we were able to stand at the monument where he and all his men fell in resounding defeat by the Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho warriors.  

Throughout the battlefields, archeologists and historians have worked hard to find, identify and mark the location of every man that perished that day.  Seeing the little white stone markers spread across the prairie landscape was a moving and ghostly experience, as it helped me to visualize the full tragedy of one historic battle in the lengthy decimation of our country’s native people and their peaceful way of life.

Standing at the top of Last Stand Hill, where Custer and his men dug in for their fateful end at the hands of White Bull and his fellow warriors, Andrew felt the full force of what happened on that day in history.  Having always been a fan of history, he wanted to use all his senses to experience this place where brave men on both sides of the battle fought for what they thought was right.  Looking out over that hillside, he could see the markers of the fallen all around, he could hear the echoes of warrior battle cries from one side of the sad fight and touch the ground upon which federal troops fell from the other side.  He could practically taste the pain of the Native Americans in the oppressive heat of the day as they fought for their way of life, and smell the hubris and impatience of Custer and his men.  The result was both predictable and unexpected at the same time.  This is what makes history so fascinating.

The most interesting part of the visit for me was to see how, as a nation, we are still struggling to find a balanced way to tell our story.  Since 1976, the American Indian Movement (AIM) had been formally protesting the reverence of Custer and presentation of the site as part of a heroic saga in American military history and the expansion into the American West.  They instead argued for a more accurate representation of what was happening across the west – a battle to protect their nomadic way of life on land they had been occupying long before European Americans landed on the continent.  The loss of the Native American way of life needed to be part of the history being told.

It wasn’t until 1991 that the site was renamed, removing the name Custer from the title, and approval was given to build an Indian Memorial onsite (whereas the well-known Seventh Cavalry Memorial on Last Stand Hill had been erected in 1881).  Completed in 2003, the Indian Memorial was the most telling and dramatic part of the site for me.  Built in a simple circular pattern of carved stone walls, it honors the Native Americans who struggled to preserve and defend their homeland and traditional way of life. Their heroic sacrifice was finally and formally recognized, and the stories and quotes that were most important to each tribe were etched into the stone.  On the distant edge of the memorial, rises a large Spirit Warrior Sculpture, showing warriors riding horses into battle against the backdrop of the wild Montana sky.

Following our hours-long visit to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Memorial, we stopped at a nearby cafe and gift shop for a meal and a much-needed pitcher of ice water (interestingly, still named “Custer Battlefield Trading Post and Cafe”).  We sat in this simple local establishment, among several tables of tourists and several tables of local Native Americans.  I noticed the whiteness of each tourist’s skin and contrasted it with the beautiful dark skin and hair of the Native Americans nearby, whom I thought were perhaps Crow, as we were sitting in Crow Agency, Montana.  

Custer Battlefield Trading Post and Cafe’ – photo credit: Facebook.com
Custer Battlefield Cafe’ – photo credit: mtstandard.com

After a while, a table of young Native American men and women were joined by another group from the next dining room and they laughed and socialized.  In many ways they were typical teenagers and young twenty-somethings in their dress and mannerisms.  But in other ways, you could see their history and culture come to life, in their manner of speaking, with the long braided hair for some of the girls and with decoratively shaved hair or sharp, short, upright pony tails worn by some of the boys.  I smiled at the thought of how they strived to keep their culture alive so many generations after the loss of their traditional way of life.

It was then that this group of perhaps a dozen young adults broke into song with a rendition of Happy Birthday for one of their seated friends.  As the oh-so-familiar song ended and applause broke out across the dining room for the birthday girl, you could hear the distinct and familiar Native American celebratory trill, I believe also known now as “lele”.  A number of the youngsters were cheering in celebration with the historic ululation of their ancestors.

It struck me that today’s Native Americans find their history and culture important to keep alive, even as all of our cultures continue to be watered down over the generations in this melting pot nation.  As German Americans celebrate Oktoberfest around the country, and Irish Americans celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and Mexican Americans enjoy Cinco de Mayo, Native Americans also live out their history and traditions.  Every culture has its special foods, celebrations, songs, clothing and ways of living to keep our ancestors alive in each of us.

As each generation travels through time, it is my wish that we all remember these unique differences carried forward from our ancestors, while at the same time, continue to grow together more than we grow apart.  May we enjoy a growing peace and understanding, so that the painful and uglier parts of our shared histories become stories that we tell about lessons we have learned.

Safe travels and enjoy the discovery of our history!

Native American Quotes

In 1990, President George H. W. Bush approved designated November “National American Indian Heritage Month” to honor the culture, traditions, music, crafts, dance, and ways and concepts of life of Native people of the United States.

“Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.”

– Chief Seattle, Duwamish

“I do not think the measure of a civilization is how tall its buildings of concrete are, but rather how well its people have learned to relate to their environment and fellow man.”

– Sun Bear, Chippewa

“If you talk to the animals they will talk with you and you will know each other. If you do not talk to them you will not know them and what you do not know, you will fear. What one fears, one destroys.”

– Chief Dan George, Tsleil-Waututh Nation

“We must protect the forests for our children, grandchildren and children yet to be born. We must protect the forests for those who can’t speak for themselves such as the birds, animals, fish and trees.”

– Qwatsinas (Hereditary Chief Edward Moody), Nuxalk Nation

“I have heard you intend to settle us on a reservation near the mountains. I don’t want to settle. I love to roam over the prairies. There I feel free and happy, but when we settle down we grow pale and die.”

– Chief Satanta, Kiowa

“Honor the sacred. Honor the Earth, our Mother. Honor the Elders. Honor all with whom we share the Earth:-Four-leggeds, two-leggeds, winged ones, Swimmers, crawlers, plant and rock people. Walk in balance and beauty.”

– Native American Elder

“If the white man wants to live in peace with the Indian, he can live in peace… Treat all men alike. Give them all the same law. Give them all an even chance to live and grow.All men were made by the same Great Spirit Chief.They are all brothers. The Earth is the mother of all people, and all people should have equal rights upon it…”

– White Elk

“Let me be a free man, free to travel, free to stop, free to work, free to trade where I choose my own teachers, free to follow the religion of my fathers,free to think and talk and act for myself, and I will obey every law, or submit to the penalty.”

– Heinmot Tooyalaket (Chief Joseph), Nez Perce Leader

“Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.”

– Chief Seattle, 1854

“What is Life? “It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset. The True Peace. The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship, their oneness, with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize that at the center of the universe dwells Wakan-Taka (the Great Spirit), and that this center is really everywhere, it is within each of us. This is the real peace, and the others are but reflections of this. The second peace is that which is made between two individuals, and the third is that which is made between two nations. But above all you should understand that there can never be peace between nations until there is known that true peace, which, as I have often said, is within the souls of men.”

– Black Elk, Oglala Sioux and Spiritual Leader (1863 – 1950)

“Hold on to what is good, Even if it’s a handful of earth. Hold on to what you believe, Even if it’s a tree that stands by itself. Hold on to what you must do, Even if it’s a long way from here. Hold on to your life, Even if it’s easier to let go. Hold on to my hand, Even if someday I’ll be gone away from you.”

– Crowfoot, Blackfoot warrior and orator 1830 – 1890

“The Holy Land is everywhere.”

– Black Elk

“We will be known forever by the tracks we leave.”

– Dakota Tribe

“All who have died are equal.”

– Comanche People

  • SOURCE:  xavier.com

Visiting “The Last Best Place” Does Not Disappoint!

Montana, known as the “last best place” has not disappointed, but especially not here in the Jefferson River Canyon, likely still looking much like it did when Lewis and Clark explored the area oh so long ago.

For his entire adult life, my husband Andrew has kept one bucket list location in his heart.  Montana.  Known to him only by reputation, the state of Montana was his representation of peace, tranquility and escape from what troubled him.  He always imagined himself, his dog Jake, a log cabin, a big stack of firewood and a long snowy winter with mountain views and purposeful isolation.

When we began “re-dating” in 2014, he shared his “big sky country” dreams with me.  His dream evolved into our joint goal.  As our dating life moved on to married life, and as our travel plans evolved into a traveling lifestyle, Montana became number one on our destination list.

Montana, here we come!

So it was on July 21st, 2021 that we crossed the border from Wyoming into Montana in our big Ford dually, towing our Grand Design RV home on wheels!  Quite literally, we got goosebumps and cheered while driving down the highway past the “Welcome to Montana” sign.  Andy instantly called his mom to share the excitement, since she knew all too well how much arriving in this location meant to his soul.

Cheers and high fives…we made it!

With the caveat of a two week campground stay just over the border in Idaho (to visit Yellowstone National Park in Montana and Wyoming), we will be exploring Montana for 56 days before leaving on about September 15th on our way to South Dakota!  Even in our Idaho campsite, we look out across our Northern “backyard” of public land and see vast mountains that are located in Montana.

Now nearly halfway through our Montana adventure, we are here to report that the state has not disappointed in the least!

As bucket list items go, one could argue that Andrew didn’t exactly get what he imagined for his Montana experience.  Andrew didn’t make Montana a solitary experience as he has always dreamed it would be.  He didn’t stay in a cabin with mountain views.  There was no snow at our feet this summer in the “Treasure State”, and with warm summer temperatures, an endless fire in the fireplace with a big stack of wood didn’t happen either.  And sadly, loyal and wonderful Jake did not live long enough to make the trip west by Andrew’s side.

But he would probably share that the real life version of his bucket list to “the last best place” has filled his soul in a bigger, deeper way than a check-mark on a list.  Our “cabin in the woods” was our RV, set up next to wide open spaces on and near state and public lands.  Our fireplace and stack of firewood was instead a rare evening campfire on a cool night, and the snow was only occasionally glimpsed on a far away mountain top.  And while Jake was with us in spirit and thought, we had three other furry friends by our side the entire way; Bug, Calvin and Stencil have loved Montana as well! 

It isn’t a mountainside cabin in the Montana forest, but our little cabin on wheels has ever changing and beautiful scenery.

The most important part for both of us, however, is that we did it together.  Because all these years of imagining his solitary journey to Montana was really a beautiful way to escape what was unhappy in his life.  His Montana dream was a way to safely frame for himself and others that he wanted peace and love in his life.  As is always the case, God listened and led.  Andrew listened and followed.  He no longer wants to be alone with his dog and escape to a snowy wilderness.  He (and I) wanted a loving partner with whom he could share the rest of his life. Whether that life led him to Montana or around the world mattered little anymore, because his life became the journey rather than the destination.

God led us. We are now companions on the journey.
This song has been a fav of mine for a really long time, but as we gaze out over something spectacular on this leg of the trip, or sit with new or old traveling friends by the campfire, or when I simply take a quiet walk in the cool morning air, I am reminded of this song and the beauty of all of our journeys in life.

WHAT WE SAW AND WHERE WE SAW IT

Stop 1 – Billings, MT – We stayed at the first-ever KOA campground, and it was quite nice (I am not usually a fan of KOAs, but this one was one that we enjoyed).  It sits right alongside the Yellowstone River, which is beautiful with its white shores and perfectly smooth and rounded stones of all sizes in the river bed.  

Oddly, this is also the place where a camping neighbor and I witnessed a trailer being hauled through the campground a bit too fast…and with their awning still completely extended!  Luckily, they noticed their lapse in “careful campsite take-down” and stopped up the road before they got on the highway (mental note to myself to be extra careful on travel days, ‘cause we don’t wanna be THAT guy!).

We adventured into downtown Billings and found a great locally owned non-profit fair trade store called Global Village where we bought some fabulous gifts for family members.  We bought some books and goodies at non-profit This House Of Books, a unique co-op style bookstore aiming to keep small-town bookstores alive!  

We also found our way to Billings’ downtown farmer’s market where we were sure to get some Flathead cherries, a Montana summer tradition.  We came home with an armful of corn on the cob, chokecherry jelly, cheese balls, perfectly ripe peaches and handmade tortillas, all local products that make Farmer’s Market shopping a favorite pastime of ours.

The next visit in our travels is perhaps Andrew’s favorite so far.  As the weeks of 100 plus degrees continued, we were able to use our America the Beautiful National Parks Pass for the first time with a visit to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.  The telling of our experience will be a story for a future post, as it is an important and special place that deserves more time and attention than I can provide here.  To be sure, any trip to the state should include a visit to this historic site.

Fun music at the Farmer’s Music!

Stop 2 – Livingston, MT – Osen’s RV Park was conveniently located just a few minutes drive from Livingston.  It is neat, quiet and has one of the nicest, cleanest and lushest dog parks we have seen out west so far (security cameras on the fence overlooking dog owners might be the key to getting certain folks to clean up after their dogs).  The new campground owners were hospitable and we enjoyed the quiet and simplicity of the park and the small grassy plots at each site.

Livingston was a great little walkable town despite the continuing heat wave and limited vistas due to smoke from distant wildfires.  We found fun little shops and restaurants and as has been the theme this summer, many friendly folks. 

In a quirky coincidence, we happened to shop in and visit with the very nice owner of Dan Bailey’s Outdoor Company while visiting Livingston.  We learned about his love of cycling and fly fishing. We met his dog (we have met several great dogs in local fly fishing stores) and shared a little of our travels with him as well.  The very next day, that store owner was in the news with a follow-up story to an incident that occurred between Fox’s Tucker Carlson and a man named Dan Bailey in the same store in Livingston just days before our arrival!  The incident was recorded and the posted video went viral.  Given that this verbal altercation was initiated by a man with no connection to the store bearing his name, the store’s owner felt it important to clear up any confusion that followed and distance themselves from the incident.  So up popped this story shortly after we visited, with the friendly owner speaking of the incident that had brought them national attention for unwanted reasons.  Small world….or is it big brother Google that noticed that my phone had been at that store?

Our best meal was at the joint venture of Gil’s Goods (the food) and The Murray Bar (where we ate the food).  Filled on a busy weeknight with authentic cowboy hat-laden locals, outdoorsmen and visitors, we sat at a high-top table and enjoyed a delicious meal.  My Greek salad an Falafel (yes, in MT) was among the best I have had for quite a while, Andy’s brick-oven pizza was a good treat and our drinks of choice were extremely affordable.  Andrew’s go-to of Crown Royal on the rocks was a generous double pour and my jalapeno margarita was very well crafted, with jalapeno flavor infused into the tequila onsite.  

We then wandered across the street to Uncorked, a wine bar and store set in an old train depot that was relegated to the outdoors due to Covid.  It turned out to be a great evening on a covered patio, sitting by the train tracks and bustling with a few other busy tables.  We shared a bottle of wine, enjoyed talking with a table of local senior citizens out for an evening of wine and charcuterie plates, and watched the rhythmic coming and going of the trains.

We spent our 6th wedding anniversary (August 1st for those kiddos that missed it) taking a beautiful Sunday drive with the dogs through nearby Paradise Valley and the Custer Gallatin National Forest.  With scenery that wanders along the Yellowstone River, this valley is a place that we could find ourselves building that cabin of our dreams (if not for the price tag of land in this state!).  

We took an impromptu detour into the forest and found ourselves on a tiny dirt road, passing bible camps, beautiful ranches, private getaway cabins and backcountry camping in tents and trailers of varying sizes.  As we rounded a turn in the low mountain terrain, we came upon what we later found to be the location of a devastating wildfire in 2013.  It was incredible to see how the fire jumped over valleys and took turns on certain mountainsides, only to decimate what ultimately was hundreds of acres.  

Now more than eight years later, the green underbrush and wildflowers are growing among the blackened sticks of the mature trees that once stood over them.  It will take quite some time for full restoration to occur, but it was both a sad and beautiful way to see Mother Nature work her magic.  What began as a lightning strike, raged into a wildfire that cleared an area of forest that will eventually fully rejuvenate as part of a natural and needed process.  At a time when we struggle as a world where wildfires are too frequent and too large due to the manmade harm from global warming, it was a moment of balance to be reminded that great good can still come from great devastation.

Bug and Calvin loved the large plush dog park at Osen’s RV Park
Wine bar with a train serenade

Stop #3 – Whitehall, MT – Whitehall, Montana is about 50 minutes from Bozeman, but we ended up with less time to explore than we had anticipated because shortly before arriving, we discovered a cracked rim on a truck tire which needed replacement sooner than later.  We pre-ordered the rim to be shipped to Bozeman ahead of our arrival and then lucked out on getting it replaced when we arrived because someone else with an appointment was a “no-show”, opening up a fortuitous slot for us as we stood before the employee explaining our plight (we drove nearly an hour to get here, we are only going to be in the area for a week, and this is our only vehicle – “so can you help us?”).

Back in Whitehall, we were excited to see the absolutely stunning and open layout of the Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park.  We were conversely disappointed to see that we had NO cell service throughout most of the campground.  This situation made the perfect opportunity to install and test out our WeBoost cell signal booster.  Once installed, we were happy to at least get one or two bars for the rest of our weeklong stay (we had read that a booster can improve low service, but cannot provide service where none exists, so even the slight improvement helped us conduct required vacation rental business during our stay).

The highlight of our stay was a two-hour Classic Tour of the Lewis and Clark Caverns.  It was about a ¾ mile hike to the entrance of the cave, complete with dramatic vistas of the valley and Jefferson River Canyon (a tributary of the Missouri River).

The tour itself had an interesting start where we had to remain silent and wear masks to protect the bats that lived just inside the entrance, so as to keep them calm, safe and healthy.  Once we walked deeper into the cavern, we crouched, shimmied and even slid on our bottoms at times through the many-leveled caverns.  With a quick refresher course in minerals, geology, stalagmites (from the floor) and stalactites (from the ceiling), we looked on in wonder at the physical beauty and the great history.

Explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark never actually discovered the caverns, but they camped below on the Jefferson River and explored the surrounding area, so they were credited for their work by naming the park and the caverns after them.

One nice feature about this tour as compared to the ghost cave tour we took in Colorado in June, is that it was well lit and had many railings installed along the way.  Stairs were carved into the limestone which helped me maneuver more comfortably in the shadows and uneven flooring.  Also, the tour began at one end of the cave and ended many feet lower on the mountainside, where a long tunnel had been blown through the stone for easier egress.

While in the area, the heat wave finally broke free when several days of periodic storms brought cooler temperature and some much needed rain.  Much of the wildfire smoke that we had been seeing since arrival in Colorado in June was finally clearing out on some days, and we were much more comfortable and able to enjoy the outdoors even more.

The next stop upon which we will report is actually a two-week period of time when we will LEAVE Montana for camping, so that we can have cloe access to the West entrance of Yellowstone National Park!  But there is much more Montana ahead for us this summer, so stay tuned!

Safe travels, and may your bucket list journey be filled with joy and discovery!

You’ll be with us always, Jake, in our hearts and memories!

Why Oh, Wyoming?! Casper and Sheridan, We May Be Back!

Stops #2 and #3 in Wyoming

The road through Wyoming was unique in its beauty.

Life still happens when you are a full-time traveler.  It is not a perpetual vacation.  This leg of our summer of travel fun got hit with a little bit of “life”, smack in the middle of Wyoming.  We had planned that the last two of our three stops in Wyoming were going to be filled with a couple of hikes, a stop at a rodeo, some downtown historic district shopping and a mix-in of a museum or two.  Instead, we had to go with “Unplanned Plan B”.

“Unplanned Plan B” really ain’t so bad after all.

We did enjoy a delicious restaurant meal, but much of the rest of our time in Casper and Sheridan Wyoming ended up at home – watching movies, eating (waaay too much ice cream), crafting (I can’t wait to show you some of my recent crafts!) and catching up on household duties (yes, ya still gotta pay bills, run the biz and clean the house as a full-time traveler).

Perhaps it was something in the water, but within two days of arriving in Casper, we all started needing to stick very close to the bathroom – and I mean ALL of us.  The dogs, the humans and ultimately, even the cat.  At first, we thought only Calvin was having issues.  Then we spent a couple of days feeling very “off”.  When we thought Calvin was in the clear, we ventured out for a few hours, to do some exploring and enjoy a meal at a local steakhouse, only to come home to find that Bug also was now suffering the same fate…ALL throughout the camper.  Sigh.  It was then that we decided that sticking close to our RV home was our best “Unplanned Plan B”.

What, we have to go with “Unplanned Plan B”?!?!?
Welcome to Casper – where things won’t work out quite like you planned!
The drive throughout WY was exceedingly dry, but occasionally we saw refreshing water scenes like this one, on the way to Casper.

When it came time to move from Casper, north and west to Sheridan, we felt like the dogs were well enough to travel, only to discover an hour into the trip that Stencil the cat was suffering a similar fate.  Worse yet, she was struck as we were driving up the highway.  She became agitated and meowed and complained (not unusual for her on travel days – just about the only thing she hates about the RV life).  Then the complaining paused and we smelled the distinct odor of a cat that had just had an accident in her crate.  With no pull-offs or rest stops in sight, and not really sure how to safely resolve the issue and clean up the cat on the side of the highway with only a water bottle, we drove the next hour and a half with the windows down.  Thankfully, it was a short travel day and Stencil settled down and found a place to rest in the back of her crate and away from her offending odor.

Bug recovered and found a way to completely relax on this travel day!

We arrived at Peter D’s RV Campground, cleaned up the cat and her crate, set up our home on wheels, and almost immediately, the hottest of the HEAT set in.  It had been in the 90’s for days, but for the remainder of our stay, the effects of global warming were apparent, with record-breaking temperatures between 99 and 109 degrees for days on end.  Additionally, the wildfires, still many miles away in Montana, Oregon, California were spewing a grey haze of smoke throughout Wyoming.  Each day, as our pets healed, we did our best to keep the A/C running and the camper cool.  The shades were pulled, a blanket was hung over the door window to reduce the sun’s impact, and we managed our electricity use to prevent any further problems (the electric capacity was being taxed since it was so hot that most folks decided to stay home each day).  The smoke and heat beat out some exploration of Wyoming.

Instead of Plan A, full of fun visits and exploration, we wound up our visit to Wyoming mostly at home.  The nice thing that I learned about this experience is that it was really nice (once everyone’s intestines were settled, at least).  We are blessed to be living this semi-retired, traveling lifestyle.  We don’t have to feel rushed or compelled to “cram it all in” to a specific timeframe.  We didn’t get to see and do Wyoming like we had planned, but we can return some time and try again.  Perhaps we will pass through here again this fall on the way to Denver for the Broncos-Ravens football game (that is another adventure we have in the planning stages!).  Wyoming will be cooler then – and this time, we won’t drink the water.

(The fun we still had):

We were able to stop by the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Casper during our stay.  Operated by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the center does a great job of educating and bringing the late 1800s to life.  The Platte River runs through Sheridan and is the location where the major western frontier trails converged (before Sheridan even existed).  Pioneers, missionaries, Mormons, miners and explorers traveled thousands of miles, mostly on foot, through this area.  Sometimes 600 wagons a DAY passed through the area.  We discovered the Atlatl (AT-lat-uhl), a Native American hunting tool that aided in throwing a dart.  We learned about the varied reasons for westward exploration of North America, the hardships they faced and the methods and planning that brought them success in their amazing efforts.

Always a fun hobby of mine wherever we travel, we hit a few thrift stores for some bargains, and then we enjoyed dinner date night at FireRock Steakhouse.  The service was strong (thanks, Bailey) and the food was delicious.  Top on the list was the Firecracker Shrimp appetizer.  The French Onion Soup was the 2nd best we’ve ever had (sorry, but Dobbin House Restaurant in Gettysburg, PA has everyone beat!), and the Blue Cheese Wedge salad was PERFECT! The flavor on our steaks was amazing, and when there was a temperature problem with the main entrée dishes, they cooked it all over again and made it right.  Thanks to the manager that was attentive and wanted to be sure we had a great experience.  The décor was dark, appealing and BUSY!!  Our cocktails were exceedingly well made.  

A Club Car Martini with a cinnamon rimmed glass
Oh my goodness, these shrimp!
We enjoy trying the beef wherever we go out west!

My DH fell into the crab cake trap – again.  As native Marylanders, we know what crab cake is supposed to taste like.  The lesson:  stop buying “Maryland Crab Cake” from places that are NOT in Maryland!  We should not be surprised that Wyoming crab cakes are not going to be as they claim.

Don’t EVER order a Maryland Crab Cake when not in Maryland! (we knew this, but instead, curiosity won the day!)

While at home, I enjoyed lots of crafting.  My latest project includes a counted cross stitch that I now have about ⅓ complete.  I also have been making vinyl stencils for glass etching, and as always, sending gift packages to our loved ones back east.  

Most of the campgrounds where we have camped out west have been unimpressive, even disappointing (and expensive for what you get).  There are MANY great campgrounds around, but we simply booked too late to get the top picks.  But we were happy to find Peter D’s RV Campground.  This is camping a little more like I remember it!  Privately owned and exceedingly polite and helpful, our dogs enjoyed their morning walk with a visit to the camp office where owner, Peter D, would offer them a treat.  The campground is spotless and meets all the basic needs (there is no pool, but I am told there is a town pool nearby).  Our reservation was made with a phone call and a verbal promise that we would have a site when we arrived. No cash on hand to pay the bill? That’s okay, just bring it when you can! The laundry is spotless and includes a “take one, leave one” book nook.  The dog run is large and there is a center grassy section of the campground that sports a beautiful vegetable garden (thanks so much for the squash we were sent on our way with on travel day!) and a few resident bunnies that seem very content.  

These bunnies layed on their sides in the grass no matter how close we approached – they had few worries in life at Peter D’s RV Campground

The campsites are TIGHT, but that is the only criticism I could mention.  With slides and awnings out, we were within six inches of our neighbors.  All sites are pull-through.  The cost is exceedingly reasonable ($35 per night this year in celebration of their 20th year in business) and puts all those gravel covered KOA Journey’s to shame.   The location is on the edge of a residential neighborhood, close to everything, but sits below the highway in a little hollow, so the highway noise is reduced and hardly noticed.  This is a terrific quick stop or even good as a stopping point for a while as you explore the Sheridan area.

Photo Credit: Sharon Nothnagel on FB Group “Grand Design Solitude Owners” (we are rig #3)

While in Sheridan we enjoyed an afternoon exploring the Trail End Mansion and learned about how a poor Texas cowboy, turned wealthy rancher, governor and senator, built and lived in this beautiful mansion. I have always been drawn to old homes, and this Flemish Revival is exquisite from the early 1900s did not disappoint..

We wandered into downtown Sheridan and shopped a few of the unique stores and admired the plentiful sculptures all around town.  We ate at Just Ledoux It Saloon and Steak Out, a restaurant with a great story – honoring a man that I didn’t know of until I was intrigued by his mention on their menu.  Visit here to find out about his interesting life.

We ended our evening with a couple of drinks at the historic Mint Bar, founded in 1907.  Uniquely decorated, this is the place we felt like we were truly hanging with the locals.  We saw some genuine modern day cowboys and felt like we almost fit in with our own western garb.  One additional happy discovery in Wyoming is the price of drinks!  We managed to have two whiskey’s and a glass of wine here for $17.

Since 1907 (first, the Mint Saloon and now the Mint Bar)
A feast for your eyes from top to bottom. If the walls weren’t covered in old photographs as shown here, they were covered in shingles with branding symbols burned into the wood.
Lots of taxidermy, amazing curvy and carved wood on the bar and some local humor (complete with a lady that was nearly fall down drunk before 5 pm).
Yep, and a creepy glass-enclosed Jackalope!

We left Wyoming with happy memories and a lot of excitement for our next destination – MONTANA!

Safe travels, y’all!

Safe travels, and remember that it isn’t your plan!

Cheyenne, Wyoming – Where We Found Truth More Than Grey

I25 in eastern Wyoming

“Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.” 

~ Anita Desai

Initially, it felt like Wyoming might be a let down.  If Colorado is so well regarded as a popular and preferential destination for incoming residents and visitors alike, perhaps spending 15 days in neighboring Wyoming would disappoint.  After all, we just finished a wonderful 28 day stay in Colorado.  The cities in Wyoming are smaller and sleepier.  The population is fewer and overall much more rural.  The reputation for tourism is not bad certainly, but it has some steep competition with so many amazing surrounding western US states!

The Wyoming leg of our summer travels will span from July 6 – 21, 2021 and we will stay in three separate locations and campgrounds, primarily because we were unable to find campgrounds with space for much longer than four to six nights at a time (the lesson in this is, during post-pandemic times, know that there are a LOT more folks getting away from it all through camping, so reservations must be made WAY in advance!).

Stop #1 was Cheyenne, WY.  As it turned out, this was the perfect balance of our time, with six days to explore and relax in the area.  As we approached the state of Wyoming, it quickly became apparent that this southeastern region of the state was much different than the perhaps the more glamorous state of Colorado we had just left.  The views were still beautiful, but in a different way.  From the highway at least, you no longer noticed grand ranches and towns that were economic hubs.  Instead it was more flat, more brown, and simpler in its beauty.  

Adding Wyoming to the map!

Our first impression upon arrival at our campground was that this area of Wyoming seems to be less of a destination and more a “stop along the way”.  The campground was at 100% occupancy every night of our stay, but completely cleared out each morning except for perhaps a half dozen other campers, as travelers quickly moved on to wherever was their ultimate destination.  What a shame. We were fortunate to be among the few campers that were going to spend a little time discovering Cheyenne.

We had a great visit to the area, but it was indeed a very different place than that which we had just left.  My favorite day in Cheyenne was our last – and it was for simple, unexpected reasons.  But before I share the best, let me share the rest…

Cheyenne is a city that was smaller and sleepier than I had imagined the largest city in the state would be.  It is the capital as well, and steeped in history.  There are only about 60,000 people there, it has a rough and tumble history, and lenient alcohol laws that permit open containers on the streets.  So it was not surprising to see distilleries, breweries, outdoor concerts, a variety of western-themed museums and a historic shopping area that would entertain, educate and enlighten us for the next six days.

The bridge over the Union Pacific train tracks as we enter downtown Cheyenne, WY

I found the website cheyenne.org and several free and for-a-fee coupon download opportunities.  We began with a trolly tour of the downtown and quickly became acclimated to the simple layout of the area.  In the midst of a mini heat wave, the air-conditioning on board the trolley was less than efficient, but the admission was included with our $20 per person Legendary Pass which included admission to seven area attractions.  We also were able to visit the Cheyenne Depot Museum, the Nelson Museum of the West, and the Terry Bison Ranch (a discounted admission) with the same pass.  All were worthwhile, but in keeping with the Cheyenne theme, were also quaint and simple while remaining chock full of interest and history.  

Another download from the Cheyenne Visitor’s Guide website (Daddy of the Malt) gave us BOGO discounts at any of a half dozen “thirst parlors” in town – we found our way to Accomplice Beer Company, set in the historic Cheyenne Depot.  The (train) Depot is, of course, right alongside the many rows of still very active train tracks that in the 1860s, caused a quickly burgeoning city as new Americans arrived in what had previously been vast Native American and bison lands.

Accomplice Beer Company inside the Depot

We ate our first authentic and tasty Chicken Fried Steak at the Albany Restaurant, in the heart of downtown.  You could see the history in the building facades wherever we walked, and in the photographs lining the walls inside the restaurant.  Without a fancy interior, but with a really bustling local crowd on a weeknight, you get the sense that most of the streets and stores and restaurants roll up their sidewalks and close their doors at night as the breweries, distilleries and various beverage parlors welcome the crowds later at night.

Yummy Chicken Fried Steak

Along the way, we caught a little bit of the daily gunslinger show and we shopped for gifts, snacks and western wear downtown.  But one of our best discoveries was what has to be  among the best restaurants in all of Cheyenne.  Nothing fancy, as seems to be the feel of all of the Cheyenne restaurants we visited, the varied and unique menu is what caught our eyes.  EpicEGG is a breakfast and brunch stop, open only until 2:00 pm each day.  We loved the look of so many items on the menu that we went two days in a row….and took a take-out order home as well!  Our favorites?  Go Green Bene (a meatless twist on Eggs Benedict) and Epic Bene (a meatier twist on the classic).  I also enjoyed my first ever Chicken Fried Chicken and Waffle, served with warm maple syrup and Andy enjoyed a meaty, cheesy, eggy, skillet dish that was also delicious.  We took home some Sausage Gravy and Biscuit and from their lunch fare, a Reuben Sandwich.  We were left wanting more, with our eyes caught on breakfast items with a Mexican flare, stuffed French toast and Pineapple Upside Down Cake Pancakes!  Each savory menu item featured a different type of  bread, including ciabatta, biscuit, English muffin, croissant, or quinoa cakes!  Then, of course is the no-judgment-zone day drinking menu, including a dozen varieties of Mimosa, several Bloody Mary features and a few other unique cocktails that made this restaurant a fun midday stop on the tourist trail!

All of this fun brings us back to our best day in Cheyenne – our last day.

We awoke on a beautiful Sunday, with temperatures expected to be mercifully average – in the mid-to-high 80s, with the usual dry atmosphere to which our skin and eyes were finally adjusting after months of low humidity.  There was no rain in the forecast, and the breeze, seemingly always present in Wyoming, made this day relaxed and comfortable, as we made our way to a local church.  

Cheyenne Hills Church

Andy wore his newly acquired western boots and hat (yep, we are THOSE tourists, lol), and I wore my new Chaco sandals, all part of some of the fun shopping we enjoyed in Cheyenne.  We were both dressed casually, something that was perfectly acceptable and noted on the Cheyenne Hills Church website (and a big perk as FT RVers with a small RV-sized wardrobe).  I selected this church because it was the closest to our campground and because it seemed much different than any churches we had attended previously, but what we received was more meaningful.

Dressing the part in the wild west…as we head off to church on a beautiful Sunday morning

The experience was moving for us.  Their use of technology to meet their mission was impressive.  Their facilities were beautiful and amazing.  The music was inspiring.  The service had high production value.  But the 21 year old speaker that day, aptly named Cole Church, was the icing on the cake that was our visit to Cheyenne!  

The lobby looked like a nice Starbucks for social gatherings, and the seating inside the church was like a crisply decorated, high tech theatre.

You can see and hear the entire service at this link, selecting the sermon entitled The Scoffers, recorded on 7/11/21.  The musical preludes and rest of the service are all worthwhile, but if you wish to get right to the message we heard, go to 36:45.  As is often the case, you get what you need. We were reminded, through a sermon that was timely for us, that “God is real…God is in control…God is patient.  The TRUTH is still real in a world of grey”.  1:07:29 is the closing prayer that moves into a beautiful cover song (The Comment Section, Sidewalk Prophets) as well.  Give it a listen and bring a little bit of beautiful Cheyenne into your world.

We visited Cheyenne Hills church during their Strengthen and Engage series – it hit the mark with us.

Do not get the wrong impression.  It is not to say that Cheyenne was so ho-hum that a church service was the highlight of my stay, but rather, that this church visit was so wonderful, it became the culminating event in a really great visit to Cheyenne, Wyoming!  The church’s tagline is “Across The Street; Around The World” and this is a perfect representation of them and their mission – as well as something that truly speaks to us as a couple seeking a new church at each stop along the way in our travels.

As we held hands and left Cheyenne Hills Church (headed over to epicEgg for our second visit), I couldn’t help but imagine that one day, we will settle our roots once again, end our nomadic RVing ways, and find a worship home that stirs inspiration, love and peace into our life like this visit to Cheyenne Hills gifted us on this Sunday.  

Thanks Cheyenne Hills Church and Cheyenne, Wyoming.  We aren’t exactly across the street, and we aren’t so far as to be around the world either.  But don’t be surprised if we check in online occasionally to enjoy your church, wherever our nomadic life takes us!

Stop #2 – Casper, Wyoming!

“Veni Vidi Amavi” (We came, We saw, We loved.) 

~ Roman Proverb

A stone inlay map of the Utah Territory in the floor of the Depot

Colorado, You Might Just Be Our New Favorite State

Any stop along the Devil’s Head Trail in Pike National Forest leaves you inspired.
“But the Colorado rocky mountain high, I’ve seen it rainin’ fire in the sky…”
John Denver
Since selling our home and moving into our RV in July 2020, we have tried very hard to TAKE OUR TIME!  We kept reading this lesson in the blogs, on the websites, and watching on Youtube, devouring online content in preparation for our own full-time travels, and we have therefore done a decent job of not rushing.  But our recent 28 day stay in Larkspur, Colorado has been our longest stop yet.
From Red Rocks Ampitheatre and Park, to Garden of the Gods, to a simple Sunday drive to explore the area, the rock formations and colors were always amazing to see.
It might be somewhat premature to say it, with only 25% of our summer travel complete, and another four or more fabulous states on our itinerary.  But I think that I have found my new favorite state!  Certainly not an exhaustive list, but here are some of the reasons we have become big fans of the Centennial State:
These Aspen trees on Devils Head Trail in Pike National Forest gave me a new appreciation for the beautiful white bark and towering clusters.
  1. Well, it is frankly, GORGEOUS!  From Grays peak, to Red Rocks, to Royal Gorge, to Garden of the Gods, to Breckenridge, to just about any place we have taken a drive in our visits, this area and state is beautiful.  The clouds just seem to be larger, puffier and hang lower in the sky than back east.  The Cottonwood trees shed their fluffy seeds like a summer snowfall. The vistas are ever changing – green and flat topped buttes, snow capped massive mountains, rushing whitewater rivers, deep gorges and vast open space – the state has impressed our senses.
2.  The wildlife is accessible and diverse.  We have seen so many animals – bison, marmots, prairie dogs, pika, mule deer, white tail deer, cattle and birds of great variety.  The Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge was an easy start to our animal exploration (and remarkably close to the Denver airport), but there are so many places to hike and get close to wildlife that the options are endless.  On a visit to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, we were able to learn a bit about the animals in the habitats of Colorado, and also find a number of different ways to seek some of the harder to find animals (wolf, elk, bear, pronghorn, and mountain goat).  Even in our campground and a trip to the local post office produced multiple sightings of deer.
3.  There are so many options! The diversity of vistas and wildlife are only the start. There is such a variety of things to do, both indoors and outdoors!  We checked off a lot on our to-do list for Colorado, but we still have a far longer list of things left undone! DONE: ride a historic carousel, walk a country road, explore Red Rocks, hike Grays Peak, drive through Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge, hike Garden of the Gods, tour Cave of the Winds, shop Manitou Springs, eat at Fogo de Chao restaurant, walk the halls of the Denver Art Museum, dine at Ted ‘s Montana Grill with the best server EVER, visit the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, cheer at a Colorado Rockies baseball game, eat our first Pho, shop fun thrift stores, go to the movies, hike Devils Head Trail, ride a train through the Royal Gorge and much more!  YET TO BE DONE: see a concert at Red Rocks, ascend Pikes Peak on a cog train, attend a Denver Broncos vs Ravens game, paint some art, ride on a white water raft, tour some historic buildings, traverse a mountain on a gondola, fly fish on a river, ride an eBike through a beautiful place, tour on a Segway…the list of cool things to do goes on and on and on in Colorado.
4.  Coloradans are welcoming, friendly and very proud of their state.  Wherever we explored, we ran into some exceedingly friendly residents that were ready and willing to “SELL” us on the merits of Colorado!  After all that we had experienced, it certainly wasn’t a difficult pitch, but it was clear that those who live in the state, LOVE living there!  We certainly have noted that with each mile westward, the people have become friendlier and more open (sorry. fellow East Coasters, but I don’t think this is any great secret or mis-truth).  Coloradans are among the most kind and open Americans we have met along the way.  The difference-maker for us, however, is that the pride is expansive in Colorado.  
Those that are native, born and bred are especially proud to be so!  These folks may be residents by default, but they CHOOSE to remain in Colorado because they believe so strongly in the beauty and wonder of their state.  This is a palatable difference than we experience in other states.  Then there are those that moved here by choice, years and decades earlier.  They arrived, fell in love and remained residents of Colorado.  These folks were always so happy to share their story and learn our story as well.  Once they heard about our nomadic lifestyle, it was not long before they pitched us all the reasons that we should end up in CO once we decide to slow our travel and plant roots once again. 
One similarity we noticed with our home state of Maryland is that state pride flies clearly in the extensive use of the state flag.  While Colorado’s flag is not as unique or beautiful as Maryland’s, it is equally ubiquitous – displayed throughout the state, not only on flag poles, but on hats, shirts, housewares and more.  
Throughout Colorado, and especially in the Castle Rock area outside of Denver, there has been record-breaking population growth for many years.  Economic prosperity was evident in the areas of larger population, but we did also witness some of the inevitable challenges of such growth and success.  Housing clearly was in short supply and expensive, we witnessed homelessness in Denver, and we saw traffic problems due to overcrowded roads and construction that seemed to not be able to catch up to demand.  We clearly could see that water shortages are becoming an issue as a result of the state’s tremendous population growth and the impact of global warming. 
No state is free of problems.  The difference in Colorado?  Not one single person spoke a single negative word about their state.  Whatever difficulties and challenges the great state of Colorado is facing, we didn’t hear about it from the residents.  Instead, they wanted to share all that they love about their state, and welcome us – as visitors or perhaps even future residents.
A view from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science
It seems that 28 days was a great way to fully explore the eastern half of the state, including Denver and the surrounding regions.  We explored some of the highest elevations of a Colorado “fourteener” in Grays Peak and the lowest elevations of the Arkansas River in the Royal Gorge.  We enjoyed our peek into the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountain regions.  But there is so much more we have yet to see, having not even touched upon the beautiful Colorado Plateau, which lies to the west of the Rocky Mountains and the Intermontane Basin, found in the far northwest corner of the state.  
Yes Colorado, we have enjoyed exploring you tremendously.  We will be back to finish the job someday.  And maybe, just maybe, we will find that perfect little house on a lake, with a mountain view that we are seeking to settle upon again someday – and maybe that little house sits in Colorado.
Devil’s Half Acre at the end of the trail in Pike National Forest
“Colorado has always been a good place to find what you’re made of.”
John Hickenlooper
“Our peace shall stand as firm as Rocky Mountain.”
William Shakespeare
	


	





	

		
		
Some Of The Best Experiences In Life Happen When You Just “Go With The Flow”.
	


	
	
	

		
John 7:38 ESV   “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
The Schmidt Party of Nine – L to R – Jonathan, Ellie, Sarah, Andrew, Tina, Abby, Patrick, Christy and Ben



Several months ago as we were planning our visit to some of the western states in our RV, my husband, Andrew, talked about a couple of bucket list items of his brother’s that were in the area where we would be traveling.  Included on Patrick’s list was seeing Brit Floyd (a Pink Floyd cover band) in concert at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre in Colorado.  He also wanted to attempt to climb Grays Peak, the “easiest” of the state’s “14-ers” (fourteen-ers), which is any mountain at least 14,000 feet tall.  
We checked out the event schedule at Red Rocks.  Lo and behold, Patrick’s bucket list band was playing this summer!  Seeing it as a great opportunity to visit with his brother, Andrew asked Patrick, “Are you in”?  The beginning of an unexpected lifetime adventure was suddenly evolving and we didn’t even realize it.
Patrick and his family bought concert tickets and airline tickets.  We bought concert tickets and booked a campground nearby.  Andrew’s three children heard about what we were doing for that leg of the trip and decided to come along as well.  More plane tickets, more concert tickets!
Bucket List – A panoramic view of Red Rocks Ampitheatre, Morrison, Colorado
Bucket List  – Grays Peak, Colorado
The phrase “going with the flow”, infers change and flexibility.  Of the “Schmidt Party of Nine”, none of us except Patrick had ever seen or knew much of anything about Red Rocks or Grays Peak, but for some reason, we were all excited and ALL IN!  As trip planning proceeded, we devoured videos of climbers and concert-goers.  We became very excited and immediately realized that we might also be a bit unprepared!  We purchased bear spray, trekking poles and began shopping for very outdoorsy backpacks that were capable of holding hydration packs.  We crafted emails to the kids, helping to prepare them for what was ahead for us.  We heard more and more information from Patrick and learned about things we might encounter such as altitude sickness and the legalities of marijuana.  We ventured further into our excitement and completely became fans of Patrick’s bucket list items!
As our post-Covid world began to open, we were disappointed to discover that the concert date was postponed (the band was likely moving on to a larger venue for our June visit) and in that instant, Brit Floyd at Red Rocks was yanked out of reach for us.  The great part about this bad news?  Everyone still wanted to make the trip to Colorado!  We pivoted and decided that we should still go to Red Rocks, as our research and Patrick had by now told us all that the fabulous venue had to offer – museum, a hall of fame, miles of trails, yoga, movies and more.
So this week, the idea sparked by Patrick came to be.  The spark that was further fanned by his generous sharing of information and enthusiasm absolutely CHANGED THE LIVES of all nine of us, aged 19 to 54.  We saw and experienced beauty and inspiration like we have never before seen and felt. 
This experience of a lifetime began with Patrick’s enthusiasm for two very specific goals.
It is safe to say that we are all so grateful that we decided to go with the flow and jump on the new experiences that Patrick wanted to experience.  His goals became our shared goals.
At Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Park, we hiked a challenging 1.5 mile trail that helped reality set in for what we were to experience the following day on Grays Peak.  The beauty was overwhelming.  The merging of natural rock formations with man-made architecture was incredible.  The altitude affected our breathing.  Our muscles burned in the hot Colorado sun even at only 6,500 feet.  We felt first-hand how conscious hydration and calorie replacement is a real thing.  We toured the museum and music hall of fame, bought souvenirs in the gift shop and every one of us vowed that we would return some day to see a concert here (and Patrick ended up seeing the replacement band at the venue the next night).
We went to bed early that night, each of us feeling some anxiety for the mountain ahead of us.  We awoke at 1 am to make the drive to meet Patrick and his family at the base of the mountain parking area at 4 am.  The stars shone like never before.  We all could feel the nerves in our guts and the chill of the suddenly 40 degree mountain air.
4:04 am, June 11, 2021 – before dawn, adrenaline pumping in the cold air and darkness. feeling underprepared but thrilled.
As the sun was just starting to rise, we hiked the bridge over the river of melting snow and began our ascent, ready or not.  The trip to the top of Grays Peak is 4.5 miles and is one of the most popular mountain hikes in the state.  The youngest in our group quickly were able to pull out ahead of us, not affected as much by the thin air and having the advantage of less weight and more fitness in their bodies.
Arms outstretched, Abby strikes a pose that many of us struck over two days – an attempt to show appreciation for the overwhelming vastness of beauty we were encountering as the sun rose.
At times I had to stop and catch my breath every 10 steps.  This first third of our ascent was the most difficult for me, and I grew angry at how difficult it was (I had lost 15 pounds in anticipation of the hike, but grumbled at myself for having not lost 30!).  “What on earth had Patrick gotten us into!?” I thought to myself.  This was where the battle was mental as much as physical.
We slowly stepped toward the approaching sunshine, step-by-painful-step.
Mercifully, after about a mile or so into the hike, as we entered the valley between two mountains, the ascent became more gradual and the views more glorious than could even be imagined.  My lungs began to acclimate to the lack of oxygen and as I watched the time and distance progress on my Fitbit, I could sense my progress and my attitude improving. 
Our group of nine began thinning out, and Patrick, Sarah, Andrew and I gave the kids their desired “go-ahead” to move on at their own pace and said a silent prayer that they would make good choices in what truly could be a dangerous place.  After that point, we didn’t see Patrick and his wife Sarah again, who had settled into a location slightly behind us as they adjusted to perhaps more-than-expected altitude nausea and unbeknownst to us at the time, a catastrophic boot failure that forced their return to our vehicles.
Go ahead – go as far as you can go!  We will do the same.
At some point, Christy, Andrew’s oldest, had decided to reverse direction and left the “youngsters” and turned back to the “old folks”, worried both about her next steps on the snow-covered  and increasingly difficult trail they had encountered, and about her parents lagging behind.  As we met each other, she was both surprised and pleased to see us, not really believing that we were still attempting the difficult climb.  Renewed in spirit, she joined Andrew and me for the rest of our hike, and passed that spot that had caused her initial retreat, conquering fears and growing in personal strength at the same time.
Cell service had long ago disappeared before we even reached the parking lot, but as we entered the second mile of our ascent, we rose above the tree line and suddenly our phones could “see” the cell towers and began to allow all the texts and pent up phone data to come through.  We received a text from one of the kids – “If you can see this – we are almost to the top!”.  We were inspired to do our best and push our personal limits.
Another hour or so into our uphill battle, we saw the approaching image of Ben and Abby, Andrew’s middle and youngest children, returning down the mountain and amazed to see us.  We discovered that they had not quite made it to the top.  Their obstacle was a ledge of ice in what was becoming increasingly high winds that began just as the most challenging mountainside switchback section of the trail began.  They made an attempt and decided that safety would be their choice this time.  Patrick and Sarah’s children, Jonathan and  continued on, eventually becoming the only two of our group that would complete the full ascent.
Abby and Ben returning toward us – excited about their accomplishments.
Seemingly in disbelief when they see Andrew, Christy and me – still making our ascent.
Andrew and I (along with Ben) eventually arrived at the same location where Ben and Abby had decided to turn around an hour earlier.  We took our first sit-down rest of the day and watched as other hikers slowly moved across the narrow trail of ice, now melting into a sometimes more treacherous slushy snow.  Grown adults, some trying to hug the wall of snow above them or crouch low to the ground to avoid slipping into the long slope below them slowly and methodically crept across the part of the path we could see before the first switchback.  
The photos don’t effectively show the challenge these hikers had traversing the beginning of the switchbacks.
The slope, the ice, the snow, the loose rocks – the factors that helped us make a decision as to when our ascent was completed for the day.
We seriously contemplated whether or not we might make an attempt, but witnessed (and photographed) too much struggle with more prepared, fit and younger hikers than us.  It was ultimately a very satisfying and easy decision.  The mountain had not actually defeated our aging bodies.  Our fear had not won out over our desire to make it to the summit.  We simply decided that this was how far we should go today.  We had achieved something far beyond what we had expected and were proud of all of us.  
Andrew attempted a phone call to our nephew, Jonathan who we expected might be at the top by now and the call went through!  He and his sister had made it to the top, all 14,278 feet, representing a victory that our entire group felt and shared with them.  Jonathan is an experienced and savvy outdoorsman, and he volunteered that this trek was “hardcore” for him.  At one point, he even helped in the rescue of a man that was stuck on the mountainside.  
We were thrilled for Jonathan and Ellie and even more satisfied that we had made the right decision to turn back down the mountain.  At this point, three miles and 11,111 steps in, perhaps at about 13,000 feet, we realized that our adventure on this mountain was only half over.
With the decision made to start our decent, we were able to savor the journey that much more.  Ben was often able to “get ahead” of us, and then take a seat for a while to enjoy the views of this peaceful place until we caught up with him.
As the adrenaline finally began to ease, our muscles began to ache.  The use of our muscles changed as well, and the need for agility on a downward hike became mission critical.  The sun was now shining on our hard working bodies and we continued to shed our layers.  We stopped more frequently to simply stand and savor the views.  The three of us, Ben, Andrew and I, caught up with others – first Christy and then Abby, and not a mile from the end of our day, even Jonathan and Elie caught up with us and passed us, no doubt happy to return to their mom and dad to tell them of their incredible feat.
All smiles as we savor our accomplishment – and only halfway through our day’s adventure!
Christy smiles at a day well lived.
Our group once again growing, we carefully made our way back down the mountain.
Exactly 7 ½ hours from the beginning of our adventure, all nine of us were finally all together again, with smiles and cheers and hugs all around.  It was just after noon.  We had crammed quite a bit of adventure into our morning.  Along the way, we touched lives with some amazing people.  Two young boys, perhaps 8 and 10, with their dad, passed us on the way up and on the way down the mountain.  Several hikers with large backpacks that included skis and poles passed us, then skied down from the summit, and when the snow ended, hiked the rest of the way, passing us once again.  Young adults in the best shape of their lives zipped past us, wished us “Good Morning” and gave us words of encouragement.  Dogs of all varieties were living a great dog’s life and looking incredibly happy, one even carrying his own backpack, no doubt filled with his food and water.  We were even passed along our descent by an ultra-marathoner and his dog that were literally running down the mountain.  
There is nothing like a little mountain hike to reconnect with siblings.
Through all of it, we learned that hikers are an incredibly supportive and positive group.  They taught us that the victory isn’t necessarily at the top of the mountain, but in your own personal challenges and hard work, and your arrival at that place where you can say to yourself “I am so blessed to be able to do this and so proud of what I achieved today,”  THAT is when you celebrate great victories.
We made it – no injuries – and only tears of happiness.
To say the photos don’t do the views justice would be a gross understatement.  These are views that will make you cry (some of us did).  These are places that if you stand quietly, you can hear God speak to you, simply because you are that much closer to heaven.  These are experiences of places and people and animals and plants that will inspire you and become a part of your soul – changing your DNA while fully absorbing the experience.
Thanks so much Patrick, from all of us.  I aim to go with the flow more often because I have  been reminded that joining an adventure with others that I never even knew I wanted can bring inspiration, achievement and love of life into my world better than anything already on my bucket list.
Isaiah 40:3-4
A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged
places a plain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bonus photos:  We explored Morrison, Colorado in the afternoon of our visit to Red Rocks, where Schmidt Party of Nine enjoyed a meal together.  It is also at a nearby wings shop where Christy and Ben tried “Rocky Mountain Oysters”, a unique “delicacy” of bull testicles.  An acquired taste, for sure.
Boulder Beer Shake (chocolately), in Morrison, Colorado
Down the hatch – Rocky Mountain Oysters
A last minute addition to Ben and Christy’s bucket lists – check and check!
More Bonus Photos:  Straight from the Denver airport, we wasted no time discovering Colorado, with a stop at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, where we spotted, Mule Deer, White Tail Deer, Prarie Dogs, Bison and one VERY large rabbit!
	


	





	

		
		
The Midwest US – It’s Not Just For Passing Through
	


	
	
	

		
Train tracks seem to run through many of the small towns and sounds train whistles are a common lullaby when you lay down your head at night.  This track ran through downtown Hays, Kansas.
We have begun our first big “trip” since launching full time RVing in July 2020!  Covid, state-based health insurance requirements and family needs caused us to tailor our early travels solely on the east coast between Maryland and Florida.  But finally we are vaccinated, we visited our families, and we are heading west!
Annnndddd, we’re off!  Westward ho on the midwest express!
The plan for this summer is Colorado, Wyoming, a sliver of Idaho, Montana and South Dakota – all squeezed in between early June and the end of September.  We are hitting all the “big” items – national parks and some of the most popular tourist sites in the US, including Pikes Peak, Yellowston and Glacier National Park.  We know it will not be the peaceful, easy-going pace to which we have become accustomed, but we also know that these are big bucket list items.
We passed through only a sliver of West Virginia, without so much as a potty break…but we will be back, for sure!
But first, we have to get there!  We left Lancaster, Pennsylvania on May 25th and are not expected to arrive in Larkspur, Colorado until June 8th.  That gives us time for a leisurely pace to explore the path to “getting there”.
Our initial goal?  Make no advanced reservations.  Well, we blew that plan, but with good reason.  Less than a week before our departure, I was reminded that we were facing Memorial Day weekend!  Ugh!  I scrambled to make reservations for at least two or three nights, and estimated where and when we might hit those locations.  In the end, it was a blessing, because it created some shorter travel days when we might otherwise have felt rushed to “get there”!  For the remainder of “getting there”, we made no advanced reservations, allowing us to drive at whatever pace we desired, stop as many times as needed for breaks, and really try to enjoy the journey!
Our secondary goals? The Rule of Threes:  Travel no more than 300 miles in a day, end our driving day by 3:00 pm and stay at least three days in any location.  We knew we would not hit every goal on the mark, but we wanted to try to benchmark our travels against these guidelines to ensure our pace was more relaxing.  It is an RVing “rule” we learned early on while preparing for full-time RVing, and it has served us well.  The trick is to not get caught up in “hurry up and get there”!
The first stately stop was in the great state of Ohio.
May 25, 2021 – 327 miles – Our first day on the road would be our longest, with our first stop at Spring Valley Campground, a private RV park in Cambridge, Ohio.  We called for reservations an hour or two before we arrived, got a 50 amp full hook-up site  ($34, a free upgrade from 30 amp because of an electrical problem that required we change sites upon arrival).  The campground was conveniently JUST off the I-70 highway, but felt more isolated than that, with less traffic noise than you would expect.  The staff and other campers were friendly and helpful.  There was plenty of open space, a big lake and a pretty setting.  The next morning we enjoyed breakfast at the nearby Cracker Barrel and I got my fix of sausage gravy and biscuits!  So far, so good – Ohio was lovely, and there was much we could have visited and seen, but now we had those holiday weekend reservations that gave us a deadline.
Fishing was available, and because the campground was hidden behind a ridge and many trees, the highway noise was virtually unnoticable toward the middle and back of the park.
With neat and shaded sites, Spring Valley Campground was a great stopover.
A large lake and open space gave us pretty walks and space for the dogs to run.
May 26, 2021 – 215 miles – Our next stop was Cornerstone Retreat and Campground in New Castle, Indiana, yet another stop on the I-70 trail we were forging for ourselves.  A private, Christian campground, it was an immaculate campground with well maintained and decorated grounds.  You could tell that this would be a huge summer escape for families and was also host to seasonal campers.  The highway noise seems louder here than at some of our previous stops, but it was fine for an overnight stop.  We didn’t even unhook the truck from the camper and instead, took a stroll around the grounds, with Andy ordering pizza that was delivered to our site from their campground cafe!
May 27, 2021 – 154 miles – Our third stop was a pre-planned visit to Newton, Illinois, where we would visit the first two full time RVing friends we ever made.  We originally met Janine and Matt in a camper on the sales lot at Beckley’s RV Sales in 2017.  They had just listed their house for sale and were buying a new fifth wheel for their full-time travels.  We were also buying our rig, with plans to launch our full-time travels in 2020. 
Another state inwhich we rest our heads for a night means a new sticker on our travel map!
Here we sat, two couples chatting in a fifth wheel that we BOTH intended to buy!  It worked out well – neither of us ended up buying that specific rig on that day, but from that day, an online friendship evolved and we caught up with them by happenstance again in January 2021 in Sarasota, Florida.  So when they invited us to stop by in Illinois on this trip, we were excited to do so!  They were spending a month “moochdocking” at their son and daughter-in-law’s home (for those that don’t know, that is when you pull up and camp in a friend or relatives driveway or property).  
Our reservation was at Casey KOA Journey, again, just off of I-70, but this time, for two nights.  The campground was exactly what you might expect from a rural KOA campground and while it was perfectly fine for an overnight stay, it was just as pricey as we have come to expect KOAs to be and still included that I-70 traffic noise (but it was a holiday weekend, so we took what we could get!).
The feelings evoked by these midwest country roads are that of peace, beauty and the simplicity of life.
Classic KOA cabins on the edge of a field after an evening rainstorm.
One of the coolest vintage camping setups we have seen in a while, complete with matching cooler, shower/bath tent and chair.
A KOA Memorial Day weekend stop in Newton, IL, hummingbird sighting included!
On our “free day” we drove over to the town of Casey, Illinois (pronounced Kay’-Zee by the locals).  This little town’s claim to fame is being home to more than a dozen “World’s Largest” items and even a larger number of “really big things”.  What a day!  I am a sucker for many of these little roadside attractions.  We walked, shopped and photographed our way through this adorable town.  The town is special – the restoration of old buildings is well done and there is enough there that we could have spent an entire day, with lovely restaurants, stores and sights.  
But it was an evening visit with Janine and Matt that was our reason for arriving to the area instead of just passing through.  Any home cooked dinner when traveling is a special treat, but we also enjoyed great conversation and even did a little shopping of Janine’s gorgeous hand designed and created jewelry.  Janine is multi-talented – a jewelry maker, rug hooker and blogger (Visit her at https://www.etsy.com/shop/JanineBroscious or https://joyfulwonder.wordpress.com/).
After a great dinner and conversation in their 2018 Grand Design 310GK that is JUST LIKE OURS (it is always easy to find your way to the bathroom that way!).  We walked next door to share dessert and meet some of their beautiful family!  It was yet another great evening of meeting kind, fun, welcoming and interesting people as part of this way of life.  
We learned about their son and daughter-in-law’s adventures in their fixer upper home, with their busy children and foster child, a sister that also lives with them and their role in the community as a pastor’s family.  By the end of the evening, and the end of our visit to this part of Illinois, we learned that it was certainly a place beautiful enough and enjoyable enough that we should come back again and do some further exploration (after all, we didn’t have time to visit the home of Burl Ives!).
May 29, 2021 – 241 miles – As we added another state sticker to our travel map of the United States, we headed to Columbia, Missouri for our next night’s rest.  It was another planned visit – this time a welcomed invitation from a college friend that I haven’t seen in more than 30 years!  Another drive under our 300 mile limit and three three o’clock “curfew” found us stopping at Cedar Creek Resort not far off the same I-70 interstate we would be taking all the way to Colorado.
Headed from Illinois to Missouri on I-70.
Show me, Missouri!
The campground was newer, and we were able to snag a pull-thru site.  We were greeted by the camp hosts, took the dogs for a walk around the loop, admiring the nearby fishing lake along the way.  Had we stayed longer, it was clear that there were miles of pretty country scenes to explore.  After a restful afternoon, we got into our “camping best dressed” (for me, that simply means nicer jeans, wedge shoes, a pretty blouse and some makeup, as well as my new necklace purchased from Janine!).  The visit with Lee and her wife Stacey was terrific and it was a treat to catch up in person after perhaps two decades of no contact and another decade of only a social media connection.  Laughter and joy seemed abounding, and the visit was comfortable despite Lee and I being the only two that had ever known each other before.  It was an evening that reinforced for me why this lifestyle is such a gift – to be able to “swing by” Missouri for a little visit on a cross country road trip!  These are opportunities that I treasure.
It is having the opportunity for visits like these that are a terrific opportunities presented by full-time RVing.
May 30, 2021 – 171 miles – With our holiday-restricted-visiting-with-friends stops behind us, it was time to move on.  Feeling excited, we knew that our next stop would put us somewhere in Kansas, which somehow felt like we were in the “midst of the middle”.  We opted for another short travel day so that we could boondock overnight at a Harvest Host location – Z&M Twisted Vines Winery and Vineyard near Leavenworth. For those that do not know, Harvest Host is a membership website we joined where we can camp (usually boondocking) overnight at no cost at any of thousands of various businesses in North America.  They ask that we patronize the business in some way as a thanks for the night’s rest.  We had a great experience, meeting a couple of resident chickens in addition to one of the owners, parking our rig in the middle of a 40 acre field and tasting food and wines, while relaxing and watching the sun set.  We settled on a couple of bottles to go home” with us, including a Jalapeno Wine named Hellfire!
Toto, we’re not in Oz anymore (but we can visit the Oz Museum when in Kansas)!
May 31, 2021 – 230 miles – Having anticipated straight roads and corn fields throughout the state, we actually saw many beautiful scenes in Kansas with nary a corn field to be found!  With enough days to be able to slow down our pace even more, our next day’s travel took us only as far as Minooka Park COE Campground in Dorrance, Kansas.  Set on Wilson Lake, said to be the state’s clearest waters, we loved the views so much that we immediately extended to a three night stay!
We saw hundreds of wind turbines all across the state of Kansas.
We saw many of these along I-70.
With a pull-through site, expertly maintained grounds and views among the best we have camped this trip so far, our first Army Corp of Engineers campground did not disappoint!  We had cell service and shared our entire loop with only one or two other campers (and only $24 per night!)  Our first day was misty and raining much of the day, so we used the time to relax, read, catch up on bills and business and sit by the campfire with a blanket and a nice drink in the evening.  
When the sun shone the next day, we had by then discovered that in nearby Hays, Kansas, we would be able to lay eyes on our first bison, another key bucket list item for Andrew (nicknamed “Brave Buffalo” as a child).  The town of Hays has its own little herd of ten bison, including four babies, four females, including one that is a rare white in color, and one apparently busy bull!  While not the wild bison we aim to see later this summer, this little herd in Hays was a great way to whet our whistles and visit a town we really enjoyed!
This little herd included a rare white bison named Ghostbuster.
Baby bison!  Not wild, but wildly exciting to see!
Across from the bison herd is Fort Hays – a Kansas state historic site where there is great history of some difficult times in our nation’s history following the Civil War, including massacres, broken treaties with Native Americans and the birth and growth of a nation in the plains of Kansas.  There is a small museum and gift shop and a self guided tour of the grounds and buildings that remain from the 1800s.  
We then made our way a short drive into town, enjoyed some great BBQ at Blue Smoke BBQ and wandered through a few of the best little stores we have seen in  a while.  Thanks, Hays! Your brick streets, restored 1800s buildings, the train running through the center of town, your historic sites and yes, especially your bison were a great way to spend the day!  On the way back home, we made another stop at Cathedral of the Prarie, AKA St. Fidelis Church.  It was beautiful and a great moment to say a prayer of thanks and light a candle, acknowledging that Saint Christopher has been protecting us and to ask for his continued blessings.
On to Colorado!
June 3, 2021 – 240 miles – This was the final stop of our westward travels, and the first sticker from our list of targeted states, on the very eastern edge of Colorado.  Five nights in what really is beautifully in the middle of just about nowhere.  Painted Rock Park is a campground with full hookup but really no other frills.  We are one of only four campers in the perhaps 35 site campground.  But if you want an affordable place to settle ($38.50 per night), rest and have few responsibilities, this place is worth a visit.  We’ve  only seen the owner once – a day after we arrived.  He stopped by to say hello and see if we needed anything.  He is a rancher about an hour away who had purchased this land on a whim at auction, putting in the campsites two years ago, but also renting out a nearby community room and hosting hunting events.  
This most eastern part of Colorado really looks a lot like Kansas!
We have used this time as our last restful respite before the hustle and bustle of a crammed summer of being tourists and hosts, as we will also have some visits from family members  along the way (three kids, a kid’s significant other, and a brother and his family at least).  So this time and location is perfect for walks down country lanes, a stroll to see a sunset, time to pay bills, do laundry, stock up on groceries and do a little writing about our life adventures past, present and future.  We’ve seen a friendly snake in our path, watched the crop dusters fly in the distant fields and smelled the pungent odor of manure spread on the fields at night (thank goodness for air-tight windows and A/C!).  On a 30 minute trip down the road, we visited the Kit Carson Fairgrounds and rode their historic carousel before heading to the circa 1970s Safeway.  We also attended our first in-person Catholic Mass since before the pandemic, a promising sign of the world opening up to all of us.  This truly is a wonderful place with a very different look and feel from many other places.
As each day passed on this westward drive across Interstate 70, the scenery was ever changing and beautiful, from state-to-state-to-state.  It was clear that the midwest is named the “bible belt” for a reason – the faith, strength and kindness of the communities we visited were evident.  I can see a world in which the midwest might feel a little out of place in the middle, with the notable differences in values, culture and lifestyle from those that are generally seen on the east coast or the west coast of this country.
Each town we drove through and visited had its own special reasons to stop.  There were many things we would love to stop by and visit “next time”.  We were reminded that our “rules” to make few reservations and our “rule of threes” are good guidelines for us, as we kept finding ourselves feeling rushed to “get there”.  Slowing down a bit was a way to remind us that we are already there – wherever we are at this moment.  It only takes some billboard reading, map scanning or some Google searching to see that the midwest has a lot to offer – and certainly shouldn’t be for just passing through!  We will be back!
Look carefully at this “tramp art” left on our picnic table – it is a bison made of found items.
These are the moments in camping that you savor – Minooka Park COE Campground, Durrance, KS
	


	





	

		
		
Now I Understand The Magical Redemption of Baseball
	


	
	
	

		
Baseball is a lot more than a sport – and now I understand that more fully.
For a couple of weeks in February 2021, my DH and I are exploring Sarasota, Florida and attending five Orioles Spring Training baseball games.  It is a leg on our FT RVing journey, long ago planned.  We also had plans for a return visit to Orioles Dream Week as well, but Covid cancelled the program this year, much like a lot of the world’s big plans.  
Spring Training 2021 at Ed Smith Stadium was a walk down memory lane to Orioles Dream Week 2017
Orioles Dream Week is a weeklong program whereby Orioles fans become players for a week, immersed in professional baseball facilities, alongside former MLB players, and two baseball games a day, as players in the game they love.
Andrew has enough baseball knowledge in his head to fill an encyclopedia.  He KNOWS the game, its history and it is a part of his soul!  I, on the other hand, know just about nothing about ALL sports!  Instead, I enjoy the human side of sports – I love the stories, the traditions and the atmosphere.  So a few visits to Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota this month have been a series of terrific date nights for us, that is also a “coming home” of sorts, where we get to reflect and remember our first trip to the area in 2017.  Below is a little story I wrote about our experiences at Orioles Dream Week, that are still so darn true for our life!  Enjoy.
The activities for Orioles Dream Week were held at the Orioles Minor League facilities at Buck O’Neil Complex at Twin Lakes Park and their Major League facilities at Ed Smith Stadium.
Baseball is more than a sport.  I finally understand that.  It transcends from sport and moves into being something about life.  But in 50 years, I never understood that until now.
As newlyweds, my husband, Andrew, and I went to an Orioles game last summer celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1966 World Series-winning team, there were a dozen aging former professional players that visited the park and were introduced to the fans.  The announcer rattled off each player’s most important baseball statistics and achievements in their career.  And before their names were ever spoken, just hearing the introductions, my baseball-almanac-sweetheart named the player and proudly told me how that player impacted his life by sharing some special memory of the era.  “I played baseball with Billy Hunter at his camp when I was a kid”, he said.  Or “Wow, my dad and I watched him play”, or “That guy helped teach me how to hit a ball”.  
The history of baseball lives inside Andrew’s head and heart, and is on display everywhere at the beautiful Ed Smith Stadium.
All these decades later, Andrew’s youth was reflected back to me in the memories of his direct and indirect baseball experiences with the Baltimore Orioles.  So I had a feeling that his participation in Orioles Dream Week would be important to him, but I didn’t fully understand how or why exactly, until we went there.    Despite knowing Andrew since childhood, dating and loving him in high school, despite our lives each taking left turns when we parted ways at my graduation, and despite reconnecting 30 years later and finally marrying, it wasn’t until Orioles Dream Week that it finally all made sense to me.  It took me 50 years and a trip to Sarasota, Florida to understand it.  That is the magic that baseball can have on a person.
Orioles Dream Week, for us, connected some missing links in our lives…the connection between baseball and love; between choices and life.  It certainly doesn’t take on this meaning for all players and fans, perhaps not even for a lot of them, but for us, Orioles Dream Week helped us better understand the mistakes we made and the regrets we have because of them.  We must all accept the results of our actions, but Orioles Dream Week helped us face them – and conquer them.
At our hotel on the beach in Sarasota during Dream Week (which was not as nice as it could have been, as we learned first hand what it was like to experience Red Tide durig our stay.
Dream Week began on a flight with a large group of fellow passengers, all conspicuously dressed in orange fan shirts, O’s baseball caps and smiles that made you forget it was 6:00 am on a Sunday.  With whispers that Tippy Martinez was on board with us, and chatter with new-found friends, we arrived at the Buck O’Neil Baseball Complex at Twin Lakes Park, the minor league spring training fields of the Baltimore Orioles.  The players, ages 30 – 84, were immediately led to the locker room to suit up and get ready for warm-ups and drills, while family members traveling along (aka fans) were shown their way to the cafeteria, a place that would be our home base for the next week.  
The cafeteria was our “home base” all week, enjoying breakfast and lunch each day, the hilarious morning meeting, and was a cool and quiet place to relax during a break from the games.  Here, the MLB players line up in front before a raucus crowd of baseball lovers.
That moment when my husband walked out of the locker room on that first day of camp was a tremendous rush of emotion.  He was wearing the uniform that he always wanted to wear – the Orioles, and his name and “our number” were emblazoned on the back.  That proud boyish smile in my wonderful 49 year old husband’s face was what I had hoped for and dreaded for all these many months of preparation.  It was the first of countless moments he and I would experience in the next week while in Sarasota, Florida.  
The moment when he stepped out of the locker in his official Orioles uniform was priceless and wonderful.  The smaile says it all.
Orioles Dream Week was absolutely magical for him, for me, and I believe for the other players and coaches on his team.  He and I would get a taste of what baseball might have been for us, had we communicated better and tried a little harder to hold onto our passions; had we stuck with baseball and each other.  
All week I would cheer him on in a series of games while he was managed and coached by former major league players that had successfully taken baseball to the next level.  It was a thrill to watch him play again and see the joy it brought everyone on the field and in the stands.  Through challenges and successes on the field, Andy would be able to test his mettle and learn just how much of what he had was the natural talent that God gave him, how much of it was practice and hard work, and how much of it still remained after decades of baseball as only a spectator.  We would also forge new relationships with other baseball fans, each with their own unique story that brought them to Orioles Dream Week.
There was the player that fought back from both a heart attack and a severe bone break to be a return player.  He brought along his wife, who consistently rooted him on with his own cheer that became so popular among the team that they too would spell out the chant “R-U-S-S, Russ, Russ, Russ” every time he came up to bat.  There was the player that found Dream Week to be such an inspiration that he has returned many times and maintains a blog about his trips to help others understand how it can be a life experience not to be missed.  
There was the wife, who not only surprised her 73 year old husband with the trip, but then further surprised him by bringing their two sons to play baseball right alongside their father all week in Florida.  There was the retired fellow that had been a lifelong fan of baseball and the Orioles, but had never once played the game before arriving at camp.  And there was the quiet team member whom we learned very little about until late in the week at the team dinner.  It was then that he shared the importance of Dream Week to him, as a challenge to further himself, battling Parkinson’s disease following a varied, interesting and successful career in two branches of the military, in business and as a newlywed starting off a new chapter in his life.
“Sammy’s Studs”, as it were, following their game at Ed Smith Stadium.
Perhaps the most inspirational impact of all was that of the retired professional players that acted as our team’s coach and manager.  Glenn Gulliver and Sammy Stewart worked together so smoothly and made the week so much fun, while at the same time sharing their amazing talents with team members looking to play the best baseball they could play.  They filled the team with kindness, humor, comradery and stories of their experiences that gave every player a personal inside historical tour of baseball.  
Glenn was the calming voice of reason between the two.  He pitched all fourteen innings (seven innings each for our team and our opponents) of the traditional “coach pitch” Wednesday game (and then played a round of golf that evening).  He quietly talked to Sammy about which player might be best placed in what position on the field and chatted comfortably with the team members.  
Coach and Manager, Glen Gulliver and Sammy Stewart olayed to win, but to also make it a memorable and fun week.  They were the special ingredients that made this a very special ife moment.
While at the same time, Sammy shouted out hilarious and colorful advice from the dugout in his gravelly voice, teasing anyone in his path, becoming the glue that brought the team together.  Having already faced tremendous heartache and difficulty in his life, it seems that baseball has been a rudder to help steer Sammy through all the trials and thrills of his life.  Sharing that passion and honesty with this newly formed “band of baseball brothers” was invaluable to us all.  
The first night began with the team draft, where our fates for the week were decided with a good meal and lots of laughter.
Sammy Stewart, Andrew Schmidt, Glen Gulliver
The genuine and heartfelt natures of our coach and manager allowed the team to be amazed by the players they were, while at the same time become friends with the wonderful men those ballplayers have become.  Somewhere right in the middle of those games, between the wrapped hamstrings and ice-packs on pitching arms, the banquets and bull sessions, the meals and long days in the warm January sunshine, baseball began to heal us.  The naturally occurring wounds of living life as a flawed human being faded a bit each inning that week.  Baseball became redemptive as Andy and I realized that there were no guarantees of what life would have been like had he – and I – and baseball all stayed together all these years.   
We will always regret that we didn’t face all of life’s challenges together.  We will always regret that we didn’t try “one more time” to get what we both wanted.  But because of Dream Week, he once again played the game he has always loved and I was there to love it with him.  It was both exciting and bittersweet.  Life may not be exactly what we wanted it to be, but is still better than we thought it could ever be.  Love and baseball go hand in hand.  In fact, Orioles Dream Week has reminded us just how blessed we are to be at this place and this time.
Living the dream at Orioles Dream Week, 2017
Safe travels – and keep trying to get life right, because God doesn’t count you out after three strikes!
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Walt Disney World Loses Some Of Its Sparkle – Why Some Might Want To Wait For Covid To Pass
	


	
	
	

		
The surprising (to us) reasons we will PAUSE on our return to WDW.
In summary:  We went to Walt Disney World in January 2021, while our world was entrenched in the Covid pandemic.  Despite all our fun (and we did have lots of fun), we felt the impact that Covid has had on the Happiest Place On Earth more than we expected.  
Ta Da!  This is how we roll in EPCOT – sans kids!
Our original Disney blueprint had been to set up camp for two weeks in January at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground, an early leg on our full-time RVing adventure.  We wanted to give our six newly adulting children a really fun reason to visit us!  When Covid crushed upon the earth, Disney World closed and we decided that even when it reopened, we would postpone any unnecessary plane travel for our loved ones until we had more answers, safety protocols or even a vaccine.  If we were going to visit WDW, this trip would have to be without our long-distance loved ones.
Food and drink was a perpetual, delicious theme of this visit to WDW.
Months later, when we had fully launched our FT RV life, I kept an eye on information coming out of newly reopened Disney.  I held off on cancelling the Fort Wilderness Campground reservations.  What I read and saw was really positive.  It appeared that in addition to establishing strong policies to assure guest and cast member safety, they were also taking that important step and HOLDING THE LINE with enforcement of their safety policies!  In true Disney fashion, we found that they were doing what we wished that many other big businesses would do (are you listening Walmart and Sheetz?).
I was convinced.  We purchased a four-day park pass and kept our entire two week campground reservations in place for January 2021.  At the end of our fourth day in the parks, we felt absolutely comfortable and safe with our experience, and extended our park fun for four more days with another four day park pass that was now even more deeply discounted (FL residents, $199 per person!).  From a safety perspective, they have this thing pretty darn well figured out.  That safety comes at a price, however.
At the end of this blog post is the detailed break-down of our experiences, but here is the BOTTOM LINE:  
If you are “Disney-experienced” and simply looking to fill your Disney-love tank, a trip to Walt Disney World during Covid precautions may be a great option that is more affordable than ever.  Go for it!  However, if you are a Disney Novice or Disney Virgin, I would advise that patience is important – wait a while for our post-Covid world to emerge before visiting (sorry, Disney) to fully experience the magical world of Walt Disney World.
The magic of PhotoPass was fun, but the masks put a damper on the final product.
To be clear, we are not “Disney Super Fans”, but we are both fairly Disney-experienced.  My DH, Andrew, had previously been to WDW on three occasions – a trip for each child in his growing family – the late 90s, and twice in the early 2000s.  Each time they stayed in a different hotel on Disney property, and each trip was in the busy summer season.
Walt Disney World in 2002 with Andrew and his familyl – with a character that I am not even sure still “lives” in Disney.
A classic pose that probably every dad and kid has experienced in large WDW crowds…this method of “kid-viewing” is really not needed in “Pandemic Disney”.
Breakfast with the characters, including my DHs fav, Winnie-the-Pooh, does happen in 2021, but it is distant and different – no Pooh hugs, for sure!
                                           
             
              
            
                
                      
                 
I have been blessed to have the opportunity to travel to Disney nine times in my life, spanning a variety of “life phases” – as a child, a teenager, as a young adult, as a parent and now as an empty-nester!
We missed the up close and personal character visits of days gone by.
Christmas morning, 2007 in Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground – by our little tree and stockings hung with care on the RV awning!
We also imssed being able to see the shows in 2021; Here, Lorne starred in the Hoop De Doo Review at Christmas dinner, 2007.
     
           
              
           
              
                 
                  
When my husband, Andrew (married five years in August 2020!) and I ventured to the Happiest Place on Earth in Jan 2021, this was going to be a very different trip in several ways.  We knew Covid would have an impact on our experience, but we were very excited (perhaps me a bit more than him!) to “do Disney” as empty-nesters – sans ANY kid’s influences or interests!  YIPPEE (Sorry kids, it was also great when we took you as little ones to the land of Mickey Mouse, but being in our nearly-mid-fifties now, we were ready to explore it all as just a couple, making all decisions just for our own enjoyment!)!
The coolest character we met this year was Chewbacca, by far!  He hung out in Star Wars Land and drew a crowd of fans.  We laughed at ourselves as we “nerded out” and waved and called out his name.
There are many things at Disney that are blissfully the same in a Covid world.  First among them is that cast members continue to amaze us with their courtesy, kindness and expert guest services.  So if you go, know that we observed cast members that checked off all the stellar service boxes that we have come to expect from WDW.  We chatted with young and not-so-young, including some that had previously been “separated” from the company (aka laid off) in 2020, and even others that were still separated and hoped to return (we met them off property, of course).  They were all pleased to be a part of the organization and focused on doing a good job.
The only difference that we noticed as it relates to cast members, was in EPCOT.  The international flair, complete with cast members from around the world and working in their native “EPCOT country” was missing a bit.  Missing were the foreign accents and opportunities to chat with cast members from Norway or Italy (we did meet a gentleman in EPCOT Japan that was a native of Japan, and we had one server in EPCOT UK that also must have emigrated to the US, because we noticed her beautiful lilting English accent.  Overall, however, the park felt much less international.  The reasons are obvious (folks just cannot travel internationally and get work visas like they used to), but we had not anticipated how that would make our visit to EPCOT feel noticeably different.
In EPCOT UK, we sat outdoors on a heated patio with flights of beer and whiskey to enjoy with dinner.
A delicious British feast at Rose and Crown Pub in EPCOT’s World Showcase!
Similarly, the complement of guests in the park was missing so many international guests, that on the rare occasion we overheard another language being spoken, it stood out more than in previous trips.  I don’t know the current statistics, but I would imagine that a much larger percentage of guests today are actually residents of central Florida (not a bad thing, just different!).
So what else was missing and different?  Here is the quick list:  no fireworks, no laser/night shows, no parades, no street performances, no “single rider” lines, no Fastpass, limited Park Hopper hours, no new Annual Passholder sales, no Extra Magic Hours, many closed stores, many closed food options, limited transportation options, no dining plans, no pop-up street performances or entertainment, shorter park hours, no character visits, and many closed live shows (Mermaid, Nemo, Lion King, etc).
Disney has made some good attempts to keep some of the feel of these missing components alive in our visits.  They have surprise “cavalcades” that pop up in each park every hour or so, with several characters, music and waving from a distance.  They are gone again before any crowds can gather dangerously.  Also, there are secret corners where some characters are strategically placed at a distance, while guests stand perhaps 15 feet in the foreground to have their photo taken “with” the Disney princess or character of their dreams.
Mickey Mouse staying safely distant at Hollywood Studios in January 2021.
The challenge that is created with all of these missing magical Disney pieces is that the remaining attractions have much longer lines than might be expected for a park that isn’t even 35% filled (Disney’s current park capacity limit during Covid).  We were in the parks on weekdays in the middle of January, for a total of eight days.  On some of those days, the most popular attractions had 65-95 minute waits!  Even some of the less popular attractions on those days also had what seemed longer than they might normally be in January, at 20-30 minutes.  We also had some good luck – there was one day in Animal Kingdom where we could walk on to nearly every attraction with hardly any wait at all!  We couldn’t figure out the Covid trick to make sure we were in the right park on the right day (I used one of the Disney Crowd Calculators available online to pick “historically least crowded” days and parks, but clearly, those tools are less useful during a pandemic).
“Tinkerbell, how about sprinkling a little good luck Pixie Dust on those Ravens this weekend?” (Well, they lonst, so I think she didn’t)
Disney has started to pivot somewhat on their various requirements, and are getting push-back in every direction.  Some reports indicate that they have started loading every row on a ride, something that we saw very little of on our visit (but I did see it on Expedition Everest).  These changes are surely to try to reduce wait times for attractions, but may come at the cost of people no longer feeling safe (or worse yet, not ACTUALLY being as safe).  It is all part of the delicate balance Disney is trying to find to remain open and mitigate their massive financial losses.
Here is a another quick list of things you may want to note if you decide to visit Mickey during Covid:
  1. Mickey doesn’t wear a mask.  It seems that Disney will make sure you will never get within six feet (probably not even within 15 feet) of any Disney star, so don’t worry about any unintended virus sharing with the characters, lol.
  2. Mobile food ordering is the way to go when your stomach starts to growl.  If there isn’t a crowd, it seems that at least some of the take-out food kiosks would also take your order in person, but be prepared to order on your mobile phone if you want to have a shorter wait (you can order food for a future time and then just update your order online when you have “arrived” to pick up your food.
  3. You really are not permitted to be moving while eating or drinking (no standing in line for an attraction while eating or drinking either).  Don’t bother to try – we saw active enforcement of some of the sneakier guests.  Late in our visit, we discovered a little trick – use eating and drinking time as an opportunity to snap a couple of photos without a mask on.  Find a pretty place to sit/stand and eat/drink, then also snap some photos while there!  Update:  In February 2021, WDW further updated their mask requirements to state that while at your table, waiting to order, or waiting for food, you must still wear your mask.
  4. You may not remove your mask for photos (or for any other reason other than while standing still while actively eating or drinking.  Not on rides, not for a Disney Photopass photographer, not in front of the castle or anywhere else!  We also saw active enforcement of this rule and have also been told that any ride photos without masks will NOT be made available to guests!  Each day is a long day with a mask on ALL. DAY.  LONG. (I have renewed appreciation for anyone that works every day in a job that requires them to wear a mask).  Disney is surely receiving some push-back on this rule, but after living through 14 days on property, I cannot see how this rule could be relaxed any time soon, especially as the parks start to hit their 35% capacity in spring and summer.  It is a slippery slope, and there just isn’t enough physical space to assure enough distance between people, be they guests or cast members.  As much as I want better photos, masks are unfortunately going to be needed in our everyday lives for quite some time.  
  5. If you are part of a group, you may very well be split up for attractions.  Many of the theatre seats are set up for parties of four, so if you are a family of five or more, you will need to decide quickly how you want to be split when entering the attraction.
  6. I am not sure if this is accurate, or simply my perception, but it seems that there are more attractions closed for “refurbishment” than I recall from past visits.  When we were there, the entire train station at the front of Magic Kingdom was covered in a giant tarp (which was beautifully decorated like the train station it covered).  The trains were obviously not running also.  Additionally, Tom Sawyer Island and all the surrounding water was under refurbishment.  It was jarring to see the previously giant body of water turned into a pit of dirt and construction vehicles.  Tom Sawyer Island, the giant paddleboat and the rafts that ferried guests to the island were all missing.  Most of the front of EPCOT was covered by construction-hiding walls.  This is a huge project and will be gorgeous when complete, but certainly made the first half of EPCOT fairly unimpressive.  Refurbishment is a necessary part of life, but it certainly seemed to be easy to spot and had a large visual impact on the luster of Walt Disney World.
  7. The pre-show of many rides was eliminated.  Because the queues need to make sure guests do not come within six feet of each other, they need to wind in, out, around and through some unusual places.  While waiting in line for Peter Pan’s flight, part of our line weaved through the closed quick-serve restaurant next door.  This need for space and distance means that the pre-show of the Haunted Mansion is eliminated.  No stopping in the room where the ceiling stretches higher in front of your eyes before getting in your ghostmobile.  The line just walks you straight through the room…it’s a bummer.  Similarly with the Tower of Terror, Test Track, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and many more – no pre-show.  These are some of the details that make WDW stand out as the best amusement park out there.  Each attraction has a story to tell and creates a mood and anticipation as you wait in line.  We weren’t expecting it, and we really missed it.
  8. The shorter hours and lack of Extra Magic Hours made each day a much longer day.  Strategy for a good day at the park for me pre-Covid included an early start to the day in a park, followed by a midday break back at our campsite or hotel for lunch and a rest, and then a 2nd visit to a park (the same one or a hopper to a 2nd location), to enjoy the park as many guests were leaving.  With much shorter hours (even for January), and longer lines (for January), our park visits turned into one long trip, more eating out (without a dining plan option to save a bit), and no break in between.  We headed home each day, greatly missing the evening “big show” – no fireworks, no laser show, no big finale to give you those magical Disney goosebumps.
Now that Disney is gearing up for their busier and warmer time of the year, I cannot imagine how much more crowded the parks are going to feel, even with their continued limited capacity.  It will be tougher to be “safely distant” from others, and it will be really tough wearing a mask for eight or more hours, from hotel door – to hotel door in the humidity and heat of central Florida.  
This little package of adorableness might even entice me to start watching the Mandelorian.
Disney is doing it all the right way.  They are doing it all very well, in really difficult circumstances.  What had been my biggest concern when visiting, SAFETY, was barely a concern at all (although it did get uncomfortably jammed in the Magic Kingdom with the many families with strollers and little ones zigging and zagging all around)!  
However, with the aforementioned changes they needed to implement to assure our safety (and be allowed to even open), there was enough missing Pixie Dust for us to say “We REALLY look forward to returning.  We hope that our world will bounce back to our next “new normal” quickly…and we will be thrilled to return after Covid no longer has quite as strong of a stronghold on their operations”.
Walt Disney himself was right about what they do – then, now – in a pandemic, and in the future:  “We create happiness”.  Thanks, Walt!
Whether you find your happiness in a trip to WDW during Covid, or decide to be patient and instead find happiness in the PLANNING of a future trip when some of these limitations can be lifted, we hope you enjoy it all!
Safe travels, to infinity and beyond!
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Please bring back Annual Passes so that we can visit sooner (making the cost more in-line with the value we see in a Covid-impacted WDW).