Last week or so

Last I left you, we were touring around Yellowstone with Julie and Ray and just relocated to West Yellowstone.  We explored all the geyser areas that were open; a few were closed due to construction. Making very early arrivals into the park, as early as 6:30 or 7 really helped us see the many features without fighting the crowds. When it started to get crowded we retreated to the veranda at Old Faithful Inn for some wonderful ice cream, which was our lunch one day.  The scoops were huge!

Another afternoon we explored some shops in the town; they have some nice ones with interesting offerings.  West Yellowstone is a nice little town to walk, but just like the park it is being overwhelmed with visitors.  Though Yellowstone and the Tetons are our favorite parks to visit, I don't believe we will be going back anytime soon.  The crowds are getting way to large and makes traveling the roads difficult; there are so many people that have no common sense or common courtesy. Also, we have always enjoyed having a meal at the Inn, but after our experience this time, we will not eat there ever again. To say the food was poorly prepared is a generous comment.  Last year's lunch wasn't much better.  So two times was enough.  

Here are some pictures from the Grand Loop and the geyser features. 

Flowing into the Firehole River

Also, along the river

The colors of the micro organisms along the boardwalk at Grand Prismatic. 

Old Faithful Inn dining room from the balcony. 

After three days exploring the lower loop, we moved to Colter Bay Village RV park in the Tetons for our last two days with Julie and Ray.  We enjoyed a leisurely raft trip.  The water was not slow but definitely not rapids.  We had no wildlife sightings other then a couple Eagles, but our guide kept us entertained with his stories and was a good source for things to do. 

A forest fire was started in early morning that day by a lighting strike and the farther down the river we traveled you could smell and see smoke drifting over the mountains.  By the next day when we left the mountains down near Jackson were almost concealed by smoke.   We heard later that all electricity was lost in Teton county including the park. 

Mountains overcast from a small storm passing by.

Us and our traveling companions, Julie and Ray.  We had a GREAT time together. 

Ray drove us to the top of Signal Mountain where every one enjoyed the views.  The views are great, the road up, not so much for me with my fear of heights and drop offs. I am always surprised when I think of our travels and so many of them are in the west and in the mountains.  I think I am due for some flat land experiences.  😙

We also drove to Teton Village, a stop Dave and I have never made, along a rather bumpy back road, but we did have our first moose sighting along the way.  On our last morning before we went our separate ways we had breakfast at Jackson Lake Lodge and had a few more moose sightings right from the dining room windows.  They put on a very nice breakfast buffet.  

From the Lodge, a view of Elk Island. 

Our next stop on our journey to Oregon was Arco, Idaho and Craters of the Moon NM

It was very "other worldly".  

I will leave you in Arco and get more pictures downloaded and continue my updates tomorrow.  I need to sleep as we arose so early to drive to Crater Lake today.  More on that later....

First days in Yellowstone

We are in Yellowstone!  Travel has been fun with our travel buddies, Ray and Julie, Dave's niece and her husband.  We are having so much fun! 

Here they are at Slough Creek in NE Yellowstone, near Lamar Valley.  We have spent two very full days in the park, leaving Gardiner at 6:15 and arriving back the first night at 5 or so and last night after 9 pm.  We have seen elk, black bear, mule deer, bison, osprey, ground squirrels and swans.   Will download pictures later and post another day. 

This morning we move to West Yellowstone and will spend three days touring the lower loop of the Grand Loop; yesterday we completed the full loop of the upper portion.  

The guys did get a few hours of fishing in the first day, but fish were not biting.  

It is now afternoon and we have arrived in W. Yellowstone. We are in shock, the drive down from Gardiner to Madison wasn't bad at all, but after we turned onto the road to West, the backed-up traffic was absolutely unbelievable!!!! In all the times we have been here we have NEVER seen traffic backed up like this. Last year was Yellowstone's busiest ever and this year is already surpassing it in numbers. The traffic waiting at the junction was backed-up 8 EIGHT miles!!!!!   Never have we seen even half that bad, probably even a quarter of that. It is shocking.  

So instead of trying to go in this afternoon, we will explore West since they have never been here. 

Here are a few pictures:

Having a great time!

 

Prepping the Montana

The date is quickly coming upon us for our PNW trip.  To say we are getting excited is an understatement.  First of all, traveling for 10 days with family will be nice as this rarely happens, so their company will be greatly enjoyed! Second, spending time in Yellowstone NP is a location we repeatedly return to and enjoy.  Third, we are going to all new locations after we leave Yellowstone; states we have never camped in before. So, lots of new sights to see and explore.  

I have about 90% of the packing completed.  A few more clothes and all the food supplies, which I will wait until the day before to load.  With the heat and humidity in the Midwest, I am hesitant to load food too early.  I am really hoping the PNW will continue to experience more normal temperatures versus the high temperatures like last year. 

The hardest thing about this trip is leaving my children and grandbabies, but traveling and exploring new areas of our country has been our dream for 30 years.  In reality we have it good; a home base near our family and the means and mode for traveling in comfort and convenience for a few months at a time with the assurance that everything is fine at home because our family is there to monitor it. 

And watering frequently so Dave's plantings do not die.😊

Here's our daughter learning to use the John Deere tractor; she'll stay on top of mowing. 

Well that's it for now, but check back soon for reports and photos from the road.  

Airstream fun

Nacho says: "We haven't been to an Airstream rally for at least two years.  I think our last one was in Santa Fe, so we were way over due to attend one.  So on Wednesday, we left to attend the Midwest Vintage rally at Lake of Three Fires State park in Bedford, IA.

There were 13 Airstreams and 16 dogs.  We had little wiener dogs on each side of us.  One trailer had four and the other had two.  We also had a Brittney, a poodle Maltese, a 3P, a Fox terrier, a Bull terrier, a lab mix and two pug mix and us two, Aussies.  We had a great time meeting other Airstreaming dogs!"

Candy says:  a great time was had by all, humans and dogs alike.  There were numerous activities in the surrounding towns, but it was so hot we were happy relaxing at the campsite.

Dave had always expressed interest in the small Caravel and there were two at the rally, though I only got pictures of one.

The Caravels were from the 60's, there were three 70's, a few from the 90's and the 2000's.  It was fun to see how everyone decorated or refurbished their trailers. 

The state park was very nice and facilities were kept clean. 

Now we will be spending time organizing the Montana and preparing for our summer adventure. 

More later,

Additional roof comments

We have posted our concerns on RV-Dreams forum and the Montana owners forum.  Thank you to all who have responded.  

We drove a 1/2 hour north to Good Times RV, a Montana dealership and talked to the parts Mgr, service manager and the lead tech.  Of course, the first recommendation was to purchased Ertenabond tape or Dicor (we bought both) and apply to the two small tears.  We did this immediately after returning home using the tape.  Dave was pleased with how easy it was to apply.  Good thing too, because we had severe thunderstorms move in later this afternoon.  

The overall opinion was to apply a conditioner on the clean roof and to monitor the wrinkles/buckling. At this time there are no holes or tears on these wrinkles.  The tears were no where near where the wrinkles are, which appear to be in the area where the seams of the plywood pieces meet.  An additional step, which we could do for further protection and help us to feel more confident with the roof, is apply a rubber roof sealant that is applied with a roller pad.  Basically we should monitor the roof monthly to assess any further damage.  Extreme heat seems to be the cause of the spots and the wrinkles which has made the roof age faster then expected for a 2013 fifth wheel.  The first owner lived in Texas, so assuming it experienced lots of sun exposure.  Of course direct sun and heat here in Iowa also and in Tennessee where it was traded.  Doubtful it has ever been stored under cover.  But, most are not.  

As second owner, the 12 year warranty on the roof no longer applies, nor does the extended warranty we purchased.   So we will monitor it closely, apply the conditioner and probably apply the sealant.  It would cost between $4000 and $7000 to replace the roof depending on where we went and the type of replacement we would choose.  RVRoof.com has been highly recommended. The other option is to have the dealership replace the roof. 

We have also contacted Customer Service at Keystone and sent pictures.  We are waiting for their reply, but doubtful they will offer any help. 

Again thanks for the comments! 

Help from RV-Dreamers

Here are the pictures from the Montana roof:

There are actually two of these tears, one about a half an inch and the other about an 1-1/2".  

Anyone reading the blog and able to give comments on proper repair or concerns we should have will be appreciated.  Fifth wheel roof is totally different then the Airstream.  We are concerned as we plan to be out for 3 months and want to get this issue fixed before we leave. 

Thanks.

Getting ready for a new season

I cannot believe it is near the end of May and we haven't been out in either the Montana or the Airstream!  The time is drawing close though, we have a long weekend coming up with some of the Jones (nieces and Dave's brother) and an Airstream rally three days after the family trip.  So today we sanitized the fresh water tank in the Montana and started the spring cleaning.  Next week will be doing the same for the Airstream.  Dave also got up on the roof of the Montana and gave it a good scrubbing.  The seals all look good but he found two small tears, one about an inch and the other less then 1/2 inch, that he will have to repair. The awning and slide toppers receive a good cleaning also.  Tomorrow I will finish the cleaning on the inside and then start the packing and organizing of supplies, clothes and kitchen items.  

The remainder of the week will be spent cleaning the house as we have family coming for a Memorial Day cookout and getting food prepared. I also have a quarterly check-up with my rheumatologist.  I have now been giving myself shots for three months and I have to say it has been easier and less traumatic then I anticipated. 

In seven short weeks, we will head out with Dave's niece and her husband for YELLOWSTONE and THE TETONS.  We will spend about 12 days with them before we head further west for our 2-1/2 month adventure in the Pacific Northwest.  Posts will be a lot more frequent and will contain more pictures.  Getting excited!!!

To hold you over picture-wise, here is a picture to show Dave's hard work this spring, planting bushes and trees in the front yard. 

I have been enjoying learning how to cook on my new toy that I received as a belated birthday gift from Dave, a Kamado Joe cooker.  It grills, smokes, bakes, and roasts.  The fire can get as high as 900 degrees!  Or you can smoke or roast as low as 175 degrees. 

And last but definitely not least, this spring has included spending time with our family including our two grandbabies. 

Will definitely miss everyone while we are traveling!  😍

Well that is our latest update, but check back soon as posts will be getting frequent now with trips coming up.