Ok... Here is an update of our trip west!! We left August 3 and arrived home October 12. A total of 10 weeks on the road. We traveled the northern route to the west, then we took the southern route along the Oregon Coast to Calif. We then went EAST to Utah then south to Zion Park etc. Then back across to Las Vegas for a week.
From Vegas we headed south to Arizona to travel Rt 66 for a few miles 100 miles off and on Rt 40 to see the old Rt 66. We then arrived in Albuquerque,NM. to the Balloon Fiesta. We arrived monday to rest for 5 days then onto the field at the Fiesta. We were joined with 103 Airstreams for this Rally. WOW is all we can say about the people and the Balloon Show we saw each day.
We left at tuesday noon for Home?? We took Rt 40 east then at Tucumcari we followed Rt 54 north. This was a nice drive without all the trucks and speed limit was 60 mph all along the way. Thru Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, then Missouri where we stopped at the Lake Ozarks for a rest. 3 days later we are headed east on Rt 54 to St. Louis. We hit a detour along the beltway which took us downtown right past the St. Louis Arch... Awesome... Then onto Indianapolis to Rt 70. We stayed on Rt 70 to the Penna. Turnpike. We took that to the Bradford Exit then north to Raystown Lake for a few days. We woke up on wednesday to rain and I said lets hitchup one more time and head for home. We drove in the rain for the first time in 70 days to get home. The trip had been sunny everyday till now(hard to believe isn't it?). We arrived home at 2pm on wednesday to our waiting family.
This ends our DREAM Trip to the West Coast and the Balloon Fiesta. We drove a total of 11,241 miles and stayed at 27 different places along the way. And also traveling thru 21 different states along the way.
This country has so much to see, we have to do it again someday. Here is a better closeup of the map.. https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/MapOf2011Trip#
Click on the map to make it bigger.
God Bless... AirstreamHobo and Mom

Watch Out!! For the Airstreamers!! That WDCU Unit had a Rally outside of Manheim this past weekend. Since it was only 4 miles away I decided to join them on thursday. Then on friday 3 of my grand kids joined me also. We had a funfilled weekend with pumpkins, hayride, trick or treating, also Installation of their 2012 officers. There were 29 rigs present, Pa.,Va.,NH.,NJ., Md., Del.,NY.,Del. Ontario too. Some toured the area for Chocolate, shops,Amish Stores, and even the local RV Dealer for parts. A good time was had by All!!
On saturday night , they had Installation of officers followed by a great cooked meal made by a local resturant. We picked it up and had our own buffet line. There was so much extra food that we packed the extras and delivered it to Ruhl's Church(my church) . They repacked it after church sunday in take out meal boxes. They then took it out to needy families for them to enjoy. See Pictures of the weekend...
https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/WDCUInstallationOct2011#

Here is a where we stayed in at the Ozarks, Mo. Cross Creek Campground, It had a long dirt road to get there, very dusty!! But the view from the airstream was worth it! The scenes from Rt. 54 were awesome colors as the trees here started to turn many colors. Here are some pictures.. https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/SpecialShotsAlongRt54#

Here are some pictures from the Balloon Grounds. The car show and some of the booths. Yes we are home now, I will post more pictures and blogs as I collect all my thoughts. It is time to clean up from the flood damage. Our boys have done a great job restoring the house. Now mom and I have to sort through all the items to put back or throw out!! Stuff ? Do we really need all this ?? See the pictures from the grounds.
https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/ScenesFromTheBalloonGrounds#

https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/BalloonSpecialShots2011#

Here are a few shots from the Balloon Rally. There are many many more! I will post later. We had such a great time here, 5 days is too short. It does last 9 days but our Rally was 5 days. The Airstreamers were so much fun to be with. Pot luck with 103 dishes was too much!! You didn't starve! That's for sure.
There were 103 Airstreams here from all over USA, we were the only ones from Penna. Enjoy the pictures.. It is so hard to pick from my main album to show you but this will cover most of it for now.. Balloons, Fireworks, there was even a car show.
God Bless AirstreamHobo and mom

Sept. 29, Here we are at Enchanted Trails for 4 days just resting and doing nothing!! laundry, grocery shopping, visiting old town, and I even washed the airstream. Tomorrow at 9am we convoy into the Balloon Fiesta with 100 other airstreams. So far we already had a happy hour with some to get to know each other. The water tanks are filled, sewer empty and batteries charged. We are boondocking for 5 days with no hookups. I am Ready!! To click click a few balloons? I will post pictures in a few days after the Rally, right now too much fun to post!

Sept 24, saturday, We leave Cottonwood after visiting Verde Days at the Lagoon. This was a day for families to fish and see the local clubs. We left at noon for Sedona. We went thru Sedona to catch Rt 17 after driving straight up the mountain on Rt 89 a we finally got to Rt 17 then onto Rt 40 East!! We stopped at Winslow to see the Rt 66 sights and continued on. Stopping at "Root 66 "Camp for the night. Only $15.50 a night. This was owned and run by an Indian family, very gracious hosts. They said it is slow this year.
Sept 25, Sunday , we leave at noon and drive Rt 40 for about 100 miles and enter New Mexico. We drive to exit #79 to Grant,NM. arrived at Bar "S"
campground. Only $17.00 for the night with full hookups. The place is full because people are arriving now for the Balloon Rally in Albuquerque.
We can hardly wait. We leave in the am for Enchanted Trails RV Park to meet many other Airstreamers,we want to rest for 4 days before the party begins!! Here are todays pictures of Rt 66
https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/CottonwoodSedonaWinslowToRt66ToGrantsNM#
God Bless.. AirstreamHobo and Mom

Wednesday, Sept 23, We are camped at Cottonwood,Az. for 3 days at Dead Horse Park. I didn't see any dead horses yet? We drove up to Jerome and saw the hillside town that used to be a mining Town. Now it is an art/craft town, we walked the streets and had fun looking at the sights. Then we drove the Mingus highway over the mountain for 12 miles and back.The view was spectacular! See album https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/JeromeAZ?authkey=Gv1sRgCMTf39rF0oP1wwE#

Tuesday, Sept 20, Today we drove to Dewey, AZ. to met up with Pee Wee Schwamborn an Airstream Friend! He was the son of Helen Schwamborn who was the start of WBCCI and started and planned many Airstream Caravans all over the World. Pee Wee was the advance scout on the Capetown to Cairo Caravan over 50 years ago. His airstream experiences are mind boggling!!! Just to sit and see his scrap books were like sitting with living history. We then left for Prescott to see the rocks and city. We spent the day taking pictures everywhere. Thanks to Pee Wee & Sue for your Hospitailty and Friendship. We will see them again at the Balloon Rally next week. See the pictures
https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/DayWithPeeWeeInPrescottAZ#

Sat, Sept 17, We left for Arizona, we drove down Rt 93 to Rt 66, stopping for information and maps of Rt. 66 in Kingman, AZ. Rt. 66 is a road of the old days of the 50's & 60's before Interstate Highway system. My favorite stop was Hackenberry's Gas/Store Station. This place was a photographers paradise too. See the Album to see what I mean, Enjoy!! https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/ViewAlongRt66Interesting#

Here is a separate Album for Hackenberry's Store.
https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/HackenberryStore#

Friday, Sept. 16th, we spent the week in the Vegas area enjoying the sights. Today we went into Las Vegas to see the town during the day. There was lost to see and we got back at 10pm that night. The people were friendly and spoke many languages. Here is a album to see some of the sights. https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/DaytimeInLasVegas#

Hi everyone, I just wanted to give you an update. Most of you know that our hometown was flooded and had severe damage to a lot of homes. I sent out an email telling my followers that I will not be posting a blog for a while. I cannot talk about our travels when so many back home are having a rough time trying to clean & find a place to live.
We had 6-9" of water in our home, but our sons/wives & friends jumped in there and cleaned it all up. They told us to continue our trip and come home afterwards. We are so Thankful for Family & Friends for helping. I know I am not posting a blog, but some have requested pictures. So I know pictures are worth a thousand words. I have downloaded a few albums for you to see. Go this album
https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/HooverDamLasVegas#
and when finished look up at top and click on Airstreamhobo's Gallery to get the other albums posted , then you can click on them to see. I hope you all understand our feelings about Manheim & Friends.We are in Las Vegas near Hoover Dam at this time. We have 2 weeks yet till the Balloon Rally then we will head home!!
God Bless everyone!! AirstreamHobo & Mom

The Mormon Church in Salt Lake City, Utah. Here are some pictures
https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/TempleSquareSalitLakeCityUtah#

Sunday, September 5, We meet up with Steve & Linda Koreny at the Copper Mine. They are members of Central Penn Unit and are also traveling in the West. Awesome to see them and swap stories so far about our trips.
We tour the mine and then leave to find a campground. We stop at one, it is full onto the next one. The sign says full but they had 2 campers leave today, so we are in luck. We set up and get together for a evening chat. Planning for tomorrow, we will see the downtown of Salt Lake City.
Monday, September 6, we leave at 10 am and go downtown to Temple Square where the Mormons have their Church and Conference Center. We first drive up to the Capital Building and take a self guided tour. Next off to Temple square, we park right across the street. Free parking, Labor Day! Now we eat first then the tour begins. We get a tour of the Conference Center, Wow, lots to see.. see the pictures. The place is massive. The audutorium holds 21,000 people. The organ has 8,000 pipes. There is even a garden on the roof. We have a freee guide to learn all the areas. 4 hours later we are ready to sit in the van. Pictures
https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/CopperMineUtah#5649500050639248722

Here is Rt. 80 across Nevada, It is the most boring! 400 miles of highway, 75 MPH Limit, I set the cruise at 65 and didn't touch the gas pedal for 125 miles. Time to stop for fuel then off again. We made it till 7pm and stopped for the night at "Loves" truck stop. We were surrounded by trucks for the night. There was a fuel, McDonalds and a Casino all in one place. We did 350 miles today and it was Boring!!

Here we are at Mystery Trees attraction in California. There was a Indian Artifact Museum here too. The largest private collection of Indian things collected by a 97 year old Indian lady and she still collects everyday. The flower garden was beautiful too. we left here and headed for Sacremento to reach Rt. 80 east. We stopped at a rest stop for the night at 10 pm. We woke up at 7 am and headed to Nevada. We hit the Nevada border and drove 350 miles today.

The Redwoods are bigger than the van!

That is Big!!!

How many hugs to surround the tree?

We made it!! to California!!

Thursday, September 1, 2011.... We made it to California, first we went under an inspection at the border for Gypsy Moth(she said Penna. is known for them) carrier. The young lady search over and crawled by creeper under the Airstream with her flashlight. We passed and got a yellow pass good for one year.

We found a campground near the entrance of the Redwood Forrest. We unhooked and drove the van thru the massive trees for 10 miles thru the dirt road, narrow at times. We stopped several times to marvel at the large trees!!

Here are pictures from the past week to see ... 3 Albums to see..

https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/OregonRt1011#

More.. httphttps://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/Oregon4#

More.. https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/Oregon3#

Any comments, would love to hear from you!! e-mail me obclown@ptd.net

God Bless.... AirstreamHobo and Mom

Wednesday, August 31, we leave camp at 11 am and continue down Rt. 101, this is the most beautiful drive I ever took, the ocean has it's wonders and beauty at every turn in the lookouts. I pass a restaurant with cars all over the roof, I stop and walk in. There are 2 49' Fords with the interior changed to a table and benches as a booth for you to sit in while you eat. That was cool, also many old signs of yesteryear on the walls.
Back on the road, more lookouts to stop and see. We arrive at Bullards Beach State Park for the night($24.00/nite) We get a nice shaded spot to relax. Tonight is country entertainment for the camp, I think I will go? I did go and see Mark Madden, he had a great mix of country songs for an hour. Back to camp for a campfire till 9:30 pm. zzzzZZ zz .....
God Bless, AirstreamHobo and Mom

Tuesday, August 30, we drive along the coast to take in the sights again. This time we stop at Yaquina Head Lighthouse. This is a National Park, so we gain free entrance. We stop at the visitors center for a little history and a short film on this area. Then off to the lighthouse, there is a lot of steps down to the water here. There is cobble stones(made from lava flows made into round stones). I walked down about 6 sets of steps to see the lighthouse from the water, the lighthouse is high on a hill overlooking the ocean. I met a volunteer who explains the rocks and also the animals that can be found in the water when the tide is out. They asked that you not take any cobblestones with you(I think that’s why he was here, to make sure you don't). You should hear the sound of the stones when water hits and leaves the shoreline. It sounds like applause all the time. It is also very hard to walk down here, they are like giant marbles. Now to wall back up the steps to the top.. Huff .. huff.. even the kids were slow by the top. Mom and I tour the lighthouse and take a mini-tour. I elected not to climb those steps too. The view is wonderful up and down the coast.
We then drive down the coast checking out the waterfront. I pass a wood carver making bears and cowboys.. Cool. Then we find a Crab Shack for lunch and stop in for some local fish. Mom got Shrimp basket, I got the Halibut with fries, very good. The place was a poplar place for everyone.
Tonight we buy firewood to enjoy. Just relaxing watching the fire tonight. The sun was hiding all day, so we didn't go over to the beach for sunset.

We also stop to see the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, there are 2 here in Newport. This one is downtown overlooking the waterway into the docks, near a big bridge that crosses over Newport. Enough sightseeing today back to the camper. We walk out under the bridge at the camp to the ocean at 7:45 pm to see the sunset. It was ok, there were several people also watching. The tide sure goes out far and there is a wide beach from parking lot to the water, lots of driftwood is left behind. ZZZZZ
Pictures .. https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/NewportOregon#

Monday, August 29, We leave here early in am and drive down Rt. 101 stopping at overlooks and enjoying the ocean and the shoreline. We arrive in the Newport area and stop at Beverly Beach State Park for 2 nights($26.00/nite). We have a nice shaded spot in the back loop(G-3) There are not many sites left, the Ranger tells us they have been full since June 1st. We unhook and drive to down town Newport and find the historic waterfront. There we see a fish processing plant on the docks. The boats are coming in for the day with their catches. The waterfront is lined with big and small boats.
We hear barking off in the distance, we go to seek out this noise. Here the sea lions are on a rock island 50 feet off shore and also below one of the docks on a lower dock just for them. They are Big, some over 1,000 lbs. and very loud in their barking voice. We stop and watch them swim and basked in the sun. They crawl over each other to get a spot on the dock, fun to watch them belly around.

We stop for groceries at Fred Meyers store. There is the Oscar Mayer mobile here handing out stickers and wiener whistles. Of course I have to have one!! I told the girl I am from Penna. , she says she is too! I ask where she said Lancaster County, Wow !! another Lancaster County find in the west. She graduated from Penn State with a marketing degree and Oscar Mayer hired her to drive the northwest promoting their products!!
Down 101 we go next stop a campground. We stopped at the next park, Lookout Point. But they were 100% Full, they directed us to a county park down the road 8 miles. Nice little camp, no hookups($20.00/night) but the view was worth it, right along the inlet waterwayscounty park down the road 8 miles. Nice little camp, no hookups($20.00/night) but the view was worth it, right along the inlet waterways. Supper time then a walk, time to ZZZZ More Pictures https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/Oregon#

God Bless, AirstreamHobo & Mom

We then find a state park called Fort Stevens, the sign says Full. But there is always room for one more (me, I hope?)... Yes there is, we take site I Loop # 70 with full hookups for $27.00/night. We set up and cruise Astoria after supper. There is an airstream next to us but they ignored us, I waved but no response. Sometimes that happens????
Sunday, August 28, we leave to travel down Rt.101 and stop at various turn outs and views of the ocean. The rocky coast is beautiful. We see a fishing/ crab shack and decided to stop and check it out. I watch the man clean lots of crabs. There were crabbers out on the dock netting them as we were there. I met a man, George, and started asking questions, What he said, you never ate a Dungeness Crab before? He said he would give us one to try after they were steamed for 20 minutes. We waited and he did give me one, he even cleaned it and showed me how. Mom said she would try some of mine...Wow, this is GOOD!! He asked me later and Mom and I gave him 2 thumbs up!! His wife showed up with another crab for us to eat.. yum, yum. We enjoyed this stop and the locals were friendly to everyone and took the time to explain our questions about these BIG Crabs. So if you are in the area , stop at Jetty Fishery Marina for an awesome crab meal. Pictures are here.. https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/OregonRt1011#

Friday, August 26, we decided to stay another day, stuff to do. We headed for the laundromat, while mom does laundry, I head for the hospital for my monthly blood work. The test is short and sweet and my results are the same medicine prescription. Back to pickup Mom. I then wash the airstream and van after 4 weeks of road dirt on both, they shine again!! Then we relax the rest of day.
Saturday, August 27, we leave and go to the Columbia Water Gorge, there is supposed to be a large waterfall there. They are right, it is huge and beautiful. Then back to the highway for the Oregon Rt. 101 along the west coast. A total of 150 miles back to Longview, Wa. where we started this am. We follow the road to the coast and look for Astoria. This is a little waterfront town with many little restaurants and thrift shops. But the waterfront is fabulous, there are at least 4 big freighters waiting to dock. We see one being pushed by a tugboat into place.

Thursday, August 25, We leave Mt. Rainier and head for Mt. St. Helens in Washington. It is only a short time less than 2 hours we arrive in the area. First we stop at the Visitors Center and read about the history and also see a film on it. We then leave and stop at a State Park across the street, The rate was $29.00 for elec/water but also they wanted $10.00 per day for a Discovery Pass.
We decided to keep going and stopped at Mt. St. Helens Resort about 6 miles later. Their full hookup rate was $22./night. We paid and stayed the night. It was still only 1 pm so we unhitches and traveled 47 miles up the road to The Mt. St. Helens viewing point and watched 2 movies on it. When the screen opened up, there was the Mountain in full view..Ahh..Ahh!!
We walked around and took in the view. It was a long drive up and back 94 miles all together but very scenic overlooks. We stopped at "Patty's Place" for supper. We ate on the back porch overlooking the river behind the restaurant. The food was good, but they are know for their Cobbler Desert. But we declined, too full. Back to camper ZZZZZ

Mt. St. Helens. Washington State

August 25, Thursday, Today we drive 100 miles to see Mt. St. Helens. What a wonderful drive , just see the pictures!! https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/MtStHelens#

I am tired and had a great time today, but now it is time for ZZZZZZZZZ God Bless, AirstreamHobo & Mom

Mt. Rainier, Washington State

We even get lost in Tacoma but we do find our way to the right road to Mt. Rainier and stop at first camp (White River Camp) . The sites are too small and trees have fallen everywhere. We head down the road to the next one, Ohanapecosh Campground. There are plenty of sites, we pick # A-47 and pay for 2 nights, only $15/nite = $30, but we pay only $15/for 2 nights (Senior Pass discount, see it pays to be old!!!). No Hookups but that’s Ok. The Cedar pines are at least 100 feet high and tower over everything. We settle in for the night. The running river over on the next loop is relaxing to hear. ZZZZ

Tuesday, August 23, We grab the park map and head for Sun Rise Visitor Center about 35 miles away. The up the mountain drive is awesome, every turn gives you a different look at Mt. Rainier. There is snow on the forest ground and the air is getting cooler. There are many turn outs to stop and enjoy, Click, click, I don't want to miss a shot. When we get there there is lots and lots of wildflowers growing in the fields. They add color to the mountain top. There are many photographers walking around for different shot exposures. This is also a Photo Heaven!!
Now we head down the mountain and up the next one for 50 miles to "Paradise" Visitors Center. This is a large visitor center with many exhibits and even a movie explaining the Mt. Rainier Mountain and it's history. We are 5,400 feet high and closest to the mountain here. Again the drive was quite beautiful and a great day for a drive. Today we covered 140 miles inside the park and are bushed!
When we return, we learn the the water main has broken and will out of service till Friday. They are asking campers to move on if they need water. Luckily we have the tank full and can make it for a few days. ZZZZ by 9 pm Good Night!
Wednesday, August 24, (4 months till Christmas Eve. ) Today we decide to stop and take a rest and pay for another day. Relax is the order of the day!! I did get the Dutch Oven out and make a Hot Dog with Bake Beans and Potatoes in the pot. This was heated by 25 coals of charcoal on the lid(14) and under the bottom (11) of the oven makes it hot enough to cook. This was my first time to cook with it and the meal came out pretty good. No smoke detectors going off outside! Relax.. no miles today.. just a walk around the camp and read books.
Tonight I decided to take in another Ranger Program at the Ambitheater(?) , it was on Mt. Rainier and it's nature surroundings. Believe it or not, the Ranger, Nikole Rutters was from Lancaster County , Pa. How small is that? She is here on a geological grant from Millersville for the summer. Great program, very interesting. we chatted after the program. Click for pictures https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/MtRainier#
Good Night ZZZZ...
God Bless.... AirstreamHobo & Mom

The "Obie " Nose

Monday, August 22, We leave camp by 8 am and head west on Rt. 90. I see Diesel for $4.39( I said No Way!!) continued down the highway for 50 miles and here it is for $4.09 so I fill up. We follow the beautiful 4 lane highway thru Washington State. Up and down the mountains we go!!
Note: Just to let you know the grasshoppers have destroyed the "Obie" Nose on the front grill of the van, at 65 MPH the bugs just crushed it!! The van is now naked!

50,000 Silver Dollars are here on display!!
Sunday, August 21, After breakfast, we break camp and leave. We stop at McDonalds for a senior coffee (only .75 each) and get free wireless. We then leave and head west on Rt. 90, a nice 4 lane highway up and down the mountains of Montana. Yes it is "The Big Sky State"!
We see signs for Silver Dollar Gift shop all along the Route. Finally, we stop in to see the tourist trap? The walls are filled with over 50,000 Silver Dollars implanted in wooden boards with peoples name carved under the $$ so you can see who left a silver dollar here. There are a lot of good stuff "Cheap" here! They even have Free Rv parking out back with 30 amp hookup. But it is only 2 pm and we want to continue on.
We cross over into Idaho for a short distance then into Washington State. Passing through Spokane on Rt. 90 to Cheney, we find a campground along a lake. We get the last site. Then we eat and head for the lake for a swim...refreshing!!! Time to relax for tomorrow...ZZZZ
God Bless AirstreamHobo &Mom

Mom resting at WalMart for the night!!

Saturday, August 20, It's morning , time to hookup and leave. We take the time to dump and talk to Sally Walters(Host) for one last time, she was collecting your post site cards from all when leaving. We head back to Rt. 12 and head south around Glacier Park. We travel all the way around to the west side ( we couldn't take airstream up over Logan Pass) at Browning we take Rt. 12 west. Beautiful drive and easy on the hills. We then take Rt. 93 south.. pass Flathead Lake and follow the highway all the way south along the waterfront. The water was so blue almost painted. Many boaters are in this lake as it is a public owned water way. Many houses had boat docks at their back/front yards.
We see many Indian villages along the way. Many abandon vehicles in yards too. We take Rt. 93 all the way to Missoula, Mo. At the first exit of Rt. 90 we find a Super Walmart to shop and also spend the night. There are about 12 rigs here for the night. I went in to ask permission from the manager. He said Yes, but no setting up swimming pools in the Lot but if I break out the grill, I am to call him to eat!! He said very few people ask permission, so he appreciated me asking. Parking Fee.. $00.00 Shopping costs.. $31.00 ( not a free night ). Mom and I eat then sit outside along the airstream and watch more rigs pull in for the night. Time to ZZZ.. God Bless AirstreamHobo and Mom

Chuck & Sally Walters... Camp Hosts at St. Marys' Camp

Friday, August 19, Today we relax at the camp till noon. WE then leave for a short dive to Many Glacier, a scenic drive also. It is only 21 miles to there. We pass the Lake Sherburne to get to the Many Glacier Hotel. This is a swiss looking hotel right on the water front of the lake. The front porch is a treat just to sit and watch the lake. Some kayak and canoe here, what a beautiful back drop. This place is only open 3 months a year then the snow comes to the roof top for the winter!! Brr. Brr! We walk thru the lobby to see the lounge and gift shop. The hotel rooms start at $200/nite. They even have horse back riding the trails for 1/2 days and all day rides. One thing we noticed all week was the Red Cars for touring the whole park. They had day trips from every hotel and visitor centers thru out the park. Rates were very reasonable too. The cars had an open top and sat 17 passengers with a guided tour by the driver with many stops of interest. I tthink there are 33 cars in the park, one even takes you to To Prince of Wales Hotel, in Canada for a day trip and back.
We arrive back at camp and meet with the camp hosts, Sally and Chuck Walters, from Woodstock, Va. They are here for 6 weeks to Host. They give us ideas where to travel next heading west and then south. We got many suggestions. They are Airstreamers Too!
Tonight at the Visitors Center there is an Astrology Star Show in the parking lot at 9:30 pm. I decided to go and learn something. There are about 25 of us and 3 teachers that volunteer to talk about the stars. They use laser lights to point out all the star clusters. I only knew about Big Dipper and the Small one. They had telescopes set up for us to see the stars and the Milky Way. The Moon also came up and I looked through the scope, awesome to see the craters on the moon. Also the International Space Station flew by every 92 minutes and we saw it at 10:51 pm, it lasted about 3 minutes over the sky. One teacher showed us how to take picture shots of the stars too, Fascinating !! I arrived back at camp at midnight! ZZZZ click for pictures .. https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/WestGlacier#
God Bless.. AirstreamHobo and Mom

Here are 2 women who were kayaking taking a break on Mac Donald Lake shore .


Thursday, Aug 18, Today I thought I would surprise mom with ready made breakfast? I made sausage and scramble eggs, juice and coffee. Thank God for 2 fantastic fans to let the smoke out of the Airstream. I think the smoke alarm woke up mom? Mom made breakfast from here on out...Hee Hee.
The sky clouds were low over the mountains and we left early to capture the right light for pictures.. AWESOME VIEW! Then we continued on thru Logan Pass, there was construction all along the narrow road. Sometimes we had to wait in line for 15 minutes to let other traffic pass by. The masons were laying stone wall along the road edge. The mountain side was right along the road and sometimes we had to let others pass first and also close in our outside mirrors so they don't hit. Mom took pictures as we climbed the mountain and going down too. There were some pull offs to get out and enjoy the view. We could see the water melting off the snow making small and large waterfalls. We continued on to Mac Donald's Lake, a large lake on the west side of the mountains. we stopped at the village too. These places are only open for 3-4 months a year. Logan Pass was just opened on July 7th this year. Now the return trip back to St. Mary's, yes the same road delays on the way back, but the slow movement made for a great view of the mountains. I don't know how some small motor homes made the squeeze but they did. No Towed vehicles allowed over Logan Pass. I bet some rental motor homes had scrapes and scratches when returned. What a great day for pictures and memories too!
God Bless, AirstreamHobo and Mom

Tuesday, Aug 16, We head for Great Falls and continue on to Shelby, Mo. Well, I know where all the railroad cars hang out. We find a town park in Shelby for the night to relax after 300 miles today($18/nite). Maybe tomorrow we will see Glacier Park? Montana sure is a BIG State! The roadside is interesting to see. Large ranches and small towns of less than 30 are here. Time to ZZZZ...
Wednesday, Aug 17, Up and ready to go only a few more miles? We arrive at noon at Glacier National Park. Our senior pass gets us in Free (see.. being old has advantages!) We then check in at St. Mary's camp. Only $11.50( Senior Price) a nite. NO Hookups! So we fill up with water and empty the dump tank, so we are set for the next 4 days/ 3 nites. We get a beautiful site over looking the camp and a direct view of the mountains. WOW! What a view! After leaving home and driving 2,900 miles we are here!
Let me say this , you can not take a bad picture here. Everything is picture perfect. We drive up to Logan Pass Visitor station today. Here we see deer, Ram Sheep<9 of them> and also a mountain goat just wanders around the parking lot staring at us. I think he was posing for pictures too! The air is brisk here all over the mountain. The small water falls, glacier snow, the lake is blue from glacier melting and the wildflowers thru out the area are just great to see. Back to the Airstream to relax and watch the sunset. ZZZZ
https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/GlacierPark#
God Bless, AirstreamHobo and Mom

Welcome to Montana!!
Monday, August 15, We leave the camp(Bowman, ND.) Headed west on Rt. 12. Down the road we run into construction which winds thru the mountains on a dirt/gravel road. We even have a lead truck show us which lane to be in. This goes on for 7 miles at 20 MPH. I thought I was in Alaska on these roads. the dust was kicking up and we drove with the windows closed. We stopped at Plevna, for a lunch snack in the airstream, and parked next to a closed old station, also across from a grain elevator that was closed up.
Then back to a regular road to Forsyth then west on Rt. 12 toward Roundup, Montana. We drove for 60 miles only passing 4-5 cars/trucks along the way. wow what a lonely highway, speed limit was 65 but it was still boring. We passed 2 small villages along the way. One had a population of 19 ??? What do these people do over winter? When we arrived in Roundup, We were ready for an early rest. We stayed at a motel with Campground, full hookups with cable and wi-fi. This was a long day, I think we covered about 245 miles. Time to relax.... Pictures..
https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/Rt12InMontana#
God Bless ..AirstreamHobo and Mom

Sunset in Bowman, No. Dakota

Sunday, Aug. 14th, we started heading West thru So. Dakota following Rt. 12. This is a 2 lane highway for the most part. Speed limit is only 65-75 in some parts. The country side is beautiful to see. We hit a detour which takes us 45 miles around the town. However, we did get see thousands of acres of Sun Flowers blooming!! Gorgeous!! There are many old farms left to rot along the road too, the bigger farms (some are 1,000 acres or more) are buying them up. We see a lot of Harvesters in the fields at work. There is a lot of equipment to support them, trucks, trailers, bailers, combines. We even saw a convoy of 3 tractors on flat beds and equipment heading to the next field.
The land is flat for the most ,then we started gaining on the hills, going higher and higher. We pass a lot of little towns along the way. Even driving thru an Indian Reservation seeing them and their homes scattered in the fields. There are lots of Casinos too (run by Indians). We arrive in No. Dakota and drive to Bowman, they have a town park at the edge of town. Electric hookup only ($20/nite), but water is available for fill up. Showers Too! There are about 20 units here, some are transit workers.
370 miles today, all I did was set the cruise at 64 and steer for the most of the way. Only in So. D. can you drive 65 mph down a highway ..stop in the lane.. and take pictures for 5 minutes and not see another vehicle!! Yes that is true! Pictures.. Click here.. https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/SouthDakota?authkey=Gv1sRgCO6zkcOa14vjswE#
After supper, I looked outside to see a red sky starting to show. I went out side with camera in hand. I watched the sunset for an hour, taking many shots and even the moon was sharp looking tonight! What an Awesome Sunset in the West!! God sure paints a beautiful picture for all to enjoy!!!!!! Click here for pictures... https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/SunsetInND#

Tomorrow , we should be in Montana heading for Glacier National Park, I can hardly wait to see the scenery!!
God Bless... AirstreamHobo and Mom

I-80 Iowa Truck Stop

Friday, August 12, We leave Davenport, and head west on Rt. 80. After about 10 miles we stop at I-80 Iowa Truck Stop, the World's Largest Truck Stop. This main store has everything, even a full size 18 wheeler in the store. There are numerous fast food restaurants also. Everything for the trucker driver to eat or buy accessories for his truck. There is even showers for use (only $12.00, I tried to get mom a shower with a trucker save $6.00) But she said NO WAY!! The parking lot holds 800 18 wheelers.

Across the parking lot was also a Antique Truck Museum to see. There were about 20 trucks to see. We spent some time looking and reading the descriptions to each truck. Pictures.. https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/BestOfTruckStop#

We continue on to Missouri Valley, a small town with a town park for camping, only $12.00 a night. Nice setting ...HOWEVER!!! There is a train track behind the park. All night long at least 3 trains an hour passed thru..... 3 blasts of the horn because there was a R/R crossing 1 block away. They were 3-4 engines pulling 100 coal & freight and 2 engines pushing. ZZZ Horns .. ZZZ.. Horn. Pictures.. https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/IowaToSDakota?authkey=Gv1sRgCMn81df7_6jEsAE#

Saturday, Aug 13, We wake up at 7 am (wonder why??) They are still passing thru........ we leave by 8 am and head north on Rt. 29 toward South Dakota. We stopped at the visitors center in S. Dakota for maps and info. We are told to stop at Redlin Art Center ( www.redlin.com ) with all pictures painted by Terry Redlin... Wow!!! What a building and also the paintings were Fantastic. 3 floors of exhibits. It was awesome to stand back and just take it all in, all seasons were done. He did a lot of paintings for Ducks Unlimited, his works helped them raise over 30 Million Dollars in fund raising over the years. His paintings will live on forever. We had to get a lithograph of one of the winter cabin scenes.
Off to North Rt. 29 to Rt. 12 west , we drove till 6:30 and stopped in Webster, S.D. at a town park again (only $12.50 a night with full hookups. Today was 325 miles...See the pictures...

God Bless...AirstreamHobo and Mom

Touring all the John Deere Attractions


Aug 11, Thursday, Today we take a look around Davenport and Moline, Iowa. We drive downtown to the John Deere Pavilion to see the displays. We hear that the harvester plant has a tour at 12:30 a few blocks away. We arrive and they are full but a lady suggests to the desk girl that they may have no shows, so wait for a few minutes. We are lucky to get a spot on the tour.
We see a 20 minute film then load up on little wagon seats to be towed by a John Deere riding tractor. Dale is our guide and Bill is the driver. We get a 1 1/2 hour tour of the plant. 221 acres of ground with 77 acres under roof. They make harvesters here for all over the states. There are 4 plants world wide. All harvesters are ordered before being made with a 8 month waiting period. They sell for $330,00 plus $30-$50,000 for each front attachments.. corn picker, cotton pickers or wheat combines. All people who purchase them arrive to see the final assembly. They are the first one to turn on the motor to start it for the first time. There are many robot workers here, welding, painting, metal cutting, as well as overhead tracks to carry pieces from start to finish.
We left there and returned to the Pavilion to finish looking around then off to Headquarters for another tour. There they also had a big floor display of new products. They also had a full wall of antique John Deere items.. Then back to the airstream, mom said she is tired of seeing GREEN today!! Here are some pictures of the day https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/JohnDeereTours#

God Bless, AirstreamHobo and Mom

A visit with "American Pickers"

Well it's Monday August 8, We leave camp and head for Rt. 80 WEST!! We drive about 300 miles a day average and arrive at P&S Trailer Service in Helena, Ohio. They have courtesy parking out back of their garage, full hookups for free. Next morning I take a quick tour of the Airstreams they are refurbishing. Some brought in for a full overhaul and the rest come for accident repairs. Most are here for a new polished coat on the aluminum. I saw some just about done, I could shave in the mirror shine. Pictures
https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/PSAirstream8911#
Aug. 9, Tuesday, We leave on Rt. 6 Ohio and head for the west again. We pass thru a lot of little towns then connect to Rt. 24 into Indiana then into Illinois. We stop for the night in Carlock, near Normal Ill. They said I couldn't stay in Normal so we went to Carlock. We stopped at Kamp Komfort RV Park & Campground right off Rt. 74. Beautiful Camp that used to be a KOA, this place was clean. we arrived at 6 pm and tired after 370 miles today. They had a pool, so Mom and I changed and headed for the pool. We were the only ones there for a hour. We finally ate supper at 8 pm.
Aug 10, Wednesday, We follow Rt. 74 toward Davenport, Iowa, We cross the Mississippi River, as we are crossing we see Tug Boats pushing barges along the river. We stop at the Welcome Center for Iowa for maps. We find out we are 1/2 mile from the TV Show "American Pickers" on the History channel. We find a parking spot along the narrow streets and take a look. I saw many things that Mike & Frank have found in the TV Show on display for sale too. Sorry!! They are out doing a show. I took a few shots too! We headed down the road to Lakeside Rv. Park, a Passport Campground. When we arrive there were only 2 sites left. We were setting up when a motor home arrived and took the last spot, more came later but were turned away. We are staying 2 days so we can tour the area, John Deere is headquartered here and have lots to see tomorrow. Click for pictures
https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/AmericanPickers#
God Bless AirstreamHobo and Mom

Woodsmen Carnival Rally..Aug 5-7, 2011

We left August 3rd, for a trip across the USA. We packed up and headed for Austin, Potter County, Pa. for a 5 day Unit Rally. We arrived at Austin Campground and setup and met fellow Airstreamers, Bates, Davis, Landvaters, Olshefski's, Jacobs, Linda Bell(who lives 2 blocks from camp) and Guests too, Fowlers from New York, Loudens from Holtwood, Pa., and Glouners from Naples ,Fl. What a fun bunch.
We had a few campfires, toured the area and went to the Woodsmen Show at Cherry Springs State Park. On sat it drizzled all day and made for a wet time. But we enjoyed the Lumber Jack Show and watched the chain saw carvers in action. Even in the rain the place was full and well attended. The food vendors kept us full too, Pulled Bar-B-Q Pork, curly fries, just to name a few. Some of the pictures I took came out gray due to the dark skies all day. All the carvings were for sale too, great prices too.
We even went out to the Wharton Store for Ice Cream and bought some block cheese cut off the round roll with a big knife. We even went next door to the hotel for the Famous "Bonnie Burgers" They were the best! We watch the Pocono 500 while eating. The hotel had Dollar Bills autographed and stapled everywhere, I was told over 4,000 are on the walls.
We also took a side trip to the Austin Dam to see the destruction caused back in 1911 and 78 lives were lost. We also saw a lot of deer grazing along the wood line. We had a Great Rally and everyone had a Great Time, Thanks to all who came. Click for pictures... https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/WoodsmenShow8611#

Here it is Tuesday June 28, Time to hitch up and move 50 miles down the road to Slippery Rock to the Cooper Family Lake Campground. Here's my Story.. We had such a fun week, there is too much to go into detail. Here is the highlights!! We parked 44 rigs and the Fun began. I was the Parker and had a Golf cart.. Thank God!! This place was huge and we had just a small part, but the Best part, all around the lake and most of us were in the shade. 80* during the day and 50-60* at night. I slept under 2 blankets with the fans off!
Here is what went on... Full Breakfast each day, Ty-dye shirts were made by everyone, crafts for the kids, Rocket building for young and old, bike riding all around the lake on hard roads, Pot Lucks Galore.. even pull pork one night .. Yum.. Yum!! Tours of local Beaver Valley Nuclear Plant, I even operated it under a training exercise(where is the Red Button?). Some went Kayaking, Fishing(yes they were biting!), Enjoying Kettle Corn, Frog Collecting, The Rocket Launch was such a thrill to see Mom & Dads helping their kids. They also went fishing with them also. Don't forget the Bus Demolition.. Awesome
We also had Ansty McClain come all the way from Nashville to perform around the campfire, his family also joined in. Obie even put on a show for all kids(young & old). There were dogs going for walks all the time, I even met 3 Parrots... Arr Arr!! There many new friends to build on and enjoy them. Campfires every night (a Pickup truck load of Fire Logs.) All this for $90.00 per family, $20.00/night camping.
I could go on and on.. But I must say the Televisions and DS Computers were nowhere to be seen, but lots of Family Time was the general theme all week. The Coolest thing for me was to see Dads fishing right along side the kids.. Precious... Thanks to all those who worked so hard to bring us together!! Am I going next year... YOU BET!! I posted some pictures on this link.. https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/BirthdayBashII#
Look at Birthday Bash II Album.. There are a few(?), also read the captions. A BIG Thank-you to Frank, Steve, and Ace for letting me be a part of the Bash!!
God Bless AirstreamHobo & Carol & Alexis Too!

Alexis with her First Airstream

She caught a Big One!!

Home for 5 days ... Great Airstream Park

Another Airstream Adventure.. We left on June 23, 2011 from home and headed to Penn Wood in Limestone, Pa. near Clarion, Pa. It was more than Mom and I, we also took grand daughter Alexis with us. It has been awhile since she traveled with us. She is 12 years old and ready to travel!!
After traveling 250 miles , we arrived and set up camp. Full hookups/cable too! Alexis tried to fish but would not bait or cast her line, grandpa did it. It wasn't long till she caught a sunny, excited for her first catch. She made lots of friends and played with all. This place is laid back for relaxation and down time.
We were here for 5 days, happy hours and even a trip to The first Oil Drill in Titusville, Pa. It was closed on Mondays but the gate was open, so Alexis and I walked in to snap some shots and then left. This was 140 mile trip up and back, nice seeing the Pa. mountains.
Then it was Tues am so we hitched up and left for Slippery Rock for the Birthday Bash. Only 50 miles and we were there!! (next Blog)

The Boat is in the slip ready for the 2011 season.

It Floats...first time in the water for 2011.

Hey, keep my car out of the water...Boat Only!!

Here at the Marina at Raystown Resort ready to launch!!!!!

Here I am and Doug polishing Brian/Doreens' Boat befrore launching it.

Brian hard at work!!

Yes...There is a Boat under that white tent!

Here we are camped at Brian's Cabin for a work detail weekend, but Fun work!! Free hookups and campfire wood.