Roadrunner Financials - August 2016

Roadrunner Recap
In August, we left Portland, OR and headed estate and then south from Sioux Falls to Memphis TN,.  The big event was recovering from my retina detachment surgery in Portland where we stayed from the last week of July into the middle of August.  

We also stopped along the way at:

• Portland Fairview RV Park, Portland OR
• Four Seasons RV Park, Walla Walla WA
• Cummins Spokane Jim and Mary's - Missoula MT
• Mountain Range RV Park - Columbus MT
• Peter D - Sheridan WY
• Sleepy Hollow Campground - Wall, SD
• WH Lyons Fairgrounds - Sioux Falls SD
• Griff's Valley View RV Park, Altoona IA
• HWH Parking Lot, Moscow IA
• Galesburg East Campground, Knoxville IL
• Cahokia RV Parque, East St Louis MO
• Scott AFB IL FamCamp, MO
• Hinton RV Park, Sikeston MO
• Mid South Navy RV Park Millington TN

Here's an interactive map of our travels:

Or, if you prefer and find this easier to navigate, here is a static map:

We spent the month leaving Portland and taking a route east through Montana and into Wyoming.  We were able to see the beautiful Columbia River Gorge, the spacious and scenic Montana vistas and we stopped at the Custer / Little Big Horn Memorial Historic Site.  We ended up in Memphis were we took in the fun Graceland home and museum.  It was a busy month!

Good News Areas We Are Under Budget

Biggest Expenses
Our most expensive categories included:

• Fuel
• Maintenance
• Campgrounds and 
• Eating Out

Large One Time Cost Item
In August, we had work done at Cummins Spokane ($212) and then we had the slideout fixed at HWH in Moscow Iowa ($885).

Monthly Average

Our monthly average  is still sadly way above what we were hoping for.  The RV Maintenance and paying for high season campground sites also were factors in our overage.

That's a snapshot of how we're feeling about the cost of things on this Full-Time Journey.  We are in month 87 of "Living the Dream".

Hopefully, some of the thoughts and figures are of some interest/value/curiosity.  If you'd like a blank spreadsheet of what I use I'd be glad to send you it at no charge to do with what you wish.  

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Little Bighorn National Monument Stop in Montana

After leaving Columbus MT, we wanted to stop at the Little Bighorn National Monument which was a couple hours along I-90.

It was a cloudy day with some rain, but we stopped anyway to see the museum and the grounds.

A national cemetery is on the site on one side of the main building.

Over time, I am learning more and more about the history of the American Indian and the U.S. Government's expansion through the Great Plains.  There were many reasons for encroachments west of the Mississippi, but the lure of a quick fortune meant trappers and fur traders, gold rushers and others looking for a place to homestead, meant treaties with the Indians were broken again and again.

The tensions between the Indians and the white man varied for a number of years, specifically between 1854-1890 in what was known as the Sioux Wars.  The Little Bighorn was one of those battles of the Sioux Wars.

I liked the small but well done museum.  It had a number of interesting artifacts and displays depicting life in the 1870s on the Plains.  The U. S. 7th Cavalry was dispatched to the territory to "get rid of the Indian problem" and Lt. Col. George A. Custer was among the 700 men who fought against approximately 2,000 Lakota Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho warriors.

Custer's Last Stand is the source of much speculation, contemplation and legend.  Since it was undoubtedly a complete rout, there were no eye-witness soldiers to substantiate different accounts.  But by most accounts, Custer's force was annihilated within an hour of engagement.

This internet map shows how the Army was positioned for a three pronged attack against the Indians gathering in the area.

It was the largest battle in the Sioux Wars of 1876.   Afterwards, the Indians divided up into smaller groups and dispersed because there was not enough grass and game to sustain the large number of forces that had gathered there.  This was the last significant battle of the Sioux Wars.  Afterwards, the Indians were chased and forced onto numbers of reservations where they were promised peace and rations and their own territory once again.

Among the displays was a display of key people at Little Bighorn including Custer, Major Reno, as well as Indians who served as scouts, guides and interpreters for the Army.

Sitting Bull inspired many of the Indians, including Crazy Horse to fight for their people.   Sitting Bull said to his warriors, "You are fools to make yourselves slaves to a piece of fat bacon, some hard tack and a little sugar and coffee."  Another leader of the day, President Ulysses S. Grant advocated the Peace Policy of 1869 which had little effect on the roaming Indians and the corrupt Indian Agents throughout the territory.

After slowly going through the museum we took a walk up the hill to separate memorials for the Army and Indians.

A monument was erected with the names of the Army fallen.

Across the way was a memorial built for the Indians.

It was worth the stop and we were glad we did.

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Memories in Montana

We definitely did not spend enough time in Montana.  What a beautiful state! We love driving through the mountains and getting to see the spectacular mountains and buttes of Montana.  It is a wonderland.  We will definitely have to come back and spend more time here.

Six years ago we went to Glacier National Park and I decided then Montana was one of the most beautiful places I'd ever visited.  At that time we said we need to come back.  We did, but we need to spend a few weeks here rather than a few days.  There is too much to see.

We drove from Spokane to Missoula the first day (Jim and Mary's RV Park) and on to Columbus MT the second day.  I-90 has to go on our list of some of the most scenic drives in America!

Sadly, photos out of the windshield do not come close to convey the beauty of this place.

I thought I took a lot more photos but I didn't.  :(

The country goes forever through valley after beautiful valley.  I reminds me of the Shenandoah Valley except it is bigger and there are more of them in Montana.   And less people.  It is really something.

Santa Fe High School friend Donna and husband Paul live in Montana.  We didn't get a chance to see them our first time through Montana, but were able to do so this time.  She is a nurse and he does sales in the building industry.  They have a place on the river a few miles from where camped in Columbus, MT.

This is our campsite for our two night stay at the Mountain Ranger RV Campground in Columbus.  It was fine for a short visit and we were able to get some wash done.

We met Donna and Paul for dinner at the 307 in Columbus this first night which worked out great.  It was fun to meet Paul and hear of his days as a professional baseball player.  I think the last time I saw Donna was when she was a cheerleader for the University of Wyoming and they came to Arizona State for a football game in 1972.

We were able to spend the next afternoon/evening with them at their place on the river.  The summer has been especially hot this year and the river is pretty low.  But in normal times they can literally fish off their deck as the river goes right by.

Donna fixed a wonderful meal and we had a great time seeing them.

We can see why they love it here in their little slice of heaven!  It was a wonderful time, they were gracious hosts and it was another upside to this RV full-timing thing.

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Roadrunner Summer Travel Plans

We started our summer travels and left Virginia Beach on Monday. We were going to overnight at the Fort Criswell RV Campground which is about halfway to Maynardville, TN.  We left early and got through the Elizabeth River Tunnel without incident and on our way to Charlottesville to Interstate 81.

We got to the Criswell area about noon and decided to keep going since we only had about  four hours of driving left.  I started out driving but Pam ended up putting in most of the time behind the wheel which worked out great.

I love being on the road again.  The Roadrunner rides smoothly, has comfortable seats and a big front window and it is a joy to be still living the dream.

We are about to wrap up seven years on the road the end of the month and it has been one great adventure!

After driving all day long, we were a little below half full on the diesel tank so we pulled into a gas station in Tazewell TN.  It cost us $174 to fill up.  I still remember not too long ago and it was twice that to fill up.  While filling up I did a walk around and to my surprise noticed we had dropped a PS rear hub cap somewhere.

 I have no idea how that happened but sadly now have to chase down another one and get that done.

We are going to the Tiffin factory in Red Bay next week so we'll get one there.

We had a nice day driving with some clouds and 60 degree weather.  In the afternoon it cleared up and it was bright and shiny when we rolled into to our camp spot at Mike and Joan's about 4 PM.  Long day but we got a good night's sleep and an extra day here.

While Joan and Pam went out to see their dad, Mike and I tried to hunt down a hub cap.  We came up empty handed but had a good day hanging out together.

Pam and I had a few minutes so we firmed up some reservations along our next couple legs of our summer travels.  We haven't finalized all our plans but we do have the following places on the schedule:

• Roadrunner RV Resort and Campground (Private), Maynardville TN
• Tiffin Factory, Red Bay AL
• Kirk and Susan, Oklahoma City, OK
• Reid and Amy/Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque NM
• Paul and Bobbi, Tehachapi, CA
• Bob and Sue, Yucaipa Regional Park, Redlands CA
• Sequoia National Park, CA
• Yosemite National Park, CA
• Brothers and Wives Reunion at Marty's Cabin, Arnold CA
• Oregon Coast, OR
• Olympia National Park, WA
• Glacier National Park, ID/MT
• Care-A-Vanner Habitat for Humanity Build, Sheridan WY
• Sioux Falls, SD
• Omaha NE
• Elkhart IN
• Philiadelphia PA
• Virginia Beach VA

That translates to something like this:

I am still learning Google Maps and overlaid a number of maps to create this one and got duplicate letters for the destinations.  Something to work on at a later date...but the main point is to create some semblance of a route for our travels the next four months.

That's all for now - Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!  Maybe we'll see you all the way somewhere?

Roadrunner Financials - July 2011

Roadrunner Recap

• Camp Murray ANG Campground, Tacoma WA
• Pacific Beach Navy Resort and Conference Center, WA
• Nehalem State Park OR
• Cedars RV Resort, Ferndale WA
• Fairchild AFB Famcamp, Spokane WA
• North American RV Park, Coram MT
• Minot AFB Famcamp MT
• Grand Forks AFB ND

Here's an interactive map that shows where we traveled.  You can click on the letters and it will tell you the location.

During July, we put a lot of miles on the Roadrunner again.  Since we were in the Northwest, we wanted to see Seattle and Vancouver.  We did that by taking day trips.

We also took a long day trip to Anacortes Port for a ferry to Victoria BC which was great.

Then we went down the Oregon Coast and stayed at a Navy campground.  Turns out we should have only stayed there a few days so we could go farther south.  Instead we explored the area with time at Tillamook Cheese factory and some quaint towns along the coast.

We also stayed at an Oregon State Park that was a tight fit but adequate.

Our travels also took us along the northern states in the NW and we crossed the border a few times to say 'we have been in Alberta and Saskatchewan'.  We also stayed at Minot AFB Grand Forks AFB in North Dakota.

Good News Areas We Are Under Budget
We were a little under on our campground fees for the month, probably because we spent 10 days at a Navy Campground along the southern coast of Washington.
We also were a little under budget in our grocery costs.

Biggest Expenses
Like the previous month of June, we spent a lot on fuel.  Both diesel and gas.  
TV and Internet are budgeted wrongly as we are always over budget in this area.

Food (as in eating out) was little high for just the two of us, but then we were under in the grocery area so that was not a big deal.

Large One Time Cost Items
Nothing really stands out in this area this month.

Monthly Average

We were a modest $15 over budget this month and we were fine with that.

Thanks for taking a look with us on the budget and finances.  One reason I am doing this is to track our expenses and secondly - I hope it is helpful to some of you out there who might be asking "how much does it really cost to full-time as an RVer".

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Time in North Dakota

After Glacier NP, we drove east and are in Grand Forks, ND.  It took us a few days to get here.  After leaving Coram, MT (near Glacier NP), we drove on Highway 2 east for an overnight stay in Glasgow, MT  at the Cottonwood Inn and Suites/RV Park.

It was a pretty interesting idea and we wonder why more motels don't have an RV park out back.  It was off the busy highway in a quiet place and had full hookups plus use of the pool and facilities.


From Glasgow, we continued east to Minot AFB FamCamp in Minot, ND.  The campground was full but it had decent overflow camping near by.  We parked out of the way and on pavement in a level area.

The base has a policy of a no cost boon-docking area, plus they will come around to your trailer/RV and pump it out and/or give you water if you need it.  All free.  Zippo.  It was a pretty good deal and we were 100 yards from the BX and commissary.  For a three day stay it was perfect.

We heard about Minot and all the flooding in June.  It was raining when we drove through town on the way to the base.  We had to be re-routed from a bridge that was flooding.

A couple of days later, we visited the areas in town that were flooded out and underwater.

It was heart breaking and sobering.  The hard work of rebuilding has begun but the smell was strong and no one was back in these homes yet.

Another day we drove north across the Canada border into Saskatchewan

and over to Manitoba before we crossed the border again and returned to Minot.

From Minot we drove east to Grand Forks, ND and are staying at the Air Force Base FamCamp.

It is in an old mobile home park area of the base with lots of grass and open area.  The optimum area for the warm, 85 degree weather is under the trees.  After being in this spot three days,

we were able to move to this location.  A little shade and fire ring were nice.  Probably the best thing about the sites here are the price:  $6 for full hook ups if you are a senior and $12 for the rest of us.  Hard to beat.

While at the previous spot, I spent three days washing and waxing the Roadrunner.

It was a big job, but we were happy with the results.

A highlight while here was a visit from NOMADS friends Don and Lillian.

We met in Galveston two years ago on a NOMADS project and then met up again in Mississippi in January.

After a lot of miles the last few weeks, it was good to stay in one place for a while.  This past week I have been able to put in some hours doing my online work which comes up at the end of every month.  We have also done a lot of reading and some walking the last few days.  I had a good run one day and took out my bike for a trip around the base.  But we are looking forward to traveling south tomorrow and arriving at Brookings, SD for a Habitat Build.

So that is what we have been up to the last week or so.  Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles.  And thanks for your comments.  We look forward to them.

Glorious Glacier NP

This may be our favorite National Park.  If not, it is way up there near the top.  After leaving Spokane, we drove to North American RV Campground in Coram Montana which is about 3 miles from the entrance to Glacier National Park.

I liked the map from the Montana Tourism Office. It shows Glacier NP and the Waterton-Glacier NP in Canada.  We visited both.

At the center near the bottom is the West Entrance and Park HQ.  We started our drive along the Going-To-The-Sun Road which is the main road through the park.  It winds through canyons and rises thousands of feet to the summit at Logan's Pass.

We stopped in Apgar Village and Visitor Center for some info and pictures.  We were on the southern most end of Lake McDonald.

Then we started on the drive around Lake McDonald up the Going-To-The-Sun Road.  It quickly became spectacular.

We were in no rush and moved with the flow of traffic.  It reminded me of Yellowstone, except it was not as busy.

Glaciers, peaks and waterfalls abounding...

The road was built in 1933 and took 3 1/2 years to complete.  It has been a long winter with some late snowfall and the road only opened about a month ago which was about a month late.

 

We did see some interesting animals along the way including this mountain goat.

She was about 1/2 mile from the summit at Logan's Pass and the Visitor's Center.

After the pit stop we drove along Jackson Glacier which was on the other side of Logan's Pass.

St Mary's Lake was on the way to Alberta, Canada and Waterton.

Through the mountains and into the adjacent Waterton-Glacier NP, we saw a whole different landscape.

Waterton was a quaint little tourist town that was in high season.

We also stopped at the historic Prince of Wales Hotel and looked around.

It was built in 1926-1927 and was built by an American (vs a Canadian) Railway Company.  It was designated a Canadian National Historic Site in 1995.

We took the same road back to our campground through Glacier NP and got a photo of a bear.

With all the recent news about tragedies with bears, we were content to keep our distance and pause for a quick telephoto shot.

Glacier NP is one of the highlights of our time on the road.  Next time we will have to take more time here and go on a lot of hikes.  This place is really worth seeing again.

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles.  And thanks again for your comments which we always appreciate.

Until next time...