On the Oregon Trail - Boise to Pendleton, OR

For quite a few weeks now, we have had a series of 'short' 250-300 mile days.  It was one of those kind of drives when we left Boise.  We went west on I-84 along the Oregon Trail.  I am fascinated by harsh an cruel trek the pioneers endured in the mid 1800's as they moved west from Missouri to the West Coast.

It may not look like it but, there is some harsh, desolate country along this stretch.  And a big mountain to descend before getting into Pendleton.  I was surprised at the starkness of the desert.  As we drove along in our air conditioned Roadrunner, I tried to imagine struggling with a wagon and oxen through miles and miles of hot, relentless sun and stark country.  I couldn't.

50,000 men, women and children came west from 1843-1863 on what we call the Oregon Trail.  It boggles the mind.

We made a stop or two to stretch the legs and see what the 'Information Center' had.

Oregon does a very nice job with their unmanned information boards/displays/kiosks.

Fur trappers and mountain men before them, attested to the hard and difficult passage across the mountain and into the Grande Ronde Valley.

We stopped outside Pendleton Oregon at the Wildhorse Casino RV Park.

It was a pretty good overnight stop.  The main thing for us was the 50 amp power which meant we could use the air conditioners.  It was in the low to mid 90's and hot.

We got in around noon and had time to go into town and see what we could see.  Our first stop was the Pendleton Woolen Mills.  It began in 1863 but did not flourish until the late 1800's when it became took on new ownership and began making their world famous Indian blankets and men's woolen shirts.

We weren't in time for the tour, but we were able to look around and see the store and a bit of the factory in the back.  Plus some historical displays.

Next, we went downtown and ended up at Hamleys.  What an interesting store!  They are known for their saddles.

This saddle is only $4895.  The hand make these andit takes 5-10 months for their six saddle makers to get them done and shipped out.

The store is full of western wear and also has a collection of art and cowboy lore.

After our time there, we went back to the campground and got ready for dinner.  We tried the buffet at the casino which was pretty good and then just chilled out for the rest of the evening.

It was a little warm still, but I enjoyed some time outside and took some pictures of the countryside and the highway up the mountain from where we had been earlier in the day.  It was a 6% decline down into the valley so we had taken it pretty slow.

The valley was quite a contrast from where we had been earlier in the day.  Down in the valley the Umatilla River is a great water source and allows for big farming of wheat, corn, okra and onions.  It was a pretty sight and a great way to end the evening on our overnight stay.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!  And thanks for the comments!  Until next time.

A Few Days in Boise

After being on the road and traveling for the last few weeks, we were glad to spend a week in Boise.  One great thing about this lifestyle is anticipating what the next campground and campground is going to be like.  We found 'Gowen Field' near the airport and gave it a try.

Turned out to be a great choice!  At $10/night for full hookups (50 amp, water and sewer), we found this place to be completely satisfactory.  We got off on the right foot with the friendly and helpful staff who answered all our questions and got us checked in without a hitch.

The 'campground' is more like a parking lot on the edge of the base, but like I said - it was completely satisfactory.

We got a spot on the concrete hardstand and plugged in and enjoyed the a/c.   The view wasn't great but the place had other things going for it.

Like a fitness center and track out our front door.  I used the bike in the Fitness Center three times and went a minimum of 15 miles each day.  Part of my plan to get more fit has been to count calories again and get more exercise.  Seems to be working.

Plus we had access to the laundromat that was totally free.  Lots of washers and dryers.  And it was OK to wash the RV.  That was a little bit of good new/bad news.  I had no excuse, so I spent three days washing, waxing the roof, and then polishing the whole Roadrunner with The Solution.

It was good exercise, plus I really don't mind doing it.

And I like the result.  Another thing I liked was the good Verizon internet connection which allowed me to get a lot of my online work done for the month.

It was a good stay at Gowen Field.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Blue Grass in Boise

There may be some 'bluegrass' - as in country and western music going on in Boise, but I wouldn't know about that.

Unless you are a college football fan, you might not know about the Boise State University Football Stadium.  It is the first in the country to have blue 'astro turf' for their football field.  We spent a few days in Boise last week and it was something that was on our list to see.

Boise State University is home of the nation's first "Blue Turf".  I don't remember when I actually first watched a game, but it is really different.  Almost 'hard on your eyes' because is different than what you expect.

We found the stadium and went to the Bookstore to ask about tours or access to the stadium.

Sure enough, over past Gate D, by the Bronco Statue, we could go into and through the Boise State Athletic the Hall of Fame Museum and out to the stadium to see the field.

Unique? Strange? Weird? Different?  Yes - and more of a curiosity than anything I guess.

Not sure exactly what it is but it's a novelty for sure.  And a good marketing tool for the University.  Everyone wants to be different and it is definitely that.

The first Blue Turf was installed in 1986.  They are now of the fourth edition.  One thing it has done for the University is given the Broncos a recognizable name.  And it helps to have a pretty good football team over the years.

They won the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Championships in both 2007 and 2010.

On the field was a lonely kicker who was practicing.  From where we were it looked like all of them were going through the uprights.

See if you can follow the tiny ball in my sequence photos?

We didn't stay long, but it was one of the more interesting sights we'd seen in a while.  But I'm a fan of real green grass for football games.  How about you?

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles! Until next time...

East Met West at Promontory Point - Utah

Last weekend we took a day trip from Hill AFB near Ogden, Utah to Promontory Point.  Over the last four years of our Roadrunner adventure, I have been struck by the influence and impact of the railroads upon our United States.

In 1869 at a then-unknown place upon the high desert in the wide open prairie - East met West and our country was joined together by the railroad.  It changed everything.  What had taken six months by ox and mule, now only took six days by rail.

Troops and settlers sped west populating the country side which belonged to the Indians and buffalo.  Trade and cities sprang up and expanded commerce and the push for Manifest Destiny.  The wealth of ore and minerals and hides and fur moved East.  And the West became our Territories and States.

The idea to connect the country from coast to coast was first proposed in 1832.  Thirty-seven years later it happened when the locomotives of the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific met nose to nose at Promontory Point.

We drove out to the Promontory Point Historical Center, leaving in the middle of the morning and arriving a little after 11:00.  It was fairly easy to find and a nice drive out there, though a little drizzly at times.

It was definitely 'out there'.  Like the middle of no where.

As we approached the turnoff and the last mile or so over to the Visitor Center, we were very surprised.  There must have been a hundred people doing the same thing we were!

For a few minutes it was crowded at this little outpost.  Near the entrance is a historical marker commemorating the Golden Spike, which was ceremoniously driven in, completing the coast-to-coast railroad.

And there was a lot going on.  The Visitor Center had a historical video running, and there the museum had some interesting artifacts.

We learned the workforce from the Central Pacific which left Sacramento was comprised in a large part of over 10,000 Chinese.  The Union Pacific left Omaha and had a mix of American unemployed along with Italian, Irish and German workers.

The Central Pacific's Jupiter and the Union Pacific's No. 119 met at Promontory Point on May 10, 1869.  Replica's of the two locomotives are the central attraction.

We were able to climb the stands and peer over into the engine and coal room of each one.

Then we gathered for festivities.  

The park ranger talked about the locomotives while they went through some drills.

 Both locomotives were fired up and went up and down the track.  Quite impressive!

We as the Jupiter was loaded with wood and No. 119 was loaded with coal.  They got the fires burning and away they went.    Then they returned to their resting place and went through a re-enactment of the ceremonies that happened in 1869.

Quite a few showed up in costume.

And the ceremonies centered around driving the Golden Spike signaling the completion of the railroad.
You can the railroad tie on the tracks

And there is another display inside in the museum

Engraving on the Golden Spike reads:

May God continue the Unity of our Country as this 

Railroad unites the two great Oceans of the World.

Together, the Central Pacific and Union Pacific, laid over 1,776 miles of track through mountains, desert  and prairie.  It was quite a feat.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!  And thanks for those comments - we appreciate them.  Until next time...

Roadrunner Financials - June 2013

Roadrunner Recap
We started the month of June in the Ameristar Casino Campground in Vicksburg, MS and ended up in the driveway of Tom and Cathy's driveway at his family's cottage at Redstone Lake near La Valle, WI.

That is about 1988 miles which is a lot!  But we knew it was going to be a busy month to see the folks we wanted to and still get to Wisconsin in early June to see Tom and Cathy.

Our overnight stops in June included:

• Ameristar Casino (Vicksburg, MS)
• Escapees Rainbow Park (Livingston, TX)
• Westlake RV Resort (Katy, TX)
• Oak Forest RV Park (Austin, TX)
• Fredericksburg RV Park (Fredericksburg, TX)
• Cowboy RV (Aledo, TX)
• Twin Fountains RV Park (Oklahoma City, OK)
• Blue Springs County USACE Campground (Independence, MO)
• Mason City Campground (Mason City, Iowa)
• Tom and Cathy's Driveway (La Valle, WI)

Good News Areas We Are Under Budget
 Since this is the first month of the new 'Fiscal Year' for us, I decided to lower the monthly budget by $120.  Over the last four years we have been right at $4138 despite some big spikes for maintenance and upgrades.  For the most part, I think it will be much less this year on both accounts.

Having said that, I know we will be spending a lot more traveling out to the west cost.  We will see how it goes.

Our 'Under Budget' items:

• RV Insurance
• Car Insurance
• Gas for the car
• RV Maintenance

- One big savings we took right off was new RV insurance with Blue Sky.  I paid for the year lump sum and took care of that.
- I will pay car insurance at one time so for now it shows up as a zero for the month but it will catch up with us.
- We didn't have a lot of extra excursions so we did pretty well on gas this month.
- No maintenance needed on the RV this month, but we did get it weighed for $45

Biggest Expenses
Our 'new normal' for a while is going to be the high cost of diesel fuel.  And we need to get a handle on eating out if we hope to stay at our new budget.

• Diesel 
• Campgrounds
• Groceries
• Eating Out
• Mail
• Entertainment
• One Time Costs

- The climbing cost of diesel fuel is going to require us to cut back on other areas.  At $823 over budget, we will see if things calm down after we get to the West Coast and Arizona for the winter.  

- We had quite a few $30+ nights along the way because we are into the summer and high cost season.

- We were almost $300 over on groceries and eating out so that was not too good.

- Our yearly mail service fee of $203.52.  I paid it all at once so it gives a skewed picture. That charge will average out at under $20/month.

- We played golf a couple of times in Aledo and Oklahoma City and it was worth every penny.

- I paid for a yearly National Park Pass (InterAgency Pass) and for our Coach-Net (AAA for the Motor Home.

Large One Time Cost Items

• - Fuel Costs
• - InterAgency Pass, Coach Net, and Mail Service fee with Alternative Resources.

Monthly Average
I will forego this area this month since this is Month 1 of our 'FY'.

I anticipate a better average and lower costs for the next month.  But then I always do --- we will see.

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles today!

Nebraska State Capitol - Lincoln

The first surprise for Pam and me was that we were going downtown to Omaha to see the State Capitol, only to be reminded that it was not in Omaha.  Yike!  Mrs. Sizemore, my fifth grade teacher at Silver Elementary School, would not be happy…

Having overcome that change of plans, we drove to Lincoln on a day trip and toured the capitol.

Nebraska became a territory in 1854 with the signing of the Nebraska-Kansas Act by President Franklin Pierce.  Nebraska became a state in 1867.

The capitol in Lincoln was preceded by two territorial capitols and two other state capitol buildings.  The first state capitol was constructed in 1868.  Poor construction necessitated another one that was finished in 1881.  By 1915, it too was in need of major maintenance and plans began in 1915 for the present capitol.

New York architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue was selected to build his "tower on the plains".  Construction began in 1922 and was completed with the fourth phase in 1932.

High atop the 400' dome stands 'The Sower' - a 19' bronze statute.

Inside, the entry to the main area and stairway made us think of tunnels and dungeons.

But hallways and work areas were well lighted on that floor.

We made our way to the elevator and took the climb to the 14th floor and the top of the tower.

A look inside the dome.

The rotunda has overhead sky lighting and beautiful murals.

The floor is granite floor art depicts 'Rain', 'Fire', 'Water' and 'Soil.

The West Chamber is where the only Unicameral (single-body) Legislature in the U.S. meets. The body consists of 49 senators elected to four year terms.

Nebraska's Hall of Fame includes a plaque honoring Medal of Honor winners as well as Father Flanagan, Buffalo Bill Cody and General John J. Pershing.

The Vestibule was another beautiful area with colorful murals representing Nebraska's history and named, 'The Homesteader's Campfire', 'The First Furrow' and 'House Raising'.

So far this makes State Capitol number five that we have seen this year.  We have a lot more to go, but we are enjoying the journey and seeing these historic places.

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles!