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Tsg , g . O gs YOU s& s .

A Travel Newsletter It was anything but a fun journey on the Oregon Trail. Issue #5: July 27- August 9, 2013

Rubys Beach, Olympic National Park, Washington state

Day 115: Saturday, July 27 We got a quick start this morning so we could tour the Columbia River Exhibition of History, Science & Technology inRichland, WA. Located near a municipal park, we found parking a bit challenging due to an annual art fair on grounds adjacent to the center. We visitedthe artists tents and viewed their creations very beautiful indeed, and so much creativity! Walking to the next city block we were cheerfully greeted by

Mike, a tour guide. As he took us through portions of the exhibition center we began to realize this was no ordinary museum. We discovered this regionwas the site of secret World War Two atomic bomb research and development. In fact, this area had FIVE nuclear reactors over a 25-30-year period,but the reactors have been scraped. We wish it could be so easy The exhibition center detailed the extreme difficulty in removing, packaging andstoring the atomic waste that will take many, Many, MANYyears to half-life to a safe level. The government spends about $2 billion a yearhere to storethe spent atomic material safely, otherwise it will contaminate everything ground water, soil, and everything around it. And if it gets into the groundwater it can travel f-a-r! Cal, another tour guide, took over so Mike could attend to other visitors. Cal was as friendly and knowledgeable as Mike and

continued giving us excellent, factual information. We learned of thegovernments hard work to handle the housing needs of some 50,000citizens that worked here building & operating the atomic complexes. Atthe end of our tour we discovered that both Mike & Cal were scientiststhat had worked at the atomic lab. Wow! And today was Mikes last day asa tour guide, so Chris volunteered to take a commemorative photo ofMike, Cal and a friend, Mr. F. We consider our receiving Mikes last tour tobe a special treat. Thanks Mike! (You did a good job too, Cal.) If youre

interested in ecology or nuclear science, dont let the small size of thismuseum discourage you. It has VERY nice exhibits that are worth yourtime.

Day 116: Sunday, July 28 We attended adult Bible study and worship at RedeemerLutheran Church in Richland/Kennewick, Oregon. The adult class was veryinteresting and led by Pastor Todd. Their worship service alternates each weekbetween traditional & contemporary, with this week being the latter. Chris wasespecially pleased that the contemporary music was used to enhance the liturgyrather than being more of a sing-along. Each part of the liturgical service utilizedsome praise song that had specific relation to the Prayer of the Church, the Collect,the Introit, etc.

We found lunch in Richland to be an interesting challenge. We often like to enjoy a buffet so that we may have a selection of foods rather than justone entree. With Sunday meals usually being more expensive, we shoot for an Asian buffet or a pizza buffet. After making manyphone calls we

were told that there are no buffet restaurants at all in this city. Could that be true? (Wow. Chris could neverlive here!) The rest of our day was spent in travel to our next multi-day location Baker City, OR was we

are now heading eastward toward Marietta, GA, Myrtle Beach, SC, and theFlorida Keys.

We were surprised how large Baker City is. Located in a sprawling valley, itsamidst a desert-like environment, i.e. low rainfall, about 7 per year, maybe a bitmore. Irrigation has made farming abundant. And Baker City was once the site ofgold mining; remnants of mine shafts can be seen infrequently, and a historicdredge is on our list of sights to tour. Our campsite is #0, probably added after thecamp was laid out. Its the only site with white lattice, like a little oasis of beauty.

Day 117: Monday, July 29 Our plans took us to the Oregon Trail Interpretive Centerup a mountain outside Baker City, OR. We immediately sawwhy this center received its AAA GemSite rating: the displays are first-class, with videos and interactive displays that pulled you into the experiencesof the pioneers who took the arduous, dangerous, 6-month journey through wilderness to start a new life out west. The recounted written words of

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1= Chart details the geological activity below the earths crust. Part of the terrificdisplays at CREHST. 2= Mike with his buddies on his last day of work at CREHST.

3, 4= Redeemer LutheranChurch, and Pastor Todd.5= We were surprised tosee fellow Aliner campers &friends Clay & Jean Metzgera few sites over at our sameRV Park!

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pioneers were played over speakers in the full-size dioramas, which also featured real, taxidermiedanimals alongside realistic mannequins to bring realism to the sound tracks. A ranger acted the part ofa pioneer who explained his process for selecting the best animal to pull his wagon along the Oregontrail. He did an excellent job. We also enjoyed the video providing details of the Lewis & Clarkexpedition. After three hours we felt sufficiently immersed in the topics to drive to Baker City for lunch.

From there we drove to the derelict gold dredge in the old mining town of Sumpter, OR. Somewhafamiliar with these monstrosities, we had toured a similar dredge in Chicken, Alaska. We were sointerested in seeing another one that we drove the 30 miles from Baker City to tour this one, althoughself-guided. We learned of the destruction of the 1300 acres scarred by the dredge as it extractedgold dust from the soil. The process pulled up ancient rock layers buried

by glaciers and left them on top while driving the fertile farming soil tothe bottom under the overturned rocks & boulders.

Day 118: Tuesday, July 30 A quick start this morning had us on the road toward Hells Canyon. This is known as abeautiful drive but l-o-n-g. Pamphlets recommend taking 5 or more hours to cover the looped circuit but we chose togo about halfway and then return the same route. This turned out to meet our needs as we wanted to spend timelooking at certain portions of the route in greater detail, rather than just zoom several hundred miles and look at it allfrom inside our car. The mileage from Bakers City to the Hells Canyon Overlook is over 63 miles. The route is two-lanecountry roads in good repair, so driving 55MPH is usually possible but not always advisable. When you get into thetwists & turns of the route, plus the steep, extremely dangerous & most-probably lethal drop-offs at the roads edge,dropping your speed is a no-brainer. We stopped often to take photos, then drove on along our route. We got to theSnake River and realized we had somehow missed the turn-off that leads to the Hells Canyon Overlook. We weretold that the overlook is the place to observe the canyon rather than down at the bottom. So we drove back about 5miles or so and then up the US Forest Services road to the overlook. Sally & I have a running bet as to how many

tourist vehicles well find at any particular lookout or attraction. We expect to be the only car atthese obscure sites but then find a dozen or more parked in the lot.

As we drove up the winding forest road two motorcycles passed us at normal speed. Chrisimmediately recognized the brand and model of the second bike and just happenedto look inhis side mirror to confirm his guesstimate. As he looked back the rider tumbled off themotorcycle and rolled down the pavement. Chris slammed on our brakes, threw the car inreverse and shot back to help the injured rider. The first motorcyclist wasnt even aware of his

riding partners fall. We found the rider to be a novice rider (her words). Chris made sure she didnt try to get up before ascertaining her injuriesSally took care of traffic control to avoid anyone getting hit by another vehicle on this curving, hilly road. In the end, the young lady to pretty shaken

up, had a skin-breaking brush burn to her knee, and probably some pulled muscles shell feel for several weeks. A passerby drove ahead to tell theother motorcyclist and get medical personnel to the scene. The young lady finally felt good enough to stand and her injuries were miraculously veryminor, as described. Her bike was upside-down in the ditch but after turning it over we found nothingwas broken except the taillight lens! Christaped that back on with electrical tape and readjusted her handlebar with a metric Allen wrench from our car. With the other rider there helping, plusparamedics and forest rangers having arrived not more than 10 minutes after the fall, they took over the care of the victimand we found ourselves taking up space, so we drove on. Truly, the Lord was at that scene and literally held her when shefell. Chris, seeing her tumble in his rear view mirror, thought shed have at least several broken bones. Thank you Lord!

The view from the lookout was disappointing. Hells Canyon is the deepest canyon in North America, with the deepest sectionbeing over 9,000 feet below the peaks above. Sally just had to see the bottom of the canyon, so back we drove to thebridge where we had been about 45 minutes earlier. Up the r iver road we drove for over 30 miles (at about 30MPH being ourhighest speed). Well, it was worth the drive. We reached the end of the road, a power dam, and then over the dam we founda US Forestry Visitor Center with nice displays and several videos. After about 40 minutes we started driving back towardcamp. We stopped near yesterdays visitor center at a roadside marker to get out of the car and actually walk on the originalOregon Trail. You can still see the wagon ruts some 160 years later! Whew. That sent chills up my spine. Leaving around

9AM, DQ finished our day trip around 5:30PM. Another fantastic day for us on the road, and a miracle for someone else.5= Chris stands amidst wagon ruts of the original Oregon Trail. Wheels wore outer edges, oxen trampled the center. Rugged pioneers!

Day 119: Wednesday, July 31 Our cozy campsite was in our rear view mirror as we hit the road this morningleaving Baker City and driving east on I-84 toward Boise, Idaho. The drive was about two hours in length with thesame terrain as weve seen for several days high desert flowering with crops where irrigation was installed. Wearrived at our 2-night campground, Boise Riverside RV Park, in the Garden City section of Boise and found it veryneat & tidy with a terrific, friendly staff. After a prompt set-up we journeyed to the Chuck-a-Rama Buffet for a superlunch. On our drive to the Idaho Anne Frank Memorial in Boise we stopped at several thrift stores buying a couple ofitems to make living in the Aliner a bit more comfy. The Anne Frank Memorial was very touching with many quotesfrom various peacemakers carved into stone walls. Chris copied several quotes he felt were personally inspiring.Back at camp we met several of our neighbors and enjoyed conversations with them. 6= Chris enjoys breakfast at our oasis campsite. White lattice ontwo sides of site gave it a more private appearance, though it was directly next to the main driveway in & out of the RV park.

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1= Sally is dwarfed by huge gold dredge.

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2= Hells Canyon viewed from lookout point. You cannot see the bottom of the canyon, over 9,000 ft.below. 3= Hells Canyon viewed from other side of Snake River. Mountains in rear are near 9,000 ft.height. 4= Motorcycle rider is consoled by Chris as we evaluate whether she should attempt to stand.Medics arrived within 15 minutes and determined she had one scrape, bruises and muscle strains.

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Day 120: Thursday, August 1 Sally treated me to breakfast at a local breakfast & lunch-onlyestablishment frequented by the locals The Egg Factory. Drove to the Idaho BotanicalGardens located directly next to our other attractions for the day, the old Idaho StatePenitentiary (2445 Old Penitentiary Rd., Boise, ph: 208-334-2844). We always ask which,and how many, discounts they take for admission, Seniors! AAA! AARP! Good Sam! The $4admission dropped to $3 for seniors, then another $1 less because ofAAA membership. Ourexpected cost went from $8 to $4. Nice. So was the botanical gardens much better and moreextensive than we had expected. Features included: English Garden, Summer House,Labyrinth, Rose Garden, Herb Garden, Mediation Garden, Tire Sing Fountain, XericDemonstration Area, Childrens Activity Garden, Vegetable Garden, Summer Succulent

Garden, Idaho Native Plant Garden, Lewis & Clark Native Plant Garden, Western WaterwiseGarden, and the old prison cemetery with several tombstones dating back to the turn-of-the-century.

It was getting much warmer now, so it was a good time to bid adieu to the pansies and tourthe adjacent old state pen. Stopping at the public restrooms we discovered they were insidethe old community room where inmates were able to talk with family & loved ones on visitingday. Photos and descriptions on display panels shone light on the more notorious of theinmates, along with specifics of the prisons construction. Inside, displays banked both sidesof the main entrance foyer along with a 15-minute video of highlights of the old prison. Wethen went outside and toured the grounds, looking at the buildings while reading commentaryfrom a self-guiding tour sheet. It was getting hotter; must have been hovering around 100, orat least it felt that hot. Our last stop was the firearms collection, which was very interestingwith many weapons from Renaissance swords to World War Two machine guns, grenadesand a walk-through, life-size World War One trench. We finished the day with a trip forgroceries before getting back into camp just before a small desert windstorm blew sand and light gravel around the campsites for about 15 minutes.

Another great day seeing our great nation. But I left the penitentiary very disheartened that human beings ruin their lives through errors in judgment,foolishness, greed, anger & whatever and spend years in jail as a result. Daily, Sally & I thank the Lord we had parents who taught us well.

Day 121: Friday, August 2 Though today was a driving day we chose to make waffles and enjoy ourcampgrounds picnic bench, only available in about half the campgrounds. We droveI-84 east to Hagerman, then southeast along a scenic route. Though the geologywasnt too much different than other locations wed seen we were amazed when wesaw waterfalls coming out of the rock wallof the canyon (see #5 at right). Seemsthere are thousands of springs in the area that discharge water most of the yearthrough the porous lava rock beneath the soil. Driving further we explored BruneauDunes State Park (Idaho) which is known for its t-a-l-lsand dunes, some toweringover 400 feet. These dunes are the highest in North America. 6= Massive Bruneau Dunes are tallest in No. America.

After eating lunch in Twin Falls we drove atop a tall bridge (#7, below left) over a very deep canyon. Stoppingat the lookout area beyond the bridge, Chris could hardly bear to look downover the railing; the canyon was several hundred feet deep, and a mall inTwin Falls had its parking lot appearing to be right at the edge, though itmustve been a very safe distance away. Out of the corner of his eye Chrissaw a man climb over the railing of the bridge (see #7, red arrow) withanother man standing next to him. Was the man threatening to jump? Wellhe did jump off the bridge, but almost immediately his parasailing chuteopened and he glided down to the rivers edge below. Chris heart wasthumping. Then two little boys, about 8 & 6 years of age, shot down the stairs

to the stone railing to see what was happening. The older was tall enough to look over, but the younger decided he needed to jump atop the wall(see red X in photo #8). Chris heart condition worsened; he couldnt get to the boy quick enough to stop him if he fell over the stone wall. It wasseveral hundred feet straight down from that point.Chris said calmly, Youd better get down from that wall before you fall over. The boy slid downand just then his mother came down the stairs with another toddler son. Chris explained how the boy had climbed atop the wall. Mom yelled out,

Dont climb up there, you dont have a parachute on! Chris couldnt take it any longer and went back up to the car to wait for Sallys return.We drove on through the countryside and through vast lava fields west of Craters Of The Moon NationalMonument. We will visit that natural attraction tomorrow. Arriving at Mountain View RV Park we had severalsurprises: 1) the cost was very reasonable, 2) the price included a free breakfast for each guest, and 3) Eddie andhis wife Gaylen were in a site two rows behind ours. We had camped next to them for the two previous nights inBoise. It was great to see them again. 9= Our campsite for two nights at Mountain View RV Park in Arco, Idaho.

Day 122: Saturday, August 3 Breakfast was on the house today; Mountain View RV Park providescomplimentary breakfasts for two on Mon.-Sat. We each had 2 eggs, coffee and 2 bigpancakes. And the staff isterrific: happy, friendly, and always willing to please. (Mountain View RV Park (705, W. Grand Ave., Arco, Idaho83213, ph: 208-527-3707, www.mountainviewrvarco.com) Their motto is, Youll come for the scenery youll STAY for the hospitality!So lets talk about the scenery of the area

1= Idaho Botanical Gardens fountain decorated with old,brightly painted street lamp poles. 2= Sally gets attention

of koi who think she has a treat for them. Sorry, no.

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3= Outside of penitentiary wasuninviting. 4= Sally & I agree,the inside was even worse. Nota place to claim as home.

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A fellow camper told us last night how disappointed he was when he visited the nearby national monument, so we werent sure we made the rightdecision in changing our route for a visit here. Nevertheless, after breakfast we drove to the Craters Of The Moon Visitors Center NationalMonument, about 18 miles west of Arco, ID, arriving about 10:45AM. There was a short video that gave visitors an overview, and Enrique, a ranger,did a really cool presentation about volcanic activity. Children from the audience were involved in his experiments using alka seltzer-type tablets in35mm film canisters. Everyone was amazed and his enthusiasm and activities were super! His presentation answered so many questions aboutvolcanoes and the various types of lava deposits within the park. From there we drove around the access roads that wind through the park. Thereare many auxiliary roads, loops, stops, signs, parking areas, pull-offs, etc. that make this a very flexible attraction. We climbed a very high mini-mountain of volcanic ash, walked through lava fields of different sorts, and even explored in two different caves. Our picnic lunch was enjoyed at ashaded picnic bench. While walking from a parking lot to a trail we heard a sudden swooshing sound and looked up just in time to see a deer withhuge rack of antlers gallop within 20 feet of us over a hill and into some woods. His size and speed startled us and we ran to see where he had

gone but he was gone! Our favorite activity was our two cave walks, maybe crawls is a better term. Both caves, in two different locations, weremade when lava flowed and cooled. The molten lava inside remained hot & liquid and continued to flow. This eventually resulted in caves or hollowtubes formed from cooled lava. Chris climbed down into the first cave following the lead of several other tourists. Sally was a little more cautious

and wondered how all these people couldfit inside such a supposedly small cave.Eventually she figured out we went in oneway and came out another hole furtheraway. She joined Chris and was excitedabout her crawl through Buffalo Cave.Our last crawl was through a lava tubeabout 30 feet in diameter and aboutseven hundred feet long, called theIndian Tunnel. This was more challengingas it involved more climbing over

multitudes of rocks under ground. Inseveral locations the roof of the tunnelhad collapsed resulting in gaping holes.We called it quits when we realized howsore our muscles had gotten from therock climbing. By then it was past 5:30.Whew we were tired. Our journey backto camp was onlydelayed by a trip toThe Drive-In icecream shop in Arco,another good placeto eat. The showersat Mountain View

RV Park were awelcome sight aswe were dusty anddirty even through our socks and shoes. (above = sunset in Arco, Idaho)

Day 123: Sunday, August 4 Our route on this travel day was such that we werent near any church to attend Sunday worship. We drove a very rural,desert wilderness path through very small towns. Heading northeast we drove toward West Yellowstone, Montana where we will camp for a few days ata favorite campground, the Wagon Wheel. Weve stayed here before and love the clean & neat rustic buildings that remind us of Alaska. Prior to WestYellowstone we selected a scenic route that took us past two waterfalls: Lower Mesa Falls and Upper Mesa Falls, the difference being the position ofthe falls in relation to whether it were up the Henrys Fork of the Snake River or down the river. Both waterfalls are within the governance of theNational Forest Service, so you know they are well operated & supervised. The views of the falls were spectacular, the valleys (continued next page)

Wevementioneditbefore,butwellsayitagainAmericas National Park Service is something of which all citizens can certainly be proud! And the Craters Of The Moon National Monumentis certainly at the top of our list. Why? Access roads that are safe, clear, in good repair, and displaying good signage. Rangers that are helpful,pleasant and always willing to help, such as Enrique who did a terrific job detailing the action of volcanoes and the varying types of lava flows.His presentation is the quality seen on syndicated TV nature shows. The paths through Craters were smooth enough that most could beaccessed by folks in wheelchairs. They even had curbing so the handicapped in walkers and wheelchairs couldnt wander off the pavement andfall into the rough rocks. And Craters doesnt stand alone as a unique operation. Every national monument & park weve visited has had thesame high level of performance. Are you over 62 years of age? You can buy a lifetime senior pass for just $10 that will get you into all nationalparks and monuments FREE! Plus youll get discounts at other federal locations such as campgrounds, museums, etc. Why wait? Go online andlearn more about your nations great park system. Go to www.nps.gov & www.nationalparkservice.org

1 = We pose amidst lavaoutcroppings in Craters Of TheMoon National Monument, west ofArco, Idaho. Lava chunks behind usand to the right were solidified edgesof lava rim that were bumped outand carried away downstream when

new lava erupted. 2= Not all lavaflows up & out like in movies. Thislava cone blew out its side sendinglava sideways for great distances.Some lava blasts sent hunks of lavafor MILES! Not the place to be, thatsfor sure.

3= Sally leads the way as weclimb a tall cinder cone left by avolcano. The whole mountainis cinders! They crunch

beneath your feet as you walk.4= Sally appears to havesunken into the cinder cone butChris just made it look thatway. Good wives are hard tofind, so I gotta keep the goodone Ive got!

5= You can just see Sally in right of thisphoto taken underground in the IndianTunnel that is over 30 ft. high and about700 ft. long. Very hard climbing over allthe lava boulders. The tunnel was formedwhen lava cooled on outside & molten

lava kept flowing inside forming a hollowtube as lava left the other end. Cave-insoccur when tunnel crust weakens, butrangers keep a lookout for dangers.Caves and tunnels sometimes have iceinside due to cool ground temperatures.6= Sally emerges from Buffalo Cave.

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(continued from previous page) were deep, and the trees were a welcome sight after being in barren, high desert for so long (over a week now!).

Along the road we had two interesting experiences that took us backin time. First, we bought fuel at a self-serve station where Sallydecided she wanted to use the restroom but soon discovered thebuilding was closed! The sign said they were closed on Sunday

just like things used to be in our youth. Second, after the falls wefound a Subway restaurant on our GPS but as we pulled into theparking lot yep, it was also Closed on Sunday. A lot of folkshave said, They ought to close businesses so folks can go tochurch on Sundays.Well, they do so at some places around here!These were minor inconveniences but we hope it allowed theseemployees to go to church on Sunday.

Just as we were approaching the edge of West Yellowstone we sawmany cars starting to pull off the sides of the road. That could onlymean one thing an animal sighting. Yep. About a hundred yards offthe road a female moose was jogging with her new calf, who was soyoung his legs were wobbling. It may have been born earlier today!

Arriving at the town of West Yellowstone, Montana we immediatelydrove to the Wagon Wheel Campground & Cabins to set up, thengo for a late lunch. This is one of our favorite parks great location,fair prices, super-clean & tidy buildings and restrooms & grounds,plus a great staff. We were greeted by

Ken, the owner. Ken Herman is an excellent host and gives his guests a complete overview of everything thats

currently happening in the area. Ken is like an RV park concierge!With his suggestion, we drove to the edge of townafter lunch (Subway tuna sandwich) and roamed the Mountainman Rendezvous, a no-charge exhibition of techniques,tools, and items used by the mountainmen of old. Here you could buy realcoonskin caps ala Daniel Boone, replicarubber band guns, real black powder firearms, arts n crafts, candles, animal skins (need a bear rug?), old-fashion

jewelry, and thousands of other items of a bygone era. Following our return we took a half-hour walk around our sectionof town, then returned to camp to find our friends Eddie & Gaylen Claxton had the campsite directly behind us! Thatmakes three campgrounds in a row weve seen each other. Talk about coincidence. We spent an hour diving into theYellowstone National Park newsletter that lists all the planned activities in the park including times & locations. Ourplanning will allow us to make the most of our time here at Yellowstone. (The Wagon Wheel Campground & Cabinscomplex is located at 408 Gibbon Avenue, P.O. Box 608, West Yellowstone, MT, 59758, ph: 406-646-7872,www.wagonwheelrv.com) 4= Eddie & Gaylen are camped one campsite behind us. See Snoopy in the background.

Day 124: Monday, August 5 Breakfast was quick so we could drive to tour first ranger-led hike of the day at the Norris Geyser Basin ofYellowstone National Park. Craig was our ranger guide and did a verygood job ofexplaining all of the thermal activity in the park and this particular basin. We wereamazed to hear that 90% of the worlds thermal wonders are located in theYellowstone Park area. Wow. From there we visited several sights before arrivingat the Bridge Bay Marina for a one-hour boat tour of Yellowstone Lake. The boatranger told us many facts about the lake: earlier explorers, development of thetourism in the park and the lake, an early tour developer who was later excludedfrom the park, and many other tales. Our final ranger-led tour was given by RangerEllie who spent 1.5 hours detailing the differences and features of mud pots,fumeroles, and other thermal features. While hiking we came upon a bull elkgrazing. All of the ranger-led hikes were interesting, informative and definitely oneof the most significant parts of this national park. Through their preciseexplanations visitors gather a wealth of important information about the parksfeatures that add depth to all the majesty you see while here.

Day 125: Tuesday, August 6 We were up extra early today to get to the Old Faithful area for another ranger-led tour. Unfortunately our entire dayfell apart when our car died about 25 miles into Yellowstone. Luckily a park volunteer was transporting a ranger car from one location to another andwas able to radio for a tow truck to haul us back to our campground. Our driver,Kevin, did a great job of getting us back to West Yellowstone so we could begin theprocess of seeking a garage for repairs. By the end of the day it was apparent thatwed have to go to a larger city with a Volkswagen dealership & garage. We willmake the voyage tomorrow for the 90-mile trip. We expect to be camping inBozeman, Montana for over a week while the diagnosis is made, parts ordered,and then installed. This occurred last year also. We think its about time to replaceour 11-year-old Jetta. Ken Herman, the owner of the Wagon Wheel RV Park herein West Yellowstone has been very helpful in providing us with ideas on possiblealternative repair locations. Its great to have someone like Ken on your side.

1= Lower Mesa Falls along HenrysFork of the Snake River. 2= TheUpper Mesa Falls is a mile or soupstream from the Lower Falls.3= A mother moose trots ahead of hernewborn calf. Such calves are aprime target for predators such aswolves. This calf was probably justborn today as he was on very wobblylegs, just about tripping over himself.

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5= Steamboat Geyser erupted lastWednesday, first time in 8 years! It wasstill blowing steam when we observed itMonday. 6= colors around thermalpools, geysers, etc. are usually theresult of bacteria, not mineral deposits.7= a grazing elk that was moreinterested in his meal than the humans

taking hundreds of photos.

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8= Kevin secures VW on towing trailer. 9= Chris works above & belowcar to diagnose problem. No luck. Must be repaired at VW garage.

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To bolster our spirits Sally suggested a pizza lunch at one of our favorite, reasonably priced restaurants in WestYellowstone, Petes Rocky Mountain Pizza. Chris did a few magic tricks for the wait staff and the owner was soimpressed she compd our beverages! While walking through town Chris HAD to finish some important work.Some of you may know of his sweatshirt with all the embroidered patches sewn on it. Well he wanted a NationalPark patch but they dont sell one that says Senior Ranger, BUT they will GIVE you one if you complete theJunior Ranger program. (You must be under 108 years of age, the rangers told him. So he just qualified.) Chrisspent over an hour Monday night completing all the tests & activities in the 12-page, newspaper-size requirementbooklet. (Those over 13 years of age must complete the entire booklet, not the few activities of younger rascalsmust finish.) Chris said, After everything thats gone wrong today Im gonna have something go right! So he wasquizzed by a ranger, took the Junior Ranger Loyalty Oath, and received his patch to be sewn on back home.

Day 126: Wednesday, August 7 Today was one of our more unusual days it was another travel day, but this time we rode in a flatbed towing/recovery truck. Our Volkswagen Jetta, and our Aliner were transported from West Yellowstone, MT to Bozeman, MT to Mountain Import Group, theclosest VW dealership. First, our camping neighbor, Eddie, (photo #2) pulled our Aliner out of the campsite to a location where it could be handledby the towing company. Craig & Quinn, towing specialists from West Gate Towing (photo #3), did a superior job of handling the tow. These guysare pros that scrutinize the vehicles to be hauled, then get them loaded on the transporter, and then triple check every aspect to ensure that youand your vehicles get to your destination is A-1 condition. Craig supervised the loading and Quinn did the driving. Sally rode up front as she easily

gets car-sick. The ride was just short of 2 hours and Quinn had memorized every rut & groove in the route north to Bozeman. This resulted in Sallyhaving no car sickness whatsoever. After the trek she remarked to me, Quinn is definitely a professional driver. I didnt get the least bit car sick.This adventure is another reinforcement of our recommendation to other travelers, and especially RVers, to have AAA towing coverage. Suchtowing is notcheap, but AAA covered it all under ourRV-Plus plan.

We arrived in Bozeman and dropped the trailer off at Sunrise Campground, which is directly next to the VW dealer. Our car was then dropped offnext door where Larry, the service manager for the VW portion of Mountain Imports, had our problem diagnosed by the end of the day. MountainImports was kind enough to secure us a courtesy car so we can get to locations for meals and groceries. With parts needing to be ordered, shippedand installed, we will be in Bozeman for about 6-9 days, hopefully less. No one likes to have the lost time disrupt a vacation, nor the high expense ofrepairs, but the Lord has given us a good place in which to be stuck for a while. Marty at Sunrise Campground has gone out of this way to makeour stay pleasant and accommodating. You cant ask for more than that.

Day 127: Thursday, August 8 The first order of business today was to walk next door to the VW dealer and get a few more clothes from ourluggage (cardboard & plastic storage boxes) in the car. The service rep. said they had the turbocharger out and found they had a spare in stock

and they had started the replacement. We said wed wait rather than have the car lowered down from the lift; we wanted the repair to keep going!Our conversation with VWs Customer Service Headquarters back East didnt go as well. They would not pay anything toward the repair but I said Iwanted to speak with someone at a higher level. They are to call us by tomorrow noon. Well see whatll happen then.

With the loaner car from the dealership we drove into Bozeman and had a great lunch at Famous Daves BBQ. Chris did his levitation trick* for thewaitress. (*When Chris does the trick he always comes up with some kind of story that makes it sound realistic. Today he mixed 2 BBQ saucesatop a potato chip and made a playing card rise off the table & spin in the air.) The waitress brought the manager over after our meal. He was soamazed at the card floating over his BBQ sauce that he called all the wait staff plus the asst. manager to see it, and he asked to videotaped thetrick*, which we allowed him to do. He was so excited he said he was going to have the video posted on the internet for all the Famous Dave'srestaurants! Sally said, Maybe youd like to comp us on our drinks. He said, You bet! (Seems like Sally has finally found a way to use mytalents.)

Our last stop of the day was the American Computer & Robotics Museum in Bozeman. They close at 4PM so we only had 1.5 hours, which wethought would be more than enough. Well this is one fabulous museum with a LOTof really interested exhibits that cover a lot more than justcomputers & robots. The museum covers the recording & transmission of thoughts from ancient times to the present. It

was truly an amazing place. We ran out of time and may even go back again to finish our exploration. Visiting Bozeman?You dont have to know about computers or robots to really dig this museum. Sally says, Go there!! and she doesnt digcomputers. Back at the campsite Chris replaced the worn trailer power plug that broke loose from his fastenings andrubbed on the pavement being towed all the way from West Yellowstone to Bozeman. Only took him 20 minutes.4= Trailers power plug that dragged on highway. 5= Replacement plug Chris installedon the trailers cord. 6= Robot toy w/o & with body on robot structure. 7= Favorite ofmany 1960s & 70s sci-fimovies, Robbie-the-Robothad several changes inhis outward appearancedepend ing upon themovie. Hes still Chrisfavorite robot.

1= Chris takes advanced-age JuniorRanger loyalty oath to get patch.

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Day 128: Friday, August 9 Chris again spoke with Volkswagens Customer Service headquarters regarding some assistance with the repair of ourcar. The turbocharger they installed last year failed this week. It was 2 months beyond the warranty, though 12,000 miles over too, but last yearsrepair required the use of factory rebuilt parts, because Volkswagen would not offer new parts for these repairs. His major upset was that thecars original turbocharger lasted 10 years and 190,000 miles; the new one only lasted 11/6 years and 24,000 miles. (Thats a big difference inreliability, especially after paying almost $2000!) The mechanic said this breakdown was due to a failure of the rebuilt turbo replaced last summerVW headquarters wouldnt budge except to offer Chris a coupon for $750 off the price of a new $30,000 car. (Yeah, right!)

But our hat is off to Larry, the service manager for the local VW dealer, Montana Import Group, and their diesel specialist, Ty. This team was ableto find the parts and get them installed in 1.5 days rather than the anticipated 6-9 days. And Ty did a superior job on the repair. He came out of theshop and explained everything that was done in the repair, plus went along during a test drive by Chris. Such a response by a dealership is notalways so positive. (I just wish VW headquarters was as committed as their dealers like Montana Import Group.)

After receiving our car we drove some errands, then had lunch (see DiningExperiences below), and toured the Museum of the Rockies on the stateuniversitys campus in Bozeman. We expected a higher quality museum asthis one is rated a GemSite by AAA. Well it was far better than expected.Chris said he almost left the place with a headache he saw so manyinteresting & educational exhibits, facts, displays, two planetarium shows,videos, hands-on activities, etc. Topics included state & local history, science,culture, astronomy, a huge space exhibit, Native American exhibits, a housefrom the 1930s, and the list goes on. Sally was also impressed and mutuallyfelt this was a high-quality museum suitable for adults and children. We spent

four hours going everywhere inside and were blown away by everything we saw! One of their specialtyareas is their extensive and excellent displays about dinosaurs. We walked out with an entirely differentperspective after reading all the processes they go through to verify their research on dinosaurs. If & when

you visit Bozeman, dont forget to set aside at least a half-day to tour this fine facility. We finished our daywith some light shopping for tomorrows travel eastward, plus a yummy dish of bread pudding fromFamous Daves.

We also have to give kudos to Maryjo & Marty Stanek for their hospitality at the Sunrise Campgroundwhere weve been while our car was being repaired. These folks were cordial & helpful and realized ourunusual situation and made sure we had a place to camp our trailer right next door to the repair shop.

Camping in Bozeman, MT? Sunrise Campground is the place to rise each morning, and rest your head each night.

Dining experiences worth repeatingA dining location rates well with us if we say wed go there again. Here are some places that fit that criteria:The Egg Factory,6882 W. State Street, Boise, Idaho. Located less than a mile from the Boise Riverside RV Park. Varied menu, fair prices, hugehelpings. We spilt a breakfast and were too full to eat lunch. $8.99 bought us a 4-egg omelette, choice of potatoes, choice of breakfast bread,which in our case, was half a biscuit covered with sausage gravy. Good eatin and plenty of it. We didnt read the lunch menu but if wed stayedanother day we woulda tied the food bag on over there again. Petes Rocky Mountain Pizza, 112 Canyon Street, West Yellowstone, MT. Goodpizza at a reasonable price. One of the better food bargains in this tourist area. Great wait staff & ownership good folks.The Garage (Soup &Grill), 451 East Main Street, Bozeman, MT. Located in a converted auto repair shop. Wide variety of specialty hamburgers, sandwiches and soups,plus the best French fries weve ever had, and Sally says so! Theyre crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, with a super-delicious secretseasoning. Theyre especially with mayo. (Sallys like Cindi in the mayo & French fry thing.) Plus, you can get the burgers cooked to your personal levelof doneness! Dont forget Famous Daves BBQat 1230 North 7th Avenue, Bozeman, MT. Everything is good there. Try the bread pudding, too.

1= Sally observes actual dinosaur skull,not a casting. 2= Chart explainsdinosaurs. 3= Chart of dinosaur scientificrelationships. 4= Horse sculpture outsidemuseum made of chain links. 5= Full-sizemodel of plant-eating dinosaur beingattacked by meat-eating dino. Womanbehind upstairs railing gives idea of size.6= Skull of triceratops, one of the favoritedinosaurs of young children.

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Wheretonext? With our car now repaired were going to headfurther east. We plan to drive to Billings, Montana on Saturday, Aug 10th andstay one or more nights to attend MontanaFair, which is different thanMontanas state fair. From there we will travel to Devils Towerin Wyoming. Thisnatural landscape wonder has been the sight of many movies, especially CloseEncounters of the Third Kind. (?? Think mashed potatoes!!)