Postcard from Wyoming

Posted on Thursday, 5 August 2010 by bruce10b

3-5 August 2010
(Cheyenne, WY)

We had an easy though boring drive to Cheyenne, WY via the Interstate. The KOA in Cheyenne is a little east of town and looks very isolated. Needs some trees to break up the wind but fortunately wind was not an issue while we were there. One quick look around you is all it takes to recall that Cheyenne borders the Great Plains.

We stopped for 2 nites so we could have a chance to look around and get some rest before the next leg thru Colorado. I tried to like Cheyenne, but driving in the town was a pain in the butt. People drive like they’re in LA except they aren’t any good at it! Of course I need to remind myself that I’m an old fart now, so maybe that’s the issue. My reaction to Cheyenne was immensely dissimilar from what I’ve felt in any other Wyoming town, even Casper which I’ve always thought of as an oil town. Of course it is on the Interstate, so maybe that has something to do with it.


Cheyenne had had a competition among local artists that required decorating an 8 foot tall boot. All are originals and some really interesting creations. The one Celia is leaning against used painted images while the one with the diamonds has recorded the names and dates of service of the former governors on Wyoming. And I doubt anyone is going to steal these multi-hundred pound behemoths!

We went down to the train depot which has been restored. We’d heard about the decorated 8′ tall boots painted by guest artists so we had to have a look. They were fun and we got a few pictures plus I got a T-shirt at the depot. Then we stuck our heads into The Wrangler- a Western wear and boot shop. Fun to look but we’re max’ed out on weight so there’s no sense breaking out a credit card!

The KOA is located very near a truck stop, so diesel is no sweat. The trouble with truck stops, though, is that they carry cheap DVDs. So I had to have a look and once more I carried away a gem… along with another 2 that were a waste of $$$ and never made it out of Wyoming.

Off to South Colorado tomorrow.

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Postcard from Nebraska

Posted on Tuesday, 3 August 2010 by bruce10b

31 July – 2 August 2010
(Gretna, NE)

We left Clear L and had a long drive to the KOA in W Omaha (Gretna), NE. It’s an old KOA and we ended up under a beautiful old oak tree with about a 15% grade where we had to pull out. I’m serious as a heart attack: 15%. Yikes! Parking the rig wasn’t bad as the site was level where the trailer sat. But at the point the truck was pointed down the exit path it was s-t-e-e-p. So when it came time to hitch up it was a case of backing the truck up under the overhang and hope I snagged the king pin.

We did the usual shopping thing here plus we managed to find a Starbucks. We’d been feeling very deprived so we needed a fix and some more Verona beans. Diesel was easy when that chore rolled around.

I managed to get connected without a problem. The B&W hitch articulates enough that I was able to connect with only a lot of worry and no real problem. Off we went to N. Platte.

2-3 August 2010
(N Platte, NE)

We stopped at Holiday RV Park in N Platte, our second stay here. It was a one-niter and, if you recall our previous whine, we definitely ate at home that nite!

The next day we were off to Cheyenne, WY.

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Postcard from Iowa

Posted on Saturday, 31 July 2010 by bruce10b

30-31 July 2010
(Clear Lake, IA)

Flood control a little west of La Crosse

We left Hixton, WI with threatening cloud cover and it only got worse. Sometime after La Crosse the heavens opened up and the rig got a bath. Would have been fine if it weren’t that the water hitting it was dirty: we were in the midst of some serious construction work.

Our stop this day was at Cedar Lake, IA for a one-niter. We stayed at Oakwood RV Park which had very easy pull thru sites. We’re close to 60′ when the trailer is connected, so if we didn’t have to go after diesel I could have stayed connected for the nite. It was $28/nite with the cash discount, otherwise it was $30/nite. Not bad. For whatever reason, Celia was happy to be gone from here… ???

One problem. The access road looks like a war zone. The big rigs have really torn it up. When we tried to find the park, however, got a little screwed up because Mr. Garmin’s directions were a little screwed up. We ended up arriving from the wrong direction which turned out to be the best direction… we missed all the pot holes. Well… until I drove out to fuel-up!

Tomorrow we’re off to Nebraska.

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Postcard from Wisconsin

Posted on Friday, 30 July 2010 by bruce10b



26-27 July 2010
(Chain o’ Lakes, WI)

Great pizza!

Our stop at Chain o’ Lakes KOA was a one-niter. It’s all dirt/sand, but is so much nicer than our stay at Manistique we didn’t whine. The surroundings are a beautiful rustic approach that works very well in this very woodsy area. Btw, this is the first KOA we’ve found that recycles!

The dogs had a great time walking new territory which included access to one of the lakes in the chain (28 lakes in the chain I think?). We hiked down to the launch ramp but our timing was terrible as we managed to become dinner for the mosquitoes. But it’s a beautiful campground with great trees (conifers) and lots of signs reminding people to drive slowly to keep down the dust. By and large it seems to work as most followed the instructions.

We got into Eagle River (the nearby town) and had dinner at Butch’s Pizza. Fantastic! If you stop in Eagle R you really need to think about this place for lunch or dinner. Great pizza!

We tanked up and were on our way to Alma Center/Hixton KOA the next morning.


27-30 July 2010

Hixton/Alma Center, WI KOA.

Hixton KOA was a one-nighter so we could rest a bit and shop for a few things. The KOA is right between the 2 towns… about 3 miles either direction. But if you want more than what you would expect at a 7-11, then you have to plan on 15-20 miles to Black River Falls.

This KOA is amazing. The grounds are immaculate. I had the feeling of staying in the front yard of a mansion. There were expansive lawns, trimmed shrubbery, everything well cared for. Loved it, and enjoyed touring the immediate area. Went to Bruce’s Mound and left wondering: what the hell is a mound!? There were other “mounds” in the area, whatever they are. My guess is they are small hills, but… ??? If you know, please share.

This is an Amish area and we saw several of their farms. The coolest was one with wheat (or some grains) stacked in sheaves. And we happened to see the occasional horse draw wagon. I resisted the urge to get out the camera since the Admiral threatened to break it over my head if I didn’t respect their privacy. Convincing argument!

We were up bright and early on the 29th, hitched up, disconnected water and sewer, and pulled out. Ummm, yeah. Well… we (I!) forgot to disconnect the power cable. This cord is over 1″ in diameter and you would think I could remember something that big. But no… I pulled out without a clue.

We stopped at a rest stop near a set of locks around La Crosse, WI. After a break I was walking back to the rig and saw the yellow power plug still plugged into the rear connector. And there was no cable in sight. Oh crap! I figured it was a goner. And I feared we would have a sizable repair bill fixing their power pylon. But that wasn’t case: the Admiral called the park and learned the pylon was fine. The only problem was the wires had been pulled out of the connector without breaking anything. So instead of heading to a Camping World we headed back to Hixton and stayed another night at the KOA so I could repair the cable (less than 5 minutes work).

So after a 3rd night at this wonderful park we really did manage our escape!

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Postcard from Michigan

Posted on Monday, 26 July 2010 by bruce10b

Mare catchup… almost there!

25-26 July 2010

Maybe it was the fact we had to go home and didn’t want to, but the Manistique KOA on the upper peninsula was probably the worst stop we’ve made so far. It’s part of a motel and the restroom facilities for campers are inside. The Admiral says they were a disaster, so I avoided going near. Our 30-A campsite was so-so after adding a leveling board, but the breaker was defective and tripped several times even though we limited our electrical usage to less than 30-A. Plus our rig was probably a little bigger than expected in the site so getting out was a white knuckle affair. We made it after a couple tries… about 1/4″ to spare getting past the pylon. Keep in mind I’m new at this, so maybe it was just me.

Couldn’t wait to get going to Eagle River, WI in the morning!

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