The Evolution of Our RV’s

When we started full timing in 2001, we sold our house and ordered a new motor home, a 39 foot Bounder Diesel Pusher. It was a great coach. We made many improvements in it over the years. It served us well.


Then, in 2008, we bought a 2005, 19 foot Nash travel trailer. At the same time we sold our Jeep Grand Cherokee and bought a Chevy pickup, to pull the Nash. The little trailer worked great for us. We wanted a small rig that would allow us to get into some tight spots, such a many of the National Forest Campgrounds. We loved it but, as you might guess, it got a little cramped for full timers.

So……
Then last year we camped with friends, Leslie and Elliot, who have a Trek motor home. We fell in love with the concept of a bed that goes up into the ceiling, which allows the overall length to be 10 to 12 feet shorter than a comparable “bedroom-type” motor home. The last Treks were made in 2008 when 55 were built. After a lot of research on Treks we did an exhaustive search around the country using the internet. Then we located on in Chandler, AZ, only 80 miles from North Ranch. It was perfect for us and we bought it. We traded the Chevy in on a Jeep Liberty to pull behind the Trek.

At one time we owned three rigs. But soon after buying the Trek, we sold the Nash on Craig’s List to a couple from Washington state. After living in the Trek last year we decided it was just right and we put the Bounder up for sale. But we didn’t have any luck selling it. We took it to a RV consignment business in the Phoenix area just before we left North Ranch. Last week we got the word that it had been sold. Wow, now we are back to one motor home and a toad.
How long will the Trek meet our needs? Right now we would say forever. But given our history (Dee would say it is more of my history), something new and different will catch our fancy. And off we will go. It is kind of like the RV life. Change is stimulating and you never know what is around the corner. So that is our story and we may stick to it!
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Do You Know How a Grain Elevator Works?

Well, you should! I always wondered as we traveled around and observed the elevators from the outside. In March, my nephew, Wyatt, gave me a tour of the feed mill in Hillsboro, Ohio. Wyatt worked there and based many of his FFA activities on that experience. In fact, he plans to attend Kansas State and major in Feed Science (?) when he graduates from high school next year.
As we started traveling in Alberta we saw a number of the old, wooden grain elevators which were painted up and had the name of the town on the side. We stopped at one in Nanton but it was closed. The Milepost Travel Guide indicated one in Spruce Grove was open for tours. So we stopped. We found out that at one time there were over 3000 in the province, spaced 8-10 miles apart, to allow the farmers to conveniently haul their grains to the elevator. Today there are fewer than 300 working elevators. they are being replaced with shiny, metal, mechanized, higher capacity units which are more efficient to operate.
Dee will kill me for writing this much about grain elevators. But I told you this would be an eclectic blog! And, after all, it is OUR blog.  So bear with me a few minutes longer.
The Spruce Grove Grain Elevator has been reclaimed by a volunteer organization to make sure the structure and works survive. The photos below are of the elevator. The basic operation goes like this:
1) the farmer brings the grain to the elevator in a truck or wagon, 2) the elevator operator checks the load for moisture content and purity of the grain and a price per ton is determined 3) the truck pulls in on the scale and dumps the load through a grate in the floor 4) the truck is now weighed, empty and the net weight of the grain and the payment to the farmer is determined. Next, 5) the grain in the basement is carried via conveyer to the top of the elevator where it is dumped in one of the bins. There is a turret on top which rotates to put the grain in the proper bin. The mechanical system by which this is accomplished by the operator is really interesting. 6) when a railcar/set of ten cars pulls along the elevator and a spout goes out over the car, again coming from the proper bin, and the grain is released, again weighing the car before and after.
The wooden structure and mechanics are simple yet effective. Many old elevators have a “man-elevator” in which a person gets in the small car and physically pulls himself up to the top of the elevator using his own strength (and counter-weights). A lot of cleaning and repair work is necessary to keep the elevator running correctly.
This discussion should weed out a few of you readers of this blog who are wondering why you are reading it in the first place!

Here I am inspecting the basement operation and as Dee points out – getting dirty!

I had to explain to the tour guide how it works. It was her first day!

Crossing The Border

We approached Customs with trepidation. Dee had studied all the rules of what you could carry into Canada, but you never know…..  We did not want to have the entire motor home ransacked as they looked for contraband. I had pared down my supply of MGD to 4 measly cans. I did not bring any firearms. We had all the correct documentation for Jaxon. And on and on. As we approached customs I was on my very best behavior as I addressed the customs official as SIR! Five questions: Where are you from? Where are you going? How long will you be in Canada? Do you have any alcohol? Do you have any firearms? Obviously all the right answers resulted in “Have a great trip”. We always laugh that we must be pretty boring looking folks as we have never had trouble going through customs, even immediately after 9/11 when I was working in Quebec. We breathed a sigh of relief and headed on up the road.

Here is the first wildlife we saw in Alberta.. I think it a cross between a kangaroo and a fox terrier…..

  

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    What do you think?

On Up to Canada

We said our goodbyes and pulled out of Moab on Thursday, May 12. We will see all of our friends again in the Fall and share stories about out Summer months. Full-timers see and do a lot of different things which makes it a great life.

For the next few days we traveled north through Utah, with an easy drive through Salt Lake, up to Idaho and then Montana. The roads were good and clear with snow on many of the mountaintops. We stopped for a couple hours to visit with Jackie and Charlie at their beautiful cabin in Cascade, MT, overlooking the Missouri River. Here are a few photos of the journey.

Utah

 

Wind farm on ridge before dropping down to I15 south of Prove, UT.

View from the Cabela’s parking lot near Lehi, UT. The large parking lot comes with fresh water and a dump station, not to mention the view. We always spend a night here when we travel I15. Their wildlife exhibit is one of the best.

North of Great Falls, MT. Great country! Western Montana ranks near the very top of our favorite areas.

On the Road Again With Alaska in Our Sights!

It is always great to get to our lot in North Ranch, near Congress, Arizona in the Fall. It is equally as good to hit the road again in the Spring. We pulled out on April 26th. This particular year is special, as we are heading for Alaska!
This year we traveled to Moab with Tom and Val. While there we hooked up with Rick and Marla, Barb and Bill, Bob and Cathy and Eric and Maureen. We all boondocked at the Old Airport south of town. We were lucky as they closed the airport to camping the very day we left. Here are some photos of our drive to Moab and our stay there.

A great stopover at Gooseneck Park State Park, near Mexican Hat, Utah. We camped overlooking the S-curves of the San Juan River, far below.

Beautiful Utah highway view of the La Sal Mountains

Our campsite at the abandoned air strip south of Moab.

The horses on the air strip really enjoy MGD!

We always enjoy ATV riding at Moab. Tom and Rick rode almost every day. We rented a Ranger one day.

We never tire of the views from Arches National Park.