Day 2 Hot to Trot

Texas Springs Campground, Death Valley, CA 

After a great night’s sleep we both woke about 5 am.  and couldn’t wait to hit the hot springs.  We spent the next 3 hours just soaking and talking. What a wonderful way to begin the day. 

We managed to rally and head back to highway 395.  First stop Schatz Bakery in Bishop.  OMG - I think we tasted every.single.sample!!  Love that Sylvia was ready to drive the bakery truck. She does come from a long line of bread bakers.

Driving along Highway 395 an abandoned cabin with the southern Sierras  in the backdrop. 

We spent most of the day at Manzanar Relocation Center. It was a Japanese Internment Camp established in 1941.  We watched the movie, toured the museum and opted to ride our bikes rather than drive the auto tour.  We appreciated the resilience of the Japanese people as we saw the beautiful fish ponds, parks and gardens they created in the most abysmal circumstances.  It was a very moving, sad, heartbreaking experience. What was weird was the juxtaposition of the beautiful snow capped mountains against the tar papered barracks. 

 

I especially loved the cementary with the wreaths made of 1000 cranes.  

Next stop Death Valley.  We loved the beautiful vistas as we climbed over the Panamintt Mountains.  The view from Father Crowley point was amazing. 

Furnace Creek did not disappoint. It was hot!!  Yes, bring on the hot weather.  We nabbed a spot at Texas Spring Campground and then made a beeline to the spring fed pool.  Can you spot me?  It’s definitely spring break here and I’ve never seen so many people at the pool.  After smuggling wine into the pool (yes, Nonna has been officially corrupted), we enjoyed the hot showers. 

Tonight at the campsite we continued to enjoy the warm weather, although breezy.  We had a bbq of chicken and roasted veggies with some yummy wine. Thanks Fred.  (I am a little worried that we’re gonna run out tho...Please send more Uncle Fred!!).  Day 2 was pretty darn great.  

And We’re Off!

Benton Hot Springs, CA

I see light at the end of the tunnel.  After a cold, wet and long winter, the glimmer of a wee bit of spring is in the horizon.  We are not only anxiously awaiting spring, but also the arrival of a grandchild!  Sweet, baby Madeline is due mid-May.  Can you think of a better way to rejoice the spring and new life than by the two grandmothers (Sylvia aka Nonna and Debi aka Nana)  spending two weeks together and celebrating life on the road?!  What a blessing to spend time together, rejuvenate and experience living in the moment.  Today’s adventure took us over several passes. We started our journey overlooking Donner Lake.  

Who wouldn’t want to hit the road with this beauty?!

We had a great time driving down 395.  The snow capped mountains were breathtaking.

One of our stops along the way was taking several hikes around Mono Lake.   Our first couple of  hikes were exploring a nature trail and walking a ridge hike next to Lee Vining Creek.  There was still some snow on the trails.  Nonna, aka Mountain Goat, had no trouble navigating the icy patches.  Nana, carefully just walked in her footsteps.  

Time for a picnic.  All the better with Cynthia’s homemade bread. Sooo good! 

We really enjoyed the South Tufa walk along Mono Lake.  The light was just perfect.  

I’ve experienced Mono Lake mostly in the summer or fall.  To see it in early spring/late winter was completely different. 

We finally made it to our destination for the night, Benton Hot Springs.  What a better way to kick off our trip than soaking in our own hot springs with good wine, great company and knowing we have endless days ahead of us.

P.S. Yes, I showed up in Soda Springs ready to hit the road in flip flops.  Can you believe the amount of snow here?!!!  

And That’s A Wrap

Home Sweet Home, Nevada City, CA

Alas, our 2018 Cold Springs Tour has come to an end.  We were gone 55 days, drove 9800 miles, camped in 18 states, visited 2 countries (Mexico and Jamaica) and biked 268 miles!  The number of hours in our floaties were unaccounted for.  

Thanks so much for being on this journey with us!!  

Here’s a link to our one second a day recap. 

Cold Springs Tour Video.  (The date is on the left, the place is on the right) 

All About the Journey

Redfish Lake, Glacier View Campground, ID

Today was all about the journey.  We had a long drive ahead of us so we got an early start.  Of course, we broke up the drive with stopping at historical markers along the way.  This view is taken from Big Hole Pass, elev 7400 ft.  You could see 400 square miles from this viewpoint!  It was glorious to be in the early morning light, hearing the cows’ moos echoing off the mountains and feel the crisp air.  Ned said this was one of the highlights of the trip for him.  

At the end of the pathway at this viewpoint was a “Beaver Slide”, patented in 1905.  It’s an efficient way to make a huge haystack. Farms that don’t use the mechanical baler still use this method today.  This place was also where Lewis & Clark stopped on their way back to St. Louis. 

Nez Pierce National Battlefield, Big Hole was also on the way.  We got there a bit before it opened so we used the time to wander the grounds, read about the battle and learn about how the Nez Pierce Indians were eventually annihilated.  Ugh.  After just coming off the high from earlier this morning, we just didn’t have it in us to stay and watch the film or do a ranger talk, especially after experiencing Little Bighorn National Monument a few days before. My heart just couldn’t take it.  

We drove through the Beaverhead-Deerlodge, Bitteroot and Salmon-Challis National Forests taking us from Montana to Idaho.  Jaw dropping gorgeous. 

We stopped in a couple of little towns.  Can’t remember the name of this one, but they were just starting their 4th of July Parade down the one road Main Street through town.  We perused the local farmer’s market and picked up some provisions. 

Mid afternoon we finally reached Redfish Lake, Idaho.  This will be home for the next 3 days. We couldn’t think of a better way to end our trip. We’re at Glacier Campground, quiet enough to enjoy the mountains and smell the pine trees, but close enough to hop on our bikes and hang out at the Lodge.  If you’ve never been to this place it is a great family vacation spot.  Beaches, boats, bikes, cabins, campgrounds, restaurants and outside bars. We’re all in.  

Ghost Towns of Montana

Bannack State Park, MT

The beauty of Montana cannot be understated. However, she is also very fickle. One minute warm and sunny and then quickly changing to dark clouds and dropping 10 degrees. We’ve changed our clothes a couple of times just trying to keep up.  

We pulled into Missouri Headwaters State Park mid morning. We had the place to ourselves and really enjoyed just wandering the park and reliving Lewis & Clark’s journey up the Missouri River.  Some of the highlights were standing at the confluence of the Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin Rivers. (Named by Lewis & Clark after the President, Secretary of State and Treasurer).  This is also where Sacajawea (after taken as a slave by another tribe, sold to a French explorer and then acting as a guide for the Corp of Discovery), met up years later with her brother. The actual headwaters of the Missouri River are about a mile from the confluence.  Do you know that if you floated in an inner tube from this point it wold take you 2 1/2 months to reach the Gulf of Mexico? I’m in...who else? 

Ned camped here with his dad when he was a boy.  He got a kick out of knowing that Lewis & Clark also camped at this spot.  We’re big Lewis & Clark fans.  We’ve read several books about them and have stopped at many historical places along their route.  

We were going to camp here for the night, but decided to do some more exploring of Montana.  We ended up at Bannack State Park.  It’s an abandoned gold mining town, very similar to Bodie.  It was founded in 1862 when gold was discovered along the banks of the creek by 2 miners. Within a year the population had grown to 3000. It was once the Capital of the territory of Montana. The Court House was built in 1875 and housed the legislature. The town thrived for quite a few years and by 1940 it was finally abandoned. 

What is so cool about this place is that they have not restored any of the buildings. They are all open and you can wander the town going into the houses, school, church, court house, stores, saloon and Mason Hall.  I liked wandering the streets, but to be honest going into the empty houses gave me the creeps. 

They say the place is haunted.  It has quite a history of vigilantes and outlaws. Sheriff Henry Plummer was the most notorious criminal. He has ties to Nevada City - yes our Nevada City.  He served as City Marshall in Nevada City in 1853.  Before becoming sheriff he was convicted of manslaughter and served time in San Quentin.  He got out, went to Bannack, and was tried and acquitted for another murder.  Nevertheless he was elected Sheriff of Bannack in 1863.  His gang of 25 men, known as “The Road Agents” or “Innocents” supposedly in an 8 month time period committed countless robberies and 102 murders. 

We are staying at a very small campground (maybe 20 sites) at this State Park.  It’s very primitive, i.e. pit toilets, no hook-ups, no amenities  (you can either camp in the Vigilante or Road Agent areas - we are in the Road Agents area) and is also said to be haunted.  We don’t have cell at the campground, but did discover a spot in the abandoned town where we can get it. There are tales about campers seeing “scary men or ghosts with axes in the bushes.”  Ha, should be a fun evening. Our plan is to ride our bikes into the ghost town tonight and post the blog.  Should be good for a few stories...if not, remember me kindly.  

Big Sky Country

Cooney State Reservoir, Montana

Driving out of South Dakota we had to stop by the “Geographic Center of the Nation” in Belle Fourche, SD.  This includes Alaska and Hawaii.  A couple of years ago we were at the “Center of the Contiguous U.S.”. I believe that was in Nebraska.  Anyhow, check that one off the list.  

Driving the backroads of Montana a restaurant that tells it like it is.  

We stopped by Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.  We thought it was just going to be a marker on the road or at most a small visitors center and a plaque.  We had no idea it was such a big attraction.  There were hundreds of people there.  Ironically, the Battle known as Custer’s Land Stand happened on June 25-26th, 1876.  Almost 142 years ago to the day.  Being history buffs we knew it would be interesting, but I had no idea it would also be a very emotional and moving experience.  

The park did a really great job explaining both sides of what led up to the battle;  including what was going on economically and politically in the U.S. at the time, what the Native Americans were experiencing, tribal alignments, timelines, and actual facts about this specific battle.  

This is a diorama of the battle and replicas of what the Calvary and Native Americans wore into battle. (Sorry for the reflection and poor quality, hard to get a good picture behind glass with lots of lights). 

We watched a very informative 30 minute movie about the battle and learned about General Custer, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota tribes.  Sitting Bull clearly understood that they won the battle, but lost the war and the ramifications of this - the end of the Lakota Nation. He understood and fought to keep Native Americans from being forced onto reservations knowing that would end their way of life. It was so incredibly sad.  We spent quite awhile walking the battlefield and visiting the gravestones of the Cavalry and the Native Americans. This park really does a great job honoring all who fought and died here.

The large obelisk is the Cavalry Memorial.

Visiting the Indian Memorial was very moving and quite emotional.  I have to admit that both of us got teary eyed.  The Indian Memorial stands just east of the Calvary Monument and is a circular earthwork carved into the prairie.  Once inside the memorial you can see a view of the Cavalry obelisk through a “spirit gate” window.  Symbolically, the spirit gate welcomes the departed Cavalry soldiers into the memorial circle.  What an incredibly moving gesture. 

For many tribes  a circle is sacred and it remains open for ceremonial events.  The surrounding inside walls display the names of those who fought here as well as the words of some who fought in the battle.  

This.  

We continued on through Big Sky Country finally pulling into Cooney Reservoir tonight.  As we drove down the dirt road to get here, Ned and I both looked at each other and said, “I think we’ve camped here before.”  Checked our blog...yep - September 18, 2009.  The campground is flooded and many sites are blocked off.  Ironically, we are set up in the exact same site we were back in 2009.  We don’t have any cell signal so tonight’s biking adventure will be riding uphill until we find some.  If you got this, you know we were successful.  

The Other End of South Dakota

Rocky Point Recreation Area, SD

I woke up last night about 4ish because the air was completely still and lightening was flashing everywhere.  From my days of living in Chicago, it felt like tornado weather.  I jumped out of the top bunk, ran outside and grabbed all our towels, bathing suits, etc.  When I crawled back on top, I woke up Ned and said, “Weather is coming, time to batten down the hatches.”  No sooner had I said that then the winds came roaring through.  And I mean roaring! We knew the top needed to come down so we both jumped off (I came crashing down, owie...). Off came the sheets and pillows, down came the pop-up. Ned ran outside to roll up the awning.  Then we sat in the van, being blown about, and waited her out. About 5ish we climbed back upstairs and went to sleep being lulled off by the sound of hail hitting our van. We woke at 9 to sunny skies.  Gotta love the Midwest.  

Driving out of town this morning there were signs saying “Hail Repair, Free Estimates.” 

We did lose a couple of things in the storm.  My chair was blown under the table, but Ned’s was nowhere to be found.  I eventually located it in the lake. Ned got the pleasure of retrieving it.  Ned’s floatie?  We think is probably floating down the Missouri River.  It had a good life.  

Traveling thru South Dakota prairies.  (I didn’t enhance this photo.  It looks exactly like this!) We took highway 34 and for 3 hours we counted 20 cars. Definitely beats the interstate.  

Our big destination today was Sturgis, SD - home of the world’s largest motorcycle rally.  We’ve been to the Black Hills on several of our trips, but always headed towards Custer Park. (One of the BEST parks in the country btw).  This time we wanted to see what Sturgis and the motorcycle hype was all about.  You know, me being such a badass Vespa rider and all...The interesting thing about Sturgis is that there is a two or three block downtown and then several streets are just lined with GIGANTIC vacant barn-like bars (some with chain link fence around them).  Basically, half the town is vacant except for the annual one week motorcycle rally.  There’s somewhere between 500,000 to 700,000 riders that descend upon this town. Wowza. 

The highlight of Sturgis was visiting the Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame.  I loved it!!  So many cool motorcycles, dating as far back as 1903. The  museum has a motorcycle owned by Charlie Chaplin (the red one in the top corner) who apparently was a cycle fanatic.  Also, Liz Taylor’s jacket when she would ride with Forbes. But the cycles...OMG so cool.  

This motorcycle was made entirely out of wood! There was also the 1949 Indian Papoose. (Lower corner).  It was developed during WWII by the British Army for use by British paratroopers.  The seat and handlebars could be folded down so that it could be packed into a steel cannister and tossed out of an airplane.  It never caught on in the US.  If you’re into cycles this museum is definitely worth a stop.  

Tonight’s campsite is still prairie camping, but at least we’ve got a bucolic spot near the lake.  Everything has been flooded in this part of the country, which is evident by the overflowing lake.  There’s a sweet little canoe next to our campsite.  It looks so inviting...Tonight’s activities: bike, swim - you know the drill.