Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area

Well here I sit all alone at the computer with a slow, I mean slow, Internet connection. We love the Lucerne Valley Campground, it is so great here I don't even mind sitting and swearing at the slow connection. (If you own a computer and go on-line you will learn to swear!)

The reason I sit here alone is because yesterday I drove Bev to the Salt Lake City International Airport for her flight home. She had to go back to Connecticut for Kevin's mom Phyllis's funeral. I wish I could have gone with her but I just didn't feel right leaving the camper alone in the wilderness. Bev will be returning Sunday so I will have to drive the 3 hour plus trip each way back to Salt Lake City to pick her up.

I just love this picture of Kevin and his mom at Kevin and Holly's wedding. I am so glad she was able to attend their wedding.

Felicia L. Edmiston and Kevin Edmiston

We all loved Phyllis from the bottom of our hearts and will miss here dearly. My heart goes out to Kevin, Holly, and the Edmiston family.

We did get a chance to check out Flaming Gorge but still have more to see. We didn't get to check out the Flaming Gorge Dam yet but will when Bev gets back from Connecticut. We also expect Pam and Kent to visit us for a couple of days next week and will drive around more then.

About a mile from the campground on WY-530 is the Wyoming/Utah line. In the distance you can see the little town of Manila, Utah.

I took the picture from this travel stop which is a gas station (extremely high prices), a restaurant, and small grocery store. We didn't buy gas or eat in the restaurant but you know we had to check out the grocery store. We only got a couple gallons of drinking water though.

This was on the porch.

This is the view we see from the campground road.

On the road to the campground we saw these critters. "Pronghorn"

Bev wanted to pick up some supplies at Walmart so Monday we headed back up WY-530 to Green River, picked up I-80 east for a couple of miles to Rock Springs, WY where there is a Walmart Super Center. It was a good hour ride but we wanted to see more of the scenery anyway.

View of WY-530 heading north to the town of Green River.

Entering the town of Green River, WY

View looking south from I-80 heading to Rock Springs. See the RR tracks.

When we left Walmart we were hungry so we stopped at Arby's for lunch (I guess I did mention that we like to eat out). It was still early in the day so we decided to take the long way home down U.S. highway 191 south though Flaming Gorge. It is over twice the distance back to the campground this way but the scenery was worth it.

We headed south on U.S. Highway 191, below Flaming Gorge in Utah we picked up UT highway 44 east to UT Highway 43 north which becomes WY-530 in Wyoming returning back to the campground.

Heading south on U.S. Highway 191 just outside Rock Springs

The pictures may look OK but the scenery we saw was so much more spectacular than the photos show. You really need to see this in person.

Major John Wesley Powell named the Flaming gorge and tributaries such as Little Fire Hole Canyon for the brilliant red sandstones exposed in the canyon walls. Embarking from what is now Green River, Wyoming in specially designed river dory boats, Powell completed two voyages down the Green and Colorado rivers through the Grand Canyon. The first, in 1869, was largely exploratory. The second, in 1871, collected scientific data and produced the first maps of the upper Colorado drainage system. Powell's work formed the basis for much of what geologists now know about the region.

Geologists believe that, when the last major regional erosion cycle began several million years ago. Erosion removed softer rock, cutting a precipitous canyon into the resistant core of the Uinta Mountains which dominated southern Wyoming. The result is the spectacular Red Canyon of the Green River.

Traveling down tributary canyons, such as Little Fire Hole, and continuing downstream towards Flaming Gorge Dam, older rock formations contain a wide variety of fossils, ranging from dinosaurs to primitive sea life. Near Flaming Gorge Dam, the dark red sandstones and shales form the near vertical canyon walls. These rocks are nearly 1.1 billion years old.

Although we drove passed the Flaming Gorge Dam we were tired from driving so we decided to explore it another day. I will save that for another blog.

We really enjoyed our drive through the Flaming Gorge but it was a long day and we were glad to get back to the Winnebago and relax.

On the road again heading to Wyoming.

We had fun at our stay in Elm Creek, NE but it was time to move on to Wyoming.

Wednesday July 10th we left Sunny Meadow Campground and headed west on I-80. We would rather stay off the interstates and stick to the U.S. highways but we needed to make time. I-80 is a great road to travel though because of the many interesting sights along the way. As I mentioned in the last blog this is the route the pioneers traveled west first along the Platte River Road trail which became U.S. 30 then finally I-80.

We passed these sites and others along the way to our next stop in Cheyenne, WY.

It was a long climb on I-80 from Nebraska to Cheyenne, WY. Wyoming is on the high plains and unlike climbing over the Rocky Mountains it is a steady uphill pull the whole way.

We finally made it to the Terry Bison Ranch in Cheyenne where we stayed for 2 days. We picked this campground because it is part of the Passport America system where we get 1/2 price off the rate. At this campground it was only good for one night though but I needed a break from the long trek across the country. Hey, we're old and can't pound the pavement like we use to when we were young.

The Terry Bison Ranch is a tourist trap and cost over $40.00 per night but there is a lot of things for tourists to do. They have a train ride through the buffalo herd, horse back riding, hiking, 2 kids play scape, restaurant, trading post, etc. Everything costs big bucks, however. No free activities for campers.

It was an OK campground but nothing to write home about. While we were here we relaxed, ate out at Arby's, got the car washed, and relaxed some more.

Friday July 12th we hit the road again heading west on I-80 climbing more into the high plains.

I-80 is a very scenic highway and we really enjoyed the trip west.

At the highest point on I-80, 8640 feet, there is the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Monument. Commissioned in 1959, Robert Russin sculpted it to commemorate Lincoln's 150th birthday and completed in in only eleven months..

The monument was located on the original Lincoln Highway. It was relocated in 1969 when I-80 was completed.

View of I-80 looking East from Lincoln's Statue

It was originally on Oct. 31, 1913, that the State of Wyoming officially welcomed the Lincoln Highway at a ceremony in the capital city of Cheyenne. This event was significant at the time because the highway would breach the Rocky Mountains at the Continental Divide, through a natural, 100-mile-wide gap called the Great South Pass. This route was the most direct path for the highway and was used in the 1800s when the covered wagons traveled the Oregon and California trails. Major cities such as Denver, Detroit and Chicago were bypassed by the Lincoln Highway - an event that surprised and angered many living in those cities at the Time.

"L" Marks the Spot. Early on, road markings were painted on existing telegraph and telephone poles. The mile markers featured a blue "L" in the middle of the larger white stripe.

Thank the Boy Scouts. In 1928, the Boy Scouts began installing new style Lincoln Highway markers to identify major crossroads and minor crossings. One per mile was their goal, and the scouts succeeded by installing more than 3,000!

From Names to Numbers. In 1926, the new Federal Highway Administration began giving number designations to federal roads. The Lincoln Highway in Wyoming became U.S. Highway 30. The Lincoln Highway traversed 3,389 miles from coast-to-coast. From Times Square to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Henry B. Joy - president of Packard Motor Company - developed the idea of a transcontinental highway serving as a memorial to Lincoln. In 1913, the Lincoln Highway Association (LHA) was established to promote automobile travel across the country. The "Great American Road Trip" was born.

Even though the LHA disbanded in the late 1920s, the fondness for the Lincoln Highway never died. In the 1990s, the LHA was reorganized to preserve the surviving stretches and sites along the original highway. The monument to the "Father of the Highway," Henry B. Joy, is adjacent to the Lincoln Monument outside the Visitor Center.

On westward. The Lincoln Memorial was a great stop but we had to keep moving west. I wanted to take life slow now that we are in Wyoming so we only drove a little way and stopped at a Flying J in Rawlins, WY. We had a so-so meal at Denny's, which is at the Flying J, and we slept pretty good even though is was a bit noisy with the trucks coming and going.

The next morning Saturday July 13th we made the final push to Lucerne Campground.

Along the way we passed numerous Pronghorn (Antilocapra Americana) along the side of the highway. Wyoming has as many Pronghorn as people. Total population of each? About a Half-million.

The second fastest land animal in the world. (The fastest is the cheetah). Pronghorn can run over 60 miles per hour. Even their young - when just a few days old - can out run a human. Pronghorn can weigh anywhere from 90 to 130 pounds.

We followed I-80 to exit 91 then headed south on WY-530 to the Utah line where we turned onto Lucerne Valley Recreation Road (US Forest Service Road 146) which went to the campground. The campground is in the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area right on the Wyoming/Utah line near Manila, UT.

We checked in, dumped the holding tanks, filled up the fresh water tank and backed into our site. We only have electric hookups here but what a fantastic site this is. They recently upgraded the campground and we are parked on a long level blacktop pad with a parking spot for a couple of cars on the pad. Our patio is concrete with a concrete picnic table, concrete fire ring, metal stand for our grill, and the most fantastic view of the Flaming Gorge Reservoir.

With our Golden Age Passport card we camp for 1/2 price and the price is already low in a Federal Campground. This site is far superior to any commercial campground we have stayed in and at a fraction of the price. It doesn't get any better than this.

We will be here for 13 days and will be touring around Flaming Gorge and the area. The next blog will cover our travels around the area.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!

Friday June 28 we finally hit the road again. Before we started heading west we wanted to see our Marine Grandson Eric so we pointed the nose of the Winnebago south to North Carolina. Boy do I hate heading south through New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Baltimore, and Washington but it had to be done.

The last two months in Connecticut we accomplished a lot. Brittany's graduation from Russell Sage, Holly and Kevin's wedding, our routine doctor appointments, and of course visiting with our family and friends. We had fun but it was time again to move on.

We pushed hard and arrived at Cedar Point Campground, Cedar Point, NC early Saturday afternoon June 29. We called Eric and he came to the campground to spend the night with us. We were so excited to have Eric all to ourselves for the night. It gave us plenty of time to hear all about his time in Afghanistan. One thing about being in the Military and deployed overseas is you have a lot of stories and I loved hearing all the stories Eric had.

We spent 4 days at Cedar Point Campground and every day Eric and his buddy Eads came to visit. We were on a bay so you know Eric had to drop a line although he didn't catch anything. Oh did Bev and I enjoy our time with them both. Eric has always found great people to hang around with and his buddy Eads is a great guy.

How did I get so SHORT!

I did have a little excitement on our way through North Carolina coming to Cedar Point. The rear break on the Winnebago started to grind every time I stopped. You know that couldn't be good. At the campground I checked it out and sure enough there was metal on metal on the right rear break.

I was lucky though because I found a great repair shop. Advanced Maintenance, a 24 hour truck repair facility was just down the road from us. I called them Monday and Tuesday morning I brought the camper to their shop. They replace both rear brake pads and the right rotor which was destroyed. The front brakes were still in good shape. Four hours later we were heading back to the campground and the price was very reasonable. I know - I know I should have check the breaks while I was in Connecticut. I thought about it but never got around to it. My bad!

The Cedar Point Campground was a great inexpensive stop. It is a National Campground in the Croatan National Forest. With our Golden Age Passport we stay at all National Campgrounds for 1/2 price. We had and electric site only but we were only there for 4 days and we were able to fill the water tank and dump the holding tanks at the campground. We had a nice level blacktop pad to park on. It doesn't get any better than that.

The name for the Croatan National Forest may have been derived from the "Croatan Tribe" which was one of the Native American Tribes that lived in Eastern North Carolina. When the Europeans first began to settle the area of the Croatan National Forest they found three main ethnic groups, the Tuscarora, Algonkian and Waccamaw. The Croatan forest is thought to have been dominated by an Iroquoian-speaking group of Tuscaroras. We had a great time touring around the area.

Well, although Bev and I were sad to leave our Eric, I'm sure Eric and Eads were glad to get back to their routine and get us out of their hair. Now was the time to point the Winnebago west toward Wyoming.

Again we pushed hard and covered a lot of miles in a short amount of time. We wanted to get out of the east and as far west as we could. Saturday July 6 we arrived at Sunny Meadows Campground, Elm Creek, Nebraska and it was time to stop and smell the roses. It is a Passport America Campground and we get 50% off so we decided to stay here for 4 days. Only $15.00 per night for full hookups. From this point on we will not drive very much each day.

It is very hot here, in the 90s and even hit 100 yesterday. We didn't spend much time sitting outside but we did tour the area.

If you ever drove I-80 through Nebraska you had to pass under the "Great Platte River Road Archway". We passed under in a number of times heading west on I-80 but never stopped. Well today was the day we visited it. It is located in Kearney, NE only a few miles from our campground.

View of I-80 from inside the Archway

The Great Platte River Road Archway is a bridge that pays tribute to the enduring spirit of the pioneers during their trek across America. I did not realize how much was inside the Arch. I thought it was just a bridge crossing the highway with a gift shop on the side. Was I wrong, the Archway brings the westward migration to life.

The Arch is filled with a museum/trail that follows along the trail of time from the start of the first pioneers that traveled in wagons and on foot to the modern day highway it is today. In the Archway you will witness the thrill of an arriving Pony Express rider, the urgency of declaring war spreading over the telegraph wires, a buffalo stampede, the words and faces of those that lived and died on the route, the building of the railroad, the creation of the first transcontinental road (the Lincoln Highway), and today's modern transportation system.

Now this is an RV

No Microwave here

From 1843 to 1869 nearly half a million men, women, and children rode and walked the trails to the West Coast. The distance was vast, the prairie endless, the sky overwhelming and the mountains and wildlife were unlike anything they had ever seen. These pioneers persevered through a strong will and determination, carrying their cherished belongings in wagons or strapped to burros; and pushed or floated handcarts over mountains, rivers and valleys. These early pioneers were shaped by what they saw and experienced, and they have provided America a heritage that is a living spirit that molds our nation's character today.

The first automobiles used the Lincoln Highway, a dirt/muddy road, to cross the country. The cars got stuck and broke down a lot but that was part of the experience. People would camp along the road as they traveled. The Lincoln highway eventually was turned into a paved U.S. Highway 30. When President Eisenhower created the Interstate Highway System Highway 30 became Interstate 80 the road we travel today.

I did not realize the history of this highway until today. What an enjoyable experience this was.

Outside we crossed the River on a foot bridge that led to a walking trail. The trail had displays of Indian and Pioneer life.

For 25 cents you could by fish food on the bridge and feed the fish. Of course Bev had to feed the fish.

A sign said no fishing from the bridge or from the river banks in the area. Boy would Eric love to drop a line here.

We passed by Buffalo and a Pawnee Indian house (Pawnees lived on the prairie in houses and were hunters, gatherers, and farmers.).

Buffalo Wire Sculpture

Typical Pawnee Indian Home

Next we came to a Sod House and typical homestead. At the pioneer homestead a girl in period costume was working hard just is if she was really living on the prairie.

Sod House

It was a fun day and we learned a lot. I really didn't know the history of the area and "the Great Platte River Road".

You can check out the Great Platte River Road Archway at www.archway.org

From hear we hit Arby's for supper and stopped at Walmart to restock some of our supplies.

We will be here one more day and they continue west to Cheyenne Wyoming where we will be camping at the Terry Bison Ranch for 2 days. Then on to Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area where we will spend 2 weeks. 

Life is good on the road.