Road Trip – Page 7 – Wandering Dawgs

Celebrating Nine Years of Wandering

July 25, 2015Posted in Road Trip, RVingTagged Adventure, camping in the snow, camping with a view, Fifth Wheel, Titanium Fifth Wheel24 Comments

Nine years ago this summer we purchased our fifth wheel and set out on the first of our many RV journeys across the United States and Canada.

During these nine years we have traveled to the west coast and back, crossed the Rocky Mountains and Continental divide several times, wandered around Florida, enjoyed campgrounds in our beautiful home state of Georgia, and made the ultimate RV journey to Alaska. We’ve visited National Parks, National Monuments, State Parks, tourist traps, historic sites and museums. We’ve seen the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, most of the Great Lakes, many rivers, creeks, streams and lakes. We’ve enjoyed birdwatching, wildlife viewing, wildflowers blooming in every season, sunsets and sunrises. We’ve attended RV rallies, met many friendly and interesting people, and made new friends.

In all, we’ve camped in 41 of our beautiful United States including Alaska. We discovered that there is something interesting to see and do no matter where you are. Here are a few of our most memorable experiences.

We learned not to head north in early April because you never know when it might snow!

We had the park to ourselves at Blue Mounds State Park in Luverne, Minnesota

One very hot day in August we made the hike to Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, Utah.

We hiked to Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, Utah

We enjoyed many magnificent views of the Pacific Ocean as we traveled south on the Pacific Coast Highway from Washington to California.

We felt small beside the Redwoods in California.

In Yosemite National Park, we took a drive on Glacier Point Road to the Washburn Overlook.

We took a drive on Glacier Point Road in Yosemite National Park, California

On the American side of Niagara Falls we took the Cave of the Winds tour and stood on the Hurricane Deck underneath Bridal Veil Falls.

On the Hurricane Deck at Niagara Falls in New York

We visited the headwaters of the Mississippi River in Itasca State Park, Minnesota twice and walked across it once.

We enjoyed walking around the bases at the Field of Dreams Movie Site in Dyersville, Iowa.

The highest point of the Blue Ridge Parkway was one of the highlights of our several visits to the parkway.

Being snowbirds in Florida is a great way to spend the winter.

St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, Florida

You can’t beat the views from some of our campsites.

Watchman Campground, Zion National Park, Utah

Watching for whales in Haines, Alaska

Sagebrush Campground Palo Duro Canyon State Park

It’s been a wonderful nine years and we have so many great memories! Although our future trips will probably be closer to home we are looking forward to many more adventures.

Weekly Photo Challenge: On the Way

June 1, 2015June 1, 2015Posted in Photography, Road Trip, RVing, Tourist AttractionsTagged Floyd Country Store, Green Giant Statue, Iowa 80, Lewis and Clark Statue, Sheridan Inn, Spam Museum, Weekly Photo Challenge13 Comments

In May, 2013 we left our home in Georgia to travel by RV to Alaska. On the way across the United States to the Canadian border we stopped at a few tourist attractions.

Sunday Jam Session at the Floyd Country Store in Floyd, Virginia

There's a food court and souvenirs inside. — Iowa 80 – The World’s Largest Truckstop in Walcott, Iowa

Spamburger, anyone? — At the Spam Museum in Austin, Minnesota

Beth and Blondie with the Green Giant — Green Giant in Blue Earth, Minnesota

Beautiful Sculpture in front of the Sheridan Inn — Sheridan Inn in Sheridan, Wyoming

Rainbow Falls on the Missouri River in Great Falls, Montana

The WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge this week is: On the Way

A stop beside the Alabama River

May 7, 2015Posted in Alabama, COE Park, Road Trip, RVing, Sunset, WildflowersTagged Alabama River, Lownesboro Alabama, Mississippi River, Prairie Creek Campground9 Comments

As we traveled east from Louisiana to Alabama on I-20 we crossed the Mississippi River into Vicksburg and stopped at the Welcome Center to take a break. It was drizzling rain but we were still able to have a beautiful view of the mighty Mississippi.

The mighty Mississippi River in Vicksburg, Mississippi

Cannon display at the Mississippi Welcome Center in Vicksburg

Barge in the rain on the Mississippi River

After our short stop we continued on our journey. Our destination was Prairie Creek Campground near Lownesboro, Alabama, the first Corps of Engineers park we ever stayed in. Were we pleasantly surprised back in 2007 to find big sites, paved pads and a well maintained park. Ever since that first stay in a COE campground we look for them whenever we are traveling.

Our second visit to the campground did not disappoint. When we weren’t enjoying the view of the Alabama River from our site we took a drive to explore the dam.

Robert F. Henry Lock and Dam

Walking down to the river

Alabama Wildflowers

Alabama River

The sunsets were gorgeous right from our site.

What a great ending to our spring road trip!

Happy Happy Happy in Louisiana

May 4, 2015August 13, 2015Posted in Birds, Louisiana, Road Trip, RVing, State Parks, Tourist Attractions, WildlifeTagged birding, Duck Commander, Duck Dynasty, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Lake Bistineau, Phil Robertson, West Monroe Louisiana, Willie Robertson21 Comments

“Happy, Happy, Happy” – Phil Robertson

After almost six weeks exploring the great state of Texas it was time to head east toward home. We were sad to leave Texas but happy knowing we would soon be home. Our first stop in Louisiana was a place where we had camped on another trip four years ago. I had such fond memories of our first visit there I’ve been looking for an excuse to go back. I even made reservations for site 12, the same one we had camped in before. With a deck and a fishing dock right in front of the site, it was a perfect place to chill for a couple of days.

Lake Bistineau State Park is located about 20 miles from Bossier City. I remembered how friendly one of the rangers at the park was when we first visited and I was happy to see the same ranger greeted us at the office and checked us in. I have to say he is one of the nicest, friendliest, and most helpful park staff member we have ever met. We had a beautiful view of the lake from our deck and spent a lot of time just chillin’ and watching the herons and egrets fishing in the shallow water along the banks of the lake.

I was way behind on doing laundry and was happy to find a small laundry right there in the park. And it was free! There was also WiFi at the park office and I could do a little catching up on the blog while we were there. We did a little shopping in Bossier City and got our fix of more Cajun Food at Shane’s Restaurant. Crawfish Etouffee and some Boudin to go and we were happy!

But it wasn’t all work, shopping and eating. We’re pretty good at sitting and chillin’.

Did I mention we had the campground almost all to ourselves? There were only two other campers there the first night, and the next two nights there was only one other camper in the park. Perfect!

But eventually we had to move on. When we made the decision to go home via I-20 we could not miss a stop in West Monroe, Louisiana to see the headquarters of Duck Commander.

Duck Commander was established in 1972 by Phil Robertson. After an outstanding football career in college Phil had an opportunity to play professional football in the NFL. He turned down the offer because he didn’t love football. He loved hunting and fishing and wanted to make a living doing what he loved. He was unhappy with the duck calls that were available at the time and in 1972 started selling his own design.

Phil is now retired and his son Willie Robertson is now the CEO of the family run company and Duck Commander products are sold worldwide. Members of the Robertson family star in the popular A&E reality show “Duck Dynasty.”

Happy Happy Happy – a favorite Phil Robertson quote

World’s Largest Duck Call celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Duck Commander

Carving of Phil Robertson, founder of Duck Commander

The Duck Commander Bus

Duck Commander Headquarters, about 3 blocks south of I-20 in West Monroe, LA

Lake Bistineau State Park is located near Doyline, Louisiana. The sites have paved water and electric hook ups, pads, picnic table, and fire pit. We had a premium site with a wooden deck overlooking the lake. There are several fishing docks located in the campground. The park also has a boat launch.

To visit Duck Commander we stayed at Ouachita RV Park in Monroe, Louisiana. The full hookup park had gravel pull through sites with free WiFi that actually worked, a nice laundry room, a meeting room, and a small pond.

Bonjour Ya’ll!

May 1, 2015Posted in COE Park, Road Trip, RVing, Texas, Tourist AttractionsTagged Chisum Days, Chuck Wagon Race, Eiffel Tower with red cowboy hat, Paris Texas14 Comments

Bonjour ya'll from Paris, Texas! — Bonjour ya’ll from Paris, Texas!

Paris, Texas was our last stop in Texas. Of course we couldn’t miss the Eiffel Tower with a red cowboy hat. It is located between the civic center and a very impressive Veteran’s Memorial. The replica of the Eiffel Tower was originally dedicated in 1993 and was 65 feet tall. In 1998 the red cowboy hat was added to make it a few feet taller.

We walked around the town square and stopped by the Chamber of Commerce to pick up some postcards and find out more about the area. The Chamber shares space with an art gallery and we enjoyed talking with one of the artists who grew up in the Atlanta area but now lives in Paris.

While at the Chamber I spied a brochure for Chisum Days with Chuck Wagon races on Sunday. I didn’t know what to expect at a chuck wagon race but it sounded like something we didn’t want to miss. I love it when we happen to be in the area when a fun event like this is taking place. Usually I see a poster for something I’d like to do and it was last week or next month.

The event was a fund raiser for the Veteran’s of Foreign Wars and was held at Lake Crook Park just north of Paris. We attended the event on Sunday, the last day. Rain had left the grounds pretty muddy. There were horse trailers, RV’s and trucks parked all around a large field where the races would take place. We arrived about an hour before the races began and enjoyed watching all the activity as people went about preparing for the races.

Showing of the Colors and the National Anthem to open the event

The races were really fun to watch. If not for a great announcer we wouldn’t have known what was going on. Each team consisted of a driver, a cook, and an outrider. Two teams competed at a time. At the start of the race each outrider had to load the wagon with a bedroll and cook box before mounting their horse. Each team rounded a barrel before racing around through the woods to the finish line. To win the race the outrider had to cross the finish line before the wagon and the wagon had to have both the bedroll and cook box. All this happened in less than two minutes!

A muddy day — An outrider racing through the mud

What a great ending to our Texas adventure!

We camped at Pat Mayes West Corps of Engineers Park north of Paris in Powderly, Texas. It was an older park with most of the other campers there for the boating and fishing.