First Travel Trailer trip(py)

September, 2017 brought us our first travel trailer trip. We decided to head out to north central Idaho to meetup with Chris and Helen for an Ultra Race they were doing.
Lynn and I planned on taking off a week in advance and take our time crossing the northern plains. At the last minute Lynn decided to stay in WI for a few days to help in the move of her parents to an assisted living facility.
Lynn would fly out to Missoula and meet me there in 3 days.
That meant I got a few days to travel as I wished, stopping where, when and how long I wanted.

Before I left I had to do a little bike shopping for our grandson, Jason. He grew out of his 20' single speed "Magic Bike" and upgraded to a 26' 21 speed.
We had a nice time together checking out a few bikes. Jason got to test ride them and then we talked about their condition and how he felt riding them.

First stop, Battle Creek Park in St. Paul, MN.
I've ridden here before years ago with son Chris. It was just off the highway I was using to head out to North Dakota, Montana and then Idaho.
It was very hot, humid day. 90 degrees or better with maybe the same humidity.
It sure felt nice to pop into the shower and get cleaned up before continuing on my way.

I was able to make Fargo the first day, stopping and visiting with my niece, Christy.
Parked in Sam's Club parking lot.

The next day I stopped in Jamestown, ND and spent a couple of hours riding the Pipestem Trails. The trail runs across some prairie but also dips into a groove of trees winding in and out and up and down utilizing pretty much all they can.

Trailer in the distance.

 Bee hives.
The trail crosses the road then heads out along the reservoir bank.

Again, it was really nice to be able to shower and grab some eats and a drink out of the frig in the trailer.

Was able to make it to Montana via I94. At Glendive I left the 4 lane and headed west on Montana 200.

I drove past dark and found a local weigh scale that had plenty of parking around it. After talking to some locals to get their thoughts about parking there, I pulled in for the night. The  house on wheels is working out great so far!

The next day I stopped at a Wayside after driving a bit to make some bacon and eggs with the grill.
SWEET!!!

Local info.....

I called my cousin that's a big game guide and stopped into his camp. He's from WI and moved out a number of years ago. We hunted together before he moved out west. He had a couple of clients in from Wisconsin, hunting elk and mule deer.

 I drove on towards Great Falls, stopping at a Wayside 20 miles from town.
The next day I hit up the trails along the Missouri. They've been expanded and improves since I was here back in 2008.

Heading down to Missoula to fetch up Lynn I went past town and parked the trailer at a real cool bar just past Lolo, The Jack Saloon, then went back to the airport for Lynn. We got back in time to grab a beer. Parked here overnight....Lynn's first night in the trailer.

We rode over the Bitterroot mtns, very near the route Lewis and Clark took,
making our way to McCall, ID and the campsite 30 miles into the woods where the event was going to be held.
Many sites on the way to stop and take in, the first being the Lolo Pass Visitor Center. Very nice interpretative center.

Another was a nice walking area of Western Red Cedar. Trailer peeking through.

We got into McCall, ID around dark, picked up a few supplies in town and started on the 30-40 minute drive to Burgdorf Hot Springs, HQ for the IMTUF Trail Race that Chris and Helen entered. Lynn and I pulled into a 5-6 place campsite where I was warned our 30' trailer might not fit....but it did!

Once I got the trailer backed in we rolled out the canopy in the dark and rain....temps were in the 40's. At the end of the roll-out the LED lights came on. I setup the grill and cooked up the steaks we brought.
Our first dinner in the trailer.

For the next couple of days (and night) we followed the progress of Chris and Helen in the race while taking in a few other sights.
A "local" watering hole....watched part of a Packer game here.

Got some mtn. biking in.

Didn't get any pics of Chris....gotta follow the Leader!

Night creek crossing.

Saying hi to the kids.

Helen finished and I went in to look for Chris and check this out.

Turns out, Chris miscalculated his cut-off times and wasn't allowed to finish. He still got in 85 or so miles of the 100.

Loon Lake in the background, where the bomber was located.

After the race and spending a little time with Chris and Helen we headed home via Boise and Denver.

At the Capital in Boise.

About 6-8 miles out of Montpelier, ID. Campground on the towns reservoir. Lynn out for her walk. Great having the trailer!

Montpelier was on the Oregon Trail Route.

Green River, WY. Camped at the mtn. bike trailhead. Met a local there about my age and I followed him around for a couple of hours. He had moved out west from MN years ago. Had a brew inside the trailer after our ride.

Driving through Flaming Gorge, WY and UT.

Vernal, UT. Yep, they do have beer in UT.

Dinosaur National Monument, UT and CO.

Display of bones in situ.

Example of Petroglyphs in the Park.

Meeker, CO where we parked at the mtn. bike trailhead again. Lynn explored town and I biked. TH basically right in town.

That is the trailer down there....bit of a climb to get up there.

 Town of Meeker, CO.

 The top is where I took the earlier pics.

We made or way to Denver and stayed in the driveway of my nephew, then we took the back roads home to WI.

Along the way I upgraded my bike rack.

Our first trip with the trailer and it went great!!

EXceptional riding in Oregon, August 2017

We rolled into Oregon late August after the San Juan’s and the Olympic Pennisula and took a trip down Memory Lane a little from back in the 70's when we lived here.

Where it all started, Oregon City, first incorporated US City west of the Rocky Mountains.

The Church we were married in, Canby, OR

 Silverton, OR montain biking.....very nice trails.!

 Met Lynn at a pub.....Mac's Place.

 Then back to Bend. Chris had some free rentals from the Pine Mountain Bike Shop so I rented a 2018 Trek FUEL EX 8 29er. Hit up about 4-6 hrs. worth of trials on it out at Phils. It was a really nice bike. I'd ridden many of the trails before on an older Trail Rocky Mountain Instinct but with the EX 8 it was like a different trail. Most EXcellent!

When I took it back they told me they were going to sell of the rentals in Oct. Well, I ended up buying the bike I rented.

Olympic Penninsula, hanging on to August

We made our way from Lopez Island in the San Juan chain to the main land then took another ferry west towards Port Angeles. We ended up having lunch in Sequim.....then headed into the wilds of the Olympic Peninsula.
Our target for the night was a motel in Forks, which brought about a number of comments from friends and relatives....Vampires and all. Lynn and I aren't into this so it was all news to us.
It was a short stay as the next morning Lynn took her walk around town (and around and around as it was kinda small) checking out a few restaurants while I found an interesting mountain bike trail.

I wouldn't recommend it as a destination, but if in the area, why not?
I rode all the way out, but had to walk a fair amount to make the loop back to the trailhead.
One interesting part of the trip was that I couldn't drive to the trailhead due to the dirt road having slid out sometime earlier. On the in I carried my bike over the slide area and biked a couple of miles to the TH. On the way out I took a detour road that had me making a pretty decent climb then a screaming downhill....your choice!

Tree bridge, more later from the opposite end.

Tree bridge again.

I drove back to town, gathered up Lynn and we continued down the road to Oregon. We had to make a few stops along the way.

An ancient Western Red Cedar....only God knows how many years old it is.

Spruce Tree......

Then we stopped at the Quinalt Lodge....where we made some HUGE discoveries.