The one thing I know for sure, at this moment, is the only “Old 7 Wonders” wonder that still exists 4,000 years later is the Great Pyramid of Giza. Then I tried to make sense of the other “wonder” lists. I also wondered how many of the places I had actually visited in my lifetime! Why not make that a good reason for my going down this rabbit hole!
Apparently CNN’s “7 Wonders of Nature” includes the following:
Grand Canyon, Great Barrier Reef, Harbor of Rio de Janeiro, Mount Everest, Northern Lights, Parícutin Volcano and Victoria Falls.
Not bad, I have seen 4 of 7.
Now there is a “New 7 Wonders of Nature” list which includes:
Iguazú Falls, Amazon rainforest, Halong Bay, Jeju Island (South Korea), Komodo Island (Indonesia), Puerto Princesa Underground River (Philippines) and Table Mountain (South Africa).
Not so good on my end, only 2 of 7.
AND there is also “New 7 Wonders of the World”. The old list was focused on the Mediterranean and only has the Great Pyramid of Giza existing. This list now includes more of the world:
Roman Colosseum (Italy), Great Wall of China (China), Taj Mahal (India), Christ the Redeemer (Brazil), Machu Picchu (Peru), Chichén Itzá (Mexico) and Petra (Jordan).
Not so good on my end, 3 of 7.
In my lifetime quest to see the world, I need to keep at it! How are you doing in seeing these “wonders of nature” and the “wonders of the world”? Hopefully better than me! Let’s get going!! My good news; I have visited 6 of 7 continents! Travel on!
Mount Everest; Himalayan Mountains, Nepal
Grand Canyon with Colorado River seen from South Rim
I cannot start writing about food in Argentina without first mentioning “mate”. This is a caffeine-rich drink shared amongst friends in many of the places I was visiting in Argentina. It would be similar to me having my mug of tea each day, except I am not sharing my mug with others and not carrying around a thermos of hot water to refill my cup throughout the day.
The dried yerba mate plant leaves are put into a “gourd”-shaped cup. Hot water, not boiling, is poured into the cup, and drunk through a filtered metal straw. One person oversees the making of the mate and in being sure it is shared among others.
Yerba mate
Drinking mate
BBQ, especially out on the ranches, is very common. It was a delicious lamb BBQ at one location.
Lamb BBQ
Lamb BBQ served and with vegetables
Argentinian food includes beef, chicken and fish; however, here are a few unusual foods I tied. Isn’t that what travel is all about?
Pickled rabbit … not a favorite of mine.
Wild boar stew was tasty
Guanaco stew with potatoes and chips on top … definitely did not like this meal.
Sometimes a plate was with a variety of foods on it. Such as this one with muffins, ceviche, 3 different empanadas and passionfruit dessert in the middle. The food item with a brown, sweet block of something on top of a cube of cheese was very different.
Empanadas.. 3 beef, chicken, fish, ceviche, muffins and passion fruit dessert on one plate
Someday I will visit Mendoza, Argentina’s wine country! I drank Malbec wine while in Argentina and tried some cerveza … beer!
Local beer
Malbec … my favorite of the trip!
Our guide introduced us to a liquor: Fernet-Branco. It has 39% alcohol, so we had a third of a glass with Fernet and the other 2/3’s with Coca cola. I would not run anywhere for this drink; however, it is known to be a digestif.
Fernet 39% alcohol then add coke
Snacks though I am always looking for, especially since Snicker bars, my favorite travel snack is not in the local markets. One snack, I also found on restaurant tables, was alfajors. These cornstarch sweet snacks have dulce de leche, a caramel filling, which you’ll find everywhere in Argentina.
Alfajor
Alfajor
In Calafate, Argentina there is calafate jam and ice cream often served. The calafate berry is on a thorny plant and similar to a blueberry.
Calafate ice cream
We made a dessert with chocolate cookies dipped in coffee and placed on a layer that had dulce de leche, caramel filling, spread on it. One photo shows us making it and then the finally look at it before eating a bite!
Making of this dessert
It was delicious!
Other snacks:
The same snack if you were to buy it at a store.
Snack … chocolate snacks were everywhere!
The food was delicious everywhere I went. What I loved most were the local markets where people bought their food. There we had an opportunity to watch the fish be filleted, see the giant garlic bulbs, and enjoy the interaction with local people. It was a great opportunity to be on this adventure.
Foods must be tasted while traveling the world! In Chile I did my best to try some food, once I figured out what the menu was advertising!
And the meal was … steak and mushrooms in cream sauce and fries …
Mushrooms and steak in cream sauce and fries
Fish and chicken are on many menus. I had fish: hake, ceviche, shrimp in curry, salmon, and shrimp, queso and pineapple empanada. The most traditional Chilean choice was the “pastel de jaiba”, a delicious crab pie with a couple of shrimp on top!
Hake, a white fish, with fries
Cerviche: fresh, raw fish “cooked” in citrus juices.
Shrimp curry with rice. It also had a lentil salad.
Chilean salmon is raised in the Antarctic waters of Patagonia. Chile is second largest salmon producer in the world.
Shrimp, queso, and pineapple empanada. The LARGEST empanada I have ever eaten! Most empanadas fit in the palm of your hand. This one was the size of a dinner plate. Delicious!
Pastel de jaiba … a crab pie
Chockfull of crab! I ate no dinner that night after this lunch-time meal!
At our home-hosted meal in Puerto Varas, we made empanadas and enjoyed a Pisco sour while the corn stew finished cooking. The corn stew was delicious and even with some sausage slices on top. Of course, the carménère wine was delicious too!
Corn stew
Can opt for sausage on top of corn stew
Carménère wine
Sometimes my fellow travelers and I shared platters of food. Here are two examples:
Washing down the food was with a choice of either a juice, water, beer and/or wine. My first choice was always wine, especially the Carménère … a red wine grape from Bordeaux France and rediscovered in Chile. Of course, a good beer is perfect for some meals also, such as a local beer while on Rapa Nui (Easter Island). A Pisco sour was often offered upon arrival to a home or as a “welcoming drink” at a hotel. Lovely!:)
Local beer made here in Rapa Nui
Pisco sour
Dessert anyone? I remember flan, the custard-like dessert with caramel sauce, often served in South American countries. I am a lover of crème brûlée so it would be easy for me to eat flan often here; however, I discovered some healthy options. One was a sweet cucumber and mango dish and the other a Pohe dessert: squash and banana dish served on Rapa Nui (Easter Island).
Flan in Santiago
Sweet cucumber and mango dessert
Pohe dessert (squash & banana) on Easter Island
So many other foods to try, but living in the Southwest USA I have had many corn products already. The bottomline though, food and drink were delicious! But let’s not forget the delicious “curanto” – stew cooked in one pot while we were visiting a couple on Chiloé Island. If you missed it, click here. That’s a meal not to be missed! And you cannot miss the size of this garlic we saw at the local market!
Santiago is a long way from noon Arizona flight to late evening flight from Houston, Texas to a morning arrival in Santiago, especially when I never seem able to sleep on these overnight flights!
Seated next to me was a young man born in Santiago and now living in Florida. He returns every couple of years to visit family on a ranch, a long drive south of Santiago. He was surprised to hear of my upcoming travel to Easter Island as he has never been there. He said, one can drive from Santiago east one hour to the mountains and west one hour to the coast and south for days to towns closer to the tip of Chile.
It was with great sadness as I learned of hikers who became lost and died in a sudden snowstorm and highs winds in Torres del Paine, southern mountainous area in Chile. They were in the backcountry, still a distance from the hut, their destination, for the night. Blinding and sudden snowstorms are difficult, especially when winds are 120 mph! And they were caught in the storm while hiking in. What sadness though for the families of these hikers. I suspect those hikers were doing a dream hike and unfortunately met with Chile’s ever-changing mountain weather. When I visit those mountains later on this trip, our tour will not be in the backcountry. But everywhere one needs to be ready for changing weather, thus my backpack holds clothing for all types of weather. We always hope to be prepared!
So after two flights, with one 9 hours and me wearing the compression socks, I thought the socks comfortable. No swollen legs, so good news on that front. I took them off soon after the flight. With the warm Santiago weather I did not need knee-high socks on.
I arrived at my hotel, checked my luggage with the concierge with a plan to return hours later when my hotel room became available. Amazingly I met 3 women who are on an earlier tour than my own and was invited to join them. It worked out perfectly as I was exhausted, wanted to visit places they mentioned and had the camaraderie while touring the city.
Santiago is the capital and largest city in Chile at an elevation of 1706 feet with about 10 million people. Traffic is crazy. This city is not an easy walkable city, despite my seeing cyclovia (bike lanes) and walking path beside them, in some areas where we wanted to go. Thus we took Uber to each place with a ride always available in under 5 minutes. Throughout the city there is plenty of street art. Off in the distance one can see Santa Lucia Hill. Fifteen million years ago it was a volcano. The city is surrounded by hills and in the distance snow-capped mountains,
We visited these sites:
Parque Metropolitano: we rode a cable car to the top of San Cristobal Hill, saw the large statue of the Virgin Mary, and stopped in at the church and sanctuary, then took the funicular down the other side of the hill to find a restaurant for lunch.
Blessed Virgin Mary statue on the hillChurch on the side of the hillFunicular coming up as we went down
For lunch I had … let me simply provide photos below. It was tasty and too many fries, but perfect timing as I was hungry. The price is $8.990 which is almost 9 thousand Chilean pesos, about 9 USA dollars.
Menu item and my choiceHere was the tasty meal, but way too many fries!
Thankfully for me in my exhaustion, I bought some Chilean money from my new friend who had gotten too much Chilean money. Even for my single fifty dollar USA bill, I now had a stack of one and two thousand Chilean bills. Each thousand Chilean bill is worth one USA dollar.
We also visited Pueblito Los Dominicos where many handicrafts are made and sold by local artisans. As you walk around the many, many shops you do feel as though you are in a traditional village. I did find my first new bird for Chile here! An Australian thrush which at first glance I thought was a robin. It’s a common bird as are the noisy monk parakeets. But the austral blackbird was the next new bird for my life list.
A note re my blog: I usually write two times per week. However, I may add more per week to share my adventures with you. So, I’ll be flexible and I hope you enjoy my notes.
Chilean wines were on my pre-trip checklist … all things to do before I leave home! I decided to try a couple Chilean wines. Will I enjoy the coastal to mountain range wines or enjoy those from the foothills of the Andes Mountains? Must do my research!
Two wines were purchased at our local Total Wine store. A 2022 Carmen Gran Reserva -cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc and a 2021 Vistamar Bordevalle Reserva – malbec. My taste buds love these wine tasting opportunities!
Carmen Gran Reserva
The Carmen Winery is the oldest Chilean winery, named in honor of the founder’s wife in 1850. The Gran Reserva wine has grapes grown in the Maipo Valley which boasts a Mediterranean-type of climate and soils with great drainage and moisture retention. It appears to be a valley south of Santiago. The company does have 4 other valleys where their grapes are grown. The Maipo Valley is large. I liked the wine; smooth, not acidic, and tasty. Wonder if I will find this wine while on my trip. No doubt, I will be looking for it!
Vistamar Bordevalle Reserva
The Vistamar malbec is an easy-drinking wine. Thanks to the grape originally coming from the Bordeaux region of France to South America in 1850. This Bordevalle Reserva comes from the Maule Valley located between the Pacific Coast and the Andes Mountain Range. This valley appears smaller than the Maipo Valley. This grape is often a blending grape. I recall my 2013 visit to Argentina enjoying a glass of malbec wine with each meal. Now I’ll try malbec wine in Chile also!
Yes, To Visit a Chilean Winery!
Is there ever a wine I did not enjoy? Yes; however, I am hoping to find more good wines to enjoy and sip with a meal each night on this trip! We will visit a Chilean winery, Cousiño Macul. I checked their website and was fascinated with their sustainability efforts. Their liquid industrial waste plant uses bacteria treatment so the waste is transformed into irrigation water. Compost converts organic waste into fertilizer. They recycle plastic, cardboard, glass, paper and aluminum with local facilities. The installed solar panels mitigate the annual emission of 200 tons of carbon dioxide into the air … equivalent to them planting more than 5 thousand trees. Besides wine tasting while visiting here, I will want to hear about these efforts.
More to learn though. I need to discover more about the Carménère grape since it is no longer produced in Bordeaux, yet more popular in Chile. Anyone know anything about that grape? Or Carménère wine? Let me know, thanks! In the meantime, I will try to find out while in Chile! “Chao”! … is the standard farewell, not “ciao” … lots to learn!:)
Beginning December 1, my travel blog on trip begins…😃… will write more often then… adiós!
Chile is a new country for me to visit! Argentina is smack-dab right next door to Chile, just look at the map below:
Argentina hugs Chile, or is the other way around!?!
My last adventure to this area of the world was a hiking trip in Argentina where I fell in love with the mountains near El Chalten. This trip I’ll be in the Andes again with an opportunity to visit more of the area: Easter Island, Chiloé Island, Torres del Paine and Iguassu (Iguazu) Falls from the Brazilian and Argentinian sides. When I was in Buenos Aires, so many years ago, Pope Francis was selected Pope … and the people of his church celebrated here! I also remember seeing tango dancing and on this trip I may even get a tango lesson!
Plenty of history to be learned, wildlife to view, UNESCO sites to visit, hikes to enjoy, wines, craft beer and food to taste, local and indigenous people to meet, and new birds for me to discover! Now for the adventure to begin!
Compression socks came onto my radar recently. I was thinking about the long flight I’ll have to South America soon. A fellow blogger mentioned the advantage of the compression socks, so I did some research. My purchase of the lightest support compression sock will be tested on me in a couple of weeks.
Good-looking socks; hope they are helpful!
The advantages of wearing compression socks on flights longer than four hours are supposedly numerous. The reasons I am giving them a try is to support my lower leg muscles and bones, reduce swelling and energize my legs. Time will tell if any or all that happens. I have never worn socks like this on any of my many numerous long flights, but decided to give them a try now.
My research indicated that even people who sit long hours at their desk may wear compression socks. Also, there are compression socks with heavier support for people with medical conditions, prescribed by their doctor.
There was a slight learning curve for me to know how to put the socks on. I watched a couple of YouTube videos and read the steps for putting on and taking off the socks. Be sure to watch a video if you purchase the socks. A video is informative. In a nutshell, you put your arm into the sock all the way to the toe and pull the sock inside out. Then insert your foot into the toe area, then the heel area, and slowly roll the sock onto your leg. Be sure there is no bunching of the sock on your leg. (See now why I suggest watching a video?)
Hand in toe area and sock rolled inside out. Do watch a video!
Anyway, you may give the compression sock a try for your long hours sitting doing whatever. I will try them and hopefully have an easier time pulling them off than I did in my practice try. I was to to get them off like I was peeling a banana! Right:)
Anyone else wear compression socks for their long flights? How do you like them? Share if you wish, thanks. Safe travels all!
Mountain biking is not for the faint of heart! Even while riding “easy”, “green” color-coded mountain bike trails, a rider will approach short, steep hills or ridiculously rocky areas at uphill and downhill sections of the trail. I love the challenge of it all!
While exploring new areas on my mountain bike, I stop and smell the vanilla scent of Ponderosa pines in Flagstaff, Arizona and see the seasonal change of tree colors in Park City, Utah. I chat with other bikers from various areas of the USA. We commiserate about tough mountainous trail sections and smile while reminiscing about rolling, long miles through meadows.
We love this meadow ride section!!
E-bike riders are now on the scene. I have mixed emotion about them. The purist in me wants to keep me pedaling for many more years; however, I also need to acknowledge the day will come when I want to be on a mountain trail and an e-bike is what I will need too. Just thinking back 15 years ago, I easily rode the intermediate, blue-coded trails and now they can be tough for me. So we all respectfully co-exist on trails to enjoy the outdoors.
Bikes are wonderful machines when working. Recently I ended an 8 mile mountain bike ride in my smallest chain ring and with my left-hand shifter not working! Nothing allowed me to shift into my middle or big chain ring, so I could only be happy that it was in the small chain ring while on the mountain trail.
Bike repair people see and solve all kinds of mechanical issues. I had an unusual jammed derailleur that took some time to be solved. The guy discovered a small stone wedged in an area that could only remove itself when the bicycle was upside down. Once it and shifter were fixed, I was back to cycling another day!
There is the little rock causing all to jam my chain rings!
Mountain biking is great fun, despite requiring more energy from me when I compare it to riding my road bike. But the opportunity to be on a forest, desert, meadow or mountain trail away from vehicular traffic is a bonus I want to continue to enjoy for years to come!
So you want to travel! And you’re concerned about the cost of the travel. I understand; I get it! Before leaving home, you can estimate some costs: transportation, food, lodging and sightseeing admission costs. Use realistic numbers when calculating these estimates and then add what you feel could be your “slush fund”. Those monies are what you may need to cover the surprises … increased fees, emergencies, or paying for an event you truly wish to attend and just learned about while on your trip!
Does everything cost money? Not exactly. Where things do cost money, there may be ways to accomplish the same or similar in less expensive ways. I look for ways to not break my bank account.
Gas to power the vehicle. Some people can drive hybrid vehicles and get better gas mileage than me with my van at 20 miles per gallon. However, others wish to travel in a larger RV and they only get 8 miles per gallon. So choose the travel vehicle best for your travel budget and go forth!
My go-to choices when looking for gasoline at less dollars per gallon is to check my GasBuddy app. There I see what gas station has the least expensive gas price, especially when there is no Costco in the area. Otherwise I use my basic Costco membership for my gasoline bill. With it I often pay 5 to 25 cents less per gallon than another station in the area. Those cents add up to saving dollars.
Other people may use Sam’s Club, another membership that can help you save money. I recently signed up for Love’s Travel Stop. Besides saving cents per gallon, I can wash my windshield with their longer-handled windshield brushes. Plus if I need a shower, after a few boon-docking nights or Harvest Host nights with no services, I can reserve/take a shower for $18 at a Love’s Travel Stop.
Food to power you. You’re driving down the road and billboard messages entice you to try a place at the upcoming exit for their cheese, ice cream, hamburgers, etc. Willpower is needed. Keep your budget in mind!
Dependent on your method of travel … are you tenting, in a van/RV decked out with kitchen, or such as my van where I use a backpacker stove at a picnic table? In your estimates, you would know the breakfast with yogurt, cereal and blueberries may not be every morning. My coffee and tea per day are a constant. So how many mornings did you plan to eat an omelet or pancakes out?
In your estimates, you may have planned lunches with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or cheese and crackers, fruit and nuts. What number of lunches may be eaten on the road? Or will you snack and have a late lunch, early dinner on the road?
I have seen people carry all kinds of kitchen appliances, even if their RV has a kitchen! Additional grills, InstaPots and waffle makers. If you’re carrying them along, are you using them?
My approach: when the weather is nice, I’ll cook every meal on my backpacker stove or make a sandwich or have food directly from my cooler. When weather is not so nice, I quickly boil water for a dehydrated meal from my food box. If I am swamped with bad weather, I consider buying food I can eat with no prep needed.
Here’s where supermarkets are helpful. I love having a sandwich for lunch or dinner and often will buy a bread roll, sandwich fixings at the deli counter and make my own sandwich. I love the markets where you can buy one roll at a time! My best meals are when I buy a roasted rotisserie chicken and shred the chicken breasts for future sandwiches with tomato and avocado! I usually eat the thighs and legs straight-away. I love adding coleslaw to all my supermarket sandwiches. Some markets have the California sushi roll, rice pudding, small curd cottage cheese and kefir … other food items I look for when in a store. Don’t forget to check the day-old product shelf! You’ll probably be eating the item that day and you’ll be saving 50%! Fresh fruit and individually-packed fruit containers work for me to keep a balanced diet.
Every state in our union has a special food to brag about, such as brats, cheese curds and Kringles in Wisconsin. So I look for the food and try it … another joy when traveling! Some day I’ll actually do a food tour as I travel. That would be so much fun!
Don’t forget to eat where locals eat. Often I find more food served at a less expensive cost, so ask for recommendations to local eateries. I also learned they often only take cash … so be prepared!
Each day I will make coffee and tea, then it is water for the rest of the day. Hot days, electrolytes are added. Relaxing moments and wanting something different on my tastebuds, I’ll drink a small soda or electrolyte drink purchased from the supermarket. Late afternoon, I often have a Guinness beer. Buying drinks from establishments is costly; however, I do have a set amount of money on my Starbucks card. Rainy days may be the morning I buy my coffee at that establishment, but when I am out of the money I set on the card, I am done.
Where to sleep at night. If you are traveling with an RV, or like myself in a self-contained van, the decision is quite easy. Choose the campground you can afford. Many apps and guides can help, plus each state has state parks. I also like the Harvest Hosts membership where I can request a stay, pull in to the location and only pay $30. I’ve met campers who stay on Bureau of Land Management or Army Corp of Engineer locations. Again, there are books providing those details.
Motels, hotels, bed and breakfast places, glamping and cabins are other options. If you go the motel/hotel route, then join their loyalty card so you can save dollars, and/or gain a free night, after staying so many nights. Or select a credit card linked with a hotel chain. You’ll spend money throughout the year, so pay those bills with the credit card and points add up. It’ll allow you to use the points toward the hotel chain the credit card is linked with. As a result, enjoy a free night at the hotel while on the road.
Sightseeing costs. Prioritize what you want to see while traveling. Dependent on the museum, art gallery, wildlife refuge, theme park, local, state or national park, beach or place you wish to visit, there may or may not be a cost. Do some research before heading to an attraction. Some places have hours later in the day with a lower entrance cost. Others are free on some or all days.
Gift shops … wow, here is a place to easily spend money. Check your budget and think before spending. I always see so many cute things to purchase, but my budget just doesn’t allow it. When I do purchase something, it truly is something special!
If visiting more than one, for example state park, it may be worth buying an annual or season ticket than a daily ticket. Combine activities. Some are free and others may cost. Try not to shell out money every day.
I have a hard time being indoors on a beautiful day, so I’ll head to a wildlife refuge, local park or nature center … all of which rarely have a cost. Or I’ll take a longer hike or bicycle ride. But, there are some sights you just have to see and they will/may cost an entrance fee. That’s okay since your original travel plan may have had them already in your budget. Go for it! The point of traveling it is to learn and see a variety of new things. Remember, there are discounts for seniors, military, etc. so make use of them too!
Don’t let money slow down your travel plan. Do set some monies aside each month in anticipation of a trip. The money you currently spend to eat at home or visit a special exhibit needs to be shuffled to cover on-the-road expenses. Be clear-headed about your goal. You’ll figure out what works best for you and your family. Each time I travel I learn something new or discover what works best for me. Plan what you can and be ready for the adventure! Go have fun!
People watching is more my thing when traveling; however, I do enjoy talking with people when provided an opportunity. This trip I met some fascinating people.
Various cashier/checkout people at supermarkets: If I have the time while traveling, I would rather stand on line and talk with the checkout person, and bagger when available. The self-checkout line may be faster, but not always efficient for me. It seems I am often missing some aspect of the process and needing help. Much more interesting talking with the cashier person and seeing how his/her day is going. They are hard-working people. I often recall my high school days working as a cashier at a Grand Union supermarket. I don’t even think those stores still exist!?!
Lila at Arcadia Marsh: Lila, her husband and a 2 year old child are in upstate Michigan for the summer. Lila has a remote job so they can cool off here, away from Cincinnati, Ohio. Her husband cares for their child and does various jobs as people need work done. Lila happened to be walking the boardwalk at this marsh while I was there. This was “her time” and she was also learning the wildlife in the area. It was fun to chat with her while also pointing out and naming some of the birds we saw.
A KOA worker, You Tuber and author: Yikes! This woman was a dynamo! While she works at the KOA, she also works/helps at the local church on her days off from this job. She has written a book about her travels with her husband. They work various places as they now live full-time in their RV. YouTube has some requirement of so many hours before she can have her own channel, be sponsored and earn money … if I understood her correctly … no doubt, she’ll be figuring it all out!
A retired Titan Missile worker: this man was simply enjoying the outdoors after so many years of underground, stressful work wondering if/when they’ll shoot the missile off. I mentioned there is a preserved Titan II missile site near Tucson, Arizona. He knew this was one of the 54 Titan II missile sites on alert from 1963-1987. While talking with him, I had thoughts also of the Navajo CodeTalkers. Again this guy was like them, on the precipice of history in the making.
An Appalachian thru-hiker: this man talked of his days on the trail … Georgia to Maine, 2,190 miles! I only know a few sections of the trail, those I have day and multi-day hiked in the past. He was glad to have done the trail and may consider Pacific Crest Trail next. We talked about the huge differences between the two trails.
A Michigan couple who lived a few years in Scottsdale and understood Arizona’s challenges of traffic, water and over-tourism … and that is why they now live in Michigan.
A KOA worker’s book recommendation: Walden on Wheels: On the Open Road from Debt to Freedom by Ken Ilgunas. I’m waiting for the book to be at my local library.
Another KOA male worker in Michigan: completed his U. S. Army training at Fort Drum, New York. I worked just south of Watertown, in Adams, in the 1980’s. We talked about the huge snowfall each year on the Tug Hill Plateau and how I learned about dairy farms. He knew the area. The Army had been deployed south of Watertown sometime in the 1990’s with generators to protect the cows and keep the farms working after a huge snow storm. Tug Hill Plateau can receive 200 inches of snow in a season!
Local realtor in Marquette, Michigan: I shared a picnic table with him. Marquette is being discovered, as is the entire Upper Peninsula; people are moving to the area. While this can have positives, I hope it does not ruin the Upper Peninsula’s hiking, biking, fishing, and natural resources. I’m sure few people will stay year-round as this realtor. Not everyone enjoys 30 degree to minus-20 degree winter weather or 200 inches of snow in some areas of the peninsula. (Sound familiar?) Yet snowmobile rentals are available. At the campground I stayed at, when it closes the snow mobile rentals begin!
A couple at Miner’s Falls, in Munising, Michigan: I hopped out of my van at the trailhead and saw a couple enjoying a snack on their tailgate. They recognized me as the camper next to them at the campground. Right!! I got talking to them as they also offered a homemade plum jelly and peanut butter half sandwich. Delicious!! Later that evening I learned more about this couple who lived in Oregon and now live in Montana. They welcomed me into their warm camper! As I stepped in, it reminded me of a friend who said, “Yes, at the end of the day I want to feel like I am stepping into a motel room”. (He has an Airstream.) This camper was comfortable too. Good conversation and I warmed up before returning to my van and my winter sleeping bag in May at Upper Peninsula in Michigan!
A couple asked, have you been to Yoder, Kansas? Ah, no! This couple told me about an Amish area, a restaurant Carriage Crossing and it as a Harvest Host location. Ok! Future stop, Yoder, Kansas, when crossing the country again!
In Pagosa Springs, I met a man hiking the Continental Divide Trail; 3,100 mile trail from Canada to Mexico. I know this is a challenging trail so I asked how it was going. Coming from Wyoming to Colorado they had thigh-deep snow. Instead of post-holing, which is energy-intensive, they returned to Wyoming and waited for snow melt … and now he’s at the southern end of Colorado on the trail!
Claudine, a New Jersey motorcyclist, wondered where the 2013 designated historic Brown Canyon Bridge was as she chatted with me at a nearby picnic table. The bridge was on the lower road from where we were and I had already been there. She is on her way to Spokane, Washington for a women’s motorcycle convention. It is the first time I have seen white clothing on a motorcyclist! She said it does work much better for her than the black color and the material is as durable as those made with black material. That’s terrific!
Two women from Boston, now living in Florida, traveling in a high roof van: I stopped to see how many inches in height a fan on the roof would require. I only have 3 inches of clearance in my garage; therefore, no fan will work on my van’s roof. While discussing this and other topics, they shared an interesting story after I mentioned sleeping in a Walmart parking lot one night on this trip. One occasion, they had to pull in and park at a Truck Stop.Their original destination was not happening. A truck driver asked them if all was okay. Yes, just need to park safely despite these tractor trailer trucks coming in and going out all hours of the night. The truck driver said, park between these 2 trucks. We’re here all night and beep your horn if you have any problem. Great story!
Met 20 year old female, Hope, in Denmark, WI. She is a solo bicyclist with a goal to cycle to every state park in Wisconsin, there are 50, before the fall college term begins. A friend or two will join her at some points. We discussed Warmshowers’ hosts. I recommended Icebreaker clothing and Adventure Cycling maps. It was fun talking with her about my solo bicycling adventure of 600 miles years ago and wondered out loud if I should consider Warmshowers during my next cycling adventure. Off she went to Door County with banana and apples! Of course I recommended where to have cherry pie while there!
PA State College couple parked next to me with their high roof, white Ram Promaster van … exactly like mine but I have a low roof van. They were to leave early in the morning to climb the Manitou Incline! (Check it out if you do not know what it is.) If I was in better shape it would have been a great challenge for me, but it will not happen at this time. Fun talking with them as they had a bike rack that swings away from the back doors on their van. That is what I need so I can carry my mountain bike… someday!
They also mentioned: they use KOA’s and Love’s gas stations when needing a shower. Some KOA’s are pricey; but when wanting a shower, to do laundry and have security, I use them. However, I learned Love’s stations allow you to schedule a shower, for $18, and shower space is good-sized and cleaned after each use. Learn something new every day!
And so it goes! Learning from other people, sharing a moment, weathering the weather together, and feeling a sense of community when traveling. People are happy to share their adventures and explain any tool or piece of equipment at their site. Often people are curious of my van’s set-up. They see how I easily roll in and start to enjoy my time, while they are still setting up sewer line, water hook-up and electrical line.
There are times I wished I was spending more than a night or two at a particular campground. I see some of these fellow campers sprawled out and set for a week or two. Someday I’ll approach that as a routine to try. Overall though, it’s great seeing people enjoying the outdoors and my opportunity to spend a moment or two with them while on the road!
Nine thousand miles and many memories now held in my heart and brain. We have a beautiful country with many wonderful people too! Let’s not lose track of how to be kind and respectful to our environment and humankind.
Sketch done while on the road.
Trip memories in a sketch book
Other trip memories in my sketchbook. … now to enjoy home!
