THE EPIC ADVENTURE BEGINS . . .

                  LOVE BUGS!!!

Our Departure from Oakland, Florida (elevation 121') happened at about 9:30 AM this morning. So excited to get underway finally! Our first three to four days will be spent putting miles behind us. Driving about eight hours each day in the beginning. Then we can begin to slow the roll once we get to a higher and cooler elevation. 

The Airstream is packed to the gills. If one of these rivets pop we will be in a lot of trouble. Exploding like a bag of microwave popcorn. Scattering our belongings down the interstate. I can just see it!

Right as we got off the interstate for lunch ... Love Bugs! We pulled over at a rest area on I-10 near Montecello, FL. It was actually very pleasant after we got past the swarm of Love Bugs. They were so bad I had them on my face and stuck in my hair. Outback in the picnic area there was enough of a breeze to sit outside with no bugs. What's for lunch? It was the first time  for me . . . Uncrustables! I know what you are thinking but they were not that bad. It was more of a convenience to have them defrosted and ready made sitting in the truck cooler.  Hmmm ... Could one make their own to freeze?

This evening Tim and I landed at an Airstream park in McDavid, Florida. Mystic Springs A/S Park is located on the Escambia River and we could tell it use to be a really nice park at one time. It looks a bit run down. There are ants everywhere. I mean EVERYWHERE. You can not stop for one second. Seems to have more SOB trailers here than Airstreams. Huh? Guessing there are about ten rigs here total. The place is still nice. It's quiet and we figured we would have a better chance getting in here than in a state park on a weekend. Plus at $15 for full hook-up I'm really not going to complain. 

While trying to get a nice photograph of the river this evening I smacked my head into a dead tree branch, while being bit by ants and almost stepping on a snake. This all happened in about three seconds. No picture of the river was acquired. 

MILES DRIVEN TODAY: 456

ELEVATION: 39 Feet

MONTANA RECAP

FAIRY LAKE

I made it home safe late last night. The return flights to Orlando yesterday were long, uneventful and tiring for me. My time in Montana was absolutely a mind blower. The landscapes were spectacular with every turn.

GUS LEADING THE WAY AT FAIRY LAKE

While there I was able to check a few things off the Bucket List along the way. Our daily adventures were unbelievable.

MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS IN YELLOWSTONE NP - WYOMING

Only two pairs of shoes were taken and returned with me and I survived. The trip to Yellowstone National Park was beyond words and we barely scratched the surface of what there is to see there. The GoPro was only dropped out of the truck window once (while moving) and it survived!

STUMP NEAR MY SISTERS BARN IN MONTANA

Now it's time to turn it around. Unpack. Repack. Then in just a few short days . . . ROAD TRIP! Tim and I depart for an Epic Adventure in the Airstream to the Southwest!!!

 DOWNTOWN BOZEMAN, MONTANA

PALISADES FALLS

 

Today was my last full day here in Montana. We started off the day by going to the Cateye Cafe for a scrumptious breakfast. 

Then my sister took me on yet another amazing hike. This time we went to Palisades Falls in the Gallatin National Forest. The drive there was much longer than the half mile hike to get to the falls. The falls height is 80 feet and is at an elevation of 7,200 feet. Magnificent! The 11% grade paved trail there is fairly easy with a few switchbacks to the base of the falls. 

Once we wrapped up the hike we headed back into town to the Museum of the Rockies. There we explored an amazing living history farm with costumed interpreters that take you back to the 1890's. We also stopped by to say hello to BIG MIKE the Bronz T-Rex who greets you upon arrival. 

The last stop of our day was at Bridger Brewing for pizza and to sample their current taps. Yum!

I'm so sad ... Tomorrow I travel home. My last day here was amazing. My entire time here was one gorgeous adventure after another. The time has flown and I can't wait for my return to the beautiful landscape here.

FAIRY LAKE HIKE

First I will begin with saying 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY' to my fabulous sister JoAnn. Both she and her husband Spencer have been the perfect hosts making me feel right at home during my stay with them here in Montana. 

In celebration 'I' wanted to go hike the trail at Fairy Lake. We took the most experienced guide along for the the ride - GUS! Gus is the best he always stayed ahead on the trail to check things out for us. Then he would circle back to make sure we were all keeping pace. Gus is the best and I am working on teaching him the worst of habits while I am here so that his parents will want him to return to Florida with me. LOL Fairy Lake is one of the most spectacular areas here! Amazing!!!

As soon as we returned to Bozeman we went to the 'Garage' for a fabulous lunch. Gus came along as well and got a bite to eat too. 

 

It turned out to be another amazing day here. We made a few additional stops on the way home ... REI Store, Sportsman Warehouse and the 406 Brewing Co. Then off for a Mexican dinner celebration for my sister. Now who can complain about this day? Oh ... And I guess that I can scratch another one off the bucket list - Hiking in Monrana!

THANKS YOU GUYS!!!

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

WOW! Today I had two great tour guides. My sister and her husband, JoAnn and Spencer, drove me down into Wyoming to Yellowstone! And yes ... another item has been checked off my Bucket List. Super amazing, spectacular, jaw dropping ... what more can I say except that Yellowstone is a Natural Wonder. So I'm going to let the pictures speak for themselves:

NICE DAY FOR A RIDE . . .

My sister, JoAnn, took me for an amazing ride on her horses today. I haven't rode a horse in a gazillion years and was excited to do so. First things first ... get on the horse. Well I was so embarrassed because she had to help me on. No really ... it's hard! The weather was gorgeous, the scenery was spectacular and I had a great time. So that's one more item that I can take off my Bucket List - Horseback Riding in Montana!

After we finished our ride we drove into Bozeman and polished off a pizza and a few brews. We were also able to get a little shopping done in the downtown area. 

Tomorrow we are headed south into Wyoming and should have a another great adventure ahead. 

 

TRAVEL DAY . . .

Today I traveled to Bozeman, Montana. But without the Airstream. My flights were all good. Long story short months ago I booked my flights with good departure times and one easy layover. United decided to cancel those flights and make up a flight plan for me with two layovers with one being a super long one. 

Oh well not much I could do about that. One thing I was able to do today during my travels was to mark an item off my Bucket List. I've always wanted to eat a hotdog in Chicago. During my short layover there I was able to make that happen . . . 'ALICE' style. Ketchup only! It was tasty. 

Once I landed in Denver I could tell that I was at a higher elevation. Since this was the LONG layover a few cold beers were in order. Finally I landed in Bozeman, Montana where my sister, JoAnn, picked me up from the airport. It's been a long day of traveling and the plan is to have a few amazing days here spending quality time with my sister and help celebrate her birthday. 

Are TEN too many?

Not Airstreams! Shoes that is! I've started thinking about what to take on our Southwest trip. I've been working on reducing the clutter and unnecessary weight inside the Airstream that has accumulated over the years. Beach gear, bathing suits and hot weather gack can be temporarily removed for this journey.

This then made me begin thinking about hiking and cold weather necessities to bring along. Maybe a space heater, gloves, scarves, heavy socks and an extra blanket or two. I've begun gathering the major stuff. Then I began to think about what shoes and how many to bring. With so many needed to bring I came up with the following list with reasons why to bring each pair.

1. Hikers - A must bring!
2. Tennis Shoes - For exercise & Hiker back-up.
3. Flip Flops - Can't leave home without them.
4. Water Shoes - You never know!
5. Cowboy Boots - Uh . . . duh . . . gotta!!! I'll be in the Cowboy Filming Capital of the world!
(But which pair of cowboy boots?)
6. LL Bean Rubber Boots - For those rainy, muddy days!
7. Flat Slip Ons - For relaxing shopping trips!
8. Timberland Rubber Slip Ons - For a quick get away on damp mornings!
9. Snow Boots - You never know?!
10. Heels - A girl needs these for a fun night out!

Uh ... maybe eleven! Do slippers count? I've been able to justify why I need to take each pair of shoes. Now to get Tim on the same page.

More questions I ask:

Will Tim allow me to take all of them?
Will I return from the trip with more or less pairs of shoes?
Where will all these shoes be stored over the course of our trip?

I purchased a few perfectly sized baskets for under the bench to store a few pairs.

I'll be flying out to Montana soon for a few days and will be blogging from there. Then Tim and I are Southwest bound! Stay tuned . . .

THE TRIP OF ALL TRIPS IS NEARING . . .

Twenty-four days and counting! The details of our Southwest trip are still being finalized and everything seems to be falling into place for our departure. Looks like we will be riding trains, hiking, panning for gold, exploring the Mighty Five, watching the mass ascension of hundreds of hot air balloons, searching for hidden treasure, exploring ancient ruins, and looking at the grandest of all canyons and much, much more! I've had to rearrange the sequence of a few stops due to weather and parks closing during the winter. WHAT? Yes, they do that out there.

Over the course of our Epic Adventure I will blog as often as time and internet access permit. There will be times that we will be completely off grid. We have prepared for these gaps as well as we can. Battery back-up packs, a generator and extra propane. For those that know us these are the moments we look forward to. Being off grid and disconnected is an amazing feeling. No crummy nightly repetitive news to interfere with our daily thoughts. I'm sure that you will all get tired of some of my wording in this blog during the course of the trip that will repeat: amazing, spectacular, tranquil, sprawling, charming, postcard perfect, grandest, jaw dropping, breath taking, unbelievable, 'my favorite' and I'm sure there will be a few more.

Last week we took a quick pre-shake down trip. After having the major work done on our tow vehicle and new tires, bearings and brakes on the Airstream . . . we knew we had to take a mini trip somewhere to make sure everything is in working order. The trip was quick and we had to return a day early for a job I received a call for. I always get the cruise ship jobs that DON'T leave the port. Uggghh!!! Overall the 'Mini Pre-Shake Down' trip was a huge success. Everything seems to be in good working order. The Airstream is Walburnized and all shinny. Major maintenance is done. So other than a few minor cleaning and small maintenance items that are still left on our lists AND the packing we are ahead of schedule and ready for departure.

I still have a little more research to do in a few of the regions we will be visiting on things like where to eat, what to see and things to do. Then before we leave I also still have my Montana Trip to take around the first week of September to visit my sister. I'll be flying out there and plan to blog and post pictures on that trip as well. We then plan on immediately departing on my return for the Epic Adventure around the second week of September. The excitement is building . . . so stay tuned!