Sunday, June 20, 2021

After another restful Shabbat – davening, eating, resting, walking and talking – it was time to get our plans together for the coming week.  Frustration personified, we were having trouble with our AT&T phone, internet, and hotspot connections (didn’t know that there was a separate charge and plan for the hotspot and we ran out).  With no AT&T connection until Cortez, and our hotspot connection plan running out, we were not able to post.  After multiple communications with our representative who sold us the plan in Efrat, the problem was solved.  Thank you, Gedali of Faith Telecom.  He stuck with us and worked everything out. 

On the road again.  A beautiful trip through the mountains, and we arrived in Durango (city of multiple famous cowboy movies) in southwestern Colorado near the New Mexican border. Many of the towns we pass through are not exceptional, but the historic section of Durango is fun and interesting.  There were several quaint shops – quality shops, not simply stores with the traditional tourist items.  At a store called Karma Bill bought a Nepalese singing bowl (you’ve got to see it to believe it) and Sima bought a simple bracelet.  We picked up a few useful items in the coolest camping store.

Our next stop was the Aztec Ruins National Monument in Aztec, New Mexico, where we were able to see and walk through a 900-year-old ancestral Pueblo great house that had over 400 masonry rooms.  A short half mile trail led us through some of the rooms.  Here again: the story of a thriving culture who just got up and left.

Our travels through this part of the country have taught us about the history and civilization of the Native Americans who lived in the area – things that were really never taught in school.  Movies and TV have tended to focus on the Apache or Comanche, tribes known for their horsemanship or fighting, and not on the Pueblo Indians who were farmers and herdsmen and lived in villages with strong cultural and religious beliefs.  It is almost as if a deficit is being corrected. 

We hit the road again and traveled through the Navajo Nation Reservation, really huge and quite barren.  When we left the reservation, we drove to the nearest “campground” we could find.  Tonight, where we were able to post the next edition of the blog, we are spending the night at Walmart in Gallup, New Mexico, and we have incredible reception

Monday, June 21, 2021

We woke up where we went to bed, that’s always nice.  Walmart was not the quietest of places with traffic from the road and the odd train blowing its horn, but we were comfortable, security drove around periodically, and when we woke up there were many more RVs of all sizes parked around us, including a tractor trailer and a boat.  We did some more shopping and made a few phone calls arranging our Corona 19 tests for our return home.

One of Sima’s favorite national parks is the Petrified Forest, Arizona, specifically the Painted Desert part – so there we went.  We were at the park three years ago, and it was familiar.  Unlike last time, though, when we entered from the south entrance – the Petrified Forest end – this time we came in from the north – the Painted Desert side.  And as we came in early in the day, we were able to see a side of the Painted Desert that we did not see last time, in the mid-afternoon light.

It was a great visit.  Because the temperature was over 100 degrees F, the short walks of the park were perfect, and we gratefully filled our many water bottles at the park’s fountains.

After a visit to the Visitors Center and gift shop, we drove along the park road and stopped at some observation points of the Painted Desert, all with beautiful views.

We followed that by walking the Painted Desert Rim Trail, a one-mile round trip easy hike with stunning views of the Painted Desert below.  

It is hard to describe the sheer beauty of the Painted Desert.  An expanse as far as your eye can see – 93,500 acres, 120 miles long and 60 miles wide.  Colors ranging from pink to lavender to beige with some green and other colors thrown in.  Solitude that only the desert can give; a sense of wonder that comes with all of G-d’s magnificent creations. 

From the Painted Desert we drove south through the park, turned into the Blue Mesa Road which led to the one-mile Blue Mesa Trail: a path of vibrant blue, purple, and gray badlands, with colorful petrified wood just laying around.  We know about the Badlands of South Dakota, and we have seen and driven through them.  But Badlands in Arizona?  Well, Badlands, as we read, are areas of soft rock strata that is cut and eroded into many gullies and irregular shapes.  And they are here as well.

Continuing southward in the park, we stopped at Crystal Forest, a beautiful scattering of petrified logs, Newspaper Rock with its petroglyphs (rock carvings), and at the end of the day, reached the Giant Logs Trail: huge slabs, gorgeous colors, some seemingly cut by a saw (but they weren’t; the weight of the hills on top of the logs crush and break them).

The petrified trees as we see them are timeless.  What were once real trees are now stone, as the original plant materials are replaced by minerals such as iron, copper, manganese, and quartz. 

The park was not crowded and at times we were alone, either at observation points or on the trails.  There is a sense of limitless space here.  And quiet.  And peace.  

Tonight, we are camped out in the Crystal Forest Museum Gift Shop’s parking lot, just outside the park, where the sign says RV camping is free.  We are here with two other RVs – it is quiet, pretty, and as the owner confirmed, it is indeed, free.  The stars put on a magnificent show, filling the sky with a feeling of light, space, and incomprehensible distance, unhindered by city noise and street lamps.

Tuesday, June 22, 2021

“We Didn’t Start the Fire,” but we did keep running from it.  The morning started out peacefully; we left our very quiet campsite.  We headed west and then south to Snowflake (we liked the name) and then drove towards Holbrook, Arizona.  But we were turned back and directed to go to Show Low (another great name) because the road was closed due to forest fires.

We had intended to drive through the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest and then perhaps through the Conconino National Forest (and do some dry camping), but it was not to be.  There were over twenty forest fires burning throughout Arizona, and over the last few days the national forests (certainly the trails and campsites) have gradually been closing down and evacuated.  Some of the fires are a result of lightning – people cannot remember when last there was a good rain – and others a result of human carelessness.  Some are still being investigated.

So we headed back to Holbrook and Interstate 40, the northern entrance to the Petrified Forest.  Basically, we spent a good part of the morning riding in one big circle — but we got back on I40 and headed west to avoid the fires.  We were told that if the wind changed, the interstate might be closed, and we would be stuck east of where we wanted to be — so we kept driving before that could happen. 

As long as we were driving and could not enter the national forests, we went all the way to Dead Horse Ranch State Park, Arizona, where we had reservations through Shabbat, arriving a day early.  They were able to give us a spot but no campfires are allowed and no trails that went outside the park were open due to the forest fires. 

Dead Horse Ranch State Park is absolutely one of our five top state parks: great campground, trails within the park, lagoons five minutes away, extremely well-kept.

Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Though rain was a possibility, it didn’t happen.  We spent some time preparing the last post for publishing as we had excellent internet reception.

Once the post was published, we walked to the lagoon, and then decided to take a short excursion to Montezuma’s Castle National Monument.  Grateful that it was still open and not closed due to forest fires, it was a beautiful walk around the park, seeing the ruins of the Pueblo people who lived in the cliffs.  Some of the reasons they may have decided to live in the cliffs is that they protected them from heat and cold, but also from flash floods that were prone to that area.  In the rainy seasons, they kept a watchman high in the cliffs to warn the tribe when a flash flood would threaten – that is how quickly it can rush into the area without warning.

Thursday, June 24, 2021

We decided on a ride to Sedona, a very pretty city with mountains towering over it.  We were told that Sedona is a popular location for people leaving California, and it is a good choice: beautiful surroundings with a quality way of life.  We spent three hours walking around a shopping center built on an old Spanish motif.  A shop owner told us that the area was at the first stage of the three-stage fire threat warning, “ready”; the others are “set” and “go,” when you have only minutes to evacuate.

As the weather looked inclement, we returned to Cottonwood, five minutes from Dead Horse Ranch State Park and did laundry and Walmart food shopping.  By the time we finished and returned to our campsite the rain, thunder, and lighting began.  To affect the wildfires, it probably needed to rain harder than it did; indeed, the accompanying winds might have made things worse.

Friday, June 25, 2021

We are getting down to the last leg of our trip.  A short trip to Walmart, again, to buy a few things for Shabbat, dumping our tanks, and cooking.  When we woke this morning and took an early hike around the lagoon, you could smell a light odor of smoke in the air. 

But that was nothing compared to the smoke that engulfed the campground on Shabbat morning.  It was difficult to be outside, and although it did clear up some as the day went on, it was clear that the wildfires were still burning.

Our last stop of the trip: Las Vegas to prepare for our trip home: the Corona tests (here and at Ben-Gurion), preparing the RV for storage, packing, and getting ready for the flight home.

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

The campground at Cortez, Colorado was quiet and clean, and we decided to stay till Sunday.  There is lots to do in the area, and we had another incentive: Colorado is having its first heat advisory, ever!  It was well over 100 degrees F today – and we needed electricity to run our air conditioning.  It also cools down to about 55 at night.  Yes, that is a 45-degree difference.

Today we went to Mesa Verde National Park, a World Heritage Site that we had been to a few years ago, and not too far from the campground.  Convenience aside, we like Mesa Verde for what it preserves, for what it means to those who call the Puebloan people who lived there their ancestors, for the importance of honoring one’s heritage.

We decided to explore a part of the park that we had not been to before. A little way into the park we turned on to a 12-mile narrow, steep, and very winding road that offered spectacular views of the valley.  We were pleased that our van was able to stay on the road, Bill continually downshifting.

We stopped a number of times, most memorably at Point Lookout Trail, and walked to the fire tower, the highest point (at 8,427 feet) in Mesa Verde. Here we met the ranger who keeps an eye on current fires in the area. On a clear day, the views extend over 50 miles in some directions.

We drove as far as we could on the road, parked, and went on a self-guided tour of Step House in Wetherill Mesa, regarded as the quieter side of Mesa Verde (the more impressive cliff dwellings are on the other side, the Chapin Mesa).  It is a one-mile trail, down 200 feet and back up, that leads to Step House, another ancient Pueblo Indian village built into the side of a cliff.  In the same area, two parts of the village are preserved: one from approximately 550 CE and one from 1200 CE.  The differences in building materials and style were pointed out to us by rangers who were stationed there. 

It is interesting to note that although people come here to see the cliff dwellings, only 600 of the 4,500 archaeological sites at Mesa Verde are actually cliff dwellings.

The Pueblo Indians grew beans, corn, and squash, and supplemented their farming by gathering plants and hunting deer, rabbits, squirrels, and other animals.  A great deal of ancient corn was discovered here, for example – some of which has been left at the site, and it looks just like a corn cob.  

In the late 1200s, within the span of a generation or two, the Indians left their homes and moved away. 

Thursday, June 17, 2021

You generally don’t realize how much work goes into having fun.  We are just under two weeks before we return home and there are many things to take care of, so this morning we decided to check one off our list.  We arranged for our Covid-19 PCR tests in Las Vegas prior to our return flight home.

That taken care of, we decided to take a short trip to the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, which encompasses 170,000 acres of desert in the southwest corner of Colorado.  Thousands of archaeological sites have been recorded, thousands more are waiting for documentation.

We stopped at the Anasazi Heritage Center (ancestral Puebloan) where we viewed an excellent display of artifacts of the Pueblo Indians who lived in this area. 

The one thing missing from the exhibit was any information on their music.  There was no mention of flutes, drums, dances, or songs.  We know that all Native American tribes had a wonderful culture of music, and songs were used to tell and pass on history and culture.  A definite loss in their presentation.

The humans who first entered the canyons area were hunters; eventually they turned to farming.  By 750 CE the farmers, now known as Puebloans, had occupied much of southwest Colorado.  Pit houses grew into masonry homes above ground.  Some were built at canyon heads and others were cliff dwellings.  Eventually – similar to Mesa Verde – the population moved to New Mexico’s Rio Grande Valley, or even further away. 

There is no real solution to the mystery of why these areas were abandoned.  What happened to the culture that was thriving for over seven hundred years?   It is known that the many of the people moved to southwest New Mexico, but why?  There are many theories, mostly logical, but it is hard to believe that an entire population, spread throughout a huge area, just got up and left in a short period of time.  Even if resources were scarce, the climate changed, overcrowding, aggressive intruders, it seems that some groups of people would have stayed.  Though records were not kept, there are many petrographs that might give a hint as to what happened.  Many questions but no clues, complex or simple, remain – or maybe they are just yet to be found. 

Modern day descendants often return to these ancient dwellings as they regard them as holy places where the spirits of their ancestors remain.  They come to hold religious ceremonies and festivals in the ruins.  They claim that they have never truly left.

On the way back to the campground, we stopped at an American Indian souvenir store called a trading post; they trade their product for your dollars.  Though we had stopped there on our previous trip to the area and enjoyed it, this time around it was very disappointing as none of the salespeople seemed to have any knowledge of their products.

3:00 pm and we tried to get back to the campground.  But there was road construction directly in front of the campground entrance, so off we went to Walmart for an hour and a half.  We returned to find that the road was still closed and we waited in a parking lot down the road with other campers also trying to get into the campground.  We made ourselves dinner as we waited.  Patience won out as we finally made it back around 5:30 pm.

A plus about being in this campground is the surrounding scenery.  The view outside our windows is of mountains so picturesque that you would think they were painted on a canvas as the backdrop for a quality stage production.

Friday, June 18, 2021

As we sit outside the van in the shade, enjoying the environment, we write this portion of the blog.  It is always nice to take some time, slow down, and gather your thoughts.  There is nowhere we want to go today and no shopping to be done, but laundry calls, Shabbat preparations to be made.

Sunday, June 13, 2021

What an amazing day!  After getting our camper ready for travel, we left the Oasis Good Sam Campground in Gunnison, Colorado and headed along a fantastic view-filled road in the mountains.  We were driving to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado – declared a national park in 1999 by an Act of Congress (it had been a national monument since 1933).

Upon entering the park, we immediately went to the campground to look for a first-come, first-serve site.  There were plenty and we chose a back-in site off the road.  After paying for the site (all of $8.00 for seniors) we headed for the Visitors Center to learn more about the park and (of course) buy souvenirs. 

Near the Visitors Center there was a 2-mile loop trail – the Oak Flat Trail – which we took.  Although the park brochure rated it as difficult, moderately challenging would be more appropriately descriptive.  It was steep (dropping 400 feet), but the views of the canyon were way beyond beautiful.  Cliffs, rock towers, a rapid river at the bottom (the Gunnison River), trees, flowers, and plants galore.  After our 1-1/2 hour walk, down the trail and back up, we drove down the road to a different lookout point for additional views of the park. 

Then, back to the campground.  Unlike when we first picked our site, it was now quite filled.

Monday, June 14, 2021

We enjoyed the park so much we decided to stay another night.  Today it was very hot (in the mid-90s F and above), so we stuck to exploring lookout points.  It was not a matter of simply parking and looking out the window; at every stop there was a walk of anywhere from 300 to 1,350 yards.  After five or six of these, we ended up with quite a hike. 

Each view of the canyon was better than the previous one.  A highlight was the Painted Wall, the tallest sheer cliff in Colorado at 2,250 feet.

An interesting comment was made by a couple we met, that this was better than the Grand Canyon.  It got us to thinking – the Grand Canyon is grander, much larger, wider, and steeper, but it is also more developed: bigger roads, hotels, stores (that’s not necessarily bad), many more tourists.  It is often hazy with pollution flown in from the west coast. 

The roads at Black Canyon are narrow and twisty.  There is only one small Visitors Center/Gift Shop, and where the Grand Canyon pipes up drinking water from the Colorado River, Black Canyon has to truck it in.  In the campground there is no dump station and only drinking water for water bottles. 

Black Canyon of the Gunnison, like the Grand Canyon, was created by a river flowing through it (the Colorado for the Grand Canyon, Gunnison for Black Canyon). But it is much narrower than the Grand Canyon; at its narrowest point it is 1/4 mile across. The gradient is very steep here; the canyon drops an average of 95 feet per mile.  The walls range in depth from 2,700 to 1,750 feet. At its highest point, it is 8,000 feet above sea level (Efrat, where we live, is about 3,150 feet above sea level – 960 meters).  The steepness of the canyon makes it difficult for sunlight to penetrate into its depths; as a result, the rocky walls appear black.

Both canyons are indescribably beautiful.  But Black Canyon has an intimacy about it.  You see the steep walls up close.  You look down into the chasm, and although there is no way your camera can see so far down, it is right below you.  The Gunnison River looks closer than any view of the Colorado from the Grand Canyon rim.

The narrow opening, sheer walls, and stunning depths of the park are what makes Black Canyon of the Gunnison so spectacular.

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

We left Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and out of whim started heading south on the San Juan Skyway Scenic byway, Highway 145, that passes through 236 miles of the San Juan Mountains.  We often use superlatives to describe the beauty of the areas that we are in, and we are sure it gets tiring to read, but what else can we do?  The views we saw as we drove (we did about half of the Skyway) were indescribably beautiful.  Mountains, lakes, pastures, valleys, so much to see. 

Now add to that the fact that we just happened to be driving through the middle of a bike festival, passing thousands of riders pedaling down the highway, only added to the picture.  The riders came and went in many directions, as there must have been multiple groups starting from different entry points.

We stopped for the night at another KOA (Campgrounds of America) campground in Cortez, Colorado.  As a bonus, we were treated to a delightful sunset.  A nice way to end the day.

Tuesday, June 8, 2021

We made our goodbyes to the Black Hills of South Dakota with hopes that we will return someday, though the memories and emotions will always stay with us.

Today was a travel day – South Dakota to Nebraska to Colorado to Kansas, the heartland of America.  Many people call it (often pejoratively) Flyover Country; some say that it is boring, but not for us.  Farms and cattle range land as far as the eye can see – and since the land is very flat, this is no small statement.  It is as humbling as it is awesome.  Three times we saw mile-long (it seemed) trains carrying nothing but coal.  There was no shortage of big rigs, trucks that transport essential produce to the rest of the country; sometimes, two or even three cargo trailers being pulled by one diesel.

At night we stayed at a city campground in St. Francis, Kansas.  What was unusual was that even though it was a very nice place to stay overnight, there was no one else there.  The electric sites were $25, you pay on the honor system by depositing the fee in a metal box, but the non-electric sites were free (we stayed at a non-electric site). 

In the middle of the night, around 2:00 am, Bill woke up and looked out the window; the sky was filled with stars.  We remember as children we could see stars at night in Chicago, and every child knew the Milky Way constellation.  When we went traveling away from the city the sky was awesome.  Now, with pollution and city lights, you are lucky if you see just a few stars.

Wednesday, June 9, 2021

A nice day for a ride in Kansas, home of Dorothy of the Wizard of Oz (it really was very windy), where Superman grew up, and “I’m as corny as Kansas in August.”  Why Kansas? It is one of the few states that we had not yet been to.  Driving down the highway, not the interstate, there was no traffic, often no other cars for miles.  The fields were green with new crops.  It felt like we were a ship sailing in a sea of green.  We really enjoyed the experience.

At night we stayed in another KOA in La Junta Colorado, just a place to stop overnight, expensive but useful.  There was a Walmart two blocks away, a room to do our laundry, and internet connection to be able to post the last blog.

Thursday, June 10, 2021

We went from flat farmland to hills to the San Luis Valley, to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, all within a few hours.  Our destination was the Great Sand Dunes National Park.

The Great Sand Dunes are America’s tallest, so tall that you can see them for miles as you approach the park.

Wind and water form the dunes. Most of the sand comes from the San Juan Mountains, 65 miles to the west. Rougher grains come from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Storm winds keep the dunes piling back on themselves.

We arrived around 12 noon and went to the Visitors Center which was closed from 12:00 till 1:00. We have never seen a visitors center closed for lunch before. We then continued on to a trailhead that began as a nature loop trail, but we turned off to join a longer 1-½ mile forest mountain trail – the Wellington Ditch Trail – that led to the campground, which was full. We walked from there to the sand dunes.

Prior to getting to the actual dunes, there is a shallow creek that must be crossed, getting your feet wet and sandy.  Some visitors bring sand surfing boards to climb the dunes and slide down, others walk around the dunes, and still others just sit down in the stream to cool off. This is not unlike when we visited White Sands, New Mexico.

After our hike, we returned to the Visitors Center.  We have yet to be somewhere where the rules for masks, distancing, and a limited number of people allowed in the store at one time were in force.  Yes, there was a line for information and souvenirs. Another park magnet to add to our refrigerator.

An additional first:  This is the first time we are camping on BLM land (Bureau of Land Management).  This is land managed by the federal government which – in some areas – is open for public use.  You just pick a spot to camp on and are allowed to stay for up to two weeks at no charge.  The snow-capped mountains in the distance from our front window were breathtaking.  Last night in Kansas we had more amenities, but for beauty, this one wins hands down.

At night we had some dinner guests who just happened to graze by.  Again, like at Wind Cave and the turkey, we had them with our dinner, not for dinner.

Woke up at 2:00 am and looked out the window.  We are tens of miles from the closest street light.  The sky was filled with stars, more than at St. Francis.  It was like being at the planetarium.

Friday, June 11, 2021

Early morning, our previous guests returned; they must have liked the company, or the grazing.  They also provided the morning entertainment.  In their process of exploring for better pasture they knocked down the gate to, and entered, the next field.  Not long after, four federal rangers on ATV 4-wheel cycles, dressed in full battle array (side arms, M16s) came along to herd the cattle back through the gate and send them on their way (modern day cowboys?).  How did they know the cattle were there?  The cattle had tags on their ears, and we are guessing that there were sensors to let the authorities know where to find them.

We bought more supplies at Safeway (supermarket) and headed for our next destination, Gunnison, Colorado where we will be spending Shabbat at a Good Sam campground.

Rocky Mountain High, Colorado, and when we say high… marijuana is legal here and advertised.  Not what John Denver meant.  We drove down one of the most beautiful roads through the mountains, Highway 114 – full of streams and grass valleys, perfect for grazing cattle, and scenic as a quality picture. Around every twist and turn there was a new visual delight.

After getting to our campground in Gunnison, we found that there was a mistake made with our reservation and we ended up with three different spots until they got one we liked.  It took us a while to get level (well almost level) and the water pressure leaves a lot to be desired, but settled down we are.  Six hours to Shabbat.

There is a shade tree at our site and we are across the road from the beautiful Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado’s largest body of water.  The people who run this campground are very accommodating and very religious – the hostess wore a sweatshirt that said The Chosen and she mentioned that we should say a prayer for them (this is a family-owned and -operated campground) as they worked to get us situated and settled in.  They should only know.

Saturday, June 12, 2021

A long but restful Shabbat.  Out our window we could see the reservoir, and we were able to walk there in the morning, before the heat set in.

Friday, June 4, 2021

We said our goodbyes to a very nice couple we meet from small-town South Dakota, left Lake Herman State Park, and hit the road.  Our destination was a KOA in the Black Hills, near Hot Springs, South Dakota.  Hours more of beautiful farmland until we crossed the Missouri River (many insects sacrificed their lives on our windshield). Then the landscape became hillier and, in addition to farms, we saw cattle grazing land.

From experience, we have found KOAs, and indeed many commercial campgrounds, to be crowded and often noisy.  We were pleasantly surprised, then, when we arrived at the Hot Springs KOA – though the campground is close to the highway, the sites for the RVs are behind a hill in a forested area.  There was reasonable space between campsites and our neighbors were quiet and respectful of others.  The staff here did everything they could to be pleasant and accommodating.  This turned out to be a good choice for Shabbat.

Saturday, June 5, 2021

Shabbat was long (8:12 – 9:25, thank Chabad for having a website with the starting and ending times for Shabbat everywhere in the US as listed by zip code and/or city; we also check “myzmanim”) but peaceful and restful.  A walk around the grounds was 1/3 of a mile (the campground brochure said), so we were able to walk and stretch our legs (3 times x 3 rounds each).  Our traditional RV travel Shabbat meals are salad followed by salmon patties and couscous or rice.  Though we brought with us a box of matza, many of them came broken.  We were able to find frozen OU dinner rolls at a Walmart that could be heated in our oven, and we bought a few packages.  It’s not difficult to find rolls with a hashgacha but finding ones that are not pre-cut is a challenge.  We have small bottles of Kedem grape juice that taste more like prune juice but serve the purpose.

Sunday, June 6, 2021

A beautiful day.  We drove to Wind Cave National Park, another addition to the list of national parks we have been fortunate to visit. 

We chose not to take a tour of the cave.  Masks are not required and although people who are not vaccinated are requested to wear them, there is no way to check.  We have been to other caves (Mammoth, Jewel, Lehman, Carlsbad Caverns) and we know that because the lighting in caves is dim, and cave paths and steps are uneven and often wet and slippery, walking for one hour+ with a mask would be a challenge.  And we figured not many people would do it.

But we read the exhibits.  A few facts about Wind Cave National Park:

• Located 10 miles north of the town of Hot Springs, South Dakota in western South Dakota. 
• Declared a national park by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903; the first cave to be designated a national park anywhere in the world.
• One of the longest caves in the world, with over 149 miles of explored cave passageways, as of 2018.

Although people tend to go only for the cave tours, there are wildlife and stunning trails.  We saw a whole lot of bison – there is a bison herd of 350 here – and prairie dogs (they really are cute).  Above all, much of Wind Cave’s 28,295 acres is rolling grassland, pine forests, and hills.  It includes the largest remaining natural mixed-grass prairie in the U.S.

It is hard to put into words the sheer beauty of these open plains and prairies against the backdrop of the hills.  We can imagine what the original settlers felt when they came to this area.

We had two very enjoyable hikes above ground: Prairie Vista Trail (prairie and grasslands) and Elk Mountain Trail (grassland and forest).  After so much rain in Iowa, where we could only walk on roads and pavement, we were finally able to take hikes in the woods on real trails.

On the way back to the KOA (we decided to take it for another night), we shopped for a few food items that we needed and then walked the Freedom Trail in the city of Hot Springs, along the Fall River. 

The Black Hills of South Dakota are amazingly beautiful.  This is the third time we have been in this area and we are hard pressed to think of another part of the U.S. we enjoy more.  A few weeks just touring the Black Hills would not be excessive.

Monday, June 7, 2021

We really loved being in the Black Hills so we decided again to stay another day.  The Elk Mountain Trail that we hiked yesterday started inside the Wind Cave National Park campground.  The campground was so far away from everything, quiet and secluded, that we decided to stay there for the night. Being in a national park and having a Seniors Pass allows us to stay for 1/2 price, $9.00.  No amenities, just a foresty place to park, and sleep, and worth every penny.

Since we had an extra day, we drove to Custer State Park, just north of Wind Cave National Park.  Many years ago, we stayed here with the kids in a cabin inside the park.  Our most memorable experience was that we drove the very sharp, winding roads in a very thick fog.  So thick was the fog that we passed cars and a truck who had driven off the road.

Today the weather was clear and beautiful.  We checked out of the KOA and drove down a gravel road for 4.4 miles, all farmland, to the Visitors Center of Custer.  There are surely better ways to enter the park but this is the way Waze took us – it looks, we guess, for the shortest route, or the first place to turn, and if that means four miles of gravel, so be it.

Still twisty roads, but no fog.  Sunshine and pleasant.

At the Visitors Center we watched an interesting 20-minute film about the park – part commercial for the park, part informational.  Upon the advice of a ranger, we drove along a very scenic road to Sylvan Lake.  

The road passes around the Needles part of Custer: huge spires of eroded granite pillars, towers, and spires – and a favorite of experienced rock climbers – that tower above the placid lake and surrounding forests.  A first for us:  At just under 10 feet our van was too tall to go through one of the tunnels on the Needles Highway, so we had to take the long way around.

But the views were still fantastic.

Sylvan Lake was crowded.  The local population comes for beaches and boating and easy hiking. Though disappointed with the size of the crowd we started walking a popular hiking path around the lake, but then…. We found a turnoff to a less traveled trail, the Black Elk Peak Trail.  It was rustic and beautiful, though also a bit strenuous as there was a rather steep incline.  The pictures tell the story.

On our way to the campground, we passed a heard of buffalo.  Both Custer and Wind Cave parks actively encourage the re-population of the species, and are zealous in their protection of this huge (can weigh up to 2,000 pounds) and extremely powerful animal.

At one time the buffalo numbered in the millions and were an important part of American Indian culture.  They used the bison (also known as buffalo) for food and clothing; they made tools out of the bones, water sacks out of the bladders, and tepees out of the skins.  It was the white man (can we say that nowadays) who came and hunted for sport leaving the carcasses to rot.

In numbers: from 25-30 million bison in the 16^th century, to less than 100 in the 1880s, to 500,000 today.

When you see a live buffalo, you see a noble beast.

We stopped at Stockade Lake to take a photo.

Once at Elk Mountain campground we found a comfortable spot (our new neighbor is a wild turkey walking around), made dinner (not turkey), showered (remember there are no amenities so all of our conveniences are built into the RV), and settled in to write today’s post.  Currently it is thundering and periodically lightning, but no rain as of yet.  Regardless, we are comfortable and cozy in our home on wheels.

Tomorrow we head out towards Kansas.

Tuesday, June 1, 2021

What a long day!  The length of a day is not always measured in hours; sometimes it is measured in activities and a day can go quickly.  Today was a day of inactivity; we sat around most of the day at Lichtsinn RV while they did maintenance and upgraded the van – installation of new house batteries and a new and quieter air conditioner; sanitizing the water tanks; changing the shower head to one that is more water-efficient; working on the generator which hasn’t been used for two years.  These are all things that had to be done but sitting around doing nothing is hard, boring work (for us; the technicians worked hard).  We took a short walk but mostly we had to be on call in case they needed approval for unexpected services.  Since our AT&T cellphones had no reception, they could not call us.

Now we have to make a decision.  The generator needs a new carburetor, a part they do not keep in stock.  Do we wait around for a few days for them to get the part, or continue on our way and hope we will not need a generator in our travels until we get to Las Vegas where (maybe) they can complete the job.

The exciting conclusion to this dilemma will come tomorrow.  To go or not to go, that is the question.

Wednesday, June 2, 2021

We decided to go. 

There are millions of people living in cities; have you ever thought about how they are supplied with enough food from the most prosperous nation in the world?  Today we drove 4-1/2 hours from Iowa through southern Minnesota to South Dakota.  The entire way was filled with farmland – as far as the eye could see.  The heartland of America feeding the nation and parts of the world.

On the way here we saw a Trump for President 2024 sign and at the campground in Iowa, a thin blue line flag (honoring America’s law enforcement folk) hung from one of the campers.  Possibly, this represents the political leanings of middle America.

In both small town Iowa (Forest City) and small town South Dakota (Madison) we spoke with people who are happy and proud to live where they are.  

Where are we now?  Sitting on our camp chairs in Lake Herman State Park, South Dakota.  We picked it out randomly on a map, took a chance that it would be worth it, and that there would be a campsite available for the night – and were we right!  This is a beautiful park on Lake Herman (formed during the last ice age by mile-high glaciers) where the campsites are delightfully far away from each other.

So, who was Herman?  Herman Luce and a group of friends visited this area on his son’s urging (a Minnesota cavalry soldier who was stranded here in a blizzard in 1855).  They were so impressed by the beauty they saw that they decided to settle here.  The first cabin built, Luce Cabin in 1871, served as home, post office, land office, and hotel.  In constant use throughout the years, the cabin was deeded to South Dakota in 1945 in order to create Lake Herman State Park.

Indeed, this park is enchanting.  A couple of long walks around the park paths, and we could have gone on and on. 

In the evening, a beautiful sunset over the lake.

Thursday, June 3, 2021

We decided to stay an extra night.  Checked availability in the morning and the spot right next to the one we were in was open, so we took it.  We first drove into the town of Madison, South Dakota – 3 miles away – and took care of business (laundry, shopping).  Now, the rest of the day was free for relaxing and walking; temperature in the high 80s F with the sun shining.

The adventure will continue tomorrow as we head towards the Hot Springs, South Dakota Black Hills KOA and Wind Cave National Park.

It has been a long time since we last traveled and so, a long time since our last post – almost two years.  It has been a challenging time: the pandemic, four elections (soon to be five?) in Israel, and one in the States, an eleven-day clash across our southern border…. However, we made it through, no one near and dear to us has gotten seriously ill, and we feel for those who have suffered.  This trip was twice cancelled, and plans were changed many times.  But, It Looks Like We’ve Made It.

The Thursday before our trip we drove to Ben-Gurian airport to take a Covid 19 PCR test which must be done within 72 hours of the flight.  The same day we received the results. 

Motzaei Shabbat we made havdalah, did a few last-minute things, filled out a health declaration form on line, made it to our waiting car and driver in 30 minutes, and off we went to the airport.  We showed our Covid test results even before we got through the doors of the airport, and again at the ticket counter.  With good planning and luck, we made it to the plane with an hour to spare.

Once on the plane (1:00 am) we settled in for a 15-hour flight to Los Angeles.  Our travel agent highly recommended we upgrade to Premium Coach and it was good advice.  Lots more leg room, smaller cabin, and continuously cleaned bathrooms.

We landed in LA early but had to wait half an hour on the plane before we could disembark.  (You’re not allowed to arrive early, it seems.)  We waited some more for the one-hour flight to Las Vegas.  On both planes everyone wore masks the entire time as did everyone in LAX (Los Angeles airport) where there was an often-repeated announcement that it is federal law: you must wear masks.  Upon arrival at Las Vegas we took a cab from the airport to North Las Vegas, where we finally got to our RV, parked right where it should be.

Why do we write all this?  So we can remember the experience.

Reaching the RV at 1:00 pm Sunday afternoon, after traveling for about 25 hours, we went to our favorite hangout, Walmart, and stocked up on supplies.  Then we started cleaning and organizing.  Even though the RV was cleaned after our last trip, it has been sitting in storage for almost two years.  Thankfully, all systems are working, with the exception of the “house” air conditioner, but we knew about that.  After all was done, we ate, showered, and fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillows.

Monday, May 24, 2021

After taking care of some business with NIRVC, the storage facility, we went back to Walmart to buy a full cart load of items we forgot to buy the day before.  We started on our travels at 1:00 in the afternoon.

We drove north on Highway 15 through Nevada, a part of Arizona, and into Utah.  We travelled through the city of Provo Utah, home of Brigham Young University and one of the prettiest, well-kept, and manicured cities we have seen. 

When it was time to stop, we found a campsite at Deer Creek State Park, Utah. 

Chokecherry Loop was where we camped, named after the chokecherry shrub which is prevalent there.  For many Native Americans, the chokecherry is an important fruit in their diets – the bark to make a concoction to ward off and treat colds, fevers, and stomach illnesses; the inner bark for ceremonial smoking; and the fruit which can be eaten when fully ripe but otherwise toxic (and very bitter). 

The surrounding scenery was breathtaking, and it is a spot we would like to return to for its hiking and beauty.  And why not?  It’s only half a day’s drive from the storage facility.  We had a very peaceful night’s sleep.

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

We drove, and drove, and drove – 9.5 hours.  We have an appointment at Lichtsinn RV for an upgrade to our air conditioner for Tuesday June 1^st, and decided to spend several days near Forest City, Iowa (home of Lichtsinn) beforehand. 

We drove from Utah straight through Wyoming on Interstate 80: no people, no cell phone or internet reception, lots of scrub grass, pretty in its own way. Though there is nothing magical about state lines, it often seems that the uniqueness of each state eventually presents itself.  

We then continued into Nebraska (farmland, greener), where we stayed the night at a KOA campground in Ogallala – a Sioux name and once a stop for the Pony Express and later the transcontinental railroad.  (Nothing more needs to be said about the campground; although it was very clean, it was right off the highway and noisy traffic all through the night.)

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

We got an early start and drove, and drove, and drove (sound familiar?), continuing on Interstate 80 into Iowa (very green, lots of farms, rolling hills).  Basically, we covered over 1,500 miles in 2-½ days.  Arriving at Pilot Knob State Park, Iowa (5 minutes from Lichtsinn) on Wednesday evening, we registered for five nights.  This being Memorial Day weekend, most reservable campsites were booked well in advance and we wanted to get to the campground early enough to secure a first-come first-served site (also called a walk-up).

Pilot Knob: lots of green and lots of short trails in a forest setting.  The biggest problem is that there is no AT&T reception anywhere in the drivable area; we have gone back in time to a quieter, more peaceful existence.  Only the beauty and sweet sounds of nature to enjoy in our environment.  We were able to get in a short hike before we ate and turned in.  And to all a goodnight.

Thursday, May 27, 2021

A good night’s sleep.  The weather report was for a 100% chance of rain, and they were right.  It rained all night and through the morning.  Not a time for taking a hike in the mud, so we did some errands.  First to Lichtsinn where we were happy to be able to connect to their guest Wi-Fi to message the family.  Then, a little more shopping, for what else do you do on a rainy day, and we returned to our campsite where we relaxed, ate, listened to music, and read books. 

Friday, May 28, 2021

Back to Lichtsinn for WhatsApp phone calls to Israel and relatives in Chicago.  Returned to the campground and had a lovely walk on the paved forestry roads; the trails were still too muddy from the rains the night before.  In the afternoon we cooked and prepared for Shabbat which came in at 8:27 pm.  We made early Shabbat.

Saturday, May 29, 2021

A goodnight’s sleep, davened, kiddush, walked around the campground area in much better weather, lunch, slept, read and seudat shlisheet.  In the early evening we had an opportunity to hear a ranger talk about how Pilot Knob is using goats to control invasive plant species that travelled from local gardens (from homes just outside the park) into the park.  The procedure they utilize is to put the goats into a 1000-square yard fenced-in area for a couple of weeks; the goats seem to like the unwanted plants.  Once they have cleared an area, the goats are moved to another section, and so the process continues.  No pesticides. 

With such a long day we slept a lot, probably still getting over jet lag and 2 ½ days of driving.  Havdalah was at 9:38 pm.

An observation about the campground.  Mostly this is a very family-oriented location.  Lots of children but very few teenagers.  Though the kids are noisy and fearless about cars driving around the campground, this is much preferable to teens and young adults who often party, play loud music, and drink a great deal (we’ve experienced this too).  It seems there are a number of groups, families or friends, who get together on this Memorial Day weekend to sit around a campfire, talk, and barbecue.  Quiet hours are strictly observed.  Sizable trailers are the vast majority of RVs here through there are a number of tents, some also quite sizeable, one with its own wood-burning stove.  We are the only Class B RV van.

Another observation about masks.  In the states we’ve been in, they are mostly not mandatory.  At the Walmart in North Las Vegas, most people wore masks.  As we drove through Utah, Nebraska, and Iowa, it seemed that it is up to the individual.  We decided to wear our masks in stores (including gas station stores) and laundromats.  In the campgrounds we are distanced from other campers and if we speak to anybody, it is outdoors.

Sunday, May 30, 2021

We thought we would be able to get in some good trail hiking (yesterday we saw the trail heads but could not do them on Shabbat).  However, it started raining again, so we emptied tanks, filled up with fresh water, and settled down to a quiet day in the RV.

But then…the rain stopped at 2:00 pm and we took advantage of the break in weather to take a walk – still too muddy to use the trails, but the blacktop road through the state park was beautiful. 

Actually, our walk started out as a short stroll to the fishing lake but we kept going and, in the end, walked for over two hours – out of the campground section, re-entering the park through the main gate.  We walked past Dead Man’s Lake and ended up at the observation tower built in 1934 by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps), which we visited on our first trip to the area after buying the RV four years ago.  It hasn’t changed, but to our surprise Sima’s phone started chirping with received WhatsApps; she had cell reception at the top of the observation tower hill.

Monday, May 31, 2021

We left Pilot Knob State Park and headed for HyVee supermarket (when last here it was called Bill’s).  Picked up supplies and headed for Lichtsinn’s camping area for a spot for the night.  Here we attended a wedding of a cousin, virtual of course.  We still find it amazing that we can view a wedding in Lakewood, New Jersey from Forest City, Iowa.  During the wedding we had a wedding seudah lunch in our van in honor of the chassan and kallah.

Then, a four-mile walk through Pammel Park in Forest City, on the Winnebago River.  It was a memory, as we did this walk four years ago when we first bought the RV.  The weather was great, the park as pretty as we remembered it.

 

Now on to finish this post.

Some have told us that they felt that this was our best trip yet; quite possibly.  The weather was in our favor, we were fortunate to get some great campsites – and we visited eight U.S. national parks.  That, really, says it all.

Each national park is unique and special.  The Joshua trees, in the park of that name, look like something out of Dr. Seuss.  The Grand Canyon is breathtaking; just a “hole in the ground,” it looks different from every angle and changes from morning through evening as the sun and clouds move over it.  Lehman Caves in Great Basin are a world beneath the surface.  About Crater Lake it has been said that no one ever forgets their first sight of the lake, and that is true.  Mt. Rainier is formidable.  Olympic is simply beautiful and the Hoh Rain Forest is something we did not expect in North America.  The Redwoods are humbling.  Lassen Volcanic has it all – mountains, snow, ice, wildflowers, and lakes.

And our first time experiencing the magnificence of the Pacific Ocean.

But equally fulfilling was being together, just the two of us, in our home on wheels (we sometimes refer to it as Bozin West), traveling.

After reviewing the many hundreds of pictures we took (we are so thankful for the invention of digital photography), we have whittled down our choices to “only” 111. 

Hope you enjoy the journey,

Bill and Sima

We read today of the fire at Congregation Adas Israel in Duluth, Minnesota early Monday morning, September 9, 2019.  For those who have been following this blog from the beginning, you may remember our post from Shabbat, June 24, 2017 – the first day of Rosh Chodesh Tammuz, 5777.  We parked our RV in the parking lot of this beautiful synagogue, built in 1901-1902 (the congregation was established in the late 19^th century), and had the honor of spending a Shabbat with the members of this shul.  Over the years, as small towns in Minnesota and Wisconsin closed their doors for lack of members, several sent their books, Sifrei Torah, Aronot Kodesh, and memorial plaques to be housed here.

Upstairs shul:

Downstairs shul:

One of the cupboards:

The cause of the fire is still being investigated.

Eight of the 14 Sifrei Torah were saved.

Our hearts and prayers go out to the wonderful members of this congregation who opened their doors to us and with whom we shared a very special Shabbat.

Start with an active volcano that erupted multiple times between 1914 and 1921, the largest being on May 22, 1915, add boiling mudpots, steam vents, and sulfurous gases.  Now surround that volcano with thick forests, snow fields, frozen and non-frozen lakes, rivers, streams, wildflowers galore – and you have Lassen Volcanic National Park.  Go up the mountain towards Lassen Peak (elevation 10,457 feet) and the temperature drops to 68 degrees F; drive down the mountain and it is around 84 degrees F.

As we sit here writing this blog for the last of the national parks which we are visiting this trip, we are in a wooded campground called Manzanita Lake Campground.  Earlier today we walked on a lovely wooded path, Paradise Meadow, which abounded with flowing streams and wildflowers.  We did not finish the trail (it was about four miles round trip and we wanted to see other things), so we turned back, finished an hour’s walk, and had lunch. 

There is one road that goes through the park and we continued on it, stopping at several turnouts and overlooks to enjoy the views.  We saw Summit Lake and continued to Lassen Peak Trailhead at 8,512 feet in elevation.  There was still a lot of snow there (and Sima could not resist throwing a snowball, as did many folks).  Then on to Lake Helen and Emerald Lake, beautiful lakes (especially Lake Helen) which both still had ice.  

As longtime fans of Yellowstone National Park, we were interested in seeing the hydrothermal (action of heated water in the earth’s crust) elements at Lassen.  Although Bumpass Hell Trail – the largest hydrothermal area in the park – was closed for rehabilitation (it is named for Kendall Bumpass who severely burned his leg after breaking through a thin crust into a boiling pool; in fact, warnings abound about not stepping off the pavement and even in recent years, people have sustained serious injuries here by stepping into the boiling acidic water), we did get to see Sulphur Works.  There, we had the pleasure of seeing – and smelling – a boiling mudpot (just like the name), sulfurous gases, and steaming vents, evidence of the violent activity underground. 

At one of the turnoffs, U.S. Geological Survey scientists had set up equipment to monitor the movement of the earth’s crust with the goal of predicting hazardous conditions (there are several in the park).  The question is not if there will be another eruption but when.  Mount Lassen, like Mount Rainier, is an active volcano.

A visit to the Kohm Yah-mah-nee (“snow mountain”) visitors center rounded out the day. 

July 26, 2019 – Day 2 at Lassen Volcanic

We decided that the campground at Lassen was the perfect place to spend Shabbat, so we set about trying to cancel our reservations at the next campground (actually we were not really comfortable with the reservation system of the next park as they would not take a deposit or send an e-mail confirmation, a first for us). 

The problem was how do you make a phone call when you have no cellular service in the wilderness?  First, we tried the pay phones (yes, they still exist) at the campground store, but they didn’t work (but they did exist).  Then we went into the store and the sales clerk told us that he also had AT&T, and if you drive out to the stop sign a bit down the road, turn right and continue to marker 14, across the road from marker 14 there is a turnout, and at a certain spot you can get reception.  The trick was finding that exact spot, as just a foot forward or backward did not work.  After a few tries, we found the spot, canceled our reservation, and sent a WhatsApp to the family letting them know we were OK, which we think they will assume unless they hear differently.  

At marker 14 we also connected with the Chabad website which gives Shabbat start and end times for anywhere in the world. 

We went back to the campground, did laundry, dumped tanks, had an early lunch, and went for a hike around Manzanita Lake.  Easy walking in the most scenic setting of woods and lake with snow-capped mountains in the distance – and possibly the best view of Lassen Peak.  So relaxing, so comfortable, so picturesque – we walked for an hour and a half. 

Next, well you know what’s next. 

Our last Shabbat of the trip, six in all, and it was peaceful and quiet.  We are looking forward to being home soon.  For as nice and relaxing as it is to spend Shabbat in nature, it is still very special to be among family and friends in Eretz Yisrael.