A Time for Everything

A Time for Everything

Sunset over the Weaver Mountains

April 11,2018

Well here we are again. It seems like just yesterday that we were in Florida but on March 1 we left Cedar Key with our destination Congress Arizona. As we change locations we left behind new formed friendships and headed off to discover new adventures around the next corner.

Well it would seem totally incomplete to do an update and not include a Camping World story. SOOOO, as you may recall we had to order a new recliner set for the camper as the side I sit on had begun to lean to the right as something in the frame had broken. So, we had a scheduled appointment on March 1 in Lake City Florida to get the new recliners installed. We arrived at 8:30 am and unhooked the trailer. While I was unhooking the trailer, I heard a noise in one of the landing gear that I hadn’t heard before but the gear went up and I didn’t notice anything out of the way as I moved the truck so the service guys could move the trailer for the installation.  Paula and I left the Camping World and had breakfast at a nearby Cracker Barrell and ran a few errands before returning to pick up the trailer so we could head west. When we returned to the lot the trailer was sitting around front and it appeared that the repairs had been completed.  Paula went inside to talk to our service guy and I began to back up to hook up the trailer. When I got out of the truck to lower the tailgate an employee on a fork lift was riding by and said he would be back in a minute to help me hook up. I waved, and at the same time was wondering why he was going to help me hookup as I have been doing this for a while now. At the sametime Paula and our service guy were walking toward me and as they got close the service guy said we were going to have to have a jack to raise the trailer to load.  Evidently the noise I heard was the pin shearing off on the left landing gear. WOW. WOW. WOW. The service guy went on to say that when they moved the trailer around back that the leg wouldn’t extend and hold the weight of the trailer. So, we are very fortunate that the trailer did not fall when I unhooked or even before one night while we were asleep. These guys were very nice at Camping World and they assisted in jacking the trailer with, a floor jack up so I could hook up the truck. The part was ordered and was being shipped overnight but this being a Thursday it would not be in Lake City until Monday or Tuesday of the next week. 

So here we are………thinking we are heading west……… when actually we have to find a new place to camp near Lake City. Side note we were hooked up and could go where we wanted but we just had to stay hooked up until the landing gear leg could be replaced. We were able to find a nice KOA where we stayed until the repairs were made on Monday March 4. While we were at the KOA we decided we needed to get a few groceries from Wal Mart. Now we are hooked up so we decided to ride our bicycles to the Walmart which was about 4 miles away. Now my wife was somewhat reluctant to make this ride so as we went along I had to keep setting short term goals such as the next cross street or stop light. We made it without much trouble. We got our groceries and I bought a basket for the bike to carry the groceries back. Now the terrain was flat so it was an easy ride but no short-term goals needed on the return and when Paula saw that yellow KOA sign she caught another gear and I could barely keep up with her.

Finally, March 4 we are west bound on I-10 3 ½ days later than planned headed to Arizona. Now for those that don’t know I-10 runs east to west from Florida to California across the southern US. We pushed across Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana in a day and a half. Then came Texas, it was 2 days of hard driving to cross the lone star state.  The scenery didn’t change much just a few more hills in west Texas. As we passed through El Paso on I-10 we were close enough to the Mexico border that Paula’s cell phone switched over to the international calling plan and welcomed her to Mexico.

Finally, we were out of Texas and we spent two days in Los Cruses New Mexico. Los Cruses is a historic old town where bandits from days gone by like Billy the Kid, Pancho Villa and others use to hold up when on the run.  We then spent one day to take a break from driving and did some sightseeing. We were able to visit White Sands national park and Fort Seldon. White Sands is located between two mountain ranges in a valley used by the US Military for a missile testing range. Its strange driving across the desert and seeing this big white patch of sand in the middle. This sand is course and packs down hard so there are roads cut through the dunes to drive on.

White Sands  National Park

Once we left White Sands we drove to a little State park called Fort Seldon. This was a fort that General Douglas McArthur’s father served as the last commanding General and where the younger McArthur spent some of his youth. We wondered through the visitor center and watched the informational video on the forts operation protecting the trade routes and wagon train trails. After seeing the visitors center we went outside to see the remains of the forts adobe walls and layout. As we entered the walkway to the fort a sign on the side of the trail said “Respect the privacy of the rattlesnakes and stay on the trail”. The trails were clear and gravel which lead us into what was the remains of the fort. As we walked around Paula reached out to feel the texture of the adobe walls. As we walked further Paula was going to touch the wall again when out of the corner of my eye I saw some movement which I quickly identified as a baby rattlesnake curled up in crevices on the wall. I immediately warned Paula not to touch the wall and pointed out the snake. Obviously, rattlesnakes can’t read as Paula was obviously on the trail. We quickly exited the fort as we cautiously looked for mama rattlesnake.

Before we left Los Cruses we met up with Tony and Lanette Langley for dinner. Tony and Lanette were fellow employees at Fishing Bridge last year and they will be returning this year but will be working in a different location this year. We had a great dinner catching up and swapping stories of each of our winter adventures. We learned from Tony that because of the amount of weapons testing conducted in the Los Cruses area that when you fish in the areas lakes or rivers you are given a warning card that outlines the safe amount of fish to eat each month due to the radiation levels.  Good to know in case you are going to visit this area. 

Once leaving New Mexico we stopped in Wilcox Az. This was near the notorious western town of Tombstone Az. After getting set up in Wilcox we made our way to Tombstone. Tombstone was a late 1800’s mining town in the lawless Arizona desert which is most famous for the shoot out on October 26, 1881 between the Earp’s and the Clanton’s at the OK Corral.

OK Corral

Now this epic gun battle between the law and order group of the Earp’s and the outlaw group of the Clanton’s is what has kept Tombstone on the map since all the mining dried up shortly after this historical shoot out. I am not sure what Paula and I were expecting but we found one street preserved close to the 1880’s. This to us was more like a Tweetsie Railroad on steroids for those on the east coast to reference. Everything was commercialized and you couldn’t even see the OK Corral with out paying 10 per person to see a slapstick recreation of the shootout. Which we did. Somewhere in all the trappings and commercialization was lost the 30 second gunfight. 

After leaving Wilcox we arrived in Congress Az which ironically was a mining town and is where a lot of the prospectors came to when Tombstones mines dried up. Congress is a small desert town located about 1 hour northwest of Phoenix at the foot of the Weaver Mountains. For the movie buffs you might recognize the Weaver Mountains from the movie Granite Mountain Hotshots. This movie depicted a forestry department Hotshot firefighting team that was killed in a wildfire. This was in the Weaver Mountains about 10 miles from where we are located.

While here Ed and Judy Lonsdale our friends from Idaho that we worked with at the park last summer passed through as they were on a road trip to Death Valley and northern Arizona. We had dinner with them and then spent the day hiking in a park in Wickenburg where we had a very nice picnic lunch.

After lunch we headed toward Phoenix as there was an air show at Luke AFB. The Blue Angels naval flight team was performing so we were able to see them for the first time.

Blue Angels over Lukes AFB
It was truly amazing to watch these guys flying so fast upside down, side by side, and various other tricks. The show lasted about 45 minutes and was a real treat. Glad we were able to spend this time with Ed and Judy as they will not be returning to the park this year.

Paula and I were able to catch a ballgame at the Dodger’s spring training against the KC Royals. This was a nice time as we both had a Dodger Dog and enjoyed the game.

Unfortunately, on March 18 Paula had to fly back to Asheville as her mother was hospitalized. As much as we enjoy this adventure there are still “life things” that each of us have to handle. 

The Old Testament Book of Ecclesiastes in Chapter 3 talks specifically about a time for everything. And in verse 2 it says “there is a time to be born and a time to die”. Sadly, on March 22, 2018 at 7:54pm Paula’s mother Jane Hansel ended her struggles her on earth and entered the gates of Heaven where she will suffer no more. In verse 4 of Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 the write also says “there is a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance”. As sad as it is for us to lose our wife, mother, grandmother and mother-in-law we can laugh at the good times we had together and dance and rejoice that she is no longer suffering. On March 27 we were able mourn and celebrate her life and her passing in a very nice service at the “Little Church on the Hill” know as First Presbyterian Church of Swannanoa.

Mama Jane & Papa Steve in Egypt

In Alaska

Allen, Paula and Mama Jane NYC

The Gang at Thanksgiving

Mama Jane and her court in England

Paula, Kim and Mom

So, we dedicate this blog in honor of

 Jane Connelly Hansel

April 16,1933 to March 22,2018.

Thanks “Mama Jane” for all the memories.

 

“Heaven is my Home. I am just traveling through this old world.”

So, as we travel through this world, we learn not to take anything for granted and enjoy each moment we have as none of us are promised tomorrow.

Next Stop Yellowstone National Park

Until next time

The Ramblin Ruis

Allen and Paula

Wow 2018 where is the time going???

Wow 2018 where is the time going???

Well down here in the retirement capital of the USA the pace has slowed down a bit for the two of us just as the frequency of the Ramblin Ruis Blog.

Did you know that the population of Florida increases but at least one million people in the winter months of January through March?? Wow that’s a lot of snow birds hanging out in retirement communities up and down the state of Florida. While most of you guys up north were suffering through a cold January and early February Florida wasn’t spared. Now granted we did not have snow or extended bitter cold spells but upper 20’s at night is cold for Florida standards even in January. Because of the cold Paula and I didn’t do much the first couple of weeks here in Cedar Key. We were able to make some new friends and attend a National Championship college football game party at the club house. Unfortunately, Alabama won again.

As the weather began to warm toward mid-January Paula and I headed down to Crystal River Florida to go kayaking with the Manatee’s. Because of the extreme cold weather these “sea cows’ as they are known gather in the warm 72-degree waters of the Crystal River and the springs that feed the river. This was a real treat as there were at least 150 to 200 Manatee’s swimming in this area. They swam around us and under our kayaks as we glided up the river. And yes, the water is clear as the name implies so you could see to the bottom of the river.

In January we also attended a bean and corn bread dinner at the club house along with Bingo games on Tuesday nights. January also brought about a spring cleaning of sorts.  Paula and I took a different part of the camper each day for a week and went through our stuff for further downsizing. We adopted the attitude if it was something we had brought just in case we needed and we hadn’t use it in the past 10 months we must not have really needed it in the first place. SOOO we are a little lighter now than we were when we arrived here January 2^nd. January also found us going to dinner at the Treasure Camp restaurant located on the Suwanee River with our new friends Al and Pam Pelfrey (Georgia) and Don and Jan Mason (Ohio). This was a neat place which sits right on the banks of the Suwanee River and the dinning room is a screen porch overlooking the river. They have window inserts for the winter and a huge pot belly stove in the middle to heat the whole building.

Paula and I also got up early and went down to the marsh to watch the lunar eclipse at the end of January. This was really cool as we had seen the solar eclipse in Yellowstone this past summer.

February 1^st brought about what we referred to as the Cedar Key Shuffle. There were several of us that had reserved a second month late in 2017 which allowed us to secure a site for the month of February but it required us to change sites. SO on the morning of the 1^st about 5 or 6 of us had to hook up and move to our new site for February, hence the shuffle. We moved from lot 2 to the back of the park on lot 73 which is a much quieter location than up front. As the weather warmed I shifted my attention to the outside of the camper and the truck. Neither of which had been cleaned or waxed in a while. So I washed and waxed the truck and took a couple more days to wash  the roof and wax the exterior of the camper. If you can see under the coating of yellow pollen you can see that both the truck and camper have a much-needed shine restored to their exterior finishes.

Sand Hill Crane

We also took a day to go toward the Orlando area where we met up with our friends Bob and Cheryl (Rhode Island) who we worked with last year in Yellowstone. We had a nice lunch at the clubhouse restaurant located in the community where they had just purchased a home. We also had a surprise visit from our friends Joel and Margie (Alabama) who we also worked with last summer. We took them for a tour of Cedar Key and we had lunch at one of the waterfront restaurants.

But the best thing in February was that the Patriots lost the Super Bowl. Not that I am an Eagles fan I am just done with Tom Brady and the Patriots. Remember the 1972 Dolphins are still the only undefeated season team NFL in history.   

Last weekend we went with Al and Pam to a Greek Festival where we had some delicious Greek food and deserts.

We have continued Bingo on Tuesday nights in the clubhouse for February as well.

So, what’s next for the Ramblin Ruis you might ask, or maybe not, but here’s what it looks like. We will pull out of here on March 1 and are headed west. We will be going to Congress Arizona which is located northwest of Phoenix. Once we get to the Lake City area and turn west on I-10 we want see another road until we get west of Phoenix. This is right at 2000 miles and we should be able to make it in 4 ½ to 5 days depending on weather along the way. We are planning at least one stop over near Las Cruces New Mexico to meet Tony and Lynette Langley who we worked with last summer and are wintering in New Mexico.  Once we arrive in Arizona we plan to stay until around April 20 at which time we will pull out and head North to Yellowstone for our second season working in ‘Your National Park” as our friend Ed would tell each of his guest last season at the end of the check-in. We are scheduled to leave Yellowstone around September 6. As of now we are currently looking for a camp host type job for the fall.

So, there you go.

As I typed this it happened to be the same day Billy Graham the beloved evangelist of the poor and the presidents passed away at age 99. Graham touched countless lives during his lifetime and I can still remember watching his televised crusades on a grainy black and white TV as a child and teenager.  I am sure the angels in heaven are singing a special and loud chorus today as another saint has come home. Because of his influence his children have carried his message and ministry.  Paula and I have been blessed to be a very small part of one of these ministries as Samaritans Purse continues to touch millions of lives around this world.

I will leave you with these quotes from Dr. Graham himself;

“When wealth is lost, nothing is lost;

When health is lost, something is lost;

When character is lost, all is lost.”

“Heaven is my Home. I am just traveling through this world.”

So as we travel through this world,

Until next time

The Ramblin Ruis

Allen and Paula

Beginning of a New Year

Season of Thanksgiving & Beginning of a New Year

January 4, 2018

As I began this we were wrapping up the Thanksgiving Holiday so we trust each of you didn’t eat too much turkey, mash tatters, cranberry sauce, stuffing and pumpkin pie.  And we certainly hope if you dared to venture out on Black Friday that you survived and got all the deals you were looking for.

(Yes it’s a little dated but we have been busy)

As Paula and I take a moment to reflect on our first year as full time RVer’s were have a lot to be thankful for. We are most thankful for a God that has created all the wonderful places that we have been able to enjoy this past year. We are also thankful for living in this great country where we have the freedom to make a decision like we have to become full timers and travel around this beautiful country. We are also thankful for our families and friends, who regardless of where we travel will always be a part of this crazy adventure.  We are thankful for our health and welfare. And lastly, we are extremely thankful for each other as for the past 10 months we have spent almost every hour of every day together. We are still speaking and are making up for some time lost that we spent apart over the past almost 26 years because I was either working weekends being called out, on a late-night surveillance operation, on a trip to Texas to work on a case, or spending weeks of training/instructing at the academy.   God has truly been good to us and we can’t wait to see where our next adventure will take us.

Quilt some of our travels made by Tammy Bengtson

Well let’s see if we can get caught up from the whirlwind that the last 5 weeks have been. We left Nashville and had to stop in Charlotte at the Camping World to get a few maintenance issues addressed. This was supposed to be a one-night stay but it turned out to be a weeklong adventure. On that Sunday night as we stopped in Charlotte we discovered we had an extremely hot wheel on the trailer. Now this is never good, and between the heat and the odor it had to be a wheel bearing or a brake issue. So, after determining that there was no fire we set up and thanked our lucky stars (God) that we arrived safely.  The next morning, we went to see the service department and they determined that we had an adjustor on the right rear wheel brake that had come loose. The heat had melted the magnet on the electric brake so a new part had to be ordered. They also ordered parts for our warranty issues. So, after a few bumps in the road they got our brake repaired late Wednesday night. So, you might ask where did you guys stay during this time and I would say this is the advantage of having your house with you, because we spent 3 nights in the parking lot of camping world. Needless to say, we got to know all the service guys pretty well.

Shew something got hot

So, after the delay at Camping World we finally arrived in Ringgold on October 26. We set up the camper at our longtime friends Jack and Gayle’s house in Ringgold.  The next 5 weeks were a whirlwind as we had a number of doctor’s appointments to attend, invitations to meals and we tried to visit with as many people as we could fit in during this time. We also spent the week of November 13-20 working at the Operation Christmas Child collection center in Danville. Thanks to all of you that cooked and or invited us out to eat a meal. The food in Ringgold is still by far the best in the country. It was great to see everyone that we were able to see and sorry that we didn’t get to see more people but we will have to catch you on the next trip to town.

2017 Pittsylvania  Baptist Association OCC collection week Danville Va 

0n November 27 we pulled out of Ringgold headed south. Our first stop was at Camping World located in Concord North Carolina to get the repairs completed that they were supposed to have ordered parts for on our first visit. Upon our arrival they took us right to service slot 18 and said they would begin the work immediately. Paula and I went out to run some errands and upon our return we learned from our service guy that the seal ordered for our camper had been received but they couldn’t find it so the parts department was trying to find one for us. And no other work had been done on the trailer that day. So, we again set up camp in the parking lot and spent the night. The next day was quiet the interesting as I have never seen so many grown men ducking and weaving to avoid my wife as she was trying to inquire on the progress being made on finding our air conditioner seal. It got so bad that the parts guy had a melt down and walked out one afternoon. Funny thing is we never got mad or raised our voices but nobody in the parts department would man up and admit that they made a mistake. Finally, by Friday they had located a seal for the air conditioner and taken care of all the repairs except for replacing a landing gear that they had bent last time we visited in October. The part had to be sent from the factory so we had to hang out over the weekend in the camping world parking a little longer which we have become quiet used to by now.  Now this is where our stay took an interesting twist. On that Friday night we had dinner and watched a little TV. Paula wanted to watch some 20/20 special on Prince Harry’s engagement which I had nooooo interest in, so we moved to the bedroom where she could watch her show and I could go to sleep.  I don’t know how long I had been  asleep when she awoke me and said someone was trying to get in our trailer. From a deep slumber I leapt from the bed to the floor and grabbed my pistol and made my way toward the door. As I cleared my head I heard a voice outside identifying himself as security. I explained to him that we were having repairs done and that the store knew we were camping in the lot. He apologized as he was not told. Tensions eased and he went about his checks and I went back to bed. Sunday night we came back from getting dinner and the security officer rode by as we started into the trailer. He stopped and talked to us again and he apologized for startling us but he wasn’t told we were there. He said it startled him as well and he was afraid he may get shot for trying to open our door. At this point I noticed that he was an armed security guard. Scary thing is had he come in it would have been a shootout at Camping World service center and we would have both been justified. Shew glad it didn’t come to that.

Views from Myrtle Beach State Park

After a week at the Camping World lot and all repairs completed we headed for Myrtle Beach State Park where we were volunteer/host at the nature center. This was working with Ashley’s long-time friend Ann Wilson at the nature center. Ann is a special person who is crazy about protecting the outdoors and educating the public on what to do to save our environment and wildlife. She also deserves a lot of credit for being a very positive influence on Ashley’s life while Ashley worked at the park while attending Costal Carolina. The host was just for December and this required us to work 25 hours a week for a free campsite, it is a win win for the State park as they get some minor projects completed and we get a place to stay. Paula did some computer research and helped me out on some painting and wood working projects that I had to do.  Ashley was also on the east coast for a wedding so she was able to stop by and spend 3 days with us during which time we celebrated our Christmas. It was great seeing Ashley and we are both so proud of the young lady she has become living her dreams out in the Alaskan Frontier.  After Ashley left for Alaska, Paula then left and traveled to Asheville NC to visit her Mom and sister who had traveled up from Florida. WoW it sure was quite for 5 days.  

Snug as a bug in a rug

We trust each of you had a wonderful and very Merry Christmas.

As a point of reflection, it’s hard to believe that almost 26 years ago Paula and I were married just 22 blocks North of the State Park at Hurl Rock Beach Access on the beach. Just the two of us the Pastor and two witnesses and 200 cheering vacationers from the adjacent oceanfront hotel balconies.

We also meet up with Chris and Ruby Young for dinner one night before we left Myrtle Beach

After completing our 3 weeks in Myrtle Beach we headed out New Years Eve toward Florida. As we started around Charleston SC on I-526 we began to climb one of the high bridges over the Ashley River when it happened. With a loud thud we lost power and had no turbo on the truck. Now keep in mind this was on an interstate bridge about 100 feet above the water and no where to go. We were able to limp off the Interstate and needless to say spirits were pretty low thinking that we had major issues. We quickly found a campground just south of Charleston and close to two Ford dealerships.  Being New Year’s weekend, we got a site for a couple of nights planning for the worst.  After setting up for some reason I decided to investigate the source of the problem keep in mind I am not a diesel mechanic and don’t claim to be one.  After doing some research on the internet I found several people that had experienced the same problem and it was an air cooling hose that came lose. I opened the hood and to my surprise I found the top air cooler hose had come lose so I was able to reattach it and tighten the clamp back. I then tried the engine and everything appeared to be running fine. We decided to try and go to one of the Ford dealers on Tuesday to get a real mechanic to check and make sure everything was good. We had heat food and cable TV so we spent New Year’s Day warm watching college football and eating football snacks. I also talked to Ashley and Tristan who is a mechanic and he thought that once the hose was back on everything would be good. I also talked to my friend Dennis Wilson who had a similar issue and he also confirmed that the hose attachment would solve the problem. So that afternoon I drove the truck and the turbo was working truck was running smooth and we felt confident a disaster was diverted. Thanks to these two guys for their knowledge and input.

So, with the forecast of snow and cooler temperatures we decided Tuesday morning to make a run for Florida. Which we did.  The truck ran great and we beat the snow and ice that shut down I-95 in South Carolina and Georgia.

2018 has us spending January and February in Cedar Key, March and early April in Arizona and then we will return for our second season in Yellowstone from the end of April till September.  We are not sure after that so stay tuned for further updates.

Reflecting on our past......
Pondering our future........

Stay Warm wherever you are…

So, with that happy trails and we wish each of you a

 Very, Very, Happy New Year.

Until Next time

Ramblin Ruis

Allen and Paula 

Where Have The Ramblin Ruis’ Been?

Where Have The Ramblin Ruis’ Been?

It seems like months since we left Yellowstone on September 18^th.  As we left Yellowstone the snow had begun to fall and the temperatures had begun to drop indicating winter was on the way. Our last day as a staff was a breakfast at the Lake Hotel and then we turned in our ID cards and we got our pink slips. This was an eye-opening experience as in 52 years this was the first pink slip I had received.  The pink slip, in reality was just our copy of the HR paper work completing our season at Yellowstone Fishing Bridge RV park.  During the summer we were truly blessed to have this opportunity to live out our dream. Making new friends and experiencing the natural beauty of the greater Yellowstone area.

As we left the park and headed north to Bozeman Mt we had planned in a couple of days to wind down before we did some sightseeing. We met up with my cousin Darcy and her husband Mark for a Mexican dinner. During the time in Bozeman we had 3 days of rain which was much needed in the area along with some mountain snow. At the end of the week we headed out to Alberta Canada. Darcy and Mark had offered for us to park the camper at their house in the side lot while we were in Canada. We had gone and looked at the spot the night after dinner and agreed that would be great. They both said the lot was hard as a rock with a rock base under the grass. The forecast was calling for snow on that Friday so we decided to leave on Thursday afternoon to get ahead of the weather. So we packed up the camper and headed off to Darcy and Mark’s to drop the camper. As I began to back the trailer in at Darcy and Mark’s it became apparent this may not have been such a great idea. As I backed in the ruts began to be cut in the grass. At this point I was at a point of no return and I was thinking, I don’t know where the gravel base is but it must be closer to China than the grass surface.  The further I backed of the road the deeper the ruts got. Then I tried to straighten up the truck so I could unhook from the trailer. As I did the truck tires began to spin it became abundantly clear that 2 inches of rain makes parched ground soft quicker than you think. I got out to lock my 4-wheel hubs and I saw what part of the problem was. The ground was a lush green grassy area but it had the slickest black dirt under the grass. The dirt was slick and reminded me of goose poop. We were able to get unhooked and finally get the truck out without doing to much more damage to the yard. We then headed off to Great Falls Mt where we had planned to spend the night. The drive up I-15 was a unique one as we drove in and out of rock canyons which cradle the Missouri River as it ran alongside the highway. We crossed the Missouri 9 times along the way that afternoon. The Missouri River played a significate role in the discovery and settlement of the west as Lewis and Clark traveled from St. Louis west up the Missouri to survey, map and explore the Louisiana Purchase as charge by President Thomas Jefferson.

After spending the night in Great Falls we headed north toward the Canadian border. The landscape changes in this area from rolling hills to flat farm land and pastures. We arrived at the Sweetgrass port of entry at around 11 am and there were about 15 cars in front of us.  We sat patiently waiting on the line to move forward. As we watched the cars in front of us they all spent a short time talking to the Canadian customs agent and then proceeded on their way into Canada. As we made it to the gate we presented our passports to the agent and waited we answered the couple of standard questions about where you were going and how long we planned to stay in Canada. As the agent checked our passports we waited patiently again. As she opened the window to return our passports she surprised us by saying please pull forward to garage door number 8 for an inspection. As we pulled through the check point a garage door began to open to my left in an inspection building where there were two customs agents patiently waiting on us. As we pulled in and parked we were asked to step from the vehicle and we were again questioned about what we were carrying in the truck and weather we had any weapons or OC spray in the truck. Now being in law enforcement for the past 30 years I have asked the same questions countless times but I also know entering a foreign country these guys were serious about protecting their borders. I responded that we did not have any weapons or OC spray but we were carrying bear spray and that I had regularly transported weapons in the truck at home in case they ran an explosive detection K-9.  They then inquired about what we had in our pockets and searched us. They then asked us to wait in a holding room while they searched the truck. They began to search the truck removing our luggage and running them through an x-ray machine. As we waited Paula asked me if I thought there was a bathroom behind a door at the end of the room. I laughed and said not hardly as that would allow people to dispose of contraband. After about 20 minutes one of the officers came to the door and advised that we were free to go. As we began to back out of the building I joked with Paula and said she must have been the suspicions looking one as last year when I took Ashley her car to Alaska I didn’t get checked and that car was packed.  Then we had another laugh as Paula just realized that we were in a locked detention room and we could not get out until the officer opened the door. Upon realizing this she proclaimed, “that she felt violated” after our detention. We made it to Calgary without further incident.

The next morning, we got up and headed north to the Banff and Jasper National parks in Alberta. This was about a two-hour drive. We spent the day driving in the two Canadian national parks and to the Columbia Ice Fields. The Rockies here just leap from the valley floors and are full of glaciers.  We stopped off at the Lake Louise and the Fairmont Chateau Hotel area on the way back to Banff. This is a five-star hotel built along a glacier feed lake back in the mountains. This is a place that was on Paula’s bucket list to see. Check this one off. We had a nice dinner at St. James Gate Irish pub in Banff. This was a neat place as interior of the pub was built in Ireland and then shipped to Banff and installed and the pub opened. After a short visit we headed back to the good ole USA.

Banff National Park

Columbia Ice Fields

Thankfully it had stopped raining in Bozeman and we were able to pick the camper up without making any more ruts in Darcy and Mark’s yard. We spent a couple of more days in the Bozeman area and had a quick breakfast with Darcy and Mark before heading south to meet Ashley and Tristan in Salt Lake City.

Ashley and Tristan flew into Salt Lake City Utah on Oct 1 and met us at the KOA. We planned a two week excursion through the national parks in southern Utah giving us time to see the area and spend time with Ashley and Tristan. The next morning, we got up early and headed south toward Capital Reef National park. Ashley had rented a car so they headed out ahead of us and secured a tent site for them. We arrived later in the afternoon and set up camp at a campground just outside of the park.

The next day we headed south and to Bryce NP where we spent the day. The drive down to Bryce was through the Grand Staircase National Monument area. This drive is rated as one of the most scenic in America. It surely lived up to its billing. After spending the afternoon in Bryce looking at the Hoo Doos and hiking along the canyon rim we headed back.

Hoo Doos

More Hoo Doos

Happy Campers

The next day we spent driving and hiking in Capital Reef. Ashley, Tristan and I took a hike along a trail that went 900 feet above the canyon floor literally right on the edge. Ashley and I made it about half way up and decided to wait on a landing while Tristian “the mountain goat” continued to the end. These rock formations and views were breathtaking. That afternoon we hiked down the Capital Gorge trail which was a narrow slot canyon which was rumored to be a hide out for western outlaws and even Billy the Kid was supposed to have hid out in the canyon. There were a number of names and dates carved into the rocks the earliest I saw was 1888.

Peak A Boo

Capital Gorge

After covering Capital Reef we moved on to Moab, Utah to Canyonlands and Arches National parks. These two parks were very different to be with in such close proximity.  Canyonlands is a beautiful series of canyons cut by the Colorado River. I would describe it as shallower   and wider than the Grand Canyon vibrant red and green color. We also stopped a Dead Horse State park which gave some wonderful views 2000 feet above the Colorado River.

Canyonlands view from Dead Horse State Park Overlook

Bridge Arch

Arches National Park is appropriately named as there are over 2000 natural made Arches carved in these Red Rocks by wind and water. There are more natural Arches here in one location than anywhere else in the world. It was amazing to see these huge arches standing in the various locations and in so many different shapes and sizes.  Again Tristan, Ashley and I hiked to a couple of the Arches that were lets say not located on the beaten path. 

Windows Arch

Twin Arch

Tunnel Arch

Balance Rock  

We began the second week of our time with Tristan and Ashley by packing up and heading off to Albuquerque New Mexico for the International Balloon Festival. We arrived here on October 7th. We planned to go to the Morning Mass Ascension and car show on the next morning. Now as you may have noticed Paula was not mentioned in our hiking above and that’s because she came down with bronchitis. She had gone to a doctor in Salt Lake and got some medicine but it didn’t seem to be getting better.  So instead of the balloon fest we headed off to a doctor while Ashley and Tristan went to the Balloon Fest. Come to find out she had bronchitis and a touch of pneumonia. So, they gave her a stronger antibiotic and we headed back to the house for rest. Paula and I met up with Gary and Carolyn Cooper for dinner on Monday night. Gary and Carolyn were our neighbors and co-workers this summer in Yellowstone and they are from the eastern Tennessee area. Ashley and Tristan headed south to the Great Sands National Monument while I stayed and cared for the sick in Albuquerque.  Finally, on Wednesday morning we were able to get out and see the Mass Ascension of the balloons. It was a wonderful site  to see the sky filled with balloons of all different sizes and shapes. Albuquerque is such a great place for the festival because the winds here basically form a box so the balloons take off and head south in the wind but when they climb to a higher altitude the wind will carry them back to the north, then if they lower altitude the winds will carry them back to the south where they could land right back where they took off from in perfect conditions. Basically, this forms a box in the air.

Preparing for take off

Mass Ascension

Senior Frog Balloon

After leaving Albuquerque we headed off to Lathorp State Park in Colorado for our last stop on this whirlwind two-week excursion. Once set up at Lathorp we headed off to the Great Sand Dunes national park. This park is a true phenomenon. At the base of the high peaks of the Rocky Mountains is a 30 square mile series of sand dunes tucked neatly up against the mountains. Here nature again is truly amazing, between the wind and the water the sand grains have been moved and sculptured over time to form 750-foot-tall dunes of sand. We hiked out to the base of the dunes which look almost flat from a distance as you approach but are impressive as you stand next to them. There is a mountain creek that runs along the edge of the dunes which actually has waves rippling through it as the water moves down stream through the sandy creek bottom. We also hiked to a slot canyon in a cave with a beautiful water fall cascading through it. Ashley did some bird watching.

View of Rocky Mountains from Lathorp Campground

Sleigh Ride Anyone?

Great Sand Dunes at the base of the Mountains

This was a great two weeks of hiking, exploring and spending time with Ashley and Tristan. Paula, Ashley and I have made an art of doing jammed packed excursions over the years and we were glad to introduce Tristan to a Ruis Family vacation. We were truly blessed to be able to spend this quality time together and to see all the sights along the way. On Friday Morning October 13 we broke camp, after saying our goodbyes Ashley and Tristan headed off to Denver to catch a flight back to Alaska and Paula and I finally made the turn east bound on  I-70. We hit Kansas City on the way back and had some KC BBQ ribs. Then we decided to swing through Nashville as neither one of us had been here before. We did a bus tour of the city including a stop at Ryman Auditorium, Country Music Hall of fame and then a trip to the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman where the Oak Ridge Boys were the featured group. Wow we’re getting old the Oaks are 74 to 79 yrs old and still performing.

Ryman Auditorium

Tonight we go to the new Grand Ole Opry House to see featured artist Jamey Johnson. We will then have experienced the original and the new Opry House.

As we have crossed the Mississippi River headed east we have noticed somethings that we haven’t seen in while humidity, heavy traffic, big cities and ragweed. Things we haven’t missed at all in the west.

By the time this gets published and read by most of you we will be back in the Danville area. After this last month of hopping, skipping and jumping across the country we are looking forward to landing for a while in one place and visiting with family and friends.

Until next time

Ramblin Ruis

Allen and Paula