Wandrin Blog

This building appears to be rising from the rock. Really beautifully done. The building is in Custer State Park and serves as the visitor center on the Wildlife Loop Road. Originally it was built as a rancher's home.







Called the Badger Hole by the builder -- cowboy poet Badger Clark. This structure is also located within Custer State Park. Clark obviously had art in his nature considering the beautiful stone construction and careful selection of local stone for the walls.

Since I have a long time fascination with cowboy poets and their material, this was a great stop. The contents of the cabin are as they were when Badger Clark died in 1957. Today the home and his memory is maintained by Badger Clark Memorial Society




Stone and rock appear to be a theme here. The next stop was the Crazy Horse Memorial. Carving away the mountain to reveal the sculpture of Crazy Horse began in 1948. Almost 60 years later, there still is a lot of work to be done. It may take another 50 years or more to complete the sculpture. There was a lot of mountain removed already and it continues. While shooting photos, I caught a blast as more rock was removed.

How do they get rid of all that rock. They have a large bin where you can select a piece to carry home. Great idea. Nope. I didn't take one. My books provide enough ballast for Wandrin Wagon.

For more, head to my Flickr Photos

This is the view out of my front door facing east. Fantastic site within an RV campground.

I will be at this membership campground for a two week stay. This will be my base for exploring the Black Hills and beyond. When I was here five years ago to become a South Dakota resident, I explored some of the area. Now it is time to explore a little more and -- perhaps visit some of the same places that were visited five years ago. One place to revisit is to see the changes of the mountain sculpture of Chief Crazy Horse.

There must be a cinnamon roll around here someplace.

This remote park is in the panhandle of northwest Nebraska. This US fort was established as an Indian Agency in 1873. Through the rest of that century, the presence of the fort was to maintain peace with the area Indian tribes. In 1919, it developed into a training and breeding center for Army mules and horses. In the early 1940s, the fort was the location for the dog training corps. For a short period of time, a German POW existed during World War II. In 1948, the fort was declared surplus. The State Park was established in 1955.

In addition to camping facilities, lodging is available from single rooms to -- all your relatives in the officer barracks.

Camping includes tent camping, electric only or full hookups. I chose full hook ups so I could get out of the trees to set up the satellite internet dish. It cost $23 a day to stay -- $19 a night for full hook ups plus the daily state park entry fee of $4.

Pioneer City Park has about ten spaces with electrical hookups. Head west of Highway 85 at 15th and the park is at the intersection with West D.

Dump and water available in the park. Donations accepted.

As I was exploring Fort Collins' Old Town district, I wandered by the Fort Collins Museum. Since the yard contained several refurbished cabins from the city and nearby country, I thought there might be some photo shots available.

After photos and reading about the history of the buildings, I headed inside the museum. When I went into the gift shop, I started to talk to the volunteer handling the gift sales. As I chatted with him that voice sounded familiar. I knew that voice from the past. He had the same impression. Soon the introductions were made.

Eric Fellers and I were employed at Samsonite back in the 1970s. That was 40 years ago.

Not me. However, last evening my campground neighbors were sitting around campfires. The air temperature was in the high 70s at the time. So it certainly wasn't for heat. There were no kids. So it wasn't for the kids. These were adults sitting around the fire.

Eventually when it is in the mid 70s, I open my windows to get some fresh air moving through Wandrin Wagon. Occasionally, I heard muffled conversations of the fire watchers.

Sounds great. Until two in the morning. That is when I wake to smoke wafting through the open windows. The embers in those fire pits are just putting out smoke -- no fire. I have no choice. I close the window where the smoke is entering. I would rather have the windows open.

Back to sleep.

I wake in the morning to find numerous migrating moths have taken to resting in the corners of the screens of the open windows. Compressed air blown in their direction forces them on their way and I close the windows.

Ah. It's wonderful to be living outdoors.

RVing road acquaintance Mary Anne came to visit me one afternoon at Boyd Lake State Park. Knowing about my cinnamon roll fetish, she picked up a cinnamon roll at Johnson's Corners.

The roll was put away for the next day while we chatted and caught up on each other's travels.

The cinnamon roll is large enough for a two -- or three -- person snack. Instead it was just me. The balance of flavors and textures was quite good. If it were not so large, it would qualify for inclusion in my first place category.

This Colorado State Park is located just on the edge of Loveland. Take the bike trail from the park to downtown Loveland for coffee or lunch. Or take a detour to the Wal-Mart store visible from the bike path after passing under Eisenhower (Highway 34).

After the parking lot quarters of the Elks Lodge in Westminster, this a pleasant change with large spaces. There are about 150 sites with electricity only. Daily rate is $18. Daily park pass is an additional $6 for total of $24 a day. Weekdays the park is mostly empty until Friday when the boating crowd shows up for the weekend.

With a subtitle "and other lessons learned to late", the author recalls her world travels after her children were born. Looking back Halliday recalls misadventures of her travels in Europe and Asia. Low budget travel provides much of the material and scenery for the book. If her journeys had been any other way, there would be no story to tell. Told with surprising personal candor, it's a very funny read.

Driving the back streets of northwest Denver, I found a cafe advertising pastries. A quick decision was made to search out the selection including any possible cinnamon rolls. Looking in the display case, I couldn't see anything that looked like a cinnamon roll. When I asked, the clerk pointed to the cinnamon rolls. Since it was wrapped in cellophane, I didn't recognize it as a cinnamon roll. That was when I noticed everything was wrapped up -- including the apple turnovers. That was ridiculous. The texture of an apple turnover needs that crispy flaky crust. Wrapping it up was not going to improve the texture.

Were any of these pastries fresh. How many days had they been languishing in the display case in that plastic wrap. After all of that indecision, I passed on the cinnamon roll and the other pastries.

Instead I opted for a chai latte. It is sweet enough to stand in for a pastry. Perhaps it may have been sweeter than a pastry.

Vanity Plates

ALWYSL8 -- Set your alarm!

SWTLIFE -- Yes. It is!

JNSNALI -- On a GMC Denali -- probably belonging to Jen

WNT2FLY -- an SUV stuck in traffic

TXGPSY -- vehicle towed behind RV with Texas plates

GOSKAGO -- loves Jamaican music?

SCARLET -- hoped to see the red head for this car in a parking lot!

BOOKIE -- profession or owns a book store

TRNQLTY -- not likely driving freeways

Others without comment: UBETCHA -- H82LOOZ -- GO HOME -- LVELVIS -- BETUNOT -- MTNWOLF

Other sightings:

Bumper Sticker:
"I THINK. THEREFORE I AM DANGEROUS."

Billboard on I-25 in New Mexico:
"Raton -- Accommodating Travelers Since 1821"
Hopefully, some upgrades have been done.

Sign on stock trailer:
"Sweaters on the Hoof" (Probably Alpacas or Llamas)

Crane truck driven by a woman:
Norma's Crane Service The logo: a baby carrying stork

That got your attention...

A fellow part time RVer living in Arvada joined me for a cinnamon roll at Rheinlander Bakery. It is better than honorable mention, but certainly was not worth a trip back. Perhaps another item from the extensive selection of baked goods would have been a better choice.

Another time I checked the cinnamon roll at the Totally Tasty Bakery. This was more sticky bun than cinnamon roll. All that sugar provided nothing more than a sugar rush.

Driving in the Regis neighborhood there was a coffee shop with a window advertisement for "cinnamon rolls". The rolls were wrapped in cellophane. How old were those things. I like a little crispy outside texture on my rolls. Once wrapped that isn't possible. So I had a cup of tea and left.

With all the competition from the large grocery store inside bakeries, the stand alone bakery is fast disappearing. Those chain grocery store bakeries can do a pretty good job on most pastries, but I have yet to find one that can make a decent cinnamon roll.

The search continues.

My favorite Thai restaurant is the Wild Ginger located on West Littleton Blvd in Littleton. That was where June, Victor and I had lunch one day.

Located in the same shopping center is an Italian Deli. After the Thai lunch, the New York ex-pats June and Victor had to check out the deli. Inside is a gallery of everything Marilyn Monroe. The collection was started as a gift to the owner twenty years ago and the gifts kept coming. The collection of Marilyn Monroe photos and memorabilia now covers the walls throughout this small neighborhood deli.

My Brothers Bar is a favorite Denver stop. No TVs, no ferns, no bottle beer and no big name beers, and a menu on the wall has made this a Denver institution. Shortly after arriving in Denver I met Jane at Brothers. Last week, I met Paul, Bev and Ron. Bev is Paul's beloved. Ron and Paul were co-workers at Hitachi Data Systems -- a long time ago. Employed at IBM, they still work together. The conversation never lacks for entertainment when Ron is around -- and that evening was no different.

I've read many (perhaps all) of Bill Bryson's material. I've always enjoyed the read. This book reads like comedy that should be presented orally. For me, personally, comedic exaggeration works when told on stage at a microphone. In addition to the comedic exaggeration there are the author's personal observations growing up in the fifties/early sixties, but they are the small portion of the book.

I enjoy listening to Garrison Keillor on Prairie Home Companion, but find it hard to read his books for the same reason mentioned above.

What really hurt me was when Bryson referred to Lincoln Logs as being "pointless and dull". He also was not very high on erector sets. Having had both as a kid, I found them to be a favorite toy. Different genetics. As an adult, I remembered fondly that Lincoln Log set. When my children were small, with the use of my wood working tools, I made a Lincoln Log set. There were enough pieces to build several buildings -- or at least one very large building. Perhaps TJ and Vanita didn't enjoy it as much, but at least I had the fun of building it. I wonder if it is in TJ's basement.

Since childhood is fantasy and dreams, perhaps that is what the book is about and I just missed it -- or couldn't go along for a good read.

A few days ago I noted some strange noises coming from the front end of Silver Slug. Turning up the volume on the radio is one way to address the problem. That would have been a bad decision.

Yesterday, Silver Slug was checked into the local Ford "clinic" and intensive care unit. I left Silver Slug in their capable hands and drove away in a rental car. Cars are small -- and scary after driving around in Silver Slug. Later that morning, I received the phone call with the diagnosis. A wheel bearing was the noise. Certainly, that needed remedial action -- kind of like a knee replacement. Fortunately, no therapy was required. At least not for Silver Slug.

Therapy was required for me when I arrived to get Silver Slug. That bearing surgery plus some other elective repairs ran the bill over a $1000. The good part: no longer are there any strange noises coming from Silver Slug's front end.

Last month I had a similar bill for Silver Slug. It's getting like sending an expensive kid to college. Okay. So it isn't that expensive.