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Where to See WILDFLOWERS (especially POPPIES) in Arizona 2023!

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March 2023 — Arizona has received a glorious deluge of rain and snow this winter, and the rivers, streams and lakes are flowing fast and filling up quickly. Yay!

As if in celebration of this divine gift of a long drink for a thirsty land, many parts of the desert are now ablaze in shades of yellow as Arizona’s wild Mexican gold poppies pop their heads out of the ground and point their smiling faces towards the sun.

But where is the best place to see wildflowers — especially poppies! — in Arizona this spring?

Mexican Gold Poppies and California Poppies in Fields of Gold near Phoenix Arizona

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We had a roundabout opportunity to see the poppies when special friends of ours invited us to their winter digs in Apache Junction which is home to Lost Dutchman State Park, a gorgeous spot known for its springtime wildflower display.

The official reason for our visit was to get some troubleshooting help on our Onan 4000 gas generator which has been giving us all kinds of grief since our first night in the trailer last year.

So, what better way to make our sour generator “lemons” into sweet wildflower “lemonade” than to get the machine repaired and upgraded and then go play in the flowers?! (We’ll share the details about the generator, its repair and upgrade in another post).

But first, we had to get there — and on our way we saw the remnants of the recent March blizzard that had buried parts of northern Arizona in several feet of snow!

Winter storm clouds on a northern Arizona road

US-87 north of Strawberry still had plenty of snow on the ground.

As we drove into Apache Junction, the roads were still wet from yet another dose of life-giving rain, and the Superstitions rose up under stormy skies in the distance.

Storm clouds over the Superstition Mountains in Apache Junction Arizona

The Supestition Mountains — where we hoped to see wildflowers — looked impressive and imposing as we approached after a rain storm.

At a stop light in the middle of town, at the intersection of Meridian and Brown, we glanced to the right and our jaws dropped at the sight of a vast field of yellow and orange daisies. We quickly parked and jumped out of the truck to take pics.

What was this place and how did these flowers get here?

It turned out that this huge field is owned by a local farmer who works his land with vintage 1960s tractors and farm equipment. He planted this field of daisies and it attracts visitors from far and wide every spring when the field erupts in vibrant color.

Field of Daisies Apache Junction Arizona

A large back yard in Apache Junction is filled with yellow and orange daisies.

As gorgeous as that field was, we wanted to see true wildflowers. So, as soon as the generator repair was completed, we did a hike in Lost Dutchman State Park. Unfortunately, the famous yellow poppies weren’t blooming where we hiked.

We did find one small collection of poppies, though, and it was lovely. But it wasn’t quite what we had in mind.

Wildflowers Mexican Gold poppies Superstition Mountains

The poppies weren’t in their full glory at Lost Dutchman State Park just yet, but we did find a small patch.

Photographing poppies in Lost Dutchman State Park

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Even so, the Superstitions are glorious, and we got some satisfying pics of chain-link cholla cactus against the rugged mountain backdrop. But we were still in search of desert gold!

Chain link cholla cactus Superstition Mountains Arizona

A chain link cholla cactus in the Superstition Mountains..

Here’s a book about finding and photographing Arizona wildflowers that we just love:

We decided to take a drive on the Bush Highway, one of Central Arizona’s most scenic drives (blog post HERE).

The Bush Highway winds up and down and around the steep, rugged and gorgeous Sonoran Desert terrain, passing by lovely Saguaro Lake on its way.

We turned off at the Butcher Jones Recreation Area where there’s a small beach, and as cold and forbidding as the stormy and snowy mountain passes had been on our way here, this place was teeming with summertime beach activity.

Saguaro Lake Butcher Jones Beach Arizona

Saguaro Lake, a man-made lake on the Salt River, is lined with saguaro cactus!

People in bathing suits were drifting around on stand-up paddle boards and kayaks, and families were gathered around coolers on beach blankets and in camp chairs.

It was Spring Break and everyone was whooping it up!!

Butcher Jones Recreation Area Beach at Saguaro Lake Arizona

The Butcher Jones Recreation Area was hopping with happy spring breakers playing on the water.

But we were still on the hunt for massive blooms of poppies. Down at our feet we saw a beautiful bouquet of flowers poking up out of the gravel and sand.

Natural bouquet of beautiful wildflowers in Arizona

A natural bouquet of wildflowers blooms in the sand.

Another pocket of poppies was in full glory near the shore of the lake.

Mexican gold poppies at Saguaro Lake Butcher Jones Beach

We weren’t the only photographers to grab a pic of these poppies!

All of this was fantastic, and the excitement of the Spring Breakers was contagious, but we still weren’t seeing the poppy photo ops we’d hoped for.

We got back in the truck and drove another few miles north on the Bush Highway.

Suddenly, there it was, all around us, about halfway between the lake and US-87.

Mexican Gold Poppies and California Poppies near Saguaro Lake Arizona

Poppies!

The hillsides on either side of the highway were bursting with color, blanketed in vivid yellow poppies!

Mexican Gold Poppies on the Bush Highway in Arizona-2

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Hillsides covered with Mexican Gold poppies near Saguaro Lake Arizona

The desert comes alive.

On either side of the road as far as the eye could see, drivers had parked their cars on the dirt shoulder and people were getting out for a closer look at the spectacle.

Everyone was grinning, cell phone or camera in hand, and excited exclamations and comments filled the air. We all stared at the magnificent scenery in awe.

“Wow!”
“Incredible!”
“I’ve never seen anything like this!”
“Can you believe it?”

Mexican Gold Poppies and California Poppies near Saguaro Lake Arizona

Even though these poppies aren’t the kind that Dorothy walked through in the Wizard of Oz, I kept thinking of that refrain, “Poppies…poppies…poppies!”

We tip-toed between the flowers and found a dirt wash we could walk and were soon immersed in pretty yellow poppies.

Stop and smell the Mexican Gold poppies and California poppies near Saguaro Lake in Arizona

Stop and smell the flowers!

We’ve only seen vast fields of wildflowers where the flowers go on far into the distance a few times, by the side of I-40 in North Carolina (blog posts HERE), by a forest road near Cody Wyoming (see HERE) and at Cedar Breaks in Utah (HERE).

But this display was the biggest and boldest we’d ever seen. Fields of gold…and popping poppies!

21 721 Mexican Gold poppies and Calfironia poppies near Saguaro Lake Arizona

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Fields of Gold with Mexican Gold poppies and California poppies near Saguaro Lake

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Fields of Mexican gold poppies with Weaver's Needle in Arizona

On the Bush Highway, between US-87 and Saguaro Lake, there is stretch of about a mile or two where the rolling hills are covered in poppies right now.

We thought that these were Arizona poppies. After all, they were blooming in Arizona! But Arizona poppies bloom in July and this was mid-March.

Once we were back in our trailer that evening, we poked around online and discovered that these stunning flowers were Mexican Gold Poppies a subspecies of poppy closely related to the California Poppy (which is California’s state flower!).

Back in 1816, German physician and naturalist Johann Friedrich Eschscholtz (1793 – 1831) discovered the poppy genus in the San Francisco area.

Mexican Gold poppies

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Mexican Gold Poppies on the Bush Highway in Arizona

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Poppies in Arizona

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Poppies love dry desert soil and they bloom profusely when they get a long drink during the wintertime. They are sun worshippers too, opening up in bright sunlight and closing their petals tightly when the skies are overcast or gray (and at dawn and dusk which makes them hard to capture in a photo with a sunrise or sunset!).

Mexican Gold Poppies on Arizona Bush Highway

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On the fringes of the rolling hills of brilliant yellow, we found a few poppies standing side by side with other flowers.

Wildflowers smile up at the sun in Arizona

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And, of course, in other places in the desert, especially along the highways, we found lots of other beautiful wildflowers too.

Wildflower in the Sonoran Desert

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Wildflower in Apache Junction Arizona

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Wildflower in the Superstition Mountains Arizona

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Lupine wildflowers in Arizona

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If you visit the Sonoran Desert between late February and early April, you can catch these delightful flowers brightening up the landscape. These pics were taken just a few days ago on March 17, 2023, so if you are there now, be sure to take a drive to see this extraordinary display.

There are wild horses roaming in the area too, another special treat!

Wild horses and poppies on the Salt River in Arizona

The Wild Horses of the Salt River are a beloved herd.

Pup in the flowers

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More info about these poppies:

Other blog posts featuring wildflowers:

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Dead Horse Ranch State Park + Tuzigoot and Clarkdale

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February 2023 – Back in mid-November we spent the better part of a week at Dead Horse Ranch State Park in central Arizona and used it as a home base to visit Tuzigoot, Clarkdale and the Arizona Copper Museum. We’d known about this state park for many years but this was our first time visiting. What a delightful stay we had!

DEAD HORSE RANCH STATE PARK – LAGOONS and TRAILS

The first thing we noticed after we got our campsite set up was the trio of beautiful lagoons that are the centerpiece of the park.

Rich fall colors at Dead Horse Ranch State Park Arizona

Autumn splendor at Dead Horse Ranch State Park in central Arizona.

The name “Dead Horse Ranch State Park” seems strange, but it has a fun origin.

In the late 1940s the Ireys family of Minnesota was looking for a ranch to buy in the southwest, and they visited several prospective properties. At one of them the kids noticed a dead horse. After two days of driving all over the dirt roads of Arizona ranch hunting, the dad asked the kids which one they liked best. “The one with the dead horse!” was the reply!

The Ireys named their ranch, “Dead Horse Ranch” and they lived and worked on the property until the 1970s. When Arizona acquired the ranch, the Ireys made retaining the name one of the conditions of the sale. Dead Horse Ranch State Park officially opened on June 1, 1977.

The lagoons in Dead Horse State Park Arizona

The lagoons are a highlight at Dead Horse Ranch State Park.

Many people think that the desert regions in Arizona don’t have four seasons. However, that’s not entirely true, despite winters being warmer than elsewhere!

There is a distinct Fall season, complete with brilliant autumn colors, that arrives about a month or two later than the northern states, and Spring brings lots of wildflowers. Summer is, well, a lot like being in an oven!

Trees near the lagoons at Dead Horse State Park Arizona

Under the golden arches.

We found some wonderful hiking trails that meandered under the canopy of trees that grow alongside the Verde River. Buddy loved exploring these trails ahead of us and then dashing back to tell us what he’d found!

Fast dog sprints in the woods

“You wouldn’t believe what’s up there!”

TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENT

As comfortable as we were in our spacious campsite inside Dead Horse Ranch State Park, we ventured beyond the park’s borders a few times too.

Tuzigoot National Monument, a site of ancient Indian ruins that were built by the Sinagua people in between 1050 and 1380 AD, is quite close by.

The ruins consist of a series of rooms defined by stone walls that were built onto a hillside.

Tuzigoot National Monument in Arizona

Tuzigoot National Monument is a 110 room ancient Indian ruin.

It is believed there were 87 first story rooms and 23 second story rooms in this community and that it housed about 225 people. The rooms were terraced and entry and exit from each room was through the roof.

Tuzigoot National Monument in Arizona

Tuzigoot’s rooms are all adjacent. It is thought the residents climbed in and out of each room by a hole in the roof!

A paved path took us to the top of the hill where there were 360 degree panoramic views, and we could look down at the rooms of the ruins below us.

View from top of Tuzigoot National Monument

The hill that Tuzigoot is built on has panoramic views that go on forever.

Heading back down to a lower level, we were able to go inside a room that had been reconstructed with posts and beams to show what it was like when these rooms were occupied and were enclosed with full height walls and ceilings.

Inside Tuzigoot National Monument ancient Indian ruins

A reconstructed room interior.

Mark noticed a mortar and pestle up on a ledge.

Mortar and pestle at Tuzigoot national Monument

This mortar and pestle were originally found at the site.

As with most Indian ruins in Arizona, lots of incredible artifacts have been found in these ruins. A museum on site houses a large collection of pottery that has been carefully pieced back together again. What a treasure trove of handiwork made by the ancients!

Pottery found at Tuzigoot National Monument in Arizona

Pottery found in the Tuzigoot ruins are on display in the museum.

CLARKDALE and COPPER MINING

On another day we took a drive over to the village of Clarkdale. We’d bypassed this town of about 4,200 people dozens of times over the years and never stopped in to see what was there. It is tucked away off the main highway but has a delightful main street and downtown area.

Despite its small size, it is home to one of Arizona’s most famous museums: The Arizona Copper Art Museum which is housed in the old high school building.

Clarkdale High School now the Copper Museum in Clarkdale Arizona

The old Clarkdale High School is now the Arizona Copper Art Musuem.

In years past, Arizona school kids learned about the “5 C’s” that made their state special: Copper, Cattle, Cotton, Citrus and Climate.

The Arizona Copper Art Museum celebrates the first C and is situated in the heart of the old Verde Mining District where the twin mining camps of Jerome and Clarkdale grew up around the United Verde Mine which was owned by William A. Clark.

Bucket of copper ore at the Copper Museum in Clarkdale Arizona

Copper was a huge industry in the Verde Valley at the turn of the last century
as it is elsewhere in Arizona today.

The United Verde Mine and Clarkdale mining camp were just one part of William Clark’s extraordinary holdings. He was a man of vision, energy and drive, and it seems no project was too big or difficult for him to take on.

Besides the copper mine and mining camps he’d built in the Verde Valley, he owned three mines and two banks in Montana, controlled several newspapers in Montana and Utah and owned a sugar plantation in California!

Before he built the United Verde Mine in Jerome, the copper vein there was considered too remote to ever be profitable. However, William Clark managed to make $60 million from his mine! Yet getting the ore out of the ground was just part of the challenge. He also needed to build a railroad to get the ore from the mine in Jerome to the smelter in Clarkdale and from there out to the world. So he built a railroad.

Needing a place to service his trains, he bought a ranch in Nevada and brought in employees to live and work there. That little train maintenance camp and yard is now the city of Las Vegas…in Clark County, Nevada!

And if all that weren’t enough, he then became a US Senator for Montana.

Outside the Copper Museum in Clarkdale Arizona

William Clark was a busy and massively successful man. We kinda like the quieter life!

We had fun roaming around the outside of the museum where we found a large bell, a barrel of monkeys and a huge chess board.

The museum wasn’t open yet, however, so we decided to return to explore the inside of the museum another time.

Barrel of Monkeys at the Arizona Copper Museum in Clarkdale AZ

Who are these guys??

Chess game in Clarkdale Arizona

Buddy ponders his next move.

Clarkdale has a pretty park shaded by several huge trees, and these trees were all in the peak of fall color. Every time the wind blew, a flurry of vibrant yellow leaves would flutter to the ground. A blanket of yellow leaves surrounded the base of each tree.

Autumn color in Clarkdale Arizona

Golden leaves were falling everywhere, leaving a thick blanket of yellow on the ground.

Down one street we discovered Saint Cecilia’s Mission Catholic Church, and we learned later that mass is held here in Latin! If you are visiting the area and want to experience a Latin mass, Saint Cecilia’s is the place to go!

St. Cecilia's Mission in Clarkdale, Arizona

Saint Cecilia’s Mission holds mass in Latin!

Down another street we came across a vintage gas station that is still intact and is a wonderful throwback to earlier times.

Classic historic gas station in Clarkdale Arizona

Clarkdale’s old gas station evokes an earlier era.

An old gas pump served many customers over the years.

Old gas pump at a historic gas station in Clarkdale Arizona

An old gas pump.

A woman came over to chat with us, and we found out she owns a 50% share of this gas station. She told us it was originally built in 1942 and it served gas right up until 2014.

At that time the government gave all gas stations an ultimatum: upgrade the underground tanks or they’ll be removed (for free). The station had been struggling against more modern competition out on the highway, so they opted to have the tanks removed.

Even though gas is no longer sold there, the original gas price sign was still advertising some very appealing prices!

Historic gas prices in Clarkdale Arizona

Old gas prices!

VERDE CANYON RAILROAD

Automobiles weren’t the only way to get around back in the day or even now. The Verde Canyon Railroad takes tourists out along William Clark’s original train tracks that he’d built to transport copper ore from his mine.

The Verde Canyon Railroad is a very popular train excursion that goes through some red rock scenery as it chugs through the Verde Valley, and they have lots of different specialty rides, from starlight rides to chocolate, wine and beer rides to fall color and spring flower rides and a magical ride at Christmas.

Again, we have wanted to do this train ride for a while, but they don’t allow pets, so this particular trip wasn’t the right time.

Verde Canyon Railway in Clarkdale Arizona

The Verde Canyon Railway takes tourists on the tracks that were built to haul copper ore.

VIOLETTE’S BAKERY

But we still got a train ride (of sorts)! In the heart of Clarkdale stands an antique train car that is now home to Violette’s Bakery. Violette specializes in French pastries along with specialty coffees, as well as yummy breakfasts and lunches. We stepped right up to the train car window and put in an order!

Violette's Bakery Cafe in Clarkdale Arizona

Violette’s Bakery is in an antique train car.

Buddy was delighted to order puppaccino. It totally made up for him not being allowed on the Verde Canyon train!

Puppaccino at Violette's Bakery Cafe in Clarkdale Arizona

Buddy orders his favorite treat.

Puppaccino!

Puppaccino!

We really enjoyed our few hours in Clarkdale and will get back another time to see the Copper Art Museum and take the Verde Canyon Railroad ride.

Street lamp in Clarkdale Arizona

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In the meantime, Dead Horse Ranch State Park was calling us back with its its lovely campground and beautiful lagoons wearing their Fall finest.

Dead Horse Ranch State Park Lagoon in Arizona

Fall color at Dead Horse Ranch State Park.

Fall colors at the Lagoon in Dead Horse Ranch State Park Arizona

View from the water’s edge at the lagoon.

RV camping at Dead Horse Ranch State Park Arizona

We enjoyed our stay at Dead Horse Ranch State Park — and we’ll be back!

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More info about this area:

Other blog posts from Central Arizona:

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Catalina State Park & Roosevelt Lake: RV Camping in AZ

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It didn’t take us long after we returned from our summer travels to get the itch to run off in our RV again. So, before the holidays, we packed it up and headed to Catalina State Park in Tucson, Arizona, to do some winter camping, and on the way back we stopped at a longtime favorite, Roosevelt Lake.

Catalina State Park RV Camping + Roosevelt Lake RV Campground

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Catalina State Park is nestled up against the majestic Santa Catalina Mountains and is loaded with beautiful, classic Sonoran Desert scenery. Saguaro cacti stand sentinel throughout the park, watching over the arid landscape with arms held high, and waving to each other on the hillsides.

Golden hour at Catalina State Park Arizona

The Santa Catalina mountains light up at the end of the day.

Catalina State Park Arizona at sunset

A pink blush of sunset settles over Catalina State Park.

The campsites at Catalina State Park are suitable for RVs of any length and have water and electric hookups at each site. This is an extremely popular campground in the cold months, and reservations book up months in advance.

We managed to snag a site in December for 5 nights, and we were very glad we did because the place was booked solid from January through March!

Saguaro cactus slow dance Catalina State Park Arizona

Sweet embrace.

This is a campground we knew and loved from before we began living in an RV full-time. Back in 2006, we took our popup tent trailer there for Thanksgiving, and we fondly remember putting a shallow pan of water at the edge of our campsite under a bush and watching cardinals, roadrunners and a chipmunk stop by for a drink.

One day, as we enjoyed some late afternoon refreshments, Mark put down the jar of shelled peanuts he was munching from, and that brazen little chipmunk came over and helped himself to a few!

That memorable campsite was in a back corner of “A Loop.” This year we got a space in the middle of “B Loop” which was just as lovely but not as conducive to luring animals in for a visit.

All the campsites in Catalina State Park are roomy and have plenty of space between neighbors.

RV camping at Catalina State Park Arizona

Our site in “B Loop” at Catalina State Park.

As soon as we got set up, we hit trails and paths that surround the campground, happily snapping pics here and there.

Saguaro cactus at Catalina State Park Arizona

Wild arms!

Cactus at Catalina State Park Arizona

A barrel cactus listens to a saguaro.

The Santa Catalina mountains tower over the campground and are wonderfully jagged. Buddy was much more interested in what was going at ground level, however.

Photography at Catalina State Park Arizona

“Those mountains are pretty, but what’s back here?”

We went back to that same spot on the trail for more pics late in the afternoon and the mountains were glowing.

Hiking at Catalina State Park Arizona

The afternoon glow was magical.

There are a lot of popular hikes in these mountains, but we decided to head up the less visited 50 Year Trail which starts near the campground. Buddy was our Trail Scout, of course.

Happy dog at the lake

“I’ll show you the way!”

The trail climbs steadily for quite some time, offering wonderful saguaro-filled views of the mountains across the valley.

Saguaro cactus at Catalina State Park Arizona

This saguaro has a great view!

We turned a corner on the trail, and suddenly a saguaro cast a long shadow in front of us and held us up.

Saguaro cactus on the hiking trail Catalina State Park Arizona

“This is a hold up. Put ’em up, Cowboy!”

One morning we woke up to a dusting of snow in the mountains.

Snow in the mountains at Catalina State Park Campground

A thin veil of white blanketed the mountain tops.

Catalina State Park Arizona saguaro cactus in storm clouds

Stormy skies and a touch of snow at Catalina State Park.

At sunset the mountain peaks turned pink.

Catalina State Park Arizona at sunset

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We will definitely take our trailer to Catalina State Park again!

RV campground at Catalina State Park Arizona

Catalina State Park is a great spot for a winter retreat.

On our way home we stopped at Roosevelt Lake, a fabulous recreation area we enjoyed for weeks at a time back when we were full-time RVers.

Roosevelt Lake was formed by a dam on the Salt River that was constructed between 1905 and 1911 (Arizona became a state in 1912). A pretty suspension bridge marks the spot.

Roosevelt Dam Bridge Arizona

The bridge at Roosevelt Dam.

Roosevelt Lake is a big lake, some 12 miles long and 1 to 2 miles wide. The drive alongside it is one of our favorites.

There are several wonderful dry camping campgrounds along the south side of the lake. Cholla Bay and Windy Hill are the two largest, and we always end up at Windy Hill.

Roosevelt Lake Arizona

Roosevelt Lake

Windy Hill Campground has 9 campground loops that offer fantastic first-come first-serve campsites that are either near the water and boat ramp or up on a bluff overlooking the lake from a distance and are very spacious.

Unfortunately, only 3 of the 9 loops are open nowadays. Years ago, we remember times when 5 of the 9 loops were open. But now those additional two loops are open only for overflow camping a few times a year on holiday weekends. We’ve never seen the other 4 loops open.

Great Blue Heron at Windy Hill Campground on Roosevelt Lake in Arizona

A great blue heron fishes for dinner at Roosevelt Lake.


Sadly, whereas Catalina State Park books up months in advance, the campgrounds at Roosevelt Lake stand vacant.

During our stay at Windy Hill Campground, out of 351 total campsites less than 25 were occupied. About 8 or so of those campsites were occupied by work camping volunteers.

All the rest of the campsites were empty.

RV campground at Roosevelt Lake Arizona

The campsites at Windy Hill Campground on Roosevelt Lake are spacious and are equipped with shaded picnic ramadas and campfires rings. There are bathroom buildings with flush toilets and showers, and there are water spigots in every campground loop. All the campsites are lovely!

Up until a few years ago, camping at Roosevelt Lake cost $6 per night and just $3 per night for seniors, an unbelievable bargain. With prices like that, lots of senior winter RVers would spend a few weeks at the lake because it was gorgeous and dirt cheap.

When we arrived this year, we discovered the camping rate had jumped to $50 per night for a “double” site and $25 per night for a “single” site. With the senior 50% discount, it was now $25 or $12.50 per night in “double” and “single” campsites respectively.

Oddly, despite the price differences between “double” and “single” sites, the campsites are generally all the same size as far as an RV and tow vehicle or toad are concerned! The sites are plenty long enough for big RVs and are well spaced out in most of the loops.

However, “double” sites have two picnic tables instead of one and they are usually located in a more desirable spot, for instance at the end of a row of campsites.

Whereas everyone used to camp in the so-called “double” sites in the old days, now no one camps in them because they aren’t worth paying double the price of a single site, especially for working age people who would have to pay $50 a night!

Roosevelt Lake Arizona red rocks at sunset

Red rocks on the far shore light up at dusk.

Fishing on Roosevelt Lake Arizona

Fishermen drifting by at dawn!

It was quite shocking to go from a super popular campground where people book months in advance to an equally beautiful (if not more beautiful) campground where nobody goes and we had our entire campground loop to ourselves.

Ironically, the new rate of $25/night for a dry camping site at Roosevelt Lake–which is 50 miles from the closest city and 100 miles from either Phoenix or Tucson–is now the same as for a campsite with both water and electric hookups in Catalina State Park’s “A Loop” which is just minutes from downtown Tucson.

No wonder Catalina is packed and Roosevelt Lake is vacant! But it’s a shame because Roosevelt Lake is a fantastic place.

Four Peaks at Roosevelt Lake Arizona

Mist and fog swirled around Four Peaks in the early morning hours.

Unfortunately, the US Forest Service, which operates the campgrounds at Roosevelt Lake, has decided that because so few people are camping at Roosevelt Lake these days, they must remove some of the campground loops all together.

That deconstruction is currently underway. Some of the campsites at Windy Hill Campground with the most spectacular lake views are already dismantled: picnic tables gone, campfire rings removed, and gravel camping pads overrun with thigh high weeds. They will soon remove the posts with the campsite numbers on them and, as one volunteer told me, they’re encouraging these entire campground loops to “go wild.”

Windy Hill campsite being removed to go wild at Roosevelt Lake Arizona

Tall weeds, picnic table and campfire ring gone…picnic shade ramada and campsite number post soon to go!
But what a beautiful view this Windy Hill campsite once had!!

Hopefully that trend will not continue. However, a few years ago we watched the Forest Service remove an entire campground on the north side of the lake…

One positive sign is that they are building an RV dump station at Windy Hill Campground, so now you will be able to dump onsite before you leave, a big plus.

Sunrise at Roosevelt Lake Arizona

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Whatever the USFS decides to do in the long run, Roosevelt Lake is a gorgeous place to take your RV and is well worth a visit. The ancient Indian cliff dwellings at Tonto National Monument are right across the street too. As always, we loved our stay.

Roosevelt Lake is also an awesome place for a work camping gig. The volunteers do all kinds of work for the Forest Service besides campground hosting. So, if you don’t want to be a campground host there are other options, and you’ll still get a fabulous campsite in one of the scenic campground loops that is closed to visitors.

If you can work the Grapevine Group Campground a few miles away from Windy Hill Campground, you’ll get a fabulous campsite and have very little work to do since almost no groups ever camp there. I chatted with a very happy volunteer who had been doing just that for a few winters!

There are pretty hiking trails that wind along the edges of the Windy Hill Campground loops, criss-crossing here and there, and Buddy just loved scampering down those trails, his nose following the enticing scents of rabbits and ground squirrels.

As we got ready to go home, I asked him if he’d enjoyed our little winter vacation RV trip. Absolutely — he was ready to go again!

Puppy love

“Did you have fun?”
“Oh, YES!”

We made another pit stop in the mountains as we towed our rolling home back to the homestead. The dusting of snow in Tucson had left a nice thick blanket of snow higher up in the mountains.

Buddy jumped for joy.

Puppy plays in the snow

Buddy loved the snow in the mountains.

And he sprinted across the snow in sheer delight.

Puppy runs in the snow

“Look at me — I’m flying!”

Until next time, happy trails!!

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Here are some links for Catalina State Park and Roosevelt Lake:

Other blog posts from the Roosevelt Lake area:

Blog posts from southeastern Arizona (including Tucson):

Blog posts from central Arizona:


Our most recent posts:

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Where All News is Good News – At the Saguache Crescent in CO

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September 2022 — We were headed home at the end of our fantastic summer RV travels and making our way south through Colorado on US-285, when Mark suddenly glanced over his shoulder as we approached a highway interchange and said, “Wow, that’s a really cool looking main street town over there!”

I couldn’t see what he was talking about from the passenger seat, but before I knew it, he’d looped around and parked the rig on a side street, and we were walking under a canopy of trees in a neighborhood of pretty homes on our way to the town’s quaint main drag!

Saguache Colorado where History Comes Alive at the Saguache Crescent

We didn’t even know what the name of this town was, but we could tell it had an artsy flair when we passed a giant mural of a western tanager sitting at a birdbath on the wall of a house!

Western Tanager bird mural on a house in Saguache, Colorado

What a pretty and unusual mural on the side of this house!

Suddenly Buddy stopped in his tracks and stared up at us. We looked down and saw he was standing next to a tiny, wee, mini house with a little red heart on the door!

Mouse house in Saguache Colorado

“Who lives in this little house?”

Buddy hadn’t noticed that detail but was very interested when Mark pointed it out.

Puppy inspects Mouse House Saguache, Colorado

There’s a little heart on the door!

As we walked along we came across several other mini houses. They were tucked into all kinds of out of the way places. We had no idea what these were or why they were there, but we were delighted when we spotted them here and there.

Mini mouse house Saguache, Colorado

We found several mini houses along the streets of this unique town.

Mini mouse house or bird box Saguache, Colorado

A barnyard!.

When we got to the main drag, which was actually 4th Street, I could see why this street had caught Mark’s attention from the highway. It seemed to sparkle in the sun!

Main street in Saguache, Colorado

The colorful storefronts were appealing.

At the Village Pub we noticed two park benches made from truck tailgates. What a clever idea!

The Dodge Power Wagon tailgate bench had a sticker on it that said, “No bar too far!” The other bench was made from a Chevy pickup tailgate.

Village Pub in Saguache, Colorado

Two park benches outside the Village Pub are made from truck tailgates!

Power Wagon tailgate bench Saguache, Colorado

A Dodge Power Wagon tailgate bench…complete with a sticker that says, “No bar too far!”

We poked our heads in at the 4th Street Diner in hopes of finding some banana nut muffins and a cup of tea. Although the gal behind the counter appeared to be the only person working in this busy shop, she carefully studied all 12 muffins that were on display to tell us which kind each one was while explaining that for some reason they hadn’t been labeled that morning.

Talk about an unhurried pace!

She sat us at the table she usually reserves for the county sheriff and state police because, well, they weren’t there at the moment and we were, and all the other tables were full!

She also said Buddy could definitely join us because, as she told us, in Colorado it is illegal for a shop or restaurant to ask if a dog is a service animal. She could tell by his impeccable manners that he was, of course. Wink wink.

Feeling like honored guests, we savored each bite of our muffins and marveled that we’d accidentally bumped into such an inviting town.

Across the street, the Historic Ute Theater had an unusual suggestion on the marquee. This town definitely had a sense of humor!

Old movie theater Saguache, Colorado

Hmmm…Okay, will do!

Even with so many historic buildings in town, the townspeople here weren’t living in the past. The Cozy Castle CInema was showing movie that had recently been released — “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris!”

Cozy Castle Cinema Saguache, Colorado

An intimate place to watch the latest movie!

Nearby, a small park celebrated the town’s history with informative plaques and photos that explained a bit about its origins.

The town is called “Saguache,” pronounced “Sah-Watch,” and although people once thought the word came from a Ute term for Blue Water, the translation seems to have been refined as “Water at the blue earth.”

The surrounding San Luis Valley was claimed by the Spanish in the 1500s, and centuries later Chief Ouray, the namesake of Ouray, Colorado, enjoyed camping here with his wife. In 1848, a treaty transferred ownership of the land from Mexico to the US, and today a few residents can trace their roots back to ancestors who lived here during those earlier times.

The park has a large photo of a parade on 4th street on Pioneer Day in 1913. I recognized the peaked roof and columns of the bank and got a shot of how it looks today over 100 years later.

Saguache, Colorado, Pioneer Day 1913

Saguache, Colorado, parade on Pioneer Day in 1913.

Saguache, Colorado, Main Street 2022

The peaked roofed bank building with columns out front is still here today.

We heard hammers and saws and construction noises down the street and then noticed that the Saguache Hotel was being renovated. How fun it would be to stay in that historic hotel once the renovation is finished!

Saguache Hotel Saguache, Colorado

The historic Saguache Hotel is getting a face lift.

At the end of the street we found the county courthouse. Even more appealing than the stately building were the many apple trees that had dropped perfectly ripe and unblemished apples all over the ground. They were tiny, just an inch or so in diameter, but they were soooo tasty!

County Courthouse Saguache, Colorado

The County Courthouse is very elegant but the tasty mini apples that had fallen from nearby trees are what kept us hanging around!

Heading into the local grocery store, we saw a box of tiny local pears from a neighbor’s yard that were offered in exchange for a donation. They were delicious too!

Free pears Saguache, Colorado

Mini pears from a neighbor’s garden – Yum!

We walked out the backside of the grocery store down a hallway and found ourselves emerging through the front door of Bread and Botanicals.

Bread and Botanicals Saguache, Colorado

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But it was when we peered in the windows of the Saguache Crescent that we struck gold in this town.

Saguache Crescent Newspaper Building in Saguache, Colorado

What’s in this shop?

It appeared to be some kind of machine shop or a place that sold antique machinery. We weren’t sure if it was open, but Mark tried the door, and it was. So in we went!

Saguache Crescent Newspaper Building in Saguache, Colorado 2

Let’s check this place out!

Our jaws dropped as we took in the wildly cluttered surroundings. I had no idea what I was looking at, but Mark immediately recognized that we were staring at an antique printing operation of some kind.

Linotype Machine from 1937 at Saguache Crescent Saguache, Colorado

What the heck is this?!

A man came out from the back and introduced himself as Dean Coombs. “These are Linotype typesetting machines,” he said, gesturing to the machine behind him labeled “His” and the one to his side labeled “Hers.”

1937 Linotype machine at Saguache Crescent newspaper in Saguache, Colorado

This Linotype machine (dating to 1937) has a small label up top to the right: “His.”

He went on to explain that his grandfather had purchased the Linotype typesetter marked “Hers” in 1915, and it had been used in the production of the weekly Saguache Crescent newspaper ever since.

1915 Linotype typesetting machine Saguache Crescent in Saguache, Colorado

“Hers” — A 1915 vintage Linotype machine and the first one used by the Coombs family to produce the Saguache Crescent newspaper

After his grandfather died in 1935, Dean’s parents took over the business, purchasing the Linotype typesetter marked “His” in 1937. For the next forty years his mom and dad sat at those two machines every day, turning out the weekly newspaper.

When his dad died in 1978, Dean took over the business.

Dean Coombs and 1937 vintage Linotype machine at Saguache Crescent in Saguache, Colorado

Dean Coombs has worked at the Saguache Crescent since he was a boy and has been the Publisher, Editor-in-Chief, Head Typesetter and janitor since 1978!

Dean’s mother continued to work at the “Hers” machine every day, and to this day he relies on both Linotype machines to publish the newspaper each week. They are the only Linotype machines that have been in continual use since they were purchased new all those years ago!

I was overwhelmed by the antiquity of the machines and the decades upon decades of use they had seen.

The way they work is an operator types a line of text at the keyboard (and it’s NOT a QWERTY keyboard!).

1937 Linotype typesetting machine at Saguache Crescent in Saguache, Colorado Not a QWERTY keyboard!

An operator sits at this keyboard and types in one line of type at a time.

Then the individual letters fall down a chute and get lined up to form a line of text. An ingot of molten lead then imprints the line of text, forming a “slug.” Once the slugs are cool, they are arranged to form a column of text, and the columns then form a page of the newspaper.

Individual letters used in a Linotype typesetting machine Saguache, Colorado

Each of these is an individual letter that falls down a chute to be put in line as the operator types.

No one knows how to repair these machines anymore, except for Dean. So, if something jams or fails or breaks, he has to figure out the problem and do the repair himself.

There’s also nowhere to get parts. Dean was so concerned about being able to find spare parts that when an identical 1937 vintage Linotype machine came up for sale in a distant state, he quickly purchased it to be a spare parts hanger queen. It cost him as much to ship the machine as it did to buy it!

1915 Linotype typesetting machine NOT a QWERTY keyboard

The keyboard on these Linotype machines is NOT a QWERTY keyboard!

The magic of turning all those lead slugs containing individual lines of text into a page of a newspaper happens in the back room. Dean has a huge table with clamps on it so he can align the text and keep it all in place. Of course, each line of text reads backwards from right to left. But he has become very adept at reading backwards!

There are two machines used for printing and folding the newspaper pages. One machine makes the inked impressions on pages of newsprint and a second machine folds the pages.

Vintage printing press Saguache Crescent Saguache, Colorado

Out back this machine prints each page of the newspaper.

In the olden days, the newspaper was multiple pages long but nowadays it is all on one sheet of newsprint.

Vintage newspaper folding machine Saguache Crescent Saguache, Colorado

This machine folds the pages into the familiar newspaper format.

I found a website that has some archived editions of the paper (listed in the reference section below), and the stories on those pages are wonderful. Back in 1902 it was routine to report the goings-on of all the residents: who was headed out of town, when, where to and why, and who was coming to town to visit, whom they were visiting, when and why! The degree of faith, trust and comradery jumps off the page.

Dean’s mother was determined that their newspaper would print only good news because she knew everyone was getting plenty of bad and sad news from other sources already.

Local events spring to life on the pages of the Saguache Crescent, and the intimacy of small town life and the nostalgia of a bygone era are palpable.

We stayed and chatted with Dean for nearly two hours. It was fascinating to hear his family history, the history of the newspaper and the history of the Linotype machines. He is the only person in America, and perhaps the world, who still publishes a paper using these antique Linotype machines, yet in their heyday, every newspaper, from major big city daily papers to small town weeklies, relied on Linotypes to get the job done.

What incredibly good fortune that Mark tried the door of the shop and poked his head in! Dean assumed that we’d learned about the paper in one of the major media stories that has been published in the last few years and, like so many others, had come to Saguache specifically to visit the Crescent. But it had just been lucky happenstance that we stopped in this special town and then wandered into his shop.

What we loved most is that usually antique machinery like this can only be seen in a museum and it’s usually in some state of disrepair. A museum curator can describe the antique equipment with passion and affection but their knowledge isn’t first hand. THere’s a tangible distance between “back then” (which neither you nor the museum docent has ever experienced) and “here right now” in our modern times.

In contrast, walking into the Saguache Crescent building was an immersion in the past fully embraced by the present. Rather than staring at a machine that was last run 50 years ago, the machines in front of us were about to go to work in another day or two typesetting this week’s edition of the newspaper! What looks on the surface like a quaint novelty is actually part of a serious media enterprise and has been more than a full-time job for Dean his whole life!

He works seven days a week and constantly feels the pressure of each deadline involved in getting the newspaper printed and delivered on time. All the news stories are brought to him by people in the area, and nearly 400 area residents have paid subscriptions.

Dean has no kids and no plans for the newspaper in the future. But he also has no plans to stop working any time soon! The knowledge and skill necessary to keep the machines running is immense, and no one has stepped up to the plate to learn. The shop is loaded with his family’s memorabilia and awards as well, and it is impossible to imagine anyone else at the helm of this unique family enterprise.

Saguache, Colorado Main Street

What a fabulous stop this was. Who knew, a few hours prior, that we would find such rich discoveries in this small town we’d never heard of before!

We left the shop with our heads spinning. What a special place, both the town and the newspaper.

Of course, visiting Saguache and checking out the Crescent is a “must do” for all travelers. Just go! But if Colorado isn’t on your horizon, we highly recommend you watch the CBS produced video in the reference section below. It captures the spirit of the Saguache Crescent very well — and you can see and hear the machines in action!

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Pomeroy, Washington – An Impromptu Sunday Stroll!

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July 2022 – One of our favorite aspects of traveling by RV is bumping into special places by accident, and we knew we’d found such a treasure when we rolled into Pomeroy, Washington.

It was early on a Sunday morning, and the whole town was at rest and quiet. When we pulled over to park our toy hauler on the side of Main Street (US-12), ours was the only vehicle in town!

Pomeroy Washington RV Trip

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We were on a mission to get through the vast wheat farms that lay ahead of us on our way to celebrate the 4th of July in Othello, Washington, and a stunning black storm cloud looming on the horizon in front of us promised cooler temperatures as we traveled through that hot, dry expanse.

Storm over Pomeroy Washington

A huge storm cloud greeted us as we pulled into Pomeroy, Washington.

We couldn’t resist taking a stroll through this picturesque town before we continued on our way.

Pomeroy Washington RV trip

There was something very inviting about this small town.

Before we arrived in town we’d spotted two enormous 1950s-60s era statues of a cowboy in a tie-die shirt and a blonde in a bright red bikini along with a collection of antique signs surrouding the Dutch Boys Paint building.

What the heck?

We zipped by too fast to get a pic, but we kept a much sharper eye out for unusual sightings after that.

The ornate Garfield County Courthouse appeared on our right as we arrived in town, and it was too beautiful to pass without grabbing a pic. That’s what motivated us to pull over and walk the town.

Garfield County Courthouse Pomeroy Washington

Garfield County Courthouse is ornate and stately.

it’s crazy how some towns are all dressed up and warmly invite visitors to stop by while others aren’t nearly as appealing. Even though there wasn’t a soul in town at this hour on a Sunday, the funky artsy flare of Pomeroy made us feel like a red carpet was being rolled out for us.

Historic Pomeroy Washington

Black clouds and empty streets aside, Pomeroy was really inviting!

The Pioneer Plaza honors the history of Pomeroy and the Lewis and Clark expedition that traveled through the area with informative plaques and statues.

Pioneer Plaza Pomeroy Washington

The Pioneer Plaza tells the history of the town
and the overnight encampment of the Lewis & Clark expedition.

On the night of May 3rd, 1806, the Lewis & Clark expedition camped in a grove of cottonwood trees 100 yards south of the where the Pioneer Plaza stands today, and according to a plaque, they ate “scant rations of dried meat and dog” that night.

Lewis & Clark statues Pomeroy Washington

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Looking back from where we are now, 116 years into the future, it is so easy to romanticize those early explorations. But it must have been both grueling and exhausting. That poor dog!

Happy puppy in Pomeroy Washington

“When we go on traveling expeditions I like to EAT dinner, not BE dinner!”

Another large plaque honors Pomeroy area soldiers who lost their lives in wars. Most war memorials we’ve seen in our travels go back only as far as WWI, but this plaque honors soldiers who died in the Spanish American War that took place in the Phillipines, Guam, Cuba and Puerto Rico in the spring and summer of 1898.

Pomeroy Washington Spanish American war memorial

The Pomeroy war memorial honors the veterans of the Spanish American war!

Back out on Main Street, the architecture was delightful. Even the Senior Center is located in a fabulous building!

Pomeroy Washington Senior Center

The Senior Center. Not bad!!

All the buildings were closed, but as we returned to the rig, we noticed the door to the store right next to our truck was now open. So in we went!

We found ourselves inside the Blue Mountain Artisan Guild, and the curator, Nancy, welcomed us warmly even though the shop wasn’t officially open.

Blue Mountain Artisan Guild Pomeroy Washington

Blue Mountain Artisan Guild.

Inside Blue Mountain Artisan Guild Pomeroy Washington

The Blue Mountain Artisan Guild has lots of interesting treasures.

What a super cool place this was. All the artwork on display was created by local artists and there was a wide variety of beautiful pieces.

Paintings at Blue Mountain Artisans Guild Pomeroy Washington

All the painting and other artwork was created by local artists.

I started chatting with Nancy, and she filled me in on what Pomeroy is like when it isn’t a stormy Sunday morning with no one around. Ordinarily, the sidewalks are full of people and the shops are busy!

She had moved to Pomeroy from Seattle and was loving small town life. There’s a vibrant artsy streak that runs through Pomeroy and she was lucky enough to be in the center of it.

Blue Mountain Artisan Guild

Nancy told me a little bit about the town she loves.

She told me the statues of the tie-die cowboy and the red bikini clad blonde that we’d seen on the way into town were part of a collection owned by resident Dave Webb who has a passion for odd antiques like that.

He has also found dozens of original neon signs in his travels. He gets them working again electrically and hangs them on the buildings all around town.

Sure enough, we found quite a few!

Bait & Tackle Neon Sign Pomeroy Washington

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Neon Ice Cream Sign in Pomeroy Washington

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Neon Sign Pomeroy Washington

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Greyhound Bus Station Neon Sign

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Nancy also told us a bit about Meyer’s Hardware Store, an old fashioned hardware store that has been in the family for generations. Along with hardware items, they sell ice cream and espresso coffee at their Bean Counter.

It was right around that moment, as she described Meyer’s, that I realized we just have to come back to Pomeroy to see the town in full swing and spend some time exploring.

Meyer's Hardware Store Pomeroy Washington

Meyer’s Hardware Store sells hardware and paint — and espresso drinks and ice cream!

I asked her when the best time was to visit, and she suggested the Tumbleweed Festival which takes place in June and is kicked off with the Pioneer Day parade down Main Street. We’d just missed it, but it sounded like it’s a blast with a Wine & Stein event, an art show and a running race.

Flowers in Pomeroy Washington

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We wandered back out onto the sidewalk, and along with nostalgic neon signs we found a display of three antique gas pumps.

Gas pumps in Pomeroy Washington

Gas pumps from the old days.

And around one corner — underneath another noen Greyhound Bus Station sign — we spotted an antique city bus.

Antique city bus & Greyhound bus station Sign Pomeroy Washington

An antique city bus circa 1951.

On the back was a license plate that seemed to indicate it was Public Bus #24 and that it had been active on the city streets in 1951.

Public Bus Washington license plate

“PB” = Public Bus?

The door was open, so we went up the stairs and poked our heads inside.

Gosh, what a rush of memories I had of riding similar city buses as a kid. The ones I was on weren’t quite that old, but not much about them had changed by the time I started riding city buses in the late 1960s!

Antique city bus interiorPomeroy Washington

A very familiar looking bus interior from days gone by!!

Nancy had mentioned that one of the special spots in Pomeroy is the historic Pataha flour mill at the east end of town. Serving as both a museum and a church, visitors can see the old mill equipment and/or take in a community church service too. They also serve meals on a donation basis, and apparently the food is out of this world.

Gosh, now we were really wishing we had time to stay. And looking back now a few months later, I think we probably should have.

But the insane heat was driving us onward, and scooting across the hot plains following the cool, damp breezes of a storm was very appealing. So, we took notes and stored them away for a future visit!

In the meantime, we found ourselves standing next to the Stage Door at the Seeley Opera House. How cool was that?!

Seeley Opera House Stage Door Pomeroy Washington

“Hey, we’re standing right next to the Stage Door…”

The brick opera house was built in 1913 and replaced an older wooden opera house that had been built in the late 1800s. The new opera house saw many decades of use for vaudeville shows, plays, community events and even movies, like “Gone With the Wind” when it came out in 1940. It is now undergoing renovations with plans to reopen soon.

Seeley Opera House Pomeroy Washington

The Seeley Opera House.

At the Artisan Guild, Nancy had told us that there is an artist in town who loves to paint the historic town buildings and the beautiful homes that dot the area. The owners of these old homes love to buy his paintings of their houses.

Even better, he puts together a calendar every year that features twelve of these pretty homes. The calendars sell out in no time as residents and former residents who now live far from Pomeroy snatch them up to reminisce about the beauty of their hometown.

Back on Main Street we came across a farm store with some small tractors on display. This is farming country, after all!

Farm and Home Supply Pomeroy Washington

The neighborhood tractor store.

A nearby sign expressed a wonderful sentiment about farmers.

Farmer Earth Day Pomeroy Washington

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As we made our way back to the rig and got ready for the next leg of our trip, our heads were spinning with images and stories from our brief encounter with the town of Pomeroy and its wonderful impromtu ambassador, Nancy.

RV trip to Pomeroy Washington

What a cool town — we’ve gotta go back!

We will definitely be back someday to check out the Pataha Four Mill, revisit the Blue Mountain Artisan Guild and discover some of the other gems in and around town. Nearby Palouse Falls State Park was highly recommended to us by another traveler we met a few days later. Such a rich area…Next time!!

Welcome to Pomeroy Washington

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Lakes and Light in Wyoming and Colorado

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August 2022 – We finally began to cool off and slow down towards the end of our summer whirlwind travels when we got to Wyoming, and that’s when we began to discover special places we’d never heard of before.

Wyoming and Colorado RV Trip Highlights

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Intense monsoon rains had hit the southwestern states in July, but the places we’d been visiting at the time in Washington and Idaho hadn’t seen a drop of rain. When the storms finally came to Wyoming, however, the skies got wild and the temperatures became more comfortable.

RV with rainbow and stormy sky

The late summer storms in Wyoming were magnificent!

We’d found enchantment in the small town of Encampment, Wyoming, and folks we met there had recommended we take a drive into the Snowy Range to Lake Marie.

What a fantastic recommendation that was!

Shore of Lake Marie Snowy Range Wyoming

Lake Marie in Wyoming’s Snowy Range

Lake Marie Snowy Range Wyoming

Two happy campers by the shore of the Lake Marie.

Puppy at Lake Marie Wyoming

Buddy was in his element.

There is a hiking trail that goes around part of Lake Marie, so we had to check that out!

The pungent smell of evergreen trees was thick in the air. It reminded us of the balsam fir trees in Maine that gave off such a fabulous fragrance that we deliberately drove around in woodsy areas with our noses hanging out the open truck windows! I’m not sure which trees were giving off such a wonderful scent in Wyoming, but we loved it.

Hiking trail near Lake Marie Wyoming

We hiked the trail along the water’s edge.

This was a beautiful spot to get some pretty pics.

Photography at Lake Marie Snowy Range Wyoming

What a great spot for photography!

Still water at Lake Marie Snowy Range Wyoming

The water was perfectly still.

We met some people who have been coming to this lake for a visit every summer for the last 40 years! They had just done the longer hiking trail that goes up into the peaks of the mountains that frame the lake. We weren’t prepared for a big hike, though, so we made a mental note to check that out next time!

Tree + root at Lake Marie Snowy Range Wyoming

A hiking trail goes up that ridge…

Lake Marie Snowy Range Wyoming

…and continues along the crest.

This is Buddy’s favorite kind of place. He ran up and down the trail excitedly and then rested in the shade.

Regal pup

Buddy takes a break between romps.

Across the road there was a beautiful stream with a bridge crossing it.

Stream near Lake Marie Snowy Range Wyoming

We followed a stream down towards a little bridge.

Bridge and clouds Lake Marie Snowy Range Wyoming

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Buddy, the Trail Scout, ran ahead, of course, and then came back to tell us all about it.

Trail near Lake Marie Snowy Range Wyoming

Buddy tells Mark what’s ahead on the trail.

From Southern Wyoming we dropped down into Colorado. We stuck to the roads we hadn’t traveled before and ended up at Green Mountain Reservoir where we spent some time on the gravel beach admiring the mountain views.

Green Mountain Reservoir Colorado

Green Mountain Reservoir in Colorado

Someone had pitched a tent for daytime shade.

Tent at Green Mountain Reservoir Colorado

A couple brought some shade with them to the beach!

The clouds looked promising, so we stuck around to see what kind of light show nature might bring. Sunset was a true winner!

Green Mountain Reservoir Colorado at Sunset

Some clouds began to turn pink.

Pink Sunset Green Mountain Reservoir Colorado

Wow!

Green Mountain Reservoir Colorado at Sunset

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Sunset Green Mountain Reservoir Colorado

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The people with the tent launched their kayak for a sunset cruise.

Kayak at twilight Green Mountain Reservoir Colorado

An evening cruise…

They came back ashore and packed up their tent, and then a gorgeous orange glow settled across the lake.

Green Mountain Reservoir Colorado at Sunset

Fire and water.

It was startling to realize that summer was almost over. It was such a bittersweet feeling. We’d really enjoyed our travels this summer and had fallen right back into the RV lifestyle that we know and love so much. But we were excited to return home too.

Deer in Encampment Wyoming

Summer’s over?!

We met some folks along the way who told us about special places we’d never been before, and they got us excited thinking about future adventures. After a few weeks at home getting unpacked, getting organized and getting resettled, we began to talk about possible destinations for next year.

What fun — we can’t wait!

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Finding Enchantment…in Encampment, Wyoming!

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August 2022 – When we rolled into Encampment, Wyoming, just north of the Colorado border, we’d been driving through miles and miles of wide open land. So, when we passed a sign that said, “Population 452,” we figured we’d stay for a quickie overnight and move on.

Finding Enchantment in Encampment Wyoming! Grand Encampment Museum

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After all, how much is there to do in such a little place?

Moments later, we passed an old fellow whiling away the hours and watching the world go by from a chair in front of a small log cabin with a sign that said, “Visitors Center.” He waved at us as we drove by.

Wow! When does that ever happen?

And then we passed a building with a huge, colorful mural on one end:

Greetings from Wyoming in the town of Encampment

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We were smiling at each other by now and commenting about receiving this surprisingly warm welcome when we spotted some tall, conical metal buildings, one of which was covered with decorations. The town’s High School logo was emblazoned in bright red on one side.

Teepee burner with high school logo at Encampment Wyoming

Home of the Tigers (in flames!)…but what is this building??

On the back of this odd metal building there were a whole bunch of numbers similar to the high school graduation years we’d found painted on rocky hillsides in Arco, Idaho, and Entiat, Washington.

We got out of the truck to take a closer look, and we discovered the numbers were for the years the local high school teams had won their championships. How fun!! Cross-country was blazing…but the football team was still in the hunt for a win.

Yet we still had no idea what the building had been used for.

Encampment Wyoming high school sports championship years on teepee burner

What a clever way to honor the high school sports teams!

As we got back in the truck, we noticed a deer crossing the street in front of us. Our smiles grew wide as we whipped around to catch him on camera.

Buck crosses the street in Encampment Wyoming

The buck stops here…well, over there!

The buck was joining some friends across the street, and we suddenly noticed there was a group of 5 or 6 deer hanging around and sampling the grass!

Young buck crosses the street in Encampment Wyoming

There were bunches of deer!

A young buck peeks out from behind some election signs in Encampment Wyoming

A political stunt?

Young buck in Encampment Wyoming

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Not long after that we saw a small group of pronghorn antelope milling about. This was unbelievable!

Pronghorn antelope in Encampment Wyoming

The pronghorn antelope thought they owned the place too…

Pronghorn antelope at Encampment Wyoming

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As we drove down the main drag, the only paved road in town, we noticed the liquor store was called White Dog Liquors. Now, ya gotta love that — and we realized we were beginning to love this town!

White Dog Liquors Encampment Wyoming

Good name…!

As we cruised down some of the dirt back streets, we discovered someone had a row of antique trailers lined up. Whether they were carefully selected collectibles or just a collection of old cast-offs, we weren’t sure, but there was a fun and funky spirit to this place that was quickly growing on us.

Old travel trailer RV collection in Encampment Wyoming

An interesting collection of travel trailers from long ago!

We decided to head back to the Visitors Center to meet the guy that had waved to us when we pulled into town. He was still sitting out in front of the Visitors Center, and he introduced himself as Cowboy Wadsworth.

A warm welcome from the Encampment Wyoming Visitors Center

We received a warm welcome from Cowboy Wadsworth who volunteers at the Visitors Center.

He regaled us with fascinating tales of the history of the town. Originally called Grand Encampment by fur trappers who settled here, it later became home to “tie-hacks” who logged the surrounding forests into carefully cut railroad ties for the burgeoning railroad industry.

Who knew that making railroad ties was an entire industry unto itself?! But if you consider how many ties were needed to create the vast network of railroads that spread across this country, it must have been a big business in many forests!

Then copper mining took over the area, and a 16 mile long tramway was built to move buckets of copper ore out from the mine. The town grew quickly and became something of a company town, although unlike conventional company towns, deeded lots were sold, giving residents a tangible stake in their community. In no time, 15,000 people called Grand Encampment home.

Around the edges of this bustling town, cattle ranchers and sheep herders soon filled the valley and hillsides with their herds.

Learning the history of Encampment Wyoming

Cowboy gives me the low down on Encampment’s history.

But what about those weird metal conical buildings we’d seen? Cowboy explained that those were “teepee burners” that were used to burn the bark that came off the logs during the railroad tie making process. In the olden days there was no use for the bark — fancy landscaping hadn’t taken off yet — so it was burned.

“Go to the Grand Encampment Museum,” Cowboy urged us. “You’ll learn even more about this town over there!”

Now, we’re not really big on museums, in part because they aren’t typically dog friendly. But we wandered over in the direction he was pointing to see what was we’d see.

This way to the Grand Encampment Museum in Wyoming

“Can I go to the museum too?”

First, we noticed a replica of a stagecoach.

My, oh my. It is startling to see just how small those things were inside. I can’t imagine traveling for any length of time over rutted and dusty dirt trails, wearing a long skirt and hat and squeezed into tight quarters alongside my hubby and nose to nose with people I’d probably just met.

The people who lived in the west in the late 1800s and the turn of the last century were not only outdoorsy and rugged but were very determined!

Grand Encampment Museum Stage Coach replica in Wyoming

Pretty as it is, this would be a rough ride!

Then we rounded the bend, and before us stood the buildings of Grand Encampment, Wyoming, just as they were back in those days.

Wow!

Grand Encampment Museum in Encampment Wyoming

Grand Encampment Museum – Gem of Wyoming!

This isn’t just a “go inside a building and see historic relics and read signs” kind of museum. This is a fully reconstructed town that has been lovingly preserved with family memorabilia from the locals. It is an outdoor museum with a few special indoor spots, and dogs are allowed in the outdoor parts.

What’s astonishing is that the population of the town that hosts this museum is just 452. The streets of modern day Encampment are still all dirt roads. The neighboring town of Riverside located a few hundred yards down the one paved road has a population of 66 people. And there is nothing else around for 18 miles except wide open land.

Talk about a strong community spirit — what an achievement to create this fabulous museum!

It turns out that back in the 1960s two women who loved the town decided the old buildings and relics of Encampment’s earliest inhabitants deserved to be preserved for generations to come.

They set about raising the funds and raising the interest among their friends and neighbors that was necessary to set aside a large parcel of land right in town and move the town’s oldest buildings from where they originally stood to where they now stand on the museum grounds.

Buildings from downtown Encampment at Grand Encampment Museum in Wyoming

These two stores were owned and operated by Encampment residents at the turn of the last century.

The main museum building was erected in 1969, but all the other homes, cabins and stores on site (except the very large Livery building) were moved from elsewhere in the area. There is even an old US Forest Service ranger station log cabin that is painted in the familiar US Forest Service brown. It sports a very cool door knocker.

US Forest Service Door Knocker

What a cool door knocker!

We were enchanted!

Not all the buildings were open, but we peeked in all the windows, and each room of each building had been set up as it would have been back in the day using artifacts that had been carefully stored and passed down through the generations by local families.

Inside a cabin at Grand Encampment Museum in Encampment Wyoming

There are many buildings, and each one has been lovingly set up inside with antiques donated by locals.

Back in the early 1900s, an enterprising merchant opened a mercantile store along with some other businesses. The house he built in 1908 to persuade his wife to stay in Encampment rather than return to Denver is just charming. It is a simple house with small rooms by today’s standards, but it boasted all the modern conveniences of that time, including electricity, heat (via steam piped in from his store), running water and indoor plumbing!

It remained in the family from 1908 until it was donated to the museum in 1996.

Historic buildings at Grand Encampment Museum, Encampment Wyoming

The building on the right was built in 1908 to persuade the mercantile owner’s wife to stay in town!

One building at the museum used to be a stagecoach stop, and the front room is set up the way a boarding room for travelers would have been. Imagine riding in a stagecoach for hours and hours, seeing a lonely cabin in a vast prairie, and being told, “This is where you’ll spend the night!”

In a way, that little cabin must have been so cozy and inviting and such a relief. And yet it must have also seemed so isolated, remote and perhaps even a bit forlorn at the same time!

Out in a field we found a bunch of old farming equipment, and Mark was floored that the tractor had a crank start!

An old tractor at Grand Encampment Museum in Encampment Wyoming

It’s got a crank!

Our greeter at the Visitors Center, Cowboy, told us winter temperatures in this area have hit 75 below zero. Chatting with the Chief of Police a few days later (no, we weren’t hauled in, and yes, it’s super easy to meet people in this town and talk to them for a few hours!), we discovered he’d seen temperatures around 40 below zero. The town clerk we chatted with who’d lived in town for just a few years said she’d seen temps in the negative 30s.

Wow, that is COLD!

The snow piles up in this area too. It’s not uncommon to see 10 or more feet of snow in the dead of winter.

So, back in the day, a ground level outhouse just didn’t do the trick in the wintertime. Grand Encampment Museum has a replica of a two story outhouse on display. Once the lower level got completely snowed in and couldn’t be used any more, the second level became “ground level” and they simply used that level of the outhouse instead!

However, no one explained to us how things worked out drainage-wise when the snow melted in the springtime…!

Double outhouse at Grand Encampment Museum in Encampment Wyoming

A two story outhouse so you can still use the loo when the snow is 13′ deep!

Inside the immense Livery building we found all kinds of vehicles from days gone by. There was a covered wagon, a basque sheep herder’s wagon, and early motor cars.

There was also a one horse open sleigh adorned with Jingle Bells!!

One horse open sleigh at Grand Encampment Museum in Encampment Wyoming

What we all sing about at Christmas!

A horse drawn hearse was on display, reminiscent of the funeral procession and the horse drawn hearse we’d seen in Utah earlier this year (blog post here).

Horse drawn hearse in Grand Encampment Museum Livery building

A horse drawn hearse.

One resident of Encampment kept all of his license plates through the years. It was fascinating to see that the year wasn’t imprinted on license plates prior to 1918, and the familiar Wyoming logo of the bucking bronco first appeared on the license plate in 1936.

Wyoming license plates through history at Grand Encampment Museum in Encampment Wyoming

Wyoming license plates dating back to 1915.

There were all kinds of other intriguing things from beautiful and intricately hand sewn clothing to fascinating antique photos. The photo of a group of women lined up to ski was a hoot!

Skiing in a long dress…with a single ski pole!

Back outside on the Grand Encampment Museum grounds we found a replica of the copper ore tramway. The buckets and all the gear were original but the scaffoldings had been recreated. The original tram went for 16 miles and each scaffolding was a different height because the terrain was hilly!

We first saw an ore tramway like this in Pioche, Nevada, where the original tramway and buckets still stand, frozen in time (blog post here).

Copper ore bucket on tramway display at Grand Encampment Museum in Encampment Wyoming

A copper ore bucket on what was once a 16 mile long tramway!

We went behind some buildings and were surprised to come across two large open boats. These were tie-drive boats that were used to float the newly cut railroad ties from Encampment downriver.

Tie-drive boat at Grand Encampment Museum in Encampment Wyoming

Tie-drive boats were used to push the specially cut railroad ties downstream.

The size, scale and scope of the railroad industry in the late 1800s has never hit us as hard as when we stood in Bovill, Idaho, two months ago and stared at the remains of a railroad crossing (blog post here).

Touching the immense, rusted railroad spikes and imagining what it took to nail millions of them into the thick wooden ties (with the rails precisely spaced so the train wheels would track properly) all across the country suddenly brought the whole creation of the railroad system to life for us. We sang “I’ve been working on the railroad” for a few days after that!

A photo in Grand Encampment Museum shows one of these tie-drive boats with two tie-hacks in action guiding the boat and the newly hewn ties down the river.

Historic photo of tie hacks using tie-drive boat to push railroad ties down river in Encampment Wyoming

In action…

Encampment (and neighboring Riverside) had lots of other things to offer besides the museum. We shopped at the thrift store that’s open two days a week and we had a fabulous lunch at the Bear Trap Cafe in neighboring Riverside.

While we were savoring our meal, we noticed Cowboy Wadsworth coming into the restaurant. He was all dressed up in a freshly pressed cowboy shirt, kerchief around his neck and a cowboy hat, big belt buckle and cowboy boots.

Lots of other people began to arrive, and they were all dressed up as well.

It turned out Cowboy had just turned 95 and all his friends in town were celebrating his birthday with him in style at the Bear Trap Cafe! How cool is that?!

If your RV travels take you to southern Wyoming some day, we hope you too will find enchantment in Encampment!

Deer and dog in Encampment Wyoming

Buddy stalks the deer…and they teased him until the last second when they bounded away effortlessly.

Deer in Encampment Wyoming

Encampment is a very special place!

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Brooks Lake, Split Rock, Adventure Travelers + Wyoming Highlights!

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August 2022 – There are several routes in and out of Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park, and this year we exited on the eastern side of the Park on a road we’ve never taken before: US-287. This goes up and over a mountain pass and swings by beautiful Brooks Lake.

Brooks Lake Wyoming

Brooks Lake, Wyoming

Brooks Lake Wyoming 2

Mountains and cliffs surround pretty Brooks Lake

Brooks Lake is a very scenic spot, and it was a great place to wander around with a camera! Long ago, one of our readers had recommended that we visit Brooks Lake, and we are so glad we were finally able to take him up on his recommendation. It’s lovely!

Boat at Brooks Lake Wyoming

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Truck at Brooks Lake Campground Wyoming

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There are two USFS dry camping campgrounds in the area, Brooks Lake Campground and Pinnacles Campground. Each one is very nice and can fit small to medium sized rigs fairly easily. Unfortunately, there’s a five mile long dirt road to get there. But if you’re up for some back country driving, it’s a wonderful spot.

Truck Camper at Brooks Lake Campground in Wyoming

A truck camper in Brooks Lake Campground

Pinnacles at Brooks Lake Wyoming

The sun and clouds came in waves across the pinnacles.

Brooks Lake, like many lakes in the western states, has a tendency to get toxic blue-green algae blooms in late summer when the temperatures rise, and this algae is lethal to dogs. There were Forest Service signs everywhere warning people not to eat the fish they caught too. But it is a gorgeous spot nonetheless. In springtime the algae wouldn’t be a problem — and there would be snow on the peaks!

Fishing at Brooks Lake Wyoming

Fishing is popular here, but toxic algae blooms in late summer are something to watch out for.

Creek at Brooks Lake Wyoming

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30 miles south of Brooks Lake, a few miles south of the town of Dubois (more about that town in a later post), we came across a fabulous petroglyph. This one is really intricate. It has three fingers and three toes on each hand/foot, and it has a tail. There’s lots of detail on its skin or clothing. I’m not sure if this was a doodle gone wild, or if it has some hidden meaning or if, perhaps, the artist drank some toxic blue-green algae water and had a crazy vision… But whatever it is, it’s cool!

Petroglyph in Wyoming

An elaborate petroglyph pecked into the rocks a few miles south of the town of Dubois.

175 miles southeast of Brooks Lake, also on Wyoming’s US-287 highway, we found another wonderful spot for photography: Split Rock Overlook. It’s just a pullout on the highway with bathrooms and picnic tables, but we loved it. This place was super dog friendly and Buddy had all kinds of fun there.

Split Rock Overlook in Wyoming

Buddy checks out the Split Rock Overlook.

The boulders were a blast to jump around on and were reminiscent of the Redstone Rest Area in Nevada. Kids would love playing on these rocks and they sure brought out the kid in all of us!

Dog playing at Split Rock Overlook in Wyoming

“This is my kind of place!!”

Dog poses at Split Rock Overlook in Wyoming

Buddy takes a breather from running and jumping all over the boulders.

Happy dog at Split Rock Wyoming

In the spotlight.

We had stopped just to get a bite to eat, but we ended up spending the better part of a day there!

Happy Camper at Split Rock Wyoming

The boulders at Split Rock Overlook are just plain fun!

Photographer at Split Rock Overlook Wyoming

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Boulders at Split Rock Wyoming

Cool rocks.

Buddy loves all of our adventures, whether it’s hiking or taking photos. He takes his job as Trail Scout very seriously and always runs in front of us on the trail to scope out what’s ahead.

Fortunately, he waits for us or runs back to check on us if we’re lagging too far behind, and if there’s a fork in the trail, he waits for us to decide which way to go.

Sometimes he runs a little ways down one leg of the fork or the other and then stands there expectantly, letting us know his recommendation for our route. But he always leaves the final decision up to us.

Dog on the hiking trail

“Are you coming?”

He also knows the tell-tale sounds and signs when we get our camera gear out to go take photos. He gets super excited and leaps down off of wherever he’s perched to sit by the door until we’ve got all our gear loaded up and are ready to go out.

Once we’re out taking photos, he goes back and forth between us, checking on how we’re doing, checking how the photos are turning out, and generally keeping an eye on our whereabouts as we move around.

Sunrise photography with a dog

Buddy watches me for a moment before running back to check on Mark.

Several places where we camped in this part of Wyoming were near the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, the longest off-pavement route in the world, and we watched a steady stream of die-hard long distance mountain bikers making their way down this trail.

The trail starts in Jasper, up in Alberta, Canada, it ends at the US/Mexico border in New Mexico, and it takes a full summer for most cyclists to complete. Most of the cyclists we met had started in Jasper or Banff in late May or early June and were headed all the way to the border. Many were European. We met them on the trail, at our campsites and at the various grocery stores and post offices in the small towns that were near their route.

We chatted with Jenny and Romain from Switzerland for a while one day and were impressed with their bikes, their gear and their nonchalant attitude towards the full day of high altitude climbing that lay ahead of them.

They’d taken a year off to do some traveling as Covid waned, and they’d already camped all around Portugal and Spain for several months before they hauled their bikes to the American West to do the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route.

They’re keeping a blog of their American adventures at this link.

Jenny’s native tongue is German and Romain’s is French, so they alternate the two languages with each other, speaking German together for three days and then switching to French for the next three! How cool is that?! Of course, their English was excellent too…

Continental Divide Mountain Bike Trail cycilsts

Long distance mountain bike adventurers Jenny and Romain.

We also met several hikers walking this same trail, and a few were doing the full distance as well. One hiker was on his fourth pair of hiking shoes so far and the other was on his third.

We are always amazed by long distance hikers and walkers and have now met quite a few people who have hiked the Appalachian Trail or Pacific Crest Trail or simply walked across the entire United States from coast to coast (one gal we met had done it twice!).

One time we met a Lady Long Rider who was riding her horse (and towing a second horse to carry her gear) on a long distance adventure (more about her adventures at this link).

Bikers on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route in Wyoming

So long!!

While grabbing lunch at Split Rock Overlook, we met a solo road cyclist who was riding his bike, a Boundary GRX 810 from OBED, from New York to California. That is not the typical direction, since the prevailing wind goes from west to east, but he was having a ball and was very fit. He hailed from England, and his 3-month visa had run out mid-ride in late July. So he flew home, visited family and friends for a week, renewed his visa and returned to finish riding his bike across America. His favorite places so far had been Niagara Falls and Badlands National Park in South Dakota.

The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route is open to motorized vehicles as well as non-motorized, and our new Swiss friends said they had seen lots of side-by-sides like our Polaris RZR. At another campsite we met up with a pair of long distance dirt bike riders who were doing a cross-Wyoming dirt bike ride on a new Backcountry Discovery Route that had just opened up.

Dirt bike adventure travelers in Wyoming

Off to ride the new Backcountry Discovery Route in Wyoming

Sometimes it’s these little discoveries — the backwoods lakes and campgrounds and unique highway rest areas and unusual fellow travelers we meet — are the most memorable highlights of our travels. The big name places like Sun Valley and Grand Teton National Park are stunning but the lesser known places can be just as fulfilling to visit.

Dusk at Split Rock Overlook Wyoming

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Sunset at Split Rock Overlook Wyoming

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Wyoming sunset

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Moon at sunset at Split Rock Overlook Wyoming

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RV under Milky Way in Wyoming

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Grand Teton National Park – An American Treasure!

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August 2022 – Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming is one of our favorite National Parks because of its absolutely breathtaking mountain views. Since we’d been camping in Sun Valley, Idaho, we were more or less in the neighborhood, so we couldn’t resist stopping by the Tetons once again!

We’d gone to Sun Valley in an effort to escape the summer heat, but temps had been hitting the low 90s every afternoon and there wasn’t even a hint of rain. In contrast, the Tetons had been getting wonderful summer afternoon thunderstorms, so we hightailed it over there with hopes for spectacular vistas and cooler air. We got both!

Oxbow Bend Overlook Grand Teton National Park Wyoming Snake River

A full moon sets right before sunrise at Oxbow Bend in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Grand Teton National Park and the greater Jackson Hole Valley area are located just below Yellowstone National Park, and they encompass a long skinny region that extends for about 50 miles from the north entrance of the Park to Teton Village in the south. Both the highway on the eastern edge of the Park (US-26) and the Teton Park Road, which runs parallel to the highway down the middle of the Park, have numerous named pullouts and overlooks where you can stop for a while to take in the extraordinary scenery.

The Snake River Overlook was made famous by Ansel Adams when he parked his station wagon in that spot in 1942, set up his tripod on the roof of his car, and took a photo of a bend in the Snake River backed by the mountains, an image that he called “The Tetons and the Snake River.” His photo sold for $988,000 in 2020! (Mark says he’d take half as much for any of his, and they’re in color!).

Unfortunately, the National Park Service has allowed lots of tall trees to grow to great heights at that overlook, totally obscuring the view that Ansel Adams captured. However, a similar view can be found nearby at the Oxbow Bend Overlook, and this pullout is a favorite among Park visitors today.

Oxbow Bend Overlook in Grand Teton National Park Wyoming

Day dawns at the Oxbow Bend overlook.

Grand Teton National Park is beloved by photographers, and as we drove to different stunning overlooks before dawn each morning in hopes of catching a glorious sunrise, we saw lots of headlights zooming here and there on the roads. We also had plenty of company as we stood shivering near other crazy photography buffs that had climbed out of their warm beds in the dark so they could stand outside in the cold and wait for the sun to do its magic.

900 Grand Teton National Park Wyoming sunrise

Crazy photographers climb out of their warm beds and drive all over Grand Teton National Park to catch the mountains waking up!

Bobtail Ponds Grand Teton National Park Wyoming 2

The pink hue slowly creeps down from the mountain peaks at Bobtail Ponds overlook.

Teton Point sunrise Grand Teton National Park Wyoming pink mountain peaks

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Schwabacker Landing is a popular gathering place for photographers before dawn because it offers not only a majestic view of the mountains as their tips turn pink, but a glimpse of their reflections in the glassy water below.

Schwabacker Landing Grand Teton National Park Wyoming

Schwabacker Landing is twice as much (mirrored) fun as all the other overlooks!

After sunrise, the sun and clouds played shadow games along the face of the mountains, creating wonderful stripes.

Schwabacker Landing Grand Teton National Park Wyoming Sun and Shadow

Sun and shadow games at Schwabacker Landing.

This is a great spot to take selfies, and we saw a young couple taking photos of themselves in romantic poses before the exquisite mountain backdrop.

Lovers at Schwabacker Landing Grand Teton National Park Wyoming

Romance in the Tetons!

We couldn’t resist getting some selfies ourselves during our stay either, and we found some fun spots to say “cheese” and memorialize our visit.

Happy Campers Schwabacker Landing Grand Teton National Park Wyoming

Trying to look our best at 6:30 in the morning!

Happy Campers at Grand Teton National Park Wyoming

Everyone gets Christmas card photos at these overlooks…what a perfect spot for it!

Grand Teton National Park is very spread out, and lots of people wander from one overlook to another all day long, enjoying a picnic lunch by the side of the road here and a late afternoon snack in a pullout over there. Most overlooks have parking spaces large enough for a few RVs to pull in along with the cars.

We met a German family enjoying a breakfast of meats and cheeses next to their rental RV. Suddenly, the son ran inside and hung out the RV window giving a thumbs up with a huge grin while the dad took a photo of him and the RV in front of the spectacular mountains.

On another morning, as we returned to our truck from where we’d been taking photos, we could swear we smelled a yummy egg breakfast cooking. Sure enough, a young couple had set up a camp stove kitchen on the trunk of their Honda, and they were making a tasty breakfast right there in the parking lot!

Breakfast cooking on the back of a car atGrand Teton National Park Wyoming

We smelled breakfast cooking on the trunk of this car long before we saw it!

Every pre-dawn outing was an adventure, but one adventure went slightly awry…

At the Cunningham Cabin historical site, Mark chose a spot with a great view of the very simple log cabin that had been owned by the homesteading rancher J. Pierce Cunningham in the 1880s while I looked for a spot that would incorporate the wonderful log fence with the mountains rising out of the morning mist.

Unsatisfied with my first composition near where Mark was standing, I decided to take the narrow dirt trail along the fence line a little further. Gawking at the mountains and carrying my tripod over my shoulder, camera attached, my foot suddenly sank into water up to my knees! I toppled over and crashed to the ground, camera first.

In shock, I realized my favorite “go to” lens, the Nikon 28-300, was now broken. It could no longer zoom in and out, and it was covered in mud.

Wiping myself off as best I could, tears stinging my eyes, I gathered my shattered wits together and noticed that the entire field alongside the trail I’d been following was full of irrigation ditches that were about a foot wide and knee deep, and they criss-crossed the trail every few yards.

Fortunately, Mark was happily shooting away, far from shouting distance, so his morning was still intact! After feeling very sorry for myself for a few minutes, I remembered that I’d brought another lens, the Nikon 18-35. Luckily, it was wrapped in a clean microfiber towel, so I was able to wipe down my muddy camera and replace the big broken lens with the smaller wide angle lens.

Throughout all this, the sky was silently turning pink in the distance. With a tear or two still staining my cheek, I reminded myself that even if I couldn’t get the variety of close-in and faraway images I’d wanted, I was still here in this incredible spot witnessing the magnificent awakening of the mountains. Muddy pants, broken lens and all, I was fortunate to be here, and this was a moment to remember for its beauty as much as for my mishap!

Sunrise at Grand Teton National Park Wyoming

I thought the beautiful pink show would go on without me but a second lens in my bag let me participate!

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As a side note, a young newlywed couple in our extended family nearly lost their lives in a horrific house fire three weeks ago. I thought of them as I stood there. No amount of mud or broken gear could have taken away my gratitude for the blessing of witnessing this sunrise in this sensational setting.

The young woman has been fighting for her life in an induced coma since her husband courageously carried her unconscious body out of the house through the flames. She was just awoken the other day and she managed a smile. She will be in the ICU for another 6 or 7 weeks undergoing many skin graft surgeries. They lost everything in the fire, including their pets.

I know how much it meant to us when readers of this blog reached out to help us after Buddy’s extraordinary ordeal. This young couple has set up a GoFundMe to cover medical bills that aren’t covered by insurance and to try to piece their lives back together again.

* * * * *

Dirty Little Orphan Annie finally came up off the muddy trail to where Mark was standing by the cabin. He was still nice and clean and dry

“Oh my, what happened to you?!” He asked as he rubbed a muddy smudge off my cheek and stared at my sodden shoes.

What could I say? My bedraggled looks were worth more than a thousand words. And so it goes in the wild world of outdoor photography!

Before dawn in the mountains

This was the pre-sunrise composition I didn’t like… But it probably would have been the better choice once the sky lit up and definitely would have saved me a bunch of dirty clothes and a beloved lens!

A while later, our friend and phenomenal wildlife photographer Steve Perry consoled me with stories of dunking his Sony A1 camera in the ocean while photographing baby turtles and dropping his Nikon 300 f/2.8 lens on the pavement at the airport. If you haven’t seen Steve’s channel or read his books or read his web page, they are all truly outstanding and inspiring. He has all the secrets! His latest video enumerates the skills, talents and techniques that the best photographers share.

It’s funny that I don’t recall him mentioning anything about accidents!!

Cunningham Cabin Grand Teton National Park Wyoming3

This tiny “double” cabin is the first building Mr. Cunningham erected on his 160 acres of Homestead land and is what Mark was busy photographing while I stumbled around in the irrigation ditches.

A while later we got another pic of a historic building when we stopped by the old barns and cabins that make up Mormon Row, yet another treasured spot for visitors to Grand Teton National Park.

Mormon Row Barn at Grand Teton National Park Wyoming

The barns and cabins on Mormon Row make classic pics!

One of the most astonishing things about Grand Teton National Park is the dramatic juxtaposition of the towering mountains and the many ponds, lakes and streams that dot the landscape. In a way, this National Park is as much a place of waterways as it is a place of mountains. Boating is a surprisingly popular activity and there are mooring fields and a marina available for people to keep their boats on Jackson Lake!

Jackscon Lake Grand Teton National Park Wyoming boats

Ponds, lakes and rivers are a huge part of Grand Teton National Park, and boating is a popular activity!

Powerboat on Jackson Lake Grand Teton National Park Wyoming

Not a bad spot for an outing on the water!

Boats on Jackson Lake at Grand Teton National Park Wyoming

There were lots of boats waiting to be taken out.

There are a few places where you can swim, or at least enjoy a pebbly beach setting, and we found one of these on Jackson Lake one morning. The lake was perfectly still and puffy clouds made a pretty pattern in the sky.

Jackson Lake mirror reflections Grand Teton National Park Wyoming

What a beautiful little rocky beach!

When I got to the water’s edge, I noticed that the rounded beach stones were submerged just below the surface of the water, and the glassy water was bringing out their vibrant colors.

Submerged rocks Jackson Lake Grand Teton National Park Wyoming

The vivid colors of the beach stones came to life under the placid water.

Mark threw a large stone in the water, and we watched the ripples fan out across the lake.

Ripples at Jackson Lake Grand Teton National Park Wyoming

Making waves.

A group of people came down to the water with a slew of kayaks, and it appeared they were getting a lesson on how to paddle around. In no time they were all on the water in their kayaks and then, after paddling off across the lake, they landed on a distant shore. What a thrilling way to immerse yourself in the Tetons!

Kayak at Jackson Lake Grand Teton National Park Wyoming

A group of people got a lesson in kayaking while we were there!

A power boat suddenly appeared, zooming across the lake at top speed, and we noticed there was someone water skiing behind it. What a blast!

Waterskier at Jackson Lake Grand Teton National Park Wyoming

What a place to waterski!!

Glancing at the map one evening, we noticed there was a mountain summit you could reach by car, so the next day up we went. It is called Signal Mountain, although it’s not named for the huge cell tower that blasts a powerful signal at the top!

Wifi tower at Signal Mountain Grand Teton National Park Wyoming

Cell tower at Signal Mountain

Signal Mountain was actually the site where a special smoke signal was sent out long ago by a search-and-rescue person to notify his team that he’d found the body of a man who’d fallen into the Snake River.

The view at the summit goes out across a valley, but the view just before the top looks back at the mountains across various inlets of Jackson Lake.

View from Signal Mountain Summit Grand Teton National Park Wyoming

View from just below the summit at Signal Mountain.

There are a million things to do in the Tetons, and one the best is cycling.

The paved bike path which had been only partially completed when we last visited now runs for miles and miles all through the Park, down to the town of Jackson and over the mountains from there to the town of Victor. Some of it is a rails-to-trails route and some has been purpose-built as a walking/biking trail. All of it is an outstanding way to see the Tetons.

Lots of people ride their bikes on the roads too.

RV and bicycle at Grand Teton National Park Wyoming

The Tetons are beloved by cyclists and hikers as well as photographers and boaters!

One theme in our summer travels this year has been the discovery of free outdoor summer concerts, and when we arrived in Grand Teton National Park we saw a notice for an upcoming free chamber music concert at the Murie Ranch in the Park. Score!

Back in the day, Olauf and Maddy Murie hosted many a long summer afternoon “conversation” with various illustrious visitors on the front porch of their cabin, and it had been the site of several concerts this summer already. All of the concerts were part of the Grand Teton Music Festival which presents performances by small groups and a big orchestra all around the town of Jackson and the Jackson Hole Resort and Grand Teton National Park all summer long!

Like Sun Valley, Jackson is a land of the ultra-wealthy, and like the Sun Valley Summer Symphony, the Grand Teton Music Festival is extremely well funded. After all, rumor has it that the billionaires pushed the millionaires out of Jackson a few decades ago! As something of a playground-while-working for the 0.2 percenters, the Federal Reserve holds an annual summer meeting in Jackson Hole, and it was about to get underway during our stay!

When we arrived at the surprisingly packed lawn in front of the Murie Cabin, it was no surprise to discover that the free concert included free wine and snacks! And this wasn’t just “Everything tastes better on a Ritz” types of snacks. This was stuffed grape leaves, a tray of exotic cheeses, and grapes served inside a pineapple!! The French couple sitting next to me was impressed by the Chardonnay too.

Free snacks at Grand Teton Music Festival in Grand Teton National Park Wyoming

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The quartet played Dvorak’s “American Quartet” beautifully, but the highlight of the afternoon was the Q&A afterward.

The Music Festival hostess took questions from the audience that ranged from, “How did you learn to play so fast?” (by practicing syncopated rhythms) to “Where was your instrument made, and when?” (several were French and some dated to the 1800s) to “How many hours a day do you practice?” (8 to 10 when they were studying but less now that they are professionals and perform so much) to “How do you take your instrument on an airplane?” (the cello gets its own seat!) and more.

The musicians were delightful, and it gave the whole experience a very intimate feeling as the audience, hostess and musicians bantered back and forth.

Definitely check out the Grand Teton Music Festival schedule for a performance that suits your fancy when you visit the Park!

Grand Teton Music Festival Quartet Q&A Muries Cabin Grand Teton National Park Wyoming

The musicians in the quartet fielded all kinds of questions from the audience after their performance.

As with our previous visits to Grand Teton National Park, we absolutely loved our stay.

Happy campers at Grand Teton National Park Wyoming boats

We have a blast here every time we visit.

And we know we’ll be back again because, in truth, we’ve barely scratched the surface!!

Teton Road Grand Teton National Park Wyoming

Teton Park Road at dawn.

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Sun Valley, Idaho – A Joyful Return to a Favorite RV Spot!

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As an escape from the searing summer heat in Washington, we took our RV towards the Rocky Mountains in Idaho. We stopped in McCall, a lakeside town we loved when we visited years ago. However, the heat was crazy there too, so we hustled down the road to one of our all time favorite destinations, Sun Valley, Idaho.

Sun Valley, Idaho - A Joyful Return to a Favorite RV Spot!

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Sun Valley is a resort town that literally grew up around Sun Valley Resort. This resort is a skier’s paradise that was built to lure tourists to take the train to the end of a railway line back in the 1930s, a common marketing gimmick among American and Canadian railroad barons of that era. The next door town of Ketchum has a history all its own with roots in silver mining and sheep herding.

For us, Sun Valley / Ketchum has always offered a fabulous mixture of outdoor pursuits in absolutely stunning mountain scenery plus artsy events, some of which are world class, topped off with small town intimacy. We keep coming back and we keep finding new things to savor each time.

Sunset in Sawtooth National Forest Idaho

Sunset in the Sawtooth Mountains.

Sunset in Sawtooth National Forest Idaho 2

Love this!

On our first foray into town, we were shocked by the extraordinary traffic. Every street was jam packed and there was gridlock at some intersections.

Later on, we discovered that a jazz band from New Orleans was in town and they had kicked off an afternoon and evening of music by playing in the town square. Then they walked through the downtown streets while they played until they came to another city park where they set up for the evening show. No wonder traffic was insane!

There was also a lot of construction. Several downtown roads were being resurfaced and a bunch of very fancy looking condo complexes were going up.

Sun Valley Resort itself was as peaceful as always, however, and we walked around taking in the beautiful architecture and landscaping of this iconic place.

Outdoor dining Sun Valley Resort in Idaho

Dining on a flowery patio at Sun Valley Resort.

Flower boxes at Sun Valley Inn in Idaho

Bountiful flower boxes adorn the Sun Valley Inn.

There are paved bike paths everywhere, not just in the resort but all over Sun Valley, Ketchum and even down to the town of Hailey ten miles away. We’ve ridden and loved these bike paths in the past. On this RV trip we noticed that the paths were a lot busier with bikes than in the past because of ease of riding up and down the hills on an e-bike. We saw e-bike rental outfits in several places!

Bike path Sun Valley Idaho

Walkers, joggers and bicyclists love the paved paths in and around Ketchum and Sun Valley, and in a few places the paths go under and over interesting things!

But it was the luscious gardens at every turn and the abundant colorful flowers throughout the resort property that really took our breath away.

Store front flower boxes Sun Valley Idaho

Colorful flower boxes dress up a Sun Valley store window.

Flower beds in Sun Valley Resort in Idaho

Flowers fill every nook and cranny of Sun Valley Resort’s landscaping!

Ketchum and Sun Valley are a special hideaway for the rich and famous, and plenty of A-list celebrities have palatial homes in the area. A quick Zillow search revealed 24 homes for sale for over $5 million in August 2022. Sun Valley and Ketchum have about 5,000 residents. There were two listings for under $400k, but they were under 400 square feet too.

Fortunately, the town is open to visitors of all stripes and the grounds of the resort are too. Families love vacationing here, and we saw some little girls feeding a pair of swans.

Swans and kids at Sun Valley Resort in Idaho

Two swans swim over to say, “Hi.”

The heat we’d been escaping had pursued us all the way to the Sawtooth Mountain Range that surrounds Sun Valley, so we spent the hottest part of one day watching the figure skaters over at the outdoor Sun Valley Ice Rink.

Every weekend during the summertime there is an evening figure skating show at the outdoor skating rink. You can get tickets for regular bleacher seats or enjoy a meal rinkside under a shade canopy. 2022 Olympic Champion Nathan Chen had performed in the show just a few weeks prior. Darn — we just missed it!

Rinkside dining at Sun Valley Ice Skating Rink in Idaho

You can take in a figure skating show while enjoying a tasty meal overlooking the ice!

If you don’t want to spring for show tickets, we were told that if you wander by the outdoor rink around noon when the rinkside restaurant serves lunch, you can catch the pros and coaches practicing (everyday but Sunday). So wander by we did — and there they were.

Skater at Sun Valley Ice Skating Rink in Idaho

We watched some skaters practicing on the outdoor rink.

As we hung out watching the skaters, we started chatting with a woman standing next to us. It turned out that she was a personal assistant for a very wealthy person in town and she was taking a break between errands to watch some skating. She’d been in this line of work since she’d immigrated from eastern Europe several decades ago. I was all ears as I listened to her describe some of her jobs over the years.

“I worked for Calvin Klein for 14 years,” she said at one point.

“You mean the family?”

“No, the man!”

Wow! That’s the kind of thing that pops up in casual conversation in Sun Valley. It’s a rare and rarified place. She loved her work and loved her various bosses over the years. But in how many places can you strike up a conversation with someone standing next to you and discover they’ve been a personal assistant to a big name celebrity?!

On another day, out on a hiking trail, we heard a snippet of conversation where one person was eagerly telling another, “They need a caretaker!” Caretaking of property and wealthy people’s day-to-day living and chores is a common occupation in these parts.

Skater at Sun Valley Resort Ice Skating Rink in Idaho

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As our conversation with Mr. Klein’s former assistant drew to a close, I noticed we weren’t the only ones watching the skaters practice. A group of kids watched intently as a pair team glided by doing a beautiful overhead lift.

Kids watch pairs skaters practice at Sun Valley Ice Rink in Sun Valley Resort Idaho

A pair teams cruised by doing a big overhead lift while a group of kids watched in awe.

Not only does Sun Valley have classy outdoor figure skating shows in July and August, they also have a world class orchestra that performs in a gorgeous indoor/outdoor concert hall — for free — a few nights a week from late July to mid-August.

You can sit in the theater seats inside the Sun Valley Pavillion (which was built from the same marble used to build St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome) or you can sit on the lawn and have a picnic. Huge loudspeakers bring the music from the Pavillion out onto the lawn and a large screen shows video closeups of the musicians as they play!

Sun Valley Symphony Lawn Party at Sun Valley Pavillion in Idaho

The Sun Valley Symphony performs free concerts several nights a week throughout the month of August
A popular place to enjoy the music is on the big grassy lawn next to the Pavilion.

As we wandered through the crowd on the lawn, we saw all kinds of enticing foods being shared among friends and family. This isn’t just a cold chicken and potato salad kind of affair. Fancy dips and crackers and bottles of wine were being passed around on one family blanket after another.

Some folks kept it simple, though, and brought their favorite pizza!

Dinner to go

A different kind of picnic basket!

The theater seating is first-come-first-serve (except for one section that’s reserved for donors), and the Pavillion cash bar and seating opens an hour before the concert begins. On our first concert night, we were surprised that not only the parking but the lawn and theater seats were nearly filled to capacity half an hour before the concert began! Thank goodness for the little Polaris RZR that can tuck into a small parking space!

Flowers at entrance to Sun Valley Pavillion in Idaho

A cascade of flowers pours down the Pavilion’s main entrance stairs.

I have loved Beethoven’s symphonies for all of my life, but after listening to this special concert, his Pastoral Symphony (the 6th) will be forever elevated to the ethereal realm for me.

Sitting in a seat near the top and back of the Pavillion, I had a perfect view of the aspen trees peeking under the canopy rooftop across the way. As the melody soared, the aspen trees began to shimmer and dance, and Beethoven’s vivid depiction of the beautiful sounds he heard on his beloved walks in the woods came to life. The orchestra sounded like one instrument as they played this truly angelic music, and a reverent hush came over the entire crowd both inside the Pavilion and out on the lawn. It was pure magic.

Sun Valley Symphony performs at Sun Valley Pavillion in Idaho

The distant aspens danced as Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony took flight around us.

Brahms is my favorite composer, though, and this summer the Sun Valley Symphony brought in one of the worlds finest pianists, Russian superstar Danil Trifanov. to play Brahms’ first concerto. Just gorgeous!

Danil Trifanov performs with Sun Valley Symphony performs at Sun Valley Pavillion in Idaho

Russian pianist Danil Trifanov gave a passionate performance of the 1st Piano Concerto by Brahms.

Sun Valley is a really musically oriented town, but classical music isn’t their only gig. Besides the jazz band from New Orleans that had brought traffic to a standstill, we also bumped into a fantastic free jazz festival in Forest Service Park. The place was going wild with people dancing to the tunes, kids jumping around, food vendors selling all kinds of goodies, and again, lots of people enjoying a picnic on a blanket in the grass!

It’s also a dog oriented place, and we were astonished at how many trails allowed dogs to be off leash. One of our favorites was the hilly and shady Corral Creek Trail, a perfect spot for a hike on a hot summer afternoon.

Mountain biking Corral Creek Trail Sun Valley Idaho

A mountain biker passed us on the Corral Creek trail.

Happy hikers in Sun Valley Idaho

This shady hike was a favorite for all three of us.

Buddy liked the shade and the soft crushed pine needle trail so much he just quit hiking and laid down for a little breather right in the in the middle of the trail. Another hiker caught him in the act on her cell phone.

Dog friendly Corral Creek Trail Sun Valley Idaho-2

Buddy was caught in the act resting in the middle of the trail!

Another shady trail we loved runs alongside Trail Creek. We did this hike a bunch of times and Buddy made a ton of new friends.

The creek has some nice big gravel beaches where dogs can play in the water or get a drink (this stream comes down from the mountains, so it’s safe). Lots of dogs we met were soaked through, and one dog owner was wet and muddy too!

Dog friendly Trail Creek Trail in Sun Valley Idaho

Hiking alongside Trail Creek is a favorite for both dogs and people.

Pretty wildflowers were blooming here and there.

Summer flowers in Idaho

Lavender smiles.

In many ways, though, just as Sun Valley is an outdoor lover’s and music lover’s and art lover’s paradise, it is a dog’s paradise too.

People we met kept asking us if we’d been to the Dog Park. No, of course we hadn’t been to the Dog Park. Why do that when you have all these wonderful off-leash trails you can hike on together?

Well, we finally went to the Dog Park and we found out WHY all these people had been asking us if we’d been yet.

Ketchum Dog Park or Warm Springs Preserve in Idaho 2

The 65 acre Ketchum Dog Park is like no other!

The whole Sun Valley area is swimming in money, and the residents love to give back to the community. Sun Valley Symphony is but one example of the wealthy folks funding something astronomically expensive and giving it to the residents and visitors for free.

The Ketchum Dog Park is another.

A former golf course, this 65 acre property has an intriguing history that we learned from a real estate appraiser who had lived in Sun Valley since 1969. While his dog played with Buddy, he told me the tale.

Ketchum Dog Park Warm Springs Preserve in Idaho

Wide grassy fields at the Dog Park are beloved by local dogs and lucky visiting dogs too.

Purchased for $13 million way back when, the owner at one time had the parcel up for sale for $50 million. He sold off a few lots at one end for a few mil apiece, but he wanted to do something special for the town since he’d already made more than enough money for himself during his life.

He offered the land to the town for $9 million with the idea that it would be a nature preserve for people, families and their dogs. Unsurprising for a very wealthy town that is full of dog and nature lovers, the $9 million was raised in just two months!

The property was set aside as the Warm Springs Preserve and is now a place where dogs can run free and people can play frisbee golf, have picnics, host family outings and generally relax in the outdoors.

Ketchum Dog Park or Warm Springs Preserve in Idaho 3

Residents of Ketchum / Sun Valley quickly raised the necessary $9 million to create the Warm Springs Preserve (aka Ketchum Dog Park).

There are vast open fields, towering pine trees, several trails, a stream, and lots of really happy dogs.

One thing that we noticed in Ketchum / Sun Valley is that because there are so many places for dogs to be off leash, there are tons of dogs that are very accustomed to being off leash. They behave well with other dogs and, for the most part, they come back to their owners when called.

The friendliness between the dogs and dog owners on the trails and in this park were very heartwarming. We really enjoyed the people we met, and Buddy was in seventh heaven and made all kinds of friends too.

A stream runs through the Ketchum Dog Park, and one day a group we’d joined up with went down to a sandy beach so the dogs could play in the water. These guys knew the territory well. In no time the dogs were lining up to jump into the water from a log! They were just like kids!

Dogs jumping off log at Ketchum Dog Park or Warm Springs Preserve in Idaho 3

The locals know how it’s done — run and leap off the log into the water!

Dogs jumping off log at Ketchum Dog Park or Warm Springs Preserve in Idaho

The dogs went round and round, leaping into the water, swimming to the beach, shaking vigorously, and getting back in line at the log!

Buddy watched all this with wonder in his eyes – as did we! He’s not a swimmer. He loves the water and eagerly wades in up to his armpits, but he doesn’t venture in beyond that!

The Shady Side Trail at Adam’s Gulch was another great spot for a cool stroll in hot weather, as was the Draper Wood River Preserve in nearby Hailey, Idaho. This is the town where Bruce Willis and Demi Moore raised their children and bought all the downtown buildings in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Rather than walking in the shade of tall pines like at Corral Creek Trail, we found ourselves under the delicate leaves of deciduous trees.

Hiking Draper Preserve Trail in Hailey Idaho

The Draper Wood River Preserve in Hailey is another lovely and shady hike.

Again, there were lots of friendly dogs and people. At one point we heard voices and then noticed a group of people floating down the river!

Cooling off at Draper Preserve in Hailey Idaho

When temperatures rise in Sun Valley, this is the best way to cool off!

One of the highlights of this trail is the unusual Bow Bridge that spans the Wood River. Definitely unique and photo-worthy!

Bow Bridge in Draper Preserve Hailey Idaho

The unusual Bow Bridge on the Draper Wood River Preserve trail offers an elegant way to cross the river!

This was our fourth RV trip to Ketchum / Sun Valley, and the area captivated us once again. We not only had a chance to enjoy some of our favorite Sun Valley activities from the past but we discovered a bunch of new ones too!

Sunset over RV in Sawtooth National Forest

Sun Valley is a fabulous destination.

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