Travelogue

With our first views of the majestic snow-capped peaks of the Rockies, we finally felt that we were out West. The road to the east entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park meandered along the Big Thompson River into the resort town of Estes Park. The main street of town was lined with trendy restaurants, cafes, shops and lots of tourists.

It was late afternoon and drizzling, so we continued on to our campground, Spruce Lake RV Park, right outside the gates to the park. It was a highly rated campground, and rightly so. It had a heated pool, mini-golf course, playground, and even a trout stocked lake. Unfortunately, the weather was so cold and damp that we hardly took advantage of the facilities, although the kids did take a swim in the heated pool.

What a difference from the previous day at Lake McConaughy when we were basking in the sun and splashing around in the lake. Now, we were wearing jeans and jackets and thinking about a campfire for warmth. How quickly things can change in the mountains.

Description

Spruce Lake RV Park is a 110-site campground 1 1/2 miles outside of Rocky Mountain National Park . It has a nice heated pool, free mini golf, and fishing on the Big Thompson River.

Travelogue

The problem with living on the East Coast is that a trip to the West involves 2 or 3 days of pretty solid driving before you can even get started. That's just too long to go without some fun, so I usually try to find something good along the way to break up the trip. The National Geographic guides such as Crossing America, Scenic Highways and Byways, and State Parks are really good resources to help find things to do anywhere in the U.S. This time we were traveling west on I80, so we decided to stop and spend a night at Lake McConaughy State Park in Nebraska, right near the Colorado border.

Boys at Lake McConaughyWe were quite excited when we saw the lake. It was totally undeveloped--which we like--with beautiful aquamarine water surrounded by miles of sandy shoreline that you can drive your RV on and camp for the night. It was quite busy with jet skis and powerboats, but there was still plenty of room for everyone to have a good time.

There were some developed campgrounds along the lake where you could park on asphalt and get electric hookup, but we really wanted to primitive camp on the beach. We were, however, a bit nervous about getting stuck in the sand, and the enterprising farmers with their tractors poised on the beach ready to offer their towing services didn't exactly give us a warm and fuzzy about this. However, we were determined, and after some searching, we found an area of hard-packed sand under some pretty cottonwood trees that we were comfortable with. The lake was only about 50 yards outside our back window--quite nice!

We had hardly settled in before the wind picked up and a pretty impressive thunderstorm came through, but we didn't mind. We actually like thunderstorms and they are even more fun to watch out west where you can get a panoramic view of the lightning. It wasn't long before the storm passed and the sun came back out, so we quickly headed down to the lake for a swim. The water was clean and warm and just what we needed.

The next morning while the kids were still sleeping, Herb and I went for a great run around the cove we were camping on and ended it with a refreshing leap into the lake. What a great way to start a day!

Lake McConaughy had definitely been much more than we expected--we were just looking for a nice passing through spot to break up our long driving days, but I can easily see how this could be an end destination in itself. I'm sure we'll be back here again someday when our travels take us west along I80.

Description

Lake McConaughy, nicknamed "Big Mac," is the largest reservoir in Nebraska. It is located just a few miles off Interstate 80 near the Colorado border. The reservoir, which is over 20 miles long and 4 miles wide when at full capacity, was formed on the Platte River by the Kingsley Dam. The lake has over 100 mile of white-sand beaches along its shore line.

To Nebraskans, the main attraction of Lake McConaughy is water activities--swimming, boating, windsurfing, skiing, and world-class fishing. Trophy size catfish, walleye, stripers, bass, and trout have been caught in "Big Mac."

The park has 200 tent and RV sites. However, most people choose to primitive camp right on the beach at the water's edge. Camping is on a first-come first-serve basis.

Travelogue

Being passionate lovers of the great outdoors, we couldn't possibly drive through Nebraska on Route 80 without stopping at Cabela's in Kearney. It was also a very good way to break up a long, monotonous drive.

Like us, the people in Nebraska must take their outdoor recreation seriously because this place was huge, with every type of camping, fishing, or hunting gear you could possible dream of. We had hardly even entered the store before Andrew zeroed in on a singing mounted deer head called "Buddy Buck"--along the same lines as "Billy Bass." The good news was it was on sale for $8; the bad news was, it was big and we were traveling in a small RV for the next 3 weeks. Knowing Herb would disapprove, Andrew decided to buy it and sneak it into the RV, confident that Herb would probably never know and if he did, he would eventually learn to love "Buddy". It probably took Herb about 45 seconds after entering the RV to discover Andrew's find in a large box on their bed above the cab. Andrew was right, Herb did learn to love Buddy Buck. We mounted him in the back of the RV until we got sick of him singing such favorites as "Born to be Wild."

Oh, one more thing. Not wanting to leave the store empty handed, Tommy bought a blow gun that shot suction cup darts out of it. As you'll see later, the usage of this blow gun almost got him ousted from the family when we got to Rocky Mountain National Park.

Description

Cabela's is the world's foremost outfitter of hunting, fishing, and outdoor gear. It began in 1961 when Dick Cabela ran an ad in a Wyoming newspaper trying to sell hand-tied flies, 12 for $1. From those humble beginnings, Cabela's has grown into an organization with 11 retail stores, a huge mail order and internet business, and 7,000 employees. The founders have kept it a family-owned business and still play a very active role in the organization.

Travelogue

Another long day of driving--almost 12 hours. It's not good to string too many of these in a row or trip fatigue sets in. It was almost dinner time when we pulled into Lake Manawa State Park near the Iowa-Nebraska border. The lake was okay we thought, kind of pretty if you squinted and didn't look towards the more industrial end.

It was a warm evening, so the kids easily convinced us to go for a swim. Rather than go all the way to the swimming beach, we just walked from our campsite through some bushes to the shores of the lake. As we were splashing around in the water having a good time, we watched a beautiful red sunset over the smokestacks at the end of the lake. "I think this is going to be a trip highlight," Andrew said in all seriousness. I just wanted to hug him. One thing we really love about both our kids is their ability to seek out the best in everything and to have a good time at whatever they do. Here we were, only 2 days into a 3 ½ week trip and hadn't even reached Nebraska yet, but we had already given them a highlight. This was going to be a good trip.

Description

Lake Manawa State Park is a 1,529-acre park near the Iowa-Nebraska border in the town of Council Bluffs. Its beautiful 660-acre natural lake was formed during a flood in 1881 when the meandering Missouri River cut off a portion of the river channel. The result was an "oxbow" lake which was named Manawa, a Native American word for "peace and comfort."

Today the lake is very popular for swimming, boating, and fishing for crappies, bluegills, catfish, bass and walleye. Facilities include a swimming beach, boat ramps, picnic areas overlooking the lake, and a 73-site campground with 37 electrical hookups.

Travelogue

There's nothing like the feeling you get when you pull out of your driveway and head out on a road trip. All the hard work has been done: the trip has been planned, the RV is stocked with groceries, and everything is packed (hopefully). There is only fun and adventure ahead for the next few weeks. You're packed into tight accommodations with the people you love the most, who now are forced to spend quality time with you whether they like it or not. Excitement and anticipation is high as you head out, unsure of what the next few weeks will bring.

Since most of our trips are to the west, we always start out with some long driving days. Rather than pull into a commercial campground, we usually look for an all night Wal-Mart or a Flying J Travel Plaza. Both allow you to park overnight. I prefer the Flying J's because you feel much more secure in an area designated for overnight RV parking than you do in a Wal-Mart parking lot. Since all we need to do is sleep, these places are perfect. Once you pull the shades in the RV down, you can imagine that you're anywhere. On this particular trip, we were heading west on Route 80, so we drove 9 hours and stopped at a Flying J outside of Toledo, Ohio.

I think some of my happiest moments on an RV trip are these first nights in a truck stop. The whole trip is ahead of us, spirits are high, and we haven't gotten on each other's nerves yet.

Description

Flying J's are Travel Plazas that cater to truckers and RV's. Their numerous services include gas, dump station, propane, fast food restaurant, limited groceries, and even showers and a barber shop. However, the best feature of all is the section for overnight RV parking.

They are conveniently located on most of the interstates (except for the East Coast).

Travelogue

We made the push home from Indiana in one long 13-hour day. The trip had been wonderful, but it was good to be back home. Everything seemed so different. After the long vistas of the desert and plains, everything seemed so small and closed in. The only thing that felt bigger was our house. After living in an RV for 3 1/2 weeks, even our little house appeared spacious.

Description

Our home in Upper Saddle River, a suburb of New York City.

Travelogue

I had found out about Indiana Dunes in the National Geographic State Park book which highlights the best state parks in each state. Besides being a state park, there is also about 15 miles of National Lakeshore adjacent to it, so I expected it to be pretty good.

Herb with SmokestackI admit that I was a bit disappointed. Although the dunes were impressive and fun to roll around on, it wasn't nearly as pristine as I expected. I had hoped for another experience like Sleeping Bear Dunes, but this was not even close. The park was positioned between Gary and Michigan City, both pretty industrial-type towns. Their smokestacks, spewing god knows what, were quite visible as you gazed down the beach. As if that wasn't bad enough, swimming in Lake Michigan was prohibited because of high e.coli counts.

Since swimming was out of the question, we took a nice long hike along the dunes and a bike ride along the Calumet Bike Trail, which runs along a railroad bed through some pretty nice sand dunes, forests, and marshes. The kids' favorite activity by far was climbing and rolling back down the Devil's Slide, a steep dune overlooking the beach pavilion. Being the competitive family we are, we had races up the dune. Running in sand up a hill is unbelievably exhausting.

This was it, the end of our trip. The next day we would make the 13-hour push for home.

Description

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, which stretches about 15 miles along the southern shoreline of Lake Michigan between Gary and Michigan City, has some of the highest dunes along the Lake Michigan shore. These dunes are called "living" dunes because they continue to move inland a few feet each year, burying plants and trees as they go.

Kid's dune jumpingWithin the National Lakeshore, a 3-mile section of the beach is actually a very popular State Park. This is where most of the action and facilities at Indiana Dunes are located. There is a large beach pavilion complete with snack bar and gift shop, a nature center, a lifeguard protected swimming beach, over 16 miles of dune hiking trails, and a large 286-site campground.

Another popular trail is the 9.2-mile Calumet Bike Trail, which is located in the National Lakeshore section of the Dunes about 2 miles inland. This trail runs along a railroad bed through a wide variety of habitats--beach, sand dunes, black oak forest, and marshes.

Travelogue

We were into that phase of the trip--long driving days home across the plains with little in the way of family entertainment. That's why even my suggestion of stopping at the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site was greeted with such enthusiasm. It's all in the timing.

"Maybe they sell hat pins," Andrew said hopefully always anxious to add to his already impressive collection. Wanting to discourage this "hat pin bagging" mentality, we explained that pins should not be goals in themselves, but rather a souvenir of memorable experience. I'm sure that made a big impression.

Although we joke about the Herbert Hoover Historical Site being our trip highlight, it was actually quite enjoyable and educational. Apparently, Hoover was a Quaker, so the site contained a re-created Quaker Village of the type that he grew up in, complete with blacksmith shop, meetinghouse, and schoolhouse. We also got to see the 2-room cottage that he was born in. I don't know why, but there is something about historical villages that makes me happy. The kids thought it was pretty good too.

Description

The Herbert Hoover Historic Site in West Branch, Iowa, is a re-creation of the 1870s Quaker Village that Herbert Hoover grew up in, complete with blacksmith shop, Friends meetinghouse, and a typical Quaker schoolhouse.

The Historic Site also contains the simple two-room cottage that Hoover was born in as well as his gravesite. The Presidential Library-Museum, also on the site, contains many documents and exhibits related to his life in public service.

Hoover's life was shaped by his Quaker upbringing and the strong principles of honesty, hard work, and generosity. Although orphaned when young, he studied hard, worked as a mining engineer, and became a millionaire by the age of 40.

Before he was elected president, he served in many public positions. His Quaker ideals are exemplified in the way he worked tirelessly to help feed the millions of hungry people in countries devastated by World War I.

Herbert Hoover became the 31st president in 1928. One year later, the stock market crashed sending the nation into the Great Depression. Despite Hoover's efforts to improve the country's economic distress, his popularity declined, and he lost the 1932 election to Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Many in the country blamed Hoover for not doing more to bring the nation out of the depression, and he left office more reviled than any other president.

Travelogue

We were now into the long, monotonous driving days home across the plains. As I was scanning the campground guides for a nice place to stop, I couldn't help but notice how close we were to Nebraska, a state we had not yet laid claim to on our RV map. After some mental struggle, I did something that I am ashamed of today--I had Herb get off I29, cross the Missouri River into Nebraska, and drive down the west side of the river before crossing back into Iowa, just so that we could put Nebraska on our map--the infamous "Nebraska dip" as we call it today. I was not proud of what I had done, but I just want it noted that since that time, we have spent several wonderful days at Lake McConaughy in Nebraska, truly earning our claim to having visited the state.

We spent that night at a very nice state park along the banks of the Missouri River in Western Iowa, called Wilson State Park. After spending so much time out west, everything here seemed so lush and green--more like back home. I guess our trip was coming near an end.

The next morning before we left, I went for a very nice run through the De Soto National Wildlife Refuge which was adjacent to the state park. During my run, I noticed that there were tornado sirens positioned throughout the park, poised to squeal at the first signs of any tornadic activity. I guess that's a genuine concern in this area of the country. Thankfully, they were quiet now, but it reinforced the weather phobia I have every time we cross the plains.

Description

Wilson Island State Park is located in western Iowa on the banks of the Missouri River. The park is popular for boating, fishing, and hunting. A half-mile trail along the shoreline of the Missouri River and a boat ramp provide easy access to the river. There are an additional five miles of trails that are good for hiking and mountain biking.

There is a campground with 140 well-shaded, spacious campsites.

Just to the north of the state park is the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, which has additional hiking trails and is also good for fishing, hunting, and observing wildlife, such as deer, snow geese and bald eagles.

According to historians, Lewis and Clark camped along this part of the Missouri River on their historic trip to the Pacific Coast back in 1804.