10/28
We spent our first night on site, at the Clark County Shooting Complex. The Clark County Shooting Complex is situated in the foothills of the Sheep Mountains, approximately 16 miles north of downtown and the strip, affording a panoramic view of the Mojave Desert, Las Vegas Valley and Las Vegas. Our RV site has a million-dollar view of the city and the night sky. It was fun searching the city lights for our previous RV Park at Sam’s Town Casino. Finding the super-lighted landmarks like the Stratosphere, Eiffel Tower, Luxor Sky Beam, and the High Roller Ferris Wheel, provide points of reference for the things that we want to pinpoint.

The Las Vegas Valley is surrounded by the Spring Mountains to the west, Sheep Mountains to the north, Muddy Mountains and Lake Mead to the east, and the Black Mountains to the south. Last night, we admired our view of the city lights and wondered how many million$-cash were changing hands as we watched in the quite, clear, cool night. Today, we get our badges, finalize the paperwork and begin our training.
The Shooting Complex folks are very friendly and we feel welcome and appreciated for being here. We expect the work experience to be an opportunity to learn things and meet lots of people. Come to Las Vegas and visit for a spell! “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”! 
Sunday, November 2, 2014
After a week at our winter quarters and work site, we have gained a great deal of familiarity about the Complex and our neighborhood. We toured the entire complex range-by-range and observed each range in operation. The complex consist of an archery, trap/skeet, sporting clay, rifle/pistol ranges. A red flag is flown at each range, during the hours of operation, to warn the public that the range is “hot”. Each range abides by a very strict set of rules governing the range operations and the conduct of participants, insuring control and safety.
The range is located on Sheep Mountain at the north end of Las Vegas on Decatur Street. A short drive south takes us to an area with lots of shopping, restaurants and services.

Today (Sunday), after Church, we visited Larry and Deborah for a Birthday Brunch for Terry’s Aunt Pat. Tomorrow, we treat Aunt Pat to a Birthday lunch at North Las Vegas.

One of my goals is to practice with our GoPro so that I can produce videos. Currently, I’m disappointed in GoPro because it seems to require so much bandwidth to share videos. (I’m limited to 5Gb per month on my Verizon MiFi) 
11-27-14 Thanksgiving Day
Boy have I neglected my journal! We have been working and exploring Las Vegas, so I haven’t keep up with my personal notes. We have settled in at the Clark County Shooting Complex and our RV site provides a panoramic view of the Las Vegas Valley.
Today we join Terry’s Aunt Pat and family for Thanksgiving dinner. We wish all our family and friends a very enjoyable Thanksgiving Day!

 This is the Las Vegas night sky line we see from our campsite.  Love to look at it every night.

 This is the view toward Mt Charlston we get to see every day from our campsite.

 And that famous sign.

 Me and Aunt Pat at the Container Park downtown.

Traveling west on I-40

Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Spending a couple of days at Kingman, we explored around, did some chores, and cooked some delightful meals. Enjoying a Root Beer Float at a “Route 66” Diner, I decided to make a few notes about our experiences subsequent to my preceding journal entries. It is a goal to keep my journal current for my benefit of recalling things that I want to remember, however it is difficult to stay current.

We discovered an interesting historical background concerning much of the Interstate 40 segment which we have traveled. We knew that most of the I-40 western segment parallels or overlays Route 66 but Route 66 was not first. Much of old Route 66 is built on the Beale wagon road (1857) that followed the 35th parallel from Arkansas to California. Edward Fitzgerald Beale was a military General, surveyor and experienced western explorer. He was commissioned by the United States to build a wagon road to California. In his survey he was ordered to use camels as pack animals, an experiment of the US Army. The camels did quite well in the desert project however other folks, horses, and mules, didn’t get along with the camels, so the Army abandoned any further “camel projects”. Nevertheless, the road was a huge success, as the Beale road became a popular immigrant route, leading us to Las Vegas, and many travelers to California. It was also paralleled by the Transcontinental Railroad. Build it and they will come!

Leaving Holbrook, we moved on west to Winslow and enjoyed some more Route 66 memorabilia. Of course, we had to visit downtown and the Eagles tribute featuring “Standing on a Corner in Winslow Arizona”. Winslow needs all the tourism it can get so do stop by if you have the opportunity!

Our next campsite was at Flagstaff Arizona, just off Interstate 40 but a quiet little retreat. We had to find a veterinarian for Jack because his seizures had become more frequent and severe. After four hours and likewise hundreds of dollars we were told that there’s nothing they could do for him, except anti-seizure medication. Fifteen-year-old Jack has a brain tumor and the vet says that the tumor always wins. Now, we just want to make him comfortable and try to return some of the devotion that he has given us. It’s one-day-at-a-time.
I have enjoyed Chile Rellenos on several occasions but none compare to Rosie’s at cousins Richard and Helen’s home. Rosie’s are best, can’t be beat, so my search has ended. We attended our customary Sunday Mass at San Francisco de Asis, overlooking downtown Flagstaff, from the base of Mount Elden.

Continuing west, we crossed the Arizona Divide and found a pleasant campsite at Williams, overlooking the town and Interstate 40. We learned that the Arizona Divide dictates the watershed of Arizona to two outflows, for the east and west slopes. Williams is named for one of my favorite Mountain men, ”Old Bill Williams” , who was an explorer, trapper, Army Scout, and later Protestant Preacher, who spent the remainder of his life in service to the Osage and Ute Indians.
Williams was the last town on Route 66 to fight being bypassed by I-40. After years of litigation, the state finally agreed to build three I-40 exits to Williams and presently one would suffice. Oh well, Williams has lots of room to grow!
To our surprise, after setting up camp, we experienced lots smoke from a controlled burn that we learned about from the camphost. We tolerated the smoke all night and thankfully departed west, with a prompt departure. Forest controlled burns are necessary but you don’t want to be in it!

Leaving Williams (6,800’), for Kingman, there are lots of ups and downs, surprising because Kingman is at 3,333’ elevation.  
We also learned that the only road descending into the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River is off old Route 66 at Peach Springs, on the Hualapai Reservation. This is downriver from the Grand Canyon National Park and upriver from the Grand Wash confluence. 
Well, here we are at Kingman, at the Fort Beale RV Park, in the Hualapai Valley. We explored the “old town”, along Route 66 but the “new town”, along I-40 is where the restaurants and shopping are situated. We met several couples heading to winter quarters at Yuma.

See photos below. Rambling from Albuquerque to Gallup was very scenic. Departing our Albuquerque campsite on Nine-mile Hill, we followed the southern edge of the Navajo Nation to the Laguna Pueblo Mission. It was a clear day and we saw Ladron Peak (9176’) to the south and Mt. Taylor (11,301’) to the north. The old Spanish Mission serves the Pueblo people, who have a good income from uranium mining, on their reservation. The Spanish introduced wheat and the “horno”, an above-the-ground, beehive-shaped, stone oven, and the Native Americans made their first wheat-bread. Now, the wood-fired horno can be seen behind almost every Pueblo dwelling. Catch them on baking day for a sample!

Toward Grants, we encountered massive volcanic lava flows scattered all around the area. Glad the volcanoes are silent now! We picnicked at Grants, named for three railroad “Grant” brothers. I would have called it Grantville! We met a couple (snowbirds) traveling from Minnesota to their winter quarters at Lake Havasu. They had a huge 5th- wheel rig and lots of “stuff”.
It was windy at mid-day, as a northern cold-front was moving in., so you had to hold on to your hat!

Along the northern edge of the Cibola National Forest and Bluewater Lake, we crossed the Continental Divide (a gentile transition, not a high mountain pass) and headed down the western slope to Gallup (6200’) and found a very cozy camp spot at Church Rock Canyon, in Red Rock Park. Red Rock Park is situated on the Navajo Reservation and owned and managed by the Navajo people. We were mesmerized by the beauty of the setting sun on the red rock cliffs, with the golden Cottonwoods in the foreground.
Gallup, an 1881 railhead for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad, was named for David Gallup, paymaster. Gallup is situated in the heart of “Native American” lands and has lots of hiking trails, art, and good food. An outstanding collection of murals tell Gallup’s dynamic story of history and heritage.
At the dining table, they; “ask red or green”? The green Chile is hotter than the red, but red or green, it’s included in every entrée. Chile is the number one crop in New Mexico and they are the number one producer, world-wide.
We met a couple from Bordeaux, France at the campground and exchanged travel information and shared our past travel experiences. I had to tell them about my travels in the wine regions of France, trying to sample the ”wines of France”, in conjunction with my summers at LSU. It was a clear, cool day with lots of interesting discoveries and tonight a low of 26 degrees is predicted.

This morning, I went out at 6:30 and the red rock cliffs, bathed in the rising sun were stunning. It was quite brisk and the cold air was invigorating. Glad Diane gave us the Keurig, because a hot cup of coffee is sometimes “priceless”! Thanks again, friend!
Later, I saw a Road Runner chasing lizards and grasshoppers, amid the Prairie Dog town that surrounds the campground. Our dogs can hear the little buggers in the burrows and want to dig them out! Unfortunately, we are in the land of “goat- head stickers” and the dogs hate those encounters, as do we.
Mid-morning, we hiked up the Pyramid Rock Trail for a panoramic view of the Red Rock Park and the I-40 corridor. The Red Rock area is the southern end of the Colorado Escarpment with the rock layers dating back 20 million years to the Dinosaurs. 
On the south side of I-40 is old (1868) Fort Wingate, established to deal with Indian Affairs, later a munitions depot and test range through WWI and WWII. It also housed the Indian School, where the Navajo “code-talkers” trained. It’s abandoned now but we could see the network of old storage bunkers from our view of the valley.
It was an anomaly to be so close to Interstate 40 and yet be so far away that it was silent, as the cars and trucks sped to distant destinations, oblivious to the awesome panoramic views from the cliffs.
Daisy got her chance to dig-out a Prairie Dog and after she was exhausted I had to pull her away. She failed to learn the age-old fact that Prairie Dogs don’t get dug out!

This morning we explored Gallup along Route 66 to see the murals, “tourist stuff”, and lunch. Next, we headed to Painted Desert National Park for a tour of the Painted Desert Inn and a drive along the overlook road. Afternoon clouds gave the Painted Desert a different look.
In a conversation with the Ranger (Volunteer Coordinator) at Painted Desert Inn, we were offered a “host job” and exchanged contact info. Maybe a possibility, we’ll see! Leaving the Park, we traveled over to Holbrook and found a nice campsite at OK RV Park. The RV Park has a large collection of petrified wood, several specimens being entire trees. It’s difficult to imagine that this high desert was once located close to the equator, with 200-foot trees and tropical marches. It’s also a treasure-trove of fossils, some being new species of Dinosaur creatures. Boy would that have made an awesome cable network, outdoor/hunting show!
Today was a hang-out in Holbrook day, doing laundry, and catching-up on “stuff”.
Petroglyph National Monument in Albuquergue NM:

Red Rock Park, Gallup NM:

On the way to our winter in Las Vegas

Bob and Terry
September-October Update

My computer died and I’m now using Terry’s Lenovo-Windows 8, so I am in a learning curve. Fortunately Terry recovered all my files for me. I got behind on my notes and I must “write it to remember it”, so it’s catch-up time!

Tulsa was loads of fun for us, while visiting Jean and family. We toured around the sights, walked in the park, dined at some yummy restaurants and visited in the family homes. Tulsa has a large collection of Art Deco architecture from the “big oil money” days and we enjoyed witnessing and learning about it. A volunteer docent at the Boston Avenue Methodist Church, a showcase example, gave us an extraordinary guided tour. The days were cool and clear, just perfect for our visit.

Tomorrow is Monday, October 6, and we head to our winter work at Clark County Shooting Complex, in Las Vegas.

We had a Picnic Lunch at Oklahoma City but it was too hot to explore so we headed to higher elevations. We crossed the old Chisholm Trail- old cattle-drive route from south Texas to Kansas railhead. We camped at 1875 Fort Reno, established on the Cheyenne-Arapaho reservation, where the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes are still trying to re-acquire their land. We met a couple from the Oklahoma Panhandle, who were heading for winter quarters in the Rio Grande valley of south Texas, and they shared a lot of information about it. Apparently it is very economical to winter there.

We camped at Amarillo for two nights and enjoyed the surroundings. I talked to a line crew preparing to leave the campground and head for a new project. They had worked for several months around Amarillo, building transmission lines for the huge wind farms developing around the area. The Charles Goodnight Ranch was just north, the old home of the real “Lonesome Dove” cowboys. Amarillo (yellow in Spanish) has lots of yellow wildflowers blooming, so it lives up to its name.

Moving on, we crossed the remainder of the Texas Panhandle and entered the high plains of New Mexico. We observed a (cheeseburger-size) tarantula crossing the road and wondered if he was in the process of migrating, hibernating, feeding or mating. Given the circumstances, we assumed it was most likely the second choice. Both of us were excited to be back in the western states, with open spaces and mountain views.

We camped at Tucumcari, right on old Route 66, and were surprised that much of the old structures still exist. Old motor courts or tourist courts with the car-park garage are still standing, along with the diners. Television was unique because sister stations in the Central and Mountain Time Zones can be watched, with the same shows one-hour apart.

We discovered the “Blue Spring” on the Pecos River, at Santa Rosa, a scuba divers mecca. Who would have guessed! Wind and rain from a storm in the Pacific accompanied us most of the day.

Our next camp was at Albuquerque, on the west side of the Rio Grande valley. Albuquerque straddles the Rio Grande and the valley is a beautiful garden, in the high desert. We have a panoramic view of the entire valley and the Sandia Mountains to the east, from our RV Park. We toured Petroglyph National Monument and hiked the three-mile trail into Piedras Marcadas Canyon. Here, the petroglyphs are 4-7 hundred years old and some are 2-3 thousand years of age. Also, 1600’s-1800’s explorers left their names and dates in the volcanic basalt boulders. Additionally, we saw a “Mickey Mouse” image that was much more recent but quite well done.

We toured around the old town, along the Rio Grande, and Route 66, followed by dinner at a local Albuquerque, New Mexico establishment. I had the “real” Chile Relleno! The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is going on this weekend, so the area is super busy. With mass ascensions, balloon glows, races, and special ceremonies, the balloon park draws huge crowds. I-40 and I-25 were backed-up for miles at daylight because the parking lots filled and visitors were turned away.

Our dogs have a lot of frustration with time zone changes, heading west, because their little “internal clocks” say it’s time for dinner an hour early. They just bark and complain like it’s our fault! Unfortunately, we enter Pacific Time tomorrow and they’ll have another adjustment!

We enjoyed our stay at Cahokia, located just across the river from St. Louis. Cahokia is the site of an ancient Mississippian Culture, Native American settlement which consisted of six square miles, with 120 mounds. It had a large population, not surpassed by any US city until the late 18th century. The site was occupied by the Cahokia Tribe when the first French Explorers came to visit in the 17th century. That was a lot of Indians! Presently, the city of Cahokia and East St. Louis are struggling with a sagging economy because much of the industry and tax base have departed.

Traveling US 50 (this section of US 50 is old the Cahokia Trail) from Cahokia to Madison, we traversed vast southern Illinois farmland, with the harvest underway. The weather was cool and clear with a definite feel of Fall in the air. Carlyle Lake, a Corps of Engineers flood control project on the Kaskaskia River, and the largest man-made lake in Illinois, was busy with Fall boating, sailing, and fishing activities.
Halfway Tavern is an old 1800 way stop, situated halfway between St. Louis and Vincennes, a frequent stop for circuit rider, Abraham Lincoln as he from “rode the circuit”  from courthouse-to-courthouse, trying cases.

We made camp at Red Hills State Park near the Wabash River, a park with lots of big trees, lake, and wildflowers. The Red Hills are the highest point between St. Louis and Cincinnati and were a prominent landmark in the Indian Treaty of 1795 which ceded the Vincennes Tract to the U.S. Government.
We made a fine steak dinner and walked around the park lake area. Leaving Illinois, we entered Indiana and stopped for lunch at Vincennes, then said goodbye to Glenn and Kim as they headed to Seymour and we turned SE toward Madison.
Vincennes has a rich history of Native Americans, Canadian, French, British, and American occupation.
We crossed the Hoosier National Forest, situated over dolomite, limestone, and gypsum that instigate the numerous caves and caverns of southern Indiana. My new word here is “Karst“.

At Madison, we took a site at the Madison city campground, with a splendid view of the Ohio river and the new Madison-Milton bridge. We have enjoyed our visit this week and are planning a Birthday Party for Amy on Saturday. On Friday, we will move up to the Jefferson County Fairground where we will have a weekend campout with the family and hold Amy’s birthday cookout-party. We plan to head to Oklahoma on Monday.

Monday, September 29, 2014
With hugs and goodbyes, we departed Madison and headed west to Tulsa. We seriously considered driving old US 60 but after further investigation, we decided it would be too slow for our purposes. We could not get a reliable DOT Route 60 road report from Kentucky-Illinois,-Missouri-Oklahoma, so we opted to travel I-64 and I-44 to Tulsa.
We followed the Ohio River through the Hoosier National Forest, enjoying the scenery in this huge wilderness area. We had a picnic Lunch at the 1852 Warrenton United Church of Christ, under some majestic shade trees and verdant grass, beside the old cemetery.
We crossed the old Wabash and Erie Canal that linked the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico via the Ohio River.
We made camp at Cahokia, on the Illinois bank of the mighty Mississippi, immediately across the river from St. Louis.

On Tuesday, we crossed the Mississippi River and continued west on I-44.
Mt. Vernon, named after George Washington estate, is a busy destination with lots of tourist attractions.
Cuba is the “Route 66 Mural City” with 12 outdoor murals along the corridor.
Meramec Spring is located at St. James and the old Civil War era Meramec Iron Works were also situated here.
Passing through the Ozarks, we observed approximately 150 promotional billboards for Meramec Caverns. It has a long history but unlikely that Jesse James hid-out here in the 1870’s. Regardless, they advertise this and they have lots of Jesse James stuff. It’s a huge tourist attraction!
Rolla, the center of the Ozark Highlands, is the home of Missouri University of Science and Technology and the Alma Mater of a friend that I worked with in Seattle. It’s also a considerable viticulture area, with abundant Concord Grape vineyards.
Fort Leonard Wood is situated in the Missouri Ozarks and the training center for several of my former Army comrades.

We had a picnic lunch at the Salvation Army Camp Mahaska, in the Ozark Mountains, near Bourbon, Missouri. This is a youth camp with a beautiful campus and cascading, spring-fed pools. We had a pleasant lunch but were soon requested to leave the private property. I find this stimulating but Terry is embarrassed by my audacity. Some find it easier to apologize than ask permission.
We camped on Route 66 at Strafford where the “Trail of Tears” began into Green County. It was a warm, sunny day and we appreciated the AC. The temperature and humidity increased as we neared Tulsa but a cold front is promising more comfortable weather. We’ll spend the remainder of the week visiting Terry’s mom and family in Tulsa and head to Las Vegas on Monday.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Spending a week at St. Louis with Glenn and Kim, we had copious categories of activities to choose from, much of it free to the public. In fact, it would take months to just visit them all. We took the informative, educational, and entertaining docent-guided Trolley Tour, for an extensive overview of the city attractions, followed by lunch in the Laclede’s Landing neighborhood.
Of course, we began our exploration with the world-famous, stainless steel Gateway Arch/Museum of Westward Expansion and Busch Stadium, home of the 11-time world champion, St. Louis Cardinals.
We explored Forest Park, with all it cultural venues, and the Zoo. Afterwards, we treated ourselves to the scrumptious, Ted Drewe’s ice cream and in a gluttony fashion, sampled gooey butter cake. To confess our sins, we attended Mass at the Old Cathedral(1834). For penance, we toured the Anheiser-Busch brewery, to visit the Clydesdales, and see how Budweiser is made.
Another outing included a visit to the Science Museum, followed by lunch at “Sweetie Pies”. In the afternoon, we toured the Old Courthouse and Museum, offering a fascinating glimpse into the early judicial system “West of the Mississippi“.

Today, we visited the old Union Station, now renovated into an upscale shopping, entertainment, and dining venue. The Grand Hall and Hotel, based on the Romanesque style, are a showplace, reflecting the grandeur and opulent interior spaces of the National Historic Register Landmark.
Next, we visited the New Cathedral Basilica(1907). The extensive mosaics, largest collection of mosaics under one roof in the world,  depict the life of patron, Saint Louis IX, King of France, and the story of the Catholic Faith, from creation to the last judgment. This Cathedral is as impressive as any that I ever saw in  Europe (excepting Saint Peters in Rome).
We munched a fine picnic lunch at Forest Park and then headed to the “Delmar Loop”, a very engaging west-St. Louis neighborhood, around Washington University. The “St. Louis Walk-of-Fame” along both sides, honors the famous folks of the city.

 During our St. Louis week with Glenn and Kim, we drove ourselves about each day, perusing the neighborhoods and various sections of the city. From our RV site on the Illinois side, in Cahokia , we ultimately crossed each of the magnificent bridges, old to new. St. Louis has fascinating architecture, historic attractions, vibrant landscaping, ethnic neighborhoods, multi-cultural dining, exhausting shopping, and lots of entertainment opportunity. It would be necessary to dwell a year in residence to experience it all. Maybe we’ll do that sometime!
9-20 Today, we head over to Madison, Indiana for a visit and Amy’s Birthday.

 Bob and Glen wanting to get in to the ball park!

 Historic Court House museum in St Louis

 View from the Ball Park and below slightly younger than the oldest Catholic Church in St Louis is this beautiful church

Now here’s a tidbit of information that I have discovered in the Minnesota prairie;
Lots of American farmers are growing corn, fencerow-to-fencerow, to supply ethanol plants. The ethanol plants have built up in the large farm areas, economically, to be close to the corn production. The finished ethanol product is then shipped by rail tank-car to where it is  blended with petroleum gasoline.

The average per acre production of corn will yield approximately 330-424 gallons of ethanol per acre. A 15% blend of ethanol in one gallon of gasoline will reduce greenhouse-gas emission by 10-20%. This year, about 90% of the US gasoline sold, contained 10% ethanol. The EPA has now approved 15% ethanol in vehicles later than 2001 models. Also, I am seeing gasoline blends with 85% ethanol at the pumps, advertised to be burned in flex-fuel vehicles. Don’t put this in your Ford truck!
Biotechnology is working to increase the ethanol yield from corn and other crops like sugar cane, sorghum, grasses, and even wood chips could become candidates for ethanol production. Currently, only the corn grain or kernel is used in the ethanol production process which involves fermentation, distillation, and dehydration. It is possible to use the entire corn plant in ethanol production and that may be a future development.

As expected, negative effects have arisen as challenges to ethanol manufacturers. For example, advances are being made to reduce the fuel-system corrosion effects of ethanol fuel. Also, the manufacturing process of ethanol produces hazardous gases called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) along with other air, water, and ground pollution compounds, as an undesirable by-product.

Ethanol is the same ethyl alcohol that we have in beer, wine and hard liquor but with a laundry-list of potentially dangerous additives. The EPA and other government agencies monitor this product but they rely primarily on data principally from the manufacturers and that has already become an issue. Hopefully, the issues will be resolved in a responsible manner to avoid any SURPRISE future environmental and/or health disasters.
In the meantime, just “fill er up”!

Tuesday, September 2, 2014
While exploring the Granite Falls area, we met a lady who taught school in the one-room schoolhouse, which is now a part of the Granite Falls museum complex. Her farmer husband passed away at age 90 and she moved to town, turning the farm over to someone else. As she answered our questions, it was like going back in time, to a much different period of SW Minnesota life. We had a good visit and she was a real inspiration to us.
After a relaxing, five-day, Labor Day visit at the Prairie’s Edge Casino and Granite Falls area, we continued our travels toward St. Louis. The Casino was truly on the prairie edge, as the glacial Minnesota River Valley is a wooded green-belt oasis, cut to the bedrock,  right through the wide-open prairie. The glacial floods forming the Minnesota River Valley,  some 14-thousand years ago, exposed some of the oldest rock in the world.
As we drove down the river, in the cool, clear morning air, we saw large flocks of White Pelicans spiraling on the morning thermals, along the river valley. We also passed large agricultural crops with thousands of acres in corn, soybeans, and sugar beets.

Redwood Falls, MN is an 1864 town that was taken form the Dakota Sioux after the Dakota War of 1862. The US treaty of 1851 moved the Sioux to a concentrated tract along the Minnesota River, in exchange for payments and provisions by the US government, that was botched. The starving Sioux went on the “warpath”  and in the end 38 Sioux were hanged. You can still see memorial “spirit catchers” placed by the current Sioux community. Ironically, the Upper Sioux community now resides along the river, on a portion of the original tract. It’s common to see the senior Sioux people in WalMart and shopping around town but ot seems that the young Sioux leave the community.

We have met and talked with numerous Minnesota RV’ers who go south for the winter. Many are out on shakedown cruises getting ready to head south in October/November. They return in March/April. South Texas and Arizona are their popular destinations for the winter. I think the south Texas (Rio Grande Valley) would be a fun winter location, as it is on a latitude with Miami. Looks like we have winter quarters set for Las Vegas at the Clark County Shooting Complex.

Jeffers Petroglyphs are located in southwest Minnesota on a flat quartzite outcropping laid bare and smoothed out by glaciers 14 thousand years ago. The ancient images were pecked into the flat, quartz slab by the native inhabitants some 7-9 thousand years ago.
The present Sioux people consider this to be a sacred place where “Grandmother earth speaks of the past, present and future“.  I guess you have to read the book on that one!

Spirit Lake, in northwest Iowa, is part of a group of ancient glacial lakes that are deep, clear, and blue. Called the “Great Lakes of Iowa“, the area has become a popular resort area. Lots of campgrounds and recreational opportunities. We camped on the Lakeshore at a nice RV park at Spirit Lake. The area is highly developed as a resort locale serving Iowa and the surrounding states. The owner loaned us his grease-gun so that I could lube my truck front-end. Nice folks!

We camped next at Audubon, Iowa in the middle of Iowa farm country. We shared the campground with two Iowa farm families who were just relaxing before the corn and bean harvest begins. After harvest, they’ll take their RV trailers and spend the winter in the Rio Grande Valley, in south Texas.
Audubon is named for John James Audubon who frequented the Mississippi River drainage searching for birds. We did see some birds. Audubon town has a thirty-foot tall Herford steer as a monument to their cattle and beef industry. Additionally, the region produces pork.
The cattle are fed on feedlots and the pigs are grown in long, metal barns. Driving on US 71, we played “name that barnyard smell“, as we passed the numerous farms! The cramped feeder operations appear and smell unhealthy but that’s the way they do it. They just pump in the feed, minerals and antibiotics. Feeding farm animals and ethanol production has increased the Iowa corn crop to a record, 14.6 million acres, according to Iowa State University statistics.

On Thursday, the weather was hot, windy,  and humid. We were missing the cool Minnesota days but that’s not slowing our plans to meet Kim and Glen for a visit in St. Louis. Today, it has cooled down for our first morning in St. Joseph, on the Missouri River,  where “the Pony Express began and Jesse James ended”.
We have visited beginning and the end of the old Pony Express route, St. Joseph in the east and Sacramento in the west. I guess you could call the riders “the first postal workers”!
We spent the day exploring old town St. Joseph and shopping the new town. Lots of impressive architecture, historical sites, and splendid sights are abundant in the old town, along the Missouri River. It was cloudy and cool making a good day!

Saturday, September 6, 2014
Today we traveled east on US36 from St. Joseph to Hannibal, Missouri. Crossing the north of the state, we encountered lots of corn and bean crops and saw the farmers beginning to combine the harvest. Fall was in the air today and listening to the Missouri football game made it even more fall-like. Also, we saw lots of fall wildflowers like; Sunflowers, Blackeyed Susan’s, Blazing Star, Bee Balm, and lots of colorful grasses. We stopped at Chillicothe for lunch and WalMart shopping and talked to some Rvers heading to northwest Wyoming. It made me reflect on the terrific fall scenes in the Rockies, with the Aspens and Cottonwoods in full fall color, an awesome spectacle!

Today, we attended mass at Holy Family Catholic Church and spent remainder of the day exploring Hannibal. Lovers Leap is a high limestone precipice overlooking the Mississippi River and Hannibal, from the downstream side of town. It was a quite, tranquil, observation place, with a light, cool, north  breeze and you could imagine what Samuel Clemens’s Hannibal was like. You could write your own story here, and I met one young lady, a student at Hannibal LaGrange University, who was doing just that. Maybe she will be the next Mark Twain!

Along the river, we toured the park and public docks, a nice facility for river watchers and recreational boaters. The nostalgic Mark Twain riverboat was waiting to cruise the river, providing commentary on the history and sights.
We walked on Main Street and perused the tourist shops and stops, ending with a climb up to the Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse for a north side view of town and the river.
Along Main Street, we encountered Tom and Becky, in full dress, in front of the Mark Twain boyhood home. Their parents were close by and we learned how two seventh-graders (boy and girl) are chosen each school year to play the role, as eight-graders. A serious annual competition and quite an honor for the winning couple, to play the famous literary couple.

We walked out to the end of the old Mark Twain bridge approach, now a small city park, for another overlook of the Mississippi River. The old bridge was demolished when the new Mark Train bridge was opened.
Yes, Hannibal is everything Mark Twain and they depend heavily on tourism to keep it going. Like many small towns, the local industry has dwindled and left lots of empty, derelict buildings and an eroded tax base.  

Heading on down toward St. Louis, we decided to travel the west bank and then cross over to Illinois at the next bridge. Meandering down the Mississippi River, along the steep, curvy, Missouri “Great  River Road” (MO79) we enjoyed some scenic overlooks from the limestone bluffs. The Missouri bank has high bluffs, while the Illinois side is a flat prairie. We saw fall influences in the tree colors along the river. We also observed several small plots of a short shrub, deep maroon foliage, in rows,  like plant in rows.
Blueberry?????
At Louisiana, Missouri, we crossed the river to the Illinois bank and continued south on the flat agricultural prairie, (IL96) to Pere Marquette State Park. The corn harvest has begun here and the combines, grain carts, trucks, and elevators are frenzied. We met two retired farmers relaxing at the State Park and I asked; “you guys don’t seem too concerned about the corn harvest”? They amusingly replied “no, we turned the farm over to someone else” The small family farms of the past are now large agribusinesses with immense plantations. They own large tracts and they also rent aas much land as they can manage. Many of the old farmers are getting rent and lease checks on the land they own and previously farmed. I talked one farmer that sold out for 5-thousand per acre.

Pere Marquette State Park, a 1930’s CCC Project, is situated close to the confluence of the Illinois River with the Mississippi River, about thirty miles upstream from St. Louis. We studied French explorers Marquette and Joliet in American History but had never seen any monuments to their 1673 expedition. As they traveled from the Great Lakes down the inland rivers, Father Marquette was very impressed with the area around the Illinois and Mississippi River confluence. We visited his memorial cross, located near the confluence. The one-piece, stone cross was hewn from a slab of native limestone and overlooks the 1763 confluence. The confluence has since shifted a mile south, where Grafton is now situated. This area is also the prime wintering grounds for the american Bald Eagle.
We met a retired river pilot at the fish house in Grafton and he related his interesting experiences from his life on the rivers. While there, we observed two recreational cruisers heading downriver. Flying the American Great Loop Cruisers Association burgee, they are on the inland river leg of the “Great Loop”, right on schedule to make south Florida by December. We were envious but glad we’re not out there now. The lead boat was probably in the neighborhood of a three-quarter million price tag. They can afford to cruise the “Great Loop” with a leisurely style, in great comfort.

Camp River Dubois, the point of departure for the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery into the Louisiana Purchase, an uncharted wilderness, was the Lewis and Clark (1803-1804) winter camp. When Camp River Dubois was the edge of the United States, the expedition set out to explore the lands west of the Mississippi. Situated at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, they planned, trained and made final preparations for the long journey to the Pacific Ocean. The docent was an authority on the expedition and an excellent interpreter. We have now visited the three winter camps, the beginning middle, and the end, at the Mississippi, Mandan Village,  and the Pacific, including most of their in-between historic sites. Now it’s easy to understand and appreciate the momentous journey and comprehend their great contribution to America.

We visited the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District, Visitor Center at Lock and Dam number 15.They have educational models of the Mississippi River system, lock and dam tours, and an excellent museum on river commerce and life. Here you will gain an appreciation for the services of the Corps in maintaining the river channel, pool levels, and navigation aids. They have a superb staff to answer questions and assist visitors. America has a great story and a river is on every page of it.
Having observed vast corn crops along the river, we learned that; not all the corn is transported on the river, but an estimated 19 million tons of corn will come down the Mississippi River this year.

We have immensely enjoyed our stay at Pere Marquette, the oldest State Park in Illinois, this week. Exploring the park and the surrounding area between the Illinois and Mississippi rivers has been enlightening, tranquil, and entertaining. It truly is a unique area and we can now see why Father Marquette was so overwhelmed by the area.
We liked it too!