Travel
I'll do the bad first. I rolled into Fargo, ND with a flapping back tire. Called AAA and they said something about having a repair service come over and put on that little donut tire for me so that I could drive it to the shop. That donut tire is beneath all my stuff in the cargo space! I opted to call a local (1 block away) company. The guy came over and pumped air into the tire, and I followed him to their shop. They removed a bolt that had to be 2-1/2" long!
The good news is that they repaired the tire. I know I will need a replacement - actually two back tires, but would rather not have to spend the money in the middle of my journey to NY. If I can make it there I will let my oldest son advise me on where to get tires. In the west it would be at Les Schwab, and in North Carolina it would be Chandler's Tires, but I don't have a clue what to do in NY so fortunately I will be with the kid who always has advice for everything and everyone. Hey - he's the oldest of 4 and I'm the oldest of 8, so I can relate to giving great advice! I taught him well.
So yesterday I spent the morning at Ft. Totten and then drove to Graham Island State Park, where I decided to get a campsite for the night. I had a gorgeous site, very private, and although once in a while I could hear someone nearby, I never saw any neighbors and there was only foliage across the road - no campers there.
The site is called a Double and actually has two picnic tables but just one fire ring, and I noticed many like that.
I took a walk down to the lake - a lake is a lake is a lake, but here it is.
I got a lazy and leisurely start this morning as I had to let the sun dry the dew off the tent and fly. It needs a good airing now.
I have had some trouble with the zipper on the tent door - there are two actual zipper pulls and I use them both. The zipper itself has been separating in spots as the pull goes over that spot, and I am worried about going outside the tent in the middle of the night and then having a problem zipping the door again. In the dark it wouldn't be easy.
I need to find a good, reliable outdoor store to seek advice about the zipper as well as how I might waterproof my small backpacking tent. I've been referred to a good store over along Lake Superior, so I will just have to hope things hold out until then. The small tent is much easier to put up and take down, and once I get inside my sleeping bag it doesn't matter if there is a lot of space all around me. The zipper on the small tent has been difficult to operate but I have run a small bar of soap over it a few times and it seems to help. The trouble in these parts with tenting is the morning dew. Man, is it heavy! (When I unzip the door to the big tent to go outside to pee at night, you can't really hear the zipper; with the backpacking tent it's so loud it has to be waking half the people in the campground.)
The eastern half of North Dakota is actually lovely. It's flat, but that can be scenic as well. The western side, especially around the Theodore Roosevelt NP, is probably as beautiful scenery as I've seen yet, really awe inspiring, but the lights and the oil drills and the fires and the trucks and the awful roads really threaten its future.
I am exhausted tonight and don't know what to do about supper. Don't really care if I eat anything or not - certainly won't be visiting the Burger king next door. I think driving is taking its toll on me, and I'm not really driving that many miles a day. The constant road work is difficult to deal with, and being alone is getting to me. It was fine at both T.R. sites because I was able to converse with other campers and the camphost. Sitting for any length of time in the car is really bothering my spine and my tailbone, and there's nothing I can do about either one.
I have a lot of good things to look forward to, so I'm just doing a little bitchin' - not really complaining.
- Rei Class
I arrived at REI early yesterday so that I could look at backpacks. I spoke with one of the reps and decided that I need to get more of an idea how much weight I will carry, to determine the size and composition of the pack. Usually the light...
-
I wanted to change the header picture but had a lot of trouble - couldn't get a picture description without messing everything else up. I like this particular photo because it looks like one of the swans called a meeting of the flock (or whatever...
- Searching For Lake Ontario
What a disappointment to find that the shores of Lake Ontario, as many of the other Great Lakes, are in private hands. Today I could only snap a photo from afar while on the Ontario Lake Parkway. Every time I tried to turn down a road that...
- Burns, Oregon
I left Lava Beds at 8 am thinking I had a leisurely 100 mile drive to Crater Lake. It is an awesome place that sometimes makes you think you are in another world. I forgot the name of the Wildlife Refuge on the way and didn't...
- Have Dinner In South Africa
Voulezvousdiner Have just launched a new special offer. ...
Travel
Bad News and Good News
I'll do the bad first. I rolled into Fargo, ND with a flapping back tire. Called AAA and they said something about having a repair service come over and put on that little donut tire for me so that I could drive it to the shop. That donut tire is beneath all my stuff in the cargo space! I opted to call a local (1 block away) company. The guy came over and pumped air into the tire, and I followed him to their shop. They removed a bolt that had to be 2-1/2" long!
The good news is that they repaired the tire. I know I will need a replacement - actually two back tires, but would rather not have to spend the money in the middle of my journey to NY. If I can make it there I will let my oldest son advise me on where to get tires. In the west it would be at Les Schwab, and in North Carolina it would be Chandler's Tires, but I don't have a clue what to do in NY so fortunately I will be with the kid who always has advice for everything and everyone. Hey - he's the oldest of 4 and I'm the oldest of 8, so I can relate to giving great advice! I taught him well.
So yesterday I spent the morning at Ft. Totten and then drove to Graham Island State Park, where I decided to get a campsite for the night. I had a gorgeous site, very private, and although once in a while I could hear someone nearby, I never saw any neighbors and there was only foliage across the road - no campers there.
The site is called a Double and actually has two picnic tables but just one fire ring, and I noticed many like that.
I took a walk down to the lake - a lake is a lake is a lake, but here it is.
I got a lazy and leisurely start this morning as I had to let the sun dry the dew off the tent and fly. It needs a good airing now.
I have had some trouble with the zipper on the tent door - there are two actual zipper pulls and I use them both. The zipper itself has been separating in spots as the pull goes over that spot, and I am worried about going outside the tent in the middle of the night and then having a problem zipping the door again. In the dark it wouldn't be easy.
I need to find a good, reliable outdoor store to seek advice about the zipper as well as how I might waterproof my small backpacking tent. I've been referred to a good store over along Lake Superior, so I will just have to hope things hold out until then. The small tent is much easier to put up and take down, and once I get inside my sleeping bag it doesn't matter if there is a lot of space all around me. The zipper on the small tent has been difficult to operate but I have run a small bar of soap over it a few times and it seems to help. The trouble in these parts with tenting is the morning dew. Man, is it heavy! (When I unzip the door to the big tent to go outside to pee at night, you can't really hear the zipper; with the backpacking tent it's so loud it has to be waking half the people in the campground.)
The eastern half of North Dakota is actually lovely. It's flat, but that can be scenic as well. The western side, especially around the Theodore Roosevelt NP, is probably as beautiful scenery as I've seen yet, really awe inspiring, but the lights and the oil drills and the fires and the trucks and the awful roads really threaten its future.
I am exhausted tonight and don't know what to do about supper. Don't really care if I eat anything or not - certainly won't be visiting the Burger king next door. I think driving is taking its toll on me, and I'm not really driving that many miles a day. The constant road work is difficult to deal with, and being alone is getting to me. It was fine at both T.R. sites because I was able to converse with other campers and the camphost. Sitting for any length of time in the car is really bothering my spine and my tailbone, and there's nothing I can do about either one.
I have a lot of good things to look forward to, so I'm just doing a little bitchin' - not really complaining.
- Rei Class
I arrived at REI early yesterday so that I could look at backpacks. I spoke with one of the reps and decided that I need to get more of an idea how much weight I will carry, to determine the size and composition of the pack. Usually the light...
-
I wanted to change the header picture but had a lot of trouble - couldn't get a picture description without messing everything else up. I like this particular photo because it looks like one of the swans called a meeting of the flock (or whatever...
- Searching For Lake Ontario
What a disappointment to find that the shores of Lake Ontario, as many of the other Great Lakes, are in private hands. Today I could only snap a photo from afar while on the Ontario Lake Parkway. Every time I tried to turn down a road that...
- Burns, Oregon
I left Lava Beds at 8 am thinking I had a leisurely 100 mile drive to Crater Lake. It is an awesome place that sometimes makes you think you are in another world. I forgot the name of the Wildlife Refuge on the way and didn't...
- Have Dinner In South Africa
Voulezvousdiner Have just launched a new special offer. ...