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Raton KOA (Sept 30) 2025
We drove to Raton KOA, set up the camper and then headed out to drive the Highway of Legends. I wanted to record it for mom and also it is one of my favorite scenic drives in the area. This time of year is just stunning with the vibrant colors.The first photo is as we were leaving Blue Mesa then the others are along the scenic drive.
We grabbed lunch at Sonic and I must say, I think that was the worst food I have ever gotten from Sonic. Bleh…Raton has really fallen into a sad state. There is not many places to eat, the streets seem to be full of wandering drifters and most of the businesses are shut down. It is sad. The campground was ok, but just a stop off, not a place to really stay.
Off to Texas next!
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TT Blue Mesa (Sept 2-30) 2025
We arrived at TT Blue Mesa in Gunnison, Colorado on September 2. We are staying here for a full month until the campground closes for the season. We got the same site as we did the first time we stayed here. It is a great site and this time it was much easier for me to back into!
We spent the first 2 days getting settled in and then I flew to Dallas for a week. It is so nice that Montrose has an airport that has a direct flight to Dallas. This year, Hwy 50 isn’t under construction, so that made for a better drive to the airport also!
I returned to Gunnison on the 9th. On September 11, my aunt Anita called and let us know that our dear aunt Jan passed away. It was unexpected and broke my heart right open. Aunt Jan is such a beautiful soul and while I am happy that she has been reunited with her love, Uncle Dennis, it is shattering to know that she is no longer bringing her light into this world. I will miss her greatly. I cannot imagine how my cousins/her daughters are feeling. My heart is with them. This sunset was the evening I found out.
On the 16th, we drove to Grand Junction and drove the Colorado National Monument.
On the 18th, we drove to Crested Butte. We stopped at the Gunsight trail and hiked a bit.
We drove Kebler Pass Scenic Drive and it was really beautiful. We saw a rouge lamb just trotting down the road! The leaves are changing and so pretty.
We took the truck in to get the repairs done, new tires and stabilizers installed. We ended up renting a car for the week while the repairs are done. On the way home, we stopped at Morrow Point Dam and found this cool train.
On the 21st, we drove the million dollar highway to Durango. We started off the morning with Dunkin Donuts for Ed and Scooby and a breakfast burrito for me from my favorite little drive through Sunrise Burritos! We stopped at Honeyville to pick up some goodies for Mama and myself. We ended up trading the rental car for a Jeep Compass at the Durango airport.
We rode the Durango-Silverton Railway. It is such a gorgeous and enjoyable trip. We had lunch at Handlebars in Silverton. We had supper at Gazpacho in Durango.
On the way back to Gunnison, I opted to drive the longer way, up through Telluride and down through Ridgeway. The mountains had some snowcaps and I wanted to capture them for Mama.
On the 25th, we drove over Monarch Pass.
We then went to St Elmo’s Ghost Town.
We then drove over Cottonwood Pass to Almont. We saw bighorn sheep! It was a great day and a gorgeous drive!
On the 26th, I woke up to discover that we had a mouse in the camper! It had dug into my plant and left droppings all over the camper! I was hysterical!!!
I sent Ed out immediately to get traps and heavy duty cleaner. I spent the entire day scrubbing the camper from top to bottom. It was exhausting. I was pretty sure of where it had gotten in, so I had Ed put a trap right where I expected it to access the camper. Within an hour of going to bed, the mouse was caught! I had Ed repair the area and tried to relax a bit. It took several days of examining all my surfaces for me to be convinced there were no more mice getting in. SIGH!
On the 29th, we went into Montrose and visited the Museum of the Mountain West. It is a really cool spot. The main building is really neat in that it is set up like an entire main street town inside the building! The outer buildings are really fantastic also. We really are glad we stopped.
After visiting the museum, we picked up the truck from the dealership, returned the rental car and went back to the campground to pack up for moving. The campground closes tomorrow for the season and we will be headed for Raton, NM.
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Craig Colorado KOA (Sept 1) 2025
We made another one night stop in Craig, Colorado at the KOA. The KOA is nice, we did have to request a different site than originally assigned as it was much to difficult to get into, but we ended up with a nice spot.
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Patriot RV Park (Aug 31) 2025
We did a one night stay at Patriot RV Park in Riverton, WY.
There was this cool gypsy wagon-like camper at Fishing Bridge as we were leaving the campground.
We stopped at the National Museum of Military Vehicles in Dubois, Wyoming, on the way to Riverton. They had a great parking area for RVs, so it was nice that we could stop.
Next stop…Craig, Colorado
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Yellowstone Fishing Bridge (Aug 17-31) 2025
Well, we arrived at Fishing Bridge in Yellowstone. The drive through the park was interesting while towing the fifth wheel! I am glad to say I handled it like a champ. The campground certainly isn’t what I was expecting. The site is a mess. I had to lay mats down just to smash the ‘grass’ enough so that we could walk from the truck to the camper without scratching the heck out of our legs. For the cost, I am really disappointed in how poorly maintained this campground is. The roads and the site pad/patio is nice. It just would take a small amount of effort to make this a much better place to relax. Oh well, as Ed said, we are not planning on staying in the campground for much other than sleeping.
Our first full day in the park, we drove to the south entrance and had lunch at Snake River Picnic Area. We drove around and just kinda surveyed the area and what we might like to do.
Our second day in the park, we decided to drive the Beartooth Mountain Scenic Drive from Yellowstone to Red Lodge then onto Cody. It was a beautiful drive and we really enjoyed it!
Day 3, we just chilled most of the day and then went to Haden Valley at sunset, hoping to see some wildlife. We saw a buffalo and a few elk, but the sunset was the star!
Day 4, we drove to Jackson Hole, drove to the summit of Teton Pass, found the driveway arch that Mama took her photo at, went to see the Thomas Dambo troll, Mama Mimi and we stopped at an Art-O-Mat. On the way back to Yellowstone, we saw a pair of moose in a creek!
Day 5, we drove to Cody. We saw a fun Ghostbuster Mobile that was for sale! Even had Slimer as the passenger! We took a trolley tour, walked around downtown, went to The Cody Cattle Company dinner show. We enjoyed the day and the show was fun. On the way back to Yellowstone, we saw a bear on the road! It was late and really dark, Ed said “Bear!” and I said “Oh My Gawd!” LOL You can betcha I slowed down after that scare!
It isn’t easy to see the bear, but we did catch him briefly on the dash cam
Day 6 & 7, I was feeling ill with what I am pretty sure was a kidney stone. It was the weekend and we usually try to stay out of the public on weekends.
Day 8, we drove the perimeter of the entire park. We went up on a diversion drive that we had read often bears are seen, but we didn’t see any bears. We stopped in West Yellowstone, walked around downtown, had lunch and went to the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center.
We enjoyed our day and on the way back to the campground, we saw a black bear! This is the best photo I got of it…it is right above and a tiny bit to the left of the large rock. We pulled over a bit down the river from it and there were rangers making sure no one got too close.
Ed was helping me find a letterbox here 😉
Day 9, we went to the Canyon Area all afternoon and evening…this has been the best day so far! We really enjoyed all of our adventures this day!
Day 10, we went to the Teddy Roosevelt Lodge for breakfast. It was quite good! The lodge and cabins are nice. We then drove through Lamar Valley. We drove up to Slough Creek and saw eagles nesting. There were lots of bison. We ended the day at Mammoth where we had supper.
Day 11, I was feeling very ill, so I stayed at the camper all day. Ed was a sweetheart and picked up supper at the little campground store grill. The food was excellent, however VERY pricey!
Day 12, We got up early and drove to Cody. We went to the Buffalo Bill Museum, which is an amazing museum! We then drove the Beartooth Highway the opposite way, from Red Lodge and it had much nicer views! When we got back into Yellowstone we saw a grizzly! We also got stuck in several bison jams.
This photo is Ed helping me search for a letterbox again. I love this man more than I can ever express.
The view is stunning!
Day 13, We stayed at the camper, packed, cleaned and prepared to move. We had a great time at Yellowstone. Looking back, I realize some folks would probably think we didn’t do much IN the park, but we did. We have been here before and will be returning, so we tried to take it easy and enjoy our time. We avoided the crowded areas and were not interested in seeing things we saw last time which tended to be the most crowded areas. We also figured out that we want to invest in a scope and a better camera lens to get the far away wildlife shots! LOL
Next stop, Riverton, WY…
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Three Forks Market RV Park (Aug 10-17) 2025
We moved to Three Forks Market RV Park. It is a really nice campground behind the local grocery market. I was hesitant at first, but we ended up really enjoying the place. They are sticklers for the rules. One being that your dog is not allowed to use the bathroom on any surface of the campground (grass, gravel, dirt, nada). So Ed got really good at carrying Scooby from the door to the area across the street where pottying was allowed. LOL We were in the 3rd site from the left of this ariel photo.
I had a raven that came and visited on the first day. I gave him peanuts from Texas Roadhouse, then he told his friends and they visited every day! I was worried that I would get busted for feeding them, but I managed to keep it under wraps.
The first day we were in town, we walked to the downtown area. It is a cute little town and the hanging baskets are unbelievable! I also couldn’t get over how HUGE the dandelion puffs are!!!
I also found a quilted heart! Too cute!
We went to Missouri Headwaters State Park and hiked the Fort Rock Trail. It was really an enjoyable hike.
On Tuesday, we went to Lewis & Clark Caverns to do a tour and have breakfast. Unfortunately, when we got there, the kitchen was closed and we discovered that our tour was actually booked for Wednesday, not Tuesday. So we pivoted and drove to Deer Lodge to go to the prison museum there. On the way, the truck decided to start acting up and we tried to find a dealership that could do a service call. As luck would have it, the dealership in Butte couldn’t do it, Missoula was completely booked…finally, we got an appointment in Livingston on Thursday! Sigh
The prison museum was interesting…but spooky and strange, also!
There is a cool store in Deer Lodge, just across from the prison museum that is full of art, crafts and handmade items that are all made by current inmates. The proceeds go into the individual prisoners account so that they can buy items from the prison commissary or shop. I thought it was really a cool concept and some of those folks are really talented! There was a vast array of things.
On Wednesday, we went on our tour of the Lewis and Clark Caverns. We also had breakfast, as the kitchen was open! I am not a huge fan of caverns, but Ed really enjoys them, so I try to be a champ and go when we come across one he wants to visit. I suffer from claustrophobia and it has worsened with time. I try not to think about the fact that we are underground and that it is possible for these places to collapse or flood without any real warning, but I am rarely successful at keeping those thoughts at bay. This cavern started off with a bang! The photo below is the entry to the caverns. There is a big iron door at the beginning of the tunnel and another at the end, our guide explained that in order to get into this area, only one door can be opened at a time. Therefore, they have to plan the tours in such a way that one tour is not trying to get out of the cavern as one tour is coming in. I don’t know about you, but this was not a warm, inviting start for me!
After the caverns, we took Scooby to get a bath and a nail trim at a local groomer’s called Momma Bear’s. Oh my goodness, she took the cutest photo of Scooby! I will treasure this photo for eternity! He is such a cutie pie!
On Thursday we drove to Livingston to have the truck evaluated. Both rear stabilizers need to be replaced, however, they don’t have the parts in stock and will not be able to order them to arrive before we leave Montana. The technician assures me that we can drive and more importantly tow safely. We do have ABS still working. I’m frustrated, but happy to know that we can continue on safely.
The campground is located just across the street from the rodeo grounds and there is a field just beyond the rodeo grounds. We have seen several sky divers over the past couple of days and I finally snapped some photos.
Our last few days here have been packing, getting supplies to carry us through our visit to Yellowstone and planning for our time there. We are looking forward to staying inside the park this time. We shall see how it goes!
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Cardwell General Store & Campground (Aug 5-10) 2025
We moved to Cardwell, Montana and arrived at Cardwell General Store & Campground. The site they initially assigned to us was right next to the dump! It smelled horrible and the camper next to us was abandoned. That sites sewer opening was broken open, which made the smell even worse. I had Ed go to the office to insist on either moving us to another site or a refund, as there was no way I was staying in that spot.
Thankfully, they did have a site on the other side of the park that could accommodate our size and was what we call a 50 amp W/E/S site. So we headed over there to get settled in. Of course, I forgot to take a photo of the new site, but it was ok. We are only here for a short stay, so it will work for us. The view from the site is very pretty. Supposedly there is a resident moose in the area, so we will see if we get a visitor.
There is a small walking trail behind the area in the above photo where the swing is facing. I found these quirky birds made from tools and utensils. There is a small creek that runs behind the reeds where I assume the moose comes to visit.
We drove to a little town called Virginia City and took this cute train to Nevada City. It literally is only like a mile between the two, but it is a cute rid. In Nevada City there is a Montana Heritage Museum.
The museum is really cool. It is set up like an old western town. They have the largest collection of Old West artifacts outside the Smithsonian. It has one hundred 1863-early 1900 buildings. We had fun walking through the buildings and wandering around. I could have stayed there the entire day.
The first building where you enter, has a bunch of old pipe organs on display. They were really cool!
We rode the train back to Virginia City, explored there a bit and had supper at the Virginia City Cafe.
We saw the train with another group while we were walking to the truck and in the parking lot we saw this cool bus!
We spent a day shopping around Bozeman. I was on the hunt for Old Dutch Puffcorn, they have this sweet and salty variety that I am addicted to! Unfortunately, I think we are too far west now to get it.
We also hit a couple of farmers markets, one in Butte and one in Whitehall. I got some beautiful flowers and some treats. I love farmers markets!
On our last in the campground, the moon was really spectacular. This was the best photo I could get on my phone.
Where will we end up next?
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Malmstrom FamCamp (July 21-Aug 5) 2025
We moved to Great Falls, Montana. This is where Ed was stationed in 1986-1987. He worked in Security Forces guarding Missile Silos. This is where he had his first real taste of camping in a camper…unfortunately it was a truck bed camper that was shared with other soldiers. Perhaps that was why he was hesitant to buy our first camper! LOL
The first week here, we just kinda chilled. We did some cleaning/organizing of the camper and I had a couple of migraine days, which kept me down.
On Saturdays, Great Falls has a Farmers Market, so we ventured out to it. It is a really big market and has tons of vendors, music and entertainment. Lots of food trucks also! I bought a crocheted ‘monster’ called Bingo! He is a riot! His neck is long and you can grab it and shake it. This might be helpful when I want to ring James’ neck for some of the goofy things he gets himself into! LOL!
We went to the Montana State Fair. I didn’t take many photos. I was contemplating getting a ‘Cowpie’ as it says you haven’t been to Montana if you haven’t had one! Well, I opted for Indian Fry Bread with honey butter instead. The fry bread was good, but not as good as the one’s I’ve had in New Mexico. Now I wish I had tried the cowpie! Maybe next time.
We drove to Fort Benton for a day trip. They have some great museums and a nice interpretive center. The volunteer at the interpretive center knows people in Farmersville! It was so funny to meet someone in Montana that has been to and knows my small hometown. She also loved my ring that I wear daily, it is a Sandstone molded ring that my father gave my mother and she in turn handed it down to me.
Ed took me to the falls that give Great Falls it’s name and to the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center in Great Falls. The Interpretive Center is amazing.
One day while eating at Taco John’s, we saw this colorful character. We ended up seeing him multiple times over our stay. I assume he probably has a ‘name’ around town. Such as “Many feathers yet Screw Loose”
We went on a drive to a falls I had read about called Memorial Falls. The drive alone was beautiful. We did almost the entire hike. It was gorgeous. Ed and I decided that we should look into getting a “GoPro” so that I can take videos of some of these beautiful drives and hikes we go on and that way I can share them with Mama. It is a way she can kinda tag along on our adventures from the comfort of her home!
We went to Giant Springs State Park next to the Interpretive Center and walked the trail that runs all along the river. There is a small fish hatchery that has trout. I really enjoyed the area and would walk the trails as often as possible if I lived in the area.
The last few days of our stay here, I was down with migraine. We just hung out at the campground, slowly packed everything up for moving day and cleaned.
Next stop…Cardwell, Montana
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Caprock RV Park (July 16-21) 2025
We moved to Glendive, Montana and along the drive, we stopped at an overlook/visitor center for Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The landscape here is beautiful!
The campground is one of the more unique RV parks we have stayed at. It is a small place with 6 RV spots and a cabin. It is located in an odd area behind a storage facility near a railroad yard. At first, I was not too thrilled, but actually I really enjoyed this place! I met the owners and the mother, who cleans the cabin. They are all very sweet and really want to make your stay comfortable and enjoyable. We would gladly stop here again if we are in the area!
Our site was next to the cabin and had a really beautiful yard and lots of shade. It is a pull through site and super easily accessible. Full hookups, of course, as we are glampers, not boondockers! HA!
When we got set up and settled, I went for a walk around the area. It is a combination of an industrial park area that butts up to a neighborhood. I had a blast seeing all the quirky things in the neighborhood. My kind of place! I didn’t get photos of every quirky spot, as I didn’t want to look like some kind of creep. LOL
The second day of our stay, we drove to Theodore Roosevelt Park South Entrance at Medora. This is a beautiful park and WOW were there a ton of bison to see! Lots of prairie dogs, too. We even saw a few wild horses.
That night, we went to the Medora Musical show. It was such a cute show, we had a blast. Man, was it COLD though! Whew! Cold in mid-July will always be a shock to my brain.
On Friday, we went to the North Entrance of Theodore Roosevelt NP. We really enjoyed the park. We had brought our lunch and we stopped at a picnic area to eat. Well, as soon as we got set-up and started eating, a bison decided that he wanted to join us. We quickly packed up and decided that lunch inside the truck was a better option!
created by photogrid Ironically, this was posted on the bathroom at the picnic area. You don’t have to tell me! I have no interest in getting close to one of these beautiful creatures. I will give them all the space they want.
We thoroughly enjoyed this park and will most certainly be returning. It wasn’t crazy busy and it had just such a peaceful aura.
On our last day here, we went to Makoshika State Park, on the recommendation of the campground owners. We are so glad we made time to stop here, as it is gorgeous.
We had a wonderful time at this stop. We both wished we had booked more time here, but as Ed likes to say, “We gotta leave something for next time!” We are looking forward to visiting the area again soon.
Next stop, Great Falls, Montana!
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Bismarck KOA (July 11-16) 2025
We moved to Bismark, ND and along the way, we stopped and saw the world’s largest Sandhill Crane! I love these kitschy tourist traps! I was hoping for a letterbox to be in the area, but alas! I really need to learn how to carve, so I can plant letterboxes along my travels. Maybe I will make that a new goal.
I forgot to take a photo of our campsite. I try to remember to snap a photo, so I can use it as the ‘photo’ for the post and also to recall what the site is like, in case we return to the area. Alas, I don’t always think about it! So, here is a map of the campground instead. I made no notes on this campground in my log either, so I don’t recall what site we stayed in or anything about the campground. I guess that means it was a decent stay and no issues at least!
On Sunday, we decided to adventure out to the Enchanted Highway. Along the route, we discovered Salem Sue!
We spent the day on the Enchanted Highway. It is quite an adventure. We had a fun day discovering all the sculptures. I found several letterboxes along the way.
On Monday, we visited the Dakota Zoo. The first thing I saw was a sign that made me think of my mama. She loves picking up feathers, but NOT HERE LINDA! ha ha
It was a nice little zoo and the weather was good, so we enjoyed it.
We enjoyed our time in the area and got a chance to chill a bit. Our next stop is Glendive, just outside Theodore Roosevelt National Park!
