Day Twenty and Home!

Wichata Falls to Austin.  Had a rain last night in RV park which was really nice and cooled things down some.  This morning took a few pictures of this  park including their "doggie park" with multicolored hydrants.  Cute.  Now back in Austin and gave the Escape its first bath, and put it on its pad by the house.  It looks nice there and I have had a great time traveling almoast 5000 miles to pick it up and bring it back to Texas.  I am looking forward to more Escape Adventures, but maybe not so far away next time and hopefully with Kathy the whole way! 

Thanks for followimg my travel blog. Until next Escape Trip!

ESCAPE 19' IN ITS NEW HOME

Jay

Day Nineteen

Back in Texas!  Short drive today from Elk City OK to Wichita Falls TX.  After learning about the massares at Washita stopped at 2 casinos run by Native Americans and made some "reparations". Toured a little in Wichita Falls at a park and had a great steak dinner and read and relaxed tonight.  Tommorrow, its  home to Austin and the completion of my "Escape Journey"  Its been great fun and the trailer has worked wonderfully.  Only 2 problems were a bathroom door that quit shutting that I needed to adjust the catch and a blind that became serriously untensioned that I had to repair.  Not bad a tall for a 2500 mi;e journey from Canada to Texas!  I am looking forward to more travels in the near future. Will post final entry when home.

Day Eighteen

Battle of the Washita Ntional Historic Site

Dusk shot in Kansas

Drove into Oklahoma today.  Lss wind and more varied terain.  Getting hotter!  Temp showed 102 on car thrmometer. Wetern Oklahoma has lots of windmills now.  Ithink I saw hundreds.  Guess alongwith oil and gas the state has lots of wind poer as well.  Drove a little out of my way to visit Washata "battlefield" ( really a massacre site) where Custer attracked a peaceful Indian village and killed about 40 women and children.  In addition he lost an officer and 17 men and made no attempt to recover them.  It was apparrently the souce of maqjor friction between him and Benteen that persisted to the Little Bighorn battle.  Anyway it was interesteing to see the place that was important prelude to Custers last stand so many mies away.  Ended day in Elk City OK and tommorrow back  in Tx. Hurah!  Ill be home soon and looking forward to it.  But who turned on the heater?!

Day Seventeen

More adventures along the Oregon Trail.  Camped at Scotsbluff last night and then went to the visitor centor and hiked about 1/2  mile of the actual Oregon trail.  It was a moving experience to walk along the same still visible path those immigrants took  long ago to try and find a better life for themselves and their families. Today drove through far eastern Cxolorado ( just so I can add it to my travel map of states visited) and then into Western Kansas, where yes it is very flat and full of wheat.  I find a serene sense of beauty to this landscape as it seems like being a ship a sea.  Windy sea it was, howeve,r and you probably cant tell fromn the campsite photo in WaKeeney KS but wind gusts up to 40 mph today.  Tommorrow may make it into Oklahoma.

Day Sixteen

Traveled from Little Bighorn to Scotsbluff Nebraska today.  Starting to heat up as I come down south and decreasing elevation.  Today its 93 degrees here in Nebraska.  Time to try out the new airconditioned trailer! Stopped on the way at Oregon trail Wagon ruts site and Regester Cliff where immigrants chisiled their names into the sandstone on their way to Oregon.  Also stopped at Fort Laramie, a frontier fort on the Trail.   Finally stopped at Scotsbluff which was an important landmark on the trail.  Beautiful view from my RV campspot.  Tommorrow head furhter south and East possibly to Dodge City Kansas.

Day Fifteen

Spent the day at Little Bighorn Battlefield.  Toured museum, listened to ranger talk on battle itself, took a walking tour with a native American guide who gave a different perspective on things, and then drove the entire battlefield site and stopped at all the major sites.  I have a much clearer picture of what happened here  and together with the books I have read it completes the experience. This was a fascinating part of our history with all it's repercussions and I enjoyed finally making it here to see the actual battleground.  It was a fun day! Tommorrow start the long drive home to Texas

Day Fourteen

Long travel day from Pocatello ID to Little Bighorn Battlefield MT.  Drove by West Yellowstone and it was actively snowing and a light dusting of snow was on the trees and groun!.  It was lovely and I enjoyed it even more knowing how HOT it is already in Texas.  I am now camped on the closest RV park to the "Custer's Last Stand" battlefield.  This has long been a peculiar historic interest of mine and I have read several books about it both from the soldiers standpoint and the native American's.  Tommorrow I will tour the site itself and I am looking forward to it.  Tonight looking out over the battlefield area it is quite a pretty site.

Days Eleven,Twelve and Thirteen

Left Portland and went to Silver Falls State Park outside of Salem OR.  Wet drive through the hills.   State park was one of the most beautiful we have ever been in.  Took a 8 mile hike during which we saw 10 water falls ovr 30 feet  up to 176 feet.  It was gorgeous and a great workout as well.  Next day we went to Bend and walked arond  some, visited one brewery after lunch .  Had a hard time finding the trailer after that mini brew pub tour!  We ended up the day in Burns OR which is in a high plains area.  Lots of rain all day and night, and even drove through some snow on way to Boise airport where Kathy will return to Texas to work and our home renovation project.  Jay went on to Pocatello ID where he will regroup and plan to make Little Big Horn Battlefield after a one night stay in Yellowstone on the way. It's very cold here and rainy so might head back to Texas instead. We'll see!

Day Nine and Ten

Spent last two days visiting niece and her family in Portland.  WE camped in Troutdale RV park and drove into town  for visits.  It was great fun and grand-nephew tried out the "gaucho" bunk in the tailer.  He had fun and it seems like a good way to take nieces and nephews along on camping trips when we get back to Texas.  Have really enjoyed Portland and especially visiting family but we will depart tommorrow for points East.  First stop to try out the trailer in a n Oregon State park.

Day Eight

Traveled from Everett Wash.  to Portland Oregon today and are staying in Troutdale in an RV park on the Columbia River.  Crowded as are most of the parks near urban areas here but have a nice view of the water and convienient t to Portland where we went to visit niece and family.  Had a great outside dinner and played with the kids. We will stay at this campground for 3 days to visit and see a few sites in the Portland area.

Day Seven

Today the big day. Went to the factory were we met with Dave who went over out trailer with us in detail and installed our hitch. Evevrything went smoothly and we left at noon to cross back over into the USA . We then drove to Everette Wash for our first RV camp. A lot of things to do to set up the trailer but many are similar to the Casita so it was fun. Tonight it is raining but it is cozy and dry in the trailer. We really like how the custom fabric and Formica came out. Tommmorrow on to Portland!

Inside the Egg factory

The New Green Interior

Getting ready to Hit the Road



View from our trailer door tonight

Day Six

No pictures today.  Drove to Vancouver to pick Kathy up at airport and then to Chilliwack about 60 miles East to see our new trailer and meet the owners of Escape Trailer Industries.

Day Five

Traveled from Pendelton Oregon in the high dry plains to Bellingham Washington on the wet cool Pacific coast.  Saw snow on the way through the mountains in late May no less!  Now only 1.5 hours from Vancouver airport to pick Kathy up and travel the short distance to Chilliwack BC to get our trailer.  Have been waiting for that date for some time! 

Day Four

Twin Falls ID to Pendelton Oregon today. Beautiful weather. Crossed the Blue mountains and saw a section of the Oregon Trail. Pendelton is a town hidden in a gulch in the middle of the high prarie. Site of a wool mill where they make colorful blankets. Staying in an old style 1950s Motor Court tonight and it is quite peaceful. Tommorrow plan to make it all the way to Vancouver or Billingham Washington to be in position to pick Kathy up at airport.

Day Three

Green River Utah to Twin Falls Idaho today.  Rain most of the day and so made the drive a little shorter.  Went to see Shashone Falls and the Snake River.  Very beautiful and watger falls are so nice to listen to!

Day Two

Traveled from Albuquerque to Green River, Utah.  Very windy today with gusts up to 40 mph and lots of dust.  Stopped at Arches National Park and ended day on the Green River which has lots of water flow.

Arches National Park

View from Motel Room of Green River

Day One

Nothing too exciting.  Jay drives from Austin to Albuquerque in 13 hours.  Nice to get out in the open spaces and big skys of New Mexico.  Grasslands in eastern state look green this year and I  saw several antelope.

Here is first view of the mountains! I am looking forward to seeing more tommorrow.