RV travel

Our welcome committee to Yellowstone National Park

/ Roadtirementvintage / 4 Comments

Our first cross county RV trip from Indiana to Seattle was a thrilling journey through totally new to us parts of the country. As we planned our route we  decided we wanted to go through Yellowstone National Park. From Cody Wyoming we drove to the East Entrance of the park. There a friendly and helpful Park Ranger gave us a map, a couple of tips and sold us our America the Beautiful Senior Pass.

He was huge! That is Lake Yellowstone in the background.

We had not been in the park very long until we saw Lake Yellowstone off to our left. Up ahead we saw brake lights and several cars stopped. I thought it must be an accident. Then we saw calmly strolling down the middle of the road the cause of the traffic jam. Coming down the road towards us was a huge bison just like he owned the road. Well, yes he did own the road! We’ll never forget the bison who welcomed us to Yellowstone!

The Alki Point lighthouse in Pugent Sound Washington

/ Roadtirementvintage / 2 Comments

Seattle’s Puget Sound is home to 13 working lighthouses

We got this photo on a cruise from Seattle to Tillicum Island.

The first unofficial light established at Alki Point was a kerosene lantern reported to have been hung on the side of the barn sometime in the 1870s.  A permanent large light was placed on a wooden post by the U.S. Lighthouse Board in 1887. Hans Martin Hanson was the property owner and farmer and became an official paid lightkeeper at a salary of $15 per month.

The Alki Point lighthouse is currently an operational fully automated facility operated by the U.S. Coast Guard. It is the southernmost of the 13 lighthouses on the Sound. This is a beautiful structure when seen from any angle. It has been open for free tours in the past however the lighthouse is now closed for maintenance and repairs dependent upon the U.S. Coast Guard securing funding for the project in future years. Time will tell…

Mission San Xavier del Bac, the White Dove of the Desert

/ Roadtirementvintage / Leave a comment

About 10 miles south of Tucson, Arizona you will find the “White Dove of the Desert” also known as the Mission San Xavier del Bac. This magnificent Spanish mission was completed in 1797. The first Spanish missionary, Father Eusebio Kino, arrived at the site in 1692. Throughout the years the location has been part of New Spain, Mexico, and finally a part of the U.S. after the Gadsen Purchase of 1854.

My postcard-like photo of the Mission

When you enter the church you cannot help but be amazed by the incredible amount of 18th century statuary and murals. The impact varies for everyone who walks the interior of this powerfully spiritual place. Candles are always lit and displayed. A shrine to St Francis is a prominent feature and one of solemn devotion.

Inside the sanctuary

Prayer chapel and garden next to the church

Sacred statuary

 

 

 

 

The edifice is still a functioning Catholic Church that primarily serves the Tohono O’odham tribe, formerly known as the Papago. Being one of the most popular tourist stops in Tucson, we were fortunate to visit when there were very few people there. It was almost as if we had the place to ourselves. This is a site that is filled with history as well as a sacred place for contemplation, meditation and prayer. Do not miss a chance to visit San Xavier. You will be moved.

The San Xavier website is packed with info for your assistance in visit planning .

Devils Tower: the first U.S. National Monument

/ Roadtirementvintage / 2 Comments

Northeast Wyoming is home to one of the most remarkable landscape features in the United States. The towering mass of volcanic rock known as Devils Tower has long been the destination of curious travelers and is the source of several Native American legends describing the origin of the rock formation. In the fall of 2014 we were on our way from Indiana to Seattle and decided to make a short detour to see this striking and beautiful gift from Earth.

One of, if not the most striking geologic feature in Wyoming

Detail image of each “column” that is about 8 feet across!

One of the legends of the origin of the tower tells the story of girls who were pursued by a huge bear. The girls prayers were answered when the Great Spirit caused the rock to raise from the ground with the girls safely on top. The bear attempted to climb the smooth sides of the rock, and his claws made the distinctive shapes we see today.

Geologists tell us that the tower was made when volcanic intrusions of lava pushed up into thick layers of sandstone, now eroded away after millions of years. The rock, an igneous basalt type, took on the shapes of columns when it cooled. Called a columnar formation, this shape is not uncommon and can be found in rocks all over the world.

The Devils Tower was the first designated US National Monument, so declared by President Teddy Roosevelt in 1906. The first Caucasians saw the tower in the 1850’s. It was also the site of the famous ending of the 1977 film Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Austin’s Lady Bird Lake from the water after dark

/ Roadtirementvintage / 8 Comments

The Colorado River runs through Austin’s vibrant downtown. Flanked by parks, bike and hiking trails and entertainment venues, the river also widens and slows, prompting the name Lady Bird Lake after LBJ’s First Lady.

Striking view at dusk

Groupon led us to Lone Star Riverboat cruises, offering a chance to enjoy a sunset cruise and beautiful views of the remarkable and interesting architecture of Austin’s skyline. Lone Star has both a double deck “paddle wheeler” style boat and large open air pontoon style boats. Sher and I and our son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter chose  the pontoon boat for our sunset cruise.

Center building is either an owl or a nose hair clipper: locals laugh about it

Curved building is the new Google Headquarters, far right is one that looks like a thumb drive

We thoroughly enjoyed our slow paced tour up and down the waters. Our Captain of the craft gave a most interesting running commentary of the sights seen from the vantage point of the water. One interesting anecdote concerned the heights of the buildings. Formerly no Austin building could be taller than the State Capitol. However, one rich Texan donated a building that would be taller. Money talked, and the impressive skyline continues to grow in height.

Our cruise was slightly over and hour, and was reasonably priced with special kid’s rates and a nice Senior discount as well.

Dignity of Earth and Sky in South Dakota

/ Roadtirementvintage / Leave a comment

Traveling on I-90 through South Dakota provides some remarkable scenery. In addition to the natural wonders of the state, one man-made marvel really stands out. Near Chamberlain at Exit 294 you’ll see the signs for a rest area with a Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. As you exit the interstate and drive up a decent slope you see a very large stainless steel sculpture with a geometric pattern. Then you soon realize that it is a star quilt being held by a beautiful Native American woman.

Person on the left to give you the sculpture’s scale.

This 50-foot-tall statue portrays an Indigenous woman in traditional Plains-style dress.

This is the statue titled “Dignity of Earth and Sky”. The creation of South Dakota Artist Laureate Dale Claude Lamphere is a magnificent example of very large scale public art. The  statue represents the courage and wisdom of the Lakota and Dakota people who come from the area. The star quilt pattern is traditionally used to honor people or peoples. The statue was placed in 2016.

We enjoyed our rest stop. Oh, and the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center? Well, it was closed for the season, to reopen mid-May. We were there mid-October, 2018. At least the public restrooms were still open for those without their own facilities in an RV.

Unique RV paint job

/ Roadtirementvintage / 5 Comments

Back in the fall of 2015 we were busy setting up  at festivals and flea markets. At a tractor show and swap meet in western Ohio we were surprised to see a wildly painted RV pull up and set  up across from us. We met the owner, who was from Canada and said he travels all over. Yes, he was the artist, he said.

The whole rig is covered in paintings. The more you look, the more you see!

We saw him at several shows during the rest of the fall festival season, and occasionally over the next few years as well. We saw his RV as late as January 2019 at a flea market in McAllen, Texas. The fellow from Canada was nowhere to be seen.

Arizona’s Sonoran desert at sunset

/ Roadtirementvintage / 9 Comments

Back in February, 2016, we were traveling the desert southwest. Tucson was of course a required stop! One evening we took a drive to the Tucson Mountain District of the Saguaro National Park. It was a visual delight to watch the desert turn from the bright sunlight of the day into the subdued lighting of dusk followed by yet another night.

The shadows lengthen

One by one the cacti lose the sun’s warmth

The golden hues of the day’s last light

There is something magical about the Sonoran Desert

What we saw in 2022

/ Roadtirementvintage / 21 Comments

The year 2022 was a very unique time for Roadtirement and, frankly, the entire country. The pandemic fears had greatly decreased and in lots of ways daily life seemed to be back to close to “normal”.  We did have many enjoyable trips in 2022. Here is a quick snapshot of some of those adventures.

Mom says it is time to go

As we predicted last year in July, our travels were altered to include more trips closer to home, and of shorter durations. We did, however, truly enjoy these shorter jaunts and like many,  we discovered many interesting attractions close to home.

Round barn built in 1910

This barn’s Mail Pouch paint job is fading fast.

 

 

 

 

 

Maj really got into visiting historic covered bridges. Indiana is known for the large number of these beautiful structures. There are several different types of bridge truss systems, and we found several different ones as we ventured around central and southern Indiana an Ohio. Some of the old iron bridges are also interesting pieces of history, and they are disappearing quickly.

Beautiful white reconstructed bridge

The Burr-Arch truss system

Closed to road traffic in 1996, it is now open only to foot traffic.

Howe truss system

Abandoned iron bridge

We also enjoyed going to cemeteries. The history represented in both large and small cemeteries can be very fascinating. Some are part of church properties, others are on land not part of any structure at all. We came across several interesting cemeteries as well as many many fascinating monuments and headstones.

White Bronze metal monument

View through a gate

Hope you enjoyed this look back at Roadtirement’s 2022. We’ll keep you updated as 2023 progresses.