Patty's Place

     



      One of the days we were at Mom's we decided to make a day trip to Mount St. Helens.  It is only about 2 hours SE and makes a nice drive.  It was foggy early, but the skies burned off enough to catch some good views of the mountain (or at least what's left of it).  I get a bit sad visiting as I like to remember the mountain as it was when I was a kid playing around, camping, or fishing in the vicinity.  The devastation left by the eruption (now 35 years ago) is still evident and gives you reason to respect Mother Nature. 

 

      On the way home we decided to stop at this quaint little place we saw earlier.  Patty's Place is located at mile marker 19 on Mount St. Helens Highway (WA 504).  There are several large signs out front advertising their famous Elk Burger, Chicken & Dumplings, and Assorted Cobblers. The inside is rustically decorated. 

 

 

 

      Barb and I had our hearts set on a big, juicy Elk Burger, but after ordering several locals came in and ordered the Chicken & Dumplings.  Out of curiosity I turned and asked if it was as good as advertised and they said it is the best item on the menu and they had been eating there for years.  HINT #1:  ALWAYS LISTEN TO THE LOCALS.   The burgers came out looking quite tasty piled with meat, lettuce, onion, and pickles, but were at best......average.  The meat patty was very thick and at least a quarter pound of healthy elk, but there wasn't much taste.  It could have used more seasoning.  The fries were quite good as they were beer battered and done just right. 

 

      I left enough room so that I could sample the cobbler.  I'm a sucker for fresh baked goods.  There are 7 different flavors of cobbler and I selected the Wild Mountain Berry w/o ice cream.  The cobbler was warm and tasty, the wild blackberries, marionberries, and huckleberries delicious as well.  I think the crust could have used a bit more sugar as to 'crunch it up' a bit.  Overall it was a very good cobbler. 

 

 

      Patty's Place has a nice feel to it, especially after touring the Cascade Mountains for a couple of hours.  I would skip the Elk Burger next time, but am definitely already thinking about those Chicken & Dumplings!  







 









Yakima River Canyon Boondocking

      We arrived in Central Washington planning on relaxing a day or two and do some fruit/vegetable shopping at the myriad of local stands. We checked out a new boondocking location up the Yakima River Canyon, about 8 miles north of Yakima.  We first watered up at Exit 22 where Washington State has one of many rest areas with RV dumps and water fill.  Afterwards we exited at Washington Highway 821, just north of Selah, heading up the canyon.  The road is tight, high, and winds throughout the mountain ledges for about 5 miles to the first area. 



      There are 4 areas to camp during the length of this canyon.  These are all on BLM land.  We chose the first, Roza Recreation Area due to it's closeness to town.  This is a simple, but spacious setup with the entire parking area freshly paved with lines to delineate camping or parking areas.  There are 6 sites, each with a fire pit and picnic table and there are two very nice vault toilets.  There is no water, electricity, or cost. The sites do require some leveling on your part. 

 

      The next day we took a short drive further up the canyon to check out the other sites.  About 2 miles further up was the Big Pines Recreation Area.  This is the same type of area, but with 38 sites, many of which sit back into the large Ponderosa Pines with shade and proximity to the river.  There are also tent sites and walk in sites for those more adventurous.  Still no electricity or water, but no cost as well.  I do say that we would probably stay here next time and by the amount of campers already there I believe they share the same sentiment.  There is no cell signal within the entire length of the canyon.  One of the other recreation areas was smaller such as ours and the last was the most upriver and accessible only by river.  All the areas have access to plenty of sun which made our solar setup just the ticket. 



      The entire canyon is very scenic with plenty of wildlife, including a herd of Bighorn Sheep which reside on the western walls.  There are many opportunities for swimming, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, hiking, and mountain biking.  We had plenty of fun visiting markets, picking up some fresh corn, peaches, apples, and Barb even found some of her favorite Choke Cherry Honey.  This place stays on our list for each time we pass through. 

Weighing Anchor 2015

 

 

“You can find your way across this country using burger joints the way a navigator uses stars.”

                                              ―Charles Kuralt

      We had a fairly challenging summer at home, what with the myriad of insurance, home maintenance, lawn tractor, and RV replacement issues confronting us.  We did depart as planned, however, and begin to pursue our next chapter. 

      The first leg of our journey takes us west this fall.  Departing Kalkaska we made stops in:

Ironwood, MI, We had planned on boondocking at the WalMart, but it was laden with construction so we stayed overnight at the village campground.  www.ironwoodchamber.org/ironwood_mi_camping.html  Full hookups for a reasonable $20/night

Fargo, ND  www.redrivervalleyfair.com/campground  Newly renovated campground full hookups $30/night.

Fallon Bridge, MT (boondocking/free) before setting up camp once again at Ruby Reservoir near Virginia City, MT.  Got a few Montana Moss Agates here....

      I did weigh our rig at a truckstop in Superior, WI.  Total trailer weight came to 7840, which is still 160 pounds below max with current tires.  I was carrying 1/3 tank of fresh water.  Cheapest diesel was at Christmas, MI $2.35.  We averaged 14.2 mpg during this leg.  Gas mileage can be quite the variable these days as I have discovered that keeping the fresh, grey, and black water tanks empty until just before arrival at a destination significantly improves mileage. 

      We camped at Ruby Reservoir back in April for 5 days.  The reservoir has been drawn down throughout the summer as the water source for many hay farmers throughout the Ruby Valley.  This time of year it exposes many more acres of terraced shoreline which in turn reveals increased opportunities to prospect for Garnets or their larger, purer cousins, the Ruby.  There is a free campground located on the NE side of the reservoir that contains a nice improved vault type toilet setup and camping is pick and choose wherever you like to boondock right on the shores of the lake.  The campground is located 8 miles south of Alder, MT where you can find any and all the supplies (water, groceries, gas, propane, firewood, bar, cell service, etc.) you might need. 

      As I was always the first out of bed with Roux in the morning.  I made it a habit to enjoy my coffee with some spectacular Rocky Mountain sunrises.  I love SW Montana! 

        Barb graduated to the role of experienced prospector finding Garnets of all sizes this trip.  In fact, she found about 3 ounces, including about 2 dozen gem quality stones that she can have faceted. 



       I took my own path to relaxation this visit as I gathered my camera gear and traveled the 20 miles further up the road to the end near Cottonwood Campground/Trailhead.  This is just west of Yellowstone NP and very close to the Idaho border as well as the Continental Divide in some of the most rugged country in the state.  This upper area of the Ruby Valley hosts some of the finest elk hunting in all of Montana.  I enjoyed looking at the scenery and the ranches for sale (none of which I could ever afford).  The birches and aspens are nearly at peak color along the Ruby River and I stopped several times to enjoy the beauty of fall, my favorite time of the year. 

 

      We stayed at Ruby for 5 days.  Heading west we boondocked at Lincoln's 50,000 Silver Dollar Bar & Casino in Haugan, MT for a night, where there is free camping with water/electric.  www.50000silverdollar.com This is one of our regular stops.  From here we traveled on to Hayden, ID to visit my favorite Aunt Lillian.  

      One of the finer things that should be enjoyed by anyone growing older is visiting those folks that made an impact on our lives as we grew up.  My Aunt Lillian is one of those people.   During my typically traumatic teenage years she and her husband Bob were people who I could talk to even when no else helped.  Lillian is in her 90s now...her husband, Bob, passed on about 13 years back.  Aunt Lillian remains as one of those folks that is a force in my life.  

       We head further west now, to sample the delicious fall fruits & vegetables available in Central Washington before we arrive at Mom's.   We look forward to trying out a new boondocking site along the Yakima River near Yakima.   Paved spots with picnic tables and vault toilets; price.....free.  http://www.blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/site_info.php?siteid=261

Plenty of sun in that Yakima Valley to power our journey.  

 





 

RV Boondocking the Next Generation: McMansion

    

      We have had our RV nearly 12 years now and would like to say that we would have kept it at least several more years, but Mother Nature has a way of putting things in perspective.  We have been to Alaska among other destinations totaling over 60,000 miles. We certainly got our money's worth as well as years of enjoyment out of "Doc Cougar".   Necessity (and a storm directed tree) dictated we shop for a new rig in order to continue our retirement travels. 
      Not having shopped seriously for a new RV for a dozen years provided surprises as well as piqued our interest for the newer units.  In the end we decided on a Forest River Rockwood Windjammer.  At 35 feet this trailer is 4 foot longer than our previous unit, but nearly 1000 pounds lighter.  I found the weight difference due to the same aluminum frame although coupled with lighter construction of some of the interior cupboards and drawers.  There is plenty of storage space so spreading out the weight should not be a problem.  Additionally, the tires are only 'C' series tires with maximum air pressure of 50 psi, obviously to support the lighter weight.  The unit is spacious with nearly the same floor plan as our previous rig, but with an additional slide out for a sideways bedroom (Barb's deal breaker).       

 

      The interior is laced with many amenities including leather Lazy Boy recliners, laminate wood floors, Corian countertops and trim, free standing dining room table and chairs as well as big flat screen TVs in both the living room and bedroom. 

 

 

 



     Additionally, this unit has a 'wedge front' which results in a large front end bedroom and walk in closet with another wardrobe and drawers as well. The unit is Polar Package prepped which provides layers of insulation and heaters in all tanks (fresh, grey, and black) in case of unexpected 'Arctic weather' or camping in the winter (yeah, that's gonna happen). 

 

 



       Some of the better 'off grid' features include coming already ZAMP SAE wired hookups for solar panels as well as satellite hookups.  This will allow our 130W suitcase panels to be set up and hooked integrally to the unit in our absence.  The main hitch jack as well as leveling jacks and awning are all electric in addition to the twin slides add a much larger power requirement.  The standard on board battery is a 24 series which is a bit small, but coupled with our battery bank will not be a problem.  We did have the dealer add two additional 12v outlets. There is also a standard mounted battery disconnect switch; another nice feature.  Water tanks are 48 gallons (fresh), and 38 (both gray and black water). 



      There are external hookups for fresh water and city water for in park use.  There are also hookups for winterization anti-freeze reverse 'pump in' and black tank flush and purging, a nice feature where you don't have to drag a hose through the interior of your RV to flush the black tank.     
      After taking a couple of weeks to repack, restock, and adding our on board safe and door alarm system we headed out for a 'shakedown cruise' in the Upper Peninsula.  It was also the 2nd trip to acclimate the furbabies for winter.  Roux and Bones did so much better on this trip.  We didn't feed the pup prior to leaving, but did give her Milk Bones as treats later on.  Roux was much calmer, maybe due to the company of her older brother.  We made plenty of rest stops just to be sure. 

 

      Our first destination was Agate Beach on the Keweenaw Peninsula near Toivola, MI.  A long drive, but a beautiful, simple campground with plenty of beach to exercise the pup and look for agates.  Stanton Park offers electric hookups for only $15/night.  There is a hand pump well.  Beauty at the western edge of the UP on Lake Superior in the fall....towing was easy and fairly uneventful averaging about 14.2 mpg

 

 

      We stayed about a week, enjoying comforts and near seclusion at a reasonable price.  There was no need for solar, but we did enjoy the new, large 48 gallon fresh water tank fill up at Twin Lakes State Park on the way in.  It should be noted that Stanton Park Campground will usually contain several rigs left for periods of time as the locals tend to bring them out much earlier or even leave them there nearly all summer, yet only pay when they are actually there.  The park management doesn't seem to care.  Although thousands of $$ were granted to improve the park prior to last year's Finnfest, not much work has been done.  The foundation to the new Community Center is poured, but nothing has been built to date.  All the vault toilets were removed and replaced with Port-a-Potties and a new Handicap Parking area next to them.  They are kept very clean.  Cell phone service is 'spotty' at best, but there is a new 'one way' 911 phone in case of emergencies.       

      From here we ventured back SE to Bay Furnace, a USFS campground one the coast of Lake Superior in the village of Christmas, MI.   There is water with threaded spigots, but no electricity here and with our Golden Age Passports the cost is only $7/night.  We qualify this as boondocking, using our solar system/battery bank for power.  We stayed here for 6 more nights to cruise the beaches for Amethyst and be within walking distance of the Christmas Kewadin Casino.  We found no agates, but lots of beautiful 'slag' which are the waste remnants from the old iron smelter at Bay Furnace.  They are technically not 'rocks', but the byproduct of the melted rock and ore used to produce iron.  They have beautiful swirl patterns of blue, purple, green and light grey.  They can be cut and polished into some very nice pieces. 

 



       We dined on Brats over the fire, Tomato Soup/GrilledCheese, Pitchfork Pork Steaks, Nachos, Fire Roasted Puerto Rican Pork Roast, Red Beans & Rice, Sloppy Jacks, Hot Dogs, Monster Green Chile Cheese Turkey Burgers, Pasties, and Nachos. 



      SHAKEDOWN CRUISE REPORT:  We left home with the rig fully loaded except for the water tanks.  The RV it is spacious with nearly all the new room the result of the added 'walk in' closet in the front.  All systems worked as advertised.  The shower water pressure is excellent, although our normal usage did drain the 48 gallon fresh water tank in about 4 days.  Our exterior 130W suitcase solar panels worked perfectly with the onboard ZAMP solar hookups.  The main panel for motor power, tank heaters, and light switches is a bit tricky as there is no light to illuminate them unless you hit the Aisle Master Switch which illuminates EVERYTHING.  We keep a small flashlight near this panel which helps.  The outside awning LED lights are quite nice and illuminate the entire 'outside patio' beautifully.  ALL interior/exterior lights are 12VDC although not all of them are LEDs.  These will be changed over this winter as well.  There are two faux pas I feel worth mentioning.  Whoever designed this rig should have thought a bit more about having both doors to the bathroom open to the inside, making it a bit tricky and procedural when passing from the bedroom to the bathroom or the living room to the bathroom.  Once inside everything is 'cool beans'.  The inside refrigerator LEDs have a blue filter which illuminates the inside of the fridge in cool blue.....a bit mind blowing.  These will be changed at my nearest convenience.  We found the counter top and dining table extensions to be quite valuable.  We averaged between 14.2 and 14.9 mpg for the two legs of our 1080 mile journey, very nice.  We did tow with all tanks empty.  Diesel gas in Houghton was $2.39 and $2.41 in Munising.   I do want to get this rig officially weighed once underway on our winter journey.  One side note:  due to the location of a very nice wide Corian counter window ledge next to the door Bones was able to figure out how to open the door in about 3 days!  Cats are problem solvers. 

      We head home now, ready to begin our final preparations for departure early in October to escape the winter of NW Michigan and resume our vagabond journeys once again. 

 

MAINTENANCE NOTE:  I do plan on replacing the onboard 24 series battery with a larger 29 series Trojan deep cycle and the 'C' series tires with 'D' series tires as they become worn or need replacing.  Stats justification as follows:

 

24 series 12 volt battery:  70 amp hours      INCREASED BATTERY POWER AND STAMINA

29 series 12 volt battery:  130 amp hours

 

C range tires load rating/psi:  2150/50        HIGHER WEIGHT VS. TOWING STABILITY 

D range tires load rating/psi:  2540/65        AND STRENGTH

 



The SALAMMER! (Salami, Olive, Fried Egg Grilled Cheese Sandwich)

 

       This is another in the considerable library of grilled cheese recipes from the Tillamook Cheese (Oregon) Website.  https://www.tillamook.com/recipes/index.html  Although this cheese is not available in many locations in Michigan, if you ever have the chance to sample some I highly recommend it.  We have sampled several of the sandwich recipes from this site and found all to be tasty as well a delightful change of pace. 

       This one is pretty straight forward and simple:  Since I could not find Olive bread I used small Bolillo bread loaves and sliced the largest Spanish Olives I could find.  Although you can layer this anyway you choose I brushed the inside of the bread with Olive Oil and then layered Genoa Salami, Olives, Fried Egg, and finally Provolone Cheese.  Simply fry the sandwich as you would any grilled cheese and then serve with soup of choice.  We chose tomato soup.  This has a delicious Italian herbal taste that compliments any choice of soup.  The grilled cheese sandwich our Grandmothers used to make is  boring!  This one isn't.  Viva la difference...enjoy!  

Peach Habanero Glazed Wild Hog Ham

 

       First of all I need to thank www.HuntingTexasHogs.com for the incredible experience at a great price!  3 days, 2 hogs, with lodging, all meals, guide service, butchering, etc..........$299!  Yep, that price is correct.  There are many, many hogs on this ranch and the entire experience is first class!  My hunt took place in mid-December 2014 and my next one will be in January 2016.  It was my first hunt and as such I chose to harvest a medium size feeder hog that I could butcher and freeze in our RV for coming travels.  The largest brutal tuskers taken during our stay was 505 lbs., with 2 more over 400 lbs.  Mine was 118 lbs.  BTW....the grey duck tape on the hog is to mark our ID number for after processing....



      I have to say that all the stories about wild hogs are grossly exaggerated.  Until butchered they do have an incredible gamey smell, but once butchered and cooled in a locker there is virtually no gamey smell at all.  In fact, we cooked our hog several different ways to include Crock Pot Tenderloin, Pork Fajitas, Pitchfork Steaks, and of course.....the hams.   This is the last of our hams, the first having been prepared the same way and enjoyed with a good friend of ours in Las Cruces, NM.  My only piece of advice on cooking is plenty of seasoning, marinade, or crock pot cooking.  The meat when properly butchered has a fairly plain taste and requires lots of 'chef help' to get it where you want it to be.  Done properly, it is very delicious! 
      So here we are, late summer in NW Michigan preparing our last WH Ham.  We begin with a thawed ham that is injected with Morton's Sugar Cure and then floated in the same brine mix for 2 weeks.





      When done remove the ham and dry it, discarding the brine.  I rubbed Apple Bourbon Rub on the ham; recipe can be Googled.

      I had already lit the fire in the backyard fire pit and gotten a good bed of maple coals going when I skewered the ham on my AusSpit and then place it over the fire. 

      I have had my www.auspitbbq.com/for several years now and I have to say that it does a wonderful job over any campfire preparing any meat from ribs to chops, to roasts to just about anything you desire.      

 

 

      This is the ham over maple wood after 3 hours.  About now I begin to drizzle honey over the ham about once every 45 minutes or so. 

 

 

      This is the ham over maple wood after 5 hours.  The meat will be getting close to completion.  Which makes it time for the glazing.  I like to use a product I found in Central Texas last year.....Peach Habanero Sauce.  

        A delightful sweetness of peaches curbed with the natural smokiness of Habanero Peppers.  A delicious spiciness, but NOT HOT.  The ham is further roasted for another hour after glazing.  Finishing a ham can be tricky, but the initial brining/injecting of the ham in sugar cure ensures safe results.  

       After 6 hours remove the ham from the fire, remove the skewer, and place it on a cutting block or plate, allowing it to rest for about 10-15 minutes.  Slice and serve.  We served ours with corn o' cob and deviled eggs, but individual choices rule.  I  can't wait till my next hog hunt in January.....Bon Apetite'

 

 





 



The Mind's Eye: Inspirationism

     

Cover Photo:  Crescent City, CA

 

  Inspirationism is defined as the belief in some form of divine inspiration.       

      I have enjoyed the art of photography for many years, peaking back in the mid 70s to late 80s when I was stationed overseas and could afford decent equipment.  I have always had an idea of what I wanted to accomplish, but needed to learn the hardware aspect.  Now it's the new millennium and the equipment has once again been redefined.  The advent of the microprocessor in a DSLR format has opened doors for thousands, if not millions more folks to enjoy.  I decided to get back into the game after my last retirement and during the last two years have acquired not only two more cameras with all the gear I dreamed of, but a new partner as well.  Barb has been an eager and talented amateur as she has persevered not only the learning process, but the teacher as well.

       I had accumulated several dozen of what I consider to be quality photographs.  Most were taken with one of the two Nikons I own, one with my IPhone, and still another with an older Sony digital 2.3 MP camera I had back in the early 2000s.  The photo of Misery Bay in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is that picture, proving that two dozen megapixels is nothing without the mind's eye.  I was going to frame a couple of these for our home and RV, but decided to try the publishing route to see if there was any demand that I should try and go farther. 



      I paid for this project myself after having some success with Shutterfly and our Alaska Collection that I am using for Christmas gifts.  This collection is a 30 picture photo essay with inspirational quotes, poems, and funnies.  There are color and B/W photos of landscapes, wildlife, and even people.  It is not a large book, but it is a hard bound book that would make a nice addition to any coffee table.  This first shipment is quite small (a teaser?) and only a limited number are available.  I will sell them locally for $25 and for those needing shipping the cost will be $30.  A note:  anyone interested that I will be visiting with this fall/winter on our next trip can simply message me to save one and I will deliver it personally as we pass through.  For local folks I would prefer a message to this blog post or to me on Facebook.  I will deliver them to you personally.  I do have standing orders from 6 folks, both local and otherwise, but message me regardless to be sure.  I welcome this opportunity to share my work with you and welcome any and all criticism.  If this project meets with surprising demand then I have another publisher I will be contacting in Washington that can provide larger quantities for me at hopefully less cost.