October, 2004
We spent the first week of October on I-70...starting where we'd left off in September, in Iowa.  We were quite pleased to discover that some of the rest areas in Iowa are free "WiFi Hotspots."  So, although we were "boondocking" in a rest area, we had internet access for the overnight stay.  That along with our inverter and satellite TV, we were quite comfy!   We made a tourist visit in West Branch, Iowa at the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site where we discovered lots that we didn't know about the 31st President of the US.  He was born into a Quaker family in a tiny two room house in West Branch, orphaned by age 9, put himself through school at Stanford becoming an engineer, took his new wife to Australia where he discovered gold and then to China - becoming a millionaire.  When they returned to the US they spent their money and their time on human services. He was elected President in 1928 because of all his good works, but lost his bid for re-election after being blamed for the great depression.  Historians say that was the best thing that could have happened as he then returned to spending his time and money on humanitarian projects until his death in 1964.
Continuing on our way west, we stopped one night in Seibert, CO at the Shady Acres Campground.  We were greeted by owner Lisa and her children and were disappointed that husband /father, Jim was out of town.  Jim had e-mailed us during the summer and we were looking forward to meeting him when we passed through.  The family is working hard to make Shady Acres a good stopping point for RVers travelling across I-70 and will go out of their way to help you out with any problems.. 
We made our way through Denver and up the mountains, through the Eisenhower Tunnel and arrived in Breckenridge early Sunday afternoon, October 3rd.  Tiger Run RV Resort is one of our favorites.  The scenery alone is breathtaking and the amenities are excellent.  Across from us was a brand new '05 Dutch Star and the owners spent the whole time we were there working to insulate their unit so they could spend the entire winter there.  They are dedicated skiers.  A huge propane tank was delivered, and the couple spent many hours cutting and fitting foam insulation around the entire bottom of the RV and all the slideout openings, etc.  Most of our neighboring RVs were in some stage of the same process.  Tom told them he winterizes our coach, too....he drives it to Arizona!      We did have some winter weather during our stay in Summit County, however.  We woke up Wednesday morning to find a layer of snow over everything.  But it did warm up enough that it changed to rain and washed the snow away.  We hadn't been too pleased when we were out the night before and passed a working salt/plow truck on the roads!!
We enjoyed a great visit with our son, Reid.  Since this was our fourth visit to Summit County we didn't feel the need to do a lot of "tourist stuff" and we enjoyed just being in the mountain atmosphere.  One evening Reid cooked a tasty dinner for us at his place and then showed us slides of his summer backpacking and Mexico trips.  Tom, Reid and one of Reid's roommates spent one evening playing in a poker tournament in Breckenridge.  Reid and Marty play regularly and often do well.  This time Marty did the best, coming in 4th out of 28, Tom was 7th and Reid a little further down the ladder. (No money returned to Reid and Tom!)  As usual, Reid was able to use us as fuel for his daily newspaper column, and we enjoy reading them.
On Friday, October 8 we drove west on I-70 to Grand Junction, CO....a sunny drive over Vail Pass and through the mountains to the western Colorado dessert.  It was 25* when we left Summit County and 75* when we arrived in Grand Junction.  We stayed overnight at the "RV Ranch" -  a very nice park but with strange hookups...we couldn't reach sewer and electric at the same time.  That evening we were treated to a delicious dinner at the home of Craig and Susan Fay, neighbors the last two winters in Palm Creek.  We had a fantastic visit and enjoyed their beautiful home with a view of the mountains.  We're looking forward to seeing them in a few weeks in Arizona.       Saturday we headed southwest, on route 50 and 62, 145, 160 and 550 through Montrose and Ridgeway, past Telluride and to Delores and Durango and into Aztec, NM.  It was a beautiful drive as it was a sunny day, the deciduous trees were a bright golden yellow and the mountains capped with snow. 
The birthplace and home of President Herbert Hoover in West Branch, Iowa.
Mary, Reid and Tom on a point overlooking the Dillon Reservoir in Summit County, CO.
Our neighbor  '05 Dutch Star at Tiger Run RV Resort...note the stylish blue foam insulation and duct tape and the giant propane tank....ready for ski season!!
Our friends, Susan and Craig Fay in Grand Junction, CO. 
In the San Juan Mountains near Telluride, CO.

In Aztec we spent several days visiting with Tom's Aunt Dorothy and her niece on the other side of her family, Beverly and her husband Oceo Noyes.  Dorothy is a very spry 93 years old and we enjoy seeing her on what has become a yearly visit.  While in Aztec we also were able to wash the RV and car and do some other errands and housekeeping.  On Wednesday, October 13 we headed west once again. 

For more of our October adventures click on "forward" above.
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For more of our October adventures click on "back" above.
October, 2004
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Our goal was Las Vegas but we had plenty of time, so we stopped for the night at Winslow, AZ and then on Thursday morning went to see Meteor Crater.  We'd passed this "National Historic Landmark" several times over the years and never had stopped.  So this time we took the guided tour of the scientific phenomenon.  Originally it was thought that a volcano had caused the crater.  It wasn't until the '60s that scientists actually determined that a meteorite had crashed into the earth 50,000 years ago and left the 3/4mile wide crater in the desert of what is now northern Arizona.  NASA trains its astronauts here regularly because of its similarity to the moon.  Several films have been made here and the day that we were here, a crew was filming for the History Channel.                    After our science lesson, it was on to Williams, AZ where we spent the night at the Canyon Gateway RV Park.  We didn't go to the Grand Canyon this time, but we did drive through the "Rough and Tumble Town of Williams" to check out the "old west" shops and stores and also the "Route 66" memorabilia.
On Friday it was on to Las Vegas.  As it had been last year, we were stopped about 8 miles south of Hoover Dam where the coach was searched before we could proceed to and cross the Hoover Dam.  We passed under the beginning section of the new bridge across the Colorado River...but it will be 2008 before the bridge is completed.  Thanks to the tourists and auto traffic, we had to inch our way across the two lane road on the dam.  We spent two nights in the parking lot at the Fiesta Casino in Henderson, then on Sunday, October 17, moved on to the Thousand Trails Preserve where we had a 2-week reservation.

Early Monday morning Tom flew to Washington, D.C. for a Head Start meeting.  He returned Wednesday evening at about the same time our good friends Kathy and Dennie Dew arrived from Ohio.  Meanwhile, Mary filled her time with plenty of housecleaning, laundry and especially shopping.  On Tuesday, she visited with her friend from grade school, high school and early teaching days, Karen Aborn.  Karen taught for many years in Los Angeles and is now retired and living in Las Vegas.  They caught up on each others' news over lunch at the Bellagio.  Later in our stay, Karen and Ron came to tour the Dutch Star.

Meteor Crater, AZ...large enough for 20 football fields and 2 million fans.
Tom and the officers inspecting our Dutch Star near the Hoover Dam.
Mary with her friend, Karen, at her home in Las Vegas.
With Kathy and Dennie in town, we made the rounds of various casinos - and the ladies toured a few shopping centers.  We made the trip to downtown Las Vegas and viewed the new laser light show on Fremont Street and saw some of the town's more "colorful" characters.  We got together several times with friends Bonnie and Don Wolfe, former Toledoans who have lived here in Las Vegas for many years now.  Bonnie and Don recently bought a 37-ft. Southwind RV and we spent some time sharing tips and adventures.   One day we connected with Palm Creek neighbors, Peter and Cathy Nichita who were passing through on their way south from British Columbia. 
"The Strip" at night.
Toledo takes on Las Vegas...Mary and Tom with Dennie and Kathy Dew and Bonnie and Don Wolfe.
Watching the overhead "Fremont Street Experience" in downtown Las Vegas.
Tom with Cathy and Peter Nichita who were on their way from British Columbia to Arizona.
We ended our stay at Thousand Trails/Las Vegas on Sunday, October 31 - Halloween.  We headed south into California and finished the month with a night at the Emerald Cove Resort in Earp, CA on the Colorado River.  This was our first overnight stay in California since we retired.  The resort had celebrated Halloween on Saturday, so we finished the month with a quiet evening walk along the scenic river.