GLUTEN FREE TRAVEL

5000 Miles in an RV

This was a pretty easy trip to take gluten free.  We just loaded a month’s worth of our favorite gluten free items into the RV and headed out.  But if you want to know what it would be like to travel 5000 miles across 13 states in an RV with a family of 5 then read on! 

About to Hit the Road, June 14, 2006

From Bart: 

We're a couple of days from pulling out of town in our 32 foot RV rental.  I'm sure it will be easy to drive.  Just like a big SUV, right?  

We're scrambling to get ready to hit the road for 4 weeks, and we really don't think we'll be able to fit everything in our RV!  People keep telling Jamie she's crazy, or maybe they are more kindly asking, "are you crazy for going in an RV for 4 weeks with your husband and 3 kids?"  Well for some reason she's excited and we all are really excited. 

Our first stop will be Priest Lake, Idaho for one night.  Then it's on to Glacier National Park for 4 nights.  After that we'll make our way down to Yellowstone, but likely hit Butte, Montana first to see the Lewis and Clark Caverns.  After Yellowstone for 5 days, we'll head down to the Grand Tetons, on then eastward across Wyoming where we're hoping to see Little Big Horn, Devils Tower, and much more.  We'll then hit Mt. Rushmore for a few days and then it's on to the heartland -- Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri.  After that, we'll figure out how to get back, most likely stopping in Colorado, Utah, Oregon, and then home. 

We can hardly wait.  We pick up the RV tomorrow and then we'll pack 'er up and hit the open road!!! 

Made it to Yellowstone, June 22, 2006

The first time we hit electricity and internet service was outside Yellowstone National Park:

We think it is Thursday and we have made our way to Yellowstone.  We have so much to share, but not sure how long the battery on the computer will last.  Priest Lake and Glacier were amazing, but a little cold and wet.  We enjoyed a two hour horseback ride in Glacier.  We also went on a hike past a thundering waterfall.  Unfortunately, the Road to the Sun was not open yet.

We also loved the Lewis and Clark caverns on the way to Yellowstone.  We are at a KOA in West Yellowstone tonight so we can shower and do laundry before heading into Yellowstone for five nights.

Our youngest son, Luke,  has had some close moments - Almost fell into a raging river in Glacier, fell off the sofa in the RV while we were moving, opened one-half of the emergency window on the back of the RV while we were going 60 mph.  Needless to say, we will be watching him closely around the hot springs in Yellowstone.

Our oldest daughter, Alex, has accumulated 8 mosquito bites - but still loves RVing and definitely prefers the rustic camp sites as compared to the KOA's. 

Alyssa, the middle daughter, has the record for wearing the same shirt for 5 days straight!! 

Dad enjoyed spending an afternoon whittling a stick at Glacier and Mom wants to move to Montana! 

Our most exciting moment, when the carbon monoxide alarm in the RV went off at 4:30 am at Glacier - it was 40 degrees outside and we had to evacuate the RV.  Thankfully, we had a rental car.  Thirty minutes later we realized the alarm had gone off due to a low battery and not CO2 - so we returned to the RV.  Alex vomited, and then spent the rest of the night praying we would not die.

The most beautiful drive was probably from Three Forks Montana into West Yellowstone - but really every mile of the trip so far has been amazingly beautiful. 

Most fun moments - hiking and horseback riding in Glacier, sitting on "our" rock on Lake McDonald while we watched a huge storm move in and we had to make a dash for the RV, Lewis and Clark Caverns, SMORS of course . . .  too many others to mention. 

Not sure when we will update again - having a wonderful time and trying to decide what type of RV we want to buy!!! 

 Yellowstone National Park, June 29, 2006

Sorry to be so long updating - the internet connections, not to mention cell phone usage, has been minimal at best.  I am on the front porch of an "RV Resort", and will try to get as much updated as I can before the mosquitoes drive us away.

Yellowstone far exceeded any expectations - we had heard about it from friends, read about it in guide books - but nothing can adequately describe the beauty of it.  From the waterfall 300 feet taller than Niagara falls, to the largest lake above 7000 feet, not to mention the geysers and hot springs that make you feel like you are in a land-before-time.  Then add in the buffalo, bears, elk, prong horns, eagles, ram horn sheep . ...  It was really a beautiful place.  Our favorite wildlife sighting was definitely the black bear.  Although, Luke was crazy for the buffalo.  We also enjoyed seeing friends from back home. 

 Of course, adventure sometimes comes with a cost.  Alyssa earned the name "Smash" from her two big wipe outs.  One while we were hiking.  Unfortunately, she also learned that it is not a good idea to run as fast as you can down a gravel and rock hill, with a mini-skirt and flip flops on!   

If you are keeping count, Alex and Luke are winning the mosquito bite contest with just too many to count at this time.

Mt. Rushmore, July 1, 2006

We headed out of the East Entrance of Yellowstone, across Wyoming and spent one night in Buffalo, and on to Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota.  The drive out of Yellowstone was an adventure in-and-of-itself - nothing like taking an RV on a gravel mountain pass that is under construction without any guard rails.  The beauty also did not end at the Yellowstone exit - the drive through the Wapiti valley was wonderful - red rock canyons and high bluffs.  You could almost hear the Indians hollering and the pounding of horse hooves on the gravel and dirt. 

We didn't have a reservation at Mt. Rushmore and it was the weekend before the 4th, but after some searching we landed at the Spokane Creek RV park outside of Custer State Park. In our search, Bart never afraid of a little risk and challenge, decided to drive up a road marked with huge yellow signs that said "NO TRUCKS" and had clearances only inches bigger than we were.  His response "I'm not a truck, I'm an RV."  We made it (with a few white knuckles) and discovered that the RV would fit through one-lane stone tunnels with only inches of clearance on all sides!!!

We loved Mt. Rushmore.  It is an awesome sight and a reminder of some of the values our country was founded on.  Being the history buff, Bart really loved it and enjoyed sharing his enthusiasm with the kids.  We even met a man who worked on Mt. Rushmore and got his autograph.

We had a fun day "junk shopping" in the tourist town of Keystone and we really enjoyed swimming and hanging out at the RV resort where Alex reigned as the tether ball champ! 

On the road again - From South Dakota to the Heartland, July 4, 2006

Next we headed from Mt. Rushmore across South Dakota to the Midwest.  Driving across South Dakota gives you a long time to think, but we did take in two sites; First we stopped at Wall Drug, in Wall, South Dakota.  It was the consummate tourist trap and we were tourists and we were trapped.  When I was little I always dreamed of growing up and falling in love with a cowboy.  Little did I know that he would be a three year old from Guatemala?  We also stopped at the badlands in South Dakota - it was HOT and thus rightly named. 

We hit the border of Iowa a little after dinner time.  Maybe we are just nostalgic for the heartland, but it sure looked beautiful.  The grain bins and old barns silhouetted by the warmth of the setting sun as it glittered across the swaying corn tassels . ...  Once again a reminder of what a beautiful and diverse country we live in. 

Bart enjoyed driving into Omaha and showing the kids where he worked.  Even though it was near midnight, we had a very warm and happy reception at our uncle’s lake house outside of Omaha, NE.   The girls were extremely happy for a bed - Bart, Luke and I were just happy that the AC in the RV worked.

 An All American Fourth of July

We had about as an "all American" fourth of July as possible.   A cool north wind tamed the mid-west heat for a beautiful day on the lake at our Uncles house.  We all donned our Old Navy 4th of July t-shirts for a fun day in the sun.  The kids enjoyed swimming ALL DAY LONG and riding in the patriot - an inflatable raft behind the boat.  They also really loved playing with some of their cousins and visiting with family - something that we really miss living in the Northwest.  Of course there was a BBQ for dinner and then fireworks!  We decided that Sharpe County NE must shot off more fireworks per capita than any other county in the United States.  I mean really, you should have seen and heard it!!  The day ended with Luke falling asleep in my arms, even as the fireworks continued.  It was a Fourth of July to remember.

Saying good bye to family - those living and those alive in our memories, July 7, 2006

We had traveled about 2500 miles, but still had 2000 left to get home - even though we were having a great time, it was time to move on down the road.  But first we had to pay respects to those who had already left us.  

We spent a really fun afternoon on the farm where my parents grew up.  My uncle has restored the farm and it is a wonderful place - the kids (that includes Bart) loved the old cellar, the old barn and, of course, riding the 4 x 4. 

Lastly, and maybe the hardest, we went to the cemeteries in Paul, NE and Farragut, IA where my grandparents are buried.  They are both really beautiful settings - The Catholic Parish of Paul, NE is a lone steeple set high atop a hill surrounded by fields of the Midwest bests, corn and soy beans.  You can see the steeple for miles and the church is an ornate traditional Catholic church with elaborate stained glass windows, the stations of the cross, beautiful carvings - it is absolutely beautiful.  We walked in and soft music was playing, the sun shined through the stain glass windows, and you could feel God at rest in this serene and quiet place. 

Farragut, IA is your consummate "very" small town - as we pulled into town in our RV (not hard to notice), most of the town seemed to be gathered at the local ball field for a baseball game.  The cemetery at Farragut is also a beautiful setting - just down the road from the farm where my grandparents lived.  Standing there it felt as if our Grandparents were miles away, but yet I was sure I could feel them smiling down on our blessings from God - Alex, Alyssa and Luke.  

It was getting very late; we had not eaten any dinner and really had not decided where to land that night.  Alex really wanted to see Kansas City (where she was born), so we decided to head south.  We reached KC at about 11:00 and, yes, drove our huge RV through downtown.  Thankfully, it was deserted.  It felt really good to be there and we knew we had made the right decision to make this one last stop on our journey through the Midwest. 

 Kansas, July 13, 2006

After a night at the Lawrence KOA - a really awful RV campground that was not only off of I-70 but surrounded by very loud trains - we spent a nice morning in Kansas City and then a not-so-nice NINE hours driving across Kansas to Colorado. 

It was great to be able to show Alex where she was born and the house we brought her home to.  Everything looked so nice and the people there seemed to take life a little easier and slower than we do in the NW.  Bart grew up in Kansas City, and we both found ourselves wondering what life would have been like if we would of stayed instead of moving to Seattle.  

In all honesty, the drive across Kansas was awful!!  If you have ever driven it, you know it is not necessarily the prettiest of drives - it is just flat without much, okay without anything really to look at.  We had had an awful night at the Lawrence KOA (if you are ever in town, do not stop there!!).  By this point we had been going pretty hard and the kids were over the new thrill of RVing and absolutely exhausted.  Add to that the fact that we were all a little sad to be leaving the Midwest - the Midwest was such a huge part of Bart and my life that we really loved sharing it with the kids. Surprising to us, the kids really loved being there and were sad to leave as well.   Add all that together, and you get a very long day. 

We finally landed at the Limon, Colorado KOA.  A step up, okay maybe only a half-step up from the Lawrence KOA - it was, after all, on an interstate and next to a truck stop, but at least there were no trains!! 

Time to head North and West, July 15, 2006

By now, we were chanting "NO MORE KOA" in unison so we vowed, first, to avoid KOAs as much as possible and, two, never to go to another Wal-Mart Super center. 

It was raining in Colorado and the forecast was for more rain, so we skipped Rocky Mountain National Park and headed up and around to Dinosaur National Park.  We had one of our most fun dinners in the-middle-of-nowhere Wyoming.  It was down a two-lane road along the Flaming Red Gorge - we hadn't seen another car or town for miles and we were surrounded by, well, nothing really.    We stopped on a very windy cliff overlooking the gorge.  There were a few moments when we worried we would be blown over the cliff and never found - but it was a really fun place for our sausage and waffle dinner.

After seeing the most beautiful sunset ever, we had a pin-ball like drive down into Dinosaur National Park through 10 hairpin curves, all the while dodging deer.  

We woke up the next morning in what seemed like the dessert to us.  After enjoying the sun and being entertained by the Prairie Dogs (Alyssa named her favorite one Twitchy), we went to the exhibit.  Nothing like touching 150 million year old dinosaur bones. 

We then headed through Salt Lake City and camped on the lake for one night.  It was a really pretty site right on the lake.  Our next stop was in Oregon at the Hot Lake RV resort - contrary to how it may sound, it was actually a really pretty spot in a valley with a great pool.  We knew we were getting home the next day when we could see Mt. Rainer.

Upon arriving home our house seemed absolutely massive - even the sink in the bathroom seemed huge.  We were actually sad to say good-bye to our RV.  For 25 days it was home.  We had the best family vacation of our lives - really, if you ever get the chance . .....

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