Catching up

It’s been a long while.  Last I left you, was the July 7th hike to Strawberry, We had one more Kayak Tip on the 13th of the Salt River with 20 or so Kayaks.  Beautiful  Day and an easy enough float.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  On July 19th, we headed out with the RV to Wilton, Iowa for Bob’s Mother’s Family Reunion.  This was the 100th continuous family reunion and we decided to go since we had never been to Iowa except for the Winabago factory for repairs.  Also, we drove by way of Nebraska, Never been there either.  We didn’t rush and stayed the first night in Rawlins, WY. Since Cheyenne Frontier days was starting the coming weekend, we avoided staying in Laramie or Cheyenne.  We entered Nebraska the next day and had discovered that Nebraska has numerous state parks, right of the interstate.  When the freeway was build, they made small lakes and reservoirs that filled in with the removal of rock for the freeway.  The State build state parks at the lakes/reservoirs.  Some really nice but little parks with only electric hookups. Had to furnish electricity since it’s so hot there during the summers.  We made it to North Platte, Lake Maloney and stayed 2 nights.

 

 

 

 

Next was The Eugene Mahoney State Park.  Only one night there.

   Then on to Iowa.  We had reserved a place at a campground just north of Wilton, but when we got there, it was a trailer park, between the railroad and the freeway.  We hadn’t paid anything, so we headed out and found a Recreation Area with full hookups, out in the sticks, the Saulsbury Bridge REscreation Area.  This was actually closer to the Reunion activities and really quiet. The first activity of the reuion was a Boat Ride on the Mississippi River at Muscatine and the Pizza at the Pizza Ranch in Muscatine.  We toured the Muscatine Button Factory.  This was where Pearl Buttons were made out of shells in the early 1900’s.  

Bob nor his mom had ever been to the reunions, but he had numerous cousins there that he remember playing with  on their farm in Illinois.  It was quite interesting and well over 300 people.  The Klein branch of the family had a good showing.  Visited the Klein family cemetary.

 

 

One the way back to Wyoming, we visited Thermopolis, Wy.  Great little town with a large hot springs.  The rv park we stayed at had it’s own springs captured in the swimming pool.  We hiked a bit, and revisited some museums that were really informative.  Not far from here was where the hole in the wall gang was, so alot of the museum centered around them.  Even the original bar.  This is also where, if you saw on facebook, that Bob and I were hiking on a loop trail, not difficult, but the bison didn’t like us for some reason.  They chased up over a fence.  We had to end up climbing down the fence to get out of the trail area.  

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

From there, we went back to Star Valley,  we did several hikes, but mostly Kayaking since my knees were too bad (bone on bone) for years, but just started to prevent me from playing pickleball and hiking.  One we hadn’t done before was the upper snake below the Palisades Dam. Beautiful waterfall.

  

      We did take the rig out and dry camp with friends just outside of the Teton’s.  Went in to the Teton’s to kayak and hike. Great time “roughing it”.

  Kayaking on the Oxbow was great, the group of 8 went one evening, great eagles and even saw some beaver, but no moose.  My battery ran out on my camera before the beavers, but got some great shots of eagles. 

After going back to Star Valley, we made one more kayak trip just to Cottonwood Lake since Kath and Nan’s Kayaks had come in the mail. 

 

We left middle of September to make it back to Happy Trails for my orthropedic doctor’s appointment.  But not before the first snow n the mountains.

    The rest is history, Made it back to Happy Trails.  Had one new knee on Oct. 7th and then 7 weeks later, the other one on November the 25th.  Don’t know why, but the 1st knee was a breeze, but the second was a witch with a capital “B”

Whole season has been recuperating, but now seeing a possible end to the misery.