Huckleberries have changed my life. It is said that Mark Twain named Huckleberry Finn after the huckleberry because it grows on a short but very tenacious bush. While blueberries can be found in the supermarket year round, huckleberries, on the other hand, are not grown commercially. Huckleberries hate domestication and are traditionally harvested from the wild, making them much harder to come by. If you are eating something made from huckleberries, it’s likely because either you or someone else went up into the mountains and picked them. They can be found in the Pacific Northwest. The bears love them. We found some delicious things made from huckleberries in Montana near Glacier National Park.
Not counting rhubarb, huckleberry is now my favorite flavor. The pie and shakes we consumed are amazing. Kip also has become a big fan. One day, when we were out and about, I told Kip I wanted to buy a huckleberry pie. I knew nothing about the berry, nor had I tried them. Imagine my surprise when I found the pie cost $47.00. (This was before I learned huckleberries aren’t grown commercially.) We opted for 2 pieces at $7.99 a slice. It was love at first bite.
Now we’re in a beautiful little RV park nestled between the Columbia River and a vast peach orchard. We’re going peach shopping tomorrow. I already know I love fresh peaches…yum!
Glacier National Park is all of the above and more. While I hope you enjoy the highlight reel I put together, I have to say I white knuckled it around every curve of the “Going-to-the-Sun Road.” I couldn’t capture the straight down view that we experienced as we traveled straight up to the top, but it was so spectacular, it took my breath away. My cell phone camera shots were in no way equal to what we saw. Kip agrees and will vouch for me. All I can say is go and experience it yourself.
We’re going on another drive into the park tomorrow. We’ve been to several national parks, and they each offer something unique but so far, if I had to choose only one to recommend visiting, it would be Glacier National Park.
Just one footnote…I didn’t have to drive on the very curvy road where I was looking straight up or straight down for as far as I could see. In addition, the barrier is only 2 feet high for 30 miles. Kip did the driving. You can book a shuttle bus or one of the large red convertible bus/cars and let someone else do the driving. You’ll still have the experience of a lifetime.
Enjoy this glimpse of today. I wish I could have shown you the really captivating views…
We really enjoyed our time in Yellowstone. The weather was perfect, and the dogs were super good sports. They had to stay in the car while Kip and I took turns viewing the spectacular falls and other attractions. We didn’t see any bears which disappointed Kip, but we saw herds of Buffalo and several elk.
Our 3 days at Yellowstone National ParkOld Faithful
Life on the road is not without its challenges. Just because we’re living in a vacation-like atmosphere where calories don’t count doesn’t mean everything is always hunky dory.
Yesterday and today, we have had to deal with a $1275.00 unauthorized charge to our checking account. In the process of trying to dispute the charge, which was the amount of a payment on a loan that’s been paid off for 6 months, they froze our account. We’re in our RV in Wyoming. It costs money to exist every day, and we need access to ours. Kip was getting nowhere with a long line of customer service reps, so I insisted crying might help and got on the phone. “How will I purchase my next rhubarb pie?” I wailed. “It’s spelled, r-h-u-b-a-r-b.”
Thankfully, it finally got resolved, but something like that makes you realize how we’re all too often at the mercy of customer service reps. They have all the power. They can be your angel or your nemesis.
Back to the travel log…
We left Gillette, Wyoming, this morning, and we’re headed for Yellowstone National Park. We spent the past two weeks spending wonderful quality time with son, Mason, his wife, Amy, and their son, Ethan. I even got to spend a little time with grandson, Mase Jr., who is attending the University of Wyoming in Laramie. I went with Amy to a football game in Cheyenne, and Mase met us there. It was a fantastic 2 weeks.
I should mention since I’m blogging about our rv travel experience, that we spent the first 3 days in Gillette attending an FMCA Rally. There were 2500 people attending, and their registration was down 800 from their previous rally. I’m sure fuel prices as high as they are had something to do with it. RV parks have all increased their rates, too. It’s amazing, though, that most parks are up to 50% occupied by permanent Rvers. The rates are always somewhat lower for full-timers.
While at the rally, we got hooked up with a vendor who was able to get the awnings to repair the 3 that were damaged by the Texas hailstorm we endured. That was a piece of good luck. We also got a new mobile internet provider which has made watching television and using our devices much better.
All in all it was a fabulous 2 weeks. We got to eat Amy’s great cooking several times, and Kip and I found good desserts at a couple of the local bakeries for our contribution. Mason and Amy treated us to an outing at the Frontier Auto Museum, which was amazing, and we ate at Lulla Belle’s, a local favorite where you can get a wonderful breakfast. We also spent a fun day at Keyhole Lake where Amy’s mom has a house.
Ethan, Grandma, and Mase Jr.At the lake with Amy’s mom, LindaMason and AmyThe Frontier Auto MuseumBreakfast at Lulla Bell’sAmy and Kip at the lakeFun looking for antelope
Here are a few pics I took on our drive today between Gillette and Greybull. Next stop…Yellowstone.
SAUSAGE, KRAUT AND POTATO BAKE RIGHT OUT OF THE OVEN
When I was a kid growing up, we lived near my mother’s family in Murdo, SD. There was a solid group of young friends who would get together for parties. They all dressed up in those 1960’s even for just a neighborhood get together. One party I was lucky enough to stay up late for when I was a kid and I got to hang out with my cousin, Mary, since the party was at her folks’ lovely house, my Aunt Loretta and Uncle Bill’s place. My Dad had recently made homemade sauerkraut in a big crock and had his Dad’s old wooden contraption with a sharp blade for shredding the cabbage. It took weeks to prepare. He took the kraut to this particular party and everyone ate hot roast pork with mashed potatoes and fresh homemade sauerkraut. The house was crowded and getting noisier by the minute. One friend arrived late and was hungry, but he couldn’t find a bowl or a plate anywhere. He saw a big ashtray sitting near the food and cleaned it out then scooped kraut into it and gobbled it down. People saw him and started laughing. He just enjoyed eating the delicious food. We all loved the sour crunchy kraut.
Maybe that’s why I treasure the following recipe. Enjoy making it yourself during these cooler fall days to come. Your kitchen will be filled with yummy smells and you can pretend you’re having a fun big party with good friends and family. If you don’t like kraut, I have no idea what you can use as a substitute for sauerkraut. Do you?
LAV LIKES CUPBOARDS.
THESE ARE INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED. YOU DO NOT NEED THE FLOWER – LAV JUST LIKED IT.
BOIL ABOUT TWO POUNDS OF POTATOESPEELED OR NOT.
LAYER A JAR OF KRAUT IN CASSEROLE DISH.
BROWN A POUND OF SAUSAGE…
SPRINKLE THE SAUSAGE OVER KRAUT
Next mash the potatoes with a couple tablespoons of butter and some milk.
SPREAD THE MASHED POTATOES OVER SAUSAGE AND KRAUT
SPRINKLE SOME GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE ON TOP AND BAKE IT AT 400 DEGREES FOR 25-30 MINUTES
Enjoy eating the casserole with a side salad, soup or tangy applesauce. It’s so delicious!
Hmmm. We didn’t have dessert after dinner.
I wonder what MG is having for dinner. Maybe she skipped dinner and just had a dessert or two. I wonder.
Life is a lot about the numbers. Kip and I celebrated our anniversary on August 22nd, and we just happened to be in Casper, WY, where we were married 42 years ago. We experienced a flood of great memories.
Kip’s office insisted he wear the old ball and chain while he workedHere we are with the 4 kids. Heidi, 13, Heather, 11, Mason, 8, and Craig, 3.Our wedding was in this beautiful church, which was a Methodist Church at the time.
We had a great time driving around and looking for our old houses.
The last house we owned in Casper.Kip lived here before we were married.He sold this house right before we got married.Our first house together42 years later…we ate at Peaches, which is a fast food joint we frequented many times with the kids. They have great burgers.
Next stop, Gillette, WY, and the FMCA Rally. After the rally, we’ll be staying on to spend time with son, Mason, and family. Time to watch grandson, Ethan, play some football!
I was fortunate enough to get some green apples from a friend’s tree and as the 8 apples sat on my kitchen counter speaking to me or maybe they were staring at me – no – potatoes have eyes, not apples. Anyway, I thought of an easy recipe I had for Apple Crisp which would be simpler than baking a pie. So I got busy this morning, before it got too hot, and put it all together.
LAV, NO- HEAD TO THE KITCHEN.
CHOPPED APPLES, 1/4 CUP SUGAR, 1/8 CUP LEMON JUICE AND GRATED LEMON ZEST—BUT LAV SAID IN ERROR THAT SHE ADDED CINNAMON AND NUTMEG. THAT GOES IN THE TOPPING NOT IN FILLING BUT IT WILL STILL TASTE GOOD. (LAV HAD TROUBLE READING THE RECIPE AND TALKING AT THE SAME TIME.)
TOPPING HAS 6 TBLSP FLOUR, 1/4 CUP BROWN SUGAR, 1/4 CUP GRANULATED SUGAR, 1/4 TSP CINNAMON, 1/4 TSP NUTMEG, 1/4 TSP SALT, 5 TBLSP BUTTER AND 3/4 CUP CHOPPED WALNUTS
SPRINKLE TOPPING OVER APPLE FILLING
BAKE IN 375 DEGREE OVEN FOR 40-45 MINUTES
If Lav can make this, you can. It’s easy especially if you start in the kitchen and end by eating the Apple Crisp with whipped cream or ice cream. Enjoy!
Wow! Did that 3 days go by fast or what! We arrived in Laramie, WY, on Thursday and attended the reunion Friday and Saturday night. It covered all the classes who attended Laramie High School in the 60s. I, for one, think the 60s had great music. My brother graduated in 62 and had all the albums and 45s, so I knew the words to all the songs. I graduated in 1970 from Murdo High School in SD. Kip’s sister, Karlyce, graduated from Laramie High in 70, and her class wasn’t honored, but she went, anyway.
Kip’s family was represented by all 4 kids, 1 from Laramie, 1 from Sheridan, WY, 1 from Greeley, CO, and 1 from Texas. I will say that for me, the siblings all getting together was the best part of the whole weekend.
From left…Kristin, class of 68, Karlyce, 70, Kip, 62, and Karen, class of 60.From left…Kip, MG, Karlyce, Kristin, and Karen.A re-staging of an older “Who is the favorite?” Photo
There were over 500 attendees which I think was pretty good since the ages ranged from around 70 to over 80. They had an area where the pictures and names of those from each class who are deceased were displayed, which depressed some, but all felt they should be recognized.
One thing I noticed as I walked around and observed the attendees was that everyone was shocked that people had aged. It was like they thought everyone should look the same as they did in high school. One thing they did, which I thought was a great idea, was to have lanyards with everybody’s senior picture on them. There was no getting around it. Some people had aged.
We have moved onto Casper, WY, where we lived 40 years ago. We’ll be here for 3 days before heading to Gillette to see our son and his family and also attend an FMCA Rally. We’re happy travelers looking forward to the next adventure.
Karlyce finished strong with her nostalgic dinners. We had scalloped potatoes and ham, Mexican casserole, and pot roast with all the trimmings. She made peach cobbler, zucchini bread, and Mexican chocolate cake for desserts. Here are a few photos.
Karlyce is one of the best cooks I have ever known.Sunrise, our last day in Greeley.
We left Greeley Thursday morning and took the scenic route to Laramie. We’re staying at a KOA that we stayed at 8 years ago when we were here. We were on our very 1st RV trip.
Virginia Dale…Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, along with Frank Carlisle, robbed the train that stopped here. The train had to slowly go up a steep incline, which gave the threesome an opportunity to ride their horses beside the train, jump on, and rob it. One would hold the horses and lead them beside the slow-moving train. The other 2 robbers would jump back on and ride off. They did this several times over the years.
The reunion starts today. We have a grandson that attends UW, but he’s not here yet. We will see the rest of our son’s family next week when we get to Gillette.
We’re going to meet 2 of Kip’s sisters for breakfast. The 3rd sister is driving in from Sheridan and will be here early afternoon.
Registration is at the fairgrounds. They’re going to have food trucks, displays, and music from 4-11. First, we’re going to visit the cemetery and drive by all the places everyone remembers from growing up here. Unless you’re a new reader, you know that I love reunions. Eat your heart out, cousin Lav.
Those 70ish Girls 