From pronghorns to rolling stones

 June 30, 2025

Crossroads RV Park site 8

Shoshoni, Wyoming

It is truly amazing to see all the changes in the landscape all within a two hundred mile distance.  Travel day from Kemmerer to Shoshoni Wyoming was scenic and enticed Momma to load up on more pictures.

If you zoom in and take a closer look in the pic above, you can spot one of the many pronghorn we saw grazing.

 If Momma hadn't fumbled the camera, she would have had a picture of the pronghorn standing right next to the highway rather than these far away shots.

The pronghorn is the fastest land mammal in North America reaching speeds of 60 mph.  The one that zipped between us and Pam was moving fast and avoided a collision with Pam's vehicle.

The scenery began with grazing areas for pronghorns and their wildlife friends with numerous signs posted.

It was also open range grazing for cattle.

Now this was some nice green feed that the pronghorn were feasting on thanks to the irrigation system.

The roads we traveled were, for the most part, comfortable riding.  We came upon a long, monotonous stretch that could easily put one to sleep...and then we saw it.  The flashing yellow light that was stationary up head of us on the left side of the highway, stopped next to a dual tanker truck that had flipped the second tank it was towing on its side.  We have noticed many double tanker trucks on the roads this summer and they always seem to travel in pairs.  Sure enough, there was a second truck hauling two tanks parked on the right side of the road.  Now the unanswered question is, did the driver fall asleep on this monotonous section of highway or was wildlife the cause of the mishap?

And then the scenery changed once again as we approached Red Canyon and the drive took on some curves along with ups and downs.

Another scenery change as we passed by farmland with lots of hayfields....square bales of hay piled high.

with horse and cattle farms.

And another changing view along the way.

When we reached our final destination, Shoshoni, with a population of 495, Momma remembered why this is just a one night stay on the way to Cody.  

I LOVE the grass here

but Momma HATES the rock moat.

The gravel she can handle, but the larger rocks are tricky to walk on and they are surrounding our rig.

And then there are the two HUGE stones by the hook ups that make parking a strategic, planned event.

It's a park designed with side by side hook ups.

At least our steps reach over the stones, unlike our neighbors in the class A who have to step onto the stones from their steps.

If the stones were level, it wouldn't be such an issue.  All I have to say is, if I can put up with laying on the gravel at some of our stops, surely Momma can put up with the stone moat for a one night stay!  

Come on Dad, let's go play ball on this lush green ball field!

I'm Chloe

Kemmerer

 June 29, 2025

Riverside RV Park site D4

Kemmerer, Wyoming

What a way to begin the day, outside in the fresh air with the smell of sausage and bacon on the griddle.

What would be even better, would be if I actually got to taste a morsel of sausage or bacon or Dad's French toast.  They could have easily made room for me at the table.

But once again, I find myself laying on the rocks.

Even my sad eyes didn't make anyone cave in and share their breakfast feast.  Now tell me, does that seem right to you?

After devouring their Sunday morning breakfast, Janice, Robin and Pam loaded up and headed to Fossil Butte while Dad dug out his tool box.

Looks like project time to me.  Momma acted as his.....well, not apprentice as she would never be able to match his job skills....and I even think assistant isn't the right word either as she needs way too much guidance...so I'll just settle on helper as she did lend a helping hand.  And what was the project you ask?  Changing out one of the slide cables before it decides to snap and break.  

A task that works best with an inside as well as an outside set of hands.

They were just finishing up when the gang returned and shared some pics of the pronghorns that they saw.

As well as some beautiful scenery.

Momma decided Kemmerer isn't a place she would want to live.  There really isn't much to offer here. Even their ice cream shop is  depressing and tasteless. 

It may look impressive but the taste is lacking.

 It is a small community

with the longest operating J C Penny store, 

that is closed on Sunday so no one in our group got to venture inside.

Even our park is small.  Dad thinks that from all the campers who came through today just to empty their tanks,  if the owner charges a typical ten dollar rate, he really lined his pockets today....if indeed they all paid.  The office appeared to be closed today but I'm sure they are locals and probably have an 'arrangement' with the owner.

Dad, in his typical 'can I lend a hand' mode, went over to a camper that was broken down in the parking lot behind the ice cream shop.  There was a tire laying along side the rig but as it turns out, it wasn't a simple tire issue.  This was their third trip out after having the bearings greased and the wheel was welded to the axle. Their friend, who was with, them performed the bearing grease job and was blaming the bearings purchased from O'Reilly's. But Dad's thoughts are either he failed to use enough grease or he tightened the bearings too tight rather than a product issue.  And the people still had a three hour trip a head of them while stranded in the parking lot.  At least they weren't on the side of busy highway!  I'm sure it'll be a trip they will long remember.

Tomorrow we will make a one night stop on our way to Cody.  As you are well aware by now, Momma and Dad don't put in long hours on the road.

I'm Chloe

Is that dark spot oil?

 June 28, 2025

Riverside CG site D4

Kemmerer, Wyoming 

It is definitely not boring traveling in Utah.  Another picturesque drive as we departed Heber City and headed west on I-40.  

We even passed a couple of lakes, and being a Saturday there were plenty of boaters enjoying some time on the water.

We also zipped by several chain up pull off spots.  I'm not sure how enjoyable our ride would be if it were winter as there were several 5% ups and downs that we traversed with lots of curves.

We really weren't that far from the border.

And once again, things could have been so much worse, but we got lucky.  We had a short 124 miles to travel today so we weren't in too much of a hurry to get on the road and figured we would make a stop somewhere along the way so we didn't arrive too early.  Dad moved the truck when he backed into the pinbox to hitch up.  Momma walked around the front of the truck to extend the Ram's side view mirrors and she spotted what looked like fresh oil on the cement in about the position where the truck had been parked.  When Dad slid under the truck to investigate, he discovered the oil filter was loose.  Checking the oil level resulted in a low reading.....which turned out to be two and a half quarts low!  Now that was a surprise for sure.  Pam gave Dad a ride to Walmart for an oil purchase run and all is well once again.  

So even with taking time out to deal with the lack of oil and also taking a rest break midway, we still arrived at 1:30.  

This is a very small campground with less than 30 sites, I'd estimate.  The campground owner was very accommodating and we actually heard a 'yes' when we asked if washing the rig was permitted.  We kept hearing a 'no, absolutely not' in New Mexico, Arizona and Utah.  Needless to say, we were pretty grimy and delighted to remove the layers of dirt this evening.  We had been able to keep up the Ram's appearance via car washes in several locations.  But the poor 5er wasn't granted the opportunity to be washed.

I am missing my lush grass from our last campout, but at least the camper is parked on a nice blacktop surface, but it is unfortunately gravel that is next to the blacktop pad.  

Maybe I'll get lucky at our next stop!? paws crossed......

I'm Chloe

Ritual Chocolate

 June 27, 2025

Mountain Valley Resort - site P5

Heber City, Utah

Dad's smile just got a tad wider and brighter.  Just for giggles, knowing the microwave wasn't operating, Momma tried the convection setting for the unit and.....Dad began his morning with hot from the oven biscuits.  So the convection oven has been getting a good workout turning out bread and molasses cookies as well.

But Momma did take time out to go to Ritual Chocolate for a factory tour.

  It is a very small company that only turns out about 2000 chocolate bars a week.  They begin with beans from near the equator and the final product is a chocolate bar with flavor determined by where the beans come from such as Belize, Ecuador or Madagascar and any possible add ons/toppings they might decide to use.  Sometimes they blend the beans from different origins. Note the different colored beans from brown to yellow to red.

Our tour guide

took us through the whole process beginning with letting us remove a bean from the husk.

 She encouraged everyone to taste the roasted bean.  Then she provided tasting samples of their various chocolate products.

Ritual believes in quality versus quantity and they make sure each process has ample time needed to ensure a quality end product.

They are also very generous with samples of the different chocolates allowing buyers to know what they are purchasing.

I'm sure I won't even get a sniff of the chocolate bar everyone was presented with at the end of the tour.  Momma and Dad keep telling me I can't have chocolate as it isn't good for me....but it doesn't keep them from indulging.

I'm Chloe