Friday, September 28, 2007
Hello from Chandron,
We are now in Nebraska and almost a third of the way across the USA. Did I mention that 75% of all the pronghorn antelope are within 90 miles of Casper. We’ve seen quite a few along the side of the road but of course I didn’t have my camera ready. When I finally got it out, we only saw a few more but farther away.
Nebraska seems pretty flat and we are still driving on Hwy 20 which goes across the northern part of the state. We stopped in Chandron for the night and went into town to explore. First we had a light lunch at the local coffee shop and then checked out the Museum of the Fur Trade. Paul really liked the model of the Yellowstone Paddle Wheel Steamboat that went all the way up the Missouri River to Montana. I liked the display of abalone shells that the Indians traded with the California Indians. We came home for a nap and then went to see the movie, 310 to Yuma. We are in the Wild West and felt like seeing a Western. It was a very good movie and we want to see the original. We’ll have to visit the prison in Yuma. Have any of you seen that? Been to any good movies lately?
From the Traveling Neils,
Paul and Jackie

Sunday, September 30, 2007
Hello from Valentine, Nebraska,
Yesterday we arrived in Heart City, as they call it. The weather was pretty nice when we arrived but all heck broke loose later. Once we got set up, we headed for the Rosebud Casino for a bit of gambling but no luck. Came home and went for a short early evening walk and noticed a bit of lightning on the horizon. We started to walk a bit faster and pretty soon the lightning and thunder and rain were upon us. There was quite a storm and then it got quiet. So we turned on the only 2 TV stations we got and we noticed a tornado warning (our first tornado warning since we’ve been traveling) for our area. Well, that was pretty scary but things calmed down after a while and we could go to sleep.
This morning we woke up to horrid winds-20 to 30 with gusts up to 45 mph. That got our attention. So we decided after breakfast at the local Bunk House that we would stay in for the day. After all Sunday is a day of rest. Most of the day the winds have been blowing but right now-around 5:00pm-the winds have died down and the sun is even out.
It was so pretty outside we decided to go for a drive through the Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge hoping to see some wild turkeys. (Of course once we got into Nebraska, we saw 5 bunches of turkeys but again I didn’t have my camera ready. So I was on a mission. By the way the local newspaper says that Monday, tomorrow, is the first day of turkey hunting by archery and next week by gun. We didn’t see any because they must know and have disappeared.) The refuge was very nice-full of prairie grasses, a few buffalo, some deer, and a pheasant. Paul’s Dad requested a pheasant feather but Paul didn’t get one. There was a lovely 1 mile hike to the Fort Falls which we took and got some exercise and some fresh air out in nature.
From the Heart City Neils,
Paul and Jackie


Monday, October 01, 2007
Hello from the Road,
We are in North Sioux City, South Dakota and have stopped for the night. We finally have TV and computer connections. That hasn’t happened much lately. We haven’t had TV for the last 3 nights and had to miss seeing Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters. And of course, I missed a picture of wild turkeys once again this morning. I can’t believe it. Oh, well, I’ll try harder.
Went downtown to the Historic 4th Street, got dinner at the Mac Behr Restaurant, and watched part of the tie breaking game between the Colorado Rockies and the San Diego Padres on a 12 foot TV screen. That was fun. Later we came home to watch Chuck, Two and ½ Men, and Rules of Engagement. Rules might be a show that we watch again. Steve and Lucy know the tall guy on Rules and he was pretty funny. And then we finished watching the ball game that lasted for 13 innings. That was a great ballgame and too bad the Padres had to lose it.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Hello from Sioux City,
Decided to stay another day. Severe thunderstorms were predicted for the way we were going and decided we could use a day off. Of course, we are doing the laundry, going to the grocery store and then as a reward, we’ll head for the ice cream company which calls itself the Ice Cream Capital of the World.
Our afternoon turned out quite nicely. We drove to Le Mars, Iowa and took the tour and learned about the history of ice cream. The ancient Chinese first thought up ice cream and then the Romans had their version, too. The Blue Bunny Ice Cream Co. started in 1913 and of course, we sampled quite a bit. I had a great banana split and Paul had some caramel ice cream thing. It was terrific ice cream and Paul found out they have a new facility in St. George, Utah, so they can distribute to the West Coast.
Then we went for a drive and found Bev’s on the Missouri River. It’s a new restaurant and will have the Hilton next door. There don’t seem to be many restaurants on the river so this one was a find. We tried their crab cakes which were delicious. Since we had TV at home, we watched The Unit and Boston Legal, two of our favorites.
From the Sioux City Neils,
Paul and Jackie

Thursday, October 04, 2007
Hi from the Waterloo, Iowa Neils,
Yesterday, we made it to Waterloo. Do you know why? Because the John Deere Co. is here and you know who wants to tour the plant. So today we’ll be there. We are staying at the Deerwood Park(our cheapest rate of $14 a night) in nearby Waterloo and are backed up to the river. There is a sign that says, “Don’t feed the geese, “so maybe we’ll see some geese out our back window.
We got up at 7:30 this morning and were on the road by 8:30. We grabbed a quick breakfast at WalMart, the only place we could find close by. Did you know that Subway has a breakfast sandwich? It was very yummy. We headed for the John Deere Engine Factory and got a very detailed and most interesting tour. We had to wear protective glasses and a badge and stay on the cart. A really cute elderly gentleman-around late 70’s- gave the tour. He had worked for the plant for over 35 years and seemed to know just everything about the engine. Paul will take our adventure from here. (Paul here, very interesting and a very good tour. Took over an hour saw the new million dollar CNC machines that machine the main bearings and drill all the holes for water and oil in the block and heads- very good stuff! Some of the castings come from Germany and some from Brazil or Argentina not sure which one. They no longer have a large inventory of parts; they rely on, on time delivery of all their parts from the other plants.)
We got a quick lunch in downtown Waterloo and then headed for the Tractor Assembly Factory where they put it all together. One young lady said that first we saw the guts and then we saw the glory. This tour was not as interesting but still fun to see all the parts of the tractors and how they go together. Of course the gift shop at both tours was divine. (Paul here again, Another great tour!! Very informative I do like to see how things are made. Jackie is just a peach to go along with me to all the car, truck, boat and other misc. museums that I have taken her to.)
Well, we weren’t done yet. I wanted to go to the local mall (think Chico’s) and on the way we found a Ford dealer who could change our oil and filters. So we checked out the mall and got our truck serviced at the same time. Double duty-I like that. That was our busy but fun day.
From the Waterloo, Iowa Neils,
Paul and Jackie


Friday, October 05, 2007
Hello from Geneseo, Illinois,
We drove on a 2 lane road along the Mississippi River to reach this place. That river is a big, wide one. We are staying in a lovely campground in the trees and near a canal. We took an hour walk along the canal and found the Hennepin Canal which was build in the early 1900’s and became a model for the Panama Canal. We also saw a muskrat, a bunny, and a turtle.

Sunday, October 07, 2007
Hello from South Bend, Indiana,
We drove yesterday and started noticing all the Notre Dame references as we got closer to South Bend. Will have to visit the university to check it out. Regis is always talking about it.
We are taking our time this morning but will soon be on the road to the Studebaker Museum. Paul is very ready.

More From The Traveling Neils

Hi Everyone Out There,

Hope all is well with you. What have you been up to? We love hearing all about your life. Keep those emails coming.

After our adventure in NE Yellowstone with the elk, we drove through several scenic highways to Cody, Wyoming. First we took the Beartooth Highway(US 212) that Charles Kuralt called the most beautiful roadway in America. It was awesome. Then we took the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway to Cody where we spent the night and rested up. Yesterday we took US 20 through the Wind River Canyon to Casper where we are now. The 2,500 foot deep canyon with the highway on one side of the river and the railroad on the other reveals millions of years of sedimentary rock. We are staying at the Fort Casper RV Park which is right beside the North Platte River. After we got here we went for a walk along the river and again had encounters with wild life. We were again innocently walking along when 3 very large deer (you don’t realize how large they are until you are right beside them) came bounding right in front of us and luckily veered off on a path along the river. That was a shock but we kept walking and then another deer came bounding across the path behind us. I was getting a bit nervous (not Paul of course) when a dog comes running as fast as he can behind us chasing a rabbit. He also followed the poor little rabbit into the wilds. So that was our walk and I don’t think I want to take that route again. Today we’ll go visit the Ft. Casper Museum and go into town.

We just got back from a day in Casper, which is the 2nd largest city in Wyoming. First we headed for downtown and found a lovely little restaurant where we had a Greek lunch. Took lots home for a snack later. Then we shopped a bit at the Buffalo Clothing Company where I found a Life is Good T-shirt and a present for Paul for his birthday which is coming up. We had to visit Lou Taubert’s, one of the country’s largest cowboy clothing stores but didn’t find anything we had to have.

After that we headed for the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center which was terrific. Carol and Dennis saw it a few years ago and recommended it. It includes displays about the Oregon, California, Mormon Pioneer, Pony Express, Bridger and Bozeman Trails. Between 1840-1870, more than 500,000 people moved across the western plains in search of land, freedom of religion, and gold. We got to ride on a simulated ride across the North Platte River in a wagon. That was pretty bumpy.

Then we did a few housekeeping items such as getting money at the ATM, filling up with diesel, and Paul got a haircut. So that was our day in Casper and tomorrow we’ll continue on our path across the USA.

Alive After An Elk Encounter

Hello from Cody, Wyoming,

How was your day? We have had quite a day. We met Lucy and Steve at Ernie’s Deli for one last breakfast sandwich and a last goodbye. We’ve had a great time exploring the country with them. They are on their way to Bozeman, Montana, and we are on our way across the USA. We decided to take the northern route out of Yellowstone and went out the NE Entrance in hopes of finding a bear but no luck.

But we did have quite an adventure in Mammoth Hot Springs. It is the park headquarters and there are always quite a few elk lurking around. As we walked toward the gift shop we noticed a huge Bull Elk on the ridge looking down on us and bugling. He looked quite magnificent and Paul took lots of pictures. We kept walking and checked out the gift shop and Paul got some coffee. On the way back to our RV, we talked to a Ranger and he mentioned that ELK # 10 was down the way we were walking and to be alert. We started in that direction and were just innocently walking along. Well, pretty soon we saw another Bull Elk coming our way. He had quite a rack-that means he had lots of points on his antlers. Anyway he kept coming our way so we got on a porch behind some lattice work that we thought would protect us and he wouldn’t notice us. Well, silly me kept taking pictures and my flash was on which I didn’t realize. Soon he was about 10 feet away and kept eyeballing us and bugling. Finally a nice lady named, Martha, who lived in this house opened the door and asked us to come in to protect us. Of course, you know how I am about pictures and I kept taking pictures and pretty soon he headed our way with his head down and eyeballs flashing-yes we were that close-we both rushed inside Martha’s home. She was lovely and we thanked her for saving us. She had lived here for 25 years and loved the place. We asked about summer employment and she said there would be no problem getting hired. Finally it looked safe and we walked to our RV. The elk was resting nearby and ignored us. Another Ranger said we were lucky we weren’t killed so that’s the story and I stayed pretty much inside the truck for the rest of the day. I learned my lesson and will stay at least 75 feet away from all wildlife. That’s what the ranger told us to do. (Paul here- that is an unembellished account of our elk encounter.)

Yes, The Neils Are Still In West Yellowstone

Hello,

Yes, we are still here. It was supposed to snow yesterday but didn’t. It did rain all day and we had a nice day inside. Lucy and Steve came over for dinner and Train Dominoes and we had a great time. Guess who won? We might stay another day so Paul and Steve can go fly fishing some more. They really seem to like it. I guess it depends on the weather.

This morning we woke up to some snow. It was a pretty sight and we are off to breakfast and later Paul and Steve will go flyfishing. Lucy and I checked out the Do It Yourself Center-a hardware store- and we are taking it easy. I’m trying to get caught up on pictures and email. Our connection and computer seem to be working at the moment so I better send out lots.

We leave tomorrow and we have really enjoyed West Yellowstone. Perhaps we'll see a bear on our way out of Yellowstone.

Hello Out There In Civilization

Paul and Steve left very early to go fly fishing. Lucy and I are fly fishing widows so we decided to head for town to shop a bit more. Talked to one lady about the rain that’s coming and she said it’s going to snow. So we read the local weather report and it said 4-8 inches are expected tomorrow. Oh, my, I wonder what that will be like? We ended up having lunch at the Iron Horse Bar, had a few drinks and did some gambling, and then our boys found us and we got to hear their fish stories. We are back at the RV now and it’s beginning to rain. We are in for the evening and I bet Paul will tell you some fish stories.

(Paul here, well Steve and I did some fly fishing! I caught one which was all of 3 inches! Steve got one that was probably bigger., maybe 3.5 inches. Had several bites, BUT I can say I fished the Gibbon, Firehole, and Madison rivers. I have to agree with all the people who say that even if they don’t catch any thing it’s still a great way to spend a day in a very beautiful setting.)

From West Yellowstone

Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Hello from West Yellowstone,
Yes, we made it through the Teton National Park and Yellowstone to West Yellowstone, Montana. We did stop at the Visitor’s Center in the Tetons to get my Passport book stamped and the new visitor’s center had great displays where you can feel all the fur of the various animals in the parks. That was pretty cool. Of course, Lucy and I had bought a really neat vest with fur and we thought it was fake fur. It didn’t look like any of those animals’ fur, thank goodness.
Anyway we were planning on staying at the Grizzly Bear RV Park, which is really nice and where we have stayed before. But it was full so we were sent to the Rustic RV Park and let me tell you it’s very rustic. We are staying in an alley (Paul here, it is a very short alley Hwy 20 in front of us and Gibbon street behind us and we fill it up end to end) with mobile homes right beside us. At least we could put our slides out and we do have TV cable. We are staying just for the night than will move back to the Grizzly Bear park for the next 3 days.
(Paul here, for anyone who cares, the truck is Great! The new transmission is very nice. Driving through Yellowstone Park we crossed the Continental Divide 3 times. We made the same drive with our old truck and it was not hard but this time was much nicer, although the GMC (stands for great mountain climber according to Steve) stayed with us all the way. Billy, thanks, the plastic sheeting works good, I did get a little water under it but that was my fault as it was a pretty sloppy job putting it on the first time, a two man job I think.)
From the West Yellowstone Neils,
Paul and Jackie

Goodbye to Jackson

Hello,

It was time for some shopping in Jackson Hole, so Paul and Steve went exploring at the Elk Preserve and Lucy and I went shopping downtown at Chico’s, Coldwater Creek, Eddie Bauer, and a really nice shop called Shirt Off My Back. They do have the same shops everywhere don’t they. We met up for a light lunch because we are going to the Jackson Hole Playhouse for dinner and the play, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Should be quite a day.

Just got back from a wonderful production of the play. They were excellent and we all enjoyed the music and the romantic story of seven brides and seven brothers. The dinner before the play was delicious and they sang to us as we ate our dinner. A most delightful evening. We leave tomorrow so we say goodbye to Jackson Hole, Wyoming.