Alpine Coach rally in Sisters, Oregon

We were barely home a couple of weeks from the Canada rally when we were off again to Oregon for the Sisters rally from September 12-17th. 

We arrived in Bend a few days before the rally to meet up with our friends, the Johnsons, and to visit Michael's sister and family. Whenever we are in Bend, I take the opportunity to have a sewing machine serviced and like to do some no-sales-tax-shopping in Oregon. 

We stayed at Sun Outdoors Resort (it used to be Crown Villa). The Archers also arrived a few days early and we enjoyed seeing them and also the Smiths who were staying in Sunriver. 

set up and ready to rally at Bend/Sisters Garden RV Resort

On Tuesday the 12th, we headed to Sisters to the Bend/Sisters Garden RV Resort, a mere 20 miles from Bend. Pat & Marcella Mayfield were our hosts (filling in for Scott Hicks who was having back issuses) and Steve & Linda Matthews kindly jumped in to be co-hosts. 

By 5PM all 23 coaches arrived and were set up. We gathered for Happy Hour at the pool patio, meeting up with friends we have not seen for a while, and met several Alpine newbies.  Pizza, salad and dessert followed.

The following morning, Wednesday 13th, after breakfast on the patio, we carpooled to the Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery, located along the Metolius Rivera. However there is no longer a falls here. Since 1984 a section of river upstream was diverted to provide water for the rearing ponds when the hatchery was constructed. 

The tour was most educational since I know nothing much about fishing or fish in general, other than the fish we eat.
We saw the pools where the brook trout and cutthroat trout fingerlings are reared for the air stocking program on odd years. 

The hatchery has a rainbow trout broodstock that supplies rainbow trout to the Deschuttes sub-basin and southeast Oregon. Kokanee salmon and rainbow trout are incubated and reared here for recreational fishing, as are spring Chinnok and summer steelhead as part of the reintroduction program in the upper Deschuutes Basin. Our guide explained how the eggs and sperm are harvested then incubated. And once the fingerlings "hatch" and grow, they are released into the ponds and cared for until ready for relocation.  As a control, sterile tigerfish (called the mule of fish, a cross between a female brown trout and a male brook trout) are introduced into rivers and ponds when necessary. The fish are "tagged" by snipping their fin. 

In the hatchery building we saw the trays that incubate the fertilized eggs. And we also saw what happens when DNA goes awry resulting in deformed fish. Apparently there once was a two-headed fish although all we saw was fish with crooked, humped backs or perhaps one fin. 

After the most enlightening tour we had an opportunity to feed the "retired" fish in a lake, sent there after three years of breeding to either be whisked off by osprey or fished by children on their June fishing day. 

From there we drove to Camp Sherman where we enjoyed lunch and ice-cream outside, then headed back for Happy Hour and a free evening. 

McKenzie River

The next morning, Thursday 14th, the plan was to drive along the Old Willamette Pass Highway to the Dee Wright Observatory and continue to Belknap Hotsprings for lunch. However several of us missed the turnoff and ended up taking a longer scenic route to Belknap Hotpsrings first. This turned out to be a resort along the McKenzie river, located deep in the forest, with a mineral hotsprings pool. There was an active fire in the area so we couldn't walk across the bridge and along a trail into the forest. Instead we enjoyed the bountiful flowering gardens and carved sculptures, then continued along the highway towards the observatory.

striking carvings and sculptures

the piano is a fountain, two musicians are growing moss on their heads

We didn't know what to expect, and anticpated a typical observatory with telescopes. Located at the summit of McKenzie Pass, this observatory turned out to be a shelter with several observation windows built atop an immense lava flow. We walked the spiral walkway to the top where we were treated to panoramic 360° views, then along the paths through the lava fields. We learned that this was once a wagon trail negotiated by pioneers, though how they managed to traverse this rocky, spiky lava terrain is astonishing. In time, the wagon trail became an automobile route and eventually the two-way, 34-mile Old Mc Kenzie Highway with its hairpin bends and turns descending back to Sisters. 

Back at the RV Resort we gathered again for Happy Hour on the patio followed by a Country BBQ catered dinner. We certainly never feel hungry at rallies! And the social time and camaraderie is always enjoyable as we catch up with friends and get to know new folks and share experiences about our coaches and various trips, and issues we may have had and how to fix them. Newcomers are always appreciative of help and advice. 

Friday was the designated Free Day to pursue activities of choice. Or not. The golfers enjoyed time on the local golf course. We quilters started at the well-known Stitching Post quilt shop in town, then continued on to a couple of more quilt shops in Bend. And yes, the temptation is simply too much to resist which means we all came away with yet more fabric to add to our sizeable stashes at home.

Saturday morning after breakfast on the patio, we gathered at the resort's putt-putt course. This is now a tradition during our rallies in Sisters and always a fun activity with a mixture of excited cheers as well painful exclamations when a ball misses the hole. 

setting up for the winning shot  - Michael was the winner of this year's tournament!

In the afternoon a few hardy folks gathered for lawn games, braving the heat and wind. After Happy Hour on the patio, we had our final dinner, taco in a bag. It was certainly a new and different way to enjoy a taco.

filling our bags with taco fixings

dessert helpers

The next morning, Sunday, we said our farewells after a continental breakfast. One more terrific rally ended as folks departed for home or other destinations.  We stayed one more day, visited Michael's sister and had dinner together. And enjoyed one more spectacular sunset over the chain of peaks that are visible from their back deck.

Monday morning we and the Matthews departed to drive the 3 hour trip over the mountain to Junction City, where we each had appointments to have our coaches worked on. The Johnsons arrived at Bobby's a day earlier to remove the fridge that failed a few days into their trip up north, then decided to stay an extra night. With three Alpines in Bobby's lot, this qualified as a spot rally! We continued to enjoy each other's company and dinners together. At one point, Linda and we went exploring and wandered down a path that led to a small airport. On the way back we helped ourselves to figs and grapes, with permission of course. 

Once we pulled in, Bobby started work immediately: he installed the rest of the blinds that did not get completed this past June, and installed the new valances over the bedroom and toilet windows. We are happy with the new blinds which are so much better and easier to work, and to have the front window curtain gone.

On Tuesday, we drove in the Jeep back over to Bend, a 3-hour drive, to pick up my machine that Bill serviced that morning. Debi came with us hoping he could fix something on her machine too. After all that driving we were glad to get back and off the road. We gathered for potluck dinner in the parking lot. 

Wednesday morning we headed home, with an overnight stop in Midway RV Park in Centralia, a park we had not stayed at before. 

FINAL STOP: RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA

From Medora, it was an easy 239-mile drive to Rapid City RV Park in South Dakota. Our GPS mapped a course running directly through downtown Sturgis, South Dakota.  Since we knew this Saturday was the final weekend of the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and would likely be clogged with bikers, we decided to take a slightly longer detour through Spearfish, South Dakota and avoid the delays.  We drove through pretty scenery, passing golden fields of sunflowers about to open, and as we crossed into South Dakota, rolling grassy hills appeared. We knew we were getting closer to our destination when we began to see bikers. The Sturgis Rally was in full swing and there were biker convoys on the highway. 

Rapid City is located in a picturesque part of the country, along the slopes of the Black Hills. We were about to experience some of the marvels that surround it.

Day 1 started early with breakfast at Fort Hays Old West Town, home of the Dances with Wolves film set. We were treated to an all-you-can-eat cowboy breakfast served on tin plates: pancakes, bacon, sausage, biscuits & gravy, and coffee. 

Before boarding the tour bus, we had time to wander around the buildings of this cowboy town, and the gift shop. Two buildings from the Fort Hays set were relocated here: the army headquarters and the supply store. 

A docent kept us entertained with his recreation of a 19th century workshop in which a variety of tools is operated by a series of belts which would have been driven by a steam engine, now using an electric motor.  Next, he demonstrated how to make rope using toilet paper, much to our amusement. Basically, it was similar to doing a braid. 

Our driver and guide on the bus tour was the Custer high school principal. He tried to keep us amused with his corny jokes and he seemed to enjoy the witty comebacks from our own comedians. Perhaps he is more used to dealing with school kids!

At Mount Rushmore National Memorial, we had an hour to visit and take photos of this famous mountain sculpture. 

In 1923, South Dakota state historian Doane Robinson came up with the idea of a mountain carving to bring tourists to the Black Hills. He proposed carving legendary figures of the American West into the Black Hills Needles formation. It was Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor, who transformed Robinson's tourist attraction into a memorial to the ideals of democracy.  It took fourteen years and one million dollars to complete the sculptures. Today millions of people come to visit this national symbol. 

The four American Presidents carved into the granite of Mount Rushmore were chosen by the sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, to commemorate the founding, growth, preservation, and development of the United States. They symbolize the principles of liberty and freedom on which the nation was founded. 

George Washington signifies the struggle for independence and the birth of the Republic; Thomas Jefferson the territorial expansion of the country; Theodore Roosevelt the 20th century role of the United States in world affairs and the rights of common man; and Abraham Lincoln the permanent union of the States and equality for all citizens. 

Luigi Bianco, an Italian-American classically trained stone carver who was paid $1.50 an hour, was the chief carver of Mount Rushmore.  

From there, we continued along the Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway over Iron Mountain Road, across spiraling bridges, hairpin curves, through granite tunnels, and along stunning views. The three tunnels were built to line up directly with Mount Rushmore so that people driving through them would have a framed view of the memorial. To construct the road up the steep incline to the tunnels in a short distance they built 'pigtail bridges' in which the road goes under and then curves up and over the bridge, much like a clover leaf intersection today.  In order to blend the bridges with their natural surroundings, Douglas fir from the Pacific Northwest was used. 

a glimpse of the presidents through this tunnel

The State Game Lodge, a stately native stone and wood lodge established in 1920, served as the presidential summer "white house" for former presidents Coolidge and Eisenhower, and was our lunch stop where we enjoyed an elaborate buffet menu that included rather tasty buffalo stew. 

We continued through Custer State Park to Needles Highway, passing through more scenic tunnels and stopping at breathtaking overlooks. Custer State Park, considered a South Dakota treasure, features towering pines, rolling hills and massive granite spires. 

At one stop, we were able to view Washington's Mount Rushmore profile from this vantage point. 

from this vantage point, the carved profile blends in well with the needles spires

We continued to wind our way through the park, marveling at the views and the spectacular granite spires. 

We stopped at one of the meadows for an up-close view of a herd of bison.  It is the closest I have ever been to an animal in the wild. Although we were across the road from the herd that seemed oblivious of us, I know we were not the recommended distance of two school buses away! 

It was an amazing feeling to observe these seemingly placid animals, several cows with calves, one suckling, and a recently born calf that was still light in color and hairless.  The bulls are enormous but seemed preoccupied with their grazing and ignored us.  It remains another memorable experience from this trip. Our bus driver promised he would find us a herd and he did. 

The next section of the road took us through another series of tunnels, each slightly narrower than the previous one. The final one, Needles Eye Tunnel (8'0 wide x 9'9" tall), was so narrow that it left barely an inch clearance on each side of the bus. These TEMSA buses are made in Turkey and specifically imported by the tour company because they are just narrow enough to make it through these tunnels. 

Our driver had a sense of humor and put a placard in the front window saying, "Student Driver." In narrow sections of the road, as we pulled over to let the opposite cars and motor bikes pass, we would get either very quizzical looks or large smiles. As our driver made his way through the final narrowest tunnel slowly and carefully, others waiting on the opposite side to pass through were taking photos and video of us. Several had wide open eyes, some were laughing, and others had their hands to their mouths. He then yelled out the window asking if this was the way to McDonalds. All of us on board were laughing. I wonder what our spectators must have been thinking.

just a little further, almost there!

Sylvan Lake was a beautiful spot for a stop.  We had time to stretch our legs, visit the gift shop, and walk along the man-made lake located at the bottom of Black Elk Peak.  I found the boulders mesmerizing. 

first glimpse of Crazy Horse on his steed

Our final stop for the day was at Crazy Horse Memorial, which we visited at least 20 years ago. This enormous mountain carving-in-progress emerging from granite in the Southern Black Hills is a dream that began in 1939 when Chief Standing Bear invited sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski to create a tribute to the North American Indians and show that "the red man has great heroes also."

Today, work continues on the Lakota warrior.  When completed, the sculpture will be 563 feet high and 641 feet long.  No federal or state monies finance the memorial. Admission fees and contributions are the only funding the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation accepts. 

Of interest to us was to see how much progress had been made since our last visit. Comparing photos, it appears that the hand and fingers are now visible.

what the final sculpture will look like

rendition of Ziolkowski's vision of the Memorial in 1982

the sculpture in 2002

the sculpture today in 2023

The enormous Cultural Center houses museums, a theater, and a gift shop. There is an extensive collection of native art and artifacts. We visited the sculptor Ziolkowski's home studio museum, then watched a young girl dressed in costume performing a hoop dance before we boarded the bus back to Fort Hays. 

Back at Fort Hays, the dinner bell ushered us all inside the dining area. Our dinner from the Chuckwagon menu was served on tin plates with tin mugs: baked potato, sliced beef or chicken, baked beans, ranch biscuit and honey, chunky applesauce, old-fashioned spice cake, lemonade or coffee. After dinner, the Fort Hays Wranglers took to the stage and entertained us with our era music. 

After the long day yesterday, Day 2 was a kick-back day. I made arrangements to meet Linda Clarke, my sewing room friend from the Arizonian RV Resort who lives in Rapid City. She came to our RV Park to visit for an hour before leading the rest of us quilters in the group to the two quilt shops in town that were open that day. Once again, the photo is proof that we did indeed spend an enjoyable few hours! After selecting fabrics we were all very ready for lunch, and enjoyed delicious salads at Colonial House. 

yes, that really is my stash!

T, Terry, Linda, Marcella, Catheren, Linda, Rhoda and Willy

While we gals shopped, Michael, Pat, James & Helen went on a 3-mile hike on the Skyline Wilderness Trail nearby. 

Day 3, our final day of the trip, also began early. On the itinerary were two planned tours in Deadwood which was about an hour's drive away from Rapid City. 

Wild Bill Hickok

We boarded a windowless school bus in Deadwood. Our driver and tour guide drove us through town, along the main road, narrating the highlights of the history of this town that has a reputation for notoriety thanks to two well-known characters, Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. He pointed out the bar where Wild Bill was shot. 

Once gold was discovered in the southern Black Hills in 1874, one of the great gold rushes in America was triggered. When miners moved into the northern Black Hills two years later, they came across a gulch full of dead trees and creek full of gold, and Deadwood was born. The small gold camp boomed into a town that played by its own rules and attracted gamblers, gunslingers, and outlaws as well as gold seekers. At its height the city population swelled to 25,000 and at the 2020 census the population was 1,156.

Prospecting and prostitution went hand in hand and in time an entire city block was occupied by brothels. Long after the gold rush ended, brothels continued to operate until they were finally shut down in 1980.

Wild Bill Hickok was one of the fortune hunters but only a few weeks after arriving, he was gunned down while holding a poker hand of aces and eights, forever known now as the Dead Man's Hand. 

Calamity Jane, Martha Jane Canary, is another colorful, legendary character who liked to dress in men's clothing and swear, and was also a sharpshooter.  Apparently, she was also in love with Wild Bill and is buried in a grave next to his. 

Deadwood Characters

We continued on to Mount Moriah Cemetery, final resting place for several of Deadwood's interesting past characters. We saw the graves of Wild Bill and Calamity Jane, and a few other notable characters. Of note is that the graves are very shallow, only about a foot below the surface, because of the thin layer of topsoil over the granite bedrock below. 

Wild Bill Hickok, a name remembered
in infamy

our windowless tour bus

Further along we stopped at an overlook and view of Deadwood Gulch and the town situated 200 feet below the cemetery.  

High atop the opposite hill is a mine shaft of a gold mine which is no longer in operation. Although there is still plenty of gold, in 2002 when gold dropped in value it became uneconomical to mine and the operation was shut down.  

The second guided tour was Tatanka: Story of the Bison at the Native American Interpretive Center. This is a museum founded by Kevin Costner who was inspired by the Lakota people when he was filming the movie "Dances with Wolves".

We attended a docent presentation on the relationship between the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota Sioux tribes and the bison. It is all rooted in their creation story and the creation of their brother, the bison, who promised them sustenance. The bison was the source of food as well as other necessary tools and functions.  All parts were used, from the hide for clothing, blankets, teepee covers; to scrapers, spoons (scapula or femur bone), bowls (one of the stomachs), container for water (bladder).

After the lecture, we went outside to see the bronze sculptures of a bison hunt commissioned by Kevin Costner and created by artist Peggy Detmers.  It is the 3rd largest bronze sculpture in the world, composed of 14 bison being chased by 3 Lakota horsemen over a cliff, known as a bison jump. 

The 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty established the Great Sioux Reservation including ownership of the Black Hills and obligated the US government to punish white settlers who committed crimes against the tribes.  After the discovery of gold in the area just 6 years later, settlers flooded in.  The government could not control them, and eventually changed course and abandoned the treaty.  What followed is a sad episode in US history where the army set out to subdue the tribes.  After the defeat of the US forces at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Custer's Last Stand, the army focused on the tribes' dependence on the bison.  "Hungry people don't fight back" was a phrase that launched an all-out annihilation of the bison herds.  Tens of thousands were killed, purposely shot in the abdomen so that the internal organs would poison the meat and render them inedible.  Thirty to sixty million bison once roamed the Great Plains.  By the end of the nineteenth century fewer than 1,000 remained.  Today, bison no longer roam free like they once did.  Herds are owned by the Federal Government, the State, the tribes, and farmers.

The terms "bison" and "buffalo" are used interchangeably, but it is not correct.  What I learned is that in fact bison and buffalo are two different animals. Bison are native to North America and Europe while buffalo are native to Asia and Africa. Bison have a hump at their shoulders which acts like a plow to sweep drifts of snow in the winter, whereas buffalo do not have a hump.  The horns of a bison are shorter and sharper than a buffalo's.  Bison also have thick beards while the buffalo are beardless. 

The Lakota word for bison is tatanka. 

Bison, Buffalo, or Tatanka?

 

Both tours offered very opposite perspectives about the history of the area: of the original indigenous people whose culture developed because of their relationship with the land and the bison, and the European settlers who poured in to make a fortune after gold was discovered. The sad result is that both an indigenous culture and way of life dependent on bison, as well as the bison themselves, were destroyed.

That evening, we gathered at the Minerva Restaurant for our final meal together. Dinner was superb, from the salad and soup bar to the entree selections. Our Canada Rally was over. Thirty-three days ago, we had all gathered at the meeting point near Fargo, North Dakota. Thirty-three days later, we had all shared amazing adventures and experiences together. The bond we developed made us feel more like a family and the wonderful thing is that we all got along, had fun together, and in many ways got to know each other better and deepened our friendships. Our hosts, Tom & Nancy Polk and Norm & Beth Cannon, put on an extraordinary rally, planned to the last detail. Saying our goodbyes became rather emotional with the realization that tomorrow we would be going our separate ways, some straight home like us, others to different destinations, and the rest to the FMCA convention in Wyoming. 

A heat dome had settled over the west creating higher than normal temperatures so we planned to get an early start during the cooler morning.  Our route home would be a similar route in reverse: Hardin, Montana the first night (where we chatted with a South African seasonal worker who came out with his buddies to help with the harvest); Cardwell, Montana the second night; and St Regis, Montana the third night. Our plan to spend a fourth night in Moses Lake, Washington was changed due to the active wildfires burning around Spokane and the closure of part of I-90 rerouting us along narrow, winding, bumpy roads through farm fields.  The smoke was dense, visibility was low, and the air quality index was in the 200 range. We decided to press on home instead to get beyond the smoke. We drove 512 miles all the way back to Anacortes a day early. 

smoke around Spokane 

back roads through farm fields

the smoke followed us until we crossed the mountains

crossing the Columbia River, shrouded in smoke

Our epic Alpine Adventure has come to an end. And, just like in all epic adventures, our "hero" Tom also faced challenges (those spikes in the road) which he overcame admirably. We all endured the pesky black flies, mosquitos, no-see-ums, yellow jackets, and grasshoppers that plagued us along the way in some places.  A couple of us had extra challenges with coach and tire issues that thankfully were resolved without interrupting the rest of their trip.  We coped with the heat and smoky air at times  And we all benefited from the adventures, learned a lot, and saw a lot as we traveled together, by motor home, car, bus, train, plane, and boat. 

Our trip stats from Anacortes and back again:

• Nights away: 43
• Total miles traveled in Alpine: 4,680
• Gallons of diesel fuel used: 522
• Number of RV parks: 21
• Additional driving miles in the Jeep: 610
• Plane flight Thompson to Churchill: 250 miles, 50 minutes
• Overnight train back to Thompson: 370 miles, 18 hours!
• Tours & attractions: 33, including the main events in Churchill, kayaking with beluga whales and the tundra bus tour

Our 4680-mile epic journey

Alpine, back home again