Heron at the Pond and other critters

 

The Michigan Pond has a few herons that visit and fish.  The grey heron likes to sit on the pond spray but is sometimes disrupted when the pump starts up.

There are several piney squirrels who visit us and they relish the pine cones. They exhibit no fear of us.  There are also chipmunks, but they are very nervous and seldom stay still to pose.

(c) 2026 N. Retzke

Eating our way across America

 

Lemon Meringue Pie, Clanton's Cafe Vinita OK

One of the pleasures of RVing is the opportunity to eat at a variety of restaurants, cafes and diners.  We have enjoyed watching the YouTube videos of foreigners, many on a first time visit to the US, and their dining experiences. But most don't frequent diners and restaurants in smaller towns as well as cities.  They are missing the best, IMHO.

We make it a point when possible to stop at local restaurants on each trek.  During our most recent we stopped in Tucumcari NM, Albuquerque NM, Shamrock TX, Vinita OK, Lebanon MI, Litchfield IL.

The Europeans have discovered Buc-EEs, Waffle House  and Denny's and we stop at these from time to time. During this trek we had breakfast at a Denny's in Tucumcari and a Waffle House in Lebanon MO.

Here's a partial list: 

Jubelt's Restaurent & Bakery Litchfield IL

Clanton's Cafe Viniti OK

U Drop In Cafe Shamrock TX

Owl Cafe Albuquerque NM

Del's Tucumcari NM

Chicken Fried Steak, Clanton's. Served with a house salad

Bakery Case, Jubelt's.  Quite a lot of pies and breads, too. 

Lunch at Jubelt's.  Homemade bread. The blueberry muffin was also excellent!

Lunch at U Drop In.  Meatloaf Sandwich and Brisket Sandwich
 with Ada Lou's Pasta Salad. Route 66 Root Beer, too!

(c) 2026 N. Retzke

We arrive July 2. Happy July 4th!

 

A View from the Campground

After a long, yet uneventful trek, we arrived at our campground. 

(C) 2026 N. Retzke

Wow! What a scorcher!

Looking West at Sunset across Lake Michigan Original Photo (c) 2026 N. Retzke

The trek began at 103F and that was the temperature for the first few days. The Kool-Kat heat pump could not keep up. When parking in full sun there is a lot of heat gain with all of the glass. We put reflectix in all of the windows excepting the side door. This helps. 

I run the 3-way refrigerator on propane when moving and we added a sealed container of ice in the freezer and to the refrigerator.  I have two temperature sensors in the refrigerator.  One is on the lower shelf and the second is on the bottom shelf.  These provide remote readout of the interior temperature.  Opening the refrigerator door to read a thermometer would be self-defeating.    Opening the refrigerator door in elevated temperatures rapidly heats the interior. We cook meats and re-freeze to avoid spoiling.  Milk is sensitive and is a good barometer for determining if the refrigerator has become too warm.  Of course, only pre-cooled items are put in the refrigerator.  

Here's a photo of one of the data from one temperature sensors. This shows a week of temperature cycling. When on propane the upper door temperature is 48-50F.  Spikes occur when the door is opened. The extreme door temperatures of 71F occurred when unloading the refrigerator.   The sensors communicate to my phone via bluetooth. 

I do have a "sunshade".  On occasion I'll use it to create shade at the front of the vehicle.  One disadvantage is the time it takes to set up.  Not really practical during short stays.  

Sunshade and Reflectix in the window. 

When we arrived at the final destination it was only 100F and 78% humidity.  Because of the humidity it was uncomfortable. 

(c) 2026 N. Retzke  - No AI used for this post

Planning our June 2026 Trek

 

Click to enlarge

Daily temperatures here in the Sonoran desert begin at 80F and then peak at 100F each day.  Occasional monsoon rains but generally sunny.  Time to leave the Southwest and go to cooler northern weather.  Our destination has had some violent storms, but daily low is about 65F and the high reaches 75-89F!   The dew point at the destination is 60-65F! It will be humid.  Our daily dew point here is in the range 18 to 35F.  That's a significant difference.  We will be leaving a relatively bug-free environment, no or few mosquitos, etc.

At our destination we live in a 30 ft. travel trailer.  This is our "base".  We lease a site annually and never move the trailer.  We have added a deck, wooden steps, etc.  We use the Roadtrek for excursions. However, we have lived in the Roadtrek for as many as 90 days.

The planned driving route has daily driving times of 3 hours 15 minutes to 5 hours, 45 minutes.  Daily distance will range from 221 to 389 miles. Total distance about 1877 miles. 5 nights in various locations. No AI was used to plan this trek.

As usual we have made reservations at campgrounds for each night. We prefer to travel with reservations. Camping costs will average $61.68 per night, total $308.42. Gasoline will probably be about $493.00. There will be a few tolls. (Note:  Actual gasoline per receipts $478.71).

Each day we'll eat a meal sampling local fare. Yes, some breakfasts will be "fast food".  We strike a balance of time spent actually travelling to time spent eating and stretching.  We prefer to arrive at a time sufficiently early that we can go to a local restaurant and check-in while the campground is open.  Arrival time is determined by traffic, how early in the day we hit the road, and the duration of rest or meal stops. Because we are travelling in an easterly direction we will lose one hour on the clock three days.  

For planning purposes I use a 9:00am departure time. On days where we lose an hour due to time zone changes, we'll probably depart at 8:00am. Add an hour meal stop and we'll arrive at our destination before 3:30pm each day. I combine a meal stop with gasoline fill-up.  I do stop for gasoline about every 200 or 250 miles. Comfort is a factor.

(c) N. Retzke 2026

3-3-3 Trekking Method

 

Typical multi-day Trek

We're planning our next trek.  We'll be balancing sight-seeing with a desire to cover distance and, we'll want to arrive at a final destination refreshed,

I have read about different trekking approaches.  We prefer to manage our daily driving and arrival times. This allows frequent stops and we usually arrive at our campsite before the office closes for the day. Some called this a 2-2-2 or 3-3-3 method. We begin with something closer to a 2-3-2.  We modify to suit conditions and our objectives.  

We may stop for two days (two nights) at each campground, travel about 300 miles per day and arrive after 2:00 pm.  However, route conditions and starting times determine this.  For example, if we are travelling on interstate highways at 70 MPH, then we could easily cover 350 miles in five hours.  

If we are going for distance, we have driven 500 miles in a single day. We took off at 8:15 am, stopped for breakfast and a late lunch and arrived at our destination at 5:00pm.  That is a long day but we had a specific destination in mind!

Weather is also a factor.  We have trekked and camped overnight from 5F to 103F. In our Roadtrek, which is a Class B campervan, this can be a challenge.

Our first attempt in a rental Class B, morning wake-up

Our first trek in our Roadtrek, this was taken the morning after an all-night rest stop

If we want to stop mid-day and sightsee, our daily driving time might be seriously reduced.  Driving through dense population centers can result in delays and speeds as low as 35 MPH on highways. When that occurs, a 200 mile day may require 5 hours.   

We plan the route and pre-select our campgrounds, things to see, and determine daily driving distances. 

If we are "cruising" via the interstate we can cover a lot of distance in a day, so our ultimate determining factor is total driving time each day.  That is usually 6 or more hours, if there is no significant stop on that day.  

For example, we generally plan for an early rise, a light breakfast snack in the Roadtrek, and then a larger breakfast after driving about 2 hours.  We stop for gasoline about every 200 miles.  The point is to take frequent stretch or bathroom breaks and stretch.  There are two meal stops.  Usually one after trekking for several hours, and one later in the day.  We may snack and wait until we arrive at the campground for the second meal stop. Dinner is prepared in the Roadtrek.

If we are travelling on highways with 70 MPH speed limits or higher, we may cover 300 miles in a single day.  That is 5 hours of driving at an average pace of 60 MPH.  The average includes driving time, a fuel stop and bathroom, stretch breaks, but not stops for meals.

 As I said, weather is a factor.  We have done a lot of 3-season trekking and that means encountering true winter conditions, but not camping in them for extended periods.  I've posted about this in the past.  The Roadtrek has a lot of glass surfaces and that means heat loss, or if parked in the sun in hot weather, it means heat gain.  Overnight I cover the interior windows with reflectix to add a small measure of insulation.  We also use the propane range sparingly, preferring an electric inductive cook stop.  Burning propane produces water vapor. In winter this will accumulate and freeze on cold surfaces, such as windows.  We conserve propane for the hot water heater and furnace.  We use the heat pump most of the time for temperature control, supplemented with electric heat.  I added an electric runner to heat the floor, which is really nice. 

Weather influence our treks as we spend as little time as necessary during overnight stops under unpleasant conditions.  

The next trek will be in late Spring weather.  That means moderate temperatures and cool, but not cold nights.  Perfect travel conditions!

Here's a recent trek with driving days. The trek duration was determined by length of stays:

Day 1 we departed at 10:30am and drove approximately 4 hours and 274 miles.

Day 2 we departed 8:14am and drove approximately 9 hours annd 504 miles.

Day 3 we departed 7:45am and drove approximately 5.5 hours and 377 miles.

Day 4 we departed 7:50am and drove approximately 4.5 hours and 301 miles.

Day 5 we departed 7:55am and drove approximately 6 hours and 500 miles. 

(c) 2026 N. Retzke

Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch

 

Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch is adjacent to Picacho Peak State Park, Arizona.  We had friends visit and because this venue had been recommended I purchased tickets online for the Monster Truck Tour, etc. It is possible to hike the Park and climb the peak via trails, as well as visit the ranch.  In Spring there may be many flowers on the peak. 

It was a lot of fun. In addition to the truck tour there is walking and hand feeding of a variety of critters, and a show consisting of a sheep dog herding a variety of ducks through a water park, etc. Here are a few photos.  Check online for tickets and hours. 

Highly recommended!

Ready to depart in the Monster Truck, with our cheerful guide and driver

Riding through the Ranch

Feeding the Ostriches

Tending to the Eggs

Herding the Ducks

Ducks on the Water Slide

Hand Feeding at the "Goat Kissing Booth"

Feeding Lorakeets

Hand Feeding Rays

(c)2026 N. Retzke