(07-01-2026 09:09 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(07-01-2026 08:09 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(07-01-2026 07:15 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(07-01-2026 11:16 AM)TripleA Wrote:  

(07-01-2026 11:02 AM)Redwingtom Wrote:  If you're out that way, DO NOT miss going to Devil's Tower. It's the coolest place in America that I've ever visited. I went just before sundown and watched the setting sun behind it which was very cool and made for great photos. Since it was later in the day, there weren't many people there so it was incredibly serene. You could hear the wind blowing past it and it make a spiritual sound that filled me with an amazing peace. It was easy to see why the natives used it as a spiritual retreat.

That's definitely on my list, as is all of the Black Hills and Badlands NP. I am likely going to create my domicile in South Dakota, so that area will be the very first place I visit.

Its pretty cool.

Warning. Hail is common in South Dakota in the summer. We got in a big storm near Custer State Park, but didn't get the worst of it, merely about 5 minutes of golf ball size. The next town looked like it had snowed. We saw a couple cars in the parking lot at our hotel that looked like golf balls with all the dimples. There was a couple on motorcycles stopping in a tunnel and the woman looked pretty dazed.

Probably said this in the original thread, but Wind Caves NP and Custer State Park are really worth it for the buffalo herds. And if its hot, it will feel GREAT being in the cave. Don't miss Wall Drug Store when you go to Badlands. Its not possible to miss all the billboards! The MinuteMan Missile NHS near Badlands is also worth the stop.

We went in the summer of 2021 just after all the quarantines were lifted. We flew into Rapid City and rented a car and of course did Badlands and Mt. Rushmore. Didn't get to Crazy Horse. Didn't have time to do the Deadwood old West Town. Then we went on to Glacier NP and did Teddy Roosevelt NP in North Dakota. Teddy Roosevelt was nice, but the buffalo herds paled in comparison to Wind Caves and Custer.

And in case you haven't already, you need to figure out the restrictions on the National Parks. We had to get into Glacier before 6 am. There were supposedly daily reservations freed every day at 8am, but we could never get through the phone line. It wasn't bad since it was less crowded. After we did Going to the Sun Road, we tried to enter the east side of the park in one of the unrestricted entrances. But it was closed for an undetermined amount of time because they had no parking. It was 4 or 5 at that point, so we headed back to Whitefish where we were staying. And if you are planning on eating out at a restaurant, Whitefish was completely booked up. We drove down to Kalispell to eat.

I haven't been anywhere near the Black Hills at all, so this visit will be great fun for me.

I worry about hail. Best action is to get under a roof or a giant tree, if possible. Hail that big would destroy my solar panels and the fiberglass roof. I would be SOL if I were in Badlands NP.

I'm on no schedule, other than dying, lol, so I will stay at each area location until I have seen all I want to see. As for restrictions, since the time you visited, almost all NPs have dropped restrictions, per my searches.

At Glacier, I plan to park my RV and ride one of the old motor cars across GTTS Road and back.

I will eat out now and then, but most of the time plan to grill outside the RV, so as not to stink up the joint. Anybody have suggestions for a grill? I would like a combo gas grill and griddle but haven't found one with the right price and reviews yet.

In my previous lifetime of travel, I find that I should aim for weeknights, and skip trying to eat out on weekends or holidays.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

The hail was in the hills near Mt. Rushmore. Shouldn't be an issue out in the Badlands.

We were there in the middle of August, and right as we got to the top, we got socked in, couldnt see squat except for a couple of hundred yards of ice heading down. We figured we'd just hang out in the car, but noooo. The park ranger came to chase us down. I was like uh, you see all that ice? No guardrails? He said, "you'll be fine. Just go real slow." I've never been more frightened in my life. Every time I looked out into the abyss it look right back at me as if to say, do something silly, I dare you! The ranger was right, it didn't last long. Was still scary as hell.

Edit: I have no idea what I was thinking of, but it wasn't the Black Hills; it was Pikes Peak, kind of nearby, not...

(07-01-2026 11:31 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(07-01-2026 09:39 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(07-01-2026 08:11 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(07-01-2026 07:35 PM)bullet Wrote:  I've been trying since 1990 to eventually do all the continental national parks. I've done 34 since 1990 and 5 others before that (a half dozen I did before 1990 but have done again since then. The problem is they keep adding new parks! I've got 14 to go, but 10 of them are relatively new.

When you have time, could you give me a list of your favorites, and why? Not long ago, they were up to 63, but they have added some since then.

Quick quintile ranking, 1 for top down to 5 for the bottom quintile. No particular order within each category. Enjoyed all of them. Of the 5s: Great Smoky was way too crowded. Joshua Tree was way too hot (they were telling people NOT to do anything but short hikes) and while interesting, wasn't that scenic. We also got aggressive bees in the car which freaked out the family. Teddy Roosevelt was mainly known for its buffalo herds, but after Wind Caves was kind of disappointing. Hot Springs pretty crowded, but worth seeing once like Joshua Tree.
Shenendoah, Gateway Arch, Guadalupe Mountains, Petrified Forest-just tough competition, like being in the SEC-somebody had to be a 5!

Arches 1
Glacier 1
Zion 1
Grand Canyon 1
Mt. Rainier 1
Yellowstone 1
Rocky Mountain 1
Yosemite 1
Badlands 2
Wind Cave 2
Grand Teton 2
Mammoth Cave 2
Haekalea 2
Big Bend 2
Carlsbad Caverns 2
Sequoia 2
Everglades 3
Olympic 3
Redwood 3
Crater Lake 3
Virgin Islands 3
Kings Canyon 3
Mesa Verde 3
Canyonlands 4
Capitol Reef 4
Bryce Canyon 4
Biscayne 4
Lassen Volcanic 4
Black Canyon of the Gunnison 4
North Cascades 4
Acadia 4
Shenandoah 5
Theodore Roosevelt 5
Joshua Tree 5
Gateway Arch 5
Great Smoky Mtns. 5
Guadalupe Mtns. 5
Hot Springs 5
Petrified Forest 5

Thanks, Bullet. I love lists like this, b/c one can read about places to see all day, but the best advice is from those who have actually been there. People have different opinions, but after enough opinions you trust, it starts to become clear which are better.

Of that list, I have been to 11, so that leaves a lot for me to choose from. The 11 I've been to from Bullet's list (his rankings) are:

Mt. Rainier 1
Yellowstone 1
Rocky Mountain 1
Grand Teton 2
Mammoth Cave 2
Redwood 3
Virgin Islands 3
Acadia 4
Shenandoah 5
Great Smoky Mtns. 5
Hot Springs 5

The only one of my group of 11 that I want to see again is Yellowstone. I went there as a teenager with my family. I thought it was awesome.

Then early in our marriage, Edy and I went to Yellowstone. Again, I thought it was awesome, but this time, Edy was having a bad week, and it's hard to believe, but she mostly sat in the car while I got out and did some hiking and sightseeing for myself.

It's been two months now, and the pain is still hard, but I am slowly beginning to deal with it. Talking about these things and planning once again helps me keep my mind on happy thoughts. I just wish Edy could have experienced all the things available to her in life, so this time around, I'm taking her with me again.

Yep, I'm going to put some of her ashes in a little Ziplock, put the bag in my pocket when I return to Yellowstone, and this time, Edy will be able to get out of the car and walk with me.

And I'm going to leave a part of her there forever.

That's truly beautiful, brother. It sounds like you both hit the lottery when finding each other. I hope the story plays out to a beautiful conclusion. It doesn't feel quite over though, She was lucky to have found you.

(07-01-2026 11:59 PM)bullet Wrote:  I love Rocky Mountain. Its probably my favorite. I've been there 3 times. Love Trail Ridge Road. Of course the first time my Father was driving and the rest were looking. My sister or Mother would say look at that! I would say, "Don't look Father!!!" Favorite place in all the national parks is the short 3/4 mile hike to Dream Lake and Emerald Lake. Only made it to Emerald Lake the first time. The 2nd time it snowed and we couldn't even see the trail at Dream Lake. The 3rd time I was with my 3 and 4 year olds and we didn't even make it to Dream Lake. Son was whining. Daughter somehow picked up a nail in her shoe.

Mt. Ranier. Beautiful mountain. Love how the clouds surround it. First time we saw a bear cub about 30 feet in front of us. My Father had to tell my Mother very sternly to get in the car. He had hiked through the woods to meet us and thought he heard the mom rooting around. We didn't want her to think her cub was threatened. Been there 3 times.

With Yellowstone, you understand why it created the idea of a national park. There's so much amazing, different stuff in such a small area (huge park, but small for the amazing variety). Beautiful lake, snow covered mountains, wildlife (I've seen a moose, elk, wolf and buffalo up close. Like right in front of the car--missed the bear, people were parked a half mile away trying to see it) and then all the geothermal features-geysers, hot springs, travertine terraces, mudpots. If you head out the east entrance beyond the lake, its really interesting terrain. I've been there twice. Last time we spent a night in Cody, Wyoming, about an hour east, and watched a rodeo.

Just think, without the driving force of Teddy Roosevelt, there may not have been any national parks. He saved that entire area from over-development.

(07-02-2026 01:53 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(07-02-2026 01:46 PM)JMUDunk Wrote:  

(07-02-2026 07:32 AM)mlb Wrote:  

(07-01-2026 10:42 PM)JMUDunk Wrote:  

(07-01-2026 07:53 AM)mlb Wrote:  Pinning this. Look forward to following along.

K
How do you “pin”?

I get what it is, how to?
Thx!

You have to have moderator powers to do it.

Wellllll, aren’t you the benevolent dictator?!?


K. Get it now, this will be fun to follow.

I've been giving this some thought. After I knock off my major objectives (Rushmore & Badlands, Grand Canyon, Mighty 5 in Utah, etc.), I may ask you guys in here, and also on my private Memphis board, for suggestions as to where to go next in the Lower 48 + lower Canada.

As long as you guys don't try to send me from Miami to Seattle, then Maine, then San Diego, etc.

If I were in your position I'd have to see the Alberta range of the Rockies, the secenery I've seen on TV and in the movies is breathtaking and heartstoppingly beautiful.

(07-02-2026 03:52 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(07-02-2026 03:26 PM)BartlettTigerFan Wrote:  And Andy, are you sure? My pasture rental rates are quite fair.

Ok, I'll come, but only if you agree to pay the towing bill for that giant hunk of heavy metal, if I get stuck out there.

Deal?

Barteet could introduce you to stress-free living using modern natural pharmaceuticals. At your age, why the hell not? You no longer have to worry about security clearances or someone reminding you that you are too old to start partaking regularly. This is YOUR time. It's likely as close to it being your time as you can get.

Man, I can just see it now. Parked somewhere at dusk, sitting outside facing due west as the sun goes down and creates canvases full of beauty and wonder. I doubt I'll ever get there; my life hasn't been my own since 1978, when my first child was born. To be able to sit and watch as the sun goes down and paints so very many different masterpieces would be such a release and a relief for me.

You'd better buy you a really nice camera and be able to chronicle what may be the closing chapter of the book of your life with pictures of beauty. And then again, you could go on this adventure and see everything you ever wanted to see on the continent and live out the rest of your life in relative comfort, while I don't personally wish to live that long if you do I'll pray that youi spend it in comfort.

(07-02-2026 04:28 PM)BartlettTigerFan Wrote:  It’s full of hay rolls right now, might be crowded.

Yeah, that’s it.

Need some cows?

(07-02-2026 06:42 PM)U_of_Elvis Wrote:  

(07-02-2026 06:16 PM)TripleA Wrote:  So the beginning of the plan looks like this, subject to change, of course:

1. Close on my house
2. Buy an RV
3. Take a short test trip from Memphis (probably Pickwick or Shiloh)
4. Take a longer test trip somewhere else TBD
5. Head to the state of domicile to register, get a new Driver's License, etc. (likely within 45 days or less of #2)
6. Head to Arizona (Sedona, Petrified Forest, Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, etc.)
7. Head to Utah (Mighty 5, which are Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon and Zion)

That's about as far as I can go for now. But that should be a lot to chat about until I close on my house.

A couple of shakedown trips where you can bring back to the dealership after is a great idea.

The highest motivation to fix initial defects will be if you find them before you sign, next will be with your purchasing dealer vs a random dealer.

So really put everything through their paces (like a mini home inspection, hot water, generator, check every outlet, solar charging, appliances) before you sign on the lot. If you find something then you can probably get them to write out a “we owe” sheet of things they need to fix immediately.

The chassis stuff is all ford, should be good there, but the “home” part can have issues even brand new unfortunately.

Excellent advice. I had a friend who, upon retiring from AT&T decided to sell his home and buy one of those monster Winnebagoes. I was impressed when I heard fairly recently that after doing the whole Winnebago thing for close to ten years, he was done. His wife was something else. She made me very uncomfortable. She always looked at me like she wanted to eat me up. But he was as flaky as she was.

(07-02-2026 10:10 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(07-02-2026 09:16 PM)Tiger1983 Wrote:  

(07-02-2026 06:16 PM)TripleA Wrote:  So the beginning of the plan looks like this, subject to change, of course:

1. Close on my house
2. Buy an RV
3. Take a short test trip from Memphis (probably Pickwick or Shiloh). Go in for repairs.
4. Take a longer test trip somewhere else TBD. Go in for repairs again, if necessary.
5. Head to the state of domicile to register, get a new Driver's License, etc. (likely within 45 days or less of #2)
6. Head to Arizona (Sedona, Petrified Forest, Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, etc.)
7. Head to Utah (Mighty 5, which are Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon and Zion)

That's about as far as I can go for now. But that should be a lot to chat about until I close on my house.

Do you plan to store your household belongings (eg, furniture)? If I had to do it over again, I would have sold, donated, or disposed of everything except of sentimental value before my last move.

I am doing exactly that. I have already given away some things, mostly to the kids, will start selling furniture when closing date is set, and will trash everything that is still here between then and moving day.

Lucky for me, with my local city service, all I have to do is haul anything out to the curb, and the city takes it away. No extra charge.

Both my daughters have gone through everything and taken what they wanted. Other relatives have spoken for a few things, but I'm not delivering. They have to come get it on time, or out it goes.

I plan to keep:

* Enough clothes for 10 days, + a couple of long sleeve garments to layer if it gets cold anywhere, & no heavy coats, since I will be avoiding cold weather as much as possible. Two or 3 pairs of shoes: One tennis, + one or two casual pair. One pair of dress shoes, saved for a wedding next summer, then out.

* A few small sentimental or practical things, like photos, jewelry, laptop, etc.

* Zero furniture. Nothing would fit in the RV, anyway, and none is sentimental. I've thrown some away already. Relatives are taking a couple. When we have a contract signed with an acceptable price and conditions, I will place the rest for sale on something like Facebook Marketplace.

Whatever doesn't sell gets hauled to the street, and trust me, I have some nice furniture. Two brand new matching recliners. A 200 year old beautiful dry sink. Full Ethan Allen dining table and chairs set, and a matching large EA hutch. All are high end. Two large parlor chairs that initially retailed for $2400 each. A nice day bed with beautiful coverings. A large desk with matching bookcase. Numerous end tables. Etc.

* Appliances all stay with the house, but are included in the price. Not free. All are less than a year old except the oven. Some, not all, are high end.

* I've also already thrown away my golf clubs, + a fairly new bicycle, and I have given away three nice long guns to relatives (a new 6.5 Creedmoor bolt rifle, never fired. A .20 gauge shotgun, fired less than 100 times. A 16" carbine, fired about the same). And I sold my Honda truck not too long ago. My remaining vehicle will be traded in on my RV.

* I still have 3 pistols I'm attached to that have a bunch of relatives arguing over them, lol. One I'm sentimental about and I'm keeping, a replica 1873 Colt .45 Single Action Army.

That one may be a pain to travel with. If so, I will store it with a relative somewhere.

Okay, that was overkill, but I really wanted to think through everything while I was typing, and kill two birds with one stone. Now I don't have to think through this again, lol. I know I'm leaving crap out, but that's close.

You know you can avoid all the arguing if you just give the handguns to me...

(07-05-2026 05:54 PM)Tiger1983 Wrote:  

(07-05-2026 04:41 PM)UofMstateU Wrote:  Sorry I missed the start of this thread, but we just got back from Chicago for our son's Navy graduation. Good luck with this Andy.

Just a headsup; if you do an inverter and batteries, beware of BattleBorn. Their parent company is dragonfly, who's stock has been in the toilet for a year. They have been notorious for not abiding by their warranty. They also appear to have serious issue with the battery lugs, which Will Prowse at DiySolar.com has documented for about a year. Instead of fixing the problem, they are suing Will.

A lot of RV companies use these batteries as a default. So just a headsup on this. There's plenty of forum members on DiySolar and some of the other RV forums mentioned here that can lead you in a good direction if you want to go down that path.

Congrats on your son’s graduation and thanks for his service.

Ditto

That was a nice RV, Triple. It's perfect for you. I asked my youngest who has 4 boys and they're all in baseball and go off on baseball tourney trips that if I could park my RV (if I bought one) and he could use it when he went off on those trips. Of course he said yes but she said that it only bedded 4 comfortably. So that would be out of the picture. I've always loved RVs and I'm always looking for possibilities just in case. Right now they're all in LA for a tourney for the second oldest, too bad I didn't have mine already, he could have used it.

(07-06-2026 02:01 PM)olliebaba Wrote:  That was a nice RV, Triple. It's perfect for you. I asked my youngest who has 4 boys and they're all in baseball and go off on baseball tourney trips that if I could park my RV (if I bought one) and he could use it when he went off on those trips. Of course he said yes but she said that it only bedded 4 comfortably. So that would be out of the picture. I've always loved RVs and I'm always looking for possibilities just in case. Right now they're all in LA for a tourney for the second oldest, too bad I didn't have mine already, he could have used it.

Yeah, my size wouldn't work for them. It's aimed at solo travelers and couples, or families with one or two small kids, at most.

The smallest Class C rigs run 19' to 20' (mine is 22' and sleeps 4 max).

The largest Class C rigs look like semi trucks, maxing out at 45', and running $200-400K. Some Super C rigs can run into the $Ms.

(07-06-2026 07:16 AM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  

(07-02-2026 10:10 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(07-02-2026 09:16 PM)Tiger1983 Wrote:  

(07-02-2026 06:16 PM)TripleA Wrote:  So the beginning of the plan looks like this, subject to change, of course:

1. Close on my house
2. Buy an RV
3. Take a short test trip from Memphis (probably Pickwick or Shiloh). Go in for repairs.
4. Take a longer test trip somewhere else TBD. Go in for repairs again, if necessary.
5. Head to the state of domicile to register, get a new Driver's License, etc. (likely within 45 days or less of #2)
6. Head to Arizona (Sedona, Petrified Forest, Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, etc.)
7. Head to Utah (Mighty 5, which are Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon and Zion)

That's about as far as I can go for now. But that should be a lot to chat about until I close on my house.

Do you plan to store your household belongings (eg, furniture)? If I had to do it over again, I would have sold, donated, or disposed of everything except of sentimental value before my last move.

I am doing exactly that. I have already given away some things, mostly to the kids, will start selling furniture when closing date is set, and will trash everything that is still here between then and moving day.

Lucky for me, with my local city service, all I have to do is haul anything out to the curb, and the city takes it away. No extra charge.

Both my daughters have gone through everything and taken what they wanted. Other relatives have spoken for a few things, but I'm not delivering. They have to come get it on time, or out it goes.

I plan to keep:

* Enough clothes for 10 days, + a couple of long sleeve garments to layer if it gets cold anywhere, & no heavy coats, since I will be avoiding cold weather as much as possible. Two or 3 pairs of shoes: One tennis, + one or two casual pair. One pair of dress shoes, saved for a wedding next summer, then out.

* A few small sentimental or practical things, like photos, jewelry, laptop, etc.

* Zero furniture. Nothing would fit in the RV, anyway, and none is sentimental. I've thrown some away already. Relatives are taking a couple. When we have a contract signed with an acceptable price and conditions, I will place the rest for sale on something like Facebook Marketplace.

Whatever doesn't sell gets hauled to the street, and trust me, I have some nice furniture. Two brand new matching recliners. A 200 year old beautiful dry sink. Full Ethan Allen dining table and chairs set, and a matching large EA hutch. All are high end. Two large parlor chairs that initially retailed for $2400 each. A nice day bed with beautiful coverings. A large desk with matching bookcase. Numerous end tables. Etc.

* Appliances all stay with the house, but are included in the price. Not free. All are less than a year old except the oven. Some, not all, are high end.

* I've also already thrown away my golf clubs, + a fairly new bicycle, and I have given away three nice long guns to relatives (a new 6.5 Creedmoor bolt rifle, never fired. A .20 gauge shotgun, fired less than 100 times. A 16" carbine, fired about the same). And I sold my Honda truck not too long ago. My remaining vehicle will be traded in on my RV.

* I still have 3 pistols I'm attached to that have a bunch of relatives arguing over them, lol. One I'm sentimental about and I'm keeping, a replica 1873 Colt .45 Single Action Army.

That one may be a pain to travel with. If so, I will store it with a relative somewhere.

Okay, that was overkill, but I really wanted to think through everything while I was typing, and kill two birds with one stone. Now I don't have to think through this again, lol. I know I'm leaving crap out, but that's close.

You know you can avoid all the arguing if you just give the handguns to me...

Ha, I think Bart may have dibs on you. Maybe I'll split the baby, lol.

Hey Ollie, maybe I'll get to El Paso some day, and you can take a spin with me. One of the targets on my list is Hatch NM + White Sands NP. Not that far away from you.

(07-06-2026 02:54 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(07-06-2026 07:16 AM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  

(07-02-2026 10:10 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(07-02-2026 09:16 PM)Tiger1983 Wrote:  

(07-02-2026 06:16 PM)TripleA Wrote:  So the beginning of the plan looks like this, subject to change, of course:

1. Close on my house
2. Buy an RV
3. Take a short test trip from Memphis (probably Pickwick or Shiloh). Go in for repairs.
4. Take a longer test trip somewhere else TBD. Go in for repairs again, if necessary.
5. Head to the state of domicile to register, get a new Driver's License, etc. (likely within 45 days or less of #2)
6. Head to Arizona (Sedona, Petrified Forest, Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, etc.)
7. Head to Utah (Mighty 5, which are Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon and Zion)

That's about as far as I can go for now. But that should be a lot to chat about until I close on my house.

Do you plan to store your household belongings (eg, furniture)? If I had to do it over again, I would have sold, donated, or disposed of everything except of sentimental value before my last move.

I am doing exactly that. I have already given away some things, mostly to the kids, will start selling furniture when closing date is set, and will trash everything that is still here between then and moving day.

Lucky for me, with my local city service, all I have to do is haul anything out to the curb, and the city takes it away. No extra charge.

Both my daughters have gone through everything and taken what they wanted. Other relatives have spoken for a few things, but I'm not delivering. They have to come get it on time, or out it goes.

I plan to keep:

* Enough clothes for 10 days, + a couple of long sleeve garments to layer if it gets cold anywhere, & no heavy coats, since I will be avoiding cold weather as much as possible. Two or 3 pairs of shoes: One tennis, + one or two casual pair. One pair of dress shoes, saved for a wedding next summer, then out.

* A few small sentimental or practical things, like photos, jewelry, laptop, etc.

* Zero furniture. Nothing would fit in the RV, anyway, and none is sentimental. I've thrown some away already. Relatives are taking a couple. When we have a contract signed with an acceptable price and conditions, I will place the rest for sale on something like Facebook Marketplace.

Whatever doesn't sell gets hauled to the street, and trust me, I have some nice furniture. Two brand new matching recliners. A 200 year old beautiful dry sink. Full Ethan Allen dining table and chairs set, and a matching large EA hutch. All are high end. Two large parlor chairs that initially retailed for $2400 each. A nice day bed with beautiful coverings. A large desk with matching bookcase. Numerous end tables. Etc.

* Appliances all stay with the house, but are included in the price. Not free. All are less than a year old except the oven. Some, not all, are high end.

* I've also already thrown away my golf clubs, + a fairly new bicycle, and I have given away three nice long guns to relatives (a new 6.5 Creedmoor bolt rifle, never fired. A .20 gauge shotgun, fired less than 100 times. A 16" carbine, fired about the same). And I sold my Honda truck not too long ago. My remaining vehicle will be traded in on my RV.

* I still have 3 pistols I'm attached to that have a bunch of relatives arguing over them, lol. One I'm sentimental about and I'm keeping, a replica 1873 Colt .45 Single Action Army.

That one may be a pain to travel with. If so, I will store it with a relative somewhere.

Okay, that was overkill, but I really wanted to think through everything while I was typing, and kill two birds with one stone. Now I don't have to think through this again, lol. I know I'm leaving crap out, but that's close.

You know you can avoid all the arguing if you just give the handguns to me...

Ha, I think Bart may have dibs on you. Maybe I'll split the baby, lol.

Aw mayne...

Looking forward to hearing your adventures, 3A.

(07-07-2026 04:26 PM)BirdHawkEagle Wrote:  Looking forward to hearing your adventures, 3A.

Thanks. Let's just hope they start sooner rather than later. It's not like I have a really long time to wait around.

(07-07-2026 04:56 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(07-07-2026 04:26 PM)BirdHawkEagle Wrote:  Looking forward to hearing your adventures, 3A.

Thanks. Let's just hope they start sooner rather than later. It's not like I have a really long time to wait around.

I'm sure they'll start sooner than you think.

(07-07-2026 05:09 PM)BirdHawkEagle Wrote:  

(07-07-2026 04:56 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(07-07-2026 04:26 PM)BirdHawkEagle Wrote:  Looking forward to hearing your adventures, 3A.

Thanks. Let's just hope they start sooner rather than later. It's not like I have a really long time to wait around.

I'm sure they'll start sooner than you think.

I hope. I hate having to sell a house. And as a former builder for several years, I have sold more than a few, lol. Beyond my actual homes, of course.

(07-07-2026 05:38 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(07-07-2026 05:09 PM)BirdHawkEagle Wrote:  

(07-07-2026 04:56 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(07-07-2026 04:26 PM)BirdHawkEagle Wrote:  Looking forward to hearing your adventures, 3A.

Thanks. Let's just hope they start sooner rather than later. It's not like I have a really long time to wait around.

I'm sure they'll start sooner than you think.

I hope. I hate having to sell a house. And as a former builder for several years, I have sold more than a few, lol. Beyond my actual homes, of course.

In addition to the market, it's location, location, location.

(07-06-2026 05:41 AM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  

(07-01-2026 11:31 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(07-01-2026 09:39 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(07-01-2026 08:11 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(07-01-2026 07:35 PM)bullet Wrote:  I've been trying since 1990 to eventually do all the continental national parks. I've done 34 since 1990 and 5 others before that (a half dozen I did before 1990 but have done again since then. The problem is they keep adding new parks! I've got 14 to go, but 10 of them are relatively new.

When you have time, could you give me a list of your favorites, and why? Not long ago, they were up to 63, but they have added some since then.

Quick quintile ranking, 1 for top down to 5 for the bottom quintile. No particular order within each category. Enjoyed all of them. Of the 5s: Great Smoky was way too crowded. Joshua Tree was way too hot (they were telling people NOT to do anything but short hikes) and while interesting, wasn't that scenic. We also got aggressive bees in the car which freaked out the family. Teddy Roosevelt was mainly known for its buffalo herds, but after Wind Caves was kind of disappointing. Hot Springs pretty crowded, but worth seeing once like Joshua Tree.
Shenendoah, Gateway Arch, Guadalupe Mountains, Petrified Forest-just tough competition, like being in the SEC-somebody had to be a 5!

Arches 1
Glacier 1
Zion 1
Grand Canyon 1
Mt. Rainier 1
Yellowstone 1
Rocky Mountain 1
Yosemite 1
Badlands 2
Wind Cave 2
Grand Teton 2
Mammoth Cave 2
Haekalea 2
Big Bend 2
Carlsbad Caverns 2
Sequoia 2
Everglades 3
Olympic 3
Redwood 3
Crater Lake 3
Virgin Islands 3
Kings Canyon 3
Mesa Verde 3
Canyonlands 4
Capitol Reef 4
Bryce Canyon 4
Biscayne 4
Lassen Volcanic 4
Black Canyon of the Gunnison 4
North Cascades 4
Acadia 4
Shenandoah 5
Theodore Roosevelt 5
Joshua Tree 5
Gateway Arch 5
Great Smoky Mtns. 5
Guadalupe Mtns. 5
Hot Springs 5
Petrified Forest 5

Thanks, Bullet. I love lists like this, b/c one can read about places to see all day, but the best advice is from those who have actually been there. People have different opinions, but after enough opinions you trust, it starts to become clear which are better.

Of that list, I have been to 11, so that leaves a lot for me to choose from. The 11 I've been to from Bullet's list (his rankings) are:

Mt. Rainier 1
Yellowstone 1
Rocky Mountain 1
Grand Teton 2
Mammoth Cave 2
Redwood 3
Virgin Islands 3
Acadia 4
Shenandoah 5
Great Smoky Mtns. 5
Hot Springs 5

The only one of my group of 11 that I want to see again is Yellowstone. I went there as a teenager with my family. I thought it was awesome.

Then early in our marriage, Edy and I went to Yellowstone. Again, I thought it was awesome, but this time, Edy was having a bad week, and it's hard to believe, but she mostly sat in the car while I got out and did some hiking and sightseeing for myself.

It's been two months now, and the pain is still hard, but I am slowly beginning to deal with it. Talking about these things and planning once again helps me keep my mind on happy thoughts. I just wish Edy could have experienced all the things available to her in life, so this time around, I'm taking her with me again.

Yep, I'm going to put some of her ashes in a little Ziplock, put the bag in my pocket when I return to Yellowstone, and this time, Edy will be able to get out of the car and walk with me.

And I'm going to leave a part of her there forever.

That's truly beautiful, brother. It sounds like you both hit the lottery when finding each other. I hope the story plays out to a beautiful conclusion. It doesn't feel quite over though, She was lucky to have found you.

Thank you. Some of her relatives have voiced similar opinions.