A CAR BOOT SAFARI JUNE - AUGUST 1996

After the successful 2 month trip through East and Central Africa in early 1996 (climbing Kilimanjaro et al and recorded as an East African Safari) we decided to emulate the experience in North America. The broad concept was to use Washington as a base and set of East to the Northern part of Montana and then "walk" the Rockies from Glacier National Park to the Mexican border. In all honesty we were inspired by the movie "A River Runs through it". We just wanted to see the magnificent scenery in real life! We later varied this slightly by travelling N.E. to Montreal to visit a long lost relative. By "walking" was meant hiking as many trails as possible - not walking all the way! When we left South Africa we were confident that we could either rent or buy a suitable camping vehicle or RV as they are called in the US. Armed with a letter from our local insurers we thought the obtaining of such a vehicle, and insuring it, a mere formality. We were in for a shock! Rather like "no US banking history - no credit", so with vehicle insurance. With the insurance rate at around $1,000 a month the rental of a medium sized RV was close to $10,000 for 3 months. The purchase option was similarly unattractive. What's more we would have been buying at the beginning of the season and selling at the end. We decided to rent a sedan car. Did a good deal with Avis in downtown Washington. An Oldsmobile Achieva, $2,734 for 3 months with less than 1,500 miles on the clock. We had the tent we'd bought (but never used) when we climbed Kilimanjaro which we'd taken "just in case". We also had our sleeping bags and hiking gear. We bought a few essentials - such as a cool box, but most of the other bits and bobs were kindly lent by brother in law Frank when we called on them at the start of the trip. We also borrowed a small table and two folding chairs but never used them. Wherever we camped a table and benches were provided. After a week in Washington (very worthwhile, steeped in history), a week at Chincoteague on the Virginia coast (beautiful) and 4 days (with Sister Janet) in West Virginia we were off. We called it our "Car Boot Safari". Whilst we were to miss a lot of the fixtures and fittings we had on our truck in East Africa we had a comfortable journey and the US camping facilities are generally excellent.
One of the most helpful tourist aids in the US are the Visitors Centres located at every State line. These are chock-a-block with helpful brochures, even discount vouchers for motels and very helpful and knowledgeable guides. A question in an accent other than American often resulted in under-the-counter “goodies” being proffered! We made a few rules for the trip. No driving at night and an absolute maximum distance of 500 miles per day. If the weather looked threatening then book into the nearest motel. Eat the food we'd prepared ourselves wherever and whenever possible
June 28th ( 3,500 miles) Set off from Springfield around l0am. Filled up with "gas" in Romney and then a leisurely drive to Dolly Sods - a wilderness area on the way to Blackwater Falls. Although very scenic we decided against "primitive" camping so arrived at Blackwater around 4pm. Good camping facilities - $11 a night but we got the first of our senior citizen discounts (10%). Had a bit of fun putting up the tent for the first time but with the two inflatable mattresses it proved to be very comfortable, although we'll have to improve the blowing up technique. First of the camp dinners cooked on the borrowed stove. Very good, A good night’s sleep.

Saturday 29th June ( 3,615 miles) Decided to stay for two days. Lots of short walks to do. Saw the falls from about half a dozen different angles. The camp facilities were very good with a lake for sailing, swimming and fishing and excellent bathrooms. Had a boorish neighbour - noisily bossing his kids and we thought this may be a taste of things to come. We were wrong - an isolated incident not to be repeated throughout the rest of the trip.

Sunday 30th June ( 3,624 miles) Crossed the state line into Pennsylvania, bypassed Pittsburgh arriving at Tionesta Lake in the Allegheny National Forest around 5pm. Another excellent campground. Walked some of the very well laid out trails - enough for two full days. Camping cost $10 per tent per night.

Monday 1st July ( 3,968 miles) Walked trails around the dam and through the woods. Weather, super.

Tuesday 2nd July ( 3,973 miles) Set off early for the Canadian border. Travelled through Amish country in New York State. Arrived Buffalo early in the afternoon. No delays in crossing the bridge and minimal formalities on the Canadian side. Niagara, as expected, is a real tourist trap. Spent a couple of hours "doing" the sights. The Canadian Falls are by far the most dramatic. Drove on a busy road to Darlington Providence Park. Started to rain just as we pulled off the main road. Well laid out campsite but close to a busy highway, railway and a noisy nuclear power station.

Wednesday 3rd July ( 4,267 miles) Left at 9.15am to drive inland. Cold and damp but the traffic a lot lighter than yesterday. (Phoned Dot P in Montreal and arranged to meet her on Friday). Finally settled for Murphy’s Point campsite - part of Ontario’s parks system. Had dried up but still quite cold by the time we pitched camp at 6pm. Found out that petrol is about twice the cost in Canada.

Thursday 4th July ( 4,466 miles) Made our way out of "English" Ontario into "very French" Quebec. All the road signs only in French and only French understood when we stopped at a roadside cafe for coffee. Weather really wet and cold. Checked in to the Hotel Raphael - close to Sherbrooke in Montreal Ouest. Our first dinner out - at the Picasso Restaurant nearby.

Friday 5th July ( 4,710 miles) After breakfast went to the went to the Atwater Market (sorry, Marche!). Very like the markets we had seen in Brussels last year. Got lost on the motorway on the way to Sherbrooke but arrived at the Manoir (best description would be a hotel for senior citizens) promptly at noon to find Dot waiting for us. Found a very bright and sprightly 83 year old who entertained us royally. Really excellent facilities. Next door a library with full (free) computer facilities complete with Internet and all set in a park with a swimming pool only metres away.
We were guests of honour at a barbecue that evening and introduced as "my long lost relatives who've come all the way from South Africa to see me!" - made the long deviation worthwhile.

Saturday July 6th ( 4,737 miles) After another night at the Raphael (it rained most of the night) we set off West. Took the road via Ottawa to Algonquin Provincial Park back in Ontario. We stayed at the Pog Lake campground which was fairly primitive but nicely secluded sites. Lots of mozzies.

Sunday July 7th ( 5,030 miles) Walked the Centennial Ridges trail. Really spectacular but the mosquitoes (or black
flies as the are called locally) were like man-eaters. Quite unlike the docile s.o.b.s we have in Africa. Saw our first moose. Rained very hard at night but we were at least 100 miles away from a motel.

Monday 8th July ( 5,034 miles) A rather wet tent to pack away. Set off at 10am for Sudbury but kept on going to reach the Chutes campground near Masey. More heavy rain but we were warm and dry in our tent. Found a camping shelter and could cook dinner (Canadian salmon - what else!) and eat in the dry. This was an old logging camp with the nearby Aux Sables River carrying the logs through the rapids. Checked in to the Indian Lake Resort. Quite busy; we had to hunt around for a site. Obviously the American vacation season is getting up to speed. Pretty place and friendly people. Exceedingly cold night. Disturbed a porcupine.
 
Wednesday 10th July ( 5,573 miles) Easy run to Sheboygan. Didn't like the vibes at the State Park ($17) so stayed at the adjacent private park ($10) instead. We can't be accused of not being thrifty! Walked a couple of miles along the beach overlooking Lake Michigan. Saw two deer. Arranged to see Jean Yidgit (David's Mom) tomorrow. Weather a lot warmer.

Thursday 11th July ( 5,817 miles) Left Sheboygan around 9.30 for an easy drive to Milwaukee. Thought the announcer on the car radio had it wrong but in fact the time had changed and we had to kick our heels for an hour before we called on Jean Yidgit. After a gesels sort of day left Milwaukee at 5.30 for Wisconsin Dells. Stayed at the Smokey Hollow resort. Rained cats and dogs. We were dry but the family camping next to us went off early to take their bedding to tumble dry at the nearest Laundromat.

Friday 12th July ( 5,980 miles) Packed up a very wet tent and set off at 9am. We were now setting course for our real objective - Montana. Crossed the Mississippi at the state line and took the 190 interstate all the way across the state. A long straight highway with a 70mph speed limit. Reached Sioux Falls, South Dakota, around 6. Camped at Mitchel Lake - crowded but fine.

Saturday 13th July ( 6,458 miles) Did nearly 500 miles yesterday - the longest daily trip to date. But easy driving nevertheless. Left (with dry kit for a change) at 9.30. Stopped at Murdo for provisions and then on to Badlands National Park. Quite spectacular - but so are all the mine dumps around Johannesburg! Not dissimilar! Mount Rushmore (the huge carvings of past Presidents) was far more impressive. Poured down again so checked in to the Valley Motel near Custer. A good suite for $52.50.

Sunday 14th July ( 6,828 miles) Nicola's 3rd birthday so managed to phone Johannesburg using Susan's Sprint card. Climbed Mount Harney, the highest point west of the Pyrenees (7 200ft). Cruised the neighbourhood around Deerfield Lake and Sheridan Lake but finally chose to camp at the Crooked Creek site at Hill City ($15). Hill City is a wild west tourist town - sorry city! Chatted to a retired farmer who now "lives" in a luxuriously converted Greyhound bus. Said it cost $150 000.

Monday 15th July ( 6,948 miles) Left Hill City at 9.30 and stopped at Deadwood for provisions. A well preserved antique town - if you listen carefully you can hear the stagecoach in the distance! Moved on to Sundance across the line in Wyoming - another piece of Wild West history. Took a detour off the main road to Cook Lake. One of the best (scenic) camp sites of the whole trip. Took off for a long walk and got hopelessly lost. Forgot we were in the northern hemisphere! A ranger found us walking 180 degrees wrong and pointed us in the right direction.

Tuesday 16th July ( 7,065 miles) Left early. Toured the Grand Canyon area around Sundance. Well worth the detour. Stopped at Sheridan for lunch and then in to Big Sky - Montana. Drove through the Bighorn Mountains and forest. Quite breathtaking. Planned to stay at Bighorn Canyon but found it scruffy so moved on to Rockvale and stayed at the Rock Creek campsite. Dined out for a change at one of the so-called family restaurants. Not impressive - we prefer home cooking!

Wednesday 17th July ( 7,487 miles) Left Rockvale and set course for Great Falls. Weather cold and wet. Found out that a) Montana's speed limit is whatever is "safe and prudent" and b) no sales tax - but a 40c tax on petrol, which at $1.45 made it the most expensive of the trip. We changed one of the (many) air mattresses which had persistent leaks at Great FaDs. The last lap to Glacier National Park got colder and wetter with every mile. The rain had stopped but it was very cold by the time we set up at Saint Mary's camp site. Just managed to finish eating dinner when sleet started to fall. Retreated to our warm and comfortable tent.

Thursday 18th July ( 7,915 miles) Hadn't realised the long distance we covered yesterday. Very windy, cold but at least it's dry. Walked to Otokumi Lake - a five and a half hour round trip through bear country (although we didn't see any) and an altitude climb of 1 900ft. Very beautiful walk alongside the St Mary’s river passing many waterfalls and views over high, snow covered mountains. Crossed a small ice field. The lake at the top seemed to be teeming with trout. Booked in to the Rising Sun camp. Saw the first Black Bear. It was trying to tear out an ants nest from a tree only metres away from our tent. The Rangers were making a big deal of it as it had been raiding the bins around the camp for food. They fired blanks to scare him off but said that once they got too familiar with human habitation they had to trap them and transport to an area well away from the camps. If they returned then the Rangers had to shoot them. A fed bear was a dead bear! Another very cold night.

Friday 19th July ( 3,925 miles) Walked to Granite Park chalets via the Highline Trail and Across the Continental Divide at Logan Pass. Exceptionally cold. We were walking through a snow storm at times. The scenery all around us was well worth the climb - and the cold. Back to the car and the heater switched on full blast. This is mid summer! Drove through the rest of the park to West Glacier. Very memorable scenery but decided we'd had enough of the cold so pressed on to Missoula. Checked in to the Travellers Inn, ordered a (huge) pizza and downed a bottle of wine as we watched the opening of the Olympics on TV.
Saturday 20th July ( 8,117 miles) A generally lazy day. Did some shopping in Missoula. Drove via Butte and set up camp at West Maddison. Still in spectacular Montana country. Noticed that more Americans are on vacation!

Sunday 21st July ( 8,358 miles) Drove to Quake Lake and then walked a long distance up Beaver Creek. Realising that the crowds would be cluttering up the campgrounds in Yellowstone we camped by the side of a lake at North Maddison - a short distance from the Yellowstone Park entrance.

Monday 22nd July ( 8,428 miles) Queued and finally entered Yellowstone around 11am. Lots of traffic. Saw Old Faithful and several other geysers erupting. Found the so called Grand Canyon singularly unimpressive but saw plenty of bison, moose and elk. All camps were full so went out of the Park and stayed at a crowded but orderly Rocky Mountains Campground at Gardiner.

Tuesday 23rd July ( 8,574 miles) Walked along the banks of the Yellowstone River. Stopped at Mammoth Springs. Saw some elk. Moved on south to the Grand Tetons. Stayed at Flagg Ranch campground. This was remarkable as it was the first camp seen with a whole line of camcorder batteries being charged in the bathroom overnight. And they were still there in the morning! Walked the Heron/Swan Lake trails at Otter Bay. Saw a beaver.

Wednesday 24th July ( 8,719 miles) Walked the Jenny Lake loop trail - about 8 miles, via Hidden Falls. Then on to Jackson - a sort of resort dormitory town, particularly for skiing in the winter. Went on and stayed at Pinedale and dined out again at a "family" restaurant. A welcome laundry facility at a quiet, comfortable site. Saw a yellow bellied marmot.

Thursday 25th July ( 8,854 miles) Shopped in Pinedale. Bought altimeter/watch and a new pair of Ladies
Hi Tech boots. Drove up the Shy road to Fremont Lake and reserved a (primitive) camp site and then up to +12,000ft to Elkhart Camp. Started the trail only to be driven back by a hail storm 1/2 an hour later. Sheltered for a while but finally gave up and made our way back to our camp site. A damp and cold night and the air mattress burst.

Friday 26th July ( 8,896 miles) Fed up with the rain! Set off at 9.30 for a motel at Cheyenne and walked around Laramie on the way. Cheyenne was full- Frontier Week so drove on to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. A super campsite, right by a rushing (Thompson) River with towering cliffs on either side. Didn't rain either!

Saturday 27th July ( 9,341 miles) Drove west through Estes Park and Boulder to Denver. All the places we looked at in Denver were full so we drove on to Colorado Springs to find every bed full there as well. It seems that Americans just love over-nighting at the weekend. Took the road via Pikes Peak (14 OOOft) to Cripple Creek - a restored Wild West town complete with whorehouse and casinos. We went across to Victor (a place I'd stayed at 3 years ago on a Minorco trip) seeing the progress on the open pit gold mine on the way. Then we traversed the Phantom Canyon Creek road - really a 4X4 track - to reach Indian Springs campsite (near Canyon City) just as the sun was setting. Beautiful site but no water!

Sunday 28th July ( 9,604 miles) Drove across the border in to New Mexico. Started raining hard so opted for the Taos Motel ($44/night). Big fiesta going on in town. Had a Mexican dinner at another of those family restaurants.

Monday 29th July ( 9,853 miles) Hiked in Carson National Park - just outside Taos. Climbed to Devils Peak but were chased down as the rain came. Drove out to the Rio Grande Gorge (600ft deep) but just as we were getting out of the car the really serious rain started. Gave up, went back to the Motel and watched the Olympics on TV.

Tuesday 30th July ( 9,908 miles) Decided to move on to Santa Fe but, on the way there thought about the crowds and went to Bandolier National Monument instead. This is set in beautiful canyon country littered with pueblo ruins of the 14th - 16th centuries. Climbed 140ft to the ceremonial cave and walked up the canyon for a couple of miles. Camped at the Juniper site.

Wednesday 31st July ( 9,992 miles) Went shopping for provisions in Los Alamos (didn't visit the famous Atomic Bomb laboratory - the very first bomb was detonated near here). Walked the Falls trail to the Rio Grande and surprise, surprise got soaked on the way back. Decided to cut our losses, retreat back to camp and fight again another day! Mattress burst again!

Thursday 1st August ( 10,0026 miles) Decided to walk up Frijoles Canyon as far as the Ponderosa Camp, climb up the kloof and then back to Juniper Camp via the main road. About 10 miles in all. As we progressed found the trail to be very overgrown and obviously little used. Just short of the turn of to the Ponderosa a bear jumped out of a tree just in front of us. Difficult to say who was the most frightened - him or us! He must have been about 5ft tall and about I501bs. He ran off to a sit on a rock about 50 yards away (right in our path) and just stares at us. We retreated. He held his position so we backed off slowly and made our way back the way we'd came. When we got back to camp we reported our "sighting" (as told to in the guide) but the Ranger didn't seem very interested! Drove on to Albuquerque to find the rain coinciding with our arrival. Checked in to a motel by the side of the freeway and dined out for a change.

Friday 2nd August ( 10,140 miles) Left at 10 o'clock en route to El Paso - but changed our mind again. Decided to take the mountain route instead. Headed towards Roswell then south to Cloudcroft. We got caught in a cloudburst near the top of the mountain range and had to wait an hour or so for a grader to lead vehicles through the flood. Found a pleasant campsite at Deerhead but the rains came again and we had a particularly wet night albeit we were dry and warm inside the tent.

Saturday 3rd August ( 10,379 miles) After the damp and cold we were now set for the opposite. We set off for Texas, stopping on the way at a picnic site to dry out the tent and other gear. Also changed the mattress again at the first Kmart we found. Arrived at the Seminole Canyon State Park (on the US90 between Langtry and Del Rio. The campsite was almost deserted and we were to find out why. It was hot with a very dry but uncomfortable wind which got worse as the evening progressed. It just got hotter after sunset. We were disturbed by a skunk but fortunately we must have been upwind of him.

Sunday 4th August ( 10,791 miles) Considered joining the tour of the canyon but decided it was just too hot. Drove to San Antonio (through really miserable, desolate countryside) but because of the heat checked in to the Travelodge. Even the pool was tepid. Spent most of the time watching the last day and closing ceremony of the Olympics - and the South American winning the marathon.

Monday 5th August ( 11,007 miles) Slept particularly well after the disaster the night before. Went to downtown San Antonio and rubber necked the Alamo and the River Walk. Very pretty town. Drove on to Houston then on to Port Arthur and set up camp at Oak Leaf Park. Super site but still very, very hot.

Tuesday 6th August ( 11,323miles) Went to Port Arthur. Very drab and down at heel. Drove through oil rig country and on to the Sea Rim Park on the Gulf Of Mexico. All very dreary and Orange City not much better. But we did have a good sea food meal.

Wednesday 7th August ( 11,440 miles) Went, with some excitement, to New Orleans. We were to be disappointed. First of all it proved very difficult to find accommodation. When you could you found that rates had been doubled due to a "special event" (The Junior Olympics) and we finally had to settle for something hardly better than a doss house. Walked down to the French Quarter. Streets were filthy and heavily puddled. The French Quarter has been spoiled by clip joints. But we did have a good (and expensive) meal at the Gumbo Shop.

Thursday 8 August ( 11,721 miles) Did a tour of the city to see a lot of the historic buildings. A much better day than yesterday. Drove north to the De Soto National Forest and camped by the lake in Johnson Park. A really excellent facility - one of the best. Very hot and humid.

Friday 9th August ( 11,867 miles) Drove to Hoover, Alabama, arriving at the Carpenters around 3.30. Made really welcome and spent two fun filled days with them.

Sunday 11th August ( 12,124 miles) Drove to Atlanta to see the Whites. Again wonderful to see old friends again. They have a lovely home and we had a super time with them. They'd come back early from a convention to coincide with our visit.

Monday 1st August ( 12,297 miles) Drove to Savannah - heavy rain almost all the way. Stopped briefly in the downtown area of Atlanta. Lots of dismantling of Olympic "things" in progress but the weather was too foul to hang around. Did see the apartment block we lived in 1982 thought it would have been imploded by now. With no sign of any weather improvement we checked in to the Ramada Inn (one of those state visitor centre discounts - only $22) and then went downtown to check out the Historic District. Dined at the Inn restaurant and went to bed early.

Tuesday 13th August ( 12,623 miles) We overslept - the late nights with the Carpenters and Whites taking their toll! Went on the River Ramble to Wormsloe Plantation and Skidaway Island. Very interesting with old slaves quarters at the plantation. Camped on the Island. Good sites.

Wednesday 14th August ( 12,705 miles) Drove to Beaufort and then on to Hunting Island. This was right on the edge of the Atlantic and lots of evidence of the hurricane damage a few weeks earlier. We had planned our trip to travel clockwise and would have been in this area at the time of the hurricane if we hadn't changed our minds and gone to Montreal first instead. The sea was warm but there were masses of bugs to put you off lazing on the beach. Saw a possum. Rained hard at night.

Thursday 15th August ( 12,783 miles) Toured part of Historic Charleston and visited the Museum. Southern Historic area disappointing (East of the Cooper River by Shem Creek). Went to Patriots Point to see the ship the Yorktown. Stayed at Oak Plantation campground. Very good sites but a bit on the noisy side.

Friday 16th August ( 12,921miles) Visited the Boone Hall Plantation - similar to the Wormsloe Plantation we saw a week or so ago. Very much Prince of Tides country. Deviated to McLellan where we bought flounder and shrimp straight off the boats. Drove through rural South Carolina and finally set up camp at Santee State Park by the side of Lake Marion. Again another superb setting. We were amused to see one of the more "professional" R/V’ers setting up camp complete with dog kennel, Welcome mat, fairy lights and the shingle on the bonnet saying "Steve and Shirl welcome y'all"!

Saturday 17th August ( 13,080 miles) Called in at Charlotte (N Carolina) to meet up with some friends but then decided to press on towards Tennessee but the weather closed in (again!) so we holed up at a motel at Shelby. Comfortable and with a kitchen so we ate and drank in style.

Sunday 18th August ( 13,322 miles) Set off for the Pisgah National Forest which is at the start of the Blue Ridge Parkway which stretches 500miles from the Smokey Mountains in Tennessee to Virginia. Saw Sliding Rock and generally toured around the forest then set up camp at Hemlock (unfortunate name!) campground. Incidentally we met the.2nd aggressive camp ranger at this site.

Monday 19th August ( 13,435 miles) Made an early start for the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. Set up camp at Smokemont then went on a drive to get a feel of the place. Climbed to the top of Chimney Top. Only 4 miles each way but the last ¼ mile is a little hairy. It rained heavily as we descended but no rain at the camp and we had no problem braai-ing.

Tuesday 20th August ( 13,563miles) Decided to stay another night at the Smokemont site. Walked the Newton Bald Forest trail to the Thomas Divide. Saw another Black Bear (our third). The walk was only 11 miles but seemed longer. A lot cooler than of late,

Wednesday 21st August ( 13,565 miles) Walked the Smokemont Loop trail in the morning. Lots of evidence of bears around but didn't see any. Met an interesting ranger. Had spent several years in the UK working for Radio Caroline - the first of the "rebel" radio stations, Packed up and drove to Gatlinburg and the on to the Jellystone Camp Ground. A bit "kitsch" but clean and comfortable.

Thursday 22nd August ( 13,627 miles) Walked the Albright Trail from the campground to the top of the loop. On the way back D took a heavy fall, badly lacerating her face. We were about a mile from camp. Spent some time irrigating the cuts then got in the car and drove the 450 miles to J & F's in West Virginia arriving there around 11. Holiday on hold pro tem. Next few days recuperating, fishing etc then:

Thursday 29th August ( 14,097 miles) Travelled back to Washington via part of the Blue Ridge Parkway and Front Royal, Did a short walk on the principle that you climb back on the horse after falling off it!
Back in Washington by late afternoon ( 14,253 miles) Closing Thoughts, A once in a lifetime experience. We did everything we set out to do and more. America is a lot bigger than you think but is wonderfully organised for the type of trip we embarked upon. You have a choice of roughing it or doing it the way we did it. We met the real American people the way we went - some had never heard of South Africa or if they had they thought it was "South of Mexico". Looking back there are hardly any changes we would make.

 Thank you America!
January 1997
Mike Pleming