25. Apr, 2016

25. Apr, 2016

25. Apr, 2016

TUESDAY 27-05-08 

I decided not to put the RV through the washing facility on site as the weather was still unsettled. It would probably have been dirty again by the time we got out of town. We’re starting to regret not having a second means of transport. If we’d been towing a car we could have made better use of our time here. We didn’t manage to get to see the Salt Lake itself nor Bonneville Flats, both of which are out of town.

I was pleased to be leaving Salt Lake City, for me it had an uncomfortable feel about it. I popped in to the campground office for advice on the route I had planned to Jackson. I was referred to a customer who was an old hand, and he advised against going the scenic route with a 32ft RV. We therefore adjusted the route accordingly. On the way out of town we stopped at one of their Wal-Mart’s. This one had a multi-story car park attached to it but I wasn’t prepared to take the vehicle inside it even though it looked pretty roomy. Instead we parked in a side street and walked to the store. This store, like all the others, was closed yesterday as it was Memorial Day, and they were still busy stocking the shelves with fresh food when we went in, we didn’t need much and so didn’t stop too long. What we did treat ourselves to was a cheap pair of external speakers for the laptop so that we could watch videos on it as the DVD player we have doesn’t play Region 2 discs. They will come in handy on wet evenings when there’s not much to do and we can’t face American television. Up until now we’ve been pretty lucky with the weather but there’s a downturn nationally here. As The Chef observed “We won’t run out of sun cream on this trip”. 

From US30 we turned north on to Hwy 34, at the end of that road, then turning north on to US89 then US26 to Hoback Junction, Jackson. Just as we entered Wyoming we passed through a small farming community called Freedom, here we found a Post Office and some stamps, allowing us to send a postcard off to our dentist back home who took great interest in the trip we were undertaking, and a birthday card to one of Rosina’s sisters. The scenery in the area of Idaho we passed through was very picturesque and green. This was proper farming country with pretty farmsteads, crops and cattle, and everywhere looked tidy and well maintained, it’s the kind of place you’d expect to bump in to Old MacDonald. 

On our arrival at Snake River Park campground www.snakeriverpark.com we were not too impressed. It was rather tatty, the pitches were uneven, the grass was muddy, the shower block less than ideal and all for $60 a night, probably the highest fee we’d be paying during the whole of the trip. Reluctantly we decided to stay as I’d already booked it and paid a deposit, though we did decide to shorten the stay by one day. We requested to be moved from the pitch they had allocated us, as we were backed right up to the bedroom window of a '5th wheel' containing two families of hillbillies and their dog, and for $60 a night we deserved better. I will of course get even with them when I review the campground online after the visit, but right now we just wanted to be moved. We were escorted to a pitch which was only supposed to hold vehicles up to 25ft long, we are 32ft, but where there’ a will............. 

Each site has a Fire Pit/BBQ which meant we were able to burn the bag of logs we’d been carrying around with us since Bryce Canyon, where we’d collected so much kindling and wood that we had a fire and barbecue without the need to burn any of our own logs. 

We went for a walk down by the fast flowing Snake River which is just below our RV pitch. Down there are tent pitches, more fire pits, and quite a lot of wet, half burnt logs from previous ‘Big Boy Scout’ attempts to sit by a blazing log fire. I scavenged all of that, which meant our log fire lasted quite a long time and cost very little. The problem is smoky fires make your clothes and hair smell of the bonfire, but you can’t have everything. Besides, this was all part of the lifestyle we’d come here to experience, something that has no equal in a hotel. 

We popped up to the shop and booked ourselves on a white-water rafting trip tomorrow morning. The river does look far more active and faster flowing than the Colorado River we’d left behind at Moab. More rain fell this evening, this is more like an English summer. 

LOCATION TONIGHT: Snake River Park KOA, 9705 S. U.S. Hwy 89, Jackson, WY, 83001 (GPS: N43.341074 W110.7229200).

25. Apr, 2016

25. Apr, 2016