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**moosetags** · 06-04-2007, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minnie's Mate

Trying to play catch-up today after visiting my mom over the weekend.

Memorial Day weekend was the first birthday for the "Changes" and we, too, celebrated her birthday at St. George Island, FL. We also gave her a birthday present-a pair of pink flamingos appropriately named "Minnie" and "Mickey". So our Safaris celebrated their birthdays alike.

We know St. George well. We live about 60 miles west of there. Lucy also has two Flamingos; their names are Fred and Ethel.

**moosetags** · 06-04-2007, 11:32 PM

Day 22 - June 22, 2007

We are still at West Glacier. We did some housekeeping work around Lucy this morning.

This afternoon we drove over to Kalispel and White Fish. Both were pretty neat, but we liked White Fish better.

We picked up a steak on the way back to Lucy, and had a little farewell to Glacier dinner.

**moosetags** · 06-06-2007, 12:32 AM

Day 23 - June 5, 2007

We broke camp at the Wets Glacier KOA this morning and headed out along US 2 eastbound. It was kind of slow going because of several areas of serious road construction along the way. Along US 2 SuEllyn saw a mobile home with about 20 or so old tires on spread on the roof. We have noticed this a number of times out in the west. Does anyone know what the reason for this is? (see photo). One of the high points of the day was coming up behind another Airstream on the highway. We caught up with them at Shelby where they stopped. We spoke to them briefly. They were from New York, and their AS was a 2007 25FB.

At Shelby, we caught I-15 south to Great Falls. We got to Great Falls early and made camp at the KOA there. The weather turned bad with thunder storms. We were barely able to set up before the rain started.

We headed over to the Sam's with Olivia for an overdue tire rotation. We also got her a new pair of windshield wiper blades. We came back to Lucy in the rain and ate supper in.

HiHoAgRV · 06-06-2007, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moosetags

a mobile home with about 20 or so old tires on spread on the roof. We have noticed this a number of times out in the west. Does anyone know what the reason for this is?

The tires keep the wind from flapping the roof metal around.

pepper48 · 06-06-2007, 08:03 AM

In the days before tie down straps, folks living in mobile homes would place old tires on the roof in the belief the additional weight would help anchor it during high winds. This was not very effective or attractive.

safari57 · 06-06-2007, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HiHoAgRV

The tires keep the wind from flapping the roof metal around.

This is the reasoning I'm aware of as well. Anywhere with strong wind gusts where I lived also meant something on the roof of the mobile homes, and tires are plentiful and can be tossed up without risk of damage.

Barry

Sugarfoot · 06-06-2007, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pepper48

In the days before tie down straps, folks living in mobile homes would place old tires on the roof in the belief the additional weight would help anchor it during high winds. This was not very effective or attractive.

Another case in point favoring the aerodynamics of an Airstream.

Minnie's Mate · 06-06-2007, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sugarfoot

Another case in point favoring the aerodynamics of an Airstream.

Touché!

pmclemore · 06-06-2007, 06:24 PM

The tires are holding down whatever was placed on top of the roof because the original was leaking.

You can see the same thing on chicken houses down south when the wind has pulled back or bent the sheathing. Tires are a great way to hold the tin down when you don't have faith a roofing nail will hold.

Pat

**moosetags** · 06-06-2007, 11:51 PM

Day 24 - June 6, 2007

Today is SuEllyn's 58th Birthday (she and I are now the same age for the next four months). We decided to lay over in Great Falls, Montana, and celebrate. We had a very nice day looking around Great Falls even though it rained all day and turned much colder. We went by to see the falls. It was nice, but it was raining so hard, we couldn't even get out of the car. To get out of the car for a while, We walked around Home Depot and picked up a couple of items for Lucy. We went out for dinner. On the way back to Lucy, we spied a really neat '07 2500 Duramax Silverado at the local Chevy dealer. We stopped and took a quick look between rain storms. We got back to Lucy as the rain started again. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day for driving with an Airstream.

**moosetags** · 06-07-2007, 08:50 AM

Thanx for all the answers on the "roof tires".

Aria · 06-07-2007, 09:40 AM

Happy Birthday, SuEllyn's and thank YOU for the wonderful gift of sharing your travels. Aria

Boondocker · 06-07-2007, 09:41 AM

Here is a late happy birthday for you

. And here I thought those tires were so they could tow the thing away after the tornado flips them

. Keep them updates comming. BTW, how are you finding the cell coverage for your internet to be out there?

**moosetags** · 06-07-2007, 09:53 AM

As far as the Alltel cell phone internet coverage goes, we have found that everywhere we have any cell signal (even one bar), we get good broadband internet. When the campground has wifi, we use it as it is a little faster loading pictures to the Forums. We are really pleased with this cell/internet service that we have.

maxandgeorgia · 06-07-2007, 10:24 AM

Wouldn't you love to have seen these grand falls before they were harnessed? We were so disppointed even though we had read in advance and knew they were no longer free flowing. Progress. ~G

**moosetags** · 06-07-2007, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxandgeorgia

Wouldn't you love to have seen these grand falls before they were harnessed? We were so disppointed even though we had read in advance and knew they were no longer free flowing. Progress. ~G

Yes, that was a little disappointing.

**moosetags** · 06-08-2007, 09:47 AM

Day 25 - June 7, 2007

We broke camp this morning at the KOA in Great Falls, Montana. It had rained most of the night, so breaking camp was a muddy mess. We were really glad to get out on the road.

We took Montana State Road 3 all the way from Great Falls to Billings. It was a good road and a beautiful drive. We could tell that we were getting out of the Rockies. We came upon a fields of power-producing windmills near Judith Gap, Montana. This was the most we had ever seen in one place. These were pretty close to the highway. We had never realized how huge those things are.

We picked up I-90 at Billings, and headed east. We crossed into Wyoming and found the neatest little campground at Exit 9 in Ranchester, Wyoming. It is called the Lazy "R" RV Park. It is really nice, it has complete hook-ups including cable and wifi and was under $27 in cluding tax. We would definitely stay here again.

We are breaking camp as I write this. We are hoping to make it over to the Rapid City, South Dakota area today.

TinShack · 06-08-2007, 02:55 PM

Hi Brian,

I was curious about how you are lubing your Hensley hitch while on your journey. Did you bring a nasty grease gun with you?

**moosetags** · 06-08-2007, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slowolf

Hi Brian,

I was curious about how you are lubing your Hensley hitch while on your journey. Did you bring a nasty grease gun with you?

Yes, I am lubung Lucy's Hensley while on the great journey.I justed lubed it a week ago in Butte. I have a small hand-pump grease gun from Wal-Mart ($10) that clips right on the Hensley's Zerk fittings. The grease cannisters are sold in a three pack, also at Wal-Mart. I keep the grease gun in a zip lock bag which keeps it less nasty.

**moosetags** · 06-08-2007, 11:55 PM

Day 26 - June 8, 2007

Well, things never go as planned. While we were braking camp this morning in Ranchester, Wyoming, I had a brief conversation with a gentleman in a Class C on the campsite next to ours. He mentioned that he had been camped at a USDA Forest Service Campsite on top of a mountain about 30 miles west of Ranchester. They had gotten 20" of snow a couple of nights ago on the mountain. He and his wife had decided to come down to Ranchester until the weather cleared. He also told me that there were a lot of moose, or as we call them, Mooses, in the Big Horn Mountains National Forest. Some of these Mooses even came up to their campsite.

We finished breaking camp and headed over to Sheridan (15 miles) to get baths for Lucy and Olivia. We gave the girls each a bath at a very nice do-it-yourself carwash. They both really needed it. I happened to mention my conversation with the campground neighbor to SuEllyn. When I mentioned the part about Mooses running rampant in the Big Horn Mountains National Forest, we were headed back to the west

We returned to the good ole Lazy "R" Campground back in Ranchester, and got Lucy all hooked up again, and this time she is clean.

We headed out in Olivia on US 14 into the Big Horn Mountains National Forest. We went from 3700' in Ranchester to 8800' the Prune creek Campground. The drive up to the mountains was absolutely beautiful and the road was much more comfortable than most mountain roads that I have been on. Even though the road is very twisty, I feel that we could get Lucy up there very comfortably.

It turned out to be a good move for us as we saw nine different Mooses in a five mile stretch along US 14, including a young bull in felt. We are headed back into the Forest tomorrow to drive some of the primitive forrest roads in search of Mooses. So much for Olivia's bath.

I guess the Badlands will have to wait.