This is how it started in April 2018 in my brother's driveway in Olympia, Washington. I needed transportation for my "sabbatical" year, and as it turned out, he had this old 2004 Chevy 4X4 1/2 ton pick-up collecting moss out in the forest behind his house. I dragged it out, cleaned it up, did a basic tune-up on it and got it running. A lucky find on Craigslist led me to this cool little home built camper for $400.
The interior of the home built camper was actually pretty nice! There was a fold-down table, and storage under those bench seats. There was a board that went between the benches that made for a full double bed utilizing the back cushions . . . or I could sleep over the truck cab area. I spent some money outfitting the camper with a battery system for a borrowed electric camper cooler. I rigged an outside power hook-up so I could have a microwave oven and a space heater whenever I found myself in a campground. Perfect.
A quick trip to Discount Tire yielded a set on nice rugged big radial tires (made in Vietnam). I found a nice bike rack at a local Olympia pawn shop, and I bought some fabric dye to make the curtains look like new. A few sensors and new switches brought all of trucks systems into operation. I had the transmission checked and flushed and the fluid changed, wheel bearings packed, and the differential cases refilled with new gear lube. 2004 was the first year for fuel injection with the 350 V8. I ended up replacing all the sensors before it finally ran well. Even so, one out of five times I started it up, it wouldn't run more than 1000 rpm and I had to re-set the ECU. I was now ready to go.
My overnight camping "test" was at Silver Creek Falls State Park in Oregon. A quick trip to the Salem Costco got me a table, stools, and a porta-potty. I bought a very nice rebuilt 'hybrid" bike at a bike shop.
I stayed for awhile in and around the Salem, Oregon area, taking short overnight trips to figure out what kind of equipment I would need for extended time on the road.
I finalized my equipment and headed out to Eastern Oregon and a camping trip to Bull Bend Campground on the Dechutes River. By this time I had a small cabana tent and a "privacy tent" for showering and as a toilet.
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In no particular order, these are some of my fondest photos of my camper out and about in the USA:
And off I went "in search of America."
This photo says it all: out in the back country of Eastern Oregon. Free!
Near the top of my Bucket List was to go back to The Steens Mountains in southeast Oregon. I had not been there for nearly 40 years and had very fond memories of camping there. If you look closely you can see my camper at upper left.
The Steens are in a very remote part of the USA and not visited much by tourists. It is a grand place.
Out along the Indian Creek cliffs, Steens Mountain.
Just pulling in to my camp spot up in the Steens Mountains.
The beauty of the high desert sage . . . NE Arizona.
Out and about in Zion National Park.
Along the road near Zion National Park.
At the Bryce National Park lodge. I overheard a couple of Dutch women say, "THIS is what I would want to have for an American road trip." That made me feel pretty good.
Before getting to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, I took a little side trip to Johnson Canyon, Utah . . . not a national park, but it should be.
On the road to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Pure Americana: Twin Falls, Idaho.
Back road drive to the Black Rock desert in Nevada.
I had a little overheating issue that requires some stops for cool-down in the desert.
I LOVE the desert . . . Nevada.
Another highlight was camping up in a rocky desert canyon near the Black Rock Desert, Nevada.
I camped here for four days . . . my batteries kept the cooler going for 3 days . . . I loved it here.
I took this photo of my Black Rock Desert camp site when I first arrived. A lovely place. In four days I only saw 2 cars pass by the road below . . . but also two long trains a day.
I finally pulled over in Caldwell, Nevada to make the repairs. I had the parts in the cab for weeks, but never "got around to fixing it." No problems after that.
Caldwell, Nevada was nearly a ghost town.
I stayed in this campground next to a casino in Winnemucca, Nevada twice: once before the Black Rock Desert camping, and once after, on the way to the Bonneville Salt Flats. It was here I learned about homelessness in America. 1/3 of the campground was taken up with old campers and trailers of people who lived full time. The cost was $250 a month, including power, water, and sewage hook-ups. I met some of these 'homeless people' and heard their stories. Heartbreaking. My plan was to camp in the wild a little, stay in a campground with services a little, and occasionally stay in a motel for a shower and warmth.
The Winnemucca campground had a coin operated washing machine which allowed me to freshen up my sleeping bag, sheets, and towels . . . and take a shower. I took the opportunity to clean all of the dust that invaded the camper on the Nevada dirt roads. I found the leaks where the dust was getting in (Closing the barn door after the horse got away!). A highlight of Winnemucca was watching an afternoon Seahawks game live on a big screen at an excellent Mexican restaurant.
A highlight of my year on the road in America was attending the World of Speed land speed record event on the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah.
Definitely a Bucket List experience for me, an old racer.
I cut diagonally across Nevada on Highway 6 through the Great Basin.
Somewhere along Nevada Highway 6 . . . archetypical old American road trip stop. I bought some Cheetos and a Dr. Pepper here to complete the experience.
Out and about on the highways of the American West.
On my way to Lake Tahoe I stopped in at the old courthouse in Bridgeport, California. I had a fine lunch here in a local cafe.
Up the long grade on a small road to Lake Tahoe.
Another highlight was camping in the high Sierras Nevada mountains of eastern California . . . above The Buttermilks.
Five days of bliss in Nature. Every day a hike in a different direction. Autumn color on the aspens. A million stars every night.
The natural beauty here was breathtaking. Mt. Thom in the background. See my blog entry for my five day stay here in The Buttermilks Country.
My complete camp set-up in the Buttermilk Country . . . and wherever I stopped.
I loved every minute I stayed here, but with battery gone and water running low, I reluctantly left. Also, the first snow of the season arrived early in the morning of my last day. . . and it was getting very cold up in the mountains . . . time to go since I had no heat in the camper.
Out on the open road again -- NE Arizona.
Somewhere in NE Arizona. My hopes of driving through the famous Monument Valley of Arizona was thwarted by road closures due to flash floods the day before. Never mind, what I did see was fantastic. I was headed to Moab, Utah.
At the most amazing view of my life: Dead Horse Point, near Moab, Utah. Incredible! But I had to stay two nights in a motel 50 miles from Moab because there were no vacant campground spots. I didn't mind, I got to see a Seahawks game on the color TV.
I was caught in the first snow of the year in the Rocky Mountains while on my way from Moab to Colorado Springs to see an old high school buddy.
The famous "Cowboy Ruckus", on Highway 285 in Eastern New Mexico between Vaughn and Roswell. A true "Must See" in the USA.
I ended up staying the winter in Delaware with my daughter, son in-law, and two grandkids.
I bought stickers, of course, of all the places I visited on my Bucket List USA Road Trip.
After a March cross country drive in three days (Wyoming was icy and windy!), I was back in the Pacific Northwest . . . for a trip to the Olympic National Forest in April.
The amazingly beautiful Oregon coast.
Chased by a T-Rex in southwest Oregon. That was a close call!
Parked along the southwest Oregon coast. So beautiful.
All the way to the California redwoods. I saw so many wonderful things on my amazing road trip.
Back on the back roads of the Willamette Valley in Oregon.
My last camping trip: a coastal state campground in Newport, Oregon.
April 2018 - April 2019. What a trip!!! I wasn't on the road in the Chevy camper all that time: I spent several months living with my brother in Olympia, Washington, several months in Delaware living with my daughter and family, and a month or so in Keizer, Oregon with an old buddy.
Dr. Jeff Harper
