2023 was an interesting RV travel year because we had planned one big trip: Up to Montana, through North Dakota to Winnipeg, then out to Nova Scotia, down the East Coast to Charleston SC and back. Armed with our newly acquired Starlink Internet, we could both work from the road no problem. Alas, it wasn’t to be.
We had a lot of family stuff happening and just didn’t feel right about being so far away for so long. By the time we hit Missoula the decision was made. We decided to head back and spend the summer at home. It was our second swing at Nova Scotia since Covid threw the first strike in 2020.
Check out our photo journal below for part I of our 2023 RV travels.
Fathers day in Las Vegas
Our first stop after leaving San Diego was Las Vegas. We stayed at our usual, Oasis RV Resort. We spent father’s day with Brandon and his friends in the pool, cooking up some hot dogs and burgers. It was a fun day with the little ones.
Cedar City, Utah – Rjourney RV Resort
After leaving Vegas we headed North to Cedar City for the night. We did some grocery shopping and checked out the town a bit before heading back to the campsite. We both had a lot of work going on and Cheryl had to prep for some early meetings next day.
Cottonwood Camp – Nephi, Utah
On the way North through Utah we camped at Cottonwood Campground, a US Forest spot just off the I-15 South of Provo. Ponderosa was our first choice but I mess that up. I spotted a site that could handle our 35′ trailer and had a clearing large enough for Starlink, or so I thought.
With 15 minutes to spare, I had camp set up and began setting up Starlink. It didn’t work. The pine trees were just too high to get a clear path to the satellites. Cheryl had to drive 10 miles down the road to find a signal and join her meeting late, and with no video. Oops.
I ended up moving us North on Salt Creek Canyon road to Cottonwood Campground. It was a no fee campground with more open sites. I found one that would work for Starlink and moved us up there for the night. Cheryl was able to work while I found a bike trail to keep me occupied.
At this point I was beginning to learn which part of the sky to keep open. It’s funny how the campsite decisions started to morph into having open sky to the North. It wasn’t so much about being backed up to the creek or lake. Priorities shift when you’re working from the road.
Willard Bay State Park – Utah
Willard Bay was a fun stop. The State Park is super nice. They have a swim lagoon, great biking, and it’s close to the city. We did some city site seeing, biking, and sneezing. The cottonwood trees kicked in the allergies and got that whole thing started.
I learned that putting Starlink on the slides would give us a better line of site to the sky by this point. If we were wide open, ground was fine. If we had any trees at all, I put it on one of the slides.
Lucky Me Ranch – Boise, Idaho
After leaving Salt Lake City area we headed up to Boise, Idaho. This has become an annual stop for us, mostly to visit friends. Wendy and Brooke moved to Boise from San Diego many years ago. Mike and Melissa moved up from Paso Robles, CA about 12 years ago with their daughter Jane. They were all ahead of the rush out of California.
On this trip we got to have dinner with the Hudak’s and lunch with the Drayton’s. Mike showed us his lottery win of rare bourbon. No shortage of laughter and good times in Boise. Next up is Ron and Stacey who just bought a place near Farragut State Park in Northern Idaho. It seems to be a race out of CA these days.
Boise has a shortage of RV parks. It’s just a city that is growing too fast. Traffic is an issue, and for RV’ers, it’s either Riverside RV park or Hi Valley. This year we decided to try Lucky Me Ranch, a 5 acre private property in Boise. It worked out great as far as location. It had 30 amp power and water. No sewer, but that wasn’t an issue for just two nights. Hope we can stay again in the future.
Black Bear RV Park – Lake Payette – McCall, Idaho
We usually stay at Ponderosa State Park in McCall, Idaho when we visit friends and family here. But this trip was restricted due to our schedule. So, we stayed at Black Bear RV Resort, just South of McCall.
In our experience, public parks are preferable. They tend to have more space, fewer campers, and better access to hiking and biking trails. Black Bear was a good alternative in terms of amenities, but we did have to navigate quite a bit of car traffic to get to Ponderosa and bike the trails.
Armed with our E bikes for this RV trip, we took on Huckleberry Loop in Ponderosa SP. With many 180 degree switchbacks and a heavily rooted trail, Huckleberry was our first real test on our bikes. Cheryl did amazing! After every tough section I would pause and listen. There she was, on her peddles taking on the roots and rocks guiding her bike around trees with a big smile plastered. She made it through the entire Ponderosa trail system without a scratch, and only a minor number of mosquito bites.
After our day on the Ponderosa trails, we rewarded ourselves with a beer at Salmon River Brewing, then some cruising through the town. McCall is a special place with amazing views and amenities. It’s definitely a must visit place for anyone traveling through the area.
Hell’s Gate State Park – Lewiston, Idaho
One of the stops we wanted to make on our way to Montana was Lewiston, ID. Why, you ask? Well, a dear childhood friend of Brandon and Spencer’s is Eric Lindsey. 
After Brandon’s accident, both of our kids spent a lot of time at the Lindsey home. Later, as adults, both our kids told us that Eric and his family were key to helping them both through the trauma of the accident. Eric was in Cancun for Brandon’s wedding, and we have fond memories of camping with his dad Travis. All in all, it was just something we wanted to do. He’s a cool dude, massively talented and smart. We wish the best to Eric and his family.
Blackwell Island RV Resort – Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
This was our third year at Blackwell Island RV Resort. We met up with Ron and Stacey who were there scouting out their future home. We spent one day looking at properties near Spirit Lake. We checked out one 5 acre property in Bonner County. In walking the property we discovered that according to the neighbor to the North, “trespassers would be shot without question…”. Stacey nixed that option. In the end, they chose a 10 acre property near Farragut State Park, the better choice.
Blackwell Island RV Resort is just across the Spokane River from the town of Coeur d’Alene. It boasts one of the best located RV parks in the state with plenty of amenities such as boat rentals, a fantastic beach, pickle ball, and more.
Once you cross the bridge on bike, it’s a nice ride into town on the bike paths through the university along the lake and marina. Or, if you prefer, a paddle around the island is possible. You can land in town and have lunch. We’ve rented pontoon boats to spend the day on the lake, fishing, swimming, and checking out multi-million dollar homes. It’s arguably one of the most beautiful towns in Idaho. We love it and look forward to more visits to the area.
The Sanctuary Campground – Trail of the Hiawatha – Superior, Montana
After our stay at The Sanctuary, a remote, privately owned Montana “campground”, this event center is now officially on the map, Google Maps that is. You can find our review and this photo near Superior, Montana, just of I-90.
One of the things we wanted to do while in Montana is bike the Trail of the Hiawatha. It’s a fun ride that allows you a different perspective given it’s former train route through the mountains. Trestles and tunnels allow the non stop gentle slope and easy ride through the mountains. Absolutely awesome!
We also spent one day on the Clark Fork River in our Kayaks. Ron had his flat tow Saturn car with him. So, we could take the Kayaks up river for launch leaving his car at the take out spot in Superior making for an easy put in, take out river day fishing and floating past campgrounds, cabins, and roadside diners.
Missoula Montana – KOA
Missoula, Montana is just a short drive from The Sanctuary Campground near Superior. After deciding to head back to San Diego, we charted a course South from Missoula. The KOA had sites available so we spent the night and planned our route back down the 93 highway to Twin Falls, ID, then Bear Lake, Utah, and finally San Diego.
None of us had spent time in Missoula before, so after cleaning our rigs, doing some shopping, and some auto maintenance, we went into town. It’s a pretty cool place but the Covid lockdowns didn’t do it any good. The businesses all seemed to be struggling and there wasn’t any 4th of July celebrations happening.
It’s a beautiful downtown with a ton of history, and the river runs through it with awesome kayaking and surfing. We watched that for a bit, then stopped and got a beer. We took a photo of a first date couple drinking a rather huge Blue Margarita at The Iron Horse Bar and Grill. Not sure why we found that funny at the time, but could have been the beers.
After snapping a few photos of the campground rabbits and a cool custom suspension on an R-pod trailer we hit the road for Bear Lake.
Tower Rock Camp – Salmon River, Idaho
After we left Missoula, Montana we headed down to Salmon River. It’s a great drive and passes by beautiful country, also the ranch where Yellowstone (the streaming show) is filmed. Ron drove ahead to get two spots at a roadside National Forest site, non-reservable right on the river. Ron did some fishing, Cheryl worked, and Stace and I did some reading. It was a casual overnight stop.
Idaho Falls – Snake River RV Park
Idaho Falls was a cool stop over. We were able to call and get two spots last minute at the Snake River RV Park. It’s right on the river with great trail access to the park, across the bridge and into the town.
We ended up riding bikes everywhere. We got some pizza at a small local spot nearby. Rode into town and did some thrift shopping, found some beer, and being a weekend they had an open air market happening with local vendors selling food, crafts, art, and other interesting do dads.
It turns out that the Boy Scouts of America, Utah chapter, have a property that they rent out that is right on Bear Lake. There weren’t any sites available at the other campgrounds, but we found Bear Lakes Aquatics Base, BSA on the East side of the lake. It was gorgeous! I’m not sure if it’s still being rented out on Airbnb, but the sites are great. We filled out tanks and boondocked right on the lake.
After arriving, we spent the day on the lake hanging out, reading, swimming and taking it easy. It was the last day of our trip together. We split up after that. Ron and Stacey went back to Santa Maria, and we booked it two San Diego. It was a shorter than expected trip, but we had a blast and it was great to get back to family.
