This is a campground I have visited many times over the years, in part due to its convenience on the way to Yellowstone National Park and other destinations.
We have lived in Grants Pass Oregon since December 2002, prior to this we lived in Hacienda Heights California; with both residences we have still found this a convenient place to visit (dating back to the early 90s for our first visit).

While the previous ownership was very friendly, the new ownership is second to none (Kathy and Stuart Marshall became the new owners in November of 2006).
The new owners have improved the restrooms & showers to world class RV Park standards, with private showers and even a television in the restrooms as well.
The owners are also improving the sites and hopefully a couple more sites next to Montpelier Creek will be ready for the 2012 or 2013 season.

Another “shout out” to the owners is the day we were to leave south for our next destination (on the way home from a Yellowstone Trip); our teenage children were moving the slideout for our 29 foot travel trailer back into position for travel and although they are usually very good at checking, my daughter had left the bathroom door open at the last moment and this was ripped right off the hinges by the slide coming in.
The owner (Stuart Marshall) came to aid and repaired our door and re-hung the door and within an hour we were on our way.
Both Kathy and Stuart were awesome campground hosts and we cannot say enough about them.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

This campground is set in a reasonably nice area at the mouth of Montpelier Canyon, with the conveniences of the City of Montpelier nearby.

As well the Oregon/California Trail Center Museum is only a few miles away and is worth the side trip is time allows.

The creek that runs by the street side of the campground is very pretty with a pleasant rushing stream sound in the night providing a nice ambience (outside of the occasional loud vehicle noise from the nearby highway). Fishing is also a possibility in this creek.

Facilities:

*50 Max Amps
*Pool (May 27 to Sep 05)
*80′ Max Length Total RV Length
*Cable TV
*Fishing
*Propane ($)
*WiFi
*Firewood ($)
*Pavilion

My Personal Ratings (1-4 Stars):

*Cleanliness

*Amenities

*Visual

*Friendliness

INFORMATION:

Montpelier Creek KOA
28501 US Highway 89 North
Montpelier, ID 83254

Reserve: (800) 562-7576
Info: (208) 847-0863
Email: MPCKOAReservations@yahoo.com

Map Copyright Google Maps

About the Hosts:
From KOA Kampground Snapshots; Montpelier Creek

After traveling to many places around the world, Kathy and Stuart Marshall realized that they haven’t seen most of their wonderful country, so they decided to buy a small RV and see the United States. They took their maiden voyage in May of 2006 to the KOA in Mount Rushmore when Kathy said, “We should buy a campground!” Stuart, a renovation contractor and Kathy, an IT professional in Boulder, Colorado started dreaming about the idea of owning a campground and began the search process. In November of 2006 they were the proud owners of the Montpelier Creek KOA. “This 40 year old campground was perfect for us” said Kathy. “It is located in a beautiful lush valley halfway between Salt Lake City and Yellowstone National Park and was in need of Stuart’s magical TLC. This has truly been a labor of love for both of us.” Over the last five years, The Marshalls have improved and upgraded most of the campground with beautiful tile bathrooms, creating large-rig friendly campsites, upgrading the electrical system, adding cable and lodges, and much more. “I love it when campers ask me if this is a new KOA,” says Stuart. “What we love most though, are our campers. We have a huge following of repeat campers, some that have been coming here for over 20 years – especially during hunting season” states Kathy. “It is really cool seeing several generations of a family enjoying themselves in our campground. Creating family memories that last a lifetime, and we are thrilled to be a part of that.” “Our goal is to have happy campers, and we do this by trying to visit with every camper – whether it is Kathy, our work campers, or myself, at their campsite or around the park – we want to talk to everyone. We get great ideas from our campers that help us to continuously improve our campground; after all, they are the camping experts!” During the off-season, Kathy and Stuart head south in their fifth wheel to escape the snow and cold weather where they enjoy kayaking, hiking, biking, relaxing and dreaming of what they can do next to improve the campground.

I have been a member of the Good Sam Club since the 1980s, however as with the RV industry in general, their customer service has slid; in fact more so (with a few exceptions) with the Good Sam Club where customer service and the help I pay for as a member is totally non existent!
Sadly this was not always the case.

Here are just a few of my experiences

1. Emergency Road Side Assistance;
   Twice I have contacted Good Sam ERS once just outside the largest town for over 100 miles) with no help ever to arrive (in one case I was able to fix the problem myself and get going about an hour later, in the other I finally called a local tow service)
2. Good Sam Action Line;
   While back in the early 90s I got an excellent response (back when Good Sam was “Good”), a more recent request (for my Onan Generator) went un-answered.
3. Inaccurate ratings in Campground Directory that NEVER get corrected despite many persons complaints;
   An example is Comstock RV Park in Carson City Nevada, where the facilities were poor, the place was dirty with many old truck campers sitting off the truck, narrow spaces that were not 5th wheel accessible (as per my father who also went here in a 5th wheel), non functioning Spa, despite calling ahead to only find it not working.
   If the reader would like more proof, simply read this website (some reviews are good, but not the majority and the three persons I know personally that have camped here all gave it a major thumbs down):
   http://www.rvparkreviews.com/regions/Nevada/Carson_City.html
4. Most recently, I have attempted to interact on the Good Sam Blog (as I have with others RVer blogs with relevant comments, questions, experience, etc.), only to never have my comments appear (I blog considerably with Word Press & Blogger, mostly for my Aquarium Information profession in areas such as lighting, sponge filters, treatments, etc.).
   Although I also realize this can happen, so this was not the real problem, rather the multiple emails and phones calls which went unanswered (which I have made in the past for other non responses by “Good” Sam [actually Rotten Sam]).
   In the phone calls I was told on at least three occasions to expect a response within 48 hours, however no return call or email was ever forthcoming!!

This last incident really sums it up, because this is the most basic of customer service courtesy; Returning calls or emails!
I know with my business, that even emails/calls from persons that are rude need to be returned & if anything I have been “patsy” according others who know me well in putting up with this type of treatment for a long time before finally taking action (as exemplified in my post about problems with my Onan Generator Problems and rude treatment at Siskyou RV World)

I am sorry if this blog post might seem offensive or overly negative, as my intension of this “Endeavors” website is to post stories/post of a positive nature for others to enjoy, but I feel to look the other way after all this would be both dishonest and a disservice to others who might be on the fence about a Good Sam Membership
If you are a Good Sam Member and have thoroughly enjoyed it; GREAT! However if your experience is similar or if you are on the fence about a membership, I would encourage you to think this through and maybe consider another club such as AAA which in the short time we have been with them, the difference in customer service in night and day!

I took my son Timothy (who has high functioning autism) who has recently shown an interest in airplanes/aviation.

He shot a video of much of the taxi portion of this flight and a short part of the actual flight before he felt a bit ill (which unfortunately got worse due to his still getting over the flu plus turbulence).
Outside of the turbulence it was an unusually clear day for late Janurary here in Southern Oregon; an excellent day for flying in my opinion.

The Airplane was a Cessna 172 with a Lycoming 180 hp engine (most earlier 172s have the Lycoming 160 engines).
I should also add that my experience in Cessnas in general is limited with most of my experience in the Piper Cherokee and Seneca, and my more limited Cessna experience was in a Cessna 182 (with a 230 hp Continental engine)

Please see the video below that my son made:

For my professional work please read some of my articles such as Aquarium Lighting, UV Sterilization, or simply my lead Aquarium Information article.

Part of the reason is simply the season we make this trip which is every October, as October is very beautiful here in the “Land of Umpqua” along the merging forks of the Umpqua River.
The other reasons we enjoy this RV Park is it is friendly, well maintained and laid out, with a nice clubhouse & other facilities.

This RV park is far enough outside Roseburg Oregon to give it a nice country atmosphere, yet close enough to make a quick trip to town to pick amenities or go out for dinner (as our group does on Sundays).
Twin Rivers RV is also immediately adjacent to River Forks County Park which also has a boat ramp for those who would like to take in some fishing (such as Salmon Fishing).

Twin Rivers Vacation RV Park is also well shaded with many beautiful mature trees (yet well maintained so that the trees will not interfere with your rigs).
The climate is relatively moderate with not as much winter extreme as other nearby areas of Oregon due to some coastal influence coming up the Umpqua River. As well Summers are also not quite as hot as other areas as for similar reasons (it is generally cooler in summer than the Rogue Valley of Oregon where we live). As noted earlier, the mature shade trees also do a good job keeping your RV from direct sunlight (including damaging UV Light that slowly destroys your RV, especially the roof and other exposed areas).

Facilities

Address:
433 River Forks Park Road
Roseburg, Oregon 97470
(541) 673-3811
(Approximately 7 miles from exit 125 on Interstate 5)

Campsites:
*34 pull-thrus (41′ x 75′)
*35 Back-in’s (40′x 40′)
*30/50 amp electrical
*Cable Television
*WiFi Hotspot (near office)
*Laundry
*Limited Groceries and RV Supplies
*Firewood
*Playground
*Recreation Field (volleyball, etc.)

I am the owner of a 28 foot Winnebago Class C of which I am the original owner since 1992.
Although many components of the Winnebago Coach could have been either better designed or better placed in the coach, I am generally quite happy with the Winnebago aspect of my RV.

The problem has been the after market care of the two aspects that have been a lemon since day one;
The Ford Chassis and the Onan Generator.

With the Ford Chassis, we have replaced the CPU four times, the exhaust system has been repaired 3 times, the fuels system has had many problems, & the Dash Air was repaired 3 times and in fact I just totally had the AC replaced and the local repair shop noted that the last Ford dealer used “putty” to make a repair that did not last one year (I should note that this is the first time I used this shop (AutoSmith), but I was impressed with their service unlike Bridge Street Auto which I later found from others that my terrible experience was not unusual).
The Transmission has been a nightmare since day one with Ford giving me “the run around” from day one as well. We have had transmission problems on about 80% of trips since the day we have owned this RV.
On a positive note, since I started using the Lucas Transmission treatment 3 years ago, our problems have lessened.

The Onan Generator (emerald 4000) has been even worse; this junk lemon generator is noisy (it could wake the dead) and has constantly broken down. We have taken this to authorized dealers dating back to our very first trip that could not correct the problems (generally mechanical, not so much electrical). Admittedly it appears that I just got a “bad one” from talking to others or just camping by others with Onan Generators (that were much more quiet).
One such trip was when my son was very young, where he had to be on a machine 24/7 that monitored him and keep his stomach pumped (he was born very ill and the first year of his life was very difficult on the entire family, so getting away on a camping trip that was OKd by his Doctor was very important), well although the inverter worked beautifully, the generator once again failed, so without it our trip was over and quick return home was required (Onan did not answer the letter I sent after this trip asking about help for our lemon generator)

Later we finally found one authorized repair shop some distance from home about 15 years ago and even he stated that we could not figure out why the RV industry uses the Onan Generator versus the better Generators such as the Koeler that he felt was better.
After we moved I have yet to find a good repair shop to keep up with the constant break downs of our generator. I should note that I have followed ALL recommended service schedules from day one with both my generator and Ford Chassis and with the generator this includes running it every month with a load (either the roof AC or an electric heater).

This year “took the prize” as knew that there were fuel system problem (once again and experience from previous problems told me what needed to be checked), however we attempted to have local repair ships look at this generator dating back to May of 2010 (we had a long trip planned for August that I knew this generator would be important for both roof AC and the fact that we boondock camp often), I ended up getting put off and when one repair person finally looked at it, he replaced the fuel pump which I knew was not the problem (but I did not argue giving respect to the mechanic despite what the Siskiyou RV Sales might think).
Our local Onan authorized shop is Siskiyou RV World (Grants Pass); they have repaired this generator before, for a rather high charge that did not last but one year, they too gave me excuses for this lemon generator (but this can qualified in that this was for a piece of RV equipment that was a lemon from day one that I cannot expect any RV Shop to fix it completely, but know one can fault me for trying, although sadly Siskiyou RV World did!!).

What was also very sad and frustrating is when the breakdown happened on our trip, I could not find even one RV dealer willing to help me on the road for a problem I knew would take only 1-2 hours to fix for a professional with the correct equipment.
For me this was a life lesson as I spend 12 hours per day to answer person’s aquarium and pond questions online such as connecting a UV Sterilizer, often lazy aquarium lighting questions (I use the word ‘lazy’ because most of these questions are already answered in the extensive article I have published and continue to update), or troubleshooting UV Replacement Bulbs (often getting nasty emails for not answering questions or taking phone calls late into the night even though this is done for free!). When I ask for help from others for $$ I cannot get any real help, & this is mind boggling especially when I consider the hours every day I spend helping others for free and I cannot get any RV help even for a fee (instead I get criticism from places like Siskiyou RV)!

To me this is a real black eye for the RV industry and although I am considering replacing this RV, I am loath to spend any more money on an RV that may be of questionable quality and where service is non existent. As well all I see anymore are Class C motorhomes built on Ford Chassis (although I understand Ford has finally fixed their transmissions) I will note however that I have seen pricy and small Class C RVs on Sprinter Chassis.
Most RVs I see now are equipped with Onan Generators with little choice.
I have been told that the top notch Honda Generator made an attempt to get their “foot in the door” in the RV generator business only to have this door slammed by the RV industry. I do not know if this is 100% true, but if so, this is a very sad statement for the RV industry.

Before a reader thinks I am simply just a complainer as to this issue, I would say that one should note that I have diligently spent literally thousands of dollars in repairs (without a complaint I might add) for my Onan Generator only to have trip after trip ruined by this piece of equipment. So for persons such as an extremely rude and insulting sales person at Siskiyou RV (in Grants Pass OR) to state that “people like me” are what makes products expensive is utterly ludicrous (not to mentions this guy does not even know anything about me and has not right to judge me). I should also note that I do not expect 100% perfection in anything I purchase, however I do feel I get treated with respect by sales and service staff when attempting to get repairs for defective or simply worn equipment/parts.

I had one person suggest that I write Onan again and request a discount based on the amount I have spent in regular repairs from day one of what is obviously a lemon of a generator, but when I noted this to the rude sales person at Siskyou he made condescending comments as to Onan owing me nothing and the “persons like me” comment (which he also applied to persons who are to cheap to buy a Class A motorhome?). Sorry but if the RV industry as a whole thinks like and sadly defends sales managers such as this person at Siskyou RV, this industry has some serious issues (which I know not all think or act this way such as the two smaller RV outlets in this town). While I would not go so far to say Onan owed me a discount, I do think this would be a good business gesture as I know in my industry I have given free supplies for customer that have had issues with their aquarium equipment (such as a recent customer that was not even using his Aquarium Cleaning Machine correctly, but since we wanted him to be happy with his expensive purchase we provided him with some free replacement cartridges).
I should also comment that while respectful persons can disagree as to how to run a service business, condescending to prospective customers about this is no way to run an RV sales department. As well I have been in a service related business for 30 years now that services other professionals and well know that a profitable service business can and is run that that places gaps in the service appointment schedule for emergency walk ins or over runs; for instance about every Doctor I have had as a client (that I have discussed this with) has told me that they always leave gaps in their schedule for just this reason and a good practice or service business almost always fills these gaps (unlike the poor ones).
This said my wife works at BiMart (in Sporting Goods) and has heard almost 100% negative comments about Siskiyou RV World and many of the complaints are similar in nature.
Also this review; Almost killed on Recall Headlights is similar in nature to the arrogance and lies put forth to me (& others).

Hopefully some in the RV industry will wake up and provide better quality, and especially better service and sales departments that give a damn. As well to insure that the parts used can be serviced by qualified persons who give a damn about others.
Dealerships should train their sales staff to have more respect for others, even if they disagree, as for many persons the purchase of a $80,000 Class C Motorhome is a major non-essential purchase and being treated like sh## for not buying a class A or a new RV every few years is clearly out of line (sadly insulting customers is even defended at Siskiyou RV!!!). Maybe manufacturers of RVs, parts, etc. will wake up and realize that places such as Siskiyou RV are destroying their industry (again not just my opinion) and cut these clowns off so that another more reputable business can take their place.
Sadly in this economy and the way people have become so self centered of late, I have my doubts as to many RV equipment or sales businesses, however on a positive note (at least here in Grants Pass), we have two good RV supplies/sales outlets in Jim Clarke’s Consignment (sales) and Caveman RV (sales/some service/parts) who are respectful and honest.

We are thinking about a trailer instead of our Class C at this time, but based on what I have read and the extremely rude, dishonest, & careless attitude of the remaining service and sales RV establishments, we are now thinking we might have more pleasant vacations and trips traveling by vehicle or plane.

I will break from my usual “travel log” & pictures style post, with an editorial style post.
In my travels with my camping group “around the camp fire” as well as conversations with others I meet on the road, online, or elsewhere, one subject often comes up:
How ridiculous it is that some misguided “snooty” RV parks discriminate against older RVs, no matter how well these are maintained.
Both I and the many I speak with not only find this ridiculous, it is also poor business (and possibly even borderline illegal).
This would compare to telling someone who is 65 they are not welcome, no Model Ts are allowed at drive-ins such as “Sonic” or even worse; no persons of a certain ethnicity are welcome.
I understand a “Dress Code”, which admittedly can be somewhat subjective, but as long a set and published set of standards are utilized (which many nicer RV Parks already perform such no Truck Campers ‘off the truck’), this can be quite workable and allow those who pride themselves in their classic rigs.

These anti-older RV rules not only discriminate against those who are original owners of more common Class A or C Motor homes, 5th wheels, travel trailers, etc, but against those who restore such classics as GMC motor homes or AirStream travel trailers (which in my opinion a well kept one of these often look nicer than many brand new trailers).
Even with more common RVs, what is wrong with being thrifty and purchasing an RV for life and treating it and caring for it like a member of the family? Is it not commendable to spend ones’ money wisely by meticulously maintaining a RV rather than buying a new one every few years?

My personal opinion is that all RV owners and especially RV clubs should boycott those RVs that practice this sort of discrimination (such as Mission Bay RV Resort, California) and award RV Parks that practice “RV Dress Codes” to maintain a nice camping experience such as Seven Feathers RV Resort (Oregon) with more business.

This is from pictures sent to me by a friend in my Holy Rovers camping group whom is also a WW2 veteran.

I personally like the layout of the campground with the camp “loops” spread around the lake, unlike so many campgrounds that have all the loops in one specific area. This gives the Lake Selmac campgrounds a nice small campground feel which makes for a more pleasant camping experience in my opinion.
The campgrounds are well shaded with a beautiful mature forest surrounding the sites, so even on a full sun summer day the lighting is subdued making for considerable shade and pleasant outdoor relaxing even on a warm day.

Please click on pictures to enlarge
Facilities
• Reservations recommended in the late spring through early fall; I recommend using Reserve America.
• Campsites; there are 81 sites for tents, trailers, or RVs up to 32 feet. Many are full hookup
• Drinking water, rest rooms with flush toilets and coin operated showers is also available. Picnic tables, garbage bins, fire rings are also provided.
• Lake Selmac also has boat ramps and a playground, as well as a recreation field, horseshoes, and Disc Golf. Boat Rentals are available at a nearby RV Park
• Leashed pets are permitted.



ADDITONAL CAMPGROUND INFORMATION:
West end of the Lake (Reeves Creek Rd. & South Shore Dr.)

Osprey Loop Campground:
• 14 – Tent Sites (Water Available)
• 3 – Partial Hook-Up Sites (Water & Electricity
• 18 – Full Hook-Up (50 Amp Service) (Electric- Water- Sewer)
• Campsite #30- Full Hook-Up ADA Site
• 1 – Yurt (Furnished, Electricity, Lighting, Heater)

Heron Loop Campground:
5 Tent Sites (Water Available) Vault Toilet- Lakeshore Campsites

Teal Loop Campground:
• 14 – Tent Sites (Water Available) – Lakeshore Campsites
• 2 – Vault Toilets

SOUTH END OF LAKE: (McMullen Creek Rd., Hickenbottom Road)

Eagle Loop Campground:
• 14 Tent Sites (Water Available) – Lakeshore Campsites
• 1 Vault Toilet

Mallard Loop Campground:
• 15 Full Hook-Up Campsites (50 Amp Service)
• Site #113 ADA
• 5 Tent Sites
• 1 Yurt (Furnished, Electricity- Lighting, Heater)

All pictures can be clicked to enlarge
This “park” is often considered the “jewel” of the Josephine County Park System in Southern Oregon.
This is a beautiful park and campground set along the Rogue River just past the famous Hellgate Canyon and a short drive (about 10 miles) down Merlin/Galice road from Interstate 5 (the park can also be reached by following G Street in Grants Pass, which changes into Upper River Road at the west City limits; then to Azalea Road and turn right; follow Azalea to Merlin-Galice Rd. and turn left).

This is nice park to simply relax, or to even have an event as there is a nice pavilion (which often hosts wedding, parties, etc. and can accommodate 150 persons).
Of coarse fishing is also popular here either from shore or by drift boats. Salmon and Steelhead are the two most sought after fish here (in season).
Rafting is the other very popular activity here and on nearby spots of the Rogue River with many class 1 & 2 rapids in the immediate area, as well as class 3-5 further downstream (which require a guide and permit).
Indian Mary Park also has a disc golf course as well.

Facilities

• Reservations recommended in the late spring through early fall; I recommend using Reserve America.
• Campsites; there are 34 sites for tents and68 sites for trailers or RVs of up to 44 feet; 44 are full hookup and 14 are partial. There is also a group site of six sites together.
• Drinking water, rest rooms with flush toilets and coin operated showers is also available. Picnic tables, garbage bins, fire rings are also provided.
• Indian Mary also has a boat ramp and playground, as well as ice and firewood are available (for $). A store and café are seven miles away and laundry facilities are available in the town of Merlin (which is just off the 5 freeway).
• Leashed pets are permitted.

All pictures can be clicked to enlarge
We started out on August 7 at about 4:30 am driving straight through to Lake Tahoe California, Sugar Pine Point State Park. We had reservations for her dating back to March of 2008 as this place literally sells out with in minutes of going on sell on the internet reservations site (ReserveAmerica 1-800-444-7275).
This was a pretty camp site that was a short drive from a nice place to go swimming with some historical mansions to also tour. You can also walk to the lake form the campsite, but my girls found it to be a 45 minute walk.
We also met with Jodie’s sister Diane and Judy on Friday where we had a picnic by the Lake and took a tour of the Hellman-Ehrman Mansion.

More Sugar pine Point State Park Campground Information

• Sites; 175 sites for tents or Motor homes up to 30 feet
• Piper water, flush toilets, coin operated showers (one location), dump station
• Fire grills, tables, and bear lock boxes provided at each site
• I HIGHLY recommend reservations for the summer season
• Open year-round, except no showers in the winter

Park City RV Resort

On Saturday morning (again around 4:30 am) we hit the road for a long drive across Interstate 80 to Park City Utah (Jodie’s vacation time was cut short, so we had to compress).
This took us 11 plus hours in our Motorhome at about 65 mph; although our gas mileage was good due to a product I have been using for my business truck in trips to LA, it is by Lucas Oil and is called “Lucas Upper Cylinder Lubricant/Injector Cleaner”, this has helped my truck and now my Motorhome get 5% better mileage, which is worth the cost.
Anyway, back to the trip (no I am not paid a thing to plug this product, I just think it is worth the plug). Park City RV Resort was well run and renovated since our last visit back in the 1990s. They now have Pool/Jacuzzi and much nicer pads.
There are still sites next to the river which are quiet and away from much of the noise from I-80 (which it is right off from at the turn off from Park City, except you bear North instead of South off the freeway exit at the Kimball Junction).
The River next to the campground offers fishing for trout as well. My only complaint is the lack of shade trees, so be prepared to use lots of sunscreen if you are outdoors much to block the sun’s UV light.

With time spent working on our now already breaking down Motorhome (transmission/overheating), we spent Sunday in Park City and road the coaster down the slope at Park City Ski Resort. Although expensive, it was worth the cost (at least this time).
We were also greeted with a wild thunderstorm on Sunday evening including very large hail and even a few funnel clouds that never made much below the cloud base.

Park City RV Resort

Grand Teton Park RV Resort

On Monday morning (around 4:00 am) we left for Grand Teton RV Resort (stopping along the way to view the Tetons). We were very disappointed with this place, although we had been here before. The pool was dirty, the Jacuzzi was not filled, the barb-q was not running, and management was simply rude. To top this off the price for one night was double what Park City RV was which was vastly better!!
Next time we will camp inside Grand Teton Nation Park and save our money!

Yellowstone National Park; Canyon Campground

Tuesday:

We left Grand Tetons around 5:00 as we wanted to stop along the way into Yellowstone so as to be more efficient with out time and fuel.
We toured the West Thumb Geyser Basin around 7:00 am and there was frost everywhere even though it was August!
Later we stopped at the Fishing Bridge Museum and then the Mud Volcano Area which was a favorite of the kids!
We arrived at the campground around 10:00 am and checked in. We were please to see a brand new Dump Station as well.

Later after lunch we visited the brand new Visitor center in Canyon Village; it is two floors and is simply awesome with many new exhibits that including display on volcanic eruptions over the history of time.. After this we toured the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone area, although the road North side was closed, making everything extremely congested. We also had to make a longer hike to get to the brink of the lower falls as the trailhead was closed from the North Road (we hiked from the South Road)

Wednesday:

On Wed. we started out around 7:30 and visited the Fountain Paint Pots area, then the vast Upper Geyser Basin which includes Old Faithfull.
We started back visiting the Black Sand, Biscuit, and Midway Geyser Basins (me and Jodie really like the Midway Basin). The weather this day went from warm (about 70 F plus) around 12 noon to cool (upper 40s to low 50s), cloudy with some rain by 3 pm which is typical Yellowstone weather in august from past experience

Thursday

On Thurs we visited the Lamar Valley hoping to spot some wolves, but missed seeing some by just a half an hour. It was still beautiful!
We looped around the north side and visited the museum at Mammoth Hot Springs which has a lot of history, art, and old photographs. We then visited the Hot Springs themselves.
We turned south and later saw a Black Bear on the road between Mammoth Ht Springs and Norris Geyser Basin.
Finally as the day got late, we visited the Norris Geyser Basin which is the hottest in the park, however things were rather dormant this time around with Echinus Geyser being inactive.

Friday

Friday was spent shopping, seeing things we missed at the new Canyon Visitor Center, seeing many more Bison on the road (often causing massive traffic jams as it was mating season and the male Bison were moving for no one!), and visiting sites around Yellowstone Lake.
Friday was also a nicely cool day only reaching into the high 50s.

More Canyon Campground Information

• Sites; 280 sites
• Flush toilets, water
• Fire rings, tables, bear boxes (at tent sites)
• Laundry, Showers (for a fee), and dump station at the check in area
• Reservations (recommended, although there is a waiting list for cancellations)
Reservations through Xanterra Parks 866-439-7375 or 307-344-7311

Bear World/ Village of the Trees RV Resort

On Saturday we left Yellowstone early (around 5:30) and visited Yellowstone Bear World in Idaho. The kids enjoyed this stop, although me a Jodie found it rather pricy for seeing a few bears and just a couple of Wolves, however as I noted the kids enjoyed it (including the well run petting zoo which included a Bull Moose that had been raised froma calf) so I guess that is all that counts!

Later we stopped for the night at Village of the Trees RV Resort (800-7779121) just off Interstate 84 (not too for west of the split from I-86).
This was a good price, for the amenities (if I recall about $30 per night with 6 persons)
This place had nice shade trees, cable TV, a VERY small pool, Jacuzzi, and nice store that actually brought food (including excellent pizza) to your rig.
The campground is also right off the Snake River which affords more recreation as well.

Idlewild Campground, Oregon

We left Village of the trees around 7:30 am for our last stop in Central Oregon ( a long haul of about 9 hours if I recall correctly.
This campground is about 15 miles north of Burns Oregon (via west bound US 20 to north bound US 395).

This was a VERY quiet and pretty campground set among Ponderosa and/or Jeffery pines. This was also the least occupied campground of the trip with only about 15% fill as compared to most others that were full or nearly full. A nice treat was instead of Yellow jackets, flies, etc., this campground was filled with butterflies, which was really pretty. Also the price was right at $10 (albeit dry camping with vault toilets, but I really do not care as long as they are reasonably clean which they were). The water also appeared to come from a very deep well and was very cool and refreshing!

More Idlewild Campground Information

• Sites: 26
• Max RV length: 30 feet
• Amenities include water, vault toilets, fire rings, tables, most sites are reasonably level with about half good for an average RV
• No Reservations

Here is our video of our 2008 Yellowstone trip
(the kids filmed most of this, which is why the camera moves so much):

For more pictures of our trip, please visit this site: Our Vacation pictures, 2008, Yellowstone, etc