Cooking on the Road

I started with a rice cooker. I loved how easy it was - click the button and cooking at your fingertips! With an easy to clean container removed from the electrical element, it was fast and easy! Problem is the switches would stop working. The first one lasted about a week and I returned it. The second lasted three months before the switch would not stay down and I'd have to pack it with a paper towel. Then it just stopped working all together. Too cheap to be of value. Too frustrating and unreliable.

I've been relying on my cast-iron pan since it was the only cookware that was compatible with my invection cooktop. (I donated all my stainless steel pots and pans to Goodwill when I realized it. They didn't work well on flat stoves either.) I kept thinking, This was how wagon trains prepared food! Wild West cooking! Before I lived in a van, I had about five cast iron pans. I sold them all but this one and a smaller one. I do wish I would have kept one with higher sides. Oh well!

Spaghetti
The gluten-free pasta was cooked prior and is now waiting!

I've learned to cook even the most elaborate meals in this one pan. Just saute the meat, add the rice or gluten-free pasta, add more veggies and you've got a quite elaborate meal! Bonus - you can use cast iron over a fire!

My latest gourmet meal was copying Five on Black's standard. I bought one of their "Spicy Coconut" sauce jars. It cost $12 but he gave me a discount of $6!! I actually think I might have been dealing with the owner, but I was shocked at such a good discount and wondered why me? Why gift me such a treat? I told him, "The risk is I start cooking your food at home and I don't come back!" He laughed and said, "That would be fine!" I replied, "No worries, I'll be here every day I am in Missoula!" And I was. In fact in Bozeman, Missoula and Great Falls, I ate everyday at Five on Black!

So Five on Black dinner... Libby doesn't have a Five on Black. The town is too small, unfortunately. I decided since the campsite had a contained, metal firepit with a grate over it AND I had a cast iron skillet, this would be spectacular! I kept thinking as I piled the dried pinecones, kindling, and wood to start the fire, I am a pro! I used to be a Girl Scout! 

I started by sauteing chicken and red onions in my cast iron pan situated on a metal grate over the campfire. Once the chicken was adequately cooked thoroughly, I pushed it aside, and added the cubes of sweet potatoes seasoned with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. 

When they were done, I transferred it all to a small bowl and covered it so the bugs and birds would keep out. I added rice and water to the cast iron and cooked as one would for rice, boiled over high fire, moved to low fire for 20 minutes covered. At 20 minutes, I pushed the rice to one side and added the Spicy Coconut sauce bringing it to a boil. 

Done! I layered the ingredients and poured the sauce over. OMG! Perfect. In fact, I think it's better than Five on Black's! Don't tell them I said that!

It's missing the final toppings and I usually sprinkle it with cilantro, but I didn't want to buy a whole bunch of cilantro just to use a tiny handful. It also has black beans which is a standard of Brazilian food (the "Black" in the restaurant's title), but I don't need to eat black beans. I also didn't want to buy a whole can of black beans just to eat a bit. I don't have a lot of room in my refrigerator.

It's very decadent. I've made it with my invection cooktop, but it just didn't taste as good. Food is always better with FIRE! When my small jar of sauce runs out, I plan to try to copy it!

OK...this is bad. I'm heading to a campground and I stop at a Walmart to get water. (I'm ALWAYS running out of water!) They have marshmallows displayed at the front. I looked at the ingredients but I'm sure I spaced on "natural flavors". I bought the package. I ate four then I gave them away to my camping neighbors. VERY BAD!

Montana: The Loveliness of Libby

I headed northwest toward Canada after a day in Kalispell. The BLM land was about an hour outside the town and filled with noisy-generating RVs, barking dogs, and screaming kids. It was more like a free RV park than BLM land with privacy. I've noticed it's the quality of the campsite that colors my perspective of the area. Kalispell health food stores are all closed on Sundays and Mondays. It's a rather religious community with many Jesus signs all over. So I left...heading toward Canada. Next town is Libby.

What a beautiful area! The town is small, but filled with all the necessary amenities plus as a bonus a really awesome health food store. First day I used the laundromat with the top loading washers and washed not only all my dirty clothes, but all my bedding. I want to start fresh for Canada. $15 for five loads with drying took two hours. There was a sign on the door "Dogs on Premises". I didn't think anything of it and imagined a couple yappy rat dogs. When I first got out of the van, I was rushed by GIANT HORSE-SIZED MONSTERS! Great danes. Very friendly, but a bit of a shock as they rushed my van. It seems they eat 90lbs of food a week. Good god!

I visited the grocery store several times. They had a limited selection of organic produce and a Primo refill water machine. Each time the employees were incredibly friendly, customers chatting together in the aisles and people kept talking to me. It was quite possibly the friendliest place I've been so far! The Heaven's Peak Market was equally as friendly with lots of gluten-free and organic products.

I found a glorious campsite at the Dunn Creek Flats Recreational Area just east of the town. Beautiful park-like area right on the Kootenai River. I chose site number 3 that was right next to the dock...I planned to go for a dip! I even had a campfire each night and cooked food over a fire! This is the life! Only draw-back...no internet! Heck, no cell phone reception! I kept thinking, how bad is it to turn off each night and not be a slave to technology? 

I'd like to say I would get used to it, but I just wanted to use internet to plan the trip, check the weather, look at maps. Instead, I went to McDonald's everyday to work and be online. Libby has a library, but like so many others, the computer lab-table area with outlets is in the basement. I tried the first day and within a half hour I could hardly breathe. Thank god for McDonald's! There is no Starbucks in Libby.

Next I checked with the auto mechanic locals highly recommended: RMV Auto. I was told they would be expensive and difficult to get an appointment, but I had nothing to lose. Big Blue feels like she's working too hard and I can hear and feel a grinding noise. They squeezed me in within two days. In the end, they said nothing wrong! Everything working fine! The brakes are about 1/2 used and at that point may start adding noise, but they are fine. THEY DIDN'T CHARGE ME ANYTHING!!! I was shocked and extremely thankful. Peace of mind is priceless. I would have paid anything they wanted! 

I stayed three nights and everyday I went down to the dock, stared at the cold, freezing river water too long and then instead of jumping in the deep end, walked in and dipped to my neck. One day I did dive under, but not brave enough to jump. Freezing numbing cold. I vowed I'd jump in by the last day, but the last day was 88 degrees until it wasn't and wind, clouds and sprinkles started. I never got a chance to see if I had the courage to jump in! Call me paranoid, but a woman traveling alone, diving into freezing water...if I drowned no one would know until my 14 day stay was up and they wondered why my van was still sitting there! I left a note each time I dipped just in case I did drown!

I visited the Libby Dam. The Kootenai River is not only cold, but so clean and gorgeous with a turquoise cast. Beautiful!

I thought for a moment I could live here with such nice people and a glorious health food store, but these were all over:

ALL OVER! I can't live in a place that thinks a sexist, racist, sex offender is an adequate president.

Montana: Glacier National Park...WHERE ARE THE BEARS??

Glacier National Park. I've read the series Death in the National Parks and I know there are more bear killings here than any other place. I have yet to see a bear anywhere! I spoke to one woman who said they've seen bears not only in this park, but also Yellowstone! I haven't seen one bear!

Montana in general has the most beautiful views with an endless supply of rivers, lakes and creeks. Crystal clear, babbling or raging fueled by snow melts. The landscape is green pines with emerald green fields. The whole state looks like a park. And then there are the parks. Glacier National Park had such clean, crispy air with a hint of warm pine. So beautiful...but no bears!

McDonald Lake

I camped up an isolated road. Not great, but relatively private except for the pickups going up and down the road. There were so many other locations I could have stayed, but without internet I didn't know about them until I continued the next morning down the highway. That's the problem with these online free camping sites...you have to plan ahead because once you are there, without internet if the location is not to your liking, there is no way to know if there is something better. The problem with these outback locations is I'm afraid to go for a walk or hike for fear of meeting a bear face to face. I long to see them on the side of a road or at a distance, but up close and personal...no thanks!

I love Montana!

 

Montana: Great Falls

I decided to take a detour and head to Great Falls. Not only do they have multiple Starbucks, and a library, but a Five on Black and a health food-oriented store. Sounded like a great place to get some work done before heading north.

The drive on highway 200 from Missoula was gorgeous! Green fields and pine-covered mountains. Once I got closer to Great Falls it started looking more like the Dakotas: desolate prairie. On the way I found the BLM campgrounds at Simms. I stayed one night there, all alone, and the after-work gang of men showed up with their cooler of beer, loudly talking about...high school? This is situation where I'd pick a bear over a man, or men. I was NOT comfortable to say the least. Some of the comments for this BLM site state the locals show up on the weekends and party loud and hard until two in the morning. That would not be a quiet and relaxing experience!

The next morning I got up at 3:30am to get to Starbucks when they opened to work. Driving in the dark through unfamiliar countryside was not fun, but after twenty miles my tire pressure warning light came on. It shouldn't do that if the tires have been warmed! Needless to say I was in a panic imagining myself stranded out in the middle of no where. The tires looked fine. I found a tire shop, but what was I going to do for four hours until they opened? I could not find my tire pressure gage. Finally I just drove to Great Falls, found the Starbucks, looked for a tire shop nearby, parked the van in their parking lot, and walked to Starbucks. Three hours later when the tire shop opened, I walked back. It was just the freezing temperatures. What a hassle!

I spent the next few days working at Starbucks and the library, eating Five on Black, doing a load of laundry, and washing the van. The second, third and fourth nights I stayed in the Walmart parking lot. This is the Walmart on the South side. The north side was creepy. Still, on Friday night a gang of teenage boys walked by near midnight, then two possibly drunken teenage girls, then motorcyclists. Nevermind, I had to move once because the RV that parked next to me had a barking dog that wouldn't show up and another RV parked across the parking spaces and his ass was blocking one of the exits. People are stupid and RVers who are thoughtless will ruin it for the rest of us! Good god, Great Falls is horrible.

Great Falls was horrible in so many ways. Lots of signs about meth addiction, anti-abortion, lots of homeless people, yards not mowed, run-down houses, men in the library using the internet to watch porn. The streets are strange, some one-way, some not, 2nd Street South vs. 2nd Street North vs. 2nd Avenue North vs. 2nd Avenue South. I prefer street names with some imagination. Hard to find my way around at times. But, unlike Missoula it has a lot of parks that have free parking. Some of the older neighborhoods had magnificent mansions and old style brick apartment houses. It's not a town I'd want to live in permanently, but it served its purpose.

Montana Meanderings

I loved Bozeman (and Brad!), but there was really very little options for free camping and after the Friday night party of noisy college boys, I decided to try other places. First stop: Elkhorn, the ghost town I've been reading about for years!

Above is the view from the trail to the cemetery which is up a mountain. I didn't mean to hike, but as I walked around town I saw a sign and followed the road UP...to the top! I kept wondering how they transported heavy coffins in wagons up this steep, dirt road? The cemetery is filled with children's graves which always unsettles me. I knew there was a trail down the mountain as I saw signs coming into town for it. I followed it back, very steep switch backs but absolutely gorgeous! 

The weather was finally cooperating, but my camera battery gave out so I didn't get many photos. I planned to stay close and come back in the morning...but the monsoon rains poured down all night. The road in was miles of dirt washboard so I was a little nervous about what I'd find on the way out. I stayed on the side of the road on a grassy road behind some trees.

Next was a visit to Helena. This is the state capitol. I could have taken photos of buildings all day long even in the pouring rain! Lots of history.

I ended up taking Hwy 1 through Anaconda and Philipsburg (beautiful historic town!) and on to Missoula. Out of Anaconda the highway crawled up and it started snowing. As it dipped down into the valley, the snow stopped, the temperature increased and even with the sharp twisty turns of the mountain road, it was absolutely gorgeous with little farms along the way.

I continued to Missoula and constantly expressed profound pleasure at the landscape. The interstate cut through the mountains and kept going down, getting warmer, the sun appeared, and the greenery was a shocking shade of bright emerald! Such a beautiful area! I headed to what I think was Big Pine Fishing Access just north of Alberton. It was four miles off Interstate 90, 2 miles of fairly flat dirt road down to a little fishing park. I found a spot right on the river! 

Beautiful and quiet, but an hour out of Missoula and NO INTERNET! If I didn't have to work, I would have stayed a week. The next two nights I stayed in the parking lot of a very welcoming Cracker Barrel which was very quiet and felt very safe.

I'm not sure I like Missoula. Parking downtown is a nightmare. Parking at park even costs! Even the parking at the library was a limit of two hours IF you can find a spot! There are four free parking spots in front of the library and I was told I'd have to get there early to snag one. Around 8am, library employees took them! Lucky for me I'm an early riser and got there at 7am. 

Big Blue outside Missoula Library in free parking.

Even in the city parks it's paid parking except after 5pm and on weekends. Lots of beggars and more bad-driving men...rude men in big trucks who believe they are entitled. However, they have a superb store called Good Food Market on 3rd Street that is much like the Bozeman Food Co-op, and very much like Whole Foods was before they went to the dark side. After too many rude people and one bad encounter after the other, I left.

Montana: Bozeman

I'm really excited to get back to Montana! Unfortunately the first thing I noticed crossing the state line, the highways here are not great! Both South Dakota and North Dakota had outstanding roads. Even the backroads where often paved or at least graded to be smooth. The interstate was bumpy with holes, but the speed limit is 80 mph!!

I tried in vain to find a health food store or any store with gluten-free and organic food on the eastern area of Montana. Most I could find online were no longer in business. I'm out of food after camping in one place out in the boonies, so I headed west. As soon as one gets close to Billings the landscape changes from desolate prairie to green grass and pine trees. I love this! 

I decided not to rush to Billings and started searching for free camping. There are many sites along the Yellowstone River. I opted for Captain Clark Fishing Access Site just west of Custer and east of Billings. At dusk I watched otters playing in the water. Around the same time the clouds rolled in and incredibly violent winds started blowing. This cooled the hot, muggy air and I moved from underneath trees to out in the open. I don't want branches falling on my solars!!

The next morning I headed for Billings, spending most of the day shopping for supplies. I stopped in at Camping World and found out they have free electrical hook-ups to charge generators, batteries, or in my case my Bluetti who's power is once again down to nothing. I visited health stores, grocery stores, and one gluten-free bakery.

I headed to Bozeman and searched the area preparing to work remotely. Bozeman has several health food stores, several Starbucks, one gorgeous library and one spectacular food co-op! If it wasn't for the pouring rain, I would love this city. 

Later in the afternoon (I try to find a camping/parking spot sometime between 3pm and 4pm), I went searching Campendium for my overnight location. One of the most enjoyable (although often stressful) aspects of this lifestyle is searching for the campsite location. It's like a treasure hunt to find the route, follow the map, and find what always seems to be a secret spot. My constant worry is the location will be filled and I'd be turned away forced to find another location, but it's still early in the season so that hasn't happened. Usually I'm the only one there! This time, however, the route into the hills is still closed for winter. I really wish someone would update Campendium to let us know. It does open on May 16th which is only two days away. There were no "no camping" signs and instead "no campfires" which indicated camping is welcomed so I just parked and stayed overnight at the trailhead parking lot right next to a raging creek. I hope once the route is opened, it's not too flooded. It's only supposed to rain for a couple more days. It poured and pounded all night with continual rain for days.

Bozeman Library is amazing! It's huge with many tables to sit at, study rooms to reserve, and a instructional kitchen where they have cooking classes. Outside the library is right next to a park and a cemetery so lots of opportunities to walk. I reserved a study room each day for two hours in an attempt to get my work done. After two hours, I sat at a table or desk. Anything to stay out of the rain and keep warm!

Bozeman also has a Swim Center. Here is a chance to get a shower and maybe some exercise! I went to the water fitness class. It cost $4 for non-residents. The shower was fabulous although not private, no curtains or separate stalls, much like junior high PE class. The chlorine wasn't too strong, but the pool water was so cold! With my inability to regulate body temperature, I am really intolerant of being cold (it's still raining) and dipping into cold water was a nightmare. I got out right away and took another warm shower.

Now for the event that has changed my life...I'm walking down Main Street checking out downtown Bozeman and this man comes out of a restaurant and starts walking toward me. He's carrying what looks like take-out. He's quite striking which makes me pay attention, sandy blonde hair peppered with gray, and tall. OMG! Is that Brad Pitt? He doesn't make eye contact with me and after he passes, I turn to watch him. He rounds the corner. OMG! I notice the restaurant and low and behold it's t(Ihe gluten-free Brazilian restaurant that is on my list to try. I had no idea where it was. What a coincidence! I had lunch at Five on Black and it was great. I've had a great time telling all my friends I saw Brad Pitt. Later I looked online and sure enough Brad lives in Montana, but I couldn't find where. Many friends say I should go into the restaurant and ask if Brad eats there, but I don't trust locals would divulge personal information about him and I'd feel stupid acting like an obsessed fan girl. Besides, I like thinking I saw Brad Pitt!

I didn't take a lot of photos of Bozeman, unfortunately. It was pouring rain most of the time.

South Dakota Meanderings

I drove to Rapid City to check out their health food stores. Very nice! Seemed to have all the amenities needed, spacious and clean.

Wall Drug Store was next on the stop. Thirty miles east from Rapid City, this landmark sure knows how to advertise! There were signs every two minutes on I-90 all the way advertising everything from homemade pie, to western clothing, boots, tourist attractions! It was fun to see and I was really proud of myself for being able to avoid buying fudge...second time so far. Pretty good willpower even though I make up for it with other foods I should not buy or eat, but I think fudge might kill me!

I drove through Badlands National Park. The rock formations were created from volcanic activity. It reminded me of Utah's sites. It was interesting, but dry and barren, also much like Utah. Finally saw a bighorn sheep.

There was one really cool BLM land just south of Wall Drug and just before the park entrance on the left. The campsites were high on a cliff with a marvelous view of the Badlands canyons. The weather definitely improved and the wind was gusty, but I didn't want to camp in that nor under electrical transformers. I high-tailed it to Mt. Rushmore and found a glorious free campsite at Wrinkled Rock right next to the monument. Lots of wild turkeys roaming around.

Speaking of turkeys, the Wrinkled Rock campsite was just a trailhead parking lot. Lots of tents in the woods beyond that later I discovered belonged to a group of 20-something boys. The sun went down and they decided to stand in a group outside my van and talk loudly. Do they not even consider for a minute someone might be trying to sleep in the van. After about an hour I got impatient, with keys in hand crawled into the front seat ready to move the van. Instead I opened the door. They all looked at me. One cheerfully said, "Hi!" I said, "Hi! So how long do you plan to stand in the parking lot next to my van talking?" They all started apologizing. I said, "I don't mind moving." They said, "No, no, we are sorry." They became very quiet, but they still stood there. Then they slowly dispersed to their tents and I heard car doors slamming for the next hour. I got up early and left, made breakfast at the Mt. Rushmore profile view. See the profile of George Washington beyond Big Blue?

Then I drove, at 5am when no one was around to get a better view of the front of Mt. Rushmore.

I drove around to see Crazy Horse Memorial, but it was closed.

Then I made my way back to Keystone to do laundry, and went through Custer State Park and up the Highway 16A. Beautiful drives especially early in the morning when it's quiet. There were three rock tunnels around 10 to 11 ft high and wide! There was the Norbeck Overlook with distant view of Mt. Rushmore.

After laundry, I headed to North Dakota along the incredibly boring Highway 85. Lots of green, rolling prairie! Sides of the highway are very clean. But it went on and on for miles and hours with not much to look at! Except cows. Lots of little babies playing in the fields.

Stopped at the Picnic Spring Campground north of Ludlow in the Custer Gallatin National Forest. Huge campgrounds with campsites spaced far apart. Each site has a picnic table and fire pit. There is a piped water source down a canyon. I'm the only one here and it's so quiet, especially considering last night's experience with 20-something boys.

Left Monday morning early and arrived in North Dakota to much of the same flat prairie landscape. The air is muggy and hot. It feels like it needs to rain. North Dakota like South Dakota has amazingly well-kept highways and interstates. Great roads. I continued west to Montana...