Onward from day 57, Ron Bywaters and the Aussie crew split up into a group of tractors and a group of RVs with plans to reconvene after visiting the Grand Canyon. Below are their separate travels up to day 60. — Ed.

RVs
TRACTORS

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Day 57 — RVs

After an early morning walk through the pristine forest, it was time to head off through the beautiful mountains again.

The route through the Monarch Pass (11,312 feet) to Gunnison, Colo., was again picturesque with a new vista around each bend. A very pretty spot at the Red Creek Campground was a perfect place for an overnight stop. A walk from the camp led us to a beaver pond which, while the beavers were a bit shy of the camera, was a perfect example of their clever dam building habits.

The three tractor drivers who left Loveland have now caught up with Cumber and Jeff in Salt Lake City after a good run across the Rockies, as described in their notes.

Day 58 — RVs

Word from the five tractors drivers is that they have decided to drive straight to Las Vegas and tour to the Grand Canyon from there.

So the plan to meet up with them in a couple of days will not eventuate and we will continue at a leisurely pace, and catch up after we have visited the Grand Canyon. They were heading south from Salt Lake City this afternoon, en route to Cedar City and then Las Vegas.

Continuing the trip through the mountains saw the RVs travel to Montrose, Colo., then through flatter country to the hills of Ridgeway. As we headed west there was a magnificent range ahead of us — the Uncompahgre Plateau.

The scenery undertook a subtle change when we encountered the red hills of Placerville and headed toward Telluride. This village was another recommendation from the lads Andrew and Scott, and our visit there turned out to be a real bonus. Not only was the town very pretty, but there was also a gondola service up and over the mountain to Mountain Village on the other side and return, and this service was, unbelievably, free!

The scenery was magnificent — Telluride is surrounded by mountains on almost every side and has ski slopes down many of these. The shops are touristy but quite delightful and the whole area has a wonderful European feel about it. To finish a really fantastic day, a decision to try out one of the local restaurants was a great success, the choice being Italian.

Day 59 — RVs

The day started out showery but quite pleasant for the drive through the Lizard Head Pass which at 10,222 feet was dwarfed by the surrounding mountains that peaked at up to 14,000 feet.

A visit to the Anasazi Heritage Center was a very wise choice. This center focuses on the ruins found in the area of the Escalante Pueblo people and has a wonderful collection of artifacts as well as screening very interesting informative documentaries about the history of the original inhabitants and their way of life. A short walk leads visitors to some of the ruins which have been stabilized in an endeavour to prevent further deterioration.

Any further plans for sight-seeing were changed when an electrical storm hit the area whilst we were at the top of a 8,500-foot mountain in the Mesa Verde National Park — it was quite spectacular but also dangerous as lightning was striking areas close by, necessitating a hasty retreat. An early stopover was decided at Cortez, Colo., where a complete rainbow gave hope of better weather tomorrow!

Day 60 — RVs

This was the day we traveled through three states in the RVs on our leisurely trip to the Grand Canyon.

After attending to a few calls around Cortez, Colo., we headed south to a winery run by Guy Drew. Guy grows grapes in what looks like most inhospitable territory, but with plentiful water available by irrigation from the nearby river, he has remarkable success. His wines are all very palatable and his gardens are really very pretty. The house has been built from straw and has a wonderful Mexican feel to it and is beautifully appointed.

Many other properties in the area grow grape vines on the ridges of rocky outcrops. The only other crops seen were irrigated Lucerne which is baled for stock feed. The border into Utah was crossed at lunch time and the countryside became quite desert like with only a few oil rigs and rocky outcrops to break the skyline. Then as we approached Bluff, the rocks changed color to salmon pink and looked very fragile, with many breakaways obvious.

The trip through the Monument Valley was absolutely breathtaking — so many rock formations in this Navajo country. No wonder so many movies have been made in this area — you expect to see an American Indian jump out from almost every rock!

We crossed the San Juan River and proceeded to where the Mexican Hat formation was clearly seen. A stop at a Navajo stall gave us an opportunity to see some genuine Indian craftsmanship and a very nice young lady named Marlena was happy to sell us some jewellery.

We crossed the border into Arizona late afternoon and continued to the overnight stop at Kayenta, Ariz.

See photos and read more on Ron’s website, TransworldTractorTreks.com.

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Day 57 — Tractors

Already in Utah, Aug. 22, 2009, saw us continue on Highway 40 toward Salt Lake City.

The countryside yet again offered great sights across the lush farming lands. The Strawberry River lead us to Starvation Reservoir — a name that seems to contradict this land that has so much to offer. After enjoying the view and taking a few photos our travels continued.

The view then returned to pines and mountains. At 7,000 feet we came across another large reservoir providing all sorts of boating and water activities for the many folk there. We continued our climb up the mountain to 8,020 feet then enjoyed a very long down grade at 6 percent. Lunch was taken at Heber City, Utah, then it was on to Highway 189 into Provo Canyon, part of Deer Creek State Park.

During this section there was yet another sight to behold — Strawberry Reservoir where there were resorts and accommodation of all types, beaches and boating beyond belief with a backdrop of snow tipped mountains. There were so many folk enjoying the facilities that vehicles towing boats were lined up to access the various launching ramps.

From here the three 9Gs with trailers in tow began the ascent up Alpine Pass to the summit at 8,060 feet. We can only repeat ourselves at this point and say the sights were incredible and our 9Gs did us proud.

A break was taken at the 16-mile level on the descent where we chatted with some campers before continuing on to the bottom of the mountain. We then rolled on into Salt Lake City where we were reunited with the other two 9Gs, so now we are a group of five tractors once again.

Day 58 — Tractors

The day was under way for everyone around 7 a.m.

A number of our ladies took the opportunity to go to Temple Square to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir perform. In the words of the ladies, “what a beautiful experience to have been able to see this performance.” They also had the opportunity to visit the rooftop gardens above the conservatorium and view where the church services are held in the winter months in the temple area.

After taking in the sights around the city and doing a bit of last minute provisioning, we departed the area in our “tractor train” to begin the next leg of our journey toward the canyons and Las Vegas.

The route taken was Highway 89 through fairly built up areas for approximately 60 miles. Fairview was our chosen destination where we were fortunate enough to be given the permission of the bishop to set up our tractors and campers in the car park adjoining the church. The car park was large enough to be able to form a circle enabling us to set up our tables and chairs and all contribute to our evening meal.

Quite a few local residents came to see us and topped up our shared meal with corn, rock melon and watermelon. As the evening went on the group enjoyed a visit from Geoff, Hannah and their two children with lots of chatter about their work — concrete flooring and foundations — and the trials and tribulations of carrying out this sort of work during the winter months.

Day 59 — Tractors

We were ready to leave our “car park” abode at 8 a.m.

Before our departure we were pleased to once again see Geoff arrive, this time laden with his company T-shirts for the group.

Geoff, Caldwell Concrete Co., we wish you and your family well in the future, and thank you for your generosity and interesting information.

Once back on Highway 89, we continued through Mt. Pleasant, Ephraim and Manti on to Highway 24 then off road for approximately 12 miles, leading us to Highway 62. This took us through Otter Creek on to the very scenic Highway 22.

Highway 22 then led us through a winding path between mountains, then desert terrain punctuated by irrigated lucerne paddocks and green grazing land full of very contented-looking cows.

We arrived at Bryce Canyon, Utah, at around 5 p.m. to a huge RV park nestled in the pines where we all settled in and began preparing for the sightseeing that awaits us here.

Day 60 — Tractors

This day saw the whole group take advantage of the shuttle service provided in Bryce Canyon by going to many beautiful lookouts.

Neville and Peter were our hikers doing a hike of the rim — approximately 1.5 hours. We regrouped at 3 p.m. ready to head out of the canyon and on toward Cedar City. Much to our amazement, whilst we had all enjoyed our time in Bryce Canyon, our departure took us through Red Canyon and it would have to be said that this too was spectacular.

Our chosen route was Highway 12 — followed by Highways 89 and 14 — with a summit of 7,777 feet above sea level and a touch of unsealed road just to keep us happy. On this route we entered Dixie National Forest.

As we traveled along this scenic path, climbing steadily to 9,800 feet, we watched yet another large thunderstorm form in the distance. Around 40 miles from Cedar City, Utah, at Scout Canyon, some 9,960 feet above sea level, we set up a bush camp and enjoyed an evening around a camp fire.

See photos and read more on Ron’s website, TransworldTractorTreks.com.

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Day 53

Our stay in Loveland was timed to coincide with the 27th Annual Convention of the Oregon-California Trails Association to which Transworld Tractor Trekkers had been invited as special guests.

After a quiet morning at the RV park, the team moved three tractors and personnel across to The Ranch at 4 p.m. to prepare for the welcome reception. Our group was warmly welcomed by Camille Bradford, president of the Colorado-Cherokee Trail Chapter, hosts of this year’s event. Ron had been requested to give a short address and we had hoped to be able to show photos during his talk, but the technology would not work and it took many tries by many helpful people to eventually enable us to show the video of “Tractors Across Australia” which continued on during subsequent speakers and was enjoyed by those present.

After the welcoming speeches we were entertained with a wonderful selection of country songs by Jane Leche and a group of gifted musicians. As a special surprise, Jane had worked up a rendition of “Waltzing Matilda” and, with words on the overhead projector, those present were invited to join in, which the Australians did with pride.

Day 54

Once again the tractors were driven to The Ranch for the opening ceremony of the 27th Annual Convention of the Oregon-California Trails Association.

The proceedings started with a flag ceremony and “Pledge of Allegiance” by the Loveland High School Junior ROTC Color Guard. This was followed by a very touching American Indian blessing and ceremony with Kiowa/Arapaho Elder John Emhoolah giving his blessing in both English and his own native language, which he followed up with a song in his own tongue.

During the morning there were talks on various subjects which were all found to be interesting and informative. After lunch the team members returned to the RV park before heading into the city of Loveland at 4 p.m. for activities outside the restored Rialto Theatre prior to the premiere of a locally produced movie “Pursuit of a Dream.” In this film a group of American children from several states along with three teachers were given the opportunity to relive the experiences of the pioneer families who traveled the original wagon trails to settle this country. The story was told through the eyes of the children who had to come to terms with the difficulties experienced in another time while learning to bond together as a team.

The convention runs until Saturday, Aug. 22, and association members will take various tours to places of historical interest throughout Colorado. This was the first time that this state has hosted the convention, and much work has obviously been done by a lot of people over many months to bring OCTA2009: Cherokee Trail to the West 1819–1858, as the convention was called, to what is shaping up to be a very successful event. The president of the local chapter, Camille Bradford, has to be congratulated on the smooth running of the two days when our group was involved, and our thanks are extended to her, the local committee and the team of volunteers for making us so welcome.

Day 55

On the 20th the three 9Gs that had been taking part in the activities at Loveland departed for the crossing of the Rockies.

At this point in time we would like to acknowledge and thank those at the Oregon Trails Conference who took the time to give considered advice and information on the best route for the tractors to take across the Rockies. The chosen route was 14/40 that being the Cameron Pass. Be assured you were right, we crossed without any issues and enjoyed some of the most magnificent scenery.

During the first part of the day we traveled almost parallel to the Poudre River watching many folk fishing and enjoying the surrounds. At the highest peak during the day we were at 10,276 feet above sea level. The roads were very well maintained and offered pull overs for passing so regularly that there was never a problem with us being a little slower than normal road users.

Throughout the day we enjoyed breaks at the Colorado towns of Hebron and Waldon — the latter allowing for a little shopping time and a special purchase by Anne. We made other stops along the way to enjoy some very special waterways and sights — this country continues to offer spectacular scenery each day.

Our final decent of the day was a 7-mile, 7 percent grade down the western side of the Rockies to the ski resort of Steamboat Springs on the Yampa River. What a truly wonderful sight that was and we have all agreed that it would be great to be able to come back and see it in the snow season.

As it was Dick’s 70th birthday we planned to help him celebrate and decided what better place to do that than Steamboat Springs. We took a stroll in the main area of the town and stopped at the Steamboat Yacht Club situated on the banks of the Yampa River to toast Dick’s special day. Having been asked our reason for being in the town and explaining our “trek” across the USA we were invited to park our tractors and trailers on the lawn adjoining the Yacht Club. Once parked we all cleaned up and returned inside the club for a beautiful dinner together. We thank the owners and staff for their contribution to a very special night.

The two RVs did not leave Loveland with the tractors as Allan was recuperating from a virus infection and had medical advice to rest. Also Ron’s RV was in need of some mechanical maintenance which needed to be carried out before heading over the Rockies.

Ron and Kerry headed into Denver for repairs while Allan and Carolyn remained at Loveland.

Day 56

At 7 a.m. we departed Steamboat Springs, Colo., to continue our journey west toward Salt Lake City.

Most of the day we have enjoyed rolling prairie lands with a wonderful backdrop of ever-intriguing mountains. We have passed through coal mining areas, sage bush covered fields and various crops — even a little bit more corn. An observation by the group was the amount of equipment related to the production and recovery of oil and gas in the area. Today was also a day for seeing wildlife. Prior to crossing the border of Colorado and Utah we visited an information center at Dinosaur. Here we enjoyed a film on the finding of dinosaur fossils in the area which we all found very interesting. Each day we seem to learn something new in this great land.

Once we crossed the border we drove on to the city of Vernal, which was a site to behold — baskets of cerise and white petunias on both sides of the street (some two miles or so long) as well as adorning many, many buildings along the way. This theme continued through the following town of Roosevelt. Whilst we have seen similar baskets at many points during our travels we have never seen anything quite like this.

It was decided that we would continue on to Myton where we planned to spend the night at an RV park but before we reached the park we were approached by a local couple, Kelly and BJ Braithwaite. They very kindly offered us accommodation on their property. We acknowledge your generous hospitality, Kelly and BJ.

We have 150 miles to do to take us in to Salt Lake City where we anticipate arriving around mid-afternoon tomorrow.

Allan was feeling well enough to travel again, so joined up with Ron in Denver and the two RVs headed into the Rocky Mountains. A chance meeting with a couple of local lads, Andrew and Scott, led to a suggestion to stay at the forest camp at Buffalo Peaks Wilderness. No sooner had camp been set up and a fire underway than the lads arrived in their all-terrain vehicle and took the Ron and Allan for spins which they thoroughly enjoyed. This was a wonderful place for a true getaway camp.

See photos and read more on Ron’s website,  TransworldTractorTreks.com .

Day 48

This was a day with three seasons — the morning was cool, sunny and quite spring like with all the colorful wild sunflowers along the roadways.

Then the temperature rose and was recorded at 95 degrees on a clock tower in Colorado Springs. This warmth kept up until around 4:30 p.m. when a cooler change came in, and then by 5 the clouds were looking very threatening and lightning was evident in the distance. Then the rain came down for a fairly short time and left the early evening fine but still with heavy threatening clouds.

The fine morning saw the group travel from Limon to Falcon — a relatively short run of 61 miles. During this trip, the elevation rose on every hill, the highest recording being 6,885 feet. Then, after booking in at the RV park and discussing the best sight-seeing options, we were on the road again by 11 a.m. and headed through the very scenic hills to the Royal Gorge, some 70 miles away.

After entering the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park we walked across the world’s highest suspension bridge, an amazing engineering feat which has been inspiring millions of travelers for 80 years. This bridge is suspended 1,053 feet above the Arkansas River which attracts many white water rafting enthusiasts, being one of the best stretches of water available for their sport. We were happy to just watch the cable car cross the gorge, and certainly did not envy those who chose to take the Skycoaster — daredevils who dangle themselves 1,200 feet above the river below and swing back and forth!

As always, time ran away and the planned itinerary was behind schedule. A visit to the Buckskin Joe Frontier Town was curtailed to a late lunch stop and then it was time to head back to the RV park. By this time, the threatening clouds and subsequent rainstorms made the journey rather slow, compounded by the 5 p.m. traffic. Fortunately it was dry at the RV park, but the forecast is rain over the next day or so.

Day 49

The anticipated showers did not eventuate overnight and it was a pleasant surprise to find the day fine, though still quite cloudy.

In order to be at Manitou by 7:30 a.m. to join the 8 a.m. Cog Railway trip to Pike’s Peak, we needed to leave the RV park at around 6:30. It was quite an achievement when we were actually on the road within 10 minutes of this objective, all in the one RV. Dick and Barbara stayed behind after feeling the effects of the high altitude.

The trip to Manitou went well with the help of “Mary,” the friendly GPS and we were in good time for the trip up the very steep mountain. The Manitou and Pike’s Peak Railway uses the Abt rack system to climb as much as 25 feet for every 100 feet it moves forward.

At the peak, the altitude is 14,115 feet and toward the top the clouds made visibility very poor, and then we experienced a light snow fall and extremely cold conditions. Fortunately the Pike’s Peak Summit House is ever ready for cold travelers with hot chocolate, all sorts of goodies and the house specialty — doughnuts cooked on site. It is said that if you were to take one down to the lower altitude, it would look like a flat biscuit, but ours did not have to experience that fate! On the other hand, a packet of potato crisps taken up the mountain by Allan looked like a half blown balloon!

While coming back down the mountain, the rain set in and we were all glad we had seen the wonderful views while it was still dry. These views inspired an American lady by name of Katherine Lee Bates to write a very famous poem “America the Beautiful” which when set to music, lost its bid to become the national anthem to “The Star-Spangled Banner” in 1931. Hardy folks actually hike up this mountain, usually staying overnight in a half-way house and there are even foot races held which we were informed are usually won in about the same time or less than the train takes.

While out and about, it seemed a shame not to take in another close attraction — the Garden of the Gods, a drive through the park where some of the most incredible rock formations can be seen, mostly in red rock, all totally different in their form and all very beautiful. The park also boasts a Trading Post which is the largest in Colorado and is a real trap for the shopoholics!

Once back at the RV park, Carolyn and Allan were pleased to meet up with relatives Dave and Maxine Joseph, who had driven from Arkansas to see them. Then there were interviews with TV and the local press before it was time to head north. At a little town named Kiowa our appearance was received with shock and surprise — one local said she thought she was seeing things when the first tractor went by, and was absolutely amazed to find there were three! We stopped to ask directions on the best road to take, and finished up being offered accommodation at the local fairgrounds and enjoyed the company of quite a few of the locals before dining in the local café.

Day 50

The morning was fine and cool enough to enjoy the drive north on CR194 through Bennett, then 79 to Prospect Valley where the sunflowers were blooming profusely.

After turning left into Route 52 then right into 41, a sign to an air museum was seen and the lads could not resist the temptation to visit “for a short time.” Quite some time later they re-appeared saying that the Vintage Aero Flying Museum was “absolutely fantastic!” This museum houses one of the largest collections of WWI, Golden Age and WWII aviation memorabilia in the world.

The next stop was at Wal-Mart in Greeley, Colo., where it is never hard to waste an hour or two. Then the short drive to Loveland where we parked in the grounds of the Convention Center for an overnight stay. Much to the surprise of those adventuresome lads, there was an antique car show on at the center, and they made the most of the rest of the afternoon to have a good look around these masterpieces of a bygone age.

Day 51

The morning was quite cool as everyone headed across to the Road Knights car show — 680 cars of every make and color making a really wonderful display.

The quick look the guys had yesterday did not do the show justice as not all the cars had arrived. As the day warmed up, so did the crowd increase until there was a real carnival atmosphere.

The organizers of the show had invited the tractors to park at the entrance to the show and then requested the crew members to make an appearance at their official opening at 1 p.m. The hall was absolutely packed with 680 teams represented and our group was given a rousing welcome when we all went up front. Neville gave a short talk about why we are in the USA and how much we are enjoying the experience.

For the ladies, there was also a Rubber Stamp and Scrapbook EXPO, selling every imaginable craft kit in either of these two hobbies. Even for those not smitten with such activities, there were lots of craft ideas to buy for the grandchildren.

By about 3 p.m. it was time to leave off watching the vintage cars as they drove away from the show and head to the Loveland RV park. Allan and Carolyn met us there with Carolyn’s rellies Dave, Maxine, Jack and Joyce. They had spent a couple of days together and had obviously had a great time. The park has lovely shady trees which will certainly help to keep the vans cool while we are out sightseeing in the Rocky Mountains tomorrow.

Day 52

The morning started out fine and cool — a wonderful day for our trip into the Rocky Mountains.

Those who had been up to Pike’s Peak remembered how cold the mountains are, so we were all well prepared with warm winter jackets.

The 7 a.m. start gave us good time to drive to Estes Park and have a hot drink before starting up the mountains in an open air 14-seat Toyota 4WD vehicle.

Our first stop was at the historic Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, celebrating its 100th birthday this year. Although we could only see it from the road, we were told that it is America’s third most haunted hotel and was the inspirational setting chosen for the novel The Shining by author Stephen King.

The 4WD Toyota was able to take the unsealed road to the top — many hairpin bends and very steep sides — it did not pay to look down! As we climbed through the three life zones, the temperature dropped quite dramatically. At the Visitors Center at Trail Ridge, we rejoined the paved road to the summit of Mount Evans which is the highest of its type in North America and at 14,264 feet we were well and truly in need of the rugs supplied.

The views on the uphill journey were truly incredible, with a new vista at each turn and we were indeed fortunate to have clear skies at the summit.

During the morning we saw waterfalls, fast running creeks, remnants of last year’s winter snow, regrowth after floods, valleys formed by long-gone glaciers and three of the mountain’s animals — mountain sheep, squirrels and one small animal sunbaking on the rocks. We keep being told that there are numerous animals in the mountains, but they are all very shy of visitors it would seem.

A quick lunch in Estes Park upon our return was enjoyable and then it was time to head back to the RV park for a quiet afternoon. Some members of the group took this opportunity to visit Denver, some 50 miles away.

See photos and read more on Ron’s website,  TransworldTractorTreks.com .

Day 46

Another of those “let’s get some miles behind us” kind of days.

The forecast was for hot weather after our spell of really lovely mild days and the weatherman had it right this time.

Take off from Rapid City, S.D., was at 8 a.m. and the route was south down Route 79. A short detour into Hot Springs was an opportunity to visit an incredible attraction — the Mammoth Site. This is the site of a paleontology research activity where skeletons of the extinct mammoth, as well as many other animals which co-existed with these giants, are gradually being uncovered under what was once a cornfield.

An excavator unearthed the first bones when clearing a site for a housing development. Once the significance of the find was accepted, the land was purchased for what has become America’s greatest Ice Age treasure. The site is now home to the skeletons of some 58 mammoths, plus 40 other species of Ice Age animals that apparently died in this ancient spring-fed sinkhole 26,000 years ago. A tour of the center gives one a glimpse back into time and tells how these massive animals came to be locked into what has become a time capsule. Students give their time to continue the “dig” and more and more pieces of the puzzle are being unearthed.

Then it was on across the border into Nebraska on Route 71 and to Scottsbluff where the three tractors and two RVs parked for the night at the local Wal-Mart store — an opportunity to restock the larders.

Day 47

Away at 7 a.m. for another long day’s travel.

The weather promised to be hot again but after so many lovely mild days we cannot complain.

We headed down Route 71 out of Scottsbluff, passing some magnificent rock formations, some of which are known as their Monument. A quick call into the look-out at the Wildcats Visitors’ Center just out of town gave panoramic views across the hills and valleys. This is a truly beautiful part of the country and the rock formations are really unusual.

Where crops are planted on the prairies, many are grown with irrigation and giant boom sprays can be seen on some farms. Once again the wind turbines were seen just out of Kimball, Neb., but not in the large quantities seen previously. A stopover for morning tea at Kimball gave the local press the opportunity for an interview with some of the team.

The prairies are flat to undulating and at times quite steep. The GPS registered us as being over 5,000 feet above sea level on two occasions. By the time we crossed the border into Colorado at 10:30, the elevation was becoming quite high and some of the hills fairly steep.

A highlight of the day was a stop at Stoneham, Colo., where a local makes whirlies — wind operated wooden toys of every description from a coyote to tweety birds to a stockman on his horse — all very well made and presented. Inside this display area we also saw lots of garden ornaments and gaily painted tulips. This was a welcome distraction from the heat of the day.

The Route 71 continued on to our overnight stopover at Limon and another press interview — it is amazing how quickly word spreads about the tractors coming to town. After the very hot conditions, all the team were glad to relax under shady trees before heading to the local Chinese restaurant for dinner.

See photos and read more on Ron’s website,  TransworldTractorTreks.com .

Day 43

Four of the men made the short trip to Sturgis, S.D., last night to see what all those bikers get up to.

Upon arrival, their taxi was pelted with golf ball size hail stones which kept them pinned in the vehicle for half an hour. Once the storm had passed they evidently had a ball — most of the offered photos where unprintable on our reputable website!

The decision was made that the best way to see the Black Hills of Dakota was by tourist coach and this proved to be a very wise choice. The hills are steep and the roads quite narrow and as we found, to our dismay, somewhat dangerous.

The day started out wet after showers most of the night, but the promise of clearing skies gave us hope for good sight-seeing. Indeed, by the time the pancake breakfast at the Fort Hays Dances with Wolves film set was over, the skies were blue again.

First stop was at the famous Mt. Rushmore where the four presidents’ heads are depicted in carvings on the mountain — a really impressive sight. The sculpture took shape between 1927 and 1941 under the guidance of artist Gutzon Borglum, but was not formally dedicated until 1991.

Then it was down and around on the Iron Mountain Road, the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway, a real feat of engineering. Not just hairpin bends, but also pigtail bends as well. Massive rocks are part of these mountains, and four tunnels have been cut through as part of the road building. Three of these tunnels give glimpses back to Mt. Rushmore, evidently deliberately placed so by the engineer, Peter Norbeck.

We were hoping to see some of the local wildlife, but the only ones to make an appearance were a group of donkeys, so tame that they are obviously well used to tourists coming and offering them “treats.” Then, after a very substantial lunch at the State Game Lodge in Custer State Park, it was time to move on.

By this time the weather had deteriorated again with not just rain, but also quite heavy falls of hail, almost resembling snow where it gathered along the roads. This made the already dangerous bends very slippery and our driver was taking extra care as he edged his way around the Totem Pole Rock which rose up steeply from the road.

Suddenly there was an awful crunch and to the horror of the passengers, a motor cyclist was seen sliding into the rocks, having skidded on the bend and hitting the bus. A second cyclist slid his bike across to the other side of the road and there were fears that both may have been badly hurt. Fortunately this was not the case and although they were removed by ambulance, they were both able to walk.

A rather more subdued group of passengers continued the tour, again through very beautiful rocky outcrops and by the time the next stop at the very beautiful Sylvan Lake came around, it was again fine. Two of the tunnels would have made for scary driving before the accident, but having only 4 inches of free space made for a breath-holding experience. The drivers are obviously very carefully selected for their exceptional skills under these circumstances.

Last on the agenda was a visit to the Crazy Horse Mountain and Memorial. This will be even larger than the Mt. Rushmore carvings and stirs the imagination. Many years or work on this site leave much more to be achieved before this mountain sculpture resembles the models produced by the artist Korczak Ziolkowski.

To complete the tour, a dinner and Western Music Variety Show gave everyone a happy end to a long but very enjoyable day. Guests were treated to the sight of three big orange tractors parked outside the main entrance!

Day 44

Our two missing tractors and their crews arrived at Rapid City, S.D., last night after their visit to Oshkosh, Wis., and it was an opportunity to have new photos of all five tractors and all 14 crew members.

After an early meeting, it was arranged to have all present in uniform for the photo shoot and then to meet at 12:30 to travel in the RVs to Wall Drug, the shopping complex we had heard so much about.

With seven members traveling in each of the two RVs, the trip to Wall Drug took a little over an hour and the crews went their separate ways to see and experience as much of this attraction as possible in 2-1/2 hours.

Wall Drug has been in operation since 1931 and is still run by members of the original family. The early key to success during the Depression was for the owners, Ted and Dorothy Hustead, to give away free cold water to all customers. Word soon spread and this center is now enormous, with all manner of little shops and arcades, but all within the one complex, and with a Western feel which has maintained the significance of this business. Historical photographs are much in evidence and the café alone seats 530 people. As well as the shopping, they have a wax museum and outdoor activities for the children.

This was George’s birthday and a crew dinner was planned for the evening, so everyone made the fairly short trip to Ruby Tuesday restaurant in taxis for what turned out to be a really enjoyable evening. As well as celebrating George’s big day, it was an opportunity for those crew members who had been missing from the team to catch up with all that had happened in their absence.

Day 45

An absolutely perfect day to go sightseeing around the Black Hills of Dakota again.

Six members of the crew (Dick, Barbara, Ron, Kerry, Neville and Peter) took off in the RV for areas north of Rapid City and realized that one would need more than a day to do this area justice, but we did our best!

First stop was for morning tea at the picturesque Lake Pactola where several families of Canada geese were very anxious to help Dick and Barbara dispose of any stale bread. The ranger tried to spoil the fun by asking for an admittance fee, but this was happily paid and gave us the option of stopping at all the various attractions within the Forest Recreation Management’s care, if only we had the time!

A very minor road led us to a fantastic little town named Rockford where we were asked two questions: “How on earth did you come to be in Rockford?” and “Why didn’t you bring the tractors?” The small shop-cum-tavern was adorned with caps, business cards, bras, T-shirts, memorabilia, etc. We could not help ourselves — had to order lunch there and soak up the atmosphere. The rest of the town was comprised of a dear little church, another store, a hall and an assortment of very old, but fascinating buildings left over from the gold rush. This was like a time capsule of American history from another era and we just loved it.

For a real change of scenery, we visited Savoy, just near the Spearfish Canyon, to see the Roughlock Falls and once again, we were in for a treat. The falls were very pretty, if not large, and the scenery was breathtaking — tall cliffs and lovely walking trails down to the falls. This is the kind of place one needs to spend a couple of days, but our hour was certainly enjoyed.

By this time we were running a bit behind schedule and very nearly gave Deadwood the miss — lucky for us we did not! A walk down the main street was like stepping back in time and a visit to No. 10 Tavern to see the 5 pm rendition of the “Re-enactment of the Shooting of Wild Bill Hickok” was very opportune. Not one, but three of our number — Dick, Peter and Ron — were chosen to take part in the play. Dick was the barman, and Peter and Ron were card-players at the table with “Wild Bill.” It was hilarious — two members of the public were roped in as bargirls and managed to look the part as they ingratiated themselves to the card players! All in all, a lot of fun.

Meanwhile, back at the camp, Carolyn and Allan visited the Bear Park and the Underground Waterfall and are reported to have thoroughly enjoyed their visits.

“Cumber” and Jeff’s stop with us proved to be short, as they have arrangements to meet friends at Salt Lake City and our route would have been too slow to get them there on time, so they have headed west. We will catch up again when we reach Salt Lake City around the Aug. 25. Before they took off, Cumber gave a ride in his tractor to a visiting lady, Laverne Leible. Mrs. Leible was so thrilled that she sent us a photo of the event.

See photos and read more on Ron’s website, TransworldTractorTreks.com.

Day 41

We experienced yet another rainstorm overnight and found a rather damp outlook when daylight arrived — we estimate that we have probably had about as much rain as those at home where it is mid winter!

Between showers, we managed to take some photos of three of the tractors at the “Welcome to Chamberlain” sign, but it was difficult to line them up with a lot of early morning traffic appearing on the scene at 7:15. Then we had to drive southeast to reach Route 44 West, crossed the Missouri River again and continued on that route all day.

The countryside changed quite dramatically during the day. The corn, soya beans and wheat gradually petered out while the first sunflowers were seen. Haymaking has been under way on many of the farms with many large bales in evidence. Extremely pretty green hilly countryside made for pleasant traveling, then the stark hills on the horizon made for a real contrast to the driving conditions of the past weeks.

Heavy storm clouds threatened and the sky was alive with lighting, but fortunately the rain band moved off to the north and only occasional showers were experienced during the day.

The second week in August is when the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is held and this event draws many thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts to the Black Hills. Sturgis is just 28 miles north of Rapid City, S.D., and this event would explain why we have seen so many motorcyclists on the roads the past few days and many signs at businesses saying “Welcome Bikers.” The town, which normally only has a population of 7,000, must really buzz during this event.

After a long day’s travel, we were all happy to arrive at the KOA at Badlands/White River, S.D., for an overnight stay before heading up to Rapid City in the morning.

Day 42

Pancakes were on offer at the KOA park at White River and it proved to be a good start to the day. “All you can eat” for $3 a head — our group did not extend past two each!

After having photos taken, it was time to head to Rapid City.

First stop was at Interior, S.D., just a few miles down the road. This is a very small town but with several interesting old buildings — two old churches, which were very well preserved, and the old jail, only about 10 feet square. The whole place has a real “western” feel and has the backdrop of the magnificent scraggy mountains of the Badlands National Park.

At the present time all the hills around this area are alive with the sound of motorbikes — they continue to stream down every road, either still going to or leaving the Sturgis event, which will finish this Sunday.

A stop for a short break proved to be at an interesting spot — there were holes everywhere and on closer inspection, many were seen to be inhabited by prairie dogs which made a hasty retreat as we approached. They really do yap like dogs, so their name is appropriate, although they bear no resemblance to their canine cousins.

Then, not much farther on, a dinosaur was seen to lurk — one never knows what one will see next!

Ron has been the recipient of a gift: a cap with the words “When I Die, Bury My Ashes at Wal-Mart — So I Know My Wife Will Visit EVERYDAY!” Now isn’t that kind? Then, just down the road Carolyn spied a billboard which she said looked like Ron in his new cap! These people are all heart!

After that frivolity, it was on to Rapid City to the Tee Pee Camping area, very close to the start of the full-day tour of the Black Hills and Badlands, which is planned for Saturday.

See photos and read more on Ron’s website, TransworldTractorTreks.com.

Day 39

This was planned as a “make miles day,” so another early start was in order.

We had camped the night at Larry and Melanie Maasdam’s property and they were also up early to make their farewells — an opportunity to again give them our thanks for their wonderful hospitality.

The day started out quite misty but without any rain and certainly cool for the time of the year. Traveling down Route R20, we were amazed at the number of wind farms. Not just a few turbines, but row upon row of them, stretching over a few miles. The sight of a majestic turbine standing directly behind one of the old barns seemed like a conflict in time.

At the lunch break at Estherville, Iowa, a couple arrived, having driven quite a considerable distance — the stories of the tractors and their crazy drivers have appeared in quite a few news articles and radio interviews. The lady, Margaret, was determined not to miss the tractors and phoned to find out where we were stopping for lunch and fortunately her husband was happy to drive her to meet us.

The two hundred miles set for the day was managed successfully and everyone was able to camp up at the Big Sioux Recreation Area at Brandon, just out of Sioux Falls, S.D. The daylight saving in force here in the USA allows for pleasant cool evenings before becoming dark around 8:15 p.m.

This evening we had a visit from Gerald and Carol Smith who drove from Holstein, Iowa, after hearing the radio interview that aired on Monday. They had the opportunity to have a look at George’s tractor and chat to Ron — it is great that so many people have shown an interest in the progress of the Trek.

Day 40

As we had camped at Brandon overnight, it was not a long drive to see the famous Sioux Falls, or would not have been had we not become a bit misplaced.

Actually it was lucky as it gave us the opportunity to drive down Phillips Street and admire some of the sculptures, which were everywhere. This area is known as Sculpture Walk, so it is appropriately named.

The drive to the falls was not much farther and this is a really lovely area. Falls Park is beautifully maintained with green lawns and of course the waterfalls, which are a delight. The old Queen Bee Mill is just a ruin after being burnt out in 1956, but another original building, the Sioux Falls Light & Power Co. hydroelectric plant has been reinvented as the Falls Overlook Café and the view of the falls from its balcony is really splendid. Carolyn found two baby birds that had obviously fallen from their nest and was advised to leave them where she had found them and hope their mum comes looking for them.

Next stop was Mitchell, S.D., and we were able to make it in time to hear the radio broadcast of the interview with Von Keselsen which was taped on Sunday. The chaps did well — no ums or ahs to be heard. They are turning into real radio stars! Then it was off to see the Mitchell Corn Palace — a really different and quite amazing place — its origins go back to 1892 with early settlers displaying their corn harvest on the exterior of a building. Since then there have been three Corn Palaces, and the current one undergoes changes to the huge murals each year. These murals are made entirely of native grain and highlighted by multi-colored corn. This attraction now draws more than 500,000 visitors each year.

Then it was time to head to the overnight stop at Chamberlain, S.D. No one could resist the temptation to visit this town with such a prestigious name! The road into the town weaves up and down through very pretty farmland. The RV park is located on Lake Francis Case, part of the Missouri River waterway, a really pretty place to admire the waterways.

See photos and read more on Ron’s website,  TransworldTractorTreks.com .

Day 37

Everyone was ready to roll at 7 a.m., but did not make it far before Ron discovered his RV brakes were not working!

Nothing too serious and the ever-ready team had the problem under control in just 40 minutes and back on the road again.

Once out of Dubuque, Iowa, we were again in corn country, but here the plants are noticeably shorter and some have suffered significant hail damage — evidently a very rare event in this part of the country. The soy beans all looked a very healthy shade of green, although again, not very high. Because of the very wet start to the season, many crops have been planted late this year, but the current spate of dry weather is seeing their color improve.

Around 11 a.m. we arrived at the Heartland Acres Agribition Center in Independence, Iowa, at the invitation of Leanne Kay, the museum coordinator. This almost new center has an amazing collection of farm memorabilia, vintage cars and farm machinery as well as an 1869 school house. Ducks, hens and farm animals are there for children to see and enjoy.

When it was time to leave it was discovered that the minor road we should take to Jesup, Iowa, was in fact closed and we were relieved to have Leanne’s husband, Jim, offer to guide us through the back blocks to join on to old Route 20 for the trip to Waterloo, Iowa. On these small country roads it is very easy to get extremely lost, a not uncommon experience, and we were thankful to Jim for his assistance.

Our accommodation at Waterloo was offered by a local, Kevin Kalsen, and the tractors and RVs soon looked very much at home around his large shed. The first of several visitors to the site was Von Ketelsen, farm services director for the local radio station KWMT. Von interviewed Ron by phone at Galena, Ill., on Friday and decided to come and meet up with the group and conduct a couple of different interviews for his broadcasts. The guys really enjoyed chatting to Von and look forward to hearing the interviews when they come to air. Other visitors, International Harvester enthusiasts Bob and Glenda Grant traveled quite some distance to come and see the tractors and the Aussies who drive them.

Day 38

It was not the alarm which brought everyone awake with a jolt at 2:30 a.m., but the severe rocking of the campers.

A sudden but severe storm hit and had us all wondering whether we were going to stay upright, but then came heavy rain and suddenly, it was all over. Had we known that Iowa suffered such heavy damage last year, we would have been even more concerned.

Then it was another early start, another unexpected delay! This time it was a tube in George’s front tire which “spat the dummy” so to speak. Once again the talented lads had the problem fixed in no time at all, and we were off to Clarion, Iowa.

Driving into a small town called Allison, Iowa, it was noticed that all the homes were almost new, which was taken for expansion of the original town. Some team members visited local insurance brokers and were given some firsthand information about the disastrous storms that hit this area in May 2008 and destroyed most of the original homes in the section we had passed.

Records show that 38,000 people were displaced in the Butler and Black Hawk Counties by the tornado and flooding, 18 people died and there were more than 100 injuries. Had we known these statistics, we may not have slept at all!

Soon we were in Clarion and could not help but notice the “traffic stopper” appearing from a driveway on the left-hand side. This turned out to be an International tractor being driven by our host in this town, Larry Maasdam, and he was there to guide us into town to visit the museum of which he is very proud.

Most of the lads were interviewed by the local journalist, Dee Goerge, who had made arrangements to meet us here, then after lunch we were invited to tour the museum. This was a simply amazing experience — the ladies’ feet gave out before the exhibits — but there was more!

Larry had arranged transport to take trekkers to see his personal collection of farm machinery and farm collectibles. As well as several complete collections at the museum, Larry has a whole basement with purpose built display cabinets to house his outstanding collection of every imaginable farm “toy.” Some items are handmade, some are tiny, some are really large, but all are beautifully displayed, along with a library of books and memorabilia, all with a farm machinery theme.

Larry and Melanie have our gratitude for the invitation to visit the museum, enjoy a wonderful dinner, then relish the opportunity to view his private collections.

See photos and read more on Ron’s website,  TransworldTractorTreks.com .

Days 32 to 36

Five days have flown by and members of the group are looking relaxed and ready to start the second half of the trek bright and early on Sunday morning, with our first destination being Waterloo, Ill., on Sunday and Clarion on Monday, Aug. 3.

During the intervening days, many interesting places have been visited:

• Hannibal, Mo., to ride the Mark Twain Riverboat.
• Galesburg, Ill., to have fun with some paramedics.
• Illinois City, Ill., to visit with the editor of Farm Collector, Leslie McManus.
• John Deere Pavilion in Moline, Ill.
• Blanding Landing on the Mississippi River, one of the many lochs on the river.
• Chestnut Mountain Resort, Galena, Ill., to admire the wonderful views of the river.
• “The House on the Rock,” Spring Green, Wis., a wonderful collection of novel and imaginative displays.
• Galena to investigate the wonderful little shops full of “tourist traps.”
• And last, but by no means least, the sights and sounds of Dubuque — the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, the Food Fair and the Fenelon Place Elevator, the world’s steepest, shortest scenic railway.

Some discussion has taken place about the proposed route and suggestions for change have been made in an effort to maintain our critical time schedule. The new route will take us from Clarion, Iowa, across to Sioux Falls, then via Mount Rushmore down to Loveland, Colo. Unfortunately, our plan to travel across Kansas will not eventuate and we apologize to those who may have been awaiting our arrival.

See photos and read more on Ron’s website,  TransworldTractorTreks.com .

Day 31

After four very hectic weeks, the group members have decided to take a few days “R and R.”

Some wish to visit the Oshkosh Airshow in Wisconson, others plan to go to the John Deere establishment in Moline, Ill., and Ron and Kerry are just going to do some sightseeing and fulfill some media arrangements. There is an arrangement to catch up with Cumber and Jeff in Dubuque, Iowa, on Saturday, Aug. 1. Diary notes will resume once all members are together again, and some may have their own stories to tell of their experiences.

See photos and read more on Ron’s website,  TransworldTractorTreks.com .

Day 29

This was the day the local tractor enthusiasts at Perryville have looked forward to — The 7th Annual Tractor Adventure run by the River Hills Antique Tractor Club.

The day started out wet, but the sun shone spasmodically and nothing could dampen the enthusiasm of the participants. The three Chamberlains took part in the opening laps before making our departure for Greenville, Ill.

Vernon Bruckerhoff guided us for about the first 50 miles, showing us some local sights including the covered bridge on Mary’s River at Chester, Ill. Then it was time to make our farewells — it is always sad to leave friends, whether old or new.

The trip to our next destination was not long and we arrived at the American Farm Heritage Museum at Greenville mid-afternoon to find their Farm Heritage Days event in full swing and many people anxious to have a look at the Aussie tractors they had heard so much about.

Our visit to this particular event was to honor a promise made at the Penfield Farm Days to Sherry Schaefer, editor of the Heritage Iron Magazine. Really, it was in response to her promise to offer us roast lamb with all the trimmings if we would come — how could we refuse?

Sherry’s sister, Debbie, seemed to be responsible for most of the menu and what a grand array of lamb dishes were on offer — roast, braised, BBQ chops, patties, and even lamb and pork sausages. Add to these wonderful offerings were many salads and desserts, and again we felt very honored to join with Sherry’s family and a gathering of friends.

Day 30

Sunday morning started out bright and sunny, but not too hot — these people must have bribed the weather man as well!

The common comment is that it is unseasonably cool and no one has complained.

One of the local churches held a chapel service at 8 a.m., good old fashioned gospel music and a message from the local pastor, Glenn Kreider. Then our group had a short meeting to decide on the best route to take to Moline, Ill., and soon it was time to have the tractors ready to participate in the opening of the Parade of Tractors. Again, we could only stay for a few minutes before heading down Route 140 to Gillespie, Ill.

The trip to Gillespie was fairly short and uneventful and upon arrival, the ladies were very happy to take up the kind offer of our hostess, Becky Doyle, to use the laundry facilities. The past week had not given much opportunity for keeping up with this aspect of housewifery, so the machines had to work overtime.

Neville and Peter had stayed behind at Greenville and were to catch up “soon” but when the hours rolled by and there was no sign of them, there was some concern as to their whereabouts. The phones did not work in most of these areas and the CB radio was obviously out of range.

Eventually George went back into the town of Gillespie to seek word of them — zooming along in his tractor and passing incoming guests on the drive, much to their amazement! Sure enough, they had just arrived in the town after having discovered a section of Route 66 —  they were not lost, just sightseeing!

In the meantime, Becky and her husband, Ken, were cooking up a real feast — a whole side of roasted pork — just delicious! The many guests contributed toward the wonderful array of salads and sweet temptations, and there was even a very special “Welcome Aussies” cake which not only looked great but was very tasty as well. Becky kindly took over the hosting of our visit when her neighbors, Lindell and Jean Loveless, discovered that the date set with us clashed with their planned trip to Alaska. We were sorry to miss the Lovelesses, but Becky and Ken certainly entertained us very well in very lovely surroundings.

See photos and read more on Ron’s website,  TransworldTractorTreks.com .

Day 27

Cumber and Jeff departed this morning in their tractors for the Oshkosh (Wis.) Airshow to allow Cumber to enjoy his passion for anything aeronautical.

So we said our farewells to Cumber and Smithy, and Jeff and Wendy. We’ll catch up with them again in a few days.

George, Anne and Carolyn voted to stay behind at Vernon Bruckerhoff’s place for a day to catch up with maintenance, etc., while the rest of the group boarded the people mover for more of the wonderful Missouri hospitality. Our driver and guide for the day was Curt Bronenkant, the chap who had rescued the lost trekkers in Vienna, Ill., the other day.

First for the day was an informative visit to the Gilster-Mary Lee factory where they produce all manner of cake and soup mixes. In separate buildings on site they also produce breakfast materials and even popcorn, but our tour was just of the cakes, etc., and it was very interesting. This visit had been arranged by Russell Brandes, another club member who is employed there.

Then we met up with an extremely interesting chap named Sonny of Reiman Farms — Dick would still be there talking farming methods if we had not had a busy itinerary to follow! Curt then introduced us to Richard and Charlotte Moldenhauer and saw their amazing collection of pedal cars and memorabilia — awesome!

For a change of scenery, we went to a café for lunch named Tractors! Great food, great service and great photos, and they were happy to meet a group of crazy Aussie tractor drivers!

After seeing so many antique tractors, mostly beautifully restored and some still in their “working clothes,” it was a change to visit Davis Farm Supplies Inc. in Perryville, Mo., and see some of the new “boys’ toys.” The latest is a little beauty, the Boomer 8N from New Holland, and we would all have loved to take one home. This is the type of tractor any lady would be happy to be seen driving, small and pretty, but with a 50 hp engine, can really do the job! Jerry and his wife, Sandy, then invited us to their lovely property where Jerry has an outstanding lineup of restored tractors.

Last call of the day was to Kenny and Rhonda Buchheit’s scenic farm where the boys not only drooled over more rare machines, but also had the opportunity to throw a line into their well-stocked pond from a beautifully designed gazebo. Ron and Peter caught decent sized bass — had the obligatory photo then gave them the “Rex Hunt Kiss” and returned them to be caught another day. What a wonderful day of events — thanks to Curt who really seemed to enjoy being chauffeur for the day, and to the club members who so generously supplied the people mover which made our tours so comfortable.

The only disappointment of our visit to the Perryville area was that our correspondent over many months, Tom Ballman, was out of action and just out of hospital. He and his wife, Sharon, made only a brief appearance at Vernon’s shed and we were sorry to hear that he has returned to hospital. We thank Tom for all his help with planning our trip.

Day 28

The rain came down in bucket loads overnight, not quite on the agenda for Vernon Bruckerhoff’s big day — a Louisiana cook-out!

The sun came out early, however, and helped to dry out the puddles. Pete Firmin had driven all the way from Baton Rouge, La., to be the chef for this event and brought loads of catfish to fry and all the ingredients for his crawfish étouffée with rice.

Preparations were underway quite early and by the time visitors started to arrive at 11 a.m. there was food aplenty. Vernon’s friends Jason and Pete have loads of equipment — the crawfish were cooked in a huge cast iron gas-fired cauldron, and the catfish came out of a very large deep-fryer, also gas fired. Not only did it all smell delicious, but it tasted that way too. Soon there were chicken, scalloped potatoes and deep fried tomato slices to add to the menu and everyone sat down to a sensational meal.

To add to the festivities, this was Carolyn’s birthday and as a surprise, there was a cake complete with candles which gave away her best kept secret! After a few teary moments, Carolyn recovered sufficiently to cut the cake and helped to distribute slices to the visitors — it was quite delicious.

As the day wore on the heat tested us out — the combination of rain and high temperatures made for very high humidity. We are still being told, however, that it has not been hot yet!

Around 3:30 p.m. it was time to move from our comfortable lodging at Vernon’s property and drive into the fairgrounds at Perryville in preparation for the dinner in the evening and their big event — the 7th Annual Tractor Adventure of the River Hills Antique Tractor Club — in the morning. Some short speeches followed the chicken dinner including well-prepared three-minute talks on various farm related subjects by members of the FFA (the Future Farmers of America) for which they are to be commended. Fundraising over the weekend will go toward a purpose designed building for the youngsters. Ron was invited to say a few words about our visit and re-iterated our thanks for the warm hospitality shown to us everywhere we have traveled. An auction followed, also helping to raise funds.

Our thanks for Vernon for his kindness over our three-night stay. Also appreciation to Pete Firmin for his long journey — we have wonderful memories of the Louisiana cook-out and he is one person we will definitely not forget any time soon. He was declared an “Honorary Aussie” — we could do with some of that cooking expertise!

See photos and read more on Ron’s website,  TransworldTractorTreks.com .

Day 26

Allan and Carolyn left very early with locals Jason and Kerri to go for another medical update on her eye problem and we arranged to catch up with them later in the day.

The local TV crew arrived at Vernon Bruckerhoff’s property at Saint Mary, Mo., around 8:30 a.m. and conducted an interview, then 12 of the group boarded a people mover kindly supplied members of the River Hills Antique Tractor Club and headed to St. Louis.

The vehicle was driven by club member John Meier, which is great as it prevents us from getting lost! Then he collected another friend, Earl, who was a wealth of information about all things American. The relatively short trip to St. Louis was interspersed with stops at all sorts of interesting places — a look at the statue of “Popeye” at Chester, Ill., then on to Waterloo, Ill., where we spent time with Charles “Butch” Klein who has an amazing collection of not only old tractors but also magnificent vintage cars, some dating back to the early 1900s. An early lunch break was taken at the Monroe County Fair — an opportunity to see the livestock and have another photo shoot with Miss Monroe County Fair, a lovely young lass named Amanda.

Then we were in for a real treat — our new friends “pulled some strings” and received permission for us to visit a not yet complete tower being built to commemorate the expeditions of Lewis and Clark, who left from that area in May 1804 to explore the area west of the Mississippi, returning some 18 months later. Their exploits earned St. Louis the title of “Gateway to the West.” This new Confluence Tower in Hartford, Ill., is some 180 feet high, has lookouts at 50, 100 and 150 feet, and overlooks the junction of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. The lift power was turned on for us, but it failed when we reached the first level, so most of us walked up the remaining two flights to enjoy the view — good for the hips!

St. Louis is home to the Anheuser-Busch Brewery, which made it an obligatory stopover and the tours they run are not only free, but fantastic as well. They can package up to 1,650 cans a minute! To cap off the enjoyment, they allow two samples of their wares at the end of the tour!

Then it was off to the pride of St. Louis, the Gateway Arch. This magnificent structure was completed in 1965 to honor the people who explored the country west of the Mississippi. Tramcars take tourists (five at a time in small capsules) up to the top of the 630-foot structure, allowing sweeping views of the city and at the time of our tour, a perfect shadow of the arch. We were pleased to catch up with Allan and Carolyn at this facility and relieved that Carolyn’s eye recuperation was progressing well.

The day was completed with a meal at a small bar downtown in St. Louis called “Hot Shots” which was enjoyed by all. A very sleepy group returned to Saint Mary, Mo., at around 11 p.m. John then had a 50-mile drive to return home! Thanks, John and Earl, for the day’s events.

See photos and read more on Ron’s website,  TransworldTractorTreks.com .

Day 25

The breakfast at Dib Deli was very much enjoyed and again we met interested locals who wished us well.

Then it was only a short walk to the Lutheran Heritage Center and Museum where Bob Schmidt gave an enlightening talk about the area’s history which began in the USA when immigrants left Saxon, Germany, in 1838 and some settled around what is now known as Perry County. Bob is president of the Perry County Lutheran Historical Society and is a proud fifth generation of the Schmidt family in America.

The museum contains a wealth of wonderful exhibits, from original wedding dresses from yesteryear to an old ice-cream maker, found recently in a church attic. Next Bob showed the group through their very beautiful church which has some truly inspiring old Communion ware brought from Germany — a gold and white gold chalice dates back to 1707 when it was a gift to a Polish princess. It was in use until 1967 when, because of its value, it was replaced for normal use.

Other items date back to 1839. The church lost its spire in May when very high winds ripped through the area, however it is surprisingly still in one piece and work is due to commence very soon on repairs and replacement on the roof.

Church Park, opposite the church, is a lovely area with a pathway leading to two very historic buildings. The “Log Cabin Concordia Seminary” was moved about a quarter mile to this site in 1911 by a team of horses and given what repairs were needed after arrival. The other is “Saxon Bog House” a 1800s home which has been donated to the historical society. Both buildings are now protected for future generations by covering roofs. The government was approached to help with the first roof — they sent no money, just a set of plans!

After lunch, Bob guided our tractors (minus the campers) on a couple of interesting stops — firstly his farm to show the boys some of his wonderful old tractors, including Fordsons built in 1919 and 1925 and an old Lincoln.

Then it was off to see the Grand Tower Pipeline Bridge at Wittenberg, Mo., which carries natural gas from Chicago to Texas. This bridge over the turbulent waters of the Mississippi is the second longest of its type in the U.S.

Close by is Tower Rock, an imposing rock in the middle of the river — another great photo opportunity.

By the time we returned to the fairgrounds, it was mid-afternoon and time for our next host, Vernon Bruckerhoff, to take the reigns. He guided us to the Henman Winery, the proprietors of which kindly offered to open specially for us so we could sample their extensive range of German wines (which we did), then on to a Al’s Place in McBride, Mo., for a great chicken dinner before driving to his farm to stay.

See photos and read more on Ron’s website,  TransworldTractorTreks.com .

Day 23

All five tractors pulled out of the RV park at Goodlettsville at 8:30 a.m. heading for the  Land Between the Lakes  near Golden Pond, Ky.

Unfortunately all the RV parks along this popular strip were booked out or belonged to the National Recreational Forest authorities who have rules which make it difficult to book a group only one day in advance. The park we eventually booked into was at Grand Rivers and it was disappointing that we had missed most of the campsites on the water.

A drive to the nearby Kentucky Dam however was an unexpected bonus — we were just in time to see a barge being guided into a loch, a very interesting experience. The dam is enormous and power is produced through a power generating station at the dam site.

An interesting sight was a cement circle built up in the water to enable fishermen to avoid the very fast flowing waters. The catches appeared quite sizable — fish nearly a foot long were being thrown back unless they were skipjack, which are used as bait for larger fish. A group BBQ finished off the day.

Day 24

First stop was at Paducah, Ky., to visit a quilt museum, but our early morning getaway was halted when it was discovered that the museum did not open until 10 a.m.

Time is never wasted however — George had a flat tire which needed repair, and Carolyn needed to type the web notes from their trip to Memphis, so the hour was well spent. Others wandered around the town or enjoyed the Ohio River which ran behind the museum’s large buildings.

Once entry was gained, the museum was quite amazing, housing quilts dating back to the 1800s and showing every “Quilt of the Year” for many past years — all very worthy winners. Some of the exhibits, while looking exacting like their sewn counterparts, were actually made from wood — quite inventive and very attractive.

Today was the day when everyone was to rely on their GPS for instructions on how to get to the designated spot — no more concerns about whether we were on the wrong road, no more frayed nerves! Famous last words — by the time we had all left the city of Paducah, not one vehicle was on track.

Allan’s RV and the tractors headed up Route 45 instead of down Route 60, and Ron and Kerry in their RV found themselves in Metropolis, Ill., in no time flat which was not on the itinerary either! Never fear “Mary” would find the way — and find it she did for us, via dirt roads not even in the map book! Meanwhile the tractors did a scenic tour of a town called Vienna, Ill., and were led back to the chosen path by Curt, a helpful local.

A highlight of the day was traveling over the almost new bridge spanning the Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau, Mo., the Bill E. Emerson Memorial Bridge, named for a past congressman.

Not far out of the Cape, we were met by Bob Schmidt and guided to Altenburg, Mo., arriving by 3:30 p.m. Several people assembled to greet us, including Bob who had offered to be our host for the overnight stay. We were made very welcome by Carla Jordan, director at the Lutheran Heritage Center and Museum and offered accommodation at the fairgrounds, a very pleasant, shady area with good facilities.

Then, once everyone had arrived by 6 p.m., we were advised that dinner was to be provided at the local “Mississippi Mud” Tavern and that breakfast was organized at Dib Deli for 8.00am Tuesday morning. These wonderful Americans never cease to amaze us with their friendliness and generosity. The meal at the “Mississippi Mud” was really enjoyable and we were able to chat with Bob and his wife, Diane.

See photos and read more on Ron’s website,  TransworldTractorTreks.com .

Days 21 and 22

Group 1 : Nashville to Chattanooga

During the short break, George, Anne, Ron and Kerry spent two enjoyable days traveling to and from Chattanooga, Tenn.

This was at the suggestion of Linda Dickerson from Bowling Green, Ky., when we said we were looking for somewhere interesting to go that would not involve too much traveling. The trip down the interstate in Ron and Kerry’s RV was a change from the lesser roads usually traveled with the tractors and made for a fairly quick trip.

First up was a visit to the Tennessee Aquarium, an enormous series of exhibits of river and ocean life, all viewed through different levels in two very cleverly designed buildings. Added to this was a great butterfly garden with many exotic brightly colored butterflies which were not bashful about landing on our clothing, or even on Anne’s ear!

Then, after a night spent at the local RV park, it was off early to a triple ticketed tourism package — Ruby Falls, the Incline Railway and Rock City Gardens. Each of these attractions was very different, but all were thoroughly enjoyable.

The Ruby Falls tour took us down in an elevator 260 feet below the ground, then through an underground cave to the absolutely spectacular underground waterfall. Colored lighting added to the effect of this brilliant cascade of water.

Then after a quick look at the view from Lookout Mountain, it was off to the steepest train trip in the USA — up and down the mountain, with views down to the Chattanooga area.

Third on the ticket was the Rock City Gardens and what a fantastic place to visit. The natural rock of the area has been added to with lush greenery and walkways, culminating with a visit to “Lovers’ Leap,” a truly majestic rock from the top of which seven states of the USA are visible. A huge waterfall flows through the rock face — a really picturesque place. We all thoroughly enjoyed the experiences.

Then it was a quick visit to Nashville on the way back to the RV park and we found the city to be interesting and exciting. Obviously this city has much to offer to the traveler, but after two hectic days, we were satisfied with a walk down the main street.

We all voted this to have been an extremely entertaining and enlightening couple of days.

Group 2 : Memphis, Lynchburg and Nashville

Soon after the trekking group arrived into a pleasant RV park outside Nashville — a few headed south to Memphis.

Graceland, Elvis Presley’s mansion, was on their agenda, including a visit to the Jack Daniel’s Distillery in Lynchburg, Tenn., on the return journey.

Allan and Carolyn’s RV was useful for transporting six people. After a five-hour drive we arrived at our destination, booked into a motel and caught a taxi downtown, enjoyed a delicious Italian meal and then three of the group checked out the night life and entertainment at an Irish bar.

The tour of Graceland was extremely well organized — after purchasing tickets we were transported by a 20-seater coach across the road, through the main gates, past beautifully manicured lawns and mature trees. Each group waited opposite the main front doors while the group in front was given a brief welcome and overview.

As soon as we went through the main doors a beautiful chandelier caught our eye and we were ushered to the first room on the right hand side. It’s difficult to describe the home in a few words except to say that even though there is extremely nice furniture and fittings, etc,. it is just like a big, cozy country home.

As well as many mementos on show, there were family photographs and even large teddy bears and artifacts. In one outside room, on every wall, were clustered hundreds of framed record awards, another held all of his concert costumes, and also an area featuring his and Priscilla’s wedding, which included her wedding dress. Another outside area had an ongoing video playing of an interview he had after coming out of the Army — he was questioned about the girl he met in Germany and he was being quite coy about the subject!

Right at the back of all the buildings was a large area with stables where his horses had been kept. Then lastly, but by far the most touching of all, was the “memorial garden.” Behind a small, trickling fountain in a semi circle were the graves of Elvis’ mother, father, brother, grandmother and Elvis himself. People were obviously touched by this area and stood in quiet reverence for quite a while.

At least 2,000 people a day pass through Graceland with more on weekends.

Weary and happy we set off east for the quaint little town of Lynchburg, Tenn., for the Jack Daniel’s Distillery — we arrived just on closing time but they graciously allowed us in to purchase goodies. With Tennessee being a dry state they don’t have “tastings” of their product at the distillery.

Heading north once more in haste, as we were booked to see a show at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Unfortunately we missed most of the show but what we saw was wonderful. Approximately 500 miles were covered during our trip and we were all happy little Vegemites with what we’d seen.

The following day most of the group spent the day in Nashville and we all met in the evening at the “General Jackson” paddle steamer for a delicious dinner and show featuring many of the past and present country singers.

We all enjoyed our break in and around Nashville and have many pleasant memories to take home with us.

See photos and read more on Ron’s website,  TransworldTractorTreks.com .

Day 19

Today was planned as a sightseeing day, so everyone was up early and away at 8:30 a.m. to visit the Mammoth Cave.

The two-hour tour was extremely well organized and the cave quite spectacular — the longest cave system in the world. The two motor homes were used to convey the group, leaving the tractors at the RV Park in Cave City, Ky.

Cumber and Jeff had arrived into the park by the time we returned, so after a quick lunch we all headed off to Bowling Green, Ky., to meet up with Linda Dickerson who has kindly offered to host us for a dinner and overnight accommodation at the Kentucky University Department of Agriculture facilities. We arrived at 3:30 p.m. and were enthusiastically welcomed by Linda. The tractors were parked in the Equestrian Arena where quite a few local residents visited and then the mayor of Bowling Green, Elaine Walker, visited and made us very welcome. She presented Ron, on behalf of the group, with a “Key to the City.”

A sumptuous dinner followed — melt in the mouth steaks and an array of veggies and salad, all beautifully presented with floral arrangements and hay, making the table very “country.” Two of the local ladies had made a special treat for us — fried apple or cherry pies, served with homemade ice cream from Chaney’s Dairy Barn.

Another visitor was Christi Marksbury, from the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund, who gave us information about the subsidies paid to encourage local agricultural producers from tobacco industry levies. All in all, a really enjoyable meal and event.

Day 20

We were indeed fortunate this morning to be invited to have breakfast at the Chaney’s Dairy Barn, a family run business which is the brainchild of Carl and Debra Chaney.

Carl’s family have farmed this diary property for generations, but only in recent years has he ventured into the Dairy Barn with Debra, making copious quantities of many different flavors of ice cream in their well-appointed kitchens and selling many locally produced items in a charming setting with lots of family and historical photos and mementos. The breakfast was delicious and we are learning that our “scones” are their “biscuits” and our “biscuits” are their “cookies”! If we all stay in the USA long enough, we will become experts in the correct terminology.

Bowling Green is proud to house the National Corvette Museum, so the opportunity to visit this facility could not be missed. The Corvette is America’s only true sports car and what a wonderful display of Corvettes are amassed there, from the first designs in the 1950s to today’s streamlined beauties. All these cars are shown in elegant settings with many scenes depicting various stages in the development of this motor vehicle. Also on display are the driving suits and paraphernalia of some of the great racing drivers in American history.

We were sad to leave Linda and Darrell and the welcoming people of Bowling Green — we have made some really good friendships during this trek.

Then it was down the Route 31 West again to Nashville and we booked into an RV park at Goodlettsville, Tenn. Eight of the crew took advantage of a short break in the itinerary to travel to Memphis, while the others made various arrangements to take in the sights. The day for those who remained in Goodlettsville was rounded off listening to a county and western singer, Paul Hill, entertaining in the RV park.

See photos and read more on Ron’s website,  TransworldTractorTreks.com .