Poking around Pocatello

Sullivan Mobile Home and RV Park, Pocatello, ID – 7-31 to 8-2-2016

EJ, ever deligent in her quest to hold down our camping costs, used the Passport America guide and

found the Sullivan Mobile Home and RV Park combination for $15/nite.

And, they weren’t picky about the number of days you could use the 50% rate. Since it was a mobile home park, we weren’t expecting much, but we were here to do research, not enjoy the ambience.

It appeared they had 6 sites for transient RVs (that’s us). But when we arrived, 2 were filled, 2 were reserved, and of the 2 left we could barely squeeze into one of them, but we did. We tried to find someone to pay, but the office was deserted. So we stuck our payment for two days into the mail slot on the front door and hoped they got it.

It was scorching hot so we were thankful for the full hookups and crank the air conditioning down to get comfortable. Our spot was shaded from from about noon on so that helped with the heat.

We made a supply run to Walmart and picked up dinner from Panda Express to take back to the RV. We were beat after a long day, and the heat wasn’t helping any. And it could have been the anxiety over our lack of direction.

We are still not sure about where to go next. 10,000 feet, like Leadville, is not entirely off the list, but if we can find somewhere lower, but still cooler, that would preferable. Fires and smoke are a major deterrent. Several places we would like to go either have access blocked by fire or are covered with smoke from the fires.

Meh! EJ thinks maybe Frank will get out of his funk if he goes to a micro-brewery. Using her trusty computer, she finds one right here in Pocatello named Portnuef Valley Brewing.

The owner decided to put her chemistry degree to good use and opened a brewery. It’s the only one in Pocatello and it is quite popular. We are trying to be good and keep the carb intake low so we order an antipasta salad and it was YUUUGE! And good! So were the brews.

Our two days are up and we think we have a plan. But at the RV Park we run into a guy who claims to be the manager. He asks if we are leaving today. Well it is about noon, and we aren’t unhooked yet. So I slip him another $15. He quickly lets me know that with tax it’s $16. What? Nowhere did it say anything about tax. But he generously let’s us off the hook for not paying tax for the previous two nights.

We use the extra day to firm up our decision to head to Sun Valley. Nina and Paul over at Wheelingit.us had mentioned that Ketchum was an interesting place to visit.

But as we begin plotting our course, I want to go one way, and the Rand McNally GPS wants to go another. Now the frustrating thing about this GPS, is that when it gets really obstinate, like it is now, it’s has always been right. But it wont tell you why. I like my way better, because it is much shorter. But no matter how much I search, I can’t figure out why my route won’t work. More on this in a later post.

For now, we are pointed towards Arco, ID and the Atomic Museum.