RV ALASKA - Golden Spike National Historical Park

Our visit to Golden Spike National Historical Park was a long time in coming.  It had been on our bucket list for a while, and was actually on our itinerary in 2021 when we took an extended trip to Idaho to enjoy a number of the state’s many biking trails.  Back then, our scheduled visit to Golden Spike was preempted by the first inter-mountain snow storm of the year in the Rockies.  Instead of stopping in Utah for our planned visit to the Historical Park, we continued on our way east, trying to stay one step ahead of the storm – and just barely managing to do so.  Luckily, there was no snow in the forecast this September, and we not only marked Golden Spike as a completed bucket list item, but also re-scheduled our meet up with Chris Mamula, a fellow blog author who writes over at Can I Retire Yet.  A three year delay wasn’t exactly to our liking, but better late than never.

Date(s) – September 4th – September 5th

Total Miles Traveled to Date – 16,985

Wildlife Sightings to Date – None.  Again.  This wildlife section is getting pretty boring, isn’t it?

Our total wildlife sightings to date remains at: 1 fox; 4 feral horses; 3 loons; 2 ptarmigans; 5 ospreys; 101 dalmatians eagles (including 2 fledglings); 4 seagull chicks; 16 swans (including 2 fuzzy cygnets); 9 sea lions; 33 seals; 17 sea otters; 1 river otter; 4 cow moose; 1 bull moose; 5 grizzly bears (including a sow with 2 cubs and the back end of one grizzly retreating into the brush); 8 black bears; 1 coyote; 1 snowshoe hare; 8 rabbits (including one cute little baby bunny and one very fast bunny that just managed to cross the road safely); several small herds of bison with at least 2 dozen young calves; 9 deer (2 of them bucks with their racks covered in velvet); 9 mountain goats (including 3 tiny and adorable kids); 23 bighorn sheep; 62 elk (including 7 calves that hadn’t yet lost their spots and a number of bull elk with full racks covered in velvet); several small herds of pronghorn antelope (including 2 mamas with 3 newborn fawns between them); 4 great blue herons; dozens of American white pelicans; at least a half dozen families of adult geese with goslings; and several dozen ducks (with lots of little ducklings).

Highlight(s) of the Day – The Golden Spike National Historical Park is pretty much in the middle of nowhere – 32 miles west of Brigham City and near Corinne, Utah.  There is no campground onsite, and three years ago we had settled on Aspen Grove RV Park in Tremonton as our base camp.  We ended up canceling our reservations at the last minute as we fled east ahead of the snowstorm.  I expected no refund, but was surprised when Aspen Grove advised me that our payment for the canceled one night stay would be held as a credit for us to be used toward a future visit.  The Aspen Grove staff happily re-scheduled our stay for me when we knew we’d be coming through in 2024.  I was impressed that they held the credit for three years, and cheerfully paid the small balance due of only three dollars and change.

Alan and I planned our arrival at the Aspen Grove RV Park for check-in time which was early in the afternoon.  Our plan was to drop the trailer at our site, and immediately head out to Golden Spike National Historical Park, since it was roughly a 30 mile trip.  With a fairly short drive that day from Heyburn, Idaho, we found ourselves approaching Tremonton at midday, leaving enough time for a leisurely lunch.  We found JC’s Country Diner in Elwood, Utah, just outside of Tremonton.  Not only were the reviews and the location good, but JC’s had a large truck parking area adjacent to the building.  No frills, but good food and great service made JC’s a perfect stop for a quick lunch.  You can bet we’re putting this gem on our “return to” list.  If it happens to be time for a meal on our next pass through the area, I have a feeling JC’s won’t disappoint.

Because my Dad worked for the old Penn Central Railroad, I’ve had an affinity for trains throughout much of my life.  When the Golden Spike was driven at Promontory, Utah, on May 10, 1869, the completion of the transcontinental railroad linked our country together from ocean to ocean.  When the idea of a railroad that crossed the country was first proposed back in 1832, it was considered a brazen and audacious suggestion.  Less than 50 years later, due to the incredible efforts of railroad workers from the Central Pacific and Union Pacific rail companies, what was thought to be an impossibility became a reality.

The Central Pacific workers were mostly Chinese immigrants.  The Union Pacific workers were a more diverse group.  It included immigrants, but also formerly enslaved people and Civil War veterans, as well.  Allegedly, not everyone got along in camp, but they all worked tirelessly together to lay the tracks.  A plaque in their honor was placed at the memorial to the track layers at the time of the 150^th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad.  It reads: “Honoring the courage, resilience, determination and sacrifices of the transcontinental workers from 1863 to 1869.”  Yes, you read that right.  It took only six years for the engineers and track layers to complete that monumental task.

Workers from the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific competed to see who could lay the most miles of track in one day.  In early April of 1869, the Union Pacific laid 8.5 miles of track in one day, and then bet the Central Pacific $10,000 that they couldn’t do better.  Well, they did.  On April 28, 1869, the Central Pacific track layers put down 10 miles and 56 feet of track in one day – a mind- boggling accomplishment considering the challenges the terrain presented.

Leland Sanford (President of the Central Pacific) and Thomas Durant (Vice President of the Union Pacific) were the designated drivers of the Golden Spike on that transportation altering day of May 10, 1869 in Promontory, Utah.  BUT, they both missed their first swings, and the Golden Spike was actually driven into the tracks by James Strobridge and Samuel Reed, the crew bosses from the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads.  No matter who drove the Golden Spike, the official completion of the transcontinental railroad allowed the Central Pacific’s Engine #60 (more familiarly known as “Jupiter”) to meet the Union Pacific’s Engine #119 at Promontory.  In May of 1979, fully functioning replicas of Jupiter and Engine #119 were delivered to the Golden Spike National Historical Park – 110 years after the original engines met head to head.  It was our extraordinarily good fortune to arrive at Golden Spike just a short time before both engines were to be fired up and returned to the engine house at the end of the day.  I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I was!  Alan can, and he’d probably compare my attitude and excitement to that of a five year old.  Before Jupiter and Engine #119 were fired up, we were able to walk on the track, get a close look at both locomotives and actually stand on the spot the original Golden Spike was driven.  I’m sure this wouldn’t impress some folks, but it impressed me.  To place my feet on the very spot, literally, where history was made, to imagine all the pomp and circumstance that the day‘s celebration entailed, to see the replica locomotives in action, and to realize how the back-breaking efforts of so many tireless workers resulted in an accomplishment that would change the way the western frontier was accessed, explored and settled was rather humbling and thought-provoking.  If you’re wondering if one can “feel history,” I can assure you that one can - because I did.

After our quick, one night layover at the Aspen Grove RV Park, we hitched up and headed for Colorado.  We met Chris Mamula in Ogden, for an early lunch at Longhorn Steakhouse.  I am so appreciative of Google Maps which allows me to identify gas stations, restaurants and grocery stores that will allow easy access for a vehicle towing a 32’ trailer.  I had been reading Can I Retire Yet since sometime before I actually did leave the workforce in 2016.  Back then, it was founder Darrow Kirkpatrick doing all the writing.  At some point in time, Chris came on board to share the task, continuing Darrow’s tradition of posting excellent and detailed articles about various aspects of retirement, all written with skill and a clear transparency.  Despite the fact that Alan and I are both retired, I still read Can I Retire Yet.  The two of us were able to connect with Darrow and his wife Caroline last fall in the Southwest, and I’m delighted that we were able to meet up with Chris this year - following our hastily aborted plan to get together back in 2021.  I’ve always found it to be exceptionally rewarding to make face-to-face connections with fellow bloggers and travelers with whom I’ve developed an online relationship.  Real life meet ups are such a treat – so much better than just putting a face to a name.  After we gave Chris the 50 cent tour of our RV (his RV experience relates to camper vans), the three of us chatted our way through lunch.  It was such a pleasure to meet Chris, and Alan and I appreciated his taking time from his schedule to get together with us.       

Lowlight(s) of the Day – We had originally planned to overnight in the parking lot at Cabela’s in Grand Junction, Colorado.  We had enjoyed their hospitality in the past; this year, Grand Junction was a well-placed spot for a layover on our way to Ridgway State Park, also in Colorado.  But the weather was hotter than we expected, and the thought of sleeping with no air conditioning in the higher than expected temps proved to be rather unappealing.  So, there I was, again, searching for a campground at the last minute.  And that is so not my cup of tea.  Luckily, I stumbled upon the Fruita Section of James M. Robb Colorado River State Park.  It was close to Grand Junction, and there were campsites available that we would easily fit in.  Perfect!  Although I had made reservations at Ridgway State Park for our next stop, James M. Robb was the first Colorado State Park we actually stayed in, and we ran head-first into a policy I despise.  In addition to your camping fee at Colorado State Parks, you also have to pay for a park permit – every single day.  So, while our campsite with full hookups cost us $46.85 for the one night we stayed, we paid $56.85 because of the required daily permit.  Wow!  That added over 20% to our bill!  I can tell you that I’m going to think long and hard before I book another Colorado State Park – no matter how beautiful it is.  I’m not saying we’ll never camp in one again; I am saying that I plan to avoid them in the future – unless it’s in our best interests not to.  I don’t like the feeling of being nickeled and dimed.   

Campground(s) – Aspen Grove RV Park in Tremonton, Utah, is an absolutely lovely, upscale RV park.  But I guess Alan and I just aren’t “upscale” campers.  (No comments, please.)  Unless we were to return to Golden Spike, I see Aspen Grove as a “one and done” for us.  Don’t get me wrong – this is a gorgeous RV park and I have no problem recommending it.  The sites are huge with full hookups, the staff is friendly and professional, and the place is beautifully landscaped and well-maintained.  In fact, when we arrived just after the start of check-in time, the groundskeeper was blowing leaves off of our site.  There are two things I don’t like about Aspen Grove.  One is that the rate for one night was $80.33.  I’m way too frugal to cough that up on a regular basis.  It actually bothered me a lot to pay that much, but Aspen Grove was (hands down) our best option for that visit to Golden Spike due to its location.   The other thing I didn’t like is the trend that I’ve been seeing in private RV parks – an extra fee to lock in your reservation for a particular site.  (We ran into this at the Springer Campground in Palmer, Alaska.  I got away without paying the site lock fee because I was booking the only remaining available campsite into which our trailer would fit, so I declined to lock it.  I figured the chances were slim that we’d be moved; if we were, it was only a two night stay.)  Personally, I see site lock fees as just another way to jack up your campground prices without actually having to raise them.  Some people probably don’t care which campsite they end up in, but I do.  I work long and hard to find sites that maximize both views and privacy.  So, yes, I coughed up the extra 10 bucks to book site #17 at Aspen Grove, but I didn’t like doing it.  Site #17 was at the end of a row, giving us a view of another row of RVs out our big back window, but leaving our dinette and sofa side free of any neighbors.  Happy with the site; not happy with the site lock fee or the overall cost of a site with full hookups.

The James M. Robb Colorado River State Park – Fruita Section – was a really nice campground.  We were only there for a quick overnight, but we took advantage of the walking/biking trails throughout the park, along the river and around the small lake within the park limits.  The park was located right in Fruita, not far from Interstate 70, but quiet.  We probably could have biked to restaurants and grocery stores if we had wanted to.  I do plan to avoid Colorado State Parks in the future because of the additional $10.00 fee for daily permits.  But, if this campground proved to be the best choice on another trip to the area, I have no doubt that we’d enjoy our stay.   

Pics(s) of the Day

Golden Spike National Historical Park at what was Promontory, Utah

Do you know what impressed me about this memorial?

The artist's creativity!

The fully functional replicas of the Central Pacific (left) and Union Pacific (right) locomotives

The Union Pacific's Engine #119

The Central Pacific's Jupiter (Engine #60)

I believe this is looking southwest.  Note smoke from Idaho wildfires in the air.

And I believe this is looking northeast.

There's the Union Pacific's Engine #119!

Site #17 at Aspen Grove RV Park in Tremonton, Utah

Aspen Grove really is a lovely RV park!

Enjoying the last of the gorgeous Utah scenery on our way to Colorado

Thank you!  Happy to be here!

A very attractive, well-kept state park

The Colorado River, as seen from the boat launch in the park

Site #38 in the Fruita Section of James M. Robb Colorado River State Park

The sites in the scenic campground were decently spaced.

Up Next – Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is another unit of the National Park Service that had been on our bucket list for a long time.  Ridgway State Park with its three different campgrounds was highly rated, and it would prove to be an excellent base camp for our visit to the National Park and for our explorations in Telluride and Ouray.  After taking a look at all three campgrounds, I ended up booking a site at Pa-Co-Chu-Puk.  We’ll find out if I made the right choice.