Halloween is just a day away. Most people associate ghosts, goblins, parties and trick or treating with the annual celebration. However, Halloween owes part of its origin to the Festival of the Dead held in cultures throughout the world in honor or recognition of deceased members of the community. In our travels to forgotten and forlorn places across the west, my wife and I encounter many cemeteries. Some of these cemeteries contain the graves of early pioneers that helped settled the western frontier. The names of most of these hardy souls have been lost to history, their names never being entered into the history books. Often, the only reminder that they ever roamed the wilds of the west is the fading inscription on a lonely headstone. So next time you find yourself crossing a forgotten corner of the west in your RV and stumble across a lonely grave site, treat everyday like Halloween and pay honor to those that came before you. Odds are you have them to thank for the road you are traveling or the historic ruins you are exploring. Adventuring across the west in a RV where every day is Halloween.
The pictures were taken at a small cemetery near the old Rock House Ranch in southern Idaho.
Dave Helgeson’s many roles in the RV industry started before he even had a driver’s license. His grandparents and father owned an RV dealership before the term “RV” had been coined, and Dave played a pivotal role in nearly every position of an RV dealership. He and his wife Cheri launched their own RV dealership in the Pacific Northwest. The duo also spent 29 years overseeing regional RV shows. Dave has also served as President of a local chapter of the Recreational Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA), worked on the board of advisors for the RV Technician Program of a local technical college, and served as a board member of the Manufactured Home and RV Association. Dave’s reputation earned him the title of “The foremost expert on boondocking,” bestowed by RV industry icon, the late Gary Bunzer (The RV Doctor). When he’s not out boondocking, you’ll find Dave in the spotlight at RV shows across the country, giving seminars about all things RVing. He and Cheri currently roam in their fifth travel trailer, with Dave doing all the service, repair and modifications to his own unit.
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