We spent 8 days in a beautiful state park in Aurora, Co. We had full hookup sites for $24 a night. We had to pay an additional $8 a day to get into the state park. The name of the park was Cherry Creek. It was just a little south of Denver. They had beautiful bicycle/hiking trails here that were all concrete. Lucky people who lived right outside the park and could go for a bike ride everyday.
We took a long scenic ride (215 miles) through the Rocky Mountain National Park. It was nice but this mountain wasn't anywhere as pretty as the Grand Tetons in Wyoming. They were definitely high though. At one point we were over 12000 feet high.
Another day we did factory tours. We visited a candy factory (Hammonds). They sell to Harry &
David as well as other high end stores. The temperature in the candy making area was anywhere from 85 to 110 degrees. I sure couldn't work here.
After this we did a tour of Celestial Seasonings. They had a tasting room where you could taste any and all of their teas. It was very interesting. The mint room sure cleared your sinuses.
Last on our tours for the day was the Coors Brewery. It was a great tour. At the end of the tour they gave you 3 glasses of any kind of beer that they made. All you beer lovers would have enjoyed this part. As for me (Rita) I was able to put away 1 glass. Jesse managed to get 2 glasses down. The lounge was packed with beer drinkers getting their 3 free drinks. There is a college in this town and it looked like most of the people in the lounge were students.
We got some bike riding in (finally). Jesse of course would have liked to do more.
The weather has been very hot since we left Yellowstone. How I wish for those cool days again.
We spent one day in Denver. We walked over to the aquarium where we had lunch sitting by the huge fish tank. It was very nice. One day in Denver was enough for us though. We like being in the remote areas better.
On our way through Kansas we stopped at the Eisenhower Presidential Library. We spent more time there than we thought we would. It is amazing how little we really know about our presidents. It was a great site to visit. We hope to do the Truman library when we get to Missouri.
We are now sitting in Independence, Missouri right outside Kansas City.
Went to have our Kansas City steaks tonight after we settled in. The steaks are very tender but also very, very expensive. Well that is our treat for this vacation (ha-ha). Glad we did it, won't do it again though.
There is a big festival going on here over the weekend. Also want to see the Truman Library and a Riverboat museum.
We are thinking of staying here through Labor Day weekend. Not sure if we'll have trouble finding a campsite over the long weekend. We are hoping to have time to stop in St. Louis, Missouri to see the arch and a few other things between here and Goshen, In. We need to be in Goshen, Indiana by the 9th of Sept. We have reservations there on the 9th before pulling into the Fairgrounds in Goshen on the 10th. Our camping rally starts on the 12th and goes through the 17th.
After the rally I guess we'll start meandering back home. I can't believe this trip is coming to an end. Seems like we just started.
http://picasaweb.google.com/motorhome234
CHASING OUR DREAMS
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
8/20 - 8/22/10----Colorado Springs, Co
We arrived at Colorado Springs, Co on the 22nd and stayed for 2 nights. We visited the Olympic Village there. It is where future Olympians go to train. They can stay there from 3-6 years. All expenses are paid during their stay. They can apply as long as they are between 15-23 yrs old and unmarried. They finish their education while they train here. They have to train for a minimum of 4 hrs a day, plus do their school work and have to do intramural sports as well. Doesn't leave much time for sleep. They compete against each other as well as other schools and colleges while there also. It was a pretty impressive place. I got all choked up just seeing what they go through to try to win a medal. They definitely have to be focused and that is their whole life. Pretty amazing. One of the coaches was telling us how lucky the Americans are to have all of this available to them. Other countries have to do this all on their own with no help from their government.
We then went to Garden of the Gods outside of Colorado Springs (Manitou). It is an area of unique towering rock formations. They are made of Sandstone. Many towering spires have openings all the way to the top that go right through the rock. Jesse is standing in one of those openings in one of the pictures. There are also rocks that are balancing on top of other rocks. It is amazing how they just stay there and not fall over.
While on our way to Denver, Co. we stopped for a few hours to see the Air Force Academy. It is a huge place where future Air Force Officers go to train. They do 4 years of college and they can drop out anytime between the 1st 2 years. Once they start their 3rd year, they have to commit to become Air Force Officers. In addition to their college classes they need to go through all the military training to prepare them for military life. When they graduate, they are 2nd Lt in the Air Force.
There was a beautiful chapel here (pictures are enclosed). Jesse did his best to capture the beauty of it but it is something you really need to see in person.
Next stop,,,,,Denver, Co
We then went to Garden of the Gods outside of Colorado Springs (Manitou). It is an area of unique towering rock formations. They are made of Sandstone. Many towering spires have openings all the way to the top that go right through the rock. Jesse is standing in one of those openings in one of the pictures. There are also rocks that are balancing on top of other rocks. It is amazing how they just stay there and not fall over.
While on our way to Denver, Co. we stopped for a few hours to see the Air Force Academy. It is a huge place where future Air Force Officers go to train. They do 4 years of college and they can drop out anytime between the 1st 2 years. Once they start their 3rd year, they have to commit to become Air Force Officers. In addition to their college classes they need to go through all the military training to prepare them for military life. When they graduate, they are 2nd Lt in the Air Force.
There was a beautiful chapel here (pictures are enclosed). Jesse did his best to capture the beauty of it but it is something you really need to see in person.
Next stop,,,,,Denver, Co
Friday, August 20, 2010
8/14/2010---The Grand Tetons, Wy
We have arrived at the Grand Tetons. They are so beautiful. We are staying here for 3 days. We went into Jackson today. It is a beautiful town that looks like an old western town. Walked around for a while and had lunch at a great tavern. I can't describe how beautiful it is here. Everywhere you look there are mountains. The Tetons have glaciers on them. They took pictures in 1878 of them with the glacier and it still looks the same in our pictures all these years later.
We took a drive to see Jenny Lake. It is so beautiful and clear. You can see the rocks at the bottom of the lake it is so clean and the backdrop of the mountains is just gorgeous.
We also spent the afternoon Monday on a raft tour on the Snake River. They provided lunch in the woods near the shore before we boarded our raft. We got to see eagles in the trees. Not much other wildlife around though,,,,a little dissapointed. The 2 1/2 hr river ride was great though. We hit a few showers and some lightning bolts. The river guides said not to worry though because we were riding on rubber and the mountains all around us would take the lightning hits and not us. Was glad it happened towards the very end of the trip. When we got back to the motorhome it started to pour. We just made it through. Glad we didn't decide to go later in the day.
Left the Tetons on Tuesday the 17th and headed for Casper, Wy to have some work done on our slide-out awning. With that fixed, we headed to Cheyenne, Wy on the 19th for one night stay.
Today is the 20th and we are at a campground in Colorado Springs, Co. Tomorrow we are going to see the Olympic Village where they train the athletes heading for the Olympics. It should be very interesting. Not sure what else we will do as there is lots to do around here. We will be moving north of here about n70 miles on Sunday and will stay there for a week to tour the area. We will be right outside of Denver, Co. Will update you on what we have seen in a few days.
Posted a few more pictures for those who are interested.
http://picasaweb.google.com/motorhome234
We took a drive to see Jenny Lake. It is so beautiful and clear. You can see the rocks at the bottom of the lake it is so clean and the backdrop of the mountains is just gorgeous.
We also spent the afternoon Monday on a raft tour on the Snake River. They provided lunch in the woods near the shore before we boarded our raft. We got to see eagles in the trees. Not much other wildlife around though,,,,a little dissapointed. The 2 1/2 hr river ride was great though. We hit a few showers and some lightning bolts. The river guides said not to worry though because we were riding on rubber and the mountains all around us would take the lightning hits and not us. Was glad it happened towards the very end of the trip. When we got back to the motorhome it started to pour. We just made it through. Glad we didn't decide to go later in the day.
Left the Tetons on Tuesday the 17th and headed for Casper, Wy to have some work done on our slide-out awning. With that fixed, we headed to Cheyenne, Wy on the 19th for one night stay.
Today is the 20th and we are at a campground in Colorado Springs, Co. Tomorrow we are going to see the Olympic Village where they train the athletes heading for the Olympics. It should be very interesting. Not sure what else we will do as there is lots to do around here. We will be moving north of here about n70 miles on Sunday and will stay there for a week to tour the area. We will be right outside of Denver, Co. Will update you on what we have seen in a few days.
Posted a few more pictures for those who are interested.
http://picasaweb.google.com/motorhome234
Sunday, August 15, 2010
8/14/10----Arrived at Grand Tetons National Park, Wy
We spent from Monday through Thursday doing the loops of Yellowstone National Park. Each area is so different from the other but all beautiful in their own way. We saw and hiked to many waterfalls and saw many thermal areas with the waters being so hot they were boiling and all you could hear was the gurgling of boiling water and mud. We saw geysers and of course Old Faithful. It is hard to explain what Yellowstone is like. It is huge. We spent 3 twelve hour days just trying to cover it all. We have posted pictures from lots of the loops and hope you won't be bored looking at them. I tried to put captions under a lot of the pictures for a better explanation.
On Friday we took a ride in Montana to 2 old cities that existed in the 1800's. Most of the buildings there were original buildings from that era. Most of them looked like the owners walked out and locked the doors and left all the interiors and shelves completedly stocked. It was amazing to see. You felt like you were in the 1800's in an old West town.
We also visited the Madison River area where a 7.5 magnitude earthquake occured on 8/17/1959 at 11:30 PM. Not that long ago. It was the 4th biggest earthquake in the U.S. at that time. We went to the visitor center there and the man who did the talk on the Earthquake actually lived through it. He was 15 yrs old at the time and camping on the river with his parents. It was so interesting to hear what happened by someone who actually lived through it. There were 300 people in the area at the time the earthquake hit. 28 people died. 19 were never found. The earthquake hit on the Madison River. Earthquake Lake was formed by the boulders that fell from the mountainside during the earthquake blocking the Madison River and creating the lake. He told us so much that happened that night that it is too much to write about here. It was an incredible story. We thought we would stop by the visitor center and spend a 1/2 hr but it was so interesting we ended up spending a few hours there. This was a great day and an unexpected find.
Today is Saturday the 14th. We left Yellowstone Park this morning and are now at the Grand Tetons. The mountains here are amazing. We rode around a little bit this afternoon and ended up going to a small little chapel for evening mass. It was a log cabin chapel (very pretty). We'll be going out tomorrow to tour the area and will update once we have done a little bit of sight seeing.
Having a great time. What a beautiful country we have.
pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/motorhome234
On Friday we took a ride in Montana to 2 old cities that existed in the 1800's. Most of the buildings there were original buildings from that era. Most of them looked like the owners walked out and locked the doors and left all the interiors and shelves completedly stocked. It was amazing to see. You felt like you were in the 1800's in an old West town.
We also visited the Madison River area where a 7.5 magnitude earthquake occured on 8/17/1959 at 11:30 PM. Not that long ago. It was the 4th biggest earthquake in the U.S. at that time. We went to the visitor center there and the man who did the talk on the Earthquake actually lived through it. He was 15 yrs old at the time and camping on the river with his parents. It was so interesting to hear what happened by someone who actually lived through it. There were 300 people in the area at the time the earthquake hit. 28 people died. 19 were never found. The earthquake hit on the Madison River. Earthquake Lake was formed by the boulders that fell from the mountainside during the earthquake blocking the Madison River and creating the lake. He told us so much that happened that night that it is too much to write about here. It was an incredible story. We thought we would stop by the visitor center and spend a 1/2 hr but it was so interesting we ended up spending a few hours there. This was a great day and an unexpected find.
Today is Saturday the 14th. We left Yellowstone Park this morning and are now at the Grand Tetons. The mountains here are amazing. We rode around a little bit this afternoon and ended up going to a small little chapel for evening mass. It was a log cabin chapel (very pretty). We'll be going out tomorrow to tour the area and will update once we have done a little bit of sight seeing.
Having a great time. What a beautiful country we have.
pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/motorhome234
Friday, August 13, 2010
Yellowstone National Park 8/11/10
We arrived at Yellowstone on Monday, Aug 9th. We are staying at the Gallatin National Forest in West Yellowstone, Montana. We are about 3 miles from the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park. I was a little concerned when we drove in and the first thing I saw was a sign saying Grizzly Bears have been found in this area. As of yet, we haven't seen one anywhere. Cannot leave any food out and the tenters have to put their food in metal storage containers provided by the campground or put their food in bags high up in the trees. Glad we're not in a tent,,,yikes.
Yellowstone National Park is huge. It sprawls across volcanic plateaus. It contains more than 2 million acres of steaming geysers, crystalline lakes, thundering waterfalls and panoramic vistas. It was formed by volcanoes and glacial ice over 2 million years ago. The Yellowstone River was formed from glaciers that capped the region. The ice was so thick if covered Mt. Washburn which is 10,243 feet high with ice the thickness of about 4000 ft. All of Yellowstone lies on top of a volcano. It is also on one of the largest faults, therefore, the ground moves daily here from the earthquakes far below the ground. Pretty scary when you stop to think about it. It is hard to imagine that this whole area was formed because of volcanoes and glaciers.
We've managed to see a few animals (pictures) but we only saw 1 bear and it was too far away to take a picture. Haven't seen any wolves, coyotes or Bighorn sheep. Lots of Bison though.
We took a hike (which was a tough one) to see the Yellowstone River Lower Falls. It was worth doing the hike. When we got to the bottom we were standing right over the spot where the falls dropped over. It was so beautiful. The hike back up was a long, steep hike. Thought we'd never get back to the top. This area is called the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. We have put some pictures of the falls and the canyon for you to see. Everything is so awesome here. The Yellowstone River is one of the few rivers that flows in a northerly direction.
pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/motorhome234
Yellowstone National Park is huge. It sprawls across volcanic plateaus. It contains more than 2 million acres of steaming geysers, crystalline lakes, thundering waterfalls and panoramic vistas. It was formed by volcanoes and glacial ice over 2 million years ago. The Yellowstone River was formed from glaciers that capped the region. The ice was so thick if covered Mt. Washburn which is 10,243 feet high with ice the thickness of about 4000 ft. All of Yellowstone lies on top of a volcano. It is also on one of the largest faults, therefore, the ground moves daily here from the earthquakes far below the ground. Pretty scary when you stop to think about it. It is hard to imagine that this whole area was formed because of volcanoes and glaciers.
We've managed to see a few animals (pictures) but we only saw 1 bear and it was too far away to take a picture. Haven't seen any wolves, coyotes or Bighorn sheep. Lots of Bison though.
We took a hike (which was a tough one) to see the Yellowstone River Lower Falls. It was worth doing the hike. When we got to the bottom we were standing right over the spot where the falls dropped over. It was so beautiful. The hike back up was a long, steep hike. Thought we'd never get back to the top. This area is called the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. We have put some pictures of the falls and the canyon for you to see. Everything is so awesome here. The Yellowstone River is one of the few rivers that flows in a northerly direction.
pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/motorhome234
Thursday, August 5, 2010
8/4/2010- Cody, Wy
Finally made it to Cody. We have booked a campground here until Sunday. Lots to do here. We got here around 3:30 today so not much time to see anything this afternoon. We settled in and had supper. Then we got tickets to the rodeo. We had great seats. Box seats in the 1st row in the center. I don't know how anyone can ride these bulls,,,,,it is scary to watch them. They had all kind of rodeo performances. They even had boys 12 and under,,,,,,a few of them were 6 yrs old riding bulls. Oh my word, all I could think of is how can they let these little ones do this. They did have helmets on but boy when they fall off (which they all do rather quickly) it is a long way to the ground with the bulls still bucking all over the place. They also had girls on horses doing the barrel maneuvers. They even had one little 5 yr old in the competition. Unbelievable. It was a great night.
Today we went for a long ride to do the Beartooth Highway. The scenery was unbelievable. At one point we were over 10,000 feet up. I wish our pictures could do it justice. We left at 9:30 this morning and didn't get back until 6:15 tonight. There are so many places to stop and see the scenery. When we got to the top there was snow,,,,a few kids were having a snowball fight. The whole highway was full of switchbacks which probably shows in one of the pictures. I am sure glad we went with the car and not the motorhome. At the end of the beartooth highway was a town call Redlodge. We stopped there and walked around a bit. Very nice little western towns. We drove 214 miles today to do this scenic drive. It was the most beautiful scenic drive we have done so far.
Headed back to Cody and walked around the town there. Lots of little shops and bars and restaurants. Had a bite to eat and came back to the motorhome.
Another great day.
http://picasaweb.google.com/motorhome234
Today we went for a long ride to do the Beartooth Highway. The scenery was unbelievable. At one point we were over 10,000 feet up. I wish our pictures could do it justice. We left at 9:30 this morning and didn't get back until 6:15 tonight. There are so many places to stop and see the scenery. When we got to the top there was snow,,,,a few kids were having a snowball fight. The whole highway was full of switchbacks which probably shows in one of the pictures. I am sure glad we went with the car and not the motorhome. At the end of the beartooth highway was a town call Redlodge. We stopped there and walked around a bit. Very nice little western towns. We drove 214 miles today to do this scenic drive. It was the most beautiful scenic drive we have done so far.
Headed back to Cody and walked around the town there. Lots of little shops and bars and restaurants. Had a bite to eat and came back to the motorhome.
Another great day.
http://picasaweb.google.com/motorhome234
8/3/2010------Thermopolis, Wy
We left Buffalo this morning anticipating going to Cody but was unable to get a campsite for the night so we decided to go south a little to a small town called Thermopolis. This was a great place. They have hot springs there and a bathhouse that is available to anyone. We settled into the campground and put on our bathing suits and headed for the bathhouse. They have an indoor pool and outdoor pool with hot mineral spring waters. So soothing. No charge for it either. This land originally was owned by the indians and when they gave the white man a small corner of the land it had the mineral springs in it. They made the whiteman sign a treaty saying the mineral spring waters would be available for free to everyone forever. There was a nice walk through where the springs were diverted into the pools. There was also a long suspension bridge going over the Big Horn River. The hot springs spurt out from the ground and form large mineral deposits (looks like huge rocks) and the water then drops into the river. (see pictures). The formation that Jesse is standing next to started out as just a pipe put into the mineral springs. The water then burst up through the pipe and over time made this huge formation. Jesse is holding his hand and feeling the drippings coming out from the top. It was nice and warm. When we got out of the baths we felt so relaxed. People we talk to who live here go there twice a day and say it has helped with arthritis and back pain and many other ailments. One lady said it was her fountain of youth. Boy wish we had one of these at homes. The only drawback was that it had a strong sulphur smell.
The next morning before we headed out of town we went to their town museum. This was an awesome museum. We thought we would be there at an hour at the most and ended up spending several hours there. They had 5 buildings. One of them was an old school room and the both of us remarked how it made us feel like we were back in 2nd grade. It brought back lots of memories (we must be getting old).
Heading to Cody, Wy.
http://picasaweb.google.com/motorhome234
The next morning before we headed out of town we went to their town museum. This was an awesome museum. We thought we would be there at an hour at the most and ended up spending several hours there. They had 5 buildings. One of them was an old school room and the both of us remarked how it made us feel like we were back in 2nd grade. It brought back lots of memories (we must be getting old).
Heading to Cody, Wy.
http://picasaweb.google.com/motorhome234
8/2/2010------Wyoming
Left Rapid City this morning and stopped in Sundance, WY. This is where the Sundance Kid was held in jail for stealing horses and robbing banks. We went to the Sundance Museum. It was small but interesting. It had all the courtroom furniture used during his trial and 18 month sentence.
We then went to Devils Tower. That was unbelievable. In 1906 President Teddy Roosevelt designated Devils Tower as the nations first national monument. It is a core of a volcano exposed after millions of years of erosion brought on the Belle Fourche River and the weather. The tower stands 865 feet high. It was the tower that was in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. We did the hike around the perimeter of the tower. It was 1 1/4 miles. Doesn't sound like much but it took us about 1 1/2 hrs,,,,,it's all up and down. Nice hike though. We spent several hours at this place. (see pictures)
We drove another few hours and stopped in Buffalo, Wy for the night.
http://picasaweb.google.com/motorhome234
We then went to Devils Tower. That was unbelievable. In 1906 President Teddy Roosevelt designated Devils Tower as the nations first national monument. It is a core of a volcano exposed after millions of years of erosion brought on the Belle Fourche River and the weather. The tower stands 865 feet high. It was the tower that was in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. We did the hike around the perimeter of the tower. It was 1 1/4 miles. Doesn't sound like much but it took us about 1 1/2 hrs,,,,,it's all up and down. Nice hike though. We spent several hours at this place. (see pictures)
We drove another few hours and stopped in Buffalo, Wy for the night.
http://picasaweb.google.com/motorhome234
7/25-8/1/2010 Rapid City, SD
We moved out of the campground in Rapid City, SD this morning. While we were in Rapid City we took a trolley and did a tour of the city. They have bronze statues of the Presidents on every corner of the downtown area. We also went to a Chapel in the Hills. It is a replica of the famous 850 yr old Borgund Stavkirke located near Laerdal, Norway. The craftsmanship on this chapel was amazing. (Pictures).
We spent a day doing a scenic ride at the Spearfish Canyon. So Dakota is so beautiful. Another day we went to Deadwood. That was fun. We went to a saloon where they had a re-inactment of the card game played by Wild Bill Hickok in which he was shot to death. After the card game we walked down the street a little ways to find a western shoot out in the middle of the street.
We also took a drive through Sturgis (where the annual motorcycle rally is). Bikers are starting to arrive. Their bike rally begins the weekend of the 8th. Wasn't as busy there as we thought it would be,,,,guess they are out sightseeing in the daytime also. They are expecting 6 to 800,000 bikers for the rally.
Moving on to Wyoming tomorrow.
pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/motorhome234
We spent a day doing a scenic ride at the Spearfish Canyon. So Dakota is so beautiful. Another day we went to Deadwood. That was fun. We went to a saloon where they had a re-inactment of the card game played by Wild Bill Hickok in which he was shot to death. After the card game we walked down the street a little ways to find a western shoot out in the middle of the street.
We also took a drive through Sturgis (where the annual motorcycle rally is). Bikers are starting to arrive. Their bike rally begins the weekend of the 8th. Wasn't as busy there as we thought it would be,,,,guess they are out sightseeing in the daytime also. They are expecting 6 to 800,000 bikers for the rally.
Moving on to Wyoming tomorrow.
pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/motorhome234
Monday, July 26, 2010
7/25/10-----Moving to Rapid City, SD
We went to church this morning and then pulled out of the campground in Hill City. We stopped at Crazy Horse Memorial on our way to Rapid City. It was really nice to see how one man from Boston wanted to sculpt mountains. He came to So Dakota and worked with the sculptor of Mt Rushmore side by side sculpting that mountain. An indian chief approached him and asked if he was sculpt a mountain to honor the indians. He agreed and began to work single handedly to sculpt Crazy Horse. He had to build a stairway of 741 stairs to get to the top of the mountain each day to begin blasting. He had little money and an old air compressor which he would start and begin his climb to the top carrying all his tools and dynamite. Most days he would get half way up and the air compressor down below would quit. He'd have to go back down and start it again and resume his climb to the top. Some days he would have to repeat this scenarior 4-5 times before he could actually work. He then married and had 10 children. He said he needed those children (5 boys & 5 girls) to help him work the mountain. After several years he died and the mountain was far from finished. His wife and sons & daughters took over the project and still work it today. It has a long way to go before it will be finished. Probably won't see it done in our lifetime. When finished it will stand taller than the Washington Monument. It is huge.
We are staying at a membership campground for the next 3 days. This place is beautiful. We had to listen to a half hr talk on buying into this place to get the special rate of $39.95 for 3 days. Think we are just going to veg out and enjoy the campground for a few days. We have another campground booked 5 minutes from here for 5 more days so we can see the sights around here. We still need to see Sturgis (motorcycle rally going on beginning Aug 9th,,,,but they are all arriving now). We still need to see Deadwood from here and a few very scenic drives before we move on. We should be able to do that staying another 5 days. We are only allowed 3 days in this place and have to move on. So we will be in Rapid City until Monday, Aug 2nd.
pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/motorhome234
We are staying at a membership campground for the next 3 days. This place is beautiful. We had to listen to a half hr talk on buying into this place to get the special rate of $39.95 for 3 days. Think we are just going to veg out and enjoy the campground for a few days. We have another campground booked 5 minutes from here for 5 more days so we can see the sights around here. We still need to see Sturgis (motorcycle rally going on beginning Aug 9th,,,,but they are all arriving now). We still need to see Deadwood from here and a few very scenic drives before we move on. We should be able to do that staying another 5 days. We are only allowed 3 days in this place and have to move on. So we will be in Rapid City until Monday, Aug 2nd.
pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/motorhome234
7/24/10..........Hill City, SD
Another great day in So. Dakota. We decided to go to the Wind Caves National Park this morning. When we got there we got our stamp for our Passport to National Parks book. We decided not to go into the caves since we've been in a few before and figured we'd pass on this one. BUT,,,,,,,on our wave to the caves we were driving and saw a huge buffalo meandering along the side of the road. Jesse decided to take some pictures and we figured where there is one there must be more because they travel in herds. Well around a few bends and there they were. At least a hundred of them. All over the fields and in the road. We got stuck there for about 20 minutes while we waited to get by one at a time. I was driving,,,,,and wish I weren't,,,,Jesse said,,,,well we can get out and switch places,,,,,,yeah right. They were all around our car,,,,a very eerie sight to behold. When you look at the pictures you'll see they were right on our bumper and all along the sides and back of the car,,,,just staring at us. A little scary at times. I thought they would never move out of the way and we had to move by inches at a time so as not to alarm them and have them charge us. The darn things can run at 35 miles per hour.
On our way back from the caves we drove the Iron Mountain Highway. It is a very curvy road with lots of hairpin turns. Several one car tunnels along the way too. At the last 2 tunnels you could see Mt Rushmore when you were coming out. Especially the last tunnel where the mountain was framed as if in picture when leaving the tunnel. It was amazing.
We again visited Mt. Rushmore and did an audio tour of how the mountain was carved and other information having to do with the mountain. It was very interesting but took us quite some time to do this. A couple of hours at least. Glad we did it though.
pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/motorhome234
On our way back from the caves we drove the Iron Mountain Highway. It is a very curvy road with lots of hairpin turns. Several one car tunnels along the way too. At the last 2 tunnels you could see Mt Rushmore when you were coming out. Especially the last tunnel where the mountain was framed as if in picture when leaving the tunnel. It was amazing.
We again visited Mt. Rushmore and did an audio tour of how the mountain was carved and other information having to do with the mountain. It was very interesting but took us quite some time to do this. A couple of hours at least. Glad we did it though.
pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/motorhome234
7/23/2010---Hill City, So Dakota
We spent the most of the day today at Custer State Park. So. Dakota is so beautiful. We drove the wildlife loop searching for wildlife. Wasn't much around today. Jesse did however, get a couple of pictures of a large herd of elk running through the woods. They are much bigger than I thought they would be. Also saw a few Pronghorns. They look like a combination of a small antelope and a deer with black horns.
Then we went over to the Jewel Caves (national park). It was too late in the day to grab a tour,,,all sold out.
We drove the Needles Highway. It was such an amazing drive. Took about 1 1/2 hrs. The drive is a narrow curving road with one car tunnels and bridges. The scenery is unbelievable. There are huge rock formations that tower up in front of you as you drive. At the top of the ride is what they call the needles eye, it is a bunch of these towering spires all together and what looks like a crack between them in which you drive through (very carefully). I have posted pictures but you have to be there to really appreciate it.
We ended up out day at Mt. Rushmore. It is a very emotional place. It symbolizes these men who had great visions for this country. We got there about 8PM so it was still light and we got pictures of the monument of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln. We stayed for the lighting ceremony which began at 9PM. They had a short narration from the ranger about the monument and then a 20 minute movie on how the mountain was sculpted. They then lit up the mountain, what an awesome sight. They then asked all the veterans to come up on stage. So Jesse got to go up and receive recognition. They then asked all the Vietnam Vets to step forward and said when they returned from war they were not welcomed appropriately. So he began by thanking them all for their service. Of course, I was in tears. The whole audiance stood and applauded them. So emotional and finally the Vietnam Vets are recognized as heroes.
As we head down the mountain back to the campground, we both realize how lucky we are to be able to see all these things and thank God for this beautiful country.
See pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/motorhome234
Then we went over to the Jewel Caves (national park). It was too late in the day to grab a tour,,,all sold out.
We drove the Needles Highway. It was such an amazing drive. Took about 1 1/2 hrs. The drive is a narrow curving road with one car tunnels and bridges. The scenery is unbelievable. There are huge rock formations that tower up in front of you as you drive. At the top of the ride is what they call the needles eye, it is a bunch of these towering spires all together and what looks like a crack between them in which you drive through (very carefully). I have posted pictures but you have to be there to really appreciate it.
We ended up out day at Mt. Rushmore. It is a very emotional place. It symbolizes these men who had great visions for this country. We got there about 8PM so it was still light and we got pictures of the monument of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln. We stayed for the lighting ceremony which began at 9PM. They had a short narration from the ranger about the monument and then a 20 minute movie on how the mountain was sculpted. They then lit up the mountain, what an awesome sight. They then asked all the veterans to come up on stage. So Jesse got to go up and receive recognition. They then asked all the Vietnam Vets to step forward and said when they returned from war they were not welcomed appropriately. So he began by thanking them all for their service. Of course, I was in tears. The whole audiance stood and applauded them. So emotional and finally the Vietnam Vets are recognized as heroes.
As we head down the mountain back to the campground, we both realize how lucky we are to be able to see all these things and thank God for this beautiful country.
See pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/motorhome234
Sunday, July 25, 2010
7/22/2010----Badlands, SD
We arrived at the Minuteman Missile Site in Philips, So Dakota. This is the site of the Control Center (which sits 30 feet below the ground) that controls the missile sites. There were three control centers that each controlled 100 missile sites. During the Cold War there were missiles set up all around So Dakota and other mid-west and western states waiting to be launched if Russia decided to send a nuclear weapon our way. In the control centers sat 2 people on 24 hour shifts in a tiny room with all the controls to set a launch if need be. (not a job I would want, I can't imagine having the fate of the world upon my shoulders, with the turn of 2 keys a missile would be launched and cause a nuclear war and the end of the world). A missile could be launched within 5 minutes. These 2 people were locked in this room for their 24 hr shift. I have posted pictures so you can see the size of the door that locked them in and how small this room was. The missile silo that we visited sat 15 miles away from the control center. It was hard getting a picture of the missile without a reflection of yourself on the glass, but Jesse did the best he could to get a shot to show you. It was pretty scary knowing just how close we came to nuclear war and very eerie seeing a missile ready to be launched. It was very interesting. Too bad we didn't have an opportunity to have our history and geography classes seeing these places rather than reading from a book. It is much more interesting this way.
Leaving the missile site dropped us right into the Badlands. What an awesome place. I can't believe how much beauty there is in this world. We took lots of pictures (I won't bore you with all of them, but have posted a few). We drove through the Badlands for several hours and could have stayed several more hours but there is lots more to see, so reluctantly, we moved on.
Our next stop brought us to Wall Drug in Wall, SD. The worlds largest drug store. It was voted the #1 Roadside attraction in America. It is a kind of like a honky tonk attraction (reminded us of South of The Border, only much bigger). There are several shops and eating establishments here. It was a fun place to walk through for an hour or so. I have a few pictures posted.
If you want to view the pictures, click on the below site.
http://picasaweb.google.com/motorhome234
Leaving the missile site dropped us right into the Badlands. What an awesome place. I can't believe how much beauty there is in this world. We took lots of pictures (I won't bore you with all of them, but have posted a few). We drove through the Badlands for several hours and could have stayed several more hours but there is lots more to see, so reluctantly, we moved on.
Our next stop brought us to Wall Drug in Wall, SD. The worlds largest drug store. It was voted the #1 Roadside attraction in America. It is a kind of like a honky tonk attraction (reminded us of South of The Border, only much bigger). There are several shops and eating establishments here. It was a fun place to walk through for an hour or so. I have a few pictures posted.
If you want to view the pictures, click on the below site.
http://picasaweb.google.com/motorhome234
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
7/21/2010-------Badlands, So Dakota
We have arrived in So. Dakota. We are about a half hour from the Badlands. Today we stopped in Mitchell, SD to see the Corn Palace. It is a fun place to see. It is a big palace that is all decorated with corn cobs.. The whole exterior of the building is done in pictures which are made up of 12 different colors and various sizes of corn cobs. The corn cobs are farmed right in Mitchell and the corn cob design is changed every fall. They put up black tar paper on the exterior of the building and draw the designs and the colors of the cobs they will be using for each picture. It is like a huge paint by number. After they draw it all out they begin to staple each corn cob by color needed to produce the picture. Each year it is done in a different theme. I could post a picture but it just doesn't do it justice. We couldn't believe how much time and work it to to do the whole building (which is quite large). It is all done by hand too.
Tomorrow we are heading to the Minuteman Missile site. I will tell you all about it tomorrow. We will also be travelling through the Badlands and hope to take lots of pictures. And going to Wall to see the oldest drug store. Tomorrow should be a fun day. Hopefully will have lots to post tomorrow.
Tomorrow we are heading to the Minuteman Missile site. I will tell you all about it tomorrow. We will also be travelling through the Badlands and hope to take lots of pictures. And going to Wall to see the oldest drug store. Tomorrow should be a fun day. Hopefully will have lots to post tomorrow.
Friday, July 16, 2010
7/16/10---Dubuque, Iowa
Went to see the locks and a dam today on the Mississippi River. It was very interesting. I have posted a few pictures showing how a 15 barge shipment went through the locks. It was so big that they had to send 1/2 of it through the locks and tie it on the other end of the locks and push the 2nd half through and tie the 2 halves back together before it could proceed down the Mississippi. I don't know if the pictures will make any sense to you. Hope they do.
I've also posted a few pictures of Mackinac Island, Michigan.
Hope you enjoy.
http://picasaweb.google.com/motorhome234
I've also posted a few pictures of Mackinac Island, Michigan.
Hope you enjoy.
http://picasaweb.google.com/motorhome234
July 16, 2010.........Iowa
Good Morning. Nice hearing all your comments. I haven't figured out how to reply to you on your comments. I'll keep trying to figure it out.
We spent from Saturday, July 10 until yesterday July 15th in Pelican Lake, Wisconsin with friends. John and Jesse were in Vietnam together in 1966-1967. They also happened to run into another Vietnam buddy. Tom Stephanik who lives in the next town. John had just met him a few weeks before. Didn't even know he lived near there. They were all in the same unit in Vietnam together. Things have a mysterious way of working out. Tom came to the campground and the 3 guys had a wonderful afternoon reminiscing and looking over their old Seabee photos and books, We had a great time with John & Sharon. Played lots of cards and they took us sightseeing and then to Wausau where they live. It was a very nice time. Here is a picture of the 4 of us at their campsite at Pelican Lake Campground.
We spent from Saturday, July 10 until yesterday July 15th in Pelican Lake, Wisconsin with friends. John and Jesse were in Vietnam together in 1966-1967. They also happened to run into another Vietnam buddy. Tom Stephanik who lives in the next town. John had just met him a few weeks before. Didn't even know he lived near there. They were all in the same unit in Vietnam together. Things have a mysterious way of working out. Tom came to the campground and the 3 guys had a wonderful afternoon reminiscing and looking over their old Seabee photos and books, We had a great time with John & Sharon. Played lots of cards and they took us sightseeing and then to Wausau where they live. It was a very nice time. Here is a picture of the 4 of us at their campsite at Pelican Lake Campground.We've run into a bit of problem with the hydraulics on our motorhome and have had to take a detour to Iowa to go to the factory and get that fixed. 400 miles out of the way,,,,thank goodness Jesse was able to put the jacks back up so we could move on. We arrived in Dubuque Iowa last evening and will spend until Sunday here. We are sitting in a city campground right on the Mississippi River. Going sightseeing today and Jesse will take pictures. I still have to upload the ones from Michigan and will try to do that tonight. On Sunday we will move over to Moscow Ia to the factory. We have an appt on Monday to get the hydraulics looked at and will proceed from there.
Not much to say today.....I'll update soon. Despite the troubles,,,,,still having a great time.
Monday, July 12, 2010
July 12, 2010.....Pelican Lake, Wisconsin
We arrived at Pelican Lake campground on Saturday afternoon. We are spending some time with Jesse's friend from the service. They were in Vietnam together 42 yrs ago. We are having a good time with he and his wife. Very nice people. Not doing much here, playing cards and hanging out relaxing. We will be leaving here on Wednesday morning and heading for Minnesota.
My computer was down for several days and we had to call Dell and have a new keyboard shipped here. It came in today and Jesse installed it tonight. Glad to be up and running again.
Not much else to report on. Will write again when we stop in Minnesota.
My computer was down for several days and we had to call Dell and have a new keyboard shipped here. It came in today and Jesse installed it tonight. Glad to be up and running again.
Not much else to report on. Will write again when we stop in Minnesota.
Friday, July 9, 2010
July 9, 2010----Sault Ste. Marie
We left the motorhome at 9:15 AM to head to St. Ignace (which was 50 miles away) to board the ferry to Macinac Island. The ferry over was on a catamaran and it took approximately 20-25 minutes to get there. Very pretty pulling into the port. No motorized vehicles are allowed on the island except for emergency vehicles only. All transportation is by bicycles, walking, horseback or horse and buggy. That is also how all the food, supplies going to and from the island is delivered,,,by horse pulling carts. The island is absolutely beautiful. Hanging flowers everywherek, and it is spotless. There are people assigned to just cleaning up after the horses. All the horse poop is made into fertilizer and used for the gardens and grass on the island and because there is so much of it, it is sold to Home Depot and Lowes in bags. During peak season there are about 650 horses on the island.
When we arrived we purchased tickets for a horse and carriage ride around the island. We had to wait about an hour for the tour to begin so we had lunch at a nice little pub. Food was delicious. The carriage ride was excellent. We learned a lot about the island and the horses that we would never have known if not for our tour guide/driver.
Weather was beautiful and we had another wonderful day.
When we arrived we purchased tickets for a horse and carriage ride around the island. We had to wait about an hour for the tour to begin so we had lunch at a nice little pub. Food was delicious. The carriage ride was excellent. We learned a lot about the island and the horses that we would never have known if not for our tour guide/driver.
Weather was beautiful and we had another wonderful day.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Arrived in Michigan............July 8, 2010
Well it is Thursday, July 8, 2010. We are back in the good old United States. The ride through Canada was a quiet one. Not much traffic at all. Some construction though. The roads aren't very good either. After Jesse spent a week washing and waxing the coach, it is now full of dust from the roads in Canada,,,,the car is filthy. We need to find a car wash tomorrow since we can't see out of the windows,,,,unbelievable. Not use to having things dirty like that.
Well gas in Canada is very high and we filled the tank before heading into Canada. We didn't have enough gas to get back to the U.S. so we were told to put in just enough gas to get back to the U.S. Soooo, Jesse being the wise man that he is, figured out just how many liters of fuel we would need and he estimated we needed 80 liters,,,,well I filled the tank and put in 81 for good measure. Well we were on the International Bridge heading back into the U.S. and there was a huge back up waiting to cross the border. As we are sitting on top of the bridge, I hear him mutter under his breath,,,,OH NO. Looks like we are very low on fuel and the tank is on empty. We held our breaths and when it was our turn, he told the border patrol he was nervous and that we were running out of gas. He laughed and told us we could turn the motorhome off while he inspected us. Good thing there was a gas station right after we paid the bridge toll. Oh and it cost $7.00 to cross into Canada and $11.00 to come back. We have a 75 gal tank and it took 65 gals to fill it. Don't want to come that close again. Jesse says, in the end, he is always right. I say that's debateable.
We are staying at a casino in Sault Ste. Marie tonight and tomorrow night. $10 a night with electric. Good deal that's for sure. Today was senior day at the casino so we each got $5.00 worth of free chips to play. We also had to sign up for a players card and that gave us $10.00 more to play with. So we each had $15.00 and we won a total of $15.00. Knowing what big gamblers we are, we took the $15.00 and left. So $20 for 2 nights camping and they gave us $15 back in the casino. Life is good.
Tonight we went to the Soo Locks. We arrived just in time to see a cruise ship enter the locks and watch the water rise and the ship released from the other side. It was very interesting.
The weather today was cool this morning (so nice for a change) and then around noon the sun came out and it was warm again. Tonight however, Jesse is chilly. Nice to say it is chilly again, it's been so hot.
Tomorrow we are going to Mackinac Island. Looking forward to that. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow night.
We're having a great time,,,,
Well gas in Canada is very high and we filled the tank before heading into Canada. We didn't have enough gas to get back to the U.S. so we were told to put in just enough gas to get back to the U.S. Soooo, Jesse being the wise man that he is, figured out just how many liters of fuel we would need and he estimated we needed 80 liters,,,,well I filled the tank and put in 81 for good measure. Well we were on the International Bridge heading back into the U.S. and there was a huge back up waiting to cross the border. As we are sitting on top of the bridge, I hear him mutter under his breath,,,,OH NO. Looks like we are very low on fuel and the tank is on empty. We held our breaths and when it was our turn, he told the border patrol he was nervous and that we were running out of gas. He laughed and told us we could turn the motorhome off while he inspected us. Good thing there was a gas station right after we paid the bridge toll. Oh and it cost $7.00 to cross into Canada and $11.00 to come back. We have a 75 gal tank and it took 65 gals to fill it. Don't want to come that close again. Jesse says, in the end, he is always right. I say that's debateable.
We are staying at a casino in Sault Ste. Marie tonight and tomorrow night. $10 a night with electric. Good deal that's for sure. Today was senior day at the casino so we each got $5.00 worth of free chips to play. We also had to sign up for a players card and that gave us $10.00 more to play with. So we each had $15.00 and we won a total of $15.00. Knowing what big gamblers we are, we took the $15.00 and left. So $20 for 2 nights camping and they gave us $15 back in the casino. Life is good.
Tonight we went to the Soo Locks. We arrived just in time to see a cruise ship enter the locks and watch the water rise and the ship released from the other side. It was very interesting.
The weather today was cool this morning (so nice for a change) and then around noon the sun came out and it was warm again. Tonight however, Jesse is chilly. Nice to say it is chilly again, it's been so hot.
Tomorrow we are going to Mackinac Island. Looking forward to that. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow night.
We're having a great time,,,,
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Middleboro, Ma to Westville, Ny
We left Middleboro at 7:15 this morning. It was a very hot day but with the windows open in the motorhome we had a nice breeze. We traveled 392 miles today. We are just below the Canadian border. We have about 30 minutes until we cross the border.
It was an uneventful day and when you are travelling in the motorhome, that is a good thing. We had planned on staying at a casino tonight but the weather is just too hot to boondock with no electricity or air conditioning. We decided to stay in a campground and when we turned off the motorhome it was 97 degrees in the coach,,,,,yikes it is hot. It is now 8:30 and the air conditioning has been running for several hours so it is nice and cool in here. We did go to the casino where we planned on staying overnight and had supper there,,,,,,terrible. If it weren't so hot in the motorhome we'd have eaten here but we thought we'd give it a chance to cool down a bit. The casinos sure aren't like Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun. You could walk the whole thing in 5 minutes. We hadn't planned on gambling (not somethng we enjoy) but were hoping to be in air conditioning and get some walking in,,,,NOT.
Not much to say about this day,,,,,tomorrow we will be in Canada and are planning on driving a little over 300 miles to get to our next destination. Hopefully they have free WiFi so I can post. If not, I'll have to catch up on Thursday night when we get to Michigan.
That's it for now.
It was an uneventful day and when you are travelling in the motorhome, that is a good thing. We had planned on staying at a casino tonight but the weather is just too hot to boondock with no electricity or air conditioning. We decided to stay in a campground and when we turned off the motorhome it was 97 degrees in the coach,,,,,yikes it is hot. It is now 8:30 and the air conditioning has been running for several hours so it is nice and cool in here. We did go to the casino where we planned on staying overnight and had supper there,,,,,,terrible. If it weren't so hot in the motorhome we'd have eaten here but we thought we'd give it a chance to cool down a bit. The casinos sure aren't like Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun. You could walk the whole thing in 5 minutes. We hadn't planned on gambling (not somethng we enjoy) but were hoping to be in air conditioning and get some walking in,,,,NOT.
Not much to say about this day,,,,,tomorrow we will be in Canada and are planning on driving a little over 300 miles to get to our next destination. Hopefully they have free WiFi so I can post. If not, I'll have to catch up on Thursday night when we get to Michigan.
That's it for now.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
June 28, 2010
Well here we are, one week before we head out on our long awaited trip to So. Dakota, Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. We are getting very excited about our upcoming journey.
Jesse has been working hard to get the motorhome in top condition, including washing and waxing it AGAIN. I can always count on him to keep it in tip top shape.
We have our maps ready to go. It will be a busy week packing the clothes and the last minute chores of packing the food.
Jesse has been working hard to get the motorhome in top condition, including washing and waxing it AGAIN. I can always count on him to keep it in tip top shape.
We have our maps ready to go. It will be a busy week packing the clothes and the last minute chores of packing the food.
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