Minnesota Lake Country

Roger here....  No I am not getting ready for a fencing match, and the red object in my right hand is not an epee'.  More about that later.


First a disclaimer -- It is obvious that we visited the lake district of Minnesota in the worst weather on the wrong year.  Under different circumstances I think it would be beautiful.  But quite honestly, we did not see much of it.  


Our first clue of a few less-than-idyllic days came from our route along Minnesota 34.  The first part of the route was smooth.  Then the road construction sign indicating sixteen miles of renovation.  Then this...

Sixteen miles of washboard dirt roads!  Fortunately, the dirt portion was only about five miles.  Unfortunately, the other eleven miles were as bad as the dirt.  Poor Chaplin -- lots of nervous panting.  


We arrived at the Corps of Engineers Campground at Leech Lake and initially enjoyed the green  --very green -- but damp scenery from our campsite. 


View from the front... 

View from the left side...

          View from the back side....

                              View from the right side....

Very green (my favorite color), very peaceful, very wet, very nice --- except that all we were able to do for four nights and three full days was to look out our windows!  (Notice the top of the screen house in the last picture?  What does a screen house do? Protect you from MOSQUITOS!).

Back to the opening photo.  I am not going to a fencing match.  I am getting ready to walk the dogs.

Dianne and I agree that we have never encountered so many mosquitos.  I counted 28 of the buggers trying to get blood from Bandido when he stopped to take a pee.  We abandoned a trip to Itasca State Park to walk across the source of the Mississippi River.  We did not contact friends that we knew in the area.  We did hover inside the motor home like specimens in a zoo while the mosquitos stared at us from outside.  Remember the movie, The Day of the Conder?  I WAS STIR CRAZY before we escaped from Four Days of the Mosquitos.  

We met one of the campground hosts at the dump station.  He said that he had been here for eleven years and had never seen the mosquitos so bad.  We were just in the right place, at the wrong time.  

Fortunately, things have gotten much, much better. Right now we are enjoying a sparkling night-time  view of the Duluth (DaLoot - local dialect) lights from our front windshield.  We can see the iconic lift-bridge from our campsite at the Lakehead Boat Basin.  Our new Retama (Texas) friends, Jim and Sue, just took us to dinner at Fitzgers, a local brew pub (very impressive, by the way).

The pet picture of the day shows Bandido on the Lake Superior beach, his first trip to a beach, (He loved it, so did Chaplin), just a couple of blocks from our campsite here at the Duluth harbor.

Minnesota - found a great campground

Roger here....   As we travel across the country, we have found many favorite places.  This is one of them.  We don't normally single out a one-night-stop campground, but this one is worthy of mention -- especially after spending the previous night in a casino campground.

We are nestled in a grassy spot in the family-oriented Country Campground, just south of Detroit Lakes, MN.  This is a tranquil, quiet place in lake country.

Our first welcome was the picturesque, reed-lined lake across from the entrance.  What a pretty view.  The second welcome was from the friendly lady who checked us in and directed us to our spot.  

The view from the front of the motor home -- pine trees, green grass, and rolling fields in every  direction.  Lots of room to walk the dogs.

We got a kick out of the two sand-filled and fenced toddler play areas.  Toy overload!  To a little one, this would have to be like Disney World.  





If we pass this way again, we will plan a longer stay.  

Our next stop will be a Corps of Engineers campground on Leech Lake -- a couple hours east of here.  We will be there for a few days.  We are hoping that the (daily) rains hold off so we can enjoy the lake.

 The pet picture of the day shows Bandido getting ready to play with another Blue Heeler mix that he met at Custer State Park in South Dakota.

Heading East + GPS Review

Hi all, Dianne here.  Check out the "other" Falls Park in our adopted hometown -- (for the uninitiated, our former hometown (Pendleton, Indiana) also had a Falls Park and waterfall in town).  The park above can be identified by the beautiful pink granite that makes up Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  The falls are really gushing right now, due to all the rain that has occurred in this area.  


 In fact, the reason we went to Sioux Falls and not Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota is due to the flooding Missouri River.  Record snow melt and flooding rains have closed many roads and campgrounds where we had planned to go.  Guess we'll have to make that trip another year.

Once we drove east from the Badlands a bit, the terrain flattened out and, though still pretty, started to become monotonous.  

I got the brilliant idea to play our iPod playlist using the dock.  Good idea, but just as we were really getting into some of our new iTunes (James Durbin) the battery in the dock failed, and then we were back to monotony.  Gotta remember to charge it before we hit the road!  

Once the music was gone, I got out one of our favorite road games.  We bought this auto bingo game years ago, when we traveled with our girls.  They never wanted to play it, but Roger and I over the years have used it from coast to coast, trying to get through all five pictures of every cube in a trip. We've never played it as intended (Bingo).  One year, on a trip home from Idaho, we even drove around the block in Pendleton, Indiana (our former hometown) when we arrived, in order to turn the last square (a barber pole that we knew was there).

  The picture above shows some of the easier squares.  As the cubes turn over to different sides, the items get more and more difficult to find.  What can I say?  I still think it's fun!  We tried audio books on one trip, but it made Roger sleepy -- not a good thing when you're driving a huge motor home down the highway.  

We intentionally crossed the Missouri River on I-90, feeling that was the safest area to get across. We decided to stop in Sioux Falls to get our motor home title updated (it was paid off in 2009, but still had the bank's  name on it).  While in the court house, we even registered to vote.  Hopefully we won't get called for jury duty in South Dakota in the dead of winter!


Roger here...  The trip all the way across South Dakota was actually Plan C.  After abandoning Roosevelt National Park due to water, Plan B was to cross the Missouri River in the middle of South Dakota on I-90 (which we did), and then head straight north on local roads to Highway 2 in North Dakota.  The night before our departure from the Badlands area, I did some checking on the computer.  Every county going north from I-90 in SD and ND on the planned route was under a severe flood warning along the James River, and further rain was in the forecast.  Some of the roads were surrounded by water to the point that cars needed to take turns crossing the narrow stretches.  Not worth the risk.  Besides, there was the mundane paperwork to take care of in Sioux Falls. Nice to have that done.  Nice to be able to vote again.  Back to Dianne...

No trip to Sioux Falls is complete without visiting the lovely park and falls, so while there we walked through the park and stopped for lunch overlooking the falls.

From Sioux Falls we headed north on I-29 and spent a $10 overnight (with full hookups) at the Dakota Magic Casino in North Dakota.  (R:  Finally, a night in North Dakota, albeit only one.)  We've never overnighted at a casino before.  It's probably a cheaper choice for us than wineries, because we're not tempted by gaming. We've read that it's a good deal.  Some are free, and the buffets are usually cheap for an easy travel meal.  


We'll probably stay at a casino again sometime, but might skip the buffet.  The food was plentiful, and they were featuring snow crab legs (all you can eat), but the waiting in line, cramped dining room, smoky interior, and just-okay food wasn't worth the hassle or the $15 each.  (R: I did a lot of grumbling waiting in the line -- lots of empty tables, but no hurry to seat people.  Also, I ate way too much greasy fried seafood that was not on my diet and not really that good.  I must admit, though, that the soft-serve frozen yogurt at the end of the meal was a highlight.  Tasted soooo good.)


I'll let Roger finish the blog with his review of our new Rand McNally RV GPS (spoiler:  he LOVES it!)


Roger here, again....  What a difference!  Waldo rocks in so many ways!  He speaks clearly, thoroughly and logically.  We don't wonder about what he means to say.  There is a boatload of information on the display screen, including the current speed limit, our speed, miles to go, info about our next maneuver, and the ability to easily, look at the next three turns.  It is simple to program.  I have been using the POI (point of interest feature).  So far, all three of our camping destinations were POI's that were actually on the GPS, so programming involved only a few clicks. 


It is advertised to be programmed specifically for RV travel.  So far, that has been true.  When I made an adjustment to the route, Waldo recognized what I was doing, and immediately reprogrammed and did not insist that I make a u-turn.   Waldo verbally warned us of a speed zone ahead.  He also warned of some (not all) of the construction along the route.  I think this will be better after I update it on the Rand McNally website.  Oh, and the tether connecting Waldo to the 12 volt battery doesn't fall out and drop to the floor when we enter a heavily-congested area.  


Dianne again:  Here's a link to Amazon if you want to read reviews and learn more.  We bought ours directly from Rand McNally, because Amazon didn't carry them yet.  I think the price is similar.

We decided to continue to use Sacajawea in the car.  We may change our mind about that:  In Sioux Falls, she did not recognize the county courthouse as a POI, and she made several routing mistakes. She identified the destination on the wrong side of the street, told me to turn right when she meant left.  Ugh!  I was tempted to throw her into the falls, but that would be littering, wouldn't it?  

The pet photo of the day shows Bandido peeking out from under the driver's seat, where he had gone to spend quality time with Charlie (who was hiding under the driver's seat to get away from Bandido!)

Badlands National Park near Wall, South Dakota

Hi all, Dianne here.  Another spot we wanted to revisit from our early 1980s trip west was Badlands National Park near Wall, South Dakota.

  One of our favorite all-time vacation photos occurred on that trip, when we weathered a severe thunderstorm in our pop-up camper and were rewarded with a fantastic rainbow as the skies cleared.


This year as we toured the Badlands we had a perfect day to explore; sunny, 70s, gentle breeze.  We packed a picnic lunch and headed out to take several short hikes in the park.

Much of the scenery looked as we remembered from our earlier trip; the difference this time was that we could hike without meeting the needs of two little girls. 

 Gotta say, though, that that trip is etched into our memories as an all-time favorite, for obvious reasons!


Roger will now describe the Notch Hike that we both started and he finished without me, and why!

Roger here...  Ah, the Notch Hike.   We had already taken two short hikes on the east end of the park.  Both provided wonderful views and opportunities to walk on the formations.  Fun.  

However, I was wanting something a little more challenging.  The Notch Hike departed from the same parking area.  It was only a one-mile round trip jaunt, but the literature said that it was a moderate to strenuous hike.  It also said that people with a fear of heights and small children should pass.  Unfortunately, Dianne read the description before we departed.  She has a fear of heights, and a definite fear of ladders.  I knew that there was a ladder on the trail, but since it was not free-standing and bolted directly to the rock, I didn't think it would be an issue.  


After some mutual fussing, Dianne agreed to start the hike with the understanding that if she saw something she did not like, she would go back.  Fair enough.  

Off we went.  The first part of the hike was on a canyon floor and reasonably flat -- a little hopping over some of the formations and some mud, but nothing major.


Then we arrived at the ladder.  As you can see, it was not steep at the bottom, but became much steeper at the top.

Dianne decided that I should go first.  She followed behind.  As I neared the top, the ladder started to sway with each of my steps.  Dianne did not like this.  She told me that I needed to finish before she went any further.  I scampered on up and looked down.  Dianne took a couple more steps, then said, "I can't do this."  She told me to go ahead.  I felt badly, but knew of her fear and knew that she would be much happier waiting back at the parking lot.  I went back down to meet her half-way to retrieve the camera, then climbed back to the top and snapped this picture of her making her retreat.

After walking a few minutes, and turning a corner, I looked down at the trail below and watched Dianne until she disappeared from view.  If you look closely at the center of the picture.  The dot of pink color is Dianne.

I moved pretty slowly on the upper portion of the hike.  Much of it was right on the edge of a vertical drop with only 3 feet of pathway, sometimes covered with loose gravel.  

Dianne would have been miserable.  I am so glad that she turned back when she did.  I found it exhilarating, but I must admit to being a little nervous and more careful of my footing than usual.  

The trail went up and down along the canyon edge.

I spent quite a bit of time on all fours, either climbing or crab-walking -- not trusting my balance near the edge of the cliff. 

Eventually, the "Notch" became visible in the distance.  The final walk to the notch was veered away from the canyon drop.  Whew.

The expansive view was of the green valley below. It took three tries to get all of my head in the self-photo below.

Back at the ladder, I talked with several people about the treacherous sections ahead, including one family with three kids.  I am guessing that they were all under the age of eight.  Very scary.

Dianne again....  We saw some fabulous scenery that day, way too many photos to include in the blog.  Something neither of us remembered from our prior trip were the beautiful colors of the hills on the west end of the park.  We decided that we must not have made it that far into the park in the 1980s.  Here are two more of my favorite photos from this area:

For the complete slideshow of all photos from that day, here's the link to my Photobucket Badlands album:


http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y14/DianneN/Badlands%20National%20Park%20South%20Dakota/?albumview=slideshow

Of course, no trip to Wall, South Dakota is complete without a kitschy trip into Wall Drug.  Our visit there in the 1980s trip produced an indelible, favorite family memory:  We let each girl pick out a souvenir there, and Amanda (our animal lover) picked out a flocked prairie dog bank.  She LOVED that bank (never used it as a bank).  She slept with it, played with it, and kept it for years, long after all the flocking had worn off.  Roger and I hoped to find one and send it to her in Florida, just for old times' sake, but alas, the only flocked banks now are buffalo or "jackalo" banks; just not the same!  

Here's a photo of Amanda on that trip with her precious prairie dog.  No souvenir this time, but through the wonders of technology, with my iPhone I was able to send her a snapshot text message as we walked through the prairie dog village back at Devil's Tower with a "Wish you were here."  I got an "Awww, me too" text back from that one.

The pet photo of the day is entitled "Some cats have all the luck."  This motor home was parked next to us here at the Sleepy Hollow RV park in Wall.  Check out the outdoor pen they attached to the outside of their motorhome for their two cats.  To say Charlie was jealous is an understatement, to say the least!

Devil's Tower National Monument - Close Encounter of the Prairie Dog Kind

Roger here...  I am still humming the alien notes from "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" -- much to Dianne's chagrin.  


Close Encounters is one of my all-time favorite movies, so it was a no-brainer for us to travel a hundred miles out of the way (50 each way) to spend a night in the shadows of the Devil's Tower in Northeast Wyoming.

The drive was beautiful, as all things seem to be in this part of the country.  After exiting  Interstate 90, we drove an additional 25 miles on curvy, scenic roads.

We turned a corner a few miles from the park entrance, and there it was.  Some places seem smaller than you imagine them (Chimney Rock, The Alamo, Mt. Vernon).  This is not the case with the Devil's Tower.  It is awe-inspiring -- so dominant in the surrounding landscape.


We were hoping to arrive early enough to snag a campsite in the national park.  Evidently, noon is early enough this time of the year, because we were able to find a perfect spot.  It is maybe the most beautiful site we have ever had -- definitely in the top three.  (If you go, just know that there are no hookups, so it is dry camping -- D.)


The view from the front needs no explanation...

The views from the passenger side were of the Belle Fourche River in front of a series of bright red cliffs.  Oh, and the occasional herd of horses.

After taking the dogs on a hike around the campground -- the only place that they were allowed, we hiked 1.3 miles UP to the tower.   Dianne was in heaven during the first part of the hike.  (The flat part -- D.)  The narrow trail traversed a huge prairie dog colony.  These prairie dogs were much more tolerant of people than those at Custer State Park,  not that they were happy.  There was a lot of high-pitched scolding as we passed within a foot of their burrows.   At the last minute, they always dove into the ground, but this time Dianne was able to get several close-up shots.

Awww!  Look at the babies...

We got a glimpse of a little guy we had never seen before.  The park ranger looked at our picture and told us it was a Least Chipmunk. 


After the stroll through the prairie dog village, we started up.  It was a challenging walk, but it was so interesting.

A couple of dung beetles were rolling a ball of "dung" across the trail.

We walked under a giant yellow turtle standing on its hind legs.  Dianne groaned when I told her what I thought it resembled.  (No one ever accused me of not having an imagination.)

We walked by a balanced rock.










The campground, river and roadway grew small:

When we arrived at the visitor center, Dianne stamped her national park passport book, and we began a 1.3 mile hike around the tower (mostly level and paved).  Here are a couple of close-up shots of the tower:

Remember when Richard Dreyfus and Barry's mom hid in the rubble field on the dark side of the moon?  Well the rubble field is there.

After circling the tower, it was time to head back to the campground.  The doggies (especially Bandido) required at least three more walking circuits of the campground.  So down we went -- easier and quicker to go down.


The scenery seemed more enjoyable on the way down.  All-in-all, it was a 7.1 mile trek, according to Dianne's pedometer.  Well worth the effort.

I spent the rest of the evening and most of the next morning sitting in the passenger seat of the motor home with my feet on the console enjoying the view through the front windshield and humming the Close Encounter notes.

The pet pictures of the day show Bandido joining me as I looked out the front windshield, and Charlie striking a pose.

We intended to travel straight north from here to Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota.  However, the massive flooding of the Missouri River in that area has altered our plans.  Stay tuned for Plan B.