Badlands SD

What a spectacular place. We drove around the loop, which is mostly paved, with many lookouts. But as the day clouded over with pending rain, we hurried to the area with unpaved road where the wildlife was supposed to be. We were not disappointed, as not long after leaving the pavement, we came upon a family of long horned sheep picking their way up the steep grade. Now, I have often been in areas where they are supposed to be, and have never actually seen one, so to come upon a family, I was thrilled! My partner maybe not so much so! "How many pictures do you need, Carol?" PLENTY, as you never know which ones will come out!!

We moved on and came across Prairie Dog area, and at first excited to see a few, I soon realized they were everywhere! Darting in and out, popping up and down, and making cute little squeaking noises. "Oh my gosh! Custest thing I have ever seen!!" says I. "No they aren't!" comes the reply!! Hmph!

Next came the buffalo, and we were both disappointed that they were pretty far from the road at the moment. One can imagine what it must have been like for the Lakota and their predecessors to hunt these plains. The Lakota word, and then the French trappers phrase for these lands meant bad lands, as they were so hard to traverse. And Chief Big Foot and his men cut a passage by hand to try to escape, but the result was the slaughter at Wounded Knee, not far from here. A sad tale once again in our history.

We both agree that this land is awe inspiring. If you click on the photo, you can see the rest of the album.

BIG day Wednesday!

Big blue sky, big puffy clouds, big farms with big silos, BIG open prairie land!

Clem cuts the pipestone.
The weather was spectacular after the flooding of the day before, and we went into the Pipestone National Monument before heading out, where we saw a very interesting film on the history of the pipes and Native Americans and spoke to a very knowledgeable park ranger who answered our questions about the Sioux Quartzite and pipestone beneath.  The quartzite is the second hardest rock, and it is amazing what they go through to get to the pipestone, which is softer and carveable.  We even got to try our hand at cutting some. The Native Americans are now the only ones allowed to quarry it there, and they still do, all by hand.  I was moved by the dedication to their heritage, even among the young.  I had to ponder what our children today would say if we told them we were going to go out and hammer and dig the earth and rock all day, to find this stone.    

We crossed into South Dakota and miles of flat open prairie.   The farms, when we saw them, were so huge, it was amazing.  Cattle looked like ants.  At one point there was a tractor that had cut two swaths, and was sitting there.  We estimated that it took us nearly 10 minutes  traveling at 65 mph to cover the length of one side of the circle!  Can't imagine how long it might take to cut the entire field!

Clem and Cornelius

Our first stop was in Mitchell, home of the world's only Corn Palace.  Now a basketball arena, decorated with real corn cobs, husks  and grasses in intricate designs that are reworked every year, it was first constructed in 1800's on a wooden structure.  Why, you may ask?  Well, it seems Lewis and Clark came thorough and said the land would never be any good for anything except buffalos and horses, and they wanted to prove the value of their agriculture.  I have to say the early designs were more elaborate, but it is still a sight.

We drove on along the prairie and  suddenly came to a steep downgrade, which I found surprising, since we had not climbed that I could remember, and there we were crossing the Missouri River!  Another gorgeous site that elicited "wows" from both of us.

Big state, and a long way yet to go, we booked a KOA in Belvidere, and were very surprised to find that the 1880 town, for which we had seen many bill boards ( oh yes.....lots of BIG BILLBOARDS), was actually very nice, and not the hokey tourist attraction we expected it to be.  A man  has actually collected authentic buildings from the 1800's and early 1900's, and moved them and assembled a town here, just like it would have been then.  Complete with furnishings and in some cases even photos of the families who had lived there.  In the old hotel, you can actually see the spur marks of the cowboys on the stairs from when they came down for breakfast.  Pretty fascinating stuff.

See more photos of 1880 town in albums.  

I have photos, but wifi here is very slow, and our hot spot not much better, so will add later.
Today we head into the Badlands, so it may be a few days!!!  Hopefully we will make it out safely! :-)

Moon over 1880 Town, shot from the motorhome at our campsite.

Had breakfast the next morning in the 1950's Dining Car of the train you see behind this unusual motorhome.  The old train car was original, and very neat.  The motorhome looks like converted bus, with the special touch of the horns!

Pipestone Minnesota

Whoa!  Batten the hatches and hold on to that steering wheel!  Minnesota was very windy, and apparently is most of the time.  1200 Wind turbines line the countryside and attest to that.  Minnesota is farm country, and settled by Scandinavian immigrants, who were called "sodbusters", as they cleared land to find the rich soil of the prairie.

We drove into black clouds that gave way to downpours of rain, and I was hoping it was at least cleaning my dirty car!  We arrived at our campsite and were guided into a spot that had standing water right where our door is!  Guess we may need to add boots to our list of supplies!  We re maneuvered, and got to a bit better ground, set up, and waited for the rain to subside.  The area is still this evening under a flood warning.

The goal today was Pipestone, near the South Dakota border, where  there is  an abundance of Sioux quartzite.    The pink/red  stone was used in buildings up and down the historic main street, and the town was added to the Register of National Historic places.  The Sioux cleared the prairie grass, and quarried the softer pipestone, beneath the  pink stones,  to make their peace pipes, and hence the name of the town.   Longfellow's "The Song of Hiawatha" tells of "the great Red Pipestone Quarry", and the area is still sacred ground of the Sioux and other Native Americans.  There is a pageant presented each year of the Song of Hiawatha on the spot where the quarry of an architect who built the Historic Moore Block, once existed.   The building that bears his name is covered with humorous faces, and on the National Register, as are many of the buildings.     Very interesting , now sleepy, little town.

Click on the photo to see more photos of the buildings.

Joe and Shirley's custom RV

At one campground we saw a diesel truck   hauling a 5th wheel.  But Joe assures us it was not like his!  He and a friend designed it, and it, by itself, can be used for camping!  We struck up a conversation with him this morning on a little walk around the park, and he gave us a peek inside.  Back seat converts to a bed, and there is a refrigerator and stove, and a shelf above for storage of , among other things, their guitars.  They play together often, and perform at senior centers.  A lovely couple, it turned out she had checked us in!  They are full timers, and work at the Rochester, WI camp during the summer months, in exchange for their stay, I would assume.  (We have met several couples like this on our travels. )  He hauls the fifth wheel with this truck, and then a small white car behind that!  When I asked what length  that came to, he said, longer than the law allows in a lot of states!  But they don't bother him.   We chatted, and he offered us newbies some helpful tips, and invited us to come and listen to them play guitar this evening.  Too bad we had to leave.  

An interesting note about this campsite.  Located in Rochester,  a large percentage of the occupants of the park are Mayo Clinic patients, and a free shuttle runs from the camp to the Mayo every half hour every day.  

Fun day in Wisconsin

Of course I had to stop at one of the cheese stands that beckoned yesterday!  We tasted and then stocked up on some really good cheese.  One was a Havarti with peppadews, those wonderful little hot sweet peppers that are popping up on all the olive bars.

 We finally got underway, and  Wisconsin did surprise me after all, as the wide farmland turned into hills and some rock cliffs as we skirted the Wisconsin Dells.  I had asked about visiting there, and was told "it's busy!!"  Turns out what I expected to be a big natural area is clogged with water parks and tourist attractions.  We could have taken an exit off the road, and taken a boat ride, but again....another time.

 I did , however, insist that we get off for Buffalo Phils.  Thanks to Fran, who sent me an article, I recognized it as a restaurant that serves food on a model train!!  Now,  how could we not go???  Clem was nervous about getting off the highway with the motorhome, but I insisted, figuring  if it was such a tourist area, it must be wide and high enough for us, or in the worst case, we could stop, unhook and back up! We did just fine, and he thoroughly enjoyed the experience, as did I.  He was soon taking pictures with his phone and sending them to his train buddies.

What a super place for a family to vacation!  Buffalo Phils was HUGE, not the quaint little place I had expected. When the train is not delivering food, it comes around with toys, and the kids get buffalo horn hats.  Yes, I kind of wanted one, but didn't ask.  I did, however, get my ice cream delivered in a train box!  And the back of the place is a huge arcade, with the biggest blow up bouncing surface I have ever seen.   There is a Great Wolf in addition to several other water parks, and more.  But we had our dessert and took off.


We skipped a few possible adventures and enjoyed the beautiful scenery right into Minnesota.  As we crossed the state line, we also crossed the Mighty Mississippi.  Wow!  Beautiful!  Pretty wide at that point, and little islands.....quite a sight!

 Our waiter Antoine, was all for joining in the fun when I asked if I could take his picture.

Our travel day today has been very pleasant, with lots of pretty things to see, instead of the monotony that can sometimes accompany travel on highways.   Steinbeck mentioned in "Travels with Charlie"  that one day you would be able to drive clear across country, and not see a thing.  How right he was.  I drove all day, so no photos out moving windows!  Clem really needs to pick up the slack, don't you think???  :-)  

 Loki cozzies up on the dash while I update my blog, and Clem watches the game.  Great sky!   

No problem with dead batteries here!  I told Clem we should do this , but he uttered a resounding NO!!

another interesting RV

 This was taken through a dirty window, and I did not take the time to try to correct the photo.  But you can see, it is a converted bus.  Loved the awnings!  They had some sort of air horn, on which they were playing us various tunes for a bit.......rather for the entire area!  This was at Saturday campsite, where we needed the jump start.  One of the mobile mobiles.

We drove through Illinois and Indiana yesterday, and into Wisconsin.  Stayed at a very nice KOA last night.  Wifi and TV!  Yay!  Now, though we have enjoyed walks and playing games and reading and mapping the last few nights, it was nice to watch a bit of TV last night!  I  updated blog, then went to back with the kitties and we watched from bed, as Clem watched the Miami Heat game from the couch.  "Cozy", as  little Grace would say!

Chicago traffic was at a virtual standstill, and it took us nearly two hours to get through the area.  Decided to visit another time and make miles today.  Indiana,  the Hoosier state, had a couple of interesting sites, including the RV Hall of Fame, but again....next time, my co pilot said.  There is an Amish area, and the little town of Topeka dubbed "Life in the Past Lane," which may prove true of most of the state.  Wisconsin has wide green farmland dotted with beautiful red barns....just what you might expect!  And big signs announcing cheese!!  Have never been to Ohio or Wisconsin, so neat to see the terrain.

I still find it hard to not see everything, but we don't want to be on the road forever.  Must save some things for the next time.

Some interesting trivia for you this Monday morning!

Hellmann's Mayonnaise - a bit of history.

Most people don't know that back in 1912, Hellmann's mayonnaise was manufactured in England In fact, the Titanic was carrying 12,000 jars of the condiment scheduled for delivery  in Vera Cruz, Mexico, which was to be the next port of call for the great ship after its stop in New York .
This would have been the largest single shipment of mayonnaise ever delivered to Mexico . But as we know, the great ship did not make it to New York . The ship hit an iceberg and sank, and the cargo was forever lost.
The people of Mexico, who were crazy about mayonnaise, and were eagerly awaiting its delivery, were disconsolate at the loss. Their anguish was so great, that they declared a National Day of Mourning, which they still observe to this day.

The National Day of Mourning occurs each year on May 5th and is known, of course, as:

Sinko De Mayo.

WHAT???   You expected something educational ?

us and the REALLY big guys!!

The really neat thing about an RV is that when on a road trip, you are always near a clean restroom and a decent meal!  

Today was a travel day, and we pulled off to have a bite and switch drivers.  I decided to whip up a grilled cheese sandwich, which tasted mighty good on a cool day, and was quicker than going in and waiting in line!  

Last nights' camp was minus dirt roads, but  interesting, to say the least!   When pulling in, I heard a bellow from below my window, "Florida???  Where ya' goin'?  "  Portland, Oregon , I reply.  Yeah, but where ya goin?  Are ya stayin?    Yes, just overnight, but  our car is dead, and I need to pull in here and get it jumped.    I see that.  You SEE the car is dead??  I see your car!!!  Where ya goin?  

Turns out most of the trailers were of the permanent mobile type.  It was interesting to see the men walking around chatting carrying their beer cans.  And a group gathered for bingo under a picnic shelter.  Folks sat outdoors despite the humidity, and started camp fires.  Definitely a different lifestyle, and we are as curious about them, as they are of us in our shiny new Big Rig with the fancy paint job.   Our curious neighbor directed the Triple A man to us, and told Clem he had a cousin by the same name, so he would not forget his.  And we loaned a magazine to the young man on the other side to assist in his fire making, as he had burned his cardboard, and was without paper.  He informed us that his black lab and other little black dog would surely eat our cats if they knew they were in there.  Nice rig, though, he said.  

Oops!

Driving from Cleveland, and just outside of Toledo, our brake buddy monitor started beeping and the lights came on full, indicating the brakes were applied in the car.  Now, since we were driving on the highway, this would not be a good thing!  We spent a few tense few miles on a narrow road under construction....picture baracades and red barrels......until I could find a place to pull over.  Good news, and bad.  The good news is, the brakes were NOT on, but the battery in the car was dead!!

Now, I failed to mention this , but we had this happen in New Jersey, but it was due to not disconnecting the brake buddy when we stayed overnight.  Clearly our fault.  Now we are wondering what we did wrong.  We figured it was dead, so not much more could go wrong, so Clem picked the next campground, and we pulled in and called Triple A.   Guess we have learned another lesson, but not sure this time what it is!!

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

This place is HUGE!  You can buy a two day pass, and you could probably use that and more if you watched every video, listened to all the music, and looked at all the memorabilia on the 6 floors! It was amazing, and we were toe tapping and humming.  

We wondered why it was in Cleveland, and were told that the DJ who coined the phrase Rock and Roll, had a studio right near here.

 

 No photos allowed inside except for lobby.

Clem turns 65!

With all the comforts of home, except for the  flour, he had to  forgo his traditional pancake breakfast, but I did make him a nice omelet for his special day!   And cake and ice cream, minus the candle, which the butane lighter stood in for!  

a little road dust!

Into PA

New York and Pennsylvania blend together with lakes and vineyards as we move through the narrow portion of PA that juts up to meet Lake Erie, and then in Ohio, which again, surprisingly , is abundant with fields of grapes.  I did not realize this area had this many vineyards.  Clem picked out an RV park for us as close to Cleveland as he could find.  Now, he has done a great job so far, getting us woodsy and wonderful spots where we can commune with nature.  Or lat least I can commune, and he can enjoy the peaceful surroundings to perhaps relax in the zero gravity chaise I surprised him with for the trip!  But I am beginning to doubt the wisdom of his choice as we follow directions that lead us through rural residential areas and onto a dirt road!  As the dust flies and accumulates on the coach and car, and things start to rattle and shake, I slow to 20 mph, and think I hear the strains of banjo music playing!  I am surprised to arrive at a large open area and lake with gated drive into the park.  When led to our space, I note, however, that we are the only "motorhome", and that the park is filled with trailers.  After setting up, I begin to notice several trailers are actually permanent, with wooden decks adjoining them, and sometimes even gardens and landscaping.   We were told that our next adventure would require at least 3 hours, and since it was only 1 1/2 hours to closing, we opened our camp chairs and spent a relaxing afternoon pondering these "permanent mobile" homes, and planning the next leg of the journey.

I had spent several weeks pouring over books, maps and internet sites, planning our November adventure , but had little time for planning in the weeks before we left Florida.  So we find ourselves doing it in chunks as we go.  Clem is a bit concerned about weather and passes this early in the season, and with the strange spring the country is suffering , so I think we will alter the last leg and go a bit farther south, staying out of Montana.  We will save that for another trip.  I want to see Glacier Park anyway, so that can be a trip in itself.

The boys have found new places to ride

Now I know I have a whole cat page, but this bears mentioning.  Sas has decided that he really likes the "upper bunk" over our bed!  And Loki is now enjoying the bedside table while riding.  So glad he has decided to stay out of the closet!  Though he enjoys closets, even in the house, it makes me sad because I feel like he is hiding. He seems more open here.  I made him a bed with a pillow to fill the gap between the mattress and the table, and he likes it so much, he was there sleeping on it when we went to bed last night!  So I slept with a cat beside my head, instead of at my feet!  They both seem  relaxed now while we are driving, in these hideaways.  But they clearly know the signs of us breaking camp!  They head for their cubbies well ahead of the engine starting.  

on through New York

Friday dawned cloudy and cool, and we decided to shuffle off THROUh Buffalo.  Once important as a point of departure for setlters heading for the midwest, it is now primarily industrial.  Famous for its "spicy wings", known in the rest of the country as Buffalo Wings, it is also home to Hamburg, where it is said the hamburger was invented in 1885.  Of course, we had to sop for one!  I wish I could tell you there was some kitschy burger shaped building dishing them up with a side of fries, but alas, no indication at all of its fame!

The roads became a passage between grape vines and lakes, and roadside attractions were listed as wineries.  Also the home of Westfield, the Grape Juice Capital of the World, which is dominated by production of a famous grape jelly, and the other all american culinary treat, peanut butter and jelly sandwich!  We did not get off for that, or any of the antiquing that was promised, as we are making time today.  We drive past signs that announce the Erie Canal Historic District, and see glimpses of it, and the canal at points along the way.    The idea of the canal connecting Albany and Buffalo was greeted with skepticism when proposed , and called "Clinton's Ditch" after DeWitt Clinton, champion of the project.  Responsible for settling the midwest and and the rise of the state of NY, most of the once bustling cana towns are quiet now.

We notice how old the roads are around Niagara Falls.  Remember cement roads with the spacers?  ka-boom, ka-boom, as you drove along?  Still there!!  AT least no pot holes!!

Unusual RV's

This older Winnebago was parked across from us at the campsite near Niagara Falls.  I had spotted a couple of cute travel trailers earlier, and taken photos, so will have to post those photos as well.  One little one was emblazoned with "Fun Seeker" across the side!  Very cute.  Tight, but very cute!!!

Niagara Falls photos

Cooperstown, NY

Click on title link to see all photos.