KathyBob
Junior Ranger
This Fall's trip was fantastic! We left home August 26 and returned October 5. We put 6100 miles on Cutie Pie and she held up well despite a couple of challenges: a broken steel belt on a tire (thanks so much, Marty, for discovering and dealing with that) and a several days of torrential rain resulting in some cabin and galley water. We think we found the entry points and made temporary duct tape fixes until we could come up with permanent fixes. Also, the Rav4 had a loose bearing discovered during an oil change and tire rotation - thank goodness it was discovered and there were no catastrophes on the road. Because of the rain and cold, we spent two nights in motels - first time we've done that!
Highlights:
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in eastern Oregon (visited two of the three units)
Craters of the Moon National Monument - very cool to camp in spaces surrounded by 7000 year old lava flow.
Yellowstone National Park - so very awe-inspiring. Stayed in the Canyon Campground and met a couple from Seattle. He's very interested in building his own teardrop. Yellowstone is huge, high, surrounded by amazing mountains, and the home of bison, elk, wolves, pronghorn (all of which we did see, albeit the wolves with a scope), stunning rivers and waterfalls, and the largest collection of "thermal features" in the world. We had stopped in a parking lot where two tour buses stopped and spent 30 minutes doing the CI tour for visitors from the Netherlands and Korea.
The Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, WY - five museums in one building, worth a stop for at least a day.
.
Devils Tower National Monument - the movie, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," was filmed here but you don't get the full impact of the Tower until you see it and walk around it. The view of the Black Hills from the base is beautiful.
US Highway 16 between Worland and Buffalo, WY was an unexpected delight. The western and eastern sides of the Bighorn Mountains are totally different.
I-90 across South Dakota and Minnesota and into Wisconsin hasn't changed a bit since our last trip but we had two surprises: a Camp-Inn, an R-Pod, and a Casita were all settling in when we arrived at the Mitchell, SD KOA - best internet access in the Midwest AND a really nice owner. The Great River Bluffs State Park, between Winona, MN and Lacrosse, WI was a very nice state park with campsites surrounded by trees and shrubs. Hikes to the two viewpoints (bluffs and river) were worth the effort.
A two night stop in Necedah to have some maintenance (and new tires) done with a trip to the Wollersheim Winery in Prairie du Sac, WI.
Grey Wolf Motel in Manistique, MI. The restaurant next door served a great Walleye dinner.
Family time in Michigan.
A night at the Soo Locks Campground in Sault Ste. Marie, MI where the camper next door had so much in common with Bob - in fact she knew the bully who stole Bob's older brother's Halloween candy back in the late 50's. Also got to watch two 1000 foot ships travel eastbound on the St. Mary's River.
Drive around the north shore of Lake Superior. So many lakes and rivers. Spent the night in a city campground on a sweet little lake in Marathon, ON.
Then into Minnesota and Wisconsin, arriving early Friday to the 11th Annual Camp-Inn Camp-Outt. As usual, the Camp-Inn crew put together a wonderfully fun weekend - including perfect temperatures and a sunny sky. Thanks to you all!
Headed west along I-90 until we got to Spearfish where we headed north to Medora, ND - gateway to Theodore Roosevelt National Park (south unit). We almost didn't go because of heavy rain but so glad we forged ahead. The Park has always been a "someday we'll check it out" spot on the map - it is so very cool. Never realized that North Dakota had badlands, and we were able to get close up and not quite personal with more bison and wild horses. There is a campground in the Park but it was so muddy we decided to spend a second motel night: the Badlands Motel, and have dinner at a nearby tavern.
Driving through Montana is always a special experience. Taking I-94 until it met I-90 was a great alternative to our usual route through Wyoming. It also brought us full circle to the Yellowstone River, here it is a meandering river through ranch and farmland while in the national park it is a fast moving waterway, roaring through its grand canyon.
Pictures from the trip can be found at:https://2014piggotttriptoynpetc.shutterfly.com/
Highlights:
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in eastern Oregon (visited two of the three units)
Craters of the Moon National Monument - very cool to camp in spaces surrounded by 7000 year old lava flow.
Yellowstone National Park - so very awe-inspiring. Stayed in the Canyon Campground and met a couple from Seattle. He's very interested in building his own teardrop. Yellowstone is huge, high, surrounded by amazing mountains, and the home of bison, elk, wolves, pronghorn (all of which we did see, albeit the wolves with a scope), stunning rivers and waterfalls, and the largest collection of "thermal features" in the world. We had stopped in a parking lot where two tour buses stopped and spent 30 minutes doing the CI tour for visitors from the Netherlands and Korea.
The Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, WY - five museums in one building, worth a stop for at least a day.
.
Devils Tower National Monument - the movie, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," was filmed here but you don't get the full impact of the Tower until you see it and walk around it. The view of the Black Hills from the base is beautiful.
US Highway 16 between Worland and Buffalo, WY was an unexpected delight. The western and eastern sides of the Bighorn Mountains are totally different.
I-90 across South Dakota and Minnesota and into Wisconsin hasn't changed a bit since our last trip but we had two surprises: a Camp-Inn, an R-Pod, and a Casita were all settling in when we arrived at the Mitchell, SD KOA - best internet access in the Midwest AND a really nice owner. The Great River Bluffs State Park, between Winona, MN and Lacrosse, WI was a very nice state park with campsites surrounded by trees and shrubs. Hikes to the two viewpoints (bluffs and river) were worth the effort.
A two night stop in Necedah to have some maintenance (and new tires) done with a trip to the Wollersheim Winery in Prairie du Sac, WI.
Grey Wolf Motel in Manistique, MI. The restaurant next door served a great Walleye dinner.
Family time in Michigan.
A night at the Soo Locks Campground in Sault Ste. Marie, MI where the camper next door had so much in common with Bob - in fact she knew the bully who stole Bob's older brother's Halloween candy back in the late 50's. Also got to watch two 1000 foot ships travel eastbound on the St. Mary's River.
Drive around the north shore of Lake Superior. So many lakes and rivers. Spent the night in a city campground on a sweet little lake in Marathon, ON.
Then into Minnesota and Wisconsin, arriving early Friday to the 11th Annual Camp-Inn Camp-Outt. As usual, the Camp-Inn crew put together a wonderfully fun weekend - including perfect temperatures and a sunny sky. Thanks to you all!
Headed west along I-90 until we got to Spearfish where we headed north to Medora, ND - gateway to Theodore Roosevelt National Park (south unit). We almost didn't go because of heavy rain but so glad we forged ahead. The Park has always been a "someday we'll check it out" spot on the map - it is so very cool. Never realized that North Dakota had badlands, and we were able to get close up and not quite personal with more bison and wild horses. There is a campground in the Park but it was so muddy we decided to spend a second motel night: the Badlands Motel, and have dinner at a nearby tavern.
Driving through Montana is always a special experience. Taking I-94 until it met I-90 was a great alternative to our usual route through Wyoming. It also brought us full circle to the Yellowstone River, here it is a meandering river through ranch and farmland while in the national park it is a fast moving waterway, roaring through its grand canyon.
Pictures from the trip can be found at:https://2014piggotttriptoynpetc.shutterfly.com/
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